Date: 4/05/2013
Five months, nineteen days, and two years until 'Endgame'
Over a cliffs edge, two girls stood near it, staring off towards the sunset, as if expecting the end of days. They wore faces of determination.
"We both broke the rules at the same time." Aria began.
"Does that mean none of us get punished?" Sonata asked.
Aria shook her head. "No... it cant possibly be that."
"No it doesn't," a voice said from behind. "It means you both get punished," it said. It belonged to their eldest sister, who was currently wearing a large hat to cover up the... incident.
It was a large white hat with a red center where your head goes. It also had a large white eye on the front, surrounded at the tip with black feathers. On the eye was a strange looking symbol.
It had even come with a black and red umbrella.
"Well?" Aria said. "What is it?"
Adagio had stepped to the side, revealing a large vat, inside was a thick liquid that looked freezing.
"Inside this are four objects, you two are going to dunk your heads in, and pull one of those things out with your teeth. Whatever you pull out decides your punishment," she explained.
"Sounds... easy?" Sonata had said, staring at the strange vat.
"Just do it. You go first, Aria," Adagio said while pointing at it.
Aria stepped forward and stared the strange liquid.
"Well, here goes nothing," and with a large intake of breath, she dumped her head inside.
The liquid was freezing, as if it were left in a freezer but never turned to ice. And considering she was in the warm outside world, the sudden shocked drove her mind mad for a second.
But she had a mission. Immediately going to work, she opened her mouth and tried to feel around with her head to at least find something. She could feel a heavy object hit her forehead, it seemed to be shaped like a square, meaning she wouldn't be able to get a grip with her teeth, she continued with little breath. She felt something brush past her nose, and with the reflexes of a snapping turtle, she bit down on it, and pulled it out.
Once her head started to dry, she spat out the object and took in some air. Opening her eyes, she could see it laying in the grass.
It was a phone casing.
'What's that mean?' she wondered.
Adagio took a second to look, and then turned to Sonata.
"Your turn, little sister," she said. Her tone was emotionless.
Aria moved out of the way, and allowed Sonata to place her hands on the rim of the container before she did the same as her sister before-hand.
She went by quicker, apparently latching to the first thing she found, picking it off her teeth with her hand, she revealed it to be a soggy piece of paper.
Neither of them knew what the two objects meant, but it was all the information Adagio needed.
With a quick nod, she motioned her hand for them to follow.
They drove off later, and returned home where Adagio would make the necessary preparations.
####
Sonata had no idea how she ended up in this new area, she was blindfolded for one thing. But the area smelled of strong ink and the sound of tiny machines filled the air.
Aria was left at home.
She could feel hands pushing her deeper inside. Less then a minute later, she was seated down, and the blindfold was removed.
Adagio was sitting in front of her, and next to her was the most hideous human she had seen yet.
She looked like a dinosaur made out of melted pug dogs!
She screamed in fear and backed off a few feet, stumbling onto a chair that was behind her.
Beside Adagio was a turning wheel labeled "The Wheel of Pain!"
"Welcome, Sonata,' Adagio said, with a dark smirk on her face, hat still in place. "Listen, I'm not sugar-coating it, you're getting piercings whether you want em or not," she said.
Sonata was still confused, and that showed on her face.
Adagio was forced to explain further. "Just spin the wheel three times, and hope for the best," she finished.
Sonata took another look at the wheel, and it see could see multiple options.
'Left Ear'
"Right Ear'
'Tongue'
'Right Nostril'
'Left Nostril'
'Belly Button'
'Little Nata'
'Lower Lip'
'Upper Lip'
'Eyebrows'
'Surprise Tattoo!'
'My Choice'
That one was written three times on the wheel.
Several of them scared her, but the ones that caught her eye, really terrified her.
Especially 'Little Nata'
She took a deep breath, and approached the wheel. She wouldn't say a word, she wouldn't give her that pleasure. She placed one hand on the rim.
And spun it as hard as she could.
She doesn't know why humans always have that instinct. You see a wheel, and you spin it with all your might. Is it because they like to watch it spin? Do they think that if they spin it hard enough something good will happen?
She just watch as the spike continued to slow its movement, it continued to slow down as it made that continues clicking noise when it touches the little bar.
She could see it slow to the point she could predict where it would land.
'Belly Button'
One above 'Little Nata'
She exhaled the breath she was holding for the duration of the spin.
"Oh, how unfortunate," Adagio clapped her hands together. "Whelp, let's not waste anytime! Ink Skin, get to work," she said.
She felt a hand lift her shirt just slightly below the chest.
She knew who it was and all she could think was. 'What is that? Why is it touching me?'
"Take a deep breath, Sonata" Adagio sang, a dastardly smile on her face.
She could feel the hand push together a flap of skin, and then she felt the needle go through. It hurt, and she made the face of someone who had just eaten a jellyfish sandwich. No sound came out of her oval shaped mouth as she couldn't find the air in her lungs to do so.
It became less intense and simply stung a great deal, but still mercy compared to before hand. She looked down below and saw that just above her belly button was a shiny little knob. There was a tiny chain next to it, and it attached itself to one word.
"Sexy"
Adagio was diabolically laughing as Sonata stared at her new attachment, wide eyed.
"Well then, 'sexy,' ready to go again?"
Sonata started to stutter her words as she continuously referred to the woman, the wheel, and Adagio.
"Say goodbye to something, cause its getting pierced!" Adagio cackled.
With no other choice, Sonata wordlessly spun it again.
The rapid clicking noises were driving her insane. Too insane, some would say!
Eventually it slowed to a full stop, and it made her dread.
'My Choice'
"Ohhh! Yay for me!" Adagio waved her hand for the woman to come closer. She then started to whisper as loud as she could. "By any chance, do you have those piercings that stick to the back of the person's neck?" at the mention of that, she looked at her sister; mischief and pure evil in her eyes.
The woman nodded.
"I pick that one!" she said.
The two followed the woman to a different room with a lay-back chair in it. The woman directed Sonata to lie down on the chair, her back facing the ceiling.
She turned to her eldest sister, a saddened look on her face.
"Do I have too?" she asked. With her years on this earth, she managed many ways of perfecting certain tones in her voice to swindle anyone to her favor without her magic, being a siren helps with that too.
Shame it doesn't work on her sisters.
"I found a piece of gum behind my eyelid yesterday..." Adagio dead-panned.
Sonata looked at the ground and slumped her way towards the chair.
After making sure she was comfortable, the woman went to work. She pinched together a piece of skin, and using a pen, marked a little black dot on one side. Sonata flinched at first, thinking that was a needle, and she thought it was.
'Maybe this one won't be so ba-OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW'
Her thoughts were cut off as she felt something pierce her flesh, it hurt quite a large bit as she was now biting down on the chair, holding onto it with as much force as her hands could put on it.
This went on for another few minutes as the woman put two more of these things inside her. She was darn near ready to tear off the headrest and throw it at the woman when she stopped.
she could her a simulated click as Adagio went to her side, showing her a picture of what had just happened.
Her skin on the back of her neck was purple now as there now a total of three piercings on her neck in the shape of a triangle.
She felt faint. And the worst part was she still needed to go through one more.
Leading her back into the room, with that same wheel.
No words were exchanged this time, Adagio was staring at her with malicious intent, and the woman just looked uninterested.
Sonata was terrified out of her wits, but this was a punishment, and she signed the contract. She had to this whether she liked it or not.
With a final spin, she watched with bated breath as the Wheel of Pain spun in its continues loop.
It slowed and slowed, but it seemed to never step, waiting for Sonata to knock herself out at this rate.
But the waiting ended, it was over and done, and Sonata was to go through with her final trial.
'Surprise Tattoo!'
Adagio was bouncing up and down clapping her hands together.
After Sonata was finished staring off into space with glassy eyes, the woman led the both of them into a new room. The smell of ink grew stronger. They were both kinda surprised it could get stronger, considering the woman reeked of the stuff.
The the two sisters had clear contrasting facial expressions as the woman motioned for Sonata to sit down on another chair. After Sonata leaned to her back, she looked forward to see the woman and Adagio were discussing something in the middle of the room. Sonata couldn't hear them from where she was. Every now and again, Adagio would turn to face her and give a large, crooked smile.
She was considering making a a break for it again when the woman and Dagi broke huddle.
Adagio approached her, making the walk slow and intimidating. "We decided," she said.
"On what?" Sonata asked, backing into her seat slightly.
"Oh no, I'm not telling you. It's a surprise," she menacingly whispered.
She had apparently come prepared as well, next thing Sonata knows, she was blindfolded.
She personally hated that, that feeling of being unaware. She knew she was in a... somewhat safe room. but there's always that nagging feeling of 'what if?'
She waited for a few minutes in the blackness. She could hear the shuffling of feet, and nothing else. She was terrified, mainly because she didn't like pain in general... or tattoos. She was about to take off the blindfold when she heard a noise that would make the manliest of men shriek like a pack of girly girls.
Then came the stinging.
Now, when it comes to Sonata, or the other sirens in general. They know pain. The ocean here on earth is unforgiving and cruel.
In Equestria, it was only worse. The creatures were something to tremble before, and it took some stubborn pride to live there. But this pain... it felt as if she were being electrocuted in the area that needle was. She should know, she's been electrocuted before by some strange creatures. The pain was one thing, the thing that made it a nightmare was not knowing what it was.
She let out a small yelp of pain, she ripped off the armrest, and brought it her mouth where she bit down. She didn't want to appear weak in front of this... thing, she feels it could smell weakness. Her teeth actually met each other after some time. The look on Adagio's face simmered down slightly... but only slightly.
This continued for some time. That feeling of time slowing amplified. It appeared to be hours when it very well could have been minutes.
But her dedication paid off... somewhat. The pain was still numbing and felt as if it would stay for a couple days. Her leg would probably be red for more than that.
Sonata couldn't get a view of the tattoo before the woman wrapped it in a bandage.
After speaking with the woman for a few more minutes, Adagio led Sonata to the back, handing her a bag with clothes in it.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Part of your punishment," was Adagio's only response. "Meet me in the front of the store when you finish," she said before leaving through the entry way.
Sonata was... unsure, to say the least. She didn't want to, but she had to. Entering the changing room; she survived this far, how much worse could it get?
####
Much worse.
The outside world was definitely unprepared for the duo that stood outside the tattoo/piercing store.
One of them was a curvy, bald woman wearing a very strange hat.
The other was a very robust woman wearing... probably only two pieces of clothing. One thing that barely covered her top half, and shorts that barely pass as underwear.
It was humiliating. It exposed her brand new piercings, and on her leg was a large bandage covering up her new ink. Funny thing is: she doesn't even know what it is.
She heard the sound of he sister clasping her hands together. "You ready to see it?" she asked.
"I don't wanna..." Sonata said.
"Well you're gonna," Adagio replied, she crouched down and put her fingers between the bandage and skin. Ready to lift it off. "Want a countdown?"
"Please?"
"Alright." Adagio tightened her grip on the bandage. "Ten, ni- three, two, one, go!"
The interruption startled Sonata, the fact her sister simply tore off the bandage didn't really help either. With a quick yelp of pain, she saw a mass of black ink on her leg, at first she couldn't make it out, then the haze cleared.
Her pale blue skin seemed to only help make this new brand even more eligible. On her leg was an initial set of words.
'I asked my sister out when I was 21'
And below that was a very... artistic rendition of grouchy siren.
Just when she though certain memories were banished to deepest recesses off her mind, they were ripped open like bad stitches.
"Ah, I loved the seventies..." Adagio purred.
Sonata was on her knees making the sound of a sad ghost.
"We're not done yet," her sister mused.
"There's more?" she whispered.
"Yep!" Adagio reached into her pocket.
Sonata was just about ready for something worse then what the collective minds of tartarus could think of.
Then her sister pulled out a small note. That's it. A tiny, insignificant, folded note.
She handed it to her sister, and walked for the car they drove here with.
Sonata instinctively followed, not bothering to read the note just yet. She pulled the handle when something unexpected happened.
The door refused to open.
Adagio gave her a disappointing look. "Read the note, the last part of your punishment is to walk home," Adagio explained.
"Wait, what's on the note?" Sonata asked, pulling it closer to her.
"Directions to home," she answered. "So long, idiot," the engine started up and the car pulled into the street.
Took Sonata a bit to process what had just occurred. Then she remembered the note. She unfolded it and read contents.
The sad ghost returned.
'Follow the car, idiot!'
She looked up again, only to see the car she arrived in was long gone. No way she could run to it now.
With a sigh of defeat, she got up, and began what she knew was gonna be a long trek home.
She could practically feel the judging eyes of the humans she passed. With her new clothes, the piercings, and the tattoo. She looked like every mothers worst nightmare. She looked down, hoping to not meet their disproving gazes.
Just when she passed an alley, she swore she heard something.
Something that sounded like a strange version of cackling.
She looked down there and was surprised to not only see darkness.
But ,IT, standing on a trash lid.
Her eyes narrowed, and if looks could kill, that thing would be decomposing at this rate.
"So we meet again..." she whispered.
"Myeee, that we do..." It said while rising to its two hind legs, accidentally putting too much pressure on one foot and losing balance. "Myeee, You'll regret crossing me, myeee"
"We'll just see about that," Sonata warned, assuming a fighting stance.
####
*Click*
...
*Click*
*Click*
That feeling of boredom you get when there's nothing to do... yeah. Aria was experiencing that right about now. Adagio and Sonata were out undergoing the punishment while they left her here. They had scheduled hers a week from today. So there' s that she has to look forward too.
Right now, she was sitting in the living room clicking away at the TV screen. She decided to try something after she exhausted all the channels.
...
...
"Why do we have these channels?"
She decided to shrug it off and stay with whatever she got.
Then she perked up.
'Why am I getting this feeling of deja-'
before she finished that thought, she quickly turned her head to the front door.
She waited for a moment, as if expecting something. She sat there with bated breath. Expecting the doors to fly open and something to launch in.
After nothing happened, she slowly turned her head around to face the television. Her eyes slightly squinted as they refused to turn away.
With a sigh of relief, she gave in the staring contest and focused her attention back on the TV.
Then the door opened.
Mentally face-palming, she turning to greet her sisters. Or more rather sister.
That didn't seem right. She remembered back to that morning. She remembered her morning step-by-step.
She woke up, got ready, had breakfast.
Oh, and Adagio led Sonata outside with a blindfold.
"Where's Tweedledum?" she asked, focusing on the TV again.
"Oh, don't you worry, she'll be back soon," Adagio said, heading upstairs, and back to her room.
The door closed, and the silent buzz of the TV resumed.
Aria shrugged her shoulders and resumed watching the TV.
'... Hold on a sec?'
*CRASH!!!*
The roof suddenly caved in, and in dropped a body. First it was a small, pale-blue blur. It stopped right in the middle of the living room floor before turning its head to greet Aria.
"Hi..." It says. She was messed up pretty badly to put it plain.
Her clothes were practically gone, revealing small, torn up areas that revealed pink cloth. Her skin was reddish and there were quite a few cuts and scraps over her body. She had a scar on her upper lip, and bits of her hair were ripped off.
"You... okay?" Aria asked, leaning in slightly.
"Yeah..." she said, making a strange motion with her arms as she got up. Kinda like she was covering her leg.
"Okay...? I just don't think it's a good idea to get home all... mauled," she said. "So what happened?"
"I won..." was all she said.
"Okay... don't know what that mea- what is that!?" her eyes focused on Sonata's leg where she saw the new tattoo. "What the hell is that!" her face looked distraught. Then she noticed that her sisters skin reflected some light from the hole in the ceiling. "Holy Jesus, what happened?"
Sonata had turned beet red and was now curling herself into a ball on the floor, trying her hardest to cover the offending image.
"Did you see it?!" Adagio called out from her room.
"I thought we agreed to forget about that!" Aria shouted back.
Adagio's laughter filled the air. "I loved the seventies!"