Flash Sentry was quite pleased that during the summer, the hardest decision he had to make was which guitar strings to buy.

He spent a lot of time down at the music shop, and it seemed like everyone in Canterlot High knew to find him there.

Which is why he shouldn’t have been surprised to turn around from the guitar string display and run smack into Sonata Dusk. Quite literally. He bounced off her and fell back against the wall.

“Sorry, I should pay more attention,” she said pleasantly, grinning.

Flash remained flattened against the wall. “I...didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Well, it is the best music store in town and I am a bit of an audiophile,” Sonata said.

“Huh,” said Flash.

Sonata took a step back and he relaxed enough to stop cringing away from her. He turned and maneuvered past Sonata towards the door.

“So what are you doing later?” Sonata asked. It was delicious how his shoulders tensed as if she’d cracked a whip.

“I’m, uh, busy,” Flash said, before hurrying for the door.

Sonata caught the attention of Adagio and Aria, who had been over at the counter distracting the owner. The three of them followed Flash.

He wasn’t too hard to spot. He was the only guy with blue hair and a guitar slung over his shoulder in sight.

Sonata crossed the street, walking quickly. Adagio and Aria followed along behind Flash. He got to his tricked-out Camaro, but saw the cut in the front tire. Casting a worried glance behind him, the two sirens there were clearly visible. He started across the street, but pulled up short upon spotting Sonata.

Flash turned and fast-walked into the alley behind him. Sonata grinned. Like herding cattle.

She rejoined the other two and they followed Flash deeper into the maze of side streets. Alleys were so convenient, keeping prey boxed in, Sonata thought.

Flash suspected he was in trouble when he reached a dead end. He knew he was in trouble when three sirens cornered him and told him so.

“So, we’re going to do very bad things to you,” said Sonata.

They spread out, blocking his only means of escape. Tall buildings on both sides pinned him in, and a dumpster blocked the way in front.

Flash vaulted the dumpster and took off at a sprint. He should have had the good sense to drop his guitar. Maybe it would have helped him run faster. The sirens had even given him a head start.

He used the graciously-provided time to run like the wind, wet his pants, and send a text message.

He hadn’t made it two blocks, however, when the sirens caught up. Fortunately, his leather jacket seemed to be fingernail-proof in spite of their clutching hands. However, when they discovered that, they simply tripped him.

Flash’s jacket and jeans kept him from losing too much skin on the pavement, but with three ancient monsters bearing down on him, that was a relatively mild concern. Of course, he’d already pissed himself, so it was pretty clear that he was past worrying about the little things.

“Stop!” he shouted.

“Why do they think saying that will work?” said Sonata. “Every time, it’s been like that.”

“Stop!” Flash repeated. “I don’t consent!”

Sonata blinked. “Consent to what?”

“I think he thinks we’re going to do something sexual,” said Aria.

Sonata burst out laughing. “Oh, oh fucking shit, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in years. You thought we were going to rape you?”

Flash looked between the three of them. “A-a little.”

“Well, we’re not, but I can rip your dick off if that makes you feel better.” Sonata grabbed his crotch. Flash reflexively curled up.

“Hold him,” Sonata ordered. Adagio and Aria grabbed Flash’s limbs.

“Nah, the truth is we’re going to bleed you to death.” Sonata paused. “Okay, I didn’t mean to make it sexual, but the penis is a place with a lot of blood flow, right?” She looked back down at Flash. “The blood part is important because we’re going to drink yours.”

“I thought you ate emotions or something!”

“Punch him in the mouth so he shuts up,” said Sonata. A moment passed and she looked up, glaring at the other two.

Adagio made a fist and socked Flash across the face.

“Eh, he might have pubic hair,” said Sonata as she thought about it. “He’s that old, right?”

“He’s in high school,” said Aria. “I think that means he’s old enough.”

“If we’re going to keep doing this, don’t you think we should know more about people?” said Adagio.

“Well, let’s find out,” said Sonata. She ripped open Flash’s jeans like they were made of tissue paper. “Yep, looks like it. Ick. I’m not putting my face anywhere near that.”

She seized his penis. “I can still rip this off, though. I bet that would get a reaction from him.”

“He also might bleed out too quickly,” Aria pointed out.

Sonata weighed her options, stretching Flash’s organ as far as it would go. His eyes were wide and his back arched up, trying desperately to relieve the pain.

“Eh,” said Sonata. She let go of Flash’s penis, and since it was on display, grabbed his scrotum and crushed it in her hand. It squished and bulged between her fingers like putty.

Flash made a sound like a dying frog and didn’t even have time to writhe in pain before passing out.

“That’s supposed to be a really sensitive spot,” said Adagio.

“It’s not like I knew that,” said Sonata. “What, are you fucking earth guys now?”

“I think any world you go to, testicles are pretty sensitive,” Adagio pointed out. “Did you not know that?”

Sonata spread her hands. “Why would I need to?”

Aria lightly slapped Flash’s face. He started to wake up, tears running down his cheeks before his eyes even opened. The little noises now were a lot higher pitched.

“Okay, that was round one,” said Sonata, loud enough for him to hear. “What should we do next?”

The question hung in the air for a moment before Adagio and Aria realized she was asking them.

“He’s already scared shitless,” said Aria. “Can’t you smell it?”

“Smell-oh, the fear.” It was pretty enticing, Sonata had to admit. “But I think we can do better. He hasn’t literally shit himself.”

Adagio made a face. “Really? That’s - yuck.”

“Okay, fine, we’ll make sure he doesn’t.” Sonata turned and grabbed Flash’s guitar. “One plug coming up.”

Flash saw it. Judging by his expression, he didn’t fully believe what she was insinuating, but his imagination was running wild, just like Sonata wanted it to.

And in some cases, nightmares did come true.

And in the case of Flash’s rectum, tuning pegs will absolutely shred intestine walls when the neck of a guitar is roughly shoved inside.

Everything else the sirens did to him was worse than that.

...through the heart, and you’re to blame. You give love a bad name…

Sunset Shimmer glanced down at her phone. She already knew from the ringtone that it was from Flash Sentry.

She sighed and looked at the text he had sent. Her brow furrowed. It was just one word. Sirens.

What do you mean? she texted back. Minutes passed. Flash did not reply.

Growing concerned, Sunset sent a text to Brawly Beats, Flash’s drummer. He responded shortly, saying Flash had gone to the music store.

Sunset got on her motorcycle and rode down there. A quick conversation with the store clerk revealed exactly what Sunset had feared. Adagio, Aria, and Sonata had followed Flash out of the store.

Flash was her ex, but nobody deserved to be cornered by those monsters. It didn’t fit their pattern to go after just one person, though. And anyway, what were they doing? Their necklace gems had been shattered and their powers stripped.

Sunset got back on her motorcycle. She saw Flash’s car parked just down the street, and upon approaching it, noticed the flat tire. She stopped the bike and checked her phone. Still no reply from Flash.

If the sirens actually had taken him, where would they have gone? Sunset eyed the alley next to Flash’s car and turned her bike down it.

Not two minutes later, something lumpy on the ground came into view. It took Sunset a moment to process what she was seeing. To her horror, she realized it was a body, and the red splotches everywhere were spilled blood.

She jumped off the motorcycle, not bothering to set the kickstand. She pulled out her phone to call emergency services.

Hurrying over, she saw to her ever-increasing horror that it was Flash, and he had been…

Sunset’s hands went to her face and her knees hit the ground.