Persona EG LTE | Mythril Moth Creations

Birthday Horoscope (Pisces): You are going to die today.

Early Morning

I'm barely out of bed when Twilight rushes into my room. "Flash, Sonata got the horoscope."

I nod. "Alright. What did you tell her?"

"To ignore it," Twilight says. "That it's a sick joke and we all get it, and not to let it ruin her birthday."

I sigh. "Well, that'll come back to bite us in the ass after the fight."

Twilight shrugs. "Well what else could I say?" She shakes her head. "Anyway, I'm walking Spike before breakfast. Pinkie's making a special breakfast, so it'll be a while."

I nod. "I'll go get showered and dressed while you're doing that." I frown. "I'd better skip tennis practice today and stick to Sonata. Pinkie can't skip practice because they've got matches tomorrow. Coach would skin her and roast her on a spit."

Breakfast is an absolute sugar bomb. Pinkie whipped up piles of fluffy brown sugar chocolate chip pancakes topped with maple syrup and whipped cream for everybody.

"Pinkie," Rarity complains, "some of us have to watch our waistlines!"

"Rarity, every guy at school watches your waistline," I say as I cut into my pancakes with my fork. "I don't think you've got a problem there."

Twilight slaps me upside the head. Rainbow Dash laughs. Rarity blushes daintily. "Ahem," she says primly. "Thank you for that...I think..."

Sonata giggles, then picks up her tablet.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love living in this dorm?
These are the bestest pancakes ever, Pinkie!

"I'm glad you like them," Pinkie says. "Happy birthday."

"Yeah, happy birthday, Sonata," Rainbow says. We all chime in, and Sonata smiles brightly.

"So," Pinkie says, "are you excited for your party tonight?"

Sonata nods happily.

"Good!" Pinkie claps her hands together. "Now, on my way back from tennis practice, I'll pick up the cake, but we'll save it for after we get back from Deep Dish. While you guys are waiting for me, Sonata should open her presents. Mine's in Twilight's room, she'll get it to you. After we've done all that, we'll head out, right?"

"Right," we all agree.

"Is Principal Celestia coming to the party tonight?" Twilight asks.

Cadance shakes her head. "She's not even coming back to the dorm tonight," she says. "She has plans."

"It's just as well," Pinkie says. "I think we've already pretty much pushed the limit of how many people we can squeeze into a party table at Deep Dish."

On the way to school, Twilight and Pinkie are visibly upset.

"Why Sonata?" Pinkie complains. "She just got here...she hasn't done anything to Sunset Shimmer..."

"None of us have," I point out. "She's just...screwed up."

"But...Sonata's been through so much," Pinkie says. "She doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve to have her birthday ruined like this..."

"And it won't be," Twilight says. "Pisces will show up, we'll defeat it, and Sonata can move on with her life. She'll be shaken up, but...we can protect her."

After School

After classes, I meet up with most of the girls from the dorm at the school entrance. We head back as a group.

Once everybody except Pinkie has returned, we all gather in the lounge. There's a pile of presents on the table, and Sonata looks beside herself.

"Is your mother coming to the party tonight?" Cadance asks.

Sonata shakes her head.

No, but it's okay because she picked me up for lunch and took me out. She got me a bunch of new games.

"That's good," Cadance says.

"Go on, start opening!" Rainbow urges.

Sonata digs into the pile. The first gift, from Twilight, is a practical one: a new waterproof tablet case with a clear touch-through front. She beams and takes a minute to slide her tablet into it.

Thank you, Twilight!

"You're welcome," Twilight says. "As rainy as it's been lately, I thought that might come in handy."

Next up is Rarity's present: a pink miniskirt with Sonata's heart-and-eighth-note symbol on it and a matching pair of open-toed platform shoes. "You have such lovely legs, darling, I thought those would suit you."

Sonata giggles.

Thanks!

Next up is Rainbow Dash's present, which is a gift card for game downloads. Sonata's eyes light up.

Oh, cool! Perfect timing, too, I was just about to get the bundle pass for Stretchmo!

"You sure do love puzzle games, don't you?"

Yup! Puzzle games and RPGs!

"Um, you should really open mine next," Fluttershy says quietly. She picks up a basket with a ribbon tied to the handle and sets it in front of Sonata. With a curious tilt of her head, Sonata opens the basket. With a yip, a little purple dog jumps out and climbs all over Sonata. Sonata lets out a strangled squeak as the dog jumps up on her and starts sniffing her, then licking her face.

"Whoa, it's a puppy!" Apple Bloom says.

Sonata giggles and picks up the dog, holding her at arm's length. Her fur is mostly lavender, with darker violet fur on her ears and the top of her head; there's a fuschia stripe right down the middle of her head.

Rainbow starts snickering. "Hey, does anything about that dog look kinda...familiar?"

We all look at Twilight, whose eyes are wide. She blinks twice.

Rainbow grins. "You should totally name it Twilight Barkle!"

Sonata snickers.

"Don't name her that!" Twilight cries, covering her face.

"Um, actually, her name is Zoe," Fluttershy says. "She needed a new home..." She looks sad. "Her owners asked me to find a home for her so they wouldn't have to put her in the shelter. I just thought...you might like a pet...since you don't have one..."

Sonata beams happily.

She's so cute! Thank you! I promise I'll take good care of her.

She puts down her tablet and cuddles Zoe, nuzzling her face. Zoe barks happily and starts cleaning Sonata's ears out with her tongue, reducing her to helpless giggles.

"Is she spayed?" Twilight asks.

"Yes," Fluttershy says. "She was a pageant dog. Her...her owners just filed for bankrupcy, so they're both working full-time now, and...and they just wanted her to have more love and attention than they can give."

"Aww, that's so sad," Sweetie Belle says.

"What breed is she?" Rarity asks.

"She's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel," Fluttershy says.

"How old is she?" Cadance asks.

"Two years," Fluttershy says. "Oh, and she's litterbox-trained. I've got one upstairs for you, and some litter...and a few cans of dog food..."

Sonata nods gratefully.

"Litterbox-trained?" Twilight asks, frowning. "A dog? Seriously?"

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy says. "Most people don't think to do it, but it's not unheard of."

"Here, let her run around a bit while you finish opening presents," Cadance suggests. Sonata nods and puts Zoe down; she runs around, sniffing at all of us, jumping up and yipping at us and getting her ears scratched all around the room. Sonata grabs another present from the table; this one's from Applejack. She opens it and pulls out a pair of pink cowboy boots. She giggles.

"Mine goes with Applejack's," Apple Bloom says, nudging a package across the table. Sonata picks it up, opens it, and pulls out a big pink felt Stetson. She laughs and puts it on, then changes into the boots, stands up, and mimes throwing a lasso.

"You go, cowgirl!" Rainbow yells, clapping.

"Oh, those are cute," Rarity says.

Sonata smiles, mouths "Thank you" to the two Apples, then grabs Pinkie's present and sits back down.

Twilight sits forward with concern. "Are you sure it's a good idea to open Pinkie's in front of everybody? I mean..." She blushes. "Her birthday presents...well...they can kinda be landmines..."

Sonata's eyes widen.

For-realzies landmines?

"No, not...I don't mean they explode or anything..."

Sonata shrugs, then unwraps and opens Pinkie's present.

It explodes with a silly *fweet!* noise, spraying confetti and paper streamers everywhere.

Zoe jumps up on Rarity's lap and starts barking at the present.

Sonata blinks at the box, pupils reduced to pinpricks. Her ponytail is standing on end.

We're all staring at the box. "Okay," Rainbow says after a while, "that was just spooky."

"Yeah..."

After a moment, Sonata shakes her head, reaches into the box, and pulls out...

"What the heck is that?" I ask.

Whatever it is, it's shaped like a taco and looks like a taco. Like a big, cloth taco. A taco plushie? Sonata turns it over in her hands, then squeezes it a few times. She gets an "a-ha!" expression on her face and picks up her tablet.

It's a beanbag pillow!

"Oh!" Twilight says. "That's...a thoughtful gift, actually! A bit...weird..."

Sonata picks it up and messes with it a minute, then picks her tablet up again.

She must've remembered me fighting my pillow a while back. I have neck problems.

"Oh! ...oh." Twilight winces. "Well...those types of pillows are supposed to be really good for that."

After a minute, Sonata peeks into the box again, then writes:

Oh, there's a vibrator in here too, but I'll worry about that later.

We all facefault.

Sonata grins at us.

Just kidding!

Applejack shoots her a dirty look. "Seriously?"

Suddenly we all hear more barking from the direction of the stairs. Zoe pricks up her ears and turns her head, raising one paw.

Spike charges into the lounge, his paws skidding out from under him. Zoe jumps down off Rarity's lap and approaches him. We all watch as the two dogs sniff each other, then bark at each other and start posturing.

"Oh my," Fluttershy says with a giggle.

Spike suddenly takes off, and Zoe gives chase. We can hear them running around in the dining room.

"Well, looks like Spike has a new friend," I say.

"Finish opening up your presents so you can get Zoe situated," Cadance urges.

Sonata nods and picks up the next package. It's my present.

"That one's probably the vibrator," Rainbow says. I pick up some discarded wrapping paper, wad it into a ball, and bean her with it.

Sonata rolls her eyes and opens the package. Inside are a few movies. Sonata looks through them and smiles.

I love these! Thank you!

The next present she opens is from Sweetie Belle. It's an assortment of different scrunchies and bands for her ponytail. The last one is from Cadance; it's a makeup kit and several bottles of some kind of lotion. "That's a homeopathic lotion," Cadance says. "I had to special order it, and I'm honestly not sure how much good it'll do you, but..." She frowns. "Well, it's...it helps reduce scar tissue. This is the really strong stuff. It's...probably the best option you've got, since your doctor doesn't want to do anything surgical for the scars."

Sonata sniffles, gets up, and hugs Cadance.

Cadance hugs her back. "If it does help...let me know when you run out and I can order more."

Sonata nods and sits back down.

Thank you everybody! I mean it, I love everything. And thank you especially, Fluttershy. I promise I'll take really good care of Zoe.

"Want any help taking all this upstairs?" Rainbow asks.

Sonata nods gratefully. The two of them start rounding up presents and carrying them upstairs. Spike and Zoe run back into the lounge and start sniffing around at the rest of us.

"Umm...I'll get Zoe's litterbox and bed and stuff and take it to Sonata's room," Fluttershy says.

"We'll help you," Twilight says, nudging me. Fluttershy frowns, but nods, and we follow her upstairs.

Once we're in Fluttershy's room, Twilight says, "That...was actually a very nice thing you did."

Fluttershy blows at her hair in irritation. "I like Sonata," she says. "And she's...she needs a pet. Pets are good therapy." She starts rounding up supplies and putting them in a big green litterbox. "Besides, Zoe needed a new owner, and...it just made sense." She frowns at us. "Be sure you protect Sonata from Pisces."

"How about helping us?" I ask.

"How about no," Fluttershy replies. "I've already helped you as much as I can without risking all our lives."

Twilight frowns. "That app? What is it?"

"You already know what it is. You've seen me use it." She picks up the litterbox and heads for the door. "Well? One of you needs to grab Zoe's bed." She nods her head in the direction of a big, fluffy dog bed in the corner. "And Flash, you carry that heavy bag of litter."

Twilight and I exchange looks, shrug, and grab the stuff, following Fluttershy up to the third floor.

By the time Sonata has all her new stuff put away (except the cowboy boots and hat; she's decided to wear those to Deep Dish), Pinkie has returned with the cake. She insists on not letting any of us see it until after the party, so we clean up the mess from the presents, peel Spike and Zoe away from each other and put them in their respective rooms, and get ready to head out.

Evening

When we arrive at Deep Dish, a huge party table has been reserved for us. We get seated and place our orders, then settle in.

"So, did you get some good presents?" Pinkie asks Sonata.

Sonata nods happily.

Yeah! And thanks for the pillow, I love it!

"I'm glad. I thought you might."

"Fluttershy got her a puppy!" Apple Bloom exclaims.

"She's adorable!" Sweetie Belle adds.

"Wow, really?" Pinkie asks, eyes wide. "Way to go, Fluttershy!"

"Wait till you see her," Rainbow says with a grin.

Rarity pulls out her phone, slides the screen, and hands it to Pinkie. Pinkie blinks at it, snorts, then bursts into giggles. "Heehee...hahahah...it's Twilight Barkle!"

Twilight facepalms. "That's...not going away anytime soon, is it?"

"Nope!" Rainbow says cheerfully.

"So, is that band playin' again tonight?" Apple Bloom asks.

"They sure are," I say.

Our appetizers have just arrived, along with our drinks, when Trixie and her bandmates take the stage. "Good evening, everybody! Welcome to Deep Dish's Family Pizza Parlor! We're Trixie and the Illusions, here to entertain you while you enjoy the BEST pizza in Canterlot!"

We join the other diners in applauding.

"Now, tonight, the rather large group at this table over here—" Trixie points at our table. "—is celebrating the birthday of a girl who only recently moved to Canterlot! Stand up, birthday girl!"

Sonata blushes furiously, but stands up, smiling and waving as everybody claps for her.

"Our birthday girl suffered a tragedy recently," Trixie says. "Before she moved here from Seaddle, she lost her two sisters in a car accident. She also lost her voice, which is a shame, because she and her sisters were singers."

General noises of sympathy fill the place.

"Well, tonight, in honor of Sonata Dusk's birthday, and in memory of her sisters, we're doing a special set! Regulars, you won't be hearing any of our usual material tonight. No, we're going to be paying tribute to three beautiful, talented girls from Seaddle." She turns to her bandmates. "Hit it!"

Sonata blinks, picks up her tablet, and scribbles hurriedly.

What?

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

Sonata's eyes widen in shock.

Blindsided by the beat
Clappin' your hands, stompin' your feet
You didn't know that you fell

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Now you've fallen under our spell!

Whoa-oh-oh-OH-oh-oh!

Sonata is turning left and right, staring at each of us, eyes wide and wild. Her mouth is working frantically, forming words she can't voice.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Pinkie stares at me. "THIS is your surprise?" she asks, eyes wide. "Duuuuude. How'd you even...? Even I couldn't pull off something like this!"

I shrug. "It helps to be good friends with Trixie." I smile. "And that everybody at Music Club loved Sonata and her sisters' songs."

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Sonata's eyes are full of tears, but she's smiling.

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

"Wow, for just a week's notice, they're really nailing it," I say.

Listen to the sound of my voice

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Soon you'll find you don't have a choice

Whoa-oh-oh-OH-oh-oh!

Captured in the web of my song

Whoa-oh-oh-oooooh-oh

Soon you'll all be singing along!

"They only had a week to learn this?" Twilight asks.

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

"Yeah, it was kind of a sudden inspiration thing."

We've got the music, makes you move it
Got the song that makes you lose it
We say jump, you say how high
Put your hands up to the sky!

Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell!
Oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh! Now that you're under our spell!

Everybody applauds wildly. Sonata jumps up, runs up onto the stage, and hugs Trixie. Then she runs back over to our table and hugs me. She's crying and sniffling. She picks up her tablet.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Up on the stage, Trixie smiles. "Trixie takes it you approve?"

Sonata turns to her and nods rapidly, a happy, tearful smile on her face.

"Well then, Trixie will have to sing another!"

We sit and listen silently as Trixie sings another song. By the time the band is on their third song, our pizza arrives. There aren't any mushrooms on anything this time. We don't make much conversation as we eat, but we're all watching Sonata. There's a wistful expression on her face; she occasionally smiles or laughs to herself as the band plays song after song.

After finishing off her third slice, Sonata wipes her fingers, then picks up her tablet and walks up onto the stage. Trixie and her band are just finishing another song.

Trixie smiles at her. "Are you enjoying the performance?"

Sonata nods, then writes on her tablet. She hands it to Trixie, who reads it, smiles, nods to Sonata, then turns to the rest of us.

"It says...it says she hopes...we'll consider adding her sister's songs to our repertoire permanently, because..." Trixie's eyes are tearing up, and she swallows a lump in her throat. "Because we'll be helping to keep their memory alive."

Everybody applauds and 'awws'.

Trixie nods to Sonata, handing back the tablet. "We'll be happy to," she says. Her bandmates nod in agreement.

Sonata hugs her again, then sits back down. The band starts playing again. We all go back to eating; although we want to talk to Sonata, it's hard to talk to her and let her eat at the same time, so there's only light chatter around the table as we listen to the band and eat. Every so often, Fluttershy checks her phone under the table. I'm not the only one who's caught her; Rainbow is watching her intently, brow furrowed.

By the time we've finished off all our pizza and waved off the server when she asked if we want dessert, Trixie and the Illusions are ready to take a break. Sonata sits back, patting her stomach, and lets out a burp.

I'm not even sure I'll have any room for cake!

"There's always room for cake!" Pinkie declares. We all laugh.

Cadance checks the time on her phone. "Well, we'd better get back to the dorm," she says. She leaves a tip for the server, and we all pick ourselves up and head out. We mill around in the parking lot while Cadance pays the bill.

Fluttershy drifts close to me. "Forty seconds," she whispers.

As Cadance walks outside, Sonata's phone chimes at her. She pulls it out and looks at it. She starts tapping the screen...

Zodiac

Rainbow sighs. "And here we go," she says.

I turn to face Fluttershy. "You knew," I say. "You knew exactly when this was going to happen."

"Of course I did," she says. "It's my job to tell Sunset Shimmer when the target is isolated so she can start the hunt."

Weird cripple

Always with that stupid tablet

Hey, we could drag her out behind the school, do anything we want to her, she can't scream, heheh

"Oh God," Twilight moans.

Sonata's head is whipping around, staring at all the floating messages. Her eyes are wide with terror.

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

We all stare up at the oddly-colored text which is floating over our heads.

What happened? Why'd everything go all weird? What's with all that stuff flying around? Is...is that about me?

We all stare at Sonata. She blinks, looking up curiously at that last message.

Did I do that?

"Huh," Fluttershy says. "That's unexpected." She pulls out her phone and taps the screen for a minute. "Sonata, try to talk."

"That's not funny, Fluttershy!" Rainbow snaps.

"I'm not being funny, Rainbow." Fluttershy looks at Sonata. "Do it."

Sonata blinks, but starts mouthing words.

"You know I can't ta...lk...huh?" Sonata's eyes widen; her hands fly to her throat. "Did I just...? But how?"

Fluttershy nods. "Good, that'll make this easier." She glances at Twilight. "Fill her in fast, you don't have much time."

"Cadance, you're up," I say.

Cadance nods. "PERSONA!"

Aphrodite appears. Sonata stares. "The heck?"

"Sonata," Twilight says, "listen carefully. This is a parallel world called Zodiac. It's connected to Canterbook. We don't exactly know how. There are these monsters called Shadows that...that kill people. There's some really big, really nasty ones that come after people on their birthday."

Sonata pales. "You're...you're kidding, right?"

Twilight sighs. "I wish." She places her hands on Sonata's shoulders. "Don't worry. We're going to protect you. We won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

Sonata swallows and nods. "O...okay..."

Pinkie turns to Fluttershy. "You...you'll help us, right? Please?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "You know I can't," she says. She taps her phone; her Eris costume forms on her body, and her staff appears in her hands. "I'm sorry. I have to—"

//It's coming! Everybody get ready!//

"Rarity, Pinkie, cover Sonata and Cadance! Twilight, Rainbow, with me!" I turn to Fluttershy. "If you're not gonna fight, will you at least cover the rear?"

Fluttershy shakes her head. "Sorry." Her Eris mask covers her face and she stands back and away from the group.

"Bitch," Rainbow mutters.

Twilight gives Fluttershy a reproachful stare, then shakes her head and moves into position.

I glance at Fluttershy, frown, then pull out my phone. "The new app," I say quietly. "Now."

The others pull out their phones. Taking a deep breath, I tap Black Butterfly.

I feel the strangest sensation, like my skin crawling times a thousand. Judging by the sounds the girls are making, they feel it too.

I look down at myself to find my clothes have been replaced with a black suit and skinny tie, like something out of Reservoir Fiction. All around me, the girls' clothes have changed into near-identical copies of Fluttershy's Eris outfit, minus the mask.

An axe appears in my hands. Its double blade is shaped like an angular butterfly; the metal is black with crimson edges.

A long, slender black chain whip, tipped with a tiny, spiked green ornament that looks a little like Pinkie's pet alligator Gummy, appears in Pinkie's hand.

A rapier with a butterfly-shaped hilt appears in Twilight's hand.

Rainbow Dash gets a pair of large knives that could be called baby machetes, with butterflies engraved on the blades.

A silver pistol with a butterfly engraved on the barrel appears in Rarity's hand.

"Wow, are you all magical girls or something?"

"Okay, this is different," Rainbow says.

//Here it comes!//

Pisces appears in a rush, beginning as a formless black blur before resolving into its true shape: two massive barracudas with wickedly sharp, jagged dorsal fins, their tails joined by a thick, barbed chain. The sigil of Pisces is engraved on each barracuda's side. They swim circles around one another in the air, menacingly snapping their jaws. Thin black mist billows out of their gills.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

"That's Pisces," Twilight says. "It's here to kill you."

"But that's not gonna happen!" Rainbow declares. "PERSONA!"

Assault Dive

Nike appears and does a suicide dive into Pisces, slamming into it and rebounding.

High Counter

One of the barracudas opens its mouth and shoots a tiny pirahna-like missile at Rainbow which knocks her off her feet. Pinkie catches her and helps her regain her balance.

//Careful, it can counter your attacks!//

"It's a fish, right?" Pinkie says. "It should be weak to electricity!"

"I don't think it's safe to assume that," Twilight says. "But it's worth a try! PERSONA!"

Ziodyne

Athena appears, unleashing a massive lightning bolt at Pisces. It surges across a red hexagonal barrier.

//No effect!//

"My turn," Rarity says. "BASTET!"

Bufula

Rarity's Persona fires off a tremendous ice blast...which impacts the same barrier.

"Okay that's just not fair!" Pinkie cries.

"Fluttershy, what kills this thing?" Twilight yells.

"How the fuck should I know? I'm not stupid enough to fight these fucking things!" Fluttershy retorts.

"Wow, since when does Fluttershy swear like Rainbow?"

Heat Riser

Vicious Strike

Pisces suddenly glows red, waves of pressure rolling off its bodies. Then, like a rocket, it charges us, slamming into me, Twilight, and Rainbow. The three of us are knocked to the ground.

Zionga

Pisces returns to its original position, then spits a lightning bolt at Pinkie Pie. She cries out, but stays on her feet.

I stand back up. "Everybody okay?"

"Not really," Rainbow says.

Twilight picks herself up. "That...hurt," she says.

I slide the Star Arcana onto my phone. "KUMA!"

Mediarahan

Kuma appears and heals us, then vanishes.

"Okay, we need a plan," Twilight says.

//Attacking isn't working, so concentrate on defense while I try to figure out how to fight it!//

"I think I can at least make us harder to hit!" Rainbow calls. "NIKE!"

Masukukaja

Nike appears; the five of us all start to blur.

"Yeah, that's it! Use your status buffs!"

We all turn and stare at Sonata.

"What?" she asks. "This is like a boss battle in an RPG, right?"

Twilight groans.

"Well, she's not wrong!" Pinkie says. "EUPHORIA!"

Matarukaja

Pinkie's Persona appears and sprinkles some vibrant rainbow droplets over us. I can feel strength and vigor pumping through me.

Rarity frowns thoughtfully. "PERSONA!"

Sukunda

Webs of yarn shoot out from Bastet, wrapping around Pisces. Its motion becomes less fluid.

"Okay, that's a good start," I say. "But we still need to find a weak spot."

"Well, we've tried ice, lightning, and wind," Twilight says.

"So let's fry this fish!" I say, swiping the Magician Arcana onto my phone. "MERLIN!"

Agidyne

Merlin appears and hurls a massive firebolt at Pisces. The barrier shatters as though it never existed and the spell hits Pisces, which screams and shudders as it flails around madly in the air.

"Nice shot!" Rainbow cheers.

"Do it again!" Pinkie yells.

"WAIT, DON'T—"

"PERSONA!"

Agidyne

Once again, Merlin hurls searing flames at Pisces...

A green hexagonal barrier scatters the flames.

Gigantic Fist

Pisces dives into the ground. A second later, it erupts right under me, sending me flying.

"FLASH!" Twilight yells. "ATHENA!"

Diarahan

Athena hovers over me, shedding healing light. Rainbow helps me to my feet. I lean against my axe, grimacing. "What the hell just happened?"

"Don't ANY of you play RPGs?" Sonata asks. "It's a barrier boss! You can only hit it with one kind of magic at any time, and then it'll change its barrier!"

//I think she's right,// Cadance says. //And it gets worse. Flash's attack didn't...didn't do much damage. We're in for a REALLY long fight...//

"Great," Rainbow mutters.

"Rainbow Dash, try a wind attack," Twilight says.

"Okay," Rainbow agrees hesitantly. "PERSONA!"

Garula

Nike appears, unleashing cutting winds. The wind blasts tear through Pisces' barrier.

"Now try rushing it!" Twilight says.

"You got it!"

Slash Attack

Rainbow charges forward, blurring as she leaps at Pisces and lays into it with her knives. It snaps at her; she backflips back to us, landing in front of Pinkie. Pisces roars, then dives into the ground.

"EVERYBODY JUMP, NOW!" Twilight yells.

Vicious Strike

We all jump to the side as Pisces bursts out of the ground where we were standing. It returns to its original position, writhing and snapping its jaws furiously.

"Rarity, you're up!" Rainbow says.

"I hope this works," Rarity mutters. "PERSONA!"

Bufula

Once again, Bastet unleashes an icy blast at Pisces. The ice impacts a yellow barrier and dissipates.

Twilight nods as if she understands something. "I've got it now," she says. "PERSONA!"

Ziodyne

Athena appears, dropping a powerful lightning bolt on Pisces. It spasms and screams as its barrier disintegrates. "AGAIN!"

"Wait, what—"

Ziodyne

Another lightning bolt lances toward Pisces...and scatters against a blue barrier.

Gigantic Fist

Pisces dives into the ground and erupts beneath Twilight; I grab her and pull her out of the way.

"Twi, why did you do that?!" Rainbow cries. "You KNEW that was gonna happen!"

"Yes, I did!" Twilight says. "Don't you see? I was testing its barrier!" She looks at me. "It's weak to Ice now!"

I nod. "PERSONA!"

Bufudyne

Merlin appears again, and a swirling column of mist surrounds Pisces, coalescing into a thick pillar of ice with a sharp crack. The column explodes, and Pisces lies on the ground, flapping and flailing.

//It's open!//

"Yeah! Let's rush in and—"

"No, we need to do some serious damage while we can," I say. I grab Twilight's hand. "Together!"

She nods to me.

We summon our Personas...

I feel a sudden connection, and in an instant, Twilight and I both know what to do.

Wisdom Of The Ages

A swirling vortex forms in the air above Pisces, shedding a soft white light. A massive, gleaming silver sword falls out of the vortex, spearing one of the barracudas. The vortex pulses, and a shaft of pure, blinding holy light slams down into Pisces.

"YEAH!" Pinkie cheers.

Twilight and I let go of each other as the light fades and our Personas disappear.

Pisces rises from the ground.

//It's...still got a lot of fight left in it...//

The blurring effect fades from around us.

That surge of extra strength ebbs away.

Deathbound

Pisces begins spinning, its chain forming a nexus. It flies at us like a whirling blender blade, slamming into me and Twilight. We can't dodge...it's too fast...

The next thing I know, I'm waking up with my head in Pinkie's lap. Nearby, Rarity is reviving Twilight. Rainbow is guarding us. Pisces is hovering in place malevolently, its eyes burning red.

I stand up, shaking my head. "Okay, that sucked," I say. "What's the barrier now?"

"We don't know," Pinkie says.

I sigh. "Wonderful. PERSONA!"

Ziodyne

Merlin appears and unleashes a thunderbolt at Pisces as Twilight stands up.

The barrier that dissipates it is solid white, save for green, red, yellow, and blue shimmers at the edges.

Twilight gasps. "Oh...that's not good," she moans.

"What's it weak to now?" Rainbow asks.

"It's a perfect barrier," Sonata says. "Nothing's getting through that."

We all look at each other. Twilight nods. "I think she's right."

"So what the fuck do we do?" Rainbow asks. She turns to Sonata. "You're suddenly the big expert on this shit, how do we kill it?"

Sonata looks like she's near tears. "Don't yell at me!" she cries.

Rainbow looks away. "Sorry," she mutters.

"Rainbow," I say, "We could use that...that blurry thing again."

Rainbow nods. "Right. NIKE!" Once again, we're all blurry.

Twilight swallows. "If...if we just attack it...however we can..."

"I get the impression that thing can outlast us if we resort to our weapons," Rarity says.

"In...in every RPG I've ever played," Sonata says, "This kind of boss usually drops the perfect barrier for...for a really big attack." We look at her; she swallows nervously. "Like...the game over if you didn't grind enough kind."

We all look at each other helplessly. "So...what do we do?" Pinkie asks.

You really ARE the worst, Sonata.

"What...what was that?" Rainbow asks, looking around.

A sparkling green fog rolls in around us, accompanied by the ghostly, haunting sound of...

...of singing. Wordless harmony, hauntingly beautiful. And familiar...

You always were a useless little airhead.

Sonata gasps. "A-Adagio? Aria!?"

You never could do anything on your own. Look at you.

You lost us, so now you need these losers to carry your braindead ass?

You know you could never beat the hard bosses without my help.

"I so can!" Sonata looks wildly around. "I'm not a crybaby! I'm not useless! I...I..."

Please, you couldn't even stop us from dying. You KNEW I was too drunk to drive that night. You could've taken the keys, but you didn't. Because you're WEAK.

Useless. Worthless. The worst.

"S-stop it!" Sonata cries. "I didn't...! I wish I'd died that night too! You think I like living like this?"

So why didn't you?

Yeah, why didn't you?

"Be-because..." Sonata's trembling. Her eyes are full of tears. "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU STUPID WORST SISTERS EVER! AND...AND I COULDN'T LEAVE MOMMY ALL ALONE AND SAD!"

Really.

Wow. What a sap.

So you decided you need to live, even though it hurts.

"Yes!"

The red pendant Sonata always wears begins to glow.

Typical Sonata. I guess it can't be helped...

We'll just have to carry you, like always...

Their tone is different. The words are still cruel, but they sound...wistful. Fond.

Sonata's phone buzzes. She pulls it out...

The Persona app has appeared!

"Wh-what...?"

Pinkie gasps. "Wow, Sonata's joining the party?"

Sonata looks at her phone, then at us. "What...what do I...?"

"Just...just do what we've been doing all this time," Twilight says.

Sonata swallows, then nods and touches the app. "PERSONA!"

The screen explodes in blue shards, and large effigies of Sonata and her sisters appear, dressed in colorful clothing and bound together by iron chains. A long, glowing thread winds and twists around and between them, leading up to a heart-shaped mass hovering above them, sporting a pair of pink wings, a glowing golden halo, and exotic, glowing eyes.

Stagnant Air

Balzac

Foolish Whisper

Poison Mist

The heart portion of Sonata's Persona throbs as it does several things at once. Pisces slumps to the ground, glowing red while simultaneously surrounded by a throbbing dark purple mist.

Pisces drops its barrier...

...and absolutely nothing happens.

//I don't know how, but...she disabled it! This is your chance! Throw everything you've got at it!//

We all summon our Personas and pump the strongest magic we've got into Pisces. It thrashes and flails, spitting out dozens of little pirahna-torpedos. We take our fair share of hits, but with Twilight's healing magic, we're able to sustain our assault. Pisces tries to reform its barrier several times, but whatever Sonata's Persona is doing to it, it's shot that barrier straight to hell.

Even without the barrier, even with Pisces completely vulnerable to our attacks, it still takes nearly fifteen minutes to kill it. Twilight and I unleash a combined lightning assault, which finishes it off; Pisces screams and explodes, spraying black mist everywhere.

Our weapons dissolve into nothingness, our normal clothes reappear, and Zodiac melts away around us, replaced with the parking lot of Deep Dish.

Behind us, we can hear Trixie and the Illusions playing as customers leave.

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle blink at us. "Hey, did you all just..."

"How in th' hell'd y'all all go from bein' over there t' bein' over there?" Applejack demands.

"An' why do y'all all look so tired?" Apple Bloom wonders.

"You're tired," Twilight says. "All of us are tired."

Sonata is looking around wildly. She looks like she's trying to talk. After a minute, she frowns, gives up, and pulls out her tablet.

What WAS all that?

"Later," Pinkie hisses.

Cadance clears her throat. "Let's...let's all go home. We've still got a birthday cake to eat."

On the ride home, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle are giving us all funny looks. Sonata keeps texting us about what just happened. Twilight seems to be doing most of the explaining. I watch Sonata all the way home; her expression changes from thoughtful, to disturbed, to frightened. She occasionally glances at Fluttershy in disbelief.

When we get back to the dorm, Pinkie and Cadance get the cake out of the kitchen while the rest of us head to the dining room. Cadance sets out plates while Pinkie puts the candles on the cake. She smiles at Sonata as she lights them. "Make a wish," she says.

Sonata closes her eyes, leans forward, and blows out the candles. Pinkie takes them off and cuts the cake, plating a piece for each of us. Fluttershy gets the smallest piece; she gives Pinkie a glare.

The cake is delicious. It's a French vanilla cake with raspberry filling and blue icing that looks like Sonata's hair. The icing is also raspberry-flavored.

"Do you like it?" Pinkie asks.

Sonata nods happily as she takes a big bite. She gives Pinkie a huge smile and a thumbs-up.

By the time we've all had our fill, there's barely a quarter of the cake left. Pinkie puts it in the fridge, and we all head up to our rooms.

On the way upstairs, Sonata grabs Pinkie by the arm and tugs insistently.

"Do...do you want me to spend the night in your room?" Pinkie asks.

Sonata nods rapidly. Her eyes are wet...

"Okay," Pinkie says. "Besides, I didn't meet your new doggie yet!"

Sonata smiles. The two girls head for Sonata's room.

Twilight and I are the last two upstairs. "Tomorrow's gonna be fun," Twilight mutters.

"Yeah." I sigh. "Well...at least we won, and we've got a new teammate."

Twilight sighs. "Yeah, but...I didn't want Sonata to get dragged into all this. And what...what WAS all that when her Persona awakened?"

I shrug. "We'll find out tomorrow, I guess."