“What’re you doing here?” Aria asked, stepping up in front of Sonata, adopting a protective stance.

“Caring about my future is what I’m doing.” Adagio responded, disappointed that she wasn’t the only one who’d thought of this plan. She then noticed Sonata’s expression. “What’s up with her? You don’t mean to tell me that you’ve grown feelings for eachother? How pathet-”

Adagio was cut off by Celestia. “Ladies, I’m sure we can resolve this issue somehow.” During the midst of the mini heated argument, Celestia had taken out an enrolment sheet and pen and had placed it on the desk where Adagio would’ve been facing if she didn’t have her head turned to argue with Aria. “Here, sign this.”

“You’re seriously going t-” Aria blabbed out, only to be cut by the principal.

“I gave you a second chance, didn’t I?” Celestia asked. Though it was a rhetorical question, she still wanted an answer. Aria nodded, irritated. “Verbal answer, please.”

“Yes.” Aria quietly growled and faced the ground, annoyed at the fact she was being treated like a small child.

“Well I believe Adagio should have a second chance too, you girls should agree, especially you, Sunset.” All the girls (but Aria) nodded while Sunset slightly cringed at the mention of her name. Adagio had a smug smirk on her face while signing the enrolment paper, annoying Aria to the brink of going berserk, luckily though she kept her cool and acted nonchalantly.

The girls stood there awkwardly, watching and waiting for Adagio to sign off the form needed to enrol so that they could report to Principal Celestia about Sonata's issue. Finally, Adagio finished off with the paper and Celestia handed her a schedule and locker number. On the way out, Adagio and Aria glared at each other before Adagio tried to recruit Sonata to her side.

“Sonata~~ You don’t wanna be with this loser and all her…” She stopped for a while to look among the girls, judging them deeply as a cheshire smile creeps up on her face. “ These… wannabe friends, do you?” She asked in a singsong yet sinister voice.

“I-” Sonata tried to speak but was immedietly cut off by Aria speaking for her.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t need u-”

“Shush.” Adagio turned to Aria, putting her index finger up. “I was asking Sonata.”

Celestia was watching this whole thing play out, awkwardly. “Girls, I’m afraid if you’re going to argue, please settle it outside of my office.” She sternly informed. And with that Adagio walked through the door, nudging Aria with her hip while doing so, leaving Aria struggling to keep herself from pouncing on to the, what she would describe as, ‘smug bitch’. “Now, what can I help you girls with?”

The girls quickly jerked their heads back to the waiting, authorative woman sitting behind her desk, hands crossed. They were so focused on the elephant in the room that they forgot their main reason for their trip to the principals office.

“Well,” Sunset started. “Long story short, some group of people pushed Sonata into her locker and she was stuck there for twenty minutes before we caught on to her disappearance.”

Celestia was stunned, yet wasn’t surprised, she knew the bullying would start sooner or later. “When did this happen?” She asked, concerned, uncrossing her hands and gesturing for Sonata to take a seat.

“Before first period,” Came the meek voice from the once super energetic girl who was now looking at the ground.

Celestia could see the look in her eyes, it was the same as Sunsets the day after the Fall Formal when a group of bullies locked her in the janitor's closet. If it hadn’t been for the Rainbooms, she would’ve been deeply scarred and traumatised, maybe even develop a fear of closets.

“And you didn’t think to come to me sooner?” Celestia gently questioned, picking up her phone from her desk, seemingly about to call someone.

“Well, Sonata wasn’t ready to immediately tell you.” Sunset stepped forward. “She felt the need to process everything first.” Suddenly, the bell went and everyone jumped like focking pussies (except Celestia and Aria).

“You girls should head to class,” Celestia said. “Sonata, you’ll stay here until we find out the culprits.” Everyone else in the room understood the principal's order and left, all but Aria.

“Aria, that means you too.” Celestia added. “I know you want to stay by Sonata’s side, but you’ll be late for class if you stay here any longer.” Aria hesitantly nodded then turned to leave, not before facing Sonata and flashing her a reassuring smile.

Once they were alone, Celestia called the person that she was gonna call, only waiting five rings for the person on the other end to pick up.

“Hey Lulu, I’m going to need you in my office real quick.” She then turned to glance at Sonata who was looking through the window adjacent to her. “We have another case of, you know what.”

The person on the other end, now proven to be Vice-Principal Luna, seemed to quickly catch on to Celestia's code words.

And soon, another voice came, this time from the phone. “I thought you said this wouldn’t happen?” Came the voice, sounding smug as hay.

“Would you just come down here?” Celestia replied, sounding annoyed at her younger sister's self-satisfied tone.

“Alright, alright.” Luna answered. “But… I told you so.” Celestia groaned then hung up, putting the phone back on the desk. Realising she had this convo in front of a student, she realised how inadequate she was, causing her to lightly blush, embarrassed.

“Sorry about that, that was really unprofessional of me.” She said, regaining her composure.

“Don’t be.” Sonata replied. “It makes you seem more real.” Celestia smiled at this.

“You know, you may have committed a heinous act at the Battle of the Bands…” Uh oh, Celestia… Why would you bring that up now?! “But, you’re not as bad as I made you out to be. I’m sorry for our first interaction when you wanted to enrol back.” Okay, phew. I thought she was gonna say something mean, maybe a little warning next time, eh!

“I don’t blame you for thinking that. Me, Aria and Adagio did some pretty messed up stuff in our lives, especially here in Canterlot High.” Sonata admitted, letting out a small chuckle. “I can’t say I blame the students here for getting mad at us.”

Tears were slowly trickling down Sonata's face, she looked down at her lap, making sure Celestia wouldn’t notice. She was really bad at hiding it.

“Oh god…” Was all Celestia managed to say before getting up from her chair and moving around the desk to Sonata, scooping her up in a warm embrace. “Shh…You’re forgiven.” She rubbed Sonata's back, trying to soothe the now sobbing girl.

Once the sobbing had stopped, Sonata was now left with the hiccups. Celestia gently pulled her away from the embrace, hands on the younger teens shoulders while making direct eye contact.

“Nobody deserves to be shoved in a locker, do you understand me?” Sonata managed a nod, still looking pitiful as ever. “I want a verbal answer.”

She hesitated a while before answering back. “Nobody hic deserves to be hic shoved in a hic locker.” Celestia gave a look of approval before hugging the small girl again. Celestia may seem the intimidating type, but she sure as hay gives the best hugs.

They stayed like that for a while before Celestia quickly glanced at the clock, noticing how they’ve been in that position for quite some time (5 minutes), Luna would be here any second now. Celestia took her seat behind the desk and if there was any tension from the beginning, it’s all gone now.

Minutes go by and Luna still wasn’t here. Celestia was internally fighting the urge to call her again. It was quiet, yet not awkward quiet. It was tranquil and was almost a sorta calm quiet now that Sonata got mostly everything off her chest, it was actually quite comforting.

“Luna seems to be taking her sweet time.” Celestia commented, looking at her watch every now and then, clearly getting impatient. Sonata giggled at her comment.

Then, suddenly.

“Sorry sister, I was just telling off a few juniors for vaping in the toilet cubicles.” Luna came rushing in through the door, she clearly looked like she’d been running. She took a seat next to Sonata and began interrogating her with her pen and paper, ready to take notes. “Names? Year groups? Heights?”

“We don’t know the perpetrators for this case yet.” Celestia answered for Sonata, who was relieved of not having to answer really detailed questions. Though, there were sometimes where she would have to correct Celestia on some of the details, but overall, she was spot on.

“Alright, Sonata.” Luna began, looking through her notes before looking back at Sonata. “You can go head on to class now, we’ll come over to your class to collect you if we find anything.” Sonata nodded and was just about to head out before Luna called out; “Wait! I need to write you a note to give to your teacher.” She tore a piece of paper out from her notepad and scribbled some unreadable writing onto it, must be something only teachers can understand I guess.

Walking back to class, Sonata felt relieved that she was now under the protection of Luna, Celestia and the Rainbooms, not to mention, her long life buddy, Aria!

Fast forward to last period where Sonata was having science with Twilight and Pinkie Pie, or what they would’ve had if Pinkie and Sonata didn’t accidently start a mini fire with the bunsen burners, thus resulting in them both getting a weeks worth of detention and being temporarily banned from the science labs.

After Miss Cheerilee was done chastising them, she pulled Pinkie aside out in the halls.

“She’s not a good influence on you, Pinkamena.” She whispered once Sonata was out of earshot. “I’m willing to take time out of your detention hours if you stop hanging out with her. I know you didn’t plan that fire on purpose, she probably tried to drag you in o-”

“Miss Cheerilee!” Pinkie dramatically yelled after letting out an astonished gasp, catching the attention of nearby students who just awkwardly walked away. “Are you being biassed?” She added, eyeing the teacher in front of her, looking dead in her eyes.

“Shh..” Miss Cheerilee hushed. “I’m just sayin-”

“Saying what Miss Cheerilee?” Pinkie interrupted. “Saying that Sonata should be more guiltier than me because she used to be evil? And tha-”

“I shouldn’t be having this discussion with a student.” And with that, Miss Cheerilee walked off thinking she won the argument (she didn’t). Sonata walked over, she overheard everything.

“Hey,” Pinkie comforted, putting her hands on Sonata's shoulders, just like how Celestia did. “Don’t listen to her, she’s just mad because you lived longer than her without getting any wrinkles while she’s only lived thirty with, like…” She paused for a bit “...a buncha wrinkles on her face.”

Sonata quietly giggled, though she knew deep down Miss Cheerilee was right. The fire wouldn’t have started if she kept the flammable liquid away from the bunsen burner when lighting it.

Meanwhile, another interaction was happening elsewhere.

In the dead end of the hallways of Canterlot High, where the light never shines its way through, the place where both Sunset and (pony) Twilight had their fair shares of confrontation, stand both Adagio and Aria, flashing glares at each other.

“So,” Aria started, now crossing her arms. “Why are you really here?”

Adagio scoffed, annoyed by the same repeating questions. “Like I said, same reason you are.” She took a step forward. “Now, why are you here? Especially so, why are you besties with those.. Rainf*gs?”

“We aren’t friends. I hang around them because Sonata hangs around them.” Aria admitted.

“Speaking of Sonata, what even happened to her?” Adagio questioned, completely changing the subject. “Like, she wasn’t her usual self. Did she finally realise how annoying she was getting and just came to her sens-”

“Some bully trapped her inside her own locker and left her there for about twenty minutes.” Aria bluntly replied.

“Oh.” Was all Adagio said before going silent. Aria couldn’t tell if Adagio was concerned or literally didn’t care for Sonata getting bullied, her face was deadpan. It stayed like that for a while. “Adagio was probably regretting all the stuff she said prior to the confession.”, is what Aria thought to herself.

“So-”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Aria was cut off by Adagio. “No wonder why she was acting non-verbal.”

“She’s not ‘acting’ non-verbal, she literally was non-verbal until lunchtime!” Aria snapped. “And it’s not like when you came or anything that you made things feel better.” Suddenly, a pause. Aria was collecting her thoughts, thinking of the most appropriate thing to say next. “I was there for Sonata, where were you?” And with that ending statement, Aria walked off, dramatically of course, leaving Adagio, probably in a pit of remorse, which is sorta unlikely considering her personality.

Adagio was actually just confused, were they being… domesticated? And, was she adapting to the human life too? What the fook is going on???

Author's Note

Adagio, if you can't tell is still kinda mean in this chapter. I made her not show concerne for Sonata since, well, we have to be realistic, for someone whos been evil for a 1000 years to turn good overnight is kinda a cliche

Thanks to Ryshinki for keeping up and commenting on my chapters!!!!