Conversations and Movie Time!
Sometime after lunch, the girls got some good news: The remaining Rainbooms were able to dig themselves out of their houses! But, with so much snow still on the roads and sidewalks, it would be some time before they could get to the Sirens' RV, let alone to Sci-Twi's house. Her parents and Spike, who were doing holiday shopping when the storm had hit, were about as fortunate. Thankfully, with the return of Internet and cellular service, they could contact their families easily enough via their phones. So, the CMCs made it a point to pull their smartphones out and set up a group video call with their families and friends via the social media app Bedlam, all while sitting on their chairs in the living room. The Rainbooms were quick to take part in this, alongside Sci-Twi's parents Twilight Velvet and Night Light, with Spike chilling on the mother's lap. Sci-Twi sat next to the CMCs with her own smartphone in hand. The three young ladies explained the situation to the attentive group, with Apple Bloom taking the lead;
"We were helpin' Miss Twi with one of her experiments outside when the storm hit us like a ragin' bull in a rodeo show! Thankfully, we were able to get into the house before it could do us any lastin' harm. She was prepared for the long haul, let me tells ya'!"
Sweetie Belle chimed in with the dopiest smile on her face, happy as can be over being able to see her big sister Rarity again;
"I know, right?! She has comfy blankets, warm drinks, good food, emergency power generators, the works!"
Scootaloo added a point of her own with a grin and excitement filling her eyes;
"Not to mention the most important thing to have during a blizzard..."
The trio yelled out in cheerful unison;
"MOVIE STREAMING SERVICES!"
Scootaloo then added with a pout;
"Well, we would have had those services earlier, if we had Internet access!"
All of that got a boat-load of laughs from the folks in the group video call and headache-induced groans from The Dazzlings, with Sci-Twi being quite thankful for having the good sense to mute her smartphone to prevent audio echo. Applejack, talking from her bedroom in Sweet Apple Acres, showed the movie club some love;
"Ya'll have been doin' mighty fine, given the situation!"
She gave Sci-Twi a friendly wink before adding gratefully;
"Don't think Ah forgot about ya' carin' for the youngins', sugarcube!"
With a tip of her Stetson, she told her sweetly;
"Much obliged, Twi."
"My sentiments exactly, darling!", exclaimed a jubilant Rarity from her finely decorated room, who went on to explain with her flare for dramatic theatrics very much on point;
"I was positively mortified at the mere thought of something terrible happening to my dear Sweetie Belle on account of this dreadful weather! You have my eternal gratitude for watching over her and her friends, Twilight."
Sci-Twi's heart was getting warmer by the second and she had no intention of complaining as she nodded happily. Rainbow Dash, her room filled with cloud cutouts, rainbow art, and messes, butted into the conversation with the confidence that she was known for;
"I knew the squirts were in good hands, but I'm glad to see that I was right!"
While the room was filling with friendly and familial joy, The Dazzlings sat on their chairs while listening in on the conversation. The moment they had heard that the Rainbooms would be talking to the CMCs, they made sure to move their chairs as far away from them as possible. It was not fear that drove them to stay away, more along the lines of a mutually shared annoyance over that color-coded group of friends.
They really didn't want to deal with the girls who had beaten them, if they could help it!
Of course, the three sisters were not fools, or at least, in Adagio's mind, she was not a fool. She knew that eventually, someone was going to mention what the CMCs had done. She figured that there was no need for them to be in the conversation this time. Sure enough, Apple Bloom was the first to bring up the proverbial elephant in the room;
"Ah'm not sure if ya'll are gonna handle this part well...", she said with no small amount of nervousness in her voice. All three club members looked as nervous as she sounded. The Sirens kept their eyes fixed on Apple Bloom, wondering how she would break the bad news. Sunset Shimmer, who spoke from her Shimmer Code streaming room, which depicted a cozy bedroom from behind her thanks to her green screen, told them with that understanding voice that had always soothed them in the past;
"Trust me, CMCs. With everything we've been through, whatever you're gonna tell us is probably not gonna freak us out."
The others nodded in agreement, which gave the trio enough confidence to go into a quick club huddle before returning to their phones. Apple Bloom, with a solemn sigh, took her smartphone and aimed it right at the Sirens, who gave the folks in the video call quiet piercing glares.
Every Rainboom and parent present, save for Sci-Twi, gasped at the sight before them. Their reactions were along the lines of;
"What in tarnation?!"
"Good heavens!"
"We heard about them from Twilight, but to see them in our house..."
"Oh my..."
"What a twist!"
"I... did not expect that!"
"What the heck are they doing in there?!"
Rainbow Dash's response came in louder than the others, which prompted Apple Bloom to turn her phone back to face her before she tried to cool everyone's heads down;
"Now hold on just an apple-pickin' moment! We can explain this one!"
Sci-Twi jumped in nervously with a verbal assist over the cacophony of loud voices;
"Let's all calm down for a second before tempers start flaring!"
Unfortunately, not even with help from an increasingly concerned Sunset could they get cooler heads to prevail, as many of the Rainbooms were talking over each other to get their thoughts in. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, in particular, were more concerned with the young ladies' well-being, with Pinkie Pie wondering aloud what kind of parties the Sirens would like and Fluttershy being too spooked by the noise to speak clearly. Twilight Velvet and Bright Light were trying to see if their daughter was hurt. Spike, however, had had enough. With a frustrated growl and three angry barks, he made the whole group shut up. With all of the attention on him, he took a breath and explained;
"I know you're worried. I am too, but let's at least hear the girls out before we do anything else, okay?"
The CMCs mentally decided to give Spike lots of belly rubs later, with Sci-Twi promising him a delicious treat for stepping in when he did. Her parents and the other Rainbooms looked quite apologetic over the whole thing, with Applejack expressing their feelings accurately after she took off her hat to place it on her chest;
"We're sorry, sugarcubes. We're just plum shocked, is all. Let's hear what ya'll have to say, ya' hear?"
The others gave affirmative nods, which prompted the CMCs, with help from Sci-Twi, to explain what had happened up until that day.
With the story told, the other folks in the call sat in silence for a good minute. The Dazzlings watched closely, waiting patiently for the inevitable call for them to be kicked out post-haste. It was, after all, what they would do to their enemies. What came next, however, was something else entirely. Fluttershy, with a voice as soft as a velvety pillow, told the CMCs and Sci-Twi with a beautiful beaming smile that shined brightly in her animal-filled living room;
"It was so wonderful of you to save their lives."
Rainbow, albeit reluctantly, agreed with the sentiment;
"Yeah... I don't like those Sirens... but you saving their lives was pretty awesome."
Next came a proud and dramatic Rarity;
"Such bravery! Such goodwill! Oh, if you girls were here right now, I would happily hug you all!"
Pinkie nearly exploded with joy and laughter;
"You did something that was super-amazingly-magnificantly-stupendously-absolutely-cool! When we're back together, I'm gonna throw a "Canterlot Movie Club and Sci-Twi Saved the Sirens!" party to celebrate!"
Confetti spontaneously exploded from both sides of her video feed and scattered about throughout her room, as if to hammer home the point. The hearts of every CMC member in the room were being filled with so much love, it was a wonder they were able to keep their composure through it all! Sci-Twi was in a similar situation as well, as revealed by the ear-to-ear dopey smile on her face. Applejack's response was heart-warming in its own right, especially to her little sister;
"Ah'm mighty proud of ya'll.", she said with a big grin on her face while she put her hat back on. With familial love in her eyes, she told Apple Bloom;
"Ma' and Pa' would be proud of ya' too, little seed."
"That's it, Ah'm givin' that lady an Apple hug when Ah' see her!", Apple Bloom thought to herself as she tried very hard to hold back her happy tears. Spike showed his appreciation for the combined efforts of the CMCs and his beloved owner in the best way he knew how: he licked Twilight Velvet's phone camera while barking happily. The others giggled while watching Velvet try valiantly to keep the phone away from the joyful pup. Aria and Adagio, however, could barely resist the urge to gag over the audacious display of intense sweetness before them, while Sonata was too busy trying to keep herself from crying tears of joy over the sight to even think of gagging.
The Sirens would have to compose themselves right quick, however, for Sunset had taken that moment to ask the CMCs;
"May we speak with The Dazzlings, please?"
They managed to settle themselves in time to express looks of calm as Apple Bloom aimed her phone at them, allowing them to see The Rainbooms, Spike, and Sci-Twi's parents all giving them polite glares that hinted at suspicion, some more so than others. The three sisters, Adagio especially, were surprised that they were not being thrown under the bus. Still, good fortune had come to them, and they would not waste it. They waited patiently for someone to speak, only for Sunset to break the ice;
"I have to say... I'm impressed.", she said with a gentle smirk filled with goodwill;
"You could have been total pests during your stay. But, you've shown good behavior so far."
One must always act with proper nobility, even when among rivals and enemies.
After thinking of her response for a moment, Adagio told the group plainly with a grin that bared her teeth;
"If the situation was different, Sunset Shimmer, then we would be total pests."
Aria crossed her arms and added with an annoyed grunt;
"We may not like you Sonic Raindorks and Wonderdolts..."
She gave the CMCs a quick death glare before turning her attention back over to the video chat and finishing with a shrug;
"But, we'd rather not freeze to death."
Sonata briskly nodded her head in agreement;
"Oh yeah! I don't want us to be turned into Siren-cicles!", she declared with a frightened shiver.
Some of the folks in the video chat nodded their heads in acknowledgement of the sisters' words, with Rainbow Dash being the only one to keep her head as steady as her glare. Applejack chimed in with an honest comment and a knowing smile;
"Ah'll chock that up to simple survival instincts, then."
Her grin still prominent, Adagio answered the farmhand thusly while giving her incredibly large hair a dignified flick;
"You may chock that up to whatever you wish."
That got the whole video chat group to raise their eyebrows. Not a single person in that group turned their eyes away from the Sirens and they kept their eyes fixed in return. After about five seconds of what was a seriously intense stare-down, Rarity decided to break the tension before it could get any thicker;
"Well, with that out of the way, I suggest we speak with Twilight and the CMCs for a bit longer before proceeding further, darlings."
Apple Bloom, who along with her friends and Sci-Twi, was watching The Dazzlings like a hawk, turned her phone over to her face. Having been taken out of the conversation, much to their relief, the Siren sisters took this opportunity to sit back and relax for a spell. Adagio couldn't help but feel quite agitated as she thought to herself with contained frustration bubbling inside;
"Ohhh, if we were all together in the same room..."
After a few minutes of catching up and discussion, it was decided that the Rainbooms would do what they could to dig themselves out of the snow. As soon as they could travel by car, they would go after the Sirens' RV to dig it out as well, conduct repairs if necessary, and bring it to Sci-Twi's house. Her parents, who would assist the girls alongside Spike, revealed that Shining Armor and Cadence were effectively trapped in their homes by thick walls of snow, so they could not help for the time being. It was also agreed upon by the group that Sci-Twi and CMCs would continue to watch over The Dazzlings until they could get their RV back as well as a means to return to their home. The three movie buffs knew they wouldn't have to throw anyone out in the cold, but a certain wound in their hearts was stinging just enough to temper their happiness. As for The Dazzlings themselves, as frustrating as it was to deal with the girls who had defeated them in a musical performance, they were also surprised that those same girls would allow them to stay in the house of one of their friends.
Within striking distance of said friend and their younger sisters, no less!
Such was a topic that the Sirens found the time to discuss later on that day. While the CMCs were helping Sci-Twi do chores around the house, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were sitting on the large bed in the bedroom of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. At this point, their old outfits were cleaned up, so they were wearing them with pride and relief, having gotten annoyed with wearing the awfully basic ensembles from earlier. Aria started off the discussion with annoyance and confusion in every syllable;
"Why didn't those Raindorks just have the movie club brats throw us out?"
She looked at each of her sisters before adding;
"I mean, other Humans tried to get rid of us during those few times when we got caught using our magic, remember?"
Hearing that caused Adagio and Sonata to laugh, the former laughing the hardest. After recovering, Adagio noted while feeling nostalgic;
"How could I forget? Those idiotic Humans honestly thought they had bagged a bunch of witches! Witches!"
"Almost a shame they didn't figure out how our magic worked in time...", Aria added with a smile filled with vile satisfaction. That smile quickly turned back into one of her classic frowns as she noted with a grunt;
"That doesn't answer my question though."
Sonata held her chin with her right hand, lost in thought for a moment or two before suggesting innocently;
"Maybe they're actually trying to be nice to us? I mean, we've seen their music videos, they're all about being totes sweet to people."
This comment angered Aria enough to give her younger sister a mean-spirited glare before almost yelling out;
"Nice my non-existent scales, you idiot! They're-!"
She was stopped by Adagio's left hand being firmly placed on her right shoulder. The eldest Siren then gave Sonata a few gentle head pats before telling her with sweetness akin to that of a dotting sibling;
"Oh, Sonata. How many times must we teach you? No one shows goodwill without there being a catch. Something for them to gain."
With her face expressing an annoyed pout, Sonata countered;
"Well, there wasn't a catch when she showed us goodwill."
For almost five seconds, every Siren was silent as an ancient memory rose to the surface of their minds. Neither Adagio or Aria could blame Sonata for making that comment. Aria would not dare admit that she was right. The youngest sister, however, took the time to enjoy the happy memory that played out in her mind. After pulling themselves back to the present moment, Adagio acknowledged with some level of reluctance;
"Okay, most people don't show goodwill without there being a catch."
Aria gave her older sister a manure-eating grin and told her with a laugh;
"It's not every day you actually agree with me on something."
"Only when you're making sense.", Adagio explained with a wink. She then raised her right index finger to point it up at the ceiling;
"The Rainbooms see something to gain from letting us crash here and getting our RV back to us."
She raised her middle finger alongside her index finger;
"The Canterlot Movie Club sees something to gain from saving our lives and putting up with us."
Her ring finger was raised to join its two partners;
"Sci-Twi sees something to gain from helping them."
She lowered her hand to have it rest on her lap and exhaled in exasperation while closing her eyes;
"One... beautiful exception aside..."
She opened her eyes back up to glare at Sonata before finishing calmly;
"Humans always seek to get something from their actions. It's how they work."
Her pout still in full display, Sonata slowly nodded in agreement, which prompted Adagio to declare;
"The CMCs may have told us why they care, but there has to be more to it than that."
She crossed her arms and lowered her head in thought;
"The real question we must ask ourselves is this: what do all these girls stand to gain from helping us, of all creatures?"
Aria then decided to bring up one last outstanding item;
"What about that thing we just found out about? You know, the thing that shouldn't even-?"
Adagio interrupted her with gritted teeth and an annoyed whisper as footsteps could be heard coming closer to the bedroom door;
"Not here!"
As if on cue, the bedroom door was loudly knocked on three times before it was opened, revealing Sci-Twi, dressed in her usual outfit. The trio reacted by looked over at the lavender girl who stood before them. With a warm smile that barely hid her nervousness over being around three girls that had a checkered history with her friends, she told them;
"I wanted to let you know that the CMCs are getting ready to start up a movie. They have asked if you could attend."
The Sirens looked at each other for a brief moment before turning their attention over to Sci-Twi, who remained visibly composed. Adagio, with a smile, told her;
"Well, we've got nothing better to do."
Aria jumped in with a question that was on the minds of each Siren present;
"What's the movie?"
Sci-Twi answered simply;
"You girls will get to pick the film, if you attend."
That part really piqued their interest, a fact that Adagio was quick to express;
"Well, I see no harm in letting those girls sample our tastes in movies."
With a quick snap of her right hand's fingers, she had her sisters stand at attention as she got up off of the bed with them. They then followed Sci-Twi out of the room.
Once the Sirens arrived at the living room, they found that the table placed in front of the couch was carrying all sorts of items ripped right out of a theater's concession stand: buckets of popcorn with red & white stripes on the buckets, butter and kettle-corn dispensers next to the buckets, assorted boxes of candies containing many different flavors and types, several big bottles of soda with large cups placed next to them, and of course, enough napkins to clean a whole kitchen table several times over placed in a box. Adagio looked over at the CMCs themselves, who were busy double-checking each item on the table to make sure they hadn't missed anything, and asked them aloud;
"I take it you grabbed all of this stuff before the storm had hit?"
The trio of movie buffs turned to face The Dazzlings and nodded with excitement all over their faces. Scootaloo happily declared with no small amount of pride;
"Movie Club Rule #25: Always be prepared for a movie screening, no matter where you are!"
With a sideways smirk, the eldest Siren asked, in the hopes that she might catch a crack in the club's armor;
"Well then, what's the format for our film? DVD? Blue-Ray?"
She looked over at the large widescreen television that was set up a few feet in front of the table. It was one of those TVs that could be hung on a wall, so it was placed on the wall to the right of the front door. She saw no sign of any DVD players or Blue-Ray players near the TV. She figured out the answer, but the CMCs announced it in joyful unison before she could say it;
"Digital streaming!"
"You're not making this easy for me, movie club... I like that!", Adagio noted to herself, her smirk still on display as she led her sisters to the couch. Three seats were placed to the right of the couch and one seat was placed to its left. This allowed the CMCs to sit to the right of the lounging Sirens, with Sci-Twi sitting to their left. Adagio, being the leader, made sure to sit between Sonata and Aria. The youngest sister was sorely tempted to grab the bounty of sugary goodies and munch on them, only to get a gentle yet firm poke on the left side of her head by Adagio, who told her sternly;
"Now now, sea-sister. Wait until the movie starts, then we can chow down."
With a whine and a grumpy "humph", Sonata crossed her arms and pouted in frustration. Aria could barely contain her chuckling as she carefully sneaked a candy bar off of the table, only to get a firm bonk on the back of her head from Adagio, who didn't even have to look at her to aim her hand accurately. With her grumpiness back on point, Aria returned the candy bar to its place on the table and pouted just as hard as her younger sister. Looking as satisfied as she felt, Adagio then asked their hosts;
"Who has the remote and what streaming services do we have?"
Apple Bloom tossed the remote over to her after turning on the TV and setting its menu to the streaming section. She the answered with anticipation filling every word;
"We've got HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Disney+, Showtime-!"
"Oh! Oh! Let's try Disney+!", exclaimed Sonata, who's frustration was melted away by her sudden explosion of joy and anticipation. Aria, however, as bemused;
"Ugh, if I have to watch Frozen for a tenth time..."
With an amused cackle, Adagio noted;
"Don't forget, Aria: Sonata is banned from making us watch Frozen and Frozen 2 after the 'Let It Go' Incident."
The grumpiest Siren around face-palmed as the memory of that cold fiasco rose to the forefront of her mind. Her comment was just as indignant;
"That was a terrible use of our magic."
"Ah don't wanna know...", Apple Bloom thought to herself while feeling a twinge of terror as she and her friends watched the siblings go at it. Sonata pulled herself out of her joy-induced stupor to tell her sisters while feeling quite agitated over what they were talking about;
"No, I'm not picking that movie and the less that's said about that incident, the better!"
Sci-Twi picked that moment to chime in, hoping to cool their heads down a level or two;
"Well, what movie do you want to watch?"
Adagio handed the remote over to Sonata to let her decide. It took her a minute or two to navigate the menus on the Disney+ service before she found not one, but five movies that caught her eye;
"Look, girls! They've got ALL of the Pirates movies on here!", she exclaimed out of sheer unbridled happiness. Adagio was surprised and intrigued to say the least, with Aria not being far off in that regard.
"Well now, that's a fine catch!", Adagio noted with a smile before explaining;
"We've seen the first two films and have heard some good things about the third one. But, I did not know about those other two."
"Color me interested.", Aria admitted before asking;
"But, which one should we watch? I say we go for At World's End."
Sonata would not have that. At all. She turned right around to give Aria a fierce glare before telling her pointedly;
"Oh no, we're watching Dead Man's Chest! We've only seen it once before!"
It was Aria's turn to glare at her sister as she countered angrily;
"But we haven't seen At World's End yet! I want to change that!"
"No! Dead's Man's Chest!", yelled out Sonata, who would not be denied.
"At World's End!", Aria yelled back with just as much stubbornness.
"Dead's Man's Chest!"
"At World's End!"
Sweetie Belle, not wanting to have this screening be ruined by pointless bickering, tried to verbally intervene;
"Do we get a say in this?"
"NO!", cried out Aria and Sonata in perfect unison while giving the CMCs and Sci-Twi menacing stares, which caused them to keep their mouths shut tight. A few seconds later, they went right back to bickering. Adagio was, frankly, sick of her sisters' poor behavior. So, with two brisk movements of her hands, she tightly grabbed their arms, which was more than enough to get their attention. Sensing this, she gave each sister a glare that could make milk curdle in its carton and told them with controlled anger;
"I was being patient with Sonata, since she's been on a roll as of late. But, seeing as how you two can't stand to not start a fuss over ridiculous things, it has become my job to pick the movie for us."
She took the remote right out of Sonata's right hand and, with a few button pushes, highlighted her film of choice while announcing with a calmer tone;
"I suggest we watch the first movie: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It's been many years since we last saw it, so I figure a refresher won't hurt."
Aria grumbled to herself for a moment before admitting;
"Yeah, I suppose it has been a long time since we saw it in theaters..."
"I mean, it is a fun movie...", noted a disappointed Sonata.
Seeing that the matter was resolved, Adagio looked over at the CMCs and Sci-Twi while declaring politely and internally holding back the urge to slap her kin in their faces;
"You'll have to excuse them. They're idiots."
"And here I thought my arguments with Rarity were bad...", Sweetie Belle thought to herself as Apple Bloom rose up from her seat, walked over to the space between the table and the TV, and turned to face the group. By this point, all three Sirens had calmed down and were now paying attention along with Sci-Twi and the other movie club members. With a breath and an smile, Apple Bloom addressed the other girls excitedly;
"Now, with the film selected, let's get a couple things straight before we press the almighty play button: Besides The Dazzlins' and yours truly, who 'ere has seen 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'?"
Sci-Twi, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all raised their hands, with Scootaloo noting with a giggle;
"You had the three of us and our big sisters watch the original trilogy in one sitting, remember?"
All three club members had a good laugh over the fond memory of them enjoying those movies with their sisters while wearing awesome pirate costumes before Apple Bloom said with a wink aimed at her two best pals;
"Okay, so Ah don't need to give a synopsis then."
With a giggle of her own, Sci-Twi explained herself;
"Shiny and I watched the first movie together when I was a little girl. I haven't seen the other ones though."
The young farmhand was about ready to explode with giddiness as she happily told her lavender friend;
"Miss Twi, Ah would be pleased as punch to have ya' watch a screenin' of Dead Man's Chest with us one day! On that note..."
She ran back over to her chair, planted her rear on it, and told Adagio with absolute gusto;
"Let's get this movie started!"
Without any further ado, the lead Siren pressed play on the remote to start the film.
It wasn't long after the film began that some of the viewers started making a comment here and there. Sci-Twi started things off while using much of her self-control to keep herself from rambling about the intricate details that go into making classical sea-faring ships;
"What is it about women that makes having them on ships bad luck? Superstition borne from the era this film was set in?"
Seeing the opportunity, Adagio responded with a soft cackle, her predatory grin on full display as she kept her eyes on the film;
"Ah yes, seafarers were quite superstitious back then. Having women onboard, in truth, did not bring bad luck. But... let's just say that the three of us didn't need magic to cause a bit of chaos at sea..."
It took all of three seconds for Sci-Twi to realize what she had meant, thus producing a look on her face that combined horror and disgust. Satisfied with the thought of giving her host plenty of horrible things to think about, Adagio returned her full attention to the movie. While the lavender scientist was trying to bring her mind's focus over to more pleasant concepts, such as the infinite expanse of variables that is the universe, Aria decided to ask the CMCs with a raised eyebrow;
"I'm surprised you're not telling us to be quiet, like in the theaters."
Apple Bloom responded by looking over at Aria and saying confidently;
"Movie Club Rule #10: Ya' can make a comment or two while watchin' a film, but don't run your mouth."
With a shrug, she went back to enjoying the movie. Before long, the movie reached the scene depicting the talk between Captain Barbossa and Elizabeth Swan in his quarters. While the movie was entertaining to the Sirens up to this point, it was this scene that would truly grab them.
They watched intently as Barbossa pulled a gold medallion out from his tattered coat and showed it to Elizabeth while asking her;
"You don't know what this is, do ya'?"
Just hearing that line caused their memories of watching this scene for the first time to come flooding back, which encouraged their eyes to remained glued on the TV screen as the scene played out;
"It's a pirate medallion.", stated Elizabeth.
"It's Aztec gold...", responded Barbossa, who went on with the wide eyes of a man who had been through Tartarus;
"One of one-hundred and eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he reaped upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable..."
Adagio could feel the echo of a stinging sensation within her chest whilst she watched, a feeling shared by her sisters, though they were too focused on the film to fully recognize its presence;
"So, the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse..."
Unconsciously, every Siren present raised their right hands up to a spot on their chests close to their necks and slowly closed their hands into fists, as if they were holding onto some unseen object for dear life;
"Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."
The CMCs, being avid movie buffs and fans of the Pirates series, were too enraptured by the story playing out before them to notice the strangeness that was the Sirens' behavior. But Sci-Twi, who had made it a point to check on The Dazzlings from time to time during the show, had caught that behavior. Knowing of both The Battle of the Bands and the one Time Twirler timeline that involved these girls, she made sure to keep this oddity filed away in her mind for later. In fact, she made a mental note of it for good measure;
"Subjects Adagio, Aria, and Sonata appear to have been reminded of their old gems by the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl that formally introduces the actual curse to the story. While I have not seen any signs of danger from what seems to be a shared unconscious action on their part, this does remind me of a fact revealed by the Time Turner Incident..."
She gulped out of rising nerves and went back to watching the film to head them off before the Sirens could notice that they were being watched. She finished her thought with a deliberate breath to sooth her concerns;
"The Dazzlings do not look back on The Battle of the Bands fondly."
At that moment, a thought occurred to her: one that she asked herself on more than one occasion whenever she thought of this trio of ladies;
"But then... why haven't they tried to exact their revenge on the girls? A lack of the required magical resources, or perhaps... some other reason?"
Those questions were kept as part of the growing pile of things she would not forget to investigate as the girls watched Barbossa offer a frightened Elizabeth in a joking fashion;
"Apple?"
The girls enjoyed the rest of the film without incident, with each of them occasionally making comments about moments that caught their eye. Once the movie was finished, it came time to reflect on what they had seen. With most of the snacks having been devoured, the girls settled on discussing the film over what remained of their soda. Apple Bloom, being the biggest Pirates fan in the room, couldn't help but gush over the motion picture while holding a cup filled with grape soda;
"Ah'll never not enjoy that film. It may not be my favorite of the trilogy, but it always finds a way to grab me, Ah tells ya'!"
Scootaloo, while enjoying a swig of root beer, nodded her head out of a excitement before happily declaring;
"Will Turner is so awesome! He'll do anything to save his lady from danger and he can kick butt with his sword!"
She then put her cup down, stood up, and performed several well-practiced sword-swinging motions that were as hilariously exaggerated as the fighting noises she was making with each swing for full effect. After that, she sat back down and enjoying another swig while listening to Sweetie Belle's take on the film;
"Elizabeth is great too. She can't fight in this film, but she's got enough smarts to save herself from trouble."
She enjoyed her cup of orange soda before adding;
"Even when she's in distress, she's no damsel. Know what I mean?"
Adagio, who made sure to hold back the urge to poke fun at Scootaloo's earlier ridiculousness, raised her own cup of root beer at Sweetie before noting in agreement;
"I get what you're saying. I have a lot of respect for characters in films who are not written specifically to be one-dimensional victims for the heroes to rescue."
She looked over at Apple Bloom and asked out of curiosity;
"We didn't hear you say a thing about the character from this film that you enjoyed the most."
With a giggle, the young Apple answered honestly;
"That would be Captain Jack Sparrow."
That response made Adagio's eyes grow slightly wide for a moment before she pressed the matter further;
"Really now? I had expected one of the more respectable sorts to be your speed, like Norrington or Elizabeth's father."
Apple Bloom responded with a hearty laugh before explaining;
"They're both great characters, Gibbs and the like too! But, Ah've got me a soft spot for those characters with layers, ya' see."
She placed her cup on the table and raised both her hands up to her chest, with her palms opened wide and angled horizontally to resemble weights on a weighing scale. She then elaborated;
"Jack's a thievin', lyin', murderin' pirate, so he ain't all that good."
Her left hand was lowered a bit while her right hand was raised to be higher than her left before she went on;
"But... he's more than willin' to do the right thing if it benefits him, so he ain't all that bad."
Her left and right hands' positions were switched, so that the right was higher than the left. With her dopey smile itched on her face, she placed her hands on her lap and finished while looking Adagio square in the eyes;
"Characters with layers make a girl think. It's why Ah like 'em so much."
She would never admit this aloud, but Adagio was tempted to show Apple Bloom a respectful smile at that moment. She didn't expect one of the sisters of the Rainbooms to hold such a nuanced opinion when it came to films! Thankfully for her pride, that smile was held back. But, even though she chose to keep up appearances by raising her chin up while giving one of her hair's numerous curls a dignified twirl, she did allow herself to give the girl some props;
"Well, at least, unlike most Humans, you have some measure of appreciation for cinema."
Aria seconded that notion, albeit in her own Aria way;
"Yeah, your taste in movies ain't trash, I'll give you girls that much."
Sonata, after downing her own cup of regular cola (the third one so far), exclaimed excitedly;
"Oh, that movie was so much fun!"
But then, as she looked at each of the CMCs, she had a question in mind that was too interesting for her bubbly mind to keep inside;
"I'm wondering though, what's you girls' favorite Pirates character?"
Scootaloo answered first with the speed and excitement of a fangirl running with a full tank of happiness gas;
"WILL TURNER!"
Sweetie Belle belted out her answer with similar excitement;
"ELIZABETH!"
All eyes turned to Apple Bloom, who reclined onto the backrest of her chair before telling the Sirens with a smirk;
"Before Ah give my answer, let's hear Sci-Twi's, who has been awfully quiet so far."
The scientist had been silently listening to the conversation while drinking her cup of orange soda. Upon being addressed, she nearly jumped out of her seat in surprise before composing herself enough to respond with a sheepish smile;
"My favorite is Gibbs. He makes for a fun storyteller to listen to and he's one of the most respectable pirates in Jack's crew."
That got a giggle from Apple Bloom, who nodded her head and told Sci-Twi;
"Ah can see why ya' think that, Miss Twi. Ah could listen to ol' Gibbs tell all sorts of tall tales about the seven seas and never get bored. But, if ya'll ask me..."
She looked over at each of the girls, who waited with bated breath for her answer. She told them with honesty in every word she uttered, the kind that would make her big sister proud of her;
"Ah reckon my favorite Pirates character is Davy Jones."
That really got Adagio's curiosity!
"My memory of that character may be a tad off, since we only saw Dead Man's Chest once, but last I recall, he was a full-on villain!", she noted with raised eyebrows. The other Sirens gave Apple Bloom just as much attention, since they were equally curious. With an ear-to-ear smile, the redhead explained happily;
"A villain with layers, Adagio, and oh Nelly, does he have 'em! Ya' need only listen to his theme song to get a sense of what he's like!"
She looked up at ceiling with a nostalgia covering her face as she added with admiration;
"What a fine song for a fine villain..."
Aria, having remembered the song in question, chimed in with a smirk of her own;
"Yeah, I remember being impressed with how cool that song was when I heard it in the theater. It was the one song that could make the organ not sound boring!"
Hearing this allowed Adagio to remember both the song and the scene that it was connected to, which got her to realize something that she explained at that moment as she kept her eyes on an excited and focused Apple Bloom;
"I get what you mean. The song expresses a combination of malice and sorrow that, now that I think about it, describes Davy Jones without any need for singing. It makes me wonder how I had forgotten about it until now."
Sonata's take, by contrast, was much simpler;
"I just liked how the organ sounded."
"Never change, Sonata...", was Adagio's internalized response as she gave Aria a death glare to stop her from attacking their sister for making such an overly simplistic comment. Apple Bloom could barely contain her joy as she exclaimed to the Sirens;
"While officially, Davy Jones' theme song has no lyrics, a fan had written lyrics for it that are simply amazin'!"
The head Siren couldn't help but admit this to herself; she didn't see that one coming!
"Indeed?", she asked, just to make sure she wasn't being made the butt of a joke, with a hint of excitement in her song-loving heart.
The CMCs all nodded their heads in brisk excitement before Sweetie Belle asked The Dazzlings;
"We can sing it for you, if you want!"
Adagio couldn't help but cackle a little while Aria expressed a more venomous smirk and Sonata instinctively covered her ears with a rare grimace on her face;
"We've heard you sing before, girls, and we were not impressed.", the eldest Siren said, happy to poke fun at their young hosts. That jab provoked a trio of frowns and death glares from the CMCs, aimed squarely at every Siren in the room. Apple Bloom expressed their shared anger best with a restrained growl;
"We were not ourselves back then and ya'll know why, Sirens..."
Sci-Twi, sensing danger, tried to cool her friends' heads down while the three sisters returned to showing neutral expressions, with Sonata lowering her hands back down once she was sure all was well;
"It's alright girls. I would love to hear you sing!"
That bit of positive encouragement was enough to bring the club members' smiles back to replace their frowns. With their anger retreating into the deeper recesses of their minds, they looked at each other, took a breath for a moment, and nodded before turning to face the Sirens. Sweetie Belle then gave them her rebuttal on the club's behalf;
"We've gotten so much better at singing since then!"
Scootaloo, being the bundle of energy that she was, exclaimed with a fist pump in support of her friends;
"Yeah!"
The three pals then gave each other one of their signature fist bumps in joyful solidarity. Recognizing that they would not be easily dissuaded by verbal barbs alone, Adagio relented, if nothing else but out of a desire to see them fail as hilariously as they did on stage years ago;
"Okay, okay, you can sing the song."
After clearing their throats, the CMCs took a deep breath and exhaled to steady themselves. Sci-Twi, having heard them perform this piece several times before, sat back with a knowing smile on her face, ready to enjoy the performance to come. After a few seconds of silence, Sweetie Belle began to sing.
Or at least, she was about to sing, when her smartphone's ringtone blared out her own rambunctious take on a lullaby for all to hear;
Hush now! Quiet now!
It's time to lay your sleepy heads!
Hush now! Quiet now!
It's time to go to bed!
Poor Sweetie's face turned bright red out of sheer embarrassment as all three Sirens laughed their rears off at the sight. As her two friends and Sci-Twi gave them indignant glares, she pulled her smartphone out of her pocket, pushed the answer button on it to stop the ringtone, and raised it up to her right ear while saying;
"He-hello, Rarity!"
Whilst she made conversation with her sister, the Sirens recovered enough for Adagio to explain with a smirk and a surprisingly polite whisper;
"Pardon us, girls, the timing was just too perfect."
That got her a snarl from Apple Bloom and a grunt from Scootaloo. Sci-Twi kept her glare up for a moment longer before switching her attention over to Sweetie Belle. A few seconds later, the young songstress exclaimed with immense joy, her embarrassment completely forgotten about and her face back to its natural color;
"That's wonderful news!"
That got everyone else's attention as she quietly listened to her sister speak further. After about fifteen more seconds, she lovingly declared;
"We'll see you soon. I love you!"
With a giggle, she hung up the phone, stashed it back into her pocket, and announced to the group;
"With help from a local snowplow, the girls, Spike, and Twilight's parents have been able to get through the worst of the snow and reach the Sirens' RV!"
She gave the sisters themselves a hopeful look before adding;
"They're taking it over to Rainbow Dash's garage to get it fixed up right now! They'll be here before we know it!"
Sonata had effectively exploded with joy and relief;
"ROSE QUARTZ LIVES!!!!", she yelled out while thrusting her arms to the ceiling in glorious triumph. After that, she leaped over to Adagio before she could react, wrapping her up in a bear hug that made her wince a little. This prompted her to give the youngest Siren a glare not too far off from that of a tigress preparing to pounce on her prey. Seeing the unbridled joy on Sonata's face, however, caused her anger to melt away. So, instead of pouncing, she managed to pry her right arm out from her cheerful sister's vice grip and patted her on the head while giving off an annoyed expression. Aria shook her head after facepalming with her right hand, but not even she could hold back the tiniest of grins. Internally or not, every Siren present felt relief at that moment.
"We're going home soon...", Adagio expressed to herself. She then looked at Sci-Twi, who was beaming over her friends' announced success. When she turned her gaze over at each of the CMCs, she saw them hug each other with gusto, their unique brand of joy, excitement, and hope on full display. Such things, as usual, made her gag inside, but a thought occurred that she did not expect or hate as her classic predatory grin returned with a vengeance;
"I guess I'll see those brats make fools of themselves another time."
Full disclosure: I kinda sorta rediscovered the Pirates films and they quickly became one of my Autistic passions, so to speak, hence the love they are being shown in this chapter alone.
Hey, the CMCs would put respect in a movie's name! Don't worry, their love for Daring Do will be addressed at the proper time! They wore her outfit in the Canterlot Movie Club short for Celestia's sake! 
By the by: there is one bit of dialogue that I had to re-write several times to keep the story in line with its rating. I think you all can guess as to which one it is. It is tough to write up jokes and barbs that work for Adagio, and The Dazzlings as a whole for that matter, without going into, shall I say, fanon territory...
Nothing wrong with fanon material, of course, it's just that the fanon material for The Dazzlings can be T-rated content at best.
As much as I wanted SO BADLY to have the CMCs sing the fan-made lyrics to Davy Jone's theme song (and they are FIRE lyrics too!), I worried that using them would risk breaking the "no non-MLP song lyrics" rule. So, I settled for a fun reference to a certain lullaby from FiM.
For your enjoyment: a video of the theme song with the lyrics in question (sung by the lady who wrote them!):
It's probably for the best anyway that they aren't singing yet. I mean, if I'm gonna have the CMCs sing, then I'd better wait for the opportune moment.
Savvy? 
The final chapter is coming up! How will these very different girls handle the inevitable? Stay tuned and find out!
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It’s quite the lovely song. Davy Jones is definitely one of the best characters in the Pirates films. My favorite is still Jack, but because of deep-lore like that whole bit about his soul being worth several hundred souls to Davy, due to him releasing hundreds of slaves and becoming a pirate because he wouldn’t, by any means, sell slaves. There’s a deleted scene in the movies that has him saying “People aren’t cargo, mate” I think too, which adds to that notion.
If all of that is true, that drunken veneer of his that can be seen giving way to moments of heart and self-sacrifice at times are all part of his hidden morality. It’s understandable why they didn’t mention anything about slavery due to it being a Disney film, but it would’ve been such wonderful extra layer to Jack’s character. For a movie series originally meant for kids, the producers made something truly amazing.
Anywho, wonderful chapter GJ. I liked that little ringtone gag. And also that part where Sweetie Belle gets to see Rarity again. It’s nice to think that she really loves her sister.
11482018
Yes indeed, Sweetie Belle has TONS of love for Rarity!
I also see that, you, too, are a brony of culture when it comes to films!
Seriously though, I'm glad you are also a fan of the Pirates films. The CMCs would be hugging you for that! I think Apple Bloom would agree with your take on Jack Sparrow (and gush over his choice to save those slaves while she's at it).
As for her fascination with Davy Jones, let's just say that Apple Bloom got her love for layered characters from somewhere and leave it at that for now.
Yes, that song of his is a BANGER!
That was a good chapter.
darling!" Exclaimed*
well..." she*
y'all." She*
her!" Apple*
impressed," she*
Siren-cicles!" She*
What?!?
time..." Aria*
They're-"*
Not really. Sometimes there isn't one.
sense," Adagio*
even-"*
that!" Adagio*
She then answered*
Showtime-"*
Disney+!" Exclaimed*
I know the feeling. I can't stand that song!!!
know..." Apple*
Same here AB.
here!" She*
catch!" Adagio*
interested," Aria*
Chest!" Yelled*
End!" Aria*
"NO!" Cried*
movie..." noted*
bad..." Sweetie*
medallion," stated Elizabeth.*
gold..." responded*
Time Turner?
villain!" She*
Sonata..." was*
"Indeed?" She*
impressed," the*
LIVES!!!!" She*
She named it!?!
soon..." Adagio*
11893914
Time Twirler! I meant to say Time Twirler! Let me fix that!
EDIT: Annnd fixed!