Equestria Girls: Remembering Your Names

"Sonata, let my underling go!" Adagio shouted, pulling harder on Dashie's left arm.

"No, she's not your underling. She's my Lobo!" shot back Aria, pulling harder on Dashie's right arm.

"She's our big sister!" said Dahlia and Sol, pulling Dashie's waist.

Dashie felt like she would be torn apart if this kept happening. One thing she was okay with was the softness between Sonata's colossal chest. She felt comfortable.

Lucy had enough and stepped up. "Hey, everyone. Could you all stop? My daughter will be ripped in half if you all keep doing this."

Adagio, embarrassed, released her hold, but Aria kept her hold. She saw this as a chance to take Dashie away. She suddenly felt cold daggers hitting her back, as she knew it was coming from Adagio. Aria did something she had never done before, glaring down Adagio's cold eyes.

"I'm not g-g-giving up my Lobo!" she said, shaking. "I'll fight you if I have to!"

Adagio was surprised to see her middle sister standing up for herself and talking back to her. She slightly turned to see Dashie's mother. Adagio knew that if she was ever part of the Reinbold family, she needed to show Lucy she was a responsible woman and the perfect girlfriend for her daughter and future wife. She slowly turned her attention back to Aria.

"Let go, right now," she said in a deep, cold tone, her eyes glowing bright.

Aria kept her eyes locked onto Adagio's. She didn't let go and was ready to fight her oldest sister, but Sonata got between them, smiling.

"You girls know Dashie, too!" she looked at Aria. "I'm glad you didn't hurt her; I was worried that you would hurt Dashie with that misunderstanding in the cafeteria."

Adagio became shocked. "Was Dashie the bully who attacked Sonata?" But now she could see Sonata looking at her with worry.

"Big sister, Dashie, wasn't the bully! Some girl named Lyn was the one who pushed me and took Mr. Bunbun!"

Without warning, Adagio was closer to her sister, holding her hands and making her let go of Dashie, along with her sisters who was still holding on to her. "Si no fue Dashie, ¿cuándo quién? ¿¡Quién se atrevió a hacerte daño así!? ¿Lyn quién? ¿Cuál es su apellido, así que me aseguro de que va a pagar por lo que te hizo!"

Sonata smiled at her, happy to see how caring and worried her big sister was. "I don't know her last name, but Dashie knows her. It seems that bully Lyn hurt Dashie long ago, and she still bullies her..." she stopped, even stepping back as it was rare to see Adagio giving off a death aura.

Adagio let go of Sonata's hands and glared at Dashie. "Is that true, my underling!? This girl also bullied you!?"

Thanks to her little sisters, Dashie was helped back up and could see how mad Adagio looked. She didn't want Adagio to mess with Lyn, as it was the last thing she wanted, but seeing how angry Adagio was, there was nothing she could do but tell her the truth.

"It is true," she said, looking down. "She was bullying me when I was in my freshman year of high school. She used me and lied to be my friend to get ahead in the runner scene. All because of my status and who I was related to."

Adagio could see how hurt Dashie looked. Seeing her look like that was something she didn't want.

"I see." she sighed and touched Dashie's head. "My underling, you are my follower, and if anyone tries to bully you, I will protect you and make sure they regret it. She will pay. You have my word!"

Dashie brushed off Adagio's hand and held it, making Adagio blush, while Aria looked pissed. Sonata was just happy, like always.

"Hold on, don't mess with her. You don't need to get involved with this, my queen. It's my fight and-"

Before Dashie could finish, Aria hugged her from behind, pulling her away from a now-mad Adagio.

"Lobo is right! It's her fight as the Alpha! She can handle herself with how powerful she is!" Aria rubbed her cheek against Dashie's cheek, causing Dashie to blush. "My Lobo is unstoppable. Isn't that right, Lobo?"

Adagio got closer to them, again grabbing Dashie's arm, freeing her from Aria's hug and pulling her into her chest without realizing it. "Lobo? Why do you keep calling her that, Aria?" She held Dashie harder, pressing Dashie's cheeks against her chest, giving Dashie a better feel.

Within Dashie's thoughts, she spoke to herself, feeling Adagio's chest on her cheeks. "Whoa...these aren't as big as Sonata's but still so soft. So warm, too..." Sadly, Dashie couldn't enjoy it as she was freed by Aria, who pulled her out and into her chest. Dashie felt Aria's chest now. "Holy cow, she's smallest compared to Adagio and Sonata, but still, she's just as big and soft!"

"I'll have you know I call her Lobo because our mot-huh?" Aria stopped talking as she felt something. She looked down at Dashie and back at her big sister with a smug look. "See! Lobo wants me and only me! If she didn't, she wouldn't be so 'happy' right now! She's showing me how much she loves my chest."

Dashie realized what Aria was talking about and quickly pushed her off. She placed her hands over her lower area and ran off to the dress section to put on her clothes and remove her dress. Before Adagio and her sisters could follow Dashie, there was a loud clap, causing the siren sisters to see Lucy, wanting them to calm down finally.

"Please, enough! I don't want any more fighting between you three. Just sit down, and let's wait for my daughter, okay?"

Aria crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine, but this isn't over. She's my Lobo, and I'll win her heart over!"

"Hmph!" Adagio was mad.

Sonata's shoulder-hugged her sisters, not understanding the tension. "Okay, everyone! Let's listen to Mrs. Reinbold, and when Dashie comes back, let's get some food and hang out together!"

Adagio and Aria sighed. They believed their little sister wasn't in love with Dashie, so they relaxed.

"I guess we can do that," Aria stated.

"Sure," Adagio added.

They waited for Dashie to return, which wasn't long. She looked so red in the face that she couldn't look at the three sisters, but she still talked to them.

"So, you three are sisters? Sonata and Aria, I already knew, but Queen, I didn't think you were a big sister."

Adagio giggled. "I'm a big sister to these two." She looked up at Sonata, smiling at her dear little sister. "Sonata is a bit of airhead and having..." she frowned, but Sonata didn't take notice as she played with Mr. Bunbun on her head. "Problems, but I still love her." she looked over to Aria, looking at her, annoyed as hell. "And Aria is a pain in my fat ass, always fighting by starting them or looking for trouble. But even though she's an asshole, I still love her and look after her."

"Hey!" Aria shouted, but she calmed down as she and her sisters noticed Dashie laughing and finally looking at them.

"Man, I can tell you have it rough with those two, huh?" she joked.

Adagio sighed, shaking her head. "More than you'll ever know."

"Hey! What does that even mean!?" Aria shouted while Sonata tipped her head, not understanding why Aria was upset.

Dashie turned to her own sisters, who were with their mothers as they watched. "But I think I do." She signaled her sisters to come next to her, and within seconds, her little sisters were by her side, their arms locked with hers. "Sol and Dahlia are my younger sisters. They can be a handful, but I love them and will always protect them, no matter what."

Aria looked over at the two girls, but mostly Sol, remembering how strong she was when she blocked the punch and even pushed her back. She won't lie; she wanted to fight her for real but couldn't when they bumped into each other. Aria smirked as she noticed Sol giving her a smirk and cracking her knuckles. The two wanted to fight each other, but their big sisters noticed how they were acting.

"Aria!"
"Sol!"

"Behave!" the two big sisters called out.

Aria and Sol became spooked as they were caught. Sol rubbed her head, giggling. "Heh heh, sorry, big sis. I can't help myself. She's asking for a beating."

"Tsk, come on, Adagio, she wants her ass kicked, and you're not letting her," Aria grumbled, looking away.

Adagio pinched Aria's ear, making her cry out. "You're not fighting her. She's my underling little sister. Not only that, but..." she eyed Lucy, who was smiling as she and the other mothers were still watching. "I can't let you make me look bad, hear me! If you start anything, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Yes, ma'am!" Aria quickly said, not wanting to make Adagio mad. Aria fought many people in this world, but there were two people she never wanted to fight: her late mother and Adagio.

Adagio let her go and sighed. She turns her attention back to Dashie and her little sisters. She waved hello at Sol, but Sol looked away grumpily, not pleased.

Dashie didn't mind it and patted Sol's head, which quickly melted in her sister's petting. "Sorry, she might act cold or a brute, but she's a softie."

"Hey!" Sol complained, making Dashie chuckle.

Dashie and Adagio turned to Dahila, who was glaring at Sonata the whole time, as she still wanted to kill her, but Sonata didn't pick up the dark vibes and just waved at her.

"This is Dahila! She's-"

Adagio got closer to Dahila, who finally noticed her as she bent down to her, waving sweetly.

"Hello, nice to meet you!"

Dahlia's dark vibe was gone, quickly replaced with panic as her shyness took over. She backed up, but Dashie stopped her, wanting her to say hello. But poor Dahlia didn't want to be the center of attention, so she placed her hand behind her back, created a flower, and quickly tossed it in the air, making everyone look at it as it flew up and landed back on the ground.

Adagio blinked. She thought she felt something just now but brushed it off. Looking back at Dashie and Dahlia, she noticed something was wrong.

"Wait, where is Dahlia? She was just here!"

Dashie pointed, and Adagio could see Dahlia reappearing near the woman with the sunhat and brown jacket. The first thing that Adagio and her sisters thought was that she used teleportation magic, but Dashie soon explained.

"Dahlia can misdirect anyone when she becomes the center of attention or meets new people who want to talk to her, in which she disappears quickly by running and leaves a flower as a replacement, so no one sees where she went."

Adagio frowns, realizing it's not magic. "Interesting." She knew it was best not to push anymore if Dahlia vanished again, but she was impressed. "She has an impressive skill."

Aria had a similar thought, but it didn't stop her from smirking, ready to test it. She was going to make the poor, shy girl do it again, but she stopped, sensing a glare from behind. At first, she thought it was Adagio, but she realized Adagio was near her and still looking at Dahlia. So, who was giving her cold dagger eyes?

Aria looked behind her and saw Dashie glaring at her with the most deadly glare she had ever seen. Her heart skipped a beat, but she wasn't scared. She was excited and happy.

"You are protective over your little sister, huh, Lobo?" Aria thought as she became submissive. If she had a tail again, it would wag fast right now. Seeing her powerful wolf being protective and intimidating made her heart melt and weak. She even loved this feeling when she considered Dashie's protection of her and their future children.

Dashie knew what Aria would do and made sure she didn't by glaring at her, but soon, Dsshie wished she didn't. She could see Aria's expression becoming submissive. Seeing her become weak and loving her glare turned her on, and worse, she liked this side of Aria.

Dashie quickly shook her head and turned her attention back to Adagio, who was wondering who Sunny and Wallflower were.

"Ah, those two are my sister's mothers. My sisters are half sisters!" Dashie said. "The one that looks like Sol is Sunny. Her nickname is Sunset, but she would rather be called by her real name, Sunny." Sunny did a quick nod at Adagio, who waved at her. "The one over there is Wilma, Dahlia's mother. Her nickname is Wallflower; she would rather be called that." Adagio waved, and Wallflower waved back.

Dashie turned her attention back to her mother, seeing how happy she looked. She couldn't understand why her mother was delighted, but she ignored it.

"This is my-"

"Your mother, I know. We met after you left upstairs."

"Oh?" Dashie was surprised but quickly became worried, knowing how weird her mother could be around others saying something strange. "Did she say anything weird to you?"

Lucy became shocked that her daughter thought she would say something that could hurt her reputation. "I did no such thing!" she suddenly saw her family looking at her with a 'yeah, right' look, making her panic. "I didn't!"

Dashie shook her head and ignored her mother. She looked back at Adagio and her sisters; she needed to fix the problem between them. Well, it was mostly Aria and Adagio. Sonata seemed she didn't understand why her sisters were fighting. She looked at Adagio.

"Aria calls me Lobo because it's the nickname she made for me as friends! And..." Dashie knew she was going to regret this. She gulped and said. "And I call her Lupa..."

Adagio's eyes widened. "Lupa? As in She-Wolf!?"

Dashie blushed but nodded. Adagio wasn't too surprised, as Dashie called her Queen, but that didn't mean she wasn't still mad and jealous.

"I thought we had something special..." Adagio whispered, crossing her arms and pouting.

Dashie was a little surprised. This was the first time she had seen Adagio jealous, and she looked cute. Dashie felt like kissing her...

"No, don't think that, Dashie! She's your friend!" Dashie shouted in her mind and quickly looked over to Aria, going to explain why she called her big sister Queen, but she froze, seeing Aria looking all embarrassed.

"...Lupa?" she whispered, her heart racing, her face turning red.

Dashie couldn't believe it. Aria looked so shy and cute, unlike her, even when she acted submissive to her.

"Whoa, that's a new look for her," Dashie thought, and her heart raced, but she shook it off and quickly explained why she called Adagio queen.

Aria listened and nodded. "Meh, that makes sense. Spanish women love being treated or called a queen. Not me, though. It doesn't suit me, but..." Aria quickly hugged Dashie, surprising everyone, including Dashie herself. Aria got closer to Dashie's ear, whispering, "I love my new nickname, my sweet and strong Lobo." she blew air into her ear, causing Dashie to shiver.
Dashie pushed her off. She glared at her and was about to say something, but her phone went off, stopping her.

"Hm? I wonder who it is?"

Dashie answered it, walking away from everyone, and could hear her mother, Blitz, on the other end.

Blitz was flying back from saving the day from another state.

"Hey, sweet pea, I'm heading back right now! I'll be there in ten minutes or so. How was dress shopping going?" Blitz blushed a little. "Please tell me my sweet pea is still a tomboy and didn't fall into the dark side of girly and dresses."

Dashie chuckled, knowing her mother was joking but also not. "I'm still a tomboy, Mom, don't worry. Though..." she glanced over at Sonata, remembering how fun it was in dress shopping.

"Hm? You alright?"

"Yeah, but I'm with my friends right now. All girls."

Blitz was shocked to hear that. She knew her daughter made a friend, but more than one? She felt so proud of her daughter and quickly had to ask her something.

"Tell me, sweet pea, how do you feel about them?"

"What do you mean, mom? I mean, we're all getting along and stuff."

Blitz shook her head. "No, sweet pea. How do you feel when you hear them calling your name? How do you feel when you listen to their voices? When you hear them talking or laughing?"

Dashie blushed a little and looked down. "I..." she was going to answer truthfully, but she couldn't. She didn't know how she felt, but it wasn't bad. She told herself that friendship was a waste of time, but meeting these three sisters made her second guess herself now. She still wanted to follow through with her goal of making her grandmothers proud by remembering and honoring their names, but she wanted to spend more time with her friends. She looked at Sonata; she liked hanging out with her, even if she was a little huggy at times, but even then, she liked it, and her hugs were very comfortable and warm. Dashie could feel her beating slightly. She looked over Aria, and Dashie wouldn't lie. Just by looking at her, Dashie found her sexy and cute. She's a little wild, but it's what drew her in and made her like her. She wishes that Aria dialed it back with all the misunderstandings and her horniness.
Dashie blushed hard as she remembered her and Aria's little moment, which she wanted to do again but differently. She could feel her heart beating even more. She finally looked over to Adagio. She loved how Adagio acted around her, trying to be all bossy, but Dashie knew it was just an act, as she knew Adagio had trouble opening up to her. She loves how sweet she treats her, and she knows Adagio becomes worried if she thinks she overdid it, but Dashie doesn't mind it and enjoys her treatment. Dashie felt her heart racing as if it was going to pop out. She quickly realized that it was her feelings. She didn't know what they were, but they felt good. Dashie knew that the reason why she was confused was that she had never experienced real friendship before, but she had to answer her mother's question.

"...I feel..." Dashie held her phone close with both hands now, blushing deep red. "Happy! I feel happy, Mom! When I hear their voices when I see them! I'm happy, and I want to be with them, always! I want to protect them and help them! I love my new friends and want to stay with them forever!"

Blitz shut her eyes and stopped flying. She hovered and smiled. "That's what I was hoping for. Sweet pea, what you feel is something your grandmother felt when she met your other grandmother and their friends. Even my big sister, Spark, knows what you feel is called." Blitz looked up to the clear skies, wondering if Spark was doing okay. "Don't you remember it? What did my mom tell you?"

Dashie shut her eyes, remembering a memory from the past...

"I don't want to make friends, grandma!" a young Dashie said at her desk, doing research. She stopped as her grandmother wheeled herself into the room and asked her why she wasn't outside and making friends. "I need to save you! I need to find the cure to your magical sickness! I don't have time for stupid friends that will get in my way of saving you!"

Twilah's eyes were saddened. She knew her granddaughter would do anything to save her, but Twilah knew her fate was sealed.

"Sweetheart, look at me." Dashie did. "I know you're doing all this to save me, but you can't live your life for just me. I want you to find friends and enjoy the rest of your childhood. I want you to feel what friendship is like knowing the happy feeling when you hear your friends calling your name or seeing them. Knowing how much you care for them." she placed her hand over Dashie's heart. "A spark. The spark ignited inside you when you meet your destined friend and the friends that will come. It's a wonderful feeling. One that is unbreakable. It will forever burn brightly, never burning out within the darkness or anything."

(Dashie was crying now. She remembered what happened next.)

"But what about your spark, grandma? If you..." young Dashie started to cry. "If you die, your spark will burn out forever! All the friends and people you love and meet will be sad, and you can't be there for them anymore! Why!? Why can't it burn for a thousand years so you live forever with everyone who loves you!? " She pushed her grandmother's hand from her heart and returned to work. "I need to work harder. I need to find a way to save you! I'll do anything to make that happen! I'll gladly give all my time up to you, Grandma, so please live and never die."

Dashie was brought back to the present, hearing her mother's voice.

"I know you want to make grandma proud, sweet pea, but I don't think that's what grandma wanted. She is..." Blitz still hated to remember her mother was gone, as her voice sounded too heartbroken. "She's gone, and I know you want to find the cure because you promised her, but I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away and never have a friend, knowing you can't have fun and enjoy yourself. She would have wanted you to go out there, make friends, and have fun. Don't let your spark burn so little and weak. I want you to have the brightest and strongest spark ever!"

Dashie looked over at her friends. "...But if I do, I'm afraid that Grandma's remainer spark will fade faster, Mom. Her memory will be gone if I don't fulfill my promise to her. She will honestly be forgotten. Her spark within me will be gone."

"I know, sweet pea, but I think she would have rather wanted you to have friends and enjoy your life instead of throwing it away. She doesn't want her legacy to be a loner, sweet pea."

Dashie's eyes widened when she heard that.

"...Grandma saw me as her legacy?"

"Of course! Who else? You're her granddaughter. Your grandmother saw you as her legacy; she saw something special in you that not even I could see. Sweet pea, you were her everything; she deeply cared about you. Even I knew that you are the best grandchild any grandmother could ask for, and that's coming from me, the coolest, best mom ever." Blitz was crying now. She didn't want her daughter to throw her life away and never make a friend, as that was something she couldn't allow as a mother and daughter.

Dashie had no idea how she felt. She had so many questions but didn't know who to ask, as the only one she could ask was gone from her life.

"Sweet pea, trust in your spark. Let it guide you. It knows what it wants and will ensure you're happy, and it's telling you to be with those girls. I'm sure of it. If it weren't, you wouldn't feel that happiness when you're with them." Blitz started to fly again, remembering how her own spark when she met her friends. Again, she couldn't stop but think of her big sister. "The spark that resides in the heart of us all is our light. It's a gift, sweet pea, and will always guide us in the right direction. Trust in it. Follow your spark."

"..." Dashie smiled. "I will, Mom, and thank you." Her attention was still on her new friends. Her mother was right; she felt friendship, but the more she looked at them, the more she felt something else. Dashie didn't know what it was but didn't hate the feeling.

"Okay, sweet pea, I'll be back in town soon. I love you, and I'm glad we talked. See you soon!"

"Love you too, Mom."

They both hung up, prompting Dashie to return to everyone. Even though she wanted to stay friends with them, she still wanted to finish her promise to her grandmother no matter what—even honoring her grandmother's name.

"I can do both, right? Make friends and keep my promise? Is that possible? Can I make a friend while fulfilling my promise?" Dashie thought and sighed. She felt overwhelmed, but she had to try. She didn't know the right path, so she will follow her heart and do her best.

She returned and soon learned that Adagio and her sisters were here to visit the mall with their father, so Dashie decided on something.

"We can hang out together then! I need to show you my favorite arcade and the other places around the mall. Since you and your family are still new here, you need to know all the places in the mall!" Dashie explained. Then, she took out her phone and made a list of what they should do, which quickly became very long.

"Ah, there it is." Sunny sighed but smiled, seeing Dashie acting like this.

Wallflower giggles at the sight of all the kids behind Dashie, shocked by the long list. Lucy also laughs but speaks. "She might take after Dashiell but also Twilah sometimes. Both are a little crazy when it comes to planning and things."

Dashie finished writing. "There we go! Now, we can-"

"Lobo," Aria whispered, making Dashie look at her and the others behind her. "...I don't think we can do all those things within a few hours."

Dashie looked confused and looked back at the list on her phone. "Nonsense! If we visit each place and spend only five minutes there, we should be able to finish the entire list."

Sol sighed. She loved her big sister but hated it when she behaved like this. Dahlia also felt the same, but she liked seeing her big sister act like this, as it reminded her why they loved her so much. Adagio and her sisters, however...

"Lobo, don't be silly! We can't do all that!"

"Sure, we can! It's a piece of cake! Easy!"

Adagio glared at Dashie. "No, we can't! There's no way we can do all that!"

Dashie could see even Sonata nodding and agreeing with her sisters. "But, we can...I mean..."

"We can't, Lobo. Let's do one thing, okay? We can do the rest the next time we visit the mall. Deal?"

"But, Aria, we can't wait!" Dashie said in a desperate tone, which confused everyone. They did not know that Dashie wanted to maximize her time with them and reach her goal.

"Dashie, it's fine. You can always do more another time." Sunny assured.

Dashie felt cornered. She wanted to do so much with her friends. She couldn't stop, but seeing how they were giving her confused or worried looks made her give up for now.

"Okay...let's head out then." Everyone was heading to the exit, but Dashie saw Adagio and her sisters heading to the checkout. She remembered something and raced over there with them. "Sonata! I promised you I'd buy that rabbit theme hoodie! Sorry, I forgot."

Sonata's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah...Yay! I got my first gift! Thanks, Dashie!" she hugged her tightly, causing Dashie to smile.

"Anything for my friend," she said but could see Adagio and Aria looking slightly jealous. Dashie thought about it, and it made sense. "...right, they will feel left out!" she said. She turned to them, smiling. "I'll buy whatever you two were going to buy." She could see both girls blushing. Adagio was holding some pants and showed her, realizing it was the ones she picked for her and seeing different words on the rear end, seeing one that said 'juicy peach' on one, causing Dashie to picture Adagio wearing it, making her feel 'happy.' Dashie quickly nodded. "I'll buy them, too. Anything you want, my Queen."

Adagio felt her heart beating hard and fast. She remembered what her father said and nodded to herself. "Then I'll pay you back for it, my underling! It's only fair!" She let her queen side come out. "After all, you're buying my sisters and me a gift, an order from your Queen!"

Dashie laughed, which annoyed Adagio. "Of course, my Queen." she looked over to Aria, who was holding nothing. She approached her, but Aria met her halfway and whispered something.

"Which one do you want? The sundress I was wearing or..." Aria's voice became sexy as she blew air into Dashie's ear. "The sexy thong I was wearing? The one that made you 'happy,' as I saw a quick peek before you stopped me and flipped me over." She could see how red Dashie was, making her giggle.

Dashie looked away and said something that caught Aria off guard. "Both..."

"Huh?"

Dashie slightly eyed her. "Both. I think you looked sexy wearing that thong, but you also look beautiful wearing that sundress..." Dashie went red and looked away. "...Lupa..."

It was Aria's turn to be all red. She was not ready for Dashie to call her by her wolf name and say how sexy and beautiful she looked in the thong and sundress. She felt her heart beating. "O-okay. I'll go get them." She left quickly, and once she did, Dashie sighed.

"I need a cold shower," she said to herself, realizing she might always be doing that when hanging around Aria.

After buying the clothes, the group said goodbye to Rachel and headed for the mall. When inside, Dashie and her sister's mothers said they would be near the Apple Mac Stand and should enjoy their time with Adagio and her sisters.

"Oh, okay? Then we will be back later," Dashie said, about to leave, but Sunny stopped her, hugged her from behind, and whispered something.

"Treat Aria nice, you!" was all Sunny said, and she gave her a thumbs up.

"Huh?" was all Dashie said as Sunny let go, but soon, Wallflower stood next to her and asked her something to do for her.

"Sonata is a lovely girl, Dashie. Treat her nice, will ya?"

"Of course!" Dashie answered back but was confused as to why Wallflower asked her that. She watched her walk away with Sunny before she could ask her why she asked that.

Then Lucy came by and patted her shoulder. She made her look at her.

"Mom?"

"Sweetie, Adagio told me how you treat her like a queen." She could see her daughter blushing. "That's my girl! Keep doing that; don't ever stop! It makes her feel good and happy, and I'm rooting for you!" she kissed her daughter on the head and quickly followed the other mothers.

This left Dashie more confused about why those three acted like that, but she brushed it off as Mother being weird.

Lucy and her friends went to the Apple Mac Stand and saw Big Mac and his family running the juice stand booth. In this universe, Big Mac isn't huge but small. The girls said hello to them and ordered their drinks. Soon, the girls were sitting on the stools and not saying a word until Lucy broke the silence.

"So, who's here happy for Dashie to have found a great girl to be her girlfriend?"

Sunny and Wallflower both nodded and said they were. Sunny spoke first. "Dashie found a keeper!"

Then Wallflower spoke after taking a slip. "I agree! Dashie found such a sweet and caring girl!"

Lucy nodded her head, agreeing with them. "Not only that, but Dashie has excellent taste in picking a girlfriend! She knows what she wants in a woman!" she looked at them, seeing Sunny and Wallflower blushing.

"Lucy, don't make this weird, please!" Sunny begged, knowing Lucy would start heading there if they didn't stop her.

Lucy chuckled. "Oh, come on! You're telling me you're not excited that Dashie has finally found her one true love!? The one girl who will always be by her side no matter what!?"

"Well, yeah, but-" But Wallflower was cut off by Sunny.

"Wait for it."

Lucy took a long drink and pointed at them, smiling. "Like, my daughter loves them thicc! Sexy, no less! That's my girl! Always knew she had good tastes in women, just like her mama!" Lucy could see how embarrassed they were but didn't know why. Sunny and Wallflower both blushed and had no idea how to answer her.

"...and there it is," Sunny whispered, knowing this was how it would end up.

"Oh, don't act shy now, ladies! You're not embarrassed to hear how much Dashie is like her mama and has good taste in women!" Lucy smirked, enjoying teasing her friends as she knew the right buttons to push. "Like, I love Blitz and..." she looked at her drink, blushing. "You two are my everything. You're the love of my life. If it weren't for you three, I wouldn't be who I am today, and you helped me raise my daughter and vice versa. They are everything to us. They're our world."

Lucy started tearing up, but Sunny picked up her drink and drank it in one go. "Lucy, we love you too, but please, we also speak for Blitz here. Please stop turning regular talks into something perverted or weird. It's embarrassing."

Lucy laughed and hugged Sunny, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm sorry, honey, but I can't help it! I was raised to be open about everything and be honest, and I'm telling you, my daughter has the best taste in women, and her new girlfriend is one sexy mama! Not only that, but she is also the sweetest and nicest person, too. I couldn't have picked a better girl for Dashie to date and call her own." Sunny started wishing she wasn't sitting next to her as Lucy lovingly placed her hand on her lap and moved closer. "Like, her big booty was made for Dashie to spank."

Sunny pushed Lucy off. "LUCY!" she screamed.

Wallflower was laughing but soon stopped.

"Wait, big booty? Sonata doesn't have a huge butt, but her breast is pretty big."

Sunny nodded but stopped as well. "Huh? I thought we were talking about Aria, here?"

Lucy ignored Sunny and agreed with Wallflower on Sonata's breast size but soon turned to Sunny. "Aria is also sexy! She's-" but Sunny stopped her by covering her mouth, all red.

"No, stop! We aren't having this weird conversation!" Sunny said, annoyed.

"Mmmphhh!!!"

Sunny took the conversation back on track. "Wait, are we talking about the right girl? Because I was talking about Aria. She's perfect for Dashie! She's like me when I was young."

Lucy tipped her head, and Wallflower looked shocked when she answered Sunny. "I was talking about Sonata. She's a very caring and kind girl. She's perfect for Dashie."

They all looked at each other, confused.

Lucy broke free from Sunny's hand and answered as well. "I was talking about Adagio! She's very polite, kind, and has a very sexy ass!"

"Lucy!" Sunny shouted again, making Lucy laugh.

"Hey, it's true! Her ass is sexy! Have you ever seen that kind of ass before!? Those tight pants she wears are sinful!" she took out her cross and rubbed it.

Sunny blushed, but soon, her expression became thinking. Her mind went into the gutter as she remembered how Adagio's pants were tight, trying to keep that ass caged, and Lucy could see this.

"See? You agree with me!"

"Yeah..." Sunny soon shook her head. "NO! SHUT UP!" she placed her elbows on the counter and placed her head in her hands. She ordered another drink. "Anyway, Aria is the better girl for Dashie. So I don't know why you two are picking the wrong girl for her. Aria is perfect for her."

Wallflower didn't seem convinced, but she kept quiet, letting the other two talk.

"Nope, Adagio is the better pick for Dashie!" Lucy said, all serious.

"Aria!" Sunny retorted.

"Adagio!"

"Aria!"

"Adagio!"

"Okay, this is silly," Wallflower spoke, making the two stop and turning to her. "Sonata is the perfect one here. Like I said, she's sweet and caring. Dashie needs a girl like that in her life."

"No, she needs a girl like Aria! She needs someone strong, but Dashie can make her soft and tame that bruteness Aira's have! I don't see why you two understand that."

"But Dashie needs someone like Adagio! She's a mother and loving wife figure in the making!" She stopped, seeing both of them looking at her in shock. It was a genuine reason and not something weird or perverted. She continued. "Plus, my daughter can play with that booty of hers anytime she-"

"LUCY!"

"I'm kidding, Sunny, but you got to admit, they are perfect for each other," Lucy said, trying to save face, but Wallflower spoke again.

"Well, I disagree with you two. I think I know what's best for Dashie." She took a long sip, finished her drink, and got up. "She's perfect for Sonata, and nothing can change my mind!"

Sunny took her drink, drank it in one go, and stood up. "Nah, I know what's good for her! You two don't know what you're talking about! Aria is the best for her!"

Wallflower crossed her arms and turned away. "I know what I'm talking about. Dashie deserves a girl like Sonata."

Lucy drank her drink through a straw and stopped, turning to them, a little annoyed now. "Well, I think I know what's best for my daughter than you two. Adagio is a good match for her."

Sunny and Wallflower stared at Lucy, feeling hurt.

Sunny pointed at her. "Really, Lucy? Pulling out the mother card on us? We helped raise her, you know! It was like you said, remember? You're not the only one who knows Dashie."

Wallflower nodded. "We are a family here in this polyamory relationship. I can say who is perfect for Dashie and who's not."

Lucy stood up and turned to them, shocked by the expression she gave them, which was sadness. "What polyamory relationship? You two moved out and took your daughters with you. You broke off from our herd, so, in a way, we're not a family. We're exes. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not trying to hurt you two, but it's true. Now, I have finally said who's perfect for MY daughter." She walked away.

Wallflower felt a knife in her heart. She tried to say something. "Wait, Lucy! We only left because-"

Lucy stopped her, not facing them. "Because you listened to what others said about us, you let them break our family apart because you two couldn't be adults and accept people can't understand what we had. You two left us, not the other way around. You were the ones who decided we weren't enough. We didn't care about what anyone said about us." she turned to them, her expression being disgust and pity. "You are lucky that Blitz still talks and does things with you two. I wouldn't allow it if it were me, but your daughters need their mother. I won't stop her from being their mothers." she turned back, facing her back to them again. "And I won't stop Blitz from loving you two. I'm not heartless. You are welcome to talk to her and our daughter, but you don't get to pick what's good for my family. You lost that privilege a long time ago." she walked away, leaving them heartbroken.

"Fuck..." Sunny said with a deep sigh.

Wallflower sat back down and called out to Big Mac. "Mac, give me the hardest apple juice you got!"

Big Mac, whose only hair could be seen from behind the counter, grabbed and poured the most intense apple juice he had and placed it on the counter.

Wallflower took it, drank half of it, and slammed the cup. She fell into tears and looked away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen," she whispered, hoping Lucy somehow heard her.

Sunny, who was feeling the same way, sighed, took the other half of the cup, and drank it. She sat beside Wallflower, put her arm around her, and brought her close, kissing her head while poor Mac looked up at the sad sight of what had happened.

Lucy exited the mall and walked to the side of it. There, she leaned on the wall and started to cry.

"Why did you leave us? I was heartbroken, but Blitz? You broke her heart so much that day. She feels to this very day that she has done something wrong or wasn't doing enough to make your two happy as you moved out." she covered her eyes, hoping to keep her tears from falling. "Idiots, why do you think she tries to spend so much time with you two? Always buying you two gifts and helping you with money, even if you don't ask for it. She doesn't just do it for your daughters; she does it for you two, wanting to show you that she still loves and wants you back living with us." She wiped her eyes and pushed herself off the wall.

"I can't keep this up anymore. It hurts us every time we see you. It brings back too many painful memories of our failed relationship and how it ended so suddenly. All because you two listen to the voices around you and do not trust us. Who knew this polyamory thing was so bad for some people?" she kicked the ground and looked at her ring, her heart hurting as she remembered that day, a week before Twilah's passing.

Ten years ago

"We are moving out," Sunny said, not looking at Blitz or Lucy, who were both stunned at the sudden and shocking announcement.

"What?" Blitz asked, wanting to make sure she heard her right.

Wallflower turned to Blitz. "Lucy, you and we have been together for a long time, and it's been the best years of our lives, but we need to start thinking about our daughter's future and their lives," she spoke, feeling sad, but she had to stay strong.

"How does moving out help you do that?" Lucy asked, not understanding where this came from.

"People are talking," Sunny said. "Saying awful things about our relationship. Our daughters don't need that in their lives, being bullied and picked on because their mothers are in a weird relationship."

Blitz looked shocked, but Lucy stood up, enraged. "Since when do we care about what others say? And it's not weird! What we have is beautiful! We are not hurting anyone, and no one is getting hurt! We are a happy family! Why can't people understand that!?" she screamed, not understanding how Sunny and Wallflower could leave over something like that.

"Lucy, we do care, but this isn't about that. We need to do this for our girls," Sunny said, and Wallflower nodded.
"Our daughters shouldn't suffer because of what others think or say about us. They don't deserve it," she explained.

Lucy was in tears and couldn't believe it. "So, you're leaving us?"

They both looked away and didn't answer, but that was enough for Lucy. She turned to Blitz, hoping she would say something, anything to stop them from leaving, but what she heard broke her heart.

"Okay, I will help you move out. It's for the best. I only want the best for my daughters."

Sunny and Wallflower thanked her and said they would start packing tonight and leave in a few days. Lucy watched them go, feeling broken. Blitz had the same expression as she watched the bedroom door shut, knowing things would never be the same in the coming days.

That night, Lucy couldn't sleep. She stared at Blitz, who was sleeping soundly, but her mind couldn't rest as the large and wide bed was much emptier without Sunny and Wallflower, as they were sleeping in the guest bedroom than with them. Lucy slowly exited the bedroom and into the hallway, stopping in Sol and Dahlia's shared bedroom. She could see the girls sleeping in the bunkbeds, and she entered. She kissed them both and said goodnight. Then, she stopped at her daughter's room and entered. Lucy stood there, staring at the sleeping child, not knowing what to say to her when her little sisters would leave soon. She just lowered herself and kissed her on the head. She soon left the room and closed it.

She covered her eyes as she cried.

"Everything okay?"

"Huh?"

Lucy quickly realized who it was and wiped her eyes. She could see Twilah weakly standing in the doorway of her room.

"Twilah, you shouldn't be standing! Lay down and rest!" she rushed over, grabbed Twilah, and took her back to bed.

"I'm okay, Lucy. Don't worry about me," Twilah reassured her, but Lucy still didn't believe her. S.P.I.K.E has been watching over her health over the years, and he noticed her health is starting to decline these past few days.

Lucy held her hand. "Don't worry about us. Focus on your health."

Twilah sighed and smiled. "I will, but you, Blitz, and the rest of my family are my top priority." She stopped and held her shoulders. "What's going on? Blitz, Sunny, Wallflower, and now you are acting weird. You are all hiding something from me."

Lucy lowered her head, unable to meet her gaze. She couldn't say anything, as her mouth couldn't form words. She wanted to tell her, but her mouth wouldn't move.

"When I was young, I was like this: I didn't want to say anything about my feelings to others." Lucy looked up at her and saw her smiling. "At first, it was because I was shy and scared of talking to strangers, but when I met Dashiell and the rest of my friends, I learned an important lesson in friendship and life."

Lucy tilted her head. "Which is?"

Twilah hugged her. "Sometimes, when things are too hard for you, the best way to deal with them is by opening up and talking to your loved ones. I can help, help you, even if you think I can't. I will always help you in whatever way I can."

Lucy was surprised, but she knew Twilah was right. She was always there to listen and help those who needed it, and Lucy was no exception. She hugged her back, and her tears fell.

"I'm sorry, I was going to tell you, but it's hard to say. I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Twilah gently rubbed her back and held her tighter. "It's okay. Take your time."

"Wallflower and Sunny are leaving. They are moving out," she choked up, crying again. "They don't love us anymore because they listened to what others have said. We aren't enough for them anymore. They are leaving."

"Oh, Lucy..."

Lucy was sobbing, and Twilah couldn't help but shed tears. She felt Lucy's pain, losing someone dear to you.

"How is Blitz handling this? Does she know?" she asked, worried for her.

"Yes, but I don't understand how she's okay with all this!? She even offered to help them pack...why? Why didn't she fight back!? Doesn't she love them anymore!?"

"No, no. Don't think like that. She loves them, and that's why she's letting them go," she said, calming her. "Sometimes, letting go is a form of love, a painful one, but she is doing what is best for them and their daughters. If you truly love someone, you will let them go, no matter how much it hurts. If they are meant to be, then they will come back. No matter what, though, always remember you have each other. Maybe not as lovers but as friends."

Lucy listened and knew Twilah was speaking the truth. "So, I should be happy that Blitz is okay with this?"

"You shouldn't be, but I can say that if she's not acting like it hurts, then it's probably killing her. Blitz is strong, but even the strongest people can sometimes keep a straight face when dying inside. She is strong, Lucy, but I know she is hurting as much as you."

Lucy pulled back and stared at her. "But...what should we do?"

Twilah sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Nothing. Just support them and their decision, even if you hate it. This is the last time you will all be a big happy family, so you should enjoy it."

Lucy lowered her head. "How can I? We might be a family again one day, but it won't be the same."

"Yes, but we won't be around forever. I am proof of that," she chuckled, and Lucy looked at her, shocked and angry.

"Don't say that! You will make it, and you will get better!"

Twilah smiled. She could see where Dashie gets her stubbornness and determination from. "Yes, I will try, but we all die one day. So, while you still can, enjoy the family you have."

"But we won't be the same," she repeated.

"Yes, but the memories are yours to keep. Even if separated, you will have those happy moments to reflect on. It would help if you focused on those, not the negatives," she smiled and held her hand. "That's what I'm hoping for when I'm gone. Don't stay in the darkness of the pain and hurt. Stay in the light of the spark and find the bright side. I will miss everyone, especially Dashie, but I won't be gone forever. I will watch over all of you."

Lucy couldn't say anything as Twilah started to cough. Lucy was quick to grab her and help her back to the room, but as she did so, she heard Twilah hardly speaking.

"Keep...happy things...not...negatives..."

Lucy nodded and helped her back to her bed, waking SPIKE to watch over her.

A few days later

"NO!" Sol screamed, not wanting to let go of Dashie as she and Dahlia tried their hardest to stay.

"Please don't make us leave! I promise to be good!" Dahlia begged, grabbing Dashie more as her mother tried to pull her off.

Dashie couldn't say anything as she acted like Blitz, telling them it was okay and that she could visit whenever she wanted. Lucy could tell that she was trying to be strong like Blitz. She couldn't say or do anything as both little sisters were finally free of the iron grip on their big sister. Lucy, Blitz, and Dashie watched as Sunny's mother opened the door to her car, allowing Sunny, who was in her anthro form, inside. Sunny was struggling to keep her daughter from using her magic to escape when her see-through horn suddenly appeared out of the blue.

"BIG SISTER! MOMMIES! GRANDMA!" Sol cried as she pressed her face against the window as the car drove off, her cries slowly fading away.

Wallflower had the same problem as Dahlia's nymph powers, which also awakened and unleashed vines to fight off her mother, but she was no match for her.

"Dahlia, enough!" she shouted and used her powers to force Dahlia's vines off her body and pick her up. The Blush family was there, helping with the move, and helped her inside the moving truck, as Wallflower couldn't keep her daughter inside her father's car. She shut it close, making the Dahlia crying all muffled.

Soon, all three watched as the moving truck left them alone. Lucy wanted to say something to her wife and daughter, but they both returned inside, acting as if nothing had happened.

Lucy couldn't follow them, so she leaned on the wall and cried.

Inside the house and in Twilah's room, she could not stand anymore or move; she was going to die soon, and all the fighting and crying broke her heart. She wanted to go down there and tell them to stop leaving, but she was weak and couldn't; she felt useless. She couldn't even tell her granddaughters or their mothers goodbye, not knowing if they would ever see her again in the coming days...

A few days after Twilah's passing and her funeral

It was midnight. Lucy finally got Dashie to calm down and put her to bed. She walked out and entered the bedroom, seeing Blitz in the bed, looking like she was asleep.

"Blitz, are you awake?" she asked, but Blitz didn't move. She got into the bed and held her, trying to comfort her after she lost her mother. It has been a hard time right now. Sunny and Wallflower moved out with their daughters, and now Twilah passed away.

She held her close, but Blitz did something that surprised her. She turned over and grabbed Lucy, holding her down with great force. Lucy felt scared, but that quickly vanished as she saw Blitz in her anthro form. Her slime side was leaking out, as her black stripe hair within her rainbow hair was leaking out her slime; soon, it slowly took over Blitz's rainbow hair, making it almost pure black. Blitz's expression was sadness, and she had rainbow tears.

"Blitz?" Lucy spoke.

Blitz didn't answer and kissed her.

"Blitz?" Lucy said again, through the kissing.

She was silent and kissed her harder, and Lucy was shocked.

"Blitz, what's wrong? Please, tell me."

Blitz finally stopped and fell on top of her. "Don't leave me too...don't take Dashie...I don't want to lose everything again..."

Lucy froze and realized what was happening. "Blitz, I won't. I'm here, and Dashie is here. We will never leave you."

"You...promise?" she asked, her eyes full of tears.

"I promise."

She kissed her and let her calm down as she lay beside her.

Lucy wiped her eyes and finished reminiscing on that horrible day. She sighed.

"You two left Blitz when she needed you the most. It's one of the things I hated about you both. Leaving us after her mother died was the worst thing you both could have done. She was suffering, and all she wanted was you two back. She already lost a family once, and she didn't want it to happen again. That was her worst fear, and you both proved her right. That was the worst thing you both could have done."

Lucy looked at the sky and saw a rainbow comet approaching the mall. She realized it was Blitz arriving. She raised her hand and waved at her, hoping she could see her.

"So, you lost your say about Dashie and who's perfect for her. She's our daughter, not yours. Blitz and I are raising her, not you two. This is our home, and I will not allow you two to ruin it again."

She smiled as Blitz landed near the mall and waited for her to reach her.

The kids were at the arcade, taking turns playing different video games and winning tickets. Sol and Dahlia were having fun on the DDR machine while Dashie watched. Dashie was having fun and being honest with herself, but she was getting a lousy feeling—like she felt something terrible would happen. She shook off the weird feeling and noticed Adagio and her sisters weren't nearby. She looked around and couldn't see them.

"Queen? Sonata?" Dashie became red. "...Lupa?"

She was embarrassed. She wasn't used to calling Aria that. Still, she brushed off the feeling and looked around at the arcade.

"I can't find them," she whispered, looking over at the DDR dance pad. Her sisters were too deep in their dance. She decided to leave them be and look for Adagio and her sisters.

She searched around, not seeing them anywhere until she saw Sonata walking into the bathroom with them. Dashie didn't find that odd initially since Sonata was always following someone she trusted, even her sisters. Still, she doubted Sonata's sisters needed to use the bathroom simultaneously. She walked into the bathroom and saw no one there. Looking down, she could see all three sisters in the same stall.

"What are they up to? Do they have a plan?" Dashie thought, sneaking and listening.

"Look, I know we all want to hang with my underling. But-"

"Lobo! Stop calling her with such a weak name! It's disgusting and disgraceful."

"Okay, okay. But as I was saying," Adagio continued after rolling her eyes. "We need to find that underground magical lake, so we can't stay up here all day with Dashie. Plus, our father will wonder where we are as we still haven't met back up with him. We're running out of time." She crossed her arms. "That's why I suggest we split into two teams. One group looks for the basement area of the mall, which will be you two."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "Why us?"

"Because I'm the leader and your big sister, that's why," she answered with a smirk.

Aria growled and shouted at her. "What you be doing then?"

Adagio blushed and answered. "What else? Bounding with Dashie and her little sisters. I need to look good in her mother's eyes."

Aria and Sonata narrowed their eyes at her, not liking how she was acting.

"Oh, we will risk our lives while you play with my Lobo? Fuck off, sis. Find that basement yourself."

Sonata nodded, agreeing with Aria. "I want to hang with Dashie!"

Adagio sighed, knowing it would come to this. She hoped her sister would say yes, but she guessed wrong. Her eyes started to glow bright, making the two younger sisters scared.

"As I said, you two will go to the basement and look around. As I comm-"

"Wait, there is a magical lake under the mall?"

"Huh?" said three siren sisters, hearing Dashie outside the stall and seeing her sneakers underneath.

They froze, realizing she had heard the whole conversation.

"Ah, uh, Lobo, is that you?" Aria spoke.

Dashie didn't say anything and turned around, realizing she had spoken aloud just now. But before she could escape, she was pulled inside the stall and was forced onto the seat...well, she thought it was the toilet seat, but it was Adagio's meaty thighs. Soon, her cheeks were squished together as Aria and Sonata's breasts were pressing up against her. The stall was small, and Sonata took most of the space because she was tall.

"How much did you hear?" said all three sisters, their eyes glowing, but Dashie didn't notice the dim glow in their eyes.

"Everything? So, I heard there was a lake here a long ago before a mall was built over it. Are you three looking for it? Because it's magical?"

They looked at each other, unsure what to say.

"Um, no. We're not interested in some stupid lake." Aria said, waving her around.

Dashie didn't believe them and crossed her arms.

"Don't lie to me. If we are going to be friends, then no secrets. Besides, I could help you three find it."

"You will?" they said, surprised and a bit nervous.

"Yes. I want to see this so-called magical lake. What does it do?" she asked, then soon learned of its healing properties and can make anyone healthy again. This was the first time Dashie had heard this. She started to think. "If this is true, I can use its magical water to help me find a cure for the magical toxin." she looked up at them, smiling. "Okay, I got it! I'm in! I'll help out in finding this underground lake."

"You will!?" they cheered.

Dashie nodded, making them smile and cheer. But she stopped them, took out her cell phone, and called her house.

SPIKE was in standby mode until he heard the house phone ring. He answered it and was surprised to hear Dashie's voice, even more so when she asked him for help.

"You want me to download the mall's blueprints and other records? Why?" he asked.

"I want to see what's underneath the mall. Can you help me with that, SPIKE?"

He thought for a moment and replied. "Well, I'm going through it right now, and it seems the mall has been trying to repair a certain part of the basement area, as the foundation has slowly been deteriorating over the years. They have been going through the town hall about it and something else..."

Surprised, Dashie asked, "Is the mall going to be okay?"

"I can't say yet. But what is odd is there have been several complaints of strange sounds and sightings of large, weird creatures in the basement area, mostly from the security staff as they caught it on the cameras," he answered. He went through them all but noticed all the recordings glitching on the creatures. "Seems the recording is glitched and can't show the creatures."

"Hmm, well, that's not important. Those must be rats or moles," Dashie laughed. Deep down, she was concerned but didn't want to scare her friends and make them back out of going.

"Perhaps," he answered. "Anyway, I will send the building blueprint and records, but it may not be 100% accurate, especially in the basement area." His eyes became a folder sent through the air toward a chibi Dashie and uploaded in seconds to her phone. "Okay, upload complete. Anything else, Dashie?"

Dashie was touched. "No, that's it. Thanks, SPIKE."

"You're welcome. Have fun, and please call me later. I love you," he smiled and closed the call.

SPIKE felt so happy that Dashie finally asked him for help as she started to do a small dance but stopped. He was under a photo of Twilah and Dashiell. He smiled at it, wishing his creator was still around to see him being helpful to her granddaughter.

"Okay, thanks to grandmother's AI, he uploaded the map of the mall into my phone, and it seems there is a broken area somewhere in the basement they have been trying to fix. It seems like a wall that has crumbled apart and revealed a cave tunnel." Dashie showed them the photos. "They haven't gone in for fears of cave-ins or something. So, that is where we will start."

Aria looked at the blueprint. "I see it. But how will we get inside?"

Dashie thought briefly and replied, "We go through the loading bay at the back of the mall. Then we go through the hallways, find the basement door, and head down there. We need to be careful and not get caught. If anyone sees us, we will have to run."

"We have to?" Aria said, all disappointed in not fighting back.

"Yes, we have to," Dashie said.

"But why?"

"Because it's against the law," Dashie replied. "If caught, we will be arrested for breaking and entering. Besides, it will cause a scene, and our parents will be informed, and they will ground us."

Adagio nodded, agreeing with Dashie. If they get caught, they might be banned from the mall as well, and with their powers weakening, they can't waste it on trying to get back in the mall and the basement.

"Before we go, why are you looking for a magical lake? It heals any health problems if it's real, but it might be a myth. Why would you risk getting arrested for it?"

The siren sisters didn't know what to say, but Sonata soon answered honestly.

"Because it has magic! We are magical-hmmm!?"

Aria stopped her from saying too much by covering her mouth. She eyed Adagio, hoping she would come up with a cover story,

Adagio coughed and answered quickly. "We are magical believers! This is like a hobby! We look for magical sightings and things..."

Aria and Sonata nodded, agreeing with Adagio's lame story and knowing Dashie wouldn't believe it.

Dashie, however, did believe it and smiled. "Cool! Like a club or something. It's like how people make a UFO club to see UFOs. That's cool. You should start a club here at school."

"Yay, a magical club!" cheered Sonata.

Adagio was glad her cover-up worked and nodded. "Yeah, sure. We might think about it, but let's focus on getting to the basement first, okay?"

Dashie agreed and looked at the blueprint and map on her phone. "Alright, let's exit the mall, head to the back area, and sneak into the loading bay. Let's not get my little sisters involved with this. Let's hurry out of here without them knowing! Let's go!"

The girls hurried out of the bathroom, leaving the stall door open, and rushed out of the arcade without Sol or even Dahlia noticing as Sol was losing to her sister in the DDR machine.

Underground, a rat was drinking from the lake's water and fell in because it was too close to the edge. It went under and came back out, but another rat came out. Like the small lizard before it, it was corrupted and glitching out. But this time, this was a massive rat bigger than a person. The corrupted rat shook its head and sniffed the air, smelling something delicious. Its hunger was rising, and it headed for the mall through the tunnel...

End of Chapter 7