//------------------------------// // Chapter five - // Story: I stole your boyfriend, what are you gonna do about it? // by ultronquake //------------------------------// "So then I said 'Oatmeal, are you crazy?!'" The group downstairs erupted into laughter, unavoidable, obnoxious, intrusive laughter. This is how the last hour had gone, every time Aria was nearing a place where she could fall asleep, Sonata or Pinkie and once even Adagio would crack some joke and the cycle would repeat. She was getting to her edge, the smallest fraction of self-restraint stood between normal sane Aria Blaze and an Aria Blaze committing mass murder with kitchen implements. Thankfully the ruckus ended before she went overboard, Sunset Shimmer said she had to get back to the public housing before curfew so the long night ended. She even took Flash along with her, offering to drop him off at his home. Aria wasn't sure how she felt about that. Soon afterwards her sister's came upstairs and noisily plopped on their beds in the adjacent room. "Wow, I haven't had that much fun in decades!" "What did you even do?" "I got to eat a metric ton of tacos." "Is that all?" "Eh, what can I say, I'm a cheap date." Aria could hear her older sister facepalm even through the wall. "I must admit, my night wasn't completely unenjoyable either." "For realzies?" "Urgh, yes Sonata, for 'realzies.' We had a nice time at the theater and an intelligent discussion about the meaning about the ending. Although she's completely wrong, when the daughter looks out the window she's seeing her father taking flight, not that she's insane and hallucinating it." "Okay ... So you had a boring talk about a weirdo art film, is that all?" "N-No! She's also a nice conversationalist, a skill that you lack sister. And it turns out quite an interesting pony, or person, whatever. Turns out, before she left Equestria in a huff, Sunset was actually Princess Celestia's-" By now Aria was getting upset once more, cursing the thin walls with no sound insulation. "Would you two just shut up! I'm trying to sleep!" "Oh hai Ari, I didn't know you were still awake. How'd your date with Mr. Tall, Blue and Pasty go?" "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!" Aria screamed through the walls. "Just answer the question Aria, you know Sonata is just going to keep asking until you do. Besides I want to know as well." Angrily Aria pried herself from her bed and went into her sibling's room. "If I tell you will you promise to keep it down?" "No promises, so did you two have a snog in the bushes behind the restaurant? I want all the icky details." Sonata pulled out a ruled notebook, the contents of which Aria never wanted to see. "Sorry to disappoint, the only thing that happened in the bushes was Flash losing his dinner. Poor guy couldn't handle the spicy tuna." Adagio and Sonata looked at each other with puzzlement written on their faces. "Poor guy?" Quickly she tried to cover herself, "I mean stupid oaf! He pretty much ruined the night." Sonata looked disappointed, "Oh that's too bad, I guess that means you didn't even get to first base with him then." "No no, I stole a kiss." "Really? What's he taste like, besides vomit I mean." Adagio leaned in. "What the hell kind of question is that? I don't know, saliva." She was trying her darnedest not to convey that she'd actually enjoyed that stolen kiss. "There I told you what you wanted will you just let me get to sleep?" Sonata and Adagio shared a glance, "Not quite, we have one more question." "Yeah, when we first got back poor little guy was dozing away on the couch, all cozy and tucked in with a blanket. Now I wonder who could have done that?" Sonata had the smuggest smirk on her face, a look Aria wished she could wipe off. Aria's cheeks were flushing red, not that you could tell since her skin was already a light shade of violet. "W-well, it wasn't me. Must have been that creep sister of Pinkie Pie." "Oh. I actually hadn't thought about that. Here me and Dagi were thinking you had some actual human emotions for this guy and selflessly took care of him while he was sick. I'm so sorry I ever doubted you Ari." She wasn't sure if she should be insulted or not, it was hard understanding her sister sometimes. Scratch that, all the time. "Well just so long as it never happens again. Anyway tomorrow I'll be hanging around him while he's practicing with his band, which should give me plenty of opportunities." "I feel sorry for you Aria, I had to sit through their performance at the tryouts. I'll just say they make 'Dragon Sound' sound like gods of rock in comparison." "Who are Dragon Sound?" Sonata asked with a tilt of her head. "Exactly." Aria hadn't been there at the time, a bathroom trip became necessary after drinking too much of the grape juice that looked like apple juice. "Come on Adagio, they can’t be that bad." "Well I suppose you'll find out for yourself tomorrow won't you?" Adagio undid the schrunchie in the back of her hair, letting it all go wild. "I'm feeling pretty tired myself so you won't hear a peep out of me." "Are you kidding? I'm hopped up on so much caffeine I could stay up for weeks!" Sonata looked like it too. "Sonata if you wake me up once while I'm sleeping I'm going to stuff your stockings so far down your throat that you'll-" "Alright, alright. I'll just keep it inside." In a flash she began erecting a little wall between her and Adagio out of pillows and blankets. "This side will be SonatalandTM and your side will be Adagiopolis, the cruel military dictatorship." "Just as long as you let me get a good night’s sleep, good night Aria. Hope you have some luck swaying his affections tomorrow." "Yeah good luck Ari." For however much verbal abuse they spouted at each other, the Dazzlings still were a family. A highly dysfunctional and irregular family, but a loving one nonetheless. Aria took their kindness in stride and left the room, ending the night on a positive note. As she slipped away from consciousness Aria Blaze's dreams began to fill with thoughts of her upcoming conquest. Though, even in the dreams after she had gotten her revenge, Flash Sentry was still there. Odd.