Worth [Edited 31/12/2022]
“Do you think we can cause enough emotion without music?” Aria suggested as she followed Adagio into the school.
“How would we do that?” Sonata asked.
“I was thinking if we wanted a specific emotion, we could just… do things to make it happen,” Aria shrugged. “Like, I don’t know, scaring people for fear or being nice for happiness, or whatever.”
Adagio pressed her hand against her chin. “I don’t know how we would be able to do that without using even more energy than when we were singing,” she muttered.
As they walked, the students sent scowls in their direction. Several of the students pointedly looked away as they passed while others glared at them the entire way down the hall. The sisters ignored them as usual and continued their conversation.
“Would it be better for us to get energy separately?” Aria tried. “If we don’t need to sing, and we don’t need negative energy, we can get our food from a wider range without harmonizing.”
Her sisters shared a quick glance. “That’s… actually a great idea,” Adagio said quietly. “It would ensure all of us got the necessary amount of food without needing to split it amongst ourselves.”
Aria puffed her chest proudly. She had been trying to think of some way for them all to feed properly with these new pendants since the night they received them. For Adagio to acknowledge one of her ideas and praise her was a huge achievement in her book.
Before anything further could be said on the matter, the student body decided to remind them where they were. A few of the braver students were frustrated at their tactics failing and had gotten fed up with the sirens’ attitudes. It wasn’t right for these girls to walk around with the same confidence they had before their defeat, without a care in the world. Trixie cleared her throat, breaking into their discussion. She was going to make them realize their foolishness and force them to retreat with their tails between their legs.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t see how you three can act so high and mighty after your defeat,” she stated, crossing her arms. “No one here will ever accept you after what you did to all of us.”
“We don’t need them to,” Adagio said simply, cocking her hip. “Their opinions don’t matter now and won’t matter after they graduate.”
“How can you be so sure of that?” Trixie huffed. How dare this otherworldly monster act as if they don’t matter!
Aria sneered at her as she moved closer to Adagio. “What are they gonna do to us after we’re no longer confined to the school? Find out where we’re going and follow us? Are you all a buncha stalkers?”
Trixie gritted her teeth. “We could always ruin your reputation!” she snapped angrily.
“How?” Sonata asked in genuine confusion. “It’s not like you can tell anyone about our true nature. Won’t they just think you’re making things up?”
“Poneidon forbid you actually mention magic to anyone who doesn’t attend this school,” Adagio added with a malicious grin.
“Cause, you know, that won’t make you seem like a complete lunatic or anything,” Aria snickered, crossing her arms.
The students around shifted in a mixture of anxiousness and irritation. The sirens had a point. They didn’t dare tell anyone outside the school about the intimate details of the Fall Formal or the Battle of the Bands. No one would believe them, and most of them couldn’t quite believe it themselves.
Trixie’s bravado faded slightly and she stared at the sirens in befuddlement. “I don’t understand,” she said quietly. “Sunset Shimmer was a wreck after the Fall Formal. Why aren’t you acting like she did?”
Aria rolled her eyes and grumbled, “High schoolers are so stupid…”
“We are thousands of years old,” Adagio stated, drawing herself up to her full height and using her imposing presence to practically tower over the stage magician. “We have lived countless lifetimes and will live countless more. Your weak attempts to intimidate us mean nothing to beings who were in existence before your ancestors could walk.”
“Plus, you all intimidated Sunset Shimmer by ignoring her, isolating her, and making her feel alone since she doubted basically everything about herself.” Sonata’s summary was a bit on the nose, but Aria easily picked it up.
“The thing is, we’re not alone,” she scoffed. She and Sonata stepped forward so that they were right beside Adagio. “It’s been the three of us for thousands of years. We don’t care if some stupid school kids from an alternate world glare and whisper about us. We’re stuck here for eternity, but you’re all going to grow old, die, and turn to dust. Compared to that, your little fits mean nothing.”
Trixie shrank before the three women and the other students gaped at the trio. They had forgotten that, even though the sirens no longer had their pendants, they were still from an alternate world. They still had inherent magic from Equestria. Their lifespans eclipsed those of the people currently trying to change them. It made all of the students feel considerably smaller in comparison.
Adagio’s lips spread into her signature smirk as she grinned down at the subtly trembling Trixie. “I suggest you have a smoke bomb on you the next time you decide to confront a magical being, sweetheart. It would be just terrible for them to be less cordial than us.”
The sirens sent the students around smirks as they sauntered passed the stumped magician and continued on their way. Before they got too far, Adagio turned slightly and called, “Oh, and that extended lifespan? That applies to ponies, too. Remember that the next time you have something to say about Sunset Shimmer’s past. She has the capability to make your futures miserable.”
“As if she would,” one of the other students shot back. “She’s hanging with the Rainbooms now. She’s terrified of being an outcast again, we made sure of it.”
“We’ll see,” Adagio responded in a sing-song voice as she flipped her hair. She knew it was most likely true, but she wasn’t going to give these children the satisfaction of a confirmation.
Once they were further away from the other students, the trio lifted their hands to the new violet gems at their throats. They had taken great care to hide the gems from the rest of the school, and tended to avoid their rival band during practice. The conversation before they had been so rudely interrupted was just another part of their investigation into the magic in the gems. They had yielded little in the way of results, but thanks to being able to absorb the energy without singing, they could take their time.
“Do you think their morning practice is done yet?” Sonata asked her sisters.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Aria shrugged. “Let’s check.”
They started in the direction of the music room as Adagio mused on a few different details. “Spending time around her without her friends is difficult at the moment. Perhaps if we utilize the classes we have with her as well as lunchtime, we might be able to get closer to her.”
“Sunny gets a little distant with her friends sometimes,” Sonata piped in. “Maybe we can hang out with her a little when she gets like that?”
“That might work,” Aria muttered. “If there are times she’s not with them, we can move in.”
Passing a reflective locker on their way, Adagio paused and scrutinized her appearance. She was flawless, as always, except for one hair that didn’t want to curl properly like the others. “I need to stop in the bathroom,” she grumbled as she stalked toward the nearest lavatory. “Stupid hair. Can never sit just right.”
“Bet you wish your hair was straight, huh?” Aria chuckled, flipping one of her twin-tails.
Adagio scoffed as she pushed the bathroom door open and replied, “Aria, I prefer there be nothing straight about me. I just need to tame this naughty hair back in place and then we can-.” She stopped at the sight of the very person they wanted to see standing on the far side of the room.
Sunset Shimmer tensed up the second the door opened. She had removed her jacket and was clutching it against her torso, but she hurried to turn away when they entered. Her efforts did not stop Adagio’s eyes from flicking to the mirror beside her. The lead siren could just make out something odd on the unicorn’s skin. Walking closer to get a better look, a small gasp tore from her throat.
Adagio motioned Aria forward and pointed at what she’d spotted. The other two sirens strode over and took a look as well. Sonata’s hands flew up to cover her mouth in horror. Aria stomped over and grabbed Sunset’s shoulder, turning her around and seeing the evidence directly.
Eyes of varying degrees of violet took in the expanse of skin on both of Sunset’s arms. Small pink lines, clearly visible and barely faded, covered the skin. Most of them were on her upper arms, but the number near her wrists and elbows still made the sirens’ chest tighten. The only reassurance was that they got shorter the closer they got to her wrists.
Adagio stared at the lines in nothing short of horror. Behind her, Sonata stared at Sunset with sadness and Aria clenched her fists to avoid breaking something. “S-Sunset…” Adagio breathed, eyes lifting to meet Sunset’s.
“Th-they’re old!” Sunset told them, rubbing her arm self-consciously the way the trio had seen her doing during the Battle of the Bands. “I was only covering them with makeup. The rehearsal made me sweat it out, so I wanted to reapply, that’s all. I-I haven’t gone back to that-.”
“How long?” the lead siren demanded softly, rose-colored eyes flicking down to the lines again.
“N-not since the Battle two weeks ago,” Sunset stated proudly.
Violet eyes traced her arms and Aria asked, “And how long were you doing it before that?”
Now Sunset looked guilty, and her rubbing grew worse. Without thinking, both Adagio and Sonata reached out to stop her; rubbing too hard could cause problems for the scars. “I… Well, the Fall Formal had been before that, so… every day, about every few hours each night…”
“For weeks…” Tears welled in Adagio’s eyes. She wanted to cause havoc, chaos, hatred… but had the sirens even needed to? The student body already had hatred within them, it was just concentrated toward one person. All the sirens really did was spread that hatred so it was directed at everyone. Even then, they would never dream of driving others to force someone into a corner like… like this.
Blinking quickly to stop the tears from falling, Adagio took a deep breath. It was unacceptable. They wanted to cause negativity, but they didn’t want to see people get hurt. Injuries made it difficult for people to worship them, after all. They would never want something like this to happen.
“Come with us,” she ordered. She tightened her grip on Sunset’s arm and led the group out of the bathroom.
“W-what?” Sunset found herself being tugged toward the school exit. “Why?”
“Duh!” Sonata said. “We’re going to patch you up, dummy!”
As expected, they were met with glares upon their reappearance, but those quickly fell when the crowd looked closer at the quartet. Students whispered in shock as they passed and some stared in horror when they got a good look at Sunset. A few moved closer as if to help, but hesitated. None of them had known what they were doing to Sunset Shimmer. They wanted her to change and be better, but they… they hadn’t meant to push her that far.
Sunset felt the eyes on her and her heart hammered in her chest. They were all staring. They could all see. They would all judge her again. She dug her heels in to slow Adagio down and Aria and Sonata paused with her.
Adagio glanced back in confusion, letting go of Sunset’s arm. As soon as she did, Sunset shrank in on herself and Adagio recognized that stance. Sunset only looked like that when she was under an unwanted spotlight. Aria glared at everyone with bared teeth, growling softly at the few who still looked like they wanted to come closer. Sonata shielded Sunset from view as Adagio stepped closer to her.
“What is it?” she asked gently, placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“C-can I at least put my jacket back on?” Sunset pleaded in a quiet tone.
The students had largely forgiven her for what she had done at the Fall Formal, but she knew they would never let her live down the years she kept them in an iron hold. There were a lot of them who probably thought she deserved these scars. She just… couldn’t take the staring, not while everyone could see everything.
Adagio snapped and Sonata handed the leather to her quickly. She helped Sunset slip into her jacket and the more observant students realized that the sleeves easily covered the scars on her arms without a trace. Trixie and several others looked close to breaking down when they noticed that small detail.
With Sunset’s jacket on, Adagio took a gentler hold on Sunset’s hand and continued her stride toward the school’s exit. Before they could get there, Security Alarm, the officer on duty to watch for any trouble, spotted them leaving and intercepted their path. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, crossing his arms. “School’s about to start. You need a pass from Principal Celestia or Vice-.”
Adagio glanced at Aria and her sister nodded. Lifting the officer by the back of his pants, she slid him to the side and out of their way. The trio headed for their car with Sunset Shimmer still protectively nestled between them. The other students watched them go as the front doors shut.
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Security Alarm. Great name for an officer/security guard, but still a weird name.
I really enjoyed this! Didn't notice any obvious grammar errors, "human reactions" and Sunset is in this...
I'm loving this story so far! keep it up.
8610584
I mean, we have a protagonist named Twilight Sparkle. Can't get weirder than that.
8610777
*salutes* I do my best!
8611141
I'll admit, that'll be tough to beat. But I'm pretty sure someone out there can think if a much weirder name.
8611173
Hasbro already did. Fizzlepop Berrytwist.
8611201
Oh my god.
Nice series.
8611482
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy it!
I know this is serious subject matter, but
Oh the innuendo with this statement.
8790194
All the innuendo.
You can't threaten these 3
Poor Sunset, also damn this school making someone do this is too far.
whoops :p
Damned fools
Don't underestimate Sunset, she is very driven
Celestia to luna
Luna yes sister get my bitch slap glove
Of course sister
May all deez hoes regret an repent for their sins against the goddess sunset shimmer 😠😠😠😠
See that right there is exactly why I hate bullies and I hope to hell they rot there's absolutely positively no excuse for it whatsoever I don't care what your home life is like or how good it makes you feel venting on others is not okay just because you feel like crap doesn't mean you have to make others feel that way as well
amazing as always 😁
are you still editing each chapter? Or the other story, Dazzling Sunset: Compatibility too?
11466207
Yup! I got sidetracked with family stuff, but I'll be editing the other three chapters as well before also editing the first two of Compatibility. Jury's still out on the rest of my fics, but I want to continue this series, so it was the first to get the revamp treatment.