" What do you want hay seed?"

The towering form of the bronzed farmer entered the kitchen proper. Every muscle in the well worn arms of the amazon like female, tensed and bulged in barely contained anger at the arm crossed purple fighter before her.

"Ya'll just couldn't leave it ah-lone, eh? Fluttershy done told you off months ago!"

Feeling caught in the act, Aria lifted her chin as she dug in her dirty jeans for her smokes.

"Ya, so? Sounding awful protective there redneck...what you got ah thing for her too?"

The implication forced the giantess of a farmer to pause, her wide shoulders heaved slowly in barely contained anger. The dull thump of a full pack of cigarettes against palm as Aria packed down her smokes drew the element of honesty's emerald gaze back to her quarry.

"What I am telling you, is back off. Shy and Dash are HAPPY. Try it some time!"

Sliding a smoke to her chapped lips the fighter eyed up her foe carefully. Aj wasn't a moron, despite her drawl like speech and bad grades back when they where in CHS. The farmer had seen Aria fight more then once, the two even (with proper supervision) had a "boxing" match. It was Sunset's attempt to teach the lumbering giantess a fashion of fighting past anything other then a bar room brawl, thrown chairs and broken bottles included. Applejack didn't take well to it, Aria ended up having mounted and pummeled the tanned apple farmer before finally being yanked off. Still, the MMA purple grump brawler knew better then to doubt, any, foe.

"What's that supposed to mean? Go root around in the mud with my siblings and pretend I make more then a few nickels to rub together any season? Psh, not likely hay seed. I am here for a reason."

"Oh yah? And what's that? Taken up space in your SISTERS AND HER WIVES home? Be leaving dirty laundry coverd in blood and booze for them to pick up? And now around ah damn baby?! Think Rayray deserves a loser for an Auntie?"

"SHE..you fucking truck driving, gun rack having red neck! IS the reason I am still here! She is MY niece, I am her REAL Aunt, unlike the rest of you humans. She will learn what it means to be a REAL Siren from the three of us, and Equestrian of pure breeding from Sunset. What are YOU going to teach her?!"

Her fists drawing tight, like the sound of leather being rubbed, Applejack snorted and glared over her freckle clad, sun beaten cheeks.

"How about I try teaching the pup about NOT being ah waste of effort. Adagio and Sonata have put up with yer shit for more years then I done can imagine. But ya'll need to hear it when I say, those days are over! Dagi is a Mommy now, and she is MARRIED to my best friend! What am I going to teach her? Not being a mess like YOU!"

Aria paused in lighting her cigarette. She heard the rambled rants of Sunset's friends a dozen times. "She is using you two. Does she even pay rent? I can't even go down stairs and not puke at your place Sunny, all I smell is beer and depression!" None of them ment anything, well...one did. Her narrowed eyes softened for a moment at a ever present memory of a very yellow, very gentle women.

"I..have other reasons to be here..."

"What, yer family? Those two would..no..ARE better off! Nata and Rares are getting hitched in a few months. Think they want you leeching off em? How is Adagio going to explain to Sunray when the girl see's you on the cover of "Ass kicker" weekly, bloody and standing over some poor beaten wretch ya'll just ruined they're professional courier...oh..oh no, it aint dem, is it? It's..her..."

Her lighter fully lowered, Aria shifted the un-lite smoke in her lips with a growl purring out behind it.

"When your fat ass lumbered in here, I should have told your apple picking ass off. But I will now, what me and Shy have is NOT your con..."

"Had!"

"W..what?"

"Listen yah damn drunk! Get this in that overly punched skull of yers! She AINT yours no more!"

That did it. The kitchen door was flung open in a tumble of two bodies. Aria slamming down the larger women with well honed if not booze fattend strength. With near six feet of pig tails flying, she yanked a fist back to perform a well honed attack. Her free arm having pinned its elbow to the apple of AJ's throat, her knees trapping wide farm worked shoulders. It would take so little, so very little to end the fear in the emerald gaze that glared up at her..forever.

Gasps and crys from the next room over where ignored. But the wail of a barely month old toddler caused the fighters head to jerk up, her jaw drawing tight and realization showing on her features. The moment of weakness was enough for the huge amazon like farmer to jerk the fighter off her. Tumbling away, and then down the short flight of stairs leading to the front door, Aria's head and back slamming into it a bit to hard for any ones taste.

And then, silence. Save for the terrified and confused screaming bundle clung to a pale blue siren bosom.

"Ar...Ari??"

"Careful Sonata..."

"Ya, she looked super duper mad Nata!"

"ARI!"

The overly tall siren stumbled down the steps to her fallen sibling and kneeling, with Sunray in her free arm, stroaked at the thin stream of blood that was ran down from the fallen purple women's brow.

"Oh Ari why, why! Are you ok, I will call Dagi! She will know what to do like always!"

"NO!"

Sonata cringed openly, her thin wrist being crushed in the fighters grip. But little attention else was giving to her sister, all the trembling eyes of the fallen drunk, could do was stare at the duel eyed gaze of her niece. Now silent, the tiny girl was reaching out to her with both chubby arms, tiny fingers working. Sunray had oddly taken right away to Aria, while she enjoyed Sonata's games and silly faces. She loved to touch at Aria's face, often poking her many scars and sharp nose. Tears burned the prideful sirens eyes, carefully she stood pulling Sonata and her niece up with her.

"Yah see Aria, you don't belong here..."

"Applejack! How can you say that!"

"Ya'll know I am right Pinks. This women is a mess, and a liability. I didn't give two shits before, but now we got Sunray, the future...face it girl, your the past these Siren's don't need to remember. Ya'll gonna taint this? Ruin this future? What about Nata and Rares? You would just show up wasted at der wedding..."

Sonata spun, clutching her niece in both arms, a feral snarl issuing from her like some wild beast as she moved to scream at the way to close to home farmer. But a purple, thrice broken hand, stopped her. Resting on the fast food engorged hip of her sibling. Aria leaned in from behind, resting her chin on the taller women's shoulder and looking down at the confused little girl in her arms.

"Shh shh little one, both of you...I don't suppose I can call you that anymore Nata...not anymore."

Turning the still hate filled eyed blue women in her strong arms, the fighter gave a soft sniff at her Sisters neck and sighed. Leaning back she graced a finger over the small newborns brow, the girl squealing in joy and grabbing at the ruined paw of the siren.

"She really is the most important thing now...tell Dagi and Sunny I will be by in the morning for my things."

"A..a..Ari, wait, thi..this is just a misunderstanding!"

"What in heavens is going on out here!!"

Rarity burst into the room, having been outside on a cell call, the crash and tumble down the stairs enough for her to end her call and rush inside. Before the pixie like super model shaped women, stood a clear stand off, the smell of fear, blood and sweat filled her sensitive nose. Running up to Aria and her fiancé, Aj caught the purple manned women's arm. The farmer shook her head at the fashionista's actions.

Looking up at the scene, Aria Blaze felt her heart sink all the more. Even now, just her being near Sonata was keeping her wife to be from joining her. With a loud sigh and a gruff flip of her pig tails, the fighter yanked her torn leather jacket and hog's keys off the wall. Flipping it over her shoulder and rolling the well worn motorcycle's keys in her calloused grip, Aria took a look upstairs. Pinkie had joined her friends, trying to calm a clearly upset Rarity, Applejack just gave the fighter a sad look. Finally she lifted her free hand to touch her younger sisters tear soaked cheek.

"It's for the best..see you in the morning."

With that and the husk of chill night air, and she was gone. Silence boomed louder then any scream, as Sonata turned, and made her ways up the stairs. Each step worked an emotion. First shock. Then resolve. Anger. Rage. Pure utter confusion. And finally, disappointment. Standing before the trio, Rarity's tiny white fingers touching her arm, then Sunray, checking on the little one, and her Aunt both in unique motherly fashion. Sonata just glared straight ahead, not at her mate, Applejack, anyone. Gently she turned and offered the girl to Pinkie and then took her lovers hand. With a tone of voice alien to the air head, she spoke before pulling gently to guide her fiancé.

"We need to talk..."