//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: The Song Of Friendship // by Lab Matt //------------------------------// The sirens finally returned to their home, the magical land of Equestria, after over one thousand years. Were it under better circumstances they would have been thrilled, but for the time being all they could do was anxiously fly above Canterlot while Princess Twilight Sparkle had a discussion with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Sunset Shimmer was left to rest in a guest bedroom inside the castle. The pony population around town was understandably afraid of the unknown creatures in the sky, but the royal guards had been instructed to inform the population that they meant no harm, and so they carried on with their lives – even if they couldn’t help themselves and look up from time to time to make sure the flying trio wasn’t about to try anything. Princess Twilight stepped outside on the balcony and waved at the sirens, who immediately flew towards her. She levitated a piece of parchment in her magic and showing it to Adagio. “After studying the properties of siren spellcasting and comparing it to modern unicorn magic, I was able to jury-rig a healing spell into song form that a siren can use.” “Will it be able to save her?” Adagio asked with hope in her eyes. “No, unfortunately.” Twilight flattened her ears. “But it will help stable her condition by transferring some of the energy you have stored directly into her. It will buy us time, and hopefully it will be enough to figure out who created the first siren and track down his research.” “Do you need all three of us, or will only one be enough?” “It’s best to take turns, that way if you get too tired another siren can take your place.” Adagio looked over the spell on the parchment on more time. “Then there’s no time to lose.” Squeezing her massive body through the door frame, she landed in front of the large bed Sunset Shimmer was resting on and began to sing. “Are you certain you don’t have a name?” Twilight asked the remaining sirens. “It would help narrow down the search.” “If there was such a thing as a siren who knew his name, she was killed in the war with Queen Pheromosa.” Aria answered. “Queen Pheromosa? I’m not familiar with the name…” “Queen Pheromosa of the Changeling Hive.” Princess Celestia spoke as she joined them on the balcony. “She was a threat long before history started being written. She would kidnap ponies in the middle of the night and leave changeling drones behind to take their place, where they would collect all the love and bring it back to her lair so she could feed. She hardly ever dealt with small things herself and the drones that were found out and captured were so loyal that we never got a drop of information out of them. Had it not been for Clover The Clever’s resourcefulness, we never would have found out where she was hidden.” “Thanks for the history lesson, but how does that help Sunset?” Sonata asked. “Queen Pheromosa was fond of collecting ‘souvenirs’ from foes she conquered in battle.” Celestia continued. “It’s very likely that she kept a few things after defeating the sirens. Things that could help us find out the name of this unknown wizard who created the first siren.” “That’s great news!” Twilight said, suddenly perking up. “How can we find those things we stole?” “After Clover and I dealt with Pheromosa, we signed a treaty with the remaining changelings: we let them live as long as they promised to never start another war – they were just following orders, they weren’t to be blamed for the madness of their ruler. Either Queen Chrysalis wasn’t aware of the treaty or chose to ignore it when she decided to invade Canterlot, but the point is, everything that Queen Pheromosa stole remained in possession of the changelings, so I’d wager that they still have it all stored away somewhere in their hive.” Twilight Sparkle’s optimism was quickly drained. “Th-Th-The changeling hive?!” She started pacing back and forth. “So the only chance we have to save Sunset Shimmer is to steal something from a hive filled with shapeshifting bug monsters who have clearly demonstrated that their ruler is an unhinged maniac who is not afraid to start a war?!” “Normally I wouldn’t encourage infiltration and theft but, after their incursion during your brother’s and Cadance’s wedding and their subsequent defeat, I highly doubt they are willing to negotiate.” “Oh my, Princess Celestia herself endorsing the invasion of a foreign nation with the goal of stealing a national treasure?” An unknown but clearly male voice spoke. “The tabloids are going to love that!” They all turned their heads to look at the source of the voice, which was coming from Sonata’s general direction. “It wasn’t me!” She said with a shrug before feeling a pair of feet landing on her head. Feet that belonged to the one and only known draconequus holding a pencial and notepad while wearing a press hat. “Hello, my dear!” Discord said as he bent down to look Sonata in the eyes. Sonata screamed and rushed to hide behind Aria while he remained floating in place. “I-I-I-It’s D-D-Discord!” Aria stuttered, clearly as afraid as the younger siren. “Discord is free! Why is he free? How is he free?” “It’s, um… a long story.” Twilight said. “There’s nothing fear, he has no bad intentions. Most of the time, at least.” “I was in the area when I entirely by accident overheard someone talking about sneaking into the changeling hive.” He snapped his fingers, causing the pencil, notepad and hat disappear and a pair of glasses and a very thick book to materialize out of thin air. He put on the glasses and began leafing through the pages. “I thought that was my cue, but it looks like I’ve arrived two seasons too early. I guess your interdimensional hoppings must have caused a displacement beyond the veil, meaning that the script I ‘borrowed’ and have been peeking at from time to time is now completely outdated.” Snapping his fingers once again, all the pages of the book turned into colorful butterflies that flew away in different directions. Discord then took off his glasses and threw them over his shoulder. “Now I’m flying blind like the rest of you.” “Is he always like that?” Sonata whispered to Twilight. “He is usually more unhinged, this is downright tame in comparison.” Twilight replied. “What do you want, Discord? After that stunt you pulled with Tirek, you should still be doing community service.” “Tirek? The bratty son of King Vorak?” Aria asked. “Isn’t he in Tartarus?” “Again, long story.” “How much crazy stuff has happened since our banishment?” “You haven’t even scratched the surface.” “Like I said, I overheard you talking about invading the changeling hive.” Discord answered. “And being the kind and generous – not to mention handsome – soul that I am, decided to offer my services as a way to pay you back for my poor judgment of character that almost led to the downfall of Equestria.” “Well you could just go there yourself, grab whatever we need and come back without any changeling realizes you were even there!” “And rob you of the chance to be the big hero who gets to save the day? Oh, I couldn’t! The help I offer is more tactical in nature. Not to mention that I actually can’t go there myself – I have absolutely no interest in going anywhere that I can’t snap myself into.” “What do you mean?” Discord pulled up a plasma screen TV and a remote control. He pressed a button that turned on the TV, showing an image of a very menacing-looking throne-shaped rock in a large room filled with an eerie green glow. “This, ladies and… ladies, is the Changeling Throne, which was carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way changelings soak up love; as long as it remains intact, nothing other than equally ancient magic works anywhere near it.” “Then how come you can’t go?” Sonata asked. “You are older than all of us!” “Oh you poor, misinformed air shark.” Discord patted her snout, but teleported away just in time to avoid being bitten. “‘Ancient’ magic isn’t called that just because it’s old.” “He is right.” Celestia spoke. “Unicorn magic, alicorn magic, chaos magic, they are all things that have evolved over time and became more refined as the creatures that wield it modified it to have better results with lesser side effects, whilst ancient magic is something that remained unchanged since its inception; it is just as rough, erratic, double-edged and dangerous today as it was in the days long before you were born.” “So what you’re saying is” Aria lifted her hoof to tap the gem sticking from her chest “sirens are immune to the effects of the throne.” The image of the throne on the TV was replaced by a green check mark before vanishing entirely. “Correct you are, my little seafood dinner!” Discord said. “The rest is up to you now. Fluttershy invited me to a tea party and it would be very impolite to be late. TTFN!” With another snap of his finger, he was gone. “That was… surprisingly helpful!” Sonata said with a smile. “So what’s the plan?” Aria lowered her face so she was looking at Twilight straight in the eye. “We may be immune to the magic-sucking rock, but after what the changelings did to us I am not about to deliver myself to their front door unprepared so they can finish the job. I want– We need a plan of action!” “I’ll work on it, but I need to check a few things first!” Twilight rushed back inside. Sonata and Aria looked inside the room, where Adagio was still singing the song of healing that kept Sunset Shimmer’s condition from worsening. “We’ll do whatever it takes to save her.” Princess Celestia assured them. “You have my word.” “Why are you helping us?” Aria finally asked. “Sirens have always been a danger to your kind. If anything, you should be glad that our numbers are being reduced.” “Before she was a siren, Sunset Shimmer was my beloved protégée.” Celestia explained. “She may have grown too ambitious for her own good and we may not have parted ways on the best of terms after she abandoned her studies, but I will not just stand idly by and let her perish while I myself still draw breath!” The princess of the sun spread her wings and took off to the skies, leaving behind two stunned sirens. “Starswirl sucked, but his student is actually kinda cool!” Sonata noted. Aria nodded. Twilight flew south to the Badlands, carrying a saddlebag and followed by the yellow siren Adagio Dazzle. Aria stayed behind so she could keep on casting the healing spell, with Sonata on standby in case Aria got tired and needed to rest her voice – both of them wanted to go as well but Adagio, as the oldest and most experienced in combat, convinced them that that strategy was their best shot at saving Sunset Shimmer’s life. Once they were close enough to the Badlands, Twilight landed and walked on foot in order to avoid being spotted from a distance. Adagio, however, had no legs to walk on, so she had to fly as close to the ground as possible. After getting past the mountain range, they finally spotted the changeling hive in the distance – it was just as large, eerie, and grotesque as Twilight expected it to be. They could see several dark spots flying around the spike towers, most likely changelings on the lookout for any incoming threats. Looking down the cliff they were on top of, then slowly moving her gaze across the valley separating it from the hive in the distance, Adagio turned to look at the pony princess. “You’ll be spotted from miles away.” Adagio warned. “The color of your hair stands out too much.” “I thought as much.” Twilight said as she reached into the saddlebag. “That’s why I brought this!” She pulled out a hooded cloak from her bag, which was the same color as the land before them. “I knew it would be impossible to get there without magic and not be detected, so I asked my friend Rarity to make this for me. Unless they are also patrolling the ground,” she pulled binoculars from her saddlebag to spy on the hive “and it doesn’t look like they are, everything will be fine. Want me to go over the plan one more time, just to make sure?” “You’ll send me a signal when you’re close enough, I wreak havoc, and in the middle of the chaos you’ll make your way to the throne room and destroy the throne so that the cavalry can come to the rescue and back me up while you search for the treasure room.” Adagio spoke. “You went over the plan a hundred times on the way over, Twilight Sparkle, I know what we’re doing.” “Sure, right, yeah.” Twilight put on the cloak and stood on the very edge of the cliff. “Good luck.” “I can fend off a bunch of grunts.” She assured the young alicorn. “It’s the Queen I’m on the lookout for – Queen Pheromosa killed more sirens by getting her own hooves dirty than she did by throwing drones at us, I don’t expect this Queen Chrysalis to be any different.” “Well, I guess I should…” She looked down, getting ready to jump down and continue her journey. “Twilight?” Adagio called. The princess looked at her. “I know we don’t like each other, but… against my better judgement, I’ve grown fond of Sunset Shimmer. She’s a good friend and, whether you believe me or not, I care about her. So please, be careful in there; if something happens to you, any chance we may have of saving her will be gone forever.” Twilight smiled. “I care about Sunset, too. All I wanted was for her to make friends and, even if you weren’t my first choice, you three stood by her side when no one else would. I don’t like that you go around causing chaos and disorder, but I suppose you do what you must to survive.” With a wave of goodbye, Twilight jumped off the cliff, spread her wings and gently glided down until her four hooves touched solid ground. For the next hour or so she trekked across the valley, unable to use any kind of magic. Her pace was slow to make sure no changeling would spot a sudden movement and see through her disguise. The base of the hive was full of holes that were contracting and expanding; some as small as a breezie, others as big as a bugbear. Reaching into her saddlebag again, she pulled out a box of matches and a single firework rocket which she stuck on the ground and aimed at the changelings flying around the towers above her, hoping to daze a few of them for a moment. After successfully lighting the fuse, Twilight jumped into one of the bigger holes that had begun to close itself. The rocket flew high in the air and, just as Twilight planned, it exploded into a shower of red sparks that startled and confused a lot of changelings. While they were busy trying to understand what just happened and where that rocket came from, one of them shouted: “INCOMING!” One changeling turned around just in time to see a beam of red energy being shot out of the mouth of a massive flying yellow creature. Twilight, still travelling through the ever-changing tunnels near the base, couldn’t hear or feel the rumble of something powerful connecting with the side of their hive coming from above, but other changelings sure could; they sent out warning to others and flew to investigate, leaving the lower levels of the hive mostly empty and giving Twilight the opportunity to stretch her wings and look for the throne room at a more acceptable pace. She grew worried with every minute that passed; surely Adagio Dazzle couldn’t fend off an entire hive by herself, especially considering how rusty she must have been after over one thousand years stuck in human form without access to most of her powers. After almost half an hour had passed, Twilight was on the verge of a panic attack. Luck was on her side, however, as she finally spotted a large green barrier shaped like the wing cases of a bug being guarded by a pair of changelings; if they were ordered to stand their ground even while they were under attack, that doorway most definitely led to a very important place. The monotony of guard duty was broken when a sphere with a lit fuse landed right between the two. The ball exploded before they had the chance to properly react, creating a cloud of blue dust that turned out to be sleep powder, knocking both of them out instantly. With a cloth wrapped around her muzzle to protect her from the powder, Twilight Sparkle approached the double doors and pushed them open with little effort. Swatting a swarm of changelings away with her tail, Adagio fired another beam of energy at the side of the hive, blowing yet another hole that once again mended itself in a matter of seconds. She was sweating, her body was growing weaker and she could feel her magic being drained at an alarming with each beam fired, but she had to keep fighting for her friend’s sake. “That’s enough!” A firm, commanding voice shouted, bringing all the changelings to a halt. They all turned to look at the hive, where the source of the voice presented itself: one changeling thrice as big as the drones Adagio had been fighting, with a massive, twisted horn, green eyes and plates instead of the average blue, and long, dark greenish blue hair with a black crown sitting atop her head. “What gives you the right to invade my territory, assault my changelings and attack my hive?” “Your race did the same thing to mine, I’m just returning the favor.” “Your race?” Queen Chrysalis asked, squinting her eyes. After realization struck her, she smiled. “I see. You’re one of those ‘sirens’, are you not? I was under the impression that that weakling Pheromosa had dealt with you ages ago. Permanently.” “Well, she did a poor job. I was hoping to deal with her permanently, but I guess you’ll suffice.” Chrysalis laughed. “Your entire race fell before the might of the changeling hive, what makes you think one siren all by herself stands a ghost of a chance?” “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, it doesn’t matter to me. I came here with a goal in mind, and whether I live to tell the tale or not, as long as my mission is accomplished, I can join my brethren in the great-beyond without any regrets.” “And what, pray tell, is this ‘mission’ of yours?” “Let’s start with ‘taking you down’!” Opening her mouth, Adagio fired another beam of red energy, this time directed at the Queen herself, who was spared thanks to a pair of changeling who pushed her out of the way, taking the full force of the attack instead of her. “You will pay for that, siren!” Queen Chrysalis fired a beam of green changeling magic at the siren, who fired back with another red beam, the two of them clashing in the middle and causing an explosion that sent many changelings flying but barely affected the Queen and Adagio. Baring their fangs, the two of them flew towards each other. Twilight finally located a chamber much more spacious than all others after getting lost in even more tunnels for a few more minutes, and she spotted the throne Discord showed them right in the middle. “No time to lose!” She said to herself as she quickly galloped to the throne that was much bigger than she expected. Said throne had holes granting access to a large gap in its base, making Twilight’s job much easier; crawling into one of the bigger holes, she once again reached into her saddlebag and pulled a roll of tape and sticks of dynamite. Using the tape, the princess stuck the dynamite in strategic spots around the gap before tying the extra long fuses together so she would only have to light up one before running for her life – which is exactly what she did once the fuses were lit. Adagio slammed her back on the hive, thankfully managing to avoid the many sharp protrusions sticking out of the walls. Gasping for air, too tired to take off or fight back, she could only watch as the Queen hovered before her, laughing. “You were a fool, thinking you could take on the almighty queen of the changelings on your own. I don’t even need my minions to help me put you in your place. In fact, I think coming out here myself may have been a waste of time, my minions probably would have taken care of you themselves, sooner or later.” Adagio opened her mouth and screamed, sending a sound wave that probably would have sent Chrysalis flying if she weren’t exhausted and her magic reserves nearly depleted. Instead, the changeling simply lost her balance for a moment before righting herself. “How deplorable. To think I was excited to finish the job my ancestor started, but it just feels like I’m taking out the trash.” She slammed her hoof on Adagio’s gem, causing her to yelp in pain. “Oh well, I’ll just have to contend myself with the knowledge that I put an end a most annoying race of glorified flying fishes.” She raised her hoof again, ready to bring it down on the gemstone once more, when she heard a distant explosion and felt her hive shake again. “What was that?” Adagio smiled, enraging Queen Chrysalis. “You were just a diversion, weren’t you?!” Her horn began glowing green as she charged another beam of magical energy, but was interrupted by a blinding flash of light that forced her to fly back. It took a second, but the Queen’s vision returned to her and she could see the Princess of the Sun herself flying between her and the siren. “You!” “We have unfinished business, Queen Chrysalis.” She said, her voice just as stern as when the changelings crashed Princess Cadance’s wedding. “Last time we fought we were surrounded by my little ponies. I had to restrain myself for fear of hurting my subjects, leading to a most humiliating but necessary defeat. Out here in the Badlands, however…” Celestia’s flowing, ethereal mane and tail began gradually changing colors from cerulean, turquoise, blue and pink to several shades of orange. Her eyes, too, once a friendly shade of pink turned into orbs of yellow light burning as bright as the sun itself. “What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose.” Princess Celestia’s horn began to shine a fierce orange that replaced the usual warm yellow that glowed when she would cast a spell. Predicting what was about to happen, a number of changeling drones moved between them and morphed into stones, forming a barrier to protect their monarch. The wall wasn’t able to withstand the blast and shattered when Princess Celestia fired her beam, each individual stone turning back into a changeling as they fell; they were, however, able to buy Queen Chrysalis enough time to erect a barrier around her body, protecting her from the brunt of the spell. While the shield was strong enough to withstand the blast, it required a great deal of effort, concentration and magical energy to protect her from a spell that powerful, leaving her exhausted and breathing heavily after casting it just once. Before she had the chance to catch her breath, Celestia flew in her direction at an impossibly fast speed, slamming her back on the bug creature’s chest and sending her flying. “This one’s for Cadance!” She teleported herself several meters up in the air, directly in the path of the changeling. Turning around and preparing her hind legs, she kicked Chrysalis back down as soon as she was within range. “This one’s for Twilight!” The Sun Princess teleported herself one more time, going back the ground where she began to charge another spell as the Queen fell towards her. “And this one’s for making me look weak in front of my subjects.” Queen Chrysalis’ scream was silenced when she was engulfed in the bright orange pillar of light that was Princess Celestia’s magic beam. No trace of the queen of the changelings remained. With a shake of her head, the princess’s mane and tail slowly returned to their original colors and the steam rising from her horn vanished. Spreading her wings one more time, she took off and gently flew to the top of her hive, where all changelings had gathered. “Who is the next in line to be in charge of this hive?” She demanded to know with the Royal Canterlot Voice she so rarely used. “We, um… we don’t have one, ma’am.” A single changeling spoke, fearfully approaching the princess so she could be heard. “Q-Queen Chrysalis never crowned a p-princess. Sh-She didn’t think she would ever need a… replacement.” “What is your name, little one?” She asked, once again in her regular, soft, warm, friendly and inviting tone that others were so used to. “It’s, um… O-Ocellus. Ocellus, ma’am.” “Tell me, Ocellus: was Queen Chrysalis aware of the treaty that had been signed after the fall of Queen Pheromosa, dictating that there would be no further aggressions between ponies and changelings?” “I-I-I don’t know, ma’am, b-but we were told stories t-that she… discarded every teacher she had while she was still a princess, s-so she may have never had the opportunity to l-learn about any treaty.” Princess Celestia lifted her hoof, causing the young bug to flinch, then placed it under the changeling’s chin and lifted her head so she could look her in the eye. “Then please, Ocellus, I’d like you to deliver this message to the rest of your race: due to your former queen’s foolishness and ignorance, I am willing to forgive the invasion of Canterlot. However,” she lowered her head so that her face was mere inches away from Ocellus; her tone suddenly shifted into a more threatening one and her neutral expression turned into one of anger “I will not tolerate a second violation. If that happens for any reason whatsoever, there will be no changeling left alive to orchestrate a third. Do I make myself clear?” With her voice caught in her throat, there was nothing Ocellus could do other than nod. Celestia moved her hoof and patted the bug’s head. “Run along now, little one. Don’t forget to deliver my message to every changeling in your hive.” With a nod, Ocellus flew back towards the swarm. After a moment to recover from the shock, she did as she was told and they all rushed to get back inside. “So even the pretty pony princess can bare her fangs when she needs to, huh?” Adagio Dazzle, too tired and hurt to fly, just rested atop one of the hive’s towers. “I can respect that.” “I’d rather extend a helping hoof” she admitted as she landed next to the wounded siren “but sometimes you need to put said hoof down. I’ll look into sending an ambassador over here at a later date, maybe we can work something out – I really don’t like the idea of exterminating them, but leaving them unchecked again is a mistake I am not willing to repeat.” Twilight popped into existence above the two of them. “Oh, there you are!” She said as she landed as well before noticing the state the siren was in. “Are you ok, Adagio? You don’t look too good.” “Psh, Chrysalis was above average at best, I fought Pheromosa’s Elite Guards and they were much stronger than her. I’ll be fine, just need some rest.” “Did you find out what the name of the wizard was?” Celestia asked. “Even better!” Using her magic, she levitated books and scrolls from her saddlebag. “I found his journal, his research and several of his notes!” “Can you use it to save Sunset Shimmer?” “Yes, but that’s not all: I didn’t get the chance to thoroughly check everything – it’s all in Old Ponish, I can’t translate much from memory – but if he further explains the little I could read, I’ll be able to do much more than that. Not just for Sunset, but for Adagio and the others as well!” “Help us with what, exactly?” Adagio asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not 100% sure yet, that’s why I need to make a proper and accurate translation ASAP, but I can almost guarantee it will probably be a good thing.” Sonata panicked when Adagio came back covered in bruises while Aria tried to act cool, but they could tell she was just as worried. They offered to sing her the same healing song they were using to keep Sunset alive, but she dismissed them; her wounds would recover naturally over time, a luxury that the fourth siren couldn’t afford, so she ordered them to focus their efforts on her. Twilight Sparkle didn’t sleep that night, instead choosing to stay up working on that translation with the help of Princess Luna, who was much more fluent in Old Ponish than Princess Celestia. She eventually passed out from exhaustion after such a long day, so Luna summoned a blanket and pillow for her while she kept working on translating the texts into the Common Language. Twilight woke up hours later in a panic, rambling about how saving Sunset Shimmer’s life was more important than sleep, so the princess of the night shut her up by tossing her the complete translation of the wizard’s works she had just finished. For the rest of that morning and a good portion of the afternoon, Princess Twilight studied the translated works of the ancient wizard with the assistance of Princess Celestia and several tomes from the Canterlot Library. Once she was satisfied with the results of her research, she returned to the chamber where Sunset Shimmer rested. “Good news, every—” She cheerfully said as she opened the door, but then she caught the expression on Sonata’s face. “Is everything ok?” Sonata kept on singing, glancing in Twilight’s general direction; she had bags under her eyes, her scales lost some of its shine, her gem’s glow was fading and she looked deathly pale. Going outside to the balcony, she could see that the other sirens were in similar states, looking like they would lose consciousness at any moment and drop from the sky. “We’re running out of magic.” Adagio warned in a weak voice, her wounds somehow looking worse than they did on the day prior. “We don’t have much time and, without us, neither does Sunset.” “Princess Celestia and I worked hard these last few hours, and I can say with 100% confidence that we’ll be able to create a new siren gemstone.” “Then what are you doing, wasting time out here?” Aria scolded her. “Go back inside and save Sunset!” “Actually, I was hoping to get your permission for something else first.” “Permission for what?” “This is a very advanced spell that also requires very complex runes and a little bit of alchemy with extremely rare materials, so while Princess Celestia worked on that I was working on a side-project that, if it goes as expected, it could lessen the negative effects that come with being a siren. I don’t feel very comfortable using others as test subjects, but there is no other way to test its effects that does not require extensive research that would take absurd amounts of time that we don’t have. “Seeing as how Sunset Shimmer is no longer a pony, only another siren can speak for her while she is unable to do it herself. Adagio Dazzle, as the de facto leader of the siren race, I ask for your permission to use this experimental spell on Sunset Shimmer. Of course, if you are as uncomfortable with the idea of casting an untested spell on another living being as I am, we can just use the same spell that created the first siren.” “What do you mean by ‘lessen the negative effects of being a siren’?” Adagio asked, her neutral expression unreadable. “If my theory is correct, this would completely neuter your necessity to feed off emotional energy. You would still require magical energy to survive, though, but without the need for emotional energy you can just feed off magic directly. I mean, you can’t just walk up to a unicorn and steal their magic like a centaur does, but you can absorb the natural energy flowing through Equestria. Of course, since the portal was opened that same energy can be found throughout Canterlot High and it will keep on steadily flowing that way as long as it stays open, so you can keep on feeding even on that side.” “What about our powers? Will they be affected?” Aria questioned. “Well, your ability to charm, influence and mind control others will be gone for good. But you will keep your singing voices!” “What about our longevity? Will that make us mortal again?” “Not really. Your bodies are physically unable to age, that’s just as permanent as your transformation; your immortality comes with the package, regardless of what modifications are done to the spell.” Adagio went silent for a moment, considering the pros and cons of what Princess Twilight Sparkle had just explained to her, but came to a decision before properly evaluating her options when she felt Sonata faltering – they were running out of time. “We don’t have time to overthink this.” She concluded. “You have my permission, just please save her already.” “Don’t worry, I’ll cast the spell in no time!” Twilight ran back inside. “‘No time’ is exactly what we have…” Aria muttered as she landed on the balcony, too tired to stay aloft. With the help of Raven Inkwell, Princess Celestia’s personal aide, the purple pony set a table by the foot of the bed with a wooden bowl, utensils and several different ingredients on it. Twilight started by drawing runes on the floor around the bed with a piece of white chalk, then proceeded to cut, mash, shred, squeeze or grate the ingredients before mixing them in the bowl, but instead of a spoon she used her own magic to stir the dark purple liquid within in, causing it to turn a shade of pink the more she stirred. After taking a deep breath, the young alicorn cast a fire spell that set the wooden bowl on fire, turning its content into a pink mist that started wrapping around her horn like cotton candy once she began charging a spell. Trotting to the side of the bed, she lowered her head until her horn was just an inch away from the hole in Sunset Shimmer’s chest where a siren’s gemstone was supposed to be located. A string of pink detached itself from the swirling cloud and began to fill the hole until a new, semi-transparent pink gem was formed. Twilight fired one last spell at the gemstone, causing it to gradually turn red. After Twilight stepped away, the gem began to glow; it was very soft, but noticeable for anyone who was paying attention to it. The light disappeared after a few seconds, and Sunset Shimmer finally opened her eyes. “W… Where…” She muttered before coughing due to her dry throat. “Water…” Raven Inkwell levitated a jug of water sitting on the bedside table and slowly helped the siren drink it. “Sunset.” Twilight called. “How do you feel?” “Dizzy. Tired. Not hungry, though. Did something happen while I was out cold?” Twilight sighed in relief. “It worked! I can’t believe it worked! Well, I guess I can believe it, it’s happening right now, but still…” She smiled. “Welcome back, Sunset Shimmer!” Sonata finally stopped singing and dropped to the ground, happy but exhausted. Adagio and Aria sighed in relief, too drained to celebrate the fact that their friend was alive, but glad nonetheless. Twilight stood by the door to the balcony, unable to leave due to Aria’s massive body blocking the path. “Princess Celestia went out to get more ingredients.” She explained. “When she comes back, I’ll be able to do the same for you three. But only if you want to, of course.” “You know what? I think I’ll take you up on that offer.” Adagio replied. “Me too.” Aria agreed, raising one hoof. “Me thr…” Sonata passed out from exhaustion before finishing that sentence. The denizens of Canterlot had gotten used to the sight of sirens floating above them over the past couple of days, so watching four of them flying around the towers of the castle was nothing to be alarmed about. “This is so cool!” Sunset Shimmer said. “Last time I was able to fly I was mad with power and trying to take over CHS, so I didn’t get the opportunity to really enjoy it!” “And without the hunger slowing us down, we can really make full use of this ability.” Aria said, enjoying the freedom she didn’t have since the day she was banished to the human world. “Race ya to the top of the mountain!” Sonata challenged as she flew past Aria like a missile. “Oh, you are so on!” Aria sped up after the second youngest siren. “So, did you ever figure out the identity of the wizard who created the first siren?” Sunset asked. “Not really.” The eldest siren replied. “He wrote his name on the cover of his journal, but it was so worn down due to its age that it’s unreadable.” “What about his motive? Was it for immortality like you theorized?” “Yes, it was. But not for him.” “Then who?” “His wife. She was sick, some disease Princess Twilight told me they found a cure for centuries ago. He did all he could, but in the end the only thing that could save her was transfiguration. The reason we needed to feed off emotional energy was because changeling blood was a key ingredient, but since Twilight’s new recipe discarded that” she tapped her own gemstone with a hoof “we don’t have to anymore. “Ironically, his desire to have his wife live by his side wound up costing him his life; she was starving by the time the transformation was over, and he was overflowing with love for her. She sucked him dry, and he used the final moments he had to write one final entry in his journal.” “Well, that sucks.” Her eyes widened and she facehoofed. “That was a pun, I’m sorry…” Adagio chuckled. “Do you want to know what the name of the first siren was?” “It will be a welcome addition to the history books.” “Elegy Gloom.” “Elegy Gl– Wait, isn’t that your…?” “My sire, yes. Do you think that’s why she took pity on Aria and I? She regretted killing the pony she loved the most, so she decided to save those in need as a form of atonement? Or am I just reading too deeply into this?” “You said it yourself: she was the best of all sirens. Does that sound like something the best of all sirens would do?” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.” “Are you sure about this?” Twilight, feeling slightly worried, asked. “As much as I love being back here in Equestria, I can’t stay after what I discovered.” Sunset replied, her massive body hovering in front of the mirror portal that was currently being kept open by a contraption constructed by Twilight and Celestia using the magical journal to maintain a connection with the other side. “At first I thought I was the only being from Equestria that lived in that side of the portal, but meeting the Dazzlings made me think.” She touched the mirror with the tip of her hoof, causing ripples on its surface. “If I was there and they were there, it’s very possible that there could be other wayward Equestrian beings living among humans, maybe even magical artifacts hidden somewhere. Someone needs to keep an eye out, to make sure they don’t cause any trouble when they surface.” “It is a very noble task, Sunset Shimmer, but I must echo Twilight’s feelings.” Princess Celestia spoke up. “From what your friends told me, the natives aren’t very fond of you. Is it wise to live in a place that offers you nothing but hostility?” “It doesn’t matter if they like me or not, there is a world filled with innocent people on the other side; I don’t think it’s fair to let them fend off for themselves when they’re not properly equipped to deal with magical threats. I mean, what do you think would have happened if Princess Twilight wasn’t there to stop me?” Celestia wrapped a hoof around Sunset Shimmer’s neck and pressed the sides of their faces together. “I’m really proud of how much you matured, my student.” “What about you three?” Twilight turned to address the original trio. “Are you staying?” “We’ve had a discussion.” Their leader replied. “Being back in Equestria is a dream come true, but we’ll have to pass. For now, at least.” “Sunset is still new to this whole ‘being a siren’ thing, and leaving her to learn and understand all the things her body is capable of all by herself is kind of irresponsible.” Aria added. “That’s her way of saying she’s worried about Sunny and doesn’t want to let her out of her sight just yet.” Sonata explained with a wink. “She’s just a very concerned mama who doesn’t want her baby to grow up too fast!” The blushing Siren smacked Sonata on the back of her head. “The point is, we’re not in a hurry.” Adagio concluded. “Sunset is our friend. If she wants to spend a little more time in the human world as its guardian or whatever, we’ll be there to support her along the way – we’re sirens after all, it’s not like we’ll be growing older anytime soon. We know where the portal is and we are welcome to come back whenever we feel like it, we can afford to delay our comeback tour.” She grew concerned for a moment. “Uh, we are welcome back here, right?” Princess Celestia nodded. “Of course you are. Ever since your return you’ve been nothing but cooperative, respectful and showed care and compassion that I don’t think my old mentor Starswirl would believe you to be capable of.” “Not to mention we’ve been stripped of our mind control powers, so it’s not like we can do the same kind of damage we used to.” Sonata added, earning another smack on the back of the head. “Stop it!” “Only if you stop saying dumb things.” Aria retorted. After one last round of heartfelt goodbyes, the quartet crossed the portal back to Canterlot High. “So where do we go from here?” Adagio asked while stretching her human limbs. “Princess Purple Smart said we’ll be able to feed as long as we don’t go too far from the school.” Aria pointed out, looking down at her pendant that still looked exactly the same as before, despite being completely different. “At least we don’t have to feed on anything other than magic.” Sonata patted her stomach. “I was afraid we would have to eat regular food out of necessity, so I’m glad that’s not the case; eating food just for the heck of it is so much better!” “Also you don’t have to worry about calories. Speaking of which, who wants to go to the Sweet Shoppe?” Sunset invited. “My treat!” “Now you’re talking!” Sonata grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away, with Adagio and Aria soon following them. They waited for a bus to drive by before crossing the street. That same bus parked in front of CHS and someone stepped out of it, wearing a light blue hoodie and holding a device that they held up as they approached the statue that also moonlighted as the portal back to Equestria. “There’s definitely something strange going on in this school…” The person muttered while adjusting their glasses as the device they were holding detected an unknown type of radiation.