The Pie Residence
"Sonata, are you okay?" Pinkie asks from the other side of the door. The girl sits on her bed, curled up in a ball as tears roll down her face as Tikki licks her. Since the events two days before, Sonata had refused to leave the house, clearly shaken by what had transpired. Pinkie darts off and then back to the door with a cake in her hands. "I've got cake for your 'maybe birthday'. I wasn't sure if I could fit a few centuries worth of candles on it but I did." Receiving no response, Pinkie sighs sadly. "I'll leave it here if you change your mind." She sits it on the hall table outside of the room. As she grabs her things to head out for school, Maud comes down the hall. "I have to get to school. Could you watch out for her until I get back Maud?"
"Sure." The older sister says in her usual monotone voice.
"Thanks Maud. You're the best sister ever." Pinkie heads out and meets up with her friends at school.
"How is Sonata doing?" Rarity asks.
"Not too good. She still won't come out."
"Poor thing. This has really hit her hard."
"We all saw what happened. After what Aria did yesterday I can't say I blame her." Rainbow Dash says angrily as the girls walk down the hall to class.
"It just doesn't make any sense. Why would she do that, especially to Sonata?" Fluttershy says.
"I'm with Fluttershy. Something was definitely wrong with Aria. She wasn't acting like herself. Even if she was stressed out there's no way she'd take it out on Sonata or any of us for that matter." Sunset Shimmer says as she continues to explain. "Maybe if we talked to her."
"I wouldn't bother. She didn't even come back to the farm last night or the night before." Applejack comments.
"I saw her this morning training with Curly Winds and Wiz Kid." Rainbow explains.
"I cannot believe that she's still focused on winning that tournament when her sister is so distraught." Rarity says with distaste. "Speaking of." The group watch as Aria walks alone down the hall. As she walks passed them without saying anything, Rainbow Dash decides that enough is enough.
"Hey!" She says as she grabs the girl by the arm. "You're just not going to say anything to any of us after what you did? You owe Sonata an apology."
Aria responds by pulling her arm out of Dash's grasp. "Don't tell me what I need to do, alright? Right now I'm focused on one thing and that's winning my next match. I couldn't care less about Sonata, so get off my back." She brushes off Dash and the others and goes on her way.
"That work about as well as you planned?" Applejack asks a frustrated Rainbow Dash.
"All we can do now is be there for Sonata and hope Adagio comes back soon." Fluttershy says as they walk off.
"Whatever she's doing I hope it's worth it."
Equestria
None the wiser of what is going on on the other side of the portal, Adagio is engrossed in her task as she has located at least two more sirens as the collective group gets acquainted. "And that brings us to eleven by my count." Boogie Night says as he helps with the tally as many other ponies help with building housing for the new guests on a large plot of land.
"And this is where the magic happens." Double Down says as he gives Maud Pie a tour of the area. "Well not the literal magic but the figurative type. Get it?"
"Ha ha." She says dryly with a plan expression.
"That's why I love. You always get my jokes." As the two continue on Adagio, in her siren form soars in. "Hey Adagio."
"Hey. How are things going?"
"Oh great. We just finished a two of the houses and the others should be done by the end of the week."
"Thanks again for getting us this assignment. It beats cleaning the castle by a long shot." Cut Off says, wearing a hard hat.
"It's the least I could do after the problems I caused. If you'll excuse me." She flies up to a cliff that overlooks the area. Transforming into her pony form, she takes in a deep breath as she smiles as she looks out toward the sunset.
"Enjoying the view?" Adagio turns to see the source of the voice.
"Discord? Right, they told me you were free." She says with an unpleasant tone as the draconequus teleports behind her. "Just curious, how did a thousand years of imprisonment feel?" She says smartly.
"Stimulating actually. How was banishment in an alternate dimension, cut off from any real power?" Discord responds with a smirk. "So how goes the search? If I might be so bold to ask."
"You might. And it's going just fine if you must know."
"Oh yes. Your brilliant and completely genuine plan to help your fellow sirens after so many moons of persecution and hardship. How good for you."
"If you're just here to bug me it's working. So if you don't mind."
"I can take a hint. Wouldn't dream of interfering with your plans to help these poor sirens." He snaps his fingers and, in a flash is gone from sight. Before Adagio can sigh he is back again. "Of course I hope you're not so focused on helping them that you forget about your sisters and their problem."
"Problem? What are you on about now?"
"Oh I'm sure it's of no concern to you right now, seeing as you're so busy."
"Discord, tell me what's going on!" She says furiously.
"Well, after that little outburst I'm not so sure I feel like telling you anything." He says with his arms folded.
Adagio lets out a sigh, sucking it up to do what needs to be done. "Fine, I'm sorry."
"Say you're sorry with sugar on it."
This frustrates her even more as the conversation is working her last nerves. "Fine. I'm sorry with sugar on it."
"Well I'm not entirely convinced, but I accept your apology. Here you are." He snaps his fingers and opens up two large screens that show Sonata laying in her bed and Aria sitting alone in the school locker room, both girls crying. "I don't know for sure what's going on but I can tell you it's utterly chaotic over there. Simply fascinating how a world seemingly devoid of me can be so rich with disharmony. So much so that I can detect it even from here. But I'm sure they'll do just fine without you there."
Adagio looks back out over the area and then back in the direction of Ponyville. "No they won't. I have to go." She transforms back into her siren form and heads off.
"Yes, bye bye, and good luck." Discord says as he waves. "Silly thing. I could have just snapped my fingers and sent her to the castle if she'd have only asked." He shrugs his shoulders and walks off.
Canterlot High School
At the school, Trixie is reveling in her new trinket, using her powder to cause rifts, however temporary, between not only the student body, but the faculty as well. As the bracelet continues to absorb more and more energy, Lavender and Fuchsia trade concerned looks. "This is amazing! With this no one shall ever challenge The Great and Powerful Trixie!"
"Uh hey Trixie, maybe you should lay off that stuff for now. I mean, you don't want the act to get stale." Lavender suggests.
"Yeah, we already broke up the Rainbooms and Dazzlings." Fuchsia says. Turning her gaze she notices a dejected Snips walking down the hall with Snails, who is doing his best to cheer his friend up. "Haven't we done enough?"
"There's one more thing I have planned. Follow me ladies." Trixie says as she walks down the hall, Lavender and Fuchsia in tow. Fuchsia, however, stops a distance away and, instead turns to follow Snails. This eventually leads her to the soccer field, where he is sitting alone on the bleachers.
"Hey, Snails." She calls out as he turns toward her. Fuchsia takes a seat next to him. "Look, I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have interfered with Aria."
"Eh, it's not your fault." He says.
"No it was my fault. I should have known better than to mess with something that was none of my business. Listen, there's more to all of this than just Aria and you. I can't really say much more but I feel awful after what happened. I just want you to know that if you need some help patching things up with her, you can count on me. You seem like a really sweet guy and I'm sure Aria will see that again." The two look down as she finds her hand resting atop his, quickly pulling it back. "I'm sorry. I should go."
"Thanks Fuchsia." Snails says as the two go their separate ways.
Canterlot High Auditorium
Aria sits in the girl's locker room alone, focusing on the upcoming match. She finds, however, that her usual calm demeanor is gone as she is visibly shaking, her mind filled with thoughts of what happened the other day. She attempts to piece together why she did what she did. True she'd always had a temper, but never to the point where she would hurt someone like she did to Sonata. She tries to tune these feelings out before the fight. "Relax, Aria. You can do this. You've trained for this for weeks." She repeats to herself several times before a she hears a knock on the door followed by Curly Winds' voice.
"Hey Aria, they're ready for you." He says as he waits patiently. She emerges a few moments later with her trunks and top on, both sporting the second half of her name in fiery letters. The two are joined by Wiz Kid who, along with the blue haired teen, act as her replacement corner men, both wearing white shirts with her name "Blaze" in the same fiery characters as her top and shorts.
"Thanks for doing this on such short notice guys. I know everyone's saying a lot about me right now..."
"It's cool. We wanted to help. Whatever is going on with you and your friends, that's your business."
"Yeah, we're not going to pry." Wiz Kid reassures.
"Thanks guys. Now let's get out there an show Rope-a-Dope who she's messing with. All in." The trio put their hands together.
"One, two, three, Team Blaze!" They say in unison as they head to the ring. As they enter, the two help her with her headgear and gloves before putting in her mouthpiece. They stand in their corner, awaiting the introductions as Rope-a-Dope dances around in her corner, loosening up for the first round. Aria looks around the crowd and finds that none of her other friends are there. "Guess I couldn't blame them." Trixie and Lavender are seated close to the front as Fuchsia joins them. "What took you so long?" She asks.
"Sorry Trixie, I got sidetracked. So what's the plan?"
"Right up there. Sketchy is acting as the referee for this match and I've given him specific instructions on what to do between rounds." She says with a smirk as her eyes momentarily glow red, a fact that does not go unnoticed by her band mates.
The bell rings for the first of five rounds as Aria and her opponent head out to the center of the ring. Aria starts her usually bobbing and weaving in an attempt to get on the inside but finds it increasingly difficult as Rope-a-Dope dances around the ring. She takes several swings, all missing their mark by a wide margin. Her opponent responds with several fast punches before moving back and away from her. This pattern continues for the remainder of the round as the bell rings and the two head back to their respective corners.
"Okay, don't sweat it. It's just the first round." Curly Winds tells her. "Come out next round and put the pressure on her. She'll never know what hit her."
"By my calculations it would be more beneficial to hang back and let her come to you. She'll tire herself out coming at you and you can easily sweep the last three rounds no sweat." Wiz suggests in stark contrast to his friend.
"That's not going to work." Curly says to him.
"Of course it will. Mathematics is never wrong." The two go back and forth before Aria interrupts.
"Are you two really friends? Because you don't seem to get along."
"Sure we are. He's the brains."
"And he's the brawn. And between our contrasting views, we're...not really sure we're going to be much help." Wiz says in embarrassment.
"That's okay, we'll manage." She reassures as the bell rings and she comes out for round two. As Rope-a-Dope comes out the same way, dancing around her opponent, Aria continues to move, taking steps back as she gives chase.
"I thought you were bold. Don't tell me you are planning to fold." Rope-a-Dope taunts as Aria continues to move back. After waiting for just the right moment, Aria lunges forward, now having her target positioned perfectly against the ropes. She swings with a left hook that slams against Rope-a-Dope's arm. She swings again and again as her opponent cannot escape. She prepares to swing again, only to stop in her tracks as she looks up, seeing Sonata's face in front of her. Backing away, she takes a surprise hit from the other girl as the bell for the round ends.
"She is not playing around. A new strategy to beat her must be found." Rope-a-Dope says to her corner as she sits on the stool. Sketchy approaches her and begins to look over her face.
"Are you alright?" He says as she nods. Unknown to her and her corner, the referee is holding a small amount of the red powder in his hand that she, in her heavy breathing, doesn't even notice as she inhales most of it. "Okay."
"And now for my plan to come into full swing." Trixie says from the sidelines.
"You okay?" Curly asks Aria as they give her some water. "Why'd you back off like that?"
"I'm fine, I'm just a little shaky that's all. I've got this." She says as she heads back out. She comes out the same way as before, stepping back before lunging forward to hit her opponent. This time however, Rope-a-Dope stays on her, hitting her with lightning fast punches as she gets more and more aggressive.
"Come on Aria, they said you were tough. From what I see you're not trying hard enough." Rope-a-Dope mocks as an angered Aria leaps forward, missing her and getting her arm caught in the ropes. Her opponent takes advantage of this and gets in some good punches as the bell rings.
Round four doesn't go much better as Rope-a-Dope gets even more aggressive, courtesy of Trixie's plan as she beats Aria around the ring. The purple haired girl gives it her all as she fights back. Meanwhile Trixie watches with amusement from the side as the bracelet continues to soak up the negative energy around her. As the match goes on, Aria receives constant encouragement from Curly and Wiz. Despite this, she finds it difficult to focus on the task at hand, causing her to take a hit that sends her to the canvas as the roar of the crowd drowns out anything else. Aria is up at the count of six and continues on til the bell rings for the end of the round. As she walks back to her corner Rope-a-Dope continues to taunt her. Curly Wind pulls out the stool as Aria slumps down on it, breathing heavily. "It's okay. You're not hurt. You're not hurt." He says as she shoves him.
"I am hurt. Of course I'm hurt. Did you see what she just did to me?" She lashes out before stopping and getting a hold of herself. "I'm sorry. I can't focus. I need to..." She looks up and realizes what she has to do. "Cut off the gloves."
The two trade concerned looks. "You sure?"
"If you quit it counts as a loss." Whiz Kid states.
"I know, but there's something more important than winning this. Do it." Curly Winds and Wiz Kid comply and wave off the fight. A few moments later and Rope-a-Dope is declared the winner. She cheers with her team in triumph but stops momentarily as she watches Aria leave quietly.
"And that girls is what I call a job well done." As Trixie says this her cellphone goes off. She looks down at it and reads the text. She gives it an odd look as she continues reading.
"What is it Trixie?" Lavender asks.
"Our gracious benefactor wants to meet."
Lavender and Fuchsia notice her eyes glowing red again. "Uh, maybe Fuchsia and I can come with you. Might be something worth seeing."
"Of course. What is The Great and Powerful Trixie without The Illusions?"
Earlier That Day
Sonata sits on her bed, as Tikki does his best to cheer her up. "Thanks Tikki, but right now I just want to be alone." She says as she sets him down on the floor. Rubbing her eyes, she decides to actually leave the room. Peering out cautiously, she emerges. The first thing she spots is the cake that Pinkie has left on the table. The blue-haired girl smiles lightly as she takes the cake and sits it on the kitchen table, looking over all the candles on it. "She really didn't cut any corners on this."
"That's Pinkie Pie for you. She never does anything halfway." Maud says as she comes into the kitchen.
"Oh, hey Maud. What are you doing here?"
"I'm ahead on my studies so I'm taking the day off." She sits down across from Sonata and hands her a cake cutter. "What do you say we taste Pinkie's masterpiece?"
"It does look good." Sonata says as she cuts herself a slice, Maud doing the same after. After removing several of the candles, Sonata digs in. She occasionally looks up at Maud, waiting for her to say something as she lightly pecks at her piece of cake.
"If you don't feel like talking about it I won't make you."
Sonata looks down, swirling her fork around the plate. "No, it's okay. I can't keep this bottled up forever. Did Pinkie Pie tell you?"
"She told me enough. Why did this Snails kid kiss you?"
"I don't know. I always thought he liked Aria. I don't know if I did something to make him think I was interested."
"And Aria?"
"I don't know, I never thought she'd react like that. I mean, I know she was on edge with her big match coming up but I didn't think it got to her like that."
"I think we all have that time when we react in a way that we wouldn't. Pinkie Pie is sweet but, believe it or not, she can have her moments too. You know your sister better than anyone. What do you think? Does it really seem like something she'd do?"
"No, something was definitely wrong with her. I can't describe it but she wasn't herself. She'd never hurt me if she could help it." Sonata puts her fork down and stands up. "I have to find her and make things right. Thanks Maud. I thought you knew a lot about rocks."
"I do, but I'm also pretty knowledgeable with sisters." She says, cracking a light smile as Sonata hugs her before rushing to get dressed. She grabs her backpack as Tikki leaps inside and heads out the door. She rushes down the street and into the city as she makes her way to the school. On her way she sees a girl reading a book as she heads through the crosswalk. She is so engrossed in it that she doesn't even notice the oncoming car. "Look out!" Sonata screams as she pushes her out of the way. The two tumble onto the sidewalk on the other side as the car screeches to a halt. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, thanks to you." The girl says as Sonata helps her up. The girl winces for a second.
"Are you hurt?"
"I think I sprained something. Help me over there." Sonata lets her lean on her shoulder as they head over to the mouth of an alleyway.
"There you go." She says as the girl sits on an old box. Sonata stops and takes a few steps back, looking at the girl with two-toned purple hair and glasses. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
"No, but I do know a lot about you from a friend of mine." The girl holds her arm out as a yellow mist sprays from a device on her wrist and into Sonata's face.
"What was..." Sonata stops as she starts to get dizzy. "I feel...funny." She tumbles over as the girl catches her, taking her deeper into the alley and laying her down. Tikki leaps out of the pack and snaps at the girl.
"Beat you little nuisance." She says, kicking at him as he runs off. She then takes out her phone and makes a call. "Hey, it's Twilight. Is everything going our way? Alright I have the other half and I'm ready to go. Yeah, all we need now is Lulamoon and my little gifts and we'll be good to go. Just make sure she wraps it up on her end, we don't have much time."