Chapter 28
Luna glared at Celestia as she stood outside the school. The two of them had not been on very good speaking terms most of the day thanks to Twilight Sparkle ruining the secrecy. She couldn’t believe that Celestia was on the verge of completely putting an end to a perfectly harmless student club, all because of her selfish desires.
Celestia sighed and glanced towards her sister pityingly. “I’m sorry, Luna, I let my temper get the better of me. Had you approached me honestly in the beginning I probably would have allowed your experiment to proceed. Encouraging students as we do has always been foremost in my mind and I am extremely pleased that so many students are happier now than they were before.”
Luna crossed her arms over her chest. “But,” she said.
Celestia’s brow raised. “But, you undermined my authority. You continue to see me as an enemy because I objected once a long time ago to your chosen lifestyle. We were younger then, Luna, I did not truly understand. I have looked a blind eye to your practice of sitting sequestered in your office in the nude. I have tried time and time again to prove that I am accepting of your wishes. Must you still look upon me with such hatred?”
Luna flinched. “We are sisters, ‘Tia. It is in our nature to fight. Perhaps I have been… petty, in my zeal to maintain a certain distance between us for a slight so long ago. But that does not change the fact that I could not very well bring this to your attention for obvious reasons. I sought to protect you from this as much as I did the students.”
Cheerilee sighed as she listened to the sisters’ discussion. “It was fun while it lasted. I suppose tonight will be the final party of the NLAC.”
Celestia frowned in disappointment. “It need not have been had you trusted my judgement enough to bring the truth to me in the first place. Now Spoiled Rich will get involved through her daughter and it will take every ounce of influence I possess to keep all of our jobs at Canterlot High.”
“But Celestia!” Cheerilee began.
Celestia held up her hand. “You and Luna have been very good friends, but you do not know all of my secrets. It was a burden I chose to keep to myself.”
Luna frowned. “What are you talking about, sister?”
Celestia spotted the familiar looking car owned by their old family friend and smiled wistfully. “Let’s just say that when Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle revealed the nature of that statue to us it was not the first time I had heard the story of a portal to other realms. Nor have you, dear sister, if you think back hard enough.”
Screwball and Discord stepped out of the car together and Discord waved jubilantly to them all.
Cheerilee trembled with sudden apprehension. The Head of the Board of Regents was a very powerful man. Every teacher had horror stories about what could happen if you did something to displease him; it was a miracle Mister Doodle hadn’t been fired for his bad attitude long ago, but Matilda Doodle was on the School Board and she was well liked by Mister Discord.
“’Tia, my dear! I take it you’ve heard the good news from Miss Sparkle?” Discord grinned his lone canine poking out in the process.
Celestia brushed her hand through her hair revealing a small icicle-shaped earring hidden in the upper left lobe. “This is going to involve a lot more paperwork than when Sunset destroyed the front lobby, isn’t it?”
Luna stared in surprise at seeing Celestia’s piercing. “’Tia, when did you get that?”
Discord smirked playfully and clapped his hands. “A little gift, I couldn’t very well let your parents’ legacy completely fade away. I would have approached you too, Lulu, but considering your usual stance on articles of clothing it’d be pretty hard to convince you to wear your father’s lucky cufflinks.”
Cheerilee blinked in some surprise at the tone the conversation had taken. “Ummm, did I miss something?”
“Nope!” Screwball popped up beside her and handed her a carton of caramel covered popcorn. “We’re just in time… I’ve always wanted to watch a battle of wits between Good and Evil magic.”
Discord chuckled as he tugged on his beard. “Relax, let me pull up a chair,” he said snapping his fingers and summoning four posh looking chairs. “This is going to be the best show ever if I know my old friend Starswirl well.”
Celestia sighed, but sat down. “Seriously though, Discord, will this involve a lot of paperwork?”
Discord unfurled a very ancient looking scroll and shook his head. “Already taken care of, as of Wednesday evening the NLAC is completely above board and fully legalized.”
Luna and Cheerilee both stared at the pair of officials in stunned disbelief.
“What?” Cheerilee shouted as she collapsed into the magically summoned chair behind her.
Luna stomped her foot and glared at her sister and Discord. “You two aren’t making any sense!” she accused.
“All in good time, Lulu, my dear.” Discord reached over and pinched her cheek.
Luna blushed furiously and took her seat. “Why are we sitting out here anyway? I’m supposed to be inside so I can make sure Diamond Tiara gets her third strike,” she told the others.
Discord waved a hand dismissively at the remark. “Oh don’t worry about that, this will be much funnier letting her actually get inside and having to mingle in the nude for a brief period. Also we may need that camera to get some footage to play the proper trump card on Spoiled so she can’t actually do anything after my big announcement.”
Cheerilee eyed the elderly gentleman suspiciously. “You seem awfully well informed for somebody Celestia only called an hour ago,” she pointed out.
Screwball giggled from her precarious perch on the back of Cheerilee’s chair and dropped some of her popcorn. “That’s because daddy is a S.U.E. master.”
Discord frowned up at his daughter and shushed her. “Everybody please be quiet! I want to see this, I love front row seats to these things. It’s been at least a good few centuries since my last Equestrian battle royale.”
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood around the club room already ready for a great party, but they were a tad bit concerned that Pinkie hadn’t shown up yet with the decorations or the party food.
Actually they were kind of surprised nobody else had gotten inside yet either. Dinky and the rest didn’t seem to be around. The only reason they’d come so early was because Pinkie had told them about the special cake that she’d need help bringing in.
Scootaloo kicked her feet totally bored as she sat on one of the numerous empty seats. “What the heck is taking everybody so long? The party is supposed to start in another hour and nobody is here to help at all!” she complained.
“Ah don’t get it, Applejack told me to keep away earlier until they did somethin’ important, but she wouldn’t say why,” Apple Bloom revealed. “And now nobody is in here, not even Miss Cheerilee or Luna.”
Sweetie nodded. “Yeah, and we need Luna to be here to catch-” she cut herself off as the sound of a wheelchair approaching could be heard.
Scootaloo jumped up in surprise. “They’re here already!”
Apple Bloom rushed over to the door and peeked out the window. “Ah thought Luna would be here fer sure! Ok, don’t let on that we know it’s Diamond in disguise!” she reminded.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes.
Sweetie crossed her arms over her chest and eyed her friend pointedly.
“Right, stupid thing ta say,” Apple Bloom said with a nervous chuckle.
Scarlet Scribe, Lily Breeze and a girl that was ‘totally not Diamond Tiara’ walked into the room. Scarlet Scribe was fidgeting as he glanced at the obviously pissed off arch nemesis. Lily Breeze was doing her best not to draw attention to the thing stuck to her wheelchair which looked far too inconspicuous and ‘Not Diamond Tiara’ stopped short when she noticed the complete emptiness and unprepared nature of the room.
“Wait, are we still too early?” she blurted in surprise. “I thought you l-”
Scribe clamped his hand over her mouth. “Ix-nay on the oser-lay,” he reminded while covering his words with a polite cough.
“Where’s Luna,” Lily mouthed silently to the CMC.
All three girls simply shrugged in uncertainty.
“Howdy there, Scribe… ya know the drill, and um, ah guess ya should help your guests find the changin’ rooms. Ah’m sure the rest of the students will be here in no time and then we can get tonight’s party started,” Apple Bloom stated with a warm and friendly smile her down home southern hospitality taking over in the awkward silence.
“No ogling!” Diamond hissed in Scribe’s ear. “And the next time you try to keep me quiet like that I’ll bite your hand!” she added for good measure. Storming off Diamond easily figured out where she was supposed to go.
“Ok, Scootaloo can you please help Lily get undressed? I really don’t want to leave her alone with Diamond right now,” Scribe hissed to prevent their conversation from echoing in the completely empty room.
Scootaloo nodded. “Sure.” She smiled at Lily and indicated she should follow her.
Scribe watched them leave before he walked over to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “I have been stuck in the school paper office since last period listening to her bitch and moan about having to be here, apparently Spoiled wants her to get video of every student or faculty member who arrives here.”
Sweetie Belle glanced between the pair of them in alarm. “And Luna wasn’t here to ‘discover’ the camera and confiscate it before you entered. I don’t think this plan is going to work at all, we’re doomed. Doomed!”
“Shhhh!” Apple Bloom elbowed her overly theatrical friend.
“I’m getting undressed,” Scribe said. “She’ll get suspicious if I’m still out here with anything on. I’d suggest one of you find Luna, but maybe it’d be easier if you tried to get in touch with Dinky… one of her agents has to still be in the school somewhere, she wouldn’t let us leave everything to chance, she’s suspicious that way.” Turning to dash off Scribe paused when Apple Bloom grabbed his arm.
“Walk around the rest of the school, without clothes?” she asked nervously.
Sweetie sighed. “I’ll do it, I’ll just make sure to avoid going anywhere near the windows,” she told the others before starting to head off.
Apple Bloom let Scribe go so he could prepare for the biggest con job any of them had ever pulled off where Diamond Tiara was concerned. “What should Ah say if she asks why yah left?”
Sweetie shrugged. “Just tell her I went to help Pinkie bring the food in.” Opening the door she left the safety of the student union room and ventured out into the hopefully empty halls of Canterlot High with nothing on.
Apple Bloom sighed. “But Pinkie ain’t even here yet!” she muttered to herself.
Pinkie’s ears felt like they were burning and she brushed some of the candles she’d been keeping in her hair for the cake later out of the way. “My ears were burning,” she giggled at the rest of the group.
Sonata leaned in to give her a kiss.
Applejack put her binoculars down and turned to the others. “Why are we sittin’ on this here roof lookin’ fer Adagio?”
“Because we need a decent vantage point to observe everyone approaching the school,” Pri-Twi reminded as she stared intently through her own pair of binoculars.
“This is boring!” Rainbow complained. “Why can’t some of us help Pinkie get the room ready for the big celebration party after we kick Adagio’s ass?”
Sci-Twi turned away from her magic scanner and Aria Blaze and fiddled with her glasses. “Because all of us need to be here in case we need to blast this Siren person with our combined harmony powers,” she explained sagely.
Aria rolled her eyes. “And this is the group that beat us?”
Sonata shrugged. “They don’t argue nearly as much as we did, kind of proves that we had an easier to exploit weakness than them.”
Aria shook her head. “Does not. It just proves how dense Adagio’s plan was and how I should have been in charge!”
Fluttershy glanced at Aria briefly in sympathy, but decided to ask her friends a different question. “Why exactly did we have Pinkie text all the naturist guests to wait an extra hour before coming to the party? Um… didn’t the potion make them immune?”
“If Adagio brings the police to raid the school all they’ll find is an empty room,” Sunset spoke up with a brief smile.
Sci-Twi frowned. “I feel like we forgot something when we did that though, but I can’t seem to recall what,” she admitted.
Pinkie shrugged and caressed Sonata around the waist with a happy little smile. “Probably nothing important,” she said.
Aria stomped her foot and watched the sun slowly beginning its descent arch towards the horizon, being that it was summer the sun was still relatively high in the sky at this point. But the various different shades of orange were definitely signaling that night would soon be falling. “Adagio is going to pay for getting me involved in this shit.”
Sonata grinned wickedly. “I’m going to call her a Traitor! For realizes.”
Pinkie nodded. “She’d better hurry up. If she makes us cancel this party she’s going to wish she never got her voice back, nobody makes Pinkie Pie break a Pinkie Promise! NOBODY!”
The others all showed signs of concern at Pinkie’s sudden mood shift.
Rainbow eyed her friend warily. “Um, when did you make a Pinkie Promise about the NLAC?”
“Silly Dashie, I didn’t make a pinkie promise about the NLAC, I made a Pinkie Promise that any parties I ever catered would never get cancelled, even if somebody was sick or we had a terrible blizzard that caused us all to be stuck home.” Pinkie booped her friend’s nose and giggled madly at her pronouncement.
“Girls!” Fluttershy pointed towards the east where two lone figures could be spotted approaching the school.
Sonata turned and brought her binoculars up to see. “Wow! Those people are really far away.”
Pinkie giggled and flipped her binoculars around.
“Oh. Thanks, Pinkie,” Sonata said. She kissed her girlfriend and glanced properly at the approaching duo. “Yep, that’s ‘Dagi alright, and she’s with Zecora.”
Aria balled her hands into fists and glared at her elder sibling.
Sunset frowned though and started looking around for any signs of Canterlot PD. It was far too quiet for her liking, but there wasn’t a sign to be seen of anybody else approaching the school, not even the distant sound of cars. “So where is everybody else?” she asked the group.
“Ah plum don’t know, but ah don’t like the feelin’ of this,” Applejack admitted.
Rarity frowned as she got to her feet and put her sketch pad down. “Odd, if Zecora is with her then surely she must have used her influence to convince her father to send his best men.”
“What’s Zecora’s dad got to do with any of this?” Rainbow asked cluelessly.
Rarity sighed. “Zecora just so happens to be Chief Zheria’s daughter,” she explained for the benefit of her friend.
Zheria frowned as he stared at the person seated across from him in his office. The moment he’d ended his call with Zecora he’d been all set to summon his best officers to crack down on the drug deal about to go down. That was before the familiar looking form of his immediate superior walked into the room.
After a brief conversation he had been told in no uncertain terms to not send any men to Canterlot High on penalty of being demoted. Zheria had naturally demanded of the commissioner why he should listen to him rather than the little girl who he raised to respect the law as much as he did.
That’s when his current guest had stepped in. Now he was trying to figure out exactly why the Deputy Mayor was so insistent that he keep his men away from Canterlot High. He could think of no real reason behind the conflicting orders.
Scorpan offered a warm and friendly smile and patted a small folder he’d brought with him. “Ordinarily I’d wait until your promotion to the head of the entire Canterlot Police Division, but Commissioner Hard Shield and I felt it would be best to explain a few simple truths about Canterlot High now to save ourselves the headache of imminent scandal should you raid the place tonight.”
Zheria reached over for the folder and took it without a word. Flipping it open he took a look at the contents and his eyes widened in stunned disbelief. “This can’t be right! How can a public school hold this kind of?”
Scorpan raised his hand with another smile to forestall the remainder of the chief’s question. “It’s a bit complicated to get into right now, but you can be assured that it is, and that means if you or your men were to raid the building the property owners might be understandably upset.”
“My daughter told me that a drug deal was about to happen there. It’s the perfect place for such a thing, and there is no relevant security detail appointed to it as it is a public facility despite the circumstances. Are you certain I can’t send at least one squad car?”
Scorpan shook his head and sighed. “Your daughter is currently under the influence of a party adversarial in nature to the current property owners. And while it has never needed a security detail before now… we may need to discuss changes to that stipulation at the next Board of Regents meeting.
Zheria stood immediately to his feet. “My daughter is in danger!”
“Calm yourself Chief Zheria!” Hard Shield ordered. “I can assure you this matter is beyond your ability to resolve the issue. Our designated experts on the matter are already on the case, and with any luck it should all be wrapped up before supper time.”
Zheria slowly, reluctantly, sat back down and glared at the two men seated across from him. “Should any harm come to my daughter, you shall both know what it feels like to be boiled in hot water!”
Scorpan smirked, but said nothing, merely glancing to his watch.
Hard Shield however squirmed slightly under the intense gaze and simply nodded quietly in comprehension of the serious threat placed upon him.
Sweetie Belle had been walking around the school for at least twenty minutes and hadn’t seen a single person. She felt (not exactly) exposed, but a genuine thrill as she looked into classrooms and made sure to keep away from any outside windows. This wasn’t the first time she’d explored the school while undressed, last Saturday she’d popped up to the library to do a few things, but it was different at night.
Many of the lights were off and a creepy atmosphere gave her chills. This would make for a perfect club Nightmare Night activity; she could picture it now, hanging decorations with Pinkie and the girls. Blocking off some of the halls, getting Big Mac to help jump out and scare everybody. He did such a great job at the Apple family corn maze… although Apple Bloom might not be able to convince him to do it since he was graduated now and all that. Underage naked students and him having to wear only some kind of mask.
Shaking her head she suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps rushing down one of the halls. Freezing on the spot she was worried someone who wasn’t actively a naturist might come charging down the hall and see her completely exposed. But what if it was Button and the guys racing to come help? Sweetie’s cheeks flushed as she thought of Button rushing around the corner and bumping into her and maybe falling onto the floor with her and then.
“Focus, Sweetie Belle! Remember Rarity’s talk,” she muttered to herself. Her entire body involuntarily shuddered at the comment and she quickly ducked down behind one of the garbage bins just in case.
Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer were the first to come around the corner rushing towards the front entrance of the school.
Sweetie stood up in surprise. “Hey! What’s going on?”
Rarity paused mid-step as she and her group also came around the corner. “Sweetie! Get back downstairs at once, Adagio Dazzle is here and we must deal with her before you can have your party. We’ll be back quite soon I’m sure, one siren isn’t as difficult to handle as three… no offense.”
“You bet your ass I’m offended,” Aria snarked.
Sweetie blinked in surprise. “Oh, so… That’s why nobody came yet. There’s another stupid magic problem to deal with, why doesn’t anybody tell us these things! I just spent twenty minutes exploring the school looking for people and wondering why Luna isn’t downstairs to help entrap Diamond Tiara.” Folding her arms over her chest in a huff she glared at her older, magical girl, sister.
Rarity knelt down and gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry, Sweetie, it slipped my mind that you and the girls intended to stay after school to help decorate. Can you forgive me?”
“Enough yapping sap and more running, Adagio needs her ass kicked,” Aria ordered before their group resumed rushing down the hall.
Rarity glared at the abrasive siren.
Sunset put her hand on Sweetie’s shoulder. “It’ll be safe downstairs, we ran into a few students earlier and told them to wait there to.”
“Oh, I didn’t find anybody else. I thought the place was abandoned,” Sweetie admitted.
“Just go back, please,” Rarity insisted. “We’re not sure if Adagio brought the police with her.”
“The police!” Sweetie exclaimed. “Do we get dressed? No we can’t get dressed, Diamond would know we know and our trap would never work again. Darn it,” she cursed stomping her foot. “Stupid siren!”
“I heard that!” Sonata called from down the hall. “Adagio’s a lot worse than stupid, she’s a total bitch!”
Sweetie hugged Rarity with a sad smile. “Ok. Good luck, Rarity.”
Rarity smiled back at Sweetie and then turned to follow the others.
Sweetie watched her go for a moment marveling at the fact that she was running in high heels, it couldn’t be easy. She’d tried once and nearly broke an ankle. Turning around she quickly made her way back to the sanctity of the student union center. “Huh. I wonder which students they sent downstairs for protection?”
“What are you two doing here?” Diamond Tiara shrieked angrily at Snips and Snails.
Snails shrugged. “Like, Sunset told us to hide down here while they solve another magic problem,” he informed.
“Yeah!” Snips chimed in. “What did you do to your hair, Diamond Tiara?”
“Don’t call me that!” she hissed at the pair of dimwit minions. “I’m supposed to be Lily’s cousin Tailwind and I’m here with my favorite cousin to see what this Naturism thing is like.”
Snips and Snails shared a look and both of them started laughing.
“Probably shouldn’t have that tattoo of a tiara then,” Snails pointed out.
Diamond’s cheeks flushed slightly at failing to remember that particular detail before something else the two boys said caught up with her. “Wait! They’re dealing with a magic problem?” Whirling she glared at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. “I knew your sisters wouldn’t just let me and Adagio wreck this place!” she accused.
“Are we supposed to pretend she isn’t who she obviously is still?” Scootaloo wondered under her breath.
“We didn’t know anythin’ like that was goin’ on!” Apple Bloom told Diamond with an angry glare.
“We did,” Lily admitted with a sad frown.
Scribe blinked in surprise. “We did?”
Lily nodded. “We met Adagio in Diamond’s office earlier this week.”
Scribe frowned in confusion and wracked his brain to try and think of when that happened. “I don’t remember that.”
Lily sighed. “That’s because I took your memory away. Adagio told me she could help me harness my power so I could walk again.”
Everybody stared at her in complete confusion now, even Diamond Tiara wasn’t sure what was happening just now.
Scribe shook his head. “Lily, you don’t have magic powers.”
Lily grit her teeth and clutched her pendant tighter. “Yes, I do!” she shouted. A frigid blast of air blew through the room sending a chill down everybody’s backs.
Diamond Tiara stared at the pendant as her sharp mind instantly started putting the pieces together.
“I promised not to tell everything, but my parents had magic too. They were given it, by somebody from Equestria a long time ago. I’m sorry I took your memories, Scribe, really I am, but Adagio made it sound so right. And I hoped what she was saying was true… I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in this chair!” Lily said as frustrated tears started falling down her cheeks.
“This is getting intense,” Scootaloo said. “Hey, think we could get awesome magic powers too?”
“Not now,” Apple Bloom hissed prodding her friend in the side with her elbow.
Diamond Tiara stomped over to Lily and Scribe. “You’ve had magic powers all this time! And you didn’t think to let me know about it?”
Lily turned to glare at Diamond. “You don’t deserve to know!”
Scribe grit his teeth and tried to keep a cool head.
Diamond stomped her foot. “I could have crushed this pathetic club already and wouldn’t have had to rely on that sex happy Siren to get what I want!”
Snips took a step back in concern when he noticed Scribe’s eyes cloud over with rage.
Snails frowned. “Do we get undressed too?” he wondered.
“Ya ain’t stain’ fer the party!” Apple Bloom told them.
“Awwwww,” they both whined in stereo.
Lily rolled forward and slapped Diamond Tiara. “I would never willingly help you expose this club! Why can’t you get it through your thick head that there’s nothing wrong with this place?” she demanded. “Also, I hate you!”
Diamond hissed at the physical rebuke and grabbed Lily by the hair. She pulled her head down and brought her knee up to connect with her forehead.
Scribe leapt forward before contact was made and shoved Diamond away. “Fucking cunt!” he swore loudly.
Diamond’s eyes widened in surprise and she backed away. “Scribey?”
Scribe stood protectively over Lily Breeze; his skin was glowing black again with that same strange energy she dimly recalled from last Sunday. Briefly Diamond glanced towards Lily and noticed her pendant glowing. Her body ached for any sort of magical contact and she involuntarily reached out towards it desperate for physical release. Biting her lip Diamond muffled the moan that threatened to escape out of desire.
Scribe stomped forward. “Lily Breeze is my friend! I don’t care if she did use magic to mess with my head and prevent me from warning the Rainbooms about Adagio’s return, I will not let you hurt her anymore!”
Diamond shot a glare at her former minion. “Why can’t anybody understand? Why does everybody have to side with you three losers?” She aimed her glare at the two CMC members standing beyond Lily and Scribe.
“Maybe if ya weren’t so evil,” Apple Bloom started to tell her.
“And full of yourself,” Scootaloo added.
“People would still treat ya like a friend instead of some leper,” Apple Bloom finished.
Diamond started laughing. “Evil, EVIL! All I want is power, all my life all I’ve ever needed was power! Power over others, to show that I have just what it takes to run two massive companies. My daddy has so much power he can get his way whenever he wants just be throwing a few hundred thousand dollars around.” Diamond giggled maniacally because she refused to cackle, cackling was for lesser breeds and spun around in a circle with her arms out. “Mother has so much power she rules this school and her newspaper! She can get anything she wants, anything! And she doesn’t even have to bribe people like daddy, she can just snap her fingers and everyone falls in line.”
Scribe blinked. “Uh, Lily, can you stop making me glow now?” he requested.
Lily shook her head. “Sorry, it’s tied to my emotions and Adagio says I marked you somehow… I don’t even know how this works, I’m still new at this.”
Diamond curled her lip angrily in disgust. “Don’t interrupt me!” she shrieked petulantly.
“I think we were safer outside,” Snails whispered to his buddy as he noticed the sickly green glow starting to build up around Diamond Tiara.
“Everybody always interrupts me!” Diamond accused. “They don’t understand what I’m trying to accomplish, it’s all for them! When I rule the school nobody else will have to worry about thinking about how to handle all the stupid little problems that everybody complains about. Magic She-Demons, Evil Sirens, I’ll have enough power to make all of those types of problems go away! Then Mother and daddy will have to see I’m good enough of an Heiress to rule their empires. I’ll have so much power! And boys will actually like me, I won’t have to settle for shower sex with a stupid sex crazed bitch! I’ll have anybody I want.” Tears were starting to fall now as Diamond continued to put off the weird green glow and she glared at everybody and nobody all at the same time. “Everything will be perfect, I’ll have it all, and so much more… And you three will never have power again! NEVER!”
Scribe took a step forward actually starting to feel sorry for Diamond Tiara. The glow surrounding him petered off as Lily managed to compose herself too.
“Wait, did she say she had sex with Adagio?” Scootaloo wondered. Scratching her head in confusion she glanced towards Apple Bloom. “That’s kind of messed up, right?”
Apple Bloom mutely nodded at her friend’s question.
Diamond laughed some more as her eyes started to look unhinged, her hair bled the dye out completely exposing who she really was, no more falsehoods. She swung at Scribe as he took another step forward. “Stay back! I know what you want, the same thing Adagio wanted, but I’m not going to let you hold any power over me!” She sobbed and trembled all at the same time.
“Diamond, please,” Scribe said. “I’m not interested in that. I just feel-”
“NO! Don’t pity me! I don’t need your stupid pity! I am Diamond Dazzle Tiara Rich, Heiress to the Rich Empire! I refuse to accept anybody’s pity!” Diamond wrapped her arms over her body to stave off a sudden chill and she fell to her knees. “I want my amulet back! Stupid Siren. Dumb Rainbooms stopping her from getting in.”
Everybody shared a confused look this time not knowing what she was going on about in the slightest.
“What amulet?” Snips asked.
“Yeah, we never saw you wearin’ any other jewelry except that crown of yours,” Snails agreed with a slight frown.
Diamond giggled and sobbed at the same time making her look terrible and sound worse. “The amulet I commissioned from Flim and Flam, the amulet I created to house the shards of the Sirens’ jewels in. The amulet I tried to make the school pay for so I wouldn’t have to explain why I was paying so much for the damn thing to mother,” she revealed. “It makes me tingle all over just thinking about it, every time I touch my lucky charm I feel so much better. As if I have the power to do anything, even expose this wretched degenerate club! Look at me, I’m standing in a room in public completely naked just so I can get pictures of everybody and lord over you all with my absolute triumph!”
Scribe sighed and shook his head. “Your plan was never going to work. Luna and I wanted you here so you’d get your third strike. She was going to take the paper from you and give it to me.”
“What!”
“Don’t tell her that, you idiot!” Scootaloo shouted over Diamond.
“I am not an idiot!” Scribe turned and shot the orange-skinned girl a glare. “I am sick and tired of running through hoops for everybody! Diamond wants to expose you, you three want Diamond to stop picking on you! Why am I stuck in the middle here? Why am I forced to choose between remaining uninvolved or being thrust into the thick of it so I can help both sides get something they need or want?”
Diamond pointed a shaky finger at him and laughed mockingly. “You couldn’t even betray me properly! You are pathetic Scarlet Scribe, and you’re never getting that internship now!”
“Fuck the internship!” Scribe snapped. “Look at you! You’ve been exposing yourself to this Equestrian magic for so long it’s completely poisoned you! You can’t even stand straight you’re so addicted to it!”
Diamond blinked. “I am not!”
Lily shook her head. “Magic is very powerful. I don’t even have full control over mine and even I know that much. Diamond Tiara, you’ve been trying so hard to do everything, to prove yourself to everybody that you’ve completely lost sight of who you used to be.”
“I told you to keep your pity to your fucking self!” Diamond snapped irritably. “Stupid fucking cripple! You’re still way prettier than me even after you got yourself stuck in that stupid chair, and your parents just gave you magic powers! What, were they from Equestria too?”
Lily glared at Diamond. “My parents at least loved me! Yours don’t even care enough to stop you or protect you when you start selling yourself for a quick fix!”
“Ooooo, good analogy,” Snips commented with a grin.
Snails actually slapped him in the back of the head. “Not cool.”
Diamond grit her teeth and forced herself to stand. “Sell myself! Sell myself!” she shrieked. “That fucking Siren forced herself on me! She touched me, she made me feel things…” Her eyes glazed over as she recalled some of the feelings she’d experienced. “It was the most magical thing I’ve ever experienced, even greater than the power of my amulet. But I don’t like girls that way and she made me feel!” Diamond swung her arm out and connected with the back of one of the chairs.
“This is getting out of hand,” Scootaloo observed.
Apple Bloom aimed a deadpan expression at her friend. “Ya think?”
“Hey, girls there’s…” Sweetie stopped as she came back into the room and saw everybody in various emotional displays. Glancing around in surprise her eyes fell on the glowing Diamond Tiara. “Um, ok, that’s new.” Sweetie screamed in surprise when Diamond seemed to teleport clear across the room to stand threateningly in front of her.
“This is all your fault!” Diamond accused. “You’re prettier than me! You have bigger tits than me! Everybody adores you! And you aren’t even rich!” Diamond reached out and grabbed Sweetie by the hair pulling her forward so the pair of them were inches apart from one another. “Sweetie Belle, you are the worst!” she screamed.
Flailing her arms wildly to try and regain her balance Sweetie reflexively kneed Diamond Tiara in the gut. The other girl didn’t even react she was that far gone. “A little help,” she called to her friends.
Diamond raised a free hand up, she extended her fingers to reveal her well-manicured fingernails and prepared to gouge Sweetie’s eyes out.
A red hand clasped over her wrist, once more glowing with black energy, and held her firm. “No more! You won’t injure anybody ever again!” Scribe bellowed loudly.
Lily screamed the words at the same time, her eyes shining with white energy as she clutched her pendant. She could feel Scribe’s heart beat alongside hers, could tell that he was thinking the same as she was. She’d only tapped her magic again so he’d be fast enough to stop the equally speedy Diamond Tiara.
“Maybe we should go get Sunset,” Snips suggested as he nervously trembled near the exit.
Snails shook his head. “No way. We can’t betray Diamond Tiara too,” he decided.
“What? Why not?” Snips wondered.
Snails sighed and pointed at the rage filled tear-stained face. “Because then she’d have no friends at all.”
Snips slowly nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s a good reason.”
At this point in the confrontation a massive burst of magical energy flashed through the entire school.
Snips and Snails looked around for the source of the sudden glowing burst of energy.
Scootaloo covered her eyes to shield them from the intense light.
Lily’s power shut off with the suddenness of somebody flipping a light switch.
Apple Bloom fell to the floor in mid-dash to help her friend out.
Scribe stumbled backwards.
Diamond Tiara released Sweetie’s hair as her back arched in pain. She cried out and collapsed into Scribe causing him to stumble. Every nerve ending in her body felt as if it were on fire and the sickly green glow intensified as something was forced out of her system. Very painfully, yet strangely also quite pleasurable. She bit back a moan of sheer ecstasy as both parts of her psyche let go of the massive ball of negativity.
Sweetie’s cheeks flushed as she saw Diamond climax and quickly averted her eyes. She felt that the intimacy of the moment was taboo. Also she never wanted to see that look on Diamond Tiara’s face ever again.
The energy vanished and everybody regained some semblance of normalcy.
Snails was the first to speak up. “Um, what just happened?”
Scribe blinked and glanced down at his foot. “I second the question and I really hope that Diamond Tiara just lost control of her bladder or something because I really don’t want to think about that stuff all over me right now.”
“Fuck you,” Diamond spat before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted dead away.
Scribe reflexively caught her and let out a sigh. “What is it with me and girls fainting in this place?”
Lily shook her head. “Don’t be obtuse,” she snapped. “Come on, help get Diamond back to the change room. Whatever just happened this entire plan is a complete bust.”
Scootaloo helped Apple Bloom back to her feet. “Think she’ll be nicer after having that weird magic ball of light sucked out of her?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah don’t bet on it.”
Sweetie sighed and turned to Snips and Snails. “Get a napkin or something and clean up Diamond’s mess,” she ordered pointing to the floor. “Then get out of here!”
Snips bobbed his head up and down and rushed to go fetch that napkin.
Snails simply shrugged and smiled at Sweetie. “Button’s a lucky guy,” he told her.
Sweetie blushed and almost covered her chest with her arm, but seeing as how she’d been standing there completely bare for the past few minutes she stopped herself and followed the others to the girls’ changing room to help with Diamond Tiara.
Snips rushed back and cleaned the floor up quickly. “So. Uh… scale of one to ten, is Diamond scarier than Sunset when she’s high on magic?”
Snails shook his head. “No contest, Sunset is way scarier.”
Snips sighed. “Yeah, I thought so. Do you think she still needs minions?”
Snails shook his head a second time. “We’re stuck with Diamond.”
Snips groaned and tossed the messy bit of paper towel into the nearest trashcan. “Come on, let’s go find out what we missed while we were in here.”
“Earlier during the confrontation,” Discord commented aside to the three Canterlot High faculty members still sitting next to him.
“What?” Luna questioned.
“Not really important, Lulu,” Discord said with a wave of his hand.
The Rainbooms had rushed outside moments ago and stood facing Adagio and her enthralled companion. Everyone was ready to make a move, but her sisters got to her first.
Aria and Sonata stood across from Adagio ironically quite close to the former statue of a horse which represented Canterlot High. Both sisters were extremely pissed off at Adagio who was wearing a fancy looking amulet shaped in the form of the three Sirens and housing three familiar looking jewels.
Aria pointed an accusing finger at her. “What the fuck, Adagio, those are ours!”
Sonata nodded. “Where did you even get that?” she demanded.
Adagio smirked and played with the amulet. “A gift from an admirer.”
Aria rolled her eyes. “You’ve already lost, Adagio, just give it up.”
Adagio turned to Zecora briefly with a thoughtful look on her face. She didn’t know that nobody was actually coming. “Nope, I don’t think so.” Breaking into a wide smirk she turned back to her sisters. “If you fall in line right now I’ll forget this little insubordination streak you’ve both had.”
Sonata surprised everybody when she swore loudly. It was in a language none of them understood, except maybe Discord, but it was definitely a swear word of some kind because Adagio shot her sister with a pissed off glare.
“Mother taught you better than that!” she pointedly reminded.
Sonata wagged her finger at Adagio. “Mother also taught us not to hoard each other’s jewels for ourselves!”
Adagio chuckled and sneered at her youngest sibling. “Jealous I can sing again and you can’t. I told you I’d figure out something eventually,” she bragged.
Sonata thought of Pinkie and how much she loved her and started to glow again, then she started singing and Zecora’s eyes lost their cheery glazed over look.
Aria smirked. “We got our voices back without you,” she informed also glowing and letting off a few notes.
Adagio stared at her sisters in surprise, but then smirked. “Oh, so Harmony gave you back your voices did it?” Holding up the amulet she twirled it in her hand causing the light of the setting sun to reflect off the jewels housed within. “Harmony can’t give you back the songs of our people. You might be able to sing happy little pony songs, but you’ll never know the taste of Siren verses without these!”
Aria grit her teeth and took a step forward.
Sonata looked heartbroken and she briefly glanced over to Pinkie with shining eyes.
Pinkie’s eyes were wet with tears as well, but a big smile was on her face and she gave her girlfriend an encouraging thumbs up.
Aria took another step forward and opened her mouth to refute her sister’s claims.
Sonata surprised everybody by actually singing a verse. “Shoo be do, shoo shoo be doo!”
Adagio clapped both hands over her ears. “Fuck I hate Seapony songs!” she cursed. Then she felt something snake across her neck and she glanced down in time to witness her amulet streaking off across the air. Eyes wide she stared at Sonata.
Aria stared at her in surprise and pride at the quick thinking of her sibling.
Sonata clutched the newly liberated amulet in her hand tightly glaring angrily and disappointed at her oldest sister. “You had this the entire time!” she accused.
Adagio shook her head. “Don’t be an idiot, Sonata! I only found it last weekend in Diamond Tiara’s desk.”
“And you kept it from us!” Aria growled.
“You abandoned me!” Adagio reminded.
“Because you were so obsessed on revenge you couldn’t realize it when we were actually beat!” Aria snapped back. “We lost! The old bearded jerk sent us here and even when we had a chance at escaping you ruined it all!”
Adagio took a menacing step forward. “I tried to get us the power to rule!”
Aria snorted and rolled her eyes. “The only one of us who ever really wanted to rule was you! We were fine just being, ‘Dagi. You wanted more power because you couldn’t get enough of it. And we went along with you because at the time it sounded perfect.”
“It’s not perfect anymore!” Sonata chimed in shaking the hand clutching the amulet at her sister. “This isn’t just your gem, ‘Dagi! It’s made of the shards of mine and ‘Ria’s too!” Bitter tears streaked down her face.
“Sonata! We have the chance to achieve victory here, don’t throw it all away because you can’t keep it in your pants.” Adagio took another step forward.
Aria moved forward wanting to deck her sister for what she’d just said.
Sonata’s fury was intense however. Her eyes burned with energy and she snarled at Adagio revealing her teeth. “You don’t deserve this, ‘Dagi! None of us do! The songs of our people. The thing that gives us our true voice! You’ve never deserved it!” Whirling Sonata turned to face the statue and hurled it without conscious thought.
Aria’s eyes widened in respect at her sister’s bold move.
Adagio leapt forward. “Noooooooo!”
“Sonata, wait!” Sunset cried out.
Discord chuckled and plucked a pair of sunglasses from somewhere to put on his face. “And here’s where the fun begins.”
The amulet flew through the air until it reached the broken statue’s base. Then it just seemed to freeze for a moment. All eyes were on it as it started to spin in a golden yellow aura. And then things really got weird. The ruined statue shimmered and flickered and a burst of energy exploded from the cracks in the top. First it became a man shrouded with a cloak, a long beard covering his bare chest and a floppy hat with bells on resting atop his brow.
Then it shifted a second time becoming an elderly unicorn stallion with a powerful frame. Aria and Sonata flinched back in stunned surprise. Adagio screamed soundlessly in rage as the effigy of Starswirl’s horn lit up brighter pulling the amulet up to study it briefly.
“Sunset, what’s going on?” Twilight asked nervously. The very air was crackling with magic and the hidden part in her mind craved it.
“I. I have no idea.” Sunset squeezed Twilight’s hand seeking to reassure the human girl who had captured her heart.
Princess Twilight was practically bouncing on her feet. “Starswirl! That’s Starswirl the Bearded!” she squealed like the fangirl she was. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”
“Still hasn’t learned her lesson.” The statue spoke in a tone that echoed and seemed hollow. “But it seems the lessons of Harmony have done their work well teaching your sisters humility and to coexist.” Smiling at those final words the statue’s horn shone even brighter and the amulet started spinning rapidly.
All three sirens stared in disbelief as the amulet shattered completely.
Aria started laughing when that happened.
Sonata just stood there unable to understand it.
Adagio however. “Stupid old bastard!” she screeched at the statue. “You still torment us! It wasn’t enough you banished us to this miserable dump of a dimension, now you strike at us from beyond the grave!” Adagio let out a scream of pure frustration.
The shards from the amulet, having been gathered by the mystical might of Starswirl, spun faster and faster while the effigy of Starswirl merely watched. A burst of magic speared across the grounds of Canterlot High striking each Siren.
Aria’s throat began to shine with a multihued energy.
Sonata was tossed onto her butt when the same energy started to affect her.
Adagio however was thrown clear across the yard until she collided with a series of bushes. Her throat was covered in a dark green energy similar to the mists of negativity she fed on. Her eyes closed in intense pain and she trembled as her body spasmed out of control. A large wave of green energy started to burst forth from somewhere in the school to join the shimmering effect around Adagio.
“Goodness.” Rarity clutched her chest in fear and concern for the trio.
“Thunderin’ horses,” Applejack swore.
The rest remained silent as they watched the mystical light show in awe. This was the first time most of them hadn’t been directly involved in the unleashing of magic.
With one final burst of power the statue returned to normal, or, as normal as it had been since being broken by Midnight Sparkle. Aria and Sonata stood up on shaky legs as they glanced at one another.
“W-What happened, ‘Ria?” Sonata asked.
Aria shrugged. “I have no idea.” Her eyes widened. “But your choker is back!”
Sonata reached up to her neck and found that Aria was right. A choker was there again with a very tiny rainbow coloured jewel. Glancing to Aria again her eyes widened. “Yours too!”
Aria shook her head in denial. But she touched her throat and found the choker there with a matching jewel. “Ahhhh, ahhhhh, ahhhhh, ahhhh, ahhhhh, ahhhh ahhhhhhhhhh.” Tears streaked down her face after she sang a Siren’s song again. “Sonata, we can sing our songs!”
Sonata laughed and danced for joy adding her voice into the mix as the two sisters shared a touching moment.
“Woah Nellie! That wizard statue dealie gave’em back their voices?” Applejack turned with a concerned look at Sunset.
Pinkie smiled happy for her girlfriend and ran across the front courtyard to embrace the happy Siren.
“Doesn’t that mean they can put everybody under a spell again? Rainbow demanded.
“Starswirl must have had his reason.” Sunset frowned. “And he tied that spell to the portal this entire time.” Growing thoughtful she began to try and puzzle out what it meant.
Princess Twilight was standing next to the base of the statue and looking at it very closely. “I wonder what other surprises Starswirl left?”
Discord chuckled as he removed the sunglasses and snapped his fingers. A small ball of energy floated between the statue and himself.
Princess Twilight followed it with her eyes and blinked in surprise. “Who are you?”
Discord smiled revealing his lone canine. “Oh we’ll have to have that discussion in the next chapter I’m afraid, this one has gone a bit longer than expected.”
Celestia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose from where she sat.
Adagio climbed onto uncertain feet and glared at her sisters. “What are you so happy about?” Nobody reacted to her question. Adagio frowned before she moved her mouth again. “I said what are you so happy about?” Again no one seemed to hear her and then she realized why. Reaching up to her throat she found a matching choker there, but instead of a rainbow jewel like her sisters had there was a small black chunk of nothingness. Adagio’s eyes widened in fear. “No! No!” Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She was effectively mute, this time, for real.
Aria smirked when she finally caught on that Adagio was up and unable to speak.
Sonata eyed Adagio sadly. “Oh, ‘Dagi, I’m so sorry.”
“Keep your pity to yourself!” Adagio felt overwhelming fear in her breast as once again her lips moved to form words that could never be heard. Perhaps permanently. Turning suddenly she ran. Not wanting to face anyone at the moment.
“’Dagi!” Sonata reached out for her.
“Let her go.” Aria sighed and turned to eye the Rainbooms. “You better head inside to start preparing for your party. I’ll keep Sonata and Pinkie company. Kind of lost the mood for having fun right now.”
“Understandable.” Sunset nodded briefly. “Come on girls, let’s go get that party prepared!”
“The crisis is averted, I say why not,” Rarity said with a smile.
“Rarity! You want to party at a Naturist Club?” Applejack said with a knowing smirk.
“Well I must admit to some minor discomfort at the thought of it, but then again I seem to recall that you have yet to join in, in support of Apple Bloom either.” Rarity shot Applejack a superior smirk egging the competitive girl on.
“Oh it is so on, now!” Applejack declared.
Together the six girls went back inside leaving a very confused Princess, two sisters and one supportive girlfriend behind.
“I really need to oversee the party food and stuff,” Pinkie said.
“I know.” Sonata sighed. “I hope Adagio will be ok.”
“At least you taught her sign language in case she gets into real trouble,” Aria pointed out. Turning she shot a glare at Pinkie. “So. That’s the portal then?”
“Um, yeah.” Pinkie fidgeted. “I wanted to tell you, honest I did, but Sunset was still a little suspicious of you both.”
Sonata giggled and hugged Pinkie. “We would be too.”
“Yeah, guess I can’t really fault her for keeping it a secret.” Aria sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Besides, I’m kind of getting used to this messed up body and this weird world.”
“Group hug!” Sonata snatched her sister and her girlfriend together and embraced them both.
The sound of an approaching car could finally be heard and Spoiled Rich arrived, late to the party as usual, in this instance. She noted the strange signs of something having happened, but decided to ignore it now in favor of joining Discord and Celestia at the front entrance.
Zecora stood off to one side trying to come to terms with what she had just witnessed. “I have no idea what transpired here this evening, however I feel there is something amiss. No matter what my story is I fear that father will be unable to simply dismiss.”
“And scene,” Discord commented with a smirk.