Sirens' origin

by EnergeticRider

Fall of The Sirens

The whole city celebrated victory over Fountain. Yew Draft insisted on throwing the grand feast. Something to help seaponies of Delight forget how they nearly have torn the city apart. And what was better than delicious food and beautiful distraction? A week of preparation for the feast itself also helped to keep minds occupied.

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were very eager to perform and for the whole week were rehearsing their new song. However, Wild Card had reservations.

“Listen. It was experimental spell and you have to go through more tests,” she explained.

“Why?” asked Aria. “We feel totally fine.”

“How would you know?” countered Card. “In fact Aria, you are more energetic and lively than you ever were.”

“Wow! You say that I’m not ok because for once I’m trying not to spoil your celebration with my usual attitude, you so much complain about.”

“Ha!” laughed Sonata. “Didn’t see that coming, sis?”

“You were feeding on emotions of an angry mob. That was bound to affect you in some way.” tried Card again. “Just look at your pendants. The whalebone frame is practically melted into the core. They look like some sort of crystals now. And why red? It’s all because of that negative energy. Who knows what changed inside?!”

“Ok.” suddenly said Adagio. “We will go through your tests after the celebration.”

“I’m glad that you see reason.”

“But we still want to perform now. It will be just one or two songs.” she made a pause like considering something. “And of course we won’t use any magic.”

“We won’t?” asked Sonata.

“No more than usual at least.” Adagio turned to Card. “You don’t think that just one song will change anything?”

“Fine.” Card exhaled, realizing that this was the only compromise she would achieve without real quarrel.

The preparations meanwhile were finished and celebration of a “Fountain free” era of the Delight city began. Despite Wild Card worries “Sirens” made it through without incidents. They sang their best songs without even being exhausted as usual.

Still, on the next day, Wild Card was worried when three sisters haven’t shown up as they promised. So she asked around and learned that The Sirens went to the surface. Not that it was really unusual, many ponies often made a trip to see the sunrise. Also, they could have some business with the barge crew. The last shift missed celebration – maybe they decided to order a performance and Adagio seized the opportunity?

But there was a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. Card hurried up to the barge. And when she reached there she was struck in astonishment by what she saw. Three seamares were dancing in front of the barge. In the air!
Wild Card couldn’t say a thing. She just swam to the barge and changed into a unicorn, using her pearl (she kept it in a special container on deck, so she wouldn’t have to carry it every time going to the surface). At that moment Sirens finished and noticed her.

“Look! We can fly,” said Sonata Dusk to Wild Card with her usual ditsy innocence.

“Do you understand what that means?” lashed Card.

“That we don’t need to change into ponies to go on land anymore?”

Adagio and Aria stared at Sonata, trying to figure out if there was more to her answer than on the face of it. Or maybe she just said first that would come to mind. As usual.

“When did you learn to do that?” demanded Card.

“A few days back, when Draft had sent us to practice our song and dance away from Delight,” answered Adagio after a prolonged pause. “We went to the surface and during practice, Sonata was carried away and flew into the air.”

“Like literally,” added Sonata. “That was so fun. Who knew that our charms would allow us to fly?”

“And that was exactly what I was talking you about!” lashed Card again. “These pendants are so overcharged now that they exhibit totally new effects. You should take them off immediately.”

“Imagine that,” sighed Aria. “Good that we decided to make our farewell number for the barge crew.”

“But how we will perform without them?” Sonata tried to persuade Wild Card. “Maybe we wear them a bit more. Ple-ease.”

“Have you heard what I said? Your charms behave in a totally unpredicted manner,” started Card.

“Fine!” suddenly said Adagio. “We will doff our pendants.”

Her sisters glanced at her in disbelief.

“Though are you sure that you shouldn’t make extensive testing first?” continued the Siren. “You said that granting us this ability is something that you haven’t thought of. Maybe there is more to it. What if it’s unknown property of the whalebone? You obviously wouldn’t want ponies on the mainland to discover that themselves.”

In silence, Aria and Sonata looked at their sister again. She truly knew how to push somepony’s buttons.

“You probably right, Adagio,” said Card at last. “I mean what if there are other effects. I should study your connection with pendants thoroughly so I wouldn’t miss any affection for your well-being. And let’s not waste time and go to my lab immediately. After all, you were supposed to do those tests in the first place.”

Tests took practically the rest of the day and even night. Results were astonishing. Apparently, energy that three sisters consumed have boosted their vigor and even nourished them. It was still to be determined if such nourishment could sustain their organism instead of regular food, but that wouldn’t be too surprising since Wild Card charms were derived from windigo magic.

The most puzzling was new abilities Sirens apparently received. The flight was one of them, energy beams were another. Wild Card was shocked by the sheer power of Aria’s blast, when she shattered a ship-sized rock into pieces. Sisters also could modulate their voices to make another dangerous weapon out of them. And of course their singing was irresistible – after all, that’s what pendants were originally designed for.

The last part was worried Wild Card for some reason. Not that she was afraid to fall under Sirens’ spell – it was her who designed it after all. But still, this kind of power being in the hooves of three flighty mares has been uneasy. And Yew Draft definitely wasn’t helping by asking Adagio and her sisters to “smooth certain tensions between the citizens”.

Despite trying to provide for everypony, Draft still wasn’t able to get all supplies. Fountain really made a mess of all accounting and probably didn’t expect to deliver those in the first place. Though that didn’t change the fact that before the next shipment would arrive, many Delight citizens would have to restrain themselves. And of course, it was impossible to make share so everyone would be happy.

Wild Card understood all that her brother was explaining but still was opposed to using such magic. Especially without ponies knowing that the very same spell that calmed down an angry mob, could easily be used to sway anypony to do whatever bidding Sirens would want. What if that trick would be discovered?

Card agreed to let Adagio and her sisters keep the pendants. She still wanted more tests to make and try to replicate new artifact powers. Yew Draft also was for Sirens keeping their powers – in case of more tensions, as he said.
And he was right – a couple of days after there was another commotion at the market. Draft took sisters to keep the crowd in check.

Still, Card’s worries only grew as over time tensions increased more and more. During next week there were several minor outbursts, the last of them nearly grew to riot. But the worst was yet to come. On the day that main shipment was due to arrive a storm broke out. And cargo vessel sank several leagues from Delight.

In the end, it turned out not as bad as it seemed. Yew Draft as Delight’s mayor quickly organized an expedition. Seaponies recovered most of the cargo, but still, some things were badly damaged. And nopony was happy to carry them through the rough and dangerous ocean floor.

The last straw came as several accusations about the unreliable magic that Wild Card used to keep weather calm in the vicinity above Delight. For her, an accomplished mage who saw herself worthy to be Star Swirl the Bearded’s protegee, it was personal. Even she was exhausted by the trip (Wild Card was helping to load most heavy cargo on sub-carriages) seaunicorn immediately dug herself into her books to find proof that she was not responsible.

And to her horror, she couldn’t find the weather control spellbook. The feeling about something wrong that nagged Card for a while now manifested in all its power. She couldn’t just lose that book. Someone ought to take it. And it all started to click into place. Those incidents increasing tensions, outbursts of anger, and now this crash that will raise even more stir for sure. Everything provided more and more negative energy for Sirens to charge their amulets.

Still, Wild Card had to be sure. She couldn’t make anypony to confront Sirens having the only suspicion. On another hoof, could she make anypony to confront Sirens at all? But Card decided to deal with problems one by one. First, she had to be sure.

There was one spell that could help her. She started to work on it the very night they had the confrontation with Fountain. Since they couldn’t know if Adagio and her sisters bring anything about Fountain’s plans, she tried to make an eavesdropping spell. In the end, they weren’t needing it, so she had left it in “half-baked” state. It just granted caster extremely sensitive hearing. Not much but it had to do.

She kept her spell drafts in a locked part of the lab. No one was allowed there, nor anypony have seen Card’s most impressive artifacts and works. She made this shelter just as a precaution but never thought that she actually would need one.

It took her a few minutes to re-check the incantation and then cast it. It sharpened her hearing so Wild Card could discern even a whispered conversation from hundred meters away. Now all she had to do is to find Sirens. Where could they be? Certainly not around, as Card’s superhearing didn’t pick up anything except some disconcerting noise.

Maybe somepony would talk about three sisters? Wild Card went outside to pick up what other ponies of Delight were talking about. Being focused on the task at hand, she had never even thought if it was appropriate to listen to all the private conversations. Not that there were many to listen to.

In fact, Wild Card quickly realized that for such a big city as Delight there was too little talking. Most ponies were silent, some were just humming a melody, the few squabbles was all she heard. If Sirens were trying to make everypony angry again, they definitely were taking their time.

Card floated over the city. She made her way towards the whalebone quarry and marketplace – during Fountain’s enterprise, those parts of Delight became most populated. Also, it was the quarry, where Card’s brother conducted many negotiations, since many ponies were reluctant to come at city hall.

Here the noise became stronger. And Wild Card suddenly realized that it wasn’t just a noise but a song. It was the same melody that everypony was humming. She rushed further to the quarry and soon could discern the words.

That was unbelievable! Right under her nose, three sisters swayed the whole Delight into becoming their personal army. And this probably hasn’t started just today. Wild Card stopped, floating above the Market Street. For half a minute she couldn’t decide what to do.

Card was immune to the charms of her own design and she could probably make others resistant too. But if seaponies were already under control, there was no counterspell in her possession.

However, there was one way to get help. A long time ago Wild Card promised to herself that she will never resort to it, but now she had no choice. No amount of shame and humiliation could be worse than losing the city of her and her brother’s dream to the monsters she created.

She had to hurry. In fact, as Card was floating above the market she could be easily spotted by anypony. What if Sirens already set up some to watch over her and her brother? Actually, where was Yew Draft? Wild Card forced herself to focus. In her vault was the only thing that could help her now.

Wild Card entered her vault and shut the door. There was little time, so she rushed to the far corner of the room and opened safe as quickly as possible. Inside there was one of her points of pride – the communication crystal. One of the ones she and Star Swirl the Bearded were working on before that Clover came and messed things up. Still, even now it was a connection to the School for the Gifted Unicorns. Literally. Despite their differences Star Swirl still kept another crystal in his study and Wild Card talked to him from time to time.

She cast an activation spell. To establish a connection was to take about half a minute. Card talked to Star Swirl on a regular basis, last time boasting about her recent success with establishing whalebone trading network. She made even subtle reminder that maybe Clover was not his best choice after all…

So much for Wild Card’s successful career. Now she will certainly get all her claims back at her. Seapony made a series of relaxing breaths. Saving Delight was more important than any amount of shame and accusations of incompetence.
Image appeared. But it wasn’t Star Swirl.

“You?!” exclaimed Wild Card. “What are you doing in Star Swirl’s study?”

“I’m his assistant, just so you know!” retorted Clover the Clever. “And you… Wait. Wild Card, is it?”

There was some commotion in the laboratory.

“Dear sister are you here?” that was the voice of Yew Draft, but something in his voice stopped Card just as she was ready to rush to the door.

“Are you sure, she is here?” Aria’s voice made Card freeze.

“Hello?” asked Clover from the crystal.

That returned Wild Card to reality.

“Damn! I have no time. Call Star Swirl. I need his help to counter mind control spell. Without it, Sirens will sway anypony who is angry or upset. They can feed on any negative energy and now have the power...”

“Sirens? Are they real?” Clover was excited.

“No. I mean,” Wild Card started to explain, but suddenly image in the crystal flicked.

“Repeat please,” asked Clover. “There was some glitch in connection.”

At that moment Card realized that everything around her is vibrating. And then there was a blast that shook the whole room. Sirens tried to use their abilities to find her – Card’s time was running out.

“Listen,” said Clover after she hasn’t got the answer form Wild Card, who desperately tried to think of something. “I was in similar kind of situation when I have faced windigos.”

“Windigos? You were the one who drove them off?!” if Wild Card wasn’t in the seapony form, hanging in the water, she would have jumped in astonishment. How could she forget about that?

“Well, duh.” waved aside Clover, with only a glimmer of pride in her glance, but immediately became serious “But I did it with the help of other ponies. You know that our magical power draws it’s strength from emotions, right?”

Seaunicorn sniffed as it was so basic that she considered herself way past that now.

“What I understand now, it is our connection to others, our relations that make the strongest passion and become most powerful magic.”

Clover hesitated a bit, not sure if to tell Wild Card that Star Swirl himself was quite doubtful about her theory.

“But I said, I AM alone. Everypony else is under Sirens’ spell. Even my brother and no “connection” will help unless I free them!”

“Are you sure? Maybe it’s still there, deep inside. And you can reach it with a memory spell or something.”

Before she finished another, more powerful blast shattered the door. Three sisters swam into the room.

“Oh, look whom we have here,” grinned Aria. “And I was always curious how you can get news from the mainland before anyone arrives.”

“What is that?” asked Clover, as communication spell was faltering again. “The sirens?”

Before Wild Card could answer Adagio blasted the communication crystal to pieces with her sonic wave attack.

“Now we got you,” she said. “Submit to our will.”

“Never!”

“Maybe you need to sing it,” told Sonata to her sister. “So the magic will be more powerful.”

“I will never be controlled by you,” lashed Wild Card. “I’ve created you. And how are you repaying me? By taking everything away?”

“It was you who wanted to take everything away,” retorted all three Sirens.

Adagio came right on Wild Card.

“You used us,” she said into mare’s face. “And when we did all your dirty work, made your and your brother’s underwater city safe, you decided to toss away all we got!”

Than Adagio flew back to her sisters.

“But now we don’t need to stay at your whim. We have you precious city under our hooves.”

“Uhm,” cut in Sonata. “Do we? You said we needed access to loudspeakers.”

The angry glare from her sisters told her that telling this in front of the only mare not controlled by the spell was not the best idea.

“All right,” said Adagio at last. “Come with us, Card. After all, you made our amulets, so you at least deserve to see our triumph. When we will sing our song at full power, spreading through the whole city, we, at last, get respect and adoration we deserve!”

“And don’t try anything funny,” added Aria. “Or we will make your brother here to do something you both will regret.”

“Draft, follow us,” said Adagio flowing out of the Wild Card’s vault and seacolt obediently followed.

Access to citywide loudspeakers was in Yew Draft’s study. It was just a couple of weeks ago, thought Wild Card when Sirens used them to stop the crowd from tearing them down. And now this device will seal the fate of the citizens as slaves to her magic. The very same magic that was supposed to help Wild Card and Yew Draft to make their dream come true. Their most ambitious and at the same time most sacred dream, that united them from their time as fillies. Even before Card entered The School for the Gifted Unicorns and met Star Swirl and Clover.

Card remembered Clover’s advice. What if…

“Where are the controls?” asked Adagio, turning to Draft.

“I hid them, just in case,” he answered with an absent voice.

“Than unhide them!” suddenly squealed Sonata. “I want all this to get over with.”

Seacolt swam behind his desk and after a few manipulations, a panel with a map of Delight slid aside. Impatiently blue Siren swam to the nozzle.

“Listen to me, citizen of Delight!” she cried, than stopped. “Is it on?”

“Oh!” Wild Card put hoof to her face. “Let me attune it for you. Waiting for you taking our city is more unbearable than to actually getting through it.”

All three Sirens laughted.

“Ha-ha. Ok, make it work.” said Aria.

That was Card chance. Now she had only to enchant the loudspeakers with the same spell, Sirens used. And without them noticing.

“What’s taking so long,” asked Adagio after a while. “You’re stalling, aren’t you? Finish this instant or...”

“It’s done,” answered Wild Card.

“Really?” Sonata dashed to speaking nozzle again.

“Unless she put some spell to strip you of your power,” threw Aria and her sister stopped.

“And you had to say that,” said Adagio accusingly.

“I am not the one who would like my sister to lose her powers,” Aria tried to sound really caring, but of course failed.

Sonata was looking from one of her sisters to another and back.

“Can someone explain to me what is going on?”

“It’s simple,” sighed Aria. “Adagio wanted to get rid of you.”

“You saying like you are not!” countered Adagio. “The only reason you decided to warn her is to join with her against me.”

“Ha-ha-ha” Wild Card’s laugh interrupted the argument and all three Sirens looked at her.

“Just look at yourselves! You haven’t even got the city yet, but already turn on one another.” she pointed her hoof at each of the sisters. “I don’t even know if it’s windigo magic from my amulets affecting you or you just were this selfish and quarrelsome from the start.”

“Ease off, will you?” snarled back Adagio. “It’s our private matter.”

“Yeah, right. Dividing up the city that is not your own yet.” Card turned to her brother. “Are you going to let them just take our dream away? You wanted to create something great since you were a filly. And now you have the whole city, made by your vision and my magic. We have built this whole new community together. How can you stand and just watch as some greedy mares deciding its fate, like it’s their own?!”

“You know that you can’t turn him to your side, right?” asked Adagio turning away from her sisters, like their grievances against her wouldn’t matter. “He is under our control. By the spell that you yourself created. And will do all that I and my sisters will command.”

“And what if you don’t agree? Whose orders you think he will listen to?” Card made one step towards her brother. “Tell me who of these three seamares is your favorite? Or...”

“Stop stalling!” lunged Adagio at her, the threw a look at her sisters. “We will sort our personal problems later. Now remove the spell that you put on loudspeakers.”

“As if you could figure out if I do that,” smirked Wild Card. “You were so full of yourselves that didn’t even think that I’m the only one who knows all the magic here.”

“That’s it!” cried Adagio. “Draft! Make your sister lift the spell!”

Seacolt swam to Card and put his hooves on her shoulders.

“Dear sister,” his voice was very calm and soothing, but with his absent face that just made it creepier. “Please, remove the magic you put on the speakers.”

Draft’s hooves pushed Card further and she finally stuck on the wall.

“Don’t be so stubborn as usual. And I wouldn’t need to hurt you.”

“Drft,” coughed out Wild Card as her brother’s hooves clasped her throat. “Stop. Remember it’s me.”

That was no use. Wild Card was starting to lose consciousness. In her desperation, she couldn’t think straight and in the last effort to at least free herself seaunicorn just swung her head and hit Draft’s forehead.

“Auch!” suddenly he let her loose and was rubbing his face. “That was uncalled for, sis. For crying out loud, you could put my eye out with your horn!”

“You...” that was the only thing Wild Card was able to produce.

It worked! It actually worked! That swelled head Clover was right! Now she had only to keep him free long enough.
“I can’t believe it!” exclaimed Aria. “How is that possible.”

“Does it matter?” answered Adagio, her anger starting to rise. “She made our charms after all. Shouldn’t have underestimated her in the first place.”

“I’ll say,” cut in Sonata.

“Enough!” cried Adagio, the whole room shaking as her voice was enhanced by pendant power. “DO AS I SAY!”

“Never!” Yew Draft and Wild Card answered almost simultaneously.

Brother and sister turned to The Sirens, floating inches above the floor side by side. And if somepony would pay attention, this pony would see a heart-shaped aura above their heads. It wasn’t exactly Fire of Friendship that once helped to drive windigo away. After all most of the siblings' emotions were anger and resentment directed at three seamares who dared to take their sweet dream away. However, those feelings were mutual and they united them as tight as an aspiring idealist and a proud mage could be united against a common foe.

“Never again!” cried Wild Card and not even knowing where she drew strength from she filled the entire room with freezing aura.

Now three sisters were in ice cases. Ironically, that was the very same fate that awaited most victims of the windigos whose powers The Sirens used.

“Now we must break their spell over OUR city,” said Draft to his sister. “You know how to do that, right?”

“I think so,” she answered, weaving another spell. “We use Siren’s, I mean my, spell against them. Now their own energy will make that even easier.”

She waved her horn. Three rays of magic coming from Sirens to the loudspeaker mouthpiece nozzle were barely visible.

“So, how does this work? Should we just tell ponies to break free or we require to sing?” asked Draft and not even waiting for answer sang into the nozzle, that glowed green. “Open up your eyes. Make the Sirens’ spell to end.”

“Well,” said Wild Card hearkening to magical energies. “I think you did it. After all, they had only spread subtle influence. You were the only pony who they got complete hold of. Right?”

“I think so,” Yew Draft rubbed his forehead. “Wait! There were a couple of ponies, whom they left on the watch. I remember how one of them rushed in and told that he spotted you. Damn! That moment I became so angry at you for some reason. It was definitely their spell – I could never hate you so much. I mean, sometimes you really behave like everypony is beneath you.”

He looked into sister's eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said abashedly.

“We will have time to discuss our differences later. Now we have to destroy those amulets quickly and for good,” she said almost without any regret. “This magic proved to be too dangerous.”

“Sis,” said Draft very timidly. “What if we keep the magic a little bit longer. I mean that we don’t even know if we affected everypony enough. Or what if there are some effects that we need to remove.”

“Listen,” Wild Card made a long sigh as she was thinking about the same, however, she also knew the truth. “There can be some effects and that’s why we should end using this spell right now. I don’t know if we could explain what happened to all our citizens. And if they will forgive us. But this kind of magic is too dangerous.”

Before Draft could reply a loud crack sounded in the room. Then another one. A subtle vibration started, gradually growing in power. It was them. Three frozen seamares appeared not so frozen after all.

“They gonna get free!” cried Draft. “Do something!”

“I can’t until they go out of ice casing!” cried Card back as the noise became louder and louder. “And I don’t even sure if I could freeze them again.”

“YOU WON’T STOP US ANYMORE!” the voices were in vibration itself.

“What are you doing?” cried Wild Card, seeing Yew Draft returning to nozzle again.

“Run away! Run away from this city, before Sirens get you under their spell!” cried Draft into the nozzle not even bothering to rime.

Then pieces of shattering ice were all over the room. Wild Card shielded herself and her brother with telekinesis than used it to pull Draft from the nozzle to the window. Just when both seaponies made it outside the three ice rocks finally broken and Sirens were free.

“Sorry sis, but I just had to warn them.”

“Shut up and hold on!” cried Wild Card creating another spell.

She hugded Draft and a vortex formed around them. This spell Card used to fly in a whirlwind to annoy pegasi. She could only hope that in the water it will work the same way.

“Nice work sister!” said Draft looking how the cocoon of swirling water carries them from angry Sirens at incredible speed. “Wait. Where are we going?”

“Good thing that I keep Transfiguration Pearl aboard the barge. With it we could go anywhere.”

“But where can we go now? How could we look in Equestria with our failure?”

“I said anywhere! We don’t need return to Equestria. Any other nation would welcome us with our talents. In fact, I heard that Hippogriff Kingdom is in search of powerful magicians. Maybe we can start from there.”