The kitchen was in full motion: Pans were scratched over hotplates; spoons twirled around. Forks and plates were dumped in the sink to be replaced with ones less dirty — someone would do the dishes sooner or later.

Yet, it hadn't been the turmoil waking her up — she had gotten used to the inconsiderateness of her roommates. It had been the gentle sizzle arising from the flames of the battlefield, that their kitchen had become. Winding its way through the thick, clammy forest of unwashed, sweaty hair, it had managed slinking to her ears. With it, bringing a miasmic smell of tart bacon to her nostrils.

“Ugh-h.” Her lashes flung open as the acidity of rhubarb and foul meat flood her nasal cavity and began etching its way through her palates. Trying not to share last night’s dinner with her blanket, she shot up — the rapid movement and following vertigo not helping the situation.

She would’ve torn her tongue apart with the amount of slurs she wanted to shove down the universe’s throat, if it hadn’t been for her own being filled with semi-solid broccoli and tuna.

Running to the door, the girl realized she’d have to walk directly towards the stench’s source for her to get to the bathroom — the rapid turn she took left her soles burning.
However, in motion she had been able to spot the small bucket cowering at the end of her bed. Normally standing in their kitchen, she was surprised to find the object — yet not any less delighted.
Getting on her knees and leaning over, she saw a small note —written on a pink post-it— had been attached:

Hey, there sleeeeepy! You were, like, totes dusty yesterday and I thought it’d be nice if you didn’t ruin Aria’s panties again. Soooooo, I left you this gift.

I’ll be back in, like, later. Please be nice to Aria, she’s real grumpy this morning. But I’m sure you’ll get along… this time.

Anyways,
Love you two <3

P.S. It’s the trash can; the gift. Bet you didn’t see that coming!

“You’re such a dork Sonata,” she said not being able to stop her lips from slightly rising. “Sometimes I wonder why you’re still with u—”

“Agh, fuck! Fuck shit fuck. How does this stupid thing work?”

The voice whose owner she would’ve at any other time, wanted to give a crippling punch to the kidneys made her faint smile jump to a maniacal grin — only further growing when she heard their electric whisk crying for help.

“I-Is she… trying to cook?!”

Adagio burst out into hysterical laughter, as images of Aria using perfume as aroma additives flashed past her eyes.

“What is it this time? Cougar piss and pomegranate? What else could smell so utterly disgusting aside from her snatch.”
Her mouth remained open as her brain reminded her of Aria's so-called ‘Hawaiian Pizza’. The thought of having to ever smell, or rather see, pineapple on pizza again made her want to vomit (once more).
And just like that, her confidence had evaporated — as fast as it had built itself up. “Oh please god. Let it be cougar piss,” Adagio whispered —her voice having left her— as she stepped through the door into the corridor leading to the kitchen.

Even with her fingers guarding its entrance, her nose was pierced by the ineluctable odor pressing itself through every inch and crack. Not being able to resist it, she tried to avoid it — scything wrath into the cloud bleeding of decay. Flapping her unoccupied arm in front of her, Adagio waddled to the kitchen like a disabled duck.

Just as she arrived, Aria sat down at the small plastic table standing in the corner of their humble, tiled 55ft² nest — food was most of the time regurgitated instead of actually being eaten.

“Oh for fuck's sake, Aria. What the hell were you doing in here?”

“Cooking. But you already knew that. So what’s the deal?” She didn’t even bother to look up from her plate.

“Don’t act like you know stuff. Not a good look on you.” Adagio began walking to the fridge — her warm feet clashing with the cold floor. “Wanted to make sure you were actually cooking.” The hollow emphasize put on the last part of the statement made Aria’s ears perk up ever so slightly. “I mean, it smells fetid in here.”

“You don’t say,” Aria retorted — the sarcasm drenching her voice dripping to the floor in synchronization with outside’s morning dew, “I thought it smelled lovely.”

“Sometimes I wonder if brushing your teeth can be considered anal.”

Without having to open the fridge, Adagio was greeted, with not disgust, but cold disappointment. Pity, no one had the right to give the Siren: “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”

Adagio could feel it slip again, her last bit of pride. She wanted to break it into shards and slit Aria’s throat with it. But she couldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing her break; she wouldn’t.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. I just thought I was speaking to a Siren for a moment. Guess I must have overlooked Sunset Shimmer’s name tag around your neck.”

Adagio opened the door, grabbed a carton of milk, and turned.

“Nothing edible smells that way so you better—”

“Your gash does.”

Only for you, Sonata.

“Bon appetit.” She turned and walked off — leaving only…

...silence. Nothing but silence. No talking, no buzzing of lamps, no baaing of lambs, no turning of pages. Nothing.

And yet, she awoke. Crispy bacon was sweating in its own fat and let everyone have a taste of its perfume. Happily dancing ‘round the room; up the stairs to her bed, the scent made its presence known.

“Ugh-h.” Her lashes slowly lifted as the pleasant smell tickled her nostrils. It was a sensation unknown to her nose; strange. Intrigued as it was, her body pushed itself up without command — the gentle motion giving her sight a faint blurriness.

She looked to her site and saw it. Something she had hoped and feared to see.

Nothing.

“Yesss. Oh, thank Celestia, yes.”

A dream. I knew it! I knew it had to be a dream.

The girl wanted to shove her tongue down the universe's throat and show the Prench how it’s done. And she would’ve done so if it hadn’t been for her own being filled with relieved laughter.

“Oh Pinkie, you won’t believe what I just dreamed,” she shouted before jumping down the stairs.
She felt weightless. Her heart had stopped bleeding tears and her arms had freed themselves from the anchors chaining her. “By the way, thanks for driving me home last night!”

“Silly, you were super-duper sleepy. Should I have just thrown you out of the car like the worthless whore you are?” Pinkie’s voice came from the kitchen.

“N-No, you shouldn’t have.” Sunset cackled. “Anyway, what smells so good?”

Running past her TV Sunset saw her make-up from last day’s evening had been washed away by salty rivers.

“Quite the surreal dream, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, guess so.”

Reaching for the door knob Sunset flinched. Something’s wrong.

“Pinkie?” Her voice was shaky.

An unnaturally long pause cut in.

“P-Pinkie? Are you still th-there?”

“Of course I am. Unless I’m not. But I wouldn’t know either then. Anyhow, come in. Everything’s gettin’ cold. And you know what my grandma used to say about cold food.”

Sunset didn’t know. Did that matter? No. Behind the door, there’d undoubtedly be Pinkie and everything would be fine.

She twisted the knob…

… and entered. Adagio’s and Sonata’s room was just like one would imagine the living place of two powerful, mythical beings:

Two “beds”, each consisting of one half of a former bulk waste mattress, were carried by towers of cardboard boxes — Adagio quickly gulped down the last sip of milk before carefully arranging it inside of Sonata’s pile.
A pink —as chosen by Sonata— piece of carpet filled the ten-inch gap between the two resting places. Atop the same stooda small chest of silken smooth ivory. The rest of the room was filled with clothes forming their own cupboards, and the fetor of defeat emanating from torn apart-music sheets.

Adagio paved her way through the glorified shithole she called ‘home’ until she reached the chest. There, she came to a halt. “Here we go, old friend,” she said.

Carefully, she traced her fingers along the gold embedment of three crystal-pendulums surrounded by depictions of flowers and cornucopia. It adorned the front and was replicated on each side of the chest.

The lid of the chest was carved with cursive letters of similar gold. Adagio loudly read out the inscription.

“F-For you may ever bloom, mayst ever sing. Hope you shallst bring, to lands of far, lands missing neume. Thee sister gold, us brought ‘wayst from cold. Livest long…

Adagio…

Aria…

Sonata…

Tears began running down her face.

C-Cantata…

Painting it in pain.

Cavatina…

Leaving nothing but quietus.

Fantasia…

Adagio rammed her nails down into her temples as she broke out into relentless screaming.

Farsa…

Viola…

Blood streamed down her fingers and painted the chest in rose quartz.

e Campana.”

Her eyes fell shut and her mouth agape…

… as she saw that Pinkie wasn’t in the room.

“Calm down Sunset,” she said to herself as she tried not to gag on the anxiety blocking her lungs. “Y-You’re still dreaming then. B-But that’s no bad, r-right? You’ll wake up any minute now.”

“I swear to Celestia Sunset—”

“Shut up.”

“Sunset, dearie. We just want to—”

“SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!”

It had returned. The bittersweet silence.

“You’re not real. A-And I’m not crazy. This is all just a dream and I’m just gonna pinch myself and w-wake up!”

And so she did. But nothing happened, making her continue. She pressed her nails harder and harder together, until she felt a liquid seep through the gaps of her fingers and slither down her arm.

“Argh.”

Sunset opened her eyes and ran to the table. Without looking, she grabbed what looked the most like paper and compressed the wound.

“No dre— Buck that hurts. No dream then.”

The silence was locked as the rattling of keys brought noise to Sunset’s world.

Her eyes rushed around the room — her brain trailing behind, as she tried to understand what was happening. Before she could react, the door to her apartment was pushed open and someone stepped in.

“Oh, you’re awake already? Good, moooorning!”

Author's Note

Fewer horsewords in more time? Swindle!

As always, (constructive) criticism and comments are appreciated!

Edited by the lovely serenityx.

See ya soon,
Shim<3