The Siren's Remorse

by TheronSniper

Ch. 40 Adagio For Strings Part 3

Chapter 40 Adagio For Strings Part 3

It took a good half an hour to remove most of the incident from being an eyesore, though the topless table legs with black powder coating stood alone. The skeleton surrounded by metal framed cushioned seats left an empty feeling in the dining room, but the use of it would be needed no more after the night passed. The girls could hear and occasionally see the exiles take turns changing cloths from the fiasco earlier with the two bedrooms by the main door, it seemed they still wanted to keep up decor all aside. While much of the minor conversations between all those not participating in the restoration of civility of the room were small and whispers at best, nothing to note as important out of the small talk. Eventually the Dazzlings were soon amidst Yellow’s force as everyone aside from Tisiphone and the Lich found a seat somewhere or simply stood in the living room. Empress Pandius revealed herself just as Yellow took his seat at what Adagio had coined in her mind as the master seat.

A black leather cushioned recliner which she had wished she’d have taken first if the incident with the Fury had not had her mind on edge. As once the tired and abused man plopped into the furniture, the evident coziness tantalized the golden siren like a nice sweet morsel before a beast of the jungle. As much of a shame of a loss as it were, she still managed to maintain her superiority over herself and kept a professional air about her. Creature comforts would come later once Equestria was theirs for the taking, and Canterlot’s palace would become their den of relaxation and pleasure.

Aria watched the Changeling royal strut her way through the odd circle made by everyone else gathering around, giving no hint of care to the sirens themselves and their judgemental stares. The perfection in the woman’s physical features irked Blaze not because she had beauty beyond compare that even she herself was unable to stop from thinking about. It was the pompous attitude royals and nobles shared, the traditional nose in the air and personal bubble no one could touch unless given permission to. It reminded her of how her mother treated her almost as such, a runt who needed to be preserved until she hopefully grew into her own. Worry over any physical activities with the other pups would result in an injury or even singing, her one thing she desperately wanted to prove herself to the pod and it was out of her reach.

Twilight and her were stirred by the upfront action by the very Empress who approached the still coughing Yellow and proceeded to claim his lap as her own private seat. Like the dame who perched herself on the legs of the detective of old thirties era films, though unlike the movies Pandius simply sat affirmatively as if nothing was wrong. Her hands placed on her own soft spring green skirt covered thighs in a regal manner, though calm claimed her facial expression as if waiting for something to start and need of her input. She had changed out of the black suit she wore to dinner, having not expected the incident to sully the fabric. Aside from the fresh skirt, upon her upper torso was a starched long sleeved marigold blouse that accented her glorious blue locks. A low chuckle came from Magnus himself sitting as the short man as he were against the nearest wall away parallel to the sirens. Sporting a white tank top slightly stained by where ever he worked in the past and rugged cargo pants flayed at the edges. He was a hairy little man, unfortunate for the Equis child to be turned into such a fuzzy ape, it made Aria shiver in disgust at their own bodies. In his meaty hand he nursed a metal can with a white body and a gold cap, the thumb opener long since popped. He peered at the corner of his eye to the left where Yellow and Pandius were, still giggling as he shook his head at something.

Emerath had chosen to stand nearby the squat male having removed at least the suit he wore. In favor of the white dress shirt with the stripped red and black tie, his pants looked as if they never were touched by the chaos of glass and food. Adagio wondered about him since day one, showing the signs of perfectionism and acute OCD some humans had. How somepony like him seemed to have the air of a businessman and successfully make it in this world puzzled her. A pony actually adapting very well to this dead world, even if he was a self proclaimed scholar of any sort. She determined he had enough brains to manage and trudge along, tenacious to say the least.

The tall Englishman crossed his arms crossed over his chest as he carried on talking to Monet who pulled out a folding chair from a nearby closet. The shortest of the females in the group, but she was a far cry from Magnus. She appeared to be among those who mimicked the average peasant in the human world, a simple shirt and shorts which mirrored her standoffish nature as it were. Havoc had the other recliner though it was a far cry from the one Yellow used, going by how content the man was it looked to be enough sitting on the other side of Monet. Frozen Heart and his broad shoulders were positioned by the sliding glass door out to the balcony in between both her and Yellow with his supposed mistress. The wall of muscle seemed to find the outside interesting enough seeing as how high they were and the night lights illuminating the endless roads and the expansive town which should be a city by the scenic view. Dazzle could read every twitch, contraction, and relaxation of the powerhouse within him, underneath the simple white hoodie that barely fit and the baggy kaki's. Paradox had chosen to use one of the dining chairs and pull up beside Aria's side of the couch, giving her a silent wave to which she huffed at and did not register much else of him. Having changed into a Hawaiian flora shirt of various colors buttoned up with simple olive green shorts to replace his thoroughly ruined outfit. Oak took a stand in between Magnus and the two awkward looking adults, having been the last one out of the kitchen with freshly washed hands. She had thrown on a long white robe cloth, barely scraping the floor as she walked to her spot.

The puff from the head of the couch over Twilight’s head came from Serak who took the long seat to rest his elbows and weight upon, leaning over the girls and smiling to them reassuringly. Out of everyone present save for Tisiphone and the Lich, he was the one the sirens had some contact with to the point they’d tolerate his brash assumption that he could sit over them. No longer in his company outfit of obsidian suit and hat, the other Englishman simply sported a deep turquoise dress shirt and jeans. To Twilight it felt weird to not see him in such formality, though he still maintained a proper air about him. She felt a little more relaxed around the guy, as did Sonata and Aria a little bit. He had a face and a body of normal people to match, and thankfully he was a calm one. Speaking of which, the last two were nowhere to be seen and the Dazzlings were rather happy about that. Like cats being threatened with a water bottle spray, those members of Yellow’s cabal were far too dangerous for their constitutions.

Serak cleared his throat bringing everyone to attention, “Well sir? Shall we continue with the meeting? I’m sure everyone here wants to know more about the Dazzlings as they do us?”

“Yes, now try not to upset the others as well, while I recover with the help of her highness I’d like to be in one piece before the show starts.” Yellow gave a minor glare of disapproval, coming from how he was the one who set off the woman earlier.

With a nervous chuckle, Serak rubbed his head in shame, “Right… sorry about that, won’t happen again I promise.”

Adagio took that moment to dive in, “Before we do though, I’d like to know more about your little… entourage for the safety of my sirens.”, she peered at Twilight, “Plus one, I don’t like surprises as we’ve been privy to already.”

A loud laugh escaped Magnus who soon let out a deep belch while rocking on his rear, “The lass has ye by the baws Yellow! Don't worry, I ain't biting.”

“Considering ze conditions, she has a fine point Nickel. I believe it is time for ze introductions.” All eyes went to Paradox as he suggested the proper start to their cooperation.

Most nodded to each other save for a few who seemed to not care either way, Adagio took in their mixed reactions like a camera filming. In some way she felt like the dynamics of her own pod were mirrored in the group around them, it gave her an ease to anticipate proper responses.

Schrodinger patted his chest with a few thumps to begin, “I am ze one called Schrodinger Paradox. A once proud und regaled Germane unicorn mage in Scholar Arcana’s Eastern sector. You not need to fear me as I have no reason to act out. On ze contrary, I welcome ze frauleins on our great journey!”

Sonata still cuddling Twilight glanced at the portly man inquisitively, “So like? Why were you sent here then? You had to have done something wrong right?”

“If you call stumbling on ze lost secrets a crime zen I am caught red hoofed… or handed.” He replied waving his right hand to emphasis the point.

“So you learned about the demons and what? Those unicorn mages sought you out?” Adagio’s eyes studied the man who simply shrugged and gave a little mirthful laugh.

“Not quite simple as zat mein fraulein. I was exploring a few portal spells for transporting guards und their gear through a less taxing magic anchor. Zey would be able to rally forces to any village in danger, und zey I mean your highest paying king or queen. Every tribe tried to goad my research to zeir use, but in Germane ve were truly ze first Equestria to exist und zat…” he wiped a few tears from his eyes, “Zat accepted any tribe so long as it empowered ze glorious Germane empire!”

Adagio shifted in her seat, she needed to know more, “You know I think we were on track to visit that place before we were drawn to Canterlot way back then. So… where and what did you learn to get you sent here? Some kind of secret chamber? Or perhaps a hidden cache within a vault?” her seriousness never once abating, she had to connect the Arcana role in the exiles if she were to anticipate them on Equis.

To his credit, Paradox did not take any offense to the way she spoke to him, in fact he absorbed it well, “A young adept disturbed me viel I was testing a certain spell und ze exit point placed ze arrival at a certain Head Deans office. One who deemed my research to be worthless with ze advent of airships to transport ze guards anywhere without ze magics! So I sent ze Adept away und went to look for dirt as the humans say, but I found somezing even more amazing und awful. Zat pony I despised had a book of old with notes upon notes, all pointing to ze evidence of ze coming Demon revival. You can imagine how hesitant I vas?”

Aria scoffed as her eyes rolled, “Ya, really amazed here.”

“It is ze truth! I did dig to ensure vat I saw vas not a breezy tail, getting into a few restricted archives by accident.” He quoted in the air with his fingers, “I found so much information zat I vas caught neck deep in forbidden books never before given to regular ponies. From zhere ze head sorcerer labeled me dangerous for learning black magic which I had nein involvement in. Thus I sit before you.” He settled back into his seat as his story ended.

Yellow coughed with a fist to his mouth to avoid putting spittle upon the Empress as a wave of pain came to pass for a few seconds, “Paradox had just come across the evidence much like what I found in that grave, the Arcana thought that he would spread the demon’s influence by bringing the world into the know. Any wisdom about them helps their escape move along quicker as sentient beings become aware. I believe you said it was a journal of the long departed alicorn Faust was it not?”

With a heavy exhale of breath tinged with sorrow from the former unicorn, “Zat is correct, apparently zey vere a fan of her work as ve all vere. In Germane, her kindness still stands with lasting legacy, it is said she vas ze one who made Lake Königssee. A feat which turned a rocky mountain into our sole source of agriculture, collecting ze water from Watzmann Mountain’s snow melt. Und I only had read ze bookmarked section… Faust's regrets.”

‘So much we must know… so much about magic we can harness for the greater good…’ Twilight's mystery guest said.

Serak patted the older man with an outstretched arm to help him recover himself, no one among the exiles liked to see the gifted mage tread down memory lane and wear such a frown. Aria could feel it, at least those who were in control of themselves that they generally had a very positive view of Paradox. Though they had no fathoming over the stories yet to be told, it was considered that they were hardliners like Adagio. So it intrigued Blaze as the few softened eyes were meant to give confidence back to him.

“We should probably move on, who’d like to go next?” the former griffon returned to his post above the girls, only he settled for standing with his hands in his pants pockets.

As one of the rare who had not shown emotions to the distraught sniffling comrade, he took the immediate route to post up next, “I am Emerath of the Maneland, a country apart from Equestria as it was founded around my lifetime. I too am a unicorn mage, but my studies were not of spell crafting or magic, but around the discovery and study of a precious rare artifact that were popping up along our shores. In a way, I share Yellow Tails happening upon something that could turn the world upside down.”

“Ohhh!! So you um… were a treasure hunter like the woman from Crypt Invader the game I downloaded onto my phone? For realzies it’s sooooo fun to play!” Dusk released her living squeeze doll and gave the most enamored thrilled expression as her new gamer side of her surfaced.

Her sparkling eyes were dashed when the Brit denied any relation of his old work to that of the human’s mindless entertainment outlets with a rather brash retort, “My life’s work was not some well endowed mare fighting for her life to survive pyramids and mazes for treasures I’ll have you know! When the Maneland Bronze Guard were informed of the mysterious appearances of magical items, it was suspected to be lost at sea cargo from the Equestrian migration amassing their homes from whence they came to travel. Clearly their contents were washed ashore by the coastal tide. I was one of the select few trusted to perform the task of recovery, after a couple… incidents.”

“What kind of incidents?” Adagio shifted in her seat trying to mimic the same regal stature of the Empress.

“They were something else they were? Trinkets with symbols crafted out of precious metals, enchantments woven into their surface and stones. I don’t really remember much of the reports, but a few ponies went missing after touching these relics. Being such a highly honed and educated scholar of weaponized magic, I knew how to remove them from the beaches they were deposited on by the tides. To secure and contain for later investigation the likes of I lead.” He said proudly, slight negative emotions that the sirens could taste at the tip of their senses came from the others listening.

Aria sat her cheek on her left hand as it supported the weight on the couch arm, looking ever so bored, “So you have dohickies and coins that may have done something to ponies who touched them? Big deal, my old family always came across them every now and then, you just stayed away.”

Dazzle broke her seated stance and glared angrily at her lesser, talking through clenched teeth with her eyes squinting, “What… did I tell you… Aria?”

As if she spat in his face, the man’s eyes twitched as the young siren tried to explain herself to no avail, “I mean who really messes with things that just happen to start showing up somewhere and not think they were placed there on purpose? They literally had dangerous items appear and collected them! I would be surprised if your Maneland is still even there with a whole trove of dangerous magical items.” She huffed and scrunched into herself miffed at the lack of foresight of Emerath and the kingdom he served.

“Quite the intelligence in this one, did it not strike you Emerath that such items could have truly come from migrating ponies to their new land? Nothing else was ever found, just golden icons with powers integrated into them during the metallurgy?” Monet asked as she sided with the purple twin ponytails.

Taking a hand and wiping his gaunt face to hold off a haggard outburst, “We assumed it was all due to vessels lost at sea, as there was a unicorn settlement not far off to the west. Sailors of Maneland’s fleet reported ships heading one way and that was towards Equestria. None of us were expecting anything more, and I might add that only several of the dozens we pulled out of the sand were classified as Epikíndynos. Our best mages and most aspiring Adepts were unable to scratch the surface of the power houses, even I… failed to find anything initially. Not until an unusual one was discovered, and I somehow activated it during a session with them.” He then fumed as the agitation gave way to memories of the past, which tinged his aura into a neutral convoluted whirlpool of emotions.

Adagio leered at him as if something disturbing came up in her empathic senses, Sonata and Aria followed suit as the chaos within him blossomed into an indeterminable mass of something else. They could in their other sense see a dark orb with a blaring white center, swirling around as a lit torch stick. Never had they ever tasted prey in the past whose mental state exhibited every response imaginable at once. To their senses, emotions were an array of colors as they were palpable with common core colors painting the normal potential states a sentient entity could exist in. Sometimes they were at most four colors during times of excitement or conflict which any living thing might feel, when their lives were at the edge. However, never could it be possible to will or manipulate one to flood their mind with every facet of the soul like Emerath had, it was just unnatural.

“You never did tell us what it was, you always simply said the gods commanded you to be their messenger to Equis until they felt the changing of the magical atmosphere. How they even could tell the demons even existed I still cannot fathom even now.” Monet shook her head as she spoke with a monotone enthusiasm to his then growing grin.

Yellow and Pandius observed with mild intrigue, as did Frozen and the others save for Havoc and Old Oak. The golden siren cautiously used her peripheral vision to identify the group’s behavior and found that even they had secrets between themselves, that only now with a way home were they willing to open up. Of course this rag tag assembly of exiles would, no one gives everything up front for some hope of an escape. She felt rather lowly for believing these criminals to be a highly greased and organized machine, they all acted the part but with Tis and Emerath giving the largest hints. Yellow had a very loose grip on them unlike the way she ruled over her pod, her role as a Matriarch out shined the true alliance of the outcasts. That worried her even more now, as it was an easier challenge to comprehend with something that worked like a sundial.

“Well Emerath… we’re waiting to hear the rest of the story.” Yellow lazily gazed in his direction.

A shiver ran up the otherwise well postured scholar, adding a little to the creepy factor of his fixed smile. His couth air he usually wore around him, the conservative nature faltered to the new person he transitioned into.

A low chuckle escaped him as body language was altered and a different personality erupted as a flashlight in a dark room, “I… can’t really explain it, I lowered my guard for a moment and I touched one of the medallions. A set of six inside a platinum box… nestled on some kind of satin fabric which held a stasis spell to keep them safe from time and corrosion. Oh how lovely they were, pristine and overflowed with so much arcane energy! I was too focused on deciphering the imagery on them to maintain the shield spell… to keep containment immaculate.”

Havoc batted an eye at him, the mention of the word medallions perked him up from his rather lazy slouch in the chair. Sonata noticed him make a slight adjustment in his posture to better hear, his emerald green windows to the soul seemed to have a little jump in life. She wondered why he spurned up as he did, but shrugged as Yellow spoke again.

“You're saying you were possessed? Tainted in some way?” Yellow asked as his attention never left the man.

Waving away the assumption as if it were a bothersome waiter at a restaurant, “No, no, not at all in fact it was merely a device of a sort that amounted to nothing more than a communicator. One which they spoke to me through, and the conversations we had were… enlightening.” he smiled, a genuine expression of happiness that seemed far from who he usually portrayed himself as a stick in the mud. Every concerned able body had Emerath as the center of attention, as if Tisiphone was not enough to last to midnight.

“Their voices were positively angelic, they had so much knowledge that they graciously allowed a sample as a sign of trust. I had to lock the room down, right hilarious... it took the staff long enough to realize what I had done. I pitied the bellends, they’d never understand the secrets the gods had in store of us all. All that they asked was what the world was like and I answered them, but then the enchantment started to break after a few hours into our… one on one. I scanned the items to find their magic was being yanked away like some kind of bloody vacuum to a pile of dust!” He started to giggle as a foal would, the solid educated gentleman no longer seemed evident, "They told me to seek the source... that I would be rewarded if I found and removed the cause! So I took off with medallions and put a stasis spell on them to stop the draining. I left the Maneland, stowed away on a cargo galleon, wound up in the new lands of what was soon to be the official territory of Equestria. The ponies there were still... still floundering to make peace among their ranks with each tribe. Bollocks to them, but it was easy to get by and though it took me a year I eventually located the source of which all magic around me seemed to gently flow into like a small sinkhole in a pond. Even my own magic started to bleed as I got closer to it." by then he was exuberant, livid with his breath skittering like a soldier in the blood lust of battle, something in that little part of his past came full swing as if he were reliving it.

"What was it? What did you find?" Sparkle asked at the edge of her seat as she made as many of her own guesses of the likes to the common mana crystal, to an ancient machine, and the actual demon itself. All so tantalizing to imagine and she was but mere seconds away from hearing the truth.

Magnus had silently rose up, though only those in the circle whose vision could catch him in their peripherals noticed, "A giant steep conical mountain, within its many caverns were the highest quality natural crystals anyone has ever laid eyes on. They were amazing... breathtaking even in all their diverse sizes and colors, but nothing compared to the heart of the mountain itself... the source that was taking away the very connection I had with the gods... Faust's Lone Tear of Sorrow... a boulder sized Opal gemstone!!"

The Empress received him just as the sirens did, she could feel love and admiration somewhere in him. Just as strong as the vile kind Tisiphone covered herself with, like a frosted cake given a spray of hot sauce as garnish. She gave him an indignant stare that was not registered, though it set the stage for her own participation.

He was soon breathing fast and shallow, "So deep inside that mountain... shining like a glittering body of water under a full sun... A small orb of the energies of the universe compacted into that stone... sucking mana without pause... and then... I heard them..." he balled his fists together, "Demons! Taking away my only connection to the gods and their precious knowledge! I wanted to destroy it... send the evil gem away but I couldn't caste a portal spell!!?! Those vile batponies that dwelled there, I never saw them until it was too late and... and they coated me in something that began to nullify my own magic!"

Pandius had had enough of his abnormal behavior, he was starting to exude magic from himself in his emotional disharmony, “You’re not normal, your all wrong deep inside… Your compromised Emerath, Magnus I know you’ve been dying to do it so go ahead.” She jerked her head and soon the squat man who’d managed rise up and position himself behind the Brit without anyone noticing pulled off a turn of events.

"Wait! I have to know more!!" Twilight shouted just as the punishment was dealt out.

The second most muscular individual grabbed the back of the unawares head with his meaty large left hand, stunning the magic scholar for a few seconds into silence before slamming his face into the carpeted floor with a heavy thud. The Dazzlings winced at the act, but Adagio figured if she’d been in the same situation it was a well warranted one with an unknown, hoping she'd not have to go through with it if Twilight's issue went out of hand. Magnus laughed while he dusted off his palms before going back to his spot to sit down once again.

As if the entire moment was a usual thing, “Emerath, we need a clear and conscious mind to tell us what you know. You were not in the clearest of minds, so I apologize for having to allow that, but you should have known a Changeling cannot be fooled by any tricks. You even lost it before the sirens and they are just as attuned to imbalances, we could see it in them when you... changed.” Yellow warned as guilty party looked away nursing his then pounding headache and forming bruise.

Sonata and Aria glanced to each other not knowing how to react, they were appalled by the antics which put the way they treated one another to shame. Watching as the scholar lifted himself painfully off the floor groaning all the while, thankfully no bloody nose or busted teeth evident on the cream colored fabric floor. Twilight assumed the angle of projection lent the forehead to take most of the impact, thus preserving his nose and mouth. Though the treatment had done its intended purpose as Emerath muttered under his breath like the person she was initially acquainted with.

Yellow turned to the girls and gave a half a smile, “Mrs. Sparkle? I think you remember when I said we have little magic to spare, when we thought your magic now was unattainable through any other means? What you just witnessed was a blatant exercise of said mana, to which I warned never to tap into until we arrived on Equis. Less ye turn to dust… Emerath here is a unique kind of unicorn in that what he experienced has had a very detrimental side effect to his mental faculties when they are accosted” the leader sighed begrudgingly using a free hand to rub his forehead, “In truth, we all knew just enough about his run in with the source, but if he spurns a little too deep into it he tends to lose his self control and starts to behave in a unorthodox manner to which we normally stopped before it got out of hand. I only allowed it to go a little further because we had always cut him off just after mentioning the source. Those Thestrals he encountered... new information it seems.”

Adagio felt unsure of what she just watched, though a particular magic was felt and one even she wouldn’t touch herself no matter how desperate life became. She’d be the one to bring it up with Yellow since that particular type of magic was not one to be trifled with so easily without years of practice and a focused soul. Sirens never needed to use anything other than Dark Magic, which fed off the soul rather than mana. Unlike Soul Magic however, what the girls practiced was conveyed through emotions themselves as a medium for their specific kind of spell work. Singing from the heart, their need to be adored and admired gave the catalyst to convert negative emotions into usable mana. The rubies were the epicenter, that absorbed the disharmony and chambered the processing into mana reserves inside the gem.They could store the magic for later use and bleed off it in lieu of their soul, there by giving little and gaining so much more in a safe manner.

That was the true reason that when a siren lost her ruby it was their death sentence. They could still sing and eat negative emotions, but they could not properly convert it into mana to caste their entrancing songs. Their souls were feeding the spells to captivate listeners, and soon enough they'd burn themselves to a painful end. Siren pups were the most at risk of going so early in their immortal lives. Those who did not know when to switch mana wells within them put upon a tax their frail bodies were too weak to withstand. It was often why sirens were so few in population and pods were very territorial, pups had a small chance to make it to adulthood without other factors taken into account.

Black Magic was thought to be an inherently dangerous opposite to Soul Magic, the taint which Emerath briefly smelled rankly of. In her time on Equis, Adagio came to know about the black void of the magical spectrum and those who used it for all sorts of inexplicably horrible acts to draw suffering and pain, which transformed them into things like Liches. Black Magic was in and of itself harmless so long as the caster was as dead as a doll. If not, the single little thread of malice, sorrow, pain, greed, or any of the likes that existed in any living being no matter how pure they seemed became a cancer. The first few spells using the fell power connected with that aspect of the magician, it took only a scant few castings to root into the user. Once the tendrils were established, the magic forever would alter its host to cause more evil and harm. They would lose themselves no matter how hard they tried to resist.

“He’s taken part in Black Magic hasn’t he? Whatever he touched it corrupted him in some way?” the golden siren eyed the still recuperating scholar, she gave the most disgusted look as if a toxic spine shooting porcupine stood before her.

“Black Magic? But I thought…” Sparkle tried to gain answers to questions which sprouted up like a wildfire at the mere mention of the term, only for Dazzle to shush her.

“Those items those ponies recovered and he found the one that contained compressed Black Magic?! Who are those gods he refers to? What do you know about him?” Adagio's hands clenched tightly, heartbeat steadily rose at the emerging threat to her subordinates. She hoped he had a good reason keeping somepony like Emerath in his ranks, as the slightest lapse in guard could let loose a saboteur who’d take the reins and run amok till they burned themselves out.

Empress shook her head as Yellow responded, “Equis has existed for many millennia’s, there were races before ponykind that only the oldest of Dragons could even fathom a guess. To my best assumption, he found something of a long dead civilization and it surprisingly had Black Magic as a power source though without seeing the artifact I can only make an educated guess at this point. The others agree likewise…” He looked over as the former unicorn managed to get onto his rear and plop against the wall holding his head as Monet produced an ice pack for his use, “We are all beyond our expertise to say much else, but he seems to have some fortitude being in this world against using what’s left of his reserves. Sometimes he draws from it when talking about his gods, other times there is nothing to worry. I’m sure you felt it, but that’s all it has been able to do even after a couple tests we ran to prove it. Being in the human world denies the dark seed within him from growing further, but once we go back we’ll have a problem to deal with. Something you don’t need to be concerned about... that is our problem.”

His assurance did lighten the burden she thought was placed upon them, they agreed to clean up their own mess. That would have been a deal breaker if he’d asked them to tie loose ends of theirs, not with her plans set to start once through the portal. Besides, they would have no gems to defend against a possible Lich in progress and they already had one to watch.

“Good to know, Yellow, good to know.” She said while relaxing in her seat with the second circus come and gone.

“Well I guess since this has been more than enough excitement to last the rest of the night, perhaps I can be the one to introduce the others Lord Flame?” Serak proposed still standing behind the couch the girls took over.

Monet with her dead panned expression agreed with a lack luster tone, followed by Frozen, Oak, Magnus, and the rest were all in agreement if not their silence as consent. The head of the snake had longer gaps between the fight with his diaphragm, it seemed he recovered easily enough which was good.

“Great! Okay my famous Dazzlings, and Twilight Sparkle! Here’s a quick brief dossier of everyone without the hassle. You already know my story, Emerath, Frozen Heart over there shared what I endured unfortunately. Though without a magical book of spells, he actually evolved an innate ability of magic which was never heard of in Minotaurs. Unfortunately, his species are much like griffon kind in that they value riches to the extent they mire themselves in businesses and trade down to a letter. Gaining magic as he did, the ruling class felt he would be too dangerous to be allowed to roam about. They jumped the crossbow and called for pony mages to get rid of him as they were too afraid of what powers he had to defend himself if not to destroy.” Serak pointed out.

“That is correct, I just wanted to help my fellow bulls and cows build a better life for themselves. Only to be branded a traitor and a thief by my King…” Heart explained, “The Arcana were there in a relatively short amount of time to banish me even when I begged to be spared and work for Equestria since my own herd did not want me.”

Aria eyed the introductions with a steady stoic gaze as Serak gestured to the hippie, “Old Oak only wanted to protect the land from the encroaching hunger of pony kind and their kingdoms. Unicorns needed their castles and bridges, Earth ponies needed cleared land, and pegasus altered the weather the trees needed in its most natural form. The nobles of the area she resisted change in called for help, as their own warriors and hired help could not put down her revolt. She sought the teachings of the Forest Deer, and embraced nature's bosom after the ever consuming hunger for resources desecrated the lands she'd known as a foal. Arcana mages were called to the fight and here she remains. An earth pony taught in the ways of the Druid to protect not only the land but all living things from the hunger of civilization.”

Dazzle appreciated the effort the pony had gone through, perhaps if more of her were around then her old home might have been saved. Perhaps she could put even more hurt upon those wizards, if they all seemed to be the reason defenses to such disasters were removed. What fate tried to throw at them, they responded with hostilities and that allowed harm to come to non-ponies as it seemed. These Druids seem to value the waters, lands, plants, and animals no matter who they were, something to look into if Equestria had done damage in their absence.

“You know of Empress Pandius, she’s a very loving mother with many children she’s missed for a long time. The beginnings of the Arcana or the likes of which would join their secret magic force against those like us had come across a hive belonging to a daughter of hers, a Queen Changeling. Now she does not like anything being said she hasn’t already about the Changelings so I’ll skip to the end.” He nodded to the Dazzlings as they eyed him in listening, “Perhaps the Wish Givers at the time did not like their puppets being toyed with by love consuming shape shifters? Or it is that exact trait they have that makes them so unique and skilled at infiltration that shuddered them to worry they’d be discovered too soon? No one really knows, just that the hive soon found itself invaded by very powerful unicorns who incapacitated the young Queen while her drones were kept at bay. A mother responds and saves her foal from being exiled by taking the spell for her.”

Pandius remained still and quiet as Serak went over her reason for being on this world, resting her chin upon the blood red hair of Yellow. Adagio felt astonished to here such an act by a parent hit home close to her heart. Like her own, she threw the little pup onto dry land before the water became a deathly grave. A slight wonder of thought put the scene in a different light, a band of ponies coming for the pod as it lay in rest before midday meal. Seeing herself before the equines as they readied to send her away, only to have her family go instead in a blinding flash of magical flare. A mother’s and father’s love driving them to commit to such an act to protect their offspring and future generations. It all conflicted with how she viewed the group, or in the very least the royal she did not like at first; only now to have a sense of respect.

“I hope your children are okay? Empress Pandius ma’am?” Sparkle wore a mournful frown, and in all honesty felt compassion to her situation that made her act as she had done before.

Aria twiddled one of her ponytails around in between her fingers acting out of boredom, “Ponies seemed to be a real problem long before we came along.”

Dusk however appeared to want to cry as she displayed a rather comical sadness, to her and Pandius it was her own way of being empathetic and sad. Reminding her of how her own mother tried to fight Cavatina to keep her in the pod, only to lose and never see each other since. She sniffled and wiped away the salty drops while Sparkle patted her shoulder to offer comfort, shortly being absorbed in a hug the young siren desired to help the stewing grief.

“Yes, well… times were different for each of us. Circumstances and all that you see, but the Empress had given most of her love stores to the entire hive before she took the hit, she’s assured us that as a defense mechanism nothing can overwhelm a hive filled with love from one such as her caste. It would be like Magnus over there as mad and angry as possible while in his unique state. Speaking of which…” he turned to the scottsman who sat idly playing with the then empty beer bottle on the soft white carpeted floor.

“Ey there lassie, pleasure ta meet you!” he swung the dark brown bottle in his hand like an upside down metronome.

With Sonata settling down after hearing that Pandius left a lasting gift to her children, Twilight noticed none of the others were reciprocating introductions. Thus she meekly waved back, grinning awkwardly as she still had a bit of social anxiety with anything even as blunt as hello to those she had no stake in knowing.

Sunset’s Hospital Room

Principle Celestia had left unexpectedly after the fateful meeting, she seemed too dazed to really put a proper response in place. Sunset had wanted to bid her a fond farewell till next time, peering over her bed with the help of Flash. Yet when she poked her head past the damaged privacy screen she beheld a face she dared not see for the sake of her own cover. Though it seemed life was not through with her just yet, having thrown a speedball her way and she missed it spectacularly.

Nurse Caring figured she had gotten the rooms mixed up and left the new arrival in the spare bed of the room. Her older mind attempted to go through procedure, but she seemed content with checking the books which left Shimmer with her human Shimmer version and one that was older. Though battered by some kind of accident, Sunset and the other woman never left their gazes upon one another. It seemed like some sick twisted trick to the true human, but her eyes and ears could not deceive her. The same could be said for the true human, she who was thankfully too old to care anymore and too tired to overreact.

Guarded by a few tall instruments and the plastic screens, Sunset looked to Flash with a concern only few would understand. Even he realized the talk the two had to have, and with him there it was just impossible unless he left.

“Do… do you think you can get me something from the cafeteria? I know you could use a drink too.” She asked hoping he’d take the line.

Flash nodded and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, “Sure, I need to stretch my legs anyways. Tea sound fine?”

Shimmer nodded and slipped back onto her gurney by herself, “Sounds great, I’ll take whatever they got.”

With a thumbs up, Sentry rose from his spot and made his way out only stopping before the older human Sunset, “Would you like anything? I don’t mind at all if you’re thinking?”

He noticed the nervous eyes of the woman, one which spoke of apprehension set to max level. She really was like Sunset back in her earlier days fearing any connection least it hurt her, though in this case it was a hole other reason. He wondered for a moment what it would be like meeting his equestrian version for the first time, was he a musician or something else? Perhaps they were something all entirely and followed in his father’s footsteps to become a police officer?

“I’m fine thankyou, but… I guess a cup of water would be nice?” human Shimmer proposed as she watched him nod and leave through the thick door.

After he left gently letting himself out, the room fell into a cavern atmosphere where sounds from other rooms echoed in and passing staff could be heard talking to either patients or fellow staff members. No one else would be in the room save for Nurse Caring or Flash, but to anticipate them anytime soon was foolish at best as they had at least half an hour alone to one another. Though they would endure a few more moments of idleness by their stubborn nature, eventually it broke from the Equestrian Sunset Shimmer as she begged the question she needed to know.

“So… ummm… I know we look alike and all, but I have a perfectly good explanation to that.” She tried to ease into the topic hoping to not set off a shock from the older woman on the other side.

For a time one could hear a pin drop and sound loud, barely a sign that the human Shimmer was still there but her breathing. Though it helped little as she still refused to speak, it goaded Sunset to push past her bodily discomforts into the realm of not caring anymore. She had nothing else to fear now that she failed to stop this world’s Twilight from falling to dark powers. Leaving a wound that could not be sealed by labeling the Rainbooms and her like they were the bad guys, using magic as if she were an expert. So a few words with her other verse self was foalsplay now.

She sighed and flopped onto the bed and pillow, “Look, this is all frightening to you I know. Trust me I just came from something like it… only I got by butt handed to me because of it.”

Still nothing came, not even a peep from the human in the other bed as if she stayed still the entire time locking up every muscle as best she could.

“I can probably guess what you’re thinking. No I’m not some long lost twin or clone from the government. If you’ve heard of the Parallel Universe theory or anything about the Multiverse, you’ll find your answer there.” She chuckled to herself as her body became wracked with soreness from all the moving she had done.

Once again, the white foam ceiling tiles above were her only view as it even hurt to move her eyes. Peace and painlessness came through lack of movement, but she could still think like the dickens and mull over everything that transpired. She began to consider how she put off much of her studies into magic in the human world and why the girls were able to pony up like they did. It seemed amusing to find out they were touched by Princess Twilight’s magic through harmony, and they kept a little bit of it in themselves even after she left the first time. Only realizing that in the present, it wasn’t something akin to a unicorn’s mana well which was inherent, the girls had a pocket of magic that thrived with their beings as it seemed. Which was easily ripped away without a second thought and manipulated like clay when they tried to rally up and purify the possessed Sparkle.

“I can’t believe I failed to stop her… she took our magic and… I’m the villain now?” Sunset gave a pump of a chuckle, “I guess Celestia was right… I haven’t learned from my mistakes and I keep setting myself on a goal without looking to where I’m going. No matter how good a deed it is…”

The human Shimmer relented tensing up just enough to turn her head to hear better, “I didn’t even have to go back home… I can always hear her words even in this world. I’m not even aiming to be anyone but myself either and I still failed to save everyone… even the Twilight of this place.”

The babble from her younger doppelganger proved difficult to interpret, the words she used made her seem like she wasn’t from earth. To truly reference the many universes science of the day had been studying in depth, either she herself was crazy right now or all this happening before her was real as day. Then again she could hope this other person was a result of a disorder of the mind. That thought went out the window as the falling afternoon sun, she heard more of the other figment of her imagination prance on about her life which soon painted enough of a picture.

“If I had just gone back… faced up to the Princess then maybe things wouldn’t be so bad you know? I could take all those nights being forced to stay awake because of that Tartarus blasted hex!! Yet I couldn’t force myself to see her and go back home…” Sunset said in defeat.

Now with kindled curiosity, it became a need to know more to see if she was feeding this all to herself or if an actual copy of herself existed there and then. It was worth a shot as it seemed the Nurse registered what they all saw through a confusion of rooms under the same name.

“I’ve been a failure from the start because I began to want what the Princess had. I wanted power and control, I shunned friends and family, caste myself to this universe to start anew and gain what was denied to me… I nearly got my wish and I was stopped, saved in time before my greed got me. She came and gave me a chance, and I used it as best as I could for the sake of others. Yet I still failed, only my closest friends gave a hand out when I fell, those few lifted me up…” Sunset began to sniffle as despair creeped in.

Human Shimmer seemed to take her words with compassion knowing that road in life all too well. As certain in the fact that if she was still thinking all of this up it was a very convincing story her own brain told. It all felt far too obvious for her to put more thought into it and instead go with the flow. Even if she was going crazy, what use was there to battle the condition unless proven otherwise? Surely the hospital staff knew someone in that kind of psychological deconstruction was easy to spot right?

“Even then… the others shunned me out of fear of my past and what I had done to them before. Even when I helped stopped the Dazzlings from taking over the world they still feared me… I can’t ever win can I?” Sunset asked herself out loud.

The Equestrian’s ears perked up as she heard a deeper adult voice like hers speak up, throwing her out of her melancholy like a splash of water from what of Rainbow’s many door pranks.

“The K’uei envies the millipede, the millipede envies the snake, the snake envies the wind, the wind envies the eye and the eye envies the mind.” The human Shimmer said with a slightly crackly voice.

Sunset turned her weary head to the left even though sheets and instruments blocked any line of sight. She still heard her other self talk and that was important enough, they’d remain in the room for a little while longer.

“The K’uei said to the millipede, “I have this one leg that I hop along on, though I make little progress. Now how in the world do you manage to work all those ten thousand legs of yours?” the human continued.

The sound of a doctor barking orders and a gurney being rushed at the highest speed emanated outside the room, someone freshly injured had arrived and were being taken to ICU.

“The millipede said, “You don’t understand. Haven’t you ever watched a man spit? He just gives a hawk and out it comes, some drops as big as pearls, some as fine as mist, raining down in a jumble of countless particles. Now all I do is put in motion the heavenly mechanism in me…. I’m not aware of how things work.” The nearly disembodied voice sounded sad, as if the metaphor or story she spoke of had a deeper meaning meant to be understood.

A growing roar muffled from the building signaled the overpass of a jet liner in the sky. Constructs Sunset never quite grasped the concept of though she was always preoccupied with winning the formals during her initial years in the human realm. All those times she could have been learning about this new world and how shameful she had been to keep her fake coronation as the Princess of the formals.

“The millipede said to the snake, “I have all these legs that I move along on, but I can’t seem to keep up with you who have no legs, How is that?” the sound of creaking metal echoed in the room as the human readjusted herself, a hand going to her face to feel the scabs that formed where the glass of the vehicles window embedded themselves in. Recently they were extracted, leaving fresh blood from the void in the tissue to establish new scar tissue. It felt rough as it was painful, like she had grown scales of a lizard all along her left side of the face. The moment of impact as traffic came to a quick and destructive halt when a blast wave destroyed every glass surface with ease.

For whatever reason, Sunset thought her human version seemed to like talking about off topic things. Surely she expected her to ask about what she spoke of instead of giving riddling talk? What person couldn’t resist asking why a copy of themselves existed and said such things that went against common sense in their modern society?

“The snake said, “it’s just the heavenly mechanism moving me along, how can I change the way I am? What would I do with legs if I had them?” footsteps began to sound off from beyond the curtain barrier closing in on her position.

By then, Sunset forced herself back up begrudgingly even as her muscles cried out in protest, her arms bearing the weight of her upper body. The other Sunset sounded as if she were leaving or coming to her, either which she worried of what outcome would come of it?

“The snake said to the wind, “I move my backbone and ribs and manage to get along, though I still have some kind of body. But now you come whirling up from the North Sea and go whirling off to the South Sea, and you don’t seem to have any body. How is that?” she spoke again as the human neared Sunset ever closer.

“I’m not sure I’m following here? What are you talking about now? Something about a centipede and a snake?” the Equestrian giggled nervously, hoping there was no crazy in her human version as it became obvious she was approaching her bed space.

“The wind said, “It’s true that I whirl up from the North Sea and whirl of to the South Sea. But if you hold up a finger against me you’ve defeated me, and if you trample on me you’ve likewise defeated me. On the other hand I can break down big trees and blow over great houses, this is a talent that I alone have. So I take all the mass of little defeats and make them into a Great Victory. To make a Great Victory only the sage is capable of that.” The human soon appeared before the foot of Sunset’s bed with her piercing blue eyes locked onto her Equestrian opposite.

Sunset gave her a very fearful look of uncertainty, unable to really do much with the condition she was in. Thankfully she sensed no evil intent by her counterpart, though a solid foundation of conviction held in those eyes so very much like hers. She was but a mouse in the eyes of a hunting owl, a wise one who spoke oddities to entrance the little rodent. No doubt there were many questions the older woman had for her, and rightly due they were as in reality Sunset essentially gave her a presence in Equestria. Whatever she did might have affected her human version in a negative way, guesses were all she could make as she awaited the next words from the human being.

“I’m not sure I follow? Who are you quoting?” Sunset begged.

Not even a smug came from her other verse, she acted rather resolute as she replied, “Chuang Tzu… a section from their writings… a long lost great of philosopher who knew life more than anyone else. I brought him up, because you have lived a rather difficult life as it seems. We have plenty of time to relate what I’ve said to who you really are… what you are?”

It was then that Sunset knew that the two were locked in a duel, she could taste it in the very words spoken by her human counterpart. They were not hostile in themselves, but for anyone to be in her position now it was understandable to be out of fear and curiosity. How she wished Discord was nearby to help with some kind of chaos, thus proving her soon to be told tale.