We walked out of my apartment with book bags on our shoulders. I made sure it was locked before heading out. As we were making our way to Sunset’s apartment, we went by the school once again. It was the spot where we decided to give our relationship a shot. I saw Aria stop and look at the statue.
“Still thinking about seeing Equestria in its current state?” I asked her.
“I don’t know. Let’s just go to the apartment.”
So we decided to continue to Sunset’s apartment. It was on the second floor of one of your common apartment complexes, one that was easy for Sunset to afford. I heard that she had gemstones from her own world to exchange for the money we had, since bits have no meaning in this world. Hard to say if it’s real gold or not, but gemstones have good value on the market, if you know what you have and where to go to. She knew it was enough for maybe four to five years with her living standards here, so when high school is finished for her, where she goes is her decision. But I’m hope that having three former sirens won’t hamper her living plans.
When we arrived at Sunset’s door, I knocked on it a few times.
“Hang on, hang on. I’m coming.” The door opened, revealing who was calling behind the door: Adagio. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the love couple coming over.”
“Shut up, Dagi,” Aria said as she pushed Adagio aside to get in. I followed behind her. “I’m just here to get changed, since I didn’t have a change of clothes this morning.” But she was stopped to see Sunset sitting on the couch with another purple-haired girl. “P-p-princess Twilight. W-w-what are you…”
“It’s OK, Aria. I’m just here to check up on how you girls are doing. And please, just call me Twilight. I’m not too big on titles.” She got up and started to walk towards me. “And you must be Gear Works.” She begins to shake my hand. “I’m sorry we never been introduced in person, but I’m grateful that you have been helping out with what we have been finding as of late. Sunset tells me that you’re good at creating theories.”
“I am, and I have some ideas from the diary you wanted me to look at. That’s why I’m here as well.”
“Oh, did you have some theories that would raise concern for Twilight?” Sunset asked me.
“I have, including one that came to me after last night when I was with Aria. But I think Adagio might be able to fill in some historic details on one issue.”
Aria asked, “Dagi, ever heard of the Umbrum?”
Adagio placed a finger on her chin, trying to think on the term. “It feels like a long time since I’ve heard that name. Is the coffee ready, my brain needs a wake up call.”
Sunset looked over at the coffee pot, and then said, “It’ll be another fifteen minutes. We can discuss it after he leaves. I’m guessing living for over a thousand years can make you forget a lot about the past.”
“Um missy, I hate to tell you this, but I’m still in my hundreds,” Adagio corrected. This left Sunset and Twilight confused.
I said, “Twilight, you might want to look at the latest theory that I thought of last night.” She opened the book to the extra sheets of papers, and I pointed to the one I was talking about.
“Parallel time travel?”
“Yes,” I said. “When Sombra was defeated over a thousand years ago, he placed a curse on the Crystal Empire, taking it with him. When it returned, you wrote that the Crystal Ponies didn’t remember a thing. I think the spell he cast was somewhat close to what Star Swirl cast on the sirens long ago.”
“You remember when we got dragged into the mirror back then while we were performing?” Aria asked Adagio.
“Of course. The next thing, we’re falling in an alley as human beings, with our gems as pendants carrying what little magic we had left. We spent over a month trying to understand this world and gather what energy to get stronger until we saw Equestrian magic in the air at night.”
“And there were electric lamp posts and two to three story brick buildings. We were wearing hoodies as part of the clothes that were given to us in this world,” Aria added.
“And that kind of stuff never appeared a thousand of years ago.” Sunset slapped her hand on her face. “That explains why you keep looking at that world history book you’ve been keeping all this time.”
“And the hero of CHS just finally found out how we really got here,” Adagio said like she just defeated the Rainbooms in one blow. “I can’t even believe you never asked me about that when we moved in with you. If I had my pendent with all that pony magic in it, you’re be begging for mercy right now.”
That’s when Aria slapped Adagio at the back of her head, causing her to look back at Aria in a rage.
“Well, you left all those shards at Gears’ place. You could have just kept them and maybe find a way to get your goddamn magic back just to do so,” Aria yelled.
“That, Aria, was a JOKE!!! Like you can’t even…” And that’s when it hit her. “Wait, did you find the shards that were with him?”
Aria yelled, “Damn right I did. Ever since last night at Sugarcube Corner, I wished I never had seen them in the first place. I wish I wasn’t even a damn siren, because all that did to us was nothing but trouble. Why just throw them in the trash, or bury them in the deep sea?”
“Because they can still be a threat to both our worlds,” Twilight said as she stood up. “Aria, this was my choice to begin with. I wasn’t sure if Star Swirl left any other threats in this world or not, and having the shards could be dangerous if exposed to the full effects of Equestrian magic in my world. That’s why we needed someone to trust to keep them safe until we know more about how they were created and if they were safe to be disposed of.”
“And that’s why they left them with me, Aria,” I said. “I knew I could keep them safe and maybe find out what kind of material they are as well. I have my ideas, but I need time to study the matter further.”
“I’m sorry,” Aria replied. “I just…excuse me while I go get changed.” And she walked off to her room, slamming the door.
Sunset said, “Sounds like you really had an effect on her, Gears.”
I said, “I know. And somehow, it’s going to be rough for her to get over it.”
Adagio said, “Give her some time. She’ll grow out of it. I know I’ve been trying to do so since I’ve moved in with Sunset.”
Aria opened the door and yelled, “Where’s Sonata?”
“Out on a date…AGAIN!!!” Adagio answered.
“Goddamn it.” Aria slammed the door again. “I’m going to kill her.”
Adagio laughed and said, “Sounds like Sonata got into Aria’s stuff before her big date.”
“Is that common?” I asked Adagio.
“Just about. At least it would get her mind off what we just talked about.”
Twilight came up to me and asked, “Gears, can we talk…in private?”
I looked at Sunset, not knowing how to respond. But she gave me a nod and a smile, assuring me that this would be important. So the two of us went outside while I waited for Aria.
“Look, I want to thank you on a few things,” Twilight said. “First off, I’m glad that you took the shards out of our hands and into yours. It gives me some relief from it until we know more. Second, thanks for looking over Sombra’s diary and bringing it back with some ideas in mind. I’ll be glad when I have it back where it belongs. That book gives me the creeps.”
“I’m glad I could help,” I responded.
“And last, Sunset told me how they tried to get you and Aria together so she can stop acting like a bully. She’s been giving me updates on any changes in the siren’s behavior, and what Aria was doing really worried me for a while.”
“I didn’t think it would work between us, but I think there’s a chance,” I said.
“Well, I hope it does, otherwise, Sunset will be regretting it ever since.”
“Why would she regret doing this,” I asked Twilight.
“I…guess she never has told you before.” I was confused at what she was trying to say. “I might as well get this out of the way. When I came back here to take on the sirens, Sunset made a confession to me. She told me how she once bullied you, but you wouldn’t budge. Then you offer your friendship to her after the Fall Formal. She’s been wanting to ask you out because of how kind you were to her, but with all the negative stares she was getting, well…”
“She didn’t want to drag me into her life,” I responded. “I can understand that from the start, because I’ve faced that before.”
“That’s not quite it. She was hoping that she could spend some time with you in someplace where it was just the two of you. But she wasn’t sure how to send that message to you. I guess it was her first experience at true love, but the timing was off. And even after she helped defeat the sirens, she couldn’t muster up the courage to finally ask you out. But seeing how you have helped Aria in making a change, she made the sacrifice to just let you go.”
“Well then, I might have to repay the favor and find her a boyfriend that can make her happy,” I said. “Speaking of which, since you had a thing for Flash, do you plan to see him while you’re here?”
“Oh, Flash?” She was in shock, and then started to fool with her hair. “Well, I…I don’t know. I…didn’t plan…on meeting him. Maybe?”
“Forget I bought it up,” I said. “I can see that you have a hard time reacting to something like that.”
“I guess I’m too focused on magic and being the Princess of Friendship that love’s something I need to learn about.”
“Just make sure you learn it soon. I’m sure some…ponies will use your status for their own means, if you catch my drift.”
“There’s just one more thing I need to ask you, Gears. When Aria touched the shards, anything happened that was out of the ordinary?”
“Nope,” I said. “If I was to take a guess, in the state they are in, there’s no way they can hold any dark magic. I think our former sirens are safe from its influence. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they can be fused or molded into a perfect gem just to hold that magic again.”
“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that,” Twilight said. “I’ll do what I can on my side to learn on those gems, if there’s anything worth finding.”
It was then that the front door opened and Aria walked outside. “Ready for our date, Gears?” I was stunned at her new look that she was showing. Unlike her usual look, she was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and jeans. And she didn’t bother with fixing up her pigtails; she just let all of her hair down. “What, don’t like my new look?”
“Actually, I do. It’s…it’s a nice look for you,” I said. “Let’s go then.”
So we said our goodbyes with Twilight, since we may not see her again in some time, and decided to walk towards the park. I figure it would be a good place to start for our first date. I recall hearing about several food trucks parked there every Saturday, so getting something to eat there will be a bonus. As we were making our way down there, we heard some activity at one of the outdoor basketball courts.
“Come on, man. I know you can’t get past me.”
“In your dreams, Dash.”
It was Rainbow Dash and Soarin having some one on one basketball. We stopped and watched the display going on. Soarin was making his way and jumping towards the basket, only to have Dash knock the ball out of his hands and send it bouncing towards us.
“Oh, hey there Gears. You and Aria on a date?” Dash asked as I picked up the ball.
“That’s right,” I replied as I passed the ball back to her. “Making our way to the park. What are you two doing?”
“Playing some b-ball,” Soarin replied. “Trying to beat Dash in some one on one.”
“Trying…and failing,” Dash added. “We could ask you two to join us, but I know sports isn’t your thing.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” I said. “Since you like to knock the wind out of me at every sport.”
“Hey Gears, can I talk to you for a moment?” Soarin said.
“Sure. Aria, why don’t you talk to Dash for a moment while I take care of this.”
So Aria walked over to where Dash was at while Soarin brought me away from the two.
“Your actually dating Aria…after what she’s done to the school?”
“She’s starting to change, OK? Besides, why haven’t you asked Dash out on a date yourself?”
“We are on a date,” Soarin replied, but I gave him that look that he wasn’t telling the truth. “OK, it’s not a date. I don’t know how to tell her this after we’ve been friends for so long. And what if I tell her and she rejects me on the spot?”
“I know, you don’t want to damage the friendship that you have earned for so long,” I said. “Look at her. You’re the only male athlete that’s come close to her standards. And I haven’t heard anyone trying to make a move on her, unless they were setting themselves up to fail. At least I haven’t before. Just take a chance. If you have to, use Aria and me as an example to get the hint across. Just…spend some time talking and see if you can find that spark that the two of you have been looking for.”
“OK, if you say so,” Soarin said with a hint of concern.
I looked back and called Aria, seeing if she was ready to go. She was and rejoined me as we were leaving Soarin and Dash to their basketball game while we went to the park. When we finally got there, we saw several food trucks out there. We looked at what trucks were there for today, and I pointed out the one with the grilled cheese sandwiches.
We decided to order one grill cheese sandwich, since it would be big enough to share, and a couple of drinks. It was another first for Aria, and she could tell because of how gooey the cheese was in the sandwich. She wanted to know about the other food trucks that were there, in which I explained to her what they have and how they operate. She started to learn what this world had to offer. It was like she was more human than before.
After we finished eating, we threw away our trash into the trashcan and I decided to take her to one spot in the park that she would enjoy. It was at a tree on top of a hill that looked over the park lake. I sat down right next to the tree and patted the spot next to me for Aria to sit. When she sat down, she wrapped her arm around mine and laid her head on my shoulder. We enjoyed the moment, until it was interrupted by a familiar blue girl with white hair.
“Well look what we have here. If it isn’t one of the girls that decided to mess with the Great and Powerful Trixie weeks ago. If you think you can avoid Trixie, then you are so mistaken. Trixie plans to get back for…what…you…did…” She soon noticed that I was with here. “Gears, what are you doing with this troublemaker?”
I replied, “First off, will you at least cut the theatrical act like always? I don’t have a problem with it, but it’s getting a bit old. And second, I’m on a date with the new Aria, not the bully that you used to know.”
“You know her?” Aria asked me.
“She’s sits next to me in my Science II class. We’ve worked on a few group assignments, but the way she talks can be a problem.”
“Trixie does not have a problem with how Trixie talks to others.” I just gave her a mean stare. “FINE!!! If you want me to talk like everyone else, then I’ll do it. I only talk like that because it makes me feel superior in front of others.”
Aria was surprised. “Wow. I didn’t know your stance against bullies would have an effect on Trixie.”
“It’s because bullies want to feel superior towards other,” I said, “if you haven’t forgotten what you were trying to do before.”
“Good point,” Aria responded.
‘It’s because I don’t want to feel weak in front of others,” Trixie said as she sat down not far from where we were sitting. “I’ve been picked on when I was little. And this was the only was to make sure I wasn’t weak in front of them.”
I asked, “If you knew this from the start, why didn’t explain it to me in the first place?”
“Because you didn’t need to know,” Trixie replied. “But, since it’s possible that we will have to work together again, it might be wise to explain it to you. Just don’t tell this to anyone, OK?”
“Our lips are sealed,” Aria replied.
It went quiet for a moment before Trixie broke the silence.
“Aria, you should be lucky to have him at your side.”
“What makes you say that?” Aria asked Trixie.
“Well…look at him. He’s able to stand up for himself and never backs down. Not many students have the guts to do that.”
“Well thanks for the complement,” I said, “but I think there’s more to it than just that.”
Trixie took a deep breath and said, “There is. I have a class with Rarity, and she heard from Applejack early in the school year that someone was able to stand up to Sunset on their first day. I was surprised to hear this and thought that…well…maybe he’s the one for me.”
“Wait, you had a crush on me?” I asked her.
“I did, but seeing how you couldn’t stand the way I talk, plus the fact that I didn’t want to remove the mask I had on me in front of everyone else, made it more of a challenge to confess. But when Rarity knew that we had the same science class, she wanted to know more about you from my view because she was curious. The one thing that stood out was the fact that you were good at math classes, like you told me. So she decided to set up a study session with you just to learn more about you.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “You mean that study session I had weeks before the Fall Formal was an excuse to get to know me better? Why didn’t she just ask me in the first place?”
“She wasn’t sure,” Trixie relied. “And I had a feeling that she would have her as your boyfriend instead of me. I know she’s better than me when it comes to guys, but after I heard that she lost interest in you because you were curious about Applejack, I just gave up as well. And then there was that Twilight verses Sunset episode that just sidetrack everyone around, I guess we all forgot about you because you didn’t show at the Fall Formal.”
“Damn,” Aria responded. “Talk about mixed messages in finding true love. And you don’t need a siren’s song to make that happen. But we wouldn’t be able to absorb anything out of that.”
“And why would that be, Miss Aria?” Trixie said with a strict tone.
“Because the energy we absorb comes from anger, not confusion.”
Trixie thought for a moment before she responded. “You might have a point.”
Trixie got up, cleared her throat, and said, “Well, Trixie doesn’t want to bother the lovely couple any further, so Trixie will head onward to wherever Trixie is needed. Bye.” And she walked away from us.
“Well that was interesting,” Aria said. “To find out that Trixie and Rarity had an interest in you.”
“You can throw Sunset in the mix as well,” I said.
Aria was confused about that, so I explained what Twilight told me about Sunset’s interest in me.
“Well that explains everything,” Aria said. “Do you think that Applejack would have been interested in you as well?”
“Don’t know,” I replied. “But I don’t think it would matter now. Maybe fate led us together.”
“Let’s just hope Dash and Soarin are finally dating,” Aria said.
“I hope so.” Then I just realized what she said. “Hold on, how did you know that?”
“While you were talking to Soarin, Dash was asking me how she should approach him about her feelings for him.”
I asked, “And how long was she interested in him?”
“For quite a while. She wouldn’t say.”
“Well, I guess their first date will hit off well,” I said.
“Well, it wasn’t much of a first date for us, but we learned a lot about you and our friends as well,” Aria said.
“There’s still time before we have to go back. Let’s enjoy it why we still can.”
So we spent an hour at the same spot, watching the view and everything that went by. We decided to head back to drop Aria off at Sunset’s apartment so that she could have dinner with her sisters (and give Sonata a piece of her mind). We gave each other a parting kiss on the lips and promised to meet together Monday morning at school. I went back to my apartment for a quick bite to eat and relax for the night, when I got a call from an unknown number.
“I know Aria or her sisters have a cell phone, so who would be calling me this late?” I said to myself.
I answered the phone and said, “Hello, may I ask who this is?”
“It’s me, sugarcube. Applejack.”
“Applejack? How did you get my number?”
“Sunset gave it to me. After what happened last night, I figure I get this off my chest. After I talked to Rarity about what she was doing talking about my parents, we decided to put it all in the past. She was just surprised that you were interested in me since I gave you the school tour, and it just slipped out.”
“I think it’s because she was interested in me. Trixie told me about it”
“I know. Rarity told me as well. I guess you came across Trixie today. She didn’t give you any problems, did she?”
“Nope, just wanted to get something off her chest as well.”
“I think I know what that would be, but I might as well do the same. When I saw how you stood up to Sunset that day, I was impressed as to how bold you were in front of her. And you did the same in helping Fluttershy later on. She told me this. In fact, I actual wished that we shared at least one class together.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, I was hoping you would have asked me out to the Fall Formal back then when we crossed paths at times. But for some reason, you never brought it up. But I guess it was good that you didn’t, or you would have been caught up in the magical takeover that happened. Plus we were busy helping Twilight win the crown so that she can have it back and return home with it. Besides, you have Aria now, and that’s the best thing that could ever happen to you. She needs someone to show her what she should be doing with her life, and I know you can do that.”
“Well…I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, just remember. If you break up with her, don’t expect any of us to be her replacement, you hear? You treat her right, OK?”
“OK Applejack, I will. And tell the girls that I plan to her them find boyfriends if I can. I should repay you all for what you did, even if it was planned.”
“Most of us shouldn’t have a problem with that, even Sunset. But I’m sure that Adagio could use some help. Just swinging those hips ain’t helping her one bit.”
“OK, I start with her when I get the chance. I hope to run by you at school Monday.”
“You too partner. Bye.”
I hanged up on my phone and said to myself, “Can’t believe she was interested in me from the beginning. But I think this was the best for all of us. Aria is an interesting girl, even if she was a siren. Maybe she could help me in understanding the shards and how her powers once work, if she’s brave enough to face her fears. I know nothing happened when she touched them, so they could be harmless. But I won’t know unless we trust in each other to do this. We might be different, but I know we’re human, and that we can make mistakes and learn from them. We just need to believe that we can make this happen.”