Author's Note

Two Of The Worst Things To Be Associated With This Guy...

XXVI - Antagonism, Suspicion, & The Missing Outsider

"Um, Pinkie Pie, darling? What are you doing?"

"I'm putting marshmallows on my lantern, Rarity! Then when we ignite them, they'll be beautiful and delicious!"

"That sounds impractical and disgusting."

"You haven't forgotten who I am, have you?"

"...Maybe for a moment... A delightful, God-given moment..."

Two hours after a majority of the Black Five had discovered a majority of the Rainbooms had acquired superpowers of some sort, the crew had settled near the finished dock upon several bench tables. They were creating gorgeous lanterns to let fly into the sky and light up the night. Although, a member of the Rainbooms was missing.

Twilight Sparkle and her unusually colored dog, Spike, had taken a seat, alone, at another bench table. She'd been acting quite odd for a rather large portion of the trip so far, and it was beginning to become apparent.

Rainbow Dash dropped her paintbrush, "Okay, that's it. What the hell- er, heck is going on with Twilight? She's been acting strange this entire trip like she's got a frog in her brain!"

The Rainbooms turned to each other, confused. Though they shrugged it off and Applejack answered. "Who knows? She hasn't constructed a magical compass capable of stealin' Equestrian magic and used it naively. Puttin' the entire Milky Way Galaxy at stake of a devastatin' apocalypse on a galactic scale. Leaving everythin' that ever existed in a state of indisputable, irreparable ruination... Has she?"

Rainbow Dash stared, bewildered, "Uh... I guess not?"

"Then we're alright. If somethin's botherin' Twilight, she'll come to us. It's only been five weeks as opposed to the rest of us knowin' each other for years. She just needs some more time."

"I guess, but what if she doesn't say anything?"

"Maybe we could force it out of her?" Fluttershy answered, instantly sending all of the Rainbooms incomparably agape.

Rarity dropped her lantern, "Fluttershy, darling... Are you... alright?"

"Yeah. I feel wonderful... Why?"

"Uh... Forget it. How about we change the subject, hm?"

Pinkie shoved a marshmallow into the side of the lantern, "What else should we talk about?"

"Maybe that Noah has been missing for three hours now?"

Applejack crossed her arms, "That reminds me. Rainbow, when we were back at the bakin' buildin', why'd ya call Noah our leader?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, "I dunno. I mean, it's supposed to be Twilight, but Princess Twilight is gone, and our Twilight doesn't really seem to have a sense of authority. Like, at all.

"I guess I just called Noah our leader because he made the important decisions and the plans at the Friendship Games and The Battle of the Bands. Even when Princess Twilight was here, he just took charge. And I'm not gonna lie, but he was pretty good at it.

"If you ask me, I don't think Princess Twilight would've thought about annihilating the Sirens or our Twilight if push came to shove. She's too soft, to be honest with you. Though I bet this stuff would be a heck-of-a-lot easier where she comes from."

Rarity rolled her eyes as she rubbed her fingertips, "Yes, yes, we get it. Noah's our conjectured leader. Can we get back to the fact that he's missing in a forest that's rumored to be cursed?"

Sunset twiddled with her fingers, "I bet he's fine."

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "...You bet he's fine?"

"You guys, Noah can be incredibly stupid at times, but he's not an idiot. Wherever he is, it's probably somewhere safe... Or incredibly stupid. The point is, he's not in danger. After all, he has all of your magical energy in his pendant. He can use that if he needs it."

Fluttershy tilted her head, "So... You're okay with him being lost in the woods somewhere?"

"Well, when you say it like that, I sound like a bitch."

"Well, that is essentially what a bitch would do..."

"..."

The bench table fell silent with Fluttershy's words. Not a single member of the Rainbooms replied as they gawked at Fluttershy like she was a radioactive turkey drenched in dog urine. Fluttershy simply kept eye contact with Sunset, who was getting increasingly sweaty by the second.

Sunset pointed nonchalant finger guns in Twilight's direction. "I-I'm gonna go... Uh... I-I'm gonna go sit with Twilight... Yeah... I better, uh... Figure out what's going on! R-Right?"

Before anyone could reply, Sunset stood up, apprehensive, and speed-walked over to Twilight's table. The Rainbooms watched as Sunset stepped away, but not for long as they returned their attention to their timid friend.

She stared blankly, "What?"

Rarity laid both hands flat, "What? Are you serious? Fluttershy, darling, you just called Sunset a bitch!"

"...Yeah?"

Applejack crossed her arms, "Fluttershy, that's rude! And seriously mean! How could you say that to her?"

"Well, Noah and I were doing a project in Health Class, and he was telling me about all the types of bitches in the world."

Rainbow Dash's face scrunched up, "W-What?! Why?!"

"I don't know. But his eyes were really red and he was laughing a lot at simple things like the clack of my pen, so I think it had to do with that."

Rarity's eyes twitched.

Fluttershy continued, "Sunset disregarding Noah and his well being like that was one of the bitch things he'd told me. So I assumed Sunset already knew since she hangs out with Noah a lot and does that thing with her mouth he told me about."

Rainbow Dash stuttered, "What the fu- y-you, Fluttershy! No girl likes being called a bitch! Even if Sunset knew, that doesn't mean she'd wanna be called it! What type of girl likes being called a bitch?!"

Fluttershy poked at her bottom lip, "Well, Noah told me that there are girls who liked being called bitches. He told me they were called slu-"

"Just finish your fucking lantern, Fluttershy..."

...

"Hey, Twilight."

"Sunset? What are you doing over here? A-Aren't you supposed to be hanging with the girls?"

Sunset took a seat next to her nerdy friend and snuggled close. Whether it was intentional or not, Twilight had turned redder than a bag of Skittles. Sunset replied, "Well, yeah, but I can come back to them later."

"Ow! Watch the ice, you lunatic!"

"I'm trying to help you!"

"Well, it feels like you're trying to crush my skull!"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to!"

"Oh, please! You have the hands of an elephant!"

"Elephants don't have thumbs, dumbass!"

"Noah! Aria! Shut the hell up!"

It was that time again. It'd taken a while considering he was busy with a couple of other things before, but these things just learned to come around whenever they were needed. Inside the mind of Noah Rictorshine were his greatest enemies turned friends in the mysterious realm of Siren Hell.

(What a laughably lazy name.)

Noah laid on the three-seater sofa surrounded by the confidants of his mind, Aria Blaze and Adagio Dazzle. Noah was covered in two blankets, one being red cotton, and another being a blue waffle weave. On the back of his head was a colossal bump surrounded by dried blood. Although, not being very visible as his hair covered most of it.

Sitting on the sofa's arm with a bag of ice covered by paper towels against Noah's skull was Aria, who had warmed up to him a bit more. No longer did she simply enter a room while Noah and Adagio talked, grabbed a Sprite, and left, but now it seemed that she had been talking to him a bit more. Perhaps even more her than sister.

Speaking of her sister, Adagio laid opposite to Noah with her feet resting on his stomach and her hands behind her head. Quite lucky that Noah hadn't thrashed out and threw Adagio's feet out the window. Some would say he liked the view, but Noah was never a foot person. Never understood it, and probably never will.

Probably.

Aria wore a large and purple hoodie with blue accents. On her legs were short jeans and black knee socks, her hair the same. Adagio wore a white buttoned-up dress shirt with rolled sleeves and a tie. On her legs were black dress pants and perfectly polished shoes. All she was missing was her suit, which laid on the marble table to her side.

Adagio continued, "Now Noah, if you're done complaining and arguing with my sister like a little girl, maybe you could tell us what happened. I mean, I was thinking of going on a date today, but I wouldn't mind clearing my schedule for my ass of a slayer."

Noah scoffed, "Oh, cry me a river-"

"Prick."

”Look, I was just walking through the woods to see if Director Gloriosa was doing anything stupid, and talking to the voice in my head that never seems to screw off, until pow! The back of my head is hit by something metal, and I'm knocked out cold. I didn't even get a chance to react before my face got all up, close and personal, with mother nature's... bush..."

Aria cringed, disgusted, "Seriously? You had to throw in a sex joke?"

"Who said that was a sex joke?"

Aria pinched the bridge of her nose, "God, give me strength."

Adagio sat up, "Okay, well, you obviously didn't run into anything like a doofus, which means something, or someone, intentionally attacked you with the intent of knocking you unconscious. Do you have any ideas as to who?"

"The only person I can suggest is probably Sunset considering she just became a major bit- er, jerk not even halfway through the trip! I don't know, maybe I did something to tick her off, and now she's immensely annoyed. But I haven't a clue about what I did!"

Aria raised an eyebrow, "What about the counselors and the director?"

Noah squinted, "What about them?"

"Well, from what I've seen, they seem to be overly cheery, including the director. Not to mention we saw them bickering like my sisters and I used to when you first arrived."

Aria rested her head on her free hand, "What? You think they're up to something?"

"Well, yeah, but that wouldn't make a ton of sense. We don't have enough evidence to mark them as threats, or even odd. They just act like normal people. Which makes me think Noah's friends jumped the gun on searching for stuff."

"They were probably just being stupid like they always are."

"Well..."

"No, she's right. All eleven of those teenage idiots do stupid things on a daily basis," Noah defended.

Adagio folded her arms, "Then who else would it be? You think we're just missing something?"

Aria stood up and shoved the ice in order to keep it in place at Noah's head. "We're probably missing a ton of things, but I think that's worth worrying about later."

Adagio tilted her head as Aria began up the steps to the second floor, "The hell are you going?"

"To bed!"

As Aria reached the top floor and entered her room, Adagio was promptly left with Noah in the living room. Noah slowly turned his attention to Adagio's feet, which now rested on his chest.

He stated, "You know, I'd love it if the person who dropped a building on my parents wasn't using me as her footrest."

Adagio rolled her eyes yet reluctantly moved her feet. "Happy?"

"You say that like it's wrong."

"It's not that, I just... Look, I don't care how soft of a teddy bear I've been recently, I still don't like wasting time. Especially my own, Noah."

"You and me both."

"You better get this situation of yours under control, or at least don't come back with more bullshit. You added an entire town, remember? I shouldn't have to drop everything to come to your aid because you got hit by a shovel or something."

"I know, Dagi, I just... Well... Damn, I guess... I guess I just needed someone besides someone I don't know helping out. I know I killed you and your sister, which was completely deserving."

"Spit it out, little boy."

"I... Adagio, how much do you care about Aria? I'm not talking, 'Oh, well, I can't just let her die or something,' I'm talking actual, legitimate, down to Earth, care.

"Love."

Adagio tilted her head, "...Where is this coming from?"

"Dagi, I have Sunset to comfort me whenever I need it. But, sometimes, it's better if I just find someone more... relaxed. I'm not saying Sunset can't be relaxed, but I'm talking like, so relaxed that they don't even care."

"Explain to me how that's good?"

"I mean, my sister used to do it a lot. Both of them. It was nonchalant, and bullsh- er, crappy, but in a way, I guess that was them telling me I'll be alright."

"...what?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, you're like a sister to me, Dagi."

Adagio raised a finger to respond as her heart felt unusually heavy, but she ended up saying nothing. Her face wasn't blushing, but it showed a confused, yet somehow glad appearance.

Adagio laid a hand flat, "That sounds... kinda forced."

"I know, I just had it on my mind for a while, and thought I should just say it already."

Adagio lifted her feet off of Noah's chest and rested them on the floor, all the while sitting back against the couch. Noah stared, a tad puzzled, as Adagio twiddled with her fingers, lost in thought.

"...Something wrong-"

"I murdered your family."

Noah's pupils widened. With fear instead of anger for reasons unknown. Adagio had turned her head to gaze at him, but her face was now full of guilt and a lack of understanding.

She continued, "I murdered everyone at that park. I murdered billions of people before you were born, and billions after. I was the cause of so many wars, millions of hogsheads worth of blood.

"I'm the cause of that Hitler guy. The cause of Ivan the Terrible, Joseph Stalin, Vlad the Impaler, Pol Pot, Heinrich Himmler, Idi Amin, Saddam Hussein, and hundreds, probably thousands of other horrible people in your planet's history."

As Adagio continued, Noah began to notice several tears flowing down her cheeks and watering up in her eyes. Noah was thrown entirely off guard, beyond dumbfounded.

He sat up, at least he tried, "Whoa, whoa, Adagio, calm your tits! Jesus Christ, there's no need to get all emotional like this!"

Adagio turned back, "Noah, it doesn't make any sense that you would say that. That you should say that! I'm the reason your entire planet was screwed over for a thousand years! I wrote your planet's history! My sisters and I were giant, god-like puppeteers that used your world like a child building a Lego death star or something.

"How in God's name could you call me your sister? Let alone even fucking forgive me?"

"Adagio, I... Look, Dagi. Growing up... Unlike your family, and probably unlike most of my people, I had read a book that you probably already know. Even if you and millions of others call it all bullshit, I guess I just still believe it all.

"I once read in that book something I haven't been able to forget ever since I saw it. To put it simply, it's that nobody is ever far from forgiveness. Nobody. All of those people you listed, if handled correctly, could've been forgiven. But it wouldn't even matter since they were just being used by you three.

"...You truly screwed me over all those years ago, and I was out of my mind when I took you and your sisters' lives back at The Battle of the Bands, but... I guess I've learned to see past all of that. So much so that I've given you and Aria an entire town. Just listen to me.

"I forgive you, Adagio Dazzle. And I'm lucky to be able to see you and your sister every three days. And while I sleep, no less.

"Don't ever think that your past defines you. Just look at Sunset. You've seen her change through my eyes immensely. Who's to say Earth's greatest monster can't either?"

Noah smiled warmly as Adagio wiped away her tears and rubbed her eyes. She then stared deeply into Noah's eyes as she smiled, at peace. Noah had already said he forgave her, but this didn't just feel right, it felt perfect.

Adagio raised her arms, "Goddamn you, little boy," and moved over closer to Noah who had sat up completely. She brought her arms under his and embraced him tightly. Noah was thrown off, but embraced Adagio all the same.

The last time Adagio ever hugged him was during the Friendship Games whereas Noah felt lost. Albeit, it was rather so-so. But this, this was entirely different.

Adagio had pulled him so very close that her cheeks rubbed against his pleasantly, and her arms held him close like a baby who needed her mother in the darkest of times. Noah couldn't fathom the feeling. Adagio wasn't warm, but her very presence, and smell, made Noah feel like the world had stopped.

It was wonderful.

Noah nudged a bit to face her, "Alright Dagi, come on. Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful, leading, and assertive? Since when do you ever get emotional? Especially over yours truly."

Adagio laughed, "Shut up, or I'll smash your head against this table."

"Mmmm... mmm, no Noah, you can't use Mcfly as a pillow, mmm... you dumb- ow! Goddamnit! Twilight, what the... Twilight?"

Sunset Shimmer, in the dead of night and donning her classic pajamas, sat up from her bed, disconcerted. She found what had fallen against her head upon her lap, and her face fell flat.

It was the little, yet somewhat heavy lantern Rarity had recommended to her. She had placed it above her head on the headrest as the nightstand was too far, but that's not what confused her.

As Sunset had turned to the bed beside her earlier, she found that Twilight was missing. The only sign that she was ever there were the bedcovers thrown about haphazardly.

Sunset arose from her bed and slipped into her slippers at its feet. She took a single step forward as she analyzed the tent. All of Twilight's things, including her dog Spike, had all disappeared.

Sunset tilted her head, perplexed, "Where'd she go?" She turned her attention to the nightstand. Upon it, folded neatly, was her fluffy red robe. Another gift from her best friend slash boyfriend she'd received months ago. Strangely reluctant, Sunset picked up the sweater, slid her arms through the sleeves, and the hoodie over her head.

Sunset then approached the tent's exit and stepped out. As she did, her eyes dilated as she located her introverted friend. Twilight, with Spike just beside her and all her stuff in her bookbag upon her back, was making a mad dash from the campsite.

Sunset groaned, "Great. Gotta catch me a Twilight. Hopefully, she hasn't hurt herself... Wouldn't be surprised if she did though... Jeez, Noah really has influenced me."

...

"Twilight?" Sunset called as she chased just a bit from behind. Twilight had run into the woods and was getting further and further from the campsite. Any further, and the two would be lost without a doubt.

She continued, the gap between the two shrinking. "Twilight! I know you can hear me! Quit running before you hurt yourself!"

Fearful and hesitant, Twilight skidded to a stop and stood firm. Sunset stepped over to her, panting, and began.

"Twi... Twilight... W-What..."

Twilight picked up Spike and asked, "Are you... Uh, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm fine,I just... Oh, Jesus Christ..."

Twilight looked away, "Look, I know what you're thinking."

Sunset bent over. Her hands on her kneecaps in an attempt to catch her breath. "Yeah, why in... Why... Why were you... Why were you trying to run- oh, fuck me..."

"Uh, you don't look so good... Or sound... So good."

"Yeah, because I was trying to... Chase you through... This damn forest, oh, Goddamnit..."

"Uh... Well-"

"Why were you trying to run away? What are you even doing out here?" Sunset asked as she stood correctly, though she held her right side just below the ribs. Twilight avoided her friend's gaze, full of guilt and shame.

"I, well, Spike and I, we were... Going to catch a cab..."

Sunset tilted her head, and Spike spoke, "We ran because she thought you'd talk her out of it."

"Because I would." Sunset rested her left on Twilight's shoulder, "Twi, you can't leave-"

"..."

"...Uh, Sunset?"

Twilight and Spike stared at Sunset, bewildered. Her hand remained on Twilight's shoulder, but her eyes had blazed white. Virtually as strong as the moon, and her jaw hung agape as if she was ascending.

Spike jumped out of Twilight's arms and took a few steps forward to poke at Sunset's feet. "She's as cold and stagnant as a corpse, Twilight. Like she was just thrown into some sort of time... Uh, thingy." He turned about, "What do you think happened?"

Twilight watched Sunset intently, "I... I-I-I don't know, Spike. I think... She must be, uh... Something, I-I don't know!"

"Then what do we do?"

Twilight turned her head around, "Well, we can use this time to get away-"

"Twilight wait!" Sunset cried, just before Twilight could move her shoulder. "There's no Midnight left around inside of you, you have to calm down."

Twilight gawked as her eyes constricted, "What?! H-How'd you know?! I-I didn't say anything or even give anything away! Matter of fact, what was that?!"

Sunset removed her hand, "I-I have no idea, but when I touched your shoulder, I saw your memories, your mind. I-I-I-It flashed by like a movie or something, and saw your thoughts! I heard about Midnight, why you sat away from us, everything!"

"...Everything?"

"Yes, even that..."

Twilight became redder than a strawberry in less than a second, "Oh, shit..."

"But besides the gross horse anus fetish stuff, there's nothing wrong with you, and Midnight isn't returning at all. Noah threw her at a bus, remember?"

"Of course I remember, the bump on my head still hasn't vanished yet. But, I just... How are you supposed to explain me destroying the dock? Or the magical glitter on the grass? Or all of our friends, including you, gaining powers? Sunset, you can literally read minds!"

"I'm not sure, but I swear it's not you. I saw your subconscious, remember? Not a trace of Midnight for as far as the eye could see."

"But, that doesn't make any sense! What if someone gets hurt?"

"We won't hurt anybody, what makes you think that?!"

”Fluttershy can summon hawks, Pinkie Pie has explosive glitter, Rarity can form entire diamonds bore of magic, Applejack is stronger than physically possible, I have telekinesis, for crap's sake, Rainbow Dash sent Jain through a window! Someone's bound to get hurt!"

"It's in the right hands, isn't it? What's the big deal?"

Twilight stepped away from her friend, "Easy for you to say. The last time I obtained magic, I nearly sent the entire galaxy back to the stone age, and murdered several students! Including Dean Cadence!"

"Twilight, you had the power of all the Elements coursing through your blood. This is different. We all have the right amount of magic for us all. Rainbow Dash isn't gonna suddenly run so fast, the Earth spins faster."

"I-I know, I just... I'm so afraid that it's gonna happen again..."

Sunset rubbed her left arm, "I get it, Twilight. The last time magic ran through one of us, the apocalypse nearly became a reality. And before the Friendship Games, magic turned me into a cruel, vile monster. So if anyone understands what you're going through, it's me.

"If you need help coping, I'm all ears and always available. As are the rest of our friends. Even Noah's friends are more than happy to help in any way they can. At least, they better be.

"But nothings gonna happen if you just keep running away as if that'll solve all your problems. It only ends up hurting you inside. And believe me, it hurts like a motherfucker."

Twilight sighed, at a loss for words knowing she'd lost the argument. She turned about to face her friend. Tears welling up in her eyes that Noah would probably find unnecessary.

"I... Okay, you win. I'll stay." Sunset smiled, and Twilight continued. "I still don't think it's a good idea for me to be near the girls, regardless if I'm the reason or not."

Sunset nodded, "As long as you stay... Hey, do you hear-"

"Rustling? Y-You do too? That was quick and random."

Sunset and Twilight both whipped their heads about, puzzled at the rustling of the bushes. Entering a protective state, Sunset grabbed Twilight by her side and pulled her behind her back. She then watched the bushes, ready for anything.

"Who's out there? Show yourself!" Sunset called, and the rustling stopped, but only for a moment. Twilight turned to another bush and fell cold. An insanely sharp ax had risen from the bushes. Sunset directed her attention there and froze.

"Wait!-"

"Twilight? Bacon-haired girl? What are you two doing out here so late?"

It was Timber Spruce.

Twilight and Sunset sighed, relieved. "We just saw an ax appear from the bush, and thought someone was here to kill us! That was petrifying!"

"Oh, uh, well, what are you two doing out here?"

"Why do you have an ax?!" Twilight and Sunset replied, simultaneously.

Timber quickly shoved his hand into the bushes, nervous, and revealed a wheel barrel of logs. "I-I, was, c-chopping down firewood! Yeah... Firewood."

Sunset folded her arms, suspicious, "In the middle of the night?"

"...Yes."

Twilight smiled, "Well, I'm glad it's you, at least. We thought there was some killer on the loose or something."

"Oh, please. If there was a killer on the loose, Gloriosa would probably throw 'em into the lake with a boulder. You'd be surprised what she could do when she's angry."

Twilight giggled while Sunset's eyes only squinted. Timber continued, "Okay, but seriously. Why are you two out here? It's not something inappropriate, is it? Not that I'd mind..."

"Oh, uh-"

"I was just sleepwalking," Sunset interrupted. Saving the two's skin. "Twilight found me and was just bringing me back to camp."

"Y-Yeah, what she said."

Timber nodded, "Sounds legit. Anyway, c'mon. I'll walk you two back to camp." Timber then began down a certain trail and the two of them followed. But still suspicious, Sunset asked a question.

"Hey Timber?"

"Shoot," he replied.

"You wouldn't happen to have seen Noah anywhere, have you?"

"Who?"

Sunset rubbed her chin, "Uh, he's the black one."

"..."

"With the fade haircut?"

"..."

"He curses a lot?"

"..."

"Crap, that's right. Heck, even I curse more than him now. Uh... He says stupid stuff a lot?"

"Oh, him! Yeah, he's in the tunnel."

"...The what?"

Timber locked up like a cat ascending to godhood, "I-I-I mean, he's p-probably somewhere a-at the camp! O-Or helping Gloriosa, o-or something! Yeah! H-He's doing that!"

"...Oh, really?"

"Yeah!"

Sunset folded her arms once more, "Okay... Noted..."