Sonata was surrounded by darkness. She might have well been walking with her eyes closed. There was no light anywhere. Her foot steps made loud, echoing noises as if she were walking in some great, abandoned hall. She didn't know where she was or where she was going, she just knew she had to walk on.

Then, off in the distance, she heard a sound. She didn't know what it was at first, only that it struck a deep chord with her. As she walked on and the sound grew louder, she realized it was the sound of someone crying. She wanted to stop but her feet kept going as though they had a mind of their own. Slowly she got closer to the source of the weeping. Soon she saw a light shining down on something. It was still a ways off so she couldn't make it out too well. All she knew was that it was big and blue.

Closer and closer she got until she saw to her surprise and horror it was her. It was her in her earth pony form. Now she really wanted to turn around and run but her legs kept moving her forward. She soon found that tears were running down her face as well. She wiped them from her cheeks and came right up next to her pony self.

"Hi," she said. "What's your name?" Sonata asked shakily. Seeing her pony form, let alone her pony form crying, shook her to her very core.

Her pony self lifted her head up and looked at her. "Daisy. What's yours?" she spoke through her sobs.

It had been ages since Sonata had heard her real name. After finding the gems and becoming a siren; she had changed her name (they all did) to reflect who they now were. Hearing her birth name now, it felt alien to her. "Sonata," she simply replied. She then got down on one knee beside her pony form and started to pet it. "Why are crying?"

"Because no one will play with me. They always make fun of me. They call me dumb, 'dumb Daisy'. I'm not dumb or stupid, I just want to laugh and have fun, but no pony wants me as their friend. And from my cutie mark, it's always gonna be like that." Daisy started weeping again.

Sonata looked at her old cutie mark, the one she hated from the first time she saw it, a heart with a lightening bolt going through it, splitting it in twain; a broken heart. Now Sonata's tears began to flow more readily.

"Why? Why me? What do I have to have a broken heart? Why must I be sad all my life? I didn't do anything? I always tried to be everyone's friend. Why, Sonata?"

"Yes Sonata; why?" The voice was only vaguely feminine. It was rough, growly, full of hate and disdain, and it was hers'.

Sonata looked up and saw her Siren form floating above them. It's eyes glowing a fierce red, smiling a malevolent grin. Sonata slowly stood up, looking in awe and fear at her creature self. She then felt herself being pulled back. She looked over her shoulder to see her demon self holding onto her. Like her Siren self, her eyes glowed red as well, her wings flapping slowly. She looked back to her Siren self who now plunged at Daisy, it's mouth agape ready to tear Daisy apart. Both Sonata and Daisy screamed.

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Sonata sat bolt upright in her bed; screaming. Screaming and crying. She couldn't stop. Waves of fear and sadness washed over her, threatening to drown her. Pinkie came running into her room, jumped into bed, and held her. She didn't say anything, she just held her.

Eventually Sonata calmed down. Her cries became sobs - sobs, whimpers - whimpers, sniffles. She slowly pushed herself away from Pinkie and just sat looking down at her hands.

Pinkie rubbed Sonata's back. "It's ok. I'm here now." Sonata just shook her head. "Come on silly. Let me see that big smile of yours."

"Pinkie, it's night time. You can't see my face." Sonata was tired and felt defeated and alone. All she wanted was for Pinkie to leave and let her be physically alone.

"My eyes have adjusted, so smile." Pinkie was undeterred. Her light, humor, and warmth were unyielding.

Sonata never looked up but curled the corner of her mouth up in a not even half hearted attempt at a smile.

"Awwww, come on now; you'll have to do better than that." Pinkie reached over, pinched the sides of Sonata's mouth and lifted them up in a stupid grin.

Sonata slapped Pinkie's hands away. "Stop," she said quietly. Then she lifted her head and looked to the side. "I'm destined to have a broken heart. At least that's what I thought. Then I thought I was meant to break others hearts. And I did; happily. I broke their hearts and made them love me for doing it. I was and am a monster."

Pinkie put her arm around Sonata and pulled her over until Sonata's head was on her shoulder. Sonata put up almost no fight. "No, you're not," she said sternly. "Maybe you were, but not now. I'm not friends with monsters. We're friends, so you're not a monster."

Sonata rolled over and put her arms around Pinkie. "Pinkie, please stay here with me," Sonata said.

"As if there was any way you could stop me." Pinkie smiled and slid down in the bed and Sonata slid down with her. Sonata laid her head on Pinkie's chest, her arms still wrapped around her. Pinkie held Sonata and kissed her forehead.

"Pinkie, I don't know what I'd do without you," Sonata whispered, head still on Pinkie's chest, facing outward.

"You're never gonna have to find out either. I'll always be here for you." Pinkie stroked Sonata's back. She was concerned about Sonata. There was a sadness to her that wasn't there before. Always there, bubbling beneath the surface. Her heart broke for Sonata. Sonata had quickly become her best friend. In fact the two were almost inseparable. To see her in any sort of pain was too much.

As she stroked Sonata's back; Pinkie began to realize she actually liked the feeling of having Sonata in her arms. There was a comfort in feeling her warmth beside her. Every so often, Sonata's pajama shirt would come up and Pinkie would feel the smooth skin of the small of Sonata's back. It was something else Pinkie was finding enjoyable.

Sonata lifted her head and gave Pinkie a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. Sonata felt a peace and warmth beside Pinkie. She snuggled up closer and her right hand started to rub Pinkie's side. She was surprised how smooth Pinkie's pajama shirt felt. Then she realized that Pinkie's shirt had ridden up and she was actually touching Pinkie's skin. She heard Pinkie giggle a bit. "What?" she asked.

Pinkie said, "Nothing, just a little ticklish."

"I'm sorry. I'll stop."

"No." There was a very long pause. A pause so long it seemed as if continents had rearranged themselves during it. But Pinkie finally said, "I . . . I like it."

Both girls suddenly felt weird. Both laid perfectly still in an awkward silence. Neither knowing what to say or do or what they wanted the other to do. Then, slowly, very slowly, Pinkie felt Sonata starting to rub her side again. Pinkie, in return, started to rub Sonata's back again, but only where her shirt was up and she could feel her skin.

"Pinkie?' Sonata asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" replied Pinkie, equally as hesitant.

"I love you, right?" Sonata's voice was filled with fear. Fear of saying it, fear of feeling it, fear of the response.

"I love you to," Pinkie replied in a confused voice. She wasn't sure what Sonata meant by those words or what she wanted Sonata to mean by her words, or what she even meant by her reply.

Sonata slowly got up and looked down at Pinkie. She then leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips. It was a quick kiss. Their lips barely touched. She then pulled back and looked to see what Pinkie's response would be. Pinkie placed her hand on the back of Sonata's head and lowered her down for another kiss. This was a long one. The felt the smooth, warm wetness of each others lips. Little bolts of electricity traveled and sparked across their bodies.

Sonata stopped and cuddled back into Pinkie, returning her head to Pinkie's chest. "You know this makes us gay now" she said.

"Of course. Gay means happy and we're happy."

Author's Notes:

Originally this scene ended with just the two girls lying in each others arms but with no romantic stuff happening. The moment of realization of how the two felt about each other came later. However, I felt that after several versions in my head of how that would happen, none really seemed "right" and a bit clichéd. I'm not saying this isn't clichéd, but it seemed less clichéd and more organic than the others. I now lose several scenes of their friends speculating on the nature of their relationship; but that's how it goes.

Early on I established that Sonata had frequent nightmares. These I wanted to be the result of a basically good person who had done really bad things. As she goes on, the nightmares will change as she wrestles with what she had done and who she has become and what it all means.