Saturday, June 25, 2016
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): Friends can never replace family, but friends can BECOME family.
Early Morning
As soon as we're all awake, Twilight and I remind everyone about tonight's battle by way of a flurry of text messages. We also decide to let everyone know that it'll be Sonata's Shadow we're facing.
We tend to the animals, head inside for breakfast, and then take care of some chores that need to be finished by lunch. We finish packing the order that's being picked up tomorrow and pick several more baskets of apples which we take to the cellar.
Daytime
At eleven, we all head inside to get cleaned up and change into swimsuits, as well as loose clothes to wear over them until we're ready to swim. At noon, Granny and Pinkie pack up our picnic lunch and supplies, loading them into a small wagon hitched to a shaggy little pony. Granny and Pinkie get into the wagon; the rest of us mount horses and follow them through the orchard, down gentle slopes that lead to a shallow, clear pond on the edge of the farm. The grass here is green and springy; a few shade trees around the fence line keep the sun from beating down too severely on the sparkling water. Squirrels are darting to and fro along the fence and up the trees, and there's a fat frog sitting on the edge of the pond, croaking every now and then. A few cicadas are droning from high up in the trees; the sound is oddly relaxing.
"Wow, this is amazing," Sunset says, looking around in wonder. Applejack and Apple Bloom help Granny and Pinkie spread out two large picnic blankets; we all sit down on the blankets and help pass around plates and utensils. Big Mac hefts a cooler full of drinks out of the wagon, which he sets out and opens while Granny and Pinkie unpack the picnic baskets.
"It's really peaceful down here," Shining Armor says with a smile.
"Eeyup," Big Mac agrees.
Pinkie and Granny have outdone themselves. We have sandwiches made from smoked ham, smoked cheddar, and garden fresh veggies on homemade bread, kettle cooked potato chips, cole slaw, deviled eggs, baked beans, spiced sauteed apples, apple turnovers, deep-fried rolled flour tortillas sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, chocolate chip cookies, apple brown betties, and to everyone's surprise, a massive blackberry cobbler.
"Pinkie here found a wild blackberry patch growin' out past th' south field," Granny says with a big grin. "Ah didn't even know it was there!"
"Me neither," Big Mac says. "Reckon we're gonna hafta try an' plant some blackberries now. That's a mighty good bumper crop t' have."
"Oh, tell me about it," Rarity says. "Blackberries are ridiculously expensive. And forget about buying them fresh!"
"I guess that's one of the perks of living on a farm," Sunset says thoughtfully as she spoons baked beans onto her plate. "Growing your own food must really cut down on the grocery bill."
"Yeah, but we hafta buy a lotta stuff in bulk on account of not gittin' down t' Canterlot much," Big Mac says as he munches down a handful of potato chips. "Plus all th' feed for th' horses an' chickens, plus everything else we need t' keep things runnin'...it evens out." He snorts. "An' we only git t' eat beef once in a blue moon 'round here."
"Which is too bad, because Granny's chicken fried steak is th' best in th' whole world," Applejack says.
"So why don't you get some more cows or something?" Sunset wonders.
Big Mac snorts. "You got any idea how expensive that is? An' we ain't got no room for 'em no-how. Cattle need a lot more room than pigs an' chickens."
"Yeah, we've got six good milk cows," Applejack says as she stuffs a deviled egg into her mouth. "About every five years, we rotate 'em out with this ranch west o' town. They keep us in cows that're good fer about five years o' milkin', we give 'em fifty pounds of apples per cow. It's a good trade."
Twilight's face scrunches up as she runs the numbers in her head. "How's that a good trade?" she asks. "Fifty pounds of apples per cow every five years is three hundred pounds of apples, and you get more value in milk out of those six cows than they get out of those apples."
Applejack chuckles. "Twi, much as you've learned me about economics, you got a lot t' learn about farms an' ranches." She takes a long swig of iced tea. "That ranch trades in beef, not dairy. Th' only thing they need cows for is t' make calves. They only breed every cow twice, then they rent some of 'em out t' folks like us fer produce or somethin', whatever ain't gonna put us in a hole. When th' udder runs dry, they git th' cow back fer slaughter." She shrugs. "We ain't sellin' th' milk, we're jes' usin' it here fer ourselves, so we ain't makin' no money off 'em. They get 'em back t' make inta beef in a few years. Six cows here an' there ain't no skin off th' ranchers' backs, so..."
"It's th' way neighbors help neighbors," Big Mac finishes.
"So you...rent cows for apples?" Sunset asks, tilting her head.
"Eeyup."
"Cool."
"What does a cattle ranch need with three hundred pounds of apples?" Scootaloo asks, tilting her head.
"Cows like 'em," Big Mac grunts. "Little too much sometimes."
Granny snickers. "Ah reckon they use 'em t' deal with some'a them ornery bulls." At the questioning looks she receives at that, she adds, "Let an apple git some age on it, mix it with some sorghum, put it in th' feed bucket, an' you got yerself one hell of a drunk cow."
Big Mac grins. "Eeyup."
We chit-chat idly as we work our way through the picnic lunch. After everyone's full, we lounge around by the swimming hole for a while, basking in the warm sun and the sleepy feeling of full bellies.
After about half an hour, some of the girls start peeling down to their swimsuits and going out into the pond. Much playful splashing and giggling ensues; I'm content to simply sit on the blanket and watch, but eventually Pinkie drags me out into the water.
It doesn't take long at all for Sunset and Pinkie to end up topless. Neither of them particularly care, but their antics are more than a little embarrassing with Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Shining Armor around.
"Oh. My God."
And Silver Spoon and Scootaloo, of course.
Silver Spoon is gawking at Pinkie and Sunset as they chase each other around. "They're insane, right?" she asks.
"Pretty much, yeah."
"So this is what you live with, huh?" Scootaloo asks me.
"Yep."
"Dude."
After an hour or so of fun in the pond, everyone's tired, so we all spread out on the grass to dry off in the sun. Some of us take naps, while others read or sit around talking. As Twilight dozes off next to me, I spot Silver Spoon sitting by herself on a moss-covered rock underneath a tree, looking out over the farm with a faraway gaze. I get up, brush myself off, and walk over to her. "Hey," I say. "Something on your mind?"
Silver Spoon glances at me and smiles slightly. "You know...not that long ago, my idea of how to spend a summer day would've been chilling by the pool at Diamond Tiara's house, going shopping in all the expensive stores, and laughing at people we were better than." She snorts and looks up at the trees. "If you'd told me back then that I'd be spending my summer working on a farm and hanging out by a pond with Apple Bloom and her friends, I'd have said you were crazy." She draws her knees up to her chest. "I can't believe I was ever so shallow."
"So this is better than relaxing by the pool and shopping?"
Silver Spoon rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't go that far," she says, sticking her tongue out. "But..." She smiles. "I realize now that it's not what you do, it's who you're doing it with. And I'd rather be scraping up chicken poo with Apple Bloom than eating tiramisu with Diamond Tiara."
"How about throwing chicken poo at Diamond Tiara, stealing her tiramisu, and sharing it with Apple Bloom?" I suggest.
Silver Spoon giggles.
The Rich Kid Social Link of the Aeon Arcana has reached rank 9!
Your power to create Personas of the Aeon Arcana has grown!
"Trading Twilight in for a newer model?"
We look over to our left to see Sunset Shimmer standing there, her top back on, smirking with her hands on her hips. She pads over to us and reaches up, giving Sil a playful little grope. "I don't think she's quite ripe yet," she quips.
"GAH!" Sil cries, wrapping her arms around herself and blushing furiously. "What the hell, you exhibitionist freak?!"
Sunset laughs. "I'm just kidding around." She smiles. "You are pretty cute though. I bet you break a lot of hearts." She waves and saunters off.
"Oh my GOD was she hitting on me?" Sil asks, paling.
I shake my head. "I'm pretty sure she was just trolling you." I hop down from the rock. "Come on, let's get back to the others." I head back over to where Twilight's sleeping; not far away, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are playing cards. Sil rushes over to join them while I flop back next to Twilight, keeping an eye on Sunset as she wanders over to Shining Armor and chats him up.
Evening
At around five, we pack everything up and head back to the house, where Granny whips up a supper of fried chicken, biscuits, and corn on the cob. We still have some cobbler and apple brown betties left, so we have that for dessert.
"Hope y'all enjoyed yer lazy day," Granny says as we finish up supper. "Cuz tomorry, we got lotsa work t' git down to!"
"I'm actually looking forward to it," Rarity says. "After everything I've eaten today, I need the exercise." The other girls agree.
Before we know it, it's bedtime. Sonata looks apprehensive as she heads for her tent. As Twilight, Pinkie, and I turn in for the night, we trade nervous, weary glances.
Despite our unease, sleep isn't long in coming.
The Velvet Room...
Everyone is here. As soon as the familiar endless dreamscape forms around us, we all turn to Sonata.
"Are you ready for this?" Twilight asks gently.
Sonata bows her head and clenches her fists. A small whimper escapes her.
"We don't...we don't have to do this," Cadance says.
Sonata sighs, sniffles, and shakes her head. "No," she says. "I'll—I'll do it."
Zecora appears. Without a word, she gestures to her right. Within the gold frame that rises from the ground is a door...with another door painted on its face, and a frightening skull emblazoned across it above the numeral XIII.
"Okay, yeah, that's a bad omen," Rainbow says.
"What, and the Arcana being Death isn't?" Rarity retorts.
Zecora turns to face Sonata. "Behind the door, your Shadow lies. You must face yourself with open eyes."
Sonata swallows heavily, then steps forward and touches the door. It swings open with a loud, ominous creak. A foul black mist rolls out, carrying with it the faint sound of soft, beautiful singing.
As our Sonata steps back, her Shadow emerges from the darkness within the door, wearing an outfit that looks like an 80s pop band threw up all over her.
I'm glad they died.
Sonata whimpers.
Aria was always a bitch to me, and Adagio? She thought she was queen of the fucking world! Well, the joke is nobody liked her! NOT EVEN ME!
"No," Sonata whispers.
Seriously, do you have any idea how much better my life is now? I don't have to listen to Aria constantly telling me how stupid I am! I don't find five pounds of Adagio's bullshit hair clogging up the shower drain every fucking morning! Adagio getting herself and Aria killed? Ha! Best thing that ever happened to me!
"That's not true!" Sonata cries, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Without those two around to drag me down, I get to have friends! I get all Mommy's attention! I get to have sex while other people have to put up with listening to me!
The Shadow laughs.
My life is amazing, and all it took was letting Adagio drive wasted!
Sonata sinks to her knees, covering her face with her hands.
I am the Shadow, the True Self! Getting all torn up and losing my singing voice was a small price to pay for being free of the two biggest BITCHES that ever lived!
"NO!" Sonata screeches. "You don't know ANYTHING about how I feel about them! About how much I miss them!"
She sniffles, then...
"YOU'RE NOT ME!"
Sonata's Shadow laughs uproariously, throwing her head back as black and red flames explode around her. Her body stretches upwards and expands outward as her eyes glow a hellish red. Slowly, she transforms into...
Honestly, the most confused-looking cross between a girl and a sea monster I've ever seen.
She retains a primarily human torso, with large, dark blue seashells covering her breasts and crotch. Serrated blue scales stick out of her body at odd angles. Her legs each transform into a separate, eel-like tail, blue and sinuous, ending in broad, spiny fins. Her arms become large, iridescent feathery fins—wings?—whatever they are, they unfold into three separate, intricately layered appendages which flutter almost serenely. Her head elongates into something that looks like a cross between a seahorse, a human, and a humpback whale, with a mass of shiny tentacles trailing down the back and sides, alternating between the lighter and darker blue hues of Sonata's hair and ending in bone-white barbs. A broad, spiny dorsal fin stretches from the base of her neck to the base of her torso, rippling in the same nonexistent current as her wing-fins. She snarls at us with a maw full of jagged green fangs.
"Uhh...Sonata?" Pinkie says, staring up at the Shadow. "Remember that one game you said you could never beat?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I know which boss you got stuck on."
//Sonata, your Persona is sealed! You can't fight this battle!//
Sonata whimpers. "I'm...I'm cool with that..." She gulps audibly as she retreats to a safe distance. "Good luck, guys."
Summon
The Shadow's wings glow brightly. Two pillars of fire form to either side of her, coalescing into a pair of Shadows that are equal parts mermaid and seahorse, with nude human torsos, scaly fish tails, heads that are part horse and part dragon, and streaming hair made of burning water. One of them is a bright, vivid golden color, while the other is a pinkish-purple. Their eyes burn red. They open their mouths and begin to sing in hauntingly beautiful voices.
Harmonize
Shimmering golden light dances around Sonata's Shadow.
//Be careful! Their singing is giving her a massive power boost!//
"Then let's shut 'em up!" Rainbow cries. "PERSONA!"
Magarudyne
Nike appears, unleashing a furious windstorm that cuts through the the Shadows. The two mermaid Shadows are buffeted around by the winds, but Sonata's Shadow barely reacts.
Fluttershy facepalms. "Rainbow Dash, you need to learn a thing or two about strategy," she says. With a tired sigh, she taps her own phone. "ECHO!"
Makarakarn
A golden barrier forms in front of us, pulsing once before becoming invisible.
"Strategy is an excellent idea and all, darling," Rarity says, "but there are times when the best defense is a good offense. PERSONA!" She taps her phone, and...
Rarity blinks. "Oh. Oh my. That's...new."
"Woo! Upgrade!" Pinkie cheers.
//Oh my, when did THAT happen?//
Mabufudyne
Wadjet-Bast blows the Shadows an extremely frosty kiss, scattering thousands of tiny shards of frost. Chunks of glowing ice creep up the three Shadows' bodies, cracking loudly. Wadjet-Bast snaps her fingers, and the ice explodes away from the Shadows, which all reel in pain.
"NICE!" Rainbow says.
Rarity smiles as her Persona fades away. "Yes, well. That was a pleasant surprise."
Twilight shoots me a glance. "Then that means..."
I nod and slide the Empress onto my phone. "HIPPOLYTA!"
An enormous Amazon in bright, classical robes and a wide golden belt appears, oiled ringlets of dark hair spilling down her shoulders.
Myriad Arrows
A longbow appears in her hand; she aims it into the air, draws back the string, and lets go. A single arrow fires into the sky, which flashes brightly and explodes into dozens of arrows which rain down on the Shadows, piercing them over and over again. As the last arrow falls, Hippolyta fades away.
"Not one of your cooler ones, but it'll do," Rainbow says.
Sexy Dance
Sonata's Shadow begins swaying seductively, adding her own voice to the chorus, sliding her arms up and down her body. Despite her monstrous form, it's strangely alluring and hard to look away...
//Twilight? Twilight, are you okay?//
I look over at Twilight. Her eyes have gone blank, her face slack.
Slash Attack
Without warning, she slides over to Fluttershy and skewers her through the shoulder.
"Twi-Twi! Snap out of it!" Pinkie gasps.
Fluttershy sends Twilight flying with her staff, clutching her shoulder. "What the HELL, Sparkle?!" she snarls.
//It's not her fault! She's been charmed by the Shadow!//
Sexy Dance
The other two Shadows begin dancing the same sensual dance. Rainbow goes slack.
//Look out! Rainbow Dash is under their spell too!//
Pinkie growls. "Okay, nobody uses their sex appeal to turn my friends into mindless drooling zombies but ME! PERSONA!"
Mahamaon
Euphoria spins up into the air, pops the urn she's standing on up into the air like a soccer ball, and spin-kicks it at the Shadows. It starts glowing bright white as it scatters rainbow liquid everywhere; as it nears the Shadows, it explodes with a sound like an angelic chorus, and a bright white flash consumes the Shadows. When it fades, Sonata's Shadow is left untouched, but the other two have vanished.
"Nice shot, Pinkie!" I say as Euphoria fades away.
"Guess it's mah turn now," Applejack says. "PERSONA!"
Gigantic Fist
Persephone appears and slams a haymaker into Sonata's Shadow, dropping her to the floor in a writhing, twitching heap.
//Now's your chance!//
"DOGPILE!" I yell. Everyone except Twilight and Rainbow rush forward, pounding away on the Shadow. She screams and slaps us viciously with her tails, sending us all flying. She rises back into the air, her various fishy limbs writhing in agitation.
"Owie...my butt..." Pinkie complains as she sits up.
"I'll kiss it later! Look out!"
Rainbow turns toward us, raising her phone above her head. Nike appears. With an apologetic frown, she strums her guitar unenthusiastically.
Sonic Rainboom
Her sonic shockwave sweeps through all of us. I barely feel it, and Applejack just grunts, but the others don't fare as well.
"Holy SHIT that hurts," Fluttershy grumbles as she braces herself on her staff.
Pinkie flails around on the ground. "Now my boobies hurt too," she whines.
"I'll kiss those later too! Get up!"
Rarity gingerly picks herself up. "I believe I've grossly underestimated the power of Rainbow Dash's attacks," she says. She taps her phone. "Wadjet-Bast, do be a dear and heal us, please."
Mediarahan
Wadjet-Bast appears again. The bolt of fabric she carries winds its way around all of us like the coils of a great serpent. As the silky-smooth fabric binds me, I feel renewed strength and vigor flow through me. The comfortable embrace of the silk snake fades, and Wadjet-Bast disappears.
"Thanks," Fluttershy says. "I think." She shakes her head. "PERSONA!"
Tetrakarn
A shimmery mirror barrier forms in front of each of us.
"Is...is that a good idea?" Pinkie asks dubiously. "If Twi-Twi or Dashie don't snap out of it and they attack us again..."
//LOOK OUT!//
Sonata's Shadow lets out a terrifying roar, light streaming from her wings. A second roar joins her voice, like the ocean...coming closer...
Tidal Wave
A massive wave swells behind her, looming over us. We all look up with dread as the wave peaks, then SLAMS down on us. Through the pain, I feel an intense rage overtake me as the world disappears in a red haze...
When I come back to my senses, I'm dragging my axe along the ground and my body aches like crazy. I look around to find the others watching me warily, while Euphoria fades from view. Twilight and Rainbow groan and rub their eyes, blinking.
"Wha...what happened?" Rainbow asks.
"The last thing I remember..." Twilight frowns and shakes her head, then looks around. "What...what's going on?"
Pinkie lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she says. "You're all back with us, right? Right?"
//Looks like you're all back to normal now. Be careful, this Shadow has some nasty surprises.//
"Seriously, what the hell happened?" Rainbow asks.
Rarity coughs. "You and Twilight were under the Shadow's thrall," she says. "And, well...after that last attack, Flash sort of...lost his cool just a bit."
"Lost his cool? He went all psycho ax-murderer," Fluttershy says. "At least some good came of that."
It's only as she says that that I notice that Sonata's Shadow is missing one of her tail fins and looks SUPREMELY angry.
"Right," Applejack says. "We gotta be careful. PERSEPHONE!"
Masukukaja
I feel my body become lighter as everyone blurs slightly around me.
"Okay, who's up for some fillet of fish bitch?" Rainbow snarls. "PERSONA!"
Vorpal Blade
Nike appears, her guitar changing into a massive sword as she descends upon Sonata's Shadow with hellish fury, delivering a punishing cross-slash to the torso. The Shadow reels and screeches.
"Here, let me cook that for you!" Twilight says. "ATHENA!"
Ziodyne
Athena appears, raising her spear high above her head. A blinding white-hot lightning bolt stabs through the Shadow. She screams as she crumples to the ground like a sack of wet farts.
Mediarahan
Athena then spins around and waves her spear over our heads, shedding a cool blue radiance that heals our wounds before fading away.
Sonata's Shadow struggles to rise from the ground.
Summon
Her wing-fins flare again, and the two mermaids reappear.
Harmonize
Their song isn't as clear or as pure this time, and there's an urgency to it.
Fluttershy taps her phone. "PERSONA!"
Makarakarn
The golden shield reappears around us, shimmering out of view.
"So she doesn't like lightning, huh?" I slide the Hanged Man onto my phone. "Then let's turn up the voltage! MAGUS!"
Maziodyne
Magus appears with a swirl of his cape. He raises both hands above his head; a violent storm of golden lightning rains down on the Shadows. The two mermaids writhe in agony as Sonata's Shadow crumples into a heap on the ground once again. As the light show fades, Magus tugs on his gloves, allowing his cape to fall around his shoulders as he disappears.
Mind Charge
A faint gold-black aura surrounds me.
Maragion
The purple mermaid rears back and exhales plumes of fire which sweep across us. Echo's shield flares brilliantly into being, and the flames rebound on the mermaid, roasting her alive. She snarls as she explodes into ocean mist and darkness.
Tentarafoo
The golden mermaid hisses and lets out an earsplitting shriek. We all cover our ears and brace ourselves against the hellish noise. As the mermaid falls silent, I hear gasps from around me.
"My...my Persona..." Twilight says shakily, looking at her phone.
"Euphy?" Pinkie whimpers, holding her phone in a pleading manner.
Rarity pokes her phone with a mild, puzzled frown.
//Careful! Your Personas have been sealed!//
"Oh great, it's just like what Fluttershy used to do to us," I mutter.
"You'll be fine in a few minutes," Fluttershy says a bit hotly.
Magarula
She summons Echo, who unleashes a windstorm against the Shadows.
Applejack steps forward. "Time Ah took a shot," she says. "PERSONA!"
Heat Wave
Persephone appears, slamming a foot into the ground. Chunks of the floor rocket up beneath the Shadows; Sonata's downed Shadow is tossed into the air as shards of rock batter her body, while the golden mermaid is torn apart with an eerie shriek.
"So what'm I supposed to do now?" Rainbow wonders.
"You do have weapons," Fluttershy points out.
"Oh yeah."
Slash Attack
Shaking her head, Rainbow rushes forward and stabs and slashes at Sonata's Shadow, backflipping out of the way as one of the tails tries to smack her.
Pierce Attack
Rarity levels her gun at the Shadow and empties the clip.
Sonata's Shadow rises off the ground, snarling. She opens her mouth wide as her eyes flash...
Black Ice
A wave of the most intense cold I've ever felt in my life hits me like a runaway truck. I'm barely able to stay on my feet. Twilight cries out and crumples to the ground, curling in on herself and shivering. Everyone else except Rarity braces themselves against the biting cold. Rarity stands, unruffled, defiant against the hellish onslaught.
Fluttershy falls to the ground, dead.
"FLUTTERSHY!" Sonata yells.
//Flash, you're the only one left who can revive her!//
I nod and start to swipe my phone...
"Wait," Twilight says, holding out a hand. "Don't waste...your shot at the Shadow. You can...you can still revive her after you attack, right? If you use...electricity?" She rubs her arms and shivers.
"Right," I say. Setting my jaw, I turn away from Fluttershy's dead body and face the Shadow. "PERSONA!"
Magus appears, a grave expression on his face. He raises his hand...
Maziodyne
A shower of blinding lightning snares the Shadow like a fishing net. She screams, writhes, and twitches as the lightning arcs through her. Bits of fishy flesh fly off, disintegrating into black ash.
As Magus fades away, I swipe Lovers onto my phone. "SERENITY!"
Samarecarm
Serenity appears, smiling gently as she hovers over Fluttershy. Waves of soft silver light pour from her crystal, sinking into Fluttershy, who takes a deep breath and sits up, blinking and groaning.
As Serenity fades away, Twilight rushes toward the Shadow, slashing away with her sword.
Slash Attack
More little fishy bits fly off, disintegrating into inky nothingness. A fin catches Twilight and knocks her back, but she catches herself in an awkward skid.
//You're doing great! Just hold out a little longer!//
"Let's try THIS!" Pinkie yells, pulling out her golden whip. She charges forward, cracking the whip against the downed Shadow.
Strike Attack
There's a bright golden flash as the chain hits, and the Shadow reels in agony.
Without warning, Sonata's Shadow peels herself off the ground and slaps Pinkie away, then opens her mouth wide. A bright, crackling ball of electricity forms in her mouth as her eyes glow more brightly.
"Wait, what?" Rainbow says, mouth gaping.
Maziodyne
Crackling bolts of lightning breath arc out, snapping between us and sending showers of sparks and clouds of smoke flying into the air. Everyone except Twilight twitches and screams as we're electrocuted by the Shadow's unexpected attack.
Summon
Her wings flare again, and the mermaids reappear.
"Oh, COME ON!" Rainbow whines.
Twilight's phone suddenly beeps. "Oh! I'm back," she says. Grinning, she slaps her phone. "PERSONA!"
Maziodyne
Athena appears, a savage look on her face as she thrusts her lance at the Shadows, releasing an electric counterattack which drives Sonata's Shadow to the ground once again.
Mediarahan
As soon as the attack ebbs, she heals us, then fades.
"I'm still out," Rainbow complains. Shaking her head, she airplane-runs at the golden mermaid. "It's all YOUR FAULT, bitch!"
Slash Attack
She jumps high in the air and plunges her knives in the mermaid's eyes, then kicks her in the chest before running back to us.
Pinkie's phone beeps. "Oh! Welcome back, Euphy!" She holds her phone up and taps it. "PERSONA!"
Amrita
Euphoria appears, spinning in place as she sheds a golden light over us. Rarity's phone and Rainbow's phone beep simultaneously.
"Thank you, darling," Rarity says primly. "WADJET-BAST!"
Mabufudyne
Wadjet-Bast appears once again, blowing her frozen kiss. As the crackling ice creeps over the Shadows, Sonata's Shadow lets out a terrifying screech.
"OH NO YOU AIN'T!" Applejack roars. "PERSONA!"
Gigantic Fist
Persephone lunges toward the frozen Shadow, slamming a fist right into her face. Her entire head explodes. The mermaid Shadows scream as they burst into flames, spraying chunks of flaming, flash-frozen Shadow flesh in all directions. Sonata's Shadow slowly crumples to the ground, breaking apart into chunks of black ice that slowly dissolve into inky smoke.
As Persephone fades away, the human form of Sonata's Shadow reappears, head bowed.
Zecora appears from nowhere, walking over to Sonata. "Face your true self, child of Death. Embrace the truth to your last breath."
Sonata sighs shakily and walks over to her Shadow. "Yeah, I hated Adagio and Aria sometimes," she admits. "But they were my sisters, and I loved them. They...they looked out for me, you know? In their own snarky, bitchy way."
She turns and looks at all of us. "I have to be honest. I do like my life the way it is now loads better than the way it was before. I have friends who are nice to me and patient with me and...and I'm happy. You guys have really helped me so much. It's...it's still so hard..."
"Sonata..." Pinkie says softly.
Sonata smiles and turns back to her Shadow. "I won't pretend there weren't times I wanted to strangle my sisters. Or, like, take a baseball bat and just wail on Aria until she couldn't move anymore. But...just because I'm happy now, just because we fought all the time and they were mean to me a lot...it doesn't mean..."
She bows her head. Tears leak from her closed eyes.
"It doesn't mean I didn't love them. I loved them, and I miss them. But yeah, they really were the worst sometimes."
Two hazy shapes appear to either side of Sonata's Shadow. They resolve into ghostly images of Adagio Dazzle and Aria Blaze, who each put a hand on their sister's shoulder as they smile at our Sonata. Sonata's Shadow looks up, and there are tears in her eyes.
"We're always with you, you know," Aria says. "Every time you do something stupid, give yourself a thump for me."
Sonata giggles.
Adagio looks at us. "Take care of the little taco freak for us," she says. "She really is hopeless, you know."
With that, the three sisters fade into wisps of red light, which contract into a small, shining shape: a blood red jewel, which Sonata takes hold of and clasps against her chest.
"Bye, Adagio. Bye, Aria. I miss you."
Sonata's phone beeps twice, activating Black Butterfly on its own. Her battle outfit forms on her body, changing in a red flash into a sleeveless magenta minidress with darker red spangles and gold trim around the indecently short skirt, which is slit up the sides; the top of the dress is more like a bikini, barely containing Sonata's breasts and preserving her modesty. With the thin straps and lack of a back, Sonata's shoulders, armpits, biceps, and decolletage are bare, as are her thighs; she wears high-heeled pink boots with purple accents that extend to just above the knee. A purple sash is wrapped around her waist, from which a translucent piece of lavender cloth dangles over her crotch area. From the elbows down, she wears detached purple sleeves with long, trailing silk trains spangled with pink hearts and jagged blue eighth-notes that hang down to her knees. A scalloped pink cape hangs from the back of her dress, the edges resembling frilled fish fins.
"Oooh, fancy!" Pinkie says, giggling.
Sonata looks down at herself and gasps happily. "I love it!"
"It's a bit...high-fantasy," Rarity says with a grimace of distaste.
"It's a bit Final Fantasy," Rainbow says, smirking.
Sonata's crossbow glows purple and changes, growing larger. The stock is a deep amethyst, while the bow now resembles a large, stylized black bat. The string and readied bolt form a shining white cross, and the mounted scope sports a pair of molded cat ears.
"That's...a really terrible design for a crossbow," Twilight observes. "I mean, if this were reality, that thing would never work."
"Not to mention it's a bit...confused," I say. "A bat and a cat? The hell IS that?"
Sonata sticks her tongue out at us.
The ultimate power of the Death awakens unto Thee...
Thy Persona, Alice, has awakened to the skill Unbirthday.
Use this power wisely...
Sonata Dusk has overcome a trial of the heart!
Sonata Dusk reaffirmed the strength of her inner self!
Sonata Dusk's Persona has strengthened considerably!
Sonata Dusk obtained the Siren Song!
Sonata Dusk obtained the Maiden of the Mist battle costume!
Sonata Dusk obtained her ultimate weapon, Huntress!
"Well met, brave souls. You've conquered Death. Rest now, and remember:
"Twelve still are left..."
As Zecora fades away, I look around at my friends. "Listen," I say. "If...if the rest of you don't want to deal with..." I grimace and gesture at Sonata. "What Pinkie and Sonata went through here..."
The girls look at each other. There's obvious uncertainty and doubt in their eyes and expressions.
Finally, Rainbow takes a deep breath. "I ain't backin' down," she says.
"Me neither," Applejack agrees. She laughs weakly. "Hell, whut've Ah got t' hide? That Ah'm way too country for mah own good? Shit, everybody knows that."
"We're all in this together," Twilight assures me, taking my hand and squeezing it. "No matter how ugly things get. We've got something important to do, and we're not stopping until we get it done. No matter what it takes." She looks at the others. "Right?"
"RIGHT!" the girls chorus.
I feel the strength of my friends' resolve wash over me...
The Friendship Social Link of the Judgement Arcana has reached rank 5!
Your power to create Personas of the Judgement Arcana has grown!
The Velvet Room fades away, but the warmth in my heart remains.
