//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: The Break-up // by DawningAegis //------------------------------// When Sonata woke up, the first thing she tried to do is to push herself up with her arms. She tried to get her arms behind her back, but they just wont move. Confused, she tried flexing her fingers. Nothing. She held her what are now legs to her eyes and gasped. She had never been in a pony body before. She tried to move every muscle she could, seeing what her new form can do. She tried to stand as soon as she flicked her tail. Unfortunately, she would stumble back onto the ground. It took her several minutes to stand and trot around on two legs. When she could, she looked around. Behind her was a crazy science experiment with a mirror. "Probably how Equestrian Magic came to that world." Sonata concluded. She took a look at the immense meeting chamber she was in. It was a spectacular sight. "How could one pony live here?" Sonata wondered, hoof to her chin. "Wonder if they have tacos here." "Did you hear something?" A female's voice came out. It sounded like the Guitarist from the Rainbooms. Brash and Cocky. How'd she get here? "It's probably nothing, Rainbow Dash." Another female voice, this one with an accent of the southern earth ponies. "You sure? I think we should check it out." came the first voice, who Sonata pinned to be Rainbow Dash. "Okay, but I doubt there was anything." Sonata panicked, and tried to look for a place to hide. The room was completely open, and there was no place to hide. She decided that her best chance was to sink into a corner and hope that they don't notice her. She could see shadows now, of a pegasus hovering and an earth pony with a cowboy hat. Sonata then bolted into a wall, and it suddenly spun, and brought her into a different room. "Told you it was nothin'." said the Earth Pony, although Sonata heard it muffled by three feet of stone. Looking around in the room she was in, Sonata noticed it was a very luxurious room, with a large bed in the center, decorated with several purple banners with stars upon stars, and a little dog bed, containing a small thing that seemed to resemble a dragon. Sonata giggled at how she could even see a dragon in the thing at all. "Is that you, Pinkie Pie?" the dragon asked sleepily,"I'm taking my nap, isn't there someone else you can prank?" Sonata let out a long low sigh, and started to quietly inch out to one of the doors opposite of the bed, which was an easy task. After exiting the room, Sonata was stunned at the sight of the next room. A giant isle that would make the libraries at Canterlot High appear like a shelf of children's books. Books upon Books upon Books went extremely high, making Sonata slightly dizzy. "How does someone read all of these books?" Sonata asked herself. "Hoo." "Huh?" Sonata turned to see who made the odd noise. "Hoo." An owl, claws attached to a purple rail that went all the way to the main hallway. "What are you doing here?" Sonata asked, forgetting she was talking to an owl. "Hoo." "Erm...Ok...Uhh...Do you know if you can help me find something?" "Hoo." The owl nodded it's head, and flew to perch on Sonata's back "I need to find as many books as I can about Sirens." "Hoo?" The owl cocked it's head, attempting to get the best questioning look off. "Erm..excuse me?" Sonata was confused by the owls action, as she just cocked her head at her. "Hoo." The Owl flew off her back, and went away into the giant base of knowledge. "Wait, where are you going?" Five minutes later, after Sonata gave up chasing the owl, it came back with a stack of books. Sonata looked at the books, realizing what the owl had done for her. "Thanks Mr...?" Sonata would have finished her sentence, but then the owl took out a piece of paper and wrote with exquisite (for an Owl) handwriting and wrote 'Owlowiscious' "That's a funny name. No offense." "Hoo." Sonata turned her eyes to the stack of books, and picked one up with her hooves and opened it, flipping to a random page. She tried to get it to the first one, but her hooves weren't effective at flipping the page to the right spot. "Can I get some help?" "Hoo," The Owl flew up and seemed to rest on Sonata's head, yet she did not feel it on her mane. "Huh? What?" The Owl flew off and returned with a mirror and another book. The Owl held the mirror up so that Sonata could take a look at herself. She seemed like any pony, but there was some sort of thing on her head. It was pointy, and she identified it as a Unicorn Horn. "Cool! How do I use it?" The Owl flew off and came back with another book. Sonata took a look at the first one, Equestria and it's Inhabitants. The second was titled, Unicorn Magic: A Guide on using your Magic. The Owl flipped the pages of the book, teaching Sonata about Pony Society, as well as Unicorn Magic. After a couple hours of practice, Sonata could do very basic levitation. After that, she started reading the books about Sirens. -------------------------------- Where am I? Adagio propped herself up on her elbows, feeling the soft warmth of a bed. She was what seemed to be a guest bedroom, with few general decorations and a nightstand. She noticed a piece of paper on the night stand and shifted over to it to pick it up. "There is break feast outside. Note that the rest of the Rainbooms will be coming over today to talk about what happened last night." Adagio read aloud, the last few words wide-eyed. She looked at the walls to find windows, both of which were next to the bed. She got up and tried to open one, but it wouldn't budge. She tried the other, and it stayed still. She let out an exasperated sigh, and stomped outside. Adagio ended up finding Fluttershy at a dinner table with break feast, but Adagio ignored that, and glared at Fluttershy. "Oh hi! There's break feast and tea- "Why did you bring them here?" Adagio said, with cold contempt, making Fluttershy sink into her seat. "Wh-what?" "The Rainbooms. Why did you call them?" Adagion towered over Fluttershy. If there wasn't something she lost, it was her intimidation. "I...I..." Fluttershy mustered, but was cut out by a door bell, and the front door swinging open. "Fluttershy? Are you here?" came the voice of defiance that Adagio fears. Turning one corner was a black and purple boot, and the entirety of Sunset Shimmer. "Oh hey Flutters- What are you doing here?" Adagio was frozen, not knowing what to say to her. "It's Okay, Sunset. I found her near passed out in the front of the school." "And how did this happen?" Sunset looked at Adagio with a skeptical look in her eye, frowning. "I..I tried to... I tried to.." Adagio tried to speak the words, but every time she would say them, tears watered in her eyes. She simply could not speak of it. Sunset bent down to one knee. "What happened?" "We ran. We ran as far as we could. Aria and I blamed each other, blamed everything but ourselves. Sonata stayed out of it. She did sometimes fight, but she just sat there and cried. It built up until she couldn't take it, and she just ran. I chased after her, but then she simply...disappeared. Then Fluttershy found me, half asleep and desperate." Sunest just sat there, thinking about her old self. "Isn't there a way for Sirens to be...well, good?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the silence. "I never told her. She asked me back there, and I just couldn't say." Adagio wiped her tears. "Sonata?" "Yes...even as we were, Sonata was the most kind hearted. She was someone who we would bully from time to time." "I think I know where she might be. Where is the other one...whatshername..." "Aria was left where we were. I don't know where she is." Sunset stood up and thought for a few moments, sometimes shaking her head. "I think we are going to have to take you to Canterlot High. We're going to have to all meet there." Sunset did not seem too happy about the decision. "T-the school?" Adagio interjected, "Going there is the last thing I want to do. If Sonata is anywhere, she's in Equestria or there, and I doubt it's the latter." Adagio's words were meant to demoralize. "I know a way we can find her, but that can wait till tomorrow. Do you know where Aria is?" "No," Adagio sighed,"She could be anywhere." "Do you have a place to sleep?" "No." Adagio looked down, a sign of her not belonging. "Fluttershy, is it alright if, wait what was your name?" "Adagio Dazzle." She instantly regretted saying the full word, making herself seem as the entirety of the Dazzlings. "Is it alright if Adagio stays with you tonight Fluttershy?" "Erm...if that's what you want..." murmured Fluttershy, unable to tell Sunset of Adagio's assault. "Okay. I've gotta go. See you tomorrow!" cried Sunset, walking herself out. After the door closed, Adagio stood up and started eating, apologizing to Fluttershy. -------------------------------- Aria was pacing, her twin purple tails with a cyan streak bobbing with aggravation. "Why did she chase after Sonata!? Why did Sonata leave in the first place!?" She asked the air, as if expecting an answer to come out of the sky and land at her feet. No such thing came. "And this dress isn't comfortable at all! If only my old clothes weren't in that stupid school." Aria stomped her foot, crushing random debris that has wandered into the alley. Then suddenly, she heard Adagio's voice. "SONATA!" What if I went with Adagio? "I wouldn't. Sonata's a baby." Sonata was the only real friend I've had. "No! We only stuck together because it made us stronger!" Why did I make her cry?" That was what broke the ice. Aria instantly fell to her knees and gave in to her conscience. She cried for however long, seconds, minutes, hours at most, but she could not still the tears streaming from her face. There was nothing she could do. She became a whirlpool of emotion, tears swirling in. Then she stopped, and looked around in the small, dark alley. Rats fighting for crumbs, trash scattered along the ground. Random objects and heirlooms were everywhere, thrown away from the memories of society. The only source of light was the afternoon sun glaring down, and the opening back to the street, a beacon of light and escape from the dark. Aria stood up and found a little doll on the ground next to her foot. She picked it up and examined it. It was made of cloth, and it seemed oddly familiar. She cleaned the dirt off it, and noticed to looked like Sonata. She clutched the toy to her chest, and attempted to sing. She tried to use the enchanting voice that she and Sonata would use at the start of every performance. Only the dull, weak sound came from her throat. She sighed, now knowing her power will never come back. "Did the Sirens always depend on those necklaces?" Aria asked the air,"Was there ever and equivalent?" In her mind, she saw the Siren version of herself, but much more peaceful and with a blue jewel in her chest. She saw this also in Adagio and Sonata, and wondered how the tales of them would be spun if they appeared as that now. Perhaps their tales would be of rare, fantastic creatures who spread their songs for the good of others, or would they still be the stories that mares would tell their foals to scare their children? She didn't know. But it had to be done. "I would need those necklaces. And that stage might be in use. I should look for a way to create and enchant them," Aria concluded,"but first, those necklaces need to be found." And with those words, Aria stepped out into the inviting sun, and walked to Canterlot High.