Sonata got out of bed. It was time for school. She hated getting up early. Out of all the technological innovations she had seen come through the ages, the alarm clock was the one she hated the most. She threw the covers back off of her and stretched before finally sitting up and getting out of bed.

She stumbled and shuffled her way to a low chest of drawers with a mirror placed on it to get her clothes for the day. She Looked down the whole way over, never looking up. Why should she, her eyes could barely focus anyways. She opened one drawer, removed some underwear, opened another to grab a shirt, one more for pants, then she looked up and jumped back in shock.

In the mirror was her, but her from the Battle of the Bands. Her eyes glowed red, pony ears, fangs, and wings. This Sonata's face was grinning malevolently, arms slightly raised at her sides. Sonata stumbled back in disbelief of what she was seeing.

"What? Are you surprised? Come now girly, you always knew I will always be here. I am you. You came here for survival; not redemption. Nice play by the way. The other two can look for their portal, but you got it good right here. Who needs magic to manipulate? You're the queen now." It was Sonata's voice, the one she used when they were tormenting Sunset Shimmer in the hall way. It was mocking, hateful, and took glee in the suffering of others.

"Well duh! Of course I take delight in making others miserable. That's who we are. You and I; we're the same. What's the matter? - starting to believe your own story? Maybe you are a fool. But I'm not. I'm power. Your power."

Sonata walked slowly over to the mirror. "It can't be."

"Oh sweetie; I AM!" and with mirror Sonata came crashing through the glass, changing into her Siren form; moth open, teeth bared, ready to chomp down on Sonata.

Sonata screamed and sat up. She looked around wildly at the still darkened room; it had been a dream. Another cursed dream. She put her hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. She was shaken and disturbed and just wanted it to be morning already. Whatever school may bring. it was better than dreaming.

Sonata's bed room door suddenly flew open and for a minute she was certain it was her mirror self come back to torment her. But as the light flipped on she saw it was only Pinkie Pie.

"Sonata! You ok? I heard you scream." Pinkie seemed to almost as shaken as Sonata had been. It was both weird and nice to see someone so concerned about her.

"Yeah. Just a bad dream. Nothing to get excited over. Thanks for checking though." Sonata gave a weak but genuine smile.

"Oh, ok. Move over." Pinkie then proceeded to crawl into bed with Sonata.

Sonata then started to freak out. "What are you doing?" It was all she could do to keep from screaming. This was a total violation of personal space. What was this girl up to.

Pinkie was a bit surprised by Sonata's reaction. "I'm getting in bed with you silly."

"I can see that! Why are you getting in bed with me?"

Pinkie just looked at Sonata and blinked a few times. They had hit it off so well, saw things so similarly, that she just thought Sonata would know instantly what she was doing. "When I was younger and I would have a bad dream, Maud would always come lay beside me. She would tell it was ok and it would always make me feel better. So I thought I'd do the same for you." Pinkie spoke with a tone that was a mixture of a parent trying to explain something to a child and hurt from Sonata needing to be explained to.

"But Maud is your sister." Sonata was still confused and a bit off put; but she was also feeling a new sense of relief and almost warmth that Pinkie would even think to do something like this.

"But what's a friend other than a sister from another mother?" Pinkie said in a happy, joyful voice. She loved making others smile and feel better. It was kind of her destiny she supposed and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Oh," now Sonata definitely felt a growing sensation of love and warmth inside of her. In the last three days she had met two people who showed her more kindness, compassion, and affection than her fellows had in almost fourteen hundred years. So this is what it's like when people actually care about you.

Then she thought about her dream and felt a great sense of shame descend upon her. She was a manipulator. She was and is. How many people had she enchanted into doing her will? And how many had she sat back and watched gleefully as they fought and argued because of her and the others? Make no mistake; she loved what she was and she had done. Sure, she was the "nice" one, but what did that really mean? A rapid porcupine was nice compared to the other two. The bar was set so low, who couldn't step over it?

Now here she was, again; manipulating others. Others who cared for her with out being under a spell. What was she to do? Did she want to do anything? If she still was the manipulating monster, then who cared what these people had done and were doing for her. They were a commodity to be used and then discarded when they were of no further value.

But they were not. Not Luna, not Pinkie Pie, not Star Shine? She now thought back; back to other times, other people, mostly children, who had touched her in some way. Nothing deep or lasting mind you; just caused her pause. I was there when she died. I held her hand. She gave me her doll. I wasn't worthy, she thought.

Sonata felt two arms around her and realized that Pinkie was holding her. She looked over and saw tears streaming down her face. "You were crying," was all Pinkie said and Sonata realized she was, in fact crying. She laid her head on Pinkie's shoulder and just let herself feel the warmth of another's touch; of another's compassion.

She turned her head and caught herself in the mirror. Who are you? she asked herself.

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Adagio and Aria got back to Trixie's about 3 am. They had spent another night looking for the portal and had failed. Adagio knew it had to be on the school grounds, or at least near the school grounds. But no matter where they looked, the matter of this dimension held and no gateways were found.

"This is a waste of time Adagio. If it was here, we would have found it by now." Aria's patience was wearing thin. She admitted she didn't have any better ideas, but this was getting them no where.

"So what's your plan then? You want to be leader, fine! Tell me what great and glorious plan for our survival you have." Two things drove Adagio nuts: being questioned and whining. And Aria was doing both.

Aria just sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That's what I thought." Adagio looked around and thought. "The portal must not me accessible from this side. At least not all the time. Star Swirl opened it on our side. I'm guessing the purple one did as well. But how would she know when to open it? It doesn't make sense. So if it's not always open on this side; how could someone get a message through to her and tell her they needed help?" Adagio bent her left arm and held it across her stomach while rubbing her chin with her right hand. There was something she was missing, something big, but what was it? Then it hit her.

"I got it!" She ran over to Aria and grabbed her by the upper arms. She was almost laughing with sheer ecstasy at finally figuring out what she had been missing. "I got it. Sunset Shimmer!"

"Let go of me!" Aria said as she broke free of Adagio's grip. "What about Sunset Shimmer?"

"She's Equestrian, like us. Somehow she and the purple one must have some sort of trans dimensional link that allows them to communicate. Find that, we can get the other to open the portal. She opens it, she steps through, we run back across to home and revenge."

"And how do we do that?" Aria was annoyed by yet another item they had find; this one seemingly harder to find. But she was intrigued.

"Trixie stupid. She befriends Sunset Shimmer, finds out how she maintains contact with the purple one, and we're in."

"I'm not stupid! I'm not the new Sonata. And your plans keep getting more complicated. Do you really think this is gonna work?"

"As I said earlier, you got a better idea, let's hear it. Besides; what else do we have to lose? Let's get back and tell Trixie what's going on."

****************************************************************************************************************

"It's three am," Trixie said ruefully. She had been waiting up for Adagio and Aria to get back. For being partners; they never kept her informed as to what they were up to. All she knew was for the past two nights; they were out until the wee hours of the morning looking for a portal.

"Ah good, you're up. I don't have to try and wake you now," Adagio said smugly. "We need you to get close to Sunset Shimmer for us. Well, Rainbooms at least."

"Oh good. I guess I'm finally part of the team." Trixie's voice was full of sarcasm. "Care to tell me why or am I just to be your dutiful lap dog?"

"Trixie my dear; you are not our lap dog. I explained Aria and I need to go out by ourselves so just in case someone sees us, you're still safe. It's all for your protection sweetie." Adagio was nothing else if not the greatest sales woman there ever was. She had the skills to form her own cult.

"Still doesn't answer my first question." Trixie's arms were crossed over her chest. She was annoyed and knew she was being played. But she also knew she was playing them, and she knew they didn't suspect that of her.

Adagio walked over and gently caressed Trixie's cheek they way a parent might caress a fussy baby's. "Somehow, Sunset is able to communicate with the purple one,"

"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie interrupted.

"Seriously? That's her name? I was defeated by someone named 'Twilight Sparkle'? Oh for . . . UHG! Anyway, Sunset and Twilight can communicate. I need to know how. Find that out, we can get Twilight to open the portal and we go through and you, my dear, get to become a goddess."

Trixie gave Adagio her best angry teen look. "Fine. I'll start today. So what are you two going to do while I'm at school?"

"Uh, sleep. We've been up all night," Aria said.

Trixie shot Aria the death stare. "Fine. You sleep, I'll do the dirty work. Just remember, DON'T screw me over."

"Wouldn't dream of it darling," Adagio said, you're still too useful to us yet .

*******************************************************************************************************************

Twilight just sat looking at the mirror. She knew she had said she wouldn't be back until Saturday; but the loneliness and longing she felt almost overwhelmed her and she regretted telling Flash that. But she was a princess and she had her duties to perform. Still, all she could think about was being back in his arms.

"Twilight? Are you ok?" It was Spike. He saw she was out of bed and came looking for her. He had stayed behind with Rarity and the other girls to give Twilight her space in saying good-bye to Flash; so he had no idea about their pact.

"I'm ok Spike. I just need a little alone time. That's all." She turned and gave him her best fake smile.

"Ok Twilight. I'm just worried. You haven't been yourself lately."

Twilight turned back to the mirror and thought, I don't even know who I am anymore.