//------------------------------// // 23. Sonata Dusk // Story: X Steps Through The Portal // by Tennis Match Fan //------------------------------// "Uh, Aria? I'm going out for a bike ride?" Sonata Dusk called. Even through it was a statement, the ditzy way she said it made it feel like a question. Aria Blaze, who sat on the couch watching Hoofflix, nodded. Her eyes didn't leave the TV screen. "It's all good, Sonata," Aria responded. She tossed a pretzel into her mouth. Sonata grinned as she walked out the front door of their house. The little house she, Adagio, and Aria shared had a basketball hoop on the side of it. Beneath the hoop was Sonata's treasured bicycle. Sonata strapped her pink and blue helmet on (moderately hard considering her ponytail) before gripping the handlebars and wheeling out the bike to the front yard. In the front yard, Adagio Dazzle happened to be gardening, which she had taken up after the Battle of the Bands. "Going for a bike ride?" She asked, sweeping back a lock of golden hair. "Yeah!" Sonata agreed, waving. "I'll be back in twenty-four minutes!" Adagio rolled her eyes and patted soil down. "You know you don't have to give me the exact time," she commented. "You've told me that!" Sonata responded cheerfully. She swung her left leg over the bike and plopped down onto the seat. Sonata started peddling down the driveway. "Bye!" Sonata called. Adagio waved as she rode down the sidewalk. Sonata beamed. However, as soon as she turned the corner, her smile morphed into a sinister grin. "Adagio would, like, kill me if she knew I know what I know," Sonata exclaimed. The ominous moment was shattered by the next words that flew out of her mouth: "Wait, I know what? Or does Adagio know? How do I know what I know?" Sonata had herself muddled. She shrugged it off before she increased her cycling speed. Sonata didn't even bother checking the street before crossing. Nobody drove around here. Not on a Saturday, anyway. "Wheeeeee!" Sonata squealed in childish delight as the wind rushed through her long ponytail and whipped her bangs back. In a moment, she had crossed the street and was pedaling straight down a path that led to a marble statue outside of Canterlot High School. But it wasn't a statue to Sonata- it was a portal. Sonata stopped pedaling as the bike increased speed- Note: The stunt Sonata is attempting is probably impossible unless you are the waifu siren of a thousand bronies. Do not attempt at home. "Whoopee!" Sonata was an incredible gymnast, for reasons unknown, and her flexible abilities allowed her to swing up onto the seat of the bike and dive off a moving bike straight at the portal. If it had been a normal statue, Sonata's head would've cracked open and she would die. Obviously, it was a portal, so Sonata just flew straight through. "Realziiiiiiiiiies!" Sonata cried as she flew through a familiar experience: her body morphing and transforming as she traveled through dimensions at a bazillion miles an hour. Sonata landed a perfect back flip when the portal spit her out into the pony world. Sonata, who's eyes had been closed, peeked out of one magenta eye. Her gaze traveled downwards. "Hooves!" Sonata gasped, nearly crying in joy. "I'm a pony again!" She wrapped her hooves tightly around herself, as if Sonata was embracing a long-lost friend. "Oh my goodness!" Sonata exclaimed. "What do I do now? I mean, there's no way I'm gonna tell Adagio or Aria, they'd just exploit it without seeing the sheer joy of being a pony!" Sonata tapped her new hooves on her chin thoughtfully. It was easier to think as a pony. Her mind felt clearer. "How about I go exploring?" Sonata suggested to herself. "After all, I have no idea where I am!" And Sonata trotted off. Being inside a castle held no interest to her. What really mattered was- "OUTSIDE!" Sonata cried as she took in the lush scenery. Birds flew through the air. Oak trees blew in the wind, and a dirt path in front of Sonata led to a quaint town in the distance. "Yeah, well, uh, so, that looks like Ponyville," Sonata stated after trying out a dozen interjections. She had never been to Ponyville before, having only read about it in textbooks. "New place!" Sonata clapped her hooves in delight. She never would have admitted it to Aria or Adagio, but Sonata didn't mind coming to new places. Sure, it had taken a few years to accept the human world, but all in all it hadn't been so bad. And neither would Ponyville, for the two minutes she would be there. With an excited giggle, Sonata took off trotting. There was nopony walking, so she was all alone. "I wonder what the ponies here look like," Sonata wondered as she traveled. "Would they, like, all be pegasi? What if it's entire army of alicorns?" A look of terror crossed Sonata's face. "What if they all recognize me?" She questioned, trotting faster. "What if they blast me to pieces and I did here and Adagio and Aria have no idea what happened to me?" In the next second, the terror was washed away. "Meh," Sonata shrugged, resuming her normal pace. "If I do, Adagio and Aria won't miss me." In almost no time at all, Sonata had soon arrived in Ponyville. Ponies trotted about, chatting amiably amongst themselves. In particular, however, was a group of five mares sitting around a table. Though Sonata couldn't place them, they looked eerily familiar. "Hi!" She exclaimed, trotting up. "How are you?" All five turned to look at her. A pink earth pony with a poofy fuchsia mane gasped. "Ohmigosh, Dusky Sonnet!" She yelled, appearing at Sonata's side almost instantly. "My name's Son-" The mare stuck a hoof in Sonata's mouth as she began to correct her. "If you don't want to die, pretend your name is Dusky Sonnet," she hissed before resuming in a cheerful tone, "Have you guys met Dusky? She's a friend of mine from a really far away place!" "Hello, dear!" a white unicorn with a mane of violet ringlets was the first to speak up. "My name is Rarity!" Rarity?" The name sounded familiar to Sonata. "Howdy, pardner! Call me Applejack!" added an orange earth pony with striking green eyes. Her blonde hair was gathered in a ponytail, and a light brown hat sat atop her head. Sonata's eyes widened in realization. "You guys are the-" "Rainbow Dash is the name!" cut in a light blue pegasus with a distinct rainbow mane. "Winning is the game!" "Rainbow." Applejack rolled her eyes. "I'm Fluttershy," admitted the final mare in a soft voice. She was a butter yellow pegasus with large turquoise eyes half-hidden beneath a mane of pink. "And of course, you know me!" The pink mare added, grinning widely at Sonata. "Yeah, Pinkie Pie," Sonata replied, placing way too much emphasis on Pinkie Pie's name. "How could I forget you?" "You couldn't ever forget me!" Pinkie squealed. She turned to the rest of her friends. "I have to talk with Dusky for a teensy weensy little bit!" She told them. "I hope you guys don't mind!" The four shook their heads, murmering various versions of the word "no": "Not at all!", "Be my guest!", "Shucks, who am I to keep you from your friends?" "Yay!" Pinkie bounced away, Sonata beside her. Once they were a safe distance away, Sonata began, "You're a Rainboom! In the other world, I mean! Why did you call me Dusky?" "Becausssssse," Pinkie answered, giving Sonata a quick hug. "We know all about Twilight's adventures in the other world. Everypony's my friend, but it's going to take them a liiiiiitle longer to forgive you for hurting them, even if you didn't hurt them, you hurt them. On the other side of the portal." Pinkie raised a hoof and pointed in the direct Sonata had arrived from. "Besides," Pinkie continued, "if Twilight knew you came through, she might close the portal so nopony else could! And we can't let that happen, can we?" She winked. "No way!" Sonata agreed. "With this portal, Equestria's gonna feel like a little vacation!" "Yay!" Pinkie clapped her hooves excitedly. "So, are you gonna tell the other Dazzlings?" "Well, I'm not sure," Sonata admitted, rubbing a hoof self consciously. "I'm afraid-" "Hey, it's alright!" Pinkie stuffed a hoof in Sonata's mouth to keep her from talking. "If you don't want to, that's fine." She smiled at Sonata for a moment, then- "Twilight's coming!" Pinkie cried. "We were waiting for her and now she's here! Run, Sonata!" Pinkie gave her a little shove. "Bye, Pink Pony!" Sonata called, already forgetting Pinkie's name. "Bye, Dusky Sonnet!" Pinkie called, waving before bouncing back to the rest of the friends. Sonata galloped as fast as her pony hooves could carry her. She had to get back to the human world before Twilight did, or she'd never get back! "Hooray!" Sonata cheered when she reached the base of the castle. Since Sonata was an IGFUR (Incredible Gymnast for Unknown Reasons), she had barely broken a sweat after her run. Sonata trotted up two flights of stairs to arrive at the mirror. "Hooray!" She cheered again. Turning around, Sonata cast one last glance around the room. "See ya later, Equestria!" She jumped straight through. ... "Noooooo!" Sonata wailed on the other side. Her bike lay next to the portal, bent out of shape from when she had ditched it during her IGFUR stunt. "MY BIIIIIIKE!"