//------------------------------// // Running on Empty // Story: The Diamond and the Rough // by SkycatcherEQ //------------------------------// Aria’s anger burned hot as the engine between her thighs tore down a darkened three-lane interstate. Lampposts on the concrete median flew past overhead, beating a bright, silent pulse on the empty night sky. Leather stretched across bruised knuckles as she tightened her grip on the throttle. All around her droned the pounding rush of momentum. She narrowed her eyes to the horizon and its far-off promise of release. Everything inside of her ached for it and for the distance it would put between her and what remained of her wretched, crumbling life. With a sharp roar, she rocked her wrist downward. Faster. A purple flag of hair whipped against the back of her jacket. She could still hear Adagio’s spiteful words from outside her locked bedroom door. She had just been trying, again, to lift some small shred of hope out of her broken song, and like so many times before, that yellow-faced harlot had crept up to mock her. “That’s right, bitch,” Aria growled. “Laugh.” Her arms flexed, and her grip strangled tighter. At least I’m trying! What have you done this past month besides drain your wine bottles and recycle those rank, nappy sweatshirts?! White lines marking the pavement whipped by at an ever-hastening rate. She leaned a quick swerve left, then back to the right. The blaring horn from a narrowly-dodged sedan dopplered into the distance behind her. A squint of her eyes bled tears into the padding against her skin. Yes, this was stupid. Reckless. But at least out here, she was in control. Faster. She was done being pushed. Done being pressed into a corner by Adagio’s damn ego and where it had landed them. All the mocking words that passed by her door, day after day, had twisted her rage tighter—until tonight, at last, she cracked. Her bedroom door crashed open. Tempers flared. Shouting voices peaked. After weeks of holding back the rising, heated pressure, Aria’s limit finally burst, sending a fist arcing into bone. Miss Priss was probably still at the bathroom mirror nursing her swollen face, and Aria found herself out on a stretch of open highway speeding toward… Nowhere. Nothing. Sonata hadn’t been home to intervene. Dim-witted as she was, she’d been quick to adjust to life without her pendant—finding a passion for visual art and opening up to a new circle of ‘friends.’ Aria’s mind growled at the word. Sonata was always out with them now. That blue bubble-head had depended on her sisters-in-song for everything, but now she’d latched onto a new troupe and was being pulled away. She may not be the sharpest, or the brightest, but her laugh… that smile… As much as Aria hated to admit it, Sonata’s presence had been the one thing to diffuse the ever-looming tension between herself and Adagio. She was their idiot, damn it. Another growl rose in her chest. She wanted to be angry. Furious. But more than anything, it simply hurt. “Why them, Sonata?!” she cried into her helmet. “They’re the ones that did this to us!” The trees, the road, the median, they all blurred around her. Whether it was the gaining speed or the water in her eyes, she couldn’t tell, and she didn’t care. The white needle on the gauge quivered closer to the three-digit mark. Faster! Her thoughts snapped back to Adagio. That damned arrogant smirk flashed again through her mind. And you! Why? The proud golden face fell into a ragged, drunk mess of orange covering half of the couch. What had happened to the grand lioness? Their voice of guidance, their beacon of determination? She’d fallen from her throne into a wretch of her former self—snarling, shut down, useless, and cruel. Bitch deserves whatever her face looks like in the morning. Maybe it’ll wake her the hell up. Aria blinked as a twinge knotted in her stomach. The pounding rush around her dulled to a haze. She certainly wasn’t making things any better, not with her flaring temper and an escalation to violence. She wondered what the fallout from this evening would do to Sonata. The twisting knot spread into a guilty creep across her skin. Sona would be better off without them now, wouldn’t she? Away from all the shouting. Away from the bitter, broken arguments. The three of them had depended on each other for so long. But now? What the hell was left? Adagio had already fallen off her own cliff. And all of that left Aria where? Alone in her room? Alone out here? She threaded the sleek, grey bike through a pair of cars before zipping around a third, then a fourth. She had always been the stoic. The loner. Ever eclipsed by Adagio’s shadow. The gloom to Sonata’s glow. The worst. Yet, the three of them had always held in common their gems. Their magic. Their song. But now, all of that was gone… Shattered. After all the years they had spent in each others’ company, was there really nothing left to hold them together? Had it finally come to this? The queen had fallen, the fool had outgrown them… and Aria felt utterly alone. Who in Tartarus am I anymore? How long’s it been since I’ve even heard anyone say my name? She tensed her shoulders with a growl. And why should I fucking care! Why now? She never had before. Not before they broke her. Punching the throttle again, she took a long, deep breath through her nose and was about to release another roar—when flickers of blue and red flashed at the sides of her visor.  Her breath came out instead as a long, groaning cry, joined by the sound of the police siren. With an adrenaline-raged grip on the brakes, she dropped speed into the shoulder, skidding up a cloud of rocks and road dust. Siren… Face burning red, she raised her fists to slam them down on the bike’s handles. But as her wound-up tension reached its limit, she felt herself uncoil and released a long, slow exhale. Her hands unfolded, and her arms went limp. With a heavy, grunting sigh, she removed her helmet. Hanging it on one handlebar, she fished out her wallet and ID. Pictured to one side was that familiar, smirking face—blood-red gem still hanging at her neck. Aria took another deep, slow breath while staring down at the small plastic card. A grey, hollow feeling pressed in around her, dulling the rush of traffic and the flashing lights. The left corner of her mouth turned downward as she brushed one thumb across the photo. Then with a frowning, empty laugh, she covered her printed name with the other. Rarity forced a smile and waved. “Goodbye! See you next time.” She pressed the shop door closed and rested her back against it. With a defeated sigh, she sagged into the glass and gazed out over the devastation before her. The remnants of her younger sister’s artistic ‘endeavors’ lay scattered about in a wide, explosive display. “Why do I keep agreeing to this?” A quick glance toward the wall clock revealed 8:03 P.M. Right, then. Cleaning this up shall wait until morning. Rarity turned to the nearest of the room’s numerous dressing mirrors. She whimpered at the sight of her heavy, bagged eyes but then straightened herself up and nodded. After the last three hours of frantic vigilance, she decided to treat herself to a long drive out to her favorite overlook in the nearby hills. To be alone with her thoughts under the quiet starlight sounded like the perfect remedy right about now. After getting situated in her car, Rarity connected her music player and sighed deeply as it filled the small space with a flowing, instrumental reggae beat. Checking the mirrors, she pulled out of her parking spot and accelerated down the lamplit street. She snuggled back into her seat with a contented smirk. This was one small, guilty pleasure which would forever remain her little secret. For the better part of half an hour, she cruised out through the foothills, winding around turns and taking in the view of the darkening treeline ridges as Canterlot’s night-time glow rose to life behind them. After looping nearly back to the city, she spotted the vista-trail turnout ahead, slowed, and pulled off into the paved parking lot. A quick view of her surroundings revealed that all was clear. She stepped out of the car, then set off down the left of two paths, through a grove of trees, and out to a ledge overlooking the city in the distance below. Rarity took a deep breath of the cool night air, then unfurled a light blue handkerchief over her ‘thought rock’ and sat down upon it. For a few minutes, she simply rested there, losing herself in the darkened sky and in the way it gently blended downward to meet the luminescent aura above the cityscape. This marriage between the ephemeral depth of the stars and the bustling embrace of modern life was a sight that had always brought her comfort and afforded a wealth of inspiration. In the distance behind her, a smaller engine—a sport bike, perhaps?—rolled to a stop and shut off in the parking lot. Rarity tightened her coat about her shoulders and set her senses on guard. The expected footsteps soon approached, but along the opposite path from the one she had taken. Between the pair of vista points stood a tall jumble of rocks. Rarity’s brow dipped for a moment. Curiosity battled hesitation—and eventually prevailed. She crept slowly toward the rockfall and peeked over the top. A leather-clad biker, very clearly feminine, removed her helmet and… the purple-haired siren?! With an inaudible ‘eep,’ Rarity ducked down behind the rocks and leaned against them—but then quickly popped off again at the thought of rock dust against her white coat. She growled quietly and brushed off her back. Another item for the dry cleaner tomorrow. That thought was interrupted by a cringe when a passionate, yet rasping, attempt at song filled the cold night air. Rarity listened quietly, thinking back to that fated night a month ago. She recalled how the Dazzlings had sounded just before they were run off the stage. Ragged, and broken. Sonata had since described to them what she’d felt in that moment: Denial. Shock. And for the first time ever, fear. So now to see this girl here, still so broken… Rarity lowered her gaze to the side while drumming fingers on her thigh. Should she do something? After all, none of them had seen this one since that night of the battle. She was shaken again from that thought as the off-key singing faltered, then twisted into a choked-up roar. Rarity peeked back over the rocks just in time to see the other girl drop to her knees and slam the dirt with closed fists. She shuddered with a sob but then went still, as if struggling to hold it all back. The effort didn’t last. Her drape of purple hair shook again, and she wrapped both arms around her middle and curled in on herself. The muffled cries soon rose into more wrenching, violent sobs. After a time, she sat up and tightened both fists in front of her. “Fuck you!” she cried in a cracking voice. “You’re stronger than this!” She lifted her tear-streaked face and took a long, ragged breath. She pressed her eyes closed and bit down on her jacket cuff with a final, frustrated scream before placing both hands against her head. Rarity placed a hand over her heart as her breath escaped in a soft rush. She had spoken with Sunset and the others about what these three must be going through with their voices shattered. They’d avoided discussing it around Sonata. But to see it here, to see the spirit of the girl in front of her so shattered as well… “No one deserves this,” Rarity whispered to herself as she stepped down and away from the rocks. “Not even after what you did.” She wondered if anything could be done. Was there some way to help? Or to offer some measure of comfort without sounding patronizing? After all, Sonata had come to enjoy their company. However, Sonata had also told them that the other two had no interest. At all. Rarity drifted back to her draped rock and set herself down again to catch her breath. Perhaps she should give the siren some space, some time, to grieve. Talking first with Sunset and the others did seem like an advisable approach. She pulled out her phone and hunched forward to muffle the glow as she texted a message to Sunset’s number. Sunset would be equipped to deal with this, she reasoned, given her prior… experience. Pinkie had, of course, developed an immediate rapport with Sonata, but it was unlikely that same sort of energy would work with this one. Rarity sat for a while with fingernails drumming on her knee. An entire minute passed, and then another. Still no answer. She let out a long sigh through her nose. So, Sunset was out of reach presently. Dash? Or Pinkie? No… Hmm. Fluttershy would be too intimidated by this one… and Applejack was likely fast asleep by now. She straightened herself up with a stern nod. “Right, then. Rarity… it is up to you.” There was a shuffling of dirt behind her and then the sound of a few rocks falling down the side of the cliff. Again, she carefully peeked over the top of the tumbled wall, only to find the other girl standing right at the edge. Rarity watched her drop both hands to her sides, close her eyes, and inhale a deep breath. No! She wouldn’t! Her hands shot to her mouth—but to her relief, her fear was unfounded. The siren let out a long exhale, followed by an empty, bitter laugh. “As if…” She juggled a rock once in her right hand, then spun and side-armed it over the cliff. “I’m not that easy.” She turned away with clenched fists, snatched her helmet off a rock, and headed back down the forested trail. Rarity stepped off the rockfall and leaned her back against it, unconcerned this time with the pristine state of her coat. Did that really almost happen? Possibly? But then not, given the words that followed. Regardless, the situation was far more dire than she had presumed. Something would have to be done, and quickly. Hearing the bike’s engine kick on again through the trees, she shot to her feet and hastened back toward her car. “Welcome back, miss.” The burly, moustached barista gave Aria a smile while passing a few other drinks over the counter. Aria set her helmet on the bar and leaned onto both elbows with a tired exhale. “Sup, Venti. Large tea with the usual junk.” She idly traced her finger along the marbled patterns of the countertop. The simple act offered a feeling of calmness, as she’d always found the imagery reminiscent of sunlight flecking down through the blue-grey ocean water. The moment of serenity was broken, though, when an airy voice to her left said, “Make it a double.” A braceleted, ivory arm extended a glittering gold-card. “And put both on mine.” Aria’s face tightened to a scowl. Her eyes rose to the left where they found, as expected, that prissy, purple-haired keyboardist—the one who’d singled her out with a direct attack during the battle. Her expression hardened further. “The fuck…” she grumbled, then looked back down at the bar while resting her head on both hands. “This night just keeps gettin’ better.” Closing her eyes, she heard the sounds of whirring and shaking… a swipe of plastic followed by a beep… all the sparkly bits jingling on that ridiculous purse. She growled to herself. To think that this stupid whore had the gall to walk right up and… what? Offer Aria a cup to tea as consolation for ripping out everything that she was? A sudden clearing of a throat pulled Aria back from her thoughts. She again lifted her gaze to find a hand offering her requested tea. Turning her head to follow, she was met by an unexpected smile behind it. Though an un-welcome sight, it had the surprising effect of quelling—even if momentarily—the voice of rage rising in her chest. She should be biting this chick’s head off. Right now. Knocking that stupid better-than-you smile off her shiny white face, but then… No. Aria felt her eyes soften a little. It… wasn’t that sort of smile. At all. She had expected—perhaps even wanted—to see one of Adagio’s smug, haughty grins there. At least that she knew how to process. How to react to. But this… The expression that glowed in front of her was one of… empathy. Warmth? A bit of sadness, even. Aria realized that her jaw had gone slack. She snapped her mouth closed and hardened her eyes back to the countertop, chastising herself for being so easily disarmed. And by a single, stupid smile? Just what the hell was going on here, anyway? This girl should be gloating. Boasting. Triumphant. After all, she certainly looked the type. Again, Aria raised a sideways glance. That this bitch was standing within arm’s reach and not showing even a hint of fear made her nauseous. She wanted to punch something, but at the same time she wanted to just walk out the door. Forget this ever happened. Be on her way back home to— With another slow exhale, she closed her eyes again. Right. Not much to go back to, was there? But why? What would make this one take an interest in her? Aria folded her arms with a self-deprecating laugh. It’s not like anyone else ever has. But now… one of them. Of all the stupid, ironic— “Are you… quite alright, dear?” Aria blinked twice and shook her head. “What?” She met eyes with the other girl and found her staring back with a quizzical look—a large cup of tea still gripped in each hand. Leaning both palms on the counter, Aria could feel the muscles in her neck and shoulders caught up in the war waging inside her. The battle came to a head with a low, harsh growl. She ran a hand through her hair and grabbed her helmet off the bar. “I can’t do this,” she said, and started for the door. Behind her trailed two footsteps, followed by a meek, pleading sound. “Aria…” Aria halted mid-stride, unblinking. After all this time… Since that final day on the stage, she’d offered her name to a few rare acquaintances. But even then, none of them had ever said it back to her. In a stunned silence, she took her hand off the half-open door and brought it to her forehead, threading fingers into her hair. With a trembling breath, she said, “You… know my name. Of all people.” “W-well… Sonata.” Something inside of Aria winced. She exhaled deeply. Of course. Not by any merit of her own. “Right…” She massaged her temple as she turned around. “Blue idiot.” The other girl gently took a seat and placed both cups on the table. Her shoulders dropped with a long breath. She looked up at Aria and asked simply, “Please?” Aria stood for a moment and held her gaze. The thought of agreeing to this felt like a betrayal of some deep part of herself. Worse, it felt like admitting weakness. But again, there was something in this girl’s eyes that gave her pause… and she still wanted her damn tea. Aria yanked out the other chair and turned it sideways. She dropped into it, crossed her arms, and looked off toward the counter with a scowl before swiping up her drink. “You got two minutes,” she said sharply. “What is it?” “Well… to start, my name is Rarity. I don’t know that we’ve ever had the occasion—” A raised eyebrow from Aria appeared to get its message across. “Right. To get to my point, I was out at the overlook as well tonight, as it is a place I often visit.” She blinked in hesitation and lowered her eyes. “I… happened to see you there and… I wanted to talk.” “So you followed me all the way here?” Aria snorted a mocking laugh. “Stalker much?” It was Rarity’s turn to flash a scowl. Her tone hardened. “Concern, rather. I’d arrived there before you. You probably saw my car in the parking lot?” Her expression fell to a frown, and she looked down at her cup. “Which… also means I heard everything. And so I thought perhaps…” What? Aria’s eyes went wide, but then narrowed into a scowl as she hunched her shoulders forward. She wrapped both arms around her middle as if covering a shirtless exposure. This chick… Seriously? Spying on her during a moment of vulnerability like that? She glowered across the table. “Oh great! That’s just swell. Enjoy the show? Yeah. You won. Congrats.” Rarity cupped her hands tighter around her tea. “Well. It certainly doesn’t feel as if I’ve won anything. Not when someone else has to hurt like this. We all feel bad about how things ended. No one’s seen you for over a month.” Her eyes took on a caring look, and her voice softened. “So… I wanted to talk. See if there’s anything I might do to help.” “Help?” Aria uncrossed her legs and gripped one hand on the table. “After what you fuckin’ did to us?!” A familiar heat began to swell within her. “What more could you…” Her eyes then widened for a moment as it struck her. Her rage cooled into a hard, steely gaze. “Now I get it.” A dark grin spread across her face. “This ain’t about us. Is it? It’s about your own damn guilty conscience. Gotta prove to yourself you’re just as goody-two-boots as you think you are. Like some spoiled rich girl, or wannabe bleeding-heart philanthropist.” A vengeful spark flared within her when Rarity broke eye contact with another scowl. “Yeah… I know your type.” Rarity sniffled once and crossed her arms on the table, giving both elbows a squeeze. She kept her eyes averted and took a slow, heated breath. “Well, it's not as if you left us with much of a choice,” she muttered. “One might argue it was more a matter of self defense.” That’s it, bitch. A bristle ran up the back of Aria’s neck. She rose to her feet, flexed her arms and snarled down at the girl across the table. Rarity’s eyes widened as she shrank into her chair. Aria pointed at her throat. “But this?!” she growled. “Our voices?!” She leaned forward and slammed a fist down. “Why?!” She felt like a raging bull, breathing heavily through her nose while glaring into those darting blue eyes, waiting for something—anything—in response. But what she heard instead came from the counter off to her right. “Problem, Miss Rarity?” Venti’s gruff voice snapped up Aria’s attention. She turned and found him looking at her with a disapproving glare. Fuming, she clenched her fists. She’d been a regular here for weeks now, always making smalltalk and bullshitting with him while ordering her drinks. She thought there was a feeling of mutual respect there. Maybe even a friend? Yet here he was, addressing ‘Miss Rarity’ by name and stepping in to defend her. “Really man?!” she pleaded, pointing at Rarity. “You’re takin’ her side?” “Hey...” He lifted both palms. “Just don’t want no trouble. You know how it is.” The room around them had fallen silent. Aria glanced at the other tables and saw many of them looking on now as well. So this was ‘how it was,’ then. She pressed her eyes closed as her breath flowed out in a long, defeated rush. A tightness swelled up in her chest, and in that moment, she hated herself for wanting to cry. Why did she have to fight so hard for everything? Why even try anymore? She was just so damned tired. With a frustrated, angry grunt, she turned back to Rarity. “Fine.” She loosened her posture and returned to her seat, sulking down again with crossed arms. Rarity, still looking softly at Aria, replied to the barista, “No… No trouble.” Aria again closed her eyes, grumbling as she placed a thumb to her temple and fingers on her forehead. Self defense… As she sat quietly, her thoughts drifted back to that night of the battle, and to the overwhelming surge of power. To her surprise, the scene wasn’t of gazing out over the crowd below. Instead, she was looking up at herself and her companions in all of their immense, ancient glory. It was a proud and satisfying sight, but some… strange, unfamiliar part of her was drawn to the raw fear and intimidation that anyone else would have felt in that place. Fuck… What was this? Empathy? The corner of her mouth twitched. She hated the feeling, but it was impossible to deny. She gritted her teeth. “Alright. I get it. Protecting your own. Guess I’d have done the same. But still, it’s like… why?” she asked and lifted her eyes. “Why take everything away from us?” “I…” Rarity smoothed out her coat while releasing a long breath. “I don’t know. During that final moment, it was rather a…”—she twirled her wrist in the air—“‘magic, do as you will’ sort of thing. As if I were present in all of it, but… merely along for the ride.” Aria sat quietly, her crossed leg bobbing up and down. The response did seem genuine. After all, it was really Shimmer and Princess Purple who were the ones swinging the hammer. “Sunset or Twilight may know more. But, please… I never wished for all of this to happen to you. I truly am sorry it turned out this way.” “Yeah, well, it’s a bit late for that now.” Aria grabbed her cup, took another long draw, and then turned to look out the window. “And anyways, it’s that purple pony bitch that needs to be here apologizing.” There was a sharp gasp across the table. “I beg your pardon!” Aria glanced back at the now-indignant face. There was the button. A slow smirk spread across her lips. “Twilight has done more for me than you can imagine. We all owe her our friendships! I will not have you sit there and refer to her in that manner.” Aria snorted a chuckle. Friendship. What a load. All it had had done so far was take Sonata away from them. But then, Sonata was always easily led-on. Always the idiot child at heart despite her age. “Blah, blah…” She motioned with her hand as if a talking puppet. “Friendship this, friendship that. Look, bitch. I’m not some silly teenage girl. I’m a millennia-old monster spanning two realms. I’ve lived dozens of your lifetimes. You can go stuff your ‘sorry.’” Aria dug into her pocket. “I don’t need your pity.” She fished out a crumpled bill and tossed it on the table. “Don’t need your charity.” And then she slid out her chair. “And your two minutes are up.” Rarity’s eyes narrowed. Her cheeks reddened with an effeminate growl as she shot up in a huff.  “Don’t bother! I was just leaving.” She slung her purse over one shoulder, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “You really are foul… I tried to help you. I did! I truly am sorry!” She sniffled once, but then set her jaw and lifted her nose. “And your drink is on me.” Aria gave a dark, sadistic laugh. “Yeah. It’s about to be.” She grabbed the cup and flinched her shoulders in a fake lunge. Rarity jumped back with a yelp and pulled her coat closed. Her cheeks reddened further. She gave a flustered, “Hmph!” and pushed her way out the door—which only drew a longer laugh out of Aria. Though when she turned back to the now-silent table, Aria felt strangely… cold. Alone again, and… what now? Her grin faded downward as the twisting knot from earlier returned to her stomach. Was she actually missing that feeling of someone sitting there and talking with her? Someone who’d offered a bit of real, genuine concern? With another scowl, she crossed her arms and sulked back into the chair. But she’s one of them anyway, so it’s whatever. Right? Aria’s grey sport bike rolled to a stop in the driveway. She set the kickstand and climbed off to open the garage. The light inside flickered on, revealing the odd absence of a decade-old silver luxury car. She rolled the bike up into its usual spot. It had to be past eleven now. Where the hell would Adagio be at this hour? Whatever… Not that it mattered. A quiet house suited her just fine. She pushed through the door into the kitchen and found everything dark. Silent. “Sonata?” she called while flipping on the light. No answer. Probably still out with those rain-boobs. She swiped a beer out of the fridge, then twisted off the cap and flung it into the sink with a smooth motion. She drained the bottle in one go and slammed it down on the counter. With a creaking roll of her shoulders, she relaxed into a deep sigh. “Ohhh, fuck. I needed that.” She strode into the living room and kicked off her boots toward the front door before falling back into the couch and closing her eyes. Everything in the room was quiet. Good. Breathe in. Breathe out. Good. Aria laid there for another few minutes with her chest rising and falling. The rare moment of peace set her mind adrift… though it wasn’t long before Rarity’s warm, sad smile from earlier floated in. A dull ache settled into her chest. It felt like a heavy weight pressing down on her from above. Was this guilt she was feeling, or something else? Gruhhh. Don’t care. She palmed her eyes and ran fingers through her hair with a long groan. Seriously, though. What in the hell was all of that? Of all the… No. She sat up and grabbed one of Sonata’s vapid magazines off the table. The topic of the thing didn’t matter, just that it would drag her thoughts elsewhere. “Movie star yadda… Famous dude broke up with his woman… Couple with sixteen kids…” She flipped page after page, her eyes skimming over pictures and titles—some drawing an occasional, mocking laugh. Headlights flashed across the curtains, and a familiar engine rolled up into the driveway. Both halves of the magazine crumpled in Aria’s grip as her face hardened. Car doors slammed shut. The sound of boots clacked up the front walk. She steeled herself for the impending battle as the door rattled open, pushed by a yellow hand on the knob. Instead, the first thing through the doorway was a splash of magenta and blue. Aria blinked, and her hands uncoiled. “Sonata?” With a sad look, Sonata said softly, “Hey…” She fiddled with her coat and stepped aside to remove it. Behind her followed the orange-framed, bruised face Aria had been expecting. Adagio’s eyes were downcast as she took a few steps toward the couch. What the hell were those two doing out so late? Adagio lifted her head, and when their eyes met, a spark flashed between them, reigniting Aria’s fire and pulling her back to their fight in the hallway earlier. The muscles in her neck stiffened, and her jaw set into a scowl. “Aria…” Adagio’s tone was firm as she held the shared gaze. Fuck no. I’m not doing this shit again. Aria stood up and flung the magazine on the ground between them. “Can it, bitch. Go frig yourself on one of your empty bottles.” She stormed off toward the kitchen. “Not in the mood right now.” As Aria turned the corner, she heard a loud groan from the other room followed by some muffled, yet stern, words from Sonata. She pressed both palms onto the edge of the counter and strained her eyes down at the floor. Adagio’s voice drifted again from the doorway, though in an unexpectedly gentler tone. “Aria. Just… listen.” A few moments of silence passed before she let out a long, surrendering exhale. “Please.” Aria’s breath caught in her throat. She angled her brows and turned to face Adagio. “What did you just say?” Adagio crossed her arms and looked to the side with a huff. “She got home maybe… twenty minutes after you left. I ignored her while she was shouting all over the house looking for us. But when she found me in the bathroom, with my face looking like this…” She shivered slightly. “That Sonata came out.” “Eh?” “You… don’t remember that time in Trotsland? When she found out that twit you were seeing had seriously hurt you?” Aria’s breath went still. Adagio’s shiver passed through her as well. “Yes,” Adagio deadpanned. “That Sonata. Consider yourself lucky you weren’t here in the warpath. Needless to say, she dragged me out with her again, to go and see—guh—Shimmer and one of those others. And… well.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep, exasperated breath. “Look. I’m… sorry. Alright?” She wrapped both arms around her middle and held a level gaze. Aria just stared back, unblinking. Where was this coming from? Those wine-colored eyes did seem honest, but… was it really that easy? After everything Adagio had done to her and Sonata this past month… And then all the things she hadn’t done. Now… she was just standing there, thinking a few words would wash it all away? No. Aria let out an acidic laugh. Her brow creased, and she clenched her fists. “You’re… sorry. Sorry? That’s it?! That’s all you got?!” She started pacing around the kitchen as all the feelings of ridicule and neglect flooded back in. Adagio had always deemed herself their leader… She had demanded it. And she’d put a sharp boot or a harsh tongue to anyone who’d questioned otherwise. But when everything had come crashing down, when the three of them were at their lowest… where was their queen then? Withdrawn. Spiteful. Determined to hold the two of them down with her, and at a time when all of these new and unfamiliar feelings were beginning to swell within them. Guilt. Empathy. Despair. Loneliness… Aria came to a halt and spun around. “We needed each other, Adagio! Do you have any idea what you… I mean… all of it!” She pointed at her bruised knuckles. “This! Your face?” She watched Adagio’s soft expression harden into an angry scowl. “I never wanted any of this! If you would’ve just… If you didn’t…” Adagio’s hands balled into fists as she growled through gritted teeth. “I know! Gah! Look, I’m really trying here… This isn’t exactly easy!” “Easy?!” Aria took a ranting step toward her, and Adagio backpedaled with a blink. “You want easy?!” Sonata raised her hands warily. “Ariii…” Aria spread her arms wide. “Just la-dee-dah, wave your Queen Adagio wand and erase everything you fuckin’ did? All that stuff you said?! No!” She swung her fists down. “You don’t get off that easy!” She could see Adagio’s proud facade eroding under the force of her rage. A dominant surge swelled within her. After all these years, it was over. Tonight she was damn-well gonna be heard. Adagio composed herself and rolled her eyes closed with a groan. “Would you just lis—” “No!” Aria barked, shocking Adagio back another step. “You listen!” She clenched her trembling fists tighter. And as her anger swelled, so did the moisture in her eyes. “That afternoon last week when I brought that guy over! Someone who finally seemed to give a damn about me! Not ten minutes here and you had him all hanging off your finger and drooling over Sonata! Cause she's too dumb to notice what was going on. And why?! Just to prove you’re still on top?! Still in control? Even when we got nothing left?!” Her breath became ragged, and her voice began to crack. “You have any idea how much that fucking hurt?!” She felt tears streak the sides of her face. “I’ve always been the extra! Always less-than! No one even gives me a glance when you two are around! So when I finally…” She leaned forward and clutched fistfuls of her hair. “Graah!” “Wait. He…” Sonata’s soft voice pulled Aria’s eyes back up. “You?” Her blue face went still for a moment as gears appeared to turn into place.  Her brow angled, and she spun on Adagio with a growl. “Dagi!” “I said I’m sorry!” The two glared at each other for another few moments, before both lowered their eyes to the floor and then looked back up at Aria. Adagio’s face appeared weighted down, as if the gravity of everything she’d done had finally taken hold. Sonata frowned with a long sigh. She stepped quickly toward Aria and yanked her into a strong, tight hug—which then softened into a warm and caring embrace. Aria went rigid at the sudden gesture, but then her coiled-up anger drained out, and she collapsed against Sonata with single, breathy cry. Her eyes fell closed, and she finally surrendered, allowing herself to simply be held. Another minute or so passed in relative silence, with the only sound being the rise and fall of her breath. She looked up toward Adagio and found her standing against one side of kitchen doorway with her arms crossed. Tears glistened in her eyes as well, and behind them swelled a soft, genuine look of remorse. Adagio held Aria’s gaze for another few moments, blinked twice, and then lowered her head. “I’m…  sorry, Aria. I really am.” She sniffled and brought her hands to her forehead with a long, tired exhale. “Look… After talking about all this with them tonight, I…”—she sounded like she was about to choke on the word—“hate myself for doing that to you. I do. For all of it.” She lowered her eyes to the door frame and wiped them with a sleeve before crossing her arms again. “I should have been there for both of you.” For another half-minute Aria remained silent, resting against Sonata while looking up toward Adagio. She returned a brief hug of her own and then pulled away slowly. “Why?” She waited for Adagio to meet her eyes again. “I just wanna know why.” “I don’t…” Adagio gripped one hand over her other wrist. She opened her mouth to continue, but then paused and shifted her weight to the other foot. Again, she went to speak—but instead took a long, slow breath and looked back down in the doorway. The hand holding her wrist rubbed slowly up her arm and squeezed. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she stared down at the floor in silence. “I ruined it,” she muttered weakly. “Everything. Us.” She crossed her arms again and huddled her shoulders. “And now we’re never going home…” She closed her eyes and turned away. “You must hate me so much. I do. I knew you were both just going to leave… Go on to your own better things.” Adagio sniffled and laughed once while keeping eyes lowered. “I always thought I’d be the one better off alone. Not having to drag you two around… keep you out of trouble. But now—I don’t even know what the hell…” Her voice began to crack as she went on. “The thought of you leaving me… that you’d be stronger… or better off without me. It scared me. I couldn’t let it happen. So I just…” She let out a shaking breath and then lifted her streaked face. When their eyes met, Aria felt a cold, hard something inside of her melt. That was enough. This was real. She reached out an open hand. Adagio’s eyes widened. She blinked twice. A brief smile fluttered and then faded again. She stepped toward the two of them and was pulled into a tight, three-way embrace. “Thank you…” she choked out in a whisper. The three remained that way for a good, long minute, and when at last they pulled apart, each wiped her eyes. Sonata and Aria rested on the edge of the counter while Adagio leaned her back against the fridge. Again she crossed her arms and looked down at the floor. “It’s not like I want to get all chummy with them or anything…” she said. “But we need to fix this. Here. If we’re going to have any hope of moving on.” Sonata nodded quietly and took a slow breath through her nose. She lifted her eyes to Adagio and then to Aria. With the rolling surge of emotions having drained from the room, Aria felt the weight of the last few hours flood back in to fill its place. She hunched her shoulders and palmed her eyes with a groan. “I’m goin’ to bed,” she said. “Just… gotta see how this all feels in the morning. Too tired to process this shit right now.” Without sparing another glance toward either of them, she crossed her arms and walked down the hall to her bedroom. A tall sliver of light winked out as the door clicked shut, and a well of empty calm washed in to fill the darkened space. It felt as if she were resting within the eye of the evening’s storm of raging tensions and urges; of fears and desires. It was all still out there—beyond the door; beyond her walls. Perhaps in the morning the storm will have blown over. Part of her hoped the three of them could then clean up the debris and start rebuilding. And just what had happened to Adagio? It seemed such a sudden shift. Or… had all of those vulnerable emotions always been there, just pent up behind the wall of authority and pride? “Sonata…” she said quietly, with a faint grin and a shake of her head. “You always find a way.” Aria stripped down to her briefs, then walked over to her dresser and threw on an oversized black t-shirt. She climbed onto the bed and hugged up against her giant, fraying, stuffed frog. She closed her eyes and pressed her face into the worn material as a grey, troubled uncertainty fell in around her. Because it was more than just Sonata’s words tonight that had set them on the path to reconciliation, wasn’t it? Adagio had said something about Shimmer and the others. If Adagio had given up a measure of her hatred for the sake of moving on, then would it be so bad for Aria to do the same? She frowned as memories returned from her encounter with Rarity—of how badly she’d treated her, and of the way she’d felt at the end of it: alone, sulking, and empty. Was it too late to talk to Rarity about another chance? Her concern really did seem genuine. And like always, I barked and growled and chased her off… Would she even be given another chance? A twisting guilt welled up inside of her, but around its edges shone a glimmer of hope. Tomorrow was a new day, and in the morning, she would have to choose how to face it. With a deep, surrendering breath, Aria tightened her arms around her stuffed companion and waited for sleep to take her.