“Alright. So here we are.” Rarity unlocked the music room and flipped on the lights.
Following a stop by the boutique to fit Aria with a new two-piece shirt set, the two of them had continued on to Canterlot High. Rarity had struggled to keep an encouraging face throughout the affair. Try as she might, she could not seem to shake the memory of seeing Aria out at the overlook, down on her knees with her spirit broken. Watching her now step into the room among all the instruments, Rarity hoped that some part of the song within her still remained and that something from today would resonate.
Aria came to a stop and folded her arms. She shivered slightly.
Rarity slowly brought a hand to her mouth. “What is it?”
Aria tensed her shoulders but then shook off whatever was troubling her. “It’s nothing.” She walked over to the piano and brushed a few fingers across its top. She paused again and looked slowly around the room. “Hmm. Not really feeling any of the others.” She sat down at the keyboard and lifted its cover. “This is still the one that speaks to me… if you could even call it that.”
Aria closed her eyes and centered herself with a deep breath. At the end of the long exhale, she flexed her fingers and started into the first few bars of a classical piece. For a moment, it looked as if a wisp of grace was beginning to settle in around her, but then she hit a wrong chord and inhaled sharply through her nose. The fragile peace scattered. She deflated and placed both palms against her forehead. “Ugh. It’s been so long. And I’m just…” She crossed her arms again and closed her eyes. “Sorry. I know you meant well. Maybe some day it’ll feel right again, but…“
Rarity rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She had hoped this world work, and she was running out of ideas. It was as she feared: there seemed to be no path to restoring Aria’s hope other than reigniting her song. Her spirit sank, and her doubts threatened to turn inward. There had to be something. “No. I am sorry, dear.” She walked over to sit on the riser near the wall. “I had hoped, but… I understand.”
“Thanks for trying.”
“I do not want to give up, but… ugh.” She folded both arms over her knees and lowered her head. The doubts were closing in around her, but she couldn’t let Aria see her losing faith. Her eyes began to well up in frustration.
Her phone dinged with Rainbow Dash’s notification tone. She sniffled and took it out to look. There was a text message and a link.
‘uh, you better take a look at this’
Rarity’s brow furrowed. She tapped on the link, which opened up the MyStable website. There was a post from an account named @gapstar, showing a photograph of Aria from the party last night. It was taken from her left side right at the moment she was opening her mouth to take a bite of food, resulting in a very unflattering pose. The caption read:
guess you -can- put lipstick on a pig. #witchbitch
Rarity covered her mouth with a sharp gasp and slapped the phone down on her leg—but then immediately regretted the impulse. She looked up at Aria and found her staring back with narrowed eyes.
“What is it…” she asked in a near-threatening tone.
“Oh! It’s… n-noth—Hey!”
Aria closed the distance in two strides and swiped the phone out of her hand. She turned it upright to view what was on the screen.
Rarity watched her eyes start to quiver before hardening into a scowl as the fingers on her free hand flexed and tensed into a fist.
“Aria,” she said softly. “It’s not—”
“It’s not what?” Aria retorted, shoving the picture toward Rarity. “It’s exactly what it looks like. And you know it.”
“It’s just one person.”
“Yeah… The one with the balls to say what they’re all thinking! They wouldn’t say it last night. But it was still there behind all the fake smiles.”
Aria turned and started pacing with the phone still clenched in one hand.
Rarity could almost feel the anger radiating off of her. She bit her lip and shrank inward. This was all wrong. They had been so close, only for everything to fall apart now? She had to do something.
Aria finally halted and yelled, “What the fuck am I even doing?!” She flung the phone back to Rarity, who fumbled it onto the floor. She pulled forcefully at her outer shirt and threw it off onto the ground. “No one’s ever gonna see me as anything else.” She messed up her hair, walked over to the wall and then slammed the bottoms of her fists against it. Her elbows followed, and then her forehead. She remained there, breathing heavily in and out.
Rarity walked slowly toward the discarded shirt, any worry about her phone now pushed to the back of her mind. She took it into her hands and stood up, all the while struggling to fight back tears. Had it really come to this? After all the time they had spent together the last few days, could it really be shattered by one inconsiderate act?
No.
Aria said it herself the other night at the overlook. She was stronger than this.
Rarity’s grip on the shirt tightened. Her eyes narrowed from sadness into determination. She lifted her gaze to Aria. “Well I have seen you as something else,” she said. “Something strong and beautiful. And all of my friends have too.”
She walked over next to Aria. “But it’s going to take time. All of this happened to Sunset… and Sonata, too.” She placed a gentle hand on Aria, who tried to shrug off the touch but then let out a surrendering breath and accepted it. “But they didn’t have to go through it alone. And neither do you.”
She heard Aria take another deep, staggered breath.
While rubbing her hand slowly across Aria’s back, Rarity was struck with a flash of insight. The overlook. The sun was setting outside, and would soon bring out that starry cliff-top night which had always brought her so much peace and inspiration. She walked over to retrieve her phone, then returned and grabbed Aria by the wrist. “Come with me.”
“What?”
“Please,” Rarity said, with a concerned determination. “Just… please come with me.”
Aria found herself once again in the passenger seat of Rarity’s car. She stared out the window at the passing trees, watching the stars above them come to life as the night sky consumed the last of the sunset. As with before, she sat mostly silent during the ride.
Her anger from earlier had all but burned out into a greying ember. She tightened her arms and rested her forehead against the door frame, feeling ridiculous, almost embarrassed, at having been so upset over that image and its hurtful comment. As the trees passed by outside the glass, she wondered… were the casual waves and smiles that she received at the party genuine, or were they just a mask to hide the true feelings of those whom she had attempted to harm? Sterling’s encouragement had at least seemed real, but he was still just one person.
The car slowed and pulled off into a paved parking lot. Aria’s focus returned to the present. A glance out the front window did little to improve her mood.
“What are we doing here?” She crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders as her mind flashed back to standing out on the cliff’s edge. She watched the ground fall away as it crumbled near her feet. To think that she had—even if only for a brief moment—considered taking that last step. She felt her breathing quicken but was unable to decide whether it was stress or irritation that was fueling her unease. “What about this made you think it was a good idea?”
Rarity put the car in park and turned it off. Aria watched her take a deep, measured breath. “I understand that you feel this way, and I am sorry, but… I truly believe that things are different now, from the way they were the last time we were here together.” She turned her eyes up to Aria and put a hand over one of hers. “I would like to show you what it is about this place that speaks to me so deeply. I believe that you might find some peace here as well.”
The touch on Aria’s hand brought some ease to her nerves. All of the change that Rarity had brought out in her over the last two days gave her reason to believe that even more of that change for the better could still be waiting. Aria palmed her eyes and ran fingers through her hair. “Alright… I’ll trust you on this.” She opened the door and stepped out of the car into the moonlit stillness.
Rarity did the same. They walked side by side down a dense, tree-covered path until it emerged under a star-filled ocean.
Upon coming to a stop, Aria crossed her arms and shivered slightly—but not from the cold. It was a rather warm late spring evening. No. It was more a sense of being on-edge, while at the same time feeling content and at peace. The sensation was both pleasant and unnerving all at once. She lifted her eyes to the starry sky.
Rarity kept walking for a few more steps and then came to a stop as well. “There is just something,” she began, “about the sky and the stars when seen from this place. And when I look out over the city below… I cannot explain why, but it has always brought me a sense of comfort.” She turned back to face Aria. Her eyes revealed an uncharacteristic glint of sadness. “I want so badly to find a way to give back what you have lost. I am sorry it turned out this way for all three of you.”
She looked down at the ground between them. “But I see now that I need to be done with trying to force it to happen. There are things that I just… cannot. Despite how much I wish it were otherwise.” She walked over to sit on an aging wood and concrete bench and folded both hands in her lap. “So… Could we just sit for a while?”
A knot twisted in Aria’s stomach. It hurt her to hear that raw concern in Rarity’s words. To think that someone—anyone—could feel so committed to her well-being… and after just how little she had done to actually deserve it.
Feeling suddenly winded, Aria made her way over to join Rarity on the bench. She brought her knees together and placed her hands atop them. A glance to her left found Rarity staring off at the city far below. Something about her aura and her distant gaze seemed almost ethereal in the evening light. For a while, she remained deep in thought.
“I wonder if you would just talk to me,” she said at last. “Talk to me about what it feels like when you try to sing. How it felt before… and now.” She placed a hand over Aria’s. “And any hurt that it might bring up… just speak it out. You may not believe me, but… I think we will both be better for hearing it.”
As Aria listened to those words, she turned and gazed up into the night sky. She felt as if she were standing on the edge of a wide lake. Its smooth moonlit surface stretched out before her. To do what Rarity was asking would mean diving in… and swimming out deep. Just a few nights ago, she was out here down on her knees and sobbing. So many things had changed since then. But despite all of those things, her broken song still remained…
“It’s just… empty,” she began.
Rarity picked up Aria’s hand and held it between both of hers.
“I don’t know of any other way to describe it. At first, I thought it was the gems shattering that destroyed our magic, and our voices. But then the more I tried to sing, the more it felt like something was just… missing. In here.” She brought her other hand up to her heart.
“And now it’s like this dry, empty well. As far back as I can remember, it used to be this deep, flowing spring of magic. Whenever I felt like singing, I could reach out and touch it. And that magic, and the song, and the feeling of exhilaration would just flow.”
She looked out over the city below. “No matter how much I drew on it, no matter how much I poured into a song, the source always had more to give.” She closed her eyes. “But then also… more to take as well. It was never free. All the hate and fear and grief that we caused… it all went back along that same path. That was the price.”
She looked back up at the sky. “But now it’s dried up. There’s nothing there any more. Like… I can see all the way to the bottom of the well. And it’s just rocks and dust all the way down. When I try to sing now, that dry emptiness is all that comes out.”
Aria closed her eyes and took a long breath in and out. “It’s why I hated you all so much. It was like… killing our gems and magic wasn’t enough. You had to take everything. Even our voices. And for what?”
Rarity leaned against Aria, shoulder-to-shoulder. She sniffled once and kept her eyes downcast.
“I guess I’ve had a lot of time to think about this… And the more I did, the more I started to wonder if the gem really wasn’t the source. I started to think of it more like a gate or a faucet. And the source itself was somewhere far off, maybe even back in Equestria.” She closed her eyes. “But both of those are gone now anyway. So I guess it doesn’t really matter.”
“Would you believe me,” Rarity said, “if I told you that I think I understand what you mean?”
“I don’t… really know how you could.” Aria turned to look at her. “What are you talking about?”
“In that moment, when we called down the magic that… did what it did to you… it did feel different. As if my song was not coming from inside of me. It felt like what you are saying. Like I was pulling something out of a flowing river. And moving that rush of power through my words.”
“I mean… yeah. That’s one way of saying it.”
“But that was the only time it has ever felt that way. And I have been singing for years.” She turned and looked hard into Aria’s eyes as the spark in her own reignited. “Don’t you see? That far off magic has never had anything to do with my singing. I have only ever felt it that one time.”
“Okay? Then… what about all the other times?” Admittedly, it was hard to understand. Song without power? Despite living among Rarity’s kind for so long, the three of them had never really given any thought to how the ‘dumb mortals’ managed any of that. They had simply taken them for granted as inferior creatures.
Rarity looked down at the space between them while biting her lip for a few moments. “It may sound silly but… it just comes from me. Like taking a part of myself that I find beautiful… or painful… and letting it out. It could even be something that I see. Or the sound of the rain, or some far off thunder.”
She met Aria’s eyes again. “But those feelings are not coming from anywhere far away. They are all… here.” She placed a hand over her own heart.
“Like Sonata with her painting,” Aria pondered. “I’ve seen it. Or when I used to play the piano.”
“Yes,” Rarity said. “From the way you describe it… for so long, you sang by pulling from that source. But never from your heart.”
Aria placed her palms together and brought the index fingers to her lips. Why did this not occur to her before? She leaned back, breathless, and looked off to where the darkened sky met the lights above the city. While staring, she was drawn back to that morning in Rarity’s shop.
“I think I do know what you’re talking about.” Aria smiled to herself. “It was in your store the other day, actually. When I first walked up to that shirt and put my hand on it. There was just this warmth. It’s sounds funny to say it out loud, but it was kind of like an egg. This hard shell that started cracking. But inside was a warm, kind of happy light. I don’t think it was really about the shirt itself. But more like… thinking about wearing it made me imagine living some kind of different life. Far away from magic and gems and… all of that.”
Aria folded her arms and looked down at one of the larger rocks. “Some part of me didn’t want it to end. But then it was like, ‘What am I doing… This isn’t me.’ And then it all faded.” She squeezed her arms and closed her eyes. “It’s why I didn’t want to put the shirt on later when you asked. But now I do wish I could have that feeling back again.”
After a minute or two, Rarity hmm’d softly, and Aria turned to meet her gaze. She caught a flicker of inspiration in her eyes before Rarity turned up to the stars again.
“Look up.”
Aria obliged and matched her gaze.
“What do you see?” Rarity asked. “What do you feel?”
Aria’s brow angled. What an odd question. Hadn’t they just been talking about that for the last… however long? She hmm’d but continued to stare upward, letting the silence of the night swell in around her.
As she observed from a place of stillness, a small host of sounds drifted to her ears. She could hear the evening breeze brushing the pine trees behind them and rustling the broad leaves on the slope down below. It was the time of day when birdsong blended with the frogs and the crickets. Even the city traffic, as faint and far off as it was, had its own quiet thrum within the symphony.
It was, in a word, peaceful. The stillness itself gained a presence; a soft weight that draped over her and opened her mind to cast out through all the sounds that drifted within it. The tangible expanse around her brought an unfamiliar comfort and a feeling of connectedness. Aria felt her eyes start to glisten. “It’s…”
“No…” Rarity said quietly. “Don’t tell me.” She again placed a hand over Aria’s. “Tell yourself.” She closed her eyes. “And when you really start to feel it, and believe it… then show me. Hum a few notes. Sing a soft melody. No words, just… let the feeling flow.”
Aria closed her eyes and breathed in the night air. The chill of the cloudless sky was beginning to settle in from above. It left a clean, refreshed charge within her lungs. As she sat in the darkness, she imagined a faint swelling of light within her chest. The sounds of life and the movement of time drifted all around her. A passing breeze raised goosebumps on her arms, leaving behind a soft tingle of energy.
Aria pressed her lips closed and hummed the first few notes of a melody.
It was a timid sound, but not terrible. She likened it to the early works of a student artist. The light inside of her brightened. She opened her mouth, breathed in the stillness, and ‘aaaa’d the next few notes of the song that was coming to life within her. The sound remained dry. She felt it lacked the resounding clarity of her old voice, but within the absence of that magic-infused power glowed a small, unfamiliar wisp of freedom.
There was something about that freedom which tugged at her soul, but Aria was uncertain as to why. She wanted desperately to explore it, and to experience another taste of it, hoping that it might grow the tiny wisp into a sustained living flame. She had to keep trying. She looked over at Rarity, who clasped her hand with a gentle nod before lowering her eyes and rejoining the stillness. Again, Aria breathed in the expanse of the night and let her newfound freedom flow.
The tone that rang out this time was still uncertain, but it was clear. Gone was the dry, dusty grit that had choked her voice throughout the past month. She let out a single, joyful laugh. It… worked? The tiny wisp in her chest grew brighter, spreading its light up into her shoulders and down through her arms. It was as if her shackles had come off at last.
Should I try to sing a few words? Everything about the moment felt right. Failure would be disheartening, but she had come too far to not take the risk. Settling herself again, she drew in the tranquility of the evening, and let the peace inside of her spring forth.
“Betweeen the niiiight, upon the breeeeze.”
Aria could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was this really, truly happening? Tears swelled in her eyes as her heart cried with happiness. She became aware again of Rarity’s warmth beside her and continued on.
“Soooong of staaars, beneath the seeeeaa…”
Aria brought both hands up to her mouth. What had just happened? The words lacked the stark power and precision granted by her old magic, but their tenuous sound held instead an honest and gentle purity which she never would have expected to find. She smiled and choked out a sob as a wave of joy spilled over. Her legs went weak, but as she started to fall forward, Rarity caught her around the shoulders and pulled her in close.
Within the welcome, supporting embrace, she sobbed again. The true beauty she longed for all her life was there. It was real. Tone, rhythm, and light. The sound may have been short-lived and rough around the edges, but it belonged to her—a soft, bright melody that was free from the hunger of that ancient source. She wrapped her arms around Rarity’s middle and cried into her shoulder as the shared embrace tightened around her.
“You found it,” Rarity said softly, as she rested her head down on Aria’s. “I knew it had to be there.”
Aria sniffled and breathed deep of the warmth that surrounded her. They parted from the embrace, and she sat up and dried her eyes. She brought both hands to her mouth and took another long, happy breath in and out.
And from that place of newfound freedom, she laughed.
When she settled herself again, Aria said quietly, “Thank you.”
A smile lit Rarity’s face. “You found it…” she said again. She leaned back and closed her eyes with a peaceful sigh.
The two of them sat quietly in each others’ company for another few minutes. Any words, Aria felt, would cheapen the experience and chase away the soft glow of warmth that had settled in around them.
“Eyes forward now, hm? No more looking back.” Rarity sat up again and folded her hands in her lap. “I am reminded of something my good friend and mentor once told me many years ago, as I was coming out of a troubled time and not knowing how to move on.” She turned to Aria and then lowered her eyes.
“Who is it you want to be now? Set that free and let her come out.”
Aria gave a half-smile with another laugh. “I like it. But, I mean… are we talking open-ended dreams here? Or small steps?”
Rarity rested an arm on the back of the bench and turned to Aria with a grin. “Hmm. Humor me.”
“Well. I’d like to… sing. Like… on the radio. And all that. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not gonna jump in a booth tomorrow.” Aria leaned back and looked out over the city again. “But maybe in a year? Five years?” She laughed. “You said to aim high, right?” She sighed and closed her eyes. “It’s been a dream for so long, but just never felt right… with the magic and strife and the way we had to live. But now? Why the hell not?”
“Well then…” Rarity said. “I believe there is someone I must introduce you to.”
Aria sat down across from Rarity in a booth at Sammy’s diner, just a few blocks down from her new singing instructor’s studio. She closed her eyes and sank into the deep cushion as yet another worry slid off her shoulders. Another step had been taken toward realizing her dream.
“My…” Rarity said. “I would certainly say that went well.”
“Yeah.” Aria laughed with her eyes still closed. “Have I thanked you again lately, for everything?”
“Only twice, in as many hours.”
Aria opened her eyes, and they shared a grin. It had been three days since discovering her new voice under that starry night sky, and they had just returned from the introduction which Rarity had promised her. They both looked up as a waitress with a name tag reading ‘Minti’ arrived and set their menus on the table.
She greeted them with a warm smile. “Can I get you two started with anything?”
“Just a water,” Aria said.
“The same, please.” Rarity returned her smile and then opened her menu as Minti walked away. “I am very happy for you,” she said, while turning a page. “That he could see from just one hour of working with you that you have so much promise. It really says a lot.”
“The more I try, the easier it comes. It feels good.”
Having settled on some deep-fried indulgence as a bit of celebration, Aria closed her menu. “I know I’m terrible for not telling Adagio and Sonata about this yet, but… it’s nice for once to have something that’s just mine. You know?” She looked out the window with a soft smile. “I just want to hold onto it for a few more days.”
“I think I understand.” Rarity folded her menu on the table. “And I do hope it helps them as well. I imagine it will lead to some healing for all of you.”
The waitress returned to take their orders. When Aria asked for the breaded fish and chips, Rarity lowered her eyes with a look of consternation. She bit her lip while giving a longing eye to the third page of the menu, but in the end, she flipped back to the first and appeared to hold fast to her choice of a salad. At the last second, however, she added a plate of fries as a measure of concession.
After Minti had collected their menus and walked off, Aria picked up her phone to pass the time. She had asked Rarity earlier to forward a link to that disparaging picture from the night of the party.
When it popped up on her screen, the immediate flush of hurt threatened to take hold again, but she held strong and let the tension flow out through a long exhale. With a flick of her finger, she scrolled down to the comments—and found the response was far from what she had expected.
‘wow, rood’
‘wtf, who do you think you are?’
‘lol’
‘pig nothing, that chick was smokin. was just too scared to ask her to dance XD’
‘Just… No. You could see she was trying. Stop being a petty ass.’
‘Jealous little shit. get lost’
‘so far they seem sorry for what they did. give her a chance.’
The list went on. Aria came across one comment in particular from an account named @silverplatter, with an icon resembling Sterling's colors. It read, ‘This girl would wreck you, trust me. Get over yourself.’
“Huh.” She sat back with a smile. The cloud of doubt that had been hanging over her since the party began to lift away. “You really were right…”
Rarity looked up from her own phone. “Hm?”
“Check that… picture. Again. The one from the other day in the music room. Then read down a bit.”
Rarity eyed her with a questioning look, but then did as she was asked. Aria watched the smile grow across her face as she, too, worked her way through the list. After a while, she sighed contentedly while placing her phone on the table. She folded her arms over it and shook her head with a smile before looking back up at Aria. “Hm. You see? I told you there was good in them.”
Aria grinned and sat back in her seat. “Yeah. I do feel better now.” She looked over Rarity’s shoulder to see their waitress was returning down the aisle with a large basket and two plates on a tray. “Mm. Here we go.”
Minti set their food down in front of them. “Enjoy,” she said, with another cheerful smile.
As they ate, there was talk of dreams and of plans. With the help of the calendar on her phone, Aria settled on a formal schedule for her singing lessons, intermixed with work and home—and also some dedicated time each week at her newly adopted inspirational vista.
After finishing, she checked her phone one last time, then set it down, leaned back, and closed her eyes. At long last, her day-to-day life appeared to be taking a happy turn for the better. For the first time, in a very long time… her future felt bright.
Rarity dusted the early November snow off of her coat as she and Aria stepped inside the warmly lit building lobby. Earth-toned tiles laid out a sprawling foundation for the posh, gold-trimmed wooden decor. Following their two hour drive, it felt good to finally be inside and out of the weather. She made her way over to the reception desk.
“Rarity, dear. It’s so good to see you.” The short-haired and sharply dressed office manager greeted her with a familiar smile. “How was your trip?”
“Hello, Rissi. It was fair enough, if a bit slow from the snow on the highway. But we are staying over at the Coach tonight. So with luck it will be clear for our drive home tomorrow. But for now,” she said, “I am eager for him to hear my good friend’s music.”
Rissi clasped her hands with another smile. “That is good news.” She turned to Aria. “And good luck.”
Aria’s attention returned from looking around the lobby. “Thanks…”
Rissi pressed a button on her desk. “Mr. Waters, your guests have arrived.”
His voice returned through the speaker, asking her to send them up.
Rarity folded her hands and nodded her thanks. She walked over to the elevator and pressed the third-floor button. A quick look behind found Aria still standing by the desk with her arms crossed and staring off in front of her.
“Are you… alright?”
Aria shook her head and returned to the present. “Uh. Yeah.” She stepped over to join Rarity as the elevator dinged its arrival. On the ride up, she kept her arms crossed and her eyes lowered as she stood against the wall in silence. Rarity worried that something in her had changed since arriving at the front desk, and made note to ask her about it later. The elevator halted, and the door slid open. She and Aria stepped out into a wide red and brown office.
Mr. Waters rose from his desk and approached her with a smile. “Ahh, hello my girl. How is my wife’s favorite protege? I trust that—” When his eyes passed over Aria, his cheerful demeanor darkened into an narrow scowl.
“You…”
Aria deflated with a weak groan. “Aww, shit.”
He pointed to the elevator and stated firmly, “Out.”
Rarity’s eyes went wide and she brought her hands to her mouth. What could possibly be going on? Aria had the look of a dog who had just been caught chewing on the furniture, and… her old friend’s face wore a mask of freshly unearthed anger. “What is…” she asked. “But I had thought we were going to—”
“Not even for you, my dear,” he said sadly. “I am sorry.”
“But…”
He regarded her with a pained look but then turned back to Aria and said with a hard tone of distaste, “Leave. Now. Before I call security.”
Rarity’s shoulders slumped as she dropped to sit on the edge her bed in the motel room. A patch of light from the cracked bathroom door carried with it the sound of brushing teeth.
She regarded Aria’s miscellany scattered across the other bed, then rubbed her eyes and let out a long exhale. The encounter up in her friend’s office had left Rarity with equal parts befuddlement and frustration, and worse, she had been unable to pry any further details out of Aria during the ride back. She groaned in annoyance and scratched at her hairline. Aria could be so infuriatingly stubborn when pressed, and in this situation, that character trait was doing little to alleviate their problem.
Would it be worth driving back over to the studio in the morning for another try? Or should she just give up on this angle and pursue another producer, despite not having an ‘in’ like she did with Waters? But the worst part was that… he and his late wife had been her long-time friends and mentors. What could Aria possibly have done to bring out such an instant flush of anger.
The bathroom light switched off, and Aria stepped out in her boxer shorts and baggy T-shirt. The two of them shared a look. Rarity’s irritation must have been plain on her face, as Aria let out a long, guilty sigh and then looked away. “Yeah… I know… You still wanna to know what that was all about.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “And I guess neither of us are gonna get any sleep tonight until we talk about it.” She sat down on her bed facing Rarity, but her eyes remained downcast.
“Should be no surprise that he remembers me from back when we had our gems. We spent a few years living in town here before moving on to Canterlot last fall.” She brought her hands to her head and fell back onto the mattress with a swoosh of hair and a groan. “His son was an easy mark. Rich kid. Kinda naive.” She gave a guilty laugh and let her arms fall to the side. “Willing to blow all kinds of cash on this hot chick that showed him a little bit of interest… Hardly had to use any magic at all.”
Rarity felt a flush of heat around her eyes as her brow narrowed. To think that Aria had done something like that to poor Lily's only child.
“That’s where I got my bike.” Aria sat up again and rested her arms on her knees. She still would not look Rarity in the eyes. “The last thing I did before we skipped town was to sing it out of him.”
Rarity considered for a moment. Given the timing, that would have been only a short while after his mother had passed away. Her mind growled. These were good friends of hers. A man who had just lost his wife to illness. A son who had lost his mother.
“I only met his dad once,” Aria said dejectedly. “But I guess it left enough of an impression. So when I heard his name again in the lobby of that fancy building, I feared the worst. And go figure…”
“Uuuggh.” Rarity bore her disgust onto Aria through narrowed eyes. “And can you blame him?” she asked with a heated tone.
Aria looked up at her like she’d just been punched. “What?” She rose to her feet and wrapped both arms around her middle. “Well, yeah! I feel like shit about it now!” She walked toward the television and started pacing back and forth in front of it.
Rarity stood up to match her. “And did you ‘feel like shit’ about it every time you drove around town on that fancy motorcycle?” She gave a scoffing laugh. “I mean, my goodness. Did he or his father even cross your mind once? Before it came back to bite you in your ass today?”
Aria spun back at her with a pained look behind her eyes, like she’d just had the wind knocked out of her. She opened her mouth to say something but then couldn’t seem to get it out. A few tears streaked down her face. She stormed back into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Rarity stood in stunned silence for a moment. She closed her eyes as the wave of guilt rushed in around her. She returned to the bed and put her head down in her hands. No… she thought, as her own eyes started to water. Aria did not deserve that. The person who had done those things to her friends so long ago was not the same girl who was now sitting in that bathroom, and very likely crying.
She walked slowly over to the door and leaned against it.
“Aria…” she said softly. “I am sorry.”
A sniffle came through the door. “I know…”
There was a shuffling inside, and Rarity moved away from the door just as it opened. The two of them looked at each other for a moment, then walked over to sit on the foot of Aria’s bed. They both hung their heads and remained quiet for half a minute.
“You did not deserve that,” Rarity said at last. “My emotions got the better of me. But you must understand… They are very good friends of mine, and they have done a number of generous things for me over the years.”
Aria groaned and ran her hands through her hair. “The thing is, you weren’t wrong.” She folded her arms on her knees and slumped her head down. “I wanted to yell at you and throw it back in your face, but I couldn’t because you were right. I never even gave them a second thought. And why would we? It was like… if it wasn’t about pleasure or survival then—” She threw a thumb over her shoulder. “—into the trash it went.”
She sat up again and covered her face. “With all that’s happened since I met you, I wish I could go back and… But it doesn’t work that way. It’s too late.”
‘It’s too late…’
Rarity sat up as those words repeated in her mind.
Is it ever really too late for a second chance? Or for forgiveness? The last half a year that she had spent with Aria had illustrated that beyond a doubt. Rarity closed her eyes and hmm'd. She thought back to the framed picture of Lily that was on the wall in his office. Perhaps there was still a chance.
“There may yet be hope.” She placed a hand on Aria's knee. “He doesn’t know what I know. About how far you have come. And also… their family is no stranger to the gift of a second chance.”
Aria lowered her hands and sniffled again.
“The reason I reacted so suddenly is because Mr. Waters’ wife, Lily, was one of my very beloved friends. She saw me through a very troubled time in my life and set me on the path that I now wish to walk. Were it not for her, I… don’t know where I might be right now. But she passed away from illness not long ago. From what you have said, it would have been only a few months before you left for Canterlot.”
Aria ran both hands through her hair with a self-loathing sigh.
“But the reason I bring this up… is that she was not always this way.” Rarity lowered her eyes and reached back into old memories. “She had always been a foremost figure in the clothing and fashion world. But much of her success came at the cost of ruthlessness and stepping over a long trail of others whom she had ruined. Social scheming, financial warfare… nothing was out of bounds. When she finally was caught in the act of one of her public lies, it was a hard and immediate fall. Her reputation never recovered.”
Rarity leaned back on both hands. “But then after a decade or two of obscurity, her name returned again—though not in a way that anyone would have expected. Charitable outreach, aid programs, city parks and small business funding. She had emerged as a philanthropic renaissance-woman of sorts.”
Aria folded her legs up on the bed and placed both hands in her lap. She remained quiet with her eyes lowered.
“Naturally, there was a great deal of suspicion at first. But the more the people of this city and its neighbors interacted with her, it became apparent that her change of heart was indeed genuine. It was during this time that I met her, while attending a clothing design workshop at the youth center in Canterlot. I suppose I left a bit of an impression on her, and our friendship grew from there.”
Rarity matched Aria’s pose and turned toward her. “So do you see? By her change of heart, a second chance was possible. And she made the most of that for as long as she could. Her husband will not have forgotten. And so I believe there is hope for you as well.”
Aria looked up at her. “So you’re thinking… we go back tomorrow.”
“Yes,” Rarity replied. “I will go up first and tell him what we talked about tonight and about how much has changed for you over the last year. If all goes as I hope, then we will meet you again downstairs and go into the booth to hear your demo.”
Aria leaned over and gave her a hug. “Looks like another long day tomorrow then.”
“Yes.” Rarity patted her on the back and pulled away. After a brief smile, she stood and made her way into the bathroom to begin her nightly maintenance.
When she returned at last in her pajamas, they each got into their beds, and she switched off the light.
“So,” Rarity said, while looking up at the darkened ceiling. “How are things in the world of your gentleman chef?”
“Eh. No change really,” Aria said. “He’s still doing his thing up in Saddleback. We keep in touch on text or email, with a visit once in a while. Not taking anything too serious. With all the other stuff going on for both of us, just keeping it friendly is the best fit. But it does feel good.”
“Hmm. I am glad.”
“If this works out tomorrow, and something actually happens with the singing, then I might consider moving up there in a few months or whenever. Saddleback’s closer to here than Canterlot is. Shorter drive to the studio.”
Rarity grinned to herself. “That is one way to rationalize it, I suppose.” She gave a light laugh—which was promptly silenced by a pillow to the side of her head.
“G’niiiight,” came the reply from Aria’s side of the room.
Rarity laughed again. “As you wish.”
“Hello again, Rissi.”
“Welcome back, dear.” She offered a laugh and a sly grin. “Still refusing to give up at the first ‘no,’ I see.”
“Indeed.” Rarity smiled. “Would you please tell him I’d like to speak with him again? But alone this time. I don’t want to leave things the way they were.”
Rissi picked up the phone and called up to the office. Following a brief conversation, she nodded to Rarity.
Aria hoped that this would work. As much as she wanted to go up and apologize straight away, Rarity had the right of it. A slow approach was the wiser one in this case.
Rarity walked over to the elevator. “I’ll be back soon.”
Aria nodded to her, then took a seat in one of the deep-cushioned lobby chairs. She slouched down, stretched her arms along the rests, and closed her eyes.
It was in Rarity’s hands now. And for a comfort, they were capable hands that had done her no wrong since their first meeting in Venti’s cafe. As she relaxed further into the chair, her thoughts drifted in and out of everything that had changed since that day.
Though the centuries, their siren-song had been a weapon of beauty, power, and domination, but that beauty of expression had always lacked a soul. It was never something that she or the others could truly call their own. There had always been a dependence, a price.
But her new song—the song she discovered that starry night out at the vista—bore with it an expression of her own heart, the expression of a soulful beauty sourced from deep within. And so, being free of that ancient price, it had at last opened up a path to one of her lifelong dreams.
If not for Rarity’s inspiration, that beauty may have lain dormant forever. Rarity had given so much of herself. But more than anything tangible, it was her time, patience, and determination that had helped bring Aria to where she was now.
The ding of the elevator brought her mind back to the lobby. Aria opened her eyes to see Rarity and Mr. Waters stepping out. She rose to her feet and clasped her hands. A last-minute effort to keep her breathing steady and measured proved mostly successful.
As they approached, his expression was stoic. Rarity, slightly behind and to his right, appeared muted as well.
Aria blinked and took a steadying breath. “So. She… told you everything,”
Waters nodded.
Try as she might, Aria couldn’t read anything from his expression, but she had to press forward. She clasped her hands tighter. “Well… I wanted to say it myself anyway. I really am sorry.” She lowered her eyes. “For everything. If I could take it all back… But… I know I can’t.”
“That was a very difficult time, yes,” he said. “However… It is in the past. I now place my trust in what Miss Rarity has told me. And thus, I am willing to give you a chance.”
He turned and walked off toward a door at the far end of the lobby. Aria fell in behind him along with Rarity, who gave her a reassuring nod and a smile. As he flipped through a keyring, Aria crossed her arms and swelled with equal parts apprehension and anticipation.
“So now, young lady,” he said. “Let us hear what you have for me.”
A light breeze rustled Rarity’s pastel yellow dress as she sat across the table from Aria. She let out a relaxed sigh. “The flowers on the trees up here are so beautiful this time of spring.” Her eyes panned over all of the sun-lit flora surrounding the cafe patio. Under the shade of her matching yellow hat, she took a long sip from her iced tea.
“Yeah,” Aria said. “I haven’t regretted the move. I always had a thing for these college-towns when we were roaming around all those years, and Saddleback so far seems to have that same vibe. I’m starting to feel settled. I hope you had a good drive?”
“It was pleasant, yes.”
“Glad you could make it.” Aria took a drink from her dark coffee.
“So today is the day,” Rarity said. “I have been following your song across the online channels. However, I suppose there is a certain nostalgia that comes with radio play.”
“Yeah. They told me it’d come on some time around lunch hour. The cafe owner is a friend now, so she agreed to set it to the right station for me.” Aria shivered as a tingle washed over her. “I kinda can’t wait.”
Rarity reached across the table and took one of Aria’s hands in hers. “I’m so happy for you.”
Aria laughed. “What a long, crazy trip, huh? Even though I’ve lived for so long, it finally feels like my life’s just starting.” She lowered her eyes. “And… believe it or not, I’m actually glad that we’re aging now. It just sort of… feels right.”
“Still…” Rarity said. “That must have come as a bit of a shock, no?”
“Kind of. Adagio was the one who noticed it first, not long after getting set up in Manehattan. And, no surprise, she took it the worst. But… after some time, she’s come around to being alright with it.”
Aria took another drink. “Sonata wants to start a family.” She laughed and then winced. “I mean, I worry, but… just gotta hope it forces her to grow up herself if it ever happens.”
“What has Adagio been up to?”
“Modeling. On and off. She’s trying to get something going with screen acting. Wants to make a name for herself there. I asked Waters if he’d feel around a bit. Couldn’t promise anything, but Adagio does have a talent for it, so… crossing our fingers.”
“Hm. That does not surprise me.”
“And then Sonata’s happy with her painting. But you guys know that. I don’t think she has any big aspirations. But who knows. All it’d take is the right person to notice.”
“Hmm. I shall have to keep an eye out then.” Rarity grinned.
Aria laughed back. She closed her eyes and took a deep, peaceful breath. She thought back over the events and trials that had brought her to where she was now. Was it by coincidence or fate that she had ended up at the vista with Rarity on that lowest night of her life?
The answer to that question didn’t matter, she decided, only the place in which found herself now. Even after the countless hours of creativity and conversation she and Rarity had shared, it still amazed Aria that one person could give so much of herself—not just to a stranger even, but to a monster from another world who had once plotted to do her harm. What a long, strange trip indeed.
Over on the radio, the end of a commercial break brought the return of the DJ’s voice. He worked his way through some station identification and a weather report before finally announcing a debut song, “from local artist, Aria Blaze.”
A tingle of goosebumps washed over her. She shivered lightly in the warm spring air. After everything she had been through during the past year and all the centuries before, it was really, finally happening.
Rarity met her eyes across the table and grasped her hand gently as the song began to play. “Aria Blaze,” she said softly with a smile. “Everyone heard that.”
FIN
~~~