You Give Love . . .

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Staring down the end of her life, with her back pressed against the wall, Sonata Dusk struggled to deal with the last forty-eight hours.

What memory would help her current sad, kinda-broken condition? The civil war she and her fellow Sirens lived through a few hundred years ago? That hadn't been their fault. Well, not totally, since Aria still refused to admit that she'd put both princes at each other's throats.

Not that little issue with the choirmaster in the village outside the Black Forest. Singing was the only true pleasure the Sirens had. So what if they showed up unannounced and had a private audition with him? They had a language barrier, after all. And they weren't the ones who had made off with all that gold. The stupid trial had been so unfair and rigged. Luckily, Adagio's and Aria's hairbands could cut through iron bars.

Maybe one of the many times someone accused her of witchcraft? Sure, she did magic. This world's weaker energy meant she could barely move someone's blood pressure, but the way they screamed and waved farming tools at her, it was like she had the power to turn them all into newts.

She slumped. Nope, nothing there to help. None of it mattered, either, since she'd lost what little magic she once had. Gone, smacked down by bigger, stronger Equestrian magic. What Starswirl the Bearded started all those centuries ago, Sunset Shimmer had finished last night. Sonata ached from head to hip because of it.

It figured. Centuries of rousing peasants, being petty tyrants of small lands, and turning everyone against their closest friends. What more practice for subduing a high school did they need? They would sign in, find the source of Equestrian magic, restore their full power, crush anyone who opposed them, and then sign out again, preferably after lunch. Simple, right?

Not. A freaking alicorn had poked her nose in from Equestria and, wham, giant crystal rainbow thingy had blasted the Sirens into humanity. Their gems were shards, their bodies now painfully mortal, and Sonata's stomach was so wobbly, she couldn't even think about food.

Okay, that last one wasn't because of the rainbow, but she blamed it anyways. “Ugh.” She slumped against the wall and wrapped her arms around her stomach. It was anxious, tight, and not very receptive to the idea of a snack, which sucked. She craved salty goodness, something crunchy and tasty, but her body was too tense.

The door beside her opened, and warm, wet air billowed into the hallway, followed by a cloud of orange hair with a woman attached to it. Dressed in a violet top and loose black sweats, Adagio stretched and glanced over at her, surprised. “What, were you standing guard all through my shower?”

Sonata denied her imagined guard duties with a shake of her head. Her own loose blue and turquoise hair hung down, instead of its usual ponytail, and she missed the soft brush of its tip against her shoulder blades. “Kinda ran out of oomph, Adagio. Just trying to clear my head.” The bright, loud mood in the living room down the hall hurt her ears, mostly because Aria seemed ready to argue Sunset Shimmer to a standstill.

The old Adagio Dazzle — before Sunset Shimmer shattered her amulet, that Adagio Dazzle— would have scoffed and mocked her for saying it. This was a different Adagio, whose abrasive nature had been softened by a stronger magic. This Adagio could see that Sonata had already gone through the small bit of energy she'd picked up from their guests. “What's happening in there?”

“Rarity phoned her spa and they're waiting for Aria,” Sonata said. She wiggled her shoulders against the wall to relieve the ache beneath her cranberry tank top. The tight knot of her old Siren-wing muscles matched the throbbing in her head. Her ears and pony tail had first re-appeared, then vanished again, lost in that blaze of Equestrian rainbow.

Those small aches didn't matter against the loss of her amulet, mere magical bruises measured against the sharp, clawing pain in her breast. Without new magic or safe energy, the hole in her chest would never be whole again. The same was true for Adagio and Aria.

Thankfully, Sunset Shimmer and her friends weren't willing to leave their enemies wallowing. Fluttershy had been nothing but kind, especially to Sonata. Each touch or kind word made those small aches hurt less, though her breastbone remained a tight knot.

Of the three, Rarity had made the grandest gesture in offering Adagio a new source of energy; warmth to repair the damage done in the Battle of the Bands. A boost so intimate and intense, both women were still pinging Sonata's radar. So much energy spilled off the pair that her teeth vibrated, but all that power had a big “Not For You” sign on it. It was a bond made for two, not meant for her or Aria to share. If they wanted to get better, they needed someone else, like the spa owners who had taught Rarity her tricks in the first place.

Aria was about to head off there, and while Rarity had invited Sonata, she had held herself back. No, that wasn't it. Something held her back. She couldn't explain why, but from the first brush across the nape of her neck, with the first murmur in her ear, she wanted Fluttershy close to her. Sunset was all swagger and heat, while Rarity had a sharp energy, tasty if the Sirens still had their amulets. Fluttershy's energy, however, was soft and cool, like the depths of the sea beyond the reach of the sun. It made Sonata long for home. Real home, where things mattered.

Maybe a connection was there and Sonata trusted that whatever Rarity did, Fluttershy could also do. Except the girl had already refused the idea once, and that was a worry. Sonata wasn't sure if she could ask again. Pushing hard was never cool.

“You're staying, aren't you?” Adagio asked, smirking. “You think Fluttershy's still your best chance?” Of course she'd guessed. She had tons of experience finding weak links to force open and release the negative energy they all craved. Also, Sonata had totally blabbed about how much she liked Fluttershy's attention.

“Yeah,” she admitted, flexing her shoulders until the pain made her breath hitch. “I could use some time alone with her. If I can feel her energy without everyone else around, it's gonna help.” She giggled. “Sunset Shimmer thinks I'm waiting until her back's turned, then I'm gonna drag Fluttershy off to my bedroom.”

“Ugh, unicorns,” Adagio said, sighing and shaking her head. “Remember Starswirl? 'Stop enslaving ponies with your singing', 'don't absorb their energy', 'quit flirting with me'. He could never handle us without his precious Pillars.” She reached out to touch her fellow Siren on the shoulder. “Do you want me to insist Shimmer go with Aria to the spa, so you can have your time together?”

Sonata waved a hand. “Oh, she's already doing that. Rarity's going, too, since she's kinda your ticket in. Said you had to come, so the owners can make sure she 'did everything right'.” She tilted her head. “Did she?”

“Hush.” Adagio changed the angle of her hand to tap Sonata's head, a gentle zap of power tingling down her nape. Yeow. “Come on, enough hiding. We have guests and you left Aria by herself with them. She must be reaching her limit.” She swept past, the scent of her usual hair products mingling with the spice of a perfume that Sonata hadn't smelled in ages.

She mmfed and straightened up, ready to follow. Adagio's new energy might sting, but the jolt was a reminder of the promise made the night before, that there would be a way out of this. She had delivered, too, even if it did mean hosting the girls who had beaten them.

Honestly, it was kinda nice having people visit. Not like it happened often. In their first few centuries here, the Sirens had been unwelcome guests in hovels, jails, hostels, and cheap roadside motels. Sure, there had been that sweet life in Zanzebra, but that had only been for a century. Once they had built up their lives to owning a place of their own, a home had become somewhere to hide from the world. Company wasn't something they sought.

Stopping, Sonata smiled. Zanzebra! That was the memory she wanted! “Hey, Adagio, remember Roxy?”

Adagio slowed and turned, startled. “Roxy? Oh, if she ever heard you calling her that . . .”

“She heard sometimes. Didn't mind if it was me, though.”

Grunting, Adagio rolled her eyes. “Because you were never a threat to her power like Aria and me. She tried to have us drowned once or twice, remember? Why would you think of —” She glanced at the living room, where voices twittered, all female. “Ah.”

“Yeah.” The Sirens had seen great change in Zanzebra while they were there, partly for the better, mostly for the worse. Whenever power shifted, the losing side suffered. “We're being treated way better,” Sonata murmured, “so we're real lucky.”

Then some of that luck turned the corner. Fluttershy held her phone against her ear, head cocked to the side. “I appreciate it, Applejack,” she said, “I did plan on being home, but . . .” She trailed off, noticing the two former Sirens standing there, but the phone drew her attention back. “Oh, what? Rarity? She, um, had a … a spa treatment that couldn't wait. Oh, I know she's like that, but I'm sure it was necessary.” Her cheeks coloured, and she swung around to avoid their gaze.

Her adorable blush, either from embarrassment or the little white lie, made Sonata snort. She'd paid attention to the Rainbooms' performances. Just because you planned to beat someone down, absorb all their energy, and enslave them to your whim didn't mean you couldn't enjoy pretty voices. With her long pink hair and cute singing voice, Fluttershy would have made a decent Siren. No way could she stoop to the level of cunning needed, though. It wasn't in her nature.

A little time in Zanzebra would have cured her.

The curtain of pink hair in front of her swished from side to side. “I understand you think Angel's too demanding, but please be careful, Applejack. A stubborn bunny rabbit is the least of your problems.” Fluttershy turned back, eyes wide. “What? No, that bear hasn't come back. It's the squirrels who get cranky.”

Beside her, Adagio groaned. “How did we lose to them?”

Magic. The thrum in Sonata's fractured heart spoke to her. It didn't matter who someone was, but the will of the magic inside them. In Equestria she had been a Siren with eternity stamped in her eyes, but now, she was human. Frailly, fully mortal. A wave of regret washed through her at a life with no more magic, no more songs, and she slumped against the wall, stroking the edges of her tender collarbone. This was it for her. Good only for one more century. She whimpered.

“Applejack, I have to go. Thanks ever so much.” Fluttershy pocketed her phone, nudged Adagio aside, and leaned in to embrace Sonata's shoulders. “Are you still hurting?” she asked. Her big, blue-green eyes sparkled in concern.

The question made Sonata's chest pain sharpen and she curled tighter, her vision fogging with tears. Her breath hitched and she shuddered, shoulders hunching higher.

“It's okay,” Fluttershy whispered, letting Sonata bury her face in her shoulder and stroking the former Siren's hair. “It'll all be okay.”

Her tangle of emotions snapped and she wailed, ashamed that she'd become so weak.

-~-~-~-~-~

Having cried herself out, Sonata raised her head from her arms and brushed at her damp cheeks. At some point, Fluttershy had moved her to the bathroom and left her to it. Not surprising, since wet, snotty bawling got uncomfortable quickly for the people who weren't crying. Sighing, she let go of the towel clutched to her body and sat up on the soft bench that was part of the centrepiece.

Of all the rooms in their apartment, the Sirens had made sure this was the best of the best when they purchased the place. It was a luxury they had missed for centuries while lurking on the fringes of rough societies; now they never denied themselves the joy of a room with all the water they could ever want.

A white shower stall, large enough to fit at least half a dozen people, took up a wall. One side had a long marble bench, near the wide shower head that poured water like raindrops. A lady could scrub, sit and soak her feet, and dry herself without water splashing the rest of her, all without leaving the confines of the stall.

The rest of the black and white bathroom was mostly dark wooden cabinets, to hold the various hair products women like them needed. A black vanity with a white marble top contained two sinks, all beneath one long mirror that reflected the room.

In the middle of the floor (heated tiles, of course) sat an altar of white alabaster, surrounded by curved black settees and illuminated by selected pot lights. It was a place to stretch out, like a Siren sunning on a rock. Adagio had added it as a final memory for their ancient Equestrian forms.

Tempted to slither up there, Sonata instead took a slow breath of still-humid air, grimaced at the answering twinge in her breastbone, and instead dared to look in the slightly-steamed mirror across the room. Reddened eyes peered back from a morose face, the small point of her chin jutting out as her lips pouted. Her colour was duller than her hair, the turquoise of her skin faded in the warm lights that framed the vanity.

Ugh, again. It sucked. All her good feelings gone, all that attention she'd soaked up from Fluttershy wasted.

Getting up, she went to the sink and cupped her hands to sip some water, wincing at the roughness of her throat. Between Adagio's renewal and everyone's plans for Aria, her sense of loneliness had grown. So much for being okay.

With her emotions so tender, Sonata couldn't meet her own eyes in the mirror. How badly was she was fooling herself? Could she sense Fluttershy's energy in her current condition? If she could, would she do anything about it? She had no amulet, no magic, and a soul tangled in the seaweed of worry and fear. With no light to guide her in the dark depths, which way should she swim?

Perhaps she should have gone with Aria, after all.

As Sonata stood there and sorted through her thoughts, she almost missed the light knock at the bathroom door. Neither of her fellow Sirens were that quiet (Aria kicked, Adagio hammered), so Fluttershy was the best bet. “Yeah?”

That incredible mass of pink hair peeked around the door, followed by those brilliant eyes. “Are you feeling any better?”

She shrugged. “Kinda? Maybe. I thought I was doing okay.” What else could she say? 'Sorry I broke down out there'? What was she supposed to feel about not feeling okay? It was weird.

Fluttershy closed the door and leaned on it, arms tucked behind her back. In her green skirt and white tank top, with one eye hidden behind her bangs, she appeared demure and innocent. “Sometimes you need to let it all out, then things can start to get better.”

“It's just — Gah!” Sonata flung her hands up and slunk back to a bench. “Nothing I do ever again will have magic in it, and, y'know.” She slumped and shrugged again. “It hurts, missing that. I finally get it good for the last bit of my life and there's only like, what, eighty years left for me now? Eighty years!” She flopped onto her back, groaning as the black leather puffed beneath her at the impact. “We spent longer than that in Zanzebra. Like, a hundred years worth of sand! And I've had only five years with a smartphone!”

“You lived somewhere for that long?” Fluttershy asked in surprise. “I thought you had to cause trouble to feed on energy. Isn't it dangerous to stay in one place?” She sat beside Sonata and stroked her hair, carefully scraping and sorting it into a soft pile.

Sonata sighed. Yes, please, she'd take petting right now. Petting was comfy. “Eh. Not like we could leave the Sultan's harem.”

Fluttershy pressed a hand over her mouth. “Y-you were in a harem?” she asked through her fingers.

“Pfffaaah, yeah? All the worry and suspicion we could feed on? Great place for us to lurk.” She waggled her own fingers. “Course, once we were there, there weren't many ways out. Get married, pregnant, or sacked. Literally, there was a sack.”

Fluttershy absorbed this, her fingertips working into Sonata's scalp while skirting the still-painful ear points. “What was it like?” she asked.

Sonata hesitated. Sirens kept secrets; it was how they survived in the world. Use everyone else's words against them, but guard yours jealously. It was why she often got in trouble with Adagio for opening her mouth when it should have stayed shut. Still, she was the only one who held on to all those memories, and things often got a little fuzzy for her. She had centuries tucked away and no one to share it all with.

Whirlpools, what else could she do but talk?

“We got on the wrong ship,” she admitted, bending her legs so her bare feet lay flat on the bench. It took some of the arch out of her back, so she folded her arms beneath her breasts for balance. “We'd only been in this world for a century or so, and we were still trying to find a way back to Equestria after being banished. Adagio wanted to stay by the ocean, since she was sure it was our best chance. It was hard being so close to the water but not living in it, but we didn't stop trying.

“So there we were, sitting there out on the rocks, practising our singing, and we kinda lured in some sailors.” She snorted again. “Never hard to lure in those knuckleheads. They'd tack into a hurricane if they thought they saw a pair of pretty legs. Still, Adagio managed to charm them and she figured we'd hitch a ride. We were, uh, in-between homes at that time and it was either that or walk. Horses didn't agree with us, for reasons.” Sonata peeked up to check if Fluttershy cared.

“Go on,” Fluttershy coaxed, tucking a few turquoise strands behind both of Sonata's ears and tracing the rims. “But, well, isn't it bad luck for a ship to have women on board?”

“Yeah, who d'you think started that story?” Sonata grinned briefly. Those caresses tickled. “Aria caused a little too much trouble and we got chucked off before the whole ship sank. Adagio had to use the power we'd gathered to convince them that was all they should do, though, so we didn't have any extra oomph to spare when we got ashore in Zanzebra. Someone there figured we were exotic enough for the Sultan to have a look at us, and so we got a, whatchacallit? An 'offer we couldn't refuse'.”

She paused, reaching deep into her memories for the decades spent in dusty luxury. She had a lot to look back on and timelines often got crossed up in her head. “It was okay. First time in a while we'd really been looked after, and actually be somewhere we were wanted.” She wiggled as her sore wingpoints made her shoulders twitch. “Well, okay, some of the higher-level women there didn't like us. New girls were almost always trouble. We had a new ladder to climb and it took ages to get energy that we could use.”

“Did you, ah, accomplish anything while you were there?” Fluttershy asked. “Could I find you on a history site?” She made as if to reach for her phone.

“Us? Nah.” Sonata heaved a sigh. “Lotta girlflesh came and went while we were there. Adagio figured we shouldn't make a ruckus right away, and we kinda fell into a pecking order without intending to. Plus, Roxy was there and it wasn't smart to get in her way. She's the one you should look up. She wanted power and she didn't let anything stop her, or anyone. Like, she used to tell us that if we made trouble for her, our gems would end up in the Royal Treasury for good.”

Fluttershy sat quietly, then took a soft breath. “Did you try to make friends with her? She might have really needed one.”

“Not much chance of it, even for trying.” Sonata groaned and sat up. Now that she was talking about Roxy, she had to give her old harem-mate the proper respect. Turning around to face Fluttershy, she crossed her legs and placed her hands flat on her thighs. “She had the same dream most of the harem did. Get the Sultan's attention, get pregnant, and live the life as a favourite wife. Thing is, she really went for it. Schemed pretty fiercely. She ended up running the kingdom.”

“And you didn't?” Fluttershy's eyebrows went up as she arranged herself in the same pose as Sonata, her pink hair limp in the humid air. Her white tank top hung loosely on her slim shoulders, and she'd kicked her boots off at some point, opting to go barefoot. Lines of sweat trickled down her throat and arms. “That doesn't sound much like what we've heard about Sirens.”

Sonata raised her hands in self-defence. “Adagio thought a portal would reopen soon and we'd return to Equestria. We didn't want to rule here, just go home. There was enough tension and plotting in the harem to keep us fed, but not enough to let us cause real trouble. So we settled down, sang some songs to keep people entertained, and figured we'd stay a while. The next thing we knew, a hundred years had passed, we were still there, and the kingdom was getting kinda rocky without Roxy or her kids in charge.

“When the new Sultan got bored and decided to get a completely new harem, that was our cue to leave before we disappeared into the river with every other girl there. We came back and caught up with civilization on this side of the world.” She shrugged. “Adagio decided then we were stuck here, so she made up the whole 'make the whole world adore us' plan. We've kinda been trying ever since.” Sonata subsided again, her throat humming. No one had ever listened to her for this long. She wasn't used to having an audience that paid such close attention.

Fluttershy reached across and picked up Sonata's hands. “You've had many adventures,” she said. “And you're obviously very strong to survive all these centuries. It's a shame you hurt so many people along the way. It must have been hard, always being hungry for magic and not having enough.”

Sonata looked down at the fingers twined with hers. “Sorry about feeding on yours, by the way.” Even if they weren't the right words to say, Fluttershy had listened to her. One of the few who ever had. “It was pretty tasty, being real Equestrian magic and all. Like, the good for you tasty, not the deep-fried cheese sticks kinda tasty.” How about that? Her stomach wasn't so queasy at the idea of food. “Not bad for a last meal.”

“Shhh.” Fluttershy tapped her on the knee. “Don't be like that. Do you really miss all that need?”

She squirmed. “Well, it's hard to . . .” Sigh. What could she say? That she knew she didn't need to cause trouble to get energy? Energy only gave her power so she could steal more energy. It went in a circle, didn't it? A short, sharp spasm seized her chest, making her press her hand over the ache, over her bare collarbone. Had a whirlpool trapped her for all these centuries because of her now-shattered gem?

Sonata frowned. Years of protecting her amulet, decades of hiding it when danger threatened, all so she could give it energy, even when it cost her. Singing songs from hunger, rather than hope, and what good had it done? She'd always needed another hit, hurrying on to the next rush of energy to refill her gem.

In that eye-opening moment, Sonata Dusk decided her magic could go hang itself. It had made others miserable, it had made her miserable, and for what? A quick taste of magic that barely satisfied? Why should she wallow over a weakness? If the tide was going out on her life, why waste it pining for the bad old days?

“Sonata?” A tweak on her finger made her glance up. Fluttershy gazed at her, worried. “You seem so serious.”

“Sorry,” she murmured, opening her hand up for more caresses. They soothed her guilt. “I — I was trying to think.” Sonata pressed her chest again, breathing in through the hurt, then out against the pain. “There's no more magic in here, I get that.” Too bad, so sad! “I know Sunset said we had way too much of it, but you guys still hit us with a rainbow, and it hurt!”

“And I'm very sorry about that,” Fluttershy admitted, “but you were taking over our world and hurting people, including my friends. We didn't know you were immortal, or that it stopped.” She leaned back and sighed, pushing a tank top strap back up her sweat-slickened shoulder. “I guess we don't have many choices to make you better. Good feelings don't stop your pain, and I'm not sure what another dose of Equestrian magic will do.”

Sonata nodded. “Don't want to be rainbowed again, thanks.”

“If I were more like Rarity, I could do what she did,” Fluttershy continued, “but oh, I'm nothing like her at all . . .”

“Whoah, stop there, 'kay?” Sonata reached out and squeezed a bare knee. Her old instincts told her to give the girl a nudge down the path of envy, but she wanted — no, needed her as a friend. No friend, no help. “Listen, you're you, and I like you because you're you. Being Rarity means you'd be her, and she's too much for me. Too . . . hot. She kinda scares me.”

Fluttershy hesitated, then peeked up from beneath the limp curtain of her hair. Her shoulder strap fell to her elbow again, and the other side teetered on the edge of slipping. “Oh?”

Sonata breathed out carefully. “I know she and Adagio got frisky, and when it worked, I kinda thought —y'know — I hoped you'd be up for that, too.” She leaned her head one way, trying to soften the ache pulling in the base of her skull. “But then you said you didn't feel like doing it, and I didn't wanna push you into it, 'cause, wow, that's a sucky thing to do to someone who likes me. Plus you look like you haven't had your first kiss yet. I'd feel bad making you skip that step just because I'm hurting.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, lifting an arm to keep her top from falling, “for pretending you have a choice. I'm not like Rarity, but I understand her world. Mine is caring for animals and being out in nature. Not everyone understands that.” She glanced down at herself and blushed. “Although, sometimes, when I'm in the middle of the forest and there's no one around for miles, I like to be, um, a little more open. And that's fine, because I'm all alone and it's lovely and natural.”

Her little giggle made Sonata's aching heart flutter, the first glimmer of sun through the waters.

“I mean,” she said, “you don't have to spare me for the sake of . . . things. I'm aware of my body, I've had gym class every year, and my good friend Treehugger is very free about how she lives. She even has clients who . . .” Fluttershy trailed off and sat there open-mouthed, staring into space.

Sonata poked her in the arm. Had she had a brain freeze? “Um, was that too much freedom for you?”

She squeaked and wriggled backwards. “Oh, ah, no! I just thought of a way we could — we need to talk to Treehugger. I think she can help. Is that all right?”

Watching as Fluttershy fumbled for her phone, Sonata blinked. “Uh, sure, yeah?” She hadn't mean to mimic Flutters' tone, so she hurried to try and hide it. “Y'know. Same story as those spa people, right? Not too much information?”

She smiled back. “Somehow, I think that might be the least of our worries.” Her thumb swiped at the screen.

-~-~-~-~-~

“Yeah, the other way?”

Holding her arms out, Sonata turned on the spot. It was like being off Bridleway again, doing yet another audition after Aria and Adagio had already gotten two of the big roles. Except she had more at stake than a spot in the chorus. And at least the other girl in the room was on her side.

“Ohhh, yeah. Yeah, I see it.”

Sonata tossed her hair over her shoulder and craned her neck, dropping her arms to her sides. “You do?”

A young woman with red dreadlocks made a face from the phone screen, pushing a yellow and green kerchief off her forehead. “Ohhh, yeah. Someone's rattled your aura good. Talk about turbulent. Like, your chakras are rocky.”

That was bad, right? Sonata glanced at Fluttershy for a translation, but no, she still sat there, cross-legged on the bench, her gaze fixed on the propped-up phone.

“Treehugger, is this a problem?” Fluttershy asked.

“Problem?” The next face pulled was a lot like the first. “Like, pssh. It's nothing permanent, but fixing it? Wow.” Treehugger leaned back, one hand lifting and brushing her screen. She wore something white and flowing. Behind her, a sleeping bag lay rolled out in front of piled boxes, and the canvas of a tent was the backdrop. “Wish I was there physically. You were not kidding. She's hurting.”

Relief flitted through Sonata. Someone else saw her pain, which made it actually bearable. She wanted to wiggle her tail in gratitude, but had no more shimmy to shake.

Fluttershy twisted her fingers together. “I know she is, and I'm sorry I forgot that you were on that nature trip, but Rarity did this and I didn't know who else to ask.”

“Not a problem, Flutters. Glad you called.” Treehugger chuckled, her voice low and drawling. She had a way of stretching one syllable out forever. “Company's always nice to have way out here. And hey, Rarity, of all people, stepping up and doing the deed, huh? Righteous! See, tantra can be so rewarding. I keep telling you that.”

“You do keep telling me that,” Fluttershy agreed, smiling. Her back straightened, her shoulder straps tucked up once again. “But is there anything else we can try? We might not have time to get into that before everyone comes back.”

Treehugger scowled, flipping her dreadlocks. “You, Flutters? Want it quick and dirty? That's so not harmonious.” Shaking her head, she pursed her lips. “Your friend here's been made into something she's not, and that's got her all turned around.” She leaned in and narrowed her eyes, her forehead taking up most of the screen. “Like, getting her stable is one thing. Move her energies around, it might be enough to get a balance, even with all those stray bits she's got floating.”

Looking down at herself, Sonata tried to make sure she was all there and nothing was floating anywhere.

“I could do it from here,” Treehugger continued, leaning back again, “like, it's doable, but it won't take care of this part.” She pressed a hand between her breasts. “Fixing that void means pouring energy into her instead of shifting it. She has to overflow with love.” She undulated gently, her upper body curving and swaying. “Juuust like this. She's gonna need some tantra of her own, maybe an orgasm or two.”

Fluttershy sighed. “Okay, we'll manage.” She reached forward. “Thank you, Treesy. I'll let you get back to camping.”

“Whoa,” Treehugger said, lifting her finger that was poised to end their call. “Hold on, babe.” She peered through the screen, frowning as she studied the two of them. “Just like that? You've never been this open to the possibilities. What aren't you telling me?”

“Um.” She blushed. “I can't tell you everything right now, but Rarity isn't here and Sonata's not comfortable with anyone else. I know, you said I should learn this before and I haven't been as open to your ideas as I could be.” She nodded at Sonata, then at the screen. “But it has to be me.”

“Well, duh. She's already got a sweet connection with you. I can sure see it. Her soul's hungry for a deeper touch.” Treehugger raised her luxuriant eyebrows. “Oh, Flutters, you're in over your head, aren't you? You were gonna . . . oh. Ohhhhhh.”

Sonata raised her hand as Fluttershy squirmed. “My fault, I guess?” she offered. “I kinda asked her to. Sorry?”

Treehugger's pale gaze moved to her. It was an odd look, one that almost said, 'I can see through you, fishpony, I know what you are'. “Hey, don't apologize for your need. There's no guilt here.” She swung back to Fluttershy. “That's why you called. You should totally not be doing this.”

“I can try!” Fluttershy insisted. “She's so sad! And she needs me! You said so yourself.”

“And?” Treehugger's gentle scoff was firm. “Flutters, it's awesome you're giving yourself to her, but are you ready for this? She'll be tied to you, y'know, through your energy. Weird stuff happens around you and your friends, and if something goes wrong. . .” Trailing off, she shuddered, the camera shivering slightly as she jostled it. “So, okay. You wanna do this? Let me help. I can guide you, babe. Both of you.”

Sonata and Fluttershy exchanged glances. Fluttershy's was startled, while Sonata wasn't sure what her own face said.

“She can do that?” Sonata asked

“Shyeah!” came the response from the phone. “Won't be able to keep you from tangling your energies, but I can fix that when I get home in a couple days.” Treehugger peered at them. “Not planning on ditching my friend, are you, Allegra?”

“Sonata,” she corrected.

Treehugger nodded. “So not doing that? Then we're groovy.”

Fluttershy raised her hand, interrupting. “Um, we won't be doing this on video, will we?” She pointed to the screen, then herself.

The chuckle came again. “Still shy, eh 'shy? It's cool. This is bigger than the back porch. We can go ear to ear on this one. Gimmie a skosh, 'kay?” Treehugger's finger filled the screen and the call ended.

Fluttershy's quick inhale had a high note of panic, so Sonata nudged her to cut her short. “What'd you do, chase a squirrel into her backyard? Can't see any other way you two would've met.”

“Oh, no.” She tugged on the hem of her skirt, trying to cover her knees. “We met through an endangered animals course. Treehugger knows more about habitat preservation and rare wildlife than most people. She's very in tune with nature. Uhm, as you saw.”

“Yeah, and if she wanders around her home naked like you said, she must get a lotta knocks on her door,” Sonata noted. Even with the flowing white gown, she could tell that Treehugger was a healthy size.

“Oh, she always puts a robe on when I visit,” Fluttershy said, “but there are times I go over and she's, well, with people. It's how I knew what Rarity did with Adagio. Treehugger's explained it so I 'don't get the wrong idea about tantra'.”

Sonata nodded again. “When it happened to me, I didn't know what it was, either. The guy was pretty popular, so I snagged him.” Of all the things for Aria to remember, why was it that guy who'd put the moves on them at that country dive bar? Sonata had let him seduce her, though she'd pretty much had him in her clutches when he'd seen her from behind. Those leather pants had been seriously sweet for both her ass and her dating life. Losing them had been a blow.

She'd left Aria out on the dance floor with her big, black hat that night, and ducked past Adagio's groupie table to go home with him. The plan back then was simple stuff: A half a dozen other women at the bar would see it and get frustrated at their loss. Bad moods would be pushed further, turn into arguments, and result in trouble and energy for her sisters. Sonata herself would pick up a snack of her own once she finished her fun.

Her memories were kinda hazy from the rest of the night. She vaguely remembered the deep breathing coming from them both, him parting her thighs, the slow stirring deep inside her, and the floating in a cloud of constant arousal.

The morning after had been much clearer. She'd woken up wrung out from both emotions and orgasms, her inner Siren singing stronger than it ever had in this world. She hadn't told Adagio or Aria because she hadn't understood it.

Now she chose to do it again, not to restore her Sirenity, but to purge the last, painful pieces of it so she could face her new humanity.

Realizing the silence had probably stretched too far, Sonata blinked and waved at Fluttershy. “Sorry. Memories.”

“Good ones, I hope,” Fluttershy said, smiling. She jumped as her phone rang. “Oh! Oh, I'm going to need my charger! Here, you answer it.” Pushing it into Sonata's hands, she got up and scurried for the door.

Sonata stared after her, then pressed 'answer' and lifted the phone to her ear. “Yeah, hello?”

“Heyyyyy.” Treehugger's rich alto filled her ear. “She's not, like, in total panic right now, is she?”

“Kinda? Not really?” Sonata got up and shrugged the phone between her shoulder and neck. Ignoring the now-familiar twinge, she reached for a towel to lay over the marble slab. If she was doing this, she was gonna be comfy. “She's really sweet about helping me.” Smoothing the fabric out, she started another layer. “I've kinda done this once before. Didn't mean to, but it happened.”

A laugh flowed down the line. “Oh, totally. People come to me after they've had an experience and they want it to happen again. Never thought Flutters would get into it.”

Sonata crouched down and opened her side of the vanity. She had a stash in her bedroom, but kept her extra oil in the back of . . . hah! There it was. “Blame her friend Rarity. She got the ball rolling on Adagio before we knew what happened.” She worried at her bottom lip briefly, then went with sheer honesty. “So, uh, thanks for helping? I was gonna let her skip it, but I'd really, really like to stop hurting.” Geez, it was weird admitting all this, but the pain in her soul overrode any survival instincts she used to have.

Shark bait, she needed fixing.

“Good,” came the amused response. “Keep being honest like that and your throat chakra will heal much faster. Being blue helps, too, lucky for you.”

“Oh. Um, cool.” She turned around to see Fluttershy ease into the room, clutching a tangle of phone cables. “Hey, she's back. What should I do?”

“Pass me to her,” Treehugger said, “I need to set her mood, get her nice and loose. You stay open and feel the energy we're giving you.” Her voice pitched lower, almost thrumming through Sonata and heating her ear with promises. "You're hurting, hon, but don't worry. We can fix it.”

She swallowed hard and handed back the phone. Oh, her aching heart . . .

“Thank you,” Fluttershy murmured. She quickly plugged a cable in, then slipped on her earpiece. “Yes, Treesy, I'm here.”

Treesy? Well, Sonata kinda understood cutesy nicknames. After all, she'd been 'Dusky', 'Nata', 'Sonny', “Blue', 'Hey You!', 'New Girl', and others over the years.

Fluttershy put her hands on her hips as Treehugger obviously said something. “Yes, I am. And if people would stop asking, we can start.” She coloured slightly as she glanced at Sonata. “Sorry,” she whispered, “but I'm not changing my mind.”

Sonata didn't see why Fluttershy needed to apologize, but simply nodded and hitched herself up to sit the edge of the altar, folding her legs beneath each other. She rested her elbows on her thighs, and hunched her shoulders so she could think.

Treehugger was a hippie, no doubt about it. Sonata remembered hippies, back when the Sirens had gone west to the Summer of Love. Adagio hadn't been able to resist crashing such a stupidly-named festival, and the mammoth rock concert out there had provided ample energy to scrape meals together. In the end, though, people were too much into 'being' and not so much with the 'adoring' to get the three of them any power.

Still, it was kinda nice to see hippies hadn't totally vanished into the mists of time.

Fluttershy stepped in front of her, interrupting her memories. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Sonata uncurled a little. “What's she saying now?”

Her cheeks grew pinker. “That I should be gentle with you, because you're in pain, and because I'm . . . very new at this.” She looked down at the floor, then up again, her hands folded at her waist.

Something was different. Fluttershy was more confident now than before she'd left the room, before she'd put that earpiece in. She seemed taller, with her shoulders back and her body loose. The sight of her made Sonata's spine straighten and she stretched up in response to a new feeling; a hum in her mind, a new ripple in the air.

Fluttershy leaned in and touched Sonata's forehead with her own, looking pleased as she nuzzled her. “Treehugger thinks we should be closer,” she whispered, a giggle in her voice. “I told her that I already snuggled you good, but she has other ideas. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” she breathed. Energy . . .

“Good. Turn around.” Fluttershy patted her knee. “You don't need to uncross your legs, just scootch.”

Gingerly, Sonata obeyed. The towels slid beneath her rump as she wriggled around. Her hair snagged between her hand and the towels, which only tangled them more, but she soon sorted everything out.

Fluttershy nestled her front into Sonata's back, her chin pressing into a turquoise shoulder. “I don't think we can get much closer than this, do you?” The two of them were at the same height, thanks to the altar. She rocked from side to side, her hands on Sonata's hips swaying her softly.

“Mmm-mmm.” The energy hummed around them. It was new, a far-off song that made her want to float in place and feel the vibrations as they rippled through the water. Sonata liked that sensation. She leaned back, and Fluttershy welcomed her in, reaching beneath her shoulder to cup her collarbone. It turned the sway into a gentle, rolling circle, their bodies moving together.

Her other hand slid over Sonata's hip and along her thigh. “Okay,” she said, her pink hair falling to the side as she slowly churned them both around and around. “Does any of this hurt?”

Sonata shook her head, feeling a tug on her hair. The swirling was almost hypnotic and her eyelids hooded the more Fluttershy rolled her around. “Nuh-uh.”

“Good,” came the quiet voice in her ear. “I'm going to cover your stomach now. Keep moving with me.” The hand slid up her leg to splay over her belly. “Breathe in.”

She inhaled, her stomach expanding beneath Fluttershy's touch. Her hips settled, embracing the energy rolling around her.

“And out,” Fluttershy murmured, pressing her chest against the back of Sonata's tank top, where her skin was bare.

She relaxed deeper into the embrace, Fluttershy's chin bearing down on the knots along her shoulder. “Mmmf.”

“Very good,” she purred, her tone lowering. “Again. Nice and deep. Breathe in . . .”

This time, the ache crackled in her chest and Sonata's breath hitched. “Hnnnh....” She couldn't help the soft whine as it slipped free.

The motion stopped and Fluttershy cradled her closer. “Are you okay? You tensed up.”

“Sorry,” Sonata muttered. “It still felt really good. You don't have to stop.” Fluttershy's breath warmed her neck and she resisted the urge to snuggle deeper. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head and offered the side of her throat.

Fingertips slid down her stretched neck, the pressure making her body sing as the tension flowed free. Her arms grew heavy, and Sonata sighed, exhaling the hurt.

“Other side?” Fluttershy nudged her, and she obeyed, leaning her head the other way.

More rubbing, more tension flowing and draining out of her neck. Sonata's whine lowered to a groan as she gave in, shoulders slumping in relief. This massage was different, the soreness finally giving way beneath the pressure. Seconds later, soft fumbling on the top of her head found the same tension in her ear-points, the pressure making the ache fading away. Sonata made a noise deep in her throat, approving of all this.

A giggle floated through the haze humming in her ears. “She's reacting well,” came Fluttershy's voice, “and opening up nicely.” The warmth against her back shifted, pressing in deeper. “Oh? I should ask.” Lips brushed her earlobe in a near-kiss. “Sonata?”

“Mmm?” She opened one eye, peeking in the mirror at the girl draped over her. Pink hair lapped at her blue shoulder, Fluttershy's yellow skin gleaming against hers.

“It's okay,” Fluttershy rubbed a cheek against the side of her neck, much like a cat. “Stretch forward, if you can? As far as you're comfortable.”

Sonata groaned again as she leaned forward, shoulders and hips stretching. She folded her body over her crossed legs, and found she could lean farther than she anticipated. The hip swivels had loosened her up.

“Good. A little more? You can manage it.” Fluttershy gently pushed on the tender point that was Sonata's old wing-spot. “And stay there.”

Sonata squeaked, half in surprise at being pushed further down, half at the heat washing over her back as something flared, a molten fishhook lodged between her shoulders. Wide-eyed, she struggled through a pained breath. One press, two, a bit deeper, a bit harder, and then the barb of energy dissolved in a quick burst of agony. “Hahhhhhh!”

Fluttershy patted her. “It's okay,” she repeated, caressing Sonata's stretched back muscles. “They're like roadblocks for your energy. Once they're loose, you can start to get better.”

“Su-uh-uh-rrre?” The word came out strangled as a particularly firm knead shoved the air from her lungs. She sucked in another breath. “Ooof.” Curling her arms in, she fumbled, trying to push herself up straight.

Fluttershy helped her sit back up, Sonata slumping back against her chest. “You poor thing. I'm sorry we made it so painful, but there wasn't another way.” She spread her palm over Sonata's stomach again. “Relax and let your body get used to the flow.” Pressing their bodies together, she rocked them both some more.

Sonata swayed loosely, her head lolled back as Fluttershy's warmth surrounded her. It flowed easily down her back, and up her sides, but merely nibbled at her chest where the cold ache lingered. While her loose hips rolled easily in slow circles, each stretch of her shoulders made the tightness crackle like ice, digging into her breastbone and refusing to budge. “Mmmmf!”

Fluttershy's chin pressed on the side of her neck again, making Sonata groan. Those turquoise eyes peered at them both from the mirror, eyeing Sonata's limp form wrapped up in her arms. “Treesy says you sound looser. Is that right?” Her voice sent a ripple through Sonata's chest, the breath of her whisper somehow tickling the tension as it ghosted over her ear. “Do you want more?”

Whooo. Sonata shut her eyes and squirmed as the heat from Fluttershy's breath spiralled low in her belly. Sure, more would be nice. She could do more. She nodded, sighing and cupping the hand resting beneath her throat. “Yeah, please.”

The rocking slowed, Fluttershy's palm sliding over to her shoulder. Her hand on Sonata's stomach moved to her hip for a light squeeze, then up to her other shoulder. “Mm. Is it all right if I turn the lights down? Not all the way, of course, but some.” She kneaded, giggling as Sonata's head lolled forward. “Would that be okay?”

Did she really need words for this? “Mmmhmm, yeaahh.”

“Thank you.” Fluttershy kissed her on the cheek and cuddled her close before pulling away. “Give me a second. I'll be back.”

Without the support behind her, Sonata flopped over on her side and groaned. Her heart beat close to the surface, her pulse thumping in her ears. The layers of ice beneath her breast were thawing and weakening, but would they melt quickly enough to save her heart?

The altar lights dimmed first, browning out until bare pinpricks spotted the towel-laden marble. One mirror frame buzzed as its lights went out with a snap of a switch, then the other. The rest of the bathroom lights followed, their hum rising, then lowering as everything went as close to dark as it could be. Then, to Sonata's surprise, the shower light flickered on, illuminating the clear glass and white-tiled stall. Some of it spilled over into the room, the glow reaching the near edge of the altar where she lay all splayed out like an offering.

A pause filled the room, then the rustle of clothes came from the darkness of the doorway. “There,” said Fluttershy. “Now it's dark, now it's quiet, and we can be who we are.” Her silhouette stepped out in front of the shower stall. The light shone through her pink hair, her bare shoulders glowing yellow. Her features were cloaked in shadow, as was any detail of her body, but there was no doubt she'd left her clothes behind. She giggled, hands folded at her waist. “I decided to be a little bit daring. I hope you don't mind.”

Oh no, Sonata didn't mind daring. Daring was okay. Propping herself up, she tried to focus, but her head swam, Fluttershy's outline blurred, and she sank back with a whine. She was only half healed, her other half still suffering, caught between pain and pleasure.

Moving closer, Fluttershy folded an arm over her chest and leaned on the altar to peer at Sonata. “Here we are,” she said softly, “you, me, and the little voice in my ear.” She reached out to caress, sliding her palm along Sonata's shoulder and tracing the strap of her cranberry tank top. “Treehugger's very pleased with us right now, and that's good.”

“Yeah? What's she saying?” Sonata wiggled, nestling her head into the curve of her own elbow.

“She's happy you're still here, and she hopes you're warm and comfortable,” she said. Her touch wandered up the side of Sonata's neck, thumb and forefinger grasping her earlobe and pulling. The slow, hot stretch dragged a low noise from Sonata's throat, which made Fluttershy smile. “And apparently you like having your ears pulled.” She paused to listen, head tilted to one side, then her grasp slid up higher, skirting the rim of Sonata's ear before fastening on again. “She also says to put a bit of pressure here.”

The soft pull made Sonata's eyes cross and a deeper groan vibrated through her. Ohhhh. The scale tipped slowly towards pleasure, her pain easing.

“There we go.” Leaning in, Fluttershy nuzzled her, brushing her cheek along Sonata's neck and ear before sliding back to nudge noses. “Hmm. Treehugger's humming in my ear and it's very ticklish,” she whispered. Another tug on Sonata's earlobe produced more content noises from her, and Fluttershy giggled. “If we don't move on, I might have to take my headset off. She can be such a tease.”

Sonata murmured, giving in to the soft, insistent nudging and rolling onto her back. She arched to let Fluttershy slide her tank top up, the fabric grazing her nipples and lifting her breasts slightly. Then her shirt came off and she nestled back down into the towels. “Mmmmph.”

Bare feet slid over the marble floor, shadows slid away from the light, and then Fluttershy leaned over her from above, pink hair hanging over both their faces. “Treehugger says I should start with your stomach,” the upside-down Fluttershy said. “There's lots of lovely sensations there and it's not too intimate right away.” She waggled the bottle of oil that had somehow made its way into her hand. “She says it will help your chakra, too. Is that okay?”

“Dunno about chakras,” Sonata said, stretching slowly and reaching up to play with the pink hair hanging over her, “but yeah, it's okay.” She made a soft, pleased noise as Fluttershy met her with a kiss on the forehead and another nose nuzzle that heated up her ears.

“Be good,” Fluttershy whispered, “and I promise, it'll all be worth it.” She pressed her palm over Sonata's collarbone, then leaned forward, her breasts inches away from resting on the other woman's forehead.

Be good? Now? Sonata tried not to groan as she admired the overhead view. Fluttershy had a beautiful tightness about her, her breasts joined together in the middle. No deep cleavage, though they were nice and full. Kinda odd, but nothing she hadn't seen before. Some girls were attached like that. And if she lifted her chin a tad, she could probably lick a delicate path up that breastbone. She was sure that would produce a delicious squeak or two. But no, she had to behave and not ruin the innocence here to save her, so she closed her eyes and sighed. Not getting too intimate, my fins!

Fluttershy's oily hands skirted her breasts and slid along her ribs. Sonata stifled a whine, even as her body arched into the slick, hot glide down her stomach. A caress teased her belly and swirled delicately around her hipbones, making them tilt, before it came back up to circle her navel slowly, fingers occasionally curling to press into her glistening skin. Oooooh . . .

“Sorry, but are you ticklish?”

“Hmm?” Opening her eyes, Sonata caught Fluttershy peeking at her, head tipped upside down as she strained to see beneath her own breasts. One hand rubbed gentle circles on Sonata's belly while the other braced herself.

“You're okay?” she asked again, her fingers dipping down nice and slow to skirt the waist of Sonata's pants, so close to the edge of her mound.

Hnngh. A bit lower, and she'd be muuuuch better. “S'fine,” she managed. She wouldn't beg. Not yet.

Fluttershy nodded. “She's okay, Treehugger, and looking very relaxed. I think it's working.” She then moved her arm to give her boobs a little adjustment, her hips wiggling slightly overhead.

Okay, now it was working too well, because this suddenly wasn't relaxing at all. “Wait. Not fine.” Everything paused, including those pretty, barely-parted thighs a bit further back. Briefly, perversely, Sonata wished for a little more spread there, before she pushed the thought away and patted the arm covering those adorable breasts. “Um, sorry. I need room, please?”

“Hold on.” Fluttershy sighed as she straightened up. “She needs a minute.”

Shyeah, she really did. The warmth in her breath was better than the ice still in her chest, but wow, did she ever need a minute. Finally free from the yellow body that caged her, she stretched delicately and let out a groan so heated, it would have seared those tender golden legs.

As Sonata propped herself up on her elbows, Fluttershy retreated slightly, moving around to the side of the altar. She cupped her chin in an oily palm, her other arm settled over her chest. In the dim lighting, her skin shone. “Was that too much?” she asked.

Sonata tilted her head. “Kinda? Um, not being rude or anything, but you were dangling like a really sweet bunch of grapes.” She glanced down at her own breasts. “Didn't think I should nibble.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy's forehead got a cute little crease in it, then her eyes widened. “Ohhhh.” She turned slightly and touched her earpiece. “Treesy, was I doing it wrong? I leaned over her head and . . .” Her frown returned a moment later. “I don't see how this is a laughing situation.”

Oh, Sonata admired that innocence. She had been like that once, before she'd seduced her way through the centuries. Bending one knee, she laced her fingers around it and sat there, watching the one-way discussion.

“No, I know what this is meant to do, but if I'm making her uncomfortable, I'm obviously not . . .” Fluttershy paused, then snorted, almost like a pony. It looked like she might even stamp a foot, given another second. “All right. We should have thought of that.” An apologetic glance came Sonata's way. “I'll give her more time and we'll try again.”

Waving a hand, Sonata tried not to make a face of her own. It wasn't Fluttershy's fault she wanted a taste, was it? Not like Treehugger could see them, either, since she was doing this by ear. “S'okay. I mean, things are gonna get serious, yeah? You're going to get close with me and that's okay. I . . . hahh.” She sighed. “You're very pretty like that, and it caught me up in the moment.”

Fluttershy took a turn to glance down at how she was covering herself. “Oh, um.” Her fingers twitched and almost revealed a nipple. “Thank you?” She hesitated. “Just seeing them isn't bad, right?”

Sonata shook her head. Oh no, they weren't bad at all.

“Okay.” The colour of Fluttershy's cheeks almost matched her hair, but she patted the towel-covered spot in front of her, while moving her arm aside to bare her breasts. “You didn't want to do something and so you stopped. That's good. So, lie back down and we can keep going. If you want to touch me, ask, and we'll see how I feel. All right?”

Yeah, she could do that. Still, she was curious. “Why are they like that?” she asked, tapping her own chest to indicate the joined flesh along Fluttershy's breastbone. “You've got, like, no separation.”

Fluttershy shrugged, her shoulders barely lifting that lovely rack. “It's a condition I have. No one really sees me like this, so it's not like it comes up.” She smiled slightly. “I'm a little tight at times, but it's fine.”

Okay, fine. Letting go of her knee, Sonata pushed her hair back so she wouldn't lie on it, and lay back once again. Then she shifted around. Her tailbone developed an itch. Oil tickled as it slid beneath her waistband.

Clucking her tongue, Fluttershy watched her squirm for a bit before patting her shoulder. “Aww, did we ruin the mood?”

No, they hadn't done anything. It was all her. She'd broken the spell, sent ripples the wrong way, and thrown everything off. Her moods swung wildly and she couldn't settle. Agh, why was she so useless at this? Sonata closed her fists, her shoulders tensing again as the ache in her chest grew colder.

“Treesy, she's having a lot of trouble. Can you talk to her?” Tilting her head, Fluttershy slipped her earpiece off and held it out. “Here.”

Sonata blinked, lowering her shoulders again. “Don't you need that?”

“She's very warm in my ear.” Her smile showed more warmth. “I could use a break, so it's okay. I don't imagine you'll take too long.”

Well, fine, then. She kinda liked Treehugger and if it would help . . . she put the earpiece on. “Hey?”

“Hit a bump in the road, yeah?” Treehugger's voice thrummed through her and Sonata uncurled in response, tension draining. Wow. How did she do that? Just a few words and her worries were already fading. Was this more Equestrian magic?

“Uh-huh,” she admitted. “Sorry. Everything, y'know, got tangled and I wanted so much to, uh.” She glanced at Fluttershy, who giggled. “Well, stuff was a little weird.” That was pretty much all she could say about that.

Treehugger chuckled. “Yeah, sometimes people feel the rush and want to just engage, like, physically, in the act of lovemaking. It's instinct. Flutters probably shouldn't hang over you like that, but it's fine.” Her drawl pulled the 'i' in 'fine' out into a long syllable. “She doesn't sound too worried about it, though, so let's deal with you. Can't get comfortable?”

Sonata shifted again. “Not really.” She twisted a little, lifting a hip to scratch that maddening tickle. “Is it okay to get my pants off? I don't think the oil's doing the fabric any favours.”

She had asked Treehugger, but it was Fluttershy who nodded. Reaching over, she helped Sonata tug her yoga pants down her hips, easing it off one foot at a time. She folded them up and added them to the unseen pile of clothes on a bench off to the side.

At Sonata's relieved sigh, Treehugger laughed again. “Sounds like they're off. That's good, it's your body, you do what you want with it. Comfortable now?”

She flopped back, maybe a little harder than she'd intended, wincing as the back of her head protested the thump against the towels. “Mff. Yeah.”

“Rad.” Treehugger inhaled, then let out a long, humming breath that rumbled deep inside Sonata's ear. “Hmmmmmkay. Don't close your eyes. You aren't alone in doing this. It's between the two of you, so look at her. Find her eyes and gaze into them. Take her hand, if you like.” She pitched her hum downwards and the low note soothed the throb in Sonata's skull. “Touch each other, yeah?”

That didn't sound hard. Fluttershy was right there beside her, kneeling on a bench with her elbows on the altar. In the dimness, her yellow skin glowed like gold and her hips swayed softly. Her eyes widened slightly as Sonata rolled her head to gaze at her, but she smiled and leaned a little closer. “Is she asking you to look at me?”

Sonata nodded. Tentative, she turned her right hand over and held it up. Fluttershy accepted and cradled it, her thumb stroking Sonata's palm.

“Breathe,” Treehugger offered, “like you did before. Hear yourself nice and loud, get outside of the pain in your head. You'll feel better.”

Fluttershy lowered her head and rubbed her cheek against the back of Sonata's hand. Her eyes gleamed as the two women gazed at each other. Finally, Sonata's lungs loosened and she let out the breath caught in her throat. The tightness in her breastbone shifted.

“That's good,” Treehugger coaxed, obviously hearing the change in her breathing. “Keep doing that. When you feel ready again, guide her to where you want touching. It can be your throat, your hip, your breast. Wherever your need is the greatest.” She hummed another low breath of her own, Sonata's eyelids fluttering at the sensations it stirred inside her.

The next breath was easier, deeper, and she let it out again without holding back. Fluttershy's body curled closer, her gaze wide and innocent, as her fingers did delicious things to Sonata's hand. “Feeling good?” she whispered.

Sonata nodded.

“Show me.” Fluttershy kissed her knuckles, pink tongue swiping between them.

She turned her hand, opening up to the attention. Maybe they'd continue from where she'd stopped? Taking her new friend's hand, she guided it back to her still-glistening stomach.

Fluttershy's palm moved in circles, finding the slow rhythm from before. “You're sure?” she murmured.

Sonata nodded, taking the earpiece off and handing it back to her. “Mmhmm.”

She tucked it back beneath her pink hair. “Okay, from where we left off.” She stroked and swirled softly, teasing the curve of Sonata's hip, then brushed up along her navel. Her hand feathered the lightest touch along bare skin, then pressed down again along Sonata's sides.

Fluttershy shifted her direction, obviously responding to Treehugger's instructions, and her touch slithered up along Sonata's cleavage. Her fingers ghosted over the centre of the ache there, tracing the inner curves of Sonata's breasts, then higher to massage her shoulders and neck. Her gaze didn't waver, watching Sonata's face as she caressed and kneaded.

Mmmf. Ooohhhh, that's good.

On the way back down, Fluttershy's fingers trailed over each breast, not quite fondling them. The light touch brought Sonata into an arch again, her body responding and lifting into the contact.

“More?” Fluttershy murmured, stroking her thumbs along Sonata's ribs, the pressure so close to her curves. “Just ask.”

Sonata didn't bother stopping the low whimper that escaped with her next breath. “Please . . .”

“Oh, she's begging,” said Fluttershy, sounding far too satisfied as she tattled to Treehugger. “What should I do?”

Touch me!

“Mmm?” The heat in Fluttershy's gaze and voice torched Sonata's icy core. “I think she wants some attention paid to them, yes. Is that a good idea?” Her lips quirked. “A skosh? How much would you say is 'a skosh', exactly, Treehugger?” Her touch slithered higher, short fingernails scraping maddeningly against the underside of Sonata's breasts. “Oh, that much?”

Sonata breathed out the new heat, narrowing her eyes at the teasing expression on Fluttershy's face.

Fluttershy glanced at her slyly. “Relax,” she coaxed, smiling as she finally cupped a breast and traced the edge. “Doesn't that feel good?”

Moaning quietly, Sonata settled as more oil dripped down on her and Fluttershy took her breasts in both hands. The cupping moved to caressing, then to kneading, each slick squeeze sending quivers down Sonata's body.

Occasionally, Fluttershy's touch wandered up to caress Sonata's collarbone, or down to stroke her belly. With each pass, her fingertips wandered lower, skirting the edge of Sonata's thighs and pressing down to rock the heel of one hand along the swell of her mound.

Sonata's thighs soon fell open, the warmth coming from her groin demanding a soothing rush of cooler air. Her breathing deepened, each knead and caress putting more fire in her throat, and she breathed out all the hot, aching hurt.

As yet another light, tugging pinch sent a surge through her already-stiff nipple, Fluttershy's fingers finally strayed far enough to brush Sonata's wetness. Both women seemed to hesitate, seeking out each other's eyes.

Sonata reached up and threaded her fingers through that pink hair, adoring how soft and fine it was. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Fluttershy breathed back. It was dark, but it was clear her pupils were blown from arousal, not the lack of light. The trickles on her spread thighs showed how wet she was. She gave Sonata another gentle squeeze, her thumb softly flicking at a nipple. “Hmm.” Half-closing her eyes, she sighed and leaned into the soft scratch of fingernails behind her ear. “Yes, Treehugger. She's very ready.”

Sure, she was. Sonata caressed the side of Fluttershy's neck and stroked her with a thumb, mirroring some of the affection she'd received. She reminded herself that she shouldn't be sorry, that Fluttershy was a very willing partner, and nothing they did together would harm her at all.

Fluttershy appeared to listen carefully to the voice in her ear while sidling closer to allow Sonata the freedom to work the nape of her neck. Her head dipped slightly, a low noise rolling in the back of her throat, and she murmured a response to an obvious question from Treehugger. “Mmm? It's good.” She sighed, her eyes hooded.

Sonata took it as a sign that it was time for the important part of the treatment. No more playing around. She squeezed the tip of Fluttershy's spine one last time and let her go.

Looking disappointed, Fluttershy shook herself and scooped up the oil bottle. “Sorry, I needed to listen. I guess you want to keep going?”

“Kinda need to,” Sonata admitted, watching Fluttershy move down and settle closer to her spread thighs. “Mmm. Glad it's you doing this.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Thank you. Now, if anything feels wrong, let me know, and I'll stop.” Pouring oil in her palm, she set the bottle down and trailed her cupped hand along Sonata's stomach.

The warm droplets sliding down the crease of her inner thighs made Sonata giggle and spread, wide enough for Fluttershy to take advantage. She rubbed the oil into Sonata's skin and slid up each thigh, making the blue body glisten. Then her fingers finally grazed Sonata's labia, her touch slowed, the light trace tingling up and down as Fluttershy blushed at the slick sound.

Their eyes met as her touch pressed in, her finger sliding easily between inner and outer lips. The soft, testing nudge made Sonata inhale sharply, her vaginal muscles tensing around the tip. In response, Fluttershy's mouth opened in a gentle 'o', her finger slipping free as she withdrew.

“Sorry,” Sonata breathed. Her heart fluttered in time with the throbbing between her legs. “Too much?”

Fluttershy flushed scarlet, but she licked her lips and shook her head. “Mmmf. No, just new.” She affectionately rubbed Sonata's well-oiled mound, fingers resuming their slow rhythm on her lower stomach. “Was it okay?”

Sonata nodded. The touch was okay, but so was the energy swirling up her spine. If the barest hint of a finger could do that, what would more do? Before she could say something, anything, to ease the tension, Fluttershy's slim fingers slipped downwards again.

The touch fluttered this time, which made a strange sort of sense to her. It dipped down one side and up the other, fingers lightly fondling her labia. The circle widened, exploring her edges, and then Fluttershy daringly brushed the hood of her clitoris. The pressure moved up one side of her clit, over the ridge of her hood, then down the other side, Sonata's hips rolling with the tension as Fluttershy got more comfortable with fondling her.

She had to say something, to tell her how good it felt to be rubbed there, but words failed Sonata as the next stroke circled downward. Weight pressed on the lower curve of her mound and dragged a low moan from her.

Fluttershy had leaned over to watch her fingers dip, but the noise from Sonata drew her attention back up, and she smiled. “Oh, did you like that?” Leaning forward again, she swirled two fingers, working down one side of Sonata's swollen labia, then sliding up the other. They spread and delved down both sides of her clitoris, adding a few soft squeezes on her hood as she went. “Hmm. She's very open, Treehugger.” Her gaze lingered on Sonata's face. “Mmmhmm, quite wet. I don't think we're going to need any more oil.” She curled her middle finger again to lightly nuzzle, spread, and probe at her opening. “Ohh, but she might need some of this, yes. She seems ready.”

Sonata stifled a squeak as that nuzzling fingertip parted her pussy lips and barely dipped inside, then it slithered out again to tease her. The energy swirled closer, with no way in. If only she could get Fluttershy's finger sliding inside her, that sweet sensation could follow . . .

“Would you like this, Sonata?” Fluttershy murmured, slowing her fingertip to brush up and down, her aim clear. “You're quivering around me when I try to slide inside you, and it's so, hmm, intimate, I can't go any deeper. If I do, I'm not sure how you'll sound, or what you'll feel like around me.” She sighed delicately and covered her heart with her left hand, squeezing her own breast. Rubbing herself, she let go and reached down to rest that palm over Sonata's heart, kneading her the same way. “But I could find out, if you'll let me?”

Tides help her, Fluttershy shouldn't sound so innocent when she said things like that! Sonata exhaled again, the heat of her breath washing over her own breasts. Her nipples had hardened into tight peaks, gleaming a deep blue beneath the glow of the dimmed spotlights. Each swirl of Fluttershy's fingers between her legs mingled slick oil with her even slicker wetness, working her labia into such a swollen state that each stroke slid deeper into the folds of her flesh. They glided along the shaft of her clit, pinching softly to tug on her hood and roll her around, and Sonata moaned into the next breath as her hips pushed up against the pressure.

“Sonata? I need an answer.” Fluttershy gazed at her, expression wide and pure. “I'd like to make you feel better, but you have to give me permission to put these inside you. Treehugger says so.” Her finger sank past Sonata's plump outer labia, past the first knuckle, and she teased Sonata's inner lips now, the tip applying soft, rocking pressure as she sought entrance. “You've come this far, so be a good girl and let me in, please?”

She was so soaked from oil and arousal, Sonata was surprised Fluttershy's finger hadn't already found its way inside. This was it. She looked up into those turquoise eyes, put her trust in those teasing hands, and nodded. “Mmhmmm.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered, and slipped her finger in with a low, wet squelch that burned Sonata's ears and pulled a gasp from her overheated throat.

It wasn't a hard plunge, but she had already endured a good deal of teasing, and so a hot surge enveloped her as she embraced that finger sinking in. “Hhahhhh!”

Fluttershy's face showed her wonder, her mouth open and her eyes gleaming. Her own breathing hitched, her body reacting to the slow delve of her touch inside Sonata. Hypnotized by the heat and slickness, she worked her finger in and out. Her other hand covered Sonata's belly, fingers slipping down to massage her clitoris.

Sonata groaned again, the pull on her clit roiling the sensation around inside her. “Hmm, yeahhh. Feels good.”

“I'm glad.” Fluttershy's cheeks were fiery red and she kept peeking at the parted, plump lips she fondled. Her finger eased a little deeper and she lightly stroked in and out, curling it. “You're so wet,” she whispered. “I . . . ohhh.” She pushed deeper, past her second knuckle.

Sonata gasped as that curled finger nudged a tender spot and inched her arousal higher. “Mmmf. There, please? Just there.”

Fluttershy's expression changed to one of satisfaction. “Oh, is that the spot? Hmm, I found it, Treehugger.” The hand massaging her clit and outer lips squeezed again, fingers pressing down as the sunken finger of her other hand tickled that tantalizing spot from beneath and inside. “Like that, Sonata?”

She nodded, suddenly panting as the energy fed off the pressure. The hum flowed through the aches and weakness inside her, perking her up. Her hips began to lift off the altar, but before she could beg for it with a pitiful whine of need, the pressure eased as Fluttershy relaxed her grip. Sonata drew in a deep, ragged breath and blinked, the rush of pleasure tapering off.

“She says you're not to go over the edge too quickly,” Fluttershy said, looking both demure and sexy at the same time. Her finger rested inside as she softened her massage into a rub over Sonata's mound. She breathed out, relaxed, deep, and loud, withdrawing her finger to swab softly around the dark, puffy labia. “Stay with me. We're going to cool down a little, then build up again.” Moving her free hand up to rest on Sonata's belly, she slid a thumb through the oil pooled in her navel.

Sonata arched into the gentle strokes, hooding her eyes as the energy dipped to a hum. She found her breath, let it out again, and stretched, opening up to Fluttershy's caresses along her ribs and breasts. Her arousal still thrummed, but it obediently melted into the swirl, waiting to be stirred back up into a torrent.

Resting her palm on a breast, Fluttershy plucked at Sonata's dusky nipple. “I'm sure this feels nice,” she said, looking intrigued as she slid her thumb and forefinger over it. “Do you like it?”

“Uh-huh.” Her breasts were so sensitive, full, and heavy, though they'd flattened out while she was on her back. The ache between them protested, surrounded by heat and trapped by the new energy. Sonata ignored it, peeking up at Fluttershy's face. “Do you?” she asked. “Like it, I mean?”

“A little.” Her hair slid across her face, and she used her wrist to push it back over a bare shoulder before switching breasts. As she cupped and kneaded, she smiled. “You're very pretty, Sonata. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about all this, but . . . it's okay, Treehugger.” She winked, shifting her attention to Treehugger's voice in her ear as she traced Sonata's nipple and tugged to elicit another gasp. “Sonata's lovely, she's soft and warm, and she feels very good when I slip inside her.”

A soft fumble between Sonata's legs matched that statement, as a finger traced, lazily nudged her labia open, and dipped inside her again. Sonata's eyes widened, her hips lifting to accommodate the slow push, and both women breathed out at the same time.

“Yes, I know I'm allowed to make up my own mind about what this means, Treehugger, but I think getting a pretty woman to react like this is rather nice.” Fluttershy gave Sonata's breast one last squeeze before sliding down to put some gentle pressure over her mound again. “Mmm. You know, she moves so sweetly,” she purred, “when I curl my finger like this.” She crooked her finger, nice and slow, and Sonata arched, stifling a whine at the teasing tickle inside her.

She wriggled, hooked on the tip of Fluttershy's finger. The tightening circle inside her pulsed, the shaft of her clit kneaded with slow, soft tugs. She was soaked, several parts of her humming.

“Yes, she's very hot,” Fluttershy commented, “and she's streaming wet, so I think I could manage another.”

A second finger stroked up and down, then slid forward with a low, lewd schlick. Right away, it curled up and in.

Sonata yelped.

“Oh, you heard that? Yes, it slipped right in, she's so slick.” Did she have to sound so surprised? “Mmmhmm, I think so.” Fluttershy stroked her fingers back and forth, looking far too pleased with herself. “Sonata?”

“Mmm?” Her gaze focused again.

“Treehugger says she would normally stretch this out longer, but you're doing so well, she thinks it would be okay to let you climax now.” She rolled her wrist, turning her fingers to graze her thumb over the edge of Sonata's clit. “If you want to, that is.”

How long had they been at this? When were the others returning? Sonata tilted her head back and strained her ears, expecting to hear Aria thumping on the door, or the echo of Adagio's laugh outside. When neither happened, she relaxed and dug her nails into the towels, her pulse throbbing in time with Fluttershy's strokes. “Yeahhhh,” she murmured, “keep doin' that . . .” Oh, that felt good.

Fluttershy nodded and kept doing that, her thumb working Sonata's clitoris in firmer circles. With two fingers tucked deep inside, she encouraged Sonata's inner muscles to ripple against her, coaxing their slow clench and release. Their slowly rising breathing, the wet sounds of fingers sinking deeper, and the slide of towel fabric on marble were the only sounds in the room.

Sonata's sigh tapered into a moan as she rose towards her orgasm, the crest within her reach. Her belly flexed, tightened. Energy welled. Hot tears prickled her eyes as her breasts tingled. So long, Siren Sonata. Thanks for the memories.

Two strokes, then three inside her, and the roll of Sonata's hips caught the wave as it broke over her in a rush of bliss. “Hnnnaahhhh!” Her head thrashed from side to side, her body bucking as her pussy rippled around Fluttershy's slim fingers, cresting desperately in pleasure. “Haahhh! Hhhaaaaahhhh!” Then the tide flowed away again, her body softening and easing up to release the wrist she had tried to clamp her thighs around. “Mmmf.”

Sonata grinned as Fluttershy peered down at her. Well, she tried to grin, because damn, was everything kinda fuzzy or what? “First time you've caused one of those, yeah?”

“For, um, someone else, yes.” To her credit, Fluttershy didn't flinch as her fingers slid out, her expression a dazed mixture of desire, embarrassment, and satisfaction. Her hand was soaked, but steady as it traced Sonata's labia with more gentle teasing.

Sonata stretched in response, groaning. Such a lovely orgasm, thanks to all the foreplay. From her head to her hips, a burning line of energy flickered through her core. The icy pain had dissolved, but the energy still roiled inside her and the ache simmered rather than crackled .

“So close,” Fluttershy murmured. She patted Sonata's hip. “Turn over, please? Treehugger says we need to finish this. You'll feel so much better when we're through.”

Guided by Fluttershy's hands, Sonata rolled over onto her stomach, giggling as her hips were hiked up with a folded towel tucked beneath them. She settled her chin on her hands and sighed. “I can't see you from here.”

“Would you rather see me, or let me do this?” A soft, delicate tapping tickled her clit, and Sonata wiggled in appreciation. “Mmmmhhmm, that's what I thought.” Seconds later, warm pressure slipped past her outer lips, and she welcomed the return of those fingers, her pussy so slick and needy that she opened right up with a low, hot noise.

“Oh, that's a good girl,” Fluttershy cooed, resting her free hand on Sonata's tailbone to hold her in place. She eased deeper, fingers stirring up and down slowly. “This won't take long, I promise.” Her thumb swept over Sonata's throbbing clit once again, pulling another gasp from her.

Sonata's hips rolled in time with the rocking. The heat pulsing through her had melted the ice around her heart. If only the wetness streaming down her legs could quench the fire burning through her body. Tides take her if she drowned in it, she needed dousing! “Huuunnnh!”

Fluttershy's touch dipped, somehow gripping Sonata's mound between thumb and forefinger. A soft, firm jiggle spiked a hot, wet surge inside her, and Sonata clenched, squirmed, rippled, and cried out as she came again.

She arched her back and pushed her chest into the soft towels, sparking more sensations as her nipples slid over the fabric. Energy engulfed her, swallowing her body whole, and she nearly sobbed as she writhed on Fluttershy's fingers.

The surge passed through her, energy swirling higher as it splashed through her chest in a rush, pushing the hot, pulsing ache into her throat. Sonata rose up onto all fours, lifting her head. All the pain, all the damage, and all the broken energy inside her surged higher, and her breath scorched like a geyser. Her howl bounced off the tiles, echoing back on them, then it faded to a weak groan as she finally slumped down again.

Drained, she squeezed her eyes shut so her vision would stop blurring. “Ohhhhh. Mmfff....” She felt Fluttershy easing out of her again, saying something over the earpiece to Treehugger, and her legs twitched. Oooof, what a ride.

She moaned as the palm covering her tailbone rocked her forward. Her soaked thighs squeezed together, producing a slick noise as they slid against each other. Then the tickle of hair between her shoulder blades and a breathy puff in her ear regained her attention. “That sounded amazing,” Fluttershy whispered.

Sonata tried to lift her head, but a nuzzle from Fluttershy made her reconsider. It would be rude to bump her nose, she decided, settling for a kiss on the ear. “Mmmmf, felt pretty good, too.”

“Treehugger hung up,” Fluttershy said, laying the earpiece down on the altar. “She says she'll see us in a couple days to make sure we're okay.” Her breath caressed Sonata's neck. “She wants a good, long look at you. If you don't want her to come here, that's fine. She's got a lovely yoga room of her own.”

Closing one eye, Sonata angled her head to peek at her. It'd do until she could find the energy to roll over. “Yeah? What about you?” She grinned lazily. “Pretty sure she wants a good, long look at you, too.”

Fluttershy's sigh ruffled her hair. “She often does. The first time the magic transformed me, she checked me over very thoroughly.”

Sonata couldn't stop her gigglesnort, but moaned when Fluttershy gave her another gentle rock along her tailbone. Oh, she was loopy.

“You,” Fluttershy continued, “have changed how my friend sees me.” Her voice dropped again as she leaned closer, her mouth finding Sonata's ear. “Treehugger is very fond of hanging her clothes up and sitting naked out on her back porch. It's screened in, hidden by trees and leaves, and sometimes I sit out there with her. She never says anything about me staying dressed, because she's very accepting and caring. Now?” She paused. “Well, she still won't say anything, because she's so accepting and caring, but she'll smile at me as I'm sitting there.”

“Wait, she didn't smile at you before?” Sonata propped herself up on an elbow. Her afterglow had faded somewhat, but her body still hummed pleasantly. “Isn't that kinda weird?”

Fluttershy glanced away. “It's different. When she smiles at me, she thinks I'm innocent and she would love for me to be as free as her. She's never had to say it, but I can tell.” She nearly ducked behind her hair, but steadied herself. “Treehugger's proud of me for doing this, but she's also worried, and she'll want to talk about it and ... mfff.”

Her squirm was adorable, and Sonata couldn't help herself. Twisting around, she leaned in and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek. “It's okay,” she breathed. “Hey, you could be reading it wrong. Ask her, when she's giving you that once-over, yeah? Take advantage of it and show off a little.”

“Show off?” she echoed, blinking.

Sonata nodded. “Mmmhmm.” She stroked a bare shoulder and planted another kiss high on Fluttershy's cheek. “If she wants to look at you, give her a better view than she's expecting. You've been practising for it, right? Now's your chance. Unless you think she's gonna hate how you look, but she doesn't seem the type.”

“No, no. She'll smile, nod approvingly, tell me I think about my body too much, and that's all she'll ever say about it.” Fluttershy nibbled her lower lip. “It's so easy for her, being open like that . . .”

“Let her be open, You be you.” Sonata pointed out, tucking some pink hair behind Fluttershy's ear and kissing her there next. A soft purr was her reward. “Think I said that before.” She lowered her head to lick the spot on Fluttershy's throat where the purr vibrated strongest.

Fluttershy groaned and leaned into Sonata's teasing tongue. “Y-yes, you haaave — hahhh!” She bucked, the obvious surge running through her slim body. “Please . . .”

As much as her new energy wanted to wrap itself around Fluttershy and mingle with her, Sonata drew back, heeding the plea. Her heart had stopped aching, but that didn't mean it had stopped entirely. It wanted to show gratitude, as deeply and closely as it could, but only if the woman who'd helped her was willing. “Is that a 'stop' or 'don't stop' kinda please?”

“A 'help me finish', kind of please,” came the whisper. Fluttershy's eyes gleamed, her body shifting as she hugged her breasts and wiggled her hips. She leaned forward on her elbows, showing her thighs as she knelt there and rubbed them against each other. “This always feels so good when I do it. Mmmff. I'm so close right now . . .” Her breath caught as one leg crossed over the other, and her body quivered in bliss, then she sighed. “Do you still want to touch me?”

Grinning, Sonata sat up and tucked her own legs beneath her. “Sure thing. Where?”

Fluttershy cupped her own breast, trembling with the strain of balancing on one forearm. She plucked her nipple and rolled it between her fingertips. “Mm . . . well, since you were so worried about me missing my first kiss, perhaps I can have one?” She peered through lidded eyes at Sonata. “It's okay. I know you'll be gentle with me.”

A flush of heat caught her off-guard and Sonata clutched the base of her own throat, swallowing. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Fluttershy's soft voice strained as her thighs slid back and forth delicately. “Hmmm.” She craned forward, coming closer.

Sonata didn't resist. Cupping Fluttershy's cheek, she tilted her head at the right angle and let the other woman close the distance. Fluttershy's lips parted, her pink tongue moistening them as an offering.

Ohh, perfect.

The kiss sparked as their lips met, both women curling their bodies in ways that made the tension and energy surge. One leaned in, the other eased back, lips pursed, then they pressed together again and more energy sang between them. Finally, balance became an issue and Sonata caught Fluttershy before she stretched too far and lost the thread of her budding orgasm.

Fluttershy's breathy whine at the loss of contact emboldened Sonata. “Hey,” she whispered, “can I feel your tits? Pretty please?”

It took some seconds for Fluttershy to understand, her eyes glassy as the movement of her thighs took up most of her attention. Her flush completely filled her cheeks, trailed down her neck, and even mottled her shoulders pink. “Hhhahhh . . . you want to?”

“Pssh, yeah.” Sonata kissed the corner of her mouth. “Wanted to before, but I was being good then, Now, not so much. Is that okay?” She raised her eyebrows. “They're really lovely.”

Fluttershy nodded, shifting her elbows to offer up her dangling breasts. “I'd like that, thank you.” She rocked on her knees, working herself slowly and watching Sonata reach for her. Her head tipped back when a palm grazed one of her nipples and she sighed. “Ohh, ohhh, oohhhhh . . .”

Sonata smiled. Yeah, nice and full. Her touch glided along the underside of those lovely boobs. She stroked her, cupping their soft weight and fondling with her thumbs. Fluttershy's nipples were firm, pink peaks, and teasing them with a palm produced cute, panting moans.

“Keep, hahh, keep doing that.” Fluttershy flicked her eyes shut and she shivered. “Please keep doing that. It's going to, mmmmph, going to do it.” Her roiling hips quickened, her body rocking forward into Sonata's touch, and then she arched. “Going to — Nnngggghh! Mmmfff! Oohhhmmfff!” Her breath stuttered, her head dipping down as her hair covered Sonata's forearms, and her hips trembled as she rode out her orgasm.

Fluttershy's pose buckled and she dropped, catching herself before her breasts squashed Sonata's hands against the altar. Her shoulders heaved and she peeked up through her tousled and limp hair. “Hmmf... oh, dear. Hhahhh . . .”

“Hot,” Sonata informed her, grinning. She slid her hands free, the caress making Fluttershy squirm. “So, so hot.” She brushed some of that hair aside, much like Fluttershy had done to her. “You okay? Not totally freaked out?”

“A little freaked out,” she confessed, head tilting and eyes flicking shut as Sonata's fingernails dug into her scalp. “Mmm, but that helps.”

A wave of affection rippled through Sonata. Her heart was full, all the pain washed away. “You wanna keep this just between the three of us, then?” she asked. “Because Sunset Shimmer might also freak when she figures it out.”

'Let me worry about that,” Fluttershy said, sighing. She stretched out, one of the pools of light catching the back of her hips and highlighting the dimples at the base of her spine. “It's not your fault, and I have Treehugger to back me up.”

Yeah, true. None of this had been her idea. She had, whadyacallit, 'possible dryability'. No way Sunset Shimmer could get mad at her, right? Because she really didn't want to see all the pretty colours again.

Sighing, she stroked long, pink hair some more. She was a new Sonata, with new goals and a new life ahead of her. That life was much shorter now, but it was all the more reason to get a quick start. “C'mon. We gotta shower before she and the others get back. And there's one more thing we need. Takeout!”

-~-~-~-~-~

Comfortably surrounded by cheerful noise, with her body curled into the corner of the couch, Sonata Dusk contemplated the last few hours. Sated, adored, and well-fed on tasty rice and crunchy seafood, she could declare the start of her new life a success. She was miles better than when she'd woken up this afternoon, and it was thanks to the kindness of one woman.

Aria had made some noise about the few garlic shrimp left, but she was in a similar state of 'sex and food make Siren comfy'. Instead of picking a fight with Sonata, she dared to see how often she could poke Sunset Shimmer in the hip without getting smacked.

Adagio, whose seduction had started the whole evening, was full-on lounging and soaking up energy with Rarity. Sonata couldn't blame her, but it was eerie, Adagio stepping back like this and Aria doing the talking. Their world really had changed.

As Aria explained, the gems had gathered energy and shared it, which was why the Sirens had always hunted in a pack. No single energy signature would stand out, all of it mixing together and feeding the trio without trying them to one source.

Without the gems, the energy exchange became one-on-one, resulting in tangled signatures. Ex-Sirens and Rainbooms had bonded because of what they'd done, each relying on the other. Treehugger had mentioned the downside to that, and Aria had confirmed it. If something tried to absorb Equestrian magic from one of the girls while they were still linked, there would be problems. 'Painful, weird, and strange,' was all Aria would say.

“It's just for a couple of days,” she had continued, “until everything settles down inside us. I'll undo the links once we're sure we're okay, and everyone's recharged. Try not to pick a fight with anything ancient in the meantime.” Then she had poked Sunset Shimmer with a chopstick again and the retaliatory swat had nearly made her drop her plate.

No one ever accused Sonata of thinking too much. Simple habits drove her, and she got that. Adagio led, she followed. Aria snarled, she sniped back. She got hungry, she found food. Easy-peasy.

The words wouldn't leave her mind. A couple of days. She would be okay for a couple of days. A couple of days in a new, much shorter life. Would time zoom by for her? How did mortal women handle it? Could she stand waiting until it was time to break the bond?

She glanced over at Fluttershy, who lifted her head from her plate and smiled back. They'd grown close, been physical with each other, and shared that bond. What they did together had earned Sonata's gratitude for as long as her new life lasted. Unlike all the other mortals who came and went, she knew Fluttershy would remain in her heart. Literally.

Treehugger, on the other fin, was in Sonata's head. The redhead had calmed her, analyzed her, taught her, fixed her, and given her a gentle push towards her new mortality.

Sonata wanted to see her again, to learn more from her. Not 'in a couple days', but now. Fluttershy had done the work, but Treehugger had called the shots. She didn't seem bothered by the shortness of life, either.

Looking around, Sonata slipped off the couch and spun around the corner into the shadow of the hallway before anyone noticed. Her phone appeared in her hand, and she screwed up her memory, hoping she was right, even if it was for the last time. She had seen it for an instant on Fluttershy's phone screen. If she was wrong, she'd have to wait a couple of days.

She took one last glance over her shoulder, sidling deeper into the darkness. Her hand brushed the doorframe of her bedroom, and she nestled her back against the wood as her thumb pressed the numbers.

Sonata's chest tightened as she half-held her breath, putting the phone up to her ear.

“Blessings,” drawled that low, thrumming voice, and Sonata's heart leapt. “How can I make your night righteous?”

Mmmph. What an invite. “Hey, it's Sonata,” she started. A moment of fear that Treehugger would hang up made her shiver. When it didn't happen, she swallowed her worry and forged ahead. “Sorry, but . . . yeah, I'm okay. Figured you'd know that, but I wanted to say thanks now, instead of later.”

A pause filled the airwaves, then a soft rustle. “Yeah, you're okay. Were you worried about being okay?”

Sonata touched her breastbone, more to confirm she was still whole. “No, but you knew Fluttershy and I were gonna be linked. Aria just confirmed it.”

“Uh-huh,” Treehugger said. “Not my first time dealing with the energy of the cosmos, hon.”

Her voice was so confident, Sonata's composure nearly broke right then and there. She fought the welling up inside her, repressing all the questions and gratitude and begging, and she tried to breathe.

The silence didn't go unnoticed. “Mmm. You calling for a reason? I was in a bit of a groove.” Sonata's hasty, apologetic squeak pulled a breathy laugh from her. “Hey, not that I mind a break. A little edging never hurt.” More rustling, followed, along with a quiet groan. “Yeah, so, what's the deal?”

What was her deal? Was she stalking Fluttershy's friend because she had this crazy idea Treehugger could help her in her new life? “I, well, I wanted to hear your voice,” she admitted. Truth. Treehugger valued truth. “I was in a bad spot and you helped. Hope it's not weird, but I'm kinda wondering what I should do next. Life's changed, it's not what it was, and I need more help.”

Treehugger's chuckle warmed her ear, and her healing heart. “Change is life. You'd know that, having an aura as old as yours.” She made a throaty noise. “Look, I don't know everything, but there's some decent wi-fi out here, and social media's got some chatter about the last few days. Lotta people liked you up until recently, right?”

“Yeah,” Sonata admitted. “We failed and it hurts. I've lost so much time.”

“Give yourself a day or two to heal,” Treehugger murmured. “Don't let them pass by, either. Learn to embrace the hours. Your aura was a jumble, and it's not like one session with Fluttershy fixed you. She's awesome, but she's hardly an expert. I promise, I'll look you and your friends over soon.”

Sonata cradled the phone closer. “Got anything for me now? Please?”

“Mm. Okay, you want something?” Her breath ruffled the phone line and Sonata could picture Treehugger lying there, her fingertip tracing a slow pattern as they talked. “Your time isn't lost. Your time is now. You've reached the moment you need to be in, and you'll be here until you're ready to move again. So don't rush it, or you'll run out of time. 'Kay?”

She blinked. “Um. Gonna have to think about that.”

“Good.” Treehugger's voice was gentle. “I'll see you when I get back. You, Flutters, and whoever else you bring.” Her breathy laughter came again. “No matter what she's told you, wear clothes. If you're open to the possibilities, then we'll see about expanding your mind. Think about that, too, yeah?”

“Like you're thinking about Fluttershy?” Sonata asked. The soft intake of breath made her smile. “Believe me, they're very nice breasts.”

Treehugger snorted. “Like, tease much? I'm gonna hang up before someone catches you talking me through this orgasm, babe. G'night.”

Grinning, Sonata closed the conversation and pressed the phone between her own breasts, holding onto the last bit of warmth.

She'd embrace the coming days, sure. And she'd do it with her whole heart.

-~-~-~-~-~

A Good Name

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Sonata glanced sidelong at a silent Adagio, discomfort nibbling at her abdomen. This wasn't right, this formation. Adagio always stood at the point, the center of their power. Now she had stepped back, instead of leading the trio, and it rattled Sonata's shell, seeing her there.

Breathing in, she focused on her still-healing heart. She wasn't okay, which was okay. Facing their new humanity took time, and however Adagio dealt with the pain, that was her way. Aria had the lead now and Sonata could follow as much or as little as she wanted. Adagio had said so.

Embrace the hours. Be in the moment you're meant for.

Sonata exhaled, settling her shoulders. Treehugger's advice had steadied her through the last few nights. Between that, Aria's eerily calm acceptance, and Adagio's weird need to step back, the three of them had arrived here, at this moment, on Treehugger's front porch.

Aria rang the doorbell.

Normally, this was where Sonata would say something, Aria would snarl back, and Adagio would snap at them both to shut up before they ruined the whole plan.

Sonata glanced at Adagio again. Should she say anything? Did she even want to?

Aria looked over her shoulder and smirked at Sonata, obviously on the same wavelength. “Don't bother. There's no plan to ruin here. And this was your idea to begin with.”

“Oh, yeah.” Sonata grinned back fondly as the door opened.

Treehugger leaned on the door frame, squinting at the three of them. The position of the sun said mid-afternoon, but her gaze said 'early morning'. “Like, hey. Glad you made it.” Her red dreadlocks fell over one bare, green shoulder, her workout clothes doing their best to contain the rest of her. She nodded at Sonata. “Looking blue, girl.”

“Thanks,” Sonata said, unsure if that was good or bad. Remembering her hippie manners, she held up two fingers in a V. “Peace, babe.”

Treehugger grinned and mimicked her gesture. “Love, totally. C'mon in. Everyone else is here.” She turned and sauntered away, hips swaying. The weight of her voice remained, rooting the Sirens in place.

Aria whistled softly, eyes wide. “What was that?” she asked, glancing at Sonata. “Her voice isn't made of Equestrian magic, is it?”

Sonata shrugged, pushing through the vibrations and into the house. “Nah, she's just in tune.” Yeah, she'd felt it, too, from the first thrum of that drawling voice over the phone, when Treehugger had pulled her out of a miserable pile of self pity. Even though Fluttershy had been the one to do the deed and heal the hurt in Sonata's chest, Treehugger's direction had made it possible.

With everything inside them whole again, the Sirens now had to break the bonds they'd made. Adagio had brought them the solution of the Rainbooms, Sonata had found them a safe place to be vulnerable, and now Aria would fulfill her purpose and finish the job.

Treehugger's home was like every other house on the suburban block, at least on the outside. Once inside the front door, though, her own styles came through. Rather than an ordinary living room's couch or dining room's table, the front rooms held wicker-framed beanbag chairs and standing lamps with incredibly gaudy shades. Scrolls hung on the wall, detailed flower patterns embroidered on them. Sonata looked down, noting the hand-woven rugs covering the hardwood floors. She would bet Treehugger had a loom tucked away somewhere.

The Sirens followed through the kitchen, with its skylight and herbs hanging in the windows, and out to her sunroom. Sure enough, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Sunset Shimmer were already there, and someone, probably Rarity, had outfitted them all in flashy, individually-themed yoga wear.

Aria glanced down at her own outfit, which was less midriff-baring, more 'loose t-shirt and leggings', and she raised an eyebrow. “I'd say we're overdressed, but we've already moved past that in our own unique ways, haven't we?”

As Sunset blushed and mumbled something, Adagio wasted no time in moving over to Rarity, and Sonata slipped past them all to join Fluttershy, waggling her fingers in greeting.

“Hi,” Sonata whispered, tipping up onto her toes, hands clasped behind her back. Fluttershy had pushed herself pretty far out of her comfort zone the other night. Sonata would treasure the memory of that courage (and those breasts) for the rest of her short, mortal life, but she still wanted to make sure the other girl had no regrets. Regrets weren't tasty. Not that she could feed on them any more. “You okay?”

“Mmhmm,” Fluttershy murmured.

“Treehugger give you that look yet? You know, the one you said she's gonna give you?”

Fluttershy giggled. “No. I think she's waiting until it's just me and her. Then the look will come out.”

“And you're going to ignore it, just like I ignore Adagio's grumpy faces,” Sonata said, smirking. She watched Adagio and Rarity make eyes at each other. “Course, she hasn't had a grumpy face since she got good and laid.”

Adagio curled her fingers into mock-claws over Rarity's shoulders. “Quiet, Sonata, before I toss you into the harbor to speak whale,” she threatened, glowering ferociously at her before smiling at Rarity again.

“That's the face,” Sonata informed Fluttershy. “I'm gonna ignore it.”

Aria knocked on one of the wood slats holding up the screens that surrounded the small deck. “Both of you, cut it out, or you'll infect everyone with 'harsh vibes'.” She rolled her head, eyes narrowed, to glower at Treehugger. “Really, that's what we're going with?”

“Don't mess with the vibes,” Treehugger agreed. She sipped placidly at a reusable water bottle made from bamboo. “Like, okay, your vibes are pretty good,” she added, “but that's because you're open to the energy inside you.”

Aria tugged on one of her ponytails. “I'm open to the possibilities in the energy because someone has to be responsible with that stuff.” She shot a look of blame at the others. “Adagio started this. I just try to contain the damage.”

Treehugger inclined her head. “Okay, now see, that's harsh. Go grab some water and chill with Sunset Shimmer.” She patted Aria on the shoulder. “Go on. I need a skosh to sort you all out.”

Nestling against Fluttershy, Sonata watched Aria slouch over to the big glass cooler on a table and get a drink. She wished she knew what a 'skosh' was. It sounded so useful. “You wanna start with me?” she asked, waggling her fingers to get Treehugger's attention.

“Righteous,” Treehugger agreed. “Come stand here, yeah?” She waved a hand vaguely at the space in front of her.

Sonata straightened up and skipped across the room, planting herself at a sort of attention where Treehugger pointed.

“Good.” Treehugger grasped Sonata's hips, angling them into a better position, and nudged her feet wider apart. “Posture, babe. Stand straight and breathe properly. It helps.” She cupped Sonata's jaw, cool fingers slipping up beneath her ears, down the sides of her neck, and back across her collarbone. “So, still not okay?”

“Still not okay,” Sonata agreed. Her heart still worried, yeah, but right here and now, she felt she could endure a few more days.

“Truth, that's good.” Treehugger hummed. “Throat chakra's not as bad as when I saw you, so, bonus. Drink more water, too. It helps.” She pressed one hand on the sealed hole in Sonata's breastbone, the other reaching around into the middle of her back to find the rainbow's exit. “It's a strange mix in here now, yeah? Still, the seal's holding. No pain?”

Sonata shook her head, breathing in deeply as Treehugger's mere touch loosened her tension. Her shoulders settled, and her chin came up.

“Good. Heart chakra's not as open as it could be, but you'll get there. It got a hard shock, so no need to rush. Aura's settled down, too, not so spiky.” Hovering her palms over Sonata's arms, Treehugger traced her outline. “Yeah, you're coming together okay.” She patted Sonata on the hip. “Go chill, Allegra, you're cool.” She gestured languidly at Adagio. “Yo, poofy-hair. C'mon up.”

Rarity's giggle disrupted Adagio's scowl, and Sonata scurried out of the way, also grinning. She scooped a glass of water for herself and joined Fluttershy, Aria, and Sunset. Without energy to satisfy the Sirens, food and water had become more of a need than a want, and so Sonata had picked up Aria's drinking habit. At least it was just water, rather than those gin-soaked days of Prohibition.

Aria clinked the rim of her glass against Sonata's as Treehugger started in on Adagio. “I've never said this in the hundreds of years we've been stuck with each other, but good job, Sonata. You found the one person able to help us, then forget us once we're gone.”

“You think she'll forget?” Her still-racing heart dipped at the thought of Treehugger forgetting her. That couldn't ever happen, could it?

Gesturing, Aria grunted. “Certainly looks like she would. Living in the mists, that one.” She shrugged. “Still, I think she knows enough to untangle this mess we're all in.”

-~-~-~-~-~

Aria sipped her water, watching Adagio's expression as her former leader allowed Treehugger to get up close and quite personal. The old Adagio would have never endured this kind of examining. This newer Adagio, the one who'd stepped away from leading and scheming, looked far more attentive as Treehugger touched and talked to her

They were all three days out from a blinding rainbow laser of friendship that had drowned their senses and shattered their immortality. Two days out from a renewal so steamy and intimate, they were still affected. Sonata was acting competently, Adagio had lowered herself, and here stood Aria Blaze, the newly responsible one.

She'd always thought if she became the Sirens' leader, the first thing she would do was chuck Sonata down an elevator shaft, followed by that blasted plush shark. That final shriek and squeak would be music to her ears, or so she'd imagined. Instead, she'd listened when that blue ditz told her of some nature lover who knew energy, and now here they all were, back with their Equestrian magic bearers. Including Sunset Shimmer.

Sure, Sunset had stomped the Sirens' hearts into glittering shards, but she'd also come after them in a whirl of worry, desperate to reverse the damage. And tides help them all, Aria had accidentally tangled her energy with Shimmer's, resulting in a bond neither of them asked for, but which they both sorely needed.

“What does 'living in the mists' mean?” Sunset asked, rolling her shoulders back to stretch and display her freakishly fit pony body in human form.

Aria leaned in her direction, purposefully bumping shoulders. The thrum of energy rolled between them, and oh, that was much better. She couldn't help it, even when Sunset grunted and bumped her back, putting some Earth Pony sway into those unicorn hips. “Always wandering,” Aria explained, sneaking another soft nudge, “you know, floating freely out there with no direction other than her own.” She sipped again, then thought some more. “Not always a bad thing, but running into a creature like her out in the wild seas? You never know what'll happen next.”

She didn't put stock in auras, chakras, or essential oils. Still, Treehugger obviously understood pain and how to ease it. She knew energy lines, too, much like the spa twins, both of them seeing mere scraps of true power. That made Treehugger someone with whom Aria could work.

Treehugger stepped back from assessing Adagio and glanced in Aria's direction. “Like, you know more than the others,” she said, wiggling her fingers and shaking her hands to rid herself of Adagio's energy, “so I might not have much for you.” Her gaze traveled down Aria's body. “Mmm-hmmm.”

“Want to take Shimmer instead? Lots of wild energy there.” Aria tried to grin and shove Sunset forward, but the other girl held onto the table and glowered at her. “What? You got slammed as much as I did with the overload.”

“And I'm fine,” Sunset hissed.

“Yeah, after a couple days of sleep and food, sure, you're fine.” Aria had conked out following their shared experience at the spa, helped by the takeout they'd all devoured afterward. She'd slept through half the next day, her body fighting to balance itself with the new energy. Ditto for Adagio and Sonata. She was sure Shimmer had similarly collapsed and missed a morning of school or whatever.

Treehugger eased between them, a hand on each of their shoulders. “Like, chill, you two. Energy flares are no joke.” She pushed them further apart, and turned to hold Aria's temples in her hands. “For you, your throat chakra's a little too active, along with your third eye. Sonata's blue, so she can be herself and get better, but you're not indigo by any means.”

“Meaning?” Aria mumbled. She wasn't used to anyone smushing her cheeks and getting this close.

“Stop arguing with your friends,” Treehugger told her, “because the more out of whack you get, the less you'll accomplish today.” She lightly poked Aria in the side. “And drink up.” She narrowed her eyes at Sunset Shimmer. “You, too. Overactive sacral chakra means you start getting conflicted. Chill, have a drink, and trust people. It'll all bring you back into balance.”

Well, she could do that. Aria knew how to drink. She'd spent a lot of nights in the gin-mills back in the day doing just that. Drink, pour another. Drink that, have another. Down that, order another bottle while she waited for the Siren spell to weave through the rest of the drunks and start the first fight. Bending an elbow was second nature. Then, once they'd legalized booze again, she'd dropped the habit without a backwards glance. No thrill in something legal, was there?

Treehugger squeezed her upper arm. “Get settled, then it's your show.” She wandered off to talk to Fluttershy.

Aria watched her go, then turned her attention to her fellow Sirens. According to Adagio, leading meant knowing where the other two were at every moment, ensuring they weren't causing trouble, and yanking them back into line if they strayed. Aria didn't have a style yet. She'd led for barely a day, and so far, her old leader had kept opinions to herself. No snarky suggestions, no casual remarks, not even an eye roll at any of Aria's decisions. That worried her.

She watched Adagio tease Rarity's purple curls, the two women giggling together, and a fragment of an old drinking song came to mind. 'But since it falls unto my lot, that I should rise and you should not ...' Adagio had lowered herself, so that Aria could rise, at a time when they needed new decisions.

How had Adagio done it for so many centuries? Through their banishment, their struggle to survive, their many narrow misses? Adagio had always plotted the next plan when the first one failed, dragged her grumbling sisters through deserts, forests, and hostile towns, and kept them all together.

Aria had experienced all of that from a lower position, always convinced she could do better. Now here she was, head of their little triumvirate, and all she needed to deal with was the loss of their gems, their immortality, and any hope for their future.

Frankly, it was surprising Adagio had kept her mouth shut this long.

Okay. Enough settling and finding her fins beneath her. Stick to the plan. Rest, recover, and renew. Everyone had rested from the original energy exchange. They'd recovered whatever energy they'd lost or absorbed, and renewed their strength. Now she had to feel out those mingled energy signatures, and separate Rainboom from Siren. The Equestrians could use their magic again elsewhere, and the former Sirens wouldn't depend on that magic to sustain themselves.

Here went nothing.

“Everyone sit.” Aria demonstrated for them by crossing her legs and lowering herself onto a yoga mat. “And pair up.” She nodded at Sonata and Fluttershy as they sat together. “Yeah, like that. Sit beside each other, get comfortable, no one go boosting anyone's energy or anything.”

She waited, resting her wrists on her knees. A quick flex of her fingers produced several light crackles in her joints, and she stretched her shoulders, sitting up straight. Oof, she'd been slouching around the apartment again, judging by the ache that produced.

Adagio and Rarity sat in front of her, on one side, with Sonata and Fluttershy facing her on the other. Good. Aria tilted her head to look up at a hesitating Sunset Shimmer. “You wanna sit, too? I've got three sets of links to sort through, including ours, but hey, if you want your magic to stay hitched to mine, by all means ...” The rest of her comment dissolved into a groan as Treehugger passed behind her and pressed down on top of her head.

Tilting her head back to glower, Aria was met with a lazy smile. “Focus,” Treehugger coaxed, tracing her fingers down the back of Aria's head and pushing it back to an even keel. “Let her make up her mind in her own time.” Sparing a glance at Sunset, she folded her legs beneath her to settle down on Aria's other side.

Aria eyed the serene Treehugger. “Am I on my own time, too?” she asked. “Because I might need some leeway.” She wasn't stalling, no way. Focus took concentration, and she didn't want to push into Treehugger's own schedule.

“Shhyah, not like I have any clients today.” Treehugger hummed as she lounged in a full lotus, her lazy purple gaze meeting Aria's. Her toes flexed, feet resting on the opposite thighs with no apparent effort. “My space, and my energy, are totally yours.”

Sucking in a tight breath again, Aria stared at her. “Are you sure about that?” she squeaked. She took a second to clear her throat. Talking while inhaling always made her voice go funny. “You're offering tasty bait to a predator.”

Treehugger nodded. “You were one, once, but now what would you do? You're not hungry.”

Aria hesitated, instinctively checking for the now-absent gnawing in her stomach. No, no, she wasn't hungry. She couldn't feed on energy, didn't need it any more. So what good would the offer do? “I could always save it for later if I get hungry again.”

“Mm, probably not going to happen,” Treehugger drawled. “Going back is worse than going forward. Even if you could do that, you wouldn't.” She glanced over Aria's head at Sunset Shimmer. “You didn't.”

“No, I didn't,” Sunset admitted, sinking down onto the mat on Aria's other side, and tucking her legs beneath her. “I won't go back, ever, even if I had the choice.” She put a hand on Aria's back, and a swell of contentment filled Aria's chest. Ridiculously, it made her feel better having Sunset at her shoulder. “It's hard to move forward, but it's the only thing that works.”

In Aria's own analogy for this, which she hadn't told to anyone, there wasn't a way back. One either fought the current or swam with it. She could struggle in the same spot until she was exhausted, or plunge through uncharted waters and hope. Aria had already decided her best way through was to swim like mad, and do her best to dodge the rocks.

Treehugger brushed her other shoulder. “Go on, you can do this. Breathe.”

Aria breathed. Her chest rose and fell. She couldn't see the energy waves that linked the pairs in front of her, but she could feel — well, parts of it. The sharp tang of Rarity and Adagio's mingled energy tickled one side of her, like a puff of cool vapor. On the other side, Sonata and Fluttershy's energy caressed her like a breath across the waves. Oh, yes, she could feel the bonds now, simmering beneath the surface.

The old ways of healing involved her voice, a touch of Siren magic, and perhaps a little siphoning of some energy as a reward. The new way would be more difficult.

With Sunset Shimmer and Treehugger anchoring her, Aria reached out into the possibilities.

-~-~-~-~-~

Adagio's chest warmed, and she tilted her head back, letting the weight of her orange hair take over. She sighed as she lifted her chin, drawing Rarity's attention with both sigh and the expanse of her long, soft throat.

“Adagio, please,” Rarity murmured. “Now's not the time for distractions.”

“Don't get distracted, then,” Adagio purred. “Can't you feel that? It's divine.” As divine as leaving responsibility behind, even if only for a while. She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled, the wave of Aria's probe washing over her.

Aria and Sonata used to snort that Adagio had no sense of fun, that she didn't know how to relax. True, she didn't, because someone in this damned trio needed to have a brain. Safety was fleeting in the old days, with all the strife, suspicion, and switching towns. Even after she'd finally found a place and made sure money would never be a problem again, she'd still kept one eye on the future. And when Aria had fallen into near rebellion from frustration and anger, Adagio had kept her other eye on her own two knuckleheads.

Now a relaxed, restored, and responsible Aria would lead, with Adagio's blessing and permission. The scorn, the thinking, the need for a plan, none of it mattered any more. She was free to make no more decisions, dream no more schemes. Of course, all the danger was long past. She had led for centuries and dragged the Sirens through all the dangers. Aria's path would be simple the rest of the way, and Adagio could fade into the background. Assuming this little ritual worked.

“Everyone breathe normally,” Aria intoned, gazing through heavy-lidded eyes. “I've got this.”

Rarity made an uncertain noise, shifting closer to Adagio as the energy between them pulled a bit tighter.

“Relax,” Aria coaxed, pitching her voice lower. “It's all very good.”

Adagio slid her hand over Rarity's knee, squeezing lightly. “I don't have to hold you still, do I?” she whispered, half-teasing. “Not like last time.”

A hot flush took over Rarity's cheeks, and she sighed, subsiding. “Hardly necessary.”

“Good. The sooner we're done with this, the sooner I can stop having the urge to take you shopping.” Rarity had done something in their last moment together, given her a small piece of that shopaholic, fashion-forward personality in that energy exchange, she was sure of it. Adagio Dazzle did not want to shop until she dropped. She hated department stores. Well, except for that one time seventy-five years ago. No better way to start a delicious squabble than dangling forbidden nylon stockings over a crowd of fashion-desperate women.

Rarity perked at that, but gasped as their link flared higher as Aria pulled on it. The pull intensified, Adagio hissing from the stretch in her breastbone as she leaned into the pressure. Rarity's violet curls swirled and rose, the rush of energy lifting them. Their chins tilted up, chests thrusting forward as Aria delicately coaxed their bond apart strand by strand, the room filling with potential energy. Beside them, Fluttershy and Sonata arched in unison as their own bond flared, the same pressure bringing out their mingled energy.

Aria shuddered, rolling her head from side to side as she picked up the weight of all three pairings. Behind her, Sunset winced and gasped, jerking her shoulders forward as if something had snapped free inside her. Treehugger shot her a worried glance, but leaned forward, putting her hand on Aria's back.

The pull increased, the tension hitching Adagio's shoulders higher, making her curl over. She grimaced, trying not to fight losing the last thing holding her to this weak world. This was for the best, for the safety of the women who'd saved them, and for their own peace of mind. She had to give it all up to be herself, in a new way, and share that weakness.

With one last pull, the bonds parted. Not jerking or snapping, but lifting free, like rising from Equestria's seabed and letting the pressure fall away. Energy gave way, as the individual signatures untangled and returned to their original sources, every woman in the room receiving her fill.

Aria leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and rubbing her chest. Treehugger leaned over her, talking softly, with occasional worried looks at Sunset Shimmer, who had curled over with a fist pressed against her collarbone.

“Oh. Oh, my,” Rarity breathed, rubbing her own breastbone, and flexing her shoulders warily.

Adagio's chest throbbed too, but the energy seal held. “Mmf,” she agreed, pressing her fingers carefully between her breasts. No pain echoed up from where her magic once lay. She was still whole, and still healing. “How do you feel?”

“That does sting a bit more than pulling off a band-aid,” Rarity commented, pushing some of her purple curls aside. “Still, if it means something will devour only me instead of consuming both of us, it's worthwhile.”

Adagio scoffed. “Please, nothing will devour you, despite Aria's worries. This just means you can recharge your energy if someone or something tries to drain it like we did.” And even though she could no longer make a meal of Equestrian magic, jealousy surged at the idea that something else out there would ever try.

Aria suddenly crouched beside them, both women starting as they'd been distracted by each other, and hadn't seen her get up. “You two are okay, yeah?”

“We're fine. What's the matter with Sunset?” Rarity peered around her.

Aria waved dismissively. “We got linked differently than the four of you,” she said, rolling her eyes, “so it pulled a little harder to break us up. Treehugger says she's fine.” She eyed them professionally. “No one move too fast, okay? Let everything settle.” Getting up, she went to check on Sonata and Fluttershy.

Adagio cautiously prodded at her cleavage some more, then decided to leave it alone before she bruised herself. “Well, there you go. No longer linked with me.”

“I suppose not.” Stretching languorously and showing off how young and flexible she was, Rarity sighed. “What will you do with the rest of the day?”

“I've got some time on my hands,” Adagio said, shrugging. “Perhaps I can waste several hours watching people make rolled ice cream on Hooftube or something.” She nodded to where Aria knelt between Sonata and Fluttershy. “She's the one who has to plan now, not me.”

“But you're helping her, yes?” Rarity pressed, “Giving her the advice she needs to succeed?”

Oh, the ponies had been working on these girls. So eager to help, to make things better. Adagio squeezed her eyes shut to avoid that vivid blue gaze. She would cave in a broken heartbeat if she looked at Rarity. “Aria hasn't asked for my help,” she growled through clenched teeth, “and I won't impose it. She has to find her own style.”

Silence. Something nudged her shoulder, and Adagio kept her eyes closed, ignoring it. Another nudge, and Adagio growled again.

“You don't have to do this to yourself,” Rarity murmured. “Don't you remember what I told you at Sugarcube Corner? Don't hold yourself back from something just because you think it's for the best.”

Adagio gave in, opening her eyes, and foisting Rarity off with a delicate elbow. “I don't feel particularly useful right now, okay? I'm the one who spent five hundred years or so swimming upstream with them looped around my neck.” She pressed on her throat tenderly. With the pain gone, the tension in her jaw had eased. “Now that we've gone over the falls, I think I've earned the right to float a little while Aria figures things out. If I give her advice and it doesn't work, it's something else weighing her down. She's got enough challenges for now.”

Her sisters had rebounded thanks to the Rainbooms, with Aria's new challenge of living, and Sonata's devotion to Treehugger. Adagio wasn't ready for all that yet. She still needed some time with her own emotions, which was a luxury she hadn't given herself in ages.

Rarity studied her, blessedly quiet. Then she uncurled and pushed herself upright. “I understand. Come with me.”

Adagio gazed up, taking in the criss-cross mesh pattern on Rarity's yoga pants. The slim calves rising into well-rounded thighs, swelling into a pert rump that immediately drew the eye. Then the t-shirt tied off above the navel, showing a generous swath of alabaster skin.

She swallowed and took the proffered hand, getting up.

Everyone else in the room eyed them, but Rarity scoffed. “Oh, come on. We weren't all sitting here forever.” She slipped her arm around Adagio's waist. “I finished up a little something and I want to see how it looks on her, so I'm borrowing a bathroom, if I may, Treehugger?”

Treehugger waved vaguely. “Only got the one inside, unless you want to use the shower stall in the backyard.”

Both Adagio and Rarity turned to see the wooden enclosure down the brick path, the long showerhead sticking out at the top. Adagio noted the rain barrel behind the stall, as well as the spare hot water tank, and fought the surge of memories from that forest cottage outside Seaddle. Not here, not now.

“Quaint,” Rarity noted, “But perhaps something with more counter space, dear. Inside shall suffice for now, thank you.” She removed her hand from Adagio's hip, took her wrist instead, and led her towards the rest of the house.

“Don't forget to bring her back when you're done outfitting her,” Aria said, getting up and heading for the water cooler. “And if you tweak her energy, I'll know.” Her tone didn’t hold any malice, though, just a simple statement of her new responsibility.

Adagio stifled a chuckle. Yes, too much intimacy could tangle them together again, but she wouldn't refuse a little attention. As much as her shattered soul shied from taking on anything meaningful, Rarity was the reason she'd healed. Attention from her could only make things better.

Treehugger's bathroom was much like every other suburban home, simple enough, and it also doubled as her laundry room. A long way from the luxury of the Sirens' apartment, but it still held water, and Adagio could feel it coursing around her. Leaning on the wall between the bathtub and the stacked washer and dryer, she watched as Rarity rummaged in a large shoulder bag. “I don't suppose you stashed a coffee in there somewhere?”

“And contaminate all my swatches with the odour?” Rarity shook her head. “As much as I'm sure you'd adore a coffee-infused outfit, Adagio, no, I would not risk spilling it all over the insides of my best fabric bag.”

Adagio pouted. Caffeine was nice to have, and she'd rather have it before her cravings went from 'nice' to 'frantically gnawing on a bag of beans'. “Okay, so is this something I can wear out to get a coffee?”

“Perhaps.” Hesitating, Rarity glanced over at her. “Now, this might be difficult for you to see, and I'll understand if you hate it. I've done this without asking, but you inspired me, and, well, it's okay if you ...” She closed her eyes and breathed, then pulled a folded pile of pale yellow fabric from her bag, and thrust it into Adagio's arms. “Oh, here.”

Surprised, she awkwardly clutched the mound of cotton fleece, turning it in her hands as she tried to understand which way was up. Hoping for an opening, she followed what felt like a sleeve or a leg, only to find herself holding her own tail, all rich and golden.

It was her as a hoodie. From the outline of a gem on the chest, to the Siren tail at the waist with a shimmering caudal fin, it was a fabric Adagio. The hood had a dorsal fin as well, with narrowed eyes and a pair of feelers. She stared down at a lumpy pile of Siren, and her breath caught. How had Rarity made this so quickly? Had she even slept since they'd met, to do something this detailed in a few days?

She looked up at a still-tentative Rarity, meeting those blue eyes that looked uncertain. “Why?” she asked.

“Because you've reserved the right to keep to yourself.” Rarity nodded, in a there, I said it sort of way. “I figured this might serve as a signal for when you want to be left alone.” She mimed pulling a hood over her head. “Like so.”

Adagio stared at her, not quite processing her meaning. Her fingers kneaded the hoodie, fondling the fabric as she tried to understand.

Flustered, Rarity gestured. “I'm saying, it's okay to be vulnerable, darling. You're allowed to sulk, and this gives yourself permission to be a Siren again. Wearing it can let Sonata and Aria know if you need some time alone, yes?”

Adagio looked down again at her old self in cotton fleece. The gem was the same yellow as the rest of the hoodie, not the red that once rested there. A Siren without her gem, which was what she'd become. True, she wasn't ready to charge out of the devastation of losing her powers with a sudden, new liveliness like her sisters, but would swaddling herself in fleece and sulking in front of the television help?

“Denying yourself the small luxury of sorting out your emotions can lead to bigger problems,” Rarity said, her voice softer as she brushed Adagio's shoulder. “You said you've got nothing else to do, so wear this when you need to take the time, and take it off to involve yourself with your sisters again when you're feeling better. You're allowed ups and downs in your new life. Embrace them both.”

“That's what Sonata's done,” Adagio admitted. As much as she worried about Sonata's desire to follow Treehugger's ways, she couldn't deny her sister had found an anchor on her new life. She considered the pile of fabric in her arms, then herself in the mirror. Without her gem, she needed an anchor of her own, at least until she felt like swimming free again. Perhaps . . . “Can I try this on?”

“Please do.” Rarity hopped up to sit on the vanity on the far side of the sink, leaving the near side slice of mirror for Adagio. She kicked her legs back and forth, swinging her bare feet.

Pulling the sweater on, Adagio wiggled around and tugged on the waist as it hit her at mid-thigh. In her dark leggings, the golden fabric looked fetching, even though it hid all her curves. Much to her surprise, it did fit, the sleeves hitting her wrists without engulfing her hands, and she had enough room to move her shoulders. She had no clue how Rarity knew her measurements, although she supposed all that intimate caressing they'd done together had given the girl some idea of her body shape.

Pressing her fists on the counter, she stared at herself in the mirror. One last bit, and she swore she wouldn't freak out. She reached back, tugged the hood up over her head, and a Siren's features covered her forehead.

Curling her knuckles tighter into her hands, Adagio breathed deeply, and peeked out from beneath the fabric teeth to gaze at her old self one last time. The 'new' her, the her she'd been for centuries, peered out of the creature she once was. It had lived so long inside her, waiting to come out, and now she wore it as a piece of clothing, even though what she'd once been was no longer her.

Adagio relaxed her grip and met her own eyes, staring at the mirror. An echo of regret sounded in her chest, her broken voice finally grieving the loss she'd caused, the mistakes she'd made, but it was a mere sliver of the pain she'd endured the last few days. The sting of failure had already begun to fade.

She glanced at Rarity out of the corner of her eye. “I don't hate it,” she admitted. “I might regret wearing this around Sonata, though. She'll take it and pretend to be me.”

Rarity giggled. “I might find a line for those, if there's demand. Naturally, you'll get royalties.” She sobered and reached for Adagio's hand. “Still, are you all right?”

Sighing, she allowed Rarity to draw her closer, twining her fingers through hers. Her heart hadn't seized, her throat hadn't closed up, and she wasn't bawling her eyes out, but was she really okay? She didn't want to take the hoodie off just yet. It felt like a cocoon, holding her together until she could finally wriggle free and face her future.

She used her hip to daintily nudge Rarity's knees apart, and slipped between them. Even with their difference in height, Rarity's seat on the countertop put her a tad higher, which meant Adagio could comfortably lean her forehead on Rarity's shoulder, and close her eyes. “Now, I'm okay,” she murmured.

An arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer, and Rarity lifted the edge of the hood so her soft lips could press against Adagio's temple.

Yeah, for this moment, as long as it lasted, she would be okay.

-~-~-~-~-~

Sonata leaned forward, resting her forearm on her knee. Of course, since she had that leg braced on the lower railing of the suite's balcony, it pulled her leather pants tighter over her rump. She knew how much attention she garnered when she did that, which was fine. It meant people enjoyed her performance, and her lead guitarist could intimidate anyone who tried to get close.

The rest of the Dusk Kickers closed in behind her as the stagehands below finished the setup for the next band. Her band could look at her ass all they wanted, since she usually stood in front of them. Nearly all of them were immune to it by now, anyways.

String Picker handed Sonata an iced, long-necked beer bottle, and used the opener on the in-suite fridge to pop the cap on his own. “Think these gals rock as hard as we do?”

“I've got a feeling.” Sonata nodded and twisted off her bottlecap. Oh, she'd missed hands while she'd been in Equestria.

She'd spent three months away, following Aria and Adagio to see what had become of the home they hadn't had for centuries. Of course, without their Sirenity, they'd fallen out of the mirror portal into a heap of hooves, manes, and tails. Aria got the wings, Adagio got the horn, and Sonata got stuck to the land.

Life as a pony had been fine. They'd blended into the herd, and didn't stay long in any one place, until they'd made a small place together near the ocean. As they reconnected with the remnants of their past, they'd found their voices again, strengthened by pure Equestrian magic. They also did their best to stay out of sight of any of the Princesses. Sure, the Night Princess had peeked in on their dreams briefly, her star-spangled tail flicking in the corner of their eyes, as if to say she noted the new arrivals, but had made no official fuss.

The White Princess had watched from afar sometimes, appearing on hillsides around the Siren cove. Sonata had even waved to her once, but Celestia didn't intrude on their new life. As for Princess Twilight, aside from a brief offer of helping them onto their hooves and off the floor of her castle, she'd also left them alone.

Sonata had visited that world's Treehugger, who had been mildly confused, but pleased to have another pony understand her ethos. Still, she wasn't the Treehugger Sonata knew, hadn't gone through the life her Treehugger had. Pony experience was far from the human equivalent, and Sonata hadn't imposed once she'd figured that out.

They had lived their lives and healed themselves, then those portals had burst to life across Equestria. The air ripped apart for Adagio and Aria in Rainbow Falls, and Las Pegasus for Sonata, showing a freakish, all too familiar world. They saw the magic unleashed and crackling, glimpsed the scorched school grounds, and thought about nothing but Rainbooms.

Abandoning her plans to fleece a pair of street-level, con-artist brothers who would sell tomorrow if it got them through the day, Sonata had instinctively lunged for home, and landed in a new heap on the other side once again, this time in a tangle of arms and legs. Half a football field away, Aria and Adagio flung themselves out of the air, and just like that, Sunset Shimmer was once again not the only Equestrian in Canterlot High.

Once that particular dustup had settled and Aria had checked everyone's magic levels, Sonata had chosen to stay in the human world. The four-legged life was fine, but doing everything with her mouth had done terrible things to her tastebuds. Aria and Adagio left again, coming and going as they pleased, able to adapt between hooves and feet, and Sonata would sometimes return to Equestria when she missed her sisters.

But now she had this motley lot of fools at her back, and she was ever so content. The rough twang of their nitty-gritty country sound had drawn her in at the bar one night and the Dustkicking Division soon became the Dusk Kickers. Small and local, but fierce in their playing, they accepted her as she'd lifted their profile from dive bars on Friday nights to playing in country and rock festivals.

Tonight, however, they were her guests for this particular concert.

The crash of sound washed over the room, metal guitars backed by heavy synthesizers. As the music thundered, the high, cold song of two fully restored Sirens rose over it, Aria and Adagio appearing from either side of the stage.

Sonata grinned. She'd convinced them to come back for a spell, for a chance to show off and get the joy of performing once more. No one here would be enthralled by magic tonight, though, and no fights would occur, but her sisters would still get the adoration and love they deserved. She could sit and watch, comfortable in the devotion of her fellow band members.

And best of all, no Rainbooms would interfere. She'd seen them all go off to some summer camp just a few days ago. The Sirens had Canterlot to themselves, just for one night.

No magic here could stop them.

-~-~-~-~-~

So Not A Shy Girl After All

by Norm De Plume

You Give Love . . .

A Good Name