Aria closed the front door and turned toward the living room.
Over on the couch, Adagio stifled a chuckle while looking her up and down. “Holy shit. What happened to you?”
Aria’s cheerful mood stumbled and turned sour. “Really?” She shot a glare. “What happened to last night? I thought we were past all this?”
Adagio raised her palms. “I know, I know… Sorry.” Her haughty grin softened into a warm smile. “Just messing with you.” She stood, walked over, and took the motorcycle helmet from Aria’s hand. “Seriously though, you look… amazing.”
The rising anger in Aria’s chest snuffed out at the unexpected affection.
Adagio hung the helmet on its usual hook and then traced a hand down the length of Aria’s hair. “It’s like silk, if a bit wind-ruffled. And no jagged ends? Very nice.” She lowered her eyes, continuing her inspection. “And is that a manicure and a pedicure?”
Aria forced a hard exhale through her nose and stuffed both hands into her pockets. She felt a flush growing in cheeks. “Urgh… Enough.”
Adagio took a step back, crossed her arms and brought a hand to her chin. “I presume Miss Diamonds is responsible for this.” She gave another warm smile. “I mean it, though. You look really good.”
“Yeah.” Aria lowered her eyes and looked off toward the kitchen. “Long day. I dunno what I expected, but… It was good. I kinda picked out the shirt. The rest was her.”
“Ariiii!”
“Oh, god…”
Sonata darted out of the kitchen and nearly tackled her with a hug. “You look so pretty!”
“Yeah. We’ve been over this.” She struggled to free herself. “Let. Go.”
When Aria eventually pried herself from Sonata's grip, the three of them shared some passing glances and a few uncertain, yet peaceful, smiles. The house was quiet, but Aria found it to be a good sort of quiet. She could scarcely remember the last time the three of them had simply… existed in the same room like this on good terms. It was a warm feeling.
“So. Yeah," she said. "Rarity told me there’s this thing going on tonight, and—”
“Oh my gosh!” Sonata beamed a wide grin. “You’re going?”
“Well… I was thinking about it.”
“Dagi’s gonna drive me.” She clasped her hands with a giddy bounce. “You can ride with us.”
“Yes,” Adagio confirmed. “But remember, I said I’ll drop you off. You still have to find you own way home.”
“What, you’re not staying?” Aria asked.
“I have other plans.”
Aria crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one foot with a smug grin. “Of course you do. What’s her name?”
Adagio put both hands on her hips and turned up her nose. “None of your business.”
They locked eyes and stared at each other for a moment… but then shared a smiling fit of laughter.
Why did this feel so good? Was Aria’s resentment and bitterness toward Adagio through all the years born simply from a want for this feeling of sisterly affection? She would need more time to think on it, but for now at least, she enjoyed the feeling.
A scent drifting from the kitchen brought a sudden halt to her mirth. She sniffed audibly, bringing the others to do the same. It smelled like burning sugar.
“Cookies!” Sonata yelped. She spun back into the kitchen, trailing a, “No, no, no!” as she ran.
“She’s been baking all afternoon for that party,” Adagio said. A hesitant look passed through her eyes as she lowered them for a moment, but then she perked up again with an attempt at a warm smile. “But now…” She clasped her hands. “We still have a couple of hours.” She headed over to the stairway and motioned for Aria to follow. “Come on. I’ll give your hair a good brushing before we leave.”
Aria paused for a moment—to be certain she had heard correctly—but then obliged. Adagio appeared to be genuinely trying. They still had a long way to go, for sure, but this small step swelled a tiny warmth inside of her. As she walked up the stairs, she closed her eyes and took a deep, pleasant breath.
And she smiled.
The afternoon sun filtering through the windows had recently faded to dusk, and a desk lamp now illuminated the craft table in Carousel Boutique’s upstairs loft. Steadying a pattern with one hand, Rarity slowly traced a marker along its edge. The last few hours of work, while productive, had been punctuated by thoughts of her time at the spa earlier, compounded by worries of the evening still to come. One phrase in particular was persistent in her mind.
‘Fancy hair and some new clothes won’t change all the terrible shit I’ve done.’
Rarity set her pen down and sighed. A white ball of fluff brushed against her arm.
“Oh, Opal…” She frowned with a slow stroke down the cat’s back. “Twilight or Sunset would know what to do. What do I really have to offer?” She looked at all of the patterns spread across the table. “I don’t know why I thought a silly makeover and some new clothes would help her. Not with everything she’s lost.”
“Mrowww.”
She had good reason to be concerned about tonight as well. What if this party ended up going poorly? If Aria ended up being ignored or spurned, or if her temper got the better of her… She had taken a few big steps today, and Rarity knew from experience that emerging from one’s shell brought with it a certain degree of vulnerability.
Each of her friends had done so much for helping Sunset and then Sonata: Fluttershy’s gentle kindness, Rainbow and Applejack’s encouragement and supportiveness, Pinkie’s cheer. She felt her own contributions to be fleeting in comparison.
Opalescence sat down in front of her and stared up. “Mrrroup?”
“Oh? Why yes, you’re right! I still haven’t told them yet.”
Rarity reached for her phone and dialed Applejack’s number. While listening to the ring, she walked over to sit in the bay window-seat overlooking the street below. Under the deepening evening sky, the street lamps had begun to flicker to life.
“Heya, Rares.”
“Why hello, dear.”
“Shouldn’t you be gettin’ ready? What’s up?”
Hmm, how to say this…
“Well… I wanted to let you know that we will have another joining us tonight. I had a most unexpected guest at the boutique today.”
While summarizing the events of the day, Rarity watched out the window as a custom-painted van pulled up across the street below. A group of four musicians began unloading an assortment of band equipment into the nearby bar. By their attire, they appeared to be of the punk-ish sort. She hoped to one day do something similar with her friends and their own band—whether over the summer, or perhaps during college if most of them ended up staying local.
“Well, it sounds like ya done good by her,” Applejack said. “From what Sunset tells me, Adagio started to open up a bit as well.”
Rarity sighed. Sunset was a natural at this sort of thing, too, wasn’t she, especially with everything she herself had experienced.
‘Look at you! Have you ever had a single bad day in your pretty little life?!’
Rarity winced. While that wasn’t necessarily true, and while Aria had immediately taken it back afterward, the memory of it still stung. She may lead a privileged life, but it was a life that was founded on, and consisting of, dedication, sacrifice and hard work. The bad days had been there, for certain, but they had always been overcome with the support of her friends. Though when the need arose for her to give that support back in return, she had struggled with feeling like she wasn’t capable. Generous gifts and some fashion advice could only go so far, after all.
“Oh, Applejack. It’s just…” She closed her eyes and leaned back against the window alcove with a long sigh. “I don’t know if it’s enough. You and Sunset and the others have all done so much to help them. But with me…” She gave a single, sad laugh. “It’s just some new clothes. And tomorrow she’ll just have to start all over again with her hair, and—”
“Now y’all stop that. You hear me?”
“But…”
“Listen to me.” She took a long pause, as if searching for the right words. “You remember that time when Apple Bloom and Sweetie were over at yer shop, and you had her workin’ with your balance books and all that? She never did think she was any good with math, so I dunno what it was you did… but lately she’s been doin’ that same sorta stuff for us over at the farm. You got somethin’ there, sugar.
“It wasn’t the first time I seen ya do it either. I dunno what it is, but you just got this way of… waking things up inside’a people. Like… shining a light and finding something they didn’t even know was there. So don’t you ever sell that short.”
Rarity found her eyes watering and dried them with a delicate finger. “Hmm. Thank you, dear. As always.” She added a light laugh.
“Right. Now you go finish gettin’ ready. I’ll see y’all there.”
“Alright. I’ll see you as well.”
She hung up the phone and looked down out the window again. The sound of instruments being tuned and tested drifted up from across the street. Rarity’s eyes widened, and she sat up. Music. Perhaps a singing teacher, or at the very least an instrument of some sort. It would take a delicate touch, for certain, to broach the subject—as it was likely to still be a sore spot, but if she could find some way to bring that back to Aria, then…
One step at a time, however. Quite a bit was going to hinge on how events played out tonight. Rarity glanced down at the clock her phone—and then shrieked. “Only an hour!?” She leapt off the seat in a flash of panic. The phone slid onto the craft table and thunked against her tool box as she flew past into the dressing room.
“And now left here!” Sonata’s arm sprang from the back seat and blocked Adagio’s view as she was trying to turn.
“Would you…” Adagio’s words fell into a grumble. She shook her head and sighed.
Aria snickered from the passenger seat. “You ever stop to marvel at just how good she actually is with directions? In spite of all of her other…”
Adagio laughed once, then pulled the car up and stopped. She looked over at Aria, and then turned to Sonata. “Alright. Here we are.”
Aria looked out the window. The small closed-up wedding chapel across the sidewalk matched the landmark Rarity had given her for meeting up. And sure enough… the rear passenger door sprang open. Cotton Candy bounced her head in with a squeal and grabbed half of Sonata’s cookie trays. Sonata lifted the others herself and followed her out.
Aria stepped out of the car as well and found Rarity waiting with a warm smile and a wave. While returning a wave of her own, she caught a full view of what Rarity was wearing, and… Wow. She thought the outfit from earlier had been high class, but it had nothing on the pale yellow and sky-blue evening gown which draped her figure now. Her hair was done up high in the back, with some deliberate strands falling to frame her face.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” Rarity said with another smile.
“Uhm, yeah,” Aria crossed her arms with a wary glance. “You better be right about this.”
Rarity gave her a hip-nudge and a smile. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Aria nodded, then took in the rest of the scene. Rainbow Splash and Cowpoke stood further up the sidewalk chatting with one another. Mousey was being conscripted by Sonata and Big Pink to help carry their trays.
“Huh. So I see five of you,” Aria said. “Where’s Ketchup-and-Mustard?”
Rarity hmm?-d, but then her eyes widened, and she nearly lost herself in a cough of laughter. She cleared her throat in an attempt to regain her composure. Steading herself with a breath and a smile, she went on. “Sunset informed me she had other plans. Some excuse about studying for tests next week. But if I’m honest, I think she needs that less than any of us. She is, however, her own woman, so…”
Aria turned back toward the car. Adagio appeared to be giving some instructions to Sonata, much like a mother would her teenage daughter. Seemingly satisfied with the response, she rolled up the window and slowly drove off.
Rarity called her other friends over for a brief introduction. It was a quick affair—some waves and greetings. Friendly enough, but expectedly awkward. It was going to take more than just an afternoon at the spa for Aria to choke down that whole bag of Skittles.
The group walked together a short ways up the road to the chapel’s larger reception hall, decked out in balloons and bright color for the evening’s occasion. Its front doors were propped open, spilling out a chorus of light and sound. It was a sight Aria had encountered dozens of times throughout the years, but she approached it this time from an unfamiliar point of view. Whereas before there had been a purpose toward manipulation and control, tonight she was able to simply enjoy the evening… or at least try. Without magic to sway the other guests’ perception, what would they really think of her?
Two or three at a time, they plunged through the hanging streamers into the ocean of dance, sweat, and music. Aria brought up the rear behind the trio of snack-bearers. Upon emerging inside, she found Rarity waiting. Her intent, it seemed, was to continue the introductions. She hooked elbows with Aria, and then the two worked their way through the room.
On the whole, she found the greetings were friendly enough, but the ordeal was not without its wary looks, punctuated by a number of crossed arms and narrowed eyes. Aria had given up on counting the number of times she’d heard, ‘Ahh, you’re Sonata’s friend,’ followed by a handshake or an awkward smile. The lack of recognition in her own right disappointed her more than she could have imagined.
When they arrived at the food tables, she crossed her arms and turned to Rarity. “So… That was a thing.”
“If it was a bit overwhelming, then I apologize,” Rarity replied. “But… I figured it a good place to start.” She folded her arms as well and looked out over the crowd. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to do next? Wander, mingle, dance?”
“I honestly dunno,” Aria said. “I mean, if this was a year ago, Adagio and I would be casing the room for easy marks, with Sonata wandering around doing gods-knows-what.” She sat back against the table. “This is so fucking weird. Nice, I mean, but… weird.”
“Hmm,” Rarity said. “I suppose I can empathize.”
A taller guy with green dreadlocks sprouting from his unwashed hippie-cap waved to Rarity as he walked up to grab a snack. He pointed to Aria. “And, uhh… Dazzle-something… right?”
She held back a growl of disgust. First it was Sonata, and now Adagio. Did her presence during that week at the school really leave no impression on any of these people? It was all she could do to hold back a scathing scowl. Instead, she just narrowed her eyes and said, “Aria.”
“Right on…” He nodded a few times to the music and wandered off again.
Rarity offered an apologetic smile.
“It’s fine,” Aria said. It actually wasn’t fine, but she didn’t feel like talking about it.
“Well…” Rarity clasped her hands together. “I need to go and make a few social rounds. You’re welcome to join me, of course. But I understand if you would rather mingle on your own.”
“Yeah… I’ll just wander,” she said while crossing her arms. “If nothing else, I’ll find some drunk idiots or couples’ drama to laugh at.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow.
Aria smirked. “Old habits… Don’t judge.”
Rarity laughed. She gave another brief hug and then waved as she made her way off into the crowd, pausing for the occasional shoulder-pat or impromptu flash photograph.
With her fate now back in her own hands, Aria turned around to survey the spread on the table behind her. Looking down her nose, she spotted half a dozen familiar cookie trays, spaced out amid an assortment of hors d'oeuvres, punch bowls and vegetable platters. Tapping a finger on her lips, she finally selected what looked like a chicken and artichoke roll, cut into discs to resemble sushi. As she lifted it to take a bite, a stray camera flash off to the left caused her to blink her eyes and growl quietly. She turned away and walked off, popping the rest of the piece in her mouth and dusting off her hands.
Hmm. So now what…
She wasn’t in the mood to push for any further conversation, so lacking any firm goal, Aria set to wandering. She shifted back and forth between pressing against the flow of humanity and simply letting it carry her along, drifting to and fro with the dance and the tide.
On more than one occasion, she caught a glimpse of that white-haired stage magician that Adagio had roped into their plan during the Battle. Sometimes the girl would be standing against a wall with her arms crossed. Other times there would be a scowl etched across her face, but in every instance, Aria found her staring back with a narrowed, scrunched-up brow. Each and every time. Just staring. It was more than a little creepy. Granted, with how the Battle of the Bands had gone down, Aria couldn’t fault her for being angry. Eh, whatever. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with that crap tonight.
As she continued to surf the crowd, it was simply more of the same: smiles and waves, with any attempt at conversation consisting mostly of passing hello’s, and ‘Sonata’-this or ‘Sonata’-that. There had been a disappointing lack of any drunken embarrassment or overt drama. Pity…
Aria leaned against a nearby wall and crossed her arms. She let out an exhausted breath and lowered her eyes. She didn’t really have high expectations for the evening to being with, so she wasn’t sure whether to feel disappointed or content with the way it had played out. Nearly everyone had given her at least a smile—some of them pleasant, even. That said, most of them had kept a rather ‘safe’ distance. They certainly seemed to remember that much about her… She tightened her arms and sagged further into the wall. Whatever.
“Hey, you’re… Sonata’s friend, right?”
Aria growled, and her brow creased. I swear to hell, if one more of you…
She looked up to meet the gaze of some guy roughly her own height. Decent build. His skin tone was a slight shade darker than Sonata’s, with ivory hair and silver-grey eyes. She tightened her arms and scowled. “Yeah. I’m Sonata’s Friend.”
He put a hand behind his head. “Sorry, I—”
“Aria.”
“Yeah.” He offered an embarrassed grin and then a handshake. “Sterling.”
Hmph…
She had to applaud this one for being brave enough make an effort, at least, and he honestly wasn’t too bad on the eyes. She certainly didn’t expect anyone to approach her of their own free will, but if he could provide some meaningful interaction, then perhaps the evening wouldn’t have been a total loss.
He put both hands in his pockets, still looking a bit ashamed. “It’s just… with how things went down last month.”
“I know,” Aria said sharply. She looked out over the crowd. The loud music and the din of chatter was almost too much to carry on a casual conversation. She motioned her head toward the throng in the middle of the room. “Dance?”
A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but then his posture relaxed, and he offered a hand. Aria surprised herself as well when a smile fluttered across her own face as she followed him out into the mix.
The loud, droning music continued to block any chance for conversation, but it didn’t matter to her in that moment. After an evening of crowded isolation, she was grateful for the opportunity to move in a way that involved some give-and-take with another active and mindful participant.
Push and pull. Ebb and flow. The hard pulsing sounds carried them apart and then brought them face-to-face again. Aside, and then back. Drift and repeat. Motion. Rhythm. And harmony. After a while, the pounding, steady beats faded into a softer three-step time. They came together, first hand-in-hand, and then arms entwined. Both were too winded to speak, sweat beading on their brows.
Before long, the music dropped again into a slower, four-beat rhythm, bringing with it a chance to talk at last. “You know…” he said with a smile, after they had both caught their breath. “I actually don't go to this school.”
Aria quirked an eyebrow. “Hmm. Then how did you…”
“I was in the crowd for your showcase though. Hanging out with some CHS friends. So… Yeah. I got to experience your… performance first hand.”
Aria averted her eyes with a frown.
“Scary. But at the same time… wow.” His voice had drifted to some far off place. “They’re the same folks I’m here with tonight. It’s how I know Sonata, too.”
“Ahh,” Aria replied, with her eyes still lowered. She wasn’t quite sure how to describe this feeling. It was an uneasy mix between the sting of failure and a pang of regret. Nothing about that night had gone as she’d planned—including it would seem, one of them still holding a flame for her long after the magic had faded. The discovery warmed her with a smile, but it also bought with it a cold reminder of the death of her song.
He laughed quietly. “We’re not supposed to get along, you know. Being rival schools, but c’mon… they were my friends long before any of that. We sneak into each others’ events all the time.”
She met his eyes again. What could he possibly see in her that had drawn him closer while the others had all edged away. Perhaps she should just take this for what it was worth, though, and enjoy the attention instead of thinking too hard on it.
He lifted his hand up Aria’s back to caress her shoulder, and then brushed down her arm. “Wow. That’s… some muscle tone,” he said.
Aria’s heart sank. She narrowed her eyes with a warning look. Was he actually intimidated after all, just like the others?
“Don’t get me wrong,” he added quickly. “It’s a good thing. I… kinda dig it.”
She let out her rising concern through an exhale and lowered her eyes. “It’s fine. But yeah. I take out my frustrations at the boxing gym on the west side of town.” After a pause, she added, “I spend… a lot of time there.”
This got a chuckle out of him. She returned a half-grin of her own.
“So. Everyone knows my deal,” Aria said, with her hopeful mirth returning. “Evil ex-witch-thing, with no real prospects. What are you in for?”
“I’m… heading upstate to the culinary college in the fall. Cooking’s been a thing in my family for years, so… thankfully I don’t hate it.” He laughed. “Mom and a few others went there. So it’s just the next step, y’know?”
“Hm.”
“My younger sister’s not having any of it though… The irony is them trying to groom her from birth to be some famous pastry chef.” He looked off and shook his head with a chuckle. “I guess they figured with a name like ‘Sugarcoat,’ how could she not, right?” He gave a long grinning sigh. “But yeah. Nothing ‘sweet’ about that one, turns out.”
Aria felt a genuine, happy laugh bubble up. She looked up at him with a sideways grin. “Hmm, you know…” she said, as the grin softened into a smile. “I actually… don’t hate you.”
He raised an eyebrow.
She patted one hand on his chest. “Trust me. It’s a compliment. Don’t think too hard on it.”
They quietly held each others’ eyes for a few more turns as the song dipped into its closing bars.
When the last note had faded, he took both of her hands in his. “Well…” he said. “I need to go and catch my friends so I can drive them all home, but… I enjoyed that, Aria. See you around? I’ll have someone get in touch with Sonata.”
Something inside of her bloomed like a firework at the sound of her own name. To finally hear it spoken by someone other than her two eternal companions… It had been so long. She brushed some hair over the top of one ear and said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, “Yeah… Sure.”
They both waved as he walked off, and then Aria checked her phone again: it read 11:50 PM. She didn’t want to think too hard on what had just happened. Patience and measured expectations would protect her, she hoped, from the kind of desires which had always led her to an inevitable fall. She did a quick scan of the crowd and spotted Sonata’s bob of hair over by the food table.
When Sonata saw her coming, she leaned back against the table and narrowed her eyes with a sly grin. “What was thaaaat? I saw you out there.”
Aria’s face flushed crimson. “Shut up, moron.” Her heart didn’t need any temptation to go down that path right now.
Sonata leapt off the table and wrapped her in a hug.
“Gruh. Alright. Off.” She eventually freed herself again. “So how are we getting home?”
Sonata brought a finger to her chin. Her vacant expression did little to inspire hope for a worthwhile answer. “Uhh…”
“Why do I even bother…” Aria rubbed her forehead with an exasperated sigh and turned to go find Rarity. “Don’t hurt yourself. I’ll be right back.”
Standing delicately with her hands clasped behind her, Rarity eyed a cautious glance to her left. Not far off, a huddle of guests were conversing in a circle. Further out onto the floor, yet more were dancing slowly, face-to-face. Most importantly, however—none of them appeared to be looking in her direction. She furtively shifted her gaze to the right and encountered, blessedly, more of the same.
It would seem that the coast was, indeed, clear.
With a deft, graceful motion, she snaked a hand behind her and lifted a blue, speckled truffle off of its tray. Her third of the night? Well… Perhaps it was the fourth. But who is counting, hm?
It began with a dignified nibble, followed by another, and then two more. The decadent filling melted, the flavor spread, and then the gentle crunch of the bits on top led to… mmmm. She popped the remainder into her mouth and savored it with a quiet moan. She clasped both hands in front of her and inhaled deeply, before letting out the long breath and opening her eyes—only to see Aria out in the middle of the crowd. Dancing. With a partner! One whom she did not recognize… But that was neither here nor there. She wrapped herself in a slow hug and sighed with a smile.
The song came to an end. The couples began to part. There was no sense in letting Aria know she had been observing. In the interest of making herself scarce, Rarity quietly hustled off in search of a few more conversations.
She spoke briefly with Flash and his band, then gave Sandalwood another passing wave, and had just finished saying goodbye to Blueberry Cake, when—
“Hey. There you are.”
Rarity turned around just as Aria came to a stop. “Hello, dear. How have you been?” It was all she could do to hold herself back from gushing into a waterfall of questions about the dance, and the details of the rest of Aria’s evening, but there would be a time for that later. For now, ‘restraint’ was the name of the game.
“So…” Aria said. “I made the mistake of thinking Sonata would find us a ride home, and…”
“Ahh,” Rarity noted with a smile. She checked her phone and saw that it was just past midnight. “And therefore, I presume my services are required.”
“No rush to leave, but… yeah.”
“It’s no trouble. I was just about to come find the two of you to say goodbye. So, I shall be your chauffeur.”
“Thanks.” Aria crossed her arms. “I left Sonata over by the food. Just gotta hope she listened and stayed put.”
The two made the short walk back to the table. Sonata was, thankfully, right where Aria had left her. As they approached, it became apparent as to why. It looked as if she was nearly falling asleep while standing up.
“Aww,” Rarity said. “Poor thing must be exhausted.”
“Yeah. It’s not unusual,” Aria replied. “It’s like a lightswitch just gets turned off somewhere in her brain.” She slung an arm behind Sonata and stood her up from leaning against the table. “Come on, dork. Time to go home.”
She nodded with a groggy smile. “Mmm hmm.”
Rarity waved her farewells to all of the passers-by as they shuffled outside and then back to her car. It was an otherwise silent, and strangely peaceful, affair.
The drive itself proved to be more of the same. Aria sat in the passenger seat looking out the window, appearing lost in thought as the street lamps passed by overhead one after another. Sonata laid sleeping quietly across the rear seat.
The thought of dropping Aria off and leaving her alone with her thoughts overnight didn’t sit well with Rarity. Aria had taken a big step out tonight, and her mind was very likely swimming with thoughts and worries aching to be shared, even if begrudgingly. Rarity was not one to abandon her charge to such a place of uncertainty. Not after coming this far.
“I know it is late,” Rarity said. “But, after we drop her off, would you perhaps be interested in… picking up where we left off at the coffee shop? If nothing else, I’m sure poor Venti would like to see us engaging again on good terms.”
Aria considered for a few moments. “It’d mean leaving her home alone. But it’s probably fine.” She looked over in the back. “Just have to make sure she knows we’re leaving and doesn’t wake up in surprise to an empty house.” She turned forward again, and her eyes went unfocused. “That happened once before. And… yeah. Story for another time though.”
When they pulled up at the Dazzlings’ house, Aria escorted Sonata inside, in much the same way as their earlier walk to the car. She directed her to the couch and then retrieved a heavy blanket from the hall closet.
Rarity was taken aside by the gentle, motherly care that Aria showed as she went through what appeared to be some well-tread paces. She carefully removed Sonata’s shoes before situating her pillow and blanket just right. She dimmed the lights, set ceiling fan on low, and then finally placed a gentle hand on the the sleeping girl’s forehead. It painted a stark contrast to the usual blustering and name-calling and was a warm, happy exchange to watch unfold.
Aria snugged the blanket around Sonata’s shoulders. “Hey…”
“Hmm?” Sonata’s eyes opened to a half-lidded awareness.
“We’re going out for some coffee, but I’ll be back. I have no idea if Adagio is coming home tonight, so… sleep good. Alright?”
Sonata nodded with a yawn and rolled over into the back of the couch.
“Alright.” Aria brushed a hand on Sonata’s head. “We’re good.”
The ride to the coffee shop was mostly quiet as well. As much as Rarity wanted to pry all of the evening’s details out of Aria, there was a certain peacefulness in the moment which just felt right.
When they arrived inside and made their way up to the marbled countertop, Rarity received the smile she had hoped for from Venti. Aria ordered a black coffee, and she did the same. Coffee, after all, seemed an appropriate chaser following her earlier… truffle indiscretion. She cleared her throat quietly.
While Rarity was undoing the clasp on her purse, Aria slapped some cash on the counter.
“Not a chance,” Aria said. She grabbed her cup and motioned toward the booths. “Let’s go.”
Rarity chuckled and followed her lead. Alright. Fair is fair.
They sat down across from one another at a booth in the rear corner. Both took a drink and then set their cups down on the table. Aria kept her eyes lowered on hers, as she held it between her hands. She had been unexpectedly withdrawn and quiet since leaving the party.
“So,” Rarity said. “You must have expected that I would ask this, but… how do you feel about the way things went this evening?”
Following a pause, Aria said, “I don’t regret it.” She gave a half-laugh. “Of course, I wasn’t really expecting much to begin with, but… yeah. I guess the thing that really hit me was they were all friendly enough. But it was always just the same ‘Hey,’ and a smile. Or like, ‘Ahh, you're Sonata's friend,’ or some other bullshit.”
She looked up at Rarity. “Not one of them even knew my name, or really anything about me.”
“Hmm.” Rarity leaned forward on the table and placed her hands around Aria’s. “I’m sure it will come with time. As you put yourself out there more.”
“I guess…” Aria folded her arms and leaned back in the booth, keeping her eyes lowered. “But it’s always been that way. Like I said before, everyone always notices Adagio and Sonata. And whatever they’ve got, I just never had it. And like some hard-ass, I always just said ‘Screw it, I don’t care.’ But now it’s like… I do.” She looked up at Rarity again. “And it sucks. It… hurts. Is it so bad to want some recognition? A little adoration? I know we took it too far before, but…” She let out a long breath and lowered her eyes again.
“I mean, there was that one guy tonight who showed some interest, but…” She placed both palms on her forehead and sighed. “But it’s whatever. Not like I’m worth a damn anymore. Not without my voice.” She took another sip of coffee and then folded her arms on the table, looking down at her cup. “Singing was my… everything. Even when we weren’t using it to get what we wanted, it was just… me, you know? And now it’s gone.”
Hmm, Rarity thought. Well… That certainly did put a damper on her hopes for lighthearted conversation. It seemed that she would have to once again postpone her eagerness to ask about the dance and Aria’s mystery gentleman. It hardly felt appropriate now, in light of all that had been said. It did, however, spark within her a new sense of purpose. With all the resources at her disposal, there had to be something that she could do to bring that warmth of music back to Aria again.
Rarity took another slow sip of her coffee. “Would you perhaps humor me, just one more time?”
Aria looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.
“I would like to take you somewhere again, tomorrow afternoon. It may be a long shot, but I would like to try to bring that music back to you, in some way or another. I can see now just how important it is to you.”
Aria sat up slowly and rubbed her thumbs on the cup as she stared down at it between both hands.
Rarity continued, “I don’t know if you have played an instrument before, or considered it, but… it may be something?”
“Hm. I guess,” Aria said, with her eyes still lowered. “Painting has worked well for Sonata. And I've spent some time on the piano. What’d you have in mind?”
“My friends and I have keys to the school and its music room. I dare say there would be quite a number of possibilities there. And barring that, I might also inquire with the gentleman who provided my sister and I with singing lessons.” She signed quietly. “I know it would feel like a step back from where you once were, but…”
Aria gave a dispassionate laugh. “Kicking my pride in the ass. But yeah… I guess it’s worth a try.” She finished the last of the coffee and put her palms down on the table. “Alright. You’ll pick me up whenever? Since I assume motorcycle helmets aren’t your thing.”
Rarity laughed. “Quite. So then. Let us say, four-thirty or so?”
“Sure.”
Their drive home was mostly quiet like the last. The silence provided Rarity a canvas upon which to paint out her thoughts. From what Aria had told her, it seemed the evening had been a success in its own right, but had also given rise to a number of new concerns and uncertainties. She hoped dearly that Aria’s encounter on the dance floor might bloom into a happy partnership. If there was one thing she had learned during their time together, it was that Aria held a deeply rooted desire for genuine affection and appreciation. Everyone deserved that basic happiness, and Rarity vowed to use her every capability to bring it into reality for her newest friend.
Upon arriving back at the house, Aria opened the car the door but remained seated for a moment. “Thanks again,” she said. “Sorry to be a downer back there. I did have a good time. It just… brought up a lot of things.”
“I understand,” Rarity said with a smile. “And I’ll see you tomorrow. Now go and check on Sonata.”
“Right.” Aria patted a hand twice on the dashboard and smiled faintly to herself. “G’night.” She climbed out and shut the door behind her.
As Rarity pulled off to begin the drive home, she panned again over the canvas of her thoughts. She knew that there had to be some way to reunite Aria with her music and her song. Her mind played out over all of the possibilities for tomorrow’s endeavor. For Aria’s sake, this had to work. Something had to work… She just had to figure out where to shine the light.