Clash
Aria flung her door open and stormed inside, snarling and questioning the limits of her ditzy sister’s ignorance.
What the hell is she thinking, relying on her for help? Not like we even need anyone.
Whatever.
There were more important things on her mind than whatever shenanigans Sonata distracted herself with. And with the idiot out of the picture, she didn’t even have to leave her room.
Compared to her sisters, Aria’s room was the very antithesis of neatness. There was a clear path from the door to the mattress she slept on and her cluttered desk, but beyond that there was barely an uncovered surface to be found. Many of the items in her room, such as her desk, her dresser, and a grandfather clock ticking and tocking in the corner had a distinctly old-fashioned aesthetic, starkly clashing with the smooth, shiny television on a box by her mattress.
The desk, however, was what held her attention that afternoon. She walked over, pulled out her chair and sat down.
On the desk, carefully picked out from amongst the clutter, laid several items: A blank sheet of paper, a fancy-ish slightly shiny mechanical pencil, a leather sheath with an embossed symbol showing her name and a star, and lastly a small violet velvet pouch closed with a simple drawstring. An antique wooden abacus stood above them all in the back, tilted to lean against the wall.
There was also a small purple cooler filled to the brim with ice and ridiculously caffeinated energy drinks, but she had already had three that morning, and that was enough for a few hours at least.
Aria scratched her nose and then set the paper in front of her. Then, she reached up to her left arm and tore the bandage off, discarding it by flinging it to the side. She grasped her left bicep, rubbing and scratching and kneading the flesh of her arm until she satisfied herself that it was whole and unblemished. Then, she stretched her arm out and tensed, taking a moment to admire her sleek musculature. It still stung, but the pain had almost completely subsided.
Smirking a little, she did a quick calculation in her head, grabbed the paper and jotted a few notes down.
Seventeen hours ago. Now there’s not even a scar.
She wrapped her fingers around the sheath and drew a long knife, the sort of thing one usually reserved for dealing with those they found extremely distasteful. Fittingly, the smoothly polished blade had a splotch of dried crimson at the tip that made her crinkle her nose in disgust. It was smaller than she had expected, but knowing from whom it had been drawn still sickened her.
Flipping the knife over, she flicked her wrist and expertly threw it into the opposite wall, where it impacted with an immensely satisfying thunk and left yet another gouge in her wall. Adagio would probably blow a fuse if she saw the state of that poor, abused wall, but she wasn’t there, so tough. She’d have to find something else to freak out over. Aria ignored the knife, resolving to go back and clean it later.
One of her hands reached up to rub her aching throat. She coughed and hacked momentarily, clearing her throat and regretting having shouted at Sonata for the first time in recent memory.
When she recovered, she went to the pouch, which she opened and emptied onto her desk. A pile of crimson gem shards came tumbling out, scattering across the wood. She picked one of them up and held it before her scrutinizing eye. As she had expected, the gem remained faded, deprived of luster and glamour.
She stared deep into the ruby, imagining she was reaching out to it with her magic. She looked at it, but not with her eyes, searching long and hard for even a faint sign of the connection she used to have to it.
Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened.
Aria scowled, setting the gem back down after a few minutes devoid of occurrences.
She swept the shards back into the pouch so that they wouldn’t scatter when she slammed her fist down on the table, letting out a guttural growl that aggravated her throat further.
She snatched up the pencil again and scribbled the same three words she had written every day of the last two weeks: I don’t know.
Oh, how she hated those words. She loathed them, despised them because they were just so insultingly true. Her question was a simple one that desperately needed to be answered, and yet she didn’t know. Thoughts of how she would have to find out came to mind, but they were unanimously risky, painful or extremely time-consuming. The safe way took too long, while the fast way would be disastrous if her guess was wrong.
So what if she still healed quickly? At their prime in Equestria, a cut would have mended in seconds. Her observation did very little to confirm her theory.
It was just a cut, after all. For all she knew, she’d still keel over like a sack of potatoes if some dumbass with a car ran her over.
But they had been alive for a long time. Far longer than any human. Something had to have kept them going. Magic, obviously.
So if we’re still alive…
She picked up a splinter of her gem again, holding it up to her scrutinizing eye.
Do something. Tell me you still work.
The gem had no eyes, and yet it stared back at her. It had no mouth, yet it mocked her.
Aria held her gaze, silently willing it to do something. Eventually, she scowled, clenching her hand into a fist.
I wonder if this is what she's thinking about.
Aria turned her spiteful eyes to the doorway, glowering into the hallway. Adagio’s door was right across from her, as stalwart as ever.
Whatever you’re doing in there, it better be worth it. Aria ran a hand through her hair, looked down at her haggard fingernails, and snarled again. Setting the gem back down, she got up just long enough to slam her door shut and then went back to her stool and sat down heavily, seething momentarily.
Then, she picked up her abacus and stood up. Moving over to her mattress, she flopped down, propped up her pillow against the wall, and cradled the abacus against her chest. With one hand, she idly shuffled the beads around, flicking and throwing them up and down the wires. She breathed deeply, letting the clacking sound soothe her as it always did.
About a minute later, her anger slowly relented, allowing her to see the world more clearly.
Sonata was still useless, of course. Two whole weeks, and what had she done? Knocked on a door and cried. Pathetic. In hindsight, Aria should have known that Sonata would flounder the moment her sisters were out of the picture. Sonata was a follower, not a leader. Maybe she should have kept a closer eye on her.
Who can blame her, though? Even I can’t stay mad at that face for too long. Aria thought of Sonata, of that stupid grin she wore so often when she had no idea what was going on. She thought of how many times she had laughed at Sonata for doing something dumb.
And then she thought about how she had taken Sonata out for ice cream and given her a hug. How many people did she do that for?
Try as she might to stay angry, she felt the corners of her mouth turning upwards just a little bit.
You do your part, Sonata. It’s a dumb part, but you do it. She looked back to Adagio’s door. And she does hers, I hope. What does that leave but for me to do mine?
Adagio thought of a plan. Sonata kept them in good spirits.
Aria got the pleasure of handling the things they wouldn’t touch. “They’d better appreciate this,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her arm again. “I don’t see either of them cutting themselves.”
The sky above was dreary and bleak, covered in grey clouds that seemed to mirror Sonata’s mood. For the moment it remained dry, though Sonata couldn’t help but think that rain was on its way. She walked quickly down the sidewalk, frequently glancing down at the directions Aria had given her. They had directed her to a fairly nice neighborhood, albeit one far removed from the swankified mansions and villas and such Sonata had stayed in before.
Dumb dumbfaced dummy Aria. Stupid grumpy little… stupid person.
In her head, she could already see it clearly: She would go track down what’s-her-face, use her to get Adagio to come out, and then they would all hug and cuddle and Adagio would tell them what to do and then everything would be alright. And then she’d get to laugh in Aria’s face, because ha-ha, her plan worked!
But… what if Su… sun… sha…
What if bacon girl doesn’t want to help? What if Dagi doesn’t want to talk to her?
Now that she thought about it, her ‘plan’ wasn’t really much of a plan. More of an idea, really. Maybe Aria was right. Maybe it was a stupid idea.
No. Aria is dumb. And mean.
And I just took a wrong turn.
Sighing heavily, Sonata turned around, trudged back down the sidewalk and went in the right direction.
You can do this. She’s nice, right? She’ll like you. You can make her like you.
She breathed deeply, mustering her resolve and reminding herself what the stakes were.
This is for you, Dagi.
One last corner she rounded, and finally she saw the address she was looking for just a little ways ahead. It belonged to a small but cozy-looking house, tastefully painted an inoffensive off-white. Sonata’s eyes lit up with excitement. She let out a little squeal, jumping in place and clapping her hands before skipping down the road.
Wait. No.
Skipping, beaming, cheering… it was all too chipper. She was glad to have found the house, alright, but she didn’t want to be chipper.
Maybe a more somber approach was in order. She put her head down and walked slowly, quickly looking around to see if there was some water she could wet her face with.
No, that was too much. She was asking for help, not going to a funeral.
She could go for the cuteness approach, maybe. Pretend that she had never really been evil and had just been following along because her sisters wouldn’t let her leave. But that wouldn’t make much sense if she wanted Sunset to come back with her, would it?
And besides, bacon girl was likely to be a bit dubious anyway, which had been known to reduce the success rate of the cuteness method by as much as... twelve percent, if she had to guess. That sounded vaguely plausible.
So what did she want to do, then?
Simple. She wanted to be look sympathetic. Not cute, per se, but pitiable. Desperate. Reluctant. That sort of thing. She slumped her shoulders and held her hands in front of her chest and fidgeted with her fingers.
Just then, she glanced down at her hands and winced when she realized that she was wearing the glittery nail polish that sparkled when the sunlight caught it the right way. The pink miniskirt and stylish jacket probably wouldn’t help much either.
Although they were cute. That would count for something, right?
As she began her hesitant approach, she chattered to herself, practicing what she hoped was an authentic-sounding nervous stammer.
Her demeanour was timid. Her gait was reluctant. Her expression was downcast. She thought of sad things that made her sniffle a little but not weep. With one of her hands, she reached back, tugged off her scrunchy and mussed up her hair a little.
Maximum sympathy.
Finally, she went up to the door, lifted her hand and knocked.
And then she waited, feeling a peculiar sense of déjà vu as one often did when doing things similar to things they had done before.
A minute later, she heard a voice on the other side and a clicking lock, and then the door swung open to reveal a first cheerful and then very startled Sunset Shimmer. With a snazzy new outfit, to boot.
“Sonata?” Sunset lurched back, moving to slam the door until she saw the forlorn look on Sonata’s face and frowned in concern. “What are you doing here?”
“C- can I ask you something?” Sonata shrank back, holding her hands close to her chest and making her eyes wide. “I…” She trailed off, hanging her head and edging back slightly, like she was ready to bolt. “I need your help.”
A distinct look of suspicion came over Sunset, but then she adopted a smile, albeit a faint and slightly forced one. She relaxed, probably trying to make Sonata more comfortable. “I guess so,” she said. “What’s going on?”
“It’s…” Sonata lowered her voice to a meek whisper. “It’s about Adagio.”
The concern on Sunset’s face turned to worry, just as Sonata hoped. “Why don’t you come in?” Sunset stepped aside and beckoned Sonata through the door. “I was just making myself some tea if you want some.”
Sonata looked up at Sunset and ever so slowly spread her lips into a smile. “Thanks,” she said, stepping through the door.
In keeping with the outside appearance, Sunset’s house, while being quite a bit larger than one person living by themselves really needed, managed to feel cozy and inviting. Spacious, but hardly desolate. The walls themselves were boring shades of whites and browns punctuated by occasional splashes of reds and oranges, whether in the form of pictures of spectacular sunrises hanging from the walls or colorful pillows resting on a couch.
Once they were both inside, Sunset directed Sonata to a pair of couches by a coffee table and then went off into her kitchen, returning a minute later with two cups of warm tea.
“Alright,” she said, sitting down across from Sonata and passing her one cup, “why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Sonata reached out for the cup, snatching it up and carefully sipping from it. Inwardly, she blanched at the bitter taste, but in the interest of cordiality kept her disgust from showing. It was probably one of those weird fancy kinds of tea that snobbish people like Adagio liked. She set the cup down by the edge, braced to ‘accidentally’ tip it over when Sunset wasn’t paying attention.
“Okay,” she began, addressing Sunset with a polite but subtly wary tone. “How long has it been? Two days, maybe three?”
Sunset frowned. “It’s… been two weeks, Sonata. Since we last met, I mean.”
“Oh.” Sonata chuckled nervously. “I knew that.”
“Right.” Sunset cleared her throat and took a sip of tea. “So… how have you been?”
“Well…” Sonata lifted one hand to her hair and twirled it around her finger. “I’ve been alright, but my sisters, they… they haven’t taken it so well.”
Sunset’s expression became heavy with concern. “They didn’t… hurt you, did they?”
“No!” Sonata covered her mouth when she realized how sharply she had spoken. She continued, voice lowering to a whisper. “They wouldn’t do that. Not seriously, I mean. But… they haven’t really talked about it much, but I think Adagio might be pretty mad at me. I think. I don’t really know. Well, I mean, I know, but I don’t really know, y’know?”
There was a pause while Sunset gave Sonata a vacant, slowly blinking stare.
“I’m sorry,” Sunset said, sighing and rubbing her temple. “Could you maybe explain things a little more slowly?”
“Okaaay…” Sonata stared off into space for a moment until her thoughts gathered and then she looked back at Sunset. “Adagio kinda… sorta… well, I haven’t really spoken to her. Since that night. Like, at all.”
“Did she leave you?”
“Oh, no no no! I hope not, anyway. No, she just locked herself in her room and won’t come out.” Sonata held her hands in front of her chest and fiddled nervously, eyes flitting back and forth. “And I think she’s lonely. I think she could really use someone to talk to, but she won't let either of us in, so I was thinking someone else might have more luck.”
“Okay.” Sunset sat back and sighed before reaching into her pocket. “Let me call my friends. I’d like to-”
Sonata leapt forward and caught Sunset by the wrist. “Please don’t,” she pleaded.
Sunset looked down at Sonata’s hand. “You don’t think Adagio wants to see them?” When Sonata shook her head, Sunset sighed. “Then why would she want to see me?”
“Because you’re a pony, aren’t you? They’re not.”
At that, Sunset went quiet, lost in thought. She furrowed her brow, looking back down to her hand that still held her cell phone. Finally, she gave a slow but definite nod. “Okay,” she said. “You know her better than I do, so I’ll trust your judgment on this.”
Sonata’s eyes lit up with excitement, a broad, cheerful smile creeping across her face as she vaulted over the table and threw her arms around Sunset’s neck, squealing with excitement and purely coincidentally knocking that yucky teacup off the table.
A short time later, Sonata skipped alongside Sunset, well on the way back to her home.
“Oh, they’re not so bad once you get to know them!” Sonata smiled, giggling cheerfully. “One time I thought I was a vampire and they were super helpful! Dagi made my whole costume from scratch and gave me like, twenty books to ignore and Aria even taught me how to pick locks so I could break into people’s houses at night and bite them!”
“You… thought you were a vampire?”
Sonata nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Since it was, her action was totally justified. “Yup!” she chirped. “I mean, I feed on people, right? That’s kinda like a vampire. Plus, I can’t stand garlic and I’m pretty sure I’d be pretty upset if someone stuck a stake in my heart!”
Sunset gave Sonata a distinctly Dagi-esque look of politely feigned interest. Her face tried to say yes whilst the inner workings of her mind shrieked a resounding ‘no.’ Or something like that. It was hard to be certain, what with Sonata suddenly lacking in psychic powers.
And so Sonata babbled on as she opened the door and stepped inside, leading Sunset into the living room. Sunset’s eyes went wide as she went in, no doubt admiring the extravagance contained inside the house’s purposefully unassuming exterior. Whether it be a handrail shaped like cresting waves or lamps that looked like pillars of kelp wrapped around gleaming pearls, many furnishing carried some form of oceanic theme, mixed in with lavish decorations and intricate craftsmanship.
Sonata, prattled on, oblivious to Sunset’s awe. “Ooh, and then just a little while ago, Aria taught me how to backflip! How cool is that?”
“And five years later, you still can’t flash kick. I’m so proud.”
Sonata froze in place, paling at the sound of Aria’s voice. She caught a glimpse of Aria popping open another bottle of beer in the kitchen and immediately turned to a very concerned Sunset. “Quick, hide!” she whispered, gesturing frantically. “Before she-”
“Well I’ll be damned. You actually did it.”
Sonata and Sunset both looked to the kitchen, where Aria stood with one hand on her hip, a bottle of beer in the other, and a severe stare carved onto her face.
After a moment of tense silence while Sunset looked to Sonata for an explanation, Aria stepped forward and leveled a finger at Sunset. “I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking, dragging her into this.”
Sunset stepped forward, getting between Aria and Sonata. “Aria, just calm-”
Aria’s eyes narrowed to a piercing glare, promptly shutting Sunset down. “Move,” Aria hissed. “I’m talking to my sister.”
Sonata inched back, wilting under Aria’s hostile gaze.
Sunset, meanwhile, collected herself. “I’m not here to hurt you, Aria. Sonata wanted me to talk to Adagio.”
“Did she, now?” Aria took a swig from her bottle, pausing to wipe her lips before turning her gaze to Sonata. “And how’d you persuade her, Sonata? Didja do that one thing where you pretend we kicked you out and you need a place to stay?”
“N- no!” Sonata squeaked in protest. “I didn’t lie to her.”
Aria cackled to herself. “Sure you didn’t, but that doesn’t mean you were honest.” Her free hand lashed out, seizing Sunset by the collar and jerking her forward. Ignoring Sonata’s protesting, panicked look, Aria let out a low, guttural snarl that left a pungent odor of alcohol in Sunset’s nostrils. “Whatever goes on between you and her? None of my damn business. Talk, drink, fuck, whatever. But…” She jabbed a finger straight into Sunset’s chest, nudging her back. “If you go up there and you hurt her… you’re not making it home tonight.”
With one last shove, Aria pulled back and slunk up the stairs towards her room, only pausing to cast a baleful glare down at Sunset before vanishing.
A few seconds of utter silence passed, neither Sunset nor Sonata making a sound until they heard a slamming door from above.
Sonata rushed over to Sunset. “I’m sorry!” she blurted. “I didn’t- I thought she’d be-”
“It’s alright,” Sunset said, though her trembling hand did little to help her image. “It’s no worse than what some of the students have said behind my back, believe me.” She took a slow, deep breath and then looked at Sonata, forcing a smile. “I don’t suppose Adagio’s gonna react the same way?”
“... Maybe,” Sonata murmured, hanging her head. “I’m sorry, I should’ve warned you-”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s mad at me. I get that. Although… do you think you could wait outside when I talk to her?” Sunset chuckled, but failed to completely mask her unease. “After all that, I’m a little apprehensive about being in a room alone with her.”
“She’ll be fine,” Sonata stated. “She doesn’t hurt people. Well… not like that, anyway. I mean, she might be mean and stuff, but she’s not gonna, like, break your face. That’s more Aria’s sort of thing.”
“Okay.” Sunset smiled again and looked towards the stairs, only to pause, frown and turn back to Sonata. “Do you feel the same way?” she asked.
“Huh? W- what do you mean?”
“Are you mad at me too?”
“I… well-” Sonata babbled, fumbling for words.
“Because it’s alright if you are. I can understand.” Sunset stepped closer, reaching down to hold Sonata’s hand and offer a reassuring squeeze. “And if you are, then I’m glad that you were still willing to ask me for help. You really do care about her, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Sonata mumbled, looking at the ground and blushing. “And…” she winced, but forced the words out all the same. “I liked singing. Like, more than anything. And… you’re just… you’re so nice, y’know? I kinda wanna be your friend, but… I don’t think I can.”
“Sonata? Are you…”
“I’m fine,” Sonata lied, looking up and forcing herself to smile. “Go talk to Dagi. I’ll be outside if anything goes wrong.”
“Okay. Um… where’s her room?”
Oh. Right. Sonata bolted up the stairs, dragging Sunset behind her and then indicating a direction. “That way,” she said. “It’s the one at the end. Can’t miss it.”
Sunset mumbled something that Sonata didn’t care to listen to and then set off down the hall. Sonata watched for a moment and then darted back towards her room, smiling in satisfaction.
Brought you a present, Dagi. Hope you like it.
Adagio sat on the floor of her spacious, lavishly decorated bedroom, an open suitcase lying on the floor beside her whilst her eyes combed her bookshelves. She had already picked out her absolute favorites, spanning a range from timeless classics to rising stars and hidden gems that had gone with too little recognition.
Picking which things to bring with her when she took her leave that night had proven to be quite the production. It had taken her almost an hour of deliberation just to decide which books to bring, and that was just picking out her favorites. With a veritable wall of books to choose from, she had refused to take the chance of forgetting one.
Unfortunately, the suitcase she reserved for books and other mementos had filled up far too quickly. Whether it be manuscripts hand-written by her favorite authors, jewelry gifted by particularly enticing suitors, or even more esoteric trinkets, the number of items that could induce a feeling of nostalgia seemed endless.
And all that was before she dove into her wardrobe, as it would be simply unacceptable to live her new life with only the sheer nightgown she currently wore, alluring though it may have been.
And then there were the cosmetics, of course. Depending on what kind of funds she would end up bringing with her, a dozen bottles of shampoo might not last long enough before she had to restock.
Such a bother, the whole packing thing, but it had to be done.
She groaned, pressing her palm into her forehead and wishing she could just get the hard parts over with.
If I still had my song, this would be so much easier. I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger, just sit back and pamper myself while some nameless peons took care of it all.
But no, here I am. Forced to pack my own bags. Oh, the tragedy.
A knock on her door jolted her from her thoughts. Too light to be Aria, but heavier and slower than Sonata’s. Someone else, or perhaps another clever ploy to draw her out.
But then she heard a voice she had hoped she would one day forget.
“Adagio?"
She tensed, features hardening. She went still as a statue, hoping that perhaps the nuisance would go away in time if she ignored it.
Naturally, she had no such luck.
"Are you in there? I just want to talk."
Sunset had hunted her down. Perhaps the rest of those thrice-damned girls were lurking outside, poised and ready to strike the moment things went wrong. And why shouldn't they? They feared her, as they should have. A low growl escaped her lips, her hands clenching into fists as she glared at the door.
If she's hurt them...
When she was prepared, she walked over to the door and threw it open. The second the door opened, her other hand lashed out, seizing Sunset by the collar. “You want to talk?” Adagio’s eyes narrowed and her voice lowered to a growl. “Let’s talk.” She jerked her arm back, hoisting Sunset forward and all but flinging her into the room. Adagio slammed the door shut and whirled around to face Sunset, scowling impatiently.
Sunset stumbled a bit, dazed by her rough entrance but recovering quickly. She edged back from Adagio, raising her hands defensively. She tried to look confident, but there was a glimmer of fear in her eyes that Adagio relished, along with a momentary head-tilt when she noted Adagio’s flimsy attire.
Adagio put a hand on her hip and stared intently at Sunset, silently daring her to make the first move. In return, Sunset gave Adagio a wary look, no doubt wondering whether or not she should have been afraid.
Nevertheless, after a few moments of deliberation, Sunset finally lowered her hands, though her posture remained tense, as if she was ready to bolt to the door. “Adagio,” she began, speaking calmly but firmly. “I don’t want to fight you. I never did. If there’s a way that we can work things out between us, I’m inclined to find it, but you are seriously not making me less suspicious of you.”
“You say that as though I should care,” Adagio remarked. “Foolish little girl. What do you want from me, then, if not another battle? Come to mock me, perhaps? To gloat over your victory? I know I would.”
“I’m not here to gloat.”
“And yet you do, whether you know it or not.” Adagio slunk over to her nightstand, plucked up her bottle and took a sip. “I’m not sure I want to know, but how did you find me?”
“I checked the address you gave Principal Celestia," Sunset replied. "All three of them. I'd actually thought about giving up, but then Sonata came and found me, believe it or not. She thought it'd be good if you had someone to talk to.”
“Is that so?” Adagio sipped from her bottle again, savoring the crimson fluid flowing down her throat. “I’ll have to remember that the next time she asks something of me so I can rebuke her with appropriate malice.”
“They said you haven’t come out of this room since that night.”
“And you believe them?” Adagio tittered, sending a disdainful look at Sunset over her shoulder. “I’d go mad if I never left.” She held up the bottle and jostled it. "And this doesn't exactly grow on trees, you know.”
“Then you’ve been very careful.” Sunset looked towards the door. “You’ve avoided them for awhile now. What’s going on?”
Adagio scowled. She drained her bottle and set it down on the table, afraid that her tensed grip might break it. She gave a haughty toss of her hair and glared at Sunset. “Terribly sorry,” she hissed. “I must have missed the part where that’s your problem. What goes on between me and them is no concern of yours, little girl. Leave us in peace, and we will do the same to you.”
Sunset shrank back, eyes slightly wide and visibly unnerved. She took a moment to compose herself. “They want you to come back,” she said. “Sonata thought that you wouldn't want to see her or Aria, so she asked me.” Her faint tremble betrayed her unease, but she hid it with folded arms. “So far, I’m inclined to leave you alone, since you obviously don’t want anything to do with me, but I'd like to help if there's a way I can. I can be here for you, Adagio. You don't have to be alone like this.”
“It’s the strangest thing,” Adagio replied, folding her arms. “I’m trying to remember that time when I asked you for help, but for the life of me I simply can’t recall.”
“Adagio…” Sunset stepped forward, hesitantly reaching out but pausing some distance from Adagio. “If you’re anything like I used to be, I think you’re hurting a lot more than you let on. Sonata sure thinks you are, I think.”
“Right. Because we’re just so similar, aren’t we?” Adagio glared reproachfully at Sunset. “I’d have thought we’d made this clear, little girl. You and I… we are not the same.”
“And if there’s one thing that my friends taught me, it’s that people can change. There was a time when we weren’t so different. I bottled up all my feelings because I was afraid of them. I took out my anger on other people to make them feel as miserable as I did.”
Adagio scoffed, giving a haughty toss of her hair.
Foolish little girl. How could she ever know how I feel? She’s mortal.
A mortal from Equestria, a voice in the back of her head told her.
I don’t need her help. I never did, and I never will.
Before she even realized it, her mind went back in time, voyaging to peaceful nights. She remembered all the times she had held Sonata and sung her lullabies until she stopped crying and even a few rare occasions where a particularly troubled Aria had needed a little comfort from her.
Already, she felt her scowl being washed away.
I wonder what that must have felt like for them.
She could never dream of reversing their roles. From the moment they came to the human world, they had been alone. Scared. Confused. Desperate. Her sisters needed someone to guide them, someone they could rely on, someone who could soothe their pain when it was too much to bear.
And so Adagio had made herself that person. Who, then, was left for her?
She’s your enemy, she told herself. You can’t let her see you like this.
But then… what would it matter, if she did speak up a little? As far as she was concerned, she’d never see Sunset again after that day. Whatever words she spoke, whatever image she showed, whatever person Sunset saw, would never leave the room.
She turned away, both to hide her cracking composure and to walk over to the farthest side of her bed, facing away from the door. Knowing from experience that it would be difficult for anyone listening at the door to make out what she was saying, she glanced back at Sunset and beckoned her closer.
They sat next to each other on the bed, Adagio averting her eyes towards her window while Sunset patiently waited for her to speak.
It would have been a lengthy wait. For once, Adagio found she hadn’t a clue how to proceed.
Start with something factual. Ease into it.
“Back in Equestria… do you know what I would have done if I had walked into that school as strong as I was back then?” When Sunset shook her head, Adagio held up a single slender finger. “One word. That’s all it would take. One word and they’d all march off of a cliff if I wanted them to. But here?” She gestured out the window. “We were weak. Crippled, from the moment we arrived.” Her eyes lowered, thinking back to bloodstained sands. “They almost didn’t make it. The spell… it was far from gentle. I’m not sure even the one who cast it knew what he was doing, but he had no other choice. We paid the price for his clumsiness.”
Daring to look to the side, she saw a look of disbelief etched onto Sunset’s features. Hardly surprising, that the little girl could scarcely believe such a prominent figure of magic could have made an error.
“But they recovered, with my help.” Adagio took a long pause, a part of her dreading what was to come if she kept speaking. “And that night, on the beach where we arrived, I… I held them. I held them tighter than I ever had before, and I made them a promise. I told them that if there was ever a way for us to be strong again, then I would find it.”
She bit her lip, supposing that her face must have been paling. A look down at her hands confirmed that she was trembling, but she forced herself to continue, if only because it was far too late to turn back.
“But this world had no magic. Not a scrap. We could harvest enough to keep ourselves going, but…” Adagio trailed off, wincing. “When I saw that rainbow in the sky… I had hope. I had hope, for the first time in a thousand years, that I could fulfill my promise.” She lowered her head, voice dropping to a whisper. “And then you took all that away from me.”
A few seconds of silence passed, and then she felt something warm on her shoulder. Two of them, in fact.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned to the side, looking at Sunset.
Neither of them spoke, but there was such a warm look in Sunset’s eyes that Adagio knew, somehow, that she meant no harm. No words were spoken, and yet Sunset somehow radiated comfort, communing with just a, expression that it was alright to be a little vulnerable.
And so, with a little gentle coaxing, Adagio buried her face in Sunset’s shoulder and sobbed. Through the thin fabric of her nightgown, she was acutely aware of the enveloping warmth of Sunset’s embrace, and for a moment or two, she was content to savor it.
What a disgraceful sight she must have been, reduced to helpless weeping.
For a little while, she found that she didn’t care what she looked like or how she acted or how she sounded. For a minute, or perhaps two, she laid still and let Sunset hold her while her tears flowed. After a little while, she even reciprocated, clinging tightly to Sunset and pulling her in closer. Sunset, meanwhile, ran her hand through Adagio's hair, gently stroking and petting it with soothing motions.
Eventually, Adagio's tears slowed and then halted shortly after. Then, as she had done so many times before, she quickly reigned in her feelings and pulled away, having taken as much affection as she needed. She turned away, reaching to her nightstand for a handkerchief and dabbing at her damp cheeks with it.
She paused briefly, eyes falling to the floor and voice falling to a whisper. “Why did you do that?”
“You looked like you needed it.”
“You should hate me,” Adagio murmured.
Again, Sunset went quiet for a moment, but when she spoke, it was in a resolute, if quiet, tone. “I don’t hate you, Adagio. I… don’t like what you did, but that doesn’t mean I have to hate you for it. You can be kind when you want to, can’t you? And then… I figure that if you don’t deserve a second chance, then I didn’t either.”
Adagio, once her eyes and face were dry, carefully folded her handkerchief and set it down on her nightstand. “Sympathy,” she murmured. “Is that what I hear in your voice? You pity me, don’t you?”
“You were crying just a minute ago,” Sunset replied. “How often do you do that? If you’re anything like I used to be, I’ll bet you don’t like letting other people see you like that.”
“I don’t,” Adagio replied. A moment later, her eyes slowly narrowed. "Especially," she continued, "when they're the ones who made me do it."
Behind her, Sunset flinched. “Adagio-”
“You say that you want to help me? Then give me my magic back."
“Adagio, I can’t-”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Adagio slowly turned, locking eyes with Sunset. “You don’t feel a shred of regret for taking it away, do you?”
“I… That’s not true, Adagio. I’m sorry that it had to come to that, but… I’m sorry. I think it was the right thing to do.”
“And why is that? What is so different about us?" Adagio's voice began as a whisper but grew to a snarl as her gaze intensified. "Why is it that I, who saw hope for the first time in a thousand years, was doomed to failure while you, so young and ignorant, were destined to rise so high and shine so brightly? You can’t claim that you worked harder or that you wanted it more because you didn’t!” Sunset edged back, face paling with obvious unease and stammering for a response until Adagio silenced her with a leveled finger. “You, little girl, were stronger than me. That is why you won. Don’t think that you’re better than me or more privileged than me, because you’re not.” Adagio backed off, scowl softening into a disdainful smirk. “Maybe you didn’t intend to hurt me, but you did, and I think you would do it a thousand times over if you had to. You’re not the first, and I don't think you will be the last.”
Sunset stepped away, standing up and backing up towards the door. “Adagio… I know you’ve been hurt. I get that. I can’t claim to agree with what Starswirl-”
Adagio leapt to her feet with a savage snarl, lunging forward and seizing Sunset by the collar. “Do not say that name,” she growled before releasing her grip. “Ever.”
“Okay,” Sunset gasped. “You hate him. I understand.”
“Do you?” Adagio snatched up Sunset’s wrist. “Would you like to hear a story, little girl?” She ran her fingers along the back of Sunset’s hand and continued without waiting for a response. “Once upon a time, in a magical land of silly little ponies, there lived an old stallion with a magic mirror. He coveted the power of this mirror, and sought to channel it with his own horn. And so he did, but this stallion, for all his cleverness, was only a mortal. Flawed. He knew that the mirror transformed a pony into something else, but he didn't know what that something was. Or maybe he knew, and just didn't care. Or maybe it was because it wasn't a pony he cast his spell on. Whatever the reason..." Adagio put her hand on her stomach, pressing Sunset's hand into her belly. "... He didn't get this part quite right."
Sunset frowned, fidgeting awkwardly and shaking her head. “I… I don’t understand.”
Adagio gave Sunset one last spiteful glare. “Of course you don’t,” she spat, releasing her grip and bumping Sunset away with her hip. She turned away and waved her hand dismissively. “Get out. I have nothing more to say. Not to you."
When she did not immediately hear the door creaking open, she clenched her teeth and let out another snarl.
“Adagio…”
“You’re still here. Fix that.”
"Just a minute. That magic we used on you... it came from a set of artifacts called the Elements of Harmony. I don't know much about them, but I truly believe that they are not malicious. They don't mean to hurt you any more than I do. If they broke your gem, then it was to teach you, not to punish you. I think there’s something they want you to see. Something that you need to learn. I thought that they took away my magic too, but then it came back when I stood up for my friends."
"And what, pray tell, did they teach me? That I'm weak? I didn't need their help to see that." Adagio let out another snarl. "And you are trying my patience."
“Alright. I’ll leave you alone if you want me to. But… Sonata misses you, Adagio. And Aria... she doesn't like me, but all she did was tell me not to hurt you. I can’t claim to know how you feel about them, but I think you mean a lot to them. I hope that’s the case, and I hope that you know it if it is. And if it is, then let them help you, because I think you're hurting a lot more than you're willing to show. I know they'll want to. You just have to let them.”
With those last few words, Sunset finally slipped out the door, leaving Adagio alone with the silence she craved.
Stupid. Reckless. Foolish.
Adagio scowled, another growl escaping her lips. She scolded herself, wondering what madness had taken her that made her speak so much. That insolent little girl had no right to pry, no right to question, and certainly no right to invade. And yet still Adagio spoke to her of things that she rarely discussed even with her sisters. What in the world had she been thinking?
Her anger grew with each passing moment, both inwards and outwards. Every time she chided herself for losing her composure, she thought of where all her grief had come from, of who was truly the most culpable.
How dare she? Even after all she did to me, she still has the audacity to march into my home and claim she knows my sisters better than I do.
Moving back to her desk, she sat down, propping her hands up on her elbows and resting her chin on her hands. Her scowl faded, but her eyes still blazed with anger, boring into the wall as a new thought dominated her mind.
I will make her pay.
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Don't tempt fate, Aria.
I really like how everyone is portrayed here, though I don't have time for elaborate thoughts (and probably shouldn't be reading fanfics right now as it is, but darnit, this is one of very few siren stories that isn't just more of the same!) at the moment.
7611855
You have made me very happy.
I'd love to hear more elaborate thoughts when you have time, if there are things you'd like to share.
7611862
Elaboration!
Aria is nicely rough, but without being a destructive brute (give or take her treatment of walls), and even if she's almost afraid to show that she has feelings other than malice, she shows them in ways that feel very appropriate for her. Sonata is a bit dim, but definitely knows her strengths in 'cuteness' and getting people to feel sorry for her if she needs something, clever in her own way and manipulative without being a secret genius out of nowhere or somehow totally innocent, as is even lampshaded in the chapter. Then there's Adagio, who doesn't seem to have wrangled her feelings into control over the last two weeks in isolation, much like a human being. Her pain and difficulty with the situation are clear without making her a whiny, selfish drama-queen portrayed as throwing a fit over nothing, more like an actual person that's reached the end of their rope and doesn't have much more going on than that storm of hurt feelings, to which Sunset seems to have added bitterness, hatred, and seething rage in greater quantity.
I don't see her actually getting revenge, of course, not on any level (though I've been wrong before!), but if she's already decided that Aria and Sonata don't need her anymore, it's not like she has much to lose, as far as she's concerned. ...The existence of the sex tag puts images in my head for how Sunset might wind up convincing her to let go.
Sunset being patient and comforting was nice too, as opposed to doing something 'awesome' (read: senseless and violent) the moment Aria got in her face, or just shouting at Adagio until everything was right somehow. I'll admit that a lot of what I like about this story is the things that don't happen, but they're such common pitfalls that it's become rare that I can actually enjoy stories about my favorite characters, to the point that I don't even mind the slightly dark inclusion of Aria's... experiments.
I have the feeling that this whole thing is going to get worse before it gets better, but hopefully everyone can smile again by the end. Even if they can't, I suspect that it'll at least be well-handled.
Nice chapter!
7612145 And here I was, thinking that I'm so late to the show all the good ideas are already taken.
They probably still are, (I'm pretty sure there's not a single idea I had for this story that someone else hasn't already done at least some variation of) but at least I'm staying clear of the stuff that's been done to death, especially since most of those pitfalls never made much sense to begin with. So if nothing else, I'm at least subverting some expectations. 
Regarding Sonata, I've always thought that if she's thousands of years old, as is the case here, it's simply not plausible that she's legitamately as stupid as she sometimes acts. I think it's more that she lacks the focus and drive to really push herself. However, when it comes to things like her image, which she's actually put a lot of thought into, she's much more competent, even if she doesn't quite have the foresight for elaborate plans like Adagio does. Similarly, the notion that she was somehow the innocent one falls flat when you realize that she had centuries to figure out how bad the other two were and still stuck around for some reason.
And as much as I like the stories where Sunset's some kind of action hero, the latest movie pretty much states that that's not at all what makes her special. Her empathy, especially with someone like Adagio with whom she shares more than a fleeting similarity, and her capacities for compassion and forgiveness seem to be the points to emphasize.
There's probably a lot more that I have to say regarding the characterizations of the Sirens, but I think it's probably best that I hold off on that until the story's complete. If nothing else, there are still a few dangling plot threads to resolve. An experiment's no good without a conclusion, right? And two weeks is a long time to spend cutting yourself. Aria's still got some stuff to say.
I make no promises, but someone will be smiling.
7612228
I'm not sure Sonata being really dumb or innocent makes sense even in interpretations in which they aren't that old. I generally imagine that they've only been in the human world for a few years, or I figure they'd have given in to despair or be running their own nation (though it sort of depends on whether it's imagined that they want to rule rather than just be adored by enthralled subjects) after a millennium, to say nothing of the massive coincidence needed that they be in Canterlot the night of the Fall Formal or how they could still be going over how the energy in this world isn't the same as in Equestria so much later. Nothing to say they couldn't hold on that long, but it definitely makes their situation that much more painful.
In the movie, she's every bit as vicious as the other two, grins evilly during their songs and is happy to rub salt in Sunset's wounds, even if she may have genuinely lucked into pushing Trixie a little further along by thinking out loud (judging by Aria and Adagio's annoyed, then pleased expressions in that scene, which suggested to me that they were expecting her to say something compromising again and were pleasantly surprised). She's not bright, but her comments like "it's how we get people to do what we want" makes me think she has to be aware of what she's involved with, and just doesn't care.
Whether they'd been in the human world for a few years or a thousand, being thrown into another dimension with no hope of return isn't going to do any favors for one's empathy, no matter how cheerful they might normally be. That, and hanging around Aria and Adagio must have given her time to at least pick up a trick or two, if only knowing what her strengths are.
7612369 Huh. That's weird. This is the first time I've heard of this glitch. The way you describe it implies that it might have something to do with the way I published the chapters, so if that's the case I'll try not to do it again.
But you're here now, so I hope you enjoy!
7612275 I will admit that the interpretation of them being really, really old is a little bit far-fetched. Like, really far-fetched, with some of the points you raise. To be honest, if it weren't for other Sirens fanfics that I really liked using that same interpretation, I probably wouldn't have used it myself, just because your reasoning makes for less handwaving and contrivances.
In any case, I completely agree with the rest of what you said. I like to think of Sonata as being the most outwardly friendly of the three, even if she's still callous, fickle and cruel underneath. Hopefully, that's how she came out in this chapter.
7612433
The thousand-years-banished thing used to be a bugbear of mine too, but really, Handwave and Contrivance might as well be Elements of Harmony at this point, so I usually try to just roll with that backstory these days.
Just recently, (LoE spoiler!) that crystal cave in Camp Everfree. At absolute best, I could see it as an attempt by the sirens to re-grow their gems (all the 'how' in that instance being handwaved as 'because magic' and contrivance of why they happened to do it in that particular spot as 'because destiny') and they either thought it failed and left or were driven away before they saw results. Not sure that meshes with Sunset's 'always meant to have them' bit, but it's that or something else planting magic, buggering off, and no one ever coming across that cave before Gloriosa, who didn't think to SELL ALL THOSE GEMS, make a FORTUNE, and pay off Filthy forever.
...That got ranty, sorry.
She came across as a bit childish, but not stupid, well-meaning (as far as her and hers goes), but manipulative, which is right where I like to see Sonata.
Oooooh, Cheesehair is piiiiiissed,
7612473
Maybe, but it's a perfectly justified rant. I could kind of accept how the EG group spontaneously acquired the Elements of Harmony powers despite never coming into contact with any of them and there only being one present to begin with, and even SciTwi building the magic gadget made a little bit of sense since MLP magic has been shown to act in very quantifiable manners.
But this time? Feels like they didn't even try. The Sirens only got a couple sentences of backstory, but the magic crystal geode thingies didn't even get that.
Although, I'm kind of liking the notion that the Sirens made them. Or maybe King Sombra got his hooves on a portal mirror and dropped some magic crystals through it.
7612473
I thought that the magic geodes were made pretty much no more than a week before the events of LoE, and were caused by the magic leak from the cracked portal. I also thought it was pretty obvious... Also, who in their right mind would sell seven powerful magical artifacts? That just screams "terrible idea".
*looks at the rest of the discussion. takes a swig of a nearby drink*
What can i say? keep. This. Up. There isn't a character in this story i don't like, and each chapter has me wondering whats about to come next. the bit with Sonata here setting up was... hehe, pretty good. I like that angle of "well, how much do i put on?"
7613115
I don't recall that being spelled out anywhere. Do you mean that the magical blip thingies at the end were meant to imply that they must have put the harmony-geode things right where they'd be discovered as part of a magical altercation (that, granted, did save one summer camp) as opposed to going straight to the bearers that were supposedly meant to have them? I guess that'd be something, but it's still an insane coincidence.
Of course, maybe Gloriosa (who has now been in contact with magic herself, presumably infused the same way Sunset, her friends, Twilight, and possibly the sirens were) had to be brought in for something later, too, the whole thing being 'destiny' at work for some bigger catastrophe. The Tree of Harmony likes to operate out of a cave (in Everfree, at that!), so maybe it's taken an interest in this other dimension (Sunset never did tell us what happens when you bring an Element of Harmony to another world, if she wasn't just blowing smoke to rattle Pri-Twi) and it'll all make sense a few movies from now, but at present? It seems like things just kind of happen so magical conflicts and magical girl transformations can take place. Almost as if someone had to make sure marketable dolls got some screentime, now that I think about it.
And, she didn't have to sell the magical ones, but I figure the countless little rubies embedded in the walls (granted, she and Timber would have needed some tools or something) probably would have fetched a decent price. Unless those all had magic too? If that's the case, I'm wondering just how much of a powder keg Princess Twilight is sitting on now.
aww
when I thought things could go fine
7613413 It's gotta get worse before it gets better, y'know?
But this was probably the low point.
7613162 Thank you very much! It was a bit of a struggle getting Sonata's bit right, but I'm glad it paid off in the end!
7613430 you mean that things can improve?
7613440 Things can improve, yes. I don't want to say much more, but this isn't a tragedy.
7613169 I dunno if I'd count it as being "spelled out" but I thought the little pink wisp of magic during the intro was meant to symbolize one of those blobs from the ending (not that I necessarily think the ending happened before the movie, there might've only been one little blob initially) going to the cave. in Gloriosa's flashback, after Filthy Rich gives her "till the end of the month" and she goes crying, I think she sees the magic actually travel to the cave. As for why there... I can believe that, for example, the cave already had some faint background energy - maybe collected in the crystals throughout the ages? - or maybe it knew the girls were all coming there and found a bunch of crystals to "inhabit" or whatever. Honestly I think it's not yet nearly stupid enough to require an extra explanation in order to be acceptable as a plot device. The only moment in FiM that left me feeling that way was Magical Mystery Cure.
As for selling the non-magical crystals from the cave... That's a really good point, actually, I haven't thought about it. The thought of decimating a natural site in her own camp probably didn't even cross Gloriosa's mind. Or at least it didn't cross her mind quickly enough before she got the magic solution into her head. Though she should've known about that cave all along, to be fair... Well, I'll still roll with the thought that if she had, she hadn't even considered vandalizing such a natural wonder.
7613449
That happy me a little.
I can ask anything else?
don't worry, It is not about history
7613463 Like, questions about the story?
Go for it, but if it's too spoilery for me to answer, I might want to take it to PMs.
7613450
Magic rocks that were destined to bestow personality-specific super powers by way of popping up in a cave that their inheritors happen to venture relatively close to so aren't stupid enough to require explanation? Sorry if this sounds sarcastic, but I guess that's kind of fair. We don't rightly know where the Tree of Harmony (magic crystals that took the form of a tree underground, apparently) came from either, and the Elements themselves only got an explanation (more or less) three(?) seasons into the show.
Quite a lot of things go without proper explanation, but the cave feels like a stretch even by those standards. Then again, I've only seen LoE once, so maybe I've just plain missed details again and it'll make more sense when I get around to seeing it again.
I figure the thought just never crossing her or Timber Spruce's minds makes a little more sense than outright refusing to deface the crystal cave that Filthy was doubtlessly going to tear apart anyway. It seems like a colossal lapse in common sense (jewels = money when money is exactly what they need), but if it's that or being irrationally, self-defeatingly dedicated to not changing a single thing about the camp at the price of losing said camp and getting everything changed anyway, I choose to think that the two of them (or just Gloriosa, if she was in charge) just aren't very business-minded.
7613513 I understand, and thanks.
I just wanted to know how is the relationship here.
I explain myself?
7613581 Which relationship are you referring to?
7613592 friendship, family, and love.
if you do not mind.
7613603 The details of all the relationships get pretty complex. If it's alright with you, I'd like to hold off from going really in-depth until the story is finished. Hopefully, it's somewhat clear what those relationships are like from the interactions they have with each other.
7613624
that's completely understandable.
just wanted to know if it would be a story, i don't know, polyamorous, or something like that.
7613661 Hmm... I make no promises.
But in my mind, they'd totally be into that kind of thing. Whether or not it'll happen...
7613692 ok
I hope not. no offense. I respect for polyamorous people
but I do not like to see that in this story.
I hope you're not mad at me.
7613700 In that case, don't worry.
This is barely even a romance story, let alone a polyamorous one. Whatever bonds the characters share are primarily platonic, more akin to close friends or sisters than romantic love.
7613712 that's good, I like it.
although my favorite couples are sundagio and sonaria
I like this fanfic
7613569
Yeah, it sounds ridiculous out of context, but this show's handling of magic is well-known at this point. After all the tree, chest, castle, map stuff... Something bizarre happening with a stray bit of magic that got into a parallel world is pretty par for the course IMO. It might've just been the element magic trying to manifest in a similar way to Equestria when it found an Everfree and the same bearers. Or maybe, like the map, it's just setting up their adventures for them for some strange reason. I think before we ask for LOE-specific explanations, they'd have to explain muuuuuch more in Equestria.
And yeah, I guess they'd probably tear out a few of those crystals to preserve the camp at large, but two siblings growing up in the woods kinda make sense as not very business-minded. There's also the possibility that they never actually went into the cave or even that the crystals just kinda popped out when the magic started leaking into that place. Or maybe they're actually cheap crystals, because I don't think all crystals, even colorful ones, are very valuable. Especially if there's a lot of them, and perhaps especially in a version of our world that's already much more extravagant. I mean, what're Crystal Prep's crystally bits made of? Could also be some real cheap mineral.
Dagi you'd better tread lightly
7616169 Adagio is many things.
Subtle is one of them.
7616761 I can tell lol this is gonna be good
Umm...
How much sad is this implying?
7617369 Depending on what you're thinking right now, maybe less than you're expecting. Or maybe more.
If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not go into a lot of detail here. Spoilers and such, but feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss it.
7613569
The magic the girls are using is or was unstable. Some crystals in Equestria can evidently generate magic. And the cave was probably the best place where to grow magic crystals for Sunset and co. to give them better control over their magic.
Interesting would be to know what would sirens do when they learn that those that defeated them have now magic crystals like they used to have.
Talking about sirens i would like to know what happened to them. I would think Twilight and Sunset would be more concerned about beings from their world but they totaly ignored them after the defeat.
Oh, Dagi, listening to pride at all the wrong moments
Did Sunset see Adagio packing and not mention it, or did she miss it in the midst of the unfamiliar situation?
7624881 Sunset missed it. Had more important things on her mind, and Adagio is nothing if not eye-catching.
I hope that's satisfactory for the moment. In hindsight, I probably should have at least alluded to that being the case. I might go back later and throw something in.
7624912 Sure, she had a whole room to take in for the first time, and an angry and unstable siren. I wouldn't be surprised if Adagio kicked it under the bed while getting up to answer the door, too.
Really interesting to see what Aria is up to here, and I loved how defensive she was of her suffering sister. Seeing her being nice to Sonata was good too (I forget if that was this chapter or the last one, like the commenters below I was only alerted to the existence of the fourth chapter, so I just read them both together).
Adagio after too much wine is always funny to see. Is that why she's a bit all over the place with Sunset?
7624927 The 'Aria being nice to Sonata' bit was indeed last chapter.
One of life's great mysteries, isn't it?
As for Dagi...
Wine can do strange things to a person, but she wasn't that drunk. The wine might have helped, but she's got a lot going on in her head and isn't keeping as much control as she would like to think. Sunset accidentally pushing her buttons didn't help in that regard.
7628891 I'm not a fan of Sonata being really oblivious either, so what I was going for was more that she realized right away that something was wrong but second-guessed herself into thinking that everything would be okay. So it's more a case of naive optimism that actual obliviousness.
And you do still have a good point regarding the descriptions. I've been trying to put stuff like that into the more recent chapters, but there's not a lot in the beginning, so I might go back and slightly revise them sometime. I'm glad to hear that the characters kept your interest on their own, then.
This chapter was a really good read, in the sense that it made me feel miserable. The sheer hostility radiating off of Adagio was incredibly well written, and it truly made me feel like I was reading a rant by some millenia-old entity who's lived on power her whole life, then got that drug forever removed from her. It was frankly rather unsettling in all the right ways. I loved the worldbuilding thrown into the mix, that, while not being the main focus, only draws more attention to the sheer amount of pain that Adagio's feeling. I kind of feel bad for her, even though I don't think she was in any way justified. I guess it's a pretty big case of Alas, Poor Villain.
The bit with Aria really interested me, because it implies that she's got some kind of magic left over, despite the gem being broken.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable chapter. Don't have much to add on it aside from the Sunset and Adagio scene being awesome, mostly because that stole the spotlight.
7689436
This right here is probably the single biggest dilemma I had while writing this story, this chapter in particular. I personally am inclined to portray the Dazzlings in an extremely sympathetic light, one that they may or mot not deserve based on their actions in canon. My intent is that Adagio would retain some of the unsavory qualities that made her villainous as well as reminders of her inhuman nature, but still be presented as experiencing legitimate emotional struggles and difficulties that, along with her thoughts and actions, show that she's far from completely villainous. I would hope that there's no point where anyone other than her condones her actions, but I would also hope that she's sympathetic in a plausible manner.
Regardless, Adagio is, from a writing perspective, easily my favorite character, so I'm very glad that you're liking her characterization.
This scene in particular is one of my favorites of the story, although there are two more strong competitors that are coming.
I think I went into a little more detail on this part elsewhere in the comments, but I'll go ahead and restate my reasoning here if you're interested: If you make the assumption that the Dazzlings are immortal, as is the case in this story, something about their physiology has to be significantly different from regular humans, as aging is a perfectly natural biological process. If their bodies were identical to those of regular humans, nothing would be stopping them from growing old and eventually dying. To me, the most likely explanation, by which I mostly mean the simplest, is that their magic was in some way halting that process. To me, it doesn't make much sense that magic that directly affects an internal process, such as aging, would be stored externally, such as in their gems. Plus, I'm somewhat inclined to think of them as being inherently magical entities, more akin to Discord than ponies, and I think that some of that natural magic persisted even when their gems were separated.
There's a little more that I have to say on the topic, but there's also a bit more to be revealed in the next few chapters and I'd be curious to hear your thoughts before I add any more clarifications.
And thank you again for taking the time to compile your thoughts like this.
I'll definitely try to get through Aileron soon and hopefully have some thoughts to share over the weekend.
I dunno if this is due to something on my end or what, but some of the formatting seems to have gone wrong on this story. Made certain parts of it quite difficult to read. Looked like that line breaks got deleted.
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It's quite possible, I suppose. Were there any parts in particular that looked odd to you?
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Chapter: Clash. The first part that it looks funny is the section starting
second part that looks funny is the section starting
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Think I fixed it, though. Does it look better now?
... Huh. I'm a little baffled, but yeah, something definitely went awry there
My favorite line of this well-written chapter 😄