//------------------------------// // Twilight and the Siren // Story: Saving the Siren // by King of Madness //------------------------------// "Now, you want to take my horse, so you move that piece over there." Twilight instructed. Sonata did so and took Twilight's knight. "Did I win?" "No, not quite." Twilight had been trying to teach Sonata how chess works ever since she dropped off her geode behind the vending machine and... it hadn't been going well. Twilight had been forced to reduce everything to simplest terms and guide Sonata step by step. Despite this, Sonata still couldn't grasp the game. Twilight wasn't surprised. "Ugh, this game is too complicated." Sonata whined. She pouted and crossed her arms. "I'm too dumb to play it." Seeing that Sonata was through with the game, Twilight decided it was time to put her plan into action. She took a deep breath before addressing the siren. "Sonata, I've noticed you've been acting... strange lately. You've been really down in the dumps the past two days." The look on Sonata's face indicated that she had thought no one had noticed. She looked away from Twilight. While Sonata looked away, Twilight started rearranging the chess pieces. "Sonata, would you do something for me?" "Why would you want me to do something? I would just mess it up." "No, nothing like that. All I want you to do is describe something." Sonata looked to Twilight and shrugged. "Okay." "I want you to to describe yourself." Sonata raised an eyebrow. "Me-self?" "Yes. Pretend you are a different person describing Sonata." Sonata thought for a good long moment. "Uhhh... Well, Sonata is... blue... and she... has a big ponytail." "What about her personality?" For a moment, Sonata didn't say anything. She watched as Twilight continued to rearrange the chess pieces; nether girl saying a word. Once Twilight was finished, Sonata sighed and looked to her lap. "She's an idiot." "Go on." Twilight encouraged. "She's stupid... She doesn't pay attention... She messes everything up... She... She..." Tears started forming is Sonata's eyes. "She ruined her sisters' lives... She... She's a burden to seven really nice girls... She..." Sonata choked and started crying. Twilight took out the cloth she used to clean her glasses and handed it to Sonata. "Here." Sonata took it and dried her eyes. "Do you wanna know the truth, Sonata?" Twilight asked. "You may not be very smart; you may be easily distracted and clumsy; but you did not ruin your sisters' lives and you are not a burden to us. You're our friend, Sonata." She said sternly before motioning to the chess board. "Look," Sonata looked at the board. On one side of the board, there were seven white pieces: Two knights, two rooks, two bishops, and one queen. On the other side, there were three black pieces: Two pawns and one queen. "Let's say these white pieces are Sunset, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and me." Twilight explained before picking up one of the knights. "This one is Rainbow Dash. She's arrogant, egotistical, hotheaded, and has an inflated opinion of herself to say the least." She set the piece down and picked up the other knight. "This one is Applejack. She's stubborn, prideful, and often has her head up her butt." "She can put her head up her butt?!" "Expression, Sonata." "Oh." Twilight set the piece down and picked up one of the rooks. "This one is Rarity. She's vain, obsessed with appearance, and a tiny bit narcissistic at times." She set the piece down and picked up the other rook. "This one is Pinkie Pie. She's hyperactive, sometimes insensitive, and annoys the heck out of people." She set the piece down and picked up one of the bishops. "This one is Fluttershy. She's scared of her own shadow and can't stand up for herself." She set the piece down and picked up the queen. "This one is Sunset. She used to to be a bully who tormented everyone in this school and it took turning into a raging she-demon and being blasted by a rainbow to change her into the Sunset she is today." "Yeah, people told us about that." Sonata recalled. "And then there's me." Twilight said as she she set down the queen and picked up the other bishop. "I drained magic from each of them, accidentally turned myself into a raging she-demon just like Sunset had, and almost destroyed two worlds." She set the piece down. "So, don't you see, Sonata?" Sonata looked from the chess board to Twilight, not sure what Twilight meant. "None of us are perfect." She explained. "We all have flaws and make mistakes, but we still stick together. We're not burdens to each other even if it sometimes seems that way. We build each other up and help each other." As Sonata listened, her mind went back to the day she spent with Pinkie Pie. "...Pinkie told me something like that. Well, she singed it." "Sang." Twilight compulsively corrected. "She singed about how you girls weren't perfect, but that I should focus on your positive aspects... or something like that." Twilight was slightly surprised that Pinkie sang something like that, but chose not to address said surprise. "And she's right. And you're no different, Sonata. You have flaws and you make mistakes; that doesn't mean we think any less of you." Sonata thought it over for a moment when that all too familiar voice echoed in her head. "But... But Adagio said-" "She lied." Twilight said simply. Sonata's mind drifted to the day she spent with Spike and Rainbow Dash. It then drifted to the dream she had; the one with Adagio. Now that Sonata thought about it, Adagio had never explained why she was right and why she wasn't lying. All she had said was that Sonata was too stupid to make decisions and, now that Sonata had thought about it a second time, that easily could have just been another lie. Twilight saw the look of deep-thinking on Sonata's face and decided to elaborate. "You see these three black chess pieces on the other side of the board?" Sonata snapped out of her stupor and looked to the three black pieces. "These three are you, Adagio, and Aria." She picked up the queen. "Adagio was using you. Both of you. Honestly, I don't think she ever cared about either of you except as tools." She set the piece down and picked up one of the pawns. "I don't know much about Aria, so I can't really say anything about her." She set the piece down and picked up the other pawn. "And you, Sonata?" Twilight smiled. "You belong over here." She set the piece down with the white ones. Sonata looked from the board to Twilight and smiled. She got up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Twilight. Twilight got up so she and Sonata could properly hug. "Thanks." Sonata said. "I really needed to hear that." "No problem." "How do you know so much?" Twilight chuckled. "I'm a really analectic person." After a moment, Sonata pulled away and looked back at the board. "...Do you think maybe..." She picked up the other two black pieces and set them down with the white pieces. Twilight gave her a small smile. "Maybe." "Do you two hear that?" Spike suddenly asked. Twilight and Sonata looked to the purple dog who had been gnawing on one of his chew toys while they had their discussion. He was now standing up straight and keeping his eyes on the door. "Here what, Spike?" Twilight asked. "Shh! Listen!" Spike urged. Twilight and Sonata obeyed and listened carefully. At first, they heard nothing. But after a few seconds, they heard it. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh... Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh... Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Twilight looked to Sonata, who was frozen in place. "Uhhh, Sonata, do you know what that is?" Sonata looked to her friend. "I think so... but I don't know how it's possible." Applejack landed on her back as she tried and failed to catch the basketball, which went straight through the hoop with a swish. Rainbow Dash put her hands on her knees and panted as Pinkie jumped around her. "Boy, this is so much fun, Dashie!" "Are you okay, AJ?" Fluttershy asked Applejack as she helped her up. "Well, mah pride's a bit hurt, but Ah'm good." The cowgirl assured with a smile. "Ah still don't know how you and Pinkie are so good at this." "I don't know either." Pinkie said as she continued to jump around. "We just..." She stopped and started twitching. "Oh, wait! Got a twitchy in my neck again." She cracked her neck, causing the others to wince. "It's feels like..." "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." All four girls froze in place. Applejack looked to the other three. "Uhhh, did y'all hear that?" "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Fluttershy shook her head in disbelieve. "That's not possible." "It can't be..." Rainbow muttered. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." "It can." Pinkie said without her usual glee. "Hush now, my love. Soon our time will be at hand and when that day comes, the very stars in the sky will- Sweetie Belle! Stop laughing!" Scootaloo shouted angrily at her friend. Sweetie Belle sat up from the prop sofa and tried to control her chuckles. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's just so weird! Hahaha!" Rarity facepalmed and sighed. "Really, Sweetie, this is the sixth time you've gotten the giggles in this scene alone. Scootaloo is giving a stellar performance and she doesn't even want to be here." "That's true. I don't wanna be here." Scootaloo agreed. Apple Bloom, who had agreed to help work on the play (mostly to watch Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle), snickered from the midway of a ladder, which she had seated herself on. "I got an idea! Sweetie Belle, pretend Scootaloo is that boy from the poster in your room." Scootaloo blushed. "I don't think that will make things any better." "Well, it's worth a try." Rarity decided. "Sweetie Belle, pretend that Scootaloo is that boy from the poster in your room." Scootaloo groaned and hid her face in her hands. Sweetie Belle patted her friend on the back in sympathy. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Rarity froze and listened carefully, sure that her ears were deceiving her. Unaware to the fashionista, a green fog seeped in through the doors of the auditorium. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Rarity looked around, scanning the rows of seats for something out of the ordinary. The green fog quickly spread across the stage. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Rarity turned to the stage and found a familiar green fog had covered it. But even worse, she found Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom frozen in place with blank expressions on their faces. "Sweetie Belle!" Rarity ran over and grabbed her little sister, looking into her glowing green eyes that stared off into nothing. "Sweetie Belle, speak to me!" She demanded as she grabbed her sister's face. No response. "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." Rarity looked to Scootaloo and brought a hand to the tomboy's face, turning it to face her. Same as Sweetie Belle's. "Oh dear..." "Ahhh ahh-ahh ahhh ahhh..." The continuous singing made it dawn on Rarity what was happening. "I need to find the others." She started making for the door, but stopped and turned to the kids. "You stay right there!" She commanded despite knowing that they most likely couldn't hear her. She then continued her sprint, passing by her fellow workers, who were also caught in the spell. As she exited the auditorium, she heard a laugh echo throughout the school. "Welcome one and all, introducing a blast from the past. Hope you enjoy show, it's gonna be your last. Hehehe." Sonata looked down both sides of the hall. "That's Adagio! I know it is!" Twilight stood beside the siren and looked through the halls as well. A green fog floated across the floor, giving the the scene an ominous feel. Not helping was their fellow students standing perfectly still with green glowing eyes. Twilight had tried getting their attention, but without success. Regardless, she wasn't liking the looks of this. "Come on, Sonata. We need to find the others." She grabbed Sonata's hand and pulled her down the hall. "You thought you keep me down, but you thought wrong. I've taken over yours minds with nothing but my song. I control your world now and from here on out. I own your soul and your heart, which is why shout. I have you in my grasp. There is no escape. I am now the master of your fate. I pull the strings on your every bone. The queen is back on her throne! Wahooooh... Wahooooh... Wahooooh. The queen is back on her throne!" "I really don't like the sound of that!" Fluttershy whimpered as she, Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie walked through the creepy halls. "How did that psycho get her powers back anyway?" Rainbow asked as she lead them through the hall, keeping an eye out for a comically large afro. "We'll figure it out once we find the others." Applejack stated. Pinkie, who was rolling around all over the place like a spy, looked to the others. "You know, I was thinking about that. Remember when Sunset texted each of us to hide our geodes behind the vending machine?" "Yeah, I guess we know what the bad thing is now." Rainbow deadpanned. "Actually, I was thinking... How do we we know it was Sunset that texted us?" The other three stopped in their tracks. "I mean, has anyone even seen Sunset?" Pinkie asked as she turned to her friends. "Hold on!" Applejack held up her hands. "You're tellin' me that ya think that Adagio has done somethin' to Sunset missin' and has our geodes?!" "Yes..." Pinkie's hair deflated a bit. "Yes, I do." "That little voice in your head is me whispering my demands. Every little thing about your life rests in my hands. I have your mind and heart under key and lock. You're the sheep. I'm the shepherd. You are but my flock. When you struck me down on that accursed day, I swore I would somehow make you pay. You tried your best to break me, but here I stand. Now, watch me take over this pitiful land. I have you in my grasp. There is no escape. I am now the master of your fate. I'll lay waste to the place that you once called home. The queen is back on her throne! Wahooooh... Wahooooh... Wahooooh. The queen is back on her throne! Wahooooh... Wahooooh... Wahooooh. The queen is back on her throne!" Rarity sprinted through the hallways, desperately trying to find her friends. She concluded that, since she wasn't affected, the others wouldn't be effected either, same as last time. Approaching a dead end, she took a left and nearly bumped into someone. She skidded to a halt. The first thing she noticed was that the person's feet, clad in high-heeled boots, weren't touching the ground. She slowly looked up and saw that the person, a young woman, was wearing a golden/orange dress. She also saw a pair of dragon-like wings. She looked up further and finally saw her face. A crooked smile that revealed pearly white fangs. Glowing green eyes laid against red balls (Red where there should have been white). Despite it all, there was no mistaking that outrageous afro. All Rarity could do was gasp before she was grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. Adagio smiled and ran her finger across Rarity's terrified face. "Don't you dare scream. You had this coming for a while. Ever since that day you condemned me to exile. If you thought I'd forgive you, then you're a fool. I must pay you back for being so cruel." Without even thinking, Rarity blasted Adagio with a diamond, knocking the demented siren into the wall and freeing herself. Rarity watched as Adagio bounced off the wall and fell to the ground before getting up and running away, praying that she could find her friends before Adagio did. Meanwhile, Adagio picked herself up and glared at the fleeing fashionista as she turned the corner. "Alright... Let's see how you handle the entire school being out for your blood." She sucked in a breath and continued her song. "Find the eight who dare defy me and tear them apart! Tear their flesh and break their bones and rip out their hearts! Do not stop until they've taken their final breaths. Tear them apart! Tear them apart! And when you're done, show me what's left!" "W-What did she say?!" Fluttershy stammered out as she clung to Applejack. Rainbow turned to see some brainwashed students turning towards them. "Guys," The students started running towards them with murderous expressions on their faces. "Run!" Rarity saw the Diamond Boys running towards her and blocked them off with a wall of diamonds. She ran and turned a corner only to see Lyra and Bonbon running for her. In a panic, she blasted them both with a diamond, knocking them over like bowling pins. "So sorry, darlings!" Rarity apologized as she ran passed them. She ran further and caught the attention of more students, forcing her to turn another corner. Realizing she couldn't keep running, she stopped at the first classroom she came across. She opened the classroom door, silently thanking God it was unlock, and quietly shut it. She scanned the room for any living thing and, once she was sure she was alone, she hid herself under the teacher's desk. "I knew I could beat you on my own. The queen is back on her throne." Adagio smiled. "Yes, the the queen is back on her throne. Hehehehe Ahahahaha!" Sunset struggled against her restrains in vain. Despite knowing she couldn't break free from them, Adagio's singing, which she guessed was being heard through the school, was putting her in a panic. She looked to Aria, who was leaning against the wall doing nothing. "Aria! You have to get me out of here!" Aria didn't respond. "Aria, please! She's trying to kill my friends!" Aria gave Sunset an almost apologetic look, but looked away. "They're not my friends. Why should I care?" Sunset took note that Aria didn't sound callous. It seemed to be a genuine question. "Do you want them dead?" "Adagio does... and she makes the rules." Sunset knew that the only way she could save her friends was to bring Aria on their side, but she didn't know how to do it and she had very limited time to get it done. Nevertheless, she forced herself to calm down and think. "...Aria, there are seven of us. Adagio said eight. She's trying to kill Sonata too." Aria looked to Sunset, her face showing that she hadn't thought of that. She looked scared. "She's your sister. You can't tell me that you don't care about her." Aria remained silent. Sunset sighed. Seeing that Aria wouldn't respond, she made the decision to go all out. "Adagio called you a worthless moron. I'm guessing that that she calls you things like that all the time, correct?" Aria's face said yes. "Do you wanna know the truth? Adagio is just using you. Everything she tells you is a lie. All she cares about is herself. So, why are you still following her?" Aria hesitated before answering. "Because a mortal life is pointless." "Is that you talking or her?" Aria's face said it was Adagio. "Aria, life isn't pointless. Adagio tells you things like that to control you. To her, you're just tool." Aria looked at her feet. Unlike Sonata, she was smart enough to know that Sunset was telling the truth without question. The question was if she was strong enough to accept it. "Have you and Adagio been spying on us?" "...Yeah." "You've seen how we treat Sonata?" "...Yeah." "Do you really think it's better to stay with Adagio then make real friends?" Aria gave Sunset a questioning look. "We would give you another chance. Same as we did for Sonata." Sunset promised. "You can finally be your own person and not just some puppet." Aria's expression brightened. "But you have to let me go and help me save my friends." Aria bit her lip as she contemplated the offer. She turned away and weighed her options. "If you won't do it for us," Sunset continued. "Then at least do it for yourself." It felt like an eternity passed before Aria returned her gaze to Sunset. After a moment of hesitation, she walked behind Sunset and undid the rope around her body. Sunset shook off the rope and stretched her arms before untying the ropes around her legs, with Aria's help. She got up and nodded to the siren. "Thank you." "Don't thank me yet." Aria replied before ushering Sunset to the door. "Just for the record, this doesn't make us friends." "Understood." Sunset took a breath and opened the door. It was going to be a long day.