The Sirens' Song: Part 2
"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."
- Norman Vincent Peale
"Today at the rehearsal for the New Voices Competition, Mistress Mare-velous shocked the world by tying up three beautiful young singers with her magical lasso for apparently no reason. Video footage and photos of the incident went viral within seconds."
Applejack gawked at the image that appeared on the television. It showed her standing over the tied up Dazzlings, only they were in their pony disguises and not their hippocampus forms. Fluttershy, who was sitting beside her on the couch, glanced at her sympathetically.
"The three singers, who call themselves the Dazzlings, became an overnight sensation with their karaoke performance at a Mexican restaurant just last night. Mistress Mare-velous has yet to come forward about her impulsive, inexplicable display, but Twilight Sparkle, CEO of Sparkle Labs and chairpony of the New Voices Competition, had this to say."
"Oh no," Applejack said.
The footage switched to Twilight Sparkle at the stadium, speaking into a reporter's mic. "I don't know what's gotten into Mistress Mare-velous, but I can assure you that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated from any pony." She looked directly into the camera, almost as if she were glaring right at Applejack. "And we will do everything in our power to ensure that Mistress Mare-velous does not disrupt tomorrow's event."
"While we were unable to get in touch with Mistress Mare-velous, fellow Power Pony Fili-Second was available for comment."
Fili-Second then appeared on camera. "MM has gone totally ballistic! I don't know why she's so jealous of the Dazzlings! She's been going on and on about how terrible they sound since they got discovered! I swear the rest of us Power Ponies had nothing to do with this!"
"Twilight Sparkle has upped the security for the event to make sure this hero gone rogue does not…"
Applejack switched the television off with the remote.
"It's, um," Fluttershy said, cringing, "not as bad as it looks…"
"It's all lies!" Applejack shouted, standing up. "I've not gone rogue! Those no-good Dazzlings are manipulatin' every pony!" She pointed to her ear. "I had to take my commlink out, everyone was shoutin' at me! Even Spike!" She began pacing. "And how'd they even change that picture? They didn't look like that when I tied 'em up! They must've convinced some pony to edit all the footage that was taken with their magic singin'!" She stopped and looked at her roommate. "You believe me, don't ya?"
"Of course I believe you," Fluttershy said. "I heard those girls too, and, while I don't mean to be judgmental, I didn't particularly like their singing either."
"That's what I can't figure out," Applejack said as she started pacing again. "How come you and I are the only ones still awake?"
Fluttershy pointed. "Don't forget Rainbow Dash! She didn't like them either."
"Yes. And what do we all have in common that we don't have in common with every pony else?"
"We have superpowers."
"But so do Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie, yet they're as spellbound as every pony else in Maretropolis. Hmm." She tapped her chin. "The Dazzlings had mentioned something about Circe, who was a sorcerous in Ancient Grace. Maybe there's a connection there. After all, Dash has Zeus' bolt, I have Demeter's lasso, and you…"
She stopped and turned slowly to Fluttershy.
"What?" Fluttershy asked. "What about me?"
Applejack gulped. "I…I'm not sure but…"
The front door burst open and Rainbow Dash flew in, carrying a book.
"I came as soon as I heard!" she said, slamming the door. "I only got bits and pieces through the commlink, but what you said about the Dazzlings being hippocampi…"
"Hippocampi?" Fluttershy asked.
"Pretty much horses with fishtails. They're distinct from mermares as they have longer bodies and are a whole lot scalier, but they are a heck of a lot smaller than kelpies."
She noticed Applejack's raised eyebrow.
"Don't look so surprised," Rainbow said. "Or did you forget I used to be an archaeological assistant and that I work at a museum? Anyway," she said as she flipped through her book, "the hippocampi plus the singing reminded me of a myth involving three sirens."
She set the book on the coffee table so her friends could see. The page had an illustration of three hippocampi sitting on rocks, their mouths open as if they were singing. One hippocampus was yellow, one was purple, and one was blue.
"That's them!" Applejack said, pointing her hoof on the page. "That's what the Dazzlings looked like when I tied 'em up!"
"Well," Rainbow said, her hoof pointing to the text, "according to this Gracian mythology book, these particular sirens were the result of a romance between the sea god Poseidon and a mermare," she winked, "if you catch my meaning. As if their looks weren't entrancing enough, their voices were more powerful than any creature on land or sea."
She turned the page. "You know the story of the Odyssey, right? Well," she pointed to a picture of a ship heading for the Sirens on the rocks, "these are supposedly the same Sirens who tried to lure Odysseus' ship to crash into the rocks. They only survived cuz the crew had covered her ears, but Odysseus had tied himself to the mast because he wanted to hear their beautiful singing."
"So how do we defeat them?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow shrugged. "Earplugs?"
Rolling her eyes, Applejack said, "We can't just plug the ears of every pony in Maretropolis! They're too entranced by the Dazzlings to listen to anythin' we say!"
"Well, the book doesn't say anything about how to reverse their spell, nor does it say anything about them making themselves to look like ponies."
"What about the mist?" Applejack asked.
"Mist?"
"When the Dazzlings were singin', there was green mist everywhere. Every pony was arguin', and…the mist seemed to be comin' from them and goin' into the Dazzlings' amulets."
Rainbow flipped through the book. "There's nothing in here about green mist either. It just says their singing made ponies do what they wanted."
"But why would they make ponies shout at each other?" Fluttershy asked. "That's not very nice."
Rainbow sighed. "Unfortunately, this is just a myth, which in archaeological terms means 'incomplete history.' This book may not be telling the whole story or anything true at all. For all we know, this picture may just be a coincidence." She looked up at her friends. "But if they are the Sirens, why hasn't their singing affected us?"
"Applejack thinks it might have something to do with her rope and your bolt," Fluttershy said.
"And what about you?"
"I…I don't know. Applejack was just about to tell me when you came in."
They turned to Applejack, but she was too deep in thought to hear their last few sentences.
"Applejack?" Rainbow asked. "Do you know why Fluttershy…?"
"If those Sirens existed in the time of the Olympian gods," Applejack said, rubbing her chin, "then the gods must've dealt with 'em at some point."
"So? How does that help us? We're not the gods."
"No. But we can ask one of 'em how to defeat 'em."
"Oh, sure," Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. "And how are we supposed to do that? Call 'em on speed dial?"
Applejack walked past her. "I'll just summon Demeter."
Fluttershy and Rainbow gaped as Applejack went into the kitchen. They bolted after her.
"Excuse me?" Rainbow said. "Did you just say you were gonna summon Demeter?"
"Yup," Applejack said, taking three apples from the fruit bowl.
"The Demeter. Goddess of the Harvest? A goddess?!"
"There any other Demeter?" Applejack said, opening the pantry.
"Whoa, whoa, back up." Rainbow held up her hooves. "You know how to summon Demeter?!"
"Yup."
"How?"
"She told me," Applejack said nonchalantly, producing a loaf of break from the pantry.
Rainbow's jaw dropped. "Demeter spoke to you?!"
"Yup," she said, opening a cupboard above.
"When?!"
"Not long after I first got the rope." Applejack pulled a basket-woven cornucopia out of the cupboard. "She told me how to call on her if I ever needed her guidance."
Rainbow blinked in disbelief. "But…I thought the gods had retired!"
"They have," the earth mare said as she gathered the apples and bread into the cornucopia. "They may not directly interfere in the mortal world anymore, but since I'm Demeter's Vassal, I wield a piece of her power, the same way you wield a piece of Zeus'. She can still make contact with the mortal world through me."
Rainbow bit her lip, astonished and envious that Applejack was in contact with Demeter. Meanwhile, Rainbow had been wielding Zeus' Lighting Bolt for months, and not once had the god actually spoken to her. Was there some Gods' Gift user manual she was supposed to read or something?
"So…we're going to meet a…a goddess?" Fluttershy said, her eyes wide in wonder.
"Sorry," Applejack said as she carried the cornucopia out of the kitchen. "But this is somethin' I halfta do alone. If she's gonna come, I'm gonna need complete silence, so no pony make any noise out here and keep outta my bedroom closet."
As she went into her bedroom, Rainbow muttered under her breath, "Sure, she's all buddy-buddy with her goddess! Zeus never told me about any summoning ritual. Didn't even pop into say, 'Hi, how are ya? Enjoying my bolt so far?'"
Fluttershy laid a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sure there's a reason Zeus hasn't spoken to you yet, Dashie."
"Yeah," Rainbow said, shrugging off her hoof. "Maybe he's too chicken to tell me how disappointed he is in me."
Fluttershy was silent as Rainbow stomped over to the couch. She didn't know the words to comfort her.
Applejack, now dressed as Mistress Mare-velous, prepared her altar in the closet decorated in newspaper clippings. On the table was the cornucopia filled with the apples and the bread loaf, her rope surrounding it. On either side of the table were two torches bolted into the wall. As a precaution, there were no newspaper clippings hanging above them.
Striking a match, she lit both torches. Then she blew the match out, closed her eyes and knelt to the ground.
"Great and gracious Demeter," she murmured, "Goddess of the Harvest and Protector of the Fields, accept my offering and hear my prayer. I, your most loyal and obedient servant, beg that you come forth and give me the guidance I so desire."
She waited in silence. A minute passed, and then the rope began to glow around the cornucopia. Mare-velous did not flinch as she felt a breeze flow through her mane. Suddenly, everything around her was warm, and the room was filled with the smell of fresh wheat.
"Hello, my soldier."
Mare-velous opened her eyes. Stalks of wheat surrounded her, reaching as high as the sky. But that was not all that towered over her.
A tall green earth mare stood before her. A crown of wheat sat atop her brown mane, which was tied into a long, single braid down her shoulder. Her gown was made of fallen autumn leaves which flapped against the wind. She looked down at Mare-velous with chestnut brown eyes.
"My Lady Demeter," Mare-velous said, bowing her head.
Demeter lifted the hero's chin with her hoof. "Why do you call upon me, my champion?"
"My lady," Mare-velous said, lowering her gaze in respect, "I apologize for any disturbance I have brought, but we are facing a foe—well, three for that matter—who may have wreaked havoc during your reign."
She then explained all that had happened with the Dazzlings. The goddess listened to this news with a calm composure.
"These three mares you describe definitely sound like Poseidon's bastard sirens," Demeter said. "They have even share their names: Adagio, Aria and Sonata." She shook her head. "But it is also impossible, for Poseidon had stripped them of their singing voices eons ago, as punishment for their misdeeds."
"Well, they must've gotten 'em back somehow," Mare-velous said. "I heard 'em mention Circe."
"Circe?" Demeter closed her eyes with a sigh. "I should have known. That witch's island Aeanea is not far from where the Sirens used to dwell. If the Sirens had made a deal with Circe, it might explain their new abilities. Of course, dark curses are not my department, but it sounds like their new voices thrive off the negative energy produced by mortals when they argue, which might have been that green mist you saw. Circe might have given them those pony disguises as well."
"So the more ponies fight around them, the more powerful their voices become?"
The goddess nodded.
"So how is it that two of my friends and I aren't affected?"
"Ah, yes," Demeter said, looking down at her grimly. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that new friend of yours."
"If ya mean Rainbow Dash, sure she can be a lil' reckless sometimes, but she can be a lotta help when…"
"I'm not referring to Zeus' Vassal. I'm referring to Discord's Vassal."
Mare-velous raised her head. "Ya mean…Fluttershy?" Her expression became fearful. "Then…she's really…?"
"Yes," Demeter said. "That is why the three of you are unaffected by the Sirens' song. Your individual, personal connections with the gods protect you from any dark enchantment."
The hero shook her head. "No. No, no, Fluttershy can't be Discord's Vassal. Discord's not an Olympian god! Fluttershy doesn't have any talisman or object of Discord's!"
"A talisman is not always necessary for a god to bond with a mortal, nor is it limited to those who have thrones on Mount Olympus. When your friend Fluttershy found Discord and touched his amulet, he gave her a piece of his power and, in turn, bonded with her, making her his Vassal. She belongs to him as you belong to me and Rainbow Dash belongs to my brother. Whether or not she is aware of this connection, I do not know."
Mare-velous gulped. "It's true then. The statue at the museum really is Discord."
"Yes, and I'm afraid his connection with your friend has put her and the mortal realm in grave danger." The goddess bent down to her Vassal. "Applejack, you cannot undo what has already been done, but you can prevent what might happen. A part of Discord lives in Fluttershy, which means she has the power to release him from his stone prison."
Mare-velous' eyes widened.
"Applejack, it is imperative that you do what you can to keep Fluttershy away from Discord so that he may never be released."
"I…" Mare-velous stammered. "I…I'll try, my lady."
"See that you do." Demeter straightened up. "Now, as for the Sirens…"
"Right." The hero had almost forgotten why she had summoned the goddess. "How do we defeat them?"
"It won't do to simply destroy them. Their spell will remain on the poor mortals. Their magic comes from their song, so a song must be sung to counteract theirs."
"So…we have to sing? What song?"
"It does not matter. As long as the three of you are singing together in harmony, you will be able to overpower the Sirens." Demeter sighed. "I do not approve of you working with Discord's Vassal, but you need three divine voices to defeat their three divine voices."
"Divine?" Mare-velous chuckled. "I sing okay, but I don't know about divine."
The goddess smiled softly. "The three of you are blessed with our divine powers. When the three of you sing together with faith in your hearts for us, as well as faith for yourselves, you will be able to use those powers beyond your normal abilities. That's how we'll defeat them."
"Ya mean…if we sing…you, Zeus and…Discord, will be with us?"
Demeter lightly touched the hero's chin. "I'm always with you, Applejack, but this time, I'll be able to work through you." She cringed. "And yes, Zeus and Discord will be there too. At least a part of each of us will be. You'll see what I mean. But you have to sing the song when every pony who has been affected by the Sirens' spell is present, otherwise they will never be free."
"The competition! Every pony will be there! Or if not, they'll be watchin' it on TV!"
"Then you must sing the song then." Demeter stepped back. "Good luck, my champion. Or should I say, break a leg?"
As the goddess winked, the wind blew the wheat surrounding them. Mare-velous then opened her eyes and found herself back in her closet. The cornucopia on the table was empty.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were reading magazines when Mistress Mare-velous came out of her room.
"That didn't take long," Rainbow said, putting down her magazine. "What'd the big gal say?"
Mare-velous then explained how to defeat the Sirens. Fluttershy looked horrified while Rainbow looked disgusted.
"Ya gotta be kidding me!" Rainbow said, throwing her hooves in the air. "We already defeated one villain by singing, now we gotta do that to defeat three more?! No offense, Flutters."
"We're gonna have to sing?" Fluttershy said, shivering. "In front of all of Maretropolis?!"
"It's the only way," Mare-velous said. "Like Demeter said, three divine voices can overpower three other divine voices."
"Divine?" Rainbow said.
"You and I are Vassals to Zeus and Demeter. By singin' to the Sirens, we'll be usin' the powers Zeus and Demeter gave us."
"Yeah, but…what about Fluttershy? She's no vassal or soldier for any god."
"Well, she…" Mare-velous bit her lip as she looked nervously at her roommate. "She…" She sighed. "When you got your powers from Discord's amulet, it…it sort of protects you from any other dark magic."
"Really?" Fluttershy said, looking down at her hooves in wonder.
"Huh," Rainbow said. "Guess there's an advantage to being cursed by the God of Chaos."
"She's been blessed by a god," Mare-velous said. "Even if the cause was Discord, she has to sing with us if we're to defeat the Sirens."
"Okay. So what are we gonna sing?"
"Demeter said it doesn't matter, as long as we do it together."
"Then let's sing a rock ballad! If we're gonna be fighting with music again, we should at least make it something cool."
Mare-velous raised an eyebrow. "Thought ya didn't like karaoke."
"I said I didn't do karaoke. Not like I can't."
"But we should really sing somethin' more soulful, like a country ballad. After all, it'd be easier if the three of us were singin' on-key."
Rainbow scoffed. "Excuse me! But rock is not off-key!"
"It's not even singin'! It's just yellin' to music!"
"But country is so slow! We'd bore the audience to death before we defeat the Sirens. Besides, the Sirens have been singing upbeat pop music. It's only logical that we sing something upbeat."
"Ya think country can't be upbeat?"
"We're doing rock!"
"Country!"
"Rock!"
"Country!"
"Rock!"
"Country!"
"STOP!"
Rainbow and Mare-velous turned to Fluttershy, who had stood up from the couch.
"I don't care what you sing!" Fluttershy said, tears welling up in her eyes. "There is no way that I'm going out there and singing in front of all those ponies!"
She raced out of the room.
"But Fluttershy, we need ya!" Rainbow called.
"I'm such an idiot," Mare-velous said, facehoofing herself. "I forgot all about her stage fright! Of course she wouldn't be up for this!"
"Whaddya mean stage fright? Why would she…? Oh." Rainbow cringed in realization. "That…explains a lot."
"What?"
"Okay, I should've read into this more, but," Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her neck, "back at Flight Camp, there was this talent show. Fluttershy was gonna sing. I'd come over to her house and hear her rehearse. But that was before…" She hung her head. "The day she was knocked out of the sky."
"Ah," Mare-velous said, nodding in understanding. "I take it that experience had changed more than just her temper tantrums."
"I mean she was always pretty timid, but I told ya, after that day she just shut every pony out. When the day of the talent show came, she walked onstage, but she just froze up. I never knew why. She had sung for me before, and I was right in the front row, supporting her. But I guess it wasn't sounding bad she was afraid of, it was…"
"Her fear of losin' control." Mare-velous sighed. "I ain't no psychoanalyst, but her fear of Saddle Rager might've manifested into a fear of performin' in front of others."
"MM?" Rainbow said, glancing sideways at her. "What you said about…Fluttershy being blessed with Discord's powers…is there…is there something more to that you're not telling us?"
Mare-velous winced and then turned to her. "You're her friend too, Rainbow, so ya must know. And ya work at the museum, so you can help me."
"What are you talking about?"
The earth mare took a deep breath. "Demeter told me that…the real reason Fluttershy's immune to the Sirens' magic is that…" She looked away. "Ya know how you carry a piece of Zeus and I carry a piece of Demeter?"
Rainbow tilted her head in concern. "What are you saying?"
Mare-velous closed her eyes. "It's the same with Fluttershy and…Discord."
Rainbow's eyes widened.
"The day Fluttershy received her powers," Mare-velous explained further, "was also the day she became Discord's Vassal, in the same way that I'm Demeter's and you're Zeus'."
Rainbow took a step back. "Then…that statue…at the museum…is really Discord?"
Mare-velous nodded. "I didn't know how to tell Fluttershy, but she is connected to Discord, and he is a dangerous god to be connected to. Demeter told me I had to keep her as far away from the statue as possible."
"It's worse than you think." The pegasus looked at her worriedly. "The statue, it's…it's cracking. It's been cracking for weeks now! I called Daring Do and she said there's some prophecy about him being set free by a pony, the Keeper of His Core." She glanced at Fluttershy's bedroom door. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before. She was the one who found him, who was blessed by him, she visits him almost every day."
"Then this is worse than we thought," Mare-velous said, grabbing Rainbow's shoulders. "Dash, we can't let Fluttershy know about all this."
"Why? If she understood the danger…"
"Have you met Fluttershy? She could go right up to a rattlesnake and treat it like it's a lil' angel! If she knew she had the power to release Discord, a statue she's been talkin' to for years, what do ya think she'll do?"
Rainbow opened her mouth and then shut it.
"Exactly. We gotta make sure Fluttershy never gets close enough to Discord to let him out. I'm her roommate, and you work at the museum where the statue's kept. It's up to us to make sure Discord stays in stone. Agreed?"
With a gulp, Rainbow nodded. "Agreed." She stepped out of Mare-velous' hold and rubbed her foreleg awkwardly. "So, um…what's it like talking to a goddess?"
Mare-velous glanced up at the ceiling in thought. "Like…talkin' to your favorite teacher. A teacher ya respect and fear at the same time."
The pegasus' ears drooped. "Must be nice…being able to call on your patron goddess whenever you want."
Noticing her distress, Mare-velous lay a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "I know that…ya've heard nothin' from Zeus since ya got the lightning bolt, but ya shouldn't feel bad about it."
"But why hasn't he spoken to me yet? Like you said, it's not like those gods are doing anything else." She looked upwards. "Is he…afraid or…embarrassed to see me?"
Mare-velous shook her head. "He wouldn't be embarrassed if he'd chosen you to wield his weapon."
"Well what if I made him embarrassed?" Rainbow turned to her. "After all, I…I can be clumsy sometimes and…" She touched the bolt around her neck. "I'd be less clumsy if the big guy'd just show up and tell me how this worked! Demeter couldn't wait to start mentoring you!"
"Rainbow, I think…"
"Just forget it." Rainbow shrugged off her hoof and walked towards the door. "It's late. I should…probably get some rest for tomorrow's battle of the bands." She looked over her shoulder. "Think Zeus'll appear in my dreams like some animal spirit guide or something?"
"Rainbow, you should know…"
"Yeah, you're right." She opened the door. "He's probably busy courting some mortals as a goose or something."
She shut the door before Mare-velous could stop her.
Sonata stared at the strange slop of food that had been placed in her hoof. "What is this?"
Pinkie Pie snorted. "It's a taco, silly!"
It was evening, and Sonata and Pinkie were standing at a taco stand in Maretropolis Park. The pink mare was chomping on her taco, not minding that cheese sauce was dripping down her chin.
"You mortals actually eat this stuff?" Sonata asked.
"Mmm-hmm," Pinkie said, swallowing. "Ya mean they don't have tacos where you come from?"
"Eh, we usually ate seaweed or shellfish. That was when we lived underwater, before we started feeding off mortals' negative energy."
"Ah, that makes sense," Pinkie said, unfazed.
Sonata smirked. "It's so much easier to be honest when your date is brainwashed."
"Ya gonna eat that or what?"
The siren gulped as she stared at the messy taco shell. Closing her eyes, she brought the taco to her open mouth and bit down on it. Her eyes popped open and she gobbled down the rest of it.
"Mmm!" she said with her mouth full. "Dis ish duh bust ding uh evuh daystud!"
"Ay-huh!" Pinkie said, her mouth also full. "I-nymph in?"
They swallowed simultaneously and laughed.
"I must have more!" Sonata said, slamming her hooves on the counter of the taco stand. "Gimme all the tacos you got!"
"Okay," the stallion said with a smile as he picked up the condiments. "It's on the house!"
"Sweet!" Pinkie said. "Who knew going out with an evil singing siren would be so beneficial?"
"Told ya it'd be fun," Sonata said. "Ooh, what's that over there?!"
Pinkie looked to where Sonata was pointing. "Oh, that's a fountain."
"Water!" She raced off. "Wait for the tacos, will ya?"
"Okay, have fun!" Pinkie shouted, waving.
Sonata dove into the park's fountain and started splashing around.
"Oh, sweet!" Sonata said, picking up some coins. "Free money!"
She continued swimming around, collecting more coins until a police officer came over.
"Hey, no swimming in the fountain!" he said, raising his matchstick. "And taking coins out of a fountain is stealing!"
Sonata's head came out of the water. "Oh, but officer," she said, batting her eyelashes, "I'm just a sweet innocent little girl. I didn't know any better."
The cop rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, tell that to the judge."
Smirking, Sonata opened her mouth and sang a few "ahs." The officer dropped his matchstick and stood there mesmerized.
"Do you still wanna arrest me?" Sonata asked, curling her lip into a pout.
The cop smiled. "So sorry to bother you, miss. Enjoy your swim."
He turned around and walked away, forgetting his matchstick. By this time, Pinkie had arrived, carrying a tower of tacos.
"Not to be a mother hen," Pinkie said, peering around the tacos, "but if ya eat while swimming, you're likely to cramp up."
Sonata snorted. "That's ridiculous. I eat while swimming all the time and that never happens!"
"Maybe when you were a sea pony, but now you're a land pony. And the laws of physics state that if you're changed into a land pony, you're more likely to cramp up if ya go swimming while eating."
"Well what if I just sit here and not swim anywhere?"
Pinkie shrugged. "That might work."
She lowered herself and placed down the pile of tacos so she could sit beside Sonata. They each took a taco from the bottom of the pile, amazingly without having the whole thing fall over.
"I've been talking a lot about myself," Sonata said as she bit into her taco. "Tell me about you."
"Whaddya wanna know?" Pinkie asked.
The siren propped her elbow on the rim of the fountain and leaned her chin on her hoof. "Absolutely everything!"
"Well, I was born on a rock farm with my three sisters Limestone Pie, Maud Pie and Marble Pie. Marble's my baby sister by only a few minutes but Maud is really my closest…"
As she went on, the two of them slowly devoured the tower of tacos. Sonata did not say a word, as she was watching and listening to the bespectacled mare with interest.
"And that's pretty much the story of my entire life!" Pinkie said as she swallowed the last taco. "That is, up to the point where you called me and asked to hang out. But you know everything after that."
"That's amazing," Sonata said. "Living a double-life as a rock farmer and superhero. Also explains how you were able to get to my apartment so fast."
"Yeah," Pinkie said with a sigh. "But I really wanna be closer to Maretropolis so I can do the superhero stuff more often, but Dad doesn't really want me to leave the rock farm. He says I should stay with my family."
"So you have daddy issues." The siren looked up at the starry sky. "I know how that feels."
"What? Did your dad not want you to be an evil siren or something?"
"That must've been it. I mean first he left our mom high and wet with three fish eggs, for the stupid reason that he had to go back to his wife; then for years he doesn't bother to visit, not even during the holidays; nor did he show up for Mom's funeral. He never sent a card! And it's not until after we sink a few hundred ships that he finally shows up, and it's to take our voices away!" She sighed. "At least your dad was around to make you feel loved and adored."
Pinkie nodded. "That's tough. No wonder you and your sisters are taking over the world."
Sonata smiled. "I knew you'd understand."
An hour later, Pinkie and Sonata were walking down the hallway to the Dazzlings' apartment. The two of them were laughing.
"Your sister got her head stuck in what?!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"A soda bottle!" Sonata said, bawling. "Poor Aria's head was swollen for weeks!"
"Guess we mortals really shouldn't litter, huh?"
"You really shouldn't! Maybe Aria would hate all you mortals a little less!"
They laughed again. Sonata grinned as she rubbed her foreleg.
"Thanks for walking me back to my apartment," she said. "You didn't have to. I don't get lost anymore."
"What kind of date would I be if I didn't?" Pinkie asked.
Sonata frowned. "Hey, um…Pinkie…do you think…you know, if you weren't…?"
She paused when she caught Pinkie's perpetually excited expression. It hadn't changed all night.
Sonata shook her head. "Never mind."
They made it to Sonata's apartment door.
"Want me to come in?" Pinkie asked.
"No, no, no," Sonata said, turning to her. "My sisters are home and they don't really want me fooling around with any mortals until after we take over the world. But don't worry!" She grabbed Pinkie's shoulder. "Once we take over the world, we can fool around all we want!"
"Sounds like fun, bye!" Pinkie said, turning to leave.
"Call me tomorrow!" Sonata called, waving.
"I'll call the minute I get up!"
Giggling, Sonata opened the door. She frowned when she saw Adagio and Aria waiting on the couch. Their hooves were folded over their chests and their eyes were glaring.
"Where have you been?" Adagio demanded. "We're supposed to be resting our voices for tomorrow's performance!"
"Chillax, will ya?" Sonata said, shutting the door. "I was just getting some air."
"Uh-huh," Aria said. "With whom?"
"Just this mare who'd given me her number at that karaoke thing. Remember, she was the one wearing my face today?" She squealed. "She showed me a taco cart! You girls ever tried a taco? It's amazing!"
Adagio slapped herself in the forehead. "What did I say about fooling around with mortals? We're in the middle of a grandmaster plan to take over the mortal word here! We can't afford any distractions!"
Sonata huffed. "I was not fooling around!" She went over to the kitchen counter and hoisted herself onto it. "It was just one little date!" She folded her hooves. "We didn't even kiss."
"Then what did you do?" Aria asked.
"We just…you know, walked around town, ate some tacos, swam in the fountain and just…talked." She grinned. "Pinkie is a very good listener."
"Uh, hello?" Aria said, rolling her eyes. "She's under a spell! Of course she's a good listener!"
"Oh but she was also so weird! Like…the good kind of weird." She put her hooves together. "Please, please, please, can I keep her?"
"We don't have time for this!" Adagio said, rising from the sofa. "We need to find a way to take care of that meddling Soldier of Demeter's."
"What's the point?" Aria said. "It's not like she can even get close to us without getting mobbed by our adoring fans."
"That doesn't mean she won't try." Adagio began pacing. "If only we knew more about this hero, where she lives, who her friends are…"
"Maybe my new girlfriend can help," Sonata piped.
Adagio groaned. "If I hear you talk about your girlfriend one more time…"
"No, I'm serious! I mean she's in this whole club of heroes thing called the Power Ponies. One hero can shoot lasers from her horn and one of 'em has this magical lasso that…"
The eldest sister stopped. "What did you say?"
"I said one of 'em shoots lasers and…"
"No, no, no. The one with the lasso."
"Oh, yeah. She has a lasso and these horseshoes which she throws around. She's called Mistress Mare-velous and Pinkie says she can be a real grump."
"Really?" Adagio smiled maliciously. "What else did your girlfriend say about this…Mistress Mare-velous?"
Fluttershy was standing on a stage, a microphone in front of her. She looked out at the audience of ponies and saw that it stretched on for miles. She couldn't even see the back of the theater.
"And now," said a voice, "the musical stylings of Fluttershy Buttercream, who will be singing a song to defeat the evil Sirens and save the world!"
She was blinded by a spotlight, and her knees grew weak. Crickets chirped and some pony coughed. Fluttershy opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, there were screams. Fluttershy glanced around to see what was going on, but the spotlight prevented her from seeing anything. Then she looked down at herself and found that the muscles in her legs had enlarged.
"No," she said in a deep, gruff voice as she backed away. "No, no!" She yelped as her heavy weight caused her to fall through the stage. "This isn't me!" She covered her eyes. "No!"
As she scrunched herself into a ball, the screams started to fade away and she felt something cold but soft touch her back. She did not flinch, for she knew the touch well.
"I'm here, my darling," said a male voice. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."
Without opening her eyes, Fluttershy wrapped her hooves around the warm, furry body. She felt lighter now and more like herself. As the creature's claw ran through her mane, she cried softly into his fur.
"That's it," he said. "Let it all out."
She sniffed. "I…I still can't understand how…how you can be here."
His paw moved gently down her back. "I feel your distress and I come. I am just strong enough to be able to reach out to you subconsciously and visit you in your dreams." His voice sounded sad. "I wish I could do more."
"It's all I need," Fluttershy said, clutching his fur.
"But tell me, my darling. What has you so distressed?"
She opened her eyes. All she could see was a white void.
"I…I'm supposed to sing tomorrow," Fluttershy said. "In front of millions of ponies."
"Sing?" he said, surprised. "You can sing?"
She hung her head. "I'm not very good."
"Now I doubt that." She closed her eyes as he cupped her chin in his claw. "Your speaking voice is so sweet, I'm certain your singing voice is angelic."
She smiled softly. "But the thing is…I have stage fright." She moved her face out of his hold. "It's not that I'm worried about sounding bad or anything, it's just that…" She gulped. "Whenever…whenever I go up and…so many ponies are watching, I…I'm afraid that…they'll see me. The real me." She dropped her head into his fur. "Every part of me."
There was silence. "And what's wrong with that?"
She inhaled sharply as his claw began stroking her face. It felt so cold, but comforting at the same time.
"I cannot see anything while I'm in stone," he said. "I can't even see while in your dreams. But whenever I hear your sweet voice, do you know what I see?"
"What?"
He lifted her face up and Fluttershy opened her eyes. She could not see his face, only a tall brown body that faded into the void.
"I see the most remarkable creature in the universe. One who is kind, compassionate, and whose voice pierces through the darkness like a shining beacon. When those ponies hear you sing, that is what they will see." He gently ran his paw through her mane. "Besides, it's not as if the fate of the world rests on you singing."
She bit her lip. "Actually, it…kind of does."
He was quiet for a moment. "Well, um…you still shouldn't worry. Even if I'm in stone," she could hear the soft whisper in her ear, "I will be with you. They can take my statue to the edge of the world, but my heart and spirit will never leave you." He pulled her closer. "Remember that when you sing tomorrow. Sing for me, because I know that anything that comes out of your mouth will be beautiful."
Fluttershy sat up in bed. Her dream had given her an idea. Opening her side table drawer, she pulled out a yellow notebook with a pink butterfly on it. After grabbing a pen, she started writing.
In the morning, Fluttershy and Applejack were at the breakfast table. Applejack was reading Fluttershy's notebook. After a while, Applejack looked up at her roommate.
"Where'd ya come up with this?" she asked.
"It, um…came to me in a…dream." Fluttershy blushed. "W-What do you think?"
Applejack set down the notebook. "I think we just found our song to defeat the Sirens."
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I don't know which bit was more adorable, the date or the dream.
Nope. NOPE. I'm sick and tired of seeing this superhero cliche. The whole "LET'S HIDE A DANGEROUS SECRET THAT WILL BACKFIRE ON US!" cliche is horrid and incredibly jack ass-like. I can't STAND IT when that happens.
This was a great chapter!
The fact that AJ can actually seek guidance from Demeter is pretty sweet! A nice twist on her character's powers. And I loved the whole conversation that the two had because it shed some light on more than just the current problem. It also foreshadowed more of the setup for Discord's chapters.
That actually reminds me of Twilight and Celestia's relationship. I wonder when the two Princesses could get involved. And for that matter, Cadance, Shining Armor, and the Changelings.
While Pinkie IS under the Dazzlings' spell, she is still being enough of herself. So, blabbing about her superhero stuff to Sonata would actually not be out of character if they were truly friends. Also, their interactions were admittedly cute.
I believe that Discord's compliments and advice to Fluttershy are genuine. He might be planning on using it to get her closer to freeing him, but he would be nice to Fluttershy like that. It might even help during when the Power Ponies have to face off against the God of Chaos and he avoids actually harming his Vassal. We'll just have to see because I'm excited!
8303103
Their options are basically "tell her and release the evil and possibly insane Ancient God of Chaos on the world," or "don't tell her and keep the Ancient God of Chaos from wreaking havoc." What would you do in their situation? They're backed into a corner.
8303160
Tell her how evil Discord is. Tell her the scenario. And hope to the Gods that she knows RELEASING DISCORD IS THE MORE NOBLE AND SENSIBLE OPTION.
neat, now i kinda want to see Aquastallion come to maretropolis
8303134
About Discord's words of comfort, he is the embodiment of chaos and chaos doesn't make sense, and to quote him, "Where's the fun in making sense." However, it would not surprise me that Discord actually has no ill intents once free, he just wants to able to live his life.
Maybe in the next chapter, we'll see Zeus interact with Rainbow Dash and tell her that Fluttershy has to set Discord free or similar advice that is contrary to what Demeter gave Applejack, it is worth noting that Zeus was a god that was omniscient, while Demeter was a goddess that was not omniscient. An interesting thing in Greek, I want to say mythology, but it was part of a practiced religion for a time, but back to my point, they had their gods mostly divided as those that were omniscient and those that weren't and Zeus was of the former while Demeter was of the latter. I am a bit of an amateur classicist.
, well to be just she's still in character.
8303247
Huh. I actually didn't know that. That REALLY helps with what I had planned!
8303257
Just give credit where credit is due and we are square
8303194
No, you want Nomar Mecklenburger a.k.a the Sub-Marenier (Namor McKenzie, The Sub-mariner), she could fly when Supermare could only leap over tall buildings. Aquastallion... he's a joke, (Point for Marvel)
8303165
Actually, Discord is simply chaotic. Chaos and Evil are not mutually inclusive. That being said, it might not be the best decision to let him out. Yes, it's a cliche, but cliches, tropes, archetypes, etcs exist and are used for a reason; for telling a story that any one being told the story can relate to the characters in the narrative.
8303350
THEY STATE HE WENT MAD WITH POWER AND HAD TO BE SEALED. HE'S TOO CHAOTIC EVEN FOR CHAOS. And yes I know they do but this is one that's ran it's course.
8303355
in your opinion, it might have, but for others that might not be the case, also this DF's first comic-book type thing, she needs to demonstrate that she knows the rules before she can start breaking them.
8303373
..... that still doesn't sit right. Besides this will make it even MORE obvious for her to do it later. That's how this has always gone.
CELTIC!
Also: Old-school Discord is a sweetheart.
8303247
Very interesting to hear, dude.
8303718
thanks
8303375
look at a lot of the earliest Warner Brothers cartoons, and the earliest episodes of Hanna-Barbera, etc, they are more similar to the first Disney shorts than different. You can't go breaking the rules with establishing that you know the rules.
8303747
And yet you can also NOT do them.
8303912
Watch any of these, these and/or these, most break the rules without showing that they know how to play by them. Yes you can be unique and that is a lot of reward for it, however, there is also great risk. DF has only started writing in the superhero genre, while she established herself as a writer and dramatic reading within the fandom with the Bride of Discord series, this is something she has much less familiar with and has likely elected to play it safe in some areas while she also brings her established skills and is taking some risks. You don't like that she used that particular cliche, you don't like the particular cliche, fine, you are part of the vocal minority. However, I will end this here, I have no doubts, DF can defend her own uses of whatever archetype, cliche and/or trope she wants, it is her story.
8304008
I have no doubt. It's just that this is a cliche I hate personally.
While I'm not so sure that not telling Fluttershy about Discord is the best solution, there are a couple of risks.
1. She thinks maybe he's misunderstood or something and tries to set him free (Fluttershy has a tendency to see the best in ponies, which in this case is actually a bad thing)
2. She releases him in hopes that he'll take away her powers.
8303103 Take it you woke up on the wrong side of the bed today?
Ha ha yeah considering that Zesus sleeps with almost every female, it's most likely true.
Although I hate cliche of you have a dangerous power or connected to it. But I'm not going to tell because... it's explained well here.
8303343
eh looks like this is an arguement where both parties will stand firm for their respective heros
Another great chapter. I hope things go great and they defeat the sirens.
YOU SERIOUS??!!!
Stupid Pinkie!
This doesn't look well. NOT AT ALL.
8304640
Remember, she's under a spell and Sonata DID tell her to say EVERYTHING. Pinkie had no choice but to do exactly what Sonata asked.
8304668
Oh, I know. The thing is, tha's not so OoC of her.
Ooh! This is getting good! And I can't wait to see what song the girls are going to sing to save the day.
I wasn't gonna berate Pinkie. She rambles all the time.
Applejack: I'm a little bit country.
Rainbow Dash: I'm a little bit rock n' roll.
...uh oh.
Hey, uh, do you read the Percy Jackson series? Just because you seem to favor Greek history and creatures.
Don't spoil me now. Nice work, I can't wait for the next installment. I'm reading your other story as well.
"These three mares you describe definitely sound like Poseidon's bastard sirens," Demeter said.
8648711
I don’t think she was calling them bastards for th sake of it. They rebelled against all the gods, including Poseidon. They’re LITERALLY bastards
8848918
8648711
Bastard refers to a child born out of wedlock
If he's anything like he was before, then probably.
I thought you and physics were divorced?