Sonata Dusk slowly slid down the wall, tears trickling down her cheeks.
Aria Blaze slammed a clenched fist into the fall, and hissed after Adagio, “You bitch!”
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle stood around feeling helpless and uncertain.
Fluttershy poked her head in through the front door, bags of shopping in either hand.
“Oh, is this a bad time? This is a bad time; I'll come back later.”
Backing out, she bumped into Pinkie Pie and Rarity, approaching from the other direction, causing Pinkie to drop one of the bags she was carrying.
While the three girls fussed around the spilled groceries, Aria turned an angry glare on Sonata. In two strides, she covered the distance between them, then bent down and hoisted Sonata upright by her jacket.
“Stop it.” Aria growled. “You hear me? Stop crying.”
Sunset and Applejack moved to intervene, but didn't reach them before Aria brought a hand up and swung it into Sonata's face, slapping the younger girl hard enough to send her sprawling into Rarity.
“You wanna cry?” yelled Aria, as Sunset and Applejack grabbed her arms and pulled her back. “I'll give you something to cry about; When we get home I'll make you howl.
“But not for her. You understand?” Aria's voice broke a little. “Don't make that face for her. She doesn't deserve it, and we don't need her.”
Sonata stood up, brushing aside Rarity's help. She walked across the gap slowly, until she stood right in front of Aria. Already, Sonata had stopped crying, and a weak smile lifted the corners of her mouth. Aria had gone limp in Sunset and Applejack's grip.
“Aria,” Sonata whimpered, lifting her sister's chin with one hand “you —” she leaned forward, “your mascara is running.”
Without warning, Sonata brought her other hand up sharply against Aria's cheek, causing Applejack and Sunset to flinch back in surprise. Their grip slackened, and when Aria suddenly rushed forward, she was easily able to slip from their grasp.
Snarling, Aria shoved one hand into Sonata's face and drove her back against the wall. Sonata responded by kicking Aria's shin, grabbing her wrist with one hand, and shoving her other, clawed, hand into Aria's breast. Aria brought her other hand up to Sonata's shoulder. The two of them rolled along the wall, so that it was now Aria who was driven back.
“Got you back, loser!” Sonata exclaimed gleefully, through Aria's grasping claws.
“Only 'cause you cheated!” responded Aria, finding a handhold on Sonata's ear and shoving her back across the hall.
Sonata's legs collided with a low table, and she fell back to a half-sitting, half-leaning position. She released Aria's wrist, grabbing the back of Aria's shoulder on instinct, to steady herself. Aria shifted the hand on Sonata's face around to the side, catching her before she hit the wall, then cradling rather than clawing her sister's head. Sonata flattened the hand resting on Aria's breast, and Aria moved her other hand down from Sonata's shoulder, to her waist. The two girls stood, panting, pressed together with Aria leaning over Sonata.
“We don't need her.” Aria brought her forehead forward to rest against Sonata's, and the two girls stared into each other's eyes, gently rocking together. “You hear me?” she breathed, “We don't need anyone else.”
Rarity cleared her throat.
“Ahem. Um, not to interrupt, but these bags are rather heavy, do you think we could possibly get through to the kitchen?”
Sonata raised a hand from Aria's chest to her cheek, both girls seeming to ignore Rarity. “She's our sister,” Sonata said, simply.
At this, Aria pulled away, and folded her arms, stepping aside to let Rarity past.
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie headed to the kitchen with their bags. Applejack went with them. That left Sunset, Rainbow Dash and Twilight in the hall with Aria and Sonata. When Aria walked off into the living room, Sonata followed her, and the other girls followed behind.
Standing in the middle of the room, with her back to the others, Aria spoke.
“You're the worst, Sonata.”
“No, you're the worst, Aria.”
“Moron.”
“Loser.”
“Vapid whore.”
“Dumb slut.”
The three other girls watched in bewilderment. It… sounded like they were fighting, or at least, it should have done, from the words they were using, yet both girls were smiling, and their tone was soft.
Sonata threw herself onto the couch. Aria crossed the room, and sat down next to her.
“I hate you,” said Aria, “you know that, right?”
“Not as much as I hate you,” Sonata grinned.
“No, I hate you more.” Aria turned, wiggling her eyebrows and running a hand across Sonata's navel.
“I hate you more.” Sonata turned towards Aria, tilting her head.
“Nuh-uh.”
“Yah-ha.”
Sunset coughed, gently, and gestured that maybe she and the other girls should leave.
This seemed to break the spell, though, as the two girls pulled apart.
“She's our sister,” repeated Sonata.
“We don't need her.”
Sonata pouted, turning puppy-dog eyes on Aria, who turned away and stood up, folding her arms again.
“Aria,” whined Sonata, “I don't wanna leave until Adagio says we're sisters again.”
Aria groaned. “Ugh. Fine,” she said, “I guess we can stick around a little longer.”
“Uh,” began Sunset.
“Don't hold your breath, though”, Aria continued “— Adagio's even more thick-headed than you.”
“You're staying?” asked Sunset.
“You have a problem with that?”
“Well, I'll need to check with Fluttershy; It is her home. And honestly, I'm not so sure it's such a good idea.”
“Fine, you ask her.” Aria headed for the door to the hall. “I need a drink.”
As Aria stepped into the hall, she was just in time to notice Fluttershy headed up the stairs. Aria ignored this, and continued towards the kitchen. Sunset Shimmer, following close behind Aria, didn't notice Fluttershy, so followed Aria to the kitchen instead.
Moments earlier, Applejack had recounted recent events to the three girls who had been out shopping, while Rarity began to unpack.
“Oh dear, I'd better go see if she's alright,” Fluttershy had said, thrusting her bags onto Applejack and hurrying out of the kitchen with a deeply worried expression.
Now Fluttershy was outside her own room, knocking on the door.
“Um, Adagio? Can-can I come in please?”
“Getting dressed!” came the grumpy reply.
“Oh, okay.” Fluttershy stood nervously outside the door, waiting, until Adagio opened it.
“What?”
“Oh, um, Applejack told me what happened. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No,” Adagio snarled. She headed back into the room, but left the door open. Fluttershy hovered on the threshold, but didn't speak.
“I just…” Adagio began, and Fluttershy stepped inside, closing the door behind her.