Triptychby AiyonbeamChaptersAdagio - IAria - ISonata - IAdagio - IIAdagio - IThe first thing I got used to was the hunger. It gnawed away at me for a while, sure; all hunger does that. It's a reflex; chemicals in the body letting you know you haven't eaten, you need to eat, you need to eat now. But hunger is a message, and messages can be blocked. So I got used to the hunger; after the first week, I hardly felt it any more. I'm not sure if the other two did; if they still do. Why should I care about them, anyway? Both of them were idiots, are idiots, I remind myself as I slog through the rain. They're too dumb to live, too lucky to die. I did the right thing, cutting them loose. They were dragging me down. Slowing me, getting in the way. I'd give an order, and Aria would second-guess me, try to read my mind, do what she thought I meant instead of what I said. Always watching, looking for just the right moment to slip in the knife, stab me in the back. And then there was Sonata. That girl was clumsy, dumb, hyperactive, insane... ...Happy. Why? Why was she so happy all the time? No matter what happened - the years of scrounging for bits of anger and malice in this putrid city, the Rainbooms' pathetic, then not-so-pathetic, attempts at stopping us... She was always smiling. always cracking some joke, making some dumb pun just to get us groaning, just to take our minds off of- No. She wasn't always smiling, I have to think. Have to think of her as she is now. She was so serious. She frowned. She paced. She got mad - she even yelled at me. Me! I was the leader! I was the brains of the operation, the glue that kept our team together! I was the cornerstone; the linchpin that everything revolved around! And she yelled at me! Where does she get off, telling me what to do!? I was the one that kept us alive, sharing my power with them when they could've gone and fed off of their own dumb things. ...Come to think of it, I don't even know what they fed off of. It doesn't matter now; I can't-won't share my food with them. They can go find some other way to live. And I'll live too. I have to. The second thing I got used to was the cold. Equestia got cold during the winter; I can still remember the frigid waters, the floating ice... On land, though, it's strangely colder; the wind whips through my thin clothing, the rain drenching me in icy water. You'd think, after being a seafaring creature for so long, I'd be used to being wet. ...I'm not. I keep walking. There's light up ahead; a tiny, roadside diner. I clutch my small, plastic baggie of money, green paper bills and metal coins jingling and shaking with every step. I'd scrounged under trash cans, in alleyways, and in gutters for the meager stash of $12 I hold now. I don't even know if it'll work; if I can eat human food and not die, but, at this point, it's the only thing left to try. The mint-green light comes into clearer focus in the rain, and I see the words 'Moonlight All-Night Diner' shining through the grey. Ten more shaky, stuttering steps, and I'm at the front door, staring at it, pressing up against the glass to read the small sign set behind the door. Closed. They can't be closed. Why is the place closed? It's the middle of the day, they should be open! There should be food! I pound at the door, slamming my fists into it as hard as I can; as weak as I am, I barely make the thing shake. I keep at it. If I can break the door, I can get in, and... Before I quite know what's happening, I'm on the ground, the back of my head exploding from pain. A puddle. I slipped in a puddle and now my head is cracked open, I can feel the blood, and I know I'm dying. I'm dying. I can't die. I can't! Not yet, not until I... I can't think, it hurts so much, and the rain's getting in my face now and I don't care anymore, I'm just going to lie here and die and then they'll see, Aria and Sonata will cry and moan and say 'why did we ever leave her' but it'll be too late for them because I'll be dead, and then everyone will see... And then the universe decides to taunt me. I hear whistling and footsteps. A person; an audience, someone ready and willing to watch as I breathe my last. The steps grow closer, and I hear a gasp, a familiar one. Despite myself, despite the situation, I laugh; how fitting that Sunset Shimmer would be the one to stand and watch as I died. She breaks into a run, and a small wave of water washes over me as she skids to a stop, falling onto her knees on the wet concrete. "Adagio!" she cries, and I feel arms around me, lifting me up. This... This is not Sunset Shimmer. This is not how things are supposed to go. I've seen her; she's meek, and timid, and quiet; she wouldn't run and help, she'd stand and watch. Who is this girl, wearing Sunset's face, her eyes boring into mine? I stare into them, and I see the same fire shining in them that I saw that night when she stood in front of us and destroyed us. She's saying something, but I can hardly hear her. I'm just staring at her... Wondering when she got so strong. "Adagio, answer me!" she cries. There's no point in speaking, no point in doing anything now. I'm dying, can't she see that? Even if the liquid running down the back of my head is just rainwater, I'm still starving, still about to die. Can't she see that? Can't she just leave me alone? She scans me, her eyes flitting across my emaciated form before filling with understanding. She knows it's too late. Then... She lifts something from her backpack and presses it to my lips. "Open." she commands, and, shocked as I am, I obey, the texture of bread on my tongue, the flavor of meat and cheese and that strange non-fluid-non-solid they call 'mayonnaise'. I bite down, and bliss fills my mouth. At this moment, it doesn't matter if I'm dying, or if the person holding the sandwich is the same person who forced me into this life. All that matters is the food, and eating it, chomping down, tearing bites off, trying to get as much of it before she takes it away. But she doesn't. She lets me eat the entire thing, until I'm so full I can barely keep from vomiting. I have to hold it in, have to keep the food, even if it probably won't ease my hunger. I need this. As deep in concentration as I am, I don't notice what Sunset's done until we're moving, my body slung across her shoulder. My back hits something; an umbrella. She walks, carrying me like this, for what seems like an eternity. "I-" I try to speak, but she shushes me. "Save your energy." she says quietly, her voice shaking. I obey, resting as much as I can as she walks and walks and walks. I can feel the rocking motion, combined with the sandwich, send me slowly down into blackness; not the blackness of death, but of sleep. The last thing that runs through my head before I black out is that I'm not going to die. It's a comforting thing to know, and I smile as I drift off, still rocking gently in Sunset's arms. Aria - ITastes are interesting things. Take Lyra, for instance. She's standing off to my left, just a bit behind me, and her flavor is far from surprising; she tastes like mint, with just a hint of vanilla. The lyre in her hands sings out across the glade, and a serene smile is plastered on her face. Then there's Vinyl, flanking me to the right. She's certainly interesting; the bow in her hand dances across the strings of the violin nimbly, a leaping, hopping thing alighting on one note, but not for too long. She tastes like coffee, like a smooth, even flow of energy and bitter flavor that shocks you into action. And Octavia, standing with her back to me, playing her cello with eyes closed - I don't even need to see her to know they are; they always are - doesn't taste like anything, because I'm not feeding off of her. ...Because she said no. It's interesting, asking people if they'll let me feed off of them. It's certainly led to a lot of awkward conversations. But in the end, it's proven to be a lot simpler than how I used to feed. Then again, Adagio never was a simple person. Siren. You know what I mean. I can still remember the night we split up, even though it's been more than a week... And anyone sane would try their best to forget. I remember Adagio pacing, mumbling to herself, trying to come up with new ways to feed. And then Sonata stormed in - Stormed in! Sonata! She doesn't storm anything! - and all the while I was clutching to my own idea, my own hope, playing my harmonica like my life depended on it, ignoring the two of them as I tried to recapture those years of music - real music - that I'd forgotten about. It wasn't easy, especially after Adagio broke my harmonica. I remember leaving. I grabbed my coat, took one last look at Adagio, and walked out the door. Didn't look back, either. Then there was rain, and walking. A lot of walking; Canterlot's a big city. I hit up a music store sometime during the storm. I took what I had left in my wallet - around a hundred human dollars - and bought the acoustic I'm strumming right now. The notes sound rich, sturdy, like smooth stone. When I first started playing with Lyra, that's what she said. That my guitar sounded like stone. I didn't quite understand what she meant at the time, but I do now. It's steadying to have it with me, like an anchor keeping me from drifting off into... I don't know. I was playing in this grove, this secluded area of Whitetail Wood littered with fallen trees and small boulders, trying to remember some of the songs I'd played for various lords and ladies. I'd been getting the hang of a tune that'd been pretty popular among the Canterlot nobility for a while when I'd heard her whistle, low and long. My head had shot up, eyes fixed on her, as she shook her head, smiling. "You're good." she'd said, walking toward me, a smile on her face. I'd stood, ready to leave; no doubt she'd have friends, and even if she didn't seem to immediately hate me, they would. "No need to get antsy, Siren." Lyra had said, that same, unruffled smile on her face. "It's just me, and I don't bite." I didn't say anything. "I come here a lot," Lyra continued, sitting down on a nearby rock. "It's quiet, and there's nobody around for at least a mile." she gives me a look. "Whitetail Wood's a big place, you know. Twenty miles of untouched forest on the edge of Equestria's biggest city, and you and I happen to pick the same spot to think. Fate's a capricious thing..." The silence had stretched on until, sighing, Lyra had turned her gaze upwards. "I know what you're thinking." she'd said. "You tried to hurt me and my friends. Why am I so calm around you?" She'd stared up at the clouds, moving at a snail's pace across the sky, and smiled. "I guess you can thank Sunset." she'd continued. "After dealing with her - the way she used to be, how horrible she'd been - and seeing how even someone like her could turn into someone kind... I try to keep as open a mind as I can." I'd begun walking away, headed for another grove nearby. It wasn't as large as this one - it had a crowded, cramped atmosphere that I didn't much like - but I'd be alone. "Hey." Lyra had called after me. "I'm here every day. If you change your mind..." It had taken a week. I don't know what made it happen; every day I'd go to the grove, she'd show up, and I'd leave, going off to play alone somewhere. But one day, I'd stayed. She'd looked at me for a little while, before her face broke out into a smile. "Welcome, Siren," Lyra'd said, then. "to the Lyrist's Grove." She'd swept her arms outward, as if showing me something grand, but it was just the same clearing as ever. But it wasn't. Lyrists's Grove is where I live now. Before, I'd roamed around Whitetail Wood, drinking in the green - there wasn't much green in our part of the sea - and trying to stave off a growing hunger. Now, there's a small shelter made of fallen trees, leaves, vines, and a few boulders small enough to roll into place. It isn't too comfortable, especially when it rains, but it's what I call home. It took longer for Lyra to play around me. Occasionally, her hand would drift to the case, fastened to her hip with a thick strap, but she'd jerk it back, casting a glance my way. Her eyes weren't angry, or afraid; they were filled with something else, something I couldn't quite place... and then, one day, with a heavy sigh, she didn't stop. Her hands moving slowly, uncertain, she'd unzipped the bag and retrieved a brass instrument, stringed and gleaming in the light; her lyre. Without a word, she'd begun playing, mimicking the tune I'd been picking out when we'd first met, trying to move her fingers through the complicated notes of the reel. She was pretty good. Something about the song, the way she played it... I don't know what came over me, but soon I was playing right along with her, my stolid acoustic filling in the holes, providing a backbone of melody that she rebounded off of, springing off of it to reach new heights. And now, playing as we are, I can hear her notes still, bright and sparkling against Octavia's rippling ocean of a cello and Vinyl's violin, arcing lightning across the boundless sea. She is the stars that guide my boat, my guitar, through the water. And she tastes just a little like vanilla. Sonata - IIt's been three days, and she still hasn't found either of them. She's pacing my room now, her hand on her chin, that serious expression on her face. Every now and again, she'll cast a glance my way, and I'll return it with an even look. She'll go back to pacing, and the process repeats. Since we broke up the Sirens, they've apparently ran into a bit of trouble. She came to me a week or so after the Battle of the Bands... She was sobbing, gazing up at me with desperation. She was so pathetic-looking, like a starving animal... I had to take her in. I knew the others would be surprised, or angry, if they found out... But I didn't care then, and I don't care now. Sonata needed help, and so I helped her. "We've checked Whitetail Wood, right?" she says, pointing at me. I think for a second. I'm pretty sure my animal friends would have told me something if either one of them turned up there... "I'm not sure." I reply, shrugging. "I could always head there after school tomorrow and check." She nods, giving me a smile. "Thanks, 'Shy." she says, wrapping me up in a hug. I smile at her... and feel a small tingle as she drains me, just a bit, enough to top herself off. I was surprised, of course, when she asked if she could feed on me. I thought the Sirens fed off of negative emotions, and I'd told her so. She'd shaken her head, and explained. Of the three sirens, only Adagio fed off of anger. The amulets weren't what allowed them to feed; they allowed them to share their food between the three of them, in addition to giving them their hypnotic powers. After they were shattered, the three of them had to resort to feeding themselves. Adagio... She wouldn't find it too hard to feed, and Sonata hadn't been sure what Aria feeds off of... She's still trying to puzzle it out. It has something to do with music, she'd told me. She goes back to her pacing, the look on her face growing more troubled by the second... Finally, she turns to me, and I preempt her. "Yes." I say calmly. "I'm sure they'll at least talk to you." Sonata sits down next to me and sighs, placing her head in her hands. "After the way I snapped at them?" she says softly. "Why would either of them even want to see me again?" I wrap an arm gently around her shoulders, and she leans into me, sniffling. "I understand how you feel." I murmur, staring at her disheveled hair from above. "You let things get out of hand, and you alienated your closest friends... But you're searching for them. You're trying to make things right, Sonata... And that's something to keep in mind." She nods, silently nuzzling into me. I assume it's a habit born of her Equestrian roots... Being at least part horse, nuzzling must be fairly common. Well, either that, or... She derails my train of thought with a tiny whimper, and I give her shoulder a rub. "It's going to be okay, Sonata." I murmur, slowly beginning to rock the girl, the motion hopefully comforting her. "It's going to be okay. You'll find them..." "I was so mean..." she moans softly. "I just ripped into them... I've never seen Dagi so shocked, or Ari so... Broken..." I say nothing, just rocking her back and forth, gently rubbing, soothing her as best as I can. "I... I just felt so tired..." she sniffs. "Tired of being ignored... Tired of acting like some ditz, just to try and make them happy... " She sniffles again, and I give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "They never cared about me... Why am I even looking for them?" I pause, holding her at arm's length, giving her an even stare, right in the eyes. "Because they'd do the same for you." I say, my voiced bathed in the hardness of surety. "The three of you are sisters, Sonata. They love you more than you know... They wouldn't stop trying to find you, so don't you stop trying to find them." Slowly, Sonata looks away from my eyes... Then her gaze returns to mine as I Stare her down... Taking a deep, gulping breath, she nods. "I won't." she replies, her voice much steadier. "I promise." The two of us stand, and she hugs me, nuzzling me with a smile. "Thanks, 'Shy." she whispers... Blushing, I nod. We stand there in silence for a few long moments, eyes everywhere but on each other, until a buzzing from my pocket breaks the awkward silence. Eager for the distraction, I fish my phone from the skirt's pocket and read the new text. Strange; it's a mass text, sent to me and the rest of the girls... My other arm drops to my side. I stare at the screen, tapping it as if touching the text will affirm it as real. I reread and re-reread it, my eyes flicking over the words again and again. "What's going on?" Sonata asks. Mute, I angle the screen so she can see it, and she lets out a gasp. Found one of the Sirens. Adagio. She's starved and hurt. Get over here quick. Sonata looks at me, and nods. "Let's go." she says. "Which way to the car?" "You don't have a car!?" Sonata turns to me, disbelief plastered across her face. I shrug, giving her a helpless look. "I walk everywhere. It's healthier, and better for the environment than even a hybrid car." I reply, giving her an apologetic smile. "If something's really far away, I ride my bicycle..." Sonata sighs, nodding. "Okay, where's the bike?" I gesture to my purple ten-speed, the helmet slung across the handlebars. "All right..." Sonata walks over to the bike, looking at me. "How are we going to ride this thing together?" "We're not." I say, grabbing the helmet... And placing it in her hands. "Go. I'll catch up." "Fluttershy, I can't-" "You can and you will." I say, giving her a Stare. "This is your chance to make things right. Take the bike. Sunset's place is near the outskirts of town. It's a five-minute ride. Follow the main road east until you see Whitetail Wood, then take Fountain Street until you hit Sunrise Avenue. Sunset's house is the third on the right." "But how will you-" "I know shortcuts." I say calmly. "Lots of shortcuts. Now go." She goes. I sigh, wrapping my jacket around me and looking up at the sky. It's just cleared up; the smell of petrichor is thick in the air. As I pull out my phone and my fingers slide over the screen, tapping out a message, I let a tiny smile cross my face. Applejack would be mad at me; I don't know a single shortcut. Author's Note Kept you waiting, huh? You're pretty good. Adagio - IIMy vision's bleary as I open my eyes... I can hear a faint moan; is that coming from me? I can't quite tell. I see orange, lots of orange, and red, and yellow... It's all flickering above me, swirling in intricate patterns... Like a dance. A dance of orange and red and yellow... It's very relaxing, and I let out another soft moan as my eyes slowly close... "Adagio!" Sunset's voice shocks me from sleep, and my eyes shoot open. The flickering colors are back; the red and yellow and orange dancing in my vision. I stare at it, wondering where- Sunset's head pokes into my vision, then. There's concern on her face. "Adagio, eat." Something's tapping against my chin; I look at it. it's a spoon, holding some strange, white stuff. It looks like a grain. Obligingly, I open my mouth, and the spoon enters. It doesn't taste too bad; it's got a very subtle, earthy kind of flavor, with an added saltiness that helps complete it. Vaguely, I wonder when I became such a good judge of food. Another spoonful follows the first, and I eat the substance slowly, bit by bit, until I feel full. Full! It's a wonderful word to be, right now. Full. I can't eat any more. I'm not hungry. I only wish it took more than five spoonfuls for me to reach that point... Something presses against my lips again; a straw. Gazing at Sunset, I suck lightly on it. Clean, pure-tasting water fills my mouth, and I swallow eagerly, drinking more water, until Sunset eases the straw from my mouth. "You can go back to sleep now, if you want." she says, giving me a tiny smile. I open my mouth to reply, but all that comes out is a groan. I'm so full... And I'm warm, too. Warm, and dry, and, for the moment, safe... The dancing colors are the last thing I see before my eyes close, and I drift off again. "What's your angle?" I finally manage, when Sunset feeds me again. She raises an eyebrow, giving me another spoonful of what I now know is 'rice'. "My angle?" Sunset says. "My angle is to get you in perfect health again. Or, at least, able to live without me feeding you." "And then what?" The sixth spoonful enters my mouth, and, despite myself, I let out a tiny 'mmm' as I enjoy the taste of the rice. "And then," Sunset says, giving me a tiny smile. "The two of us are going to talk about things. About why you were starving, about why you were alone... And I'll help you." I narrow my eyes at Sunset. There's no way she'd help me like this... There's something behind her actions. When I'm stronger, I'll pin her down, force her to tell me the truth... And then I'll punish her. Or maybe I'll just leave, when I know everything I need to. But for now... All I need to do is rest. Wait. Bide my time. Grow stronger... Sunset will take care of me until then. "If you want, we can talk a bit." Sunset says. "Or you could keep eating your rice, and then go back to bed." Shrugging as much as I can, I indulge her. "I can hardly move... Was I really that beat-up and ragged before?" I croak. Sunset nods, chuckling. "Yeah... The human body's known to stretch its limits when it needs to, and, Siren or not, you're in a human body... I'd say you were running on adrenaline and not much else when I found you. Good thing I did, huh?" she flashes me another tiny smile, and I nod, returning it with one of my own. This is the Sunset I knew. The timid, quiet girl, not the one who defeated us - defeated me - and saved my life... This Sunset, I can use. "So... now that you're taking care of me, what of your friends?" I ask. "They won't be happy, knowing you're harboring someone like me." Sunset looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, my friends already know." she says, her tone casual, almost dismissive. "I shot them a mass text, letting them all know you're here. You've only had two visitors, and they both came while you were asleep. Fluttershy, and someone else." Sunset gives me another smile. "If you'd like, I can tell them you're awake..." I shake my head. Knowing them, they'd gloat over me, torture me with insults... Given how aggressive a few of them were, I wouldn't rule out physical injury. Sunset nods, giving me a pat on the legs. "What are these things on the ceiling?" I ask, indicating as best as I can the flickering colors. Sunset lets out a small laugh. "A birthday present." she says, smiling. "My friends got together and made a bunch of origami things, hung them from the ceiling. When the fan's on, it kinda looks like the room's on fire, huh?" "Origami?" "It's a fancy word. Comes from the East or something... Basically, it's tiny little things made out of folded paper. It's hard to see unless you're up close, but some of them are little boats, or swans, or hats... Rainbow Dash made me a hundred paper throwing stars." Sunset lets out a laugh. "Typical of her... But it was an amazing gift." "It's so strange, how humans celebrate birthdays." I say, sighing. "Ponies do too, you know." Sunset says, raising an eyebrow. "And what's so strange about it?" "The entire thing." I say, huffing. "So you've managed to survive for another year. Big whoop. There's no reason to throw big parties, or give gifts." "It's not that you've survived another year." Sunset says calmly. "It's that the people - and ponies - you love care for you, and want to let you know how much you mean to them. They give you presents, and wish you well, because they care about you." Rolling my eyes, I do my best to roll over. "I still don't understand it." I grumble, shooting Sunset a look. It's true, though; I don't understand the point of things like that. Kindness without benefit... Just giving someone something because you 'care' about them... It's dumb. The only reason to give anyone anything is so that they'll owe you, and you might be able to call in that debt at a crucial point. I tell Sunset so, and she just puts her hand on my legs again, and shrugs. "You've got a lot to learn, Adagio." she says, giving me a patronizing smile. I scowl at her. I don't need her pity. "But that's okay... We'll work on getting you back at one hundred percent first, and then we'll work on the rest, eh?" Sighing, I nod... The origami melts together into that pleasant pattern of fire on the ceiling again, and, despite myself, a tiny smile crosses my face as my vision blurs... Sunset sighs, looking at Adagio as she drifts off... Slowly, she stands, turning off the light and closing her door silently, exiting her room. She enters her kitchen, waving silently at Sonata, who sits in one of her armchairs. "How is she?" Sonata asks, giving Sunset a worried look. "She's improving." Sunset says, smiling. "Physically, at least. She had enough energy to argue with me about birthdays." Sonata sighs, leaning back in her chair. "Want some food?" Sunset asks. "Do you eat human food? I recall Fluttershy saying something about you feeding off of something different than Adagio..." "I'm basically the anti-her." Sonata says, with a wry chuckle. "She feeds off of negative emotions, like anger and fear... I feed off of positive ones, like happiness and wonder. If you're okay with it, I can just feed on what's radiating from you." Sunset shrugs, nodding... And feels a strange tingling as Sonata opens her mouth, just a bit. "You taste like cherries and lemons, at the same time." she says, giggling. "It's really interesting... And actually pretty tasty." Laughing, Sunset nods, sitting down next to Sonata, the two breaking down into small talk and pleasantries; the simple, sweet conversations that friends share.
Adagio - IThe first thing I got used to was the hunger. It gnawed away at me for a while, sure; all hunger does that. It's a reflex; chemicals in the body letting you know you haven't eaten, you need to eat, you need to eat now. But hunger is a message, and messages can be blocked. So I got used to the hunger; after the first week, I hardly felt it any more. I'm not sure if the other two did; if they still do. Why should I care about them, anyway? Both of them were idiots, are idiots, I remind myself as I slog through the rain. They're too dumb to live, too lucky to die. I did the right thing, cutting them loose. They were dragging me down. Slowing me, getting in the way. I'd give an order, and Aria would second-guess me, try to read my mind, do what she thought I meant instead of what I said. Always watching, looking for just the right moment to slip in the knife, stab me in the back. And then there was Sonata. That girl was clumsy, dumb, hyperactive, insane... ...Happy. Why? Why was she so happy all the time? No matter what happened - the years of scrounging for bits of anger and malice in this putrid city, the Rainbooms' pathetic, then not-so-pathetic, attempts at stopping us... She was always smiling. always cracking some joke, making some dumb pun just to get us groaning, just to take our minds off of- No. She wasn't always smiling, I have to think. Have to think of her as she is now. She was so serious. She frowned. She paced. She got mad - she even yelled at me. Me! I was the leader! I was the brains of the operation, the glue that kept our team together! I was the cornerstone; the linchpin that everything revolved around! And she yelled at me! Where does she get off, telling me what to do!? I was the one that kept us alive, sharing my power with them when they could've gone and fed off of their own dumb things. ...Come to think of it, I don't even know what they fed off of. It doesn't matter now; I can't-won't share my food with them. They can go find some other way to live. And I'll live too. I have to. The second thing I got used to was the cold. Equestia got cold during the winter; I can still remember the frigid waters, the floating ice... On land, though, it's strangely colder; the wind whips through my thin clothing, the rain drenching me in icy water. You'd think, after being a seafaring creature for so long, I'd be used to being wet. ...I'm not. I keep walking. There's light up ahead; a tiny, roadside diner. I clutch my small, plastic baggie of money, green paper bills and metal coins jingling and shaking with every step. I'd scrounged under trash cans, in alleyways, and in gutters for the meager stash of $12 I hold now. I don't even know if it'll work; if I can eat human food and not die, but, at this point, it's the only thing left to try. The mint-green light comes into clearer focus in the rain, and I see the words 'Moonlight All-Night Diner' shining through the grey. Ten more shaky, stuttering steps, and I'm at the front door, staring at it, pressing up against the glass to read the small sign set behind the door. Closed. They can't be closed. Why is the place closed? It's the middle of the day, they should be open! There should be food! I pound at the door, slamming my fists into it as hard as I can; as weak as I am, I barely make the thing shake. I keep at it. If I can break the door, I can get in, and... Before I quite know what's happening, I'm on the ground, the back of my head exploding from pain. A puddle. I slipped in a puddle and now my head is cracked open, I can feel the blood, and I know I'm dying. I'm dying. I can't die. I can't! Not yet, not until I... I can't think, it hurts so much, and the rain's getting in my face now and I don't care anymore, I'm just going to lie here and die and then they'll see, Aria and Sonata will cry and moan and say 'why did we ever leave her' but it'll be too late for them because I'll be dead, and then everyone will see... And then the universe decides to taunt me. I hear whistling and footsteps. A person; an audience, someone ready and willing to watch as I breathe my last. The steps grow closer, and I hear a gasp, a familiar one. Despite myself, despite the situation, I laugh; how fitting that Sunset Shimmer would be the one to stand and watch as I died. She breaks into a run, and a small wave of water washes over me as she skids to a stop, falling onto her knees on the wet concrete. "Adagio!" she cries, and I feel arms around me, lifting me up. This... This is not Sunset Shimmer. This is not how things are supposed to go. I've seen her; she's meek, and timid, and quiet; she wouldn't run and help, she'd stand and watch. Who is this girl, wearing Sunset's face, her eyes boring into mine? I stare into them, and I see the same fire shining in them that I saw that night when she stood in front of us and destroyed us. She's saying something, but I can hardly hear her. I'm just staring at her... Wondering when she got so strong. "Adagio, answer me!" she cries. There's no point in speaking, no point in doing anything now. I'm dying, can't she see that? Even if the liquid running down the back of my head is just rainwater, I'm still starving, still about to die. Can't she see that? Can't she just leave me alone? She scans me, her eyes flitting across my emaciated form before filling with understanding. She knows it's too late. Then... She lifts something from her backpack and presses it to my lips. "Open." she commands, and, shocked as I am, I obey, the texture of bread on my tongue, the flavor of meat and cheese and that strange non-fluid-non-solid they call 'mayonnaise'. I bite down, and bliss fills my mouth. At this moment, it doesn't matter if I'm dying, or if the person holding the sandwich is the same person who forced me into this life. All that matters is the food, and eating it, chomping down, tearing bites off, trying to get as much of it before she takes it away. But she doesn't. She lets me eat the entire thing, until I'm so full I can barely keep from vomiting. I have to hold it in, have to keep the food, even if it probably won't ease my hunger. I need this. As deep in concentration as I am, I don't notice what Sunset's done until we're moving, my body slung across her shoulder. My back hits something; an umbrella. She walks, carrying me like this, for what seems like an eternity. "I-" I try to speak, but she shushes me. "Save your energy." she says quietly, her voice shaking. I obey, resting as much as I can as she walks and walks and walks. I can feel the rocking motion, combined with the sandwich, send me slowly down into blackness; not the blackness of death, but of sleep. The last thing that runs through my head before I black out is that I'm not going to die. It's a comforting thing to know, and I smile as I drift off, still rocking gently in Sunset's arms.
Aria - ITastes are interesting things. Take Lyra, for instance. She's standing off to my left, just a bit behind me, and her flavor is far from surprising; she tastes like mint, with just a hint of vanilla. The lyre in her hands sings out across the glade, and a serene smile is plastered on her face. Then there's Vinyl, flanking me to the right. She's certainly interesting; the bow in her hand dances across the strings of the violin nimbly, a leaping, hopping thing alighting on one note, but not for too long. She tastes like coffee, like a smooth, even flow of energy and bitter flavor that shocks you into action. And Octavia, standing with her back to me, playing her cello with eyes closed - I don't even need to see her to know they are; they always are - doesn't taste like anything, because I'm not feeding off of her. ...Because she said no. It's interesting, asking people if they'll let me feed off of them. It's certainly led to a lot of awkward conversations. But in the end, it's proven to be a lot simpler than how I used to feed. Then again, Adagio never was a simple person. Siren. You know what I mean. I can still remember the night we split up, even though it's been more than a week... And anyone sane would try their best to forget. I remember Adagio pacing, mumbling to herself, trying to come up with new ways to feed. And then Sonata stormed in - Stormed in! Sonata! She doesn't storm anything! - and all the while I was clutching to my own idea, my own hope, playing my harmonica like my life depended on it, ignoring the two of them as I tried to recapture those years of music - real music - that I'd forgotten about. It wasn't easy, especially after Adagio broke my harmonica. I remember leaving. I grabbed my coat, took one last look at Adagio, and walked out the door. Didn't look back, either. Then there was rain, and walking. A lot of walking; Canterlot's a big city. I hit up a music store sometime during the storm. I took what I had left in my wallet - around a hundred human dollars - and bought the acoustic I'm strumming right now. The notes sound rich, sturdy, like smooth stone. When I first started playing with Lyra, that's what she said. That my guitar sounded like stone. I didn't quite understand what she meant at the time, but I do now. It's steadying to have it with me, like an anchor keeping me from drifting off into... I don't know. I was playing in this grove, this secluded area of Whitetail Wood littered with fallen trees and small boulders, trying to remember some of the songs I'd played for various lords and ladies. I'd been getting the hang of a tune that'd been pretty popular among the Canterlot nobility for a while when I'd heard her whistle, low and long. My head had shot up, eyes fixed on her, as she shook her head, smiling. "You're good." she'd said, walking toward me, a smile on her face. I'd stood, ready to leave; no doubt she'd have friends, and even if she didn't seem to immediately hate me, they would. "No need to get antsy, Siren." Lyra had said, that same, unruffled smile on her face. "It's just me, and I don't bite." I didn't say anything. "I come here a lot," Lyra continued, sitting down on a nearby rock. "It's quiet, and there's nobody around for at least a mile." she gives me a look. "Whitetail Wood's a big place, you know. Twenty miles of untouched forest on the edge of Equestria's biggest city, and you and I happen to pick the same spot to think. Fate's a capricious thing..." The silence had stretched on until, sighing, Lyra had turned her gaze upwards. "I know what you're thinking." she'd said. "You tried to hurt me and my friends. Why am I so calm around you?" She'd stared up at the clouds, moving at a snail's pace across the sky, and smiled. "I guess you can thank Sunset." she'd continued. "After dealing with her - the way she used to be, how horrible she'd been - and seeing how even someone like her could turn into someone kind... I try to keep as open a mind as I can." I'd begun walking away, headed for another grove nearby. It wasn't as large as this one - it had a crowded, cramped atmosphere that I didn't much like - but I'd be alone. "Hey." Lyra had called after me. "I'm here every day. If you change your mind..." It had taken a week. I don't know what made it happen; every day I'd go to the grove, she'd show up, and I'd leave, going off to play alone somewhere. But one day, I'd stayed. She'd looked at me for a little while, before her face broke out into a smile. "Welcome, Siren," Lyra'd said, then. "to the Lyrist's Grove." She'd swept her arms outward, as if showing me something grand, but it was just the same clearing as ever. But it wasn't. Lyrists's Grove is where I live now. Before, I'd roamed around Whitetail Wood, drinking in the green - there wasn't much green in our part of the sea - and trying to stave off a growing hunger. Now, there's a small shelter made of fallen trees, leaves, vines, and a few boulders small enough to roll into place. It isn't too comfortable, especially when it rains, but it's what I call home. It took longer for Lyra to play around me. Occasionally, her hand would drift to the case, fastened to her hip with a thick strap, but she'd jerk it back, casting a glance my way. Her eyes weren't angry, or afraid; they were filled with something else, something I couldn't quite place... and then, one day, with a heavy sigh, she didn't stop. Her hands moving slowly, uncertain, she'd unzipped the bag and retrieved a brass instrument, stringed and gleaming in the light; her lyre. Without a word, she'd begun playing, mimicking the tune I'd been picking out when we'd first met, trying to move her fingers through the complicated notes of the reel. She was pretty good. Something about the song, the way she played it... I don't know what came over me, but soon I was playing right along with her, my stolid acoustic filling in the holes, providing a backbone of melody that she rebounded off of, springing off of it to reach new heights. And now, playing as we are, I can hear her notes still, bright and sparkling against Octavia's rippling ocean of a cello and Vinyl's violin, arcing lightning across the boundless sea. She is the stars that guide my boat, my guitar, through the water. And she tastes just a little like vanilla.
Sonata - IIt's been three days, and she still hasn't found either of them. She's pacing my room now, her hand on her chin, that serious expression on her face. Every now and again, she'll cast a glance my way, and I'll return it with an even look. She'll go back to pacing, and the process repeats. Since we broke up the Sirens, they've apparently ran into a bit of trouble. She came to me a week or so after the Battle of the Bands... She was sobbing, gazing up at me with desperation. She was so pathetic-looking, like a starving animal... I had to take her in. I knew the others would be surprised, or angry, if they found out... But I didn't care then, and I don't care now. Sonata needed help, and so I helped her. "We've checked Whitetail Wood, right?" she says, pointing at me. I think for a second. I'm pretty sure my animal friends would have told me something if either one of them turned up there... "I'm not sure." I reply, shrugging. "I could always head there after school tomorrow and check." She nods, giving me a smile. "Thanks, 'Shy." she says, wrapping me up in a hug. I smile at her... and feel a small tingle as she drains me, just a bit, enough to top herself off. I was surprised, of course, when she asked if she could feed on me. I thought the Sirens fed off of negative emotions, and I'd told her so. She'd shaken her head, and explained. Of the three sirens, only Adagio fed off of anger. The amulets weren't what allowed them to feed; they allowed them to share their food between the three of them, in addition to giving them their hypnotic powers. After they were shattered, the three of them had to resort to feeding themselves. Adagio... She wouldn't find it too hard to feed, and Sonata hadn't been sure what Aria feeds off of... She's still trying to puzzle it out. It has something to do with music, she'd told me. She goes back to her pacing, the look on her face growing more troubled by the second... Finally, she turns to me, and I preempt her. "Yes." I say calmly. "I'm sure they'll at least talk to you." Sonata sits down next to me and sighs, placing her head in her hands. "After the way I snapped at them?" she says softly. "Why would either of them even want to see me again?" I wrap an arm gently around her shoulders, and she leans into me, sniffling. "I understand how you feel." I murmur, staring at her disheveled hair from above. "You let things get out of hand, and you alienated your closest friends... But you're searching for them. You're trying to make things right, Sonata... And that's something to keep in mind." She nods, silently nuzzling into me. I assume it's a habit born of her Equestrian roots... Being at least part horse, nuzzling must be fairly common. Well, either that, or... She derails my train of thought with a tiny whimper, and I give her shoulder a rub. "It's going to be okay, Sonata." I murmur, slowly beginning to rock the girl, the motion hopefully comforting her. "It's going to be okay. You'll find them..." "I was so mean..." she moans softly. "I just ripped into them... I've never seen Dagi so shocked, or Ari so... Broken..." I say nothing, just rocking her back and forth, gently rubbing, soothing her as best as I can. "I... I just felt so tired..." she sniffs. "Tired of being ignored... Tired of acting like some ditz, just to try and make them happy... " She sniffles again, and I give her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "They never cared about me... Why am I even looking for them?" I pause, holding her at arm's length, giving her an even stare, right in the eyes. "Because they'd do the same for you." I say, my voiced bathed in the hardness of surety. "The three of you are sisters, Sonata. They love you more than you know... They wouldn't stop trying to find you, so don't you stop trying to find them." Slowly, Sonata looks away from my eyes... Then her gaze returns to mine as I Stare her down... Taking a deep, gulping breath, she nods. "I won't." she replies, her voice much steadier. "I promise." The two of us stand, and she hugs me, nuzzling me with a smile. "Thanks, 'Shy." she whispers... Blushing, I nod. We stand there in silence for a few long moments, eyes everywhere but on each other, until a buzzing from my pocket breaks the awkward silence. Eager for the distraction, I fish my phone from the skirt's pocket and read the new text. Strange; it's a mass text, sent to me and the rest of the girls... My other arm drops to my side. I stare at the screen, tapping it as if touching the text will affirm it as real. I reread and re-reread it, my eyes flicking over the words again and again. "What's going on?" Sonata asks. Mute, I angle the screen so she can see it, and she lets out a gasp. Found one of the Sirens. Adagio. She's starved and hurt. Get over here quick. Sonata looks at me, and nods. "Let's go." she says. "Which way to the car?" "You don't have a car!?" Sonata turns to me, disbelief plastered across her face. I shrug, giving her a helpless look. "I walk everywhere. It's healthier, and better for the environment than even a hybrid car." I reply, giving her an apologetic smile. "If something's really far away, I ride my bicycle..." Sonata sighs, nodding. "Okay, where's the bike?" I gesture to my purple ten-speed, the helmet slung across the handlebars. "All right..." Sonata walks over to the bike, looking at me. "How are we going to ride this thing together?" "We're not." I say, grabbing the helmet... And placing it in her hands. "Go. I'll catch up." "Fluttershy, I can't-" "You can and you will." I say, giving her a Stare. "This is your chance to make things right. Take the bike. Sunset's place is near the outskirts of town. It's a five-minute ride. Follow the main road east until you see Whitetail Wood, then take Fountain Street until you hit Sunrise Avenue. Sunset's house is the third on the right." "But how will you-" "I know shortcuts." I say calmly. "Lots of shortcuts. Now go." She goes. I sigh, wrapping my jacket around me and looking up at the sky. It's just cleared up; the smell of petrichor is thick in the air. As I pull out my phone and my fingers slide over the screen, tapping out a message, I let a tiny smile cross my face. Applejack would be mad at me; I don't know a single shortcut. Author's Note Kept you waiting, huh? You're pretty good.
Adagio - IIMy vision's bleary as I open my eyes... I can hear a faint moan; is that coming from me? I can't quite tell. I see orange, lots of orange, and red, and yellow... It's all flickering above me, swirling in intricate patterns... Like a dance. A dance of orange and red and yellow... It's very relaxing, and I let out another soft moan as my eyes slowly close... "Adagio!" Sunset's voice shocks me from sleep, and my eyes shoot open. The flickering colors are back; the red and yellow and orange dancing in my vision. I stare at it, wondering where- Sunset's head pokes into my vision, then. There's concern on her face. "Adagio, eat." Something's tapping against my chin; I look at it. it's a spoon, holding some strange, white stuff. It looks like a grain. Obligingly, I open my mouth, and the spoon enters. It doesn't taste too bad; it's got a very subtle, earthy kind of flavor, with an added saltiness that helps complete it. Vaguely, I wonder when I became such a good judge of food. Another spoonful follows the first, and I eat the substance slowly, bit by bit, until I feel full. Full! It's a wonderful word to be, right now. Full. I can't eat any more. I'm not hungry. I only wish it took more than five spoonfuls for me to reach that point... Something presses against my lips again; a straw. Gazing at Sunset, I suck lightly on it. Clean, pure-tasting water fills my mouth, and I swallow eagerly, drinking more water, until Sunset eases the straw from my mouth. "You can go back to sleep now, if you want." she says, giving me a tiny smile. I open my mouth to reply, but all that comes out is a groan. I'm so full... And I'm warm, too. Warm, and dry, and, for the moment, safe... The dancing colors are the last thing I see before my eyes close, and I drift off again. "What's your angle?" I finally manage, when Sunset feeds me again. She raises an eyebrow, giving me another spoonful of what I now know is 'rice'. "My angle?" Sunset says. "My angle is to get you in perfect health again. Or, at least, able to live without me feeding you." "And then what?" The sixth spoonful enters my mouth, and, despite myself, I let out a tiny 'mmm' as I enjoy the taste of the rice. "And then," Sunset says, giving me a tiny smile. "The two of us are going to talk about things. About why you were starving, about why you were alone... And I'll help you." I narrow my eyes at Sunset. There's no way she'd help me like this... There's something behind her actions. When I'm stronger, I'll pin her down, force her to tell me the truth... And then I'll punish her. Or maybe I'll just leave, when I know everything I need to. But for now... All I need to do is rest. Wait. Bide my time. Grow stronger... Sunset will take care of me until then. "If you want, we can talk a bit." Sunset says. "Or you could keep eating your rice, and then go back to bed." Shrugging as much as I can, I indulge her. "I can hardly move... Was I really that beat-up and ragged before?" I croak. Sunset nods, chuckling. "Yeah... The human body's known to stretch its limits when it needs to, and, Siren or not, you're in a human body... I'd say you were running on adrenaline and not much else when I found you. Good thing I did, huh?" she flashes me another tiny smile, and I nod, returning it with one of my own. This is the Sunset I knew. The timid, quiet girl, not the one who defeated us - defeated me - and saved my life... This Sunset, I can use. "So... now that you're taking care of me, what of your friends?" I ask. "They won't be happy, knowing you're harboring someone like me." Sunset looks at me, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, my friends already know." she says, her tone casual, almost dismissive. "I shot them a mass text, letting them all know you're here. You've only had two visitors, and they both came while you were asleep. Fluttershy, and someone else." Sunset gives me another smile. "If you'd like, I can tell them you're awake..." I shake my head. Knowing them, they'd gloat over me, torture me with insults... Given how aggressive a few of them were, I wouldn't rule out physical injury. Sunset nods, giving me a pat on the legs. "What are these things on the ceiling?" I ask, indicating as best as I can the flickering colors. Sunset lets out a small laugh. "A birthday present." she says, smiling. "My friends got together and made a bunch of origami things, hung them from the ceiling. When the fan's on, it kinda looks like the room's on fire, huh?" "Origami?" "It's a fancy word. Comes from the East or something... Basically, it's tiny little things made out of folded paper. It's hard to see unless you're up close, but some of them are little boats, or swans, or hats... Rainbow Dash made me a hundred paper throwing stars." Sunset lets out a laugh. "Typical of her... But it was an amazing gift." "It's so strange, how humans celebrate birthdays." I say, sighing. "Ponies do too, you know." Sunset says, raising an eyebrow. "And what's so strange about it?" "The entire thing." I say, huffing. "So you've managed to survive for another year. Big whoop. There's no reason to throw big parties, or give gifts." "It's not that you've survived another year." Sunset says calmly. "It's that the people - and ponies - you love care for you, and want to let you know how much you mean to them. They give you presents, and wish you well, because they care about you." Rolling my eyes, I do my best to roll over. "I still don't understand it." I grumble, shooting Sunset a look. It's true, though; I don't understand the point of things like that. Kindness without benefit... Just giving someone something because you 'care' about them... It's dumb. The only reason to give anyone anything is so that they'll owe you, and you might be able to call in that debt at a crucial point. I tell Sunset so, and she just puts her hand on my legs again, and shrugs. "You've got a lot to learn, Adagio." she says, giving me a patronizing smile. I scowl at her. I don't need her pity. "But that's okay... We'll work on getting you back at one hundred percent first, and then we'll work on the rest, eh?" Sighing, I nod... The origami melts together into that pleasant pattern of fire on the ceiling again, and, despite myself, a tiny smile crosses my face as my vision blurs... Sunset sighs, looking at Adagio as she drifts off... Slowly, she stands, turning off the light and closing her door silently, exiting her room. She enters her kitchen, waving silently at Sonata, who sits in one of her armchairs. "How is she?" Sonata asks, giving Sunset a worried look. "She's improving." Sunset says, smiling. "Physically, at least. She had enough energy to argue with me about birthdays." Sonata sighs, leaning back in her chair. "Want some food?" Sunset asks. "Do you eat human food? I recall Fluttershy saying something about you feeding off of something different than Adagio..." "I'm basically the anti-her." Sonata says, with a wry chuckle. "She feeds off of negative emotions, like anger and fear... I feed off of positive ones, like happiness and wonder. If you're okay with it, I can just feed on what's radiating from you." Sunset shrugs, nodding... And feels a strange tingling as Sonata opens her mouth, just a bit. "You taste like cherries and lemons, at the same time." she says, giggling. "It's really interesting... And actually pretty tasty." Laughing, Sunset nods, sitting down next to Sonata, the two breaking down into small talk and pleasantries; the simple, sweet conversations that friends share.
