The Siren's Remorse

by TheronSniper

Ch. 47 No Turning Back

Ch. 47 No Turning Back

After all had been said and done, Yellow Tail had taken to set up a little work station on a coffee table which an array of goods were setup for the ritual. Monet stood back to monitor the progress as her knowledge in magic such as what was about to be performed was invaluable. Paradox and Pandius had left to see to the others, final preparations needed to be completed within the hour if they were to stay on schedule. This left the Dazzlings to await Yellow's finishing touches, observing with varying degrees of interest at the organization of some kind of instrument, a glass vile of red substance, a few scrolls of parchment with equish written in ink, and a lone sapphire stone beaming with mana. Adagio understood the basics of what each item likely meant, she had some dabbling in a few items commonly used by magicians and unicorns of higher levels. It paid to learn a few things during her travels after she escaped the wilderness, before having met Aria or Sonata she was a lone siren with nothing to know of her kind or how the world was suppose to work. She had needed solid food before her gem came into its own and crested her third chest plate, before she grew into a fully fledged siren and no family to welcome her big day.

Strange enough, Dazzle recalled having found out the hard life of escaping the jaws of creatures that hungered for flesh relinquished when she finally reached pony society and their protective bastions. They had found her an odd spectacle to behold in the outer towns, she was outgoing and eager to prove her worth after enduring months of getting through the loss of her pod. She was at a point in her life where anything that could tear her mind away from the trauma was welcomed with open arms. It was a breath of fresh air at the time, no pony knew who she was and her tiny demeanor meant she was no larger than a stallion. Some figured she was aquatic in nature, they seemed to take pity on her and offer what help they could especially mares of motherly nature. Especially with the marks and tears along her scales and fins from her harrowing journey, those thankfully healed over time till they existed no longer.

Those regrettable memories of trying out different jobs and usually succeeding well enough to earn bits to feed herself. Being accustomed to the jungle and coastal life, she had no need to pay for rooming for a roof over her head. She relished in the outdoors and her previous experiences taught her to be trained to detect threats trying to sneak up on her. A lone Timberwolf was the most she had to worry about in the lands of Equestria. Of course that lead to a few incidents when foals tried to use her as a rite of passage in their little gangs. Being the oddest creature in the village she first landed in she was seen as the horse fish to boop on the nose without being eaten alive. Those years before her fragile shattered mental state eventually repaired itself and she sought out others like herself.

Pondering that short trip down memory lane, it was shameful to have found the ponies to be tolerable to live with much less work for. A part of her life she suddenly forced back into its place hidden behind barrier upon barrier as if it were an escaped convict. Yellow had appeared finished with the layout and took possession of the tool to which she imagined would place the control upon her own body. A single silver tube with a pointed tip like those fancy pens humans used for the snaky letters, a back end that he twisted open and laid the cap on the canvas covered table.

Twilight figured then was a good time as any to ask, "Sir? What exactly is wrong with me? Why did I need a blood seal of that caliber? Am I dangerous?"

Her tone carried such a child-like apprehension that he took care to not rile up, he had waited for this to come up ever since last night, "I believe I've said this before, I may have been former Arcana but my studies were in melding and biology concerning magic capable creatures. All I can do is make an educated guess my little gem, what books I have and wisdom I know are topical as you've read in my book. Those other manuscripts were things I shoved into my under scales before I was sent here. They are restrictive... at least I know enough of melding to draw assumptions likely on par with your situation. Mrs. Sparkle? You are indeed dangerous enough that we have to do this, I know it may feel like you'll have a shackle on you at all times but it will be for the better. The magic you stole needs to be broken down and assimilated, and we don't have the option here." he answered her as he opened the vial and began to pour a little into the tube held in the other hand.

Twilight nodded and sighed, "Is there still a way I can fix it? My research means nothing if I cannot use magic! What good am I to anyone?!"

Monet never took her steely eyes off of the makeshift alchemy table to ensure all was perfect, yet she answered the girl truthfully with a cold explanation, "Biologically you humans are unique and far beyond any knowledge the Equestrians have on non-equine species, that may be so. Your condition is not unknown as there are plenty of kingdoms who have no magic and have had magicians appear sporadically every few hundred years. You'd likely have to go to Emerath's land for any real source of help that the Arcana does not have a full grasp of, it is an autonomous territory to the northwest, it has final the verdict over anything that happens in its borders. Oddly enough, he even mentioned how the institute simply offers classes to become Adepts, where from there to progress one would have to go to Equestria itself. Assuming it is still there with all those wild artifacts washing upon their shores, I'd suggest you make swift tracks into their guardianship. You should find freedom from this foreign entity that has possessed your mana well."

That brought a momentary sense of relief, though to Adagio it meant added time to the plan. Her immediate reaction to the news did not go unnoticed, and it moved the event onwards to the ritual that had to be performed. A simple transfer of control and nothing more with a few spoken words and a catalyst to complete the act that the sapphire fulfilled. With a gesture of the hand, Yellow invited Adagio to the seat Monet brought over before the setup as he sat on the couch the girls once slept on. Though a fragment of reluctance still remained, Adagio dominated it with her hardened spirit considering the act of become a master as an act that was necessary for the good of the pack. She made herself comfortable as Yellow lifted up the written papers and spread them out with the ink side facing up, then took hold of the silver tube.

"Well I believe we've reached the point of no return, much against anyone's will unfortunately. Let us be done here so we can truly move to the real objective shall we? I'm going to initiate the transfer, once it has begun I will then write the control symbol unto your body Mrs. Dazzle. Please choose where you want it to be placed as it will be the spot you have to touch and speak the access code to unlock Mrs. Twilight's magical ability. After that, the spell binding will commence and until such a time come that she no longer needs the seal you shall be her caretaker. You will literally hold her life in your hands once we are on Equis, every manner of danger she will be frail against. I will ask you this last time... are you sure this is what you want?" he asked with sincerity, ensuring the golden siren knew what was on the line.

Closing her eyes to calm herself, the golden siren decided to humor him and behave as she thought he'd expect of her to. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave an appearance of deep thought. Last night was all she needed to establish a firm stand to the choices was to make over the course of her conquest. There was no going back on her promise to her mother, to her family that went back into Poseidon's welcoming arms. She'd find a way to to help Twilight in her own unique way crest her gem, the first new member to the pack and oddly enough would count as the newest pup under the Dazzle name.

Looking at Yellow dead on, "I am sure, begin the process."

"Right then." he nodded.

The mage began to speak Equish which sounded like some strange language with a mixture of French and Chinese somehow mingling perfectly together as if they were a spoken earth language. Sparkle observed as she stood beside Adagio on her left and on the right of the exile leader interpreting what was being said, Monet had guided her to that spot and had her knelt down. As he reached the third page of the five in total spread outwards on the alchemy station, the written letters began to light up and glimmer like any light show held in a night club. For five minutes he recited what was presumably on the parchment with eyes shut closed to focus indicating he had memorized them within a few hours. The mana surrounding him was as clear as day to the sirens as his aura became visible with subtle flames of red and yellow licking around the body.

Once he reached the final portion of the spell, the papers began to float of their own accord into the very air between the Matriarch and Yellow Tail. She watched with great trepidation and wondered if any danger would come of the odd phenomenon, thankfully she never had to lift a finger as they soon burst into flames. The papyrus material became ash, a thick small cloud of their charred remnants swirled between them in an idle fashion going nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Resembling the eye of a hurricane moving in an unseen wind, it was a spectacle to behold though Aria had the least interest in the display as usual.

With the miniature storm above the two, he gestured to give her hands to him as she did not decide on where she wanted the rune placement. Tapping the top of his right palm with a finger and then a 'give here' motion, Adagio slowly offered her left hand. The sensation was an odd one to let anyone else other than her Dazzlings to ever touch her, on the rare occasion some male or female human who found her attractive and wanted tell her how much they adored her voice. Of course they in turn were punished for their crime and fed upon gingerly, left to fight some random person where ever the incident had happened. This, however, had magic involved, a very dense powerful magic which left her skin prickling with warmth as his larger mitts cradled hers in one hand and the other began to draw with what she realized was a writing tool containing a blood serum. Monet then took over speaking, reciting some kind of ancient language even she was oblivious to.

As the dialect filled the room with the only noise other than the bits of ash ruffling in the air like soft tissue paper, Yellow started to draw with the tool to which became all too immediate. The icy cold metal pen tip made contact and the life fluid poured forth at a controlled rate, she both visually and physically could feel the sudden change to a blaring hotness starting to burn as if a light acid had come out of the instrument. Her fingers curled and twitched at the sharp pain boring into her nerves, the skin however did not redden nor show signs of the acute sensation she perceived as harming her. Wincing with a hiss more animal than human, she almost let her gemstone activate if it were not for the sudden golden flash of Yellow's usual gray irises intently starring at the forming inscription. Biting her tongue, Adagio withdrew any want to disturb the act in progress as he had a full circle drawn that took over most of the top of the hand. The blood drawing then started to create crosses and large I's with divergent half squares and short lines in certain locations of the main runes. Four in total were made of the two main shapes and still wet as fresh rain as they glistened from the outside sunlight still working in even though the sun neared its apex of the day.

Four diamonds were made in the empty areas between the symbols, which were then connected by a large cross with lines closest to the ends and fading towards the center. It did not appear to be as if he used much of the life sustaining fluid, looking at the viewing port in the metallic tube it was mostly empty. Still in pain and wanting to yank her arm back towards her to remove the source of ailment, the ash in the air gently flowed down in a spiral pattern and rained down onto the red lines that had marked her soft yellow flesh. None of the bare skin around it received even a smidgen of black dust as the magic controlled by Monet ensured none of the incinerated spell missed its mark. What was once a deep crimson rune then became charcoal colored where the diagram sudden vanished into the skin as water soaking into a paper towel. The heat had spread into the very appendage and worked its way up the arm causing a bit of panic until it reached her chest, from there the sensation existed no longer.

Monet had completed her part and went silent, Yellow had sat still and eyed the whole progress till it ended for any complications. It seemed as though it all went as splendidly well as hoped for, with the golden siren showing no rejection of the magic or the blood magic. It came down to how Adagio handled the effect and then testing it before they arrived at the portal location. So he waited for the right moment and gave her time to adapt, packing up few remaining items as Dazzle breathed in heavily as the command control anchored into her very network of magic.

"Yo?! Adagio, ya alright?" Aria asked with concern.

"Ya, you... you look like you've seen a ghost?" Sonata followed.

Twilight had been taking notes in the meantime and had been applying her knowledge of sealing spells to what she observed, letting the others speak for her.

Dazzle's voice cracked a little, "I'm... I'm fine..." she replied looking her arm all over to see if something would erupt from her skin or if it would shrivel up and petrify as her mind went to a world over in paranoia.

"You've felt the pain yes? Worry not, it is how it is with using such a rare item in magic, the burn is the binding that can never be undone until the soul of the user recites the release key. Or the magic words if your more inclined for a simple term of it, you may even feel a little stronger from here on out though not by much. Now whenever you're ready I want you to go over some of the lines you need to memorize in order to free any portion of Twilight Sparkle's magic at any given moment. Come find me when you are ready." the muted colored woman walked away with Yellow who needed to store the pieces away.

Adagio watched her walk away with predatory eyes, and once she disappeared came with the realization of what was now in her control. Looking to the human girl in question who still wrote whatever she thought of, she temporarily became a shining beacon of power and a weapon in her mind. Dazzle couldn't help herself as she imagined all the scenarios that the power of Twilight played host to, the power to stop the Rainbooms when they alone couldn't put them down at full strength. However, that battle had went down, the troublesome friendship brigade had lost the war and no longer had their magic, it would never regenerate. With that, the matriarch envisioned the Arcana falling to their combined might in supplication as Twilight Dazzling Sparkle tore their mana from their puny bodies, countered every offensive spell that could be conceived of, and remaining impervious to their little magic of love and togetherness. Those alicorn princesses would be no problem with the allied resources of her pack, the Empress of the Changelings, and the exiles. Such thoughts obscured the past agony of the runes, though the gentle shaking of Sonata could not be ignored and her joyful bliss yanked away as she came back to reality.

"ADAGIO!" the loud yell startled her.

"What?!" she fired back.

Aria huffed, "We've been asking what happened. Are you still yourself?"

"Twilight said you'd be fine, but your acting a little weird." Dusk removed her hand and gave the most innocent puppy eyes she was infamous for.

With a long exhale and a short rub of her temples, "I said I'm fine. I just need to finish this thing and we can be off. Stay here while I talk to Monet, don't MOVE." her eyes gleamed with a hint of red, which she then swished her head back and forth as if a dizziness poked up, "Go have something from the fridge or play with your phones, I'll be right back."

As their leader vanished from sight Aria was the first to speak, "Ooookkaaay? That didn't seem normal."

"I kinda lost everything after the cool drawing on Adagio's hand? You think I could get a tattoo too?" Dusk gandered at her own appendage to which Blaze groaned from the low witted comrade of hers.

Twilight was about to speak when the doorbell rang, with her finger pointed into the air to help aid her next words instead it sat still as the three wondered of the noise. It occurred twice and no one was answering, not a single peep from the other closed rooms which left the girls one little option. Aria glanced to the girls and used her body language to displayed that she would not be the one to answer the door. The second one was Dusk who tilted her head with no clue if they were to be allowed or not to welcome anyone, her raspberry eyes gazing at every other direction only peaking to Twilight when the bell cried out once more.

"I... guess I should answer the door?" Sparkle asked and received nothing but quiet air, and so she rolled her eyes and made her way over.

Her bare feet were softly cushioned in each step on the carpeted floor, keeping her movement covert as she finally reached within hands distance of the door knob. Still no one had come out of their respective quarters and that was their silent consent to her doing what she would do. With that Twilight opened the door slowly as she peered through the initial space she allowed and low and behold there stood outside Dean Cadence, Indigo Zap, and Lemon Zest. The later of the two were looking a little odd and hiding partially behind the former babysitter of her youth, of all things she'd have expected this was the last thing to have been thought of. How they had found her was a question she'd find answers to, but more or less would be if she wanted to tell them what was going on and if they'd try to stop her. Letting her mind go everywhere, the young girl missed her chance to jump at the three and solidify her footing which allowed Cadence to dig in first. Of course, a little memory snaked in of the battle with Sunset as if flashed before her eyes, the things the voice did on her behalf.

"Hey?! Twilight? We were just around the area and noticed you happened to be nearby, just wanted to see how you were and all right girls?" the woman chuckled nervously as she grinned to appeared modest and happy to see the girl in question.

Indigo nodded, "Ya, I was hoping we could schedule some team practice with you this next week? Maybe go catch a sports flick at the movies or something?"

Zest had less of a hard time and sounded less forced to speak as she brought up her phone and looked up few bands for the girl to see, "I got some other cool stuff for you to listen! We can spend some time at my house and check out the rad artists?" she gave a genuine smile as best she could, but having been reminded as to why she held onto music as she did stamped down on being overly enthusiastic.

The sudden approach had disarmed Twilight, like she had seen a car crash before her and people were injured lying on the ground or hanging out of windows. Out of the blue they had appeared at the doorstep of Yellow's home and her mind tried to make sense of the meeting, Serak had driven them so far away that it seemed unlikely that this was a chance meeting. Then again, she couldn't just assume she'd know what their true purpose being by the condos was, plenty of Crystal Prep students came from wealthy parents and likely some were in the area and spotted her, that was if anyone really knew her. Zest and Zap probably told the Dean and she took it upon herself to see her after what happened at Canterlot High, perhaps on their way home they saw her in Serak's cab and reported on her. None of it mattered now, she had a new world to go to and Spike to retrieve soon on top of keeping an eye on Adagio. Here she had no magic to accidentally get out of hand so these three were safe by any matter in concern.

"Why are you here?" she squinted as if she were trying to see into their minds and thoughts.

Cadence knew her former charge well, there would be no simple mind games to get around the situation. Dropping the act at the first sign of the loss of their original story she plotted out, she opted to shoot straight to the point as a caring surrogate older sister as she was.

"I could never pull the wool over your eyes could I?" she sighed with a tired smile, "Look Twilight, you mean a lot to me like family... actually family as in a little sister. After what happened at the school... I... I wanted to make sure you were alright? You really scared a lot of us, and... I can't blame you after what I've come to learn now. I've failed you Twilight, and whatever is happening to you I will do everything in my power to help you. Even Zest and Zap here want to help, you're not alone with how cold Crystal Prep can be."

Twilight could sense that Cadence hinted at the fight, but comparing her to the other two students lead her to believe something else was amiss. So with a confidence in that her magic was in control, she gingerly quelled the worries of the others. If she could paint herself now as she was, perhaps they'd not bring the police into this, after all she was in a strangers home with three other girls so the situation was fishy to outsiders. The best bet would be to not make this into something that it wasn't and damper the coming trip.

"No need to worry Cadence! I'm fine now, I have someone who has... provided the necessary service to keep what happened at Canterlot High from occurring again. They are a very qualified individual, a doctor I might add!" she swung a arm before her in a jovial manner to emphasize the point as did her awkward grin.

"So you're like, not going to go all super powerful again?" Zap blurted out, "What?" she asked defensively after Cadence shot her an eye.

Zest gave a grunt of minor irritation to Indigo before taking her headphones and passing them onto Sparkle, "No one's really liked my choice in music before, you're kinda the only one whose given it a chance. You can have these if you'd like? I saved my all time hits to the memory card."

Sparkle received the offer as if it were a hot piece of iron glowing fresh from the furnace. She remembered the unwarranted application onto her ears and then forcing herself to to endure the racket at the opening ceremony to avoid the Rainbooms. Much of the noise was unintelligible, the german bands of course were not that bad as the other tracks as they had words to hear and some she knew. However, her ears were ringing for some time after she escaped the rocker girl, it felt like a small child followed her with a flute playing a high pitch note for hours. Though as it were she had to see the greater picture as she did with the sirens, with Lemon's admission to how others took to the static that made a mockery of fine classical music from Bach and Pachelbel. There were problems the girls likely dealt with on a regular basis at the school and hid it well, which popped a thought as to how bad others also had it in their lives when they appeared perfect and happy.

"I really do need to get back inside, I'm uh... receiving a grant from the Museum downtown to help with my latest research project for a new energy source! I'd love to listen to your... rock'in stuff Lemon, but I might be gone for a while and I don't want to tear you away from what you love the most. Zap? I wouldn't be able to do anymore horrible things to others anymore, I have help now. I... ah..." she started to stutter and felt a hand grasp her shoulder behind her.

"Whose at the door? Some door to door salesman?" Aria chuckled as she came into view.

Cadence instantly recognized the face and hairstyle as it gobsmacked her like a brick to the head, those pictures that Principle Celestia sent to Crystal Prep after a debacle at the Battle of the Bands event. She was one of the three who caused major problems at her campus and sent an email to the staff warning them about the group called the Dazzlings, which every educational facility received. Their crimes were not listed, but they were labeled as red students who caused the student body to fight and argue. At best they were troublemakers and inciters that had to be watched at all times, even though they had not been seen in a couple months. Seeing Twilight apparently friends with one of them, it had her heart beating as the sister figure in her came out.

"Why are you here with her? You do know who she is right?" to which Aria scowled and rolled her eyes being reminded of their reputation.

"Ya? What's it too ya? She's part of our band now, last I checked there's no crime to that." the siren squeezed a little harder on Twilight's shoulder without noticing causing her to wince.

The other two had no clue at to what was going on, Zest having retracted her listening device after she had felt well of heart to hear such kind words. She had received the headset as a gift from her grandmother up north, and honestly it was probably a frugal decision to just give them away even for a moment. A little happiness had sprouted for a few seconds to feel kindness from another C.P. student, but the arrival of the rather punk gothic looking girl had corked it back into the bottle.

"I know about what you and your friends did at Canterlot Highschool, you were labeled by the principle there as trouble kids as much as I hate to use that word. Twilight. I'm going to insist you come with me please, it's not safe for you here alone with other people you don't know. I mean honestly Twilight what did I always teach you when I babysat you?!" Cadence went on to lecture the girl who shied away defensively, but not much was allowed when Blaze took the insult as an offensive blow to her person.

"Yo back off! She's safer with us than any of you." she spat loudly.

"Huh?! Excuse me? Look I may not know you personally, but I do know what happened at Canterlot High that you've managed to abscond without consequences. Twilight Sparkle has and will always be my charge to look after, and being at someone's condo after what happened? To just suddenly appear here through some magical event that I cannot believe I even saw! I cannot allow this to stay, go grab your things and come out, your parents would throttle me if I let you stay here any longer. Not only that, but I would have to risk my job Twilight?!" the soft facade she held onto had crumbled away and even the students behind her were at a loss of what was happening.

"I uh... I... er... ah..." Sparkle cowed and sank deeper behind the door frame which allowed Aria to stand between the two, she soon felt the embrace of Sonata who balanced her back on her feet.

"Look miss walking valentines day billboard! She's staying here with us. She's under Adagio's care with us, and coming home as one of us! Now get going or else." the purple siren seethed at the older woman who was not at all taken the resistence lying down.

Zap stood up first against the irate girl with gusto, "What's with the attitude grumps? Like seriously ever heard of abduction? Girls being taken to someone else's house, or for that matter a rich condo this far up by herself even with you? Stories like that don't end well and I won't let her be put into harms way. The captain of the team never lets their teammates get into harms way!" the waved back spiky haired girl crossed her arms and posed against Blaze with just as much vigor as she, an immovable object against an unstoppable force.

"Twilight please? Come with me so we can sort all this out, if they're not as bad as they've been made to be then I promise to give them a chance and even offer them enrollment at Crystal Prep just for you? I can't let you stay here, can't you see that?" Cadence ignored the two girls who fought a staring battle as she craned her neck enough to see Sonata back up Sparkle in a way that she appeared more than just an acquaintance.

By now the arguing had attracted attention and the first to arrive had become the pivotal moment that kept anyone from calling the police, especially since the condo was not the only one on the fifteenth level. Out strode from the closest bedroom came a blue dressed woman with a skirt and a blouse topped with a suit much how Cadence wore. A strangle symbol adorned the left pocket above her bosom that resembled the Dean's own, to who had gasped and stepped back from the advancing fourth party. The trio moved away from the doorway, Aria having seen the reaction of those outside happily let the interaction unravel itself as she backed away enjoying the negative emotions taking hold of them.

All three stood in awe bewildering the two sirens and Twilight, "Ms. Jade Vine?!" the Crystal Prep students and the Dean yelped in surprise.

"My my my, causing such a disturbance on private property Dean Cadence, why such a commotion? We are trying to go over everything with young Mrs. Sparkle here for the new grant thanks in part to the generosity of the Equestrian Museum of Science and History. Are you trying to sever our most gracious benefactors? And what is with those two here anyways, they should not be off campus grounds much less not at their own homes? Did you go through the necessary paperwork to just drag them around with you?" the tall vanilla skinned professor with jade hair flowing past her shoulders and ending in luscious vine-like curls asked with such a sugary tone it beckoned to be answered regardless of the circumstance.

No one spoke up for the first minute, letting the staff member of C.P. to give inquisitive looks and ganders at the three. Zap had dropped the tough girl stance while Zest seemed confused herself just as Cadence seemed to cower a tad before the veteran tenured professor of theater. Her dropping in had thrown Cadence for a loop as the story Twilight told her began to become truthful, but more or less Professor Vine had a huge hold on the staff for leading the way for one of Crystal Preps most famous departments that led to its popularity up until Twilight's genius. Under her keen watch and tutelage the school pumped out the most talented dancers, actors, performance artists, and young directors in the nation. Whatever she did right had gained enough respect for a certain control over the school's future and no one fought her about any of it. The good thing was she never had time nor care of school politics, often leaving Principle Cinch and her alone in that area to which she was glad until she poked her head into things. She'd made her power known when major budget changes came and went, that was the only time she voiced her warnings over even touching the theater department's funding. Politics at best were her game when she felt like it attacked her work and students, which suited her profession and education as theater was a warzone in itself if one knew how to play the part.

"Well I see there must have been some misunderstanding here? Might I clear anything up before some poor resident thinks we're being attacked or worse believes your words and has the authorities here to turn a peaceful meeting into a police scene of investigation? My wouldn't we lose other donors to our school if this is how we treat them?" she announced with her rather stern but calm voice.

Cadence tried to summon up some kind of words to form a sentence, but all she could do was appear like a fish out of water. Perhaps it was embarrassment or maybe the stunning reality she'd yet make sense of, how did Twilight end up in a very important meeting after vanishing as that monstrous demigod who ruined parts of Canterlot High? Was that all a momentary lapse of insanity from the games or was there something else going on she couldn't see?

Zap knew the woman well, she had to take a few classes mandatory for the first two years at C.P., and she knew the rigors of training of both physical and mental. Her aptitude towards sports however helped make the class go smoothly and without issues, it was after all a more artsy version of every sport combined into one. Lemon however had opted for the more technical aspects in Jade's classes, having a love of music and sound equipment she played her part well as a studio hand in training. Luck would have it that Professor Vine did not lapse on the reality of the show business, not all were dancer or actors after all.

"Please excuse us girls, I need to have a chat with the Dean. Please tell Sir Yellow that I will be back in a moment." the woman winked back at the Dazzlings and let her eyes flash back to their biological color for just a few seconds, to which the girls finally realized it was Pandius in disguise.

As the door closed, Aria scowled at the vanishing image of Cadence before huffing loudly and walking back into the living room. Sonata gingerly patted her best friend on the back and gave a friendly face to calm the addled nerves she could not only taste, but literally feel just by supporting her from falling to the ground. She shook like the end of a rattlesnakes tail, unprepared for what had happened and the possible likelihood that she would have been ripped away from going to Equestria with them if it were not for the Changeling. Beyond the gentle pat, Sonata knew little of what else to do and simply guided her back to the sofa with a little coaxing without words. It seemed the physical contact was all that was needed to budge the fearful girl whose mind ran a thousand thoughts pertaining to the chance meeting. Earning a free hug to still the pounding adrenaline fueled heart of hers as the two listened to Blaze curse and complain about the intruders.

Monet's Room

"Are you sure I don't need to go out there? That sounded like that had to do with Twilight?" Adagio asked as she kept an ear to the thick wood door trying to hear anything else.

The former gargoyle had her back to the irked siren, too busy with locating the keys that Dazzle needed to memorize and recite when needed. She had to go through a small textbook that appeared to have originated in the human world from its prestigious black hardback with bleached white pages much unlike the elaborate ones Equestrians often used. She flipped through a few pages in the center and found what she was looking for, notes upon notes of formulated spells, charms, curses, hexes, and all things her race knew at the time and in full detail. Monet had used her imprisonment on the human realm to take every single memory she had of home and make a historical keepsake for if she ever had issues with memory. An idea sprouted when upon the thirtieth year of banishment it seemed as if she'd might lose herself just to assimilate among the homo sapiens. Fortunately after several centuries that potentiality never came to pass and her mind was as ever pristine and clear, but it did help to have a reference either way. The turning point came from her meeting with Yellow and joining forces with him after the promise to return back to Equis, at least she would be prepared now and not repeat the same mistakes.

"Whatever is going on your focus is on what I have for you, let this be a lesson in ruling as I know a thing or two myself." she droned at a dull tone before turning around with the right page flipped into view.

Dazzle groaned and stepped away to confront that statement, "What could you possibly know anything about ruling? You did not even come close to the throne before that accident. I've been looking after my pack for longer than you've been in Equis!"

Undeterred and emotionless, "The next queen is trained thoroughly from birth, we're given lessons throughout our young lives to hone our attention to every little detail to any choice made and when to let others handle rising issues. When you are charged with preventing a power hungry house with a prophecy to bring a monster into the world... you don't take chances. I suggest you stand before me so I can instruct you on how to use the seal. I will not repeat myself again."

The golden siren could not detect any sort of anger or even a taste of feeling coming from the skin walker. Frustrating as it were she reluctantly did as was told and took position once the front door had closed and silence took a foot hold within the condo aside from the foot falls of her sirens. She was then shown the various words to speak and the proper act to follow in order to release the seal at any specific degree. She'd be able to allow Sparkle to do as much magic as a stage performing unicorn to a sand crafter Monet's people were famous for and the equivalent of a high ranking mage of the Arcana. She was warned to never fully release the seal until Twilight was freed from the ailment to her magic or else the mana that still persisted in its own form might still try to surface. They reviewed the spell several times before Monet felt that Adagio was ready, and all that was left was to peer review the subject for her own records.

As the singer looked over the subtle tattoo on her hand that made itself known by her whim, "You are ready, but only by the standard defined by quick wits. Tell me Matriarch Dazzle, as I'd like to know before everything becomes unpredictable. How much would you sacrifice for your own?" Monet asked as she filed away the book back into a small bag, "Would you go to the depths for those three you lord over when Tartarus comes to Equis, or are you the type to stand over the ashes and restart anew as the rest fall to the soil now that you have such dangerous magic at your beak and call?"

Peering up, Adagio glared at the gargoyle and frowned, "You all are really nosy did you know that? I hate repeating myself.".

"Speak if you want or you can leave, but this is a word from one ruler to another. Are you not one as well?" Monet threw the pouch off the bed and onto the floor with a thud heavy from clothing and other personal effects crammed into the sack.

Frustrated, "I believe I've made that all too clear by staying with the other two idiots for as long as I have. We were starving for negative emotions for years! If I really were capable of tossing them to the sharks I would have done so long ago. I did not, so that should answer your question. As for Twilight... any Matriarch worth her shells would never treat a member like her anything less than a friend. We have our goals and we will see them through together."

Seeing it for herself, Monet picked up on the small clues to the truth being told through body language and speech. Her dull gray eyes scanned over the siren for a few seconds before she made her way out the door. Opening it just ajar, the bickering words of Aria filtered in as she did her usual thing and ranted about what had happened moments ago.

"I'm glad to hear that, you truly have potential young Matriarch even with the assets you have at your disposal now. Back home... they weeded out the ambitious and weak willed who gave off the air of control and tactful creativity. The future Queen needed to be dominate, she needed to be inventive, she had to be willing to sell her soul away to prevent the end times that would only happen with the slip of caution. You are indeed not one of them... you act because you are hurt, and that makes you even more dangerous. But you do not let that affect you just yet? Still... some room to grow indeed." Monet had paused before leaving the room in a neutral unowned state, Adagio simply standing in place unsure of to scream back or ask what was meant.

Standing in the face of such blatant words, a few calming breathing exercises dulled the heat of her temper. She did not need to prove the creature wrong by acting out, instead remaining as she was had become the high road. None of these exiles knew her true experience to heart and nor would they, it was as simple as that. She did admit to herself that the human world and lack of communing with her kind and other Matriarchs did dull her options and knowledge, much of what she was had been the product of survival. A fish out of water and it had lungs, a metaphor which then made sense of Monet's commentary just then and that stunned Adagio to her core. So when she answered the gargoyle princess there really was no lie in her reply. She would have to grow more and faster upon their return, things never worked out as they had on paper or in her scheming. Perhaps that was why they failed so many times before the band competition and everything after which until Yellow came into the picture.

The rush to get results had become a path that their new gems gave them, what losing their original stones that stagnated them had done to alter their futures. Like a cold gust of wind from the arctic north, it was then that Adagio Dazzle had realized she let herself regret again and this time without her mother there in spirit to help. From one royal to another, what was she to do now that the game had changed for her? They simply couldn't just rush in with that army just yet and be outwitted by the powerful princesses and their unicorn lackeys, her ambitious ideas were drawn back into scrutiny for her to hammer out and she had only a couple hours left to do so.

"Poseidon help me..."

Comments

[TheronSniper]

7854383 There is much more to cover, but as chapters progress so will the explanation carry.