//------------------------------// // Forgiven But Not Pardoned // Story: Beggars can be choosers // by MurlocStalker //------------------------------// Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk slowly made their way downstairs. Every step they took just served to increase the fear in their already anxious minds. At second thought, Aria and Sonata should have known that he would find out that they had broken the rules. The cupboards are still open and it is quite warmer than when they first went down there. As they came down the stairs, Faithful didn't even spare them a glance, he was too busy checking the drawers. As they stood by the bottom of the stairs, they simply waited for him to speak. A minute passed without him even addressing them. After looking into one last drawer, he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning forward against the shelf. Another minute of nothing passed. Sonata was deathly afraid of what was going to come next and Aria herself would be lying if she said that she was not afraid too. Faithful finally turned his gaze towards the two girls. Sonata flinched when she saw how his gaze burned. It was unlike anything she had seen from him before. It was far worse than anything Adagio had ever given them. He was furious. Trying to save the situation, perhaps cool him down a bit, Sonata was first to speak up. “Faith, we-” “Silence.” said Faithful in a low tone. He sounded calm, yet anger was dripping from every letter. Sonata let out an Eep and hid behind her sister. “You will not speak until I say so.” “B-But-” “What did I just say?” Silence fell over the room. Once he had assured himself that he had their full and undivided attention. “Girls… I'm very disappointed. I had the utmost faith in you. I took a risk by taking you in and an even greater one in leaving you alone… Tell me, girls, did I make a mistake in taking you in? Have I been too harsh?” “No! It was no mistake, you have been so nice to us. Also, you haven't been harsh at all, you have been so… so… Aria, what word am I looking for?” Said Sonata “Lenient?” Aria answered. “Yes! That! You have been so lenient with us. You haven't been harsh in the slightest.” “Yet you deliberately disobeyed me. Not an hour has passed and you have already seen it fit to break one of my very few rules. Is this what I can expect out of the two of you? If that is the case then you have no place here.” Sonata gasped and Aria attempted to maintain a calm exterior, trying to not lose her cool. “Hey, Faith, it was a mistake, nothing more or less. We're sorry that it happened. We promise that it will not happen again, and if it does, you may throw us out in an instant.” Faithful just let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “Such was the arrangement to begin with, yet you still saw it fit to break one of the very few rules I set up for you. Do you even realize what you have done?” “Um...” They muttered, uncertain of where he was going with this. All that they knew was that it wouldn't be any good. “By raising the temperature in this room, you have awoken every single lizard in here. Lizards that need their hibernation in order to breed, and since they won't breed, we will not get any babies, and if I don't get any babies then I can't sell them, and if I can't sell them then I won't make a profit. In short terms, just by raising the temperature in the room, you've just cost me a considerable amount of money.” “W-We're sorry, Faith. Really.” Sonata stuttered. “Sorry doesn't quite cover this blunder, Sonata… You couldn't even handle the most basic rules.” He groaned. He looked at them straight in the eyes, his gaze ice cold “There will be consequences for this. Such insolence must be punished… You will go to your rooms, and once inside, I will lock the doors. You will not get out for the rest of the day, and to boot, there will be no dinner for you.” The two girls could immediately feel their stomachs churn with hunger at the mere thought of going without food. “Come with me.” he said as he walked past them and made his way up the stairs. The girls followed suit, Aria a lot more reluctant but at this point she didn't dare to say anything against Faithful. He led them to their rooms, and true to his word, he locked them inside. Aria was first. Then when it was Sonata's turn, she hesitated, turned and asked: “What if I need to go to the bathroom?”. Faithful's answer was less than friendly: “Then soil yourself for all I care. You are not leaving this room.” He never raised his voice. That was the worst part for Sonata. In her experience, to keep a lowered voice while yet speaking as he did could only mean that he was thoroughly disappointed with her, or worse, maybe he hated her. She hadn't known him for all that long, yet the thought of him being mad at her was something that sent an uncomfortable feeling through her body. Was it because she was genuinely afraid of him being mad at her, or was it simply because she feared what it would mean if she crossed the line one time too much? Faith locked the door and Sonata could hear his footsteps getting less distinct the further he went. Sonata sighed and turned around. It wasn't the worst punishment to be stuck in this room. It was rather nice. It had a queen sized bed, some large closets and drawers and a big TV attached to the wall. Next to her bed was the nightstand that had a lamp, a couple of books and the remote for said TV. Sonata walked forward and slumped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, contemplating her choices. She thought about the uneasy feeling she felt when Faithful scolded her. Did she really care about what he thought of her? Adagio and Aria had been just about the only ones she ever cared for in her life. She swatted these concerns away from herself, justifying the feeling that it was merely due to that she did not want to lose this life that she had now. An hour or two ticked by as Sonata was just waiting for her punishment to be over, and at this point, she was really starting to feel the restlessness. She needed something to do. Anything really. Sonata looked to the nightstand, eying the remote to the TV. Better than absolute boredom. Sonata thought as she grabbed hold of it and flicked the television into activity. Sonata flipped through the variety of channels, trying to find something with even the slightest amount of entertainment value. Immediately she ended up on a news channel. Sonata groaned. The news were more often than not just the ramblings of inconsequential matters, fear mongers who prayed upon the uncertainties of the everyday person as well as reports on catastrophic events which was of little interest to her. After flicking through countless other channels she ended up on a channel of cartoon shows. For moment, Sonata's interest was peaked, holding for a moment to see what the channel had to offer. She was quickly disappointed. Rather than simply enriching or entertaining her, Sonata could just feel herself getting dumber with every passing second of watching it with their condescending attitude. Sonata began flicking through it all once again, this time with much frustration, pressing so rapidly that sometimes the remote would register several presses as a single one. The interrupted sound of dozens of channels that flickered by resulted in a blur of noise that only served to further annoy the former siren. It was then that something stuck out to her. Something differentiating from the rest of the programming, but she had already clicked past it. Slowly clicking backwards in hopes of finding that channel again Sonata soon found the channel which had peaked her interest. It was a channel seemingly dedicated to music, the artist currently on screen being a rather young and slender woman, singing what every pop artist these days seem to sing about: love. It wouldn't be so bad if only the artist would put even the slightest bit of effort and originality into her work. What she couldn't take away from her though was how well she actually sung. Her tone was impeccable, her voice was soft and soothing, bringing about a sense of calm and comfort. Excluding the text, it was a wonderful and near perfect ballad. Sonata adored her for it, envied her for it. Hated her for it. Sonata glared at the screen, seething with rage towards the woman who at this point and time dared to have a better voice than her. She was about to shout the most obscene of curses at the image of th woman when it was suddenly over. She made a bow and exited the stage she stood upon, leaving an empty stage on the screen for a couple of seconds with some narration over it. Sonata's expression changed to one of loss and confusion. Without a source for her to still be mad at it all changed. It was as if the woman ceased to exist the moment she left the screen. She looked down at her hands which reached up to gently touch her throat. She tried to let out a few soft notes, but each of them fell flat and horridly coarse. There was confusion. Confusion as to why things were as they were, why it had to happen to her and her sisters of all people. Then the hate returned. But it was not directed towards the singer. It was not against Starswirl the Bearded or even the seven girls which had stopped their plans. She experienced self-loathing. She hated herself. After minutes of silently cursing herself for her ineptitude and most minuscule flaws, her disposition changed once more. With these horrid words out in the open, it was as if they were gnawing upon her consciousness, attempting to break her sanity. Her rage and hate subsided. Sonata felt as if her eyes were about to pop right out of her sockets, sa if something was pressing up against the back of her eyes, urging to be let out. A sniffle escaped her breath. That sniffle was followed by another louder one, and so it continued until tears started to flow from her eyes. Sonata buried her head into the pillows, trying to stifle her sobs. She simply remained there and cried to her hearts content. She did not know how long she had remained a such, all she knew was that she needed to get this pain out of her, and something told her that this was the best option. There was a sound. She did not know what it was, nor did she really care what it was. It got louder but she did nothing still. She just lied there, buried in pillows and blankets. Then came a sensation which she could not ignore. She felt something on her shoulder. She slowly turned her head around, peering at the foreign object. It was a hand. She followed the trail of the arm and eventually found herself looking at the worried expression of Faithful Servant. He didn't say anything, something which she appreciated at the moment. Any form of reassuring words at the moment seemed futile to lift her spirits. Faithful allowed his gaze to wander up and down her frame, taking in the sight of this miserable girl. He then looked towards the now open door and gave nod which suggested that she should follow him. He rose up from the bed and headed towards the door. Sonata remained hesitant at first, but she eventually complied and followed him. They walked down the stairs and in to the kitchen, the scent of curry and chicken stroking her nostrils. She already felt like she was in a slightly better mood. Faithful seemed to have taken notice of this as he gave her a soft smile before he returned to the pot. Though it looked and smelled wonderful already, Faithful appeared to still be working on it, adding a couple more ingredients. The two of them remained as such. A comfortable silence. Sonata sat quietly on her chair, wiping away one or two straying tears whenever she ended up in the same head space as previously. After a few good minutes of silence, it was finally broken by Faithful. “Do you know why I decided on curry this evening?” Sonata was confused by his question. If anything she would have expected him to say the traditional “Are you ok?”, “Is something bothering you?” or even “Is there something I can help with?” This seemed like a completely out of nowhere question. “I… I don't know.” she half stammered. “I have actually been feeling rather down today. I typically struggle a bit with depression among other things, but with my failure of keeping your family together, I was emotionally devastated.” He spoke softly. Sonata felt almost a bit flattered that her family seemingly mattered so much to him. She was about to say something when he continued. “For that very reason, I chose Chicken and curry. Did you know that curry contains a spice known as turmeric which actually directly helps to fight depression? Chicken is also excellent for promoting good mental health. In other words...” Faithful scooped up a bowl of rice, chicken and curry and handed it over to Sonata. “It makes one feel better. A stroke of luck really.” He said with a smile as he sat down at the other end of the table. Sonata took the bowl and raised close to her face as she took in the smell of the food before her. She sat it down and started to tenderly eat from it. The slight spice combined with the mild sense of the yoghurt he had added previously pushed her taste buds into ecstasy. She was about to take another bite when she felt a new thought at the back of her mind. She looked up at Faithful and said: “Thank you.” Faithful ceased his own consumption and looked up at Sonata. “You are quite welcome.” He said. “In retrospect, it was probably a very poor idea to send you all to your rooms without something in you first. Considering… well, the circumstances.” “But you are putting me back in my room later?” She asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer. “Sadly, yes. I don't want to be cruel Sonata, I want you to understand that. I want all of us to be able to live peaceful and happy lives here, but I need to be able to trust you girls.” “We're sorry Faith. We really are.” Faithful gave a focused gaze straight into Sonata's eyes, causing a bit of n uncomfortable feeling for the former siren. After a few short second, his gaze softened and his features were joyful once more. “I know you are, Sonata. I do. And while I do appreciate your regret, this is still a pretty big blunder, and one that I can't simply ignore. Especially after such a short time of knowing each-other. I will admit, I was overly harsh as some points, such as the “soil yourself” comment. I have no excuse for that. It was not right of me. But despite it all, feel assured in the fact that things will return to normal by tomorrow. We are still going to Carousel Boutique and getting clothes for you girls.” “So… we are forgiven?” She asked hopefully. “Heh, Forgiven, yes. Pardoned? Not yet.” Sonata let out a disappointed “aw”, which only served to amuse Faithful. They continued small talking in between bites for a little while, re-filling their bowls if they still felt hungry. It was then that a nagging question which Faithful had been thinking of could no longer be contained. “Sonata, please stop me if it is uncomfortable, but may I ask what it was that had you so upset?” Sonata froze for just a moment before turning her full attention towards Faithful. “Why do you want to know?” She asked. “You live under my roof now. I want both of you to live well and enjoy your time here. A bit of an “issue” that I have is that I can't ignore people in need or poor mood if I feel like there is something I can do about it. So unless it is too personal, what had you so distraught?” Sonata pondered his question for a short while, contemplating whether she ought to tell him or not. She figured that she had to build up relations again, gain his trust and acceptance again. To that end, it could prove useful to tell him of her pain. However, a part of her did not wish to impart such information to him, feeling as if it was her business and no one else's. “It's… I saw a singer on the TV. She sang a song and I… I just miss it.” “Miss what?” Faithful asked, confusion coating each word. “Singing. I just miss being able to sing. Sing for real, you know?” “I'm afraid that I don't quite understand. Do you mean that you can't anymore?” Sonata nodded. “It happened when-” Sonata interrupted herself. She was just mere moments away from spilling the beans. She needed to recover quick! Think of something that could explain her previous statement. Anything! “I mean… I don't exactly know when or how. It was during a band competition in our old high school. Maybe I was always bad and only realized it by then? I am not certain anymore. Despite it all, I still miss singing and being able to enjoy it.” Faithful sat still and nodded through the story Sonata told. When she was done he made a simple request: “May I hear a small piece? “W-wh-what? Hear a piece?” “Of course. I would like to hear your voice if it is not too much to ask. I would like to understand where you are coming from.” “Um… I-I suppose that I could.” she said as she stood up from her chair and took position befitting of a songstress. Legs a bit apart, straight legs yet slightly bent knees, straight abdomen and a clear throat. She began her song, more of a melody rather than a song, letting out small and almost inaudible tones. Yet even so she could hear how flat and teeth grindingly bad it was. She stopped mid melody as she could not bare to expose herself to more of her voice. She looked up at Faithful to see his reaction to her voice. Faithful sat quietly, humming something to himself. “Hm, I see. And you think your voice is a problem?” He asked. “I… Of course I do. What's the point of music if you can't entertain others?” She asked. “Entertain yourself?” Sonata was stumped. It was such a simple answer, yet it felt like it held far more weight than it would seem. “M-myself?” “You think only the talented ones can enjoy their own voice? If you aim to please others with your music, then you are already set to fail. If you do it to please yourself however, what could possibly stop you?” Sonata was not sure how to answer that question as she had never pondered such an idea previously. It seemed a bit flawed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on exactly what it was. “But what if I want to get good for myself then?” “Then I could help you with that.” Sonata absolutely beamed. “You mean that you can teach me?!” “Me? Hell no, just wait until you have heard my voice. You'll think you have the voice of an angel in comparison. But I can get you some singing class if you want. You know, practice.” “Would you really do that?!” She asked, radiating like the sun itself. “Of course. It might take a while to find something good, but when I find something suitable, we can take a look at it if you want.” Sonata darted forward, taking Faithful's hand in her own two and squeezed tightly. “Thank you!” she said as she let go of his hand and embraced him in a tight hug. She then realized what she was doing and quickly backed off. “Um… sorry about that.” she said, stroking her arm in embarrassment. “It's alright, Sonata. I'm just happy to see you in a better mood.” Faithful said as he looked up at the clock. His smile disappeared. “I'm sorry Sonata, but it seems that it has been long enough. Time to get back to the room.” Sonata just continued smiling. “It's ok. I can just get some sleep or something. You have given me a new hope for the future.” she spoke in an exaggerated fashion. Faithful chuckled ever so slightly. “Well, until then, let me recommend some channels for you to watch in the meantime. Try out Netflix, BBC or HBO. Let me tell you, Quality ass programming.” he spoke as they walked up the stairs, a bowl of curry and chicken in his hand for Aria. Sonata stepped through the door and Faithful locked it up behind her. As soon as she was gone from sight, his smile waned. What's with these girls and not being honest? He thought to himself. No matter, sooner or later I will have a straight answer.