//------------------------------// // The girl behind you // Story: In a time of need // by Small Muffin //------------------------------// "I'm going for a walk, I'll be back later," Aria said as she slammed her front door, and walked away from her house, only to walk into a pair of girls, apparently waiting outside her house. "What do you want?" she asked. "Nothing," one of them replied. "Then get the fuck out of my way!!!" she demanded. The two girls moved out Aria's way, and she walked past them, down the street. Then why are you waiting outside my house? she thought. "What's wrong with her?" one of the girls asked. "Who knows?" a familiar voice replied. That voice? Aria stopped and shifted more of her attention to the two girls conversation behind her. "Beats me, she was like that last night aswell." Aria turned her head around so she could get a glimpse of them out of the corner of her eye. She recognized one of them as the girl from last night, Trixie, and while it took her a moment, she recognized the other girl was one of the girls who had defeated her, Adagio and Sonata. One of the six girls Sunset was close to. When the two of them started walking away, Aria turned around and slowly stared atthem for a moment. Are they still looking for Sunset? she asked herself, looking over at her appartment. She was about to approach them, and confront them about Sunset, but before she even took her first step towards them, she thought that might not be the best idea. While Sunset was in the appartment that was literally right next to them, they were both walking away, so they hadn't found her already, though she did smile at the thought of what Adagio would do to them both if they stepped through that door, it would be better for Sunset if they didn't find her. But despite all that, it always was fun to screw with people. Aria came to a decision, She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a coin, Heads, you screw with them, tails, it's not worth it, she flipped the coin into the air, and caught it as it fell. She opened her hand, and looked at the coin, as a dark grin began to grow on her face, a grin she hadn't made in quite a while. She looked up from her hand, towards the two girls that were now a fair distance away, and began to close the gap between them. Rainbow and Trixie continued down the street of appartments, though they had to turn around and head back towards the bus stop. Behind them was one of the sirens from the battle of the bands, and they both thought it was best to not go the direction she was going. "So how much of this place have you searched?" Rainbow asked. "Trixe looked all over this place," Trixie replied, "And no one had seen her, Trixie even had a picture of her from one of your performances." Trixie reached into her pocket and pulled out the photo to show Rainbow. It was a small picture of the Rainbooms practicing in the music room, luckily they didn't have their pony ears, wings, or hair. Sunset's face had been circled with a red marker. "This was the only photo you could find?" Rainbow asked, "You couldn't find one of just her?" "Well, Trixie could've used one of her Princess of the Fall formal photos, but I shouldn't have to explain why that would've been a bad idea," Trixie said uneasily. "You know, she kept taking those down, and someone kept putting them back up," Rainbow said. "Yeah... I really don't know what I was trying to accomplish in doing that again," Trixie mumbled. "That was you?" Rainbow asked, though after what Trixie had just told her, about how she had it out for Sunset, it wasn't all that surprising. "Guilty as charged," Trixie replied dryly. They had reached the bus stop that they had walked away from not long ago, "You really did have it out for her didn't you?" Rainbow asked. "Hey, how about a joke?" Trixie asked, clearly wanting to change the subject. Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Sure..." Trixie opened her mouth, but was cut off by someone behind them. "Three sirens walk into a school full of idiots and brainwash everyone." Trixie and Rainbow turned around to see the person behind them was the siren from earlier. "What? I thought it was funny," she replied dryly, before sitting down on the bus stops bench. "Uh, Trixie, didn't she walk the other way?" Rainbow asked. "Yeah, but I forgot the bus stop was this way," the siren replied, "And yes, I can hear you." "What do you want?" Rainbow asked, taking a step away from the siren. "My name's Aria, not You," Aria replied, harshly, "And what does it look like I'm doing? I'm waiting for the bus." "Well, good luck with that," Trixie replied. Aria glanced at Trixie, "Oh, hey, you're the one from last night?" she asked, "Trixie, right?" "Tha... Y, yeah, I am. So What?" Trixie stuttered. "Uh... Trixie..." Rainbow whispered. "So did you find what you were looking for last night?" Aria asked. "Why do you care?" Trixie asked, "Trixie..." Rainbow repeated, "Don't answer..." "Hey, I'm just curious is all," Aria said, "Oh well, I guess it doesn't concern me anyway," she shrugged. "You're right, it doesn't," Rainbow said. She quickly spun around, and grabbed Trixie, "Lets go." "So, I guess you changed partners then today," Aria said calmly. "Changed partners?" Trixie repeated confusedly, "What do you mean?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "You and that other girl were looking around here last night," Aria said. "Trixie, she's just trying to mess with you!" Rainbow said, "Now can we go?" "Trixie doesn't quite understand, I was on my own last night, there was no one with me," she said, still confused. "Yeah, there was. She was right behind you, she had like, firery hair and a black leather jacket on...." "What?" Rainbow asked. Aria pointed at Dash, "You know her, she was in your band when you, her, and six other girls stripped us of our magic," she said nonchalantly. "What was her name again... Sunflower something?" "W... What did you just say?" Trixie asked. Aria gave Trixie a confused look, "That she was with her and about six other girls when they took away our magic?" "No no, before that," Trixie said. "She had a nice black leather jacket on?" Aria said, still looking confused. "You said Sunset was right behind Trixie," Rainbow said in a very aggressive tone, "Why would you say that?" Aria looked at them both, "I... I don't get the question," she said, slowly. "Why would you say Sunset was behind Trixie?" Dash repeated, "It's a simple question." "Is there something I'm missing?" Aria asked, "Why is it such a big deal that someone was behind you? You didn't seem to care, when Sonata said there was someone there." Trixie felt a shiver rush down her spine. "...Excuse me?" she asked nervously. "Remember when Sonata ran past you, and about a minute later, just as you ran off, she called for me and Adagio to help carry her?" Trixie froze on the spot. "...No..." She mumbled. She could remember the conversation from last night, when one of them walked past her to go see someone else, and right before Trixie ran off to continue searching for Sunset, she did call for help carrying something. "Sunset had hurt her leg, and needed a hand getting up," Aria continued, "Is she alright, cus she seemed rather, depressed?" she asked, "Hell, I don't even think she recognized us. When she got up, she just, walked off the same way you went." Dash was looking at Trixie, "Hey... Trixie... You alright?" she didn't get a reply. A bus began to approach the stop, at which Aria finally stood up. "Well, there's my bus," neither Trixie, nor Rainbow replied. As the bus stopped, and the doors opened, Aria boarded the bus, "Oh well, see you two, whenever, I guess." After Aria had paid for her ride, the bus doors closed, and the bus itself drove off, leaving the two girls. "Trixie, you know she's lying," Dash said, although admittedly, she was trying to convince herself of just that. Trixie sat down on the bench, in the same spot Aria was sitting. "I don't believe it," she said weakly. "Trixie, what did I just say?" Rainbow asked. "Sunset was right behind me," Trixie said. "No she wasn't! You hear me?" Rainbow asked. "She was just trying to get to you, it's what those sirens do." Trixie didn't reply. "She was lying, alright." As much as Trixie wanted to believe Rainbow, she had this feeling inside her, a terrible gut feeling that, no matter how much she wanted to, she just couldnt deny. Tears began to fall from her eyes, as she covered her face with her hands, she just couldn't believe she was so close. Sunset was right there, she was right behind me.