Ch.12 Fallen Gods
The initial meeting started off very accommodating for Adagio’s standards, which meant the road to their future seemed to be in the bag. She did not need to reprimand her lesser sirens, as it appeared that Yellow Tail took it all in stride. With Sonata’s rather instantaneous mind and her lack of knowledge in humor failed to bring an irritable frown upon his face. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy her frank comprehension in jokes and played along with her like a saint. Aria’s typical aggressive assertive mood failed to find a chink in his stoic armor, having not even the want to interact with him in the beginning. Yellow at least confused her enough to get short simple answers, all of which were not laced with venom surprisingly.
Either he had too much riding on this deal for his benefit, or this was the most patient thing they’d come across in all the years they've been alive. Considering how long they’d been in this world that was a high statement to earn from them. This of course had not diminished her guard, in fact it only empowered her caution as the other bumbling fools played their part. Letting her observe from the sidelines for the moment to catch any flaw in his language of the body or words.
While the three started to shoot the ladder of conversation in a more willing fashion, Adagio decided to study the room itself while the others drew out Yellow’s character. An easy strategy of baiting and she did not need to get her hands dirty. While she wanted to have this deal go through, there were far too many unknowns with this patron who collected such magical items like siren gems. Then there was the fact that he had text books in Equestrian to know how to use them to his and their benefit. It was still a very real chance that he was nothing but a trap for them.
“So you like, know about us right? What about us do you really know?” Aria asked as she kept her normal frown and annoyed look to their esteemed supporter.
“Ya, that’s been itching my head for awhile now? Are you from Equestria too?” their odd little Sonata asked with genuine curiosity.
Twilight seemed pleased with just observing, even going so far as to take out a notepad to transcribe the little moment. For her, this was going to become a historical moment for when she succeeded in bringing magic to the scientific community. The foundation of a glorious future which would be told to generations to come when magic could solve the world’s many stalling problems. Aria’s response to the clueless girl’s admission of Equestria had earned one of her infamous pinches on the back. Sonata simply jumped with a yelp and rubbed the sore spot wincing in discomfort. A quick glare from her offender needed no more explanation, she simply groaned a bit and kept quiet.
With a light chuckle at the two quarrel, “Take it easy you two, I’m going to be as forthcoming as I can Ms. Dusk and Ms. Blaze. I’m very well versed in all living things in Equestria, which is my home as much as it is yours.” He gestured to placate them and ease the purple ones hesitance.
“What was your plan when Battle of the Bands became contested?” Twilight jumped in as the question came to her forethought, “I’m still unclear as to the whole incident. Principle Celestia was very tight lipped about it to the press after the skies turned red and some kind of giant glowing equine appeared. with a column of light.”
“Well duh?! We were going crush the Rainbooms and like take all the magic from them and the negative energy to finally feel full again, but Sunset joined them and… destroyed our gems…” Sonata’s initial excitement dulled out as she touched where her missing pendant use to be.
“Little miss Ketchup and Mustard swirl wasn’t in the plans. We thought we had them locked up below the stag. So much for trusting that dimwitted talentless hack and her goons.” Blaze folded her arms across her chest and sneered hatefully at nothing.
“With power comes corruption, corruption leads to arrogance, and arrogance to collapse. You know it to be true, and its left a mark which I hope you won’t let that happen again.” Yellow Tail looked to the Dazzlings with a pondering eye.
“NO! We’ve learned our lesson right Aria, Adagio? That’s why we’re with you, we want to succeed and get our pendants back! We want to go back home, this place is just the worse... save for the tacos of course…” She wanted to drool at the memory of the last taco tuesday if she actually had not taken the moment seriously.
If one could describe her adorable passion, a litter of kittens would have fallen short of her level. That factor quickly became evident in the failing dynamics of the group and likely apart of their fall from power. Yellow hated to admit, but they had a lot of work to do before they would prove useful once the real mission began. A benevolent smile formed upon his face, he hoped she wouldn’t change much of her person too much when the others gave their guidance. It was a refreshing change from those he dealt with in this world and a non-human at that.
Aria huffed, “If I were leader, we’d have done things differently…”
Their host turned to her with a turned up brow, with Twilight joining him in studying what she just spouted out loud enough for others to hear. Inner group conflicts were usually the first signs of disagreements with how things had been going for a while. That needed to be dealt with immediately lest the goal be put into jeopardy by a break up. Yellow and Twilight didn’t want to have that situation form and stop everything cold turkey, to have the rockets explode before the shuttle even left the launch pad.
Sparkle leaned in to speak quietly, “You never said anything about how you got along once you arrived here. Did something happen? Was it a struggle to get a good meal? Did you have adequate bedding or even a place to sleep soundly?” her barrage of questions broke Aria’s rough edges into dullness.
“We… kept failing to get much power. No latent magic here, a lot of mistakes, and sleeping in abandoned areas when we couldn’t afford a motel. The few times we achieved anything remotely good, we lost our rise and fell back down again. Doesn't help we're immortal with our gems, can't really stay in one place for long since you humans age like cheese." Blaze eyed the girl disdainfully.
“Your displeased with how your life here has been?” Yellow noticed a simmering resentment boiling underneath the agitated sirens frown that begged to shout every grievance she ever had to the world.
“It’s just been the worst for us before we tried getting the Equestrian magic from Canterlot High. Though we’ve never been run off like we were after our gems were broken or have our voices taken away. We just ate and left. when things seemed to get as good as they would ever get. Whether it was getting close to an factory lord whose greed and practice made his workers disgruntled, or the leaders of protests during wars where disharmony was the juiciest, especially when the police came or a counter protest came into the scene.” Dusk shrugged as Adagio in the back showed no real reaction to what was becoming a topic against her past leadership.
Yellow quickly ascertained their history and what group dynamic there was wasn’t particularly Adagio’s fault. They were literally fish out of water in this world and desperate decisions could easily be masked as incompetence.
“When opportunity came, you three became drunk with Equestrian magic and failed to take what was rightfully yours. A pity, but it happens to the best of us, let it not taint your views of the future.” his grainy voice rumbled enough to catch the trio’s attention.
Twilight nodded, “He has a point, you had countless youths enthralled and could have easily had them overcome the rival band before they could get the upper hand.” she added by pointing the back end of her pen at Aria.
“The fault is not yours entirely that I can assure you. That other one, the other Ms. Sparkle, I could feel the immense magical reservoir within her from miles away, she was equestrian let there be no mistake. You failed to stop her and that Sunset Shimmer who is also Equestrian by birth, you failed from the very beginning by lacking the true understanding of your opposition.” He hummed the last word as he looked on like a professor discussing the bad grades of his students.
“But… but we did all we could! We even got the other students to turn against them and everything! That Quick Watch guy, Adagio saw him make her cry and everything!” the Sonata blurted out in urgency.
“Have you forgotten when a desperate animal is backed into a corner it will fight with an unnatural vigor. You did not use your options, and for that you played their silly little game of contest of skills. Your pride was your downfall.” his eyes soon became the object of fearful inspection like a scorning mentor.
The two Sirens had little retort after that, it was not something they even considered during the rush of it all. Though Aria herself was not invulnerable to the man’s investigations, he was right when he said power ruined their train of thought and awareness. It was a shameful thing to admit, but they were so focused on defeating the Rainbooms on the BotB’s conditions. It was the sensation of feeding off real Equestrian magic that had them so blind.
Yellow Tail could see they had realized the moment of their failure in the truth of it all. The taste of disappointment in themselves had its own flavor, but it was not his goal to earn such a mood from them. He simply wanted them to feel even more humble than before, and better mentally equipped to be what he needed from them.
“Fear nothing of it my little gems, the euphoria of power is intoxicating. It makes you a monster, something that cannot control itself as it indulges in the riches pursued. I know it all too well… no one better.” He smiled a toothy grin wide enough to draw the girls back from introspection.
He straightened out his posture before bowing to mean he too had fallen once before like they did. A willingness to admit such a disgrace, it had laid the ground for silence for a time which only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard. Sonata’s raspberry eyes starred at the embers for a minute before looking to their host when a question popped into her mind.
“Were… were you sent here because you were trying to take over Equestria too? Like us?” it was a very honest inquiry that had Aria and Adagio eager to hear of.
Left with a moment to reflect upon his old life, Yellow figured a snippet would be enough to tell them until they could be trusted fully. A minuscule section wouldn’t have any strings for an eavesdropper to pick up on that could threaten the mission. They were still too wet behind the fins to know very much or to know what to do with it. To trust without restrictions, he risked spoiling everything he built up for the last few centuries. Yet, they had to be hooked, and the others would pull out everything else out of them in due time. He wouldn’t be betrayed again, that he swore after the Mage Nine threw him to the dogs when he was so close to stopping the tragedy.
Looking to the closest Sirens and then to Twilight, he nodded at her impending question to write down what she was about to hear. Yellow then guided the girls to nearby seats waiting vacantly for new users before the cluttered desk. He himself chose to remain standing, as this was going to be a quick insight to satisfy Sonata and her fellows.
As everyone started to get comfortable in the guest seats cushioned with velvety softness, Adagio’s senses soon picked up on a strange sensation coming from around them. While she had been considering throttling Aria for her dislike of how she led the group, it was difficult to feel at first as she examined the mansion’s huge study room. Using the power of her gemstone, she decided to caste a probing spell on the nearest bookcase ever secretly. Standing close to the spiral stairs leading up to the next level, the entire wall of rows upon rows of shelves were saturated in the detection aura.
A mind numbing background interference warbled like a tick just piercing the skin and briefly felt by the unwilling host before its numbing saliva did its job. Her mind however, sharper than most could sense the prick of sensory manipulation, some kind of enchantment over the house. It dictated what she experienced in this room as if it were a virtual simulation that had become the biggest seller for youths these days. She looked around trying to figure out what it was that had her fooled, rather than panic she was determined to find the source and rupture it. She could not figure out if it was Yellow Tail or someone else casting the Shadow, but the likelihood of the culprit wasn’t the best of feelings.
She sent a second spell which would hopefully find the caster. As such a Veil this large and spanning the entire mansion most likely would need a lot of mana to keep it going, and in this world that was a rare commodity. A very low level vocal hum from her set the tracking spell outwards and the immediate results were very much a cause for worry. Adagio had caught seven pings back to her as they were highlighted for her eyes only, six figures were scattered around the library and all were invisible to her skewed senses.
The seventh had become Yellow Tail himself, he was one of the ones supporting the spell as well by the sheer intensity of the aura around him. That caused the golden siren to stifle the look of horror which would have been plastered all over her. She’d been in situations similar to this, and to show anything as such when surrounded didn’t end too well for them.
Adagio caught that familiar shine in the eyes of their new friend who stood before her group. The same golden glimmer she saw when Aria was rescued by him from the drunken slob. It was not just a reflection of light since he had his back to the fireplace, and anything else in the room wasn’t that bright enough.
She was all too familiar with Veils back in Equestria, though perhaps not how to caste them. From their travels in Equis between feeding on towns and cities, one unicorn caravan they came across spoke of strong willed ponies who could overcome the illusion often used by bandits harboring hired mages. The spell could only be beat by confronting the eyes of the caster and then it would slowly dissipate once the mind realized the true reality. The strength of the victim’s constitution allowed them to fight against the shroud. It was as if telling Sonata that the human’s tradition in the dead of winter wasn’t truly about some fat man in red who gave presents to people. Adagio regretted letting that get out of hand a few winters ago.
When their eyes had met, a tingling sensation wrapped around her brain that turned into the twitches of nonexistent muscles. The magical illusion began to falter as her own magic began to reassert itself. It confirmed her suspicion that they were being captivated. The sensation had to be her senses trying to see what the spell was hiding. Not that she needed to see what was there, it was all a lie and she was content to go on with that conviction.
‘Using a Veil on an already on edge siren was the worst possible thing you could have done. Now you have hired muscle watching us as well?! This is some kind of trap, it has to be! If anything, we’re not trapped in here with you, you’re trapped in here with us!’ she thought as she felt a ping of disappointment that such a lead in life had gone so sour as all the other hopefuls had done in the past.
She could only see this whole act as nothing but a ploy by the Rainbooms and those spoiled C.H. student. They had gone through great lengths to further punish them for what they did, and it was likely Sunset behind all this. How she acted so coy and trying to establish a connection that night, it disgusted her.
Yet as she pulled together a battle plan with having themselves outnumbered, deep down Adagio wished she had been all wrong about the situation. Genuine gems and their voices just seemed so cruel even by her standards, as Sirens manipulated to feed so who would know better about cruelty?
While the other girls were going with his act as oblivious as they were, Adagio kept to the edges of the group’s perimeter as she had been doing. Aria followed Sonata to a pair of cushioned chairs near Twilight by the desk as Yellow leaned onto it preparing to tell them a lie no doubt. It was when the group looked set to hear the tale to be told that she set her plan into action to expose the lie.
“Where would I start? There are many years I could take even a morsel of, I was orphaned at a very young age, studied under the Biologis Magus later on, or I could go over when I found out about the source of magic...” Yellow Tail rubbed his chin having not noticed the impending complication.
Adagio perceived his pause to recollect as smug attitude. He was drawing on this meeting past what it was suppose to be about. A mere meet and greet, then some kind of test or other before the real reason for their presence had been brought up. At least that was one of the many outcomes she expected to happen, not so much this friendliness being displayed. It had to be a tactic to get them complacent, to be buddies and sooth their cautiousness.
Coughing into her hand to draw his attention, “You could start with all this." she waved her arms to gesture the entire room, "This wonderful rich home you’ve made yourself. I mean the least we could know is how you’ve succeeded so well with magic of this world, or how you amassed it. Oh and I mean the magic that sustains this place like this collection here behind me or up there or even all around us, that fire there, and the pristine surfaces don’t fool me.” Adagio said as her arms folded across her chest in displeasure and leaned onto one leg.
Looking at her with little indication he felt anything at her sudden epiphany, Yellow stood still gazing at her with intrigue cloaked under his posture. They underestimated them unfortunately, with the shroud starting to fall away from her perception so soon into the schedule. The others he used to watch over them hadn’t felt her capable of showing such promise and ability, and that mishap became a regrettable one. This orange haired purple dressed diva handled the logistics, and often failed to see the small things that would cause problems. The other two were little more than instruments to enact her will. A few times, it was witnessed that she used pack behavior and dominated the usurper Aria since their arrival into this world. She was sharp he had to give her that, and she picked up on the Veil due to the gemstone in her possession which meant it had more power than he initially appraised them for. That alone opened up new potential in the Dazzlings, their natural biology must be empowered with more negative energy they consume. That in turn created problems, now he had to rework their place for the future.
“Adagio? Are you okay? You seem… I don’t know...?” Twilight had the most curious of looks etched onto her face.
“Well he did give us the gemstones, he’s probably stashed a lot of other magical shiny stuff from this world Adagio.” Sonata answered back looking to their leader from her chair.
“Not that long ago you were wringing my neck about messing this up, funny calling the kettle black…” Aria leered back to the lone seemingly defiant girl.
“We’re under a Veil spell you idiots, none of this is real and if Yellow expects us to cooperate and not leave with our two gems. He will tell us why we’re being fooled and why there are others hiding all around us.” answering back and watched as the others began to slowly freak out, “That is, if we’re that valuable to whatever he’s up to.” She said with a devious sultry tone.
There was no response to her questions being thrown his way, Adagio simply waited patiently for Yellow to do or say anything before launching into the interrogation she had prepared on the spot. A few agonizing minutes passed before he finally stirred from his moment of still thought.
The whole reason behind the glorified structure and the library had been chosen to placate a sense of safety and security for his guests especially in Twilight. The plan had been to release them from it once they agreed to the deal, then explain the whole purpose and trust they saw it’s point to the act. Now, in hindsight he wished that he’d studied the dominant Siren further to have avoided this. Her agitation coupled with the easily flipped support of the other two made this very turbulent.
“Yellow? Is this all true?” Twilight’s eyes were scanning her peripherals every few seconds as if she were under the air of attack.
He ran a hand through his cadmium red hair slowly and sighed, “One does with what one can. To be honest, your kind is a bit of a wild card as you’ve just proven. But I have my reasons and all of which were in your favor, trust me on that.”
“So you think you know everything, you’re still avoiding my question!” Adagio steadily grew more impatient, her stern eyes never leaving his golden pupils.
“Tell me this first Ms. Dazzle, if you had your entire home's safety in the unwitting hands of another. How would you deal with them and their gift that only you could restore? How much power they would attain and easily run off with believing reprisal if they broke trust? As I assume you probably thought was the case.” he answered with no hint of feeling in his words, merely sending back the same attitude towards the golden siren.
Scrunching her face into a scowl that even Aria would be proud of, she still wanted answers not more questions. However, she was smart enough to listen and see where he was coming from. No Rainboom had yet mysteriously popped into existence, no C.H. students coming out to swarm the exits. It was simply them and this lone group with an agenda.
“I took the precautions for safety, nothing more. You do possess those stones after all, and they are quite powerful. All I wanted to do, was make you less afraid of me and I would slowly reveal the veil once I earned your cooperation in spirit. We both know so little of each other, but the shark takes the baited hook and can thrash about to break the line.” His words seemed to ease the three before him and earn a glaring reaction from Adagio.
He began to turn this against her, in truth it probably was an excusable act he committed against them. Equestrian or not, they had the ability to convert them into their followers as much as any human. Yet here they were once again playing the human game and not going the easy route. Perhaps they had spent too much time in this world? An idea she'd have to investigate herself to weed out the weakness in them as Yellow had so pointed out before.
Her scowl lessened by a margin, “If you’ll tell me everything I need to know, I’ll consider not doing something regrettable with our powers, and if you know us well enough then I need not waste my breath. You do have the metaphorical gun to our heads with those lackies around us, though I'm sure we can handle them even with two gems.” Adagio stood her ground and hoped her bluff would work.
Their desperate situation after the BotB, receiving the gems, feeding again, singing once more had become a drug. They were complacent to his bread crumbs and she felt ashamed for it, her a mighty capable siren who brought low Aquestria and other big settlements on land that culminated in nearly Canterlots fall. The whole time their new chance at life was like the dream come true for them. There was a price to be paid however, and they still needed one more for Sonata in order to really be a force to reckon with.
Though in reality, it was her desire to ensure their simple minded cohort had her place to be content with. They could not leave her without a pendant, it would eventually tear the group to shreds. For her, the worst fear really came from being alone in this human wasteland even with a stone to harness energy and sing. Sirens were social creatures, they don’t last long without partners as a fish would without water. To fathom going out with just Aria, was a death sentence in itself. The famed Triad was not a saying, but a rule to survive by for young sirens.
Yellow took a deep breath and craned his neck to his accomplices hidden from eye sight.
“You were safe once I began to covet what is the salvation to our home. No one here would have hurt you, you are my little gems after all.” He snapped his fingers once.
“Tell us why you did what you did, why are we so important to your cause. What is your cause? Why do you keep referring to us as your 'Little Gems’?!” she held a hand up to her pendant hidden within her top further pushing her bluff to use it.
Her move put them at a very precarious ledge, one that spoke volumes of her intentions. Ponies would never go so low as to threaten in such a way, and that became very clear to Yellow Tail. It was a comforting thought strangely enough, perhaps he could say more than he originally wanted and not have it leaked to the mage society in Equis who could interfere again. Much like Adagio, he had a nagging feeling that the trio were just the Arcana seeking to end them and get rid of lose ends.
“If it will keep us all in one piece then I suppose there is no harm. Let me ask you this, did you ever once back in Equestria, notice how your hunger for more power never ceased? That you pushed for larger and ever grander platforms for your singing for your appetite?” he hummed in delight with the niche he needed to pry open the siren’s gusto.
Aria spoke up first if reluctantly when the curly locks remained quiet, “Yes… Adagio kept taking us to bigger and bigger cities which each fell just like the last. We hit it big and won the musical contest against Starswirl the Bearded. Then he sent us here before we could feed on the negative energy we cultivated and slave the ponies to us. I never even got to taste it all that either.”
“Starswirl yes, somepony we both have an ire for if not mine of his mentor. That was no ordinary hunger, wouldn't you agree Ms. Dazzle?” he turned his sharp eyes upon the threatening Siren after giving an empathetic look to the regretful one.
She tightened her stare, “We were doing what Sirens are naturally supposed to do. We sing, our audience fights, and we feed to grow more powerful.”
“That was an instinctual response Adagio Dazzle. Your bodies sensed the stress on the world around you and so you set out to gorge yourselves. Did you not think as to why there were no other sirens out there doing what you did? You crossed a Ley Line convergence zone before your aspirations. Those gems all sirens are born with are naturally made from birth. Every young siren grows their own at first feeding on physical food sources. Not only does it aid in spell casting, they also store power am I right? The unique mineral structure uses dark magic to create discord and chaos, breeding negativity so that you may feed on the spiritual emotional energy that empowers your kind.” He slowly started to walk towards her as he stepped heavily.
“Ley Lines? What we did was due to our lack of being tethered to tradition! We did what needed to be done. By all this gibberish I'm going to go on a line and say you had some ties to pony magicians like Starswirl were you not?” she grumbled keeping her hand primed and ready to activate her stone by a single touch.
“That my little gem, is a story for another time. For now, let us skip to your first series of questions. Why you’re so important and why we’re here to begin with. Try to let me explain first before you need to intervene, long ago when demons roamed Equis and committed horrible acts of their nature much like yours. They devoured the entire negative emotional spectrum which made them very adaptable to every creature of sentient thought. I happened to come across the lost knowledge of the menace hidden away in an old unicorn burial site when I had ventured around the world to learn of life and nature. The reason as to why your needed, we all must return home to put a stop to the Demons coming as prophesized by unicorns of old. And somehow retain magic they have been reclaiming since their sentence.” He slowly passed the three girls still glued to their tall ornamented chairs listening on the edges of their seats.
“What do you take us for? Foals?! Your sounding deranged already.” She took a step back.
“A history long removed by the Arch Mages of the past and present, in order to prevent the Demons from breaking out of their prison below Tartarus as they're empowered by mere thought. Speak not the evil and it shall remain hidden from the light of day, that had been inscribed on that tomb I found, the rest is history. A fool’s errand really, because when they were sealed away so was the one who granted the wish for magic to exist. I don’t even know if anypony is alive to this day that knows this secret that doesn't belong to the rulers of the ponies that will soon enough curse the world in pursuit of their holy mission. Only the exile here likely know anything to be honest, and we’ve been searching for a way back home to save Equis!” he balled up a fist and shook it with vigor.
“Demons? Demons gave magic to life on Equis? Are you sane? Even if what you speak is even true, that would make…you…” she kept taking steps away from the approaching man who held such fire in his heart.
“There are reasons we have lived for as long as we have, but we don’t have time for the details. We've been through the great wars of this world, one the Demons would all too much enjoy putting our home through if not to enjoy the food it would foster. What is important is that when they were sealed away, so was the deal struck with ponykind by that lone forgotten wishful pony. A deal with a very powerful Demon who gave his entire corporeal form and power to bestow the magical field around the world. So long as it could feast upon the suffering and chaos it created, the magic would stay for all to use. Ancient ponies soon evolved along with the magic and it sped up their development as well as their society by ages. When the goddess Faust could take no more of the suffering of every soul by the Demons many machinations, she banished them under Tartarus. The deal was broken and the magic has since slowly been sucked away to the Devil that made the contract. Soon, all magical creatures will be defenseless and civilizations left to rot with ill equipped denizens. The world will be left for the inept to inherit and many will perish before the calm.” He stopped just before Adagio and dropped his hand to his side, looking straight into her eyes with a soul bent on achieving their goal.
She didn’t know who she was dealing with at this point, nor if his story was even true. His conviction was powerful enough to sense, and a simmering hatred boiled beneath the human. She could only assume was his original body still alive in this world, and it was screaming for release much like they had when they lost everything. All this pointed to the clear fact that he was not likely with the Rainbooms, the fervor had been too powerful to fake and they were all still in one piece. No humiliation, no Sunset Shimmer, no Canterlot High pests around for her power to detect.
Adagio swallowed the lump in her throat, “So what? What are we for that you need so desperately!?” she almost hissed trying to keep him at an arms distance.
A deep breath and a slow exhale later, “You know about those rubies you possess that only you three can utilize to their maximum capabilities. We need you three to fill them to the brim, and with the assistance of young Ms. Sparkle over there we will break through the one portal that exists here and go back home. We can put a stop to the madness before it goes critical, but that is all I’m willing to divulge.” he leaned in closer until their eyes were a few inches away.
She utterly scoffed at his claim, trapped between wanting to enthrall him and get at the others lurking about or wanting to try and see the end of the deal. There was far too much for her to take in, but whether he was crazy or overzealous it wasn’t a good spot to be in. The turmoil within her threatened to answer for her if her will had not been strong enough as it were, a pinch in the soul she felt that kept going every few seconds like some sea louse trying to get blood between scales.
“Time in running out young siren, eventually we’ll be found out by those who use that portal or Equis will suffer its coming fate.” He told her as he gave her a little birth between them for breathing room, stepping back slowly and placing his hands behind his back.
Adagio started to sweat as her mind worked out the best possible choice, the whole situation was ludicrous at best. It became too farfetched and beyond truth that this was actually happening. To make matters worse, the other Dazzlings were looking to her for an answer and Twilight eagerly awaited her decision with an itchy pen and paper. She could handle it though, she was Adagio Dazzle, leader of the most successful pod to ever grace Equestria with their illustrious songs.
Then, the thought occurred to her that she needed to see more to be sure of. Who were the others and why were they so concerned with Equestria, much less if there was any way to contain them if she had to attack Yellow Tail. She needed to know who these others were for their safety if this went south. Composing herself and clearing her throat, she gave out the air of certainty and spoke the tangent.
“All this…” she waved her free had all around, “I want the Veil removed and those others right here and now exposed! I have to see something before I give my answer.”
With a grin the man nodded, “You surprise me once again, Ms. Dazzle.” His eyes glimmered for a moment as he snapped his fingers a second time.
The entire surrounding air began to wobble and undulate slowly like heat off a hot street during a heat wave, the spell was collapsing upon itself by his command. The only things unaffected were the seats the girls sat in and the wood floor. Yet even the ground changed, losing its clean fresh carpet and rugs as it grayed and cracked into concrete as through age and carelessness. At the very least, they were inside some kind of decrepit structure and not on some slab of concrete awaiting construction.
“You are quite the specimen of your species, that much I’ll say again.” He told her with an emotionless face which lost its character for something all the more colder.
By now the girls had jumped from their seats and huddled close, they knew soon those watchers Adagio called out as they came into view. It became an uneasy experience to see the world around them melt away. The air soon lost the warmth of an air conditioned room and replaced with the dreary cool humid air of the outside. Bright white cracks began to spider web along almost every surface as if a stone had been tossed at a mirror in several places. Audibly, the cracking had nearly reached ear splitting decibels where everyone but Yellow to cover their ears.
With a third snap of the fingers, the illusion existed no more. A blink of the eyes, the whole study room became nothing more than an empty place where a study could have been. No paintings hung, empty shelves instead stood awaiting use that never came, railings were unpainted and infested by termites, and the stone hearth looked as if it had never been used since it as constructed. It all appeared to be the skeletal form of an unfurnished home that had not seen a buyer for few year at the least.
“Wow… Adagio was right…” Sonata said in a hushed voice.
Twilight would have freaked out if it were not for her unbound need to study the cloaking device the man seemed to possess. Either he was a master chemist or there were holographic projectors strategically located that fooled even her. Then again, it may have been magic and something to that Veil Adagio called it to sway the sensory receptors like it did. Her fear for the meeting fought with the curiosity of the moment, and her tongue had stilled for simply observing for the finality that was upon Adagio’s head.
“There you are you snakes in the grass.” The golden siren regained her composure and located all six bodies that stood as bystanders.
Everyone could see a mixture of men and women who stood watching from the distance as if they were at a zoo and they themselves were the zoo attraction. Business suits, a baker, city workers, and a gardener to name them for the sake of it all gazed at them unmoving. Varying ages of adults with a higher than thou look framed on their faces. Adagio figured they cared little for such brilliance like hers, much less put on such a show that would have had them fighting. Though whoever these sentenced souls were, they all held the same belief as Yellow Tail and that troubled her. It was beginning to make his story all the more believable if by a little.
“Well since your so adament about seeing everything in the light, I want to introduce the Outcast. The ones you somehow detected within the Veil. Each and every one of them are beings who have been exiled to this world surprisingly by coincidence. It seems the banishment spell has a fixed location to dump those who are deemed dangerous.” Yellow gestured to the faux humans.
“Ya be seeing us now lass, not just tha boss. And we ain’t the kinda folks who are as patient as that bloke right there.” a man with a Scottish accent stood by the left doorway blocking its use as an exit.
One of the suits on the upper level of the library area held a suitcase and appeared impatient with the whole fiasco, “Those cheeky little minx are gonna be let in right proper.”
“Do you really mean to spark a fight here, when there are things far bigger to fear? I hope you’ll see reason and join us, and forgive this little fuss.” one of the women in a starch clean electricians uniform rhymed.
As Adagio’s eyes moved to the next soul, she saw the haggard form of that thing who gave them their first gem. That creature that could freeze time as well as the very air around her, it made her drop her strong demeanor and wince. It still looked as old and feeble as they last saw it, still wearing that hat which hid her face but left that near toothless grin be seen. That black bird perched on her left shoulder seemed to never leave her side, and it looked at her with those beady little eyes.
“I know you two have met, and I’m positive she disobeyed the order to not exercise her power. She knows that item has very little magic remaining and yet she still pushed the boundaries.” Yellow sighed seeing the stress the siren was under, “Though I guess it cannot be helped when you’re dealing with a Lich.”
“A WHAT?!” the Dazzlings collectively shouted.
Without flinching from the sudden barrage, “Details again for a later time, now Ms. Dazzle. I’ve held up my agreement so I hope you and your group will consider my proposal to help me stop the ruining from occurring.”
Her violet eyes were everywhere now, what was she to do?