//------------------------------// // Chapter Seventeen // Story: Sunset Shimmer: Element Bearer // by ConningOfficer //------------------------------// Sonata Dusk examined her reflection in the grime-streaked mirror, hissing and wincing in pain as she pressed her fingers against her temple. “Four-oh-one, four-oh-two,” she resumed her counting while fidgeting with the spiked leather bracelets spanning her wrists. Sunset Shimmer hadn’t completely abandoned her former shadowy lair in the school's maintenance room. When she had taken Sonata there on Monday morning, she didn’t have the time to break out the creature comforts, but Sunset had hidden a comfortable folding chair and secreted a small stock of snack food, which the blue-haired Siren shamelessly pillaged. While some of the food had spoiled, the yellow sponge cake with cream filling had an expiration date ten years hence, so Sonata’s counting was muffled as she took the last bite of the sugary snack. “Four-twenty,” declared Sonata. Precisely seven minutes after the bell sounded to start the high school’s third period, she stood, wiped her mouth, stowed the chair and checked her reflection one last time. The blue-haired Siren zipped up her gray hooded sweatshirt and cautiously opened the door to the school’s hallway. Hearing nothing but silence, she left the maintenance room and shuffled towards the nearest girl’s bathroom. Hmm, where to sit so I get found quickly? Sonata thought. She slipped inside the second-to-last stall, sat on the toilet seat and waited impassively. After several more minutes, the door creaked open and she heard the soft thump of athletic shoes on the bathroom’s tile floor. She began to sob just loudly enough to be heard. The new arrival knocked on the door to Sonata’s stall. “Hello? Are you alright?” The girl’s voice was high pitched and tentative. “I need to use a phone. Do you have yours with you?” asked Sonata, who followed up her question with a loud sniff. White tennis shoes with turquoise laces appeared beneath the stall door. “I have my phone, but what’s wrong? I'm going to open the door, okay?” She opened the stall door and looked at Sonata. Her turquoise eyes sprang open and her mouth opened in shock. She cursed loudly then clamped her hands over her mouth. “What happened to you? Should I get a teacher?” Sonata whimpered, “No, thank you. I just want to call for someone to pick me up. I had a terrible accident,” she smiled weakly as she told her lie. “I was dropping something off on the chemistry lab tables when I lost my balance. I smacked my head on the corner of the table pretty hard, and the knob on one of the drawers caught the pocket of my jeans and tore them.” Tennis Match handed Sonata her cell phone while running her free hand through her short hair. “Are you sure you don’t want me to at least fetch your friends or Nurse Redheart? Rainbow Dash would know what to do and Rarity has to have some extra clothes,” she said uncertainly. Sonata blushed and covered her face. “I’m pretty embarrassed, so I need to handle this on my own. I don’t want to tell Applejack that her jeans were too loose on me because she might take it the wrong way. There’s no way I’ll go walking around the school like this, though. Boys are such perverts!” she declared with an embarrassed chuckle. She nodded. “Okay, Sonata. I’ll keep this quiet.” “Fair enough,” replied Sonata. She dialed a number and heard a familiar voice answer. The Siren burst into hysterics. “It’s Sonata Dusk! I’ve been hurt and I need you to come get me at school!” She whispered into the phone, so the other girl couldn’t hear. “Adagio beat me up again, much worse than before!” Tennis Match couldn’t hear the words clearly but heard a booming male voice asking questions. “No, I can’t tell them! I’ll tell you more when you get here, but you’re the only one I can trust to help me with this problem. I need you!” cried Sonata loudly, cradling the phone against her ear with both hands. Feeling suddenly unwelcome, Tennis Match took a step towards the door as she listened to one side of the phone conversation. Sonata’s tone quickly shifted from despondent to instructive. “Pick me up at the maintenance loading dock, so nobody sees you. Please don’t tell the hands or Applejack’s friends, because it’s all too much. Come here right away!” She heard an affirmative reply and then hung up the phone. “I know you caused a lot of trouble last week, but if you’re friends with Rainbow Dash now, I suppose everything is fine. She does strange things now and again, too. If I took a shot to the dome like you did, I know I’d want to sneak away!” She smoothed the front of her tennis outfit and shyly added, “Are you sure I can’t do anything else for you, Sonata? You don’t look so good.” Wincing and then smiling, Sonata handed the phone back to its owner. “No, thank you. You’ve been so kind.” She stood with difficulty and patted the other girl’s shoulder. “Thanks for making sure I don’t get embarrassed any worse.” She maneuvered around the other girl and limped into the hallway. Once the restroom door closed with a resounding thump, Sonata walked briskly and boldly back to the maintenance room to await Big Macintosh’s arrival. She unzipped the hooded sweatshirt and then absently dabbed away the blood from her cheekbone with a paper towel. A cruel smile spread across her face as she gazed at her reflection in the filthy mirror. “It’s a lovely day for regime change.” ----- “Um, Professor Discord, may I please sit down now?” asked Fluttershy tentatively. She pinched the fabric of the silvery, ice blue gown. Discord’s magic had bound her long, pink hair into a braid that fell atop her left shoulder. “This snowflake tiara hurts my head.” The Spirit of Chaos had cleared his desk in order to conduct a demonstration for the assembled class. A chunk of metal, currently covered in frost, was on display. A large three-paneled screen sat in the front corner of the room to Discord’s left, and a stack of sheets sat on the unused desk chair. It was clear that his antics had attracted students from all over the school, since there were about a dozen more students than desks in the crowded classroom. There were even some students that had skipped other classes to attend multiple sessions. The class instinctively knew that the strange substitute teacher was using magic, but the desk, sheets, screen, and sleight of hand concealed the scope of Discord’s abilities. Discord emerged from behind the changing screen, wearing a black, clinging ice-skating costume adorned with flames. “Miss Fluttershy, you’ve been wonderfully patient. Thank you for helping me use the liquid nitrogen to cool the metal. Please leave the gown behind the screen and sit down. Oh, and I do recommend that you take cover.” As she disappeared from view, he snapped his fingers and the shimmering dress disappeared, replaced by her normal tank top and skirt. Once back in more familiar clothing, Fluttershy sprinted to the back of the room as the class burst into spontaneous applause. Rarity, seated in the front row, stage whispered to Discord. “Tone it down, sir! My fellow students are getting unruly.” She folded her arms in disdain, looked over the top of her red spectacles and added loudly, “By the way, that outfit went out of style twenty-five years ago and you’re too portly to make it work anyway.” The Spirit of Chaos sashayed to Rarity’s desk and tapped her shoulder with a single finger. “Miss Rarity, you should embrace recent history more readily before you insult my wardrobe! And my belly is the result of a very pleasant month of living in a castle,” he quipped. Discord spread one of the sheets, hiding Rarity for a moment. With a flash of chaotic magic, her ensemble suddenly sprouted shoulder pads and her purple coiffure disintegrated into tight spiral curls combined with outrageous bangs. The heavily hairsprayed style climbed towards the ceiling. When Discord removed the sheet and handed her a mirror, the class erupted in laughter. Rarity looked at herself in horror. “Aqua Net? You could hurt someone with this object! It’s enormous!” exclaimed Rarity, who gazed in horror at the huge can of hairspray that Discord caused to appear along with her outfit. Discord shook his index finger disapprovingly at the class. “Cease that cruel laughter right now! I’ll give you plenty of slack for the hormones marinating your adolescent brains, but that’s a step too far. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have taught me that being amused is all right, but laughing at others is not! It’s a fine line.” They fell silent. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I let my enthusiasm get the best of me.” He swept the sheet over Rarity and she was returned to her normal appearance. “Apology accepted, Mr. Discord. Now, please continue. There are only a few moments remaining in this period,” she said, glancing nervously at her watch. Discord shouted, “Class, are you ready to see physics in action? I give you the destructive power of fire and ice!” The students raucously cheered Discord on. In the back of the room, Fluttershy covered her face with her hands. The Spirit of Chaos reached beneath his desk and retrieved an oxy-acetylene torch and matching safety goggles that his magic had brought into being. The attached hose trailed under the lonely piece of furniture. The class clapped in rhythm as Discord ignited the torch and rapidly heated the chunk of metal suspended over the desk. “Those of you in the front row may want to seek shelter immediately,” he warned, adding a conspiratorial wink. Teenagers scrambled for the back of the room as the rapid expansion of the frozen metal caused a loud bang. The cylindrical object burst into several pieces and clattered harmlessly to the desk and floor. Suddenly, the bell sounded to end the class period. Discord stashed everything under the desk and a sweep of a sheet caused everything to return to its normal appearance. He stepped behind the screen to instantly change his own clothes, then adjusted the tie on his tweed suit. As the students headed for the exit, he stepped back into view and announced, “Remember, the tension between opposites makes the universe go around, but can be very destructive if used carelessly. Be safe this weekend and don’t take any candy from strangers driving white vans with no windows!” He flashed a self-satisfied grin to Fluttershy. She timidly brushed her pink hair out of her face and frowned slightly. “Discord, each class gets wilder than the last. You’re using way too much magic and attracting too much attention.” “I thought I saw Vice Principal Luna look through the window just before you transformed poor Fluttershy into an ice princess,” added Rarity. She removed her glasses and set them on the desk. “Please, could you use your cosmic powers or whatever it is you do to put on some decent clothing that stays the same for more than thirty seconds?” Discord rolled his eyes and straightened his butterfly lapel pin. “Oh, fine. I’ll put away most of the props for the next class and will cut my costume changes in half.” He stroked his beard and smiled at Rarity. “You can’t deny that your classmates are learning, though.” Fluttershy jumped in, smiling broadly. “Yes, Discord! These past two days have been the most memorable math and science classes in the school’s history.” She looked down at her feet and her cheeks took on a pink hue. “But, even though you put me in a gorgeous dress, please don’t call me up front again today.” “I’m so sorry, my dear. I promise I won’t do that again,” replied Discord soberly, placing a hand over his heart. Fluttershy moved towards the door. “I need to take a quick break. Can I get either of you anything from the snack shop or vending machines?” Rarity shook her head. Discord reached into his pocket and tossed Fluttershy a heavy gold doubloon. “I could use about four of those energy drinks that Rainbow Dash is always talking about. You wouldn’t believe the conversation I was having in my dreams last night!” “Sure thing, Discord! I’ll be right back!” Fluttershy stepped through the door, looked back once, blushed again and moved down the hallway. Rising from her desk and approaching the eccentric Equestrian, Rarity narrowed her blue eyes and asked, “Discord, while we’ve only just met, may I ask you a personal question?” “I certainly don’t mind, though I am concerned about you adding unnecessary drama to an already tense situation. No offense, of course,” he said, raising one eyebrow. He held a mask of a smiling face in his right hand and one portraying a crying visage in his left hand. “None taken, but…” Rarity jabbed a finger into Discord’s chest, directly below the lifelike lapel pin. “Why Fluttershy?” He retreated, sat on the edge of the desk and folded his arms across his chest. “Rarity, I’ve lived longer than you can imagine, but I’ll do my best to explain this succinctly. Sadly, for a great deal of my life, I was trapped in a stone prison. But, since becoming the Spirit of Chaos, Fluttershy’s Equestrian double is the only being I have ever encountered that has convinced me to change my behavior. Your friend, the two-legged Fluttershy, is doing a masterful job of confirming that I made the right decision to come here to atone for my past boo-boos by helping Sunset.” “She’s quite taken with you, Discord, and she knows nothing of her pony counterpart. Fluttershy’s heart is fragile, and you’ll have at least five angry girls to contend with if you harm it!” warned Rarity. He ran a hand through his dark hair and raised an eyebrow. “Point taken and I’m pleased you’re so generous with your advice. Now, it’s your turn. Why Sunset Shimmer?” “You just had to ask that, didn’t you?” she groaned and began pacing the classroom. “This class was about the power of opposites upon one another, right?” Discord nodded with understanding. “Yes, the power and the danger of fire and ice, light and dark, Mentos mints and carbonated beverages.” “I’ve had to be so controlled and so precise as I build a future for myself and my sister. My inspirations have become almost rationed as I try to balance a business, the demands of high school and the unusual events of this school year,” explained Rarity. “Sunset, even before the Battle of the Bands, was so raw and full of potential, like an uncut diamond. I envied her freedom and her fresh start. Of course, she’s absolutely gorgeous, but to watch her lead us so magnificently the past few days... well, my emotions may have overloaded my brain.” He grabbed her by both shoulders. “And then, to have that illusion shattered by the terrible person that she once was or could still be...” He stopped suddenly, bowed to Rarity and added a courtly flourish. “I think we both now thoroughly understand one another’s predicament in matters of the heart.” “Indeed, Professor Discord.” Rarity donned her spectacles and smiled sadly. “What might I do to help you get ready for your fourth period performance?” ----- Big Macintosh clumsily downshifted as he turned on to the side street that led behind Canterlot High School. “Dammit!” he swore loudly, but only partially at his driving. The young farmer was certain that Granny Smith would have convinced him to remain home, but she was in Appleoosa for several more days. The seasons, even if difficult, were predictable and could be managed with proper preparation. Though only in his early twenties, Big Mac had handled late frosts, swarms of insects and even the occasional flight of fruit bats with his typical stoic determination. Beautiful young women with magical abilities were another matter entirely. “I’m turning around,” he said for the seventh time. For the seventh time, he continued on his path to Canterlot High School. “…you’re the only one I can trust to help me with this problem. I need you!” The tone of Sonata’s voice and the thought that she had suffered a second beating this week had ignited Big Mac’s anger. As he pulled up to the back of the school and beheld Sonata, his anger exploded into rage. He yanked on the parking brake and leapt out of his truck. “Oh my God, Sonata! How did this happen to you?” Big Mac rushed to the injured girl and gently lifted her off her feet. He carried her in his arms with little effort. Sonata looked up into the young man’s green eyes and spoke in emotional, staccato bursts. “I told you that it was Adagio! I’m so sorry I had to whisper on the phone! She ambushed me! Oh, thank you for coming to get me!” She buried her face into his chest and wept. Big Mac looked down at the girl in his arms. A jagged cut on her temple would probably require stitches to heal properly. The blood had dripped all over the red-and-brown shirt she was wearing. How did she get my shirt and why is she wearing it? No matter. That’s not important right now, because I have a curly-headed snake to find, he thought. Sonata’s face, hands and arms were covered with ugly deep blue and greenish bruises. The right leg of her borrowed jeans was torn from pocket to knee, exposing another cut that ran horizontally across the middle of the girl’s thigh. He laid her on the passenger’s side of the truck’s bench seat. Big Mac chastely kissed Sonata on the forehead, and when he opened his eyes, they were ablaze with vengeful fury. “I can’t stand to see you like this. What do I need to do?” he asked. “You need to stop Adagio so she never does this to me or to anyone again,” replied Sonata firmly and evenly. “But, we need to hurry. I know where she’ll be in about forty-five minutes.” He looked down at her sternly. “I can handle her myself. I need to get you to a doctor. Zodiac University Hospital is close to the aquarium…” “No! We don’t have time for that! You’ll never find our hideout without me, so we must be together,” she pleaded. We’ll be together soon, my prince, the way we were meant to be, Sonata added silently. Slamming the driver’s side door, Big Mac popped the car into gear and squealed the tires as he sped away from the school. “Just tell me where to go, Sonata. She won’t bother you again if I have anything to say about it.” ----- “It’s almost worth the tradeoff,” gushed Discord as he took another bite of his lunch. “The ponies can get their hooves on all these ingredients but only humans can properly make a good burrito!” Rainbow Dash held her nose and laughed. “Just wait until it hits you, Discord. You’ll be the one who has to ride in the bed of the pickup truck when it does.” “Where did you get that, anyway?” asked Applejack, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. “The cafeteria is a choice between bad and worse today, and it’s going to be terrible until Granny Smith gets back from Appleoosa.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin and chuckled. “I’ll never give away my magical secret trick!” Discord winked at Pinkie Pie, who stealthily stuffed the last bite of a quesadilla into her mouth. Aria Blaze deftly concealed the keys to the Coltswagen Beetle with a notebook. Sunset Shimmer entered the music room while stifling an enormous yawn. Her red-and-gold hair was flat against the left side of her head. Rarity and Fluttershy followed close behind. “I have rescued us all from the horrific tuna casserole that they’re attempting to feed us out there,” said Rarity. She placed a dozen muffins and a bag of fresh apples on the music room’s table. Rainbow Dash’s stomach growled loudly. She rolled her eyes and groaned. “Muffins again? It’s always either that or bagels with you, Rarity. I’m suddenly thinking about taking my chances with the noodle surprise in the cafeteria.” Grabbing a huge cinnamon muffin, Sunset Shimmer smiled at the assembled group. “Thanks for buying us lunch, Rarity.” “How was your nap, Sunny?” asked Fluttershy. She took a hairbrush out of her purse and handed it to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset didn't answer at first, rubbing her neck and straining her muscles to work out some of the tension from sleeping. She started to devour the muffin and fix her bed head. Between bites, she replied, “It was good, but I'm still exhausted - I feel like I'm more wiped out than I would be had I not slept at all. I must have needed a break more than I thought.” “It’s going to take a long, lazy week for you to get rid of those dark circles under your eyes, Sunset. You, more than any of us, have to be ready,” said Aria. She set down the bag concealing Chainbreaker with a metallic “clink,” and reached for a muffin. Discord, wearing a snorkel and associated diving mask, was poring over the Aquastrian history book. He lazily but carefully turned each page. He spat out the snorkel, produced a clipboard from his jacket, and said, “This august gathering seems to be missing someone.” Pinkie Pie skipped around the room to take attendance. She quickly counted on her fingers and pursed her lips. “Oh yeah! Where’s Sonata? Do you know, Aria? I didn’t see her in my third period history class.” “I haven’t seen her since we first got here,” said Aria. She crossed her arms and frowned. “She just seemed really strange this morning! It took her, like, forever to get dressed, and Sonata was so selfish. She wouldn’t let anyone else in the bathroom with her when she was getting ready,” explained Pinkie Pie. Her curly hair deflated a bit and she extended her bottom lip in a pout. “And, for all that, she comes out of the bathroom in a gray hoodie and jeans.” Sunset snapped her fingers, causing Discord to giggle. She said, “Sonata mentioned something about returning a library book. I really hope that this is just a case of her being distracted by a shiny object or wanting to spend time with Apple Bloom and her friends. Still, we have to find her before school lets out because she doesn’t have a phone. Let’s go see Cheerilee.” Applejack smiled. “Time for a little detective work. How hard could it be to find a tall, beautiful girl from another world?” “Fluttershy, Rarity and I will continue to delight and entertain the student body, but I agree with Sunset,” he tapped on an enormous illustration in the Aquastrian book depicting a concert hall. Aria gasped and looked at Pinkie. Discord raised his eyebrow at them enigmatically and continued. “Sonata must be found. After reading this informative tome, I see that we were very foolish to leave her to her own devices.” Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lower lip. “Discord, I wish you weren’t right so often. I just hope Sonata’s okay.” ----- Sonata Dusk leaned against Big Macintosh as the venerable pickup truck sped through Canterlot and past the huge white building that housed Zodiac University Hospital. His green eyes were narrowed in fury and his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel with one hand and worked the vehicle’s manual transmission with the other. Sonata moaned. “This hurts so badly, Big Mac! Hurry! You have to stop her from doing this again, because she’ll probably kill me next time.” “Adagio has done enough damage to my family and friends. Her gall to ambush you at school just makes my blood boil!” he snarled in a threatening baritone. Sonata closed her eyes and whimpered, but internally she was screaming with triumph. Her manipulation was working better than she had dared dream. Judicious use of the tools in the maintenance room had made her look like she had been thoroughly worked over by a furious Adagio Dazzle. In truth, the wounds were largely superficial but looked horrific to an untrained eye. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, Mac. The others just aren’t able to protect me the way you can,” she wailed, nestling closer to the young farmer. She shifted the angle of her legs to expose a great deal of shapely, blue-tinted thigh to her “rescuer” through the cut in the jeans. Sonata noticed his eyes flicker over the cuts, bruises and muscle. Sonata thought, The trick is to keep him angry enough to attack Adagio, but not so furious that he loses control. Little things work so well on young men. A moan or whimper fans the flames of his rage while a short caress or squeeze of his fingers reminds him of me. The truck turned into the Canterlot Aquarium parking lot and Sonata guided Big Mac to park out of sight, behind the loading docks’ trash dumpsters. They got out of the truck and looked up at the rear of the aquarium, which from their angle was a forbidding concrete edifice. Sonata limped forward and said, “Good work, dearest. I think we’ve beaten Adagio here. Our hideout was beneath the aquarium’s shark tank. Let’s get down there first and surprise her!” “This doesn’t seem like such a good idea,” said Big Mac, who was suddenly hesitant. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered and took a step back towards the truck. “Let’s go get AJ and Sunset Shimmer.” Sonata, continuing to play her role, sniffed and looked up at Big Mac with watery eyes. She laid a hand on his chest and nudged him back towards fury. “No!” she cried. “We have to stop Adagio before she gets away again! Just think of what she could do to Granny Smith or Apple Bloom!” The comment about his family blended with the false tears, superficial bruising and dried blood, and stirred the young man’s anger once again. “Eeyup. This ends here.” He clenched his fists. “Thank you for protecting me. She’s so dangerous and unpredictable, so be ready for anything. I’ll lead you to our old hideout.” Sonata kissed Big Mac on his cheek and wrapped her arms around him. As they navigated the dark tunnels beneath the aquarium, the Siren turned and reached back to grab the farmer’s hand. She led him through the twisted paths to the abandoned lair. Big Mac gasped as he saw Sonata’s glowing pink eyes. When he noticed Sonata turn her head in his direction, he said, “I’m just a bit startled... If I didn’t know you, I’d be a mite frightened of those glowing eyes.” “They help me see in the dark, my dear, and are nothing to be scared of,” she squeezed his hand, which was becoming cold and clammy. “We’re nearly there.” The pair clambered over a set of water pumps and entered the hideout. Sonata released Big Mac’s hand, shuffled to the central table and flicked on the battery-powered lantern. Pale white light illuminated the room. She noticed the items on the table and before her companion’s eyes could adapt, she quickly pocketed the money, the disposable cell phone and the note addressed to her that lay on the table. Sonata turned and smiled reassuringly. “Is that better?” The silence was punctuated by a hiss from the relief valve of an overhead steam pipe. The young farmer jumped at the unexpected noise, then calmed himself. “That’s much better, Sonata. Thanks. I’m not so good in the dark,” replied Big Mac, who continued to blink his eyes rapidly as they adjusted to the small light source. “You lived here?” Tossing her blue-streaked ponytail, she knelt on the floor next to her bedroll and rifled through her possessions. “Not for long. We were never in one place very long. Yes!” Sonata exclaimed as she found what she sought. She dragged the olive-drab seabag containing her possessions across the floor and held an object close to the lantern. A homemade brass bracelet, reinforced with iron, dully reflected the pale luminance. Sonata rotated the broad metal band and traced a symbol lovingly with her fingers. A pink heart fashioned from a piece of rose quartz was affixed to the brass bracelet, with turquoise inlaid atop the design. The bluish-green stones formed a musical eighth note with a jagged stem. “Coral Aegis, after today, I’ll finally be able to wear your gift openly,” Sonata said to herself and slid the bracelet onto her wrist. Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow and his deep voice took on a skeptical tone. “Sonata, it seems to me like you’re getting your things and making an escape. Where’s Adagio? I thought we were going to stop her before she could do any more harm.” A sinister female laugh issued from a dark corner of the lair. Glowing magenta eyes, framed by flowing orange curls, emerged from behind an enormous steel pipe. “I’m right here, Sonata. Though, I must wonder why you brought this… male… to our reunion. Was he the one who struck you? If so, I can certainly arrange for a fitting punishment,” seethed Adagio. “Get her, now! Save me from Adagio, Big Mac. She’s hurt me so many times. Take her hair ornament!” pleaded Sonata. She spryly ran and hid behind the young farmer, placed a hand on the small of his back and gently pushed him forward. He took a menacing step forward and clenched his fists. “You’ve hurt my sisters and my friends. I’ll make sure you end up in jail for what you’ve done to Sonata.” “Jail’s too good for her. Beat Adagio into the floor, like she did to me! Do it, Big Macintosh! Get her!” urged Sonata. Big Mac, his passion stirred once again, took several menacing steps towards Adagio Dazzle. Adagio’s throaty laugh seamlessly merged disdain and bemusement. “Temper, temper! Sonata, this muscle-bound shark of yours may swim himself right into a nasty accident.” With a flick of her wrist, Sunset Shimmer’s knife appeared in the Siren princess’ hand. “Whoa!” exclaimed Big Mac as the dim light made the four-inch length of sharp steel glitter. The Siren princess caressed her long orange curls and tapped the hair ornament with her free hand. “At long last, your desire to be my equal and jealousy that you’ll never be Aquastrian royalty has gotten the best of you,” she mocked. “Oh dear! We’ll never have the chance to paint together again. I’m heartbroken!” “I’ll be better than you ever were. I’ll start by making him a prince and making sure that his family and his farm get the authority and respect they deserve for taking me in and being so kind when I make mistakes,” proclaimed Sonata. She stood tall beside Big Macintosh and gave his bicep an affectionate squeeze. “If you give up now, you can settle for exile.” “Exile? To where and by whom? I don’t see Starswirl the Bearded or even Twilight Sparkle hiding behind you. Are they concealed in your torn jeans? Your scatterbrained kindness is almost heartwarming as you plot to have me beaten to a pulp. You didn’t think this out very well, did you?” said Adagio sarcastically. Big Mac tensed at hearing the spiteful insults hurled at Sonata. He growled, “Knife or not, I don’t like the way you’re talking to her.” Sonata gripped the young farmer’s arm more tightly to keep her hand from trembling. “I care for them and want to protect them! Just like you always said, I will take away the burden of choice from the Apples and use the Master’s power to have them live in peace and happiness with me in charge.” Big Mac ran a hand through his light orange hair in confusion. “What are you talking about, Sonata?” Ignoring the interruption, Adagio countered. “The Master doesn’t work that way, Sonata. Forget this nonsense and unroll your sleeping bag. Have your fun down on the farm, and then dismiss him so we can talk about how you’re going to help us return to Aquastria. I’ll even retreat behind the pipes to give you some privacy... unless you had a different idea,” Adagio pointedly looked the young farmer up and down and licked her upper lip. “No!” screamed Sonata in jealousy and frustration. “He’s mine! Big Macintosh, take the crown from her head. Attack her, now.” Big Mac looked at Sonata, at the knife in Adagio’s hand and then back to Sonata. The bruises and her furious snarl contorted her normally beautiful features. He started to speak and then clamped his mouth shut. Adagio took a step forward towards Sonata and Big Mac. She narrowed her magenta eyes and assessed the bruises scattered across the blue-tinted skin. “Poor, misguided, deluded Sonata… For centuries, you truly thought that all you need to be a princess is a crown. You couldn’t be more wrong.” Her gaze shifted to the brawny farmer. “It’s time for some unpleasant truths. Johnny Appleseed, I didn’t do this to her.” “What?” replied Big Macintosh incredulously. Sonata furiously spat a word in an unfamiliar language. Adagio put the knife away and put one hand on her hip while clenching the other into a fist. “Oh, I beat Sonata so badly that Aria had to pull me off of her before I did any permanent damage.” “Kill her! Kill her now!” shrieked Sonata, tugging on Big Mac’s arm with both hands. Adagio continued, ignoring the hysterics. “But, I administered that beating last Saturday night, when this peasant had the insolence to suggest that we were nothing more than human!” Sonata collapsed to the floor and covered her face with both hands. The shadows danced across the design on the bracelet that her twin made for her long ago. “That doesn’t explain the cut and the bruises. She told me that you came to school and hurt her,” said Big Mac. A frown creased his handsome features and he folded his powerful arms across his chest. Sonata sobbed at his feet. “Oh, Sonata! You were so consumed with plotting your little one-man coup that you forgot to give him the exposition. As always, I’ll give you some help since you seem particularly distraught at your failed takeover,” cooed Adagio. Her voice dripped with false, patronizing sympathy. “So, Master Dirt Merchant, there are three of us here. If you didn’t hurt Sonata and I didn’t hurt her, who does that leave?” Big Mac’s head darted down towards Sonata. “You couldn’t have done this to yourself, could you?” he asked in disbelief. Shocked realization dawned on his face. “You did!” “Don’t, Adagio! Leave him out of this,” begged Sonata. Adagio sneered at the other Siren. “Oh, he must listen. He wants to listen. It’s part of your punishment. I came here to ask for your help against a greater threat, but after such a cowardly attempt against me, you deserve more than one kind of pain,” she turned to Big Mac. “We are Sirens, the chosen of He Who Swims in Darkness and have lived for more than thousand years. Sonata has lived twenty lifetimes and is certainly no virginal teenage girl. Before your sister and the Rainbooms destroyed our pendants, we fed ourselves and our Master from the negative emotions of others. Can you guess who was best at finding ‘food’ for us?” Sonata shrieked. “She never tells the truth! Don’t listen to her!” “Silence, peasant! Endure your punishment with the dignity the Master would expect from his chosen,” ordered Adagio. She looked at the muscular young farmer, her voice an authoritative crescendo. “That quivering ball of tears at your feet is an expert at worming her way into any cracks remaining between two people deeply in love. She’d pick the least resilient of the two – man or woman – exploit their vulnerabilities and take them to her bed. The explosion of emotion from these betrayals would feed us for weeks!” Adagio tut-tutted and shook her head. “I pray you haven’t joined the legion of notches on Sonata’s bedpost, Big Macintosh.” The farmer looked down at Sonata in stunned disgust, and took a step away from her. “I know Adagio’s telling the truth, just like you were telling me the truth about Cheerilee’s medical troubles. You’d better come clean now, Sonata.” Despondent, she tried to respond between sobs. “I care about you, I truly do! I want to be part of your family. Once you were mine and I took the crown from Adagio, I was going to find a way to make it up to you.” Using her sleeve, Sonata wiped away tears from her eyes and the mucus streaming from her nose. “I’d make things right! I didn’t want to lie, but it was the only way I saw to have it all and be happy here in this world. I was just so scared you’d all say no! I’m sorry!” She collapsed once again, her cheek flat against the concrete and shoulders convulsing with guilt and woe. “How sentimental, Sonata,” Adagio sneered. She strode past Big Macintosh and gave Sonata’s prone form a humiliating nudge with her boot. “The spider, consumed by her own desires, suddenly feels bad for the fly snared in her web.” Adagio’s insult struck home, but Sonata’s tears were spent. She stood and jabbed a finger at Adagio. “All I ever wanted was for you to be my friend – to go back home and sip kelp tea at the palace and for you to tell me I was good enough. Instead, for hundreds of years, I’d go out and do what was needed to feed us. Then, all I’d get in return is an insult from you and a sideways compliment from Aria. Stop treating me like I’m stupid!” “Then why do you do such stupid things, Sonata?! Whenever you’re alone, you do things I can’t explain. You tell our secrets to attractive authors. Instead of creating divisions to satisfy our magical hunger, you starve us by bringing soldiers together!” Adagio removed her hair ornament, transformed it, and placed the darkly glittering tiara on her head. Both Big Mac and Sonata gasped in unison at the royal device atop the orange curls. Adagio continued. “As I’ve told you many times before, we are Sirens! But I am more than that. Because my mother must be long dead by now, I am the heir to the Aquastrian throne – a throne I have just learned does not have a mermare seated on it! It is my duty to take you and Aria, my supposedly loyal subjects, back home so that we can cast out the faithless, guide the lesser races and the weak clans who are lost without us, rule beneath the seas, and carry out the will of He Who Swims in Darkness! We have one last enemy to defeat in this world that prevents me from assuming my royal title and associated duties,” she intoned regally. Big Mac raptly observed the confrontation. I should let them hash it out and get back to the farm. I can’t see how this concerns me. But, wait! I have to see this through to the end. Even though she lied to me, Sonata’s still hurt. The only warning of the outburst to come was a dangerous flash of Sonata’s lilac eyes. She bared her teeth in a vicious growl. “Was it your mother’s duty to murder my father where he swam? His only crime was to love me, in defiance of the Queen’s laws!” Adagio screamed a vile insult in response to Sonata, but her head swam with the shock of remembering… “Bring me this Sonata Dusk as the third and final mermare to be given to He Who Swims in Darkness!” ordered Queen Blinding Dazzle, gesturing with a crimson fin to her guard captain. Focused Blaze saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty.” With a stoic nod, she directed a phalanx of guards to carry out their monarch’s will. “Adagio, perhaps you have a song that could capture the importance of this moment? I was thinking something about a destiny decided and the need to make a sacrifice now to have untold riches later,” said the Queen. Her golden eyes narrowed enigmatically at her daughter. Princess Adagio Dazzle glared at the Queen and lazily moved her purple-streaked fins. She rose from her small throne and suddenly stopped. “No! You will not harm one scale on her body!” howled a voice. A merstallion guard held a spear in his fins, preventing the phalanx from leaving the throne room. His lilac eyes were wide with fear and rage. Adagio could see the spear trembling in his grasp. Focused Blaze swam to the distressed merstallion. Adagio’s keen ears heard her whisper. “Don’t do this, Dusky.” In a loud commanding voice, she added, “Put down your spear, fool. Perhaps Her Majesty will spare your life for this insolence.” His eyes softened for a moment. “I’m sorry, Captain. I love her. I love them both. But, I knew something like this would have to happen.” Dusky Defense tightened his grip on the spear. “I won’t allow the Queen to give my daughter to the Great Betrayer! She’s meant for so much more than to be your sacrifice.” Adagio hovered over her throne. She thought, A male, still believing he has a duty to the merfoals he was permitted to make? To declare his love? How quaint and how tragic. Enraged, Blinding Dazzle sped from her throne. “How brave and how utterly stupid!” A dark aura enveloped the great obsidian crown dominating her head. “Your courage, however misplaced, warrants some form of reward.” Tendrils of darkness sprang forth from the crown and entangled Dusky Defense, binding him to the throne room’s floor. The spear rolled away, and his struggle against the magical bindings was futile. “I will be avenged! There are others like me!” shouted Dusky Defense in defiance. He looked at Focused Blaze in a final appeal. The guard captain and Princess Adagio Dazzle exchanged shocked, helpless looks. Adagio thought, Why is Mother doing this? She could use him to get information or subvert his will to the Master. We must know why he is neglecting his duty and disobeying us! The Queen floated over the merstallion and removed an obsidian dagger from the crown’s central spire. “I trust the others will be more competent. As promised, for your courage, I will grant you the privilege of a quick death and an eternity serving Leviathan!” The merstallion spat defiant curses at his ruler until the end. Muttering an incantation, Blinding Dazzle took the dagger in her right fin and plunged it into Dusky Defense’s chest. Adagio snapped back to the present within the bowels of the Canterlot Aquarium. Slowly and patiently, she asked Sonata, “After all we’ve been through, and after ten centuries of banishment, you are allowing this to divide us now?” “Couldn’t you feel the magic in the rainbow as it washed over us? Didn’t you feel the change in yourself?” asked Sonata. “Or, can all you feel is our magic slowly bleeding away from us now that our heart-pendants have been shattered?” Big Mac hadn’t moved for several minutes. His mouth was hanging open in bewilderment as he watched the two Sirens discuss matters far beyond his comprehension. Adagio shook her head. “Of course I felt it, Sonata, but this is now my last chance to carry out my duty to you and all mermares! This bleeding won’t stop until we reawaken He Who Swims in Darkness and He restores us. We are His chosen and it’s our obligation to serve Him and re-establish the Empire. We will take revenge upon the alicorns and their pony subjects! But, first, I need your help to trick and then destroy the banshee that threatens us all. Aria is unparalleled in a fight, but you’re the only one that could possibly frustrate and fool Shrieking Raven.” Sonata looked at Adagio and then at Big Macintosh. She fidgeted with the borrowed belt that had three apples on the buckle. “Shrieking Raven?” Her eyes widened in realization. “Raven, the literature teacher, is undead!” The revelation caused a wave of nausea to crash over Big Macintosh. His knees buckled and he struggled to keep himself from vomiting. Adagio, terrifying and beautiful in the dim light, beckoned with her right hand. “Come, Sonata, serve your Queen. With a small sacrifice that I will prepare for tomorrow night, we will become true Sirens again, betray Raven and go home at last.” “No! I won’t serve you ever again!” screamed Sonata. She clambered over a pipe and disappeared into the tunnels. Big Mac bolted after her. “Sonata! Wait! I can’t find my way out!” Adagio furiously taunted Sonata before following them. “You are a coward! A little merfilly! You always have been and always will be craven. I offer you a path home and this is how you repay me? The farmer won’t have you now, not after I exposed your lies. I should just let the magic drain from you and watch you grow old and die, but that would make me a very poor Queen to you.” Big Mac, after numerous bumps, bruises, twists and turns, finally caught up to Sonata. She was holding a fire axe in both hands in the dim passageway. Behind her, the glass door to a firefighting station hung open. The hose was piled on the floor and the red-painted brackets showed where the axe was normally stowed. Mac crawled over a huge water heater hooked into a massive network of water, natural gas and steam pipes. He cursed as he burned his hand on one of the attached steam pipes. “What the hell are you doing, Sonata?” he asked angrily. “Running away. I’m getting out of here and making sure that I don’t hurt anyone from Canterlot ever again!” she answered. The axe shook unsteadily in Sonata’s hands and tears ran down her face. The young man winced as he noticed that a burn on his forearm was severe enough to raise a blister. He said, “Sonata, I’m so angry at you that I don’t know whether to hug you or toss you from the top of the Apollo Tower. But, if Pa told me anything before he died, he told me that running away from your problems only makes them worse!” “Oh, you’re not getting out of here that easily, Sonata!” said Adagio menacingly, halting any further discussion. She emerged on the other side of the heater, her path presently blocked by pipes and machinery. “I need you. Your Master needs you. We’ll find Aria and all three of us will destroy the banshee. Of course, that is unless you’re too cowardly to fight for me once again. Your failure against Starswirl the Bearded is why we’re in this predicament in the first place!” Sonata threw the axe at the machinery with every bit of strength she could muster, narrowly missing Big Macintosh. “I’m not a coward!” she screamed. Adagio, seeing the axe twirling towards her, dove back into the dark passageway as the sharp tool ruptured a steam pipe, the natural gas supply line, and finally embedded itself in the pump’s motor. The machinery hissed, sparked and choked. Big Mac shoved Sonata towards the tunnel’s exit, shouting for her to run. He turned back towards where Adagio had dexterously retreated. Suddenly, a spark from the compromised motor caused the natural gas to ignite. The whole assembly violently exploded, with Big Mac taking the brunt of the fiery, shrapnel-saturated blast. He howled in pain yet somehow kept his feet to stagger back towards Sonata and the exit from the aquarium’s labyrinth. In a complete reversal of the earlier situation, Sonata supported the brawny farmer as they emerged into the sunlight of the aquarium’s loading dock and made their way to the concealed truck. He moaned in pain with each step. “Why, Sonata? Why?” Big Mac asked over and over. She reached into his pocket, retrieved the truck keys and guided him to the passenger seat. In the light, Sonata assessed the young man’s injuries. Her mouth grew dry and her stomach spun. “Oh, my prince! I need to get you to a doctor. This is way beyond what I can manage!” said Sonata. Big Mac had the wherewithal to shake his head and frown. “Don’t call me that ever again, Sonata. I’m really tired of your lies right now.” As she started the truck and slid behind the wheel, Sonata tenderly looked beneath the shreds of the farmer’s shirt. His chest and stomach were covered in steam burns and numerous cuts from the exploding machinery. When she reached his shoulders, Sonata gasped. “You’ll be fine, Big Mac. I’ll get you to the hospital right away. Just don’t move your left arm unless you have to,” she instructed, struggling against tears. He groaned, “Why the left side? Everything hurts.” Be brave, Sonata. Be brave and don’t run away, she thought. As she clumsily dropped the truck into gear, she said, “I’m so sorry. This is totally my fault. Just stay still.” She took a deep breath. “You have a big chunk of metal through the meaty part of your left arm and it’s bleeding all over the inside of your truck. Just hold on for a couple more minutes.” As Sonata gripped the steering wheel, she noticed that Big Mac’s blood had dripped onto her bracelet. The once beautiful pink heart with its inlaid turquoise design was now tarnished with smears of red.