//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Extra Sugar // by IceCubeCat //------------------------------// The school bell chimed, and Sonata and Pinkie Pie just finished decorating their cupcakes. Pinkie immediately shoved one in her mouth. "Mmm, thifh ifh amathinh," said Pinkie Pie, with her mouth completely stuffed. "Come again?" asked Sonata, not at all sure what Pinkie Pie was trying to say. "This is amazing," repeated Pinkie. "Here, I take five more, and you take the remaining six. It's the perfect plan!" Pinkie Pie carefully put Sonata's six cupcakes into a nice container, while she threw her remaining five into her bag. "You're giving me half?" Sonata questioned the friendly gesture, pouring through her memory to see if she could remember someone ever giving her anything without a price to pay. "Of course. We made them, after all. You are also officially a new friend of Pinkie Pie." She reached into her bag and pulled out a noisemaker and blew it left and right in joy. "We're... friends?" Sonata's face lit up a bit, processing the thought of having a new friend. "Why wouldn't we be friends?" Pinkie put away the noisemaker. "After all, friends who bake together, stay together." Pinkie ran out of the classroom, bouncing with every step. Sonata held her bin of cupcakes closely to her chest, protecting what was kindly given to her. She walked slowly to her next class, observing the friendships around her. At this point, she wasn't sure if she wanted to ruin the happiness of others anymore. If anyone felt half as good as she did when receiving the cupcakes today, they deserved it. Would going without magic for the rest of her life really be worth it? Second period flew by and everyone in Canterlot High made their way to lunch. On the way, Sonata decided to try to share the cupcakes with her friends. Surely they will appreciate the gesture of kindness. "Want a cupcake?" said Sonata, as she sat down at lunch with a bin full of half- a-dozen cupcakes, wearing a large grin on her face. "We made them with extra sugar and whipped cream." Sonata proudly unveiled the cupcakes to Adagio and Aria; frosting spiraled higher than the cupcakes themselves. This was the first thing Sonata got to bake in years without Adagio or Aria finishing it for her. Adagio and Aria thought Sonata was incapable of doing anything by herself, even baking cupcakes. "We have more important things to deal with than cupcakes that are too sweet to handle." Adagio looked at Sonata in frustration. "Without a plan, we're just wasting our time around this school of idiots." Sonata's face fell when they didn't take her kind offering. "Too bad, more for me." Skipping by with a plate full of spaghetti in her hand was Pinkie Pie. She gave a rapid but subtle wave to Sonata on the way to her table with her five other friends. Sonata slowly waved back with her hand halfway under the table, not wanting Adagio and Aria to know about her new friendship. They definitely noticed what happened. "Why are you waving to her?" Aria looked at Sonata with her usual irritated look. Aria's mind quickly went through the moment the Rainbooms defeated them. Her irritation quickly turned to rage as she thought more about it. "We made cupcakes together. Sheesh, don't get so worked up. It's not like we're friends or anything." Sonata stuffed her face with a cupcake to avoid more conversation. "Yeah, right. You should have seen how your face lifted when you saw her wave at you." Adagio got up to throw her finished plate of food away. When she came back, she sat down closer to Sonata. "Listen closely. We're your friends. Do you want to lose us? We're the only friends you need. No one else, understand?" Sonata's mind was jumping through every outcome in this situation. These two were the only ones she'd ever really known. She couldn't risk losing them. Sonata shoved a lie through her teeth. "I only waved so she thinks I like her. Obviously I'm coming up with some plan to steal their magic." "Well in that case, good work, Sonata." Adagio's rage-filled face turned to a face of contentment. "For once," added Aria. Adagio smiled. "Tell me more of this so-called 'plan' to steal their magic." "I don't know how to do it. I'm just brainstorming." "Very well. Since the pink one seems to be interested in you, I'll leave you to figure out how to go about stealing their magic." Sonata nervously looked at the table of six containing her newfound friend, not even fully understanding what it is to be a friend. She was still processing what to consider anyone in her life now. *** "So Pinkie, why did you wave to one of those things?" Rainbow Dash gestured to the table of Sirens. "I made a new friend, duh." Pinkie Pie slurped up her spaghetti, making it as loud as possible. "Ain'tcha you worried 'bout one of them tryin ta steal yer magic er somethin'?" Applejack had a concerned look on her face. "I'm sure we can all agree that this here is a bad idea." "Evilness aside, Pinkie Pie, darling, how could you possibly be friends with someone who wears their hair like that?" Rarity flipped her hair. "It's simply a disgrace to fashion." Sunset Shimmer spoke up. "Maybe it isn't a bad idea. What if we can show them the magic of friendship? Maybe get them to be good?" "Sunset Shimmer does make a good point." Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "If she was able to go from looking like a terrible flying monster to being our friend, then the Sirens can too." Fluttershy looked nervously at Sunset Shimmer. "No offense." "None taken," said Sunset Shimmer with a sigh. "We'll all be best friends soon, you'll see!" Pinkie slurped up the last noodle of her spaghetti. The bell rang and everyone got up to go to their next class. Sonata had to go to English class with Aria. That made it hard for her to just sit and think. Arriving at the classroom, she went to the back of the room and set her head on her desk. She didn't pay attention at all; she had too much on her mind. Pinkie Pie wasn't making fun of her outbursts or her ideas. In fact, Pinkie was nicer to her than the friends that she'd had for her entire life. Adagio and Aria didn't even seem care about her opinion. The rest of the day raced by as all she was consumed by was her thoughts.