Pony POV Series Origins:
The Dazzlings
Part 1 of 2
WARNING: SPOILERS TO EQUESTRIA GIRLS RAINBOW ROCKS!
"Mares and Gentlestallions!" Announced Dazzle Links of PTV fame. "Please put your hooves together, for a group of ponies after my own heart! The Dazzlings!"
The crowd of unicorns, Earth Ponies, pegasi, and flutterponies cheered, Queen Rosedust's youngest daughter, Princess Crystal, being in the POV box wearing Dazzling merchandise.
A beautiful equine head popped out of the water, followed by others.
"Shoo-be-doo! JUST KIDDING! Let's give you ponies something that REALLY ROCKS!" Adagio Dazzle told the crowd through her water proof headset. She gave a smile as the crowd responded with a roar of excitement, the mare soaking it in like the water she swam in.
The background music began to play.
The group began the number with a beautiful series of wordless vocals that set the tone perfectly.
Welcome to the show!
You're all ready we know!
The time is now
You can cast off your doubt
Cause it's time to start out!
Dazzle Links was sorry she had to leave right after the concert started, the group of seaponies were were quite good. She could still hear the wordless vocals that were one of their signatures still in the background as she headed to meet her method of travel this evening.
She wanted to with her husband, Chain Links, when the wish spell was officially cast, and he was on the other side of the ocean. Thankfully she had a high speed pegasus flight (the newest trick of the tribes' reunification) waiting for her after she had done her job. She couldn't help wondering what the band playing's wishes were. Oh well, she'd find out soon enough.
The Isle of Pony's Spell Castle, which had none less than Starlight herself present to formally usher in the spell that would remake the world into paradise, stood finished and beautiful. And so, to help call in what would be literally the rebirth of the world, the royal family of the Isle of Pony headed by Princess Rosey herself, had called in the best musicians the seapony tribe could offer.
Feel the wave of sound
As it crashes down
You can't turn away
We'll make you wanna stay!
Adagio Dazzle ducked her head underwater, and dove straight down before making a beeline to the surface in a arcing leap, at the apex, her body shimmered and shined like sunlight, her lower body changing to a second set of hooves, and her fins grew into a pair of translucent wings. The hearts of the flutterpony stallions beat faster, something which Adagio's pose implied was completely intentional.
She landed gracefully on her two new rear hooves on the island stage, and danced as she continued to sing.
Trans-tribe magic was extremely expensive, its taboo status in most countries only driving the cost up higher. Being able to shift between two tribes was the cutting edge. Publicly speaking, a exception was made for seaponies, after all, it was easier (and less humiliating) to go on four hooves on land than having be carted around everywhere like a cripple. The spell itself had been another thing gleaned from the rainbow of light itself. The process to engrain the spell into her body had been long and a little painful, but it was worth it.
While it was controversial to say the least, (by members of every tribe), never was it claimed the Dazzlings were timid or undaring. And the crowd loved it.
We know we're adored
Tell us that you want us!
You've watched our dreams soar!
Now let us hear you roar!
Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk dove underwater next, and leapt up together, transforming mid arc and landing in perfect step with Adagio. The ponies cheered even louder as they made suggestive and seductive moves to the audience.
Just stay with us
Write myths of us
Carried on by our sound!
Tempo Wave and Oratorio Waltz dove under and leapt next, creating an 'x' behind the other band members before transforming themselves, landing, and joining in the dance.
What we have in store
All you want and more.
When you think we're through
That's when we'll surprise you!
The audience went wild as the five ponies turned their backs, fluttered their wings, and dived back under water, changing shape again. Then all five of the Dazzlings burst out of the water at once, taking to the sky above the audience.
Welcome to the show!
You're all ready we know!
The time is now
You can cast off your doubt
Cause it's time to start out!
The five ponies landed back on stage and did a bow, the crowd erupting in applause like the group had asked for.
+++
So you want to know about us? Heh, it's not like you CAN'T know about us! Adagio Dazzle, lead singer and eldest of the Dazzlings at my service!
Where were I and my sisters born? We were born Seasville, but have since moved to Aquastria itself. Better than with our dozen other sisters and brothers. Big ocean, why stay cooped up in a little pond?
My biological father in the school was Achelous, and my biological mother in our school was Aglaope.
Seaponies have large families? You land ponies are the ones who have small families!
Make a joke about us multiplying like fish and Aria will probably make you eat your mic. She's got a bit of a temper you know.
When the land pony tribes found each other again, lots of ponies panicked, thinking we were gonna end up as, blech, 'seafood' platters or mounted on walls, or kept as goldfish if we were ever discovered. Being in an aquarium being looked at by dozens daily? Tempting, but not something I was interested in.
But other seaponies felt our 'discovery' was only a matter of time so it was best to discover others first. Most thought that this was a chance to make new friends now that land ponies had opened up to there being different kinds of ponies.
Yes yes me and my sisters saved some sailors too, seriously, you land ponies practically throw yourselves in the water sometimes, it's like you want to drown, or you want to meet with one of us, not that I could ever blame you for that one. I think one of the sailors I saved has a crush on me, I get a ton of fan mail from the guy.
My sisters and I are as big below the waves as we are above them, get a pair of gills and come to one of our underwater concerts sometimes, you'll see how good we really are! These pipes are made for below the sea, after all. If we're this good with a handicap, imagine hearing us at our full potential.
Anyway, with the land ponies back together, King Leo decided we should reunite as one herd. Heh.
My sisters and I were just happy that we were all going to get along. But then we heard the noise all those ponies were passing off as music! Blech! There was no way we were about to let that stand!
You see, us sea ponies love our music. It's our pride and joy. We were joining the big wide world, so why not share the thing we love most to ponies who obviously need it?
Shame Melody and her band aren't playing today. Only real competition we have. We could have closed out the old world with a good old battle of the bands. Then again, I guess having the center stage during the last concert of the old world isn't too bad. I like the sound of that myself.
-
Big sister Adagio finally let the rest of us speak? About time. Aria Blaze, yes, I know Blaze isn't the name you expect from a seapony, is it my birth name? Not telling buddy. Respect a lady's privacy or that lady might feed you your headset...oh, she already said I'd do that if you clopped me off? We're sisters, what did you expect?
In the school, my birth father was Achelous and my birth mother Thelxiepeia. No, we're sisters. We're all foals of the same school; you land ponies are weird, you know that? After all this time I STILL don't get how you can have such a narrow view of what is and isn't family! I thought you all thought you were a herd or a flock or whatever!
So big sister decided we could make a huge splash with the land ponies since you clearly needed some education on what real music is. I mean, do you ever listen to your own stuff? You land ponies should be grateful. The first time Sonata heard violin music, she asked if two catfish were getting into a fight! You don't know what that sounds like? Like a violin, I just told you!
Yes we know Melody of the Rockin' Beats. She's the only mare I've met who can match big sister in terms of ego. We met at the first annual Five Tribes Cultural Exchange. Melody and big sister got into a 'discussion' about what made good music. It was fun watching big sister sing her heart out and the land pony keeping up with her every step of the way until they BOTH fainted! No offense, but I think Adagio needed taken down a few pegs. We're always singing her songs, why not ours?
Big sister Adagio will never admit it, but she knows she and Melody are kindred spirits. It was FUN meeting her twin little sisters Jing-A-Ling and Ting-A-Ling, you could say those two are OUR kindred spirits.
Half-Note's a nice gal. I think she knows what I mean about the lead hogging the spotlight. We shared a few drinks while our leads recovers. Girl's got a good beat!
The charity battle of the bands we did? It was a draw! I don't care what the judges say, that was a technicality! We won! You hear me? That was clog in the rule book! Rematch? Any time. We love a good battle any day.
Yes I'm a descendant of Wave Dancer of Paradise Estate, my family scroll goes all the way back to when we seaponies could go through streams and rivers without having to worry about being hit by litter. Yeah, who do you think has to deal with the stuff you land ponies throw away? We live in the ocean you know. And yeah, Half-Note told me about a certain flood in Ponyville caused by trash, you land ponies can't even keep the rivers clean to protect yourself!
-
Greetings, I am Sonata Dusk. My sire in our school is Phorcys, my birth mother is Peisinoe. Yes I am fully aware those aren't what you land ponies consider traditional names. But they're named after several of our ocean and river spirits, so please so some proper respect. You wouldn't want us making fun of humans, right?
While we have accountants and the like, I prefer to think of myself as our school's number cruncher. My sisters need to learn to appreciate me some more in my humble opinion. After all, how could we make a profit without somepony to make sure the money is spent in the right places.
I am fully aware that when we made our debut on land, that we were seen as a novelty. But big sister was determined to ride that wave to the top and she delivered. Adagio has always known how to get attention and keep attention! We weren't just better than the land ponies lands and their crude music, but we were the best. No offense, but our herd has simply had a few extra thousand years to hone our talents with self expression through music, singing to the whales and dolphins. I'm sure you'll catch up, eventually.
Pretty Beat is a member of Melody's band yes, that mare is rather proud of her face, and she is rather attractive. She talks about needing to find a stallion, but the time she's spent helping bring about the Wish Spell, hopefully she can finally find a mate now that it's finally complete. Heh, maybe that'll be her wish to find Mr. Right. Sea ponies and mates? It's...complicated. We have mates for life, but you could say we're 'free love' in other areas.
You should have been there, were you? No. Too bad. All those land ponies, they were practically slack jawed. You have no idea how red in the gills Aria got when some of them dared crack some fish jokes. You don't see us cracking horse jokes do you? But that made it all the more satisfying when they closed their traps when they heard us sing. There wasn't a heckler left in the house by the time we were done. There wasn't a land pony who didn't hear us that day who didn't want our voices recorded on records, CD, MP3 card. I can't blame them. Our voices deserve to be recorded for history to remember us. Wish we could get a good recording of how they sounded to a sea pony ear underwater. I'd say we've left an impression on ponies that isn't going to be easily forgotten.
-
You've talked with the others huh? I'm Tempo Wave. Yes I guess my green scales do compliment my sisters. Yes these are all our natural colors. No Adagio didn't pick us based on who'd look best, we came together for who would sound best! And there isn't a set of voices that sound better above or below the waves! Be it alone or together as a group! You can take that as a standing challenge.
Sigh. Sometimes I think we're like Cerberus if his heads wanted to go in different directions. Our personalities have a habit of clashing at times It's a good thing Adagio is as good as she is at giving us a direction, and Aria is good at keeping the others in line while Sonata is what keeps our logistics in order. And of course Oratorio Waltz is the one who makes our dance routines.
But you wouldn't know that from listening to them speak. Personally? I think they each see the rest of us are a riptide pulling them back while they try to swim forward. So why do we stick together? Because we're sisters, we're a school, we're family. We've been that way from the day we were born What other answer do we need?
Me? I keep us from squabbling in public. I swear, I may be younger, but the rest of my sisters can act like foals sometimes! Adagio Dazzle is a passing mother figure, but you wouldn't know that from how she and Aria talk smack to each other sometimes. Sonata has a bit of a problem telling when she should keep her mouth shut at times. Oratorio Waltz is NOT happy if we ever dare try to impro any of her routines, and Adagio loves to overrule her.
Maybe that's why I don't feel like quoting where my DNA comes from. We're a school, we're sisters, what else needs there to be? The past is dead, the future isn't here yet. Live in the moment I say. Why waste it acting like a bunch of brats to each other? If I have one wish for the wish spell to grant, it's that we'll get along together as one like we really should.
Tuneful from Rockin' Beats knows what I mean, odd pony, Tuneful is actually HAPPY they're not center stage, (being the keyboard player), and is happy to just be part of the band. That land pony is something else.
The music we sing I think has done a lot of good for these land ponies, I swear, all those imitators might be annoying, I swear they're going to damage their throats trying to copy the notes we can sing, their vocal cords just aren't built for it (our singing partners are sometimes whales, we need to have a wide vocal range), but in the end, I'd say they've now got a north magnetism to get them in the right direction to improve themselves.
Not that the other tribes haven't improved things for us too of course, see me fly sometimes and you'll know exactly what I mean. And the wish spell, heh, I can't wait to see what new world we create from all our hopes and dreams will be like.
-
Oratorio Waltz, singer and dance coordinator for the Dazzlings. You talked with my sister PR girl Tempo Wave. Yes I'd say we need each other, all my routines are made for five ponies after all. Aria and Sonata are closer to Adagio because of our ages. The eldest seapony leads the rest of the school. It's tradition. Nothing wrong with it. Don't you land ponies at least have elders for some of your tribes? Unicorns do? See?
We were big at home, but we exploded once we hit the surface, and those shock waves pushed us to the top of the carts in Aquastria as well! All those ponies look at us, loving us, adoring us, even compared to the schools who visited our performances back home it as nothing! Literal schools or schools of sea ponies? Both. And to think this was virgin territory as we struck gold first! We've become the mental image of seaponies singing for the land ponies. We're the go to for music.
It was SHOCKING when we heard that Aquastria had dumped out its funding to build the Rocking Beats a seaside stadium! How could seaponies consider that simplistic, shallow beating music? There are so few wavelengths and everything! Not to mention it's hard to design a dance when you only have two dimensions to work with, I think that was a major reason why we got the flutterpony spell wired into us. Anything else just felt so limiting. No offense to Earth Ponies, but the idea of being stuck with your tailfin glued to the ground sounds awful to me.
Don't worry Sweet Notes knows it's just some friendly competition between us. Just some friendly rivalry between bands. We wouldn't have done a charity battle of the bands with the Rockin' Beats otherwise. You should hear some of the jokes she makes about seapony music, but she loves it to death, she even said she's considering getting a permanent gills spell so she can move to Aquastria. I admire her in a way, at least she knows how to put her foot down. Too bad that rarely works with my sisters when I want them to keep in step. Unfortunately keeping ponies in line is Aria's thing and not mine.
Those ponies . . . the Rockin' Beats and us are kindred spirits I'll admit, we both know how we give meaning to the masses dreary lives so they can keep civilization turning, I swear, without music, ponies civilization, all ponies, would grind to a halt, mark my words.
Yes, I'd say we definitely love the cheers from the crowd almost as much as they love us.
-Interview of the Dazzlings about themselves for PTV Magazine a couple hours before the Wish Spell was cast
+++
The rainbow spread across the world, and remade everything and everypony to what those ponies truly wanted most.
Adagio Dazzle wished, "I'll always be top singer."
Tempo Wave wished, "We'll get along together as one like we really should.'
Sonata Dusk wished, "The other all had my brains."
Aria Blaze wished, "We could sing my songs."
Oratorio Waltz wished, "My sisters would follow my routines as perfectly as I do."
And deep down, the other four each of them wished for, "A shot at being lead singer in our group."
For seaponies, wishing had been about wishing upon stars, those unreachable things beyond even the surface's surface, like a second ocean where the spirits themselves dwelled. A song to the stars wishes were called.
And without even thinking about out, the Dazzlings each began to sing the melody. They began to slowly move towards one another.
As the world remade itself to wishes in ponies' hearts, where five ponies stood, was now the beautiful Starsong Melody, the pegasus/flutterpony.
For seaponies, her name would mean, 'Wish Granted.'
But pride and arrogance and selfishness were not part of this new world. And without that pride and arrogance and selfishness, Starsong Melody hid her special talent. Until a fateful encounter with Pinkie Pie encouraged her to sing to her fellow ponies.
It was more wonderful than Starsong Melody could ever imagine. And something she never wanted to forget or take for granted.
And that gratefulness . . . would show its true colors the day the world ended. And Pinkie Pie, would remember her music friend, and carry on in her musical friend's name till the end of her days. The days her friend had bought her in her last act.
+++
Time rolled back. And in the attempt to reach heaven, the world of ponies went into Hell's waiting jaws.
The explosion was felt everywhere that ponies lived, death and destruction touched everywhere and everything. Zebra in their earliest records had a myth of a day that lasted a day and the night, and wind that tore their houses from their bases.
Civilization crumbled. Money became meaningless. The world had been blasted back to the feudal age.
Many ponies were left brain damaged creatures to be abandoned or cared for by their families. While many creatures that had been dumb beasts, were now self-aware, and began clawing their way up to become a people as the ponies fell around them.
For the Dazzlings, they weren't looking when the castle exploded. But they felt the shock wave as destruction pour out from seven specially chosen spots across the globe, the amount of magic released unlike any the world had ever seen or would again, but tainted by the mark of destruction, and yet random and unpredictable, neither cruel nor kind. It merely was.
The five had been underwater when it happened, but that didn't spare them. The underwater hotel that had been built exclusively for their people fell around them even as the harmonous chaotic magic tore through their bodies. The spell that had allowed them to turn into Flutterponies reacted with it, resulting in even more unstable magic ripping through their forms.
After the wave of destruction, the five ponies slowly rose to the surface, unconscious, along with several others of their kind. Slowly they came back to the waking world, looking at a sky that showed an indifferent sky with no pegasi nearby to guide it.
Strongest willed Adagio Dazzle woke up first, rising up from the water. She saw other seaponies hugging each other, some crying out in anguish, and some who just emptied themselves and floated along like seaweed. For some reason she couldn't help feeling they looked smaller than they should have.
She spotted Tempo Wave first . . . her eyes stared at the sky lifeless, her body's natural buoyancy was the only thing keeping her float, a wooden beam sticking out through her chest, the water around her body the wrong color.
Adagio whimpered and covered her mouth, trying not to vomit. Something felt odd about her fins. But she didn't care right now.
"Tempo? . . . You . . . you okay? . . . Say something?" She tried fruitlessly, she was just some after party nightmare right? But the pain around her body said otherwise. Tempo Wave's empty vessel merely floated in front of her.
"C-Come on...Oratorio, you know some first aid right?!...Oratorio?"
"Adagio . . . that . . .that you?" Oratorio Waltz voice coughed out. "What's going on? Who stole the sun?"
Adagio Dazzle turned to the source of voice . . . it was Oratorio Waltz, but it wasn't. One of her fins was much too large, and another ended in a half-fin, half-hoof, her once beautiful red mane was only a couple of strands on her head. Her eyes darted about, but they didn't see anything.
"It's . . . it's . . ." Adagio Dazzle shook her head, this was a disaster, how the buck did this happen?! This was all wrong! She noticed the water around Oratorio Waltz was the wrong color too, skin missing, and things floating that should never have floated on their own still connected to her. "It's nothing Oratorio. H-how are you feeling?"
Why. Why wasn't she crying for help?! But as she looked around, she saw a seapony with tentacle for fins screaming out as she swam about terrified at the sight of herself. And other seaponies equally a chaotic mess. She felt like her mind was trying to break, but she struggled to keep it together.
"I . . . I hurt all over."
"It . . . changing the world was really tiring, you should get some rest. You and Tempo."
"Oh . . . okay . . . hey, Adagio, we're the best aren't we?"
"The absolute best."
"No way anypony can take that away from us. We're the best there is we always will be."
"Couldn't have said it better myself."
"Good . . . nopony can . .. can take that away, we're unbeatable . . . I think, I'll take that nap now. See you later." What was left of Oratorio Waltz stopped moving.
Adagio was trembling. She swam back against a piece of wreckage, staring at the remains of her two sisters. Her mind tried to form words, but none came.
"Okay. Now this is sick."
"Aria?" Adagio turned, and struck in sheer reaction from the monster in front of her. Only then did she notice she hit the monster that she had hooves. Hooves? But she wasn't in Flutterpony form. Was she? She tried to use the spell, but something felt bent, awkward. Her eyes trailed down her legs, finding fins at her elbows. Was she stuck between forms? But there were a hundred safety measures against that!
She heard Sonata scream. She turned to see another monster, this one blue instead of red like the first, crying and scraping at herself. "King Leo! What is this?! This is crazy! Make it stop! Make it stop!"
"Tartarus, Adagio, Sonata, is that you? What the foam is this?!" The purple monster said in Aria Blaze's voice.
"Me? What are you . . ."
Adagio Dazzle looked down at the ocean's surface, her beautiful face did not look back at her.
A neck far too long. Fins far too big. Tail the completely wrong shape and again too long like some cheap porno drawing. A face that was some ugly mix between horse and pony. Sharp teeth set in mouth.
Adagio Dazzle's scream reached the heavens.
+++
Seaponies who did run from them screaming, and gave them a chance to introduce themselves, attacked the three sisters anyway. After all, they had helped bring about this terrible new world.
Having lost their beauty and two of their number meant absolutely nothing to the angry and hurt ponies desperate for somepony to pin their rage on. After all, Starlight was dead, it was hard to take revenge on a dead mare with no husband or children.
Finally, the trio had no choice but to swim away, thankful their new longer tails gave them a bit more speed to escape.
Adagio Dazzle hated her face being seen. It was hideous. Returning to Aquatria or their home town was only met with a lynch mob.
They met up with the Rockin' Beats on the shoreline at one point by pure luck. They had abandoned Melody for her leading the group in helping bring about the death of the world.
They found only minimal sympathy for their destroyed beauty and loss of Tempo Wave and
Oratorio Waltz. Sadly the world had little use for musicians now, and land ponies couldn't have cared less about their aquatic cousins now. Least of all a trio of 'mutant freaks'.
Still, Sonata Dusk was able to convince them quite gracefully with a few well placed lies that Melody was the one who had manipulated them too. It was for survival after all (something the trio had learned was all they could hope for at the moment). They needed allies. And from what the Beats had said, Melody was now a brain damaged mare, she'd never argue this story even if the Beats ever met her again.
For all intents and purpose the two groups were in the same boat, and settled down along the coast.
Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk helped where they could. Aria put their new monstrous appearance to good use scaring off anypony who heard where they were and came seeking revenge, and Sonata caught fish. while Adagio Dazzle cried herself to sleep.
Her beauty, her fame, her sisters, her greatness, all stolen from her. She'd gone from the top of the world to the very bottom in a day. It was completely unfair! They had been worshipped, WORSHIPPED by the land ponies, they LOVED THEM, and now they were less than a bad memory!!! She'd lost everything!
But hearing about how Melody was a now a mute . . . clicked one thing in her mind. They still had their voices. It was a tiny consolation, but Adagio would take what she could get.
The mutated sea pony also couldn't help but feel a sense of being robbed at hearing Melody voice was gone. Her greatest rival, the only land pony she'd accept was on her level...and they'd never be able to prove who was better. Adagio told herself she was now undoubtedly the best in the world, but that thought felt hollow for some reason. She felt cheated. She'd never admit it, but a part of her missed Melody.
The castle that the five sisters had been near had been the 'main' castle, the one that existed at the heart of the seven, where the magic was at its strongest and most pure. Some even had called it the 'Castle of Magic' after the renovations had been finished. Now it was ruins of a tragedy. Their loving friends, their fans, had become enemies.
Aria Blaze complained first. That food wasn't filling them. That consumption happened, but they gained nothing from it. It was like they were eating styrofoam.
Sonata Dusk was too busy complaining about all the modern conveniences they had lost to notice at first. But the hunger was growing strong with her too. Feeling emptier and emptier inside. Adagio Dazzle broke out of her self pity and noticed it too at last.
That was when a pony that the Beats recognized as a friend showed up one day. A white-coated and rainbow-maned earth pony with the name of Logan.
Logan had asked what was going on with Melody and why she wasn't with them.
They told him.
"How could you?! You think Melody hasn't lost family and friends like all of you did?! And in case you forgot, none of you were FORCED to help her! All of you did this of your own choice! And she had no more idea this was going to happen than you!"
"That's all nice and noble to say," Sweet Notes snarled, whose face was destroyed, "But in case you forgot, it doesn't change that the world has gone to hell, and Melody was leading us all into its waiting jaws!"
"And you were a part of it! Just like the rest of us! Melody wasn't a scientist! Or a wizard! She didn't have anything to do with the spell itself! She wasn't part of it blowing up! You all just wanted somepony to blame!"
Sweet Notes punched him.
The sisters meanwhile, felt something odd. The emptiness was lessening as the land ponies bickered and fought with each other. Thinking back on it, they hadn't needed to eat for days after the chaos and misery they had awoken in the middle of after the disaster. Sonata was the one who noticed a green smoke floating around the land ponies only the sisters seemed to see begin snaking its way to them, into their bodies. It would have been hard to see in the chaotic ocean.
Logan eventually left, agreeing to disagree with the Beats, who told him that he was living in a fantasy world if he thought Starlight and her friends were somehow saints for bringing the world to this.
Logan said, "Blaming ponies at this point wouldn't change anything."
Aria Blaze was sorry to see him go . . . she didn't know why, but she knew she felt less empty since he arrived. And something about the way he had fought with the Beats had . . . excited her. Like when a shark smells blood.
One night to test a theory she had, Sonata asked the Beats what 'the Day' had been like for them. The reaction was as expected. They raged at the world...and the green smoke pooled again.
Adagio decided to join in and retold their own story in more detail. Aria thought perhaps Adagio let more of her emotions out than she would have otherwise, but hearing about what were now their friends' suffering increased their anger...and increased the amount of the green smoke that flowed to them.
And all three sisters noticed. They repeated the routine for several nights, but the Beats eventually got tired of being asked and recounting their miseries. And there appeared to be a diminishing return, going over the same hate, anger, misery, aggression, and violence over and over.
Then a gang of roaming ponies had come, seeking revenge on anypony related to the wish spell, having nothing left, and able to rally others around them for protection and numbers with this simple cry for revenge. They were not deterred as the others by Aria simply scaring them away. They'd come ready and aware of a 'sea monster'.
The revenge gang also had come prepared to fish out the 'beasts' in case they tried to swim away too, knowing their own connection to the accused Melody.
The large gang's wrath became practically a celebration, a festival, trying to see who could do the most horrible thing to which ponies. Half-Note. Tuneful. Sweet Notes. Pretty Beat. They cried out in pain and misery for each other, and rage at the world for Melody's reputation dragging them into this hell. The fine green mist, became a flash fog.
The trio had no idea what to do as the closest things they'd had to friends since this disaster started were now victims of a lynch mob. Why was the world so cruel? Was the only way to survive to have more power than those around them?
It all came to a head when one of the gang members attempted to stab Aria with a pitch fork...the fork snapped on her scales. The trio knew this wasn't normal, they'd been injured before. Other mobs had done just that with mere rocks. Something had changed.
And for Adagio Dazzle in that moment, it happened, she transformed. The flutterpony spell, or some warped version of it, took place, and in a twisted flash, her body became something much closer resembling a land pony, with a pair of wings not-quite-unlike the flutterponies, shaped almost like her fins instead. She looked at the mob with a look in her eyes that made the few who saw her at that moment's blood run cold.
And on pure instinct, she sang. Her vocal less octaves entering the brains of the mob and the Beats alike.
"You can hear it now can't you?
I can hear it too.
The icy wind of hate.
Maybe in the end this is just my fate.
But maybe in the end.
Who needs friends?!
I understand now!
I am whole now!
I am what I am, and that's all that I am!
I see into your eyes,
All the world you do despise!
Hear my voice!
Not that you really have a choice!!!
My heart is as hard and sharp as diamond!
I am no sea or flutterpony! I am a siren!!!
Give me all your hate.
It is far too late!"
Aria looked like a flash of clarity came to her, and she transformed as well, her wings being the same fin-like membranes her sister's were. They sang together.
"It doesn't matter what you bet,
It-is-too-late-for-regrets!
We are are all beasts,
But I am no lion!
I am a siren!
At last I understand.
Everything at hand.
I get everything at last.
Isn't this a blast?
Don't bother asking 'is that Charon?'
I am a siren!"
Finally Sonata transformed as well, her wings spreading behind her and singing with her sisters.
"Let out all your sins,
Underneath your skin.
Shed our skin like a snake,
If we want, we'll take!
We had it all,
The world was our ball.
The world gave us the sack,
and now we want it back.
This isn't about survival,
This is our new revival!
Pluck you like fruit as they ripen,
I am a siren!
Let everypony know from here to the horizon,
I am a siren!
I am a siren!"
The Beats and the revenge mob alike feel to their knees, eyes trapped by the witches as they floated above the ponies. Their negativity flowed like water out of them into the sirens' gullets.
And in their heart of hearts, Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk, felt no regrets.
Adagio looked over the Beats who the revenge mob had inflicted things upon that Adagio's brain refused to process. "...The world took everything away…" A sideways grin formed on her face as she turned and looked at those captured by their song. "I think It's about time we started taking it back! Hehe...hehe...HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
+++
The island was surrounded by cliffs and rocks, and from and outsider view it appeared to hold nothing of value, no treasure, no natural resources, from an outside view.
Aria Blaze casually commented one day that she noticed that they didn't seem to be aging, even as their slaves grew old and worn out around them.
Everypony had learned the form of the three seamonsters who caused ponies to fight among themselves, and ultimately stole their minds. But very few ponies knew the shape of three beautiful Flutterponies who'd enter town one day, and the violence and fighting that would erupt, reason thrown out the window, and the three would feed, taking those they favored with them to their most private estate hidden from outside view and surrounded by a plethora of natural defenses.
Most of the time however, they'd simply lured sailor off course, letting their ships be destroyed on the rocks as the crew fought among themselves, and taking the remaining crew as theirs.
Their most successful method were promises of living with what the world had lost, and an escape from the Tartarus the world now was. Adagio discovered their magic needed some desire or want in their target to act upon. Thankfully, the destroyed world had plenty for ponies to want. And thankfully feelings of discontent the Sirens fed on were among the easiest to stir up.
The inside was set up much like a classical hotel during the Age of Wonders, with conveniences that had long since become hard pressed or impossible to find elsewhere.
Sonata complained to Aria regularly about the amount of slave power it took to turn the generator (after they ran out of gasoline) so Aria could power her DVD player. She currently had two. The other three had broken down, and the last pony alive who knew had to fix them professionally had died of old age centuries ago.
Sonata fiddled with them when she was bored, maybe she could fix them herself even though she had never really studied electronics or mechanics. The blue Siren also harbored resentment towards Adagio for being the 'big fish' among them. But her sister was always stronger than her, and while not as smart, was far more clever.
The Beats had, while still kept under the Siren's spell, been allowed to more or less do whatever they wanted, freed from morality or regret. The former revenge mob now their personal servants. But eventually they died, and all that remained were the sirens and their slaves.
Racial tensions kept increasing between the tribes. The tensions reached point where the Flutterponies and their seaponies cousins secluded themselves from the world once again.
The sirens barely noticed, their king had banished them centuries ago (all they did was make their fellow seaponies who had tried to pin the blame of the end of the world on them fight each other in a blood-thirsty frenzy and feed on their negativity, it was just payback. And maybe they tried to declare their home settlement their own personal city state, well, less a city state, and more their private buffet. A pony needs to eat after all.)
The flutterponies practically imploded back into Fluttervalley so Rosedust might keep their tribe in order.
King Leo and his seaponies after the disaster barely held a semblance of order and society underneath the waves, so many seaponies mutated into new and strange forms and not sure what to do with themselves or what they even were anymore.
But all seaponies noticed that where the sirens went, violence and strife flared.
Aria Blaze wondered if mothers in the schools now told their children about how the 'sirens would come and get them' if they didn't brush their teeth before bed.
But as racial tensions rose, the sirens were drawn away from Sirenum scopuli with their remaining slaves, abandoning it and taking with them their items of value. Like blood in the water, the sharks came.
As communication broke down, and society reverted back to the middle ages, and technology and the like slowly became myth and forgotten, the sirens no longer had anything to fear.
Each corner of the world was isolated from each other, none would know what was going on over the next mountain. And so the sirens staked their claim. One place was as good as another, but Adagio picked the small 'land' of Anthemoessa, because she liked the flowers, and promptly renamed it Anthemusa on a whim.
The sirens took this place as their own, ponies caught in a never ending cycle of fighting each other and adoring the sirens who didn't even really lead or rule, they simply owned them. Their song was unending. As was their feeding on the negativity they enticed from the ponies around them.
As a test of control, Sonata used their power to convince them to burn down a church.
It was a never ending concert. The sirens almost felt like the old days when there were five of them before the cheering crowds. In the brightest of moments, Adagio could nearly forget that Tempo and Oratorio were not alongside her. They had everything, and the crowds worshipping them for filling their shallow lives.
Then the Windigos came.
With their hot bed of negativity they lorded over, the sirens were nearly at the top of the list of the winter spirits. Fragments of Entropy that converted hatred into cold, the Siren's own power was turned against them.
The coven of sea witches were frozen, trapped in ice and left to slowly die a chilling death deep in the mountains.
Except they didn't. With the racial hatred in the world, and the negativity they had stockpiled, the sirens remained. And their power continued to grow.
Adagio Dazzle realized it, "We are, immortal!"
That might not have been a good thing. The ice created in response to hatred, responded to the negativity stored within the sirens, no longer needed the Windigos. The Sirens' power itself continued to feed their prison, even as hatred so thick it was carried on the winds continued to feed them.
+++
After the Windigos were defeated by the Fires of Friendship, ponies had proven that they could damage the essence of one of the four fundamental laws of the universe. And so the draconequi moved to eliminate this threat to the universe, while the Alicorns moved to protect innocent lives. And desperate times called for desperate measures.
So Morning Star, the fallen Alicorn, was briefly released back into the universe.
Though the coven of three sea-witches had no idea he even existed, Morning Star's was still the concept of beauty, trickery, perfection, evil, and the crushing of free will.
He looked down upon these three sirens, and he did chose them, to champion his design for creation, and so were blessed by him. Now they carried his mark of approval.
He didn't care if they were technically his targets in this war, he was perfection, his choice could not be wrong.
+++
Trapped in their dark ice prisons, yet fully aware, the sirens tried to shatter the ice simply with their song, but if anything the ice seemed to feed off their music. By manipulating the vibrations, they could communicate however. With the negativity that had become like the blood in their veins, the coven of witches could vaguely sense the happenings of the world where the negativity was at its strongest.
The three chose to put their power to practical use and had a piece of dark ice formed between them. Channeling what magic they could, they made it function like a crystal ball, letting them see the many events around Ponyland where the negativity that fueled their life-force flowed.
The three observed, discussed and planned. They had nothing better to do other than squabble over what 'channel' to watch on 'Negativity TV.'
"But I want to see if General Hurricane and Princess Platinum get together!" Aria complained.
"Ah shut it!" Her sisters echoed in their prisons.
That their prison remained in place even after the Windigos were destroyed was a sore point for the sirens who ranted and raved inside their prison for weeks. Aria looked like she was ready to explode. Adagio and Sonata were sorry she didn't, the explosion would have likely freed the two of them.
The three saw the founding of Equestria, and with it, the fading away from the negativity that kept them alive in their prison. Adagio wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. But they had built up much, and they had little to spend their power even on.
And it was like things had come full cycle, the siren watched silently in awe as ghosts as the flutterponies and the seaponies once again came forth to resume their friendship with the land ponies. And once again, before their eyes, progress began to be came again. Sonata admittedly took a bit of pride in the fact they were the only ones with this view. An exclusive front row seat to the entire history of the world.
But at the same time, the history of the Age of Wonders, and the Age of Myths, had become regarded as fantasy rather than fact. Adagio would have torn her mane out if she could at some of the historical inaccuracies she had been there to perform at they were writing down!
Even the seaponies had forgotten much of their own history!
And progress marched forward as time that was lost was made up.
"Can't they hurry up and reinvent TV already?!" Aria complained.
"I'd settle for the tape recorder," Adagio said.
They also witnessed the horrid birth of the race that could have been seen as their business rivals, and the transformation of Princess Crystal into the first changeling queen and her subjects the first changelings, all because of a prince unable to take no for an answer and a dragon who knew a plump kingdom when it saw it.
"At least the unrest and chaos that little potion threw the kingdom into was tasty," Adagio remarked. "Best meal we've had in ages."
But then the rise of Discord came. While the three agreed he was ugly, stupid, childish, small minded, no vision, no sense of style, and an awful singer (Adagio wished this thing came with a mute button), the chaos, disharmony, anger, and conflict he spread was delicious. They really wished he would leave the borders of Equestria sometime already. They could just imagine how much more power and magic they could consume if he was closer. In fact, they dared dream they could become strong enough to topple him and claim the world for their own. Adagio happily pointed out they wouldn't need their magic to be adored if they managed that.
"Where's the fun that?" Aria responded.
But everything had another side, and all the progress Ponyland, er, Equestria had made since the end of the Windigos was undone with Discord's rampage, and ponies knocked back down again.
When Discord . . . when Discord began to . . . began to exterminate the flutterponies . . . the sirens actually gave pause . . . Their beauty and grace would never touch the sky again. Except for the three of them. Sans Queen Rosedust herself, they were truly the last now.
The sirens didn't admit it vocally, but a part of them did go...cold when Discord drove their race into extinction. Was it loneliness? Grief? A feeling of survivor's guilt? Or simply a strange feeling only those who are the last of their kind experience?
"All the more reason for us to be immortal," said Adagio. "We're now the last sea ponies. It's our right to keep our tribe alive, isn't it?"
All three couldn't admit it was a badge of honor none of them wanted.
But all bad things must come to an end, and the garish Discord's delicious grip on Equestria ended, at the hooves of two freak ponies with wings and horns, and their pet fire-bird and a WINDIGO, what the Tartarus? And there was what was apparently Discord's mother who betrayed him at the last moment.
Then the two heroes used their new toys. Six jewels that turned Discord to a statue. The loser would have to get some elongated speech in wouldn't he?
"What a ham, he can't even get turned to stone quietly," Adagio complained.
Then right out of a video game, all of Equestria was made all sunshine and rainbows again, and the two heroes were made princesses of Equestria in what felt like a day.
"I'd have gone for Queen," Adagio said, and her sisters agreed.
But they all noticed something important was missing, something so natural it takes you a minute to notice it's even gone.
It only took the sirens a short time to realize the truth. With Discord gone, and the new Princesses on the throne with their new jewelry, the massive amounts of negativity the that had sustained the sirens were no more. Even compared to when Equestria was founded, it was no longer strong enough to let them see the happenings of the world, and it was no longer strong enough for them to absorb at a distance.
The three were now alone, blind, and deaf to everywhere, trapped with each other.
Adagio hadn't felt so helpless in so long, even compared to when they were first imprisoned in the dark ice by the windigos. They had risen up, and now had crashed back down. Again. Always rising up and crashing down. It seemed a recurring theme.
"I don't wanna die," Aria whispered first.
"We're not going to!" Adagio hissed.
"If you've been holding out on an escape plan for a special occasion I'd love to hear it," Sonatao said sharply.
Aria snorted. "And then what? Hide in some corner of the world and hope the two new pretty princesses don't notice us? Maybe hide in some cave at the bottom of the ocean and wait for them to die of old age?"
"No. We're going to fight back."
"WHAT?!" The two said together.
"Every song had its beat, and its instrument. What Discord's mom had? And the new toys of the mix-match-ponies? They had the same rhythm, but King-Ugly's mom only had one string of the song with her, the two mares had six. Which means there's more to it. Remember that googleplex of negativity that mare tried to beat Discord with and failed? He got that string of music he gave to his mother from that! That means the rest of the song is still up for grabs! And after that? The world can't take everything from us again if it's our world."
"Nice speech sis', but we're still stuck, like we've been since forever," Aria said.
"For several thousand years If I'm not mistaken," Sonata remarked, being the only one who had bothered to try keeping count. "What's going to change that now?"
"If we can't come to the mountain, we'll get the mountain to come to us."
"And how do we do THAT?"
"Simple, everything has the right bait. And we're fishers of ponies."
"Adagio, that pun was painful," Aria said.
"You'll change your tune when this works . . . or I won't have to listen to you telling me I was wrong."
"Adagio, what are you doing?!"
"It may takes a good long while, but let's give these ponies something they won't miss!"
Directly feeding her magic into it, the black ice began to grow and reach upwards.
"Locked away for so long
A feeling growing so strong
A need blooms in my heart
Let doors begin to part.
The wide world is waiting
It's ours for the taking
Oh it's time to wake up
Let the world be our cup.
Locked away for so long
A feeling growing so strong
Let liberation start
Let doors begin to part!
Author's Note
"Gotta please the crowds, well, more like the crowds pleases us. That's the secret ya know? We're not really here to perform for them, they're here to perform for us!" - Aria Blaze
Not Singing Just For Popularity
Pony POV Series Origins:
The Dazzlings
Part 2 of 2
WARNING: SPOILERS TO EQUESTRIA GIRLS RAINBOW ROCKS!
"The old poets described this place as having flowers all year round." The pegasus pony said to his companion, a female unicorn.
"Well, those poets were either exaggerating, or Discord did a real number on this place."
"This place twas not part of Equestria proper though, Discord never came out this far."
"So why are we here again?"
"A lot can change in a thousand years."
With Equestria free of Discord, Princess Celestia had sent out messengers in all directions to let the rest of Ponykind know they were free, safe, and were able, if they wished it, to visit or return to their homeland. Said messengers had quite the job ahead of them, given they had to convince the world that they weren't part of one of Discord's games.
There was also now the long and hard task of MAPPING Equestria now that Discord wasn't changing the landscape every three seconds. Ancient maps were of some use, but not much given how many landmarks no longer existed or were in other places.
Compass Rose, and Northern Light were one of the cartography teams, carrying measuring equipment and spells with them. Compass Rose admitted, his real passion was archeology, hoping to find something, anything, from before Discord's reign and recover the history of their people. The Princesses' memory had done some of that, but even they admitted there was a great deal they hadn't had the chance to see during their lives.
Northern Light hoped he didn't mistake a pile of rocks for an ancient tomb again. At least they realized it before too much humiliation could occur.
What the pair saw when they reached the top of the site didn't leave any room for argument.
It was an old castle. Or maybe a fortress. Or a tomb. At first Northern Light thought it was made of black stone, but realized it was all ice. The weather wasn't hot, but how was it not melting? She sensed magic from it, intense magic, all of it within the ice, it was so strong that even sensing it this far away was easy. And it wasn't Discord's chaos magic or unicorn magic. It was something entirely different.
This was what Compass Rose had been hoping to find, what he wanted to find, an ancient site right out of history! And he was the first to discovery!
Northern Light looked at the beautiful castle, the magic within. Now that Discord wasn't around changing the rules every five minutes, she wanted to know it, to learn it, to master it, to understand it.
The entire castle gave off a faint hum as they got closer and closer, the beauty of the place captivating them. The place looked ancient. Stairs and walls worn by time just as Compass Rose would expect to find.
The magic flowed all around Northern Light, giving off a wavelength, like a song almost. This was what she had been deeply hoping to find, new magic, old magic, whatever, magic buried by Discord and now she could give it back to ponies.
The two entered the castle. Compass Rose noted any furniture or goods must have been plundered ages ago. But the castle itself was still here, it still held mysteries to unlock. The existence of this structure itself was a grand discovery, but he still couldn't help wanting more.
The two never once broke stride. Never once thinking to scan or search for booby traps or magical defenses left behind by the owners for any would be robbers.
Compass Rose and Northern Light heard the humming grow loader. More intense. There was a wavering to it.
"The castle...it tis singing to us," Northern Light said.
"Yes. It tis . . ." Compass Rose agreed.
The two continued to trot down the straight path, the song of the castle becoming more beautiful and intense as they went. They wanted to go deeper. To hear it more clearly. This was a discovery for a life time! And they wouldnt' be kept from it! Not for a moment longer!
Thoughts filled Compass Rose's mind. What could be causing it? A magic harp or other ancient artifact of magic? A long forgotten machine? The possibilities made his heart race! Northern Light's heart did the same at the thought of magical artifacts capable of operating after eons.
The two broke into a wild gallop, Compass Rose spread his wings and flew, and Northern Light began teleporting in short bursts. They were going to be the first to see it. The first to lay eyes on a sight unseen for at least a thousand years, maybe more!
Neither noticed how the hallway was one great straight line. A stairway opened up beneath them, and Compass just flew down while Northern Light teleported, tripped, and nearly broke her muzzle on the way down. The jolt of pain and adrenaline shocked her and she shook her head. "Something tis not right about this."
Compass Rose ignored her, if she didn't want to be the one to discover what lay within, that was her problem.
There were no doors or locks to stay in his way, everything was open for him. The song was all he could hear now. It was calling to him. The castle WANTED him to discover what was at the center!
Northern Light ran after her companion, the song enticing her mind too, there was so much magic around her, what could produce this much? What could hold this much? So many questions, she had to find out!
She caught up with Compass Rose with a teleport and both stumbled into the heart of the castle.
The ponies looked up to see three ponies beautiful pony mares with translucent wings suspended in dark ice, a small piece of ice in the center of the camber in view of each of the strange choice of sarcofagi. Were they alive? Could they be alive? Had they done this to themselves to wait out Discord's evil? Compass Rose remembered stories of a race of fairy ponies, were these members of that herd?
He took out a pick axe in his mouth and began to strike at the ice at once, making cracks appear in the ice.
"What art thou doing?!" Northern Light gasped.
"Setting them free!"
"What?! Seeing who free?!"
"The princesses!"
"Where?"
"Here!"
"What makes thou think-"
"This tis their castle! They froze thyselves waiting for rescue! Now we can!"
"Thou art not basing that on anything!"
"Yes I am!"
"This could be just a tomb for all we know!"
"No we don't! They WANT to be rescued it tis so clear!"
"Even if they are suspected to be alive, we need to get in experts, if they art alive thou could kill them!"
"We can't wait! They can't wait! They've waited long enough!"
"Hath thou gone nuts? We need to learn about this magic!"
Neither noticed the green smoke form beneath them, snacking its way into the cracks Compass Rose had already made with his pick, or the cracks spreading and growing larger as the two argued, in increasing intensity. The song's tone began to change from a simple humming to a faster, intense beat.
Then it simply, stopped.
The two ponies stopped too, as three beautiful voices wordlessly echoed through the chamber, and the two saw the dark ice around the three mares growing cracks that grew into bigger cracks that connected with other cracks, until in one great shattering force, all three exploded outwards at the same time, the pair shielding each other from the debris.
The three mares stretched their fin-like wings and legs, breathing in the air for the first time in too long. Their wings kept their balance as their eyes snapped opened, a pulse of green magic rippling out from their pupils. The trio looked at the two ponies. The yellow mare, almost seductively put a hoof to Compass Rose's chin, bringing him into eye contact with her. They sang.
"Welcome to the show
We're gonna let you know,
We're back in town.
Our sentence is finally out."
The cracks spread from their prison to every inch of the 'castle'.
"Feel the wave of sound
As it crashes down
You can't turn away
Cause now we're here to stay!"
Northern Light and Compass Rose couldn't take their eyes or ears from the three unearthly beauties as they continued singing without vocals and the cracks continued spreading.
"Time to be adored
You'll tell us you want us!
Thank you so much for
Opening up the door!"
No longer parasitically feeding off of their magic, and having served its purpose, the black ice castle melted, cracked and crumbled, falling apart in huge chunks, collapsing outwards, leaving nothing behind.
"Soon you'll need us
You will heed us
Now that we're back in town!
What we have in store
All we want and more.
Now that we've broke through
It's time to claim our due!
Welcome to the show
We're gonna let you know,
We're back in town.
Your time is running out."
The two ponies sat obediently, listening to the coven's song, not able, and not WANTING to turn away.
+++
"So...this is really the Alicorn Amulet? Where Discord's mom got her magic? Ultimate power? Thought it was bigger," Aria Blaze commented, looking at it. "We had to jump through a lot of hoops to find this."
The Compass Rose and Northern Light merely stood like faithful servants.
Sonata looked at it with greed in her eyes. "But can't you smell it? All that negativity?" she asked, giving an almost predatory grin, letting her true form's razor edged teeth manifest. Like a shark that hadn't tasted blood in years finally being bathed in it. "It's like an entire ocean."
Adagio Dazzle said, as she reached for the ungodly powerful piece of jewelry, giving a crooked smirk that her compatriots knew her well for. "Well, it took a lot to find, but at last it's finally-"
"MINE!" Sonata Dusk sneered as she snatched the artifact from her senior partner.
"Sonata we don't have time for games you geek!" Aria Blaze snapped.
Sonata Dusk sneered at them both. She looked at the Amulet in her hooves like it was the most precious object in the world. "Oh I'd say there's plenty of time for anything if I say so! I'm tired of being the back up vocals! I say we see what it's like we me as the lead for once!"
"You little-" Adagio Dazzle cursed her, snorting hot air out of her nose.
"That's Empress Sonata to you Adagio." She placed the Alicorn Amulet around her neck. "And I say-"
Mewling not of my blood. You dare think yourself worthy of me? You think too much.
Sonata Dusk barely had time to register what the voice in her head had said before her brain felt like it had been set on fire, she screamed as the Alicorn Amulet went wild around her neck. The other two sirens had to nimbly evade bolts of magic flying in all direction. Their two pawns emerged unscathed due to dumb luck. Sonata finally frantically took it off and was thrown back by one last blast of its magic and hit the wall of stone behind her.
The Alicorn Amulet, inert, fell to the floor lifeless.
The two other sirens looked at the sight in shock and fear for a few seconds before Adagio Dazzle composed herself. She looked at the Amulet, then at Sonata and back at the Amulet. The blue mare dimly look at them both with a trail of drool going down one side of her mouth.
"Well, that could have been nasty. Thank you, Sonata for being so helpful as to take one for the team like that," the lead siren said with biting sarcasm.
"Uhhhh, oooh-kay?"
Lightning of the non-magical and metaphorical sort struck Adagio Dazzle's mind as she rushed to her junior partner's side.
"Sonata, can you still sing?" Adagio asked her blue paired partner, worry suddenly etched on her features.
The dull eyed mare sang a ghostly perfect tone. "Uh-huh."
Adagio became calm and turned away, not looking back at Sonata, and said with a chuckle, "Nothing important lost then."
Adagio shook her head to clear it of flashbacks to an ocean thousands of years ago and two dying sea ponies.
"Come along Sonata. We have work to do," Aria Blaze said pulling her up.
"Okay. We still get to be queens right?"
"Of course," Aria Blaze said taking a cloth and picking up the Amulet being careful not touch it. "So what's plan B?"
Adagio said, "Simple. Anything that can be made can be made again. I think the world, and us, are proof of that. If this Alicorn Amulet has an attitude problem, we'll just make some that don't."
With false promises of love and joy, several unicorn mages and craftsmen under their song tirelessly worked to create replicas of the powerful artifact (the original the sirens discarded and hid since destroying it would likely cause whatever was inside to be freed, if they could actually destroy it themselves).
Not wanting these to develop sentience of their own, the sirens equally divided them up among themselves (and to make sure the other two would not be able to repeat Sonata's foolishness).
There was a price to be paid however. While their power was increased beyond whatever it had been before (and beyond the reaches of a great many a mortal), their pawns couldn't replicate what was inside the gem. The only option to make them WORK, the only way they could FUNCTION for them, and only them, and grant them the power they sought...was to place a place part of their own souls into it. The sirens actually saw ghostly doubles of themselves, part of themselves, but fused with the red gems.
Adagio had felt it was a fair trade.
Deceit. Treachery.
Anger. Greed.
Cruelty. Magic.
What had Discord called the one he had given his mother? 'Element Of Chaos?'
The sirens had their 'friends' place as many protective charms on the jewels as possible, and and choosing only the hardiest of material, with a promise that even a solar flare spell from a sun goddess couldn't be able to destroy them. The price was, that if the jewels broke, so would those parts of their souls, and their magic with it.
In return, these 'happy few' got to be the first to adore the sirens in their full splendor.
++++
They rampaged across Equestria. 'Reclaiming' the ocean sides of the kingdom first. It had belonged to the seaponies after all, and that meant inherently that it belonged to them. Not that they were about to stop with just that part of Equestria. The fledgeling country would tear itself apart by the time the sirens were through if they had it their way.
Loving families and closest friends broke into vicious brawls over the most meaningless of trivialities. The most passing desire became a passion driving them like ponies possessed.
They swept the land like a plague. Ponies fell in love with their new goddesses even as they fell in hate with each other. Most ponies didn't even connect the arrival of three beautiful perfect ponies with deciding not to take anymore horseapples from everypony around them.
Rumors spread that they were some sort of sea spirits. Others mistook the fin-like wings for those of the long extinct Flutterponies. Queen Rosedust's heart was divided on which she wanted to be true.
The towns, settlements, and herds of Equestria, divided among themselves, and conquered piece by piece by the three witches. And it was all so easy! Thousands of years of gorging on negativity had given the sirens more power than they ever had before, and enhanced by their amulets . . .
"I feel like I could take on Discord, and those princesses, all together with the power we have now!" Aria boasted.
"Uhhh, get ready to find out?" Sonata pointed to the sky.
Adagio Dazzle smirked. "This is going to fun!" Arrogance dripped from her every word.
The sirens sang for the twin Alicorns. Who carried with them the six pieces of jewelry.
"Quite beautiful, why waste such talents bringing strife to thy fellow ponies?" Princess Celestia said calmly.
"Our rightful subject ponies now, why not just give that burden of ruling to somepony else," Aria said commandingly. "Isn't that right?"
"Nay. Not at all," Princess Luna said flatly. Princess Celestia seemed mildly surprised. Not by the statement, but by the manner in which the siren spoke. An accent not heard in thousands of years.
Sonata and Aria gasped in surprise, feeling disoriented, no living thing except their old King Leo had ever be able to ignore their magic. Adagio groaned. "Should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Of course. Why not? Since when is anything easy?"
"...Your accent," Princess Celestia said, her manner of speaking switching to one she hadn't used in a long time, "It's been thousands of years since anypony has spoken like that."
Adagio chuckled. "We've been asleep for a long time. If you're as old as you say you are, maybe you've heard of us. Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, and Sonata Dusk."
Celestia's eyes widened slightly. She'd watched that day from the spirit world. "You're from before the disaster…"
"Adagio! You didn't need to tell them that!" Aria said.
"Oh come on, like it does them any good," Adagio replied, giving a sideways smirk. "You can't say it doesn't feel good to be remembered after so long, can you? So, Princess, if you remember us, you know what we are, right?"
"You are the last of your people. I beg you. Surrender. We have no desire to finish what Discord began." Asked, nay, pleaded Celestia of her enemies. Adagio on the other hand smirked.
"You think you're the one whose deciding how this is going to end?" Aria sneered. "Back off unless you want to get hurt."
"Tis OUR kingdom, OUR ponies, OUR home, our herd, undo thy witchcraft and lay down thy magic and thou will be treated with mercy! Only our sister holds us back from smiting thou!"
"Luna no!"
"Sister don't do this! Can't thou see this is falling into their trap? They want us divided as they want our ponies divided!"
"Last of the sea ponies, last of the flutterponies, last of the second age," Adagio replied, feigning grief. Or maybe not, it was hard to tell. "That day we lost everything. Our family went from five down to three. Our beauty was gone. Our kind betrayed us. We became pariahs, and all we did was sing."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Thou look fairly beautiful to us."
"This is unfortunately a mask," Adagio replied, giving a snarl that didn't seemed directed at the princesses. "Behold what we've become…" In a flash, the disguises faded, and the three Sirens stood in their true forms, razor edged teeth showing clearly in their maws.
Celestia gasped, putting a hoof to her mouth in horror at the sight of the three mutated sea ponies. "Luna…"
"...Those art their true forms now, sister…" Luna replied with a disturbed expression, the Element of Honesty she carried flashing for a moment. "Tis no lie."
"I didn't think any of the sea ponies that lived had been this badly mutated…" the day princess whispered. As one of the beings that had helped craft life, she knew all too well how unnatural the forms before her were.
"We were lucky, you don't want to know what was left of Oratorio. That blast turned us into this, and somehow we're in the wrong? The world took everything from us, we're just taking it back."
Sonata smirked. "Good on-" the mare received an elbow to the stomach as the sirens reverted back to their disguise.
Celestia sighed. "You have been hurt. By forces you had no control over. And for that I am truly sorry. But this is not the way to heal your hurt. You will not feel any better after this, it will not give you the release you are hoping it will. And all the power and adoration in the world will not make what you have lost come back either."
"And everything thou have lost MADE THOU have to enslave and BRAINWASH our ponies?!" Luna hissed.
"We FEED on negativity now! We need it to live! If we gotta live by making ponies butt head, sucks to be you!" Aria snarled.
Adagio nodded. "We didn't ask for the end of the world to make us this way. One day we were singing a concert with our sisters, the next they're dead and we're this."
"Adagio. What if we cure you? What if we could free you and your sisters of the hunger inside you that drives you to do this? You can be truly loved for your music instead of forcing ponies to love you. Equestria NEEDS the brilliant and the talented like you. I will do everything in my power to grant you leniency. You can have the love and adoration you want without having to STEAL it. And you won't need to live by bringing misery to others."
"Cured?" Adagio asked, sounding unsure and scared, fluttering closer to the goddess, "I...I never...I didn't even think it was possible."
"It may not have been possible when it happened, but with the combined magic of myself, my sister's, and our friends we CAN free you this curse. All you and your sisters have to do is take the next step."
Sonata tilted her head at what the princess was saying, look unsure herself. Aria took a trot back from the goddesses.
"I...I never thought of that." Adagio lowered her head looking at the ground.
"It's alright my little pony, when we're hurt, it can take another to help us realize that there's a better way." Celestia reached out her wings to hug the little flutterpony.
And got hit in the face by a red ringed sonic blast at point blank range.
Luna was blind-sided by the other two using the same attack, laughing.
"Cured?! HA! There's nothing about us that needs to be 'cured'! We have power! Want, take, have! We learned a long time ago one thing: when you're powerless, the world can take what you have away," Adagio said, eyes lightning up crimson. "So we're going to make this world ours so that will never happen again. We won't go back to being no ponies! Never again! Never!"
"You are nothing more than a lost foal!" Princess Celestia snapped.
"Whatever! I LIKE having power over others! I LIKE the taste of misery!" Aria declared kicking the goddess in the head with as much force as an Earth Pony.
"Besides, we're just like you really." Sonata said in a moment of clarity landing on Princess Luna's back, electrifying her, "You give ponies' little lives meaning, and give them something to look up to, encourage them to be the best, just like us!"
"Unhoof me you mare-filly!" Luna spun the siren off her. "We do not encourage them to be the greatest at the expense of others! We do not tell them to love us and hate all others! Our light does not BLIND ponies, it illuminates, and we inspire ponies to be BETTER than themselves and work towards something greater that they are a part of! You wish it ONLY to be about YOU! And, YOU CARE NOTHING for those you enslave!"
"Yak-yak-yak." Aria snarked. "And I thought Adagio didn't know to shut it." A wind empowered by her magic struck back at the moon princess.
"Please, Queen Rosedust is still alive!" Celestia pleaded desperately. "Do you really want THIS to be the last of her kind she sees?!"
Adagio gave a laugh and forced Celestia to dodge a sonic wave. "We know. We know everything. If we'd wanted Rosedust's approval, don't you think we'd have asked her before we started claiming Equestria?"
"And what of when all this becomes boring and dull?! What will you do then?!" the Day begged desperately.
Adagio morphed her lower body into that of her true form and wrapped her long tail around the sun Princess like a python and electrifying herself. "We're not that flank-hole Discord, we don't get tired of the praise. And there's plenty to do. Maybe I'll get a student of my own, like mages. I saw one of my blood sisters' descendants married into Melody's bloodline? They'll be perfect!"
Adagio howled in pain as Princess Celestia erupted in flames, forcing her off and allowing the Alicorn to regroup with her sister.
"Liar." The Night and Element of Honesty said, "Egotists like thou would never pass on thy knowledge and talent willingly. Ye'd never GIVE AWAY ANYTHING!" The Royal Canterlot voice thundered in the witches' ears.
Adagio countered with a sonic attack of her own, the two being of equal force. "Maybe I just want to see the look on your face when I 'corrupt' one of your little ponies. Oh, right, you'll be dead! So you don't have to worry."
"Sonata!" Princess Celestia called the attention of the siren with the child-like expression. Princess Celestia had noticed the blue siren didn't seem fully aware of herself. "Please listen, what you're sisters are doing is cruel! Ponies are not just food and toys for you! They are living beings with hearts and-" This time Celestia brought up a shield in time for the blade of sound that tried to cut her in half.
"Blah, blah, blah, knew that already, pzzzt!" Sonata gave Princess Celestia the razz-berry. And got her mouth chopped closed by a kick to the face from a flash teleported Princess Luna.
Celestia gave a sad sigh. "...Adagio. Sonata. Aria. I'm sorry, but if you don't end this madness, we'll have to.. Luna! Formation!"
The twin goddesses flew next to each other, and the six jewels they divided between them glowed the colors of the rainbows.
"About time you started actually trying! Sonata! Aria! Here!" Adagio snapped and her sisters flanked her. Their amulets glowed. And a red glowing beam connected between them.
Celestia and Luna's eyes widened. Three giant beasts emerged from the three sirens' pendants.
"What, what is..." Luna whispered.
The magic beasts rushed at the princesses, who unleashed the power of the Elements, the two opposing magic struck each other, and were at a stand still. But slowly, the overwhelming negatively the sirens had absorbed began to make their beasts grow larger and push back at the rainbow beam.
Luna and Celestia's eyes shot open, and suddenly the beam BROKE APART into it's six individual ribbons, going AROUND the shocked beasts, recombining into one, striking the surprised sirens dead centers, trapping them in a whirlwind of rainbow light.
The whirlwind touched the ground from the ariel spell duel, and let up . .. revealing three statues of very shocked fin winged mares.
Celestia's face fell. "It...it didn't cure them…They're supposed to heal those hurt by dark magic like they did with Shady… Not turned to stone like Discord."
"Really? All this time we thought that happened because thou were still holding onto hope 'Dissy' still existed in Discord and thou didn't want to see him obliterated."
"The Elements imbued with our Mother's power, Luna...if the person can be healed, they heal because Mother wants none to suffer unneeded. If the Elements turned them to stone…"
"It means they cannot be cured as of now, and must wait for when they chose to be cured of their own will. Yes?"
"...What if it means they're not corrupted?"
The petrified hearts of the sirens began to beat red, glowing through the stone. Cracks spread across the stone bodies.
"Impossible!" Luna gasped.
A gold symbol flashed on the sirens' stone foreheads.
The symbol appeared only for an instant, and was only visible to Celestia and Luna, but Luna and Celestia now knew what Alicorn has blessed them as his chosen.
And the raw negativity sealed within the sirens' stone prisons, exploded towards. The Princesses brought up shields to protect each other, as the shock wave left a crater behind.
And at the center, were three horrid beasts, a red jewel embedded in their chests.
The negativity they had consumed was so immense, that it now radiated off them.
The beasts floated off the ground, by the power of their own magic.
There was a slight flicker of magic, but nothing. The beasts looked at each other. And roared in frustration and denial. "NO!" The yellow beast snarled, looking in a pool of water nearby at the monster staring back. "NO! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN! I CAN'T HAVE MY FACE STOLEN AGAIN!" She glared murder at the princesses. "YOU! YOU DID THIS TO US! WE'RE TRAPPED LIKE THIS!"
"Thou did this to thyselves," Princess Luna said matter of fact. "The Elements are not needlessly cruel, if they robbed thou of thy beauty, tis because abused it. Now the outside matches the inside."
"Surrender. To protect my ponies, I will do what I must," Princess Celestia said.
Adagio snarled in pure fury. "Maybe we'll smash up your pretty fa-"
Adagio was shot in the face mid sentence by a powerful laser spell of Princess Luna's.
The yellow beast's body fell backwards with a thud, the other two floated back in alarm and fear.
But then the yellow beast rose again. Luna's eyes widened as the wound closed.
"A Goddess shot me and I didn't die," said Adagio, giving a shark-like grin. "I guess that means I really am I goddess now." The light of insanity danced in her eyes. "Rip them to shreds!"
"End their misery!" Celestia commanded. 'Why? Why couldn't we save one of-' She was struck by a blast of water as hard as a freight train, sending her THROUGH a boulder.
"Sorry were you monologuing? Nya nya!" Sonata made faces at the sun goddess.
"SISTER!" A sword of ice impaled Sonata from behind, she turned to look at Princess Luna.
"That wasn't nice." And hit the Alicorn with a massive sound wave, Luna changed into black mist and separated herself three ways to hold off the sirens as her sister recovered.
A solar flare struck Adagio...leaving ashes, and a red jewel that survived without a scratch, and Adagio rose from the ashes.
The Alicorns teleported away, and teleported back a minute later above the sirens, and dropped a small mountain on them. The side of the mountain began to vibrate, and blasted open, the Sirens flying out, fangs bared and hungry for blood.
It went on for hours. The Princesses were out-numbered, and while they could blow the sirens away, but they'd rise again each time, and Luna and Celestia were the ones tiring out, while the siren's reserves dwarfed their own. In fact, with the amount of strife and chaos the witches had created, they seemed to be growing stronger by the second.
"Luna, if their power keeps increasing at this rate, soon their combined power might be as strong as Discord if they aren't already," Celestia forced herself to admit.
"That is an absurdity! Thou exaggerate sister!"
"We are not winning this fight Luna, we-" Aria rammed into Princess Celestia like a comet.
"Now who called timeout?" Aria mocked as Princess Luna then trapped the siren in a block of ice that fell and hit the ground as Sonata and Adagio flanked the night princess.
"We embody a lost age!
We'll rip you off the page!
Our time is now!
Your time is running out!
This world will be ours!
Marching in endless wars!
Our time never to end!
Our age will now begin!"
The ice vibrated and shattered and Aria emerged, fangs clenched. "Not! Again!"
Celestia flew next to her sister, and the against Luna's wishes, the two teleport away as the combined sound-wave attack might of all three sirens shattered the ground beneath where they'd flew seconds ago.
+++
"Were they Flutterponies?"
"...No, Rosedust. They weren't. They were merely three beings who resembled them. Nothing more…" Princess Celestia said.
Luna would tell Celestia later on. ""We should have told her the truth, she has a right to know."
"She has a right to spend her remaining years in some level of peace, Lulu. What good would telling her the last three of her kind are three of the worst monsters to threaten Equestria since Discord himself? The Sirens have no desire to listen to a word she says...telling her would only break a heart that's been broken far too many times."
"We concede sister, just don't expect us to ever condone it. If we fail, she is the only pony older than those beasts and with a right to rule, and we'd have kept something vital of her enemies from her. You know this, why else would you insist she remain at the castle?"
"Which is why we are not going to let that happen."
+++
The sirens didn't see hide nor hoof of the Alicorns sisters for days after, figuring they were hold up in their castle waiting for the final battle. They didn't run into any of the princesses' little new army, but they'd have been just been brought under the sirens' sway and fought themselves anyway.
It was actually disappointing the princesses didn't send guards to be crushed by them.
"Crushing grunts is ALWAYS FUN, didn't they ever watch a good action movie?" Aria lamented.
The Sirens were aggravated to find towns evacuating, but they couldn't all run fast enough.
Then came when they were at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The Royal Forest of the Sisters where they resided in their Castle of the Two Sisters with their most loyal servants and guards. All the land behind the sirens either broken apart or reunited under their song. They'd deal with the other side of Equestria after breaking the old goddesses.
"I guess we'll have to rename that place the Castle Of Three Sisters," Adagio joked and her sisters cackled.
"Oh, we're gonna live here?! Awesome, this place is cool!" Sonata said, looking around at the forest absently. "Oh! Look! Those trees when you look at them right are shaped like two Alicorns! How cool is that?" Sonata asked.
"We're not here for the foliage, Sonata," Aria replied, rolling her eyes.
"Okay…"
That was when the sisters appeared before them to lose a second time. Dressed in cloaks like they were ready to attend their own funeral. Heh.
Celestia sang.
"I didn't become a princess for power or fame.
But because I promised to protect Friendship's flame."
The sirens' eyes widened incredulously, they were really-!
"Like the moon shines in darkness, our bond shines now
I swear in its name Equestria you won't cowl."
Princess Luna said from the opposite side of the sirens, the two sisters flanking the sirens on the border of the forest.
"Forgive me if I boast,
You three are just ghosts,
Of a nightmare,
Already less than dust in the air!"
Adagio laughed. "Don't tell me you think you counter-song our music!!"
"It's so adorable they think they're more awesome than us!" Sonata giggled.
"Tempo and Oratorio live through us and we're unbeatable!"
"In a disaster we were born
On the day that the world was torn.
Today we are your disaster
Here to make ourselves your master
Oh you can come try as you might
But there's no way you win this fight!" the trio sung, sending a series of red shockwaves at the sisters in tune with the beat. Knocking them back further into the woods.
"You thought dividing our focus would work?
Forgive me while I smirk!"
The Princesses took to the air shooting out of the canopy, and staying on opposite sides of the sirens.
Celly sang.
"This isn't a fight to win with spells or brawn,
With our hearts we will ring the bells for dawn!
I never go anywhere looking for a fight.
All I ever wanted was to help bring in the light."
Luna replied.
"You are all ponies' and gods' old mistakes and sins,
you're out of your minds if you think we'll let you win!
You are all stuck living in the dark past,
But for us the future is great and vast!"
The three Elements of Harmony each on both sisters began to glow.
"You're going to blast us AGAIN?! Hoo-hum." Adagio rolled her eyes. The beasts eyes glowed red, and their spiritual copies from their combined imitation Amulets Of Chaos chased after the princesses, two after Celly, one after Luna. Not giving them time to focus their Elements.
"We aren't just living in the past
We're gonna make our future last
If ghosts of the past is what we are
We're like nebulas becoming stars.
You princesses are gonna bow to your new queens!
For what we have is no disease, we need no vaccine!
From now on our three stars will shine bright without a doubt
But as for you two? Now it's time for you to burn out!"
"Not if a miracle happens."
"Miracles don't exist!"
"Thou don't know what a miracle is, but we're about to show thou!"
The sky above the sirens began to ripple, which became a swirl of stars and that pulled in the 'sky' around it, and opened wide to show a swirling tunnel of light beyond.
"What the Pony Hell?!" Aria hissed, looking up at the portal. That was when the sirens finally noticed a bearded unicorn mage with bells on his hat standing at the edge of the forest, his horn glowing the same color as the vortex.
Adagio instantly had her avatar break off pursuit of Princess Celestia and fly at the elderly unicorn with every intention of killing him. The Mage didn't budge.
"Hey! You were trying to use singing as a distraction! That's no fair!" Sonata said at the sacrilege.
The sisters dove right underneath the sirens, and looking straight up at them, their eyes glowed as they powers the Elements, the magical beast avatars suddenly stuck between trying to stop them before they could fire or shielding their true selves.
"Ha! Morons! You're the ones who are stuck! Either you go help your friend so he keeps the portal open, or you blast us with a weapon that didn't hold the first time! You can't do both! We win!" Adagio jeered.
Aria and Sonata's magic soul doubles continued their dive at the princesses, while Adagio's continued its own at the unicorn magician. There was no way these princesses could blast them with the Elements (whatever good that would do, they'd just break out again), and protect their croonie, AND dodge the attacks from Sonata and Aira's soul doubles. They'd already won.
A trap was sprung and a stone wall rose up between the mage and the avatar, the avatars smashed through it, a wall with runes came up next, but the avatar just overpowered them.
Adagio smirked that their 'clever plan' didn't work because they underestimated her strength.
The avatar tore into the wizard, ripping him to shreds...the pieces of cloth and stuffing fell apart under the attack, and the bottle of fireflies shaped like a unicorn horn fell to the ground and shattered. The wig beard fell to the ground.
"A DECOY?!"
The REAL magician (wearing earplugs) the sirens finally noticed was BEHIND THEM the way they came!
Celestia chuckled. "Starswirl has always been a bit of a mad genius. How do you like that?"
"How about I vibrate the flesh off your bones?!" Wait a minute! The alicorns! Of course! "These 'princesses' are fakes too! Aim for the alicorn 'trees'!" The sirens used a unified sonic blast that obliterated the 'trees' that Sonata had spotted earlier.
Adagio roared in triumph.
"You thought you cause your fate to bend,
Too bad for you this is the end!"
...Which turned out to be just a pair of oddly shaped trees. And people said Starswirl was just being weird when he invented that tree shaping spell.
"Spike!" Princess Celestia shouted taking off her cloak, it was wasn't needed, he was wearing ear plugs just like Starswirl, her unbuckling her cloak was the signal.
Underneath Princess Celestia's cloak was a barely teenage dragon, the same one who had witnessed Twilight the singer duel in chess with Discord, shrank down to carry size with Starswirl's age spell.
"You think hatred can win the day?
You think that you can win that way?
But you three have stayed an island
Without anyone do you stand!
Together we will always fight
Till you give way to friendship's light!"
The drake leapt off Celestia's back, and breathed green flames at the pair as they were still powering up the Elements, with power and skill born of centuries of life, the dragon's magic breath teleported the princesses a few yards above from where they had been, the drake himself merely spread his wings to catch the air for a soft landing (not that he'd be badly hurt, but freefall really stung on landing).
Sonata and Aira's avatars still going full speed, slammed into each other, knocking both back and damaging themselves.
The Princesses cried out as they activated the Elements right under the witches and fired!
"You think you are a threat?!
This isn't over yet!
Right now its time to prove
That you we can remove!"
All three avatars shimmered and dissipated, and reappeared right underneath the sirens, blocking the combined harmony beam. The sirens this time ready for when the princesses broke the beam apart to side-step them. Why didn't the princess looked scared? The Princesses sang.
"Now we see you for what you are
A shadow cast by a bright star:
Every sin that back then was born
On the day the world was torn.
The shadow of the disaster
For so long allowed to fester."
The two powers again pushed against each other, again the sirens poured more of the negativity into their attack, this time they wouldn't be tricked!
"But past sins can be forgiven
We just have to keep on living.
If one ounce of hope remains
And our friendships remain the same
Against darkness we can still fight
Till it gives way to friendship's light!"
To the siren's surprise, the singers weren't just the Princesses. Starswirl and Spike had joined in.
"You can always count on your friends
To be with you until the end
When you are just not strong enough
Friends guild you through when life gets rough
Their light will help you see the way
Through brightest night and darkest day!"
Adagio roared at the audacity. "Did you think that was going to be enough? Did you REALLY THINK, THAT WAS GOING TO BE ENOUGH?!" The soul projection beasts grew to truly horrible size.
"Actually, yes we did," Celestia said, smiling.
"But just in case we were wrong," Luna took off her own cloak, the second singal. Spike dragon-mailed the note.
The noted appeared in the hooves of a light purple mare with a blond mane. She was pregnant. And had a cutie mark showing several sunglasses. She was also not wearing ear plugs. She was standing on a nearby cliff side and came out of hiding. She sang, her voice risen to hearable volume by the Royal Canterlot Voice spell upon her.
"When you're lost deep in sin's dark sway
And think that too far you have strayed
Forgiveness of those you love true
Will wash sin's black spot off of you
And reach a heart locked up tight
Despair burned up by friendship's light!
A glowing orange mark appeared over her eyes, resembling the shades on her cutie mark.
Hope.
An orange light shined within her, and it shot like a divine firefly towards the conflicting forces. The sirens were prepared to intercept it from helping the Princesses...except...it flew towards the massive amount of power the sirens were using like a moth to a flame and connected with theirs Amulets.
The sirens and their avatars screamed as orange electricity crackled between them, their amulets, and their avatars, the last of which began to flicker and shrink down.
"What did you do to us?!"
"Starswirl had a question he really wanted answered: what happens when a purified Element of Chaos, is introduced into the missing spot of the spell circle of six facsimile corrupted ones?"
Adagio gasped out as pain wracked her body, "But-! It's impossible for you to know that!"
Princess Luna smirked like a wily old mare. "Forgive us for not sharing how we know with the enemy."
"You infected us!"
Luna spoke, "From thy's point of view, or short-circuited, thy Elements may be copies, but they have to be true to their nature, they HAVE TO try and align with Shady's Element of Chaos! Except they can't because thy own were all born corrupted while hers isn't! So thy power is taking a nose dive!"
"And you're about to gain a lot of frequent flier miles!" Celestia quipped.
The smaller and weaker beasts were pushed back by the sisters' Elements of Harmony.
"You couldn't have planned all this!"
"No we didn't. It was Starswirl's plan, from beginning to end!" Celestia smiled. Adagio choked on her own words.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "As Princesses of Equestria, we shall declare thy punishment:"
"Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk! You are FOREVER BANISHED! Never again will you step hoof on Equestria's soil, or that of any other nation in this world!" proclaimed the Princesses in unison.
"I want mommy Peisinoe!" Sonata lost her concentration and hugged Aria.
"WE'LL BE BACK!!!"
"Unlikely. According to Starswirl The Bearded, your new home lacks the kind of magic you witches can feed on gluttonously. Thou shall not starve to death. But thou shall never be more powerful than newborn foals!"
Adagio's horrid face became a look of terror. "NO! YOU CAN'T!"
"We can and we are. Begone!"
The ponies and dragon all sang together.
"Though into darkness we may fall
We can be saved by a friend's call
When those we love see us fall down
In darkness they won't let us drown
They will forgive us, and save us
So long as in them we can trust
No dark shadow of sin and strife
You can't snuff out our fire's life
Friendship and love will now prevail
And rip straight through hatred's dark veil
Dark shadows try with all your might
You'll be pulled into friendship's light!
Sins and hatred as dark as night
Burn away now in friendship's light!"
The magically generated avatars SHATTERED and the beam of harmony struck the sirens and sent them screaming into the portal, which closed up behind them. At the same time, the Elements of Harmony let off a shockwave that passed over all of Equestria, curing the ponies who had been corrupted by the siren's magic. It would be time to forgive and forget, and discover what actual love for another felt like again.
+++
"Adagio? What...what are we?" Sonata asked. For the second time in their lives, the sirens had woken up in bodies and forms not their own. Again. At least the clothes were nice. These bodies didn't have any fur at all.
Adagio flexed her fingers. Aria had stopped screaming her head off. While Sonata had stopped running in circles like a chicken with its head cut off.
All three felt an odd sensation. Like they were....restricted. It wasn't mana drain, they weren't tired (though they were quite sore after being literally blasted into another dimension), it was like they were literally unable to do what they were used to be able to. It reminded them of how unicorns described having a seal on their horn. It was almost like they were prisoners in their own bodies.
Adagio...her left hand wouldn't stop shaking...the fury building inside her like a volcano.
"Well Melody, looks like your beliefs weren't so laughable after all. Humans do exist. And they apparently did come from another world and gave ponies civilization. Congratulations. I owe you a milkshake next time I see you."
It took a few moments for them to get to their feet and able to walk around. Thankfully the training they'd received to master their Flutterpony forms came in handy.
Aria looked ready to start screaming again but a look from Adagio silenced her. The younger siren instead began viciously beating a defenseless tree, making her new hands and feet sore in the process, which just made her angrier.
Adagio looked at herself in a pool of water. "Hmph...at least I'm not bad looking by human standards if the legends are to be believed…"
"We look like monkeys. Do we eat bananas?" Sonata asked.
"I'd say our diet is the only thing that hasn't changed." Adagio fingered her amulet still around her neck. And the same pendants around the necks of her sisters as well. She actually kind of liked the necklaces that came with them.
"We had everything! Now we have nothing! Adagio how could you let...this...happen . . .?" Aria whimpered and shrank back under Adagio's deadly gaze.
"Never say that again."
"Yes ma'am."
Adagio felt a headache, the impotent rage inside her at being cheated out of their home, their world, their kingdom, their power, threatening to drive her mad if she dwelled on it for too long.
Sonata let out a ghostly beautiful octave. "Hey! We can still sing! That's something right?!" Sonata's smile twitched on the edges.
Adagio narrowed her eyes. Looking at a nearby rural town, a lot less advanced than what she expected from the ones who taught ponies civilization, maybe they had their own apocalypse or three?
"Don't worry girls, we'll get home sooner or later. I won't make a liar out of Tempo or Oratorio. These humans will love and adore us...sooner or later...come on, let's head into town for a bite to eat. Stick close to me. Keep your eyes peeled. The legends say humans treat their females the way ponies used to treat stallions. So watch your mouths. I'll do the talking. We are not done."
"But won't they like that we're ya know, 'witches' even less?" Sonata asked.
"We're celebrities remember? Pinning the blame on someone else is what we do. Now come along. We might be here a little while."
+++
Celestia sighed, looked at where the portal had been. "Luna...do you think we just weren't meant to save any of them?"
"No...our sister fate is not so cruel, sister...we offered them a cure, but they rejected it, that was their choice. To be adored monsters instead of saved sea ponies...I'm sure there is a path of fate where things could have ended differently. But only they could have chosen it."
"...I know…"
"Come now!" called Starswirl, trotting over and removing his ear plugs. "Tis not the time for negativity, the world's had far too much of that for a lifetime. Thy subjects need their leaders to be positive if they art to be, correct?"
Celestia couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "...You're right. The past is the past...they were what happens when you can't let go of it."
"Thou are the last pony we'd believe to say the past tis dead sister," Princess Luna said.
"It's not. Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. But those that cannot move from the past are destined to never find a brighter future. Learn from the past, live in the present, plan for the future."
"Shall I write that one down in thy biography for thou?" Spike snarked as Starswirl restored the dragon to his true age and size.
"Hehe...we'll at least write it in our diary...come Lulu, we need to celebrate with our little ponies…"
"Right behind you Little Celly."
"Auntie Shady." Celestia nuzzled the little pony. "Thank you."
Shady hugged her. "Welcome Little Celly...This will still be quite the story to tell my foal."
"I'm sure they'll be proud of you."
"...Only one part of it I don't like thinking about...I hate to think what those three's families are thinking, looking down on them."
"...If they're like you, they remember the good their family did and had before. And are inspired from the good instead of the bad."
"Thank you Little Celly, and you too Starswirl, you've made me somepony my baby can be proud of."
Princess Celestia said, "No auntie, you make yourself somepony others can proud of. Nopony can do that for you. And you've already done so wonderfully."
"Okay, that one I'm definitely writing," said, the incredibly smart, handsome, and clever Kenbroth Gilspotten Heathspike, AKA, Spike The Dragon.
--
Twilight Sparkle closed the dairy. Sobered by what she had read, but still getting a chuckle from the parting line of Spike's father (grandfather?). When Princess Celestia had given her the book to read, in light of the damage caused by Queen Chrysalis, feeling Twilight should be ready in case she faced another breed of brainwashing witches. She wondered how Luna knew about the nature of the Amulets, but Twilight figured it was with that crystal ball Twilight knew Celestia had stashed away somewhere that let her see anything the sun's light hit, and simply spied on the sirens and they let it slip like bragging to each other (since unlike modern types, they had no idea it existed).
She wondered what measure would be best against them, maybe a song of freedom against their music? HA! Now she was sounding like Pinkie Pie thinking a song could fix everything. She wasn't Cadence. Too bad Twilight Sparkle didn't have any talent for writing music beyond what ponies normally had when the song in their hearts took hold. Well, everything suggested they wouldn't be finding a way back to Equestria any time soon, if ever. So at least she'd have time to prepare...but it wouldn't change the fact she was clinically tone deaf when it came to WRITING music.
Still, she was confident she'd think of something, as Spike would say, she always did. Besides, if she tried to prepare some perfect counter strategy for every evil that had threatened Ponykind...she'd die of old age if the stress heart attack didn't get her first.
Still, she'd have her friends with her, and if she had learned anything, there was nothing the lot of them couldn't handle together. She smiled. And even then, Shady had reminded her, one good pony, sometimes had the power needed to help everypony. Twilight Sparkle looked out the window at the beautiful shimmering sunset.
Author's Note
Melody looked sick and ashamed. She asked her friend and 'leader.'
"Starlight, those maniacs . . . they only attacked Half-Note and the others, because of me, that was when Adagio and the others chose to become monsters . . . am I responsible for what they became?"
"By that logic, I'm even more responsible, Melody. They were mutated into what they are now because of the disaster...in the end, we make our own choices. I've accepted the weight of mine...the Dazzlings didn't HAVE to become monsters, they could have used their influence for good ends and only fed when needed, that was an option they had. They chose to use it for evil. We might be responsible for the circumstances, but they're responsible for their choices. Like all mortals are."
