The Morning Sonata Pt2
The trip to Whitetail was a short one. The bus going to Cloudy Dale in the north west passed through the cosy little town, which looked to Sunset Shimmer like an old farming village from the 17th century. As the group all stepped off onto the dusty road, the bus grinding away behind them, Sunset had to admit that she had a really difficult time imagining Adagio Dazzle in a place like this. It was just so... low-key. So humble.
“Hey, there’s my great uncle, Apple Strudel,” Applejack pointed out cheerily, indicating an elderly man in Bavarian clothes manning a road-side stand.
Rarity was looking around with that critical eye that they all knew so well. It couldn’t have been clearer that she was getting ideas from the homely-looking country attire of the townspeople. Sunset fervently hoped they didn’t come within half a mile of a sewing machine or they might be having a rather extended visit.
“Pinkie, where did you say you saw Adagio?” Sunset inquired. Pinkie, who’d been balancing on some wooden stumps in the ground, looked up with both arms stretched out and one leg horizontal like a ballerina.
“Who?”
“Adagio,” Sunset said. She waited, but Pinkie seemed unenlightened. “The one with the poofy orange hair,” she added, exasperated.
“Oooh!” Pinkie said, comprehendingly, leaping over Fluttershy’s head and landing between Sunset and Sonata. She wrapped her arms around their necks and pointed to a small complex of wooden buildings. “Over there!”
It had been at least five weeks since Sonata had seen Adagio, perhaps longer, and Sunset could tell by the slightly forced felicity in her friend’s mannerisms that she was feeling rather anxious.
The place that Pinkie showed them was a low, log-constructed building with a large wooden sign over the main door. Mrs. Needle’s Fabric Emporium.
“There’s another relative of mine,” Applejack said, shaking her head and smiling.
“Who aren’t you related to, AJ?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh hah, hah,” Applejack snapped, folding her arms.
The interior smelled like fresh pressed linen, and the shop was warm despite the cold outside. A single long aisle ran between two rows of shelves stuffed full of rolls of fabric, knitting tools, and even in one corner, a fully functional, old-fashioned spinning wheel. A young man at the till smiled over at the group.
“Howdy there!” he said in a faux-country accent, pushing the half-moon spectacles up his shapely nose. “If I can help any of you, don’t be afraid to ask!” he flashed his nametag, which read Hello! My name is Trenderhoof.
Rarity stared at the man for a moment or two, and then let out a scream of shock that sent her friends scurrying for cover. The young man’s smile vanished as Rarity pushed herself across the counter to stare at him. She read the tag several times over.
“Trenderhoof?” she gasped. “The Trenderhoof!?”
The man straightened his blonde hair, his face turning pink. “Um... yes?” he said, awkwardly.
“Um, why is Rarity assaulting the cashier?” Applejack asked, dispassionately. Sunset frowned thoughtfully.
“Trenderhoof... why does that sound familiar?”
“He’s a famous journalist and critical writer,” Sonata explained. “Although he’s gone into talent scouting recently too.”
Everyone stared at her as she smiled vaguely at them.
“How in the world do you know that?” Sunset asked, breathlessly.
“It was in a magazine on your coffee table,” Sonata said, sounding amused. She put her head to one side and smiled innocently.
“You can read?” Rainbow Dash thought out loud. Applejack elbowed her.
As Rainbow and Applejack glared at each other and the others watched Rarity ogling Trenderhoof, Sunset heard a voice coming from the back of the shop.
“Could you bring more velvet #072 please, Ballad?”
“Coming, Mrs. Needle.”
Someone emerged from a backroom, the top of their head visible. The head was utterly unfamiliar, but Sunset was sure that she’d recognised the voice. Watching where the head was going, she jogged down the main aisle and peered around the corner. At first she couldn’t be sure if this were the person they were looking for. Her hair was long, straight and held back in a loose ponytail. Her formerly thin frame was bulkier than before, her skin tanned. Her clothes were worn, but spotlessly clean. All in all she looked like a self-respecting farmhand. Kind of like Applejack if Sunset were honest with herself.
As this person deposited a hefty roll of red velvet onto a shelf, she seemed to notice Sunset’s head and looked round. There could be no mistaking those eyes.
“Adagio?” Sunset whispered, disbelievingly. The girl’s eyes widened slightly, and she looked momentarily slightly shocked, but then her expression lapsed into a steady unconcern.
“Hello,” she said. There was no mistaking it.
“It is you!” Sunset said, walking up to her. “Dear Celestia, what-... I mean, you look different.” She flushed a little, but Adagio didn’t look offended. Or respond at all, really. “So, um... how are you doing?”
“Good,” Adagio said, tonelessly. Sunset felt like she was talking to Maud.
“So, you work here?”
“Yeah.”
“You like it?”
“It’s okay.”
“Do you live around here too?”
“Yes.”
Sunset was out of questions. Adagio stocked the shelf as she spoke, her expression unchanging. It was hard to tell exactly whether Adagio was being cold or just unresponsive. This behaviour, like her appearance, was just so far removed from the Adagio she’d known.
“Hey um, Adagio. Are you-“
“If it’s all the same, could you not call me that, please?” Adagio asked, quietly. “It’s Ballad now.”
“O-Oh,” Sunset mumbled. “Sure, no problem.”
“Hey, who you talkin’ to?” Pinkie asked, popping her head over the shelf between them. She looked at Adagio, then at Sunset. Then she looked at Adagio again. Then at Sunset again. “You guys know each other?” she asked brightly.
“Um...” Sunset stalled, looking to Adagio for some indication of how to respond.
“Oh, are you all here?” Adagio asked, looking up unconcerned.
“Err, yeah,” Sunset said, awkwardly. “Actually there’s someone else with-“
“Hey Sunny,” Pinkie called in a stage whisper. “Who’s your friend?”
Adagio sighed quietly. “It’s me. Adagio,” she mumbled, as though eager not to be heard. Pinkie stared at her, frowning slightly. She turned her head this way and that as Adagio stared back at her, the faintest of crease lines between her brows.
“No way,” Pinkie chuckled. “You’re- pfft! Hey, guys!”
“What?” Rainbow called, trying to coax Rarity away from a practically fleeing Trenderhoof. “What are you guys doing over there? We need the jaws of life over here!”
“This girl says she’s Ada-“ Sunset leapt forward and slapped a hand over Pinkie’s mouth. “Mm-mmph-uhm!”
“Pinkie, not so loud!” Sunset hissed.
“Nmph Sho Lwd?” Pinkie repeated.
“Yes!” she glared at her meaningfully. Pinkie gave the A-okay sign and winked conspiratorially. Sunset exhaled and took her hand from Pinkie’s mouth.
“Hey guys!” Pinkie hissed in her stage whisper again. “This girl says that she’s Adagio!”
Sunset wanted to strangle her, and may have seized her neck if her head hadn’t popped down behind the shelf. A sound like a herd of antelope thundered to Sunset’s left as she felt herself buffeted out of the way by a crowd of eager teenagers. Gotta love good friends.
Adagio looked at them all one by one as they all stared back, all trying to see features they recognised. “No Twilight Sparkle?” Adagio asked, although her tone suggested that she was not much interested.
“Adagio...?” Sonata pushed her way gently to the front. For the first time, true emotion broke over Adagio’s face, and even beyond all of the physical differences, it was easy to see the girl the siren had once been.
“Sonata,” she breathed. “You’re...” she hesitated. To the surprise of all present, she took several quickened steps forward and embraced Sonata. Everyone stepped back a little awkwardly. Rainbow and Fluttershy suddenly developed an interest in a roll of foul yellow cotton, whilst Pinkie blushed and slid out of sight. Sunset was the only one who didn’t look away, but found herself staring at the display of affection with a faint feeling of disapprobation. Quite why she couldn’t explain
This affecting scene may have gone on for some time, but the universe has an aversion to tenderness of any kind, and cannot suffer it to continue for extended periods of time. That which had the honour of shattering this particular moment of nauseating public affection was a shrill cry emanating from the back room.
“Ballad!” Adagio and Sonata jumped apart.
“Ballad?” Sonata frowned. “Is she talking to-?” she fell silent at the look Adagio gave her.
“Yes, Mrs. Needle?” she called back.
“Are you done with those rolls yet? I need help with these boxes!”
“Be right there, Mrs. Needle.” She looked back at the group, her indifferent expression and tone back on. “It was nice seeing you again, Sonata,” she said, giving the faintest of smiles.
“You need some help back there?” Applejack offered, apparently on an impulse. “I know old auntie Needle can be a little... well, sharp.” She chuckled nervously.
“Really?” Rainbow Dash snorted.
“No, thanks,” Adagio said, gratefully. “Really, I’m fine. It was nice meeting you all again.”
So saying, she turned away, and disappeared into the back room.
Needless to say, Sonata was somewhat distressed by this turn of events. Sunset had lived with her now long enough to know that her fellow sirens were the root cause of all of her current insecurities. Aria’s rage and resentment at having failed bore a side of her that Sonata had never seen, and Adagio’s shattered confidence had caused her to leave Sonata alone to fend for herself. A few times Sonata had espoused a wish to find them, but never as much more than a side-thought, and Sunset imagined that given time she would move passed them. Now however, she wasn’t so sure.
Sunset sat next to Sonata on a bench by the bus stop, Fluttershy on her other side, trying to cheer her up.
“She might just have been busy,” Fluttershy said kindly. “Applejack did say that her great auntie Needle is a stickler for working hard.”
“I’m sure if we meet her when she’s off work she’d want to talk to you.” Sunset rubbed Sonata’s back. “Look, there she is now.”
Adagio exited the emporium with a bag in hand. Treading a path she’d clearly trodden many times before, she made her way to the stand where Applejack’s great uncle Apple Strudel stood and began a conversation over his counter.
With a little support, Sunset and Fluttershy convinced Sonata to go over and talk.
“Oh,” Adagio said at their approach. “You’re still in town?”
“Friends of yours?” Apple Strudel asked, good-naturedly.
“You could say that,” Adagio said, her eyes darting sideways. “Is there anything else that you needed, sir?”
“Deary, I told you to stop calling me sir,” Apple Strudel said sternly, jabbing a finger onto his stand top. “This’ll be alright. We’ll be having fish for dinner tonight, okay?”
“Sounds great,” Adagio waved the man off as he hobbled away on his cane. Then she noticed Sunset and co still standing there. “Was there something you wanted?” she asked eventually. Sunset and Fluttershy glanced at each other nervously.
“Um, Sonata wanted to talk with you.”
“Oh? What about?” Adagio looked politely inquiring. Sunset simply stared. The utter change in Adagio’s personality just kept taking her entirely by surprise.
“What are you doing here?” Sonata burst out. Adagio looked faintly puzzled.
“What do you mean?” Sonata seemed at a loss for words.
“I think what she means is, how did you get here?” Fluttershy added. “That’s what you meant, right?”
“I walked here,” Adagio replied.
“Look,” Sunset put in, holding up both hands. “How about we sit down and talk? Do you have somewhere you need to be?”
“Not particularly,” Adagio said. “I’m not expected back until six.”
They seated themselves in front of a cafe. Fluttershy timidly bought the drinks from an incongruously French waiter. Sunset and Sonata sat one side, opposite Adagio and Fluttershy. As per usual, Flutters looked rather as though she were trying to sink under the table, and kept looking edgily at Adagio, who sat twiddling her thumbs and staring into space.
After several moments of rather painful silence, Sunset broke the silence.
“So, heh, um... why exactly are you here?” she asked, forcing her mouth to form a smile.
“No particular reason I suppose,” Adagio said, shrugging. Sunset looked at Fluttershy for help, but Fluttershy seemed determined to remain out of the conversation if at all possible. She was rather ostentatiously sipping her drink and avoiding Sunset’s eye. Sunset spared her a scowl before turning to Sonata, and felt her insides turn cold.
Teeth gritted, her eyes over bright, Sonata stood up suddenly, knocking her chair flying. “Say something!” she screamed. People all around turned to stare, but Adagio kept her eyes fixed on the table. “Please, just say something!” she slammed both hands onto the table and leaned over, trying to look up into Adagio’s eyes. “Tell me I’m stupid, order me around, think of some plan for world domination! Anything!”
Sunset suddenly felt sympathetic towards Fluttershy, and would have given any amount of bits to slip down under the table and hide. As Adagio continued to sit where she was, saying nothing however, she felt it would be wrong to do so, and fortunately so did Fluttershy.
“Is there something wrong, um, Ballad? Fluttershy asked Adagio. “Is there a reason why you can’t-?” Adagio stood as well, effectively cutting Fluttershy off.
“I have to go. I have farm work to do.”
“Well that explains the tan and the muscles,” Sunset muttered to herself, still noting how Adagio looked startlingly like Applejack. In her mind’s eye, she pictured a cowboy hat on her head, but then Sonata rushed out from behind the table. Leaping forward she grabbed Adagio’s wrist and held her back.
“Please. Why won’t you talk to me?” Adagio was silent for a few moments, her head bowed.
“Leave, Sonata. You have friends. You don’t need me anymore.”
“Is that what this is about?” Sonata cried, anger mixing with the grief. “Are you angry with me because I’m friends with them?”
“No!” Adagio snapped, her voice rising. A trace of the old passion entered her face, and was then quickly overshadowed again. “I’m not angry, Sonata. Like I said, you don’t need me anymore.” Without undue force, she pulled her arm from Sonata’s slackened grip and walked away, not looking back.
Sonata stared after her, her breathing shallow, her eyes brimming. Sunset stepped forward and took hold of her arm as she swayed a little. Fluttershy mumbled incoherent words of worry to herself.
“Hey!” called Rainbow Dash. She, Aj, and Pinkie all sprinted over, looking alarmed. “What’s up, we heard shouting and-“ she stopped at the sight of Sonata. “Um, what did we miss?”
“Nothing!” Sonata snapped, yanking her arm away from Sunset and pushing between Rainbow and Pinkie. Sunset didn’t try to stop her. Somehow she got the feeling Sonata wanted to be alone for a little while.
“Whoa!” Rainbow scowled. “What’s her problem?” Sunset put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, shaking her head.
“What happened?” Applejack asked, looking serious. “Did, uh, Ballad revert back to type or something?”
“No,” Sunset said, ponderously. “Something else is going on. Where’s Rarity?”
Applejack tutted irritably. “With her new boyfriend, that’s where. Doe-eyed like a love-sick puppy, and scarin’ that guy half to death.”
“O-kay,” Sunset said. “Rarity’s love-life aside.” As she said it though, a strange and frankly startling idea came to her. But it was surely impossible.
The others continued to talk amongst each other, but Sunset was only dimly aware of it all. Again, it was surely impossible. Adagio and Sonata were sisters after all. Weren’t they?
Applejack, Pinkie and she all sat back down at the cafe table whilst Fluttershy promised to try to extricate Rarity from Trenderhoof’s personal bubble.
“Hey guys?” Sunset looked up.
To be perfectly honest, she was only half surprised to find Rainbow Dash asleep on the table, and even less surprised to find Pinkie Pie taking advantage of the opportunity to decorate Rainbow Dash’s face with straws and sachets of salt.
“What is it, sugar cube?” Applejack asked, routinely ignoring her friend’s antics.
“Do you... could I roll something by you? About Sonata, I mean.”
“Sure,” Applejack said slowly, evidently both intrigued and puzzled by Sunset’s diffidence.
“Well,” Sunset mumbled, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. “Do you think that, maybe, Sonata... well, likes Adagio?” It was an incredibly embarrassing thing for Sunset to say, but thankfully she saw that Applejack understood immediately. Her eyebrows shot up so far they disappeared under her hairline.
“You mean like, like her, like her?” she asked. Sunset nodded, almost imperceptibly. “It’s a thought I suppose.” Applejack scratched her cheek absently. “But I thought that the sirens were all sisters, or related or something.”
“But don’t they all have different last names?” Pinkie asked seriously as she put the finishing touches on a pair of straw glasses perched on Rainbow’s nose.
“I don’t think that counts for very much,” Applejack pointed out. “Most of mah family and yours have different last names, even though we’re all related.”
“Oh yeah,” Pinkie hm’d for a moment. “That is weird isn’t it. Is there any particular reason that your face is red?”
Sunset looked up and felt her face. “Um.”
“Oooh,” Applejack sat back in her chair narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “That would explain it.”
“Explain what?” Sunset asked. She didn’t like the looks Pinkie and Applejack were giving her.
“It’d explain why you’re interested in Sonata liking Adagio.”
“What would?” Sunset asked, frowning. Then it hit her, and her face burned even brighter. “Oh, you can’t be serious.”
“Well, you guys do live together,” Pinkie chimed in, twirling a plastic fork between her fingers.
“Yeah, as roommates!” Sunset protested. “You act like we’re married or something.”
“And you’re awful eager to help her out a lot of the time,” Applejack said with a shrug.
“She’s my friend,” Sunset spread her arms out, as though asking nearby people to bear witness to how ridiculous this was. “I mean I- You know what, we’re not talking about this.” She glared at them as both Pinkie and Applejack smirked and winked at each other. “We’re not talking about this. I don’t like Sonata that way. End of discussion. Now back to the topic at hand, please.”
“I think the topic at hand was trying to guess who Sonata likes,” Pinkie Pie said blithely.
“Holy Celestia, will you drop it!”
Sonata came back an hour later, rubbing her neck and looking apologetic.
“Sorry,” she said to them all. Sunset was pretty sure she didn’t know it, but Sonata’s large magenta eyes had a default puppy-dog-stare quality to them whenever she got overly emotional. Even Rainbow Dash, lips pursed, found the urge to accept her apology irresistible. Sunset thought it a good thing that Sonata wasn’t a naturally manipulative person, or they might all be in real trouble.
“You’ve had a rough day,” Rarity said generously, apparently unconsciously patting her hair back into its flowing curls.
“Will ya leave your hair alone, for lands sakes!” Applejack snapped, smacking Rarity’s hand away. “You haven’t left it alone all day.”
“We can go home if you like,” Sunset offered. Sonata’s expression tightened. She gave no answer.
“Actually, I was rather hoping to stay and buy some more fabrics, you know. They have such a selection here.” Rarity smiled.
No one was fooled by the hollow attempt at aloofness, nor were any of them deceived to the true nature of the suggestion.
“For Pete’s sake, you’re scarin’ the poor fella’,” Applejack frowned. Rarity glared at her, cheeks puffed out indignantly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she hissed in a dignified whisper. Applejack rolled her eyes.
Sonata’s spirits were dented, but she still managed to smile.
“I appreciate you all coming out here with me,” she said. “Even if it all turned out to be pointless.”
“I wouldn’t say it was pointless,” Applejack said. “I got to meet a bunch of my relatives that I don’t usually see outside of the reunion.”
“And I got to meet a celebrity!” Rarity squeed.
“I hate to drop a bag of expired candy apples on this tender moment,” Pinkie Pie said, examining a sign next to the bus stop. “But I think we might have just the teensiest, weensiest, itty-bitty little problem here.”
“Which is?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.
“The last bus back left about two hours ago,” Pinkie said, matter-of-factly. They all stared at her, utterly silent except for the wind. They all looked around at the dark of twilight. It’d be full dark in a matter of minutes. They certainly couldn’t walk back.
“She’s right,” Sunset said, her eyes widening. “The last one left at five o’clock.”
“Well,” Rarity puffed out her cheeks. “That’s awkward.”
Adagio exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. Not much beat a bath at the end of the day in her opinion. Newly clothed in jeans and a shirt, she hurried downstairs as she heard Apple Strudel call her for dinner. As she turned the corner, she heard a knock on the front door. That was odd. No one usually called at this late hour.
Opening the door, her insides fell as she saw seven figures crowding the door. The leader leaned forward and removed her hat.
“Hi,” said Applejack, nervously. “Ya’ll mind if I talk to uncle Apple Strudel for a sec?”
- To be Continued
5252778 Haha, no, mate! The actual characters from the story But, it's still slightly distracting, and I certainly can't fault you for your professional training. Try being my manager at Aéro when I come in and systematically colour co-ordinate the stores clothes, and size them all while keeping the sides aligned equally to the centre proportions (Graphic Designer)
Good, realy good.
5252915 Oh, you mean I make the characters say large words? Like I say, I don't really know I'm doing it. I try to make them as in-character as I can
Aero? Mmm, chocolate.
5252923 Glad that you're enjoying it
I didn't really notice any typos while I was reading, so that's a pretty welcome improvement.
Adagio's personality shift is, well, shocking. And also interesting. That was not at all how I expected you to handle post-Siren-break-up Adagio. I'm really curious as to where you go from here.
>the shipping
Please let this be the extent of the shipping. Please?
I really like this story so far ! Great job ^^
I can't wait for the next chapter
Well i am glad that you let Adagio act the way she did without letting her to fold (in?)
I always don´t like it, if they are that easy persuaded, i would be not able to stop them, but i think no one has really the right to force Adagio to speak beside Sonata and maybe even Sunset, but even those can´t force her to listen. I just want to say, if Adagio should be friends with them again, i would like it if Adagio herself would do the first move and maybe speak alone with Sunset and Sonata or just Sonata, not the whole group.
I tried to think what i would like if i would be in the situation of one of them, but well i think it would be to much for me if all of them at once want to speak to Adagio, that would cause me/Adagio to be maybe more angry and don´t open up to them. It is just something i think i would do if i would be in the situation from Adagio and would have the same background. Somehow i think maybe Adagio and even Aria had never really thought about, what they felt for the other Siren and just did what they had to do, to get what they want.
Good Chapter.
Well that's certainly not what I was expecting out of Adagio. What could have caused such a drastic change in personality? She changed her name, she's subdued and dare i say humble. I must know!
You win this round you magnificent bastard you.
Something must have happened for her to change so suddenly. I expect a strenuous yet wonderful reconcilement.
"We don't have to be
one in the same thing."
Illusions cast aside,
a darkness engulfs your despairing heart
and your wondrous dream.
Seek to end this conflict,
allowing yourself to rest this night
lest another light shall flicker,
a cursed guide aiding into a dreamless sleep;
nothing will then escape from within the nightmare.
Awaiting further releases.
Wow, I was not expecting Adagio to be so different.
5252934 Close haha Aéropostale It's a job
this is by far the best story is have ever started reading in FIMfiction, to be honest, i would love to see hasbro put out work like this, and making stories like this canon will definitely make business around the fandom much more enjoyable than it is now. loving your work, and look forward to reading more.
5252612
Why can't I be both, like a black and white cookie, or would it be more like black cookie that a unicorn throw up rainbows on? I could have oreos AND Taco Tuesdays!
Reference:
5253251 I think an older targeted story like this might do well among the older fans. My only reservation is what the mothers would think. They flipped a shit about derpy, what would they say to a character who was on the verge of suicide?
5253211 I got that from your explanation. I was taking the mickey out of you
5253049 Well, it had been a good 7 or 8 weeks since their defeat. A lot can happen in that time. The explanation comes in the next part though.
5253013 Usually a good kick up the ass can do it, you know. I think a lot of people are forgetting Sunset Shimmer's redemption is a good example of someone getting an ass kicking and realising as a result that they were wrong.
5252983 Adagio has a lot on her mind. She's thought a lot about what happened, and she won't be persuaded easily to change her mind.
5252949 I'm sorry if you don't like shipping, but how the story goes has already been decided. I'm not changing the direction of the story for anyone else's preferences. I hope all of my readers can at least respect that, if not like it.
If it makes you feel better though, I'm not a hardcore shipper. Any shipping I do is at best a side-note to the main story. It certainly doesn't become the focus of my stories usually. It's just such a hassle to keep up with.
5253345
I see. We'll wait in anticipation~
Applejack has too many relatives, but big families are fun and crazy. It annoys me how flat Adagio is acting. She just seems to have given up which makes her not very interesting. Luckily the other character and the conflict make up for it as well as putting her in the center attention. I really want to see how she feels about living with the relatives of someone who ruined her previous way of life.
5253354 I don't think this would work on the Sirens, tho maybe with Sonata, maybe stretching it with Aria, but totally not with Adagio. Rewatch the movie, when Twilight explains the Sirens, she says they need the negativity of ponies, and people, to fuel their dark magic that lets them control people. It's not food like Changelings or Windigos, they didn't HAVE to cause pain and hurt. They CHOSE to, to keep their powers. And while I can see Sonata just going along, and even Aria being a bit deeper and having other motives, Adagio jumps all over the chance for more power.
Sunset wanted revange on Celestia, Sonata didn't seem to care at all, Aria I am not too sure on, but Adagio just wanted more and more power just for the sake of power. Remember that everything that happens in the movie, including leaving the Mane 7 to starve to death under the stage, was all Adagio's idea.
5253454 Well we all feel a little flat sometimes, don't we? She'll just have to overcome it with the power of friendship. Or something.
5253485 Oh I didn't mean the method by which they would be redeemed, I mean that fact that they could be redeemed. I doubt very much the sirens could be redeemed by the same method that Sunset Shimmer was. As you've pointed out, different circumstances.
5253049 May I just say that I love your poetry?
5253525
Why thank you very much. I'm pleased we could intrigue.
*clap clap clap* VERY GREAT, VERY WELL DONE IT SOUNDS LIKE IT COULD BE PUT IN ANIMATION :D
5253492
Maybe helping Sunset setup a date with Sonata?
Found a double space.
5253498 Well that is what I mean too, Sunset wanted revange, Sonata looks harmless and is just going along because, and I don't have a good reason for Aria since she is mostly seen complaining only with only one little bit of 'or my lead...' which is quickly stomped on by Adagio. They can all be redeemed and reasoned with, maybe with Aria. But Adagio wanted power, just for the sake of power with no other reason. That is not something that can easily be taken away or 'redeemed'.
It's like if the Joker suddenly turning meek and normal after Batman bashed his face in once. It just doesn't work! Some people are just no redeemable, and I see Adagio as one of those people.
Also given that their power was a choice, and not part of them, not something they were born with, most like they gained it by doing something bad/evil, and with Adagio being the leader and the others following her willingly/fearfully, Adagio was most likely the one that got the idea and actually did whatever it took to get that kinda power. Also, they were bad enough to be banished to another entire world. Nothing shows that Adagio could/would change ways, even if she was forced to it wouldn't be easy and most likely she would just turn to some other crime or just be a big bully/jerk regardless.
5253659 I think you're reading a great deal into Adagio than is reasonable.
So far as we know in Equestria, their powers were inherent to them. Their siren forms had the jewels embedded in their chests, not separate from them. As far as we know it's as inherent as a unicorn's horn.
And did you just compare Adagio to the Joker? Adagio is the one-time villain of a kid's tv movie, whilst the Joker is a comic book villain whose most remembered contributions to the modern concept of himself comes from the Dark Ages of comics, where there's blood and death every second page. I think that be a little bit of a stretch.
Besides, Sunset Shimmer did want power. That's what drove her away from Celestia in the first place, a lust for power and an idea that she somehow deserved it.
5253559 I'm glad that you enjoy reading my story
5253659
Here's the thing, though. Adagio got hit *hard* by that first shot Twilight and Sunset fired. I've always wondered if that would have been the end right there, if Adagio had surrendered the Sirens before they were crushed by the Crystal Alicorn.
I mean, look at her face after that rainbow wave from Celestia's Students hit her:
oi60.tinypic.com/t9dwqr.jpg
That is the look of someone whose world has just been kicked out from beneath her. She's been hit in the heart and has only now realized that there are stronger things than her in the world.
That can do terrible things to a person's mind.
5253372
I'm down for romance, but I hate shipping. My main issue is that people don't seem to understand the difference so I just avoid it as a general rule. That's also kind of why I'm upset right now; there was no [Romance] tag when I started the story and now there is. It's kind of like I feel jipped? I dunno. So long as it remains a side thing in this story, it'll be whatever, I guess. The story itself is still pretty solid, so it's not like I dislike the story.
5253932 That's interesting. How do you define the words "ship" and "romance"? What do you consider the difference between them?
I put the romance tag up when I decided for sure that I'd write out the whole story. Initially I had the entire story in my head, but was only going to do The Evening Sonata, the first two parts, because I was a new writer here and didn't believe it would catch on. When it did catch on a bit though, I decided to do the rest. So I added the tag.
5253932
I agree. I like the story, but the romance bit seems tacked on and forced - and seen from a mile away.
5253958
Shipping tends to be more, "Oh, I want to see these two characters together, so let's do that! And also, 'NOW KISS!' "
Romance tends to be more, "Let's build this relationship and build it some more, and oh look, it makes sense for the relationship to become romantic. Huh."
So in regular terms, shipping cares about the destination; romance cares about the journey. At least, that's how I classify the difference.
While I'm very happy that you're going to finish, I feel like that's the wrong mentality to have. No matter what kind of reception you got, there were going to be some number of readers. One of the primary reasons I haven't actually published anything on the site is that I can't stand the thought of starting something and not finishing. As a reader, I've been in that situation many times, and it's the worst feeling in the world to follow a story, love it to death, and watch it never update.
So if you write a story, try and see it through. If even for just that one reader. They'll really appreciate it.
You should developed sonata feelings about herself after this. Maybe from her pov. Though it is really awesome.
5253994 I've written for a long time. When I released the first two parts of this story, most voiced that they were content with the ending, not knowing it to be over the way I intended it to be over. I had the story in my head. I have many stories in my head, and whilst I am happy to think that there are people I can make happy with my stories, I didn't, and don't, think it worth while putting out a story when I don't think that the people who will enjoy it will see it.
In this case of course, I was happily wrong.
From the perspective of an artist and a writer, I concede that you have a valid point. But I have a life, and feelings of my own. And my mentality in my opinion was entirely justified.
As to the romance in this story, I think I have noted my disdain for the love-at-first-sight notion some people are happy to employ. What you called shipping. It's a shallow art in my humble opinion, and one that bores me when reading. Romance as you eloquently put it is a journey, and I have four arcs over which I have from the beginning intended to detail that journey.
And I'm sorry if some people consider it "tacked on" and "forced". If that be the case, then I am simply a bad writer. I can't help my limitations.
I appreciate your critical analysis by the way. It makes a nice change to be able to have in depth discussions like this
5254057
I guess I will concede these as fair points
Whether you succeed or fail is somewhat less important to me. I mean, yes, execution matters. But the point is you're at least attempting to do it correctly, and that pleases me.
Oh, stop it, you
5254121 Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a dissenting opinion. I know better than anyone (except maybe my mother) that I'm not always right. How many corrections have you made, and how many other changes have I affected based on yours and others in put?
I actually don't know, I lost count. The point is though, I'm not asking anyone to not give me advice, but I will stick to my guns where I feel that I'm right. And I hope that my readers will respect my decisions as the writer to allow me to do it.
Oh I'm going to need more popcorn!!
5254468 Could... could I get some of that popcorn...?
5254539 hmm Idk maybe...
5254557 Oh come on, don't be stingy. I'm writing you stories here.
5254594 Well can't say no to that
Oh no, the ships...
5254780 Seriously, what is everyone's problem with a bit of romance?
5254798 ya know i dont really know either, i dent even know why im reading this fic since romance isnt my "thing". But its just it was unexpected and suprised me, for better or worse, im not sure. Also, i dont approve very much of this ship, but hey, im still enjoying the fic if that makes you feel better
Edit: actually, now that i m thinking about it, i dont know why it was such a big suprise to me. You did mention before in a reply to someone that romance may be in the near future... So yeah, im probably just ignorant and narrow-sighted
5254844 It's fine, I don't really care. The only thing that kinda bugs me is every few comments I'm getting complaints about shipping. As though I'm throwing characters into improbable love scenarios without a hint of chemistry and having them fuck every two seconds.
That kinda irritates me. Kinda smells hipster-like.
Interesting chapter; I thought of something about the beginning ones though. Back when Sunset and Sonata argue about who did worse before coming to the conclusion that Sunset was worse, I agree with their conclusion, but not their reasoning. Basically, Sunset says she tried to kill the Mane6 and Sonata only tried to rule the world with mind-control. Now we can argue which is actually worse, but the thing is, Sunset is actually guilty of her own, and the Dazzling's crimes as, while she attempted murder-by-fireball, she also brainwashed a bunch of students and planned on taking over Equestria with said mind-slaves, which is paramount to world domination for all intents and purposes. Basically, Sunset did unarguably worse in a much more direct fashion.