Phoenix

1:32PM

Adagio collapsed as the wave of magic passed over her, the Siren gasping like a fish out of water as she struggled for air, the tears from her eyes still streaming down her cheeks. The raw emotions of Sunset’s memory, imparted and burned into the minds of all the students still drilling through every attempt to form a thought.

“Hey! Snap out of it, Adagio!” the Equestrian stared blankly into space as she felt herself being shaken around, Twilight’s face looking dangerously gaunt, everything drawn thin in concern. “Come on, Adagio! What happened here!?”

“...Twi...light…?” Adagio gave a thousand yard stare, gazing through the lavender skinned girl. “Wher...Where’s Ehtyl…?”

“Ehty- Adagio, it’s me! Princess Twilight!” Adagio’s eyes blinked rapidly, the girl groaning as she shook her head.

“Princess…?” Adagio’s face scrunched up as the Siren tried to focus on the slowly focusing image of Princess Twilight Sparkle. “What… are you doing here?”

“She detected a massive spike of magical energy from this side of the portal.” Adagio looked up at the towering form of Principal Celestia, or rather Princess Celestia. “She alerted me and we prepared to cross over.”

“Look, something magic-related happened here, and I want to know what it was!” Twilight quickly scanned over the mass of humans that were slowly starting to recover from whatever had been cast on them. “And where’s Sun-Fireside?”

“Sunset is the one who caused this.” came Aria’s weary voice, before being replaced by the sound of retching. “Damn… I never thought the taste of meat would make me sick…”

“Sunset did this…?” Twilight’s concern shifted to her friend’s well being. “Where is she!?”

“I don’t know… After she cast that spell she- I heard her say that we would never see her again!” Sonata swayed on her hands and knees, teardrops flooding down onto the concrete beneath her. “The monster! She-She-She had a wing, just like the Daemon! And her right arm was the same!”

“How did it come back!? We sealed it!” Twilight looked towards her mentor, Alicorn turned Human frozen in place.

“That… That may be due to the fact that she was shot repeatedly.” came the struggling voice of Principal Celestia, the woman staggering over with her sister in tow only to pause an look up at the massive clone of herself. “You must be the other me…”

“What do you mean by shot?” the Princess asked of her counterpart after giving a warm nod.

“They don’t have guns back in Equestria.” Adagio said, interrupting Vice-Principal Luna as she tried to speak. “Celestia- Princess Celestia, I mean, you remember how you swung around that greatsword of yours? Or Luna and her spear all those millennia ago? Well Humans evolved past that point, they can kill from a distance beyond where the eye can see with versions of the weapons that were uses to attack Sunset.”

“Wh-Where is she…?” the royal Celestia had stumbled back during the Sirens explanation, her eyes narrowing as her breath quickened. “Is Sunset okay…!?”

“She was shot, like, fifteen times.” Aria grunted as she got up, staring through her uninjured eye. “I’m surprised she was even able to walk. But she gave us a trail to find.”

Everyone looked down at the blood splattering across the ground, leading away from the school in jerky motions. Princess Celestia’s hands shot to her mouth as she looked around, trying to dash after the trail, only to be paused by the Sirens.

“You aren’t going without us.” Adagio growled, staring down the human version of her most ancient rivals.

“Yeah! She’s our sister!” Sonata cried, stamping her foot and instantly whining as she started to hop on the other leg.

“Hey, Principal Celery!” Aria looked past, motioning with her head to the Gaian Celestia. “Get everyone into the school, wait for Nine-One-One to show up, and try your best not to mention magic? Don’t need you going to the loony bin.”

Aria waved as she took after the other four figures that had left her behind, the crass teen yelling at them to slow down and wait for her as Celestia and Luna looked around, dread lining their faces.

***

“How are we sure that this is her blood trail?” Sonata asked as they continued to follow behind Princess Celestia, the woman pushing aside people who paused to study the dried blood on the concrete.

“There’s a very faint magic trail,” Princess Twilight called back as the five Equestrian’s raced to find their missing sixth. “it’s hers, though with something mixed in with it.”

“And it’s getting fainter…” they heard Celestia say, slowing down to round the next corner.

“Oof!”

“Gah!”

“Wha-!”

“Hey!”

The four normal sized girls crashed into the back of Celestia, the woman frozen in place as she looked down the street. The four complained as they separated from the build up, only to pause their chattering when they realized why it was that the woman stopped so abruptly.

About three quarters of the way down the city block sat a blockade of sorts. Men and women in uniform trying their best to disperse the small crowd that lined the yellow and black striped tape that hung from police car to police car, breaking only for the ambulance that was backed towards the opening in the wall of buildings. The five beings from another world felt their collective hearts plummet as the made a frenzied dash to the blockade.

“Excuse me, Ma’am,” a policeman strode forward holding out an arm, palm facing the approaching women. “You need to stay back, please. This is a-”

“Let me in!” Celestia demanded, raising to her full height as she towered over the man. “That’s my child in there!”

“Ma’am, please, you need to calm down.”

“I will rain down a fury this world has never seen, if you do not unhand me this instant!” Celestia as she attempted to tear her slender arm from the man’s grasp, everyone's attention turning the scuffle that was unfolding. The officer struggled to hold on, a second starting to rush over, only for everyone to freeze as a scratchy, melodic noise filled the air, all of their eyes glazing over.

“Adagio! What are you doing!?” Celestia and Twilight spun around to look at the Siren, the pale yellow girl stopping her singing abruptly, doubling over as her body convulsed in time with her hacking, blood spraying around her hand.

“You will let us in there.” Adagio braked, wiping away the blood around her mouth with the back of her hand as she stumbled up to the officer that held loosely onto Celestia. The man gave a mute nod, letting go of the woman’s arm and jerkily stepping aside as the tower white Equestrian dashed through.

“What are you thinking, Adagio!?” Aria reached under her sister, helping prop the woman up as Sonata did the same on the other side. “We don’t have the power to do that, even if we all worked together!”

“It’s for her…” Adagio groaned as she slumped. “We have… to save her…”

“No!” the trio turned to the alleyway, slowly rushing to it at the sound of Twilight’s cry. “Sunset… No!”

“Move aside…!” Adagio commented as the trio approached. “Let me see her!”

The two Sirens put down their leader leader next to the body laying on the ground, stepping back to try and come to terms with what they saw. An amber skinned girl with flowing red and yellow streaked hair lay unmoving on the ground, her clothes riddled with entry and exit wounds as blood seeped through to pool beneath her.

“Damn it…!” Adagio cursed harshly as she held onto the limp wrist of the figure, pushing her first two fingers into the flesh, trying to detect a heartbeat. “Come on, Fireside! You’re tougher than this!”

Celestia fell to her knees as she watched Adagio move around the body of Sunset, shouting and swearing as she rested fingers onto various parts, only to have to be dragged away by her sisters, the two of them struggling to not injure themselves because of their leaders mad flailing. Twilight started to openly cry beside her, the woman unable to move from her spot as noises started to erupt from back at the opening of the alleyway.

She felt herself being pulled to her fert, watching as a team of people dressed in medical equipment rushed to block Sunset’s body from view as the officers removed the five Equestrians from the scene.

***

Two days later...

The barely muffled sound of crying perforated the silence of the small hall, a small collection of people gathered in the aisles.

“Thank you for doing this, Discord.” Principal Celestia gave a small smile as the man walked down from the small stage. “I know they will appreciate you keeping this on the down low.”

“Think nothing of it, my dear.” the man said quietly, pulling the woman into a quick embrace. “It’s not everyday someone gets to deal with beings from other worlds.”

The pair looked over the hall, taking in all the youths and adults that had joined them for the private ceremony, Celestia giving a small chuckle as she spotted two unmissable figures.

“Especially other versions of yourself…” she added as the towering forms of herself and her sister walked down the center lane.

“I still haven’t found anything…” Chrysalis whispered as she walked up and stood beside Celestia, her gaze locked on the clone of her lover. “No one remembers seeing that girl walking down the streets, only that she was found like that.”

“Thank you, Chrysalis.” Celestia reached out and gave a soft squeeze of the dark woman’s hand. “...I should go talk with them.”

Discord and Chrysalis both gave small nods as they watched the woman depart, before they started into a quiet conversation of their own.

“Princess’.” Principal Celestia nodded as she approached the two, Princess Luna responding with a quick, polite nod while Celestia stared at the girl in the open coffin with a dead gaze. “I’m sorry that it had to be like this…”

“We speak for the both of us when We say that we appreciate the invitation.” the towering facsimile of her sister said with a polite nod, pausing to look over her shoulder before motion to follow her as she took a few steps away.

“Is she… Well, I doubt alright is the right word, but…” Principal Celestia turned her head away from herself to look at Princess Luna, the woman’s features as dour as her own sister’s.

“We do not know.” Princess Luna said after a moment of silently studying her sister, turning back to looking at the Gaian version with a deep frown. “She has locked herself in her room, seeing no one, not even eating. Why, she even prevents me from seeing her in her dreams.”

“I can’t say I understand how she feels.” Celestia commented with a sad frown. “Losing your adopted daughter like this… I’m just glad that it seems that Gaia won’t be destroyed.”

Princess Luna gave a small bark of laughter before starting to explain the situation from Equestria’s point of view.

“So what do we do now?” Sugarcoat asked as she turned to look at Dean Cadance, surprising everyone that she of all people was lost.

“I’m not sure,” Cadance replied giving a small smile as she stood with the five students from Crystal Prep. “but classes will still be on hold for the rest of the week.”

“As happy as I am to hear about classes being cancelled, that still doesn’t answer what we’re supposed to do!” Indigo glowered, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. “That bitch from CHS shot and killed our friend! And now she gets to go away for mental evaluation!?”

“Well what did you want to do?” Sour Sweet growled, turning to face the teen. “Tell them that Fireside turned into a half daemon after surviving falling from the roof? Or what about the fact that magic is real!?”

“You would be joining Cinch and that girl in the asylum.” Sunny Flare nodded slightly.

“Besides, I think we all know the she’d be mad if we sought revenge…” Lemon Zest stared at her feet, her body surprisingly vacant of any sort of musical device.

Everyone paused and looked towards the door of the room as it slammed open, three figures making their way through slowly. Students, friends, and family all stood aside as the Sirens slowly walked their way down the middle aisle towards the still silent Princess Celestia, the woman resting a hand in the half opened coffin.

The trio paused around Celestia, their eyes focussed on the peaceful face of the girl in the coffin, her hair done up to match the rather fancy clothes that adorned her cold body. Celestia’s pale hand was carefully running across the amber cheek, traveling between the chin and the corner of the eye is slow movements.

“I’ve seen so much death and loss…” the solar Princess said softly, reverting to the Equestrian tongue as her delicate fingers moved a strand of hair away from Sunset’s closed eyes. “I’ve watched my subject age pass away, ponies torn apart by Discord’s chaotic magics, my bodyguards die protecting me from inane assassination attempts…”

“But it never really hits home until it’s one of your own…” Adagio added in equal solemnity, her eyes tracing across Sunset’s face. “And that’s coming from someone who made your subjects come to violence.”

Celestia gave a small chortle as she looked over to the Siren, a knowing look on her face as she studied the ancient Equestrian.

“I know that you and your sisters do not regret your actions in the past, and those actions are never going to be forgiven.” she addressed the three of them with a now firm frown, before shifting over to a sad smile. “But I can never thank you enough for what you three gave to her.”

“I’m sorry that this happened…” Aria said, stepping forward. “If I could have done anything…”

“It’s all our faults that this happened…” Sonata sobbed quietly, wiping away the tears building in her eyes. “If we didn’t get captured-”

“If anyone is at fault it’s me.” Princess Twilight walked to the group of Equestrians. “She told me how much she was suffering here, yet I told her things would change… Now look at her!”

“You judged their Gaian counterparts by how well you them back in Equestria, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna walked over and paused, resting a hand firmly on the girl’s shoulder. “You did not know how different they truly were, so how could the fault be yours?”

“But I could have visited her!” Twilight turn on the lunar Princess, tears flying from her eyes. “I could have come here and seen just how bad it was!”

“Princess?” Twilight turned to look at Sonata, the girl wiping away her tears. “It was because of you that she came to stay with us, and I wouldn’t change that for anything… And I know she wouldn’t have either.”

“I’m sorry, everyone,” came Discord’s calm, apologetic tones. “but it is time for you all to leave. The Equestrian delegation can stay a few a few minutes longer to say their final farewells.”

The room slowly emptied, everyone pausing one last time at the front of casket, saying their final farewells to their friend. One by one they came, and left, some requiring the help of others to leave, but soon the five were left alone with the peacefully sleeping form of Sunset.

Celestia hummed an ancient tune, an ancient prayer that the departed could pass on peacefully, as her hand moved one last time across the cold cheek of the girl. She bid her daughter a good rest before turning and departing the room.

Twilight struggle to stop her tears long enough to apologize to her friend, before saying her farewells. She struggled to leave, hiccuping slightly before she started to follow after mentor.

“Well… I knew you’d leave us before we left you, but…” Aria choked back a sob, an uneasy smirk spreading across her face as she started to tear up, reaching down and grasping the firm shoulder of her sister. “I, uh… I didn’t expect it to happen like this…”

“I never was able to thank you, Fireside…” Sonata choked out between sobs as she grabbed her sister’s limp hand. “For everything you did for us… So, uh… Thank you, Fiery…”

Adagio remained quiet as she studied the girl that had ruined her and her sisters plans to rule the world. The girl who she had to be forced into taking into her home. The girl that they had to lie to about her being their sister. Yet it was her that saved the three of them, even at the cost of her own life. Adagio wiped away a single tear before taking a steadying breath.

“May the Eternal River take you into her embrace,” she started having to pause as fresh tears assaulted her eyes, her throat clenching and starting to burn as she struggled to force out the words. “Un… Until we join you, may sh-she take care of you as her o-own…”

“Until we join you…” the three Sirens finished, each laying a hand on the silent form of Sunset Shimmer.