Sonata Goes Goth
Adagio spat out a few curses as she trudged up the stairs to her apartment, bulging plastic bags hanging from both hands. Every part of her ached; her legs, her arms, and her neck all felt like they had been hit by a chorus of hammers. And yet, nothing seemed to burn more than her massive pillar of curly orange hair, which trailed all the way down to her waist. Every other strand was knotted up, and the few hairs that hung free were stiffer than icicles.
It had been about three months since the Rainbooms defeated Adagio and her partners. As part of their “rehabilitation,” Sunset Shimmer had insisted that they try to reintegrate themselves into society somehow. Sonata had opted to start attending CHS as a student, just like the Rainbooms; Adagio and Aria decided to get jobs.
Well, Aria said she was going to get a job. Adagio hadn’t quite seen the results of that yet—unless one counted the Aria-shaped indent on their couch a result.
Adagio had managed to get a job as a hair model and hairspray tester. While the company used her as the “Before” model a bit too often for her tastes, she had to admit that it was good work, even if her scalp felt like a minefield afterward.
She let out a groan as she entered the apartment, stumbling into the kitchen and throwing the grocery bags down on the table. “I’m home!” she yelped into the air.
She wiped the sweat off of her neck and walked into the living room, only to frown at what she found. Aria was sprawled across the couch in the same position she had been in when Adagio left that morning. The only difference was that now her shirt was covered in loose potato chip crumbs. Aria spared Adagio a grunt as she reached for the remote control.
“I don’t suppose you did any job hunting today?” Adagio asked, walking deeper into the room and casting a glance at the TV. Some bloody action movie was playing, and explosions boomed from both speakers.
Aria shoved another pound of potato chips into her mouth. “I’m looking,” she mumbled, scrolling through the TV guide.
Adagio narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to start yelling, but was cut off as two arms wrapped around her from the back and pulled her into a tight hug, causing her entire body to tense.
“Guess who?” her assailant sang.
“Sonata, let go of me.”
Sonata giggled and spun away from Adagio, twirling into the center of the room. Taking a glance at her, Adagio couldn’t help but notice that, for the first time in what may have been years, Sonata was wearing a different outfit. Her normal magenta jacket had been replaced by one made of loose, black cloth, and her skirt was made from the same, only frayed at the ends. Her legs were clamped with black fishnets, and the navy streaks in her hair had been darkened to a solid black. A tight plastic collar was wrapped around her neck.
The most striking change, however, had to have been her eyes, which were now smothered in black mascara. She looked like a mortician for clowns. Adagio scanned her up-and-down, only to flinch away when she realized that Sonata was staring right back at her, a wide smile stretched across her face.
“Well?” Sonata said, leaning forward.
“Well, what?”
“Aren’t you gonna ask me why I’m wearing all this?”
Adagio blinked. To be perfectly honest, she had been about to ask, but now that Sonata was asking for it… Adagio shook her head. “No.”
Sonata’s grin disappeared. “Ugh,” she groaned. “You’re such a spoilsport. Just ask me, okay?”
Rolling her eyes, Adagio walked across the room and sank into a chair by the window. “Fine,” she said, trying and failing to run a hand through her knotted hair. “Why are you dressed up like this?”
Sonata squealed and clapped her hands—but just as quickly took a deep breath and said, “I was hanging out with a few of my new friends today, and we were all talking about who we really are, and how we have to hide our true selves from society, because they just wouldn’t understand. Right?”
Adagio didn’t move. “Uh-huh.”
“That got me kinda sad, and it made me think about all the stuff I’ve been keeping inside me. So I told my friends about how I was feeling, and, well…” Sonata spun around, letting her ragged skirt float in the breeze. “Here I am! My friends helped me realize who I really am on the inside!
“I’m going goth!”
Across the room, Aria choked on her potato chips. As her retching filled the air, Adagio covered her face with both hands and sighed. “I knew letting you go back to that school was a bad idea.”
“What?” Sonata’s smile faded. “Why?”
“You’re not a freakin’ goth, idiot,” Aria called, visibly stifling a laugh.
“Yes I am!” Sonata said, crossing her arms. “I’m totally goth.”
“No, you’re not,” Adagio said. “You’re just wearing too much mascara.”
“But I am, though! Sunny Daze and Peachy Pie told me.” Seeing Adagio and Aria’s blank expressions, Sonata frowned and explained, “They’re my friends? I talk about them, like, all the time! They’re both goth, and they told me that I could be goth too, so they’re right!”
“Can’t beat that logic!” Aria chirped, shooting Adagio a smirk.
Adagio massaged her temples. “Sonata, I had a very long day at work. Can we please, please save this stupidity for another day? Or maybe just throw it away completely?”
“It’s not stupid,” Sonata insisted, stomping a foot noiselessly into the carpet. “This is who I am now! I bought this collar, and I dyed my hair, and I listen to that weird screaming music, and I hate everyone, so I’m a goth and that’s that.”
“You don’t hate anyone,” Adagio said. “Even when we were trying to take over the world, you were just being ‘mean’ to people because you were hungry, not because you ever wanted to.”
“Your favorite singer is Sapphire Shores,” Aria noted. “Not exactly dark music. Hell, didn't you invent pop music in Equestria?”
Sonata’s mouth hung for a moment. “Yeah, but—“
“Besides, even if you were goth, I wouldn’t allow it.” Adagio gestured to her eyes. “Mascara costs way too much money to be wasted like that.”
“This is so unfair,” Sonata huffed, pouting. “How come I don’t get to be goth, but Aria does?”
“What?” Aria yipped, nearly choking on her chips again. She jumped up off the couch. “I am not goth. I’m punk.”
Adagio scowled. “Oh, shut up, Aria.”
“I am! I mean, look!” Aria spun around, showing off her tight jeans, her ripped sleeves, and the single safety pin fastened to the back of her jacket. “I’m totally punk!”
“Whatever.” Adagio turned back to Sonata, who was rubbing at her dark eyes and smearing the mascara across her palms. “Sonata, I don’t believe for a second that you had some sort of ‘inner darkness’ hidden inside your soul. Would you mind telling me what’s really going on here? Why are you doing this?”
Sonata sighed and collapsed onto the couch. Her eyes were locked to the carpet. “I… I don’t know!” she said, throwing up a hand and letting it fall. “I guess I just thought that you guys might like it.”
“We might like you wearing fishnets?” Adagio asked.
“No, it’s just that you guys are always making fun of me for being happy, and making friends with people, and stuff like that. And Aria gets to wear a lot of makeup, and you wear all that spiky stuff. What do I have?” Sonata curled up into a ball, holding her knees close to her face. “I just have a bunch of stupid pink stuff. The spikes on my bracelets are made out of paper. I thought that wearing all this dark clothing and hating people would make you guys nicer. But I guess not.”
She buried her head into her knees and murmured, “I guess I’m just a wimp.”
Silence overtook the room. Aria and Adagio shared a long glance before looking back over to Sonata, who was shaking, her eyes hidden away behind her legs. Aria shrugged and turned back to the TV. Adagio kept her gaze held on Sonata for a long moment before sighing and dragging a hand down her face.
“You’re right,” Adagio said. “You are a wimp.”
Her words echoed. Aria’s eyes went wide. Sonata stared, jaw loose, for a few seconds before a low whimper rumbled from her throat. It only took a few seconds for the tears to start falling, smudged black lines against her blue cheeks. She let out a sob—
Adagio’s hand shot up, shaking Sonata into silence. “You are a wimp,” Adagio repeated. “But that’s a good thing.”
“What do you mean?” Sonata asked, sniffling.
“Aria and I are mean,” Adagio said after a moment. “We’re rude, we’re selfish, and we’re evil. That’s how we’ve always been; we’ve always done our best to hurt people we thought were weak, including you. We made fun of you for being friendly to people, because we always thought that was stupid. Wouldn’t you agree, Aria?”
Aria furrowed her brows. “Uh, I guess?”
Adagio nodded. “That was how we always were. But now that we’ve lost our amulets, and we’re working to become ‘good,’ I’ve come to realize: you were right all along. We were the stupid ones.”
Sonata wiped some of the mascara off of her cheeks. “Really?”
“All being mean does is hurt everyone, including yourself. Helping others, getting excited about having friends—that’s the right way to go.” Adagio leaned forward in her chair, far enough to rest a palm over Sonata’s still-shaking hand, and looked her friend in the eye. “Aria and I are still learning that. We’re still getting used to this new life. Don’t use us as role models, Sonata. You’re our role model.”
Sonata tried to swallow, but found her chin quivering too much to even close her mouth. Breaths hitching, she turned to Aria.
Aria shrugged and scooped up another pile of potato chips. “What she said.”
The tears came back. Rivers flowed down Sonata’s face as she leapt to her feet and smothered Aria with a hug, only to sprint over to Adagio and do the same. “I love you guys!”
Adagio managed to pull herself loose enough to breathe. “Well, love may be a strong word,” she said, shoving her hands into Sonata’s chest, “but I appreciate the sentiment.”
Sonata held Adagio like that for a full minute, her head buried into Adagio’s curls. When she finally pulled away, she cast a soft look down at Adagio and murmured, “Thanks, Dagi. You’re super cool.”
The edges of Adagio’s frown wavered upwards. “You’re welcome,” she said, turning her face down. “Now, go and take off those ridiculous clothes.”
“Yep! All this mascara was starting to sting anyway.” Sonata left her two friends with one last grin before skipping away, headed to her bedroom.
As soon as she was out of sight, Adagio let out a whispery sigh and let her head fall back, clunking against the top of the chair she sat in. Her bones still ached, and with every heartbeat her scalp pulsed with pain. And yet, along with the throbbing, she could feel something new running through her body: a sort of warmth, running through her chest and trailing up to her cheeks. She allowed herself a chuckle as Sonata’s image skipped through her head again.
“I totally am punk, though,” Aria said, turning up the TV.
Adagio’s chuckle died. “Oh, shut up.”
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- TheNewYorkBrony · 1.8k words · 321 3 · 7.2k views
- Doritato · 2.3k words · 129 1 · 4k views
- reading is magic · 6.4k words · 255 4 · 5.2k views
- Eyeswirl the Weirded · 3.6k words · 284 5 · 9.5k views
- Eyeswirl the Weirded · 28k words · 167 3 · 2.7k views
- Eyeswirl the Weirded · 19k words · 237 4 · 6.8k views
- Majin Syeekoh · 1000 words · 214 7 · 4.8k views
- Tennis Match Fan · 5.6k words · 327 9 · 10k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.162 seconds
Total duration
632 users online
842,886 hits today, 2,205,040 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Simple, cute, and a good lesson is learned.
The idea of hairspray model Adagio is giving me a chuckle though.
>Closer
>literally anything by The Cure
>The trilogy of gothic Swans albums
you moron, Sonata you're not listening to gothic rock, you're listening to screamo and you're a scenester, not a goth
(so are her friends, most likely)
I went into this story expecting either:
1. it to lampoon goth culture in a way that I could get a chuckle
2. completely play off goth/emo/scene stereotypes and use them interchangeably and piss me off
It leaned towards two, but it didn't even piss me off. It didn't really make me feel anything, but I chuckled every time Aria annoyed Adagio, so there's that
pfft, pop-punk more like
would you like to come over and have a pizza party? :^)
have an upboat, Dubs
5986118
Yeah, I knew pretty much nothing about 'goth' going into this, and everything I now know was gained by reading Wikipedia. Using what I did know, though, I tried to engineer it so Sonata/her friends were pretty clearly fake goths.
5986136 completely understandable. I assume you were in high school at the height of scene and the downfall of emo (both groups tend to call themselves goths for some reason even though they don't even listen to the same music) so I don't blame you for playing off the ridiculous stereotypes present. I mean, I'm no expert on goth subculture, as I am in high school during what can only be described as the gruesome suicide of scene, but I do listen to tons of gothic rock and am friends with someone who was a goth who later moved into the industrial scene so I can pretend I know stuff.
I kinda assumed that the intent of the fic was to poke fun at people who try and force themselves into subcultures in order to be trendy. (or in her case, to try and bring attention to herself which is literally what scene kids do holy shit)
Your story was entertaining, even if the moral lesson didn't impress me that much. Hell, it eve made me want to watch Rainbow Rocks, which is an INCREDIBLE feat.
5986136
Would listening to this kind of music make Sonata more goth?
As a lipstick wearing, nail painting vampyre (remember the 'y' kids, it's important) ex-goth kid of the late 90's, now I have to read this.
I read it and, well ... RIP in piece goth subculture. It was a thing but I really didn't feel it, ya know? As soon as they started to actually talk, I rolled my eyes and skimmed the rest. It was like a kid's goth phase in compressed time. At least she didn't end up bubblegum goth like so many ...
5986174
I am seriously going to hurt you. THIS is goth music:
(semi-explicit lyric warning BTW - also a bit blasphemous if you're into that sort of thing)
5986258
Oh right sorry I was thinking of emo culture. Are you sure goth and emo are the same thing?
5986258
Be aware that in no way am I trying to say that Sonata is actually goth. In fact, most of the details I included about what she considered to be goth were specifically put in to paint her as a poseur.
5986275
So if Sonata is a poser goth. She technically is this:
Now that I think about it, fishnets are probably significantly edgier for sirens than they are for us.
5986118 I used to make the same mistakes of conflating scene and emo with goth. Thankfully I know at least a LITTLE better now. I must say I am a bit curious: is there any general source materials (outside music) that could orient me better with what goth is REALLY all about?
5987519 What is scene?
5987620 Basically it's a fake goth/punk subculture. It's what happened when chavs decided to try to be goth. Alternatively, it's a bunch of young posers who think shopping at Hot Topic makes them goth or punk or metalheads.
5987620 pretty much this
5987708
Scene is basically taking everything about the goth and emo scenes that was genuine (and yeah, emo was actually genuine at one point) and making it up to draw attention to themselves. Goth and emo were outsider scenes that formed because people wanted to stay within themselves, and explore things without the outside intervention of the mainstream population. Scene kids do it because it's edgy and they think people will pay attention to them if they do it.
Hipsters are kind of the same way, but with literally anything that can be considered "underground" and oftentimes don't legitimately enjoy the music or art or clothes they pretend to partake in and only do so so that they can feel superior to other people.
Right now the scene is actually sort of imploding. It was at its height in 2009-2011 about. I don't know what's going to come next, but with a lot of original scenesters growing up and out of their scene phase along with most bands that were hallmarks of the scene either having broken up or producing music that can no longer be classified as scene and leaving scene kids with only atrocious second wave scene which is somehow even worse than first wave scene (keep in mind that some proto-scene bands are actually fucking fantastic, such as Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, and MCR), the scene is suffering a pathetic, gruesome suicide. Since indie is on the rise in the public eye now, I can only assume that indie kids and hipsters will fill the place of the scene. It'll be interesting to see where this goes.
5987519 I actually *don't* know a lot.
I can tell you a ton about emo and scene, because I experience it first hand a lot, but gothic subculture knowledge is basically limited to what I've already said and music. Just trying to imagine all the things that those edgy, annoying girls and probably that one guy in high school who talked loudly about how great satan was and how Sleeping with Sirens is the best band ever and how vampires are totally real and imagine someone did that because they weren't trying to catch people's attention and were a legit fucking weirdo (not trashing them, I'm an outsider weirdo fuck too, even if I am not necessarily goth). Also, goths are less melodramatic and generally aren't obsessed with killing themselves. If they're going to kill themselves, they're going to do it right on the first time and not glorify it as a way to get attention like a lot of scene kids do.
Think of dark, gothic stuff, and then imagine a subculture that wants people to leave them the hell alone, with very little flashy aspects, and you've got goths.
5987761 Ah okay, Still, thanks for the post. From what I've seen of "real" goths on the internet, they seem to gravitate towards a 19th century or general funerary look. One goth girl on Youtube uses eye-changing contacts and hair extensions, but I don't know how representative of the subculture she is.
5987985 That girl sounds like she's straddling the line of glam and goth. Keep in mind that a lot of the subcultures do have overlapping members. I myself only listen to the music produced by these guys (especially emo) and don't really partake in the culture. I mean, I think it'd be cool, and all, but the only option I have where I live in scene and I REALLY don't want to be a scene kid.
5987519
5987761
I... don't want to interfere with you two or mean offence or anything, but Goth in itself is -- from my point of view -- more of a variation of the romantic period that we all were "tortured" with in school, rather than a modern movement of sorts. I'd suggest to take a look at The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole written around 1764. It is about the feeling, not whatever things would occur to modern kids to navigate through the process of growing up. It is a broad idea that criss-crosses with many things. It celebrates individualism and emotionalism. Melancholy can be a big part of that, often in connection with hints of anachronism, towards a romanticized picture of the (mostly Victorian period of) history. To dream up a future out of a past that may lifts above the current state of affairs, into a higher quality of happiness for everyone. The femme fatale, a saint that brings doom to whatever currently is the state of art -- to ascend into self-fulfilment. Love, sex. A certain author once wrote in a certain book that vampyres (to not cast Minalkra's rage upon me) were born from the (Christian) ethics that let the oral sins be regarded as sinful, and from the inner wishes to find a demon that brings the pointlessness of such moral bindings to the light. Vampires suck you dry, if you need that bit a little bit more literal.
Many people just find their own ways into Goth, be it from music of all sorts, from classic to electronic, to literature and even architecture and dresses. And in that way it criss-crosses paths with other styles. More often than not with Steampunk, as both enjoy the Victorian styles. Other than Steampunk, to stay with that example, Goth lays way more focus into the Religious aspects: destiny, eternity, death. You may as well count the band Hocico Goth as you may would call Rachmaninov's Isle of Dead.
There is no clear border where things are Goth and where they are not. Some people may even see things as Goth where even the artist seeks distance from it (hypothetically speaking). In an exhibition around the topic Goth I once visited, there were paintings to be seen that dealt with the works of authors like Victor Hugo (Les Miserables) and Goethe (Faust). Were those two Goths? No. But does, what they did, fit the scheme (and more importantly the emotional landscape) of Goth? Yes, it certainly does.
I don't account for scientific accuracy though.
5988496 You'd know better than I. I don't even listen to that much goth music. Basically just Joy Division's Closer, The Cure, and those three gothic rock albums by Swans. I guess since I listen to a myriad of post-punk that could fall into it
From what you described, I empathize with a lot of gothic feels, and I personally love gothic aesthetic and everything, but I don't really identify with them. Sadly, if I HAD to be in a subculture, I'd probably be thrown into the early 2000s emo subculture.
But no subculture would have me in my years at school, so in my remaining ones, I won't force it. I don't need a label to identify me—I just am.
Obviously this is different online, as I am a huge contributed to the brony fandom, but since there are quite literally close to zero bronies where I live, I wouldn't say I belong to the irl subculture that exists of us.
5988528
In that particular way of thinking I'd say a major part of being Goth is to try to escape the necessity of this question rather than answering it. It's where nihilism plays into the melancholic feeling of the Gothic way, really. It's also where things differ greatly between individuals tho'.
As for myself, I just go with what people think of me. Whether they say I'm Goth or not, it's both fine by me. There's no urge for a constant identification with a social structure, just like it's the case with you.
Good story!
Leaning toward the Brony subculture myself.
This was such an unexpectedly pleasant read. (Unexpectedly because a lot of stories with the Dazzlings tend to be . . . not so respectful of their characterisations.)
The first half had me giggling like crazy. I really love a good, humorous Dazzling fic that doesn't rely on overused tropes or fandom jokes to be funny. And then it got cute, and . . . ! I'm a huge sap for cute Dazzlings relationship (platonic or otherwise) stuff. Like, a major sap.
I really appreciate the handling of their characterisations. I have a lot of reservations for how most people handle the Dazzlings, so this isn't a compliment I hand out often. Their banter was nice and snappy, and felt fitting. Sonata's desire to be "edgier" for Adagio and Aria's sake was such a nice detail, and the fact that Adagio countered it by saying they should be looking up to Sonata now just made my heart melt. I also thought Aria's goth vs. punk thing was a funny "running" joke. Hehe.
Thank you for writing this!
5990143
Thank you for reading, my friend! Comments like yours make this all worthwhile.
I knew when I saw the title that I was in for something good. The characterization and dialogue for the Dazzlings was just perfect. I love it when writers put those three into slice-of-life stories (and pull it off). Adorable, funny, a little whimsical. Excellent work.
And yes, it was obvious to me that Sonata was being a poseur. I don't know if I can say what constitutes a "real" goth; doing so would probably run afoul of the No True Scotsman Fallacy – such might be the case for any subculture after a while. Labels are weird. Regardless, Sonata is about as far from goth as you can get. Aria's little rant about being "punk" made me chuckle.
How long have they been on Earth? The sirens might have known the actual Goths.
usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&Civ/slides/08romfal/romeburning.jpg
5998386
"Real Goths" were absorbed into the Franks and Iberians 1300 years ago.
5989342 Brony FTW, but it's arguing with white L33t white Fedora.
She's so nota goth! Where was she when we sacked Rome?
Visigoths 4ever!
I don't think that's quite right...
That was cute.
6004130
Thank you, my friend. Fixed!
I liked it, and that's all I really have to say about it
I love this piece - good lesson, very in-character... and for me at least, the specific situation is oddly relatable; with me in Adagio's position and my younger sibling still doing what Sonata is here.
Aria is totally punk, though.
Hairspray tester. What.
I love that Sonata invented pop music, though. :D
6537201
Well, I can't take the credit for the pop music thing, 'cuz that's straight from the comics.
Are y'all just going through my backlog, or what? I mean, not that I'm complaining...
6537456
Oh, boo :P And I had this one on my RIS, which means a significant delay before I actually read it.
Is Aria the lead singer of a pony punk band (someone make Slipknot Aria for the heck of it regardless of genre)? And then what of Adagio? I want to say like Adele, but no...
Wow you made them actually good good? Wow. I like this on its own but that sold me the moment i read it.
I liked Adagio's job. It would make sense considering her hair is the way it is. Minefield. Good one. Sonata never change. Aria is a punk but not the way I'm thinking. I'm thinking a 'punk', punk. You know? I did like the lesson Adagio learned from it and, I guess... Aria too? hmm?
Great story!
5998672 I love the "Wha? No fair!" expression on the face of the chap on the right.
6537456 wait, REALLY? Sonata invented pop?
y'know what? i can easily see that.
anyway, this one was cute. that pep talk of sorts Adagio gave out was just sweet. nice one here!
Of course Majin Syeekoh was involved.
Huh, that was certainly not a job I expected Adagio would like or do.
Doesn't look like she's trying hard enough.
Never thought I'd hear Adagio ever say those words, let alone to herself!
How very kind of her. A sign she truly is changing her ways.