ES: Devastation = Domination

Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions.

“Forget Everything and Run. Or Face Everything and Rise”

Seven. The lucky number that spelled luck for any and all who believed in this myth, that things would work out in the way they had hoped. That was not the case for the mane six and Spike.

It had been a few hours since Discord and Hailstorm had talked and upon the end of their discussion Twilight, Spike and the others had watched silently as Hailstorm left the room, with a calm and steady demeanor. But something about him leaving, left a bad feeling in Rarity as she watched their hazel stallion friend climb the steps to his room and quietly shut the door.

“What was that about?” Rainbow Dash asked. All the others shrugged. When Discord came in Fluttershy trotted up to him.

“Discord, what did you and Hailstorm talk about. He seemed...off.”

The draconequus said nothing his face stoic and impassive. “It is not my place to tell you my dear Fluttershy. If anything it is up to him to speak. I must go, I have to talk to Celestia about a few things” snapping his fingers before Fluttershy could call him to wait he was gone in a sudden poof of pink fuzz.

The group looked at each other with confusion till Rarity finally spoke up next. “Perhaps we should check up on him. Make sure he’s alright?” she suggested.

That proved futile, because the stallion had locked his door. No amounts of knocking, calling out to him, or jokes made the former human bother to open the door and allow his friends inside. Instead, he was silent.

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, and hours became painfully unbearable as the day progressed with barely a peep from the stallion. Spike was chewing his claws and Twilight was pacing their cutie map anxiously, her eyes glued to the floor as she was lost in thought.

“What could be making him act like this?” Twilight said aloud, sadly no one had an answer.

“Fluttershy has Discord told you anything on what he and Hailstorm talked about?”

The yellow pegasus merely shook her head sadly. “He refuses to say anything. He just keeps saying ‘Hailstorm has to tell you, it’s not my job.’”

“What the hay is that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked crossly, causing Fluttershy to take a defensive step back.

“Our friend is up there doing who knows what. He hasn’t eaten, he hasn’t drank anything, he probably hasn’t slept in days and here we are doing nothing!” she said slamming her hoof on the ground.

“Well I’m not waiting anymore I’m going to drag him out of that room kicking and screaming if I have to” Rainbow Dash stated about to take off only for Rarity to stop her with her tail encased in the unicorn’s aura.

“Do not be so uncouth Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scolded. “We don’t know what those two talked about, whatever is making him act like this could only worsen if we force him to come out.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?!” she yelled, turning towards Rarity. “The guy could be in there seriously in pain or even worse d-”

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY THAT” Fluttershy yelled, shocking everyone as she began to tremble.

“Please...please...just don’t” Fluttershy implored, her legs shaking. Twilight put a hoof around the shaking mare as she turned her sights to Rainbow giving her a stern look.

Dash dropped to the ground, her head bowed in penitence. “Fluttershy. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you like that.”

“It’s okay” she sniffed. “We’re just a little worried is all.”

“Tch, yeah that’s an understatement” Spike said still chewing on his claws.

Twilight who still had an arm around the still shaking Fluttershy suddenly came up with a thought. “Dash, you know where Hailstorm’s window is right?”

“Yes?” she nodded slowly.

“Go up to it and see what he’s doing. If he’s in any real danger then you can barge in and raise Tartarus for all I care just fly up there and tell us what he’s doing.”

Rainbow Dash saluted then bolted out an open window, flying up to where Hailstorm’s window was.

Silently flapping up to the window sill the cyan pegasus peaked into the room. Standing only a few feet from the window, was me.

Floating up a bit higher so she could get the clear view of my entire body Dash looked around the room to see it untouched and me simply just standing a few feet away from the window, the only thing I was doing was being silent.

Dash tapped the window in an attempt to grab my attention. I didn’t move.

She tried again, yet once again she saw the hazel earth pony unyielding in movement. In fact the look she could see on my face was merely the same calm expression I had entered and left the room with only hours ago after my talk with Discord.

Dash was starting to get annoyed. The cyan pegasus and the others had been worried sick and though she was glad, I hadn’t done anything that would make her seriously worry for my mental state, she was seriously upset that all the stallion had managed to do with his day is grow hungry, judging from the grumbling sounds of his stomach; and worry six mares, the bearers or as Dash now supposed arbitrators of the Elements, and a baby dragon.

“Hey!” Dash said tapping the window again, harder this time. “Hey! Say something you dimwit!” she yelled from behind the window.

Again, I remained inexpressive.

Dash was fuming. If there was one thing she didn’t like aside from not being the center of attention, it was being ignored especially when she was trying to help someone.

“HEY HAILSTORM!” she yelled tapping my window louder.

The sound had brought out Twilight and the others, Spike sitting on Fluttershy’s back as they looked up to see Dash scowling at the person sitting in the room and staring blankly at her with no sign of care or emotion.

“Rainbow Dash what in tarnation do yer think you’re doing? We said check on him not shout at him!” Applejack said, from below.

“Well he looks fine to me from here” the cyan pegasus said turning her attention to the equines below.

Turning her attention back to Hailstorm, Dash’s scowl grew as she continued to stare at me, and I seemingly appeared to stare at her.

“Enough’s enough!” she said after a few seconds of intense silence. Flapping her wings, and drawing back her body the pegasus brought up her hooves and kicked the window in, the glass shattering and the entire frame falling into the room.

From below she heard her friends gasp and immediately rush back into the castle, calling after her to stop. But she didn’t care.

“Three months!” Dash said bitterly as she carefully floated inside the hole she had made, floating over the broken pieces of wood and glass.

“For three months we’ve been together. All of us. And despite how close we’ve gotten to you, when Discord takes you away to have a private little chat you come back, lock yourself in your room and act like we don’t exist?!” she yelled dropping to the ground on her hooves with an audible thud.

Behind the pegasus and former human the voices of the rest of the group were becoming louder and louder by the second, along with the clicking of their hooves.

I had remained silent.

Dash stared, sternly I might add, waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t her face contorted into one of pain and anger. “Answer me damnit!” she said grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, which I still remained limp to, the entire time my face calm but my eyes still open.

To Dash she must have thought I was in some kind of trance because she looked me in the eye as if I wasn’t blinking, while she shook me. When our eyes met she suddenly stopped. At the same moment a faint blue glow emerged around my door.

SLAM!

The door hit the wall loudly, as the rest of the group rushed into my room to see what Rainbow Dash had done or was about to do, they stopped inches away from me and her catching the look of confusion on her face as they entered.

“What’s wrong Dash?” Twilight asked nervously.

Rainbow Dash who had moved one hoof away from my shoulder and the other still resting on my left, was still staring me in the eyes with the utmost confusion.

It wasn’t fear that she saw in my eyes. Nor was it the confusion and depression I had expressed and shared with them in the past three months that she saw in my eyes either.

What she saw, was deep rooted hatred. Anger and pain to her, that she had never seen before in any Equestrian, not even in Nightmare Moon herself. The day they had come face to face with the manifestation of nightmares that had haunted so many foals in the past centuries, couldn’t even rival the rage in the brown eyes that stared back at her unwavering, lost in thought.

“Hailstorm?” she whispered silently to me, her voice being the first thing that broke the silence since Twilight’s question.

“What did Discord tell you?” she asked voicing the thoughts of everyone in the room.

I said nothing for a few seconds. Blinking, I allowed myself to slowly come back to the world of reality after having revelled in my thoughts for the past few hours, ignoring all distractions both bodily and in the outside world.

Twilight and the others had now joined the confused Rainbow Dash, who saw something in me that I wouldn’t allow them to see, ever, especially not a second time. Not as long as I had breath in this body.

“Hailstorm” Twilight said slowly like speaking to a child. “What did Discord tell you?” she asked again voicing the question that had been so greatly been bugging them.

I blinked again, now fully out of my contemplation. The mares came into view now for the first time and I stared at them, seeing Rainbow Dash first as she was the closest to me, then the rest, Spike being behind Rarity.

I took in a deep breath that made all of them except Dash, back up as they allowed me to breath. Then exhaled, the air. Dash was still waiting for me to say something as were the others, each holding their own questioning bemused look.

“Dash” I said calmly, slightly startling her in the process, as her folded wings twitched a bit. My eyes no longer reflecting whatever it was she had seen that made her tense up so.

“You never saw that” I told her, the others looked confused but Dash knew what I was talking about.

Slowly she nodded her one hoof that rested on my shoulder slowly sliding off, down my arm and then on to her side.

“To answer the rest of your questions, it’s simple. He told me I’m screwed” I replied frankly.

“But I’ve decided I’m going to stop at nothing to fix it” the mares were obviously not satisfied with my explanation but that was all they would be getting from me. Turning around I walked past my open door heading towards the bathroom as their eyes followed me there.

I was tired, and I also needed a bath. Plus I really needed to take a piss.

“Why are we out here again?” Aria asked annoyed by the fact that they had been walking around for the past thirty minutes and Adagio still hadn’t told her a word of what they were doing out here.

“Because we need to keep our voices strong. You wouldn’t want to sound like a dying peacock again now would you?” she asked flashing a grin as Aria scowled back at her.

“Fine, then what exactly do you expect us to do?” Aria said having stopped in front of a building that were displaying clothes of various types.

“Yeah, I mean it’s not like there’s an audience that happens to be around here conveniently waiting for us to drain them of their magic” Sonata said as she caught sight of a dress that met her fancy.

Adagio rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you girls stopped staring at every little thing we passed by we could get some actual work done” she said turning around with a flick of her tail.

“Hey don’t blame us!” Sonata retorted with a frown. “We haven’t been here in a whole millenia can’t blame us for wanting to see some of the things here.”

“You mean we can’t blame you for slowing us down” Aria said turning to face the younger siren.

“You were part of it to Ari!”

“No I wasn’t” she said grumpily.

“Yes! You were!” she said agitation growing in her voice.

“Girls!” Adagio shouted her voice breaking the two sisters up as Aria casted glares at Sonata, and Sonata stuck her tongue out at Aria. Sighing heavily Adagio moved away from the fashion shop they had been standing by.

“We’ve got to find a way to increase our magic. Vendetta’s magic was only good enough to make our voices strong enough to get us through that portal, but if we want to take over Manehattan and all of Equestria we need to find an audience, and a stage that will attract attention” Adagio said as she trotted across the street, once it was clear.

“You girls need to focus” she scolded, once they had crossed after her. “We made a mistake once. We cannot afford to do it again!” she stated tossing them a stern glare before moving onward. Aria sent a scowl Adagio’s way when she was done speaking and had turned around.

“Be easier if we weren’t constantly being stared at by the stallions here” she said in what sounded like annoyance and a bit of disgust as she caught a business pony passing by staring at her flank.

“Ignore them, besides it means we haven’t lost our charm. I’d take it as a compliment” Adagio said a sly grin making its way on to her face as the three sirens continued to trot on the streets of the city.

Aria’s signature scowl merely increased at the statement as Sonata giggled at her sister’s uncomfortableness.

More walking and eventually more bickering occurred between Sonata and Aria’s constant petty fights before finally getting on Adagio’s nerves. “Girls!!” she shouted only to be shut silent by Sonata placing a hoof under her chin turning her attention to a stage just a few feet away.

“Look!” she said excitedly, eager to finally have an audience after it being sooooo long. The stage had the painted words “Midsummer Theatre” on it but Sonata didn’t care as she left her gawking sister’s side trotting over to the stage.

“Found your little stage Adagio,” Aria said with a snide look before following after the excited Sonata. Adagio was too busy staring in disbelief how simple it had been to find such a thing, and in the middle of the street or at least not far from it nonetheless.

Shrugging her curiosity away not willing to let such a chance slip the bright gold siren followed after her sisters who were now standing on the stage checking out.

“Kind of drab, if you ask me” Aria commented.

“Well it is a ‘theatre’ says so in the name” Sonata said looking around carefully, her eyes scanning the small theatre for any signs of equipment. When she saw none she turned to Adagio who had now just reached the top of the steps that lead to the stage.

“How are we going to sing loud enough to grab some of these ponies attention if we don’t have equipment?”

Adagio smiled. “I came prepared for that” pointing her hoof across the street she pointed to an audio store. “There was a reason I brought us out this far, but to think the stage would be here as well, well the gods must be on our side” she said with a grin.

“Aria do you have the bits?” Adagio asked turning to her sister.

“Got ‘em right here” she said pulling them out of the saddlebag on her back ,tossing it over into the outstretched palm of Adagio.

“Since you’re so eager to sing, you can buy it. You know what to do if you need help right?” the siren asked Sonata. She nodded with a smile, taking the bits in her teeth Sonata disappeared in a flash of arctic-blue smoke, the door across the street slowly closing showing she had gone inside.

“Damn” Aria said, “She really wants to sing.”

The sound of rushing water from the top faucet was the only thing that came from the bathroom. A few seconds later the turning of the know and the dying sound of running water was what came next before drapes were pulled aside.

I stepped out reaching for the towel, as I pushed my mane back out of my eyes and let it fall against my neck. Unconsciously I tried grabbing the towel with fingers I didn’t have, but quickly stopped and simply draped it over my wrist pulling it towards me before drying myself off.

Three months had passed and every time I got into the shower I would always reach for something like I had fingers, I sighed, drying the rest of my body off before stepping out. Clearing the steam off the mirror I looked at my reflection.

I looked a bit better than I had earlier. Most likely because for once I had actually decided to do something about my problem instead of just sitting around waiting for something to happen. I closed my eyes. Simply enjoying the silence, till a knock on the bathroom door called out to me.

“Hailstorm. It’s been forty-five minutes, what are you doing in there?” Spike asked a slight nervousness creeping into his voice.

I couldn’t help but let a small smile form when he said that. Even now I still took lengthy showers, old habits really did die hard huh?

“I’ll be out in a minute don’t worry” I said my eyes on the door now. Spike groaned. “Hurry up, I need to use it!” he said before I heard his footsteps fading away.

I chuckled for the first time in the entire day. Turning my head back towards the mirror in front of me my eyes froze. Staring back at me...was me. The human me.

I felt all sense of relief I had regained instantly leave my body as I stared at my human reflection in the mirror with shock, my reflection reflecting the same expression on my own face somehow. For awhile I stared in silence dazed by my normal form making it’s appearance. Much like my equine form had made it’s own appearance the day the quake occurred and everything changed.

Was this a sign? I thought my eyes starting to burn from not blinking in so long staring at myself, as he stared right back at me.  I blinked and it was gone, my equine form back in it’s natural position on the mirror. I swallowed.

“...Anguish?”

Not a sound echoed in my head.

A few seconds later and I heard a voice that made me jump. “HAILSTORM GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!” Spike yelled from below.

“One second!” I yelled. Taking one last look at the mirror I saw no signs of my human reflection staring at me, just me staring at me. “....I’m starting to lose it if I’m seeing things like that.” Opening the door I saw Spike doing a little dance as he stared at me in a crouched like position, I instantly gave him way and he slammed the door in my face.

“I guess I deserve that” I muttered rubbing my muzzle, but I didn’t leave still thinking about what I had seen.

“Hailstorm” Twilight said, drawing my attention towards her. “You alright?” she asked Applejack and Dash coming up the stairs beside her.

I nodded, a little too quickly making AJ narrow her eyes, at me. “Fine, C’mon let’s go out for a walk, we’ll wait for Spike before we go” I said ignoring the look both AJ and Dash gave me as I passed by the three.

“My treat?” I said as I made my way downstairs, earning confetti getting shot into the air by Pinkie who yelled “Treats!” with glee.

Twilight followed after figuring she’d carefully watch me throughout the walk.

AJ and Dash were both watching me with curious eyes, both lost in their own thoughts.

Dash wondering what on earth she had seen back there only about more than half an hour ago. And AJ knowing that I was hiding something after I came out of the bathroom. Both had decided they would get answers, soon enough.

Conviction in their eyes.

“We’re using earpiece microphones?” Aria asked as she placed the earpiece on and moved the mic closer to her mouth.

“Exactly” Sonata said as she instructed the two stallions behind her to place the amps on either side of the theatre.

“How are we going to use them without electricity?” Aria asked as she watched the stallions do as they were told obediently.

“I’ve taken care of that” Adagio said a group of ponies following her. “I was able to get these kind gentleme- stallions, to set everything up for us. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes isn’t that right?” she said gently sliding her hoof up one of the stallion’s chins with a smile, as the employer beat his right hind leg on the ground like a rabbit being petted.

“Oh that’s great!” Sonata said handing Adagio her own ear piece. “So what song are we going to use for them?” Sonata asked.

“Don’t worry I know just the one” Adagio said.

“What?! Why are you leading, you remember what happened last time we let you lead?” she said with venom.

The brilliant gold siren frowned. “Do you have a song ready?” she asked coldly.

Aria opened her mouth, but was quickly stopped by Sonata. “We don’t need to fight here. We’re back, and this is our only chance to enjoy this. And it’s been so long, can’t we just do this without fighting?” her eyes giving off the desperation she so desired to spend this moment with her sisters in peace with nothing to bother it.

Aria’s enraged stare slowly dimmed into a calm one. Pushing Sonata’s hoof aside she sighed. “Fine” she said in a defeated voice. “But next time we go with my song” turning around with a humph, Sonata tossed a kind smile at Adagio who wrapped a hoof around her.

“Thanks.”

“No problem” Sonata said smiling wider.

“Ladies” one of the stallions said. “We’re ready.”

*** ***** ***

The curtains were closed and the three sirens stood behind them, each setting and adjusting their microphones to the amps so that their voices would be clear and carry across the small area they were in right now. And since it was in the afternoon it was the best time to be displaying a little show, especially since there were now a few ponies passing by every once in awhile few looking in their direction as everything was set up.

“Ready girls?” Adagio asked, the other two sirens nodded both feeling confident and ready to draw in as many viewers as they possibly could.

One of the stallions that Adagio had brought with her trotted around the stage and lifted his hoof to show that everything was set and the mics were ready whenever they were. Adagio nodded to him smiling.

“Three, two, o-”

“Wait!” Sonata yelled stopping the stallion from both signalling the orange pegasus working both the transmitter for the amps and the mics.

“What is it now Sonata?” Aria asked annoyed.

Sonata didn’t reply and simply whistled into the air. Immediately the two stallions she had brought with her automatically appeared. “You two know what to do?” she said smiling and gently rubbing both stallions under the chin with a hoof, something the two greatly enjoyed.

In an instant both stallions went to the front of the stage and took out the ropes that had been hiding behind one of the bars on either side of the stage. A whistle came back telling them that they were ready.

“Alright now we can go” she said smiling at her confused sisters.

“Okay?” Aria said, nodding to Adagio.

“Three, Two, One” all three sirens mares rhythmically stomped a hoof on the ground, the stallion in the back nodded, then shot a hoof at the pegasus manning the transmitter. Flicking a switch the amps lighted a blue glow around the sound speakers, slowly playing the music that Adagio had requested.

“This is?” Aria muttered looking over to her sister who merely grinned at her reaction and nodded.

Aria’s previously annoyed feeling immediately evaporated into thin air. The curtains parted and about fifteen ponies had gathered to see what was going on, a few more in the streets and across stopping and beginning to come over out of curiosity.

Sonata and Aria smiled, bobbing their heads to the beat of the music and gently tapping their hooves before letting out a long “ah” that synchronized perfectly with the music, their voices travelling throughout the streets making a few ponies that had originally passed by stop and turn to see where the music was coming from.

No sooner had that first rich note left the two siren’s did the stallions positioned at the front of the stage tug on the rope from both sides. A banner falling down and in colorful lighting it had “The Dazzlings” written on it.

Adagio stepped forward as her sisters let out another beautiful note, her confident smile and slow stride perfectly sinking with her sisters as she moved up in front a few inches ahead of them. Her grin now radiating nothing but confidence.

“Oh-Whoa-Oh

Oh-Whoa-Oh,

You didn’t know that you fell

“Oh-Whoa-Oh,

Oh-Whoa-Oh

Now that you’re under *our** spell.*”