You woke up later still at school, near the statue. The morning sun slowly rising over the horizon as you had been woken up by a woman.
"Are you okay?" Your eyes opened to see Principal Celestia you recoiled in slight horror.
"I'm fine, e-excuse me." You ran past the principal, you were still afraid of even being approached by anyone at the school. Yet you weren't afraid of going there, for some reason you felt attached to the area.
As you ran down the street, you panted as you saw the school far from your vision. You panted heavily as you took out your phone and looked to see the long list of songs. The battery now at 3%, you hadn't used it since last night and the battery life was still taken from it.
"I knew you would be here." Sunset appeared from behind you, and put her hand on your shoulder making you flinch. "Your sister's are really worry for you." Sunset says with a soft smile.
"Doubtful." You say panting as you try to get your breath back to normal.
Sunset passes a bottle of water making you wonder how the hell did she keep having exactly what you need at the right moment, she was magical sure. But it was kinda ridiculous.
"So, how are you feeling? Ready to start?"
"Start what?" You asked as your breath slowly got back to normal.
"Your new life, I told didn't I? I can teach you how to start over, are you ready to start over?" Sunset was your friend, clearly you can see that. She was pushing you to restart your life, to restart everything.
"Yeah I'm ready." With a confident smile you nod, though that confidence was probably just adrenaline going through your system.
"Good, because we're just in time to enroll you." Taking your hand Sunset walked towards the school, it was still early in the morning as the school was still empty. Aside from a few teachers with their cars parked in the staff parking lot.
"Enroll me? I-I can't everyone still hates me." Your confidence slowly diminishing at the chance of the students hating your guts, normally you'd deflect it with your brand of coldness, but you couldn't just yet back at them. Not if you wanted to restart.
"Aria I know what you are thinking, I was extremely scared when I enroll right after my 'she demon' phase, and true a lot of people hate me as well, but they gave me a chance. And they forgave me, I'm sure they will forgive you too. My friends did and I swear to you, they'll give you a second chance." You had to trust Sunset, she's been in your shoes before. Seeing as the similar differences between the two of you were almost in sync.
"I trust you, let's just get this over with. Are my sisters reenrolling with me?" You asked with curiosity, you hoped at least Sonata would come, you needed some support even if it came from her.
"I tried to convince them, but they refused to leave the house until they heard news about you…which reminds me." She passes you her phone. "Could you calm them down? Please?"
"Fine." Taking the phone you dial Sunset's house phone number. Getting phones was probably the next step after re-enrolling after all pre-paid is still an option.
"Aria?" Sonata immediately answers, her voice happy and perky like always.
"Yeah it's me, I'm fine I just needed to get away from Adagio. She was a little annoying, I just had to go out for a bit."
"So are you ready to come home now? I made coffee, please Aria, you know I get sad when you and mom fight, please come back." Sonata says almost as if she'd be ready to cry.
"Mom? What're you talking about?" You asked pretty confused by her wording.
"Oh give me that…Aria come back here right now!" Adagio shouts anger in her voice.
"Please mommies don't fight!" Sonata is hear in the background.
"Sonata for the fifth time we're your sister not your mothers!" Adagio shouts.
"I still don't like when you 2 fight." You hear Sonata pout.
"Look I'm going to school, I'm enrolling, I want a better life not what we have now. You're welcome to join." You say hopefully they'd go with you.
"What?!"
"Awesome! Taco Tuesday!" Sonata shouts in the background.
"Aria, how are you expecting us to enroll without money?"
"Its public school, you don't need to pay. Plus I promised to help Aria, even if you had to pay I'd do my best to help her." Sunset mentions.
There was silence, you were scared if they didn't come. You'd be alone or the very least you'd have to face everything with only one friend, it terrified you.
"You can come or not, I'm not staying with the life we have." You say hanging up. Handing back Sunset's phone you sighed, your hands running through your hair. Your hair not having the usual pig tails style, now just long and relatively normal looking.
"Do you really think it's good not to wait for an answer?" Sunset asks.
"If they want to come, they'll come. If not I'll get through this alone. Now let's go." You smiled it was a little hard, but you had to try.
The two of you approached the school, passing by the large statue and walking towards the faculty. You felt almost scared being here, being in the place that made you lose your magic with the person who forced that magic out of you. Sighing Sunset approaching the office and opened the door, Celestia looked up and smiled.
"Oh Sunset what can do for you?" Principal Celestia asks
"Hello principal Celestia I was passing by and I was hoping if you could do us a little favor." Sunset had a smile on her as you felt only a smidge confident being there.
"Oh and what's that?" Celestia asks
"Would you consider enrolling the Dazzlings again? Aria here has expressed some acceptance in turning a new leaf."
"Enroll the Dazzlings?" She looks behind Sunset and sees you, you were afraid but you didn't want to run. The strangest thing happened she smiled.
"Of course." Principal Celestia says smiling.
"Really?" Sunset asks with complete surprise.
"But of course, dear why wouldn't I?" She asks
"Uh well because the whole brainwashing, and controlling and…" Principal Celestia had stopped Sunset from saying any further and smiled.
"It's all in the past, our school has suffered through worse, and as long as you are willing to change we are willing to help you have a future. So…where are your sisters?"
"I'm not sure, they're not as keen on turning a new leaf." You say sighing
"She means they'll be here later." Sunset butts in with a laugh.
"Well as long as they arrive, I have no problem on enrolling them too, you came in at the perfect time, since the second semester has already started."
"Really thank you!" You happily exclaim, almost so unnatural of you saying anything like that.
"You're welcome dear." She passes you a few papers with a small smile. "Now if only you could…"
"Get in there right now!" A woman identical to Vice Principal Luna, but with a female business suit storms in dragging a boy by his ear, a black blazer, a t-shirt with an odd looking design on it and a pair of black cargo jeans as well as high top tennis shoes.
"Hello Celestia." The woman says with a huff.
"Nightmare…may I ask why are you dragging a boy by the ear into my office? And please answer me before I call the cops."
"Relax sister, this is just my lazy worthless son." The woman known as Nightmare informs.
"Son!?" Celestia stands up in shock "Night since when…"
"None of your god damn business. That's where." She voices back with venom in her voice.
"Always the ray of sunshine are you mom?" The boy says sarcastically.
"You shut up!" The woman says in anger.
"What are you 2 punks looking at? out!" She points towards the door where you and Sunset look.
"Jeez who shat in her Cheerios." You mumble as Sunset pushes you out.
"M-maybe it's best if we leave now, come Aria let me show you around."
"Alright, lead the way." You mentioned as you walked alongside Sunset
"So what made you change your minds?" You asked, both Sonata and Adagio had arrived to the school. The two looked rather nervous under Adagio boss attitude you could see it, as for Sonata she was like a scared puppy.
"I told you, without me you're lost, plus there was nothing on TV."
"Hey? Weren't you saying that you were worry about Aria, and thinking she could be hurt, or lost or bullied or…" Sonata was instantly shut up as Adagio shouted.
"Shut up Sonata!" She shouts
"Thanks guys and guess what Sonata it's Tuesday." You say with a small smile.
"Awesome!" Rushing to the cafeteria Sonata had sped off, Adagio sighed and approached her.
"Fine you got me here, how do we enroll?" Adagio asks
"Papers here." You say passing the papers over to her.
"That's it? No punishment, no trick? No jail time? Just a contract?"
"Yeah, that's all. And no talking about going back to Equestria I'm sick of it."
"But…"
"No more! I don't want hear about how'd we go back. And how we can trick ponies into helping us. I want the best for Sonata and you talking about Equestria only drags us down!" You shouted. Adagio grumbles and sit next to you, her anger was apparent and dully noted.
"Traitor." She mumbles before turning to Sunset. "Isn't this suppose to be a tour?"
"We got a tour awhile back, we know exactly where we're going." You reminded.
"What, they could always remodel?"
"Unfortunately no." Celestia informs as the kid from before walked alongside her, he looked as if he was recently hit as he had sported a hand mark on his face. "Sunset dear I know I'm asking much, but it appear we have a new student enrolling today…"
"Pfft more like toss into it." The new kid says shaking his head.
"Ray please. We'll talk later for now please could you try?" Celestia informs.
"Ah whatever." He says waving her off.
"So which one of you wants to be eaten out first?" He asks, you knew you'd hate this little asshole.
"Ray!" Celestia shouts at him in shock.
"You said make friends, I'm making friends."
"Friends with you please, I may look like a punk but I'm not some bitch you can push around." You reply with a glare
"Yeah, you look more like the type of bitch that…"
"Ok that is enough!" Celestia pulls the new kid haway "We'll talk about this later. Sunset dear I…"
"I know Principal Celestia we heard a bit of the conversation, his mom doesn't look like a caring type." Sunset says understanding the situation.
"I honestly don't know what to do, I want to hug him, but for how damaged he is, I'm afraid I will just break him even further. I need time to think, just please, be patient with him."
"You can count on me Principal Celestia."
"I'm gonna go look for Sonata, Adagio come with me. And Sunset if you need help just call for me." You say smiling
"Will do." She says with a smile as Celestia brings back the new kid.
"First day and we deal with a guy with mommy issues." You say to Adagio with a sigh. As you rubbed your temples, the stress of it all was getting to you and being with negativity didn't help either.
"Isn't it wonderful being the boss?" Adagio asks with sarcasm. "Now you know what my life is everyday."
"Hahaha very funny, today's just a tiny misstep just need some music and there." You say aloud as you take out your phone and listen to your music. With such a low battery you had to only use music you had on your phone. Everything else would probably drain the battery faster.
"And then what boss? Do we practice our happy faces and join the cheerleader squad?" Adagio asks with a fake smile.
"Oh I like that idea, I know have the perfect look to be a cheerleader." Sonata say with enthusiasm
"Aria seriously, we need to know what the plan is if we aren't going home then what're we going to do?" Adagio asks
"Normal girls, we learn about this world we adapt, we find friends, find others who care, hell if you two want, find boyfriends." You reply
"What?" Adagio asks
"Hey that doesn't sound so bad." Sonata mentions with a perky smile.
"Are you going to find a boyfriend?" Adagio asks
"Now? No, maybe later. Right now I just want people to like us. I mean look around, it's lunch time and do you see tables near us filled? No, they're avoiding us." You say with a sigh.
"Good for us it let's us plan, and returning to the idea. Sonata to start, the problem of that plan is we don't age, do you really know what that'll mean?" She asks
"Who cares, if we get boyfriends at least they'll like us. I mean he'll plenty of ponies in the past loved immortal creatures." You say shrugging.Adagio sigh and shake her head before looking at you.
"Fine! We'll do it your way."
"Yay!"
"Under one condition."
"Boo!" Sonata pouts.
"And what's that?" You asked
"The moment we find a way back home IF we ever find a way back home we will take that opportunity and go…back…home." She crosses her arms. "Should not be dificult considering there's actually no way back right?"
"Here's a better plan, if we find a way home you two can go and I'll stay." You say with a glare.
"No." Adagio says with a glare. "We stick together no matter what the window appear we go, end of discussion. We're family Aria, we're suppose to be there for one another, I don't want us to be spread by some god damn dimensional bullshit."
"I'll decide when I leave. End of discussion." You glare back at her in complete anger.
"Aria!" Adagio shouts
"Please don't fight." Sonata holds your hand. "Sis…you'll leave us?"
"I won't leave you Sonata." You say sighing with a frown.
"Great then its decided we do your thing, with the promise of going back if there's a chance, which most likely there isn't one. I'm glad we talked."
"Yeah let's just finish eating and go back home, tomorrow is our official first day."
"Wait just one minute" Sonata look at both seriously before smiling. "Are still going to be cheerleaders?"
"Ask Aria, she is the boss now."
"If you want you can be one, but I don't think I'm cut out to be one." You mention
"Aw come on girls we all taking charge, I want all 3 of us to be cheerleaders." Sonata says with a giggle.
"We aren't as perky or good looking as you Sonata." You say listening your music
"But it won't be as funny if I do it alone."
"Think of it as a game Sonata, I imagine Aria will join a team at some point." Adagio says smiling.
"Right joining." You say with a laugh.
The night brisk air felt nice on you arm, the short sleeved black shirt you had was enough as cool nights are often not seen. Today was a long day, with everything and everyone at school all you needed was silence.
You looked up to the school and slowly pushed the push bar to let you in, though it was a futile effort it was locked. With a sigh you looked around and smiled, a window was open just a bit and near it was a drain pipe. With a smile you began climbing the pipe and landed just on top of an awning, nearing the window you lifted up the pane and proceeded in.
You looked around the gym as the empty room sounded your shoes as they echo throughout the gym floor. You approached the stage just near the gym and sat down laying down as you looked up to the black curtains.
Grabbing your phone you unlocked it and scrolled towards your music app, with a swipe you looked at the song. Your finger hovering over the song as you only placed it down and closed your eyes, your hands on the back of your head.
"Here again?" You looked up to see Sunset, she wore the same black leather jacket and blue jeans/boot combo.
You nod and just look at the curtains, taking a seat next to you she smiles.
"You're always here, even during school. At lunch you're never in the cafeteria, or around campus why?" She asks
You only shrug as Sunset sat closer, you felt her warmth radiating as you just laid there staring up at the ceiling.
"Is it because of the Battle of the Bands?" She asks as you rose to an upright position. "You know you don't have to be afraid of coming out of the shadows."
"Why bother?" You asked.
"Because, I can help." Sunset smiled as she grabbed your phone and looked through the songs.
"Why would you wanna help?" You asked
"Because I think with some help, You can be not just my friend but everybody's friend." You stayed silent, did you really want to be her friend? Do you want her around you? Was she worth even befriending? "I know I was the reason why your sisters and you lost your chance to go back home, but I can help you make this...your home."
"A gym?" You asked
"N-no, I mean this world. Sure it isn't as magical as back in Equestria but surely you don't want to stay here moping. Right?" You sighed and just kept looking at the curtains, you weren't always a depressive mess. But you were tired of defeat, the idea that ponies kept beating you over and over again. You hated that you had to suffer the consequences and never take the rewards.
"Do you miss Equestria?" You asked with curiosity as you laid your head on the hard wood. "I know you ran away like 2 or 3 years ago, but I never knew why, so…do you still miss it?"
"Yeah it's my home, but I like it here a lot more. It's fun seeing new things." Sunset mentioned smiling as she looks at you, her smile that smile of hers was there when she beat you. Did you hate Sunset? Did you despise her friend even everyone in the school? You didn't know. You felt so keen on leaving this hellhole, that you didn't care about the consequences at the time. You just wanted to leave and not look back, and once you got back to Equestria what then? Stick with your sisters or go off on your own.
That choice has been there for almost as long as you've been here, Adagio could handle herself. Her damn ideas can get her to rot for all you cared. But Sonata, she's a different story she's just so dumb and optimistic, that she's believe anything.
"Must be nice, having a choice, sure we were the bad girls then, but banishing us here, permanently without any chance of returning? With no warning? No home? No one to turn? Starswirl the Bearded was a colossal dick." You said sighing as you sat up and played with your hair.
"Haha, I wouldn't have known. After all I'm a lot younger then you." She smiling.
"And I'm still rockin' a nice younger body than yours." You boasted "Sorry, pride is pretty much the only thing I have left. By chance you don't have a chocolate bar do you?" You asked with a sheepish smile, all your rules of acting tough and hating life. You let it all down to this girl, the one you made life miserable during the Battle of the Bands and in return made yours hell.
"No, but the vending machines are always on." She says smiling. "I'll go get something."
"Thanks." You stare at her phone as Sunset leaves before sighing. "Sunset!"
"Yeah?" She asks turning
"What do I need to do?"
"Just talk to your sisters, try to get them to follow you. Have them trust you to trust me." She says smiling leaving the gym.
You rolled her eyes and laid down again, that's easier said then done.
'Convince them? Ha Sonata will be a piece of cake, she will do anything for tacos but Adagio? She might as well asked me to eat a brick. This isn't going to be easy.' Pinching the bridge of your nose you sighed.
Later...
You sat in the food court of the mall, your sisters all looked happy. Well minus Adagio who looked rather mad, though you weren't really focusing on her. You looked at Sonata to see her play with what looked like a happy meal toys that children had left after eating.
You were all poor and homeless, without your magic you couldn't really coax money out of people, and without money you couldn't pay rent. You sat there, earbuds on and music on.
"So what did you want?" Adagio asks as she looks at you, you looked up and sighed.
"I talked to Sunset earlier today, she was concerned about me. She kept pointing out how I kept coming into gym late at night or during school hours. She's worried and wants to help." Adagio had an intense glare on her, though Sonata seemed excited.
"Before I ask why do you keeping going to that infernal school. You're going to say no, right?"
"I'm actually thinking of getting her help, she can give me, us a second chance at life."
"You what?! Tell me you mean that as a joke!" She shouts
"I'm tired of living in a mall, all we do is sleep in that outdoor men's survival store, Sonata has to play in the kids section of that store and I have to listen to the same stupid dubstep crap in the music store near there." You hated living in the mall, the Muzak, the constant talks of happy families. You hated it all, a life you can't have, because of the circumstances Adagio put on you all.
"You're tired? Go to another store, we have options here, we can choose were to sleep, have as much cloths as we want." She holds up a hamburger as an example. "And do I need to remind you all the food we can have? This is our cell now, and I'd like to remind you its all thanks to Sunset."
"It's not because of her, it's because of you. You wouldn't listen to me or Sonata and used your own plans instead of listening to ours as well."
"Which again would had been a success without her." She sits back and looking towards Sonata looking at the two of you arguing. "She took all that we had Aria, don't let her break us apart now."
"One day we're gonna get caught here and we'll be on the street. I don't say this often but I can handle the streets I'm worried about her." You point towards Sonata. Sonata try to answer but can only stay quiet
"Alright hypothetically we go with your plan? What next? That school knows our faces, and Sunset probably hides whatever magic she used to come here, so how do we convince her to let us use it?" Adagio asks
"No, we aren't using magic. If we can't go back to Equestria, we might as well adapt to not having our siren magic and just live like normal teenage girls." You retort
"Ok now I know you're going insane, Sonata tell her she's insane."
"I think she's right, we can't go back to Equestria. With our magic gone and our pendants destroyed how are we even gonna go back." Sonata asks
"Sunset! She still has magic, she stole it somehow we only need to find a way to steal it from her." Adagio eyes widen as she stands up with a smile. "We only need to steal it back, Aria you are a genius! That's what we need to do, trick her into believe we give up and then steal her magic, now I understand your idea." Adagio says nodding.
"No! You're not listening I'm through with these ideas, I don't want to go through losing our magic again and having nobody to turn to."
"Oh please we didn't turn to anyone before we certainly didn't need to do so now."
"Um girls." Sonata points to a couple of guards looking at the three of you.
"Tell me you erased the footage of us in the security room this morning?"
Adagio asks
"I was at school with Sunset." You sigh and shake your head.
"Run!" Adagio shouts as all of you escape the mall with the security after you. It was tricky shoving people out of the way and running down escalators but you finally got down to ground floor where you and your sisters had stopped running to a nearby bus station.
Taking out your phone you smiled and sighed, all you had was this phone and it wasn't even in service just as MP3 player. That's all it was used for.
"Happy?! You got your wish, NOW we're homeless, we had a pretty good deal there and you ruin it!" Adagio shouts, Sonata slowly walked from behind her worried attitude was plenty apparent to you.
"Whatever, you can bitch and moan while you go to the poor house or you can come with me to Sunset's." You say leaving the mall's nearby bus terminal.
"I keep telling you Aria, this is not US we are Sirens, we aren't 'teenagers' we can't live without our magic, I'll follow but only because you two morons need me. Without me you'll forget how to breath."
You sigh as you take out your phone and put on your earbuds and began listening to music.
Later...
After an almost two mile walk from the mall, the sun had began setting with the sky turning into an evening flurry. You were all tired, about a mile and half Adagio had stopped complaining. Much to the satisfaction of Sonata.
Approaching Sunset's home you walked on to the porch and knocked. A few seconds passed as the door opened, revealing Sunset wearing pajama bottoms and green t-shirt, her hair was in a ponytail as she had a lazy look to her.
"Move." Adagio said walking in and sitting on her couch. "You really have a lot of nerve for kicking us when we're already done Sunset."
"I heard of holding grudges, but you really don't pull punches do you?" Sunset asks
"I'm sorry, Adagio doesn't like it when we follow my plan." You mentioned sighing as you looked to your phone, stopping the music.
"Oh excuse me I'm just thrilled to listen to the second biggest dick who's responsible for sticking us on this godforsaken hellhole, I'm suppose to lived on from now on. It's so much better then living in a magical planet where our magical troubles would be solved. Honestly Aria, I expect this from Sonata, but you? You were suppose to be the grumpy one, the one who hates the damn students in CHS."
You sighed as you turned and began walking off the porch, putting your music on high you ran. You ran from Sunset's home as at this point it wasn't worth being belittled by your family.
You stopped near CHS, the crickets sounded throughout the school area. With the only other sound coming from cars passing by and music from your earbuds. You stopped near the statue, the mirror like statue. All you saw was your reflection, your light purple skin, your pigtailed hair with the multicolored hair.
You saw yourself, though it didn't last as you approached the statue placing your hand on the cool surface.
Pathetic! How did I end up like such a wuss, I can't even protect myself from a magical blast from this little brats. The reflection taunted, as it slowly turned into your serpent form.
"S-shut up! I'm through trying to go back, all I have left is my life here. And I won't let you or Adagio ruin it!" You shouted
Ruin it? As if, you need magic to survive what happened to those times, those times you manipulated boys into doing whatever you want. Breaking there little hearts when you were finished, deep down you want me you need me. Your reflection laughed as you shook your head.
"N-no, I'm through with magic in through with manipulating. I only want a normal life, a normal life." You said to yourself as you looked up to the reflection to only see yourself, you approached the statue and hit it. It didn't do much as you continuing hitting, the only pain you felt from hitting the statue was from sides of your fists.
"I don't need magic, I don't need magic!" You shout as you fall to the ground looking at the statue, you continued repeating the words over and over.
*crack*
You looked around and saw in the school parking lot there was someone, he had covered himself with a black hoodie sweater as he reached into the car. Though once he unlocked it all he took was a radio, that was it.
You looked down to your phone and took it out. As you looked at your battery, it was in the red. With a sigh you turned it off and just laid your head on the statue repeating the words.
I don't need magic
Silence was soothing.
