The shabby old apartment complex that the Dazzlings had called home since their defeat at Canterlot High looked emptier than ever. Adagio and Aria had already packed up and left. They'd packed their belongings into their shiny new Sparkbug Comet. It was the only car that's doesn't look like a secondhand they could afford. Aria already modified it for a week after their purchase. Sonata, of course, had happily claimed the keys. Not sure why she was given them but she definitely looked responsible enough.

The only one left in the apartment was Sonata Dusk, taking her sweet time as usual. She skipped from room to room, tossing random items into the last moving box. Posters were half-torn from the walls, dresser drawers hung open, and glitter pens lay scattered on the floor.

“All right, Sonata! Just one last box to go!” she said, lifting a taped box and shuffling to the front door. She glanced back at the empty apartment, then paused as a thought hit her. “Wait… moving needs fuel!” Her gaze drifted to the kitchen counter, where a package of microwavable tacos waited. “Can’t go without breakfast! That’d be, like… totally rude to my stomach!”

Grabbing the tacos, she spotted a spare car battery lying just outside the apartment door—a leftover from the last-minute van modifications. She didn’t know who left it there, but she grabbed it, figuring it might be useful.

Sonata climbed into the Comet’s driver’s seat, placing her cereal box and tacos on the console. “Now… time for a little Dazzling ingenuity,” she muttered, fishing out jumper cables from the van’s emergency kit. She hooked them up to the spare battery, then carefully attached them to an old microwave wedged in the backseat to reheat her food for the road. The microwave gave a few sparks before it hummed to life, and soon the smell of melted cheese filled the van.

“Perfect!” Sonata cheered, waiting impatiently as her tacos heated. She tapped her foot and hummed a tune, savoring the spicy aroma. When the microwave beeped, she eagerly grabbed her tacos, gave the dashboard’s flashing lights a shrug, and took a bite.

With a full stomach, she chomped down on another taco, then slammed the van door shut. “Crystal Prep, here I come!” she declared, revving the Comet’s turbo-enhanced motor. The little van roared to life and zipped forward, leaving behind the faint smell of salsa and the last dusty remnants of their time at Canterlot High.

The morning sun shone down on Canterlot’s quiet streets as a loud revving sound echoed through the neighborhoods. Sonata Dusk, at the wheel of her van, sped down the road with her goal clear: get to Crystal Prep Academy before the morning bell. Her problem: she’d decided breakfast would happen while driving.

“Just a few bites, and I’ll be at school on time!” she declared, spooning sugary cereal into her mouth.

The bowl of cereal, balanced precariously on the dash, sloshed as the van hit a speed bump. Sonata laughed, clamping a hand down on the bowl. “Nice try, bump, but this cereal is not going anywhere!”

She somehow managed a left turn with one hand on the wheel and a spoon wedged between her fingers, with the other balancing the bowl. A car honked as she cut it off, but Sonata only smiled and waved cheerily with her spoon, flinging marshmallows out the window. “Oops! Sorry!”

Her phone buzzed beside her, and she hit the speaker button with her pinky while she balanced the spoon in her mouth.

“What, Aria?” Sonata mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.

“Are you driving?” Aria’s voice was already irritated.

“Uh-huh, and having cereal!” Sonata replied proudly.

“Of course you are. You do remember the rules about eating and driving, right?”

“Rules, schmules!” Sonata scoffed, spilling milk on her school blazer. She glanced down to see a squirrel had darted across the street, and she yelped and swerved, cereal flying everywhere.

“Oh no, no, no!” she cried, frantically wiping milk from the windshield with her sleeve. She cleared a small patch just in time to see the squirrel scamper away. “See? Total pro at multitasking!”

She floored it, blasting through a light that was more red than yellow, cereal mishap already forgotten. Her phone buzzed with a new text: Aria: DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID, SONATA!!!

“Pfft, I’m totally fine!” Sonata said, barely noticing the stop sign that loomed ahead until it was too late. She slammed the brakes, and the van screeched to a halt in the middle of the intersection. Her spoon clattered to the floor, and she let out a dramatic gasp.

“Nooo! My breakfast!” she wailed, reaching down as a car honked behind her. Sonata gave a cheery wave before she moved forward.

Oblivious to her erratic driving, Sonata zipped along, glancing at her cereal box as if it held all the answers. She barely noticed when she cut off a police car. Inside, Officer Blue Suede Shoes looked up from his coffee to see Sonata’s van as it swerved wildly. He flipped on his sirens and took off after her.

The siren startled Sonata, and she glanced in the rearview mirror, eyes widening. “Oh no! Is that for me?” Instead of pulling over, she floored it, muttering, “Gotta get to school, gotta get to school!”

Blue Suede Shoes radioed for backup, realizing it wouldn’t be a routine stop. Within minutes, squad cars joined the chase, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Sonata veered around a corner, only to spot a police blockade. She swerved into an alley, narrowly missing some trash cans.

“Ha! Lost them!” Sonata said, grinning as if she were in a cereal-commercial adventure. But as she sped back onto the main road, her van was met with flashing lights from all directions.

“Come on! I just wanted breakfast!” she groaned, finally throwing her hands up. She skidded to a stop, cereal bowl in one hand and a defeated look on her face. The officers, including a baffled Blue Suede Shoes, surrounded her van, exchanging bewildered glances before they approached.

Moments later, Sonata sat on the curb, handcuffed, still clutching her cereal box and half-filled bowl. Officer Blue Suede Shoes crouched beside her, shaking his head.

“So… ‘xplain to me, Missus Dusk,” he began, keeping his voice steady, “why exactly were you… fleein’ the scene?”

Sonata blinked, looking blank. “I wasn’t fleeing! I was just… in a hurry to get to school.” She held up her cereal box as if it explained everything. “And, like, how else was I supposed to eat breakfast?”

Blue Suede Shoes sighed. “Ya do rea-lize you ‘ere speedin’, runnin’ red lights, and ‘early col-lided with half-a the street?”

Sonata frowned as if that was news to her. “It’s not that big of a deal, right? It’s just breakfast!” She shook the cereal box, spilling marshmallows on the sidewalk.

He stood up, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe am sayin’ this, but ya’re ‘nder ar-rest. You’ll be spendin’ time in detention, maybe longer.”

“Wait… you mean, like, school? But it's my first day!” Sonata asked, her eyes widening. "My sisters are going to be disappointed I'll get—"

She was cut off by the placing of the cold hand of the officer on her shoulders.

“No. Like juvy,” he replied, realizing she still didn’t quite grasp the situation. “Ya gonna have lot of time to think about break-fast in there.”

“Fine,” Sonata sighed, as if she’d just been told she had a mild inconvenience ahead. “But can I at least keep my cereal?”

And as Sonata was led to the police car, she cheerfully offered him a handful of cereal. He declined, shaking his head from left to right as he wondered how on earth he’d explain the chase report to his precinct.

----------

Days later, Sonata sat on a bench in the Canterlot Juvenile Detention Center, fiddling with a plastic spoon when familiar voices approached.

“Sonata!” snapped Adagio, with Aria at her side, both glaring.

“Hey, guys!” Sonata said brightly, oblivious to her situation.

Adagio crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?”

“It’s just a little cereal thing… right?”

Aria shook her head. “You went on a police chase! They’re letting you out because you’re underage, but the second you’re old enough, they’re taking you to trial. Also, the van was just taken in for a tow. They're going to release it earlier than you.”

“But at least I made it before the bell when I got in detention!” Sonata protested. “Doesn’t that count?”

“You’re missing the point!” Adagio snapped, shoving a takeout bag at her. “Here. We brought you some tacos, since it looks like you’re not going to be getting out for a while.”

Sonata perked up instantly. “Tacos! Thanks, Dagi!”

Adagio sighed. “Sonata, listen carefully. When you’re old enough, they’re going to put you on trial. The only reason you’re here now is because you’re not of age. Do you understand what that means?”

Sonata tilted her head, taco halfway to her mouth. “So… they’ll just forget about it, right?”

“No!” Aria groaned. “They’re not forgetting anything. The statute of limitations means they can still charge you as soon as you’re old enough. You’ll probably be serving time, and then they’ll really take away your cereal privileges.”

“Wait, seriously?” Sonata blinked, still not looking entirely convinced that her actions had consequences.

“Yes,” Adagio said, massaging her temples. “So when you get out of here, can you please try to understand that rules actually exist?”

Sonata took a big bite of her taco and gave them a big, clueless grin. “Sure! No more cereal in the car. Got it!”

The two infront facepalmed.

Author's Note

This is my first ever FiM fic. I don't know if this is good enough as a start but I don't know if there's a continuation. Yet first time is first time. Kinda.

It's like 12:54am when I was writing this. I would thank @mulberry_passion(for some push) and @.arkadios. (for fat trimming) on Discord.

Edit (11/24/24): I reread this and found out there's so many things wrong with this in my eyes.