Hate.
It is a powerful force. It can burn through the laws of the heart. It can warp the best of minds. It can torture the purest of souls.
In the end... all it needs is just the right spark.
Written for FTP 9. Cover art by YogurtYard.
Trigger warnings: Swords used for warfare, with all associated slicey-dicey. Fish horses popping limbs off non-human monstrosities. Bone-breaking baddies. Lots of creatures going squish and/or exploding. Horrific transformations, the kind that Lovecraft had nightmares about. Oh, and saucy millennium-old teenage girls who occasionally skinnydip.
Chapters (3)
Why no, I haven't seen Rainbow Rocks. Why do you ask?
This is my headcanon for the siren's backstory now.
Seriously, this was an awesome story! I spotted a few small errors (when Sunset is talking to the Sirens you call Sunset "Sonata" once) but it wasn't anything terribly distracting. I'm rooting for yah!
See, now that's the difference between a tsundere
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and someone really nasty.
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Well, that was a thing that happened
Heh
Nice
As in Sev's etymology, where that means, roughly, "Respect the Deep" ...?
That's what TV Tropes calls an Oh Crap moment. In G1, Squirk was basically a Ponyversed version of a Star-Spawn of Cthulhu. Come to think of it, what with the Smooze and similar things, the G1 Ponies lived in a very horrific world, and Megan and the Ponies were genuine badasses.
"Squirk" might plausibly be the name for the whole species of kraken-things. There was only one ever shown in the G1 series. He was enough.
I think it's a variant of the Power of Friendship. Seriously, that's my explanation for why pre-reform Sunset actually likes him -- when she more or less hates the rest of the Humanoid race.
Hey, Flash, every girl you've ever loved was a ... horn horse. Do you know that? Yep, both Bacon Hair and Purple Smart.
Awesome and moving little ritual. I can see them as veterans of ancient oceanic wars.
I really like your headcanon.
Man, Love it. The Sirens are kinda ex-special forces for the seaponies. Cool head cannon, I've got to remember it. I like the fact that all three of them are unrepentant jerks but also deeper than that.
Good story, but I find the villain white-washing a bit too much here. Their former "special forces" career doesn't bother me, but they never used their magic to brainwash ponies? Star Swirl mistakenly kicked them out of Equestria because he misunderstood their efforts to help? Now that's "Displaced" fic levels of contrivance and making a good guy act like a destructive idiot.
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Did I say they never brainwashed ponies?
Wow. They've really been to hell and back in this.
Doesn't excuse what they did, but yes - sympathy for the devil in spades.
Is there going to be more?
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No, but we don't see them doing so, and given the entirely new backstory, one can't really assume the accurate nature of the in-show report of their activities. When we do see Starswirl kick them out, they're actually trying to be helpful, giving an impression that they have been Dun Wrong.
Mine god it's good.
HEADCANON ACCEPTED. ALL OTHERS ARE INVALID.
Also, giving credit where credit is do, this story really blew the other competitors out of the water.
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...You chose that band deliberately didn't you.
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To be fair, the prompt was "A major villain is entirely sympathetic." A little whitewashing is inevitable.
Man, when I read the end, suddenly I find myself wiping a pre-tear off the corner of my eye.. I want to let you know that what you wrote here is nice..very nice! Woah.. Its an experience
An exquisite interpretation of the sirens' history and culture. If you don't win the competition, I will be very surprised. Thank you for this.
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No, but now there needs to be a siren commander called Blue Oyster, founder of the siren cult. I just thought that Veteran of the Psychic Wars is very much a good description of your sirens.
I came here to chew plankton and kick crab ass and I'm all out of plankton.
Worst battlecry ever.
I sure don't know. That was like my favourite Saturday Night ever.
Well, that was certainly a nice read. Also, I can't believe you actually put a "trigger warning" in front of this. I mean, seriously.
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Don't be ridiculous, that's not a seapony name. Blue Oyster is just the top-secret Siren training grounds.
So, Flash Sentry is an idiot just barely erring on the tolerable side of unlikable. You guys forgave Sunset at the drop of a hat, and Sci-Twi ripped time and space a few dozen new arseholes, but you're unable to forgive a few weeks of being forced to relive that one awkward phase where you randomly bitched at everybody? I mean, seriously, the Dazzlings didn't lift a hoof to harm a single one of you. Sunset was going to turn you into a foot soldier in a brainwashed army, and Sci-Twi was going to let the multiverse burn just so she could understand magic, but you decide to harp on the hot girls that treated you like cattle (AKA TEENAGE GIRLS)?
But, all sentiments of SHUT THE FUCK UP FLASH aside, awesome story. Love how involved the backstory is. Dinner bath was weird, but makes sense from the perspective of nudist fish-horses. The bit where you retcon them as having good intentions doesn't mesh all that well with how they acted in the movie itself, but this version is better, so that definitely gets a pass.
And now that we've got compliments, critiques and jokes out of the way, all aboard the NITPICK TRAAAAAAAAAAAIN!
Wow, they have a front open? SOOOOO jealous!
Pretty sure that's not how sentence structure works.
That was nice. =)
WHY IS THIS MARKED AS COMPLETED?
Man, that Starswirl's a mule. You brainwash a few ponies and suddenly every old bearded nag thinks you're evil.
That may be the greatest war cry after "I don't believe in faeries"
So, need sequel/resolution/closure/less cliffhangy/actual ending? Please?
A shame this ends here, but it was very nicely done.
Lovecraft had nightmares about monsters because he was demonstrably mentally ill...
Stuff like this just makes me sigh.
And thus the new war cry rings out in all of the land. XD
This doesn't feel "complete." An enjoyable tale but the way it was ended (if it truly is marked as complete) seems very sudden and not in the way that indicates a sequel.
Still, would be nice to read more.
Beautiful story, with just one small, tiny error.
Its marked as completed.
But the Cliff is almost swallowing me to pieces.
I cant wait to read more from you though!
Just saw this on EQD, why is it marked complete?
This is perhaps my favorite interpertaion of the sirens I've seen/read yet.
And while others may not agree, I feel this is a good ending as they (seemed) to have let go of their hate and are hopeful again
So, kudos on a wonderfully written tale.
This is the best Siren fic I have read yet.
A neat little tale, with a hopeful ending. And from what I've seen there are lots to explore, but in this particular story, this 'book' has ended, but the story goes on. Nice work weaver. Very nice. orig04.deviantart.net/3db3/f/2012/363/1/e/clapping_pony_icon___twilight_sparkle_by_taritoons-d5pkpl8.gif
This was a really great short story. I like the ending, to me it's filled with hope. Which I always love.
I would really love to read more on this
It was good read. With such an open ending i hope there will be a sequel. It's one of the best Siren fic i have red.
Hot diggertie damn son, what's next on the agenda...
I keep finding good storys that just stop midway
This is a good story. Also:
This made me chuckle a bit.