Every Lie Counts

Taking a Step Back

Sunset grabbed her phone, and scrolled through her contacts until she found Josi's.

"Shimmer," Adagio said. Sunset didn't respond. "Sunset." Still nothing. Adagio breathed in and screamed: "SUNSET!"

Finally, Sunset stopped. "WHAT?"

Adagio sighed. "Look. I know you're mad. So am I. Aria was killed by some sick freak, and I want to slap them. But we won't find anything put by calling someone and accusing them of murder. If she does have something to do with this, what makes you think she wouldn't lie now?"

There was silence for a while. Rarity finally spoke up. "Maybe she has nothing left to lose."

"Anyway, she's in Boston," Sunset said, trying to ignore Rarity. "If she did kill them, she would have needed help."

"Or she really is here, and is hiding with Blair."

Adagio pointed to the phone in Sunset's hand. "The only way to find out is to call her."

Sunset gently tapped the green phone icon under Josi's contact picture, and put it to her ear. It beeped for a while, before she finally picked up. Sunset put the phone on speaker. She was silent as she waited for Josi to speak.

"Um," she sounded nervous. "Sunset Shimmer?"

"Hallows?" Her voice went cold.

"So you found out, huh? This is such a great day."

"Why would you do this?"

Josi sighed. "I think you should come to my house. It's hard to talk over the phone. You still have my address?"

Sunset nodded, then remembered that Josi couldn't see her. "Yes, I do. We'll be there in five."

She hung up. "Let's go."

- - -

Sonata sat next to Rainbow Dash. She smiled. "Thank you for letting me stay with you tonight."

"I don't think any of us would feel safe being alone after what happened earlier," Rainbow told her. "I'm so sorry about Aria. I know you cared about her."

"It was more than that," Sonata said, her grief showing in her eyes. "I loved her." She paused. "Not in a girl friend way, but in that sisterly way. You act like you hate each other, but you really don't. You'll be there when they need you, and the other way around. We weren't really related, but we felt like we were. We were a family. And, sure, we had a few bumps in the road, but what family doesn't?"

Rainbow smiled. "We all do. Like...Sunset and-"

Dawn glared over at her. "Don't you dare use me as an example, you friend of my sister!"

"Okay, I'm sorry," Rainbow said.

"I came here to make it up to her, and I'm going to. But after everything I did to her back in Equestria, it will probably be hard, if even possible."

Sonata put her hand on Dawn's shoulder. "It is possible. You just have to believe!" She threw her arms in the air, and twirled around. "You just have to BELIEVE!"

Rainbow smirked. She put her phone to her ear, and motioned for Sonata to do the same. "Hello? Is this MacDonald's heart attack served in a bag?"

"No! This is TACO BELL!" Sonata ripped her phone away from her ear, crossed her arms, and pouted. "I'm not a MacDonald's heart attack.

Dawn gave them a confused look, but didn't say anything.

- - -

Josi's house looked like a ghost town. The yard was dark, the grass dead and black. There were no flowers. Dead leaves littered the ground, and crunched beneath the girls' feet as they walked up to the black painted door. They were instantly swallowed by shadows.