//------------------------------// // Third Labor: The Sirens (Consequences) // Story: The Goddess of Empathy // by The Sleepless Beholder //------------------------------// As soon as Wally is gone, I walk over to the Sirens. Sonata has Chrysalis’ Royal Jelly on her neck, and the other two seem to be calming her down after what happened. “Wallflower says you’re free to go. I’m entrusting you with finding them a safe place from Star Swirl,” I add, looking at Chrysalis, who gives me a nod. “However…” The two eldest Sirens glare at me, a clear warning to choose my next words very carefully. “I need to know what happened between you and Wallflower.” “We don’t need to tell you anything. We don’t want her forgiveness,” Aria spits at me, clearly defensive. Adagio almost adds something, but Sonata grabs each of their hands tightly. She doesn’t look at them, but her message is clear. Before Sonata can say anything, though, Adagio cuts in. “I was the one who captured Wallflower and her bunch. I wouldn’t call them her family or even her townsfolk; just people she happened to be around. We used that group to construct defenses around our city for the war. Wallflower was… very bad at it.” “And I punished her for it,” Aria interjects. “Whips on her back. Almost daily. Sometimes just to destress myself,” she says, and the guilt I feel coming from her is the only thing stopping me from attacking her. “I took her away from Aria,” the Sonata whispers through her sore throat. “I put her to work on our palace’s garden, and she seemed infinitely more happy with it. The gardens became very beautiful.” She’s smiling; some good memories must be coming back to her head. Aria’s lucky Sonata said that, as it’s helping cool me down. “I guess that’s why she asked me to save you in particular,” I say, before my eyes wander back to the wound on her neck. “Did something go wrong at the end?” Sonata nods. “Yes. I… made a huge mistake.” Aria and Adagio suddenly move defensively in front of their fellow Siren, but she keeps talking. “I wanted to reward her, and she was cute and attractive. So, I invited her to my room, and… told her to undress herself.” Sonata clutches her hands tightly. I know, because I’m doing it myself, though for very different reasons. “She froze. She was confused. Scared. And I was too used to seeing her as property to realize it.” Sonata looks down at the sand, her hands trembling like mine. “I got impatient and ordered her to do as I told her, which only made her more scared. I went to do it myself, but as soon as I touched her...” Sonata pauses for a moment, visibly shaking. “I’ll never forget how she screamed. She ran away, and I was too stunned to follow. I found her in the garden the next day, but I didn't approach her. I didn’t want to scare her again, so I let her be and continued like nothing had happened. I just kept her as property and nothing else. Then Tirek came by and bought her from me.” Sonata wipes her eyes. “When I saw her again…” She moved her hand close to her neck. “I wanted to apologize. But she’s clearly still scared. I think that’s why she tried to…” She finally looks me in the eye. “I’m not looking for forgiveness. The fact she doesn't want me dead is more than I expected and… deserved. But, if this still haunts her, please help her. I wish I could myself, but that’s clearly out of the question.” I take a deep breath. And another one. And one more, till I finally calm down. “Thank you for sharing this.” I slowly stand up, my fists slowly relaxing. “I’ll make sure it won’t haunt her anymore.” Sonata nods, bearing a sad smile. The other two Sirens also relax, their focus returning to caring for their younger sibling. Chrysalis gives me a nod, a small but proud smile on her lips. “I’ll take it from here. Good luck.” “Thank you,” I say, letting out a sigh. “I’ll need it.” The walk back to Nemarea’s port is a thankfully brief one, though with the way my mind was working at the moment, it wasn’t a peaceful walk. Wallflower had a quite literal tortured past, is older than civilization itself, not human, and apparently possessed by an unimaginable amount of… I’m not sure what, but it looked dangerous. To say I’m worried would be an understatement. My stomach rumbles loudly, cutting through my thoughts. I guess a week of seafood wasn’t very satisfying. To the Merry Cherry then. I make my way to the inn, and, as soon as I set foot on the establishment, I get hug-tackled by Ocellus. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” the (relatively) young changeling screeches, hugging tightly and making me see stars. “You’re gonna break her in two, Obelus. Give the girl some breathing room,” Cherry chastises her from the bar, and quickly makes her way to us as we stand up. “I see you got your first battle scar,” the ex-adventurer says with some pride. “Did you bring the Sirens’ heads, or did you turn tail and run with your life?” I look at the scar in my arm for a moment before responding. “I didn’t bring any heads, but the Sirens are dealt with,” I say to keep things vague. Giving details wouldn't be good, considering how things turned out. Cherry gives me a long look before nodding. “Yeah, you’re not bluffing. Not with that scar and your attitude. The waters will be safer from now on!” she announces, and the entire bar erupts in cheers. “Thanks to our brand new hero here!” she adds while lifting my wounded arm with care, and the patrons raise their drinks to me. I… feel rather elated by this. I certainly didn’t expect this kind of reaction, but it definitely feels nice. Something to really be proud about. “Come girl, let me get you a drink or two. On the house,” Cherry said as she guides me to one of the fancier tables. “A bit of food would be nice too,” I add with a smile. “Sure thing, dear. A full course meal for our hero.” The next half hour feels almost unreal. Not only is the food the most delicious ever – well, still second to Granny’s – and the mead the sweetest thing, but I also get a small audience wanting to hear how I defeated the Sirens, Ocellus being the first in line. I tell the tale as best I can without compromising the Sirens and Chrysalis, saying that the Sirens had simply turned into normal fish when defeated. After that, I get many thank yous from the sailors, who had been stuck in port from the fear of the sea creatures, and some even give me some bits; I seem to be earning quite the profit from this adventure. One of the sailors even tries to give me a very fancy sword, but I refuse, saying that I was already well-armed. Once the celebrations die down and the patrons return to their usual business, Cherry approaches me and sits down at the other side of the table. “So, what will our hero do now?” "I've unfinished business with my… employer," I say, fidgeting with my fork. "Really? What god would that be?" Cherry asks, now more curious than ever. "It's… complicated. Not a very well-known goddess." "Oh, The Forgotten Goddess?" Cherry guesses instantly. She's good at this. "I thought she was a myth." I shake my head. "She isn't. She's just… reserved." "Well, are you two meeting here? I can give you a more private table." I perk up at that. "Can I get my old room?" Cherry shakes her head. "Sorry, dear. We got booked while you were at sea." I sigh. "Then a private table will do."  "Right, let me go get it ready now." Cherry’s about to stand up, but Ocellus stops her.  "I'll take care of it," she says, before going straight to a table far in the back and starting to clean it up. "Heh, that girl's a treasure, I tell you," Cherry says with a smile. I let out a chuckle. "She is." Then I look at Cherry. "How long have you known each other?" "Since I started this business. So… about a decade," she answers, watching Ocellus work. "Curious thing. I've aged every year, but she looks just as young as the first day I saw her." "Must be a good bloodline," I say dismissively, but she turns to me with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Oh. You know." "Of course I know. There's only so much you can hide when you live with your boss," the woman says with a laugh. "But she's safe here. I would crush whoever tries to harm her.” She drives her fist into her palm for emphasis, and I can feel from here just how much strength she could channel in that simple motion. “Did you get blessed?” I can’t help but ask. “Nah. Never earned the privilege. But I did get this,” she says, showing me that belt I noticed before. The one with Rockhoof’s insignia on it. “Got it passed to me from an old partner.” “Adventuring partner, or partner partner?” I ask with a smile. “Yes,” she answers with a smirk. “Do they live here?” “Oh, I don’t know. We got separated before I settled in.” I wince a bit. “Sorry to hear that.” “It's okay. Old story by now." Cherry stays silent for a few seconds before looking at me. "Hey, if in your travels you happen to stumble across a guy named Buffalo Bull, tell him Calamity Mane lives here. Leave it up to him to decide what to do with that." I nod, then turn to Cherry's left. "Hey, Wally." "Hi," Wally answers timidly. The old veteran nearly jumps out of her skin. "What the- Where did you come from?" "It's not intentional," I say before standing up. "There's a more private table at the back." Wally nods and stands up too. "Thanks for your help," I say to Cherry, still recovering from the sudden apparition. Wallflower and I walk up to the table and sit down. The corner is a bit dark, but that's kind of the point. Wally looks more comfortable now that she's just with me, but I can tell she's still stressing about the coming discussion. To be fair, I don't feel ready either. About a minute passes as we both remain in uncomfortable silence, Wally barely being able to look me in the eyes. I clear my throat to break the silence. “So, why don’t you start from the beginning?” “The beginning…” Wally repeats, seemingly to a third person I can’t see. “The Sirens… maybe your birth?” I offer. “Just, your past in ge-” “I don’t know.” She cuts me off. I take a deep breath. “If you need more time-” “No. It’s not that.” She clarifies. “I…” Wally presses her hand over her chest, below the neck. “I have the scars, but… I’ve forgotten about the slave.” I frown, moving a bit closer. “What do you mean?” This time, Wallflower’s the one that takes a deep breath, though she also shuffles a bit in her seat. “I guess I should start with what I do remember. My ascension.” Tirek used my kind to build Tartarus. A massive, sprawling underground city where the dead would live once Grogar became Death. The Goat had promised Tirek, like many others, that he would keep his immortality, even if the world became mortal, in exchange for this city, but Tirek didn’t fully trust him, and decided to make sure he would end up victorious no matter what. So, Tartarus was built with two purposes: to host the dead, and to channel a very complex spell. One that would need an absurd amount of magic, workforce, and souls. My kind gave him all three of those. So, when Tartarus was completed, Tirek used the spell to absorb all the magic in my kindred’s bodies, till nothing of them remained. He became as powerful as the gods, but he didn’t become one. One of the requirements wasn’t met. Because of me. I had escaped some time ago, guided by a cloaked figure that had infiltrated Tartarus to uncover its secrets. She later revealed herself as Star Swirl’s apprentice, Clover the Clever. I explained to her what Tirek intended to do, and how the plan was soon to be completed. She asked me if I wanted to save my people. I told her I didn’t belong with them. That she should’ve saved someone else. Clover then asked me to forgive her. “Forgive you for what?” I ask, noticing that Wally’s hands are trembling. “What did she do?” “She…” the trembling got worse. I see Wally’s hand go for her arm, but I grab it before it does, holding it firmly along with the other. She doesn’t resist. “She put their souls inside me.” I frown. “What do you mean-” “-put them inside me?” I asked, scared of this woman I barely knew. “If Tirek absorbs their souls, he’ll be too powerful to stop,” Clover explained, but that didn’t help at all. “We don’t have a choice.” “You’re not giving me one!” “I’m sorry.” “Stop saying that!” I tried to run, but my body didn’t move. I saw a magical glow around it, and it suddenly forced me to kneel in front of the woman as she drew a magic circle around me. “Please, stop!” “I’m sorry,” she repeated as she completed the circle, and before I could beg further, she pressed her hand against my forehead. What happened? Where am I? What's going on?Where's my son?Who’s in my head?Stopit!Whyareyoudoingthis?Arewetrapped?Help!Isanyoneoutthere?Mom!Idon’twantthis!Makeitstop!Arhsind!snauinmfsnxuyvbappsmfishviusbvioamdpsaofuobhsibvjisxnmcpoanmciuashfiuosnvoisndugvbfdyigbnosnmpfmsapcjrbeuoagbpdimniodscnyaiireogpbiusdoavisdunviaypnvsijomxpibfuisapbgyiapbvujoiaenruiphnfguipabgvnauivndiauspgvbeipuvbuisadbvypiaearuipgbiadpnvgiaosdhvnuipbnvyipaenuhnadfyivbydfuipavbuaioenvuanivgvoPIJNIOJNOUDANVIEAPOGVBUIADSPVNUIAPHVNHJUAVBLNOXMPWXPAMNDCYIFBUOERAVNADPVNYUEIOPGBNGANUSIDPVGBSPNVFUSIVBAPOINEUOGNUYIDSOPABPVCIUPWUABFYUAPOBHVUONAUIPEUIAGUIOAENVUHIWPANGOENVGJUOIPDAVHAUEGHIUPEAHGAUSORVHUERGAPJGNIOMVIOSHNVPABNOGEGNEUIOHGPGGUIOIABFDISAGFBSONCVA “It was too much. So many voices. Screaming,” Wallflower says as she shakes again, but I’m holding her tightly, brushing her hair; a poor attempt at comfort, but it’s better than nothing. The rest of the patrons had noticed her outburst and are now looking at us, but a stern glare from Cherry gets them all to pick up their stuff and leave. Only Ocellus and Cherry remain, both looking very concerned. I keep hugging Wallflower till she very slowly calms down, taking deep breaths till she can speak again, then pushing me away to have some space. “I… I don’t remember much after that. Just vague instincts. I’m not even sure if they’re my own memories… I don’t think I’m the slave anymore.” “So, when you attacked Sonata, that was the voices acting through you?” I ask slowly. “I’m not sure,” Wallflower admits, looking down at nothing. “Maybe a bit of both.” “Do they do that often?” “No. It’s only happened a few times. When they agree to something other than letting me take the reins.” "They let you control your own body?" I ask, more angrily than I meant. Luckily, Wallflower seems to understand my intention. "It's more complicated than that. I spent years, maybe centuries trapped with them. My body didn't age or rot, but my mind was as lost in the chaos of voices as everyone else. It wasn't until a voice from the outside started talking to me that I was able to break free." "A voice from the outside?" I ask, right before it hits me. "Luna!" Wallflower nods. "She found me in what’s now my temple. She did her best to call out to me, make my own mind crawl out of the pit. And, after a few decades, she succeeded. From there, I managed to calm the others down. Have them cooperate. Till finally my body could move." "I owe her a lot, then," I say with a smile. "That's when you became a goddess?" Wallflower takes a few seconds to respond. "I was never officially made one." I frown. "But… I thought the other gods needed to be in agreement. I know you attend reunions and such. You must count as a goddess for them." Wally shakes her head. "Not for Star Swirl. And they only do that because of the arrangement they did with Luna." "Luna made a deal with them?" "Yes. After she rebelled." My eyes go wide. "Excuse me, what?!" "When I told her how I got millions of souls in my body, she was enraged. So, she created the Nightmare Armor and her trident, took the Crown of Magic, then marched to Mount Equestria to fight them. She managed to defeat a few, but was defeated by Flash Magnus. She would've died if Celestia hadn't intervened. I don't know the details after that, but Luna became a goddess, and I was allowed to… exist." "To exist?" I growl, clenching my teeth. Wallflower tries to scratch her arm, but I place my hand on top of it. "Starswirl considers me one of the most dangerous things in existence. Just like Tirek." "Why?!" I nearly scream. Wallflower takes a while to finally respond. "I didn't stop taking souls in." That makes me recoil a bit. "What do you mean?" "Every one of my followers. Everyone who accepts me as their god. When they die, they don't go to Tartarus. They go to me. They join all the other souls in my memory." My jaw nearly hits the table. "How… how many are there?" "Billions… maybe more." "And… they're trapped like you were?" "No. Not like I was. I'm able to prevent it from becoming a pit again. Now it's more like a proper afterlife, where everyone can rest and be remembered." She pauses for a second. "And the other option is to go to Tartarus, where they power Tirek's ambitions." Wally clenches her fists. "Clover's gamble only delayed him." "So, he's growing as powerful as you?" "No. His method doesn't involve actual worship, more like he leeches from them. But it’s enough that the gods don't want to test his strength, so they leave him alone in his little kingdom." "Wait… if you're more powerful than him, why aren't you at the top?" "I may be… 'powerful', but I'm also fragile. If I ever lost control of my mind and it all devolved into a pit again. I may never come back from it." There’s a long silence till Wallflower talks again. "So… that's the story." She turns to look me in the eyes. "What now?" I honestly have no idea. This is way more than I was expecting. Should've known I wasn't prepared to handle the problems of a god. But I'm not giving up that easily. Not when it matters. First things first. "Well, Sonata is truly regretful about what she did. It was, apparently, a mistake she never got to correct and wishes she could, but understands she can't." I look at Wally's eyes. "I know you say that you're not the slave anymore, and that there are many people in you that have many more grudges than you, but she just wishes that you won’t be haunted by it anymore." Wally's eyes seem to suddenly focus on nothing. Is she thinking? Talking with them? "What about Aria and Adagio?" she finally asks. "I don't know exactly what their stance on the matter is, but they aren’t proud of what they were. They want a fresh start. And they want to protect Sonata from whatever punishment may befall her." Wally's eyes go to nothing again for a few seconds. "We'll discuss it. But I won't be punishing them. They've suffered enough." I nod. "That's more than they expected." Wally sighed and looked extremely exhausted all of a sudden. "Can we hold the rest for later?" "Sure thing." I say before offering my hand to her. "And… whatever happens. I'll be with you. Be it gods or monsters." A small smile appears on Wally's lips, and she grabs my hand, holding it tightly. "Thank you." She looks at me, and seems to think something for a few seconds. She leans forward a bit, then suddenly bursts into flower petals and vanishes. I immediately sigh and collapse on the table. I never had a conversation drain me like this. "Hey… Sunset," Cherry says as she places a drink on the table, which I take and down in one go. "You're in deep trouble, eh?"  "Yeah. And I thought my execution was rough."  "Your what?" she shouts. "Long story." Cherry sits down in front of me. "Well dear, I can tell your adventures have just begun." I look up at her. "Yeah. Seems that way. I still have many more labors to go through." "Yeah, that too." Cherry then unbuckles her belt and sets it on the table. "This might help a little." I look at it and shake my head. "It's yours. You earned it." "And I can damn well do what I want with it," she chuckles. "Take it. It served me well for years, but I left the adventuring life long ago. I prefer that it helps someone do more good in the world." I look at her. "You barely know me. I was a criminal just a couple weeks ago." "So were the changelings, once," Cherry says, and I notice Ocellus perking up her ears. "I trust you'll make the right choices."  She pushes the belt towards me, and after a few seconds, I finally take it. "Thank you." "Don't mention it, dear," she says with a smile. "Good luck in your next labor. I hope it isn't as difficult as the Sirens." "That reminds me," I say as I clasp the belt around my hips, feeling a sudden surge of strength all over my body. "I need to meet someone again." I enter Luna's temple for the second time in my life and find a small group of people in the middle of a ceremony. I silently step aside and wait, observing as the priest scatters some white, bright dust on the shoulders of a woman kneeling before him. The woman then stands up, the dust gently falling off from her, and I can almost see the dust moving, as if it were a patchwork cloak over the woman. She then bows to the priest and turns around, and I notice that she’s with child. The husband embraces the woman, careful to not touch the white dust, and kisses her, holding her for a few seconds before letting go. The priest says a few words and the couple thanks him, joining their families as they walk out of the temple. Then the priest turns to me. "Are you curious?" "I'm guessing it was a blessing ceremony. For a healthy child," I say as I walk closer. "What was that dust you used?" The priest rubs his hands together and shows me a pinch of that white dust. "It's Moondust. Blessed earth of our goddess. We use it for all manner of blessings, as it's an extension of her care." He then lifts his hand and blows it in my face. Resisting the urge to swat it away, I let it fall on my skin, just closing my eyes so it wouldn’t get in. When I open them, I’m not in the temple anymore. I’m in… the courtyard of a castle, under the starry night sky. In front of me is a large garden full of exotic plants I’ve never seen before, shining beautifully under the moon’s shine. The air is filled with a mixture of pleasant scents, though the only one I can recognize is lavender, since it was prominent in Luna's temple too. "Where am I?" I call out as I step into the garden, knowing she's somewhere around here. "A private corner of existence made for me and me alone. Where no eyes or ears can reach us," Luna says behind me. As I turn to see her, I’m struck with the sight of her real body. Her hair flows in waves, looking like a piece of the night sky filled with little stars. She wasn’t as tall as Chrysalis, but definitely taller than me, with a pair of blue wings on her back. What surprised me the most was that she was wearing a cloak like Wallflower, except this one seemed to be made out of patchwork, kind of like the one the dust had formed around the woman before. "I made this part of the castle in memory of Wallflower. I thought it would be appropriate for our talk." "So the idea of the gods living all at the top of Mount Equestria is wrong." "Yes. We all have our little personalized spaces where we live. No mortal is supposed to set foot in this place," Luna explains as she walks over to me. "Oh… I'm honored then." I say as I reach over to the flowers, feeling the petals with my hand. "And… I actually wanted to talk about Chrysalis." Luna looks at me, saying nothing for a moment. "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting that to be the reason for your visit." "Sorry if I'm intruding on your personal matters. It's just that some things don't add up for me." Luna lets out a small sigh. "I guess if I was open to talk about Wallflower, Chrysalis would be the next step. Ask away." "Well, the obvious first question is, well, why did you never visit Chrysalis? You must know she's alive and has your weapon." "The reason is quite simple. It is forbidden. Gods are prohibited to show themselves in front of mortals outside of certain occasions. And even then, it must be through an avatar." And here I thought they just liked to be dramatic. "I guess Wally's the exception." Luna nods. "She's the exception to many rules. She has many freedoms to compensate for her… less than fortunate upbringing." "Yeah. I also wanted to thank you for that. I didn't expect to hear that you fought the gods for her." The goddess starts walking along the pathways in the garden. "I used to be more aggressive in my younger years. I don't regret fighting for Wallflower, but I certainly would have come up with something better than a full frontal assault." "Still, she's here because of you. You saved her from that pit of voices," I say as I follow her. "I did. No one deserved such a fate. And I'm impressed Wallflower has managed to turn that into an afterlife for the less fortunate." Luna smiles proudly as she says that last part. "Going back to Chrysalis. Can't you show up with an avatar? Send a message? I can give it to her myself." Luna sighs, sitting down on a stone bench that grew up from the floor. "Besides that general rule, I'm further prohibited from seeing her by Star Swirl." A second bench appears for me and I sit down as I frown. "From Star Swirl? Wait! He knows she's alive?!" "Yes. Knowing things is his whole persona. That and paranoia." "But I thought he hated the Changelings. Why wouldn't he kill her? What does he gain with…" then it dawns on me. "You… he gains you." Luna nods solemnly. "As long as I keep to the rules, he won't bring any harm to Chrysalis or what's left of her family. That has been the deal for a long time. Though now he also has the Sirens as leverage." I wince at that. I guess tricking the God of Knowledge isn't so easy. "Why can't your sister and Cadence do something about it? They must be against it, right?" "They're. But none of us can oppose Star Swirl." "Why?!" Luna looks me straight in the eyes. "Friendship." I blink once. "Please tell me you're joking." Luna seems to deflate as she speaks. "I'm afraid not. The Pillars are friends, they'll support each other in whatever matter is discussed. Be it with votes or strength. So Star Swirl makes the rules for all of us." "And there's no other way? You can’t leave and make your own pantheon?" I ask, but even as I say the words I realize it's a very dumb idea. Luna shakes her head. "That would spark a war, at best. And they have superior numbers and cooperation. We've no option but to obey." "I'm… I'm sorry." I clench my fists tightly. I thought the gods were selfish and unfair before my execution, and it seems I wasn't completely wrong. At least one of them seems to be exactly how I expected them to be. "It is as it is. I appreciate your concern for me and Chrysalis, but sadly there's nothing to do." Luna pauses for a moment, grabbing her hand tightly. "If you do see Chrissy again, please tell her I haven't forgotten about her. Not for a single day." "I will," I say with a nod. Would a hug be inappropriate right now? Luna stands up, and I’m about to at least offer it when she suddenly turns serious. "How do you feel about Wallflower Blush?" "Um… isn't it obvious?" I say, a bit taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation. The answer gets a chuckle out of Luna, before she gets serious again. "When we first met at my temple, the warning I wanted to give you before you left was to not hurt or anger Wallflower because I was worried about your safety rather than hers. But that has changed now.” I feel a small shiver run down my spine. “What do you mean?” “She told you about her past. She opened up to you. That hasn’t happened in more than a  thousand years. Not since I managed to take her out of that pit.” Luna takes a step closer to me, her hands going behind her back. “And she cares for you. You’re more important to her than you may think. So, if you truly wish to help her with what she has revealed to you, do so with caution.” I slowly nod, feeling the weight of her words. “I will. I… also care about her.” Luna smiles, standing back up. “We can tell. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll be returning you back.” “Actually, I’ve one more.” I pause, a feeling of dread gripping my body. “Do gods need to sleep?” Luna doesn’t answer with words. She just gives me a sad smile. I already knew the answer.