"We will be adored,
Tell us that you want us
We won't be ignored
It's time for--"
Aria's song was cut off by the familiar sensation of rotten produce--tomatoes, she guessed--colliding into her face, followed by scattered booing outside the window. As she cleaned her face off, she heard her assailants retreating into the night, at whom she sighed, feeling pity for their cowardice.
She stared down the tomato they'd thrown at her, just as her stomach growled. Real food couldn't come close to sating the gnawing pain within her, but the flavor could at least take the edge off. As she subconsciously brought the fruit close to her lips, she then realized what she was doing and threw it away.
Pathetic. I've been turned into a beggar that considers eating overripe tomatoes.
Wrapping her tattered pigtails around her bare arms, she shivered softly. She wore only a tank top, sweatpants, and three wristbands on her arms; as well as her prized star cluster clips that secured her pigtails, all of which couldn't drive away the winter breeze settling in. It couldn't be helped. What she wore was all she had left. But with how alone and miserable she'd felt in the last two months, she'd long ago welcomed the cold. It became her only friend and companion in the past dark days to wander alongside her, and to remind her that she was, at least, still alive.
Her only companion.
Aria didn't even want to think about them. The traitors who'd sent her away not even a week after that. She could still feel the shock of the moment when her loyalty was betrayed. Everything transpired so quickly that day, that her memory of it all was fuzzy. But what she did remember clearly was that she and Sonata were arguing, as usual. But more than that, they were blaming each other for what happened then, and their petty insults turned vicious.
One moment, Sonata had called her worthless; the next, Aria tried to attack before Adagio broke the fight. To Aria's surprise, she had turned not on Sonata, like she always would, but on her.
"I've had it with you! Leave me and my sister be! We never asked you to come, so just go!"
Since then, Aria had been running, putting as much distance from the other Sirens as possible. She'd a week ago settled back where she and her ex-allies started their conquest; Canterlot. She'd found a minimum-wage job at a doughnut shop and an abandoned apartment building a few blocks away, where she camped at tonight. It didn't have much to offer and was moldy, but it was better than any clichéd cardboard box in the darkest clichéd alley.
And as much as she wanted to stay away from Canterlot High, she didn't want to run into Adagio again, either. But what would be worse; bumping into the people who were your last lifeline, or bumping into the seven girls who stole her soul?
Aria lifted a hand to her throat, gently rubbing the skin blanketed over her voice box. Closing her tear-stained eyes, she vocalized a soft melody; at least she wanted to call it that. It more of sounded like a mixture of an imitation of a goose, and nails on chalk. It didn't stop her from singing as fresh tears formed by her eyelashes.
What can I do but sing? Music is the blood that flows in a Siren's veins. Yet what once was mine is gone.
Aria hated the Rainbooms for what they'd done, yet she couldn't say that she didn't understand their reasons. After all, they were just protecting the ones they love. If a threat had risen to hurt her loved ones--although she had none--surely she would defend them too. But each time she 'sang', a numbness poisoned her spirit, reminding her that she would never sing as she once did; for when a Siren's singing is taken away, it is as similar as removing the soul from a human.
Aria stopped singing and pressed her legs into her chest, bundling as much warmth as she could. Why did it have to end like this? She glanced up at her window and saw the crescent moon and hundred stars shining down on Canterlot. There was one star cradled in the space of the moon's shadow that made the crescent moon. At first, Aria couldn't care less. But then the star twinkled with prismatic colors.
Standing up stiffly, she stared curiously at the star. And before she knew it, she said aloud, "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there . . ."
She shook her head in disbelief. I'm talking to a star. But she continued, "But if you can or will . . . I want to sing again. I've done horrible things to the creatures of this world, and to Equestria, and I do hate the Rainbooms for taking my voice away. But I just can't live like this anymore." She gripped the window sill with a crushing strength as a new wave of pain crashed upon her. "I won't beg. But if I can sing just once, maybe I can be at peace, and no one will ever have to hear from me again. Please . . . help me."
She stood in that place for a long time, her prayer echoing within her mind. She closed her eyes again and sang.
It's time for our reward.
Now you need us
Come and heed us . . .
Aria released the sill in despair. Her voice remained unchanged, perhaps sounded even worse. "Not surprised. Nothing but a child's bedtime story." She turned away from the window, digging her arms into her pigtails again. "But I suppose it can't get any worse."
She allowed silence to blanket the room. Still, she thought, Nothing will stop me from trying to get my voice back. I will sing until I fade from this world, or until I get what I want.
"And you're just assuming your situation won't get any better?"
Aria nearly screamed, frightened by the new voice. Spinning quickly, she grabbed the tomato on the floor and held it, ready to hit whoever was trespassing. She could just make out his silhouette in the doorway. "Get out, whoever you are! I've already paid my rent!" She then mentally face-palmed herself, seeing how stupid her comeback was. I'm beginning to sound like Sonata.
"That sounds like something your sister--Sonata, right?--would say," replied the stranger, angering Aria even further. He stepped into the room as the moonlight revealed his pale-orange skin and blue hair. If that wasn't enough, Aria recognized him by his prized guitar, which was strapped onto his back.
Aria dropped the tomato in anger. "What are you doing here?"
Flash Sentry shrugged as if talking about the weather. "Well, I live here. Okay, not here here, but I live in this part of town."
"No! What are you doing here?"
Flash blinked once, realizing what she'd meant. "Oh, well, I heard someone up here wailing, and decided to look." Seeing the hurt expression on Aria's face he added, "Of course, it could've been on the second floor."
Aria scoffed and turned back to the window. "Oh, thanks."
She shivered again. I don't believe this. I ask a star for my voice to return, and I get him here? This is exactly what I get for wishing on stars. All I wish now is that Sonata didn't make me watch that stupid cartoon.
She felt fabric brush against her skin, and saw that Flash put his jacket on her.
"I don't need your pity!" she snarled, backing away from him; though she made no move to take the jacket off.
Flash only smiled. "You're welcome." His voice didn't hint any contempt toward her reaction, as she expected. It instead held a warmth that made her slightly dizzy.
"Well, if you're that willing to give away clothing, could you be kind enough to get lost? I need to practice my singing, and I don't want to disappoint my adoring fans."
Flash remained planted in place, obviously not planning to leave.
"Fine, whatever. Stay, go, do whatever you want," Aria said, rolling her eyes as she sat down. Flash approached the Siren and sat with her, quiet as a rock. From the way his expression was, it was as if they'd been allies forever.
He tried putting his arm around Aria, who retreated deep into the soft leather of his jacket at his touch, forcing him to withdraw it.
Although she admitted to herself that she was afraid of him, something about Flash made Aria's sense of hopelessness flush away. Maybe there was still a way to find happiness.
"She . . . she's not my sister," she whispered after a minute.
"What?"
"Sonata. You said that she was my sister. She's not. Neither is Adagio." Aria started to emerge from the jacket. She didn't know why she was even bothering with conversing with him. As she continued talking, something broke free from her, something that had always held her back from connecting with anyone, not even the other Sirens.
"Then . . . what--" Flash began, only to be cut off by Aria.
"Sonata and Adagio are the sisters, but I'm not related to them. Before we were banished, I'd joined them only because we all agreed that we'd gain more power together. Now that I'm useless to them, they didn't want me anymore. They threw me away like a broken toy . . . how did that rumor start up, anyway?"
Flash rubbed his head in thought. "We all just assumed you three were sisters. Some legends say that Sirens are connected as family."
Aria sighed, annoyed. "Whoever said that was an idiot. Yeah, Sirens are connected as family, but we aren't all related to one another. In Equestria, Siren siblings are identified by eye and wing color. You may have been under our spell, but did you notice that my eyes and wings are purple and green? The other two's are shades of pink."
Flash nodded slowly.
"Back home, we Sirens would only hunt in twos, and each pair is always a set of siblings. And before you ask, I lost my partner a long time ago, long before I was banished."
Flash closed his eyes, processing this. When he opened his eyes, he replied, "My condolences."
"As I said before, I don't need your pity. I just need my powers back, so I can survive. I'd love a cheering crowd too, just to tell me that I'm wanted." Why am I even talking to this freak?
Flash stood up, looking out the window. "I'll bet you've heard this before, but I do know how--"
Standing up, Aria angrily threw the jacket off. "Don't give me that 'I know how you feel' garbage! You cannot possibly know what being abandoned and having the only thing worth living for taken away feels like! And if all you're going to do is pity my misfortunes by trying to relate to me, then leave me be!"
Flash turned back to her, appearing hurt by her outburst. Good, she thought. Then he'll go, and I can be miserable in peace.
"I was going to say," he started, "That I know how it feels to want to be wanted. I haven't experienced one day where I haven't wondered if everyone, or even one person, cares about my existence."
Aria calmed down a little, realizing that this wasn't what she was expecting from him. "What do you mean?"
"Well," he hesitated, "It's actually hard to explain, because everyone else in this world would think that it's crazy. But I know that there are other worlds out there, even some where people there know about Twilight and her friends, and in that world, there are some who see me as worthless; they believe this world would be better without me."
"And . . . these people, none of them like you?" said Aria, as she picked up Flash's jacket and put it back on.
"Not exactly. Out of all of them, I can see a handful who truly care about me, and want to see the best in me. More than that, they once helped me by leading me to music. I thought for the longest time, I didn't belong here, but when I started pursuing a music career because of those from other worlds, I felt more alive than ever. Music's pretty much my heartbeat that keeps me alive. It's a part of me that if taken away, I'm nothing."
As Aria felt her dizziness returning stronger than ever, she fought to keep her tears at bay. At least he understands what music means to me.
"I appreciate your sentiments," she said wistfully, "But you've forgotten; I can't sing. What you've said is exactly how I feel. My singing voice is gone, and now I've lost everything. I can't feed off negative emotions without my voice anymore or make people love me."
"But why do you need to force people to love you?"
Aria paused, unsure of how to answer. "Because . . . it's the only way to gain more power, idiot."
Flash didn't seem fazed by her insult. "But forcing them to love you would only make things worse."
"And how so?"
"You fear that they will never love you, so you sang to take their love unwillingly."
Aria stumbled back. She hated herself for it, but she knew he was right. Sirens were always seen as monsters. Nobody would want to love one. That's why she and her ex-allies forced them to love them. Only she'd never took it into thought.
"What choice do I have? This is how we've survived in the last thousand years we've lived here, and it's how we survived in Equestria."
Flash took his guitar off and unzipped the compartment. "I understand it's how you survive. It's a Siren's nature. But with nothing left to lose, you can try singing again. But this time, focus on positivity, instead of wanting revenge."
Aria wanted to scoff, but something told her that she should at least indulge him. As he began strumming his guitar, Aria considered what she could sing. She never needed positive songs, therefore she never sought to learn any. Instead, she chose to sing something on her own.
Making up lyrics on the spot wasn't easy, but for Aria, it came naturally. Each verse came out smoothly without hesitation. She sang of how victory for herself and the Dazzlings was in their hands, yet snatched away at the last moment. Of the Rainbooms stealing everything from her through the magic of friendship. She sang of Adagio's countless plans for world domination had failed, and that she paid the price for using black magic. Yet, she also sang of how despite everything going all wrong, she would still sing, with the stars and moon as her ever-listening audience. After all, she was nothing without music; so she would sing.
As Aria cut off her song, she'd heard Flash's guitar silencing. For one moment, she'd imagined her voice returning, more beautiful than ever, luring in willing crowds cheering for her.
Then she noticed the pony ears on her head and the purple feathered wings on her back fading out of existence, no longer supported by her song. And she saw the amethyst, star-shaped amulet around her neck gleaming brightly.
"Wh-what?"
"Like I said, with nothing left to lose, it wouldn't hurt to focus your magic on positivity," said Flash as he slipped his instrument back in its case. "And you don't need to be a Siren anymore."
Aria opened her mouth to vocalize and was met with the same angelic voice she'd imagined. "Why did you pity me?" she asked shakily. "I'm far more grateful than you know, but why?"
"I don't pity you, Aria. I love you."
The Siren was taken aback by this. Was he saying this because of an unwitting spell? Or did he mean it? But she could tell by the lack of glazed eyes that he was being truthful. So why did he love her?
"Then why did you help me? After all I've done to you and your friends, turning you against one another, nearly destroying you all; you should have just left me to starve. So why did you help me?"
Flash stepped towards her, and reached out his hand. She didn't flinch either time, and allowed him to take hers in a warm, gentle grip that sent tingling down her spine. What he said next sealed Aria's torn heart, and made it long for his:
"Because I know a broken soul when I see one."