Her Sirens’ Keeper
Nymph’s ear twitched as she heard Adagio throw countless sheets of paper all over her clean floor. “This is outrageous! You expect us to sing this schlock!? We’re masters of music, not cheap street performers! I would rather die than subject my voice to this!” Like every day, Adagio would find something to throw a fit about. It was getting tiresome for Nymph to argue with her about what tasks she was expected to do or partaking in a friendship lesson with Celestia and she wasn’t sure how this girl was not getting sick of screaming all the time. Whenever Adagio wasn’t yelling her head off, she was almost always flaunting off her singing voice or even body to attract an audience around the palace at every possible moment. If Adagio was filled with any more hot air, she would have certainly exploded by now.
“I wonder if this is what it’s like when Rarity has to deal with a difficult customer,” Nymph muttered aloud as she mixed some colors with her brush. She just needed the right shade of purple for some of the buildings outside her window before moving onto the streets.
Aria held one of the sheets of paper and read, “It’s important to care about every little thing, even if they happen to be a changeling?” She loudly gagged before crumpling it up and tossing it. “How the heck did you come up with this? Did you hire a bunch of preschoolers to write this?” It didn’t take long to see why Aria was so hard for her cohorts to get along with. As well as sounding uninterested in anything given the way she almost always spoke, she enjoyed tossing insults out like candy on Nightmare Night. Nymph wasn’t even sure if she had ever seen her smile other than that unfriendly looking one. As of now, she held a reputation among other palace staff of being somepony you never want to cross and even the guards were scared of her.
“It’s not that bad,” Sonata said as she picked up some of the crumpled paper. She then sang, “We’ll only find depression if we keep up the oppression, so let us rise above and spread the love!” If it were not for Sonata, Nymph wouldn’t be sure if there was any good in a siren. Despite her vile intentions, she was without a doubt the easiest to get along with. As well as being the most cooperative in doing her duties, she always aimed to impress others, even if she never really did. She was the most willing to conversate with her, but she almost always complained about working, Aria, or even Twilight. If Nymph had one real complaint about her, it was that this girl was good at giving migraines as she constantly said things that were...less than intelligent.
At wit’s end, Adagio stomped next to the canvas as Nymph worked delicately and thankfully did not damage her art. “We can’t afford to embarrass ourselves with these horrendous songs! I have a reputation to maintain!”
“What reputation? You’re a maid nopony has ever heard of and already you have made yourself look like a fool more than once.” Adagio huffed loudly and stared directly at her with anger, but it did nothing to distract Nymph. “Forgive me. I don’t know much of the world you three were trapped in, but this is the kind of stuff ponies sing about all the time. Like it or not, those songs are of good quality.” She did think they sounded a little childish, but anything Pinkie wrote should have been loved by many. Then again, perhaps that depended on who sung them.
“I am Adagio Dazzle, a siren of legend! I suggest you rewrite these songs before I have to humiliate myself!”
Sighing, Nymph placed aside her brush and palette aside. “And what kind of songs would you prefer, oh High and Noble Adagio, she whose voice is a gift from the heavens?”
“Ones that express the torment of our souls,” suggested Aria as she laid on Nymph’s bed, sounding completely uninterested as she stared as the ceiling.
“That’s too depressing!” said Sonata. “Let’s sing about happy stuff like ice cream, slumber parties, and the internet! We could use something to make ourselves feel better after being homeless.”
“I could write a million songs of what it’s like to be stuck with you two.” Adagio gave them both a dirty look and then turned to Nymph. “Just come up with something professional or else there will be no singing!”
“I can always make you, in case you forgot.” Nymph lit her horn to emphasize her point.
“Oh please. You can’t scare me with that.” Adagio chuckled loudly in front of the queen, irritating her. “See, I’ve done a little thinking about your powers and I have realized something. You have to be nearby for you to maintain control and it comes with other limitations, which is why you came to us, right? Wouldn’t it be strange for a queen such as yourself to attend all our performances? Or for her to constantly skip out of her royal duties?” Nymph nodded silently. “So your little trick won’t get you anywhere. And don’t even think about sending us back. We’ll just blab to Twilight and Sunset about your plan, so if we go down, we will gladly take you with us.”
“Clever girl,” Nymph sneered. “Very well. If you truly do not feel these songs are up to your standard, then you are free to write your own.”
“Now that’s more like it,” said Aria as she hopped off the bed.
Nymph looked closely at her to see if anything resembling a smile would appear, but none did. “Just remember they will require my approval, but I promise I will be generous. And like it or not, I will find some songs for you to sing.”
“Pleasure doing business with you, Nymph.” Adagio walked out of the room with Aria following. “Have fun with your picture. We’ll show you what is truly art soon enough.”
With her gone, Nymph turned back to her painting. The siren was a lot sharper than she thought, making her suddenly feel uneasy. However, she could not falter. With the risks she had already taken, Nymph could not afford to lose the Dazzlings or have them turn against her. At last, she noticed Sonata was still in the room. “Yes?”
“Since Adagio made some demands, I got some to make, too! Like, yesterday was really hard and stuff, so I don’t wanna work today. I refuse to work and if you make me, I’ll-” Nymph whipped her head completely around, loudly hissing with her eyes glowing brightly. “EEP!” The siren scurried out of the room with her tail between her legs.
Looking back at the canvas, Nymph found herself unable to work. Perhaps her time would be better spent taking her frustration out on Adagio, maybe some sort of crude drawing of the mare just to antagonize her. Over the last few days, the siren had became more and more defiant against her, refusing to call her by her proper title, talking back to her, and even insulting her directly. However, no matter how aggressive they got with each other, they made sure no one else saw them as neither of them wanted Celestia or Luna to get involved. She was thankful that both Aria and Sonata were nowhere near as rebellious as their leader, perhaps simply content with no longer needing to beg for scraps.
Nymph studied her painting until she heard hoofsteps from behind her. “I just saw the Dazzlings and I’m certain they were talking about you. Is everything alright?” Celestia noticed some of the crumpled paper on the floor and picked one of them up. “Are these the songs?”
“Indeed they are. Adagio came here to complain that she wouldn’t sing them. She felt they were too childish for someone like her.” The changeling stood up and began magically cleaning her room of the many balls of paper that littered it. “I thought that maybe having them singing some songs of friendship and other such things might be able to influence them. Chrysalis recommended that Pinkie should write some songs to help spread joy and harmony rather than chaos. Sadly, they don’t seem too happy with the idea.”
Celestia skimmed through the discarded lyrics, smiling. “These are adorable. If Pinkie really is this talented, then that might explain how she’s able to burst into song so often.” After reading some more, her smile dwindled and she looked up. “Nymph, I can’t help but feel that you may have had a hoof in Pinkie’s inspiration. You have a whole song about changelings and another about a mare asking for forgiveness regarding an unnamed misdeed.”
Nymph playfully held up her hooves. “You got me. Yes, Pinkie and I are trying to use their music to help inspire the people to come together and help Chrysalis if possible. If the Dazzlings want to sing so bad, then let’s make the most out of it. Music is one of the most influential elements in society and I think we can use one problem to fix another.”
The alicorn turned back to the lyrics, her expression softening. “It’s a wonderful idea, Nymph. Maybe in time, these words will reach the Dazzlings as well.” The princess helped her clean up the rest of the mess and used her magic to rid every sheet of paper of their wrinkles and tears. Once finished, she placed all of the songs into neat little stacks on the table. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help take them off your hooves? I’m sure you’d rather be doing something else with your time. Maybe Twilight could make use of those extra rooms and keep an eye on them at home.”
“You’d leave Twilight and Spike alone with those three? I doubt anypony would be happy with that arrangement. Here, we have a whole palace to keep an eye on those sirens. And I’m pretty certain I’ve heard Adagio complain about Starswirl now and then and you are Twilight’s teacher, so I don’t think they would like being around you or Luna so much, which leaves only me.”
“Hopefully they shouldn’t be a problem for long. I know there’s more to these girls deep down.” Nymph nodded in agreement and tried resuming work on her project. Celestia stood beside her and watched while the queen worked delicately on the canvas. “Something else has occured to me. As nice as it would to be to allow them to sing, who is going to watch them as they perform when you are tending to your royal duties?”
Nymph put her brush down. “That is a good question. I was hoping they would settle down by now and be more cooperative, but clearly that is not the case. I don’t know how, but we need someone else to keep an eye on them.”
“If someone is to escort them, then it would be best that they know the truth about the Dazzlings. They could be easily taken advantage of if they were unaware of what they were capable of.” Celestia stepped away to look at the clock on the wall and made her way to the door. “I’m afraid I’m running late for an important meeting. We can talk more about this later and figure this out.”
“Very well. Have a nice day, Tia.” Once the door closed, Nymph turned back to her canvas, but was unable to find the energy to paint once again. Who could watch the Dazzlings without either her or Celestia around? Chrysalis would be a safe idea, but she would have to give up her business for who knows how long and Cupid’s Arrow was too important for the love it created. Twilight and her friends were another idea, especially Pinkie or Fluttershy, but she didn’t think they would want to be away from home and the Dazzlings clearly showed their disdain for them.
The queen walked over to one of the open windows, seeing Ponyville in the distance. Who else did she know that could handle this dangerous duty? Who could she trust with such a powerful secret? Who would be be willing to leave home for a long time just to keep an eye on some of the most fearsome monsters in Equestria?
Who in the world could be up to the task?
Her hoof came up, but then back down. She raised it once more, froze, and brought it to the ground. “Come on, Nymph. You’ve already came here, so might as well try.” Taking a deep breath, she finally knocked on the door.
It wasn’t long until it opened and the occupant stood there in disbelief. “Q-Queen Nymph!” Thorax immediately bowed. “It is an honor to have you visit.”
“There’s no need for all that,” Nymph replied with a bit of a laugh. “We’re friends. I apologize for the sudden visit, Thorax, but I wanted to give you a present!” She magically held up a basket loaded with all sorts of gifts and a beautiful green bow tied to the top.
Thorax’s jaw practically hit the floor as he looked at every little goodie tucked in. “I-is that all for me!?”
“Of course it is. Only the best for such a great changeling!” She looked over Thorax. “May I come inside?” Thorax quickly stepped aside, bowing his head again as she entered. She stepped right into a small kitchen, finding dirty dishes in the sink beside her, and passed into the tiny living room with an ugly beige carpet. Two doors were on her right, one for the bathroom and the other for the bedroom, which only contained a bed and lamp on the floor next to it. The only objects of interest in the room across from Nymph were a small table and the stool beside it. However, on top of the table was a small wooden box with a lock over the latch. Perhaps it was where he kept his bits and other safe keepings.
Looking at such a bland design of white walls and ceiling along with the carpet was nearly enough to make Nymph shudder. Would it kill anyone to make these apartments more colorful like every other place she been in within Ponyville alone? She was so distracted that she almost didn’t see Thorax jump ahead and pull the seat out for her, smiling. She thanked him and sat down, finding it hard to fit on as it was so small compared to her, as Thorax stood on the other side. “I hope you like it, Thorax. Rarity helped me pick the gifts.”
“Are you kidding? This looks great!” He reached inside and pulled out a large, sparkling green bowtie. “Wow! I’ve never had one before! Thanks, Nymph!” He continued to eagerly look over every little gift, such as a box of cookies, a map of Equestria, a camera, and an autographed photo of the queen herself already placed in a wooden picture frame. “Not that I don’t appreciate this, but why are you suddenly giving me this stuff?”
“It’s for being such a good friend, Thorax. You’ve not only kept my sister’s secret, but you did such a good job in bringing up my spirits. I would have been lost were it not for you.”
“I-i-i-it’s not big deal. I just did what any changeling would have.” Thorax quickly blushed and Nymph could not help but giggle. “Thank you so much for all these presents. Is there anything I can get for you while you’re here, Nymph?”
The queen glanced back at the pile of dishes and glasses sticking out from the sink. “No thank you.” She cleared her throat. “How have you been? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“Pretty good. I got a lot of writing done, mostly because Ponyville is such an interesting place. Rarity took me to Fillydelphia over the weekend for a fashion show. Have you seen how the big the buildings are!? Oh, and Rainbow Dash showed me a city in the clouds! A whole city floating in the sky! Can you believe it!?”
“Ponies are quite creative with their cities,” she complemented.
Thorax happily nodded in agreement. Afterward, each of them remained silent for a while and tried not to stare too long at each other. Eventually, the little changeling looked at her. “Nymph, was there something else that made you want to visit me?”
Nymph laughed out loud, but how forced it came out made Thorax nervous. “No, of course not! I just wanted to visit my special little friend! Why would you ever think I had some sort of ulterior motive up my cloak?”
“It’s just you just suddenly showed up unannounced with all these nice gifts for me. I didn’t mean any offense, but it feels like you’re trying to butter me up for something.”
“Nonsense!” Her giant, phoney grin caused Thorax to duck down so that only his eyes were visible above the table. Nymph felt hesitant to put this burden on someone sweet and innocent like Thorax, but she didn’t exactly have options. In her mind, she could picture Cerebus carving out her name in a special little place for her in Tartarus. She straightened her posture on the stool and sighed. “Okay. I’ll be honest with you. Something serious happened recently and requires my constant attention in Canterlot. However, as the Changeling Queen, I don’t have enough free time to keep constant supervision due to my duties and I thought that maybe you could help me.”
“Help? How can I help?”
Nymph nervously glanced at the wall next to her while tapping her hooves together. The sound of her shoes clanging together filled the room until she spoke. “I have found myself in a bind and I have no choice but to ask you. I do not like placing this immense responsibility on your shoulders so suddenly, but I need someone I can trust. What I require you to do is keep watch of three ponies of interest.”
Thorax cocked his head. “I don’t think I understand. What’s so special about these ponies?”
“Thorax, are you able to keep another secret? One as big as the one about my sister?” He nodded, although there was clearly some hesitation. “These ponies are actually sirens with magical singing voices that Princess Twilight had to deal with some time ago. She believes they can be reformed, but they have been left in my care since they still carry grudges towards her and her friends.”
“What’s a siren?”
“Do not be alarmed. They are gigantic fish creatures bent on taking over the world by controlling everyone through their songs. They were so powerful that they were banished to another dimension a thousand years ago and have now returned while still holding their desire to rule everypony. Fortunately, we managed to-” When she blinked, there was suddenly one less changeling in front of her. “Thorax, get back here!”
Thorax came out from under the table, shivering. “W-why are you asking me to watch over dangerous monsters?”
“Oh, they’re not dangerous. At least as of now. Twilight had blocked off their magic a little while ago, so they can’t control anyone. Their forms have been also made into ponies, so they are nowhere as terrifying. I promise that they are not a threat to anyone.” Thorax sighed with relief. “Your job would be simple. All you have to do is just make sure they don’t cause any trouble and if they do, you report to me or Celestia.”
Thorax anxiously waited for her to continue, but found himself quite surprised. “Really? That’s all I have to do? That seems pretty...easy.”
“Essentially yes. However, I should inform you that this will require you to live in the palace as you will constantly need to keep watch over them.”
As she had predicted, Thorax did not take the news well as he backed away from the table. “M-move away? B-but I can’t leave my friends!”
She got up from the stool and walked over to him, placing a reaffirming hoof on his back. “No, no. You’re not leaving them. Celestia and I can drop you off in Ponyville whenever you want. Don’t think of it as moving away. You’re just taking a new job and are relocating temporarily.” Nymph once more looked around the apartment. “Besides, I think your new residence will be far more desirable than this little hovel. You will get a comfy bed, free food, and of course, I will be paying you for your services.” Thorax bit his lip and looked at everything but her. “Is there something bothering you?”
Thorax quickly shook his head. “No. I mean, kinda. This is just all so sudden. Are you sure I’m the right changeling to ask?”
Nymph did her best to hold her smile, but it was straining her face. Thorax did not exactly strike her as a brave and daring changeling. It would just be a matter of minutes until Adagio turned him into her personal plaything to torment. No. She would not allow that. She just needed to show that girl who was boss before leaving them in Thorax’s care. As for Thorax himself, she was confident the sirens would appreciate having someone around they didn’t constantly get into arguments with and perhaps warm up to him with time. “I have no doubt. You have a good heart and there’s no one I trust more than you.”
“R-really?”
“Of course. You already hold one of Equestria’s biggest secrets.” Nymph stood in front of him and held his hoof between hers. “Please, Thorax. This is very important to me. I want to use their songs to unite ponies and changelings after I had driven them apart. Those sirens may be the only way to make that possible. They will no doubt be amazing singers and be famous before you know it, performing shows all over Equestria…” She gasped. “That’s it!”
“Huh?”
“They will be performing all over Equestria, which means if you accompany them, you can visit all the cities to write in your book!” She eagerly awaited for a response, but he still seemed distracted. “I know I’m asking a lot from you, but the truth is you’re the only one I trust.”
“Me? But I’m just a regular changeling. Why not somepony like Princess Twilight or Spike the Brave and Glorious?”
“If I had that option I would have, but they and the others have not long ago foiled another plot of theirs and they still haven’t gotten over their defeat. Simply put, putting them together would not end well.” Nymph took a deep breath and looked right into Thorax’s eyes. “You kept my sister’s secret and you trust her. You were willing to understand her. Not many would do that even if asked them to. I can’t imagine leaving anyone else responsible for this important duty. It will be a demanding challenge, but think of all the benefits you will get out of it. In a way, you will be a hero like Spike.”
Thorax’s eyes grew. “I could be a hero like Spike?”
“Absolutely. You will help us in turning one of the greatest threats Equestria has ever faced into one of its most powerful allies. Your name will go down in the history books for sure and I will be able to grant you royal favors.” Nymph tightly grasped his hoof. “So how about it? Will you help your queen?”
“Yes! I will do it!”
Nymph picked Thorax up and compressed him against her bosom. “Oh, thank you! I knew I could count on you!”
“A-anything for you, Nymph.” His response was mostly muffled as he tried to free himself from her chest.
It was a moment before Nymph noticed he was turning blue and quickly released him. “I’d like to have you arranged with the Dazzlings as soon as possible, so you should consider packing up at once.” Taking another glance at the room, she added, “That shouldn’t take too long, right?”
“Not at all.” Thorax picked up the box from the table and flew into the other room. When he returned, he also held a saddle bag with his writing materials and a framed picture of him and Spike. “I think that’s everything.”
“Excellent. We’ll get you settled right away and I will introduce you to the Dazzlings so they know what’s going on.” Nymph patted Thorax on the shoulder. “I know you are going to do just fine. I have the utmost faith in you.” They smiled at each other as she channeled her teleportation spell.
Right before she completed the spell, the door was nearly blown off its hinges with a boom of thunder and both changelings stumbled onto the floor, holding each other in complete terror as they backed against the wall. “You’re leaving without telling me!?” Standing in the doorway was Pinkie Pie, heavily panting while looking distressed. “Thorax, how can I plan your goodbye party if you don’t tell me that you’re leaving!?”
“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t really have time to-”
Pinkie loudly gasped, drowning out anything Thorax was trying to say. “You’re right! There’s not enough time for blame! I gotta get your party ready!” The pony slammed the door shut and ran off. It was only a few seconds until she came running back and opened the door with a giant grin on her face. “Almost forgot! What’s your favorite flavor of cake!?”
“Chocolate?”
“Okie-dokie-lokie! Come by Cupid’s Arrow when we close!” Pinkie zipped right over the two of them with the angriest frown either of them had ever seen. “And if you try leaving Ponyville again without experiencing ‘Pinkie’s Super Amazing Goodbye Party’, I’ll know.” She then gave them both a happy grin before bouncing out of the apartment, singing a little song to herself.
When she was gone, Nymph and Thorax found the courage to finally get up and they stared blankly at the open door. “Nymph, can I ask you an honest question?”
“Yes, Thorax?”
He gulped. “Who is scarier? The sirens or Pinkie Pie?”
The queen looked down at Thorax and then at the open door. “I don’t know.”