Not a Monster 2: Under Their Spell

Chapters

Reality
Ruin
Call of the Sirens
Tacos
Falling
Back to the Bench
Sonata's Prize
Beyond Friendship?
Lost

Reality

Happy endings seem to be something which everyone enjoys, well, unless you happen to be a psychopath or something along those lines. Though, when you look more closely, they certainly can be something to despise. Looking a little deeper, a realization comes to mind, a realization that something so perfect could never exist, and if it did, has too many faults or missing pieces to last.

Sunset Shimmer was the girl of my dreams, the one who would always be there for me, two outsiders sticking it out through thick and thin… or so I thought. Our relationship was moving along swimmingly at first, exactly as I dreamed it would. We would attempt see one another as much as was possible at school, and most of our afternoons were spent with one another, whether it be simply chatting or heading out to dinner or a movie. At first, I believed that I had already fallen for her as much as I could when I originally admitted my feelings to her, but in reality, I was falling harder every day. She wasn’t.

I knew immediately after letting them slip from my mouth that I had said the words, “I love you,” too soon, but for those first few weeks of our being together, she would always say them back. Then, it was as if reality had suddenly sunk in, more quickly for her than me. Her sudden change of attitude forced normality back into our lives. I realized the fact that we were together barely even effected our lives. Life, school, it was all the same as it had been before we had taken our relationship to the next level. The only difference was that we spent more of our time together than apart, and perhaps we were both a bit happier. When that change of attitude nestled itself into our heads though, that happiness slowly dimmed to its original faded glow. I knew she was feeling exactly as I was, although I was unsure if she was as worried.

I began to wonder if that was how any relationship felt. Everything was so amazing, so beautiful, and so joyful at first, but then it became normal, and all of my old worries returned with a few new ones. Having never been in a “real” relationship before Sunset, I assumed that it was simply one of the pains of being in one, and hoped that if we stuck out long enough, it would pass. I then began to have a hard time believing even that.

As months past, as fall grew into winter, and winter into early spring, Sunset Shimmer grew more and more concerned with bettering herself and fitting in; she was obsessed. At first, I supported her through and through, but I began to feel as though she was much more concerned with the aspect of fitting in than bettering herself. Along with that, it meant much less of her time was spent with me. As her obsession grew, my worries about the stability of our relationship began to as well. The closer she grew to her friends, either for extra comfort or a way to associate herself with good, the further apart we became. Even though we had been close before, I still felt as if I never got to know her. Even after she told me of her past, of her home in some strange universe, and what she had been through, I still felt as if she was hiding certain aspects from me. Perhaps there wasn’t enough time; if she had been less focused on what others thought, we could discuss her rather than her struggles at the school.

A full-fledged spring was creeping its way into the town, a spring which brought false hope. The time of season was one which brought new beginnings, life, and a vibrant joy to all. That spring certainly did bring new beginnings, but there was no joy or happiness. The CHS Battle of the Bands, it was the defining moment of the “new” Sunset Shimmer, and the moment that everything changed.

***

It was a wonder that an event as unbelievable as it had not received any sort of media coverage. Perhaps it was too unbelievable. Similar to the footage I was shone from the first otherworldly event, I’m sure that most who had not seen it in person believed that it was a hoax. Only those who attended Canterlot High School knew the truth. Honestly, the fact that these “evil teenagers” had magical amulets which fed off of the negativity of competition was enough. Then throw in the fact that they are actually sirens from another world that were using said power to make the students of CHS bow to their every whim and will, and you have yet another half-assed movie plot; although this one seemed quite a bit more entertaining than the first. Even I would believe it impossible if I hadn’t experienced it myself.

Competition, fighting, and anger were all things that I despised. I was in no way competitive, hated sports, and was not even close to a fighter, but I did get angry. Such an emotion never came about often, but when my fuse was burned low enough, it certainly did. Around the time that the sirens breached the safety of our school, disguised as attractive teenage girls with wonderful voices, mine and Sunset’s relationship had reached its lowest point.

Although I was never a part of the competition itself, the sirens’ spell had worked its magic on me. I was obsessed with the battles, watching as the victorious band moved onto the next round and booed as the defeated sulked off of the stage. I loved when a group was so in shock from losing that they simply broke down and sobbed. I was unable to help myself, the obsession with such a competition growing stronger by the minute. I am still unsure whether or not it was actually part of the spell, or simply a side effect of so much tension between each and every student, but I began to despise Sunset for what she was putting me through.

In the sirens’ “rule” over the school, I avoided Sunset as much as I possibly could, wondering whether or not she would actually notice my absence while being so caught up in everything that had happened. I was not at all surprised when she did nothing, and cursed her beneath my breath with every chance that I had. I was in the moment, heated with everyone else. I never stopped to think how serious the situation truly was, and that the reason Sunset was avoiding me was the fact that she was busy helping to stop the sirens. Well, that was at least a hopeful assumption.

Lulled by their songs, the entire event became a blur, all that I can fully recall is how it began and how it ended. For every other student at Canterlot High School, the end of their hypnosis was a happy one. For me, it was the end of what little happiness I had before it.

On that final night of the competition, I remember the heat radiating from the crowd which I stood in the center of. Anger turned into bliss as the sirens sang their final tune. I felt the sudden need to do absolutely everything I could for the beautiful girls on stage. I felt as though I would somehow be rewarded for obeying their every command, but at the same time, I knew I wouldn’t. Even then, I was still at peace; the life of a servant did not seem like such a horrible existence, especially if it was for Adagio, Aria, and Sonata.

Then, the lighthearted, upbeat voices of my friends, the ‘Rainbooms,’ began to shake me from those dark thoughts. I wanted their music to be louder, stronger because I knew how much more power the sirens’ had behind them. It wasn’t enough, before I could even think of fighting back, I was lost in the seductive beat once more. It was only when I heard Sunset’s voice that the spell was broken, the most beautiful voice I had ever heard.

I didn’t think that I was crying, but I began to feel tears sliding down my cheeks. Her voice made me think, realize how wrong I had been. I still loved her, more than anything else in my world, even my family. She was the one girl that made me happy, and I hadn’t seen her in days. We did have our problems, but I suspected we could work through them. I yearned to bring back the days that we used to have together. I was inspired, optimistic. I loved her… but suddenly, so did everyone else.

She and the ‘Rainbooms’ were heroes, the girls that freed everyone from a life of slavery through the magic that the bond between them created, girls that grew ears, wings, and ponytails then shot rainbows at the enemy. Who wouldn’t love that, especially when one of them was a bad girl turned good? It made complete sense, and I should have been overjoyed for Sunset who had finally gotten what she had been dreaming of since even before I arrived, but I wasn’t. It meant she no longer needed someone like me to keep her going, to give her comfort.

Ruin

I was under the assumption that life would return to normal once the sirens had been degraded into average, rather embarrassed, teenage girls, and Twilight returned to Equestria. Even if mine and Sunset’s relationship returned to the crumbling mess it had been before the chaos, I was hopeful that it could be mended. I wanted us to work. There may have been a slight hiccup, but that didn’t change my answer. I had pursued a relationship with her for a reason, and there was no way that I would be the one to ruin it. What I didn’t know was that it would be her.

I had dreaded it since the moment I was released from the sirens’ spell, but knew it was imminent. Even if she had been busy, Sunset would not have gone without noticing my absence. It was only a couple days after the event that she asked to talk in private.

In those two days, I had noticed quite the change in attitude of students towards Sunset, and the change in her own. One after the other, the students at CHS were suddenly growing friendly towards Sunset, actually conversing with her, asking her to hang out with them, and not scoffing at the sight of her. She was one of the heroes after all. The students were finally able to see the side of Sunset that I had always known to be true, one which not so long ago, they were too caught up in their ways to even notice. As for Sunset, finally achieving what she had wanted certainly made her chipper, but at the same time, that overly-nice attitude she once had seemed to be slowly dying off. It wasn’t as if she had stopped trying, but was able to relax and let her guard down a bit. I was actually rather glad to see that she could finally be herself and wasn’t afraid to hide it.

I will admit that I was expecting our conversation that afternoon to go over rather nicely since Sunset was in such a pleased mood, and I was also excited to actually spend some time with her after the fact. Of course, those expectations turned out to be false.

***

At the sound of her knock, I quickly made my way to the door. The moment I saw the look on upon her face, a sudden weight of seriousness sunk the normally comfortable and rather lighthearted atmosphere of my home; a home that I’ll admit I came to love.

“Hey,” she said with weak wave and half of a smile, a smile that I began to think was fake. It seemed as though after so many months of being together, I would know such a queue, but sadly, I didn’t.

“Uh… hi,” I muttered, feeling a lump growing within my throat.

“We should probably do this up in your room, make things more private.”

“Okay,” I said with a quick, nervous nod, motioning for her to enter. As we made our way up the stairs, I could feel myself panicking on the inside. I didn’t want her to know. If the talk was as simple as I had originally assumed, my panic would make me seem rather suspicious.

I closed the door behind us with a gulp and gingerly sat upon the edge of my bed, my body shaking slightly with nervous energy. She took her place beside me, a sorrowful, almost helpless look upon her face. Her warm, soft hands wrapped around my own, providing some false hope. Swallowing down the growing lump, for once, I was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry for what I did. I guess… I guess I was a bit, well, mad about how far apart we’re getting. The sirens’ spell sort of increased that anger and made me forget that you were just trying to reach your goal, your dream, and that you were trying to stop those girls.”

Her hands squeezed mine tight before dropping away limply as she sighed, looking down at her lap. “Ugh… that just made things a lot tougher, thanks for apologizing though.”

“W-what do you mean tougher? What were you going to say?”

“I… I… honestly, I was hoping that the reason you were avoiding me is because what we have is sort of dying out for you,” she said with a gulp. Even though she looked away, I could see her eyes tearing up, their wet surface twinkling in the lamplight. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

“But… why?” I mumbled, my heart sinking.

“I just… I really hate to say this, but I sort of needed you throughout all those rough times I had-”

“Yeah, but how is that a bad thing?” I interrupted.

“-you were the only one who was actually really there for me,” she continued, raising her hand to stop me from going on, “and I guess I sort of abused that.”

I gulped once more, my eyes growing wide. “What do you mean?”

“I really do like you, and I guess for a while there I did think that I loved you; I mean, I really did… but now that, you know, everything has changed, I realize that I don’t. We’re not really those two outsiders anymore. Things have changed and I…” her voice cracked, “I’m sorry.”

“So you mean you’re… this is…” I muttered in disbelief.

She nodded her head softly, tears streaming down her face as she cried in silence. “Yeah… this… it’s not gonna work out, I’m sorry.” Suddenly I was wrapped into an embrace, my face pressing against her shoulder. I let my tears drip down onto the cool surface of her leather jacket, dampening it slightly. After only a few short moments, she pulled away. “I should go.”

I nodded my head softly, not to agree, but to accept the inevitable. As she exited the room with the softest of footsteps and closed the door, I was at a complete loss, still utterly shocked and not exactly sure how to react. Tears continued to stream down my face, but the true grief of the situation had yet to fully sink in. It was as if the physical aspect of sadness had kicked in while the mental one struggled to comprehend it.

There was a sense of emptiness within me as I remembered what it was like to be alone. Along with such thoughts, the worry of exactly how the others would react to our break-up rushed through my mind. Even more prominent was the wonder of if I would even be able to sit next to the girl without feeling pain. I fell backwards onto my bed and gazed up at the ceiling. It was strange to think that the first few nights I stayed in that house, I was gazing up at something completely new and unfamiliar. That day, it was so familiar that it was comforting.

Call of the Sirens

By the next morning, the mental shock of what had happened on the previous night had finally hit me at full force. I was an emotional mess, breaking down and crying at random. I was in no mood to spend an entire day at school, especially with the added fear of being seen so broken. There was no way I could skip though. I had to take a quiz in my English class and, of course, missing the others would mean a mountain of homework if I considered the fact that I rarely escaped a class without a sheet or two.

I knew for a fact that I would be unable to sit anywhere near Sunset for at least a day, or maybe a few. I didn’t want to be around any of my friends for that matter. I knew they would ask questions and make me think about what had happened. I wasn’t yet ready to face a retelling of the situation so soon. It would be a day of solitude and silence. It probably wasn’t one of the best ways to cope, but it was certainly my most preferred method.

Throughout my morning classes, I struggled to concentrate. My mind would begin to wander, right back to the thoughts which I never wanted to think of again. Along with that, I had to hold back my tears which was not at all easy. I tried not to cringe as pain tingled in my eyes and tickled at my nose. I began to wonder what was worse, having the students see me cry, or making them wonder why I had such a contorted, helpless look upon my face.

***

I was more than pleased when lunch rolled around. I had already had my bag packed for what seemed like ages when the bell finally rang. I practically sprang out of my seat and quickly walked to the cafeteria, being one of the first few in the line. An assortment of not so healthy looking food was slopped down onto my tray, and I headed off to my favorite corner to be alone in.

Although I rarely sat at the table in the dark corner of the room, not remotely close to any of the windows, I had grown rather familiar with it from the times that I had. I sat down upon the hard plastic surface of a chair and rested my back against it a moment before starting my meal. I dared not turn my head to look out upon the cafeteria as I knew that I would immediately spot Sunset and my friends. Instead, my eyes were fully focused on my food, the table, the empty seats across from me, and my phone. It wasn’t until I took the first bite of my food that I realized how hungry I was. Even though the meal was mediocre at best, I shoved bite after bite into my mouth. I had grown so engulfed in my meal that I hadn’t noticed a trio of girls heading in my direction.

“Mind if we sit here? No one else really seems to enjoy our attention,” one of their voices said with a huff. I nearly spit the food from my mouth as looked up to see the smirking faces of Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze, along with giddy smile from Sonata Dusk.

Aria rolled her violet eyes and crossed her arms. “Looks like he doesn’t want our company either,” she said with a sigh. “Come on, Adagio, let’s just go.” I let the idea of having the girls sit with me simmer in my head for a few short seconds. In a way, I did feel rather sorry for them now that they had been defeated. Just as it was with Sunset Shimmer, they were cast out. Without their magic, they were simply innocent girls, but still, no one was willing to accept them. Well, they were mostly innocent. Unlike Sunset, it seemed as though no one would take them in. If Sunset was able to change, why couldn’t they? They only needed a push in the right direction. Perhaps I was being too charitable, or stupid considering the fact that only a few days before, they had brainwashed me… perhaps I was hoping they would be at least a little like Sunset was when we first met.

“No,” I said after swallowing and pointing to the seats. “Go right ahead.”

“Wow, you’re actually gonna let us sit with you? Are you just super nice or really stupid? I mean, don’t you remember what we did?” Sonata said with wide eyes, a surprised look upon her cute, pale blue face.

“Shut up, Sonata!” Aria whined, glaring at her as they took their seats beside me rather than across from me. I knew they had done this on purpose when Adagio moved a chair over from the other side of the table. A slight fluttering of anxiety rushed through my body. Even though they no longer possessed their amulets, it did not mean they weren’t still sirens. It would not be as easy, but I knew they could still seduce me with their words. Done with the past and ready to accept any new fate, I no longer cared; I was willing to let it happen. If it didn’t, perhaps they could be new friends, a new experience, and a different glimpse into the mysterious world of Equestria.

“Sonata does bring up a valid point. Thanks for letting us sit,” Adagio said with a sweet smile, placing a hand upon my shoulder and rubbing it slightly back and forth. “Aren’t you worried about what we can do to you?”

I shrugged and then sighed in response. “After what I’ve been through today and last night, I’m willing to accept just about any kind of company. I don’t really care what you do to me either.”

“It’s not like we’re actually gonna hurt you or anything… well, I guess it sort of depends on what you think hurt means,” Sonata said with a giggle as she nibbled at a bite of her food. I watched as she received another glare from Aria. “Err, I mean, we’re totally not gonna do anything bad… gosh, I wish it was taco Tuesday again.” She slumped at the sudden change of subject and rested her cheek in her hand.

“The tacos are pretty good here,” I said before looking down at my food, “and this really isn’t.”

Sonata giggled cutely in response. “Yeah, pretty gro-” she suddenly grew silent as Adagio raised a finger and looked me directly in the eyes.

“So, why aren’t you sitting with the “Rainbooms?” she asked, hissing out the band name in disgust. “I thought you and those girls were close, especially Sunset.”

“Uh… me and Sunset… had a falling out,” I muttered, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. By her tone of voice, I knew it was information she already knew.

“Oh, how sad, but I really don’t know why you were interested in a girl like that in the first place. It’s for the best, I think,” she said with a mischievous smile, massaging my shoulder a bit more deeply.

“I don’t understand why a girl like her would want you in the first place,” Aria muttered beneath her breath, causing my heart to tear even further apart than it already had been.

“Don’t listen to her,” Adagio said with a delicate, comforting wink.

“Yeah, Aria’s kind of a, ya know… I won’t say it, but it starts with a ‘b,’” Sonata added, grimacing in her direction.

I shook my head and laughed. “Nah, Aria’s right. It was way too good to be true, but thanks though.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy as nice and truthful as you, maybe that’s why she liked you,” Sonata said with a giggle.

“Uh… thanks,” I said with a soft smile, feeling my cheeks warming up. I felt as though I shouldn’t be taking any compliment from them seriously, but for some, unknown reason, Sonata’s seemed to be at least somewhat honest. Even if she meant it, I didn’t understand why I appreciated it. Nothing good was going to come from girls like them, at least that’s what everyone else thought. Either I was ignoring the truth or the truth wasn’t really the truth at all.

“Is there a reason you don’t want to be with your other friends though? I’m sure they don’t have the same opinion as Sunset, even if they are so close.” Adagio questioned, looking over at the joyous group.

“Does it really matter anymore, Adagio? He’s sitting with us now,” Aria said.

“Well, I guess I only ever really started sitting with them because of Sunset. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they are great girls and all… but… you probably don’t think that.” I received a trio of shaking heads in response.

“Aria does bring up a good point, if they see you spending time with us, I don’t think they’ll want to associate with you anymore. Are you okay with that?” Adagio asked, looking at me curiously.

“Why not?” I said with a shrug. “After all that happened, I guess I’m sort of looking for something new anyways.”

“Glad to hear it,” Adagio said with a rather suspicious looking smile.

“Yeah, I’ve never really had any other friends besides these two! I mean, it’s probably because we are kinda evil and stuff or whatever,” Sonata added.

“I’m not your friend, Sonata” Aria said with a huff, crossing her arms.

“Pshh, you may not ever say it, but I know you love me!” her friend teased.

“Whatever…” she mumbled, a light blush on her cheeks. For being so evil, each one of the girls was adorable in their own way. I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at the banter between them. “So… you’re actually enjoying our company?” she then asked as she turned to me with a blank face, picking up on my laughter.

“Yeah, I guess you girls aren’t so bad after all.”

“Oh, we’re bad,” Adagio said with a laugh, “but that doesn’t mean we’re not fun.” Even though I was told that they were bad by one of their own, I was beginning to have a hard time believing it. They seemed to act fairly normal in the standards of teenage girls if the whole siren aspect wasn’t taken into account. Even if it was, the only reason they had preyed upon us was because that was simply who they were. From what little knowledge of Equestrian sirens I had, charming other beings into servitude was simply instinctual. I was unsure if they could even attempt to control it.

I gave a shrug. “Well, you seem nice enough to me.”

“Because you’re being nice to us,” Aria said with an almost unseen smile. I had rarely ever seen a smile come from her normally lifeless face, unless it was seductive or smug. This one seemed a bit more genuine.

Adagio smiled as well. “Yes, you are being pretty hospitable, thank you.”

I could feel my lips curving up into a smile. “Like I said, I’m willing to give just about anything a chance at this point, but you’re welcome.”

As if to end the conversation on the perfect note, the load electronic beeps of the school bell rang out over the sea of voices around us. Adagio’s hand once again grasped my shoulder as we both stood up. I was a bit startled at first when the other girls blocked my exit, standing rather close to me as well. “Why don’t you give us your number? We’ll have to plan something soon.”

My heart pounded, not with fear but affection. Even if it was false, at least it felt as if the girls were interested in someone like myself. “Uh, yeah, sure,” I mumbled before sputtering out the number.

“Since I have such a hardcore craving for tacos, I was thinking about going out for dinner tonight. Wanna come?” Sonata asked with grin and wide, pleading eyes.

“Sounds really good, actually,” I said with a smile, scratching the back of my head. I was rather eager to jump at any activity that would distract me from my thoughts, and Sonata really did seem like a fun, entertaining girl.

“Tacos again?” Aria whined, and then gagged in Sonata’s direction.

“It’s not like you have to come,” Sonata snapped back.

“We’ll see, maybe it’ll just be you and Sonata,” Adagio said as she moved her hand from my shoulder to my back. She gave it a few soft pats before turning to leave. “Anyways, come on girls, we have class.”

“Why are you even still taking classes anyways?” I asked, the thought popping into my mind. “I mean, you weren’t before you came here, right?”

“Well, we’ve sort of moved around quite a lot, but without those amulets, there’s really no way for us to make a living here. Getting an education has always been one of our back-up plans. We do need to make a living, you know. Besides, we blend in more easily if we’re productive members of the society here. Anyways, see you around.”

I suddenly grew quite curious. How exactly did they survive in my own world, and how long had they been there. Did they live together? Where exactly did they live? In the back of my head, I had always assumed they lived the average life of teenage girls, but in reality, it was far from it.

Tacos

When Sonata had invited me out for tacos, I was expecting a fast food joint where we would be able to stuff our faces with plenty of delicious, shelled treats for an extremely low price. When I was told to meet up with her at a quaint but rather nice Mexican restaurant, I realized how large her obsession with tacos was. I guess she could be called a connoisseur of the cuisine.

The exterior itself was rather bland, a simple tan, stucco building with the restaurant name painted above the doors. “La Yegua Grasa,” I thought to myself, I have no clue what it means, but it seems authentic… possibly. In my previous school I had taken two years of Spanish, one during my freshman year, and the other in my sophomore year. I figured what had been repeatedly ingrained in my head would be stuck there for life, but sadly, it didn’t. Only a few easy words and phrases had stuck. All I could decipher from the title was the fat something. I shrugged it off, realizing the name really didn’t matter, and made my way inside.

The interior was a rather stark contrast from the exterior. I had to pause a moment to let it all soak in. Scenes of farming, galloping horses, or small town streets were carved into the chairs, booths, and even the tables, and painted with bright, lively colors. Authentic salmon red tiles covered the floors, and the walls were decorated with an assortment of Mexican knick-knacks including sombreros and flags. A few simple archways separated different dining areas to add more atmosphere.

At the edge of my sight, I noticed the blue blur of a waving hand and looked to see a grinning Sonata. Although I had already been warned that the other girls possibly would not join us, I was still rather surprised not to see them. It seemed as though they were always together, a practically inseparable group. I was certainly pleased with the situation though. Sonata seemed rather easy to get along with and enjoyable to be around, just like Pinkie. A jolt of pain pushed at my heart with such a thought. It was rather hard to believe that I was already missing my friend after not seeing her for only a day.

“Hey, sup?” she asked cheerfully as I took a seat across from her.

“Hey, Sonata,” I said with a smile.

“Adagio and Aria didn’t wanna come. Too bad, more tacos for us I guess, right? You are gonna eat a lot of them right?”

I laughed in response. “I’ll try my best.”

“Good,” she exclaimed with a giggle, “I don’t wanna look fat.”

“You, fat?” I complemented.

“Well, I guess sirens probably have a lot bigger appetite than you do, and I already have a high metabolism… yeah, I can probably eat, like, one-hundred thousand calories and not get fat. It’s pretty great.”

“Oh, I bet,” I said with a laugh as a large basket of chips with a bowl of salsa was set down between us. “Thanks,” I said with a nod to the waitress.

“We’ll get the mucho taco combo,” Sonata said with a wink. “And some orange soda?” She turned to me questioningly, I quickly nodded my head. She then shooed the waitress off while she was still in the process of scribbling the order down on a pad of paper. “Oh… that was sort of mean, huh? I just wanted to get back to talking.”

“It’s fine,” I mumbled, even though in my mind, I was questioning her motives. Was that truly the only reason she had been somewhat impatient and rude, or had the whole ‘evil’ attitude become instinctual for her. “Anyways… speaking of you being a siren and all,” I figured that with our previous conversation, the perfect time had arisen to ask more about them, “what exactly is it like living here?”

Sonata sighed in thought after eating one of the chips, and tapped her finger lightly upon the table. “It’s pretty dull sometimes, and it kinda really sucks that we can never go back to Equestria… but I guess after all these years we’ve sort of gotten used to it.” We, it was as if she included the other girls like they were a singular being. They were certainly close, maybe even closer than Sunset and her friends.

“Years, I didn’t think you had been here for too long.”

“We’ve been here for a really long time, since way before you were born.” I gazed into her raspberry colored eyes with puzzlement.

“But you’re only teenagers?”

“Yeah, I guess,” she said with a giggle, “but we sirens age way different than you.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense then,” I said, taking a couple of chips for myself and scooping up a small bite of salsa with one. “So, if you don’t mind my asking, how exactly do you live here?”

Sonata responded with a smirk. “Oh, it used to be super easy when we had those amulets. We sort of just tricked people into giving us money. You know, who wouldn’t want to help out some poor, adorable girls with amazing singing voices?”

“Oh…” I mumbled, not sure exactly how to respond to such a lifestyle.

“But it’s getting really hard now that we don’t have them. We live in an apartment and have to pay bills, buy food, all that stuff. I think we’re going to have to get jobs soon.” She finished her sentence with a blatant pout and puppy dog eyes. I smiled, her cuteness almost overwhelming.

“In that case, I can pay for dinner tonight. I have some money, and since I don’t have to pay all that stuff…”

I wide smirk appeared on her face and she winked teasingly. “Looks like I’ve still got it, even without that silly amulet.”

I glared at her a moment, feeling as though her statement was all a ruse, but then frowned, realizing she was being honest. “All that stuff you said is actually happening though, right?” She nodded her head softly, frowning back. “Oh, alright, I’m still paying, you win.”

“Woop! Uh huh! That’s right!” Sonata celebrated jokingly, pumping her fist in the air. “Now stop eating those chips, would ya?” she said, slapping a chip from my hand. “You need to save up for some extremely tasty tacos.” I looked down at the basket which seemed much emptier than then the last time I had seen it. I suddenly realized that I had been eating them throughout our entire conversation. It was nerves, even though I was feeling more comfortable around Sonata, she was still new, and I guess I wasn’t quite as comfortable as I thought I had been.

“Uh, heheh,” I mumbled nervously. “Don’t worry, I can still eat… I think.”

Our conversation lulled to a halt as the large plate of delicious looking tacos was set before us. Even the toppings of lettuce, tomato, green onions, and cheese looked perfect on their own, but, of course, the best part was the seasoned beef and crispy golden shell. As we chomped away on taco after taco, I couldn’t help but stare at Sonata. The way she smiled and even danced slightly as she chewed was certainly something to behold. Luckily for me, her eyes were closed for the most part as she savored every last bit of the flavor. Whenever she did happen to notice my staring, she responded with a strange glare, causing my cheeks to warm up as I quickly looked away.

***

Somehow, we managed to finish every last bite of the tacos. Sonata leaned lazily back against the booth and patted her stomach lightly as I fished my wallet from my pocket and eyed the bill that she pushed my way when it was set down earlier. “Help me up,” she whined and lifted a flimsy arm as placed money along with a tip on the table and stood up.

I smiled and grabbed her small hand. She was even lighter than I had expected. Suddenly, I was embraced in quick hug before both of her hands wrapped around my own. “I bet it’s pretty hard not having a bunch of lovey-dovey attention now that you and Sunset broke up,” she said softly as she looked up into my eyes.

My eyes quickly and awkwardly darted away. “Uh not really, we sort of weren’t really that close near the end.”

“Aww, poor thing,” she cooed. I looked back to see her pouting. She then grasped one of her hands upon my side and I flinched as her soft lips pressed against my cheek, quickly pulling away. “Thanks for the tacos. I’m glad I at least have somebody to eat tacos with… even if it is you.” Whether her final statement was simply a tease or she was serious, I knew I was being used. There was no way a girl like her would come onto someone like me that quickly. She was a siren after all, seduction was her forte, and sadly for me, even though I knew what she was doing, I still loved the attention. Even if they meant nothing, it was nice to have a cute girl like her preforming such intimate actions.

She gave my hands a squeeze before letting go, and then brushed a finger across my cheek as she turned for the door. I stood frozen in awe as she left. She had a rather clumsy walk for a siren. I was expecting it to be a bit more sensual and have more flow, but it did fit her personality almost perfectly. Her charm was quite different than the stereotypical definition, and it was working perfectly for her.

Falling

I was awake for hours in my bed that night, tossing and turning as I thought, the blankets crumpled around half of my body, the other half exposed to the cool night air which blew in from the window. My thoughts were filled with images, predictions, and theories about my new friends, especially Sonata. Strangely, even though I was certain that they were using me for some purpose or another, I still rather enjoyed their company. Perhaps it was because I was already so lonely, or maybe due to the fact that I wanted to show what Sunset’s actions had done to me. Was I purposely taking a dark turn by accompanying them, or was it something more? I was beginning to feel that even though the girls certainly weren’t by any means reformed, there was still something likeable, maybe even lovable about them. Even if their most prominent traits were seduction and ‘evil,’ not all of their traits could be bad, and I already saw that. Even if they were sirens, they seemed like fairly normal girls to me.

I also began to wonder exactly what I was being used for. An idea which I thought quite probable quickly came to mind. Even though the scheme seemed petty compared to their grand plan of controlling the high school, I was almost certain that they were using me to get back at Sunset Shimmer for what she had done to them. This did raise a few questions. Would Sunset even be mad or jealous at all? Did she still care for me that much, or was I just a pawn like I seemed to be for those girls. I tried my hardest not to think of such an idea, but was forgetting better than taking some kind of action… or was taking action all along? Did the fact that I was not fighting the sirens’ scheme mean I was going against what Sunset had done to me?

After what seemed like ages of worry, my mindset suddenly changed to more comforting thoughts, thoughts which I wouldn’t have found so comforting a few days back. I began to wonder how the next day would pan out with the sirens, and if we would end up doing some sort of activity or another after class. I also thought of the way Sonata walked, Aria huffed and crossed her arms, and Adagio’s constant smirking and seductive tone. They were great, and I was looking forward to seeing them again the next day. Those thoughts are what eventually lulled me to sleep.

***

The next day seemed to roll around rather quickly, and even though I was sure I had only gotten a little over a few hours asleep, I was energized and ready for the day ahead. I even managed to arrive at the school early. The sun which was coming up earlier and earlier each day was already shining brightly upon my favorite bench, both its surface and the bright rays warming my body instantly as I took a seat. I contemplated heading into the school to find the girls and perhaps spending even more time with them then I was already planning, but thoughts of the many students which lay inside quickly deterred me.

Instead, I decided simply to relax and enjoy such a perfect morning. Letting my eyes fall shut, I listened to the constant chirping of birds in the tree beside me, along with the rustling they made when moving from branch to blooming, bud-covered branch. The gentle breeze was still crisp and cool, but carried the scent of early blooming spring flowers. Not even the distant mumblings of students and the echoes of their footsteps where enough to draw my attention away from such natural beauty. I nearly fell asleep before I was rudely interrupted by the bell, instantly returning my thoughts to seeing the sirens at lunch.

I was barely able to concentrate in any of my classes, constantly looking up at the clock and wishing for the time to pass by more quickly, of course, this only made it seem to pass by at an even slower crawl than usual. I constantly caught myself slipping off into daydreams about the girls, and then realizing I had no clue what the teacher was lecturing about after missing so much. I was rather aggravated with myself, especially in harder classes like math, along with the classes where I was given mountains of homework in. I had only the slightest clue how to do any of it. Finally, my heart skipped a beat as the minute hand of the clock ticked to the twelve causing the lunch bell to blare into my ears. I jumped from my seat and rushed to the cafeteria, even more quickly than normal.

I skidded to a halt as I noticed Aria standing in the middle of the hall before me. She rolled her eyes causing me to blush, and realizing how awkward I must have looked running towards the cafeteria with an idiotic grin on my face. “Uh… hey, Aria, I was just heading to lunch to see you and the girls.”

“How sweet,” she said, unamused, and rested a hand against her hip, “but we’re eating outside today.”

“Oh, uh… okay,” I mumbled, not really sure if I was at the liberty to ask if I could join them.

“Yeah, Adagio said you can join,” she said in a dull tone. “Sonata even made an extra sandwich for you. Just follow me.”

“Oh, nice,” I said with a smile and gave her a nod. She raised her eyebrow and stared at me a moment before turning and motioning for me to follow. Although it was a bit overwhelming at times, I was beginning to appreciate Aria’s stubborn, grouchy attitude. I began to wonder exactly what caused her to develop it. I also began to wonder how she kept up such a nice body. I couldn’t help but stare as she walked; she certainly seemed to flaunt what she had. My eyes moved down to the tight pink leggings she wore, perfectly accentuating her legs and hips as they swayed with her walk.

“Ehm,” she muttered turning around and glaring at with fierce violet eyes, a slight smirk upon her soft, light fuchsia colored lips. “If you’re gonna stare, at least make it a bit less obvious.”

“Uh…” I muttered, blushing deeply as I scratched the back of my neck. “Sorry.”

She sighed as began to walk once more. “Whatever, it’s fine I guess. I do get it a lot…”

“Yeah… I bet,” I mumbled, blushing even more deeply as I realized how stupid my attempt at flirting was. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know what she was thinking. The epitome of an “are you serious?” look covered her face. I decided to shut my mouth before I made her too angry. Before long we were outside. The temperature was almost hot.

Adagio and Sonata already sat at one of the few picnic tables in the lawn, setting out sandwiches, drinks, and chips. “Hey taco guy,” Sonata said with a grin and waved. Adagio turned and gave me a smile before looking at Aria.

“What took you so long?” she asked. Aria seemed to take the question the wrong way.

“Uh, I don’t know, maybe it’s his fault, not mine,” she grumbled pointing a finger at me. I raised an eyebrow curiously, not exactly wanting to take the blame.

“I didn’t mean-” Adagio attempted to let out, but was quickly interrupted by Aria’s continued response.

“Okay, look… we never really told him that we were gonna eat outside, and I didn’t think any of you texted him. We wanted him out here, right? I was waiting to show him where we were and stuff,” she sputtered out in a nervous rage.

“Aww, that’s adorable,” Sonata teased, glaring at her friend. “When did you turn into such a softy?”

“I’m not a softy, Sonata! I was just doing what Adagio wanted.”

Sonata stuck out her tongue in response. “But she never asked you.”

“Yeah, but!”

“Girls,” Adagio said calmly, raising her hand. “We don’t need your stupidity right now. Thank you, Aria. Now, let’s just forget about it, sit down, and have a nice meal.” They nodded their heads silently in defeat. Aria plopped down beside Adagio with a frown, and Sonata patted the empty space beside her, giving me a soft smile. “I figured it was a good idea to enjoy a nice day like this,” Adagio said as I sat down.

“Yeah, it is really nice out,” I said, looking up at the sky, only a few wispy clouds trailing through the deep blue.

“Anyways, how were the tacos yesterday?” Adagio said in a rather polite tone. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could, Sonata sprang into action.

“Oh, we had so much fun!” she squealed, wrapping her arm around my back and patting my shoulder excitedly. We ate waaay too many tacos, but it was worth it.”

“It looks like you two got to know each other a bit better too,” Adagio said with a rather mischievous looking smile.

“You could say that,” Sonata said with a wink, pulling me into a hug and rubbing her cheek against my shoulder. I couldn’t help but smile at the attention and extra warmth from her small body. Aria glared at the two of us as Sonata pulled away. “Anyways, let’s eat. These sandwiches aren’t the amazing tacos from last night, but they’re good because I made them.”

“Well, it sounds like we missed out on plenty of fun last night,” Adagio said with a wink.

Aria sighed immediately after. “You know, just because you and Sonata are so… close all of the sudden doesn’t mean Adagio and I can’t hang out with you too.” I could feel my lips forming a rather prideful smirk. Was she truly that jealous already? My smirk quickly vanished when I realized it was most likely all a part of their plan. It seemed like a random event, but there was an underlying feeling that all of what they were doing was planned.

“Well, we don’t have any plans for tonight. Maybe all of us should do something?” Adagio suggested after swallowing a small morsel of her sandwich.

“But there’s nothing fun to do in this stupid little town,” Aria huffed, “especially after Twilight Sparkle, her dream team, and their magical friendship destroyed our amulets.” A sudden pang of guilt struck deep into my stomach at the statement. By spending time with the sirens, I was truly betraying my old friends, but was that wrong of me? Perhaps these girls could change. They were no longer villains, just girls who needed a bit of guidance, although I certainly wouldn’t be the best of guides. I was no leader, more of a follower. Were they the ones changing me?

“Yeah, yeah, but it’s not like we have to actually go out or anything,” Sonata explained, her hand motioning so quickly that lettuce and tomato from the sandwich grasped between it was flung out onto the ground. “We just went out yesterday, well us, not you two.” She pointed at me and then at herself, “So I think it’s, like, the perfect night to stay in. What do you think? Wanna come see our apartment and stuff?” she asked, turning to me.

I was happy to accept such an offer, I was more of a stay indoors and be as lazy as possible type of person anyways. “Sure, sounds fun to me.”

“Fine,” Aria sighed in defeat. “I guess that’ll work.”

Sonata set down her partially eaten sandwich and flung her arms about excitedly as she attempted to plan out the night. “It’ll be great, we can watch a movie or play a board game, oh, or video games. I dunno, whatever we want!”

“Yes, it’s not like we really do have anything better,” Adagio said with an agreeing nod as she watched her friend practically overflow with joy.

As I swallowed down the rest of my rather tasty sandwich, picked away at the crispy, perfectly salted chips, and sipped at my soda, I couldn’t help but grow more excited as well. I was still rather curious to see how such foreign beings lived in a world like mine, and wondered how different their lifestyle would be than your average teenage girls’. Along with that, the promise of movies and games seemed like a rather comfortable and easy way to spend my evening.

The bell rang more quickly than I had hoped, and it seemed as though it was much quicker than the sirens expected. As a thank you for the food and company, I decided to help with the rather rushed effort to put everything away. I never received any kind of gratitude, but of course, from girls like them, I wasn’t really expecting it. It did seem as though they appreciated the aid though, and for that, I was pleased.

Back to the Bench

Lost in my thoughts as the day came to an end and busy with snaking my way through the crowd which poured out from the front entrance, I would have completely missed Pinkie if she hadn’t grabbed onto my shoulder. She stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for me.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, mister, where do you think you’re going in such a hurry? We need to talk,” she asserted her nails digging into my shoulder.

“O-okay,” I muttered, feeling a bit awkward, having avoided her for a couple of days.

“The bench?” she asked to which I quickly nodded my head. It was the perfect place for a deep discussion, quiet and away from everyone else. I began to grow nervous as I took a seat, knowing the talk was going to be serious. She sat down closely beside me and stared sternly into my eyes. Her normally vibrant blue eyes seemed to be dulled with concern and worry.

“Look…” she began hesitantly as if unsure of exactly how to start, “I know you and Sunset sort of had a major falling out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sit with us anymore. You know that, right?” I nodded my head softly in response.

“…Yeah, I know,” I grumbled, rather surprised by how angered the subject made me, “but I just feel like the only reason I was a ‘part’ of your group was to be with Sunset. Don’t get me wrong, the girls are great and all, but I feel like besides you and Sunset, the others were never really my friends. We never spent much time together or chatted, I was just there and so were they. I feel like I was never really accepted into the group. Sunset wasn’t really part of the group either there for a while, but now she is. I’d just be like a bystander or something.” It never ceased to amaze me how comfortable I had grown with speaking my mind about nearly everything with Pinkie. She was the perfect friend that everyone wished for but rarely ever had. I felt even more horrible than I had previously for abandoning her so suddenly after that new found realization. I was sure the answer was not the same for Pinkie, but I truly did consider her my best friend. She was always there to talk when I needed it the most and could easily cheer me up when I was feeling down.

“Yeah… I guess our group is pretty tight nit. Even if we are all about the magic of friendship, it seems like we have a hard time accepting others in. I promise we can try working on it for you though. Just come back, please! I miss you so, so, so much.”

“The others don’t though,” I grumbled as she pulled me into an embrace, one so tight that it literally squeezed the air from my lungs. She pulled away with a frown. It wasn’t her usual teasing pout though; it was completely real. I hated to see her that way, but she needed to realize the truth. “Like I said, the only reason I was ever over there was for Sunset… well, and for you too, I guess. They may have said we were friends, but I don’t think we ever actually were. They were just being nice.” It was as honest of a statement as I could make. The girls always made me feel welcome at their table, and even when spending time together out of school, but never did I actually feel accepted.

Pinkie sighed in defeat and her grip weakened as she looked away in silence. “…I guess you’re right,” she finally muttered, “but I’m your friend. Can’t you sit with us for me?” She looked into my eyes with hope, even though sadness still covered her face.

“No… but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to stop being friends, okay?” I assured her.

“Well, I knew that, but it’s not really what I’m worried about.”

I looked at her curiously as she gazed into my eyes once more. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with those sirens, even after all that they did. I just don’t get it. I know you’re mad about Sunset and stuff, but why go to them? You’re not the type of guy that’d want to get back at her.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I was just sort of looking for something new, like a new start, and they happened to be there. Yeah, I know they’re probably using me, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good company. Once you get to know them, they’re all actually pretty fun.”

“But aren’t you worried about what they can do? They can really screw with you, mess with your feelings and stuff.”

I huffed, growing defensive. “I really don’t think they’re as bad as everyone else does, especially now that they don’t have those amulets. Even if they still did, they’re just doing what comes naturally to them. They’re not really evil, they’re just sirens and that’s what they do to survive.”

“I… but… I mean… they don’t have to do that stuff, especially now that they’re in this world. They’re a lot more girl than they are siren.”

“Exactly,” I said, causing her shake her head in confusion, her curls bouncing about. I was more than happy to explain. “They basically are just girls now, and I’m hoping that’ll make them change. Shouldn’t we be supporting them like with Sunset?”

“I… um… I guess I can’t say that’s wrong, but I dunno if it’s right either. I don’t know enough about them…” she muttered softly, looking down, once again defeated. “I can’t really stop you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still worried. Be careful for me, okay?”

“Sure,” I said with a nod and smiled softly. I was pulled into another quick hug, and was more than relieved to see her smiling back. “Wanna hang out tonight or something?”

“Uh… sorry, I-” A dark shadow was suddenly cast down upon us, causing my statement to come to a quick stop.

We both looked up to see Adagio, her hands resting on her hips, a vicious smirk on her lips, and fire in her glaring, red eyes. “He’s spending the evening with us.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, almost shamefully.

“Come on, we’re going,” she commanded, extending a hand to help me up. I stared a moment at the pink, fingerless glove which covered it, wondering if I was making the right decision. Whether or not I was, I had already made my choice, and grasped onto her hand. Her smirk widened even further as she pulled me to my feet.

“Uh, maybe we can do something tomorrow,” I said, turning to Pinkie as I was pulled away, Adagio’s hand grasped tightly around my own.

“O-okay,” she muttered, surprised by my sudden leave.

I felt eyes piercing into my very soul and a sudden sensation of shame overcoming me. I turned to Adagio who glared upon me as if I was a lesser being. “Now, I know you and Pinkie Pie were once good friends, but it’s a shame to think that after all she helped do to us, you could still call her one.”

“I... but…” I muttered, wanting to defend both myself and Pinkie, but unable to think of a credible statement. Pinkie had aided in crushing what little power the sirens had left in my world, but I felt as though it was for the better. Even if it seemed wrong to them at first, good would come from such a defeat. Of course, I was in no way courageous enough to say that directly to Adagio’s face, or even indirectly for that matter. I was sure she wouldn’t be too fond of such a thought.

“But what?” she snapped, her glare growing more fierce and her teeth gnashing together. “If you want to continue hanging out with us, you’re going to stop spending time with that curly haired, bouncy… freak because I don’t appreciate it! I’m sure the Aria and Sonata would feel the same. So, what’ll it be, an overly friendly and completely annoying bitch, or us?”

I had seen the sirens get angry, even enraged before, but it was a completely different feeling when said rage was directed towards me. I’ll admit that I can get quite sensitive at times, and this was one of those moments. I felt like crumbling to the ground and sobbing. It was odd, normally a girl I barely knew yelling out something like that most likely wouldn’t even phase me. There was so little a connection between us that it seemed as though I wouldn’t care what she said about me or others, but I did. I cared a whole lot more than I should have. I felt the need to correct my actions, even if those actions were only wrong in the minds of the sirens. I had to do it for them.

“…You,” I muttered, even though I knew it wasn’t truly what I wanted to say. At the same time, I didn’t want to abandon them either, and the way she put it, that’s exactly what would happen. I had only just began getting to know them, and I wasn’t going to give up so easily. I didn’t want the friendship I had with Pinkie to end either though. Although at that moment in time, I was much more focused on the sirens. I felt as though by doing what Adagio and the others thought was right, I would be rewarded. The reward was never big, but well worth the effort.

“Now that’s an answer I’m glad to hear,” Adagio said with a smirk. “You made the right choice,” she cooed, giving me a wink, her long, beautiful eyelashes shimmering in the sunlight. I couldn’t help but smile, my heart pounding at a wink which oddly seemed much more meaningful then it likely was.

It wasn’t long before we met up with the other girls. They stood at the edge of the lawn their shadows cast in the bright afternoon sun. Although I couldn’t yet hear what they were conversing about, I knew they were arguing as usual. Sonata’s arms flung about vigorously while Aria stood with her arms crossed, her foot tapping against the faded gray pavement and an angered frown upon her face.

“Oh, you’re here,” Sonata commented, completely forgetting about her argument as we approached. “Can we get a taxi or something? I don’t wanna walk.”

Adagio huffed. “Sonata, you know how poor we are.”

“Can we uh… convince the taxi guy to give us a free ride?” she sputtered out.

Aria rolled her eyes. “It’s not that easy.”

“Yeah it is! We used to do it all the time.”

“Aria’s right, nothing is going to be simple without those amulets. It’s going to take a lot more time to convince anyone to do what we want them to now,” Adagio mumbled in a tone of defeat, a tone rather rare for her.

“Ugh, alright,” Sonata said with a sigh, slumping forward in defeat.

As we made our way to the apartment, I began to question whether or not I was truly willing to dedicate myself to the sirens. I knew it was something which I would eventually end up doing if I wanted to gain their appreciation along with anything more. Yet, after I had been yelled at, I was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable in their presence, especially Adagio’s. I knew that Aria, and most likely, even Sonata would do the same if I managed to get on their bad side. Along with that, I felt as though doing what they wanted rather than what I wanted wasn’t really the best way to go about living, or how I wanted to. At the same time, I felt like it would be a weak move on my part. It was the decision I always ended up choosing, running or giving up rather than dedicating myself to a certain person or group. Things would get better if I was persistent and pushed on. Along with that, I knew there was something more to those girls. They weren’t only evil, and I had gotten a feel for what lay beyond it.

Sonata's Prize

The apartment was rather small for three girls; there was even a mattress alongside the couch, a makeshift bedroom due to the lack of their being a third. “Yep, this is my bedroom!” Sonata exclaimed, noticing my staring. “Best one in the house too. I get the TV all night.” I nodded my head and chuckled politely. There was also a small kitchen combined with the living room, making it seem slightly more spacious. On the opposite side, there was a short hallway which branched off into two bedrooms and a small bathroom.

The entirety of the apartment was rather plain. There was little decoration and a mismatch of possessions stored in rather odd locations; by odd, I mean everywhere. It looked as if they had only recently moved in and were still in the process of organizing, but I had a feeling they had lived there for quite some time. This caused me to wonder exactly what the reason for their method of decoration was. Were they unwilling to call anyplace in my world their home? Had they been planning to move on rather quickly? Was it some kind of custom or instinctual way for sirens to live that I did not know of? In a way, I felt sorry for them. It certainly didn’t seem like a comfortable way to exist.

“So what’s for dinner?” Sonata suddenly asked, looking at Adagio expectantly. “We do have something, right?”

“It’s pizza tonight-”

“Oh, pizza’s always good… only if it isn’t CHS pizza,” Sonata interrupted, even though we all could see that Adagio was going to continue.

She gave Sonata the slightest of glares before raising a finger in the air to tell her that she needed to stay silent. “…And you’re buying, right?” she asked, turning to me with a smile. Even though her smile was sweet, I knew it was a command rather than a question. I had a bit of money. It had been saved up from my birthday and other holidays along with what I had left over from my part-time job the previous summer. I was planning to spend it on video games and perhaps some merchandise from the shows I enjoyed, but one pizza wouldn’t waste too much of it. Besides, I needed to do it for them. I assured myself that it wasn’t only to improve my status with them, but also because they seemed to be struggling with their finances. If they didn’t have enough money to buy a rather short cab ride, they most likely had little to spend on food as well.

“Uh… sure,” I said with a shrug, giving her a smile. Her smile widened in response, and she gazed into my eyes for a short moment. I noticed that they seemed to be much more gentle than normal, but perhaps it was a trick of the mind, or the trick of a siren.

After the pizza was ordered, Sonata flopped onto the couch and grabbed the controller which lay on the floor in front her. After struggling for a moment to sit up, she turned to me with excitement in her eyes and nodded to the controller which rested upon a game console. Beside it was a rather small, cheap looking flat-screen. “Wanna play?” I grabbed the controller and took a seat beside her as she went about turning everything on.

“Ugh, I was gonna watch TV,” Aria whined.

“Oh yeah?” Sonata snapped. “What were you gonna watch?”

“Uh… I don’t’ know, something?”

“That’s what I thought,” Sonata growled before sticking out her tongue.

I turned back to see a colorful start screen before me. It was a game I had surprisingly never heard of. That was most likely due to the fact that it seemed to be some kind of off-brand racing game. I subconsciously turned to Sonata with a look of concern. I was no fan of racing games nor did I trust something which looked like a cheap scam to earn money. “Trust me, this is seriously one of the funnest games you’ll ever play.”

“…If you say so,” I muttered.

“I know how to make things a bit more interesting for you,” she said with a mischievous smirk. I raised a questioning eyebrow in response. “If you can beat me, the master, I’ll give you a kiss… on the lips.” She gave an adorable wink and licked her small but plump looking lips. My heart began to pound at the thought, and my cheeks lit up as I remembered those lips pressing down upon my cheek. Kissing Sonata was more than enough incentive for me to play, and to try my hardest to win.

“A-alright,” I stuttered nervously. Sonata began to giggle, rolling her eyes at me teasingly. The other girls began to laugh as well, causing me to blush even more deeply.

“You really want to win, don’t you?” Adagio asked with a villainous smile. I hesitated at first, feeling more and more embarrassed by the second, but finally nodded.

“Of course he does!” Sonata exclaimed proudly as she pressed the start button and then selected two-player mode. I quickly flipped my way through the selection of rather cartoon-esque racers and picked the one that I found the most interesting. It seemed as though the racers and cars had no difference between one another besides appearance. After a few moments of what seemed to be pure concentration, the tip of her tongue sticking from her mouth, Sonata finally chose a character.

“This is a practice round, right?” I sputtered out as the race began, first struggling to get used to the controls and then the rather unrealistic movement of the cars along with the strange curves and turns the track took.

“Yeah, why not?” Sonata said cheerfully as her body swayed with the turns of the track.

“I think you’re going too easy on him,” Adagio cooed teasingly, placing her hands upon my shoulders. I tensed up for a moment, nearly causing myself to crash. She leaned forward and whispered into my ear, tightening her grip. “No need to be nervous.” I nodded my head as I attempted to return my attention to the game.

“I bet she’ll let you race her as many times as you want… maybe she’ll even let you win on purpose,” Aria said. I looked over at her out of the corner of my eye expecting a wink or smirk, but her face was as lifeless as ever. “You would be into guys like him.” Guys like me, I was sure she meant that as an insult. I would love to say that something like that didn’t even phase me, but it did slightly. I could feel my heart sink for a moment.

“Shut up, Aria, gosh!” Sonata yelped. I began to wonder how long Sonata had been playing the game. She was far beyond any of the NPC’s and gaining distance on them with every second, while I struggled to keep in the middle rather than the back. It was as if she knew every aspect of the track by heart. It wasn’t long before I lost, but at least I hadn’t been a complete failure. “Aww, darn, too bad,” Sonata teased, giving me a frown. “Need another practice race?”

“Yeah, probably,” I said with a sigh.

“Ah, you’ll get the hang of it,” she said, giving me a hard pat on the back, “but that doesn’t mean you’re ever gonna beat me.”

I chuckled and nodded my head. “You are the master after all.” She nodded her head as she started the next race on some kind of tropical beach and jungle oriented track. It wasn’t long before one race seemingly blended into the other as I honed my racing skills. Before I knew it, the doorbell rang. The game was paused, and I struggled to pull my wallet from my pocket. The deliverer looked at me in surprise, and then almost questioningly as he told me the price. I was sure he had been to the apartment before and was expecting one of the girls to answer. The girls hovered around me as I returned, carrying the pizza box in my hands.

“Why don’t you two take a break from that game and we’ll eat at the table,” Adagio said, once again hiding her command as a suggestion.

“Alright,” Sonata sighed before pointing a finger in my direction, “but when we finish, the next race is the real one.” I gulped at the thought and nodded my head. It was a game, but at the same time, the stakes of winning were rather high. “That’s right, you better be nervous,” she said with a giggle as we sat down at the table.

“So, Aria,” Adagio said as we began to eat after grabbing our plates of greasy pizza and drinks, “you’re going to that job interview later, right?” As the question was asked, I watched Aria’s mood immediately sink, and not to anger either. From what I could tell by her unusual frown and pained eyes, it was more a look of defeat and hopelessness.

“… No.”

Adagio eyeballed her suspiciously, her fist which rested upon the table clenching. “No? Why’s that? Was it cancelled or…?”

“No,” Aria muttered and looked away shamefully as she nibbled at her pizza.

“Then why aren’t you going?” Adagio asked, her voice growing with rage.

“Do you seriously think I want to waste my free time flipping burgers or whatever? What happened to the good days? Well… I guess they were never good here, but you know what I mean, what happened to the alright-ish days?” Aria grumbled, anger finally overcoming her other emotions.

“Twilight and her friends destroyed all of that, remember?” Adagio spat out, slamming her fist against the table, halfway jumping from her chair. “We can’t rely on things that don’t exist, and you’re not going to get off easy with some worthless excuse like that!”

I could feel my body tensing, the hairs on my arms standing on end. I had the urge to get up and leave the hostile environment behind but also feared the consequences. I was almost certain the rage would then be directed towards me. So there I was, awkwardly stuck in some sort of argument I had no part of.

“Then why don’t you have a job, Adagio? That’s what I want to know!” Aria snapped right back, her fingers digging into the edge of the table as she grasped it.

I was amazed at how composed Sonata was as I looked in her direction, or perhaps she didn’t care. The smile which she had on her face previously was still there, and her eyes flicked back and forth between the two girls as if watching a soap opera.

Adagio stomped her foot against the floor, her high-heeled boot making a loud clack. “…It’s not my fault! I’ve applied everywhere and got nothing!”

“Oh really? …It’s probably because you’re such a bitch,” she muttered beneath her breath causing Adagio to stand up fully.

“What did you just say to me, Aria? Did you really say what I think you did? You know the only reason I’m not hired yet is because I haven’t been trying. Anyone would want someone as amazing as me working for them, especially if they knew how charming I am.”

Exactly,” Aria huffed. The tension was somehow growing even more unbearable than it already was. I shook and shuffled in my seat, wanting to move even though I knew I was glued down. The furthest I got was lifting my backside only slightly away from the seat. I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I nearly yelped as Adagio leaned forward and raised her hand, about to strike Aria on the cheek.

“Whoa, girls, don’t you think you’re taking things a little too far?” Sonata intervened, standing up and grasping her hand around Adagio’s wrist. “Especially in front of a guest?” My heart jumped, not wanting to become involved in any way. I was both worried and relieved when Adagio turned her vicious eyes towards Sonata.

“Like you even have a say in this; You haven’t even looked for a job! If we want to survive in this stupid world, we all have to chip in to make it work, which neither of you are doing. That’s all I’m saying,” she spat, her voice lowering slightly.

“And you are?” Aria asked smugly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Adaigo whipped back around to face the girl, pointing a shaking finger in her direction. “ARIA BLAZE, I will… I… you’re right,” she huffed in defeat, slumping back down into her chair. “I haven’t really chipped in at all.”

“Hey, at least you’re good management,” Sonata said cheerfully, patting her wrist before pulling her hand away from it.

“Yeah, yeah,” Aria said, her voice returning to its normal, almost monotonous tone. “I guess I should go. I just had a really long day and-”

“You can always reschedule,” Adagio interrupted. So they truly were real friends after all, and much more human than I ever would have expected. It was amazing to see that even after all of that tension they could still appreciate one another, and so quickly too. Your average schoolgirls would have a much harder time forgiving than that. Apologies may have never officially been made or said, but I could tell that Adagio and Aria were sorry. The girls were close, and it made since due to the fact that they had been together for so long, even before they came to my world.

As we returned to finishing our pizza, mostly in silence, I also began to grow more and more sympathetic of their situation as I actually thought about it, or my mind was being poisoned by their manipulative ways. At first glance, the girls had always gotten things their way no matter what due to the fact that they had magical amulets. With that power, they could then manipulate others to do whatever they needed. Now, they had none of that and were simply too lazy and privileged to do any work themselves. If you looked a bit deeper though, they were never meant to live the life of a human. They were forced into this world and locked away from their own. Sirens lived completely different lives than humans, and those lives involved manipulation for survival, it was just natural. I was still unsure of exactly how to feel about the subject, but decided to let it simmer in my mind for a bit and return to reality. It wasn’t long before we were finished with our meal.

“I think it’s racing time!” Sonata said with an eager grin as she jumped back onto the couch. I gulped and nodded my head as I sat beside her. I wanted that kiss much more than I should have, but I knew I was not prepared to race against her. It would take me weeks, perhaps even months to grow as skilled as she was. Once again the other girls stood behind us, ready to spectate the match.

“Alright, here we go,” I said with a nervous sigh.

“Oh, come on,” Sonata cooed, scooting a bit closer to me and caressing her hand against my shoulder, “I think I know how badly you want this; so that means you’ll do good.” She then giggled teasingly.

I took careful time in selecting my racer, not that it mattered. It was more of an excuse to allow myself a bit more time to prepare myself mentally. Once again she selected the beach and jungle track. Perhaps it was because it was her favorite, or due to the fact that I, for some unknown reason, tended to do better on it. Maybe she wanted the competition to be at least a bit more closely matched.

The countdown from ten to one seemed to last much longer than it ever had before. My lips moved as if to speak each number when it flashed upon the screen even though nothing came out. The closer the numbers grew to one, the twitchier my fingers became on the thumb-stick and triggers of the controller. As the screen flashed ‘go’ and a loud beep burst into my ears, I reacted almost immediately. I was rather proud when I realized that I had already gained some distance on Sonata with the quick reaction. I knew I had no space to get cocky though; I was much too concentrated to do such a thing anyways.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the tip of Sonata’s tongue push out from between her lips, and her eyes squint. I had grown to realize that this signaled my demise. Before I even had the chance to react, my car was spun around as she slammed into its side. Clouds of sand were flung into the air as she sped by. Once again, I reacted quickly, and managed to pull my car out of the spin. I maneuvered away from the ocean and back onto the sandy track to continue on my way. I may have lost a few places, but it was nearly as many as I feared.

“You’re way better than I thought,” Sonata commented, taking a quick look at my screen.

“Thanks,” I muttered, not sure exactly what to say and too concentrated to think of something better. Earlier, I had discovered that the jumps in the game were rather risky but had quite the reward if completed successfully. They were hard to land, and if I crashed, I would be sent back practically to the last position. If I instead stuck the landing, I received a short but extremely fast speed boost. Considering the fact that I had nothing to lose, I decided to take such a chance and swerved off towards one when we entered the jungle. I was sure that I could feel the sudden change in energy from Sonata’s surprise after I landed and zoomed past her. Sadly for me, one boost was not enough to win me the race. Around nearly every corner, Sonata was closing the gap between us.

All hope that I had was lost while I watched in horror as Sonata sped past me on the final lap, using the same technique I had used on her. I was about to give up and hope to at least get second or third place when suddenly, Sonata turned too late on a corner and flew down into the water. The other girls gasped in horror, and Sonata froze, her eyes huge, completely stunned by what she had done. I was as equally stunned when I crossed the finish line, and the position of first place flashed across my screen. My hands grew weak as I realized exactly what it meant, and my controller dropped into my lap.

“Aww, and I was even gonna give you a second chance because I totally thought you wouldn’t ever win!” Sonata sputtered out in shock.

“Uh… yeah, I can’t believe it either,” I muttered, blushing deeply at the thought of what would happen next.

She looked at me curiously for a moment and then gasped as if she had forgotten the prize. I was unsure if she was attempting to avoid it, or so in shock that she truly did not remember. “I have to kiss you now, huh?”

“…That, uh, is what you said.” I could feel my body shaking slightly with nervous energy. She then looked back at her companions as if desperately searching for support. It was fairly idiotic of me to assume that she actually wanted that kiss, of course she didn’t.

“You did say you would,” Adagio said, resting a hand against her hip.

Aria let out a laugh. “I thought you wanted to anyways.”

Sonata turned to me with a sigh as if completely regretting the competition parameters she had created. “You sure you want this, like, for realsies?”

“Uh, yeah, of course he does, Sonata. What else would you expect from a human?” Aria said with a sigh.

“Do you?” Sonata asked once more, her raspberry colored eyes flashing back in my direction.

“Uh… um…” Of course I wanted it, but at the same time, I didn’t want to make her do anything she was uncomfortable with. We had made a deal after all though. “Y-yeah… you did say if I won-” My sentence came to a halt as her hand suddenly wrapped around my chin.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said, rolling her eyes as she placed a hand on my thigh for leverage and leaned in, her lips puckered. Of course by this point, my heart was pounding quickly and heavily while my body was completely frozen and stiff. “Eh, you don’t have to be all nervous. You’re making this way more awks than it needs to be.”

Did she really just say awks? was surprisingly the first thought to run through my mind. I felt as if my heart was going to explode from my chest when her soft, plump, delicious lips pressed down against my own. I was barely able to kiss back before she pulled away, leaving me desperate for more. I sat completely still and wide eyed, blushing deeply as I stared in her direction.

“Don’t be looking at me for more,” she muttered, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. I darted my eyes away and chuckled nervously, scratching a hand against the back of my head.

“I think someone’s had enough fun for one night,” Adagio said, placing her hands upon my shoulders. “Besides, we have some homework that needs finishing.”

“Aw, we’re actually gonna do that?” Sonata questioned, all traces of what little, if any embarrassment she had vanishing. “We really can’t get away with anything anymore.”

“You’re just figuring that out?” Aria asked in a snide tone.

I felt the tips of Adagio’s fingers begin to tap impatiently at my shoulder. “I… uh, probably should get going anyways,” I muttered shyly. “I guess I have some homework too.”

Beyond Friendship?

For the next couple of weeks, I spent nearly every evening with the sirens. It was growing more and more difficult to complete my homework on time due to that fact. I grew so desperate that I even began to take it to their apartment or wherever we happened to be going that night. My mother and step-dad were growing more worried by the day. I completely understood their reasoning. I had never been one to go out, much less do it nearly every single night. I tried to explain to them that I had new friends who enjoyed that sort of lifestyle, and that I was attempting to do something new. When they asked me if I enjoyed it, I said yes, but in reality, I was lying both to them and myself.

I began to dread each and every evening, knowing I’d have little to no fun while listen to the girls many fights in discomfort or receiving demands. At the same time, I felt obligated to be with them, and once I was actually in their presence, I was content enough to stay. Along with that, I had the strange feeling that by dedicating as much of my time as possible to them, that it would pay off. I would perhaps be fully accepted into their group or receive a wondrous award for my dedication. I was either forgetting or denying the fact that none of it would ever be true. The kiss was the largest and greatest reward I had ever received, and that seemed like the gift from some almighty god compared to the many nights of absolutely nothing. Night after night, I slowly began to come to terms with the truth of the situation, but was still quite lost in each of the girls’ charms.

***

For once, I was finally free from their grasp for the night. A few weeks before, I would have been more than happy to spend the night alone and waste my time playing video games or watching mind numbing shows in front of a television for hours on end. That night, I felt quite different. Perhaps it was some kind of withdrawal from their charm and seduction, but I felt as though I was missing out by not being with them, even though I despised it. Along with that, I was lonely. It had seemed like ages since the last time I had been alone for the night.

The sudden thought of a bright, happy, and always fun friend of mine rushed into my mind during my final class of the day. I had told Pinkie that I would spend time with her, and she had yet to discover the ‘deal’ I had made with Adagio. Although I felt guilty going behind her back, I realized how desperately I wanted to see anyone other than the sirens, especially Pinkie. My heart wrenched at the realization of having not seen her for weeks, and then fluttered at the memories we shared. I simply had to make sure that the sirens saw nothing of it, or even the slightest of hints towards such a get together.

I figured that an evening at my place was the safest bet. I knew for certain that the sirens were clueless to the location of my home, and that if they were anywhere in town, they wouldn’t be seeing us. I decided to send Pinkie a quick text, asking her if she wanted to come over after dinner. After dinner was simply another precaution; the girls wouldn’t see the two of us walking to my home together at the end of school as we likely would have.

My heart beat with excitement as my phone vibrated quietly in my pocket. Shoving it halfway beneath my desk so it wouldn’t be seen by the teacher, I read the lightly glowing screen. Sounds great! :) :3 :D See you then!

***

With the rest of the school day, my walk home, and throughout dinner, all I could think of was Pinkie. I was rather surprised at how much I missed her. In reality, she was truly one of the best friends I had ever had. Perhaps she had missed me just as much. As I scraped up the final remnants of food from my plate, there was a loud but happy knock upon the door.

My parents looked at me oddly as I stumbled to my feet and rushed to the door. Even though I had told them I was having a visitor, I don’t think they were expecting me to be quite so excited about it. “Pinkie!” I gasped with joy as I opened the door to see her gleaming grin.

“Hey!” she greeted cheerfully, pulling me into a tight squeeze and patting my back vigorously. “I think someone’s excited to see me, huh?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, hugging her back with equal strength and resting my chin upon her shoulder. My cheeks grew heated as I blushed with realization. I was receiving the same warm, blissful sensation I got when seeing my real dad or other close family after an extended period of being away from them, but with Pinkie, it was even stronger.

“It’s okay, I missed you too!” she gasped happily, managing to squeeze me even tighter. I could feel the breath expelling from my lungs, and enjoyed every single bit of it. “Anyways, what’re we gonna do?” she asked as she pulled away, her arms still resting on my waist.

“Uh… hadn’t really thought of that. I just wanted to see you. Want to just watch TV or a movie?”

“Sure!” she said with a smile. “In the mood to relax or something?”

“Yeah,” I said with a nod, “I haven’t done that for a while.”

“Really? You?” she asked, staring at me if I was joking. She knew me all too well.

“Yeah, really,” I said with a laugh and then sighed.

“Well, it sounds like somebody needs some nice R&R with a buddy to keep them company.”

I smiled contentedly at the thought. “Sounds great.”

“Then let’s do it!” she squealed, pulling me inside and onto the couch. Before sitting down, she gave my parents a quick wave. Luckily, they had seen her plenty of times before and had no reason to question why she was there. With even more luck, they would leave us be.

I grabbed the remote as she sat down beside me and flicked on the screen, its low, shifting glow illuminating the room. “Just tell me if there’s anything you’re interested in,” I said as I pulled up the guide and began scrolling my way through it.

“Okie dokie,” she said in a chipper tone as she grabbed the blanket which my parents always had slung over the back of the couch. I looked over to see her completely wrapped up in it and smiled. “You wanna join?” she asked sweetly. I was suddenly quite glad the illumination was so dim; my cheeks were on fire. Although being under the same blanket as her wasn’t necessarily cuddling, it was quite close to it due to how much smaller the distance between our bodies would be.

I nodded my head softly in response, and she flung part of the blanket in my direction. I scooted beneath its warmth and realized that my shoulder was pressing up against her own. Of course, the closeness of our bodies made me nervous, but at the same time, I felt much more comfortable than I suspected I would have. In a way, it had grown rather hard to think of Pinkie as anything more than a friend after we had become so close by being exactly that. At the same time, the feeling I received when being in her presence was beginning to make me think that perhaps that perception was wrong.

“Oh, let’s watch that!” Pinkie gasped excitedly, tapping my shoulder with one hand and using the other to point at the screen. She was pointing to something which I couldn’t even come close to pronouncing. From the description, it looked to be some sort of foreign game show.

Of course that’s something Pinkie would choose, I thought to myself, rolling my eyes and pressing enter.

“Oh, man, I love this show so much! It’s hilarious and so cool!” she exclaimed joyfully, her arm smacking against my own as she moved her hands around vivaciously.

“Well, it definitely looks interesting,” I said, watching a contestant make his way through some strange and brightly colored obstacle course.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said with a laugh as the contest fell through a patch of loose tiles in the floor beneath him. I laughed as well as the scene was replayed in slow motion, better displaying the shock on the poor man’s face.

“Ah, this is gonna be a nice night,” I said with a happy sigh and rested my back against the couch cushion.

“You really did need this, huh?” she asked softly, looking over at me with concern. With her gaze came the realization of how exhausted I truly felt. The deeper my body sunk into the cushion, the more relaxed I grew, my eyes blinking slowly.

“Yeah… it’s just been a while since I’ve actually got to do something really enjoyable and relaxing… something with a friend.” Pinkie’s gaze grew even more curious at the statement. “It’s nothing,” I muttered, knowing she wanted a better answer.

“Nothing?” she repeated, giving me the most serious gaze that she could manage. It was no surprise to me that she had already discovered that there was much more to it, and that I needed to talk about it. I just wasn’t quite ready.

“Fine… but can it wait for a bit? I just really need to you know, chill a bit first, prepare myself.”

A soft smile appeared on her bright and caring face. “Mhm, no problem. We’ll watch an episode or two of this first.” I immediately sighed with relief. Then, realizing that my body had tensed its way out of its previous position, I let myself relax once more. My heart began to pound as her arm wrapped around my shoulders. I instinctually looked in her direction, wondering exactly what the cause of such intimacy was. “You look like you need a cuddle,” she said sweetly to my questioning stare. “You do, right?”

A stupid grin appeared on my blushing face as I nodded my head. “Y-yeah, you’re right. So do I… uh… well, you know-”

“Cuddle back? Of course!” she explained cheerfully, lifting her back away from the couch for easy access. I contemplated wrapping my arm around her waist but quickly decided against it, believing it was perhaps a little too intimate for friends. I instead went for the shoulders, just as she had. I was even more content than I had been previously with the extra warmth of her body pressing against my own. She squeezed me almost just as tightly as she would with one of her hugs, and I was more than pleased with the affection. We both sighed contentedly as Pinkie rested her head against my own.

Although I was overjoyed being so close and personal with a friend, I was also quite confused by the signals which she was sending me. Was she simply being her caring and friendly self, or was it something more? The evidence for the former seemed more logical. She knew me well enough to understand that I quite enjoyed attention, especially in the form of touch and embrace. It’s quite odd, really, especially considering how awkward I normally am. It seems as though someone like me would dislike touch, but I craved it. The attention, even if it was a simple, quick hug, made me feel special and loved. Pinkie knew that well, and the way I was acting, I was sure she thought it was a good tactic to help pick up my mood. At the same time, we had never before cuddled. Had she decided that we had grown close enough as friends to do such a thing? I understood that it was something that girls would sometimes do with one another when they were close friends, but with a guy, I was unsure. Cuddling was certainly quite a step farther from hugging.

I tried my best to move the thoughts to the back of my mind for later use. I wanted the time before Pinkie and I had a serious discussion to be completely without worry, but it certainly turned out not to be completely without thought. As I returned to watching the many strange games, puzzles, and competitions on the screen before me, I couldn’t help but think about the girl giggling and laughing beside me… and Sonata Dusk.

In a way, Pinkie did remind me of her. They were both equally as silly and fun. The main difference was that Pinkie’s antics were purposeful, to make others laugh, enjoy themselves, and be happy. Sonata, on the other hand, was a bit of clutz, and by a bit of a clutz, I mean a major one. Her silly attitude, her clumsiness, and her random statements never had reason behind them. Although she did always manage to use such a personality to her advantage. I certainly had a thing for Sonata and her many charms, but I was quickly realizing how much better Pinkie was. Unlike Sonata, Pinkie was caring, sweet, and always there for me. Sonata could make me smile and laugh, but Pinkie could do it when I was experiencing my worst moments. Sonata could make my heart pound and my stomach flutter with love, but in a way, Pinkie was beginning to make me feel the exact same way. I had a hard time believing it in those first few moments, but I was starting to think of her as more than a friend.

I loved her, of course, but I was under the impression that it was only as a friend. I always knew she was a beautiful girl with an amazing personality but had been so caught up with Sunset Shimmer, that I had never fully developed my feelings for Pinkie. The only problem was that we were already so close as friends. It was to the point that it seemed as if that was all we could ever be. I had something else to worry about first rather than love though. I had told Pinkie we were going to talk, and after thinking about her and Sonata, I had realized exactly what I wanted to say.

“…You were right, Pinkie,” I muttered, looking away from the screen and to her illuminated face, the image of the show flickering in her bright blue eyes.

“Huh?” she asked, looking to me.

I cleared my throat and spoke more coherently. “You were right.”

“About what?” she raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Those girls are using me… and they are still dangerous. I’ve been wasting almost every day with them and haven’t done barely anything in school because of it. All I can think about is pleasing them and being rewarded. Most of the time I spend with them isn’t even enjoyable, but I do it anyways. I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you. I mean, they’re not evil or anything, but it’s just who they are; they’re sirens.”

“It’s okay,” she said with a sigh, pulling me closer against her. “I’m just super glad you realized all this before it was too late. Yeah, you’re right, they’re not really evil, and I never should have said they were, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t really dangerous to be around. Maybe they will get better but not yet, and there’s no way you’re gonna be able to change that alone.”

“Yeah… it’s not like I was really doing anything to show them some kind of ‘better’ path anyways. I was just following them around,” I admitted, shaking my head. “Thanks for being here, you sort of helped snap me out of whatever I was thinking.

“I’m always gonna be here for ya,” she cooed sweetly, a soft, caring smile upon her face.

“Thanks, I’ll always return that favor,” I mumbled, beginning to blush, wondering exactly how much she cared for me. I stared into her beautiful eyes a moment before shying away. Even though the realization was still extremely fresh, I wanted to tell her my newfound feelings for her. Oddly enough, I felt much less hesitant than I would with any other girl, perhaps it was due to how close we already were. The gap between friends and what lay beyond that was certainly much smaller between the two of us than it was with the average relaltionship. I was always afraid to take the jump over that gap, especially when it was so large, but as small as it was with Pinkie, it didn’t seem that scary at all.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath as I grasped her hand in my own. “… I uh, I guess I’ve sort of been too caught up with the sirens and before that, there was Sunset… but I never realized how much I… I really like you. Pinkie, I… do you feel the same?”

I grew rather nervous to open my eyes when I heard nothing in response. My heart began to wrench at the thought of rejection and the worry of what my actions would do to our friendship. I forced my way through the hesitation once more, and my eyes blinked open to see Pinkie as I had never seen her before, in complete shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly open. Her hand began to tremble slightly in my own. I was almost afraid by such a reaction, wondering exactly what I had done to her. “Uh… Pinkie?” I muttered, attempting to break the awkward silence.

A weak smile appeared upon her face as her free hand moved up to wrap around the back of my head. Her eyes closed, so I closed my own, knowing what would come next. My heart pounded heavily and my stomach fluttered widely as her smooth, soft lips pressed down upon my own, the kiss growing deeper by the second.

My eyes suddenly shot open, knowing something about the kiss was off. She was still trembling, and although the kiss was deep, nothing about it seemed passionate or even affectionate at all for that matter. I wondered, was she actually nervous, or was it something else?

“Um… sorry,” I muttered, pulling away with a deep frown. “Something’s wrong.” Her lips quivered and tears began to shed from her suddenly weak and distraught eyes. “P-pinkie… what is it?” I muttered softly, squeezing my hand more tightly against her own for comfort.

“I’m just so super happy for us. It’s really sudden, but wow… you’re gonna be so happy,” she replied weakly, struggling to put a smile upon her face. My heart grew heavier by the second, and for the emotions of my friend rather than my own. I desperately needed to know how I had hurt her so that everything could be fixed.

“I’m going to be happy?” I asked softly. “You never said anything about you, and you really don’t look happy.”

“N-no,” she bumbled through her tears. “As long as you’re happy, s-so am I.” Another fake smile appeared upon her face.

“Pinkie, please don’t lie to me. I want to know the truth so I can fix whatever I did. I really screwed something up, didn’t I?”

She closed her eyes, and I listened as her shaky, heavy breaths began to slow back to normal. “You really haven’t been yourself at all lately, and that makes me super worried. You know I’ll do almost anything at all to get you happy again. If dating me will really make you happier, I’ll do it.”

I squinted my burning eyes in pain and let warm tears drip down over my face. The way she put it, it made me feel as if I was using her as an object of happiness rather than being her friend. That was never what I wanted, and never what I meant. “But you don’t want that.” She shook her head lightly and unsuccessfully attempted to wipe away the tears from her eyes as more began to flow. “I never wanted this just because it made me happy…did I?” I muttered, second guessing myself. “Even if I did, I know that’s not right now. I wanted us to be together because I finally realized how much I love you. I love you enough that I would never want to hurt you, ever, but I am right now… I want you to be happy too. I mean, that’s what makes you, you. You’re right, I don’t want this either if all it means is hurting you.”

“I’m so sorry!” Pinkie gasped, burrowing her head into my shoulder and chest, sobbing once more.

“Pinkie, it’s fine, really,” I said, petting her head in an attempt to comfort her. “You already make me happy enough as a friend, and that’s how it should be. I should have never even tried to bring things to the next level.” Even though I told her it was fine, it wasn’t at all. My insides felt as though they were being ripped to shreds with the pain of rejection and the realization of how alone I truly was. I stayed strong for her sake though, not wanting to hurt her any more than I already had, and only wanting to help.

“A-are you sure?” she whimpered, pulling away from my shoulder and looking up at me with glazed eyes.

“Yes,” I said as confidently as I could manage. I didn’t even attempt to smile in assurance, knowing it would look as fake as those that Pinkie had given me previously.

“Okay,” she said with a nod, once again wiping the tears from her eyes. This time, it seemed as though they would stay dry. “I’m still really sorry though,” she said with a pout.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be alright, and I’m just glad I’m not forcing you into anything.” I was more than pleased with my decision not to use her in such a way, but that didn’t mean I was happy. All I could think was if she only could feel the same way as I did.

“But I did sort of lead you on… I mean, with the cuddling and all. I just thought it would make you feel better.”

“It did,” I said with a sigh. “I just ended up taking it the wrong way, I guess.” The air in my lungs expelled as she pulled me into one of her incredibly strong hugs.

“But we can still be the pal-iest of pals, right?”

“Of… course,” I gasped, patting her back and chuckling lightly. Even though I was in so much pain, she could still make me smile, at least a bit.

Surprisingly enough, cuddling with Pinkie and watching her strange selection of shows for a while longer was the perfect remedy for helping me to forget the awkward event which we had experienced together. The entertainment was mind-numbing and the warmth of another body made me more than comfortable. It was only when she finally did leave that my emotions settled in. The day that was to come would only make those emotions even stronger.

Lost

Although I slept rather soundly that night, from exhaustion rather than having a peaceful mind, I awoke the next morning feeling much worse. When I arrived at school, the feeling only seemed to grow.

I was completely silent throughout my morning classes, lost in my thoughts, and in much too weak of a metal state to say anything worthwhile. The moment I had told Pinkie my feelings, and the way in which she reacted played again and again through my mind. I was growing rather good at picking out the little things, expanding them much larger than they ever should have been, and blaming what happened upon myself. All I wanted to do was go home, but at the same time, I knew I had to stay strong. Firstly, I did not want to show Pinkie how much her decision had truly affected me to keep her from hurting. Along with that, I had plenty to catch up on considering how little homework I had done over the previous weeks. Then, all too soon, came the dreaded hour of lunch.

I contemplated sitting with Pinkie and the girls, but knew it would be too much. Along with keeping calm around her, I also worried what the other girls thought of me after I had spent so much time with their enemies. Even though I told Pinkie I was wrong by spending my time with them, I did not want to sit alone. Along with that, I had the urge to return; something about the thought of being around them once more was drawing me back.

“Whoa! Not seeing us for a day really did make you sad. I was joking when I said that, you know,” Sonata said in her usual clueless but chipper tone as I took a seat beside her. I thought I was doing a rather good job of keeping my emotions locked deep inside myself, but the fact that Sonata could see it immediately made me wince.

“Yeah, sure,” I attempted to joke after clearing my throat.

“Great, you’re really lightening the mood,” Aria said with a dry, sarcastic sigh.

“Is something up?” I asked, figuring by her sentence that the mood was already low.

“Yeah, you, depressing people really get on my nerves,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Sonata laughed. “Are you really that stupid? He’s not an emo, Aria.”

“Doesn’t mean he isn’t moping,” Aria replied with a shrug, “and I’m no idiot.”

“Yeah, I just… well… never mind,” I mumbled weakly. I was rather surprised that Adagio hadn’t said a word to me yet, but then she spoke, her words shocking me even further.

“You haven’t done anything to fix whatever it is that you’re whining about, have you?”

I was almost certain that I wasn’t whining. “No… but I can’t really-” She lifted a hand, cutting my sentence short.

“If you’re not going to toughen up and do something, then don’t whine! Ugh, Aria’s right,” she stated plainly, giving me her fiercest of glares. I could feel myself beginning to tear up and grimaced in an attempt to hold it back. Being yelled at was certainly not good for my already ill heart and only seemed to blow my emotions even further out of proportion than they already were.

“Now he’s crying… that makes me feel really awkward. Can you just make him leave or something?” Aria asked, turning to her leader with crossed arms. “Please…”

Adagio sighed and placed her hands on the table before me. “She’s right again,” she said, shaking her head belittlingly. “If you’re going to keep acting like this, you need to leave. You can come back when your emotions are more… normal.”

I shakily rose to my feet, avoiding any form of eye contact with the girls as tears dripped down my face. In a way, I already knew that even if I was always there for them, they would never do the same for me, but actually experiencing it was much worse. At least before, I could pretend. Now, I knew for a fact that they never actually appreciated my presence. I was being used, even though I was yet to see such using in action besides the petty tasked I did for them.

I quickly traveled to the nearest empty table to spend the rest of my lunch in isolation and thought. I immediately realized that sitting with the sirens was the wrong decision, even though I knew so before I had done it.

***

The day only seemed to grow worse as my emotional state crumbled even further. Even the slightest of problems were beginning to affect me, whether that be the worry of finishing my homework or how uncomfortable the seats that I had to sit in for an hour were. I craved returning to my home and laying in my bed for the rest of the evening, doing nothing but resting and forgetting about the real world.

After a few more painful hours of lecture and work, the end of the day finally arrived. I slowly staggered to my feet and gathered my things as other students sped past me in a blur. Even though I was in a hurry to leave, I had no motivation to do anything which required either physical or mental activity.

As I eventually left the room, the halls had already grown eerily silent and lifeless. Looking down at the dulled shine of the polished tile below my feet, scuffed after a day of use, I heard a soft, familiar voice before me. “Hey…”

“…Sunset,” I muttered, looking up at her in fear, my eyes growing wide.

“It’s, uh, been a while,” she said, nervously fiddling with her fingers and smiling weakly. “I heard what happened with Pinkie… and sort of saw what happened with you and the sirens. You don’t look good at all, and I can understand why. I’m honestly worried about you.”

“Are you really?”

A look of shock covered her face, and her mouth hung half open. “I… of course I am. I do still care about you, you know?”

“Yeah,” I said with a sarcastic laugh and then gulped, surprised by my hostility.

“You really think I don’t?” she asked, annoyed and offended by my response. “I mean… please, I don’t want this to turn into some kind of fight. As a friend, I’m worried and wanted to know if I can do anything to help,” she explained, her voice growing softer once more.

I shook my head and glared at her. “No… someone like you can’t fix any of this.”

“Someone like me? What do you mean, someone like me?” she said, her voice growing louder.

“Nothing, never mind… and no, you can’t help.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, placing a hand upon my shoulder. I quickly pushed it away and huffed.

“Just… leave me alone, alright?” I muttered, returning my gaze to the floor.

“Please… I got to know you pretty well when we, um, dated… and I feel like I can help. I know you need it too.”

I shook my head once again, this time more fiercely. “No, you don’t. You never had the time too because you were always so caught up in your image.”

“My image, really?” she gasped in anger. I looked up for a moment to see her face growing red with rage. “I was just trying to become a better person.”

“No, you just wanted everyone to like you again!” I yelled, once again surprising myself. “I was one of the few that actually cared for you, and after you finally got what you wanted, you just abandoned me.” It was as if all of the emotions that I had let well up inside me that day finally burst when they were boiled by an almost forgotten and painful past. I felt unable to control myself, even though I knew what I was doing was completely wrong. I could not believe that the words I said were coming from my own mouth.

“No, it was never that! You know you’re lying! Did you ever take a minute to think about how hard it was for me back then?”

“Yeah, you know what? I did all of the time actually! I worried about it a lot, and I’m pretty sure I was always there for you, even when you started to forget about me.”

“I!” she yelped and then grew silent, grasping the bridge of her nose between her fingers and wincing. “I’m just going to stop now…”

“There he is,” a voice called out from behind me, causing both Sunset and I to look in the direction from which it came. The sirens walked towards us through the completely empty hall, the clicks and clacks of their boots against the tile surface echoing around us.

“Is he really with Sunset again?” Aria asked, even though it sounded more like a statement with her practically lifeless voice.

“I can’t believe it,” Adagio said, glaring in my direction before shaking her head. As she grew close enough to do so, she grasped her hand around my chin and squeezed, causing me to flinch. She stared directly into my eyes with her own, both fierce but welcoming at the same time. “I guess if I was in your shoes, I’d do the same,” she said with a smirk. “Looks like I’ve taught you well… that doesn’t mean you’re off my bad side though… yet. Let’s make a deal, hm?” she cooed sweetly releasing her grasp and tickling her fingers lightly against my chin as she pulled away. “Break Sunset’s heart. Tell her how you would never be in a relationship with her again, and how you don’t want to be her friend any longer. Tell her how you’ve found girls like us who are better than to her in every possible way.”

“What am I getting out of this?” I asked, completely entranced by her soft, lulling words.

She began to giggle and smiled a vicious smile. “I know how interested you are in each of us. If you do as I ask, we’ll let you have a, well, a heated night with whichever one of us you choose… or being the lover-boy that you are, you can have the girlfriend of your choosing.”

“Girlfriend… really?” Aria asked with a huff, crossing her arms.

“Come on, Aria, you know it’s totes not like that. You could get your own personal slave! Err… I mean, uh, he’s so nice that he’ll probably do anything you ask. Besides, it’s not like he’s gonna pick you anyways!” Sonata explained.

“You’re the worst, Sonata; why would he pick you over me?”

“You’re worser! And because I know he’s, like, really into me,” Sonata snapped back.

“Girls, please,” Adagio said with a grin, laughing. “We all know he would pick me.”

“You know what? Have fun choosing!” Sunset suddenly yelled, glaring at me as she stomped away. “Because I honestly don’t want to be your friend anymore anyways!”

Everything was silent as we watched her storm away. Only seconds after she had disappeared, the meaning of what she had said finally hit me. My body felt both empty and heavy at the same time. I had lost a friend. Even if we rarely talked, it was nice to know how much she cared about me, then suddenly, she was gone. The weight of the words which I had spat out through pure emotion and rage were finally catching up to me as I realized that I was the only cause for such a loss. I regretted everything that I had done, and was continuously wishing that I could take it all back. Yet, at the same time, I had always wanted a fresh start, and with both Pinkie and Sunset out of the way, I could finally do so without any baggage. Though, such a new start was completely dependent upon the sirens.

“So… do I still get to, uh?” I muttered to them, shaking myself from my thoughts and turning to them, my eyes still wide with shock. All three of them began laughing and sneering, staring at me as if I was some kind of idiot. My expression grew from hopeful to confused, and then to worried.

“Did you really think that we would actually be willing to do something like that with someone like you?” Adagio said with a mischievous smile. “I actually thought you were better than this. I figured you’d at least give us some kind of a challenge. Were you really never smart enough to realize that we were using you? You were our final strike against Sunset Shimmer, but it looks like she’s grown immune.”

“To put it more bluntly, we don’t need you anymore,” Aria said, flicking a finger against my chin and giving me a wink. I had always known since the moment I made my choice that such a situation was bound to happen at some point. I had grown so blinded by their charm though, that I figured I could at least get something out of such a relationship first. I eventually grew so blind that I grew hopeful, promising myself that my relationship with the sirens could work out, and that perhaps something good would come out of it. Out of the desperation caused by knowing I had lost everything, I turned to my last hope, Sonata.

“Too bad, so sad!” she exclaimed, her laugh in the same evil tone as the others. She punched a fist against my shoulder and stuck out her tongue as if it was actually a time to be playful. My entire body felt weak, as if I was about to crumple to the floor as I watched the girls walk away, still laughing at my despair. I swore for a moment that I saw Sonata glance back with what looked to be a frown, but it was much too quick to be sure, and I had no hope left to assume that it was real.

In only two days, I had completely lost everything that I held or once held dear to my heart. Out of my own stupidity, I had lost Sunset Shimmer as a friend. I had also finally seen who the sirens were and what they truly thought of me. Of course, I still had Pinkie, but what I wanted most, I discovered was likely never going to happen. Along with that, I felt as though things between us would be much too awkward. I wanted to stay strong for her, continue being her friend, but at the same time, I was unsure if I could handle being in her presence any longer. My life had taken a turn for a place which I had always feared it would. I was alone, friendless, and lost. I knew that I had to change it, and that I was the only one who could, but was completely oblivious as to how.