>Another day, another dollar. >If that was true your parents would be rich. >Well, maybe not rich, but still. >The others have been acting weird recently. >Wonder why that is. >The new girls, the Dazzlings if you recall correctly, just walked up to you and started singing. >You were trying to decide how you were gonna get this banner up there. "Yeah nice song, d'ya think the three of you could lift me up there for a second? I need to put this banner up for the competition." >They looked at each other, the blue one responded. >"Uh, sure thing!" >The three of them lifted you up into the air and you nailed that bitch to the wall. >Got 'em chief. >You jump down to the floor and dust your hands off. "Thanks, I appreciate the help." >"No problem dude." >The gears turn in her head. >"Hey, wait a minute! How come our singing didn't work on you?!" "What? I mean it's a good song but I prefer heavier things." >"Heh, guess this jackass might not be so bad after all." "Least I don't look like a grape." >"Yeah? Least I don't look like the Jolly Green Giant." >Ouch, she had you there. >You noticed their necklaces. "Nice gems, where'd you get them?" >"Oh we came here with them, they're what let us control people!" >The other two smacked their faces. >"Sonata you idiot." >"I'll have you know he seems entirely trustworthy with that info." "Oh shit, is that why everyone has been dicks lately? Nice!" >You start laughing. "Ah man, I thought they just finally took my advice to loosen up." >You pat the blue one, Sonata, on the head. >She gives a little giggle. >Walking over to the other two, you wrap your arms around them and grin. "How about we go have ourselves some fun? You two got names?" >The cheese puff grins, "Adagio Dazzle." >The purple grump rolls her eyes, "Aria Blaze, the bluebird over there is named Sonata Dusk." >"Hiya! Say, what's your name?" >You smile. "Anonymous, but you can call me Anon." >You walk around taking in the sight of everyone fighting. >Felt good to be the king. >Even if it was in the land of the blind. >You noticed Vinyl Scratch rocking out and gave her a fistbump. >"Should we mind control her?" "Nah, sure it'll be fine. She won't get in your way. She's a total bro." >"If you say so." >Along the way Aria's hair kept brushing up against you. >It was surprisingly well kept. "Seriously the fuck do you use on your hair?" >"Well it does get hard to keep up the puffiness but-" "No I meant Aria, her hair is like somebody made cotton candy out of silk or some shit." >You caught a faint blush on her cheeks. >"Well y'know, it's not like a dork like you would understand, but I actually like to have a nice shower after I work out." >Dagi isn't too happy with you. "Oh but your hair is great too don't get me wrong!" >She gives a small smile, "Nice save pal." >"What about me Nonny?" >Bluebird looked up at you with pleading eyes. >You ruffle her hair. "Your hair is great for patting." >She smiles, then realizes her hair is messed up and pats it back down. >You pass the most popular group of girls in the school, and their friend, as you walk through the hallway. >Pinkie gasps, "Nonny?! What are you doing hanging out with those meanies?!" "I dunno, they seem pretty chill to me." >She squints at you, "Are you sure you aren't being mind controlled right now?" "Totally not, but it is hilarious to see the others being assholes. They're like me now. Cept not doing it for shits and giggles. It's great." >"I wouldn't say it's great dear, their friendships are being torn apart." "Ah whatever, you can tell how good a friend is by how much shit you can throw at each other without getting upset. You should try it sometime darling." >The four of you walk off chuckling to yourselves. >It was the day of the final round of the competition. >Everything was going great. >Then Sunset and company decided to summon Blue Eyes White Horse and blasted the fucking stage. >You went looking for the Dazzlings after they ran off. >Had to find them before the crowd. >You stopped when you spotted those purple pigtails. "Oh good, I found you guys." >"Anon? What are you doing here?" "Making sure nothing bad happens to you." >The crowd caught up to you. >"THERE THEY ARE! LET'S GET 'EM!" "Get behind me." >You spread your arms wide and blocked the crowd from them. >"Get out of the way Anon!" "Nope. If you assholes can give Sunset a second chance, I don't see any reason why these three should be any different." >"Since when did you grow a heart?" >Oh hell no. "Which one of you damn motherfuckers just said that shit?" >A now timid girl raises her hand. "Bitch I have always been a bro, it's just nobody was willing to see past my smartass comments." >She lowers her hand. >"He's got a point you guys." >Flash steps in to back you up. >"Sorry for being a dick, by the way." "You kidding? I loved that shit you faggot." >You gave him a high-five. "But seriously, I'll fight the world over this bullshit." >"Yeah right." "Hey I never said what world. For all you know I'm talking about the tarot card." >Flash whispers into your ear, "Too much Persona dude." "Heresy." >He shrugs, "Just saying." >Eventually the crowd dispersed, and you were left with the Dazzlings. >You helped them up and dusted them off. >You gave Aria a pat on the butt. >"Don't push your luck." "Fair enough, so wanna come back to my place? I'm guessing without your magic you don't have a place to stay." >They all had varied responses, from Dagi trying to bluff her way out, to Aria coming up with an excuse, and Sonata just nodding and agreeing with you. "Aight, let's go." >You opened the front door to your house. "Yo mom, dad, I'm home." >Anonymous Sr. looks up from his Vita. >He only got the thing to play Persona 4 Golden. >He has you to thank for that. >"Honey, you owe me fifty bucks." >Mommymous walks out from the kitchen with a glass of milk. >"Damn it, I could've sworn he was gay." >"Told you that horses are manly." >You gave him a high five as you walked by. >"So, are you gonna fuck one of them?" >You paused. "Uh, w-well y'know..." >You continued up to your room. >"I didn't hear a no!" >You sighed as you opened the door to your room. "Sorry about that, my dad can be a bit..." >"Cool?" >"Awesome?" >"He seems like a nice guy, you didn't tell us you liked horses Anon! Where we come from there are plenty of horses!" >She scratches her chin, "Well they're more like ponies but y'know same thing right?" "Yeah sure." >You kick your Red Hot Pie figurine under the bed. >Nobody needed to know. >Aside from your parents. >Dad always was nosy. "So you guys can sleep in my bed, I'll take the bean bag chair over there." >Shit was comfy as fuck. >"Nah, I can take that dude." "No way purple grump, you three are my guests. I might be an asshole, but I have some manners damn it." >She mumbles something under her breath before smiling, "You're alright, y'know that?" "I try." >You toss yourself onto the chair and sink in. "So, what'dya guys wanna do?" >Dagi thinks for a moment before giggling, "How about Truth or Dare?" "Don't test me, I'll wreck you mate." >"We'll just see about that." >You take a bottle of Mountain Dew™ and chug it, then toss it to her. "Go for it boss." >She spun it around. >Blueberry was up first. >"Truth or dare?" >"Oooh, truth, TRUUUTH!" >She beamed, eager huh? >"Well then, what do you think of our new friend?" >"I think he's a swell guy-" >"Did you seriously just use the word swell, you dork?" >"Shut up Aria, and I'm glad he's our frie-" >"Wait did you tell me to shut up? Shit you might actually be growing a spine!" >"-nd. You know maybe if you let me fucking finish once in a while you uptight prick. Honestly I think you're just mad I get more than you." >Dagi and Aria sat there, slack-jawed. >"Of course I'm not actually retarded, I've just been trying to get the two of you to loosen up. Jeez." >She gave a little huff. >Aria was crying, "Oh man, I don't think I've ever been more proud of you than I am right now." >She gave her a hug, "Now I don't feel ashamed to call you a little sister." >Sonata couldn't stay mad at her, "Aw it's okay. Sometimes I'm just a little bit angry that I can't express my anger without you two worrying about me." "That's... kinda recursive isn't it? I don't know you kinda messed my head up there." >How could something that cute explode like that? >"Recursiwhat now?" "... Clever girl." >She grins, "I try." >Bottle spun, and the lucky winner is... >You. >"Truth or dare?" "Dare." >"I dare you to give Aria a hug!" "Pfft, that's easy." >You go to give her a hug. >She pushes you away, "Nuh-uh, you're gonna work for it." >Bitches don't know about your snuggling skills. >You wrap your arms around her and start pulling. >The vice grip comes down on the purple cutie. >"Damn it, get off me!" >You squeeze her. "No." >She squirms a little, "You're lucky you're so comfy." "... You smell nice." >"Alright don't be a weirdo." "Just saying, it's like a fresh spring breeze." >"Please don't." "And I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better, if you'd thaw the winter out of you." >"Ugh that was awful... but, y'know, points for trying I guess." >She returns the hug for a brief moment before pushing you away. >"That never happened, got it?" "I have no idea what you're talking about." >She chuckled, "We're gonna get along just fine, you and I." >"Nonny and Aria, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-" >"SHUT UP YOU TWO!" >This time you could definitely see the blush on her face. >"It's okay Aria, we've all had relationships before!" >"Well, except for her, don't forget that dear." >"Oh yeah, sorry about that." >She grumbled, "Yeah whatever, thanks." >"You know it might help if you let others get close to you." >"Coming from the Queen Bitch that means a lot, thanks." >"Guilty as charged, doesn't change the fact that I'm right." >You raised your hand. "Yeah how about we talk about video games? Like Custard's Revenge where-" >Sonata shushed you, "These two don't need to know about that game." >Wait she knew what you were talking about? >Kinky. >Your phone vibrated. >A text message from Pinkie. >"How are things going with you-know-who?" >You replied back. "What? Flash Sentry or the Dazzlings? Cause the slash-fic of myself and the former will never happen." >A couple seconds later you got a response. >"Cute, but I meant the Dazzlings." "It's going good, kinda in the middle of something here." >One last text. >"Okie dokie lokie! :D" >Fucking emoticons. "Sorry, that was Pinkie. Guess she's just checking in because I agreed to take her spot as Discord's assistant tomorrow." >You looked up from your phone and sighed. "So, what now?" >Dagi stretched, "I dunno, it's been a long day. I think we should just call it here." >The others nodded in agreement. "That's cool too, I wish it was a weekend so we could sleep in a little." >"A little?" "I've never been one to sleep in for long." >"Heh, guess that's one thing we disagree on." "Well, goodnight you guys." >"Seeya tomorrow Nonny!" >You laid back in the bean bag chair and got comfy. >It didn't take too long to fall asleep. >You woke up with a lot more weight on your chest. "Come on purple get off me." >She fluttered her eyes open a little. >"Shh, just enjoy this like I know you are. Gimme like, I dunno, five more minutes." >You shrugged and hugged her. "Any reason you aren't in my bed?" >"Sonata was hugging her pillow and Dagi isn't the most cuddly person out there." "Are you saying you got lonely?" >"... Maybe, or maybe I just think you're comfier than your stupid bed." >You stroke her back. "It's okay, I ain't judging you. Sometimes we all just need a hug." >She pouted, "Shut up, you jerk. Why do you have to be nice?" "It's just basic decency, if I can't have that then what would I be?" >"Basic decency my ass, you don't have to give me a hug." "... Nah, I really don't. But it feels nice, doesn't it?" >"... Yeah. But if you tell the other two I said that I'll deny it." "I'd never dream of it." >"Good..." >She fidgeted for a bit before giving you a peck on the cheek. >"There, for being a cool guy. And not one of those assholes that act like tough shit either." "Uh, y-you too." >What have you gotten yourself into? >You walked into Discord's office. >Best part about this is you get to hang out with the greatest counselor ever AND didn't have to go to class all day! >Pinkie had a family situation. >Something about rocks. >You didn't question her, you learned not to. >"Ah, Anonymous! I didn't see you there." "Bullshit you didn't." >"You know what they say about bad language... ah, just don't let anybody else hear you." "I assume Pinkie told you I was filling in for her?" >"Yes, I may have orchestrated this so that I could talk to you while going through an otherwise boring day." "... This is why you're the best." >"So I've been told." "Anyway, what've we got on the list toda-" >"My, so eager to get started? Why don't we talk about your display of affection the other day?" "What? Me saving the Dazzlings? I dunno, just kinda felt like doing it." >"Ah yes, feelings. These things are important you know? So easy to make someone do something just by manipulating the way they feel." "When you put it that way it makes me sound like an asshole." >"My apologies, I didn't mean to offend you. Manipulation doesn't have to be a bad thing, mind." "I guess I can see your point, I don't really need to give an example do I?" >"We're all adults here, if you think you get it then that's all I need to know." "Anyway, I guess I just didn't want to leave them to the wolves. I don't know if I did the right thing but..." >"You still feel like you did what you had to do?" "Yeah, it still felt right to me, y'know?" >He laughs and pats you on the back, "All too well, my boy." >Getting serious for a moment, he sighs. >"Just be careful about your emotions, they are fickle things that can get the best of you." "I'll keep that in mind sir." >"Please, just call me Discord." "Sorry, force of habit." >You sat in the chair next to Discord and thought about your situation with Aria. >Did she like you? >Was that peck on the cheek just a friendly thing? >Didn't seem like it. >She's not one to just show affection like that, maybe she's fucking with you? >But then, if she isn't you can't just ignore that. >But if she is you could seriously make things awkward. >Why couldn't things be simpler? >"You seem distressed, dear boy. Mind telling me what's eating you?" "I could tell you what I'd like to be eating out." >"I didn't realize you were interested in romance, or is this just a one night stand kind of deal?" "I think a... a friend of mine likes me and I'm not sure what to do." >"It's one of the Dazzlings isn't it? I'm sure the blue one would be happy to oblige you, or if it's Adagio you just have to be confident." >You paused and looked at him in complete and utter despair. >"... Oh it's the grape isn't it? Oh I got nothing for her. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor, however." >You sighed and shook your head. "Thanks, I'll need it." >Nurse Redheart walked in holding a clipboard. >"One of my patients wants to see your friend there Discord." >"You do know how to ruin my fun." >"Oh bite me." >"Later, we're in public right now." "Yeah I'm just gonna go see who needs me, I don't need to hear this right now." >"Does that mean you'd be alright with it some other time?" >You turned to him and grinned a little. "Sure, you two can tell me all about your little date some other time." >You walked down to the nurse's office. >It was funny, one to fix the body, and one to fix the mind. >You opened the curtain to see Aria lying there with a twisted ankle. >"Bout time you showed up you dork." >Shit what do you even do? "How did you even-" >"Might've fallen down on purpose to spend time with you." "I thought you liked gym?" >"I like you mo-" >She paused. >"Nevermind, just come sit with me." >You weren't going to call her out on it. >You sat there, just being close to her. >Eventually she sighed. >"Sorry if I intimidate you, I know I can be a real bitch." "I'm not scared, just... wondering how to go about this. Never really had to deal with someone like you before. Not like this anyway." >She raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" "I dunno... you're kinda cute." >"I've been called a lot of things... cute ain't one of them." "That's a damn shame, though I guess I can see why. You have to compete with Sonata." >"Yeah, as ditzy as she can be, it does attract a crowd." "Gotta admit, she's pretty charming." >You wrapped an arm around her. "But I've always been a curious boy, and I wanna get to know you better." >She smiled, "Is that an invitation? Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" "Maybe, depends on your answer." >She elbowed your side, "Shut up dude you know I'm down for it!" "That was easier than I thought it'd be, now I just have to make sure not to screw this up." >"As long as you can put up with me that should be good enough. I'm not too uptight, just an asshole." >The two of you laid back together. "Guess that makes two of us." >"... Feels weird, all this mushy stuff... I kinda like it, to be honest." "Yeah, you get used to it after a while." >You smiled. "Feels good." >"I guess... you totally bullshitted your way through this didn't you?" "I was not lying, but I did come up with a lot of that on the spot. I have never been good at planning confessions." >She shook her head, "You're too honest, y'know that right?" "I'd rather be too honest than too dishonest." >"Ah you're adorable, this is why I like you." >You gave her hand a squeeze. >"... Dork." "Cutie." >"Dick." "Bitch." >"You're fun." "You too." >The two of you chuckled. >The time just kinda flew on by. "We should probably get going." >"Do we have to?" "Yes." >You picked her up. >"Put me down, I can wa-" >You looked at her. >"Oh, right." >You strutted on out to your ride, meeting Sonata and Dagi on the way out. >"This is precious." >"I think it's super cute!" >Aria glared daggers at them. >The effect was lessened because you were cradling her in your arms. >She folded her arms and pouted. >"Whatever, I'm still cool." "Nobody said you weren't." >"Well, I did that one time." >"Fuck off Dagi." >You piled into the backseat of your dad's SUV. >Dagi sat on one of the buckles, forcing Aria to stay wrapped in your arms. >"I'm still tougher than the two of you combined." >"Of course you are dear, we never said anything." >"Except that one time, you mean." >"Ah come on Aria, that was just a joke! Right Dagi?" >"Maybe." >"Dagi..." >"Okay fine it was a joke." >"So son, how does it feel to actually hold a woman in your arms?" >No time to be awkward, make dad proud. "Pretty damn good actually." >You saw him grin. >"That's what I like to hear, attaboy." >You kicked it up to your room. >Was that even a phrase? >Whatever. >You were rummaging around for some shit to play. >If you had more room around your computer you'd just hook up some controllers and play something on there. >Actually had to look through your console stuff. >Why the fuck did you have Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed? >Eh, whatever. Good enough. "Found something guys." >"Bout time, what is it?" >You flash the case to them while you put the disk in and start up the console. >You saw a purple blur dart past your window. >Not your problem. >Anybody tried to break into the house your dad would kick their ass. >Hey wait a minute you were on the second floor. "Guys I'm gonna check something out, I call dibs on my boy Knuckles." >"Like we were gonna pick him anyway." "Fuck you Knuckles is great." >You stepped out onto the roof of your house. "Yo who the fuck be you bitch?" >The purple cloak wearing fucker clumsily climbed down your place. "Here's a tip from one asshole to the next, don't fucking wear a bright lab coat when you're sneaking around!" >You jumped back through the window and shut it. >"Who was that?" "I got no clue, she didn't seem like the breaking and entering type though." >"What makes you say that?" "That exit was way too stupid and clumsy to be the work of a professional." >You went to select Knuckles. >Adagio had picked Nights, Sonata claimed Amigo, and Aria chose Gum. "Let's just get this shit over with." >Fuck yeah. >Won all five rounds. "The Great Emerald's power allows me to feel." >"Yeah yeah, so what've you got on your computer?" >You could feel everything fading away. "No don't touch-!" >She moved the mouse cursor and your desktop was of pone. >Fuck. Why didn't you shut your PC off? "-that..." >Aria sat down and thought about this long and hard. >"Tell us everything you know." >What. "... and that's the story of how Princess Sprinklybutt saved the land." >"Ugh, barring some name changes, that sounds an awful lot like our world." "Cool beans, I'm just gonna go contemplate life as an associate of magical creatures from another dimension." >You curled up on your bed and shivered. >This is not happening, this is not happening. >Aria became the big spoon. >This is happening. "What is my life?" >"A lot better now that you have us with you?" "... Yeah, thanks babe." >"No problem, horsefucker." >Shitfuck. "Haha... yeah... but, y'know..." >You turned and whispered in her ear. "Sirens are nice too." >She blushed and flopped around trying to unhook her arms from you. >You flipped her over and leaned your face in close to hers. "And y'know what I'm gonna do now?" >She started panting. "I'm..." >Closer. "Gonna..." >Clooooser. "Boop ya." >You pressed your nose against her own, then gave her a peck on the lips. >She scrunched her face and gave you a hug. >"You're mine, y'know that right?" "Of course dear." >You snuggled her chest. >"Hey watch it pal." "Sorry." >"No you're not." "... No I'm not." >Your dad walked in. >"Yo did you guys see that purple chick that ran off? Hah, what a joker." "Yeah, she was up there on the roof but I scared her off." >"Nice, so what do you think she wanted?" "I dunno, judging by that lab coat she was gathering info. For what? I dunno. Could've just asked us to take a survey." >"Yeah, so how did video games go?" "I won, as usual." >"Good you better I taught you how to play video games." >He slid out of the doorway and back to your parents' room. "Love you dad." >He popped his head back in, "Love you too son!" >You were actually pretty tired. "Sonata, you're sleeping on the bean bag chair tonight." >"Weeee!" >She bounced onto it. >You snuggled Aria. >"No get off me, you big jerk." "Nuh-uh." >You pressed your cheek up against hers. >"... Fine." >The two of you went to sleep cuddled up next to each other. >These things can't last forever however. >You were sitting in geology class, bored out of your mind. >Since the Dazzlings hadn't received any classes before The Happening, Principal Celestia decided to throw them in all of your classes. >You weren't complaining, you got to hang out with them more, even if you did get some dirty looks. >"Huh, so it's magma when it's inside the volcano and lava when it's out?" "Yup, common mistake is to just call it lava." >Mr. Sombra noticed your idle chat with Aria. >"Well Mr. Anonymous, I'm sure you'd love to answer my question." "Lay it on me." >"Which type of rock formation can end up as a sort of 'sideways stalactite'?" "Helictites right? Those things are kinda weird, and gravity is their-" >"I don't need you to finish that sentence, but yes. You're correct. Nice work." >You leaned over to Aria. "I rock." >She visibly cringed, "Why." "Because I don't like seeing you stone cold." >"Agh, that one hurt." "I can't help it if I'm being completely onyx." >"I will kick you in the dick." "Okay I'll stop then, jeez." >"SOMEBODY CATCH THAT DOG! TOOK MY FUCKING PHONE!" >Was that Flash? >You ran outside to see a dog holding his phone in its mouth. >Flash stopped to catch his breath. >"If you get my phone back I will owe you like, two or four lunches." "Relax, I'll do it for free." >"Thanks bro." >You darted off after the dog. >You might not be quite as fast as Flash, but you could run for longer, and you were quicker on your feet. >The dog never had much of a chance once you got it in your sights. >Aside from some drool his phone was intact. "So, where's your master boy?" >"She's right here." >"You so much as hurt a hair on his head, I will personally-" >You stood up to your full height. >You weren't the tallest guy in the school, but there weren't many taller. >The only two you could think of off the top of your head were Bulk and Big Mac. >"... Find someone else to beat you up." >You handed the dog back over to her. "Cute little guy, what's he doing stealing phones?" >She fidgeted, "Um, research?" >You squinted. "Hey wait a minute, you look an awful lot like Twilight Sparkle. And for that matter, the chick that was sneaking around my house the other day." >"That's because I AM Twilight Sparkle! Why does everyone act shocked when I tell them that?" "Maybe cause of the whole you from another dimension thing?" >"That's what he told me, I'm still not convinced but then he's... well, I shouldn't tell you anything more." >She sighs, "Look, just don't do anything stupid. I'm not sure he'd appreciate you ruining his hard work." >She ran off with the dog in her arms. "Who is HE? What would he want with me?!" >You thought about her phrasing. "WHY THE FUCK IS THERE SOMEONE HIRING YOU TO WATCH ME?!" >Flash caught up to you. >"Who was that?" "Remember Twilight?" >"Pfft, course I remember her. Not like I feel weird about falling in love with a horse." "Yeah, real shame that revelation there. Just ran into her human counterpart." >"Really? Was she cute?" "As a button, that's not the point. Somebody hired her to keep an eye on me. I wanna know who." >"Do you think she put her number in my phone?" "Focus dude, and no. I got it before her pup got back to her." >"Damn, alright I'm all ears." "I know you have a certain charm with these nerdy girls. I don't get it myself." >"Same reason you attract all the tomboys I guess. Didn't quite get that either." "Yeah, well, I need you to maybe get to her and make her talk." >"This sounds like an amazing idea that I am totally on board for." "Good. Now I gotta get back to Aria." >Class was over and you met Aria by your locker. >"The hell was that all about?" "Human Twilight is watching me. For some unknown third party." >"Nice, you're actually important." >You grab your stuff and start to head home for the day. "I never asked to be important, these things just seem to happen to me." >"Eh, it's not so bad is it?" >You thought about it for a moment. >You wrapped your arm around her waist. "Nah, it got me you, didn't it?" >She blushed, "Still can't get used to this cuddly crap." "Don't worry, you'll grow into it." >"I guess..." >She stopped you in one of the quieter hallways. >"Mind if I ask you something? Something the other two can't know about?" "Sure, what is it?" >"Why me?" "What?" >She pushed you up against the wall and looked into your eyes. >"Why. Me." "Sonata is bubbly, but more of a little sister. Adagio is cool but I can't see myself staying with her for very long." >You pulled her into your chest. >You could feel her shiver and tremble ever so slightly for a brief moment before regaining her composure. "I guess you could say you were a happy medium, but that wouldn't do you justice." >You ran your fingers through her hair. "You just had something about you that drew me towards you..." >You leaned into her ear. "Plus you have really nice hair, not to mention a great ass." >You could see her holding back a thin film of tears. >Not enough to really cry, but enough to betray her emotions. >She beat on your chest for a little while. >"Stupid... fucking dork... why do you have to be so nice?" "I'm just being honest." >"... Thanks, sometimes I forget I'm pretty. It's nice to be reminded once in a while." >You gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Come on, let's go home." >The four of you had a routine of going home and playing video games. >Today Sonata found the Unholy Grail of Gaming. >Mario Party, a.k.a. Fuck You: The Game that Ruins Friendships. >One of the best review quotes is of course, "If you take my goddamn star I will punch you in the face." "We're really doing this?" >"Yeppayeppy!" >You picked Luigi. >Aria picked Waluigi. >Sonata picked Donkey Kong. >And Adagio picked... Wario, of course. >The end is nigh. >Well, maybe a bit dramatic, but shit was about to go down. >You were the button mashing king. >"Oh come the fuck on! I couldn't even move you!" "Not good enough, guess these are like actual crane games." >"Fuck this shit!" >Adagio stepped on one of your traps and lost a Star. >"Damn it! Why do you keep doing this shit? You are the worst Anon." "What can I say? I'm kind of an asshole." >3 vs. 1 mini-game time. >"Alright girls, let's wreck him." "Oh hey another button mashing thing." >"There's no way he can outmash the three of us." >You did anyway. "THIS IS TO GO EVEN FURTHER BEYOND!" >"What the hell?! Are you insane?!" "Yes. I am the real Super Saiyan." >"Now's not the time for your fucking anime you little shit." "Someone is two hundred percent mad." >Oh hey the game was over. >Time for bonus stars. >Fucking Sonata got every goddamn bonus star and won the game. >That luck isn't an everyday occurrence. >"Yay! I won! That was fun, we should do this more often." "Agreed." >Aria and Adagio were glaring bastard swords at each other. >"If you actually worked with me we could've beaten him!" >"Hah! Where's the fun in that?" >"Oh, y'know, MAYBE BEING A GOOD FUCKING PARTNER?!" >"Puh-lease, I've seen how attached you are to him." >"That's because I take what I can get, and what I got is a damn good guy!" >"Gag me, if you like him so much why don't you marry him?" >"Maybe I will! At least I can be satisfied with something in my life!" >"What are you saying?!" >"You're NEVER satisfied with what you have! Not in the game, not here with us!" >Aria marched over to her, looking like she was ready to smack her. >Instead she gave her a hug. >"We're here for you, damn it! Just fucking open up to us once in a while, will you?!" >This time she openly cried. >"You're our big sister, and we care about you." >Adagio sat there speechless for a moment before returning the hug. >"I've been a bad girl, haven't I?" >This outburst had been a long time coming, it seemed. >Adagio started giggling. >"I thought you'd forgotten how to cry." >Aria couldn't stop herself from smiling. >"And I thought you'd forgotten how not to be a bitch." >She wipes the tears from her eyes. >"You know there's only two people I'd cry for, you and Sonata." >"Aww, she does care about me!" >"Don't push your luck kiddo." >"Sorry." "Any chance I could get on that exclusive list?" >She looks at you and smirks, "Maybe someday champ, maybe someday." >Sonata let out a cute little yawn. >"I'm gonna go to bed now." >"I think I'll hit the ha- um, go to bed too." >"Yeah, I'm out for the night as well." >Aria walked over to you and grabbed your arm. "Didn't expect that speech out of you." >"I might be tough, but I'm no fool." >She shoved you onto the bed. >"If you're a real badass you know when to get help from your friends." >She forced you to be the little spoon once again. >"Because nothing's more badass than being with your badass friends." "So..." >"Don't get used to this, I only did this in the heat of the moment." "Right. You really should smile more though, you're cute when you smile." >She squeezes you harder, "Please stop it. Let's just get some sleep, okay?" >Over the next couple of weeks you taught the three of them how to sing again. >It wasn't easy, but they were fast learners. >They probably wouldn't get back to their magical steroid singing voices. >But they were still pretty damn good. >You figured it would be good for bonding. >It also meant the three of them were blubbering messes once they were able to sing again. >It really wasn't that hard, but you supposed it WAS one of their favorite things. >You bumped into Flash as you were thinking about this. >"Hey bro, I totally got you the hook-up you need." "English, Flash. English." >"Sorry dude, but I can tell you that whoever this... uh..." "Sci-Twi?" >"Yeah, well, whoever she's working for isn't human." "We've had more than one thing that wasn't human become human." >"According to her the only thing he shares is our shape." "Shit, well I'm sure if it bleeds we can kill it." >"..." "Oh damn it, he's not organic is he?" >"Afraid not, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." >Pinkie was waving to you, clearly wanting your attention for a bit. "Well, somebody wants me. Thanks for this Flash." >"No problem, and stay safe man." "What'dya want Pinks?" >"I'm so glad you asked Nonny!" >Oh boy, here we go. >"Right, so I wanna throw a party for the Dazzlings!" "This can only go well." >"I'm glad you're so optimistic!... Wait that was sarcasm, nevermind." >She reached up and pinched your cheek, "Don't worry, your Auntie Pinkie Pie has a great idea!" "I'm sure you do." >"Since you've been teaching them to sing again-" "How do you know that?" >"-I figured we could have a karaoke party!" "Yeah, sure, whatever." >"Great! Also you should probably take care of that dude that's having you watched." >She whispers, "Discord doesn't like him." "Wait he knows him?" >"Oops! Said too much, gotta go!" "Damn it Pinkie." >As you were walking to class you saw Sci-Twi shaking her head at you through a window. >You silently mouthed some words to her. "What do you want from me?" >She just fucking left. >You were getting a little sick of this bullshit. >Class could wait, you needed answers. >And you went to the one person who apparently knew this jackass. >The only issue would be getting a straight answer out of him. >You'd be damned if you weren't going to try though. >You walked into Discord's office. >"Good afternoon Anonymous, what brings you to my office?" "Cut the crap Discord, you know why I'm here." >He frowns, "You should know that he's out of your weight class. You wouldn't be punching above your class, you'd be throwing punches at the sky." "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. If you can't stand this guy why don't you give me some advice I can use?!" >"I can tell you this, you're going to need some help that's out of this world." "Ugh, if I didn't know about the portal in front of our school I'd feel like smacking you right now." >He chuckles, "My apologies, but you know I can't resist a good joke." "I still don't know why the student body is just cool with that shit. You'd think a portal would be something to talk about." >"They are content to just ignore it, it makes life simpler for them." "Can I at least get a description of this guy so I know what to look for?" >"Trust me, you'll know him when you see him." "Lemme guess, he's hard to miss?" >"Oh I'd say he's at least seven feet tall. That'll be the least of your worries though." >That made your stomach turn a bit. "I... should probably get going." >"Yes, you should. The more you talk about him the quicker you draw his ire." >You thought about what he had said. >What kind of monster were you dealing with? >You'd have to find Sunset Shimmer. >She'd know how to contact that other world. >If what Discord said is true, you were running out of time. >You spent the rest of the class period worrying about it. >Did that count as bringing him up? >Were you cutting the amount of time you had left short? >For all you knew this thing could read minds as well. >Or at the very least, it could probably sense others thinking about him. >You looked around for Sunset during lunch. >She and her friends usually went outside after they finished eating. "Come on, gotta find her before something bad happens." >You pass a beautiful statue and- "... That statue wasn't there this morning." >Sci-Twi steps out from behind it. >"For what it's worth... I'm sorry." >You looked up at the massive crystalline being. >Was this guy made of diamond or something? "Who... what ARE you?!" >The massive creature moved with heavy steps. >"My name is Ore-Dahn. I am the last of the Guardian Crystanoks." >You'd snicker at the name of his species, but you were too terrified to poke fun at him. >"It has come to my attention that you have caused an error in the order of things. I must correct this mistake." "Seriously, what the fuck did I do wrong?!" >"Many things, but I am only concerned with your defense of the Dazzlings. They were never meant to stay in this place." "THAT'S what this is all about?!" >Your fear turned into anger. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE?!" >"I know more than you, and that's what matters." >"So, about this other world... when can I study it?" >"I lied for the greater good. You should go home, you've served your purpose admirably." >"What'll happen to this guy?" >"I will eradicate him, then I shall correct his tampering with the natural order of things." >"You can't just kill him!" >"I most certainly can, what you mean to say is that I shouldn't kill him. Is that correct?" >"Well, yes! Life is precious!" >"You are thinking as a scientist should, and that is most respectable. However, I am above such moral dilemmas." >You started running. "EVERYBODY OUT OF THE WAY! THERE'S A BIG FUCKING CRYSTAL DUDE COMING THROUGH!" >It didn't take long for Pinkie and Flash to come running to your sides. >"Hey Nonny, I take it you ran into him?" "I AM SCARED OUT OF MY GODDAMN MIND PINKIE!" >Flash smacks you. "Thanks, I needed that." >"No problem, so what's the plan?" "Pinkie, you need to tell Sunset to contact the other Twilight. I don't care how, just fucking do it!" >"Okie dokie lokie!" >You turned to Flash. "As for you, well... I guess it's time for us to be heroes, right?" >He grinned, "Aw shit it's time, isn't it?" >The two of you ran to the gym. "Alright, just start looking for shit that could help us hold this guy off!" >You texted the Dazzlings. "Get your asses over to the gym! It's an emergency! P.S. Watch out for the giant fucking crystal man." >You'd need every bit of help you could get. >You called up Rares. >"Hello darling what can I-" "Big ass man made of diamond, wants to kill me, get as much help as you can!... Please?" >"It would be my pleasure dear!" >Baseball bats, metal pipes... is that a bowling ball? You weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. >Flash found various things to throw at him. >"You ready for this man?" "As I'll ever be." >Ore-Dahn broke down the wall in front of you. >"Why must they always make it difficult?" >He looked down at the two of you. >"This is adorable, you think you can kill me with those things." "Yeah? Well the rest of your species is dead!" >"That's because I killed them. They did not perform their duties as they should have." >Fuck. >It went about as well as you expected. "Shit this really hurts. Not even in a good way either." >He tossed you across the floor. >You tumbled around and laid there like a broken toy. >Flash crawled over to you and looked into your eyes. >"I just want you to know, you were a pretty awesome dude." "Heh, yeah. We had a good run didn't we?" >You struggled to sit up. "Hey, big guy. Care to listen to a dead man's last wish?" >"You are only delaying the inevitable, but it is only right that I should indulge you." "Whatever you do, just... please leave my friends out of this, okay?" >"I had no intention of killing Flash, nor was I going to harm Sunset and the company that she keeps." "Fuck you, you know who I'm talking about." >"... I cannot make any promises for the fate of the Dazzlings." >You stood up to face him once again, grabbing the metal pipe. "As long as they're in danger, I can't just lay down and die." >"You are very noble... and also very stupid." >You took a swing at him, but he just swiped the pole out of your hands and bitch slapped you. >You were on your last legs at this point. >"Now, are you going to give up?" "F-fuck... you." >"Defiant to the end, I must say I respect your tenacity." >You heard some chatter. >"Oh wow it's so neat to meet myself!" >"Yeah, no kidding! Thanks for helping me perfect this thing, by the way." >"It was no trouble, really. But then you already knew that much, didn't you?" >"Haha, yeah. So what's it like in your world?" >"Oh, y'know, I'm kind of a princess." >"Get out of here! Really?" >"Yep! What do you do?" >"Oh, I'm an assistant scientist. Going through college, I kinda skipped a couple of grades." >The two Twilights were carrying a big fuck-off cannon. >"Hey Ore-Dahn! I'd been working on this just in case you tried to double cross me!" >For the first time since you met him, you saw fear in his eyes. >Judging from his reaction, it was the first time he felt fear. >"Spike, load the cannon!" >The dogs loaded the thing with an orb. >"Seriously, your Spike can't talk?" >"My Spike wasn't a baby dragon either." >"Point taken." >Yeah no this is normal at this point. >The cannon launched it directly into Ore-Dahn's chest. >"Wh-what did you do?!" >"Wait for it..." >His chest started to tear apart. >"Agh! It feels like I'm being stabbed a thousand times over!" >"That thing was filled with industrial-grade drills set to go off after embedding itself inside the target." >Sci-Twi patted the cannon, "Gotta love kinetic energy too!" >"YOU IDIOTS, I WAS GOING TO FIX EVERYTHIIIIIING!" >He exploded into a flash of light. >All that he left behind was a pile of crystals. "I don't know what kind of connections you have Sci-Twi, but you need to have these things destroyed. Completely and utterly destroyed." >"Sci-Twi?" "Y'know, Science Twilight." >"... I like it, it has a nice ring to it." >You sat down and took a rest. >Sci-Twi ran over to Flash, "Hey, you okay?" >Twilight walked over and smiled, "It's better this way." >He laughed, "Yeah, the long distance thing probably wouldn't work out too well." "Not to mention the fact she's actually a horse." >He punched your shoulder, "Never gonna let that go, huh?" "Nope." >The rest of the girls caught up. >"Forgive me darling, everybody else was too scared to help." >Aria pushed her way through all of them and practically tackled you. >"What the fuck dude?! Do you know how worried I was about you?!" "Yeah, well... I couldn't let him hurt the three of you. Wouldn't have been right." >You could hear her sniffling. >"Ah damn it, now you've got me crying. That's three people on the list." "It's not so bad, is it?" >"No, I just don't like crying. Sonata is supposed to be the one that cries." >"She's got a point." >You started patting her back. "Don't worry, it's over now..." >The Dazzlings carried you to Nurse Redheart. >Discord was there waiting for you. >"Well done my boy! I knew you could do it." "I had a lot of help from my friends." >"Of course, this wasn't something you could face on your own." "We just caused a species to go extinct." >"I'm sure you have the appreciation of my other self." "Pfft, what are you a big player in the other world?" >"If I told you, would you believe me?" "After today? Yeah, yeah I would." >He leans in and whispers, "I'm a master of chaos. Nice guy though, he visits sometimes. We do lunch together." "Right, of course you are." >Nurse Redheart smiled, "Hey, my pony is a cutie." "Are we gonna stand here and circlejerk or can you get me patched up?" >"Yeah, he's getting a little heavy here." "That's what happens when I can't keep myself up on my own." >"Or maybe you're starting to put on some weight." "Haha, very funny." >"Hey, a little pudge can be cute. No need to get upset." >They laid you down and started fixing you up. >"Kid I don't know how you managed to not break anything, but you're damn lucky." "I also get plenty of calcium." >Aria snickered. "Sh-shut up milk is cool." >She gave you a pat on the head, "There there Nonny, it's okay." >She cupped her hands over her mouth. >"You never heard that." >You grinned. "Heard what?" >She took hold of your hand and gripped it. >You were sore as hell. >But you were alive. >As you were getting ready to leave, the Twilights came running towards you. >"Hey uh..." "Anon." >"Anon, right. So, remember when you said we should probably destroy those things?" "Oh no." >"Yeah, about that..." >Ore-Dahn was back, he was all ragged and jagged, but he was back. >He starts laughing, "I have to admit, that was a great idea Twilight." >He immediately stops and frowns, "Never before has someone made such a fool of me." >You pulled out your phone and hit speed-dial. "Aria go find Sombra. Tell him we need his precious." >She nodded and ran off. >Bits of crystal broke off as he trudged towards you. >"I must say, it's been ages since I've had a fight this good." >His grin is much less refined now that's he's been broken in more ways than one. >"Not even my own race could give me such a good fight." >He picked you up and shook you. >"Bunch of cowards, afraid of doing what had to be done!" >He threw you back to the ground. >Your ass was going to be sore in the morning. >"I'm so sick of people letting their feelings get in the way of the greater good!" "You ever stop and think, maybe you're just an asshole?" >"Good does not mean nice, you child." "No, but it certainly helps when the two are together, doesn't it?" >"All that does is bog things down, when you can just choose to do what has to be done without worrying about the implications..." >"Hah, well that's when things get done!" "I was wrong, you're not evil..." >You gritted your teeth. "You're just fucking crazy." >"How DARE you?! I'M IN CONTROL HERE, I'M THE GUARDIAN OF ORDER!" "And how's that iron fisted rule working out for you?" >"Insolent fool!" >He picked you up, ready to strike. >"Any last words?" "Yeah, do you know how hard a reinforced steel bumper on an SUV is?" >"Wha-" >Your dad busted the guy's legs. >"Ah, that's gonna dent it a little, but I knew I had this thing reinforced for a reason. They called me crazy, I showed them!" >He gets out and cracks his knuckles. >"Alright you motherfucker, what are you doing with my boy?" >"What has to be done." >"Poor choice of words." >Your dad brought his brass knuckles. >Sometimes you were glad you had a weird uncle. >He started punching Ore-Dahn's face in. >The being decided to tear off his lower legs and regenerate them, albeit they were shorter than before. >Your dad was awesome. >Aria came back with a pickaxe. >"Hope this is what you meant." "Exactly what I wanted, thanks babe." >You stood up and grabbed it. "Gimme a sec, I gotta do something before part two of my plan." >You slammed the axe into his leg. >"Gah, you... MOTHERFUCKER!" "Dad! Might wanna back off, I got a plan." >He smirked, "Alright son, take it away!" "Girls, start singing!" >"What good will that do?!" "You got magic in your voices, shit I dunno, it's better than nothing!" >They started singing. >Turns out your hunch was right. >The cracks on him started growing. >"Shut up! Shut your filthy mouths!" >He shed some of his "skin" and stood up, face to face with you. >"I refuse to die here, I WILL CARRY OUT MY DUTY!" >A crowd had started gathering around you. >"Hey, stop picking on Anon!" >"Yeah, what'd he ever do to you?!" >"The fuck are you anyway?" >"Seriously, at least Sunset and the Dazzlings were nice to look at!" >Everybody stops and stares at the boy who said that. >Even Ore-Dahn is speechless. >"... Uh, fuck this guy! Am I right?" >You can hear a girl sigh, "Goddamn it Norman." >Ore-Dahn looks at his reflection in his hands. >"... I am handsome, damn it! He just doesn't know what he's talking about." >You took this brief distraction to jam your pickaxe into the side of his face and tear part of it off. >"GAH! YOU ASSHOLE! I'LL KILL YOU!" >There was something familiar about this guy, now that you thought about it. >The loss of a good majority of his mass did nothing to make him less threatening. >In fact, he was actually faster now that he was the same size as you. >"When you see this face, you run! You don't try and fight me!" "I'm not scared of you anymore, dickhead." >"You should be, the truth is frightening!" "I thought the truth hurt?" >"SHUT THE FUCK UP! Why are you such an asshole?!" "BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL ME YOU DUMBASS!" >"I AM THE ALPHA AND-" "Guess that means I must be the Omega then, huh?" >"Nah, you're more like the Beta if I'm being honest." "Now's really not the best time Aria!" >"Argh, this is stupid! I'm just going to kill you and be done with it!" >You jammed the pickaxe into his shoulder. >"FUCK! I can't move my arm now! You ass!" "Aria, remind me to give Mr. Sombra a hug after this." >"Will do." >"You act as if you're going to make it out of this alive." "Dad?" >He punched him across the face with his brass knucks. >"Stop punching me!" >"No." >He bashed his face and broke part of it off. >Stumbling backwards, he clutched the side of his face. >"F-fuck that hurts! THAT REALLY HURTS!" >You noticed something as he lowered his hand. >Blood. >You rushed him and started chipping away at the crystals. >"No, stop that! Stop that right now!" "Nope." >You busted open his outer shell. >Inside was a grotesque man-shaped thing. >Or, the upper half at least. >"GAZE UPON ME AND DESPAIR!" "The fuck are you?" >"... A sad, broken person." >He moved his artificial legs, and tried to regrow his arms. >"I just wanted to fulfill the dying wishes of a lost civilization, one that had adopted me when I was but a child." >He spat out some blood. >"Ugh, that tastes awful. Anyway, point is I'm not actually a Crystanok. I don't actually know what I am." >You stare into his actual eyes. >"All I know is that they told me one name before they died... Anonymous. I figured if I found you I could fix everything." >He laughed, "Or at least make them happy." >"I'm so tired, I just want to rest. All that pomp and bullshit I said? I was hoping I'd scare you off. Guess I'm not as scary as I thought." "You are really good at playing the part of an asshole, how do I know you aren't lying to me right now?" >"Because that teleporting has made me too tired to give a shit. That flash of light? That wasn't me exploding you know." >He stopped in front of you. >"I don't think they sent me to kill you, I think they wanted to give me my final rest." >He chuckled, "Who knows? You might actually be my counterpart. We may never know." >"I was going to kill myself after I was done with you anyway. The threats to the Dazzlings? Me trying to piss you off." "Why do all this? Why not just talk?" >"Because every other time I tried to talk to one of you humans they attacked me on sight. Can you really blame them though?" "Not really, but why the fuck did your... Crystanoks or whatever mention me? I'm just some guy." >"Some guy that managed to kill an artificial Crystanok. Though, had it been the real thing, you wouldn't have survived even half as long." "So, what now?" >"What do you mean? You kill me. Simple as that." >You looked at the pickaxe. >And dropped it. "No, I'm not you." >He started laughing hysterically, "You'd show me mercy? After everything I did?" "I believe in second chances, and I'm not going to kill somebody that can't fight back." >"Perhaps they sent me to learn a valuable lesson from you." "Maybe they did." >"So do I get to punch through this guy's chest now?" "No dad, although that would be rad I don't want you killing this poor guy." >"What do I even do now though? You were the one goal I had in this life. Now I... I don't know what to do." >Rarity walked up to him and examined his crystal suit. >"Say, did you build this yourself?" >He smiled, "Course I did, best damn piece of work I ever did. Took me two hundred and fifty years to perfect the Crystanok's regenerative abilities." >"I think I could find some use for you in my line of work dear." >"... Yeah, maybe this isn't so bad. Maybe I can atone for my crimes here. Or at the very least, I can give back to society." >You worked out some kinks in your joints. "Yeah you do that, I'm going home now." >"I shall never forget you, Anonymous." >That's nice. "Come on dad, let's get these girls back to our place." >The Twilights were having their farewells to each other. >"It was really nice meeting... well, me!" >"Yeah, best of luck to you!" >Maybe things would be normal again, at least for now. >It wasn't long before Pinkie's karaoke party came to your house. >All your friends were there. >And so was Ore-Dahn. >The group had agreed he needed a nickname. >You pitched the idea of Jordan. >He enjoyed the sound of it. >Rarity and Pinkie were joking with him by the punch bowl. >Your mom had been a little weirded out by him at first, but after he enjoyed her cookies so much she warmed up to him. >Turns out he actually really enjoys interior design, and is good at construction. >The destruction must've been torture for him. >The girls were all singing songs together. >It was kind of touching, after everything that happened. >Aria walked over to you and gave you a hug. >"Hey, d'you mind if we talk in private? Up in your room?" "Sure, what's on your mind?" >She shushed you, "Just... come on." >The two of you went up to your room and sat on the roof outside your window. >"These past couple of weeks have been crazy, haven't they?" "Yeah..." >You placed your hand on hers. "It's funny, I really thought I was gonna die the other day." >You smiled. "But I knew if I did, it was gonna be for you guys." >You pulled her closer to you. "And I figured that wouldn't be so bad. Dying for someone you cared about." >She rested her head on your shoulder. "I'm glad I didn't though, cause that means I get to spend more time with you." >"Ah, you're just saying that." >She giggled, "Thanks for not dying though. I l-" >She cleared her throat, "I lo-" >You grasped her chin with your hand and pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you too, Aria." >She blushed and folded her arms, "Jerk." >You laughed and gave her a hug. >She closed her eyes and smiled, "Love you Anon. There, I said it." >The two of you fell asleep gazing at the stars. The End.