“Good morning,” Sonata said cheerfully as Fluttershy awoke. Sonata carried an overbed tray, with eggs, toast and a glass of juice, and placed them in front of Fluttershy.
“What’s this for?” Fluttershy asked.
“I… I just wanted to do something to say thanks,” Sonata replied, sitting gently on the side of Fluttershy’s bed. “You’ve been so nice to me, even after I was mean to you.”
“Well,” Fluttershy said, a small frown forming on her face, “when I first met you, you were a little scary. But I know you’ve changed now— I see the good in you.” She patted Sonata on the hand. “Now I see you were just someone who needed a friend.”
“A friend?” Sonata asked. “I’m… your friend?”
“Oh, ummm…” Fluttershy wrung her hands nervously. “Maybe? We don’t have to be, if you don’t want to. I just thought that—”
Sonata dove towards Fluttershy, pulling her into a strong hug. The breakfast Sonata had carefully prepared went flying off the bed and spilled across the floor. Sonata stared at the mess, before turning sheepishly to Fluttershy. “Umm, oops?”
Fluttershy giggled. “It’s okay, we can clean it up.”
“Friend!” Sonata said under her breath, before giggling herself. “Wow, I’ve never had a friend before!”
“Really?” Fluttershy asked. “I thought that Adagio and… oh, I’m sorry! I can’t even remember her name…”
“Aria,” Sonata answered, a frown crossing her face. “No, we’re not exactly… friends. We’re sisters, but I don’t think we’re friends.”
“Oh… that’s so sad,” Fluttershy said, hugging Sonata tighter. “Well, you have me, and you’ll have my friends, too, when—” Fluttershy stopped herself when she felt Sonata tense up. “—whenever you’re ready. Baby steps.”
Sonata relaxed into the hug, and the two sat there for several minutes, until Fluttershy’s mobile phone vibrated.
“Oh, I wonder who that could be?” Fluttershy picked up her phone and read the message. “Oh… oh dear.” Sonata sat in silence, pensively waiting for Fluttershy to say something. “Someone has come to the shelter, to adopt Buddy.”
Sonata gasped. “They can’t take Buddy!” Fluttershy held Sonata as she shook.
“I know it’s hard,” Fluttershy answered, “but Miss Goodall does a thorough check on anyone who wants to adopt a pet… he’ll be going to a loving home.”
“B-but… I need him!” Sonata wailed.
Fluttershy knew this pain— she had learned to live with it over the years. Many animals came through the shelter, some were able to find good homes. Others… others, well, she could only give them as much love as she could before… before they had to leave.
It was hard, and Fluttershy wished she could rescue them all, but she had come to learn the truth of the matter, that she just couldn’t. So she had vowed to show each and every animal that came through the shelter as much love and care as she could, so that wherever the went in the end, they left knowing someone cared.
“I know it’s hard,” Fluttershy said, gently stroking Sonata’s hair, “but this is a good thing. It hurts now, but Buddy will be going to a good home. He’ll be able to run and play, and he’ll have someone to keep him company at night.
“How about we go down there and see if we can catch Buddy before he leaves for his new home?”
Fluttershy watched Sonata through the rear window. Sonata was throwing a ball for one of the puppies, but Fluttershy could tell her heart was not in it.
Sonata had not said a word when Miss Goodall informed them that Buddy and his new owner had already left. Sonata had wordlessly walked out the back through to the play area.
Fluttershy had wanted to go and comfort her, but her boss had held her back, saying that Sonata might need some time alone.
Fluttershy volunteered to lock the premises so her boss could get home on time. When the sun had finally set, and all the animals were put back in their habitats, Fluttershy helped her silent friend to her feet and out of the building.
Fluttershy sat nervously on her couch next to Sonata. Sonata hadn’t said a word since they’d gotten home. She had just sat down and stared blankly at her feet.
Sonata had not responded to Fluttershy’s enquiries about dinner, and didn’t even stir when Fluttershy brought back her special vegetarian tacos.
Uncertain what to do, Fluttershy gave her friend a sidelong hug, and excused herself for bed.
Fluttershy was awoken with a start, as someone climbed into her bed. She stiffened, wary of the intruder, until the soft, croaky whisper of Sonata told her who it was.
“C-can I sleep with you?” she asked, ever so softly. “J-just for tonight?”
“Ummm, okay,” Fluttershy replied, a little nervous, but wanting to comfort her hurting friend.
Sonata crawled the rest of the way into the bed, sliding under the sheets. She clung to Fluttershy, who in turn pulled her towards her bosom and stroked her hair. She could feel Sonata’s tears soaking into her pyjama top, but it didn’t matter.
“Y-you won’t leave me?” Sonata whispered into Fluttershy’s chest.
“No, I won’t leave you,” Fluttershy replied.
And she meant it— she would never leave. She would always be there for her friend.
Sonata was gone when Fluttershy awoke the next morning.
Fluttershy searched her small apartment, but there was no sign of her; no note, no message on her phone, nothing.
A pang of worry filled her chest. Sonata was heartbroken yesterday, and now she had just up and disappeared.
Fluttershy desperately hoped her friend was okay.
“♫Aaaaah ahhh ahhh, ahhhhh ahhhhh.♫”
Three voices sang out in perfect harmony from the abandoned factory building.
“I can’t believe that actually worked!” Aria snorted.
“I know… I’m just as surprised as you are,” Adagio replied. “Who would have thought one of Sonata’s ideas would work?”
“I mean, it’s just so brilliant,” Aria added.
“A stroke of genius!” Adagio agreed.
Sonata gushed under the weight of their praise.
“I mean, it’s completely unexpected,” Aria said.
“I thought it was going to fall flat on its face, too.”
“Hey!” Sonata said with a scowl. She started to wonder if it was indeed praise her sisters were heaping on her.
“Well,” Adagio said, “you did find this spell on the internet.”
“On a webpage by someone who calls herself ‘High Priestess Chryssy of the Changeling Coven’,” Aria added.
“Seriously, who designed that website?” Adagio asked. “It looked like one of those goth kids threw up all over it.”
Aria snorted her approval.
“Well, it worked!” Sonata said, pouting. “I got our powers back, so you can thank me la— no, you can thank me now!”
“Very well,” Adagio replied, patting her youngest sister on the head. “You did very well. Sacrificing a hundred animals filled with love… it sounded so hokey, but I can’t complain that it didn’t work.”
Adagio looked around the room, where runes were painted across the floor with blood and viscera. Entrails draped over a pitch-black altar, with burnt candles made from animal fat. The place utterly stank.
“Ugh, it’s going to be so weird, feeding off of love instead of conflict now. Who does that? Who feeds on love?” Adagio complained. “Well, I need to have a shower and wash this off, at the very least.”
“I’m next!” Aria shouted.
“Awww!” Sonata pouted, annoyed at always being last. “Stupid older sisters.”
She looked around the room, to the gruesome display. It had been so much easier after she was able to steal the key to the shelter from Fluttershy’s dresser. It was a stroke of luck that Fluttershy had even brought the key home.
She’d had to move fast; Sonata didn’t even know that people could take animals away. Though looking at the scene, she was kind of glad Buddy was adopted early… it would have been hard plunging a knife through his heart.
“Okay, so after our shower, we burn this place down,” Adagio said. “And the human… she’s a loose end. Sonata, you’re going to have to—”
“No!” Sonata yelped. “No, please, I don’t want to hurt her!”
Adagio and Aria both stared at Sonata, dumbfounded.
“Why?”
“Well,” Sonata explained, “she’s my friend. Can’t… can’t I keep her?”
“Okay, fine!” Adagio rolled her eyes. “If you can train her, you can keep her. But you have to look after her, clean her, walk her, and make sure she is fed!”
“Thank you thank you thank you!” Sonata gushed, pulling her eldest sister into a bone-crushing hug.
Adagio hugged Sonata back. “How could I say no to those eyes?”