> So...these are my girlfriends. > by Lunasservant1985 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Departures > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun rose softly over the community on the shores of Lake Parthenope*; It was a small community of at least twenty or so houses on the shores of one end, with the main administrative building for residents, a post office to send and receive mail, a supermarket for the residents to keep their food stocks up, and various other amenities and services located on its opposite bank. In cabin sixty-eight lived Mrs. Linda "Hemlines" Sweetstuff. She; her husband Paulie Sweetstuff and her son spent most of their time together on the shores of Lake Parthenope. They raised him; cared for him, and for the first few years of his life schooled him. They had hoped to keep there little son together with them on the shores of the house forever; safe, and away from everything they constantly heard about here and there, but a boy's gotta grow and see new things. When Principal Celestia Sent a letter to the Sweetstuff house saying that their records showed no other schools on the shores of Lake Parthenope; the heartstrings of Mr. and Mrs. Sweetstuff gave a few tugs but didn't break as they sent their little Johnny off to Canterlot High, they promised to pay his rent on a little bungalow located just outside the train station, for the first year and then half of it after that provided he had found a job by than. (which he did) They didn't ask many questions when he told them not to worry about the rent anymore, nor did they raise any flags when the letters home became less and less frequent. They didn't realize the reason why was because they're "little boy" had by then moved in with Aria; Adagio, and Sonata. Frankly it was Mrs. Sweetstuff who refused to believe such things where possible the most. Meanwhile in Canterlot City Adagio lay in only her siren amulet on his well trimmed and very soft chest, as her friends Sonata and Aria (also in just their amulets) cuddled his arms and sides. All three girls had their eyes closed in bliss as they did their best to snuggle into their boyfriend as much as they could. John Sweetstuff had only one thing on his mind in the middle of the whole thing. "Ah girls how'd I ever get so lucky to have you by my side?" He said to all three of them. As he lovingly ran his left and right hands through the hair of Sonata and Aria on the respective sides, and softly nuzzled the wily and untamed hair of Adagio. who opened her eyes softly gazing back at his with a soft smile. "You know, at first it was because we thought you'd make an easy way to regain some...magic." She said blushing hard at her words. True that night at the battle with their powers fading and all but gone; The way he just gave himself up to them, it had allowed Adagio to try what she had stored up her sleeve in case the very thing that had happened, happened. She used the fading bit of magic to bind his very soul to her own, and the other two girl's to his soul as well, until they all had been tied together in a sort of bond. At first The Dazzlings didn't think much of what binding themselves to a non magic being like him would do, but it did at least give them back what they lost, albeit in a less potent form. Now however; It felt a lot more like whatever she did, had made the four of them grow a lot closer to each other. She looked at him and no longer did she see him as a "meal" or some source of power to drink from and drain. Her friends felt the same way too. At first they all questioned how such a thing could happen to them; they had once been soulless creatures that feed mercilessly off the negative emotions, almost never questioning just how much damage their actions could really do. Now it felt; strange, almost as if by being bound to a human male, it gave them all a part of him. As in it gave them the aspects they hadn't had before. The compassion for others; conscience to see the blurred lines between right and wrong, and most of all, a real emotional connection beyond their need to spread their will of strife and disharmony wherever they went. Now that didn't mean the rough edges of the once unstoppable band of mythological sirens had been buffed out to be all good and pure...like those...Rainbooms, just enough to keep off the radar of any "interlopers" ergo one Ms. Twilight Sparkle, they used what power they had regained, just enough to stay nice and cozy with their little boy toy in their house. He got up ever so softly so as not to disturb the sound sleep the beautiful girls were slowly easing into. He looked at them; all cozy and cuddling each other in just the amulets that made them what they were. The image was a perfect mix of cute and sexy. Adagio slowly opened her eyes and stoked the other girl's hair as her gaze locked with his. "Sunset and her friends were wrong to do what they did to you...but you can't deny you may have gone a bit too far last time babe."He said smiling at her sneakily as he rummaged through the dresser for clothes. "Hey, it was in our nature as sirens Johnny boy, you know that as well as I don't you?" She asked nonchalantly looking at him as he bent down to go through the lower drawers licking her lips in delight as she gazed. "Well personally I'm willing to vouch for you when you say that we DO have differences that put us above others but when your egos got over inflated, that's when it almost cost you everything that made you unique in the first place." He said smiling back at her as he stood over her by the bedside, reaching out and placing his hand on her cheek and making her look up at him; her soft reddish pink eyes gleaming like rubies as she blushed and smiled at him, she looked so innocent when she did that, like I said not all her charms came from magic. "You don't know how hard it is...was, is being a poor girl with such...talents here in this world." She said giving a little pout that would make Sonata blush if she'd been awake. Followed by a soft flutter of those lashes of the gleaming rubies she called eyes. John bent low over her just inches from her pretty face, almost nose to nose. "You're so pretty when you play innocent, you know that?" He said placing his lips on hers; she kissed back softly placing a hand behind his head. Adagio left a sweet and sour taste in his mouth; more sweet these days, but that sting like the one in a scorpion cocktail, was always just under the surface. In her mouth he left a bolder and more daring taste. It was almost like those legends of her kind back in Equestria had come true; some daring stallion with his brave crew risking hoof and life braving the seas to board the cliffs and rocks the sirens called home; they'd draw their mighty swords and fight tooth and nail with them. Until the great heroes run them through and slay them in a sticky mess. She giggled realizing, in some ways the male kissing her like there was no tomorrow had in a way, done exactly that to her and her girls. Only in a way that benefited everyone and not just him, maybe being (half) human has it's perks after all. The train station "One to Lake Parthenope please." The light blue girl with locks of very soft snow white hair with a moon beret holding it up said to the ticket seller, She placed the money for it on the counter as he slid to her a ticket, not a very good seat or choice of cabin, but she didn't make a lot of money and besides, It was only a few hours outside the city. Trixie Lulamoon took her ticket happily in her hand and made her way over the ancient steel and stone platform of the open air train station, to the benches to wait for the train. She almost didn't notice a young male with sickly purplish skin and off yellowish barley blonde hair in a cheaply made suit; with layers of grease slicking his hair back sneak into the bench opposite her. He gazed at her from a pair of Lennon rose colored shades that just barely showed his eyes. Even though he had only looked at her for a second, Trixie felt like a snake was staring at a little mouse hoping to lure it to its fate. "Hey, pretty young thing like you shouldn't have to ride with the bums to a place like Lake Parthenope cutie.'' He said with the air of a egotistical maniac. As he moved a hand to his shades lowering them and letting just the tip of his tounge out to lick his wolfish grinning lips softly. Trixie tensed up ready to spring; to kick him square in the balls or knees, anything if this guy was a wolf on the hunt, because she was no little lamb...although more and more she felt like one. "Nnn no that won't be necessary, Trixie is quite happy with her seats in coach, but thank you very much sir." She said with a nervous stammer, clearly the wolf had picked his prey well, as he could see cracks in her already flimsy armor. He boldly slinked over to the bench opposite her and placed his arm just ever so slightly on the bench reaching for her. "Trixie is done talking now, go away please." She said tensing but also shivering as if a ghost was passing through her body, she could almost see his eyes turn to slits and a forked tongue slink out of his mouth as his ears became longer and pointier. "C'mere," he hissed softly his arm reaching closer to her, his nose flaring noticeably "Mmmmm you smell good, like spring fresh dew and fallen powders of snow at the same time." He hissed in her ear making her tremble and whimper helplessly, but she didn't want to be helpless. If only she could move, do something...anything. "Hey pal?" Someone called softly behind them. "Didn't you learn any manners around a lady?" He snapped his head up at the remark only to have his eyes go wide as two metal pins shot through the air before pin pricking the prick in the back of his neck. The initial puncture was bad enough but in a flash the creep felt 50,000 volts at 26 watts of electricty send up his spine to the back of his head. Trixie's savant had just used one of the most powerful tasers in the world in one of the worst places to get tased. He doubled over onto the floor before he started writhing around and flailing like an epileptic at a Skrillex concert, thick white foam and spittle spraying from his mouth, the veins in his temples practically bursting out the sides of his head before he finally went still, eyes rolled into the back of his head. "He'll live," the girl holding the pistol up as the wires retraced back into her weapon said. She twirled it like a gunslinger before sliding it back into the inner pocket of her leather jacket. It was none other than Sunset Shimmer. "You ok Trixie?" She asked the now relieved Trixie as she walked over to her, her look of anger now concern. Trixie cleared her throat and brushed her skirt down. "Trixie is just fine Sunset, but...Trixie does appreciate your help a lot." She said stepping over the babbling comatose creeper as the trian finally pulled into the station. "You need to be careful Trixie, Places like these stations are often crawling with rats like this." Sunset added giving the creep a kick to the sides making a rattling breath gasps from him. "What are you doing out here anyway?" "Trixie has, a cabin on the shores of Lake Parthenope, Trixie was going to spend the extended weekend up there resting up for a bit." She said wiping the tears from her eyes. Sunset gave a sympathetic look to the other girl before taking a yellow handkerchief from her pocket and wiping her eyes dry for her. "Trixie had to wait on the less...desirable platform because her ticket is for the least desirable seats." She said softly hugging Sunset in gratitude; she wasn't all THAT into girls, nor did she mean to imply that in her hug, one bad experience doesn't change how one feels, she'd have given a hug to anyone even if it had been another guy, but It's not like she didn't feel a need to show her appreciation. "Thank you Sunset." The other girl said softly. "Hey hey, it's ok Trixie. Come on I'll upgrade your ticket to my class, you can stay with me ok?" Sunset said softly brushing the hair out Trixie's eye smiling at her. Trixie giggled happily and nodded her head. "Thank you Sunset...how about to Repay you..." "Trixie, no don't that's uncalled for." "You stay with Trixie at her cabin for the weekend?..I heard there are boys nicer than...nicer boys up there, maybe we could see if we could find a nice one to join us there?" She finished blushing hard, her perkiness coming back springier than ever. Sunset held her arm over Trixie's shoulder as they made their way back to the booth to upgrade the ticket; both girl's agreed, that would be the best thing to come out of this whole sordid affair. > Travel plans > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'll be back Tuesday morning, I'm only going to my parents house, The Cruiser's all gassed up if you need it, but I have to ask, Are you guys sure you don't wanna come to the lake with me?" John asked The Dazzlings as he opened the front door; A backpack on his shoulders and his best slacks shorts and button up on for his folks when he got home. Aria, Sonata, and Adagio all sat back on the couch, a bowl of chips split between their three hands as they aimlessly channel hopped. They turned to look as he wished them goodbyes...for now. Adagio was the first to speak. "Ah we'll be fine here; I mean just the three of us alone in Canterlot city? Just like old times right girls?" She said to the other two making them nod softly in agreement. "Yeah yeah, old times," Sonata said getting up; shuffling over to him, and giving him a nearly rib cracking hug in her unusually strong in spite of looking so petite arms. "Just go and have a good time for us okay?" She continued giving him a tender kiss on his lips, "and don't worry about us at all..in fact I think you'll be seeing us again sooner than you think." She said giving the same shrug she gave to Sunset shimmer when she nearly blew their cover, promoting Adagio to run her flat hand over her throat in the same way. "What? What did I say?" She said giving her friends an innocent smile. John turned the door closing behind him; all three of the dazzlings sprung to the window and peeked through the curtains to watch him walk to the garage. He disappeared inside it for a second and came out on a silver racing bike, destined for the train station (in fact the very one Trixie and Sunset where at at that very moment) as soon as he cleared the curb, Aria reached into the cleavage of her breasts and pulled the keys from between her pillowy mounds. "Got them right here boss." She said like a thief plotting a heist. "Good, check that, sonata the car's GPS set for Lake Parthenope?" Adagio asked as she slung a canvas geen backpack of her own over her shoulder smirking. "Well I tried to set it but it keep talking back to me." Sonata replied as she pulled a med sized flat panel GPS from from her pocket the device chirped to life before prompting. "Please input destination." "Lake Parthenope," Sonata cluelessly said to it thinking it was voice activated. Adagio could only face palm herself and groan at how much of a ditz. "Oh wait I see the problem, it's a manual input." She said before she touched the screen a few times making the GPS beep and chime before prompting her to turn out onto the street, she really was. "Okay girls, " Adagio said grining as they headed out to the red mini cooper "In the words of Beetlejuice, it's showtime!" The train "Alright Sir your room is right over here, though I must ask is the stateroom quarter really necessary for a trip this short?" The porter with red and white almost...bacon looking hair asked unlocking the door to the first class private room John was traveling on. "My uhh...girlfriends gave it to me, said they wanted me to enjoy the ride up to the lake." John said adjusting the backpack on his shoulders a bit. "Excuse me for asking, but did you say...girl FRIENDS? as in more than one?" the porter asked arching an eyebrow. "Yes why?" He replied as they both entered the room. It was a bit small; there wasn't even a bed, but the room did have a very comfy looking white couch with five pillows on it with a glass coffee table in front of it, a little nook with a table tucked away beside it, and a TV hanging in a corner bracket above that. Tucked away on the other end was a bathroom, to save space the shower had a little bench built into it, which both interestingly but somewhat disturbingly had the toilet built right into it. As well as the sink right bellow the shower head and a drain in the floor, the whole thing crammed into one. "Well it's just that...call me old fashioned dear boyo but when I was a young man, My heart was set on finding that ONE special someone that I hoped to spend my life with, and this was back when it HAD to be a woman or I'd be run out by the lynch mobs." He said givng a playful spin of his hat. "Hey if you're into that kinda thing I'm all for equality Mr." He replied with a slight chuckle. "No no no not that I meant to imply anything, my point is son I remember back when even the wildest of youngsters would have a bit more self respect, more than your average alley cats." "Hey up yours grampa, just do your job before I report your sorry ass to the union." He snapped back taking offense to the alley cats remark. "Grandpa!? Why you impudent little pup I'm only (age withheld)!" "Then why are you talking like Ponzi Pirelli in the 1890's?" He said arms folded over his chest. "Uhhh....Can I get you a complimentary bottle of Chardonnay sir?....Keep your yap shut and I wont ask to card." He added under his breath before adding a contradicting "With your credentials clearing you to enjoy it of course." He said putting his masque of a jolly grifter back on. On the road Windows open and top down, The Dazzlings took to the open road to follow him home, ready to surprise both him and the sweetstuff parents, all completely unaware of what was going on at their house at that very moment. Adagio took to the wheel; a big grin on her face as her hair flew behind her in the breeze, Aria at her side tuning to whatever station she felt like not caring for any in particular, Sonata in the back enjoying the ride the most. "Nice move hooking John up with that train ticket Dagi." She said placing her hands on her shoulders. "I knew he'd take the car leaving us with no way up there if we didn't, and can you please not do that while I'm driving I need to focus." She said frowning slightly in annoyance. "Oops, sorry." Sonata took her hands and innocently folded them behind her back. "Why do we have to cram in this rust bucket all the way up there though? we could have just taken the tickets ourselves and traveled in style, Ever since Sonata's taco date in this thing it still smells like chalupas in here." Aria gripped with her arms folder over her chest. "Girls; girls, girls," Adagio replied. "Think for one second okay? If we took the train, it's a thirty Minute wait at the station; then a five hour ride, and finally we'd have to make our "cabin arrangements" taking the car we cut that time down two hours with plenty of time to get our own cabin and find the one our boyfriend will be staying in for the "surprise." She finished with a sneaky chuckle. A mix up onboard "Alright ladies your room is right over here, though I must ask is the stateroom quarter really necessary for a five hour trip?" The porter with red and white almost...bacon looking hair a oiled moustache asked unlocking the door the first class private room Trixie and Sunset had upgraded their tickets to. Sunset turned to the porter smiling softly. "Oh it's just that we're taking an extended weekend and I had some extra money to make some last second upgrades, they said all they could give was an overnight cabin for only one stop so I told them we'd be going to denver but would down grade our ticket at the lake." Sunset blushed hard. "Well it's not like we're stealing anything, we're just leaving early before we downgrade the tickets. we still paid full fare" Trixie added defensively. "Ladies please, so long as no one's trying to bum free rides I don't care what you're doing." He said fumbling for the keys to the door. "May I ask what two lovely young lasses like you are going up there for?" He said smiling a bit, no doubt imagining that the only reason why two young girls would be traveling alone to a secluded lake was to do some...well you get the idea. "Oh you know just taking a much needed break from class is all." Sunset said completely cluelessly and innocently. "Right...Anyway Enjoy the ride and have a nice day." The porter said softly snickering to himself as he made his way to the "employee restroom." "Trixie wonders what's with him?" Trixie said as the door slid open. "Some folks that ride the rails are just....HEY! what are you doing in here!?" Sunset asked almost angrily as she saw a vaguely familiar looking boy stretched out on the sofa a wine glass in his hand, the TV tuned to Cartoons as he sipped the semi expensive white wine. Meanwhile on the road "Hey Dagi?" Sonata asked as they road they traveled down gave way to dense and thick trees. "Yes Sonata?" She replied taking her eyes off to look back at her. "Think the Sweetstuffs will like us?" she asked twirling a lock of her hair in her fingers like a child. "Heh, Girls just wait till they get a look at us, I'm sure they'll love us!" Aria answered throwing her hands up as they went downhill like a roller coaster, Sonata but not Adagio doing the same. Cabin Sixty-eight Lake Parthenope A tiny reporter on their little kitchen TV stood in front of the Manehattan University holding a microphone. The Sweetstuffs looked at the screen nervously given the headline. "Kids away from home, what you need to know" "Reports from several major cities are indicating that students that stayed in schools away from home are several times more likely to engage in high risk behaviors including pre marital relations." The reporter began. "I'm standing just outside Manehattan University, where alumni as young as the age of consent say..."who cares? we don't have to listen to anyone now that we're away from our parents." "Oh Paulie!" Mrs. sweetstuff said in a twinge of fear. "Do you think our Jhonny?" "Now now dear, you know our John is a good one, we raised him on honest upright and chaste beliefs will still staying open to a few..."modern points of view." He said holding his wife softly in his arms. He wore a very retroactive blue sweatervest over a white polo and she a starched white pinafore and checkered dress, they both looked like shadows out of time. "I guess you're right now come help with that cake we promised we'd make for the occasion." She said cheering up a bit, "and turn that damned dreck off please?" She said turning away from it hiding behind a hand. "Must you swear darling?" He asked clicking the channel from Pox News to the Cooking Network with a huff. "I'm sorry Paulie dear, I was upset." She said putting her hands in her pockets. "Its ok darling, I forgive you." He said smiling softly as he leaned in to kiss his wife softly. Its a good thing the dazzlings voted NOT to use their foresight to see what was going on because it would have made two of them gag, bet you'll never guess which ones the answer may surprise you. > They're not bad, just drawn that way. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The train sped by through the trees of Everfree National Park, its destination? Lake Parthenope. In the car she'd upgraded their tickets to; Sunset Shimmer folded her arms across her chest and looked at the creamy white guy innocently smiling at her. "So you're telling me you actually gave The Dazzlings back their powers?" She said closing her eyes in a huff. They had decided to call off the manner of the room, the three of them agreed the railroad had botched the booking arrangements up, and it'd be best to just ride out the whole thing to the lake. After that she asked how some average Joe like him was able to afford a first class private room and well...one thing lead to another. John sat Sunset down on the couch; took a deep breath and began; "Sunset? Do you remember a while back at the Battle of the bands those siren girls got everyone riled up for?" He asked taking her hand in his, she recoiled a bit but then almost understandably, she took the hand into her own and held it. "What a night that was; to be honest, when I saw just what Twilight's powers had done to them, all broken and...helpless...really spoke to me here." She said softly placing the hand clutching hers over her chest, he could feel the beating just under his palm. She looked up at him softly as he smiled at her, and she smiled right back. "Oh uhh anyway," She continued with a blush and chuckle. "It brought back old memories of...the fall formal." Even after all that had happened since the day everything the populace of Canterlot High had their view of things be...shattered. The memory of how much all that jealousy and anger had driven the girl to their world and to the horrible person she had been. It still cut her deep thinking about it. "Sunset?" John asked looking into her big almost sad looking green eyes...he had to remind himself that once, those eyes had belonged to purely equine form. "Yes?" She said back twirling a lock of her red and yellow striped hair playfully. "Even before you changed, I always knew there was a chance for you to turn yourself around." He replied nuzzling her hand like a cat cutely. "Don't you think the same for Aria, Adagio, and Sonata?" When he asked it made her giggle softly at having her hand rubbed. Not that the guy still being all that is male wanted more than her hand to brush his face against, but not at the moment. "I saw them all alone and helpless, maybe even scared, Twilight didn't realize just what she had done in taking their powers away. This isn't a world where witty banter and a fight that she wins just has the villains storming off in a huff to fight another day. This place....It plays for keeps." "I should have said something, but I was caught up in my own moment of finally being accepted as having changed my heart around....I let them down." Sunset said with a huff burying her face in her hands. "Sunset?...did I ever tell you how I gave the dazzlings back their powers?" John said lifting her head up and holding her under her chin lovingly gazing at her as he did so, she shakes her head. "I found them backstage and convinced them that being controlled by them is what I wanted; like wanted to be the submissive one willing to serve and worship them not as monsters of fear, but like unto the goddesses...The siren's mothers are the muses you know, the goddesses of the arts and talents...just with their father's side they inherited the...well you know. When I gave myself over to them, it...it made their amulets reforge back together and their eyes glowed again, but not red but...this deep purple violet color as these auras left my body and entered theirs...almost like that mist that follows them wherever they went only..." "It wasn't your emotions you gave them."Sunset said interrupting him scooting over closer to him. "I gave them my soul...a part of it but still....do you think in doing that they finally got what they really needed all this time? Not negativity or bitterness but an understanding for the better things in this world or any world?....That make sense to you Sunset?" He asked softly brushing her hair aside and looking at her smiling. "Dude, have you forgotten who I am? and where I came from? I think giving monsters souls to both get their powers back and reform them is something that goes on a daily basis back in Equestria." Sunset said laughing a bit at her own little jest. They two hugged softly and tenderly, as the bathroom door opened and out stepped Trixie a towel over her head but not.... "Gahhh! Trixie! What are you doing?! Please put a towel on!" John shouted looking out the window and not back. "Awwww What's wrong John? Do you not find The Great and Powerful Trixie beautiful?" She said playfully letting her sopping wet locks of her silky soft white hair dangle down to her shoulders. "Well yes...I do Trixie I really do, but it's just that I'm too....I'm too." "Too What? Trixie demands you tell her what the problem is you big baby, Trixie has seen many a nursery in her job babysitting and I'm sure you've done your share of ogling." she said giggling and blushing at how charming he was being, almost like a little boy as opposed to hormonally raging young adult. "I never look at a beautiful girl's body without her permission, I guess in some ways my parents modesty lessons rubbed off on me, but I use it in a way that makes me a more....chivalrous and gentlemanly type...not a raging gigolo." "You flatter Trixie," She said kissing the back of his head and patting it like a little dog. "You have Trixie's permission to look." She whispered seductively in his ear. "I promise to only look Trixie." He replied turning around. He looked at her; her icy blue skin all glistening and dripping wet, from her shapely and swan-like legs, to the soft and perky breasts she pressed above her folded arms, smiling at him deviously as he took in every detail of her beauty. "You're...." He couldn't think of anything to say; her snow white hair, her full luscious lips, the curvy outline of her hips, and those eyes...of all the girls he'd been with, it was really the eyes that mattered the most to him. Hell the fact that Adagio was flat as a board but was able to dazzle him with her ruby eyes without her powers was a testament to that, and besides being flat was only more of her to love elsewhere right? Being intimate with Aria was proof...John was a Sucker for amethyst eyes. "What do you like best about Trixie?" She said placing her hands behind her head and giving her hips a little jut outward. "Her trickster attitude and playfully witty nature?" He replied sheepishly grinning. "Oh?...come now...Trixie knows that the soil of a man's heart..." "Is stonier, and a man grows what he can and tends it." Yeah...I read Pet Semetary Too Trixie...Pet Sematary as well not that crappy sequel to the first Pet Sematary. He said as Trixie placed her hands on his shoulders as Sunset wrapped hers around his waist, they both leaned in, Sunset softly kissing the back of his neck and she his forehead. "I'm sorry girls...but not here; not now, and not yet." Sunset lay back on the couch as the train's rocking relaxed her, almost like she was an equine foal again. As John lay beside her and a nearly dry and still very naked Trixie cuddled him softly kissing his cheeks. "When then?" Was all Sunset could ask. "Why me? what do you see in me girls hmmm?" "You're not like other guys...your sweet, and gentle, your sensitive and caring, you saw the good in both me and The Dazzlings and in spite of the risks, and what people would say, you helped them get their lives back in order but also changed, not minding if for better or worse. Not to mention...well how you refused to look unless she let you, and you didn't take advantage of the situation." Sunset replied slipping out of her jacket and shirt, her shorts following until she nuzzled him softly in just a lacy red bra and yellowish gold frilled panties. "Leave them on." He told her, she only kicked them off faster and unsnapped the hooks to her bra faster. "We'll be there soon." He told them both stroking their heads as Trixie let out a soft coo as he did. "The door's locked and we're just cuddling." Sunset replied snuggling his side closer and tighter as her hand felt for the waistband of his shorts. "Do you want me too?...Is it because you're both?..." Trixie raised a finger to his lips and Eskimo kissed his nose softly. As they planted real kisses on the sides of his cheeks. "If you want too...You don't have to though." Sunset said sleepily into his ear. "Don't be a baby Sunset." and he kissed her softly on her soft and delicate lips, it was only a little and brief kiss, but enough to let her know. > The legend of Lake Parthenope > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The manager of the cabin rentals shuffled the papers on his desk as the three young ladies sat patiently on the other side of his desk, he couldn't help but pick up a hint of malicious intent as they smirked at him playfully. "Okay ladies; that's the two story cabin with the patio and the cable package, you do have the required five hundred deposit to pay for the rental?" He asked with the air of a cheerful salesman, Adagio leaned back in her chair before waving her long shapely fingers with ruby red painted nails over his face, blue sparks emitted softly from the tips. "We already gave you our deposit." She said smirking as her eyes glowed with a soft hue of blue mixing with her natural crimson, "You already gave me the deposit." He said dreamily smiling and melting at her touch as she ran her fingers over his face. "You just put it in your wallet by mistake." She said with a giggle giving a little pinch like a baby on his cheek. making him go redder than a tomato. "I just put it in my wallet by mistake.....Oh Silly me I put your deposit in my wallet that uhhh that goes in the lock box not there." He said chuckling nervously as he put five hundred of his own simoleons unknowingly in the box. The three half human sirens looking at him giggling silent inside, it felt so good to have this power back...but then...why didn't it feel AS good as when their vocals alone made legions of people want to adore them? "Well everything seems to be in order would you ladies like a tour of the lake on the way?" Aria quickly raised a hand saying a casual "No that won't be nessi." But Sonata in her usual perky happy go lucky self chimed in front of her a blue hand over her mouth as she rebutted with a cheerful. "Of course Mr. we'd be happy to have you show us around to our cabin." She said with a giddy little "SQUEE!" Making the slightly older and more...refined and intricate of the trio look at her, Aria in annoyance and Adagio the same. The manager placed a tan fishing hat with several tacky lures and hooks nestled in the brow on his head and lead the three girls out into the fresh mountain air of the Everfree National park; tall oaks and pines surrounding the one hundred and ninety one square miles of the crystal blue waters. They made their way down the trail from his office cabin; the manager going over how the cabins were arranged on the other side of the lake for them, and a little bit of the lake's own mythos. They reached the top of the ridge where the cabins were arranged the Sweetstuff's just a short walk away, Sonata couldn't keep herself from giggling and blushing as she read the number over the front door, Sixty-nine. "Real mature Sonata," Aria chimed when her friend noticed the crudeness of the placement. just outside the two story cabin, made with logs in the style of the frontier tradition, two stories with a lake view balcony for the upstairs bedroom. "Do you gals know where the name lake Parthenope comes from?" The manager asked leaning over the patio railing and looking out over the placid surface. The Dazzlings did know that name all too well, back in Equestria in a memory all but lost to time, the name Parthenope had been that of the mother of Adagio Dazzle, while Aria's had been Ligeia, and Sonata's was known as Leucosia. The very same sirens that had lured all but the bravest of the Greek sailors to their deaths, the ones who had hoped their daughters would carry a legacy onward but where probably now (if they were even still alive back in Equestria) only looking...up at them with shame for their failure. He told the legend of the sirens right on down to the detail of Odessus foiling their mothers by having his crew plug their ears, while he was tied down to the mast. Not realizing just how much it was hitting them on an emotional level. When the sirens (the mother's not the daughters) failed to capture Odessus, they met with a terrible fate. The Fates to be exact. The fates in their infinite wisdom and in being neither aligned with good or evil, simply felt that the elder sirens failure was a sign that they had outlived their usefulness in making their web of the known world spin. They wordless and emotionlessly cut the sirens lifelines, as they do with all but the most immortal of beings. They took The Dazzlings mothers from them and the rest....well...you get the idea. "You see that little island out their on the center of the lake?" The manager asked pointing to it. The girls looked out and did see a small island no bigger than maybe a pitcher's mound with very muddy ground around it. The island had only one notable feature about it, a statue of a beautiful looking woman on the little space that could be offered to it, and a white carved wooden canoe tied to a stake on the bank. "To this day we still don't know who carved that statute or why, but when Parthenope Lake was first founded our founders mistook it for a statue of one of the sirens from The Odyssey, so we named the lake after Parthenope." "Mistook?" Said Adagio looking looking at the statue not taking her eyes off it. It was almost as if...It was calling out to her...calling her...home. "Why or how for that matter, Would anyone mistake that for a statue of a siren? What else could she be?" She said softly still looking at the statue feeling an odd sense of familiarity and also clarity. "It's not of the siren...but the mother, That is a statue to the Goddess or muse of music, Terpsichore." "Why name the lake and town after the siren if the statue's of the muse?" Adagio asked. "We didn't realize the error until a note was left on the mayor's door one day saying it's not to Parthenope it's to Terpsichore, signed The Artist. hmmm you know if you ask me I think it's better off that statute be to the muse rather than the siren, who would want something so vile, and disgusting a creature as a siren on the middle of a beautiful lake am I right ladies?" He said without any idea, just how deep his words where cutting the three. On the surface; they seemed to nod and say "yeses" and "of courses," but inside they felt as if they guy had indirectly just insulted them and got a kick out of doing it. > Welcome back John Part 1, Arival on the lake > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The train finally pulled into the Lake Parthenope Station, and John remembered the two naked girls that had been cuddling him as they slept. He smiled softly at Trixie before tapping her head and whispering her name in her ear softly. "Trixe? wake up, we're here." She stirred softly and only cuddled him closer, a soft moan then suddenly escaped her lips, John looked down and he instantly understood why. In her sleep Trixie had started softly rubbing the folds of her swollen pussy against his leg, her juices made his thigh damp as she rubbed herself to his side. "Trixie?" He called again making her eyes softly flutter open; she looked at him with a soft and yet also lusty gaze as she suddenly blushed looking down at what she was doing. Her hands flew up to her bright red cheeks as she gasped softly in embarrassment. "OH my! Trixie is so sorry, Trixie didn't know what got into her! It's just...I was so comfy being held by you and warm all snugly and cuddly that, Trixie must have been enjoying herself too much." He shushed her softly placing his finger on her lips, it had her sweat and arousal faintly coating them. Trixie gave a slight kiss to his fingers before sucking on them softly moaning at the pleasure of her own flavor. The three of them wished they had time to do more but the train was unloading, and they would have to wait until later to go any further. his fingers left Trixie's mouth with a soft pop as she licked her lips smiling at him he used his free fingers to stroke her hair softly. "They're be plenty of time for "fun" after I get settled in with my folks and you two get settled in on the lake." He said softly getting up and slipping into his clothes as the girls watched him. Like Adagio, both couldn't help but admire his cute rear as he bent down and back up to pull up his shorts the way they hugged his toned buns nicely. More like a feminine rear given how it was shapely and toned, than a male's strong and muscular one, but cute none the less. He picked up and gently handed the girl's they're clothes, but Sunset and Trixie handed him back the respective yellow and midnight blue (with silver stars) pairs of panties when he handed them to him, "Oh I think you can give those back later, just as a memento until we meet up later tonight, don't you agree Trixie?" Sunset said with a girlish giggle as she buttoned her skirt up and adjusted it down over her legs. "Oh Trixie Agrees Sunset," She said with a flirty giggle as she softly leaned in to the other girl teasing with a near kiss on her lips only to dip up and kiss her forehead softly making Sunset blush and giggle, taking both them by surprise as neither of them expected that. "You go and get reacquainted with mommy and daddy John, Trixie is sure Sunset and I can...Keep each other company?" She said with a seductive little tone as she placed her hands on Sunset's shoulders. The teasing was so hot, John was worried about the people on the platform seeing the raging bone in his slacks popping out when he opened the door to the hall outside, none of the three inside cared if the shadows of people outside the frosted glass window could hear what was going on behind the room's sliding door. "Just don't take too long ok?" Sunset added before leaning in and giving the light blue magician a soft and passionate kiss full on her lips; both girl's moaned softly into each other's mouths for him, almost on purpose as they placed their hands on their chests and gave each other's breasts soft squeezes through the fabrics of their tee shirts. "Oh well....I'm sure I won't be too long, but I promise not to keep you ladies waiting if you'll promise not to have too much fun without me." He said rubbing his crotch huffing a bit flushed red, the two girls broke their kiss softly. "Oh take your time John, If anything happens, I have my camera, maybe we could make a nice video for us to watch together when you get back." Sunset said with a giggle and a wink as Trixie got up and walked over to him. She took his hand softly in hers and from the inside of her light blue bra she took out a pen with a little star on the cap. Trixie uncapped the pen and wrote on the soft flesh of his tender hand, cabin seventy, residential area. "See you later...My handsome assistant." She said softly kissing him on his lips, just a little peck before gazing at him with those soft glowing gem like eyes. He could still Taste a hint of Sunset on her as she kissed him. The moment was ruined when a big fist pounded on the door angrily and shouted. "HEY! HURRY UP IN THEIR WE GOT PEOPLE WHO PAID THE WHOLE TRIP WAITING TO USE THAT ROOM!" A booming and fearsome voice shouted at the three of them loudly. They picked up their bags quickly and hurried out the door to the platform, Trixie and Sunset going one way John the other. The girl's waved to their friend giggling softly as they went their separate ways...for now. "Well I guess It'll be worth it seeing my folks again, and at least I've got you two until I meet up with your "owner's" again." He said chuckling thinking about the slightly damp girls panties he had tucked away in their own little pocket of the suitcase. > Welcome back John Part 2: Family reunion > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- He looked up at the cabin that he hadn't seen in so long, well it felt like it had been so long anyways. The varnished but unpainted walls, the lacy white curtains shut with the corny ears of corn on the embroidery, an idyllic home away from it all...he was home. John almost cautiously stepped up to the front door and reached out, taking a deep breath as he knocked softly. The door flew open and there stood his loving parents; Mr. Paulie and Mrs. Linda Sweetstuff, in her hands Linda held a tray with the strawberry cake with thick vanilla frosting on it and welcome back in blue icing, they smiled at him happy to see their son after so long. "Son! You're home!" Mr. Sweetstuff said throwing his arms around his son and leading him into the house, as the Mrs. placed the homemade cake on the coffee table and also hugged him tightly as she placed soft kiss after kiss on his cheeks. "Ohh my boy! Welcome. Welcome! How was your trip? Did you eat?" She barraged the lad with so many questions he barely had time to answer. She took a spatula from off the coffee table and cut him a big slice of cake, handing it to him cheerfully smiling, her son was home. She kissed him some more as he took a fork sinking his teeth into the sweet and savory slice, truly there was no greater thing to sink your teeth into than a cake with motherly love and fatherly help. "I'm happy to see you too ma," he said with cheeks puffy and eyes shut taking in the joy of the cake. "How've you guys been since I've been at school." He said as his dad sauntered around to the radio and turned the switch to CD and hitting play. "Oh you guys remember the song from the last birthday party we held here for me." He said blushing and realizing that the last party held in the house was when he was six. As Mr. Sweetstuff did a little shuffle on his shoes, shoulders rotating to the catchy tune. "I never took it out the player son." He said giving his wife and son a thumbs up mouthing the, "it's hip to be Square!" Meanwhile just outside "For realsies?" Sonata asked as her friends where about to duck around the corner of the house, "Why do I have to be the one to meet them first?" She asked placing her hands on her hips sternly, Sonata hated being the one to do all the legwork in their plans. Adagio briefly turned the corner of the house and held her hand out to Sonata. "Because you're the cute and sweet one Sonata, you're the one least likely to frighten the Sweetstuffs in comparison to us you know?" She said running a hand over her clothes, while not TOO much if what their boyfriend had said about them over the years was true, then Adagio's Choker would have been enough to make his mother have a heart attack. "Maybe we should just let John have a nice weekend alone with his parents Dagi, I mean we could go back to the cabin and...have ourselves to pass the time out here you know?" She said smirking and blushing at the idea. "Tempting as that is, I've grown to like having him around for the fun...but there's a time and place for everything Sonata, now get in there and make us look good!" she said with a CHOP CHOP clap of her hands. "Where are you and Aria going?" She asked just as her fist hit the door, but they were both gone. Adagio's gymnast like build made climbing the tree branches to her boyfriend's old bedroom (based on his stories about home) almost too easy, for Aria; she had the hidden strength under her build but lacked the finesse and skill to climb like the majestic Adagio, majestic like a ninja assassin. Never the less she didn't care for looking like Shannon Miller as she made her way through the window and into her boy toy's room. In the darkness of the room she turned to the silhouette of Adagio in the darkness. "I call waiting on his bed" She said giving a hidden smirk as she did. "You....Lucky girl." "I wouldn't have carried for you calling me what I know you wanted too , you know?" "I've grown to respect...even love you too much to go that blue Ari." Adagio said kissing the mean girl siren on the lips softly blushing as she took to hiding in the closet for John. "I didn't want to ask this in front of your ma but....you got a girl back in Canterlot Johnny boy?" Mr. Sweetstuff asked his son as they were in the kitchen washing the cake pan and plates out, the question almost made the boy's heart catch in his chest. "Why do you ask dad?" He asked scrubbing the decorative plate a bit harder than normal. "We'll you're in High school almost done even aren't you?" He asked inquisitively. "It's...complicated dad, very complicated and not worth going into details over, just roll with it and not ask any..." "Hey if you're not into girls you don't have to be shy about it son...I'll always..." "No; no, no, dad not if I have a girlfriend...although that may sound complicated to you and ma anyway, I mean how the rules of me being "In School" works, just take what you get and roll with it." "Well darn it all son why in heaven's name would be complicated explaining to your mother and I if you're seeing a nice girl?" Mr. Sweetstuff asked pushing his glasses up on his face just as he used too when his son wouldn't give a straightforward answer. "Well...you see." He was halfway through saying when Mrs. Sweetstuff opened the Front door that had been knocking on for at least three minutes before someone heard over a break in the CD player's music. She stared briefly at the azure blue girl with that ponytail; that short skirt and boots up to her thighs, the Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band looking shirt was a nice touch though.* "Hello? Ms. can I help you? Are you in need of directions?" She asked watching to see how this strange girl would react, Mrs. Sweetstuff can read people well. "Is...Is John home?" Sonata asked softly and innocently brushing her skirt down and curling up a bit with a cute giggle and blush to look sweet and playful. "How do you know I have a son named John Ms.?..." "Sonata; Sonata Dusk, I'm his girlfriend Mrs. Sweetstuff, and it really is a pleasure to meet you." She said waving at the family inside; but to the mother, she felt like her whole world that she had spent the better half of the last several years with her family, had just come crashing down around her at the mention of just that one word, GIRLFRIEND...and this was just the first of three! NEXT...Meeting the family and more unexpected quests! > First impressions. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So?...You're my little Johnny's....little girlfriend?....how cute." Mrs. Sweetstuff said with the clear disposition of not being too fond of the notion. She was mixing up the ingredients to a homemade meat loaf while two pots; one for potatoes, one for ears of corn, boiled away on the range top, and a third sauce pot of gravy. The whole house had been looking forward to this dinner with John home, only now with the strange girl present it seemed (to Mrs. Sweetstuff at least) less...pleasant. Sonata sat at the kitchen table; John just across from her, she placed her hand on the flat surface and smiled at him softly as he placed his on top of her's and held it. She slowly licked her lips before breaking into a cute and innocent little girlish giggle, The sight made the reclusive and reserved mother more uneasy than if her son was playing Russian roulette with a five bullet gun. "Mhmm, that I am Mrs. Sweetstuff." She said leaning in and giving her sweetheart a little nuzzle nose to nose, a gesture she remembered from her days as a...well a seapony to be honest but she had seen other ponies doing it. Mrs. Sweetstuff made her way over to them both, her smile as transparent as silk. "So Sonata? What can you tell me about yourself?" She asked as she basted the pan of meatloaf with it's fifteenth coat of glaze in spite of not have been in the oven once. "Well, I love to sing, I actually had a really powerful...voice a while back but...a bad case of laryngitis almost took it away." Only she and her boyfriend knew that what she meant was 'I used to be able to make people worship the ground I walked on but now have to use it sparingly so as not to have a princess from the mirror world to ours come and take it away again, like she did almost running my life and livelihood the last time.' "Oh you like to sing....May I hear your tone? I'm sure you've still got a lovely singing voice Missy you just need to have more confidence in it, one little case of a frog in your throat can't just take away your talents like that can they?" She asked again, totally unaware just how literal she described the half human formerly fully siren's quagmire. She got up; cleared her throat, got into a stance to perfectly align her diaphragm bellow her lungs, and provide the most vocal harmony to her tune. Her vocalizations alone when she stared where enough to make him melt like ice cream in the sun, even the Mrs. While not as enthralled given how the sting of the venom in her singing had been diluted since..the loss, it was still potent enough to make her prior ambitions about the strange girl...fade. She felt less and less like she was some, "wicked girl" intent on taking her son away from her and more trustworthy and safe. Almost like she was a daughter of her own in some bizarre way. "Well?" She asked as she hit a crescendo of her recital out and took a bow; her standing ovation, for your Grammy consideration ladies and gentlemen. "Did you like it?" "Just as captivating to me as the day you and your friends sung it in the school cafe babe." He said dreamily looking at her with a lot of thoughts on his mind, not all of them necessarily involved just hugging and kissing her. As for Mrs. Sweetstuff she was so relaxed and calmed by the crooning that she didn't realize what her boy has said. "Well, it certainly is a lovely voice you got there dearie, I don't see why you would ever have doubt in your skill as a singer with that kinda voice." "If you only knew ma'am." The ex siren said under her breath with a soft giggle and blush as she sneaked a stolen kiss to her boyfriend's cheek, just able to keep out of his mother's line of vision as she did. making him shudder and tingle at the touch of those velvety soft lips on his cheek. "Excuse me; what do you too think you're doing?" Mrs. Sweetstuff said eyeing the girl as she did. She folded her arms across her chest and gave her an uneasy gaze, again the magic in her voice not as strong as it once was. "It was just a little kiss ma," her son said defensively to his girl. "she just wanted to show how much she cares about me, right Sonata my love?" He said lovingly burying his face in her hair making her giggle and shiver softly in bliss as he did. Mrs. Sweetstuff didn't take to kindly to their actions. "Johnny go to your room;" she said with a half a mind to pull them both apart, "and as for you, missy, I want you stay right down here where I can see you." She said putting on her masque of the stern but caring mother she was and still is. "I..I didn't mean to cause a problem, I just..." She said softly as she hid behind her ponytail softly. "Just do as I say and go." She said finger lashing out to the stairs for her son to go. He did so grumbling and almost regretting that he even bothered coming up here. The old bed room, he said to himself as he collapsed onto his old bed from his childhood. The dinosaur toys on the dresser, the posters for superheroes mail order out of the comic books still stashed in the closet, he considered having those packed up and taken back to Canterlot when there was a soft knock on the door. "Ma, I did what you said alright." "It's me Sonata." A reply from the other side came softly, as the door creaked delicately. She stood in the doorway a small fron on her face as she twiddled her ponytail nervously, she tread softly over the threshold into his arms."Hey, you ok John?" The azure beauty said to him as he opened his arms to her, she collapsed into his grip as he wrapped her up in his embrace. She sighed and kissed his neck before gently sucking on it. "What if she catches us?" He asked softly running his hands along her back and drawing her in by the waist. "Just hold me; I don't care if she does, we've done nothing wrong." She said looking at him with her eyes full of longing to be held and embraced. "Where are the other girl's Sonata?" He asked stroking her hair lovingly. "Yeah about that..." She said with a nervous chuckle as his hand left her for a just a second, and landed on an unusual lump on his blanket, the lump made a soft moan. "What the?" He said giving the lump a squeeze again and a little rub, more pleased moans and gasps emitted from the blanket. John yanked it up and off. Aria was their blushing and giggling loudly lying on her back, he'd just been playing with one of her boobs under the blanket. The girl let out a nervous chuckle before going red as a tomato. "Hi..." Was all the girl could say in her defense. > Alone time > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- While this was happening; Sunset and Trixie made their way to their cabin, crossing the threshold Trixie stretched her arms out yawning contently as she did. Sunset plopped herself down on the couch and patted the seat beside her for the other girl to join her. Trixie sat beside her and the girls rested side by side, sighing happily. "Trixie? are you going to be ok?"..."given all that's happened today?" Sunset asked Trixie as she softly stroked her hair lovingly. "Relax Sunset, let's not dwell on that, let's just sit back and relax ok?" Trixie replied softly as she rubbed Sunset's thigh, a devious smile on her lips. "Ever done this before?....with another girl I mean." She asked wrapping her hands around her waist. "Once, With twilight." Sunset replied blushing hard at the touch of the other girl. Memories of that night in pinkie's kitchen with her stash of cream and whipped cream. "I know what we did earlier with that cute Sweetstuff boy proves otherwise...but you're not into just girls right?" Trixie asked softly placing her left hand on the other girls soft bosom and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Ahhh!" Sunset gasped softly and blushed hard. "I...I have a thing for John, you might say I...really like him; that way, and while I did only date Flash just to get people to like me, a part of myself did and in some ways does still like him, as a friend I mean." Sunset giggled again and softly nudged Trixie's hair and placed a soft kiss on her head. Trixie Cooed softly and looked into Sunset's eyes with a loving but lusty gaze. "Would you still let him....you know?" She blushes harder and softly and places her hands on Sunset's shoulders. "Ehhh maybe, I mean I'm not overly shallow and Flash isn't THAT bad a guy; it's just with Johnny boy over there." She said gesturing to the window to the other cabin across the yards. "I've seen better, like more sweeter and charming instead of flashy and privileged better." She said softly rubbing her nose against Trixie's. "Snips and Snails being fresh out of grammar school are better off with the crusaders, Tree Hugger's friends* are okay guys but I think Tree has them both wrapped around her fingers, and Bulk?...please If I ever said I want over muscled roid junkie's I'd have to be criminally insane." Both girls broke out in laughter before Trixie turned and looked out the cabin window. "Sunset?...look." Trixie Said pointing to the window again; The girls looked to see the John at the widow of his own house, the window of the cabin was directly across from the window of the bathroom of the Sweetstuff house, Trixie's phone vibrated softly; she took it from her sweater pocket and looked at the text. Should I leave you two to your...fun? Trixie giggled and texted back, Nope get a taste of what you can probably join us for later before we leave for Canterlot City Sunday. he texted back; I may be over sooner than that, parents are...being difficult right now. "Well Trixie? Shall we give our viewer what he wants?" Sunset asked the other girl letting her jacket hit the floor as Trixie slowly lifted Sunset's purple tank top over her head, making her shudder and tingle in anticipation. In the bathroom of the house across from them; John's jaw hit the sink as he watched, he almost would have almost given anything to be over there with them, but diner with the family mattered more. After all; things at the house had taken an...awkward turn. Trixie softly kissed the exposed portion of Sunset's breasts not hidden by the bra, as the phone vibrated again with a text. Girls, I think I love you both. Trixie dug through her backpack for the mini camera she said she brought and sent a wink emoticon in a text back to him. She clicked the recording on and softly waved playfully at the lenses eye on her as she slipped her sweater over her head. The girls placed each others hands behind their backs and inched their lips slowly to each other. John meanwhile from his voyeuristic position did his best to hold out from pleasuring himself, both out of courtesy and because the show had only just begun. Trixie's hands undid the hooks to Sunset's bra as she returned the favor to Trixie, fiddling behind the other girl's back, shuddering and giggling as the lips they'd been moving closer too to each other swung to the sides as they planted kisses on the cheeks. (tease he texted) "The great and powerful Trixie admire's your breasts Sunset," She commented noting the fairly decently sized mounds all perky and soft as she placed her hands on her exposed bosom, making the redhead with golden highlights moan softly at the gentle female hands rubbed and caressed them. They were not rough and grabby the way most boys hands with her had been, save for John's when they cuddled naked on the train. As she placed her own hands on Trixie's own bouncy breasts and chuckled as she gave her tender, poking nipples a pinch. "Ahhh! Sunset please I'm very sensitive." Trixie said as she kissed and suckled on Sunset neck lovingly. Sunset responded by giving her breasts a harder squeeze; John meanwhile was short of breath and giving his all to keep from....'ah to hell with it' he thought to himself undoing the fly of his shorts and rubbing his stiffened erection through the fabric before moving his hand inside and rubbing his shaft, dry yes, but there's an art to doing it without it hurting. As a black skirt and a purple skirt hit the floor, both girls were initially surprised that they were now fully exposed, before they looked to the window of the next cabin. Sure enough, John was grinning ear to ear as he held the respective blue and yellow pairs of their panties in his hands. "Do you regret giving him those?" Sunset asked her fuck buddy. "Not in a million years," Trixie responded laying down on the cabin floor spreading her legs apart; smiling devilishly and lustfully as she exposed the dripping wet pussy she offered to sunset to do as she wanted. Sunset leaned down and blew softly on Trixie's soaking entrance, making the blue girl shiver softly as she inched her lips to her pussy. Sunset lifted her head up at the last second; she planted a kiss on her belly button before sticking her tongue in the little nub of Trixie's navel. The illusionist moaned softly before digging into her backpack again. "We're getting it on camera Trix." Sunset commented as Trixie dug in the bag. "Oh this isn't for the camera Sunset." She replied taking her magician's hat from her bag and a silver pentacle necklace. She winked at both sunset and John at the window; she noticed his shoulder quickly working like a crankshaft as his face was flushed like a punch drunk. She put them both on, the metal charm perfectly nestled between her bosom and the hat's tip bending down in a cute way at the tip. Sunset leaned back town and gave soft kisses to her stomach working her way back down to her now glistening pussy, and pulsing ever so softly clit. Sunset kissed the illusionist's clit softly before biting it gently in her teeth. Trixie softly moaned and gasped as she felt the other girl pleasuring her; it was the first time she ever felt this kind of thing from another girl, it wouldn't be the last before the night was through but her drive wasn't limited to just other girls. Sunset licked and kissed the trembling folds of her pussy lips; she slowly inched her tongue into the depths of Trixie's cunt, tasting and savoring the sweet and slightly...pungent, in a pleasing way, flavor. Hey; even fresh out the shower, no girl's juices are gonna taste exactly like candy in spite of what Zane novels say. Trixie moaned and stroked Sunset's hair softly and patted her as neither girl noticed her necklace, it glowed with a slight...slight golden hue. ` "Sunset....I'm...close." Trixie said as she closed her eyes in bliss feeling the folds of her pussy quiver and tremble as Sunset's tongue licked harder and faster, probing and teasing deeper and deeper into her, the muscles clenched and gripped the intruding one so tight that she practically gagged on the contractions as if Trixie's cunt was trying to force the intruder from the depths. One last squeeze that practically made the walls close up actually making Sunset retract her tongue out from her. She looked at Trixie's pussy; the walls clenched and flexed and opened as she let out a loud pleasured scream and Trixie soaked the cabin floor in streams of her cum spraying the floor. "Trixie?" She asked licking her lips clean sampling a few of the streams from the floor. "Ever since Trixie read what Kegels where in Cosmo, she took a great joy in practicing them." She said blushing hard and controlling the folds of her love tunnel blushing hard as she showed off her skill. Her phone buzzed again, can that thing grip and squeeze me when I'm done here? He asked over the text. Fucking hell yes Trixie can she texted him back. As she did sunset noticed a little blue tip poking from Trixie's backpack; she reached over and pulled out a medium sized plastic vibrator, a light shade of blue with Trixie's insignia of a wand and moon on the base next to the dial to turn it on. "May I?" She asked giggling and leaning over kissing the other girl's lips softly. "It's my turn Sunset." She replied taking the vibrator and turning it on to low as it buzzed softly in her hand. Sunset lay on her back and spread her own legs apart moaning in anticipation as the buzzing toy inched closer and closer to her pussy, which trembled and dripped soaking wet awaiting the intrusion of the buzzing toy. Back in the other cabin's bathroom, it was taking thoughts of his root canal when he was twelve that hurt like eight bitches on a bitch boat, to keep from blowing his load as it was just getting good. The cute girls in the other house making sweet love to each other, all for him. He would have given anything to be down there with them, or maybe even the Dazzlings too. "John! The meatloaf's ready!" His dad called from downstairs. "Uhhhh, I'll be there in a bit pop, Damn that Taco Bell to hell." "Hey! I heard that!" A loud yell replied back, only Sonata would have made such a response to someone bad mouthing Taco Bell. Meanwhile; Trixie plunged the gently buzzing toy into Sunset's hole, the receiving girl moaned and shuddered loudly in bliss as the tip pressed against the entrance of her cervix. contrary to myth, having a big size that deep in a female doesn't necessarily mean waves of pleasure, if anything too big intrusions are more painful than pleasurable to a lady, but Trixie's toy was just the right size to border those blurred lines. The vibrations easing and soothing the slight pain from the deep penetration. She moaned and clenched her hands tight as Trixie adjusted the dial to its highest setting, the other girl blushing as she leaned in and tasted the juices the toy was getting soaked in. Trixie pumped and pushed the toy in and out of the pleasured Sunset Shimmer, her own satisfaction in how she made the other girl feel. "Trixie! Trixie! please I...I won't be able to walk!" She gasped and shuddered as Trixie smirked, Twisting the toy in circles as it hummed loudly against Sunsets depths. Sunset threw he head back and let out a guttural cry of joy just as Trixie pulled the toy from her. Her own orgasms trembling and soaking as streams of her juices sprayed her thighs. Sunset collapsed in a heap on the floor. "Fucking A!" She said between gasps for breath as Trixie licked and cleaned the other girls thighs. They both brought their mouths together and kissed hard and passionately, flavors mixing like a well made cocktail in the girl's mouths as they fought for the taster of the mixture, it was ultimately Trixie who took the offering. "Has Trixie repaid the kindness you have shown her today sunset?" She asked kissing the corner of Sunset's mouth. "yee yess Trixie, you definitely have." She replied cuddling her close and stroking her hair, both girls turned to the camera and waved at it before it just...clicked off. "I didn't know that was an automatic." Sunset said coming down from her bliss. "It....It's not, Trixie just thought about how she wanted it to turn off and in the next second it did." Trixie said placing a hand quizzically on her chin. Meanwhile On of the shores of the lake; The previous scene, including the exploits of the two young ladies for the unsuspecting John Sweetstuff, had been observed. A small portion of the lakes black water was like a screen projecting the images of the cabins, as a twig stirred the water softly before the images faded. The hand holding it attached to a familiar being in a cheap suit; a pair of red eyes gazing from a pair of John Lennon glasses, the being's forehead misshapen by a pair of goat horn protruding from them, the suit jacket ending not at a pair of pants, but a pair of furry black goat legs with split cloven hooves. The being was not from Equestria in spite of this feature, but a place far darker and sinister in its place in the Macro-verse. "Enjoy Your fun while you can ladies." He said chuckling in his throat as his gaze turned to a small statue next to a burning offering of the fat of mountain troll and the heart of the servant of..."The Emperor" that failed him, while a card to him and "Death" were placed in the statue's hands. "Magic is coming to this world my lord." He said to the statue softly; and some of it hails from that pitiful land of Equestria, HA! That place is but a realm of child's play compared to the power of our world in the plans of....the Macro-verse. You my Emperor, and you oh lord Baphomet, and all the other minions and princes of the Emperor. Are the real; true powers in the web of the universe, and I will be your herald to THIS, the mirror land to Equestria. I will herald its fall by the coming of magic!" The hideous being said in near madness from inhaling the burning fumes of his offering; the smell was unspeakably bad, flesh and rancid fat slowly charring over smoky flames is not the best incense. "This girl, this...Trixie, she may be one this world's first witches, her power is awakening but she is still unaware of it and it is still weak." He said inhaling the foul pungent odor of the burning flesh and fat. Sighing and eyes rolling back inside his head as if the rank odors where the sweetest inhalants in the world. His bliss broken by the gaze of the stone eyes of the Muse on the lake focusing un-moving on him.No words where spoken by the stone statue , but he looked at it twinging in slight fear as if the gaze had an enthralling power over him. "Oh? And what makes you think you can stop the coming of the dark princes of the Macro-verse Terpsichore? Even if you and every pantheon in the universe resides at the center of the tower, the time of your kind is up!" He cackled wildly before scooping the burning offering up and flecking a few bits of it at the lake, as if the drops would spray the statue. "You can tell every being in your pantheon and any others that call the tower home that. What can the inspiration for the universe's song writers do to stop me anyway? Now Begone! Don't you have pop star teen idols to write hackneyed songs for?" He paused as the conversation only he could see continued, he curled his serpentine tail up a bit but didn't relent. "You'll never get the chance to tell them, not those three sluts, or that girl. I'll be sure of that before the sun rises at dawn Euterpe....who?...oh the lady of....and your sisters? HA! oh please Terpsichore, go on. I've not had this much fun in the jests of the gods since my master convinced Urban to take up the crusades." He vanished in a puff of smoke that reeked of sulfur and methane. > It's so nice to have the family together for diner. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mrs. Sweetstuff looked practically catatonic as her hands shakily tried to steady themselves to care a slice of meatloaf for the wild orange haired girl seated at the table. She looked at her and the one with purple pigtails, sitting at her table, eating her family diner, and most of all, had taken her little Johnny from her. "So Adagio, I...I take you and and your friends are very close to my my son yes?" She said cutting a diagonal section of the meatloaf sloppily and serving it to her chuckling nervously. "I guess you could say that we are indeed...Very close Mrs. Sweetstuff." She said with a sly grin and giggle, which didn't help the already nerve racked mother at all. An hour ago as she poured out glasses of kool aid for everyone and carried it up stairs to John's bedroom she tried to think positives about Sonata. She tried to keep the possibility that she was a nice who had a well adjusted and healthy relationship with her son. She also tried to remind her self that her little boy wasn't a little boy anymore, and that this day would have to come someday. So you can only imagine her reaction when she saw a girl purple hair and aquamarine highlights in her pigtails and other with a wild, untamed mess of orange and spiky...accessories on in the same bedroom as her son. When the initial fainting spell passed she worked up the nerve to bluntly ask as she got up off the living room couch and faced him, while She practically was in tears of shock and disbelief as the girls stood casually at the top of the stairs waving her pointer at them like something out of a low brow anime comedy and whined..."Would you mind explaining why there where three girls in your bedroom? " "Actually I was in the bathroom to be honest," Chimed in Adagio with snide snark,but it was enough to make Mrs. sweetstuff practically faint again in disbelief. from misinterpreting her implications. when the shock did finally did die down the girls did try to make a better impression on her; Aria brought her a mug of red zinger tea, Adagio turned the AC on to cool her off and she even sat beside her and hoped to reason with her. The girl looked at the older woman doing her best to smile warmly and look less icy, a feat that was much easier now than it was back in..her time as a full blood siren. "Hello Mrs. sweetstuff," she said softly and with a warm smile. "Hi...I didn't get your name young lady...my...behavior kinda kept me from it." she said blushing hard and taking a gagging sip of her zinger. "Adagio Dazzle Mrs. Sweetstuff, lead singer of "The Dazzlings" and charmed to meet you." Adagio said courteously and holding her hand out for the mother to shake, not a lady to lady type of greeting but hopefully it would patch things up between them. "Dazzlings?" She asked her with a slight hint of confusion. "Band we formed a while back...though it's mostly just for kicks now." She said sighing softly. Mrs. Sweetstuff smiled softly at her; she seemed to slowly be warming up to the girl, if not to the idea of her relationship with her son. "I had a feeling you girls where the singing types." She said before laying her head back into a snooze. Now the girls; Their boyfriend, and the parents where seated at the diner table table. The Dazzlings together on the long corner; John directly across from them, and the parents staring each other down at either end. The spread consisting of a steaming hot meatloaf, (notice the texture, and the pineapples giving it a festive touch) potatoes boiled to peak soft tenderness, and ears of corn drizzling with melting sides of imitation butter. Mrs. sweetstuff in spite of her anxiety opting to serve the guests, even if it did result in irregularity sliced portions and Sonata's plate piled with half the bowl of potatoes as Mrs. Sweetstuff tried to talk with them. "So...you girl's have any plans once school finishes?" She said with a forced smile piling spuds onto Sonata's plate. "It's a tad early to think about that don't you think Darling?" Mr. Sweetstuff responded before any of the girl's could. "Now Paul darling, you know it's never too early, remember how we where practically planing our wedding in sophomore year?" The comment was enough to make John gag on a slice of potato as he coughed and beat his chest and stomach until a bit of skin still steaming hot (ouch) landed on the white table cloth next to the vase. He sheepishly cleaned it up before replying. "Mom...I think it's way early to be thinking about that." He said with a slight raspy tone due to his scorched trachea. "Besides Mrs. Sweetstuff," Adagio chimed in taking a very unladylike like bite of smothered meatloaf. "Marriage is fine for those who want to pursue it, but I've always seen it as an archaic concept that's best left to the Luddites that still believe in it." Her word's cut the Mrs. like a knife, she was stunned by how what she blatantly said went against the perception she had for so long. "Ms. Dazzle; while I strongly can't agree with you in that regard, I'll do my best to accept it." She said looking down and noticing that Sonata's plate was piled high with a mountain of almost all the boiled potatoes she made. "Sorry dearie, let me just uhhh fix those for you." She scooped them back up into the bowl as the blue girl looked at her, her cheeks trembling holding back laughter. "Oh it's OK, I can do it myself." She said trying to scoop them back. "No please It was my fault I insist." "Mrs. Sweetstuff I'm a "big girl," I can put them back myself." Sonata responded growing annoyed at the borderline babying Mrs. Sweetstuff was doing to her. "Now, now Sonata, I insist I mean...what's a mother to do when.." "You aren't MY mother." she hissed back at her angrily. "So don't act like you are." The entire assemblage went silent. > A different kind of magic. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The woods The trees offered coverage from wandering eyes, the darkness they shrouded the the otherworldly being neither man or Bovidae but a strange and unusual hybrid of the two. He squatted down on his ugly legs, they bent inward like the goat legs they where to allow him to do this. He placed a set of the arcane cards on the ground, they came up; Devil, Death, Empress, Lovers, Fool and Tower. "hmm the fool must be that John; and his lovers too, in those harlots he calls girlfriends, the master and his queen the empress? Maybe it is their hour to return, death...that a bad one to some but it also can mean great change, and the tower." "Mhhh no need to be interpretative of that one, the tower at the center of the wheel where all the old ones and new ones reside, a pity their legacy dies tonight." He placed a white candle in the soil and lit it before staring at it and focusing intently, drawing all his concentration to the glow of the flame. "Hear me my dark companions in the void beyond the darkness...let this night be the night the muses die, that good falls like it always should have before, and good magic will be crushed like the dove in the claws of the hawk." He said as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Unknown to him; out on the water of lake Parthenope, a soft bubbling of the placid surface broke the stillness just beside the statue of Terpsichore. Something was down there and if someone could look out into the stony carved face of the statue they'd see...it smiled. Trixie's secret "Come on Trixie just admit it, what happened with the camera was all a coincidence, and there's nothing going on." Sunset said to the other girl in the kitchen helping herself to a box of Ritz bits. She and Trixie in the...intervening time, had written the thing off, but there was still something inside the other girl that seemed to say...there's more to this. "Trixie is sure It'll work this time Sunset, just look." Trixie set the bottle of water down on the table: with the glass beside it, and she focused. She narrowed all her conscious thought into the idea of what she wanted the objects to do. visualized the spectacle as being real while trying to break down all previous notions that such an idea was...impossible, if not ridiculous. "See Trixie? I told you your making a big deal out off..." She was silenced as she then noticed something happening. Trixie raised her fingers to the bottle and began making them waves and dance in a strange motion as if if she was...The bottle was suddenly wrapped in a bright blue glimmering shine, an aura? Here? Sunset before had tried to humor the notion because, while she did believe in magic, she came from an entire world that used it for everything from cooking to math, but to see it here? portrayed by a human? She never in a million years would have thought it possible, Save of course for those times where some of the magic of her own world broke the barriers of this one. "Now do believe The Great and Powerful Trixie?" She said nonchalantly as she made the bottle pour all by itself and she smirked. "Behold! Trixie the great and powerful has defied the laws of gravity and the divine themselves to make the mundane extraordinary! Are you not entertained?!" she said with an egotistical if not playful banter and then she and Sunset broke out into laughter. The Lake The evil one looked up the Sweetstuff house smiling deviously as he raised his long spidery hands to his face and muttered a slew of incantations and chants of unspeakable origins, among them such remarks as; "Beyond the darkness; hear me my masters, make these weakling mortals bend to my will so I may unleash their deepest hidden emotions and feelings for each other. Hatred; anger, betrayal, shock. They are as sweet to me as the most beautiful songs ever composed in the atherium." His sharp teeth flashed in a shark smile as he felt everything inside the house feed his hunger. Troubles at home "Now you listen and listen to me good mister!" Mrs. Sweetstuff barked at her son in a harsh acidic and venomous tone. "You where not raised to be a gigolo doing unmentionable things with different girls without any concern for the consequences, I always imagined you bringing home ONE! ONE! nice girl and we would have a beautiful wedding here on the shores of the lake, we had it all planned out for you!" Her son retorted with an equally harsh and snappish nature. "Oh yeah mom? well get this through that head of yours still trapped in the 50's" He said storming behind her into the living room as the Dazzlings could only look at them. Wondering if things would have been better if they only stayed home. "Girls?" Adagio said to the other two, "I think I know when we're not wanted around." She said twirling locks of her hair nervously. "From experience." Aria added thinking back to when a soy burger and tofu dog beaned her in the face as her amulet lay helplessly broken at her feet. "Mrs. Sweetstuff? John? We're just gonna be going now, good luck with...this." She said as the others made for the front door. "Girl's wait don't go this isn't about you." John said holding an arm out to stop them. "This has everything to do with those...fine if that's how you wan it GO! Get out of the home we gave you, you unbelievable little..." "Linda!" the elder Sweetstuff shouted over his wife's anger, "what in the name of all things sacred has gotten into you darling?" he asked embracing his beloved wife close. "oh my...Paul dear, I don't honestly know!" She broke down into tears and cried into her husband's chest, but their son was gone. Beyond the darkness "Yes! oh the heartbreak, the sadness, IT'S DELIGHTFULLY EXQUISITE! MORE! the demon boy screamed in almost...orgasmic bliss at the feeding. Adagio and the girls ran; it was their shameful defeat all over again, yet again they had destroyed lives, yet again they spread anguish in their wake, and yet again, they where unwanted. John followed them to the lakeside in desperation. "Girls wait come back!" he called out to them desperately. Investigating "Did you hear that?" Sunset asked Trixie dashing over to the window and looking out into the dark of the black night. "It sounded like Adagio. She scanned the pitch blackness as it was suddenly illuminated by a hovering and glowing orb. "Trixie's learning magic from many schools." she said boastfully. "Trixie this is serious!" Sunset snapped trying to wave her magelight away, "I have a feeling something big is about to happen tonight. The girls could only stare at each other, Trixie's playful and chipper nature, melting into a masque of pure, raw, uncertainty and anxiety. "I know." > The Awakening > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adagio looked down into the moonlight of the smooth black surface of the lake. The abyss gazed back at her; all the girl could see was a horrific creature, with the serpentine body of a sea dragon and head of an equine, its sharp teeth grinning back at her with smugness. "You where born a siren and that's all you will ever be, you got your powers back now take what is rightfully yours, revenge. Make twilight and her friends pay, make them all pay..." The siren sea beast hissed at her, Adagio smacked the water in anger, only the surface looked back at her. "Hey? You alright babe?" A familiar comforting voice said; she turned to see the soft green eyes of her boyfriend looking at her, they where like lights in the darkness of the night and the lake. He kissed her softly and tenderly on the lips and held her hands as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry. I never should have come up here. The girls and I have only made your weekend getting back in touch with your family into a disaster." She broke down into tears and cuddled into his chest seeking only refuge in his embrace. He only shushed her and kissed her again. "Sing that song for me babe...please?" He said softly brushing a lock of her hair away and wrapping his hands behind her back, her wily untamed hair enveloping it in its silky hold. "Which one?...oh you mean...We heard you want to rock this school." she began only to have him place a hand on her lips. "No...the one I we heard that first movie night we all had together?...that I replaced the main name with yours?" "Oh...I know which one you mean." She sang and crooned the tune beautifully, when she finished he drew her and the other two in closer as the four of them gazed out onto the glassy lakeside surface, and finished with a heartfelt... "I feel you...Adagio." and he held her closer than ever before. "Hey Sonata, remember how you leaped onto John and practically crushed his ribs during the first bloddy scene of the movie?" Aria said softly caressing her icy blue and delectably soft hair. "You know I'm the sweet one, I didn't expect blood from a movie by Tim Burton," She said curling up like a scared porcupine. "Sonata have you seen any of that man's movies besides Pee Wee's big adventure?" Yeah and even then there's still some pretty fucked up imagery in that movie. But the girls and John was interrupted as a loud groan of annoyance, its rattle an unearthly guttural call from the depths of one's bad dreams. followed by a few cries of. "Oh for Cthulhu's sake! Will you shut the fuck up with all this sappy crap?!" Out from the trees; the nameless demon approached the four of them, he grinned ear to ear his horns long and curved now, and his tongue long, pointed, and split up the center. "Heh heh heh, almost a shame I gotta kill you all now, before you even got to know the truth." He said slowly approaching the four young adults, with a wicked looking Kris dagger in his long spidery fingered hand. "Who are you?!" Sonata cried defensively tensing up, even with their powers back how do you croon a demonic half man half goat with a dagger walking up to you into submission? "I come from a realm far beyond; in the darkest corners of the Macro-verse where the atherium that holds the spokes of the Macro wheel together is thin and dark. Where the ancient and evil old and new titans and god reside...waiting to begin their conquest of the wheel." He said licking the blade of his dagger slowly and drawing blood from his tongue onto it. Aria was the first to get the courage to speak by saying... "What the fuck does any of that mean?" She said angrily glaring at him. He brings his blade down into the ground and wraps his serpent tail around the hilt and snickers smugly "I'll try to put in words your mere mortal minds can understand." Elsewhere "How's that magic practice working Trixie?" Sunset asked adjusting the lights on the roof of Trixie's Jeep. The girls weren't inherently foolish; they knew the woods at night are dangerous, and at the cost of someone being in trouble, they'd be ready for whatever is out there. Although Trixie (by mere thought and without any prior training unlike her unicorn counterpart back home) had already cast a few spells, most of them where non combative; the only possible exception being the telekinesis, but the most she could focus on without tiring herself out, was a handful off rocks from the ground. The most and largest being three rocks the size of heavy boots; and at best her mental throw was stronger than, but not much further than if she had just picked them up. "Trixie isn't much of a battle mage Sunset." She replied with sorrow, and there was a truth to it. Trixie was pretty adept with telekinesis, and Sunset figured that made sense, almost all unicorns back in Equestria have some use for it, but every other branch of magic that Sunset tried coaching her on (from memory) had mixed results. Almost instantly the girl was skilled enough to make her big clunky boots silent on the loud wooden floor, and not even the crunching of a soda can made any noise, she also made an owl that was minding its own business in one of the trees fly at them in a fit of screeching rage (thankfully she could also render it completely docile too.) while conversely make a field mouse it had been watching scurry up to it and bite and claw at it while the owl became the one to flee in fear of the little mouse. Turning things invisible; (for a short time) teleporting, (small objects only a few feet) astral projections (of small animals or inanimate objects) Trixie as she practiced was able to do more and more magic close to the motif both her human and unicorn self had a special talent for, but what good is cheap parlor magic to defend yourself? Trixie's fingers could make sparks just barley stronger than a lighter; so fire magic was out, the glass of water could be instantly chilled but not a bit of ice could form on the tips of her nails, and while it was a nifty party trick to hold a light bulb in your hand and make it light without any sort of connection, Sunset didn't even feel like a joy-buzzer was shocking her when she tried to see if that meant Trixie could conjure up lightning. After that she didn't even bother trying to coach her in summoning or mind manipulation, They'd be lucky if the girl could even be able to summon a cat familiar to assist them. It wasn't that Sunset didn't have any faith in Trixie's potential as a mage; but rather the simple fact that Trixie was a novice who not ten minutes ago had only just been endowed with the ability to use magic. "Neither is the version of you back home either." Sunset mumbled under breath slipping behind the wheel of the jeep and turning the engine over. "What'd you say?" Trixie replied taking her own seat beside her. "Nothing Trixie, just keep trying to find your niche." She said as they drove down the dark path to the lake, the trails of five pairs of shoes in the light of the adjustable lights on the jeep. The Demon's tale. The hideous creature folded his arms over his suit jacket casually and lowered his shades a bit; his gaze cast a reddish glowing hue at the four of them as they could only look upon him in terror, he spoke."Imagine this world and Equestria as two dots with a line connecting them together; now picture Equestria having a line from the other end not connected to its mirror verse to this central core of power and existence, Equestria is tethered and close not to the center of just the known universe, but all known existence, the central domain of deities more powerful than those precious princesses your compatriots on hooves bow down before. Those "princesses" would tremble and quake, maybe even lose their eyesight if they caught so much as a glimpse of what lies at the center of the Macroverse." He chuckled and yanked the dagger from the ground catching it in his hand and parrying it just inches from Adagio's throat. She didn't flinch, but she made no attempt to grab the blade either. "Would you like to know how I got this blade?" He said chuckling again as the hilt glowed a soft red. "I was given this Kris when my father lord Baal ordered the assassination on Star-swirl the bearded; the lady of war Anat forged it for him with king Kronos scythe smelted down for just the hilt, Lady Neith surrendered her arrows for the blade metal, and Horus stoked the very flames of the forge that shaped it. Set and his collection of dead soldiers, especially the hordes of Ramses's men that perished in the red sea, provided blood to grease and oil the blade, to temper and perfect it, and Hades? He provided a million tears, the sorrow of the dead to finally cool it down." He said slashing the air with a swish that almost seemed to cut a sliver of the ebony from the very darkness itself. "What do you mean the assassination of Star-swirl?" Adagio Inquisitively asked him, "Star-swirl died peacefully in his sleep shortly before his daughter's the regal sisters where born." The other three turned to her with a look of quizzical confusion, "What? he may have been our enemy who banished us, but it's not like I didn't have a...strange sense of honorable pride for him." "HA! You fools, Those two "regal sisters?" bastard daughters born out of an orgy he held; even then he only was intimate with that unicorn because of all the booze he and his court chugged down by the barrel; even we beyond the darkness know your precious star-swirl loved little ones...especially boys....or colts in your tongue, and the night I drove this blade in his heart, It was all uncovered and his soul became lord Baphomet's for the weight and stains it carried dragged him to a realm of eternal suffering." He said cackling and stabbing the ground as if he was killing him all over again. "Liar!" Adagio snapped at him only to find his sword to her neck. "Oh it's true, that romanticized image of the ages of ancient Equestria? Being all good and pure when Star Swirl was young? all just a conspiracy by his court and descendants to protect the image he built up in his latter years." He took his sword from adagio's neck and ran it over her chest down to her waist, teasing to cut her belt open. "When he was old and feeble; I and a team of master assassins aided by the shadows and forces of pure evil, made our way to his bedroom where he slept all sound and safe, my arm send this unholy blade straight through his heart as it caught in the beat, it never got to even beat one last time, forever frozen in death as I pierced it." "You're lying through your teeth you vile boy." Adagio said her eyes glaring in puree anger; her eyes lit up with a red hue and her voice at the ready...to do..something. "How dare you call me a BOY!" He said slashing at her; but she slapped her palms together in a blade catch and countered the blow, not that it didn't leave her hands bleeding. "Star-swirl's death was meant to be the first step in an invasion of Equestria by the old evil ones, without an heir to the magical royalty there was nothing keeping the barriers of the Macroverse together! One cosmic hop away my father and my lord's forces where from total conquest of the palace of the divine, Mt. Olympus, the tower, it goes by many names from many worlds, but the accession of that...bitch Pompeia into an Allicorn. and the birth of her bastard daughters...She drove us all back and my father was never the same again." His tone shifted, to that of a child reciting some twisted version of a schoolyard rhyme...Only sadder, "daddy's gone away; son left to rot, with no one to play." He said before laughing hysterically. Not fully thinking, Adagio let out a harmonious chant, only thinking and visualizing herself standing with her other sirens, and unsurprisingly when she opened her eyes she saw the both at her side, also singing. "Thanks girls," she said to them. "You got a plan?" Sonata asked smiling at her softly. "Just...keep singing," Was all she could say, she hoped what she had in mind would work. "Ha! Sing?! That's your plan? I don't know if you realized it yet Adagio, but your power's have been castrated, and let me tell you a little about myself. I have gazed into Pandora's accursed box, I have been forced to endure all the torments of the underworld at least once, I..." "Talk way to damn much." Adagio said as the sirens let out another vocal call, only this one made waves; as fierce as the ones on the Antarctic ocean, To form, rise and crash on the lake's placid surface. The sirens sent a wave of this icy solid mass of water directly at him. "Oh..." The road. "Sunset?! Did you see that?!" Trixie said pointing at the shore of the lake below them; The jeep was at the top of a gully, the shore just at the bottom of the muddy trail. The Jeep's light where out; the girls had been finding their way in the dark thanks to Trixie casting a night eye power on Sunset which made the roadways as clear as day, allowing them to black out all the car's light to avoid detection. Trixie herself was "Sensing" the presence of The Dazzlings, John and....something else at the bottom of the gully. "Something...evil, I...I can't bear to focus my power on it!" She cried out and shivered breaking her concentration "Such a horror." "It's OK Trixie, hit the lights and lets get some bearings on what the hell's going on out here." Sunset said softly stroking the frightened (good) witch-ling's soft hair. "Agreed." With that she flipped the jeep's lights on; they cast a halogen glow on the soaking wet creature that had been knocked onto it's hands and knees in the blast of water, it's suit and fur dripping wet as the girl's could see the Dazzlings Standing on some rocks not far from it, They smiled smugly as they raised and waved their arms, making the waters of the lake rise and fall in mountainous ocean like waves. "Are you seeing this?" Trixie asked as the Dazzlings cast their gaze at the lights of the jeep above them. "I see it, but I don't believe it." Sunset replied rubbing her eyes hard. > The good witch > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The wave struck him with the force of eighteen Peterbilts hauling blocks of lead; his skin, clothes and furry legs where soaked all the way to his bones, which no doubt where probably broken. The ringing from having his eardrums almost blown out subsided but they hurt like no tomorrow. He gagged on the water he forced from his lungs but then...a different kind of pain coursed through him. "AHHHH! WHY AM I BURNING UP!?" The screams knocked what was left of the precious air he had in his lungs. The Dazzlings had ceased their choral hold of the waves as Sunset and Trixie trudged through the muddy ground, their wave attack had left in its wake; the trees along the lake side path atop the gully the other girls had driven to the lake (which thankfully missed their jeep by a few hairs) where all soaking wet from branches to leaves, and a few of them where bent dangerously over as if a storm had ravaged the area. If anyone had to guess, The Dazzling's wave had crashed taking out a good chunk of woodland in it's wake, animals ran and broke through the woods in the darkness, their homes suddenly flooded out by the strike. As far is it seemed none of them had been hurt by the attack, if Fluttershy had been there she would have been relived. "Girls!" Sunset shouted over the dying breaking of the ocean like surf that pounded the ground not accustomed to it. "Thank Celestia you're alright!" She said giving each of them a quick hug. The girls all turned to her and smiled at her. "Glad you could make it Sunset." Adagio replied helping her onto the rock with the others. "Look at him," she said referring to the demonic guy. "Can't believe he took a wave like that and is still standing." She continued watching as he started writhing and moaning in agony. His suit getting muddy and filthy as he dug into the damp ground in his pain. "He could have broken bones or something worse." Trixie commented as the lead siren (to her) seemed to be enjoying her handiwork. "So?" Aria added giving her a surprised look, as it almost sounded as if Trixie felt sorry for what the six of them where seeing. "Trixie if what that little hell-spawn bastard said is true, he deserves it." She said flicking her hands at him sending some droplets of water onto him just for kicks. "Not even The Dazzlings, hell not even I did things as bad as that." Sunset added when she was caught up on the details. The six noticed how once the water touched his bare skin; he instantly reviled in more pain and threw his hands to face to wipe the drops away. Yet none of The Dazzlings, Sunset, or Trixie reacted this way to the water. From some long hidden away memories of her days as a student of Celestia, Sunset recalled notes on monsters and entities she had gathered with her teacher. "I've read about this, While a common belief holds that it requires special water," She recited almost directly from her study session at the castle. "To harm a monster save those that live in it such as sea dragon or serpent, a source of water that has the grace of a "pure one'".....A being like an Allicorn or a divine." She added for the unenlightened humans. "It's only needed if a source can't be pure and clean. Otherwise the water can weaken the black souls of creatures and monsters from its properties of purification." She finished smiling with pride, not in a million years since she came here, would Sunset Shimmer ever think she'd get a chance to recall her lessons on defensive magic against monsters. "This is lake water," John said. "I doubt the metric tons of dirt, all that fish and algae are "clean and purifying" girls." "Then what could've?" Sunset said, but the others where not questioning that at the moment, what they where curious about was.."Trixie! What are you doing!? Get away from him!" Sunset shouted as the girl took her hat from her bag and placed her pentacle necklace around her neck, as she did she turned around and looked at them all, she raised her hand and smiled as her eyes began to glow with a soft blue hue. The others turned to see the white canoe that had sat on the small island where the statue to Terpsichore had washed ashore, looking even further they could see that the statue was no longer a statue. Terpsichore; in her divine beauty stood on the statue's platform. She was dressed in the flowing white linen with woven sandals and a crown of olive branches in her hair. she held her hand out and pointed to the canoe; then she showed them five of her fingers, and finally made the gesture of them all to come over to her. "Only five? asked Adagio turning to the one that would have to be left behind, Trixie. "Go," she replied, I know what I need to do." With that the four got in the canoe, it slowly made its way over the now glassy surface of the lake. It was the hours of the early break of dawn; the sky bright purple as the light came back, the sun's glow breaking ever so softly over the tree tops in the distance, Sunset had to remind herself that in this world, such a feat was not controlled by the principal and vice principal of her own school. Trixie approached him; the defeated, cold, and with every bone in his body broken demon. He shivered and sobbed softly; cocooned in a thick lather of the mud he'd been flailing and writhing about in pain in. "Hey....you okay there?" She asked slowly reaching out to him; he had his back to the blue girl and Trrixie couldn't help but the think the second he touched him, he'd turn and their'd be a horrifying face of some unholy monstrous creature letting out an otherworldy howl or shriek or roar at her, but that never happened. Instead as her hand rested on the little patch of his suit that didn't have mud on it he only curled up into a tighter ball and shivered harder. "What do you want?" He asked with a slight hint of coldness in his voice, but more a coldness of a being that been in unspeakable pain. "The great and powerful Trixie wonders...what troubles you?" She said using her magic to clean some of the mud from him, her magic got it off good as new, layers of cheap; stitched, white under the caked on soil. "Don't you remember me? and what I tried to do to you on the train station?" He asked still not looking at her as she got more of the mud off him. Trixie's other hand glowed with a soft green glimmer as an aura of lime greenish hue left her hand and washed over him, it stopped the convulsions and made him less shaky. "What did you?..." "Calm spell, Sunset and I where practicing magic on the way over...thought I'd have to be dropping rocks on your head or something like that." Trixie said softly using her cleaning hand to pull the grime and dirt from his hair, she couldn't help but notice even though the color was still of yellow and still almost like a faux blonde, it wasn't greasy or faded looking anymore. "You really are one of this world's first witches....mages, magicians whatever you want to call yourself." He said turning over and finally looking at her, Trixie still couldn't see his eyes from being hidden by his cracked glasses, but she wondered if they where still red. "I...I think a lot of my bones are....AHHH!...yes definitely broken." He said girting his teeth as the pain in his arms and legs seceded. He looked at her and tried to look away. "Why are you helping me?" "That water should have burned you away to a pile of damp ashes, instead your alive. Every limb in your body broke, lungs ruptured, and most of your muscles are bruised alive, but alive none the less." Trixie said almost...happily as she patted his head softly. "You're still alive for a reason, Tri....I may not know what that reason is, but I think it's one worth helping you realize." She said as both her hands glowed a soft orange and wispy trails of magic circled and entwined his body; he flinched and moaned in pain as he felt the cracks and breaks set themselves, the dislocations work back into place, and the cuts close up. "Ms. I must admit, your'e quite skilled in the school of illusion and healer magic." He complimented chuckling softly as his knee cap re-bonded to his patella and the patella snapped back into place. "Thank you, now if you don't mind," She said as she made a green aura cause four tree roots to rise from out of the soil and grow around his limbs holding him in place on the ground. "let's you and I have a little talk." She said smirking at her captive as she made the root cuffs tighten around his ankles and wrists. "I understand your reasons for not trusting me." "Care to just tell Trixie if you have a proper name smart ass?" She said smirking at him again and twirling her pentacle necklace. "...The closest to a mortal name I had in the event I had to give one...is Nicholas Tophiles." "Not very subtle where you're from are you?" "Was...was the Mephistopheles and Tophet connection that obvious?" He asked lowering his head. "Trixie is well read in the classics, I had to take AP Litrature recently...didn't like it too much, Trixie is more a Stephen king and Art Spiegelman kinda girl." She gave a soft giggle as they both broke out into laughs. "Not enough to get you to release me?" He asked as his laughter died down. "mmmm I don't know, how's your speech-craft skill?" She asked pulling her hat down in slight embarrassment at that comment. "hmmmm, did you know that hat makes you cute?" He said smiling at her softly. "Flattery get's you no where with Trixie." Was all she could say, giggling softly again as she looked over him again. "Wasn't your suit black before?" She asked looking down at him. "Hey...as a matter of fact, it was." The captive Nick said looking down as best as he could at his clothes, while still dressed in a cheaply made suit the color had gone from black to white like it was washed in a tub of bleach. There where a few other things too. "Trixie?...are their horns on my head?" "well...about that." She took a mirror compact from her bag and opened it in front of him; where the long curly goat horns had been, they had fallen off. "I found this too." Trixie added holding a shriveled up serpentine tail in her hand, which she let fall to the ground. "Let me get those glasses off you, let me look at your eyes, maybe they..." She paused, taking his glasses off revealed eyes that where still..."Red, your eyes are still red." She said holding the compact at them, but they didn't glow solid red with their color of blood red they way they had before, they had regressed into natural human eyes with red irises. "Guess not every part of myself can be cleaned off, no matter how hard they scrub me down." he said glumly as he felt the blue girl's hand on his ear. he turned his head with a quizzical look. "They're still a little pointed at the tips too, not as noticeably as before unless you really look close." She said smiling at him with a chuckle. "My mother's ears and eyes, She made sure nothing could take them away." "Did you know her well?" "Trixie....My mother was Lilith, the mother of the succubus and incubus, first woman crafted from earth? ring any bells?" "Oh...so you weren't very close family wise...down there?" "Out their Trixie, not down, there is no concept of down or up. Everything just exists in its own place beyond in the Macroverse." He said with the solemn air of both a preacher and an intellectual. "So you're an....incubus?" She asked him a bit worried given she knew just what those are and do. "Only on her side, my father...my real father never told me until he no longer wanted anything to do with me." He said solemnly struggling in his roots. "Here, let me help." Trixie raised her hands and made the roots slacken just enough that three of them released him and allowed him to stand up off the ground, but he was still bound by one around his ankle like a shackle. He stood up beside her and stretched, healed bones and joints clicking as they awoke. "Be careful, I don't know how well the healing worked, your limbs and ligaments and such could be highly sensitive and tear easily." "I know but I can't help it, I need to stretch so badly." He said grunting for breath and yawing like he just woke up from a long nap. "any chance you'll let this last root go?" "Not until the others get back." She said looking out onto the lake, but the strangest of things had happened; the surface was blanketed in a thick fog, as thick as one on the sea. "Looks like it'll be a while." The two looked at each other in silence for what felt like ages, untill he finaly broke it. "I lied." "What?...about what?" She asked placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "I didn't kill Star-swirl the bearded, I only cased the castle and scouted the routes the assassins took for them. I was just an errand boy for all of them. I'm used for the most most minute and menial tasks in the plains of the dark verse where I'm from, and when I go back...The ancient ones are going to make me suffer for this failure." He buried his face in his hands. "Who says you have to go back?' "Trixie wake up; my father was the king of the Greek gods Zeus, he knocked up the first succubus and didn't want anything to do with me to hide his shame...he always loved Athena best, and even my half brother Hercules, at least he was offered the chance to ascent to the tower with him, I didn't get to ask why he forsaken-ed me to that horrible place, because what I didn't lie about was being tormented and forced to look into Pandora's box, and all the other things they make me do in the dark-verse, I only lied on the part of enjoying it." He said looking into the glassy lake surface. She places a hand on his shoulder and opens her other one revealing a note, she smiles at him. "Read it." She says doing her best to make it not sound like a command. I Nicholas "Nick" Tophiles, being of sound mind mind and body, swear my undying loyalty to Trixie Lulamoon now and for all eternity not to any being else in any vector of the macro-verse, may I be claimed by the dark-verse should i break this loyalty. "It's more a formality, but its a deal even the forces of darkness must honor.' "You mean I wont "have" to become your undying thrall if I agree to this Trixie?'' He asked looking over at here. "I think you'll become more...my familiar or...my assistant if you prefer in agreeing." She said closing her eye's cutely and softly blushing as she patted his head again, it was then they noticed a seal at the bottom of the paper. "See? even "they" agree." "No Trixie, they just don't want me anymore, but goodbye and good riddance to the lot of them....hey I didn't get zapped or torched! I'm free!" He said happily hugging her at the realization. For if he had still been bound to the dark-verse, his impudent words would have cost him dearly with a harsh punishment, but no such thing came. "I'm free! Free! Oh Trixie! thank you so much!" She smirked at him softly, "now wait just a minuet there Nick boy." She said ruining her hand under his cheek, "You're mine now you know, You're my familiar, my assistant, my loyal servant to the end and back. You're mine now." She smiles deviously and waits to see his reaction. "What?! Trixie...please? I...I trusted you....I thought maybe..." He said with tears forming in his eyes and his face scrunched in a wince of distress. "HA oh Trixie got you good Nick!" She broke out into hysterical laughter and when she calmed down she continued, "Ohhh you should have seen the look on your face, ahhh; it's okay Nick, the great and powerful Trixie only asks you stay with her and her friends....and please...try to shape up and right what ever it is you did wrong, what you did is in the past no matter what it was and no longer matters, that isn't what you'll be remembered for. That is all up to you know." "I won't let you down...oh great and powerful Trixie." He said playfully taking a bow. "That's what Trixie like's to hear; now come on, let's go wait for the others." > A Dazzling reward > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The canoe bumped softly against the edge of the tiny mound; the four occupants looked up in awe, There seated on the platform that had previously held her likeness in stone, was the goddess Terpsichore. She looked down at them all smiling rather pleased. It was as if the sun had just come up not two feet behind her as instead of the other side of the lake there seemed to be a bright but not blinding halogen glow behind her. And a swirling orange and white fog, as if the heavens themselves had opened up to herald the muses descent to earth, but one little detail took all present by surprise, Terpsichore had a splitting image to Adagio! Same wild orange red hair; same glowing ruby eyes, and the same gaze only slightly older than the other one. Adagio stepped up to the muse and looked directly into the eyes, it was like looking at an older, wiser version of herself. "Are...you...Terpsichore?" She asked nervously, taking full not on how similar the two looked to each other. "I am...and I must say I'm very proud of you." She said smiling softly at the younger looking, more modern version of herself. "Proud? of me? What have I done to earn the praise of an immortal goddess of dance herself?" "Child do you not know the story that ties the the muses and sirens together? Who was the mother of Parthenope? one of the three sirens that lead all but Odysseus to an untimely demise?" She said playfully resting her hands om her cheeks and gazing at the five of them giggling. "But...I thought Parthenope was MY mother...she's the siren who raised the three of us on that little island to lure the sailors to their doom but also to feed off and spread negativity...does that make you my?" she said in shock and awe. "No Adagio...I am much more than that because Parthenope wasn't you're mother." The muse replied reaching out to her smiling. "Nor was Leucosia yours, Sonata" Another voice called out from the distance heavenly glow; as another woman in robes in the beautiful Greek style, and color of Roman royalty. She like the other was a splitting image of the one she addressed, Sonata. "And Ligeia? She wasn't yours." came a third voice, and then just like that, the Dazzlings where looking into the faces of three goddesses that had an uncanny resemblance to the themselves. "You see,'' the third one said. "The sirens weren't any of your mothers girls, they where your...sisters." All three of them had jaws agape. "Are you?" Adagio was just barley able to utter softly. "Yes, Calliope the muse of epic poetry at your service." The one that resembled Sonata cheerfully said, "and I'm your mother Sonata dusk." She said softly embracing the younger version of her self making the blur siren suddenly tear up at the realization. As the older Aria looking one did the same to Aria. "Melpomene; My plain is in tragedy, though not once did I ever imagine I'd be living in one." She said embracing her; no doubt about it now...daughter tight. all three of them couldn't believe what it was the three goddesses of the Greek pantheon just revealed to them, The Dazzlings where only half siren, but the other half had never been human or equine, but muse....by right they where....goddesses. Sunset approached the six as close as she could; she couldn't understand why, but she felt like there was this tiny voice at the back of her heard telling her not to get too close to them, even if they meant no harm. "Excuse me?...but how can they be your daughters if they only took this form from being banished to this world? they where born as sea ponies in Equestria." She asked inquisitively gaining the courage to question them. Terpsichore smiled and softly placed her hand on Sunset's shoulder. "My dear girl, The Macro-verse is big, with many versions of the beings both good and evil residing in it's many gateways...do you think this world is the only one in the Macro-verse that has bipedal versions of mirror reflections to the equines of your home? or that these are the only forms we can take?" She chuckled and pattered her shoulder. "Sometime's it's best to not question the workings of a grand structure, just admire the work that went into making it and the work that goes into..maintaining it." Calliope said in a slight mimicry of her daughter's snark. No words could convey just what this meant for the mortal beings present, it wasn't long before Adagio got the courage to simply ask. "What...now?" As her mother turned to the glowing orange behind them all, it was a portal. Beyond the light the Dazzlings could see in the distance a large stone tower; larger than any structure on earth or Equestria, not even the castles of the regal sisters both the old and new one could compare to it's size, The tower from it's base to upper level had the strong and hardy militant design of the bastions and Castra Stativa of the legionaries and gladiators of Rome. while its peak had the elegance and charm of the Greek Pantheon and the pillars and open air layout. The entirety of the surroundings was orange light and soft clouds swirling around it, it was like gazing into a window of another world. "You can take you're rightful places beside us there; home among the gods." Terpsichore told the three girls gazing into the depths of infinity with them. Never in their lives would they imagine that their fate would lead them to this; the beauty, the size, the indescribable mass amount of the divinity. "And..him?" Adagio said looking away from the tower at the center of the universe; and back to the guy who she and the others... "Do you love him?" Calliope said softly to the girls as they looked away from divinity and to the humility of the mortal boy. As the girls earth clothes became the trademark flowing white toga's and sandal's of the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks. In the distance on the roof of the tower they could see them all; Athena, Hermes, Zeus, Hera, and not just the Greek divines. The Norse and their hall of warriors in immortal paradise of Valhalla; The Morrigan and the spirits of nature from the Pagan and Wicca, even The court of King Arthur and the knights of his table and his mentor Merlin all residing home in Avalon, the unmistakable crosses on their shields no doubt indicating what faith they served. "A life everlasting; among the legends and greats of time and history undying." Adagio said to her refection in her mother. "I think would be a life of meaningless emptiness without John Sweetstuff, mother." She said taking him in her arms and kissing him as her heavenly glow went into a blazing glow that illuminated them both. "I second that notion mother." Sonata said giving Calliope a lost hug before doing the same to him, the divine glow enveloping them both as she kissed him and held him close to her as if she never wanted him to leave her. "And you Aria?" Melpomene to her own daughter with a solemn look that said "please say no," even though she would accept even if she said yes. "I would rather spend a life in simplicity, among the mortals with my powers limited and restricted by being on the mortal plain, than with the divines at the center of the universe mother." She kissed him, her lips as warm as the sun her eyes wide open and looking into his as they so. Not one of the Goddess where affected by either their actions of kissing him, or their decline to become muses with them. "We honor your decision daughters; go, be with him as you see fit, as love's calling to where you belong, is stronger than any of the powers of the divine." Melpomene said to them all. "You will still be among the muses even back there. As for what you do, that matters not." "What's that mean?" Adagio asked. "You carve your own paths from here on out, stay to what you're inner senses as half human and half Muse tell you is the right way, and always remember that you have our blessing daughters." Terpsichore said to them as their clothes became thier normal ones again. An owl flew from one of the topmost buttresses of The Tower and landed on Terpsichore's shoulder; it whispered in her ear, and it made the muse smile again. "Athena....she wishes to speak with Ms. Sunset Shimmer." She said pointing at her from her spot on the lake. "ATHENA?! SHE WANTS TO SEE ME?! ME!?" She replied in an expression of disbelief at the Muse's words. > More than a princess > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first sensation she felt was falling; but it was as if the glowing orange light was rushing by in a swirling mass, as the air rushed into her ears, this must be what the pegasus ponies felt when they reached terminal velocity in a dive. Sunset then found herself standing on the stone floor of the roof of the tower. She looked around; The roof of the tower was all solid stone ground with the surrounding guard wall and Greek Pillars arching to the sky. All around her the deities of the many myths and legends and even some faiths to that very day from across the vast and ever expanding Macro-verse. Sunset Could only appreciate this all so much before he found her looking up at the only who summoned her. Athena; ancient goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, mathematics, strength, war strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. Almost everything the formerly equine unicorn had striven to prove herself at, well with a few exceptions obviously. Until she learned more about human kind's mythology regarding beings like her; Sunset had a feeling deep down, somewhere if not in Equestria, a force like the Goddess before her existed somewhere. Athena Stood tall taking a form much like the one of the girl she wanted to speak with. In a gilded golden cuirass over white tunic; leather boots worn but sturdy with their use, her Corinthian helm giving her a fierce appearance but contradicted by her warm smile and gaze of sincerity she looked the smaller girl at with. A Long spear with its gilded gleaming tip rested in her right hand; her shield with the crest of an owl with its wings spread and big wise eyes gazing out, and her Xiphos short sword was fastened to her waist ready to be drawn if need be. "Hello Ms. Shimmer." Her voice was like her princess's only a thousand times more powerful, if she had spoken only a few decibels higher her bones would have been cracked from their power, instead she was merely tingled and chilled to the marrow her body shivering in a strange tingling sensation as the goddess spoke. "Hello...Your grace." Sunset said, her voice a soft squeak barley audible as she with a sense of familiarity dropped to one bended knee before her, Memories of greeting her mentor with the others at the school for gifted unicorns came flooding back to her, but she felt her chin being lifted up, as Athena made her look directly into her eyes. "Please stand Ms. Shimmer, You have proven yourself more than worthy to gaze upon my radiance without fear or tribune as you did the royalty of your sect of the Macro-verse." She said to her as she lifted her to her feet. "Why have you asked to see me?" She said looking around at the ethereal sky, the rooftop of the stone tower that stretched on seemingly forever. It was almost too much for her to take in... "Come with me." Was all the Goddess could say as their surroundings changed; The now found themselves in a purple mist that swirled around them, and flying around where flat panels all of which where playing like screens scenes from Sunset's life. From her acceptance to Celestia's Academy for gifted unicorns as a filly, to her crossing over into the Equestria's mirror-verse she now called home. Not all the good in her life was on display however. From her Jealously at the ascension of Twilight into a princess, to her rampage at the fall formal. "What is this place?" She asked looking around at her display of memories, getting a sense of familiarity "It's called the sepulcher of life Ms. Shimmer, The archives of the tower, where the life of every sentient being that ever will be and has been is collected here, the energy is just one of the many factors that the tower houses to hold the wheel of the macro-verse together, but I take it you didn't want to be summoned by me for existentialism, have you not?" She added as the display of memories ended at the conversation they held not five minutes ago. "Well..." She said blushing softly at the notion, on the one hand a chance meeting with a being even older and more powerful than ever her old mentor? With the chance to have all the universe's knowledge revealed to her, if they only hold a conversation regarding it? What about that didn't intice her? "I'm afraid, I cannot disclose elder knowledge to being such as yourself Sunset." She said with a solemn frown as she she handed her a scroll, which she unfurled "Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow." "Mary Shelly's Frankenstein?" She asked rolling it back up. "Isn't that a bit too easy?" She added smugly looking at her smirking. "Ms. Shimmer...Trust me when I say, For your prowess as a being both human and unicorn, The knowledge contained here in the infinite depths of the tower, one hour of attempting to understand it an you'd lose your sight then your sanity. so please just stay close to me and accept what I have summoned you here to claim. Rest assured while you're not intended to know all, you where brought here to be well rewarded." Instantly Sunset was graced with the image in her mind; what she had desired so much, she could imagine herself walking back into the portal for a brief moment, Her horn would reappear as would her equine ears, and her flaming motif tail, and her friends would see those glorious Allicorn wings would unfurl behind her. Princess Sunset Shimmer. "Oh no Ms. Shimmer, I have something else in mind for you." Athena said smiling as she placed her spear tip into the floor than turning it like a lever. making an ornament display case rise from the floor. "Really?" Was all Sunset could say as she admired the case's contents; A Gleaming Gladius sword, a Corinthian helm of ancient Spartan design, a pair of gilded golden armor shoes like the ones the gladiators of high title where allowed to wear, unlike the martyrs and lowly amateurs to the arena. Gauntlets brazened with her sunset namesake insignia, a shield that held this insignia as well but long and well crafted to offer a good blocking coverage. and the golden chest plate that seemed to shine with the dying but empowering rays of a gorgeous...well sunset. "Are you ready to become my champion Sunset?' She asked. "But...I can't have these implements around me in that world your grace." She said the image of her walking the halls of Canterlot high decked in her armor and sword, The sword definitely a big N.O. that wouldn't be allowed on school property. "You need not worry about that, I'm aware the standards of the world aren't..open to you using a regalia such as this." With a snap of her fingers the armor and sword shrunk down in size, to the tiny size of a few accessories to a child's toys, which could be easily carried around in say... "My bag, well played Athena." Sunset remarked smirking at her. "At least try them on for size?' She asked restoring their size. "But how am I?" But she was cut off as a blazing white light enraptured her forcing her eyes shut and she felt the familiar sensation of floating as the magic...clearly Equestrian in origin but also something..much more, began to take her. The sensation of her equine ears reemerging, as was her tail and even her horn, merging with the bipedal shape she had grown accustomed to in the human verse, but their was something...else too. It felt slightly painful as she felt her shoulders growing and expanding, making the adjustments to allow for something to grow from them, she flinched only a little as she felt new bones springing out from the shoulder blades. Then she felt the feeling of something enclosing around her chest. a little tight and constricting but then it felt very snug and comfy not to mention weightless. The same thing was felt on her hands and feet; slightly constricted and then comfy and light. Then she opened her eyes. "Sunset! Is...Is that you?" A familiar voice asked her as she opened her eyes; she found herself back on the tiny island as the others had been on before, the statue was just a statue again, and the canoe was ready to take them back. John stood in front of her, The Dazzlings behind him equally astonished at her. "What are you all looking at?" She asked her starstruck friends, she didn't hear the faint...rustle as she did. "Well, take a look for yourself." John said leading her over to the water's glassy reflective edge. she looked down at her hand and noticed for the first time that she was wearing the armor Athena had promised her, which made her rush to the water and look at herself. She had indeed been decked in the armor of Athena's champion that had been promised to her back in the tower. In addition; her ears and horn, (Her helm had special openings to allow them comfortably fit though without the slightest discomfort) and tail had indeed been restored in a form that held them in place more semi permanently than the bursts of magic she and the others had felt before. She did briefly wonder if she could conceal them but as the thought crossed her mind they began to retract, so she withdrew the thought to keep them out. Because there was one final detail that proved she gotten what she once aspired for, even desired so much she'd go to...not so great lengths to achieve it. Sunset had sprouted a pair of large fluttering and strong allicorn wings! she unfurled and extended them proudly admiring the way they rustled and...clicked? She gave a look of confusion and made them click again, then the realization came to her. These weren't an ordinary pair of Pegasus wings, but they where the magical wrought metal wings of an archangel! only one of her own kind back in Equestria had ever had metal warrior wings, Empress (not princess) Drusilla Fireheart. One of the first rulers of Equestrian royalty, even predating the Celestial bloodlines by at least a millennium and the conquer'er of all the land that would one day be her descendants kingdom. "Are you...one of those...allicorn princesses you've told me so much about?" He asked holding her hand softly as she folded her metal wings up and she drew her sword. It felt light as air as she gave it a few practice swings and sliced the air itself as she did so, smiling confidently as she held it boldly with her shield raised valiantly. "No John I think I've become something much....More than a princess." She said sheathing her sword in delight. "Can we go home now?" Sonata asked getting into the Canoe with the other Dazzlings.. "Oh...right..yes of course." Sunset said blushing softly. "Way to kill the crowning momment of awesomness Sonata" Adagio snarked at her. "What? What'd I say?"