//------------------------------// // The Ones We Cross // Story: Bridges // by LateToTheParty //------------------------------// In theory, Pinkie Pie had been ready. Aria had opened the door, like she’d been expecting either a cop or a hitman, but by the surprise that quickly melted into a glare, she found what had actually been at her door to be much worse. “What do you want?” She asked. The sheer distaste caused her to almost back step. In practice, Pinkie quickly realized that she had not been ready. However, it was way too late to back down and she had an important mission. Nothing short of death was going to get in her way. With anxious trepidation, she gave her most winning smile. “Hiya. I just wondered if you could talk for a teensy bit.” The purple girl rolled her eyes before slamming the door shut. Right. Nothing short of death and, apparently, a wooden door. Pinkie’s face fell. “Please! It’ll only take a teensy bit.” She yelled, pressing herself to the cold surface of her obstacle. “A teensy-weinsy bit!” She pressed her ear to the door, disappointed by the lack of sound on the other side. Frusterated, she began pounding on it. “A einsy-teensy-weinsy bit! Pleaaaaaaseeeeee.” She was rewarded by a defeated groan before her obstacle opened and she fell to the other side as Pinkie the Door Conquerer. Aria didn’t have much respect for her new title, just glaring at her with enough intensity to grill a cow. She crossed her arms. “What do you want, Rainboom? Pinkie smiled excitedly, picking herself up from the floor. “My name’s actually Pinkie Pie…” “I don’t care.” “…and I wanted to talk to you about Sonata.” Before she could register the darkening of her eyes, Aria had pushed her against the wall by her shirt. “What about her?” She demanded. Pinkie blinked. She would have been afraid had the sequence of events happened at a slower rate. Presently, she only knew that she was being asked a question. “I just had a question about her.” Aria was doing her best to not punch this Pinkie Pie in the face, but her last dregs of nonexistent patience was wearing down to the bare bones. “So get to the point! What do you want?!” “Ijustwantedtoaskyourpermission.” Pinkie began, her words running together. “IwantedtoknowifIcoulddateyoursister.” Shear confusion loosened the grip on Pinkie’s shirt as she felt the pressure between herself and the wall lift. “What?” Aria asked. With a deep breath, Pinkie blurted out, “IwantedtoknowifIcoulddateyoursister.” “Wha—no. Say that slower.” “I wanted to know if I could date your sister.” Aria raised an incredulous brow. “Why are you even asking?” Pinkie Pie rolled her head from side to side like a pendulum. “Well, a looooong time ago Papa Pie said it was important for a man to get the blessings of the father, and that it was proper to show respect. Then I thought that I was a girl, so I wasn’t sure if the rules were the same. So, yesterday, I called Papa Pie to ask him if the rules were different, but I couldn’t just ask because he wouldn’t know what was going on, so I told Papa Pie that I met a really nice girl and that we had a science fair project, and that we had lots of fun, and that I think that she liked me to. So I told Papa Pie that…” A steady fist was inching upward, ready to reel back, knuckles itching for impact. Aria forcibly hugged it to her chest with her left hand. “Do you have a short version?” Pinkie halted her lengthy monologue. “I wanted to ask you because you’re her sister and it’s important to get blessings from family. You’re her only family, so I wanted to know, can I pretty please date Sonata?” Aria was a bit floored, in the same way that the Mariana trench was a bit deep, or the same way she was getting a bit of a headache. Aria rubbed her eyes, taking a slow breath through her nose. “Look, that’s a nice thought, but I could care less about whether you date Sonata or not.” Pinkie brightened. “So does that mean, yes?” “No.” Aria deadpanned. Pinkie deflated. “So, are you saying no?” “No!” Aria insisted. Pinkie tilted her head, confused. “So does that mean yes?” “NO! It means I don’t care!” Aria barked. “Look, you should go. What happens to that barnacle brain doesn’t concern me. She obviously doesn’t care anyway.” “That’s not true.” Pinkie’s eye brows knitted together as she frowned. “She totally does care. She was crying about you guys and everything.” “That’s not my problem either.” Aria was getting really irritated now. “But…it is…” Pinkie stated, simply. “You’re her sisters.” “Well, that’s not how she acted last time.” Aria was looking down, past the floor, replaying the night Sonata left, the terrible feelings reeling her insides. Pinkie just clasped her hands to rub her thumbs together, looking away with a sad smile. “I know. Sisters sometimes say dumb things, but she still cries sometimes. She still cares because she loves you two. She’s just not good at saying it. It’s not always easy to say.” Aria looked at Pinkie. Her eyes were somewhere else. When she noticed that the other girl was staring at her, Pinkie smiled at her. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want me here. I’ll go.” With a bounce and a whiff of sugar, Pinkie was bounding away. Aria just watched in the wake of turbulent thoughts. She didn’t even notice Adagio had placed a hand on her shoulder until she began speaking. “I think she’d make a great girlfriend for Sonata.” Aria nodded. “I didn’t tell her that.” “I know. I guess we just have to visit her.” Mutely, Aria nodded again. The hand on her shoulder slipped, and Adagio started heading to her room. “Hey Adagio?” Aria began. “Have we ever told Sonata that we…loved her?” Adagio didn’t even have to think. She just shook her head. “I don’t think so, but Aria.” Aria turned to look at Adagio’s face. “I don’t think it’s too late to start.” There was a beat of silence between them. “Hey Adagio,” “Yes?” “I…love you.” Adagio laughed. “I love you too.”