Wallflower Blush pumped her legs as fast as she could. Absolute fear prevented her from looking back toward her pursuers. She let out another scream for help. It was all she could do.
She rounded a corner, hoping that the alleyways might offer her safety. Her eyes widened and her feet screeched to a halt. A dead end. A freakin' dead end.
"Trapped like a tiny mouse..." she heard a sultry, yet pitiless voice come from behind.
Wallflower reluctantly turned and faced the other two girls. Finally having a good look at them, she gasped in realization.
"The Dazzlings," she murmured. "I remember you. You tried to take over Canterlot High!"
"Oh, a CHS student?" Adagio Dazzle asked with half-interest.
"Funny, I don't remember ever seeing you at the Battle of the Bands," Sonata Dusk noted.
Wallflower meekly shrugged. "Well I did kinda erase my clarinet performance after missing a few notes..."
"'Erase', huh?" Adagio asked with a smirk. "That wouldn't have anything to do with that stone in your backpack, would it?"
Wallflower stiffened. They knew about the Memory Stone? That's what this was all about? A renewed sense of concern overwhelmed her. Wallflower wasn't as stupid as she often considered herself. She knew that wielding the Stone had many bad possibilities. One could get away with any crime in broad daylight by simply mindwiping the witnesses. She would be lying if she said that she herself had never been tempted with such power.
Adagio stepped forward and held out her hand. "I'll take it that you know what we want. Now give it!"
Wallflower clutched her backpack. Oh, she could 'give it' to them alright. All she needed to do was to whip out the Memory Stone and these two would forget all about her and she could make a quick escape as she always did. She just needed to be --
"Hey, what's going on?!"
Wallflower, Adagio, and Sonata looked toward the unexpected new voice. There they saw another girl with righteous anger within her eyes. For a moment, Sour Sweet was a bit disappointed that there seemed to be no aggressive males involved, however the sight the cowering green-haired girl was enough for her to stick around.
"Excuse you?" Adagio asked pointedly.
"I heard some cries for help," Sour announced. "You two bothering that girl?"
Wallflower was taken aback. Someone... was trying to help her? In that moment of shock, she had forgotten all about using the Stone to escape.
"Um, this is none of your business, so, like, go away," Sonata said in her most threatening tone, which of course being her, was completely ineffective.
"Not until you two back off."
"After you," a fifth and final voice chimed in.
Sour didn't need to turn to see who it was. The pissy emo. Round two had come sooner than expected. She decided to act quick. These three weren't going anywhere without a fight.
Sour swung herself around, fist out. In an instant, Aria Blaze grabbed her fist effortlessly. Sour and Aria's eyes locked. In a swift motion, Aria's straightened hand jabbed itself into Sour's throat. Sour jerked back, coughing and wheezing from the hit. Aria lunged at her for a punch, but Sour managed to cross her arms to block it in time. However, the force of the blow did cause her to stumble back a bit.
Sour's heart raced. Shit! The fight's just begun and it's already looking like she might be the toughest bitch I've ever fought...
Aria jumped and began coming at her with a flying kick. Sour managed to dodge, and with a grin, punched her vunerable stomach. Aria landed and in retaliation, gave Sour an even harder punch to her own stomach. Sour doubled over in pain for just a second before Aria grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back up. Once up, Aria butted Sour right in the forehead. Sour fell to the ground and immediately felt the force of Aria's foot sink into her stomach.
"Think I'm not above kicking a stupid human when it's down?" Aria said in casual tone as she next struck Sour in the ribs.
"Gotta admit," Sonata said from the sidelines, "it's been a while since we've seen Aria in action."
"Such fond memories," Adagio sighed with a smile.
"Oh, oh! Remember when she got married in the Middle Ages?"
****************
SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE - 1450s
The three sisters were relaxing in their comfy, hay-lined wagon. The sky was clear, the soft breeze soothed them, and the air was fresh as it wouldn't be tainted with pollution for many more centuries. However, their peaceful ride through the country was soon accompanied by cheers and merriment. The three glanced curiously over the side to spot what looked like some sporting event taking place alongside the road.
"Over there, driver," Adagio ordered.
The only reaction from the driver in question was the green flash in his eyes from being under the Sirens' spell, followed by his operating of the reins so that the mules would pull over.
The sisters hopped off the wagon and proceeded to push their way through the assembled crowd. Up in front, they saw a roped-off arena. Inside was a man and woman, both clad in full-bodied, white outfits with red crosses painted onto their chests. The man was waste-deep in a hole and wielded a large club with a point carved at the end. The woman was circling him, swinging a piece of cloth which appeared to have a large rock wrapped inside.
"You, toothless peasant," Adagio addressed the man beside her. "Explain this form of entertainment."
"Why, milady, it is a property dispute between man and wife," the peasant explained, his gummy smile bright. "Trial by combat, it is. The man is dropped in the hole so the woman can have a fighting chance. Great show to behold."
Aria rubbed her chin with interest. "So you are saying that if the wife wins, she gets all of her husband's belongings?"
"Tis the law," the peasant confirmed, nodding.
The peasant went wide-eyed as Aria abruptly snuggled up to him with a sensuous smirk.
"Interested in marriage, good sir?"
Just a mere few days later, this same crowd would be looking on in sheer terror as Aria ripped her screaming husband up from his hole and begin pummeling him with BOTH the pointed club and wrapped rock.
****************
"To think only a half-dozen husbands could get you so much prime real estate in those days," Adagio said nostalgically.
Sour was now back up and the two enemies began to trade blows to the face. Sour was frustrated that none of her hits seemed to phase her opponent much. Meanwhile, Aria's punches were torture. Sour could feel her face throb, particularly around the eyes and mouth. She surely must have a blackeye and a split lip.
Wallflower's legs shook as she watched. She felt horrible for letting this go on for as long as it had. Just because she was glad to have someone stand up for her for once. She needed to stop this now.
She held up the Memory Stone. With a mental command, the Equestrian artifact released its great flash. Sour and Aria stopped in mid-punch. Wallflower beheld the four dazed and frozen girls before bolting towards the nearest cover there was. As repulsed as she was to do so, she jumped straight into a dumpster.
It was another moment before the girls began to regain their senses. Each looked around in total confusion.
"Oh, what the FUCK?!" Sour groaned as the pain hit her at once. She fell to her knees.
"Just what are we doing in this disgusting alley?" Adagio asked.
Aria peered down at the wounded Sour. "Uh, kicking this girl's ass, apparently."
Sour shot right back up. "Oh, I HIGHLY doubt that."
Aria smirked. "You're clearly the one who's been trashed more than me."
Sour gritted her teeth. She knew this pissy emo was right. The fact that she couldn't remember how she got like this scared her, however. Was this some kind of episode?
Adagio diplomatically cleared her throat to gather attention. "Well, whatever she did, it appears that you taught her her lesson, Aria." She waved Sour away. "Now off with you."
Sour's anger began to rise again, before Sonata stepped over with a friendly smile.
"Hi, I'm Sonata Dusk," the blue girl introduced herself cheerfully. "Sorry my sister had to kick your butt for whatever reason."
Sour rolled her eyes. "Well, at least ONE of you girls aren't so bad."
Sour then sighed. Whatever had happened, it was over. She could accept a loss. Besides, there always round two to look forward, wasn't there? So without another word, Sour turned and walked off with a slight limp. If anyone asked what had happened to her, she could always just blame her boyfriend.
She knew he wouldn't mind.
"Figures you couldn't stand up to me!" Aria gloated loudly as her opponent left. "One thousand years of fighting experience is hard to handle! So don't feel too bad!"
The Dazzlings started on their own way before a faint rustle caught Sonata's short attention. Inside the dumpster, a bottle was sticking straight up into Wallflower's back. She tried to adjust her body as quietly as possible. She knew she had failed when Sonata's head popped into view, peering down at her.
"Hey, what are doing in th --"
Wallflower swiftly used the Memory Stone to mindwipe Sonata once again. Gently, she nudged the dazed blue girl on the forehead. Sonata stumbled back and then proceeded to wobble over to her sisters as she slowly regained her senses.
"Next time you pick a fight, find a more sanitary location, won't you?" Adagio scolded Aria as she glanced around the filthy alleyway.
"Wait, there was a fight?" Sonata asked. "When?"
Adagio and Aria both gave her an annoyed glare.
"Let's just go find our van, shall we?" Adagio stated simply.
"Maybe it's down by the river," Sonata suggested.
"Worst siren..." Aria groaned.
Wallflower waited several minutes before coming out of the dumpster. She sighed in regret and held up the artifact which had caused all this trouble. There were times that she wanted to rid herself of the thing, but she was too afraid. Too afraid of disappointment, of rejection, of people. Guiltily, she returned the Memory Stone into her backpack.
She prayed that there would never come a day when she took the power she wielded too far.
THE END