Another silence ensued as the ten of them tried to come up with any possible solution to the problem. The Sirens just looked tired with the world while the Humane Seven wondered what to do with the trio now that they were relatively powerless. Overpowering them with numbers and keeping an eye on them seemed like an effective solution, but that wouldn’t make the three sisters any more partial to the group.

Finally, the silence was broken by a confused musing. “Pardon me for saying,” Rarity murmured slowly, knowing it best to tread carefully. “But it sounds more like you were hunted to extinction rather than, er, victims of genocide…”

Shrewd eyes focused on her and Adagio replied evenly, “It may not seem that way to you, but think about how our people felt. We were just as intelligent, resourceful and civilized as the ponies on land and yet they hunted us like animals, for sport. We were not considered equal, but lesser and killed for it. They put prices on our mutilated bodies without thought to who we are and those in charge refused to put a stop to it, despite our pleas for help. Would that not feel like genocide to you?”

Rarity shrank back at the comparison, realizing that, considering the Sirens have proven themselves to be just as knowledgeable as those around them, hunting them would be quite cruel. Fluttershy sniffed into Rainbow Dash’s shoulder as another question was posed.

“Well, what happens when those jewels of yours come back?” Applejack inquired slowly. “Y’all gonna go right back to tryin’ to take over?”

Aria snorted and huffed, “We’re not stupid. We know we can’t do anything with you here now, so there’s no point in trying to take over again.”

“Besides,” Adagio cut in. “There’s no guarantee they will suck up animosity when they’ve matured. As I explained, they absorb the emotions we are feeling strongest at the time.”

Twilight smiled slyly at this and chirped, “So, theoretically, if you were experiencing something positive, say companionship, strongest and ended up spending a lot of time around other people, like these six do, you would, I don’t know, never go hungry again?”

The Sirens all narrowed their eyes at her, even Sonata. Aria leaned forward just slightly, her tone low as she hissed, “We get that you think we’re all buddy-buddy with you because you’ve stayed here for five days,” Adagio’s eyes widened at this new information and she shot a glare at Sunset. “but we’re not doing that whole magic of friendship bullshit.”

“Ari’s right!” Sonata insisted. “Just cause you beat us with your big mean shiny alicorn rainbow laser cannon doesn’t mean we’re just going to agree to be like you now. We’re Sirens. We stick together just fine without some dumb, power drunk humans butting in.”

“Not to mention you can’t be certain our animosity toward you will have faded enough by the time our jewels are restored.” Adagio watched the group opposite her calmly, not appearing as angry as her sisters… which was probably just as dangerous. “Nor can you be sure that, even if the animosity fades, we will be feeling friendship and not despondence at our situation.”

Sunset placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder to stop the other Alpha from speaking. “Look,” she said to the Sirens. “I get that you don’t want to be friends with us right now, or possibly ever, but at least let us help you adjust to living without your gems? Talking down on humans will get you nowhere here. Maybe we could at least… guide you through this? You don’t have to like us, but I still want to help.”

“We get along just fine at our nightclub job,” Aria grumped, receiving an elbow to the ribs from Adagio.

The septet blinked in confusion. “Nightclub job?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“As in, you’re dancers?” Rarity’s nose turned up and both Sonata and Aria turned their glares on her, the latter cracking her knuckles.

“Is there a problem with us being dancers?” Aria grit out between clenched teeth. “How do you pay your rent?”

While Rarity floundered for a response that wouldn’t further upset the two younger Sirens, Adagio kept her eyes on Twilight and Sunset. “We are not so easily changed by your notions, Princess,” she murmured calmly. None of her more explosive traits were present at the moment and it was highly disconcerting for all present. “We are over five thousand Equestrian years old and were left to stew in our own loathing and hatred for nearly as long. It will take more than ‘friendship magic’ to help us warm up to any of you, especially two students of Princess Celestia.”

The name was spat out and Sunset sighed. “Okay, I can understand not being particularly happy with Princess Celestia-.”

“You used to be like us!” Aria snapped at her. “How can you support her like this? And with the student that replaced you, no less? You were at the top of the world, just like we were at the Battle! How can you just be so calm sitting with the same people that took away your power like they took ours?”

Adagio could feel a headache coming on. She was surprised it hadn’t started sooner, considering their predicament. Rubbing her head for a moment, she took deep breaths and stood. “I think it’s time for us all to spend some time away from one another and think about everything that’s happened,” she stated levelly, eyes on their guests. “You need to leave.”

Twilight stood and faced her calmly. “We’re not leaving until we’ve come to a compromise between all of us,” she stated, using that same powerful voice she had the night of the Battle.

Adagio didn’t bat an eye as she responded, “You are on our territory and you are no longer welcome. You will leave and you will not return.” Twilight immediately flinched at the power behind the yellow siren’s voice. While it wasn’t the power of an Alpha, Adagio’s natural charisma and personality worked in her favor for the match. Aria smirked up at Twilight smugly, raising an eyebrow challengingly. Knowing she would have trouble, the princess glanced to her fellow Alpha desperately.

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sunset responded, coming to her friend’s aid and matching Adagio’s stance. “You three were left to your thoughts for a thousand years and it only caused your resentment to grow. If we leave you now, you’re doomed to tread the same path again once these girls are dead.” Twilight sent her a reproachful glance, but Sunset only had eyes for Adagio. “We can’t let this stew, Adagio. If you let it sit, you’ll try again eventually and it will fail, again. Please let us help you.”

Slitted pink eyes glared at her and Adagio grit out, “While I understand that my larger plans tend to fail by some unforeseen force, how can you be so sure a third try will not succeed?”

“And what if it does?” Sunset whispered. “What do you do? No one in Equestria, save me, will even know of your victory. What’s the point if you can’t even rub it in the princesses faces?”

The Sirens faltered at this. While conquering this world would have been a wonderful snub at Star Swirl, succeeding would have only ensured Princess Twilight never returned to Equestria, which would only bring the other two princesses to this world. However, if Sunset was the only one remaining in the future and they eliminated her early on, there would be nothing to signal Equestria that they had won.

Adagio’s eyes narrowed as her mind raced through several different possibilities and Twilight had a sudden realization. “And attacking Equestria would only bring you within reach of the ponified Elements of Harmony,” the princess stated quickly, not wanting the Sirens to get that idea. “They all have inherent magic, unlike here where it’s basically borrowed. If Sunset, who’s from Equestria, could beat you, so could they.”

The Humane Seven waited tensely as three shades of violet glared back at them all. Clenching her teeth, Adagio sucked in a single deep inhale. “Tell us, O Great and Powerful Princess of Friendship, what we are to do with ourselves then? With our refusal to so much as even breathe the same air as the wretches before us and our continued banishment from our home, what will you have us do?”

Aria and Sonata cringed back as the hard edge entered their sister’s voice. Adagio, by all outward appearances, seemed calm, but that was a tip-off to the other two Sirens that she was anything but. Slowly, they both stood and backed toward the door. If Adagio was going to do what they expected her to, it would be safest for them to be as far away as possible. Unfortunately, their natural instinct to protect her got in the way and they remained by the door, watching the eldest siren warily.

Their movements hadn’t been missed by the others in the room and the group looked to one another uneasily. While Sonata was decidedly the most light-hearted of the trio, to see Aria become unsettled meant that something big was going to happen. Sunset and Twilight shared a nod and Twilight stepped up to speak.

“Whether you don’t want to be around them or not, it’s still best that Sunset kept an eye on you three, especially when your jewels come back. She’s going to stay here with you from now on and watch you.”

Aria and Sonata looked to one another worriedly and each took a deep breath. Seconds later, an intense aroma filled the air. The smell alone brought Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to their knees, but the intensity served to shake Applejack and Rainbow Dash to the ground as well. All five panted heavily at the scent coming from the yellow siren, rendering them incapable of anything else.

Twilight fought the haziness in her head and stumbled toward the table. She couldn’t fight it for long, her pupils dilating and her teeth elongating as she took in deep breaths of the scent. Sunset rolled her eyes and grumbled, “You haven’t been practicing controlling your heat, seriously? Geez, you’ve really slacked off.”

The orange woman turned to Adagio and found the eldest siren glaring at her with her arms crossed. “Your pheromones aren’t going to work the same way on me,” Sunset said calmly. “I’ve been around them for five days.”

“They weren’t meant to work on you,” Adagio told her nonchalantly. “I was simply getting tired of having an alicorn tell me what I could and could not do in my own territory. If this were the ocean in Equestria, she would be dead. I think they should all consider themselves lucky. Sonata, Aria, why don’t you help them to the door?”

“With pleasure!” Sonata chirped, hefting Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight. Aria grabbed Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie by their collars and dragged them for the door. Sunset switched her attention back to Adagio in confusion.

The yellow siren moved around the table and stood face-to-face with Sunset. “Since it seems cemented in your heads that we will somehow ‘realize the power of friendship’ and how great and miraculous it is, why don’t you enlighten us?”

“I-I’m not really an expert on friendship…” Sunset murmured nervously.

“Well then, we can learn together,” Adagio purred. “After all, you’re staying here with us from now on.”

The grin on her face was positively predatory and Sunset wondered if she would live through this. The sneers on Sonata and Aria’s lips when they returned did not help her unease at all. Adagio reached out and stroked her arm before taking her wrist in a similar vice grip to the one she had used during the tour of the school.

“Come along, Shimmer,” she husked. “I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

Author's Note

Alright! That's done. There's so much fun to be had now! I'm excited! Are you excited! I'm excited!

For anyone curious, when I imagine them howling (because it’s gonna come up a few more times), I imagine it similar to when Holo howls at 3:00

Also, I think I have a thing for villains. It came to light when I realized that I'd fallen in love with the Dazzlings' songs before even seeing the Rainbow Rocks movie, but then, Disney dropped this bullshit

And.. I pretty much lost my shit. Especially since the second one is China Anne McClain. I love that woman.

Ahem. Anyway, all constructive criticism and feedback is welcome in the comments and votes!