SPLASH!
“Wake up Equestrian!” Adagio yelled as she threw another thing of water onto Sunset. “Wake up already!”
“She's not waking up.” Aria deadpanned, “We shouldn't have had those two guys hit her so hard.”
“I know, you've already said that like twenty something times Aria.” Adagio barked back. “She'll wake up.”
“Then why do you keep splashing water on her? Is someone impatient?”
“Shut up.” Adagio said as she put down the bucket. A sigh escaped her breath. “Ugh...okay, let's take a break. Maybe she'll wake up in a few minutes.”
“You know, I still say this was a bad idea. She could just be banished like us and not know how to get back to Equestria. Or she could just be some unusual human that can resist our songs.”
“No. She's definitely from Equestria. As I told you before, when I saw how she reacted when I asked her about Equestria...I knew. She's got to be from there. Or at very least, she has to know something about Equestria.”
“If you say so. Tell me, what do we do when she wakes up? I mean, we can't just sing to her. Our song didn't work, remember?”
“I know.” Adagio put her hand to her chin. “I've been thinking about that and I think I have a solution.”
“Really? What is it?”
“Well...maybe we could-”
“Augh! Ugh...” Sunset coughed. Her head throbbed up and down as she began to wake up. Her eyes repeatedly blinked as her head rocked back and forth. “Oooohhhh...what happened?”
“Finally! About time you wake up!” Aria screamed, her arms flailing in the air. “I can't believe it took this long!”
“I know Aria.” Adagio replied. “Now, let's give her a minute to realize her situation. After all, we have plenty of time. Yo Sonata! Is the food ready?!”
“Just another minute Dagi! The tacos are almost ready!”
“Tacos again? Seriously?” Aria groaned.
“It's fine Aria. You can choose what we eat next time.”
“You know we're eating that cuz we didn't get squat from that diner, right?”
“I know.” Adagio turned back to Sunset. “So, you awake?”
“Aaaaahhhh...wha...” Sunset eyes finally adjusted as she began to look at her surroundings. Then, she tried to move her body, only to realize she couldn't. She quickly looked down and saw her body tied to a chair. “What the-what is this?! What is...”
“Morning sunshine!” Adagio said as she pulled up a chair. “About time you woke up.”
“You...you're that girl that was...” Sunset began to pant, her chest feeling like it was about to burst. “Why is...what is...I don't...”
“Stop panicking.” Adagio replied with a pat on the head. “Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt ya. We just need some answers, that's all.”
“Answers?” Sunset blurted, her head slowly readjusting.
“That's right. You're from Equestria after all.”
“Eque-what are you talking about?”
“Don't play dumb.” Aria said, leaning over the two. “We saw your reaction, you're from Equestria!”
“Now now Aria, no need to raise your voice. Go see if Sonata's done, alright?”
“But...” Aria's eyes met with Adagio's glare. A few seconds later, she decided to back down. “Fine. I'll leave.”
One door close later, Adagio faced Sunset again with a devilish grin. “Now, where were we?”
Sunset blinked several times, her mind finally able to focus. Her face puffed up in anger as she began her response. “I don't know. Somewhere between you kidnapping me and making a bunch of people go crazy in a diner!” Sunset barked. “What did you do to them?!”
“You're still going on about that? Don't worry bacon-hair, its been taken care of.” Adagio said with a wave of her palm. “Those peons don't even remember what happened. They'll just wake up a little bit from now and go on with their merry little lives. Simple as that.”
“Simple as...are you insane?!”
“Nope. I'm just a Siren trying to get back to Equestria, something that I believe you might know how to do.”
“Wha-a Siren?! What's that?!”
“Ah! So you're not one, huh? What are you then? A pony? A unicorn perhaps? That would certainly explain why you can resist our magic, unicorns tend to have a bit more magic in their bodies after all.”
“I...uh...” Sunset stuttered before she shut her mouth. Sweat poured down her face as her mind kept racing. 'Wha...what's going on? What do I do?!' Sunset looked back down at the ropes, seeing them tied to her arms and legs. 'Oh no...'
Adagio leaned in and put her finger on Sunset's chin. “Stop looking at the ropes dear. Don't worry about them for now.”
“Huh?!” Sunset looked at Adagio in amazement. “Are you kidding?! You have me tied to a chair!”
“I know. Calm down and let me explain.”
“But-”
“DAGI! ARIA WON'T LET ME MAKE TACOS!” yelled a voice suddenly, causing Adagio to almost fall out of her chair.
“I AM NOT! I'M JUST TIRED OF TACOS!”
“HERESY! I'M GONNA-”
“BE QUIET!” Adagio screamed as she stood up. She glared at Sunset for a second. “I'll be right back.”
Adagio quickly left the room, slamming the door. What followed was about five minutes of constant screaming, yelling and other noises. Sunset blinked as her ears picked up every sound. 'What just happened?!' she thought as she watched the door. 'Did they just-'
SLAM!
Adagio stormed back into the room, quickly sitting back down. “Sorry about that. Let's just say those two can get out of hand at times.”
“Uh...okay.” Sunset responded awkwardly. “Where were we?”
“We tied you to a chair and you're going to tell me how to get back to Equestria.”
“Oh yeah...no. I'm not gonna tell you that.”
Adagio facepalmed with a groan. “Okay. Here's the deal, if you tell me what I wanna know...I'll let you go. No strings attached.” Adagio slowly rubbed her face in frustration. “I know this looks bad, but I'm telling you the truth. It's that simple.”
“Shut up. I'm not telling you anything!”
“Oh really? Why not?”
“Really?! YOU KNOCKED ME OUT, KIDNAPPED ME AND TIED ME TO A CHAIR!” Sunset barked, spit flying out of her mouth. “WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?!?!”
“Calm down. Listen sunshine, all I need is some information and we can put all of this behind us.”
“Are you stupid?! I'm not telling you squat!”
“I...ugh.” Adagio facepalmmed as she slumped down in the chair. “Look, I'm sorry we had to knock ya out, alright?”
“Really? Give me one good reason to believe that one.”
“Alright. First-”
“DAGI! THE TACOS ARE READY!” Sonata suddenly yelled.
“I'LL BE THERE IN A SECOND!”
“BUT THE TACOS ARE DONE DAGI!”
“SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO INTERROGATE THE EQUESTRIAN!”
“BUT TACOS DAGI! TACOS!”
“SHUT UP SONATA! I'LL BE THERE IN A SECOND! Augh...blasted little-” Adagio looked back up at the tied girl. “Listen. We had to knock you out, alright? Our songs are...weak in this world. As you probably already know, the magic in this world is very...lacking. So, that's why we had to take you.”
“You took me...because your magic was about to wear off?”
“Not exactly. Our songs are originally designed for mind-control mixed with disharmony. However...due to the little amount of magic in this disgusting world, we can't exactly control humans for long.”
Sunset merely arched her eyebrow in skepticism. “Oh really? Sounds like to me you can't control them at all.”
“Shut it. Our songs at most can only do...slight suggestion. That's why we were quick about knocking you out and everything.” Adagio's face slowly changed back to her usual grin. “However, that's about to change. After all, you weren't affected by our magic.”
“So? Maybe I'm just special.” Sunset barked back.
“Not a chance. You're either from Equestria...or you've come into contact with a whole lot of Equestrian magic recently. That and you weren't surprised when I said magic.” Adagio leaned back, her arms clutching her hair. “Our songs have always had problems with really magic-focused unicorns...especially that old bearded fool.” Adagio leaned in again, her eyes on fire. “So, are a pony? Unicorn? Or maybe you know how to get some magic from this magic-depraved world, huh?”
“I'll say it again, I'm not telling you squat.”
“I see...okay. Have it your way.” Adagio hissed. “I can guarantee you this Equestrian, you will regret making that decision.”
“Sounds good to me.” Sunset replied, her mouth showing off a cocky grin.
Adagio ascended from her chair and pulled out a small sheet. “We also don't want to hear any of your whining.” she said as she gagged Sunset. “Just sit tight. I'll get an answer out of you yet. Till then...just relax. Oh, and don't go anywhere.”
Adagio stormed out of the room, causing Sunset to just sit there, blinking. She quickly looked around, observing every bit of the room. All she could see was a small bed and a tiny drawer with a lamp on top. Her mind began to race as she kept looking, 'Let's see...don't panic Sunset. You're smart, think of a way out of here. After all, you've only be kidnapped by some crazy girls called Sirens from Equestria...and I can't move my body. Blasted ropes! They're so tight...'
Sunset felt a small vibration in her pocket. 'My phone! Is that Celestia calling me?! Grrr...I can't reach it! Darn it...there's got to be some way out of this chair. Come on, there's gotta be some kind of sharp object in this room...' Sunset looked down at her pocket again. 'Celestia...Luna...I really hope you think something's wrong when I don't answer that phone.'
Meanwhile...
“Wake up Luna, it's over now.”
“THE NIGHT SHALL LAST-huh?!” Luna jolted up, drool gushing off her mouth. “Wha...what's going on?! What is...where am I?”
“The meeting is over Luna. Spoiled and Cinch decided to go an extra hour.” Celestia replied, trying to contain a yawn. “Ready to go meet Cadance?”
“Will there be coffee?”
“Really Luna? We're meeting our niece and her boyfriend and all you can think about is coffee?”
“Sorry. Say, should we call Sunset? You know, see if she wants to join us?”
“Hmmm...that's a good idea.” Celestia said while reaching into her purse. “Let's give her a call. After all, it's not good for her to just sit at the hotel reading books all day long.”
“Now now sis, aren't you being a bit harsh?”
“There's more to life than books Luna. Now...which pocket did I put that in?”
“Middle-left.”
“Ah, you're right. Here we go...” A few rings later, “Hmm...she's not picking up.”
“That's fine. We'll just tell Cadance that we'll meet her somewhere and we can stop by the hotel to pick Sunset up. I'm sure Cadance or Sunset won't mind.”
“That's a good idea. Besides, I bet Cadance would love to see Sunset again.”
“That and it could be a surprise for Sunset. Sound good?”
“Sounds good to me Luna, let's go!” Celestia cheered as the sisters shuffled down the hallway.
As the two stopped inside an elevator, Luna let out a growl. “Let's just hope this will be more entertaining than that snorefest we just got out of.”
“No kidding. Though with Sunset and Cadance, I'm pretty sure anything's possible.”
Meanwhile...
Aria's teeth slammed down on the grease filled food, her tongue smacking the ingredients like they were punching bags. “So oh great leader, what's the plan?”
Adagio responded with a gulp. “Glad you asked. I was thinking about all the times we've sung and...I came to a rather unique conclusion.”
“Oh really? And what might that be?”
“Every time we've sang...we've always sang with the notion that we need to cause as much disharmony as possible.”
“Well duh. That's what we do Adagio.” Aria replied with a smirk. “We're Sirens, remember?”
“I know...that's what got me thinking. What else has always been there when we sang our songs?”
“Um...poor saps that we use are songs on?”
“True. But think about what you just said Aria.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said saps. As in plural.”
“Yeah. We always...” a small lightbulb clicked in Aria's head. “We always have an audience.”
“Either big or small, we always go after multiple targets. After all, that's what are songs were made for.” Adagio said with her usual grin. “So...are you catching on?”
“Yeah...I think so. Are you saying it's different because we only have her to sing to?”
“Not exactly. What I'm saying Aria is that our magic has always been about controlling the crowd. We never needed to control just one measly pony or human. Our magic always spreads out, trying to get into every ear possible.”
“So...I get what you're saying but, where does that put us then? I mean, she was still immune to our magic Adagio. Our song didn't work.”
“I know.” Adagio did one last gulp as the remaining bits of taco slid down her throat. “That's why I'm gonna write us up a new song. A new song...made for only one set of ears.”
Nice
7093505 Thanks.
YAY! An update! Can"t wait for the next part, I'm loving this arc!
7093597 Thank you! You're too kind!!!
Its fine Aria
because you're magic was about
Are songs are originally designed for mind-control mixed with disharmony
because we only have her to sing too
1. It's.
2. Your.
3. Our.
4. To.
Is it too late to hope Sunset is tone deaf? Maybe that could help. Then again... I don't even know how tacos are made actually. Can they really afford it? Then again, it's a shot in the dark here.
7093608 The mind-controlling sirens can't afford tacos? And you're saying the taco loving Sonata wouldn't know how to make them? How does that work?
Also, thanks for showing the errors, I fixed them.
I wish we could all just pretend that abomination of a comic didn't exist... Though if you're only taking magic rules from it, that's fine.
7093638 That's the only thing I'm taking. It makes it really easy in terms of explaining the rules.
7093639 Okay...I hope you like it.
7093641 Nice! Consistent rules are something magic often lacks in fiction, nice to see it being considered.
7093620 Exactly, I don't know which is how my ask prompted... now I fear should Sonata ever meet me, she's gonna taco the ever loving crap out of me. Even more so since I haven't had a taco before.
Is it me or did 'Dagi take a coupla pages from Aria?
They've already met? Am I forgetting something here?
7093638 Wow, I've seen quite a bit of hate for the IDW FiM comic on this site ... was it really that bad?
Oh crap, the Sirens are going to make Sunset behave like her pre-reform OTL days.
Oh dear... I have a really bad feeling about this...
Yeah not the best way to intimidate your hostage...
Nice chapter, good work.
7093805 Kinda. I suspect both have the same attitude towards Sonata.
7093835 They have. It was the chapter: Who Wrote the Book of Confusion Anyways?.
7094112 Thank you!
7093890
7093856
Hmm...think its gonna go bad huh?
You'll have to wait and see!!!
7094154
Either things will go south for our bacon haired heroine... Or the Dazzling will fail in the most comical way as possible.
By the way, are tacos really that good? I've never ate one.
7094190 I actually hate tacos. Its just known that Sonata loves them, that's all.
7094195
Ah. Okay then. Waiting for the next chapter. Fingers crossed that the Dazzlings will fail.
7093835
In my opinion, most of it is alright, some issues are better then average, some are great, but a few are complete garbage. The "fiendship" series comic about the sirens is one particular instance of total garbage. My personal favorites are the power ponies comic, everything featuring Chrysalis, and a lot of the Friends Forever issues are awesome.
The IDW comics as a whole get very unfairly hated IMO, but a few issues do deserve hate.
7094314 We aren't gonna like each other in terms of comics then...I hate Chrysalis. And I didn't mind the first 3 fiendship issues. I just didn't like the 4th and 5th one.
Good chapter bud!
i have a odd feeling that the dazzlings are gonna rickroll Sunset by playing Never Gonna Give You Up.
(Yes I had to say that.)
7094971 Thanks!
7095456 No...that would've been a really good April's Fools joke though...
7095361 That's definitely true...
7094506 That's fine, the comics are a divisive issue in general.
Though Chrysalis is the best villain on the pony side, fact!
7095643 No. She's not. I really really don't like her.
Sorry...I just really don't like her character, show, comic or fandom versions of her character.
7095662 Who's your favorite pony side villain?
7095874 Well...it was Diamond Tiara till a certain episode turned her into a wimp!
Now...probably Starlight Glimmer or Sunset Shimmer. (There's a reason why I did a Sunset story!)
7096381 I think Fiendship #1 is the best of the Fiendship series.
7096094 Wow, you're quite the hipster I haven't met a lot of people who genuinely liked Diamond Tiara as a villain, let alone said she was their favorite. I only liked her in "Ponyville Confidential". And, well, in the "certain episode"
7096459 Well...she's the only villain in the show that comes back and doesn't give up. And she wasn't afraid to insult a handicapped character. That's some good evil right there. I like those kind of villains. Not powerful, just good at making others feel bad.
7096492 Huh. I think I rate villains based on purely the "coolness factor", which includes how interesting they are, backstory, uniqueness, depth, etc. The only antagonist from the franchise I actually hate is that manager guy from "Mane Event" because they went out of their way to make him one-dimensional and hateable without any redeeming qualities (from the "being entertaining" point of view, not, like, good character traits or something).
7096524 Ah...okay. I'm not into the villains that much unless they really intrigue me. The good thing about this show is that certain villains do get to keep coming back, but as good guys. Which is okay, if I think they still get portrayed well.
7096557 I think reformation of any degree is my favorite way for a villain to be "defeated". Even if they are still an asshole with their own goals, but can be communicated with more or less civilly and agree not to do evil stuff. To be honest full 180 turnarounds like every reformation in the show is more boring than that, but hey, at least we get to see more of, say, Discord (even if his last episode was a disaster).
7096627 True. I'm not the biggest fan of Discord but I do like that they keep him in the show.
Starswirl the Bearded, obviously. I just hope Sunset gets out of this mess soon.
7112937 There's still a few chapters left for this arc.
This is why I think The Dazzligns shouldn't be forgiven for what they did in Rainbow Rocks. (Sonata's off the hook though)
7117425 Why is Sonata off the hook?
7117430
First off, how's your head?
Second, I think she was manipulated by Adagio. She's innocent, so she didn't know that what was she doing was evil. (that's how I see the issue).
7117663 Head still hurts...as for Sonata...I've always seen her as someone just along for the ride.
7117671
Isn't that what I said?
7117687 I mean more of...she's along for the ride and there's no manipulation. She's doing it for fun and not for some horrible evil reason.