//------------------------------// // A New Journey Begins // Story: Second Chances // by knightcommander //------------------------------// Chapter 5: A New Journey Begins She was back in a familiar place; a dark void, devoid of any light, seemingly floating in the darkness. She scanned the her surroundings, but saw nothing but inky blackness around her. For a moment the silence was the only thing that greeted her, until she began to hear malicious laughter sounding in the darkness. "Who's there?" Sonata Dusk called out. "What do you want?" She was startled to see a pair of evil red eyes glowing in the darkness, joined by a sinister grinning mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Sonata was soon face to face with the familiar face of her own past self, in all its malevolent horror. She desperately fought the urge to scream in terror. "What do you want with me?" She asked, her voice quivering. Her past self giggled in that horrible sinister and cruel way she remembered she used to, back in the dark old days. "Sonata, you wound me." Her voice reverberating in the darkness, like a legion of demons. "Don't your recognize your own self?" Sonata hissed in anger. "You're not me! Not anymore!" She shouted. She flinched when a loud reverberating cackle sounded. "Ohohoho, that's just too cute." Her duplicate's red-eyed visage leered at her. "But I am you! Or have you forgotten so easily?" She belted out a horrifyingly haunting note, the gem on her neck glowing as a green mist formed around them. From the mist shadowy figures emerged, barely human and distorted but with angry glares on their faces. A chorus of angry shouts filled the air. Most of it was incoherent, but Sonata was able to pick out a few things. Beasts! Witches! Wicked, wicked enchantresses! Monsters! Sonata's eyes began to sting with tears as the wicked duplicate giggled malevolently. "You recognize that, don't you? Do you really think any of these people have forgotten what you did? Are you so blind that you can't see their rage? Do you honestly think forgiveness is so cheap that they'll ever see past it?" "No, no it's not true...." Sonata whimpered. Her duplicate grabbed her by the collar and hoisted her up to face her. "They hate you, and they'll always hate you!" Sonata could feel the heat of her breath. "Look at me, this is what you truly are! You'll never escape the past. This darkness will always be a part of you, rotting deep inside your soul! You are a monster, and a monster is all you'll ever be!" She slammed Sonata down and blasted her with dark power. Sonata found herself once again dressed in her old Battle of the Bands outfit, that accursed gem once again around her neck. She tried to stand, only to fall to her knees as she began to weep, each heaving sob bringing more sadistic glee to her duplicate. "Just accept it, Sonata! It's hopeless!" She said with a wicked laugh. "You know it's true." Sonata held the cursed gem up and looked at her reflection in its facets. She could almost see the face of her monstrous self in it, ready to come out again. Was this all she was. But then, she felt something else. A cool breeze ran through her hair, surprising her. She looked up to see that, to her astonishment, the void was changing form. A cloudy night sky over a grassy field. She could smell the familiar scent of rain, and hear the grass whisper in the breeze. As she gazed into the night sky, the clouds began to part, and she saw a group of stars glimmering in the night. Seven glimmering stars. Seven. She looked down at the gem one more time, and then at her duplicate's evil visage, and one more time at the stars. And her face hardened into a determined glare. She forced herself back up to her feet and looked her evil self dead in her vicious eyes. "No." Her dark self grimaced in annoyance. "What?' "You're not me. Not anymore!" Sonata tore the gem off of her neck and clenched it in her hand. Her dark self began to growl in anger. "What are you..." "I may not be able to change my past, but I don't have to let it define me, because it's not today!" With a grunt, she slammed the gem down on the ground and gave it an almighty stomp. Almost immediately the gem cracked, the cracks glowing a sickly green. Her past self grunted in apparent pain. "My past has defined me for too long. No more!" She stomped the gem again. Her dark self cried out in pain as she tried to lunge for her. More cracks appeared, more dark power leaking out. "I don't care about power and adoration anymore! I have friends, and family, people who do love me and care about me! And thanks to them,I have a way forward!" Another stomp; rays of light were now shooting from the gem as it appeared to be on the verge of breaking. With another scream, her dark self fell to her knees. Her gaze turned hateful, and she screamed in rage at Sonata, who just continued to glare at her. "All the evil, and the darkness and the cruelty is behind me now! I'm looking to the future now! And I'm.. Never.. Going.. Back!! She roared, giving the gem one last stop to shatter it completely with a bright green flash. Her dark self screamed in agony. Bright white light emerged from her eyes and slowly consumed her, until in a bright white flash she exploded nearly blinding Sonata. When her vision returned, she was greeted by the smiling face of Pinkie Pie looking back at her. "There you are, Nata! Come on, it's time for s'mores!" She said, stuffing one of the aforementioned treats into her mouth and nomming loudly. Sonata looked past her to see her other friends, and her sisters around a campfire, beckoning her to join them. She beamed brightly and nodded her head. Pinkie took off and Sonata was not far behind, until a purple glow behind her gave her pause. Curious, she turned to see where the light was coming from. She was surprised to see what looked like a pony... no, an alicorn in the sky! She was purple with a violet mane and eyes, and she could just make out a star-shaped cutie mark on her haunch. She hovered in the sky on a pair of great wings. It didn't take Sonata long to recognize her. "Princess Twilight?" The alicorn simply smiled warmly at her. No words needed to be said for Sonata to get the message. She returned the smile with her hand over the spot where her gem once sat. "Thank you." She said. Fluttershy emerged from the bathroom bleary-eyed after answering the call of nature. It was tempting to get a drink of water, but she decided against. She carefully crept back toward the room the girls were all sharing for the night, not wanting to wake her friends. She carefully stepped over a few stray pizza boxes and a glass bottle, a remnant of the party game they had played when Sonata brought her sisters over. We'll have some chores to do tomorrow, that's for sure, She thought. Entering the spacious living room where they slept, she was about to return to her chosen spot when she spotted some movement in the moonlight entering through the great window. She turned to see a sight to brought a warmth to her heart and a smile to her face. The three siren sisters were fast asleep, looking like they were getting the first truly peaceful night's sleep in a long time. Sonata was cuddled up to Adagio, her arms wrapped around her. Adagio likewise had her arm around her sister. Aria too was curled up, her back pressed up against Adagio and one hand clutching her pillow. All three of them had peaceful smiles on their faces, and their mouths even appeared to move on occasion. Sure signs of contented, peaceful dreams. Fluttershy watched the adorable sight with a happy smile of her own for a moment before she returned to her own spot and curling up under her blanket. She paused to take one last look at the sleeping sisters. "Sweet dreams, girls." She said. "And here's to a bright future for all of you." She whispered, before allowing sleep to once again overcome her. For the rest of the night, the only sound that could be heard was the contented breathing of ten girls, and an occasional happy sigh from three of them. Something has happened... They have welcome former foes to their midst.... They have learned compassion.... Loyalty..... Courage.... Forbearance... They have mastered power.... It is time.... They are ready.... The Awakening... .... has begun!