The Break-upby DawningAegisChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 1` After that bright flash, their powers gone. They sat there, tears streaming from their eyes. Their voices no longer the heavenly calls they were. They ran, knowing that there will be no place for them. They ran and ran until they set a good distance between them and that stage. Sitting there, they silently wept. Until one of them stood with an accusing look in her eye. "This is all your fault, Adagio! We wouldn't have been here if you weren't stupid!" Aria Blaze complained, since if there was anyone to blame, it would be their leader. "Shut up, Aria! If anyone is stupid, it's you and Sonata!" Adagio barked, growling in a low tone. The only one not standing was Sonata, the lesser of the three evils. She just didn't speak. Adagio and Aria just went on and on, yelling at each other. They blamed everything but themselves. Except for Sonata, who only blamed herself. "And what makes YOU think you could lead this band!?" Adagio questioned, gritting her teeth. If only there was another way... "Because I can at least..." Aria retorted, but their voices became drowned out by the wailing of Sonata. Almost literal waterfalls came from her eyes as she sobbed. Adagio and Aria stiffened, frozen up by the first experience of one of their band expressing true sorrow. "Why do we have to be like this!? Why can we be like normal ponies!? What made us demand negativity!?" Sonata questioned, knowing no response would come. The other Dazzlings stood there and stared, not knowing what to do. "And why do you two just accept it? Why can't we use our powers for something good!?" Sonata demanded, with almost no voice. Adagio opened her mouth to respond, but no voice came out. She abruptly closed it, sat and looked down. "I don't know...I'm..." Adagio shuddered, unable to say the words. Aria collapsed in the other side of the dark alley, silently crying. "Listen, Sonata..." "Seems to be all I can do, since I cannot sing any more," Sonata sighed reluctantly,"I...I need to be alone." She stood up, and started walking away, and turned a corner. Adagio could hear her walking, and bolted as soon as she heard running. "Sonata! Wait! Don't go!" Adagio begged, unable to stop her from her desperate pace. They ran all the way back to Canterlot High. Sonata was thankful that she ran through the shade of night, since most people that would be around here would have retired to their homes. She reached the front yard, and saw the statue of a horse on it's hind legs on a large block. Here it is...I wonder if the portal goes back... She stuck her arm through, expecting her original Siren form, almost scared of it. Yet only a bluish white hoof was on the other end. "Maybe I can build a new life in Equestria..." Sonata wondered, fascinated by the idea of escape. "SONATA!" She whipped her head at the cry of her name, panicking. She didn't want to be around them, she just wanted to be dealt a new hand. She threw herself into the portal, leaving no trace of her ever being there. As she twisted and changed, she closed her eyes, and tried to rest. "SONATA!" Adagio cried, heels clacking off the ground. She was approaching Canterlot High when she saw a figure slip behind the horse monument. She sprinted to the monument, burnt out, yet she found no sign of Sonata. She sat and laid against the base, crying. Why am I still wearing this? She looked at her dress and shoes, wishing that she was wearing something more basic and normal. "Hello?" A voice came out from the darkness, quiet and soft. When the owner of the voice came closer, Adagio recognized who she was. It was the one who played the tambourine. She seemed small and slight. What is she doing out here? "Are you okay?" the pink haired girl asked,"what are you doing out so late?" "Coming from you." Adagio sighed, knowing that her identity would be found no matter what. The yellow and pink girl gasped at the sound of the voice, recognizing the gruff voice, with an antagonistic tone, which she did not carry now. "W-what are you doing here?" "I don't know." Adagio admitted, "I tried to stop her..." "Who?" "Sonata. She was the kindest of us, if kindness was a thing we ever had," Adagio admitted,"What's your name?" "Fl-uttershy" The girl uttered, speaking very quietly. "Huh?" "It's Fluttershy." "Listen, Fluttershy, can you help me?" Fluttershy was flustered from the question coming from the Siren. "I don't know...erm-" "I just need...a...place to..." Adagio could barely stay awake. "You okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly,"You look like you need some sleep." "Yeah, sleep..." laughed Adagio, "Just..get me somewhere that's not here..." The last thing Adagio remembers of that night is Fluttershy struggling to pick her up. Aria stomped around in the alley, her purple and teal hair tails bobbing up and down as she furiously paced in the dark alley. "Why did she have to run off with stupid little Sonata!?" She asked the air, "Why did she go soft when Sonata was crying!?" Was it me who made her cry? No...It can't be me... I started the argument... Aria internally screamed, and she lost all energy, collapsing on the ground and falling into a deep sleep. Chapter 2When Sonata woke up, the first thing she tried to do is to push herself up with her arms. She tried to get her arms behind her back, but they just wont move. Confused, she tried flexing her fingers. Nothing. She held her what are now legs to her eyes and gasped. She had never been in a pony body before. She tried to move every muscle she could, seeing what her new form can do. She tried to stand as soon as she flicked her tail. Unfortunately, she would stumble back onto the ground. It took her several minutes to stand and trot around on two legs. When she could, she looked around. Behind her was a crazy science experiment with a mirror. "Probably how Equestrian Magic came to that world." Sonata concluded. She took a look at the immense meeting chamber she was in. It was a spectacular sight. "How could one pony live here?" Sonata wondered, hoof to her chin. "Wonder if they have tacos here." "Did you hear something?" A female's voice came out. It sounded like the Guitarist from the Rainbooms. Brash and Cocky. How'd she get here? "It's probably nothing, Rainbow Dash." Another female voice, this one with an accent of the southern earth ponies. "You sure? I think we should check it out." came the first voice, who Sonata pinned to be Rainbow Dash. "Okay, but I doubt there was anything." Sonata panicked, and tried to look for a place to hide. The room was completely open, and there was no place to hide. She decided that her best chance was to sink into a corner and hope that they don't notice her. She could see shadows now, of a pegasus hovering and an earth pony with a cowboy hat. Sonata then bolted into a wall, and it suddenly spun, and brought her into a different room. "Told you it was nothin'." said the Earth Pony, although Sonata heard it muffled by three feet of stone. Looking around in the room she was in, Sonata noticed it was a very luxurious room, with a large bed in the center, decorated with several purple banners with stars upon stars, and a little dog bed, containing a small thing that seemed to resemble a dragon. Sonata giggled at how she could even see a dragon in the thing at all. "Is that you, Pinkie Pie?" the dragon asked sleepily,"I'm taking my nap, isn't there someone else you can prank?" Sonata let out a long low sigh, and started to quietly inch out to one of the doors opposite of the bed, which was an easy task. After exiting the room, Sonata was stunned at the sight of the next room. A giant isle that would make the libraries at Canterlot High appear like a shelf of children's books. Books upon Books upon Books went extremely high, making Sonata slightly dizzy. "How does someone read all of these books?" Sonata asked herself. "Hoo." "Huh?" Sonata turned to see who made the odd noise. "Hoo." An owl, claws attached to a purple rail that went all the way to the main hallway. "What are you doing here?" Sonata asked, forgetting she was talking to an owl. "Hoo." "Erm...Ok...Uhh...Do you know if you can help me find something?" "Hoo." The owl nodded it's head, and flew to perch on Sonata's back "I need to find as many books as I can about Sirens." "Hoo?" The owl cocked it's head, attempting to get the best questioning look off. "Erm..excuse me?" Sonata was confused by the owls action, as she just cocked her head at her. "Hoo." The Owl flew off her back, and went away into the giant base of knowledge. "Wait, where are you going?" Five minutes later, after Sonata gave up chasing the owl, it came back with a stack of books. Sonata looked at the books, realizing what the owl had done for her. "Thanks Mr...?" Sonata would have finished her sentence, but then the owl took out a piece of paper and wrote with exquisite (for an Owl) handwriting and wrote 'Owlowiscious' "That's a funny name. No offense." "Hoo." Sonata turned her eyes to the stack of books, and picked one up with her hooves and opened it, flipping to a random page. She tried to get it to the first one, but her hooves weren't effective at flipping the page to the right spot. "Can I get some help?" "Hoo," The Owl flew up and seemed to rest on Sonata's head, yet she did not feel it on her mane. "Huh? What?" The Owl flew off and returned with a mirror and another book. The Owl held the mirror up so that Sonata could take a look at herself. She seemed like any pony, but there was some sort of thing on her head. It was pointy, and she identified it as a Unicorn Horn. "Cool! How do I use it?" The Owl flew off and came back with another book. Sonata took a look at the first one, Equestria and it's Inhabitants. The second was titled, Unicorn Magic: A Guide on using your Magic. The Owl flipped the pages of the book, teaching Sonata about Pony Society, as well as Unicorn Magic. After a couple hours of practice, Sonata could do very basic levitation. After that, she started reading the books about Sirens. Where am I? Adagio propped herself up on her elbows, feeling the soft warmth of a bed. She was what seemed to be a guest bedroom, with few general decorations and a nightstand. She noticed a piece of paper on the night stand and shifted over to it to pick it up. "There is break feast outside. Note that the rest of the Rainbooms will be coming over today to talk about what happened last night." Adagio read aloud, the last few words wide-eyed. She looked at the walls to find windows, both of which were next to the bed. She got up and tried to open one, but it wouldn't budge. She tried the other, and it stayed still. She let out an exasperated sigh, and stomped outside. Adagio ended up finding Fluttershy at a dinner table with break feast, but Adagio ignored that, and glared at Fluttershy. "Oh hi! There's break feast and tea- "Why did you bring them here?" Adagio said, with cold contempt, making Fluttershy sink into her seat. "Wh-what?" "The Rainbooms. Why did you call them?" Adagion towered over Fluttershy. If there wasn't something she lost, it was her intimidation. "I...I..." Fluttershy mustered, but was cut out by a door bell, and the front door swinging open. "Fluttershy? Are you here?" came the voice of defiance that Adagio fears. Turning one corner was a black and purple boot, and the entirety of Sunset Shimmer. "Oh hey Flutters- What are you doing here?" Adagio was frozen, not knowing what to say to her. "It's Okay, Sunset. I found her near passed out in the front of the school." "And how did this happen?" Sunset looked at Adagio with a skeptical look in her eye, frowning. "I..I tried to... I tried to.." Adagio tried to speak the words, but every time she would say them, tears watered in her eyes. She simply could not speak of it. Sunset bent down to one knee. "What happened?" "We ran. We ran as far as we could. Aria and I blamed each other, blamed everything but ourselves. Sonata stayed out of it. She did sometimes fight, but she just sat there and cried. It built up until she couldn't take it, and she just ran. I chased after her, but then she simply...disappeared. Then Fluttershy found me, half asleep and desperate." Sunest just sat there, thinking about her old self. "Isn't there a way for Sirens to be...well, good?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the silence. "I never told her. She asked me back there, and I just couldn't say." Adagio wiped her tears. "Sonata?" "Yes...even as we were, Sonata was the most kind hearted. She was someone who we would bully from time to time." "I think I know where she might be. Where is the other one...whatshername..." "Aria was left where we were. I don't know where she is." Sunset stood up and thought for a few moments, sometimes shaking her head. "I think we are going to have to take you to Canterlot High. We're going to have to all meet there." Sunset did not seem too happy about the decision. "T-the school?" Adagio interjected, "Going there is the last thing I want to do. If Sonata is anywhere, she's in Equestria or there, and I doubt it's the latter." Adagio's words were meant to demoralize. "I know a way we can find her, but that can wait till tomorrow. Do you know where Aria is?" "No," Adagio sighed,"She could be anywhere." "Do you have a place to sleep?" "No." Adagio looked down, a sign of her not belonging. "Fluttershy, is it alright if, wait what was your name?" "Adagio Dazzle." She instantly regretted saying the full word, making herself seem as the entirety of the Dazzlings. "Is it alright if Adagio stays with you tonight Fluttershy?" "Erm...if that's what you want..." murmured Fluttershy, unable to tell Sunset of Adagio's assault. "Okay. I've gotta go. See you tomorrow!" cried Sunset, walking herself out. After the door closed, Adagio stood up and started eating, apologizing to Fluttershy. Aria was pacing, her twin purple tails with a cyan streak bobbing with aggravation. "Why did she chase after Sonata!? Why did Sonata leave in the first place!?" She asked the air, as if expecting an answer to come out of the sky and land at her feet. No such thing came. "And this dress isn't comfortable at all! If only my old clothes weren't in that stupid school." Aria stomped her foot, crushing random debris that has wandered into the alley. Then suddenly, she heard Adagio's voice. "SONATA!" What if I went with Adagio? "I wouldn't. Sonata's a baby." Sonata was the only real friend I've had. "No! We only stuck together because it made us stronger!" Why did I make her cry?" That was what broke the ice. Aria instantly fell to her knees and gave in to her conscience. She cried for however long, seconds, minutes, hours at most, but she could not still the tears streaming from her face. There was nothing she could do. She became a whirlpool of emotion, tears swirling in. Then she stopped, and looked around in the small, dark alley. Rats fighting for crumbs, trash scattered along the ground. Random objects and heirlooms were everywhere, thrown away from the memories of society. The only source of light was the afternoon sun glaring down, and the opening back to the street, a beacon of light and escape from the dark. Aria stood up and found a little doll on the ground next to her foot. She picked it up and examined it. It was made of cloth, and it seemed oddly familiar. She cleaned the dirt off it, and noticed to looked like Sonata. She clutched the toy to her chest, and attempted to sing. She tried to use the enchanting voice that she and Sonata would use at the start of every performance. Only the dull, weak sound came from her throat. She sighed, now knowing her power will never come back. "Did the Sirens always depend on those necklaces?" Aria asked the air,"Was there ever and equivalent?" In her mind, she saw the Siren version of herself, but much more peaceful and with a blue jewel in her chest. She saw this also in Adagio and Sonata, and wondered how the tales of them would be spun if they appeared as that now. Perhaps their tales would be of rare, fantastic creatures who spread their songs for the good of others, or would they still be the stories that mares would tell their foals to scare their children? She didn't know. But it had to be done. "I would need those necklaces. And that stage might be in use. I should look for a way to create and enchant them," Aria concluded,"but first, those necklaces need to be found." And with those words, Aria stepped out into the inviting sun, and walked to Canterlot High. Chapter 3Sonata spent several days flipping through the books, often need Owlowiscious's help with some words, and yet everything remained inconclusive. She only saw stories, or notes taken on the Sirens. Nothing that would have helped seeing that there was some good in them. During her studies, Sonata did have to hide from other ponies in the Library. She saw the purple Alicorn Princess very often, and would hide away, afraid that she would remember her from the Battle of the Bands. She also saw other ponies, but they usually ignored her, or would murmur a hello to her. She did meet one peculiar pony. A pink mare with a curly mess of a pink mane and tail, with balloons on her flank, they quickly became friends. It was Sonata's only connection to something that could actually speak to her. They were a lot like each other, and often Pinkie would tell Sonata about her other friends. She learned of her other friends like Rainbow Dash and Rarity. She also learned about Twilight's visit to the other world, both the first and the latest, learning about her adventures there. After about a week, she has learned all about Equestrian Society, how to use her magic, the most recents events like Discord and Tirek's release and recapture, and much more. Now, Sonata was finishing the last book about Sirens. "Sirens can be defeated if their jewels are disturbed or damaged. The cause of this makes their voices to be bleak and dull, but there has been no recording of this, the only defeat of Sirens being when Starswirll the Bearded banished the only three known sirens to a different world. There has been no recording of Sirens since that time," Sonata read, not seeing anything she hasn't read before,"the jewel in the Siren's chest is the source of power, gained at birth, but there has been no cases where a Siren would require the services of ponies to recreate her jewel. It is assumed that in order to recreate this, one would need a Unicorn skilled with her magic and someone who makes creations with gems." "WHATCHADOINGSONATA?" came a high-pitched greeting from the permanently ecstatic pink pony. "Oh hey Pinkie! I was wondering, do you know anypony who is good with gems?" "Nop-WAIT! I do know one! Rarity is always looking for gems for her outfits. I could ask her to help you!" PInkie was excited with the idea of having Sonata meet her friends. "Thanks Pinkie! I might see her sometime. Do you know anypony who is good with enchantments?" "I dunno. Twilight might know something, she's read just about every book about magic in this library! Why do you ask?" This gave Sonata pause, as she nibbled her hoof for a second, trying to come up with an excuse. "I-I have an experiment I wanted to test out," Sonata lied,"and I think those two are the ponies to see!" "Cool! Twilight's somewhere here in the castle most of the time, and Rarity is either here or in her shop! So, when do you plan to see them?" "Soon. Right now I want to get some rest. It's been a long day." "OK! See ya!" Pinkie then zipped out of sight, and Sonata sighed. Sonata trotted until she found one of the mirrors that decorated the halls. Pinkie told her that Rarity installed them, saying it gave life to the place. Sonata was quite thankful, so then she could see her own appearance. Her mane was tied back like her hair was in the other world, and her tail was in a similar fashion. Her mane matched up with her coat, turquoise with dark blue on her pale blue coat, it was very fitting to her. Then she looked at her flank, where her cutie mark resided. A pink heart with a blue music note going through it, with the part in the heart jagged like lightning. Every time she saw it, it reminded her of her loss of her singing ability, regret nibbling her hoof. She sighed, and returned to her little corner in the library. "Owlowiscious? cried out a voice, sounding fearfully familiar to Sonata. "Owlowiscious? I need all the books you can find about Sirens." Sonata dashed to a nearby isle, not wanting for Twilight Sparkle to see her. She peeked out to see the owl assistant carrying book after book from the corner, looking sad. Sonata decided that now was a good time as any, and stepped out of the isle. Adagio was sitting down, feeling out of place. She received her outfit, as well as Sonata's and Aria's, but she didn't know what to do with them. She just kept them near, and occasionally sadly looking at them. She was sitting at the edge of the room, where the drums of the Rainbooms sat, as well as microphones and sound equipment. The DJ who provided the sound was sitting at the other end of the room, adjusting all sorts of dials and nobs. Then there was Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer, chatting while waiting for the rest of the band. After some time, Sunset got up and sat next to Adagio. "Hey, you okay? Is there anything I can get you?" "No, I'm fine." Adagio rejected hostilely. "Umm...okay. If you need anything, just ask me or Fluttershy, okay?" "Sure," Adagio said dismissively,"I need to be alone for whatever time I have left." This caused Sunset to frown, feeling sympathy. She wondered what the destruction of her necklace did to her. "Think she's okay?" Fluttershy asked quietly, if not wanting to disturb Adagio. "I think this is the first time she's been without Aria and Sonata. I don't know how she's handling it. They could be anywhere." Just in that moment, a ringing buzzed in Sunset's backpack. Knowing the familiar tone, Sunset picked up the pack and pulled out the what would be "Phone book". "Dear Sunset Shimmer, there is something important of note. One of the Sirens, claiming the name of Sonata Dusk, was founded in my library. She claims she has been studying Sirens and Equestria. She also says that the last time she has seen one of the other Dazzlings is when she ran away from them when they were fighting. She also seemed to appear as a unicorn who can use basic unicorn magic. Do you know anything where the other Dazzlings might be? Your friend, Twilight Sparkle" "Wait, Sonata is in Equestria? As a unicorn?" Adagio asked hopefully, looking for good news. "Appears so. I'm writing back." "Dear Twilight Sparkle, The leader of the Dazzlings was found by Fluttershy and is currently staying with me and Fluttershy for a week. We don't know where the other one is, but it is good to know where most of them are. Please notify us if Sonata has anything to tell Adagio, and vice versa. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer." Just in that moment, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stepped into the room, cases slung over their shoulders. "Hey guys, how's it go- What's she doing here?" "It's okay Rainbow, she's not going to act up." "How can you be so sure?" challenged Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, have you ever failed someone?" Adagio spoke out. "Uhm...err..." "I know you have, and so have I. I denied it my entire life, and now I see how much I have failed. Being the leader is difficult, especially when your bad resents each other. I wouldn't be here if I was the same. Do you doubt me now?" Rainbow just shook her head. In due time, Pinkie Pie and Rarity came to the meeting, and discussed what to do. The argument has been going on for half an hour. Rainbow Dash was against giving her safe haven, while only Sunset and Fluttershy was set on helping her. The others were in the middle ground, bringing up points from time to time, and it started to show who was where. The entire time Adagio remained silent, regret stirring inside her. But the Rainbooms ignored her, which was and wasn't Adagio wanted. She needed a friendly voice to talk to her, yet the Rainbooms were either filled with suspicion or caution. Never a person she would talk to every day. There were only two people that filled that role, and one of them could be anywhere and the other is in an opposite world. No matter how hard she tried, Adagio could never well up any of Sonata's ditzy moments or Aria genuinely smiling. Nothing, but their angry faces, their spite, their fear. She saw this in the Rainbooms, and it continued to make the regret stir. Rainbow Dash was still not being very agreeable, "I don't think we can trust her. Even without her powers she could be lying to us!" Applejack's voice cut in, "Why would she? It's not like she can convince any of us to help her regain her powers, let alone able to do so!" "I agree with Applejack. When I found her a week ago, she was exhausted and sad. I think her friend went to where Twilight comes from." Fluttershy added thoughtfully. "If that is so, why not go in after her?" Rarity cut in, challenging the defenders of Adagio. In response, Adagio stood up and spoke for herself, "Because I wasn't strong enough to go." "What do you mean?" asked Rainbow, asking for most of the Rainbooms. "Sonata left us because she was scared. She also asked questions I could not answer. When she left I tried to chase after her, but she outran me and disappeared. I assume she is in Equestria, where Twilight resides. I would have gone through to help her, but I gave up, and Fluttershy found me." "I don't know what to do now, I abandoned Aria to chase after Sonata, and all I ended up with is this." Adagio sighed, and sat back where she was. "If you guys really want to help me, just leave me alone." A singled tear slowly fled down Adagio's cheek. Many more came as she weeped in the corner of the room, the Rainbooms only able to watch. She eventually stood up and exited the room, into the hallways of Canterlot High. She walked through the mass of students, most of them glaring until they saw her crying. The only thing they could do was just clear a way and stare. "Why is she crying? What happened? Why is she here?" The crowd would whisper, not wanting to disturb her as if her grief would be directed at them. She walked, hands covering her face. Eventually she found her way out of the building, in which everyone returned to their classes, soon forgetting Adagio was even there. It was later that night when Aria was in the school, sneaking though the hallways. No one was around, but openly making noise was dangerous. She sneaked her way to the dressing rooms of where she left her clothes, yet they were not there. Confused, she started to look for Sonata's and Adagio's clothes, and they were also taken. She started to worry. Who would take their stuff? She did not know but it had to be somewhere in the school. She exited the dressing room, and started to wander the halls. She didn't find anything at all. Then she saw a light, coming from a corner of the hallway. In a panic, Aria tried the door next to her, which she half-expected to see that it was locked, but it swung open. She dashed inside before the light could turn the corner. She started to breathe slowly, and looked around the room. There was a sort of stage, with the Rainboom's drums, as well as sound equipment. There were microphones at the head and sides, and around the room was little cubbies where backpacks would be kept. Aria noticed that above the cubbies was the symbol for each of the members, as well as their skin color on the background. She then saw in a corner near the door was something that looked clothes. Taking a closer look, Aria saw her old get-up, as well as Sonata's. But not Adagio's clothes... The door swung open, and the lights were suddenly on. Aria saw the blazing red and yellow hair that belonged to Sunset Shimmer, and realized the mistake she had made. She hid under the bench where her stuff was, in plain sight if anyone cared to look for her. Sunset sat down at the lip of the stage, dropping a flashlight and backpack. She sighed, and put her elbows on her knees, palms to her neck. "What am I going to do?" Sunset asked, unaware of her audience,"Rainbow is practically against helping her, and the only one who would stick with me is Fluttershy. There isn't a thing I can do to convince the group." "And now she's gone, and she could be anywhere." Aria moved her foot, creating a sound. "Huh? Whose there?" Sunset alarmed, getting up and going over to where Aria hid. She could try to dash around her, or move behind that box or- "How did you get here?" Sunset grabbed her arm, distracting her from her planning. Aria was now on her back, Sunset standing over her. Caught by surprise, Aria could only mouth, "Uhh...Erm...I was...getting my stuff..." "Makes sense. That dress isn't the best thing to wear. "Heh, yeah I guess..." She was very anxious about the way Sunset was acting. Wouldn't she try to question her? "Do you know where Adagio is?" "How do you know her name?" Aria questioned, feeling like something was going on. "Well...she told me, and from what I know she ran after your friend Sonata, and then Fluttershy found her, and she called me over to help with her. I don't know where she is now." "What about Sonata?" "She went into Equestria." "Why are you telling me all of this?" This made Sunset pause, making her take several moments to think,"I'm assuming you know about the old me, so I only have to say that even though you tried to hypnotize the world, I believe you can be redeemed. I was by Twilight's friends, and now I believe if I can be redeemed from that, then why can't someone in the same place as me be as well?" "That isn't going to be easy. I had an idea that came to mind from Sonata, so I think I might go after her." "I don't know if that's a good plan. Wouldn't you want Adagio with you?" "I know I should take Adagio with me, but Sonata would have a better chance at convincing Adagio than I. I'll tell her everything she needs to know, and she'll be here." "Well, I'll try to keep an eye out for her. I can be here around anytime, as you can see. Is that alright?" "Sure, but, why offer to help me? We did say some mean stuff to you in the Battle of The Bands." Sunset sighed, "I've done the same to Twilight, yet she still found a way. I was just like you once. But instead of fascinating everyone, I made them fear me. Now you were where I was when I was defeated. It didn't make sense to me, but now I see that you actually enjoy what you have, and have friends who love you for who you are. Now, I see that if I just left you, you would never reach the place where I am now. I was never able to say that to Adagio, and obviously not Sonata, but they trust you, so you can give them that message." Sunset picked up her backpack, rummaging through it,"I think you should have this. I don't know if it would help, but it's something I kept." In the palm of her hand were the red crystals that were their pendants. She put them in a little pouch and offered it too Aria. She took it, and stood up. "Thanks for...well..." Aria chuckled, not knowing what to say. "No need to thank me, I honestly thought you would have refused them." "I...had an idea. And I felt that I might have needed these. I think I should go." Aria stood up, and walked to the exit. "Alright, I'm going to leave soon too. I'll be waiting for Sonata." Aria smiled as she walked out of the building. Everything was going right. She smiled as she walked to the portal. Before she stepped in, she took out the Sonata doll. It's little eyes looking up at her, with a little smile. It brought a single tear of joy to Aria's eye. She pocketed the doll, and stepped into the portal. But all that came to her was a hit on her head, and having her lay on the ground. Getting up and putting her hand on the stone, she only saw herself, and her hand pushed against the large block. "No, no, no, no!" She cried,"This can't be happening!" Aria cried, bashing her fist on the what would be portal. "Huh? Aria? Is everything Ok?" Sunset asked, tying to see what was wrong. "The portal...it's...It's closed." Aria stared to sob, all hope gone in mere seconds. He twin pony tails flowing through the air as she pounded her fist. "I...I..." mouthed Sunset, unable to think of words to comfort Aria or take blame. Then a familiar ringing came from Sunset's backpack, making both of the girls look to see. Chapter 4The room that Sonata occupied was the room she originally was in when she crossed the portal about a week ago. She had several little devices attached to her hooves and chest, scanning her and checking her systems. She felt uncomfortable, like someone was invading her own space. She also felt hungry, but not what a Siren with her normal pendant would want, but the actual need for material food. It was odd to her, to hear her stomach churning. Whenever she did eat, it was normally for fun. Her captors didn't give her food or water, and she would have not any time to take a nap or sit down. All she did was stand there. She has been standing motionlessly for about four hours. "How long do I have to be here? Why are you doing this? Am I going to get something to eat?" Sonata would ask when ever Princess Twilight Sparkle passed by. She never got an answer. From time to time she would move from different dials and papers with waves on them. She kept at this study, not even eating or drinking herself. Occasionally writing something in a book, and something else in another book. She was unfazed from her research, trying to figure out what happened to her normal siren body. Sonata was surprised by how long the alicorn was sticking to this activity, thinking she must be as tired as herself. Sonata would have moved if she didn't receive a sting to anywhere she was connected. She could move an inch without the feeling of a bee sting. She would only be able to move her hooves to her mouth, and her magic was disabled by a magic dispelling mini-shield. It was weird, being disconnected from something that had proved itself beyond simple use. Then again, she never really needed it in the hallow cage. She would occasionally yawn and stretch her legs, but she never moved an inch. Although it seemed staying still would keep the pain away, the inability to even lay down was tiring. She could barely stand on her hooves, and her eyes would dim, until the shock that came from movement came to her. "Why are you doing this?" Sonata asked sleepily, not even if Twilight was in front of her. "Because you're unnatural. I need to figure out why you are as a pony, and not a Siren." Twilight responded, answering a question that could have helped Sonata endure the hours of waiting. "Are we almost done?" "Close, I'd say about thirty to forty minutes." "For realzies?" Sonata asked, a lazy smile crossing her face. "Why do you say it like that?" questioned Twilight, confused on the previous Siren's language. "I would tell, but I...am quiet tired." Sonata yawned, legs bending until the pain from relaxation came. Twilight sighed,"I guess we can cut this short." She moved to turn off the systems, and began to stroll down the stairs. Sonata, too tired from the constant experiment, lay down to the floor, and fell into a deep quiet sleep. Meanwhile, Twilight picked up some refreshments for her test subject, that being veggie-tacos and water. After finding the sleeping body of Sonata, Twilight set the food down next to her, and covered her in a blanket. She then began to trot away, wanting to quench her own thirst. As she took her food to her room, she yawned and stretched, and slipped into her bed. "The observations are almost done, but I can't get anything right." Twilight thought to herself, drifting off into sleep. Adagio never ate anything. She didn't get food at lunch, she didn't drink water, she didn't need any of that. The only thing that mattered to her was her need for negativity and adoration. She only slightly cared about her co-stars if they were making mistakes and slipping up. Never did she enjoy their presence. She always found Aria's complaints repetitive and stupid, while Sonata's ditzy moments were annoying and threatening to them. She only kept them because she needed them to get what she wanted. She never considered letting the others get any more than she had. She would always get the biggest piece, as long as that thing mattered to her. Let Sonata have her tacos, they were something that didn't matter to her. Now, she wanted her bandmates more than anything. She didn't know where they were, and she could only wander now. Something that came to her mind was tacos. Why does that stick? It was just a one-time thing Sonata did that was amusing to herself. It hit her then, that without their need for negativity, they would be as normal people, and normal people had needs like food and water. She decided that this should be something she needed to do, as she ignored the primal urge of hunger when she was with Fluttershy. An hour later, Adagio had gotten food for herself, seeing why Sonata loved tacos so much. After her meal, she was now out on the street, with no where to go. She decided against going back to Canterlot High, as that was a hazard zone. The only thing on her mind besides from her bandmates and Canterlot High (and delicious tacos) was music. All her life she had been singing, not needing to replace it with anything. The only thing she could think of now was something else she could do. There was one thing that came to her mind: guitar. It was is a difficult instrument, but without singing she had no choice. Music was something she also craved. It was how people adored her. Why not start anew, and build a new path? Agadio was excited, as she could finally do something new that wasn't a need or had to do with her old self. She bought a relatively simple guitar and a booklet on learning to play guitar. Now armed with guitar and confidence, Adagio began to expand her knowledge of the musical world. Her little Sonata doll was now in prime condition. It had the same turquoise and dark blue hair tied back in a pony tail, light blue skin, reddish-purple jacket held together with blue hooks, pink dress, and hot pink knee boots with white soles. It had a teal necklace, going against the blood red that their previous necklaces were. With magenta eyes, she smiled at her owner. She would smile back, wanting to see her again. Then there was one last thing. She gave the Sonata doll a taco, made for her size. It was a humorous and comforting thought, and it helped her deal with her stress. She wondered what Sonata ever had a friend before. She never really showed the need for one. Aria, on the other hand, did have a friend once. His name was Discord. Often Discord let the Sirens feast on the helpless ponies, but this was mostly because Aria did him favors and kept him good with the Sirens. "I wonder where he could be," said Aria, sitting against the outside wall of the school,"Probably stuck as a stone statue or something." Aria got up from where she was sitting, and looked on towards the portal. It was still closed, denying entrance. Sunset said she knew a way, but it would only be available in the morning, meaning that Aria had to wait from midnight till then. Unfortunately for her, she was denied sleep by her anticipation. It was almost dawn, and Aria would close her eyes and drift off, but she wanted to be awake for the moment. Sunset said that when the sun rose, she would find a way to open the portal. Aria did have something to take up her time of waiting, which was the doll in her hands. She smiled at it, it's adorable little smile keeping her happy through the night. Occasionally an animal would pass by, sniff at her toe, and skitter away after encountering her eyes. Once a cat rubbed it's head against her leg, and let her run her hand across it's soft black fur. It would purr under her touch, and then speed away into the night. It was too long till the sun came up, shining across the horizon. It was almost like a beacon to her, signaling to her that she will be with Sonata again. Sunset was near the school, slightly messy. She didn't have her jacket on, as if she had shed of her old shell. She looked around, seeing Aria against the outside wall. "Wow, you slept on the sidewalk?" Aria asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, I didn't sleep." Aria responded, looking at Sunset with tiredness in her eyes. "How did you manage?" Aria's only response was holding up her Sonata doll for Sunset to see. "Huh, that's cute." Sunset commented, studying her face. It looks just like her... "I found it in the alley where we separated. I worked on her all night." "Well, I can get this thing going for the portal. You must be hungry." Those words provoked Aria's stomach to churn. "Heh, yeah. Can we get tacos?" Author's Note This doesn't really have to do with the story, I just felt like presenting this shirt in honor of tacos. http://www.redbubble.com/people/ianshaffer/works/12751465-sonata-dusk-taco-tuesday?p=t-shirt Chapter 5"I need to do this AGAIN?!" "Yes, unfortunately. You might have changed overnight, and I wanted to compare results. But the experiment will need some time, and I gave you a better environment, allowing me to take more notes." Twilight wasn't much happier than Sonata, but in her mind it had to be done. "So I'm going to have to do all this stuff because I have to?! For realzies?" Sonata asked, stomping her hoof. Twilight sighed,"Yes, for realzies." The room they now occupied was a much more sophisticated lab, and had all of the things Twilight had back in the room with the portal as well as even more gadgets. Suddenly, a ringing that sounded like a cellphone came from a corner of the room, seeming out of place, as Sonata remembered that they had no such technology. Twilight trotted to where the ringing came from, smile on her face. "What's that?" Sonata asked, wondering why she has a book that worked like a phone. "It's a letter from Sunset Shimmer, saying to open the portal. She says that I have a visitor, and that no, it's not Flash Sentry," This caused her to blush, making Sonata giggle,"Also, it says to have Sonata present. That's weird." "How come the portal doesn't work anymore? When I crossed it, it worked perfectly fine" Sonata asked, leaning her head to one side. "It's because this book keeps it working. The only way to keep it powered is via the book. I wonder who Sunset brought here." "Does this mean I..." "Get a little bit of time before our experiment, yes." Sonata zipped past Twilight, then stopping outside in the hallway. "Erm...Which direction is the portal?" Sonata asked with an embarrassed smile. Twilight just rolled her eyes and pointed with a hoof in the right direction. Adagio made some progress, able to do the simplest of melodies on her guitar. She was expecting it to be extremely difficult, but it wasn't as hard as she thought it was. She learned a lot about other instruments from learning to play the guitar. She would often attempt to sing with the small melodies, but the sound that came from her voice was just dull and pitiful. That didn't daunt her from learning this new instrument. She would often think of Rainbow Dash when she played, wondering if she will reach her level of skill. Adagio would think of Aria and Sonata all the time, wondering where they would be. Even though Sonata seemed to be a universe away, she felt as if she was closer to her than ever. The only thing stopping her from going was the regret. Sonata might still be angry with her, and she didn't want to see her upset. All she would do is play her calming melodies as the sun rose. She wondered where Aria might be. She could be anywhere, maybe even out of town. The only thing she wanted to do was sit with her guitar and play. After all, she thrived on music to survive, why not now keep it as a hobby? She didn't have much to do until she felt that she could face Sonata. So she just stared into the sun and played, a feeling of reformation coming upon her. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even the next month, but she knew that one day, she would have to face Sonata. Aria leaned against the gateway. It was an hour before students would start class, and only a dotted few appeared. They stared at Aria, with looks of fear and wonder. She just ignored them, waiting for the portal to open. Sunset Shimmer had been gone for a few minutes, saying that she heard from Twilight that her book must be in the other world for the connection to be still. A locker seemed safe, as it was where Sunset kept that book since she came to Canterlot High. But why? Shouldn't she be here, with her friends? "Twilight told me she would be opening the portal soon, you ready?" Sunset asked, almost eagerly. "Why do you say it like that?" "Because I'm coming with you." Sunset confirmed Aria's suspicion. "Why?" "Because I need to talk to Twilight about all of this, as well as going with Sonata so she can have assistance from me so she could find Adagio." Aria sighed,"Let's make this quick." Sunset grabbed Aria's arm before she stepped through,"Wait, Aria, I need to ask you something." "Yes?" "What do you think Adagio could be doing?" This made Aria think for a moment, until she came up with an answer. "She's regretting she failed me and Sonata. After all, we were like Sisters, perhaps we are. But I know that for certain that she is sad over Sonata. That is why I want Sonata to look for her. She always was the leader, giving her the label of a big sister. I honestly don't know where I would be if me and Sonata didn't have her." "I can't imagine what i would be like for her right now." "She's probably not doing too well, unless she's found sort of outlet." Aria sighed, and she let one hand touch the portal, feeling a strange feeling of water that felt like marble. She then took one step in, and Sunset did the same. They both entered, smiling. Author's Note I just wanted to put this song here because it was what came to my mind for the Adagio part. https://youtube.com/?v=AZ1pHmWhIuY#The_XX_-_Intro_HQ Chapter 6Aria's hands- or lack thereof, felt crushed together, but were unable to move. She tried to stand on two legs, but it was too difficult. She resorted to just propping herself up on her hooves, which she was surprised to see. Her Siren form was now gone, replaced by a pony. It felt odd, and made her feel out of place. She looked down her purple coat to her cutie-mark, which seemed to be some musical symbol with a purple star in the center of it. It seemed fitting to her, even though she never really had a cutie-mark. It seemed to make her happy, that she had some place in this unfamiliar world. She then noticed she still had her twin pony tails, fitting for her new form. Her tail was styled like her mane, but not split. She was almost thankful for that. She looked up to see Sunset Shimmer and Twilight in a hug, both of them smiling. "I'm so glad to see you Twilight!" "Me too, Sunset," They both unentangled themselves from each other, looking at Aria,"Seems like this is the mystery visiter." "Aria?" She looked up at the call of her own name, looking into the face of Sonata, dumbfounded. "Hey Sonata." "What're you doing here?" Sonata asked, confused on why Aria wanted to see her. "To say I'm sorry. For everything." "I think we should let these two catch up. Me and Twilight are going to talk for a bit." Sunset called out, giving them their privacy. "What do you mean everything?" Sonata asked, confused by Aria's unexpected words. "For making fun of you and Adagio, for being a jerk, for not being there whenever you needed me, for all those times I would be mean or anything at all. I am sorry for all of this. I only wish that you could accept my apology." Sonata sighed, and thought for several minutes, looking back at Aria. She noticed the little pouch around her hoof, as well as something else, something equine... "What's that?" Sonata asked, pointing at the little equine doll Aria had. "Weird, she wasn't a pony when I found her back there..." Sonata lifted it with her unicorn magic, seeing that the doll looked like her. It had a little taco on it's side. Her smile was comforting, making Sonata think if that is how people really saw her. "Where'd you find this?" "In the alley where I fought Adagio. It was a little thing I found. It wasn't a pony, the portal must have changed it. I kept it as a thing to keep me happy. It seemed childish, but it gave me hope." Sonata sighed,"It's okay, Aria. I feel like having this doll was a great idea, and I hope you hold onto her," Sonata floated the little doll over to her,"And right now, I want to figure out how we can get our singing voices back, without returning to our old selves." Aria brightened up,"Really? I had an idea like that, where we had these cyan jewels instead of the red ones. I feel like the color might have an effect on it." "Really? Then we can totally make this work!" Sonata cheered, jumping up in the air with a smile on her face. "It's not going to be that easy." Aria reluctantly said, Sonata suddenly going back to a standing form, a questioning look on her face. "Adagio is out there, and if we wanted to have a full reformation, we should include her. She's been having a hard time, we should give her some hope." "So, do you have a plan?" Aria did the best indication of biting her lip, then said, "I think that one of us staying here isn't that good of an idea. I think I can ask Sunset to help Twilight with figuring out how to create new necklaces, and go over our idea. If they like it, we can both go back to Canterlot High and hope for the best." Sonata smiled,"Then let's get to that!" They both trotted outside, to where Twilight and Sunset now started walking down the long hallway, laughing and exchanging stories. "Sunset, Twilight, we have a plan." Aria mustered, trying to make it seem official. "Sonata and I are going to go back to Canterlot High to look for Adagio. We wanted you guys to research and see about this idea we have." "Which is?" Twilight asked, wondering what 'idea' this could be. "We wanted to reforge our necklaces, but in a different way." Sonata answered, doubting that Twilight was going to go long with that. "Why should we do this? Won't you be like your old selves?" "We wouldn't, because normally Sirens at birth have red crystals, and we had an idea that if creating the pendants in a different color gem and perhaps enchanting them with a more positive tone would change the outcome." Twilight gritted her teeth,"I doubt that it will work, but we will do what we can. What if it fails, and there is no way to make you use your music for positivity?" "Then we become three, harmless teenage girls." Sonata said, words cutting deep into Twilight, making her frown. "Well, we can keep in touch with you guys. You can get my book I use to talk to Twilight with from my locker. I can write down the pass code for you if you want." Sunset offered "That would be great. Thanks Sunset." "No problem." "Well, we should get going. I think it's time we go and find Adagio." Sonata cheered, excited to finally get the band back together. "Yeah, but there is something...I need to do first," said Aria sleepily,"is there anywhere with a bed?" "Of course. Feel free to use one of the guest rooms over there." Twilight pointed to a room, and Aria thanked her and got into the bed, taking a nap. "Aria? Are you awake?" the voice of Sonata was the first thing Aria noticed, then she opened her eyes, seeing the light blue pony bouncing excitedly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm awake." She threw off the blankets that covered her, and rolled out of the bed onto her hooves. "Twilight's got the portal ready, let's go!" Sonata galloped in the direction of the portal, Aria trotting behind her, glad to get some rest. In the room with the portal was Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, who were waiting for Aria and Sonata to go back to the mirror universe. "Good luck in there Sonata and Aria." said Sunset Shimmer, waving a hoof. Sonata jumped right into the portal, while Aria waited a moment, looking at her reflection. She noticed the horn coming out of her head, making her wonder what kind of things she could do with unicorn magic. Closing that from her mind, she stepped through the portal. On the other side was Sonata, sitting down and smiling. Aria got up, happy to feel her fingers and toes. She got up, and noticed Sonata was in her dress from the finals in the Battle of the Bands. This thought made her uncomfortable. "Sonata, I think I know where your normal stuff is." "Where? This dress has been making me think of...that night." She said worriedly, afraid of even mentioning it around Aria. "C'mon, just follow me." Aria noted that it was somewhere in the afternoon, which meant that school would be out soon, and they didn't want people to notice two of the people who nearly took them over. They began to navigate to where the Rainbooms played, which, thankfully, was not occupied. In the corner was Sonata's old stuff, which she grabbed and started to put on. Aria looked outside to make sure nobody would come. She estimated that the bell would go off in 5 minutes, so they had little time to get what they needed. Sonata tapped Aria on the shoulder when she was done, which left them around a minute of time. She ran to Sunset's locker, in which when they opened, the bells went off. No classrooms were around, leaving some extra time before people would find them. Aria finished the combo-lock, and then dug into her locker, looking for the book. The problem was that Aria didn't know which one it was. There were three books that didn't look like textbooks. One was green, another was brown, and another one was brown with Sunset's Cutie-mark on it. Aria remembered seeing the brown book, so she pushed aside the green book, and suddenly the brown book with Sunset's cutie-mark started to glow and vibrate. Aria took it, and it opened to the newest page. "Dear Aria and Sonata. In case if you were having trouble, this is the book you are looking for. From Sunset Shimmer. Well that was useful." Aria closed the locker and put the lock back on. She stood up to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the former crossing her arms. "What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash questioned, then realization crossed her face when she saw the faces of Aria and Sonata. "Why you rummaging through Sunset's stuff!?" Rainbow Dash demanded, while Applejack just stared. "I-I...she asked me to get it..." Aria didn't know what to do, Rainbow Dash was stomping her way up to them. "She's been absent all day, and why would she ask you?" cut in Applejack, the more reasonable voice, called out. Aria and Sonata started to take steps back, fearing that they could not outrun Rainbow Dash. "What are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, right next to their faces. Aria gritted her teeth, when she saw Sonata's hand go to her face. She heard the sound of crying coming from Sonata. Applejack got between Rainbow Dash and the two Dazzlings,"Rainbow, stop! You're making one of them cry. We ain't letting these ones run off, but we are NOT going to threaten them!" "They could be pulling something off! This could be a trick!" Aria grabbed Sonata's shoulder, who then looked up at her. She motioned her head back, noting the exit. Sonata nodded her head, and they both got up and ran for the exit, using Applejack to stop Rainbow Dash for a few seconds. "GET BACK HERE!" cried Rainbow Dash, almost catching up to them. They hit the doors, which slightly slowed their pace. Rainbow Dash had to stop or she would risk damaging the door, buying Sonata and Aria a few seconds. They didn't stop running until they put a good three blocks between them and the school. They hid in an alley, in case if the over-zealous Rainbow Dash goes searching for them. "Why are we even doing this Witch Hunt? They probably meant no harm!" The accented voice of Applejack came from around the corner, before she was in view. "Why? They could be pulling something by stealing Sunset Shimmer's book!" A vibration came from Aria's arms, making the sound of a cell phone. Oh no. Aria flipped open the book until she found the newest page, a report on their latest findings in Equestria. This didn't please Aria at the moment, because they have fast pursuers. Straight out running on the open sidewalk would have Rainbow Dash on them in no time, so they had to keep their heads down until Rainbow Dash passes by. "Did you hear something?" Rainbow Dash asked Applejack, who just shrugged. She began to advance through the alley, making Aria and Sonata scoot closer in together against the dumpster to avoid the detection of Rainbow Dash. She walked right past them, not noticing the three ponytails coming from behind the Dumpster. She looked to either side, and started running in one direction. Applejack trailed behind her at a walking pace. Applejack did notice the duo hiding, and motioned for them to go. Aria gave Applejack a quick "Thank you," and quickly left the area, now focusing on finding Adagio. Adagio was playing a song she had partially learned, playing it over and over, fixing one mistake after another. She was practicing with this, working on individual parts until she had gotten good enough with them, and then tried them together, then went back to fixing her mistakes. She was getting good with this, and was starting to add the parts of the song together, making the next piece of the bridge as she went. She had some tacos earlier, but she had ordered a bit too much. She had two left, sitting there covered in the paper they came with in order to have them later. She was now working on the next part of the song. She had been sitting there, playing the song over and over again. It was something that kept her busy. Often someone would come around to see who was playing the guitar, and leave if they recognized her. This only happened once or twice. If they didn't recognize her, they would stay for a few minutes, and have a little chat, then leave. She was alright with people listening, but she didn't want to talk to anyone. They would usually bother her, and she wanted to practice. "Ooo! Can we get some tacos?" came a familiar voice. Is that... "Sure, after we find Adagio." No way. That had to be them. She ran outside the alley onto the sidewalk. There they were, walking down the sidewalk. Aria's twin pony tails bouncing up and down, while Sonata's single pony tail followed suit. Adagio felt dumbfounded. She didn't know that they would come looking for her before she would for them. "Hey guys! Over here!" cried Adagio, and on Sonata's face was a look of pure delight and Aria's held a smile. Author's Note I couldn't describe Aria's cutie-mark that well, so here's the picture of it. http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Aria_Blaze?file=Aria_Blaze_cutie_mark_crop.png Chapter 7Sonata ran up to Adagio and gave her a big hug, surprising her, while Aria crossed her arms and smiled. Sonata was bouncing with excitement, so happy to see Adagio. Aria extended out an arm for a handshake, but Adagio gave her a hug instead. Aria was not expecting that, but she went with it anyway. "Omygosh!Omygosh!Omygosh! Adagio! Where'd you come from?" Sonata asked cheerfully. "Well, believe it or not, just from here," Adagio started to move into the alleyway, motioning Aria and Sonata to follow. In there, Adagio picked up her guitar, showing it off. "Where'd you get that?" Aria asked, surprised Adagio picked up an instrument. "I got it at a music shop. I've been practicing since I got it a couple of days ago. I've actually been getting down parts of a song. Want to hear?" "Sure, as long as Sonata's alright with it." She responded by rapidly nodding her head. Adagio smiled, and went through the parts she knew. She got through around almost half of the song before finishing, which gained the applause from one extremely excited girl and one person proud of Adagio. Even though it wouldn't seem like much, it was the world to Adagio. "So, what's been going on?" Adagio asked, making conversation. Sonata immediately jumped in,"Well, when I entered Equestria, I found out that we were unicorns when we entered, meaning we did not have our what-would-be normal Sirens bodies. I started studying Sirens as well as how Equestria worked, as well as do some cool stuff with my horn, like levitating and stuff. Then I met Twilight Sparkle, the previous singer for the Rainbooms and a current Princess in Equestria. Then Aria came into Equestria with Sunset Shimmer and told me about her plan, and I said that I knew something we could do for it. So, we had Twilight and Sunset work on figuring that stuff out while we go find you. So, now all we need to do is to tell Sunset and Twilight that we're coming and we can get this thing started. Adagio looked at Aria,"She pretty much said anything I would say." Adagio smiled, and stood up and packed her guitar. "Are we going to Equestria?" Sonata asked, hands clasped at her mouth in an attempt to contain her excitement. "It's where the next part of your plan is, so let's go." "We were going to get tacos before hand. Mind if we stop by there?" Aria asked, reminding Adagio of her leftovers. "I have a couple actually. They're yours." Sonata and Aria took one, and thanked Adagio for the treat. The began walking, and Adagio turned to Aria. "So, Aria, what's this plan of yours that you and Sonata came up with?" "Well, I had an idea where if the color of the pendant affected the resource it required for the siren, making something like blue make us thrive on positive energy. So far, my theory hasn't been tested. Or so I think. Anyway, Sonata figured out a way to recreate the pendants, which requires a magically strong unicorn or alicorn and someone who works with gems. So far, we know that Twilight Sparkle might fulfill the first job, while the jewel person thing is something that a friend Sonata made would know a pony. So we are going back there and checking on their progress." Adagio turned to Sonata,"You made a friend?" "Mhm." "Who?" "An earth pony named Pinkie Pie. She and I share a lot in common. I believe her counterpart here played the drums." Adagio was proud of her bandmates. All that remained between them and the portal was a walk in the city. On the way they spent their time making up, as well as sharing stories and laughing. A few people from Canterlot High saw them, surprised by their faces. They did not see the spiteful or sad looks on their faces, but looks of joy and happiness. They almost reached Canterlot High when the rain came upon their parade. "What're you doing here?" came the antagonizing tone of Rainbow Dash. She was followed by some sports girls, gritting teeth in defiance. "W-what?" Aria came out, surprised by Rainbow's wall. Applejack, sitting on the steps, meeting the gaze of the Dazzlings, gripping her arm and looking away in regret. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie just stared, shocked by Rainbow Dash's behavior. The Dazzlings could only step back, not knowing what to do. "I know that you're doing something, and I wont let that happen! Something's going on!" "Rainbow! This is unreasonable! We don't know what they want, why not ask them? Adagio was reasonable enough to talk with us, why wouldn't her friends?" That last word sparked hope and pride into the Siren's hearts. "Because they are deceiving us! They are planning something!" Rainbow Dash was almost obsessed with this idea that they were conspiring against them. Applejack got up from the steps, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the shoulder,"Rainbow, you shouldn't do this! I know I should have told you about them, but they were scared when I saw them! You didn't show them the kindness, which is why they hid from you! We ain't going no further by doing this!" "Well neither are they!" Rainbow Dash shouted,"and I'm not going anywhere!" One of the girls with Rainbow pushed Applejack to the ground, growling at her. "Is this what Sunset Shimmer would have wanted, Rainbow Dash?" "W-what?" Rainbow turned back to the Dazzlings, confused. "Do you think that Sunset Shimmer would allow this?" Adagio rang out, almost repeating herself. "I-I..." "You think that you're friends would like this? You're only making your self worse than we were!" Aria cut in, gritting her teeth. Adagio felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see Sonata frowning. Adagio realized what she had said had scared Sonata, and decided to soften up. "If you don't want to be like the old us, step aside." Rainbow looked around, legs shaking. The girls that were with her looked at her, confused on what to do. She just sighed, and walked away. "Band practice is happening soon. See you there guys." Rainbow just walked into the building, the sports girls leaving, looking at the Dazzlings. "Why did you need it anyway?" "Huh?" "Sunset Shimmer's book," Applejack confirmed,"kinda strange that you were going through her stuff." "Oh, she asked us," Sonata answered, surprising everyone expect for Aria, which everyone looked at. "What? It's true." Sonata kept going ,"Anyway, we come here, look for Adagio, get her book so we can report what we have found, then we go back to Equestria, and figure out the rest while we're there." "Okay...Should we keep Sunset Shimmer's book here?" Applejack asked, slightly doubting if it was the truth. "Sure! I think we should go soon anyway. Let me tell Twilight we're coming." Aria wrote a brief message in the book, and closed it, and gave it to Applejack. "Wait, what are you planning to do when you get there?" "Become whole again," Aria responded, being the last of the Sirens to walk through the portal. Author's Note Interpret Adagio's song as you please. But if you want to see with my eyes, you must first rip them out of my skull! (just kidding, here's my interpretation of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1pHmWhIuY) Chapter 8Adagio was the most unfamiliar in her new form. Over the time being banished to the other world, she has grown accustomed to her human body, moving it to entrance. Now, in a form she has never experienced, she screamed for a straight five seconds. She lifted her hooves to her eyes, looking at her tail, unsure of what to do with her new form. Aria and Sonata tried their best to calm her down, which helped slightly. Aria and Sonata helped her up to her hooves, and she remained in a steady balance. Upon taking a step, she immediately fell to the ground, causing a slight giggle amongst her bandmates. She decided that she would lean on Sonata for support, who would occasionally dash to something with realization that Adagio was balancing on her, causing her to trip and make Aria roll her eyes with a smile. Adagio would sometimes attempt to move her fingers, hand have a stab of disappointment when she only felt the singular hoof that was her replaced hand. This disappointment was something that made Sonata and Aria uncomfortable, as if Adagio was so accustomed to her human body that she would be in that than anything else. "What's going on?" Sunset Shimmer entered the room to see the three bandmates together, happy to be there. "Oh hey Sunset! Figured out that spell?" Aria asked, waving a hoof. "Your timing couldn't be better! We are finished with the research, and we figured out what we can do to change the effect of the pendant. There is only a single question I need to ask." "Which is?" "Do you want to be as your original Siren form or be as a pony in Equestria? And if you want, push this form back to the other universe?" Sunset's offer was almost insulting. "Sunset, I think we would prefer our new forms compared to the Siren form. I feel like some of us don't want to go back there, and some of us can't go," Aria described, painting who was who with a motion of her hoof. Adagio made it almost too clear she would not stand her original form, and Sonata shivered at the thought of returning. "Okay," Sunset stammered, realizing her offense,"I'll go with Twilight to get the spell started. I suspect you'll be needed in a couple of hours." "Okay, you need anything from us, we'll be helping Adagio with trotting." Aria then turned to Adagio, taking small steps then falling, then getting back up. "How do you manage?" Adagio asked, puzzled by how Aria and Sonata learned to move as a quadruped so easily. "I don't know, but it was pretty easy." Sonata either didn't know that Adagio was wanting her old form or impossibly hid that she knew. "Anyway, I think I should figure this new pony thing out," Adagio planned, seeing what she can do for what time she has. "And we can get tacos!" Sonata cheered, jumping into the air. "They have tacos here?" "Of course they do!" About three hours later, the three Sirens gathered around Twilight, who stood solemnly still. She was with pinpoint focus, connecting the pieces of the spell. The Dazzlings were to remain still, which was no challenge for Adagio and Aria, but Sonata started to gather some anxiety. "Adagio?" a little voice squeaked out from Sonata, not wishing to disturb Twilight. "Yes Sonata?" "What if it doesn't work?" "We both know that it will work. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle would only do this when they knew for certain it would work," Adagio comforted, winking at Sonata. This made her smile. A loud sound came, like the strike of a ponysmith's hammer. It echo'd throughout the room, which was rather large. The Dazzlings were on the opposite side of the entry, while Twilight was in the center. Sunset Shimmer watched from afar, making sure that the Dazzlings followed their queues. When that sound came, all of the Dazzlings froze into a standing position with their eyes closed, mouths frowning slightly out of anxiety. Twilight had three light blue sapphires shaped and sized like the original pendants that they wore, and they were slowly orbiting Twilight. They got faster and faster until a light blue blur went around Twilight as she started to float into the air. Suddenly, she spoke. "O, Elements of Harmony! I require your aid!" Twilight's call spawned what the would be Elements of Harmony. She somehow was able to call on them without the aid of her friends, although very weakly. "To Sonata, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with the power to call on the Element of Laughter!" Sonata floated into the air, the blue representation of her element bouncing around her. "To Aria, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with with the power to call on the Element of Loyalty!" Aria then floated after Sonata, her element orbiting her. "And finally, to Adagio, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with the power to call on the Element of Magic!" Adagio rose, going higher than Sonata and Aria. "LET THY SONG BE HEARD!" Twilight shouted, the gems that were around her stopping and speedily moving onto the necks of the Dazzlings. They were tied to them as soon as they touched them, in which they began to sing. Their voices were load and clear, being much more invigorating and valorous than their previous deceitful tone. "Let these Sirens be redeemed from their past, and let them bring their Song to one and all!" The gems on all three of the Dazzlings sparkled, bringing a new feeling to them all. They raised their voices of their song. They we surprised, but then decided that this blessing should be appreciated, and they began to seek the Magic of Friendship. Not out of spite, not out of need for Equestrian Magic, but to spread it and renew it. "What now Adagio?" asked Sonata, barely floating off the ground with her base. "We make amends for what we have done. We will show that we have changed, and we will be strong for what will come." Adagio looked around, getting nods of approval from Aria and Sonata. "Strong for tacos?" Aria cut in, bringing the humor to the table. "I hope so. Let's go grab some before we go," Adagio snickered. "Agreed!" Sonata said in a loud voice. After their delightful dinner, the three reformed sirens looked to each other, smiled, and went to the portal. They now went to the opposite world, not banished, but free. Reformed. With a whole new view. Whatever came at them, they would not face with deceit and lies, but with honesty and integrity. They stepped into their human bodies, smiles on their faces.
Chapter 1` After that bright flash, their powers gone. They sat there, tears streaming from their eyes. Their voices no longer the heavenly calls they were. They ran, knowing that there will be no place for them. They ran and ran until they set a good distance between them and that stage. Sitting there, they silently wept. Until one of them stood with an accusing look in her eye. "This is all your fault, Adagio! We wouldn't have been here if you weren't stupid!" Aria Blaze complained, since if there was anyone to blame, it would be their leader. "Shut up, Aria! If anyone is stupid, it's you and Sonata!" Adagio barked, growling in a low tone. The only one not standing was Sonata, the lesser of the three evils. She just didn't speak. Adagio and Aria just went on and on, yelling at each other. They blamed everything but themselves. Except for Sonata, who only blamed herself. "And what makes YOU think you could lead this band!?" Adagio questioned, gritting her teeth. If only there was another way... "Because I can at least..." Aria retorted, but their voices became drowned out by the wailing of Sonata. Almost literal waterfalls came from her eyes as she sobbed. Adagio and Aria stiffened, frozen up by the first experience of one of their band expressing true sorrow. "Why do we have to be like this!? Why can we be like normal ponies!? What made us demand negativity!?" Sonata questioned, knowing no response would come. The other Dazzlings stood there and stared, not knowing what to do. "And why do you two just accept it? Why can't we use our powers for something good!?" Sonata demanded, with almost no voice. Adagio opened her mouth to respond, but no voice came out. She abruptly closed it, sat and looked down. "I don't know...I'm..." Adagio shuddered, unable to say the words. Aria collapsed in the other side of the dark alley, silently crying. "Listen, Sonata..." "Seems to be all I can do, since I cannot sing any more," Sonata sighed reluctantly,"I...I need to be alone." She stood up, and started walking away, and turned a corner. Adagio could hear her walking, and bolted as soon as she heard running. "Sonata! Wait! Don't go!" Adagio begged, unable to stop her from her desperate pace. They ran all the way back to Canterlot High. Sonata was thankful that she ran through the shade of night, since most people that would be around here would have retired to their homes. She reached the front yard, and saw the statue of a horse on it's hind legs on a large block. Here it is...I wonder if the portal goes back... She stuck her arm through, expecting her original Siren form, almost scared of it. Yet only a bluish white hoof was on the other end. "Maybe I can build a new life in Equestria..." Sonata wondered, fascinated by the idea of escape. "SONATA!" She whipped her head at the cry of her name, panicking. She didn't want to be around them, she just wanted to be dealt a new hand. She threw herself into the portal, leaving no trace of her ever being there. As she twisted and changed, she closed her eyes, and tried to rest. "SONATA!" Adagio cried, heels clacking off the ground. She was approaching Canterlot High when she saw a figure slip behind the horse monument. She sprinted to the monument, burnt out, yet she found no sign of Sonata. She sat and laid against the base, crying. Why am I still wearing this? She looked at her dress and shoes, wishing that she was wearing something more basic and normal. "Hello?" A voice came out from the darkness, quiet and soft. When the owner of the voice came closer, Adagio recognized who she was. It was the one who played the tambourine. She seemed small and slight. What is she doing out here? "Are you okay?" the pink haired girl asked,"what are you doing out so late?" "Coming from you." Adagio sighed, knowing that her identity would be found no matter what. The yellow and pink girl gasped at the sound of the voice, recognizing the gruff voice, with an antagonistic tone, which she did not carry now. "W-what are you doing here?" "I don't know." Adagio admitted, "I tried to stop her..." "Who?" "Sonata. She was the kindest of us, if kindness was a thing we ever had," Adagio admitted,"What's your name?" "Fl-uttershy" The girl uttered, speaking very quietly. "Huh?" "It's Fluttershy." "Listen, Fluttershy, can you help me?" Fluttershy was flustered from the question coming from the Siren. "I don't know...erm-" "I just need...a...place to..." Adagio could barely stay awake. "You okay?" Fluttershy asked worriedly,"You look like you need some sleep." "Yeah, sleep..." laughed Adagio, "Just..get me somewhere that's not here..." The last thing Adagio remembers of that night is Fluttershy struggling to pick her up. Aria stomped around in the alley, her purple and teal hair tails bobbing up and down as she furiously paced in the dark alley. "Why did she have to run off with stupid little Sonata!?" She asked the air, "Why did she go soft when Sonata was crying!?" Was it me who made her cry? No...It can't be me... I started the argument... Aria internally screamed, and she lost all energy, collapsing on the ground and falling into a deep sleep.
Chapter 2When Sonata woke up, the first thing she tried to do is to push herself up with her arms. She tried to get her arms behind her back, but they just wont move. Confused, she tried flexing her fingers. Nothing. She held her what are now legs to her eyes and gasped. She had never been in a pony body before. She tried to move every muscle she could, seeing what her new form can do. She tried to stand as soon as she flicked her tail. Unfortunately, she would stumble back onto the ground. It took her several minutes to stand and trot around on two legs. When she could, she looked around. Behind her was a crazy science experiment with a mirror. "Probably how Equestrian Magic came to that world." Sonata concluded. She took a look at the immense meeting chamber she was in. It was a spectacular sight. "How could one pony live here?" Sonata wondered, hoof to her chin. "Wonder if they have tacos here." "Did you hear something?" A female's voice came out. It sounded like the Guitarist from the Rainbooms. Brash and Cocky. How'd she get here? "It's probably nothing, Rainbow Dash." Another female voice, this one with an accent of the southern earth ponies. "You sure? I think we should check it out." came the first voice, who Sonata pinned to be Rainbow Dash. "Okay, but I doubt there was anything." Sonata panicked, and tried to look for a place to hide. The room was completely open, and there was no place to hide. She decided that her best chance was to sink into a corner and hope that they don't notice her. She could see shadows now, of a pegasus hovering and an earth pony with a cowboy hat. Sonata then bolted into a wall, and it suddenly spun, and brought her into a different room. "Told you it was nothin'." said the Earth Pony, although Sonata heard it muffled by three feet of stone. Looking around in the room she was in, Sonata noticed it was a very luxurious room, with a large bed in the center, decorated with several purple banners with stars upon stars, and a little dog bed, containing a small thing that seemed to resemble a dragon. Sonata giggled at how she could even see a dragon in the thing at all. "Is that you, Pinkie Pie?" the dragon asked sleepily,"I'm taking my nap, isn't there someone else you can prank?" Sonata let out a long low sigh, and started to quietly inch out to one of the doors opposite of the bed, which was an easy task. After exiting the room, Sonata was stunned at the sight of the next room. A giant isle that would make the libraries at Canterlot High appear like a shelf of children's books. Books upon Books upon Books went extremely high, making Sonata slightly dizzy. "How does someone read all of these books?" Sonata asked herself. "Hoo." "Huh?" Sonata turned to see who made the odd noise. "Hoo." An owl, claws attached to a purple rail that went all the way to the main hallway. "What are you doing here?" Sonata asked, forgetting she was talking to an owl. "Hoo." "Erm...Ok...Uhh...Do you know if you can help me find something?" "Hoo." The owl nodded it's head, and flew to perch on Sonata's back "I need to find as many books as I can about Sirens." "Hoo?" The owl cocked it's head, attempting to get the best questioning look off. "Erm..excuse me?" Sonata was confused by the owls action, as she just cocked her head at her. "Hoo." The Owl flew off her back, and went away into the giant base of knowledge. "Wait, where are you going?" Five minutes later, after Sonata gave up chasing the owl, it came back with a stack of books. Sonata looked at the books, realizing what the owl had done for her. "Thanks Mr...?" Sonata would have finished her sentence, but then the owl took out a piece of paper and wrote with exquisite (for an Owl) handwriting and wrote 'Owlowiscious' "That's a funny name. No offense." "Hoo." Sonata turned her eyes to the stack of books, and picked one up with her hooves and opened it, flipping to a random page. She tried to get it to the first one, but her hooves weren't effective at flipping the page to the right spot. "Can I get some help?" "Hoo," The Owl flew up and seemed to rest on Sonata's head, yet she did not feel it on her mane. "Huh? What?" The Owl flew off and returned with a mirror and another book. The Owl held the mirror up so that Sonata could take a look at herself. She seemed like any pony, but there was some sort of thing on her head. It was pointy, and she identified it as a Unicorn Horn. "Cool! How do I use it?" The Owl flew off and came back with another book. Sonata took a look at the first one, Equestria and it's Inhabitants. The second was titled, Unicorn Magic: A Guide on using your Magic. The Owl flipped the pages of the book, teaching Sonata about Pony Society, as well as Unicorn Magic. After a couple hours of practice, Sonata could do very basic levitation. After that, she started reading the books about Sirens. Where am I? Adagio propped herself up on her elbows, feeling the soft warmth of a bed. She was what seemed to be a guest bedroom, with few general decorations and a nightstand. She noticed a piece of paper on the night stand and shifted over to it to pick it up. "There is break feast outside. Note that the rest of the Rainbooms will be coming over today to talk about what happened last night." Adagio read aloud, the last few words wide-eyed. She looked at the walls to find windows, both of which were next to the bed. She got up and tried to open one, but it wouldn't budge. She tried the other, and it stayed still. She let out an exasperated sigh, and stomped outside. Adagio ended up finding Fluttershy at a dinner table with break feast, but Adagio ignored that, and glared at Fluttershy. "Oh hi! There's break feast and tea- "Why did you bring them here?" Adagio said, with cold contempt, making Fluttershy sink into her seat. "Wh-what?" "The Rainbooms. Why did you call them?" Adagion towered over Fluttershy. If there wasn't something she lost, it was her intimidation. "I...I..." Fluttershy mustered, but was cut out by a door bell, and the front door swinging open. "Fluttershy? Are you here?" came the voice of defiance that Adagio fears. Turning one corner was a black and purple boot, and the entirety of Sunset Shimmer. "Oh hey Flutters- What are you doing here?" Adagio was frozen, not knowing what to say to her. "It's Okay, Sunset. I found her near passed out in the front of the school." "And how did this happen?" Sunset looked at Adagio with a skeptical look in her eye, frowning. "I..I tried to... I tried to.." Adagio tried to speak the words, but every time she would say them, tears watered in her eyes. She simply could not speak of it. Sunset bent down to one knee. "What happened?" "We ran. We ran as far as we could. Aria and I blamed each other, blamed everything but ourselves. Sonata stayed out of it. She did sometimes fight, but she just sat there and cried. It built up until she couldn't take it, and she just ran. I chased after her, but then she simply...disappeared. Then Fluttershy found me, half asleep and desperate." Sunest just sat there, thinking about her old self. "Isn't there a way for Sirens to be...well, good?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the silence. "I never told her. She asked me back there, and I just couldn't say." Adagio wiped her tears. "Sonata?" "Yes...even as we were, Sonata was the most kind hearted. She was someone who we would bully from time to time." "I think I know where she might be. Where is the other one...whatshername..." "Aria was left where we were. I don't know where she is." Sunset stood up and thought for a few moments, sometimes shaking her head. "I think we are going to have to take you to Canterlot High. We're going to have to all meet there." Sunset did not seem too happy about the decision. "T-the school?" Adagio interjected, "Going there is the last thing I want to do. If Sonata is anywhere, she's in Equestria or there, and I doubt it's the latter." Adagio's words were meant to demoralize. "I know a way we can find her, but that can wait till tomorrow. Do you know where Aria is?" "No," Adagio sighed,"She could be anywhere." "Do you have a place to sleep?" "No." Adagio looked down, a sign of her not belonging. "Fluttershy, is it alright if, wait what was your name?" "Adagio Dazzle." She instantly regretted saying the full word, making herself seem as the entirety of the Dazzlings. "Is it alright if Adagio stays with you tonight Fluttershy?" "Erm...if that's what you want..." murmured Fluttershy, unable to tell Sunset of Adagio's assault. "Okay. I've gotta go. See you tomorrow!" cried Sunset, walking herself out. After the door closed, Adagio stood up and started eating, apologizing to Fluttershy. Aria was pacing, her twin purple tails with a cyan streak bobbing with aggravation. "Why did she chase after Sonata!? Why did Sonata leave in the first place!?" She asked the air, as if expecting an answer to come out of the sky and land at her feet. No such thing came. "And this dress isn't comfortable at all! If only my old clothes weren't in that stupid school." Aria stomped her foot, crushing random debris that has wandered into the alley. Then suddenly, she heard Adagio's voice. "SONATA!" What if I went with Adagio? "I wouldn't. Sonata's a baby." Sonata was the only real friend I've had. "No! We only stuck together because it made us stronger!" Why did I make her cry?" That was what broke the ice. Aria instantly fell to her knees and gave in to her conscience. She cried for however long, seconds, minutes, hours at most, but she could not still the tears streaming from her face. There was nothing she could do. She became a whirlpool of emotion, tears swirling in. Then she stopped, and looked around in the small, dark alley. Rats fighting for crumbs, trash scattered along the ground. Random objects and heirlooms were everywhere, thrown away from the memories of society. The only source of light was the afternoon sun glaring down, and the opening back to the street, a beacon of light and escape from the dark. Aria stood up and found a little doll on the ground next to her foot. She picked it up and examined it. It was made of cloth, and it seemed oddly familiar. She cleaned the dirt off it, and noticed to looked like Sonata. She clutched the toy to her chest, and attempted to sing. She tried to use the enchanting voice that she and Sonata would use at the start of every performance. Only the dull, weak sound came from her throat. She sighed, now knowing her power will never come back. "Did the Sirens always depend on those necklaces?" Aria asked the air,"Was there ever and equivalent?" In her mind, she saw the Siren version of herself, but much more peaceful and with a blue jewel in her chest. She saw this also in Adagio and Sonata, and wondered how the tales of them would be spun if they appeared as that now. Perhaps their tales would be of rare, fantastic creatures who spread their songs for the good of others, or would they still be the stories that mares would tell their foals to scare their children? She didn't know. But it had to be done. "I would need those necklaces. And that stage might be in use. I should look for a way to create and enchant them," Aria concluded,"but first, those necklaces need to be found." And with those words, Aria stepped out into the inviting sun, and walked to Canterlot High.
Chapter 3Sonata spent several days flipping through the books, often need Owlowiscious's help with some words, and yet everything remained inconclusive. She only saw stories, or notes taken on the Sirens. Nothing that would have helped seeing that there was some good in them. During her studies, Sonata did have to hide from other ponies in the Library. She saw the purple Alicorn Princess very often, and would hide away, afraid that she would remember her from the Battle of the Bands. She also saw other ponies, but they usually ignored her, or would murmur a hello to her. She did meet one peculiar pony. A pink mare with a curly mess of a pink mane and tail, with balloons on her flank, they quickly became friends. It was Sonata's only connection to something that could actually speak to her. They were a lot like each other, and often Pinkie would tell Sonata about her other friends. She learned of her other friends like Rainbow Dash and Rarity. She also learned about Twilight's visit to the other world, both the first and the latest, learning about her adventures there. After about a week, she has learned all about Equestrian Society, how to use her magic, the most recents events like Discord and Tirek's release and recapture, and much more. Now, Sonata was finishing the last book about Sirens. "Sirens can be defeated if their jewels are disturbed or damaged. The cause of this makes their voices to be bleak and dull, but there has been no recording of this, the only defeat of Sirens being when Starswirll the Bearded banished the only three known sirens to a different world. There has been no recording of Sirens since that time," Sonata read, not seeing anything she hasn't read before,"the jewel in the Siren's chest is the source of power, gained at birth, but there has been no cases where a Siren would require the services of ponies to recreate her jewel. It is assumed that in order to recreate this, one would need a Unicorn skilled with her magic and someone who makes creations with gems." "WHATCHADOINGSONATA?" came a high-pitched greeting from the permanently ecstatic pink pony. "Oh hey Pinkie! I was wondering, do you know anypony who is good with gems?" "Nop-WAIT! I do know one! Rarity is always looking for gems for her outfits. I could ask her to help you!" PInkie was excited with the idea of having Sonata meet her friends. "Thanks Pinkie! I might see her sometime. Do you know anypony who is good with enchantments?" "I dunno. Twilight might know something, she's read just about every book about magic in this library! Why do you ask?" This gave Sonata pause, as she nibbled her hoof for a second, trying to come up with an excuse. "I-I have an experiment I wanted to test out," Sonata lied,"and I think those two are the ponies to see!" "Cool! Twilight's somewhere here in the castle most of the time, and Rarity is either here or in her shop! So, when do you plan to see them?" "Soon. Right now I want to get some rest. It's been a long day." "OK! See ya!" Pinkie then zipped out of sight, and Sonata sighed. Sonata trotted until she found one of the mirrors that decorated the halls. Pinkie told her that Rarity installed them, saying it gave life to the place. Sonata was quite thankful, so then she could see her own appearance. Her mane was tied back like her hair was in the other world, and her tail was in a similar fashion. Her mane matched up with her coat, turquoise with dark blue on her pale blue coat, it was very fitting to her. Then she looked at her flank, where her cutie mark resided. A pink heart with a blue music note going through it, with the part in the heart jagged like lightning. Every time she saw it, it reminded her of her loss of her singing ability, regret nibbling her hoof. She sighed, and returned to her little corner in the library. "Owlowiscious? cried out a voice, sounding fearfully familiar to Sonata. "Owlowiscious? I need all the books you can find about Sirens." Sonata dashed to a nearby isle, not wanting for Twilight Sparkle to see her. She peeked out to see the owl assistant carrying book after book from the corner, looking sad. Sonata decided that now was a good time as any, and stepped out of the isle. Adagio was sitting down, feeling out of place. She received her outfit, as well as Sonata's and Aria's, but she didn't know what to do with them. She just kept them near, and occasionally sadly looking at them. She was sitting at the edge of the room, where the drums of the Rainbooms sat, as well as microphones and sound equipment. The DJ who provided the sound was sitting at the other end of the room, adjusting all sorts of dials and nobs. Then there was Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer, chatting while waiting for the rest of the band. After some time, Sunset got up and sat next to Adagio. "Hey, you okay? Is there anything I can get you?" "No, I'm fine." Adagio rejected hostilely. "Umm...okay. If you need anything, just ask me or Fluttershy, okay?" "Sure," Adagio said dismissively,"I need to be alone for whatever time I have left." This caused Sunset to frown, feeling sympathy. She wondered what the destruction of her necklace did to her. "Think she's okay?" Fluttershy asked quietly, if not wanting to disturb Adagio. "I think this is the first time she's been without Aria and Sonata. I don't know how she's handling it. They could be anywhere." Just in that moment, a ringing buzzed in Sunset's backpack. Knowing the familiar tone, Sunset picked up the pack and pulled out the what would be "Phone book". "Dear Sunset Shimmer, there is something important of note. One of the Sirens, claiming the name of Sonata Dusk, was founded in my library. She claims she has been studying Sirens and Equestria. She also says that the last time she has seen one of the other Dazzlings is when she ran away from them when they were fighting. She also seemed to appear as a unicorn who can use basic unicorn magic. Do you know anything where the other Dazzlings might be? Your friend, Twilight Sparkle" "Wait, Sonata is in Equestria? As a unicorn?" Adagio asked hopefully, looking for good news. "Appears so. I'm writing back." "Dear Twilight Sparkle, The leader of the Dazzlings was found by Fluttershy and is currently staying with me and Fluttershy for a week. We don't know where the other one is, but it is good to know where most of them are. Please notify us if Sonata has anything to tell Adagio, and vice versa. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer." Just in that moment, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stepped into the room, cases slung over their shoulders. "Hey guys, how's it go- What's she doing here?" "It's okay Rainbow, she's not going to act up." "How can you be so sure?" challenged Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow, have you ever failed someone?" Adagio spoke out. "Uhm...err..." "I know you have, and so have I. I denied it my entire life, and now I see how much I have failed. Being the leader is difficult, especially when your bad resents each other. I wouldn't be here if I was the same. Do you doubt me now?" Rainbow just shook her head. In due time, Pinkie Pie and Rarity came to the meeting, and discussed what to do. The argument has been going on for half an hour. Rainbow Dash was against giving her safe haven, while only Sunset and Fluttershy was set on helping her. The others were in the middle ground, bringing up points from time to time, and it started to show who was where. The entire time Adagio remained silent, regret stirring inside her. But the Rainbooms ignored her, which was and wasn't Adagio wanted. She needed a friendly voice to talk to her, yet the Rainbooms were either filled with suspicion or caution. Never a person she would talk to every day. There were only two people that filled that role, and one of them could be anywhere and the other is in an opposite world. No matter how hard she tried, Adagio could never well up any of Sonata's ditzy moments or Aria genuinely smiling. Nothing, but their angry faces, their spite, their fear. She saw this in the Rainbooms, and it continued to make the regret stir. Rainbow Dash was still not being very agreeable, "I don't think we can trust her. Even without her powers she could be lying to us!" Applejack's voice cut in, "Why would she? It's not like she can convince any of us to help her regain her powers, let alone able to do so!" "I agree with Applejack. When I found her a week ago, she was exhausted and sad. I think her friend went to where Twilight comes from." Fluttershy added thoughtfully. "If that is so, why not go in after her?" Rarity cut in, challenging the defenders of Adagio. In response, Adagio stood up and spoke for herself, "Because I wasn't strong enough to go." "What do you mean?" asked Rainbow, asking for most of the Rainbooms. "Sonata left us because she was scared. She also asked questions I could not answer. When she left I tried to chase after her, but she outran me and disappeared. I assume she is in Equestria, where Twilight resides. I would have gone through to help her, but I gave up, and Fluttershy found me." "I don't know what to do now, I abandoned Aria to chase after Sonata, and all I ended up with is this." Adagio sighed, and sat back where she was. "If you guys really want to help me, just leave me alone." A singled tear slowly fled down Adagio's cheek. Many more came as she weeped in the corner of the room, the Rainbooms only able to watch. She eventually stood up and exited the room, into the hallways of Canterlot High. She walked through the mass of students, most of them glaring until they saw her crying. The only thing they could do was just clear a way and stare. "Why is she crying? What happened? Why is she here?" The crowd would whisper, not wanting to disturb her as if her grief would be directed at them. She walked, hands covering her face. Eventually she found her way out of the building, in which everyone returned to their classes, soon forgetting Adagio was even there. It was later that night when Aria was in the school, sneaking though the hallways. No one was around, but openly making noise was dangerous. She sneaked her way to the dressing rooms of where she left her clothes, yet they were not there. Confused, she started to look for Sonata's and Adagio's clothes, and they were also taken. She started to worry. Who would take their stuff? She did not know but it had to be somewhere in the school. She exited the dressing room, and started to wander the halls. She didn't find anything at all. Then she saw a light, coming from a corner of the hallway. In a panic, Aria tried the door next to her, which she half-expected to see that it was locked, but it swung open. She dashed inside before the light could turn the corner. She started to breathe slowly, and looked around the room. There was a sort of stage, with the Rainboom's drums, as well as sound equipment. There were microphones at the head and sides, and around the room was little cubbies where backpacks would be kept. Aria noticed that above the cubbies was the symbol for each of the members, as well as their skin color on the background. She then saw in a corner near the door was something that looked clothes. Taking a closer look, Aria saw her old get-up, as well as Sonata's. But not Adagio's clothes... The door swung open, and the lights were suddenly on. Aria saw the blazing red and yellow hair that belonged to Sunset Shimmer, and realized the mistake she had made. She hid under the bench where her stuff was, in plain sight if anyone cared to look for her. Sunset sat down at the lip of the stage, dropping a flashlight and backpack. She sighed, and put her elbows on her knees, palms to her neck. "What am I going to do?" Sunset asked, unaware of her audience,"Rainbow is practically against helping her, and the only one who would stick with me is Fluttershy. There isn't a thing I can do to convince the group." "And now she's gone, and she could be anywhere." Aria moved her foot, creating a sound. "Huh? Whose there?" Sunset alarmed, getting up and going over to where Aria hid. She could try to dash around her, or move behind that box or- "How did you get here?" Sunset grabbed her arm, distracting her from her planning. Aria was now on her back, Sunset standing over her. Caught by surprise, Aria could only mouth, "Uhh...Erm...I was...getting my stuff..." "Makes sense. That dress isn't the best thing to wear. "Heh, yeah I guess..." She was very anxious about the way Sunset was acting. Wouldn't she try to question her? "Do you know where Adagio is?" "How do you know her name?" Aria questioned, feeling like something was going on. "Well...she told me, and from what I know she ran after your friend Sonata, and then Fluttershy found her, and she called me over to help with her. I don't know where she is now." "What about Sonata?" "She went into Equestria." "Why are you telling me all of this?" This made Sunset pause, making her take several moments to think,"I'm assuming you know about the old me, so I only have to say that even though you tried to hypnotize the world, I believe you can be redeemed. I was by Twilight's friends, and now I believe if I can be redeemed from that, then why can't someone in the same place as me be as well?" "That isn't going to be easy. I had an idea that came to mind from Sonata, so I think I might go after her." "I don't know if that's a good plan. Wouldn't you want Adagio with you?" "I know I should take Adagio with me, but Sonata would have a better chance at convincing Adagio than I. I'll tell her everything she needs to know, and she'll be here." "Well, I'll try to keep an eye out for her. I can be here around anytime, as you can see. Is that alright?" "Sure, but, why offer to help me? We did say some mean stuff to you in the Battle of The Bands." Sunset sighed, "I've done the same to Twilight, yet she still found a way. I was just like you once. But instead of fascinating everyone, I made them fear me. Now you were where I was when I was defeated. It didn't make sense to me, but now I see that you actually enjoy what you have, and have friends who love you for who you are. Now, I see that if I just left you, you would never reach the place where I am now. I was never able to say that to Adagio, and obviously not Sonata, but they trust you, so you can give them that message." Sunset picked up her backpack, rummaging through it,"I think you should have this. I don't know if it would help, but it's something I kept." In the palm of her hand were the red crystals that were their pendants. She put them in a little pouch and offered it too Aria. She took it, and stood up. "Thanks for...well..." Aria chuckled, not knowing what to say. "No need to thank me, I honestly thought you would have refused them." "I...had an idea. And I felt that I might have needed these. I think I should go." Aria stood up, and walked to the exit. "Alright, I'm going to leave soon too. I'll be waiting for Sonata." Aria smiled as she walked out of the building. Everything was going right. She smiled as she walked to the portal. Before she stepped in, she took out the Sonata doll. It's little eyes looking up at her, with a little smile. It brought a single tear of joy to Aria's eye. She pocketed the doll, and stepped into the portal. But all that came to her was a hit on her head, and having her lay on the ground. Getting up and putting her hand on the stone, she only saw herself, and her hand pushed against the large block. "No, no, no, no!" She cried,"This can't be happening!" Aria cried, bashing her fist on the what would be portal. "Huh? Aria? Is everything Ok?" Sunset asked, tying to see what was wrong. "The portal...it's...It's closed." Aria stared to sob, all hope gone in mere seconds. He twin pony tails flowing through the air as she pounded her fist. "I...I..." mouthed Sunset, unable to think of words to comfort Aria or take blame. Then a familiar ringing came from Sunset's backpack, making both of the girls look to see.
Chapter 4The room that Sonata occupied was the room she originally was in when she crossed the portal about a week ago. She had several little devices attached to her hooves and chest, scanning her and checking her systems. She felt uncomfortable, like someone was invading her own space. She also felt hungry, but not what a Siren with her normal pendant would want, but the actual need for material food. It was odd to her, to hear her stomach churning. Whenever she did eat, it was normally for fun. Her captors didn't give her food or water, and she would have not any time to take a nap or sit down. All she did was stand there. She has been standing motionlessly for about four hours. "How long do I have to be here? Why are you doing this? Am I going to get something to eat?" Sonata would ask when ever Princess Twilight Sparkle passed by. She never got an answer. From time to time she would move from different dials and papers with waves on them. She kept at this study, not even eating or drinking herself. Occasionally writing something in a book, and something else in another book. She was unfazed from her research, trying to figure out what happened to her normal siren body. Sonata was surprised by how long the alicorn was sticking to this activity, thinking she must be as tired as herself. Sonata would have moved if she didn't receive a sting to anywhere she was connected. She could move an inch without the feeling of a bee sting. She would only be able to move her hooves to her mouth, and her magic was disabled by a magic dispelling mini-shield. It was weird, being disconnected from something that had proved itself beyond simple use. Then again, she never really needed it in the hallow cage. She would occasionally yawn and stretch her legs, but she never moved an inch. Although it seemed staying still would keep the pain away, the inability to even lay down was tiring. She could barely stand on her hooves, and her eyes would dim, until the shock that came from movement came to her. "Why are you doing this?" Sonata asked sleepily, not even if Twilight was in front of her. "Because you're unnatural. I need to figure out why you are as a pony, and not a Siren." Twilight responded, answering a question that could have helped Sonata endure the hours of waiting. "Are we almost done?" "Close, I'd say about thirty to forty minutes." "For realzies?" Sonata asked, a lazy smile crossing her face. "Why do you say it like that?" questioned Twilight, confused on the previous Siren's language. "I would tell, but I...am quiet tired." Sonata yawned, legs bending until the pain from relaxation came. Twilight sighed,"I guess we can cut this short." She moved to turn off the systems, and began to stroll down the stairs. Sonata, too tired from the constant experiment, lay down to the floor, and fell into a deep quiet sleep. Meanwhile, Twilight picked up some refreshments for her test subject, that being veggie-tacos and water. After finding the sleeping body of Sonata, Twilight set the food down next to her, and covered her in a blanket. She then began to trot away, wanting to quench her own thirst. As she took her food to her room, she yawned and stretched, and slipped into her bed. "The observations are almost done, but I can't get anything right." Twilight thought to herself, drifting off into sleep. Adagio never ate anything. She didn't get food at lunch, she didn't drink water, she didn't need any of that. The only thing that mattered to her was her need for negativity and adoration. She only slightly cared about her co-stars if they were making mistakes and slipping up. Never did she enjoy their presence. She always found Aria's complaints repetitive and stupid, while Sonata's ditzy moments were annoying and threatening to them. She only kept them because she needed them to get what she wanted. She never considered letting the others get any more than she had. She would always get the biggest piece, as long as that thing mattered to her. Let Sonata have her tacos, they were something that didn't matter to her. Now, she wanted her bandmates more than anything. She didn't know where they were, and she could only wander now. Something that came to her mind was tacos. Why does that stick? It was just a one-time thing Sonata did that was amusing to herself. It hit her then, that without their need for negativity, they would be as normal people, and normal people had needs like food and water. She decided that this should be something she needed to do, as she ignored the primal urge of hunger when she was with Fluttershy. An hour later, Adagio had gotten food for herself, seeing why Sonata loved tacos so much. After her meal, she was now out on the street, with no where to go. She decided against going back to Canterlot High, as that was a hazard zone. The only thing on her mind besides from her bandmates and Canterlot High (and delicious tacos) was music. All her life she had been singing, not needing to replace it with anything. The only thing she could think of now was something else she could do. There was one thing that came to her mind: guitar. It was is a difficult instrument, but without singing she had no choice. Music was something she also craved. It was how people adored her. Why not start anew, and build a new path? Agadio was excited, as she could finally do something new that wasn't a need or had to do with her old self. She bought a relatively simple guitar and a booklet on learning to play guitar. Now armed with guitar and confidence, Adagio began to expand her knowledge of the musical world. Her little Sonata doll was now in prime condition. It had the same turquoise and dark blue hair tied back in a pony tail, light blue skin, reddish-purple jacket held together with blue hooks, pink dress, and hot pink knee boots with white soles. It had a teal necklace, going against the blood red that their previous necklaces were. With magenta eyes, she smiled at her owner. She would smile back, wanting to see her again. Then there was one last thing. She gave the Sonata doll a taco, made for her size. It was a humorous and comforting thought, and it helped her deal with her stress. She wondered what Sonata ever had a friend before. She never really showed the need for one. Aria, on the other hand, did have a friend once. His name was Discord. Often Discord let the Sirens feast on the helpless ponies, but this was mostly because Aria did him favors and kept him good with the Sirens. "I wonder where he could be," said Aria, sitting against the outside wall of the school,"Probably stuck as a stone statue or something." Aria got up from where she was sitting, and looked on towards the portal. It was still closed, denying entrance. Sunset said she knew a way, but it would only be available in the morning, meaning that Aria had to wait from midnight till then. Unfortunately for her, she was denied sleep by her anticipation. It was almost dawn, and Aria would close her eyes and drift off, but she wanted to be awake for the moment. Sunset said that when the sun rose, she would find a way to open the portal. Aria did have something to take up her time of waiting, which was the doll in her hands. She smiled at it, it's adorable little smile keeping her happy through the night. Occasionally an animal would pass by, sniff at her toe, and skitter away after encountering her eyes. Once a cat rubbed it's head against her leg, and let her run her hand across it's soft black fur. It would purr under her touch, and then speed away into the night. It was too long till the sun came up, shining across the horizon. It was almost like a beacon to her, signaling to her that she will be with Sonata again. Sunset was near the school, slightly messy. She didn't have her jacket on, as if she had shed of her old shell. She looked around, seeing Aria against the outside wall. "Wow, you slept on the sidewalk?" Aria asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, I didn't sleep." Aria responded, looking at Sunset with tiredness in her eyes. "How did you manage?" Aria's only response was holding up her Sonata doll for Sunset to see. "Huh, that's cute." Sunset commented, studying her face. It looks just like her... "I found it in the alley where we separated. I worked on her all night." "Well, I can get this thing going for the portal. You must be hungry." Those words provoked Aria's stomach to churn. "Heh, yeah. Can we get tacos?" Author's Note This doesn't really have to do with the story, I just felt like presenting this shirt in honor of tacos. http://www.redbubble.com/people/ianshaffer/works/12751465-sonata-dusk-taco-tuesday?p=t-shirt
Chapter 5"I need to do this AGAIN?!" "Yes, unfortunately. You might have changed overnight, and I wanted to compare results. But the experiment will need some time, and I gave you a better environment, allowing me to take more notes." Twilight wasn't much happier than Sonata, but in her mind it had to be done. "So I'm going to have to do all this stuff because I have to?! For realzies?" Sonata asked, stomping her hoof. Twilight sighed,"Yes, for realzies." The room they now occupied was a much more sophisticated lab, and had all of the things Twilight had back in the room with the portal as well as even more gadgets. Suddenly, a ringing that sounded like a cellphone came from a corner of the room, seeming out of place, as Sonata remembered that they had no such technology. Twilight trotted to where the ringing came from, smile on her face. "What's that?" Sonata asked, wondering why she has a book that worked like a phone. "It's a letter from Sunset Shimmer, saying to open the portal. She says that I have a visitor, and that no, it's not Flash Sentry," This caused her to blush, making Sonata giggle,"Also, it says to have Sonata present. That's weird." "How come the portal doesn't work anymore? When I crossed it, it worked perfectly fine" Sonata asked, leaning her head to one side. "It's because this book keeps it working. The only way to keep it powered is via the book. I wonder who Sunset brought here." "Does this mean I..." "Get a little bit of time before our experiment, yes." Sonata zipped past Twilight, then stopping outside in the hallway. "Erm...Which direction is the portal?" Sonata asked with an embarrassed smile. Twilight just rolled her eyes and pointed with a hoof in the right direction. Adagio made some progress, able to do the simplest of melodies on her guitar. She was expecting it to be extremely difficult, but it wasn't as hard as she thought it was. She learned a lot about other instruments from learning to play the guitar. She would often attempt to sing with the small melodies, but the sound that came from her voice was just dull and pitiful. That didn't daunt her from learning this new instrument. She would often think of Rainbow Dash when she played, wondering if she will reach her level of skill. Adagio would think of Aria and Sonata all the time, wondering where they would be. Even though Sonata seemed to be a universe away, she felt as if she was closer to her than ever. The only thing stopping her from going was the regret. Sonata might still be angry with her, and she didn't want to see her upset. All she would do is play her calming melodies as the sun rose. She wondered where Aria might be. She could be anywhere, maybe even out of town. The only thing she wanted to do was sit with her guitar and play. After all, she thrived on music to survive, why not now keep it as a hobby? She didn't have much to do until she felt that she could face Sonata. So she just stared into the sun and played, a feeling of reformation coming upon her. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even the next month, but she knew that one day, she would have to face Sonata. Aria leaned against the gateway. It was an hour before students would start class, and only a dotted few appeared. They stared at Aria, with looks of fear and wonder. She just ignored them, waiting for the portal to open. Sunset Shimmer had been gone for a few minutes, saying that she heard from Twilight that her book must be in the other world for the connection to be still. A locker seemed safe, as it was where Sunset kept that book since she came to Canterlot High. But why? Shouldn't she be here, with her friends? "Twilight told me she would be opening the portal soon, you ready?" Sunset asked, almost eagerly. "Why do you say it like that?" "Because I'm coming with you." Sunset confirmed Aria's suspicion. "Why?" "Because I need to talk to Twilight about all of this, as well as going with Sonata so she can have assistance from me so she could find Adagio." Aria sighed,"Let's make this quick." Sunset grabbed Aria's arm before she stepped through,"Wait, Aria, I need to ask you something." "Yes?" "What do you think Adagio could be doing?" This made Aria think for a moment, until she came up with an answer. "She's regretting she failed me and Sonata. After all, we were like Sisters, perhaps we are. But I know that for certain that she is sad over Sonata. That is why I want Sonata to look for her. She always was the leader, giving her the label of a big sister. I honestly don't know where I would be if me and Sonata didn't have her." "I can't imagine what i would be like for her right now." "She's probably not doing too well, unless she's found sort of outlet." Aria sighed, and she let one hand touch the portal, feeling a strange feeling of water that felt like marble. She then took one step in, and Sunset did the same. They both entered, smiling. Author's Note I just wanted to put this song here because it was what came to my mind for the Adagio part. https://youtube.com/?v=AZ1pHmWhIuY#The_XX_-_Intro_HQ
Chapter 6Aria's hands- or lack thereof, felt crushed together, but were unable to move. She tried to stand on two legs, but it was too difficult. She resorted to just propping herself up on her hooves, which she was surprised to see. Her Siren form was now gone, replaced by a pony. It felt odd, and made her feel out of place. She looked down her purple coat to her cutie-mark, which seemed to be some musical symbol with a purple star in the center of it. It seemed fitting to her, even though she never really had a cutie-mark. It seemed to make her happy, that she had some place in this unfamiliar world. She then noticed she still had her twin pony tails, fitting for her new form. Her tail was styled like her mane, but not split. She was almost thankful for that. She looked up to see Sunset Shimmer and Twilight in a hug, both of them smiling. "I'm so glad to see you Twilight!" "Me too, Sunset," They both unentangled themselves from each other, looking at Aria,"Seems like this is the mystery visiter." "Aria?" She looked up at the call of her own name, looking into the face of Sonata, dumbfounded. "Hey Sonata." "What're you doing here?" Sonata asked, confused on why Aria wanted to see her. "To say I'm sorry. For everything." "I think we should let these two catch up. Me and Twilight are going to talk for a bit." Sunset called out, giving them their privacy. "What do you mean everything?" Sonata asked, confused by Aria's unexpected words. "For making fun of you and Adagio, for being a jerk, for not being there whenever you needed me, for all those times I would be mean or anything at all. I am sorry for all of this. I only wish that you could accept my apology." Sonata sighed, and thought for several minutes, looking back at Aria. She noticed the little pouch around her hoof, as well as something else, something equine... "What's that?" Sonata asked, pointing at the little equine doll Aria had. "Weird, she wasn't a pony when I found her back there..." Sonata lifted it with her unicorn magic, seeing that the doll looked like her. It had a little taco on it's side. Her smile was comforting, making Sonata think if that is how people really saw her. "Where'd you find this?" "In the alley where I fought Adagio. It was a little thing I found. It wasn't a pony, the portal must have changed it. I kept it as a thing to keep me happy. It seemed childish, but it gave me hope." Sonata sighed,"It's okay, Aria. I feel like having this doll was a great idea, and I hope you hold onto her," Sonata floated the little doll over to her,"And right now, I want to figure out how we can get our singing voices back, without returning to our old selves." Aria brightened up,"Really? I had an idea like that, where we had these cyan jewels instead of the red ones. I feel like the color might have an effect on it." "Really? Then we can totally make this work!" Sonata cheered, jumping up in the air with a smile on her face. "It's not going to be that easy." Aria reluctantly said, Sonata suddenly going back to a standing form, a questioning look on her face. "Adagio is out there, and if we wanted to have a full reformation, we should include her. She's been having a hard time, we should give her some hope." "So, do you have a plan?" Aria did the best indication of biting her lip, then said, "I think that one of us staying here isn't that good of an idea. I think I can ask Sunset to help Twilight with figuring out how to create new necklaces, and go over our idea. If they like it, we can both go back to Canterlot High and hope for the best." Sonata smiled,"Then let's get to that!" They both trotted outside, to where Twilight and Sunset now started walking down the long hallway, laughing and exchanging stories. "Sunset, Twilight, we have a plan." Aria mustered, trying to make it seem official. "Sonata and I are going to go back to Canterlot High to look for Adagio. We wanted you guys to research and see about this idea we have." "Which is?" Twilight asked, wondering what 'idea' this could be. "We wanted to reforge our necklaces, but in a different way." Sonata answered, doubting that Twilight was going to go long with that. "Why should we do this? Won't you be like your old selves?" "We wouldn't, because normally Sirens at birth have red crystals, and we had an idea that if creating the pendants in a different color gem and perhaps enchanting them with a more positive tone would change the outcome." Twilight gritted her teeth,"I doubt that it will work, but we will do what we can. What if it fails, and there is no way to make you use your music for positivity?" "Then we become three, harmless teenage girls." Sonata said, words cutting deep into Twilight, making her frown. "Well, we can keep in touch with you guys. You can get my book I use to talk to Twilight with from my locker. I can write down the pass code for you if you want." Sunset offered "That would be great. Thanks Sunset." "No problem." "Well, we should get going. I think it's time we go and find Adagio." Sonata cheered, excited to finally get the band back together. "Yeah, but there is something...I need to do first," said Aria sleepily,"is there anywhere with a bed?" "Of course. Feel free to use one of the guest rooms over there." Twilight pointed to a room, and Aria thanked her and got into the bed, taking a nap. "Aria? Are you awake?" the voice of Sonata was the first thing Aria noticed, then she opened her eyes, seeing the light blue pony bouncing excitedly. "Yeah, yeah, I'm awake." She threw off the blankets that covered her, and rolled out of the bed onto her hooves. "Twilight's got the portal ready, let's go!" Sonata galloped in the direction of the portal, Aria trotting behind her, glad to get some rest. In the room with the portal was Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, who were waiting for Aria and Sonata to go back to the mirror universe. "Good luck in there Sonata and Aria." said Sunset Shimmer, waving a hoof. Sonata jumped right into the portal, while Aria waited a moment, looking at her reflection. She noticed the horn coming out of her head, making her wonder what kind of things she could do with unicorn magic. Closing that from her mind, she stepped through the portal. On the other side was Sonata, sitting down and smiling. Aria got up, happy to feel her fingers and toes. She got up, and noticed Sonata was in her dress from the finals in the Battle of the Bands. This thought made her uncomfortable. "Sonata, I think I know where your normal stuff is." "Where? This dress has been making me think of...that night." She said worriedly, afraid of even mentioning it around Aria. "C'mon, just follow me." Aria noted that it was somewhere in the afternoon, which meant that school would be out soon, and they didn't want people to notice two of the people who nearly took them over. They began to navigate to where the Rainbooms played, which, thankfully, was not occupied. In the corner was Sonata's old stuff, which she grabbed and started to put on. Aria looked outside to make sure nobody would come. She estimated that the bell would go off in 5 minutes, so they had little time to get what they needed. Sonata tapped Aria on the shoulder when she was done, which left them around a minute of time. She ran to Sunset's locker, in which when they opened, the bells went off. No classrooms were around, leaving some extra time before people would find them. Aria finished the combo-lock, and then dug into her locker, looking for the book. The problem was that Aria didn't know which one it was. There were three books that didn't look like textbooks. One was green, another was brown, and another one was brown with Sunset's Cutie-mark on it. Aria remembered seeing the brown book, so she pushed aside the green book, and suddenly the brown book with Sunset's cutie-mark started to glow and vibrate. Aria took it, and it opened to the newest page. "Dear Aria and Sonata. In case if you were having trouble, this is the book you are looking for. From Sunset Shimmer. Well that was useful." Aria closed the locker and put the lock back on. She stood up to see Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the former crossing her arms. "What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash questioned, then realization crossed her face when she saw the faces of Aria and Sonata. "Why you rummaging through Sunset's stuff!?" Rainbow Dash demanded, while Applejack just stared. "I-I...she asked me to get it..." Aria didn't know what to do, Rainbow Dash was stomping her way up to them. "She's been absent all day, and why would she ask you?" cut in Applejack, the more reasonable voice, called out. Aria and Sonata started to take steps back, fearing that they could not outrun Rainbow Dash. "What are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, right next to their faces. Aria gritted her teeth, when she saw Sonata's hand go to her face. She heard the sound of crying coming from Sonata. Applejack got between Rainbow Dash and the two Dazzlings,"Rainbow, stop! You're making one of them cry. We ain't letting these ones run off, but we are NOT going to threaten them!" "They could be pulling something off! This could be a trick!" Aria grabbed Sonata's shoulder, who then looked up at her. She motioned her head back, noting the exit. Sonata nodded her head, and they both got up and ran for the exit, using Applejack to stop Rainbow Dash for a few seconds. "GET BACK HERE!" cried Rainbow Dash, almost catching up to them. They hit the doors, which slightly slowed their pace. Rainbow Dash had to stop or she would risk damaging the door, buying Sonata and Aria a few seconds. They didn't stop running until they put a good three blocks between them and the school. They hid in an alley, in case if the over-zealous Rainbow Dash goes searching for them. "Why are we even doing this Witch Hunt? They probably meant no harm!" The accented voice of Applejack came from around the corner, before she was in view. "Why? They could be pulling something by stealing Sunset Shimmer's book!" A vibration came from Aria's arms, making the sound of a cell phone. Oh no. Aria flipped open the book until she found the newest page, a report on their latest findings in Equestria. This didn't please Aria at the moment, because they have fast pursuers. Straight out running on the open sidewalk would have Rainbow Dash on them in no time, so they had to keep their heads down until Rainbow Dash passes by. "Did you hear something?" Rainbow Dash asked Applejack, who just shrugged. She began to advance through the alley, making Aria and Sonata scoot closer in together against the dumpster to avoid the detection of Rainbow Dash. She walked right past them, not noticing the three ponytails coming from behind the Dumpster. She looked to either side, and started running in one direction. Applejack trailed behind her at a walking pace. Applejack did notice the duo hiding, and motioned for them to go. Aria gave Applejack a quick "Thank you," and quickly left the area, now focusing on finding Adagio. Adagio was playing a song she had partially learned, playing it over and over, fixing one mistake after another. She was practicing with this, working on individual parts until she had gotten good enough with them, and then tried them together, then went back to fixing her mistakes. She was getting good with this, and was starting to add the parts of the song together, making the next piece of the bridge as she went. She had some tacos earlier, but she had ordered a bit too much. She had two left, sitting there covered in the paper they came with in order to have them later. She was now working on the next part of the song. She had been sitting there, playing the song over and over again. It was something that kept her busy. Often someone would come around to see who was playing the guitar, and leave if they recognized her. This only happened once or twice. If they didn't recognize her, they would stay for a few minutes, and have a little chat, then leave. She was alright with people listening, but she didn't want to talk to anyone. They would usually bother her, and she wanted to practice. "Ooo! Can we get some tacos?" came a familiar voice. Is that... "Sure, after we find Adagio." No way. That had to be them. She ran outside the alley onto the sidewalk. There they were, walking down the sidewalk. Aria's twin pony tails bouncing up and down, while Sonata's single pony tail followed suit. Adagio felt dumbfounded. She didn't know that they would come looking for her before she would for them. "Hey guys! Over here!" cried Adagio, and on Sonata's face was a look of pure delight and Aria's held a smile. Author's Note I couldn't describe Aria's cutie-mark that well, so here's the picture of it. http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Aria_Blaze?file=Aria_Blaze_cutie_mark_crop.png
Chapter 7Sonata ran up to Adagio and gave her a big hug, surprising her, while Aria crossed her arms and smiled. Sonata was bouncing with excitement, so happy to see Adagio. Aria extended out an arm for a handshake, but Adagio gave her a hug instead. Aria was not expecting that, but she went with it anyway. "Omygosh!Omygosh!Omygosh! Adagio! Where'd you come from?" Sonata asked cheerfully. "Well, believe it or not, just from here," Adagio started to move into the alleyway, motioning Aria and Sonata to follow. In there, Adagio picked up her guitar, showing it off. "Where'd you get that?" Aria asked, surprised Adagio picked up an instrument. "I got it at a music shop. I've been practicing since I got it a couple of days ago. I've actually been getting down parts of a song. Want to hear?" "Sure, as long as Sonata's alright with it." She responded by rapidly nodding her head. Adagio smiled, and went through the parts she knew. She got through around almost half of the song before finishing, which gained the applause from one extremely excited girl and one person proud of Adagio. Even though it wouldn't seem like much, it was the world to Adagio. "So, what's been going on?" Adagio asked, making conversation. Sonata immediately jumped in,"Well, when I entered Equestria, I found out that we were unicorns when we entered, meaning we did not have our what-would-be normal Sirens bodies. I started studying Sirens as well as how Equestria worked, as well as do some cool stuff with my horn, like levitating and stuff. Then I met Twilight Sparkle, the previous singer for the Rainbooms and a current Princess in Equestria. Then Aria came into Equestria with Sunset Shimmer and told me about her plan, and I said that I knew something we could do for it. So, we had Twilight and Sunset work on figuring that stuff out while we go find you. So, now all we need to do is to tell Sunset and Twilight that we're coming and we can get this thing started. Adagio looked at Aria,"She pretty much said anything I would say." Adagio smiled, and stood up and packed her guitar. "Are we going to Equestria?" Sonata asked, hands clasped at her mouth in an attempt to contain her excitement. "It's where the next part of your plan is, so let's go." "We were going to get tacos before hand. Mind if we stop by there?" Aria asked, reminding Adagio of her leftovers. "I have a couple actually. They're yours." Sonata and Aria took one, and thanked Adagio for the treat. The began walking, and Adagio turned to Aria. "So, Aria, what's this plan of yours that you and Sonata came up with?" "Well, I had an idea where if the color of the pendant affected the resource it required for the siren, making something like blue make us thrive on positive energy. So far, my theory hasn't been tested. Or so I think. Anyway, Sonata figured out a way to recreate the pendants, which requires a magically strong unicorn or alicorn and someone who works with gems. So far, we know that Twilight Sparkle might fulfill the first job, while the jewel person thing is something that a friend Sonata made would know a pony. So we are going back there and checking on their progress." Adagio turned to Sonata,"You made a friend?" "Mhm." "Who?" "An earth pony named Pinkie Pie. She and I share a lot in common. I believe her counterpart here played the drums." Adagio was proud of her bandmates. All that remained between them and the portal was a walk in the city. On the way they spent their time making up, as well as sharing stories and laughing. A few people from Canterlot High saw them, surprised by their faces. They did not see the spiteful or sad looks on their faces, but looks of joy and happiness. They almost reached Canterlot High when the rain came upon their parade. "What're you doing here?" came the antagonizing tone of Rainbow Dash. She was followed by some sports girls, gritting teeth in defiance. "W-what?" Aria came out, surprised by Rainbow's wall. Applejack, sitting on the steps, meeting the gaze of the Dazzlings, gripping her arm and looking away in regret. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie just stared, shocked by Rainbow Dash's behavior. The Dazzlings could only step back, not knowing what to do. "I know that you're doing something, and I wont let that happen! Something's going on!" "Rainbow! This is unreasonable! We don't know what they want, why not ask them? Adagio was reasonable enough to talk with us, why wouldn't her friends?" That last word sparked hope and pride into the Siren's hearts. "Because they are deceiving us! They are planning something!" Rainbow Dash was almost obsessed with this idea that they were conspiring against them. Applejack got up from the steps, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the shoulder,"Rainbow, you shouldn't do this! I know I should have told you about them, but they were scared when I saw them! You didn't show them the kindness, which is why they hid from you! We ain't going no further by doing this!" "Well neither are they!" Rainbow Dash shouted,"and I'm not going anywhere!" One of the girls with Rainbow pushed Applejack to the ground, growling at her. "Is this what Sunset Shimmer would have wanted, Rainbow Dash?" "W-what?" Rainbow turned back to the Dazzlings, confused. "Do you think that Sunset Shimmer would allow this?" Adagio rang out, almost repeating herself. "I-I..." "You think that you're friends would like this? You're only making your self worse than we were!" Aria cut in, gritting her teeth. Adagio felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see Sonata frowning. Adagio realized what she had said had scared Sonata, and decided to soften up. "If you don't want to be like the old us, step aside." Rainbow looked around, legs shaking. The girls that were with her looked at her, confused on what to do. She just sighed, and walked away. "Band practice is happening soon. See you there guys." Rainbow just walked into the building, the sports girls leaving, looking at the Dazzlings. "Why did you need it anyway?" "Huh?" "Sunset Shimmer's book," Applejack confirmed,"kinda strange that you were going through her stuff." "Oh, she asked us," Sonata answered, surprising everyone expect for Aria, which everyone looked at. "What? It's true." Sonata kept going ,"Anyway, we come here, look for Adagio, get her book so we can report what we have found, then we go back to Equestria, and figure out the rest while we're there." "Okay...Should we keep Sunset Shimmer's book here?" Applejack asked, slightly doubting if it was the truth. "Sure! I think we should go soon anyway. Let me tell Twilight we're coming." Aria wrote a brief message in the book, and closed it, and gave it to Applejack. "Wait, what are you planning to do when you get there?" "Become whole again," Aria responded, being the last of the Sirens to walk through the portal. Author's Note Interpret Adagio's song as you please. But if you want to see with my eyes, you must first rip them out of my skull! (just kidding, here's my interpretation of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ1pHmWhIuY)
Chapter 8Adagio was the most unfamiliar in her new form. Over the time being banished to the other world, she has grown accustomed to her human body, moving it to entrance. Now, in a form she has never experienced, she screamed for a straight five seconds. She lifted her hooves to her eyes, looking at her tail, unsure of what to do with her new form. Aria and Sonata tried their best to calm her down, which helped slightly. Aria and Sonata helped her up to her hooves, and she remained in a steady balance. Upon taking a step, she immediately fell to the ground, causing a slight giggle amongst her bandmates. She decided that she would lean on Sonata for support, who would occasionally dash to something with realization that Adagio was balancing on her, causing her to trip and make Aria roll her eyes with a smile. Adagio would sometimes attempt to move her fingers, hand have a stab of disappointment when she only felt the singular hoof that was her replaced hand. This disappointment was something that made Sonata and Aria uncomfortable, as if Adagio was so accustomed to her human body that she would be in that than anything else. "What's going on?" Sunset Shimmer entered the room to see the three bandmates together, happy to be there. "Oh hey Sunset! Figured out that spell?" Aria asked, waving a hoof. "Your timing couldn't be better! We are finished with the research, and we figured out what we can do to change the effect of the pendant. There is only a single question I need to ask." "Which is?" "Do you want to be as your original Siren form or be as a pony in Equestria? And if you want, push this form back to the other universe?" Sunset's offer was almost insulting. "Sunset, I think we would prefer our new forms compared to the Siren form. I feel like some of us don't want to go back there, and some of us can't go," Aria described, painting who was who with a motion of her hoof. Adagio made it almost too clear she would not stand her original form, and Sonata shivered at the thought of returning. "Okay," Sunset stammered, realizing her offense,"I'll go with Twilight to get the spell started. I suspect you'll be needed in a couple of hours." "Okay, you need anything from us, we'll be helping Adagio with trotting." Aria then turned to Adagio, taking small steps then falling, then getting back up. "How do you manage?" Adagio asked, puzzled by how Aria and Sonata learned to move as a quadruped so easily. "I don't know, but it was pretty easy." Sonata either didn't know that Adagio was wanting her old form or impossibly hid that she knew. "Anyway, I think I should figure this new pony thing out," Adagio planned, seeing what she can do for what time she has. "And we can get tacos!" Sonata cheered, jumping into the air. "They have tacos here?" "Of course they do!" About three hours later, the three Sirens gathered around Twilight, who stood solemnly still. She was with pinpoint focus, connecting the pieces of the spell. The Dazzlings were to remain still, which was no challenge for Adagio and Aria, but Sonata started to gather some anxiety. "Adagio?" a little voice squeaked out from Sonata, not wishing to disturb Twilight. "Yes Sonata?" "What if it doesn't work?" "We both know that it will work. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle would only do this when they knew for certain it would work," Adagio comforted, winking at Sonata. This made her smile. A loud sound came, like the strike of a ponysmith's hammer. It echo'd throughout the room, which was rather large. The Dazzlings were on the opposite side of the entry, while Twilight was in the center. Sunset Shimmer watched from afar, making sure that the Dazzlings followed their queues. When that sound came, all of the Dazzlings froze into a standing position with their eyes closed, mouths frowning slightly out of anxiety. Twilight had three light blue sapphires shaped and sized like the original pendants that they wore, and they were slowly orbiting Twilight. They got faster and faster until a light blue blur went around Twilight as she started to float into the air. Suddenly, she spoke. "O, Elements of Harmony! I require your aid!" Twilight's call spawned what the would be Elements of Harmony. She somehow was able to call on them without the aid of her friends, although very weakly. "To Sonata, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with the power to call on the Element of Laughter!" Sonata floated into the air, the blue representation of her element bouncing around her. "To Aria, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with with the power to call on the Element of Loyalty!" Aria then floated after Sonata, her element orbiting her. "And finally, to Adagio, I create this pendant so you may require sustenance from spreading the Magic of Friendship through your song. I enchant thee with the power to call on the Element of Magic!" Adagio rose, going higher than Sonata and Aria. "LET THY SONG BE HEARD!" Twilight shouted, the gems that were around her stopping and speedily moving onto the necks of the Dazzlings. They were tied to them as soon as they touched them, in which they began to sing. Their voices were load and clear, being much more invigorating and valorous than their previous deceitful tone. "Let these Sirens be redeemed from their past, and let them bring their Song to one and all!" The gems on all three of the Dazzlings sparkled, bringing a new feeling to them all. They raised their voices of their song. They we surprised, but then decided that this blessing should be appreciated, and they began to seek the Magic of Friendship. Not out of spite, not out of need for Equestrian Magic, but to spread it and renew it. "What now Adagio?" asked Sonata, barely floating off the ground with her base. "We make amends for what we have done. We will show that we have changed, and we will be strong for what will come." Adagio looked around, getting nods of approval from Aria and Sonata. "Strong for tacos?" Aria cut in, bringing the humor to the table. "I hope so. Let's go grab some before we go," Adagio snickered. "Agreed!" Sonata said in a loud voice. After their delightful dinner, the three reformed sirens looked to each other, smiled, and went to the portal. They now went to the opposite world, not banished, but free. Reformed. With a whole new view. Whatever came at them, they would not face with deceit and lies, but with honesty and integrity. They stepped into their human bodies, smiles on their faces.
