• Published 17th Feb 2016
  • 10,586 Views, 581 Comments

Shy and Aggressive - Johng117



Fluttershy finds herself in one of the most unlikely of situations. She meets the top delinquent of Ponyville High. Not only that, he is also a freak to society.

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Chapter 34: Sonata's Struggle

Erika was panting as she stood against a tree. Her heart raced in her chest as she frantically began to look around a dark forest, where trees were towered over her. The sky above was hidden by the branches and leaves of the trees, shrouding her surroundings in darkness. Erika ran as fast as she could, as the sound of hissing filled her hearing. Erika found the trees around her being wrapped by green snake-like creatures. As they constricted the trees, they began to wither and die before her eyes.

A high-pitched howl filled the air, causing Erika to whimper in panic. She continued to run until she felt herself being hoisted up into the air by thorny tendrils. Erika cried out in agony as she felt her flesh pierced by the sharp thorns, some even dug into her spine. Erika wailed in anguish as she was suspended in the air. Before her hanging from the tree tops were the eyeless serpents. Their long sharp teeth that stuck out from their upper and lower jaws dripped with blood as they coiled around the trees around them. While the trees died, they seem to have been covered by what looks to be green moss. The trees began to creak as they fell over with the serpents with them pulling together. As Erika watched this, a serpent suddenly dropped its head right in front of her face from the branches above. It let out a horrifying screech as it lunged for Erika's head as she screamed.

Erika shot up out of bed with a yelp. Her body was sweating and her hair was a mess. Erika looked at her surroundings and found herself to be back in her bedroom. The morning light shone through her window. Erika gave a heavy sigh in relief.

"Just another bad dream," said Erika. She shook her head as she got out of bed with a grimace as she felt her sweat on her body. Erika later found herself standing in the shower, allowing the warm water to wash over her soft skin and green hair. Afterwards, she was out of the shower, brushing her teeth as had a towel wrapped around her torso, yet she felt something as she reached for her upper back under her towel. It wasn't agonizing, but rather uncomfortable, almost like a sting. Wincing, she removed her towel and gazed at her bare back as she turned to face the bathroom mirror. She gasped as she found what looked to be a trail of acne running along her back. The bumps were spread out from each other a bit while the smaller acne heads were closer together. The acne bore black heads on them, but they almost looked unnatural for common black heads. They almost looked as though something was growing out of them, causing the acne to rise a bit on the surface of her skin.

"Aw man. How did this happen?" asked Erika in disgust. Being a teenager sucked when it came to skin care. She reached into the drawer and grabbed any acne medicine that she could find and applied them into her back while wincing at the tenderness of the acne. She then gasped as she felt a sharp pain on her finger. She recoiled and looked at her finger, finding a cut to have been made across the mid digit of her finger.

"What the..." Erika looked at her back and found a bit of blood staining a small spot on her back over one of the smaller acne heads. She took her towel and dabbed her back dry and proceeded to wash her hands, unease building up within her. Later she had gotten dressed and made her way to the kitchen, but found a text on her phone from her father.

"Coming home late again, huh? Even on a weekend," said Erika with a sigh. She was used to her father working late and no longer felt worried about not being able to see him if she were to succumb to her illness, which she no longer had to worry about. Erika worried about how much work her father is put through lately. It must be an important project if he has been leaving much earlier and staying longer at work, though she hoped that she and her father would spend more time together. It seemed that Erika was spending another weekend alone today. Suddenly, her phone began to ring. Erika answered the call. Sunset was calling her.

"Hello?" answered Erika.

"Erika! You busy?" asked Sunset on the other line. Erika merely looked around the empty house.

"Not really..." answered Erika in a flat tone.

"Mosura's brother is going to be showing her around his campus and she invited me and Gojira. Wanna come?" asked Sunset.

"Wait, I thought you were trying to get into a university?" asked Erika in confusion.

"I am, but it's smart to have different schools in mind if your main choice doesn't work out," said Sunset.

"Oh. Then I guess I'll come too," answered Erika.

"Cool! I'll pick you up in a few!" said Sunset as she hung up. Erika sighed as she ran a hand along her back.


Junior found himself standing outside of the community college campus grounds by the parking lot. With him were Mosura and Battra. It had been quite a while since Junior had last seen or heard about her brother. He seemed to have been doing alright since he was caught by the Guardians and exposed as a vigilante. He hasn’t even heard any reports on his vigilante persona and recent acts on any media aside from conspiracy theories.

"Um... Thanks for inviting me for this," said Junior as he looked at Mosura.

"No problem! I thought this would be fun and good reference for what's in store for us in college," said Mosura. The sound of an engine roaring filled the air. The trio found an old motorcycle rolling to a stop in a parking space, carrying two feminine figures. They hopped off the bike and removed their helmets, revealing them to be Sunset Shimmer and Erika Shiragami.

"Hey guys!" greeted Sunset.

"Oh. I didn't know you ride one of those," said Junior in surprise. Sunset shrugged.

"It used to belong to my uncle. This thing was nothing but a mess of parts, but a quick study on these things and I got her working as good as new," said Sunset as she patted the seat of her bike.

"I thought that I bring her back out since..." Sunset trailed off. She shook her head.

"Never mind that. Let's get on with the tour!" said Sunset as she and Erika joined the rest of the Transmutants. Junior bore a tight stomach at how Sunset trailed off. He knew well that Flash had always given her a ride in his car when they were still together. The girl quickly avoiding mentioning Flash just told him that she may still not be over him. As Sunset looked his way, Junior quickly averted his eyes from her.

"Alright. Come on, welcome to St. Mustang Community College," said Battra as he began to lead the young students towards the campus. The teens were shown all around campus, from the gymnasium, to the classes and programs that were being offered. Junior slightly lagged behind the group as he looked around the campus, finding the college students, young and old, going about their day. Junior lightly sighed as he held his hands in his pockets.

"You seem troubled." Junior jumped with a start as the voice interrupted his thoughts. Junior found Battra standing beside him, while the girls were looking over a booklet of the college and its programs.

"It's nothing," said Junior as he looked away. Battra crossed his arms. Junior sighed.

"Sunset broke up with Flash because he felt that she chose me over him during an incident I started. Vigilante related," said Junior. Battra nodded as he remembered the news that labeled Junior as X.

"Guess I'm feeling guilty about it. I don't even like Flash, it's just Sunset I wronged," said Junior. Battra smiled in amusement.

"That's funny, I don't like him either," said Battra. Junior looked at him in surprise.

"Really? What don't you like about him?" asked Junior. Battra nodded.

"Aside from his prejudice towards Transmutants, he's an arrogant douche-"

"He acts like hot shit talking down on Transmutants, and a popular pretty boy with the guitar," said Junior with a smile. Battra chuckled as the rest of his thoughts were worded exactly

"Yes! I once heard him say, 'watch the hair, man'." said Battra as he mocked Flash's voice. Junior chuckled.

"God, what is he? A diva?" asked Junior. Battra laughed.

"Right? Straight up pretty boy," said Battra. His expression then turned serious.

"No. It's something else that's bothering you. You have the look of someone who's uncertain," said Battra. Junior remained silent as he avoided eye contact.

"It's about the college, isn't it?" asked Battra.

"What makes you say that?" asked Junior.

"Because I went through the same thing when I was still in high school," answered Battra. He lowered his arms to his sides as he stepped closer to Junior.

"Look, money won't be an issue, Gojira. As long as you're smart, then you can apply for financial aid as I did. It can cover your classes and some expenses you need taken care of like supplies," said Battra in reassurance.

"But I don't even know if I want to college," said Junior. Battra raised a brow.

"And why's that?" asked Battra. Junior sighed.

"I want to help my mother. She spent the rest of her teen years to today raising me. She doesn't have a career and bills are hell. I feel like just finishing high school and work to support her," said Junior. He then shook his head. "Did you know we have this deal? I'm only allowed to work during the summer and I have to focus on only my studies during the school year."

"It's admirable that you want to help your mother. Not everyone loves their parent enough to make that kind of sacrifice," said Battra. "But think about this. You may be able to help her more if you were to go to college and get yourself a career. Why shoot low when you can aim high?"

"I doubt I can get a career. People still believe that I'm X," said Junior. He then gestured to the campus around him.

"And how different is a college campus for Transmutants?" asked Junior. Battra placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, there's always going to be people with the ignorance to discriminate. That's just how the world is unfortunately, and we shouldn't hide from that fact. We can't let people like that get us down, or they'll win. You just gotta be the better person. Even if it's hard," said Battra.

"What about Night Angel and X?" asked Junior. Battra sighed as he glanced away.

"They were acting under different missions, but Night Angel is through. He realized that he was way over his head and let his feelings get the better of him," said Battra. Junior looked down to the ground with a sigh.

"Just keep your options open. You may find what you need. And hey, thanks for not telling my sister. I hope I can count on you to keep quiet about it," said Battra. Junior nodded.

"Sure," said Junior.


Angirasu was busy cleaning up his bedroom of any mess that was made over the week. It was a routine for him to organize everything and to have his room freshened up. The payoff was worth it since he had enough space in his room in the end while conveniently finding loose change. As Angirasu finished his room, he sighed as he stretched and popped his joints. He then took a whiff of the cleaned and vacuumed carpet.

"As fresh as always," said Angirasu, satisfied with his work. He proceeded to make his way out of his bedroom and into the living room, where he began to relax on the couch with a sigh. A lazy Saturday was always great for him to enjoy, especially when his family wasn't around during the day. Suddenly, Angirasu felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He looked at the screen and found the caller's number. It was no one familiar, but the area code suggested that it was someone local. He answered the phone.

"Hello?" asked Angirasu. He listened to the other line, only to hear silence. Angirasu raised a brow.

"Hello? Hellooo?" called Angirasu. When he didn't receive a reply, he hung up. Angirasu hummed to himself and shrugged it off. As Angirasu was about to put his phone away, it began to ring again.

"Huh. Hello?" answered Angirasu as he held the phone against his ear. Again, there was no response from the caller. Angirasu bore a look of annoyance as he hung up. He sighed as he lied back in his seat. The phone rang again and Angirasu clenched a fist as he growled.

"You gotta be freaking kidding me!" said Angirasu as he found the same number that has been calling him displayed on his phone. He answered.

"Hello?" asked Angirasu in an annoyed tone.

"Angirasu?" asked a familiar feminine voice. It carried a hint of annoyance, but also boredom in tone. Angirasu's eyes widened in surprise.

"Aria? You've been calling me?" asked Angirasu in confusion.

"No, that was Sonata," said Aria.

"Oh. Why didn't she- Wait, how did she get my number?" asked Angirasu in confusion. Aria sighed.

"Rodan," answered Aria. Her tone was filled with displeasure.

"Ah. So... Did she want to say something?" asked Angirasu.

"Oh right. Sonata! Phone!" called Aria from the other line. Angirasu suddenly heard frantic dialogue that was barely audible to him.

"No! You wanted to talk to him!" said Aria in annoyance as if she were whispering. The other line began to muffle as if there was a struggle.

"No I don't-" Sonata's voice broke through the struggle.

"I swear to God, I'm gonna hang up on him if you don't-" Aria was interrupted as the other line garbled up briefly, causing Angirasu to flinch from the sound. He then listened in.

"Hello?!" exclaimed a higher pitched voice.

"You called, Sonata?" asked Angirasu. Sonata bashfully laughed on the other line.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, my reception is bad," said Sonata with a stutter. Angirasu heard Aria scoff on the other line.

"Anyway... I wanna... I want to know if you'd like to..." Sonata stumbled over her words as her tone carried shyness. Angirasu raised a brow in curiosity.

"If you're not busy... Wanna hang out?" asked Sonata. Angirasu looked around, finding his empty home.

"Well... I finished cleaning. I suppose some fresh air would be nice," said Angirasu.

"Cool! Er... I'll see you then!" said Sonata as she hung up.

"Sonata wait! Uh...." Angirasu scratched his head with a low hum.

Meanwhile, Sonata sighed in relief as she held her phone against her chest. She then grinned as she looked at Aria and gave her a thumbs up. Her sister merely bore a deadpanned stare as she sat on the couch with her arms crossed.

"You forgot to tell him when and where you were going to meet," said Aria. Sonata lost her grin as she slumped her shoulders and lowered her thumbs up. Her expression was painted with embarrassment. Aria sighed as she took Sonata's phone from her.

"Idiot," said Aria as she began to text Angirasu. She then tossed the phone back to her.

"You're meeting him near the flower shop. You two will catch a taxi that will take you to Canterlot city," said Aria. Sonata nodded as she slightly trembled with anxiety.

"OK. Wish me luck," said Sonata as she began to walk to the door.

"One minute!" said Adagio from the other room. Aria and Sonata looked her way and found her leaning against the wall.

"If you really want to get him more interested in you, you must make him blush," said Adagio with a coy smile. Aria rolled her eyes as Sonata tilted her head.

"Make him blush?" asked Sonata.

"Why yes, dear sister! The fastest way to a man's heart is through his manly fortress. You have to catch him off guard," said Adagio as she approached Sonata.

"Wait, I thought the quickest way to a man's heart was through his stomach," said Aria in confusion.

"So... Should I make him some food? Wait, am I sneaking into a secret fortress he owns? Ugh! I'm confused!" whined Sonata as she held her head.

"No, you dunce! You already made a reservation to a restaurant!" said Aria in annoyance. Adagio merely shook her head.

"Here, Sonata it's simple. Pretend I'm Angirasu," said Adagio. Sonata slightly nodded in response. Adagio cleared her throat as she looked at her sister with half opened eyes.

"Seduce me," said Adagio. Sonata bore a blank stare.

"Huh?" asked Sonata.

"Seduce me," said Adagio. Sonata bore a bewildered expression.

"What?! Dagi, I'm not gonna-" Sonata was interrupted as Adagio sent her a look of annoyance.

"Seduce me!" said Adagio in a raised tone, causing her sister to flinch. Sonata retreated with a frightened look. She bumped into Aria as she whimpered.

"Just casually flirt. She does it all the time," whispered Aria. Sonata took a breath as she stepped back to Adagio.

"Um... Hey there, hot stuff?" said Sonata as she tried to think what Adagio would say.

"So... I got that kick boxing match on pay per view-" Sonata was suddenly slapped by Adagio, who bore a look of disgust.

"I'm not just some barbaric piece of meat for you to gawk at!" said Adagio. She then grabbed a male mannequin as she posed it in front of herself.

"I like my women lady-like! Captivating! Smoldering! You want to be my lover?! Earn it! Seduce me!" said Adagio as she made the mannequin slap Sonata's cheek. The girl sniffled as she rubbed her cheek.

"That hurts Dagi..." whimpered Sonata. Adagio grimaced as she quickly dropped the mannequin on the ground. Aria merely sent her a glare as she crossed her arms.

"Sorry! Got a teeny bit carried away," said Adagio with a forced smile.

"Oh yeah. I'm sure Angirasu would only slap Sonata once should she invite him to watch a kick boxing match," deadpanned Aria.

"Can we maybe try something less physical?" asked Sonata.

Later, Sonata found herself seated on the couch as Aria and Adagio stood by. A bucket was on the coffee table in front of them.

"OK. Aria has written scenarios down for you that may occur on your date with Angirasu. It's up to you to give reasonable, realistic answers based on how you would react," said Adagio. Sonata nodded in response. Adagio cleared her throat.

"OK. Your first scenario is... Me falling off a stage," said Adagio with an unamused expression as she looked at the card.

"Call an ambulance!" said Sonata as she raised her hand.

"No. This isn't part of the scenario. This is garbage," said Adagio as Aria snickered. Adagio tossed the card and reached for another.

"And the next card is of me being hit by a car. And there's some lines coming off me," said Adagio with a deadpanned stare as she showed Aria the card.

"Oh, those are stink lines. Cause you stink," said Aria with a smirk. Adagio scoffed.

"Hilarious," said Adagio. She then threw that card away and took out several cards.

"I'm being hit by a baseball bat. I'm grinding on stage," said Adagio with an annoyed look. Aria chuckled.

"I'm grinding on the Eiffel tower. The tower is grinding me," said Adagio as she flipped through the cards, with Aria chuckling each time.

"I'm crying as I'm covered in mud. I'm slipping in the tub, which has stink lines radiating off it. Did you even write a scenario for her?!" demanded Adagio. Aria handed Adagio a card, which she snatched and began to read.

"Your date is a total bust. Angirasu says that he doesn't want to speak to you again. What do you do?" Adagio looked at Aria in disapproval.

"Really?" asked Adagio. Aria shrugged.

"It can happen," replied Aria. She and Adagio found Sonata silent and pail.

"I think I'd die," said Sonata. Adagio sighed heavily.

"This may take a while."


Angirasu was walking down the side walk in town, making his way over to a street. In his hand was a plastic bag filled with a collar shirt and a new pair of dark jeans. The Transmutant looked at his phone as he looked around the area that he was in. He nodded as he found a street sign.

"It should be around here," said Angirasu as he continued down the side walk, looking at all of the addresses that were present on the small buildings in the area. As he progressed, Angirasu found the desired establishment. He made his way inside and found mannequins wearing formal clothes of both male and female. The Transmutant looked around the brightly lit establishment, finding the clothes that were displayed.

"Oh! Darling, you're here!" said Rarity as she stepped out from the back of a room. Angirasu greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Rarity. Thank you for seeing me. I hope I'm not being a bother," said Angirasu. Rarity gave a dismissive wave.

"Nonsense, Angirasu! I am happy to help! Now, what is it that you wanted me to handle?" asked Rarity. Angirasu reached into his bag and pulled out his collar shirt and jeans.

"Well, Sonata invited me to meet her to hang out later," said Angirasu. Rarity's eyes flashed and brightened with interest.

"Really? Why, that's rather interesting," said Rarity with a coy smile. Angirasu nodded.

"We're supposed to be somewhere with a dress code for lunch, and this was all that I had. But the problem is that this shirt is a bit torn," said Angirasu as he handed Rarity the shirt. The girl began to look it over as she adjusted the red glasses over her eyes. Her expression turned to a bit of disappointment.

"Whatever happened to this thing?" asked Rarity.

"I was visiting family members in Neighpon. Their cat was on my chest when I fell asleep and she.... Yeah," said Angirasu with a small chuckle.

"Oh my," said Rarity as she analyzed the holes. She knew a thing or two about cats tearing up fabric, considering that she owned one herself.

"This is a nice shirt and all, despite the wear and tear, but it doesn't seem quite right for such an occasion," said Rarity as she held up the shirt but the sleeves and looked at the couple of holes in them.

"Why don't I find something else for you to wear here in this shop? On the house!" said Rarity with a smile.

"I couldn't ask you to do that, but I think this would do just fine with a few repairs and replacement of the buttons," said Angirasu.

"Are you sure? I can make it worth your while~," sang Rarity as she batted her eyelashes. The Transmutant had a physique that she wanted to be able to exploit to practice her talents in tailoring.

"I'm sure, but thanks," said Angirasu. Rarity sighed in disappointment.

"Oh, alright. Wait here and I'll be back with your shirt repaired," said Rarity.


Later...

"OK. Last question. When do you arrive at the restaurant?" asked Adagio as Sonata adjusted her blouse, part of her clothes for her date.

"3 PM. Sit down with Angirasu and leave him with a fib to go to the bathroom. Pay for fanciest appetizer and a mariachi band for music. For the main course, share a plate of spaghetti and slurp the same noodle as him for an unintentional kiss. For desert, pay to have our faces decorated with a heart over us," said Sonata. Adagio smiled.

"You're ready," said Adagio. Sonata grinned.

"Really?" asked Sonata. Adagio snorted.

"Uh... No. Everything you just said was insane. If the date doesn't turn him away, your way of thinking will," said Adagio as she walked away. "But the spaghetti thing could work if it wasn't done in a cartoon."

"Ugh! All this was about was trying to flirt and seduce with Angirasu! I just want to know how to not screw this up and get him to like me!" said Sonata as she crossed her arms. Aria sat down on the couch beside her.

"What do you even like about this guy? You barely know him," said Aria.

"Well... He just seems like a nice guy. And... He's hot," said Sonata with flushed cheeks and a dreamy expression.

"He's probably a gold digger," said Aria. Sonata grabbed her by the jacket and glared at her.

"Don't you bad mouth him!" said Sonata with a growl. Aria bore a look of surprise and slight nervousness.

"OK. Relax," said Aria as she pried Sonata's hands off her jacket. Sonata scoffed as she stomped towards the door with her bag.

"Thanks for nothing! You just wasted my time! I'll figure it myself!" said Sonata as she walked out the door. She then slammed it, leaving Adagio and Aria behind.

"Let's keep an eye on her just in case," said Adagio.

"Whatever," said Aria as she grabbed a plain sweater.


Sonata found herself meeting with Angirasu just in town. She found him wearing a collar shirt, and his hair combed a bit so it wasn't that much of a mess. Sonata felt her heart flutter, finding the Transmutant's score in good looks to have shot up. Sonata looked at the ground as she stood beside him in her platted skirt and blouse.

"Sorry that I asked you to dress nice on our hang out. There's this nice restaurant in the city that I heard was good but had a bit of a dress code," said Sonata. Angirasu adjusted his collar from under his casual coat.

"It's alright. I appreciate that you invited me," said Angirasu. He then looked around.

"I notice that Goji and the others aren't here," said Angirasu. Sonata slightly stiffened.

"Y-Yeah! It's just you and me! Just two new friends, hanging out! No deeper meaning here!" said Sonata with a forced smile. Angirasu sent her an odd look, causing the girl to realize her babbling.

"Oh. Well, I'm looking forward to it," said Angirasu with a smile. Sonata sighed in relief, though she realized that he was a bit dense, unable to catch on to her attraction to him. That relieved yet worried her. Before Sonata could say anything else, Rarity appeared from Angirasu's side.

"Darling wait!" called Rarity, causing the other two teens to jump. Rarity held out a button with a pant.

"I forgot to sew in your button," said Rarity. Sonata bore a look of confusion as Angirasu exposed his collar shirt under his coat.

"Thank you, I appreciate you fixing this up," said Angirasu as Rarity stepped close to him and sewed in the button.

"Not at all! Though I wish you would have let me offer you something new, but since it was just a few minor repairs needed and it was such short notice, I was happy to help. This is a nice collar shirt," said Rarity as she finished sewing the button. She then hummed as she looked Angirasu over. She adjusted his collar as she stepped close as Angirasu bore a small look of nervousness at her close contact. Rarity than gently brushed her fingers across his hair with a satisfied look.

"Perfect! You ought to wear nice clothes like this often, Angirasu dear. It really brings out your handsome appearance," said Rarity with a wink. Angirasu chuckled shyly as he looked away.

"Bashful, are we?" Rarity giggled teasingly. Sonata pouted her lip in response as she watched how embarrassed the Transmutant got around such a refined, proper girl. She wondered how she could compete with that kind of girl. Then a thought came to her mind. Perhaps she doesn't have to beat her.

"Well, have fun you two!" said Rarity as she left the two alone. As Angirasu waved to her, Sonata called for a passing taxi. The vehicle stopped, allowing the two to step in. The teens found an older woman sitting in the driver seat.

"Where are you kids off to?" asked the driver.

"Canterlot City. Quickly," said Sonata. The driver nodded.

"Buckle up kiddos!" said the woman as she adjusted her glasses. She stepped on the gas pedal, causing the taxi to race down the road. Angirasu and Sonata yelped as they felt themselves forced against their seat as their stomachs tightened and their hearts jumped. The woman laughed maniacally as she turned around the corner, nearly hitting pedestrians on the sidewalk. The taxi raced through Ponyville as it brushed against other cars in its path, causing drivers to skid their cars in panic. Sonata whimpered as she quickly grabbed Angirasu's hand tightly. The Transmutant didn't blame her, since he was frightened out of his wits.

"Would you mind slowing down a bit?!" cried Angirasu as he and Sonata slid back and forth against each other in the back of the taxi.

"So, what are you youngsters up to? Headed for the big city to chill?" asked the old woman as she made a sharp turn, slamming into a hot dog stand in the street corner.

"Just... Hanging out!" said Angirasu as Sonata slammed into his side.

"You know, back when I was a young lady, I used to-" the old woman talked as she drove like a maniac, causing cars to nearly crash and to stop abruptly. Sonata whimpered as she held Angirasu's arm tightly as she watched the chaos from the back seat. Soon, the taxi was driving down a highway that was just outside of the town, headed for a city that was near the base of a mountain. The old woman still drove wildly as sirens filled the air.

"Pull over to the side of the road!" shouted a woman driving the police car pursuing the taxi.

"And there I was, inches away from certain doom! " said the driver as she reached into the glove box and pulled a handle built into her vehicle. Suddenly, the back of the taxi released black liquid that sprayed on the road. The police car pursuing the taxi screeched as it wildly spun on the road and fell into a ditch.

"Are you insane?!" cried Angirasu in shock as he saw this occur. The old woman merely laughed like a lunatic as she stepped on the gas, causing the taxi to race across the highway.

"Aaaaah!!" cried Sonata. So far, her time with Angirasu was not going too well. She feared that neither of them would live to talk about it.


Canterlot City. A place where those with wealth or high paying jobs tended to dwell. The tall buildings reached for the sky and the city was filled with residents that went about their day. Those of high class flocked to all the exotic and prosperous locations. As a couple at a table outside of a cafe, they heard tires screeching. They turned and found a taxi abruptly skidding to a halt. It was smoking and covered in scratches and dents. From the back seat, Sonata and Angirasu stumbled out. Sonata shakily handed the old driver money.

"Pleasure doing business with you, kiddies!" said the woman as she slammed her foot on the gas and drove off. Meanwhile, several police cars passed by with their sirens blaring. Angirasu sighed as he hunched over.

"I think my life flashed before my very eyes," panted Angirasu as he turned and saw Sonata hunched over a bush as she retched. Angirasu grimaced as he heard the poor gal vomit.

"Sonata?" called Angirasu as he approached.

"Don't look at- Blegh!!" Sonata retched as she remained in place. After a minute, Sonata was wiping her face with a tissue as Angirasu stood by her worriedly.

"Are you sure you're OK. We can remain here a little longer," said Angirasu.

"I'm fine," said Sonata as she threw the tissue away. She cleared her throat as she stood up straight and took an eye. She brushed her hand against her hair as she stuck her nose into the as if she adopted a high facade.

"A lady simply does not let any... Foes... deter? Yeah, deter her tummy!" said Sonata as she placed on a fake accent. Angirasu bore a look of confusion.

"What foes?" asked Angirasu.

"Er... Pish posh! Let's be on our way, darling!" said Sonata as she took Angirasu's arm and walked with him through the city.

"Um... OK?" Angirasu began to worry for Sonata's health even more. He hoped she didn't experience any trauma to her head while in that death ride of a taxi service.


Meanwhile...

Junior found himself alongside Sunset, Mosura, Erika, and Battra. They were currently looking around a large room where different pieces of art were placed. This was the art show that the college had going on. Displayed were traditional art paintings, while there were spots of high resolution photographs. There were also handmade sculptures on display in the art show.

"Ooh. This one right here is pretty. I love how these bright colors contrast each other," said Sunset as she looked at one of the paintings.

"Which one do you like, Goji?" asked Mosura in curiosity. Junior scratched his head.

"Umm... Well I can't judge based on fancy schmancy art knowledge since I don't have a whole lot of it," said Junior. Mosura merely smiled.

"That's alright. Which one speaks to you?" asked Mosura. Junior looked at the paintings again with a sigh. He then hummed as he noticed one that caught his eye.

"I do like this one," said Junior as he pointed to the painting of the sea, and the ocean floor.

"Really?" asked Sunset in surprise.

"Yeah. I uh... I really like how there's light on the floor like how the sun casts its light down. It almost looks like you can dive in the painting. There's a sense of cool calmness here that surpasses the surface world of cars and other loud objects. To dwell in the sea would be the closest thing for us to fly in open blue sky," said Junior as he stared at the picture. He noticed the girls were staring at him. The Transmutant looked away in embarrassment.

"W-What?!" asked Junior

"I didn't take you for one to romanticize the ocean. It's kinda charming," said Mosura with a smile. Junior lightly flushed in response as he held his hands in his pockets, while Sunset smirked. Battra rubbed his head with a small sigh. He still wasn't used to the idea of his little sister being attracted to some boy; especially one that he feared was only trying to get into her pants. Getting to know Junior put him at ease, but it didn’t change the fact that he was a teenager. Battra looked to the side and saw something that made his expression brighten.

"Oh. It's Maud," said Battra as he went over to another area. The rest of the teens followed him, where they ended up among a small crowd of people looking up at a stage. There, they found Maud Pie standing with the same neutral expression that she always seemed to carry. She held a piece of paper in her hand as everyone remained silent.

"My poem is about rocks," said Maud as she took out a handful of rocks from the pocket of her frock.

"Rocks; these are my rocks. Sediments, make me semimetal. Smooth and round, asleep in the ground. Shades of brown and gray..." as Maud read her poem, some listeners bore odd expressions along with Junior and the others. Battra bore a forced smile.

"Is this for real?" whispered Junior as he leaned closer to Sunset.

"I have no clue." Sunset whispered back.

"Who needs clocks, when I have my rocks?" Maud bowed as she finished her poem. Some scattered applauses came from the crowd as they bore odd looks. Meanwhile, Battra was clapping as he bore his forced smile, while his sister looked at him in confusion. As Maud came down stage, another college student stepped up. Battra made his way over to her, while the teens followed him behind.

"Hey, I just caught your poem," said Battra.

"What did you think?" asked Maud in her usual deadpanned tone.

"I liked it. I thought it was odd at first but there were some good references to the variety of rocks and there was some nice romanticism," said Battra. Mosura nudged him with a glare.

"'Odd'? Really?!" whispered Mosura in disbelief. To think her brother was insensitive to this girl's writing.

"Thank you," said Maud. The rest of the teens looked at her in surprise.

"You were honest at how strange it may seem, but you understand what I was going for," said Maud in her same deadpanned tone.

"Really?" asked Junior in confusion. Maud nodded as she placed the rocks she had in her pocket.

"Battra, what are you doing here?" asked Maud.

"I'm showing my sister and her friends around. They might be attending here in the future," said Battra.

"Nice to see you again, Maud!" said Mosura with a wave.

"Hello. What do you think of the college so far?" asked Maud.

"It's a nice campus. There are some programs here that I'm kinda interested in," said Erika.

"Same! It's close to home as well!" said Mosura.

"I think this will be a good place to transfer to a four-year university," said Sunset as she looked around. Junior remained silent as he just nodded.

"This is a good school. There are a lot of programs that you may be interested," said Maud.

"A few caught my interest," said Mosura.

"Maud, we're going to take a break and have lunch. Care to join us?" asked Battra.

"I'm not busy. I've already presented my poem. Sure," said Maud in her same deadpanned voice. Soon, the group found themselves seated with Maud in the cafe area of the college campus. Each had their own food. Battra noticed that his sister was grinning from ear to ear as he sat beside Maud. Junior bore a look of discomfort as he saw her expression.

"Why are you grinning like that?" asked Junior. Mosura lost her grin and replaced it with an embarrassed smile.

"Er... No reason!" said Mosura.

"So, Maud, how are your classes?" asked Sunset.

"They're going well. Though I'm not sure if the same can be said about Battra," replied Maud as she glanced at the Transmutant by her side. Battra took on a look of offense.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" asked Battra. Maud looked his way with her same poker face.

"Nothing in particular. Just that you've been a bit of a slacker in our Equish class. I'm concerned about your other classes as well," said Maud. Battra scoffed as he looked away.

"I got back on track in that class, remember? Also, my other classes are just fine. It's not like I stacked up on them some freshmen do in their first time in college," said Battra. Maud cracked a tiny smile that went unnoticed by the others. She then looked towards Mosura.

"You're also friends with Pinkie Pie, correct? How is my sister doing in school?" asked Maud. Junior's eyes slightly widened.

"Pinkie is your sister?" asked Junior with a look of shock. Maud looked his way with a tilt of her head, as if she was curious.

"Don't you see the resemblance?" asked Maud. Junior analyzed Maud's appearance and mentally compared her to Pinkie Pie, who was bright and colorful, loud, hyperactive, and incredibly friendly. Inversely, he saw Maud as being quiet, calm, dull in tone and color.

"Not really," said Junior. "You two are like polar opposites. She tends to show more enthusiasm."

"I prefer to speak my enthusiasm through my wardrobe," said Maud.

"Oh. Well, that's a nice dress. What does it say?" asked Erika.

"Nothing. It's a dress," said Maud. There was an awkward silence in the air.

"You two might be related after all," said Junior, after taking note that this girl may have taken what Erika asked literal. Just as he imagined Pinkie would, though he couldn't tell for sure since Maud wouldn't crack a smile as if she was joking. Junior stood up with his trash.

"I'm going to the restroom," said Junior. As he left, he took care of what he needed to. As he washed his hands, he thought back to Pinkie Pie and how she would bring a ray of sunshine over a gloomy atmosphere. He even experienced it firsthand himself once. Junior sighed heavily as he recalled that this same girl turned on him as well. The Transmutant bore a look of bitterness as he thought back to this. He began to dry his hands as he pushed his thoughts to the side. No sense in dwelling on it, since nothing would change.


Meanwhile...

Sonata sat across Angirasu at a restaurant that she had a reservation for. It was lucky of her to be in the music industry. She was able to afford to eat at these fancy restaurants. She normally wouldn't do so, but she was willing to step out of her comfort zone in order to impress Angirasu. Her stomach was aching with hunger since she had lost her breakfast an hour before. In front of the teens were plates of food. Sonata shyly sat in her seat as she stared at the table.

"Sonata?" called Angirasu. "You alright?"

"Huh? I'm fine! Yes, I'm just... Admiring the decor of this... Fabulous..." Sonata stopped as she searched her brain for the right term to use to finish off her refined dialect. She leaned closer to the table.

"Um... What's that word that describes a place like this?" whispered Sonata. Angirasu raised a brow.

"You mean... Restaurant?" asked Angirasu.

"No that's too specific. The other word. I think it starts with an 'E'," said Sonata as she scratched her head. She then moaned as she forced her thinking into over drive to find the word she was looking for. Angirasu looked down in thought.

"Oh! Do you mean, establishment?" asked Angirasu.

"Yes! That!" said Sonata. She then immediately went silent as she sat back in her seat. As Angirasu was about to take a bit of his meal with his fork, he noticed some crusted bits on the silverware.

"Ugh," said Angirasu with a grimace.

"Something wrong?" asked Sonata in worry.

"Just one small problem," said Angirasu. He then noticed the waiter coming around the corner.

"Excuse me! Waiter!" called Angirasu. The waiter made his way over to their table.

"Yes sir, how may I help you? Are you both enjoying your meal?" asked the waiter.

"It looks great. But my fork is a bit dirty. May I have another one?" asked Angirasu. The waiter lost his smile as his eye twitched.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My fork is dirty. I'd like a replacement, please," said Angirasu. The waiter laughed nervously as he took the fork.

"Oh my. This shouldn't have happened. I do apologize," said the waiter. Angirasu nodded in understanding.

"It's-"

"I will make this right! I'll bring in the manager!" said the waiter as he placed the fork down.

"B-But it's just a dirty fork! There's no reason to-" Angirasu stopped as the waiter already left. Sonata smiled brightly.

"Oh wow! The service is awe- I mean, the service is divine!" said Sonata, while Angirasu raised a brow at her back tracking.

"They really care about customer needs!" said Sonata. Then, the waiter returned with another man, the manager.

"Hello, I am the manager. It's been brought to my attention that you were set up with a dirty fork," said the manager as he looked to Angirasu for confirmation.

"Yeah, right there," said Angirasu as he pointed to the fork on the table. The manager looked at it closely and picked it up as he analyzed it. His hands began to tremble as his face reddened with anger. He then looked to the waiter.

"You! Go find the dish washer and hand him his cards! No, sack the entire dish washer staff just in case!" said the manager. The waiter nodded as he left.

"But sir, it's just a bit of dirt. You can barely notice it," said Angirasu, not wanting any of the staff to get into trouble.

"But I see it! It's as clear as day to me! It is a disgrace to my restaurant!" said the manager as he slammed his fist on the table, startling Angirasu and Sonata. The man began to sob as he lied his head down on the table, bringing the attention of customers and some of the staff. Sonata patted his shoulder with a forced smile.

"It's alright. Nothing is perfect," said Sonata.

"My restaurant is a disgrace! And a teen pop singer is here of all places!" cried the manager as he beat his fist on the table

From the kitchen emerged a man who held a bi-pronged fork. He appeared as a cook, and bore a look of fury.

"You bastard!" shouted the cook. Angirasu and Sonata flinched in response.

"How dare you waltz in here and make your petty demands! You've have no idea the struggle that this man has gone through to make this establishment what it is today!" shouted the chef as he drew the attention of other employees and customers. The chef then pointed to the manager that sobbed on the table.

"Look at what you've done! You've broken his sensitive spirit!" said the chef.

"I-I just..." Angirasu nervously stuttered as the chef pointed his bi-pronged fork at him, causing him to gulp. Sonata bore a look of alarm.

"You little punk," said the chef in a growl.

Angirasu looked at the fork nervously.

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" said Angirasu weakly.

The chef, looked at Angirasu with a calm yet unnerving smile.

"Oh, you know what I'm going to do to you?" The chef said calmly.

Angirasu sunk into his chair as the insane grinning chef went on.

"I'm gonna hit yah!" said the chef as he happily swung his fist in the air.

"And you're gonna fall" He continued, gesturing to the floor. "And I'm going to look down, and I'm gonna laugh."

Sonata sat in panic. She had to do something or Angirasu would be in big trouble, but then the word, 'punk' registered in her mind and an idea formed. Sonata hardened her expression as she messed with her bangs a bit to give it an appearance as she didn't care about her appearance. She then slammed her hand on the table, drawing the attention of the chef.

"Hey, buddy. All he did was ask for a clean fork! It's not like he said that your food was crap! Now why don't ya back the hell up and get back in that kitchen.... Biatch!" said Sonata with a glare as she changed her tone to mimic Aria's. Angirasu looked at her in surprise at how she was speaking to this man. The chef trembled as sniffed and dropped his fork as he held a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm not myself today because I just escape from prison this morning. It has been very stressful and we care very much about our manager," said the chef as the manager kept his head down on the table. Suddenly a female customer wearing an obnoxious red wig pulled out a taser gun. The woman took off the wig, revealing herself as Blaire.

"Thanks for the confession, Chef Boyardee" she said. "Now it's time to bring you back to the slammer!"

"You're not bringing me back to the cooler" said the chef, as he raised his fork in the air. "I will make you into Soup Du Jour!"

The chef charged at Blaire, who nonchalantly fired her taser into the Chef's groin, electrocuting him.

"You've roasted my chestnuts" he said weakly. "They were supposed to be glazed"

The chef fell to the floor with a loud thud. Blaire soon grabbed him by the legs and dragged him outside, leaving Sonata and Angirasu confused and unnerved.

"Ch-Check please!" called Sonata, wanting to leave this restaurant as soon as possible with all the stares that they were receiving.


Later...

Sonata found herself sighing heavily as she sat on a bench with a to-go box from the restaurant. Again, her plan was foiled again by the weirdness that had occurred in such a nice restaurant. She was disappointed because she thought that she and Angirasu would have had a lot of great conversations, especially with her refined attitude that she mimicked from Rarity. Angirasu sat beside her with a sigh.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that back there. It was my fault that things got weird," said Angirasu. Sonata shot her head up. She then scoffed as she crossed her arms.

"Ha! Don't feel bad! Besides, those uppity punks were to blame since they went all ape-shit over a dirt on a fork!" said Sonata, reprising Aria's attitude. The Transmutant didn't seem to be responding as well to her 'refined' personality, so she decided to go with the 'Aria' attitude, as she called it. Angirasu cleared his throat as he looked away.

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Angirasu. Sonata scratched her head as she attempted to think on how she could salvage this unofficial date. She looked around with a troubled look. Then, she found a movie theater just around the corner of the street.

"I know! Let's go see a movie! Er... I mean a flick," said Sonata as she dropped her excitement and took on an indifferent tone.

"Oh. That sounds fun," said Angirasu with a smile. The two had made their way over to the movie theater, where they began to analyze the posters of the movies that were being shown.

"Hey, this looks interesting. ‘Robin Hood'. Looks like this theater is showing Disney classic animated movies today," said Angirasu as he pointed to a poster. Sonata bore a large smile, being a big fan of Disney movies. However, she lost her smile. She was trying to be more like Aria, and she knew that her sister wouldn't be one to sit through a movie like this. She then found a poster of a monster silhouette standing in a jungle, with bloody text.

"Eh. Too kiddy. Why not, 'Bloody Jungle'?" asked Sonata as she pointed to the poster. Angirasu looked at her in surprise, but also bore a small look of uncertainty.

"Um... Are you sure?" asked Angirasu. Sonata nodded.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," said Sonata.

A couple hours later, Sonata walked out of the theater with her face as pale as a ghost. She was visibly trembling as she stood and held her arms. Meanwhile, Angirasu walked out of the theater with a look that clearly indicated that he was frightened. He stood next to Sonata as the two stood outside of the theater.

"Well... That movie was..." Angirasu trailed off.

"Scary..." said Sonata with a mutter. She then shook her head as she stood up straight.

"I-I mean, I wasn't scared! The monster looked so fake!" said Sonata a she tried to put on a brave face. Angirasu softly smiled at the girl trying to act brave.

"Heh. Well, I was pretty scared. I don't do very well with horror movies," said Angirasu in embarrassment as he held his hands in his pocket. Sonata turned to look at him in surprise. She never would have guessed that someone as tough looking as Angirasu would be scared by a horror movie.

"I guess I really have problem with the idea of monsters," said Angirasu as he rubbed the back of his head. Sonata glanced to the side and found a couple walking out of the theater. A girl was rubbing her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder as he bore a terrified look. Obviously the two saw the movie.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I shouldn't have pressed you to see that movie," said the girl in a caring tone as she leaned her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. Sonata had gained an idea from seeing this. She then cleared her throat as she made her way beside Angirasu as she nervously put a hand on his shoulder and began to rub it in comfort.

"It's alright, Angirasu. I shouldn't have pressed you to see that movie," said Sonata as she put on a super soft tone and bore a small apologetic look. However, Angirasu began to raise a brow at how forced it seemed.

"Hey, Sonata... What are you doing?" asked Angirasu. Sonata pulled her hand away with a look of confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Sonata.

"Well, you seem to be constantly switching personas. I thought you were just playing around, but you really seem to be trying to be someone else," said Angirasu. Sonata bit her lip as she shrunk back. She had been found out.

"I... I just... I thought maybe you would like me better if I acted like someone who's sophisticated, like Rarity. Or maybe someone who's tough like Aria, or even sweet like some other girl," said Sonata as she looked away. Angirasu softly smiled in response.

"Just be yourself, Sonata. After-all, I like you as you are," said Angirasu. Sonata's cheeks flushed brightly as she looked his way.

"R-Really?" asked Sonata in shock.

"Absolutely. You're nice and you have a carefree personality that I find charming," said Angirasu with his cheeks slightly reddening as he looked away. He was not use to directly complimenting a girl, especially one that was cutely looking up at him with her big eyes wide as dinner plates. Sonata grinned as she turned away, shaking with her cheeks red hot. She mentally squealed in delight.

'He likes me!!' thought Sonata. She then turned around with her cheeks still a bit red from her flattered flush.

"T-Tell me more!" said Sonata.

"Well... You're one of the few people that doesn't treat me harshly because I'm a Transmutant. Growing up in Neighpon was hard since the government was stricter about our presence compared to Equestria," said Angirasu. His expression became saddened as he looked to the ground.

"They really can dehumanize with their propaganda about us. Sometimes, they always made me feel like a monster," said Angirasu. Sonata lost her flush and smile as she listened. Her shoulders slumped.

"You know, I have had some reoccurring nightmares growing up. I would find myself lost in a dark jungle, being followed by a monster. The details are fuzzy, but it walked on four legs and was spikey. It had razor sharp teeth and tusks. It never attacked me, but it frightened me. Its beady eyes would keep staring at me, it would chase me everywhere I go. And when I stood still, it would just stand there and stare. Like it was haunting me, constantly being a reminder that Transmutants were nothing more but monsters, like it," said Angirasu with a sigh. Sonata placed a hand on his shoulder as she leaned her head against him. Her face bore a warm smile.

"You're a Transmutant, but you're not a monster. Monsters are supposed to be mean and scary. And you're neither of those things," said Sonata. Angirasu softly smiled in response as he felt his heart touched. This girl may have had said something that may be considered cliché or even childish, but it was something that the Transmutant took comfort in hearing.

"Thank you, Sonata. That means a lot," said Angirasu. Sonata merely responded with a bright smile. As the two teenagers sat together on a bench conversing, Adagio glanced from a table just next door to the theater, with a cup of coffee in her hand and smiled. She brought her sun glasses down as her hood hid her hair and face. She bore a bemused expression as Aria sat across from her, staring at the two.

"I was pretty sure that this whole thing was going to crash and burn, but it turned out alright," said Adagio as she sipped her coffee. She then noticed Aria staring at the pair with a soft expression as her hood was over her eyes.

"Aria? Something wrong?" asked Adagio with a raised brow. Aria immediately tore her eyes from the pair and looked down at the table.

"It's nothing. Just surprised she pulled it off," said Aria in a small tone. Adagio bore a look of confusion as Aria appeared to be bearing a look of discomfort as she lightly bit her lip.

"Arie?" called Adagio in slight worry.

"Just drop it," said Aria in annoyance. Adagio raised her hands defensively.

"Alright. I just thought something was bothering you," said Adagio. Aria scoffed.

"Yeah, right." Aria then looked back at her younger sister as she conversed with Angirasu. She appeared to have been having a good time. Though there was unease plaguing Aria as she watched Sonata with Angirasu. However, she refused to acknowledge it.

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