Hooves clip-clopped along the cobbled floors as a small filly wandered around the tall aisles of books. Her grayish purple eyes scanned each of the shelves yet it all looked the same to her. She glanced back to where she entered then forward towards the seemingly never-ending rows upon rows of books.
She was lost.
Huffing, she stopped walking if only to smack her head on a book’s spine, grunting on impact. She did that a few more times before she stopped and rubbed a hoof on her head.
“Great,” she mumbled, looking left to right but she sighed when it seemed no pony else was in sight. “This library could have installed signs or something.”
The filly sighed once more and resigned to her fate of waiting until somepony else walked by even if the chances were slim with how huge the area was.
Her gamboge ear flicked up when something made a sound a few paces from she was. She clambered to her hooves, smile back on as she galloped towards the source until a frown replaced the grin after she took a turn and found no pony in sight.
The filly scratched her head, certain she heard something. Once she glanced around for anything out of the ordinary, her eyes only fell on a book on the floor.
Uncertainty gripped her followed by a sense of obligation as she picked up the tome and placed it back on its spot on the shelf beside her. Just as she started wondering how it fell out, another book from a few shelves down the aisle made a soft thud as it reached the ground.
Eyes scrunched in curiosity, she slowly trotted to the paperback and placed it back in its proper slot. She didn’t know what was happening but she would get in more trouble if she just left it lying on the floor like that. Still, as she heard another thud that she now knew was due to a book falling out, she decided picking up the fallen objects was better than sitting cooped up in one place.
So there she went, following the trail of books as they popped out of their confines and smiling a bit when she started getting the hang of it. Sometimes the books that she took hold of had interesting titles, which she mentally filed away to borrow the next time she can.
Before she knew it, she was back in the central lobby where she saw her group waiting for her. Jumping in relief she ran up to catch up to them, momentarily backtracking to return the tome she had in her smaller wings, and began chatting with them as they left the library.
Amidst the busy ponies burying themselves in volumes and whispered conversations, no one saw the twinkling Amethyst eyes of a pony before they closed in satisfaction.
The soft hoofsteps made dainty work towards the cobbled path as they led their owner to her destination as if on autopilot. Still, one would be familiar with this path if they had been living in its sanctuary ever since.
Left, left, then going right on another shelf the pony went before stopping in front of a small stone archway. Pushing open the wooden door as she climbed up the steps, she began to smile for no apparent and fathomable reason. She reached a small expanse with what seemed to have minimal furniture and small decors of banners and pictures of creatures.
One may call this a mini library, another would say it’s a study; one could even remark how cold and small this place was but to this particular pony…
It was her castle.
“Yay, Twilight’s back!” a high pitched voice squealed.
And she was not alone.
The aforementioned pony smiled at the floating translucent blue creature and started chuckling as her cerulean coat began to look like a blur with how fast she had been moving, like an excited puppy ready to play.
Another voice jumped in, its tone a bored drawl as it said, “What took you so long?”
Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile at the purple projection. Upon closer inspection, this creature had features of one the daily pony thought to have been legends in the olden times. Mulberry coat shimmering as its hooves crossed in a good natured manner, the siren grinned with her fangs out at the small pony like one would to a challenger.
“Also, you were gone long enough for me to get tired of listening to Sonata’s whining,” the purple creature added, unflinchingly ignoring the tiny whines of ‘Ariaaaa’
Twilight trotted up the second floor and towards her desk, putting down the books. She unfurled her wings as she let them rest from carrying the heavy tomes then turned to address the projection of the sirens.
“To answer your question-and no it’s not because I was ‘ogling at an attractive pony’, Adagio- I was helping a little filly who got lost in the Myths Section,” the pony explained as she side eyed the last creature floating lazily near her tower’s telescope.
The aforementioned Adagio merely shrugged before she continued to let her gold coated avatar rest on top of the soft cushions, a small yet dangerous smirk highlighted her features. She snorted after a beat.
“Yes of course, the day you’ll start finding anypony attractive will be the day Sonata stops smiling,” was her retort, earning an offended look and two giggles from her siren sisters. As gamboge eyes found the pony’s location, her posture stood up as she floated towards the desk of books. “Did you get my request?”
“I don’t know if throwing me a scroll of book titles counted as a request but yes, I did.” Twilight picked up the one on top with a purple wing, “One ‘The Secret Diaries of Mare Lister’ at your-
She stopped short at the gazes of her companions. “What?”
Aria, the purple siren, clicked her tongue. “Seriously kid,” she muttered, deadpanned.
At the confused expression on the purple pony’s face, Sonata pouted as she gestured towards the horn on top of Twilight’s head and then giggled when her blue hoof passed through it.
Connecting the pieces, Twilight all but winced at the conclusion. Still, looking up at the thing attached to her head, she hesitatingly lit up her horn and then grunted as it fizzled out a few small sparks. All three pairs of eyes watched as the tome was encased with a raspberry glow, floating a few inches off the desk before Twilight grunted again and the book fell with a soft thud.
Panting, Twilight massaged her temples as the three gazed at one another in concern before Adagio opted to speak up first. “Well, that was…” she struggled to say it nicely until Aria finished with a blunt, “you sucked.”
The purple siren, ignoring the glare shot in her direction, continued with knitted brows, “At least it was marginally better than the last forty-eight times you tried it but that’s still a low bar for you.” Dark violet eyes took a moment before she decided to stare at her disgruntled sister in confusion. “What? You were taking too long to sugarcoat it.”
Finally taking time to see the down casted look and her sisters’ apparent chiding faces, Aria raised a brow before she pieced it together. “Ah, that was too blunt for your sensitive pony heart. Got it, shutting up now, sorry Twilight.”
Choosing to ignore the pony’s whispered “it’s okay” and Aria’s inherent ineptitude to subtlety, Adagio floated over to the mare with maternal worry. “Twilight,“ once she had the other’s attention she gave an encouraging smile, “just try again.”
They all waited for the other to move, patient grins in their projected images as the pony rubbed a hoof against her foreleg in insecurity until the faces of her companions seemed to motivate her.
Standing to her full height and wings unfurled, she decided to light up her horn again before the raspberry glow appeared once more and encased the book. This time, she succeeded in floating the tome inches above the small table as it drifted across the room before landing down on the small cushions in the carpeted section of the area.
Body lightly trembling, Twilight released her concentration, stumbled in recoil, and fell back on her spotless flank with a winded “OOF.”
Rubbing her head, she glanced at the product of her efforts and to the proud smiles from the three siren projections. She let out a tired smile grace her muzzle, grin widening at the hoots and cheers from Sonata and Adagio’s satisfied “Well done” before the young pony glanced at the purple siren in expectancy.
Aria merely nodded to Twilight’s anticipative gaze, drawling out an “It was better than attempt number forty-six” to which the mare took with a pleased beam.
With the excitement dwindling down, Adagio hummed in contentment as she maneuvered her way towards the book. Scanning the tome, she let her hoof hover on the cover for a minute and then waved it right to left, opening the paperback as she was presented with the old texts.
Twilight still found the action amazing even after seeing the same thing ever since she met the three creatures, eyes shining in astonishment at what was already considered the norm for the sirens.
Shaking her head, she decided to work on fixing her cluttered desk with her mood prominently cheerful. A minute into sorting, Sonata’ smiling muzzle came into view.
Floating upside down, she tilted her head at the pony. “You mentioned helping a filly, right? How did you do it?”
“Uh,” Twilight started, stopping her book arranging as she gazed at the curious face. “I just pushed the books off their spot, making a trail towards the central lobby.”
“Aww, that’s adorable!” Sonata cooed while Aria gazed at the pony in disbelief, “You did what?”
Sensing the tenseness, Twilight hastily elaborated with waving her hooves in a placating manner. “D-Don’t worry, I made sure she didn’t see me-
“Not that kiddo,” Aria cut off as she rolled eyes. “You let the books touch the floor willingly?” The purple siren let the mare sweat a bit before a smile graced her features, “I just can’t believe you’d freely do that for a filly.” Then she snickered with a wave of her hoof, “You used to give us smack about how the books were ‘treasures of the library and they must be protected and treated with utmost care’ or something along those lines.”
Sonata giggled as she watched the pony blush while stammering out words in her defense and babbling spastically.
The blue siren floated, doing a circle in the air, before stopping short beside her sister with a mischievous gleam. “Guess now she doesn’t mind if we rearrange her book collection by the third letter,” she stage-whispered, making sure to make it audible for Twilight, as she pointed a hoof to the shelves on the second floor of the room.
Both sirens started laughing when a loud whinny began, followed by the source’s hurried pacing to get to the shelves in a desperate bid to protect her collection along with a pained “No, anything but that!” making the two creatures laugh louder in response.
Adagio sighed in simple contentment, happy that the background noise consisted of mirth with the occasional raging response that followed once the pony realized she was being played. Still, as she flicked to another text, she was glad the youngest of their ragtag group seemed to be in better spirits and she knew it would be long before it turned to pure euphoria once she reminded the pony about the event today.
Specifically, the event tonight
However, Adagio’s musings were gently ensnared by Aria’s 'Why did you do that anyway?' which made the eldest siren focus on the three with her curiosity piqued as well.
“You could have been seen!” Sonata exclaimed, mouth hidden behind her hooves. “You know the rules,” the blue siren added before wincing and rubbing her head at the smack given to her by Adagio.
“What?” she sheepishly asked, “I’m just telling her what we all know.” Then, she impressively shifted her features to resemble that of a pony with arctic blue curly locks and said in a high pitched voice, “You mustn’t go outside my dear Twilight, you know what would happen. Golly, now I’m torn. I didn’t mean to act like the bad guy, I just wanted to protect you.” Sonata then doubled over in laughter, rolling around in the air as she dropped her act.
Aria and Adagio merely shuffled farther away from the laughing siren, half-impressed and half-mortified at the eerily spot-on impression.
“D-Don’t do that voice again. Ever,”Aria stated, wide eyed and rarely gob smacked, which only fueled Sonata’s laughter.
Adagio, on the other hoof, pursed her lips as she glanced down at the shell-shocked pony. With an exasperated 'Oh Sonata' the gold colored siren hovered in front of Twilight and waved a hoof, getting the mare’s attention and offered a small smile in apology.
There was no response, sans a tight grin, before Twilight resumed her sorting. Her ears flicked up when the noise momentarily died down and when she turned to see why, Twilight lightly jumped when the three pairs of eyes were now on her.
“What?” she muttered, rubbing her foreleg once she saw their expectant faces, most notably Sonata’s apologetic grin.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be insensitive.” Stopping short, Sonata turned to her sisters. “I said that right, right?” Pointedly ignoring a face hoof and a groan, Sonata continued, “So yeah, sorry. Anyway, what were we talking about again?”
Ultimately, Twilight could have changed the subject or insisted on leaving the topic of conversation which she no doubt the siren sisters would willingly obliged but something in her fought to let them know.
Like the same feeling from before, something was telling her to open up to them. There was a weird sensation she couldn’t identify as she went back to her room. The least she knew was that she needed to at least get it off her chest and share this with her companions.
Who knows, maybe they can help her understand what she was feeling too.
Sighing, Twilight chose a comfortable sitting position on the cushions. Upon making herself more relaxed, she turned back to her audience and told them.
“I,” the purple pony started as her amethyst eyes stared before they squeezed shut. So much for being relaxed.
Nevertheless, Twilight continued, “The reason I helped was because I didn’t want her to stay stuck in this place forever. I just…I don’t know, it felt wrong to watch her struggle and not do anything when I know I can do something.”
“Then,” Twilight added, wings curled insecurely, “I had this weird tingling feeling after I helped the filly. It was…weird.” She finished lamely.
She waited for the inevitable jab at her expense. She knew the explanation was pathetic. There was a sixty five chance that the filly can make it out even without her intervention yet she couldn’t help but have the need to help. Besides, she made sure that she wasn’t spotted by anypony so she didn’t technically do anything wrong that would warrant a scolding from her guardian.
With the prominent lack of giggling and a sarcastic comment in the room, Twilight opened one eye and then the other when her companions simply stared at her in pride.
While not a stranger to their frequent looks of such, the current expressions on their faces were enough to make Twilight uncomfortable. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wallow in awkwardness for long as the blue siren shot up with her hooves open like she was about to tackle the pony.
Only to pass through a startled Twilight and land on the floor with a shriek.
Aria groaned, slapping a hoof to her muzzle. “We’re astral projections Sonata. We can’t touch anything not bound by the library.” She got a snorted ‘Oh yea…’ in return, forcing Aria to slap another hoof.
Twilight could only blink as Aria began bickering with the fallen siren. Just as the purple pony was about to intervene, Adagio hovered in her view and waved a casual hoof along with a ‘Leave them’ before the siren focused her attention on the confused mare.
“You said you felt ‘weird’ after helping the filly when she got lost?” Adagio raised her brow as she asked, smirking when she got a nod in response. “While it has been several moons since I had a physical body I think I can recall what it was.”
“Really?” Twilight asked as her face lit up, drawing her hooves together in happiness.
Here, a nostalgic shadow seemed to have fallen over the siren as her misty eyed gaze swept to the tome discarded near the observatory’s balcony doors.
Twilight stared, a bit shocked to see the normally confident siren fall silent. If Twilight didn’t know any better she could have sworn she saw a tear fall but that couldn’t be right. For all her knowledge and extensive research of Sirens and her companions’ excessive boasting of pride and strength, Twilight had never seen any one of them-let alone the siren leader- in a state of vulnerability.
Unsure with what to do with herself yet prioritizing on making her friend feel better, Twilight sat up on her haunches and began waving her hooves erratically. “Y-you know what, let’s just forget about this. Here, why don’t I get the book-
A gold hoof stopped the pony mid stride, making Twilight pause and assess the completely new situation with a barely concealed frustrated huff. Twilight didn’t know what’s going on or what was making Adagio act this way but she wanted to fix it and she didn’t like it when she didn’t know how!
Faintly, Twilight felt the same odd feeling again like it was sending fuzzy tingles in her. That simply just added itself to Twilight’s list of frustrating enigmas which she had yet to solve.
“Caring…”
The siren’s mumble tore Twilight away from her thoughts as she raised a brow when the mythical creature continued, “No, that’s not…I can’t remember but I know it had something to do with caring.”
Seeing the intimidating face that struck fear into the hearts of the ponies of old by dusty text accounts scrunched in an adorable and familiar fashion in an attempt to remember, it made Twilight lightly giggle. Sometimes she had her doubts when the books always regarded the sirens as these blood thirsty creatures.
Scary? Sure. Mischievously notorious? Yes. But blood thirsty? Twilight didn’t know for sure but she had her misgivings.
At Adagio’s frustrated ‘I give up’ Twilight sighed, partly disappointed but at least her friend started acting like herself again and that was enough for her.
“Here goes this weird feeling again,” the purple pony thought as she ruffled her feathers in an effort to make it stop. It was like the sensation had somehow spread throughout her body more.
Twilight faintly hoped she didn’t catch a disease.
With the tell-tale signs of Aria and Sonata’s fight coming to a stop, Twilight stretched as she prepared to maybe take a short nap but the lingering gaze of a siren was stopping her from doing so. Cracking one eye open, she raised a brow as the grinning Adagio looked down on her.
Twilight recognized that gleam.
Resigned to her fate and preparing herself for a prank that her companions were notoriously known for pulling (not to mention impressive as well for the pranks’ execution considering their limited touching abilities, if she was being honest) Twilight asked a defeated, “May I help you?”
Surprisingly, there was no ink blot on her face or an offered book with a title that she could not read the language of, along with a raunchy erotica text inside. Piling on her ever growing list of surprises today, Twilight found herself perplexed.
“Are you going to take a nap?”
Curling on herself as she felt like she was falling into a trap due to the question, Twilight shyly answered, “Uh, yes?”
“Why?” Sonata suddenly piped in, barely restraining her giggles. Aria hovered beside her, mirth in her eyes.
Seeing this, Twilight slowly sat up now. “Girls, what is this? What are you not telling me?”
“Do you really want to know?” Aria asked with a fanged grin.
Standing up, there was brief hesitation as the purple pony muttered, “Yes.”
Giggling, Sonata floated nearer. “Do you really want to know?”
Curiosity piqued, Twilight nodded her head. “Yes.”
Adagio, at her sister’s side glance, couldn’t help herself but stall for a bit longer too. “Do you really, really want to know?”
Full on standing now, Twilight ran up to the sirens and, nearly passing through them, jumped up and down. “Yes, please, tell me!” She fleetingly shot a glare at them, knowing that they were using her pet peeve to get a rise out of her but Twilight sensed there was indeed something they were not telling her.
“You guess,” Aria said, smirking at the prominent glare shot at them once more.
Twilight racked her brain. What could it be? Tapping her hoof on her chin, she considered bargaining with them but when it seemed like it was Adagio who orchestrated this little surprise then she knew she couldn’t get the two younger sirens from spilling anything.
At the silence permitting the room going on for almost thirty-minutes now, Adagio awkwardly hovered as she eyed her sisters who sported the same looks.
“We could tell you now-
“Shush,” Twilight cut off, who had resorted to pacing around the first floor of the room.
Sonata shot Aria a smug look, “You should have known better than to ask her to guess.”
Aria simply responded with a scowl, muttering an embarrassed, “Whatever.”
Not wanting to have her sisters start fighting again, Adagio glanced around the room. She knew telling the pony directly would do more harm than good and she refused to sully the news she had for her purple companion. Once her Gamboge eyes fell on the calendar, Adagio smirked.
Floating over to the object, she twirled a hoof while watching in concentration as the calendar slightly moved from its spot on the desk. Focusing intently Adagio waved a hoof again before the object titter over the small table’s edge. The siren let it fall down on the first floor’s carpet.
Adagio huffed, knowing she had expelled more energy than she should have but deigned it a worthy feat. She let a small smile grace her muzzle as Twilight momentarily stopped, let out a small ‘Yes!’, and hurriedly turned her attention back to the assembled sirens.
The eldest of the siblings managed to return to her previous position and gazed at the happy pony raising her wing for them to see what was on her calendar. The siren sisters didn’t even bother pointing out the fact that Twilight resumed using her wings again to pick stuff up. The pony’s euphoric face seemed to be contagious enough that they simply ignored it for now.
“Dang, we’re going soft,” the sirens wryly thought in unison.
Oblivious to the faint musings of bruised egos, Twilight giggled excitedly then wandered to the direction of her balcony doors. Momentarily hesitating, Twilight took a deep breath and grasped the doors, opening them and sauntering over to the small observatory terrace.
It didn’t give her much room but it was spacious and high enough from the ground that Twilight did not fear the idea of anypony seeing her, giving her relief as she scanned downwards on the mingling folks shaped like the termites she found in some dusty old books and barely restrained a happy gasp.
The sirens followed afterwards, making sure to stop behind the railings, as they watched their companion wiggle excitedly… and the sirens couldn’t blame her.
After all, the Nightmare Night Festival happened only once a year.
All four pairs of eyes scanned the decorations hanging below. Various pumpkins and treat containers were assorted outside the homes of the town ponies. Statues and other banners detailing creatures of abject horror became a wide spread trend today.
The siren sisters simultaneously winced at the unflattering caricatures on the banners that they no doubt believe were misshapen versions of them, teeth elongated and in prowling poses to emphasize how they were ‘creatures of nightmares’ as the theme went.
Scanning further down the town’s square, they could make out a few statues with creatures that they were familiar with placed beside the three edges of the stage.
One was the largest of the bunch, towering imperiously over the common pony with its mouth wide open and muscled arms raised over its horned head, its two forelegs reared up with its remaining two hind legs supporting it as if ready to charge.
The statue to its left seemed tamed in comparison yet still had the imposing aura brought about by its stoned face. Sharp horn pointing at the sky, the marble’s eyes gazed down in superiority, a crown resting on its head and adorned with a set of noble robes.
The last of the many statues the sirens could spot for now was a creature with insect-like features, grinning rakishly over its shoulder as if to disarm ponies and hoping it would be enough to distract them from the various prominent holes around its body.
The siren sisters were thankful they couldn’t spot a replica of them though Adagio had mixed feelings about that. Were they not that important to have a statue of their own?
Before Adagio could voice these thoughts, the cry of Twilight’s “Look!” interrupted her and drew a curious tilt of her head as she followed the pointed hoof.
“That’s a new one,” Aria remarked when she spotted the small group of ponies wheeling a wagon, a sheet covering the vehicle’s occupant, as it was transported to the town’s square before they stopped next to the space on the left side of the stage.
“Looks like they’re making it part of the stage today,” Sonata stated the obvious, watching as the ponies noticeably struggled to carry the statue but they managed to place it on its new spot, “I wonder what could it be this time?”
“They won’t show it until they choose the ‘Prince or Princess of the Night’,” Twilight reminded absentmindedly, looking at the various decorations and the few ponies she could spot dressed up. This was her favorite event of the year. Ponies can look like creatures that the common folk feared and yet not entirely getting spooked by their appearances. They did this mostly out of fun and it was the one thing every year she looked forward to, more so than her ‘Founded day’, that Twilight truly felt like she wasn’t so different.
The sirens, while exactly feeling the opposite of the pony’s sentiments towards the holiday, could admit it was at least entertaining to watch the ponies down below, if only to point out the inaccuracies.
“You know,” Adagio began as she watched the purple pony stay enraptured by the festivities, “you don’t have to watch it just from your balcony tonight.” At the mare’s surprised look, the golden siren continued, “With all the costumed ponies you can easily blend right in.”
“Wha-No, I couldn’t, I-I shouldn’t- I mean I might get caught and you know if-
“If nothing, Sparkle,” Aria pitched in with crossed hooves, “for once just disobey her.”
When Twilight looked about ready to hyperventilate at the mere word, Adagio quickly salvaged the conversation before the pony fainted. “Or you can just ask her!”
Ignoring the incredulous look from Aria, Adagio floated forward and gestured to the preparations below. “Think about it, this event happens once every year. You rarely ask favors from her Highness,” this time Adagio couldn’t help but add a little bite to the title, “so she might grant you this chance.”
Rubbing her foreleg, Twilight broke her gaze with the hippocampus as she stared down, “I don’t know.”
Sonata floated over, “Hey, if you’re scared of being seen, just grab a cloak and tuck your wings in! Or your horn, whichever part you want.”
“It’s not that simple.”
Aria snorted, “’Not that simple’ how simple can it get? You wear a cloak, go down there, don’t get seen by Cozy, then get back here once you’re satisfied.”
Now the three siren sisters were floating in front of the uncertain mare.
“We’re only helping you because we don’t want you stuck here forever,” Adagio said with a small smile.
Twilight’s gaze softened at the words thrown back at her, knowing she had said the same thing earlier.
“We just want you to finally enjoy yourself and get out there or whatever,” Aria added, hooves crossed.
The projections held their gaze, all communicating the same thing to their friend, before Twilight eventual relented.
“Okay,” she muttered with a small smile, “I’ll do it.”
Sonata cheered while Aria and Adagio smirked.
“I’m going to ask her,” Twilight mumbled, slowly growing confident as she returned to her room. “I’m going down the steps,” Twilight felt her heart soar, “borrow a cloak,” she trembled in excitement, “and tell her-
“Greetings, Twilight.”
The purple pony froze, staring at the scarlet eyes of the neutrally smiling Empress. The pegasus stood by the open doorway, royal cape clasped on and a basket by her side. Twilight lightly backtracked once her senses came back to her brain as her eagerness died down and bowed her head, stammering, “G-Greetings Ma’am.”
Empress Cozy Glow tittered as she walked further in the room, resting the basket she brought with her on the small table tucked in the area, and peered through the window then back to her charge.
“Who were you talking to?”
“I-I…” Amethyst found the sadden gazes of the siren sisters before her eyes glanced back down, “I was talking to…my books.”
A condescending smile paired with a raised brow made Twilight wince, while the owner the grin hummed pleasantly.
“I see. But dear, you do know books can’t talk, right?” The notably smaller pony took off her royal cape and sat down on the plush cushions, which Twilight took that as her cue to prepare the tea set.
Dutifully arranging the wares and pointedly ignoring the glares and snarls of her companions that were aimed at her benefactor, the purple pony sat down after she set the plates and cups.
Cozy Glow hummed pleasantly once more, not minding the lack of response to her question. Taking out a small notebook from her satchel, the pinkish gray pony rifled through the pages before stopping in a page that she bookmarked.
Using her wings to place the food she prepared, Cozy began, “So I take it you’re doing well?” The tone may have a hint of disinterest but Twilight, unaware of such lilt, started chatting with the mare who found her.
From above the second floor of the small room, the projections floated and watched the distasteful spectacle before them. “I don’t like this,” Aria growled as she scrutinized the Empress focusing her attention on the notebook in her hooves than at what Twilight seemed to be passionately saying.
“I can’t stand it either,” Adagio admitted, looking no more peeved than her siren sister. “Still, at least Sonata-
The aforementioned siren was not beside the eldest.
“There she goes,” Aria drawled, making Adagio look around before her gaze landed on the blue siren making faces at the pony who can’t see her and her sisters.
Adagio slapped a hoof over her muzzle, making Aria snort out “Same.”
Twilight, for her part, did her best to focus on the story she was telling than at her companion’s various yet impressive impressions. Right now, Sonata was doing a spectacular impersonation of her empress reading. Twilight didn’t even know where the siren got the journal prop but she was doing everything she could to resist laughing.
Sadly, her efforts weren’t good enough to remain subtle as this action was soon caught by her mistress. When the scarlet eyes glanced up from the notebook to her wide eyed amethyst ones, the purple pony gulped.
“I see, that was a lovely tale Twilight,” Cozy remarked before taking a delicate sip of her tea cup. Twilight merely glanced down on her plate and ate her food, refusing to make eye contact. She perfectly heard the Empress’s infliction under the calm statement.
Wanting to make it up to her guardian, Twilight swallowed her food and rummaged around beside her before producing a stack of papers.
“I also finished the assignments you gave me.” At the silence that followed, Twilight bowed her head in apology as she presented the papers like an offering in a temple. “I have them all right here. These are all my reports detailing the atrocities done by Tirek, Sombra, and Chrysalis.”
Minutes ticked by while her outstretched hooves lightly trembled from the strain until they were finally given reprieve when the papers were taken away. Twilight inwardly sighed in relief, discretely rubbing her hooves with her head still not gazing up.
Cozy Glow neutrally skimmed through each paper and then nodded as she placed them inside her satchel. “Good, I’ll be sure to check them later for inconsistencies or errors.”
Twilight tried not to flinch at the lackadaisical way her guardian worded it, like there would always but a certainty that she would make mistakes in her paper. Still, looking down on her half eaten cookie after a minute to reflect, Twilight thought that maybe the Empress had a point. Twilight seemed she could not get a perfect score in her assignments, each paper littered with red marks and a barely passable score.
The first time she had received her graded paper, her guardian stated that she had let personal ‘biases’ corrupt the truth.
Sure Twilight may have asked help from the sirens the first time but she believed them when they said that they have personally met these creatures as they told her the absolute truth about them.
Like how Timberwolves, for example, were created to protect the long buried artifact called ‘The Helm of Shadows’ that could corrupt a pony if touched. The Timberwolves gradually became more aggressive due to being in closer and longer contact with the magical object which led some to lose their intended purpose and prowl the forests.
Of course when there were no such accounts written by a pony, Twilight could not blame the empress for thinking she just made it up. The worse she got aside from the bad grade was the lecture about ‘Making excuses for these bloodthirsty creatures.’
Even when a ‘But I just wanted to let you know that they’re more than just a creature to fear…like me’ was on the tip of her tongue at that time, Twilight remained silent and endured the berating.
When Cozy Glow appeared to be speaking amidst her musings, Twilight broke out of her thoughts as she zoned in the last end of the statement.
-and you’ll be pleased to know that I have another assignment for you.”
Twilight automatically uttered a ‘Thank you Ma’am’ before Cozy continued, “This one is related to the statue I had brought in for the festival.”
At the mention of the event, Adagio floated behind the Pegasus and waved her hooves to get Twilight’s attention. Once a pair of amethyst eyes found hers, Adagio said, “She’s talking about the festival now. Go on, ask her!”
Twilight stayed where she was for a moment, pondering the other’s statement, while her guardian continued to focus on her notebook once again. With three sirens now ushering her words of encouragement from behind the sipping empress, Twilight gulped before she decided to speak.
“Um… Ma’am?”
Cozy Glow’s eyes paused in mid word yet she did not glance away from her journal as she asked, “What is it, Twilight?”
“It’s just,” Twilight earnestly tried not to falter but her tongue seemed to have twisted into knots, either from the scarlet gaze boring down on her or the frantic waving of her invisible companions she didn’t know for sure,”…I mean if it’s okay with you I-um…”
“Well?” The empress prodded, tone hardening for a fleeting moment before her voice took on an apologetic one, “Do keep in mind that I am a busy mare, Twilight.”
As the pinkish gray pony took another sip of her tea, Aria grunted from behind the oblivious mare and all but shouted, “Just say it!”
Startled, Twilight mimicked the purple siren and yelled, “I want to go to the festival!”
The chamomile tea liquid went down the wrong pipe and Cozy Glow suffered for it.
The smaller pony choked and gagged while resisting the spastic cries and attempts of helping her as she fought to recover. Once the threat of losing air faded, the curly haired pony leveled a glare at her shrinking charge.
“What?” she icily asked.
Twilight prominently gulped. She idly considered changing the subject or begging for forgiveness (whichever came first) but the urging stares from her comrades remained to fuel her desire to fulfill her dream. Besides, maybe there was a chance her guardian might say yes?
“I was…wondering if I could go to the festival,” Twilight repeated before stammering upon seeing the other’s stoic expression, “It-It’s just that you go every year so-
“I am a public official, specifically the Empress, of Canterlot,” Cozy cut her off, raising herself up with her wings unfurled behind her. She took a moment to take in the curling posture of the younger creature who, while noticeably taller than her, was still just a child in her eyes.
Every pony in Canterlot (heck, of all Equestria even) knew that as far as appearances went, Cozy Glow’s age and intellect were the defining factors that exhibited just why she was crowned empress.
Still, as she was satisfied with reminding her charge who she was just talking to, the ruler of Canterlot settled down and her tone softened.
“Of course I must attend the event,” the peeved pony said with a roll of her eyes before catching herself after a beat. Simply smiling to compensate, she added, “Honestly I thought that was given information, Twilight.”
A moment of silence passed before Cozy spoke up once more while pinching her muzzle with a wing, “Golly, now I’m the bad guy again.” She shook her head, ignorant to Sonata’s jubilant cry of ‘Hah, she said it!’, and brought a comforting hoof on the other.
“Forgive my outburst, you know I’m just doing what I know is best for you.”
The ruler of Canterlot looked down while shaking her head, “and after being left all alone on the steps of the library,” she was unmindful to Twilight’s wince, “I’m doing what is within my power to protect you from anything else that will cause you grief.”
The pinkish gray hoof then pointed at the purple pony’s wings and horn as Cozy Glow adopted an apologetic expression. “I just thought you understood why other ponies can’t see you like…this,” she waved the hoof, “mutated and deformed like a spawn of Discord,” then she used both hooves to settle on her own cheeks as she adopted an expression of sorrow, “and all because of some sick Outcast’s poor idea of messing with nature.”
“F-Forgive me Ma’am, I did not mean to upset you,” Twilight murmured as she stared at her guardian. “I s-should have known how you felt about my…condition.”
“Upset is not the closest thing I feel about this,” Cozy Glow corrected as she stood up, pointing at the banners of the various silhouettes of creatures not of Earth or Pegasus shape she had placed around her ward’s room, and added “but I believe that could be true, in a manner of speaking that is. I just despise how they trifle with order, disrupting harmony in these lands.”
The empress clicked her tongue as she casted a glare at the silhouette of a horned pony, “Unicorns more than ever deserved my ire, with all their cheating fate and nature by their magic.” Then she turned back to Twilight as she stated in concern, “and you want to go outside with not just a similar horn but a mockery of Pegasi wings as well?”
Twilight insecurely folded the aforementioned pinions but they could not be hidden from Cozy’s piercing gaze.
Shaking her head, the curly haired pony continued, “Who knows what the town ponies might do if they saw you?”
Not even giving Twilight time to answer, Cozy Glow promptly beckoned her charge to follow her to the balcony.
The purple pony shared a nervous glance with the glaring siren sisters before she shuffled after her mistress. Walking a few steps behind the Pegasus, Twilight stopped when the empress paused by the balcony railing.
“Down below, I know you can’t see them as they looked like ants indeed but I know you’re aware that some are wearing costumes?” Cozy asked her charge with a raised brow, smiling when she received a nod.
“My ancestors from long before orchestrated this festival to commemorate their victories against these vile creatures,” Cozy Glow had her hoof up with a proud glint in her eyes, “they succeeded in driving these Outcasts out of the city and celebrated by donning on any, if not all, parts of them.”
At the fearful look, Cozy mercifully assured her shivering ward, “Nothing too dark, Twilight. I just meant fallen armor or weapons.” She haughtily laughed at the prominent sigh of relief and continued, “They would sing praises and march around the city wearing their souvenirs of triumph and provide a big feast that lasted the night.”
Here, the scarlet eyes narrowed. “Then this old coot Chancellor Puddinghead roped my ancestor, Commander Hurricane, into changing tradition because she believed that this festival would inspire ponies more on ‘laughing at the face of their fears’ if they dressed up as the creatures that scared them.”
Cozy Glow shook her head in mirthless amusement.
“I still did not know what my ancestor was thinking for allowing such a change but if it meant inciting more praises and joy in his subjects, I guess he made a good decision,” Twilight flinched at her mistress’s vehemence in the next statement, “but that only made the ponies of Equestria underestimate the dangers these creatures pose to nature and them.”
Scarlet eyes found fearful amethyst ones. “Twilight,” the Empress flew up so she can place a hoof on top of her ward’s head, “I’m telling you this not because I want you locked up in here.”
Aria scoffed while Sonata giggled at her sister’s antics, only stopping when they were shushed by Adagio.
“I’m telling you this because I want to protect my subjects. They may not see it now but these outcasts, these pets that they found amusing enough to keep, can harm them and cause suffering as a result,” the ruler’s wings unfurled as she flew back down and touched the cobbled floor, “and I, as Empress, must do my job.”
Twilight found the small courage to ask, “What job is that exactly?”
Cozy Glow found Twilight’s gaze and neutrally replied, “By taking them away and making sure these ungrateful pets never harm my subjects again.”
The silent message was loudly conveyed to the sirens but it seemed to have passed through Twilight’s head. The hippocampi vowed to make sure it stayed that way, if only to preserve their friend’s innocence.
The three pairs of eyes watched as the empress bid farewell, slinging her satchel and adjusting her royal cape before she climbed down the tower and left.
Sonata immediately floated over to her friend’s side, wanting more than anything to give her a hug but settled for, “I think she gets meaner and meaner each time.”
Aria rarely agreed as she nodded while glaring with a prominent scowl at the doors leading down the tower.
Adagio, on the other hoof, watched as Twilight remain seated outside. The golden siren was about to walk up to the stunned pony but a purple hoof stopped her. Turning, Aria motioned with her head and floated towards the second floor. Adagio pursed her lips before following after her sister.
Once they reached the top, Aria lightly glanced around the knick knacks on a table, the clean bed, then towards the large space where a paper statue detailing the city was proudly on display. The violet siren sauntered over there, idly floating above the miniature model constructed out of paper and created through detailed folding and cutting.
It was Twilight’s hobby and the siren sisters believed it could have been the mare’s special talent.
With nothing better to do and had only received copious amounts of papers with bad grades and failed assignments ever since, the purple filly at that time thought it would be a waste of resources to throw them out and thus, searched for another use for these things. After researching the library at night, a younger Twilight found a book by an artist named Peter Coltsen using sheets of paper as three-dimensional statues by meticulous folding and cutting. The years accumulating with nothing but failed work at least provided Twilight a full on scaled replica of the city.
Adagio smiled at seeing the structure before looking at her sister, raising a brow.
“What is it?”
Aria pursed her lips, clicking her fangs and finally responded in hushed tones, “We got to tell her.”
“What?” Adagio recoiled in shock but Aria simply shook her head and continued, “We need to tell the kid about the festival. Like what it really means to us ‘Creatures of Nightmares’, the statues on the stage, all of it.”
“We can’t do that,” Adagio said through gritted teeth, “this is the only thing she had to look forward to.”
“Yeah but what would happen if she finds about the new one? You, Sonata, and I saw what was on the Empress’s ‘assignment,’” Aria scoffed as she mentioned the ruler, “that bitch brought that in on purpose.”
The gold colored siren bit her lip, turning to the balcony doors then back to her sister. A storm brewed behind gamboge eyes as Adagio sighed then closed them.
“Then…she needs to learn the truth, without us intervening.”
Aria gaped before she stared at the elder deadpanned, “You’re serious?” At the other’s expression, Aria glared.
“Let Twilight just learn how these festivals were meant to remind ponies why they feared us creatures and possibly crush her previous notions about this holiday all while allowing her to just jump into the series of shits she has to meet and do for her destiny, just like that?” She scowled and raised her hooves, “At least when we tell it, it softens the sting so she can’t get overwhelmed.”
She scowled again when the other siren floated towards the bed muttering a ‘Didn’t know you care so much' which made the purple siren growl warningly.
“Don’t start spouting bullshit on me,” Aria stated and Adagio knew the other was truly tense when she turned off her perfectly controlled filter and swore thrice in succession, “I wanted to tell the kid ever since she saw the decorations as a filly but you stopped me and I couldn’t understand why on Equestria’s green land would you do that.”
“You know why,” Adagio aptly reminded before she shook her head, “but it doesn’t matter now. She’ll learn about the truth, once she sees it for herself.”
“Bullshit, Adagio.”
Gamboge eyes narrowed then and there, making Aria recoil, as the siren suddenly bared her fangs. “You and I both know the true value of learning from experience,” she then glanced at the bubbly siren who managed to get the purple pony out of her stupor, “she needs this and we have to make sure she goes to the festival.”
“I doubt it,” Aria countered, crossing her hooves once more. “We’ve stalled her from Fate long enough but she’s still a blank flank for crying out loud. Just give us more time.”
“It’s not enough,” Adagio stated, before her tone softened, “we’re not enough.”
The eldest siren watched as her sister bristled at the words but made an attempt to casually dismiss the notion. She pointedly ignored the action, “I hate this as much as you but an order from Order itself cannot be ignored.” Adagio placed a hoof on the proudest siren’s shoulder, eyes trying to convey understanding yet at the same time responsibility as well.
“Harmony is dying, Aria, and Twilight has to save it.”