After a time, the emotional intensity of the moment began to fade, and all five individuals pulled back from each other as the magic faded. As overjoyed as Bai was to have her daughters back - and as overjoyed as they were to be reunited with her - all four knew that despite the nigh-immortality that had kept them alive for so long, they were no longer the same people they had been when they'd last been together. Time had changed all four of them.
And then there was Valmont. Despite it being his wish granted by Santa and his own actions that had brought about this reunion and his own strong bond with Bai, he was an outsider as far as their history was concerned. One wrong word on anyone's part could cause problems. He took the time to read faces so he could determine a best way to ease things into comfort.
Of the three sisters, the one with the massive amounts of orange and yellow hair was obviously the leader, if not the eldest. Even as they stood about uncertainly, she had - subconsciously, plainly - shifted herself to be between Valmont and the other two, though only slightly. Had Valmont not been specifically looking for that detail, he might have mistaken it for simply an aggressive step forward as she shifted in an attempt to present herself fetchingly and dominantly, trying to take control of the situation. The girl with the star-shaped hair pins also had an aggressive stance, but it looked so natural on her that Valmont deduced that she was the 'Enforcer' of the trio, the primary muscle. The way she held herself - and the position of her feet once he looked that low - showed she had at least some knowledge of martial arts.
The third sister, with the long blue ponytail...had clambered up onto Bai's back for a piggy-back ride, completely ignoring the tension of the situation. With the way this drew flat-eyed gazes from her sisters and delight from Bai, this was obviously the baby of the trio. And he felt he saw a way to diffuse the situation somewhat. "S'na, right?" he asked, looking at her with a smile on his face. "Or do you go by Sonata now?"
"That's me!" Sonata declared happily. "Who are you?" She looked up at Valmont with happy eyes, a wide smile...and no less than three knives hidden in her ponytail, which was held closed by what Valmont recognized on close examination as an assassin's loop, a thin thread of wire with a grip at either end that when wrapped around a neck could be pulled taut, slicing into flesh and - with enough torsion and at the right place - take someone's head clean off.
Valmont found himself grinning widely. They were definitely their mother's daughters, and frighteningly tough in their way. "I'm Valmont," he introduced himself happily. "I'm your new step-father, and I hope we'll get along well."
"You got married, Mom?" the daughter Valmont had pegged as the 'Enforcer' declared in shock.
Bai smiled warmly up at Valmont. "That I did," she purred softly.
"Aww, so sweet!" Sonata squealed happily before bouncing over to a nearby window before gasping. "Wow, we're really high up! Is this, like, your penthouse?"
"My building, actually," Valmont corrected.
"Okay, what is it you've got that's so special Mom went and got hitched?" the one Valmont had pegged as 'leader' demanded, once again positioning herself in a pose that was at once sensual and aggressive.
Valmont smiled. "And you would be the eldest daughter I heard described as 'as bad or worse than Bai in your own right'? That would make you Adagio?" Seeing her widened, shocked eyes, he chuckled. "The names Bai called you were ancient, and it only made sense you would modernize them as you lived through the ages. S'na becoming Sonata says you chose a musical theme, possibly to remind yourself constantly of your siren heritage as you got further and further from home." He turned to the middle sister. "Which would make you...Aria?"
"...okay, he's good," Aria allowed with a smirk. "Loaded and has a brain."
"Still doesn't tell me why you married him," Adagio said to Bai. "I mean, I get keeping him as a sugar daddy - I've kept a few when we were trying to gather power to get back home, just to make getting the right food at restaurants easier when someone could pay instead of making it while hypnotized - but marriage? I mean, he's human!"
Bai smiled softly. "I admit, it surprised even me that it became the path I chose...but he won me over even when he was human, that he could meet the Brotherhood on our own terms and come out ahead."
Adagio snorted. "Like outsmarting most of our Uncles is a big-was?" She spun to look at Valmont in shock.
Valmont's brow twitched as he felt something at the edge of his magic. "Excuse me a moment, ladies," he offered softly. "Something calls for my immediate attention. Give me...a minute at most." With that, he discarded his human form to zip down to Personnel Resources. "Yes?" he asked calmly.
Standing in front of the desk was a green skinned woman in a business suit, her hair blonde with white tips, her eyes solid gold. A glowing green gem hung around her neck. "I heard you needed a new bodyguard, brother," she offered in a familiar - if much quieter than expected - voice.
Valmont smiled widely. "I believe I do have an opening for you, Sister. Come on up to the Penthouse and talk it over with the family." Knowing Po would make her own way there, he zipped back up to the Penthouse...to find Adagio and Aria were staring at him - since he reappeared in the same spot - with their jaws hanging. Sonata was busy pretending to crush passing planes out the window with her fingers.
Bai smiled, a trifle smug. "Your step-father, girls...the newly ascended Demon Sorcerer of Light."
"Sorcerer?" Sonata asked eagerly as she bounced over, pulling out a pouch. "Does that mean you can fix these?"
Valmont took the pouch and poured the contents into his hands...finding crimson gem fragments that looked like they had once held magic. Bai gasped in shock and dismay as she caught sight of them. "Girls...what happened to your power jewels?"
Adagio frowned darkly. "We stumbled across Pop's world," she muttered darkly. "We thought we could get his help getting back to you, but he didn't even remember you, or know who we were. And it turns out as potent as the magic was there..."
"We got rainbow blasted by some mean girls, our gems cracked, and we lost our magic and voices!" Sonata explained happily. "It was the worst!"
"How you can say that so happily when it was less than a week ago I'll never know," Aria muttered darkly.
"Oh, girls..." Bai moaned softly, pulling Adagio and Aria into a motherly embrace.
"Rainbow blasted you say?" Valmont mused as he floated the gem shards over his hand. "I think I know that power...ah!" Light shot out of his hand, bouncing rapidly between the fragments as flashes of rainbow light burst off of them. "I see. It seems the rainbow light was specifically targeting the aspect of your magic derived from chaos and disorder, since that plus Siren magic - which relies on the Order of musical flow - was an unstable mix to begin with. That's what made it necessary to focus your magic through these gems to begin with, but if I tweak the balance of the gems like so..." The shards suddenly flew together, blazing with crimson light as a soft pink glow slowly flowed into them from his body. "There we go," he said as he held the gems out. "They should only draw out your Siren magic now, rather than the Chaos aspect, which should allow you to gather magic and power just from having people enjoy your performance...and possibly if they desire you, but I get the feeling that's one aspect of being a Siren you'll enjoy anyway."
All three girls stared in awe at their whole gems. Sonata quickly grabbed hers, pressing it against the choker around her neck with a wide grin. Aria and Adagio each took theirs a bit more nervously, but a warm glow passed through them as they pressed them to their chokers. They then began to sway.
"Oh whoa ho...oh whoa ho...you didn't know that you fell..."
Their eyes lit up with delight as they heard their voices coming out clear and pure, and felt the magic in their bodies. A slow smirk spread across Adagio's face. "Okay, you made a good choice, Mom," she said softly.
"So you're rich?" Sonata asked excitedly.
Valmont chuckled. "Yes, I should say so."
"Does that mean I can have a pony?"
"Magical talking variety, or mundane?"
"Ugh, mundane," Sonata pouted. "We had enough of that other variety with the bearded unicorn that banished us for, like, the 36th time-"
"37," Aria corrected idly.
"Mundane, but enchanted for durability and longevity so you can ride it for many years to come it is," Valmont offered firmly.
"Best new dad ever!" Sonata squealed happily as she threw herself at Valmont in a tackling embrace.
Oh, I can't wait til those three meet the CMC... That's going to be a fun one to see.
Ok, I really like this version of the Sirens.
okay, this section here just adds proof to three theories I've conceived while reading this story: 1) Discord WAS their father, 2) this DOES take place after Rainbow Rocks, and 3) the meeting between the Dazzlings and the CMC has a 9 out of 10 chance of being super awkward...and yet, the only response I can think of is this:
LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS, LOVING THIS!
Would have expected Sonata to start asking for tacos by now. Anyway, did I mention how much I AM LOVING THIS?
Also, 8505331 don’t we all!
Was that a hellsing abridged reference at the end?
Also will be interesting to see how they react to the crusaders after this. Especially since as far as the sirens are concerned they're related to the girls who demolished them.
Just idly speculating, but were the Sirens correct in assuming the Discord they met was the same Discord who is their father? There's a whole interconnected multiverse of alternate Equestrias with parallel versions of their inhabitants involved in the wider metaplot, so it's quite possible they ran into the wrong Discord.
8505347 VERY good point, it does beg the question!
8505336
No, you have not...
8505316
Agreed....
8505337
Were they aware of the relationship between the rainbooms and CMC?
Show of hooves and or hands. Who's looking forward to the siren's meeting a certain trio of talking ponies?
Well, I stand corrected. The evidence didn't point in any specifick place in time, and my asumtion was made under the specifick point that all storys end aroud Terik's defit and RR is after that.
But enof of that, let the frenamyship and rivelry of the CMC and Dazzlings, BEGIN.
The critical point here is that Valmont now knows enough to send the CMCs back to their world -if he wants to. Key question is: Does he want to? Or is he content with the status quo? Letting them stay is a sign that he intends to work with the Chans, of course. If he sees the Chans as enemies, then sending them home is a sure way to weaken the others. Hey, he could even pass it off as a Good Deed
One more thing. How/what are Ratso and Finn doing? It occurs to me that IIRC, the show never mentioned their families.
One more thing. Speaking of families. Viper has to take Jackie home to meet her parents. Bad day. I remember on the old Get Smart show Max never told his parents that he was a secret agent. He told them that he was a greeting card salesman. Kaos agents try to kill him & his parents get caught by some of the security traps in his home. His explanation "The greeting card business is VERY competetive"
8505383
Except he doesn't know enough to do that.
8505383
Hey! Did'ja forget about Chow?
8505383
I suspect there's still temporal issues he couldn't get around- remember, they'll arrive shortly after they left. Still, as he probably does know how to get them back, it'd make sense for him to offer to do so when he can.
8505385
Well, he knows that the Dazzlings got blasted by a rainbow & they know where that was. I'd start looking there.
Okay, clever writing as usual.
8505393
Except he has no idea how to open a portal there back up.
The sirens most likely have gotten a gem of a step-dad right there.
Who would have thought Sonata was the one who's on the cutting edge of fashion?
They had enough of the magical talking ponies? Banish the thought.
Daaw, little girl asking her daddy for a pony and he immediately agrees. Cliche but adorable!!! I do hope they get along with the Crusaders.
I wonder when are the Dazzlings going to comment about what happened to the crusaders and if they are going to link 2+2
8505347
You know, I actually hadn't thought of that? I'm honestly surprised, usually I'm the FIRST one on that train of thought.
Well, that certainly one way to lie about the situation.
There’s no way in hell Valmont doesn’t realize what that statement from Sonata means for his three flower fillies. I’m sure he’s going quietly probe the three girls about this land of magical talking ponies over the coming months/years in an attempt to figure out how to send the CMC back to their homeworld.
Though what I am sure he is going to do is sit on that information until he’s figured out a way to make it a round trip for the girls (and their families) instead of a one way so those three don’t lose the family they have built in this world.
Nice chapter!
love this chapter
8505416
I don't think it was a lie actually. Just her take on the situation.
If you believed you were doing nothing wrong and just minding your own business and a gang came along and decided to beat you up and break your favorite toy/s wouldn't YOU think they were being mean?
8505416
You had the same idea I had, but I guess he's got other plans. One thing I learned playing AD&D is that the DM can ALWAYS say "you can't get there from here"
8505481
Telling the truth from "a certain point of view" is still a lie. Specifically it's a lie of omission.
Though considering Sonata was the one who made this statement, that is probably more or less how she saw it going down. Adagio and Aria however, probably know better and are biting their tongues.
I have the feeling Valmont was able to pick up on the few hints the Dazzlings dropped about their history and piece together what those three have been up to over the past centuries.
I doubt Valmont is going to care about what the Dazzlings did over the centuries to survive, but I get the feeling Valmont didn't miss the Sugar Daddy comment.
So they admit they got their butts handed to them.
Which Valmont picked up on.
And he recognizes the magic which was used to blast them. This is not surprising since he's seen this magic in action at least once. More to the point, he also has a vague idea of how it works, specifically which type of magical creatures cast it, and knows why it is cast.
Which is why he asked the question about the Magical Talking or Mundane ponies. He knows The Dazzlings haven't told him and their mother everything that happened before Santa granted his wish and brought them into his home. And I highly doubt he's going to just ignore it.
I think Valmont will subtly make sure these three don't cause enough trouble to warrant the Jade Council breathing down his neck again. He'll give them enough rope to be a pain in the neck for the Chan Clan—learning how to interact with peers one doesn't always get along with is an invaluable lesson—but no where near enough to warrant anyone under his roof getting banished.
After all, the best way he can take care of his family is to know what they are capable of.
8505416
The rest is seeing who would accomplish that first, Valmont or uncle? (or Zecora?)
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
I want to imagine the Dazzlings as the Plastics from “Mean Girls”.
Sonata: If you’re a princess, where’s your wings?
Adagio: Sonata, you can’t say that!
And suddenly i remember the comment that inspired this moment way earlier in the story.
Well, that meeting went just about as well as I could have expected. Initial hostility to "Holy crap, this is our new father?" is just about right. And of course Sonata has immediately settled in. The fact that Valmont has tampered their magic so that they draw power from enjoyment rather than negativity is going to be a welcome change. That could potentially be something that Uncle could help them with, and I have a feeling Sweetie Belle will need to teach them some new songs, since all of their usual ones tend to imply negativity. Either way, despite all the wary comments I'm seeing (rightfully so!), I think the first encounter between the girls and the girls () is going to go rather swimmingly! Guess we'll just have to see!
Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven
"Bad Day"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 40
"He's Not My Boyfriend!"/"I'm not his Mistress!"
Chapter Count: 0/0
Total Count: 45/3
8505397
Hey just wondering, I don't know if you answered this already or not but dose the count as the Dazzlings pwny story or are going to make one for them?
Well, it's only a matter of time before they meet the CMC, but when that happens...well, we'll have fun.
Gotta admit, I was looking forward to seeing how the Dazzlings would react to their new step-dad.
8505403
Wow, that's perfect. Noice.
This is an interesting new link to Equestria that was just introduced, completely independent of the CMC. I'm really curious what if any impact that'll have on the overall story.
8503643
8505403
And then everyone had a yerk in their head, and the yerks were letting their hosts be in control most of the time in order to avoid scrutiny from the Crystal Heart, which had been repurposed into a scanner that pinged if a yerk wasn't playing nice.
God, Sonata's so adorable~!
Valmont would be best stepdad.
Chapter One Hundred Fifty Seven
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 47
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 83
8505690
let's just hope the Sirens don't fall back on old habits then. Wouldn't want Papa Wolf Uncle banishing them AGAIN for trying to drown his girls.
.......... I'm jest gonna hold back here for a SEC UNTILL THE CRAZY PASSES OVER ON WHEN THE GALS MEET THE CMC.
8506267
I'm sure Valmont will be keeping them on a very close eye on the Dazzlings. After all, such an endeavor will require less than a sliver of a fraction of his immeasurable power.
8505397
Valmont is going to investigate this though, right? If so, I'm sure his agents would find out about that eventually, not that it would necessarily lead to the right Equestria.
Also, did Valmont use harmony magic to fix those gems, or maybe he's just manipulating rainbow magic that got absorbed/stuck on them?
8506546
He's using Light magic to reshape the crystals to not draw on Chaos, which results in the traces of Harmony magic still stuck to them leaving them.
So Valmont’s part in this story should almost be done. In the original timeline him and the Enforcers had split up at this point. The next few villains where season specific like Wong and the masks in the following season. Now I wonder how Draco will handle his uncle because he knows how dangerous he is and what would happen if he fails in his plan.
8505570
There's a difference between being knowingly selective about the truth to deliberately give a misleading impression, and telling what you believe to be the truth from your limited perspective.
If the latter is lying, then pretty much everything anyone says, ever, is a lie.
8505331
I think they where talking about Starswirl. Unless you go by the theory that Starswirl BECAME Discord
Okay, there's something I need to say after the last few chapters of this, and please don't take this the wrong way. This isn't meant as an insult, just as honest criticism.
While I am still continuing to read this story for the time being, it's just not as entertaining or engaging anymore, because you have turned every single character in this story into an overpowered, hyperintelligent Mary Sue. There's no conflict anymore because every single character presented with a problem can either rules lawyer their way out of it, talk it out without creating a conflict (and end up with a better outcome for all parties involved), or outright outfight anything that comes along.
It's getting tiresome.
This is exactly the kind of "perfect Mary Sue fixes everything" story that seasoned writers advise against writing, and with good reason. Only here, you've got not just one Mary Sue, but an entire cast herd of them. This is a story where the heroes have 100% success rate and 0% possibility of failure and more often than not convert the villains into allies who then also become perfect.
I mean, it's your story, write it how you want, but you're kind of starting to reach the point at which ending it would be more merciful than not. I know you have a lot of JCA left to work through, but if you're just going to keep doing it this way? What's the point?
8506798
I kind of figured they were all getting "Mary Sued" for the final big fight against the Old Ones or something, like most Dragon Ball Z story arcs. The heroes did "lose" to Valmont for a time, but that got timeline reversed. I guess it's been a bit since things really seemed believably tense. But, I think we're just at a part of the story where a lot of stuff is getting (or has been) resolved and action is just around the corner.