//------------------------------// // 4 - Aria // Story: Dazzling New Life // by AFanaticRabbit //------------------------------// Since Adagio’s re-activation, Aria had spent most of the time bored. As much as she wanted to follow in her sister’s hoofsteps and wander into Ponyville, seeing the state that Adagio had returned in gave her second thoughts about the whole thing. Well, she reconsidered travelling alone, anyway. Besides, somepony needed to stick around and keep an eye on Sonata, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the two cuddle-butts stuffed into Sunset’s bed. Thus, two days after Adagio’s return, Aria was inwardly overjoyed at the thought of heading into Ponyville with Sunset and Sonata. Outwardly, she was all dour looks and intimidating glares. Sonata did all the excited bouncing for her. They’d parked their cart—with its crane contraption removed—somewhere a little way into town. The streets were crowded, with an increasing number of tents lining the edges. From there, they’d worked their way through the crowds. Along the way, ponies moved out of Aria and Sonata’s way without giving them a proper glance, like they were rudders and the bodies were water. While she was doubtful that a cloak, tunic and goggles could hide her appearance, she figured they must be working on some level. Her dark, mysterious, tall figure was enough to intimidate ponies into flowing out of her way. Too bad the cloak was super-duper itchy. It was something about it being a repurposed tarp, and she wasn’t a fan of the drab, brown-green tunic either. Eugh. Sunset quietly led their little group while occasionally looking over her shoulder. Whenever she did, Aria looked over to Sonata, who she only sometimes had to drag back to her side before she disappeared into the sea of colourful manes. Aria started speaking with a cluck of her tongue. “So, how long is all this gonna take?” Sunset shrugged. “Hopefully not long, but it depends on if the places I want to go are adequately stocked up. Ponyville is a little inconsistent about that.” She paused for a second, reaching to her side to pull out a small sack that jingled as she weighed it. Even from behind, Aria saw Sunset grimace. “Maybe add on an extra hour or two so I can get the extra bits.” “Where are we going first?” Sonata asked. “You need food, right? Candies and veggies and stuff.” Sunset resumed walking and nodded. “Yup, though I got a few other places I want to stop off at too.” She turned to look back at them. “Remember, be quiet when we’re in stores, and don’t touch anything.” Sonata smiled and saluted. “Okie-dokie.” Sunset’s gaze lingered on Aria until she relented and nodded back. “Got it.” Their first stop wasn’t one of the stores lining the main street or the around the central plaza. Sunset had beelined through Ponyville to one of its taller structures; a large, rectangular building with a water tower beside it. While it looked worn, with chipped paint and a dirty slate roof, it looked like one of the newer structures in town. Right next to it was a squat, wide building with what Aria recognised was a clock sticking out above it. That was the second time she saw one, and it looked about as confusing as the small pocket watch Sunset kept in one of her pockets. One of the large doors to the larger structure was open, with a cart just sitting inside and being unloaded. Mostly, it was vegetables and fruits, though one worker’s crate jingled as they walked by. Aria glanced at the box and saw bottles inside, each corked and bearing a label with text she couldn’t read and a stylised apple. A unicorn with a white coat placed another crate on top of a growing stack in one corner, and as he turned around to grab another box, he spotted the trio and grinned. “Oho, Sunny, good to see you. I see you finally got some friends with you.” He was tall and broad-shouldered, and to Aria’s surprise, he even had a few inches on her and Sonata. She said nothing and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible, though her goggles kept her wide eyes hidden. “Hi. You kept the delivery I asked for, Hondo?” Sunset asked. His smile wavered, but he nodded before gesturing with a hoof further inside. “I do, I do. Resin, rubber, machine parts. Everything I could reasonably knock off some orders for ya.” Sunset nodded and followed where he pointed. The pair continued inside, and Aria guided Sonata along before her eyes wandered too far, and she missed her cue to follow. The inside of the warehouse—Aria presumed that’s what it was—was full of crates, big and small. Ponies with little push carts moved the boxes back and forth, and she even saw a pair of them hammering nails into a much bigger crate. They arrived at a smaller stack of little crates covered with a brown tarp. Hondo pulled it back, and Sunset dug her nose into one of the crates. Aria peered over Sunset’s shoulder. Inside were bottles, cylindrical metal tubs, and many smaller boxes and some lengths of metal. It was hard to see what was in the other crates, but she made similar labels on some more tubs through the cracks in the boards. “Fantastic,” she said, then turned to him with a smile. “I can bring the cart around in a little while. What’s it cost this time?” “Same as usual,” he said. “Though I might shave a little off in exchange for an explanation as to what you’re doin’ with all this. It keeps disappearin’ and you keep coming back for more.” Sunset shook her head. “Oh, you know how it is. Between fixing things up and working on my own projects, I end up using a lot of it.” Hondo squinted down at Sunset, who simply returned his judging gaze with a smile. He sighed and put a hoof to the bridge of his snout. “Alright, maybe not this time.” He pulled the tarp back over the crates. “Get here by three at the latest. I assume you got the bits?” At that, Sunset’s ears flattened out. “Er, not right this minute. But I will by this afternoon! You know I will.” Hondo chuckled and shook his head. “Sure, sure. You always do. Buuut…” He started walking, using his size to guide Sunset and the others back out the way they came. “I did hear that my daughter is having problems with her new little radio-thingy.” As Aria listened, she grabbed an errant Sonata’s leg and pulled her away from a stack of smaller crates she was about to prod. “Seriously? I just fixed that the other week. What is she even doing with the stupid thing?” “If it was me, might have been something to do with a buckball game,” Hondo said, smirking. Sunset rolled her eyes. “Alright. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be back in time, promise.” Sunset started to leave, but Hondo put a hoof on her shoulder. “Y’ain’t gonna introduce me to your friends at least? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you hang around with anypony else.” Sunset let her mouth hang open as she shook her head, then shrugged his hoof off. “I’m sorry, I haven’t really got the time. Maybe later.” She nodded once more to Hondo, then made her way outside. Aria followed closely, and Sonata hop-waved at Hondo as she was dragged out with them. He returned it with a lopsided smile, then disappeared back into the warehouse. Once they were back on the street, Aria sidled up beside Sunset. “What’s the deal between you two?” Sunset glanced up at Aria for a moment. “There’s no deal or anything. He gets lots of orders through, and sometimes there’s surplus materials and supplies. He sets some aside, and I pick ’em up at cost. Not much to it.” “Sure, but he was pretty curious about you. Y’sure there’s not more going on between you?” Sunset thumped Aria’s side when she snickered. “No! It’s not like that. He’s old enough to be my dad, ew.” The next stop through town was back along the main plaza. The central, round building at one edge kept half the plaza in the shade, and Sunset seemed reluctant to step out into the sunlight, and when she was forced into it, she squinted and covered her face with a hoof where she could. Sunset barely spoke more than four words to each of the stall keepers, starting with, “That one,” or, “Those please,” then muttering, “Thank you,” when the merchants hoofed over a box, crate, or sack. They were piled onto Aria’s back, and though she could take the weight of so many potatoes and tinned foodstuffs, she was starting to feel it by the time they’d made their way to the other side of the plaza. “Do you guys really have to eat this much…?” Aria asked, hissing the words out through gritted teeth. “Not all at once, no,” Sunset said as she took a netted sack of apples from a stallion. “But the more I get now, the less I need later. Means I can stay at the tow—at home for longer.” “Sure, but…” Aria grunted and shifted the weight, and a pair of the tied-together sacks slid forward, swinging the contents into Aria’s periphery. “It still seems like a lot, and isn’t this biting into your budget? You could also lose a few pounds from my back and your flanks.” A smirk crossed Aria’s face when Sonata giggled at her side while a frown passed over Sunset’s. “Are you saying I’m fat?” “Noo,” Sonata said, her voice a pleasant whine. “Just a little… plush. I like it!” With a huff, Sunset continued on, guiding the giggling pair out of the plaza. “Shut up. And anyway, I’ve budgeted for this. Whatever bits I get when I fix that radio should be enough to cover everything else we need today.” Aria could describe Ponyville as quaint, cosy, and above all, dirty. Aside from the main road, most of its streets were narrow and meandering, and each and every building looked like a bunch of blocks of house parts stacked on top of one another. There was always a bottom floor piece, a top floor piece, and a thatched roof. All of them were the same shades of white, brown, and yellow. Only the doors and the plants in window boxes were genuinely different in colour and shape. The building they found themselves standing in front of was entirely the opposite. It was round, like that one building in the plaza, and Aria figured the word ‘bespoke’ fit it best. While it was still reasonably dirty, much of the mud and dust had been washed away to reveal the playful pastels beneath. Blue and lavender made up its walls and roofing, standing tall above the rest of the houses around it. It vaguely reminded Aria of the city on the mountain; she couldn’t see much detail, but she knew it was covered in tall, glittering spires. All in all, this building stood out like a rose in a field of weeds. “Is this, like, a noble’s house or something?” Aria asked. Sunset shook her head. “No, though I have no idea where she gets her bits from. I think it’s mostly the paint doing all the work here.” Sonata piped up. “I think it looks a little too pretty. It’s super colourful, but it makes it look like a toy.” “Wouldn’t that make it something you’d like?” Aria asked with a smirk. Furrowing her brow, Sonata tapped a hoof to her chin. “I’m not sure yet. If I do, not ones like this. Too girly.” “That—Nevermind.” “That’s enough,” Sunset said. “Again, same as before. No talking.” “Can’t we talk to at least one other pony that isn’t you?” Sonata asked with a whine. “All we’ve done today is watch you talk and talk and buy and talk. I’m sure we’ll be fine!” “Eh… I’m not so sure you will be okay,” Aria said, emphasising her words by jabbing a hoof in Sonata’s direction. “But she has a point. No one has really batted an eye at us all day so far. Pretty sure we’re not gonna get figured out if we just talk.” With a grimace, Sunset shook her head. “No. I’m staying firm on that. Keep your mouths shut, and that’s final.” Reluctantly, both Aria and Sunset nodded to Sunset. Sunset’s then demeanour immediately changed, turning into all smiles, before she stepped into the shop. The inside was about as garish as the outside. The walls were pasted with bright wallpaper, bolts of cloth stuck out from cubby holes, and entire ensembles from dresses to suits sat on fabric-covered pony statues. The moment Aria’s eyes fell on one of the ponyquins, she froze mid-step. The lack of eyes and mouth made something tingle at the back of her neck and conjured up a flash of a memory of Adagio’s blank, eyeless stare. The melodic call of Sunset’s name grabbed Aria’s attention away, and she turned to the source. The pony she laid eyes on looked like she would sparkle if dragged outside. Between her bright white coat and her styled, glossy mane, she stood out as much as the building did. Though she was at least tempered a little by the glasses over her nose and the colourful if dull-hued shirt she wore. It actually brought the fact most of the displayed clothing was less bright than the walls they were housed in. “Rarity, hey.” With little warning, Rarity shoved her face to Sunset’s and kissed her on the cheek. Sunset blushed and stepped back, then cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Hey, Rarity. Your dad mentioned something about your radio being busted. Again.” “Oh yes, yes.” Rarity pushed her glasses up her nose and blushed. “Just another, ah… workplace accident, you see. You know how it is here sometimes.” Sunset nodded along, looking a little bored. “Where is it? Maybe the parts have just popped loose, but I might have some spare parts on me to make more serious repairs.” “Thank you, thank you. The thing is just… Oh!” Aria’s eyes met Rarity’s, and an impromptu staring contest began between them. Aria decided to go for intimidation, setting her jaw and leaning forward a few inches. In return, Rarity’s wide-eyed gaze and raised eyebrows had nothing but curiosity and wonder behind them. “Who are your friends?” Rarity asked. “You two are gorgeous to look at or are getting there at least. Those… scraps you have on aren’t very flattering, I have to say.” “Sonata!” Sonata declared, and every other mare turned to face her. Rarity was smiling, clearly joyed to meet Sonata, while Sunset’s face turned to a scowl, leaving deep lines around her snout. Aria wished she wouldn’t frown so much. “Oh, good to meet you, Sonata!” Rarity took one of Sonata’s legs in her own, apparently glossing over the lack of fur or keratin. “Welcome to my boutique. You two must be new to Ponyville. Otherwise, I’d have heard about two stunningly pretty and tall ladies such as yourselves.” “They’re, uh, assistants,” Sunset said, putting herself between Rarity and Sonata. “They’re from Canterlot, but I think we can agree that walking around in Canterlot chic is overdoing it when we’re just gonna get our hooves dirty all the time.” “Nice save,” Aria mumbled, and Sunset fired a quick glare over her shoulder. “Oh, employees! Wonderful, though I’m still not sure you two should be trotting around like ponies of the cloth. I know Ponyville is a little, how should I say, rural? But that doesn’t mean one has to dress in anything less than the best.” She hummed. “I’ve got some ideas… Something with a little more layers, some good belts—those ropes look like they were at the bottom of a river—and maybe some actual oilskin…” “Rarity,” said Sunset flatly. “Oh! Right. Right. The radio is in the kitchen. Let me show you.” Rarity took off, and Sunset followed, though not before gesturing to the other two to stay. They gave her the same nod-salute combo and watched the mares disappear further into the boutique. “I think I like her,” said Sonata. “She recognises art when she sees it.” “Don’t let it get to your head.” Aria snickered and then looked around the boutique’s walls. The space seemed reminiscent of Sunset’s lab, with mechanical parts and magical doohickies replaced with bolts of cloth and piles of thread. A table covered with several pin cushions sat to one side, and on top was a rounded-edge box that had pinched two pieces of cloth between them. A closer inspection revealed that what she thought was a pincer was actually a needle, and thread was coming from it. Curiosity got the better of her, and she reached out to touch the cloth. It was unbelievably soft, and it made the robes she wore seem like sandpaper in comparison. It was like the revelation summoned every single itch Aria had managed to ignore since the morning, and she shuddered and rubbed at the back of her neck. “Hey, Aria!” When Aria turned to face Sonata, her goggles were around her neck, and her hood was down. In its place, she had a wide-brimmed hat on her head. It didn’t look like it was actually functional, as it drooped low on one side and had way too many feathers pinned in a band around the centre. What kind of bird had bright blue feathers? “What do you think? Does it work on me?” Aria held out a hoof and gently shook it. “Eh, clashes with your mane, I think. Skin too.” She glanced around the room and then spotted a pile of hats. The variety of hats ran the gamut between seemingly functional to hilariously silly, but near the bottom was another hat like Sonata’s. Only this one was a shade of purple with pink feathers. On closer inspection, she could see the feathers were most likely dyed. Bits of grey and iridescent blue shimmered near the bases of the feathers’ hairs. It was good enough. Tossing it over to Sonata, Aria said, “Try this one instead.” Sonata caught the hat, and it spun on her hoof for a moment. She swapped the hats over in a flash and set the old one back on the ponyquin she presumably took it from. “Better?” With a hum, Aria squinted and then nodded. “Yeah, that colour works much better on you. Not the robes, though. Ugh.” “You’re right. Maybe we can find a dress or a jacket and convince Sunset to get it.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh! And we would need to get you and Adagio something too. Maybe get her a whole dress as a, ‘sorry you got waterlogged and lost a few bits’, gift!” “What, no dress for me?” Aria put a hoof to her chest. “I should be offended you’d think I’m above frilly styles!” Sonata giggled, trotted over to Aria, and then threw a hoof over her shoulders. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in this stuff! You actually look comfortable dressed up like that. Broody Aria and her broody outfit for brooding in.” Aria thumped Sonata in the chest and got a giggle in return. “You’re not wrong,” said Rarity, and the two spun around to face her. Sonata fiddled with her hood for a moment, trying to yank it back over her head, but the hat kept it down. Rarity giggled, walked up to Sonata, and then took the hat from her head. “I’m glad you like it, but I’d rather you asked before trying it on. It definitely does suit you, though.” She then tilted her head and leaned in to examine her closer. Aria cleared her throat, and Rarity looked over at her. “I, uh… Is there a hat or something I can try on? No idea what would suit me, honestly. Like she said, this is kinda my vibe.” With a hoof, she gestured to herself from head to fetlock. Humming and mumbling to herself, Rarity looked Aria up and down. Her horn lit up and pulled Sonata’s hood down, letting her straight, purple mane spill free, fall down her shoulders, and end partway down her legs. “Oh!” She blinked and pulled some of the hair up with a hoof. “First thing’s first, I think we need to start off with your mane. As you might have noticed, the straight look isn’t exactly in.” As Aria remained still, Rarity fussed over her, gently pulling at her mane. After some tugging and vague attempts at styling, she settled on holding up Aria’s mane in two tails just behind her ears. “Yes… This works. And I think I’ve got just the idea for the two of you.” Aria looked at a grinning Sonata and offered her a half-shrug before facing Rarity again. “We, uh, don’t exactly have anything to pay you with. Apparently, that’s kinda important.” Rarity giggled. “Oh, you! Though I suppose you Canterlot types are pretty used to being treated well by everypony around you. No, no…” Walking over to one side of the room, Rarity rifled through a stack of papers on a small metal spike before producing a specific slip she passed to Aria. Aria recognised the scribbles as writing, but she couldn’t read a lick of it. Some of the characters seemed recognisable, but beyond that, it may as well be the random squiggles of a child. “What is this?” Aria asked. “A shopping list for me, but think of it as an I.O.U. Sunset is smart, and I’m sure the three of you have your ways of getting what’s there for me. It’s not quite worth the materials and labour I’ll be expending on you today, but just getting to apply a little Rarity glamour to two works of art more than covers the remainder of the cost.” “Okay.” Aria quickly glanced between the paper and Rarity. “What’s on the list?” With a blink, Rarity tilted her head. “It’s a list of dyes and pigments I need. I’ve sourced what I can locally, but, well…” She gestured to herself and to her desaturated clothing. She pulled at a little bow made of the same material as her blouse, and the colour was almost entirely absent. It wasn’t that it was dirty or the cloth had lost its colour—it was just dulled. “Some of what I have needs a touch-up if you catch my meaning.” Aria folded the paper and nodded to Rarity, though not before giving Sonata a quick wink. “We’ll get to it,” she said. “Now, what were those ideas you were cooking up?” Rarity beamed from ear to ear, and Aria swore she saw her eyes sparkling. “How do you feel about parades?” Sunset's glare was absolutely worth the pain of getting her mane styled and her body measured in so many different ways she hadn't even considered. Though having Rarity beneath her was undoubtedly fun for the few seconds it lasted for. Aria felt a little badass in her getup, she had to admit. She wore a jacket that wasn't too dissimilar to the lab coat Sunset wore, though hers was much less grubby and grimy, lacking the grease and rips that came with extensive use. It had similar buttons fastening it together but also came with a ribbed section just behind her legs while the rest flowed over and behind her, leaving a slit for her tail to poke out. All of it was coloured shades of turquoise and white, except for the boots and leg-gloves. Those were brown and black, respectively, and the latter were as glossy as Sunset's own pair. Sonata wore something very similar, though coloured a deep, dark purple and lacked the ribbing. Instead, the coat overlapped more over Sonata's chest, with fatter lapels and loops around the buttons. Both their outfits being called 'parade dress' didn't make much sense to Aria since neither of them had a skirt. Sonata almost did, but like many of the other suggestions, additions, and notes Sonata had, the skirt was nixed in favour of functionality. Not to mention the unspoken inconspicuousness they both required, though that had been blown when Rarity took their measurements. She hoped the excuse of them being from out of the country might hold up. It was technically accurate, at least. That said, the muttered comment about identical foreign siblings had Aria figuratively tugging at her collar, and she hoped that Rarity wouldn't blab too much about the two of them. She wasn't sure Rarity was the type to blab. Meanwhile, the walk back from Ponyville was much more pleasant during the day. Sunset had urged them to take a different route, and a longer one at that, that wound through part of the mountain near the town. Aria grumbled, but after a while, she didn't think it was terrible. As hard as pulling the cart along could be on some of the inclines, Aria didn't get tired or sweat. Those, she knew on some level, were the most awful parts of physical exertion. She also supposed it was a good enough day for it, though that same lack of sweat also meant she wasn't getting the benefit of the breeze as much as Sunset probably was. Still, it was pleasant overall. That wasn't holding up much with the holes Sunset was burning into the side of Aria's head. As much as Aria had tried to ignore Sunset, it was growing more difficult. She could draw on only so much bravado and smugness before she had to say something to disarm the dorkter. "Stop acting so jealous," Aria said with a smirk. Sunset's pout grew more exaggerated. "I'm not jealous. I'm annoyed you decided to go against my orders." "I can't help it if she overheard us and got nosy, Sunny." "Stop calling me that. I'm serious. And that's not even the part I'm most annoyed over!" Aria chuckled and waggled a hoof momentarily, making her trot a little lopsided. The cart had been hooked back up to her, and between the special loops and hooks in her jacket, pulling it along was much more comfortable, even with all the garbage and goods they'd piled onto the back. Sonata sitting on the back humming away to herself was barely a problem, too. "Sorry, not sorry." Aria lifted her head. "Can't help it you look so friggen cute when you pout like that. 'Dagi made an excellent choice to tease you than spook you. And don't worry, I got the… what was it that Rarity called it? That shopping list thing." She pulled said list out of one of her coat's many pockets. "You're smart. You can figure out how to get all this." Sunset shoved the paper back at Aria, and she put it back in her pocket. "I don't do dye. My work is tangential to artificery, not alchemy. Unless you and pebble-brain—" "Hey!" Sonata shouted. "—have a knack for chemical substances that I don't, you've made my life a lot more difficult." "Fine," Aria said. "We can always just avoid her next time, right? Ponyville isn't that small." Sunset snorted. "Small enough there is exactly one mare that can obtain and cut the kind of gems I need—which I've had to forgo because of this!" Aria winced. "Er, yeah. I guess that's kind of on us." "Yes. It is." Sunset grumbled for a moment. "I'll figure it out, but you are absolutely helping me with it, you understand? I put you together, so I can always take you apart." "No, you can't," Aria said, and she sped up a little to make her point before immediately slowing back down. "But you are the only one who can put us back together, so… Same difference, I guess." Sunset huffed and shook her head. "I cannot believe you two. I should be thrilled that I made something so intelligent that it wants to work against me…" Don't smile, Aria. Don't bucking smile. They continued walking in silence for a little longer, letting Aria enjoy the sounds of nature again. She'd learned from Sunset that timberwolves weren't exclusively nocturnal creatures and that they sometimes wandered around the forests during the day, but she'd yet to spot one so far. Instead, she saw more peaceful creatures, and she was content to feel smug that she could see them and Sunset could not. Deer, squirrels, rabbits and more wandered through the woods, climbed trees and walked through the underbrush away from the paths and roads. She'd spotted the same doe a few times out there, recognisable by the scratch on her cheek and the wide-eyed glance their way. She probably couldn't see the three of them, but she certainly heard them. Aria considered taking a walk later that day to spend some time in the forest alone. Eventually, Sunset broke the natural quiet. "How did you know each other's names when you woke up, anyway?" Aria tilted her head to Sunset. She thought about the question for a moment and tried to remember as far back as she could. She felt as though there was more to it, but her memories only went as far as the day she woke up on that hard, unmoving table, sensing her sisters beside her and looking at the giddy and terrified Sunset backed against her machine. All she had beyond that was intuition. "I… I'm not sure, honestly," Aria finally answered. "'Dagi is 'Dagi to me, same for Sonata, and probably true for both of them with me and each other. I guess I just recognised her on some level." "That doesn't make any sense, though," Sunset replied. "The way this works, you shouldn't have any intuitive understanding of anything except basic concepts to help you move and understand orders. I was fully prepared to spend a day or two trying to teach you language, but you came into this world knowing far more than I could have hoped." "I've been getting the idea that a lot of what we do doesn't make any sense to you. Even outside the way you reacted when we were cuddling to your constant glaring, I'd wager we're not at all what you wanted." Sunset sighed. "No, you're not. But you're what I've got. I am still very curious as to why you three turned out the way you did, of course, but that's going to take time to figure out. You aren't giving me much information on the matter." "If I knew more, I'd probably tell you." There was a pause before Aria lowered her head and smirked at Sunset again. "Well, maybe after getting you between my legs again—" "Shut up! Oh my gosh, you are insufferable." "Tell me you don't like it, then," Aria said, practically purring the words. Sunset kept her eyes forward and continued walking along, leaving the three of them to the sounds of hoofsteps and the wind passing between the leaves. "That's what I thought."