The Tale of the Sirens

by Jay David

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Aria Blaze, Other, Adagio Dazzle, Tragedy, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sonata Dusk, Alternate Universe, Human, Sad
Length: 24748

The rise and fall of the Sirens

The Sirens. Beautiful but deceitful creatures from the sea who once sought to rule the land of Equestria. Beings whose enchanting voices could sow chaos and strife wherever they went. Thanks to the heroic intervention of the legendary Starswirl the Bearded, these foes of ponykind were cast out from the world, never to threaten them again.

Or so the story goes. For as we all know, truth is often far less clear-cut than fairytales, and even villains have their stories to tell.

This is the story of the three sisters from the sea. How they lost all they held dear, how they came to rise higher than they ever dreamed, and how they fell so much further

Cover art by harwicks-art

Published 2015-01-18 08:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-02 14:27:17 UTC

The Point of No Return

There was a great deal of concern on the part of Aria and Sonata over their sister's behaviour. For several days, they stayed together on the edge of their former home, watching at a distance as Adagio studied the ancient symbols and images for some plan, some clue as to how best to achieve what she was planning. Sonata especially couldn't help but feel upset at all this. Not only had they lost all they had loved, not it seemed as if they were losing Adagio on top of everything else. Aria was always there though, doing what she could to comfort the younger sister whenever she was on the verge of breaking down again, though her efforts were often in vain in that regard. So, time went on, as it was want to do, but eventually, the time came when Adagio finally pulled herself away from those old walls and sought out her sisters. Joy crossed both of their faces as they saw their elder sister approach them, a look of sheer confidence plastered all over her. Sonata was quick to embrace her happily, a hug that Adagio was sure to return. As they parted though, the elder sister spoke up.

"It took a while, but I think I've managed to figure out what we need to do."

Aria's expression took on a more serious note after hearing this.

"So...you're still set on that then?"

Adagio nodded in response.

"I am. If we are to reclaim the glory and prestige of our race, we need power. And now, I know the means to awaken it."

Aria frowned at that, still not sure about this plan of hers. Sonata, in the meantime, had been looking from one sister to the other, a look of concern crossing her face the whole time. Out of all of them, she had been the most unsure of what to do after the death of their people. All she knew was that Adagio had a plan, a way for things to get better. And while she had similar concerns to Adagio, she was far less willing to voice them. After all, the last thing she wanted was for the three of them to be at odds with one another so soon after this great tragedy had happened to them. So, she merely kept silent, watching with some interest as Adagio raised a hoof, showing that she had been carrying their Mother's crown during all this. The two sisters watched as Adagio took it in both hooves, looking upon it with both determination and, to their surprise, sadness.

They didn't understand why she was looking at it that way, but their curiosity was soon sated when they saw what she did next. She swam over to a nearby jagged rock jutting out from the seabed, frowning as she did so. She raised both hooves, the crown still held firm between them. Then, before either of her sisters could stop her, she brought her hooves down hard, slamming the crown right against the hard surface of the rock. Sonata covered her mouth with her hooves in shock while Aria watched with her mouth gaping open at this display. It was not the first time either, as Adagio continued bashing the crown against that same rock over and over, causing more than a few cracks to emerge on it. Soon enough, she gave it one final bash, and the ancient crown of their Mother, their whole Kingdom, shattered. It's golden structure breaking into many smaller fragments, drifting away in the water around them. However, Adagio was not concerned with the gold, but on the three red jewels that now floated free from it.

She raised her hooves and carefully held onto them, as a Mother might treat a new-born. There was a brief glimmer in the jewels, one that was soon reflected in Adagio's eye, and her face soon twisted into a smirk. It was a look that caused no end of concern for the younger sisters, especially when their elder sibling turned to look upon them. She swam closer to them, stretching out her hooves and showing the jewels to them.

"Both of you...take one."

Aria and Sonata both looked at her with uncertainty in their eyes. From one look at her, at the fierce determination she had across her face, it was clear to both of them that saying "no" wasn't going to be an option. But while they had their doubts about this, as well as some fear they couldn't quite place, they said nothing. Instead, they kept telling themselves over and over in their mind that Adagio wouldn't be asking them to do this unless she was certain it was for the best. Turning, they gave each other a quick glance, letting the other know that they shared the same uncertainty, before looking back at Adagio. Slowly, they reached out and took a single gemstone into their hoof, after which they looked upon it with great intent. These jewels had always been a part of their Mother's crown, but only now did they actually feel the need to pay attention to them. They were beautiful certainly, but there was also something else. Something they felt as they stared into the deep red of those jewels. A glimmer of sorts, and one that drew their gaze the longer they stared.

Eventually, they looked up at Adagio once more, and again, she shocked them. For they saw that she had stretched out her hoof towards the same jagged rock she'd bashed the crown against. Sonata let out a brief gasp as she saw her forcefully scrape the middle of her hoof onto a particularly sharp point of the rock, causing her to wince with pain. The elder sister pulled away from it, showing that her hoof was now bleeding. She gazed upon the wound for a few moments before frowning, placing that hoof upon her jewel. Aria and Sonata watched with shock as the gemstone began to glow bright after having that blood touch it, almost as if it had suddenly come alive. Adagio turned to her sisters with an intense look in her eyes. The two sisters knew what she wanted of them, but that made it no less easy. They both approached the stone Adagio had used, all the while telling themselves the same thing; Adagio knows what she's doing.

So, like their sister, Sonata and Aria began to cut themselves on the rock, after which they touched their wounds to the gems they carried, causing yet further glows from the ancient jewellery. It was here that Adagio let out a sigh before regarding her sisters with a far softer expression. They watched in silence as Adagio spoke up to them.

"Now...sing."

That seemed an odd request to both of them, but like before, they both felt that Adagio would not have asked it of them unless she was certain it would get some kind of results. As such, after giving yet another nervous glance to each other, Aria and Sonata began to hum a small melody much like they had done at the Festival of Song just a few days ago. Closing her eyes, Adagio began to follow suit, and soon the three were singing in perfect harmony with one another. The jewels began to glow brighter with every moment those three voices could be heard, and it was not long before something began to happen. It felt as if there was some kind of pain beginning in their chests, a feeling that caused them to place their hooves there with worry. But Adagio kept on singing, as did the others, their voices growing louder and louder, as well as more in-tune with one another. The bright lights of the gems intensified with this, as did the pain in the Sirens' chests, to the point where it almost became impossible to maintain their singing though the agony of what was happening to them.

But soon, they reached the apex of their song, a perfectly sung high-pitch that led to the gemstones light being almost blinding. The pain in their chests was so bad now that it felt as if their very hearts were about to burst forth, causing all of them to moan with agony. There was a bright flash from the gems, causing the sisters to cover their eyes, lest they be blinded by it. Moments passed, and not only did the light begin to die down, but so too did the pain. Eventually, it reached a point where the light was gone altogether, and the sisters felt safe enough to lower their hooves and open their eyes. When they did, their expressions became one of shock as they looked upon each other. They saw that all of them had changed in a very notable way. The gemstones were no longer in their hooves, but now embedded in their chests, right in the spot where the pain had been. Instinctively, all of them began feeling the gems with their hooves, with Sonata even trying to pull her's out.

After some effort though, they realised that their initial fears were true. The gems were part of them now, fused with them as if they had been born with them. They all gave each other looks of confusion, worry, or, in the case of Aria, outright anger. Sonata let out a sound akin to being on the verge of crying one more. And now, at last, after this terrifying magical ritual had yielded it's fruit, did she finally speak up to her elder sister.

"Adagio...what have we done?"

A New Goal

The journey to the surface was a quiet one. The sisters had, understandably, all been shocked to discover the changes that their new magic had done to them. To look down and see those jewels permanently stuck to their chests was a constant reminder of one very important thing; they had been changed, and by their own hoof. And all of it was for the hope that they would not let their race fade into the annals of history, to ensure that the Siren people would not go out with a whimper. Whether they could achieve this goal was something they knew they'd have to find out, but regardless, they had set themselves on this path, and now there was no turning back from it. So, here they were, swimming in silence to the ocean's surface. Every once in a while, they'd cast a glance at each other, but not once did they ever speak to one another. Perhaps it was out of fear of what they each had to say on this great change, or perhaps it was something they simply didn't want to be reminded of. But regardless, it was not a pleasant journey.

Eventually, they broke the surface, raising their heads above the water and looking around. As before, it was night-time, though this time there was no clear sky or beautiful moon to behold. Instead, the skies were gloomy with grey clouds abound everywhere they looked. They had not gone to the same spot of land they had visited previously, as Adagio had stated there'd be little point, given that it would most likely be abandoned or overly-damaged from the tsunami. As such, they had journeyed further afield, along the coastline they'd found until they found a more suitable place. And here it was. Although still alien to them, they knew a settlement when they saw it. It was a small place, a mere shadow of the kinds of abodes they were used to, but there was life there, as shown by the many lights in the homes of the ponies. Occasionally, they'd see one or two of them walking about the streets near the water's edge, but overall it was clear that this place was no major centre of the pony people.

The sisters swam closer, eventually coming upon a pier stretching out from the village and onto the water. They hid beneath it, grabbing hold of the wooden pillars that held it up. After their long journey, they finally rested, with Sonata sill occasionally poking the jewel in her chest. However, one glare from Adagio caused the younger sister to stop immediately. After several moments of silence, Aria finally let out a groan.

"Ugh! What are we even supposed to be doing, Adagio?"

The elder sister turned to her, the expression on her face a stern one.

"The ancient writings said that we would "feel" what we needed to do once we got this power. I suppose all we need to do is just wait."

Aria rolled her eyes at that.

"Just wait? Some plan. We don't even know what this power does, much less what we're supposed to be waiting for.""

Adagio looked at her sister angrily.

"Look! This is the best plan we have right now, so why don't you just...!"

But she was stopped from finishing those words as a new sound could now be heard. Adagio gestured to her sister, letting them know that they needed to be quiet, and all three ducked down a little so that only the tops of their heads were emerging from the water. They stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what this approaching sound now was. It got louder and louder, and soon they realised that it was somepony waking above them on the pier. In fact, it sounded like there was more than one up there. Their suspicions were soon confirmed as they began to hear voices, albeit very angry-sounding ones.

"Hey! I said I was sorry, alright!" one voice called out.

"Sorry!? Sure you were! You knew damn well how important it was that we get those seeds in for the harvest this year, and what did you do? You screwed up as usual and got the wrong ones!" another voice shouted.

The three Siren sisters all glanced at each other, showing clear discomfort about having wandered into a spat like this. But nevertheless, they remained quiet and listened.

"Why don't we just go back to the market and get the right seeds this time?"

"Because, you idiot, that vendor only arrives here once a month! Do you have any idea how long it takes for him to get from his town to here? We had one chance to get this done early, and now, because of you, we'll have to wait even longer!"

The look on the sisters' faces made it clear that they all shared the feeling of wanting to get as far away from this as they could. However, as they began to move away, something happened. They felt something in their chests, not pain, but more like a feeling of wanting to stay, though why, they couldn't say. They all looked at each other, showing that they all felt confused by this, even more so when they saw that each of their gemstones was starting to glimmer, even in the darkness of the night. Adagio looked upwards at the wooden pier above her. Was it those ponies that was causing this, she thought to herself. She didn't understand what it was the jewels wanted, but this was the first sign they'd been given so far that they were close to unlocking their powers. Adagio wracked her brain, trying to figure out what to do, when suddenly, something else began to catch her attention. It was Sonata, looking upwards in an almost trance-like state, her hoof gently placed on the jewel in her chest. The other sisters looked at each other nervously before Aria spoke up, whispering so as to not alert the ponies above.

"Um...Sonata? Are you okay?"

The youngest sister nodded, though she remained in a daze.

"Yes. I...I feel...like I want to...sing."

Aria and Adagio looked at each other, clearly taken aback by an out-of-nowhere statement like that. Turning back to their sister, they watched as she began to open her mouth and let out a melody. It was quiet and simple, not unlike the rhythm they often used in their singing practice as children. But there was something about how Sonata was singing it. It felt almost soothing, hypnotic even, a feeling that their songs had never had before. Adagio opened her mouth, ready to say something, but was stopped as she looked up and started to see something strange occur. As Sonata sang, there was something emerging from between the cracks in the wood above them. It looked like a mist, but it's colouring was wrong, a sickly green instead of the pale white it should have been. But when Adagio looked at it, she felt something within her. The closest thing she could describe it as was hunger, though not the kind she'd felt before in her life. As she watched, she began to hear the argument above them intensify.

"Well then! If I'm such a screw up, then maybe you should look for another partner in this!"

"You know what?! That's the first thing that's come out of your mouth today that has even a fraction of intelligence to it!"

The more the two argued, the more mist was descending down from them, and for the first time, Adagio began to feel what Sonata had felt. A sudden urge, a need, to sing. It was as if the jewel and powers within her were whispering to her, encouraging her to follow Sonata's example. And so, she too looked upwards with intent, as did Aria. The two opened their mouth as began to join in on Sonata's melody. Their voices harmonized well, as they always did, and soon they produced an eerie chorus that carried across the area around them. The ponies above them didn't even hear it, not above the sound of their own aggression, and as always, the mist continued. But now, as the sisters sang, the mist was starting to be drawn towards them, specifically to the jewels. Those gemstones began to absorb that mist, drinking it in with great fervour.

And it was here that the Sirens finally felt something. As the jewels absorbed the power that now came to them, the three began to feel stronger, rejuvenated. It was as if the fatigue of their long journey was never there. It was that hunger, now sated with the power they were absorbing. Somehow, this petty feud between ponies had created a magic that they could feed upon, though "feed" was the only word they could think of to describe this new sensation. They carried on singing, until finally the ponies above began to walk away from the pier, leaving the three of them alone. Within moments, their jewels had soaked in the last of that strange mist, and the three finally stopped singing. They sighed deeply after this feeling had washed over them, looking down at their chests, where they now saw that the gems were glowing their usual bright red. It was, by far, the most bizarre feeling they'd ever known, but even so, they felt stronger, more powerful than ever. It was a moment Adagio was quick to comment on, her face lighting up with realization.

"That's it! Rivalry and opposition gave birth to that magic. Our gems feed upon it, and our songs..."

She raised a hoof and gently placed it upon her throat, her face now bearing a look of confidence as she regarded her two sisters.

"...our songs are the key, my sisters. The more we sing, the more power we gain."

Aria and Sonata looked at each other, initially unsure of how to take all this. There was no denying that what they'd experienced was unusual to say the least. And yet, when they'd felt that power flow into them, they knew that it was them that had allowed it to be. They now saw Adagio's plan, and how they could use this new magic. Their race could not come back from the grave, but with their magic, and their voices, they could instead carve out a new Kingdom. A new nation, wherein they would reign over the ponies of Equestria. Mares and stallion alike would be the fuel by which they would grow stronger, and ponykind would bow down to the last of the Sirens. In stark contrast to the uncertainty and worry that had plagued them before, Aria and Sonata's expressions became ones of glee and confidence, much like Adagio's. They turned and smiled at her, after which she returned that smile, raising her hooves and carefully placing them upon her sisters' shoulders.

"Come...we have a Kingdom to make."

All They Ever Wanted

Divide and conquer. An age-old saying that, regardless of where one is, still has weight. And so it was that this was the means by which Queen Adagio and her sisters began their plan to make a new Kingdom for themselves. Through the power of their voices and their magic, they could nurture the seeds of distrust and malice in the hearts of ponies, letting it fester until it finally sprouted into full-blown rivalry with those they considered friends and allies. The ponies, powerless to resist the allure of their songs, was entranced by this rage that now consumed them, fighting amongst themselves and shattering any semblance of harmony or unity amongst them. And it was into this chaos that the Sirens became strong. For through their gemstones, the infighting of the ponies gave them power greater than they had ever thought possible, strengthening their voices and their magic, thus enabling them to spread their song across even greater distances. Needless to say, it was a cycle that left very little room for failure on their part.

Many months had passed since that fateful day when they had made this vow, and so it was that, in the centre of a major coastal city, they made their temporary residence. Smiling to herself, Adagio felt greatly pleased by the progress she and her sisters had made for themselves. Even more so, considering what new talents this dark power had afforded them. For in stark contrast to their oceanic beginnings, the Sirens no longer swam. They flew. Bathed in the red glow of her gemstone, Adagio soared high above the city, looking down at what were now her subjects. Their strife and discord had allowed this to happen, to have her fly high above the petty concerns of those beneath. She was, in her mind, a veritable goddess amongst mortals. She smiled at that thought, almost as much as she did to the sound of arguing and fighting down below. They may have ruled here, but the Sirens were not foolish enough to want to stop the chaos that lived in their domain. It was, after all, the means by which they fed.

Swooping down from the sky, Adagio hovered above one of the many streets, watching with glee as she saw unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi all bickering amongst themselves. The matters they fought over might have been petty and, in another time, might have resolved themselves. But here, with the Sirens power over them, resentment was all they felt, and with every harsh word, every blow of a hoof, they produced more and more of the magic Adagio needed. Grinning widely, Adagio closed her eyes and felt the magic be drawn to her amulet, wherein the ancient gem drank it deeply. A feeling of strength and rejuvenation washed over her with this absorption and she opened her eyes, which now bore a distinct red glow to reflect her newfound power. It was here that she departed from her subjects, flying instead to find her sisters, though it didn’t take her long to find them. For Aria and Sonata were found where they usually were, in what was once the abode of the city's Mayor. Now, their personal palace.

Adagio, having entered the building through the window, smiled as she looked upon her sisters. Sonata was doing what she usually did at this time of day, lying on an ornate couch, surrounded by young and good-looking stallions, all of whom had that feint green glow in their eyes to show that they were under the influence of her magic. They were showering the younger sister with many compliments and shouts of adoration, not to mention offering many plates of confectionaries, which was a combination Sonata showed nothing less than joy over. Aria, on the other hoof, was on the other side of the room, lying belly-down on a similar couch with a pair of similarly-enchanted mares giving her a full and expertly-done back massage, prompting no end of relaxed moans from her. Adagio shook her head at the sight of those two, but could not fault them. After all, this was what they planned, to gain a new Kingdom of their own, to be adored and to have ponykind grovelling and obeying their every whim. So, she thought, why interrupt their fun?

Making her way down from the window, Adagio began to hover towards a large golden chair engraved with symbols of not only the Sirens, but of the sea in general, seashells and the like. It pleased her to see this, given how long it had taken her thralls to construct it for her. A proper throne for a proper Queen, she thought privately. Sitting upon it, the red glow around her finally dropped and she allowed herself to relax a little, letting out a sigh as she did so. It was only after letting out that noise that Sonata looked up from her adoring crowd to see that Adagio had returned, after which she let out a smile. Now covered in her own red glow, Sonata lifted herself up from her couth and hovered away from it, much to the disappointment of the fans she'd collected. Adagio watched as her younger sister approached, looking just as happy and content as she was on the day of the Festival of Song. It was a happy sight for the elder sister, and one that caused her to smile just before Sonata spoke up.

"Isn't this great, Dagi? It's like we're Princesses again!"

Adagio's expression grew somewhat stern after hearing that, but she nevertheless kept smiling as she spoke.

"We were always Princesses, Sonata. Well, a Queen in my case these days. The only difference is that these little ponies now know it."

Sonata looked over to where Adagio was looking, at the main door of their chamber, which led out onto the streets beyond. There, they looked on as pony after pony kept on fighting one another and shouting over every little problem they had. It was a sight that Adagio couldn't help but chuckle at.

"They fight each other instead of us. Their bickering brings us power, and our power gives us control."

She glanced over at Sonata and gently placed a hoof upon her sister's shoulder, catching her attention.

"I promise you, Sonata, we will want for nothing. We will be loved and treated like the royalty we are. We will not be left in the cold and the dark again."

Sonata looked at her elder sister, at the fierce determination upon her face, and returned it with an affectionate smile. Before Adagio could stop her, Sonata leapt forward, wrapping her hooves around her neck and embracing her in a hug. Although taken aback at first, Adagio soon sighed and smiled before returning the hug. It was a warm feeling for her, to know that her decision had allowed her sisters and her to gain some semblance of their old lives again, even if it did mean making such huge changes to themselves to do so. But it was all worth it, at least to her. They had lost everything once, and now their power had given them everything she'd hoped it would give them. A new people to reign over. A place to call their own. The obedience and adoration of all around them. Had it not been for the fact that they were above the water instead of beneath it, she'd almost have assumed that nothing had changed at all. With that comforting thought it her head, Adagio and Sonata parted, still smiling at each other before sharing a giggle. And it was here that Aria finally spoke up.

"Ugh. What time is it?"

Adagio and Sonata looked over to the middle sister, seeing the groggy look on her face as she looked up for the first time since her massage began. It was clear that she'd enjoyed the experience so much that it had put her to sleep, and as such, the other two sisters couldn't help but giggle together at the sight of her like this, much to Aria's chagrin. The latter waved her masseuses away before stretching a bit, with a slight shiver going down her spine as she did so. After letting out a yawn, she finally regarded her other sisters, Adagio especially, with a smirk on her face as she rested her head on her hoof.

"So...how goes the Kingdom?"

The elder sister chuckled a bit before replying.

"It goes well. We’ve brought every city on the coast under our power. Our magic is so strong now that even the cities miles away from us are still fighting amongst themselves. And with that fighting, the power just keeps flowing. Soon, I daresay we'll have enough strength to risk expanding further inland."

Aria's smirk widened after hearing that, but Sonata looked at Adagio with a less certain look on her eyes.

"You sure that'll be a good thing, Dagi? It'll be so weird to be so far away from the water."

Adagio looked at her little sister and gave a reassuring smile before gently placing her hoof upon her shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Sonata. As long as we're together, nothing can stop us."

Sonata considered that for a little while before returning Adagio's smile, much to the relief of the latter. The last thing she wanted at this point was for her siblings to get unduly worried about all this. She glanced at the two of them, as confident as ever that their ultimate goal would succeed. But then, without warning, they all began to feel something. Their gemstones glistened brightly and they began to feel that now-familiar sensation of hunger. It was a feeling that only came to them in the presence of strong magic. The kind of magic that could give their own power a serious boost. They looked at each other, showing their shared surprise at feeling this, as they were certain that they'd taken all the power this city had to offer. Then it struck them; a newcomer must have been approaching the settlement. Somepony strong. They all smiled and gave each other a nod before concentrating, allowing their magic to engulf them in that bright red glow.

With their power now in use, the sisters floated above the ground and flew forward, right out of the door of their home and up into the sky. Now that they were here, far above everypony else, they had a much better view to see where this new feeling was coming from. They scoured the edges of the city, trying to spot anything or anypony out of the ordinary. At first, they couldn't see anything that really caught their eye, but eventually, Sonata let out an excited squeak, prompting the other two sisters to look towards her. With a big smile on her face, Sonata was pointing towards something far away, leading to Adagio and Aria trying to see what she was looking at. After a while of them squinting, Adagio finally saw what Sonata had seen. It was unmistakeably a pony, all alone, and slowly walking down a dirt path towards the city. Even from this distance, the Sirens could see that he was clothed, clad in some sort of blue attire. Regardless, Adagio knew what needed to be done, as shown by the smirk on her face.

"Well, sisters...let us greet this new arrival. After all, there's no reason we can't be civil with our supper."

Aria and Sonata both chuckled darkly before joining their sister, as they now all flew in unison towards their new target.

Confrontation

The air sped past their heads as they shot down towards the ground, using their powerful magic to set their course and fly true across the city. Adagio, Aria and Sonata headed straight for the outskirts of their conquered city, smiling all the way. For a newcomer had arrived. One with great power that they could claim as their own. Adagio especially was looking forward to this. True, absorbing magic from any pony had a pleasant feel to it, but from a powerful magic user? Perhaps a strong unicorn? That was something else altogether. She grinned enthusiastically as they all sped up their flight, buildings shooting past them left right and centre. For they had dropped the guise of rulers, and in this moment, they were hunters, out to search for their prey. And soon enough, they reached the outermost border of the city, and looked down to see the one who had arrived here.

As Adagio had predicted, the new arrival was a unicorn, albeit a very old one. Grey in his fur and white in his mane, he looked up at them with an expression that was hard to read. Upon his face was the most enormous beard Adagio had ever seen on a pony, reaching all the way to the ground and even dragging along it a little bit. She never saw the point of such things on these creatures, but even so, she was almost impressed with the sheer size of it. Aside from that, the most notable thing about this old stallion was his attire. A dark blue in colour, he bore a combination of cape and hat, the latter of which was lined with many bells. All-in-all, it was safe to say that this unicorn was quite a sight, even after everything else she and her sisters had encountered in the last few months. Nevertheless, they had arrived here for a reason, and now they had come face-to-face with their quarry. Smirking, Adagio spoke up first.

"Welcome, traveller. We who rule this city welcome you."

The old stallion said nothing, merely staring at them intently for a few moments. Adagio's smiled faded a little under his gaze, turning to look upon her sisters, both of whom were turning to look at her with a look that shouted "what is this guy doing?" Still, Adagio was not one to drop appearances, and so cleared her throat a little before speaking up again.

"If may ask...why have your journeyed so far?"

It was here that the old stallion finally reacted to them, but, to the surprise of all three, his action towards them was a bow, his head lowered in a gesture of respect. Needless to say, this caught the sisters off-guard somewhat, but they kept their gaze on him as he finally spoke up, his voice deep and commanding.

"I am Starswirl. I come from lands to the east of here, having heard of the goings on here on the coast. Do I have the honour of addressing Adagio Dazzle, Queen of the Sirens?"

The elder sister was quite shocked at this stallion's behaviour. The only time anypony had ever spoken to her like this was when they were under her enchantment. And yet, here was this old stallion, showing exactly the kind of deference she desired without any magical interference from her or anypony else. As expected, this caused her to raise an eyebrow at him, her voice tinted with cautiousness.

"I am. How is it that you know of me? I do not recall my name having travelled far."

The stallion stood up, looking at her right in the eye. His expression had changed from it's stoic appearance to something new. There was a glimmer of something in his eye, and for a brief moment, Adagio could have sworn that it was sadness. She did not have time to consider that for long however, as Starswirl then spoke up again.

"I heard of what's been happening here, but I did not need to hear names to know yours."

He turned his head, looking right at the other sisters.

"Or yours. Sonata Dusk. Aria Blaze."

All three sisters looked at each other, knowing that they were thinking the same thing. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to arrive here, act all nice, find out who this pony was, then absorb his magic just like they'd done with everypony else. Instead, they found something altogether different. This Starswirl had them at a complete disadvantage, at least in terms of who knew what, and that disturbed them to no end. Adagio, her expression now a stern one, looked upon the old stallion with a slight tint of anger in her voice.

"You know much. How is this so?"

Starswirl looked upon her again, his expression having softened considerably since the first time he looked upon them.

"You three are the..."

There was a brief moment as Starswirl looked away from them, his expression almost pained, though why, Adagio did not know. Eventually though, he took a deep breath and looked back at them.

"You are the daughters of Pacifica, Queen of the Seas, yes?"

Adagio's eyes widened with shock after hearing that. This pony knew about their Mother? How? As far as they knew, nopony had ever even heard of the Sirens, much less knew the names of it's royal family with such familiarity. The elder sister floated down, her face a mix of many emotions after having heard her Mother's name after so long. She spoke softly, her voice shushed.

"You...you knew our Mother?"

Starswirl nodded a little.

"I did, though it was many years ago...before your time."

There was a brief shift in his expression as he said that. Adagio recognised it immediately as nostalgia. Perhaps he was recalling days of his past friendship with her Mother? If, indeed, that was the kind of relationship he had with her. This was a great deal of shocking information she was receiving, but soon enough, her expression became more stern as she suddenly remembered the reason why they were all here. Drawing back from him, she assumed a more regal posture before speaking in a somewhat commanding tone.

"Why did you come here...truly?"

Starswirl looked down at the ground, his face a sad one, before speaking up.

"I...I came to ask that you stop."

Adagio raised an eyebrow at that.

"Stop? Stop what exactly?"

The old stallion looked upwards, frowning at the elder sister.

"This!"

He had raised a hoof pointing to something behind the three Sirens. Turning, Adagio saw that he was pointing towards the city, specifically, towards the ponies that could be seen in the streets, still fighting amongst themselves. Realization dawned on her as she finally understood this stallion’s true purpose here. He had come to convince them to stop their campaign. To give up on their dreams of a new Kingdom for themselves and allow the ponies they ruled to go back to the lives they had before. Frowning, Adagio turned back to Starswirl and regarded him carefully. Everypony they'd met so far had been ones that had never spoken a single word against them, having either been under their power or otherwise preyed upon. But this stallion was different. This was a challenger, the first they'd come across since this whole plan of theirs had started. And that was something Adagio was not willing to tolerate.

"You forget yourself, old pony. You are in the presence of the Sirens! In the presence of the Queen of that mighty race!"

Starswirl's expression changed, descending into one of melancholy as he looked right at Adagio.

"I know you are. No other could have your Mother's eyes."

In that instant, Adagio's face of command and authority dropped and she instead took on a look of utter shock. Why had he said that? Why would he remember Pacifica's eyes? And more importantly, why would he look so sad at seeing Adagio and her sisters in all of this? In the elder Siren's mind, if he was truly intent on stopping them, he would have used some magic on them already. Why parley in this way? But there was something in his eyes that Adagio could not place. It was the look of one who was recalling old memories, happy ones. But what had actually occurred between him and their Mother? And as Adagio considered that question, her mind brought forth her own memories. Memories of a certain bedtime story her Mother used to tell them every night. A story she told them on that fateful night when they had lost her. A story of a Siren and a stallion, of the meeting of land and sea, and of falling in love. Adagio looked down at the stallion before her, his sadness becoming more and more clear to her, and for a brief moment, her voice caught in her throat.

She looked over to her sisters, and for a brief moment, she saw a look of confusion on both of them. Whether they were thinking the same thing, she couldn't say. All she knew was that she had made a vow to them, the last of her family, and she was not about to let this stallion, this stranger, come along and just try and make them give it all up. Frowning, she leaned forward before speaking at him in an aggressive tone.

"I don't care who you claim to be, old stallion. We Sirens will rule...even if we have to carve our way through all of ponykind to do it!"

There was silence between Starswirl and the Sirens, and Adagio and her sisters waited patiently for him to make his next move. They no longer cared about absorbing his magic now. They just wanted him gone. Adagio kept her gaze on him intently, until finally, she saw, to her surprise, that a single tear was flowing down his cheek as he finally spoke up.

"If your Mother could see what you have done...she would feel nothing but shame."

With those words, all of time seemed to stop. Adagio stared at the old stallion, seeing that he meant everything he'd just said to her. She couldn't speak, those words repeating themselves over and over in her mind. Aria and Sonata were also aghast at it all. But eventually, Adagio's expression changed. No longer was it a blank state of shock. Instead, her face twisted into one of anger. No, more than that. It was a look of utter hate. In this one moment, she felt more hatred towards this one stallion than she had ever felt for anypony in her entire life. Her fury growing, the gem on her chest began to glow bright red, and soon enough, the gems of her sisters followed suit as their respective bearers gain the same look of hate as Adagio. They floated high above, looking down at Starswirl, who merely kept standing there, watching them. Eventually, when they were high enough, Adagio finally broke the silence.

"You...you...DARE!!!"

That final word carried across the land around them, spoken so loudly and amplified by her magic that it was strong enough to even knock down nearby trees. Her anger still white hot in her chest, the elder sister continued.

"You think you can come here and speak such filth to us? To me?! We are the Sirens! The greatest race in all the world! We will not let our dreams fall today! Not to our thralls! Not to you! Not to anypony!"

Starswirl kept his gaze upon them, looking right into Adagio's eyes. And there, he saw the truth. He saw that, just like him, she had meant every word. Though it was clear that he had not wanted it to be so, the truth was now staring him in the face. These Sirens could not be dissuaded. They would not give up this path and let free all they had conquered. If given the chance they would spread their dark power as far as their ambition would take them, all to fulfil their dream of reviving the people's lost glory. The Sirens watched as the old stallion looked down, letting out a deep sigh before looking up at them once more. His expression was one of both sadness and disappointment, but at this point, neither Adagio nor her sister cared, and he knew that. Instead, he simply called up to them.

"So be it."

Starswirl closed his eyes, concentrating hard and causing his horn to glow brightly with his magic. Adagio saw this from above and gestured to her sisters, letting them know that the time had come to attack. They opened their mouths wide and shouted down, their magic having strengthened their voices to the point where they could use it as a weapon. The destructive songs shot downwards, heading straight for Starswirl, but to the shock of the Sirens, the voices did not make contact. Instead, they were intercepted by a barrier of magic the old stallion had erected around him, and all the while he kept on focusing magic into his horn. Growling in frustration, Adagio began to fly down fast, her sisters soon behind her. It did not take long for them to reach him, their gemstones glowing even brighter than before with their anger. Bolts of magical power shot forth from the jewels, but once again, they merely bounced off Starswirl's defences.

Adagio hissed at the stallion, and it was here that he finally opened his eyes again. To Adagio's confusion, she saw him crying again, tears almost continually flowing down his cheeks. But she soon had other matters to focus on, as she saw that his horn had begun to glow so brightly that it was almost blinding. His expression becoming a stern one, Starswirl shot his magic upwards, right into the sky. The Sirens looked on with confusion, not knowing why he'd want to aim his magic so clearly away from them. But soon, they began to see something happen in the sky. There was something emerging there, something like a spiral, growing larger and larger with every passing moment. The Sirens looked at each other, not knowing what this thing was, but in only a few moments, they began to feel something. It was as if the air around them had become strong water currents, pulling them against their will.

The sisters all looked at each other with shock as they realised what was happening, that the stallions magic was drawing them towards the strange apparition in the sky. Concentrating, they tried strengthening the magic around them as they attempted flying away from it. But regardless of how hard they tried, the pull was just too strong. Eventually, Adagio looked on as she heard a familiar scream, and her face became one of horror as she saw Sonata lose control and began flying upwards towards the hole in the sky. Aria called out to her in fear, but soon enough she too was flying upwards. Adagio was the last with any strength left in her, and as she felt her flight power begin to fade, she looked upon Starswirl one last time, giving him an utterly venomous look before she finally lost control. Upwards she flew, hurtling frantically before eventually crossing the threshold, screaming all the way.

Moments passed after Adagio's entry into the portal, and soon afterwards, it began to fade, the sky above returning to the calm appearance it had before this whole fight began. Starswirl exhaled deeply having exerted himself a great deal during all this. But as he looked upwards towards the sky, where the Sirens were last seen, he could no longer hold it back. His knees buckled and he collapsed onto the ground, weeping uncontrollably. With the tears being soaked up by the dry earth below him, he turned his head, looking upon the vast ocean beside the city, and spoke with a wobbling voice.

"Forgive me, Pacifica...our daughters left me no choice."

Exile

The first thing she felt was the impact. Having been thrust through that portal in the sky, all Adagio could feel around her was a lack of any up or down as the magic tore at her. It was such an unnerving experience that she wondered aloud if this is what those condemned to Tartarus must go through when they journey there. When that feeling of disorientation finally subsided, she sensed the unmistakable feeling of falling from a high place. But thanks to the shock of the transportation, it was as if she was numb all over, unable to react to anything. That all changed when she impacted below, not on hard ground thankfully, but on the most familiar substance in the world to her; water. But that feeling of relief was fleeting, for the moment she sank beneath that water, she knew something was wrong. Never before had the oceans felt so cold to her. Looking around, she felt the need to scream with pain as the water stung her eyes, something she'd never had any issue with in the past.

And sadly for Adagio, that was merely the first of the problems she faced. The further down she sank, the tighter her chest felt. She didn't know why, at least at first, but after some time like this she realised, to her horror, that the pressure of the water was getting to her. Also, as if everything else was not bad enough already, it quickly dawned on her that she could not breathe. I am a Siren, she thought to herself. Why is the water affecting me like this? She spun her head in all directions, panic rising in her now, as she tried to find some way out of this. In but a moment, she looked up and saw what had to be the surface. She tried swimming, but her limbs felt strange, though why, she could not tell, not with her eyes still stinging the way they were. Instead, she knew she had no choice to but move as much of herself as she could, forcing her way upwards, all while her lungs were starting to burn from the strain of being unable to breathe. The pain grew more and more, until it almost seemed as if she was at breaking point. But thankfully, her head soon broke the water's surface.

Now above, Adagio gasped and took in a massive lungful of air. But this was a short-lived reprieve, as a sudden wave came crashing down on her violently, forcing her back under. Once again she was disoriented by this, but she managed to get herself together more quickly this time, swimming back up as best she could. Once above the water for a second time, she finally managed to take stock of what was going on. She was in the middle of a seemingly endless expanse of ocean, the darkness making it clear that it was night-time. Far worse than that though was the fact that she was right in the middle of a ferocious storm, with the rain and wind howling all around her. Wave after wave came crashing all over, threatening to bring her under yet again. This time though, Adagio was becoming more used to keeping afloat, and thus managed to escape being sunk for a third time.

However, as she looked around, she soon caught sight of a tiny speck of land, little more than a jagged rock above the water's surface, just a short distance away from her. Coughing with all the water still pouring into her mouth, she began a hectic swim towards it, though she still couldn't understand why she was still having such difficulty in doing so. She was a Siren, so swimming should have been first nature to her. After several minutes had passed, Adagio finally reached the rock, spluttering with all the water that had crashed on her while doing so. As she panted heavily from her exertions, she looked down and, through the darkness of the night, saw with horror that it was a not a hoof that was holding onto that rock. Raising her limb, she looked on with shock at what was there instead, an appendage with five digits, a sight made all the more horrific to her with the sudden arrival of a bolt of lightning nearby. The Siren let out a scream, wiggling the digits in front of her face, after which she placed it towards her, feeling what should have been her muzzle, but instead found her face flattened with her nose changed.

As she felt her face in this manner, one thought above all entered her mind; what has that stallion done to me? But it was only a few moments afterwards that a new thought took priority, as it dawned on her that she did not travel alone here. Her head snapping around, she scoured as far as she could through the gloom to see her sisters. But she saw nothing. Panic rose in her as she fumbled her words, eventually managing to speak out as loudly as she could.

"SONATA!!! ARIA!!!"

But there was no answer to her call, not helped by the fact that the howls of wind, the crashing waves and the numerous thunderbolts made this a very loud time to be heard. So, Adagio kept calling out, never stopping, even when it started hurting her throat to do so. But after a while, she finally began to hear something.

"DAGI!!!"

Adagio knew that voice anywhere, causing her to frantically search as far as she could see to find out where it was coming from. It was difficult, but eventually she saw something moving out in the water. After a few moments more, her eyes widened as she got as clearer view of it. There was a creature out there, coloured a very familiar blue. But there was no fin upon it's head, but rather a mane of hair, like a pony. Moments later, Adagio saw that the creature was carrying another of it's kind, whose colours were the spitting image of Aria. Adagio watched with worry as the latter creature appeared to not be moving as the other was carrying it. And speaking of whom, the blue one finally caught sight of her, her face becoming one of shock as it began to speak loudly.

"DAGI!!! HELP US!!!"

For Adagio, there was no longer any debate in her mind as to who these two were. That accursed unicorn had changed not only her, but her sisters as well. But her anger had to be subsided for the time being, as Adagio knew she had to help her sisters. So, letting go of the rock, she started swimming as best she could towards Sonata and Aria, all while the youngest sister struggled to keep afloat whilst holding the latter. It took a while, but Adagio thankfully managed to reach them, grabbing hold of Aria and keeping her head above the water. Looking upon her sister, Adagio figured out pretty quickly that she must have been knocked out by either the strain of the transport, or the impact of hitting the water as they'd done. She looked to Sonata, whose expression made it clear that she was utterly terrified at all this, for which Adagio could not blame her. Still, the elder sister forced a smile, trying her best to reassure Sonata, before inevitably starting her swim back to the rock. Sonata showed just as much difficulty with this in their present form as she did, but together, they managed to get both themselves and Aria to that little spot of land.

They stayed together like this, holding onto the rock for dear life, making sure to keep an eye on Aria during this entire ordeal. As the storm continued to rage all around them, they could not help but feel overwhelmed at the sheer cold it was forcing upon them, leading them to shiver uncontrollably. Sonata could be heard crying now, and for once, Adagio had no words to comfort her, instead having no choice but to simply watch as her tears flowed down her cheeks and into the sea around them. Eventually, both sisters became started by movement in-between them, leading to them realising that Aria was coming to at last. The middle sister looked around groggily for a little while before her eyes fully snapped open. She grabbed onto the rock along with the other two, looking at both of them with both shock and confusion. Sonata though looked on with what little joy she could muster.

"Ari! You're okay!"

Aria looked to Sonata as recognition dawned on her.

"Son...Sonata?!"

The younger sister nodded frantically, letting Aria know that it was, indeed, her. It was here that Aria finally turned to look at Adagio and give her full attention.

"Adagio? Wha...what's going on?!"

But Adagio couldn't answer her. At this point, all she knew for certain was that they were in danger with this storm going on all around them. They had to stay together and hold on, maybe hope that the storm would pass eventually. When that happened, then they could try and figure out what had truly happened to them. But through all the wind, the rain and the confused sobs of her sisters, one thought passed through Adagio's mind over and over, leading to a look of sheer hatred crossing her face.

"Damn you, Starswirl...damn you."

First Contact

If there was one blessing the Siren sisters could say about this whole mess, it was that the storm had finally subsided. What was once a dark and lightning-infested sky had become clear, and with the coming of the sun there was now little above them except beautiful blue. That did little to help their circumstances however. Despite the end of the storm they were still surrounded by nothing but ocean as far as the eye could see, sitting precariously upon a tiny and jagged rock. And that was before you considered the matter of their forced transformation. All three of them had been stripped of their former Siren forms, instead now looking like creatures they'd never seen before. The only thing they knew for certain was that, whatever they were, the ocean was no place for them. And that, perhaps more than anything, added insult to injury. Not only had Starswirl foiled their plans, they'd made it so that they could no longer even return to their natural habitat.

Aria sat with her knees held up to her chin as she looked out at the calm sea before her, her expression one of frustration.

"What do we do?"

Those had been the same words she'd spoken over and over again for several hours now, and no matter how many times she said it, Adagio had no answer for her. After all, what could she say? In these circumstances, she had virtually no idea of what way to proceed. Should they try and swim in these new forms and try to find land off in the distance? Should they wait and hope beyond hope that help would come to them? She had no answers, and that was beginning to frustrate the middle sister, Aria. She let out a snort before starting to stand up, still unused to walking on two legs, wincing as her feet pressed into the sharp rock beneath her. Sonata watched her, with her face still bearing the tell-tale signs of having cried a great deal. She watched as Aria stood up carefully, making sure not to fall over, before raising her new hands and staring at them with disdain.

"And then there's this. I mean...what are we? We look like weird monkeys or something!"

It was here that Adagio finally spoke up, her tone making it clear that she didn't like this any more than Aria did.

"I don't know. And right now I don't care!"

Aria looked down at her elder sister scornfully, not appreciation the way she was being spoken to. Sonata, sensing the rising tension between the two, spoke up in the hopes of diffusing the matter.

"Um...at least we still have our gems, right?"

Adagio and Sonata looked at her, at the way her eyes were pleading with them to stop their aggressive words, and simply sighed together, relenting for the time being. And they had to admit, Sonata had a point. For whatever reason, that old unicorn's transportation had allowed them to keep their gems, although like everything else, those too had changed. Rather than being implanted within their chests, they instead hung from a trio of identical black necklaces that the sisters all wore. After they discovered that they still had those artefacts, the sisters had, at first, attempted to use their magic to try and fly again, but alas, there had been no such luck. The gems, at least for the time being. seemed inert and utterly useless to them. So, knowing they had little choice, they simply remained here, in silence, and dwelt on what had been done to them. Sonata, who now merely took solace in the fact that her sisters weren't at each other’s throats, instead brought her attention to her new body.

A few moments passed, but Adagio and Aria soon noticed how she was staring downwards, to the spot where their gems had one been implanted. Raising an eyebrow, Adagio too began to consider their new forms in earnest. Like Sonata, there were many things about it that disturbed her, not the least of which were the fact that they were clearly mammals now, as evidenced by the rather noticeable mounds they all had on their chests. It always disgusted Adagio how land creatures used those kinds of things, unlike ocean-dwelling egg-born creatures such as themselves. Still, she knew it was one of many things Adagio knew she'd have to get used to. They didn't know where they were or if they were even still in Equestria. All she knew was that she had to look after her sisters, even if Aria's grumblings were starting to get on her nerves at this point. However, her train of thought was interrupted by Sonata, who leapt up and began pointing away somewhere.

"Look!"

The other sisters turned to where she was pointing, and their eyes widened when they saw that she had spotted what was unmistakeably a ship, far in the distance. For the first time since their ordeal had begun, Adagio smiled. There's hope after all, she said to herself, and she looked over to Aria, who now had a similar smile upon her face. Sonata was bouncing up and down with excitement, prompting Adagio to hold her still, lest she slip back into the water. The three sisters waved their arms frantically, calling out as loudly as possible to try and catch the ship's attention. After some worry, their faces erupted into even larger smiles as they saw the ship start to turn in their direction. They had successfully managed to be noticed, the first piece of good luck they'd had so far. So, having little choice but to wait, they watched as the vessel drew closer, wherein they managed to finally get a better look at it.

Like the ships of Equestria that they'd become familiar with over the last few months, this ship was of a simple wooden design, and clearly sailed by way of the large mast that stood tall in the middle of it. The large white sail bore a clear insignia upon it, which resembled a bright red, upside-down "V". It wasn't a symbol Adagio recognised, but she didn't care as long as they got help. When the ship finally got close enough to the rock, the sisters saw, to their shock, that it was crewed by the same kinds of creatures that they themselves had been transformed into. They were larger and muscular in appearance, giving them the impression that these were most likely males of the species. And they were clad in bronze armour and helmets, with some carrying wooden spears and large round shields. Their whole image gave the feel of a military group, and Adagio couldn't help but feel worried at that.

Nevertheless, she felt heartened as she saw the creatures stretch out a long, wooden plank from their ship over to the rock, a clear sign that they were letting them on board. Adagio glanced over to her sisters, seeing the similarly-concerned looks on their faces. Clearly they had the same reservations as she did, but at this point, they had little choice but to take what help they were given. So, slowly, Adagio went onto the plank first, still having some difficulty in moving on two legs. It took a while, but eventually both she and her sisters managed to get onto the deck of the ship, wherein they were immediately surrounded by half-a-dozen of the crew, all of whom were looking at them with expression that bordered between intrigue and disgust. Trying her best to ignore those looks, Adagio cleared her throat and began to speak up.

"My sisters and I thank you for arriving when you did."

One of the creatures, older than the rest, gave a smirk before stepping closer to her and replying.

"No need to thank us. After all...we can always use more Helots."

Before Adagio had the chance to ask about what that word meant, the creature shocked her by swiftly raising his hand, clenching it into a tight fist, and then bringing it fast right into her face. This sent Adagio into darkness, as the blow had rendered her unconscious. She didn't know how long she'd been out, only that, through her current state, she could faintly hear voices and whispers from around her, as well as the vague feeling of being moved forcibly. After what seemed like a long time, she finally opened her eye, albeit very slowly. Her head was aching greatly, no doubt from the blow she suffered, and she raised a hand to try and nurse what must have been a massive bruise on her head. However, as she moved her arm, she heard a distinct metallic sound, as well as feeling something tight around her wrist.

This caused her eyes to snap open, taking stock of her surroundings, which nearly sent her into a state of panic. She found that she was in what must have been the hold of the ship, for wooden walls and flooring were all around her, save for a metal grill above that was letting sunlight in. As she looked down, she saw that her wrists and been manacled to chains that connected to the wooden wall she was leaning against. In addition to this, she was now clad in a ragged brown tunic. The garb of slaves, she thought to herself. It was a sight that left little room for interpretation in terms of what her "rescuers" wanted her for. Realisation then dawned on her as her head darted in all directions, eventually finding Aria and Sonata, who were similarly clothed and chained next to her. Sonata seemed to be asleep, while Aria was very much awake, although she merely kept on staring at the wall opposite them. She must have known Adagio had woken as she then spoke up.

"You were out for a few hours, Dagi. They took all of us after they hit you. Threw us down here to rot."

Adagio's expression become one that showed that she was greatly disheartened by all this. Captured and enslaved by these barbaric creatures, she thought to herself, how far we've fallen. The former Siren tried pulling at her chains in the vain hope of breaking free from them, but she had little success in that regard. After giving up on that, she looked upwards, seeing that the light was taking on a more orange tint to it, showing that they must have been approaching sunset. This caused her to realise that more time must have passed than she thought. Her mind tried thinking of ways to get her and her sisters out of this mess, but without their magic, their options were greatly limited. As time passed though, she began to hear talking from above, and she strained to listen. There was a lot her captors were speaking of, places called "Sparta" and the like, but none of it was familiar to her. Eventually though, she began to hear aggression in their voices.

"This wind is pitiful! We should have made port hours ago!"

"Don't blame me! No man can predict the whims of Poseidon, not his seas and not his winds!"

Adagio had no idea what any of this meant, but that wasn’t what mattered to her now. No, what mattered was what happened next, because the elder sister was soon shocked to find herself feeling a very familiar sensation. Looking down, her eyes widened as she saw a slight glimmer to her gemstone. Her heart began to race as this tiny spark of hope ignited in her. There is magic here, she realised. And if it worked the same way here as it did in Equestria, she knew what she had to do. Turning, she nudged Aria, gaining her attention. The middle sister looked somewhat annoyed at first, but her face soon reflected Adagio's once she saw the latter's gemstone. Looking down at her own, Aria saw that same glimmer there also, leading to the two sisters smiling at one another. Aria reached over and gently shook Sonata, waking her up, and it was not long before she too was silently aware of what they had planned.

They knew it was a long shot, but they hoped all the same that this would work. They sat together, holding their hands up to their gems, closed their eyes and then finally began to let out a melody. It was more of a loud hum at this point, starting off low, and while it took several moments of doing this, they soon began to hear the voices above becoming more and more aggressive. There was shouting and some sounds to suggest that there might have even been some scuffles amongst the crew. All that mattered to the sisters was that their power to influence others was still intact. So, the sisters kept on singing, their voices growing louder and louder, and it wasn't long before they opened their eyes, smiling as they saw a most familiar green mist descend through the floorboard above them and towards their gems. They watched as the negative energies began to be absorbed, allowing them to feel stronger.

But it was here that they began to feel something about all this. The energy they were soaking in felt different, weaker somehow. Whatever these creatures were, they didn't have the same potency of the energy taken from the ponies. But that was a matter to be discussed another time, for Adagio began to focus as best she could, trying to send her influence upwards, to whoever was steering this vessel. She couldn't see where they were going, but she tried to make the one in control get them to land as soon as possible. Sure enough, they all began to feel the ship change direction, all while the light of the sun continued to face. Minute after minute passed as this dance continued, the Sirens singing as long as they could. Through it all, Adagio and her sisters felt confident that, at last, things were going their way. However, that hope was dashed as a loud cry could be heard from above.

"You fool! You'll hit the rocks!"

That snapped the sisters out of what they were doing, causing them all to turn and give each other worried looks. This was not something they'd anticipated, and soon, they felt the unmistakeable impact of their actions, as the ship violently crashed to one side. This impact had the effect of smashing the part of the wall where the sisters were bound, breaking their chains and sending them flying off into the other side. The impact hurt, but they soon got to their feet and watched as water began pouring into the hold. Panicked now, they scrambled to reach the ladder that led to the grill above them, all while the hold began to flood rapidly. The wood around them continued to splinter, but they thankfully managed to reach the grill, pushing it up and looking above. Adagio was the first to see that the crew were still at each other's throat, shouting and even drawing swords, all while their ship continued to sink.

Adagio gestured to her sisters, letting them follow her as she stood tall on the deck. She scoured around, watching as the ship sank, before finally seeing that there was a beach within swimming distance. Adagio wasn’t confident in swimming in this form, but even so, with the vessel soon to be no more, and the daylight rapidly fading, she grabbed onto her sister's hand and pulled at them as she ran, dragging them behind her and making a break for it. The other creatures of the ship had now erupted into full-scale violence, swinging their weapons at one another and drawing blood with every passing moment, all while remaining completely oblivious to the destruction around them. With their captors distracted by their magic's power, Adagio and her sisters soon reached the edge of the vessel, where they leapt in unison and plummeted towards the water below.

And after a brief moment of submersion, they soon resurfaced, catching their breath and moving as best they could towards the beach.

A Final Vow

Adagio had seen a great deal of death and destruction in her young life, and now, just like in Equestria, she found herself looking upon even more of it. By sheer luck, she and her sisters had successfully managed to reach the shore before their strength failed them, allowing them to avoid drowning beneath the waves as they made their escape. With that safety achieved, they'd spent the rest of the night watching from that beach as their former captors kept on fighting amongst themselves, dealing death and injury to their comrades as their ship crashed and splintered around them. Eventually that vessel was finally swallowed by the ocean, just as night finally arrived. The sisters stayed together on that beach until morning, waiting to see if there had been any survivors from that experience. But, as the sun rose the next day, they saw that there had been none. They watched intently as debris form the ship began washing ashore, along with the lifeless remains of it's crew.

It was a grim sight, but after everything else they'd been through in the last year, the former Sirens had already steeled themselves for it. Even Sonata, despite all this trauma that would have unhinged most others, still seemed pretty relieved at the very basic fact that they'd escaped and were alive, though Adagio could hardly fault her for that. So, with their escape now confirmed, the three sisters had instead busied themselves with making plans. But first, Adagio thought to herself, we need to get out of these rags, emphasising the point by tugging on the brown garments she'd been forced into by those creatures. As such, they'd began searching through the remains that had washed ashore, finding many boxes of cargo the ship had been transporting. Thankfully, one of those was a crate of clothing, which was fortunate given that the sisters weren't too keen on the idea of wearing the cumbersome armour of their now-dead captors.

Adagio had selected a short dress her size, coloured purple, which was a colour she'd always taken a fancy to. Aria had dressed similarly, albeit a dark green colour, while Sonata's garment was a bright pink. Having donned more suitable attire, Aria got to work on looking around the area, trying to see if there was some kind of path leading to towns or villages nearby. Adagio, in the meantime, kept on looking out at sea. It still infuriated her that they could on longer return to the waters as they'd once done, knowing that these new bodies would most likely drown if they did so. Still, she said to herself, at least our powers are still intact. That was the one ray of light in this grim situation, that they could still influence people, though the potential joy she could feel from that was lessened by the memory that the native creatures of this world didn't have anywhere near as much negative energy as ponies. Perhaps it is due to their apparent lack of magic, she mused.

Regardless, Adagio knew that her priority was looking after her sisters, making sure they could survive in this world for as long as possible. Dwelling on that matter, she turned and looked upon Sonata, who was standing further along the beach from her. She too was staring out at the sea, but her expression was more obviously melancholic than Adagio's. Seeing this, the elder sister let out a sigh before walking over to her. As she approached, Sonata turned to look at her, all while playing with the long blue hair she now had to deal with.

"I guess...this is home now...right, Dagi?"

Adagio never enjoyed delivering bad news to her little sister, but was not one to outright lie to her either. As such, she grimly nodded to her, prompting Sonata to look back towards the sea. After a few moments though, Adagio could see that Sonata was struggling to keep her hair out of her face, to which Adagio couldn't help but chuckle at. Looking around, Adagio caught sight of a nearby supply crate from the ship, which had a few strands of thin rope hanging out of it. Walking over to it, Adagio found a knife nearby and cut a short length of it, before walking back to Sonata. The younger sister watched with some confusion, but then understood her sister's actions as the latter walked behind her, gently pulling her hair back and tying it up in a ponytail for her.

"There. That should help."

Sonata raised both hands and felt her new hairstyle, after which she strolled over to a nearby rock pool and looked at her reflection. A few moments passed by before the younger sister broke out into a smile and rushed back to Adagio, embracing her in a tight hug. Although taken aback at first, Adagio nevertheless let out a brief chuckle before returning the embrace.

"Heh...maybe I'll do the same to Aria when she gets back."

"Do what, exactly?"

After hearing that new voice, the two sisters turned to see that Aria had returned, wherein it seemed that she'd actually thought ahead of Adagio on that count, with her hair now parted on either side of her head into a pair of pigtails. Sonata gasped with delight as she rushed over to her.

"Wow, Ari! You look great!"

The middle sister chuckled at that before raising a hand and tussling Sonata's hair a bit.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, I found a road that leads west of here. No idea where it goes though."

Adagio nodded at that.

"We have little choice but to take it. However, we should be wary, sisters. Whatever these native creatures are, they're not to be trusted. They are our enemies, just as the ponies were."

After having experienced imprisonment and the possibility of slavery at the hands of those beings, Sonata and Aria were not heistant in nodding in agreement over Adagio's words. They had their magic, which meant that they were not without a means of defending themselves, but even so, this was a dangerous world they'd found themselves in, and they knew they had to stay together if they were going to have even a chance of surviving. Sonata, looking a little worried over the whole matter, fumbled her words a little before speaking.

"Um...Dagi? Will we ever be able to go back home?"

Aria looked over to Adagio, clearly wanting to hear her answer to that question. The elder sister was not willing to lie to either of them about this, but that did not make having to say the truth any easier.

"I don't know, Sonata. I think we have to be ready for the very real possibility that we'll never be able to get back to our world again."

Sonata needless to say, looked greatly disheartened at those words, while Aria's face was plastered with resentment, no doubt towards the stallion who had sent them here. Adagio too was angry about this, not knowing if they could ever get back to the point they once had, that of power and prestige over others. But, if there was one thing that could be said about Adagio Dazzle, it's that she did not acknowledge defeat. As such, her mind conjured up plans and possibilities for a comeback almost immediately after having spoken their state of affairs. She looked to her sisters, at the down expressions on their faces, before raising her hands and gently placing them upon their shoulders, gaining their attention. The two watched as the look on Adagio's face became one of determination as she spoke.

"But know this, girls. While Equestria is lost to us, we now have a new world. A new world that, like the old, we can influence. These beasts that rule here have no idea what we can do, and even if it takes us a thousand years, we will scrape back the power we once had."

Aria and Sonata watched her, seeing the fire in her eyes, and like before, they smiled in a similarly-confident manner, once more assured in their hearts that their sister would lead them to greater things. Adagio, smiling at having made them feel this way, looked to the sea beside them, uttering honest words that she had every intention of carrying out.

"I swear to you...we will be adored once more!"

Prologue

If one were to look upon the surface of the great oceans surrounding Equestria, they would be forgiven for assuming it was calm and serene. The way the sun shone brightly upon it's surface, the way it looks so still and undisturbed. It was the very picture of tranquillity. However, these would be the mistakes of an outsider. For those who knew the sea, truly knew it, would know that there was never a moment when it was not bustling with life and activity. Schools of fish, pods of whales, and every manner of bright and beautiful underwater plants made their homes here, constantly shifting and changing with the very tides and currents themselves. It was a world unto itself, far from the concerns of those who dwelt upon the land. And those who lived here could not have loved it more.

In one particular corner of this vast expanse of water, amongst a brilliantly red coral reef, there was one particular denizen that could not help but feel invigorated on this happy day. Amongst a collection of dolphins, all of whom were racing in formation among the reef, was a creature that none above would have recognised. The creature was coloured a shining gold, and at first glance it would appear to have the front end of a pony. But in stark contrast to that was the hind quarters, which, instead of a pair of hooves, was an elongated scaly tail, stretching outwards and ending in a fin, not unlike a fish. The creature's head bore a fantastic and large orange fin, which the casual observer would mistake for a pony's mane. This being's face bore a look of confidence, and a veritable glimmer in her bright pink eyes. As she swam quickly alongside the dolphins, matching their movements and their speeds beat for beat, it was clear that this was a race.

The dolphins kept on swimming forward, dodging and weaving through the various crags and sharp turns of the reef, and with every movement, the golden being kept in-tow with them. Eventually, after reaching more open spaces of water, the creature thrust forward with powerful flaps of her tail, shooting herself ahead of the dolphins. Her smile widening, she closed her eyes as she kept swimming, looking utterly content at her surroundings. After carrying on like this for some time, she finally opened them again, but only after hearing a series of familiar click behind her. Turning, she looked warmly upon the dolphins behind her, who had since stopped trying to catch up to her and simply started making their happy sounds, an acknowledgement of her victory. A chuckle escaped the female's mouth as she swam closer to them. Once amongst them, she raised her hooves and stroked the side of the lead dolphin's face, eliciting another happy clicking sound. They were practically giddy to be with her, and she with them.

Eventually though, they began to move off, and she stayed behind, waving them goodbye. She kept her eyes on them for a while, until they were no longer in view. However, it was here that she began to feel something. It was a rippling of the water behind her, a sensation that something was approaching slowly. Familiarity is what she felt from this, and a small smirk appeared on her face as she began swimming slowly forward, acting as if nothing was wrong. Closing her eyes again, she tuned herself to the movements of the water behind her, waiting for the right moment. Soon enough, it came, as she felt a sudden surge of the water, causing her to quickly strafe to the side almost effortlessly. It was just in time too, as she saw the one who had been following her. It was another of her kind, except light blue in colour. This newcomer was leaping forward with her hooves outstretched in a now-failed attempt to grab onto the "unsuspecting" golden female.

As the leap forward lost it's power, the blue one turned and looked on as her golden counterpart launched her own playful attack, reaching out and embracing her tightly in a hug. As the gold nuzzled the blue, the latter let out an almost whining sound.

"Aw! Dagi! Why do you always have to get the better of me like that? I thought I had you that time!"

Her captor merely chuckled at that.

"Silly Sonata! I'd never give up the chance to do this on a regular basis!"

The two females both giggled loudly after that, resulting in a now-mutual hug between them. After they eventually parted from one another, they began to hear a third voice, one more husky than their own.

"I'd love to watch, but I don't think that much sugar is good for me."

Turning, Adagio and Sonata smiled as they gazed upon a third member of their group, light purple in colour and possessed of a dark purple and green fin-mane. She was reclining with her hooves behind her head on the coral reef below, looking upon her two companions. As the two swam closer to her, it was Sonata who spoke first.

"Cheer up, Aria! You're always so grumpy!"

Aria gave a short snort at that before returning the smile, albeit a much smaller one. She raised a hoof and carefully ruffled Sonata's head-fin, much to the latter's annoyance, before speaking.

"You're always cheery enough for the three of us, Sonata."

Although initially put off by Aria's ruffling of her fin, Sonata perked up immediately afterwards. Adagio, watching the playful display between the two, swam closer before placing her hooves upon each of their shoulders.

"Alright, you two. That's enough. There'll be plenty of time for fun after the ceremony tonight."

Aria rolled her eyes at that.

"Ugh! You know I hate singing in public! Why does Mother always have us do this?"

Adagio looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"You know our traditions, sister. We Sirens are creatures of song. And with our Mother being who she is..."

Adagio didn't finish her sentence, but she didn't need to, As Aria let out yet another snort, making it clear that she'd got the message. The elder sister didn't much care for her younger sibling's apathy in this matter, but she comforted herself in the knowledge that she at least seemed willing to go along with things for now. However, she then felt a tapping on her shoulder, leading to her turning her head towards Sonata, who was looking at her with great joy on her face, in stark contrast to Aria.

"I can't wait! I love this time of year. All the Sirens singing the old songs! Remember that first ceremony we went to when we were little? I'd never heard so many beautiful voices!"

Adagio couldn’t help but share in her sister's sense of nostalgia for the event, and as she briefly turned her eyes to the side, she caught sight of a small smile on Aria's face, showing that there was clearly unity in this feeling. Placing a hoof gently upon Sonata's shoulder, Adagio smiled at her.

"I know, Sonata. I look forward to it too."

The two sisters shared a smile between them before a though suddenly occurred to Adagio. Looking upwards, she saw the bright glimmer of the sun far above the surface of the water, high in the sky. There was a distinct orange glow to it, which made it clear to her that the day was waning. Looking back to her sisters, she cleared her throat a little before addressing them.

"It's getting late. We should get back home. You know Mother hates it when we're overdue for this sort of thing."

She watched as both of them gave her a nod, showing that they were in agreement over this. Nodding back to them, Adagio watched as they both flapped their tails hard, thrusting themselves forward and starting their long swim back to their home. Adagio smiled to herself as she considered what today would bring. It was as she'd said to Sonata, that it was an event she very much looked forward to, just like every member of their race. And so Adagio smiled. The kind of smile that anypony would see and know it belonged to somepony happy and content. So, following the example of her sisters, she began swimming after them, practically daydreaming of what she'd been hoping to do for a very long time, and knowing that today was the day it would happen.

Storytime

It had been a long day, but at last, the night had come. There were many bio-luminescent fish swimming around the central spire of the Siren city, and that, coupled with the natural blue glow of the place, gave an almost otherworldly look to it. It was a calming and soothing sight, and for Adagio, it was just what she needed after everything she and her sisters had been through today. With her hooves resting upon the edge of the main window of her room, she smiled as she surveyed her Mother's domain. One day, this place would be hers, just as it had been her Mother's. As the eldest of her sisters, it was her destiny to one day reign as Queen of the Sirens, and her people would look up to her as they had done with Pacifica these many years. It was a daunting prospect to say the least, and Adagio sighed as she hoped deep down that she could live up to her Mother's example.

However, she was disturbed from that thought by the sound of giggling coming from behind her. Turning, she smiled as she saw that it was Sonata, who was swimming fast in circles above her bed. Though in truth, the "bed" was actually just a collection of soft sea plants they slept upon at night, rather than the artificial structures made by the land races. Even so, that did little to deter Sonata from her happy display, even though the nearby Aria showed a look of mild annoyance at her sibling's behaviour. Adagio however merely chuckled as she began to move away from the window and towards Sonata. And it was only once she came within a few feet of her that the youngest of the sisters finally spoke up.

"Tonight was so much fun! I had no idea we could sing so well! Everypony loved us, and did you see the look on Mother's face?"

Adagio smiled with more than a little pride in her eyes before nodding to her sister.

"Yes...it was good."

Sonata smiled widely at that before, to Adagio's shock, she leapt forward and finally managed to catch her older sister in a tight hug. Although initially taken aback by this, Adagio nevertheless chucked at that, as did Aria, who found the whole display quite amusing. However, the three were interrupted from this little get-together by the sound of their bedroom door squeaking open. As they turned, their eyes widened with surprise as they saw that it was their Mother, Queen Pacifica. Instinctively, they all began to swim into their usual formation of greeting, but were stopped from doing so by the Queen, who raised a solitary hoof. They all stopped in their tracks and watched as their Mother spoke up, all while she bore a kind smile upon her face.

"You sang beautifully tonight, my daughters. The Gods truly blessed me when that granted me your birth."

The sisters all smiled at each other, happy in the knowledge that their Mother was pleased with what they'd done tonight. They carried on listening as she kept on speaking.

"And now all the kingdom knows just how special you are. Savour that moment, my children. Remember and embrace that adoration. That feeling of being loved by others, that is something special."

Adagio smiled at that thought. She knew their people had always liked her and her sisters, but to be there in front of them, showered by their adoration, knowing that she had done something that astounded them, it was a feeling unlike anything she'd ever known. In that moment, Adagio would have given much to experience it again. Turning her head, she saw the smiling yet thoughtful looks of her sisters, and knew in her heart that they felt the same as her in this matter. Looking back to her Mother, Adagio began to approach her and spoke softly.

"We were proud to have done this for you, Mother. Not matter what you ask of us, we will do our best to make you happy."

These words brought a smile to the Queen's face, as she now approached her eldest, raising a hoof and stroking her fin-mane as she looked down at her in an affectionate manner. The feel of her Mother's hoof was comforting to Adagio, almost to the point of making her feel younger again. However, there were clearly others there who felt that in a more literal sense, as Sonata now spoke up in her usual childish tone.

"Mother? Could you tell us a story before we go to sleep?"

Aria slapped a hoof to her face after hearing her sister's words, and in truth, Adagio wasn't that far behind her. However, rather than simply turning her daughter's request down, Pacifica merely chuckled before approaching Sonata and placing her hoof upon her shoulder, looking at her with a warm smile.

"Of course, Sonata. In fact, I have just the tale to tell."

Sonata squealed with joy over hearing that, at which point she leapt towards her bed, making sure she was comfortably nestled amongst the soft plants before eagerly awaiting what her Mother had to say. Adagio and Aria both glanced at each other and chuckled at their sister's innocent behaviour, shortly before following suit and making their way to their own beds. Once all three were comfortable, the Queen regarded each one in turn before clearing her throat a little. And it was here that she finally began to speak, in that serene and motherly tone they all knew so well from her.

"Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a young Siren who loved to play and explore the furthest reaches of her people's land..."

Adagio smiled as a feeling of nostalgia washed over her. This was a story their Mother had told them many times when they were younger, and while she personally considered herself too old for such things nowadays, there was still a sense of comfort in revisiting such familiar tales. So, she simply carried on listening as her Mother continued.

"One day, she ventured so far that she came upon the coastline, the place where land and the ocean met. There, she met a handsome stallion. These two could not have been more different, and yet, despite that, they eventually fell in love. And from that love, the Siren was blessed with three beautiful daughters."

It was after finishing those few words that Pacifica moved closer to Sonata, nuzzling her affectionately and causing the latter to giggle a little. It was a heart-warming sight, but it did not last long as the Queen soon carried on telling her story.

"Though the Siren loved the stallion deeply, she bore a heavy burden, and one day parted ways with him because of it. They continued to love each other, even knowing they would most likely never see each other again. But even so, the Siren would always be reminded of him because of the gift he gave her; the children that would serve as a bright light on even her darkest days."

Even though it was a story she had heard many times in the past, there was always something about it that made Adagio feel strange. She always suspected that her Mother was trying to tell them something in this tale, and the fact that there were three daughters in it had not escaped her notice. It was something that had led to many questions in the young Siren's mind, but something had always kept her from asking her Mother outright about it. Maybe it was fear or perhaps something else, but regardless, something was keeping her from making this anything more than a story to her. As such, she remained silent as she watched her Mother lean forward and give Sonata a quick kiss upon her forehead, prompting a big smile from the latter. Pacifica hovered over to Aria and did the same, which Aria smiled at even though she, like Adagio, felt that she was too old for it. Then she finally came to Adagio, and after she'd received her kiss, Pacifica whispered something to her.

"I know you'll always make me proud, my little Princess."

It was a childish nickname, but even so, Adagio couldn't help but smile affectionately towards the Queen after hearing it. Pacifica, once again happy with her daughters, hovered over to the door of their bedroom before giving them one final glance. The three sisters all smiled at her before she finally closed the door behind her. Now, with their Mother gone, the sisters finally began to try and get some sleep. As they'd all agreed, it had been a long day and they were eager to get some rest. Adagio's thoughts, naturally, turned back to her singing, and the way it had caused so many to look at her with love in their eyes. But above all else, she'd made her Mother proud of her, and that was a feeling she was adamant that she'd hold onto for the rest of her life. As such, she began to drift off into a peaceful sleep with a look of calm and contentment. However, this was a short-lived experience as Adagio was, quite literally, shaken from her rest. Opening her eyes, she looked to see that it was Sonata that had woken her. Frowning, the eldest sister addressed her younger sibling.

"Sonata?! What do you want?!"

The blue Siren smiled at her before speaking up.

"I got this great idea! What if we go to the coast?"

Adagio looked at her as if she'd just said the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

"What?! Go to the...ugh! Even if I was inclined to, why would you want to go there?"

Sonata pointed to their window and kept on smiling as she gave Adagio her answer.

"Because it'd be great! We've never been there before and I'll bet there's so many things to see!"

Adagio rubbed her temples with her hooves in an annoyed manner before noticing that Aria was also awake, glaring angrily at Sonata whilst also waiting for Adagio to give her response. Eventually, the eldest sister gave it.

"Sonata...it's the middle of the night! Can't this wait until morning?"

Sonata shook her head at that.

"Nope! It's gotta be tonight! Today's been so great and doing this will just make it perfect!"

Adagio did her best to try and wrap her head around that logic, but knew from past experience that trying to think like Sonata was more than likely to just give her a headache. Looking at her, it was clear that Sonata was set on doing this, and one look at Aria confirmed that she too felt this. Both of them knew that Sonata was the kind to never let up until they'd gone ahead and done this, which meant a bad night's sleep for both of them if they just tried ignoring her. Adagio didn't want to go, but for the sake of her sanity, she was willing to do just about anything. As such, she simply gave her sister a short, but clearly annoyed, nod. This lead to Sonata squealing with joy yet again and embracing Adagio in a hug. Adagio, however, merely groaned in annoyance.

When she finally parted from Sonata, she got out of bed, as did a very irritated-looking Aria, and the three of them made their way to the window. Adagio looked out of it, making sure that they weren't going to be spotted leaving the palace at this time of night. When she was convinced that they had a clear shot, she nodded to her sisters before the three of them started swimming fast out of the spire. They kept a careful watch to ensure they weren't seen, and eventually managed to get to the edges of the city without incident. Although none of them had ever been near land before, they'd known from their Mother's teachings where the nearest one was, and began heading in that direction. Adagio couldn't help but look annoyed at being led out here like this, but after Sonata saw her like that, she simply giggled.

"Don't worry, Dagi. I promise you we won't regret this!"

Wrath of the Ocean

Adagio liked to swim as much as the next Siren, but at this point in time, in the middle of the night, on a journey she wasn't really all that interested in, it was the furthest thing on her mind. And yet, as Sonata kept on urging them to keep up with her, she couldn't help but smile. Her young sister's boundless energy and optimism about the whole thing was almost contagious, spurring her on. Even Aria had a hard time resisting the urge to crack a smile at Sonata's behaviour every once in a while. So, the three Siren Princesses swam together, onwards towards a place that, frankly, none of them had ever even seen before. Their lives in the sea had always provided everything they needed, so venturing further was just not something that had ever crossed their minds, and had it not been for their Mother's story, it would have most likely remained that way.

Eventually though, they began to see something far ahead through the gloom of the night-time waters. It was solid earth, a veritable wall of it stretching from the seabed to high above them. Turning to each other, they all gave a short nod before swimming upwards in formation. A few minutes passed them by before they eventually reached the surface. None of them had ever broken the skin of the water before, so needless to say, this was quite an experience for them. As their heads bobbed up and down above the surface, they felt the strangest sensation upon their scales. This absence of water around them there was most disturbing to them, as evidenced by the unsure looks Adagio and Aria were giving each other. Sonata, on the other hoof, couldn’t have been happier, as she giddily splashed the water's surface further with a single swipe of her hoof.

Ignoring her sibling's antics for the moment, Adagio looked upwards and saw, for the first time, the sky. Her eyes widened as she looked upon it, with it's dazzling stars and bright full moon. It was beautiful, and something she'd never witnessed before in her life. Aria and Sonata joined in soon afterwards, with the latter letting out all of the "oooh's" and "ahhh's" expected of such a sight. The three stayed together, admiring the view above for some time, before eventually Adagio's eyes drifted downwards and gazed upon the stone wall that had greeted them here. It rose high beyond the water before ending in a peak several dozen feet high. Not only that, but it stretched in an almost endless stretch in both directions, rising and falling to various heights. So, Adagio thought to herself, this was land. Even in the comparatively weak light of the moon, she saw it well. How it looked so dry, yet still covered with plants and small creatures. She didn't recognise half of them, though nevertheless stood amazed as some of them actually started to take flight.

The sisters couldn't believe all the things they were seeing here, and they hadn't even approached it very much. Looking down at her blue sister, Adagio let out a dry chuckle.

"Alright, I admit it...this is something special."

Sonata, happy at her sister's words, gave her yet another tight hug, though this time Adagio was far less annoyed by it. As the two parted, Sonata turned towards the land yet again, gesturing to her sisters to follow her. Before they could stop her, Adagio and Aria watched as Sonata made a break for the coastline, specifically at a point where there was a long stretch of sand to greet the water instead of stone. Aria shrugged her shoulders at her elder sibling before following Sonata, with Adagio not far behind her. It only took a minute or two for the three to get closer, at which point they stopped in their tracks as they detected movement upon the land. They ducked more into the water, so that it was now only the tops of their heads that rose above. Looking on, they saw that it was a creature that, thus far, they had only known of from their people's stories. A pony, the race that dominated the land. A dark brown in colour, it lacked the wings or horn of others of it's kind, leading to the three realising that it was an earth pony. And a stallion too, judging from it's size and shape.

Seeing such a being was strange to them. To their eyes, this male was just like a Siren, except with extra hooves behind him instead of a tail. This first encounter was summed up by Aria.

"That's...freaky."

Not the most eloquent of utterances, but Adagio nodded in agreement all the same. Unfortunately, both she and Aria noticed too late that Sonata was making her way closer to the stallion. Their eyes shot open with shock as they began to swim faster to catch her. It took only a few moments, but they finally wrapped their hooves around her and kept her from moving any closer, much to Sonata's annoyance. However, in the struggle, Aria accidentally splashed her tails in the water, making enough sound so that the stallion, who had not noticed them at this point, finally began to turn his head and look towards the ocean. The three Sirens began to duck further into the water, but the stallion kept on watching, certain that he heard something out there. The sisters glanced at each other, knowing instinctively that this guy wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Eventually, Adagio's fears came to life as she saw the stallion look right at her, his eyes widening as he caught sight of not only her, but her sisters as well. A deep sense of dread filled her stomach, and she was ready to just swim as fast as she could back into the deep waters.

However, what the stallion did next was not what she had been expecting.

"Hello there! Nice night for a swim I take it?"

Adagio raised an eyebrow in confusion over that, as did Aria. However, after a few moments of pondering, it soon dawned on her. This stallion couldn't see their tails under the water, and thus had made the mistake of thinking they were normal pony mares. Resisting the urge to smirk at this, Adagio merely cleared her throat before speaking back to the guy.

"Um...yes! It was such a lovely night I thought...why not?"

The stallion chuckled at that before nodding to them.

"Aye, I'll say. Well, don't let me keep you. Have a nice swim."

The Sirens all watched with forced smiles and waved as the stallion began making his way further up the coast, paying them no mind after that encounter. Once they were certain that he was out of earshot, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Unfortunately for Sonata, this calm was short-lived, as both of her sisters soon turned on her with angry looks on their faces. Adagio was the first to speak.

"Sonata! What were you thinking?"

The youngest Siren merely shrugged her shoulders at that.

"I don't know! I guess I just wanted to say hello."

Adagio frowned at her sister after hearing those words.

"You just...? Ugh! Sonata! You have to be more careful in future! Who knows what that guy could have done if he saw us?"

Sonata pouted a little, a look that had often melted Adagio's sternness on more than one occasion. The elder sister merely slapped her forehead in frustration over that, knowing there was little chance of her staying mad at her sister when she was like this. Instead, she let out a deep sigh, her earlier anger having subsided quickly. They had, after all, managed to avoid any real problems out here despite Sonatas lack of caution. So, she gently placed a hoof upon Sonata's shoulder and gave a small smile, letting her know that she wasn't angry with her. Sonata smiled at that while Aria merely rolled her eyes. However, all three of them suddenly froze as they began to feel something. It was a sensation, almost like an instinct, that they all felt but didn't understand. All they knew was that they now felt a great sense of foreboding. They looked at each other, their faces making it clear that none of them knew this feeling. And then, Sonata spoke up, her voice hushed to almost a whisper.

"Why...why has it gone all quiet?"

Adagio shook her head, not knowing any answer to give her sister. Instead, she began to look around, trying to figure out what it was that was making the three of them feel so wrong. She kept watch over every little detail around her, telling herself that everything seemed to be normal, at least nothing around that would be a threat to the three of them. However, when she looked outwards, towards the open ocean, something caught her attention. She narrowed her eyes, squinting to try and get a better look at it through the dim light of night. Something was happening to the watery horizon out there. It appeared to be, for lack of a better word, growing taller. The line where the ocean met the sky was rising higher and higher with every passing moment, as if the water's surface itself was growing. And that was when it finally dawned on her what was happening. Her eyes widened greatly as shock and terror crossed her face. Her lip quivered with fear as she began to slowly back away from what she was seeing. Her sisters watched her with clear concern, before she finally spoke out.

"TSUNAMI!!!"

Both Aria and Sonata's heads snapped in the direction of where Adagio was looking, their expression now the same as hers. They all looked at each other, not knowing what to do. They'd heard the stories of such cataclysms, but had never been told how best to avoid them or ensure their safety. Adagio's head darted about, trying to think of some way to protect her sisters. They couldn't go on land, and if they went into the sea there was no guarantee if the force of the water rushing towards them would reach them down there. Instead, her eye caught something else. There was a small cave opening on the side of the high cliff-face, just where it met the water. She glanced over to the approaching monstrous wave before grabbing hold of her sisters' hooves and swimming as forcefully as she could towards the cliff. It was not long before Sonata and Aria figured out what she was doing, and they too began to swim of their own accord.

As they approached, the three could hear the unmistakeable sound of loud breaking waves behind them, letting them know that the tsunami was getting closer and closer to them. Fearfully, they swam faster than they'd ever done, eventually reaching the cave. Adagio swam aside, letting both of them swim in head of her. After she was sure they were alright in there, she followed. Some relief came to her heart as she saw that the cave was pretty much a long tunnel, twisting and turning within the great cliff face. With any luck, this should help dissipate for the force of the wave, Adagio though to herself. So she swam forwards, her sisters following her, going as far inwards as the tunnel would take them. Eventually, they reached the unmistakeable dead end at the back of the cave. This was it, they thought. If the wave's force was not lessened by the twists and turns here, they were dead, they knew that. So Adagio stretched her hooves outwards, wrapping them around her sisters' shoulders and holding them close. Sonata began to cry in fear while Aria, despite her strong will, actually began to whimper somewhat. Adagio just kept watch, waiting for the waters to reach the cave.

And soon enough, they did. They all heard the titanic crash as the wave collided with the outside of the cliff-face, which was soon followed by the clear sound of rushing water. They braced themselves, holding their siblings close as they awaited the water. Then, without warning, it came, forcing all of them backwards with great strength. They were thrown onto the rocks behind them, but nevertheless keeping hold of one another. On and on the water forced them back, even though there was nowhere else to go. The water was relentless, and far more violent than even the strongest of waves that they had experienced in their lives. But still, they held on. However, after what felt like an eternity of this, the water began to lessen in it's assault. The force began to weaken and the sisters began to be able to move freely once more. Soon enough after that, the water levels of the cave returned to normal. Adagio's plan had worked, and they were still alive.

Even so, they still felt sore from the ordeal. Looking to each other, they could see that being smacked against those rocks had scraped them on their backs a great deal. It stung, to be sure, but they all knew that it would have been far worse if they'd met the full force of that wave in the open waters. Carefully, the three began to make their way outside. And when they did, they looked upon the surrounding land with horror. The many plants and animals they'd seen there were now strewn about the place, unmoving and unmistakeably dead. Sonata whimpered at the sight and turned away from it, while Adagio wondered just how much damage had truly been done further inland. She didn't want to think about it, and instead decided that now was a good time to leave this place and head on back. Before she began to swim however, Aria spoke up.

"I've...I've never been through anything like that."

Adagio nodded at that.

"Me neither. Tsunamis are the great terror of the oceans, sister. From what I've heard about them, they're usually caused by some great shift beneath the water."

Looking around her, Adagio looked at the horizon with an analytical eye.

"And given where this one came from, I'd say that whatever disaster that caused it probably came from..."

But the Princess didn't finish her words right away. For understanding soon dawned on her as she looked out towards the ocean, knowing the terrible truth of where this great wave had started.

"...home."

The Doom of a Nation

She forced herself to swim as fast as she'd ever done in her entire life. Her tail ached immensely from the strain she was putting into each flap. And yet still, Adagio kept on going. She moved fast in the now-calm waters of the ocean, pleading with whatever power that could hear her that she would get home and everything would be okay. The moment she realised where that tsunami had come from, she'd felt nothing but dread, and now, here she was, with her sisters hot on her tail, racing towards their home. They didn't care that they were still hurt from their ordeal, or that they were exhausted. All that mattered to them was getting back and finding that nothing had changed, that there was no disaster and that their people were safe. But in their heart of hearts, they knew that they were telling themselves a lie.

On and on they swam, until eventually, they came across a familiar rocky ridge on the seabed, the outermost border of their city. Aria and Sonata nervously glanced at one another, but Adagio kept her gaze straight ahead. So they powered through the water, the ridge coming closer and closer. Soon enough, they managed to swim over it. And when they did, they froze. The colour drained from their faces is if they'd seen a ghost, and their expressions were ones of horror. For their lay their city, or rather, what was left of it. As Adagio had predicted, the disaster that caused the tsunami had indeed come from here. It was as if the seabed had been sundered in two, with half of their city now far higher than the other. A massive underwater crack now lay right down the middle of the place, and all around there were broken homes.

The great spire that made their home was no more, having collapsed and fallen upon a large portion of the city. This was a tectonic shift, a rupture in the very earth that had caused this. A random freak accident of nature, but one that nevertheless held devastating consequences. But worse than the sight of all this was the sheer silence of it all. With a cataclysm like this, Adagio and her sisters had expected the place to be teeming with screams of terror, or alarms blaring all around. But no. There were no screams, no calls for help, not even the moans of the wounded. There was simply silence. Dread tugged at Adagio's heart as she finally shook herself out of the trance-like state this sight had caused in her. She flapped her tail hard, thrusting herself downwards past the ridge they'd been hovering over, heading straight down to the city. Her sisters were not far behind her, for they knew exactly what they needed to do.

They soon arrived at the city, and managed to get a closer look at the place as they passed through the lonely streets. Just as they suspected, the place was crumbling and broken all throughout. Homes collapsed wherever they looked, a scene of utter devastation. What caught their hearts most though was when they eventually saw glimpses of their people. Through the windows of the houses, they gasped and stared as they saw the unmoving bodies of both males and females alike. Thinking themselves safe and comfortable in their own homes, they'd been unable to react fast enough when those homes caved in on themselves, crushing them. Looking upwards, they would sometimes see the floating, yet still no more living, bodies of those who had not been indoors at the time. While not crushed by stone, the sheer force of the water as it had been displaced had clearly been enough to do irreparable damage to them. No matter how they went, death had claimed them all.

However, in their hearts, they prayed that there was one who had escaped this, and so they swam as fast as they could through the deserted streets, and towards the ruins of their palace. Eventually, they reached it, and began scouring the place. It didn't take them long to find an opening, as there were many large cracks in it's surface thanks to the quake. Once inside, they searched every room they could, but often found little more than the remains of the royal guard. Sonata especially was taking this hard, shaking with fear with every corpse they came across. Aria sometimes went to her, trying to embrace her and keep her calm. But, in stark contrast to how she normally was, Sonata just pushed her away, the stress of the ordeal getting to her in a big way. Adagio was still on track though, never stopping in her relentless search to find the one person here who truly mattered to them. And so it was that she led her sisters to the one room they had not yet searched; their own.

The door was blocked, but with all of them pushing together, it took only a minute to force the thing open. But when they got inside, their eyes widened with horror. For they had found her. Queen Pacifica, their Mother, the ruler of all Sirens. But she was not well, for a large section of the ceiling had caved in, having landed on top of her, right where her torso met her tail, and pinning her to the floor. The sisters rushed over to her immediately, Sonata and Aria watching with horror as Adagio swam right next to Pacifica's head. She was afraid to check, but felt that she had to, and so lowered her head closer. There was a sound, a pained breathing. She still lives, Adagio thought. So, in reaction to this, Adagio gently placed a hoof on the side of her Mother's face, her voice now a hushed whisper.

"M...Mother?"

There was a moment of utter silence as the Queen failed to respond. Adagio looked on fearfully, worried that she might have been too late, a fear shared by her sisters. But, to the shock of all of them, they watched as their Mother's eyes lowly opened. She said nothing at first, her eyes simply passing from Adagio to the others. But eventually, a small smile formed on her face as she spoke softly.

"My...my children. Are...are you...?"

Tears formed in Adagio's eyes as she slowly nodded her head.

"Yes...we're alright."

Relief washed over Pacifica's face upon hearing that, a deep sigh escaping her. However, that was soon followed by her coughing heavily, at which point the three sisters looked on with shock to see that blood had crept out of her mouth after doing so. They looked at each other, their faces dominated by fear and worry, before turning to their Mother once more as she spoke.

"Ad...Adagio. Please...hear me."

The eldest sister moved closer, wanting to hear her Mother better. But her Mother's words were becoming noticeably more quiet with every passing moment.

"You three...are the last of us. You must...you must...look after your sisters. Live on...live happily."

The tears were streaming from Adagio's eyes at this point, mixing in with the salty ocean water around them.

"Mother...we'll help you. We'll live on together, I promise!"

But Pacifica merely smiled softly at her eldest after hearing that, weakly raising a hoof and gently placing it upon the side of her daughter's face.

"I'm sorry, my little Princesses...but the end has come for me...as it comes for all of us...in the end."

Both Aria and Sonata had gathered around her at this point, shedding tears just as much as Adagio. They watched as she took a deep, yet pained breath before speaking what they now knew would be her final words.

"From the sea...we came. And to the sea...we return."

The sisters knew the words of their people well, but never in their entire lived did they think, or want to hear them coming from their Mother. They watched, holding her hooves with their own, as Pacifica forced another breath, and another, and another. But finally, the time came, and she exhaled deeply. It was her final breath, and her face, looking upon her beloved daughters, was one of contentment. But to the sisters themselves, all that was upon their faces was utter devastation. They knew without a word, that their Mother was gone. The most important person in their lives had been taken from them, along with everything else. Sonata finally broke down, burying her face in her now-gone Mother's chest as she wept, Aria placing her hooves upon the former's shoulders as the tears kept on coming for her. The impact of Sonata upon Pacifica had moved the latter enough so that the Queen's crown now fell upon the ground, it's three red jewels glistening brightly, even after everything that had happened.

All the while, Adagio just kept staring. Her tears had already been spent, and now she looked on with nothing but loss in her heart. Everything and everypony she'd known, save for her sisters, was gone. They were the last of their kind, and for the first time in her life, she didn't know what to do.

And thus, in a single day and night of misfortune, the Kingdom of the Sirens had been claimed by the very ocean they called home.

From the Ashes

Her back still hurt from where the after-wave of the tsunami had thrown her onto the cave wall, but she didn't care. Adagio merely sat and endured it, looking down over the edge of what had once been her home, the mighty spire at the centre of the Siren city. Now, a broken husk of what it once was. Her people were destroyed, and only she and her sisters remained. She was the eldest, and as such it was her responsibility to look after them. But how? How do you look after your family when everything and everyone you knew was gone? Where would they go and how would they live from this point onwards? Adagio wracked her brain, trying hard to find the answers. But every time she tried to think of something, her mind wandered to that one memory. That terrible image of her Mother, lifeless and cold, that was now burned into her for the rest of her life.

Her tears had been exhausted long ago, or else she'd have still been weeping at this point. Instead, she simply looked solemnly at her hooves, where she carried a single object. The great golden crown, bearing the red jewels she'd known since childhood. The crown of the rightful ruler of the Sirens. It was all she had left of her Mother, save for her memories. And besides that, it was hers. As the eldest, she now succeeded Pacifica as Queen of the Sirens. But what was she Queen of? Her sisters and a ruined city? Was that to be her kingdom? Her legacy? Harshness crossed her face as those thought crossed her mind, but she softened considerably as she began to sense and approaching figure. Gently, Adagio placed her Mother's crown beside her, turning her head and watching as Aria approached her. As her eyes drifted downwards, Adagio noted that her sister's hooves, despite the presence of water all around them, were encrusted with dirt. Sadness filled her eyes as she looked up at her.

"Did you find a good place for her?"

Aria nodded gravely.

"Yes...up on the hill, where that coral grows."

Adagio nodded in response, forcing a small smile.

"Mother always loved that spot."

As Aria watched her sister turn away from her, she hesitated for a moment to speak, but nevertheless did so after a few false starts.

"You...you could have helped."

Adagio shut her eyes tightly, her voice practically catching in her throat.

"I...I couldn't look at her anymore, sister."

Aria could feel the pain in Adagio's voice, and thought better than to carry on with this. Instead, she simple swam over and sat next to her, looking out upon the ruins of their once-proud city. Silence hung between the two sisters for a long while, until eventually that silence was broken by Adagio, who looked around a bit as she did so.

"Sonata...?"

She didn't finish her words, but Aria already knew what she wanted to say, and simply nodded before speaking up again.

"Still crying. She wanted to be by herself for a while."

Adagio nodded. She knew Sonata well, and thus knew that this was not something that was going to go away for her for a very long time, far more so than either her or Aria. Not that they were doing much better though. This was a pain unlike anything anypony had known, the loss of not only family, but their entire lives. And as such, Adagio found herself once more mentally pacing up and down on the same spot, trying to figure out what to do. She had to look out for her sisters, that much was clear. Even if it had not been her Mother's dying wish, she would have done it. Letting out a deep sigh, Adagio finally caught Aria's attention, and the middle sister looked at her elder sibling with worry. She regarded Adagio for some time, knowing instinctively what she must have had going through her mind. She raised a hoof and gently placed it upon her shoulder.

"Adagio..it'll...you know...be alright."

The elder sister looked at her with both sadness and anger in her expression.

"How, Aria?! Our home is gone! Our people are gone! There's just the three of us! I...I don't know what to do!"

Aria looked away slightly, worried that she might have made things worse.

"I'm sorry, I just...I'm sorry."

Adagio's expression softened considerably after seeing her like this. She hadn't meant to snap like that, it just came out that way. The stress of all this had gotten to her, and the last thing she needed right now was for it to cause any kind of rift with her sisters. They were all she had now. Well, them, as well as all of Siren history and memory to carry around. One more burden to bear, she thought to herself. However, as she dwelt on that thought, the Kingdom she came from, her mind wandered to the past, to the memories of the old stories her Mother had told her. Tales of how their nation was founded, and how their people first came together. They were old memories, blurred by the passing of years, but even so, there were lingering images that now tugged at her mind, urging her to find out more. So, picking up the crown once more, she began to swim away from her spot. Aria looked on with some concern before following her.

It took some time, but the two of them eventually found themselves amidst yet more ruins of their city. It was a wall stretching around the outermost Northern edge of the place, crumbling and cracked like everything else. But unlike the rest, this was adorned with many images. Carvings, meant to record the history of their race. Being underwater, they naturally lacked the means to produce paper chronicles like the surface races, so they often had to make do with either oral history or murals like these. Aria looked upon them, at the images of Sirens and historic events, with more than a little confusion upon her face. She turned and looked at Adagio, who was enraptured by these old stories. Thinking for a moment, Aria finally spoke up.

"Adagio? What are we supposed to be looking for here?"

The elder sister kept her eyes on the wall as she gave her answer.

"It's...an old story. One that...there!"

Aria watched as Adagio raised a hoof and pointed towards a particular section of the wall. There was a carving of many Sirens, gathered and looking upwards. Above them were what appeared to be three jewels, glowing brightly. Aria looked upon the image for some time, wondering what Adagio was so interested in it for. But then, understanding began to dawn in her mind, as she turned to the crown in Adagio's hooves before looking back at the mural.

"Those jewels...the crown?"

Adagio nodded as she finally looked at her sister, a small smile upon her face.

"Yes. In the ancient days of our people, these gemstones, the hearts of the ocean, were what brought out kin together for the first time. They had a power, a kind of magic that held sway over people. What kind of power, I don't know. But I do know that it's unlikely that magic has been lost completely. We just need to find a way of using it."

Aria gained a look of concern.

"Adagio...are you sure about this? Even if we do somehow get this power you’re talking about, what could we do with it?"

Determination is now what covered Adagio's face as she regarded her sibling.

"I will not let this ruin be the resting place of the Siren Kingdom, Aria. We were a great people, and we will be again. I don't know what power these gemstones have, but if it helps us regain the kind of glory our race once had, it'll be worth it."

Aria knew that whenever Adagio talked like this, she meant every word of it. So, she looked on as she turned away from her and back towards the wall, studying it carefully to no doubt try and find some means of awakening whatever magic their Mother's crown possessed. Aria simply didn't know what to make of all this. While she shared her sister's wish to do something to regain what they'd lost, there was something in the pit of her stomach after hearing about all this. Some sense of foreboding. She couldn't place it, but it worried her a great deal. Still, she took solace in the knowledge that her sister always had their best interests in mind, and as such let out a sigh before placing a hoof upon Adagio's shoulder. The elder sister turned to her and gave a warm smile, which Aria returned. After which, Aria began to swim away, intent on finding Sonata and seeing how she was getting on. And all the while, Adagio kept on staring at the wall, determined to learn as much as she could.

"I am the Queen of the Sirens now. And I swear...our kind will know greatness again."

The First Performance

As the evening rolled on, the three sisters swam as fast as their fins would let them, taking themselves to their beloved home. They passed many wonders along the way, from brightly coloured corals to enormous underwater crevices as deep as the most grand of terrestrial canyons. But eventually, they came upon their destination, and smiled widely once it came within view. It was, for all intents and purposes, a city, but one forged not from stone and mortar, but from the natural formations of rock at the bottom of the sea. There were mighty spires, rising high above the seabed in spiral formations, not unlike some elaborate crustacean's shell. The city spread as far as the eye could see, and was aglow with the many bio-luminescent plants that grew there naturally, bathing the place in a calming light-blue hue. At the centre of this place was the sister's own home, a spire taller than any other, adorned with many beautiful jewels that had been collected from the farthest reaches of their domain.

Swimming faster, they approached the imposing structure, looking down below at the many others of their kind that swam about the place. Other Sirens, both male and female, swimming about, either alone or in groups, and just going about their day. It was worth noting, however, that many of those other Sirens were collecting in a particular area of the city, an open space on one of it's edges, as if awaiting something special. All three of the sisters glanced at each other, knowing why they were there, and silently agreed that it would be for the best if they got to where they needed to be. Adagio swam ahead of Sonata and Aria, looking around as they entered an open area at the top of their spire. When she saw that the coast was clear, she signalled the other two with her hoof, who promptly followed her inside. Once within the structure, the three breathed a collective sigh of relief as they saw that nopony was here to greet them. Aria was the first to speak.

"You know, for a moment, I was worried that we'd find..."

But she was interrupted by the sudden sound of somepony clearing their throat. All three of the sisters stopped what they were doing immediately, and nervously glanced at one another. They knew what that sound meant. It was the sound made by one who merely wanted to gain somepony's attention. Their faces reflected their sense of nervousness as they all slowly turned in unison. Once turned, they looked upon the one they all knew would be there. It was another Siren, a female, but far larger than the three of them, leaning against the wall they'd just passed to enter this place. Unlike them, she was coloured a bright white, save for her eyes, which were the same pink shade as Adagio. Upon her head was a shining golden crown, adorned with three beautiful red gemstones. Her expression was one of calm and serenity, though all three of the sisters knew that there was disappointment beneath that visage. As she looked upon them, they all swam into a formation, with Adagio at the centre and her sisters flanking her on either side. They bowed their heads in a respectful manner before all speaking at once.

"Good evening, Mother."

The older Siren swam slowly towards them, regarding them carefully before lifting a single hoof, giving them permission to lift their heads. They waited patiently as she seemed to be deep in thought over something, considering how best to speak to them perhaps. Eventually, she broke the silence and spoke to all three at once.

"My daughters...while I am always willing to allow your little diversions, I trust you realise that it would not look good for the Queen of the Sirens to have her brood appear late for a night like tonight?"

The sisters all nodded together, but remained silent as their Mother carried on.

"As Princesses, you know you have responsibilities to uphold? You know that you must serve as an example to the rest of our people, understood?"

Another nod from the three young Sirens, and it was here that their Mother fell silent for a short while. A few minutes passed them by as they all waited for her to make the next move. But, eventually, it came, as the Queen approached them and placed a hoof gently underneath Adagio's chin, causing the latter to look up at her nervously. But, instead of looking upset or disappointed, the Queen looked upon her eldest with a small smile.

"One day, when you become a parent, you'll understand that these kinds of talks will be had often."

One look into her Mother's eyes made it clear that she bore none of the anger she and her sisters had feared, and that did much to relieve the tension of the moment. The three sisters returned their Mother's smile, and even Sonata broke the formation, approaching her Mother and nuzzling her affectionately. The Queen embraced her youngest in a brief hug before parting from her, instead turning to the window the three had entered from.

"Now then, if you three are properly prepared, the Festival of Song is awaiting it's three key players."

In stark contrast to the silence of Adagio and Sonata, Aria let out a groan of annoyance upon hearing her Mother's words. Adagio shot her a look that showed her clear disapproval with her sister's behaviour, but it was their Mother that spoke to her.

"Aria, it is tradition that you and your sisters participate in this. I did not enjoy public performances when I was your age either, but I did it anyway, just like my Mother, and her Mother before her."

Aria took a few moments before letting out a sigh and a nod, silently letting her Mother know that she was willing to go along with this, for her sake if nothing else. It was a gesture the Queen couldn't help but smile at.

"Thank you. You'll do well, all of you. You have practiced well and now it's time for the Kingdom to hear you."

The three nodded at her after hearing that, even Aria, despite her earlier reservations. They watched as their Mother swam past them and towards the door leading out of the room. After a brief gesture with her hoof, the Queen watched as her daughters began to follow her, and the family made their way down the vast and spiralling corridors that led to the base of their spire. All the way down, they were greeted by the many armour-clad Sirens which served as their guards, a reaction that caused no end of amusement for the young sisters. Eventually, the four of them found their way outside, where the Queen then led them to the open space their people had been gathering in earlier. They were flanked by those same guards from the tower, and those few Siren citizens that had yet to join the proceedings all bowed in respect as these royals made their way down the street.

Eventually, they reached their destination, and a solitary male Siren at the open space cleared his throat before addressing the gathered crowd.

"Announcing the arrival of Queen Pacifica, and her daughters, the Princesses Adagio, Aria and Sonata!"

All who had gathered there rose in unison and bowed deeply as the royal family swam upwards and above them. The four looked down below at those many Sirens who had gathered here to watch them, with the sisters occasionally glancing back at each other, smiling at just how much they enjoyed being viewed in this manner. Soon enough, the Queen and her daughters reached the end of the gathering place, and all fell silent as the citizens assumed their normal stance. Queen Pacifica surveyed the crowd, watching as they awaited her words with baited breath. She cast a glance down to her daughters, where Adagio looked up at her and gave a nod, a silent confirmation that the three of them were ready for what their Mother had planned for them. Returning the nod, Pacifica resumed looking at the crowd before taking a deep and calming breath. It was something not lost on Adagio, as it always came as something of a relief to her that even one as pristine and larger-than-life as their Mother could have moments of weakness like this. Though she remained silent as she finally spoke up.

"My people! Today we gather for our most holy of days! The Festival of Song! For it is with songs, back in the ancient days of our people, that we first came together and began our civilization! We became a great people, the rulers of the sea, and found a peace that none of this world have ever known!"

There were general murmurs of agreement at the Queen's declaration, as well as a few proud smiles and nods throughout. However, none dared speak up at their monarch continued.

"And so it is on this day, the anniversary of our nation's birth, that we come together to sing the old songs. Those cherished musics that so blessed our race. And thus, in keeping with our ancient traditions, the future leaders of our people..."

In this moment, the Queen raised a hoof, and pointed towards her three daughters, all of whom had been floating perfectly still there during all this.

"...my daughters, and your Princesses, shall begin the great song."

Pacifica, now having finished her speech for the people, began to slowly inch herself away from Adagio, Aria and Sonata. To say that the three of them felt nervous would have been a great understatement, as they all looked at each other as if they'd just been told to spill their deepest darkest secrets to the world. Adagio looked to her side, where she saw her Mother give her a smile and an encouraging nod. Adagio returned the smile before looking back at the expectant crowd. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she concentrated hard before opening her mouth and starting to sing. It was a low melody at first, but soon enough she was joined by Sonata and Aria, and together their voices filled the water around them with the most beautiful of sounds. They sang in perfect harmony with one another, much to the joy of all who listened to them. With every passing moment, their confidence grew, and they sang louder and louder, their voices carrying across the entire city. Enthralled by their Princesses' voices, the gathered populace began to join in, and soon the whole place was filled with a harmonic orchestra of voices the likes of which no surface folk had ever known.

And at the centre of it all were the three sisters, who were now smiling upon the realisation of just how good they sounded together, as their voices could be heard even above the collective sounds of the rest of their people. It was a soothing, almost hypnotic sound, the kinds of tune that only came from those truly blessed with beautiful voices. At the height of this collective song, the three sisters sang a high pitch perfectly, much to the amazement of the crowds around them. Their Mother looked on with great pride in her eyes as her daughters came down from this high place, opening their eyes at long last. The sisters looked on as they began to receive wave after wave of cheers and praise from the crowds. It was an immense sensation, as Adagio, Aria and Sonata all had wide smiles, loving every single happy word that was being thrown at them. So enchanted with the adoration they were being given, the sisters did not even notice their Mother approaching them from behind. But they noticed afterwards, when Pacifica gently placed a hoof upon Adagio's shoulder.

The eldest sister turned and looked up at her Mother, who practically had tears of joy in her eyes. As Adagio and her siblings smiled back at her, they heard the one piece of praise they had truly wanted on this day. That of their Mother.

"Well done."