Adagio reflects on her current situation after a night of work, and remembers ancient siren beliefs about the moon. And what a perfect night it is, to maybe, make a wish.
Time has passed since the Battle of the Bands, where Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the Rainbooms blasted the Dazzlings' power source into oblivion, ensuring that they would never hurt anyone again.
Adagio reflects on her current situation after a night of work, and remembers ancient siren beliefs about the moon. And what a perfect night it is, to maybe, make a wish.
The oldest siren stood by the subway station entrance, looking at the moon. The transport wasn’t due to arrive soon so she might as well appreciate the clear night sky. Around her, withered flowers announced the change of the seasons but it wasn’t exactly a hot summer night, yet. It was pleasant, really.
The moon stood proud, almost outshining the stars and planets around it, and the lack of clouds gave away a perfect ring of light surrounding the single satellite.
Since that fateful Battle of the Bands fiasco, the Dazzlings’ lives had become exponentially harder. Life on that dimension was never close to comparable to the wonders of Equestria and its sea life, however, after their crystals were shattered, their quite depressing existences turned into very miserable ones. Used to get her away with anything by singing a few notes of music, the yellow siren was the first of her sisters to realize that the life they always knew was over. Soon after, Adagio was forced to find real work, which sucked because none of them had any kind of ''real-life skills'' or even identification. They weren’t exactly citizens…
While Aria and her explosive temper hadn’t been able to hold anything for long, she had been working in a small shop attached to a gas station. Humans called her schedule ‘’graveyard shifts’’, which surprisingly didn’t bother her too much. It left her alone most of the time, except when some weirdo came in. Adagio was proud of the fact that even without those powers, she could still intimidate people to do her bidding. That bidding was now limited to leaving the store with or without their items, but still. All it took was a furrow of the brows, a smile too fake to fool anyone and a poison-filled ‘’Are you done?’’.
A breeze passed gently through her puffy hair, and she vaguely noticed the voice that announced the arrival of the subway to her destination. She took one last look at the sky, which offered no warmth or comfort, and left. The station itself was nothing worth looking at or even staying in. Nothing was done to hide the cracks of age or the dirt left by countless feet. There were some fake flowers in vases, but they were nothing but useless attempts to bring some colour to the bleak building. It didn't matter. It served its purpose of bringing Adagio to her work and then getting her on her way home. That was all she asked.
She thought of investing in a magazine to entertain herself on the way, but the tiny kiosk in the station had been closed for hours. So, there was nothing to do but think.
She gulped. Sonata had recently stopped speaking. It had worried her and Aria so much that the usual cold shoulder melted away so they could convince her to go to a doctor. They had never gone to one since the necklaces had given them some kind of invincibility but now life felt truly mortal.
The doctor reassured them that she was perfectly healthy physically, but it was in her mind where the problem was. The sirens had no idea that something like ‘’selective mutism’’ even existed. It made sense, however. Adagio sang when it was needed, like Aria, but Sonata used to sing all the time. During chores, before sleeping, after waking up, during walks and before any attacks (‘’To prepare her voice’’ her youngest sister used to say as if she needed to tune her voice in any way), you name it. With lyrics or without, she sang. Those situations either turned into unplanned fights between any mortal bystanders or attracted the attention of those same bystanders.
What were those melodies about? Anything, really. At the beginning of their exile, Sonata had sung about Equestria a lot. Then their home. Their true home, on the farthest East Sea. When both of those themes became topics too painful to approach, the young siren had turned to sing about their old lives of glory, violence, and conquests. Occasionally, the dimension they were in would get the spotlight. After all, even such a crass and non-magical dimension held some wonders. Like washing machines, tacos, and rock concerts.
Sometimes, she would sing about the only thing that seemed to stay the same in both worlds: the Moon. Ironically, it was the underwater creatures that had fewer chances of seeing Luna’s moon, that revered it the most. But without the beauty of her voice, Sonata stopped singing and then talking altogether. Aria, the one who used to constantly tell her sister to shut up, had confessed to Adagio the day before that the world was quieter without her sisters’ silly songs and incessant rambling.
The subway's journey back to her place was quick. Before, they had never felt the need to stop and call someplace ''home''. What was the need to overextend the same mortals, when the world was filled with countries and cities filled with people that died off constantly? By the time they arrived at a new city, a lot of those in the places afflicted by their spells were dead. So they would eventually return, and spread chaos to the next generation. And it was nice to go sightseeing during their free time and reunite with old spots. Paris was a favourite of the sisters. A beautiful city with great food (mostly enjoyed by Sonata) but filled with such volatile citizens, ready to pick up their (metaphorical or not) pitchforks at all times.
Delicious strife and chaos. It brought power. It brought entertainment.
Adagio shook her head. Their newfound mortality stopped them from traveling like they used to. No way could they keep walking for days and weeks with hardly any rest. No, it was public transport stress for them nowadays. Aria hated those with a burning passion, and so did most mortals, it seemed.
As she left the station, a relieved and exausted sigh left her mouth when she recognized the familiar dirt trail that lead her directly to the back entrance of her apartment. Almost home. With Sonata’s mutism, the sisters wouldn’t be bickering when she arrived, leaving her free to drop dead asleep in bed.
Just a few more minutes.
Her train of thought went towards her younger sisters again. Aria’s anger made her more volatile than ever, which made their fights increase. Sonata’s depression was turning her into a lifeless version of what she used to be. The reality of their situation made her chest feel heavy. Was this was regret was? True worry? It was the only thing those obnoxious Rainbooms had given them.
Maybe one day they would take revenge. The thought brought a smile to her lips. Maybe the world would not be bowing to the sirens anytime soon but maybe those pitiful sorry excuses for anthropomorphic equines would. If they were caught by surprise, maybe she and her sisters could beat them. Magic or no magic, manipulation had always been of her strongest points.
Yes. She would let that speck of hatred fester and infect her entire being. It would be her new drive to get out of bed, besides simple survival. Aria would finally get an outlet to her never-ending fury towards herself and the world, and Sonata would find joy in life again. They could be happy and complete again. She could be happy and complete again. Much like in those old days of watching the pony fights from afar while they sang. Much like her childhood spent under the sea, only hearing tales of the world above. Adagio would bring those feelings back, and leave a trail of misery and blood behind her. And maybe, just maybe, the strength of those acts would bring the mystical musical gift back. If only just her own.
Sonata could find other joys, once they were back on top, surely? Aria never sang unless she needed anyway. And Adagio was obviously the smartest one. The one most deserving. If she found a way to get her magic returned, she would take it in a heartbeat. It would be all the trio needed to be whole once more. Right?
The glow of the moon seemed to abruptly go out in the corner of her eye, which made Adagio turn to it in surprise, letting the growing of thoughts of revenge slip out of her mind completely. However, there wasn’t anything strange when she looked at the moon. It was still up in the sky, shining intensely. Must have been a trick of the light?
In her mind, she just shrugged and went on her away. In reality, her feet became rooted to the earth and her sight never lingered from the full silver coin in the starry sky. In the back of her mind, Adagio thought of how she had only felt like that once in her life. When she became of age and went to touch the foam on the top of the waves for the first time. Memories of countless folk tales surrounding the precious relationship between the sky and the sea, and all the creatures that inhabited it. Of wishes granted, of petitions asked by desperate sirens. The moon’s wise and merciful aura to those who deserved it, to those who could see it. They filled her head like a childhood lullaby.
The yellow siren couldn’t sing properly, but she could sing. Without thinking, she reached out to the sky.
I don't know if you can hear me,
or if you're even there...
I don't know if you would listen to a siren's prayer.
Yes, I know what I have done. I don't know if I should speak to you.
Still, I see your face and wonder, what do I have to lose?
Before she knew she was doing it, Adagio left her path and slowly walked towards the moon. The siren only stopped at the edge of a bridge that went over a small river, and clutched the handrail.
Moon help me, please
Yes, greedy from birth
But show me the mercy
I have existed without.
Still holding the handrail, her legs buckled and Adagio fell to her knees in an uncharacteristic act of submission.
Moon help me, please
I'm on my knees now
Moon help me, please
or nobody will...
I've asked for wealth.
I've asked for power.
I've asked for glory to shine on my name.
I've asked for fame, I don't deserve!
I've asked for everyone on this Earth to love me!
Her voice was hoarse and out of tune but as she looked down at her knees, she kept singing. If someone happened to walk by, they would probably have questioned her sanity, which she would probably do as well, but it didn’t matter to her. Not at that moment.
Still, I ask for one thing, one thing alone.
I won't ask for more. What right do I have?
Please, give us our voices back.
It's the only thing I need.
I only want the hope, our voices will bring.
She swallowed a sob that threatened to erupt from her throat. She was so tired. Her stupid job, their cruel situation. She remembered Sonata's histerical cries after their exile and Aria's promisses of revenge to an empty sky. Those memories seemed to burn her inside.
Moon help them, please,
I only want their voices back...
Her eyes snapped open when she felt two cold tears hit her legs after managing to escape her eyes. She opened her mouth again but now a ragged cry was the only thing she could speak. So Adagio shut it and shallowed. Her eyes were wet, but she refused to open them again. Forcing her body to stop shaking, Adagio clutched her hands until the skin was white.
When her tears disapeared and her breath calmed, she finally looked up, not knowing what to expect.
Nothing. The wind still blew, the river still flowed, the moon still shone. If the shinny thing had any of the same properties the one in Equestria supposedly had, it didn’t hear her. Or maybe it had, but just didn’t grace her with a response.
The momentum of her desperation was gone and now she only felt empty inside. The now mortal creature got up, cleaned her jeans and face, breathed deeply, and continued her journey home.
The night was at its end. On the fourth floor of a cheap-looking apartment, sitting comfortably by the window was Sonata. The youngest of the siren sisters was quietly making a purplish and rosy string bracelet. She looked beside her for a moment and saw Aria apparently asleep on their bed, but once in a while, the purple siren would open one eye to check on if she was still there. This time, she asked:
''Can you see her?''
She looked out of the window onto what was supposed to be a flowery little park for the apartment tenants (all the flowers had withered after a few days and never grown back) and shook her head. No sigh of the oldest sister. Sonata looked at her wristwatch. It said ''6:46''.
Adagio should already be home. Her shift ended at a quarter before six and was usually at home by fifteen past six. She tried to focus on her little project again.
''Maybe the subway is just late...'' Aria mumbled from her spot. Sonata wasn't sure if she was reassuring her or herself.
But to her delight, when she looked out again she saw Adagio's exhausted form slowly walking towards the building, eyes on the ground. She knocked on the window, hoping to catch her attention but she just kept walking with no sign of even hearing her. Aria opened one of her eyes again.
''Adagio's here?''
When she saw Sonata's excited nodding, buried her head in the nearest pillow.
''Oh, thank god,'' she said, letting out a relieved sigh into the soft pillow. ''I was starting to think she died or somethin...''
Sonata got up and put her strings down. When she passed by the big bed, tapped the back of Aria's head in a half-hearted attempt at smacking her for the comment. It only made her mumble into her pillow.
Their apartment wasn't very big or particularly eye-catching, compared to other places they had stayed at during their centuries in that dimension, but it was fine for the time being. It had a small bedroom, a kitchen, one bathroom and an entrance that doubled as a living room. Some people had less than them.
Sonata turned on the living room's light and sat down in one of the only two small couches that they owned. She had found the deep blue one during a walk by the nearby river, and the other orange one was bought. Aria and Adagio both refused to sit on the blue one, claiming that she didn't even know where it came from. For Sonata, a couch was a couch, and she had it, so she was going to sit on it.
When Adagio opened the front door, Sonata welcomed her sister with a warm hug, who awkwardly reciprocated, before gently pushing her away to set down her backpack and keys. After that, she sighed and looked tiredly at her.
''You seem to be in a better mood than usual,'' Adagio commented. ''And you're still awake.''
Sonata shrugged. The siren trio had always been more of the nocturnal kind that anything else. And since she was unemployed, she had a bit more freedom.
''Is Aria awake?''
She lifted her open palm to her face and moved it in a ''sort of'' fashion.
''We should all get some sleep''
Upon closer inspection, Sonata noticed in her sister's puffy eyes and red nose. She went to touch her sister's cheek, but before she could even reach her, Adagio stepped back and raised a sceptical eyebrow.
''What?''
She looked around nervously, not sure how to communicate her question so she ended up dramatically pretending to be sobbing and then pointing at her. Adagio blinked.
''Uh... What are you on about?'' she asked. ''Did something happen?''
Sonata sighed in frustration and motioned her to stay still. She ran to the kitchen where she knew was a small notebook and a pencil, ignoring her sister's sarcastic responses of ''Oh, sure, go off. It's not like I need to sleep or anything...''.
She ran back with the notebook in her hand. Adagio's expression softened a bit.
''Well, it's easier to communicate this way...'' she said. ''Did you and Aria fight again while I was gone?''
The blue siren didn't make an effort to answer and just passed her the small notebook opened on a page that just mostly consisted of doodles.
Were you crying?
When Adagio saw what was written, all the softness in her face melted away to reveal her usual unamused expression.
''No. What makes you think anything like that?''
Sonata held her pencil but hesitated to write anything else. In the end, she just wrote the words:
I'm sorry.
''It's... fine. Let's just go to sleep...''
She nodded but Adagio was already past her, going to the bedroom and shutting the light on her way. The yellow siren visibly stifled a giggle when she saw Aria on the single bed they owned while taking her own pyjamas out of the closet. Her face was still buried in her pillow and her long purple and green hair was everywhere. The fluffy pyjamas she was wearing (a gift from Sonata) didn't help.
''I'm just going to change,'' Adagio said, taking one last look at Aria before leaving the room again. Soon after, everyone was in bed.
They all slept in the same bed as long as they could remember. Back in Equestria, they would always huddle together in whatever corner they found for the night. Sonata would lay her head on Adagio's chest and her tail on Aria's side. Or face, if they were particularly angry at eachoder (which would then lead to the purple siren's retribution and then escalate into a full-blown fight that would have to be stopped by Adagio's frustrated growls). Their human forms had made their pilling up habit much more uncomfortable but they still liked to sleep together. She still preferred being by Adagio's side while Aria would sleep at the feet of the bed.
Either one of them could still start a fight whenever they wanted, but Sonata hadn't been in the mood for such things. In that very same moment, she was wide awake even though her sisters were dead to the world. Not that she wasn't exhausted, she was. But it seemed that the moment her head touched the pillow, her brain would just get absolutely wired with way to many thoughts for one to fall asleep.
Usually, at these moments, she would just get up and keep working on whatever little project she was involved in or just try to concentrate on Adagio's heartbeat to try to finally fall asleep. This time she went to the bathroom.
Not very sure why, since she was just tired. She sat on the toilet and tiredly looked ahead to the sink and the puff of blue and pink hair she could see in the mirror at that height.
Sonata then got up and used the sink to hold her weight. After shallowing nothing, looked in the mirror but didn't like what she saw. A face paler than usual, lips pressed tightly and eyes constantly going downwards. Sonata folded her hands and stepped away from the mirror, sitting back down.
She hated it. It was like the world was losing colour slowly. It would be a lie if she said there wasn't a fear of waking up one day and realizing reality had completely lost its joy. At least in her eyes. She had reached that conclusion way before that doctor's appointment. Food was losing its flavour and appeal even though they all still shopped at the same place and cooked the same way, the river near their home only changed with the seasons and still, her walks seemed to get duller and duller. She tried to pick up a hobby, like her string bracelets but sometimes she just wanted to disappear. And when she wasn't feeling like a black hole was sucking her up from the inside, she would go completely... ''histeric''...
That was the word her boss had used to describe her. Like Adagio, at the beginning of the aftermath of the Battle of the Bands, she had been working a simple costumer service job at a local shop. It wasn't easy to adapt but some people were nice. Until they had come in.
Those damned Rainbooms strolled inside without a care in the world, talking and laughing as if they hadn't completely turned the Dazzling's lives upside down. Then the memories of it all came rushing back and when she noticed, she was nothing but a blubbering sobbing mess.
She didn't have a job anymore.
She needed to sleep.
A few days later, Adagio was out shopping for groceries, and Aria was out working so Sonata tried to fool her loneliness by doodling on her notebook in her spot by the window. She was finally distracted with trying to draw some straight lines when the front door slammed violently. Aria was home early.
She quickly got up, not sure if she should go to her sister or run in the opposite direction, but right away opted by going to her. Aria slammed the door whether she was angry or normal, so...
Sonata found her in the bathroom looking at the state of her wet and dirty clothes. She tilted her head and Aria finally saw her, reflected in the mirror.
''The boss's new car made a number on me when it splashed me... Then, I complained and she laughed in my face!'' Aria said, her tone getting more rapid and pissed off with every word. ''The nerve of her, how dare she?! If only I had my powers I would make her jump off a cliff! So, I told her exactly what was on my mind and she fired me!''
Sonata hesitated, muscles starting to get a bit tense, but then remembered she had brought her notebook with her. Before she could finish writing, Aria seemed to snap. She banged her hands on the lavatory and yelled:
''No, I'm not okay! Do I even look anywhere close to okay?! I'm tired of all of this! I'm tired of all my stupid bosses and even more stupid costumers, I hate all of them! I hate that those stupid ponies stole our magic! If Adagio would let me, I would just punch the living daylights out of them. There is nothing worth living for anymore! We will never go home! All because some stupid bearded wizard thought we were a menace!''
As she spoke, Aria closed her fists and started hitting the porcelain as Sonata looked at her, eyes widened and fighting her urge to flinch at her screams. She tried to think of something to do or write. She tried to speak, scream for her to stop but even thought her month was open no words or sounds left it, leaving only the feeling of a tightened throat and dry mouth. It was called ''selective mutism'' but she hadn't selected anything! Why was her voice being like this? Why was their life being like this?
Her eyes started stinging as tears welled up in her eyes, and Sonata just folded her arms with the notebook against her chest and started crying. It made Aria stop her assault on the sink and look at her.
''What?! Now, you're crying?! Are you serious?! You really have to grow up, Sonata!''
She tried to speak between sobs but if it seemed hard to speak before, now her mouth wouldn't even open.
''You're the worst, really! You just stay home and are useless! You can't even look for a job, and mute people get jobs all the time! What are you even doing?!''
As she kept screaming at her, the yellow siren came rampant into the bathroom. In the middle of all of it, the two of them hadn't even heard her return.
''What's going on?!''
Adagio's voice ripped through the one-sided fight and as soon as the older sister laid eyes on the pair, she clenched her teeth in a way that almost seemed to be painful.
''Are you screaming at her, Aria?''
Whatever words Aria was going to spat out next disappeared in an instant.
''Because if you are...'' Adagio continued. ''You better pray to Novo and the moon that I can't get to you fast enough.''
Aria didn't want to back down but the gaze of magenta coloured rage made a really compelling argument.
''I thought we were past this, but no. We're still arguing like little children when we should be focusing on our own survival.''
Aria lowered her head but didn't answer. Meanwhile, Sonata had already noticed her sister was there and was trying to steady her breaths.
''Aria?'' she called, still in a deadly tone.
''We know, Adagio... ''
She scoffed.
''Oh, but, do you really? Because all I'm seeing is the usual pathetic fights you two get in. And she can't even speak, Aria! How do you manage that?! Can you stop making things harder for me?!''
Aria didn't answer.
''I need to take care of the groceries, make dinner and take a nap before getting ready for work. Stay out of trouble before I get more annoyed.''
She left, and Sonata left too right after, leaving Aria alone with her extinguished wrath. Ultimately, she just took a shower and went to their bedroom.
Her sisters weren't in the room. But at the farthest corner of it, there was a black box on the ground. Aria sat down in front of it and then opened the box very carefully as if it had some kind of ticking bomb inside. But instead of that, inside were pieces of broken gems, parts of what had once been everything to them. The shards reacted to the light and her presence, glowing very faintly before seeming to die again.
After setting the top beside her, she just stood there looking at them. The act didn't bring her any comfort or happiness, but she felt like she needed it. Maybe at this time she just felt the need to find excuses to continue getting angry. Maybe she was getting tired of being so bitter, but at the same time, it seemed like it was the only thing giving her life meaning. Since she didn't know what the meaning of it all was anymore.
Maybe something had to change.
A day passed. Nobody mentioned the fight again, but Sonata now seemed to be avoiding Aria. It didn't feel good for anyone. So much that after dinner, after getting ready for work and already close to the door, Adagio said the purple siren should just apologize and put an end to the issue.
''Since when is that your decision?'' Aria asked harshly.
''Since you guys started bringing the moral of the house down with your stupidity.'' the oldest replied, rolling her eyes.
''Oh yes, because it was sooo high to begin with!'' she mocked, voice dripping with sarcasm and then put on a fake sugary tone. ''Sure thing, big sis! I'll just say ''I'm soo sowy, Soso!'' and things will get so much better instantly! Right?!''
The last word had no false sweetness, just a snap of anger. It made Adagio clench her fists.
''Don't you pull the sarcasm card on me, Aria.''
''You're always so overbearing, Adagio! You can't control everything, every time!''
''If I don't, I should!'' Adagio snapped back, losing the control on the tone of her voice.
She let out a cruel and ironic laugh.
''Oh? ''You should''?! Entitled much?! You're not more deserving than any of us, sister!''
The screams attracted the youngest siren, but at the same time made her stood near the door to the kitchen, not interfering.
''I am! And all I'm doing is trying to keep you safe! It's all I ever did after we left home! Is this the thanks I get?!'' Adagio now screamed, voice shaking almost imperceptibly at the end of the sentence.
All Aria saw was pure red. Her teeth clenched, her muscles tensed, and her face was now equally flushed.
''It was your fault for getting us stuck here, anyway!'' Aria screamed.
She could have gasped in reply but instead yelled:
''Mine?! What on earth did I possibly do that makes me more guilty than you?!''
''You were the one who convinced us to get bigger with our schemes! If we had stayed on that pathetic little sea town, we wouldn't have gotten ourselves into this situation!''
''We all know that excessively draining other beings kills them! And if we mess too much with them, they just kill eachoder! We needed to move on to some other place, sometime!''
''Oh, please!''
Sonata just stood there, looking at both of them, trying desperately to think of something to do.
Aria lifted her fist and it sparked even more anger on the yellow siren.
''You started this fight, Aria. Now it will end on my terms.''
''Your terms?! Why are you always so bossy?! Not everything can go your way, just because you're the oldest!''
''This again? It's not because I'm the oldest, it's because I'm the smartest! You wouldn't have lasted a week in this world without me! You would just let the mobs spiral out of control and then they would probably just killed you on accident!''
''Excuse me?!''
''Shut up!''
Both sirens gasped and turned to Sonata, who suddenly seemed breathless.
She gulped and ran a hand over her own throat. She swallowed again, and in the softest tone the Dazzlings had ever heard from her, said:
''Stop fighting. Now. Ple-...''
Her sentence was cut sort by a ragged breath. Sonata breathed deeply, however she never finished what she was saying.
Adagio approached her carefully, reaching a hand towards her, while she tried to continue her sentence and failed miserably.
''Ah... I...''
''Don't force it, Sonata.''
She slapped her older sister's hand away and shook her head, mouthing ''No''.
The two oldest sisters exchanged a look, not in rage anymore, but in apprehension.
Sonata breathed deeply again and left the room. It seemed like it was that until she came back with her notebook and a pen. She showed them a blank page with the words:
Please stop fighting
Adagio sighed. She slowly turned to her other sister, but she was already gone.
''Wh-what...''
Adagio looked around her, but it seemed she had gone to their room. She signed again and went to fetch her keys and left. When Sonata noticed, she was alone in the room with notebook in hand. She felt stupid that way and so went to sit down on her blue couch. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but the silence after the loud fight was now painful.
Her older sisters had been fighting because of her. It made her feel guilty even though it wasn't her fault. It's just that they all had their flaws. Adagio was bossy, Aria was like a fire-cracker in the worst way possible and she was a bit of doormat and quite dim. She at least was smart enough to be aware of those things. But it made them clash constantly.
But, if they had been fighting about her, maybe she could fix it. Everything wouldn't get instantly better, as the purple siren had said, but it would definitely turn the atmosphere into something livable again.
Sonata smiled a bit, determined, and got up. As she was going to their room, she crashed against the one she had meant to talk with.
''Sonata...''
She was just about to start to scribble a message on her notebook when a violet hand put it back down.
''I have to say something first.''
They both hesitated but when Aria started biting her lip, Sonata nodded and smiled at her.
''Alright...'' she said. ''I need to say that I'm sorry, Sonata... Because of the fight we had, and like... I shouldn't have lost my temper with you when... you weren't even the reason I was angry in the first place... And what I said after, I'm sorry about that too...''
In an out of character fashion, Aria struggled to meet her sister's eyes.
''I suppose this is a decent apology... Is-...?''
She almost lost her balance when Sonata gasped in delight and just threw herself to hug her before she could even finish her sentence. It made Aria let out a laugh neither of them had even expected. A genuine laugh that was all her own, and one the youngest siren hadn't heard literally in years.
''I was just saying... You're not the worst, Sonata.''
She hugged her tighter and nuzzled her.
To their surprise, the sound of the front door opening and closing interrupted them. The very familiar sound of keys being dumped nearby and Adagio signing also came from there.
Aria gulped but before she could back down, Sonata eagerly and comically pushed her towards the entrance.
Adagio couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the scene that greeted her. She was back only because before she could get on the subway station, her boss messaged her saying that the shop had been robbed earlier that day that it was closed. She only wished it had been said sooner, but the fool was just like that.
Adagio looked at the sky, wondering at to do exactly, and saw the moon. She couldn't help the frown that came over her as she said:
''I really hope you're not the one responsible for this...''
She had dreaded returning home, having to swallow her pride and be the one to apologize, but since she wasn't working, she would have to go back while everyone was still awake. Of course, the siren could have just gone for a huge walk until six a.m. but it wasn't a real option...
So that's why she was so surprised seeing Aria getting pushed towards her. When Sonata thought they were close enough, she let Aria go and gave a few steps back. For a few moments, they just stood there, staring quietly at eachoder.
Finally, Aria rubbed her arm and said:
''I'm sorry... About earlier. I don't take back the part where I said you're egotistic and controlling, but the rest... Look, I'm sorry. I'm trying my best, and I know you are too... I didn't mean it when I said it was your fault... And I shouldn't have picked a fight with you. I'm sorry, sister.''
Adagio gulped and it made the other sirens a bit nervous for her response.
''I...'' she started. ''I have to apologize too. You're right. I can be very bossy, as you put it, or even tyrannical... But I was saying the truth when I said I wanted to protect you. I just have to accept I shouldn't be commanding you two all the time... I'm very sorry, Aria.''
More silence followed for a few moments. Painfully awkward moments, but in the end, they smiled at eachoder. It made Sonata gasp again in joy, as she tackled them both into a hug. The smile turned into laughter and when the three of them let go, everything seemed much better than minutes before.
''I'm going to make the best out of my random free night and rest. What are you two going to do?''
Sonata ran to fetch the notebook that had fallen on the floor during Aria's first apology and she messily wrote to her:
Do you want to take a walk near the river with me?
Aria never went with her sister on her walks. It felt like such a waste of time to just walk around places they had seen before plenty of times before.
So, she accepted.
''Sure why not. Get some fresh air, all that jazz.''
''Alright,'' Adagio said. ''Have fun.''
Sonata let out a soft ''ah!'' then processed to grab her sister by the arm and lead her away with the notebook under her arm, all the while with a huge smile on her face. The oldest had to contain a laugh when she saw Aria's face that seemed to slightly regret her choices in the face of Sonata's great excitement.
The youngest hadn't looked forward to a nightly walk in such a way, in a long time. Everything seemed bright again, for a time. From the lights in the elevator's buttons to the shine of the moon in the sky. And it was indeed a beautiful night, with some noise from nearby establishments still open, passing cars and passing people.
Their destination would be the bridge that went over the river and offered a beautiful view of it and the environment around. The pair went through the garden in the back of the building which would allow them to follow a dirt trail to get to said bridge.
Along the way, Sonata would point at the pretty wildflowers, funny shaped rocks, open windows, cute people and puffy dandelions to Aria, who would just scoff, focusing more in the way in ahead of her. But the siren would still look, almost smile at things and breathe in the fresh night air, which was progress, in Sonata's opinion.
Aria wouldn't admit, but she actually liked the dandelions...
When they got to the bridge, Sonata comfortably sat on the edge. Seeing her sister actually enjoy nature (even if she didn't admit it), filled her with happiness. Scribbling in her notebook, she wrote to her:
Maybe you should start coming here more often.
Sonata was honestly expecting the other siren to just roll her eyes and scoff again, so it was surprising when she smiled softly without a hint of sarcasm and nodded.
''Yeah... Maybe I should.''
Aria looked up at the moon, shining brightly. It wasn't full anymore but it was so beautiful. One of the few things in this world to be so, for her. Though that seemed like it was about to change. It felt like she was walking and just about to turn a new corner. She couldn't exactly see what was beyond that just yet but it was exciting. It was a strange feeling.
Like the moon herself and those possibilities compelled her, she started singing. It wasn't aggressive or something that reduced her to her oldest sister's backup. It was her own song.
She felt powerful and at peace in a way she hadn't felt in quite some time. She looked at her sister, who's eyes were widened and smiled genuinely again.
Seeing her singing so softly over the perch made Sonata feel lighter. She turned her head to the moon behind her and felt a sudden wave of confidence rising up to her throat. Sonata then started accompanying her, at first a bit hoarse, but Aria just kept smiling at her without malice. The knot on her throat loosened and her melody became stronger and surer. When they both noticed, Sonata was accompanying her almost perfectly. There were some occasional hiccups but none of them cared at that moment.
They weren't the best voices in the world anymore, but it was enough.
In the meantime, for the first time ever, Adagio found herself alone in the apartment.
She sat down on Sonata's usual spot and looked out of the window. From there she could see the garden in the back of the apartment, part of other buildings, and the moon high up in the sky. Aside from the occasional steps above her head and the creaking wood that followed, there was no noise whatsoever.
She leaned back into a comfortable pillow and let herself just be there. Like Sonata did. No work to do, no little sisters testing out her eardrums, no fights to break up, no plans to be made.
''Alright... I'm starting to see the appeal...''
Adagio breathed deeply, lazily looking outside. Even though nothing was really happening, it was nice. In the nearby apartment windows, mortals walked around, doing chores or going places she had no idea where. One was watching TV. Another was doing what seemed to be homework. Or maybe just working out their bills? She didn't know, but it was nice to guess.
She began to mindlessly hum. Which then turned into an almost whispered melody, and then evolved into a proper tune.
When she noticed she was singing, she stopped for a moment. After some silence, she carefully restarted the song. Her voice wasn't as bad as she remembered. It motivated her to keep singing.
Maybe her original voice and magic would never return, but Adagio was starting to think she could live with it.
