The Heart of The Queen

by Pumpernickel Rye

Honesty is (Subjectively) The Best Policy

Honesty is (Subjectively) The Best Policy

Nymph tapped her hoof (or more like pounded it) on the mattress without realizing it. In all her years of being the queen, she had never been so strongly defied. Just thinking about the way Adagio looked at her that night made Nymph want to set the girl’s mane ablaze. Thorax had reported that the Dazzlings barely sang the songs provided to them by Pinkie in favor of what Adagio felt like. It was only a few performances with most taking place in Canterlot, but Adagio was clearly intent on keeping up this outrageous behavior.

“Did you hear anything about this, Nymph?”

Even if Nymph could get away with it, mind control felt like the wrong way to handle this. Telling Celestia was an option, but she didn’t like the idea of getting her involved as she was almost certain Adagio would expose their deal if she was pushed hard enough.

“Nymph, are you listening?”

The best idea she had was to simply give Adagio what she wanted, but how long would that last until she asked for too much? Perhaps she needed another visit with Twilight? If she was desperate, maybe she could convince Luna to give that siren nightmares until she caved. No doubt Luna wouldn’t approve, but Nymph would do anything to put Adagio in her place. Ever since that night, Nymph had been giving herself headaches thinking of a way to get leverage over Adagio and get her plan back in motion. Her novel in progress had been left on hiatus until she figured out how to deal with the fiendish fish.

“Nymph!”

The Changeling Queen quietly gasped and turned to the crystal ball laying in front of her. “I-I’m listening!” She cleared her throat and smiled innocently. “Please continue.”

“Did you hear what we said?” questioned Shining Armor, unconvinced. He and Cadance were lying together on their heart shaped bed with the princess surrounded by an unhealthy combination of snack food. Cadance had developed her baby bump a while ago, but there was also some visible weight gain that none were allowed to talk about without risk of either her husband’s wrath or her emotional meltdown.

“Of course. It was...something about the Crystal Heart?”

“Not even close. We were talking about this.” Cadance held up a magazine to the mirror titled Across Equestria. “Changelings have been measuring the amount of love in every big city and the Crystal Empire was one of the lowest rated ones!”

Peeking at the article, Nymph saw that it was in fact true that the once lost empire had fallen behind many cities. Not to her surprise, Ponyville was ranked the highest by a large amount. “How is that even possible? You and the Crystal Heart alone should be enough to put you on the top of that list!”

“They only counted love that ponies give off naturally,” said the prince. “It’s bad enough with everypony here talking about the Gala and Chrysalis, but this is really upsetting people here. Some are...taking it harder than the crystal ponies.” He nervously tilted his head toward his wife.

“I’m the Princess of Love and I rule one of the most unloving cities in all of Equestria!” Magically putting together whipped cream, crackers, cookies, and carrots, Cadance shoved her unholy concoction into her mouth and asked with tears in her eyes, “What has the world come to!?”

Shining Armor got some tissue and wiped away her tears while gently shushing her. “The kingdom is becoming restless,” he continued as Cadance laid her head on him. “Ponies are worried that Chrysalis is going to show up again or that the changelings are going to do something and ever since this article, changelings are getting worried food is going to get low for them. I don’t want to strain Cadance feeding them since she still has to power the Crystal Heart now and then.”

The mention of the Crystal Heart losing power caused Nymph’s mind to flash back to her previous visit. “I’m so sorry this has all happened. I wish there was something I could do to help ease your burden.”

“Maybe you could make a visit here?” Cadance blew her nose on some tissue. “Not for a speech or anything, but just a quick visit? I miss you and I want the people to see how good of friends we are. Maybe it would change their minds about you and the changelings.”

Nymph shook her head and tried to smile for Cadance’s sake. “I would love to come see you both again, but after what happened last time, I am certain my appearance would only make things worse.”

“Are you sure? Your changelings would be happy to see you and I think the ponies trust you enough to not raise a fuss again.”

Nymph loudly scoffed. “Yes, your ‘loving’ and ‘trusting’ ponies would not conjure up ridiculous conspiracy theories against me and look at you two with suspicion, wondering whether or not you are under my control. If you were to ask me, I can safely say they deserve the rating given to them.” Nymph smirked before quickly looking back at the crystal ball to find both rulers staring back in shock. “I’m very sorry. That was inappropriate.”

“Is everything alright, Nymph?” asked Cadance. “You seem distracted and a little moody.”

“I’m fine.”

Shining Armor shook his head. “You can’t fool us. You’re not your usual cheery self. Is everything okay in Canterlot? Did something happen with Chrysalis?”

Nymph lied on her side, letting her mane go over the edge of the bed. “I’m having trouble with those sirens. Actually just one in particular. Adagio justs insists on being a problem. She’s rude, uncaring, and I can’t ever get her to listen to me. They’ve been doing so well in spreading harmony, but Adagio suddenly decided she doesn’t want to sing for a noble cause anymore. It’s even worse that the other two like being her friend because they actually seem reasonable. I just don’t know what to do.”

“If two of them can be reasoned with, then maybe you could send them here,” suggested Cadance. Shining Armor tried very hard to hide his disgust when she held up two potato chips with whipped cream, gummy changelings, pretzels, and marshmallows sandwiched in between, which she happily consumed. “Maybe it’s love that they need to learn. Shiny has been very interested in these sirens and I would like to get to know them.”

Send the Dazzlings all the way to the Crystal Empire? The idea heavily intrigued Nymph and for a moment, she felt a little lighter. This feeling did not last as her mind processed the most likely outcome. They would do nothing but be a hassle to the couple and sing nothing that would remedy the situation in the empire. She wanted to believe Cadance would be very capable in reaching out to them, but it didn’t seem likely given Celestia and Luna, former wielders of the Elements of Harmony, had not been entirely successful. “I will give it some consideration, but I do not think now would be a good time. You two have enough problems as it is.”

“Dang. I wanted to meet the mermares,” Shining Armor muttered, causing Cadance to giggle.

“They look more like dragons that ponies.” Nymph produced a little green projection of Adagio’s true form for them to study and they looked at it in awe. She made sure to emphasize her hostile expression and deadly teeth. “Why would you want to meet them anyway? Didn’t Twilight tell you just how dangerous they are?”

Princess Cadance playfully nudged her disappointed husband. “Shiny loves his mythical creatures. He’s been wanting to include them in his Ogres and Obelisks games ever since Twilight told us about them and he thought meeting them would give him an idea on how to accurately portray them.”

“I wanted to make a campaign with my friends where we would sail across the sea and encounter sirens. Maybe have a cool story based around them and some crazy undersea adventure” He loudly sighed and dug into the bag of gummy changelings. “I guess I’ll stick with the boring stuff like water dragons, krakens, and leviathans.”

“Sorry, sweetie. I’m afraid the only boring stuff we have today is of the political kind.” Cadance got off the bed while taking many bags of snacks with her. “Nymph, sorry to cut this short, but I’m afraid we have a lot of work we need to take care of. We can talk later tonight and maybe we can figure this all out.”

“Let us know if there’s anything we can do to help,” said Shining Armor as he shook the blanket to get rid of whatever mess remained. “Take it easy, Nymph.”

“Thank you, Shiny. Bye, you two.” When the crystal ball went out, the queen let out a long, drawn out sigh and rested her head on a pillow. All this trouble for the lovely couple because their subjects were too uncivil to allow Chrysalis to speak. It was because of them she was stuck with the sirens. Had those awful ponies just kept their mouths shut and listened, none of this would have been happening. They should be ashamed of what they were doing to their wonderful rulers.

But she knew the truth. The blame was not entirely on them. She was only in this situation because she failed. If she actually knew what she was doing, she wouldn’t have to resort to using mind controlling beasts to provide her with what she wanted. If she was clever at all, she would of had an answer back when Adagio first made her threat. If she had something to hold over her head to keep her in line, she could of just sent them to Crystal Empire, have them put on a little show, and the problem would have been solved.

Merely thinking of her current predicament was becoming suffocating. Adagio could read her like a book, so the obvious solution to this was to do the same to her. With plenty of time to herself and a crystal ball, she had a way of finding her answer, whether it was a weakness she could exploit or something to blackmail her with. Nymph closed her eyes and magically reached into the crystal ball.

Looking through Adagio’s pendant, she could see her standing in front of a large bookshelf somewhere in the city. “Isn’t this place wonderful?” Adagio turned toward Thorax as he hovered in front of her with a stack of book in his hooves. Now Nymph could see more of the store. There were several customers who mostly consisted of changelings, many tables displaying books of certain genres, and all of the walls were aligned with wooden shelves. Behind Thorax across the room was a large window with the city visible, but she did not recognize this particular part of the city. “I’ve never seen this many books back home!”

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for my day off.” Adagio leaned around Thorax to see Aria carefully examining one of the shelves. “And since when were you such a big reader?”

“I always found interesting stuff on the internet. You would not believe the crazy stuff I have seen in that world.” Aria pulled out one book, looked at the cover, and returned it. “Books aren’t really my thing, but I need a way to kill time, especially on the train. Figured there’s gotta be something I like here.”

The lead singer loudly sighed and she leaned against the shelf. As she boredly tapped with wooden shelf with her hoof, Thorax asked, “What do you like reading, Adagio?”

“I don’t read. I find it to be an unworthwhile use of my time. What do I care for fictional stories anyway?” She quickly turned to Aria with her hoof held out as the other siren opened her mouth. “Television shows and movies are not the same thing.”

“Wouldn’t kill ya to try it out,” Aria commented with a smirk on her face. “Maybe the two of us could find something fun to read together. You gotta admit Equestria has way more interesting stories than back home a thousand years ago.” She approached Adagio and gave her a soft, friendly punch to her side. “I don’t think we’re going to see the internet again, so you gotta get used to what we’ve got.”

Adagio stared silently at her friend before looking at the bookshelf once more. “This is the last time you get to choose something for us to do, Thorax.” Her hoof came into view as she carefully examined each book, but it was clear she wasn’t taking it too seriously. After a moment, the queen gave up and cut off the connection.

Despite her unsuccessful attempt, Nymph couldn’t keep herself from chuckling. “How appropriate. She’s perfect as Twilight’s nemesis. She hates reading.” Now that she thought about it, maybe Twilight would be useful in giving her some sort of idea on how to handle Adagio. She considered calling her right away, but something was bothering her. It wasn’t what she saw, but who she didn’t see.

Using the crystal ball, she saw Sonata pacing back and forth in one of the halls within the palace, making occasional murmurs and whimpers. The matriarch leaned in closer to the orb in attempt to hear her better. “M-maybe I could...no.” She held up a pamphlet for about only a second before putting it down. “There isn’t enough time.” Sonata walked over to one of the massive windows and pressed her head against it. “There’s no way.”

Nymph set the crystal ball aside. “What in the world is she fussing about?” Whatever it was, it was serious enough for her not to be with either of her bandmates, two sirens she was known to be clingy towards. She could just go straight to Sonata to see what the problem was, but if the siren really was going through a potential crisis, then it would be wise to get Celestia involved.

Getting out of bed, Nymph made a quick glance at the mirror to make sure her mane looked well enough before exiting into the hall. It wasn’t long until she arrived outside Celestia’s room and knocked on the door, the tapping of her metal shoe against wood echoing. “Come in.” Opening the door, Nymph found Celestia on her bed, resting comfortably under a yellow blanket while reading a book. “Hello, Nymph. Is there something you need?”

“Something’s going on with Sonata.”

Celestia set her reading material aside and quickly got onto her hooves. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“I saw her through my crystal ball undergoing significant distress.” She motioned Celestia toward her and she led her out back into the hall. “It seems to be upsetting her a great deal. She’s pacing around and talking to herself, but I’m not sure what she’s worried about.” She lowered her voice as they passed by several guards and servants that were coming by while the rulers themselves often smiled and nodded at them. “What I find to be most strange about this is that she has stayed behind while her friends are out shopping.”

“She chose to be alone? That’s not like her at all.” Not far from them was the hall where housing for castle staff was located. They peeked around the corner to see Sonata still there, fumbling with whatever she had with her.

Nymph took a moment to get a feel for the area and sensed that they were practically alone, allowing them the perfect opportunity to confront her. “There’s nopony around. Let’s get some answers.”

Celestia went first and chose the direct approach in dealing with the issue. “Sonata?”

The siren yelped, dropped the pamphlet, and spun around. “I-I-I-I didn’t do it!” Hastily grabbing the paper off the floor, she hid it behind herself and made the largest grin she could. However, her eyes had completely betrayed her as they displayed her unease and constantly looked away from their perplexed gazes.

“You’re not in trouble. We were just saying hello.” Celestia stepped closer, being mindful of making any sudden movements. “What do you have there?” Sonata took a step back. “There’s no need to be afraid. You know you can come to us with anything.” Sonata looked at the princess’s expression of warmth before sighing and submitting the item. Celestia took it and she with Nymph saw that it was a train schedule for Canterlot Station. “I don’t understand.”

“Are you perhaps planning on making an unannounced visit somewhere?” Nymph questioned suspiciously. “I can’t imagine why else you would hide this from us.” Looking closer at her, it was obvious that Sonata wasn’t up to anything sinister. She barely made eye contact, didn’t make a peep, and lacked any of her usual, bubbly energy. Taking a breath, she spoke much more calmly. “Please. Talk to us.”

Sonata gulped and looked up at Celestia. “I want to go to Ponyville.”

“Ponyville? How come?”

“I want to see Pinkie and Fluttershy and...say I’m sorry.” Sonata suddenly leapt in front of them and clung to their legs. “Don’t tell Adagio or Aria! They’re going to be so mad! I like them both, really, but those ponies were really nice! I only pretended to not wanna be their friends so Dagi would be happy! You have to keep this a secret from them!”

“It’s okay, Sonata. We won’t say anything.” Celestia gently gently pulled her off and stroked her cheek. “I know it’s difficult and even scary, but you cannot keep this from your friends. They will find out eventually and I guarantee they will not be very happy with you. If I were you, I would-”

“Keep it a secret! Got it! Thanks for the lesson, Princess!” Sonata immediately attempted to retreat, but Celestia teleported right in front of her. It did not to deter Sonata as she quickly went around her, but the princess was persistent, warping in her path again and again. Eventually, her point had been made and Sonata had ceased her escape. “Come on! It’s just one secret! I’m sure you two keep a lot of secrets from each other!”

“How do you exactly plan on keeping this a secret?” questioned Celestia, unaware of Nymph fanning herself as well as giving the siren a dirty look. “With the three of you almost always together, how will you find the time to go all the way to Ponyville to visit Pinkie and Fluttershy? How long would you plan on making these visits without them knowing? Weeks? Months? Years?”

“Maybe?” Celestia shook her head, which caused Sonata to groan. “But I don’t know what to say without getting them mad! Can’t you tell them for me?”

“Friends need to be honest with each other, meaning it has to be you who tells them,” addressed Nymph, her face sometimes cringing with each word she spoke.

“Well maybe they don’t need to know! I just need the perfect way to keep it all a big secret!” After carefully studying the queen in front of her, Sonata clapped her hooves together with a big smile on her face. “I know! I’m gonna hire a changeling!”

“Oh no,” Nymph mumbled.

“I’ll find one who can act exactly like me and use her to pretend I’m me when I go visit Pinkie and Fluttershy!” Sonata rubbed her hooves together. “It’s the perfect plan!”

Nymph closed her eyes while pinching the bridge of her nose. “Unless your stunt double is expected to sing for a show or rehearsal. What if Adagio or Aria want to talk about the other world? What if this changeling discovers that you’re really sirens and panics?”

“Okay, so I’ll use my voice to control her-”

“Which you do not have access to,” Celestia interrupted.

“Um...um...oh! Now I’ve got it! I will find a magic cloning spell or device or pond to make another me-” Sonata could say no more when the princess’s magic held her mouth shut.

“Sonata. No matter how afraid you may feel, it is important that you do not keep secrets from your friends. Honesty is a critical foundation to a long lasting relationship and lying to them like this could undo everything you have worked for.”

Sonata looked at the floor and nervously rubbed her front leg. “Are you sure? Like really sure? Lying kept me out of trouble a lot back then.”

“Cherub thought she could keep a secret from Luna and it almost destroyed their relationship,” warned Nymph. “Then again, maybe you would be happier with those ponies as opposed to your current friends.”

“No matter how we feel about them, we must respect who she chooses to be her friends,” addressed Celestia. “So, Sonata. What do you think you should do now?”

“Have you take me to Ponyville so I can apologize?” she guessed timidly.

“And what of your other friends?”

“Tell them I was doing something else?” Celestia loudly sighed. “Hey, I worked real hard to make Dagi my best friend and I’m sure as heck not gonna sacrifice that!”

“Well I’m afraid no matter how hard you try, she will find out one way or another.” Nymph turned to the princess. “Any suggestions on how to make Sonata see things our way?”

“I think I have one. Sonata, do you remember Applejack?”

“The boring farm pony that made Aria work that one time?”

“I think you would like her if you got to know her. Anyway, she should be very capable of helping you with your problem.” A scroll magically appeared before the pony princess. “She’s not working at Cupid’s Arrow today, so I think you should pay her a visit. You would have about a couple hours to learn from her until Pinkie and Fluttershy get off work.” The paper poofed away. “So how about it, Sonata? Would you like to visit Applejack?”

Sonata hesitated before shrugging. “I guess?”

“Trust me. I think this is a wonderful idea.” Celestia glanced at the other matriarch. “Would you mind taking her to Applejack and explain to her the situation?”

“Not at all.” Before Nymph began her teleportation spell, seeing Sonata look so worried caused a candle to light over her head. “Celestia, I’m going to stay with her and make absolutely sure this problem is taken care of. I think it is of utmost importance that we see this through.”

“Very well. Good luck, Sonata.”

Taking the form of Twilight Sparkle, Nymph teleported herself and Sonata Dusk outside Sweet Apple Acres. She may of not liked the taste of apples, but Nymph could not deny how beautiful the landscape around her was with trees decorated with colorful fruits stretching as far as her eye could see. “Do not worry, Sonata. I promise everything is going to be okay. However, Applejack still hasn’t exactly forgiven Aria for her outrageous behavior from last time, so don’t do anything to upset her.” Immediately, Sonata attempted climbing a tree and reached out for one of the bright colored fruits hanging from the branches, but Nymph magically pulled her down and kept her in stasis just above the ground. “Hooves off. These are somepony’s property.”

“What!?” Sonata flailed her four legs like mad, but only remained in place as her efforts for fruit proved fruitless. “But there’s like a million apples here! She’s not going to miss just one!”

“It still counts as stealing.” The siren continued to desperately try to break free, but Nymph’s magic was too much for her. In a way, it amused the queen to see her fight so hard for simple food. “You must really like apples.”

“Fruits are the best! All we had was fish, seagrass, and seaweed in Chantlantis. Dagi and I always liked to beg Aria to make us smoothies back in the other dimension! She was the only one who really knew how to use a blender.” Drool dripped out of Sonata’s mouth. “I could really go for some grape juice or fruit punch right now.”

“How about a deal?” Nymph released Sonata, who thankfully managed remained put. “If you decide to tell your friends the truth, I will have Applejack provide you with some. Hers are the best in all of Equestria. At least that’s what they tell me.” The siren eagerly nodded and they continued down the dirt path.

Traversing across the massive orchard, Nymph was soon able to track down the Element of Honesty through her emotions of pleasure and determination. Near one of the hundreds of identical trees was Applejack, striking one for its yield. With a few powerful kicks, the buckets around her filled up with produce and she wiped the sweat off her forehead. It was then she first noticed Nymph approaching her. “Hey, Twilight! What brings ya-” The earth pony quickly took a defensive stance. “Ya better have a good reason for bringin’ one of them here.”

“I actually do.” Nymph removed her disguise, startling the pony. “Sorry for the deception, but it helps to keep a low profile. Celestia and I are in need of you, Applejack. Poor Sonata Dusk has a serious problem and we thought that you could perhaps help her.”

Applejack seemed very skeptical as she approached the siren. “Ya? And just what sorta problem is she havin’?”

It was a moment before Nymph realized that Sonata wasn’t going to answer the question as she looked to be ashamed over the ordeal. “It seems Sonata was interested in Pinkie and Fluttershy’s offer of friendship after all.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “The reason she turned them down was she didn’t want Adagio and Aria to be upset with her for befriending their foes.” Nymph gently rubbed Sonata’s shoulder and nuzzled her. “The poor, poor girl is torn. She wants to be their friend, but she’s too afraid of coming clean to the other two. She’s so scared that she’s planning on lying to them whenever she decides to visit here. With enough time, her lies will catch up with her and I don’t want to think of what could happen. We would like for you to teach Sonata the importance of honesty so that she can find the courage to tell them.”

Applejack turned to Sonata and after studying her, she seemed to be a lot more open to the idea. “Okay, Ah can help ya, but Ah also got a lotta work that needs doin’. Help me and Ah’ll help ya. Deal?”

“Deal!” Sonata and Applejack shook on it. “So what do I do?”

“Just help me harvest some apples by knockin’ them off the trees. We got a big order of apple pie comin’ up, so we need to have a lot of apples ready to go.”

“Apple pie!?” Sonata squealed. “Can I have some!?”

Applejack chuckled. “We’ll see.” She watched Sonata prepare to kick a tree before Nymph sensed an eruption of fear from the farmer. “HOLD IT!” Both mares stared at her in surprise. “Just...try to be gentle. Ya know. Bein’ a siren and all.” Nodding, Sonata gave the tree a firm kick, which made Applejack flinch as well as pray under hear breath, and many apples fell and filled the buckets. “Pretty good!” she complimented with a sigh of relief. “Ah’d say ya’re a natural!”

“Thanks!” Sonata gave it another kick to acquire more apples. “This is way more fun than being a maid!”

“Let’s not forget why we’re here.” Returning to her disguise as Twilight, Nymph magically pulled some apples down to fill other buckets. “Sonata has new friends to make.”

“Right.” Applejack and Sonata each took a tree next to each other and got to work. “So Sonata, what’s the worst thing that can happen if ya tell them the truth?”

“They hate me and don’t wanna be my friends anymore!” Sonata cried in distraught.

“From what Ah heard, you girls aren’t exactly friends.” Applejack visibly shivered. “Ah just can’t picture ya and Aria seein’ eye to eye.”

“A lot has happened since you’ve last saw them,” said Nymph while stripping several trees bare without much effort. “Sonata became so upset with how they didn’t get along and confronted them on the issue. Since then, Adagio and Aria have been trying to get along with her and each other with a good deal of success.”

Looking from the queen to Sonata, Applejack asked, “Was it really that awful for y'all? For all those years?”

Tightly closing her eyes, Sonata slowly nodded. “It was the worst.”

Seeing the faint traces of tears in her eyes, Nymph and Applejack pulled away from their tasks. “And now things are better, right?” Applejack asked uneasily.

“Until I tell them that I wanna be friends with ponies! They’ll hate me for sure!” Sonata gasped and kicked the tree hard, the loud snap causing the other two mares to flinch as cracks were left behind in the tree trunk. “They might even kick me out of the band! Dagi would never want to see me again! Why did I have to like those two ponies!?” Sonata sudden started hyperventilating and looked in every direction. “I-I-I-I need to get out of here! They’re probably looking for me!”

Before Nymph could react, the siren bolted past her, kicking up a storm of grass blades and pebbles. The next thing she knew a lasso flew by and caught Sonata the tail. Applejack alone was not enough to reel in her catch, so Nymph assisted her by pulling the rope and tying it around one of the trees. The queen walked over to the desperate Dazzling, who didn’t seem to react to being restrained and kept running in place. “Sonata, dear. Please try to relax. Panic will get you nowhere except to an early grave.” It quickly became clear that she used a poor choice of words as Sonata began breathing so fast that her face was becoming a darker shade of blue. “A-Applejack! I need assistance!”

The earth pony held out an apple from one of the buckets. “Here.” She jumped back when Sonata took the apple and devoured it in an instant, spraying fruit chunks all over the grass as she did so. “Ya certainly love yar apples.”

“Can I have another?” Applejack nodded and Sonata swiped another from the bucket, which didn’t last even a second in her grasp. This time, she underwent a drastic improvement in her mood. “They’re sooooo good! I wish I could live here and eat them every day!”

“Let’s not carried away,” Applejack laughed. “So Sonata, what do ya want?”

“More apples!”

“Ah meant about makin’ friends.”

“Oh. I just want to be friends with Pinkie and Fluttershy and not lose Dagi or Aria.”

“Ya like my friends that much?”

“They are like the nicest ponies I have ever met. I always wanted to have friends like them.” Sonata bit her hoof and turned her head. “I thought Dagi would be like them when we first met. Aria was a jerk from the start, but Adagio was so much nicer. She made me feel special and even taught me how to sing like her! But when we got banished, she just...you know. She wasn’t the same.”

“Ah understand.” Applejack put her hoof around her. “Sonata, how important do ya think honesty is between friends?”

“I don’t know. I lie to them all the time just to keep out of trouble.” Sonata’s face scrunched. “Sometimes I took their money and shopped a little. They didn’t like letting me carry cash, so I had to hide almost everything I bought.”

“Trust me. Honesty is one of the most important things in a relationship. If ya’re gonna be friends with my friends, then yar friends are gonna find out eventually. Ya can only slip away so much before they notice. If they find out on their own that ya have be hangin’ out with them without tellin’ them, how do ya think they would feel?”

“Furious?”

“Exactly. Not just because ya made friends with them, but because ya lied to them about it the whole time. It makes it a lot harder for them to trust ya.”

“Think about what you did to those ponies,” said Nymph while organizing the filled buckets. “They welcomed you with open hooves and you made them believe that you would be their friend. And yet, you not only turned them down, but you made an awful mess as well as insulted and laughed at them. Don’t be surprised when neither of them believe you when you come clean to them.”

“But I…”

“Do ya trust yar friends?”

“Totally.”

“Can they trust ya?”

“Yes! Wait, no! They...I…” Her bottom lip began to quiver. “I don’t know!”

“Okay, calm down. It’s gonna be fine. If ya stay honest with them, then ya got nothin’ to worry about. Lyin’ may seem like an easy way out, but if ya get caught, ya’re gonna find yarself in a heap of trouble. Ah can tell you now Pinkie and Fluttershy may not entirely believe ya when ya tell them ya want to be friends. See how lyin’ can make things worse between your fishy friends?”

“Yeah. So how do I tell them?”

Applejack pulled off of her and looked Sonata in the eye. “First, ya gotta be direct. Don’t drag it out. Tell ‘em flat out what ya want. Obviously they ain’t gonna like it, so ya gotta stand yar ground. Tell ‘em why you want to be friends with my friends. Tell ‘em why it’s so important to ya. Make sure to say that nothin’ is gonna change between the three of you.”

“You have to fight for what you want,” added the queen. With nothing left for her to do, she sat down against one of the trees. “My people were not loved by any when I began diplomacy with Equestria, but thanks to months of hard work and the help of Celestia, they now live freely in Equestria. If you want to keep all your friends, you must put in the effort no matter how afraid you feel.”

“Do you think they will listen to me?” the siren questioned.

Nymph knew Adagio wouldn’t allow it. Her ego would always be an impossible obstacle and she would not stand Sonata making friends with those she despised. While this was not a good thing as she didn’t want to see Sonata hurt, it would give her the opportunity to strip Adagio of one of her assets if there were to be a falling out between them. For Sonata’s sake, she answered, “We won’t know until we try.”

Slowly nodding, Sonata gave her tree a weak kick that gave nothing in return. “Can we take a break? I need to think about stuff.”

“Go ahead. Ya earned one.” Nymph and Applejack watched as she walked with her head hanging low. “Why was Ah not given her that one time?”

“We felt she was the weakest link and thought Pinkie and Fluttershy, two ponies successful with reformation, would be perfect for the job.” The queen smiled at Applejack. “As you can see, our bet paid off.”

“Hard to believe she’s serious about bein’ friends. Think Ah can safely say Pinkie is gonna be happier than a fruit bat livin’ here durin’ zap apple season when she hears the good news.”

“If we can get Sonata to go through with this. She’s just so afraid of losing her fellow sirens.”

“Ah don’t get what she sees in those two friends of her. They sound like a whole lot of trouble.”

“Maybe she knows far more about them than we do. She clearly favors Adagio over Aria and wants to spend just about every waking moment with her.”

“Like she’s in love with her or somethin’?”

Nymph couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think she’s just that happy to finally have a real friend. From the sound of things, she wasn’t particularly close with anyone back in Chantlantis.”

Hearing this, Applejack looked toward where Sonata had wandered off. “Think that’s why she joined ‘em? Just to fit in or somethin’?”

Brushing off her moment of humor, Nymph spoke more seriously. “I wish it was that simple, but I once sensed her lust for power and control. She may appear sweet and sensitive, but that girl loves the idea of enslaving a whole kingdom to do her bidding. It may not appear so, but she’s just as bad as they are. Part of me hopes Pinkie and Fluttershy can turn her around.” She walked ahead in the same direction has the siren. “We should go find Sonata. I do not want her to get cold hooves, so we must keep pushing her.”

While heading toward the house with Applejack following, it wasn’t long until Nymph sensed a sudden burst of fear and confusion coming from nearby. “This way!” Nymph galloped ahead with Applejack with catching up. Maybe letting a dangerous siren wander around alone wasn’t the brightest idea, but Nymph would put a stop to whatever she was doing. When Sonata came to view, the two of them skidded to a halt, kicking up a thick cloud of dust in front of them.

“Applejack!” Sonata looked up from the little filly she was nuzzling tenderly. “You have the cutest little sister!”

“What were ya two doin’?” the older sister asked worriedly, although she did seem slightly humored.

“She was askin’ a million questions about me!” answered Apple Bloom as she tried to push the other mare away. “Who is she?”

“I’m Sonata Dusk! I am a super famous singer!”

Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up. “Really? Like Countess Coloratura!?”

“Who?”

The little filly grabbed Sonata by the head. “WHAT!? Ya never heard of the greatest singer in all of Equestria!?”

“You mean Adagio?”

“Who?”

Now it was Sonata’s turn to take Apple Bloom by the head. “WHAT!? How could you have never heard of Adagio Dazzle!?”

“You three haven’t hit the big time quite yet,” said Nymph as she took Apple Bloom and set her down. “I apologize for her giving you a fright, Apple Bloom. This is Sonata Dusk and she is from a band called The Dazzlings. They have been making waves just recently, so it’s only a matter of time until they are all everypony will talk about.”

“Wow! Another famous singer!” Apple Bloom ran circles around Sonata, admiring her from every angle. “How do ya keep meetin’ such famous ponies, Applejack?”

“Ya don’t wanna know.” She pushed her little sister towards the house that strongly resembled a barn. “Why don’t ya run along home get somethin’ to eat? Ah’m sure Granny has somethin’ baked up for ya.”

“Okay!” The little filly scurried off toward the house while waving back. “Bye, Princess Twilight! Bye, Sonata!”

“Bye!” Waving to Apple Bloom, Sonata said, “Huh. I feel like I’ve seen her before, but I didn’t know you had a sister! She’s sooooo adorable!”

“That’s sweet of ya to say, but we’ve still got work to do.” Applejack took Sonata by the shoulder and turned her away. “So Ah was thinkin’-”

“Applejack!” They turned toward the house to see Apple Bloom standing at the doorway. “Granny says to bring yar friends over to eat!”

---

The Apple household was flooded with the sweet aroma of hot apples and Nymph found it to be very inviting. Apple strudels, baked apples, hot apple cider, and fresh apple bread aligned the wooden kitchen table. From the window they could smell the apple pie that was fresh from the oven. Only now did Nymph realize this was the first time she had ever seen the inside of Applejack’s home and found it to be simple yet pleasant. The window curtains held images of apples, the wallpaper had a nice pattern of blue and green stripes, more images of apples were aligned on the wood near the ceiling, a simple wooden stove sat in the kitchen, and to contrast it all as the elephant in the room was a large pink refrigerator with an image of a cupcake on it as if it was taken straight from Sugar Cube Corner (what was with Equestria and cupcakes, anyway?).

“Go on! Don’t be shy!” the elderly mare urged as she sat down. Was elderly the right word to describe her? Nymph was far more ancient than she was, even if it didn’t show. Apple Bloom reached over for something, but Granny Smith smacked her hoof. “Guests first. It’s polite.”

“Sweet!” Sonata grabbed two of everything and stared hungrily at her meal. “When can we eat!?”

“Just go on ahead.” Upon hearing this, Sonata began devouring her food at speeds Nymph didn’t believe was possible. “Well aren’t ya a hungry one.”

“Are ya gonna get anythin’, Twilight?” asked Apple Bloom, slightly urging her with her big, hopeful eyes.

The queen once more looked over her choices for food. While it all smelled wonderful, she recalled the time Applejack gave her an apple as an offering and found the taste to be less than ideal. Looking up at the pony, she saw Applejack seemingly anxious of what she was going to do next. “It looks very lovely, but I’m afraid I cannot have any because...Spike’s making me dinner! If I were to come home and not eat any of his cooking, he would be so offended. I hope you understand.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied.

The rest of the ponies commenced eating while Nymph just sat silently in her seat. Looking around, she found a newspaper folded up on the counter and magically took it. Nothing of interesting struck her until she reached the bottom of the front page. A small article discussed an incident at one of the schools in Ponyville due to what was described as a disruptive incident caused by a changeling student. Apparently they had drawn a picture of themself with Nymph, Twilight, and Chrysalis, claiming that they were her friends. Obviously claiming to be friends with someone still seen as Equestria’s enemy did not sit well with the teachers as well as many of her fellow students. The worst of it came when Nymph saw the photo of the student in tears being taken home by her parents.

It was Millie, the little changeling they had met when they brought Chrysalis to this town.

Setting the paper back, Nymph sighed and looked at Sonata as despair clawed at her insides. “How’s the food?” she asked calmly.

“It’s the best!” Nymph quickly held up her empty plate to shield herself from the chunks of food that came out of Sonata’s mouth. “I didn’t know you could do all this with apples! Could you teach Aria to make all this?”

Applejack quickly grew pale. “Ah don’t think she’d want me to do anythin’ with her.”

“Who’s Aria?” asked Apple Bloom with her face coated in food.

“Why not? She’s an amazing cook! She used to keep a whole pile of cooking magazines just she could try making whatever she felt like! She’d love to know how to cook apples like this!”

“Normally Ah would be happy to, but Ah’d rather tango with a heat delirious rattlesnake than see her again. No offense.”

“Who’s Aria?” repeated Apple Bloom.

“One of Sonata’s bandmates. Let’s just say she’s pulls the bad girl routine very well,” answered Nymph. “By the way, I keep hearing about how Aria is great at cooking, but I don’t think I’ve seen her make anything except toast.”

“She just needs time to practice because...you know.” Sonata lifted up her hooves and shook them a little, to which Nymph nodded her head. The siren scarfed down what was left of her meal and looked toward Big Mac. “Is it okay if I have seconds?”

“Eeyup.”

“Cool!” Sonata quickly refilled her plate. “So does your special talent have something to do with apples, too?”

“Eeyup.”

“Does everypony in your family have a talent like that?”

“Eeyup.”

Eating a whole baked apple in one bite, Sonata scanned the stallion’s body. “Are you called Big Mac because your so big?”

“Eeyup.”

“I think that’s weird. Yeah, you’re big and all, but Princess Celestia is huge and nopony calls her Big Princess Celestia. You know what I mean?”

“Eeyup.”

Sonata looked a little timid. “You don’t think it’s dumb? I feel like Aria would say it is.”

“Nope.”

“Neat! I’m gonna suggest it to the princess tomorrow!”

“I really don’t think the princess would appreciate being called ‘big’,” Nymph commented, which Sonata did not seem to hear.

Apple Bloom’s eyes grew and twinkled a little as she stared at the siren across from her. “Ya know Princess Celestia?”

“Eeyup,” Sonata answered in a familiar fashion. “Used to clean for her, but now she lets us sing instead!”

Apple Bloom scooted her chair closer. “So what kind of music do ya play? Rock and roll? Bluegrass?”

“More like pop music. Our voices are all we need!” she boasted.

The little pony cocked her head. “No instruments at all?”

“Well one time I wanted a ukulele, but Adagio said that wouldn’t really mix well with our voices.”

“So what do you sing about?” asked Granny Smith.

“Lots of stuff! I like to sing about the ocean and any of the cool songs Adagio writes, but we also sing about friendship and stuff.”

“Which you haven’t done lately,” Nymph reminded through gritted teeth. She then noticed the way all the ponies were staring at her and did her best to sound friendly. “Their songs are doing wonders in bringing the ponies and changelings together. Did I mention Sonata has a wonderful singing voice?” To distract herself, Nymph chose to inspect her drink. She didn’t want it to go to waste, so she considered giving it a try. After giving it a sip, she glanced at the filly sitting across from her. “Apple Bloom, do you have any changelings in your class?”

“A few.”

To her relief, Nymph did not sense any negative feelings from her. “And you get along with them?”

“Uh huh.”

“Good.”

“She’s raised right,” Applejack stated proudly. “Well, as right as she can be. How were yar friends, Bloomy? Do any crusadin’ today?” The older sister steadily became worried. “Didn’t do anythin’ that would have ponies mail us another court summons?”

Nymph quickly caught the sudden rise of bitterness and gloom from Apple Bloom. “It was fine,” she answered as she stabbed her fork into a slice of baked apple.

Sonata seemed to also noticed the change in the pony’s mood. “Aw, what happened?”

“Just another unsuccessful day of gettin’ our cutie marks.” Apple Bloom demonstrated poor posture at the table and slumped in her seat. “Guess we weren’t meant to be archeologists.”

“Well in my opinion, nothin’ cheers a pony up better than some delicious homemade apple pie.” Granny Smith took the pie from the window and set it on the table. She carved out one slice and gave it to her youngest granddaughter. “There ya go, dearie.” She then noticed Sonata drool as she eyed the pie. “Would ya like a piece?”

“More than anything in the world. I can’t get enough of these apples!”

Granny Smith laughed as she gave Sonata her slice. “Ah think Ah like ya, Sonata.”

When Nymph was given her piece, she found the smell to be extremely enticing. She could not break her eyes from the warm, juicy slice of pie before her. Part of her did not wish to taste it as she did not want to appear rude if it didn’t suit her. However, the aroma was too much for her to withstand. With her fork, she cut a piece off from the tip and tasted it. She was very surprised by how tasty it was and did not hesitate to finish it.

“Bet ya would love more of that,” Applejack spoke somewhat smugly as she eyed the Changeling Queen. “Maybe get some at home to share?”

“Absolutely,” Nymph hummed as she continued eating.

“Good to hear. So ya don’t mind if Ah send out a large order to yar castle later?”

“Sure, sure,” she answered, half listening to her.

“So why is your cutie mark such a big deal?” asked Sonata while adding on much more whipped cream to her dessert. “You’ll get one some day! I think. Well everypony I know has one.”

“Because it tells ya who ya are! Just about everypony in my class has one! Me and my friends tried everythin’ to get ours!” Apple Bloom planted her face onto her empty plate. “Ah’m tired of bein’ a talentless blank flank! Ah just want mine so Ah feel like Ah’m good at somethin'!”

Sonata immediately stood up.

Nymph kept her horn glowing while Applejack kept one hoof on a baked apple, neither daring to take their eyes off the siren for even a second. Big Mac and Granny Smith were too busy eating pie to notice the tense situation happening right in front of them. When she was at Apple Bloom’s side, Sonata knelt down and firmly hugged her. “It’s okay. I know what it’s like.”

Apple Bloom lifted her head. “Ya do? But aren’t ya a famous singer?”

“Not always. I used to work some jobs.” Sonata gulped. “A lot of jobs. They never lasted because...reasons. I wasn’t good at anything until Adagio found me during my last one. I begged her to take me with her and because of her, I’m one of the best singers alive! She changed my life forever and I love her for it!”

“Wow. Yar friend sounds pretty neat!”

“Dagi is the most talented and beautiful pony in the world and also my best friend!” Sonata clapped her hooves together and sighed happily. “I wouldn’t be anything if it weren’t for her!”

“If she helped ya, maybe she can help me, too!” The little filly spun around and danced in her chair. “Ah wanna meet her!”

“NO!” both Nymph and Applejack shouted, startling the rest of the ponies.

“Take it from me. Adagio is not a pony you really want to be around,” advised the queen. “She may be a great singer, but she’s not a great role model.”

The little filly’s ears dropped, but then she looked at Sonata. “Maybe...ya could help me? What if you taught me how to sing?”

Sonata was caught completely off guard by her request. “M-me? I’ve never taught anypony anything before.”

“Well maybe ya could start,” suggested Applejack before looking at Nymph. “Nothin’ wrong with a bit of singin’, right?”

Looking to the two of them, Nymph could see that Sonata and Apple Bloom were heavily anticipating her approval. Sonata growing a bond with yet another pony? It was just simply too good to pass up. “I’m sure you will make a fine teacher, Sonata. Why don’t you demonstrate your ability first?”

“I don’t really sing without my friends.”

Clinging to the siren’s hoof, Apple Bloom asked, “Please? Ya said you were amazin’!”

Sweat began forming on Sonata’s forehead as her eyes kept jumping to everypony looking at her. “I...maybe…”

“Go on. We ain’t gonna judge ya,” encouraged Granny Smith. “We’d love to hear ya voice.”

“Eeyup.”

“Okay. Here goes.” Sonata took a breath before letting out a pleasant song that filled the house. Her voice was gentle and birds had landed on the the open window to sing along with her. It was hard for Nymph to remember the true beast that she was as she listened. When Sonata finished, she asked Apple Bloom to give it a try.

The birds scattered shortly after.

Sonata gave the filly some instructions on how to improve such as relaxing her throat or to keep her chest raised. Nymph felt compelled to offer her own advice as well as her mother taught her and Chrysalis how to sing, but Sonata would get upset whenever she tried intruding on her lesson. At some point while Apple Bloom was singing, Applejack scooted closer to the queen. “Ah can’t believe how different she is,” she whispered. “It’s hard to believe she’s some sort of monster.”

Nymph nodded as she watched Sonata excitedly clap for the Apple Bloom. “She’s certainly tender underneath, but Adagio has powerful influence over her.”

“It’s a dang shame.” Applejack gave her a serious glance. “So is Adagio really her friend or just usin’ her?”

Deep down, Nymph wanted to believe she was that vile. Exposing Adagio doing such a thing would have ensured Sonata would have come to her side and Nymph would have something to use against that wretched girl. However, from what she had seen Adagio did have some level of care toward her two friends, but given how clever that girl was, there was no way to be sure if that care was real. “I don’t know, Applejack. I don’t know.”

---

For about an hour, Apple Bloom and Sonata stayed in the kitchen to practice songs while the rest of the family got back to work. It was a strange feeling for the changeling sovereign to be working a job like she was some sort of commoner, but working with Applejack had given Nymph a better appreciation for those who worked on farms. With everything finished for the day, she realized it was getting close to closing time for Cupid’s Arrow and she and Sonata needed to be on their way. Entering the house, the two mares heard Apple Bloom finish singing with a voice that was more gentle on the ears.

Sonata couldn’t help but squeal and pick up the pony. “You’re doing so well, Bloomy!”

“Thanks, but Ah haven’t gotten my cutie mark yet,” she commented as she stared at her blank flank.

“Maybe ya just need few more lessons,” encouraged her older sister. “Ah’m sure Sonata wouldn’t mind dropping by again.”

“Heck ya! I love being a teacher! I just need to pick a day when I’m not busy.” She licked her lips. “Just be sure to give your favorite teacher plenty of apples. And apple pie!”

“Can do!” agreed Apple Bloom as they shook on it.

“My, today has certainly been full of surprises.” Nymph magically pulled Sonata off her chair and set her on the floor. “Thank for your hospitality, but Sonata and I need to be on our way. We have important friendship business that we must get to.”

Walking to the door, Sonata looked back and waved. “Bye, everypony! Thanks for dinner!”

“Bye, Sonata!” shouted Apple Bloom. “Come back soon and thanks for the lessons!”

Once outside, Nymph couldn’t help but notice how much joy the siren was expressing. “I can’t believe I did that! I actually taught somepony something! It was really nice of your family to let me do that and give me free food, Applejack.”

“They seem to like ya, too.” Applejack gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Heck, Ah can say Ah’ve grown pretty fond of ya, Sonata. Maybe the two of us could be friends.”

Immediately, Sonata’s eyes lit up. “R-really? You mean that?” Applejack nodded. “Wow. I can’t believe how many friends I’m making. Coming back to Equestria has been one of the greatest moments of my life.” Her enthusiasm quickly dwindled. “Guess that means I have to tell Adagio about three friends now.”

“Oh no. Sonata…”

“Just need to tell her that out of all the people in Equestria, I ended up making friends with about half of the girls who ruined us. She and Aria will totally understand!” Nymph felt thankful that Sonata’s emotions were magically blocked off from her senses when she saw the rapid flow of tears pouring out of her eyes. “They’re going to understand that I am horrible, awful backstabber and they’re going to stop being my friends!” Applejack backed up as Sonata flopped onto the grass in a fetal position, rocking back and forth as her sobbing slowly grew in strength.

“Hey now! Sonata!” The earth pony tapped her, but Sonata did not react. “Ah know what to do. Keep an eye on her!” Nymph watched worriedly as Applejack before turning her attention onto Sonata. She tried to sooth the siren’s sobbing by rubbing her side and gently shushing her, but to no effect. After several minutes of failed attempts of comfort, Applejack returned with a mug of frothing cider. “Drink this.”

Sonata took the mug and downed about half of her drink. “Thanks.” Sitting on the grass with her head resting on her knees, she sighed. “Maybe I really am just an idiot.”

“What do you mean?” Nymph asked as she sat beside her.

“Why am I trying to be friends with ponies? Ponies who are just like the girls who ruined us?” She took another swig. “No wonder everyone is always calling me an idiot. I’m a siren who wants to be friends with her prey. Feeding off their hate is one of my favorite things to do and yet here I am.” Sonata flopped onto the grass behind her. “What’s happening to me?”

Scooting closer to her, Applejack said, “Sonata, Ah think there’s someone else ya need to learn to be honest with.”

In response, the siren angrily huffed and rolled her eyes. “Oh great. Someone else that’s gonna get mad at me and call me names. Who is it?”

“Yarself.” Sonata quickly looked at her. “Yar heart is tellin’ ya what ya want, but ya care about yar other friends. Ya care so much that it’s tearin’ ya apart.” Applejack lied right next to her. “Ya ain’t foolish for wantin’ to be friends with ponies. Just look at the changelin’s. The whole lot of them saw ponies as nothin’ but food for as long as they been around. Even launched a full invasion to feed from us. Now, they livin’ along with ponies and other than a few bumps here and there, thin’s are goin’ fine.”

“But Adagio-”

“Enough with what she wants,” Applejack interrupted. “Sonata, ya gotta do somethin’ for yarself for once. Ya worryin’ so much about what she would do that ya can’t make yar own decisions. Ah think ya should be able to do what ya want without worryin’ about her approval.” She pulled Sonata up with her and brushed her off of any loose grass. “When ya go home, ya’re gonna tell her exactly what’s going on and don’t ya dare beg her or anythin’. And if she don’t like it, tough. It’s up to ya, not her.”

“Wow. That makes so much sense.” Sniffling a little, Sonata hugged her. “Thanks, Applejack.”

“My pleasure,” she laughed as she gave the siren a pat on the back. When Sonata let go of her, Applejack tipped her hat. “Take care of yarself and hope all goes well with Pinkie and Flutters.”

Nodding in return, Sonata turned around and began trotting away. “Come on, Nymph! We’ve gotta go find them!”

“You go on ahead. I’ll catch up in a moment.” Nymph turned to the farmer as Sonata ran down the road. “Applejack, we are in your debt.”

“Aw, it ain’t nothin’. Just doin’ what Ah can for Equestria’ sake.”

“No, it was something. Those words you spoke to her were simply beautiful and they have given the push she needed. You were simply spectacular today.” Part of Nymph felt like hurling up the pie she had recent enjoyed, but she needed to ask this now. “Applejack, since you are the Element of Honesty, I must ask you for your opinion on something.”

“Ah’m all ears.”

“Have you ever considered that sometimes lying could be a good thing?” Applejack immediately raised her eyebrow and Nymph could sense her immense suspicion. “Sometimes there are things better left unknown, even to those we love. It’s a way to protect them from fear or worry.”

Although she was merely an earth pony, the way Applejack stared at her made Nymph feel completely on edge. “It may not be my place to say this, Queen Nymph, but Ah don’t think you should lie no matter what.”

“Deception is my nature. I’m a changeling after all. Besides, lying is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it can be better than being honest.”

“Really now?” Applejack leaned against one of her trees with her forelegs crossed. “Like when?”

“Like with Chrysalis.” She noticed the pony’s eyes become slightly wider. “Yes, she did make a mistake with Luna, but think of everything before then. Because of her lies as Cherub, look where it got her. It...healed her.” Nymph loudly huffed. “Let’s not forget she’s still living a lie as Cherub, helping the ponies who fear the real her find love. If Chrysalis chose to be honest with them, we both know how that would end. Just now, I had shared a meal with your family while pretending to be Twilight. I think they would be much too curious about my visit if I came as myself. Can you say what I’m trying to say?”

Applejack looked off to the distance. Nymph could feel the anxiety growing within herself as she wondered how the pony who was practically the physical embodiment of truth would answer. Eventually, Applejack looked at her. “Ah can’t speak for everypony. Ah do not like lyin’, but Ah see what ya mean. Ah hope Ah never find myself in a situation where lyin’ would be better. As for ya, Ah can only imagine what you have to go through runnin’ a whole kingdom. Just...try to be honest when ya can.”

To hear that made it feel as if some of the weight on her shoulders just disappeared. “I’ll try my best.” Nymph bowed her head. “Have a pleasant evening and thank you for all your help.”

“Come back any time, Queen Nymph. Ya and Sonata are always welcomed here.”

The queen took flight as Applejack waved to her. Looking down to the people below, she kept a careful eye out for Sonata, who couldn’t have gotten far. It wasn’t long until she spotted the siren and landed right beside her. She was relieved to see she had not gone under any relapse since leaving her alone. “Sonata, I admit that I am very proud of you for doing this.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think my friends are going to be super thrilled,” she replied a bit uneasily.

“They won’t, but I think I can help with that.” She put her hoof around the siren, unaware of the singer’s sudden discomfort. “I have quite the silver tongue and I will do anything to aid you. After all, is that not what a good friend does?” Nymph smiled at her as she awaited for her answer, but Sonata kept quiet. “You don’t see me as a friend?”

“Uh...no.”

The Changeling Queen’s grip tightened. “Why not?”

“Well...uh…”

“Come on. You can tell me.”

“It’s because you’re just using us.” Sonata pulled Nymph’s leg off of her and jabbed her hoof into her chest. “I may not be smart, but I know you’re only trying to be nice just so that we will do what you say.”

“That’s not true.”

“Liar.”

“How dare you! I...I…” Unable to come up with any form of defence, Nymph sighed. “Look. It’s no secret that trust has been difficult between us. I want to trust you girls, but to be honest, you’re the only one I can. Adagio has her mind deadlocked on taking over and she loves nothing more than to antagonize me. I want to like you three and I want to be friends, but so far you sirens have given me almost nothing to work with.” Nymph tried to keep positive as she looked ahead. “Maybe we should just forget it. I think it would be best if we simply focus on our original deal. Once my subjects are happy and my sister is home with me, you will be free to do as you please.”

Sonata silently nodded and the two of them continued their trek across Ponyville. It would not be long until they reached their destination, but Nymph kept worrying about bumping into the real Twilight as that would be a very awkward scene. “I have a question.”

“Ask away.”

“You, Celestia, and Applejack were telling me how important it is to be honest, but you’re not being honest with Celestia or Luna. Isn’t what you are doing...wrong?”

Nymph looked back at in her in disbelief. This girl was clearly not as naive as she thought. “I suppose what I am doing is not…‘moral’...but I’m left with no choice. I told you what happened when Chrysalis went to the Crystal Empire.” Sonata nodded. “Then you understand the challenge I face. Besides, what I’m doing isn’t that bad. I’m not taking full control of people like you girls did in that other dimension or causing any suffering. I’m merely using empowered suggestions and it’s all for the greater good.”

“But Pinkie told me about this crazy pony who hated cutie marks and ran this whole village-”

“You mean Starlight Glimmer.” The story of Our Town was one the queen did not believe she would ever forget about. This was mostly due to not only the fact she learned of a pony being capable of removing cutie marks, but that the citizens seemed very...creepy. “That pony does not seem to be of sound mind. I wouldn’t worry about strange ponies who think they know what’s best for others. I am a queen who has lived for over three hundred and fifty years. What common pony or changeling comes close to the wisdom and skill I possess? Ruling is in my blood, Sonata. Like your ability to sing, I was born with the power to lead.”

“Like Adagio?”

“Adagio is a fool!” Nymph quickly threw her hoof over her mouth, blushing as several ponies and changelings stared at her. She dragged Sonata with her and quickly moved ahead to escape the local crowd, who seemed quite surprise with her outburst. Once they were out of earshot, Nymph said, “You would do well to not associate yourself with another one of her schemes. She does not have what it takes to rule a kingdom, let alone conquer one. She is a grub freshly hatched from her egg compared to me.”

“But sirens don’t come from eggs!”

It was difficult, painful even, but Nymph managed to remain calm when she corrected her. “It is merely a metaphor.”

“Oh.”

“What I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t follow her so blindly. Besides, unlike her, I actually do care for the ponies as much as I do my own subjects. What’s so wrong with making them get along? I’m not stripping of them of freewill or something of the like. If Adagio had it her way, I think you know exactly what would happen. Remember what you told me the first night you returned to Equestria? How you enjoyed causing strife through your songs?” She leaned in closer to Sonata. “Would you be happy to make Fluttershy and Pinkie fight?”

“No!” Sonata cried in response. “They’re the nicest ponies ever!”

“But Adagio wouldn’t hesitate, would she? She’s been dreaming of getting back at those who wronged her and those two are on her list.”

“B-b-but they’re not the same ones. It was The Rainbooms from the other dimension!”

Nymph just shrugged at her. “Do you think she cares? Everyone is a pawn in her endless games of conquest. As loving as Celestia tries to be, Adagio still sees her as nothing more than an obstacle to overcome.”

“You don’t know her! She’s not some crazy siren!”

“Could of fooled me.”

“Like how you fooled the princesses.” Nymph loudly gasped and returned her eyes to normal to stare down someone who would dare insult her like that. Sonata did not seemed to be bothered by any of this and turned her head in the other direction, clearly having something else on her mind. “She...she was the only siren to give me a chance. You don’t know what it’s like to be unwanted. To have everyone look down at you. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be here now. I owe Adagio everything. I do like Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack, but I’m always going to be on Adagio’s side. She’s my best friend and nothing you can do will change that.” Both of them knew there was no more to be said and made the rest of their trip without speaking another word.

---

When they arrived, they sat by the bridge under the tree that was filled with many birdhouses outside of Fluttershy’s home, finding shade from the setting sun. Sonata sang to the birds, bringing a large flock to her, and Nymph kept her eyes open for the ponies. Since they were alone out here, Nymph didn’t feel the need to keep her disguise any longer. Chrysalis said they always came here after work whenever Fluttershy worked the day, so it wouldn’t be long until they arrived. Eventually, she saw two figures coming down the path and nudged Sonata. They stood up and waited until Pinkie and Fluttershy saw them.

The ponies stopped dead in their tracks and Nymph could sense their fear and confusion. With time, they slowly came closer without taking their eyes off Sonata. “H-hi,” Sonata said timidly, trying her best to smile.

“Hi,” Pinkie replied, sounding just the same. “What brings you out here?”

Sonata could only look at the ground under her as she stepped closer, unable to withstand their gazes. “I came here to say something. I’m sorry I acted like a complete jerk to you both. I only did it because I didn’t want my other friends to get mad at me for being friends with you.” She looked up as her eyes became moist. “I made the whole thing up! I really did want to be your friend so bad that day! Please forgive me!”

The couple loudly gasped at this revelation. “You mean this whole time you tricked us by saying you were tricking us!?” Pinkie cried in disbelief.

Sonata flinched from Pinkie’s sudden spike in volume. It was not easy for Nymph to watch Sonata to struggle like this and she felt she needed to do something, but this was something the siren had to do on her own “Y-yeah. I didn’t mean-”

There was practically a sonic rainboom when Pinkie launched from her spot and flew several feet, taking Sonata with her. Nymph and Fluttershy reacted immediately by running to where they had landed, finding the pony happily hugging the siren. “Did you hear that, Flutters!? She wants to be friends after all!”

“Um, that’s great and all, but maybe you should get off of her,” Fluttershy suggested timidly.

“You’re not mad?” Sonata questioned, completely bewildered by Pinkie’s tender embrace.

“Pinkie is practically the most forgiving pony in all of Equestria,” Nymph replied as she magically pried them apart. “I don’t even know if hate is something she is capable of.”

The second she was set on the ground, Pinkie zipped right back over to Sonata to lift her over her head. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner!? We could have thrown a whole party for you!”

“A party!?” Sonata’s grin matched that of Pinkie’s. “Just for me!? What are we waiting for!?”

Reaching into her fluffy mane, Pinkie whipped out a rather dense menu and skimmed some pages. “Okay, I’ve got a lot ideas running, but I need to narrow it down and make it perfect for a siren! What kind of theme should we go with? Karaoke? Underwater party? Oh! Karaoke party where we sing underwater just like you did in the ocean!”

Before Pinkie could sound off more potential ideas, Nymph closed the menu. “As delightful as that all sounds, I’m afraid we must take care of other pressing matters first before we can celebrate.” She glanced at Sonata, who nodded nervously in return. “Fluttershy, I hope there are no hard feelings about what Sonata did last time.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad she’s not mean like I thought she was.” The pegasus, little by little, moved closer to Sonata. With a trembling hoof, she reached out to Sonata for a hoof shake while using one of her wings to cover her eyes. Rather than take it, Sonata gave Fluttershy a firm hug. Being completely startled, Fluttershy flapped her wings in a frenzy and underwent panic breathing, but when she realized what Sonata was doing, she sighed in relief and returned the gesture.

“So does this mean Adagio and Aria wanna be friends too!? We could throw a giant triple party concert and have you three perform!”

“I’m afraid they do not wish to associate with either of you,” said Nymph. “They don’t even know Sonata has come here and she now has to tell them what’s going on.”

The two ponies were quick to notice Sonata’s sudden loss of spirit as her hug went limp and she slid off Fluttershy. “Oh goodness. What are you going to do?”

“Tell them and pray they don’t hate me for the rest of my life.” Sonata looked up at Canterlot high on the mountain and then turned back to her friends. “Hey, it was nice seeing you again and thanks for giving me another chance, but I really need to get going. They’re probably really worried about me.”

“If anything bad happens, you can come back here and stay with us,” Fluttershy offered nicely, although she was nervous. “Just please let us know if everything is okay!”

“We can talk about your party next time! Just be sure to think of your favorite flavor of cake!” Sonata smiled a little at Pinkie and stood beside Nymph. They looked at one another, their faces reflecting how much they were dreading what was to come, and the queen channeled her spell that. Green fire swirled around them and they had vanished from Ponyville in the blink of an eye.

When the flames parted, they were standing right in the middle of the Dazzlings’ bedroom. Right of front of them were Adagio and Aria, both of them sharing a book on the middle bed with the former looking to be completely surprised while the latter maintained her usual look. “I should have known you were up to something,” Aria said angrily as she closed her book. “The second one of us is alone, you just have to step in and do something.” Once she was off the bed, Aria cracked her hoof in a threatening manner and approached Nymph. “I’m only going to ask once. What did you do to Sonata?”

“Calm yourself, Aria,” Nymph answered casually, unmoved by the siren’s threat. “I merely provided Sonata a means of transportation.”

Aria glared intensely at the queen, who merely rolled at her eyes in return. “She’s telling the truth,” said Sonata as she got in between them. “Aria, she didn’t do something crazy like that one time she almost did with her mind powers!”

“Then where were you? We haven’t seen you in hours and had I known she had something to do with you disappearing, I would have done something!” Adagio glared suspiciously at the changeling. “I want answers. Where were you both this whole time?”

“If you want to know, ask Sonata. It was her idea, after all.”

Taking a few steps back, Nymph could feel her heart gradually strengthen its beats as she waited for the scene to unfold. Adagio stood beside Aria, both of them silent and unmoving as they stared at Sonata. Was that genuine concern that Adagio was expressing? Without being able to sense her emotions, Nymph could never be too certain. What she could be certain about however was that this would be a struggle to watch.

Not surprisingly, Sonata shuffled her hooves a lot and simply dragged it out. After what felt like minutes, she looked straight at her friends. “Girls, I have something important to tell you and I need you to hear me out.” She took a deep breath. “You know how I kinda wanted to stay in today and not hang out? Well it was because I was thinking about some stuff and then Nymph came to take me to Ponyville and...I made friends with Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack!”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” Aria kicked her shopping bag that was sitting by the bed a few feet back as she stomped right up to Sonata, who immediately lost her nerve and cowered before her. “Why!? Are the two of us not enough for you? You actually went out and made friends with them!?”

“Aria, enough!” The pink siren loudly harrumphed and backed off while Adagio picked Sonata up and held her shoulders. “Sonata, I am having a very hard time believing what you just said, but I’m going to do my best to be understanding. Please tell me why you did this.”

“I know you both hate them, but they aren’t the same girls! They’re really nice and two of them are the reason we are even friends now! I promise you’re still my best friend, Dagi!” Sonata took one of Adagio’s hooves and firmly gripped it. “I’ll always be on your side. This is just something I really want. These ponies were just so nice to me and I think that making more friends would be a good thing. Maybe they could give us pointers about being friends or something, you know? Please tell me you understand.”

Everyone held their breath as they waited for Adagio’s answer. Nymph didn’t want to say it, but she expected this to end poorly for Sonata given what she had seen so far. While Aria seemed to be very surprised by what Sonata had said as well as on edge, Adagio seemed to be calm and collected. But then, she did something strange.

She stared directly at Nymph.

Was she furious with her? Planning something? Was it possible she was trying to ask for guidance? As hard as she tried, Nymph couldn’t understand what she was conveying to her. All Adagio did was keeping staring at her and it was making her extremely uncomfortable. Being a queen meant she was always in the spotlight, but she had never felt such cold hooves before. What had she done to draw this sort of attention? Did she suspect her of wrongdoing? Maybe so given they were extremely suspicious of her upon returning to Canterlot. Whatever the reason, all Nymph wanted was for Adagio to stop looking at her.

Eventually, Adagio turned back to Sonata. She slowly raised her hoof and rubbed the top of her friend’s head. “Alright. If you really want to be friends with them, then I support your choice.”

“Really!?” Sonata leapt up to hug, kiss, and nuzzle her, which Adagio seemed to enjoy.

Nymph, unable to grasp any of this, tilted her head until it was fully upside down. “Really?”

“Really?” Aria pinched herself, grunting a little as she did so. “You’re actually okay with this?”

“Not entirely, but if this is something she really wants, then I don’t want to upset her.” She held Sonata’s head and they both looked at Aria. “And how can you say no to such a sweet face?”

“I can think of a few ways.” Aria loudly scoffed and turned her back to everyone. “So now what, Sonata? You gonna go run around and save Equestria with your new and fun pals? Maybe form the Rainbooms band with them?”

“Don’t be like that, Ari! You’re still my friend!” The purple siren said nothing to her in return. “Would you feel better if I brought you apple pie!?”

“Aria, I must say your green is certainly standing out today. Have you done something with your mane?” Nymph quietly chuckled as Aria loudly growled in return. “Oh, don’t be like that. Sonata’s not leaving you or anything. Why are you so upset about this?”

“Why?” Aria whirled around and stuck her hoof in Sonata’s face. “Because after everything I have done to try to make up for before and be a real friend, you do this! Just tell me why! Am I just doing such a bad job that you would rather hang out with Nymph and ponies who are just like those who ruined us!?”

“No! Aria, you’re my second favorite friend and nothing's gonna change that! It’s just...you know. I never really had that many friends before.” Aria’s expression softened. “I just wanna know it’s like and get to do stuff I’ve never been able to do before.” Sonata’s heart broke when Aria once again turned her back to her. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” she whimpered.

Nymph moved Sonata aside and stood directly behind Aria. The siren took a quick glance at her and chose to ignore the queen.“You may not care for what I have to say, but I believe Sonata really needs this. After years of being putting down by the both of you, she deserves the company of those who will show her compassion and provide her with memories of joy. I’m not saying you two aren’t doing enough for her, but I feel that she needs to expand her connection with the world and people outside of just you. She needs to live. Sonata will still be your friend and whenever she does leave for Ponyville, you will still have Adagio to keep you company.”

Aria quickly looked at her from the corner of her eye. “What was that?”

“I mean, it must be odd to not have all three of you together. I’m sure Sonata’s absence today left an empty feeling inside of you that you just couldn’t shake. After all, isn’t that why you’re so emotional about this? Just look at how protective you two were upon discovering she was with me. I know it’s frightening to think of leaving her alone with ponies, but Sonata will be in good hooves. With time, you and Adagio will learn to cope with her repeated absence and-”

Whirling around, Aria interrupted Nymph by saying, “You win, Sonata. If you want to be friends with them so bad, then I guess I can’t stop you.”

“I knew you’d come around!” Sonata tried to hug her, but Aria was too quick for her. The pink siren placed her in a headlock and playfully ruffled her mane. “Hey, cut that out!” she laughed.

“I’m sorry, what?” Adagio shot a look at Nymph, who was just as surprised as she was. “Aria, that was awfully quick of you to change your mind.”

“Hey, I’m trying to be supportive here. Cut me some slack.” Aria released her victim, who hastily started fixing her hair. “Sorry for getting upset. I’m not a fan of any of those ponies, but I trust you know what you’re doing. Promise you will at least stop hanging around Nymph because I don’t trust her at all.”

“I’m right here, you know,” the Changeling Queen addressed harshly.

“And just remember that if you ever try making friends with Twilight, I will disown you,” Adagio added as sweetly as she could.

“I’ll be her enemy forever!” Sonata declared joyfully as she gave her best friend another hug. Adagio glanced at Aria and motioned her over with her hoof, causing the other siren to roll her eyes and join in. “Come on, girls! Let’s go celebrate with malts!”

Sonata hopped out of the room much like Pinkie liked to with Adagio and Aria following. “An excellent idea, Sonata,” said Nymph as she headed for the door. “I think over dinner, we should discuss your music-” She was cut short when Adagio slammed the bedroom door in front of her face. Her first thought was to retaliate for her very disrespectful display, but there was no point. Adagio had made their point and there was no more she could do.

When she opened the door again, they were nowhere in sight although she could hear Sonata in the distance. With her task completed, there was nothing more for the queen to do except report to Celestia. As she walked down the halls, passing by every pony and changeling without giving them a single glance, she wasn’t sure how she felt. Sonata making new friends should have been a victory, but it did nothing to resolve her current obstacle. The siren was far too loyal to be used against Adagio, so friendship wasn’t going to help her.

How long was she going to put up with this nonsense? Obviously she needed their help, but what good were they to her if they wouldn’t unite the people? The Crystal Empire was struggling all while Adagio kept using her voice to simply boost her own ego. As much as Nymph didn’t want to think about it, there may be a point where she had to cut her loses. She didn’t want to believe Sonata was a threat any longer, but loyalty could be very dangerous. There was so much for her to think about, but she had a long day and would worry about it tomorrow. She pushed these troubling thoughts to the back of her mind as she arrived outside of Celestia’s room.

However, Nymph came to a conclusion before visiting the princess.

Ensure loyalty from the Dazzlings or be rid of them.

Comments

[Bramzter]

Time to plan for the contingency

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Cadance the fact that is so low shows that you princesses NEED TO DO SOMETHING

[Razzy]

At this point she really should just replace the original necklaces and call it a day.

Jeez, Nymph is really getting stressed out.

'Right of front of them were Adagio and Aria' - Right in front

All instances of could of, should of, would of - change 'of' to 'have'

'After years of being putting down' - being put down

[Stormcaller]

I... just don't have much sympathy for Nymph. Not saying I don't have any, just not a whole lot, and it's shrinking by the chapter.

I think she's actually unintentionally hindering their reformation, and it's going to blow up in her face spectacular sooner or later. And she's got it coming.

[Pumpernickel Rye]

9293817
Thank you for your feedback. I will consider this in writing the next chapter.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by Nymph hindering their reformation so I would like a little clarity so I can work on that. She has tried to win them over a few times such as when had them split up and spend the day with Twilight and her friends so they would be more susceptible to friendship, she was seen with Celestia during the friendship lesson at the start of Afterhours, and explaining to Sonata that Adagio would absolutely go after her new friends, but more moments of her trying to befriend them wouldn't hurt. It's true the Dazzlings don't like her and she does try to keep them under her hoof, but even if she wasn't around, The Dazzlings would still be pretty much the same.

While Aria and Sonata have grown a liking to some characters, they are still extremely loyal to Adagio and enjoy the idea of making Equestria their own. Remember how much joy Sonata expressed at the idea of causing havoc among ponies. Adagio herself wants what she believes is hers and will crush anyone to get in her way without a shred of remorse, even Celestia who has been nothing but friendly to her. Nymph does get impatient with them and try to push them around, but it's not unreasonable if she has to deal with Adagio on a daily basis, who enjoys getting on her nerves and making things more difficult than they need to be. In the show most of the Mane 6 were ready to just give up and return to Discord to stone after one day of dealing with his shenanigans and spent most of the episode accusing Discord of being up to something (even though he was) rather than make any effort in supporting Fluttershy despite this being something Princess Celestia wanted. Reformation is not an easy thing because trust will almost always be issue and Nymph doesn't trust the Dazzlings at all. When Discord claimed to be a good guy, the episode ends with the ponies, even Celestia, looking uncertain if he's being truthful. Even if Sonata has made friends with Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack, would you really trust her enough to take off her pendant?

[Stormcaller]

9295683
Oh good lord, I am so sorry to leave you waiting. I meant to reply the day you posted this, but went to work and simply forgot once I got home. I work in retail and as you can imagine what sorts of fun this time of the year is for me.

I believe her presence is hindering/slowing their reformation. But, I believe that's a story element your intending to happen, so it's not really meant as a complaint on my end, I've seen it in other media such as movies, novels, games, etc.

For example, her recent trip with Sonata to visit Applejack and learning the lesson about being honest with your friends. A viable lesson to learn for the Sirens... if not for the fact there's Nymph right there lying to everyone around her the reason she's brought the sirens back. It spoils the lesson for Sonata, which as the writer I believe you intended since even Sonata points out how hypercritical Nymph is. Its good writing, and my comment wasn't meant as a complaint. I do apology if it seems like it.

And I agree that they are hardly trustworthy, and steps they Princesses are taking are well warranted... but again, steps that Nymph is willing to bend so long as it gets her what she wants, however well intended it is.

Nymph is going to be the cause of a lot of problems soon I fear, she's willing to push things a bit too far and it's going to allow the Sirens a chance to cause a lot of harm and thats why I have little sympathy for her.

Hope that helps clear up my earlier comment, and looking forward to the next chapter.

[Replica Knight]

9295683
Ya gave up?

[Pumpernickel Rye]

9432126
Sorry for the late reply. No, I have not given up. Life got extremely hectic shortly after posting the last chapter. I had most of my days being busy with certain things that have only recently settled down. Being away for so long, it's hard to get back into writing. I am writing the next chapter right now but I am uncertain of its release date. I am extremely sorry about the huge delay and will try to get back on track.

[Replica Knight]

9451675
Keep calm and relax. It's better to have a cool head. Sure life can be hard like how I feel stressed out from time to time but know that there are those times that you can kick back and 'rest thy mind'. The world is tour yoster or some jazz like that.

[Bramzter]

9451675
Hey man, Just wanted to say i do love your content and understand if things get in the way of your groove, it happens. I hope things get better soon.

Doesn't matter when the next chapter releases, You'd always have at-least one reader that is happy when it comes out, that is for sure.