Sonata Loanby RitsuD95ChaptersCH1: A ChanceCH2: The MallCH2.5: On The Other Side Of The CoinCH1: A Chance"Unbelievable!" Adagio growled as she kicked over a set of trashcans before turning back to Aria and Sonata. "This is on you two idiots! If it was just me, my plan would have been perfect! Now we're stuck here, with no magic and everyone knows who we are! Just great!" "Excuse ME?!" Aria glared back, "It WAS your plan, and YOU failed! Just saying." In the next instant, Adagio was right in her face. She had adorned a very irritated look. "Say that again. See what happens!" "Oh, so scary. Adagio pissed off. Again." Aria deadpanned. "Come on, girls. Don't fight..." Sonata said as she tried to keep her fellow Dazzlings from tearing each other apart. Just a few short hours ago, they had come so close to taking away the Equestrian Magic from Princess Twilight and company. Now, here they were. Arguing in an alley, no power, no fans, nothing. While it certainly was unfortunate for them, Sonata just couldn't see the point of arguing with each other. She decided to try and insert herself right between the two girls about to come to blows. "Please... Stop it." Sonata said, glancing between Adagio and Aria. "Oh, and here comes failure number two! Come to think of it, this is all YOUR fault!" Adagio growled. Sonata blinked. Her fault? "It's not my-" "YES IT IS!" Adagio shouted, "You're the one who tipped off Sunset Shimmer! You're the one who constantly gets distracted! I bet that's why our spells weren't as powerful as they should have been! You've got to be the most incompetent moron I've ever met!" "Wha-" Sonata was taken aback, "But-" "NO BUTS!" Adagio interrupted once more, "This. Is. On. You." "I... I'm sorry." Sonata apologized, looking at the ground. "You know what? I'm sorry too..." Adagio began, waiting for Sonata to look her in the eyes, "I'm sorry I ever met you! I'm sorry we ever worked together! I'm sorry you were ever even BORN!" She punctuated that last word with incredible force. By this point, Sonata was practically in tears. "You... Please don't say that..." "Why not?" Aria interjected, "I think she's onto something here." "You too? But... I know it's really bad, but it could be worse..." Sonata tried to argue. "And how the hell is that?" Aria asked. "Well..." Sonata began, "At least we're still together." And that was it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The next thing Sonata felt was a hay-maker right to her face. She fell to the ground clutching where her so-called friend had just punched her. She looked up, right into Adagio's rage-filled glare. She didn't even try to hold back her tears. "You can't be serious. You can't be." Adagio hissed, "Why would I want to be together with you?" "But... I thought we were a team. No matter what. Right?" Sonata asked through her sobs. "Team? No. In fact, I can't stand the fact you're breathing my air!" "You... You don't mean that!" Sonata cried. "Oh I do. I really do, and right now, I REALLY hate you." Adagio said with no detectable emotion in her voice. "Please..." Sonata begged, "Please don't say that!" She crawled over to Adagio's feet, "Please! You guys are my only friends!" "Friends?" Aria chuckled, "Really? Wrong side, dip." Adagio glanced up to her, before looking back down at Sonata, "Friends. You thought we were FRIENDS?!" With that, Adagio broke out into a fit of cackles, "Don't be ridiculous! You're nothing to me. Neither of you really." Aria glanced back to her, "Back atcha, bitch." "Please..." Sonata sobbed. She didn't even know what she could say. All she knew was that she felt everything inside her breaking. "Get out of my sight." Adagio ordered, "I never want to see you again. You're nothing but a mistake." With that, Sonata rose to her feet, before bolting out of the alley, tears flying. "Woah." Aria commented before a smirk came across her face, "Brutal." Adagio simply walked past her, "Come on. Maybe without that fool, we can actually accomplish something. It'd be best for us to split town, get as far away as possible, and never look back to this rat hole. But don't be the next fuck up." Aria paused for a second, glancing to Sonata's retreating form before shrugging and following suit. Sonata didn't know how long she had ran. She didn't care, there was no reason to stop. Everything she'd ever thought turned out to be false. She never had any friends to begin with, and now she was all alone. What could she do? There was nothing for her, no place for her. All the work she'd ever done with them. All the time spent together. It meant nothing to them. They'd been together for such a long time, far longer than any beings normal life span. And it didn't mean a thing to them. She finally did stop running when her foot found a curb, tripping her face-first into the cement. Clutching her face, she looked down to see blood in her hands. Her nose was bleeding badly, and she had bruises and cuts all over her face. "Well, well." A new voice said. Sonata looked up to see two boys she recognized from Canterlot High. "What do you want?" Sonata asked, rising to her feet. "Oh, nothing much." The first boy said, before shoving her back down to the ground. "Ah..." Sonata whimpered as she felt her back hit the cement. The two boys stood over her, "What's the matter?" The second boy asked. "Where's your friends?" Sonata looked right into the boys eyes, tears filling hers, "I don't have any." "Hah! Look at that!" The first boy commented again, "Even her friends left her!" Without another word, she felt a kick right to her stomach, flattening her again. "Ow..." Sonata groaned, "What's your problem?" "Problem?" The second boy asked, "There's no problem." The first boy licked his lips, "None at all..." The two began to advance towards her, before a third voice called out. "What the hell are you doing?!" Everyone turned to see the girl Sonata recognized as the disk jockey for the Rainbooms. "What?" The first boy laughed, "We're not doing anything, Vinyl. Swear." The girl identified as Vinyl continued walking, until she was in between the boys and Sonata. "Fun's over." She deadpanned, "Now scram." "Aww, come on, Scratchie! We're just gonna have a little fun!" The second boy complained. "Not. Any. More." Vinyl said very matter-o-factly, somehow making such a neutral tone very imposing. Sonata couldn't believe what she was seeing. A girl who had just hours earlier helped to defeat the Dazzlings, was now protecting her. As Sonata tried to make sense of what was going on, Vinyl was finishing her point. "Didn't you two get expelled from Canterlot this morning?" Vinyl asked. "Maybe." The second boy sneered. "You two beat up the eco kids!" Vinyl growled. "Hey! Ain't our fault!" The first boy argued, "You know they got some good green somewhere. If they'd just given it to us, then all of that coulda been avoided!" Vinyl had just about had enough as she mockingly looked to her wrist, "Well, time for you to get lost. Fancy that." "Oh yeah?" The second boy challenged. "Yeah." With that, Vinyl lowered her shades just enough to look both boys in the eyes. Sonata knew it was a bad time, but why was Vinyl wearing sunglasses at night? The two boys glanced at each other, before turning to leave. "Whatever. Good for you." When the two boys were gone, Vinyl turned around to look at Sonata. She was still on her knees, but could feel Vinyl looking her up and down under the sunglasses. Finally, her rescuer said something. "You look like crap." Vinyl deadpanned. Sonata blinked for a moment, staring at the disk jockey. Finally, Vinyl broke the tension with a smile, "Need some help?" She offered her hand out. As she was helped up, Sonata finally felt all the pain she was in, and nearly collapsed. Alertly, Vinyl used her own body as support, holding Sonata up. "Let's go get that looked at. And that. And your bloody nose too." Vinyl chuckled, eliciting a confused look from Sonata. "Where are we going?" Sonata asked. "My place. If you don't mind." "Okay..." Sonata whispered, "... Thank you." "Don't mention it." Vinyl turned out to live in an apartment, not too far from the school. While Vinyl was getting her medical items ready, Sonata decided to glance around. It was an average apartment; two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen that doubled as the living room, and a strange room filled with musical equipment and some strange, spongey stuff on the walls. Unexpectedly, Sonata felt a sudden sting right on her face. "Ow!" She shouted in surprise. Looking over, her savior held a cloth that clearly had alcohol on it. "Stop moving." Vinyl ordered, "It'll hurt a lot more if you don't hold still." Sonata nodded, biting her lip as she felt more and more stings. After about five minutes, Vinyl lowered her cloth. "There. That should do it." "Uhh... Thanks, I guess." Sonata said quietly. "No probs. Dig my place?" Vinyl asked, waving her arm towards the rest of the apartment. "Yeah." Sonata answered, unsure of what else she could have said, "Do you live here alone?" "I did." Vinyl nodded, "My dad is the lead vocalist for Pierce the Bale, so he's always travelling. But he knows I love Canterlot High, so he rents out this apartment for me." "That's cool." Sonata replied, not quite sure what that band was. "Mhm." Vinyl hummed, "Now, spill." "What?" Sonata blinked. "You heard me. Tell me everything that must've happened to you in about the last three hours." "How do you know something happened?" Sonata asked. Vinyl replied with a look of 'really?' that even her large sunglasses couldn't cover. "Oh yeah..." Sonata realized, mumbling sheepishly. "And." Vinyl said, before walking over and leaning on the door, "You're not leaving until I hear everything." "Okay." Sonata nodded. "Wait." Vinyl stopped, "Really?" "Sure, why not?" "Huh. Well that was easy." And with that, Sonata began to tell Vinyl everything that had happened. The argument among the Dazzlings, her being kicked out and realized how alone she was, and how she'd wound up where Vinyl found her. Throughout the story, Sonata had tried her best not to cry, but it was just too much. By the end, Sonata had tears running down her face. "Woah. Dude, that's fucked up." Vinyl shook her head. Sonata nodded, trying to wipe away all the tears flowing down her face. Vinyl hopped off the counter she was sitting on and headed over to Sonata. Before she even knew what happened, she was brought into a hug. Sonata was surprised wordless for a moment. "Wh- what are you?" "It's not healthy to hold it in. Come on, I won't tell anyone." Vinyl whispered. That was all she needed to hear. Her emotional wreck of a night caught up to her, as she sobbed into Vinyl's embrace. "Shh... It's okay." Vinyl cooed, gently petting Sonata's hair. After a very long cry, Sonata wiped her eyes, "Thank you. So much." As Sonata rose to her feet, she headed for the door. However, she felt Vinyl's hand latch onto her wrist. "Where are you going?" Vinyl asked. Sonata was about to answer, but she couldn't. She didn't have anyone or anywhere. Vinyl took the silence for what it was. "Then you can stay here." Vinyl smiled. "What?" Sonata blinked. "You heard me." "But-" "But nothing." Vinyl cut her off, you're staying here tonight. It's the weekend, and I'll figure something out. Until then, you're mine." "Oh... okay?" Sonata replied. "Good." Vinyl guided Sonata over to the guest room, and flicked on the lights. It was a simple room, a bed, a dresser, and a small television. Vinyl guided Sonata over to the bed and pulled the covers down. "Here." Obediently, Sonata climbed into the bed. "Night." Vinyl said as she made for the door. "Uhm..." Sonata whispered, but had decided not to say anything. But Vinyl had heard it just fine. "Yes?" Vinyl asked. "Uhm... It's nothing..." "That's not nothing. I know that excuse, what's up?" "Uhh... Could you... Tuck me in?" Sonata asked, fidgety and blushing. Vinyl simply chuckled as she pulled the cover up on Sonata. "Want a goodnight kiss too?" Vinyl asked with a smirk. After a few moments of silence, both girls broke out into giggles. "I really don't know how to thank you." Sonata smiled. "I do." Vinyl answered. "I'm not giving you my kindness, I'm letting you borrow it." "What?" Sonata asked, confused. "To keep it simple," Vinyl began, "It's like a loan. You'll have to pay my kindness back. I think you will. Pay it forward or pay it back. Either work for me." "Oh. Okay." Sonata nodded. Vinyl turned and made it to the doorway. With one final smile, she flicked off the lights. "Goodnight." "Sleep tight. CH2: The MallIt was a pleasantly cool morning after an eventful night. The sun had risen several hours ago and the birds were alive with song. The sunlight gently crept into the room where Sonata had been able to get a restful night of sleep. Slowly, the door creaked open as Vinyl popped her head in. When seeing that her new responsibility was still sleeping soundly, she slowly closed the door a little more, leaving only a crack of space between it and the frame. As she made her way to the kitchen, she again replayed the previous night's evens over in her head. As she reached up into the cupboard for a glass, she couldn't help but begin to think ahead. Today would be pivotal to Sonata and her well being. Vinyl knew that overthinking it wouldn't help, but she continued to think. What would her friends, the Rainbooms, think of her accepting an enemy into her own home? Well, all things considered, that might not be so impossible. But how would the school itself react? The hive mind type of thinking was ever present. Vinyl made an audible sigh as she turned the faucet of her sink and began to fill up the glass. Once it was filled, she quickly chugged it, releasing a slight cough when she was done. Despite valiant attempts, her mind continued to be filled with what-if scenarios. What if those punks from last night came back for Sonata? What if the school decided to collectively go after her? These thoughts that worked into her mind were slowly picking at the normally calm demeanor that had defined the girl known as Vinyl Scratch. It didn't matter. She made her decision. Sonata's entire energy was leagues different from when they'd clashed just the other night. Shaking her head, she strode into her music room, quietly closing the door. She slowly made her way to the desk located in the back corner, taking a seat. She lifted the lid of her laptop and pressed the power button. She then opened the drawer in the middle of the desk, taking out a notepad. Reaching a hand up to her neck, the realization that her headphones where still in her room arrived. With a sigh, Vinyl quietly made her way back to the room she occupied. It took a matter of seconds for her to locate them sitting on her night stand. She whirled around and began making her way back the to studio, glancing into the guest bedroom. Sonata was still sleeping soundly, hugging the second pillow like a teddy bear. Vinyl was about to head back, until she heard mumbling from her dozing house guest. "No..." Sonata cried quietly in her sleep, "Please... I'm sorry..." Without much thought, Vinyl quietly made her way to the siren's bedside, gently gliding her hand over the distressed one's cheek. Then, gently rubbing one hand on her back. Slowly, Sonata calmed down, returning to a peaceful sleep. The DJ gave one more thoughtful look, before quietly exiting the room. It continued to irritate her that not only the two punks, but people who were supposedly Sonata's friends had been to horrible to her. Not cool. She did something pretty messed up, but not deserving of that. Far as she was concerned, anyway. As she made her way back to the desk she was sitting at, she plugged the headphones into her laptop and took a seat. "I need to get this done..." Vinyl murmured to herself. With a flick of the wrist, she had opened up a number of programs on her screen. The girl known as DJ Pon-3 had been best known for being a party master, and the best DJ in the area. She often spun various tracks done by other artists at parties, but also produced her own songs. With any luck, she could perform her next set on stage at the Canterlot music festival with great success. She had already reserved a slot. But that was a mere three months away. She needed to finally figure out what she wanted to do. This was going to be her defining moment as a musician, or so she decided. Vinyl began to scribble in her notebook, while almost simultaneously typing on her laptop. With a sigh, Vinyl remove the headphones from her ears and glanced up at the clock hanging over the door. 11 AM. She shook her head, glancing back at the work she'd done. After a minute, she shut her laptop and notebook. "Well, lots of great artists get creative blocks..." She said to herself. Finally getting out of the chair, she decided it best to awaken Sonata. Without much thought, Vinyl decided they would go out for lunch. She was absolutely starving, and was more than willing to bet her shades that the snoozing siren would be as well. They didn't have breakfast, after all. She strode back into the room and made her way to peacefully sleeping house guest. Vinyl resisted the urge to wake her up like she did everyone else. Ripping away the blanket or literally tossing her out of the bed didn't seem right. Instead she decided to kneel next to the bed and began to gently shake her shoulder. "Sonata." Vinyl called quietly, "Wakey wakey." Sonata stirred, but let out a quiet little groan and rolled to the other side of the bed. Vinyl had to admit, it was pretty adorable. She was just like a little kid, fighting the wake up call whilst still half asleep. It was almost inconceivable that the girl had tried to aid in world domination not so long ago. With a sigh, Vinyl carefully climbed into the bed, rubbing Sonata's back gently. "Come on, it's time to wake up." "Mmm..." Sonata stirred, before speaking, "Five more minutes..." Vinyl shook her head before climbing out of the bed, "Fine, guess you don't want lunch." In an instant, Sonata shot to a sitting position in her bed, eyes wide. Vinyl let out a little chuckle as she made for the doorway. "Let me hop in the shower." Vinyl said with a smile. The disk jockey had decided it best to try and hurry. In a matter of fifteen minutes, she had completed her shower and gotten dressed. She had left everything re-prepared and led Sonata to the bathroom. "Your turn." Vinyl smirked, "And you need it." Rather than catch on with the joke, Sonata instead returned a slightly hurt look. The look was a combination of pure innocence and the most guilt-causing face she'd ever seen. "Uh..." Vinyl withered, "I was kidding. Welp, all yours." As she turned to leave, Sonata gently grasped onto her wrist. "Uhm... I don't have anything to change into..." The DJ simply patted her on the head, "I'll find ya something." Vinyl strode into her room and popped open her closet. Within where a vast array of clothes. Many where just copies of her standard outfit, paired and ready to be put on. There were also a pair of dressy white suits with matching pants. There was even a simple dress of her trademark white with an electric blue trim. She continued to look through her surprisingly thick closet space. Her intention was to find a simple replacement outfit for her innocent little guest. However, she decided it would be a bit awkward if both the girls went out into public wearing the exact same outfit. Now that would be a hot gossip topic. Good thing she already knew exactly which outfit to let Sonata wear. The two girls had very identical builds, which made her job easy. As she neared the back, she found what she was looking for. It was an outfit identical to her own, with the simple changes. Those being the main color of white replaced with a dark blue, but the ever-present electric blue remaining the trim. She picked up the outfit and strode back to the bathroom door, giving it a knock. "Sonata, I've got your clothes." Vinyl called. "Okay!" Sonata responded before opening the door. Since she had such a slight build, she had the towel wrapped entirely around her and then some. Vinyl looked her over for a moment, before deciding to capitalize on the opportunity. "My my, aren't you bold?" She smirked, purposely being obvious while looking the siren up and down. Sonata tilted her head to the side, confused. After a few moments, an expression of realization combined with a crimson blush. She quickly began spitting our rapid words before Vinyl placed her finger over the flustered girl's lips. "I'm kidding! Take it easy." With a smile, she placed the clothes on the top of Sonata's head before walking away. That blush upon her face remained. After the fun that was this morning, the two girls where walking down the street, headed towards the mall. Vinyl liked to go to the mall pretty often. As stereotypical as it sounded, she actually enjoyed walking around, looking at things, and chatting to acquaintances she always happened to meet up with at the mall. She glanced up at the sky. The sun was creeping it's way to the top of the blue expanse. It was pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze as they made their way towards their destination. "Vinyl..." Sonata groaned. "What?" She responded. "I'm hungry..." "Hi hungry. I'm Scratch." The DJ replied with a smirk. For the first time Vinyl got a good look at an annoyed face coming from Sonata. Somehow, it was still cute. "In my defense, it was way to easy." Vinyl smirked. "Mhm..." "Oh, don't be like that. We're here!" Vinyl pointed to the rather large building, several intricate signs, likely stores inside, littering the face of it. There were also several businesses attached to mall itself, mostly next to the entrances. Vinyl took ahold of Sonata's shoulder furthest from her and pointed to one of them. "See that? That's where we're gonna have lunch." As Vinyl explained, Sonata raised her eyebrows. "The Bison All-You-Can-Eat Buffet?" "Ugh.... Viiiiiiiiiiiinyyyylll." Sonata moaned. "Wassup?" "I think I ate too much..." "When I say stop at thirds, you better listen to me." Vinyl answered with a triumphant smirk. "Yes...." Sonata continued to walk slowly behind her somehow still energetic DJ friend. She just couldn't figure it out. Vinyl had about the same amount of food as her, how was she so energetic? Despite the continued gripes, Vinyl happily marched, leading Sonata into the mall. The Canterlot Mall was a great one for a town of their size. The town wasn't small by any meaning of the word, but it certainly wasn't a big city. Despite this, the mall contained every type of store imaginable and even a movie theatre. Escalators took people to different levels of the mall; ground level, underground, and the second floor. Vinyl had decided that they would explore the entire mall, but picking up clothes for her companion came first. Finally, Vinyl stopped and pointed to a store. "AberCanary and Finch?" Sonata asked. "Yup. Now come on. Let's get you five outfits. My treat, no arguments!" Vinyl wheeled around, cutting off her friend. "But-" "No buts, we're in public. Anyway, come on. Let's get you come clothes and stuff." However, before Vinyl could finish what she was trying to say, a voice she recognized cut her off. "Vinyl!" The disk jockey turned to see someone she wasn't really prepared to run into. "Hey, Rarity." Vinyl responded, "I didn't think you shopped in here." "Oh I don't." Rarity smiled, "But this is good if you want to see how over-industrialization of fabric and clothe-making can ruin creativity, then this is the perfect place. Plus, Sunset does seem to like this place. It's where she got her jacket, apparently. Although, I think she's the only one in our school who can actually pull of the leather jacket look." "No argument. Wait, she's here too?" "Somewhere in here. I don't know, she surprisingly gets very into it when looking for clothes." Rarity shrugged. "Is anyone else here today?" Vinyl asked, taking a glance around. "I'm afraid not." Rarity responded, "AJ was needed on the farm, Rainbow had practice, Fluttershy is at the shelter, and Pinkie got run of the bakery today while the cakes are out for vacation. I'm a little afraid to order anything over there at the moment though. Apparently, Pinkie thinks she's discovered something she's calling super-sugar." "Yikes." Vinyl answered. If there was one thing the world didn't need, it was Pinkie creating new sugars. "Rarity!" The fashionista and DJ turned to see Sunset walking over, bag in hand, "Oh, hi Vinyl." Sunset and Vinyl simultaneously raised their fists, hitting them together. "What up, Sunny?" "Not much. What're you doing here?" Sunset responded. "Well..." Vinyl began, before being interrupted again. "Vinyl, I think I need help with...." Sonata's words trailed off as she walked up to her friend. Awkwardly, she looked to Rarity and Sunset. "Uhh... Hi?" Sunset didn't say anything, or even show any emotion. Slowly, Rarity turned to Vinyl, "Darling, I certainly hope there is a good reason SHE is with you." Reluctantly, Vinyl had been able to have her awkward group make their way to the food court, taking a seat in a central table. Most people passing by didn't pay them any mind, but anyone who knew them would know that the air could be cut with a knife. Vinyl nervously looked between Sonata and Sunset as the latter seemed to be conducting a medical examination with her eyes. Breaking the silence, Rarity returned with a tray of fries and apple slices. "They didn't have much in the way of group food, so I went with theses." The other three quietly murmured thanks as Rarity took her seat. Someone needed to speak, but for what felt like an eternity, no one said a word. It felt as though peace negotiations between two nations that had been at war for centuries was occurring. Finally, Sunset broke the silence. "So... Why don't you tell us why you're together?" Vinyl nodded, before proceeding to tell Sunset an Rarity about the previous night, as well as this morning. The two girls had stopped holding back their facial expressions of disgust and relief. When Vinyl was gone, she took several glances around the table. Sunset and Rarity were completely quiet. Sonata had reverted to a daydream state has the recent events were retold. "Well..." Sunset finally spoke, "That sounds horrible." Carefully, Sunset rested her hand on Sonata's with a smile, "I'm glad you're okay now." Sonata looked at her former enemy's face, before allowing herself a small smile. "Indeed." Rarity added, "Those ruffians need to learn manors. I'm sorry you had to go through all that." With a small smile remaining, she shook her head, "Thanks. So uh... I'm sorry for... Trying to take over your world and stuff..." Rarity waved her hand, "Think nothing of it. You seem sorry about it, and you also seem like a kind enough person. Plus, Sunset here actually tried to vaporize us. ... No offense." She hastily added. Sunset chuckled, "No worries. Talk about a recurring line though." "Indeed," The fashionista agreed, "However, I think that Rainbow and Applejack might require... A little more convincing." Sonata didn't say anything, but returned a nod. Vinyl decided to cut in. "They just need to get to know her a bit." "Not a bad idea. She has a completely different feel from the other night, actually." Sunset nodded, "Well, why don't Rarity and I get to know you a bit today? Feel like hanging out?" Sonata glanced to Vinyl, who was happily smiling and giving an automatic nod. "I think I'd like that." CH2.5: On The Other Side Of The CoinAdagio and Aria had quickly split town, heading to the oddly-named Crystal Empire. Who names a town that, they hadn't the foggiest idea. Thanks to the Dazzlings long line of manipulation and Adagio's shrewd investments, there was never a threat of them ever running out of resources. They had arrived at one of their many homes quite late, both immediately breaking off to their own quarters. There wasn't much to be said, and no clear next move. The remaining Dazzlings had almost immediately fallen into a rigid sleep, going deep into the next day. It was probably well past noon when Adagio awoke from hers. She quickly used her private bathroom, readjusting and preparing herself for the new day. But it was different. There wasn't any grand scheme to advance on. And as much as the Dazzlings leader hated to admit it, no real way for them to even attempt getting payback. Perhaps even stranger, she didn't feel a drive to. She felt... Okay for some reason. Some reason that didn't make sense. They were so close to winning. So close to taking control. Then, their eons of manipulation had been toppled. The method had been shattered by literal teenagers. Yet, she didn't feel vengeful. Incensed, sure. Her pride wouldn't recover from this for a long time. There was never going to be another shot at their plans now. But she didn't feel like she had to strike back. She didn't even feel like she lost something. In fact, she felt... Free. She glanced in the mirror, before speaking to herself, "Why aren't I angry? I want to be! I should be furious!" The Dazzling glanced at her now gem-less necklace, before heading towards her door. "Whatever. I'll figure it out. Where's that old journal of Starswirl's? There's got to be more on this." Author's Note This is something I haven't worked on in so long. But here we are. This is a side chapter, small little glimpses into what's happening outside of the main characters. Yes I'm back. I hope you can see what's going on in this little look-in 😉
CH1: A Chance"Unbelievable!" Adagio growled as she kicked over a set of trashcans before turning back to Aria and Sonata. "This is on you two idiots! If it was just me, my plan would have been perfect! Now we're stuck here, with no magic and everyone knows who we are! Just great!" "Excuse ME?!" Aria glared back, "It WAS your plan, and YOU failed! Just saying." In the next instant, Adagio was right in her face. She had adorned a very irritated look. "Say that again. See what happens!" "Oh, so scary. Adagio pissed off. Again." Aria deadpanned. "Come on, girls. Don't fight..." Sonata said as she tried to keep her fellow Dazzlings from tearing each other apart. Just a few short hours ago, they had come so close to taking away the Equestrian Magic from Princess Twilight and company. Now, here they were. Arguing in an alley, no power, no fans, nothing. While it certainly was unfortunate for them, Sonata just couldn't see the point of arguing with each other. She decided to try and insert herself right between the two girls about to come to blows. "Please... Stop it." Sonata said, glancing between Adagio and Aria. "Oh, and here comes failure number two! Come to think of it, this is all YOUR fault!" Adagio growled. Sonata blinked. Her fault? "It's not my-" "YES IT IS!" Adagio shouted, "You're the one who tipped off Sunset Shimmer! You're the one who constantly gets distracted! I bet that's why our spells weren't as powerful as they should have been! You've got to be the most incompetent moron I've ever met!" "Wha-" Sonata was taken aback, "But-" "NO BUTS!" Adagio interrupted once more, "This. Is. On. You." "I... I'm sorry." Sonata apologized, looking at the ground. "You know what? I'm sorry too..." Adagio began, waiting for Sonata to look her in the eyes, "I'm sorry I ever met you! I'm sorry we ever worked together! I'm sorry you were ever even BORN!" She punctuated that last word with incredible force. By this point, Sonata was practically in tears. "You... Please don't say that..." "Why not?" Aria interjected, "I think she's onto something here." "You too? But... I know it's really bad, but it could be worse..." Sonata tried to argue. "And how the hell is that?" Aria asked. "Well..." Sonata began, "At least we're still together." And that was it. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. The next thing Sonata felt was a hay-maker right to her face. She fell to the ground clutching where her so-called friend had just punched her. She looked up, right into Adagio's rage-filled glare. She didn't even try to hold back her tears. "You can't be serious. You can't be." Adagio hissed, "Why would I want to be together with you?" "But... I thought we were a team. No matter what. Right?" Sonata asked through her sobs. "Team? No. In fact, I can't stand the fact you're breathing my air!" "You... You don't mean that!" Sonata cried. "Oh I do. I really do, and right now, I REALLY hate you." Adagio said with no detectable emotion in her voice. "Please..." Sonata begged, "Please don't say that!" She crawled over to Adagio's feet, "Please! You guys are my only friends!" "Friends?" Aria chuckled, "Really? Wrong side, dip." Adagio glanced up to her, before looking back down at Sonata, "Friends. You thought we were FRIENDS?!" With that, Adagio broke out into a fit of cackles, "Don't be ridiculous! You're nothing to me. Neither of you really." Aria glanced back to her, "Back atcha, bitch." "Please..." Sonata sobbed. She didn't even know what she could say. All she knew was that she felt everything inside her breaking. "Get out of my sight." Adagio ordered, "I never want to see you again. You're nothing but a mistake." With that, Sonata rose to her feet, before bolting out of the alley, tears flying. "Woah." Aria commented before a smirk came across her face, "Brutal." Adagio simply walked past her, "Come on. Maybe without that fool, we can actually accomplish something. It'd be best for us to split town, get as far away as possible, and never look back to this rat hole. But don't be the next fuck up." Aria paused for a second, glancing to Sonata's retreating form before shrugging and following suit. Sonata didn't know how long she had ran. She didn't care, there was no reason to stop. Everything she'd ever thought turned out to be false. She never had any friends to begin with, and now she was all alone. What could she do? There was nothing for her, no place for her. All the work she'd ever done with them. All the time spent together. It meant nothing to them. They'd been together for such a long time, far longer than any beings normal life span. And it didn't mean a thing to them. She finally did stop running when her foot found a curb, tripping her face-first into the cement. Clutching her face, she looked down to see blood in her hands. Her nose was bleeding badly, and she had bruises and cuts all over her face. "Well, well." A new voice said. Sonata looked up to see two boys she recognized from Canterlot High. "What do you want?" Sonata asked, rising to her feet. "Oh, nothing much." The first boy said, before shoving her back down to the ground. "Ah..." Sonata whimpered as she felt her back hit the cement. The two boys stood over her, "What's the matter?" The second boy asked. "Where's your friends?" Sonata looked right into the boys eyes, tears filling hers, "I don't have any." "Hah! Look at that!" The first boy commented again, "Even her friends left her!" Without another word, she felt a kick right to her stomach, flattening her again. "Ow..." Sonata groaned, "What's your problem?" "Problem?" The second boy asked, "There's no problem." The first boy licked his lips, "None at all..." The two began to advance towards her, before a third voice called out. "What the hell are you doing?!" Everyone turned to see the girl Sonata recognized as the disk jockey for the Rainbooms. "What?" The first boy laughed, "We're not doing anything, Vinyl. Swear." The girl identified as Vinyl continued walking, until she was in between the boys and Sonata. "Fun's over." She deadpanned, "Now scram." "Aww, come on, Scratchie! We're just gonna have a little fun!" The second boy complained. "Not. Any. More." Vinyl said very matter-o-factly, somehow making such a neutral tone very imposing. Sonata couldn't believe what she was seeing. A girl who had just hours earlier helped to defeat the Dazzlings, was now protecting her. As Sonata tried to make sense of what was going on, Vinyl was finishing her point. "Didn't you two get expelled from Canterlot this morning?" Vinyl asked. "Maybe." The second boy sneered. "You two beat up the eco kids!" Vinyl growled. "Hey! Ain't our fault!" The first boy argued, "You know they got some good green somewhere. If they'd just given it to us, then all of that coulda been avoided!" Vinyl had just about had enough as she mockingly looked to her wrist, "Well, time for you to get lost. Fancy that." "Oh yeah?" The second boy challenged. "Yeah." With that, Vinyl lowered her shades just enough to look both boys in the eyes. Sonata knew it was a bad time, but why was Vinyl wearing sunglasses at night? The two boys glanced at each other, before turning to leave. "Whatever. Good for you." When the two boys were gone, Vinyl turned around to look at Sonata. She was still on her knees, but could feel Vinyl looking her up and down under the sunglasses. Finally, her rescuer said something. "You look like crap." Vinyl deadpanned. Sonata blinked for a moment, staring at the disk jockey. Finally, Vinyl broke the tension with a smile, "Need some help?" She offered her hand out. As she was helped up, Sonata finally felt all the pain she was in, and nearly collapsed. Alertly, Vinyl used her own body as support, holding Sonata up. "Let's go get that looked at. And that. And your bloody nose too." Vinyl chuckled, eliciting a confused look from Sonata. "Where are we going?" Sonata asked. "My place. If you don't mind." "Okay..." Sonata whispered, "... Thank you." "Don't mention it." Vinyl turned out to live in an apartment, not too far from the school. While Vinyl was getting her medical items ready, Sonata decided to glance around. It was an average apartment; two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen that doubled as the living room, and a strange room filled with musical equipment and some strange, spongey stuff on the walls. Unexpectedly, Sonata felt a sudden sting right on her face. "Ow!" She shouted in surprise. Looking over, her savior held a cloth that clearly had alcohol on it. "Stop moving." Vinyl ordered, "It'll hurt a lot more if you don't hold still." Sonata nodded, biting her lip as she felt more and more stings. After about five minutes, Vinyl lowered her cloth. "There. That should do it." "Uhh... Thanks, I guess." Sonata said quietly. "No probs. Dig my place?" Vinyl asked, waving her arm towards the rest of the apartment. "Yeah." Sonata answered, unsure of what else she could have said, "Do you live here alone?" "I did." Vinyl nodded, "My dad is the lead vocalist for Pierce the Bale, so he's always travelling. But he knows I love Canterlot High, so he rents out this apartment for me." "That's cool." Sonata replied, not quite sure what that band was. "Mhm." Vinyl hummed, "Now, spill." "What?" Sonata blinked. "You heard me. Tell me everything that must've happened to you in about the last three hours." "How do you know something happened?" Sonata asked. Vinyl replied with a look of 'really?' that even her large sunglasses couldn't cover. "Oh yeah..." Sonata realized, mumbling sheepishly. "And." Vinyl said, before walking over and leaning on the door, "You're not leaving until I hear everything." "Okay." Sonata nodded. "Wait." Vinyl stopped, "Really?" "Sure, why not?" "Huh. Well that was easy." And with that, Sonata began to tell Vinyl everything that had happened. The argument among the Dazzlings, her being kicked out and realized how alone she was, and how she'd wound up where Vinyl found her. Throughout the story, Sonata had tried her best not to cry, but it was just too much. By the end, Sonata had tears running down her face. "Woah. Dude, that's fucked up." Vinyl shook her head. Sonata nodded, trying to wipe away all the tears flowing down her face. Vinyl hopped off the counter she was sitting on and headed over to Sonata. Before she even knew what happened, she was brought into a hug. Sonata was surprised wordless for a moment. "Wh- what are you?" "It's not healthy to hold it in. Come on, I won't tell anyone." Vinyl whispered. That was all she needed to hear. Her emotional wreck of a night caught up to her, as she sobbed into Vinyl's embrace. "Shh... It's okay." Vinyl cooed, gently petting Sonata's hair. After a very long cry, Sonata wiped her eyes, "Thank you. So much." As Sonata rose to her feet, she headed for the door. However, she felt Vinyl's hand latch onto her wrist. "Where are you going?" Vinyl asked. Sonata was about to answer, but she couldn't. She didn't have anyone or anywhere. Vinyl took the silence for what it was. "Then you can stay here." Vinyl smiled. "What?" Sonata blinked. "You heard me." "But-" "But nothing." Vinyl cut her off, you're staying here tonight. It's the weekend, and I'll figure something out. Until then, you're mine." "Oh... okay?" Sonata replied. "Good." Vinyl guided Sonata over to the guest room, and flicked on the lights. It was a simple room, a bed, a dresser, and a small television. Vinyl guided Sonata over to the bed and pulled the covers down. "Here." Obediently, Sonata climbed into the bed. "Night." Vinyl said as she made for the door. "Uhm..." Sonata whispered, but had decided not to say anything. But Vinyl had heard it just fine. "Yes?" Vinyl asked. "Uhm... It's nothing..." "That's not nothing. I know that excuse, what's up?" "Uhh... Could you... Tuck me in?" Sonata asked, fidgety and blushing. Vinyl simply chuckled as she pulled the cover up on Sonata. "Want a goodnight kiss too?" Vinyl asked with a smirk. After a few moments of silence, both girls broke out into giggles. "I really don't know how to thank you." Sonata smiled. "I do." Vinyl answered. "I'm not giving you my kindness, I'm letting you borrow it." "What?" Sonata asked, confused. "To keep it simple," Vinyl began, "It's like a loan. You'll have to pay my kindness back. I think you will. Pay it forward or pay it back. Either work for me." "Oh. Okay." Sonata nodded. Vinyl turned and made it to the doorway. With one final smile, she flicked off the lights. "Goodnight." "Sleep tight.
CH2: The MallIt was a pleasantly cool morning after an eventful night. The sun had risen several hours ago and the birds were alive with song. The sunlight gently crept into the room where Sonata had been able to get a restful night of sleep. Slowly, the door creaked open as Vinyl popped her head in. When seeing that her new responsibility was still sleeping soundly, she slowly closed the door a little more, leaving only a crack of space between it and the frame. As she made her way to the kitchen, she again replayed the previous night's evens over in her head. As she reached up into the cupboard for a glass, she couldn't help but begin to think ahead. Today would be pivotal to Sonata and her well being. Vinyl knew that overthinking it wouldn't help, but she continued to think. What would her friends, the Rainbooms, think of her accepting an enemy into her own home? Well, all things considered, that might not be so impossible. But how would the school itself react? The hive mind type of thinking was ever present. Vinyl made an audible sigh as she turned the faucet of her sink and began to fill up the glass. Once it was filled, she quickly chugged it, releasing a slight cough when she was done. Despite valiant attempts, her mind continued to be filled with what-if scenarios. What if those punks from last night came back for Sonata? What if the school decided to collectively go after her? These thoughts that worked into her mind were slowly picking at the normally calm demeanor that had defined the girl known as Vinyl Scratch. It didn't matter. She made her decision. Sonata's entire energy was leagues different from when they'd clashed just the other night. Shaking her head, she strode into her music room, quietly closing the door. She slowly made her way to the desk located in the back corner, taking a seat. She lifted the lid of her laptop and pressed the power button. She then opened the drawer in the middle of the desk, taking out a notepad. Reaching a hand up to her neck, the realization that her headphones where still in her room arrived. With a sigh, Vinyl quietly made her way back to the room she occupied. It took a matter of seconds for her to locate them sitting on her night stand. She whirled around and began making her way back the to studio, glancing into the guest bedroom. Sonata was still sleeping soundly, hugging the second pillow like a teddy bear. Vinyl was about to head back, until she heard mumbling from her dozing house guest. "No..." Sonata cried quietly in her sleep, "Please... I'm sorry..." Without much thought, Vinyl quietly made her way to the siren's bedside, gently gliding her hand over the distressed one's cheek. Then, gently rubbing one hand on her back. Slowly, Sonata calmed down, returning to a peaceful sleep. The DJ gave one more thoughtful look, before quietly exiting the room. It continued to irritate her that not only the two punks, but people who were supposedly Sonata's friends had been to horrible to her. Not cool. She did something pretty messed up, but not deserving of that. Far as she was concerned, anyway. As she made her way back to the desk she was sitting at, she plugged the headphones into her laptop and took a seat. "I need to get this done..." Vinyl murmured to herself. With a flick of the wrist, she had opened up a number of programs on her screen. The girl known as DJ Pon-3 had been best known for being a party master, and the best DJ in the area. She often spun various tracks done by other artists at parties, but also produced her own songs. With any luck, she could perform her next set on stage at the Canterlot music festival with great success. She had already reserved a slot. But that was a mere three months away. She needed to finally figure out what she wanted to do. This was going to be her defining moment as a musician, or so she decided. Vinyl began to scribble in her notebook, while almost simultaneously typing on her laptop. With a sigh, Vinyl remove the headphones from her ears and glanced up at the clock hanging over the door. 11 AM. She shook her head, glancing back at the work she'd done. After a minute, she shut her laptop and notebook. "Well, lots of great artists get creative blocks..." She said to herself. Finally getting out of the chair, she decided it best to awaken Sonata. Without much thought, Vinyl decided they would go out for lunch. She was absolutely starving, and was more than willing to bet her shades that the snoozing siren would be as well. They didn't have breakfast, after all. She strode back into the room and made her way to peacefully sleeping house guest. Vinyl resisted the urge to wake her up like she did everyone else. Ripping away the blanket or literally tossing her out of the bed didn't seem right. Instead she decided to kneel next to the bed and began to gently shake her shoulder. "Sonata." Vinyl called quietly, "Wakey wakey." Sonata stirred, but let out a quiet little groan and rolled to the other side of the bed. Vinyl had to admit, it was pretty adorable. She was just like a little kid, fighting the wake up call whilst still half asleep. It was almost inconceivable that the girl had tried to aid in world domination not so long ago. With a sigh, Vinyl carefully climbed into the bed, rubbing Sonata's back gently. "Come on, it's time to wake up." "Mmm..." Sonata stirred, before speaking, "Five more minutes..." Vinyl shook her head before climbing out of the bed, "Fine, guess you don't want lunch." In an instant, Sonata shot to a sitting position in her bed, eyes wide. Vinyl let out a little chuckle as she made for the doorway. "Let me hop in the shower." Vinyl said with a smile. The disk jockey had decided it best to try and hurry. In a matter of fifteen minutes, she had completed her shower and gotten dressed. She had left everything re-prepared and led Sonata to the bathroom. "Your turn." Vinyl smirked, "And you need it." Rather than catch on with the joke, Sonata instead returned a slightly hurt look. The look was a combination of pure innocence and the most guilt-causing face she'd ever seen. "Uh..." Vinyl withered, "I was kidding. Welp, all yours." As she turned to leave, Sonata gently grasped onto her wrist. "Uhm... I don't have anything to change into..." The DJ simply patted her on the head, "I'll find ya something." Vinyl strode into her room and popped open her closet. Within where a vast array of clothes. Many where just copies of her standard outfit, paired and ready to be put on. There were also a pair of dressy white suits with matching pants. There was even a simple dress of her trademark white with an electric blue trim. She continued to look through her surprisingly thick closet space. Her intention was to find a simple replacement outfit for her innocent little guest. However, she decided it would be a bit awkward if both the girls went out into public wearing the exact same outfit. Now that would be a hot gossip topic. Good thing she already knew exactly which outfit to let Sonata wear. The two girls had very identical builds, which made her job easy. As she neared the back, she found what she was looking for. It was an outfit identical to her own, with the simple changes. Those being the main color of white replaced with a dark blue, but the ever-present electric blue remaining the trim. She picked up the outfit and strode back to the bathroom door, giving it a knock. "Sonata, I've got your clothes." Vinyl called. "Okay!" Sonata responded before opening the door. Since she had such a slight build, she had the towel wrapped entirely around her and then some. Vinyl looked her over for a moment, before deciding to capitalize on the opportunity. "My my, aren't you bold?" She smirked, purposely being obvious while looking the siren up and down. Sonata tilted her head to the side, confused. After a few moments, an expression of realization combined with a crimson blush. She quickly began spitting our rapid words before Vinyl placed her finger over the flustered girl's lips. "I'm kidding! Take it easy." With a smile, she placed the clothes on the top of Sonata's head before walking away. That blush upon her face remained. After the fun that was this morning, the two girls where walking down the street, headed towards the mall. Vinyl liked to go to the mall pretty often. As stereotypical as it sounded, she actually enjoyed walking around, looking at things, and chatting to acquaintances she always happened to meet up with at the mall. She glanced up at the sky. The sun was creeping it's way to the top of the blue expanse. It was pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze as they made their way towards their destination. "Vinyl..." Sonata groaned. "What?" She responded. "I'm hungry..." "Hi hungry. I'm Scratch." The DJ replied with a smirk. For the first time Vinyl got a good look at an annoyed face coming from Sonata. Somehow, it was still cute. "In my defense, it was way to easy." Vinyl smirked. "Mhm..." "Oh, don't be like that. We're here!" Vinyl pointed to the rather large building, several intricate signs, likely stores inside, littering the face of it. There were also several businesses attached to mall itself, mostly next to the entrances. Vinyl took ahold of Sonata's shoulder furthest from her and pointed to one of them. "See that? That's where we're gonna have lunch." As Vinyl explained, Sonata raised her eyebrows. "The Bison All-You-Can-Eat Buffet?" "Ugh.... Viiiiiiiiiiiinyyyylll." Sonata moaned. "Wassup?" "I think I ate too much..." "When I say stop at thirds, you better listen to me." Vinyl answered with a triumphant smirk. "Yes...." Sonata continued to walk slowly behind her somehow still energetic DJ friend. She just couldn't figure it out. Vinyl had about the same amount of food as her, how was she so energetic? Despite the continued gripes, Vinyl happily marched, leading Sonata into the mall. The Canterlot Mall was a great one for a town of their size. The town wasn't small by any meaning of the word, but it certainly wasn't a big city. Despite this, the mall contained every type of store imaginable and even a movie theatre. Escalators took people to different levels of the mall; ground level, underground, and the second floor. Vinyl had decided that they would explore the entire mall, but picking up clothes for her companion came first. Finally, Vinyl stopped and pointed to a store. "AberCanary and Finch?" Sonata asked. "Yup. Now come on. Let's get you five outfits. My treat, no arguments!" Vinyl wheeled around, cutting off her friend. "But-" "No buts, we're in public. Anyway, come on. Let's get you come clothes and stuff." However, before Vinyl could finish what she was trying to say, a voice she recognized cut her off. "Vinyl!" The disk jockey turned to see someone she wasn't really prepared to run into. "Hey, Rarity." Vinyl responded, "I didn't think you shopped in here." "Oh I don't." Rarity smiled, "But this is good if you want to see how over-industrialization of fabric and clothe-making can ruin creativity, then this is the perfect place. Plus, Sunset does seem to like this place. It's where she got her jacket, apparently. Although, I think she's the only one in our school who can actually pull of the leather jacket look." "No argument. Wait, she's here too?" "Somewhere in here. I don't know, she surprisingly gets very into it when looking for clothes." Rarity shrugged. "Is anyone else here today?" Vinyl asked, taking a glance around. "I'm afraid not." Rarity responded, "AJ was needed on the farm, Rainbow had practice, Fluttershy is at the shelter, and Pinkie got run of the bakery today while the cakes are out for vacation. I'm a little afraid to order anything over there at the moment though. Apparently, Pinkie thinks she's discovered something she's calling super-sugar." "Yikes." Vinyl answered. If there was one thing the world didn't need, it was Pinkie creating new sugars. "Rarity!" The fashionista and DJ turned to see Sunset walking over, bag in hand, "Oh, hi Vinyl." Sunset and Vinyl simultaneously raised their fists, hitting them together. "What up, Sunny?" "Not much. What're you doing here?" Sunset responded. "Well..." Vinyl began, before being interrupted again. "Vinyl, I think I need help with...." Sonata's words trailed off as she walked up to her friend. Awkwardly, she looked to Rarity and Sunset. "Uhh... Hi?" Sunset didn't say anything, or even show any emotion. Slowly, Rarity turned to Vinyl, "Darling, I certainly hope there is a good reason SHE is with you." Reluctantly, Vinyl had been able to have her awkward group make their way to the food court, taking a seat in a central table. Most people passing by didn't pay them any mind, but anyone who knew them would know that the air could be cut with a knife. Vinyl nervously looked between Sonata and Sunset as the latter seemed to be conducting a medical examination with her eyes. Breaking the silence, Rarity returned with a tray of fries and apple slices. "They didn't have much in the way of group food, so I went with theses." The other three quietly murmured thanks as Rarity took her seat. Someone needed to speak, but for what felt like an eternity, no one said a word. It felt as though peace negotiations between two nations that had been at war for centuries was occurring. Finally, Sunset broke the silence. "So... Why don't you tell us why you're together?" Vinyl nodded, before proceeding to tell Sunset an Rarity about the previous night, as well as this morning. The two girls had stopped holding back their facial expressions of disgust and relief. When Vinyl was gone, she took several glances around the table. Sunset and Rarity were completely quiet. Sonata had reverted to a daydream state has the recent events were retold. "Well..." Sunset finally spoke, "That sounds horrible." Carefully, Sunset rested her hand on Sonata's with a smile, "I'm glad you're okay now." Sonata looked at her former enemy's face, before allowing herself a small smile. "Indeed." Rarity added, "Those ruffians need to learn manors. I'm sorry you had to go through all that." With a small smile remaining, she shook her head, "Thanks. So uh... I'm sorry for... Trying to take over your world and stuff..." Rarity waved her hand, "Think nothing of it. You seem sorry about it, and you also seem like a kind enough person. Plus, Sunset here actually tried to vaporize us. ... No offense." She hastily added. Sunset chuckled, "No worries. Talk about a recurring line though." "Indeed," The fashionista agreed, "However, I think that Rainbow and Applejack might require... A little more convincing." Sonata didn't say anything, but returned a nod. Vinyl decided to cut in. "They just need to get to know her a bit." "Not a bad idea. She has a completely different feel from the other night, actually." Sunset nodded, "Well, why don't Rarity and I get to know you a bit today? Feel like hanging out?" Sonata glanced to Vinyl, who was happily smiling and giving an automatic nod. "I think I'd like that."
CH2.5: On The Other Side Of The CoinAdagio and Aria had quickly split town, heading to the oddly-named Crystal Empire. Who names a town that, they hadn't the foggiest idea. Thanks to the Dazzlings long line of manipulation and Adagio's shrewd investments, there was never a threat of them ever running out of resources. They had arrived at one of their many homes quite late, both immediately breaking off to their own quarters. There wasn't much to be said, and no clear next move. The remaining Dazzlings had almost immediately fallen into a rigid sleep, going deep into the next day. It was probably well past noon when Adagio awoke from hers. She quickly used her private bathroom, readjusting and preparing herself for the new day. But it was different. There wasn't any grand scheme to advance on. And as much as the Dazzlings leader hated to admit it, no real way for them to even attempt getting payback. Perhaps even stranger, she didn't feel a drive to. She felt... Okay for some reason. Some reason that didn't make sense. They were so close to winning. So close to taking control. Then, their eons of manipulation had been toppled. The method had been shattered by literal teenagers. Yet, she didn't feel vengeful. Incensed, sure. Her pride wouldn't recover from this for a long time. There was never going to be another shot at their plans now. But she didn't feel like she had to strike back. She didn't even feel like she lost something. In fact, she felt... Free. She glanced in the mirror, before speaking to herself, "Why aren't I angry? I want to be! I should be furious!" The Dazzling glanced at her now gem-less necklace, before heading towards her door. "Whatever. I'll figure it out. Where's that old journal of Starswirl's? There's got to be more on this." Author's Note This is something I haven't worked on in so long. But here we are. This is a side chapter, small little glimpses into what's happening outside of the main characters. Yes I'm back. I hope you can see what's going on in this little look-in 😉
