After The Song

Chapters

Encounter
Answers
Two Sides Of The Same Story
Finding Sonata
Little Details
Back Stage Pass
Asylum Of The Siren
Twilight's Failure
Pinkie's Dying Emotions
Rarity's Worst Nightmare
Applejack's Loss
Rainbow's Broken Heart
Lost Little Girl
Encore
Songs End
Five Years Later
Memories
Fluttershy's Other Half

Encounter

Ten years ago I attended Canterlot high and was such a bitch, ten years ago I was reformed by another from the world I come from, ten years ago I saw the world I now gladly call home start to change by forces from my old home and I saw that other from my old world, she helped fix the problem.

The Dazzlings haven't been seen since they ran off that stage ten years ago defeated and embarrassed, I know the feeling. I did spend some time searching for them to see if I could help them change like I did but I gave up when all leads I had to their whereabouts ran dry. Since then I was offered a spot in now the most popular band in America The Rainbooms, but I quit after two years I just never got used to all the people staring so instead I watch from back stage as the manager.

I still help them practice and write songs but I mostly give out and answer calls about gigs and record deals. Every now and then I get a message from that other, Twilight sparkle she visits and even recorded some songs with us, but now it is our ten year anniversary since this band got off its feet and the band is performing a huge concert for it, Twilight is even going to sing on stage with everyone except me and as much as the girls tried to convince me otherwise (especially Pinkie Pie) but my answer was still no.

Right now my job is waiting by the portal for Twilight to arrive. "... What is taking so long?" I checked my watch and Twilight was two minutes late. "Twilight is never late, two whole minutes must be some kind of problem." No sooner did I put my watch down Twilight came flying out of the portal, like usual with no luggage and almost screaming when she sees her fingers. I helped her up off the ground and dusted her off a bit. "It's not like you to be late even by a second, what happened?"

"Sorry Sunset, Spike wanted to come but..."

"He's grown too big for the portal?"

"Yeah, he keeps trying to shape himself to fit but he's three times its size! It pains me every time to tell him shrinking magic might not keep its effects when he crosses over."

I gave Twilight a reassuring hug and we started walking to the school. "Come on the girls are in the gym, they're going to be so excited!"

"Why are they in the gym?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Twilight showed a face that flat out said Du. Upon entering the gym Twilight was immediately brought into a group hug that was all held together by Pinkie. We all caught up for a while until Twilight finally asked the million dollar question? "So why at the school?"

Applejack answered. "Well sugar cube It just felt right, ten years more or less away from our roots and we all thought for our ten year anniversary concert it should be held here."

Every time I see every one, Twilight included I am amazed how we all seemed to have changed physically yet we were no different than how we were ten years ago. "So Twilight I'm surprised you didn't ask about Flash?"

Twilight blushed. "Well From what you've written to me about I just assumed he was busy and couldn't make it, being in the army and all."

Rainbow Dash started to speak. Oh boy. "It's alright Twi, so your other worldly crush can't make it to see you because the military won't let him leave you still have good friends and about several thousand fanboys ready to f..."

Rarity covered Rainbow Dashes mouth before she could complete that sentence. "Any who darling we are here for you and I personally can't wait to show you the dress I designed for you."

"I would love to see it Rarity. By the way it's getting late isn’t the show going to start?"

We all looked at the clock, it read nine PM and everyone (myself included) started freaking out. The concert started in two hours so we all went to make up and dress in a rush. While everyone got Twilight up to speed on the songs that they were singing I was back stage making sure all the set ups went smoothly and all the equipment was set just right. When it came time for everyone to get on stage the stadium was over crowded with people and the DJ started the music, the six of them appeared on stage from the artificial fog when they started singing and playing their instruments their pony accessories the ears, tails and wings for the three that had them burst out and the crowd screamed in joy.

* * *

After the concert finally ended the gang were completely wiped out, Pinkie even fall asleep when they finally got back stage.

"Wow Twelve encores in a row, don't these people know were only human... for the most part." Rainbow spoke while collapsed over the snack table.

"Well when you're the biggest hit in America and growing popularity overseas you should expect this." I know Rainbow will still complain but I still had to explain this to her again.

"I'm getting too old for this."

"Rainbow you're only twenty eight years old." Applejack spoke while fanning herself with her hat.

After the two of them bickered back and forth for a few minutes they finally laughed if off and just sat down on the floor, thank Celes... Go... damn it I never know what to say when it comes to religious swearing. "Well glad to see all that is done with but you girls still have one last job that needs to be finished." I put on a fake smile because I know they hated this part.

"Right the autograph signing." Fluttershy spoke rather disappointed.

"I never understood why pon... people want to have a piece of paper with your name on it." Twilight questioned.

"Twilight it's more like a trinket but people treat it like a collectable. It also acts as proof of anything you write it's actually your writing so years after you wrote it they can sell it to people more crazy about your writing than they are." Even I wasn't sure why people collect them yet I some how had an explanation... what the fuck? "Anyhow come on the sooner we get this done with the better."

An hour or so past and the line of people waiting for autographs was still not gone. "Did people come from other towns?"

"What was that Sunset?" Twilight asked me.

"Nothing, just thinking out loud. Were all these people in town when we were here ten years ago?"

"I don't know about that Sunset but I just want this to be over with so I can spend some time with ma’ family." Applejack spoke while signing pictures. "Been a good while since I got to have a sit down family dinner."

I pictured the image of an Apple family dinner and found myself smiling. I snapped out of it when I saw this woman dressed in blue jeans and wearing a dark grey hoodie that covered most of her face, all I could see was her mouth and chin. She went up to Rainbow Dash and gave her what looked like a birthday card to sign. When she left curiosity got the best of me and I followed. When she stopped I hid behind one of many cars in the area and I saw her open her car, nothing special just a normal grey van. That's when I saw her pull her hoodie off her head and I saw who was under it, Aria!?" What the hell!?" Despite what you would assume when an old enemy returns my first question was why she was getting an autograph from her enemies. "Aria?" When I spoke out she turned and looked at me with a look of complete and utter fear. "It's been awhile hasn't it?"

She dropped a key out of her hand and ran off. In shock I started chasing her and managed to tackle her and pin her down. "Get off of me!"

"Not until you tell me what you are doing here after ten years!"

She struggled for a while then gave up and looked at me with a hateful grin. "Fine you want the truth, I never left!"

"Ten years ago I spent eight months searching for... wait did you say 'I' what about the others, Sonata, Adagio?"

She tried again to escape but I managed to keep her down. "I don't know, we all went our different ways after the battle of the bands." She tried to turn her head to hide her face but I could tell she looked hurt and sad, I even saw a tear start to form. "I'm alone."

"Then why the autograph?" When I said that I felt Arias foot kick itself into my stomach and threw me onto a car windshield, when I got up Aria had gotten into her car and drove off, but I did see her license plate. "A736BG... Remember that." I practically crawled off the broken windshield of that car and started to fix myself.

"Sunset Shimmer!" I turned around and saw Twilight behind me. "Where did... Oh my gosh! what happened!?"

I realized that Arias kick had left me with several scratches on my neck and glass shards in my hair. "You are not going to believe who I just ran into."

Answers

When Twilight brought me back to the rest of the gang Rarity started picking the glass out of my hair and they all were looking at me waiting for my response. "Well you’re not going to believe this." I spoke rather sheepish.

"Did someone try and rob you!" Rainbow jumped right up to my face, Applejack pulled her back.

"No I saw someone we haven't seen in ten years."

"We?" Twilight pointed out.

"Yeah, 'WE' it was Aria." Everyone looked shocked and was still for several seconds. "She was that hooded women that Rainbow Dash signed that card for."

"What the? How did I not see it was her!?" Rainbow slammed her hand against her forehead. "It was just a... wait I remember reading what was on that card, it said happy birthday Silver Dust."

"Silver Dust?" My hand involuntarily moved itself to my chin and I started thinking. "Do you think it might be a friend of hers?"

"Friend or not we got to find her and stop whatever it is she and this Silver Dust might be up to, If they are up to something." Rainbow started preaching.

"I don't think she is up to anything, I managed to talk to her and apparently from what she told me she is alone, also she said that Sonata and Adagio left not long after their defeat but she stayed in town."

"Everyone in town knows what she and the others did why’d she stay." Fluttershy just spoke what we were all thinking. "Did she say anything else Sunset Shimmer?"

"Not much, when I asked about Rainbows autograph she kicked me into a windshield and drove off, I did see her license plate though and I know what kind of car she's driving."

"Well then let’s go look for her then." We all followed Rainbow and started our search.

One car rental and three hours later we started driving around every alley and parking lot in town looking for Aria’s car. The search was going no where and every car that looked like hers the license plates didn't match. "I knew this was going to a long search but we searched half the town already. Where is she?"

"Perhaps she got the idea to leave town."Rarity spoke from the driver’s seat.

"Maybe. Still we should look around hotels and apartments." Another hour passed before we finally found Arias car outside a half rundown apartment far down town. We all got out and looked around. "Well she said she never left town, not that she never moved around." A thought popped into my head. "Unless this is where she’s been living since ten years ago."

"Either way let’s find her." Twilight said.

We split up in groups of two, except for Rarity who stayed in the car out of fear for both her dress and safety. After a few minutes Applejack and Rainbow Dash called us over because whoever was in that room wasn't answering. When we got there (Rarity included) Rainbow Dash was banging on the door. "Aria open up we know you’re in there!" There was no response. "Open up or I will kick this door down!"

"Alright, alright!" When she opened the door Aria was wearing plain white PJ's. The inside of her apartment was rather small but very well kept. "Unless you've come to arrest me we have nothing to talk about."

"You attacked Sunset Shimmer, that's a reason to talk!"

"She tackled me to the ground!"

"Only because you..." I noticed in the small hall a little girl, no older than six or seven poking her head out. Her hair was a sparkling silver color in the exact same style as Arias and her skin was a pale grey. The little gears in my head started turning and I put two and two together. "Is Silver Dust your daughter?"

Aria turned and when she saw the little girl she walked over to her and crouched down. "Sweetie I told you to stay in the bed room."

"Mom are they The Rainbooms?" Aria turned over to us and I could tell she was swallowing her pride when she turned back to that girl. "Yes Silver, they are here for your..." She gulped "Birthday."

Rainbow was about to start ranting until Silver Dust ran up to her and was hugging her waist and squealing like fan a girl. "Uhh, Yeah kid your mom and I, er us are old..." Now Rainbow gulped. "Friends..."

* * *

We all spent the next two hours talking with Silver dust and signing some CD's and posters she had. Finally Silver fell asleep and when Aria came back from tucking her in we got down to business. Everyone decided that I should ask the questions and if anyone else had one to throw it in. "So Aria how did you..."

"What? Get pregnant."

"Not how I would have put it but yeah."

"After the battle of the bands and long after Sonata and Adagio left I had to pay rent so I did 'jobs' the only good thing that came out of them was Silver."

"Alright then what about your age? From what we found out about you three being sirens you should have not aged."

"You obviously forget you destroyed our pendants, they were the source of our magic. When you destroyed them we started aging from where we left off."

"So you started to age again, but like normal not all at once."

"Right."

"What about Sonata and Adagio? Where are they?"

"I told you I don't know. After we left that stage Adagio started losing it, she kept trying to find ways to either repair the pendants or find a way to Equestria where she knew they could be fixed, we wake up one morning and she's gone. As for Sonata she took a bus out of town a year later to Boston."

"Why Boston?"

"I don't know, she just said she wanted to start fresh. Guess moving several hundred miles from our biggest mistake counts."

"Why did you stay? Why not leave with Sonata?"

"Sonata left six years ago. That's my reason."

I understood what that meant as did the others. "I'm assuming you held a grudge against us so why let your daughter listen to our music?"

Aria looked at me, obviously not expecting that question. "At first I tried to keep her away from you, but a friend of hers showed your music to at school. At first I was mad but I didn't want to take away something from her, we have little to nothing as is. Besides it makes her happy and I'm alright with that."

"Alright then last question. Your powers came from the pendants so were you three always sirens?"

Aria looked even more surprised by this question than the last. She moved her eyes back and forth as if she was questioning herself. "Well it's a long story, if you want to hear it you better have time to spare."

I looked over to the girls and they all nodded. "We got time to kill."

Author's Note

Next chapter is pure head cannon. :twilightsheepish:

Two Sides Of The Same Story

We were all sitting in the living room/kitchen of Aria's apartment. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and I were sitting on the couch, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie where sitting on the floor and Aria sat on a metal fold out chair. "So first before I tell my story I know that Twilight knew what we were when she got here, so what did you read on us?"

We all looked over to Twilight. "Well the book said that you were three majestic creatures and..."

"Wait, wait, wait. Majestic? Your book called us majestic?"

"Yes."

Aria began laughing for a few seconds, then quickly stopped with a smile on her face. "We were anything but majestic. When we changed from..."

I interrupted. "Changed?"

"I was getting to that. We changed from ponies to sirens..." Pinkie Pie gave out an unneeded gasp, but I’ll admit we all had a look of shock on our faces.

"So wait? You three were ponies but became sirens, how?" Twilight asked.

"The pendants. Their dark magic over times changed us from a Pegasus, unicorn and earth pony into three sirens."

"Who was what?" Rainbow blurted out.

"Well I was the Pegasus, Adagio was an earth pony and Sonata was the unicorn. Can I go back to the story now?"

"Yeah."

"Anyhow we were fifteen when we found the pendants. We wondered off into the Everfree Forest."

Twilight and I shouted out simultaneously. "The Everfree forest!"

"Yeah." Aria chuckled a bit. "We were warned but we were fifteen and didn't have our cutie marks so we got desperate." Arias voice changed to a shaky sad tone. "Do you know what happens to fillies who don't have their cutie marks at age sixteen a thousand years ago in Equestria!?" We all shook our heads. "They get put to work in a brothel house!"

"That's horrible!" Fluttershy shouted and continued to move over to me. "What’s a brothel house?"

"It uhh well..."

"It's a house full of prostitutes." Aria plainly said. Fluttershy’s face turned a bright red and covered all but her eyes with a nearby pillow. "We only had three to five months until our birthdays came and past. We were willing to do anything, even risk dying in a forest via strange magical beast. After about seven or eight hours passed we found this cave deep in the forest and inside was this chest that had the pendants in it. We put them on and at first nothing happened."

"At first?" I questioned.

"We didn't earn our cutie marks but as late as it was we headed back home. Days past before we noticed anything, we eventually noticed when some ponies were arguing there was a green mist around them."

"The negative energy."

"Yeah, at first we just thought it was pressure causing hallucinations, but when we saw it flow into the pendants we got curious. After a month passed we started noticing physical changes. Our ears started to grow pointed and spots on our coats were being replaced with scales. Soon we left our home out of fear of being burned at the stake. Witch craft was a common fear and we looked like what they assumed witches would be like."

"Assumed?"

"No pony ever saw really saw or caught a real witch so unicorns had to watch what spells they used."

"Well of course, there is no such thing as witches." Twilight blurted out.

“Yeah, Sonata lucked out only knowing one spell, levitation but that's beside the point. After we started changing we soon found out what the pendants did. Long story short when you run away from home one of the few things you do to pass the time is sing. After we found out what we could do the rest was history."

"That's it?"

"That's it, like I said the rest is history. You can read the rest in a history book in Equestria." Aria got up and walked over to the bedroom, checking on Silver Dust. "Still asleep, good" I saw Arias face when she said that, like she was relived. "Well then it's late, you girls should head back for some sleep."

Pinkie Pie yawned and helped some of the others that were sitting on the floor up and started walking out. Twilight and I were the last to leave. I stopped at the doorway for one last thing. "One last question Aria."

"What?"

"You were glad Silver Dust was asleep, that she didn't hear that story. You never told her about yourself before did you?"

Aria gave a heavy sigh and tapped her fingers on the door ready to close it. "She is the only thing in this world I care about. I love her and she loves me, if I told her what I was, what I did, she would see me as a monster."

"You don't know that Aria she's your daughter, how could she hate you if you've been nothing but kind?"

"What about you? It may not seem related but could you tell your family what happened, what you did, what you became! Would they still see you the same way?"

Aria and I stared at each other in silence. She closed the door and I walked back to the car wiping a small tear from my eye before I got to the car. Twilight greeted me. "Why did you take so long?"

"Just... nothing special." I got in the car and we drove off. "So what are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Rainbow replied

"Well they are... were best friends before and after the pendants. We broke their pendants and their friendship. No matter how odd it was they fell apart we at least should find Sonata and Adagio and..."

"Oh no! We kicked their butts and no way are we putting those three back together!" Rainbow protested.

"What could they possibly do!? Aria has a daughter and she never told her about what happened! There is no way in hell that she would do anything bad that would reveal that!"

"How do you know!?"

"Because I asked her Rainbow!"

The car was silent. After a good twenty minutes Rainbow broke the silence. "Fine, but only in the name of friendship and because you would have gone off and done it alone, maybe got Twilight to help but that still wouldn't be enough." I smiled and felt glad that they were giving them a chance, a lot like they gave me a chance. It only took a push from a friend to get them going.

Author's Note

This was pure head cannon.

Also I went away from the normal fan art of their pony forms all being earth ponies and yes I might have drawn parallels to the cutie mark crusaders but hey it's a head cannon and that was fired.

Finding Sonata

Three days passed before the stage and equipment was finally packed. Why does it always seem that packing the stuff up takes more time then the time it takes to set it up? Beside the point the girls and I (Twilight included. Yes she is coming along) are heading to Boston. I managed to pull some strings and that's our new destination since we know that's where Sonata is. Or hope she's still there. The girls and I will take a plane while the equipment and crew drives so we have about a week or so to find Sonata. I wanted Aria to come with us but she couldn't leave Silver Dust alone or take her with her since she has school, so it was just me and the girls left to find one pony-siren-human girl in all of Boston.

After a one hour plane ride and Rainbow Dash getting the worlds worse case of jet lag ever (Ironic considering she grows wings while playing on stage and in Equestria she's the fastest flyer ever). We had just left the airport and found a hotel to stay at, only problem is that every fan in Boston saw us at the airport and now the whole city knows we’re here and where we are staying. Sometimes I really hate the internet!

After escaping a mob of fans we were finally able to rest in the hotel room. "Holy shit what is wrong with these fans!" Rainbow screamed with her face in the couch pillow. "I think I'm missing a sock!" She moved to feel the inside of her boots. "Holy crap I am!"

"Not that I don't appreciate them for liking our music but why do they have to be so violent?" Fluttershy spoke barely with any volume.

"Alright girls we need to gather our strength. We have about a week to both find Sonata and practice before our equipment gets here so we need to think of a plan."

"Well why not look on the internet. Sonata's about as old as us so she has to have some kind of public records we can track her with." Rainbow Dash threw in that idea I'm just gonna... Wait did Rainbow Dash just give out a good idea!?

I had to ask. "Where did that come from?"

"I left my Daring Do books in my bags that went into the storage part of the plane so I was reading this technology today magazine and it was talking about how everyone can be tracked by simple things like name, credit card purchases, etc."

Sometimes I really like technology. "Well if that's the case how to we go about it? We aren't that good with tech to find someone. Remember the last time Twilight used a computer."

Twilight buried her face in her hands blushing. "Never again, never again, never again, never again, never again." I chuckled a little bit. Call me crude but seeing Twilight embarrassed like that is kind of funny.

I was snapped out of my hummer when I saw pinkie pie dressed in her madam Pinkie outfit."Uh Pinkie why are you wearing that?"

"Well du? Every fan in Boston is outside the hotel so we need a disguise."

She has a point But. "You have a point Pinkie but every fan everywhere knows that costume Remember? You wore it for that Halloween album."

She stood there looking like she was thinking it over but I didn't know, nor do I wanna know what goes through her head. "Oh, you're right. Well then good thing Rarity had packed all those fabrics before we left."

On que Rarity pulled out a large brief case filled with fabrics. "Where did you get all those fabrics Rarity?"

Rarity looked up with a smile on her face. "I stopped by the old boutique before we left and picked up a few things."

"How long will it take you to make some decent disguises?"

"With all the fabrics I brought I can make a descent line within the hour. With some help of course."

"Well then let’s get to work."

* * *

Even with everyone helping out it took well over an hour before we all had a disguise that was able to properly hide us. They worked and the mob of fans let us pass by as if we were nobodies. It felt good to be treated like a nobody after years of fame. We were walking down the streets. “So where are we going now?" Twilight said while keeping close to Applejack.

"I did a little looking around and I think I might have found someone who may know where Sonata is." I was very proud of my discovery. Mostly because it means we don't have to hire someone to search for us or figure it out ourselves.

Rainbow looked over to me in shock. "How? Who!?"

"I called Scootaloo and she said that an old friend from school works as a reporter for the Boston news paper."

"Scoot's I love ya! Who is it?"

"Featherweight. She said that he took some pictures of people in Boston for his applications, everything from individual shots to large scenery pictures. They are a year old or so but if Sonata is still living in Boston then they will help us figure out where exactly she is living."

"Then let’s hurry up to Featherweight's!" Rainbow Dash starts running off, then starts running back. "Uh where is he?" Leave it to Rainbow Dash to run off not knowing where she's headed.

We walked for about ten or so minutes before we got to the Boston news paper building. Nothing fancy just a large brick building, even the sign was plain and dull. When we entered we were met with loud shouts and the sound of paper folding. After asking around we finally found Featherweight. The first to speak was Rainbow. "So this is where you've been."

"Hu?" Featherweight turned around seeing us at first looking confused but then the look of realization beamed across his face. "Oh right!" He looked around then back to us. "Come on, this isn't the best place." He lead us over to a small office room, we barely all fit. "Sorry about the space I don't get many people in here. Anyhow you're here for the pictures right?"

Before I could speak Rainbow blurted out. "Yeah we are! So hand them over!"

"Rainbow!" She silenced at my voice. "Yes Featherweight we came for the pictures, do you have them?"

"Better. After you called I started looking through them and I found three of interest." Featherweight pulled out a small envelope from a pocket on his shirt. "They were taken last year, the day before I started to be exact. All taken in different places."

"How does that help us!?" While Rainbow was complaining I opened the envelope.

The first picture was of the interior of a large mall or sorts, at first glance I just saw a bunch of random people but after a closer inspection I spotted Sonata plain as day walking through the crowd. I looked at the second and it was Sonata again but this time standing at a bus stop dressed in a checkered blue dress.

The last of pictures showed Sonata again in the blue checkered dress but this time at what looked to be a cafe with another person. The picture only showed his back so I couldn't make out his face. After looking at them all I resumed my attention to the conversation. "Thank you for the pictures Featherweight but how are these helpful to us? Exactly?"

A small smile broke across his face. "Before you arrived I looked up the locations online and found that they all ran along the same public bus route."

"The buss as in from the buss stop of the second picture!?" Featherweight nodded. "Are there any apartments or something like that on the route!?"

"There is a large subdivision that it stops by, but..."

Rainbow spoke for us all. "Then let’s get going!"

We all ran out the door but I swore I heard Featherweight say something. "Wait! it's a first class neighborhood! You..."

* * *

We found the bus stop from the picture about a mile from the Boston News paper building. We hopped on the first bus that came and just waited till we found the subdivision Featherweight mentioned. I tried to remember what Featherweight tried to tell me but it was hopeless. So instead I remembered back ten years ago when he was little, ten years ago he was twelve panicking about Chemistry finals and now he's twenty two and working in Boston as a newspaper photographer, I guess that's life.

"Last stop Lunar Hill Subdivision!" The yell of the bus driver snapped me back into reality. When we got off the bus we expected to see a normal subdivision, but instead we were greeted by a massive gold painted gate guarding large houses all perfectly aligned from their spotless driveways to the cut patterns on the lawns.

"This can't be the place." Applejack spoke our thoughts.

Now I knew what Featherweight was trying to tell me. First class neighborhoods require a pass code just to enter. "How do we get in?"

"Leave that to me." Rarity walked up to the gate and when she spotted some teenagers one with coal black skin with wild orange hair, the other a dark shade of yellow with a finely combed head of white hair. They both were dressed in actual suits. Rich kids. Rarity managed to get their attention when she started waving and 'you hooing'. "Excuse me young sir's." I swear I saw their eyes turn into hearts when they ran over hear. "Would you two be dears and tell me is anyone named Sonata lives around here?"

The boys looked at each other rather confused then back over to rarity. "Are you friends of our step mom?"

We all spoke simultaneously. "WHAT!?"

Author's Note

Sonata living in a rich neighborhood with step children... Didn't see that coming did ya? Just wait until the next chapter.

Also sorry this took so long to make it was a mix of computer errors, writers block and laziness.

Little Details

The two boy's let us in. The boy with the wild orange hair said his name was Black Ion and his brother with the combed white haired was named Cell. When we approached their house they stopped us to talk. "So..." Black Ion was speaking, his voice sounded like a male Applejack. "I take it you three are these Elements of Harmony our mom told us about?"

"How did you!?" Twilight spoke.

"Our mom told us that her past might come back to find her." Cell responded. His voice was calm and almost emotionless. "She never talked about her past other than that either a group of people that answer to The Elements Of Harmony or a girl by the name of Adagio might ask for her. Honestly I thought she was in witness protection but you girls don't look like any kinda criminals."

"Well were not!" Rainbow blurted out. "We are just trying to make up for something that happened ten years ago."

Cell and Black Ion looked over to each other then back to us. Cell spoke. "Mom's in the back tending to the garden. But any funny business and this whole neighborhood will fill with cops in under five minutes."

"We just want to talk. That's all." I responded. With that said Black Ion opened the door. The house was even bigger on the inside then it was on the outside. He Pretty much walked us in a 'B' line to a large glass sliding door. Through it I saw Sonata on her knees pulling weeds wearing a sundress and a bonnet that looked like one Rarity might have designed. I opened the sliding door and spoke. "Sonata?"

She turned at the sound of my voice. Her eyes grew wide at first but she then took a deep breath and looked much more relaxed. "Black Ion, Cell I have some things to discuss with our guests." Black Ion and Cell nodded and left. Sonata stood up dusting dirt of her sundress and walked over to us. "I was expecting you to find me, but I thought it would be much later."

* * *

We all took a seat in the literal sitting room of sonatas home. She has a whole room just for sitting! I'd probably make a rich person joke about now but this couch is so soft! Any way Twilight, Applejack, Rarity and I were sitting on the amazingly soft couch, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were sitting on the these fancy large chairs and Sonata was sitting on sky blue recliner. Why am I getting a deja vu feeling from this?

"So?" Sonata spoke. "How's Aria doing?"

"How did you know we spoke with Aria?" I asked.

"She's the only person I ever told of my location."

Right. "So you've been doing well." Really Sunset Shimmer, really?

"Well I prefer to think of it as luck. Sorry my husband isn't home to join in on this conversation his work keeps him busy most days."

"Is this your husband’s home?"

"Our home now but yes I moved in after we got married."

"What does he do for a living to have a place like this?"

"He's a chemistry professor at Harvard university. Been with the place since Black Ion and Cell were babies."

A professor... at HARVARD!? "How did you two meet?"

"When I first moved to Boston I took the first job I could find, a janitor for Harvard. I knocked over some experiments of his and that's how we met, he wasn't mad about it either in fact he was glad it did it."

"Why?"

"Not sure, he still hasn't told me what the experiment was, whenever I ask about it he say's it was just a stupid idea."

"What's his name?"

"Red Atom."

Okay NOW you gotta be kidding me! "The Red Atom!?"

"Yeah." Sonata blushed a little.

"Who's Red Atom?" Applejack asked with similar responses from the others.

"Red Atom is the man who discovered how to recycle nuclear waste into another form of energy that can be converted into electricity! I can understand Twilight not knowing who he is but ...seriously guys am I the only one?"

"Seems that way." Rainbow blurted out. "Oh and I've been meaning to ask you something Sonata, how come you don't seem as... ditz now then when you were ten years ago?"

Rainbow had a point. Sonata not only acts well.. Intelligent but her speech and even tone of voice sounds... smarter. "Did your husband teach you?"

Sonata started to laugh a little. "I take it that when Aria told you our story she only gave the general specifics?"

"How did you know she told us your story?"

"It's only logical that your curiosity would lead you to ask that type of question. If you must know it was also the pendants. During our pony to siren transformation."

"The dark magic?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. As it changed us physically it also changed us mentally, the way we perceived things, the way we thought and the way we acted. Before the pendants Aria was the kindest person you would have ever met, she always was the first to help others. Adagio was shy and gullible, didn't talk much either come to think about it." Sounds like a Fluttershy doppleganger. "And I was rather quick to understand whatever I was faced with. After the pendants my mind was blank most of the time, Aria stopped caring about others and Adagio became... evil's the best way to put it."

But wait then what was up with Adagio going crazy? "So why did Adagio start to lose it after they broke?"

"I'm not sure on that either. In fact I had almost put the past to rest until three years ago."

"What happened three years ago?"

Sonata stood up. "I'll be back." The silence when Sonata left was rather ominous and felt like every second was an hour. When she returned she had an envelope with a small bulge in it. "Three years ago Adagio sent me this letter and..." Sonata opened the envelope and pulled out a red stone covered in small scratches and cracks. Her pendent!?

"How in the!?" Sonata gave me the letter that was in the envelope and I read out loud.

Dear Sonata

I've done it! I found a way to repair the pendants! Yours was the first and it may look bad but it should start to fix itself the more you use it. When I found your address I just knew you must have expected this, rich people are always bickering so your pendant will be normal in no time. I've had no luck contacting Aria, must have moved from the old home. Since you're around a bunch of rich people once they're under your control just use their wealth to track her down. Then we can be together again.

I looked up to Sonata. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Ten years, I had hoped she had put it behind her like Aria and I have. This was the last thing I wanted to see." Sonata broke down in tears. I was the first to comfort her and the others followed until we were all in a huge group hug. "You have to find her and stop this madness. The return address say's the letter was sent from a psychiatric hospital in D.C. It's called The Bedrock Institute for the Clinically Insane."

* * *

We spent the next several hours with Sonata comforting her from that episode. We passed the time by asking her about how her marriage has been. Then I asked the million dollar question. "So what happened to Cell and Black Ions mom?"

Sonata's face turned to a sad expression. "Well... Red Atom told me she was in a car crash. Cell was with her, he survived she didn't." That explains why he seemed protective of Sonata. "Ever since then Cell's been unable to show any emotion other than aggression." And that's why he spoke without any emotions or real tone of voice. "He didn't warm up to me until after two months into my marriage with Red Atom. He means well even if he doesn't show it or say it."

He's been through a lot in his life losing a loved one. "What about Black Ion?"

"Black Ion was well over the death of his mother by the time I came around, guess some people deal with losses better than others." Sonata looks at the wall behind us. A large grandfather clock stood reading seven PM. "It's late you should go back to get some rest."

We were all tired and we had another trip to make. "Yeah, but we won't be able to go until after a week. I had to pull strings to make Boston our new destination before we were able to come here. After that though I shouldn't have any problem making D.C our next stop."

Sonata Looked worried. "Well it's been three years since she sent that letter so a week couldn't hurt. Also will it be alright if I come with you?"

I felt a ping of joy. "Of course, I wanted Aria to come but she Denied the offer because she Didn't want Silver Dust to be alone or miss school."

"Silver Dust? Oh her child, I left before she was born. So that's her name, glad to know." A smile appeared on Sonata's face. "Do you know how to contact her? Aria I mean."

"Yeah, I have her home phone number. Silver Dust gave it to me before we left to come here." I pulled out my phone and gave it to Sonata. "Six years is a long time to not talk to a good friend."

Sonata gave me a tear filled smile and dialed the number. "Hello? Aria... Yes it's Sonata."

Back Stage Pass

The equipment and crew arrived in Boston a whole two days earlier than expected. We were actually glad it did since it meant we could leave sooner to make it to D.C and find Adagio. I called ahead and made D.C our next destination and like before the girls and I are flying ahead. Right now though Everyone is working on setting up the stage and equipment, while normally the girls and I would be working on what tracks to play we just couldn't get Adagio out of our heads long enough to focus on work, I mean she fixed Sonata's pendent! And is repairing and/or done with Aria's! I just can't concentrate!

"Sunset Shimmer!" That voice! But!?

I suddenly felt two small arms wrap themselves around my waist. "Silver Dust!?" When I looked up from my waist Sonata and Aria stood there. "Aria? I thought you said you didn't want to come because of Silver Dust. Wha...?"

"Sonata convened me when she said Cell and Black Ion could were more than capable of teaching her while we're here. And after what Sonata told me about Adagio and the pendants we figured it might help Adagio snap out of it if I was there and finally leave the past in the past."

This might just work out then! If Sonata and Aria are with us we might have a chance because I had no real plan on how to deal with Adagio. To be honest I was kind of winging it with when we got here. "Well I'm glad you're here. As a matter of fact I think I can make your stay even better." Aria might hate me for this. The girls, maybe Rainbow Dash will hold a grudge. "How about back stage passes for the three of you."

Silver Dust instantly let out an ear-bleeding scream of joy. "OH MY GOSH, MOM CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE, CAN WE!?

Aria was picking her pinkie finger into her ear (Probably out of hope to regain her hearing). "Well Sunset Shimmer offered and it would be rude of us not to accept, especially when it's this generous."

Silver Dust let out yet another ear bleeding scream. Yeah I think Rainbow's gonna hate me when she hears Silver Dusts pure fully awake fan-girl scream. (She had just woken up from bed when we first met her)

* * *

Silver Dust, Aria, Sonata, and I spent the next two hours spending time with the gang individually so Silver Dust could have a fan-girl moment with each rather than having to choose when their all together. The only one left out of the band that Silver Dust hasn't gotten the chance to freak out over is Rainbow Dash, actually I haven't seen Rainbow since the equipment and crew arrived. Where is she?

After ten minutes and still no sign of Rainbow Dash. I eventually told Silver Dust that she might have to wait after the concert at this rate. She was really upset but Aria figured it was time for Cell and Black Ion to help her with the assignments her teachers gave her to do on the trip. Meanwhile the concert starts in three hours and Rainbow still hasn't made an appearance. True she has been diapering for several hours at a time before the shows start but never for this long.

Eventually I started to ask around but none of the crew knew where she was ether. I had about given up when I saw Applejack standing by the snake table with this look of pure fear across her face. "AJ are you alright?" She shook her head. "Uhhh don't suppose you've seen Rainbow Dash around have you?" She lifted a finger and pointed to the trailer the crew pulled behind the stage equipment when on the road. "Thanks."

"You won’t be saying that in a few seconds."

Despite AJ's rather creepy statement I rushed towards the door. When I got next to it I started to hear this moaning sound that didn't sound quite right. I opened the door just a crack and I saw Rainbow Dash face deep in some girls crotch laying on the floor completely naked! The girl was the one moaning... OKAYGOTTAGOBY! I closed the door and joined Applejack, both of us sharing the same face of pure terror.

* * *

After my brain processed what I had seen and my trauma was partly gone Rainbow had finally made an appearance and I immediately dragged her to have a serious talk. "So, where were you?"

"Oh." Rainbow scratched her head. "Just uhh napping."

"Yeah, in some girls crotch!"

Rainbow's eyes widened, she was even trembling. "How!?"

"I saw Applejack looking traumatized and when I asked if she'd seen you she pointed over to you and your girlfriends little 'hiding place' when I opened the door and saw that I closed it and joined Applejack in a traumatized silence. Is SHE what you've been doing all those missing hours before the shows start!?"

Rainbows face turned hot red and she was twiddling her thumbs. She gave a big gulp. "Yeah..."

"... Well, how did you two meet?"

Rainbow looked shocked. "You aren't mad?"

"Rainbow I'm mad that I had to find out how I did, might even need a little therapy to get that image out of my head. But as your friend I'm happy for you! As your manager I only care if she's not going to cause trouble with you or the band."

"How do you keep those two feelings separate?"

"Not easy. Now how did you two meet?"

"Just before graduation."

Wait our High School graduation!? "So, ten years ago!?"

"Yeah. We figured it best if no one knew since back then the band was starting to get big."

"But after words why not finally come clean?"

"We were but so many things got in the way and it eventually we just stopped trying."

"Well you can come clean now. I know, AJ knows and the others should too."

"But the show starts in three hours; won't it be a little inconvenient?"

"We're friends Rainbow, no matter how last minute we won't care... most of the time, now go get your girlfriend so we can meet her."

A large smile broke across Rainbows face followed by a hug. "Thanks Sunset." Rainbow ran off without another word.

* * *

Ten minutes later and Rainbow had gathered us all together (minuses Silver Dust) and introduced her girlfriend Sonic Boom. She was Rainbows height, had neon blue skin and white hair. Her hair was styled kinda like Rainbows to just hers has a small ponytail at the end. "It's a pleasure to meet you all as Rainbow Dashes girlfriend, I've only met you girls back stage mostly to ask where to place equipment."

The first to speak was surprisingly Applejack. "Glad to officially meet you as well."

"What do you mean officially?" Fluttershy asked.

Sonic boom, Rainbow Dash and Applejack's faces all turned red, I think mine was too. Applejack spoke. "Best not to say." Fluttershy still looked confused but gave a polite nod.

"How in the world have you two kept this a secret for ten years!?" Rarity probably just spoke everyone's thoughts.

"I consider myself to be a Jack of all trades, one of which is timing. I knew just whenever I was able I would sneak off without being noticed find Rainbow Dash and well... you know." Sonic Boom's face turned red. Yeah best left unsaid girl.

"Well point is you two have had everyone hear fooled but now that it's all in the open how’s it feel?" Is there a difference in a secret relationship and a normal one? Probably.

"Well at least we won’t have to sneak off to have fun." Rainbow blurted out, leave it to Rainbow Dash to think about sex first... Wait do I say 'leave it to Rainbow Dash to (Insert action here) a lot?

Any way back to reality. "Well then next time we notice the both of you missing we won’t go looking, unless it's an hour or less before the show."

Sonic Boom and I shook on it. "Deal."

* * *

Before the show started I managed to get Rainbow Dash to spend time with Silver Dust and just like I thought a face of slight rage went across her face when Silver let out her real fan-girl scream. Other than that the show went off without a hit and... what is Rainbow Dash whispering to Twilight?

Rainbow took the mic from Twilight and taped it twice. "Hey their fans we know it's almost closing time but how about a little something before you go, well two something’s actually." What in the name of Go... Cele... Damn it Rainbow what are you doing!? "First off is a song dedicated to a special fan in particular, this one's for you Silver Dust!" Almost instantly I heard the loudest ear piercing scream in history followed by a thud, Silver Dust fainted!

Back on sage Rainbow was tuning her guitar. "This one's called A Little Bit Excited!"

Every day of the week I'm listening twenty four seven.
I really don't care of others opinions.
I just can't help it I'm if a little bit excited!
Well maybe more than a little.

Can't get enough of this cool music.
At school, at home and everywhere in between.
I just swing my head to the righteous beat!
Don't care if it annoys you because this is my thing!

If I get a little bit excited it's because I'm hiding my freak out.
But not for long because this song's for me, yeah!
Release the freak out and hear me scream!
I really don't care if you complain just try and mess with me!

Every day of the week I listen twenty four seven.
I really don't care if of others opinions.
I can't help it I'm just a little bit excited!
Well maybe more than a little.

the way the verses went made it not just for Silver Dust but so when fan's listen to the song it sounds like it's for them too! Cleaver Rainbow, cleaver. Wait she said two! What the Hell is next!?

Rainbow took the mic again. "Well now how did you like that one!?" The stadium actually started shaking from the crowds screams of joy. "The next is also a song, obviously but is a little more on the mushy side." Is she!? "I'm not one for mushy romance stuff but there is one person who will always act like that and her name is Sonic Boom, now get up here!" Sonic walked gingerly on stage over to Rainbow dash with a red blushing face, large smile and tears in her eyes. "We told the band now let’s tell our fans. This is my girlfriend Sonic Boom!" Rainbow then kissed Sonic Boom smack on the lips and the crowd went even crazier. I think I saw some fanboys crying but everyone else was applauding and screaming in joy. Sonic Boom got off stage. "This song is called I Always Win With You!"

Ever since I was young I've always been a winner.
Great friends, good grades and I rock the sports teams!
But on that day just before graduation I saw you there and thought I was dreaming.
Never seen anyone run that fast before well other than me of course!

Took you on, one on one eight times around to see who'd win.
But the whole entire time I never got ahead and you never fell behind!
Eight laps, three times and two hours later and there was still no winner.
Beat and tired I headed home, but not before you placed a peck on my cheek and said
Let's do this again and we'll see who'll win.

Ten years, eight tours and three nations later. We still haven't had that winner.
But you know what? I really don't care anymore we've done almost everything on those tours.
And we've done everything that a couple ought to, first date, first kiss and much, much more!
There's only one thing left to do now and I think you know what I mean now!?

One of these day's I'll get on my knee, holding a box and you'll be standing in front of me.
Never thought our love would come to this, in the box is a ring that's just your fit.
Place it on and I'll ask the question and I hope that you'll say yes I do!
You're the only one who can get me to act like this and I hope I can be with you forever!

Did Rainbow Dash just say... er sing that she plans on proposing to Sonic Boom!? When I looked around and saw Sonic Boom she had a big smile and tears were pouring from her eyes. She has to be the happiest girl in the world right now, well her and Silver dust but she's still out cold. Hope Rainbow Dash is going to record those songs when we can, Silver will definitely want a copy and Sonic Boom is going to want to keep that song for years to come.

Author's Note

Do you have a muse? I do a little gray coated, mane and tail-less pony without a cutie mark and ever since I started this chapter she has been going crazy about what was written. I was against most of this but she would not stop bugging! That Sonic boom was one of them but she would not let it go, so I caved and put her in (she might not appear much in future chapters). And the songs I was really against but then My Little Muse starts playing them like I was listing to music and damn it they were good! So yeah My Little Muse had quite a field day on this chapter and I hope she won't go this crazy in future chapters. :pinkiecrazy:

Asylum Of The Siren

We finally arrived in D.C. after a day of repacking the equipment and an hour plane ride. Aria left Silver Bell with Cell and Black Ion at Sonata's home back in Boston; it was the safest place for her. Once again Rainbow managed to get jet lag and fell asleep on the way to the hotel. Luckily we were able to slip into the hotel unnoticed so we got in without missing any articles of clothing or hair.

"Alright everyone first things first we need to get to this mental hospital Adagio is at, Sonata you still have the return address right?"

Sonata pulled out the envelope. "Yes."

"Great, we'll leave in half an hour."

Every minute that half hour felt like years. Not just because we can try and put this pendant and siren business to rest but also because if Adagio has her pendant then we could be walking into a fort of Adagios design. Sonata said that Adagio mailed her pendant to her three years ago but that doesn't mean that she hasn't had hers longer than that. Not to mention if her pendant is fixed she could have every patient, nurse and doctor in that hospital under her control! I hope nothing goes south.

I about threw a cow when we arrived at the front gates of The Bedrock Institute for the Clinically Insane. This is the first and biggest mental hospital I've ever seen! One large brick building complete with bars on the windows and doors, large grass field around the building all surrounded by a tall fence built of half inch thick bars... What the hell!? Is this a mental hospital of a prison!? As luck would have it the only way in is through a massive gate built into the fence and it's both not open and has an electric lock on it.

"How are we going to get in!?" I finally managed to scream out.

"There!" Aria was pointing towards a camera on top of one of the bars on the fence.

"It's worth a try."

We all jumped around and waved our hands, even yelled a few times hoping that someone inside sees us. After about five or six minutes we saw what looked like a golf cart start to make its way towards us. At first I could only make out three silhouettes but when they got closer I was able to make out that the two in the front looked like some kinda security guards and the one in the back... That hair, Adagio!? She was dressed in a nurses uniform with her pendent shining crimson red from it's place around her neck. When the golf cart stopped Adagio walked out over to the gate. She stood in front of us, looked over at us but was focused on Aria and Sonata.

"Aria, Sonata I just knew you would find me!" Adagio spoke rather excited with a smile breaking across her face but quickly turned to a frown. "What are the Rainbooms doing here!? You know what they did to us!"

"Adagio this has to stop, Aria and I have moved on with life and we want you to put this mistake to rest just as we have!" Sonata spoke, barely holding back tears.

"Sonata I know you haven't been the smartest of us but really if I'm not around you join up with the enemy!?"

Aria Ran up to the bars, practically slamming herself against them. "Adagio that's the pendent talking not you! I remember how you were before those things, you were..."

"What, shy, gullible, a blank flank!? All we are to those ponies back in Equestria were brothels in the making! And you know how bad I had it, remember my mother was a brothel and every time I went home, even when I was young stallions would try and place bits to fuck me not even caring I was just a filly!"

Oh my Go... Cele... Dammit! That's horrible! "But that's not Equestria now; it's changed in the last thousand years!" I yelled out.

"Maybe so Sunset Shimmer but the ponies that live in Equestria today are descendent of all those bastards and in my eyes they all have to pay!"

"For shit their horny ancestors may or may not have done to you!?"

"Exactly!" Adagio raised her hand and the security guards came out, their eyes glowing green.

They pulled out their guns and took aim. Oh shit is she going to kill us!? They were pulling the triggers but I didn't hear any shots firing but I did feel a small sharp pinch hit my leg followed by a feeling of sudden drowsiness. AAOOWwhh I think I'm gonna take a little nap. I hit the ground and lost all sense of consciousness as I fell into the deep black void of sleep.

* * *

I finally started to wake up, I was able to tell just by the regaining of my sense of feeling I was laying on a cold tile floor. It took a while but I finally managed to shake my drowsiness and get up on my feet, I was in a small empty room with only a barred window and a heavy looking metal door in it and like I had guessed the floor was tile. Nailed it! ... Why am I celebrating? I looked out the window and found that I was on the first floor since a tree trunk was directly across from my view, there was still daylight. I proceeded to attempt the door when a burst of static rang all the way into my eardrum. Mother Fucker that's loud!

"Hello Sunset Shimmer, glad to finally see you're awake." Adagio's voice echoed from the static.

“Adagio!? Where are you!?"

"This facility outfits its patients with special ear tags that both act as a tracer and a two way communication system."

I quickly reached for my ears, I felt the tag on my right ear and it was no bigger than a penny. How the he'll did I not feel this earlier!? "Adagio where are my friends!?"

"The other Rainbooms are within the facility as well, probably living their worst nightmares."

I forced down a large gulp. "What do you mean?"

"Turns out anger isn't the only negative energy the pendants can absorb; Fear, dread, panic, sadness all of them the pendant can absorb and each gives me a new ability. I'd list them off for you but I think it's best if you experience them for yourself." A large clanking sound came from the door. "Go on, but try as you might Sunset Shimmer but by the end of this you and the rest of the Rainbooms will be nothing more than broken shadows of your former selves."

Before the audio cut Adagio gave the creepiest evil laugh I've ever heard. Well then shit just hit the fan Sunset Shimmer, you're separated from your friends, this whole building is crawling with Adagio's 'minions' and she can track you down via penny sized tag in your ear. You've faced worse, just remember how you handled the Canada tour and you'll are it through this... A cold shiver went down my spine remembering the events that took place in Canada. Shaking off the memories I opened the door and left the room.

Twilight's Failure

Upon exiting the room I found myself in a dusty eggshell white hallway with six other doors like the one I had opened. Curiosity took over and I peered inside the rooms by the small windows they had on the doors. The first room I peered at had Twilight wrapped in a restraint jacket hanging from the wall by chains tightly pressing her against the wall. Holy shit!

Without thinking I threw open the door and ran over to twilight. All the chains looked as if they are held together this single small combo lock but damn it what's the code!?

"Twilight are you awake!? Twilight!?" Her lack of response filled me with an icy terror, that's when I noticed one of those ear tags on Twilight's ear but it had wires going into her ears.

Then that ear bleeding burst of static slammed into my ear and sucker punched my ear drums. "That won't wake her." Adagio spoke from the static.

"What have you done to her!?"

"She woke up before the others so I had to tie her up, as for her condition. Princess Sleeping Beauty is currently under one of my new spells that I discovered after my pendant was restored."

"I thought you could only control people?"

"Where you not listening earlier? Anger, sadness, fear, all of these and more the pendants can absorb their energy and transform it into a new spell I place into my songs, even figured out how to keep the spell on a recording. Right now twilight is experiencing my spell of failure on an endless loop. Constantly reliving her past failures, but that's not all the spell reshapes old memories making past victories into terrible failures.

" Oh and ripping the speakers from her ears won't be enough to break her free and before she passed out again I told her the combo to her lock, so it looks like you can't help her." An evil laugh followed by another burst of static came before the cut.

Damn it what am I supposed to do now!? If all my friends are like this then how can I help them!? Then another burst of static rang into my ear. Oh great she wants to gloat! "Aren't you satisfied yet!?"

"Hu? My God what did Adagio say to you?" That voice, Sonata!?

"How that hell!?"

"Shhh. Keep it down, Adagio doesn't know I'm awake yet. As for how the hell, Looks like Adagio had Aria and I sent to her base of operations and from what I can tell it looks like the head Doctors office, but I’m not sure. Look I don't have a lot of time Adagio will come back at any time, I didn't get hit with those tranquilizer darts outside, damn thing got tangled in my hair instead so I managed to 'collapse' next to you and I put my pendent in your back pocket."

She what!? I felt my back pocket and pulled Sonata's pendent out, still looks like it got shot. "But why? They only do harm."

"Yes but when Adagio had us dragged here I had some time and found her notes on the pendants and the spells. They don't just absorb negative energy, possessive as well. Happiness, joy, even laughter. On non enchanted people the positive energy spells will remove any bad thoughts or feelings from the person but in twilight and the others case you need to do more."

"Like what?"

"You have to go into your friends minds and sing the spells to them there."

Wait, what!? "And how am I supposed to do that?"

"With the pendent, other than with songs as the control factor they also let us command people via telepathy. Well sorta... you'll see. But only as long as they are under the pendants control."

"But what about the energy? Don't I need someone else to pull the energy from?"

"Remember Adagio sent me my pendent three years ago and I haven't touched it until now so it should still have some juice left."

"But?"

Suddenly the sound of a door slamming came from the trackers audio. "Shit, gotta go. Good luck Sunset Shimmer."

"Wait!" The static burst and the audio cut. "Damn it!"

I held Sonata's pendent in my hand for what seemed like hours just staring at it. I trust Sonata but If I mess up and use a dark magic spell it might start to affect me, turn me back into that bitch I was ten years ago. If I don't try Twilight and the others will be stuck here because of my cowardliness and Adagio wins. I griped Sonata's pendent tightly in my fist and cleared all thoughts from my mind and then started to think about all the times I've won, not the way I used to the way I've won when I redeemed myself, when I changed. I felt the pendent shake a little in my fist then I felt as if I had fallen asleep again.

* * *

I felt as if my brain had been ripped right out of my skull and jammed into another. I awoke in a closet of sorts, the roof was distorted and endless as I looked up (almost puked... Can you puke in a mined). I gathered my thoughts and I managed to stand up and... wait a minute I'm quadruped, I'm a pony again!? What the hell!? I guess Twilight must be dreaming about Equestria then, I wonder what kinda sick twisted torment she's under right now.

I immediately heard the sound of excessive weeping and what sound like a very one sided argument. "... And those letters on the magic of friendship where the biggest waste of time and paper I have ever seen in my thousands of years alive!"

Was that Celestia? Who the heck... Never mind I'm in Twilight mined so she has to be yelling to Twilight... Celestia yelling at Twilight? That's her fear, her torment!? That's, that's... The worst. I should know I've had experience in getting yelled at and disappointing my teacher.

"Why when I turned you into an Alicorn and made you a princess I expected better but you have been nothing but a failure ever since!"

"But I... I." Twilight's voice was breaking and she started to cry.

Why the hell am I just listening!? I threw open the door and saw Celestia standing over a weeping Twilight. "Twilight!"

Twilight turned over to me. "Sunset Shimmer!?"

Celestia looked down at her then back over to me. "Twilight don't move unless you want to lose more of my depleted respect for you!" Twilight curled up into a ball tearing up. "You! You were my biggest mistake!"

What the heck!? This is Twilight's nightmare not mine. Unless since I'm in Twilight's mined the spell can affect me to! Shit!

"All the students in my academy and I chose you cause I thought you had potential but you decided to peruse darker arts and ran off to that other world rather than just listen and obey like a good subject!"

It felt like a dagger had just stabbed its way into my heart. Dammit every word is true!

"Then when the portal finally opened again and you came back rather than seeking my forgiveness and guidance you steal the element of Magic take it back to that other world and attempt a hostile takeover! Twilight maybe a lost cause now but at least she got further along in her studies than you did! You Sunset Shimmer are a failure at being my student, a failure at being evil, and a failure at being a friend!"

I found myself curled up like Twilight crying my eyes out. Nothing I do with my life will make up for my failures, nothing! Nothing... I felt a warm light coming from my neck... When I looked it was Sonata's pendent. The pendent!? Suddenly all my failures in life started fading from my thoughts and I started remembering all the good times with the girls. Our time in school, when we got our first major gig, when we first had a group of crazy fans burst through our hotel door and almost stole all our stuff for keepsakes. I may not be able to make up for my past mistakes and failures but I'll be damned if I'm not gonna try! And I have!

I stood up at Celestia with tearing red eyes. "You're right I can't make up for my past failures and mistakes but I'm not going down without trying! Ever since Twilight and the girls blasted me with that magical friendship sky laser... whatever the hack it was I thought about what went wrong and for a while I was broken!

"But the girls, even if it was a request from Twilight forgave me and opened up to me and after the Sirens were defeated I finally forgave myself! And nothing you say can change the fact that despite my past I have redeemed myself!"

With that Celestia faded as did the library around Twilight and I. I found myself on two legs and hair mostly on my head again and it was just Twilight and I. I took a breath and walked over to the still weeping pony Twilight.

"It's time to wake up from this nightmare Twilight."

She looked at me with red teary eyes. "A... *sniffle* n... nightmare?"

"More of a spell really." With that I grabbed Twilight in my arms and sang the first song I remember my mother singing to me when I was young. It was the first thing to come to mind.

Dear little sun drop don't you cry
The ground maybe cold but don't be shy
Even as the sun sets in the night
You'll be the sun in the dark of the sky.

Twilight gave me a smile and faded from my arms, she was waking up and I started to wake up and leave Twilight's mined.

Pinkie's Dying Emotions

I woke up standing in front of Twilight. Surprised my blackout didn't have me fall on the floor. Twilight's eyes finally opened after a minute and started to freak at the sight of her situation.

"Oh sweet Celestia what the heck!?"

"Twilight calm down, Adagio told me that she gave you the combo for the lock what is it?" If I don't get her calm and out of this quick she'll go into a freaking panic attack!

After a few heavy breaths Twilight had finally calmed down. "Right, sorry. It's 5-39-17."

A few turns of a knob and the clicks of some rather confusing latches later Twilight was kissing the ground. I explained the situation to her and as if on Cue that ever so painful and annoying burst of static rang into the core of my ear.

"How did you get her out of that!? You were all alone in there!" Adagio's voice rang with pure anger.

"How did you know I freed Twilight?"

"I sensed my spell of failure break, how did you do that!?"

If I tell her about the pendant she'll most likely send some poor mind controlled guards to take us out again. "Looks like the magic of friendship is stronger than you think."

"Perhaps, but even if you manage to free the rest of your group remember this, the whole facility is under my control and with those tracers pinned on your ears I can have you surrounded within minutes." The audio cut into a burst of static and went silent.

"Creepy, but Dammit if she isn't right. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Twilight questioned.

"Well I freed you with the pendant just like I'm gonna do with the others so maybe I can free the people in the building the same way."

"That's a great idea Sunset Shimmer, but one at a time will take to long."

"True, what if we wait until the others are awake and then find a way to sneak up to where Adagio is."

"But the tracers?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now we gotta help our friends."

Twilight nodded and we headed off the room across from hers. It was Pinkie; she was strapped down onto a bed with leather restraints. Thankfully not anywhere near as bad as Twilight but what's with pinkie's hair? It's all well... flat and lifeless not up and defying the laws of gravity.

Then another burst of static rang into my ear. Dammit why only mine Twilight's here now to! Sonata's voice came from the speaker. "From the way Adagio was screaming earlier I take it you freed one of them already?"

"Yeah it was Twilight, anyway we're with Pinkie right now any chance Adagio has a list of who's under what spell?"

"No, sorry Sunset Shimmer but looks like that info is for Adagio to know and you to find out. I gotta go, don't want to risk getting caught good luck." The audio cut.

I looked over to Pinkie Pie in fear of what dark magical torment she must be under right now. Twilight's worst fear was failure so is Pinkie's sadness or something? I cleared my head and placed my hand on Pinkie's forehead and I was lost into the black void.

* * *

I awoke in a dark cold room. I was barely able to see an inch away from my own nose, damn what nightmare is Pinkie stuck in? I walked around for several minutes following what I think is some kind of stone wall. "Dammit is there any light switch or something!?"

"Why would one need light?" That voice, Pinkie!? Why does she sound... Depressed I guess.

"Pinkie Where are you!?"

"Everywhere and nowhere you could say."

Oh great Pinkie logic. "Pinkie where are you!? I'm here to free you from this spell!"

"This spell puts her in the cage and pulls me out, so why do I want to enter the cage after a lifetime of imprisonment!"

The ground was shaking and there was a large explosion echoing everywhere. Shit what the hell is that!? Next thing I knew I was falling. It felt like hours since I started falling in this void within Pinkie's mind, then suddenly I hit a metal floor of sorts. Ouch! If it wasn't for the fact I'm in Pinkie's mined that might have killed me.

"Sunset Shimmer!?" I was suddenly getting a bear hug from a wild haired Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie!? Wait... what's this? Why are you all happy now and back in that dark whatever you were rude and how come I couldn't see you!?"

Pinkie quickly let go of me and a light started shining above us and I could finally see. Pinkie looked saddened. "That's not me Sunset Shimmer."

"But she sounded just like you, granted a depressed you but..."

"That's some other me. I don't know where she came from but one minute I was having a dream about cake frosting and the next I'm in a cage with her telling me to not wake up."

Well that's... odd to say the least. IS each spells torment different? "Has she done anything to you? Make you made of sad or... anything?"

"Not really. She just stuck me in this cage and said don't wake up."

"She told me she used to be in the cage but the spell freed her. You know anything about that?"

"Nope, not really. Maybe she's some kinda split personality the spell created." At this rate Pinkie's logic on the situation seems possible.

"Well whatever she is she doesn't want you to wake up too bad for her I know how to wake you up."

"Really how?" I pulled out Sonata's pendent from my pocket. How did it get there!? Pinkie gasped. "But those things are evil!"

"Not really, Sonata explained some new info to me and they can wake you up. All I got to do is sing."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh sing a happy song! Giggle at the ghosties!" Pinkie sang her own little song. I've never heard this one before.

"Quiet!" A loud scream came from outside the cage. it was that same depressed Pinkie Pie voice from before. "No more joy, no more HAPPY!"

The other Pinkie came out of the shadows looking like a flat haired well... Pinkie. "Why!? Why do you care!? You're just a spell!"

She grabbed the bars of the cage and slammed herself against them. "I'm not spell I am the one who was left to rot!"

What the!? "What do you mean!?"

"Perhaps it's better to show you." Another light shined on what looked like yet another Pinkie but mummified as if she has been dead for years. Dear mother of... Everything! "We are dying, we came together into one to stay alive but we are starving and will soon die."

I covered my mouth to muffle my crying and tears started to come from my eyes sliding down my cheeks. "What are you!?"

"We are the ones left to rot. Anger, Sadness, Grief, petty, Regret, Greed, Envy, Pride, and the one who has fallen was loneliness."

"You're emotions!?"

"Negative emotions, yes. We have been left to rot by the life she has lead, we all had to fuse into one in order to survive. Pinkie Pie has lead a life of joy and laughter practically since birth and we have had to savor every crumb from our few uses."

"What does that mean?" Pinkie Yelled out.

"It means that your neglect to use us is making us fade and die. Loneliness has already passed and soon we will too. This spell is fueling us, saving us from death but all those positive emotions built a barrier around her in an attempt to save her from the spell. It will fall soon and when that happens we will be saved."

"I didn't know, I had no Idea." Pinkie hair practically deflated.

"Of course you didn't. No human can understand the workings of a mined or the emotions residing inside, especially their own."

"But there has to be an alternative! You can't just let this happen!" I screamed in protest.

"Why not? even if miss Pie agrees to use us negative emotions more we would still be getting crumbs compared to what the positive emotions get!"

"But the pendants, the thing casting this spell can absorb negative emotions and positive emotions, All of you would become food for it!"

"Yes this sure seems to be the case, we've seen those memories but this spell isn't taking from us it's feeding us."

Crap! Wait Sonata's pendent. I showed the negative Pinkie the pendent. "Not if I interrupt!"

She took a few steps back. "You wouldn't!"

"To save a friend I will!"

"Stop it!" We both turned to see Pinkie Pie kneeling in a small puddle of tears. "Don't do it Sunset Shimmer."

"But Pinkie we need to wake you up!"

"I know but not before I settle things with my emotions, myself." The next thing I knew the cage was gone and Pinkie was walking over to her negative emotions. "You're right I'm just too cheery to express you properly and I hate that my lifestyle is causing you harm, but even so you're still a part of me and therefore don't want that meanie Adagio to win, right?"

The negative emotion Pinkie Pie just looked back and forth at Pinkie and nothing. "... We share the same mined so your argument is correct."

"And I'm the only one who can stop her?"

"Correct."

"Wrong."

"Hu?"

"My friends and I are the ones who can stop Adagio and if you're apart of me then we need to work together to stop her. I'm sure my positive emotions can help you when it comes to your 'feeding'."

"No." The negative Pinkie walked over to me and grabbed the pendant. "There is no more room for us in this or any mined, even if the possessive emotions where to aid us the energy we need to survive is too different we would prefer it to die in an act of heroism rather than in a slow starvation."

"Wait!"

The negative Pinkie griped Sonata's pendant and she turned into a green mist that flowed into the pendant until there was no more and the pendent fell to the floor.

I stood there unable to fully process what just happened. "Sunset Shimmer?" Pinkie snapped me back into focus. "Please put my negative emotions to good use." I was still at a loss for what exactly the fuck just happened and what kinda spell does this!? You know what fuck it, Pinkie Pie logic I'm just gonna leave it at that and not even try to understand anymore. Then the blackness left and Sonata's pendant started to glow and a bright red light flowed over Pinkie and I.

* * *

I woke up the same way I was when I entered Pinkie's mined. She was starting to open her eyes and I moved my hand to my head to ease my migraine that I apparently got, must be from the stress of Pinkie's mined. I heard a large poof and when I looked up Pinkie's hair had returned to defying gravity as usual.

Author's Note

Yeah this chapter was odd and random but what else would you expect from Pinkie Pie's mined. :pinkiehappy:

Rarity's Worst Nightmare

I took a whole ten minutes to process what happened in Pinkie's mind. Glade that was a onetime thing. We opened another door and found Rarity, she was handcuffed to the bed frame at the wrists and ankles... If Rainbow was here she would make a sex joke right about now.

I was thinking of a way to unlock the handcuffs but it was for nothing when Pinkie pulled out a Bobbi pin out of her hair and the cuffs came off with a click each.

"Alright then once again." I said as I placed my hand Rarity's head and was about to fall into blackness. Was surprised Adagio didn't call to complain.

A loud crack of static burst into my ear. Well speak of the devil.

"Now there is no way just your friendship is what's breaking my spells there must be something else!"

I covered Pinkie's mouth quickly before speak. "Nope just friendship and rainbows..." That sounded kind of wrong.

"No there is something or someone helping you I will..." Adagio's rant was cut off by the sound of a door slamming. "What the!?" The audio cut after that and I quickly placed my hand on Rarity's head and fell into that void.

* * *

The darkness didn't last long. I could feel a bright light shining through my eyelids. I opened my eyes and I was in Rarity's boutique back in our home town except it's all rundown and dusty. These are two things I know Rarity can't stand but I don't think that is her worse nightmare.

I walked around the store part of the boutique and even tried the front door but it wouldn't open and the windows were bricked up... literally classic red bricks from those old squash and stretch cartoons! So I'm guessing the boutique is all that the spell made to torture Rarity.

As I walked up the stairs I to the upper floor of the boutique the sound of dramatic crying came into rang. Yup that's Rarity alright. I opened the first door and found Rarity in her pink pink sleeping robe curled up on her bed. Her makeup and eyeliner smeared down along her cheeks from the tears.

"Rarity?"

The crying changed into a slight sob. "Sunset Shimmer?" Rarity looked over to me still lying on the bed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to that Berry Berry's 'fashion show'."

Who the hell is Berry Berry? "Rarity what's going on?"

"Like you don't know. That Berry Berry fashionista stole all my clientele with those tacky outfits. Then she shows off and takes my spot in the band! And you all forgot about me!" The room started to shake and Rarity jumped out of the bed and up to my face. "None of you cared!"

Rarity dispersed into mist in a blink of an eye then I heard the front door downstairs open. I walked downstairs and saw a women around my age dressed in purple dyed wool dress with green Afro hair... Well then I'm never complaining about Pinkie's sense of fashion again.

She spotted me and smiled. "You must be the real Sunset Shimmer."

Her voice sounded a cat choked on a hairball. "And you must be this Berry Berry?"

"Yes I am. I bet you're wondering what I am."

"Don't you mean who you are?"

"Well that too. I am the spell, my official name would be Misfortune."

"But luck isn't real!"

"And you aren't a unicorn pony come from an alternate dimension."

"Touché. So your grieving Rarity with bad luck?"

"Yes silly. I'm undoing all of her moments of good fortune and making her life a living hell. I'm glad you came when you did, I'm about to change her memory of her dads heart surgery into a botched operation."

Dear Go.. Cel... That's satanic! "You're sick!"

"Well what else would I be silly? I was taken from a suicidal young girl who has never known joy of good fortune of any sort and taken from her by a girl with some real issues and then was put here with the task of harming you friend emotionally scarring her for life."

"I've already beat two of you spells. A third will put me on a roll."

"Yes you have the same type of pendent as that girl with the major issues. But like her you have to sing to Rarity to free her so I still win."

"You cocky little!" Breath Sunset breath think! She's cocky now how can I use that... Got it! "How confident are you that I will lose?"

"Oh about one hundred percent."

"Then how about a bet. If I win I get to sing the song to free Rarity and you can't interfere, but if you win you can torture me as well."

Misfortune scratched her chin for a bit. "Alright then you're on." At a clap of her hand the boutique changed into a long hallway of doors each labeled with different events. One was labeled eighth birthday, another was labeled fourth grade English test. The list goes on. In a flash Berry Berry or Misfortune appeared several feet in front of me. "Here's the stakes, Rarity's conciseness is in a memory. The memories you see before you go from a week after birth to yesterday after noon find the memory with your Rarity and avoid the traps."

"Traps?"

"When you entered Rarity's mind I started going through your memories and I've taken a few good ones and twisted them into a shell of what they where, if you find three out of the five twisted memories I made before finding your Rarity I win."

Damn it that little... "Fine you're on."

Misfortune disappeared and left me to find the three parts of Rarity. I opened the doors only a crack to peer in and so far they all seemed like normal memories, guess Misfortune changed them back before this started. What exactly am I even looking for!? I looked into three memories with three Rarity's at different ages how do I know if that's my Rarity!? Come on Sunset Shimmer think if this spell is some kind of luck spell then what events in Rarity's life would have revolved around good and/or bad luck?

I sat down on the 'floor' and started to think. Damn I've always known Rarity to have never really relied on luck just on her skill and planning, lot like Twilight... Come on think!

While scratching my head at the situation I eventually pulled out Sonata's pendant. After taking what was left of Pinkie's negative emotions all it has now are a few scratches where the chips and cracks used to be. What type of spell or emotion would help you find something or someone?

After a while I started feeling lost. What can I do to get you out of this Rarity? Maybe if music activates the magic in the pendants then what song should I sing? Something from the heart seems right.

Every day since I met you I've felt shame
You were everything I wanted to be and so much more
That shame was for myself and I let it show
Then one day you came to me and said let’s make it right.

I never knew your friendship would be this kind
Then again I never really took the time
At the request of a friend you help me out
Despite our past you treated me nice and I
Never deserved to be treated so kind.

You had the chance to let me rot and die
But you pulled me up till I held my head high
Rarity you helped to keep me in line
So what can I do now that you need me this time?

Sonata's pendent started to glow, rather than a crimson red it glowed a sky blue and a little ball of that light flew out. What the!? It floated for a while in front of me before it flew off down the hall and stopped in front of a door. When I got to the door it was labeled 'Beat Rainbow Dash'. Rarity beat Rainbow at something!? Must have been before I came to this world.

I opened the door and was met with the high school cafeteria crowded and smelling of old cheese like always. Everyone I knew was way younger than when I arrived to this is a relatively old memory. I walked around but nobody paid me attention, like I wasn't here... I face-palmed. I wasn't here and this is Rarity's memory so of course I have no effect on anything.

I didn't have to walk long when I found Rarity, and Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy all sitting next to one another eating their lunches. I walked up to them but before I ever dared to interfere I have to know what Rarity beat Rainbow Dash at. I basically became a shadow as I watched the young versions of my friends talk amongst themselves.

"I can win any challenge and any bet because I'm awesome!" Rainbow Dash was the first speaking.

"Oh come on Dash you can't really win everything. It's impossible." Applejack replied.

"Watch me; I will beat any of you at a challenge right now."

"I might have a challenge you can't win Rainbow." Rarity spoke with a rather joyful tone of voice.

"Like what?"

"A staring contest."

Rainbow burst into laughter. "Seriously Rare's I thought you knew me better. I run in track and already beat the records for fastest time and fastest speed, the wind blowing against my face as I run has given me some resistance to dry eyes."

"True as that may be I spend my time at home keeping my eyes open to check on designs and to make sure every little detail is perfect. By the time I realize I need to blink it's been close to five minutes."

"Alright then you're on Rare's."

The two opened their eyes staring dead lock on each other’s faces. I kept track of time from when they started and it had been three minutes and Rainbow was looked rather teary eyed. Finally almost to the five minute mark Rainbow caved and blinked. Rarity didn't even look like she had her eyes open for a long time, they looked normal! Not that is a gift, or rather an acquired talent.

Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Rarity. "I hate losing. You wouldn't mind keeping this a secret right?"

Rarity just smiled. "Fine by me but you need to stop by my house after school."

"Why?"

"The school drama teacher asked me to make some costumes for the next school play and you are the exact size as one of the girls in the play."

"Fine I'll play doll. It's just the one right?"

"Yes, the drama teacher said she was a late year transfer student and managed to get a part but they didn't have a costume."

"Alright then."

So the mighty Rainbow Dash can't beat Rarity in a staring contest, I'm going to keep that under my sleeve for now. I walked over to Rarity but the whole room diapered. it was just Rarity and I in a white void and Rarity was still talking like the memory was still going. I heard clapping behind me and when I turned Berry Berry/Misfortune was there.

"Well done Sunset Shimmer. I honestly didn't think you had a chance in hell of pulling this off but here you are as the victor."

"And you're keeping the agreement. You can't interfere while I wake Rarity up right?"

"Yes that was the agreement and therefore is kept. But I do have one favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"Like I said I came from a young girl who has lived a horrible life since birth. I guess I'm asking you to check up on her."

"... Say what now?"

"Without me inside her head she'll be feeling other emotions after that mind control spell is broken. That or she won't be feeling any emotions at all. I want you to make sure she lives a life that is meant for a five year old girl to have."

She's freaking Five and in an insane asylum!? "Sure, I'll add that to the list." Right under free friends from evil spells.

"Thank you. Now hurry up with that song before I change my mind."

I touched Rarity's shoulder and she changed into the crying mess that I first saw. Only this time when she saw me she looked sorry? Why is she looking sorry?

"Oh Sunset Shimmer I kept thinking all these horrid thoughts about you and the others. I thought you all had abandoned me."

"We would never do that Rarity. Even when you and the others had the chance to leave me behind you didn't and I'm repaying that act of kindness." I started singing a new song, from the heart.

In this world we live, life is often unkind
There are few good guy's and many of the bad
But when I met you I realized
This world holds beauty and more

You became my friend despite our horrid past
You stayed by me to get me on my feet
And when you had the chance to leave me dead and beat
You stayed by me to get me on my feet

Now here we are ten whole years later
Still friends and even better we stayed together
You got me on my feet and now I can finally walk
Now I will help you up when you need help as well.

I gave Rarity a hug and we both started to disappear as we awoke out of this dream.

Author's Note

Sorry I took forever with this chapter, I've had a bunch of stuff come up and got side tracked but I hope to post on a normal-ish schedule now. Also if you noticed the earlier chapters have most of their errors corrected since I finally got MS word so I can get most of those pesky errors fixed now. :twilightblush:

Applejack's Loss

I woke up not like the last few times, this time I woke up from a screaming Rarity. She went on to complain about the tacky decor and the amount of dust that was in the room. Yeah I've learned to just let her do her thing and you won't get an unexpected makeover, took three months for my hair to grow back.

"Uh Rarity I know our situation is bad but you don't need to clean up the place we're escaping from." Pinkie Pie spoke my thoughts out to Rarity.

She looked a little sad and grossed out but nodded in agreement. "Sorry it’s just that after that horrid nightmare that spell of Adagio's put me into I just..." I pat Rarity on the shoulder. She looked up to me and smiled. "Thank you Sunset Shimmer I needed that."

"Yeah that was bad... Oh shit!" Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight all just about jumped in shock. "Quick Rarity did that Berry Berry spell emotion thing mention a name of sorts!?"

"No, she just gloated and showed me up, why?"

"Crap I promised."

"Promised what?" Twilight asked.

"Well... That emotion spell that tortured Rarity said she came from a little girl who has lived a horrible life. She was placed into this hell hole before Adagio took it over and I made a promise to Berry Berry to find that little girl."

"But how do you know if Berry Berry wasn't lying?"

"Either way I don't wanna take that chance. Still how come Berry Berry didn't mention a name?"

"Maybe she did?" Pinkie Pie spoke leaning against the doorway. "None of the other spells we were under gave a fake name so what if Berry Berry is the name of the girl she was in."

... Did Pinkie Pie just make sense!? "That might be the case. Still as much as we want to the rest of our friends are still top of the list."

With that said we all moved over to the next room. Inside laying on the bed in a restraint jacket was Applejack. Least she wasn't in chains like Twilight was. Luckily the jacket was the same as the one that was on Twilight so it was easier to open than last time. Freed from the jacket I placed my hand on Applejack's forehead and fell into that void. I am getting scary good at doing this.

* * *

I was surprised when I could feel anything, actually I smelt something first. The scent of sweet grass and apples filled my nose sending a smile across my face. I know this place. I opened my eyes and I was at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. Out of all the places I've been Applejack's family home is still my favorite place on Earth and Equestria. From first glances it still looks like everything's fine, just a cloudy sky almost rainy.

Actually something is wrong, even on a rainy day Sweet Apple Acres still has that homey feeling of love and acceptance. This... This feels like dread. I walked in and the feeling of dread just worsened, not only that but it felt like I was being watched. The dread and fear of a stalker felt closest to the Apple Orchard. Starting to know how these emotion spells work I walked into the Apple Orchard. As expected the more I walked the more the feeling of dread came over me. I had to stop several times to reassert myself so I wouldn't drop from depression.

Where is Applejack? This is getting really bad, and I don't wanna throw up in Applejack's head. After ten more minutes I finally found a clearing, next to the old tree house that Apple Bloom and her friends played in. I saw three tomb stones resting in front of the tree house and almost equal distance from each of them was Applejack sitting on her knees head held down.

I walked a little closer. "Applejack?" I didn't get a response. "Applejack." Still nothing, I then placed my hand on her shoulder but she didn't react. "A.J. are you..." My eyes fell upon the tomb stones.

The one to the right readBig Macintosh; beloved brother, cherished family member, always strong. Cause of death, heart attack. I about broke into tears even though I know this is all the work of a spell it still hurts and this feeling of grief isn't helping.

The one to the left read Lady "Granny" Smith; a living part of our town history that will always live on in our memories and in our hearts. Cause of death, old age. I found myself in the same position as Applejack, knees on the ground and some tears coming from my eyes.

The final tomb stone, the one in the middle read Apple Bloom; bravest young life of her generation, giving all she had in the face of fear and danger. Cause of death, suicide.

I broke down on the ground in tears. What kind of sick sadistic freek, spell or not does this to a person!? I punched the ground repeatedly in rage and sadness. Applejack's not even responding to me and I'm in so situation for anything. What am I going to do!? Damn it, damn it, damn it!

I felt a cold touch run down my back. I jumped and when I turned I saw a hooded figure with bone fingers coming out of the sleeves of his coat, in his right hand he held a scythe. Am I staring at death!? "Are, are you death?"

"No, but I am very close to it. My name is Grief and I am the reason you feel pain when a loved one dies." His voice was low and deep all at once. "I am tied to the part of the mind that holds one's humanity. The stronger one's humanity is the more pain they feel when faced with death. Theirs or others that they knew."

"Why! Why do this! You sound like you have a mind of your own so why!?"

"I am still an emotion therefore I effect when needed, normally. Some magic entered Applejack's mind and fueled me with energy I've never felt before. In the end what you see here is just from my being here, I did nothing in reality. In a way it was better the spell that came with the magic was weak and couldn't affect her, wouldn't want someone else's emotion running amuck around my body."

His body, wait!? "You're A.J.'s emotion, not someone else's!?"

"Yes, the one that attempted to take control was weak. Came from a mind that never used it, even with the magic's aid it still was too weak."

Sounds like Pinkie's negative emotions. Guess they got saved in a way. "So you want A.J. free as much as I do?"

"Yes. I may not get used often, mostly when she stares at old photographs of her parents but I take no joy in causing the pain I make."

"Then how do I stop you from causing this pain?"

Grief pointed towards the garage next to A.J.'s home. "You've seen it before have you not? The old rusted smashed care."

"Yes. Where are you going with this?"

"In that car holds the memory that is the source of all this grief. The memory of her parents’ death, she was so young yet she saw it all from start to finish."

She saw her parents die... "And then what?" I gave a nervous gulp waiting for Grief's answer.

"You must destroy it."

My eyes had to have been the size of watermelons when Grief said that. "How? And why?"

"The why is simple, destroy the memory and Applejack will no longer remember the feeling of grief and my unwanted hold over her will be broken. As for how, I could tell when you entered here; I felt that magic like the one that first entered only cleaner."

"But if A.J. forgets about her grief then what about you?"

Grief chuckled at the thought. "I'll probably just be sent into the farthest corner of Applejack's mind until the day will come that I am used."

"But when I was helping my friend Pinkie Pie she had a dead negative emotion, you could die!"

Grief just laughed at my argument. "Grief comes in many other forms my young friend, whether from the death of a loved one or from a bad week at the market I will live on but in the way I want too."

He has a point, heck I feel some grief whenever we can't perform a new song during the show. "Alright then."

With that Grief diapered like dust in the wind. I walked over to the garage and inside covered under a dusty sheet was a rusted, smashed up blue pickup truck. I could make out what looked like the phrase 'Apples Forever' painted on the driver’s side of the car.

Inside the car between the drivers and passenger seat was a little ball of light, it didn't give off a glow or anything it just floated there. I picked it up and I started to hear what sound like a women, man and child singing. I started to see images emerge from the orb but I turned my head. I could never deal with something this horrible and now A.J. doesn't have to anymore.

I held the orb tightly between my hands and started to sing.

My dear friend you have been so strong
And you've always been true to me and to you
Even when life has thrown its worse
You get up and fight it all
But those memories have left their scars
They left you battle scarred.

You've remembered every one, all the shapes
And all their pain, you've been strong and
It’s all because you remember the pain that came
You’ve wished to forget it all and now I'm here
You will not remember this battle scar.

The orb turned into a like substance sand in my hands when I finished. I saw light coming from outside and the feeling of dread and grief left instantly. I looked outside and I saw Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith all sitting under an apple tree with warm smiles on their faces. Applejack got up and walked over to me and gave me a hug that if we weren't in her mind it would have broken several of my ribs.

"Thank you Sunset Shimmer!" A.J. let me go and I dropped to the floor. "I'm not sure what you did but I'm glad you got me out of that mess."

"Yeah... uh Do you remember what happened exactly?"

A.J. paused for a moment. "Strange, I don't remember. Think it had something to do with ma' family but I'm not so sure."

Well it's best if she doesn't remember that hell. "It's alright it wasn't all that bad anyway."

"If you say so. Uh one question, how do we get out of here?"

"Well that pattern so far is that you have to wake up and I kinda get thrown out."

"Wake up... got it." A.J. grabbed my head and placed a wet kiss right on my lips. What the...

* * *

I woke up back in reality screaming. "Fuck!" I fell on the floor and hit my head but my new found trauma focused my attention elsewhere.

"What was that about?" Twilight asked.

I felt my face blush and turn red. "Nothing important." When A.J. finishes waking up I cannot be held responsible for what I will say.

Author's Note

This chapter took forever for me to figure out but I did it and it was depressing while I was writing it so I ended it off with some comedy.

Rainbow's Broken Heart

This time when I woke up Fluttershy had her arms wrapped around my waist, squeezing my organs into paper and breaking my spine. Eh who needs those anyway, right?

I pulled her off gently and felt my intestines return to their normal size. In my hand I felt the pendant and looked at it for a bit. Psycoshy is in here and Pinkie’s negative emotions. I wonder what it’s like in there. Is it like a jail with prison cells that hold every emotion behind bars, or is it an empty wasteland with nothing but the emotions it absorbs? I kind of wish it’s the first one, which would mean Psycoshy can’t harm negative Pinkie.

I got up and fell to the ground. Fluttershy’s death hug cut of some circulation to my legs. Everyone helped me back up and in two minutes I was able to walk some what normally.

“Alright now we just have to wake up Rainbow Dash and we… Go after Adagio I guess.”

“You guess?” Applejack questioned.

“I’m not going to lie A.J. I didn’t expect Adagio to have this under her sleeve and I’m not entirely sure how to stop her.”

“Why not use her own weapon against her?” Twilight suggested. “Think about it, she put us under these sleeping spells so maybe we can do the same then we can dive into her mind and stop her from there.”

“But how? She has a pendant too, she can probably wake herself up.”

“What if…” Twilight was cut off by the long missing burst of static, this time coming from all our ear tags.

“That’s it! I don’t know how you are all doing this but I won’t let you go any further!” Down the hall the sound of many foot steps began to echo. “Good luck escaping…” The sound of a loud thud came from the speakers.

“Sorry Adagio.” Aria’s voice boomed from the speaker. “Better wake up your last friend she just sent like twenty guards your way.”

Immediately A.J. threw the last door open. We all crammed ourselves in and closed the door. On the bed lay Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have any restraints on her but tears were flooding out of her eyes and small whimpers escaped her mouth. I felt myself starting to cry. I should have come here first damn it!

Without hesitation I placed my hand on Rainbow’s forehead and fell into the void. I’m coming Rainbow, I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner.

* * *

Before my eyes opened I felt a chill run across my body, but I remember this kind of chill all too well. It was the chill you get from being directly under the schools AC vents. I opened my eyes and found myself in that one really messed up dead end hallway of the school, standing both in the shadow of the dimly flickering light and under and AC vent.

Hu, I actually don’t remember if principal Celestia ever got that hallway fixed. I walked out of the hallway and I looked in the first classroom, if memory serves right this should be a biology class. When I looked in it was empty of students. I did expect that, the only ones that should be here are Rainbow, the emotion spell, and myself.

I kept on walking, after three minutes or so the eerie emptiness started to creep me out. I eventually made my way to the front entrance of the school, memories of when I destroyed it and then rebuilt it came back on sight. Took less time to rebuild it than you would think, it was only… like four months? Yeah, four.

I walked outside and the town was empty as well, except for one thing very out of place, the staff R.V. It was parked next to the portal and had a big ‘Keep Out’ sign on it. What could be in there? Upon opening the door just a crack and was met with a literal symphony of moans that made be blush hotter than this worlds and Celestia’s sun combined. What the…?! I shut the door and tried to process that. “Are those… did they… EACH TIME?!”

Sonic’s and Rainbow’s choice of hiding place for sex aside where to look next? Think Damnit think, where… no wait actually what is torturing Rainbow? All of the others were practically announcing themselves but what’s going on here, its way too quiet. Think Sunset think other than… the R.V. where else could Rainbow or this thing torturing her be?!

I ended up sitting next to the portal, scratching my head at this one. Rainbow is literally crying out there but in here there’s nothing but the R.V. where else can I look? Think Damnit thi… what the hell? In the distance I saw a small green dot moving at a pace that would make a crippled ant look like an athlete. Tank?

I ran over to it and yes it was Tank in all his Shelly glory.

“I can kind of understand you being here but why exactly are you here?” Tank gave a slow turn of his head back to the school, then back to me. “What back there? No ones in there?” He gave a slow nod saying no, or maybe wrong? “Alright then. Here let me carry you, it will make this faster.” I picked up Rainbow’s beloved pet and walked back in.

As soon as we entered Tank pointed his head forward and I moved that way. Still this has got me a bit weirded out with Tank’s sudden appearance but it is kind of like Angle in Fluttershy’s mind, only this is Rainbow’s mind and I like tank cause he’s not a doosh.

The trend of go strain, turn right, turn left kept on till we were at the sports field. The grass was all weeded and overgrown, one of the few things that tic’s Rainbow off more than anything. Then I spotted the reason why Tank brought me here, on line five of the track, laying on the ground was Rainbow.

“Shit! Thanks Ta…” I looked back at my arms and Tank was gone as if he was never there. “… Rainbow!” Guess it was like back in Fluttershy’s mind. I ran down to the track and the closer I got the more I could hear a slightly muffled crying. “Rainbow?”

All I could hear come from her, other than muffled crying was “Why” .

“Rainbow?”

“Why… WHY!”

“Rainbow what’s…”

“WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!”

“Rainbow!” I pulled her off the ground and was met with a pair bloodshot eyes. “Rainbow what is going on?!”

“Su…Su… Sunset!” Rainbow grabbed me into, yet another rib crushing hug. Seriously, I’m gonna need my mental rib cage fixed after this! “Sh… she’s gg… gone.”

“Wha? Who’s gone?”

“S….Sssss… Sonic.”

Rainbow’s worst fear is Sonic leaving her. I wrapped my arms around Rainbow and gave her my most sincere hug back. “It’s okay Rainbow, its just a nightmare.”

My head jumped up when the sound of a snort him my ear drums. Across from where Rainbow and I were standing was, Sonic? No, not Sonic this girl has red hair Sonic’s is white. She lifted her hand up and Rainbow vanished into thin air.

“Rainbow! Where is she?!”

“Well then I wouldn’t be doing my job any good if I told you now would I?”

“Who and what are you?”

“Isn’t it obvious I’m Soni… *psst*, I’m sorry I just can’t. Names Depression.”

“Depression, like in…”

“Yes that thing that does all those bad things to a person. I unlike other emotions am strong, the last body I was in they dosed that guy with more meds than I even care to count to keep me under control.”

“So what are you the queen of negative emotions?”

“Oh I like that, I might just use that. Well if I had more time.”

“More time?”

“I’m sure you saw her physical state out in the physical world right, she’s breaking down. When that woman poured all of her negativity and magic into me I discovered so many new possibilities. Normally when I try and kill someone I have to do it slowly and warp their mind so they kill themselves but now.”

“You’re not going to lay a finger on Rainbow, got it!”

“I don’t have to dear, her body is going to do it for me. I’ve pumped all of Rainbow’s negative emotions with this magic and they’ve been put into overtime, all that negativity is causing her body to pump adrenaline into her veins, into her heart and then soon that thumping in her chest will turn into a pop.”

“You sick little!”

“Insults get you nowhere dear.”

“Doesn’t matter, Rainbow’s an athlete and from the amount of missing time she and Sonic make her heart is used to being overworked!”

“Normally I would agree. Her memories have proven that much but with all this negativity in her mind and my just being here and alterations of her memories she’ll give up on her own.”

“NO!” Depression looked unimpressed. “Rainbow is not a quitter, she won’t give up! There’s only one person Rainbow’s never beat, but she never lost to her either and those two have a happy future together and I’m not going to let you ruin it!”

It felt like my body was on fire when I finished. Wait a minute I am on fire… I’M ON FIRE?! I started to pat myself but I noticed the fire didn’t hurt, wasn’t even lukewarm.

“Tha… That’s impossible.” Depression stuttered. “This isn’t your mind you can’t have power here.”

Now I was smiling. “Normally yes but you forget, you’ve seen Rainbow’s memories you know she has magic in her as well. Well guess what so do I!”

I Ran with all the speed and might I had and gave Depression one hard punch right across her cheek. She fall to the ground with a burn mark of my knuckles on her cheek, it sparked then caught fire; engulfing her body in seconds.

“Nooo! This can’t be happening!”

“It is that’s life!”

“You can’t! Please I don’t want to die!” Depression started to pat and roll around to try put out the fire. It didn’t do anything.

“Then you should have thought about that before you tried to kill my friend!”

“But you’re not a murderer! I’ve seen her memories!”

“You’re not a person, it doesn’t count.” Depression gave one last scream of pain before she became nothing but a smoking pile of ash. I calmed down and the fire around my body went away. I felt a poke at my foot and Tank was there. “Where did you go?”

He pointed his head over to the other side of the track. Rainbow was sitting there in a fetal position. “Thanks ta…” When I looked back down he was gone again. I didn’t think about it, I just walked over to Rainbow.

I barely touched her shoulder and she looked at me. “S… Sunset?”

“Hey.” I kneeled down to meet her at eye level. “Bad dream?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to wake you up.” I took a breath and sang.

In this world so old we have a common goal.
We wish to find someone to whom we can hold.
And on that fateful day you found the one that can hold you too.
Never again have you two felt alone since that day.

Every time you had the chance you’ve spent it together.
Always wishing that you two could hold each other forever.
When the day is set and done the both of you have won,
The hearts of your true love.
And that’s all that matters for you to make this old world new.

Rainbow gave me another hug, a much gentler one than before. Everything turned white.

* * *

When light came back to my eyes I was with Rainbow in the room but the others were gone.

“Girls?”

I got up and started walking towards the door.

“Sunset.” I turned and saw Rainbow with bloodshot eyes, dried tears on her cheeks, and dry drool on her chin. “Don’t let anyone know I was crying in there alright?”

“Don’t worry you were already crying in your sleep when we got here.”

“Damnit.”

Author's Note

For anyone wondering I left Rainbow for last on purpose cause I wanted this to be my best one. Honestly I think I can do better but It's been two or more weeks since my last update so I hurried up and finished. Hope you enjoy.

Lost Little Girl

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash; they are the six amazing people I am proud to call my friends, I’d even go as far as to call them family.

If you looked at us all now it’s hard to believe that a little over ten years ago I could have cared less about them. Back then I was worse than any kind of high school bully out there, to put it shortly I was a major bitch. When I first arrived from my world to this one (My world being made of magical techno colored ponies and other impossible creatures) I discovered that this world's disharmony and cruelty matched, possibly surpassed my own at the time and what did I do? I became even worse.

Within a few short years I ruled over my little corner of this cruel world with fear as my weapon and trickery as my crown. I even turned five of my now six friends against each other. I was a monster. Then all that changed, my sixth and final friend came and undid all my cruelty and wrong doings. And when I was thrown off of my seat of wrongful power she did the unthinkable. She forgave me.

Within the hand she gave out to me was more than just forgiveness, it held hope for redemption and friendship. I’ve lived up to her gift of a second chance and now because of her I’m a whole new person, the bitch I was is as dead as a doornail and a new Sunset Shimmer has taken the wheel. And now I’m helping my friends with a new/old problem, also from my old world. I’ve freed the last of my friends from the spells they were under, well two of them had slightly different matters but still they’re awake. Now where the heck are the rest of them?!

I exited the room and the first thing I noticed was that all the other doors were shut. Please tell me I don’t have to go through this again!

I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Sunset!” I nearly jumped through the roof, once I registered that it was Pinkie’s voice my heart returned to a normal pace. I turned around and the others where there as well.

“Pinkie I nearly had a heart attack… granted poor choice of words since, well, long story. Anyway what happened?”

“Well darling,” Rarity started. “those brutes passed up and down the halls for a while and eventually we decided to handle it before you and Rainbow woke up.”

“Took some timing and luck but we managed to wrangle them all up and lock them in the rooms.” Applejack finished for Rarity. “We’re gonna have to come back later to get them out when we take care of Adagio but they should be safe.”

“Well does anyone know how to get to Adagio?”

“Here.” Twilight handed me a folded piece of paper. “Turns out the entrance isn’t that far from here, I found that in the desk it’s a map.”

A map!? I unfolded the paper and Twilight was right, it was a map of the entire building with details on what each section of the building specialized in and all the doctors offices. “Alright then if I were Adagio what doctors’ office would I be in?” I scanned the map and my eyes fell upon one room that was larger than the rest, it wasn’t a patient room of doctors’ office it was a security room. “This room would make the most sense.” I showed the others and they all agreed.

“Well then.” I turned and saw Rainbow standing behind me. Her face was clean of dry tears and drool but some parts of her eyes were still red. “Like the old song goes, ‘lets go fuck up the police’!”

“I thought it was ‘fu…’.’ Rarity covered Pinkie’s mouth.

“We know the song deary and please don’t, not only is it unpleasant but it’s well past its prime.”

“All that aside I need to ask. Twilight, was the computer at the receptionist desk still logged into the system?”

“Uh, I think so, why?”

I bolted down the hall and into the entrance of the area of the building without a second thought. I made a promises to Misfortune to find Berry Berry and I’ll be damned if I leave a little girl in this hell! I jumped into the chair and almost fell out but I fixed myself and twilight was right, the computer was still logged in. I opened up the file labeled ‘patient manifest’ and scrolled through all the ‘B’s’

“Sunset!” I looked up and saw Rainbow giving me a mixed glare of anger and confusion. “What was that about?!”

“Long story short there’s a five year old girl who I have to find.”

“… say what now?”

I looked back up and saw that the others had just arrived. “Look before I woke up Rarity I had a talk with the emotion torturing her. She said she came from a five year old girl who was committed into this hell hole for, I don’t know borderline depression I guess and I promised I would check on her.”

“What makes you think she was telling the truth?” Rainbow stated, crossing her arms.

“I… I don’t know if I had to put it on anything it was the way she spoke about her, you can’t lie and sound so concerned for someone unless it was true.”

“So what we’re goanna risk our necks for a kid that may or may not be here?”

“Why do you think I’m checking the manifests for? If Berry Berry is a real person she should have a file.” I looked back at the computer and there it was, Berry Berry’s file. “Found it!” I looked back up and saw Rainbow’s eyes widen in surprise.

When I clicked on it I immediately felt a pinch in my heart. The first thing to come up was a head-shot, she looked like the definition of misery. Her hair was jet black, cut short to her shoulders and her skin was a pale brown, like a corpse. I almost turned away at the next pictures as I scrolled down, they were pictures of her arms all littered with scars of deep cuts from some time ago. After scrolling down some I found the area of the asylum she was in, B-8, Suicide recovery.

“Sunset?” I looked back up to Rainbow Dash and she was pointing at my face, I had been crying.

I wiped the tears away and turned off the computer. “We’re finding Berry Berry and helping her.” The others gave nervous nodes, I didn’t blame them.

Section B-8 was on the other side of the building and furthest away from the security office where Adagio should be but at the moment I didn’t care, the only thing on my mind was find Berry Berry and then… I wasn’t sure but I was going to do something.

Halfway there static burst through our ear tag speakers. “How in the… Ouuuch, did you get there?”

“What’s the matter, got a headache?”

“Don’t toy with me!... Ouuuch. You may have escaped once but the group I’ve sent your way have tranquilizer guns, and this time I’m putting you under a spell as well.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Whatever, also Aria and Sonata have been dealt with, can’t believe they betrayed me.”

“What did you do to them!?”

“I put them under a sleeping spell, once they’ve gotten their pendants back they’ll be their old selves again.”

“They are their old selves you idiot! It’s those pendants that changed them!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up! You know nothing about pain, betrayal, torment and having those you trusted keeping secrets from you!”

“I have and only two kinds of people go through that; ignorant and impatient bastards, or people with a horrible past. Which are you?!”

The audio cut in another burst of static. The rest of the walk to B-8 was quiet, not even Pinkie dared to speak. We stopped at the turn into B-8 because those guards of Adagio’s where at the main door, two of them. Of all the places.

“Alright,” I whispered below my breath. “we need a plan. If those guards see us we won’t be getting out of it a second time.”

“What then? As long as they have those tranq-guns we’re pretty much screwed.” Rainbow said.

“Well…” Twilight started. “Maybe if Adagio could sing and put them under those spells then perhaps Sunset can sing and get them out of it.”

“That could work.” Rarity said.

“Yeah is should but I can’t think up new songs off the top of my head, I had a hard enough time thinking up the ones I used on you girls.” I replied. I may help with the songs for the stage but Rainbow and Fluttershy usually have over half of it done.

“Well what about something simple?” Applejack said.

“Like what?”

“Like a poem or a lullaby.”

"Like the one you sang to wake me up.” Twilight said.

“That might work but that lullaby my mom sang it to me to keep nightmares away, theses guys are hypnotized; I don’t see how a song about keeping nightmares away will get them to stop.”

“Then we’ll just have to think up one.” Rainbow said.

“Alright then, it’s better than nothing.”

We all spoke in quiet whispers deciding in lyrics for this lullaby, we decided to go with something that sounds more like it’s meant to wake you up rather than put you to sleep. Might snap the guards free. Ten of so minutes later we had our wake up lullaby, Free Will, we called it. Wonder where that came from…?

“Alright then here goes nothing.” I swallowed hard and gripped Sonata’s pendant tightly. I was just around the corner from the entrance and out of the guards rang of sight.

Screaming, shouting, crying, none can hear you.
Chains so heavy and beings so mean they keep you broken.
This is not me. This is not me.
Wake me up and set me free, spread my wings so I can feel the breeze.
Touch the sky and see the sun, and feel the cool of the nights moon.
Wake me up so I can be me. Wake me up so I can be free.

I peeked my head around the corner and the guards’ eyes looked normal and they were all shaking their heads.

“What happened?” I heard one say. Holy crap it worked!

I signaled the others and we walked out from the corner and over to the guards. “Good you’re awake.” I spoke.

“Wha… what happened? Who are you, visitors?”

“Yes and no, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“One… one of the parents broke out of her room and B-lined it over to the security office, I was at the door then, then I heard this singing and I blacked out.”

“Same here.” The other two spoke in unison.

“Makes sense. Listen There is a lot I need to tell you two about but first there’s a little girl in this wing I need to see.”

“Little girl… Oh Berry Berry.”

“Yes that’s her, how far down in the hall is she!?”

“The tenth door on the right.”

With that I bolted past the now free guards and counted the doors, on the right. Seven, eight, nine, ten! I looked in through a small window the door had and I saw her, she looked just like the picture on the computer, but less sad, not happy either more like confused. I opened the door and she turned her head and looked straight at me.

“Who are you?” Berry asked.

“Umm, that’s a long story. But you can just call me Sunset.”

“Sunset… alright.”

“Umm, how are you feeling?”

“I’m not sure, I usually feel miserable but then this lady started singing on the speakers and then I fell asleep and when I woke up I didn’t feel miserable anymore.”

“When did you wake up?”

A few day’s ago, the adults have been giving my food and water but they wouldn’t let me out of my room, glade it has a toilet.”

“Why did you feel so miserable?”

“My mom died, I never met my dad and I didn’t have any aunts, uncles, or grandparents. They told me that none of the orphanages could take me so they put me here, said it gives me a place to live and a place to heal.”

I felt like crying, just five years old and she’s been through hell. I sat next to her on the bed and wrapped one arm around her. When I looked back at her I saw the cuts on her arm, they were more faded than the ones on the pictures but still visible.

“Where did those come from?”

Berry Berry looked at her cuts. “One day when I was feeling really bad I said’ I just want it to stop’ out loud and one of the adults that live here came up to me, he said ‘if you want it to stop then cut your arms deep enough, and don’t stop at one cut keep doing it until your arms soaked. I managed to sneak some of the scissors the adults have in their offices into my room and started cutting.

“After a while someone checked up on my and saw the cuts and the blood then called for some others, I can’t remember what happened next but when I woke up they said this was my new room now.”

I pulled Berry into a tight hug. “It’s alright, you don’t feel sad anymore right?”

“Yeah, it’s weird but kinda nice.”

“Well then you won’t be sad anymore, I promise.”

I got up and held Berry Berry’s hand and walked out, when I looked up the others finally caught up. When they saw Berry Berry at first they looked surprised, followed by sadness, then ending with compassionate smiles.

“Hi there!” Pinkie said, jumping from the back of the group. “I’m Pinkie Pie and I take it you’re Berry Berry?”

“Yes.” Berry replied, a slight hint of fear in her tone of voice.

“Well you look like a girl who likes cake and cupcakes, am I right?”

“Yes!” Berry shouted with delight. Guess you promise a kid sweets and you can win them over.

“Well when we get out of this place I’ll bake you some, okay?”

“Okay.” Berry said with a smile on her face. I don’t know how Pinkie does it but she does it.

I broke a small smile myself and kneeled down to Berry’s level. “Berry would you like to play with Pinkie Pie for a bit while I talk with my friends?”

“Alright, waaooohh!?” Pinkie picked Berry Berry up and had her sitting on her shoulders and Pinkie ran down the hall, Berry laughing the whole way down. I gave a heavy sigh and turned back to the others. “Now this is the sad part.”

I told what Berry told me to the others, everyone looked like they were biting back tears.

“So she’s an orphan.” Rainbow said.

“Yeah, I just don’t know what to do next. I promised both Misfortune and Berry that they won’t be sad anymore but I don’t know how I’m gonna keep it.”

“Its simple, you don’t.”

I looked back at Rainbow, eyes in rage. “What the heck Rain…”

“Ta, ta, ta,” Rainbow said while waving her index finger at me. “I said you don’t keep the promise, I will.”

I think my, and everyone else’s, jaw hit the floor. “Say what now?”

“Look in all honesty after we finished up here and at the end of the concert I was planning on proposing to Sonic, I already got the ring.” Rainbow pulled a beautiful emerald encrusted gold ring from her back pocket. I could vaguely make the engravings on the side, ‘You won’. “And during the past… two years we thought about what it would be like to have kids, what I’m saying is that immediately after we finish up this mess, and after Sonic and I get hitched we can adopt Berry Berry.”

I was completely speechless. Rainbow the athletic, though, rock star is planning on being a mom! I looked around and everyone showed the same face of disbelief.

I shook my head furiously before speaking. “But wait why not adopt her before you get hitched?”

“Law anywhere states that only a married couple can adopt a child, but when Sonic and I were talking about the subject a while ago we realized that most states require the couple to have been married at least a year before they can adopt. But in other states, D.C. included if the couple has a proper home and adequate living conditions for the child then they can adopt at any time.”

“… You out a lot of research into this haven’t you?”

“Well yeah. I was thinking after I propose to Sonic I’ll fill her in on the situation then we bolt to the nearest court house, seal the deal then adopt Berry.”

“One problem there sugarcube,” Applejack said. “didn’t ya’ll just say that ya’ll needed a home for the young’en?”

Rainbow scratched the back of her head giving a nervous smile. “Well that’s the thing, before we left home for our first tour Sonic had already moved in with me.”

“That was fast, I mean you said you two met before graduation then about seven months later we left on our first tour.”

“Yeah, it was three months before our first tour when we moved in together. When we were first going on tour Sonic made up her mind and joined the stage crew so we could still be together, as for the house when we’re not there I have my dad look over it and every time we’ve gotten back from a tour we usually redecorate a bit and since we started talking about kids we’ve been fixing up a room, its only got a bed, dresser, and computer desk in it but it’s a start.”

“Well what will Sonic think about this sudden family you’re starting?” Rarity asked.

“Actually she’s been checking out orphanages and… sperm banks.”

There was an awkward silence among us, even Rainbow was a little hot in blush.

“Anyway,” I said, breaking the silence. “There is still one major problem, we can’t take Berry with us to face Adagio. But we can’t leave her here alone, someone is going to have to stay and watch her, and since you’ve offered I think you should do it Rainbow.”

I could see Rainbow’s teen grinding behind her lips, her eyes read that I was right though. “As much as I’d rather be up there knocking out all of Adagio’s teeth for what she did to us… I do plan on becoming Berry’s new mom so I guess it’s best I stay and bond with her.”

“Then it’s settled, and don’t worry Rainbow when all’s said and done I’ll let you have a few hits at Adagio when she’s dethroned.”

“Just make sure Berry’s not watching, don’t want her to know how violent her new mom can be.”

“Well technically one of her new moms.” Pinkie said, appearing out of nowhere with Berry still riding her shoulders.

“I’m gonna have two moms!” Berry yelled, jumping off of Pinkie’s shoulders and into Rainbow’s arms. “I’m gonna have a family again!”

Rainbow just held Berry, a small tear coming out of her eye. “Yeah kid, our family.”

Author's Note

I feel like this one is the saddest thing I've ever written but at least it ends happy.

Also finished after watching the MLP 100th episode, such epicness! :flutterrage:

Encore

We left Berry in Rainbow Dash’s care as she angerly volunteered to. I know that in the front of her mind she wants to knock out all of Adagio’s teeth but a new daughter and family managed to calm her fire. The rest of us had to make a major U-turn to get to the direction of the security office. We almost ran into a few of Adagio’s search parties but with a little stealth and our new wake up song it was rather easy.

I caught myself thinking about Berry and Dash several times while walking. I couldn’t tell if I was happy of nervous for them. On one hand Berry Berry is going to have a family again, on the other Rainbow Dash is going to be one of the mothers. I know it may seem rude but in all honesty who doesn’t have that one friend that when they become a parent you think back to how you acted together when you were younger and start fearing for the kid and your friend.

It’s too early for me to judge Sonic but she seemed nice enough so I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt.

I looked up at the clock, 8:15 PM, It’s getting late. We started approaching a pair of doors that were labeled ‘Identity Ward’ this is also where the security room is located. I wonder if this is the ward Adagio was placed in? Should have checked the manifest when we made that U-turn. I opened the doors a crack and the other side was clear, but I’m not saying it’s safe either. If Adagio is in the security office then she’s been watching our progress this whole time and knows we’re at her doorstep.

“Alright girls,” I whispered. “We need to keep our guards up, if Adagio is in the security office I wouldn’t find it hard to believe she’s got an ambush waiting for us.”

“Well if that’s the case then how are we going to go about this?” Rarity asked.

The doors behind us opened and Adagio stood there with a grin on her face. “Like civilized people. Do come in, I’ve got snacks.”

My mind drew a blank at what just happened. “So, what are you going to do with us?”

“Nothing… yet. Please come.”

Adagio walked down the hall and we followed, thirteen doors down we arrived at the security office. It was bigger than how the map had it, the room looks like it was meant for ten people to be in. Tied up in chairs were Aria and Sonata, sleeping. Adagio sat in a chair in front of a desk with dozens of monitors showing different parts of the building.

“Don’t be shy, sit.” She motioned towards a group of chairs across from her. We all took a nervous seat. “Now then, let me see.”

“See what?” I replied

“Don’t play dumb, I saw you use Sonata’s pendant on the monitors, let me see.”

I was grinding my teeth as I pulled it out. Adagio looked at with with fascination. It was odd considering she has her own around her neck right now. She started to reach out to grab it but I gripped it in my palm and pulled back.

“You only wanted to see it, remember?” I replied, with a hint of anger in my voice.

Adagio chuckled. “Smart girl. I’m not going to lie it took us over a thousand years; five hundred in Equestria and about six hundred here for us to fully figure out how to use them right and you Sunset, figure it out in just a few hours.”

“I’m a quick learner.”

“So it seems. Tell me, what did you do to the emotions I placed in your friends? Did you capture them?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

“Well whatever it was you did they’re no longer active so that means you either captured them or killed them. Besides the point so now it’s just you seven… no six? Where’s the loud mouth?”

“Rainbow,” Applejack said with rage. “Is watching over someone, we still outnumber you without her.”

“Maybe so but this facility is still under my control and has been for the past four years. So I outnumber you.”

Four years? “But Sonata said that her pendant and that letter came three years ago.”

“Yes, well I made an error after fixing my pendant.”

“Being?”

“I put everyone in this place under my control in one go. Turns out the pendants are like an empty mind, a blank continuous if you will. No personality or thought going through them but they can store so much information, better than a computer and far more reliable than the human and Equine mind. Memories, experiences, emotions, all of it can be stored in these little stones.” Sonata rubber her pendant.

“What about the negative energy then?”

“Even a mindless body requires food. It’s how they are able to keep all of their baggage in check.”

“And this singing activating spells?”

“You can blame our shared Equestrian heritage on that one dear. Despite all the different races, cultures, and species everything on Equestria can sing, and sing good most of the time.”

“Then explain your horrid voices after the battle of the bands.” Rarity said.

“They use our voices to activate spells that we write into music, the pendants and our voices were so closely tied that when you destroyed them it killed our singing voices.”

“You have something up your sleeve don’t you?” Twilight spoke. “No one it this comfortable around an enemy unless they have an ace up their sleeve.” I felt shocked when I heard Twilight say that, mostly because she had to be right.

“Yes, my ‘ace’ in an encore. But as a solo act this time, same goes for you Sunset. Your friends may have started that counterspell ten years ago but your voice helped activate it. This time it will just be the two of us.”

“But!... Why me?!”

“Didn’t you hear me? Your voice activated the counterspell you used against us ten years ago so your voice against mine in a long awaited encore.”

I haven’t really sung any real songs in like eight years! The little bit of practice I’ve had isn’t enough to go against her! “What are you going at with this?”

“Simple,” Adagio walked over to a desk in the back corner of the room, she came back holding the third pendant, Aria’s pendant. “Our stage will be within Aria’s pendant, our audience will be all the emotions we have stored in them. The emotions will fight and our songs will give them strength, the side that loses mind will become a permanent resident in the winners pendant.”

“That’s horrible!” Pinkie yelled out.

“If it helps I will only pull out the number of emotions Sunset Shimmer has, if she has any.”

“I’ll have you know I have one for sure… two maybe, but...”

“Then two emotions against each other it is.” Adagio placed out her hand with Aria’s pendant in it for a handshake, her other hand was gripping her pendant tightly. “Shall we start this battle duet?”

I looked back over to the others. This had completely caught everyone off guard, they were all as nervous as I was; if that’s possible.

“Sunset,” Twilight spoke, breaking the silence. “You can do this.”

I felt a burst of confidence flow over me as the others started adding to that. I gripped Sonata’s pendant and grabbed Adagio’s hand tight. “Let’s sta…” All went black.

* * *

When I woke up I was laying on a hard red crystal like floor. Am I in Aria’s pendant? I got up and gave a look around, on the other side of the landscape Adagio stood, looking impatient.

“Took you long enough.”

“I’m new at this.”

“Obviously.” Adagio’s pendant glowed with a crimson red as two green myst trails came out and formed bodied in front of her. “Meet Rage, and Envy, now then which emotions do you have?” Rage looked like something out of a comic book, all red and ridiculously muscular. Envy had hair that could put a porcupine to shame and was oozing a green slime.

“I, uh…” I looked at Sonata’s pendant, still in my hand. “Uhhh, can anyone please come out.” Adagio gave a snort that was quickly silenced at the sight of green mist coming out of Sonata’s pendant. Within a few seconds negative Pinkie came out, she looked battle ready.

“How!?” Adagio yelled. “How did you get a fuzed emotion!? I’ve been trying to find and/or make one for centuries and you pop one out like that!”

“Yeah… Dumb luck I guess.” Adagio did not look amused.

“What ever, just bring out your last emotions so we can start this fight.”

“Yeah but that’s the…” I was cut off when Sonata’s pendant started shaking violently. Seriously it was like an earthquake in my hand! I dropped in and I saw a little yellow finger make its way out, followed by a hand, then an arm. Gulp.

In a couple of seconds Psycoshy was out, and looking even more evil than before. Her pink hair became white and her skin had black lines like a circuit board tattoo. Before I could react chains came from Sonata’s pendant and wrapped themselves around Psycoshy’s wrists, neck, waist, and ankles. She was free but on a leash. Her eyes opened and they glowed a crimson red, adding to her already frightening presence.

“Okay now you’re bullshitting me!” Adagio yelled out. “That isn’t even an emotion, that’s a consciousness!” Adagio looked rather jealous. “How did you even get that person in the pendant!”

I pointed over to negative Pinkie. “All her work, not mine. By the way, what happened to her?”

“Apparently a consciousness has a different reaction to being placed into those things than emotions do.” Pinkie answered. “When I woke up in the pendant after dragging her in there she was in those exact same chains, unconscious.”

“Real funny.”

“I did come from Pinkie Pie.”

“Enough!” Adagio shouted, startling even her own two emotions. “A consciousness, and a fuzed emotion, this is an unfair fight! I should have eighty emotions just for the consciousness alone!”

“I… uh, well.”

“Do your worst.” Psycoshy said. Oh shit she’s awake! “These chains prevent me from killing Sunset Bitch over there, same for the pink one but I don’t think they’ll mind if I satisfy my blood lust with the screams of your army.”

I felt both a sub-zero chill run down my spine and a calming relief all at once. On the downside she still wants to kill me, upside looks like those chains are keeping her from doing so. I looked over to Adagio and she looked a little nervous. Don’t blame her, I’ve got the evil psychotic killing machine on my side and I’m scared shitless of her.

Adagio regained composure. “Very well then, have it your way.” At the snap of her fingers a flood of green mist flowed from her pendant, all forming bodies of emotions behind her. I couldn’t see the end of them. “Let the encore begin. Where was your love when it all burned down.”

With that first line all of her emotions charged, and Psycoshy laughed as her signature chainsaw came out of nowhere, again, and she ran towards them.

“Better start singing Sunset.” Pinkie said, charging alongside Psycoshy.

Alright then, time to end this. “Where were you when your home turned ash.”

“Where were you when your heart burned out.”

“Where were you when it all burned down.”

“Why did you let it all burn down!” I caught a glance a Psycoshy, looking like a blood soaked kid in a candy store. Pinkie was starting to glow with a grey aura as she punched and kicked the Adagio’s army of emotions.

“Where were they when my heart bleed out.”

“You left them all to burn like fire.”

“Let them burn, let them burn.”

“Will you fight till it all burns down.”

“Will you stand while I burn it down.”

“Will you hide when it’s all burned down.”

“Just let it all burn down!” That time Adagio’s voice let out a shockwave that shook the whole place for a good ten seconds. Pinkie and Psyco were still holding up strong.

“Who will you love when it all burns down.”

“I won’t love when they’ve all burned down.”

“How long can you stand that pain.”

“Let it burn, let them burn.”

“How long will you play this game.”

“How long until you fight or walk away.”

“I will fight and never walk away.”

“Then watch this city burn. This world is just a broken promise. They will all burn like fire. Let them all burn down.” Another shock wave went through the battlefield, only this time Adagio’s army seemed to have gotten stronger.

“Can you stand that pain. How long will you hide your face. These passions that your smoldering. Will you just let them all burn down!”

“Hide your face. You’ve never even felt true pain! You can’t ever match what I feel. So be afraid.”

“I won’t let you burn like fire. Your friends need you there. How long will you let this burn like fire. Just let it all burn to ashes. Will you just let it all burn away.” I held out my hand and saw that like in Rainbows mind I was on fire again. Just like before it didn’t burn, nor did I fear it. I embraced it this time. Adagio became speechless. In all honesty so am I. I started rising above the battlefield and moved forward until I was right in front of Adagio. Dream logic you can be on fire and fly. “Please don’t play this game any longer. The world's not a broken promise. So walk away and let your fears burn like fire. Let them all burn to ash now.”

There was an impregnable pause as Adagio and I stared at eachother. I was holding out my hand with a welcoming smile. Adagio looked scared and angry all at once, she didn’t physically show it but her eyes said it all. “..N… Never!” Adagio screamed out and the whole landscape shook. “I CAN’T GO BACK! I CAN NEVER BE WHO I WAS!!” Tears ran down Adagio’s face. “NEVER!!!”

Just then I took the oddest thing into notice, the battle behind us was quiet. When I turned to check all of Adagio’s emotions she summoned were behind us, each with a demonic smile. They started moving towards us, actually towards Adagio they weren’t even paying attention to me.

“Stay back! I control you!” Adagio screamed out at them but they didn’t seem to respond.

Rage, the first one she brought out emerged from the crowd and stood in front of Adagio. “You’re broken. You control nothing.” Rage’s voice was as menacing as his looks. He picked up Adagio with one hand. One hand! With the other he ripped her pendant right off her neck. Thank goodness it’s on a thin cloth necklace. Rage looked at it then tossed it to me.

I caught it as gave him a confused look. “Wha?”

“Like you sang. “Let them all burn to ash.””

“What!?” Adagio and I yelled in unison.

“But, but..”

“You idiots!” Adagio screamed. “If she destroys them then you’ll disappear! Do you want to die!”

“We know.” Envy said as he emerged from the horde. “And we will accept whatever death will give us; Heaven, Hell or Oblivion we will happily accept.”

“But why!” I barked. “You’re all part of someone! Why do you want to die?!”

Envy and Rage’s faces turned sorrowful.

“We’ve done nothing to our bodies and minds but cause them pain. We are too strong, too powerful to even be there. And now with what she’s done there is no hope for us.” Envy’s face looked so sad, all of them looked sad. “This is our last and only request, please burn us till only ash remains.”

“You fools!” Adagio’s bark caught everyone's attention. “If she burns all of you the energy the pendants share will disappear! And the pendants will fall apart!”

All the energy of these emotions are shared between the pendants? How…

“Miss.” Rage’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Will you do this, please.”

“I… uh…”

“Sunset.” I turned to see negative Pinkie with Psycoshy standing next to her, still in heavy chains. “We’re all okay with this, even Psycoshy.”

What!? “But isn’t it your dream to get out and kill me!?” I can’t believe I said that.

“Sunset… When Pinkie dragged me into the pendant I became bound to it. For me it’s the only body I’ll ever have. And every time someone does something like this or sings to cast a spell I’ll get used like a slave! I can’t explain how I know this but I just do. If I had to guess I’d say the pendant placed this info in me upon my imprisonment. I refuse to live as a slave, I’m more willing to accept death than an eternity of forced service.”

“I… I… Alright…” I was balling tears on the inside and outside tears were coming out, but nowhere near what I was holding in.

“NOOOOO!! Don’t!” I tried my best to block out Adagio’s screams.

I pressed the pendants against each other and concentrated. I started to feel them heat up.

“STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!” Adagio kept barking, still trapped by Rage’s oversized grip.

The heat the pendants gave off started to really and I mean really burn! I really hope I’m not melting these things in my hand.

“STOP IT! STOP IT! PLEASE DON’T! I CAN’T LIVE WITH THAT GUILT!” That caught my attention but is was too late, red ash fell between the cracks in my hands. As soon as the ash hit the floor the entire landscape erupted in flames.

Soon enough I started to white out. I was waking up. Before I lost all of my senses I heard Adagio curse me out one last time. “DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU SUNSET!”

Author's Note

Yeah this I fell isn't by best. The song was inspired by RED's Let It Burn. Link. I can honestly say I failed at making a parody of it. I do normally and have made original songs for this but my muse was off (And by that I mean lazy) cause of life issues. Still I hope you enjoy this chapter. ~~Spoilers only two chapters left~~ :raritycry:

Songs End

Ouch! That was the first thing that came to mind while waking up. Both my hands were burning. Did I burn the pendants from the inside out? My suspicion was proven right when I moved my hands and they ached worse than when the tour bus ran them over. (Don’t ask!)

I forced myself to push away the pain and get up. I was in one of the rooms the Asylum had. How did I get here? I pulled myself up and used the wall to walk. I really hope that was the last time I EVER need to do something like this… or similar. Thankfully the door was open and I limp walked out.

To my surprise I was stopped by a nurse. “Good you’re awake, but you shouldn’t be walking around like this.”

“Wha… Where are my friends?”

“In the rooms around yours. You’ve been out cold for almost ten hours.”

Ten hours!? “Are they alright!?”

“They’re fine. We’re more worried about you two though. You have third degree burns on your hands and Adagio has them on her neck.”

“So they did burn from the inside out.”

“Yeah. You’re talking about those pendants, right?”

“How do you know…”

She smiled and walked me back to the bed. “You’re friends informed everyone about what happened. Some took longer to fully understand and accept all that information but after we all checked on the patient's the doubters got second thoughts.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, just about every patient that came here for long term treatment no longer needed their treatments.”

“What?”

“It’s like after that spell thing broke all of their problems disappeared. It's a miracle really."

That makes some sense actually, I think every negative emotion from these people was in there with us. “What about Adagio?”

The nurse looked sad at the mention of her name. “Poor girl, I know she’s the one who was controlling us but when everyone was freed You both were unconscious. Adagio woke up just about two or three hours ago, she didn’t say anything but kept crying, muttering something about her guilt.”

“I heard her say something about guilt before we got out. Can I see her?”

“Later miss, you need rest.”

“I just woke up.”

The nurse laughed at my response. “That maybe the case but still, better safe than sorry.”

After she left I laid down on the bed and kept thinking. What guilt, the events from ten years ago? This whole mess? Something from her past? I closed my eyes and started to drift off. I gotta know.

* * *

When morning broke I was awakened by the familiar sound of my rib cage collapsing. Sonata, Arai, Berry Berry, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all jumped on me and squeezed out any and all relaxation and air my sleep had given me. Okay I’m gonna go see a doctor after this one.

“YEAY! Aunty Sunset beat the mean lady!” Berry shouted. Aunty? That was quick.

“Yeah… Air… Ribs… AIR!” Was all I could force out while under that group pile hug.

After they got off of me and proper air and blood circulation was established within my body I got down to business. “So… Has Adagio said anything or…?”

“No.” Aria said looking worried beyond belief. “Not even to us, especially us.” She placed a hand on Sonata’s shoulder.

“She won’t even look at us.” Sonata spoke through teary eyes.

“Then let me try.” Everyone gave me an odd look.

“Uhh, Sunset.” Rainbow spoke. “If she won't even talk to her friends then what makes you think she’ll talk to you?”

“Cause I beat her. Like an old saying I once heard “Honer after the battle.”

I walked out and found Adagio’s room. She was just staring out the window. She also had the door unlocked but didn’t seem to bother with running away. When I walked in she turned her eyes to look at me then looked back out the window.

“Adagio.” She turned her head this time and looked at me. “I know you’re not throwing this, this, self loathing cause you lost our battle. Now tell me, what did you mean by guilt? What are you guilty of?”

She gave a heavy sigh and spoke.

“The village Aria, Sonata and I came from was called Hua Village. You ever hear of it?”

“In some history books, yes. The whole place was burned to the ground by dragons from the Everfree.”

“It was a beautiful village. Ponies were kind, crimes were few, and resources were plenty. Some went as far as to say it was almost a small nation in itself. But every slice of heaven has its flaws, and in Hua Village that flaw was that if you didn’t have a cutie mark by the age of sixteen you’d be put into the lesser desired working classes. For mares it was prostitution, for colts it was the exploration team.”

“Exploration team?”

“I’m not sure about nowadays but back then most of Equestria was unexplored and dangerous. Exploration teams went out to do trade with other villages and look for land suitable for settling. Anyway we were fifteen at the time and panicking. Aria’s birthday was two months away, Sonata’s was next month, and mine was just three days away. Three fillies turning sixteen without cutie marks…”

“Aria told me about that part already, and Sonata filled in a few missing details.”

“Ah, they told you what they knew, not the whole truth though.” I saw a tears start to form in Adagio’s eyes. “After two days we figured the pendants were magic, and we saw the slight changes. Taking them off instantly reversed the physical changes so we figured we might be able to sell them for some bits. Then my birthday came.

“I was scared. My mother wasn’t what you’d call sane, her methods were questionable at best. That night after the ‘party’ my friends and some other village ponies threw me my mother confronted me. ‘Looks like you’re starting work tomorrow’ she said. She was a unicorn so being an earth pony I couldn't do anything when she held me down with her magic.

“Once I was restrained two ponies came into the room, one was a mare, the other a stallion.” Adagio was crying now. “I knew them! The mare was ‘co worker’ at the brothel house with my mom! The stallion was a regular there but he was good to me!” Tears now flooded from Adagio’s eyes. “And my mother just said that after the first two hours I’d get used to the feeling! She held me down and let them rape me for six hours!”

To my surprise Adagio threw herself onto me and hugged me. I hugged back. Her own mother held her down while ponies she knew raped her. I felt myself crying with her. “After it was finally over I ran, made up a quick lie to Aria and Sonata and we left Hua Village. After a day outside the village and in goddess knows where Aria and Sonata tried to cheer me up by singing, it was an old lullaby but it sorta helped. That’s when we noticed the animals in the aria acting odd, they started to fall asleep.

“That night when Aria and Sonata were fast asleep I ran back to the village, I walked through town singing that lullaby and any ponies awake in the streets dropped to the ground asleep. After I made sure everypony was asleep I...I...I set the village on fire!” My ears rang. She burned her home town, and everyone in it, alive. Part of me wanted to hold her closer, part of me wanted to push her away and call her a monster, and part of me didn’t know what to think.

Time seemed to have come to a standstill, nothing made a sound. Adagio and I didn’t move but she was still crying, she didn’t ,make any noise but I felt her tears run down onto my shoulder and back. My mind ran through every thought I could think of to try and think of something to say but it just stayed blank. Dammit think of something! Why can’t I think of something!? I started to cry, without making a sound my tears ran down.

“Adagio," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I don't think what you did could ever be fixed or forgotten. I can sorta understand why you did that but I think the pendants are only partly to blame. It was to early when you did that to be under that much of their effects. You were still you when you did that, that's why you feel so guilty about it. You needed the pendants not for their powers but because when they changed you it dulled, maybe even removed that guilty heart ache, right?"

"... Yeah..."

"... Did you cry after it was done?"

"I cried while I was doing it."

"Does Sonata and Aria know?"

"Who do you think started that story about the dragon attack. I spent that whole night crying that I hadn't realized it was morning, Aria and Sonata found me and asked what happened. I told them a dragon was attacking when I got there. We spent the rest of that day burying everypony."

I felt a smile break across my face. She cried while and after it happened, and helped bury them. Added with this endless guilt she's been feeling since then, Adagio's not evil or a monster cause something that's evil or a monster doesn't feel this horrible after the deed's done.

"A person might have done unspeakable, horrible things in their past but that doesn't tell you everything about the person. Your past doesn't define you, the present does. And I think it's time people got to know the real Adagio."

When I pulled her off and looked at her, her face was red with blush, eyes were bloodshot from the crying, and snot was running down her nose but she was smiling, it was a small smile but a smile nonetheless. For some reason that image registered as cute in my brain. The heck brain?

"Do you think I can get over it?"

"No, you know why?" She looked sad again and shook her head. "Because a person never gets over something like that, believe me I have some experience in that area." I never killed anyone... well I guess Psycoshy can count but that was her choice. I sighed. Guess I can add that to my list of bad things I've done, in the end she proved that despite her plans for reality she was kinda a person... kinda.

"Sunset," Adagio said, snapping me out of my thought. "I'm not sure how to..."

"Don't worry, you've still got two lifelong friends waiting for you in this building and a new one right here."

"Make that seven new friends." Adagio and I turned to find Rainbow and everyone else at the doorway.

"How long have...?"

"The whole time." Rainbow said plainly and moved over so Aria and Sonata could walk into the room.

They both had mixed looks.

"Adagio why didn't you tell the truth back then? This whole thing could have been avoided if you just told the truth!" Aria barked.

"... Because you two kept me happy. I was conceived, born and raised in that brothel house and then I was gonna be forced to work there. You two were the only ponies that kept me from ending it. I lied to get you two to run away with me because I knew I'd go mad without you! I just couldn't make it on my own. I was scared."

***

Four days past, every minute of those days had enough tension floating around to cut with a knife. After the concert we took an early break from the rest of our tour and headed home. Before we left Washington though we attended the wedding of Sonic Boom and Rainbow Dash.

Seeing those two at their happiest moment was beyond picture perfect. It was made especially interesting when all of our fans in Washington broke into the courtroom and attempted to photobomb the wedding pictures. Crazy story short after vows were said and the brides kissed we bolted.

There was one photo taken at that wedding, a photo of two newly weds and their adopted daughter.

Sadly that seemed to be the only highlight of those days, Aria, Sonata and Adagio stayed with us till they could get home. None of them spoke, at least not when we were in the room. I couldn't tell if they just weren’t talking or if Arai and Sonata flat up shutout Adagio. I get how bad what she did was and that there’s no real defence for her actions. I caught myself wondering if going after them to restore their friendship was a good idea, cause I think I might have completely destroyed it.

After we dropped Sonata off back in Boston and picked up Silver Dust I received an answer. They were just gonna leave it in the past and burry it. I managed to talk to them when we dropped Sonata off at her home.

“We’ve made it clear we’re not forgiving Adagio for murdering our home town, but all those years of friendship before and after the pendants… they’re worth a blind eye.” Aria told me that when we rested at Sonata’s place.

When we got back to our home and dropped of Aria and Silver it hit me that Adagio doesn’t have a place to live here. Luckily Twilight was staying with Applejack this time so Adagio moved in with me. I didn’t really mind, my place was meant for two and I’ve only ever used that other bedroom for storage. I put out my old inflatable (and dusty as hell) mattress and Adagio went to bed early.

In all honesty it felt weird sleeping in my old bed again, I’ve gotten so used to hotels and the staff R.V. (which I now regret resting in now knowing what Rainbow and Sonic have been doing in there for the last ten years) I just feel… sentimental I guess. This was the first place I called home when I came to this world. Even after I changed this place has only ever had me in it, yeah the girls have spent the nights here before but I’ve always been alone in my home, now Adagio’s living with me and this place feels… Alive is the best way to put it.

I just hope things will get better for her. I wonder, now that her past is staying there, and ‘buried’ from what and how her future treat her. I can only wonder.

Author's Note

I Put one Anime reference in this and I want to know who can guess what Hua means in English.

I will be adding an extra chapter after the next one that will tell about some things that happened to our characters. (Such as Sonata meeting Red Atom, Rainbow dating Sonic, Sonic's adventures to orphanages and sperm banks, etc)

As an added bonus If you wish PM or comment the name of your OC or if you want just your Fimfiction name and I will try to mention you within the last two chapters.

Five Years Later

Five years ago I was the manager for north America's hottest rock band the Rainbooms. Five years ago we found some people from our past and helped make things better... after some time had passed. It took almost two years before Aria, Sonata, and Adagio could all talk together without an awkward pause hanging around for half an hour. In the end... well two years after the end it all worked out, and I got a roommate out of it... “take that however you want” as they say.

The Rainbooms only lasted one month before we all officially retired. We also set a record for youngest retired artists.

Twilight still visits on a weekly basis, apparently after forming a friendship with a yak prince most of Equestria's diplomatic issues started to settle. Who know yak diplomats were so good. Haven't they been in complete isolation up passed the crystal mountains? Besides the point we've been keeping in touch.

Rainbow and Sonic... I mean, Rainbow, Sonic, and Berry Berry all moved into Rainbow's childhood home. The three have become the best family and they adjusted rather well after the band retired. Sonic took a job as a co-host for the town radio station and Rainbow took a job as a personal trainer... to put it gently her success rate is high but her advertising says you need good insurance.

Rarity kept designing and making up-to-date that landed her the CEO of her very own fashion company. It's nothing huge but the amount of calls she gets from celebrities about custom clothing is unreal. I once saw a semi-truck get loaded with clothes for a single delivery! I tried to ask who ordered the semi-truck of clothes but she was asleep... for two whole days.

Fluttershy went back to managing her pet shop. The only difference for her was a significant increase in adoptions. Seems like her shy time in the spotlight made people realize that animals need good homes. That or they just want to say they adopted a pet form a pop star... well former pop star but either way they mostly just want to gloat and show off to others.

Pinkie is now co-owner of Sugar Cube Corner. After the band reiterated and she went back to baking the twins were almost in high school and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were getting slow with the passing years, not like they were young when they had the the twins but still. Under her co-management not only have over two hundred new.items been added to their menus but now Sugar Cube Corner is on its way to becoming a restaurant chain. Guess that's how major restaurants started.

Applejack gained full ownership of Sweet Apple Acres after granny Smith passed away. What really stung was her cause of death, old age, just like in AJ's nightmare. She may not remember it but I do, every detail of it. She was buried on the orchard, in the oldest part of the fields next to her daughter and son-in-law. I'd rather stop talking about that topic, three years doesn't make it hurt less.

Anyway, Aria managed to get a good, high paying job closer to Silver Dust's school and the two moved out of that cramped and tiny apartment and into a larger, two bedroom one across from mine. Yes you heard right Aria is now my neighbor. I was pretty surprised when she told Adagio and I but we didn't argue, Aria and Silver moved out of that cramped one bedroom apartment and Adagio got one of her friends close to her.

Sonata stayed in Boston with her family, plus one. That’s right as of last year Sonata is now a mother. Red Atom took time off when she told him and was more than protective of her, added to Cell’s daily protectiveness of her and you’d need an army just to talk to her over a phone. Nine months later her daughter and son, yes twins, Melody Atom and Sound Wave were born. Pinkie threw the happy parents one heck of a baby shower, and a “Just born party” for the twins. Black Ion may have a degree in neuroscience but he sure does shine at taking care of his new brother and sister. Cell is pretty good at keeping them unharmed, from like EVERYTHING! I didn’t even think it was possible to baby proof grass.

As for Adagio a month later after the band retired and she moved in with me she got a job at Canterlot High as the librarian. She took the job not only because she wanted to help pay rent but also so she wouldn't be stuck in the apartment all day. This actually relates to me a bit because now I’m working as the principal of Canterlot High. Yeah, I didn’t expect myself to end up working here either. I just came by one day to drop off some things Adagio left at home and I ran into principal Celestia. We talked for a while and at the end of our conversation she said she was going to retire and offered me the job. A week later I walked back into the school, right into her office and accepted. I’m still not sure why I did, a dream or just cause like Adagio to not be stuck in the apartment all day but something just made me feel like accepting.

For anyone who thinks this is an easy job it’s not. It’s boring and stressful all at once, which is apparently possible. I’m not boring anyone with details but I’m just gonna say this, have some respect for your principal.

BEURRRRWWEEEE!!!!

That ear bleeding screech knocked me out of my seat. “Oh please tell me he isn’t at it again!” I yelled, still hard of hearing while running down the halls to the music room. When I ran in the students were covering their ears on the ground and the teacher was unconscious. One student though was wearing noise canceling headphones, holding a guitar and next to a blown out speaker. Techmo, a junior at the school, tall, silver skinned with dark eyes and black hair with a single white stripe in the middle of it.

He’s a good student don’t get me wrong but he loves to tinker with electronics and when he got music class this year and discovered the electric guitar…

“Sorry principal Shimmer.” He said while taking off the noise canceling headphones. “I thought I had the frequency right this time.” He looked at the guitar which was a mix of an electric guitar and computer parts.

“Techmo, I told you the first time this happened that when you’re at school use the normal guitars and don’t test yours with school property.”

“My uhhh parents made me stop.” He said sheepishly. “I’m looking for someplace else though, this was just for a test of the frequency I programmed. Still not right.”

“And the schools speaker?”

He looked at the speaker and blushed a bit. “I’ll uhh buy the school a new one.”

“Good, now go get the nurse. Last thing I want is for a student to end up hearing impaired.” Techmo nodded and ran out the door.

I decided to walk down the hall for a bit to see if everything was alright, that was the fourth time this semester Techmo blew out one of the school speakers. I decided to walk into the library and say hi to Adagio, I need someplace calm to keep my stress down.

Once I enters I spotted her putting books on shelves.

“Hey.” I said walking over to her.

“Oh, hi Sunset.” She replied while putting a book away. “So let me guess, that noise was Techmo again?”

“Yeah, blew out another speaker.”

“Fourth time this semester.” She said while putting more books away.

“I know, he’s paying for a new one though.”

“Gonna call his…psst Look.”

She handed me a book and I facepalmed upon laying eyes on it. “The Magic of Music and Friendship the Story of the Rainbooms” it read.

“Why did I agree to have this published?”

“You tell me, you were the manager.” Adagio said, taking the book and putting it on its shelf.

“I think Rainbow got me drunk that night.”

“She your scape goat?”

“Sometimes.”

“You’re just wrong sometimes.”

“Can’t be good all the time, can’t be bad all the time either so I shift every now and then.”

“Isn’t that the rule Rainbow lives by?”

“Who do you think I learned it from?”

We both laughed. I noticed a student walk in; she had short brown hair, glasses, a white jacket, green jeans and sandals. Autumn Midnight, she’s a model student. She’s like if Twilight and Fluttershy had a kid, scary smart but caring, especially about animals.

“What’s Midnight doing here? Classes aren’t over yet.”

“Oh, she was allowed to take the semester finals and tests early remember? She got perfect scores on all of them and is allowed to cut classes.”

“Oh yeah, I can’t believe I forgot that. How long has she been coming here?”

“Since she was allowed to cut classes. Been reading up on animals both from books and online.”

“She's already got more than enough credits to graduate. I hope she’s working on her college portfolio, I get she’s got time but she’s still a senior. The last year of high school usually goes by the fastest.”

“My college portfolios and applications have already been submitted.” I nearly jumped to the roof as I turned to see Autumn Midnight standing there. “I’ve applied to mostly veterinary science colleges and some herpetology academies.”

I let my heart beat calm back down to normal before speaking. “Good, but it’s early to submit applications. They might not even get them or bother with them.”

“I made sure to call ahead they assured that they’d hold on to the applications.” With that said she left.

I turned back to Adagio. “Well that was something.”

“I’ll say… so Sunset what were your plans for after work?”

“Watch T.V. mostly, why?”

“Well, my favorite radio station was holding another contest and I won a reservation for two at that fancy restaurant downtown!"

"La Fête de la Bête!?" Adagio nodded and my excitement grew. "Then yes I'm coming! I've been trying to get into that place ever since I first came to this world!"

"I feel ya, I was here when they were building it and I couldn't get in on opening day."

"Couldn't you have used the pendants?"

"Didn't have have enough magic. Anyway the reservations are for nine so we'll leave at eight thirty."

"So it's a date then?" I teased.

Adagio laughed. "Sure, some of the already think we're an item."

It was true, when the students found out we live together they instantly thought that we're a couple. I'm not sugar coating it when I saw Adagio and I have grown close over the past five years, we're a thick as thieves now a days.

"I knew it!!"

I felt my heart hit my rib cage at the sound of that voice, Harmony Rain. She's a junior. White skinned with wavy black hair. She always wears a hoody with this design of a drop of water with a rainbow light coming from it next to a yin yang symbol.

"You two are a couple! You're going on a date! *gasp* I gotta tell someone!"

Harmony ran out of the library so fast I'm positive Rainbow would be impressed. She reminds me so much of Pinkie Pie it's scary. Dammit, I forgot she's in the newspaper club, well guess I'll be reading about this tomorrow.

"Sorry Sunset," Adagio said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I forgot that Harmony Rain was my new student aid."

"Don't worry about it. Like you said the students already think we're an item, so how much more damage could be done?"

Author's Note

To the people whose OCs Camino in this chapter they will make a reappearance in the next and I'm sorry if I didn't get their personalities down right.

Also next chapter will be compilation of events from this story but I'm pretty sure they won't be in any form of order.

Memories

Magic meets science

Six years, six years ago the Rainbooms released my friends and I from the horrid curse of three magical pendants. The curse made me dumber than a rock, turned Aria into a selfish person and Adagio into the queen of all bitches. Now we're free and we can see clearly, well most of us. Adagio was obsessed with fixing them, after some time she up and left, gone without a word.

And now I left, but at least I said goodbye. I just couldn't take that town anymore, it was a constant reminder of our mistakes and I just wanted to keep it in the past. So after Aria gave birth to her daughter, Silver Dust I got on a bus and left that town with a goodbye letter telling Aria where I was going, Boston.

Not only is it as far from the town as I could think of but Boston is home to one of the greatest scientific communities in north America, Harvard University.

When the pendants curse was broken I regained my intelligence and the guilt from our past mistakes. It's wrong I know but sometimes I wish I was stupid again, being that dumb you only ever feel confused or happy never sad or guilty, at least when you're stupid and evil.

“Ms. Sonata.”

The woman in front of me broke my train of thought. “Yes.”

“Well your application seems a bit… empty, but your test results are rather fascinating.”

I’m applying for a job, at Harvard. I’m not applying to be a professor or anything, there’s no way in hell I could get that job… at least not now.

“You scored a 906, that’s an extremely high score for one who doesn’t even have a high school diploma.”

“Well Mrs. Harshwhinny I had… family troubles that prevented me from finishing school.”

“I see, but give me one good reason why we should hire you, other than your test results.”

I’m applying to be a janitor, and yes they make you take a test! To be a janitor!

“While I may not have a high school diploma I do have a desire to learn, ever since I was young I’ve always enjoyed solving puzzles and problems. Working as a janitor i might be able to learn more in my free time and eventually finish school and then gain a college diploma.”

Mrs. Harshwhinny gave me a glare that was as cold as ice. I gulped, pondering my fate.

“You’re lucky that I have a kind heart.” With a glare like that!? “You can start immediately, and I can tell from your clothes that you’re not from around here. Where do you live?”

“I uh… sorta just got on a bus and came here.”

She gave me another Ice stare. “Until you find proper housing I suppose you can live in an empty dorm in the girls hall. But you are not to interact with any of the students during class hours. Understood?”

Gulp “Crystal.”

“Good, now go down the hall and take a right, the other janitor, Discord, will help you get settled in.”

“Yes ma’am.” With that said I walked down the hall to meet my co-worker. Discord… why does that name seem familiar?”

* * *

And I thought I was as dense as stone when I was cursed. My co-worker Discord is quite possibly the most annoying person on the planet, I can’t imagine what his equestrian counterpart is like. Not one foot in the doorway into his ‘office’ and I get pie’d… nine times! Thankfully he can be serious long enough to give me a uniform (more like a tux-jumpsuit combo) and a small tour. Afterwards he left to go cause and them clean up a mess and left me to mop the chemistry classes, all eight of them. I can’t really argue, I’m still in the most prestigious school possibly on earth, I’m sure the library’s open late.

Three classrooms later I was in a room that looked like the very definition of science barfed all over this place. Formula’s written in marker and chalk blanketed the walls and some of the floor, beakers and test tubes were all crammed onto desks, all types of amphibians and reptiles with odd mutations were preserved in jars for the students to see, the ceiling had the solar system painted showing all the planets in a row, and on a desk in the center of the room was a chemistry set , the bunsen burner was on and an odd liquid was slowly moving from one beaker, through a tube and drop by drop landed in a jar where it was turning black.

This is amazing! Who teaches this class? Bet it’s fun. I walked over to the beakers to give them a close examination, there was a small pile of notes but they were way too complex for me to understand… yet. I put my personal excitement aside and started mopping, until…

BOOOOM!!!!

The sound of hundreds of fireworks erupted from outside. I jumped and while turning around I hit the chemistry set with my mop, breaking all the glass, letting the mysterious chemical go everywhere as it soaked the notes in chemicals.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! Shit! I can fix this… maybe?

Just then the sound of the doors echoed into my ears. “Is everything alright?”

I turned to see a pail red skinned man with jet black hair, and dressed in a lab coat standing at the door way.

“I uhh… I’m so…”

“You destroyed the project.”

“Sorry…”

“This is fantastic!”

… Say what? Before I could fully comprehend what he just said I found myself in a near rib breaking hug being swung around like a doll.

“Oh thank you miss, you have no idea how much good you’ve just done!”

“Uhhh. can you let me go now? Everything’s spinning clockwise.”

“Oh sorry.” He said and then put me down.

I stood there for five minutes letting things stop spinning. “Alright, things are still again. Now I ask, what?”

“What what?” He replied.

“I mean how come you aren't mad or… something that’s not happy?”

“Oh well you see I legally can’t tell you but what I will say is that it was a stupid project and I couldn't be happier that it’s gone. Again thank you miss…”

“Sonata.”

“Sonata! Thank you. Beautiful name by the way, I’m Red Atom” He shook my hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“... Same?” I said confused while taking my hand back. “So… what was that explosion.”

“Most likely Discord saying ‘I quit’ to the head master. Man never stays in one place for long; last year he was working in a high school in New York and some time ago he was a janitor at some place called Canterlot High.”

That’s why his name was familiar! He was a janitor back then too? Either that’s all he can ever do or that’s all he wants to do.

“Well again sorry for…”

“I said it’s alright, I’m glad you destroyed it.”

“But why?”

“Well I can’t exactly tell you…”

”ATOM!!!”

At the door a man with jet black hair and ash grey skin stood with eyes red with anger. I felt an icy chill run through my body. Not only was his appearance terrifying but whites of his eyes were green! And his pupils were cat like and blood red.

“Who is this woman! Why has she destroyed my lifes work!”

“Your life's work is madness Sombra! And guess what.” Red Atom opened one of the sides of his lab coat and revealed a wire.

“You’ve been…”

“Since day one. Oh, and this is a live feed so try and run.” Atom’s face grew a clever smile while Sombra just stood there in rage.

What felt like hours passed with the three of us standing there. Eventually two cops came up behind Sombra and cuffed him and he struggled.

“You fools! That formula could have given the user power! You’d be able to rival God himself!”

“Sure pal.” One of the cops said. “Just keep yapping and you’ll be able to plead for insanity.” With that the cops left with Sombra in custody leaving Red Atom and I alone in silence.

“Sooo.” Atom said. Breaking the silence. “You got plans for this friday?”

“Wait, what!?” I jumped. “But I, we… hu!?”

“I’ll take that as a maybe?”

“...” (Mental facepalm) “No.”

“Great! I know beautiful park/garden where we can become better acquainted.”

“... Sure.”

“Good, it’s a date then.” Before I could even respond Atom was gone with the wind. Or rather with the hallways draft.

A date… I thought. Guess T.V. was right, college is interesting.

Sonic Rainbow

Awesomeness, that’s all I am! I bet you if you look up Awesome in the dictionary a picture of me would be in there. But that’s not why I’m so hyped today, today I finally end all the tests, books, and dull school stuff and graduate! Just me and my friends gonna tour the world in our band.

To celebrate I walked down the schools track field. Gonna give the old girl one final record for future students to attempt to and fail at breaking. I’ll be sad to leave the place but touring the world just seems better in the long run.

When I got to the track something was wrong. There was this girl there her hair was styled kinda like mine but white and it ended in a ponytail that ran down her back. Her skin left a neon blue trail as she ran across the track, and she was running fast. Could she be as fast as me? Nah, don’t kid yourself Rainbow no one's faster than you… and I’m talking about myself in the third person like trixie… again.

“Hey new kid!” I yelled and she stopped, looking right at me.

“New kid? Sorry girl but I’ve been running this track since I transferred freshman year.”

“Well I’ve been running this track since freshman year started and I’ve never seen you here before.”

She scratched her head a bit. “What time is it?”

Why is she… never mind. I pulled out my phone and read the time. “5:39!”

“Oh… I came early. I thought it was 6:30.” She ran up to where I was on the bleachers. She is fast. “Names Sonic Boom, You?”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh you’re that girl who set that new track record last week.”

“Yeup, graduations coming up soon and I’m gonna set a new one before I leave this place.” I spoke with awesome amounts of pride.

“Nice, I’m graduating this year too. Wanted to beat that record before I did though.”

“Ha, good luck. What’s your time so far?”

“I’m only three seconds off.”

“... What?” I felt a rush of worry go through my mind”

“Yeah I’ve got a good feeling about this next run too.”

“...” I shook my head and fell back into reality. “Well not today sister. The only one breaking my record is me, and I will race you to keep it that way.”

Sonic’s face grew a small smile that I knew read she had an idea, it’s almost the same as my pranking smile.

“Tell you what since graduation is tomorrow we race, winner will get to claim the new record and the loser runs four laps around the school an hour before the graduation ceremony.”

Shit those are some high stakes, mostly because mom, dad, and Rarity will kill me if I show up like I ran a marathon… Screw it! “Deal.” We shook on it.

She bolted down to the track field and I followed.

“Get ready to graduate stinky Boom.”

“Same to you, skittles.”

I. Hate. That. Nickname! “You are so going down!”

* * *

Ties. Tie, after tie, after tie, after tie! How on God’s green earth can anyone tie with me! Let alone thirty times!

… Hey when did it get dark. I got up from the grass and pulled out my phone. 8:50. Fuck! Mom and dad are gonna kill me! I looked around and found Sonic laying down on one of the bleachers. When I walked up to her she was hot red but she didn’t look tired. What’s her deal?

“Hey it’s late. I normally don’t do this but how about we leave it at a tie and neither of us has to run before the ceremony, okay?”

“Sure.” I helped her up and she looked even redder.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah it’s just… That was… Do me a favor alright.”

“Uh, sure. Wha-”

I had to blink and process for several seconds before I registered how close Sonic had moved to me. She was kissing me! When she finally backed away my brain couldn’t process anything. Error, 404, error.

“Lets do this again some time, kay?”

“Sure… public park has a nice track next to the pond…”

Sonic’s face drew a wide smile. “Great! It’s a date.” She started walking off before turning her head to look back. “If you win the next race I’ll give you more than just bragging rights.” With that Sonic left.

.. Did I just get a girlfriend… YES!!!

Our Past is in the Past

Four years. It's been four years since we graduated and got this band off its feet. That first year be broke all sales records. Second year we went international, translated songs and everything! And I quit being on stage and settle for the backstage job of manager. Third year we got signed onto our first tour. This year we're officially going on an international world tour! First stop is Ottawa Canada.

I remember when I first heard of Canada, though it was the equivalent to the Crystal Empire from the old legends. Man did I feel stupid when I found out otherwise. Least now I'll finally get to see it. Heard people there are friendly, and despite my name I prefer the cold of winter. Cold never bothered me much and I like playing in the snow.

We bought our plane tickets and flew there with plenty of time to sightsee before the crew and equipment arrive. I gotta say this place is beautiful, oh and some people speak french here; who knew. Thank goodness prench and french are similar, I was able to act as a translator when needed.

We still got a week or so before the crew and equipment arrived meaning we get to sightsee. Which I now regret.

"We're lost!" Applejack yelled from the driver's seat.

"We're not lost. Just..."

"Lost." A.J. deadpanned. Causing Rarity to fold the road map and stare at her from the passenger seat.

"Alright so we're lost. Why didn't we buy a GPS? This map can't be up-to date."

"It has this year printed on the front of it."

"Does it matter? Let's just find someplace to stop and eat, I'm hungry." Rainbow said from the back next to me. She wasn't joking either I can actually hear her stomach growling.

"Look we're all just tired being in this car for three hours straight. Let's keep an eye out for an exit so we can stretch our legs and eat." I said. The others agreed, Rainbow especially.

Another hour passed by before we spotted what looked like an exit. Whatever it was I was able to see a town further down the road. I don't know about the others but I immediately regretted coming here.

“Welcome.” A purple skinned woman said as we exited our car. she was wearing an obviously homemade dress fashioned to look like those the women in the 18th century wore. “Please, what is it that brings you to our little village.”

Now I’m officially creeped out. “We just need a place to stretch and eat and we’ll be on our way.”

“Well we’re all more than happy to provide… Um, you seem familiar. By any chance is your name Sunset Shimmer?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought you looked like her, you are her! You’re all the Rainbooms! Your bands music is what we play over the towns radio and speaker systems almost daily.”

“Oh, well thanks for lis-”

“I personally love all of your work Sunset. You just seemed so happy and… perfect on stage.”

Great a fangirl. “Well I’ve been off the stage for a while, I only manage the group and help with songwriting now.”

“I know. I was so sad when you stepped down for… them to have it all. It never seemed fair to me.”

I gave a quick look to the girls. They were starting to get the creeped out expressions on their faces now.

“Well I don’t mind.”

The woman sighed. “If you say so, I’m Starlight Glimmer by the way.”

“Pleasure. I don’t mean to sound rude but is there anyplace around here where we can get something to eat?”

“Yes. It’s almost dinner time and I think I speak for the whole town when I say it would be an honor if you joined us."

Us? Does the whole town eat together or something? "Sure, when's dinner?"

"In about an hour. Please, until then take a stroll through our lovely little village. I think you'll find that everyone here values unity and friendship more than your band does."

Okaaaay... "Alright then."

We were given the grand tour by Starlight Glimmer's husband Double Diamond. While we walked he told us all about the town, how he and Starlight met and especially about their four year old son Diamond Light.

The more he told me about the town the more comfortable I felt. The others...

"I say we should leave after dinner. This place hasn't stopped giving me the creeps since we got here." Rarity said from across me as we all sat in the towns cafe and dinner.

"I hear yeah. Everyone here has been smiling non stop since we got here." Rainbow replied.

"I don't like it. Don't like it one bit. I know smiles and those smiles, they're just not right." Pinkie stated. Eyes moving in all directions as if we were being watched.

"I think the town is quite lovely." Fluttershy said, earning a questioning gaze from the group. She hid behind her hair a little.

"Look girls, we stand for individuality, peace and friendship. Not everyone expresses it the same. Some do it our way and some do it their way. We shouldn't judge just because their way is different."

They gave small nods of agreement.

"Still something about that Starlight Glimmers just tickles me funny." A.J. said.

"They've been tickling you Applejack?" Pinkie asked, earning a group facepalm.

Without warning I felt a tug at the back of my jacket. When I turned there was a young boy there, purple skinned with snow white hair. "You must be Diamond Light."

His expression changed from plane to scared. "You need to get out of here." ... What...? "Now!"

"Child is that anyway to speak to an adult?" Rarity said.

"Just go befo-"

Diamond Light was lifted into the air by his mother. "Now sweetie is that anyway to treat our honored guests?" Starlight asked.

"They won't be guests if they stay here any longer!" Diamond replied, struggling for freedom.

"Diamond I'm not going to tolerate this rudeness."

"Bite me. Monster!"

Starlight dropped Diamond and he ran off. Starlight just stood there in tears.

"S...Starlight?" Fluttershy spoke, breaking the silence.

"I don't blame him. I was a very different person until recently." She turned to us, eyes still in tears. "I'm going to go clean myself up." She left.

We all just sat there in silence. What kind of person was she that she'd justify her own son calling her a monster?

"I'm gonna check on her." I speed ran out just in time to see her enter her home.

It was far towards the back of the town. It was larger than the other homes, painted white instead of grey and was between two large trees that towered over the home. When I got to the door there was no need to knock, Double Diamond opened it.

"I take it you were worried. Come in"

Walking in almost made me feel like I time traveled. Unexpectedly it was rather modern; flat screen tv, high performance computer, state-of-the-art kitchen, and beautiful tile flooring.

I took a seat on the most comfy couch ever made.

"Your house from the outside didn't lead me to think the inside was this amazing."

"We've been re-integrating into the modern world. For years though, Starlight had us cut off so readjustment was difficult for a while."

"Why are you guy's cut off?"

"Village rules, or at least they where. Everyone here came for the same reason this town was founded, to begin again and start a new."

"Wha?"

"To make a long story short the world outside has been cruel to us. We all had hopes and dreams and even when we gave everything we had it wasn't enough. We all gave up hope of accomplishing our dreams, then Starlight found us."

"She helped you?"

"Better, she lead us to the village; whether it was one-by-one or in large groups she found us and let us restart. We made lives, families, a community."

"What about her, what did life do to her?"

"Not sure, she won't even tell me." Double shook his head. "So I take it Diamond Light made an appearance."

"Uh, yeah. He called his own mother a monster."

"Been that was for several months now. Started when Starlight began to change both herself and the village."

"Why?"

"I can't explain Diamond's attitude towards his Starlight but I do know why she started changing. About less than a year ago Diamond got sick with hypothermia."

I started feeling a little sick.

"When Starlight was told she acted as usual, calm yet worrisome, but when she saw Diamond laying in bed. It was like something broke her; she just stared at him in bed for a while then, then she started crying and sat next to him."

"Well she's his moth-"

"That's the thing though, in all the years I've known her she has never cried. Not even when she was in labor, that was just a lot of screaming. Something changed in her that day, and in Diamond. Neither will tell me why.”

“That… that doesn’t make sense. You’re Starlight’s husband and Diamonds father! Why haven't you done anything?!”

“I’ve tried. Diamond has inherited his mother's stubbornness. I could beg, plead, whatever and neither will acknowledge my attempts. All I can do is comfort Starlight when Diamond goes too far, if she doesn’t shut me out. Literally.”

“Huh?”

“Sometimes she locks the door to our bedroom when things get like this. I usually scold Diamond for this, but nothing I say gets through. Or Starlight comes out and tells me to stop.” Double Diamond started tearing up. “All I’ve ever wanted after Starlight found me was a family. This was my family, and now it’s in pieces.”

We just sat there for what felt like hours. I can in some way sympathise with him, only I was the one who broke my family; I can actually see myself in Diamond Light’s eyes. That needs to change.

As I stood up I felt ice replace my blood.

“Where is Diamond Light?”

“Huh? Around now he’s in his room. Why-”

I turned to the stairs and quickly made my way up.

Bathroom, closet, locked room (probably where Starlight is), last door. Diamonds room.

Upon opening the door I saw what must have been a tech junky's paradise. There were computers ranging from internet-day-one to ones I just saw hit store shelves a few days ago. Large boxes of spare parts littered the floor.

Even in the mass darkness that was barely illuminated by the computer screens I was still able to see Diamond Light sitting against his bed.

He looked like he was reading. Either he's somehow reading in near darkness... wait he's four, how can he read that young? Then again I started reading at the age of two.

He turned to me.

“I thought I told you to leave.”

“I’ve never been good at taking others advice. Look I just want to know why are you being such a… such a villain to your own mother?!”

“It wasn’t supposed to last this long.”

“What?”

“Our village. I may be four, but I learn quick and I’ve learned a lot in the last few months. More than I should have.”

“You’re four! What could you have possibly…”

“I learned the reason why this village was made,”

“Wasn’t this place made for…”

“It was a social experiment! A project meant for researching how people who have lost faith adapt in an accepting environment using communism style brain washing techniques!”

Diamond was breathing heavily. Fire filled his eyes.

“I don’t hate my mom for doing this, or even hiding it. I hate her because she wanted me to hurt her.”

“Wha… what?”

“When I found out yeah, I was mad, but it was only for a day or so. And they way she started changing when I got sick, I was happy, but then she started telling me to hurt her.”

“Why?”

“Because my sins run that deep.” I was surprised to see Starlight in the doorway. Her eyes were bloodshot red. “I don’t deserve happiness. Diamond’s right, this village started off as a social experiment but things… changed. I fell in love, got married and had my son.

“Old habits die hard though so because of them I was always… socially distant. At least before Diamond got sick. I never knew how I felt about my family until that day and I needed to amend the wrongs I’ve done.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why you have Diamond Light hurting you.”

“It was when I started getting better.” Diamond said. “I woke up and mom fell asleep at my bed side, again. I saw her journal was on my night stand. She taught me how to read when I was two and I didn’t wanna wake her leaving so I grabbed it and started reading.”

“When I woke up Diamond was already half way through it. He just didn’t talk to me at first and something told me that this was my punishment. When Diamond started forgiving me I told him to keep being angry at m-”

I didn’t register that I punched Starlight til I found myself standing over her with my fist clenched tight. I knelt down to her.

“You know, Double Diamond told me that you built this place so people could begin again and start a new. That may not have been the original purpose of this village but at some point along the road it did. But you haven’t been starting a new.”

“But, bu-”

I put a finger over her lips.

“Begin again and start a new.”

The Birth of a Broken Song

What’s the one thing you’re afraid of? Death? Spiders? Being alone? For me, at the time, it was never discovering my special talent and being a blank flank the rest of my life. It was, at the time, a very real thing to be afraid of especially if you’re just about to turn sixteen.

You see, my friends, Aria, Sonata and I live in Hua Village. It’s beautiful really, but it stays this way by every mare and stallion in town pulling their weight once they reach sixteen. If a pony hasn't gotten a cutie mark by that age they are placed into some of the unwanted jobs.

For stallions they would have to work in the exploration team. It’s not as exciting as it sounds. The whole purpose they serve is glorified suicide. Every month a team of ten or fifteen leave the village to find new land for settling or to trade with other villages. Less than a quarter return. The losses wouldn’t be so bad if the only entrance/exit to the village wasn’t right next to the Everfree.

For mares. like myself, we get thrown into prostitution. The rest of our lives when that happens are spent being flank for sale. And no madder what the sick fetish is, we have to do as the customer wants, or get thrown in prison for “refusal of commitment.”

That is going to be my life after today is over. I’m Adagio and I turned sixteen today. Sucks being the oldest amongst my friends but I expected to end up like this. My mom’s a brothel so since my birth ponies expected me to end up like her. I’m not going into detail about my mother's ‘profession’ but I will say that her cutie mark is sex related.

Surprised she only got pregnant with me.

“Adagio!” I looked up and saw my friend Aria flying some feet above me. Wish I was a pegasus, must be an amazing view from up there. She did a dive and landed next to me. “Happy birthday… and condolences.”

“Condolences?”

“You’re sixteen without a cutie mark, you know what I'm talking about!”

“I know, I know, but that’s not necessary. I’ve made my peace with my fate.”

Arai gave me a wide eyes stare.

“Who are you and what have you done with Adagio?”

I laughed. “I’m serious.”

“How!? After today you start working in that semin filled, sex filled hell hole!”

“You mean the place where I was conceived, born and raised?”

“YES! What happened to you?! Yesterday you were freaking out like it was the end of days. Did you put one of the pendants we found in Everfree back on? I swear those side effect they have are more than just seeing green myst and growing scales.”

“No I didn’t put one of them back on. You know Sonata has them for study back at her place. And the reason for my attitude change was a miracle.”

“What? Is your cutie mark invisible?”

“No, Daisy gave birth last night.”

“Your foalsitter and mom’s co-worker?”

“Yes. A healthy unicorn filly. They named her Lunamoon, after the banished princess.”

“Okay, now what does this have to do with your 360 spin on life?”

“Cause I got to hold her. She was so small, so pretty. I wanted one. A foal of my ow-”

I felt a well aimed punch hit the side of my head.

“Are you crazy!?” Aria yelled. “That’s your reason for changing!”

I looked back at her. “I know that after today my life will be terrible but the only thing that will make it bearable will be my own foal.”

“What about Sonata, what about me? We can-”

“You two still have time. I’m out. Just visit me, okay.”

“... There’s no talking you out of this, is there?”

“Nope.”

“I’m never gonna figure you out.”

“Don’t have to, just accept me.”

“If I didn’t we wouldn’t be talking.”

“Speaking of figuring out though, how come around Sonata or I you’re so outgoing but in public you barely say a word?”

Arai placed a hoof to her chin.

“I guess I just don’t do well with strangers.”

“Then it’s a miracle we became friends.”

Arai gave me another punch. This time to my flank.

“Careful Aria, starting tomorrow I’ll have to charge you for that.”

Her face changed to a hot pink and I burst out in laughter. I received a few more well deserved hits before I finally stopped laughing.

“Whatever.” Aria began to fly above me. “Come on, Sonata and some other ponies are throwing you a party at her place. And there's coconut cake.”

You didn’t have to tell me twice to get me moving.

* * *

It was late. Celestia’s sun was setting beyond the edge of the world and the moon began to rise from the other side of the world.

I walked home with a full stomach and the aftertaste of coconut still on my tongue. Didn’t get any presents but I never really cared about those, I just enjoyed the company.

I trotted up the porch to the brothel house, speedily making my way passed the orgy of ponies in the main room. With the conditions I grew up in I’m amazed I didn’t grow up perverted. I made it to the second floor, amazed only a few sounds of muffled screams of pleasure echoed in the hall.

Making my way further down I reached my (and my mom’s) room door. Placing an ear to it I made sure she wasn’t “providing services” as she called it. Thankfully not a sound came from the other side.

I opened the door and walked in. My mother was sleeping on the bed. Judging from her positioning and the… stains on the sheets a “client” was here recently. This is why I prefer to sleep on the floor.

I began to look out the window, to see the rest of the sun set. The colors of orange, yellow, and red merged together almost perfectly into one. You never realize how much you can enjoy the little things until you know the rest of your future’s gonna be nothing more than sex and pregnancy.

When the sunlight was finally gone I started lighting the lantern that hung on the ceiling of our room. I have to stand on a stool and my hind legs to reach it but I don’t wanna wake her up to do it. I may have taken after her in colors, but I took after my father, whoever he is, in race. I wish I was born a unicorn like her, would make life so much easier.

When doing this there’s two tricky parts to be careful about: one it to keep my balance when standing upright on two legs, and second is making sure I light this thing before the match burns my lips and teeth. I’ve mastered the first part, but the latter…

“Ouch!” I cried. Thank Celestia the damn thing lit before I got my teeth singed.

“Hu, wha?” My mother mumbled as she began to awaken.

“Afternoon mom.” I said.

“Hu? Oh, Adagio. How long was I out?”

“Guessing a while. Client was gone and you were out cold when I got here.”

“Oh…. Wait, today’s your birthday right?”

“Yes mom.”

“Oh, happy birthday.” She said with the best smile she could muster in her half asleep state.

“Aria, Sonata and a few other of the towns ponies threw me a party.”

“... Was there cake?”

“Coconut.”

“Bla, how do you like that stuff? I can’t stand it. You must take after you father, whoever he is, in that department.”

“I bet.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. I got you a present, was testing it out before you came.”

"It's not another 'toy' is it?"

"No."

I sighed in relief.

"It's the real deal this time."

"... What!?"

"Yeah, they should be getting here soon."

"They?!"

"Yeah, one's a mare."

Mom started stretching on the bed.

"B, but.... what!?"

"Don't think I don't know you eye mares as much as you eye stallions."

Meep! "I, I, I, I.... so for my birthday this time you get me a three-way!"

"Yes, and this."

Her horn began to light up and It flowed all over my body. For a while it circled my waist and then vanished.

"That should do it." Mom said.

"What was that? I don't feel anything."

"You'll be feeling something soon dear."

There was a knock at the door.

* * *

Rape. I expected at some point working as a brothel that some sick fucker would request that as role play. I didn't expect to lose my virginity to it. The bright side I should have gotten pregnant, right? Wrong, my own mother cast a spell that ended any dreams I had of having a foal of my own.

Six hours of it. Being held down by my mother's own magic as two ponies I knew raped me. When it was over I ran, I had... something close to an idea in my head, but I need my friends, and the pendants.

My friends are all I have left now. The pendants will be a quick sell, if not a reminder of our village... I had to lie to get Aria and Sonata to come with me.

Told them I saw Witch Hunters at the brothel house and that I overheard them saying that they were going to go house to house.

Sonata tried to convince me otherwise but I managed to fake paranoia to add with my real sadness. It make a believable and convincing argument.

Since it was dark we were able sneak out the front gates with ease. That and the guards were drunk and out cold.

We did take a sword each, just in case.

Leaving, we saw the Everfree and got chills. Going in there when we found the pendants, we ignored those chills, now we're listening to them. Keeping away as far as we can from the forest.

"Adagio?" Aria asked, breaking me out of my non thoughts. "You okay? You've been crying for a while now."

"Oh, It's nothing. Just... lets get to the next village and get rid of those things."

"I still say they look nice." Sonata said... and she's wearing one of the pendants.

"Sonata take that thing off! I don't want those witch hunters to find us when you grow scales." Aria barked.

"From what I gathered that only happens after prolonged wearing and after that green myst has been absorbed by them."

"Egghead."

Sonata stuck a her tongue out at Aria.

"At least I can sing on pitch. When we sang happy birthday to Adagio you sounded like a cat twisted up your vocal cords."

"Is that a challenge?" Aria asked.

"It's true Aria. Your singing sucks." I said. Slightly making me come out of my depression.

"Oh yeah." Aira dashed over to Sonata, pulling one of the pendants out and tied it around her neck. How she did that with hooves is beyond me. "Just sit and listen."

Sonata sat next to me with a satisfied smile on her face. Of course she planned this.

Aria cleared her throat and began to sing.

"Hear this lullaby.
Feel my love through song.
In the cold of night, my love through song will keep you warm tonight."

I couldn't believe my ears. Aria's singing perfectly! Her voice sounds so smooth!

"Fly little cloud, it's all that you know.
You soar and hover above the land below.
But even with the sky as your oyster you remain grounded and sad all the same."

I noticed the Pendant Aria's wearing began to glow a bit. Is the pendant making her sing so good?

"You cry and sob saying nopony loves me.
And that's when you turn dark and lose all your water, followed by cries of thunder and fits of lightning."

Her pendant glowed brighter and I found myself unable to look away.

"Calm now young on, you are not alone.
Even if the whole world hates you there is always one who will not.
Mothers don't care if you're cruel or kind.
I'll always love you.
Inside your darkness I'll be your moonlight.
Guiding you from sorrows, and evil alike."

Aria finished and Sonata and I just stared at her.

"... What?" She asked. "Something in my teeth?"

* * *

We made camp and discussed the pendants for a few hours. We ended up agreeing that it's part of the magic they have.

I kept the hypnotic effect they it had on me to myself, then it came to me. Can they be used for more than just to hypnotize somepony? Maybe...

When I knew Aria and Sonata were fast asleep I took one of the pendants out of Sonata's bag. I ran back towards our village and stopped half way.

"Now, will this work..." This isn't a good idea. I should just...

Sing, won't you?

"Who's there!"

Fear not, for I am you. Now that you wear me.

My eyes looked down to the pendant. It glowed a faint red.

Emotions are strange things, aren't we?

"Your an emotion?"

Yes. Yours. You feel sad, hateful, discussed, and vengeful. You want them to pay.

"Just my mother, and those two that raped me while she held me down."

And what will you do to them?

"... Hurt them."

How?

"... Don't know."

Maybe they should sleep on it so you can think.

I felt a smile creep onto my face, but I didn't make it.

* * *

It was strange. Walking back to Hua village. I was moving, breathing, feeling the dirt under my hooves, but for some reason it didn't feel like I was walking.

It felt like some... thing was reading my thoughts and moving for me. Yet at the same time I felt in complete control of myself.

The gates of Hua village where right in front of me, opening as I approached. Guards and village ponies alike gathered as I got closer, and my mother stood in front of all of them.

"Adagio what the hell were you doing?! Running away, it's foolish. All that's out there is death. Did Aria and Sonata go with you? If they died-"

"Hush now."

"... What?"

I felt energy surge through me, and I stopped thinking and just did.

"Hush now, quiet now it's time to lay your sleepy head.
Hush now, quiet now it's time to go to bed.

"Adagio have...you..." Thud

My mother fell to the ground, unconscious in blissful sleep.

I looked up and the ponies looked a mix of sleepy and afraid. They had every right to be.

I walked slowly, still singing the old lullaby and one after another fell to the ground in deep slumber.

Less than ten minutes had to have passed before everyone was now under the sleeping spell.

Good, now what is next, me?

"I... I."

Think, who am I?

"Aren't you me?"

Yes, but which part.

"... I've gone mad, haven't I?"

I began crying. Every sorrow I ever endured poured out of me and fell into the dirt. I finally broke.

Away with these tears. Sadness will get you nowhere, let me guide us.

"Who or what are you!"

I am you, but if you want, call me Wrath.

I screamed. Thoughts that I could only described as evil flooded my mind, I became afraid, yet also... happy.

I screamed in fits of psychotic laughter and in screams of fear. My mind feeling at war with itself.

"Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop!"

Fear not, you want it to end, just find the spark.

Spark? ...Fire!

With all my strength I ran towards the guards armory, they should have enough black powder to set the whole village aflame.

It did, I rolled one keg of black powder into every building, and one in the middle of the sleeping crowd that met me at the gate. The whole time, my head threatened to break open.

My face was soaked in salty tears, both from the pain and my emotions. I felt every negative emotion I've ever felt in my life run wild in my head. Like it was a festival of anger and sorrow, and it kept getting noisier.

But the pain that hurt worse of all where the floor of memories emerging from my mental battlefield. Not just the sad ones, the happy one too, but those became fewer with every passing second.

I didn't even realize how far along I was til I realized I was biting on a lit candle where all the powder trails met.

I... I can't do this.

Don't you want revenge?

Not like this!

And let the mare who ended your children before they began to live?

I exploded.

"Noooooo!"

I dropped the candle. The black powder ignited, and suddenly, I felt the fiery winds of hell spawn around me.

Tears ran down my cheeks like flash floods.

Then.

"Awaaaaa! Aaaaaa!"

That noise!

I ran over to my "home" and the sounds of a crying foal were ever more present.

"Lunamoon!"

I started in to get her, but one step was all I could make before the whole building collapsed in smoke and fire. All that I could hear now was the sound of burning wood.

"No... Noooooooooooo!"

My, my. What the monster we have become.

A Hard Question to Ask Another

Questions, there are a lot of them. Some simple and casual. Others can be difficult, and then there are the questions you, hopefully, only ask once.

Adagio has such a difficult question on her mind, and has had it for almost a full year.

"Sunset Shimmer, can I have one of your eggs?" Adagio said. Letting her head fall onto her desk in Canterlot High's library.

She was glad it was after hours, nobody could hear her practice.

Come on Adagio, Sunset's your friend now. She's always say we're thick as thieves, so why is this so difficult!?

Adagio looked up, scanning the lifeless library.

"Thank God I'm alone."

Over a year ago, Adagio discovered that the medicine of the human world could allow a woman who couldn't conceive a child the ability to birth one. Adagio underwent countless doctor visits and tests. All revealing some long lost answers.

As it turns out the spell her mother used on her did destroy all of Adagio's eggs, but her womb was perfectly healthy. More than capable of growing another life.

Though the doctors think she was in some kinda strange accident for all her eggs to be destroyed.

They told Adagio if she wanted to birth a child she needed to find both an egg donor and sperm donor.

The sperm donor was easy, the egg donor was the hard part. Adagio didn't care if the child looked like her or not, but that wasn't the case.

From the moment she was told she needed an egg donor, her mind went straight to Sunset Shimmer, but she was afraid of what her reaction would be.

This was part of the reason she invited Sunset to dinner with the reservations she had won over the radio.

"I should be getting home and getting ready."

Adagio quickly packed any documents she needed and left.

* * *

"Alright people, it's time to engage in, Operation News Spy." Harmony Rain said. Dressed in grey and black camouflage with her hair done into a ponytail.

"Why are we a part of this?" Techmo asked. Dressed in a similar get up with a black cap.

"If I had to guess she's gonna pay you the money to buy the school the new speaker and I'm in the photography club and she needs someone with a good camera to get front page quality photos."

"You're absolutely right Autumn, and Techmo, you'll get paid once the jobs done."

"I feel like I'm being blackmailed." Techmo said.

"Nevertheless, we will get this on camera! To La Fête de la Bête!"

"This isn't gonna end well."

* * *

La Fête de la Bête, one of, if not, the only restaurants in town that not only holds a five star rating, but also has maintained it for over a hundred years.

Reservations usually take a week to make and months to wait until the time arrives.

Which made Adagio's and Sunset's case the envy of the mid to lower class in town. Even the upper class citizens where green with envy.

"The Good morning reservations." Adagio told the waitress standing above at the door.

"Ah, we've been expecting you. You and your plus one will be at table thirteen on the second floor. And as promised with the reservations, your meals are half off."

"Thank you."

Adagio and Sunset entered the building, both dressed in slim black dresses that sparkled a little when light shines on them. Designed by Rarity of course.

Upon entering the two immediately drew attention from the people within. Some gave disapproving stares, some gave curious, and others gave very interested looks.

Sunset found it somewhat amusing. Adagio hated it. Every look a person gave her reminded her of her youth growing in in a brothel house. Some despised her for existing, some gave interested looks, and most gave her looks of pure lust. And that was just when she was five.

Adagio sighed in relief when the two made it to the second floor, where very few other people had tables. Even better was that their table was not next to any other tables with guests.

When the two sat Sunset took notice of Adagio's expression.

"Feeling uneasy?" She asked.

"Yeah, some of the looks people down there gave reminded me of when I was a foal. Rather not tap that barrel."

"It's alright, we'll just eat and enjoy the view. Hey you can see the school from here."

Adagio looked out the window and did see the school, the roof at least. She smiled and averted her eyes to the sky. Even when she was evil she loved to star gaze.

"What are they saying?" Harmony asked.

The three students took position on the roof of a building across from La Fête de la Bête, and they have a perfect view of their principal and librarian.

"Nothing of interest." Techmo replied. Holding a small device that looks as if someone mixed a small satellite antenna with a grip. "Where did you get this equipment anyway? This stuff looks military."

"Maybe her mom or dad was a spy." Midnight said. Peering at Sunset and Adagio through her camera at max zoom.

"Nah." Harmony replied. "Dads always at home working and my mom's candy maker. I doubt either of them was a spy."

Techmo and Midnight shrugged. Letting the question leave their minds.

"Still nothing of interest." Techmo said. "They're just talking about work."

"School board still giving yeah crap? Adagio asked, dining on what had to have been the best lobster she has ever eaten.

"Yeah, even though I've been running the school efficiency for the past five five years they still doubt me just because I was a pop star." Sunset answered, taking a bite of the freshest chicken salad she'd ever eaten.

"That's just messed. So actors-"

"And rapper." Sunset included.

"And rappers can be elected president but a former pop star can't be a high school principal?"

"In their eyes it seems questionable. I sometimes think they will one day come to the school and expect the students to be drunk and studying Pizzology."

The two laughed.

Come on, just ask her! Move into it! Adagio mentally yelled at herself.

"So, Sunset... you know all those doctors visits I've been going to?"

"Yeah, what about?"

"Well I've been having the doctors run... tests."

"Tests for what?"

"Tests to see If I can birth a child and they've come back mostly positive."

"That's great! So you can have a kid?"

"Yes and no. My womb is capable of growing and birthing a child but all my eggs are... destroyed. Moms spell did what it was supposed to."

"Oh, I'm so-"

"But, the doctors all said if I can find a donor for both the eggs and sperm they'll handle the rest."

"Oh! That's great news! Have you found any donors?"

"I found a sperm donor already but.. I... was... hoping... you'd be the egg donor."

Sunset froze. Her fork fell to the group and her mind went blank.

Almost simultaneously, Techmo dropped the listing device, not caring about the loud noise that slammed his eardrums.

"What? What did they say!?" Harmony shouted/asked.

Techmo took off the headphones, gave them to Harmony and left without saying a word.

"Well if he's leaving then I'm gone to." Midnight said. "From the look on his face I'm guessing we're crossing a major line of privacy."

Midnight turned her camera off and quickly followed Techmo.

Harmony just stood there in silent disbelief for a few moments.

"But, the paper!"

Meanwhile, in La Fête de la Bête, Sunset was still processing what Adagio had asked of her. Making Adagio regret asking every passing minute.

"Uhmm, Sunset?"

"... Hu... Oh! Sorry I just sorta... blanked out. Did you just ask me..."

"Yeah."

"But why me? I mean I know we're really close friends now but... how would it work?"

"Raising the kid or the egg extraction?"

"The kid!"

"Oh, well it's simple actually. You'll still be the biological mother, i'd just be the birth mother. Two moms raising a kid should be easy... right?"

That word struck Sunset right in her heart, Mother. She never actually saw or thought of herself ever being a mom.

An overwhelming happiness flooded Sunset's heart. She never realized how much she would love the idea.

"Sunset, you're crying!" Adagio spoke.

True enough, Sunset checked and tears were indeed flowing.

"I just, never realized how good that idea sounded."

"So you-"

"Yes Adagio, let's have a baby."

Adagio physically jumped out of her seat and hugged Sunset Shimmer tight. Crying tears of pure happiness.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Without thinking Adagio kissed Sunset, who rather than being surprised had a single thought come to mind.

Fireworks.

Harmony Rain, still on top of the building across from La Fête de la Bête placed the listing device down and stayed silent for some time.

"I knew it!"

Author's Note

And it's done. Thank you all who supported and followed through.

Fluttershy's Other Half

When Applejack woke up I asked the others to leave so we could have a private talk. They agreed, probably thinking it had something to do with the spell she was under. Yeah not quite. I closed the door and when I turned to A.J. her face was a bit blush.

I let the awkward silence that fell on us last for several minutes before speaking. "So... What the hell was that!?"

"*gulp* I uhh, don't know what you're talking about..."

"... A.J. you're the element of honesty for a reason and I'm pretty sure one of those reasons is because you can't lie to save your life."

"Dag nabbit!" A.J. threw her hat to the ground. "*sigh* Guess that runs in the family. Look Sunset the reason I did that is because... I uhh... enjoyed the show."

"...I didn't hear that." She was quieter than Fluttershy just then.

"*sigh* I ENJOYED THE SHOW!"

I jumped back from the sudden jump in A.J.'s volume. "What show?"

"... Well remember when you were looking for Rainbow Dash but found me and later found her..."

"Yeah that image still hasn't left my brain. What of it?"

"Well when I saw that I didn't leave right away... I uhh kinda stayed and watched fer... ten... minutes." A.J. picked her hat back up and covered her face with it.

"... So you feel bad that you were watching your friend do it with someone, that is pretty bad."

"Its not just that Sunset Shimmer I liked it way too much. My whole life I've been attracted to guys and yeah I've thought of a girl or two as cute but I always thought of it in a general way. After seeing Rainbow and Sonic Boom getting on like that and realizing I liked it, a lot, I started to question myself."

"You were questioning your sexuality?"

"Yeup. Before we left the concert I let one of the fan boys kiss me and it was a good kiss I liked it and so did he, so much that he fainted. I didn't want to test a girls kiss since I still wasn't sure so when you got me out of that mess in my head I thought I could finally test the kiss and see how it felt."

"... So how was it?"

A.J. looked at me with a confused expression. "Wait aren't you mad that I kissed you?"

"Well yeah but if you had just told us about your little sexuality crisis then I'm sure either Rainbow Dash or Sonic Boom would have helped you out. Granted they are dating but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if its to help a friend."

A.J. sat quietly for several seconds just scratching her wrist. "I wreckin you're right I just didn't know how to go about it."

"Good, lesson learned. Now tell me how was our kiss to you?"

A.J.'s face turned a bit red before she spoke. "It was... good actually. I did like it."

"There, now you know you're bisexual."

A.J.'s face turned even redder. "I'm still gonna need some time to fully accept myself since that's that case."

"Well we're your friends A.J. and we accept you no matter what."

"Thanks Sunset. So... what did you think about our kiss?"

I let a small laugh come out. "Well we won't be going on any dates if that's what you mean. For one you're a pretty bad kisser and second as cheesy as it is I believe when you kiss the one who you will forever be with you fell fireworks go off in your head."

"Can't say I disagree, true love is hard to come by."

"Ain't that the truth. Now come on the others are waiting."

After A.J. and I got back with the others we opened the second to last door in this hallway and found Fluttershy wrapped in a restraint jacket much like Twilight was but chained to the bed. What the heck! We quickly got her out of those things and I jumped into her mind quick. Fluttershy is so fragile she must be crying her mental eyes out in there.

* * *

When I opened my eyes I was in our home town, right in front of Fluttershy's pet shop. This place has many a good memories, and strange ones. I still find it hard to believe that she both had and sold a bear to a circus, well she prefers adopt but cash is still exchanged in that process.

When I opened the door I nearly threw up. All the fuzzy little animals in Fluttershy's pet shop had been brutally murdered, sliced in half, their guts and blood all over the place. I need to get Fluttershy out of this place now!

I carefully walked over the corpses of the little animals. The blood was all over the floor and as a result I got some of it on my shoes, hope Shy won't mind the mental footsteps of blood I'm leaving. "Fluttershy!" I yelled out. I expected to hear crying the moment I entered but it's scary quiet.

I heard a small chuckle echo from somewhere but I can't tell where. "Fluttershy!" This time the laughter was louder. The front door flew open, When I looked I saw Fluttershy but her hair was blood red and even dripping. "F... Fluttershy?" I asked with a rather squeaky voice.

"*psst* Nope but I know her all to well."

"You.. You're the thing torturing her!"

"Yes and no. I've been here a lot longer than that sweaty, that emotion that came here was pretty strong but was still no match for me."

"What do you mean? Are you Fluttershy's negative emotions?"

"Not quite." She says while pulling a chain saw from literally out of thin air. What the hell!? I get this is a mind and anything is possible but still! "You see there is a reason they say it's the quiet ones you need to keep an eye on."

"Wha?"

"You won't live much longer deer but I will give you the honor of telling you my name." The not Fluttershy turned on the chainsaw and placed the spinning blades mere millimeters from my chin. "I am Psycoshy." She lifted her chain saw up to swing it down but it vanished. 'Now that's odd, the little bitch shouldn't have any power where she is."

I stood there in shock for several more minutes before I realized Sonata's pendant was glowing. A familiar green mist came out of it followed by a flat haired Pinkie Pie. "You are a monster!" Negative Pinkie yelled as she came out of the pendant and trampled Psycoshy to the ground. "Go! If Fluttershy is in a place where she has no power then she's in her deeper sub conscious now go!"

I stood there for a few seconds before running off. I found myself in a dark emptiness much like when I entered Pinkie's mind. "What am I supposed to do!? How do I get into Fluttershy's sub continuous and who is that Psycoshy girl!?" I about broke down on the nonexistent floor trying to understand all of this. "Fluttershy if you can hear me at all please help."

I was kneeling there for several minutes, when I looked up I saw a little white dot hopping up and down far in the distance. As it came closer I saw two white ears pointing up. Oh great Angle Bunny why is that little prick here!?

When Angel Bunny finally got to me he pulled one of my fingers and didn't stop. "What do you want me to follow you or something?" His little head nodded... I am getting a serious Alice in Wonderland vibe here.

He started hopping back into the darkness and I followed. After what felt like half an hour of walking I tripped, when I looked Angle was under my foot. Damn little! I fell and rather than hitting the nonexistent floor I fell into the nothingness itself. Again that little bastard, why does Fluttershy love that damn little monster!?

As I was falling in the darkness it actually started getting brighter, black turned to grey, grey turned to white and white turned into well other colors. Before I knew it I was back in Fluttershy's pet shop, only this time the animals were alive and happy like they normally are. I felt a thud on my head, Angle jumped off my head and onto the floor then headed to a door and started to knock on it. After a minute a familiar pink haired girl opened the door and hugged Angle.

"Angle how did you get out?" Fluttershy took notice of me. "Sunset Shimmer?! How did you get here?"

"normally I'd use the pendant to get the both of us out but first things first. Who and what the hell is that girl who looks like you?!"

Fluttershy's expression changed to a sad and depressed tone as she put down Angle. "Psycoshy, she's my other half."

"What do you mean?"

Fluttershy looked back and forth the room, like she was trying to avoid the question. "Well... you know those yellow pills I take with my dinner?"

"Yes."

"Those pills keep her under control."

"You're still not making much sense."

Fluttershy gave a heavy sigh. "I have split personality disorder Sunset."

... What?! "And you never told us!"

"The pills have kept her down since I was prescribed them. I still have a good four hours before I'll have to take another, otherwise she'll get out and you've seen what she likes to think about. I can't even imagine what she might do is she got out."

"How long has she been a problem?"

"Since I was eight, she just started talking out of the blue, saying horrible things, wanting to do horrible things."

"I can tell, nearly cut me in half with a chainsaw."

"Yeah, that's her. So how bad was it, her mind I mean."

"Best I not tell."

Fluttershy nodded. "Wait if she was about to slice you then how did you escape?"

"... Lets just say it was someone I picked up in Pinkie's mind."

As if on cue Psycoshy and Pinkie's negative emotions came crashing through the roof. Psycoshy with her chainsaw and the Pinkie with what looked like a large scalpel. Again really?! Just because it's a mind/dream thing doesn't mean everyone should break the laws of physics!

The deadly duo continued their struggle, both using attacks and moves I've only ever seen in anime. I am so taking a vacation when this is over.

"Sunset!" Pinkie's negative emotions broke me out my thoughts. "Get the pendant ready!"

"Wha?"

The flat haired Pinkie got behind Psycoshy, knocking her chainsaw aside and as she held the giant scalpel to her neck. "Sunset give me the pendant!"

"Right!" Without thinking I threw the pendant to Pinkie, she caught it and held it on top of Psycoshy's forehead.

"You think that can stop me I'm not a little lost emotion, I'm a consciousness!" Psycoshy yelled in a cocky rage.

"You're right, you're not an emotion but I am!" Pinkie's body started to turn into green mist slowly going back into the pendant.

The less green mist there was the more Psycoshy's head looked like it was getting pulled by the pendant. Her flesh getting sucked in, she started to scream.

"Damn you! This is not how I will end!" Psycoshy's eyes met mine. "You! When I get out you're the first person I kill!"

As Psycoshy's head got more and more drawn into the pendant the sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking became grotesquely louder until there was nothing left of her. With the last of Psycoshy absorbed into the pendant it fell to the floor with a tap, tap upon hitting the floor. I slowly walked over and picked it up, when I looked over to Fluttershy she had a blank expression on her face.

"She... She's gone." Fluttershy's face broke into a smile and laughter. "She's really gone! Oh my God I can't believe it, I don't feel her in my head anymore!"

Once again I found myself attempting to process what had just happened. If I'm right then Pinkie's negative emotions just dragged Psycoshy into the pendant with her and from those... noises I'm guessing that's not supposed to happen. Well at least Rainbow and Sonic's image is gone, but now it's replaced with the even more scarring noise of tearing flesh and cracking bones.

Before I could react Fluttershy grabbed me and put me into a hug that once again if this wasn't a dream/mind thing would have crushed my rib cage.

"Thank you Sunset Shimmer!"

I could feel Flutters tears rolling down onto my jacket. I hugged her back slower and a heck of a lot softer than she was hugging me. "No problem, what are friends for?"

The more I do this and the longer this goes on the more I find out about my friends. I'm almost too afraid to wonder what spell, emotion, or whatever Rainbow's under.

Author's Note

I am soooooooooo sorry that this chapter took so long. I don't know why but I kept blanking on what to write. I did give the next chapter some more thought before I started it so hopefully I won't blank out or nothing will keep me from writing.

Also for the ending it may seem a bit well, less then expected but I honestly had no other ideas for this chapter. Messed up since it has only been this chapter specifically.