The Dazzlings needed a break. Losing to high school students was one thing, but losing access to their magic had seriously set them back. They would recover, naturally, and then return with the wrath of a thousand suns to strike down their enemies.
But until then?
Bags packed, flights booked, hotel checked into and the Dazzlings were officially on vacation.
Ember Island was their chosen destination. It hosted a world-renowned beach resort that was usually off-limits from all except the extremely wealthy. It was on a beautiful tropical island, made up of petite market stalls, expensive funfairs and gorgeous natural sights. They had a three bedroom cabin with internet, Netflix, fully-stocked fridge and just about anything else they had asked for. This vacation would be their last for a while, as they were all aware, so it was justified their decision to splash out a little bit.
As night fell over the Island, so did the temperature. Most people retreated back into their hotels for the night, and the few that remained out in the freezing wind did do so only with the aid of fleeces and jackets. But such nonsense didn’t bother the siren sisters, who made a makeshift fireplace in the area between their cabin and the sea.
The beach was now almost eerily empty - a stark constant to how they had witnessed it earlier in that day. The sounds of screaming children were now replaced with the calm, soothing of the ocean waves.
“Cute, don't ya think?” Aria asked, admiring the view. “Almost like being back home.”
“Home is a long way away... ” Sonata poked at the burning wood with a stick. “Especially now.”
“These things take time, Sonata. For now, just relax. We’re on vacation, after all. Just think of all the boys that'll be on the beach tomorrow. I bet they'll be lining up to rub lotion all over you," Adagio grinned.
Sonata looked away, blushing.
Adagio yawned, standing up. She cracked her back in a few places and began the short walk back to their cabin.
“I’m gonna turn in. When you guys are donem put that fire out!”
“She ain't right in the head, I swear,” Aria chuckled.
When no response came, she glanced over at Sonata, whose expression looked deep in thought.
“Yo, you alright?”
Sonata nodded but remained silent, continuing to prod the glowing fire with a stick. Aria cocked an eyebrow. It was unlike their youngest sister to be quiet, never mind while they were on vacation. Though now she thought about it, she couldn't remember her saying much this past hour.
“Sup dude?”
When Sonata spoke, her voice came as barely a whisper.
“Do you remember earlier, at the market?”
“Yeah?”
“And Adagio told me off for petting those dogs?”
She did briefly recall the memory, but at the time had dismissed it as part of Sonata’s usual shenanigans.
“Hey man, forget about it. I’m sure you’ll get chance to see them again tomorrow.”
“But why did she have to shout at me?" Sonata mewled quietly. "I wasn't doing anything wrong.”
It was rare Aria ever saw Sonata upset. Not properly upset, anyway. Throwing a tantrum because she didn't get things her own way? That much was expected of her, almost a regular occurrence at this point. But right now? She was looked genuinely hurt, which didn't sit well with her. She had only half been paying attention when Adagio shouted at her, but for it to have still been bothering her, she could only guess she must have missed something important.
“C'mon dude, you know what Adagio is like," she sympathized, offering a wide shrug. "She was probably just annoyed at that guy who pushed in and ended up taking it out on you. You know she's got a temper. It’s ain't worth worrying about.”
“She made me feel like crap.”
There was a level of harshness in her tone when she spoke. Sonata almost sounded... angry?
“Well, I mean," Aria let out a laugh, "you spend a lot of time annoying us both, you can hardly blame her.”
Her attempt at improving the situation went unreturned. Even from here, Aria could see the fire's reflection burning in Sonata's scowl. From this angle she even looked, dare she think it, oddly intimating.
Her last words hung in the air as silence settled over the camp.
Sonata was probably just drunk, the thought occurred to her. Throughout the day the three of them had been lightly sipping at tropical drinks, more than a few she was sure were alcoholic. But saying that, Sonata had been drunk before and her mood had never taken a swing like this.
Aria turned her attention towards the ocean. The moon was rising, it's reflection in the shimmering surface, making the horizon look especially like a painting.
Her prior words were correct, the environment definitely reminded her of Seaquestria. True, she was young when they were banished to this world, but there were some images that stayed with you the rest of your life. One of which happened to be of the three of them, barely guppies, playing in the shallows of a beach exactly like this. Well, not exactly alike, for obvious reasons. But enough for her to get a welling of nostalgia, just as a cool breeze made it's way over her body.
“I want to get stronger.”
Aria, whose attention had temporarily been lost, turned back towards her sister.
Sonata’s proclamation had been sudden and out of nowhere. In fact, her whole demeanor had changed. Her knees were tight together, her hands balled up in fists and an new, rare expression on her face. There was a fire in her eyes - and now it was no longer a mere a reflection.
Aria blinked.
“What... ?”
“Stronger! I want to get stronger, like you and Adagio!”
Her voice was strong and went right through her. There was something unnatural about seeing such serious words coming from such a home-go-lucky mouth. Aria forced laughter and waved her off.
“You’re fine the way you are, don’t worry about it.”
“No, I’m not!”
She leaned back against her log. Now Sonata was shouting, and she had no desire to be present for that.
She was having a nice night and she wasn't about to get shouted at or dragged into an argument. But as she opened her mouth to stop her, she was silenced.
"I'm the weakest one here and I'm sick of it! You think I don't see the way you guys roll your eyes at me?"
Adagio must have really degraded her earlier, Aria thought again. Was that was this all was about? One small argument on the beach?
She bit her lip and tried to choose her next words carefully.
“Look, dude… we’re all really powerful. Just because you’re the weakest doesn’t mean anything. You’re still stronger than anyone else.”
“Well it doesn’t feel like it,” Sonata huffed, crossing her arms. “I’m just the comic relief.”
“You like being the comic relief?” she shot back.
“What I like is being adored... I just go a different way about it than you two. What I don’t like is being treated like I’m less because of it.”
Aria frowned.
She could empathize with her, sure, but she was getting alarmed by seeing this side of her little sister. To some degree she had always taken Sonata at face-value, the thought that she was secretly unhappy with the way things were... frankly, had never even occurred to her.
“Sonata, we don’t treat you like you’re less. We argue, yeah... but you’re just as much a part of this group as either of us are.”
The young girl scoffed.
“You don’t see me as anything other than your little sister.”
“Look - Where has all this even come from?” she asked a bit more confidently. “We were having a nice night, what’s brought this on?”
“Does it matter? What I’m saying isn’t wrong.”
“Look… Sonata… I just said, we think you’re important, alright? What more do you want from me?”
“Why do we let Adagio call the shots, Aria?”
“Becau… what?”
The sudden change of direction made her trip over her words.
Was this it, then? Sonata was mad over the power Adagio had? Where had that come from?
As she tried to piece together her mindset and form a response, Sonata continued.
“Because she’s the oldest, isn’t it? She’s the oldest, the smartest, so she’s at the top. I’m the youngest and the weakest, so I’m at the bottom.”
Aria stammered, “And that bottom is still miles above everyone else!”
“I’m not talking about them! I’m talking about me!”
With her voice growing steadily getting louder, Aria began subtly looking for escape routes.
“You is fine, Sonata. Now please, just-”
“Why should I settle for fine?”
She let out a silent groan.
“What are you even getting mad at?” she stressed.
“You know what I’m talking about, Aria! You feel that way too!” She pointed a sharp finger at her. “That’s why you always argue with Adagio! You know it’s unfair.”
“What’s unfair?”
“Why should Adagio get to lead? Because she’s the oldest sounds like a pretty lame reason to me!”
“You aren't genuinely suggesting…?”
Aria stopped herself before she went too far.
This conversation was already making her uncomfortable. She was struggling to keep up with Sonata's thoughts, but now it sounded like she was straying into outright treasonous territories. She squinted, swallowed, and started again.
“You’re not... saying… are you?”
Sonata turned away from the light of the fire. Even from here, Aria could see the grimace written across her face.
“She hasn’t gotten us anywhere. I could be just as strong as her, if not better.”
She felt a wave of goosebumps rush up her back, then checked the surrounding area for creeping eyes.
“Sonata… she’s our sister…”
“And?”
“And, we love her!” she emphasized. “That’s what comes first! We’re all in this together, dude!”
“I will always love Adagio,” she said plainly, but then followed it up with a less enthusiastic, “But we aren’t normal sisters, we have a goal we need to achieve. And Adagio isn’t going to get us there.”
“And you can?” Aria asked, halfheartedly. “That’s what you’re saying?”
“I deserve the chance to try.”
She gave a scorned chuckle, another last-ditch attempt at brightening the ever-decreasing mood.
“I mean... Hate to break it to ya kid, but I’m kinda next in line. Soon as Adagio decides to retire, the reigns are onto me.”
“Why?”
“Because…”
“Don't say because you're the new eldest."
“N-no! I wasn't going to!"
“Buzz off, Aria, you know that’s what it is.”
She groaned, defeated, and rubbed at her temples.
“Then, so what if it is? What’re you going to do, fight me to be in charge?”
The silence that followed her question was almost worse than an answer.
“Sonata… what is going on with you tonight?”
Sonata sneered at her from the shadows.
“Living in somebody's shadow gives you a perfect view of their back... I just think it’s important you two remember that. I’m going to bed.”
“Actually, I don’t think either of you are going anywhere."
Aria's blood went cold, her spine snapped straight and Sonata's face became a pasty white. Because neither of them had said that.
Adagio stepped forward from the dark. The dancing flames of the fire exaggerated her appearance, concealing half of her in shadow. The demon-like appearance did nothing to ease the rapidly increasing panic the girls were feeling.
“Adagio!” Aria half-yelled. “H-how long have you-”
“Long enough.”
She cocked a hip to the side, eyeballing Sonata.
“So, you think you could do a better job than me?”
Sonata’s demeanor changed instantly. She had the same look of determination, but weaker, and slowly, her head scornfully sank to the floor.
Through her teeth, her response was quiet, and very forced.
“I wouldn’t have said it if I knew you were there.”
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
Aria winced at her tone. Scornfully, Sonata obeyed.
“Well, do you?” she repeated.
Aria could see the growing fear in Sonata’s eyes. Frankly, with how scared she knew her younger sister was of confrontational situations, she was surprised she hadn’t already backed down, or started crying.
“Why, if you think you're so much better than me, why haven’t you tried to lead before?” Adagio asked. “Heck, even Aria has the nerve to stand up for herself sometime, but you? You’ve never shown an ounce of determination to get us where we want to go, or anything to prove you’re worthy. So what I want to know is... where this has all come from... and what changed?”
“It’s always been there,” Sonata growled. “I hate being in your shadows. I stay there because it’s safe and you’re a good leader... But I’m starting to think that’s changed.”
Aria choked on her breath.
Thousands of years together and Sonata had never said anything intentionally meant to hurt to Adagio, never mind questioning her ability to lead.
Not just that, but she knew exactly what happened to those who dared question or try to take away Adagio's authority. Heck, she had the scars to prove it.
Silently, with all the goodwill in her heart, she willed Sonata to shut up.
Adagio pursed her lips, clearly meditating on it. Though there was an obvious anger beginning to boil, she was doing a good job at concealing it behind her as of yet, calm eyes.
“Alright then, stand up.”
“What?”
“You think you stand a chance against me, then stand up.”
That was it.
Too far.
“Woah, woah, woah!”
Aria leapt up from her sitting position and situation herself firmly between the standing Adagio and still-stationary Sonata.
“This is getting out of hand! We’ve all had something to drink, let's just forget about this and go to bed!”
“We’ve had cider, we’re completely fine. Sonata wants to play with the big girls, then I say let her," Adagio sneered over her shoulder.
Aria glared at her.
“Adagio, think about what you are doing, you are n-”
“Fine then!”
She hadn’t even thought about trying to stop Sonata. Did that prove the younger girl right, in a way? Now she stood inches behind Aria, staring daggers at Adagio. Aria’s hands shot to both her sisters chests, forcing them apart.
“Stop it! Both of you! Jesus, what is it with you?!”
When neither took their cue to move, Aria leaped at the silence.
“We're sisters, yanno! We shouldn’t be fighting! It should be us fighting everyone us! Let’s talk about this, okay? Since it’s obviously something that’s important to Sonata... Adagio, can you do that? Will you hear her out?”
“I think Sonata has made her point perfectly clear, Aria,” Adagio spat. “She hates us and thinks she should be the one in charge, isn’t that right?”
“I don’t hate you... I’d never hate either of you,” Sonata shook her head. “But I hate the way you treat me.”
“You’ve never had a problem with it before.”
“Or maybe I’ve just hidden it?”
“That’s your own fault, not ours.”
“You should have treated me like a sister, not like a pet!”
“Then you should stop acting like one.”
Sonata lunged forward. From her standpoint, all Aria could do to stop her was throw her body weight into hers. With a push, she collided with her sister, sending them both flailing onto the sand.
"Arrghh!"
Sonata tried to fight herself free, but Aria forced her weight onto her back. When it came to physical strength, they both knew Aria had them beat. Sonata took a face full of sand and the exchange was over as quick as it began.
“I hate you!”
“Don’t say that! Don’t you ever say that!” Aria snapped at her sister, tightening her grip.
“No, let her, by all means!”
Adagio hadn't so much as flinched away from Sonata’s attack, and had yet to move at all from her original position.
“It seems all is coming out, finally! Let her talk, as I suspect she shan’t be getting another chance.”
“Is that a threat?” Sonata hissed, trying still to fight Aria’s grasp.
“An observation, sweetheart. Me and Aria are fine, but I am beginning to suspect maybe the alcohol has gone to your head.”
“I’m not drunk!”
“Well, I'm going to ignore you saying that because right now you have a free-pass and I would hate to ruin that for you. So by all means, continue. I want to hear it."
Slowly, Sonata ceased her fighting. For a split second, it was silence on the beach front. Nothing but the sound of waves and Sonata's jagged breaths.
“Aria, get off me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m not going to do anything, I’m fine. Plus you’re really boney.”
Slowly, she lifted herself off her. Only when she was positive the youngest wasn’t about to take another leap at the oldest, did she fully pull back and relax. Sonata straightened herself into a sitting position.
“Sit down.”
Adagio cocked an eyebrow.
“You’re giving me orders?”
“Yes.”
Another second of silence passed over.
After that, to Aria’s amazement, Adagio obeyed. She sat cross-legged in the sand opposite them. Aria suspected it was more out of curiosity to hear what Sonata had to say, rather than respect.
“Well, isn’t this quaint.”
Sonata looked at her boiling point, but didn’t respond immediately. Another long second passed over where neither of them spoke. Safe to say, Aria’s heart was in her mouth.
Adagio began first.
“You don’t know me.”
“Yes I do.”
“No, you don’t,” she spat back. “You’re in your Sonata-world where everything is cutesy and innocent all the time. You have no idea how the life really works, you’ve always had me and Aria there to cushion the blow for you. You don’t know what I’ve been through to give us success. You live on a throne that I put us on and you do not want to know what's made out of. You don’t know the first thing about the stuff I have done, and you definitely don’t know the first thing about survival.”
“It’s been like that since we were kids. Well guess what, Adagio?” Sonata asked. “I grew up! I listened, and I watched, and I learned. You and Aria never saw me as anything other than the little sister, but I’m beginning to see you both for what you are.”
Adagio pursed her lips.
“Now, I’m sure this will be interesting... What are we?”
Sonata grimaced, a heavy disgust present in her voice.
“You’re an egomaniac who thinks she can do no wrong. Well you have done wrong, and now we’ve all lost our powers. Aria hides her insecurities by dragging others down and-”
“And you’re a sheltered, spoiled brat?” she interrupted her.
Sonata winced like she was in pain. The tremendous amount of restraint she was taking not launching herself at Adagio, even Aria could tell. She took a deep breath and began again.
“I’m better than you give me credit for,” she growled.
“Too bad you’ll never get a chance to show us. Not unless you plan on killing me and Aria in our sleep. Do you plan on killing us in our sleep?”
“I’d never hurt either of you...”
“Didn’t look that way when you tried to attack me, just then.”
“You started it.”
“You wanted it.”
“Yes.”
Adagio had remained completely unphased during their argument, while Sonata still looked to be at her boiling point. Aria’s eyes played ping pong as her gaze swapped from sister to sister, eager, yet dreading, to know what would happen next.
“Do you feel better now you’ve said that?”
Adagio’s voice was quieter than it was before, Aria observed.
“Depends, will it change anything?”
“Probably not.”
Just then, Sonata looked like she was about to say something, something important, but stopped herself, biting her lip. She looked pained to have to do it. Whatever fire had ignited in her to start all this finally appeared to have ran its course, and she hung her head in defeat.
Adagio turned to Aria, who couldn’t help but flinch at her gaze.
“What about you? Since all cards are apparently being laid out, you might as well say your piece. How do you feel about us?”
Despite only Adagio’s eyes watching her, Aria suddenly felt center-stage.
Adagio did have a point... they were laying all cards out on the table, and it was no secret to anyone that she had problems with the way Adagio ran things. But why did this conversation seem to have some kind of finality to it?
How many years had been building up to this exchange, and why now? Was why it was happening even as important as the fact that, right now, she had opportunity to say what she had always wanted to them both? And, even then, was the chance to something it even worth it?
She wasn’t able to complete this complicated thought before her instincts kicked in and words escaped her mouth of their own accord.
“I agree with Sonata.”
From the corner of her eye, she spied Sonata perk up, lifting her head.
“You do?”
She didn’t break her focus on Adagio. She decided to ride this roller-coaster, and let her mouth take over the driver's seat.
“You’re an ego-driven narcissist. But... I also agree with you.”
Her direction changed to the broken-down Sonata.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about and have no idea how the world really works. And honestly? I think the only thing that can be taken from both of your arguments is that you’re both unfit to be the leader.”
“Here we go,” Adagio smiled coldly. “But you are?”
“I’ve gone through just as much as you, Adagio,” she said flatly. “But I’ve also had to live with Sonata’s frustration over not having a part in the decision making. The difference between me and her is... I’ve known you longer than she has, and I know you’d rather die than not be in charge. So I’ve accepted the way things are, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”
Adagio nodded, seemingly happy, or at least agreeing with her words.
“Do you both know why I’m in charge?”
“Because you’re the oldest?” they answered identically.
She nodded, closing her eyes.
“Partly. Being the oldest makes me the most experienced. Experience equals wisdom. I’m a brilliant strategist, and I know how to lead, but there’s something more...”
Adagio took her time with her words, and Aria observed again that her tone was different to before.
“I would die for either of you. And I would kill for you, too.”
Slowly, she gestured to each of them.
“Aria, you’re too aggressive to be in charge. Sonata, you’re not aggressive enough.”
“That can change!”
“It doesn’t need to change,” she shut her down. “We aren’t Adagio, Aria and Sonata. We are the Dazzlings. We're the sirens. We are sisters and we are a team. If a single one of us left, the group would fall apart. You’d both be lost without me, and I wouldn’t know what to do without the two you. Aria pushes me and keeps me on my toes, Sonata gives me something I want to protect.”
“I’m not innocent!”
Aria’s slapped Sonata lightly on the leg.
“Let her finish..."
And that wasn’t her sisterly instincts kicking in, but rather a genuine desire to hear Adagio speak. A rare opportunity had presented itself to the three tonight, and it appeared now was their oldest's turn to lay her cards down.
Adagio meanwhile, carried on as if she hadn’t heard either party speak.
“You two wouldn’t be here without me. But just the same, I wouldn’t be here without you. I have based my entire life around caring for the both of you, and so however great I supposedly think I am... is entirely down to the both of you. I am in charge because it’s part of who I am. A gear stick wouldn’t function as a steering wheel, Sonata, and you wouldn’t function as the leader. That may seem unfair but it’s the way things are and always will be. Do you understand me?”
As the sisters processed her words, both found it difficult to cultivate a coherent response.
To Aria, the sound of the waves again suddenly seemed extremely loud.
“We don’t come separately, we come as a team. As sisters.”
A chill shot up her back, this time nothing to do with the ocean breeze.
Hearing Adagio talk about them the way she just had… messed with her. Everything she said made perfect sense, yet somehow, it had never occurred to Aria before. She was able to put into words something that they were all always aware of, but never focused on, never drew attention to. It was as obvious as the sun was yellow, but had never occurred to her to question why in much the same way.
A steady clumping of guilty began to gather in her stomach.
“I’m sorry.”
The response had come not from her, but from Sonata, whose words were quick and quiet. Aria glanced to her. Sonata was on her knees, leaning forward and clinging tightly to a beach rock.
Adagio nodded.
“I’m going to bed. The fires gone out and I’m getting cold, you both should turn in too.”
Strangely enough, Aria hadn't noticed the fire burn out. And she probably wouldn't have been able to tell you at what point in the conversation it had, either.
With that, Adagio stood, brushed herself off, and without a glance back, began to move away from the two.
“Adagio, I’m sorry!” Sonata half-shouted.
Though she wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the rapidly-decreasing light or not, Aria swore she saw Adagio’s walking falter for a second. But of course, nothing phases Adagio. Nothing.
“I know.”
With that, the older sister disappeared into the dark as quickly as she had come. Leaving the two sisters on their own, Aria became aware of the strained breaths coming from beside her.
“Sonata…?”
She had collapsed onto all fours. She was gripping handfuls of the sand and appeared... in pain?
Aria leaned, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Why am I crying?” Sonata hissed. “Adagio was right. I am weak.”
Aria's mouth hung open.
“That... really can’t be all you got from that? After everything she just said... you can't still think... ?”
Sonata let out a frustrated cry and hit at the sand in front of her.
“You don’t know what it’s like, Aria! To have to live in someone's shadow!”
Aria shook her head, and a sting of sadness washed over her.
Seeing her sister like this wasn’t good for her heart. But it was the disappointment that she had taken nothing from Adagio’s speech that destroyed her.
“Yes, I do,” she answered solemnly.
Sonata said something to this, but Aria couldn’t decipher her crying breaths. Instead she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her shivering form and pulling her into a hug.
Her voice dropped to below a whisper.
“You’ve done all you can. I've listened. Now let's end this.”
Sonata didn’t answer vocally, but nodded her head in agreement.
Aria helped her onto her own feet. She was shaking, but stable. Although it hadn’t occurred to her earlier, Aria was beginning to suspect Adagio’s accusation was right and that Sonata was indeed drunker than either of them were. As she took lead and began them towards the cabins dim lights, Sonata didn’t release grip of her hand.
“You want to stay in my room tonight?” Aria offered..
Sonata may well have gestured a response, but the darkness was now so heavy she couldn’t make out if that was so. Taking it as a yes, she pulled the girl closer behind her.
“I don’t think you’re weak, yanno. A spoiled, annoying and sometimes wholesome brat, maybe. But not weak.”
Behind her, Sonata’s quiet voice broke through the darkness.
“I... I don’t think you’re weak... either.”
Biting her lip, she gave Sonata’s hand another squeeze.
“Come on, let’s go to bed. It’s freezing out here.”
