It was near the end of a normal day in... Other-Questria, with nothing magical or out of the ordinary happening, nor about to happen.
The normalcy continued even in the house of the infamous Dazzlings, where Aria Blaze leaned against the doorframe to the trio's bedroom, watching as her fellow siren, Sonata Dusk, wrote with someone on the phone.
Today marks a week since Sonata began speaking with her "phone friend." Ever since we lost the ability to sing and went to try and become normal people, she always goes to that phone friend of hers in order to tell her how she's feeling.
Aria narrowed her eyes and pouted.
I don't like that for some reason.
Aria knocked the door and walked in.
"O-Oh, Aria! Good morning!"
"It's good evening, you dolt," Aria rolled her eyes. "Anyway, dinner is ready. You should better go down and eat before you tick off Adagio again?"
Sonata chirped and jumped off her bed, landing in front of her sister/bandmate/possibly-girlfriend.
"Are we having tacos today?!"
Aria remained stone-faced as Sonata beamed a big smile and glowing eyes, with the pair remaining like this until Aria closed her eyes and smiled.
Seeing this, Sonata's eyes widened hopefully...
"Of course not!"
Sonata's face contorted into an expression of shock, betrayal, but most importantly, disbelief.
Hanging her head low, Sonata went downstairs to eat dinner, all while Aria looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
Geez, what's up with her and tacos?
Now with Sonata out of the room, Aria walked inside and sat on her bed, ready to just lay down and relax...
And then she noticed Sonata had left her phone.
Heh, yet again, Sonata forgot to take her phone with her. Then again, if she had taken it, she would've simply kept talking with that Pinkie and not pay attention her surroundings. Or me.
Aria narrowed her eyes.
Or anything, really.
Then, as seconds passed with nothing peculiar happening, Aria got an idea.
Now that I think about it, this might be my only chance to find out just what does Sonata talk with this Pinkie Pie about. But then again, I don't think she likes it when Adagio or I mess with her privacy...
Then, Sonata's phone rang, meaning she had gotten a new message. With this in mind, Aria couldn't resist and checked at the conversation.
It mostly consisted on Sonata and Pinkie exchanging jokes, most which didn't manage to get more than a chuckle out of Aria.
Even I, with my lack of a good sense of humor, would never see these as-
And then she read Pinkie's new message.
"What do you call an apple that grew on a pine tree? A pineapple!"
A laugh escaped Aria, causing the siren to quickly cover her mouth and blush as she realized what just happened.
Curses! Why must I have a weakness for puns that are so bad, they end up being funny?!
Aria glared at the phone.
That's it! Someone that can make me laugh with a pun is far too dangerous to hang around with Sonata! I have to end this relation between right now!
Aria wrote something and immediately sent it, flashing a satisfactory smile before Pinkie Pie quickly responded.
"You're feeling upset again, aren't you? Then remember, you can talk to me about it, and I'll help you however I can!"
Just what's up with this girl?! After the mean stuff I told her through a message, she thinks all I need is some counseling to feel better!?
Aria pouted as she thought about it.
Then again, maybe she's not exactly wrong? After all, I've been feeling quite upset about the fact she and Sonata talk to each other so much...
Aria shook her head.
No, I need to stay focused, I'm not going to get anywhere being hopelessly optimistic. I'm going to ask her about my problem while posing as Sonata, and then I'll end the relation no matter what!
And so began a conversation between Aria as Sonata, and Pinkie Pie...
An hour had passed, and Aria and Pinkie Pie were still talking, the former having calmed down considerably while also looking rather regretful as she read Pinkie's latest message.
"So, from what I can gather, this Aria seems to be wearing down on you, right? In my opinion, maybe she's jealous that you spend so much time talking with me? I mean, you, Aria, and Adagio was the name of the other one right? You three have been together since you got stuck in this parallel world, so obviously, one of you would end up having issues when it looks like the team might separate. And Aria seems the most likely to have such issues."
Aria lowered her eyelids.
"I mean, you have me, and from what you told me, Adagio can do being on her own, but Aria seems to be the one who would have the hardest time being by her lonesome. So, if you want to know what I think you should do; try to find some free time, go hang out with Aria, and whatever you have to do-that doesn't force me or my friends' hand-let her know that no matter what, you'll always be by her side."
Aria's eyes glimmered at the message, feeling both a sense of hope and of regret.
"In fact, if that doesn't work, why don't you present me to her? I'll gladly help her find a friend to hang out with, so she doesn't feel left out! After all, I love nothing more than to see people smile!"
Aria smiled.
I was wrong about you Pinkie Pie. I thought you were out to steal Sonata from us or something, but you're nothing like that. You're nice, friendly, dependable... really, Sonata is lucky she befriended you-
And then came another message from Pinkie.
"But enough sentimentalism, let me tell you a joke that I just know will cheer you up!"
Aria raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, as Pinkie's next message included the joke in question.
Aria dropped the phone and covered her mouth, holding the laughter that was trying to escape her mouth once she read the joke.
"Aria!" Adagio called from downstairs. "Come down and eat your dinner before Sonata does!"
Aria, realizing how much time had passed, got off the bed and ran downstairs just as Pinkie sent another message.
"I hope everything goes well, Aria!"
Aria, still covering her mouth, quickly walked up to the table and sat down, before she looked at what they had for dinner.
Pancakes.
Which also happened to remind her of Pinkie's joke, causing her to blush.
"Hey, Aria?"
Aria turned around and saw the one who asked that was Sonata, looking concerned while Adagio raised an eyebrow.
"You're blushing, are you feeling well?"
Aria, still worried about taking her hands off her mouth, nodded as her blushing intensified.
"Your expression betrays your body language, Aria," Adagio sternly stated. "If there's something bothering you, just say so!"
Aria glanced between her sisters, and unable to hold it in anymore, she took off her hands and had a laughing fit, clutching her stomach and slowly leaning back until her chair fell back, causing Aria to hit the floor.
"A-Aria! Are you okay?!"
Aria couldn't respond in the middle of her laughter, so she rolled off the chair and slowly stood up, before the laughing fit caused her to have trouble standing up.
And as her little laughing fit continued, Adagio reached a disturbing possibility.
"Oh no, it's finally happening! After centuries in this world, Aria has already been driven insane by its boring, ordinary nature!"
Adagio turned to Sonata and grabbed her shoulders.
"Now I'm the only sane siren left!"
"Um, Adagio, I haven't gone insane yet-"
"I'm the only sane siren left!"
Aria took a couple breaths, getting her sisters/roommates/bandmates/possibly-girlfriends' attention.
"T-Tha-ahahaha-at's no-hohot ihihit! I-hehe-I-hahaha... ahahahaha!"
Aria slammed her fist down the ground as her laughter started to slow down, with the girl actually managing to catch her breath as her bandmates/sisters/maybe-girlfriends went to her side and helped her stand up.
"Don't put too much strain on yourself, Aria."
"Yeah, try to calm down first. Take a deep breath."
Aria did as told, taking several little breaths as her laughter slowed down by the minute, until she was just catching her breath, her hair now a mess from all the swinging and rolling around from a minute ago.
Once back to normal, she spoke again.
"I think I just-"
"Don't say it, we can see it."
"Come on, let's get you changed."
Aria, now wearing a new, clean pair of pants, took one final deep breath before she explained herself.
"So, I told Sonata to go eat her dinner, when I noticed she had left her phone on her bed. Seeing as she was just talking with that friend she talks to all the time nowadays, I decided to see what she was all about-"
"You checked my phone without telling me!?" Sonata snapped. "How could you do that, Aria! How could you?!"
Aria gritted her teeth.
"Why wouldn't I?! Ever since we lost our voices, you're talking with that Pinkie Pie girl every single day! If you're feeling upset, you talk to her! If you feel sad, you talk to her!"
Tears formed around Aria's eyes.
"You no longer talk with me! It's all Pinkie Pie now!"
Adagio and Sonata's eyes widened, Aria's widening once she realized what she had said.
"Aria-"
"D-Don't get the wrong idea!" Aria snapped, blushing red as a tomato. "I-I-I'm not saying I'm jealous 'cause Sonata's paying more attention to that Pinkie girl than me! I-I'm just saying that seeing her being cheerful, laughing, and just being happy thanks to Pinkie and not me in general makes me upset for some reason!"
Adagio rolled her eyes. "Aria, that's the same thing as being jealous."
Realizing the grave she dug, Aria covered her face with her hands and let out a frustrated groan, before she pulled her legs up to her face and hugged them.
Adagio promptly nudged Sonata, and gestured her to try and do or say something that could cheer up Aria.
After all, Adagio comforting Aria? That stuff only happened in her dreams.
So, Sonata walked to Aria's side and sat next to her, brushing her hair as she spoke.
"Hey, Aria? Look, I'm sorry that I spend so much time with Pinkie Pie, but it's just that, we click, you know? We both like tacos, we're both happy-go-lucky kind of people, we found that rap from those two boys amazing-"
Aria sniffed.
"B-But just because I talk with Pinkie Pie so often, doesn't mean I don't want to talk with you! It's just that, well, you've always been angry and mean to me before, so I thought you'd prefer it if I left you alone for a while."
Aria lifted her head.
"I spoke with Pinkie Pie, and she reached the same conclusion: that I was upset because you were paying more attention to her than you were paying to me."
Sonata raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"
"It's a drag to remember the whole message, but... she suggested me, as in she suggested you, to find some free time and..."
Aria blushed once more and looked elsewhere.
"And tell me that no matter what, you'd be by my side."
Sonata smiled and lowered her eyelids, before she grabbed Aria's chin and made her look at her gleaming eyes.
"Oh, Aria, don't be ridiculous, of course I'll always be by your side! We've been together since birth, and nothing will ever split us apart."
Aria's eyes glew with hope.
"Sonata..."
Then, a little glowing staring contest later, Sonata spoke once more.
"However..."
Sonata got behind Aria and hugged her just as Aria got an idea of what was coming next.
"That doesn't give you the right to invade my privacy!"
Sonata suplexed her fellow siren hard enough to make a crack on the ground.
And going by Adagio's shocked, yet subdued reaction, this wasn't the first time this had happened.
Now with her rage dealt with, Sonata released Aria, who hit the floor soon afterwards, seeing her siren form circling around her head as Adagio helped her stand up.
"I'd say something about Sonata going a bit too far, but to be honest, you should've known this was going to happen as soon as you checked her phone."
"Yeah, I wasn't expecting to get away with it," Aria remarked. "All I was expecting was that I'd find a way to find out why I was so upset."
"Mission accomplished, then?" Sonata asked.
"Give me a few minutes to think about it, okay?" Aria replied, gently touching her head. "I kinda took a very heavy hit on the head."
Adagio smiled as Aria and Sonata giggled, exchanging little smiles as the trio went back to the table to have their dinner.
It was gonna take a while for Sonata to forgive the invasion of her privacy, and for Aria to no longer mind the idea of Pinkie having all of Sonata's attention.
But at the very least, the first step towards it had been taken.
All that was left, was to keep going forward.
