Conflicts of a Fairytale's Friendship

Chapter 3

Vibrant Deja'vu

The latest but ultimately familiar face at the Rainbooms' usual lunch table had learned many things in her relatively short time at CHS, but one of the most important things she had learned had come at the lunch hour; When Applejack brought a bagged lunch from home, Granny Smith was taking one of her frequent personal days, and when Granny Smith took a personal day, the cafeteria cuisine became virtually inedible.

Twilight Sparkle wrinkled her nose at the mound of...something that might have been chicken once by the smell that was piled onto Pinkie Pie's plate across from her. The indigo haired girl fixed her glasses, narrowing her eyes contemplatively at the patty of some kind of obscure protein. It was chicken, right? Maybe? It could have been pork or beef. The greasy, fried exterior didn't leave many hints and the white sauce didn't help it look anymore appetizing.

“Want some?!” Pinkie Pie suddenly jabbed a fork at her that was harboring a piece of the fried meat. It was so close to her nose that Twilight had to cross her eyes to really look at it. Maybe it was pork and not chicken?

Twilight, gently, pushed Pinkie's hand away. “No, thank you, Pinkie.”

“You sure?” Pinkie asked before shoving the piece into her mouth. “Mmmm...Cardboardy!”

Twilight hadn't quite gotten used to how Pinkie Pie would eat just about anything the cafeteria served and in large quantities. She recalled Rainbow Dash answering her wonder with something about Pinkie bursting with so much energy, she'd collapse if she didn't eat like a pig. Considering the pink haired girl's slender figure and boisterous personality, the idea didn't seem like too much of a stretch in hindsight.

“Honestly, Pinkie Pie, at least chew with your mouth closed,” Rarity scolded from her seat beside Twilight.

“What?” Pinkie answered, her mouth filled to the brim with partially chewed meat and unappetizingly soggy mash potatoes. She spittle a little bit, a concoction of saliva and potatoes hitting the table in front of Twilight, much to both her and Rarity's disgust.

“Don't talk with your mouth full either! It's very unlady-like,” Rarity complained, searching her overfull purse for a tissue.

Applejack had produced a napkin from her lunch bag and leaned over the table to hand it to Twilight. “Here ya go, Sugarcube.”

“Thank you.” Twilight gratefully took the napkin and cleaned the space in front of her of unappealing food debris.

“Has anyone seen Sunset, yet?” Rainbow Dash spoke up from the end of the table where she was straddling a backwards turned chair.

“I think she was in the line to get lunch,” Fluttershy replied, helpfully, picking at the salad she'd brought from home.

Not a moment later, their yellow and red haired friend was walking toward the table, sporting nothing in her hands. One look at Applejack's lunch from home gave her every answer she needed as to why the food selection looked like it had been sitting out for three days. Sunset dropped in a seat next to Twilight discontentedly, resting her eyes on her hands in hopes that the pressure would ease the tension in her shoulders.

“Still...having trouble with the new student?” Twilight tuned in, uncertainly.

Sunset nodded. “She's terrified of me. I swear she had to have heard about who I used to be or something.”

Twilight was silently patting herself on the back for being correct in her observation, considering she wasn't exactly an expert on reading her friends the way they seemed to be about each other. Though, perhaps this problem was a given. It had come up several times since the previous Monday when Fairytale Lyric first started school.

“Darling, I think you're taking this too personally,” Rarity offered, checking herself absently in a compact mirror. “Fairytale isn't exactly a brave character from what any of us have seen of her.”

“Rarity's right, Sunset,” Applejack put in with a shrug. “Maybe she's just a germaphobe or somethin'. It's not like anyone talks 'bout yer “old self” 'round here anymore. She probably ain't even heard about it.”

“Buuuuuuut,” Pinkie drawled, gathering the attention of the table. “Fairytale Lyric actually had her first day of school back a few days before the Fall Formal, when Princess Twilight came to school the first time, back when Sunny was a toooootal, rampaging meanie.”

There was a chorus of curious blinking around the table.

“It...was?” Sunset ventured.

“Uh huh! But she never even made it to class because she fainted and never came back until now. I thought she died!”

“And how, pray tell, do you know that?” Rarity asked the nagging question. They all had come to realize, even Twilight, that Pinkie Pie's blunt ramblings always held some truth to them not matter how outlandish it was that she knew the information. The question was really just a formality at this point, one they all expected to be answered with some obscure joke.

“I saw her faint!” Pinkie announced. The little look of surprise on Rarity's face at the actually believable answer was dismantled by the pale fashionista reapplying her lip gloss.

“Ugh! Fantastic.” The orange skinned girl dropped her head to the table with a thud. She'd hope that she could at least pretend to question Pinkie's knowledge from the other side, but if she said she saw it, Sunset had no choice but to give in to the truth. Pinkie, no matter how much she walked the bird, never lied very well.

Rainbow Dash finally decided to put in her two cents. “I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Have you seen her around school? She's not exactly inviting to anyone. There's been a few times that Nervous Nelly has made Fluttershy look like the pinnacle of calm.” Her magenta eyes darted to Fluttershy at the other end of the table. “No offense.”

Fluttershy smiled softly. “None taken.”

“Statistically,” Twilight observed with her elbows on the table and her hands thoughtfully locked in front of her, “it is rather unlikely that she would have heard anything about you on her “first day” if what Pinkie says is true and she never even made to class. Even on her first day attending classes, especially when the Fall Formal was so long ago and so much has happened in between now and then, it's rather unlikely that she's heard anything adverse or negative about you. The only reason I even know about the Fall Formal incident and the way you used to behave is because you girls told me about it. I haven't heard about it from anyone else the two months I've been here. Honestly, I've only heard good things about you.” She cocked a smile in Sunset's direction. “Besides, her knowing you were once...”

“Heh.” Sunset rolled her eyes, but smiled humorously. “A raging she-demon?” Rainbow snickered at the term at the end of the table.

“We'll go with that,” Twilight continued. “It doesn't explain why everything was going well until you touched her or how you've interacted since. You told me she even looks apologetic over her behavior. Why would she be sorry if she thought you were a scary, mean person?”

“Have ya tried just askin' her about it?” Applejack asked, resting on elbow on the table and a cheek in her hand. “That seems like a mighty good place to start.”

Sunset lifted her head off the table and rubbed the red mark that had bloomed on her forehead. “I don't want her to think I'm calling her a liar.” She sighed, heavily. “She's not exactly adjusting well and the whole reason Principal Celestia asked me to tutor her is because she thought I could help her find a place here, but I don't even know how to help her when she's so afraid of me for some reason,” Her stress made her speak a bit faster, “Its almost like she's not even actually scared of me. It's being in close proximity to me or something. It just doesn't make sense. I feel like there's something else to it that I'm just not getting!”

Applejack leaned over the table and clapped a hand on Sunset's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “It really sounds like you need to just pull up yer big girl britches and ask her. If ya do it with an open mind, there ain't no harm in it. You've got a good eye for people, so maybe yer gut feelin' about there bein' more to the issue is on point. Besides, Twilight's right, you've told us a few times now that Fairytale looks like there's somethin' on her mind that she wants to say. Maybe she needs this push just as much as you do.”

“I guess you're right,” Sunset relented. “Asking would be better than aimlessly worrying about it...and probably more fair to Fay too.”

Pinkie broke in suddenly, “Doooooes anyone else have the feeling that a trio of once mind controlling,”--She made this point by twirling her fingers around either side of her head and rolling her eyes around in their sockets.-- “sinister baddies we defeated before are going to swing open the cafeteria doors with a show stopping flare that will make everyone go really quiet?” She animatedly whispered the last part with a finger over her lips.

As if cued by the last syllable of Pinkie's high octave whisper, the doors to the cafeteria clamored open. Each of the double doors hit the walls besides them. The sudden bang and rattling that followed as the doors vibrated silenced the mangled cacophony of a hundred voices. Normally, the voices would have immediately started up again, but all eyes were glued on the door way. Three familiar personas stood in the door frame. Each wore a different level of smug on their face in response to the limelight of uneasiness and occasional glares that spread out across the various tables.

“Like that!” Pinkie shouted as she jumped up and pointed, her echoing voice momentarily breaking the quiet before the room fell still again.

It was just as Pinkie said, there stood the Dazzlings, the once Sirens no one had seen in months. The dead silent room held a choking grasp of anticipation. Each heart in the room contagiously waited for a nostalgic reenactment of the lunchroom performance that had introduced the eye catching trio to the student body and brain washed the lot of them, but the familiar flare went no farther than the echoing clatter of the doors and the imposing, graceful confidence in their walk as they sauntered into the cafeteria without a sound aside from the chorus of their shoes against the linoleum floor. Soon, the silence was disturbed by hurried whispers that grew slowly into static. Though every word was about them as they trod the same paths they had sketched out during their hypnotic song—About their reappearance, about what they had done months ago--the Dazzlings were impervious to the implications being shot their way. By the way not one of their gaits changed, they may have even enjoyed the mixed attention.

“Honestly, how does she do that?” Rarity whispered quickly, turning her eyes back to the tables inhabitants, shocked by Pinkie's accuracy by the same degree she had about Princess Twilight back during the Fall Formal. No one had ever expected the Dazzlings to even still be in Canterlot City, let alone that they would return to the school.

“Who...are they?” Twilight asked, confusion written on her face as she looked from the trio to her peer group.

“No one good,” Applejack immediately presumed. Everyone of the other girls at the table were tense with apprehension. “We'll have to fill you in later, Twi. I think they're walkin' our way.”

Rainbow turned the right way around in her seat at Applejack's warning, crossing her arms and legs in an unlady-like fashion to offer a glare. Sure enough, the Dazzlings were making a B-line toward their table. The three stopped inches from the Rainbooms' company, not one of them looking as though they had been defeated and humiliated. Truth be told, any outsider would have thought the Dazzlings had won by their haughty demeanor.

“Well, if it isn't the Rainbooms,” Adagio smirked, one hands on her hips. “Long time no see.”

There was a stretch of silence that lasted a second too long, hinting at how each Rainboom was waiting for someone else to engage their old rivals first. Pinkie Pie spoke up, taking up the task. “ It has been a long time! I thought you died!” At least two occupants of the table, each with an orange skin tone, wanted to facepalm at the blunt declaration that mimicked the one she had made about Fairytale a bit ago.

“Not quite,” Adagio responded with a hint of bitterness in her eyes. She recovered by turning said raspberry hues on Canterlot City's resident Twilight Sparkle. A brow raised, she leaned over the table and plucked Twilight's glasses right off her face without any regard for the other girl.

“Hey!” Twilight complained, squinting her eyes, her vision become a mass of blurs.

Adagio examined the glasses, looking through the frames with a frown as the world beyond them hazed over. “I don't recall you wearing spectacles the last time we met, Twilight Sparkle. Truly, they do nothing for you. Neither does that ridiculous bun.”

Sunset stood up then and snatched the glasses from Adagio. “You,”--She handed the glasses back to an almost blind Twilight.-- “don't know this Twilight. This Twilight belongs to this world. Princess Twilight is back in Equestria.”

“Oh, really?” Adagio was intrigued by the loss on the Rainbooms' part. If their scheming produced, the absence of that Equestrian, friendship obsessed princess was just going to make things that much easier on their parts. “Well, I suppose I owe this Twilight Sparkle an apology.” She pointed at Twilight with a careless twist of her wrist. “Sorry, Deary.”

There was not a hint of apology in Adagio's tone. The fact that Twilight caught on only proved as much. Her mouth twitched into a questioning frown. “Thanks...I guess?”

“So...” Rarity broken in with a small attempt at easing the conversations atmosphere. “What brings you three back to CHS?”

“How did you three even get back in here?” Rainbow Dash snipped in all her abrasive nature.

Aria, who had been carelessly examining and picking at the nails on her left hand the whole time, replied in a tone that was vaguely embellished with sarcasm. “As it turns, the principal of this school has a bleeding heart toward anyone who wants to,”--With the hand she wasn't examining, she made air quotes.-- “'reform” and “better” themselves.”

“Isn't that right, Sunset Shimmer?” Adagio tacked on, unable to resist taking the stab.

Her tone reminded Sunset of the time the Dazzlings had circled her in the hall during the preliminaries for the battle of the bands. All the implications riding on that smirking tone almost made her flinch.

Rainbow Dash stood up quickly in defense of her friend, her chair tipping before settling back on all four legs. “Are you trying to pick a fight?”

Adagio waved Rainbow Dash off, dismissively, as though she were nothing more than a yapping dog. “Of course not.” A large part of her wished that the rainbow haired girl would fall pray to her temper. After months of brooding, the opportunity for a fight was more than welcome. She was sure, by the glint in Aria's violet eyes, she more than agreed.

“Nah...We don't want to get blasted by anymore flying rainbows,” Sonata commented, seemingly unaware of the tension. If that hadn't been exactly what happened to them, the statement would have sounded absolutely ridiculous. “Is it Taco Tuesday? I really want it to be Taco Tuesday.”

Aria slapped her hand over her face then. “It's Monday. Go back to sleep Sonata.”

“Aw, I really wanted it to be Tuesday!” the blue Dazzling deflated with a small pout.

“They're idiots,” Adagio said to no one in particular, rolling her eyes. “Anywho.” She cocked her head to one side, her massive hair coming over one shoulder. “We came back to...better ourselves, like Aria said. You know, make amends and what not.”

“Uh...That's...great,” Sunset smiled, albeit tersely. “I'm sure we'd all be glad to help you anyway we can---...” She paused. It dawned on the table simultaneously that not a single one of them knew any of the trios names. They had never referred to them by anything other than their band name and what they were.

Adagio, perceptive as the predator she was, caught on. “Oh, right. We never were formally introduced, were we? I guess it never came up, world domination plans and all. My name is Adagio Dazzle. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Below the surface, saying those last five words made the Siren leader ill.

“I'm Sonata Dusk,” the blue haired girl piped in after her leader, much more pleasantly.

There was a noticeable stall in introductions. Sonata nudged Aria's shoulder with her elbow. The purple girl gave an annoyed sigh. “The names Aria. Aria Blaze.”

“We, of course, know all about you,” Adagio made clear to avoid a long trail of seven introductions and pleasantries she couldn't care less about hearing. “Except you.” She nodded to Twilight. “But we know who you are.” Her tone was dismissive. As far as “this world's” Twilight Sparkle was concerned, the Siren leader didn't see her as a threat when compared to the Equestrian princess that had been such a thorn in their last plan. This one was truly just a little girl as far as she could tell, but she'd been wrong before. They'd be keeping an eye on her.

“Uh, well, I suppose it's mighty fine that you girls are tryin' to turn yourselves around,” Applejack commented, tipping back her hat to them.

There was a masked uncertainty in the cowgirl's voice that was shared by the whole table. The Dazzlings had managed to leave a bad taste in all their mouths.(Other than Sonata, she had distracted everyone with her innocent love of tacos.) They didn't make it very convincing that they were in any way changed or that they wanted to. While they weren't so outright abrasive as Rainbow Dash, the sandpaper in their demeanors were as clear as if their skin were made of it. Maybe they did have a right to be a little hostile, given what all had occurred, and they hadn't fully recovered from their defeat, but the bitter taste and skin grating didn't exactly make anyone jump to sing praises for them.

“Are you guys going to eat lunch?” Pinkie Pie asked, enthusiastically, strangling the awkward silence. She presented a skewered meat patty, its white sauce dripping a bit too slowly before splatter on the floor. “We're having wet cardboard!”

The scowl Aria gave when some of the substance hit her boot threatened to throttle the pink schemed Rainboom. As much as Adagio would have loved to see that, she chose to defuse the situation for now. She turned and clamped a hand on Aria's shoulder, signaling a halt to whatever demise her temper was surely concocting.

“We're going to reacquaint ourselves with the school's layout. Seeing as we're here to actually learn a thing or two, we wouldn't want to be late for any of our classes,” Adagio informed. “Now that we've said “hi” to our former enemies, we'll be going.”

Though Aria crossed her arms grumpily and Sonata complained about being hungry, the Dazzlings left the cafeteria with straight backs that dwarfed the student body that shied away from their eye contact even after all the time that had passed.

“Nothing stays calm around here for long, does it?” Rarity commented as she watched the trio sashay out the doors.

Sunset shook her head as the focus of their attention disappeared down one side of the hall. “No. Not it doesn't.”

“Sunset...?” Fairytale asked, quietly, for the third time. Still not getting the other girl's attention, she poked her arm with the end of her pencil.

Sunset Shimmer blinked away her distant, thoughtful expression. “What? Oh, sorry, Fay.” She smiled, apologetically.

“A-Are you okay...?” the pastel girl asked, uneasily. She wondered if this was about how she had been acting toward the other girl or if she had done something to make things worse without realizing it. Or maybe Sunset wasn't feeling well? She fidgeted with her pencil, testing its bend and hoping she didn't accidentally break in the process.

Maybe Twilight was right, the concerned expression on Fairytale's face wasn't the kind you gave someone who you thought badly of, neither was the guilty one that was a hint different than normal. Sunset almost winced. The delayed realization that the pale girl was blaming herself for her distant behavior dawned on her.

“I'm fine, really,” Sunset reassured her, quickly. “I just...” Telling the story of how a trio of mind bending villains had returned to school didn't seem like such a good idea the more Sunset thought about it, especially when Fairytale already walked the halls like there was a ghost around every corner. “Today's...been an adventure.” She smiled playfully at Fay.

Fay, recognizing her own statement, pulled a small smile of her own. “I...see. Do you...want to cut things short today?”

Sunset shook her head. “It's fine. Where do you want to start?”

The unease and clouded thoughts that the Dazzlings' return had set upon her would have to plague her another time and, given the already full haze of her thoughts, asking Fairytale Lyric about the real reason she didn't want to be touched would have to remain unaddressed for another day or two.