B.E.A.N.S.L.A.Y.E.R.S.

“Don't move,” A.K. said to Juniper.

Juniper nodded.

A.K. flicked her eyes to Aria. “You, stay back. I know what you sirens are capable of.”

Aria growled, but took a step away from A.K..

A.K reached down into Juniper's pocket and fished out the Fava Bean. She held it up, examining it. Then she nodded and tossed the necklace to Thorax. He caught it and smiled.

“Thank you,” he said, returning his dagger to its hidden sheath. “Things are so much easier when everyone acts reasonably.”

“Reasonably?” Juniper said quietly. “Is that what you call this, A.K.? Reasonable?”

The author slowly circled around to stand in front of Juniper, alongside her true allies. She looked... resigned. “I told you. The only ones we can trust are ourselves.”

Aria raised her chin. “Yeah? And that story you told us? How do we know that's not bullshit?”

Glimmer stepped closer. “It is true. I noticed the signs long ago.” She pursed her lips. “Admittedly, I chose the wrong path initially. But no one is perfect.”

Thorax glanced at his watch and grunted. “We don't have the time to convince them. All of you,” he said sharply, “Listen closely. We were never here. You know nothing of these Beans. And if you ever speak about them- to anyone- we will hear about it. Understand?”

“I-” Juniper hesitated.

Aria stepped forward, placing her arm in front of her friend. “We understand.” Aria locked eyes with Juniper and pleaded for her to just go with it. Thankfully, she seemed to get it.

“Thank you,” Thorax said, clearly relieved. He swung around. “And you, Mister May-”

Clack.

Fancy slowly turned away from the door he had just locked, his expression fierce. “Oh,” he said quietly, “I understand.”

Fuck, Aria thought.

He began rolling up his sleeves. “I understand that you all believed you could come into my house, and take my property, without facing consequences.”

FUCK! Aria screamed inside her head.

“I understand that you have betrayed my hospitality.” Fancy hefted his cane up, and pulled on the silver head. A long blade smoothly unsheathed. “I understand that you know nothing, absolutely nothing, about who I am.”

The fuck?

Thorax shook his head. “Please, there is no need to resort to violence.”

Fancy paused. “Sir, if that were true, you would apologize and return those pieces of jewelry immediately.”

Thorax's hand drifted to his pocket. “I'm afraid I can't do that.”

“Well, then.” Fancy brought his sabre to bear, the dim overhead light glinting off its tip. “It seems our path is set.”

With a sudden shriek, Juniper launched herself at Thorax. Her arm caught his neck and she tackled him to the floor.

Glimmer yelled and charged at Juniper, vengeance in her eyes. Only for her blade to be blocked by Mayor Fancy. He stroked his mustache with one hand, the other barely straining to hold the hilt. “You'll have to do better than that, Miss.”

At the same time, Yearling raised her gun, but Aria was moving, too. She spun and kicked the gun out of Yearling's hand, and the author cried out. The sound filled Aria with satisfaction. Take that, you lying bitch. She followed up with a second kick to Yearling's head.

Yearling collapsed, and Aria turned to help Juniper.

And for the second time that day, was thrown backward into glass.

Adagio's terrible wail took her off her feet and hurled her into one of the displays. The glass exploded behind her, and a thousand shards drove themselves into Aria's body as she hit the wall.

Thigh.

Calf.

Shoulder.

Liver.

Neck.

Aria hung there for a moment, and then she fell to the floor, the smaller shards opening a dozen new wounds along the way.

Pain was something Aria had long ago learned to manage and repress. But this? This hurt.

She fought to sit up, her breathing ragged around the shard poking all the way through from the back of her throat. Aria reached up and grasped the shard with a bloody hand, and pulled. Slowly, her flesh parted around the glass, until finally it popped free with a Squelch.

Adagio was standing above her, laughing.

“And here I thought you liked having long, hard things rammed into your throat,” Adagio chortled.

Aria chose not to say anything, gritting her teeth and reaching for another dagger-like shard sticking out of her arm. Adagio kicked her hand aside, still smiling.

“It really is unfortunate.” The siren squatted in front of her sister. “You spent all that time chasing after Rarity. Even after she lied to you. Tricked you. Used you.” Aria saw her own eyes reflected in Adagio's. The effect was... disorienting. “You could've been with us. You could have been happy. Now look at you. You've lost,” she said scornfully.

Adagio reached out and grabbed hold of the glass shard in her arm. “You've lost this fight.” Adagio shoved the shard back through Aria's bicep, and Aria recoiled in pain.

“You've lost your family.” Adagio grabbed another shard in Aria's side and twisted it, gouging several organs.

“And when she hears about this?” Adagio gripped the piece of glass in Aria's thigh. “You'll lose Rarity.” Adagio pulled on the glass, slicing Aria's leg wide open. “And it will be all.” Yank.

“Your.” Yank.

“Fault.”

Adagio tugged on the shard one more time, then dropped it, leaning back. “Well?” she hissed. “What do you say?”

A gurgle passed up through Aria's throat.

Adagio snorted. “You can't be dying, so come on. What's the matter, Abyssinian got your ton-”

Aria jerked her head forward, and something small flew out of her mouth, directly into Adagio's throat: her chewing gum.

Adagio's eyes widened as the disgusting ball of slime wedged itself in her esophagus, choking her. Aria followed up with a palm strike to Adagio's nose. She felt the bone splinter, and smiled.

Adagio collapsed onto her butt, one hand on her throat and the other clawing at her bleeding face. Aria forced herself up, and lurched forward towards her sister. She grabbed Adagio's wrists, and pinned her down.

“Yugoo... huorrr!” Adagio burbled.

“Oh, I'm a whore now?” Aria spat. “What does that make you?” Her knee popped forward, slamming into Adagio's sore spot. Adagio squawked, and her legs thrashed. “You're a delusional bitch and you don't know a fucking thing!”

Aria grimaced, her body's slow rejection of the glass bringing more pain. “I haven't lost anything,” she growled. “I've got real relationships now. A friend. A girlfriend.”

“Heh. Naaa fer laa-agh.”

“You think so?” Aria kneed her sister again. “You think Rarity won't understand all this? With her shit-show of a job? She'll be sad she missed the adventure and then we'll have the best apology sex you can't even imagine.”

Adagio glared up at her, bloody bubbles popping around her nostrils. Aria was vaguely aware of Fancy Pants and Juniper still in their own struggles, but that didn't matter right then. They could handle it. Meanwhile, Dagi seemed to be breathing a little too easy. Aria shook her head clear and quickly dropped an elbow onto her sister's throat, crushing it. Adagio's eyes widened, and her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

“You think you're the greatest around,” Aria seethed. “Always better than me and Sonata. Always bossing us around. But the truth is, you suck. You haven't changed a bit since we first got banished to this world.” Aria shook her head again. “I've moved on. And the only way things will fall apart between me and Rarity is if I let them.” She snorted. “And why would I do that? So I could end up like you?”

“Le-lhike mee?”

“Yeah, you. Pathetic and obsessed. I figured out a while ago why you tried taking on Beanis. Over, and over again.” Aria leaned down. “And it won't work. Even if you succeeded- Sunset will never love you.”

With that, Aria slammed her forehead into Adagio's face. The siren flopped limply against the floor. Aria stood up, wiping the blood off her brow, breathing heavily. She spat on her unconscious sister one more time, then turned away.

The room was trashed. Cases shattered, expensive jewelry scattered everywhere. A.K. was still unconscious on the floor. Juniper was on her ass, holding up both Beans like talismans. The green Fava was glowing again, which explained why Thorax was frozen in mid-crawl, reaching out for Juniper.

In the middle of all that was Mayor Fancy, the point of his sword under Glimmer's chin. The girl was glaring at him, but it was hard for her to do anything when her sword was in his other hand. His eyes softened, and he knocked her out with the hilt of his blade.

The slight shuffle of cloth drew Aria's attention. Her head whipped around toward the door, and she saw Trixie carefully picking her way through the wreckage. Trixie froze when she sensed the eyes on her. Normal froze, not magic Bean froze.

“Uh-” Trixie swallowed hard. “I... I knew that you would defeat them! But, um. Pra- prepare yourself, for your toughest challenge yet!” She threw back her head and cackled, or at least tried to. “Behold! The inconceivable magical might! Of the Great, and Powerful, Trrrrrrrrrix-”

CLANG!

Trixie's eyes unfocused, and then she collapsed to the floor. Behind her, Fleur lowered the snack tray and blew a strand of hair away from her face.

“Apologies,” she said. “But that was... getting annoying.”