A Shade of Blue, A Hint of Orange
"Hm? Oh hi there, Sunny! Didn't expect to see you here!"
"...you seem awfully cheery to see me."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well... for one thing, we... broke your pendants..."
"Yeah?"
"And we ruined your ability to use your Siren magic..."
"Mhm?"
"And we've essentially reduced you to little more than harmless teenage girls."
"And your point being...?"
"You're not even the slightest-- ugh, never mind. Can I sit down?"
"Sure, sure, go on ahead! This is a public place, after all, and I'm certainly not the boss."
...
"Comfy?"
"As comfy as one can get while sitting in the seat of a public restaurant..."
"Yeah... I knew I should've brought some pillows. Sitting like this for long periods of time is so not good for my caboose."
"...right. Listen--"
"Wait, before you say anything, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"R-really? What?"
"Cat or dog?"
"...excuse me?"
"Well, I was thinking of having a pet to keep me company when Aria and Adagio are doing something without me. Those were the only two pets I could keep in my head. See, if I choose a dog, he'd be all hyper and knock over stuff and make Adagio yell at me for not looking after it properly. I'm also suspecting Aria's a little afraid of them, too."
"Well, I, uh--"
"And if I get a cat, I could so use the opportunity to prank Adagio. I'd have to get it at night, though, just to show it the litterbox as soon as possible. And by "litterbox", I mean Adagio's hair. I'd put the cat on Adagio's head while she's sleeping and let it do its thing. From that point onward, it'd try and drop a deuce in her hair! It'd be so funny, but then it'd get sad because she'd get mad and throw the cat out. And I'm also sure Aria would try to eat it out of spite."
"...would she really do that?"
"Don't know, and I might not want to find out."
"Maybe you should get a ferret-- okay, wait, no. This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Well, it's what I was talking about. And a ferret sounds cool to have! I'd have to figure out what it eats and all that. Maybe if I teach it to like tacos..."
"Look... um...."
"Sonata."
"Sonata, listen to me for a minute. This is really important, and if you would just let me get it out, I'll... I'll leave you alone forever."
"All right, Sunny. But I thought we were starting to bond a little. I was even going to talk about how I was gonna name the ferret after my boob!"
"I-- wait, what? You... named your boobs?"
"Yeah! The left one's named Tweety and the right one's named Steve. I think they fit, don't you?"
"...okay, look, I'm just going to put this out here before this gets any weirder."
"Uh huh?"
"First off, where are the other two Sirens? How come you're by yourself?"
"Oh, Adagio and Aria? They're back at home... moping as usual."
"Moping?"
"Yeah! Ever since our pendant's broke, all they've been going on about is how they've lost their places as Sirens and how much they hate you and the other Rainbooms. Couldn't stand it, had to come here for some quiet. And then you came along! Yay."
"I suppose there's no way to get you to help me talk to them too, is there?"
"You could try. But I don't think you'd have better luck than I did. Every time I tried to cheer 'em up, all they did was say "Shut up, Sonata!" and "You're the worst!" Of course, they didn't say that exactly. Sometimes they mixed it up with some insults and some angry ranting. But still, you get the idea, don't ya? I mean, it ain't surprising for them to be killjoys, but today was just a bit much for me. Why do you ask, Sunny?"
"Well... I've been thinking."
"Yeah?"
"You said before that you knew all about me, right?"
"Yup-yup! And let me tell you. When I first heard it, my mind was blown in front of my face! Right now, you barely even look it. You're hesitant, kinda on the quiet side, don't seem like you're sure what you're doing is the "right" thing to do. And yet, when you were in charge of this place, you were queen. You were confident, you were sure of yourself and before the Rainbooms came into the picture, you were untouchable. You knew everyone's deepest, darkest secrets, knew the right way to make people do what you wanted them to. Oooh! It makes me all giddy just thinking about it."
"I-- that's not--"
"Now that I think about it, why did you do it? Why did you willingly give that all away? I just don't get it."
"It's not what I wanted."
"I can't imagine why not."
"It wasn't right."
"And just what "right"'s supposed to be to you?"
"I--... I don't..."
"I can tell you what it was to me. Right was absorbing the negative energy off of other people so we could sustain ourselves. Right was causing conflict and strive just so we could continue to keep our identities as one of the most threatening creatures in Equestria, and eventually, right was whatever Adagio told me and Aria to do. Wrong was Starswirl the Bearded banishing us to this place, and wrong was you girls destroying what little chance we had to keep ourselves. But what's wrong to us is right to you, and what's wrong to you is right to us. But all in all, things such as right and wrong are decided by the ones in control. Simple, right?"
...
"Which leads me to my next question. If you didn't face the big rainbow like we did... if you were only challenged with offers of redemption instead of being pushed to the ground and given a choice of either being assimilated or getting crushed by your own failure, would you have still turned? Would you have still eventually become a good girl, trying to suck up to everyone just so you could get off their bad side? Or would you still be the tyrant of this school, the living nightmare of Canterlot High?"
"L-listen, you--!"
"Ah-ah-ah! Might be a little too much to scarf down on your plate at once, Sunny. We've only got the rest of our lives to think that over, right? Enough about that. What did you wanna ask me?"
"...I was going to say that until they came along, I didn't know another way. I thought the only way was power and control. But when I was hit by that rainbow... it was as if a hole was being filled. I don't - shut it - I don't know a good way to describe it. It was like an epiphany of empathy, like I looked back on everything I did just to get my hands on that crown... and saw nothing but bad memories. I looked at it all, and found myself asking "Was that really me?". When I was in that crater, I felt so disgusted and so ashamed at myself. I was willing to destroy everything and everyone for the sake of a prize that wasn't even worth it."
"It wasn't?"
"In exchange for all that power, I was nearly corrupted by it. If it weren't for them, I would've lost myself."
"Eeek. All right, that's... you may just have a point there. I wouldn't want to lose myself-- oh, wait I did. And it was your fault."
"I--"
"Ha ha! Lighten up, Sunny, I'm just joking with you. So no offense or anything, but what was the point of that little story?"
"The point... is that I changed. And since you're still here, maybe I can help you and your friends. We took your powers. We broke your hands. Now, I want to lend mine, just like Twilight lent me hers. I want to help give you a push in the right direction, get you to see that maybe the magic of friendship isn't a bad thing after all. But I can only do that if you accept it."
"...you want us to follow in your footsteps? Become good little girls who see the best in the world and try to get what they can out of it? Live peaceful lives and not hurt anybody anymore?"
"Well...yes. If that's how you want to put it."
......
"...Sonata?"
"...oh, Sunny. If it were only that simple."
"What do you mean?"
"You've become such a white knight in shining armor, haven't you? Gone from running rough shot over people to trying to save 'em from themselves. Gotta admit, you've got some nerve asking me that. After all we did to you, you decide to hand over a dove and an olive branch. Can't say what Dagi and Ari'd think about it, but I have to say I'm pretty touched. If I had a choice in it, you would've been one of my best friends. As it is, that's not going to happen."
"I... I don't understand. Was Adagio forcing you to cooperate with her? I don't see how she could do that anymore without your--"
"Oh, no no no no no! It's not because of her. Heck, I'm kinda insulted that you said that, Sunny. Because if you ask me, and I don't wanna say this to be mean, because I love 'em both to death - but I think Dagi and Ari are kinda on the stupid side."
"...really?"
"Mhm! Dagi's always been a control freak. Trying to make sure everything goes her way in the most perfect order possible, always acting like she's on top of the world... kind of hypocritical for a creature of chaos and disharmony to have an attitude like that, right? And then there's Ari, going around and following her like a lost dog! She's the first one to complain about any possible problems Dagi might have in her plans, but she's also always the last one to actually think of one herself. It's always been that way up until the point where we were brought down from our clouds and sent headfirst into the ground, and now... they're upset because they didn't see it coming. They're upset because they didn't think we'd lose our powers a second time. I can't really say it's their fault, though. They don't see things like I do... like you and I do."
......
"Like I said, you were in our shoes once upon a time. You were cruel, arrogant, sadistic and ruthless to everyone but yourself--"
"That's not me anymore. I've changed now!"
"And that's very good and all. But does it mean that that side of you never existed to begin with? I mean, that'd be like saying there were no Founding Fathers just because they're all dead and gone. It'd be like saying the wars that this place has gone through were just a byproduct of our violent imaginations! No, it's never going to go away... and thanks to that, you have the ability to see both sides of the spectrum. You have an idea on how "evil" works, and you're in the process of learning just how "good" works. You don't have that worry of being chained down by code or morale or anything like that. It's what makes you special, a cut above the rest. And I absolutely adore it."
"...what about you? You said it yourself. You're a creature of chaos and disharmony. What would you understand about "good"?"
"Understand? I've been in the business for a thousand years, Sunny. I've had a lot of time to learn about the world I was banished in and the people who lived in it. The other girls kept themselves closed off, holding themselves high above the crowd as if they were already goddesses to be worshiped. But I opened up my heart. I allowed myself to meet and listen to the stories humanity had to tell me. There were tales of tragedy, sorrow and loss. There were tales of progression, happiness and comfort. But above all, there were the stories of resolve and determination. Despite everything I've come to hate about this place, the one thing I've grown to like is your ability to struggle through anything, even when the odds are stacked against you. Growing from sticks and stones to cars and phones, discovering how to use nature to your own advantage... I could go on and on about it, but the point is that I've seen enough from you all to understand both sides of the spectrum myself. Adagio and Aria can't do that and the rest of your pals can't do it. But you and I can... and that's why us being friends just can't happen. You're too good of an enemy to go to waste!"
"Excuse me?"
"It goes like this, Sunny. When you were a baby and figured out how to walk your first steps, you were excited, weren't you? Your parents were so happy for you, happy to the point where it seemed like you did a really awesome thing. But as you kept walking, kept growing up... it didn't seem so special anymore, did it? As far as feeding off negative energy goes, that was what it was for me. At first, I was so excited at starting that first squabble between that young couple. I was so thrilled when I made those group of children beat each other to death."
"Wait a minute, what?!"
"But then, after months and months of the same routine, it got old. Adagio and Aria never got tired of it, always whooping it up just because they just didn't like anyone. I grew tired of it, playing the same fiddle each and every day. At the same time, there really wasn't much I could do about it. At that point in time, even if I didn't need to do it to sustain myself, Adagio and Aria would've forced me anyway. All in all, it was just in our nature, just like a lion killing a gazelle. You might say it's wrong, but it's just what we did - even if it was becoming a repetitive dance. But then, it happened. Adagio decided it was time to hit the top of the pyramid and staged a plan to take over Equestria. You could probably tell at this point that I wasn't the most enthused, as it just seemed like a bigger version of what we were doing before. Boy, was I wrong! When we got it all under way... it was just... so awesome! Ponies clashing weapons against one another, striking each other down cluster by cluster, buildings blowing up and collapsing... oh, I can still hear the screams when the ones still inside them saw that their roof was falling down on their heads! Classic."
............
"It wasn't the best part, though. No, the best part was the confrontation we had with Star Swirl the Bearded! Adagio was all like "Old fart, go back home before your arthritis starts acting up" and Aria was all like "We can totally take some old geezer" and truth be told, I didn't really expect much from him, either. But when he started fighting... oh my God, it had finally happened! For once in my life, I finally got to put my power to good use, against someone who wouldn't just die right off the bat! He was so strong and so unmovable, just like a stone wall! I think that was the greatest moment of my life, taking on that old stallion. Sure, we might have lost and got ourselves banished here as a result. But, hey! The best things in life are fleeting!"
"I...I can't believe what I'm hearing. How can you talk like that?"
"Like what?"
"How can you speak about killing and war like you're talking about the weather?! And you... you were happy to make kids beat each other to death?! I-- you know, I was starting to get the impression that you were a bit more innocent than they were. But I see now I was wrong. You're a monster."
"Hey, now. Don't start talking like one of them, you're not! Even if you'd like to be. You may not have Star Swirl's power, nor do you have the amount of wisdom that he did. But you have potential. You have the ability. You have the opportunity to become like he was - a worthy adversary. Right now, you're in a deep sleep and trying to pretend that what you were never happened. But that's okay. Like I said, I have as long as I've got breath in me to wake you up. It's going to be a challenge, I'm going to admit. This world isn't exactly a gold mine for magic, and even if it was, neither of us can access it. At this stage, we're just two harmless teenage girls. But I'm sure I can get through to you just before either of our bodies stop. And once I do, I'm going to pull out all the stops. I'm going to hunt you down. I'm going to haunt you, make sure that you won't get past a day without thinking of little old me. And when I've had my fun, I'll kill you. Or, maybe I won't. Maybe when our hands clash for the last time, you'll be the one to kill me. It would be a nice way to go out, dying at your feet..."
"You'd... you'd really do that? Just put everything into... killing me?"
"It's what I do best. But for now, consider this an eye opener."
"Wait, what are you--"
"I really enjoyed this talk, Sunny. And I really hope that you think about what was said here. I'm certainly going to be thinking about it once I get back home. It'll be a great brain-filler along with those dreams of watching the light leave those beautiful eyes of yours."
"No, stay back! Get away from me-- ack!!"
"Thank you... for everything. I'll catch you later, okay?"
.....
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Author's Note
Adagio and Aria would never get why Sonata had the biggest smile on her face when she got home.
A Shade of Blue, A Hint of Orange
A Game - (Deleted Chapter)
"Yoo-hoo~! I'm home~! You girls stopped pouting yet?"
....
"Hello~? Anyone here? Did you girls happen to leave while I was at the cafe? Because you forgot to lock the door behind you!"
....
"Is anyone there? Hello-- Oh, Aria! Didn't see you there slouched on the couch like that. Heehee, that rhymed! So, are we doing okay now?"
....
"Ari? Aria~. Come on, I know you're awake. Can't say you're asleep when you're not snoring right now~"
....
"Aria Blaze~! Wakey wakey, or I'm gonna start shakey--"
"Go away, Sonata."
"....oh. Still in that mood, I see. Okay, then. I can still work with this. Aria, if you don't cheer up right this instant, I'm going to do something drastic!"
....
"Not even a twitch? All right, don't say I didn't warn you! Here comes the feather fingers~!"
"What the--?! Pffft, hahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STOP IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Gonna work you up real good, Ari! Gonna put a big ol' smile on that face! For realsies!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-- oof! I-- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-- I said-- nngh-- STOP IT!!"
"OOF!"
....
"Ugh... you didn't have to kick me that hard, Ari."
"Yeah, well maybe you should've taken the hint the first time. Leave. Me. Alone."
....
"....fine, Ms. Grumpy Pants! I bet Dagi'll give me a better reception than you, and when she does, you're gonna be feeling pretty stupid!"
"Whatever."
....
"Dagi! Hey, Adagio~! I'm back! How is my glorious leader doing this fine eve--?"
"What do you want, Sonata?"
"...well, at least that's better than what Aria told me. I just came to check up on you, Dagi! Tried to do it with Ari, but she kicked me in the stomach and told me to go away. Also, do you know what time it is?"
"....just about time to get dinner started."
"Oh! Perfect! It's my turn to cook, right?"
"Well, actually, it's my-- wait, no, now that I think about it, it is your turn."
"...All right! I'll be down in the kitchen getting everything set up. Maybe you could tell Aria for me? I don't think she's in the mood to talk to me right now. You're free to come down at any time!"
"Actually, wait up a minute!"
"Hm?"
....
"There is something I wanted to talk to you about. We'll discuss it over the table."
"I don't think Aria wants to discuss any--"
"I'll deal with her. You just stay focused on the cooking."
"Aye aye, Captain! This sailor is heading out!"
....
....
....
"....what a naive little girl...."
"Just be patient with me a little longer, Aria."
"How much longer?"
"It should take no longer than a few minutes, and once I'm done, we'll be free to get back to planning our revenge on those Rainboom twerps."
"Hello, girls~! Chicken teriyaki, mashed potatoes, green beans with a side of barbeque sauce! A plate for you, dearest Aria--"
"Ugh."
"And a plate for you, Dagi~!"
"Thank you, Sonata."
"You're welcome! Now, to fetch mine! Whee~!"
....
"She really doesn't have a clue, does she?"
"Not one bit."
"This might be fun to watch."
....
"And I'm back with my plate! Goody goody! So, now that you two look like you're at least a little happier than when I came in, I'd like to ask how you're doing. Everything okay? You like the food?"
"The food's fine, Sonata. Thanks for making it."
"No problem, Dagi! And what about you, Aria?"
"Meh."
"Oh. Screw you, then. Before I tell you two about my day--"
"Here we go..."
"--I'd like to say that I've been doing some thinking--"
"Oh, Sonata doing some thinking? Now that is the most shocking news I've heard all day."
"Hey! At least I've been doing thinking! All you did was lay on the couch and... not... think! You.... non-thinker!"
"Ooooh. Real scathing. I better put some ice on that burn."
"Don't be rude, Aria."
"Whatever."
"Right! Anyway, I was thinking and I wanted to take it up with you, Dagi. Is it okay for me to have a ferret?"
"The heck is a ferret?"
....
"....seriously, Aria? Seriously."
"What?"
"We've been in this world for who knows how long and you don't know what a ferret is? I'd expect that from Sonata, not you."
"Hey!"
"Well, excuse me if I don't spend time trying to learn about the lesser life forms."
"Ugh, just... um... do you know what a rat is?"
"....yes?"
"Do you know what a raccoon is?"
"Uh... was that what those fat things poking around in our garbage called?"
"...yes, Aria. Those things."
"Friggin' rodents."
"Think of a ferret as a cross between them, except smaller and skinnier. That paint a picture for you?"
"...eugh! It does! Why would you want to get something like that, you doofus?"
"Well, I was talking about it earlier with Sunny, and she brought it up that--"
"Wait, wait. "Sunny"?"
"You know. Sunset Shimmer?"
....
"You. Were talking. To Sunset Shimmer."
"Ooooh, busted."
"W-well... yeah."
"And just what did you two happen to talk about? The weather? Your plans for this lovely day? What musicians are good and what musicians suck? Or maybe something that would've given those bunch of teenage hippie brats an excuse to keep us on a tighter leash? Tell me, what made you think that it was such a good idea to open your mouth to our sworn enemy?"
"...sworn...enemy?"
"Yes, sworn enemy! What, did you think that we were trying to be their friends or something? Did you think that all of this was nothing more than some sort of game to you?"
"...yes, actually."
....
"Wow, Sonata. Just when I thought you couldn't get anymore stupid, you--"
"And I'm a bit that neither of you saw it like that, too."
....
"....Maybe it's because that we saw it as something serious! Maybe it's because that, unlike you, we were actually trying to get our magic back! We - I - put so much into this plan! I had to work with limited resources, think up things just like that and hope that they worked as well as I wanted them to! We were so close to getting our power back and taking over this pitiful world, and it was ripped away just like that! Is that really so hard for you to comprehend, Sonata?! That we've lost everything that allowed us to keep our identity as Sirens?! Huh?! Is it?!"
....
"....wow."
"Wow?! Is that really all you have to say for yourself to excuse the exceeding amount of idiocy you're--"
"I... really thought you were better than that, Dagi."
"Excuse me?"
"You were doing so good up to this point. All in, chest out, strolling into every situation like nothing could touch you. Even when Star Swirl defeated us, you were so quick to bounce right back up. But right now, I can't see the difference between you and a six-year-old throwing a tantrum over a lost game of tag. Thought you'd have a lot more dignity than that-- whoa!"
"What the--!"
"How dare you speak to me that way, you little worm! Have you forgotten that I am the reason you're sitting right where you are right now?! I found you! I gave you a purpose! I'm the one that made this little team! If it weren't for me, you'd be nothing! I-- what are you laughing at?!"
"Hahahahahaha~! I-I'm sorry! I thought you were joking! I mean, that sounds like a really stupid thing to say, don't you think?"
"Stupid, huh? Well, why don't you explain it to me?"
"Well, for one, I think it'd be the other way around."
"Ahaha! You think I'd be nothing without you? I, the one who paved most of the way for you two, would be helpless without you morons to keep me company? Is that what you're saying right now?"
"Mhm!"
"Please amuse me."
"Well, you told us that you wanted to be a leader, right? You wanted to rule Equestria with an iron fist. You wanted millions of followers that admired you with each and every step you took. You wanted them to do anything for you. If you needed someone to fight for you, they would. If you needed someone to die for you, they would. They'd do all that and more, and so would we if we had the chance. Isn't that right, Ari? Would you die for the sake of our glorious leader?"
....
"Heh. She's being shy right now. Anyway, we were the first two that you chose. In the thousands upon thousands of years that passed, you kept us right at your side. And you were right to do so. When you gave the order, we gave you chaos, death and destruction absolute. In return, you gave us the best moments of our lives. You gave us a real reason to breathe, to keep living as opposed to... oh, I don't know, throwing ourselves off of a cliff or impaling ourselves on a dead tree. Each and every pony killed or building taken down was another drop of fuel for me. I don't think I could've gone any higher than the moment we faced down that old wizard. It was a give and take sort of thing, you know? We gave you a stepping stone to your goal, and you gave us a purpose. That never changed, even when we were banished. So I'm going to use this opportunity to say thank you. I'm really glad to have met you.
I will also say this. Right now, everyone hates us because of what we did. We don't have our powers anymore to protect us. We're just three little girls in a cruel world. But we're still here, breathing and thoughtful. We can find a way. I'm certainly going to try, now that I just simply can't take my eye off Sunny."
"Wh... what do you mean, Sonata?"
"She reminds me of Star Swirl, Adagio. That big wall that won't go down no matter how much we throw at it. I may not have the ability to sing anymore, but I'm still in the same place as she is. So I'm going to use my time and find another way. I'm going to break her, wear her down until she can't find the willpower to stand up anymore. Then when all of it's said and done, I'm going to drive my Cupid's arrow straight through the confines of her skull, just like I did with my very first kill. Or did the humans refer to the heart when they said that? I don't know, I'm trying to go for something that makes the most of a mess, you know?"
....
"Eh, screw it. I'm gonna Google it. I'll be in my room, girls! Enjoy your lunch! I'll clean the dishes when you're done, okay?"
....
....
....
....
"....oh, God."
"A...Adagio?"
"I'm... going to lie on the couch for a few hours. D... don't wake me."
Author's Note
"Sonata, remember all the times I called you "the worst"? You know I was joking, right?"
