Chapters Sirens of the Night: Dream Rise
Her alarm was going off. Adagio slammed her hand down on the infernal device in an effort to get it to shut up. Instead her hand hit cold steel. Steel, Adagio thought, my night stand is made of mahogany. She opened her eyes and found herself in unfamiliar environs. The room had a prefabricated look to it. The walls and floor looked to be made of metal, and the ceiling appeared to be sterile tile. Next to her rather spartan bed was a steel table that was bolted to the floor. Bolted in the corner of the ceiling was a loud speaker that was the culprit of the offending noise. The next thing she noticed was that she shared the room with her sister, Aria. Aria was fumbling with her glasses. The third thing Adagio noticed was the horrid uniform that Aria was wearing. In consisted of a navy blue jumpsuit with reflective material sewn on the arms and legs. A small silver bar was pinned to Aria's collar. Adagio looked down at herself and found herself similarly stored. Good thing Rarity isn't here to see this, Adagio thought, these outfits would give her an aneurysm.
"Aria," Adagio said with a yawn, "what's going on and where are we?"
"I dunno," Aria replied. Looking around the room and at the uniforms that she and Adagio were wearing something struck her as familiar, but she couldn't place it.
Suddenly the alarm went silent.
"This has been a drill of the emergency alert system." A voice said over the loud speaker, "in the event of an actual emergency, all hands are to report to action stations."
"That sounded a little bit like Raven," Adagio said, "let's go find out what is going on."
Aria agreed and both girls exited the room. They found the there was a label on the outside of the door: "Lt. A. Blaze, Lt. A. Dazzle",
"What the hell is going on," Adagio said, "aren't we a little young to be in the Army?"
Aria watched as people passed by them, all dressed similarly to them. Where is Sonata?
"Let's find Sonata," Aria said, "then we search for answers."
"Agreed," Adagio said. The sooner they knew what was going on, the better.
"Dagi," Aria asked as they walked down the hall, "what is the last thing you remember?"
"Sleep over at Sunset's house," Adagio said thinking back, "mom wanted to get us out of the night before her wedding."
"Ditto," Aria said, "maybe Sunset, Scootaloo and the girls are here too."
"Well then, atleast we aren't alone," Adagio said.
"Adagio, Aria," they heard Sunset say, "we found you." Both girls turned around and saw Sunset and Sonata standing behind them. They were both dressed in a similar fashion. The only difference was that Sunset's collar was adorned with a gold oak leaf.
"Any ideas where we are," Sunset asked her cousins, "I woke up sharing a room with Sonata, wearing this ."
"Somehow, everything here is familiar," Aria said, "but I can't quite place it."
"Perhaps we should find the rest of the girls," Adagio said, "and then we can worry about where we are."
"I'm worried about Scootaloo," Sunset said, "I hope that she is okay."
"She's smart and tough," Aria said, hoping to reassure Sunset, "I'm sure that she is fine."
As they walked along, the four girls found that the corridor led to a large hanger full of futuristic looking fighter craft. Each fighter had a long sleek fuselage with stubby wings. The wings looked like they were little more than a mounting point for weapons, since several of the fighters had middle pods attached. Ground crews were hustling around the fighters, many of which were in various stages of repairs. Sunset stopped and looked at one fighter in particular. The legend "LCMDR SUNSET 'DAYDREAM' SHIMMER" was stenciled under the canopy.
"Now I really want to know what is going on," Sunset said to her cousins.
"Sunset," Sonata said as she read the stencil, "I didn't know that you could fly."
"So can we apparently," Adagio said as she pointed out three other fighters, each with their names stenciled under the canopies. Further inspection revealed a fighter for each of the girls except for Scootaloo.
"Well," Aria said, "we now know that the others are here somewhere."
"Then let's go find them," Sonata said, "I need my Pinkie!"
"Lieutenant Pie is in the base infirmary," a new voice said, "she came back from her patrol yesterday a little banged up. I guess that she ran into an Imperial patrol."
Imperial, I've heard that before, Aria thought to herself.
The girls turned to look at the speaker but they didn't recognize him. He wore the same uniform that they did, but instead of any insignia pinned to his collar, he had three chevrons and a rocker on his sleeve.
"Thanks," Sonata said, "let's go to the infirmary!"
"Anytime Eltee," the man said before he returned to whatever he had been doing.
"I think I'm beginning to put together where we are," Aria said as the four of them began to walk towards where they thought that the infirmary was, "but if I'm right, then all of this is impossible."
"By all means, tell us where we are," Adagio said impatiently.
"Let's find the infirmary first," Aria replied, "because if it's where I think it is, then that would confirm my theory."
It didn't take long for the girls to find the infirmary, and when they found it, it confirmed Aria's suspicions. Before she could tell her sisters and Sunset, they opened the door to the Infirmary and found the rest of their friends inside.
"So you are all here too," Rarity said, "wherever here is."
"I know where we are," Rainbow said, "it's 20% cooler than I thought it would be!"
"So where are we," Adagio demanded. Her patience was wearing thin.
Aria looked at the flag that was pinned to the wall opposite of the door that led into the infirmary.
"Lunar One," Aria replied, "the command base for the military arm of the New Lunar Republic."
"How do you know that," Fluttershy asked quietly.
"I don't know how," Aria continued, "but we're living mom's books, and those fighters that we apparently fly are called Lady Liberty's."
Author's Note
And our new tale has begun. This idea I came up with back in July 2020, and I've been trying to figure out how to set it within the Siren of the Night universe. I figured it out. Hopefully the girls can find a way home before something terrible happens.
Sirens of the Night: Dream Rise
"Say that again," Adagio said, "we're living in one of mom's books?"
"Yeah," Aria said as she looked around at her friends, "haven't any of you read them?"
"Darling," Rarity said, "your sister and I read romance novels."
"I'm busy doin' chores on the farm most o' the day," Applejack replied.
"The cover art intimidates me," Fluttershy said meekly.
"Pinkie and I are waiting for the movie," Sonata said.
"I've read them," Rainbow said, each of the other girls looked at her in disbelief, "what, I need to read something between Daring Do books."
"I've only read the first one," Sunset said.
"How do you know so much about the lay out of this place," Fluttershy asked Aria.
"Mom asked me to do some of the illustrations for the upcoming Nightmare Moon Technical Manual," Aria said, "Rarity helped me with the uniforms."
"Not my best work," Rarity said as she looked over the uniforms, "but they are better than some sci-fi uniforms."
"All I want to do is find Scootaloo," Sunset said, "then we can figure out how to get home."
"I'll go with Sunset," Rainbow said decisively, "the rest of you, figure out what brought us here and how we get home."
All the girls nodded as one.
Sonata decided to stay in the infirmary with Pinkie, while Sunset and Rainbow went looking for Scootaloo. Aria, Adagio, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy decided to explore the base and to see how much of it had matched Aria's sketches.
"It's uncanny," Adagio said as Aria led them into the base's cafeteria, "none of us have ever been here before, but Aria knows this place like it's second nature."
Aria just rolled her eyes for what she guessed was the hundredth time. She was proud that her mother had chosen her to do the illustrations, but now it was starting to sound like she was bragging. She hoped that Sunset and Rainbow found Scootaloo quickly so that they could figure out a way home.
"Any ideas on how we get home," Rarity asked, "any hidden portals or exits to our world?"
"How would we see them if they are hidden," Applejack asked flatly.
"Phbbbbbt," Rarity said, "I didn't think of that."
"Maybe I should give you girls the rundown on this universe that my mom created," Aria said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That might be best," Fluttershy said before either Applejack or Rarity could speak up.
"Alright, here it goes," Aria said with a sigh. She then proceeded to tell them how the small and outnumbered Lunar Republic was at war with the tyrannical Celestial Empire, and how the war was a result of a feud between two sisters, the evil Empress Daybreaker and Princess Nightmare Moon. About how Daybreaker had been corrupted by the mysterious Bell of Grogar, which had driven her insane before she had turned on and killed her father, the good king Sombra. Nightmare Moon had fled the empire to the Citadel Moons and eventually returned to free her people and redeem her elder sister.
"I'm going to have to read one of these books," Rarity said as she wiped away a year.
"I think I'll join Pinkie and Sonata," Applejack said, "and wait for the movie."
"So how do we figure out which book we are in?" Fluttershy asked.
"Mom did a good job of time stamping each book," Aria explained, "the first book is about Nightmare Moon's return, the two that follow are flashbacks telling the reader about Daybreaker's fall from grace."
"And that helps us how exactly," Adagio asked.
"Well," Aria said, "we obviously aren't in the first three books since this base isn't established until book four."
"Of course," Adagio said as she rolled her eyes.
"Thing is," Aria said, "this base gets destroyed in the end of book 5."
"Ok," Applejack said, "what happens after that?"
"I don't know," Aria said, "the sixth book doesn't come out until this summer."
"And mom hasn't told you," Adagio said, "has she?"
"Not a peep," Aria replied.
"So we have to assume that we are sometime before the base is destroyed," Applejack said thoughtfully, "wait, how is the base destroyed?"
"Imperial saboteurs sneak in and overload the fission reactor,"
"So this place is nuclear," Rarity said, "I hope that I don't start glowing, I don't have anything that goes with nuclear waste."
"Um," Fluttershy said so quietly that they could barely hear her, "not to worry anybody or anything, but what happens if we die in this place?"
"Let's not think about that," Applejack said as she gave her pink haired friend's shoulder a comforting squeeze.
"We should probably try to blend in while we look for a way home," Aria suggested, "we are dressed like officers, we should act like it."
"Quite," Rarity agreed, "we don't want to draw unwanted attention to ourselves."
Sunset and Rainbow had been searching for Scootaloo for longer than Sunset wanted to think about. She was beginning to worry that they were never going to find her younger sister. Rainbow could read the expression on her fiery haired friend's face, and began to think of a way to relieve the tension.
"Scoots will be fine," Rainbow said, "she is tougher than we all give her credit for."
"I know," Sunset said, "I just think about how long she was alone, which gets me thinking about how long I was alone, and I promised her that she would never be alone again."
"Wow," Rainbow said, "you're a much better big sister than I would be."
"What do you mean," Sunset asked.
"My whole life," Rainbow said, "it's just been me and my parents. I've never had to worry another person."
"What about Fluttershy," Sunset replied, "you seem awfully protective of her."
"Shy is my oldest friend," Rainbow said as she felt her cheeks blush, "she is actually about a year older than the rest of us. And I have my reasons for being so protective."
"Okay then," Sunset said with a knowing smile, "keep your secrets. Hey do you smell that?"
"Smells like..." Rainbow said as she sniffed the air, "breakfast."
"Pancakes," Sunset said, "one thing Scootaloo can't turn down are pancakes."
The two girls followed their noses into a large room full of tables and people seated, busily eating away at their meals.
"How will we find her in here," Rainbow said over the noise, "there must be thousands of people in here."
"Know any impromptu dance numbers," Sunset suggested sarcastically.
Sirens of the Night: Dream Rise
Scootaloo was very confused. She had gone to sleep at her Aunt Luna's house with her cousins and there friends. When she had woken up, she found herself alone wearing some strange outfit. She had deduced that she wasn't in Canterlot, and she reasoned that her sister and her cousins had to be looking for her. She had planned to stay where she had found herself when she had awoken, but a woman with a loud voice and a stern manner had ordered her out of bed. Everyone kept calling the woman "Sergeant Major," so Scootaloo decided to listen to the woman, if only until she found Sunset, or Sunset found her.
That had been her plan anyway, but her stomach had disagreed, luckily Scootaloo caught the smell of her newest favorite food, pancakes! She had fallen in love with pancakes after Celestia had taken her in. Scootaloo's growling stomach won, and she followed her nose to the cafeteria. Not wasting any time, Scootaloo got in line and got some pineapple pancakes and chicken tenders from a woman that reminded her of Apple Bloom's Granny Smith.
She had just finished stuffing the last bite of pancake into her mouth when she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Scootaloo," the voice said, "there you are. We've been looking everywhere for you."
Scootaloo turned to see both her sister and Rainbow Dash standing behind her. Both of them were wearing the same outfit that she was, but instead of the three stripes on the sleeves, Sunset had a pair of metal bars on her collar points, Rainbow, instead, had a brass "X" pinned to her collar points.
"Shorriesh," Scootaloo said around her mouthful of pancake.
"All that matters is that we found you kid," Rainbow said.
"Keep your seat," Sunset said as her stomach growled, "we might as well get something to eat while we're here."
"Excuse me, Commander," a woman with three stripes like Scootaloo said to them, "this is the enlisted mess, Officer's Country is on the other side of the compound. I don't mind if you want to eat here, but both the Sergeant Major and General Ravenwing would lose their shit if you are here. Plus it sends the wrong message to the enlisted personnel."
"So we can't get some pancakes," Rainbow asked.
"You could probably get away with it Sub-Leiutenant," the woman said before nodding at Sunset, "but not the Commander."
"Ok," Sunset said, not sure of what to say, "thanks."
"Don't mention it," the woman said as she walked off to deal with some other problem.
"Do either of you know where we are," Scootaloo asked once the three of them left the mess hall, "we're in one of Aunt Luna's books!
"Yes we are," Sunset said, "wait, how did you know that?"
"I started reading them during detention," Scootaloo replied, "last thing I remember is reading one before falling asleep last night."
"Let me guess," Rainbow said looking at Sunset, "we're trapped in a dream."
"That's my guess," Sunset said worriedly, "but whose dream?"
Rainbow pinched Scootaloo.
"OUCH,' Scootaloo cried, "what did you do that for?"
"It's isn't supposed to hurt if you're dreaming," Rainbow explained.
"It might if magic is involved," Sunset said, "let's go find the girls. Hopefully they will have figured out a way home by now."
It didn't take them long to find the girls. Aria was able to lead them to a secluded spot so that they could compare notes.
"Ok so right now," Sunset said, "Aria, Rainbow, and Scootaloo are our experts on this universe."
Sunset paused to allow her words to sink in.
"Rainbow thinks," she continued, "and I agree, that we are trapped in a dream."
"It has ta be Equestrian magic," Applejack said.
"I can think of half a dozen spells that could make ones dreams real," Adagio said.
"So can I," Sunset agreed, "but I don't know of any that allows you to share that dream."
"Is this dream magic," Aria asked, "or is it nightmare magic?"
"Even scarier thought," Adagio said. Her sister's comment had sent a shiver down her spine.
"What is nightmare magic," Fluttershy asked softly, trying to hide behind her hair and Rainbow Dash.
"A sick and twisted form of dream magic," Sunset said, "only one pony ever mastered it's dark arts, and for that she was banished."
"Great, and now she is in our world wrecking all kinds of havoc," Rainbow said, "seriously, next time you go to Equestria tell them to stop using our world as their garbage dump."
"I'll be sure to tell them," Sunset said as she rolled her eyes, "but unless our world is Equestria's moon, this isn't Nightmare Moon."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rainbow said, "Isn't Nightmare Moon a character in these books."
"Yes," Aria said, "but I doubt that my mom has been in contact with a Noctismancer that has been banished to Equestria's moon."
"No one on our side of the portal even knew that it existed until the Fall Formal," Fluttershy said.
"Unfortunately I have no way of asking the Princess if Nightmare Moon's magic could be leaking through the portal," Sunset said.
"You still have the journal," Rarity asked.
"Yeah," Sunset replied, "I just can't bring myself to part with it."
"It's good to hold on to things from the past," Applejack said, "let's you know where you have been and it can show you where you are going."
"I don't mind being all philosophical and crap," Adagio said, "but how does this help us get home?"
"We'll find the answers," Sunset sighed, "dreams all have to end sometime."
"Let's go grab Sonata and Pinkie," Rarity said, "maybe their brand of crazy can find a way out of here."
"Now that is a scary thought," Rainbow said with a laugh, "how many confetti cannons do you think that Pinkie had hidden around here by now?"
Eight girls shuddered at that thought.
"Great, we are in a confined area, surrounded by the vacuum of space, AND WE'RE TRAPPED HERE WITH PINKIE PIE," Adagio nearly screamed, "we're doomed."
Author's Note
Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I've been undergoing a transplant evaluation at Shands Hospital for a kidney and a pancreas and on the days that I wasn't at the hospital, I was at the Kidney Center receiving dialysis treatment, and I was to exhausted afterwards to do anything except take a nap. On top of that I was forced to move during the week after Christmas.
Sirens of the Night: Dream Rise
"Will the following personnel report for mission briefing," a nearby loud speaker suddenly squawked, "Lieutenant Commanders Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy and Sonata Dusk, Lieutenants Adagio Dazzle, Aria Blaze and Rarity, Sub-Leiutenants Applejack and Rainbow Dash."
"Sweet Celestia," Sunset cursed, "what now?"
"Who knows, but we better go and find out," Aria said. Luckily, Aria's knowledge of the bases layout meant that she was able to guide them to where they needed to be. As they filed into the briefing room they each noticed a woman that reminded them of Raven Inkwell, only this woman wore a long leather greatcoat adorned with five gold stars on the lapels, her jet black hair was tied back in a bun and an eye patch covered up her left eye, there was a long scar running down her cheek from under the eye patch. She wasn't smiling as she watched each of the girls enter the room.
"Sergeant," She said sternly to Scootaloo, "Why are you here, this briefing is for pilots only."
"She's my backseater today," Aria said quickly, "Commander Shimmer approved it, we need all the pilots we can get, General."
The woman didn't say anything, she just glared at them both.
"Fine," she said after a moment, "but she is your responsibility Lieutenant Blaze."
"Yes ma'am," Aria said, atleast we can stick together.
"Let's get on with the briefing then," the General said as a video monitor came to life, "as you are no doubt aware, yesterday Sublieutenant Pie was leading a patrol of enlisted trainees when they were attacked by the forces of the enemy.
"There had been zero activity in that sector since the war began," the General continued, "your mission is simple, scout that sector. Find out if Imperial forces are preparing to mount an offensive through it. With our fleet currently engaged in protecting the Citadel Moons, you Night Witches are our only protection."
"Yes ma'am," they all replied.
"One final thing," the General said, "Lieutenant Commander Fluttershy will be coordinating your patrol from CIC, any questions?"
There weren't any.
"Good luck."
It wasn't long before seven sleek needle like fighters were zipping over the moonscape.
"Could someone please explain to me how I knew how to operate this thing," Rainbow Dash asked over the radio as she performed a high speed barrel roll, "while this is awesome, I've never been in a cockpit in my life."
Rainbow had a point Sunset noticed, they had each seemed to instinctively know how to operate the fighters that they were now flying.
"I think that it might be an effect of the spell that we're under," Sunset said, "the General did say that we are the best at this and it would seem odd if we suddenly didn't know what we were doing."
"But if we are out here flying missions," Adagio grunted, "how are we going to get home?"
"I asked Shy to look for anythin' that seemed out if place," Applejack replied, "maybe she'll see somethin'. And maybe she'll find out who sent us here."
"We can only hope," Sunset sighed.
"Um I hate to break up the conversation," Scootaloo said suddenly, "but does anyone else see those dots on the radar?"
Sunset glanced at her instrument panel. Scootaloo was right, there were seven blips on the radar, approaching fast.
"Looks like trouble," Sunset said, "could be what the General sent us to investigate."
"Well how are we going to handle this," Aria asked. Sunset thought about that for a brief moment.
"Aria, Rarity," Sunset ordered, "you two hang back, I want the three of you to get back grab Fluttershy and Pinkie and find a way home."
"And what about you," Scootaloo demanded, "I'm not going home without you!"
"We'll be okay Scoots," Sunset confidently, "I promise."
"Don't worry squirt," Rainbow added, "I'll watch her back."
"I don't like this plan," Aria said, "but if you are sure that that's how you want it done."
"I'm positive," Sunset said, "now get out of here!"
Aria mumbled under her breath while she flipped her fighter around. She understood why Sunset was sending her back. She had Scootaloo in her back seat, and Sunset was protecting her younger sister. Aria knew what that was like. Even though she was the middle triplet, she had always been the protector of both of her sisters. Now both Sonata and Adagio were off to combat without her.
Rarity managed to stay in formation with Aria, and it didn't take long before they managed to return to the base. As soon as she had shut down her fighter, Aria jumped out and practically ran to the Combat Information Center. The room was illuminated in an eerie red light that seemed to radiate from several led bulbs and most of the monitors in the room. Both General Ravenwing and Fluttershy watched as Aria entered the CIC. Fluttershy was nervously chewing on her finger nail and kept glancing at the main display.
"Lieutenant Blaze," General Ravenwing demanded, "why have you returned to base?"
"Commander Shimmer ordered me too," Aria answered, "we had just crossed into the light zone and out of radio contact when we were jumped by seven Imperial fighters."
"We're you able to identify them," Ravenwing asked.
"We only had radar contact," Aria explained, "They were still beyond visual range."
Aria took her time to look around the room. Hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room was a central display. On it it showed five blue blips and seven red blips circling each other, jousting for optimal positions. Unfortunately there wasn't any audio. Aria felt like she was watching a movie with the mute button on. The display didn't show which blip represented which of her friends. And Aria felt the most hopeless that she had ever felt before. Atleast when they had lost the Battle of the Bands she still had had her sisters, and it had been shortly after that that Luna, the woman she now called mom, had taken the trio into her house and life.
Suddenly the base shook and power went out.