//------------------------------// // Parley // Story: Sirens of the Night // by The Crazed Werewolf //------------------------------// "What." Aria said trying to make herself sound intimidating, "come for payback for what my sisters and I did to your school?" "No," Luna answered, "I've come to ask you to come back." Aria was stunned, being asked to return to CHS was the last thing she thought of when she had seen the Vice-Principal. "You're going to invite us back in," Aria asked suspiciously, "after everything we did?" "Yes," Luna answered simply. She hoped that she was making headway. Of the three sirens, Aria was likely the hardest to read. "Why," Aria asked. "Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed," Luna answered, "I'm merely offering you and your sisters that opportunity." Aria was silent. "Look, I'm not going to force you or your sisters to come back," Luna said, "but if you do, I know some girls who would be willing to give you a chance." "What's in it for you," Aria asked. "Nothing. This is solely for your benefit," Luna answered honestly. "I won't promise you anything, particularly where Adagio is concerned," Aria said, "but I will pass this along to my sisters." "That's the most I could hope for," Luna said, "hopefully I will see you at school tomorrow." Aria watched as Luna got back in her car and drove away. She watched as Luna turned down another street. The she looked down at the book in her hands before looking up to the heavens. Maybe it was time to stop following Adagio and maybe it was time to reach for a goal she wanted. ***** Sunset opened the door to the apartment she lived in with Celestia. "Hey Aunt Luna," Sunset said, "did you find the Dazzlings?" "I found one of them," Luna said as she entered the apartment, "hopefully Aria will be able to convince her sisters to return to CHS. That reminds me, Sunset, if they do come back, could you and your friends extend that friendship to them?" Luna could see that Sunset was thinking over what she had just asked. "Sure," Sunset said finally, "I was given a second chance, why shouldn't they?" "Good answer," Luna said. "Luna," Celestia said as she stepped out of the kitchen and handed her sister a beer and a sheet of paper, "Printing Press called and left you this message." "Why does he call here," Sunset asked, "you moved out a month ago, doesn't that make it hard for him to get in touch with you?" "There's your answer," Luna said as she popped open her beer and read the message, "I've told him the answer is not only NO, but HELL NO!" ***** "What's wrong with going back to CHS Adagio," Aria screamed back at her older sister, "how else are we going to survive in this world?" "With out our pendants we lack the power we need to succeed," Adagio reasoned, "do you really want to set yourselves up for failure?" "Guess what," Aria responded, "that's a part of life! Do you think that mother would be proud of us hiding out like this?" "How dare you bring her into this," Adagio exclaimed. "Ohhh, please stop fighting," Sonata cried. Adagio looked from Aria to her oldest sister, upon locking eyes with Sonata, Adagio spun around and stormed out of the abandoned strip mall that they called home. "Aria, what's going to happen to us," Sonata asked. "We do the best we can and learn how to survive here in this world," Aria answered as she handed Sonata a bottle of water and their last packet of ramen noodles. Sonata looked at the package of freeze dried noodles. "What are you going to eat," "You need this more than I do," Aria said softly' "go ahead and eat, I'll be fine." "We'll share it." Sonata exclaimed as she cracked the brick of pasta in half and handed one chunk to Aria. Aria took the half that Sonata had handed her and looked out the window. "The sun is going down," Sonata said. ***** Adagio knew that she was breaking her own rule about being out after dark. She wished that she had brought her hoodie with her since there was a slight chill in the air. "Why did Aria have to bring up mom," Adagio said aloud, "she forged us into the weapons we became." Despite how hard she tried to push them out, memories of happier times growing up as young Sea Pony princesses In the palace of Seaquestria flooded her mind. Their mother had been kind and loving. Then their father had died. They had been told that he had been killed by the pony inhabitants of Equestria. On that day, mother had changed. Gone were the happy days of singing for the Imperial Court. They were taught how to use their voices as a weapon. The day she died, their mother unleashed them on an unexpecting Equestria. "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO," Adagio screamed at the moon. "You always were the most dedicated," Adagio heard the voice of her mother say. "Mother," Adagio cried in a whisper. "I'm here," her mother said, "look to your sisters." Adagio sank to her knees and wept.