The Little Shark and The Lead Sirenby TheGatheringChaptersUrchin I - Blast From The PastUrchin III - Witnessing Her CharmAdagio I - Can’t Get Urchin Off My MindUrchin IV - Auditions Of Talent / Forming The BandUrchin V - Dark Waters, Part 1Urchin V - Dark Waters, Part 2Adagio II - Hidden Beneath A MaskCato III - Back At It Again With The RantUrchin VI - Heart To Heart Talk When The Fate Of The World Is At StakeUrchin VII - Moonlight Kisses At The Battle Of The BandsCato I - Average, Then Not-So-Average, DayUrchin II - Weirdness AboundsCato II - Fears On The HorizonAdagio III - Finally FreeUrchin I - Blast From The PastI couldn’t believe my eyes. Here, standing before me, was my old friend from middle school, Cato Hadley. I got up from my seat and just hugged him. “Cato, bro. I have waited so long to do that.” “Indeed. What brings you here?” “Oh, my parents got a new job here in the city, so I had to transfer here to Canterlot High. Never expected to see you here as well though.” “Yeah. Parents got a new job, moved here, had to deal with some stuff in here like you not believe before you came here, but overall, it hasn’t been that bad.” “Well sick, bro. Hope I get put in some of your classes.” “You too, well see you around, Urchin.” “You too, Cato.” He left and I was alone with my thoughts while sitting in this chair. Of all the people that are here at Canterlot High, my old friend has to be one of them. What are the odds of that? I was then snapped out of them by feeling a pair of eyes on me. I turned my head right, and my eyes connected with a pair of orange brownish ones. I immediately gulped when I saw that they belonged to a girl, and a stunning one at that. Orange-yellow hair, a face that makes you heat up like a lovestruck puppy, flawless skin, she was just beautiful. I snapped out of it after a second or two. What the hell is up with her? She’s like something out of a fiction book or something! I was so busy trying to comprehend the girl that I didn’t notice her walk up next to me. “Well, ain’t you a cutie” she whispers in my ear, causing me to blush. “W-Why thanks” I stammer out. “New here?” “Yeah.” “Then, might as well make some new friends. I’m Adagio Dazzle.” Adagio.. what a lovely name, I think to myself. “Nice name. I’m Urchin. Urchin Breck Hook.” “Urchin.. that’s a nice name as well.” It was then that I noticed the amulet on her neck. So shiny, so brilliant, so much.. red. It was an oddity on an otherwise gorgeous girl, but at this point, I wasn’t questioning anything. “Yeah. It is. You moved here?” “No. My sisters and I transferred from another school around here.” “Sisters? It’s not just..” “Adagio! There you are! What’s with the curly haired dope you found?” Two girls come up behind her. One is a moody purple and green haired, purple skinned girl while the other is light blue skinned with blue and turquoise hair. Oddballs, to say the least. Then again, I had already seen multiple people with oddball skin colors walk through the doors of Canterlot High already while waiting for the tour guide so I wasn’t complaining. “Okay, first off. He isn’t a dope. His name is Urchin.” “Urchin, is it? Well hi, I’m Aria. Aria Blaze. And welcome to the two I have to call siblings” says the purple skinned one with an annoyed tone. “I take it, that your not happy with that?” I asked. “Well, it’s a rather complicated situation. But, that’s just me. You do you, kid.” “Okay.” The blue haired one now took her turn. “Hey there! I’m Sonata Dusk. Your cute.” I blushed again, because for the second time, I had just been called cute by a cute girl in my age group. Are you kidding me? Things were going so good, and then they just started getting weird. Like, really really weird. I don’t know if this was some sort of elaborate introduction to Canterlot High, but when Cato said he had to deal with some stuff I could not believe, what followed made me start to think that he wasn’t actually kidding when he said that. Urchin III - Witnessing Her CharmTurns out, not only did was I in two of Cato’s classes, but I was also in the same lunch as him, which was very, very nice. As it turned out, he had changed a lot since I last saw him. He had managed to get a lovely girlfriend named Applejack or “Jackie” as he called her, and a supportive group of friends. Even more crazy, the nerd who was a top scoring student only because of how jacked the school system was back in Panem City was practically the social king of the school. When I asked him how he managed to do it, he looked at me with the thousand yard stare look and said this. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jackie hugged him and kissed his cheek to make him feel better. I was about to ask more, but was interrupted by the sound of singing, just straight up lovely singing. I turned around and looked in the direction of where it was coming from. There stood Adagio and her sisters at the entrance to the cafeteria. As they sung though, something weird started to happen. Lots of kids began leaking green mist or some shit out of themselves which flowed into the sisters’ amulets. When they came back to consciousness, they started arguing with each other. For some reason, Cato, me, Applejack, Cato’s friend named Flash Sentry, and Applejack’s friends were not affected by it, but the others were. “Cato, what in the hell is happening?” I asked him. “One word, buddy: Magic. Bad Magic.” I was in shock. Magic? Here? Are you kidding me? It didn’t seem like it could be possible. Three singing girls causing some sort of magic spell to make people argue with each other? It didn’t make any sense at all to me, so I, naturally, was confused as hell. The fact that I couldn’t stop staring at Adagio didn’t help. I mean seriously, there’s something about her, aside from her bad magic stuff, that makes her so attractive to me. I just don’t know what the hell it even is. After class that day, I caught Cato as he was about to head out to the front door and yanked him to the side. “What the hell- Urchin?!” he yelped, surprised. “Cato, what the hell did you mean by magic? Explain.” That simple yet forced request of mine caused to explain everything. How his rise to power was due to a nearly suicidal stunt he pulled a couple of weeks ago the night of the Fall Formal against a demonized school bully who was actually a unicorn from another dimension using a crown belonging to a princess from said dimension to get revenge on that realm’s rulers for not making her a princess. Turns out that same reformed school bully happened to be me and Adagio and her sisters’ tour guide. Small world, isn’t it? Anyway, he told that he met Applejack when he saved her from this former bully’s minions, and that his stunt had unintentionally toyed with her feelings for him, causing both of them to confess to each other after the bully was defeated. For the two weeks between Fall Formal and now, all had been quiet.. until today. Taking the bus home, I tried to process the information Cato had given me. I’ll be honest, this day wasn’t normal for my first day as a transfer. Neither was the relationship between me and Adagio. She was a magic-using girl, I was a boy who for some reason was immune to her effects. How? I had no fucking clue. It was really weird. It was then that my bus got to my stop and I got off. As I was walking down the street, I felt a familiar pair of eyes and turned around. Across the street from the bus stop, there stood the girl that was gradually becoming a curious mystery to me. Adagio Dazzle herself. She smiled, winked at me and left, leaving me to wonder more questions about her, as well as contemplate my very strange relationship with this girl. Adagio I - Can’t Get Urchin Off My MindAuthor's Note So far, you’ve been seeing the story through the guys’ eyes. Now, it’s time to switch it up a little as we see things through Adagio’s perspective. Adagio I - Can’t Get Urchin Off My Mind I can’t think straight. I just can’t. Even as I try to think about finally regaining me and my sisters’ power that had been taken from us so long ago while sitting in this bed, I honestly can’t. Every time I try, he always creeps into my thoughts and disrupts my thinking. Urchin Hook. Honest to god, Urchin is cute, no doubt about it. It’s just I can’t seem to get him out of my mind, even when I’m trying to think about important things, like regaining our magic and defeating the girls that try to oppose us, like the Rainbooms, for example. They’re obviously the emitters of the Equestrian Magic I saw that day, for sure. Where Urchin and the other two boys fit in however is a mystery. Flash was just a simple student, and then there was Cato. Cato Hadley, the social king of Canterlot High. I had to admit, he was extremely attractive, even if he was a nerd, as some people said he was. From what I and Aria and Sonata have heard, all it took to get where he is now was a near suicidal stunt of desperation at the Fall Formal 2 weeks ago that resulted in the Equestrian Magic I saw. Apparently, the hulking boy put a demonized student who was one of Sunset Shimmer’s two minions in a headlock, then basically faked her out by literally asking her to destroy him with the risk it would take out her minion as well. He survived, but only by the narrowest of margins. I mean, as a Siren, I’ve seen crazy things throughout the long time me and my sisters have been stuck in this world, but Cato’s stunt is probably the most craziest by far. I mean, he got his now girlfriend, who happens to be one of those accursed Rainbooms, to confess her feelings for him unintentionally due to his Hail Mary play. Impressive for a transfer student, I thought to myself at the time. But he couldn’t match Urchin. There was just something about him that I couldn’t quite pin down that just drew me to him. I know how crazy it sounds, a Siren being attracted to a lowly mortal. And yet, here I was, having exactly that happen to me. For a brief bit, I begin to think of what life could be like if I went with Urchin. That didn’t last long, as I shook it off. Focus, Adagio. You’re a Siren. You’re not supposed to have feelings for mortals. They only exist for you to absorb their energy so you can have your powers and those of your sisters’ restored to you. You don’t have time for a crush on a cute curly haired boy like him. Yet, no matter I tried to bury those feelings, they refused to go down. Like, a Siren can’t actually fall in love with a mortal while they still have some power, can they? Urchin IV - Auditions Of Talent / Forming The BandI will admit, when Cato came up to me and Flash and asked if we would join him as a band for the battle of the bands, I actually thought he was joking, like no joke. I really, really thought he was joking. Turns out he had changed in more ways than one that I hadn’t seen. I swear, Canterlot High has changed Cato a lot. It turned out in a nutshell after school that day that Cato either has the ability to see the future or that he has great instinct because apparently, me, him, and Flash sound good as a band. Like, no joke. The three of us totally sound good as a band. At least, that’s my opinion. What the judges for audition think of us tomorrow will probably be a different story. It seemed there was a large hesitance on students forming bands for this contest, as not a whole lot of groups were there for auditioning to get into the Battle Of The Bands. Of course, there was Cato’s girlfriend Applejack and her friends, Adagio and her sisters, as well as us. There was also this weird student that called herself, and I am not joking here, The Great And Powerful Trixie. Like, that is honestly one of the most ego-driven names I have ever heard. Give me a break. Of course, we had to wait until it was our turn, AP me, Cato, and Flash watched the auditions go by. As can be expected of Adagio and her sisters, they put on a great performance as usual. I mean, the song they played was good, I am not lying here. But inside, it only just increased the amount of stress I was feeling. Then went Applejack and her friends, then Trixie. Finally, it was our turn. With Flash on drums, me on guitar, and Cato on bass and singing, we stood there, watching as both Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, Trixie and her group, Applejack and her friends, and Adagio and her sisters all watched us. Talk about pressure. I locked eyes with Adagio and she turned her head with redness in her cheeks, apparently blushing. But why? Then, I heard Cato tap his foot and I snapped out of it. “A 1.. 2.. 3..” And then, we started our audition. Cue Cato flawlessly doing a dubstep repeat of the first phrase of the song we were doing. With all this bread, I need a bigger stomach.. My name like bells so you can hear me coming.. Made it all on my own, they ain’t give me nothing.. And I’m still standing, like a set of crutches.. Ain’t no way they gonna forget my name.. I’m a legend, putting in work ever since I came.. You see this umbrella? No, it can’t stop my rain.. You in the carpool, I’m in a different lane.. I just wake up every morning.. And go get the change.. Do my own dirty work and I won’t get a stain.. I’m too heavy in this game, and you be better it.. Hustle speaks for itself, I ain’t even gotta show it.. Some Legends Are Told.. Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold.. But You Will Remember Me.. Remember Me For Centuries.. Let’s go! And just one mistake.. Is all it will take.. We’ll go down in history.. Remember Me For Centuries.. I will admit, Cato being up there made the stress a lot more manageable for me, thankfully. Mummified my teenage dreams.. No, there’s nothing wrong with you.. The kids are all wrong, this story’s all off.. Heavy Metal Broke My.. HEART! Come on, come on and let me in.. The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints.. And this is supposed to match.. The darkness that you felt.. I never meant for you to fix yourself.. Then came Flash’s dubstep drum solo, with Cato and I as a secondary role. Remember Me For Centuries.. And I can’t stop till the whole world knows my name.. Since I was only born inside my dreams.. So, until you die me for.. As long as there’s a light.. My shadow’s over because I-I am the opposite of amnesia.. And you’re a cherry blossom.. You’re about to bloom.. You look so pretty but you’re gone so soon.. We’ve been here forever.. And here’s the frozen proof.. I can scream forever.. Cause we are the poisoned youth.. We built it toward a climax, then just before we landed the final part, I said into the mic, “Real OG.” Then, Cato and Flash just let loose. So Legends Are Told.. Some turn to dust or to gold.. But you will remember me.. Remember me for Centuries.. We ain’t going nowhere! And just one mistake.. Is all it will take.. We’ll go down in history.. Remember me in Centuries.. Heeeyyyy Hey Ya, Oh Heeeyyyyy Hey Hey Heyyyyy Hey Ya “We’ll go down in history” I said as my only line of the song. Remember Me For Centuries… There was a moment of silence after we finished, before the room just exploded into applause and cheers. All except Trixie, that is. She and her group just stormed out, obviously not pleased that we just got more applause for our audition than her group got. Then, there was Adagio, who was blushing so much she eventually just stopped clapping and got up and left, Aria and Sonata close by. “So, your verdict, your honor?” Cato asked jokingly to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. A second of silence followed. “Yep, you three are definitely participating in the Battle of the Bands. Congratulations.” Cato, Flash, Applejack, and the other students in the room exploded with applause and cheers and joy. But during all of that, I thought about Adagio. Why on earth was she blushing so much? Is it because of me? Author's Note Just a note, the song in the chapter is a mixture of Centuries’ Gazzo Remix and the remix in the album “Make America Psycho Again” From Fall Out Boy featuring Juicy J. Urchin V - Dark Waters, Part 1As I walk by Canterlot High later that night after auditions, I look at where the Battle Of The Bands is going to be held, and I can’t help but think to myself. Two days from now, that’s going to be me, Cato, and Flash up on that stage, competing against Trixie, Applejack and her friends, the other competitors and.. Adagio. My heart pangs in pain at the thought of her name, like it longs for her. It felt weird, to be honest. I stopped in my tracks, and walk towards the stage where the contest is going to be held, and I sit down on it, in the light of the lights illuminating the place, and sigh. My mind first thinks back to when Cato asked me and Flash to join him in this. What in the world are you planning, Cato? Like, what the hell are you planning dude? There’s something about this whole thing that I don’t know about, and I feel like that you’re the one that knows. Then, my mind thinks of Adagio and her sisters, and then I realize something. Maybe Cato’s ulterior motives have something to do with Adagio and her sisters. If that’s the case, though, then what is it? I was so busy in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Aria creeping up behind me until she was practically right on top of me. I jumped when I realized she was there. “Easily scared much, Curly?” she asked. I look back at her, annoyed. “Very funny, Aria. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” She chuckled, and then narrowed her eyes. “Nothing in particular, on my motives. Adagio asked me to come find you, whether it was tonight or in the morning when I found you.” Adagio? I thought in my head, confused. What in the world does Adagio want with me that she sent Aria out to find me? “Let me cut to the chase here, kid. She wanted me to tell you the truth about us, if you can keep this secret.” I nodded, not knowing what to expect. “The truth is that, we’re not exactly human.” “Obviously” I replied. “To be honest with you, Urchin, we’re actually sirens. Creatures from the land of Equestria, in an entirely different world from this one, that feed off of disharmony. We were banished here by the wizard named Starswirl The Bearded over a millennium ago, with only enough power to retain immortality and our singing voices. Now, due to the Equestrian Magic generated when Cato pulled his stunt at the Fall Formal, we’re here to use your fellow classmates to regain our power and make everyone adore us.” She stepped back, to give me some space so I could process this. To be honest, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. The girl that had an interest in me and her sisters were actually creatures from another world. It took a couple of minutes to gather myself. “Shocked?” Aria asked me. I nodded. “Yeah, I figured you would have that reaction. It’s probably lucky that I found you here. Less people that could overhear me. Anyways..” she sighed. “I have to admit, you guys were good at the audition. I will give you and the other two that. Sonata probably doesn’t really think twice about liking you guys as a fan would.. she’s just dumb like that. And I know it’s harsh, I know.” She paused, as if thinking of what to say next. “Adagio though.. she’s another story. I can see it in her eyes, the way she looks at you. She can’t get you out of her brain, she admitted it to me herself. Her purpose in life, as dictated upon by our siren elders, won’t allow it, but I honestly think the blush she had on her face earlier today has given me all the clues I need to know.” She looks at me with serious, yet sad eyes. “I think she’s falling in love with you, Urchin. Which is sad to know since you’re probably going to hate her for what she does to your school, your classmates, and your friends. Vengeance against your opponents is a dish best served cold, but honestly I don’t think I’m going to come out of this without any regrets.” She leaves me with a slip of paper, on which is written an address. “Adagio wants to meet you at this hotel tomorrow night, so she can have some brief and most likely last chance moments to confess her love to you before the Battle Of The Bands. If I were you, I’d go to the hotel. She’s already fragile as she is, trying to grapple over what she’s been born to do from Day 1, over her feelings for you.” She then left me, leaving along with my thoughts. I was stunned for a while, then I left, booking it towards home, with only one though in my mind. Cato, Flash, Applejack, I need your help to save Adagio and her sisters. Author's Note Looks like things have gotten totally serious for Urchin. Now, the boy from 4 is in a race against time and apparent destiny and fate.. Urchin V - Dark Waters, Part 2I cornered Cato, Flash, and Applejack and her friends the following day after school had ended, and told them everything. Cato was shocked, Flash was dumbfounded, and Applejack and her friends all had horrified expressions. “Looks like Twilight was right after all” Cato muttered to himself, but not quietly. “Twilight? Who the hell is Twilight?” I asked, confused. Cue everyone explaining the true story behind Cato’s stunt at the Fall Formal, to which Sunset Shimmer only stood by and had tears in her eyes. Rarity and Rainbow comforted her after we were done. Again, I was shocked. Cato sighed. “This was why I asked you and Flash to form the band. I saw the connection between you and Adagio forming in front of my eyes and thought I could use that to my advantage without things getting way too serious. Seems like that line has already been crossed.” I shuddered, and tears came to my eyes, “Well, I sure d-don’t want their nature to succeed and leave them broken! We have to help them.” Cato stood there, deep in thought as if searching for an idea. I, on the other hand, had enough and left, so I could prepare with what could be a star crossed lovers’ moment before tragedy with Adagio tonight. Just walking up to the room that Adagio was in felt like agony. Like, here was a siren that had managed to develop feelings for me despite their purpose in life and wanted to at least have some intimate moments with me before she and her sisters brought about the end of the world, like it was painful as fuck. Words cannot describe it. To my honest surprise, she had the door held by the lock mechanism open a little bit so I could enter the room. “Urchin? Is that you?” I heard her voice call out, in a tone that made it sound like a cry for help, which in turn made my heart pang in pain. “Yeah, I’m here. Still a bit surprised that I made you fall for me, to be honest” I replied back. “Yeah you did. And it really breaks my heart that due to what my purpose in life is, that I only get to spend one night of it with the boy I love.” I winced, then got serious. “Adagio, I promise that I’m going to free you and your sisters of this if it’s the last thing I do. Like, fuck destiny. Fuck whatever fate your ancestors have envisioned. I’m going to change the fucking ending, no matter what it takes.” She looked up at me, since she was sitting on the bed, then cried into my chest. I put my arms around her neck, and comforted her. “I’m not going to leave you and your sisters to your fate. Neither are Cato or Flash or the Rainbooms. We’re getting you and your sisters out of this, no matter what happens.” “B-But what about the Battle of the Bands?” “Screw that. The real battle is breaking you and your sisters free of your purpose in life.” She pulled her head back, looked up at me with scared eyes, then calmed down and just say two words. “Kiss me.” So I did. I kissed her, and we had a moment of bittersweet making out that night. Just the two of us, admitting our feelings for each other. Adagio II - Hidden Beneath A MaskAuthor's Note Little bit of a time skip here.. Also, very, very short chapter, just something that will make Urchin’s quest a bit more harder. Adagio II - Hidden Beneath A Mask If I had known that Urchin would be with the Rainbooms and Cato and Flash standing on top of the trapdoor when Trixie pulled the lever, I wouldn’t have asked her to “give them a shove”. As such, it served as the perfect opportunity for the dark side of me to take full control. My true self was banished to a corner of my brain, in grief after doing what I felt had been a betrayal of Urchin and breaking his heart. But, as I watched myself go crazy, I could only think of him and from inside my mind, I just whispered stuff that I hope somehow, someway, he could hear it. Urchin, please, help me. I need you now, love. Cato III - Back At It Again With The RantI don’t know what Urchin was thinking in wanting to try to free Adagio and her sisters from this curse of theirs, but clearly, since Trixie pulled the lever and we all fell down a trapdoor, this shit just got harder than it already was. Honestly, I’m just glad we all landed on a pile of mattresses. Flash looked worried a little, Urchin immediately set about trying to find a way out with a face so determined that no one could doubt how committed he was to saving the siren that had fallen in love with him and her sisters. My girlfriend and her friends, aside from Princess Twilight who had joined us that morning, they were another story, one that was too familiar. They, after a couple of hours of fear and distress, had started arguing. And as they did, green waves of energy flowed upwards towards the trapdoor on the stage. Not good, not good at all. Twilight tried to stop it, and ended up being shoved out of the way by Rarity. I could see Applejack’s eyes wavering between hate and distress, and that’s when I knew I had to step in, since Flash was now crying at the thought of not being to able to save Adagio and her sisters. So I did, starting another one of my rants that had the power to turn things around. “God fucking damnit! Guys, stop arguing! You all have allowed yourselves to warp the magic of friendship into the same kind of stuff that the Dazzlings, as of this moment, are fucking eating off of! Like, come to your senses. We’re going to get nowhere in saving Adagio and her sisters if you all keep arguing!” Now angry, I turned to the door that Urchin was trying and failing to open. “Stand back.” He did, and in a rage, I literally punched the door off of its hinges after punching it repeatedly for 45 seconds. Everyone else was stunned, except Applejack who hugged me. “Cato, I knew you’d come through.” “Thanks Jackie. But right now, we got a job to do.” Urchin and I took off for the stage, while everyone else was temporarily distracted by this DJ girl and Spike arriving before they also did the same. Urchin VI - Heart To Heart Talk When The Fate Of The World Is At StakeWe got up to the hill overlooking the Battle Of The Bands and stop dead in our tracks. There were Adagio and her sisters, practically levitating on stage with pony ears, tails, and translucent wings on their sides, as well as deep, blood red eyes. Normal people probably wouldn’t try to reason with people like this, but I knew that Adagio and her sisters weren’t ordinary and probably not in control of themselves at the moment, and I was no quitter. I ran down towards the crowd, towards Adagio, with Cato following close behind me. As if the crowd wasn’t enough of an obstacle to Cato and I, the amulets on Adagio and her sisters shined and from a light extending upwards, out came massive sea horses that looked like Adagio and her sisters. “Is that what I think it is?” I shouted. “Yeah. That must be their true forms.” Adagio’s true form dived on us and tried to smack us with its hoof. Cato and I ducked and it only succeeding in catching air. Continuing onwards, we reached the stage. All three sirens prepared to attack me and Cato again, but stopped as we hear more music back from where we came. Turning around, I saw that Applejack and her friends had set up with their instruments and were trying to free everyone from the Dazzlings’ control. Adagio and her sisters channeled their powers and knocked everyone down. “Shit! We got company!” I turned around. Cato was in the process of drawing his sword, since for now, undead pirates with swords were spawning on the stage. “Urchin! I’ll handle this. You do your thing.” Cato started cutting them down, as I ran over to Adagio, jumped up, and pulled her down to the stage by my own weight while hanging onto her legs. “Gggaaaahhhhh! Why you little-“ It seemed that her true self decided to take control right then and there over her physical form, not her true form. “U-Urchin! I.. I-I’m sorry.. but I think this is how it ends..” “Adagio, look at me. I think you have the power to stop this and free yourself and your sisters from this.” “I don’t think I can..” “Adagio, look at me when I say this: you have it. I believe in you. I will never abandon you or anything. Besides, I think your talents have been used correctly in attracting someone that loves you for who you are and not because they adore you or any of that crap. You can do this. For me. For Cato. For the others. So, please. You have to trust me.” She nodded her head, her blood red eyes spilling normal tears. “Okay, Urchin. I do.” So I kissed her on the lips, right then and there, hugging her tight. Then after a few seconds, she pushed me away and started yelling out in pain as something amazing happened, right as the undead zombie pirates disappeared and the Rainbooms, with help from Sunset Shimmer, succeeded in freeing everyone from the Sirens’ spell. As all this was going on, I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Urchin, you lucky bastard. You did it. Urchin VII - Moonlight Kisses At The Battle Of The BandsCato, Flash, and I hauled our instruments up onto the stage, and set up with the addition of an additional member, Sandalwood, who would be on keyboard. Adagio and her sisters as well as Applejack and her friends were in the front part of the crowd as we made our final preparations. Then, Cato stepped up to the microphone. “I think it’s rather fitting that we get to end this fantastic array of musical talent. So, let’s get into this last round, shall we?” Then, we started the song, with me singing into the mic this time. Here’s the song. Below is the lyrics. They don’t own me… I’m not a piece in their games. Can’t control me.. They’re the only one to be blamed. They’ll never break down.. I won’t give them this fight. I’ll give them nothing, nothing, nothing.. Adagio was smiling as we just started building it up. Just one kiss, and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire.. Her.. Flames are surrounding me now. As we watch as they light up the sky, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. And start an uprising. You can ignite (you can ignite), stand and fight (stand and fight), don’t cave in.. So let the games begin.. oooh woooahh. People were just hollering and cheering as I sung my heart out for the lovely girl smiling at me. Notice me.. Because I’m been here all along. I’ve been waiting.. Since you singed me your song. It’s our moment.. To turn things around and show them something, with nothing. With nothing. Now, our star crossed love has materialized. We’ve locked our fate right here, right now. Just one kiss and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire. Her.. Flames are surrounding me now. As we watch as they light up the sky, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. And start an uprising. You can ignite, stand and fight, don’t cave in. So let the games begin.. ooh woah. Everyone was really enjoying the song, since in retrospect, it mostly summed up Adagio and I’s relationship. She.. doesn’t know.. the effect she can have.. Nooo, she.. (noo, she..) doesn’t know (doesn’t know) the effect she can have.. We built toward a climax and everyone’s excitement meter went through the roof. Then, we just went full speed and let loose with the opening part of the song in the background with Cato on those vocals as I sang my heart out in the song’s finale. Just one kiss and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire. Her.. flames are surrounding me now. And as we watch as they light up, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. and start an uprising. You can ignite (you can ignite), stand and fight (stand and fight), Don’t cave in (Don’t cave in), so let the games begin.. oh woah. The crowd exploded with applause, as I put down my guitar, got down to the floor of the stage with my legs hanging off the edge, and kissed Adagio on the lips. She threw her arms around her neck, while mine just wrapped around her back. We stayed like that for a few seconds, before we pulled away for air. She smirked. “Not bad for a little shark.” I blushed, and smiled. “I’d be willing to do anything for the lead siren I fell in love with.” Cato I - Average, Then Not-So-Average, Day“Dear lord, just this vampire halftrack is over-powered. Like, suck on this dudes.” This is what comes out of my mouth as I do a Company Of Heroes video for youtube, an added bonus due to the crap ton money I got from every other student at Canterlot High’s parents for saving their kids, in my basement. That’s life, sometimes. Since the night of the Fall Formal, Jackie and I have been having the time of our lives. I mean, we’re two teenagers in love. In this case though, she happens to be my first love, yeah crazy right? Point is, I’ve never been more happier in my life until Jackie came along. Like man, is she a goddess that makes me feel so many things. On another note, since I got Twilight’s crown back, along with Sunset Shimmer, she gifted me with a couple of very special notebooks enchanted with magic where I can write to her and she’ll write me back. It’s sort of like a phone call, but on paper. If that doesn’t make any sense to you, I’m sorry. Maybe more like a text message, but I don’t know how in the hell I’m supposed to explain how sending someone in another world a letter through a magic notebook and receiving a reply from said person works. I may be smart, but how this works is beyond my IQ, I’ll be honest. Due to Jackie’s friends’ influence, I had decided to try my hand at music composing and spent a whole night on the computer in my basement looking like multiple instruments and how to compose music. Turns out, I’m actually not that bad at it, since some of my compositions have found their way, via my good friend Flash, into Canterlot High’s music rooms, where through Principal Celestia, I’m told that they are actually well liked by the students there. So yes, I’m a walking intimidating mass of muscle that’s good at composing music. Who knew, right? In all of this though, there was a sense of foreboding that hung over me whenever I was alone. It was as if fate itself was saying that I had no idea what I had stepped into. On the whole, everything appeared normal, but the voice in my head repeatedly saying that had me in a mode of calm and tense at the same time, always looking for signs of trouble. For at least a couple of weeks after the Fall Formal incident, nothing happened. Then came my second encounter with magic. I don’t really want to tell you about my family or my home life yet because well.. I have my own reasons that say it’s not time yet. With that out of the way, this whole thing started the minute I stepped foot on Canterlot High on a Monday and saw a familiar face waiting inside. I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Urchin?” “Cato?” Little did I realize at that moment, that my old friend from Middle School was about to be dragged into insanity. Urchin II - Weirdness AboundsWhen Sunset Shimmer, who was me, Adagio, Sonata, and Aria’s tour guide came around, this is when things starting getting really weird here, and also the point where later on, Cato would start having flashbacks of something that he both really didn’t want to remember, yet at the same time will never forget. The Vice Principal at that moment just so happened to put up a poster for a “Battle Of The Bands” Music Competition, which Adagio and her sisters couldn’t help but eye up. “You three do music?” Sunset asked. “Well, we have been known to sing from time to time..” Aria stated, only to be interrupted by Sonata. “Hello! We sing like, all the time. It’s how we get people to do what we want.” Something about that just seemed wrong, I didn’t know what it was, but there was something definitely wrong with what she said, which is why I couldn’t help but stare back at her like someone horrified. “What.. What did I say?” I was about to ask what in the world she meant by that, when Adagio abruptly ended my chances of doing so. “You’ll have to excuse them.. they’re idiots.” “Rather harsh words for your sisters, Adagio” I said, a little bit annoyed. This caused her to stop and space out a little, perhaps thinking about something, before she walked off with Sunset and her sisters, leaving me alone with my thoughts. After a while, I decided to walk to the current class I would be in, thinking only one thing in my brain. What the hell did Sonata mean by ‘It’s how we get people to do what we want?’ On the other hand, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about Adagio, how perfect she was. Again, I had to mentally smack myself out of it. Like, don’t get me wrong, her beauty is something, but there’s something to her and her sisters that I just can’t figure out yet. Either way, it seems that life at Canterlot for me is about to get a whole lot interesting. Cato II - Fears On The HorizonWhy? Just why? Why do girls that have magical powers transfer into this school at the same time one of my old friends does as well? I sat up in my bed in the basement, and sighed. What happened back in the cafeteria was a pure and utter mystery to me really, and having to explain everything to Urchin was really what I had not wanted to do. Now that I had done it anyway, I wondered how he was handling it. Really did wonder how he was handling it, because yeah. Transferring into another school, reuniting with your old friend, only to found out magic exists.. that’s sure a lot to stomach, let alone manage. Either way, what happened in the cafeteria was unsettling, to say the least. It seemed as if fate was not done with me and magic related incidents at Canterlot High. The thought of having to do the same shit I pulled against Sunset Shimmer, only this time against not 1, but three magical beings.. I shuddered at the thought of it. I would surely die there. The one interesting part of it all was what was going on between Urchin and Adagio. There was some attraction between them, I could see that right off the bat from the way he looked at her. A thought then struck my mind. What if I got Urchin and Flash together with myself as a band and enter the battle of the bands? The gears in my mind began to turn as I thought over this. I had always been noted in District 2 High for playing at an opponent’s weaknesses in a face to face fight or if it was Company Of Heroes or some other game, for playing at the weaknesses the opponent had against my own side. Either way, the only thing I could go when planning how I was going to neutralize Adagio and her sisters, who through Flash I learned called themselves The Dazzlings, was that connection between her and Urchin. It was a long shot plan, but it was all I could come up with. I would write in my journal to Twilight later that night, describing the three girls to Twilight, only to learn that they were Sirens, creatures that feed off of disharmony. I sighed, then took multiple deep breaths. Of course, my old friend from middle school has to move here, transfer into the school I’m at, and yet somehow doesn’t get drained of harmony and has an attraction to a Siren. Great. Just fucking great. Yeah, I was definitely going with the whole ‘joining the battle of the bands so Urchin can get close to Adagio’ idea. Like I said, it was the only good idea I had at the moment, but it was better than nothing. I sigh again. At this point, I only hope that Jackie doesn’t have a negative reaction to this plan of mine. Adagio III - Finally FreeThat kiss with Urchin.. it filled me with courage and the strength to do what he wanted me to do. I shrieked, as me, Aria, and Sonata were all encased in a ball of light while in mid air. From what Urchin said later on, our true siren forms were basically turned to particles to light and the energy that allowed to create them turned into friendship magic and went back into our amulets, causing them to transform into heart amulets. Descending gracefully down to the ground, our pony ears, tails, and wings disappeared. I looked at Urchin, and he smiled back. That look was all the confirmation I needed. I did it.. thanks to his help, I did it. I freed myself, Aria, and Sonata from our purpose in life, that curse that we were born with. I ran toward Urchin, calling out his name. He came running too, and he hugged me. For a moment, everything stopped. It was just me and him. Then I kissed his forehead and said, “I’m so glad I found you, Urchin Hook.” “I’m glad I fell in love with you, Adagio Dazzle.” He kissed me on the lips, then pulled away and whispered three words into my ear that made me feel full of joy and affection. “Be my girl?” “Yes! YES!” I shouted, kissing him again. Everyone else in the crowd was cheering and clapping and going crazy with excitement and joy. “Yes! Go, Urchin!” “Way to go, Urchin!” We pulled away, and he turned around to Cato and Flash, and winked. Both guys nodded. Then, he turned back to me. “I think it’s our turn up on the stage. Don’t you agree?” “Yes, yes I do.”
Urchin I - Blast From The PastI couldn’t believe my eyes. Here, standing before me, was my old friend from middle school, Cato Hadley. I got up from my seat and just hugged him. “Cato, bro. I have waited so long to do that.” “Indeed. What brings you here?” “Oh, my parents got a new job here in the city, so I had to transfer here to Canterlot High. Never expected to see you here as well though.” “Yeah. Parents got a new job, moved here, had to deal with some stuff in here like you not believe before you came here, but overall, it hasn’t been that bad.” “Well sick, bro. Hope I get put in some of your classes.” “You too, well see you around, Urchin.” “You too, Cato.” He left and I was alone with my thoughts while sitting in this chair. Of all the people that are here at Canterlot High, my old friend has to be one of them. What are the odds of that? I was then snapped out of them by feeling a pair of eyes on me. I turned my head right, and my eyes connected with a pair of orange brownish ones. I immediately gulped when I saw that they belonged to a girl, and a stunning one at that. Orange-yellow hair, a face that makes you heat up like a lovestruck puppy, flawless skin, she was just beautiful. I snapped out of it after a second or two. What the hell is up with her? She’s like something out of a fiction book or something! I was so busy trying to comprehend the girl that I didn’t notice her walk up next to me. “Well, ain’t you a cutie” she whispers in my ear, causing me to blush. “W-Why thanks” I stammer out. “New here?” “Yeah.” “Then, might as well make some new friends. I’m Adagio Dazzle.” Adagio.. what a lovely name, I think to myself. “Nice name. I’m Urchin. Urchin Breck Hook.” “Urchin.. that’s a nice name as well.” It was then that I noticed the amulet on her neck. So shiny, so brilliant, so much.. red. It was an oddity on an otherwise gorgeous girl, but at this point, I wasn’t questioning anything. “Yeah. It is. You moved here?” “No. My sisters and I transferred from another school around here.” “Sisters? It’s not just..” “Adagio! There you are! What’s with the curly haired dope you found?” Two girls come up behind her. One is a moody purple and green haired, purple skinned girl while the other is light blue skinned with blue and turquoise hair. Oddballs, to say the least. Then again, I had already seen multiple people with oddball skin colors walk through the doors of Canterlot High already while waiting for the tour guide so I wasn’t complaining. “Okay, first off. He isn’t a dope. His name is Urchin.” “Urchin, is it? Well hi, I’m Aria. Aria Blaze. And welcome to the two I have to call siblings” says the purple skinned one with an annoyed tone. “I take it, that your not happy with that?” I asked. “Well, it’s a rather complicated situation. But, that’s just me. You do you, kid.” “Okay.” The blue haired one now took her turn. “Hey there! I’m Sonata Dusk. Your cute.” I blushed again, because for the second time, I had just been called cute by a cute girl in my age group. Are you kidding me? Things were going so good, and then they just started getting weird. Like, really really weird. I don’t know if this was some sort of elaborate introduction to Canterlot High, but when Cato said he had to deal with some stuff I could not believe, what followed made me start to think that he wasn’t actually kidding when he said that.
Urchin III - Witnessing Her CharmTurns out, not only did was I in two of Cato’s classes, but I was also in the same lunch as him, which was very, very nice. As it turned out, he had changed a lot since I last saw him. He had managed to get a lovely girlfriend named Applejack or “Jackie” as he called her, and a supportive group of friends. Even more crazy, the nerd who was a top scoring student only because of how jacked the school system was back in Panem City was practically the social king of the school. When I asked him how he managed to do it, he looked at me with the thousand yard stare look and said this. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Jackie hugged him and kissed his cheek to make him feel better. I was about to ask more, but was interrupted by the sound of singing, just straight up lovely singing. I turned around and looked in the direction of where it was coming from. There stood Adagio and her sisters at the entrance to the cafeteria. As they sung though, something weird started to happen. Lots of kids began leaking green mist or some shit out of themselves which flowed into the sisters’ amulets. When they came back to consciousness, they started arguing with each other. For some reason, Cato, me, Applejack, Cato’s friend named Flash Sentry, and Applejack’s friends were not affected by it, but the others were. “Cato, what in the hell is happening?” I asked him. “One word, buddy: Magic. Bad Magic.” I was in shock. Magic? Here? Are you kidding me? It didn’t seem like it could be possible. Three singing girls causing some sort of magic spell to make people argue with each other? It didn’t make any sense at all to me, so I, naturally, was confused as hell. The fact that I couldn’t stop staring at Adagio didn’t help. I mean seriously, there’s something about her, aside from her bad magic stuff, that makes her so attractive to me. I just don’t know what the hell it even is. After class that day, I caught Cato as he was about to head out to the front door and yanked him to the side. “What the hell- Urchin?!” he yelped, surprised. “Cato, what the hell did you mean by magic? Explain.” That simple yet forced request of mine caused to explain everything. How his rise to power was due to a nearly suicidal stunt he pulled a couple of weeks ago the night of the Fall Formal against a demonized school bully who was actually a unicorn from another dimension using a crown belonging to a princess from said dimension to get revenge on that realm’s rulers for not making her a princess. Turns out that same reformed school bully happened to be me and Adagio and her sisters’ tour guide. Small world, isn’t it? Anyway, he told that he met Applejack when he saved her from this former bully’s minions, and that his stunt had unintentionally toyed with her feelings for him, causing both of them to confess to each other after the bully was defeated. For the two weeks between Fall Formal and now, all had been quiet.. until today. Taking the bus home, I tried to process the information Cato had given me. I’ll be honest, this day wasn’t normal for my first day as a transfer. Neither was the relationship between me and Adagio. She was a magic-using girl, I was a boy who for some reason was immune to her effects. How? I had no fucking clue. It was really weird. It was then that my bus got to my stop and I got off. As I was walking down the street, I felt a familiar pair of eyes and turned around. Across the street from the bus stop, there stood the girl that was gradually becoming a curious mystery to me. Adagio Dazzle herself. She smiled, winked at me and left, leaving me to wonder more questions about her, as well as contemplate my very strange relationship with this girl.
Adagio I - Can’t Get Urchin Off My MindAuthor's Note So far, you’ve been seeing the story through the guys’ eyes. Now, it’s time to switch it up a little as we see things through Adagio’s perspective. Adagio I - Can’t Get Urchin Off My Mind I can’t think straight. I just can’t. Even as I try to think about finally regaining me and my sisters’ power that had been taken from us so long ago while sitting in this bed, I honestly can’t. Every time I try, he always creeps into my thoughts and disrupts my thinking. Urchin Hook. Honest to god, Urchin is cute, no doubt about it. It’s just I can’t seem to get him out of my mind, even when I’m trying to think about important things, like regaining our magic and defeating the girls that try to oppose us, like the Rainbooms, for example. They’re obviously the emitters of the Equestrian Magic I saw that day, for sure. Where Urchin and the other two boys fit in however is a mystery. Flash was just a simple student, and then there was Cato. Cato Hadley, the social king of Canterlot High. I had to admit, he was extremely attractive, even if he was a nerd, as some people said he was. From what I and Aria and Sonata have heard, all it took to get where he is now was a near suicidal stunt of desperation at the Fall Formal 2 weeks ago that resulted in the Equestrian Magic I saw. Apparently, the hulking boy put a demonized student who was one of Sunset Shimmer’s two minions in a headlock, then basically faked her out by literally asking her to destroy him with the risk it would take out her minion as well. He survived, but only by the narrowest of margins. I mean, as a Siren, I’ve seen crazy things throughout the long time me and my sisters have been stuck in this world, but Cato’s stunt is probably the most craziest by far. I mean, he got his now girlfriend, who happens to be one of those accursed Rainbooms, to confess her feelings for him unintentionally due to his Hail Mary play. Impressive for a transfer student, I thought to myself at the time. But he couldn’t match Urchin. There was just something about him that I couldn’t quite pin down that just drew me to him. I know how crazy it sounds, a Siren being attracted to a lowly mortal. And yet, here I was, having exactly that happen to me. For a brief bit, I begin to think of what life could be like if I went with Urchin. That didn’t last long, as I shook it off. Focus, Adagio. You’re a Siren. You’re not supposed to have feelings for mortals. They only exist for you to absorb their energy so you can have your powers and those of your sisters’ restored to you. You don’t have time for a crush on a cute curly haired boy like him. Yet, no matter I tried to bury those feelings, they refused to go down. Like, a Siren can’t actually fall in love with a mortal while they still have some power, can they?
Urchin IV - Auditions Of Talent / Forming The BandI will admit, when Cato came up to me and Flash and asked if we would join him as a band for the battle of the bands, I actually thought he was joking, like no joke. I really, really thought he was joking. Turns out he had changed in more ways than one that I hadn’t seen. I swear, Canterlot High has changed Cato a lot. It turned out in a nutshell after school that day that Cato either has the ability to see the future or that he has great instinct because apparently, me, him, and Flash sound good as a band. Like, no joke. The three of us totally sound good as a band. At least, that’s my opinion. What the judges for audition think of us tomorrow will probably be a different story. It seemed there was a large hesitance on students forming bands for this contest, as not a whole lot of groups were there for auditioning to get into the Battle Of The Bands. Of course, there was Cato’s girlfriend Applejack and her friends, Adagio and her sisters, as well as us. There was also this weird student that called herself, and I am not joking here, The Great And Powerful Trixie. Like, that is honestly one of the most ego-driven names I have ever heard. Give me a break. Of course, we had to wait until it was our turn, AP me, Cato, and Flash watched the auditions go by. As can be expected of Adagio and her sisters, they put on a great performance as usual. I mean, the song they played was good, I am not lying here. But inside, it only just increased the amount of stress I was feeling. Then went Applejack and her friends, then Trixie. Finally, it was our turn. With Flash on drums, me on guitar, and Cato on bass and singing, we stood there, watching as both Principal Celestia, Vice Principal Luna, Trixie and her group, Applejack and her friends, and Adagio and her sisters all watched us. Talk about pressure. I locked eyes with Adagio and she turned her head with redness in her cheeks, apparently blushing. But why? Then, I heard Cato tap his foot and I snapped out of it. “A 1.. 2.. 3..” And then, we started our audition. Cue Cato flawlessly doing a dubstep repeat of the first phrase of the song we were doing. With all this bread, I need a bigger stomach.. My name like bells so you can hear me coming.. Made it all on my own, they ain’t give me nothing.. And I’m still standing, like a set of crutches.. Ain’t no way they gonna forget my name.. I’m a legend, putting in work ever since I came.. You see this umbrella? No, it can’t stop my rain.. You in the carpool, I’m in a different lane.. I just wake up every morning.. And go get the change.. Do my own dirty work and I won’t get a stain.. I’m too heavy in this game, and you be better it.. Hustle speaks for itself, I ain’t even gotta show it.. Some Legends Are Told.. Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold.. But You Will Remember Me.. Remember Me For Centuries.. Let’s go! And just one mistake.. Is all it will take.. We’ll go down in history.. Remember Me For Centuries.. I will admit, Cato being up there made the stress a lot more manageable for me, thankfully. Mummified my teenage dreams.. No, there’s nothing wrong with you.. The kids are all wrong, this story’s all off.. Heavy Metal Broke My.. HEART! Come on, come on and let me in.. The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints.. And this is supposed to match.. The darkness that you felt.. I never meant for you to fix yourself.. Then came Flash’s dubstep drum solo, with Cato and I as a secondary role. Remember Me For Centuries.. And I can’t stop till the whole world knows my name.. Since I was only born inside my dreams.. So, until you die me for.. As long as there’s a light.. My shadow’s over because I-I am the opposite of amnesia.. And you’re a cherry blossom.. You’re about to bloom.. You look so pretty but you’re gone so soon.. We’ve been here forever.. And here’s the frozen proof.. I can scream forever.. Cause we are the poisoned youth.. We built it toward a climax, then just before we landed the final part, I said into the mic, “Real OG.” Then, Cato and Flash just let loose. So Legends Are Told.. Some turn to dust or to gold.. But you will remember me.. Remember me for Centuries.. We ain’t going nowhere! And just one mistake.. Is all it will take.. We’ll go down in history.. Remember me in Centuries.. Heeeyyyy Hey Ya, Oh Heeeyyyyy Hey Hey Heyyyyy Hey Ya “We’ll go down in history” I said as my only line of the song. Remember Me For Centuries… There was a moment of silence after we finished, before the room just exploded into applause and cheers. All except Trixie, that is. She and her group just stormed out, obviously not pleased that we just got more applause for our audition than her group got. Then, there was Adagio, who was blushing so much she eventually just stopped clapping and got up and left, Aria and Sonata close by. “So, your verdict, your honor?” Cato asked jokingly to Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. A second of silence followed. “Yep, you three are definitely participating in the Battle of the Bands. Congratulations.” Cato, Flash, Applejack, and the other students in the room exploded with applause and cheers and joy. But during all of that, I thought about Adagio. Why on earth was she blushing so much? Is it because of me? Author's Note Just a note, the song in the chapter is a mixture of Centuries’ Gazzo Remix and the remix in the album “Make America Psycho Again” From Fall Out Boy featuring Juicy J.
Urchin V - Dark Waters, Part 1As I walk by Canterlot High later that night after auditions, I look at where the Battle Of The Bands is going to be held, and I can’t help but think to myself. Two days from now, that’s going to be me, Cato, and Flash up on that stage, competing against Trixie, Applejack and her friends, the other competitors and.. Adagio. My heart pangs in pain at the thought of her name, like it longs for her. It felt weird, to be honest. I stopped in my tracks, and walk towards the stage where the contest is going to be held, and I sit down on it, in the light of the lights illuminating the place, and sigh. My mind first thinks back to when Cato asked me and Flash to join him in this. What in the world are you planning, Cato? Like, what the hell are you planning dude? There’s something about this whole thing that I don’t know about, and I feel like that you’re the one that knows. Then, my mind thinks of Adagio and her sisters, and then I realize something. Maybe Cato’s ulterior motives have something to do with Adagio and her sisters. If that’s the case, though, then what is it? I was so busy in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Aria creeping up behind me until she was practically right on top of me. I jumped when I realized she was there. “Easily scared much, Curly?” she asked. I look back at her, annoyed. “Very funny, Aria. What brings you to this neck of the woods?” She chuckled, and then narrowed her eyes. “Nothing in particular, on my motives. Adagio asked me to come find you, whether it was tonight or in the morning when I found you.” Adagio? I thought in my head, confused. What in the world does Adagio want with me that she sent Aria out to find me? “Let me cut to the chase here, kid. She wanted me to tell you the truth about us, if you can keep this secret.” I nodded, not knowing what to expect. “The truth is that, we’re not exactly human.” “Obviously” I replied. “To be honest with you, Urchin, we’re actually sirens. Creatures from the land of Equestria, in an entirely different world from this one, that feed off of disharmony. We were banished here by the wizard named Starswirl The Bearded over a millennium ago, with only enough power to retain immortality and our singing voices. Now, due to the Equestrian Magic generated when Cato pulled his stunt at the Fall Formal, we’re here to use your fellow classmates to regain our power and make everyone adore us.” She stepped back, to give me some space so I could process this. To be honest, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. The girl that had an interest in me and her sisters were actually creatures from another world. It took a couple of minutes to gather myself. “Shocked?” Aria asked me. I nodded. “Yeah, I figured you would have that reaction. It’s probably lucky that I found you here. Less people that could overhear me. Anyways..” she sighed. “I have to admit, you guys were good at the audition. I will give you and the other two that. Sonata probably doesn’t really think twice about liking you guys as a fan would.. she’s just dumb like that. And I know it’s harsh, I know.” She paused, as if thinking of what to say next. “Adagio though.. she’s another story. I can see it in her eyes, the way she looks at you. She can’t get you out of her brain, she admitted it to me herself. Her purpose in life, as dictated upon by our siren elders, won’t allow it, but I honestly think the blush she had on her face earlier today has given me all the clues I need to know.” She looks at me with serious, yet sad eyes. “I think she’s falling in love with you, Urchin. Which is sad to know since you’re probably going to hate her for what she does to your school, your classmates, and your friends. Vengeance against your opponents is a dish best served cold, but honestly I don’t think I’m going to come out of this without any regrets.” She leaves me with a slip of paper, on which is written an address. “Adagio wants to meet you at this hotel tomorrow night, so she can have some brief and most likely last chance moments to confess her love to you before the Battle Of The Bands. If I were you, I’d go to the hotel. She’s already fragile as she is, trying to grapple over what she’s been born to do from Day 1, over her feelings for you.” She then left me, leaving along with my thoughts. I was stunned for a while, then I left, booking it towards home, with only one though in my mind. Cato, Flash, Applejack, I need your help to save Adagio and her sisters. Author's Note Looks like things have gotten totally serious for Urchin. Now, the boy from 4 is in a race against time and apparent destiny and fate..
Urchin V - Dark Waters, Part 2I cornered Cato, Flash, and Applejack and her friends the following day after school had ended, and told them everything. Cato was shocked, Flash was dumbfounded, and Applejack and her friends all had horrified expressions. “Looks like Twilight was right after all” Cato muttered to himself, but not quietly. “Twilight? Who the hell is Twilight?” I asked, confused. Cue everyone explaining the true story behind Cato’s stunt at the Fall Formal, to which Sunset Shimmer only stood by and had tears in her eyes. Rarity and Rainbow comforted her after we were done. Again, I was shocked. Cato sighed. “This was why I asked you and Flash to form the band. I saw the connection between you and Adagio forming in front of my eyes and thought I could use that to my advantage without things getting way too serious. Seems like that line has already been crossed.” I shuddered, and tears came to my eyes, “Well, I sure d-don’t want their nature to succeed and leave them broken! We have to help them.” Cato stood there, deep in thought as if searching for an idea. I, on the other hand, had enough and left, so I could prepare with what could be a star crossed lovers’ moment before tragedy with Adagio tonight. Just walking up to the room that Adagio was in felt like agony. Like, here was a siren that had managed to develop feelings for me despite their purpose in life and wanted to at least have some intimate moments with me before she and her sisters brought about the end of the world, like it was painful as fuck. Words cannot describe it. To my honest surprise, she had the door held by the lock mechanism open a little bit so I could enter the room. “Urchin? Is that you?” I heard her voice call out, in a tone that made it sound like a cry for help, which in turn made my heart pang in pain. “Yeah, I’m here. Still a bit surprised that I made you fall for me, to be honest” I replied back. “Yeah you did. And it really breaks my heart that due to what my purpose in life is, that I only get to spend one night of it with the boy I love.” I winced, then got serious. “Adagio, I promise that I’m going to free you and your sisters of this if it’s the last thing I do. Like, fuck destiny. Fuck whatever fate your ancestors have envisioned. I’m going to change the fucking ending, no matter what it takes.” She looked up at me, since she was sitting on the bed, then cried into my chest. I put my arms around her neck, and comforted her. “I’m not going to leave you and your sisters to your fate. Neither are Cato or Flash or the Rainbooms. We’re getting you and your sisters out of this, no matter what happens.” “B-But what about the Battle of the Bands?” “Screw that. The real battle is breaking you and your sisters free of your purpose in life.” She pulled her head back, looked up at me with scared eyes, then calmed down and just say two words. “Kiss me.” So I did. I kissed her, and we had a moment of bittersweet making out that night. Just the two of us, admitting our feelings for each other.
Adagio II - Hidden Beneath A MaskAuthor's Note Little bit of a time skip here.. Also, very, very short chapter, just something that will make Urchin’s quest a bit more harder. Adagio II - Hidden Beneath A Mask If I had known that Urchin would be with the Rainbooms and Cato and Flash standing on top of the trapdoor when Trixie pulled the lever, I wouldn’t have asked her to “give them a shove”. As such, it served as the perfect opportunity for the dark side of me to take full control. My true self was banished to a corner of my brain, in grief after doing what I felt had been a betrayal of Urchin and breaking his heart. But, as I watched myself go crazy, I could only think of him and from inside my mind, I just whispered stuff that I hope somehow, someway, he could hear it. Urchin, please, help me. I need you now, love.
Cato III - Back At It Again With The RantI don’t know what Urchin was thinking in wanting to try to free Adagio and her sisters from this curse of theirs, but clearly, since Trixie pulled the lever and we all fell down a trapdoor, this shit just got harder than it already was. Honestly, I’m just glad we all landed on a pile of mattresses. Flash looked worried a little, Urchin immediately set about trying to find a way out with a face so determined that no one could doubt how committed he was to saving the siren that had fallen in love with him and her sisters. My girlfriend and her friends, aside from Princess Twilight who had joined us that morning, they were another story, one that was too familiar. They, after a couple of hours of fear and distress, had started arguing. And as they did, green waves of energy flowed upwards towards the trapdoor on the stage. Not good, not good at all. Twilight tried to stop it, and ended up being shoved out of the way by Rarity. I could see Applejack’s eyes wavering between hate and distress, and that’s when I knew I had to step in, since Flash was now crying at the thought of not being to able to save Adagio and her sisters. So I did, starting another one of my rants that had the power to turn things around. “God fucking damnit! Guys, stop arguing! You all have allowed yourselves to warp the magic of friendship into the same kind of stuff that the Dazzlings, as of this moment, are fucking eating off of! Like, come to your senses. We’re going to get nowhere in saving Adagio and her sisters if you all keep arguing!” Now angry, I turned to the door that Urchin was trying and failing to open. “Stand back.” He did, and in a rage, I literally punched the door off of its hinges after punching it repeatedly for 45 seconds. Everyone else was stunned, except Applejack who hugged me. “Cato, I knew you’d come through.” “Thanks Jackie. But right now, we got a job to do.” Urchin and I took off for the stage, while everyone else was temporarily distracted by this DJ girl and Spike arriving before they also did the same.
Urchin VI - Heart To Heart Talk When The Fate Of The World Is At StakeWe got up to the hill overlooking the Battle Of The Bands and stop dead in our tracks. There were Adagio and her sisters, practically levitating on stage with pony ears, tails, and translucent wings on their sides, as well as deep, blood red eyes. Normal people probably wouldn’t try to reason with people like this, but I knew that Adagio and her sisters weren’t ordinary and probably not in control of themselves at the moment, and I was no quitter. I ran down towards the crowd, towards Adagio, with Cato following close behind me. As if the crowd wasn’t enough of an obstacle to Cato and I, the amulets on Adagio and her sisters shined and from a light extending upwards, out came massive sea horses that looked like Adagio and her sisters. “Is that what I think it is?” I shouted. “Yeah. That must be their true forms.” Adagio’s true form dived on us and tried to smack us with its hoof. Cato and I ducked and it only succeeding in catching air. Continuing onwards, we reached the stage. All three sirens prepared to attack me and Cato again, but stopped as we hear more music back from where we came. Turning around, I saw that Applejack and her friends had set up with their instruments and were trying to free everyone from the Dazzlings’ control. Adagio and her sisters channeled their powers and knocked everyone down. “Shit! We got company!” I turned around. Cato was in the process of drawing his sword, since for now, undead pirates with swords were spawning on the stage. “Urchin! I’ll handle this. You do your thing.” Cato started cutting them down, as I ran over to Adagio, jumped up, and pulled her down to the stage by my own weight while hanging onto her legs. “Gggaaaahhhhh! Why you little-“ It seemed that her true self decided to take control right then and there over her physical form, not her true form. “U-Urchin! I.. I-I’m sorry.. but I think this is how it ends..” “Adagio, look at me. I think you have the power to stop this and free yourself and your sisters from this.” “I don’t think I can..” “Adagio, look at me when I say this: you have it. I believe in you. I will never abandon you or anything. Besides, I think your talents have been used correctly in attracting someone that loves you for who you are and not because they adore you or any of that crap. You can do this. For me. For Cato. For the others. So, please. You have to trust me.” She nodded her head, her blood red eyes spilling normal tears. “Okay, Urchin. I do.” So I kissed her on the lips, right then and there, hugging her tight. Then after a few seconds, she pushed me away and started yelling out in pain as something amazing happened, right as the undead zombie pirates disappeared and the Rainbooms, with help from Sunset Shimmer, succeeded in freeing everyone from the Sirens’ spell. As all this was going on, I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Urchin, you lucky bastard. You did it.
Urchin VII - Moonlight Kisses At The Battle Of The BandsCato, Flash, and I hauled our instruments up onto the stage, and set up with the addition of an additional member, Sandalwood, who would be on keyboard. Adagio and her sisters as well as Applejack and her friends were in the front part of the crowd as we made our final preparations. Then, Cato stepped up to the microphone. “I think it’s rather fitting that we get to end this fantastic array of musical talent. So, let’s get into this last round, shall we?” Then, we started the song, with me singing into the mic this time. Here’s the song. Below is the lyrics. They don’t own me… I’m not a piece in their games. Can’t control me.. They’re the only one to be blamed. They’ll never break down.. I won’t give them this fight. I’ll give them nothing, nothing, nothing.. Adagio was smiling as we just started building it up. Just one kiss, and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire.. Her.. Flames are surrounding me now. As we watch as they light up the sky, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. And start an uprising. You can ignite (you can ignite), stand and fight (stand and fight), don’t cave in.. So let the games begin.. oooh woooahh. People were just hollering and cheering as I sung my heart out for the lovely girl smiling at me. Notice me.. Because I’m been here all along. I’ve been waiting.. Since you singed me your song. It’s our moment.. To turn things around and show them something, with nothing. With nothing. Now, our star crossed love has materialized. We’ve locked our fate right here, right now. Just one kiss and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire. Her.. Flames are surrounding me now. As we watch as they light up the sky, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. And start an uprising. You can ignite, stand and fight, don’t cave in. So let the games begin.. ooh woah. Everyone was really enjoying the song, since in retrospect, it mostly summed up Adagio and I’s relationship. She.. doesn’t know.. the effect she can have.. Nooo, she.. (noo, she..) doesn’t know (doesn’t know) the effect she can have.. We built toward a climax and everyone’s excitement meter went through the roof. Then, we just went full speed and let loose with the opening part of the song in the background with Cato on those vocals as I sang my heart out in the song’s finale. Just one kiss and.. I’ll be hooked to her fire. Her.. flames are surrounding me now. And as we watch as they light up, we must stand up and fight.. Because this love is not a game to me. We’ll survive.. and start an uprising. You can ignite (you can ignite), stand and fight (stand and fight), Don’t cave in (Don’t cave in), so let the games begin.. oh woah. The crowd exploded with applause, as I put down my guitar, got down to the floor of the stage with my legs hanging off the edge, and kissed Adagio on the lips. She threw her arms around her neck, while mine just wrapped around her back. We stayed like that for a few seconds, before we pulled away for air. She smirked. “Not bad for a little shark.” I blushed, and smiled. “I’d be willing to do anything for the lead siren I fell in love with.”
Cato I - Average, Then Not-So-Average, Day“Dear lord, just this vampire halftrack is over-powered. Like, suck on this dudes.” This is what comes out of my mouth as I do a Company Of Heroes video for youtube, an added bonus due to the crap ton money I got from every other student at Canterlot High’s parents for saving their kids, in my basement. That’s life, sometimes. Since the night of the Fall Formal, Jackie and I have been having the time of our lives. I mean, we’re two teenagers in love. In this case though, she happens to be my first love, yeah crazy right? Point is, I’ve never been more happier in my life until Jackie came along. Like man, is she a goddess that makes me feel so many things. On another note, since I got Twilight’s crown back, along with Sunset Shimmer, she gifted me with a couple of very special notebooks enchanted with magic where I can write to her and she’ll write me back. It’s sort of like a phone call, but on paper. If that doesn’t make any sense to you, I’m sorry. Maybe more like a text message, but I don’t know how in the hell I’m supposed to explain how sending someone in another world a letter through a magic notebook and receiving a reply from said person works. I may be smart, but how this works is beyond my IQ, I’ll be honest. Due to Jackie’s friends’ influence, I had decided to try my hand at music composing and spent a whole night on the computer in my basement looking like multiple instruments and how to compose music. Turns out, I’m actually not that bad at it, since some of my compositions have found their way, via my good friend Flash, into Canterlot High’s music rooms, where through Principal Celestia, I’m told that they are actually well liked by the students there. So yes, I’m a walking intimidating mass of muscle that’s good at composing music. Who knew, right? In all of this though, there was a sense of foreboding that hung over me whenever I was alone. It was as if fate itself was saying that I had no idea what I had stepped into. On the whole, everything appeared normal, but the voice in my head repeatedly saying that had me in a mode of calm and tense at the same time, always looking for signs of trouble. For at least a couple of weeks after the Fall Formal incident, nothing happened. Then came my second encounter with magic. I don’t really want to tell you about my family or my home life yet because well.. I have my own reasons that say it’s not time yet. With that out of the way, this whole thing started the minute I stepped foot on Canterlot High on a Monday and saw a familiar face waiting inside. I couldn’t believe my eyes. “Urchin?” “Cato?” Little did I realize at that moment, that my old friend from Middle School was about to be dragged into insanity.
Urchin II - Weirdness AboundsWhen Sunset Shimmer, who was me, Adagio, Sonata, and Aria’s tour guide came around, this is when things starting getting really weird here, and also the point where later on, Cato would start having flashbacks of something that he both really didn’t want to remember, yet at the same time will never forget. The Vice Principal at that moment just so happened to put up a poster for a “Battle Of The Bands” Music Competition, which Adagio and her sisters couldn’t help but eye up. “You three do music?” Sunset asked. “Well, we have been known to sing from time to time..” Aria stated, only to be interrupted by Sonata. “Hello! We sing like, all the time. It’s how we get people to do what we want.” Something about that just seemed wrong, I didn’t know what it was, but there was something definitely wrong with what she said, which is why I couldn’t help but stare back at her like someone horrified. “What.. What did I say?” I was about to ask what in the world she meant by that, when Adagio abruptly ended my chances of doing so. “You’ll have to excuse them.. they’re idiots.” “Rather harsh words for your sisters, Adagio” I said, a little bit annoyed. This caused her to stop and space out a little, perhaps thinking about something, before she walked off with Sunset and her sisters, leaving me alone with my thoughts. After a while, I decided to walk to the current class I would be in, thinking only one thing in my brain. What the hell did Sonata mean by ‘It’s how we get people to do what we want?’ On the other hand, I couldn’t help but keep thinking about Adagio, how perfect she was. Again, I had to mentally smack myself out of it. Like, don’t get me wrong, her beauty is something, but there’s something to her and her sisters that I just can’t figure out yet. Either way, it seems that life at Canterlot for me is about to get a whole lot interesting.
Cato II - Fears On The HorizonWhy? Just why? Why do girls that have magical powers transfer into this school at the same time one of my old friends does as well? I sat up in my bed in the basement, and sighed. What happened back in the cafeteria was a pure and utter mystery to me really, and having to explain everything to Urchin was really what I had not wanted to do. Now that I had done it anyway, I wondered how he was handling it. Really did wonder how he was handling it, because yeah. Transferring into another school, reuniting with your old friend, only to found out magic exists.. that’s sure a lot to stomach, let alone manage. Either way, what happened in the cafeteria was unsettling, to say the least. It seemed as if fate was not done with me and magic related incidents at Canterlot High. The thought of having to do the same shit I pulled against Sunset Shimmer, only this time against not 1, but three magical beings.. I shuddered at the thought of it. I would surely die there. The one interesting part of it all was what was going on between Urchin and Adagio. There was some attraction between them, I could see that right off the bat from the way he looked at her. A thought then struck my mind. What if I got Urchin and Flash together with myself as a band and enter the battle of the bands? The gears in my mind began to turn as I thought over this. I had always been noted in District 2 High for playing at an opponent’s weaknesses in a face to face fight or if it was Company Of Heroes or some other game, for playing at the weaknesses the opponent had against my own side. Either way, the only thing I could go when planning how I was going to neutralize Adagio and her sisters, who through Flash I learned called themselves The Dazzlings, was that connection between her and Urchin. It was a long shot plan, but it was all I could come up with. I would write in my journal to Twilight later that night, describing the three girls to Twilight, only to learn that they were Sirens, creatures that feed off of disharmony. I sighed, then took multiple deep breaths. Of course, my old friend from middle school has to move here, transfer into the school I’m at, and yet somehow doesn’t get drained of harmony and has an attraction to a Siren. Great. Just fucking great. Yeah, I was definitely going with the whole ‘joining the battle of the bands so Urchin can get close to Adagio’ idea. Like I said, it was the only good idea I had at the moment, but it was better than nothing. I sigh again. At this point, I only hope that Jackie doesn’t have a negative reaction to this plan of mine.
Adagio III - Finally FreeThat kiss with Urchin.. it filled me with courage and the strength to do what he wanted me to do. I shrieked, as me, Aria, and Sonata were all encased in a ball of light while in mid air. From what Urchin said later on, our true siren forms were basically turned to particles to light and the energy that allowed to create them turned into friendship magic and went back into our amulets, causing them to transform into heart amulets. Descending gracefully down to the ground, our pony ears, tails, and wings disappeared. I looked at Urchin, and he smiled back. That look was all the confirmation I needed. I did it.. thanks to his help, I did it. I freed myself, Aria, and Sonata from our purpose in life, that curse that we were born with. I ran toward Urchin, calling out his name. He came running too, and he hugged me. For a moment, everything stopped. It was just me and him. Then I kissed his forehead and said, “I’m so glad I found you, Urchin Hook.” “I’m glad I fell in love with you, Adagio Dazzle.” He kissed me on the lips, then pulled away and whispered three words into my ear that made me feel full of joy and affection. “Be my girl?” “Yes! YES!” I shouted, kissing him again. Everyone else in the crowd was cheering and clapping and going crazy with excitement and joy. “Yes! Go, Urchin!” “Way to go, Urchin!” We pulled away, and he turned around to Cato and Flash, and winked. Both guys nodded. Then, he turned back to me. “I think it’s our turn up on the stage. Don’t you agree?” “Yes, yes I do.”
