//------------------------------// // Episode 12: Party Time // Story: Equestria Girls: Friendship Souls // by thatguyvex //------------------------------// Episode 12: Party Time When Pinkie Pie planned a party, she always pulled out all the stops. Didn’t matter what the reason for the party was, the important thing was that she did everything she could to make sure that it was the most fun anybody could possibly want to have and that not a single person left without a massive smile on their face. And if there was anybody she knew who needed some smiles put on their faces, it was those siren girls. Sure they might have been kinda mean and tried to dominate the school and beyond with mind controlling, magic stealing singing, but who cared about the details? Pinkie Pie had plenty of friends who did things like that. Sunset, Twilight... huh, now that she thought about it she hung out with a lot of former super villains, even if they were super villains for only a day and were totally nice people now. No reason to think the sirens were any different, and really, with a party on the mind, Pinkie Pie didn’t think much at all aside from the planning. This time she even had help! “Okay, honest opinion, which will be more fun; Extreme Cupcake Twister or Cheese Dip Strip Poker?” Sonata asked, looking at a list Pinkie Pie and her had come up with before they’d gone out shopping for supplies. Pinkie Pie affected a knowing smile and held up a finger as if a teacher bringing up a point, “When in doubt, combine. How do you think s’mores were discovered? Speaking of which!” She snatched up some chocolate bars from the shelf and tossed them into the cart, moving right along down the aisle, grabbing whatever struck her fancy, including cheese dip and cupcake mix for what she imagined would be a lovely game of Extreme Cheese Dip Cupcake Strip Twister Poker. By the time they were done they left the store with enough bags filled with party supplies to fill a station wagon. They didn’t have a station wagon to put it all in, but they had the next best thing. “Ugggh, I, uh, I’m happy to help and all, but... but do you think you two could carry a little of this?” asked Rainbow Dash, not quite buckling under the weight of the bags she was carrying. “Whoops, sorry Dashie, let me get a few of those,” said Pinkie Pie, hopping over and snatching a few of the bags off the top of the pile, handing a few to Sonata, who took them gingerly as if the idea of physical labor was a foreign concept. In a few moments Rainbow Dash looked less like a walking mountain of bags and more like an actual person carrying said bags. “Thanks, thought I was about to pull some muscles there,” Rainbow Dash said. “Aren’t you like, super strong or whatever?” asked Sonata. “Yeah, but the incredible awesome strength only comes out when the wings do, and I ain’t busting those out on a public street unless it's some serious life or death stuff going down.” As they headed down the street to make their way back to Discord’s shop Rainbow Dash moved up next to Pinkie Pie and spoke in a quieter tone, “How’s your family?” “Oh, they’re doing great. My mom and pop already got contractors coming in to work on fixing the place up. Marble’s still...” Pinkie’s voice grew a tad more subdued, “She’s still a bit scared to go outside at night. I don’t think Clover’s memory replacement thingamajig was able to get rid of all the nasty memories of that night. Come to think of it, Maud’s been acting a bit more Maudie than usual, too. She always tells me to ‘be careful’ whenever I leave the house.” Pinkie Pie shrugged it all off. All she really understood was that Clover had some nifty Soul Reaper device that could replace the memories of an event with altered ones, so that people didn’t quite remember things like Hollows and the like. As far as her family was supposed to remember they’d just had an unfortunate run in with a localized, freak windstorm. She also knew that Rarity’s little sister had also had the same thing done to her, to make her think she’d just fallen asleep in her room and had a nightmare. Strangely, though, Applejack’s family hadn’t had the same done with them. She didn’t know why, and wasn’t really keen on asking. “Well, I gotta admit, I’m not surprised about Maud acting weird,” Rainbow Dash told her, “Near as I can tell that’s her version of normal. I mean, she took on Hollows bare handed without even being able to see them. That’s both freaky and awesome at the same time.” Pinkie Pie just grinned, “Maudie has always been protective of the family, so I’m not surprised at all. She’s also always been real strong.” In fact Pinkie Pie couldn’t remember a time where Maud hadn’t been there to help her or her other sister’s out of trouble, whether it be with bullies or angry dogs or even making sure there was no boogeyman in the closet or under the bed in the dark of the night. “Your sister sounds pretty cool,” said Sonata, “But so are mine.” “Sounds to me like you guys are always arguing,” said Rainbow Dash, “Makes it hard to believe you all ever agreed with each other long enough to try and take over the school.” “Oh, us arguing is just, like, the grease in the pizza. Sure it's unpleasant by itself, but it’s part of what makes the rest of the pizza work!” That made perfect sense to Pinkie Pie, but she could tell Rainbow Dash was having a hard time getting it by the way the other girl’s face screwed up with a confused frown. She just giggled and gave her friend a pat on the shoulder, “It’s okay Dashie, don’t think so hard about it. Just think of the party and all will be well.” “That’s your answer for everything, Pinkie.” “And it just also happens to be the right answer to everything.” Just then there was a beeping noise from both hers and Rainbow Dash’s pockets. Both girls halted immediately, Sonata going a few more steps before pausing and blinking back at the two other girls with a questioning look. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie exchanged worried looks as they pulled out the source of the beeping; their Hollow Detectors. “Guess we ought to have known they’d start showing up again. Didn’t give them enough of a bloody nose the last time,” Rainbow Dash muttered, checking her screen the same time Pinkie Pie did. Pinkie herself tried to keep the uneasy nervousness off her face. She’d been happy enough to just help her friends deal with the Hollows before, but now with Pinkamena around there was a part of her that was literally outside the bounds of her control. At least, total control. She could force Pinkamena back inside her when she had to, but even with the little training sessions at Discord’s place there was always some resistance from her alter ego. She never went back easily or quietly. Pinkie Pie didn’t know whether to call it luck or not when the signal on her Detector’s screen vanished within seconds. Maybe it was a glitch?” “The heck?” Rainbow Dash frowned, shaking her Detector, “Where’d it go? That signal was pretty close to us.” Sonata poked her head over Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, “Why do you guys have flip cells? Those are kinda out of date.” “These aren’t phones,” Rainbow Dash said, still looking at her Detector’s screen as if she could force the signal to appear again by sheer force of will, “They sense Hollows. Only this one’s up and disappeared on us.” “Well, no biggie,” said Pinkie Pie, “Maybe it just decided to run away back home to have a party of its own rather than stick around here. Either way, no more signal, no more problem. We’ve got a party to set up!” “I... guess so,” Rainbow Dash said, still looking worried as she put away her Detector. ---------- The Hollow watched the girls continue down the busy sidewalk from a perch atop a nearby building, almost human looking eyes narrowed as he grumbled to himself. His body still didn’t feel right. Bloated with unstable energy that felt as if it was wriggling around inside him. He still had the shark like mask that was his distinctive feature when... a normal Hollow, but the mask was partially open and human features could be seen within the shadows of the mask. His body was also more human than it had been before, less hulking and more scaled as if he were a professional wrestler rather than a behemoth. Still, he had clawed hands, and traces of shark-like skin on his body. He did wear clothes now, baggy white pants tucked into smooth black cloth boots, but that was it. Tucked into a white sash around those pants was a broad bladed short sword, almost like an elongated shark’s tooth. “Grrrr, bastard Grogar, he’d better keep his end of the deal...” but even as the Hollow growled the words he knew instinctively the Arrancar couldn’t be trusted, not really. But what choice did he have? This transformation was unstable. Unless the process was completed within the next two or three days, he’d explode from the chaotic reishi building inside him. Grand Fisher is taking even longer to change than I am... wonder if old man Grogar will even finish his change if I manage to bring one of these girls in first... just need one. To aide in his task Grogar had given him a trinket that suppressed his spiritual pressure so it couldn’t be easily detected. It’d give him time to watch and observe his prey until he could decide the right time and manner to strike. His eyes mostly were fixed on the pink one. She’d spared him, once. He was almost grateful for it. Perhaps that was why he was thinking of going after one of the others. Grogar had said he only needed to bag one, so he could afford to leave the pink one be and focus on one of the others. The blue one, maybe? She hadn’t been that strong when they’d fought before... No rush. I won’t underestimate them like last time. This time will be different. ---------- Applejack finished cleaning out the gutters and without even really thinking about it hopped down from the roof rather than use the ladder that her brother was keeping steady. When she realized what she’d done she stood up, blinking at her legs, which hardly felt jarred when she’d landed. Big Mac was giving her a strange look and Applejack adjusted her stetson to hide her embarrassment. “Eh, heh, guess I’m a mite stronger in’ the legs then I thought.” “Ain’t no harm in that,” Big Mac said, “Just watch that sorta thing ‘round Applebloom. We aim ta keep our outta the mess, if we can.” “Outta what mess?” asked Applebloom, coming out the door with her schoolbag slung over one shoulder. It might’ve been a Sunday morning with no school to be had, but Applebloom used the same bag to carry snacks and other things to her friend’s clubhouse. “Nothin’,” Applejack said, while Big Mac affected a mile long stare of innocence and said nothing. Applebloom peered at both of them with the suspicion of a youngster knowing the adults were hiding something, but didn’t press it further, saying, “If you say so. Anywhos, Scoots and Sweetie Belle are takin’ me ta see the new Daring Doo movie, so I’ll be out a bit late.” Applejack found herself clenching her jaw a bit, “Ya got Granny’s permission fer that?” “Y-yeah, course I do,” said Applebloom, a tad too defensively for Applejack’s liking. “Ya sure? Cause if I ask Granny and she don’t know a’ thing ‘bout this...” Applejack trailed off with the quiet menace of a big sister. Applebloom was quiet for a few seconds under that hard stare Applejack gave her before saying, “Fine, I’ll got git permission right now. It ain’t gonna be that late anyways, and why’re ya bein’ so protective anyway? I ain’t a’ baby no more.” “Then prove it by gettin’ Granny’s permission, and not trying to lie ta yer big sis,” Applejack shot back, to which Applebloom just gave her a irritated look and went back into the farmhouse. When Applejack noticed Big Mac’s look she crossed her arms over her chest. “What?” “I didn’t say nothin’.” “Yer the one that said we gotta keep her outta this mess with the Hollows an’ Soul Reapers. Best she don’t stray too far from the homestead.” “I ain’t disagreein’ with ya.” “Ya got that look in yer eye.” Big Mac sighed, putting the ladder on his shoulder and aiming to take it back to the barn, “Just worryin’, is all. Don’t rightly know how ta keep Applebloom safe an’ still let her be herself. Ya know, Granny’s word or not, she’ll figure a’ way ta go with her friends.” Big Mac usually didn’t speak so much, and it was a solid sign of how worried he was that he was this vocal about what he was thinking. Applejack wasn’t keen on dismissing her brother’s words out of hand, but like him she was at a loss on how to handle the situation. She just hoped that if Applebloom did anything foolish it wouldn’t lead to trouble, because Big Mac was right, short of locking Applebloom up in her room there’d really be no stopping her from going out when she had a mind to do so. She knew Discord had his two workers, Screwloose and Screwball, working patrol around the city, and she and her friends had been doing the same when they weren’t at school or training. Saturday had gone buy quiet, and hopefully Sunday would be the same, but worry gnawed at her. Worry, and a simmering, festering anger. Grand Fisher was out there, still. She knew she wasn’t going to get a good night’s sleep until she’d put that Hollow down like the rabid dog he was. Then there was the Soul Society to worry about. No matter what assurances Clover gave her, there was what Granny Smith had told her, bouncing around in Applejack’s head. My ma could see ghosts. She’d seen ‘em her whole life, an’ never told me. Seen Soul Reapers too, and Granny’s near certain they approach my ma about somethin’... somethin’ ma never told no one about, not even Granny. Just a year ‘fore she an pa were killed. What’d the Soul Society want with her? Why didn’t they protect her? She knew she was overthinking things. She hardly had the full story. Maybe Clover would come through and find something in that Twelfth Division’s records, but Applejack had a sinking feeling that’d only lead to more questions, at best. Taking a deep breath to clear her head, and having just finished her chores for the morning, Applejack said to Bic Mac, “I get what yer sayin’. Just keep an’ eye on her if ya can. I gots ta get goin’ myself.” Big Mac gave a silent nod and with that went off to put the ladder back in the barn, leaving Applejack to start making her way to the bus stop that’d take her into town. ---------- “This place looks a little dilapidated, Shining,” Twilight said, looking over the old warehouse with reserved concern, “Is it safe for us to be here?” “Oh, don’t worry Twily, it’s meant to look this way to keep out prying eyes,” said Shining Armor, a small smirk on his face as he led her up to the old, abandoned building. It was situated just on the north fringe of the city, where the trains used to come through back when the city was still largely a mining community, and the old unused train tracks still criss crossed the streets here among the warehouses. Many were still used, but several like this one hadn’t looked as if they’d seen use in years, with spots of rust across its sheet metal roof and weed filled cracks lining the concrete. Shining Armor went right up to one of the metal side doors and led Twilight inside. She expected to see a dusty, grimy interior just as ramshackle as the outside, but she gave a small gasp as the interior of the warehouse completely took her off guard. Smooth material that she couldn’t quite tell if it was metal or stone filled the space within the warehouse, pale and almost akin to marble if not for the strangely metallic sheen to it. Aside from a semi-circular area by the door Shining had took her through the rest of the interior was uneven, with random dips and dives, pillars and platforms, all random like some bizarre crossbreed between a skate park and obstacle course. The area was well lit, but Twilight couldn’t see any source for the lighting. No electric lights were anywhere to be seen. “What... what is this place?” she asked, fascinated and bewildered simultaneously. She actually reached into her blouse pocket to pull out her metaphysical scanner but Shining Armor put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head with a wry look on his face. “Probably best you don't try to use that here. Your device might overload. This ‘warehouse’ is surrounded by a warding barrier against both detection and entry without the right key to enter.” “What kind of key?” Twilight asked, not having seen her brother pull out any object like the passes Discord had given them to get through the shop’s wards. “Quincy blood,” Shining Armor said with a chuckle, “This is a training area just for Quincy. This one isn’t used much anymore. Mother and father made it for me when I was a kid, just starting my own training. Aside from them, and now you, the only other person that knows of this place is Cadence. This space is bathed in reishi, and all of the floor, walls, and pillars are made from condensed reishi.” ‘Reishi, that’ spirit particles, right?” Twilight asked, and at Shining Armor’s look she gave a shy smile, “I was paying as much attention to Clover’s lectures a Sunset was.” “Guess that means I can skip some of the preliminary stuff,” Shining Armor said, striding to the edge of the semi-circular platform they were on, “One of the main differences between a Quincy and a Soul Reaper is that we rely on manipulating reishi exterior to ourselves alongside our own inner spirit energy, where Soul Reapers almost exclusively use their internal power.” He held out his left arm, and dangling from his wrist was a bracelet charm, a silver five-pointed cross. Twilight realized she’d seen the like before, a symbol that appeared several times around her family’s mansion. She’d never really thought about it or taken much notice of it before. She blinked in surprise as in a glow of blue light that seemed to flow from the cross like water an object took shape in her brother’s hand. A tall bow, its surface a light blue sheen with marble white vertical stripes. There was a shield shaped guard at the point where one would notch an arrow, with a curved handle that Shining Armor held with familiar ease. Twilight didn’t see a string on the bow, but somehow that didn’t surprise her. “A Quincy bow, shaped from a combination of my own spirit energy, and local spirit particles,” Shining Armor explained, “Each Quincy’s bow is a bit different, and might have different properties, but all of them fundamentally function to allow a Quincy to gather more reishi, and fire it in the form of arrows.” To demonstrate he raised the bow and instantly a blue, intense light formed a string from one end of the bow to the other. He grabbed that string of light and pulled back, and a bright, near solid arrow of cobalt light formed from the string between his fingers, and extended through he shield guard. Twilight could almost feel the pressure seeming to build from the bow, making her take an involuntary step back a moment before Shining Armor fired. Like a bolt of lightning the arrow flew from the bow, nearly cracking the sound barrier with a circular burst of air as the arrow rocketed down the length of the training chamber and impacted with a distant pillar. The pillar exploded on impact, the arrow detonating and shattering the edifice into a hundred dusty chunks. Twilight gasped, hands clasped to her chest. Shining Armor looked back at her, looking a tad embarrassed, “Sorry if that startled you. I’m not used to holding back, so I guess I kinda overdid it there. But that’s the basic shot from a Quincy bow. There’s a lot more we can do with them, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Now then...” He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small object, a small silver cross mounted on a thin metal chain of fine links. It wasn’t the five pointed cross Shining Armor used, but rather a more traditional cross, four pointed with a circle in the center. Twilight peered at it for a second, curious. “Why is it different than yours?” “Oh, heh, well technically I don’t even need the cross the summon my bow, they’re just useful focusing tools. This one here is an older cross, before we refined the newer crosses to train the current generation. This cross was actually used by mom before she learned to summon her bow on her own, so I thought it’d be appropriate for you to train on. Here.” He handed it to her and showed her how to wrap the chain around her wrist so the cross could be hidden up her sleeve. The metal felt cold to the touch, but at the same time Twilight felt a strange warmth inside her when she wore it. She peered at the cross, eyes locked on it. In a way she couldn’t explain it felt right to be wearing it, as if it belonged there. “Now it might take me a few days to really show you how to summon a bow,” Shining Armor was saying, “Even the most basic form of bow, without any solid shape, can be tough to bring out so don’t be disappointed if it-” He cut off as in a flare of blue light, one that shocked both him and Twilight, the cross she wore began to glow intensely and in a wash of azure energy a bow formed around Twilight’s hand. It wasn’t a solid object like Shining Armor’s, but rather a curved, plain bow formed purely of blue energy. Twilight stared at it in pure shock and fascination. She could feel the bow, almost like it was a part of herself, as if it were connected to something at the center of her body. She felt like there was a river in her, and the flow of that river happened to take the shape of a bow, and all it’d taken was the cross on her wrist to open the dam that’d been holding that river back. “Well... okay then,” said Shining Armor. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. Um. is this okay? Is it supposed to do this?” Twilight asked, still staring at the bow in her hand. It felt warm, like holding onto beams of sunlight. “If I didn’t know you better I’d say you were trying to show off,” Shining Armor said with a small laugh, patting her shoulder, “It's okay, Twily. It’s rare, very rare, for someone to summon a bow like that, without really being shown how, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Like I told you, people were gossiping about your potential since practically the day you were born. You were correcting some of my schoolwork when you were ten. You’ve always been a fast learner. Just... let’s try to take it slow from here. Quincy powers can be dangerous if used without care.” “I’ll be careful, Shining,” she said, gulping, “I want to learn. I need to understand. So please, show me.” “One step at a time, little sis, one step at a time.” ---------- “One step at a time, Sunset. You can’t rush these things,” said Clover in a clear, lecturing tone, “Even with your potential, this will likely take some time and effort.” Sunset held back some sharp words, knowing she was being impatient and that Clover was teaching her as best she could. She just felt like the pressure was mounting. There was no telling when the Hollows might make another attack, or if the Soul Society might suddenly decide to do something other than have Clover train her. Sunset was all too aware of how far she had to go in order to have the strength to keep her friend’s safe, and the next logical step was learning how to better bond with her Zanpaktou. It just wasn’t being very cooperative. She sat cross legged, balanced on a relatively flat topped boulder, her Zanpaktou laid across her knees, one hand on the hilt, the other on the flat of the blade. Clover stood nearby, and for the entire morning and almost all of yesterday had been trying to walk Sunset through the process of meditating to hear her Zanpaktou’s voice. “Its not quite like conventional meditation, “ Clover explained, “You have to feel the link you share with your sword and let all else drain out of you except for that single point where you and Zanpaktou share a soul.” “We’ve been at this forever,” Sunset said, “And I haven’t felt a thing. Isn’t there some other way to do this?” Clover’s face scrunched up in consternation, but her tone remained cool and collected as ever, “A few Soul Reapers have managed to hear their Zanpaktou in crisis situations, or through constant use in battle, but the normal way is the meditative one. If you could feel the link, and reach the proper mental state, you could enter the mental world you and your Zanpaktou collectively share.” “I don’t know what to tell you, Clover. I can sit here all day but the closest I get to entering a ‘mental world’ is when I’m near to falling asleep,” Sunset said with a sigh. Clover glanced away, rubbing her chin between thumb and forefinger, clearly deep in thought, when Rainbow Dash arrived, flying with her wings and landing easily. Sunset had noticed that her prismatic friend was using the wings more often, and getting less and less tired with each successive use. Growing stronger. I need to catch up, Sunset thought, and tried not to let the thought be a bitter one. It was a good thing her friends were getting stronger. She just... wanted to be doing the same. “We got the shopping done,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing a thumb over her shoulder back towards the exit, “AJ just got here, too. We’re about to head out and help the sirens move their stuff out of their apartment, me and AJ anyway. Pinks, Rarity, and Fluttershy are chilling here to make food for the party and set up everything else.” Sunset cast a look a Clover, “Well, I’d be happy to help with either the moving or the party set up, if Clover says the training is done for now?” Clover gave a small start, as if having not noticed Rainbow Dash even showing up, and rapidly cleared her throat, “Ahem, yes, that’s fine. I need to think more about how to help you commune with your Zanpaktou anyway.” “Alright then,” Sunset hopped down from the boulder, looking around, “Chappy? Chappy!? I need my real body back you dang rabbit! Where’d she get off to?” “Oh, uh, heh,” Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her head, “She’s upstairs. AJ had to practically sit on her to get her to stop trying to eat up the party goods before we were ready to actually party.” “Ugh,” Sunset groaned, giving Clover a rueful look, “I thought these gikon’s were supposed to be, well, obedient?” “Well, the Chappy model is blessed with a rather energetic personality. Its supposed to make them more fun and personable to use,” said Clover defensively, “I... uh... I was part of their development team, actually. The Twelfth Division makes almost all of the Soul Society’s special equipment. I didn’t design the erratic behavior though! I worked on the social aspect and definitely did not put in an obsession with food. Must’ve been Fourth Seat Glazed Doughnut who did that.” “Whatever, let’s just get up there and get me back in my body before Chappy destroys it with a sugar rush.” Up above in the shop proper there was a buzz of activity. Rarity was decorating two of the side rooms which had been joined together after sliding one of the walls aside (something it seemed many of the walls in Discord’s shop could do) with tasteful and colorful streamers and ribbons, all culminating in a banner welcoming the sirens to their new home. Sunset assumed the rather adorable chibified drawings of the three sirens in question were Pinkie Pie’s handiwork. Discord was overseeing the process, trying in vain to keep Rarity’s decorating to a tasteful minimum. It was the first time she’d seen the shopkeeper actually on the defensive for a change, and the sight brought a bit of a smile to her face. Nearby in a surprisingly roomy kitchen Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were making quick work of the baking, and the smells floating from there was already causing Sunset’s stomach to grumble, and she wasn’t even back in her own body yet. Chappy was almost literally being sat on by Applejack, who gave Sunset a wry grin as she arrived. “Ain’t gonna ever git used ta havin’ someone else in yer body, Sunset,” she said, “Especially not someone who’s got ‘bout as much energy as Pinkie Pie.” “Hey, is that a compliment?” said Chappy, “I like compliments, but something yummy would be better. Did you have to hogtie me? With actual rope? Oh hi Miss Shimmer! I was just trying to make sure your body was well fed and taken care of. Honest.” Sunset gave Chappy a bemused look, especially at the rope keeping her tied to the ground. She shook her head with a sign, “Okay, out. Thanks for the hard work Chappy but I want my body back for awhile.” “Oh, okay. Uh, rope first?” Chappy asked with an awkward smile. Sunset didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing someone else wearing her body like a suit. Applejack gave Sunset a questioning look, and at Sunset’s not she untied Chappy, who then stood and with a grin gave the back of her head a like tap. This knocked out the gikon sphere from her mouth and Sunset’s body went limp as she caught the gikon itself. Applejack grabbed her body to keep it from falling and Sunset climbed back into it, another bizarre sensation she was far from used to. It was like stepping into warm water, only her spirit form was dissolving into her physical body and she could feel the pull on her soul like a current. Once she was back in her body, Chappy’s gikon tucked away in her pocket, she turned to Applejack and Rainbow Dash, “So, we helping the sirens move now?” “Yup, they’re waitin’ outside fer us,” said Applejack, expression a bit tight, “Wish more n’ that Sonata girl would show a bit o’ gratitude. Other two are bein’ standoffish as ever.” “Well, maybe they’ll loosen up by the end of the night,” said Rainbow Dash with a shrug, “And if not, who cares? Not like we have to live with them or anything.” “I suppose you’re right...” Sunset said, frowning slightly as she looked around and noticing someone missing from the proceedings, “Is Twilight not here yet?” “Haven’t seen her,” said Rainbow Dash, “She’s probably doing something eggheady. I wouldn’t worry about it. We can always give her a ring if she starts running late.” “Right,” Sunset imagined Rainbow Dash had the right of it. Twilight could get easily distracted if she had something to research. She had been acting odd since Friday, but there could be any number of reasons for that, including just stress. Still, Sunset thought it would be a good idea to talk to Twilight, just to make sure nothing was wrong, as soon as the chance presented itself. Outside she, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash found the sirens waiting. Adagio was slowly floating around, pacing, while Aria had an impatient frown, one foot tapping. Sonata was already preemptively partying with a bag of chips and bobbing her head to music only she could hear in her head. “About time,” said Aria, “Thought we’d be stuck waiting for another few hours.” “We could just leave ya’ll to do this yerselves,” said Applejack in a low tone, but Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “I was just finishing up some training with Clover, that’s all. We’re ready to go now.” “I parked the moving van just outside the alley,” said Sonata, “We shouldn’t leave it there very long.” “Why not?” asked Sunset. “Uh, because I’m pretty sure the people I jacked it from are going to want it back and might be looking for it,” the siren said with a grin. At the collective stares of those around her, including her sisters, Sonata raised her hands, her grin turning sheepish, “Joking! I’m joking! You guys need to learn to lighten up. Geez! Bossman Discord gave us a forward on our pay to rent the van.” “Can you even drive?” asked Rainbow Dash incredulously. “Well, duh, I’ve played Crazy Taxi. It’s, like, basically the same,” said Sonata offhandedly. “Much as I hate to admit it she’s better at driving around those hunks of junk than I am,” muttered Aria, “I hate cars.” “It's a van, not a car, dummy.” “Shut up Sonata, it has four wheels, so who cares what we call it!?” “Enough,” said Adagio, voice flat, “Let’s just get this over with.” That cut short any further conversation and the group rather awkwardly got moving, Sunset giving Adagio a worried look as the siren turned plush toy floated over to be carried by Sonata. She hoped that maybe spending some time trying to relax might help Adagio’s mood improve, but only time would tell. She was almost more worried about Twilight. I wonder what she could be doing? ---------- Sweat dripped off Twilight’s chin and her arms shook terribly as she tried to hold the bow steady. The strain on her arms was painful, and she could feel the spirit particles in her hand as she tried to hold the bow’s string back almost as if they were hot coals. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to keep her concentration and her aim. “Steady, Twily, try to hold it as long as you can,” Shining Armor said, standing right next to her, his own bow up and with a reishi arrow drawn back, providing a stance for Twilight to mimic. “It... it hurts...” she said, gritting her teeth, hands shaking. “You’re not used to holding the reishi, yet. Your body will adapt, and it will get easier, but it always hurts the first time...” Shining Armor said, trailing off and wincing, “Yeesh, never thought I’d be saying stuff like that to my little sister.” “Shining!” Twilight cried, turning towards him almost instinctively, face unabashedly red. She’d let go of the string in the same movement and the arrow shot off, flinging past Shining Armor and spearing into the depths of the training chamber. Twilight nearly fell over in surprise and Shining Armor jumped back. “Whoa, Twily, watch it.” “S-sorry!” she said, rubbing her hands. Her glowing blue blow had vanished, but once she got herself calmed down a bit she was able to focus on the cross around her wrist for a second and summoned the bow back to her hand, “I’ll try again.” “It's okay, my fault for being a dork,” he said, approaching her and taking a look at her hands, which were sporting some scratches and bruises from the exposure to spirit particles, “I’ll get you some special gloves next time to help you deal with the reishi exposure. I think we ought to pack it in for today.” “But I’m only just starting to learn!” she said in protest but Shining Armor held up a hand. “You still got that party to go to, don’t you?” Twilight blinked, then nearly smacked her forehead, “That’s right! I completely... ugh, why am I so scatterbrained today?” “Don’t worry so much, Twily. This hasn’t exactly been the typical week for you, so it’s not strange even your mind would have some trouble processing all of this,” Shining Armor said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, “You’ve done a lot more today than I expected you to be able to. You’ll learn even more tomorrow. Now go, have some fun with your friends, even if a couple of them are Soul Reapers.” Even with his easy smile Twilight could see the tension in Shining Armor’s features at the mention of Soul Reapers, and while she did want to hurry and get to the party, there were some answers she wanted first. “Shining, before I go could you at least answer me this; why do the Quincy dislike the Soul Society?” He looked at her with clear reluctance and she could all but see him debating with himself how much to tell her. She wasn’t often angry with her brother. Irritated at times, the way siblings could get, but not angry. She wasn’t angry now, either, but the idea of him deciding what she did or didn’t need to know did sort of... irk her. “Shining, please, don’t hold anything back. I need to know this, if I’m ever going to decide where I belong in regards to the Quincy.” “Its not that, Twily, its just... its hard to know just where to start, or how to even paraphrase it all. You’re talking a thousand years of history, a thousand years of conflict, and trying to sum it all up. Even the start of it isn’t exactly simple. Not to mention the history itself isn’t entirely clear. Stories passed down, a few texts and documents, lots of hearsay. The Quincy of old didn’t always make the best historians.” “Then just do the best you can. The basics. At this point I’ll take anything you’re willing to give,” she said, voice earnest. After a moment’s more thought, Shining Armor nodded and began in a somber tone. “A little over a thousand years ago, give or take a few decades, a group of humans in the forests of northern Europe discovered not only the existence of Hollows, but a means to combat them. Exactly how they developed their powers isn’t well documented, and most assume it was a combination of spiritual training, talent, an maybe a bit of old fashioned alchemy. Regardless, the Quincy taught themselves to hunt Hollows with bows of reishi, and developed other techniques to fight the monsters that preyed on human souls. Things went well for a breif time, but before long the Soul Reapers arrived, and intervened. They demanded the Quincy lay down their bows and cease to hunt Hollows, that it was their duty to deal with Hollows and not that of living humans.” “I don’t understand, why would they care if the Quincy fought Hollows?” Twilight asked. “According to the Soul Reapers the Quincy methods caused damage to the cycle of souls, because our bows supposedly destroy Hollows rather than purify them like a Soul Reaper’s Zanpaktou,” said Shining Armor, lips curled in a deep frown, “I honestly don’t know if that’s true or not. There’s never been any evidence that we’ve discovered that the destruction of Hollows has any effect on the world’s stability. Most Quincy back then assumed the Soul Reapers were just trying to control us, to control the entirety of the afterlife.” “A-are they?” Twilight asked, alarmed. It was hard to imagine, really. Could anyone control the afterlife? She had never been particularly engaged with religion outside of an academic interest, but it somehow struck her as suddenly very heavy to realize that the Soul Society might actually consist of something akin to the legitimate authorities of the afterlife. Or were they legitimate? What gave them right to claim dominion over the souls of mankind? It was a question that felt far too large to contemplate, yet she could see in Shining Armor’s eyes a sense of understanding. He nodded to her, face grim, “Now you start to understand, Twily. Even if they don’t control all the afterlife, the Soul Reapers at least control some of it, and without any real proof they belong in that position. A thousand years ago they demanded our ancestors surrender their powers and not even try to defend themselves from Hollow attacks. Is it really that surprising the Quincy would fight back, are still fighting back after all this time? Shouldn’t the destiny of humankind be in the hands of humans?” “I don’t know, Shining. I don’t... this is a lot to take in.” He once more had that brotherly smirk that made her want to hit him, “Well, you did ask.” She sighed, giving him a small glare, but it didn’t last, and she found herself laughing, if the noise was a tad helpless and exasperated, “I guess I did. I’m going to have to keep asking more, but I think you’re right, that’s enough for today.” “I’ll see you later, Twily. Be careful out there, and remember; don’t reveal that cross to your friends. At least, don’t do it unless you’re sure about whose side you’re on, because once the cat is out of the bag, there’s no putting it back in.” ---------- The moving went shockingly fast. The sirens didn’t exactly have a lot of stuff in their small apartment and emptying it out only took a couple of hours between all of them working at it. Sunset was actually kind of happy for the trio, as the building the apartment was in wasn’t exactly up to code, and it was in the seedier part of town, one of the few places in the city that had a crime rate to speak of. By the time they returned to the shop to unload everything Twilight was there, helping out set the tables. Fresh baked goods ranging from cupcakes to cinnamon rolls lined one table, while the other held some recently ordered pizzas and enough soda to last most the night. The smell got Sunset’s stomach growling in seconds and gave her plenty of motivation to finish up carrying in the siren sisters’ stuff quickly. The labyrinthine nature of Discord’s shop still left Sunset feeling a tad unnerved, and she didn’t exactly envy the sirens in their new abode, but at least Discord seemed to be giving them some space. Each siren was being given their own room, a luxury they didn’t have back at the apartment. Once they were done getting the right boxes to the right rooms the girls gathered together in the room set up for the party, where Sunset noticed that her friends were joined by Screwloose and Screwball, who she hadn’t seen much off since Discord had sent them off on patrols for most of the past few days. “I thought this was supposed to be a party, but I’m seeing a distinct lack of alcohol around here,” said Screwloose, to which Rarity made a scandalized face. “We are all quite underage for that kind of thing, Miss Screwloose.” “Speak for yourself, I’m well past old and crotchety enough to get some booze in me. Boss, where's the good stuff?” Discord, who was already in the process of mixing several different sodas together with another mysterious clear liquid from a flask he’d pulled from the folds of his robe glanced up, “Oh I’ve already gotten that covered. Just a nip from the stash for us adults while the kiddies have their fun.” Screwloose licked her lips and all but bum rushed the offered drink, “You’re always so thoughtful, boss.” “Don’t thank me, thank our mutual friend who’s taking your place on patrol so you and Screwball can enjoy yourselves tonight,” Discord said while handing the drink over, immediately getting to mixing another one. Sunset turned a curious glance his way, “Someone else on patrol? Have we met this person?” “In a sense,” Discord said with a cryptic smile, “They’ve lazed around the shop here and there, and you might have seen them. Or maybe not. It's not just this person, if you’re worried. Clover also volunteered to go on patrol. That’s why she’s absent from this little soiree.” “She didn’t have to. She was welcome to join in here,” said Sunset. “Oh, I get the feeling Miss Clover isn’t much of a party person. Now, speaking of parties, shall we get this one started?” “Indeed we shall!” cried Pinkie Pie, bouncing over to a side table where a I-pod station was set up to speakers mounted around the room, “So I officially declare the Welcome to Your New Home That Isn’t a Scary Low-Rent Apartment Sirens Party to begin NOW!” She hit the play button and the room was filled with an exceedingly upbeat bit of techno-pop that Sunset was thankful wasn’t too loud. Pinkie Pie could get enthusiastic with the volume, sometimes. Plates were passed out and before long everyone had some food and drink in hand. There was plenty of room for seating, and Discord had pulled more than a few plush chairs from somewhere and one of the more fluffy looking couches Sunset had ever seen. Some of the girls, like Rainbow Dash, happily flopped into a seat to start munching on pizza, while others like Rarity seemed to prefer to stand and chat. Or try to chat. Aria was being stiff and tight lipped, while Adagio floated listlessly nearby, looking as if she didn’t know what to do with herself. Neither were particularly responsive to attempts to talk. Sonata was the exception, more than happy to talk, at least when she wasn’t busy inhaling food at a rate that competed with Pinkie Pie. “So I got a question for you,” Sunset asked, trying to break the ice, “You sirens were banished a thousand years ago, by Starswirl, according to the legend.” “Mmmhmm, I think there was a battle of the bands involved with that, too, but I don’t really remember very clearly,” said Sonata, “I think we invented acapella during that whole bit.” “Really? Huh.” Sunset shook her head, trying to get rid of the mental image of the sirens in barber shop quartet outfits, “Anyway, what I was curious about is, that happened a long time ago, but... were you three banished to the human world an equal amount of time in the past? Like, were you suddenly in the human world’s medieval times?” “Technically you’d call it the Byzantine era,” corrected Twilight, “Or maybe early Middle Ages, depending on how close they were to the collapse of the Roman Empire.” Sonata just stared blankly at them, “I dunno. Me, Dagie, and Aria were just suddenly here and no longer had our awesome fins, and lemme tell you learning to walk using these things,” she wiggled one of her legs, “Not easy.” “When we were punted here, it was already modern times,” said Aria with a irritable grimace, “Took us forever to figure out how half the stuff in this world worked.” “That’s strange,” Twilight said, “Some kind of distortion in space time perhaps? I wonder if this ‘Starswirl’ character intended you to end up in this world’s future as opposed to the equivalent timeline?” Upon seeing Sonata’s continued stare of uncomprehending blankness and Aria’s equal look of exceeding disinterest, Twilight just smiled in polite awkwardness and took a sip from her soda. Sunset caught sight of Twilight’s hands and raised an eyebrow. There were a few bandages wrapped around the other girl’s fingers. “Uh, Twilight, did you hurt yourself?” “Huh!? Oh! Um, yes?” Twilight seemed to want to shrink into her seat, “I tripped, earlier. Scrapped my hands on concrete. No big deal. Heheh...ehhh...yup.” Well, you’re not acting suspicious at all, Sunset thought with a heavy dose of sarcasm, then just shook her head. There was no reason to think paranoid thoughts just because Twilight had a few band-aids on and had been acting a tad odd. The stress was just getting to her, that was all. Sunset resolved to relax and enjoy herself, and took to doing so with a will. Conversation wore on and before long Sonata and Pinkie Pie had cleared a spot for some dancing, which Rarity and Fluttershy both joined in. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had brought over a game console from one of their homes and Discord happened to have a tv set up to use, though it was a much older model than the more modern flat screens Sunset was used to seeing. The buzz of music and conversation set Sunset at ease, and slowly even Aria seemed to loosen up and, while not smile exactly, she looked less likely to bite off the head of anyone that tried talking to her. Only Adagio remained disconnected, floating from spot the spot like a drifting balloon. Sunset, frowning, approached Discord, “Hey, you got any more of that hard stuff Screwloose seems to like?” He gave her a sidelong look, “Underage, aren’t you?” “By human standards, maybe, but remember, I’m not exactly human myself,” Sunset said, cracking a wry half-smile, “The legal drinking age in Equestria is quite a bit lower than here.” “Well then, do you like it straight, or do you prefer I mix something up for you?” Discord asked, tapping the flask he pulled out. Sunset held out her hand and he looked at her with surprise for a moment before handing the flask over. Sunset didn’t let herself think about it before taking a long pull, holding back a gasp as the liquid burned a trail straight to her gut. It’d been a long while since she’d taken any alcohol, but back home she’d been able to hold her own at any of the Canterlot taverns, when she’d been in the mood. She wasn’t really in the mood now, but if she was going to actually try to converse with Adagio Dazzle, she figured she needed something to fortify herself with. “Mmph, strong stuff. Celestia’s got stronger in her room,” she said, thinking of course of her mentor from Equestria, and only then realizing the Discord from this world wouldn't know her. Strangely, while he did give her a coy look of surprise, there was also a knowing quality to his abrupt smirk. “I’m sure she does. Well, go on then, have fun talking with the stiffest plushie in the world.” Taking his word sin stride Sunset cross the room, weaving around the dancing forms of Sonata and Pinkie Pie, who had both somehow managed to rope Fluttershy into dancing as well. Rarity had cornered Aria by the snack table and seemed solidly determined to get the pig-tailed siren to talk about something. Twilight seemed rather distracted, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were so engrossed in their video game that half the shop could collapse and they probably wouldn’t have noticed, while Screwball and Screwloose appeared to be taking bets on which of the pair would win. It was about as clear a shot as Sunset would get to talk with Adagio. The siren’s plush toy body was hovering not far from the door, almost looking at the exit forlornly. She barely glanced at Sunset as she came up, “So, having fun yet, or do we need to break out that game of Twister Cupcake Strip Poker Whatsit that Pinkie Pie was threatening everypony with?” There was a soft snort from Adagio, “If I had an actual body I’d say get me enough drinks and I wouldn’t care what we did.” “Any word on how much longer until you get your body back?” Sunset asked, intent on keeping the conversation going no matter how antisocial Adagio got. “Not soon enough. As if it would make a difference, now. You made it clear there’s no going home.” Adagio said bitterly. “I didn’t say that. I said I’d talk with Princess Twilight about it.” “And how’s that going?” the siren inquired quietly. Sunset glanced away, “I still haven’t heard back from her about it. I’ve gotten her up to date with all this Hollow business, at least. She’s... well I had to convince her coming here might be a bad idea until I had a better handle on things. She things all of this is incredibly fascinating, but the last thing I need is another Twilight here trying to study Hollows or perform experiments. One is enough, for now. Thankfully the Celestia over there reigned Twilight in and has adopted a ‘wait and see’ policy until I can tell them more. As for you and your sisters, I sent the message, I’m just... waiting for a response.” Adagio’s small doll-like face scowled, “Forgive me if I don’t hold my breath for good news.” She cast a strange look at the party, her eyes flicking back and forth between her sisters with equal parts annoyance and... was that guilt, Sunset saw? Abruptly Adagio growled and turned towards the door, “I need some fresh air.” As she floated out Sunset followed her, “Hey, wait up!” At the steps of the front door Adagio wheeled on her, “I don’t want to be followed! Stay and enjoy your party and leave me alone.” “Look, I’m not so easily gotten rid of,” Sunset said with a stubborn cast to her face, “I just want you to talk to me. Or anyone, for that matter.” “What is there to talk about? I don’t like any of you. Sure, you’re being all nice and fuzzy warm now, but that’s just because you feel guilty over ruining our lives so you’re trying to make yourself feel better by shoving friendship down our throats.” Sunset took a deep breath and let it out with a bit more force than was needed, but Adagio had an incredible talent for making her anger rise to the surface, “Yeah, maybe I’m feeling a bit guilty, but that doesn’t make what my friends and I are trying to do for you any less genuine. If you’d just open up a bit, maybe you would understand that.” Adagio stared at her, hard, for a few seconds, then groaned, “Fine! You want to talk, we’ll talk, but not here. I need some... some space. Somewhere quiet. I can still hear that tacky music your pink friend is playing.” Sunset briefly considered going back to tell the others she’d be out for a bit, but she figured they wouldn’t go far, and she did have both her cell phone and Detector on hand. It should be safe enough. Heading out through the ward she followed Adagio, who didn’t go too far down the alleyway before finding a fire escape to climb up that reached the rooftop of one of the adjoining buildings. There, Adagio perched her tiny plush doll body on the edge of the roof to look out over the downtown, while Sunset sat with her back against the railing wall beside her. Both of them were quiet for a while, until eventually Adagio made a small grunting noise of discomfort, “If you’re not going to start talking, what do you expect me to say?” “Whatever you want to say, Adagio. I know you have a lot on your mind-” “You don’t know single thing!” growled Adagio, “Not about me, not about my sisters, not about anything we’ve been through. You’re just... you’re just some pony, who got too ambitious for her own good and ran away from home looking for what? Power? Magic? What did you think you were going to find in this world that drove you to abandon friends, family, and a mentor?” Sunset gulped, a lot of old feelings bubbling up along with the memories that came with them. She’d been so angry with Celestia, back then. She’d thought Celestia had been intentionally curbing her potential, intentionally trying to keep Sunset from achieving the power and prestige she thought had been her due. She hadn’t cared about much of anything back then, and had barely thought twice about leaving Equestria, thinking the world she’d find through the mirror would lead her to ever more powerful magic. “You’re not wrong about any of that,” she said, voice just above a pain filled whisper, “I was a real idiot. All I wanted was power, and in the end, I didn’t have anything. Are you so different?” “No, and that’s what makes me so angry with you! How can you sit there, judging me for my choices, when you made all the same mistakes yourself!? Where do you get off looking down on me!?” “Adagio, I don’t look down on you,” Sunset said, looking up at the plush doll, which was shaking with fury, “I just understand where you are right now. I’ve been there, having seriously screwed up, and thinking there’s no way to get up after.” “You don’t understand at all. You, you were by yourself when you fell,” Adagio said, for the first time losing some of the anger in her voice, for that edge only to be replaced by a undercurrent of intense pain, “You didn’t drag anyone else down with you.” “... Your sisters.” It was almost a full minute before Adagio spoke again, voice low and filled with regretful reminiscence, “I can still remember the day I taught them how to use their voices to sing songs that’d sow dark feelings for us to feed upon. Sonata thought it was a game. Aria, I think she knew what we were doing was forbidden to sirens, but she went along anyway because she was just angry enough at our kin to not care.” “Your kin?” “Hmph, did you think we were the only sirens in Equestria?” There was a scornful note in Adagio’s voice, but Sunset didn’t think it was directed at her, “No, there were others. Not many, but others. Our race had declined so much. Little more than scattered nomads. Aria hated it. Thought we should have better lives than scavenging the shoals. Sonata was the happy one, pleased to do whatever as long as she was with us. So easy to manipulate both of them to follow my lead...” There was a pained catch in her voice, “A-and they did. Followed me willingly through all of it. I led them to shore, to sow chaos among the ponies. I thought they were the easiest marks, the fastest way to gain the power and adoration I thought was owed me. I’d return to the sea more powerful than any siren in history, and raise up my entire race from being scattered pods of wanderers and make us a great civilization once more, with me as ruler, of course.” She lowered her head, like a massive weight was pushing her down, “Instead all I accomplished was getting my sisters and I thrown into a world we barely understood, and have had to scrape and crawl in to just keep fed. Our one chance to go home I destroyed on a last desperate attempt to fulfill my ambitions, and now I’ve got nothing except the very bitter realization I can’t even get back to square one, because the very core of what made me a siren was destroyed. My sisters too, and that’s the worst of it... if I hadn’t led them here, they’d still both be back home. Aria might still be as angry as ever, but she’d have her gem, and the sea, and Sonata to keep her company. Sonata wouldn’t have to keep trying to pretend to be happy just to prop us up, she could be smiling for real. All my fault, because I was so sure I was the one who was going to lead the siren race to greatness.” Silence hung heavy in the air. Sunset looked at Adagio, the siren plush doll hunched over as if trying to curl up into nothing. With a sigh Sunset stood, and reached over. Adagio gave a surprised squawk as Sunset pulled her into a tight hug. “Ack! What do you think you’re dong!? Let go! Arrgh, you’re worse than Sonata!” “You ever think maybe she’s hugging you for a reason?” Sunset said, not letting the plush toy go so easily, no matter how Adagio struggled. “Probably just to annoy me,” Adagio muttered, trying to bite Sunset’s arm and finding that cotton and felt teeth didn’t really do much to a leather jacket. “Maybe. Or maybe she does it because she sees you’re in a bad mood and is trying to make you feel better by showing she cares.” “Sonata isn’t aware enough of anything to do that. She just sees cute, and responds accordingly. Isn’t your pink friend the same?” “Her name is Pinkie Pie, and while, yes, she and Sonata are definitely kindred spirits, Pinkie Pie is also far more intelligent and aware of what’s going on around her than you might think at first glance. I wouldn’t be shocked if Sonata was the same way.” Sunset slowly lessened her grip on Adagio, letting the siren float up slowly. Instead of floating away, Adagio spun around, looking at Sunset quizzically. “So, what, I’m supposed to feel better from a hug, whether is given by you or my sister?” Sunset’s shoulders shrugged and she leaned back, one hand resting across a raised knee, “Just pointing out that as much as you feel guilty about the path you’ve taken your sisters down, I don’t think they hate you for it. They’ve stuck by you, haven’t they?” “Hmph... they shouldn't. They should have abandoned me. I just assumed they didn’t have anywhere else worth going. Its not like I ever expect them to forgive me.” “Have you even looked for forgiveness?” “Of course not!” snapped Adagio, “I’m not you. I don’t cry, and simper, and then get instantly forgiven for my mistakes like it was nothing.” “Hardly nothing,” Sunset said, “It took awhile for anyone at Canterlot High to really accept me after I went she-demon on them. Even my close friends took some time getting used to me. I had to start somewhere. You have to start somewhere. I can tell you here and now, you’ll never start feeling better about any of this until you talk about it. Neither of your sisters know how you feel right now, do they?” “...No.” “I can’t make this decision for you, Adagio. All I can do is give advice, and that advice is; talk to them.” Adagio shuddered, “What if they don’t forgive me? What if talking to them is what sets them off, and they do abandon me. What then?” Sunset stood up slowly, holding a hand out to the siren who’s soul was trapped in a plush toy, “Whatever happens, I’ll be there. But call it a hunch, but I’m pretty sure they’ll understand.” There was only a few seconds hesitation before Adagio held out a little toy flipper and shook Sunset’s hand, though she pulled it back fairly fast, face a weird twist of reserved hope and a need to still look standoffish, “We’ll see. This... doesn’t make us friends. I'm just taking your advice, that's all. Don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with you now, got it?” Sunset just smiled, laughing, “Right, of course not.” “Wow, okay, this is just way too sugarcoated for me,” said a sudden masculine voice from above, “I was trying to be polite and let you guys finish your little heart to heart, but I don’t think I can take this anymore.” Sunset spun around, looking up to see a man standing in the sky. Or what looked like a man, if not for the hole of a Hollow through his chest and a Hollow’s bone mask covering most of his face. The mask was shaped like that of a shark’s face, much like the description she’d heard form Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash of the Hollow they’d fought. Yet this mask covered a human sized head, with a long, spiked mane of white hair, and within the rim of shark teeth of the mask’s open mouth she could make out a shadowy, almost human face, with similarly human eyes. He had arms, legs, and a body like that of a man, though much of his arms and chest were covered by grayish shark skin. He wore baggy white pants, and black shoes, but nothing else. Sunset quickly noticed the short, but broad bladed and curved sword sheathed through a sash at his waist. She didn’t sense any spiritual pressure from him, but there was no mistaking the threat he represented. “Who are you? How did you get so close without being spotted?” Her Detector hadn’t gone off either, so Sunset could only guess he had a means to conceal his spirit energy. “We’ve never met, girl, but I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a couple of your friends. I kind of wanted a rematch with the blue one, but since she didn’t leave the ward first, I guess I’ll have to settle for you. Nice bit of luck for me, but I figured at some point I’d manage to catch one of two of you alone. Now then...” He drew his sword slowly, its edge serrated like the tooth of a shark, “Since your friend was nice enough to spare me before, I’ll return the favor, and make this quick. The doll can leave. You, on the other hand, are coming with me.”