Sunset Shimmer, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk sat around the living room table finishing the breakfast Sunset had made for them and attempting to slip food off the plate that was made for Adagio, since they all felt awkward looking at it and wanted to get rid of it ASAP.
As Sunset looked at Aria and Sonata she could tell that they were still upset, and she didn't blame them after what had just happened, as despite how they said they understood what she did it didn't make it any easier on any of them. She decided to speak saying, "Again I'm sorry for what happened-"
"No it's fine. Like we said before you did what you had to do," said Sonata trying to give Sunset a reassuring smile but with a little sadness still in her eyes.
"Yeah I know, but I just keep thinking what If I had used a paralysis spell or something to hold her still for a little longer? Maybe I could have talked some sense into her," said Sunset as she looked down in shame.
Aria then looked at her determined as she said, "Hey don't do that yourself. Trust us we've been with Adagio for longer than you can even imagine and in all those countless years we have never seen her this mad. I don't think a few extra minutes or even a few more hours would have been enough to talk her down from that... look we're sorry if we are making you feel bad but even though we agree with what you did, it's just still gonna be tough being without her for awhile."
Sonata then spoke up saying, "Yeah I mean even though she was being way meaner then she used to be that doesn't mean we're not going to miss her."
Sunset then looked up as she said, "I guess I can understand that, I mean I know what's it's like to have someone leave you like that, even if it's because they've changed."
"Really?" asked Sonata curiosity briefly overtaking the sadness in her eyes.
Aria on the other hand had her sadness melt to her usual sarcasm as she said, "Pffth, no offense Sunset but having your friends get their memory erased or tricked into turning against you by an online blog doesn't exactly count."
"Actually I was thinking about something that happened way back in Equestria," said Sunset as abit of sadness overtook her eyes as she thought of what she was about to say. "It was about a year after I first became Celestia's student. I got a letter saying my younger brother Sunburst had just gotten a magic cutie mark too and was on his way to take the admissions test. I was so happy to hear that I would get to see him again everyday and before I knew it there I was sitting next to our parents in the front row watching him. Me and my dad were grinning ear to ear super proud of him while my mom was just going over the calendar of stuff she had planned for Sunburst after this, you know thinking back it's kind of easy to see why they ended up getting divorced but that's beside the point. Anyway Sunburst was sitting in front of the dragon egg trying and failing to hatch it."
"I start panicking a little that he's not going to be able to do it while my dad, ever the optimist, leans over to me and says, "Don't worry sweetie I'm sure he's just kind of nervous. He'll get it any second now." So me being the little kid I was and wanting to help my brother without thinking of any consequences silently ignite my horn and hatch the egg for him. Everyone thought he had passed on his own and he was admitted to the school, the only one who know what really happened was Sunburst himself and all he did was hug me and whisper, "Thank you," before going off with the officials and our parents to get everything squared away for joining the school," said Sunset.
"Hmm, well so far so good, helped him out and he said thank you," said Aria who seemed enchanted by the story thus far.
"It was really nice of you to help your little brother like that," said Sonata as a slight grin formed on her face.
Sunset continued with a slight grin on her face and sadness still in her eyes as she said, "It was nice... but unfortunately it didn't last long. Pretty soon after he started his classes we started to realize that it wasn't just nerves that stopped him from passing the test. Plain and simple his cutie mark was in the study of magic and not the actual practice of it, so he could memorize every complex spell in the book but lacked the raw power to actually perform most of them. We could have easily just told the truth then and their and he would have just been transferred over to the general studies section of the school but he seemed so scared by the idea that I couldn't bear to let that happen so I just kept helping him anyway I could, doing his homework for him or slipping into the class when no one was looking to finish a project or two, whatever it took to keep him afloat. It didn't last though because pretty soon the teachers started thinking he was gifted and he has given an advancement test to see about him joining me in studying directly under Celestia."
"Well that's good," naively said Sonata.
Sunset then continued saying, "Yeah except for the fact that such advancement tests are taken in total solitude with ponies watching you from another room to ensure there is no cheating. Before I knew it I was being called into Celestia's office and as soon as I sit down ready to confess what we did he rails into me saying it's all my fault and claiming he had no idea that I had been helping him out."
"Ohh, not good" said Sonata as she glanced down.
"Wow. Jerk move," said Aria.
Sunset had a slight grin form her at her new friend's sympathy as she said, "Pftth yeah no kidding. Anyway I started to cry a little at what my brother had said as I tried to tell Celestia the truth. Thankfully I had spent almost every day with her for a year and so she knew what I looked like when I was lieing versus telling the truth and instantly believed me. She then sent Sunburst off to the general studies program and gave him several weeks of detention to punish him for lieing to her at my expense. She didn't punish me as she said that I was only trying to help my brother and while misguided it was still admirable but unfortunately I ended up punishing myself as that's when I started to turn bitter and selfish as I began to think that if I tried to help others they would only end up betraying me like he did."
"Wow, I guess you do have a little experience with this," said Aria as a reassuring smile to came to her face at the realization that the best person, or pony, to help her and Sonata get through this was standing right in front of them.
"Wait, but did you ever make up with Sunburst?" asked Sonata.
"Well no, between the fact that the general studies dorms were a decent ways away from the main part of the castle where I spent most of my time, and just us being angry at each other we hardly ever even talked after that. I don't even know where he lives now," said Sunset as she looked down saddened.
"Oh," said Sonata who looked somewhat deflated.
Sunset instantly caught on to what she was thinking as she said, "Oh but don't worry I know this situation with Adagio is not going to end up like it did with me and Sunburst."
"Really?" said Sonata with a renewed sense of hope forming on her face.
Aria slightly reluctantly said, "How do you know?"
"Because like I said before I saw into her mind and I know that beyond all that anger and hatred she still had both of your best interests at heart and I'm sure one day when she cools down all we'd have to do is show her that you're both OK and happy and she'll be willing to listen after that," said Sunset with a reassuring grin on her face.
"You really think so," said Sonata slightly excited.
"I know so," said Sunset as she placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
For a moment they all sat together in a content silence, but that moment was soon interrupted by Sunset's phone going off as she then glanced at it before saying, "Oh dang, I'm sorry girls but we have to leave now if we don't want to be late for school." She then trotted over to her front door before she glanced back and noticed that Aria and Sonata were still sitting on her couch.
A nervous smile formed on Sonata's face as she said, "Yeah, about that-"
"We're not actually enrolled in your school, or in school in general, we just hypnotized Principal Celestia and Vice Principle Luna into letting us in," said Aria flatly.
"Oh," said Sunset before a look of confusion came on her face as she said, "But wait if you don't go to my school then how have you been able to watch me and my friends as closely as you have?"
"Yeah well let's just say your school needs better security," said Aria with a slight grin on her face.
Sonata chuckled as she said, "Seriously, all we had to do was stop be Sugar Cube Corner in disguise to get one of your friend Pinkie Pie's, "Sorry You Can't Afford Cake, Hope Your Financial Situation Improves Soon," cakes and then just drop it off in front of the security office and then they'd be distracted for pretty much the rest of the day."
"Yeah and if we are seriously going to commit this whole being better people thing I don't think we should do that anymore," said Aria.
"Oh.... well if you have your education transcripts though I'm sure I can talk Principal Celestia into fast tracking your enrollment given the circumstances," said Sunset trying to figure something out.
Aria then shrugged and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Sunset saying, "Knock your self out but I don't think it's really going to help."
Sunset started saying, "Come on it can't be that bad," before she glanced at the very worn paper that said, "Certificate of Completion Salem School House. This document states that on February 5th 1692 Aria Blaze has completed all the courses necessary to be a proper young lady fit for marriage."
"Yeah that's not gonna work, well maybe we can-" began Sunset before being interrupted by Aria.
Aria then said, "Look Sunset I get what you're trying to do but you've already done enough to make us feel better and I think we can handle a couple hours by ourselves."
Sonata said, "Yeah I mean we still have each other plus plenty of snacks and games," she then glanced down at the table before seeing the remote for Sunset's smart TV and getting excited as she said, "Ohhh, you got Hoofflix."
"Umm yeah, feel free to watch whatever you want and if you're sure that you two will really be OK on your own then I guess I'll see you later," said Sunset.
"See ya," they both said as they focused on the TV and while Sunset did notice some sadness still remaining in their eyes she knew there was nothing more she could do about that and that only time would help so she headed out the door.
She began walking to school with her head held low in thought, causing her to not notice some of the people who where freaked out by her appearance but thankfully since she wasn't talking so most of them just ended up thinking she was some kind of weird breed of dog and moved on, as she began to think, "OK so how exactly am I going to tell my friends about all this? I mean I doubt they are going to have any problems considering they wouldn't exactly be the first villains we've forgiven but what beyond that? Should I invite them over to say hi to Aria and Sonata or let those two have their space for abit. I should probably wait until the end of the day when we are free to talk about this and figure it out for as long as it takes, but how am I going to keep my mind off this for the whole day?"
Those thoughts were soon interrupted though as from seemingly no where a man wearing brown boots, a black track suit with light blue stripes, and a light blue scarf stepped in front of her saying, "My my my, it looks like a phantom put a very nasty curse on you, lucky you though you ran into me the god of fortune Yato." He then held a hand made business card in front of him that said the same thing before he continued saying, "That's right a genuine god here to fix this dreadful curse on you for nothing more than a five cent coin, that's right I'm that affordable-"
His bizarre sails pitch was then interrupted though as the CMC walked up and Sweetie Belle said, "No Yato she's not cursed that's just what she looks like."
"Yeah and besides you're not hear to fix curses, you're hear to give them to us," said Scootaloo slightly agitated at him.
"Yup we want to be just like Hiyori so we can see phantoms and fight them, that would be so cool," said Applebloom with excitement on her face.
Yato then looked serious as he turned to them and said, "Now girls, what kind of god of fortune would I be if I purposely gave humans curses?"
"We'll give you five dollars," said Sweetie Bell while giving him the puppy dog eyes.
Yato remained serious though as he said, "No amount of money or sympathy can sway me."
To that Scootaloo simply smiled and said, "Five dollars for each of us, so a total of fifteen dollars."
Yato then had his expression change to a smile as he excitedly said, "Three curses coming up follow me ladies," before he and the CMC walked away.
Sunset blinked a few times trying to decipher what just happened before she said, "Whelp, whatever that was it certainly helped me calm down abit," before she walked into the school ready to start her day.