Sonata Dusk sat down at The Dazzling's usual table at Sugarcube Corner with a little more pep in her step than normal. Which was rare because the girl was always at her happiest. (And most oblivious.) She hummed a tune to herself as she nibbled on one of the pastries she just bought as Adagio and Aria stared at her in wonder.

"Okay, she definitely has something going on," Adagio said, raising a brow and putting her chin on her hand, pointing at the blue haired girl.

"Yeah, she hasn't said a word to either of us since we left the house," Aria agreed. "And usually she won't shut up unless we make her," she sipped at her coffee. "She's hiding something."

"Am not!" Sonata protested. She pursed her lips when she realized what she had said sounded conspicuous. "I...I mean..heheh..."

"You gave yourself away, you idiot," Aria sniped. "Now you really have to tell us what you're hiding."

"I'll never tell!" Sonata said banging her hand on the table, drawing attention to them from the other customers.

"If you don't tell us we'll take away your Taco Bell card." Adagio threatened simply.

"Okay fine! I have a crush on Sunset Shimmer!" Sonata confessed.

"You what?!" Aria shouted.

"I mean really, you couldn't find someone better?" Adagio asked her.

"That's not very nice!" Sonata pouted.

"Yeah, and neither is your taste in women," Adagio scoffed.

"Seriously I think I really like her. Yesterday I fell in the hallway at school and she bent down to help me up. And our eyes met as she helped me pick up my books and I swear we were the only two people in the world." The blue haired girl sighed happily.

Aria made a gagging sound. "God, how cliché."

"But sweet nonetheless. So? What are you going to do about your little crush on Shimmer?" Adagio asked. "Surely you'll court her?"

Sonata shrugged. "I guess so. I don't really know how to go about it though. It's my first crush." She exhaled. "What do you guys suggest I do?"

Aria and Adagio shared sinister looks.

"Aw, look at our youngest sister, all grown up. Asking us for dating advice," Adagio cooed, patting Sonata's cheek. "How adorable."

Aria grinned. "You sure you want our help, Nata?"

The former Siren nodded her head wildy. "I'd do anything to let Sunset know how I feel!"

The two older girls smirked at each other.

"Fine, we'll help you." Adagio said. She cleared her throat. "There's nothing to it, really. All you have to do is be mean to her."

Sonata's eyebrows furrowed. "Be...mean?" She asked, confused. "For realzies? That's it?" She would have expected more from them since they both had quite a lot of experience dating in this world and back in Equestria. She didn't think it could be so simple as being mean. But as she thought about it, she could see why it was that simple.

Adagio was commanding and intimidating, with a deep, smooth, seductive voice that guys and girls alike drooled over.

Aria was stand offish, and had a "get lost" attitude that attracted a lot of the boys at school. She seemed like a cool and mysterious person to hang out with, thus creating the desire to be around her.

"Yeah, be mean. Smack her around a bit. But do it flirtatiously. It's like playing hard to get," Aria explained, churning her wrist.

"Couldn't I just sing a song?" Sonata pouted. She wasn't exactly the "mean" type like her sisters.

"No, because we can't sing anymore, remember?" Aria reminded her, flipping her hair.

"Besides, this should have some...interesting results." Adagio chuckled. She couldn't wait to see the disaster unfold before her eyes. Sonata hung on every word that she and Aria said ever since they were fillies. If she could be convinced by them, she'd always do it. And this time was no different apparently as she saw a twinkle in Sonata's eyes.

"What do you mean by interesting?" Sonata asked with a confused look.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Adagio assured her, getting up. "We should be on our way to school or we'll be late! Remember what we said!" She said, rushing out the door, pushing Aria out along with her.

Sonata jumped up to follow after them. She couldn't wait to try out what she learned on Sunset!

Sunset stood at her locker as students began to trickle into the hallways, opening and closing their own lockers. She looked behind it when she heard someone knock. Slamming it shut, she smirked. "Oh hey, Sonata."

"Yeah. Hey." Sonata responded rolling her eyes.

"Uh....you alright there? You sound kind of annoyed." Sunset eyebrows furrowed.

Sonata flipped her hair. “Yeah, whatever,” She responded, pushing past her. “See you in class...or whatever,” And with that, Sonata sauntered off into first period.

Sunset stared after her as she watched her go. “That was...” She couldn't really find a better word to describe it other than “Weird.” Shrugging, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for first period herself.

Sunset could feel Sonata watching her the entire class. At one point she could have sworn she felt a balled up piece of paper hit the back of her head. She wondered why the other girl was acting like this. Just yesterday she was lost in Sunset’s eyes, staring dreamily at her. She heard snickering and turned to see Adagio and Aria laughing behind a textbook.

She wondered...Did they put Sonata up to this? And if so, why? Did they still get a kick from causing people the fight? It wasn’t like they could feed off of it anymore. But why Sonata of all people? Sonata was kind, and oblvious and wouldn’t hurt anyone. Well, at least, not anymore. And even though this was just plain old schoolyard bullying, (At least, that’s what Sunset assumed that’s what it was) It was odd for Sonata to act like, well, her sisters.

The bell rung and Sunset stood up, collecting her things. When she turned to walk out the door she felt herself trip over something and fall. Whipping around she saw Sonata standing above her with a smug grin.

“Have a nice trip?” She asked, laughing as she walked past Sunset.

Sunset blew a red-orange strand out of her face as she got up. “Okay, it’s time to have a little talk with some Sirens.”

It seemed like everytime Sunset was involved with an intimidating talk it would take place at the end hallway with the broken light. It was where she first taunted Twilight, then got taunted herself by The Dazzlings. Now it was her turn to do the intimidating again, because she wanted answers and she wanted them now.

“You wanted to talk?” Adagio asked in a husky voice, leaning up against a nearby locker, arms folded. Aria stood beside her, mirroring her actions. The both of them came in and out of focus as the light continued to flicker above them.

“Yeah,” Sunset responded tautly. “You wanna tell me why Sonata’s been going around acting like you two? And don’t give me that whole ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ crap because you obviously do,” Sunset folded her own arms and arched a brow.

“Way to cut to the chase,” Adagio told her, examining her nails. “You saved us the trouble of pretending you were stupid.” She smirked, beginning to circle Sunset just like she had during the battle of the bands. “But there’s one thing you’re forgetting,”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?” Sunset demanded in a tight voice.

“Are you sure that she’s being mean to everyone else? Or just you?” Aria finished for Adagio.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just knock it off, okay? Sonata is a good girl. She doesn’t need you two corrupting her mind.” She pushed past the both of them, striding down the hallway to lunch.

When she got there, she sat down at the usual table with the rest of the girls. She had an ice pack on her head and looked like a tired mess. On the way to the lunch room, Sonata thought it would have been funny to trip Sunset again. Which resulted in her hitting her head and having to go to the nurse’s office.

“Whoa...what happened to you?” Dash asked incredulously, putting ketchup on her burger.

“Sonata happened. For some reason she’s been abusing me all morning,” Sunset explained, pressing the ice pack to her forehead. “Yesterday she was completely fine and now all of a sudden she’s taking enjoyment in my pain. I mean, I could expect that from Aria or Adagio but not her,” She winced. “It’s all their fault anyway. I think they probably told her something to make her do this just to get a good laugh at my expense.”

“Have you actually asked her why she’s been abusing you?” Rarity suggested. “It would help if you asked her instead of speculating,”

“I would, but everytime I see her she either trips me, or pushes past me. Honestly! If she has a problem with me I just want to know!” The older girl groaned, putting her aching head on the table.

“Um, not that it matters, but I think I might know what’s going on here,” Fluttershy piped, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Really?” Everyone asked, astounded.

The meek girl nodded. “Yes. It’s the same thing that happened between me and Rainbow Dash in the second grade,”

“Mrmph?!” Rainbow questioned cluelessly, a mouth full of meat. Either she couldn’t remember what Fluttershy was talking about, or she was just that clueless.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. “I was the new kid. No one really ever talked to me. And then one day during snack time, Rainbow sat next to me. At the time my hair was in pigtails, and she started pulling at them. I didn’t really understand what was going on. Almost every day she did it. It started to get worse. She went from hair pulling to tripping me and pushing me outside during recess,”

The other girls glared at her as Rainbow slid low in her seat, embarrassed.

“And...and then one day at recess...” Fluttershy twirled some of her hair around her finger, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. “She ran up to me and kissed me. Turns out she had a crush on me the entire time,”

“So Rainbow was like one of them boys who are mean to the girls they like cause they don’t know any other way to show it?” Applejack asked, biting into her apple.

Fluttershy nodded. “And I think that’s what’s going on here with Sonata. She didn’t know how to express her feelings for you, Sunset, so she turned to Aria and Adagio. And since all they know how to do is be demeaning and hurtful, she decided to adapt their behaviour to garner your attention.”

“She’s causing me bodily harm because she wants to date me?! That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” Sunset shouted, exasperated.

“It may not exactly be the correct way to show her feelings, but she’s definitely showing an interest in you, darling.” Rarity said, rubbing her back.

“I say you take her by surprise!” Pinkie piped.

“Huh?” Sunset blurted.

“Take her by surprise! You know, be aggressive back! She won’t be expecting it and because she’ll be taken off guard, she’ll reveal how she feels about you!” Pinkie further explained. “Trust me, it’ll work! My Pinkie Sense is telling me so!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, that’s the-”

“Best idea ever!” Sunset beamed, getting up. “I’ll be right back!” She called, running out of the lunch room.

Sonata sung a happy tune to herself as she walked down the hallway. Everything was going according to plan. Soon Sunset would be following her around like a lost puppy much like how boys usually followed Aria and Adagio around. And then she could ask her out on a date and they’d be together forever.

Yep. It was the perfect plan.

Or, at least, it would have been if Sunset hadn’t forcefully thrown her against a row of lockers and kissed her roughly just then. Everything she had previously thought went out the window as she felt the taller girl press her body into hers. Before she could even register what had happened, Sunset pulled away, but only leaving their faces inches apart.

“We’re going on a date. Sugarcube Corner, tonight at eight. I’ll pick you up. Wear something nice,” Sunset told her commandingly, making a shiver run down Sonata’s spine. She gave her another quick kiss before turning on her heel and leaving, not even bothering to wait for an answer. Though judging by the look on Sonata’s face, she knew she didn’t need one.

Sonata stood there stunned, not sure what to make of what just transpired.

"Well that backfired," Aria commented, having seen the whole thing.

"Tell me about it," Adagio agreed with an eye roll. "But whatever. It all worked out in the end. For her, at least." She said, holding back a smile as she watched Sonata dance in place.

Author's Notes:

holy shit I need to stop with all these one shots. I made sure to make it over 1,000 words this time. (See? I do listen to your complaints!) Anyway, I just wrote this for fun. I've already got the next chapter of Sunset's Redemption in the works. (I never quit, do I?) And I'm hoping to get it up before Big Apple Ponycon. (Shout out to all my NY bronies going this weekend! If any of you guys are going, I'll be there Sunday wearing a blue Power Ponies t-shirt if you wanna say hi!) If I don't finish it before then, it'll definitely be up on Monday or Tuesday. Hope you guys have a great week! -TNYB