After the Battle of the Bands, Aria Blaze had no idea what to do with her sisters. That is, until a certain kind of guy shows up, leading a new punk band. Aria Blaze decides to hang with them, and soon they grow close.
After the Battle of the Bands, Aria Blaze had no idea what to do with her sisters. That is, until a certain kind of guy shows up, leading a new punk band called 'Next Generation'. Aria Blaze decides to hang with them, and she then becomes a part of the rising punk band. She stands by Anthem Flare, and together with all the other members, they make the best punk band there ever was! And plus, the two grow close through an adventure none will ever forget. Proofreading by CoffeeMinion! Photo by jaquelindreamz!
Defeated. Depressed. Bored. I was doing nothing but sitting around on the couch all day. Seriously. What else was there to do? My name is Aria Blaze, if you were just wondering, but matter of fact, I don't even think you even cared. But anyways, long story short- We got our asses kicked. We participated in this Battle of the Bands to gain magic and energy to become powerful, and we means me and my sisters, Adagio, the bitch, and Sonata, the idiot. But then, we got handed by the Rainblossoms or whatever the name was, and we lost and got booed. Yay.
And during the time, you know after that happy time, we always had fights and stuff. Mostly just me and Adagio, just arguing back and forth, and I swear I wanna murder her, literally. Sometimes I wanna move out, just enjoy an independent life away from them.
Sonata, though, she seems to be crying and is always scared whenever we fight, and mostly she breaks up the fights. And yes, I do call her an idiot and she IS annoying, but she is the reason why I'm staying here. Here in this crap house that we managed to purchase with, believe it or not, money we found on the streets. She always looks up to me for some reason, but anyways, I stay.
Life at Canterlot High, after a detention and just being expelled for like a week, we come back and get trash thrown at us. I hate it and I wanna unleash my anger, but hey, I'm trying to control myself here. I hated everyone here, matter of fact actually, I hated everyone in my life. My sisters, well Sonata seems to be in the middle, and everyone else I've seen. Especially the Rainblossoms, or again, whatever the hell they named their band. Always getting crowded like heroes, like they killed Doomsday from Superman or something.
I then thought deeply into what the future had in store for us, but mostly for me. I didn't know what to do now, since our siren gems are destroyed, and we are stuck in this crap dimension forever. I dreaded every minute. I soon started to get addicted to cigarettes after our defeat, since I enjoyed it and it calmed me down. Yet, now I'm afraid of having something hazardous happening to me. Dagio kept complaining about this, how I just smoke around this place, and I just put out my cigarette in front of her, let her walk away, then light up another cigarette. Sonata is worried about me smoking cigs, but I just ignore.
I, surprisingly, have average grades, and seem to have some sort of reputation with the teachers. For the others, yeah I already went through THAT. During school, I always listen to all sorts of songs. Punk really. Green Day, Rage Against The Machine, Rise Against, and all other good punk bands. It's another thing that sticks with me. One day, I wish to actually be apart of a punk band of some sort. Yeah, I wish.
Right now, down in the dumps. That is, until Sonata just randomly comes up while I'm starting to sleep. "ARIA!" she shouts.
"AH!" I shout, falling off the couch. I rub my head and look up at the blue teen who acts like a blue toddler. I give her an irritated and angry look. "Hey, don't just scream and shout!" I told her aggressively. She backed up a little bit.
"Oh, sorry." she said, but then she held out a piece of paper. "I just wanted to tell you about this cool little thing here."
I raised my eyebrow. This better be worth it... "What little thing?" I ask.
She showed me.It wasn't just a paper, it was a flier. It had a picture of a motorbike with four dudes in front of it. It wasn't in color, instead it was in black-and-white, but they looked cool. On the bottom were words in big font saying 'Next Generation'. It said punk band in the corner. Huh, punk band? Never heard of these guys before. Then it said 'Debut!' on the top-left corner. Oh. So, Sonata wanted me to go to these guys?
"So, what?" I ask. "You want me to go to this band's concert or something?"
Sonata giggled. "Oh no, I just thought that YOU would like to go. I'm not a fan of your punk music, remember?" Oh yeah. Sonata was all about pop music. I grabbed the flier from her hands and look at them. Suppose it won't be too bad to see how they are. I look up to Sonata and nod.
"Sure." I said. "Guess it might actually make me feel nice around here. Hopefully these guys don't blow." I hope they don't! Or else...
"Oh, they won't." Sonata said, putting on a smile. "I'm sure they'll do just fine. Oh, and might I say the lead singer kinda looks like you." I look at her and chuckle.
"Really?" I ask. It didn't really say who was what, nor did it say what the member's name was. And plus, this was in black-and-white, so it wasn't in color for me to see who actually looks like me. But Sonata points to him on the flier. "Are you serious?" I said, looking at him. He had about the same hairstyle as me, just excluding the extended hair, had like the same jacket and shirt, and did seem to have the same belt.
"In color, he looks more like you." Sonata said. "I looked them up on the web." I pull out my phone and type them in. And there they were. And it listed who they were. The drummer was named Tres Drums, the bass, Sid Watts, the one guitar, Wolf Smoke, and the lead singer, Anthem Flare. And Sonata was right, he did look like me even more in color. He had the same skin color as me, and had the same hair color, too. I kinda felt a little scared and alarmed by this, but it was pretty neat to see that we looked alike.
"Hmm." I said. "They do look pretty cool. Why did you look them up anyways?" I then ask.
"To see if they were your style." Sonata answered. "Listen to one of their songs. They have about four out. I recommend 'Tesla 2043', and though I don't like it, being a pop lover and all, it sounded like your taste." With that, she walked off. I did find the song on YouTube, and I played it, just to see how they sound like and if I should go to their debut. I put in my ear buds, laid back, and listened closely.
'Flash the Volt!' the audio played. And then, I fell in love. Damn, this band is good. The song had such rocking guitar rifts, such a punk-ass killer voice, and it felt electrifying. And might I add, the guitar felt like Tom Morello, the bass felt like Mike Dirnt, the drums felt like Travis Barker, and Anthem Flare, the singer, totally Billie Joe Armstrong. This was the shit. I listened through the entire song, then listened through the other songs, as well. I loved all of the other songs, such as 'Grudge Greg', 'Fall Of The Nation', and 'Armstrong'. I loved these guys so much! Never heard of any music like this before. How could I have missed these guys, considering they have thousands of views on youtube for a month! But yeah, I enjoyed their content, so of course I'll be going to their concert!
Long live the Next Generation! But the concert is tomorrow, so I better get tickets. Soon. I headed out of the door, and went straight to where the address on the flier took me.
No, no, no... I walked up to see a 'Sold Out' sign on the doors of the building. "Are you serious?" I asked a man, who was right next to the door. He was about to walk off. "Certainly you have to have ONE more ticket."
He shook his head. "Nope," he said. "This concert just got sold out." With that, he walked off, whistling along. Great. Now what do I do? There's like no way I can listen to them now. Unless I can just sneak in somehow or beat up someone for their ti- Or maybe not.
I saw four men walk on the sidewalk. It was them. Tres Drums, Sid Watts, Wolf Smoke, and Anthem Flare. Perhaps I could ask them for a spot? Worth a shot, especially since I can actually meet them. Might be weird and kinda not like me, but who cares. I walked up to the four, who were having a chat with each other. They noticed me walking up to them. "Are you really Next Generation?" I asked them.
"Yep." Anthem said. "We are those guys. The best kind around." I never felt like this, nor did I ever think of feeling like this, but I'm fangirling in the inside! These guys I heard of once. Just ONCE, and I'm acting like their number one fan. My heart is going wild on how crazy this is of meeting a band I already love with all my heart and soul! Wicked fast heartbeat, getting butterflies in my stomach, this is not like me.
Then, the whole band started talking. "Damn right we are!" said Tres, holding his drum sticks. He had a mohawk, but not a crazy one, and wore a black shirt with a purple tie on, along with studded black jeans. He also had a nice scar on his cheek, too.
"And now, here we are!" Wolf spoke. He made a howling noise, too. Weird, but cool. "Canterlot: the city of wonder. Heard some freaky shit about this place." He had black, spiky hair, shades, a black, leather jacket with a wolf on the back, and rugged jeans. "Magic and crap running through here." Oh... well hopefully they never heard about us. I mean, we ARE a part of the magic here...
Sid was just holding a bottle of sparkling water in his bandage-wrapped hands. He pointed at me. "Yeah, do you know anything about magic around here? Lately I, or we really, have heard about somethin' about sirens?" he asked me. I quickly started to worry then.
Crap, what will they do if they know that I'm a siren? I am a siren, I tried to take over this place with my sisters, and if I tell these guys, one: they'd be very scared. Two: they won't give me tickets. Three: I don't know what else can possibly happen, but it's sure as hell negative.
I then think of the most simple answer. "Yeah." I told them. "Seen them, but then never again. Surely they are somewhere." I felt a sweat, but they didn't seem to notice, considering it is just that one little sweat trickling down my forehead.
Sid nodded. "I heard of what happened. Taking over a school in some music competition, and then after that embarrassment for the three devils." With that, he laughed. Hehe... yeah, those girls sucked and were fools...
But Anthem turned his attention to me. "So, uh, what you want an autograph?" he asks. I shook my head.
"Well, no." I told him. "I kinda want something else from you guys." I pointed at the 'Sold Out' sign on the doors of the building. "Can you guys get me a ticket? I'm just wondering if maybe you could do that for me. I seriously love your music!"
Anthem was scratching his chin. "Well..." he said. He looked back at his buddies. "What do you guys think? Special seat? If we have any."
Sid ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "Hey, if the girl wants a seat, if the girl digs our music, give her the seat, brother." he told Anthem. "She seems like a cool girl anyways."
"Yeah." said Tres. "Let's be nice. Backstage pass, Anthem."
"Add her to the pack." Wolf said. "What harm could she do? It's not like she bites or anything."
Anthem shrugged. "Eh, why not." he said. I smiled. "Alright, you want to come to our concert that badly?" I nod furiously. "Woah, alright. How about we give you a backstage pass? You can hang out with us."
You're kidding, right? "For real?" I ask. He nods. "Thank you so much! You don't know how good it feels to finally do something."
He chuckles. "Got nothing to do?" he asks.
"Boring and stale? Yeah, that can sum up my life right at this moment." I responded. Anthem leaned against the wall of the building.
"Well, if you got nothing to do NOW, then it would be a good moment to maybe hang?" he said. Hang? With this band? It couldn't get any better. "Come on. We're just wandering around the city." I happily tag along, and we move around Canterlot. "Oh, and uh, what's your name?"
"Aria Blaze." I answered.
Anthem chuckled. "Cute name." I slightly blush, since that was a flattering comment.
"So, mind if I ask, how old are you guys?" I ask. "It didn't say on the site and whatever." They all told me how old they were. All of them were 19, except for Sid, who was 21. I was actually closing in on being 18. "Wow." I said in amazement. "You're that young? I'm actually almost 18, soon."
"That's how we roll!" Wolf said. He howled. "We are the young blood, baby!" I liked Wolf. He was pretty wacky and cool, and he seemed to pull off stuff Sonata would do. We went by a Taco Bell, and Wolf said, "How's about a taco, huh, Anthem? I'll die without one, mate!" Yep, that was a Sonata alright.
Anyways, we continued to chat. "How did you guys meet?" I ask.
Sid told how they got together. "We all loved punk music, and we usually hung out. I was Anthem's neighbor, Tres was Anthem's friend, and Wolf was Tres' friend. And though during the time, everyone else heard my guitar skills at times in the neighborhood. As we met each other one day, we became a band. Anthem was really the leader, so he named our band 'Next Generation' cause it sounded cool."
"Not after 'The Generation'?" I ask.
"That, too." Anthem answered. "It's a good name, right?"
"Hell yeah!" I said, totally agreeing to that. I then ask, "Got any new songs coming out?"
"Man, you got a lot of questions, don't ya?" Anthem said. Then, he answered. "One song. It's actually going to be played at our concert. It's called 'Tomorrow Nite'. It's gonna be first played at our debut! How's that?"
"Cool. That's awesome." I said.
I then learned a little more about them. Sid sadly was adopted, but he loved his foster parents, especially since they loved guitar playing. Tres was in another small band when he was younger called 'Jock Joey', but he quit immediately after a fight with the singer, Joey. Wolf played hockey, junior boxing, and even MMA, but he turned to making music. Plus, he had an annoying older brother who hated him because he liked punk music, almost like me and Sonata, except Sonata likes me. And then, Anthem's father was a punk band singer, though not a famous one, and plus he met Billie Joe Armstrong, Tom Morello, Joan Jett, and Doyle Frankenstein. They had more, too, but I don't wanna just cover this all up with hundreds of facts from these guys.
But then, it reached a time where I decided to head back, even when I didn't wanna. I know I can't stay out of the house too late, otherwise Adagio would bitch about this. "Well, it was fun being with you guys," I said. "But I have to go."
"Aw, already?" Anthem said. "But we're heading to Five Guys. Sure you don't wanna eat?"
"I'm fine." I said. "Thanks for the offer, though." Anthem then pulls out a pen and a small piece of paper, and signs it. He hands it to me. "Aw. Thanks."
"No prob." he said. "Hey, just be here by an hour before our concert. We'll be there, and we'll allow you inside. Nice meeting you, Aria." He waved.
"Yeah, nice seeing ya, mate." Sid said, waving to me, too.
Wolf did the same. "Get a good sleep! Woo! See ya!"
"Punk it up!" Tres said.
I looked back and waved. Man, these guys were cool. Can't wait for tomorrow. You know, to meet these guys backstage and see a concert, their first concert! I headed back home as the sun was setting. What a fun time! Hanging out with the band that I just grew to in just mere minutes, there's no way you couldn't say that this was cool!
I make my way home, with the cool breeze brushing against my bare arms. After all, I have no sleeves on this thing anyway. But, I finally see the house, and after a car passed by, I quickly rushed across the street to get home. But when I got back there, let's just say something happened...
I opened the door, and noticed Sonata, but also an orange girl with ridiculously large, orange, poofy hair. And I knew who the hell this person was. "Hi, Adagio." I said with a smirk. Adagio on the other side, didn't even crack the slightest smile or anything. I knew she was pissed.
"Do you KNOW what time it is?" she said. She came close to me, looking at me with such angry eyes. "And plus, where the hell WERE you?" I pushed her aside.
"Just out." I answered. "Don't have to be all crazy about it." But as I was walking off, I felt her cold hand clutch on my arm, and she turned me around so I faced her. I got pretty alarmed by this.
"Just out?" she said. "Without letting me know? Aria you don't just 'walk out' without me knowing." I swiped her arm off of my arm.
"Why?" I asked. "You don't have to be so damn overprotective. Geez." Once again, walking away, she grabs my arm and turns me around. I wanted to literally punch her at this rate. Every time she does this. EVERY TIME. I'm sick and tired of it, and honestly, I don't know why she does this. Is it just because she's the 'leader'? Because she's the 'older siren'? This is Canterlot, not Detroit. I don't know what the whole buzz is about it.
"Because." she simply answered. Wow. Such an answer. "Seriously, Aria, just shut up, I have no time for you. I didn't get the job I wanted today, and this is not making it any more bearable. Cause you know, I feel like I'm the one who is seeming to give a damn about this place, always going for jobs, getting MONEY, so you can go puffing on your cancer stick. Just, go. I'm not feeling good, so just go."
I walked away as she let me go. But, I did feel quite alarmed by her saying she seems to be the only one caring about this. Cause first off, I USED to have a job before she did, and it gave me a good pay, plus it paid off a bill Adagio couldn't pay off. "What do you mean you care?" I said. "You being the only one? I got a job with good pay before you got your diner job."
She stood up. "And you spent most of that cash on THIS!" She reached into my back pocket quickly, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Honestly, I forgot they were there. "THIS! And with you puffing smoke around the place, you are putting us at risk of burning down this house! Then, where else can we go? Nowhere, because we have such an amount of money that won't buy a damn thing." She threw the pack out the open window right behind her.
"It's a problem!" I shouted. "You know, it won't be easy for you, too. I can guaran-damn-tee that!" Then all of a sudden, Sonata jumped in front of us. And she had tears streaking down her face.
"Stop!" she shouted. "Just stop! Please!" Adagio just pushed her aside, making Sonata fall. That was just causing more tension boiling.
"The hell?!" I yelled. "Why did you do that?"
"Listen here, you punk-ass bitch-twit!" Adagio said very loudly. I growl. "I'M the LEADER of this HOUSE! You do as I say, so shut the hell up! And I do know that you didn't just 'go out' somewhere. Sonata here told me you headed out somewhere, the sweet, little darling. Perhaps to get tickets to some punk band?"
"Yeah." I admitted. "I did! So what, am I in trouble? Did I break a law or something, 'oh great leader'?"
Adagio clenched her fist. "Actually, yes. I know you got tickets now, and even if you didn't, I'm still setting this rule straight: You aren't leaving this house tomorrow, AT ALL!" You bitch... "And that will be your punishment for just rambling off to see some boy band."
I clenched my fist. "They are NOT a boy band, first off! Second: Are you really just gonna do THAT for someone like me walking out of the house?" I asked.
Adagio smirked. "Yes. I hope you like it." And so she turned around and left. As she was out of my sight, Sonata moves close to me.
"Sorry." she said.
I don't usually do this, but I wrapped my arm around her like a big sister. "For what?" I asked her.
"For tattle-taling on you." Sonata answered.
"Ah, it's no problem." I answered. Honestly, I was pretty mad, since I did just lose a chance of going to a concert, but Sonata was probably forced to tell the truth or whatever. Still, I didn't mind. "But Adagio on the other hand, I'm not OK with."
Sonata agreed with a nod. "Yeah." she said. "Adagio is really getting a little... dangerous, won't you agree?"
I shook my head. "No, she isn't dangerous. She just doesn't get it that being a leader doesn't mean everyone has to do things her way." I sighed afterwards.
Sonata laid her head on my shoulder, and held her tightly with my one arm. It was a little quiet moment, and soon Sonata fell asleep. I quickly just rested her on the couch, and went to my room. As I entered my room, I looked at the posters of punk bands and stuff like that were around. The walls were dark purple, there were clothes on the floor, a small, little TV that I (somehow) managed to afford, and just posters of punk bands on my walls.
I soon plop on my bed, and take off my headbands, and rest my head on the soft pillow. But then, I thought of a plan. A plan on how to escape out of here and not get caught by Adagio. The Next Generation concert... I have to go to that concert. But how? I probably stayed up half the night wracking my brains before I finally passed out. But one way or another, I am going to that concert.
I managed to get myself out of the bed at the crack of the morning. I roll off the bed, and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. At the door was Adagio, up and ready at 9:00 AM. "Found another job to apply for,” she said as she noticed me. If I don’t score this one, there's another one in a town nearby called Horseport." She looked at me very seriously. "And remember, NO getting out of this household. And to keep that secure..." Adagio went at the base of the stairs. "SONATA!" she yelled. And out came Sonata from her bedroom. Weird, she fell asleep on the couch. Maybe she just went back up to her room.
Sonata came rushing down the stairs, and tripped on the last step. She planted on the floor, but raised her hand in the air and gave a thumbs-up to show she was OK. "Still functional!" she said. Adagio facepalmed, but continued.
"Sonata, I need you to keep a good eye on Aria for the day, since I'll be going out to get a possible job." she ordered. "And I'm counting on you." Sonata got off the ground, and gave her a thumbs-up with a smile.
"Got it!" she said.
Adagio nodded, and headed out the door.
That just left me and Sonata in the house with a lot of time to kill. Getting past Sonata should be easy, as long as Adagio is out of the house for as long as I hope.
We spent most of the day watching TV. Meanwhile, Sonata was keeping an eye on me, making sure I don't just vanish out of the house and go to the concert. The concert was at 6:00, and I was planning to be there at 5:30. I looked at the clock; it was 3:30. Crap.
I decided to take my first smoke of the day. Though when I pulled it out, Sonata gave me a worried look.
"Uh, Aria? Are you sure you wanna keep doing that?"
I looked at her with the cigarette in my mouth. I tried not to look like I cared, but on the inside, I did. Ever since I got addicted to these things, they scared me, and they were hard to stop. I know it scared Sonata, too. She wanted me to stop so much, but I couldn't.
"I'm fine," I said. Sonata just took it, and continued watching the television. But trust me, I knew I wasn't fine. These things gave me relief, but they harmed me. I wanted to quit, I just didn’t know WHEN I would quit.
At 4:30, I decided to have a quick dinner. Meanwhile, I heard from the traffic news on television that interstates were getting packed and were moving slow. The slowest one was the one that Adagio took to go to the second job application, and I knew she’d be going to it because if she got the first job she'd be home all happy. Thankfully, she wasn't home, and even better, she was going to be late. That meant good news for me.
I got myself a hot pocket, and got it cooking in the microwave. Meanwhile, I went to my room, and made myself a bed dummy. Yes, I had done this before one time, and it worked perfectly. After shuffling with the bed, it was perfect. Totally can’t fail.
Once I finished my hot pocket, I realized that it was 5:10. I took a quick peek into the living room, only to find Sonata asleep on the couch. She was snoring. It’s time. I bolted out the door, sure that I could get there and back before Adagio got home.
It was a long walk to the place. As I walked up to the man who takes the tickets, Anthem stepped out of the shadows.
"It's alright, she's with me," he said. The man raised his eyebrow at Flare, but shrugged and let me walk past him.
"Glad to see you're here," Anthem said with a smile.
"Thanks for the backstage pass," I said.
"Eh, no problem," he said. "Just no dilly-dallying with our instruments and you'll be fine. Gotta say though, you're here pretty early."
"Well, I had to sneak out of my house when I had a chance. My sister told me to stay in because I was out last night."
He put his hands in his hoodie pockets. "You snuck out of your house to come over here?" At first I was worried about his question, but then he laughed. "Nice. I suppose I can say you're a rebel?"
"Yeah, that's how life has to be, I guess. I mean, when it comes to my sister, hell yeah I'm a rebel.”
"Eh, I had to do that stuff back then," Anthem said once we made backstage. He sat down on a big, black box. "Sometimes you gotta go against the rules, you know what I mean?"
"What did you do?" I asked.
He sighed. "Well, my parents were Christian. VERY Christian." He cracked his neck slightly, then continued. "When I got into punk, that was the life-changer right there. Christian and punk don't mix very well. My parents started trying to 'change me into my true self', but I just went against it. They hurt me, too, but I don't really wanna talk about that." "No," I said. "You don't have to. Must've been harsh."
"They hated me," he continued. "Just cause I got into a genre of music that is apparently 'demonic'. Please, metal is worse, but I guess they see this as a devilish display. They tried to stop me from going to parties and hanging out with friends, but I got out by using the bed dummy trick. I got out into the night, and got wild. I didn't drink, smoke, or do drugs, but I did get hyped from energy drinks and stuff. Anyways, when they found out, it just led to fights. First shouting, then hurting."
He took off his hoodie to show his black shirt, then pulled back his left sleeve to reveal a scar. It wasn't bad, but still... "
This was from the last fight with my father. He hit me, I dared to punch back, and he threw a giant plate at me, the bastard. It got me good, and that just made me hit the breaking point." He was breathing very heavily at this point, and he ran his hand through his greasy hair.
I didn't wanna keep this going because of the state he was in, but I asked, "What did you do?"
"Nothing," he said. "I just ran out of the house, got in my car, and drove off. I told my friends I lived somewhere else, and I disconnected from my family, and that's that. School ended soon after, and then we kinda did our thing with the band."
This was pretty haunting to hear. It must've been so hard to have this happen to him. "I'm so sorry to hear. Sorry to have asked."
He got up and looked at me. "Nah, it's alright. It's just, life sucked being a fan of punk in a very religious family, and it all just happened so suddenly. It still haunts me. Leaving my family was a painkiller, but also a bullet. Life with the gang is totally awesome, but it gets to me, having no family. Again, painkiller and bullet. It’s an odd feeling."
I gave him a little smile to cheer him up. "Well, I'm just glad you're alright now. Cause you are, right?"
He turned and looked at me, holding his black guitar. He cracked a smile back."Yeah, suppose,” he said. "And you know what, I'm kinda glad you're here, Aria. Kinda wanted that to get off my chest and whatever." Then, he came close to me, giving me a stare. "But hear me out: can you PLEASE not tell ANYONE else about this? I can only tell them, whenever I want. Can I trust you?"
I nodded. "Yeah." I said. "Yeah, you can trust me. You're secret's safe with me." He then stood there with his fist aiming at my arm. Why not? I gave him a fist bump, and we both laughed.
Then, the gang started coming in. "Holla!" Wolf said. He howled loudly, holding his guitar in the air. "Glad to see you're he- Agh!" He then tripped on a wire and fell, but got himself back up. He gave a small smile, then said, "Still alive!" I couldn't help but giggle.
Tres and Sid walked in the room. "Brotha!" Tres said, grabbing Anthem and giving him a noogie. "Aw, you son-of-a-gun, Flare! Ready to light it up?"
Sid held his bass high in the air. He cracked a grin. "Yeah, I'm getting a little bored, ol' chap." he said.
Anthem pushed Tres away, and dusted off his shirt. "Brothers, brothers, calm down. We'll be playing..." Anthem looked at his silver watch. "Soon. But in the meanwhile, let's make sure that we got everything under control."
Tres laughed. "You're telling me. This concert is gonna kill the crowd. Let's hope they have life insurance!"
Wolf walked over. "Yeah, brotha! As long as we don't botch it, we'll do great. But I have to say, I'm kinda scared."
Anthem put his hand on the husky man's shoulder. "Don't get all tightened up about it, Wolf." he said. "We're all pretty scared. This is our first time we're playing live together. We're all in the same position here."
As we kept talking to pass the time before the concert, I was getting a little worried about coming home and being caught by Adagio. But this was worth it. Hanging out with the newest and hottest, punk band in Canterlot--what more could a girl ask for?
You could hear the crowd going wild, just waiting for Next Generation to make their debut. Wolf took a peek through the curtains, only to see a hustling crowd that was cheering ever so loudly. He looked back at Anthem. "I think it's time." he said.
Anthem looked at his watch. He nodded. "Indeed." He then turned to me. "So, about your V.I.P. seat," he said. He grabbed a polished steel chair, cleared a spot over to the side of the stage, and set it up so I could watch. Pretty odd, but I was happy to take it. "Alrighty," he said with a smile. "I hope you enjoy the show."
"I think I will," I said.
Anthem headed back to the gang with his guitar. A minute later, they showed up on the stage. The curtains opened, Anthem held his guitar in the air, and they started to play.
The concert blared loudly. The music, the crowd, everything roared inside the building. These guys were simply amazing. I cheered along, seeing the amazing band. As security guards kept the crowd controlled, the band couldn’t help but smile and tease the crowd a bit. This was gonna be great.
Tres started being a show-off with the drumsticks. A cool show-off. He flipped his sticks while playing, juggled them when he had a break in a song, and just had fun with himself. I could tell by the joyful look on his face. Wolf howled, played the guitar behind his head, and even surfed the crowd. Sid moved all around the place, played his bass solo in 'Grudge Greg' like a legend, and even played on top of the big speaker!
And Anthem, well, he did the best job ever. He sung, he strummed, he entertained the crowd with his style. He kinda did a crazy dance, started off songs with the best phrases to kick up the crowd, and also surfed the crowd, too. Before he played their new song, he brought out a t-shirt gun, and shot out streamers and confetti. I couldn't help but giggle at how funny this was. Sorta cute.
But anyways, about their new song, 'Tomorrow Nite'. It started out with the drums, being struck hard and loudly, pumping up the crowd. Lights flashed around, but then the guitar came in. It played like in a metal-punkish fashion, and it sounded like a party was just happening. Anthem's voice rang through the building, with Sid's bass alongside. It felt so upbeat and so great to listen to this. In the middle, Anthem played a sick guitar solo while Tres struck a snare really fast. The echo of the solo rang in my ears during the end of the song, which was one of the greatest conclusions to a song I've ever heard. A neat, little guitar solo, with inclusion of Sid’s sweet bass. Meanwhile in the background, Tres lightly plays with his drums. With both Wolf and Anthem playing their guitars together, it sounded epic. Overall, 'Tomorrow Nite' was fantastic.
What wasn't fantastic, though, was that I had to leave as soon as the concert ended. Anthem told the crowd 'good night', and came backstage with the band. I was gonna go quickly, since Adagio might get back SOON, but I had to tell the guys how awesome they were. I saw the whole gang in the back celebrating. Wolf was on Sid's back, Anthem was rubbing Tres’ little mohawk, and Tres was patting his shoulder in return.
"We did it!" Wolf said, now off of Sid's back and taking a breath. "I can't believe we actually did it!"
"Told ya, Smokey," Sid said.
Anthem turned around and noticed me. "Oh, hey, Aria! What did you think of the concert?"
"Awesome! I just wanted to tell you how amazing you guys did!"
They chuckled. "Well, glad you enjoyed it," Anthem said. "Knew you were gonna like it."
I looked at the clock on the wall.
"Well, thanks for getting me into this concert, guys," I said. "Seriously, I appreciate it. I gotta go now, but where are you guys gonna play next?"
Anthem answered, "Well, here's the news: we're not moving an inch!" I raised my eyebrow at what he was saying. "The owner came up to us right after the show and gave us like seven days to play at this joint. It might just be me, but that is awesome! We don't have to go hunting for joints, and the crowd here is simply amazing!”
"That's awesome!" I told him. "Well, I guess you'll be here in Canterlot for a while longer, then. Maybe I can catch ya tomorrow?"
"Probably," he said. He waved at me, and I waved back as I made my way out.
As I got out of the building, I ran. Ran straight to the place where Adagio could be if I was too slow. Home.
Time flew by as I ran, but soon, there it was. Adagio's car wasn't there, so she wasn't home yet. Hopefully.
My room was on the second floor, and I could sneak in through the window if I climbed the tree right next to it. Once I got to the top, I put my foot on the ledge, carefully shuffled my way to the window, opened it, and slid into my room.
Good news: I made it home. Bad news: Someone was waiting.
"Aria," Sonata said. I slowly turned to face her as I closed my window. How I didn't notice her on my bed, I have no idea. "Sis, you can't just break the rules. Adagio told me to make sure you didn’t leave, and I said that she could trust me. But here, right now, you just came through the window!" She raised her eyebrow, and rested her head on her hand. "You've been at the concert, I suppose?"
I nodded in defeat. I sat in the chair that was against the wall. "Yes," I admitted. "I snuck out while you were sleeping. I suppose my bed dummy didn't work?" Sonata pointed at all the junk thrown on the floor in front of the bed.
"Well, surprised on that one," I said.
"Listen, I hate to break it to you, sis," Sonata said. "I'm afraid I have to tell Adagi-"
I jumped over and put my hand on her mouth. "Wait," I said. "Y-you don't have to. We can keep it a secret. I'll be in my bed, you'll be downstairs, and when Adagio makes it home, she'll ask if I followed orders. You just simply say the word, 'yes.' We can do that, right?"
I took my hand off her mouth, and she sighed. "I dunno, Aria. As much as I love ya like a sister, I'm afraid of Adagio. Like, what if she notices that I lied to her? It won't be you getting the slap in the face. She's mean, and I don't wanna take a risk here."
I took her hand, held it, and looked into her eyes. "Please, Sonata? For me?"
Sonata looked down, but then looked back at me. She nodded. "Alright, Aria," she said. “I’ll keep it between us.” With that, she got up and went downstairs. I tucked myself in my bed, and slept a while.
I woke up when Adagio came in the house, slamming the door. Adagio told Sonata that she didn't get either job, and that she was really upset. But what I listened for was this following question.
"So, Sonata," said Adagio. "Did Aria stay in the house the whole day today?"
It only took a second until Sonata said, "Yep."
I sighed with relief.
But Adagio didn't end there. "You sure?" she asked, just to make sure Sonata wasn't lying. Come on, sis...
"Yep. Kept a good eagle eye on her," Sonata answered. "She seems bummed out, though."
Adagio chuckled. "Good. I'm glad." I felt anger boiling in me when I heard that. But from there, it was just lights out. Everyone went to bed, and it was a mission success. I’d put a lot on the line, but I’d made it home and through another night.
I woke up early once again the next morning. I slouched off the bed, got up, yawned, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
Soon, Sonata heard me. "Good morning, Aria," she said. I gave her a half-smile and walked over to the counter to get bread so I could have toast.
Adagio was sitting on the couch, watching the morning news. She noticed me, too, but didn't say anything.
I sat down to have my toast. After a couple minutes, Adagio yawned. "So, how was your sleep?" she asked.
"Fine," I said. "Why do you even bother?"
"Well, Sonata said you felt horrible for not being out of the house." I took a bite of my toast, and I noticed Sonata looking down. She was probably still feeling guilty. "And you know, since you pretty much followed the rules and whatever, I thought, 'Why the hell not? Aria can go out of the house today.' So there, you can go do whatever the hell you want right now. But mark my words, I will kill you if you stay out late again." She got up and looked at me as I took another bite of my toast. "Got it?"
I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, got it."
She smiled. "Good. Honestly, can't believe you actually stuck with the rules." And honestly, I can't believe she fell for the lie.
I finished my toast and got up. "I'm heading to the park." I said.
Sonata got up, too. "Can I come with you?" she asked. "I just wanna get some stuff from the store right near the park."
I rolled my eyes. "Sure. You can come."
I turned to Adagio as Sonata put on her shoes. "We'll be back in a while," I said. Adagio just kept her nose in the newspaper.
We walked along the sidewalk, with me just going toward to the park and Sonata simply looking around the place like a tourist who's never been there before. We were almost there, when-
"Oh, Aria, look!" Sonata said, pulling on my torn jacket. "It's them!"
"Get off me! Who?" I asked. She pointed at who she was talking about, then my eyes shot wide open. We meet again...
The Rainboobs. Just walking around the place all happy since they were friends. Even though I did kinda regret trying to take over the school and whatever, I still hated them with a passion. I just didn't like them! And Sunset was the worst. She’d tried to take over the school, too, but the girls just acted like she was the one getting bullied!
I wondered what would happen if I tried to become their friend, too? Would they say, 'Oh, sure thing, Aria,' or would they say, 'Oh no, you tried to kill us?'
I tried to take my mind off of them, and just kept walking.
Sonata was looking at them too, though. Like she was thinking of becoming friends with them or something. As if she would get a different answer.
But Sonata kept looking at them and didn’t notice herself stepping off the curb. A car came by and screeched its tires as it swerved to not hit her. I pulled her aside really quick.
"What are you doing?" I asked her. "Pay attention!"
I looked over at the Rainbrools, and saw that they had noticed us. They just kinda gave us a look, as if to ask what was going on.
I pinched my forehead, and just tried to ignore everyone looking at us. “Seriously, this is embarrassing,” I said. “I know you can be... wacky at times, but seriously, get real, Sonata.”
We went one way, and the Rainboons went another. I was glad, though I still thought about apologizing to them. Would it work? If it did for Sunset, maybe we could be forgiven, too...
Soon we reached the park. Sonata headed to the store, while I laid down on a bench. The blue sky was clear, and the sun shonein my eyes. OW! God, I hate the sun.
As I laid back, I looked around. Peasants... peasants everywhere… They were just walking, drinking their coffee over at the coffee shop, walking their stupid dogs, it was just another average day. I hated the look of it.
I then felt a tap on my shoulder. It scared me a little, and I turned around quickly.
"Hey, I guess we're both here. Coincidence," said Anthem. "Mind if I sit?"
I kinda blushed a bit, and offered him a seat. "Where's the rest of the gang?"
"Oh them? They're back at our bus. I just wanted to walk around. Same for you?"
I nodded. "Yeah, got really nothing to do. I’m free, but I have to be careful not to get in trouble again." I sighed.
"Well, they said life isn't easy, but it sure is fun, eh?" he said. I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, me and the gang, we are the best of friends. Who are your friends? I'm just curious."
I stopped to think. "Well, I... I don't have many friends. I mean, I guess there's you guys, but other than that, there’s only one person I like. Name is-"
Sonata interrupted me. "Hey, Aria!" she yelled.
"Hey, Sonata." I sighed. "Done already?"
Anthem looked at her. "This is your friend, I suppose?"
"Hi!" she said, offering a hand to shake. She took a closer look at him, then realized something. "Wait, you're Anthem Flare? The singer for Next Generation?!"
He nodded. "Yup. A fan?"
Sonata shook her head. "No, I'm not a punk freak." she said. Anthem looked a little offended by the word 'freak', but still was alright. "I introduced Aria to your band ‘cause she likes punk!"
He looked at me, and I smiled. "It's true," I said. "And I got addicted, just like that." He chuckled.
"Woo! Brotha!" Wolf shouted from nearby. We all startled as he jumped on Anthem; nobody had seen him coming. "Hey, man, I got lonely back there! I mean, yeah there's the band and everything, but I can't-"
He then stood still and noticed not just me, but Sonata. "OH, uh, h-hi..." he said nervously.
Sonata giggled. "Hi!" she said, now offering a handshake to Wolf. He blushed as he held her hand and shook it. "And I think you're Wolf, right?"
I could see sweat forming on his neck. "U-uh, yeah! I'm Wolf Smoke! F-fan?"
She shook her head. "I'm not into punk. I just took a look at your band and introduced Aria to you guys."
"W-well, you could say that we're a pretty neato band, right?" he asked, with more sweat on the back of his neck. I held back my giggle. I could tell he liked her, and it was pretty cute to see.
"Sure," she said. "I like how you guys look like great friends."
Wolf smiled. "Sure are, ma'am." Sonata giggled at the way he said 'ma'am'. "We're like brothers! Except we're not, we're just crazy friends!"
She giggled more. "Well, that's cool." she said, rubbing her arm and swaying around a bit. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! Hi, my name's Sonata Dusk!"
Wolf nodded and smiled. "Sonata... nice name."
"I like your name, too. Sounds pretty cool."
Wolf turned red, but continued. "Th-thanks."
An awkward silence fell. "W-well, I gotta head back to the bus, see ya!" And just like that, he set off, dashing back to the bus.
Anthem shook his head and smiled. "Funny guy, but also an oddball. I like oddballs."
"He sure is." Sonata said. Then she whispered in my ear, "Personally, I find Wolf pretty cute. Don't tell him that, k?"
I chuckled a little. I had a feeling...
"Well, wanna just hang out?" Anthem asked.
Sonata shook her head. "No thanks. I'm just gonna go home." she said.
"Well, I'll go." I responded. "Got nothing to do anyways."
"Alright," said Sonata. "See ya, Aria."
Anthem looked at me. "So, uh, wanna just stay here or what?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. What do you have in mind?"
Anthem shrugged. "We could just walk around the city."
Well, what else was there? "Sure, sounds good." I said. "Maybe we'll find something interesting."
Anthem got off the bench. "Well, what are we waiting for?" He walked, and I followed. We walked around the city for a bit, then having a conversation.
“So,” I started. “How’s life going for the gang back at your little hub?”
He shrugged. “Pretty much the same as my life. They’re just sitting back and relaxing. We’re probably gonna start practicing tomorrow. Hell, maybe even make a new song.”
“That’s pretty cool.” I commented. “If you really are making a new song, I’ll be happy to be the first to listen to it.” I gave him a little smile.
“Depends on if it sounds cool to me, and if the gang enjoys it.” he said, scruffling with his hair. “It’s called ‘1988’. Can you take a guess why?” He put a smirk on his face.
“Green Day’s debut year?” I answered cockily. He stood frozen, surprised that I got it.
“Uh, yeah,” he said. “I’m surprised you actually got it.”
“I know my punk.”
He chuckled. “You know what, you’re a pretty cool person you know that?”
I get a little red, but I continued. “Thanks. I know I’m cool. Punk is awesome.”
“Well then, guess I’ll surely invite you over to our practice tomorrow.”
I opened my eyes wide and looked at him. “Really?” I asked.
He nodded. “You’re welcome.”
I come over to give him a quick hug. “Thank you so much!” I said, before realizing what position we’re in. I released the hug after noticing people saw us hugging. I chuckled nervously, and so did he.
But he still played cool. “No problem. I enjoy- I mean, we enjoy your company over.”
I grinned. “Oh, really? Well, I enjoy yours-”
"Oh, hey check it out." Anthem said out of nowhere.
"What?" I asked, wondering what the hell he was pointing at.
"It's those, uh, Rainbooms." I then heard glass shattering. The... Rainbooms... And they were right across from us... Great...
I stood there, staring at them. Those stupid Rainboobs... the ones who made absolute fools of us! The ones who defeated us...
Anthem looked at them, then back at me. He seemed confused. "I'm gonna go talk to them," he said. "You coming?"
I shook my head. "Just... nah..."
"Why?" he asked. "You're sounding like you hate them. Is there a problem?"
I shook my head. My shoulders felt tense. I couldn’t tell him that I was a siren... who knows what he’d do?
"I, uh, gotta run home now. That's why."
I ran off down an alley. I felt pretty bad for deserting him. I would have totally spent more time with him, if it wasn't for those stupid Rainbooms. But it was their fault for ruining things.
After a while, my stomach started growling. Great. I looked around and saw a diner I’d been to before that actually serves some fine food. It was 60s-themed diner, with everything being from, well, the 60s. Waitresses were dressed in blue and white, like in the 60s, there was a jukebox, walls were checkered and whatever. It was pretty neat.
I grabbed a burger, then continued my walk back home as I ate it. Should’ve paid more attention, though, because I accidentally banged into some nitwit on the street. We both fell to the ground.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" I shouted through a mouthful of burger.
"I'm sorry." the stranger said. I blinked. Well, apology not accepted… It was Little Miss Sunset Shimmer. I met her eyes and scowled. She looked a little shocked, like she hadn’t expected to run into me.
I stood up. "Yeah, think again!" I yelled, making a scene, even though not many people were around here. "What are YOU doing here? Where's your stupid friends?" I cracked my knuckles, preparing for a fight that I'd enjoy.
Sunset rose. "I was just going back to my apartment. They’re all heading home, too."
"Well, guess that leaves you alone, huh?" I asked, cracking my knuckles a little more.
"Listen, I don't wanna fight." The tanned girl turned to walk away.
“Seriously?! Come on! After what you've done to us, you expect there WON’T be a fight?!"
I threw a fist, but Sunset caught it with her hand. She didn't hit back nor try to counter. She just held it. Not trying to hit a pressure point or hurt me at all, just held it.
"It wasn't my fault you were trying to be evil," she said. "Listen, I'm sorry, I really am, but-"
"Sorry?!" I threw my other fist. She caught it with her other hand. Once again, she didn’t try to hurt me at all; she just held my fist. "Sorry doesn't cut it! Oh no, buddy! You humiliated us and ruined our singing voice! Not just mine, but my sisters’, as well!"
We then stood there awkwardly, not doing a thing. Sunset didn’t let go of my fists, and she didn't do anything threatening, either. It kinda shocked me.
A minute of odd silence passed. "Aren't you going to hit me?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in confusion. I mean, I would...
Sunset shook her head and let go of my fists. "No. I already hurt you enough by the looks of it, and I don't wanna hurt you anymore. I’d rather apologize. Maybe even see if we could become friends."
I frowned as I realized that she might be serious. No trick, she actually wanted us to become friends? The one who ruined our lives, ruined our plans, made us look like complete fools... she wanted to be my friend?
"Like I would." I turned around. "Seriously, after all the hell you put us through, you expect THAT?" I couldn't stop thinking about what Sunset really wanted, and what she was expecting to actually happen. “Sorry, this doesn't work like in the fairy tales, kid.”
"I know we hurt you, but to be honest truth, you guys were in the wrong. You three were the evil ones. I mean, you tried to take over the school!" She reached her hand out towards me again. "But, look, maybe we can help you get back on track. Friend?"
I stared at the hand. And the words that Sunset said were kinda true. Screw it, they were true. We did terrorize the school, but I was getting tired of all the negativity towards us. Even though I was a tough girl, I got a little afraid when other students threatened me. We did it to ourselves...
But was this the way to fix things? Would anything actually 'change'? Would we be respected by others around us?
I reached my hand slowly and shook Sunset's. "Alright, fine. I'm not saying I'm a true friend of your little group yet, buddy. I'm just giving it a shot. ONE SHOT."
Sunset nodded. "I understand if you aren't sure, or if you’re still angry towards us." She looked back at me. "But trust me, we’ve both been in the same kind of situation. This will go well. I promise."
I turned to walk away. "Whatever. We'll... we'll talk later."
Now, at first, I just wanted to get away from her annoying ass. But after a while, I started actually thinking more about it.
Change. Can it happen?
Then I thought about what would happen if Adagio and Sonata found out about this. Sonata would go easy on me. But not Adagio...
Seriously, though, I wasn’t sure if it could happen? Me, Aria Blaze; a siren, a figure who terrorizes life and feeds off of negativity; could I change and become better? And if I did change, would I feel happier, respected, and great?
I realized that one way to find out would be to hang out with Sunset and her friends.
I let the day pass by, and woke up the very next day, early in the morning. As the sun was rising, I walked downstairs and made myself toast. I ate the toast, watched television, and felt cozy on the couch.
An hour passed by, and I decided to go out. There was nothing to do around this place, anyway. Adagio was beside me wearing her purple robe with a golden treble clef on the back. She looked tired as crap, with bags under her eyes, and had a mug of coffee in her right hand. "Hey, I'm heading out." I said.
Adagio yawned and shrugged. "Eh, fine, head out you little-" She yawned once more. "rugrat." She sat on a kitchen chair, and rested her head on the table. I dunno why she's all tired as hell, but I didn't care, and I headed out. I walked towards the building where Next Generation played, figuring the guys would be there. Maybe they'd have something fun.
I walked in front of the brick building, and noticed Wolf walking down the street. He noticed me and waved. I waved back. "Hey, Aria, wazzup?" he asked. "Wanna see us practice and whatnot?"
I nodded. "Exactly what I wanted."
He opened the door, and let me inside. Before we made it backstage, however, he asked me a question. "So, uh, you know the last time w-we met, right?" I nodded. "And you know a-about y-your sis, right? Joining our little talk?" Once again, I nodded. I knew where this was going. "So, uh, has she, uh, talked about me?" He was sweating a bit, like he was being totally dramatic about it. He really did like her. And he was nervous as hell, too.
"Uh," I scratched the back of my head. Well, she really didn't. She did kinda have a smile for him, but… "She said you were cute after you left."
Wolf smiled wide, eyes opened wide, and he slicked back his hair. "Yes!" he said, jumping high in the air with glee. He then noticed me looking at him. He stopped. "Oh, uh, I mean, sweet." he said, trying to act cool and like nothing happened.
I giggled. "You know, I can keep your promise for you." He smiled.
"Really?" he said.
"Mhm." I smiled at how cute it was to see Wolf liking Sonata, and found it super cute to think of them together. And, I don't find things cute easily. It’s just that… they both seem so similar, and Wolf is all awkward about approaching her, it felt like a little funny love story.
"Thank you so much!" he said happily. Just then, Flare appeared from behind.
"Hey!" he said, happy to see me there. A smile appearing on his face. "Our fan coming over once again?"
I nodded. "Got nothing to do. Figured you guys were practicing."
"Well, we are, but in a little bit. Wolf's here, so the gang is all here, but we're just gonna sit back for a while. Just chilling and resting. But in the meantime, you can chat with us."
We went backstage, seeing the rest of the gang. "Sid, my main man!" Wolf shouted as he came to give Sid a rib-breaking hug. "Tres, my little jabroni!" He came over to give Tres one, too.
"Alrighty, calm down, Wolf," Anthem said with a smile. "Just sit back, relax, then we'll be shredding. Concert is gonna be happening next week, so just do whatever for the time being." The whole gang split apart and did their thing. Meanwhile, Anthem stayed with me.
"So, what else is going on instead of band stuff?" I asked, sitting on a steel chair.
He only shrugged. "Not really. The whole schedule is practicing, and all that stuff. Oh yeah, I'm also thinking of a new song, but I don't have it all down yet."
"What don't you have down?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Lyrics." he said, taking out a small notebook from one pocket, and taking out a pencil from the other. "Everything is too sweet, Aria, but not the lyrics. Wasted half an hour yesterday making lyrics, and it all sucked."
"Well... what does the song sound like?"
He pulled out his guitar, and played his part in the song. It started off with him quickly strumming a single note multiple times, and it sounded like a high-pitched siren wailing. And quickly, he played a fast guitar solo at the start. Moving his fingers really fast from top to bottom. He continued this play, which sounded like a crazy riot going on. He did it once, then again, then again, ending it with an epic guitar solo. He was sweating from playing it. After a couple of minutes, he set his guitar down. It was amazing.
"Like that." he said, grinning and sweating. "So, the song is called... uh... well, shit."
"What?"
"Call me a little stupid, I don't remember the title. Matter of fact, I don't even REMEMBER if I made a title."
I put my hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you're a good song writer. Not a single hint of bad notes." I soon realized the odd situation with my hand on his shoulder, and took it off.
With a little blush, he said, "Well, uh, thank you. Still though, I don't know the title."
"What's the song supposed to be about?" I asked. "Maybe we can get the title from that. Maybe you might remember it."
He scratched his hair, and soon snapped his fingers and remembered. "It's about doing whatever the hell you want after high school ends. Like a riot and having those crazy fucking parties."
I nodded, very interested in the song. "Oh really?"
"It's just something I wanted to have in our career. Our legacy. I think this one might be a hit!" He smiled.
"Canterlot Riot?" I suggested.
He shrugged. "Well, seems like we're doing that, I guess." He stood up with guitar in hand. "'Canterlot Riot' it is!"
I looked at him and smiled. "You're welcome for the title." I stood up. "Mind if I watch you guys practice? I promise I won't bother or touch anything."
He chuckled. "Actually... I have been thinking... of something." I tilted my head, confused. He noticed. "Well, I'm... I'm just curious about your, uh, singing. Can you sing?"
My eyes darted wide open. "Uh---" I said, not knowing what to say. I'm an awful singer, and for a good reason. My beautiful amulet is gone, destroyed, and that was the one thing that made my voice so charming... but it's gone now.
"You okay?" he asked, tapping my shoulder, pulling me out of my trance. "You looked like you were out of it. But, can you sing? I just wanna know how you sound."
I took the easy way out, and answered simply: "No. I can't, I-I am NOT a good singer. Believe me, it'll kill ya."
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," he said with a smirk. "Come on, it won't hurt my hearing at all. Matter of fact, it might be a sweet voice, and you're just shy." I shook my head, but he gave me a sad puppy look. "Please? Just once."
I sighed in defeat. "Alright. Don't tell me I didn't warn you." I looked around, making sure the band wasn't approaching or anything. I just wanted Anthem to know about my bad singing. Cause dear God, it should just be that way.
I did a quick little session of singing, trying my hardest to do the best. And did I do all-star? Great? Good? Terrible? Yup, definitely terrible. Off-pitch, off-key, high and ear-piercing. Imagine a five-year old girl singing some Disney song really loud for the first time. Got it? That’s me. I sung for about thirty seconds, and ended it there.
Anthem just stared. "Honestly," he said. "I... kinda like it."
My eyes widened. “WHAT?!”
"Uh..." I said, shocked to death from his response. Kinda like? I seriously thoughthe was lying. No way could he... "Nonononono. My voice is not good." I sat and crossed my arms with a little blush on my face. "You don't have to be nice."
"Whatever do you mean? Think I'd lie to a friend?" he said. He shook his head. "Not at all. You know, not many people have confidence in their voice when they sing. Especially for the ones with a deep voice. Hell, I didn't think I had it in me, mine being decently deep. But guess what?" He spun slowly in a circle, looking around in the building. "We're in this building playing music." Then, he pointed at me. "And we have lovely fans... just like you."
"Well… you guys have a gift.” I said, sighing. "I love you guys and all, and your singing is amazing! It's just... my voice isn't going to make it at all. Nobody else likes it. You didn't feel good about singing, but you sang, and people loved it. When I sang, people criticized me. Especially at school."
He tilted his head. "Really?" I nodded. "Well, don't let everyone put you down like that, cause to me, your voice rocks."
Then I had a thought: Why did he ask me to sing? "Alright, Anthem, I know you don't wanna just hear me for fun."
He nodded. "Well, uh, let me just ask... I kinda want you to be a part of our band."
"Come on, it's alright. Sure you'll be the only girl in the band, but does it matter?" He approached me. "I'll help you get better if it makes you FEEL any better. I swear." He put his hand on my shoulder.
"Fine." I said. "I'll join you guys. You got me, Anthem." I got up, and walked towards the back, when Anthem stopped me.
"Hey, just... don't look so down on yourself, alright?" he said in a serious tone. He seemed a little worried, like he actually cared. "Don't want you to break down and stuff. Being depressed sucks."
I slowly nodded. "A-Alright, Anthem." I turned, and continued back. He really seemed to... care for me. Awfully very much. And to be honest, it really felt nice and warm. But, what will Adagio think? How will the band do with me? I didn’t know.
I made it backstage, where the guys were having a chat. "Hey, hey, hey!" Wolf said with a wide smile after noticing me. "What's up?" He was balancing one of Tres' drumsticks on his nose, trying not to let it fall of his face. It looked pretty interesting, to be honest, and I chuckled a little.
"Well, gang, I have some news," said Anthem as he walked in. "Aria's joining the band!"
Wolf screwed up his balance immediately, and Tres' drumsticks fell to the ground. "Band?" Sid questioned.
Tres stood up. "Woah, woah, woah, Anthem," he said, shaking his hands and head. "Why in the hell is this happening? You can't just allow some person join our band. Plus, when-"
"Listen, Tres," Anthem interrupted. "I was just thinking, 'Hey, what if we had a girl singer?' I mean, we could have another voice in our gang."
Tres shook his head. "As much of a friend she is to us, which she is a great one right now, we shouldn't really just make her a member." He looked at me. "Besides, can she, uh... sing good?"
Anthem nodded. "She might not sound good to you, but trust me, it'll work along the way, man."
Sid stepped up. "Wait, are you saying she can't sing well?"
Anthem shook his head in disagreement. "No, she's fine, but I'm just saying, you guys being you, I'm certain you'll lash out on her like bloody Simon Cowell!" He then sighed. "Just... give her a chance." Oh, dammit…
Without any words, I sung the same thing that I sung to Anthem. Feeling nervous now, feeling like the situation might get bad, I still did my best and kept myself calm. It was over nice and quick, but I was still wondering what in the hell was gonna happen.
Tres looked at Anthem. "You know what... she might use-"
"Some practice," Sid finished for him.
Anthem slightly nodded. "Her voice sounds like a true punk girl, and would be great! I'll just... help her with her singing, and we'll be fine, k?"
Sid and Tres both shrugged. "Sure, I ain't saying she isn't joining," Tres said. "She's welcome to join, I guess."
Wolf nodded. "I like her as a friend, though the voice... it's at par."
I honestly expected more negativity. It made me wonder if these guys were just very nice, or if they really meant it, because I would turn down singing like that. I didn't really have a whole lot of faith in myself, but these guys did, somehow.
Anthem pulled me aside. "Hey, I know you don't think that was your best. I can tell by the look on your face. But I'll help you get better. Take some voice lessons with the ole chap himself." He chuckled. "Welcome to the band!"
"You don't have to do this," I said. "All of this is really nice, but... are you really sure about having me alongside you guys? I'm a huge fan of your music, but... it's like taking a fangirl and making her the lead signer. I don't think-"
"Aria," he said, "I get what you're saying. The guys think I'm crazy, you think I am, and even I think I'm insane, myself. But listen, you just seem... special, that's all. And we ain't gonna make you a singer off the bat, I'm helping ya. Trust me." He winked at me. "I have faith in ya, and you'll soon be glad you're singing with us. You’ll be a backup singer at first, but you’ll get some spotlight soon."
I shrugged and nodded. "You know... alright. Let's do this." We continue to walk backstage towards the gang.
Anthem takes me to a room with a bright light, with some equipment scattered around on the floor, along with steel chairs. "So, how bout we get working on those pitches, eh?"
"Huh?" I wondered if he was gonna be like some sort of choir teacher? God, I hate those teachers. I actually hate all teachers, period.
"You know, like voice pitches." Anthem did a low pitch with his voice, then quickly switched to a pitch so high that I didn't know he could reach it. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!” he sung. “You try."
"Um... okay." I cleared my throat, and let out my voice. It sounded bad, with awful cracks at my lowest pitch, and got worse when I got higher. "Oh God..."
"Eh, no worry, Aria. Think of it kinda like learning a song’s lyrics; if you listen to it enough and try singing it over and over, you'll learnthe song AND sing it perfectly at the same time!"
"Great," I muttered. I sighed and sang the same thing again. And again. And again. I counted fifteen times, and my voice started to hurt, though as I thought about it, my voice seemed to do a bit better on the fifteenth time. I went for it again, singing low to high. Anthem listened closely and grinned.
"Great! Starting to hear different things in your voice?"
I was surprised at my own answer: "Yes. I'm actually doing better... sorta."
"A little more and you'll be golden!" He tossed a water bottle at me, and I caught it. I drank the cool liquid, and smiled. My voice was actually starting to get slightly better. Slightly. I still had a long way to go…
We did another fifteen minutes of the same thing over and over again, and it got progressively better. My voice cracked less often, it sounded more harmonic, and I was feeling all sorts of good vibes. I felt like I might be able to sing again!
"Woo!" I screamed. I didn’t want to turn into Sonata, but I couldn't help feeling happy and gleeful! I wanted to believe my singing voice could get back to normal in no time! Maybe this whole thing ain't so bad after all... maybe… Thought losing the gems would suck, but this new life can be something I can handle.
"See? I'm telling you, you're fine," Anthem said.
I was about to say something back, until I felt a buzzing in my left pocket. I pulled out my phone, and saw a text from Sonata.
'Help.'
Huh?
'Hurry plz.'
This felt a little... not like Sonata... "Say, I gotta get somewhere. Mind if I take off?"
"No problem," Anthem said. "You got all the time in the world. We all don't, sadly. Little practice there and there. Actually, please come back once you get situated, please. We need you for some time."
"Alright. See ya!" I rushed out the door, yet wondered. Where is Sonata? What is happening? Is she alright?
'At school grounds'
Perfect. That wasn't far from where I was. I started running toward the school, a little worried. What could be happening to my little sis?
I jogged over to the school as quick as I could. I worried about what could be happening to Sonata; she is weak and very vulnerable, so anything could happen, I suppose.
I stared ahead to see three girls surround the blue teen. A tall and slim girl, who was tall and green with aqua-blue hair going down to her shoulders, a large girl, who had a hideous face with white skin, zits, and orange hair, and a small girl, having black hair and red skin, looking like some brat. "H-Hey, girls." said Sonata, who was nervous as hell. "H-how is your l-life? Sweet? Oh, that's great! See ya!" She rushed to get away, but bumped into one of the girls.
"Where do you think you're going?" asked the tall girl that had green with aqua-blue hair going down to her shoulders. She had a white shirt with a short yellow skirt. "Can't think we're done yet, right?" She grabbed Sonata and lifted her off her feet. "Listen to me, punk, you tried to hurt us, thinking that she and you and that other slut tried to take over at Battle of the Bands, now it's time for some payback." She whistled, and another big girl, who had a hideous face with white skin and orange hair, walked towards her. In her hands were brass knuckles. She put them on, and readied a punch.
"Stop!" I yelled. The three girls turned and focused on me. "Get your hands off my sister!"
"Oh, look who it is," said the tall girl. She whistled again, and the huge girl with the brass knuckles stepped forward. "Mighty Rousey, knock her punk ass out."
The girl barrelled towards me, leading with her brass knuckles. She wasn't fast at the slightest, so I easily rolled out of the way. But the third girl, who was small with red skin and black hair, was fast and furious. She latched onto me, and put me in a sleeperhold. Her body was skinny, but Christ, she had a good amount of strength. The hold tightened around my neck and I had trouble trying to catch a whiff of fresh air. I stood, not letting her pin me to the ground, but trust me, it’s hard.
I spun around and threw her off. "Oof!" she grunted as she hit the ground. The big girl launched forward and threw another punch at me, so I dodged again. Clumsily, she tripped over the downed girl. She got up quick, but I throw a kick to her jaw, knocking her down. Meanwhile, little brat was underneath and squirming like a rat that got his tail caught under a shoe. That just left me and the green-and-blue bitch holding my sister.
"Well, leaves you and me, eh?" she said cockily. She dropped Sonata, who quickly scurried away to hide in a large bush, praying not to be seen.
The girl threw a kick, which I blocked. Yet, she caught me with a random kick with her other leg, which hit me good across the face. The girl wrestled me to the ground and threw a punch at my face.
"Not so tough, are ya?" she said.
"Eh, I was just going easy on you," I said, grinning. I pushed her off, gave her the finger, tackled her, then grabbed her hair and yanked it hard.
"Ow!" she screamed. "Let go!"
"Leave us alone then!" I yelled back.
"Well, she ain't," she said with a cocky smile. I looked back to see the small girl launch at me again. Before I could react, I was back in a sleeperhold, and I struggled to stand and not be laid out on the ground. Like as if a jockey was riding me. I saw the big girl clutch her brass knuckles tightly.
"Well, this looks like the end," the green-and-blue girl said as she stood up.
The girl ran towards me, fist ready to strike, but with one quick move, I dodge out of her way. And the girl launched a punch. Little did she know, the tall brat stood right behind me. And there went the punch, right to the other girl's jaw. The tall girl fell to the ground, and the hideous teen stood there in shock. I threw the small girl at her, then tackled her. I pried the brass knuckles out of her hands and put them in my own. I readied my fist, and she hid her face with her hands.
"Say, how about you leave us alone, huh? Pick on someone your own size?" I said with an aggressive tone. The girl whimpered, and I got off of her. I felt the spot on my cheek where the one girl had kicked me. Damn, that hurt. "Sonata, you-"
I took a sudden punch square in the chest. I looked and saw that the girl with the green and blue hair, who had been hit by brass knuckles, was somehow still standing. She had a huge bruise on her face, though. "Alright? Oh, she's alright, for now. You on the other hand? Nah, you're not."
Sonata came charging from out of nowhere, and tackled the bitch. Hard. Like as if a football player just rammed in.
"Don't." Sonata threw a punch at one side of the girl's face. "Ever." Another punch. "Hurt." Another. "My." Another. "SISTER!" And another. "Keep away from us, Pretty Sweet," she warned the girl beneath her.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry..." Pretty Sweet cried. "I'm sorry..." Her nose was bleeding, and she had a black eye. Geez... Sonata...
Sonata took a really loud deep breath. I did the same. Sonata had never done something like that before.
"Sonata?" I said softly.
Sonata stood and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you..." she said softly into my shoulder.
"Hey, it's alright," I cooed. This all felt so sudden. A fight with three girls, and the one girl, Pretty Sweet I suppose, got pummeled in the end by Sonata. Sonata was never one to fight, nor to look for one. Maybe this girl had been bullying Sonata for a while.
"I hated her so much," she said. "I... I couldn't take it... Is she alive?"
The downed girl was still whimpering and clutching her face. "She’s alive, Sonata. God, I never saw you act like this before."
"I know,” she said. "It's... scary."
"Have these guys been messing with ya?" I asked.
Sonata nodded. "They’ve been bullying and harassing me, e-ever since the battle."
"Hey, you could've told me, Sonata," I said, softly hugging her.
It was a quiet moment, just the two of us, until from out of nowhere- "What in tarnation?!" said a country voice, which could only mean...
"Oh..." I said, slowly turning my head to see Sunset and her friends. I noticed some look of... concern, or maybe fear in their eyes. But then I realized it looked like I had just been beaten up.
"Hey, guys," I said, waving at them. I had no idea what they were thinking. Christ, I had almost forgotten about Sunset and the Rainbooms, and how I told them I was gonna change. Something like a fight must make it look like the opposite was happening.
"Sonata, are you alright?" Sunset asked the blue girl weeping in my shoulder. "Geez, what happened, Aria?"
"I got bullied." Sonata said, cutting straight to the point. "Those girls you saw weren't so nice to me." She softly smiled as she looked at me. "But then Aria came and made me feel better."
"They were assaulting her, basically,” I said. “They tried to attack me, so I got them back."
"Yeesh," Dash said. "Brutal stuff."
"Oh my..." Fluttershy said, covering her face with her hands to not see the damage.
"Not the best." Sonata said, sniffling. "It was horrible."
"You don't have to say that again." Sunset said, hugging Sonata gently. This was... kind of a shocker for Sonata. One: she didn't even notice that the group of teens were the Rainbooms through her teary eyes. Two: she didn't expect a source of... comfort.
"Darling, you alright?" Rarity asked, noticing my bruises and bloody nose.
"Yeah, I'm alright." I answered, wiping the blood from underneath my nostrils. "I don't need no medical assistance."
"But, darling, please. It's not like we're going to the hospital to tend wounds. Just a simple cover-up and bandaging, that's all."
"Again, no need to help." I said, then feeling a rush of pain through my head, making me flinch. "Ow..."
"I have some medical supplies at my home, which isn't very far." Rarity carefully walked around the specks of blood on the ground. "Come along."
I gave up at that point. They weren't gonna leave me be, were they? "Alright." I said, shrugging.
We made our way towards Rarity's boutique, which was big and, I suppose, cool. Fancy-looking clothing in the back, varying from blue, yellow, pink, and all other sorts of colors, and the walls were a nice dark-blue/light-blue stripe pattern. I just crossed my arms the whole time, wishing to have the stupid thing over with.
I wanted to be with Anthem’s band, not the Rainboobs.
"Come on in." Rarity said, holding the door open for all of us. Sonata bounced in with joy and amusement, but what's so exciting about a fashion boutique? It's clothing, big whoop.
"My supplies are in the bathroom, follow me," Rarity said.
I shrugged and followed her up the stairs and to the bathroom.
She pulled out a med kit containing bandages, an ice pack, and all sorts of other stuff. She placed the cold ice pack on the largest bruise on my face. I twitched a little, considering it was hella cold, but it was alright. "Just hold it there, dear." Rarity said.
"Don't worry, I'll manage." I grumbled.
She noticed my facial expression. "Aria, just because you're getting medical help from a friend doesn't make you any less… tough," she said.
I raised my brow at her. "What do you mean?"
"Darling, I can tell that you're annoyed, particularly because you think you are weak to receive help. That's why you didn’t want to come."
"Well, I don't need help." I said, though in a softer tone. "It's not like I got stabbed or shot."
She placed her hand on my shoulder. "Still, it is still important to treat bruises. You just-"
"Rarity!" shouted a squeaky voice of a child. "Your musical patient guy is here!"
Rarity turned her head. "Oh, I almost forgot." She smacked herself. "Focus, Rarity."
"What? It's just a guy."
Rarity turned her head towards me. "Just a guy? No, darling, this is no mere ‘guy.’ This is a musician! As a matter of fact, he's in a new band here in Canterlot."
I suddenly opened my eyes. "Wait! Who is this... guy?"
"Oh. His name is Anthem Flare. He’s the singer for some punk band. I don't mind punk, but-"
I interrupt her. "THE Anthem Flare?" I ask.
"Uh, yes. Why? Are you a fan of his band?"
"Well, yeah, I'm a fan."
"Indeed. To be quite honest, I had a feeling that you'd be a big fan theirs. I sort of think of them as a punk One Direction."
I turned around to give Rarity a glare. "One Direction?" I questioned, then shook my head and started walking down the stairs. "But hey, thanks, Rare."
"No problem, darling."
As I descended the staircase, I spotted a small child with skin the color of Rarity’s and purple-light pink hair talking to Anthem. "So, you're really a singer?"
Anthem nodded. "Yeah. Lead singer of the band. It's nothing."
"That's awesome!" the girl squeaked. "Can you teach me how to sing?" She gave him starry eyes.
He chuckled. "Maybe some time. I mean, I got some heavy stuff." The girl looked down, but Anthem spoke again. "But I'll keep in mind about voice lessons. Don't worry." The girl looked up and smiled once more, then scampered away.
"Hey, Anthem." I said. "You got orders here?"
"Oh." he said, noticing me. "Didn't expect to see you here. What are you doing?" Then he noticed the ice pack on my hand. "Woah. You alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry. Could've been worse."
"Well, what happened after you took off?"
I sighed. "Well, my sister was being bullied by a couple of skanks. They tried to hurt her, so I stepped in and we fought." I looked back at my bruise. "But don’t worry or anything."
"I wasn't really going to be, but still, damn." I looked at my bruise once more. It looked a little better. Maybe it was good that Rarity helped me. Still... I didn't necessarily need it.
"So..." I said, intending to ask if it was a good time to come back, but then little sugar-plum girl interrupted...
"Aw!" she said, holding her hands together like she was seeing something adorable.
"What?" I asked, confused. Sweetie Belle still had a look on her face like she was gonna squeal. I was getting a little scared, and I think Anthem had the same intentions.
"Are you two dating?" she asked, sitting on the counter. I darted my eyes to my left and saw Anthem blushing wildly. He wasn't the only one.
"W-Where did you get THAT?" Anthem asked.
"Oh, you know. I can see the love between you. I mean, you two are a couple... right?"
"NO!" we both said at the same time, then blushed more.
"But why?" she asked with a voice crack. "I ship you two like Rarity and Clyde!"
"CLYDE?!" Rarity's voice could be heard from above, and so could rapid footsteps. She trudged down and looked around. "Sweetie?"
"Yes, Rarity?" the girl asked.
"No, not you." She looked around once more, with a confused expression. "Uh... Where's Clyde?"
"Clyde's not here." the girl said again.
"Sweetie Belle, then why did you say his name? You know how I react when I hear that name." She then looked up to notice us and blushed pink in embarrassment. "A-And I must remain professional in front of customers," she whispered loudly.
"Sorry." Sweetie said. "But I was just saying how these two looked cute. You know, like you and your boyfriend."
Rarity slowly turned her head once more to look at us. We were still blushing.
"Sweetie, how about you play with that ball of yarn I put in your room?"
"Ball of yarn? I don't play with that thi-"
"Go on!" Rarity said, pushing Sweetie Belle up the stairs. She cleared her voice once she made her way back to the desk. "Sorry for that, darlings. Now, do you want your dress?"
"I wouldn't really call it a dress, but yes." Anthem said, the blush gone from his cheeks.
Rarity walked to the back of the store to look for his order. Then she came back with a black outfit. It was a jacket with torn sleeves, a grey shirt that had his logo on it, and black pants with names of the members on the legs in white. "I did question this, cause I never done such a, outfit before, but I managed to do so." She handed him the order. "I do hope you like it!"
"Like it?" he asked, examining the outfit. "I love it! This is awesome!" He handed her some cash and smiled. "Maybe I should stick to getting gear from here."
"That'd be grand, darling." Rarity said. "Toodaloo!"
Anthem turned around and left, waving at me.
Then I realized what I was gonna ask. "Say, Rarity," I said. "Uh, you wouldn't mind if I headed out with Anthem, would you?"
"No problem, darling."
"And... thanks. For treating my bruises."
"It's nothing. Just an act of generosity, that's all. I'd never let a friend be hurt."
I smiled and waved. "Oh! And, can you tell Sonata I'm gone and said goodbye? And also... take good care of her."
"Darling, there is no problem doing that. You are dear friends now."
"Thanks." I said, exiting the building.
I ran down the street to catch up with Anthem. "Sup, Flare?"
"Aria?" he said, noticing me. "I suppose you're coming back?"
"Yup. You betcha." I rubbed my arm. "You wouldn't mind helping me with my voice some more?"
"Of course. Right after me and the gang practice a little more on our songs and stuff, I'll catch up with ya." He slowly blushed then. "And... who was that small girl?"
"Well, Rarity called her Sweetie Belle, so obviously it's Sweetie Belle." I started to blush, too, from remembering her choice of words...
"Yeah... she's a little... strange, eh?" We both nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of our heads. "I mean, who would 'ship' us? Heh... Right?"
