//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Three Sirens and a Sunset // by Shadowsnake89 //------------------------------// “Thanks Miss Zecora. That really did the trick.” Cut Off says as he and the other Shadowbolts leave the zebra's hut. “Yeah that stuff even fixed my deviated septum.” Boogie Night states as they wave goodbye. “Promise we'll pay you back.” “You're quite welcome for the remedies. Next time make sure to use the door please.” Zecora slowly fades into the distance as the three make their way to a bush where they have hidden Sombra's horn. “I get that we needed to be convincing but did she really have to shoot us out this far?” Boogie says as he looks around at the many menacing plants. “Well on the bright side, we won't have to worry about too many ponies coming out this way. Uh guys, something weird is happening with that horn.” Double Down points at the object as it violently shakes and glows. The three huddle together, taking cover behind a rock. “Go touch it.” “No way you do it.” Cut Off says. “I'm not getting anywhere near that freaky thing.” Boogie continues to back away. “Fine, we'll settle this the old fashioned way. One, two, three, not it.” Cut Off says quickly. “Not it!” Boogie says a fraction of a second after. Double Down stomps his hoof on the marshy ground. “Darn I hate that game. Fine I'll do it.” He cautiously approaches the horn before putting his hoof to it. “Uh, King Sombra?” “Fool!” The voice shouts loudly. “It seems our number of allies in this other world have been reduced. We must move forward now if we are to succeed. To Ponyville, now!” “What about Lightning Dust?” “Let us hope she is ready. I will not be denied, not again.” Canterlot High In one of the hallways of the school the duo of Snips and Snails are busy being tormented and shaken down by the new reigning bullies, the tall lanky Runt and his short stocky friend Big Boy. Big Boy holds the two upside down, shaking out anything they have in their pockets. “Thanks for donating to the 'Get Runt and Big Boy a new car fund' gentlemen.” “Oh darn, now we have no money Snails.” Snips says in very poor acting fashion as the two are let down. “But what about the extra fifty you keep in your shoe.” Snips face palms as his friend has just given away the hiding spot for the last of their money. He turns angrily toward Snails, who is completely oblivious to what he has just done. “What?” Snips surrenders the remaining funds as Runt begins counting up the most recent take. “And we'll take that watch too.” Runt says as he has Big Boy take it off Snails' wrist. “Alright, taking my money is one thing but nobody takes my buddy's watch.” Snips says, attempting to stand up to the bullies. “Oh yeah and what are you gonna do about it small fry?” Runt snaps his finger as Big Boy grabs the blue skinned boy by the back of his shirt. “He's not going to do anything.” the four turn to see Aria Blaze walking down the hall. Runt begins to sweat nervously as she approaches with Sonata in tow. “Ar...Aria?” Aria gets right into Runts face as Big Boy drops Snips. “You're going to hand over what you took from them and then you're going to give back everything else you took and personally apologize to everyone. Are we clear?” The two give only a frightened nod of agreement. “Good, now get.” “Right. Of course Aria, whatever you say.” Runt gestures to his compatriot who hands back all of Snips and Snails possessions and dusts the two off. The duo then dash off in fear. “Jerks. You two alright?” Aria asks as she watches the two bullies scurry down the hall. “Sure are thanks to you. We owe you big time Aria. You know, that lackey offer is still on the table.” Snips says as he put his money back into his hiding spot. “Say yes. These guys are a blast.” Sonata insists. Aria already regrets what she's about to say. “Fine.” “Yeah, we'll be the best lackeys ever!” Snails says excitedly as he jumps for joy, landing on Aria's foot. Instead of a scream of pain her serene siren voice rings out as the other three are in owe. The pig-tailed girl herself is torn between massaging her injured foot or being amazed that her voice is back. “Aria your voice. It's fixed. You can sing again!” Sonata says with glee as she puts her hands on her sister's shoulders. “I can sing again? I can sing again!” She spins around and kisses Snails, to both her and his surprise. She immediately realizes what she's done and moves back, blushing, while Snails is almost out on his feet.“This never happened. I uh, I have to go.” She rushes off in embarrassment as Sonata is still standing next to the boys. “She'll call you.” “Sonata come on!” Aria shouts as Sonata happily skips down the hall leaving Snips and Snails as the shorter looks on jealously at his friend. After school the girls have gathered along with many other students to watch the soccer match between their school and the visiting team from Appaloosa. “Woo hoo! Go Rainbow Dash!” Applejack shouts, waving her hat in the air. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Sonata are performing their own cheer routine. “Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash. If she can't win it...” The two stop midway as they have forgotten the rhyme. “Yay Rainbow Dash!” Sonata blurts out. The crowd roars loudly as the home team scores yet another goal, giving them a comfortable lead. Aria sits with Ticki on her head, only seeming slightly interested in the game, still a bit concerned about her other sister, as she hasn't seen her since the night before. “Come on Aria, cheer with us.” She pulls herself from her thoughts to play along with Sonata's request. “Go team, go. Woo-hoo.” she says in a half hearted manner. “That's the spirit.” Sonata jumps for joy with Pinkie, only stopping when, out of the corner of her eye she sees Adagio walking up to the bleachers. “Adagio!” She excitedly rushes over to her sister, giving her a big hug. From her seat Aria smiles as she watches her sisters talk as Sonata offers her a seat in the front row. The game ends shortly after with a final score of 7-2 as the team parades around the pitch. “Glad you made it Adagio.” Aria says as she and the others walk down to her and Sonata. “You knew she was coming?” Sonata asks curiously. “She wanted it to be a surprise.” Adagio says as she pats her sister on the head before noticing the furry creature that has perched itself on Aria's shoulder. “You've got a little something there.” “Oh right. This is Ticki, he's kind of my pet ferret. Say hello.” He leaps over to Adagio, landing in her puffy hair and tunneling through before jumping back out onto Aria's arm. “Sorry, he likes to burrow.” “I can see that.” She brushes her hair out before turning back to the others. “To say we didn't get off to the best start would be an understatement to the highest degree. But I want to give this friendship thing a try, that is if you'll have me.” “Of course we will.” Sunset says as she offers her hand to Adagio. “Most certainly.” Rarity says. “Any sister of Sonata is a friend of mine.” Pinkie says jumping up and down. “Glad to have ya.” Says Applejack with the tip of a hat. “It's so good to have you here.” Fluttershy says with a smile. “Same here.” Rainbow Dash says as Adagio takes Sunset's hand. “Thanks everyone. So what do we do now?” Sonata immediately pops up in the center of the group. “I have an idea. We should all go out for a night on the town.” “That's not a bad idea.” Rainbow Dash admits. “And I know the perfect place for a good time.” That night the group meet up at the local roller rink. The reunited Dazzlings make their way inside with the others as Sonata looks around in amazement. “This is the greatest place I've ever seen!” “Sonata you said that about the last three places we stopped at.” Aria says with a smile. “And I really mean it this time. Come on!” The blue haired girl follows Pinkie Pie and the two grab their skates and head for the rink. “Does she remember that she doesn't know how to skate?” Adagio says with her arms crossed as she watches the two tumble over. “I think she remembers now.” The other girls head over to the counter, grabbing their skates and heading out on the rink. Rainbow Dash, ever the natural, performs tricks, maneuvering around some of the other skaters. Rarity takes it nice and easy, gracefully moving about while Fluttershy stays to the edge, staying out of the limelight. “Come on Fluttershy, you'll be fine.” Applejack assures her friend as she skates past. “Oh I'm fine right here, thanks.” Meanwhile Sunset is strolling casually around the rink, only for Pinkie and Sonata, who have now gotten the hang of it, blaze past her and the others. She loses her balance and almost stumbles back. “Got ya.” Aria says as she catches her going back, helping her back to her feet. “Thanks. It looks like those two are having a good time.” “Yeah, though I think Adagio might need a little more encouragement.” Over on the edge the orange haired girl leans against the wall of the rink as the others pass her by. Aria gestures to Sonata as she makes her way over to her older sister. “Adagio, come skate with me and Pinkie.” “I don't know. I haven't exactly had a lot of practice with this kind of thing.” She wobbles from side to side in order to get her balance as Sonata and Aria support her from either side. “We've got you.” The two guide her around the ring as she begins to get her footing. “Sooooo? Are you having fun yet?” Sonata says with a huge smile. “You know what? I actually am enjoying myself. I never would have known this town had an aquarium or a history museum.” “It's weird that even without magic this world has so much in common with Equestria.” Aria notes the fact about all the exhibits that they visited earlier in the day. “Speaking of weird.” Adagio looks over to see Snails skating next to them, looking half dazed as he stares at Aria who gently pushes him away as the three proceed. “Should I ask?” “She kissed him.” Pinkie says, doing a spin before skating off. “You told Pinkie?” Aria says flustered, her cheeks a bright red. “Why not? It was so romantic.” The begin to bicker for a moment before realizing they have left their older sister alone and she careens uncontrollably over the rink edge. “Adagio!” The two race over with the other girls. “We are so sorry. It was all my fault.” “Don't blame Sonata, I was the one who made a big deal out of it.” Sunset and Rarity help Adagio up. She brushes herself off as her sisters prepare to get yelled at. She takes a deep breath then lets it out before putting on a calm face. “It's okay girls, you didn't mean it. Accidents happen sometimes. Now if you'll excuse me I should get cleaned up.” As she heads toward the restroom Sonata falls backwards in disbelief. “Wow she didn't even look mad.” In the restroom Adagio cleans herself off, tending to a few small cuts she's received. “Here let me help.” Sunset says coming in through the door. “Uh, sure.” Sunset pulls a small first aid box from her backpack, setting it on the counter. “You keep that on you?” Adagio asks as Sunset takes an alcohol swab and begins dabbing it over the girl's cuts as she winces slightly from the stinging. “After all the stuff I've been through I find it pays to have it.” “Right. I think I owe you all an apology for all that. I guess power went to my head.” “I understand how that feels. Believe it or not I was once on my way to being a princess in Equestria.” “Really?” “I had everything planned out to the letter. I knew it was my destiny to have it all, a crown, a palace, a kingdom of my own. But I guess fate has a way to work around all that.” “How so?” “I overstepped my boundaries with Princess Celestia, lost everything I knew was supposed to be mine and eventually, here I am. Never would have expected in a million years I'd go from prospective princess to guitarist.” “When I was in Equestria everything seemed to fit right into place. Believe it or not life as a siren wasn't easy. There aren't too many ponies who are welcoming when you look the way we did. Sonata, Aria and I were on our own for a long time. We needed negative energy to feed our powers. At first it was just small squabbles here and there, never anything serious. As time went on I guess I got addicted to the power and pushed the others to keep going. More was never enough for me. Eventually Starswirl the Bearded was the only thing standing between us and the world. You see how well that turned out.” Sunset finishes working on the scrapes on her arms and moves to work on the small cuts on her face. “I always blamed them for everything that happened even though it was all my fault. Because of me they lost everything.” “But look at what you've gained. You've got your sisters back and you've got us. And we're here to help no matter what.” Sunset finishes putting her first aid kit away. “There we are, all finished.” “Thanks Sunset. I have to admit, I'm not very good when it comes to friendship but I'm willing to try, for them.” “No problem. If you ever want to talk just let me know. We all need help sometimes and there's no shame in asking for it.” “I'll keep that in mind. What do say we get back out there? I'm ready to give it another shot. Plus I'd hate for them to think I got busted up too badly.” The two share a friendly smile before going to rejoin the others. The following day class lets out for lunch as everyone begins heading toward the cafeteria. “Wasn't last night simply smashing?” Rarity asks happily. “It was pretty awesome skate session.” Rainbow Dash says with her guitar strapped to her back. “And after lunch we'll have an awesome jam session.” “That sounds like fun. Mind if we sit in?” Aria asks as the group walks down the hall. She stops to look around for a minute. “Wait, where's Sonata?” “She said she was hanging out with Snips and Snails. Something about overweight vegetables.” Pinkie says. “I think you mean phat beats Pinkie.” Dash states. “Okay but I don't know why she would want heavyset roots.” “I just hope she's not telling Snails anything about me.” Aria says putting a hand to her face. “Oh it's just a cute little crush.” Rarity assures. “That little crush is quickly becoming an irritant. He's cute in a odd way but I wish he could just take a hint.” “I'm sure he'll get over it sooner or later.” They see a handmade poster on the wall with a badly drawn picture of Aria and Snails that reads: AB+S Forever. “Hopefully sooner.” Sunset stops for a moment realizing she's forgotten something. “Oh wait I forgot to drop my bag off at my locker.” “I could drop it off for you. I have to head that way anyway for a tutoring session.” Adagio says happily. “Besides it's the least I can do.” “Thanks, here's my locker number and combination.” She writes it down and hands it to her along with her bag which she drapes over her shoulder with her own bag. Adagio makes it to the locker and enters the combination. She lifts the bag to place it on the hook only for the strap to break and the contents to spill out onto the ground. “Darn it.” The orange haired girl says under her breath. She goes to pick up the fallen objects and notices a book with a two tone sun on the front. She places her own bag on the ground and opens the book. “This must be what she uses to contact Twilight.” From out of her pocket she pulls Sombra's crystal, which is coursing with the dark energy. She tightly balls her fist to silence it and tucks it away again. “Adagio?” She instantly turns around to see Sonata wearing gold chains and a pair of tinted sunglasses. “What are you doing out here?” She quickly kneels back down to finish picking up the rest of Sunset's things. “I was just dropping off some stuff For Sunset Shimmer but the strap on her bag broke. Just trying to make sure everything is here.” She turns her head to look her sister over. “It looks like you had a good time.” “Totally, we busted all kind of rhymes yo.” Sonata says in an attempt to emulate the rapping duo. “Snips and Snails are pretty cool, huh?” Adagio finishes putting everything back and places her backpack over her shoulder before putting Sunset's inside the locker. “Yeah but they're not as cool as my big sis.” Sonata surprises her with a hug. “I'm so glad we're a family again. And don't worry, I pinkie promise you I won't rest until we get you your singing voice back.” “Don't worry about it Sonata. These things will happen when they happen.” Ponyville Just above the cloud cover in the town, the three Shadowbolts are spending their time preparing for the final phase. “So when exactly are we supposed to head in?” Boogie Night asks, relaxing on his back. “Whenever we get the signal.” Cut Off spends his time throwing hoof attacks. “Then we help Lightning Dust secure the portal and after that we get the power and respect we deserve. But until then we sit tight.” A few moments later the two look over to Double Down who is talking to himself. “Okay okay, we're on it King Sombra. Yes sir, I get it.” He turns to look at the two others. “Was that the signal?” “What do you two think?” “Alright Shadowbolts, let's move.” The three blaze toward Twilight's castle, ready for the final phase of Sombra's plan. Inside the castle Twilight and the others are busy aiding Lightning Dust in her search for answers. “I don't see anything here that can help us.” The princess says as she notices a book on a stand in the corner of the room glowing and vibrating. “Oh no.” Twilight quickly moves over to the book and begins reading. “What's with the freaky book?” Dust questions as she watches. “That book's a link between Equestria and some alternate world. Twilight has a friend there who can send her messages through that book.” Applejack explains. “That is both fascinating and frightening at the same time. And yet somehow still leaves room to be totally awesome.” “My friends there are in danger. I need to get there right away.” “Is there a train that takes you to alternate worlds or am I missing something?” “I've built a portal in the library that can take me there. Come on we don't have much time.” Before the group can go any further, a panicked Scootaloo runs in. “Rainbow Dash help!” “What is it squirt?” “Those Pegasus that wrecked the town are back.” “We'll handle them, right Dash?” Dust says stepping up. “Right. Twilight, you and the others head for the portal. We handled these jokers before we'll handle them again. We'll meet you after we've cleaned their clocks.” “No doubt.” Dash and Dust share a hoof bump. “It's good to team up again Dash. Now let's get out there and kick some Shadowbolt tail!” The two fly out of the castle and instantly spot the three once again tearing through the town. They stop almost instantly, turning to the duo and charge toward them. “Ready Dust?” Rainbow asks as she takes the lead. “You know it.” She answers with a sinister smile on her face as she quickly delivers a blow to the back of the rainbow maned Pegasus that knocks her out cold as two of the Shadowbolts catch her mid-fall. “Now my soldiers to the castle.”