The cafeteria was bustling with students of Canterlot High as they were enjoying their lunch. Sonata was also there, sitting next to the Humane 6. She found their silence unnerving, and tried to strike up a conversation. "So, seen any movies lately?" She made an awkward grin to the empty response, until Rainbow Dash turned her eyes towards the others.
"So why exactly are we letting one of the Dazzlings hang out with us?"
"You remember what principal Celestia said, right?" Rarity responded as she was stirring up her tea with a spoon. "Sonata left the Dazzlings, and thus has no home to call her own anymore."
"Isn't that her problem, though? Why are we dragged into this?" Rainbow took a bite from her towering sandwich.
"She did have a big stack of papers, right?" Pinkie Pie joined in. "A lot of important decision-making is afoot," she said in a dramatic way.
Applejack paused her eating, and added: "Someone like her who's from another world must be hard to explain to people in charge of stuff like that. I reckon the principal trusts in us to provide her with a home until that's all sorted out."
"But how are we going to choose who will take her in?" Fluttershy asked, placing her fork on her plate full of salad.
"We'll just each take turns housing her," Sunset said. "I think that's fair. What do you think, Sonata?"
The Humane 6 turned towards Sonata, all of them fixated on her. She smiled nervously in response. "Umm, works for me...I guess?"
"I think Princess Twilight should know about this," Rarity suddenly said. "Sunset, do you still have that book with you?"
"Of course," Sunset answered. "I always carry it in my bag. You never know when another world-threatening crisis caused by a power-hungry villain may happen," Sunset said. She immediately realized what she said from the expressions of the others, and added: "No offence, Dusk," causing everyone, including Dusk, to laugh out loud. "It's funny, because you were a power-hungry villain, too," she then said, and left the table silent again. She lifted her hands. "What did I say?"
***
Meanwhile, Aria was walking down the corridors of Canterlot High, on her way to lunch in the cafeteria. She was late, but she didn't care in the least: it didn't matter to her whether she was late for class or not, and she certainly wouldn't care if she got scolded or detention for it.
After her break-up with Adagio and Sonata, she decided she wanted nothing to do with either them or the Rainbooms, who ruined her last chance at ruling this world. However, she realized in retrospect that she cared less about world domination than Adagio, and was simply along for the ride. Now that the ride ended, she wanted to try something different: maybe join rock band or something; while she was no longer able to sing, she had a lot of knowledge about songwriting. As a Siren she had a natural talent for music, and Aria decided she could try to apply it in a manner that wouldn't result in extreme embarrassment like the last two times.
I could ask Flash Sentry if he could let me into their band, she thouht to herself. He seems to be the most open-minded out of all the Rockers.
However, just as she turned a corner she spotted a very familiar figure peeking through the door to the cafeteria: Adagio.
"Spying, huh?" Adagio dryly said, causing Adagio to startle. "That's pretty pathetic of you."
"It is reconnaissance Aria," Adagio responded, continuing to look through the glass door while occasionally holding her ear against it.
"Besides, nobody is more pathetic than a traitor who quits at the first signs of trouble."
"Yeah, the years we spent here banished and then having our gems destroyed are 'first signs'," Aria said in sarcasm. "Whatever, keep chasing your pointless dreams. You're going to be stuck like here, like the rest of us." She opened the glass door, and entered the cafeteria.
"Oh, contrary, Aria," Adagio kept talking to herself after Aria left. "I just found out something very interesting by eavesdropping on the Rainboom's babbling. And that something is the key to my newest plan..."