Welcome to O.U.R. Academyby Harms WayChaptersChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter One"Grr!" Aria growled as she plopped down on the couch in the Dazzling's living room. "I fucking hate detention!" "Look at it this way." Adagio said as she sat down next to her. "Our punishment could have been worse if those two principals didn't factor losing our powers as part of our it. At least its all done now. All three delightful months of it!" "I guess." Aria replied. "Well, at least a few of the kids are actually tolerable. Those Rainbooms are actually treating us like normal people. Wish the other 98% of the school would do the same." "Yeah. It is nice to have a few people not mock us or ridicule us for not being able to sing anymore." Adagio replied as she looked over on the end table. On the edge of it sat what was left of her necklace, minus the shards of the broken crimson jewel. "So what do we do now?" Aria asked. "I swear if I hear one more person call me tone deaf, I'm gonna strangle them until their face turns as blue as Sonata's!" "Hmm... I'm not sure. It would be nice to have a magic reset button to just go back to before I even saw that surge of Equestrian magic. But since those don't exist, I suppose we could always just leave this school, go to a new one and start over with a clean slate." "Sounds good to me." Aria said as she put her feet up. She then looked around the room, wondering why it was so quiet. "Speaking of nice, its finally quiet in here. Where's Sonata?" "Oh I sent her to the grocery store a little while ago to get some ingredients for supper." "Did you give her a list?" "Of course I did." "Well, hopefully she doesn't get stuff just to make tacos like she did last time. Now then..." Aria said as she turned on the tv. "Lets see whats on." Sonata pushed her cart down the aisles of the grocery store. She glanced at the list as she grabbed every item that was written on it. "Why does Dagi want all of this stuff?" She thought to herself as she walked along. Most of the items were normal things like bread, milk, pop, and some pizza sauce, but a few items struck Sonata as odd. "A jar of pickles, some bananas, three cans of whipped cream. What the heck does she need these for? It doesn't make sense." Upon gathering everything that was on the list, she made her way towards the front of the store. She looked down for a moment to see if she had everything until she felt her cart bump into something. The sound of papers falling onto the floor soon followed. "Oops. My bad." Sonata said after looking up to see a man wearing a purple long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and black tie standing in front of the cart. A white cloth with an equal sign emblazoned on it was stitched on the left arm of the shirt. "Oh no." The man replied. "It was my fault entirely." "No no." Sonata said. "I wasn't watching where I was going, so its my bad." The man bent down to pick up a pile of fliers that he dropped. Sonata moved the cart back and bent down to help him. After picking some up to give to the stranger, she started reading one. "What exactly are these for?" She asked in confusion. "These are for a small private academy located just outside of town." The man replied after picking all of the papers up from the floor. "My name is Double Diamond." He said as he extended his hand out. "Oh uh... hello. My name is Sonata." She replied as she quickly shook his hand. As she looked closely at the flier still in her hand, she noticed everyone in one of the pictures was wearing the same uniform as Double Diamond. "Wow. Those people in the picture look so happy." She said after seeing everyone smiling. "Yes. We are always happy at O.U.R. Academy." Double Diamond responded while holding the exact same smile as the people in the picture had. "O.U.R.? Whats that mean?" Sonata asked. "It stands for One Utopian Régime." Diamond replied. "A place where social titles such as nerds, jocks, and preps don't exist. At O.U.R. Academy, we are all equal. And it is also the perfect place as far as making friends goes." The word "friends" stuck out in the way Double Diamond said it, but after looking at his smile again, Sonata didn't seem too concerned about it. "And do you charge money for people to get in?" "Thats the best part, its free." He replied. "All monetary things as far as upkeep and payments are handled by our wealthy founder." "He pays for everything so you guys don't have to?" "Yes." "Wow!" Sonata cried out. Her cheeks turned red at the sudden realization of how loud her voice was as she saw others glancing in her direction. "Umm..." She said in a softer voice. "May I take one of these home to show my friends?" "Of course." Double Diamond replied. "I'm happy to hear that you're interested. If you choose to visit, we have an open house day tomorrow for those who want to see the school for themselves." "Thank you Double Diamond." Sonata said as she turned around and walked back to her grocery cart to pay for the various items that Adagio put on her list, tucking the flier into her purse. Sonata arrived back at the Dazzling house ten minutes after leaving the store. She grunted as she carried each of the plastic bags in her hands. As she reached the door, she kicked it lightly with her foot a few times before Adagio opened it. "Its about time you came back here Sonata." She said as she helped bring the bags inside. "Before you say anything, two questions. First, did you get everything on the list? And second, what took you so long? You should have been back here fifteen minutes ago." "Sorry Dagi. I got caught up talking to this nice guy from some small private school thats outside of town. I even got a flier for it from him." Sonata said as she pulled the folded paper out of her purse. She handed it over to Adagio for her to look at. "Hmm..." Adagio said as she looked it over. "Welcome to O.U.R. Academy, where everyone is equal and friends are plentiful." She read out loud while Aria looked over her shoulder. "No tuition, fees, or housing costs?" She asks as a look of confusion appears on her face. "How is that possible?" "The guy said the place has a rich founder who pays for everything himself." "Sounds a little too good to be true if you ask me." Aria said as she glanced at the paper. "How do we know this "school" is legit? I've never heard of it before." "He said they were having an open house thingy tomorrow. Look, they even posted an address on the flier." Sonata said as she pointed to a spot on the paper. "Lemmie run that through the map app on my phone." Adagio said as she typed in the address. After a moment, the map centered on what looked like a college campus in the middle of farmland just outside of town. "Well, would you look at that? It is real." She said as she showed the others. "You said that they're having an open house tomorrow? I'd love to see this place myself, but I got work tomorrow." She said while shuddering. "You got that job you interviewed for?" Sonata asked. "Where was that at again?" "A new fast food place called The Hay Burger." Adagio said while planting her palm against her forehead. "What kind of idiot names a place that serves hamburgers and fries after something like that?" She sighs after moving her hand away. "Oh well, its a job. Plus, I look good in that uniform." "So what are we going to do about this?" Aria asked as she pointed to the flier. "Well..." Adagio said. "How about you go with Sonata tomorrow to check it out?" She then leaned close to Aria's ear. "I'll believe what you think over what Sonata thinks." She whispered, careful not to let Sonata hear as she put the bags on the counter. "Fine. Not like I have anything else to do." Aria said before plopping back down onto the couch. "Now that we have that out of the way, Sonata, did you get everything on the list?" "Yes Dagi. I got everything you put on there." "Good." "Quick question though." "Yes?" "Why did you need a jar of pickles, some bananas, and three cans of whipped cream?" Adagio's cheeks turned red after hearing that. "Why don't you go get ready for tomorrow." She said in a calm voice. "But I-" "Now!" Adagio said in a more authoritative voice that made Sonata jump. "Okay okay geesh." Sonata replied before going down the hall towards her room. Chapter TwoThe next morning, Sonata and Aria were eating breakfast when Adagio came out wearing her uniform. It looked a bit tight on her, giving emphasis on her body's curves as she took each step. Aria and Sonata couldn't help but stare at Adagio as she sat down at the table with them. "Looking to get some extra tips there, Adagio?" Aria asked after she finished eating her toast. "Well, I thought this uniform looked good on me, but now, I think I'm gonna ask for a bigger sized uniform. One that doesn't show off the goods as much as this one does." Adagio replied before starting to eat her pancakes that Sonata made for her. "So when are you two leaving to go to that school?" "In a few minutes." Aria replied. "I'm not as happy as Sonata is, but if it turns out to be better than the one we're in now, I'll send you a text." "Good. If it is better, then I'll call that annoying principal and tell her we're gone." "Sounds good to me." Aria replied before getting up. "Well Sonata, lets get this over with." "Yay!" Sonata cried out as she jumped out of the chair. "See ya later Dagi!" She said before giving Adagio a quick hug. "Don't let the boys stare too much now." "You don't have to worry about that." Adagio replied. Sonata quickly ran off to catch up with Aria, who was already sitting in the vehicle all three shared. As she got in, Aria was putting the address on the flier into the gps on the dashboard. "Come on Aria!" Sonata exclaimed. "Lets get going!" "Give me a minute!" Aria replied as the gps searched for a route to the address. "This thing is a piece of junk!" After waiting for a bit, a look of anger appeared on Aria's face. Just as she was about to hit the small device, the route popped up on the screen. "Thats more like it." Aria said while she put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. The distance between the Dazzling's house and the address on the flier was roughly 20 miles out in the middle of nowhere. "What kind of person builds their school out here?" Aria asked as she drove. "Maybe its cheaper to build out here." Sonata replied. "Plus..." She rolled down her window and breathed in the fresh country air. "The air smells alot better out here than in the city." "Yeah, if you like being around farm animals." Aria grunted as she paid close attention to the road. After roughly 15 minutes of driving, the gps started beeping. "You have arrived at your destination." The automated voice of the gps said. Sonata stuck her head out of the window as the academy came into view. "There it is!" She cried out in excitement. Aria's eyes widened at the sight of the school. The property was outlined by a massive wall made of solid concrete. As they pulled into a small parking lot, Aria noticed two students standing at the entrance gate, waving to them as they passed by. "Double Diamond was right. They really are happy here." She said as Aria pulled into a parking space. "Now Sonata." Aria said as she got out of the car. "At least try to contain your excitement for this place. You know nothing about it, other than what that guy told you." She waited a few seconds for a response. "Are you listening?" She asked before turning around. Sonata had already rushed over to the pair of students in matching uniforms and was talking to the one with white hair. Aria groaned as she started walking towards them. "This is gonna be a long day." She thought to herself. As she got closer, she noticed how each smile was nearly identical. "Okay, thats a little creepy." "Aria!" Sonata yelled. "I'd like you to meet my new friend, Double Diamond. DD, this is my longtime bestest friend ever, Aria." "Its nice to meet you." Double Diamond said as he extended his hand out. Aria begrudgingly shook it as she couldn't stop staring at the identical smiles. "Well, seeing as how you two are the first to arrive, why don't we go introduce you to our Student Body President, Starlight Glimmer." He soon turned around to start leading the group into the campus. As the small group walked along, they passed by several people, each wearing the same uniform with the equal sign emblazoned cloth on their sleeves. Each one of them said "Welcome." as Aria and Sonata passed by. "You sure about this place?" Aria whispered to Sonata, being careful not to let the people around them hear. "These people are creeping me out." "Oh Aria, don't be such a stick in the mud." Sonata whispered back. "I'm sure these guys are just happy to see new people." Aria rolled her eyes in response as Double Diamond led the group past several housing areas. Each one looked like an exact copy of the other. "So DD, who is your friend here?" Sonata asked, trying to make conversation. "Everyone here is a friend of mine." Double Diamond replied. "This is Party Favor." He said as he pointed towards a man with blue hair similar in style to Double Diamond's. "Nice to meet you." Sonata said as she shook his hand. She looked over to see Aria holding her phone up in the air. "What are you doing?" She whispered. "I can't get a damn signal here." Aria grunted as she extended her arm above her head, trying to get a signal. "I'm trying to text Adagio. I'm not so sure we'd like this place." "But Ari..." Sonata said. "What other school is close by that is free to go to? Plus, we've only been here 5 minutes. Give it a chance, would ya?" As they were talking, Double Diamond led the group into a small building that was surprisingly different from the others. Sonata and Aria stopped walking as Double Diamond and Party Favor simultaneously knocked on a door on the other side of the room. "Starlight?" Double Diamond said. "We have some new visitors." They backed away slowly as the door swung open. A woman with hair that had a strikingly similar color to Aria's walked into the room. "Welcome." She said in a cheerful voice. "I'm so pleased to meet you." "This is Sonata Dusk and her friend, Aria Blaze." Double Diamond said as he pointed to the two former sirens respectively. Starlight walked over and instantly looked at Aria's hair. "Great minds must think alike." Starlight said as she motioned towards Aria's hair. She extended a hand out to her. Just like last time, Aria hesitated before shaking her hand. As Starlight turned toward Sonata, her hand was instantly crushed in the grip of the excited blue girl as it went up and down several dozen times in the span of seconds. "Wow." She said as she jerked her hand away. "Thats a... strong grip you have there." "Yeah. I tend to do that whenever I'm super excited about something." Sonata replied. Starlight smiled as she turned her attention back towards Aria. "So. How did you learn of O.U.R. Academy?" She asked. "Well, I bumped into your friend yesterday at the grocery store when he was handing out fliers." Sonata replied. "So you're the one who he was telling me about." Sonata's cheeks turned red after she heard that. "Plus, we're seeing if this place is better than the school we're in right now." Aria added. "Trying to get away from our past and make a new life somewhere else." "I see. Well, whatever happened in your past is in the past." Starlight said. "Here at O.U.R. Academy, we don't judge others based on what they've done or who they are. Here, we are all equal. There are no cool kids, jocks, popular kids, or nerds here. Only friends." Aria's facial expression changed when she heard that. "And as a token of my appreciation for you both coming here today..." Starlight said as she stepped back into her little room for a moment. "I'd like to give you these uniforms as a gift. There are some empty rooms down the hallway if you'd like to see if they fit you or not." "Thank you!" Sonata cried out as she took one of the uniforms and rushed down the hall to one of the rooms. Aria slowly took hold of the other uniform before she walked down the hall. "Something doesn't feel right. What kind of school gives out uniforms to people who might not even attend?" She thought as she walked into the other room to change. After several minutes, both Aria and Sonata walked out of the rooms in their matching uniforms. Sonata was grinning from ear to ear as she looked in a mirror. "I look good in this." She said while striking a few different poses. Aria looked at how she looked and rolled her eyes at what she saw. "Well now. How about I give you both a tour of the campus." Starlight said as she opened the door leading outside. Aria and Sonata followed her as Double Diamond and Party Favor followed close behind. "Over here, we have the student lounge." Starlight said as she pointed to a building with many large windows. "And over there is the Headmaster/Founder's office." She said while pointing at another small building. "If it wasn't for him, this school wouldn't exist at all." "Wow!" Sonata said. "Can we meet him?" "In due time, you will." Starlight replied. "But before I show you anything else, how about I show you two our school's most prized item." "Sure. Why not." Aria replied. Starlight soon lead them onto a small pagoda in the middle of the campus. In the center of the pagoda, there was a glass case that contained a stick with two ends sticking out on one side that looked like an equal sign. "Aria, Sonata, behold!" Starlight cried out as she pointed towards the case. "The Staff of Sameness." "Looks just like a plain old stick to me." Aria said as Starlight opened the case and brought the staff into her possession. She turned back towards them while holding the staff. "This "stick" as you call it is part of the tradition of welcoming new students into our small community of friends." Starlight said as she held the staff so that the end with the two protruding ends pointed towards Aria and Sonata. Aria's eyes widened as she watched Starlight's thumb flick a switch on the side of the staff. "So I just have one more question to ask you both." Starlight said in a calm, yet somewhat threatening voice. "Are you ready to join us here at O.U.R. Academy?" Aria started backing away slowly, but Sonata just stood still with a happy look on her face. "Of course I am!" Sonata yelled. Starlight immediately pointed the staff towards her and pressed a hidden button on the side of the staff. Both protruding ends of the staff lit up in a bright red color before firing a beam of light towards Sonata. Immediately, she became engulfed in the light as Aria stood frozen in fear and horror. After several seconds, the light disappeared. Starlight's smile grew as Sonata slowly turned around towards Aria with her head tilted downwards. "Sonata?" Aria asked hesitantly. "Are you... okay?" "I've never felt better, Aria." Sonata replied slowly as she raised her head up, revealing a smile that matched both Double Diamond's and Party Favor's. "Now, I feel like the weight of my past has been lifted off of my shoulders. You should join me in this wonderful feeling as well." Aria's eyes widened in horror as Starlight turned her attention towards her. "Well Aria..." She said. "Same question. Are you ready to join us?" The staff soon was pointing directly at her. "Hmm... let me think about it." Aria replied as she put her hand up to her chin. "How about.... no!" She yelled before kicking the staff out of Starlight's hands. She then immediately jumped over the fence surrounding the pagoda and started running as fast as she could away from Starlight and the others. Starlight's facial expression immediately turned into anger as she picked the staff up and tried firing at Aria. But the staff's ends only produced sparks whenever she pressed the button. "Sound the alarm!" Starlight yelled towards Double Diamond. "Put the campus on lockdown! We have a rebel on the loose!" Chapter ThreeAs Starlight stood in the pagoda, watching Double Diamond race off to sound the alarm, she felt an uneasy feeling wash over her. "There's only one person who would know how to fix this..." She thought to herself as she looked down at the staff in her hands. "I need to take this to the Headmaster immediately." She looked over towards Party Favor and Sonata, who were still standing nearby with unnatural smiles on their faces. "Party Favor?" "Yes, Starlight." He responded in a creepy tone. "I need you to go after Ms. Blaze! Find her before she finds a way to escape the grounds!" "Of course." Party replied before running off in the direction that Aria sprinted off in. "Sonata?" Starlight asked, turning her attention to the former blue siren. "Yes?" She replied in her version of Party's tone. "While we take care of your rebel of a friend, didn't you say there was another person who was interested in this school?" "Yes, Starlight." She replied. "Adagio would love to be here if she could, but she's working right now." "Why don't you go meet her back at your house while we get everything under control." Starlight said in a calm voice. The blue one merely nodded in response before skipping away. "Go through the main gate before it closes!" Starlight commanded as she started to walk slowly towards the Headmaster's office. "I gotta get out of this nightmare of a school!" Aria thought to herself as she ran as fast as her legs could take her. Suddenly, alarms started to ring out as the loudspeakers crackled to life. "Attention all students and faculty members..." Double Diamond's voice could be heard over the speakers. "Please be on the lookout for an individual with violet and aqua hair in two ponytails. This individual has chosen to rebel against our philosophy and must be shown the error of her ways. If you see Ms. Aria Blaze, please detain her and bring her to the Detention Hall immediately! I repeat. If anyone sees Ms. Aria Blaze, detain her and bring her to the Detention Hall immediately! That is all." "Oh fuck!" Aria said to herself as she soon found herself out in the open, with many students casting their gazes upon her. "Gotta get out of here....NOW!!!!" She thought as she immediately took off in another sprint, only this time, she had pursuers who were slowly gaining on her. Rounding a corner, she saw Sonata happily skipping her way through the main gate just as it was almost closed. "Shit!" She thought as she watched the gate close behind Sonata. "If I'm right about where she is going, I need to warn Adagio! I doubt she needs an even more messed up than usual Sonata after what she must be going through at that food place." Adagio stood behind a cash register at the Hay Burger, taking customers orders while also trying to keep her tight uniform in check. Occasionally, she'd catch a co-worker with pimples on his face staring in awe at her curves. Each time this happened, she'd flash him a death glare that made him jump each time. "Why do I always seem to attract nerds?" Adagio thought to herself as she turned around to take the next customer's order. "Welcome to The Hay Burger. May I take your....." She stopped herself from completing her question as she looked at the customer standing before her. "Must be quite funny seeing your former enemy having to stoop to this to get by. Am I right, Sunset Shimmer?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. Sunset simply stood there in shock as she realized who was standing behind the register. "Well... I wouldn't really call it funny." She replied. "But I must say, seeing you in that uniform isn't really doing any good when it comes to hiding..." She pointed at her own breasts as Adagio looked. "Tell me about it." She replied. "I've been catching that guy staring at me all day!" She yelled slightly as she pointed towards her unwanted admirer. "I know what you mean by that." Sunset replied. "I've been catching guys staring at my ass ever since people started liking me." She giggled at the memories of having to shoot glares at guys who stared a bit too long. "You know, I wouldn't even be in this uniform if it wasn't for you and your friends!" Adagio blurted out. "Hey!" Sunset said. "You and your friends tried taking over the school by hypnotizing the students with your powers as sirens. What were we supposed to do? Let you win?" "Would have been nice." Adagio replied as she rolled her eyes. She then sighed as the memories of what happened that night flow back into her memory. Slowly, she reacquired eye contact with Sunset as her hands took their place back on the register. "What can I get you?" She asked in a suddenly depressing tone. "Well..." Sunset paused as she looked over the menu above Adagio's head. "Can I just get a #4 with extra fries and a medium drink?" "Is that all?" Adagio asked as she pushed a few buttons on the register. "Yes, that'll do." "That'll be $5.98." Adagio said as Sunset reached into her jacket pockets. "You know..." Sunset started to say as she reached into her jacket pockets. "Maybe I can help you adjust to this new life of yours." "Well, I'm not sure how you'd be able to make me feel better about losing my powers and my immortality." "Hmm... well, maybe I can help take your mind off of it for a while. How about you and I hang out at your place after you get off work?" Sunset asked. "Maybe watch a movie, go for a drive, play some games...." "Well... it would be nice to have someone else at the place other than those two nitwits." Adagio replied softly. After a few minutes in thought, she looked back towards the person in front of her. "Alright, Sunset. Meet me here in 2 hours." She said as she gave Sunset her food. "Thanks and will do." Sunset said as she started to walk away. "Oh! And by the way..." Sunset said as she turned her head around. "That outfit, in my opinion, looks great on you." This caused the former siren's cheeks to blush slightly as Sunset walked out of the restaurant. "Hopefully those two won't be back at the house when we get there." Adagio thought to herself as she turned her attention back towards the next customer. Aria tried making her presence less known by hiding behind an empty dumpster. She held her breath as she heard students rush past her in pursuit, not knowing she had hidden herself. Just as she started to get up, a hand was placed firmly in front of her mouth. Aria tried yelling, but the hand clenched tighter around her jaw. "Shh!" A voice from behind said, making Aria stop. "I'm here to help you." Aria turned around to try and see who the person was. "Party something?" She asked in confusion as the hand moved away from her mouth. "What the fuck are you doing?!" "It's Party Favor." Party said as he motioned to Aria to keep her voice down. "Listen. If you want somewhere to hide for a little while, follow me." "Why should I trust you?" Aria asked. "You're one of Starlight's goons sent out to catch me!" "Am I trying to bring you to the Detention Hall?" Party asked. "That remains to be seen." "Look. If you don't follow me, you risk bumping into any student who will turn you in without hesitation!" Party whispered. "Plus, Starlight is speaking to the Headmaster as we speak. She's trying to get the staff fixed. That way, if you get caught, she can just zap you into compliance like she did with your friend!" "And why are you telling me this?" "To let you know that I am here to help you avoid that fate. Now come on!" Party said as he got up. "I know of a special place where we can hide. I also have some friends that can help you out as well." After saying that, Party walked out from behind the dumpster. Aria rolled her eyes slightly as Party motioned for her to follow. "Well, I guess if things go the way I think they're gonna go, I can always just kick his ass later." She thought as she begrudgingly followed Party Favor. Starlight approached the main door leading into the Headmaster's office. She stood motionless for a minute, gripping the staff in one hand as she balled up her other hand into a fist. Slowly, she reached her fist forward, lightly knocking on the door. "Yes?" A low voice asked from behind the door. "Who goes there?" "It's me, Headmaster." Starlight replied. "Student Body President, Starlight Glimmer." "Enter." The voice commanded as the door slowly opened on it's own. Starlight gulped as she stepped inside. Once in, the door closed by itself as the room was immediately lit up by a purple colored fire in the stone fireplace. Starlight scanned the room, spotting the desk of the Headmaster, glowing in the light of a wall of tv screens placed behind it with his chair turned towards them, facing away from Starlight as she hesitatingly approached. "So..." The Headmaster began in his low voice. "What brings you to my office today, Ms. Glimmer?" "Sir, one of the students that we were showing around the campus... damaged the Staff of Sameness." She replied as she laid the staff on his desk. "It won't function properly anymore. And the one responsible is running loose on campus." "Yes." The Headmaster replied as he pointed at the screens with his remote, making all of them show one view. "I've been watching her attempts to evade the students. I've also seen that she has picked up an ally." He said as the camera zoomed in on Party Favor. "Party Favor?!" Starlight yelled. "That traitor! I will make him pay dearly for this!" "Now..." The Headmaster said, slowly turning his chair around to face Starlight. His coal black hair and grey skin was illuminated brightly by the purple fire. "Lets see what is wrong with my creation." He slowly reached out and picked up the staff. "Hmm..." He said as he looked it over. "The damage seems minor, but it will take a few hours to fix." Starlight nodded as she listened. "Rest assured..." He continued. "I shall have this back in running order soon. In the meantime, here is what I want you to do..." "I'm listening.... Headmaster Sombra." Starlight replied as she leaned in to hear his plan.
Chapter One"Grr!" Aria growled as she plopped down on the couch in the Dazzling's living room. "I fucking hate detention!" "Look at it this way." Adagio said as she sat down next to her. "Our punishment could have been worse if those two principals didn't factor losing our powers as part of our it. At least its all done now. All three delightful months of it!" "I guess." Aria replied. "Well, at least a few of the kids are actually tolerable. Those Rainbooms are actually treating us like normal people. Wish the other 98% of the school would do the same." "Yeah. It is nice to have a few people not mock us or ridicule us for not being able to sing anymore." Adagio replied as she looked over on the end table. On the edge of it sat what was left of her necklace, minus the shards of the broken crimson jewel. "So what do we do now?" Aria asked. "I swear if I hear one more person call me tone deaf, I'm gonna strangle them until their face turns as blue as Sonata's!" "Hmm... I'm not sure. It would be nice to have a magic reset button to just go back to before I even saw that surge of Equestrian magic. But since those don't exist, I suppose we could always just leave this school, go to a new one and start over with a clean slate." "Sounds good to me." Aria said as she put her feet up. She then looked around the room, wondering why it was so quiet. "Speaking of nice, its finally quiet in here. Where's Sonata?" "Oh I sent her to the grocery store a little while ago to get some ingredients for supper." "Did you give her a list?" "Of course I did." "Well, hopefully she doesn't get stuff just to make tacos like she did last time. Now then..." Aria said as she turned on the tv. "Lets see whats on." Sonata pushed her cart down the aisles of the grocery store. She glanced at the list as she grabbed every item that was written on it. "Why does Dagi want all of this stuff?" She thought to herself as she walked along. Most of the items were normal things like bread, milk, pop, and some pizza sauce, but a few items struck Sonata as odd. "A jar of pickles, some bananas, three cans of whipped cream. What the heck does she need these for? It doesn't make sense." Upon gathering everything that was on the list, she made her way towards the front of the store. She looked down for a moment to see if she had everything until she felt her cart bump into something. The sound of papers falling onto the floor soon followed. "Oops. My bad." Sonata said after looking up to see a man wearing a purple long-sleeve shirt, black pants, and black tie standing in front of the cart. A white cloth with an equal sign emblazoned on it was stitched on the left arm of the shirt. "Oh no." The man replied. "It was my fault entirely." "No no." Sonata said. "I wasn't watching where I was going, so its my bad." The man bent down to pick up a pile of fliers that he dropped. Sonata moved the cart back and bent down to help him. After picking some up to give to the stranger, she started reading one. "What exactly are these for?" She asked in confusion. "These are for a small private academy located just outside of town." The man replied after picking all of the papers up from the floor. "My name is Double Diamond." He said as he extended his hand out. "Oh uh... hello. My name is Sonata." She replied as she quickly shook his hand. As she looked closely at the flier still in her hand, she noticed everyone in one of the pictures was wearing the same uniform as Double Diamond. "Wow. Those people in the picture look so happy." She said after seeing everyone smiling. "Yes. We are always happy at O.U.R. Academy." Double Diamond responded while holding the exact same smile as the people in the picture had. "O.U.R.? Whats that mean?" Sonata asked. "It stands for One Utopian Régime." Diamond replied. "A place where social titles such as nerds, jocks, and preps don't exist. At O.U.R. Academy, we are all equal. And it is also the perfect place as far as making friends goes." The word "friends" stuck out in the way Double Diamond said it, but after looking at his smile again, Sonata didn't seem too concerned about it. "And do you charge money for people to get in?" "Thats the best part, its free." He replied. "All monetary things as far as upkeep and payments are handled by our wealthy founder." "He pays for everything so you guys don't have to?" "Yes." "Wow!" Sonata cried out. Her cheeks turned red at the sudden realization of how loud her voice was as she saw others glancing in her direction. "Umm..." She said in a softer voice. "May I take one of these home to show my friends?" "Of course." Double Diamond replied. "I'm happy to hear that you're interested. If you choose to visit, we have an open house day tomorrow for those who want to see the school for themselves." "Thank you Double Diamond." Sonata said as she turned around and walked back to her grocery cart to pay for the various items that Adagio put on her list, tucking the flier into her purse. Sonata arrived back at the Dazzling house ten minutes after leaving the store. She grunted as she carried each of the plastic bags in her hands. As she reached the door, she kicked it lightly with her foot a few times before Adagio opened it. "Its about time you came back here Sonata." She said as she helped bring the bags inside. "Before you say anything, two questions. First, did you get everything on the list? And second, what took you so long? You should have been back here fifteen minutes ago." "Sorry Dagi. I got caught up talking to this nice guy from some small private school thats outside of town. I even got a flier for it from him." Sonata said as she pulled the folded paper out of her purse. She handed it over to Adagio for her to look at. "Hmm..." Adagio said as she looked it over. "Welcome to O.U.R. Academy, where everyone is equal and friends are plentiful." She read out loud while Aria looked over her shoulder. "No tuition, fees, or housing costs?" She asks as a look of confusion appears on her face. "How is that possible?" "The guy said the place has a rich founder who pays for everything himself." "Sounds a little too good to be true if you ask me." Aria said as she glanced at the paper. "How do we know this "school" is legit? I've never heard of it before." "He said they were having an open house thingy tomorrow. Look, they even posted an address on the flier." Sonata said as she pointed to a spot on the paper. "Lemmie run that through the map app on my phone." Adagio said as she typed in the address. After a moment, the map centered on what looked like a college campus in the middle of farmland just outside of town. "Well, would you look at that? It is real." She said as she showed the others. "You said that they're having an open house tomorrow? I'd love to see this place myself, but I got work tomorrow." She said while shuddering. "You got that job you interviewed for?" Sonata asked. "Where was that at again?" "A new fast food place called The Hay Burger." Adagio said while planting her palm against her forehead. "What kind of idiot names a place that serves hamburgers and fries after something like that?" She sighs after moving her hand away. "Oh well, its a job. Plus, I look good in that uniform." "So what are we going to do about this?" Aria asked as she pointed to the flier. "Well..." Adagio said. "How about you go with Sonata tomorrow to check it out?" She then leaned close to Aria's ear. "I'll believe what you think over what Sonata thinks." She whispered, careful not to let Sonata hear as she put the bags on the counter. "Fine. Not like I have anything else to do." Aria said before plopping back down onto the couch. "Now that we have that out of the way, Sonata, did you get everything on the list?" "Yes Dagi. I got everything you put on there." "Good." "Quick question though." "Yes?" "Why did you need a jar of pickles, some bananas, and three cans of whipped cream?" Adagio's cheeks turned red after hearing that. "Why don't you go get ready for tomorrow." She said in a calm voice. "But I-" "Now!" Adagio said in a more authoritative voice that made Sonata jump. "Okay okay geesh." Sonata replied before going down the hall towards her room.
Chapter TwoThe next morning, Sonata and Aria were eating breakfast when Adagio came out wearing her uniform. It looked a bit tight on her, giving emphasis on her body's curves as she took each step. Aria and Sonata couldn't help but stare at Adagio as she sat down at the table with them. "Looking to get some extra tips there, Adagio?" Aria asked after she finished eating her toast. "Well, I thought this uniform looked good on me, but now, I think I'm gonna ask for a bigger sized uniform. One that doesn't show off the goods as much as this one does." Adagio replied before starting to eat her pancakes that Sonata made for her. "So when are you two leaving to go to that school?" "In a few minutes." Aria replied. "I'm not as happy as Sonata is, but if it turns out to be better than the one we're in now, I'll send you a text." "Good. If it is better, then I'll call that annoying principal and tell her we're gone." "Sounds good to me." Aria replied before getting up. "Well Sonata, lets get this over with." "Yay!" Sonata cried out as she jumped out of the chair. "See ya later Dagi!" She said before giving Adagio a quick hug. "Don't let the boys stare too much now." "You don't have to worry about that." Adagio replied. Sonata quickly ran off to catch up with Aria, who was already sitting in the vehicle all three shared. As she got in, Aria was putting the address on the flier into the gps on the dashboard. "Come on Aria!" Sonata exclaimed. "Lets get going!" "Give me a minute!" Aria replied as the gps searched for a route to the address. "This thing is a piece of junk!" After waiting for a bit, a look of anger appeared on Aria's face. Just as she was about to hit the small device, the route popped up on the screen. "Thats more like it." Aria said while she put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. The distance between the Dazzling's house and the address on the flier was roughly 20 miles out in the middle of nowhere. "What kind of person builds their school out here?" Aria asked as she drove. "Maybe its cheaper to build out here." Sonata replied. "Plus..." She rolled down her window and breathed in the fresh country air. "The air smells alot better out here than in the city." "Yeah, if you like being around farm animals." Aria grunted as she paid close attention to the road. After roughly 15 minutes of driving, the gps started beeping. "You have arrived at your destination." The automated voice of the gps said. Sonata stuck her head out of the window as the academy came into view. "There it is!" She cried out in excitement. Aria's eyes widened at the sight of the school. The property was outlined by a massive wall made of solid concrete. As they pulled into a small parking lot, Aria noticed two students standing at the entrance gate, waving to them as they passed by. "Double Diamond was right. They really are happy here." She said as Aria pulled into a parking space. "Now Sonata." Aria said as she got out of the car. "At least try to contain your excitement for this place. You know nothing about it, other than what that guy told you." She waited a few seconds for a response. "Are you listening?" She asked before turning around. Sonata had already rushed over to the pair of students in matching uniforms and was talking to the one with white hair. Aria groaned as she started walking towards them. "This is gonna be a long day." She thought to herself. As she got closer, she noticed how each smile was nearly identical. "Okay, thats a little creepy." "Aria!" Sonata yelled. "I'd like you to meet my new friend, Double Diamond. DD, this is my longtime bestest friend ever, Aria." "Its nice to meet you." Double Diamond said as he extended his hand out. Aria begrudgingly shook it as she couldn't stop staring at the identical smiles. "Well, seeing as how you two are the first to arrive, why don't we go introduce you to our Student Body President, Starlight Glimmer." He soon turned around to start leading the group into the campus. As the small group walked along, they passed by several people, each wearing the same uniform with the equal sign emblazoned cloth on their sleeves. Each one of them said "Welcome." as Aria and Sonata passed by. "You sure about this place?" Aria whispered to Sonata, being careful not to let the people around them hear. "These people are creeping me out." "Oh Aria, don't be such a stick in the mud." Sonata whispered back. "I'm sure these guys are just happy to see new people." Aria rolled her eyes in response as Double Diamond led the group past several housing areas. Each one looked like an exact copy of the other. "So DD, who is your friend here?" Sonata asked, trying to make conversation. "Everyone here is a friend of mine." Double Diamond replied. "This is Party Favor." He said as he pointed towards a man with blue hair similar in style to Double Diamond's. "Nice to meet you." Sonata said as she shook his hand. She looked over to see Aria holding her phone up in the air. "What are you doing?" She whispered. "I can't get a damn signal here." Aria grunted as she extended her arm above her head, trying to get a signal. "I'm trying to text Adagio. I'm not so sure we'd like this place." "But Ari..." Sonata said. "What other school is close by that is free to go to? Plus, we've only been here 5 minutes. Give it a chance, would ya?" As they were talking, Double Diamond led the group into a small building that was surprisingly different from the others. Sonata and Aria stopped walking as Double Diamond and Party Favor simultaneously knocked on a door on the other side of the room. "Starlight?" Double Diamond said. "We have some new visitors." They backed away slowly as the door swung open. A woman with hair that had a strikingly similar color to Aria's walked into the room. "Welcome." She said in a cheerful voice. "I'm so pleased to meet you." "This is Sonata Dusk and her friend, Aria Blaze." Double Diamond said as he pointed to the two former sirens respectively. Starlight walked over and instantly looked at Aria's hair. "Great minds must think alike." Starlight said as she motioned towards Aria's hair. She extended a hand out to her. Just like last time, Aria hesitated before shaking her hand. As Starlight turned toward Sonata, her hand was instantly crushed in the grip of the excited blue girl as it went up and down several dozen times in the span of seconds. "Wow." She said as she jerked her hand away. "Thats a... strong grip you have there." "Yeah. I tend to do that whenever I'm super excited about something." Sonata replied. Starlight smiled as she turned her attention back towards Aria. "So. How did you learn of O.U.R. Academy?" She asked. "Well, I bumped into your friend yesterday at the grocery store when he was handing out fliers." Sonata replied. "So you're the one who he was telling me about." Sonata's cheeks turned red after she heard that. "Plus, we're seeing if this place is better than the school we're in right now." Aria added. "Trying to get away from our past and make a new life somewhere else." "I see. Well, whatever happened in your past is in the past." Starlight said. "Here at O.U.R. Academy, we don't judge others based on what they've done or who they are. Here, we are all equal. There are no cool kids, jocks, popular kids, or nerds here. Only friends." Aria's facial expression changed when she heard that. "And as a token of my appreciation for you both coming here today..." Starlight said as she stepped back into her little room for a moment. "I'd like to give you these uniforms as a gift. There are some empty rooms down the hallway if you'd like to see if they fit you or not." "Thank you!" Sonata cried out as she took one of the uniforms and rushed down the hall to one of the rooms. Aria slowly took hold of the other uniform before she walked down the hall. "Something doesn't feel right. What kind of school gives out uniforms to people who might not even attend?" She thought as she walked into the other room to change. After several minutes, both Aria and Sonata walked out of the rooms in their matching uniforms. Sonata was grinning from ear to ear as she looked in a mirror. "I look good in this." She said while striking a few different poses. Aria looked at how she looked and rolled her eyes at what she saw. "Well now. How about I give you both a tour of the campus." Starlight said as she opened the door leading outside. Aria and Sonata followed her as Double Diamond and Party Favor followed close behind. "Over here, we have the student lounge." Starlight said as she pointed to a building with many large windows. "And over there is the Headmaster/Founder's office." She said while pointing at another small building. "If it wasn't for him, this school wouldn't exist at all." "Wow!" Sonata said. "Can we meet him?" "In due time, you will." Starlight replied. "But before I show you anything else, how about I show you two our school's most prized item." "Sure. Why not." Aria replied. Starlight soon lead them onto a small pagoda in the middle of the campus. In the center of the pagoda, there was a glass case that contained a stick with two ends sticking out on one side that looked like an equal sign. "Aria, Sonata, behold!" Starlight cried out as she pointed towards the case. "The Staff of Sameness." "Looks just like a plain old stick to me." Aria said as Starlight opened the case and brought the staff into her possession. She turned back towards them while holding the staff. "This "stick" as you call it is part of the tradition of welcoming new students into our small community of friends." Starlight said as she held the staff so that the end with the two protruding ends pointed towards Aria and Sonata. Aria's eyes widened as she watched Starlight's thumb flick a switch on the side of the staff. "So I just have one more question to ask you both." Starlight said in a calm, yet somewhat threatening voice. "Are you ready to join us here at O.U.R. Academy?" Aria started backing away slowly, but Sonata just stood still with a happy look on her face. "Of course I am!" Sonata yelled. Starlight immediately pointed the staff towards her and pressed a hidden button on the side of the staff. Both protruding ends of the staff lit up in a bright red color before firing a beam of light towards Sonata. Immediately, she became engulfed in the light as Aria stood frozen in fear and horror. After several seconds, the light disappeared. Starlight's smile grew as Sonata slowly turned around towards Aria with her head tilted downwards. "Sonata?" Aria asked hesitantly. "Are you... okay?" "I've never felt better, Aria." Sonata replied slowly as she raised her head up, revealing a smile that matched both Double Diamond's and Party Favor's. "Now, I feel like the weight of my past has been lifted off of my shoulders. You should join me in this wonderful feeling as well." Aria's eyes widened in horror as Starlight turned her attention towards her. "Well Aria..." She said. "Same question. Are you ready to join us?" The staff soon was pointing directly at her. "Hmm... let me think about it." Aria replied as she put her hand up to her chin. "How about.... no!" She yelled before kicking the staff out of Starlight's hands. She then immediately jumped over the fence surrounding the pagoda and started running as fast as she could away from Starlight and the others. Starlight's facial expression immediately turned into anger as she picked the staff up and tried firing at Aria. But the staff's ends only produced sparks whenever she pressed the button. "Sound the alarm!" Starlight yelled towards Double Diamond. "Put the campus on lockdown! We have a rebel on the loose!"
Chapter ThreeAs Starlight stood in the pagoda, watching Double Diamond race off to sound the alarm, she felt an uneasy feeling wash over her. "There's only one person who would know how to fix this..." She thought to herself as she looked down at the staff in her hands. "I need to take this to the Headmaster immediately." She looked over towards Party Favor and Sonata, who were still standing nearby with unnatural smiles on their faces. "Party Favor?" "Yes, Starlight." He responded in a creepy tone. "I need you to go after Ms. Blaze! Find her before she finds a way to escape the grounds!" "Of course." Party replied before running off in the direction that Aria sprinted off in. "Sonata?" Starlight asked, turning her attention to the former blue siren. "Yes?" She replied in her version of Party's tone. "While we take care of your rebel of a friend, didn't you say there was another person who was interested in this school?" "Yes, Starlight." She replied. "Adagio would love to be here if she could, but she's working right now." "Why don't you go meet her back at your house while we get everything under control." Starlight said in a calm voice. The blue one merely nodded in response before skipping away. "Go through the main gate before it closes!" Starlight commanded as she started to walk slowly towards the Headmaster's office. "I gotta get out of this nightmare of a school!" Aria thought to herself as she ran as fast as her legs could take her. Suddenly, alarms started to ring out as the loudspeakers crackled to life. "Attention all students and faculty members..." Double Diamond's voice could be heard over the speakers. "Please be on the lookout for an individual with violet and aqua hair in two ponytails. This individual has chosen to rebel against our philosophy and must be shown the error of her ways. If you see Ms. Aria Blaze, please detain her and bring her to the Detention Hall immediately! I repeat. If anyone sees Ms. Aria Blaze, detain her and bring her to the Detention Hall immediately! That is all." "Oh fuck!" Aria said to herself as she soon found herself out in the open, with many students casting their gazes upon her. "Gotta get out of here....NOW!!!!" She thought as she immediately took off in another sprint, only this time, she had pursuers who were slowly gaining on her. Rounding a corner, she saw Sonata happily skipping her way through the main gate just as it was almost closed. "Shit!" She thought as she watched the gate close behind Sonata. "If I'm right about where she is going, I need to warn Adagio! I doubt she needs an even more messed up than usual Sonata after what she must be going through at that food place." Adagio stood behind a cash register at the Hay Burger, taking customers orders while also trying to keep her tight uniform in check. Occasionally, she'd catch a co-worker with pimples on his face staring in awe at her curves. Each time this happened, she'd flash him a death glare that made him jump each time. "Why do I always seem to attract nerds?" Adagio thought to herself as she turned around to take the next customer's order. "Welcome to The Hay Burger. May I take your....." She stopped herself from completing her question as she looked at the customer standing before her. "Must be quite funny seeing your former enemy having to stoop to this to get by. Am I right, Sunset Shimmer?" She asked in a sarcastic tone. Sunset simply stood there in shock as she realized who was standing behind the register. "Well... I wouldn't really call it funny." She replied. "But I must say, seeing you in that uniform isn't really doing any good when it comes to hiding..." She pointed at her own breasts as Adagio looked. "Tell me about it." She replied. "I've been catching that guy staring at me all day!" She yelled slightly as she pointed towards her unwanted admirer. "I know what you mean by that." Sunset replied. "I've been catching guys staring at my ass ever since people started liking me." She giggled at the memories of having to shoot glares at guys who stared a bit too long. "You know, I wouldn't even be in this uniform if it wasn't for you and your friends!" Adagio blurted out. "Hey!" Sunset said. "You and your friends tried taking over the school by hypnotizing the students with your powers as sirens. What were we supposed to do? Let you win?" "Would have been nice." Adagio replied as she rolled her eyes. She then sighed as the memories of what happened that night flow back into her memory. Slowly, she reacquired eye contact with Sunset as her hands took their place back on the register. "What can I get you?" She asked in a suddenly depressing tone. "Well..." Sunset paused as she looked over the menu above Adagio's head. "Can I just get a #4 with extra fries and a medium drink?" "Is that all?" Adagio asked as she pushed a few buttons on the register. "Yes, that'll do." "That'll be $5.98." Adagio said as Sunset reached into her jacket pockets. "You know..." Sunset started to say as she reached into her jacket pockets. "Maybe I can help you adjust to this new life of yours." "Well, I'm not sure how you'd be able to make me feel better about losing my powers and my immortality." "Hmm... well, maybe I can help take your mind off of it for a while. How about you and I hang out at your place after you get off work?" Sunset asked. "Maybe watch a movie, go for a drive, play some games...." "Well... it would be nice to have someone else at the place other than those two nitwits." Adagio replied softly. After a few minutes in thought, she looked back towards the person in front of her. "Alright, Sunset. Meet me here in 2 hours." She said as she gave Sunset her food. "Thanks and will do." Sunset said as she started to walk away. "Oh! And by the way..." Sunset said as she turned her head around. "That outfit, in my opinion, looks great on you." This caused the former siren's cheeks to blush slightly as Sunset walked out of the restaurant. "Hopefully those two won't be back at the house when we get there." Adagio thought to herself as she turned her attention back towards the next customer. Aria tried making her presence less known by hiding behind an empty dumpster. She held her breath as she heard students rush past her in pursuit, not knowing she had hidden herself. Just as she started to get up, a hand was placed firmly in front of her mouth. Aria tried yelling, but the hand clenched tighter around her jaw. "Shh!" A voice from behind said, making Aria stop. "I'm here to help you." Aria turned around to try and see who the person was. "Party something?" She asked in confusion as the hand moved away from her mouth. "What the fuck are you doing?!" "It's Party Favor." Party said as he motioned to Aria to keep her voice down. "Listen. If you want somewhere to hide for a little while, follow me." "Why should I trust you?" Aria asked. "You're one of Starlight's goons sent out to catch me!" "Am I trying to bring you to the Detention Hall?" Party asked. "That remains to be seen." "Look. If you don't follow me, you risk bumping into any student who will turn you in without hesitation!" Party whispered. "Plus, Starlight is speaking to the Headmaster as we speak. She's trying to get the staff fixed. That way, if you get caught, she can just zap you into compliance like she did with your friend!" "And why are you telling me this?" "To let you know that I am here to help you avoid that fate. Now come on!" Party said as he got up. "I know of a special place where we can hide. I also have some friends that can help you out as well." After saying that, Party walked out from behind the dumpster. Aria rolled her eyes slightly as Party motioned for her to follow. "Well, I guess if things go the way I think they're gonna go, I can always just kick his ass later." She thought as she begrudgingly followed Party Favor. Starlight approached the main door leading into the Headmaster's office. She stood motionless for a minute, gripping the staff in one hand as she balled up her other hand into a fist. Slowly, she reached her fist forward, lightly knocking on the door. "Yes?" A low voice asked from behind the door. "Who goes there?" "It's me, Headmaster." Starlight replied. "Student Body President, Starlight Glimmer." "Enter." The voice commanded as the door slowly opened on it's own. Starlight gulped as she stepped inside. Once in, the door closed by itself as the room was immediately lit up by a purple colored fire in the stone fireplace. Starlight scanned the room, spotting the desk of the Headmaster, glowing in the light of a wall of tv screens placed behind it with his chair turned towards them, facing away from Starlight as she hesitatingly approached. "So..." The Headmaster began in his low voice. "What brings you to my office today, Ms. Glimmer?" "Sir, one of the students that we were showing around the campus... damaged the Staff of Sameness." She replied as she laid the staff on his desk. "It won't function properly anymore. And the one responsible is running loose on campus." "Yes." The Headmaster replied as he pointed at the screens with his remote, making all of them show one view. "I've been watching her attempts to evade the students. I've also seen that she has picked up an ally." He said as the camera zoomed in on Party Favor. "Party Favor?!" Starlight yelled. "That traitor! I will make him pay dearly for this!" "Now..." The Headmaster said, slowly turning his chair around to face Starlight. His coal black hair and grey skin was illuminated brightly by the purple fire. "Lets see what is wrong with my creation." He slowly reached out and picked up the staff. "Hmm..." He said as he looked it over. "The damage seems minor, but it will take a few hours to fix." Starlight nodded as she listened. "Rest assured..." He continued. "I shall have this back in running order soon. In the meantime, here is what I want you to do..." "I'm listening.... Headmaster Sombra." Starlight replied as she leaned in to hear his plan.
