With their futures beginning to look bleak, The Dazzlings decides that it's about time that they return to Equestria, but not only has their old home changed, but they found that they themselves have changed more than they expected.
Several months have passed since The Dazzlings were defeated by The Rainbooms, and they are in trouble. With their singing magic gone, they find it too hard to adapt to the world they now live in.
After discovering how Twilight Sparkle was able to enter the human world, Adagio uses the portal as an opportunity to return to Equestria with Aria and Sonata. But now, they must adapt to a completely new world, for Equestria has changed so much, and they themselves had underwent a most unexpected change.
Will Adagio succeed in her dream of acquiring power and being adored by all, or will it be a dream she simply can't reach.
It was a good day to be evil. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and within a matter of hours, an entire school would be under the control of three beautiful young girls. What more could a siren ask for? The three masterminds of the plan to take over the school, and eventually the world, were natives of the alternate world, Equestria. They were known as Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, and Adagio Dazzle, and none of them could wait another second to step inside to begin to bring chaos.
Adagio in particular was the most excited. "You see that, girls? That right there is our gateway to being adored!"
"That's not a gate, that's a school." Sonata said.
Adagio was fortunately in such a good mood that she didn't let Sonata's idiotic comment bother her. "Remember girls. All you have to do is follow my lead, and we'll restore our lost power at long last!"
"I still think it would be smarter to follow MY lead." Aria claimed. "You being lead hasn't really helped us lately."
"Give me one example of when me leading got us in trouble." Adagio asked.
Jumping up and raising her hand, Sonata smiled when she realized that she knew the answer. "Ooh! Ooh! When you told us to attack that old bearded guy and five seconds later, we were here!"
Sonata's slightly more intelligent struck a nerve with Adagio, much to Aria's delight. Even though it was Sonata that said it, Adagio grabbed Aria's hair and tugged it down so the two were face to face, and reminded her who was in charge. "If you or Sonata were to achieve world domination, you'd probably destroy each other after about five minutes. So follow MY lead!"
After intimidating Aria, Adagio released her from her grip. The immature Sonata laughed at Aria's pain, much to her annoyance. In turn, she gave Sonata a light punch in the arm, who then returned one to Aria. Before long, the two entered a rather pathetic little slap fight with each other, one that would never of ended if Adagio didn't reach in and grab them by the ears.
"Enough bickering! You'll be able to kill yourselves once we drain all of the Equestrian magic that we can from this school. Trust me. Just follow my lead."
Several months later however, the trio were force to adjust to a slightly different life. Their plan to acquire magic not only ended in failure, but the source of their powers, their magical amulets, were destroyed, causing them to lose their ability to gain magic, as well as their more prided ability, to sing.
Life was not difficult for the three though. During the time they had their magic amulets, they had earned a living by using their magical songs, living like queens in a world they other hate, but ever since they lost their magic, they hated it more. The one place they found any joy from was the fortress of solitude they had spent over a year making.
They had a great three bedroom apartment filled with new and expensive furniture, a big flat screen TV which even had a video game console hooked up for Sonata, a massage chair for Aria, and while the kitchen was small, it had only the best kitchen equipment money could buy. For three teenage girls who lived by themselves, one would think they were getting around pretty well.
Aria and Sonata tried to make the best of the situation they were in, but Adagio knew fully well that soon, they would no longer have such a luxury. Much to her annoyance, a certain phone call, one she refused to answer and simply waited for the machine to pick it up, left its message.
"Hi Adagio. It's me. I know you're usually good with the rent, but I've noticed that you're a little late with the rent. Actually, you seemed a little hesitant last month too. Anyway, while I will have to bother you about the rent, if there's anything you would like to talk about, feel free to come see me, not as my tenant, but as a friend. Until then, I'm looking forward to hearing from you. "
BEEP!
"What a dork." Adagio said in response to the message.
While she didn't like her landlord, Adagio nonetheless had to pay him what she owed him, just like every other month. As she crunched up the numbers and counted up the money she had to take out of a glass jar, she realized that the day she fear was finally upon her and the Dazzlings.
"Girls! Come into the kitchen! Now!" Adagio ordered. "You too, Sonata!"
"Wow, if Sonata's allowed in the kitchen, you know things is getting real." Aria remarked.
After pausing her game, the offended Sonata turned her head and replied. "Why aren't I allowed in the kitchen? Is it because I found the blender to be shiny?"
"KITCHEN! NOW!"
One second later, the two girls were lined up next to each other right in front of Adagio, as it became clear that she wasn't kidding around. Once she knew that she had the other's attention, Adagio picked up the jar and presented it.
"As you girls know, this is our nest egg, the source of your allowance when we lost our ability to make money with our powers."
"Yes, thank you for reminding us." Aria said sarcastically. "You make it sound like you're explaining that to someone who doesn't know how we live."
"Yeah. Wait! Is there someone else in here?" Sonata asked as she began looking around for someone.
"Focus girls!" Adagio ordered. "Anyway, I have just taken out enough from the nest egg to ensure that we'll be able to live here for another month, just as I always do. But now, I want you three to look at how much I...we have left."
After Adagio passed the jar to Sonata, she began staring at the money within. She shook the jar up, listened to the sound of the money bouncing inside. The frustrated Aria put her hand on her forehead in disbelief as she herself would've just counted the money.
"Two-hundred, sixty-nine dollars and fifty-five cents?"
The initially angry Adagio, after hearing Sonata's answer, was left in awe. "Uhh...yeah. That's exactly it." She answered, but she almost didn't want to admit it. "Anyway, while we still have a home for another month, come next month's rent, the three of us are royally screwed! This much won't left even won't even cover our grocery bill. Within a month, we'll be homeless and hungry."
"We can always sell Sonata's Mee Too games to earn a few bucks." Aria jokingly suggested, much to Sonata's disdain.
"Yes, we can ALL sell our stuff, and we probably will too, but that will only delay the inevitable. Enjoy having a roof over your heads and filled stomachs. We won't have either for long."
With the truth out, all three of the Dazzlings understood the situation, even the normally clueless Sonata. In due time, the three would be homeless, and the one place that makes living in the human world worth living in would be gone.
I bet I would've been able to keep this apartment for a few more months if I didn't have to support these two idiots. Adagio thought to herself, mentally given part of the blame to her fellow sirens.
"Does this mean we have to start looking for jobs? "Because that sounds like a lot of work." Sonata said.
"Good luck. It's not too easy to find." Aria mentioned. "I've only recently gotten any luck finding something."
Maybe if she tried more than two places per week... Adagio thought, but then repressed her anger. "To think that the three of us have sunk this low. Before, our top concern was that we didn't have our magic. Now, it's that we lack grocery money. Why do I...why do we have to worry about finances of all things? We're are sirens!"
While Aria didn't want to admit it, she knew the answer to Adagio's question. "It's because we aren't sirens anymore. Now that we're stuck here, the three of us are all normal teenage girls."
"Too bad we can't go back to Equestria like Twilight Sparkle is able to do." Sonata said as she felt as bad as the others.
"Two smart things said by Sonata. A new record." Adagio complimented/insulted. "If only we knew how she was able to come here in the first place, then maybe we'd be able to go back to the world where we actually had power!"
"Oh, they do that with the statue at the school."
After Sonata said a few typical dumb things, then a couple of smart comments, she ended it with a shocking observation, one with importance that she herself didn't fully understand. Naturally, Adagio and Aria got mad when they processed the new information.
"Where....and how...DO YOU KNOW THIS!?" Adagio screamed.
"I see her walk out of it from time to time. She's actually in this world right now I think."
"And you didn't tell us because...?" Aria asked.
Before Sonata could answer, Adagio gave her a fair warning. "And if you say it's because we didn't ask, we really will sell your Mee Too games."
Afraid of losing her games, as well as admitting that Adagio was spot on, she said nothing else. At first, Adagio was ready to strangle the ditzy siren for not sharing such important information. However, after realizing the opportunity that was presented to the three of them, her anger disappeared, and was replaced by an evil smirk on her face. It didn't take much longer before Aria got the same idea, and thus the same smirk. Sonata didn't fully understood what was going on, so she just smiled to pretend she did.
Regardless, the time for them to leave what they viewed as a pathetic little world was nigh. All that had to do was check things out.
Normally, Canterlot High would be deserted after school hours with only the occasional teen walking around. On this day, there was a grand total of five teenage girls snooping around the school's yard. The two who were in broad daylight were the arch enemies of the Dazzlings, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. The two gave a quick look around of the scene to make sure no one else was around.
Twilight and Sunset however, failed to see the other three teenagers who were spying on them, the Dazzlings, who were wearing their hoody sweaters to help hide their faces. After the poor look around, Twilight and Sunset walked over to the statue in the center of the yard as the Dazzlings watched, especially Adagio.
"It'll be great to be able to walk on four legs and use magic again. This place is great, but a girl can get homesick from time to time." Sunset explained.
"And it'll be nice to have a visitor. There's lots I'd like to show you at my new castle." Twilight said in response.
Who are they explaining that too? Wouldn't they discuss this kind of stuff before they met up here? Adagio asked herself.
After letting the Dazzlings hear the conveniently said explanation for why Twilight and Sunset were going to Equestria, they mistakenly showed precisely how they would do it. The two merely stepped into the statue, and in an instant, the two were gone.
The Dazzlings gasped as they saw the girls enter the portal, as it meant that Sonata's claim was true. With a way back to Equestria right before their eyes, Adagio let out an evil giggle, for she was by far the most excited to return to her true home.
"There it is. Our ticket out of here!" Adagio said. "Once we return to Equestria, we will return to our true forms, and even with amulets destroyed, our original powers will return with our bodies! Let's head out."
While Adagio was anxious to go back to Equestria, Aria and Sonata were a bit more hesitant.
First, Sonata expressed her concerns. "We're going already? But I just finally got the courage to ask Flash Sentry out."
Then, it was Aria's turn. "Yeah, and my part-time job is starting on Monday."
After hearing Aria and Sonata's comments, Adagio slapped herself in the face in disbelief. "You two morons. THINK! Once we go through that portal, we'll never have another reason to even look back to this place! Unlike here, we'll be able to sing again!"
"All because you refuse to get singing lessons here." Aria added with a smug look. She quickly regretted it after Adagio grabbed her by the neck.
"How many times do I have to remind you two. We. Are. SIRENS! Singing should already be our thing. And once we return to Equestria, it will be once more. You don't want to stay in this world any longer, do you?""
After releasing Aria from her grip, and Sonata laughing at her, Adagio allowed her to answer. "Well, I suppose the only thing worse then this place is Sonata, so I guess I should take any opportunity to leave."
"Yeah, what she said." Sonata said. "Wait...wha...?"
"Then why are we still here?" Adagio said with the happiest, yet menacing look on her face. With both of her fellow sirens on her side, Adagio was ready to enter the portal and knock look back. "Let us walk to the future that we've been dreaming of."
After Adagio successfully convinced the group, nothing was left to stop them from entering the portal. With the three of them side by side, they walk into the statue together, vanishing inside like Twilight and Sunset did. They were all on their way to a new life
After a bizarre and trippy sequence as they crossed the statue, the Dazzlings exit the portal through the magic mirror that connected the two worlds. The three cloaked sirens were pleased that the portal had worked, and were even more pleased to find that they had returned home.
As they took their first steps into Equestria, the three tested their voices. They were able to perfectly harmonize their voices as they sung their first song in months. With their ability to sing returned after the battle against The Rainbooms, the three felt invincible.
"Yes....YESS!!!" Adagio said with great delight. She found herself shaking with anticipation. "I felt the music. I can feel my magic!"
"Really? I feel a strange itch." Sonata said as she reached to the itchy spot. "I think I have growth or something."
"I can't feel anything at all. Well, nothing but my awesome voice." Aria added.
And there goes the mood. Adagio thought, angry at the Dazzlings for killing the atmosphere. "No matter. Those fools shouldn't of gone far. I say it's high time we get a little revenge."
Refusing to waste a single moment, Adagio wanted to cause chaos as quickly as possible, eager to test out her restored powers after having it be sealed away for so long. Aria and Sonata agreed with the idea and followed her to find Twilight and Sunset.
As they walked away from the portal, Sonata looked back at it to. When she did, the sight of what she saw made her jump up and scream.
"AAAHHH! GIRLS, THEY FOUND US!" Adagio and Aria quickly turned back to the scared Sonata. "Look! A bunch of ponies have ambushed us!"
Adagio took a look at where Sonata saw the attacking ponies, but she quickly grew unimpressed by what she saw. "You're an idiot. That's just your reflection from the mirror.
It wasn't until Adagio said it out that that she realized what she told Sonata. In a nut shell, she told her that there was a pony in her reflection. The most troubling epiphany struck Adagio upon realizing that.
With all three concerned, they dashed towards the magic mirror to get a good look at their reflections. As soon as they took off the hoods from their sweaters, the Dazzlings made the unsettling, heartbreaking discovery.
In the mirror was not the sirens that they hoped to see. Instead, there was an yellow, a blue, and a purple mare. They arrived to their homeland with the hopes of conquering it as sirens, but found themselves to have transformed into mares. What was suppose to be the best day of Adagio's life had quickly became the worst.
And once more, Sonata ruined the mood, much to Adagio and Aria's annoyance. "So THAT'S why one of the three ponies I saw looked adorable. It was just me."
It was a complete disaster. The Dazzlings had finally returned to Equestria, only to be reduced to lower life forms once more. As Adagio had seen with the mirror that she had traveled through, she and the Dazzlings had transformed into ponies instead of their true siren forms.
After taking off the hood on her sweater, Adagio realized why she felt any magic at all. On her head was the one thing that allowed ponies to use magic: A unicorn horn. Sonata took off her sweater entirely to find the growth she felt, which turned out to have been a pair of pegasus wings, something that immediately amused her. Aria then took off her sweater to take a good look at herself, but was upset to find herself as an earth pony, meaning she couldn't use magic or fly.
As soon as Sonata noticed, she took advantage of it to mock Aria. "Well, I think we've established the necking order."
Ignore Sonata's stupidity. IGNORE IT! Adagio thought in a panic. "Okay girls, just...just shut up and calm down!"
With Aria's scream echoing throughout the Twilight's castle, it wouldn't make sense if it went unheard, especially since two others had went through the portal to Equestria right before the Dazzlings did. In fact, after Aria raised her voice, all three knew that they were in trouble.
"What was that?" Twilight's voiced ask from nearby.
"Your portal room, maybe?" Sunset suggested.
Responding to the noise quickly, Twilight and Sunset ran back into the room where the Dazzlings were. They quickly put their hoodies back up to keep their faces hidden, as the only way their situation could get any worse is if the enemy knew that they were back in Equestria. Even worse, the simple fact that Twilight was an alicorn meant that they were completely overpowered.
"What are you doing here, and what are you doing in my castle?" Twilight asked.
Sonata let out an excited gasp. "We're in a castle?"
"Sonata, please shut up for just ONE minute!" Aria ordered. "This is just great. We're here for sixty seconds, and we're already about to get banished again. Great idea, Adagio. Again!"
"Alright, like I said before, just try and calm down." Adagio said, though she was barely able to stay calm herself. A lot had happened in just a few moments and she was given a lot to think about in only a few moments. "I think I have a plan. Think you can follow my lead, Dumb and Dumber?"
With no other alternatives, neither Aria or Sonata argued with Adagio and nodded their heads in agreement.
Alright. Now let's see if I can actually pull this off.
As the Dazzlings stayed huddled, Twilight and Sunset began to approach them to get a better look at them. When the two got close, Adagio made her move. Even though she only had a horn for a few minutes, she started to cast magic with it. She waited until she felt that it was fully charged, and when it was...
"Take this!"
Open firing at Twilight and Sunset, Adagio fired a beam of orange magic directly at them, creating a small explosion. As a reflex, the two summoned a wall of magic to block the attack, but flinched regardless.
After the magic disappeared and the smoke cleared, Twilight and Sunset were glad to find that neither of were hurt. However, when it became clear, they found that the Dazzlings had disappeared. Their attackers had escaped.
"They must've jumped into the mirror!" Sunset said, worried about where they ran off to.
"We can't let them escape until we know who they are. let's go!"
In hot pursuit, the two ran back into the mirror to return to the human world, hoping that they would be able to find the mysterious three. Sadly, their chase would go in vein.
After Adagio attacked Twilight and Sunset, she had grabbed Aria and Sonata and hid behind the mirror and the equipment that was behind it, making it seem like they had escaped, when in truth. Adagio did not ever want to return to that world, so that was never an option for her. Fortunately, her decision was the smart choice.
"Wow, those two are stupid." Sonata ironically said. "Now we have a castle all to ourselves!"
With regret, Adagio had to disagree with Sonata. "For once, I like your way of thinking. But those two won't be fooled for long. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible."
"I say that we can take them. It's three against two." Aria argued.
"Good idea. We'll defeat them with the magic horn that you don't have." Adagio sarcastically said, which added insult to Aria's injury. "Now come on! We're just wasting time now."
With no time to lose, Aria and Sonata followed Adagio as she lead them out of the room, and eventually the castle. It wasn't exactly an easy feat. They had to avoid several other familiar ponies who were walking around, they got lost on more than one occasion, and at one point, they even found themselves back at the portal room. It was clear that they were having a terrible day already.
After some trial, error, and even more errors, progress was finally made. The three former sirens had finally left the castle. Right off the bat, they knew that Equestria had changed after taking a look at the castle they walked out of.
"Ugh. How ugly." Aria noted. "It looks like something those crystal ponies would make."
Right when I finally repressed my memories of those peaceful monsters. I'm glad that shadow guy got rid of them. Adagio thought angrily.
As they were given one more reason not to return to the castle, let alone the portal, the Dazzlings got themselves as far from the castle as possible in hopes that the three wouldn't be found and captured. Lucky for them, there was a nearby town for the three to hide in. For obvious reasons, the three only had one option of where they would go next.
The Dazzlings recalled the last time that they were in Equestria. It was easy to cause chaos and hatred without even using magic. Pegasi were aggressive to those who lived on the land, unicorns were uptight to the less powerful, and earth ponies resented both for making them share their food, and this was all AFTER Celestia and Luna rose to power. In a way, Equestria was still very young.
That said, the Dazzlings almost thought they weren't even in Equestria. Not only were all race of ponies living with each other, but they all appeared very happy. Earth ponies gladly traded away their food, pegasi used their flight to help others, and unicorns treated others equally. It was sickening to Adagio. On top of all that, there was even a crystal pony walking around.
"We've been gone longer than I thought." Adagio said, who couldn't comprehend the fact that so much had changed.
"Really? I'm pretty sure we were only gone for a year or so." Sonata responded.
While Sonata's claim was accurate, it did trigger a thought in Aria's head. It concerned her so much, that she went and did something that made her feel like Sonata for a moment.
"Excuse me, sir?" Aria asked a nearby stallion. "I know this is a dumb question, but what year is it?"
"The year? 1005." The stallion answered.
"B.C, or A.D?"
"What are...uhh..AL, ma'am."
After giving a weird answer to a weird question, the stallion walked away while trying not to look back at Aria. It was probably for the best, because all three of them had shocked looks on their faces.
"Oh my gosh!" Sonata said in fear. "We went back in time!"
So close, Sonata. So close. Adagio thought. "Girls, the last time we were here, it had been a couple of years since Princess Luna was banished. So, if the year is 1005, if AL means After Luna, then..."
Aria then spoke up to finish Adagio's thought. "We're in the future. A thousand years in the future."
The world of Equestria had changed far more then they originally imagined. Since so much time had gone by, there would be nothing in the world that they'd be familiar with and any followers that they managed to gather would've been long gone. They had returned to a world where they had nothing left.
"Hey guys! Look at this!" Sonata called out.
As Sonata requested, the concerned Adagio and Aria walked over to see what Sonata found. In less than a second, the worried looks on their faces became annoyed ones. The only reason Sonata called them over was because she found a fast food restaurant, one that served her favourite food.
"Equestria has Taco Tuesdays too! I think we're in the future!"
Ugh...sweet mother of Hydia, why must her stomach be bigger than her brain?
Since they were already at a place to get food, and the three had gotten hungry after their escape from Twilight's castle, they decided that they may as well try sit down and finally comprehend the new world with filled up stomachs. The idea of their first act back in Equestria is to eat was a bit of a embarrassment, but it did give them a chance to sit down and talk about their next plan of action.
On the other hand, the idea of arguing about the food was something Aria and Sonata found more interesting.
Sonata shivered with delight. "Human tacos or pony tacos, both are yummy for my tummy."
Aria, however, wasn't a fan of the hay burger she was eating. "Ew. If I knew I was never going to eat meat again, I would've had a real burger before coming here first."
"I'm just glad you stopped eating babies after we got banished. Those things were really bad for you."
Much to Adagio's disdain, she was the one who had to sit in between to and have both ears hear the pointless food-based conversation. "Okay, shut up you two! I think I've wrapped my head around everything, so pay attention!"
Curious to know what Adagio had to say, as well as getting bored of the talk they were having before, Aria and Sonata stopped talking and got their listening ears on.
"So as we already know, we somehow got sent to the future in addition to that alternate world. That must've been the work of that old wizard guy, because we certainly didn't notice that a thousand years past for us."
"Maybe it did and we're just stupid." Sonata suggested, prompting Aria to reach around and slap her in the back of the head. Sonata retaliated by stretching out her newly acquired wing and slapped Aria back.
"But...ow...but that doesn't explain why we're ponies and not sirens."
"That must've been the work of Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer." Adagio theorized. "That giant pony god thing must've done more than just break our pendants. It made us normal teenage girls there, and now we're normal mares here. It's like they thought two steps ahead to stop us."
Then, Sonata asked her first good question. "So how will this affect us now."
Adagio had to think about that. She thought carefully about how the three of them got into the situation they were in, but now that she was actually back in Equestria, she wasn't sure what to do next.
Let me think. I know I now have my singing voice back, and since I'm now a unicorn, I can use magic. At least this means I'm still the most powerful of us three. The problem though is that we can't control people...or ponies anymore. Surely there's still some way to do what I want them to do. Maybe I can overpower them, or...
"Excuse me."
"AAAHH!!!" Adagio screamed, startled by the waitress who interrupted her thinking process. "Oh, Sorry. What is it?"
"Is there anything else you girls want?"
"Uhh...no thank you. Just the bill."
As requested, the waitress passed the bill to Adagio, then walked away to give her a moment. She still wasn't sure what the next step in her goal of world domination was, but for the time being, her next action had to be to pay the restaurant bill.
"Oh, wow. All that only costs eight...bits? What the heck is a bit?"
Sonata laughed at Adagio for asking that question. "And you two call me the dumb one. Bits are the money ponies use." She explained before finishing off her taco.
After Sonata's brief explanation, a worried look appeared on Adagio and Aria's face while Sonata obliviously ate her taco. In a sense of cruel irony, the Dazzlings had faced the exact same problem they had in the other world. They wanted the lack of actual power to be worth worrying about, but once again, it was finances that they were worrying about.
"Just another reason why this was a bad idea." Aria said. "Okay, I think I have an idea on how to get out of this."
"I have a better idea." Adagio claimed, even though she didn't give Aria a chance to explain herself. "Just follow my lead."
It took a lot of cunning, sneakiness, and some rather controversial methods, but with the best of their abilities, they managed to get out of the restaurant without having to worry about anything after words. With their stomachs filled up on food and had eased minds in their heads as they understood their position, they were ready to start their new lives in Equestria.
"Did I come through with you girls, or what?" Adagio asked.
Aria did not give her the answer she wanted. "Come through for us? All we did was dine and dash."
"Not me. I dine and flew!" Sonata said as she began to practice her flying. "Wait, does this mean I can't get tacos there anymore?"
Adagio shook her head, not caring about how the others felt. "Nevertheless, a minor setback is now out of our way. Unless of course you know of any other trivial matters we should deal with."
Acting as Mrs. Obvious, Aria flat-out stated what their next concern was. "A place to live?"
After finally becoming calm and composed, Aria took that away from Adagio in a heartbeat. Adagio may of had magic to use, two minions, and even lunch to give her energy, but without any shelter, all she really was was a homeless little pony. The apartment they used to live was still in the human world, but no such place was waiting for them in Equestria.
Once again, her dream of becoming a world conqueror was placed on the back burner, as they to start finding a place to sleep for the night..
Stomachs were filled and minds were relieved, but those were nothing but minor obstacles passed. Before night time, the Dazzlings needed to find shelter to call home, or at least a place to sleep for the night. It was easy for them to steal food, but finding a roof to sleep under couldn't be taken so easily.
They were still new to the town, so they knew nopony, with the sole exception being their arch-nemesis, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer. The idea of them having nowhere to go to reminded Adagio of when they first arrived in the human world. They were not very good memories.
I slept on a park bench on a cold night once already. I'd sooner sleep on top of these two morons than to do that again. Adagio thought. After repressing those memories, she came up with a very simple and lazily thought out solution. "I guess we'll have to share a motel room or something."
With a smile and a sarcastic tone, Aria responded. "Great idea, Adagio. We'll buy a room using the money we don't have."
"Wait! We can do that?" Sonata asked. "Why didn't we just do that at the restaurant?"
Between Aria's smart aleck comments and Sonata's stupid question, Adagio wasn't given much room to think. "Ugh....son of a...listen! It's really simple. We'll just do what we did when we got banished to the human world."
"Oh, you mean sleep on the park bench, right? This time, Aria sleeps underneath it."
Right when the memory got repressed, Sonata had to pull it back out for Adagio. "No. We'll simply earn some money with our music. We may not have our dark magic anymore to manipulate others, but I'm sure we'll scrounge enough to get a room now that our singing voices are back, just like when we first arrived in the human world. After all, who can possibly be resist us?"
"Need I remind you that we made that money by forcing people to empty their wallets?" Aria asked. "I think you once literally told people to empty their wallets!
"You're underestimating us, Aria. Everyone adored us, and all we had to do was sing them a little song, even without the magic. Besides, I think we need to test out our new voices anyway."
Although Aria and Sonata had doubts, they knew that Adagio had the right idea. They made money with their singing before, and while it wouldn't work as well as before, it was all they had to help avoid sleeping on a park bench. They knew that even free-willed individuals would pay good money to hear great music, and that was a service they were certain that they could provide.
It didn't take them very long to get everything needed for a little concert. Adagio found an unused platform by town hall, Sonata wrote a sign saying "tips", and Aria "barrowed" a large hat from a pony, and after that, they were ready. They weren't at a place with good acoustics, but they had to get resourceful in the first place.
"Okay, now follow my lead." Adagio ordered.
"And not my lead." Aria muttered.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?"
"AAHH! N-nothing!"
As Adagio was getting impatient, she didn't bother to ask what Aria was trying to say, nor did she care about how Sonata mocked Aria after getting yelled at. As soon as they placed the hat down next to Sonata's sign, the show began, and it was just as good as any performance they made back in the human world.
"Oh-whoa-oh! Oh-whoa-oh! You didn't know that you fell. Oh-whoa-oh! Oh-whoa-oh!"
"Now that you're under our spell."
As they began to sing one of their favourite songs, the Dazzlings quickly managed to gather up a crowd, as their newly returned voices allowed them to entertain the citizens of the town. They charmed the ponies with their voices, and even though they were still getting used to their new pony bodies, they were still able to provide some subtle dance moves for visuals. This was particularly effective for the stallions. The show instantly became a success.
Voice of a goddess and a little sex appeal. They will do wonders. Adagio thought as she sang for the crowd.
The Dazzlings managed to sing for ponies for roughly fifteen minutes before finally given it a rest. While the three were proud of their songs and the town loved it, Adagio wasn't happy with the end results. Mainly because after all that effort, they hardly got any money at all. She expected to have filled up the whole hat, but she could still see the bottom.
"You'd think the voice from a goddess and some sex appeal would make more than just nine bits." The angry Adagio said.
"Well, maybe if I lead, we would've made more than six bits." Aria argued. "How much would we need for a room anyway?"
I suppose that's something I should look into. What we just made should at least help. Adagio thought. "Okay, look. I need a few minutes away from you two. Let's just take a break and meet up later."
"Hey, who's to say that we don't need a break from you too?" Sonata asked.
"That's exactly the kind of thing I'm...UGH!!! Forget it! When I'm ready to deal with you two, we'll figure out our living arrangements then."
As Adagio lost her patience, she stormed off and left Aria and Sonata to do whatever they wanted, not caring for what consequences that would come to them from whatever they decided to do, but it all happened so fast that they didn't even know what they would do next. Since there was still a town to explore, they certainly didn't have a lack of options.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sonata asked.
"No, you were nothing less than a genius." Aria sarcastically said, which put a smile on Sonata's face. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, maybe I wasn't as prepared for this as I thought I was, but this is all nothing more than a series of minor setbacks. Even Aria is more troublesome than these setbacks, and she's the behaved one. All I need to get back on track is a bed to sleep on.
As Adagio walked around the town, which she soon learned was called Ponyville, she kept an eye out to find anything of interest. But, just like the city she had to live in during her stay in the human world, she was given very little to work with, even though she finally returned to a world that was filled with magic. Until she could take over the world again, she was nothing more than an ordinary pony.
While she hated to admit it, she needed to get a job so that she could fund her campaign. She had to start small, so she turned her attention to the first help wanted sign that she saw. It was for a building that looked almost as if it was made out of gingerbread.
"Sugarcube Corner, huh? Sounds like an easy enough job."
Or so she thought.
It didn't even take five minutes before Adagio screamed in agony as she ran out of Sugar Cube corner. A bouncing pink mare tried to follow after her, but Adagio wouldn't let her get near. It was the first time Adagio truly felt terror.
"I can't...I-I just can't! You're worse than Sonata!" Adagio said as she began to lose her sanity.
"OH! You know Sonata too? Dark-grey coat, brownish hair, glasses, and an eyeball for a cutie mark?"
"I-I-I don't even know who the heck you're talking about!"
As she refused to stay for a second longer, Adagio screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran away from the pink nightmare. There was no telling what went on during Adagio's short time of employment, but whatever it was, it wasn't worth minimum wage.
This left the pink mare confused. "I don't see why she screamed bloody murder like that. I was just acquitted for those charges."
As the pink mare pondered about what had happened, Adagio ran and ran as far as she could from Sugarcube Corner. Away from the monster she met.
Okay, I think I lost her.
To make sure that she wasn't being followed, Adagio carelessly looked behind her as she kept running forward. When she did...
BAM!!!
By accident, she ran right into someone, knocking herself down, hurting her head, and briefly became disoriented. She may of hurt herself, but on the bright side, the bump on her head was all that was needed to forget all about the pink mare.
Ow. I hope no one saw me do that.
While no pony actually saw her get hurt, it didn't actually make her feel any better. Even worse, with her dizzy head, she wasn't quite sure what she should've done next. She tried to get a job, but to say that it went bad would be an understatement. Sad and confused, she didn't try to get up and just sat on the ground, angry and miserably.
"Oh my! I'm sorry, I should've been paying attention to where I was going."
A voice snapped Adagio back into reality. A very calm and soothing one at that. She finally realized that when she got knocked down, she knocked down another with her. She stopped feeling angry and sad, and instantly became embarrassed.
She expected to have tackled into another pony, but that wasn't the case. Instead, she collided with a wolf of all creatures, one who was almost half her own size. If the fact that he was a wolf didn't stand out enough, but he also wore a white shirt, a purple vest, and a purple tie.
While all of that would make the wolf very distinguishable among the ponies, something about the wolf, as well as the voice she heard, had made Adagio tick. Something more than the odd appearance of the person she met confused her.
"I suppose I shouldn't have been trying to read a book while walking. I hope I caused no harm."
Adagio didn't speak a word. Something about the wolf made it impossible for that. Instead, she simply shook her head in response, and allowed him to walk away. Even as he walked away, Adagio couldn't help be draw blanks in her mind after seeing him.
"Was...was that..." Adagio muttered, but instead of finishing her sentence the way she intended, something else came to her attention. "...his wallet?"
At last, Adagio started to catch a break. Where the wolf fell lied a small coin bag, filled with what she had been trying to obtain: Bits. The wolf had dropped his coin bag where he fell and neglected to pick it up.
"Pfft. Sometimes, being evil is too easy." Adagio said as she snagged the coin bag.
While it wasn't much, Adagio needed all of the bits she could get her newly acquired hooves on. Strongly believing that she needed it more than the wolf, she began to walk away without any regret. She had done much worse in past anyway, so petty theft was nothing.
That was not the case for this instance. As Adagio started to walk, she kept looking back at the wolf she bumped into. She wouldn't have had this problem if she had bumped into literally any other individual, as she was never above hurting others for her own gain. Why did she suddenly gain a conscience over the wolf? There was something familiar about him that made it impossible for her to rob him.
Oh, son of a... With her mind reluctantly made up, she did something she thought she would never do: A good deed. "Hey, buddy! You dropped something!"
Some time after Adagio reluctantly returned the coin bag, she found her way back to where Aria and Sonata were at the town hall area. She trusted that her fellow former-sirens would've used their time to try and make some more money, but that was too much to ask for. Instead, the two were bickering as usual.
"At least I can fly now." Sonata said as she showed off her wings.
"You can only fly because you're such an air head." Aria argued.
Kill them. Kill them now. Adagio thought as she heard the arguing. "Okay, you two. Knock it off or I'll knock you out!"
Upon her order/threat, Aria and Sonata made a rude facial gesture at each other one last time, they zipped up their mouths, and turned their attention to their leader. As ridiculous as they could get, when Adagio needed them to shut up the most, she knew how to to do it.
"That's better. Anyway, I found a cheap place we can stay for the night."
"Then I guess we should start singing again to make enough money, right?" Aria asked.
"That's the right idea, but thankfully, we only need a few more bits for the room, so that's at least one thing to stress about."
"Hellooooo." Sonata said. "We haven't made a single bit since our last performance. How can we afford a room at this rate?"
Adagio had in fact gotten her hooves on a few extra bits. She got it by means that she wasn't exactly proud of, so she didn't want to share the story with Aria or Sonata. To Adagio, she made the money by very humiliating means.
It happened back when she returned the coin bag to the wolf. She remembered his exact words. "Oh my, I can't believe I almost lost this. I got this from my nieces, so it has a bit of sentimental value, so I can't really thank you enough. Please, take the three bits I had in it as a means of thanks."
I actually took a hand out. I would've felt less dirty if I had just stolen it. Adagio thought with disgust. She wanted to banish the memory to the deepest part of her brain as soon as possible. "Enough! Let's get our next show started before it gets dark."
With haste, Adagio made her way back to the stage she and the Dazzlings were using to get their music going again, even using her magic to drag Aria and Sonata to their stage quickly. The day was running short and Adagio had very little patience or time.
It's always darkest before the dawn. Just bear the humiliation a little longer and this magic-filled world will be yours again, Adagio Dazzle. Just keep hanging in there and face the those obstacles.
Behind her, as she dragged her band mates, Adagio heard Aria say something to Sonata. "I bet my old chair back in the human world that Adagio took a hand out."
The Dazzlings spent a fair bit of time singing for Ponyville, but they were smarter the second time around, giving more encouragement to the audience to give them their bits in between songs. Just like before, they were being well loved. They were greatly adored. They were given everything they wanted before they were turned into ponies.
One mare, on the other hand, didn't like how they were using an area at town hall. Without knowing what a bad idea it would've been, she tried to talk reason to the Dazzlings. So she approached Adagio and gave her a piece of her mind.
"Excuse me, but I'm the mayor of Ponyville, and I don't recall giving you girls permission to--"
"Buzz off, you old broad." Adagio ordered, who then pushed the mayor away with her magic, sending her flying. I love being a unicorn.
As the Dazzlings had done a wonderful job enchanting the audience with their song, none of them realized or cared that the mayor was trying to crash the party, let alone get knocked off the stage. In any case, their show quickly became a hit.
Unfortunately, while Aria and Sonata kept their eyes on the crowd, Adagio had her eyes on their hat and saw the lack of progress. The ponies were watching the show, but only one or two had bothered to put any money in the hat. It seemed as though they were working for nothing at the rate they were going.
Next time, we're straight up charging admission. At least I know we've got a few fans for next time.
After they finished up their song, the audience they gathered gave them a round of applause, stroking the egos of the homeless Dazzlings. Aria enjoyed the attention and even Sonata started to blush from the love, but Adagio knew what they actually needed. She decided that they needed to up their game.
"Okay girls, we need to change tactics. We want to see to it that every stallion in here empties their pockets."
"I don't think ponies have pockets, Adagio." Aria said.
"And I think most of them in this town are girls." Sonata added.
That actually raises a few questions, but that's not important right now. Adagio thought after hearing Aria and Sonata's comments. "Look, I don't care who we're playing for. Heck, I don't even care if we don't have magic. I want these ponies under my...under our control!"
Although Aria rolled her eyes to Adagio, she kept following her lead anyway and Sonata just followed them mindlessly. With their group talk over, they turned their attention back to the crowd.
"Okay, my big ponies." Adagio said with a seductive tone. "For our next performance..."
Before Adagio could finish her announcement, something horrifying caught her eye. Their songs had to wait to deal with a potential crisis.
Walking around a nearby corner, Adagio and Aria noticed Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer talking with nearby ponies. It appeared that they gave up their search in the human world and returned to Equestria. To make matters worse, the mayor had made her way to Twilight, likely due to her own run in with Adagio. If they stayed a moment longer or sang another note, they would be caught.
"For our next performance, we'll be charging admission. Okay! Got to go! bye!"
Refusing to be seen, Adagio grabbed the money filled hat, Aria grabbed Sonata, and the three ran like the wind, leaving their audience to be disappointed since they wanted more. But, it couldn't be helped. No amount of fame and fortune was worth getting caught by Twilight Sparkle, let alone mere pocket change.
Lucky for them, they were able to get away from the scene before Twilight and Sunset made it to the scene, but the Dazzlings were far from safe. Since they knew that they were being sought after, they had to keep a low profile for the time being. Incidentally, this meant that they wouldn't be able to make any more money for a while.
Later that day, after successfully giving Twilight and Sunset the slip, Adagio brought the Dazzlings to motel that she found. They had to spend everything they earned to get the room they were given, but it meant that they didn't have to sleep under a park bench that night.
Sadly, the room was nothing compared to the apartment they lived in during their stay in the human world. The paint on the wall was aged and chipping, but even if it wasn't, they were an ugly green color. The room was clean for the most part, but the stained carpet and worn beds made it clear that they probably could've found a cleaner one. It did have a bookshelf for reading pleasures, but after the Dazzlings, Sonata in particular, had gotten introduced to electronics and television during their stay in the human world, the experience felt primitive.
"Yuck. Adagio, couldn't you have charmed the manager and maybe get a better place." Aria asked.
"I did. That's how we were able to get this room at all. You and Sonata will also have to share a bed because we didn't have enough to get a second room."
"Hey, why do me and Miss. Grumpy Pants have to share a bed?" Sonata asked.
Choosing action over words, Adagio did what she would normally do to Aria when such a question is asked. With her magic, she grabbed Sonata by the throat, pulled Sonata towards her, and stared down the at the ditzy pegasus eye-to-eye. Even someone like Sonata could see the anger and aggression that Adagio had been trying to repress simply by seeing the unicorn's pupil.
"O-okay. We'll...share a bet." The strangled Sonata said as she gasped for air.
As Adagio heard no objections from Aria, who was busy being shocked from seeing her treat Sonata in such a way, she released Sonata from her magic, gave her a chance to take a deep breath, and marched to one of the two beds in the room. After that, she lied down, had had her head face the wall, and was quiet after that. She was not at all in the mood to actually say anything, nor did she want to hear anything stupid out of Aria or Sonata again.
Adagio had too much on her mind to want to care about nonsense. Without letting the others see her, she took out something that she wanted to keep hidden: Three bits. The same three bits that she had received from the wolf earlier that day. She could've used it to help make things easier for herself and the Dazzlings, but she refused to spend it.
These are going to haunt me forever, and I'm probably going to let them haunt me. Adagio thought as she put the bits away.
"Hey look! These beds can vibrate!" Sonata noticed as she the coin operated device. "I say we race them!"
"You've watched too many cartoons in the other world. Besides, we're broke" Aria reminded. "We should use this time to figure out what we're going to do tomorrow."
Sonata disagreed. She thought the idea was pointless. "What's to figure out? We make the ponies pay us, we give them a show in return, and if we get a chance, maybe steal bits from the cheapskates.
Holy crap! She's been using her head! Adagio thought, who expected far less out of Sonata's limited mentality.
"Yes, that probably would work if we weren't...you know...WANTED CRIMINALS!!!"
"Aria, keep your voice down." Adagio finally spoke up. Since Aria brought up a topic that was legitimately important, she decided to mope about the bits she was hiding later. "We haven't introduced ourselves to anyone here yet. As long as we don't stir up any nonsense, we shouldn't get caught."
"But singing is the only thing we're good at, and that does nothing BUT catch attention." Aria argued. "How are we supposed to stay here if we can't live off of the only thing we came to Equestria for?"
"We'll do exactly what we did when we got banished. We'll find someone foolish like our old dorky landlord, convince them to let us stay somewhere until we could get on our feet, and the rest solves itself. For now, just get some sleep. Let ME get some sleep."
Adagio didn't want to think, do, or deal with anything until the next morning. After going through a major change, dealt with unexpected experiences, and was still thinking about the bits she had kept with her, she wanted to have a night, or even five minutes, where she'd be able to think of absolutely nothing.
As she did her best to ignore Aria and Sonata, Adagio turned back to the wall, wrapped herself under the blankets, and tried to call a night. Since it was getting late anyway and Adagio showed no interest in letting the conversation continue, Aria regrettably decided to get some rest as well.
In response, Sonata jumped right on her side of the bed and knocked Aria out of the bed. "I still want a bed race!"
Please don't let me drop dead be the only way for me to get rest.
It took a little bit of time for Aria and Sonata to get situated, but once they both got into their bed, they managed to keep quiet, much to Adagio's surprise. After a busy day of surprises and excitement, all she wanted was peace and quiet. Using her magic for the final time that day, Adagio turned off the lights, and began to doze off. The others did the same, but even then, Sonata had to say one more thing.
"Aria?" Sonata said quietly. "I'm hungry again."
Without turning around to face her or even raising her voice, something Aria doesn't usually do when it came to Sonata, she gave her a simple reply. "Yeah. Me too."
Cry babies. I'm hungry too, but they don't hear me whining-- But before Adagio could finish the thought, she heard her own stomach growl, which she hoped the others didn't hear. Shut up, gut. You and I both know you'll have to if my dreams are to come true.
Even with the light hunger pains, the Dazzlings were able to get a decent sleep. They avoided one homeless night and were given a chance to start off their careers as singers on hopes of achieving world conquest. As they arrived in Equestria during midday the day before, they had the advantage of getting a full day to be active. As for a disadvantage: Adagio woke up with some unexpected news.
"GET UP!" Aria shouted.
After yelling at Adagio, she shoved her out of her bed, knocking her to the floor. Adagio had a good sleep with all things considered, so of course it had to be ruined by an unwanted wake-up call.
"Ow! What's the meaning of this?" Adagio asked.
"THIS is the meaning of...this. Whatever, just look!"
Before Adagio could even get back on her hooves, Aria presented a large, brown piece of paper to her. Adagio got up with the intention of punishing Aria for waking her up, but after seeing what Aria brought in, she understood her behaviour.
The brown paper Aria found was a wanted poster, one with sketches of the Dazzlings themselves, though the sketches themselves appeared to have been incomplete as they lacked certain details, mainly Adagio's horn and Sonata's wings. Overall, they appeared somewhat crude, but it was clear that the individuals on the poster were meant to be them.
"I don't believe it. How could this happen?" Adagio asked.
After taking the wanted poster out of Aria's hooves, Sonata read it out loud to answer Adagio's question. "It says here we dined and dashed, assaulted the mayor of Ponyville, and intruded on Princess Twilight's castle."
"Well, I guess those really are crimes." Adagio admitted.
"I'm just glad it doesn't include our crimes as sirens." Sonata added. "They'd probably banish Aria again if they found out she ate babies."
In return, Aria brought up another memory. "Or you when they learn how you made two villages go into a civil war because one of them didn't like you?"
"Hey, those guys were jerks."
As much as I'm enjoying this nostalgia trip, I need to bring an end to the stupidity. Adagio thought.
After taking back the wanted poster and giving it another look, Adagio started to think of what to do next. She noticed how the sketches were well drawn, but more importantly, the fact that there were named. She concluded that Twilight and Sunset were the ones who prepared the poster, as her and Sonata's names were both on it.
"Hey, Aria. They must not even know who you are, because you're name isn't even on here." Adagio said, insulting and angering Aria. "But in all due seriousness, Twilight and Sunset must've figured out who we are. For now, we'll just have to hope the foolish ponies in this town don't recognize us as we continue to sing."
To make it harder to get caught, Adagio used her magic on all three of the Dazzlings, more specifically, their hair. By removing the hair bands, their hair all dropped down, giving them a slight, but noticeable change in their appearance. It wasn't much, but it was better than doing absolutely nothing.
"I want the two of you to go around town and find all of these wanted posters and get rid of them. After that, we can get a show started."
"And what happens if someone at the show recognize us?" Aria asked.
"At that point, they'll already be under our spell." Adagio argued. "Now I'm going to check us out of our room before the manager realizes they're harboring criminals. You two get to town and find more of those posters."
Wanting to deal with their newest obstacle as soon as possible, Adagio left Aria and Sonata behind, trusting them to carry out their newly appointed job, although she usually doesn't trust either one of them to accomplish anything without her. In any case, it was a risk worth taking, as they wouldn't be able to accomplish much if the town recognized them as criminals.
Sonata would've went out to do what she was told to do, but Aria stopped her before she left. For the first time, Aria had something important to talk to Sonata about.
"With Adagio gone, we need to talk about something."
"Is it about breakfast? I'm starving."
While not the thing that was on her mind, Aria didn't feel the need to disagree. "We'll try and figure that out. Until then, we need to talk."
Long after she left the motel, Adagio did her share of finding and shredding the wanted posters across Ponyville. Quite a few were made, but since Adagio was able to find as many as she found without getting caught, she felt confident. So far, the plan was going off without a hitch.
"I should work solo more often." Adagio said to herself. "It feels like I'm succeeding for once."
After dealing with another poster, she made her way to a bulletin board that was covered up with many different fliers and posters, feeling that it was an obvious place to find another wanted poster. Initially, she didn't see her face anywhere, so it looked like she had a secured area.
"Excuse me, pal. Can I get through."
However, a red stallion managed to get Adagio to move out of the way, who then proceeded to pin something on the bulletin board. After getting a good look at him, Adagio realized that she knew him.
Wait. This guy looks like the hall monitor at Canterlot High.
When the stallion was finish, Adagio saw precisely what he was posting. As it turned out, it was one of the wanted posters for the Dazzlings. Even with the slight change in her hair, the stallion proved to have been smart enough to realize who was standing next to him after a few moments. In that same time, Adagio realized who the stallion was.
And it appears that in THIS world, he's a cop.
Using quick think, Adagio grabbed one of the many fliers on the board, and slammed it into the stallions face. After he got the flier off, he saw that Adagio had already started to run away. Just as Adagio feared, she was spotted by a cop. Worst still, she was reckless enough to get spotted by one.
"Freeze! You are under arrest!" The stallion shouted.
"No!" As Adagio was too busy getting chased, she answered with a very simple and blunt answer. Why in the world would stop? I'd get caught.
The chase didn't last overly long. As soon as Adagio found her way to a park, she quickly and desperately jumped into a large bush, one that was capable of hiding her and all of the hair she had on her head. She had a very difficult time shaking off the cop, so she even had her doubts on whether or not she was safe in the bush.
She kept quiet and still. She did her best not to make even the slightest sound. She didn't even from breathe. She could hear the grunts and muttering of the cop who was chasing after her, and while she didn't want to admit it to even herself, she was scared.
I will not let some nobody like you put an end to my dreams like this.
She heard him approaching the area. She heard him speak. She also heard another individual. She began to sweat as it seemed like she was about to get caught.
"Hi there. Have you seen these mares. More specifically, the one in the middle of this poster?" The cop asked.
The new voice she heard spoke up. "Hmm...no sir, I can't say I have."
"Dang it. Well, if you see them, either let me know or let Princess Twilight Sparkle know. Take care, pal."
After the cop was told that she wasn't seen, Adagio could hear him grumbling and moping as he walked away. She didn't risk peeping her head out of the bush, but she was sure that he was gone. After waiting a few moments, she let out her breath and started to breathe normally. She finally felt safe.
"He's gone. You can come out now."
Adagio heard the second voice, but she was caught off guard when it spoke up again. Was that directed to me?
She felt a finger poking through the bush, nudging on her nose. The voice then spoke up again. "It's safe for you to come out now."
Since she was already discovered, Adagio saw no reason to stay in the bush any longer. After poking her head out to make sure the cop was gone, she merged from the bush completely and was out in the open. That was when she bared witness to something that annoyed her more than anything before.
Oh my...WHY!?
In front of her hiding place was a park bench, which itself was placed in front of a small pond. It was not a pony who sat there and covered for her. It was the exact same one she encountered the day before. It was the wolf in the purple suit. First he gave her money, then he saved her from the police.
Adagio didn't care for the wolf's kindness, especially since she used to live to spread negativity to all around her. Because of that, it pained her to have to stay with him since she had nowhere else to go.
"I can't possibly imagine why a nice mare like yourself could be wanted." The wolf said with confusion.
"That would be because I'm a very bad girl." Adagio answered. "So tell me. What do you think you're doing?"
"Well, I have no appointments right now, so i thought I'd come to feed the ducks." The wolf explained as he threw breadcrumbs into the pond.
"Ugh...I meant why would you save me. Didn't you think that was dumb?"
The wolf thought about it for a moment. Adagio made a perfectly valid point, as he really had nothing to gain from helping her. In fact, he very well could've gotten in trouble if anyone knew he helped her. So, after thinking all of that over, he came up with an answer.
"I like you." He said with a smile.
ACK! That's such a Sonata answer. Now I REALLY wish I didn't return his wallet.
Adagio found herself hating the wolf. She found everything about him to have struck a nerve with her, from the soothing sound of his voice to his overall politeness. He was practically the embodiment on everything Adagio hated in a person.
So, she found it hard to explain why she didn't just up and leave. Instead, Adagio actually got up onto the bench and sat right next to him. Just as before, once she started to think of him, she couldn't get him out of her head.
Since the two were hanging around for a while, the wolf decided that it was time to introduce himself. It all started off by offering a handshake. "By the way, I am Dr. Wolf."
Adagio saw the handshake, but she refused to accept it. "The name seems a bit on the nose, doesn't it?" She argued. While she very could've made fun of his name more, she decided to introduce herself anyway. "Adagio. Adagio Dazzle."
With introductions out of the way, things began to get interesting from there. Dr. Wolf put the bag of breadcrumbs next to him and turned his attention to Adagio. He could tell by looking at her that she a lot was on her mind. She appeared very stressed out, but after getting chased by a cop, that could be understood.
Adagio tried her best not to look at him back, but after it became clear that he had his eye on her, it was impossible to ignore him completely. From what she could make out, it appeared as though Dr. Wolf was actually worried about her.
Deciding to break he silence, Dr. Wolf spoke up and asked a question. "So Miss Dazzle. Tell me what's on your mind."
Adagio had put in the effort to not speak to Dr. Wolf at all. She never even considered the possibility that he would try to talk to her. Even worse, or at least it was worse to her, Dr. Wolf had asked her a rather personal question. Adagio took offence to it.
"Wh-who do you think you are?"
"Hmm?" While Dr. Wolf was confused at first, he then remembered where he was, which made him feel embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that I'm not in my office."
"Office? What, are you an actual doctor?" Adagio asked. Immediately after, she hit herself in the face. Wow, that's a dumb question. I felt like Sonata for a second there.
"Yes, though I've always seen myself as more of a problem solver. Not problems like what a mysterious lump is or anything like that, because that would fall under the purview of conundrums of medicine." Dr. Wolf explained. "I solve people problems. Well...pony problems ever since I moved here."
For a second time in under a minute, Adagio felt stupid because of who she was talking to. She was used to being the smart one. "English, Doc."
For the sake of Adagio's brain, she was giving a simpler explanation "I'm a talk therapist. Ponies will come meet with me with problems they may have in their lives, and I try to help them figure something out."
So he allows poor shmucks with bad lives come pay him to hear why their lives sucks? Wow. If I was still a siren, I could've gotten paid to eat.
"Oh my, I appear to have gotten ahead of myself. Please. Tell me about yourself."
Adagio had wanted to get some alone time and didn't want to talk to anyone. Particularly, her band mates. If it was anyone else in the world who sat on the park bench with her, she would've either had them silenced or have them leave. She had poor social skills in that regard.
Dr. Wolf was the exception. After letting him talk, she didn't feel angry enough to snap at him since he didn't do anything to warrant it. He was a nice breath of fresh air when compared to Aria and Sonata. She decided that the worst that could happen would be that she didn't like him.
"I happen to be the lead singer of a trio. I am quite certain that I am the greatest singer in Equestria." Adagio boasted.
"Oh! You must be the one I've been listening to from my office. You sounded beautiful." Dr. Wolf complimented. "Although, me and my nieces all agreed you probably could've done better."
HE THINKS I COULD'VE DONE BETTER!? Adagio angrily thought, as she was immediately ready explode after hearing such a thing. But then, after thinking about the tone Dr. Wolf said it, she realized that he genuinely meant it. "Wait, so you think I could do better?"
"I certainly heard potential and skill, but I also felt a lack of passion. It seemed as though you didn't sing from the heart. Tell me, Miss Dazzle. What is your primary motivation for singing?"
Again, he's asking questions like these. I guess it's hard to turn down a free therapy session. Even before my budget crisis, that would've been too much to pay for.
Adagio thought about the idea of telling Dr. Wolf the truth of her origins. Since the reason she sang was much different than why any other pony would sing, it would be important to talk about her past history to answer the question. She wouldn't have continued on if she didn't trust the wolf she was talking too.
"What if I told you that I'm not actually a pony?" Adagio asked.
"That's quite alright. I'm not one either." Dr. Wolf answered, which was followed by a light chuckle.
Adagio, however, was not amused. "Have you ever heard of.." She hesitated. She gave herself one last chance not to reveal herself. It was a chance she didn't take. "Have you ever heard of a siren?"
"A siren? Hmm...sirens...that does sound familiar. It's a fairy tale creature, is it not?"
"Basically, it's what I am. I use my beautiful singing voice and my magic to become adored while pitting others against themselves."
"Oh, my! I'm starting to see why the police may be after you."
EEK! I said to much! Adagio worried.
In any case, the doctor continued asking questions. "So your motivation is to be admired? Is that it?"
"Of course not! Yes, I thrive on others admiring me, but that's only one many things. My magic used to grow strong from the negativity of others, and I could practically control those fools with my voice. I know it sounds like a petty reason, but my motivation has always been power!"
While she had effectively said every single thing she should not have said about a siren, Dr. Wolf didn't listen to it as nonsense, nor did it appear that he was afraid of what he heard. It was clear to Adagio that he was genuinely interested in everything he was hearing.
Okay, so he's a good listener. I hope he also know to keep that mouth shut.
After he wrapped his head around everything he heard and composed his thoughts, Dr. Wolf was ready to hear more, but not before asking a question. Something about Adagio's story felt off.
"Correct me if I'm wrong. Did you say that your magic used to grow strong?"
Before Adagio continued on, as it was a question she didn't want to answer, a thought occurred to her. "You seem a little too relaxed about the things I've said." Adagio claimed.
"Yes, well...I've seen many weird things go on in this town. Three headed dog attacks, magic stealing monsters, and giant crystal castle emerging from the ground. I would've been surprised if you were an ordinary pony."
I'm still surprised that I became a pony at all.
"Getting back on topic, please tell me what you meant by how you used to grow strong. Is it something that's unique to these sirens you spoke of?" Dr. Wolf asked.
This time, Adagio was expected to answer the question. It was a topic that she used to take great pride in. Causing disharmony and misery using her siren magic, then feed off the negativity to grow stronger. She led a good life, but it was all taken away from her. Those were not happy thoughts for the now unicorn pony.
"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to." Dr. Wolf said.
She was given permission not to say anything more. She felt uncomfortable thinking about how her life had suddenly gone to Tartarus, but she figured that she would feel even worse if she just bottled up her feelings. She had an opportunity to vent some steam and she wanted to take it.
"It happened a couple of months ago, back when I was still a siren. I had reached the peak of my magical capabilities! It was like an ecstasy of power!" Adagio said, remembering the feeling she had when she was at her prime. This was a mistake since it made her feel worse shortly after. "But then...ugh...I lost it all to Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer."
"Miss Sparkle, huh? I guess you really are evil...err, I mean...tell me more." Dr. Wolf said awkwardly. "Uhh...what exactly did Twilight do?"
Oh, what DIDN'T she do? Adagio thought, getting angry as a result. "She changed my life for the worst. These have been the worst times I have ever had to face! It's only been recently when I finally got my singing voice back that I've started to get my life back!"
Dr. Wolf didn't say a word. He kept his eyes on Adagio and listened to every word she said.
"She and her stupid friends defeated me with the magic of friendship or some dumb thing like that and took all of my magic away! I lost my following, I couldn't make money anymore, and I was only a month away from becoming homeless."
"I'm sure Miss Sparkle wouldn't have done that to you on purpose."
"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON!?"
When Adagio raised her voice, she startled her new wolf friend. Adagio was on edge for a moment, but after she realized what she had done, she stood still, took a deep breath, and calmed herself down. When Dr. Wolf saw that she didn't mean to be hostile, he was able to calm down as well.
"Please. Continue." Dr. Wolf requested.
As requested, Adagio continued her rant. "Ever since my encounter with...her, my life hasn't been so easy. I only had one more month before I wouldn't be able to pay the rent. That's why I decided to come here to Eques...to Ponyville."
"Because your rent was due and couldn't pay it?"
"No. Actually, I still have a month before I actually have to pay it again."
Dr. Wolf was left confused once again by Adagio's actions. As he organized his thoughts, he silently took off his glasses to clean them. Adagio didn't even realized he was wearing them until he took them off. Between Dr. Wolf's glasses, purple suit, and soothing voice, It made her realize just how sophisticated he looked.
But even after handling his thoughts, he was still confused. "I don't understand. Why would you move here if you still had a home to go to? Surely your living arrangements has been even worse ever since coming to Ponyville."
"You don't know the half of it. I struggled to get the money I needed to get a motel room last night. I'm not entirely sure how I'll be getting it for tonight."
"That just makes the same question a more curious one. Why would you leave a secured shelter in favor of coming to Ponyville?"
Oh, ho ho ho...I don't even need to think about that.
Adagio had been motivated to reach the same goal she always had ever since she was an evil siren. There had yet to be a force that would stop her from being motivated to reach that goal.
"Where I came from, there was no magic for me to use, and with no magic, I can't possibly achieve my dream. I plan on having the entire world recognize my name and face and be adored by all! I want nothing less than fame and admiration! Even if Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer tried to, nothing will stop me from achieving my life long dream!"
Her speech on what drove her forward was a heart-filled one. Adagio said it all with great passion and displayed her determination to Dr. Wolf. She didn't realize until she said it all just how comfortable she was at the time. If Aria and Sonata didn't already know her dream, she probably wouldn't of told even them about it.
With how excited Adagio got, she didn't notice right away that Dr. Wolf didn't share the same happy smile. He avoided eye contact as he organized his thoughts. He had a worrisome look on his face that he didn't want Adagio to see. She heard him make a few depressing sounding sighs and a little bit of mumbling, but she didn't catch any actual words.
Throughout the entire conversation, Dr. Wolf sounded as though he knew precisely how to respond with everything Adagio said. That changed when she brought up her dreams. He proceeded to talk with Adagio with much more caution from that moment on.
"Tell me, Adagio. This dream of fame and fortune...just how badly do you wish to make it reality? Is it really worth abandoning your home?"
Angered again, Adagio didn't realized that there was even any question about it. "Are you kidding me? I made greater sacrifices a long time ago. I've put up with too much garbage as is. I wouldn't hesitate to give up every earthly possession I have to make that dream a reality."
Dr. Wolf shook his head, disagreeing with Adagio's actions. "But here, you actually did give up all of your earthly possessions, all for the sake of a chance to make your dream come true."
Adagio narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?"
Dr. Wolf then took off his glasses once more, but this time, he did it to rub his eyes. He was getting ready to talk about a topic that he didn't actually want to talk about. But, for the sake of helping Adagio, he was willing to take a small step out of his comfort zone.
"From what I can get from you, I assume you are a selfish pony."
"Why thank you." Adagio replied.
"So I assume that you may not realize that you aren't the only one who has dreams? Talk to anyone in Ponyville, and I'm sure they'll all tell you about dreams they had a certain dream ever since their childhood."
I guess that's something I've never really thought or cared about. I wonder if Aria or Sonata have any dreams. Adagio asked herself. Meh. Who cares?
"Allow me to speak on behalf of those ponies when I say: I too had...have...had dreams." Dr. Wolf explained, though he couldn't decide on his choice of words. "I am a fully grown adult now, but I have not yet achieved that dream of mine."
"Why not? You seem like someone who can get things done. You seem more competent than at least two other individuals I know."
"He he...I'm flattered." Dr. Wolf said, thanking Adagio. "In many ways, I envy you, Miss Dazzle. Not just because a pony like you have your cutie marks on your flanks to tell you what you're good at, but because you yourself are very confident in what you are capable of."
At first, Adagio had no idea what he was talking about. For the first time since coming to Equestria, she looked back on her flank and noticed that her singing talent was actually tattooed on her legs. The G-clef covered by the yellow gem perfectly described her ambition to sing and to shine for the world. Looking at it, Adagio felt more confident in her goals than ever before.
After Adagio finished looking at her flank with pride, Dr. Wolf continued. "You already know where you want your place in the world to be. I tried to make my dreams a reality, but after some trial and error, I found myself unable to reach that goal. But what really brought me down...something that still bothers me today...is that I had to accept the facts. Sometimes, hard work and determination won't make dreams come true. Sure, I still think about what could've been, but I've also learned how to move on without my dreams."
I've seen ponies go to war with each other because of my influence and watched them for my entertainment. Adagio remembered. How dare this dog successfully make me feel sorry for someone! Yet again...I guess he's the first guy in pain that I've ever actually talked too.
As Adagio felt sad for Dr. Wolf, she had a question for him. "Why would you give up on your dreams like that? Why couldn't you stay tenacious?"
"I could've been if I wanted too I suppose. I could've tried to keep going to make my dream come true, but if I did, I probably would've ended up in the same boat you are. No offence."
"None tak---HEY, WAIT A SECOND!" Adagio said angrily. "What boat am I in?"
Even though Adagio got angry, Dr. Wolf didn't let it startle him a second time. "Let's see if I can summarize your situation. You have faced a scenario where you can no longer reach your end goal due to Princess Twilight. You gave up a home to come here in hopes of reaching that goal, even though there's a good chance that you won't reach it. Do you understand where I'm getting at?"
Adagio knew exactly where Dr. Wolf was getting at, but she didn't like it. "How dare you." She said firmly. "How...DARE YOU...to tell me that I should give up on my dreams!"
"I'm not trying to say that you should give up on your dreams. I'm saying you should reconsider your approach. You have given up more than you should in an attempt to keep this dream alive. You've reached a point that I myself feared to have reached. I've learned to strive forward without my old dreams. Today, I'm a part of a loving family, made lots of friends, and am helping others. I still think about my dreams from time to time, and as depress as I may get..."
After talking about dreams as much as he did, Dr. Wolf started to look depressed in Adagio's eyes. Never before did Adagio feel a strange combination of anger and pity. Although he had such a depressing look on his face, he went on.
"I will tell you something many have told me, Adagio. You have great talent, and you should never waste any of it." He said as he tried to build Adagio's confidence. "Now here's something I will personally tell you. While a dream may never have been meant to come true, you can still live an amazing life. You may not be able to acquire the power you desire, but I know that you will be able to achieve something that will make you happy."
As he continued on, he reached for Adagio's hoof and held onto it with both paws. He spoke from the heart, but he also wanted to look straight into Adagio's eyes. Not with his own eyes, but again, with his heart.
"I know you can. You can still achieve something that can make you special. Even if they can't all make their dreams come true, everyone, and I mean everyone, can always make a difference."
Adagio had heard the single saddest thing she had ever heard in her life. After hearing how such a kind person had struggled, she was told, in the nicest way possible, that for her well being, she should give up on world conquest and just sing for the sake of singing. It was a lot to hear come from something as small as Dr. Wolf.
She had spent her entire life acquiring power and was the first to admit that she lost it all. Her dream had made her hungry, homeless, and have nowhere to go. She also remembered that she had brought Aria and Sonata to the same boat she was in. They all had nothing to their name.
But even when reality stared Adagio in the face, she was undeterred. She knew what she wanted and she refused to let go.
"Well Fido, it's been nice talking to you, but I think I've heard enough for now."
"Very good then. Would you like to schedule a meeting with me so we could talk more about this, Miss Dazzle?" Dr. Wolf asked.
"Okay, let me rephrase that. I'm done talking to you. Period!" Adagio said with a hint of rage. "I'm not going to let someone tell me what I can or can't do."
"You are absolutely right. I, nor anyone for that matter, can tell you what you are capable of doing. For that exact reason, you have to be able to know what you're capable of doing. Once you do, it will become easier to see the path to happiness."
Adagio was done hearing what Dr. Wolf had to say. She was tired of his soothing voice and the things the voice was saying. Without another, she hopped off of the bench and started to make her way back into town without saying even a goodbye.
"Oh! And remember! If you do need someone to talk to, you can always talk to a friend. Myself included."
Adagio gave the wolf a final look before walking away. The first thing that came to mind when she was offered the final piece of advice was Aria and Sonata, but those were the last two she'd want to talk about such a matter. But like every thing else Dr. Wolf said, it was something that quickly stuck into Adagio's head.
With Adagio gone and having no one else to talk to, Dr. Wolf went back to doing what he had done before he met his new friend: feeding the ducks in the pond. As he prepared to do just that, he noticed that something was missing.
"Strange. The bag of breadcrumbs Miss Fluttershy leaves are gone." it didn't even take him a second after to realize where the bag went. He deduced that they left when Adagio left. "Hmm...I hope she either makes that dream of hers a reality, or realize that she shouldn't."
He felt sad for Adagio, but knew he did all he could to help her for the time being. Feeling hopeful for the mare, he took a long, deep breath as he held his chest. Then, he brought his arm out as he exhaled. After which, he felt much more relaxed.
I don't care if he's a psychiatrist. I'm not letting him tell me not to follow my dream to gain worldwide recognition and power. I wouldn't be surprised if he was just an accountant or something.
Adagio had finished engaging a lengthy discussion with her new little friend, Dr. Wolf, and wasn't happy with how they ended it. With all of the problems Adagio had to endure during her stay in Equestria, she was offered the idea that continuing to achieve the goals she had as a siren was not one she should've been pursuing. It was bad enough that a psychiatrist told her that, but the bag of breadcrumbs she was eating began to tell her that too.
Even with all of the stressful thinking, she stayed smart. She avoided eye-contact from other ponies and swiped any wanted posters she could find without getting caught, but from her perspective, it was all in vain. She kept spotting the red police pony that chased after her earlier, and because of how she narrowly avoided him the last time, she didn't want to risk running into him again.
"Don't you have a murder to investigate or something? Why chase after me?" Adagio asked herself.
"It's because you're not thinking you're thoughts like you usually do."
"AAHH!"
As startled as Adagio was, she was relieved to find that the one who snuck up on her was Aria, who managed to find Adagio before the cop could. Adagio would've raised her voice for being snuck up on, but her mouth covered up by Aria before she could say anything.
"Shhh!" Aria hushed, who then signaled Adagio to follow her. "Do you really want to risk spending a night in the slammer?"
Well, it would at there would be a roof over my head, but she makes a good point.
After following Aria like she asked, Adagio was carefully and silently led to a large red barn that was located outside of the town. There was a familiar looking orange pony working out in the fields, but fortunately, she didn't see Adagio or Aria. After making sure one last time that no pony was watching them, they snuck inside.
As soon as they arrived, Sonata emerged from out of a large pile of hay, who had been waiting for Aria to return with Adagio. The hungry siren couldn't help but to have a taste. "Hey, this stuff is actually pretty good. I wonder if any other ponies tried eating this stuff."
"Squatting. Good idea." Adagio said sarcastically, but after saying it out loud, the idea really didn't sound that bad. "How did you find this place?"
"We stole these really good apples from this huge guy, so we followed after him." Sonata explained. "They're not tacos, but they're yummy. Want one?"
"No thanks. I filled up on bread." Adagio answered. "That's not important anyway. Why are we here?"
Aria and Sonata gave each other a concerned look. They spent a long time with each other without Adagio being around, which was something they rarely did without trying to kill each other. They typically had an immature relationship, but during Adagio's absence...
"Me and Sonata had a very serious talk, Adagio." Aria said.
"That's impossible!" Adagio argued.
Sonata then took her turn to speak up. "But we did. For realsies! We talked about our future and how we're better off without you."
After making a very blunt and mean sounding comment, Adagio gave her fellow Dazzlings an enraged stare. Aria turned to Sonata with a scared look, swiping her hoof across her neck to signal her to be quiet. The blue pegasus still didn't quite get the hint.
"Wh-what did I say?"
"I'll tell you what you said." Adagio said. "You said: Please Adagio. Kill us. Kill us brutally. THAT'S I heard!!!"
"Was it? Wow, you must be going deaf or--" Before Sonata could finish her sentence, Aria gave her a shove out of the way. She had said way too much.
"Look Adagio. I hate to say it, but it's over. It's been over for months." Aria explained. "When the Rainbombs defeated us at the CHS showcase. From that moment on, we were no longer sirens."
"We're homeless, hungry, and ponies." Sonata said. "Sure, these wings are awesome, but I don't think they're worth it. I especially feel bad for Aria because she doesn't have wings OR a horn."
This was not the conversation Adagio wanted after having a similarly depressing one with Dr. Wolf. She was not in the mood to hear it. "I've heard enough. At least you two did a good job finding shelter for the night. Let's see if we can make hidden beds or something in here."
Adagio had given her next order, but neither Aria or Sonata wanted to follow it. It didn't take her very long to see that her band mates chose to be disobedient.
"Well well. Two girls seem to want to sleep in the park tonight."
"We're not going to any park, Adagio." Aria spoke up. "We want to go back home."
She couldn't believe what she had heard. Aria and Sonata, the only two allies Adagio had in her quest for power and fame, had given up. She started to think that the entire world was trying to tell her to give up as well, but Adagio stayed undeterred. Undeterred and very annoyed.
"Such foolishness. How could so easily give up on a goal you two had for all these years?" Adagio asked. "Stupid things like this is why I'm the leader."
"our goals? You lead?" Aria asked. It was her turn to get angry, which was made apparent by the mumbling and stuttering sounds she made. After deciding on what to say, she snapped. 'THOSE ARE YOUR GOALS!!!"
"Yes, because I'm the only one out of the three of us who wants fame and power." Adagio said sarcastically. "Let me guess? All you really wanted was to lead a song for once?"
"Yes! YES! That's what I really want! For once in my life, I would like to be the center of attention!" Aria explained with passion. She then proceeded with a rant that she had been wanting to say for a long time. "All these years, I've been stuck in your shadow because my voice and Sonata's have always been meant to enhance your own. I've had to play second fiddle to you when I had ideas and thoughts that I wanted to share, but can't because of you! I just want to lead for once! I'll scream to the stars! I want to lead! At the very least, let someone acknowledge me!"
Aria had said more than just a mouth full. She released years of pent-up rage because of Adagio and fired every drop of it at her. Adagio, in return, viewed it as nothing more than an act of betrayal.
"And what about you, Sonata? Did you want my position as leader as well?" Adagio asked.
Surprisingly, Sonata was quiet for a long time. She stood still while Adagio and Aria went at it with each other, scared by their raised voices. Sonata looked like a terrified little filly watching her parents fight. She was afraid to say anything, but she gathered just enough courage to answer Adagio's question.
"I...I just want to be happy."
A very, very simple, but strong answer. Adagio wanted power, Aria wanted to lead, but all Sonata wanted was to be happy. They all wanted to be happy, but it appeared that Sonata didn't care how that would get accomplished, whether it meant trying to regain their former glory or not.
Adagio didn't feel the same way. Just like before, she wanted nothing less than absolute power and admiration, but she eventually accepted the fact that neither Aria or Sonata wanted that anymore.
"So you two have decided?" Adagio asked. She waited for the two nod together in agreement. Once they did, Adagio made a most unfortunate announcement. "Then neither of you are of any worth to me any longer. As of Today The Dazzlings are finished! You can both do what you wish, but whatever it will be, I won't have any part of it."
As it became obvious that Aria and Sonata would no longer follow her and help achieve her goals, Adagio made her cold decree. The three were no longer a team. Refusing to waste any more of her time, the former leader of the Dazzling exited the barn with haste.
Sonata tried to chase after Adagio, but Aria reached her hoof out and stopped her. The blue, ditzy pegasus was the most upset about the idea of the three splitting up, and it was made worse because she wasn't allowed to do anything about it. She tried to break from Aria's hold, but the earth pony was too strong.
"Let's go, Sonata. We got to Equestria, so I'm sure we can get to...wherever the human place is."
"But we can't leave Adagio. She's our only friend." Sonata argued. "I know that's pretty pathetic of us, but it's still better than just the two of us."
"I doubt it. You're the worst, so anything will be better. I'm out of here." Aria stated. As she quickly grew tired of Sonata, she was prepared to leave, whether Sonata planned to follow her or not.
"Wait! We can't leave!" Sonata cried out. "Just because Adagio would leave us, that doesn't mean we should leave her too."
Aria grunted, annoyed by Sonata's innocence. "Fine. Just give me one good reason to go get her, and we'll go get her."
"Fine then. It would...uhh...it would..." Sonata thought about it carefully, which was not something she was used to doing.
As Sonata spent more and more time trying to think of a way to keep Aria from leaving, the latter lost what little patience she had left. She opened up the barn door and peaked outside, making sure that she wouldn't be seen upon leaving. As Aria was ready to take a step outside, Sonata, without thinking, said her mind.
"For someone who didn't want Adagio to lead, you sure are copying her really well!"
Aria paused. It didn't take long at all before Sonata's word struck a nerve, freezing her from where she stood. Curious, she took a step back into the barn to hear Sonata out.
"Everything Adagio did was a mistake. Her leaving us was a mistake. Doesn't that mean that us leaving her would be a mistake too? She's like our sister or something!"
For the first time in her entire life, Sonata said something enlightening. Aria tried to think of something in response, but she couldn't think of anything that could counter Sonata's argument. After getting mad at Sonata and herself, she finally came up with a retort.
Adagio had spent a long time alone after she left the barn the Dazzlings were hiding in. She even made sure that no pony could spot her at all. Since the cop pony she ran into had been around all day and placed posters all around town, it would've made no difference if she kept ripping them down. It was clear that the whole town knew she was a wanted criminal. Therefore, she couldn't stay in Ponyville any longer.
On top of that, the sun was beginning to set. She didn't have long until Princess Luna would raise the moon and it became night, and this time, she wouldn't have a place to stay. Wherever she planned to go though, it couldn't be Ponyville. As such, she stood at the edge of the town, stood next to a lake, and was getting ready to leave for good.
Alright, Adagio. Let's take a look at your position. You're singing solo, you're homeless, empty on breadcrumbs, and have... After taking out and look at what she had left on her, she remembered that she had something she didn't want to have. "Three...BITS!? AAAAGHHH!"
In a fit of anger, she slammed her coin-filled hoof into the ground, ignoring the pain she felt when she did it. She completely forgot that she wanted to give the bits Dr. Wolf gave to her back. She was still bothered by the fact that she still had money that she saw as an act of pit and began hating Dr. Wolf more than ever before.
"Curse that stupid dog! He won't let me forget this! Not only that, but I actually need this too, so it would be stupid to give it back now!" Adagio screamed even louder. "Why can't my life just be easy for once?"
Adagio thought about her next course of action carefully. Her options were very scarce, as she had almost no money, didn't know her way around the modern day Equestria, and predicted that a cold night was coming her way. She may or may not have figured something out, but with all of the anger she had from thinking about Aria, Sonata, and Dr. Wolf, she drew nothing but blanks. She once again punched the ground in frustration, but with enough foresight to use the other hoof.
"What on earth am I going to do? Am I really going to have to bear with all of this nonsense again? I was homeless once already and I have no intentions of being homeless again!"
"Then don't be. You have a home."
Adagio jumped when she heard the sound of Sonata's voice. She turned and saw that both Sonata and Aria had followed after her after having the band disbanded. It didn't take her long to accept the idea of leaving them, so Adagio got even angrier when they went after her.
"Already realized how dumb you girls were?" Adagio asked.
"Yes. I mean, no." Sonata answered, then quickly rephrased.
Before Sonata could say anything else that would make her sound stupid, Aria spoke up. "Actually, you're half right. We've all been dumb during these past two days."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I think I've been making all of the right moves." Adagio argued.
"And that is why you are homeless and have a cold night to look forward to." Aria rebutted. "Me and Sonata will be heading back to our nice warm apartment that we still have for another month, and if you're smart, you'll come with us."
"And miss this opportunity? Never! Only in Equestria can I get my power."
"And only as a siren, which we aren't anymore. "
Aria made a good point, but Adagio didn't want to admit it. The more time she spent talking with Aria and Sonata, the harder it became for Adagio to look at them. To feint disinterest, Adagio turned her attention toward the lake, hoping that the others would leave her alone. It didn't work.
"This will be the only time you'll ever hear me say this, so listen carefully." Aria ordered. "We care about you."
"Yeah, just because we hate each other, doesn't mean we can't care about each other too." Sonata added. "You can't sing solo. Not because you suck, but because you need us, and because Aria is so dumb, she needs you too. And I'm not going to lie. I need both of you."
"We've always needed each other." Aria added, who felt a sense of disbelief by the fact that she actually said it. "What makes it different now is that we need each other more than ever before. With two worlds against us, we have no one else to turn to but ourselves. At the very least, we can go to a world where we have an actual home."
Sonata continued to contribute to conversation. "And since we can't become all powerful anymore, we have no choice but to start over."
"Me and Sonata realize that. Why can't you?"
During the whole speech made by Aria and Sonata, Adagio was unusually quiet. Normally, she would've snapped at Aria she questioned her leadership and choices. She sad still and without saying a word. It seemed as though their words didn't reach.
"Maybe we should go back now, Aria." Sonata suggested.
Although it seemed that Adagio had ignored them, Aria knew otherwise. Looking at the lake that Adagio stared out at, Aria saw the reflection of the yellow unicorn, as well as her face. She was hiding her true feelings and keeping the look of her face a secret, but with the water's reflection, Aria, and eventually Sonata, could see it all.
Widen eyes, tears dripping down her cheek, and a mortified frown. Adagio had finally realized that everything that she was told that day, from her talk with Dr. Wolf to her second meeting with the other Dazzlings, was all true. It took a lot out of many people to convince her, but it all finally sunk in.
Adagio Dazzle, after fighting for it for so many years, had to let her dream go. It was her only hope.
That's it. It's over. The tearful pony thought to herself. Years of patients...months of suffering...days of delusions...and all I have to show for it are three pony coins. Three useless pony coins.
The more she thought about the money she had, the harder it became for Adagio to hold back her tears. However, as she thought about the money, she began to think back to how she got it. She thought about Dr. Wolf.
He was a kind soul, willing to help in her time of need. He was generous enough to give her the three bits in the first place. His sense of humor made him approachable, but he wasn't afraid to stray away from the truth. He even promised that he would always be willing to listen to her if she needed him. For the first time in her life, she was given five things from a person that no other had ever given her.
And then, during the instance in her life where she needed it all the most, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk, were showing Adagio those same elements. She didn't know what exactly it was, but she could feel it sparking a magic she had never felt before, both metaphorically and literally. She didn't notice it at the time, but the three bits under her hoof began to glow, and so did her cutie mark. Adagio didn't know what caused this phenomenon, but whatever it was, it felt good.
At long last, Adagio made her decision. "Aria. I will now let you decide what we should do next. I will do what you think is best."
It didn't take Aria even a millisecond to decide, but she did hesitate at first since she had never given out any orders before. "We should go home. Back to Canterlot City in the human world, where we have a future."
"And a place where we can be happy." Sonata said.
Adagio, after hearing Aria and Sonata out and knowing fully well that her dreams couldn't be reached in Equestria, agreed. He stubbornness made her the last of the Dazzlings to reach the conclusion, she knew then that if she kept things up, she would completely destroy herself. This realization made her cry more than ever, enough that she didn't even bother holding them back any longer.
Sonata, as she started to feel sad as well, sat next to Adagio and gently placed one of her wings and one of her hooves around Adagio to comfort her. Aria, feeling unusually sympathetic for Adagio, likely due to seeing Sonata helping her, decided that she needed to help Adagio too, so she sat on Adagio's other side and gently place her hoof around her as well.
"Aria...Sonata..."
While she was broken down, Adagio felt a bit more whole again after having the others next to her when she needed them the most. She suddenly felt the need to hide her tears again, but even if she wanted to, she couldn't. She remembered Dr. Wolf saying how she could still find happiness with or without fulfilling her dreams. While Adagio didn't think much of it at first, she finally understood how that could be true. For that reason, she decided it was time to say the kindest words she had ever said to Aria and Sonata. Her friends.
It was a unanimous decision. The Dazzlings were going home. Back to the world where Starswirl The Bearded had banished them one thousand years before. None of them were particularly happy with their choice, but they knew that they had no other alternative. As Adagio had suffered more than any of them, she knew better than any of them that it had to be done.
How would they return to the human world? The same way they got back into Equestria: The magic portal mirror located in Princess Twilight's castle. The three didn't make their attempt to return home until night came, when the moon had risen and the cops had stopped searching. With everypony's guards down, the Dazzlings snuck their way into the castle, made sure they weren't followed, and found the portal room.
Much to their disdain however, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were there in the portal room. This quickly became a blessing in disguise, however. As the Dazzlings hid in the shadows, Twilight operated the magic mirror.
"I really don't mind skipping a few days of school if it means finding those girls." Sunset said.
"Absolutely not! I'll have Inspector Cestus help me look for them. They can't have gone far." Twilight explained. "YOU need to make sure you're up early so you can get to class on time. I will not have anypony or anyone be tarty for school on my watch!"
After gliding towards them from behind, Sonata spoke up. "Really? Because I need to pickup my homework from a nerd's house before the morning."
Twilight and Sunset both turned their attention to Sonata, much to the annoyance of Adagio and Aria. Before either Twilight or Sunset could realize who Sonata was or comprehend what had just happened, Adagio and Aria both snuck up from behind, and...
BOINK!
From behind, Adagio and Aria slammed their rival's head into each other, which caused Twilight and Sunset to both headbutt each other. In responds, Twilight turned, saw Adagio, and said with a smile... "Hey! There you are."
Immediately after, the two lost consciousness and fell to the ground, giving the Dazzlings free reign over the castle and the portal room. With the biggest threats to them knocked out cold and the portal up and running, nothing could stop them from going home.
I can't believe it. We're actually going to go back through this portal. Adagio thought in disbelief. "In hindsight girls, I'm glad we forgot to destroy the mirror when we got here."
"I didn't." Sonata said. "I tried kicking the mirror when we gave the those two the slip, but the mirror didn't break."
"Did you try, oh I don't know...turning the portal off first?" Aria asked. "When we get home, remind me to teach you how to tell if the stove is on or not."
"Hey, don't say that to the girl who does half the cooking!" Sonata argued.
"Yeah, and three quarters of the eating."
As Aria and Sonata bickered, Adagio let out an annoyed sigh. To think that I was this close to be away from these dumb bimbos for the rest of my life. Even worse, I actually would've missed them.
After Adagio allowed her friends to let off a bit of steam, she had them wrap it all up and urged them to make their way to the portal. Since there was no reason for the girls to fight each other in Equestria when they could that just fight in the human world, they all agreed.
At long last. It was time.
One by one, each of the Dazzlings made their way to the mirror, where they, for one final time, saw the reflection of their pony selves. Aria could see that Adagio and Sonata would miss their horns and wings respectively, but provided the two with comfort. Giving her wings a final flap and flew to the portal.
"I can't wait to play my Mee Too games again!" Sonata said cheerfully as she flew into the mirror. A crash could be heard from the other side as the reckless pegasus flew in at full speed. "Ow! My leg!"
"I can't wait to eat meat again. I had to ignore so many tasty looking foals during our stay here." Aria said as she casually walked through the portal.
The others were able to leave Equestria rather easily, but as to be expected, Adagio was hesitant to go through the portal. She knew once she walked through, she would never be willing to return to Equestria ever again. Taking the couple of steps needed would be the hardest thing she would ever do in her life.
When she doubted that she could do it, she look at her hoof, holding the three glowing bits she had. Knowing that she would at least return with a little bit of magic and a memento of a new friend, she was able to draw the strength needed to move forward.
"I can't wait to have a future again."
Folding her hoof up tightly, Adagio had finally, and without regret made those steps.
One month had passed since the Dazzlings returned to their true homes. They faced some hard times, but they were able get through. For better or for worse, mostly worse, their lives were adjusted to handle the changes.
Most of the Dazzling's more expensive possessions were sold to to help the girls get by before they all got steady jobs, although a notable exception was Sonata's Mee Too console, which she refused to sacrifice. The size of their nest egg was nothing compared to it's former glory, but Adagio was pleased what she withdrew from it.
Here's to another month. Adagio happily thought, but even though she was relieved to know that she was good for the rent, she couldn't keep the smile up for long. In fact, she felt a little down. I guess now's a good a time as ever to practice a little.
Looking into the mirror of her vanity desk, Adagio took a deep breath, and exhaled to calm herself. She then gently placed her fingers around a newly acquired necklace made from a familiar gold coin with a simple black thread tied through it. When she finally felt calm, she began to vocalize her voice. Just as it did when she had her siren amulet and during her trip to Equestria, the sound she produced was nothing less than beautiful.
"Hi Dagi!"
"AAHH!" Adagio screamed when Sonata snuck up on her, ending the song. "WHAT!?"
"I heard you singing. Are we going to practice for our gig tonight?" Sonata asked. As she asked, she put on her own necklace, which, like Adagio's, was made from one of the three bits.
"No, no. We'll practice later. I just want to be alone right now."
"Oh, why are you being so grumpy? Or at least more grumpy than usual? Mind you, you haven't been grumpy like you used to be, but still pretty--"
"SONATA!" Adagio screamed. "Ugh...don't you have school or work or something? It's almost 9 o'clock."
"I'm just waiting on you. We all have school today. Aren't you going to get ready?"
Adagio stuttered and stammered, nervous to answer Sonata. She wasn't in the right state of mind, so she couldn't brush Sonata off like usual. "I'm a little under the weather today. You two go without me."
As Adagio dismissed Sonata, or rather tried to, Aria walked in, prepared to head out. She even walked in with Adagio and Sonata's bags, but she overheard Adagio, so she put her bag down. In any case, she walked over to get Sonata so the two of them could go to school.
"Come on! You've been making us all work like dogs so we can live here. You shouldn't be--"
Before Sonata could finish her complaint, Aria stopped her. "Let her. We're going to be singing tonight, and I don't want to get detention for being late or anything today. Let's just get going."
Since they were already pressed for time, Sonata decided not to argue and walked to the door to wait for Aria. As she left, Aria took a moment to talk to Adagio as well, only she planned on saying something seriously.
"What's wrong? Ever since we started singing again with these new charms of yours, you haven't been acting like yourself."
Adagio didn't answer right away. She hoped Aria would've left for school and not ask any questions. It became obvious that it wouldn't happen.
"Doesn't it seem like a tease?" Adagio asked. "We've finally retired from evil, accepted our fates as regular schnooks...and now we can sing again. It just makes it feel harder to truly accept these changes. I want to move on, but I'm not sure if I can anymore."
"Oh, NOW you're not sure. "Aria got angry at Adagio for questioning herself, but it couldn't be helped. In any case, she didn't hold it against the sadden Adagio. "Look, we've all had to go through some rough changes. Sonata has had to cut down on video games and tacos, I've had to give up my massage chair..."
"And you also had to give up eating kids. Which makes me wonder why your part-time job is at a daycare center."
"Not important!" Aria said quickly. "I'm sorry that I can't talk much right now, but once we get back from school, me and Sonata can talk to you. Think you can wait that long?"
Adagio loved the idea of having someone to talk to, and even gave a little smile. "I'll get our dresses ready for our show tonight while I wait."
"There you go." Aria said as she patted Adagio on the back. "I'll see you after school."
Having heard everything she could hear from her fellow Dazzlings, Aria and Sonata finally left for school, leaving the depressed Adagio behind. Aria believed that she would've been fine, but that was only because she didn't quite realize just how down Adagio really felt. She was looking forward to see her friends after their classes, but with how long she had to wait, she predicted that she was going to have a long, boring, and very painful day.
Adagio played around with her new magic necklace, remembering that her rough experience in Equestria is what brought it in existence in the first place, as well as the other two she gave to Aria and Sonata. It was cruel irony. If she had it before going to Equestria, she likely would've kept her dream of fame and power alive. She was no longer sure if she made the right choice.
I need to stop coming with these plans by myself. I would kill to talk someone right now.
By the second, Adagio felt more and more lonely, and it was all because she lacked the motivation to leave her home. She had no idea what to do. That is until she thought about something Dr. Wolf said to her.
"Oh! And remember! If you do need someone to talk to, you can always talk to a friend. Myself included."
"Hmm...a friend?" Adagio said to herself. A small spark of joy ignited as she realized something. "I guess there's only one other person in this whole world that could fill that role. My landlord, of all people."
Since she had made no other plans for the rest of the day, other than getting ready for the Dazzling's show, Adagio decided to go see that friend of hers. The only one she had made during her stay in the human world.
It wasn't a long trip at all to see this friend of hers. All she had to do was take the elevator and head to the top floor of the apartment building, since the landlord also lived at the apartment building. She never thought of it before, but Adagio realized that this whole time, she's had a good friend living right above her roof ever since she moved in.
She stood there at the door, nervous and embarrassed. The only time she ever went to this address was when she absolutely had to, such as to pay the rent. So this was the first time she visited there voluntarily.
"Okay, Adagio." She said to herself. "You can do this. He's just your landlord, as well as a another potential listener to your music."
After taking a deep breath, she gave the door a knock, and hoped everything would be smooth sailing from there. That was not the case, however. As soon as Adagio's landlord opened the door, felt weak.
"Miss Dazzle? What are you doing here?" He asked. "Shouldn't you be at school right now?"
"I-I-I, w-well, you see, I-I..." Adagio stuttered, unable to get a single word out.
As Adagio struggled with her speaking, the man reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, and when he did, Adagio silenced herself. She knew she had to calm herself down, and upon looking up to see her friend, a white-haired man with a purple vest and a matching tie, she felt ready to talk again. It especially helped that this man had a lot in common with someone she knew back in Equestria.
"I'm sorry for dropping in at such a time, Mr. Wolf, but I really need to talk to someone. Can I come in?"
Mr. Wolf raised an eyebrow, but he could tell that Adagio had a stressful morning. He found it hard to say no. "Well, I suppose so. I often speak with Miss Fluttershy, so this isn't anything unusual. Come on in."
After being greeted in, Adagio felt more nervous than ever before. One month before, she considered anyone that she didn't like as an enemy, so it felt almost as if she walked into an enemy's base. But, since her landlord was the counterpart of the friend she met in Equestria, she kept telling herself that she had nothing to worry about.
Adagio was led to a couch for her to sit down at while Mr. Wolf took a seat at a nearby chair. He even brought a pitcher of water to a table next to their seats. With the way they were seated, it felt as if she was in a psychiatrist's office. She knew that the equestrian counterpart was one, but she never once asked if Mr. Wolf himself was one as well.
"So Miss Dazzle. Tell me what's on your mind? Is your little show still on for tonight?"
"It is, but I've had too much on my mind as of late." Adagio answered. "Right now, I really just need a good friend to talk to."
"Well, by all means. I've been told that I'm a good listener. I hope I can also be a good friend as well."
Oh, don't worry, Mr. Wolf. I'm sure you will be. Adagio thought as she finally felt the urge to smile. "What can you tell me about having dreams?"
Adagio Dazzle has had a hard life during the past year. She's ventured into two unknown worlds, made many enemies who took everything she valued away from her, and only made a few friends who gave her anything. She even had to let go of dreams that she longed to achieve, or else she would've lost even more.
But after such hardships, she finally found that the friends she had, Mr. Wolf, Aria, and even Sonata of all people, could make the hurt so much easier to take. She still looked back at what could've been, and it would bother her, but just because a dream wouldn't become reality, it didn't mean reality would instead ruin her life.
She knew that as long as she kept her friends and let them into her life, she could live happily with broken dreams. Perhaps one day, with she'll even make a new dream come true. As she's now once again able to stand by her friends and sing in harmony, perhaps that dream has already come true.
