> Aria's Challenge
>  by Gear Works
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Who's The Bully Here?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Gear Works, but some people call me Gears.  I’m what you would call a geek, because of my love of geeky things, but I don’t look like the type with the nerdy glasses and pocket protectors.  I look more like to average person.  I attended a school in Baltimare where I was bullied a lot during middle school.  But I started to learn how to deal with bullies by not giving in to them.  When I started high school, some bullies almost crossed the line with me, until some other students about their size stepped in and made sure they didn’t bully me again.  That didn’t stop them from trying again.  When my parents decided to go on a missionary trip, they were worried that things would get worse without them around.  So they decided to transfer me to Canterlot High, where I was told it was a safer school to attend.

I learned during my first year at Canterlot High that some strange happenings were going on.  Something about Equestrian magic appearing at the school.  I mean if you told others that there were students who became fire demon princesses or mind controlling sirens, they would thing you were crazy.  Well, it has happen, and I was lucky enough to avoid those encounters.  Why, you ask?  Another problem in my life is that I have a hard time finding a girlfriend, and for many reasons that I don’t want to get into.  So I never went to the Fall Formal or the Battle of the Bands.

It’s been two weeks since the Battle of the Bands, and I’m just returning to school from a weekend of being by myself, making my way to my English class.  I haven’t had much luck making friends for a while.  Well, expect one who I met as a bully, before she was reformed, so to speak.

“Morning, Gears.”  I looked up to see Sunset Shimmer looking refreshed as ever.  She was known as the biggest bully in the school, but every time she tried to get into my head, I didn’t even budge.  After a few weeks, she gave up on messing with me to focus on others because my willpower was strong.  It wasn’t until after the Fall Formal that she was different.  It was like the roles were reversed.  She wasn’t bullying anyone, and everyone else was giving her mean stares.  When I had a chance to talk to her alone, she explained what happened back in the Fall Formal and how she learned from her mistakes.  The only problem was that no one was willing to give her a second chance...well, five other girls did at least.  I promised that I would be willing to give her that chance and she became my first friend at this school, even if everyone else didn’t like her.

“Morning, Sunset.  How did your science research go?”

“Don’t even remind me,” she replied.  “I’m still trying to get the rainbow blast out of my system.”

“So, you have no idea where your magic comes from when you ‘pony’ up?” I asked.

“I might have to look outside the box if I plan to find those answers,” she replied.  “So, how was your weekend?”

“Same as always,” I replied in a dull voice.

“How come whenever the weekend comes around, you look so depressed?  There has to be something to do out there, besides going to Sugarcube Corner and grabbing a quick bite to eat.  Is there something that has been bothering you?”

Just as she said that, a blue girl with the ponytail walked in with a hop and a smile.  Her name was Sonata Dusk, one of the three so-called sirens that tried to take over the school during the Battle of the Bands.  Since they lost their powers that night, they were believed to be tossed out of the school, until Sunset saw them and asked Principal Celestia to give them a second chance, hoping they will do the same thing that Sunset did after the Fall Formal.  It was pure luck that everyone liked her more than her sisters because of her bubbly personality.  She even got herself a boyfriend in a couple of days.  Don’t know who the lucky guy was, but I guess I missed out on picking up a girlfriend easily.

As I was staring at her, Sunset picked up on why I felt so depressed every weekend.  “I see.  You still having a hard time finding a girlfriend.”  I nodded.  “I know I told you a few girls that I know to look into, but you said that there was something that separated you from each of them.  I don’t know why you can at least ask one of them out.”

“Because I still have that fear of being rejected in front of everyone,” I said.  “And if I recall, they were all members of The Rainbooms, who had to perform to stop the sirens’ magic.”

“I know,” she replied.  “I guess you want someone who’s more normal, and we’re not as normal, with our ‘pony’ powers and all.  Well, with everything coming back to normal, again, I can see if my friends know anyone who would be right for you.  Best I can do after what you did for me.”

“This coming from a former unicorn, I’m grateful for your help,” I said.

It was after English class that I was making my way to my next class when I hear a voice calling me.

“Hey, Gears.  Wait up.  I want to ask you something?”  I looked behind me to see Sonata running towards me, waving her hand.  “Sunset said that you have been having a hard time finding a girlfriend.”

“That’s true,” I replied.

“Well, she told me why you won’t ask any members of the Rainbooms, so I was wondering if you would ask one of my sisters out,” she said.

“I’m sorry, but I have met your “sisters”, and I don’t see any chance of that happening.”

Sonata put on her sad face and said, “But why?  Adagio would be nice to be with.”

“Adagio still likes to focus on her image,” I said.  “She’s just like Rarity and her fashion sense.”

“Well, what about Aria?” she asked me.

“You have got to be joking,” I said.  “Did you forget what happened the first day the three of you came to this school?”





I remember back to that day when they first came her.  I was making my way to the computer lab when I saw Sunset coming my way.

“Hey, Sunset.  I just heard you name being called on the intercom.”

“I know,” she replied.  “I’m getting to show some new students the school.  Wish me luck in making some new friends that don’t know about my past.”

“If they’re single girls, you know what to do,” I said.

“Don’t worry.  I haven’t forgotten about our promise,” she said as she was making her way to the lobby.

It was after I finished what I needed to do at the computer lab that I was making my way out of the room when I bumped into a girl beyond the door.

“Hey, watch it, loser.”  I looked to see that I crashed into a purple girl with pigtails.

I got back up and said, “Sorry, didn’t see you there.  I was in a hurry.”

“Well, you should be sorry,” replied the purple girl.

“Hey, take it easy on my friend.  He said he was sorry,” Sunset said in my defense.  I noticed that this was the group that Sunset was giving a tour to.  The others were a blue girl with a ponytail and a golden girl with big, puffy hair.

“Well, tell your friend that he should show some respect,” she replied.

“That’s enough, Aria,” the golden girl spoke, stopping the purple girl from causing any trouble.  She looked at me and said, “Sorry if my sister was being rude.  She has a hard time getting use to new people.”

“That’s because she acts that way to everyone,” said the blue girl.

“Oh, shut up, Sonata,” replied the purple girl.

“Will the two of you just shut up!” the golden girl said, giving them a mean stare.

“Well, I need to be on my way,” I said.  “Hope you enjoy the tour.”





“Oh, that’s right,” Sonata said.  “I forgot about that.  Thanks for reminding me.”

And at some point, she’s going to forget what I told her again.

“But don’t you have shop class with both Adagio and Aria at the end of the day?” Sonata asked.

“Yes,” I replied, “but Aria has been acting like a bully ever since you lost your powers.  She’s already been forcing her partner to do all the work in our last pairing.”

“And you were paired with Adagio, right?” she added.  “She showed me her queen chess piece, and said that you made a knight chess piece.”

“You are right about that,” I added.  “She was able to catch on to the programming in creating the piece, but I didn’t feel a strong connection with her.  I just don’t think it would work out with the both of us.”

“Well, I tried anyway,” she said in disappointment.  “If I come up with anyone else, I’ll let you know.”  And she just went on her way in a cheerful mood.

I decided to make my way to my next classes before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.  There were times I spend it up in the library trying to catch up on my studying, but this time, I didn’t have any catching up to do.  I was able to find a table to sit at, by myself.  So I took out my sandwich and drink that I always do for lunch and just pass the time before my next class.  Sunset would ask me to join her and her friends, but I felt like I stick out as the only guy in the group.  Plus, the former sirens were sitting with them.  That included Aria, who I just wanted to stay away from, because she was always acting like a bully to others, and I didn’t want to stir up any trouble.  As I was eating my lunch, I noticed that Adagio was walking my way.

“Is this seat taken, Gears?” she said.  I just shook my head, and she went to sit down next to me.  “So Sonata tells me that you are having a hard time finding a girlfriend.”  I placed my hand on my face in disgust.   “I would be willing to take you out on a date, but she does bring up a good point.  If I wanted a boyfriend, you wouldn’t be the type for me.  I mean, you do look cute, but I want someone who’s better.  No offense.”

“None taken,” I replied.  “You always wanted to focus on your image more than anything else after what happened.  No offense.”

“Nice counterattack,” she said.  “Now I understand why you handle bullies with ease.”

“So, did you come over to ask me out or bully me?” I asked.

She let out a sigh and said, “It’s not like me to act like this, but I’m worried about Aria’s approach.  I mean, Sonata got her bubbly personality to gain everyone’s trust, and she was able to get a boyfriend that quickly.  Don’t know what they see in each other.  And I have been trying to use my...body...to gain their trust, but I don’t think I’m doing a good job.”

“Well, I would think with your good looks, you can still win a guy’s heart, even if you don’t have a siren’s song,” I said.

“Very funny,” she replied.  “But Aria’s idea of forcing others to do what she wants is going too far.  She’s been bullying geeks, nerds, and weaklings as easy targets, without anyone else noticing.  And if I recall, you’re a geek as well.”

“So what are you trying to say, anyway?” I said.

“Help her understand that there’s a better way.  I don’t know how, but I don’t want to see her expelled from school for her actions,” she requested.

“I only just refuse what any bully asks me to do.  I can’t just make them change who they are.  That’s for them to decide.”  Adagio started to get out of her seat and turned away before I spoke again.  “But thanks for telling me this.  At least I know what to expect for her in shop class.  Maybe she will find out for herself what she needs to do, before it’s too late.”

“Well, thanks for listening to me,” she said.  “I’ll see you in shop class.  And I hope we work together on our next pairing.  Somehow, I’ve become a fast learner from you.”





I was in shop class, where Mr. Iron Will was going to assign our new pairings for the next two weeks at a new station.  The last two weeks I was paired with Adagio working on plastic crafting, where we made our own chess pieces.  Aria was working with another student working on electronics, or more likely, forcing him to do her part of the work.  As the parings were being made, Iron Will was about to announce Aria and Adagio’s pairing.

“Adagio, you will be working on wood working with Bright Idea.  Aria, you will be working on computer programming with Gears.”

“WHAT?” Aria said.  “I have to work with him?”

“Iron Will has made the pairings.  Aria doesn’t like it, then Iron Will can give Aria a failing grade.  That what Aria wants?”

“Fine, I’ll work with him,” Aria said.

Aria and me went to the computer station where we were to create a basic program that Iron Will wants us to work on.  Aria was not pleased with working with me.  She knew this because we have a tendency of running in to each other.  She always try to blame me and threaten me, but I just made some counter comment to throw her off, making her more angry.

“Look,” Aria quietly said, “I would like to get a passing grade, so I hope you plan on doing all the work.  If you don’t, then...”

“Then what?” I quietly cut her off in response.  “You’ll beat me up?  Or is it something worse.”  She gave me her mean look.  “Look, don’t expect me to do all the work for you like the last guy.  You want a passing grade, then we work together, whether you like it of not.”

So I grabbed the programming book and laid it in from of her.  I started to show her what she needed to learn, and all she did was let it go in one ear and out the other.  When I ask her to show me how it was done, she said she “couldn’t understand”.  The both of us were getting nowhere before class ended.  Now I need to figure out how to make her understand before the both of us get a failing grade in class.





Next morning, I went to school, still wondering how I can get Aria to understand.  With that on my mind, I didn’t realize that Sunset was trying to get my attention.

“Gears, is everything OK?  You look out of it.  Is something wrong with you?”

“Oh, I know, I know, I know,” Sonata said.  “It’s because he’s paired up with Aria in shop class.”

“How did you know that?” I asked.

“Because she wouldn’t stop talking about how she has to work with you,” she replied.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Sunset asked.

“I don’t know,” Sonata replied.  “All I know is that she won’t stop talking about him.”

“It’s a bad thing, Sunset,” I said.  “She’s trying to make me do all the work for her.  I’m trying to get her to learn the stuff, but she doesn’t give a ‘you know what’ about it.”

“Well, I’m sure you can find a way to make it work,” Sunset said.

“Thanks for your support,” as I rolled my eyes.





Day by day, I was dealing with the same problem with Aria in Shop class, and the two of us was getting nowhere in getting our assignment somewhat done.  When I came to school on Friday, I knew I was running out of time in getting my shop assignment done, and trying to make it happen in under a week felt like it was impossible.  As I came to the school entrance, Adagio stopped me from entering.

“Look, I can see you are having a hard time working with Aria in Shop class, and I know both of you have one more week to get the assignment done,” she said.

“And I haven’t made much progress in getting the assignment like I have in previous assignments,” I said.  “How am I able to get her to work on it instead of leaving it to me.”

“Remember when I asked for your help in making her understand that there has to be a better way?”  I nodded.  “Just standing up to her isn’t enough to solve the problem.”

“So you want me to just give in to her demands?”

She shook her head.  “You need to find some leverage to make her learn.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe…take her out on a date.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!  How is that supposed to help?”

“Make her see who you are…the real you.  I know it sounds crazy, but if she can understand you better, maybe she can change.  You have been having a hard time finding a girlfriend, Sunset told me.  And the weekend is around the corner.  You want to spend it by yourself worrying how to get that assignment done in a week?”

“She’s not going to go with me on a date.  And if we try to date each other, it would be a big mess.  It’s not going to happen.”

“Well, if I have to make it happen, then so be it.”  She started to head off into the school.

“I don’t even know how that could work in the first place,” I asked myself.





After going through half of my classes, I was making my way to the cafeteria with my purple notebook with my Algebra II notes to look over before a test next period, when someone came out of one of the classrooms, crashing into me and knocking my stuff to the floor.

“Hey, watch it…oh you have got to be kidding me.  AGAIN???”  I looked up to see that it was Aria who crashed into me.  “Why don’t you watch where you’re going, jerk.”

“Excuse me, but it was you who crashed into me!”

“Whatever.  I’m out of here.”  She grabbed her stuff, including her purple notebook, and left.  I grabbed my stuff and made my way to the cafeteria.

I sat down at one of the small tables to eat while looking over my notes.  I placed my purple notebook on the table to make sure I remember what was going to be on the Algebra II test, but when I opened the notebook, I saw what didn’t look like my own notes.  It looked like music notes.  I looked at the front of the book to see that it was Aria’s music notebook.  That’s the only class that she can handle by herself without bullying anyone.  Maybe she hopes to get her siren magic back, which I don’t see happening.

“Well, if she has my notes, they might as well be gone.  I’ll just have to handle the test with what I have in my head.  I know that’s the best I can do.”  So I closed the notebook and went to finish my lunch.  At that point, someone tapped my shoulder, surprising me in the process.

“Sorry if I scared you.”  I saw that it was Sunset behind me.  “I think this is yours.”  She had a purple notebook in her hand.  “And you might have Aria’s notebook by mistake.”

“I do.  It’s right here.”  I handed her Aria’s notebook and took my notebook that Sunset was holding.

“Adagio and me had to convince Aria to make the exchange with certain conditions, since this was her music notebook that she treasures.  You might want to look at the end of your notes.”  She walked back to sit with her friends for lunch.

I decided to take a look at what she was talking about in my notebook, only to find that there was a note on one of the blank pages.



Look, I heard that you are good in math, since this is your Algebra II notebook.  I’m in Algebra I and have been trying to get others to do my work.  But I’m not getting help when a test comes up and I need help.  I might be regretting this, but I would like for you to tutor me in math so I can understand.  I know you have my music notebook, which is something that I need, since music is my strong suite.  If you can teach me Algebra I, I’ll help you get our Shop class assignment done in a week.

Aria

P.S.  Sonata thinks that we are going on a date.  So remember that this is not a DATE!!!



If this wasn’t the leverage that Adagio was talking about, I don’t know what is.





When I got to Shop class, Aria was at our station looking over the book that was in there.  I looked at Adagio, who looked back at me and gave me a wink.  I just gave a grin, knowing that she had something to do with this.  I went over to our station to talk to Aria.

“So you need help understanding Algebra I?” I asked.

She sighs and said, “Yes, I do.  I just wished I never bumped into you in the first place.”

“Well, now you’re stuck with me.  And if you want me to help you, I need to see if you can finally understand what we have to do in this class.”

“Fine.  I’ll listen this time.  I just know Adagio would kill me if I didn’t.”

So we started working on our assignment, looking over what we need to do and how the program needed to be laid out.  We worked on parts to see what would work and what wouldn’t.  We only got a little bit done, but wrote down some notes in hopes to look them over this weekend before class started.

“So, is that enough to let you teach me how to understand Algebra I?” she asked.

“Well, I did do good on my Algebra II test earlier today, and you proved that you can get stuff done with some help, so I can tutor you on Algebra I…right now.

“Wait, you mean ‘now’ now?” she said.

“Well, more like in a few minutes,” I said.  “Get your books that you need help and meet me outside.  And don’t think you can back out of this.”

“Do I even have a choice?”  She went out of the classroom to get her stuff.  Adagio started to walk you towards me.

“Told you I can make it happen,” Adagio said.

“I just got lucky that she crashed into me at the right time,” I said.

“I’m sure you did,” she said with a giggle.

“Wait, did you have something to do with her crashing into me?”

“Maybe,” she responded, “but a siren doesn’t reveal all her secrets.”

“Too bad you’re not a siren.”  She started to get angry, then just laughed it off.  “Well, you’re a good siren at heart.  One day, you’ll be able to sing without having to put anyone under your spell.”

“To sing naturally is all I want right now,” she said.  “And I’ll let the fans decide if they like me or not.”

> It's Not A Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was outside next to the statue, waiting for Aria to show up.  “I hope she didn’t decide to ditch me.”

“Oh, I didn’t think you would care about me.  As if.”  Aria showed up behind the statue.  “Besides, Adagio would kill me if I didn’t go through this.”

“At least someone is keeping an eye on you,” I said.

“Yea, yea, yea,” she responded.  “Since the classrooms close up early on Fridays, where do you want to go and study?”

“How about…Sugarcube Corner?”

“What?  In front of everyone else there?”  Her eyes were wide open, and then she lowered her head and said, “Fine.  As long as you’re buying.”

“You even been there…as a human?” I asked.

“If that was a joke, it wasn’t funny.  But no, I haven’t.”

“Well, a good treat and drink will do you some good while we look over what you need help on.”

So we walked on down to Sugarcube Corner and went inside, walking up to the counter.  Aria was looking at the sweets behind the glass display when Mrs. Cake came up to the counter.

“Hello, Gears,” Mrs. Cake said.  “The usual again?”

“Like always, Mrs. Cake,” I replied.

“And I see you finally brought someone with you.  What does she want?”

Aria was having a hard time deciding when a familiar voice comes from behind the counter.  “Why don’t she try what he’s having.”  I saw that it was Pinkie Pie working behind the counter.  “I’m sure Aria hasn’t tried anything here.  And Sonata’s boyfriend decided to order two of the same on their first date.”

“This is not a date, Pinkie.  It’s just…a study session,” Aria replied.

“On a Friday?” Pinkie replied.  “Please.  No one studies on a Friday.  It’s no fun.”

“I’m making an exception,” I said.  “At least before she changes her mind and bails on me.”

“So what’s your usual, Gears?” Aria asked.

I looked a Pinkie for her to answer for me.  “White cake with white icing, and a vanilla milkshake.  Good for a…study session.”

“Well, I guess it’s a start,” Aria answered.

“I’ll get the shakes,” Pinkie said as she went to work.

“That will be $9.50,” Mrs. Cake said.

“I knew Pinkie was going to at that pun.  Here’s a ten.  Keep the change.”

“Thanks, Gears.  I’ll have it brought to your table.”

We went to the back corner table, where I always like to sit when I come here.  Aria brought out her Algebra book and notes, and I brought out my tablet to use as an assistant.  We started to look over what she knew and where she was lost in understanding.  I was able to point out where she was getting confused and looked up for examples problems on my tablet to see if she can solve them.  We got through some of the programs before our order arrived, allowing us to take a break.

“So you never tried anything like this?” I asked Aria.

“No.  Never felt like eating it.  All I did was whatever Sonata cooked, or we would order pizza.”

“Sonata can cook?” I said with a surprised look on my face.

“Yea.  I think it has to do with the fact that she takes a Home Economics class, and already has two weeks in.  But I think she might have some experience in it in the past when we first arrived here.  I don’t know.”

“Sunset told me that, from what she learned from Twilight, you faced Star Swirl over a thousand years ago before her time.  Were you stuck here for so long, trying to stay alive with your siren magic?” I asked.

“We’ve only been her for less than a year.”  She pondered the question for a moment before she continued.  “When you think about it, I wonder if he sent us to the parallel world in the future.”

“Parallel time travel.  That’s a first.  And made to be a one-way trip.”  She gave me a confused look, so I decided to explain it better.  “I mean there’s time travel, warp space travel, dimensional worlds, and parallel worlds.  What you went through was into a parallel world, but maybe he added some magic to transport you into the future where magic doesn’t exist.  If it were a thousand years ago, you would be exposed to a different kind of magic, if he knew about the parallel world during his time.”

She gave me a surprised look on her face.  “How…did you come up with that idea?”

“I watch a lot of sci-fi, fantasy, and anime.  While it’s not real, it brings up the theories about what is around us.  I like to think a lot.”

She shook her head like crazy.  “I don’t think I can even figure out all that.”

“That’s why we study.  We gain knowledge in what we learn.  Otherwise, we just look stupid.”

“Tell that to my sister, Sonata.  She can’t keep all that knowledge in her head.  I think everything that she talks about is from whatever she just sees.”

I noticed that she hasn’t touched her cake since we chatted.  “Well, are you going to take a bite or not.”

She took a bite of her cake at the same time I took one for mine.  She started to enjoy what she ate and took a few more bites to eat.  “This is pretty good.  You always order this?”

“Yea,” I said.  “It’s the only thing that I would like to have whenever I come here.  I sometimes take some cupcakes or donuts with me back to my apartment.  And the milkshake is good as well during the warm days.”

She took a sip of her milkshake and felt a chill go through her.  “I guess that’s what Sonata calls a brain freeze.  What do you drink on cold nights?”

“Hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Mrs. Cake makes sure she has a lot ready when the snow comes along.”

“You said you live in an apartment.  You live by yourself or with your parents?” she asked.

“By myself,” I answered.  “My parents are on this…what’s the best way to say this…overseas group project trip, I guess would be the best way to describe it.  It’s unclear if they will be back this summer, but they already paid for my apartment stay for a year.  If they have to stay longer, they will make sure my place is covered for another year.”

“So you don’t have a problem living by yourself?” she asked.

“That depends.  I don’t have a problem with being by myself when I need to study.  But on the weekends, it does get boring to just live by myself, not knowing what to do.”

“I’m stuck with two siren sisters where I live.  One is loud and annoying, and the other is bossy.  Not that I don’t like them.  I guess…”

“They’re the only family that you have.” I finished her comment.

“Yea.”  She let out a small laugh.  “I guess they are.  Even if we’re different, we’re part of the same family.”  She looked up at the time and noticed how much time has passed.  “We’ve been talking about everything else more that studying.”

“You’re right.  It feels like it’s been a long time since I have had a simple chat with someone.”

“All I ever did was complain with my sisters when we were out.  And that was before we lost our…powers.”

I noticed that she still felt the pain of losing her siren powers after the Battle of the Bands.  “Have you ever thought that what you had was more of a curse than a gift?”

She started to lose her cool when I asked that to her.  Then she realized where she was and didn’t want to create a scene and calmed down.  “What we had was something great, something powerful, something…” And then it hit her.  “Maybe you’re right.  Maybe it was a curse.  It wasn’t something we wanted, but something we needed.  Something we craved.  All we did was to want more of it.  And with it gone…I felt I still wanted it all, no matter how I got it.”

“Even if you had to bully almost every student to get it?”  She looked down, not wanting to answer the question.  “Look at your sisters.  They’ve at least moved forward in other ways.  Sonata became the bubbly girl that everyone likes, and she even got a boyfriend just days after that event.  And Adagio is trying her best to…well, sweet talk every guy around.”

“If you mean showing off that body of hers,” she replied.

“Well, she has tried that, but she’s unsure that it’s working,” I said.

“Oh come on.  You know she’s got the body that can charm any guy.  I don’t even come close to what she has in looks.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t agree with you on that,” I said as I stared straight at her.  “I think you look good enough to get a guy of your type.”

“Now you sound like Adagio.  She always says that I should get a boyfriend so that I can get anything I want from him.  Please.  Last thing I need is a guy who wants to cuddle and kiss and do who-knows-what.”

“Aria, not every guy is like that.  I’m sure there’s a few ‘bad boys’ out there that you would go for.”

“And what would you know.  You don’t even have a girlfriend.  I’m surprised that you didn’t even go for Adagio.  You were paired up with her in shop class in our last pairing.  She even tried to get you to take a peek when she leaned forward towards you.”

“If that was the case, then I would have asked Rarity out, since I have her in another class.  They both think alike when it comes to flirting.”

“And what’s holding you back from doing so,” Aria said, pushing the topic forward.

“They both have high standards.”

Aria started to think about that before she answered.  “You could be right.  I mean, you are a geek, and geeks don’t have the higher standards as most men.  No offense.”

“None taken.  I just don’t like being rejected on the spot when I ask them out, because I know that’s what they will do.”

“I can not believe them.”  We heard someone say that out loud that we looked to see where that came from.

“For a moment, I thought that was Rarity that I heard,” I said.

“Well, I don’t see her anywhere,” Aria replied.  “Maybe it was someone who sounds close to her.”

‘Well…never mind.  Maybe I’m just hearing things differently.”

“You know, she would be the only other person who would try to play matchmaker for either of us,” Aria recommended.  I nodded at that idea.  “Let me ask you this.  We knew that no one else, except the Rainbooms, liked Sunset, but you started to like her when everyone else didn’t.  Why not ask her out.”

“At the time, I would have stood out, having others think she was using me like she did with Flash Sentry.  You could say that I got used to her being a good friend, and nothing more.”

We hear someone drop their glass on a table, followed by a “Sorry” afterwards.   I took a quick glance at one of the tables on the other side, which looked very strange.  I got Aria to come close to me and whispered, “Do you think we’re being watched?” as I directed her to that one table.

She took a quick glance and whispered, “I don’t know.  You don’t think those girls were trying to hook us up in the first place.”

“Well, we have been talking about other things a lot than studying.  That could lead this to being a…date.”  Aria started to grind her teeth until I gave a confused looked on my face.  Then she started to worry herself.

“Those reactions that we heard happened after we brought up Rarity and Sunset’s names,” she said.  “Do you think…?”

“Well, we have finished eating.  You want to get out of here and see what happens?” I asked.

“Good idea,” she replied.

We packed up our things and started making our way out of Sugarcube Corner, with me waving Mrs. Cake goodbye.  Not knowing if we were being watched, we decided to talk about other things while heading back to the school grounds, bringing up our talk about Adagio again.

“Tell me that she walks like this.”  Aria placed a hand on her side and started walking, swaying her hips from side to side and swinging her other arm in rhythm.

“Just like a runway model,” I said.

“See.  She has the hips that I don’t have, even if I was more like her backup.  Not to mention these,” she said as she placed her hands on her chest.”

“And what’s wrong with yours?” I asked.

“Mine’s are about the same size as Rainbow Dash’s.  And she’s an athlete.  Even Applejack has a better body than mine, and hers is more fit.  I’m even surprised that you would go for a girl like her.”

“Have you even asked Rarity about Applejack’s parents?”  Aria shook her head.  “I talked to Rarity if Applejack was looking for a guy, and she brought up about how Applejack lost her parents back then.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“Better you ask Rarity that question than me.  She has a better detail about the issue,” I said.  “I mean she’s good looking, but I know she has her hands full with the family.”

Aria let out a long sigh and said, “I guess everyone has their own standards, and somehow you don’t even come close to what they would want.”

“Yea.  Maybe I’ll have better luck when I go to college after the next school year, if I have any luck at all.”

We arrived at the school grounds, where we were waiting for Aria’s ride to get here.

“Who was it that was supposed to pick you up?” I asked Aria.

“I think it was Sunset,” she answered.  “Adagio hasn’t gotten her license, which is a problem at this time.”

“Because any of you were not even born in this world,” I said.  “No official birth records, no license.”

“Well, Vice Principal Luna is trying to get something worked out for us,” she said.  I nodded.

We decided to sit down at the steps and watch the sunset behind the hills while we waited, which took a long time.  Aria started to worry that her ride wasn’t going to show up.  I did recommend that she could sleep at my place, which wasn’t far from the school, if she didn’t feel like walking home in the dark.  But we had a feeling they were around, hiding from us.  We knew they were trying to hook us up in the first place and wanted to see it happen.  I knew we needed another distraction from all this.

I looked at the statue and asked Aria, “Have you or your sisters ever thought about going back to the other world?”

“Not really.  I mean it goes to the current time that Sunset comes from, not to our time that we came from.”

“Where did you end up when you arrive her?” I asked her.

It was in an alleyway on the other side of that hill, I believe.”  She pointed to the hill in front of us.  “I remember when we stayed at a café one night when the Fall Formal was going on.  That’s when Adagio saw that strange light over the hill.  When we stepped outside, we saw a spiral rainbow light come up and strike down in a single beam.  I think this is where it happened, from what we were told.”

“When I saw the flash, I went outside of my apartment to see where it was coming from.  The next thing that happens was the rainbow light you described.  I thought I was seeing things until I heard the stories.  Makes you wonder what else could happen.”

“We could be attacked by changelings.”  I had a confused look on my face.  “They’re creatures that can transform into something that they see.  Maybe I’m really a changeling, or are you?”

“Really?” I said.

“I’m just joking,” she said.  “I don’t think they have found a way to come into this world anyway, so we don’t have to worry.  If they did, they wouldn’t have the magic to transform.”

“Good point,” I said.  “But going back to the question.  If it didn’t matter what time period it was, would you still go back, just to see how much has changed?”

“Probability not.  I mean, when we were sirens, we were a sea-pony species.  And we had magic that allowed us to float on land.  Without the magic, we wouldn’t be able to get anywhere unless it was in the water.”

“Maybe I can carry you around,” I said.

“I would like to see how you can do that…as an earth pony.”  She laughed at that.

“Challenge accepted.”  So I picked her up and laid her in my arms.

“HEY!!!” she said as she hooked her arms around my neck.  “I said as an earth pony, not a human.  Now put me down.”

So I gently put her down on her feet.  I noticed that her arms were still around my neck and we were just staring at each other.  For some reason, I felt this spark inside me, and somehow she felt it in her too because she started to come close to my face to kiss me.

Only to be interrupted by someone squealing in the bushes nearby.  She unhooked her arms around me so we can look around to where it came from.

“Sonata,” Aria said, “I know that’s you out there.  You better come out of those bushes before I decide to burn them.”  There was complete silence.  “Gears, do you have a lighter with you?”

“I think so,” I said.  “Let me check my bag.”

“OK, OK, OK.  You win.”  We saw Sonata coming out of one of the bushes.

“Care to explain why you were following us?” Aria asked Sonata.

“Oh, well, we wanted to make sure that you two had a great date tonight.”

“We?” Aria responded.

Sonata started to nervously sweat after her slip up and tried to correct herself.  “We?  I mean, me.  Yea, me.”

Aria started to glare at her with pure anger.  “Adagio, you better show yourself before I decide to hunt you down and beat that pretty face of yours.”

“Good job, idiot.”  Adagio started to come out of the bush next to Sonata.

“I knew you were behind all this,” Aria said with anger in her voice.

“Wait a minute,” I said stopping her in her tracks.  “If I recall correctly, I thought I heard Rarity back where we ate.  And whoever said sorry was not Sonata or Adagio.”  I glared at the other bushes to see if anyone else was around.  “SUNSET???  IF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS AND IN THOSE BUSHES AS WELL, GET YOUR SORRY REARS OUT NOW!!!”  At that point, Sunset came out of another bush, and the rest of the Rainbooms also appeared, including Pinkie Pie, who we saw back where we ate.

Sunset nervously said, “Um, hey.  So, um, how was your…date?”

“Sunset,” I said. “When I asked you to help me find a girlfriend, I didn’t mean it to be done this way.”

Sunset started to scratch the back of her head, trying to find a good excuse of what she had done.

“And Pinkie, how did you get off work so quickly?” I asked.

“Oh, I told Mrs. Cake that I needed to take a break.”  Pinkie replied.

“Well I’m surprised to see that you decided to take a long break,” Aria added.

“This coming from someone who can’t swing her hips the right way,” Adagio said.

“Not to mention that we prefer higher standards in guys,” Rarity added as Adagio nodded.

“Last I recall, Adagio, you said you wanted someone better than me because I wasn’t your type.”  Adagio shifted her eyes before cracking a fake grin.

“Especially after you tried to flirt with Gears back when he was your partner in shop class,” Aria added.  “And don’t even think about denying it because I saw you do it with my own two eyes.”

“Adagio, were you trying to flirt with him?” Rarity asked.

“Excuse me,” Applejack interrupted, “but why’d ya care when ya keep tellin’ every guy about mah parents, Rarity?”

“Well, um, I, um, wanted to…make sure that…everyone understands you better,” Rarity said as she was cracking her own fake grin.

“What, so ya can get ‘em guys for yourself?” Applejack asked Rarity.  “Could explain why I ain’t got a date from one of them guys.”

“Well, at least you’re not as flat and someone else I know,” Rarity said, pointing out to Rainbow Dash.

“Wait just a minute,” Dash interrupted.  “I am not flat.  I have an awesome, well fit body.”

‘If that’s the case, why can’t you even get a date yourself?” Adagio said to Dash.

“Because I’m awesome, that’s why.  And I don’t have to show off my body to get someone’s attention like you.”

Fluttershy interrupted everyone else and said, “Um, you do know that they are still here.”  She pointed at Aria and me, in which we were not pleased when they looked this way.

“You know what, Aria?  I think we should reward them for getting us together,” I said, giving her a wink.

“That’s right.  We should do so,” Aria replied, smashing her fist at each other.

“A reward?  That’s great!” Pinkie responded.

“Um, Pinkie,” Sunset said.  “I don’t think it’s a reward that we want to receive.”

They soon realized what was we had planning for them, and it wasn’t pretty.  “RUN!!!!”  All of them ran away in a panic like there was no tomorrow.  Once they were out of our site, we just laughed at what just happened.

“I can’t believe they went for it,” Aria said.

“And did you see how they reacted to each other after hearing us talk about them?  It was priceless,” I said.

We kept laughing until we were tired out of laughter.

“That was the best time I have ever had in my life,” Aria said.  “I guess I was glad to spend some time with you, or I wouldn’t have seen that kind of display that just happened.”

“So what do you plan on doing now?” I asked Aria.

“Don’t know.  No sense going back home after what Sonata and Adagio tried to pull.”  She looked at me and asked, “Is that offer of yours still available?”

“If you don’t mind joining me in some anime viewing?” I asked her.

“That would be really nice.”  After saying that, she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“What was that for?”

“Well, I might be willing to give you a chance to be my boyfriend…if you’re up for the challenge?”

“Challenge accepted,” I answered.

A shot came from out of nowhere.  “THEY’RE NOW AN ITEM!!!!”

“PINKIE!!!!!!!!!!”

I shook my head and said, “I don’t know what to do with those girls.”

Aria looked into my eyes and responded, “Don’t know, and don’t care.”

> A Path of Ups and Downs
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aria decided to stay at my place for the night, since Sunset and Adagio had a part in all this, and she didn’t want to confront them.  We came up to my apartment door on the second floor, and as I was getting my keys out, Aria took a look from the outside edge to see the view that was towards the school.  She had an idea of the limited view from here when those last two magic events happened.  I finally unlocked the door and invited her in.

“Welcome to my humble apartment.  It’s not much, but it gets me through the days.”

My place was a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment, with the kitchen in the open view of the living area.

“You want something to eat?” I asked Aria.  “I have sandwich food, microwave pizza…”

“Pizza sounds good,” She quickly responded.  “You have cheese pizza?”

“Will four-cheese pizza do?”  She happily nodded.  “Why don’t you look around while I warm it up.”

I went to the freezer to grab a four-cheese pizza, take it out of its box, placed it on it’s heating pad, and popped it in the microwave.  Aria went to my bookcase to look at some of the books and DVDs that I had placed there.

“Ninja Turtles!?  You a fan of them?” she asked me.

“Yep.  Have you ever seen any of their movies?”

“Only the first one…zip neck.”

Oh, so she knows the insults scene in the movie.  This will be good.

I said, “Really…atomic mouth?”

She replies, “Yea, barfaroni.”

“I didn’t know you were a geek, camel breath.”

“I’m not, dome head.”

“My head is not shaped like that, elf lips.”

“Watch it, funkoid.”

“You wish, gak face.”

“Excuse me, horse brain.”

We stopped and looked at each other, knowing that was the last insult listed in the movie, and just giggled.

“I can’t believe you remember the insults used while they were fixing the old truck,” I said.

“And it end it off is by saying ‘it works’.  I wish there was an insult that starts with the letter ‘I’,” she responded.  She looked at some of the other DVDs on the shelf and asked, “What are these cartoons you have here.  Fullmetal Alchemist, Sailor Moon, Ronin Warriors…”

“Oh, that’s anime,” I responded.  “It’s like cartoons, but from overseas and for older people.  While you’re there, can you grab volumes one and two of Full Metal Panic.  That has a mix of action, comedy, drama, and sci-fi all in one.”

“Sure,” she said.  “Just make sure you have some cola out to go with the pizza.”

I went into the fridge and grabbed a couple cans of cola.  As I was waiting on the pizza to finish, I noticed that she got the DVDs I asked for, but was looking at the diary that was on my desk.

“Gears, who’s Sombra?” she asked.

“Oh, Sunset gave me that book from Twilight.  He was some evil king of a crystal empire back in the other world.”

“Wait, did you say the Crystal Empire?”

I heard the microwave beep and went to get the pizza out, letting it settle for a moment.  “Yea, you’ve been there in your time?”

“Heck no,” she said.  “One, our music doesn’t have an effect on crystal ponies.  And two, it’s surrounded by freezing weather.  We wouldn’t last a minute to get there.”

“So it’s far north?” I asked her.

“In a way, but I’m not sure how far north it is.  Besides, why do you want to know about this stuff?”

“I’m helping Sunset out on some of her research into dark magic.  She wants to make sure that her friends can catch on to any new signs that show up so we don’t have another crazy magic event happening again…no offense.”

“She has studied magic.  Why can’t she…”  Aria stopped and realized her reasoning for this.  “I forgot.  She was exposed to magic that turned her into a she-demon.”

“She’s scared that if she explored how dark magic is created, she could become that raging she-demon again,” I said.  “Bring it over here, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure…Fluttershy.”  I should have seen that coming.

She brought the book and DVDs over while I started to cut the small pizza into four slices.  When she opened the book back up, she flipped through some of the pages until one page stood out to her.

“An Umbrum?”

“You know of this term, Aria?”

“I’ve heard it somewhere before.  Some kind of…dark pony race.  I think my sister Adagio would know this better than me.”  She looked through more of the diary while eating some pizza until the last written page.  “Did you know what happened after all that?”

“Twilight wrote down some lose notes explaining what happened after that.  She was scared of taking the book away from its location, but with events happening in both worlds, they needed answers to prepare for what’s to come.  And I have a way with creating theories from what I look at, so I hope that I can help out.”

“But you’re no expert in magic.  You can’t even cast any like the Rainbooms,” she replied

“It’s not a matter of using magic, but how to identify it.  When I show you what’s on those DVDs,” I pointed to the two that I asked her to collect, “You’ll get an understanding of what I mean.”

After we finished our pizza, she went to put the book back on my desk while I went to the DVD player with the DVDs.  As I was getting set up, she walked up to me and said, “What is this?”  I looked back at her and saw that she was holding my dice bag.  But I didn’t have dice in that bag.  She pulled out a red crystal fragment.

I said, “I wish you didn’t see what was in there.”

“Well guess what?  I did.”  She threw the piece at me and said, “Why do you have pieces from our broken pendants?”

“Because I was trying to figure out how it kept what little magic was left in those when you arrived here and how it was lost when they broke.”

“The last thing I needed to be reminded of is…this…damn…CURSE!!!” she said as she threw piece after piece at me.  When she pulled out a bigger shard, I stood up and grabbed her arm before she threw the shard at me.  “Let go of me.”

“No,” I replied.

She gave me that mean looked and said again, “Let go of me!”

“NO!!!”

She started to grab my arm, trying to get me to release her.  “I said LET…GO…OF…ME!!!”

“STOP IT!!!”

“NOT UNTIL…YOU…”  She kept trying until she gave up in dropped the shard.  Once I let go of her, she fell on to her knees and starting to cry.

I got onto my knees, looked at her and said, “Look, it was Adagio who handed these to me.  She said that Sunset collected them after you ran off the stage in defeat.  Adagio didn’t want to see them either, and decided to bring them to me to keep them out of your sight.”

She rubbed the tears from her eyes and said, “Then why are you studying them?  What purpose are they good for?”

“Sunset believes that Equestrian magic could still be around here, and it’s possible that there could be others who have something like this to contain what magic they need to do what needs to be done.  I haven’t had much time to study what kind of crystal they are, but they are not like any I have studied before.  Plus they both wanted to make sure they don’t fall into the wrong hands and trusted me with them.”

“The last thing I need is to be reminded of who I was before and not who I am now,” she said.

“We all have our own scars to deal with,” I said.  “All we can do is just bear with what we have done in the past and just try to move forward.  And if that’s something you can’t do alone…then I’ll be happy to help you through it.  I’ve already dealt with my scars in the past before coming here.  And if it makes you feel any better, then I’ll help you deal with yours.”

She started to stare into my eyes while trying to make out what I just said.  Once she understood, she rushed towards me and kissed me.  It wasn’t just any kiss, but one of forgiveness.  Once our lips were separated, she said, “I’m sorry.  I was rushed to judgment before understanding what was going on.  You’re doing what you can to keep others safe from harm, and making sure that people like us don’t become the monsters that we were once before.

After seeing the forgiveness in her, I got up to my feet and extended my hands to her to help her up.  When she grabbed both of my hands, I pulled her up so fast that she was pressed in front of me.  Putting my arms around her waist, I stared into her eyes and kissed her back.  This time with a longer, more passionate kiss.  Once our lips were separated, she stared at me, trying to catch her breath.

“You need to work on how to kiss a girl,” she said.

“You know that you’re the first girl I kissed in my entire life,” I replied.

“And you’re the first human I have kissed in my entire life.  But it’s a start.”  She noticed the DVD cases on the floor.  “So, are you just going to stand there like a statue, or are you planning to show my that show you wanted to play?”

“If you can collect those shards that you threw at me and place them back in the bag, I’ll finish setting up.”  She gave me this surprised, but scared look.  “Consider this as your first step in the healing process.”  She agreed with me and started to grab the shards and placed them back in the bag, closing the bag and placing it back on the table.  I finished getting the show ready and sat down on the couch with the remote in my hand, inviting her to sit next to me.





***Three hours later***

“That had to be magic that was used to destroy that big machine,” she said.

“It’s not magic, Aria.  It’s advance technology that has yet to be made in this time of day.  The Lambda Driver bends the fabric of reality to how you want it to be.  In this day of age, science and technology does what magic did ages ago.”

“I don’t think I can grasp the process of how all that is created.  But if I can make a paper fan and use it to slap Sonata senseless, I’ll go with that.”

“You just want to knock her senseless every single time she says something that means nothing at all.”

“Because she’s an airhead.  I don’t even know how you put up with her in the same class that you share with her.”

“For some reason, she’s pretty good in English class.”  Aria’s eyes went wide open.  “I mean it.  She’s that good when she’s into the stories that we have to read.  It’s like she’s a part of the story.”

She just shook her head and said, “I can’t even phantom the idea that she can do that.”  She got up and started to stretch out, feeling tired after a long and crazy day that we went through.  “OK if I take a shower before getting some sleep?”

“Sure,” I replied.  “Bathroom is to your right and the towels are in the closet at the back.”  But she decided to pull me up off the couch.  “What are you doing?”

“Trying to get you to join me,” she said.

“Wait, what?”

“Oh come on.  You know you want to join me.  What are you, chicken?”

“I’m trying to be a gentleman, thank you very much.”

She let go of me and put her hands on her hips and puffed up her face.  “See, that’s the problem that you have.  You’re too kind and respectful to others that either they plan to use you or think you’re too good for them.  That’s why you couldn’t get a girlfriend in the first place.”

“And what am I supposed to do about that?” I ask.

“For starters, you can join me in a shower.  It’s not like you’ve seen anything new.  On second thought, you’re seeing something for the first time.  And I know you don’t have a body that any girl would love to see in the buff.”

“Like Adagio?” I added.

She laughed and then said, “Yes, like Adagio.  Only she would go for a guy like that.  And just so you know, I don’t have a good looking body myself, so that makes us even.  Besides, I think you’ve earned my trust.”  She started to make her way to the closet to grab a couple towels and looked back at me.  “Just so you know, that doesn’t me that you can ‘do it’ with me.”

“Works fine with me,” I responded.

So we got undressed and took a shower together.  It was ‘I scrub your back if you scrub mine’ kind of shower.  And we did noticed that we have our flaws in looks, but that didn’t bother us.  But it was when I was scrubbing her back that I noticed that she was spaced out while the water was flowing above her.  After getting out of the shower and drying off, I wrapped my towel around my waist and she wrapped hers around her body, and we went back to my bedroom to get some sleep wear for Aria.  That’s when I noticed her sitting on the bed, looking spaced out again.  I had a guess what was on her mind and had to ask.

“Do you miss your home?”

She snapped back into reality and responded, “Why should I care about Equestria?”

“I’m not talking about Equestria in general, but your hometown.”  She gave me a confused look as to why I was asking that.  “You’ve been spaced out since our shower.  Does the feel of water make you miss it?”

She looked down and said, “Kind of, but I doubt it’s no longer around, since it was in the deep sea over a thousand years ago.”

Still with my towel around my waist, I sat down next to her and put my arm around her shoulder, causing her to place her head next to me.  “Maybe it’s still around.  You could ask Sunset about your hometown, and she can contact Twilight to look into it.”

“Who cares.  Sonata would have forgotten about it, and Adagio has lost interested in returning there, now that we are no longer sirens.”

“Doesn’t hurt to try,” I said.

“There’s no need to try.  It’s in the past, and I need to start moving forward,” she said.

“Well, next time you want to stay at my place, I’ll make sure you get a bubble bath instead of a shower.  Might help you relax while you reflect on the good times back in your hometown.”

“I’ll hold you to that promise.  Now do you have something for me to sleep in, or am I just going to sleep naked?”

I got up and went to my closet.  I found a baseball jersey I had and threw it to her.  “Here, wear this.  It’s an old baseball jersey that our school was selling after they got new jerseys for the team.  Should be big enough for you.”  I looked away and went to get out some boxers for me to sleep in.  After putting them on and removing the towel, I noticed Aria with the jersey on, covering her body and halfway reaching to her knees.

“How do I look?” she asked me.

“Like you are officially my girlfriend.”

She sat back down on the bed and giggled.  “This has been the craziest day ever…for the both of us.”  She paused to think before she continued.  “Do you think this will work, you know, between us?”

I sat back down next to her to think of an answer to her question.  “I don’t know.  Maybe this is common in a relationship.  You know, having to deal with its ups and downs.  I guess the only way to know is to give it a chance and see what happens.”

So I went and turned off the light and we both slept together in my bed.  Just then, she decided to cuddle up with me.  “Aria?”  She looked up at me.  “I thought you didn’t like to cuddle.”

“I’m making an exception.  Night.”  She cuddled back up and went to sleep.  I decided to kiss on her forehead and went to sleep as well.

> Why Me and Not Them?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sunrise was coming through the blinds, waking me up.  I noticed that it was a bit past eight, so I gently got out of bed, making sure I didn’t disturb Aria.  I put on some morning clothes and went to the kitchen to fix up some breakfast.  I went and grabbed the blueberry muffin mix and small milk and poured it into the bowl, mixed it up and poured it into the muffin tray.  15 minutes in the oven will do the trick.

While that was cooking, I grabbed the remote to find something on TV.  Best I could go for was the nation news channel.  I went to grab Sombra’s diary and added another note that came across my mind, something that Aria brought up back at Sugarcube Corner.  I saw in the hallway was Aria, still looking sleepy with her hair down and still wearing my baseball jersey.  I finished my note and closed the book.

“Morning Aria,” I said.

“Morning…Gears,” Aria replied, still feeling sleepy.  “What’s for breakfast?”

“I hope blueberry muffins and orange juice will do,” I said.

“Works for me.”  Aria went to sit on the stool next to the counter and saw what was on the TV.  “Is that the best you can find on TV?”

“It’s not like it was around 20 years ago,” I said.  “Back then, it was Saturday morning cartoons.  But new educational standards changed all that.  Now most local channels have to air anything that requires kids to learn, which pretty much kills the meaning of cartoons.  Now most of the classics are on DVD.”

“Everyone has to be a critic about what kids should watch.  At least you have a way to experience what your parents saw back then.”  I poured a couple of glasses of orange juice for the both of us.  “Can I ask you something?”

I gave her one of the glasses of orange juice, saying, “What is it?”

“This might sound…weird…but why do you think it might work for us?  I mean I know you had a simple reason with Sunset and Adagio, and maybe with Rarity.  I think you brought up Applejack as well.  You think you can explain it better, since you know almost all of them.”

“Well, it goes back to the first day of the school year, when I transferred here.”





[Flashback: First Day of School]

Principal Celestia just finished up with her explanation of Canterlot High to me. We both went out of her office, where I was met with what looked like a blonde farm girl with a Stetson hat.

“Gear Works, this is Applejack.  She’s going to show you around the school while I get your class schedule worked out before classes start.”

“Thank you, Principle Celestia,” I replied.

“Come on, sugarcube.  I’ll show you how to get around this school,” Applejack said.

As we walked out of the principle’s office, she asked me, “So, where are you from?”

“Baltimare.”

“Sounds like a tough city to be living in.  Any reason why you moved here?”

“Well, my parents went on a missionary trip, and felt like I would be safer attending this school.”

“From the sound of it, you must have been bullied back there.  Parents can be over-protective when it comes to troubled cities.”

“Well, I did have some friends stand up for me in High School, but they didn’t want to take any chances.  So now I’m finishing up my school years here.  By the way, I’m surprised you caught on with my past problems.”

“Well, thanks partner,” she replied, blushing.  “I hope I wasn’t getting into your space?”

“Oh no,” I said, waving my hands.  “I’m glad you caught on.  You have a way to size up theories from what you see or hear.”

“I’m not sure what you mean by that, but thanks again.”

As we were walking down the hallway, explaining the rooms, a pink, puffy-haired girl popped out of no where, saying, “Hello there, you must be new here, my name’s Pinkie Pie, what’s you’re name, where did you come from, why are you…”

Applejack placed her hand of Pinkie’s mouth.  “Easy there Pinkie.  This here’s Gear Works.  He just got here.  Think you can keep your cool?”  Pinkie nodded her hand, allowing Applejack to remove her hand from Pinkie’s mouth.

“Nice to meet you, Pinkie.  You can call me Gears, if you like,” I replied.

“Nice to meet you, Gears.  Well, maybe we can talk later at Sugarcube Corner.  I work there most of the time,” Pinkie said.

Applejack added, “Sugarcube Corner is a dessert shop that most of us like to hang out.  You should think about going over there later today.  Good way to make some friends while ya there.”

“Well, I need to greet more new students.  Bye.”  And Pinkie was off like a puff of smoke.

Applejack said, “Don’t worry.  Pinkie’s like that all the time.  Takes some time to get used to her.”

“I can see that,” I replied.

As we continued our tour, we come across another girl with fiery hair and a black leather jacket.

“Well, well, well.  Does the farm girl now have a boyfriend, or are you just trying to protect him?”

“Sunset, why don’t you just bug off,” Applejack responded.

“Oh, I’m hurt.” Sunset replied sarcastically.  “He seem weak to me, farm girl.”  She walked up to me and tried to flip my head with her finger.  “Talk about a loser.”

I yawned with my hand and said, “Is that the best you can do?  Been there, seen that.”

Sunset started to get mad, saying, “Is that supposed to be a joke?”

“I don’t know. Is it?”  I replied sarcastically.

She got into my face and said, “I’m watching you,” and started to walk by me.  I slightly slid my foot out, causing Sunset to lose her balance for a moment.

“Might want to watch it there.  Floor can be slippery at times.”

She marched off in anger.

Applejack said, “That’s pretty gusty you did there.  That Sunset always wants to cause trouble.”

“All I do is not give in to them.  That’s what makes them weak,” I said.

[End Flashback]





Aria was in shock.  “Damn.  I never figure you do that to her.”

“Well, that was the old, she-demon Sunset I faced.  When I went back to the principle’s office, I had my class schedule.  Applejack noticed that I didn’t share any classes with her, but wouldn’t mind seeing me at Sugarcube Corner one day.  I rarely get to see her around.  And I was curious of her.”

“And why was that?” Aria asked me.

“I first found out on the first Wednesday of school.”





[Flashback: near the school statue, first week of the school year]

“Come on, Fluttershy.  Who wants to help out at some pet shop?” Sunset asked.

“Um, it’s an animal shelter,” Fluttershy replied quietly.

“Whatever.” Sunset said, scaring Fluttershy.  “Why don’t you just give up and go back to the hole you came out of.”

“What’s wrong?  Scared that you’ll get your pretty face scratched up?” I responded.

She turned around to see me, saying, “You!  Why should you care about this little baby over there?”

I just stared at her.

She said in an angry tone,  “Stop staring at me.”

I kept staring at her.

Her tone went up.  “I said stop staring at me.”

I still kept staring at her.

She yelled, “I said…”

“Make me,” I replied with a smile, cutting her off.

She got furious and stormed off into the school.

“See you in first period,” I yelled to her.  I looked at Fluttershy as she was trying to pick up some of the falling fliers and decided to help her.  “Everything OK?”

This spooked her for a moment before she could respond.  “Oh, sorry.  I’m…a little sensitive…around others.  I’m…Fluttershy.”

“Name’s Gear Works.  But you can call me Gears if you like.”

Her eyes lit up.  “Oh, you’re the one who stood up against Sunset on the first day, right?”

“How did you know?” I asked.

“Applejack told me about it.  I’m one of her friends.  I’m surprised that you did so again today.”

“Well, someone has to.”  I had most of the fliers in my hand and gave them to her.  “Here you go.  I need to get to class.”  I started to head into the school.

[End Flashback]





“I was surprised that the school knew of what I did,” I said.  “But no one knew whom I looked like unless I said my name.  I also sat in the front of the classroom next to the door in every class, so this made it hard to really see my face.  I did help out at the animal shelter one weekend, where I met Fluttershy’s friend, Rainbow Dash.  She was surprised about me in the same way.  And it was the same with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner.  She was the one who kept me up-to-date with what was going on around.”

The oven timer went off, so I went to take out the muffins and fix them up with some butter in them.  I placed them on a plate and took them to the counter for us to eat.

As Aria was grabbing one of the muffins, she asked, “And what about Rarity?  You did say that she was in one of your classes.”

“Now that was the most interesting part.  She was in my history class and sat behind me since the first day.”





[Flashback: History Class, early in the school year]

I was busy looking over some of my lesson notes from the day before when she walked in with her friends.  Rarity.  With that smooth purple hair, gorgeous looks, and those sparkles in her eyes, you would think she was a goddess.  But I know I would never stand a chance to get a date with her.  I know that girls like them are way out of reach in my book.  And while she decided to sit behind me, she never bothers to talk to me unless she forgot any school supplies that she needed for class.

“Come on, Rarity.  It’s like shouldn’t be a problem to decide which design to work on?” said one girl.

“That’s right.  Any one of them will work just fine,” said another girl.

Rarity responded, “Dear, this is Mr. Fancy Pants we’re talking about.  He expects the best for his stores, and I will not let Suri get the best of me.  It must be the best one to stand out.  I don’t have time to design all four in a week.”

Another reason she’s out of my reach is that she’s a teenage fashion designer, hoping to be the best out there.

“Maybe you should ask a guy to get their point of view,” the first girl recommended.

Rarity responded, “You’re right.  Since he is a gentleman, I need someone who could come close to him.  Um, excuse me?”  I felt a tap on my shoulder and noticed that she was talking to me.  “I’m sorry to disturb you, but can you help me out, dear.  I’m trying to decide which design I should work on that can impress a gentleman.”

She showed me four dress designs, each one a different color: red, blue, yellow, and purple.  I looked at each one as they had a different design, but was having a hard time deciding.

“I’m not sure which one catches my eye,” I said.

“Oh dear.  Forgive me.  I’m sorry that I wasted your time on making a silly decision,” Rarity replied.

“No, it’s OK.  Maybe you can give me a reason on why you have to decide on what you’re doing.  Then I can have a better idea on what’s going on and maybe make a decision,” I said.

So she quickly gave me an explanation on the dresses and what was working on.  After hearing all that, I was able to make a logical decision.

“I think you should work on the fiery red dress.  And if you do have time still, the midnight blue dress should be the next one to work on,” I said.

Rarity replied, “Oh that’s brilliant.  Thank you for telling me this.  Now I know what I need to do.  Thank you, mister…um…I don’t think I remember your name before?”

“It’s Gear Works.  But you can call me Gears if you like,” I said.

“Well…Thank you…Gears,” Rarity hesitantly replied.

[End Flashback]





“So you first talked to her because of a fashion problem she was having?” Aria asked.

“I know.  Weird, isn’t it.  A week later, she congratulated me for helping with her decision.  Not only did she get the first choice done, but she also had enough time to finish the second choice.  And both of them were selected over what Suri had with her.  But there were times when she was hesitant to talk to me.  It wasn’t until she asks me if I could tutor her for her Geometry class.  I asked if we could go to Sugarcube Corner so I can help her study, which she agreed.”





[Flashback: Sugarcube Corner, after school.]

We walked in to Sugarcube Corner with our book bags and approached the counter.

Pinkie waved and said, “Hello there.”

“Hi Pinkie.”  We looked at each other, realizing that we said the same thing together.

Pinkie responded, “Oh, did you finally get yourself a date Rarity?”

“Oh no, no, no, no.  This is a study session that we’re having, Pinkie,” Rarity replied.

Pinkie asked, “So, the usual?”

“Yes.”  We noticed that we replied the same time, again.

“Coming right up,” Pinkie replied.

We sat on the stools in front of the counter, when Rarity asks, “So, you come here often?”

“Every now and then,” I replied.

Rarity asked, “So what’s the usual for you?  Oh wait.  Why don’t we guess what it is?”

“OK.  You go first,” I said.

She thought for a moment before making her guess.  “Let’s see.  You like to have…a white cake with icing, and a…chocolate shake.  Now you guess mine.”

So I took a moment to think, and then had a guess in mind.  “You like to have…cheesecake, and…let’s see…cappuccino.  That’s my guess.”

We our orders came out; we were close to our guesses.  She had a cheesecake with strawberry topping and mocha latte.  I had a white cake with white icing, and a vanilla shake with no toppings.

“I was expecting colored icing, but didn’t expect white on white,” Rarity said.

“And I didn’t expect that you use strawberry toppings on your cheesecake,” I said.  “But I guess we could have done better on our drinks.”

“That’s true.  At least it’s not wintertime.  That’s when Mrs. Cake brings out the hot chocolate,” Rarity added.

So we went over where Rarity was having problems in her Geometry class while having our treats until she started to understand it better.  After we finished our study session, we left Sugarcube Corner so she could to talk to me about a few things.

“So, you know Pinkie, right?” she asked me.

“Since she popped out of no where on the first day while I was given the tour of the school,” I said.

“Then you must know Applejack as well.  And you also met Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, right?” Rarity asked me.

“That’s right,” I said.  “Are they all friends of yours?”  She nodded.  “So I’m guessing that you’ve heard about me before, right?”

“I have, dear,” Rarity replied.  “I’m just surprised that you would stand up to that girl.  She once dated Flash Sentry, but later broke up.  Now she acts like she owns the school.  No one has ever stood up to her the way you did.  I just hope you don’t regret what you have done.”

I said, “Well, she does sit behind me in my first period English class.  But she’s given up on bothering me a couple of weeks ago.  She must now think I’m a waste of her time.  But there is something that you could help me with.”

“I’ll be happy to help,” Rarity said.  “What do you need to know?”

“Since you know Applejack, I was hoping you could tell me more about her,” I asked.  “I’ve been curious about her since the first day of school.  Does she have a boyfriend?”

“Oh, she doesn’t have one.  Maybe it has to do with the loss of her parents,” Rarity said.

That’s when Rarity told me about how Applejack loss her parents when she was young, and how her grandma had to help take care of her and both her older brother and younger sister.  That would make me think that she doesn’t have time for a boyfriend.

“Well, thanks for telling me about this,” I said.  “I can understand about her better, since I don’t see her a lot around school.”

“Not a problem, dear.  I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” Rarity said.

[End Flashback]





“So you decided to give up on Applejack because of the loss of her parents?  I don’t even understand why that should be a problem,” Aria said.

“Sunset said the same thing.  I told her that back at my last school, I came across various excuses on why any girl doesn’t want to date me.  I needed to find one girl who I believed wouldn’t have an excuse to date me,” I said.

“Then tell me why you thought you would get rejected by one of them,” Aria asked me.

“Applejack would say that I deserve someone better, because of the baggage that she has to carry since the loss of her parents.  Rarity would expect high standards in a guy, which I wouldn’t come close to expect as a friend.  Fluttershy is timid and would have a hard time trying anything.  Pinkie Pie is just hyper and weird that I have no idea how to deal with her.  And as for Rainbow Dash, another guy in my Algebra II class has an interest in her, but doesn’t know how to tell her about it, so I don’t want to get in the way between them.”

“And you wanted Sunset to help you find one, but the ones she knew were not an option.  Why not ask Sunset on a date.  You became one of her friends after the Fall Formal.  Why not take it to the next level?” Aria asked me.

“It goes back to after the Fall Formal.”





[Flashback: Outside the school, Monday after the Fall Formal]

I came across the school to see the entrance destroyed and a crater-size hold between the entrance and the statue.  I saw Vice Principal Luna looking over the area, as Sunset and two guys were working on the school entrance.  She told me that school would be closed for a week until the repairs have been made.  So I decided to go to Sugarcube Corner, where several of the students were there, talking about the Fall Formal.  I asked Pinkie what happen, and her story was so odd that I couldn’t believe it.  How Sunset turned into a she-demon, taking control of the school, and how Pinkie and her friends “Pony Up” with a new girl name Twilight Sparkle.

After having my usual, I decided to take a walk around the park to clear my head.  The sun was starting to set when I started to head back home.  When I came across the damaged school, I saw Sunset sitting next to the statue.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “So, you want to pick on me now?  Go on ahead.  I deserve it after what I did to you and everyone else.”

“I only stand up to bullies.  I don’t act like one towards them,” I said.  We were silent for a moment before I asked her.  “So, is it true that you turned into a raging she-demon?”

Sunset replied, “Yes, I did.  I put on a magical crown and it showed me who I became.  This statue here is actually a portal to my home world, Equestria.  And I’m not an actual girl, but a magical unicorn pony from that world.”  I looked at the statue to see where the portal was.  “Don’t bother finding it.  It’s now closed for another 30 moons, whatever that is in this world.  It was only open for a few days, which allowed me to return there to find out that another alicorn princess held the Element of Magic.  I figure that if I had it, I can finally take an army of humans and conquer Equestria before the portal closed.”

I reached for her hand and asked, “Perhaps it would help if you told me from the beginning.”  She slowly reached for my hand, and I pulled her up.

She started to tell me about her time in this magical world called Equestria and what led her to escape to this world the past few years.  I took everything into account and believed in what she was talking about.

“Sounds like you were on a destined path, but decided to go and take your own path.  And it looks like this Twilight Sparkle decided to take the same destined path that you were on and made it to its goal that you failed to noticed,” I said.

“Strange isn’t it,” Sunset said.  “And it was thanks to that crown to show who I really was.”

“Well, it looks like you have been given a second chance to redeem yourself,” I said.  “And if it’s a friend you need, then I’ll be happy to be your friend.”

“Really, after all I did?”  I nodded.  Sunset reached out to hug me, saying “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.  If there’s anything you need me to help you on, just let me know.”

“Well, there is one thing I could use some help on.  I’ve been having a hard time finding a girlfriend.  And it’s because I keep coming across every kind of excuse that they give me, even since I was at my last school.”

“And what kind of excuse have you come across the most?” Sunset asked me.

“What if I asked you to be my girlfriend?” I asked her.

She took a moment to think about it before she knew why I was having this problem.  “I see.  They would think you deserve someone better because of the baggage they carried.  Not as much as I have, but something like that.  And I have a lot to patch up, which isn’t going to be easy.  So don’t expect me to be your girlfriend, since I dated Flash just to become popular.”  That sentence hit her so hard that she covered her face.  “Now I really feel bad for how I acted.”

“It’s not your fault.  We all make mistakes.  We just have to learn from them,” I said.

“Then I’ll do what I can to help you, but I don’t know how I can help at this time,” Sunset replied.

“Maybe in time, you will be able to help me with this problem.”

[End Flashback]





“So when she brought up the rest of the Rainbooms, you told her the reasons it wouldn’t work, just like you now told me,” Aria said.

“Yep, and while the students have forgiven her after your defeat, I never really felt like asking her again.  I knew there would be some patching up to do, and she’s just like Twilight.  Maybe one day, she would like to go back to her home world, now that the portal can be opened at any time.”

“But look at us.  I’m a siren and sea pony, and she’s a unicorn.  Wouldn’t that be the same thing?”

“I think whatever siren powers you had are now gone,” I said.  “So you could be just as human as me.  And if that’s the case, if you went through the portal, you may or may not turn into a sea pony.  You could become an earth pony, which proves that all your magic powers are gone.”

“Maybe, but we may never know,” Aria said.  “And since I plan on staying here, I guess we could give it a shot.  I just hope they don’t regret not taking a chance with you.”

“Then would you like to go on a date with me…today?” I asked her.

She stared at me and her cheeks started to turn red.  “Seriously.  Like, right now?  Um, I…I guess so.  This would be an actual first date, right?”

“I think so,” I replied.

“Then you wouldn’t might if we go back to my place so I can get some fresh clothes to wear?” she asked me.

“Sure.  I need to return Sombra’s diary back to Sunset anyway.  She’s going to want to know what we discovered last night.”

So we went and finish up our breakfast before getting dressed and leave my apartment.
> Define "Date"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We walked out of my apartment with book bags on our shoulders.  I made sure it was locked before heading out.  As we were making our way to Sunset’s apartment, we went by the school once again.  It was the spot where we decided to give our relationship a shot.  I saw Aria stop and look at the statue.

“Still thinking about seeing Equestria in its current state?” I asked her.

“I don’t know.  Let’s just go to the apartment.”

So we decided to continue to Sunset’s apartment.  It was on the second floor of one of your common apartment complexes, one that was easy for Sunset to afford.  I heard that she had gemstones from her own world to exchange for the money we had, since bits have no meaning in this world.  Hard to say if it’s real gold or not, but gemstones have good value on the market, if you know what you have and where to go to.  She knew it was enough for maybe four to five years with her living standards here, so when high school is finished for her, where she goes is her decision.  But I’m hope that having three former sirens won’t hamper her living plans.

When we arrived at Sunset’s door, I knocked on it a few times.

“Hang on, hang on.  I’m coming.”  The door opened, revealing who was calling behind the door: Adagio.  “Well, well, well.  If it isn’t the love couple coming over.”

“Shut up, Dagi,” Aria said as she pushed Adagio aside to get in.  I followed behind her.  “I’m just here to get changed, since I didn’t have a change of clothes this morning.”  But she was stopped to see Sunset sitting on the couch with another purple-haired girl.  “P-p-princess Twilight.  W-w-what are you…”

“It’s OK, Aria.  I’m just here to check up on how you girls are doing.  And please, just call me Twilight.  I’m not too big on titles.”  She got up and started to walk towards me.  “And you must be Gear Works.”  She begins to shake my hand.  “I’m sorry we never been introduced in person, but I’m grateful that you have been helping out with what we have been finding as of late.  Sunset tells me that you’re good at creating theories.”

“I am, and I have some ideas from the diary you wanted me to look at.  That’s why I’m here as well.”

“Oh, did you have some theories that would raise concern for Twilight?”  Sunset asked me.

“I have, including one that came to me after last night when I was with Aria.  But I think Adagio might be able to fill in some historic details on one issue.”

Aria asked, “Dagi, ever heard of the Umbrum?”

Adagio placed a finger on her chin, trying to think on the term.  “It feels like a long time since I’ve heard that name.  Is the coffee ready, my brain needs a wake up call.”

Sunset looked over at the coffee pot, and then said, “It’ll be another fifteen minutes.  We can discuss it after he leaves.  I’m guessing living for over a thousand years can make you forget a lot about the past.”

“Um missy, I hate to tell you this, but I’m still in my hundreds,” Adagio corrected.  This left Sunset and Twilight confused.

I said, “Twilight, you might want to look at the latest theory that I thought of last night.”  She opened the book to the extra sheets of papers, and I pointed to the one I was talking about.

“Parallel time travel?”

“Yes,” I said.  “When Sombra was defeated over a thousand years ago, he placed a curse on the Crystal Empire, taking it with him.  When it returned, you wrote that the Crystal Ponies didn’t remember a thing.  I think the spell he cast was somewhat close to what Star Swirl cast on the sirens long ago.”

“You remember when we got dragged into the mirror back then while we were performing?”  Aria asked Adagio.

“Of course.  The next thing, we’re falling in an alley as human beings, with our gems as pendants carrying what little magic we had left.  We spent over a month trying to understand this world and gather what energy to get stronger until we saw Equestrian magic in the air at night.”

“And there were electric lamp posts and two to three story brick buildings.  We were wearing hoodies as part of the clothes that were given to us in this world,” Aria added.

“And that kind of stuff never appeared a thousand of years ago.”  Sunset slapped her hand on her face.  “That explains why you keep looking at that world history book you’ve been keeping all this time.”

“And the hero of CHS just finally found out how we really got here,” Adagio said like she just defeated the Rainbooms in one blow.  “I can’t even believe you never asked me about that when we moved in with you.  If I had my pendent with all that pony magic in it, you’re be begging for mercy right now.”

That’s when Aria slapped Adagio at the back of her head, causing her to look back at Aria in a rage.

“Well, you left all those shards at Gears’ place.  You could have just kept them and maybe find a way to get your goddamn magic back just to do so,” Aria yelled.

“That, Aria, was a JOKE!!!  Like you can’t even…” And that’s when it hit her.  “Wait, did you find the shards that were with him?”

Aria yelled, “Damn right I did.  Ever since last night at Sugarcube Corner, I wished I never had seen them in the first place.  I wish I wasn’t even a damn siren, because all that did to us was nothing but trouble.  Why just throw them in the trash, or bury them in the deep sea?”

“Because they can still be a threat to both our worlds,” Twilight said as she stood up.  “Aria, this was my choice to begin with.  I wasn’t sure if Star Swirl left any other threats in this world or not, and having the shards could be dangerous if exposed to the full effects of Equestrian magic in my world.  That’s why we needed someone to trust to keep them safe until we know more about how they were created and if they were safe to be disposed of.”

“And that’s why they left them with me, Aria,” I said.  “I knew I could keep them safe and maybe find out what kind of material they are as well.  I have my ideas, but I need time to study the matter further.”

“I’m sorry,” Aria replied.  “I just…excuse me while I go get changed.”  And she walked off to her room, slamming the door.

Sunset said, “Sounds like you really had an effect on her, Gears.”

I said, “I know.  And somehow, it’s going to be rough for her to get over it.”

Adagio said, “Give her some time.  She’ll grow out of it.  I know I’ve been trying to do so since I’ve moved in with Sunset.”

Aria opened the door and yelled, “Where’s Sonata?”

“Out on a date…AGAIN!!!” Adagio answered.

“Goddamn it.”  Aria slammed the door again.  “I’m going to kill her.”

Adagio laughed and said, “Sounds like Sonata got into Aria’s stuff before her big date.”

“Is that common?” I asked Adagio.

“Just about.  At least it would get her mind off what we just talked about.”

Twilight came up to me and asked, “Gears, can we talk…in private?”

I looked at Sunset, not knowing how to respond.  But she gave me a nod and a smile, assuring me that this would be important.  So the two of us went outside while I waited for Aria.

“Look, I want to thank you on a few things,” Twilight said.  “First off, I’m glad that you took the shards out of our hands and into yours.  It gives me some relief from it until we know more.  Second, thanks for looking over Sombra’s diary and bringing it back with some ideas in mind.  I’ll be glad when I have it back where it belongs.  That book gives me the creeps.”

“I’m glad I could help,” I responded.

“And last, Sunset told me how they tried to get you and Aria together so she can stop acting like a bully.  She’s been giving me updates on any changes in the siren’s behavior, and what Aria was doing really worried me for a while.”

“I didn’t think it would work between us, but I think there’s a chance,” I said.

“Well, I hope it does, otherwise, Sunset will be regretting it ever since.”

“Why would she regret doing this,” I asked Twilight.

“I…guess she never has told you before.”  I was confused at what she was trying to say.  “I might as well get this out of the way.  When I came back here to take on the sirens, Sunset made a confession to me.  She told me how she once bullied you, but you wouldn’t budge.  Then you offer your friendship to her after the Fall Formal.  She’s been wanting to ask you out because of how kind you were to her, but with all the negative stares she was getting, well…”

“She didn’t want to drag me into her life,” I responded.  “I can understand that from the start, because I’ve faced that before.”

“That’s not quite it.  She was hoping that she could spend some time with you in someplace where it was just the two of you.  But she wasn’t sure how to send that message to you.  I guess it was her first experience at true love, but the timing was off.  And even after she helped defeat the sirens, she couldn’t muster up the courage to finally ask you out.  But seeing how you have helped Aria in making a change, she made the sacrifice to just let you go.”

“Well then, I might have to repay the favor and find her a boyfriend that can make her happy,” I said.  “Speaking of which, since you had a thing for Flash, do you plan to see him while you’re here?”

“Oh, Flash?”  She was in shock, and then started to fool with her hair.  “Well, I…I don’t know.  I…didn’t plan…on meeting him.  Maybe?”

“Forget I bought it up,” I said.  “I can see that you have a hard time reacting to something like that.”

“I guess I’m too focused on magic and being the Princess of Friendship that love’s something I need to learn about.”

“Just make sure you learn it soon.  I’m sure some…ponies will use your status for their own means, if you catch my drift.”

“There’s just one more thing I need to ask you, Gears.  When Aria touched the shards, anything happened that was out of the ordinary?”

“Nope,” I said.  “If I was to take a guess, in the state they are in, there’s no way they can hold any dark magic.  I think our former sirens are safe from its influence.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if they can be fused or molded into a perfect gem just to hold that magic again.”

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that,” Twilight said.  “I’ll do what I can on my side to learn on those gems, if there’s anything worth finding.”

It was then that the front door opened and Aria walked outside.  “Ready for our date, Gears?”  I was stunned at her new look that she was showing.  Unlike her usual look, she was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and jeans.  And she didn’t bother with fixing up her pigtails; she just let all of her hair down.  “What, don’t like my new look?”

“Actually, I do.  It’s…it’s a nice look for you,” I said.  “Let’s go then.”

So we said our goodbyes with Twilight, since we may not see her again in some time, and decided to walk towards the park.  I figure it would be a good place to start for our first date.  I recall hearing about several food trucks parked there every Saturday, so getting something to eat there will be a bonus.  As we were making our way down there, we heard some activity at one of the outdoor basketball courts.

“Come on, man.  I know you can’t get past me.”

“In your dreams, Dash.”

It was Rainbow Dash and Soarin having some one on one basketball.  We stopped and watched the display going on.  Soarin was making his way and jumping towards the basket, only to have Dash knock the ball out of his hands and send it bouncing towards us.

“Oh, hey there Gears.  You and Aria on a date?” Dash asked as I picked up the ball.

“That’s right,” I replied as I passed the ball back to her.  “Making our way to the park.  What are you two doing?”

“Playing some b-ball,” Soarin replied.  “Trying to beat Dash in some one on one.”

“Trying…and failing,” Dash added.  “We could ask you two to join us, but I know sports isn’t your thing.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” I said.  “Since you like to knock the wind out of me at every sport.”

“Hey Gears, can I talk to you for a moment?” Soarin said.

“Sure.  Aria, why don’t you talk to Dash for a moment while I take care of this.”

So Aria walked over to where Dash was at while Soarin brought me away from the two.

“Your actually dating Aria…after what she’s done to the school?”

“She’s starting to change, OK?  Besides, why haven’t you asked Dash out on a date yourself?”

“We are on a date,” Soarin replied, but I gave him that look that he wasn’t telling the truth.  “OK, it’s not a date.  I don’t know how to tell her this after we’ve been friends for so long.  And what if I tell her and she rejects me on the spot?”

“I know, you don’t want to damage the friendship that you have earned for so long,” I said.  “Look at her.  You’re the only male athlete that’s come close to her standards.  And I haven’t heard anyone trying to make a move on her, unless they were setting themselves up to fail.  At least I haven’t before.  Just take a chance.  If you have to, use Aria and me as an example to get the hint across.  Just…spend some time talking and see if you can find that spark that the two of you have been looking for.”

“OK, if you say so,” Soarin said with a hint of concern.

I looked back and called Aria, seeing if she was ready to go.  She was and rejoined me as we were leaving Soarin and Dash to their basketball game while we went to the park.  When we finally got there, we saw several food trucks out there.  We looked at what trucks were there for today, and I pointed out the one with the grilled cheese sandwiches.

We decided to order one grill cheese sandwich, since it would be big enough to share, and a couple of drinks.  It was another first for Aria, and she could tell because of how gooey the cheese was in the sandwich.  She wanted to know about the other food trucks that were there, in which I explained to her what they have and how they operate.  She started to learn what this world had to offer.  It was like she was more human than before.

After we finished eating, we threw away our trash into the trashcan and I decided to take her to one spot in the park that she would enjoy.  It was at a tree on top of a hill that looked over the park lake.  I sat down right next to the tree and patted the spot next to me for Aria to sit.  When she sat down, she wrapped her arm around mine and laid her head on my shoulder.  We enjoyed the moment, until it was interrupted by a familiar blue girl with white hair.

“Well look what we have here.  If it isn’t one of the girls that decided to mess with the Great and Powerful Trixie weeks ago.  If you think you can avoid Trixie, then you are so mistaken.  Trixie plans to get back for…what…you…did…”  She soon noticed that I was with here.  “Gears, what are you doing with this troublemaker?”

I replied, “First off, will you at least cut the theatrical act like always?  I don’t have a problem with it, but it’s getting a bit old.  And second, I’m on a date with the new Aria, not the bully that you used to know.”

“You know her?” Aria asked me.

“She’s sits next to me in my Science II class.  We’ve worked on a few group assignments, but the way she talks can be a problem.”

“Trixie does not have a problem with how Trixie talks to others.”  I just gave her a mean stare.  “FINE!!!  If you want me to talk like everyone else, then I’ll do it.  I only talk like that because it makes me feel superior in front of others.”

Aria was surprised.  “Wow.  I didn’t know your stance against bullies would have an effect on Trixie.”

“It’s because bullies want to feel superior towards other,” I said, “if you haven’t forgotten what you were trying to do before.”

“Good point,” Aria responded.

‘It’s because I don’t want to feel weak in front of others,” Trixie said as she sat down not far from where we were sitting.  “I’ve been picked on when I was little.  And this was the only was to make sure I wasn’t weak in front of them.”

I asked, “If you knew this from the start, why didn’t explain it to me in the first place?”

“Because you didn’t need to know,” Trixie replied.  “But, since it’s possible that we will have to work together again, it might be wise to explain it to you.  Just don’t tell this to anyone, OK?”

“Our lips are sealed,” Aria replied.

It went quiet for a moment before Trixie broke the silence.

“Aria, you should be lucky to have him at your side.”

“What makes you say that?” Aria asked Trixie.

“Well…look at him.  He’s able to stand up for himself and never backs down.  Not many students have the guts to do that.”

“Well thanks for the complement,” I said, “but I think there’s more to it than just that.”

Trixie took a deep breath and said, “There is.  I have a class with Rarity, and she heard from Applejack early in the school year that someone was able to stand up to Sunset on their first day.  I was surprised to hear this and thought that…well…maybe he’s the one for me.”

“Wait, you had a crush on me?” I asked her.

“I did, but seeing how you couldn’t stand the way I talk, plus the fact that I didn’t want to remove the mask I had on me in front of everyone else, made it more of a challenge to confess.  But when Rarity knew that we had the same science class, she wanted to know more about you from my view because she was curious.  The one thing that stood out was the fact that you were good at math classes, like you told me.  So she decided to set up a study session with you just to learn more about you.”

“Wait a minute,” I said.  “You mean that study session I had weeks before the Fall Formal was an excuse to get to know me better?  Why didn’t she just ask me in the first place?”

“She wasn’t sure,” Trixie relied.  “And I had a feeling that she would have her as your boyfriend instead of me.  I know she’s better than me when it comes to guys, but after I heard that she lost interest in you because you were curious about Applejack, I just gave up as well.  And then there was that Twilight verses Sunset episode that just sidetrack everyone around, I guess we all forgot about you because you didn’t show at the Fall Formal.”

“Damn,” Aria responded.  “Talk about mixed messages in finding true love.  And you don’t need a siren’s song to make that happen.  But we wouldn’t be able to absorb anything out of that.”

“And why would that be, Miss Aria?” Trixie said with a strict tone.

“Because the energy we absorb comes from anger, not confusion.”

Trixie thought for a moment before she responded.  “You might have a point.”

Trixie got up, cleared her throat, and said, “Well, Trixie doesn’t want to bother the lovely couple any further, so Trixie will head onward to wherever Trixie is needed.  Bye.”  And she walked away from us.

“Well that was interesting,” Aria said.  “To find out that Trixie and Rarity had an interest in you.”

“You can throw Sunset in the mix as well,” I said.

Aria was confused about that, so I explained what Twilight told me about Sunset’s interest in me.

“Well that explains everything,” Aria said.  “Do you think that Applejack would have been interested in you as well?”

“Don’t know,” I replied.  “But I don’t think it would matter now.  Maybe fate led us together.”

“Let’s just hope Dash and Soarin are finally dating,” Aria said.

“I hope so.”  Then I just realized what she said.  “Hold on, how did you know that?”

“While you were talking to Soarin, Dash was asking me how she should approach him about her feelings for him.”

I asked, “And how long was she interested in him?”

“For quite a while.  She wouldn’t say.”

“Well, I guess their first date will hit off well,” I said.

“Well, it wasn’t much of a first date for us, but we learned a lot about you and our friends as well,” Aria said.

“There’s still time before we have to go back.  Let’s enjoy it why we still can.”

So we spent an hour at the same spot, watching the view and everything that went by.  We decided to head back to drop Aria off at Sunset’s apartment so that she could have dinner with her sisters (and give Sonata a piece of her mind).  We gave each other a parting kiss on the lips and promised to meet together Monday morning at school.  I went back to my apartment for a quick bite to eat and relax for the night, when I got a call from an unknown number.

“I know Aria or her sisters have a cell phone, so who would be calling me this late?” I said to myself.

I answered the phone and said, “Hello, may I ask who this is?”

“It’s me, sugarcube.  Applejack.”

“Applejack?  How did you get my number?”

“Sunset gave it to me.  After what happened last night, I figure I get this off my chest.  After I talked to Rarity about what she was doing talking about my parents, we decided to put it all in the past.  She was just surprised that you were interested in me since I gave you the school tour, and it just slipped out.”

“I think it’s because she was interested in me.  Trixie told me about it”

“I know.  Rarity told me as well.  I guess you came across Trixie today.  She didn’t give you any problems, did she?”

“Nope, just wanted to get something off her chest as well.”

“I think I know what that would be, but I might as well do the same.  When I saw how you stood up to Sunset that day, I was impressed as to how bold you were in front of her.  And you did the same in helping Fluttershy later on.  She told me this.  In fact, I actual wished that we shared at least one class together.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, I was hoping you would have asked me out to the Fall Formal back then when we crossed paths at times.  But for some reason, you never brought it up.  But I guess it was good that you didn’t, or you would have been caught up in the magical takeover that happened.  Plus we were busy helping Twilight win the crown so that she can have it back and return home with it.  Besides, you have Aria now, and that’s the best thing that could ever happen to you.  She needs someone to show her what she should be doing with her life, and I know you can do that.”

“Well…I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, just remember.  If you break up with her, don’t expect any of us to be her replacement, you hear?  You treat her right, OK?”

“OK Applejack, I will.  And tell the girls that I plan to her them find boyfriends if I can.  I should repay you all for what you did, even if it was planned.”

“Most of us shouldn’t have a problem with that, even Sunset.  But I’m sure that Adagio could use some help.  Just swinging those hips ain’t helping her one bit.”

“OK, I start with her when I get the chance.  I hope to run by you at school Monday.”

“You too partner.  Bye.”

I hanged up on my phone and said to myself, “Can’t believe she was interested in me from the beginning.  But I think this was the best for all of us.  Aria is an interesting girl, even if she was a siren.  Maybe she could help me in understanding the shards and how her powers once work, if she’s brave enough to face her fears.  I know nothing happened when she touched them, so they could be harmless.  But I won’t know unless we trust in each other to do this.  We might be different, but I know we’re human, and that we can make mistakes and learn from them.  We just need to believe that we can make this happen.”
> Double Date, Nothing but Trouble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aria and me finally got our project done in a week, with little time to spare.  I already turned in the program design along with the small diskette that he gave us.  (Yes, it was an old DOS related program on the computer that’s over ten years old that can fit what we created on a 1 MB diskette.)  With ten minutes before school was over, we started talking about…older electronics.

“I have seen the computers in the computer lab and in the library, but this one’s not like those, now that I think about it,” said Aria.

“It’s an older model, and works easier with accessing DOS based programs like Qbasic,” I said.  “It’s the only way you can read and access the code of any program.  I have my father’s desktop computer with Win XP on it.  It’s over a decade old, compared to the current operating system.  It also has some diskette drives on it, plus USB ports.  It’s old, but I like playing the older, simpler games on that one when I feel like it.  Otherwise, I use my laptop for most of my other stuff.”

“You must be into this stuff,” Aria replied.

“Some geeks like to remember the older stuff as a reference and realized how far we’ve come along in this world,” I said.  “It’s how we remember our roots in the tech world.”

“Think you can show it to me…tonight?”  Aria was giving me that romantic look with her eyes.

“So which sister have you been spending you time with to pull off that look?” I asked her.

“If it’s working, does it matter?” she replied.

“Well, I got nothing better to do this weekend.  No homework assignments for me,” I said.

She replied, “Same here.”

“Good, it gives me an excuse to have another TV marathon with Sunset.”  We looked at saw that it was Adagio looking over us.

“Another failed attempt to get a date, I see.”  Aria was giving a smirk on her face.

“Rub it in, Aria.  Going for Bright Idea wasn’t much of a…bright idea.”  She face-palm after saying that.

“At least your wood project came out good, from what I saw,” I said.

“Yea.  I guess that’s the best that could come out of it,” Adagio replied.  “At least I can now help out with Fluttershy on those birdhouses that she likes to build.  Listening to the singing birds helps me remember what I’m trying to do with my life now.”

Just then, to school bell rang, signaling the end of school.  Everyone started to grab their things and left the room.  Adagio started to do the same, but Aria stayed for a moment.

“Do you want to come over right now?” I asked.

“I was hoping that I could stay over for the weekend,” Aria said as she had her hands together behind her back.  “Maybe watch some of your DVDs that you have?”

“Sure,” I said.  “Make sure you have what you need from home for the weekend.”

“Will do.”  She gave me a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.





I was at home, getting ready for Aria to come and stay for the weekend.  I looked over to see if I had all that I needed.  DVDs?  Check.  Classic gaming systems?  Check.  Microwave pizza, drinks, and snacks?  Check, check, and check.

And then I saw the bag with the pendent shards.  I still remember how she hated seeing those pieces a week ago.  So I decided to put the bag away in one of the desk drawers so she doesn’t have to be reminded of them.

Just then, I heard three dull knocks from the front door.

“I wonder who that could be?  I don’t think Aria would be knocking that way.”

So I looked through the peephole and was shocked at what I saw.  I unlocked and opened the door to see Aria with a bruise on her cheek.

“Aria, what happened?” I asked while walking her inside before closing the door.

“Some jerk decided to sucker-punch me as I was walking towards your place.”

“Here, lay down on the couch while I get an ice pack for that bruise.”  I went to the freezer and pulled out an ice pack that I keep for such emergencies.  I went back to Aria and had her place it on her cheek.  “Did you see who it was?”

“No.  He had a hoodie on, covering his face.  He just…rushed me from behind the school statue, punched me in the face, and ran off.”

“Another student, perhaps?”

“I don’t know,” she said.  “Maybe there are some others that we came across that didn’t like us after taking control of them.”

“I guess going by Sugarcube Corner with Rainbow Dash and Soarin is out of the question,” I said.

She looked at me and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“Soarin called me after I got home and asked if I can bring you along to go on a double date with them.  He just asked her out, and feels a bit nervous about doing this.”

“What time?”

“In about a couple of hours,” I told her.

“You think this bruise will settle down?”

“As long as you keep that ice pack on it, it should.”

“Well, no sense backing down,” she said.  “Maybe Dash would have an idea on who attacked me, if it’s someone from the school.”  She looked around and asked, “ Any idea what to do to kill some time?”

“I hate to get into a movie at this time, and I’m not sure what you feel like doing right now?”

“Why not see what’s going on in sports?” she asked me.  “Sunset did get me into sports, since she plays on the basketball team this year.”

“Sure.  I wanted to check up on hockey anyway,” I said.

So I turned on the TV and switched it to the sports channel for us to watch while her cheek was trying to heal.

After a couple of hours of watching sports updates, and a couple of sport science segments, which Aria became curious about, I looked at her bruise on her cheek and it started to look better.  There was a mark still visible, but it wasn’t as swollen from earlier.  We decided to head on to Sugarcube Corner to join up with Soarin and Rainbow Dash.  The place was almost empty, maybe because most people would rather see a movie or go to an arcade, but not us.  When we arrived, Soarin was able to greet us.

“Hey guys.  Thanks for showing…”

He was shocked to see Aria’s bruise.  Rainbow Dash also reacted the same way and responded.

“Aria, what happen to you?”  Dash went up to Aria to look at the bruise.

“I got punched out of nowhere when I was walking to Gears’ place,” Aria replied.

Soarin asked Aria, “Did you see who it was?”

“No.  He had a hoodie on, so I couldn’t get a look at his face.  I think it was a guy, but I’m not sure.”

Dash recommended, “Well, maybe a nice, cool shake would help make you feel better.”

So we decided to sit at the stools next to the counter and wait for someone to come up and take our order.  That’s when we heard a cheerful voice from the back of the building.

“Don’t worry.  I’ll be there in just a moment.”

No doubt that was Pinkie’s voice that we just heard.  I just knew what was about to happen next when she came skipping out from the room.

“Okie-dokie.  What do you *gasp* did some hooded guy punched you in the face?”

Knew it.  Pinkie can be like that at times.

“Yep,” Aria replied.  “Don’t even know who it was.”

“Well, that is just mean,” Pinkie said and puffed her cheeks.

“Perhaps you can fix up some milkshakes for us.  We hope that can make Aria feel better,” I said.

“Okie-dokie-lokie.  Vanilla for all?”  All four of us nodded, and Pinkie got started to fix our shakes.

After she delivered our shakes, all five of us started talking about who would have attacked Aria.  None of us heard from our school about anyone having a grudge with the former sirens.  So we decided to change the subject and talk about other things.  Pinkie told us about Mrs. Cake having to watch over the twins while Mr. Cake went to the store for some home supplies.  Yes, they live upstairs in the back of the same place that they work at.  I told them about a small, local shop that I knew when I was in Baltimare that sold custom home decorations was also a home for the owners as well.  It was nice to learn how local businesses would also be a place to live for the owners.

We then got to talk about some of the new movies that were being shown tonight, which could explain the slow business going on here.  But that gave Pinkie some time to get some fresh treats for the store when the customers come over after the movie.  None of the movies caught our attention, which is why we came here.  As we kept talking, Aria noticed something out the window.  I looked at what she was looking at and saw that it was Sonata with some guy on the other side of the street.

“Hey, is that Sonata’s boyfriend over there?” I asked.

Pinkie answered.  “Oh, that’s Stalwart Gray.  I have a class with him this year.”

We saw Sonata doing something with her hands in front of him, which lead Aria to ask a question.

“What is she doing with her hands?”

I decided to ask. “Hey Pinkie, is Stalwart deaf?”

“Yep.  I first learned about it when I did my “Welcome Back to School” surprise behind him.  I was surprised to see that he didn’t react to my surprise, so I tapped his shoulder, and when he turned around, I saw that he had a hearing aide in his ear and thought “Oh, that’s why he didn’t respond, because he’s deaf.”  So I decided to talk,” as she slow down her speech, “slowly and made sure my words came clear and see if his hearing aide was working and told him “surprise” to him.”  She started to speak normally again.  Well, Pinkie’s version of normal.  “And I always remember that he’s deaf and that I have to think about the best way for a deaf person to hear, which is with my lips.”

“Wow!” Dash said with a surprised look on her face.  “I never expected you to act that way on the fly.”

“I know,” Pinkie replied.  “At least I didn’t yell in his face and use strange hand gestures that wasn’t sign-language like Sonata did the first time they met.”

“So that’s how she recognized him,” said Aria.

“When was this?” I asked Aria.

“Just after the Battle of the Bands, after we got…booed off the stage.”  Aria cringed at the thought.  “I got into a shouting match with Adagio, which became a fight, which she was just standing there, watching.  Next thing we knew was that we saw her walking with him away from us.  He wasn’t even afraid of us after what happen that night.”

“So that explains why they became an item so fast,” I said.  “They knew each other before you girls returned to our school, just after the Battle of the Bands.”

“Then make a great couple,” Pinkie added.

Just as the couple was out of view, another person in a hood was walking along the same path that they were taking.  Aria saw this, got off the stool, and went up to the window to get a closer look.

“That’s the guy.  That’s the one who punched me,” she said.

We all got off our stools and walked up to Aria to see the guy she was talking about.

“Him?” I asked her, which she nodded.

“It looks like he’s…following Sonata and Stalwart,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh no he isn’t,” Aria said and started to head to the doorway.

I grabbed her, stopping her in her tracks, and said, “What are you going to do?”

“That guy tried to take me out.  I’m not going to let him do it to my sister as well.  He’s going to pay!”  She jerked free from my grip and started to run outside to chase the hooded guy.

“This is not good,” Rainbow Dash said.  “Pinkie, call Sunset and let her know what going on.  We might need her help if this gets any worse.”  Pinkie nodded and pulled out her cell phone.  Dash looked at us and said, “We better follow her.”  We nodded and made our way outside to chase Aria and the hooded guy down.

As we were chasing them on the sidewalk, we could see the hooded guy already pushed Stalwart to the ground before making a move on Sonata.  Aria saw this and yelled at him, causing him to look back before he ran away.  Aria kept chasing him down when we stop and check on the other two.

“You two OK?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I think so,” Sonata replied.

Soarin kneel down to check on Stalwart and said to us, “I take care of them.  You go and help Aria out.”  We nodded and started to catch up to Aria.

The chase continued on up to the park, where we lost sight of Aria and the hooded guy.

“Where did they go?” asked Rainbow Dash.

We looked around until we heard Aria yell again.  I was able to see movement in the direction of the sound behind some trees.

“That way,” I said as I pointed at the direction of the movement.

Our pursuit went on when we saw Aria still chasing down the hooded man.  He was close to the edge of the park when Aria hit something on the ground, causing her to lose her balance and fall down.  When we got up to her, the hooded guy was almost out of the park, until a blaze of orange came through at tackle the guy down.  I was able to pull Aria on her feet and we made our way to where the guy was tackled down.  We saw Sunset running up to the scene and noticed that it was Adagio who tackled the guy.

Sunset said, “Pinkie told me what happen.  When we saw you run into the park, we drove to the other side hoping that he would pass through.  Adagio saw the movement coming over here and just went straight into him.”

“Good call, Sunset,” replied Dash.  “Now let’s see who wanted to hurt our former siren friends.”

Sunset helped Adagio get the guy on his feet and removed his hood, only to find out that it was girl instead, and one that we remember seeing back at school on the women’s basketball team.

“LIGHTNING DUST!!!” yelled Dash.  “What in the world are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?  Making sure we don’t have a repeat performance at school,” replied Lightning Dust, as she was jerking herself loose.

“Like hell you are,” Aria replied in anger, while I was trying to hold her back.

“In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t have any magic powers, so we’re just as harmless as any other student in the school,” said Adagio.

“Then why are you even back in school?  To cause more trouble?” said Dust.

“Principal Celestia agreed to give them a second chance after I found them out on their own,” said Sunset.

“Well so did you, and you almost made a mess of it,” Dust replied.

“In case you haven’t noticed, she saved all of the students, along with our help,” said Dash.

“I still don’t even buy it.”

‘That’s the problem with you, Lightning Dust,” said Dash.  You’re always so self-centered that you can’t even see straight at what’s in front of you.”

“What I see is a boy who once faced troublemakers in the past.  Now he’s dating one?  Since when did he become so weak to do that?” said Dust.

Just hearing that really got my blood boiling.  Enough that I ran and threw my fist into her face, knocking her to the ground and leaving her with a bloody nose.

“IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME?  THAT I’M WEAK?  I’VE DEALT WITH BULLIES IN THE PAST, AND YOU’RE MIGHT JUST BE THE BIGGEST, MEANEST BULLY THAT NEEDED TO BE DECKED IN HER LIFE!!!”

The other girls were shocked to see how I was acting right now.  Aria realized how I was acting and went and hugged me from behind, trying to calm me down, in which it started to have an effect on me.  Rainbow Dash walked up to Lightning Dust and grabbed her by her collar and got into her face.

“Consider this your last warning.  You try to pull another stunt like this, and not only will I see to it that you get kicked off the basketball team, but you won’t even be able to try out for the soccer team as well.”

Sunset walked up to her and added, “And if you think about getting the cops into this for that bloody nose, we’ll be happy to tell them about your assaults on Aria and the couple that you tried to attack.”

“So do us a favor and go home and get that nose cleaned up, because I’ll be watching you from here on out,” said Dash, letting her go.

Lightning Dust got up and ran off until she was out of view.  Aria released me from her hug, and I decided to sit down at a nearby low wall.  Soarin, Sonata, and Stalwart were able to find us at the edge of the park.

“Did you get him?” Soarin asked.

“It was actually Lightning Dust that was doing this,” replied Dash.

“Her again?” replied Soarin.  “You would think she would get her act together after what she has done over a year ago.”

“Well, let’s hope that Gears’ punch in the nose would get the message across,” said Dash.

Soarin was shocked when he heard that and looked at me.  Sunset walked up and sat next to me.

“I’ve never seen you act like that before.  Were you like this back in Baltimare?”

I nodded, and then said, “I try my best to hold back.  But when she said that about me…I just lost control.  That’s how my life was back in Baltimare; everyone saying bad things to me.  I almost wanted to do the same thing to a girl who was picking on me, but another girl and her boyfriend came to my aid and caused her to back off.  This was why my parents wanted me to attend here instead while they were away.  They were hoping I wouldn’t get into any more problems.  Guess it doesn’t matter where I attend anyway.”

Aria sat down on the other side, wrapped her arm around mine, looked at me, and said, “Yes it does.  You helped me understand what I needed to do to move on, and I’m grateful for that.”

“I have to agree with her,” Adagio added.  “You’re smart and clever.  And what if you had one bad episode?  So what?  We all have one at times.”

“This coming from the lead siren,” said Aria.

This lead Adagio to raise an eyebrow, curious as to what Aria just said, before she realized it’s meaning and just blew it off.  “Whatever.  I just wish you told me in the first place what happen when you arrived at Gears’ place.  We could have looked into the matter, and all of this could have been avoided.”

“Well, I think we were able to get it resolved anyway,” said Sunset.

It was then that we saw Stalwart and Sonata exchanging sign language to each other.  We weren’t sure what they were talking about, but Rainbow Dash decided to ask the question.

“Um, what are you two talking about?”

Sonata looked at us, which also caused Stalwart to do the same.  “Well, we were wondering what to do, since we were coming to the park in the first place,” Sonata said and she was signing the words with her hands.

“We wanted to come to the park in the first place,” Stalwart said, which his speech wasn’t as clear as any other person, but enough to understand.  “But maybe we can go to Sugarcube Corner instead.”

“Some of us were just there before all this happened,” I said.  “We only had shakes there, and it was nearly empty.  Maybe…all of us can just hang out there with Pinkie for a couple of hours.  At least until business can pick up over there.”

“I could go for a slice of pie anyway,” Adagio said.

“If Pinkie has some fresh cookies there, I’m in,” Sunset added.

So we decided to return to Sugarcube Corner, with Sunset driving her car to a nearby parking lot.  We took a booth and ordered some white cake and apple pie and sodas all around.  We got talking to various shows, in which we made sure that Stalwart was able to read our lips, since his hearing can’t be as clear as usual is with his hearing aid.  We got to talk about movies and shows, to music, to even stories from the siren’s time back in the pony world.  It lasted for a couple of hours before we started to see other customers come in to the shop.  Mr. Cake finally made it back in time for the late night rush.  That’s when we decided to leave for the evening.

We waved to Pinkie as we were heading out and went our separate ways for the night.  Aria went back with me to my place to watch a movie while staying the weekend with me.

After walking into my room, I lay down on the couch and asked Aria, “Want to pick up where we last left off last weekend?”

“Actually, I had something else in mind.”  I saw Aria go up to the DVD shelf and picked out a different DVD.  “I was thinking about this one.”

I saw the title and was surprised that she knew I had it.  “The Last Starfighter?”

“Yep.  Sunset told me about this one.  I’m guessing you had her over back then?”

“Yep.  After the Fall Formal, whenever her friends were busy on the weekends, she would ask me if she could come over for some company.  I showed her my collection and that DVD was the first one she wanted to see.  She said that she never got to watch sci-fi movies before and noticed that this was made before I was born.  I blame my father for hooking me on those ones, but the creativity of those movies were interesting during that time.”

“Well, our would was filled with magic, not high tech.  And we never experience space at all.”  She walked on over and popped the DVD into the player and handed me the remote before lying on top of me.  “I think it would be nice to watch.”

“Then the Last Starfighter it is.”  I pressed play and started to movie.


Greetings, Starfighter. You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada.


“Just wait until you see what the Gunstar looks like,” I said.

“Is that the space ship in the movie?” asked Aria.

“You could say that,” I replied as I laid my arms around her neck.

“Then bring it on.”

> What Makes a Villain a Bully?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of thunder and flashes of lightning woke me up.  I noticed that it was a bit after six in the morning.  The weatherman did say that there would be storms coming early in the morning.  I looked over and saw Aria sleeping on her chest, topless.  I didn’t understand why she wanted to sleep this way, but after what happened last night, I guess she just needed some comfort to ease the pain.  I started to slowly get up, making sure I didn’t disturbed her.  Seeing the bruise on her cheek, I leaned down and kissed it before getting dressed and walking out of my room.

I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed the bacon and eggs from the refrigerator and two pans from the cabinet.  I placed the pans on the stove, turned on both burners, and cracked open some eggs on one pan and laid several strips of bacon on another.  I placed the rest of the food back into the refrigerator.  As I was busy scrambling the eggs, my thoughts went back to last night while we were watching the movie.






“Death is a primitive concept. I prefer to think of them as battling evil…in another dimension.”


“I wonder if my father is doing that right now?” whispered Aria.

“What was that?” I asked her.

“Oh…nothing.”





If I didn’t hear right, I thought she brought up her father.  I was curious as to what he was, or even any of the siren’s parents back in Equestria.  I wonder if Sunset Shimmer has ever asked about them.

My thoughts were broken when I heard footsteps coming from my room.  It was Aria, finally awake and now wearing the jersey I gave her.  Only catch was that she left it unbutton, still showing her panties as the only other piece of clothing she had on.

“Morning, sexy,” I said.

“Sexy?  What brings that on?” she asked.  I just looked at her body, then back to her face with smug on my own face.  She looked down and saw what I was referring to.  “Oh.  Well…I figure I show my…sexy side, that’s all.”  She started to button up her jersey.

“Yea, right,” I responded.  I turned my attention back to my cooking.  “I hope bacon and eggs will do for breakfast.”

“No problem there,” she replied.  “We are meat eaters anyway.”

“You mean back in your own home?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“With your parents?”  It was then that she decided not to answer.  Either she wanted to avoid being homesick, or  she just wanted to avoid remembering her past.  “Do you have a problem with your parents back then?”

“No.  It’s just…”

I took a moment to glance at her before returning my focus on my cooking.  “If we want to make this work, I would like it if you told me about your own life.  I mean before you came here.”

Aria was hesitant at first, then said, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you.”

“So, what was your father like?” I asked her.

“He was a captain of the city guard back home…in Aquatica.  And my mother was the head maid to the queen of Aquatica.”

“Aquatica.  That’s the home of sirens?”

“Sea ponies,” she corrected me.  “We were born and raised as sea ponies before we became sirens.”

“I guess those gems that you carried turned you into sirens, right?” I asked her.

“It’s more than just that.  I might as well explain from the beginning.”





Off in the western sea from Equestria, there lies an underwater city called Aquatica, home to the sea ponies.  And in this city, there’s a coral house where a female purple sea pony is playing with a wooden sword attached to her hoof.  She was sword playing in the area before her mother called her.

“Aria,” her mother yelled.  “It’s time for music practice.”

Aria groaned at the thought of music practice.  Her mother, who was a spitting image of Aria, but older, came out of the house with a displeased look.

“Aria, what did I tell you that only male sea ponies can become knights of the royal guard.  You’re wasting your time playing with that sword.”

“But mother,” replied Aria.

“Don’t you ‘but’ me, Aria.  You might have a role to play in Aquatica’s future,” her mother replied.

“Have you even heard my voice?  It’s scratchy and unfit,” said Aria.

“But our queen has given you this chance to improve your voice.  I didn’t put you in this class unless she asked for it,” explained her mother.

Aria knew that her mother was right.  It was the queen that wanted her to attend the class to improve her singing voice.  She put her sword away and went with her mother to the castle grounds.  When they arrived, Aria went on to class while her mother went to the castle to check up on the other maids of the castle.

As Aria was swimming to her class, she hear a voice from behind, one she didn’t want to hear.

“Hello Aria.”

Aria looked behind her to see a blue sea pony swimming up to her, Sonata Dusk.

“Hello…Sonata,” replied Aria statistically. 

“Ready to sing?” asked Sonata.  A groan was all that Aria could give.

Both of them went inside the classroom, where other female sea ponies were talking to each other before class began.  It was then that an older green female sea pony with glasses swam in and went to the stand.  Everyone went to their places for singing.  Sonata went to the front row, with Aria standing behind her.

The teacher looked at everyone before she spoke.  “Now, before we begin, we have a new student joining us.”

It was then that a yellow sea pony with orange puffy hair swam in.  Everyone was exchanging whispers at who they were seeing.

Aria leaned up to Sonata and whispered, “What’s the queen’s daughter doing here?”

“I don’t know,” whispered Sonata.  “I thought she practiced in the queen’s chambers.”

The music teacher tapped her baton.  “Now, now.  Princess Adagio will now be practicing with us for now on per the king’s request.”  She turned her attention to the new student.  “Princess Adagio, you will be standing next to Aria.”

Adagio swam her way to the second row, next to Aria.  Both of them exchanged glances before placing their focus on their teacher.





“Wait a minute.  You mean Adagio is a princess?”  I was a bit caught off guard to hear about this.

“Was a princess,” Aria corrected me.  “She gave up the title long ago.  And just so you know, Sunset doesn’t even know of this, so don’t even think about telling her this, or you’ll be walking with two black eyes, OK?”

“OK.  But why did she give up the title anyway?” I asked her.

“If you let me finish…”





Practice came to an end, and all of the sea ponies were swimming out of the room.  Sonata waved goodbye to Aria, which she only responded by rolling her eyes.  She swam off the other way and went to a balcony that overlooked the castle grounds.

“Why do I have to go through this,” Aria asked herself.  “It’s bad enough I can’t sing well like everyone else, but now I have Miss Adagio singing next to me.”

“That’s Princess Adagio, Miss Aria.”

Aria looked back to see Adagio staring back at her.  Aria turned her head back to the view in front of her.

“And what are you going to do, lock me up in the dungeon?” asked Aria.

Adagio swam up next to Aria.  “Now what makes you think I would do something like that?”

“You’re the princess, what else.”

“And your father is the captain of the city guard.”  Aria was surprised at this.  “Oh I know about your family.  Your mother has helped out with my needs as princess.  And your father is very loyal to my father.  Enough that he wanted him to be captain of the royal guard.”

“But my father’s captain of the city guard,” said Aria.

“Because he works well with the citizens of our kingdom, and my father likes it to be peaceful in front of him,” explained Adagio.  “He doesn’t have a problem with that.  In fact, it has made life easier than before.”

“So why are you attending our class anyway?  Don’t you take private lessons?” asked Aria.

Adagio let out a chuckle.  “You don’t really know, do you?”

“Should I even care?” responded Aria.

“It’s simple.  So that I can lead the sirens to glory, what else.”

“You really believe in that legend?” asked Aria.

Adagio looked at Aria and said, “It’s not legend.  It’s fact.  And my father has the proof of it.”  This started to get Aria’s interest.  “Oh yes, the legendary gems have been found years ago.  Now they await for three gifted singers to bare them.  And you are looking at one of them.”

Aria let out a small chuckle.  “Yea right.  You know they won’t let a princess become a siren.  You would have to surrender your title to do so.”

“If that’s the case, then so be it,” replied Adagio.  “The sirens need someone who can lead them to victory for our kingdom, and I’m willing to make the sacrifice to do so.  But a leader needs someone to do the heavy work, like you.”

“If you think I’m going to be a siren, forget it.  My voice doesn’t come close to any of the others in the class.  I’m out of here.”  And with that, Aria swam out of the balcony and left the castle grounds.

Adagio gave a small smirk.  “You really don’t know, do you?”

Aria swam all the way through the alleys on her way home.

“What makes her think that she can be a siren, or even me,” she said to herself.  “It’s silly.  There hasn’t been a siren in ages in our kingdom.”

Still frustrated at her encounter, she bumped into another sea pony without looking.

“Hey, watch it,” replied the sea pony.  Aria looked up to see a red male sea pony, who was also with a dark blue male sea pony.

“Back off, loser.  I have no time with you,” replied Aria.

“Oh, a feisty one we have here,” replied the dark blue sea pony.  “Perhaps we should have some fun with this one.”

“Why not?  Maybe it would help her show some respect around us,” replied the red sea pony.

Aria realized that she was out numbered and out matched.

“Oh, two boys against one girl.  Now that’s not nice.”  They looked back to see a lady in a hooded coat.

The red sea pony looked at her and said, “You might want to move along, miss.  Otherwise, you might get hurt.”

“Oh really?”  The lady removed her hood to reveal her puffy orange hair.

“I-I-I-It’s Princess Adagio,” replied the dark blue sea pony.  “Let’s get out of here.”  And both sea ponies hastily swam away.

Aria went up to Adagio and said, “Are you trying to follow me?”

Adagio responded, “I help you drive those losers away, and this is how you thank me?”

“I can handle those losers myself,” replied Aria.

“I know you could, but two on one just doesn’t seem fair,” replied Adagio, “unless you were a siren.”

“Still believing in that story?” Aria asked Adagio.

“It’s the truth, and I plan to be the lead siren in the group.  And I want you to join me in my…our quest.”  Adagio placed her hoof around Aria’s neck.  “Think about it, as a siren, your voice will be so powerful that the surface ponies will be at your hooves, worshiping you.”

“Why should I be a siren anyway?” asked Aria.

Adagio looked at Aria and said, “I need someone with street smarts.  Someone who can force others into our favor.  The sirens of the past were strong, but even there are those that were immune to their song.  I need someone who can deal with those threats, and you fit the mold.”  Aria still wasn’t sure about this.  “Not convinced?  You mother has told me that you like to sword play, even if she thinks you’re not fit to be part of the guard.  That kind of talent can be useful on the surface.”

“OK, you might have convinced me, but how can you make sure I become a siren?” asked Aria.

“I have my ways, Aria.  I’m even thinking about that one in front of you to be my third siren,” replied Adagio.

“Sonata?  Seriously?  That’s a laugh,” replied Aria.  “She might have a good voice, but she’s dumb as ever.”

“Maybe so, but someone needs to do the risky stuff, and her high pitch voice can be helpful in a pinch.”

Aria raised an eyebrow.  “You mean someone to do whatever she’s told?”  A sly grin came across both of their faces.  “Now that would be a site to see.  If you can make it happen, then count me in.”





“At the time, I thought we were doing something great,” Aria told me.  “Now I regret becoming a siren.”

I was finished cooking breakfast and turned off the stove.  I grabbed two plates from another cabinet and placed our food on both of them and placed her plate in front of her.  I went to grab two glasses from the cabinet and the orange juice from the refrigerator to go with our breakfast.

“Is that what made you a bully?” I asked.

“More like a villain, but a bully just the same,” she said.

“So what was the story about the gems?” I asked her.

“Well, long ago, there were three sirens who were able to control all pony kind.  It has happened many times, and were believed to be immortal.  But even past sirens were defeated and their gems were lost.  Someone found the gems one day and requested an audience with the king.  When he saw them, they were taken to a secured chamber where the siren’s ceremony would take place.”

“And you went through this ceremony?”

“Painfully,” she replied.  “But when it was complete, the gems were fused to our chest, and we had fangs and looked more fierce.  Once we saw our new powers, we traveled to the surface.  We learned that the gems allowed us to float on the surface.  From that day forward, we traveled around Equestria, putting ponies under our spell and absorbing their negative energy.”

“Did you ever thing about returning home?” I asked her.

“Not until our mission was done, and that was to have the surface world under our control.  But that all changed when we encountered…the changelings.”





The three sirens were leaving another town, filled with all the negative energy that they were able to collect.  As they traveled the road, they were faced with a group of ponies who were angry.

“So, it was you three who caused trouble in that town,” replied a white mare unicorn with a pink mane.

“Girls, it looks like we missed some ponies,” said Adagio.  “Let’s show them our…hospitality.”

The three siren began to sing releasing a green mist from their gems.  But as they kept singing, Aria stopped to see that it wasn’t working on them.  The other two stopped singing.

“What are you doing, Aria?” said Adagio.

“Our powers aren’t working on them, Adagio.”

Adagio looked and saw that Aria was right.  There was no green glow from their eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  Was that magic you were casting?  Perhaps you should see who we really are.”

Green fire started to appear from their hooves and went across their entire bodies, revealing their black bodies with holes in their legs and bug like wings.  They had horns and blue eyes on their faces.  The leader of the group was much taller and had a rugged horn to match her legs, but she also had green eyes and a blue mane.

“My name is Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the changeling army.  And no magic can ever stop ME!!!”

Her horn lit up and shot a blast of green magic at the sirens, blasting them.  But the queen’s magic had little effect on them because the magic was absorbed into their gems.

“Looks like all you did was supply us with you anger, for it is the fuel to our power,” replied Adagio.

Queen Chrysalis and her army were preparing to attack.

Aria asked, “Shall I ruff them up for you, Adagio?”

Adagio raised her hoof in front of Aria.  “Not yet.  Perhaps our goals are similar.”

Chrysalis looked at her army and raised her hoof in front of them, calling them to hold their ground.

“Adagio.  As in Princess Adagio Dazzle of Aquatica?” asked Chrysalis.

“So you’ve heard of me.  I am she, but I no longer bare the title of princess any longer,” replied Adagio.

“Do pray tell, why is that?” asked Chrysalis.

“We are the Sirens of Aquatica, and you will show respect to Lady Adagio,” replied Aria.

“Aria, stand down.”

“And to think the sirens were just a legend,” said Chrysalis.

“Oh they are, but we’re now the new sirens,” replied Sonata.

“Sonata, will you just shut up,” said Aria.

Adagio placed her hoof in front of her face.  “Will both of you shut up!”  She lowered her hoof to look at Chrysalis.  “So, you know about the previous sirens.”

“And the fact that they feed off of anger to survive by controlling them,” said Chrysalis.  “Our goals are similar, but we feed off of love from other ponies.”

“So you change your appearance to please other ponies?” asked Aria.

“To a point,” replied Chrysalis.  “But sometimes, and bit of mind control is needed to those who are strong willed.”

Adagio started to rub her hoof on her chin until she had an idea.  “I’m guessing that the energy you need is what you use to create your disguises and use your magic, correct?”  Chrysalis nodded.  “I have been wondering if our powers can help others fall in love instead of fighting each other.”

“If they fall in love, then we won’t be able to absorb their energy,” said Aria.

“Not unless they were fighting for our love,” replied Adagio.

Chrysalis started to think for a moment, then said, “If they were in love, we can absorb their love, then they start fighting, and you can absorb their hate.”

“A win-win for all of us,” replied Adagio.

Chrysalis went up to Adagio, placed her hoof around Adagio’s neck, and said, “Adagio, this might be the start of an evil friendship.”


“And so, we spent months with the changelings taking energy from other ponies, in proper order anyway,” said Aria.

“Sounds like it changed for the better for you,” I said.

“It did.  But we started to learn about more problems that we would have to face.”

“The Umbrum,” I said.

“Exactly.”





After leaving another town, the sirens and changelings decided to rest at an empty cave before moving to another town.  This gave them time to learn about what the other breed has faced.

“You know, love and hate makes a great mixture of energy for both our breeds,” said Aria.

“And think about all the riches we have earned in the progress,” said Adagio.  “Always helps to have a backup plan if we can’t control them.”

“It helps to have some bits on the side, but not every breed can be bribed,” said Chrysalis.

Adagio was curious at Chrysalis’ words.  “What do you mean?”

“Have you traveled up north?”

“Up in the cold?  Not us.  We can’t handle the cold,” said Sonata.

“She’s right.  Our scales can’t handle the cold north unless there was a way to protect us from the elements,” Adagio added.

“Be grateful for that, sirens, because there are some threats that are hard to control,” said Chrysalis.

The captain of the changelings walked up to add his thoughts.  “It is the Crystal Empire. We learned that it is home to the crystal ponies.  Special ponies that even we can’t change into.”

“They also possess the Crystal Heart, and magical item that could hold the power to fuel our entire race,” said Chrysalis.  “But it’s not the only breed to worry about.”

“There’s more?” asked Sonata.

“Yes.  The crystal ponies have been battling a breed called the Umbrum, a breed that feeds off of despair, a poison to our kind.  And I fear that they can be a poison to you three as well.”

“Isn’t that also a negative emotion?” asked Aria.

“Yes, but it’s different from anger, more…unstable to sirens,” explained Adagio.

“That’s what I figure.  And they look more like smoke when they are not in their physical form.  Your powers will have no effect on them,” explained Chrysalis.  “But the Crystal Empire have been able to imprison most of them.”

“We even faced some of them during our journey.  We barely made it out alive,” the captain added.

“We think something from the crystal ponies is what gives them an edge against them, allowing the Umbrum to be captured.  Some say the snowfields are a prison to those who pose a threat,” explained Chrysalis.

“Then we will need to control every pony if we want to take over the Crystal Empire,” said Aria.  “That would take a lot of energy to do so.”

“Unless the ponies were deceived, it would be a big challenge, for both of us,” explained Adagio.

That was when a pegasus came from the sky.  When it landed, it transformed into a changeling.

“Captain.”

“Report.”

“I have just learned about the alicorns of this world,” the solider said.  “It is true that there are two that now live in the Everfree Forest.  And word has it that they plan to be crowned princesses.”

“Are these the two that brought the three breeds together from the Windgo?” the captain asked.

“Yes sir.  But there is also talk that the Crystal Empire is also ruled by another alicorn princess.”

“WHAT!!!”  Chrysalis was furious at what she has heard.

“It might be the reason they have captured the Umbrum easily.”

“This complicates things more,” said Adagio.

“Maybe your father would have an idea to deal with this,” said Aria.

“You might be right,” Adagio replied.  “Chrysalis, I hate to do this, but we must return to Aquatica and inform my father of this.”

“Do so.  My army doesn’t have any other allies except for you.  We will looking into these alicorn princesses while you find a way to take over the Crystal Empire and control the crystal ponies, if there is a way.”

“If there isn’t then we will find other ways to remove these threats,” said Adagio.





“So we parted ways and made our way back to Aquatica,” she said.

“So you were worried about the crystal ponies and the alicorn princesses?” I asked her.

“That and what Umbrum forces were still out there.  Even if we were to take out the Crystal Empire, we wouldn’t be able to defeat the Umbrum.”

“So you were able to return home again?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t the same home we once knew.”


The sirens were swimming deep in the ocean, returning to Aquatica.

“I can’t believe it.  We’re going home,” said Sonata.

“Easy Sonata.  This is just a small visit,” said Aria.

“She’s right.  I must talk to my father and see what action we should take in this matter,” explained Adagio.  “You two can visit your parents if you wish, but remember, we still have a job to do.”

“I just want to tell them what I saw on the surface,” said Sonata.

“Well I just want to-”

Aria stopped to see Aquatica ahead, but she was shocked to see it in ruins.

“What happened?” asked Aria.

“It looks like a typhoon went through here,” said Sonata.

All three of them went to get a closer look at what was I front of them.  As they got closer, they could see some skeletal remains at the entrance.  One of them had a coral sword in it.

“It looks like a war happened,” said Adagio.  “But against who?”

“Wouldn’t your father maintain peace in the city?” Sonata asked Aria.

“Father?”  Aria then realized and made a mad dash to her home.

“ARIA!!!”

Aria didn’t listen to Adagio’s commands.  She was worried about her parents.  It was all that she could think of.  But when she arrived, the doors were destroyed.  She looked inside, calling her parents’ names, but there was no response.  She then remembered the castle.  If there was an attack on the kingdom, the castle would be the last line of defense.  So she made her way to the castle grounds, going past the music classroom, which was destroyed.  She made her way to the throne room, only to see the remains of two sea ponies.  One was none ever  that the king himself.  But when she looked at the solider nearby, she was able to see the symbol on his trident.  It was the one that was proof of the captain of the city guard.

“Dad.”

Tears stream down her face, realizing that it was her father’s remains.  She remembered that her mother had to be around.  The best place was in the queen’s chambers.  So she swam to her room and saw the doors open with Adagio looking down.  When she entered, she could see the remains of the queen and a maid in the room.  She wanted to look closer, but Adagio stopped her.

“It both of our mothers, Aria.  I remember what your mother always wear when she was with my mother.”

“But, who could have done this?” asked Aria.

A call came from outside the room.  “Adagio, I found something?”

Adagio and Aria went out the window and swam to where Sonata was at.

Adagio asked, “What is it?”  Sonata pointed to the ground to see hoof-prints planted in the sea floor.  She started to get into a rage.  “Surface ponies.”

“How could they have traveled to the ocean floor?” asked Aria.  “It’s not possible for them to do so.”

Only one thing came to Adagio’s mind.  “Alicorns.  If they are that powerful, then they would pay dearly.  I’ll do whatever it takes to destroy them, even if it takes me hundreds or thousands of years, THEY…WILL…PAY!!!”





“So it was clear to us that the surface ponies had to be punished for the assault on our home.”

“Are you sure it was them?” I asked her.

“It had to be.  The alicorns were the only ones who would have the power to invade our home.”

“And in the process, you came across Star Swirl, and he sent you into our world,” I said.

“Yes.  We didn’t know him at first that he was with the princesses, but he challenged us in a music contest, which we dominated.  But he decided to take another path to stop us.  During our performance, I saw him there with a mirror.  He started to cast a spell into the mirror, and it sucked us in.  I saw him do it and wasn’t fast enough to warn Adagio and Sonata before it happened.  And now…”

I can see tears coming from Aria’s eyes.

“And now we’re stuck here with no home to return to.”

I went to hug her, conform her, make her feel better.

“Listen, this is your home now.”

“But everything we did…in Equestria…in this world, was for nothing.  Now we’re just mortals without a home,” Aria said crying.

“But now you can live a normal life, Aria.  A new life.  You no longer have to bare that curse that you had on you before.  And…” I placed my hand on her chin and raised her head so that she can look at me.  “You have me as well.”  I gently place a kiss on her lips.

Aria was able to wipe away the tears from her eyes.  “Thank you.”

“Now finish your breakfast before it gets cold.”

I let her go and went back to my side to finish eating my breakfast.  We finished having our breakfast and decided to watch the rain fall the rest of the day.
> The Truth of The Sirens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aria started to feel much better since she gotten a lot off her chest.  But somehow, I knew that there was more to the story about what happened to the sea ponies of Equestria.  So I decided to explain to Sunset Shimmer in private about what I have learned from Aria.  Well, she was surprised about Adagio being a princess, which could explain why she was acted as the boss of the group.  But to learn that the sea ponies were extinct wasn’t quite true.

Turns out that during her time in Equestria when she was Princess Celestia’s pupil, she learned that there were sea ponies living in the seas around Equestria, and that only she was the only one who has had contact with them for years.  So she decided to write a message in her book and see if they can look into it.  It wouldn’t be until weeks later that we would finally get a reply from Princess Twilight.



Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Princess Luna wants to meet with the former sirens soon in Equestria.  She wishes to clear up some details as to what happen to the sea ponies of Aquatica.  Bring Gear Works with you.



I was surprised to find out that I would be traveling to the same world that these magical ponies come from.  So we decided to meet up at the statue on a Saturday, keeping things secret from the Dazzlings.  As I arrived at the school’s statue, I saw Applejack waiting there.

“Hey Gears,” Applejack said waving to me.

“Applejack, what are you doing here?” I asked as I leaned on the statue next to her.

“Waiting for Sunset.  She wants me to hold on to the book while she travels to Equestria with you guys.  Said that she wanted to patch up some old wounds, if you know what I mean.”

“I see.”

“So, you going to the pony world, right?”

“Looks that way.”

“Ever thought about what you would turn into when you get there?”

“Not really.  I’m just surprised that I’m invited to their world.”

“I’m sure there’s a good reason.”

Just then, we saw Sunset, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata walking up.

“About time you girls show up,” I said.

“Sorry for the wait,” replied Sunset.

“Hey, how come Aria’s boyfriend is here and I couldn’t invite mine?” asked Sonata.

“You’ll see soon enough,” replied Sunset.

And without a doubt, there was a strange swirl coming from the statue and a flash of light.  The next thing that happened was Princess Twilight coming out of the statue base.  Well, stumbling actually.

“Still need to look on the landing,” replied Twilight.

Sunset walked up to Twilight and gave her a hug.  “Just in time.”

“Sorry that it took so long to find them.  We had some problems in the Crystal Empire with an…old friend of ours,” replied Twilight.

“Find who?” asked Adagio.

“Why your descendants, Princess Adagio,” replied Sunset.

Adagio was in shock.  She looked to her sisters and asked, “OK, who told them that I was a princess?”

Sonata raised her hands, saying, “Not me!”

Adagio looked at Aria.  That’s when Aria walk up to me in pure anger, saying, “I thought I told you not to say anything about this.”

Sunset got in between us and said, “Easy Aria.  He only told me about it, and I knew something wasn’t right about your story.”

Twilight said, “Adagio, it turns out that there were survivors from Aquatica.”

Adagio said, “That can’t be.  The city was wiped out long ago.  We saw it.”

“What you saw what the aftermath of the war of Aquatica,” replied Twilight.

“Yea, after what your princesses did to the city,” replied Aria.  “Our parents died there.  We saw their remains in the city.”

“If you come with me, Princess Luna will explain everything to you,” said Twilight.  “She thinks you deserve the right to know.  Now come on.  We don’t want to keep her waiting.”

“Wait a minute.  How are we going to move in your world?” asked Sonata.  “We’re sirens.  Sea ponies.  Without our pendants, we can’t travel on land.”

“Glad you asked,” replied Twilight.  “I was looking into that, and if I’m correct, you’re more human than you were sea pony.  So you should turn into a regular pony once you travel through the portal.  Now, are you all ready to go?”

“Just a minute.”  Sunset brought out her book and handed it to Applejack.  “Keep me posted if anything bad happens here.  You know how to use it.”

“Will do, Sunset.  Gears, have a nice trip in the other world.”

“I’ll send you a postcard,” I statistically replied.

“Wait, you’re coming as well?” Aria asked me.

“Well, they did send me an invite.  Should I refuse?”

“No.  It’s just…we’ll go together.”

“Then let’s go.”  And Sonata was the first to go through the portal.

“Sonata!”  Adagio decided to follow her through the portal.

“I better make sure they make it safely.”  Twilight did the same and followed.

“Gears, remember that you will be on all fours when you arrive.  I’m not sure which breed you will be, but you will be a pony, remember.”  And Sunset went through the portal.

I looked at Aria and said, “Ready?”

She grabbed my hand and said, “Sure…together.”

And both of us went through the portal together.

As we were all traveling through the portal, it was like a swirling river of dizziness.  Then a flash of light happened, and I saw myself on the other side of what looked like a room made of crystal.

“Gears, you OK?”

I looked to see what sounded like Aria, but I was looking at a purple earth pony with purple pigtails.

“Aria?”

“Can you get up?” she asked me.

I started to get up, but noticed that I had hooves for hands.

“Just pretend that you’re trying to crawl, since you’re an earth pony like Aria,” said the orange unicorn with fiery hair.

“Sunset?”

“Yea.  Told you that you would be walking on all fours,” she replied.

“Hey, look at me.  I can fly,” said the blue pegasus with the blue ponytail.

“More like float,” replied the orange unicorn with the orange puffy hair.

“Is that Sonata and Adagio?”

“Yea, it is,” replied Aria.

“How come Adagio’s horn is smaller that Sunset’s,” I asked.

“Wait, I’m a unicorn?”  Adagio started to feel her forehead to find the small horn on her.

“The longer the horn, the more experienced you are with magic,” replied the lavender alicorn.

I did my best to walk up to her.  “So this is what an alicorn looks like, Twilight.”

“You have yet to see the other princesses,” replied Twilight.

Just then, the doors opened and in walked a small, purple…dragon?

“Twilight, Princess Luna is here.”

“Send her in, Spike.”

Spike went out of the room.

“Is that your pet dog we saw?” asked Sonata.

“Yes, that’s him.  And he’s not my pet, he’s my assistant,” replied Twilight.

Spike returned to the room, escorting another alicorn princess. She had an azure body and hair that was dark as night.

“Are these the sirens you speak about, Twilight?” the azure alicorn replied.

“They are.  Everyone, this is Princess Luna, controller of the moon,” said Twilight.

I was confused for a moment.

“Don’t worry, Gears.  I wasn’t sure that your vice principal was the same Luna that I knew when I first arrived in your world,” explained Twilight.

Princess Luna walked up to me.  “And this is the one called Gear Works?”

“Yes, princess,” I said, trying to bow, but falling down on the floor.

Princess Luna let out a small giggle, then emitted a glow from her horn.  I could see myself glowing as I was lifted up and back on my hooves.  “Don’t worry.  I’m sure you’ll understand how to walk like a pony in time.  Now if you all come with me, I’ll be happy to show you your homeland.”

“You mean the one that you destroyed?”  Adagio was mad when she was reminded of her home.

Princess Luna stared back at Adagio and said, “You have no idea what your father was dealing with in the first place, do you?”

“I know that you found a way to enter my kingdom, destroy all of my citizens, and killed my parents!” yelled Adagio.  “If I had my powers again, I would see to it that you kill yourself with just a single order!”

That was when Princess Luna started to hover and her eyes started to glow.

“HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME WITHOUT KNOWING THE TRUTH OF YOUR KIND!!!”

The voice was so loud that Adagio started to back away with a hint of fear inside her.

Twilight said, “Adagio, I know you’re mad with the loss of your kingdom.  But there’s another side to this story that you don’t know, including the history of the Kraken.”

“It’s best that you go with her so you can see the truth for yourself,” said Sunset.

“You’re not coming?” asked Sonata.

“I have some…personal business to attend to,” replied Sunset.

I said, “Come on.  We won’t solve anything by just standing here.  I think it’s best to see the truth ourselves.  Then we can decide who should take the blame.”

“Fine,” replied Adagio.  “But I know what I saw back then.  Don’t even think that I would forgive you for what you done.”  And she started to walk off.

Princess Luna, Sonata, Aria, and me started to follow Adagio until Princess Luna took the lead and guided us outside.  When we got outside, we noticed that we were at the back of a tree-shaped crystal castle.

“We plan to take a back route to a train that will take us to Aquatica,” Princess Luna explained.

So we traveled through the forest until we reached some tracks.  There was a crystal-like train in front of us, and what looked like two bat ponies guarding it.

“We are ready to go, your majesty,” said one of the bat ponies.

“Good.  Let the train operator know that we are ready to go,” replied Princess Luna.

Both bat ponies went inside the train, and the rest of us followed.  We found the car empty and took our seats.  I can see that Adagio didn’t want to sit next to Princess Luna and motioned Aria to sit next to her sister while I sat next to the princess.  Sonata just decided to lay on a seat on the other side of the car.

We felt the train move.  One of the bat ponies came back and said, “We should arrive at the west coast in over an hour.”

“That will be all,” replied Princess Luna.  When he left, she looked at Adagio and said, “I think it’s time you knew the truth about your kingdom.”





In the Everfree Forest, Celestia and Luna were overseeing their new castle when a manticore came running up to them.

“Melvin, what is it?” asked Luna.

The manticore displayed a scroll for them to see.  Luna used her magic to take the scroll and unroll it.



	To the one who brought the land ponies together, I am in need of your help.  My kingdom is falling into dark times as my king has falling under the Karken’s spell and turned into a tyrant to the sea ponies below.  Please, I request your aid, for I fear the land ponies will be the next to fall.  Come to the Dragon’s Cove and call on Leviathan, the spirit of the ocean.  He will guide you to me.



“How were you able to get this message?” Celestia asked Melvin.

The manticore let out some growls that only Luna could understand.

“He said that a sea creature delivered it to him so that it can be brought to us.  Then it disappeared into river nearby,” explained Luna.

“I fear this is a serious threat.  But both of us cannot leave to deal with it,” explained Celestia.  “I shall go and see to it that it is resolved.”

“Please, sister.  Allow me to handle this instead,” replied Luna.  “You have helped the ponies keep clam where I could not.”

“And you are not ready to handle an issue like this alone again.  I’ll will take care of it myself,” explained Celestia.

The manticore growled, telling Luna something.

“He says that he knows a race of bat ponies that can aid me on this journey.  Please, let me handle this.”

Celestia took a moment before she made her decision.  “OK.  If you can request the bat ponies help, then I shall leave it to you.”

“Thank you, sister.’  And Luna followed the manticore to the bat ponies cave.





“Was that the first time you met them?” I asked, pointing to the two guards that were with us.

“Of their breed, yes,” replied Luna.  “When I met them, they agreed to help me and had two of them travel with me to the west coast of Equestria, where I was to arrive at the Dragon’s Cove.





Luna was flying with two of the bat ponies, Shadow Wing and Night Fang.  They arrived at the west coast of Equestria, where they were able to find what looked like the stone head of a dragon.

“Lady Luna, I believe we have found the Dragon’s Cove,” said Shadow Wing.

“Then let us land and pray that this Leviathan can guide us to the one who called us,” replied Luna.

All three of them landed and walked up to the stone head.  Luna decided to use her loud voice to call the creature.

“LEVIATHAN!!!  WE HAVE COME TO ASSIST YOU!!!”

It wasn’t long until a whirlpool appeared, and a sea serpent made of water appeared.

“WHO ARE YOU THAT SUMMONS ME?”

“MY NAME IS LUNA, ONE OF THE SISTER ALICORNS THAT YOUR MASTER HAS CALLED UPON!  WE REQUEST THAT YOU TAKE US TO THE ONE WHO REQUESTS OUR AID!”

“THEN I SHALL TAKE YOU TO HIM!”

Leviathan opened its mouth and swallowed all three ponies.  Then dive into the sea with them.

The three ponies were worried that they would die in the sea, but Leviathan said, “DO NOT WORRY.  MY MAGIC WILL MAKE YOU ABLE TO BREATH AND WALK UNDERWATER.”

“Thank you,” replied Luna.  “Can you explain what has happened to this underwater kingdom?”

“THE CITY OF AQUATICA HAS FALLEN UNDER THE SIRENS CURSE, AND THE ONE THEY CALL THE KARKEN IS THE CAUSE OF ALL OF THIS!  I HAVE TRIED TO CONTAIN HIM FROM SPREADING THE CURSE, BUT SOMEONE HAS FOUND THE SACRED GEMS AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE KING!  NOW HE IS UNDER ITS POWER AND MUST BE STOP!”

“Are all of its citizens under its control?” asked Luna.

“IT IS NOT!  THE ONE WHO REQUESTED YOUR AID WILL EXPLAIN WHEN WE ARRIVE!”

As they continued, they arrived to an underwater cave.  It was there that they were released from Leviathan’s mouth, in which they were able to breath underwater from the creature’s magic.  All three of them walked inside the cave, seeing young sea ponies scared, until they came across a meeting room where several sea ponies were in discussion.  The one that was in charge noticed the three land ponies and requested the other sea ponies to leave.

“Thank you for responding to my call.  My name is Tenor Blaze, captain of the city guard.”





“Wait a minute.  Why is it that my father decided to call for your aid?” asked Aria.

Princess Luna said, “Listen, and you will understand.”





“My name is Luna, one of the sister alicorns that you requested.  These of my companions, Shadow Wing and Night Fang.”

“I was expecting two alicorns,” Tenor said.

“My sister had to stay behind to watch over the land.  But I assure you that our aid alone is enough to handle the task,” replied Luna.

“So be it.  The reason I summoned you here is because our king has been cursed by the siren’s magic.  There are those who remain loyal to him, but those who oppose his actions are captured and killed.  And to make matters worse, the gems that help spread this curse has now been given to three female sea ponies, one of them being my daughter.”

“What are these gems that you speak?” asked Luna.

“They once belong to a trio of sirens who worked for a creature called the Karken.  It terrorized the seas long ago, and sent its sirens to take control of those who sailed those rough seas.  They were defeated, but their gems were hidden away.  Now someone has brought those gems to Aquatica and used them to take control of our king.  I have been building a resistance group in secret to take down the king by any means necessary.  But I fear I’m too late for the worse to happen.”

“The new sirens, one of them being your daughter,” explained Luna.

“Yes, but these sirens are led by the king’s daughter, and I fear they have already made it to the surface.  But the king must be stopped before they decide to invade your homeland.  At this time, my wife is with the queen, who has tried to bring the king to his senses, but to no avail.  Now I feel that they are in danger from where they stand.  If the king knew about my actions, he will see to it that my wife no longer exist.  If we are to stop him, we must act fast.”

Luna said, “If that is the case, what do you want us to do?”





“I can see what you are trying to do, and it won’t work,” said Adagio.  “If you think you can place the blame on my father for the death of my kind, you’re wrong.  You were able to get others on your side to start a war just so they could kill each other.  You even did the same to Aria’s father.”

“SHUT UP!!!”  Aria started at Adagio and said, “Don’t you dare bring my father into this.  My father was brave and noble, but he had the common sense when something was wrong.  He always resolved everything peacefully.”

“You would side her over me,” replied Adagio.

“Do you even remember how those pendants work?” asked Aria.  “They gave up powers…powers that we craved for.  They were nothing more than a curse, and I was tired of seeing them.  Or didn’t you forget that you gave them to Gears to keep them out of our sight.”

I could see it in her face.  It was the same time she handed those shards to me.  She wanted to put everything in the past.  And now, I brought her here to face her past once again.

“Adagio, let’s listen to the rest of the story.  Perhaps you can finally know the truth that has been kept from you,” I said.

Adagio looked up and said, “Continue.”

“Thank you,” replied Luna.  “So we invaded Aquatica.  My companions led the groups of sea ponies that opposed the king into battle.  During that time I followed Tenor through an underground passageway to catch the king by surprise and make sure both of your mothers were safe.  But somehow, he learned about their treachery before we could reach them.”





Luna and Tenor were making their way to the queen’s chambers.  But by the time they arrived, the saw that the door was broken open.  They went inside and to Tenor’s surprise, he saw his wife dead.  As he swam to her aid, Luna went to check the queen, who was barely breathing.  Luna called Tenor’s name, which he swam over.

“My queen, what happened?” responded Tenor.

The queen, barely able to breath said, “I’m sorry, but…he found out…about us…Your wife…did her best…to protect…me…Please, stop my…husband before…the worse comes…to pass.”

“I promise that I will,” replied Tenor.

“And…promise that…you will…save…my daughter…from…the…curse…”  The queen passed away, saying her final breath.

Tenor, in a furious rage, began his hunt for the king.  Luna followed him, making sure it doesn’t get any worse.  They were able to find the king in the main chambers with a couple of guards with him.

“TRAITOR!!!  How dare you oppose me.”

“It is you who is the traitor,” replied Tenor.  “You dare bring this curse to our kingdom…and to my daughter.”  He draw his coral sword with his hoof.  “Your reign of terror ends here.”

The king was able to draw his coral sword with his hoof, and both of them clashed swords against each other.  The guards that were with the king went after Luna, who was able to create a sword with her magic in order to defend herself.  As the duel went on, Luna was able to take out the guards.  But the king was able to knock down Tenor.  The king was about to strike Tenor with his sword when Luna blasted him with her magic, knocking him back for a moment.  Seeing this as an opening, Tenor took his sword and lunge it into his chest.  Pulling the sword back out, he slashed the king’s neck, making it harder to breath underwater without his gills for support.  It was then that the king fell dead.

Tenor, trying to catch his breath, said, “It is over.”  He went to Luna, saying, “Now you must find the sirens and…remove their…curse.”

Tenor started to collapse, and Luna went to his side.  She could see a deep wound on the side of his body.

“You are wounded,” replied Luna.

“It seems that…I was careless…in battle,” replied Tenor.  “At least…I can join…my wife…in peace.  Promise…that you will…find my…daughter…and remove…the curse…from her and…the others…”

“I promise that I will do what I can to find them and remove the curse from them to the best of my ability,” replied Luna.

“Thank…you…Luna…”  Tenor soon then passed away.





“And so I was tasked in finding you three in hopes that I could find a way to remove the siren’s curse.  But I was too late.  I learned that Star Swirl encounter you and banished you to another world before I could even know what was happening.  My sister decided to hold on to the mirror in case we can find a way to bring you back and remove the curse.  But during that time, we came across many problems along the way.  Problems that made me forget my promise that I wanted to keep.”

Adagio was speechless.  She hanged her head low, realizing the truth.  She finally learned that it was her father that killed her mother and Aria’s mother in the process.  And it was Aria’s father that ended the king’s life.

Aria looked at Adagio and said, “I’m sorry for what my father did.”

“No,” replied Adagio, and looked back at her.  “It was my father’s doing that lead to all of this.  Your father was a hero, while mine was nothing more than a villain.”

Both of them hugged each other.

“So now you know the truth,” I said.  “What will you do now?”

Adagio thought for a moment, then asked Luna, “You said that there were sea ponies alive.  How did that happen?”

“It was Sonata’s parents who took the survivors to a new home, which is where we are traveling at this moment.”

Sonata perked up.  “You mean my parents were still alive?  How did you know that they were my parents?”

“When I told them the aftermath and the promise I made with Tenor and the queen, they told me that their daughter was the third siren in the group.  They felt that they may never see their daughter again, but prayed that the curse would be lifted one day.”

Sonata looked down for a moment.  “I see.”  Then her spirits were lifted once again.  “Well, at least they made sure our kind still lives to this day, right?”

“They did,” replied Adagio.  “I’ll be glad to see what the city looks like now, since thousands of years have passed in this world.”

“You will be surprised when you see it,” explained Princess Luna.  “But we will need Leviathan to take us there, and that will require us passing the old city of Aquatica in order to reach New Aquatica.  It is there that they now call home.”

It wasn’t long before the train reached its destination.  When we got off the train, is was but a short walk to the coast line.  That was when we saw the rock formation of a dragon’s head.

“So, is this the spot?” I asked.

“It is Gears.  Now don’t be afraid when it swallows you, for that is the way it can cast its magic to allow you to breath underwater.”  Luna walked up and began summoning the creature.

“LEVIATHAN!!!  WE HAVE COME TO TRAVEL TO AQUATICA!!!”

It was then that we saw a whirlpool appear and a creature of water appear, just like in Princess Luna’s story.

“LUNA!  ARE THESE THE SIRENS THAT YOU HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT?”

“They are, Leviathan.  But they do not possess the powers they once had.”

I can see Leviathan come up to Adagio, who was a bit nervous.  Then, it turned to Aria and Sonata.

“YOU ARE THE ONE CALLED ARIA!  YOUR FATHER DIED A HERO!  BE PROUD OF THAT!  AND YOU SONATA SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PARENTS TO GUIDE THE SEA PONIES TO THEIR NEW HOME!”

It was then that it came up to me.

“AND WHO MIGHT YOU BE?”

Princess Luna was able to answer that for me.  “This is Gear Works.  He is the one who protects the shards of the sirens so that they do not fall into the hooves of evil.”

“I SEE!  THEN I SHOULD TAKE YOU TO NEW AQUATICA.  LADY FINN WISHES TO SEE ALL OF YOU!”

That was when it opened its mouth, allowing us to enter.  Once inside the belly of the beast, we were sent into the sea.  Somehow, I was able to see through the creature and see everything underwater.  As we were going deeper, I started to have this strange feeling coming over me.  I could see it in the others as well.  Somehow, gills started to form on our necks, allowing us to breath underwater.  It took a moment, but we were able to adept to our new gills.  As we journeyed deeper, Princess Luna pointed to what looked like an old city.  It was none other that Old Aquatica, the cursed kingdom as they now call it.  Our journey went farther until we saw bright underwater lights glowing ahead.  It was then that we arrived at New Aquatica.  Leviathan opened its mouth, allowing us to exit.  I could feel the water, yet, it was like I was breathing air.

“Surprised?” Aria said to me.

“Just about.  This is so new to me.”

“It feels…different for me.  Maybe because I’m an earth pony instead of a sea pony.

Aria stayed next to my side as all of us started to walk into the new city.  That was when a sea pony swam up to us.  But as I looked closer, I could see a gem on its chest.

“Welcome to Aquatica.  My name is Ruby.  Lady Finn is expecting you.”

“Are you a siren?” asked Sonata.

“I am, but I’m one of Leviathan’s sirens.  It is my job to keep all threats away from our city, and make sure no harm is done to our kind.  Now come with me.”

We followed the siren to what looked like the capital of the city.  As we went inside, we were met by a female sea pony.

“Princess Luna.”

“Lady Finn.  It is nice to see you again.”

Both Princess Luna and Lady Finn embraced in a hug before letting go.  It was then at Lady Finn looked at us.

“Is this the queen’s daughter that was banished many years ago?”

“It is, Lady Finn.  As well as the hero’s daughter and the founders daughter,” explained Luna.

“I see,” replied Lady Finn.  “I’m sure you have lots of questions, and I’ll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.”

Adagio walked up.  “First off, why are there sirens in this city?”

“You mean Leviathan’s sirens.  They are what you would call the peace keepers of our city.  They are sea ponies who have surrender their name and place in order to be the protectors of this city.”

Ruby spoke up.  “I once had a name, but surrender it when I became a siren.  Now I’m know only as Ruby.  We are similar to the cursed siren that you once were, but our songs are used to bring peace to the sea.”

“How do you absorb energy to live?” asked Aria.

“By offering ourselves to Leviathan, of course.  It is that which gives us life.  And when our time has come, we surrender our gems, and lives, to be passed to the next one.”

“It’s like they follow a code of some kind,” I said.

“It is but tradition in our city,” replied Ruby.

Adagio decided to ask another question.  “As we were traveling here, I couldn’t see any remains in the old city.  Why is that?”

“Because our ancestors were able to find their remains and give them a proper burial.  Follow me.”

We followed Lady Finn to the back of the capital, where there was a graveyard of unmarked crosses laid out.  Lady Finn guided us to the big plaque that was in the center of the graveyard.  When we arrived, the three former sirens were in shocked.  When I looked at them I could see why.  On one side was Sonata’s parents’ graves, which both of them had what looked like sea shell necklaces on them.  On the other side was Aria’s parents’ graves.  Laying in front of them was what looked like a sword and a trident.  And at the center was none other than Adagio’s mother’s grave.  Laying in front of it was a crown.

“These ones we were able to identify,” explained Lady Finn.  “But the other ones have been left unmarked.  Each one you see is a life that was taken by the king’s actions.”

“Is there a reason the king wasn’t buried here?” I asked.

“It’s because he was cursed and weak,” replied Adagio.  “He doesn’t deserve a burial for what he has done.  May he rest in shame.”

“I understand your pain,” Lady Finn said as she placed a hoof on Adagio’s shoulder.  “His will was weak because of his role as a king.  But Tenor’s will was strong, and was able to avoid the siren’s spell from controlling him.”

Lady Finn walked up to the queen’s grave and took the crown from its location and gave it to Adagio.  “Take this crown, for it belongs to you.”

But Adagio stopped her from doing so.  “I cannot.  I gave up the title long ago.  I have no need for it.”

“Then take it to remind you of your mother.  She stayed strong, even up to her dying breath.”

Adagio though for a moment, then gently took the crown from Lady Finn.

“Lady Finn, is it OK if I take my parents’ necklaces?  I gave these as a gift before I left them,” explained Sonata.

“Please do,” replied Lady Finn.  “It was thanks to them that we are still here today.”

Sonata was able to remove the necklaces from the graves, then said to herself, “Thank you, for all you have done for me.”

I walked up to Aria and asked, “Was these your father’s weapons?”

“Yes.  I remember the symbol that was on the trident.  It was the captain’s mark, proof that he was the captain of the city guard.”

“And the sword you see was the one that killed the king,” explained Lady Finn.  “If you wish, you are welcome to take them.”

Aria looked over and said, “Princess Luna, would you hold on to these items for me.  I’m not sure I can carry them with these hooves.”

“It would be my pleasure.”  Princess Luna emitted a glow from her horn, which took control of the sword and trident and placed then at her side.  “Lady Finn, there is one pressing matter to attend to.”

“The shards of the sirens.  Yes, I am aware of that.  Who is in possession of them.”

“I am.”  I raised my hoof.

“And what is the condition of the shards?”

“From what I can understand, they no longer contain any magic,” I explained.  “But there is still doubt that they can be reforged and contain the same magic that it once possess.”

“We have been looking into the issue, but cannot find an answer,” explained Lady Finn.  “Princess Luna, it is best that you travel to the Crystal Empire and see if there is a way for the shards to be safe from evil.  I’m sure they will have an answer there.”

“Then we shall make haste to the Crystal Empire,” replied Princess Luna.  “Thank you for all that you have done.”

“One more thing.”  Lady Finn signaled Ruby to come over.  She came with what looked like a shield.  “This shield is made from the scales of Leviathan.”

“While Leviathan maintains its spirit form, it can change into a physical form when it must attack on the surface.  In both forms, it sheds its scales for us to use as shield.  Please take this as a gift from us for all you have done to protect the shards from harm.”

Ruby gave the shield to me, which I was able to place on my back.

“Thank you, Ruby.  And send my thanks to the others as well,” I said.

Ruby bowed to me.

“It is time to leave.”  And we all followed Princess Luna back to Leviathan so that we would return to the surface with the belongs that were given to us.  Our next destination would be the Crystal Empire.
> Theories and Facts
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We were on the train heading to the Crystal Empire.  We were told that it would take a couple of hours to get there because we had to go through the city of Canterlot.  Sonata decided to rest through the trip, while Princess Luna was chatting with Adagio, sharing the hard times she had to go through when she was Nightmare Moon.  I took this time to talk to Aria in private, seeing how her father was a hero to the city.

“How are you feeling?”

“I…really don’t know,” replied Aria.  “I find out that my father killed our king, but it was to save the city from the curse that I was able to carry.”

“Remember that time we first talked together?”

“Of course I do.  You asked me if the powers I had were more of a curse than a gift.  Looks like you were right all along.  None of us knew it was a curse that we were carrying.  And now my family had to pay the price for what I thought was right.”

“You didn’t know what was going on in the first place.”

“I should have.  I thought it was silly to become a siren, and yet, I went through with it.  I should have looked into it some more.  I should had seen what my father was able to see.  He always kept a clear head when problems came up, and I wasn’t able to do the same.  Now, all I have left from my father is a coral sword and trident that he always carry with him on his patrols.”

“Sometimes, we can’t see the real picture.  We think we’re doing the right thing, but we never know if we are until it happens.  We learn from our mistakes and move on.  I’m sure Sunset Shimmer had to do that a lot after the Fall Formal.  Now it’s time for you to do the same.”

Aria started to look down.  “You think I can do so, after all the bullying that I’ve done to the school?”

I placed my hoof on her chin and raised her head so that our eyes met.

“If Sunset was able to do it, so can you.”

Tears started to form from Aria’s eyes as a smile came across her face.  She rushed up to hug me, which I was able to return that hug.

“I’m glad that we were able to meet, even if we had to crash into each other,” Aria said as she let out a small laugh.

“I’m glad that you were able to open up to me when you felt like you were at your worst.”

Aria pulled back so that our eyes met.

“And I thought Sonata was the worst,” said Aria

“You thought everyone else was the worst,” I said.

“At least you’re not,” said Aria.

We both started to get lost in the moment, before someone else made a noise.  We looked to see Adagio looking at us.

“I’m sorry.  Did I ruining the moment here?”

Aria looked at me and said, “You know, I think Adagio is the worst.”

“Hey, I’m right here,” said Adagio.  “Besides, we just entered the Crystal Mountains, so it won’t be long before we arrive at the Crystal Empire.”

Adagio walked off, leaving us alone again.

“Looks like you finally get to see the Crystal Empire,” I said.

“I know.  And somehow, it’s thanks to you for making this happen,” replied Aria.  “I wonder…what if we never met?  I mean, what if we arrived in your world a thousand years ago, and not at your current time?”

“You think there was a reason you arrived in our time after a thousand years have passed in this world?”

“I wonder if it was fate that made this happen.”

I started to think about it…again.  “We talked about this before.”

“And you had your theories about how we got here, even if they were weird,” replied Aria.

“Well, I am a geek.  Weird comes with the territory.”

“And that’s why I love you for it.”  Aria gave me a kiss on my cheek before walking back to join the others.

I decided to do the same.

We saw the winter snow falling outside the train.  Sonata decided to open the window and stick her head out.  We thought she was letting the warm air outside, but it wasn’t as cold as we thought.  Princess Luna said that it was due to the Crystal Heart that keeps the extreme cold away.  If I ever want to take a winter vacation, I’m coming here with Aria at my side.

The train finally came to a stop at the station.  We started to walk off the train, leaving our items behind, since our visit wouldn’t be long.  When we were on the station, we were met by a white stallion with blue hair.  Princess Luna greeted the stallion.

“Good day, Shining Armor.”

“Good day, Luna.  Twilight and Sunset are already here waiting.”

Princess Luna looked at us.  “I was able to send a message to Spike to have Twilight and Sunset meet us here.  By the way, this is Twilight’s brother, Prince Shining Armor.”

“I didn’t know the Crystal Empire had a prince,” said Sonata.

“That’s because the Crystal Empire was lost for a thousand years after King Sombra took down Princess Amore and enslaved the kingdom,” explained Adagio.  “Of didn’t you forget about the diary that was brought to us for Gears to look into.”

“Oh yea.  I totally forgot,” Sonata said with a smile.  Adagio and Aria just shook their heads.

“You must be Gear Works,” said Shining Armor.  “My sister has told me much about you.”

We started to walk into the Crystal Empire and noticed that there was signs of damage in the kingdom.

“What happened here,” I asked.

“The kingdom was attacked by the Umbram over a week ago,” explained Shining Armor.  “We were lucky to stop them after all was lost.  Cadence was able to expose them for who they were, but we were overwhelmed when they attacked.”

“How were you able to defeat them,” asked Aria.

“You’ll soon see why,” he replied.

“Have they returned?” Princess Luna asked Shining Armor.

“Just this morning.  But they have had little success in finding the remains of Princess Amore.”

“I’m sure they will find them in time,” Princess Luna replied.  “But it would be nice to see her again.”

We were wondering who they were talking about, but knew that we would find out soon.  We made our way into the castle and made our way to the main chamber, where we saw Twilight and Sunset waiting for us.  Three other ponies were also there.  One was a pink alicorn sitting on the throne.  Another was a purple unicorn with blue hair.  And the third was a gray unicorn with black hair.

Princess Luna introduced us to the alicorn.  “Everypony, this is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

All four of us were stunned…because we were trying to take in her name.  And that was when Princess…what’s-her-name stared at Princess Luna.

She got the message and decided to correct herself.  “You may refer her as Princess Cadence.”

“Thank you for coming,” Princess Cadence replied.  “We received your message, and are in works on something that can help keep the shards safe from harm in your world.”

“Thank you,” I replied.  “It would be a great weight off of our shoulders.”

“I am glad that we are able to help.  Now, I like to introduce you to some friends of ours.  This is Radiant Hope,” which she pointed to the purple unicorn, “and Sombra,” which she pointed to the gray unicorn.

“Wait, you mean the Sombra that tried to take over the Crystal Empire,” asked Aria.

“The Sombra that is a part of the Umbrum?” asked Adagio.

“The Sombra that…that tried to take over the ponies here?”  All three of us looked at Sonata.  “What?  What did I say?”

Sombra responded with a laugh and said, “Yes I was the Sombra that you have heard of, but I’m no longer an Umbrum.  Just like you are no longer sirens.”

“You know who we are?” asked Adagio.

“We do,” replied Radiant Hope.  “And you must be Gear Works, the one who solved the mystery of Sombra and the Umbrum.”

“I learned that there was still good inside Sombra, but I wasn’t able to learn about the Umbrum,” I explained.

“That would be me,” replied Adagio.

“Only because you learned about it from Queen Chrysalis,” added Aria.

“Who is still out there at this time,” said Twilight.

“She’s still alive?” asked Adagio.

“Yea, and has been a pain in the rear all this time,” explained Twilight.

“She’s not one to give up, that’s for sure,” said Adagio.

“I don’t mean to change the subject, but how come Radiant Hope is still alive?” I asked.  “When I read about her in Sombra’s diary, it happened over a thousand years ago.”

“Yea, she’s not even an alicorn,” added Aria.

Radiant Hope explained.  “That’s because after Sombra was banished and the Crystal Empire was lost, I went searching for any signs and found the Umbrum who were imprisoned in the crystal mountains.  When I went into their world, I wasn’t able to age a single day.  And I thought they were peaceful creatures and I thought We could only see.”

“But you found out that they were dark magical creatures when they are exposed to magic,” replied Adagio.  “Chrysalis told me about them and what they feed on.  It’s something that could kill the changelings and maybe poison us as well, when we were sirens.”

“But now we were able to banish them once again, thanks to Sombra returning the Crystal Heart to its place,” Princess Cadence explained.  “But it left some damage to our kingdom in the process.”

“So, I read that Princess Amore was turned to stone and shattered to pieces,” I said.  “Have you been looking for her since then?”

“We have, and have made little progress in our search,” explained Sombra.  “We were hoping that the Crystal Heart can show us where to search, but it has had no effect on our search.”

“We know that it can repel evil from the kingdom and reveal a pony’s destiny.  It can even repel the harsh weather from this kingdom,” explained Radiant Hope.

“I remember that the mirror that we use to travel to the human world can also reveal a pony’s destiny,” explained Sunset.  “A destiny that I didn’t know how to follow.”

“A mirror?  What is this mirror that you’re talking about?” asked Radiant.

“It was a mirror that my sister kept from Star Swirl after he banished the sirens to this human world she speaks of,” Princess Luna explained.

“There were even other mirrors that had access to other worlds, but those ones were destroyed,” explained Twilight.

Radiant Hope placed her hoof on her chin.  She said to herself, “Star Swirl.  Where have I heard that name?”  Then a light bulb went on inside of her.  “Of course.  I remember now.  When I was younger, there was a Star Swirl who came asking for Princess Amore’s help with a problem he was dealing with.  I never caught the details, but I saw him leave with a mirror that was created with the magic of the Crystal Heart.”

“Is that even possible?” asked Twilight.

“I believe so,” Princess Cadence replied.  “That why work is being done for a small chest to hold the shards.  Once we provide the magic of the Crystal Heart, it should repel anyone who plans to look for them.  This will keep the shards safe from harm.”

That was when I started to think again.  The idea that the Crystal Heart helped created the mirror made me wonder.  I started to remember the details that Twilight gave me about the Crystal Empire and how Sombra placed a curse on the kingdom when he was banished.  And for some reason, I started to connect the pieces.

“Aria, do you remember how you went through the mirror?” I asked.

“Well, we were in the middle of a performance when he appeared again and used his magic to shock us in through the mirror.  The next thing we remember is ending up in an alley in the city.”

“Do you remember when you arrived?”

Aria looked at Adagio and asked, “I think it was two to three days before we saw the Equestrian magic in the sky, right?”

“I think so.”

“Wait a minute.  That would be around the time I came here to steal Twilight’s crown that had the element of magic on it,” explained Sunset.

“What are you trying to explain?” asked Twilight.

“I think I know how they might have gotten here during our time instead of over a thousand years ago,” I said.  “What I need to know is how a curse was placed on the kingdom when Sombra was defeated.”

Sombra thought for a moment, then said, “I think I was able to use the ground that the Crystal Heart is connected to and have it enter a kind of prison, kind of like how the Umbrum was imprisoned in.”

“But when we asked the crystal ponies when it returned, they remember being enslaved a little while ago,” said Twilight.

I thought some more, then thought of one idea that never crossed my mind before.  “Suspended animation.  Why didn’t I think of it sooner.  I now know why the sirens were kept in hiding for over a thousand years.  They were trapped in suspended animation inside the mirror.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Aria.

“Think about it.  What if the mirror was to act as a prison, just like the crystal mountains.  When Star Swirl caste a spell on the mirror, it acted like a prison to capture all evil.  Instead of sending them to our world, it entrapped them in between both worlds, like a prison.”

“And when Twilight’s crown went through the mirror, it must have freed them from their prison and send them to the other world at a different location,” explained Sunset.  “That’s why we never learned about them until they showed up at the school.  Gears, you’re a genius.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I think that could be the best explanation for how they arrived,” I said.  “It they were pushed in, then they would have arrived in our world during the middle ages.  How they would survive could have been found in history books, it that was to happen.”

“Wait a minute, I’m using a magic book to allow us to travel between both worlds,” said Twilight.  Would that have the same effect as well?”

“I think it’s because there are two magic books that we use to communicate with each other.  Point-to-point travel,” explained Sunset.  “Star Swirl never had an exact point for the sirens to travel to, and there wasn’t a statue for them to come out of long ago.  Only when the school was founded.”

“But how do we know it that’s what really happen,” said Sonata.

“I don’t think we will ever know,” said Aria.  “And right now, I could care less.  What happen in the past is now in the past.  That’s all I care about.”

“Well, right now, you are here and free of the siren’s curse.  That’s what matters the most,” said Twilight.

“I think we gave the others time to have the chest ready.  Let us head down and see if it is ready,” Princess Cadence said.

So all of us walked down to the main square under the castle.  One of the crystal ponies came to me with what looked like a hand-held chest made out of crystal.  I sat down and held the chest on my hooves, and all three princess caste their magic on the Crystal Heart, which sent a bean of light to the chest that I was holding.  From what they told me, it would be connected to me, meaning that only I can open and close it.  And the crystal is unbreakable, which works for me.

Now that we got what we came for, it was time to leave and make our way back to the human world.  This time, Twilight and Sunset joined us on the crystal train back to Twilight’s castle.  Once we walked up to the mirror, it was time to say our goodbyes.

Adagio walked up to Twilight and said, “I’m sorry for my past actions, Twilight.  If I’ve knew the truth, then-”

Twilight raised her hoof.  “Don’t be.  This was also new to me as well.  If Gears haven’t told me about this, then we all would have never knew the truth behind the lies.  The Kraken is no more.  That’s all that matters.  Plus, the info that you told me weeks ago gave us an advantage in reveling the Umbram’s true form.  Now all is great again.”

“That is until another magical problem shows up without us knowing,” said Sunset.

As all of our belongings were placed in bags, Twilight walked up to me and asked, “How does it feel like being a pony?”

“Well, it was a unique experience.  Walking on all fours is one thing.  Having gills while underwater is another.  But I’ll feel better when I’m standing on two legs once again.”

“Well, I can see how different ponies and humans are, and while learning how to walk on two legs and have hands was a new experience, having to learn how to use these things when I got them was challenging enough,” Twilight said as she was referring to her wings.

“I guess you weren’t born with those,” I said.

“Nope.  But I’ve gotten used to them now,” Twilight said while flapping her wings.

“Well, it’s time to go,” said Sunset.

“Until we see each other again,” I said.  “Just don’t forget to write.”

“Oh don’t worry.  I always write to you guys in my book,” said Twilight.

Sunset, Adagio, and Sonata had their things and walked through the mirror.  Me and Aria grabbed our own items and just looked at each other.

“Ready Aria?”

“Ready Gears.”

At that point, we walked through the mirror together, heading back home.
> Epilouge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We arrived back in our world next to the school statue.  I looked at myself to make sure I was human again.

“Well, we’re back,” said Sunset.  “We might as well go back to my apartment so I can call Applejack, since she has my book.”

“You guys go on ahead.  I’ll catch up with you later,” said Aria.

Sunset, Adagio, and Sonata started to walk away from us.  But I was able to catch a bit of their conversation.

“I plan to see Stalwart and give him one of my necklaces that I made,” said Sonata.

“I thought you made them for your parents,” said Adagio.

“I did.  But this time, it’s for him and me,” replied Sonata.

As we saw them walking out of hearing range, Aria said, “Why do I have a feeling that I’m going to have a brother-in-law in the future.”

“Is that a problem?” I asked.

“I don’t know.  Hard to say.”  Aria looked at me and said, “Look, I know you went through all this just to help us out.  And…well, I want you to have this.”  Aria took out of her bag the coral sword.

“This is your father’s sword,” I said.  “I can’t-”

“Take it.  You earned it.”

We just looked at each other for a moment before she spoke again.

“Look, if it wasn’t for you, none of this would have ever happen.  I would have still been the same bully that everyone knew.  Adagio would have still felt the pain that was caused to our hometown.  And Sonata…well, you never know about her.  For once I can finally feel at ease with myself.  My father was the hero of Aquatica.  But for me, you are my hero.”

I decided to take the sword from her hands and placed it in my bag.  When I looked back at her, she went up to me and planted her lips on mine.  She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I decided to wrap mine around her waist.  It was the most passionate kiss I’ve ever felt from her.  When she broke away from our kiss, we looked at each other before letting go.  She grabbed her bag and started walking back home, but stopped and looked back to me.

“Say, would you be looking for a roommate in the future?”

I yelled back, “I don’t know.  Why?”

“Just keeping my opinions open.  That’s all.”  She turned around and walked until she was out of my site.

“I wonder what she meant by that,” I said to myself.  Then I realized what she was talking about.






*** One Week Later***


“Alright, here’s the last one,” said Sunset, placing the last suitcase in my living room.

After talking to my father about my girlfriend, Aria (minus the magic stuff), he said that to would be OK for her to live with me, as long as we both focus on school work and not on each other all the time.  I think he might have laid a hint about seeing his future daughter-in-law one day.

“You sure about this?” Adagio said to Aria.  “It won’t be the same without you.”

“I made my decision, Adagio.  Besides, you have Sunset Shimmer with you…and Sonata at times.  And besides, we’ll see each other at school anyway.  I just…want to spend my free time with Gears whenever I can.  I wouldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for him.”

Adagio looked at me and said, “You better take care of my sister, OK?  Or I’m coming to get you and give you a good beat down, you hear?”

“Don’t worry.  She’ll be in good hands,” I said.

Aria hugged Adagio, then Sunset, then Sonata (which I think Sonata might have squeezed too hard), before they all left my apartment.  I sat down on the couch, to which Aria decided to do the same…on my lap.

“So, how do you fell living with me now?” I asked her.

“Nice for once.  A bit quieter.”

“Just so you know, we still have the shards in that crystal chest.”

“As long as they are in there, I’m fine with that.”

“So what now.  Want to start unpacking?”

Aria got up and said, “Maybe.”  She started to walk towards my bedroom, but stopped and gave me that romantic look with her eyes once again.  “Depends on how well you are in bed.”  She started to walk again, but swayed her hips as she went into my bedroom.  She stuck her head out and wiggled her finger at me.  “You coming?”

If I didn’t know better, I think she was ready to go this time.  So I leaped out of my couch and made a mad dash to my bedroom, saying, “I hope you have protection, because I’m ready when you are.”

I now knew that she was the one for me.