Life wasn’t so bad for the Dazzlings. Although bereft of their magic, centuries on Earth had given them the know-how and resources to survive, if not exactly flourish. They would need jobs within a few years, which meant they needed degrees. Which meant sticking it out at Canterlot High for another year.

Unfortunately, that also meant sharing space with the Rainbooms. The six girls so anxious to forgive and so eager to befriend that it sickened the sirens to no end.

“Pinkie’s the worst,” Aria Blaze declared, caring nothing for who might hear. They had a lunch table to themselves, and she had no desire to share.

“Nope. Definitely Rainbow.” Adagio’s words earned an immediate glare from Aria. The pair squabbled daily when life had been easy, and their ill turn of fortune only doubled the trend.

Aria flicked back a purple ponytail, savoring its whip-like crack. “Pinkie’s got it in her thick skull that I need to ‘lighten up.’ She keeps dragging me to parties.”

“Oh, no, what a horrible fate.” Adagio’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on Aria, and nor was her vicious smirk.

Aria growled, always easy to bait. “Her parties are the opposite of cool, smartass. They have cake, confetti, and – get this – pin the tail on the pony. Like a brat’s birthday.”

“At least you get cake,” Adagio shot back. “Rainbow basically kidnapped me to go to a soccer game. Have you ever watched soccer? It’s like watching a chess match, without the dramatic tension. For two stinking hours.”

“Ha.” Their third member’s laugh was completely devoid of humor. Sonata’s chin was planted on the table, eyes bleakly on her anemic salad. “At least you got to watch something. Rarity offered to make a dress for me. At first I was, like, ‘Sweet, free dress!’ And then she goes and murders my afternoon with an axe, because the fitting and designing and stuff took three and a half hours.”

“Argh, what is up with those Rainbooms?” Aria crushed her empty juice can in a fist. “We don’t like them, we don’t want to be around them, so why can’t they let sleeping sirens lie?”

“It’s Sunset.” The conversation was taking a predictable route, which meant Adagio’s attention was slipping to her hand mirror. Keeping her voluminous curls in line was an endless chore, and she fancied she had solved the Rainboom equation long ago. “After her own defeat, she hit rock-bottom and came out of it a born-again Friendship Cultist. She thinks we’re in the same boat she was. Soon as they realize we’re not going to starve or go crazy, they’ll move on.”

“Actually, I change my vote,” Sonata said, rocking her head on her chin. “Adagio’s right. Sunset’s the worst. Ever since the Battle of the Bands she’s become the self-proclaimed Queen of Friendship. She’s been on her high horse so long her butt must be sore.”

Aria gave her trademarked mean-spirited laugh. “I’ll make her butt sore, alright.”

“You wish,” Adagio sneered. “But I never said she was the worst. If you guys were listening to me the first time, you’d know it’s Rainbow.”

“And don’t forget Fluttershy,” Sonata moaned. “If you think Pinkie treats you like a grade schooler, talk to Yellow. She thinks showing off her stupid ‘bunny-wunnies’ will make us fall in love with the little poop factories.”

“Right.” Aria glared to the window. “And when you tell her where she can shove them, she runs away crying like a baby.”

Adagio sighed. Her curls were perfect, so there was nothing left to distract her from what had become the Dazzling’s daily complaint session.

Well, at least she could try to make it interesting. “So girls, we know they’re all totally lame. But who do you think is the least lame?”

“Easy. Applejack.”

Blue and yellow eyelids blinked at the words. Aria was the angriest and cruelest out of all of them, even to her fellow sirens. For her to say something even remotely kind… and so quickly…

“Maybe this did just get interesting.” Adagio purred to herself, turning the full force of her smirk upon Aria. The purple girl seemed to realize her folly – she looked away, cracking open Sonata’s juice can and taking a slurp.

“What?” Aria groaned in the voice of one who knew exactly what was coming. “She’s the seventh lamest Rainboom, that’s all.”

“O.M.G!” Sonata’s head rocketed from the table. Her grin was a cheerful counterpart to Adagio’s mean smirk, but was no less aggravating. “You just called Applejack the best Rainboom! She’s your favorite!”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, ditz.” Aria grabbed the back of Sonata’s head and pushed her back into the table, face-first.

“Let her go,” Adagio chided, well-used to playing referee. “Besides, I agree with you.”

That, at least, got Aria to let go. Unfortunately, it also led her and Sonata to look wide-eyed at Adagio. They gave a synchronized blink… and grinned.

Adagio huffed, snapping her pocket mirror closed. “Don’t try to turn the tables. I’m just saying she has some good qualities.”

“Oh, you turned the tables yourself.” Aria’s grin would put the Grinch to shame. “I never said she had good qualities. But you just did. So… why don’t you tell us what you mean?”

“Why don’t I not?” Adagio countered, losing what was left of her good humor.

Aria’s smile only widened. “Because then we’ll make up our own explanation.”

Sonata rocked in her seat, singing gleefully. “AJ and Adagio, sittin’ in a tree: K-I-S-S-I-N-G~”

“Fine!” Adagio snarled, slamming a hand down on the table. “But only to shut you losers up. You remember the big rainstorm three weeks ago? It washed all the mud from that huge construction site into the street, and…”

“Oh, no, no, no… no!”

Adagio’s brain moved as fast as her legs, taking stock. “The coat caught the worst of it, and my arms and legs can be washed…”

“But my hair!” Throwing open her locker revealed her mirror, and her fears come true. A noticeable streak of mud had smeared across her beautiful curls.

“Stupid mud, stupid speeding car…” With ten minutes until class began, Adagio furiously attacked the problem with her Hoity-brand comb. Three minutes was enough to prove its futility – all it did was straighten her beautiful curls, while leaving the mud intact.

An irritatingly familiar voice crept up on her side. “Girl, mud don’t let itself come out with a comb. Y’all need a good horse brush.”

“Stow it, redneck.” Adagio didn’t even glance to Applejack. “If I wanted hair advice, I’d go to literally anyone but you.”

Six minutes to go, and still no progress. She growled in a panic, redoubling her efforts to no avail. She couldn’t, wouldn’t go to class with muddy hair. This was going to make her late. Which meant detention. Again.

The growl cracked to a panicked squeal… and then a bark of pain. Thick bristles bit into her scalp, grinding in and yanking swiftly. They came around for another pass, and then two more before Adagio managed to pull away.

“How about some personal space, Freckles?” The farm girl sported a coarse, wide brush in one hand, with more than a few of Adagio’s hairs attached.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Why don’t y’all just take a look.”

Adagio almost jumped her, there and then. Ruining the sirens’ plan to conquer the world was annoying, taking away their magic was rude, but touching her hair was a crime punishable by death.

It was only chance that brought Adagio’s glance to the mirror… and then, both eyes. The rough brush had scraped off the worst of the mud. It wasn’t perfect, but with a little primping and curling Adagio could hide what was left. It would at least get her through the day.

Still… “Was that an actual horse brush? Like, for horses?”

Applejack nodded, grinning a grin that made Adagio just want to slap her.

“You are such a redneck.” Adagio turned away and began to walk. She could comb on the move easily enough, and now that was all she needed.

A glance back showed the farmer walking in the other direction, waving goodbye without looking. Adagio growled, blushing fiercely as she made her way to the first class.

“No, I was not blushing!” Adagio screamed at her compatriots, who were laughing like hyenas at their own addition to the story.

“Dude,” Aria gleefully slapped Sonata’s back. “I bet Applejack saved her from a mouse or something, and she made that story up because it’s less embarrassing than the truth.”

“I believe her,” Sonata said. “It sounds about right for Applejack.”

She opened her eyes to see the other two looking curiously at her. Always the better sport, Sonata laughed and scratched her head. “Yeah, Applejack’s my, uh, ‘seventh-place-least-favorite’ too.”

“Why?” Aria asked.

Sonata shrugged and stuck out her tongue.

Adagio turned her infuriating smirk to Aria’s aid. “Sonata, if you don’t tell, I swear I’m never rescuing you from Aria again.”

“It can’t be as dumb as Adagio’s story,” Aria followed, earning a glare from her temporary ally.

“Oh, fine!” Sonata yielded with perky cheer, closing her eyes with a winning smile. “And of course it’s not; I don’t freak out over stupid things. This was way, way more serious…”

“NO TACOS!?”

Sonata spun from the cafeteria. She staggered to the wall, and slumped face-down on the linoleum floor. Good. She didn’t want to see the world, anyway.

“It is Taco Tuesday.” She moaned. “There are no tacos. I’m going to sue. And use the money to buy a million tacos that I will not share with anyone.”

A Southern voice came from above. “Not even your friends, sugar cube?”

“Especially not them!” Sonata’s stomach growled, and her voice matched. “I won’t even eat most of my million tacos. I will sit on them. And when people ask me for some, I will tell them no. And I will laugh. Like this: Ha-ha.”

Above her, the voice sighed. Good. Sighs meant unhappiness. Let the whole world share Sonata’s misery!

“Oh, get up,” Applejack said with strained cheer. “You’re makin’ a powerful fool of yourself, and lyin’ on that floor ain’t healthy.”

Sonata shot back in a mocking impersonation of Applejack’s accent. “Yew know what else t’aint healthy, pilgrim? Starvation! This li’l doggy ain’t long for this world unless she gets her T-A-C… uh, uh… nevermahnd, Ah never learned how tah spell.”

“Grow up, girl.” Gently, a leather boot rolled Sonata over. She pouted upwards and puffed out her cheeks, drawing a gentle chuckle. “There’s plenty of food.”

“Fish!” Sonata cried, flailing her arms. “There is plenty of fish, and I am allergic to every single piece.”

“Well, Miss Luna is monitorin’ the lunch hall today. Maybe ask her for somethin’ else?”

“Brilliant idea!” Sonata cried. “Ask the woman I mind controlled for personal favors! I’m sure she won’t FRY ME UP FOR WEDNESDAY’S LUNCH!”

“It won’t hurt to ask,” Applejack tried, but Sonata was beyond words.

“CAN’T HEAR YOU! I’m too busy starving to death. Bury me at sea, and tell Aria she can have my smartphone. And that she sucks.”

“Oh, for… y’all wait right here.”

Sonata didn’t watch Applejack depart. Maybe she was getting a lawyer, or coroner.

Maybe she was getting a taco. That would be better. The thought was enough for Sonata to lift her head from the floor, and watch for the cafeteria door to open again.

When it did, she scowled. “That’s not a taco.”

“It’s peanut butter and jelly.” Applejack waved the sandwich under Sonata’s nose. “Ah told Miss Luna about your allergies, and she gave me this. Ask, and ye shall receive.”

“I asked for tacos.”

“Jes’ take the sandwich, sugar.”

Sonata wanted to refuse. It was Tuesday, and there were no tacos. This was heresy.

But her stomach outvoted her soul. She reached up to accept the food and began wolfing it down. Not a taco, but… adequate. The tastes of peanut butter and jelly blended beautifully, and a happy smile spread over her face before she could think to suppress it.

She glanced up, scowling, hoping Applejack didn’t see her mask slip. But the farmer had already left, and was nowhere to be seen.

“See, that’s the cool thing about Applejack.” Aria nodded to herself. “She helps, but she doesn’t pretend it makes us friends. She does it, and it’s done.”

“Speaking from personal experience?” Adagio needled her, leaving their third to munch her apple. Neither had expected much sense out of Sonata’s story, and they were not disappointed.

“Yeah, fine.” Aria shrugged, giving in with the ease of indifference. “I got an Applejack story too, but fair warning: it’s way less humiliating than saving your hair, or prying Sonata off the floor.”

Aria did the math. The gold-studded purse had cost her sixteen hours of work at the nail salon, and the damn ungrateful thing broke not three months later. She stomped into school with it under her arm, the strap severed right through the middle.

It wasn’t fair. Getting that purse was the one nice thing she did for herself since her magic was taken, bought fair and square with money she earned. And still she got screwed! She slammed a purple fist into her locker, face locked in pain and fury, tears rolling from her eyes…

“I wasn’t crying!” Aria grabbed Sonata and shoved her nearly off her chair.

“Was too!” Sonata shouted triumphantly. “I saw you.”

“You saw me crying and didn’t do anything?” Aria glowered. “Thanks for being such a pal, bitch.”

“You would’ve shoved me in the locker and we both know it.” Sonata huffed.

Aria arched her nose and turned away. “Okay, you know what? Screw you, you don’t get the play-by-play. Applejack took the purse to her lame shop class and replaced the strap, making her ten times cooler than you.”

“I guess that makes her a hundred times cooler than you!” Sonata shot back.

“Hey lesbians,” Adagio interrupted. “She just came in.”

“And she’s… alone.”

The lanky, freckled girl was alone in more than one sense of the word. Applejack stood awkwardly in the crowded cafeteria, soft green eyes hopping from table to table in search of friends that were not there.

Minutes ticked by slowly. The Dazzlings sipped drinks and watched her pause in the midst of it all. Her gaze finally passed over every table without sight of her friends… and she sighed. One hand picked idly at her faded jeans while the other balanced her tray.

Adagio cocked her head. “Huh. Where are the Rainbooms?”

“Dunno,” Sonata chirped, then called out loudly. “Hey, Applejack! Sit with us!”

The other two startled, Aria hissing in a low voice. “What are you doing, Sonata?”

“Increasing the sane-person-to-Aria ratio at the table.” The unrepentant siren stuck out her tongue.

“Quiet,” Adagio cut in. She always tried to keep them civil when the Rainbooms were around. If Sunset’s cult ever learned how much the sirens bickered, they might be able to pick off Sonata or Aria. Or worse: stage an intervention.

She gave a nod as the farmer came close. “Where are your friends?”

“Club day.” Applejack shrugged, face drawn in a wry frown. “The clubs have today and the weekend to get their rooms and paperwork in order for inspection, so all the girls are pullin’ through the lunch period in their own places. Was kinda hopin’ at least Rarity or Sunset wouldn’t’ve saved it to the last minute… but ah, well.”

“Sit with us,” Sonata repeated. Their table was half full, and easily the least crowded in the room.

Applejack glanced to the other two – who were looking away, chewing or drinking with feigned distraction. “Ah don’t wanna bother y’all.”

“It’s no bother,” Adagio said, drawing a betrayed glare from Aria. But Aria didn’t protest or snap. She just shrugged, so Applejack sat down amongst them.

“Kind of crappy of them to ditch you.”

Applejack shrugged at Adagio’s comment. “T’ain’t like that. Just because we’re friends don’t mean we gotta be joined at the hip.”

She blew a sigh. “Sure wish it weren’t today, though. Mah evening’s gonna be deader than a hog on Christmas.”

“No big Friday plans?” Adagio asked.

“Nope.”

No immediate follow-up came. Applejack began eating her lunch, unaware of the tension her answer provoked. The Dazzlings, as it happened, did have plans for tonight. And an idea entered each of their minds, followed swiftly by an unwillingness to be the first to speak.

Adagio glanced to Aria. The purple bully tossed back her hair, and looked to the side. No one expected the ‘mean one’ to offer her hand.

Aria’s blink carried her into Sonata’s pink eyes, and nigh-invisible shrug. Adagio was the leader, and Aria was the brute. A wrong move on Sonata’s part would bring them both down on her head. She was a follower, not a decider.

Sonata’s glance to Adagio was a meaningful one. Sonata couldn’t do what they all were thinking, and Aria wouldn’t. That left Adagio, or nothing at all.

The second option was tempting. But to be honest, Adagio was too curious to let the chance pass.

“Hey,” she began, nice and casually. “Tonight we’re having a slumber party. Video games, junk food, the works. You’re invited.”

Applejack laughed, a response Adagio had not expected. “Don’t y’all live together already?”

A brief silence, and Aria confessed. “We usually keep to our own parts of the house. It works for everyone, but some evenings we come together to hang out and just be girls. Remind ourselves why we put up with each other.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Applejack smiled, drawing an immediate snap.

“Can it, redneOW!”

“Don’t mind Aria.” Sonata’s voice was of musical cheer as she removed her foot from Aria’s shin. “She thinks it’s embarrassing that we sometimes spend time together by choice.”

“Well, thanks for the offer.” Applejack’s smile had grown soft and sedated. “Ah know we’ve got a less-than-neighborly history between ourselves, and it says somethin’ right nice that you’d invite me. But jes’ ‘cause Adagio’s okay with it don’t mean it’s okay with you two, and Ah ain’t gonna make you say no. So–”

“I’m fine with it.” Aria grumpily cut in. “And of course the ditz is.”

Applejack yelped as two cyan arms reached around and yanked her into Sonata’s chest.

“You can be the friend I never had!”

Aria grunted, “What about us?”

“You can be the nice friend I never had!” Sonata didn’t miss a beat, but that wasn’t what Adagio noticed. While the other two annoyed each other, a nervous pink had risen to Applejack’s cheeks. Sonata’s friendly nuzzle had sent her reeling, and nervously stammering her agreement to go.

Countless years of lovers won and lost had given Adagio the ability to see attraction at a glance. And friendly, honest Applejack evidently had no practice in hiding it.

Adagio’s smirk – normally reserved for annoying Aria – came out in full force.

“Oho?” She hid it quickly, but on the inside the grin remained. “This is going to be more fun than I thought.”

No matter how many times she read the text, Sunset Shimmer couldn’t believe it.

Applejack. Going to a sleepover with the Dazzlings.

A small, idealistic part of her brain cheered. The sirens’ ice was thawing. Friendship was winning out over grudges and greed.

But the more she thought about it, the more she knew. This was too good to be true. The sirens were as mean-spirited as ever. Whatever they were scheming, it involved getting Applejack to be trusting and alone.

Trusting, yes. But not alone. Sunset turned on a heel, her fingers blurring over her phone’s touchpad. Return texts came from the other Rainbooms. All ran along the same vein: Applejack was more important than any club work.

It was time for a stakeout.