A war has been started, a prank war, that is. Only one winner can be determined as the lines of 'too far,' are beaten to a senseless pulp.
Siblings don't always look alike. But when it comes to their own personal tastes... there are rarely any similarities. To say the least they are the most intimate of strangers. The more they fight the closer they are, that is, until one of them grows up. Than all interaction ceases to exist. Too bad that's not the case here. But one thing is for certain.
The night was in its apex. It was shining brightly above the stars, and below to the beings of the earth. On such occasions a celebration is to be held. A celebration of only the most prestigious of men and woman. On this such occasion, three sisters decided they were of such nobility. Wearing clothing that they were offered, hand made, they were the real guests of honor.
After changing a few names around, they became the hostesses of this event. Everyone would listen to them, and only them thanks to a few... Influential words. This was what they loved in this world they were forced to call home. Controlling the weak, everyone was weak in this world; beneath them. It was a lot easier than it was back home. But that's where the joy ended. The challenge was gone, and as such: the fun. They bored easy, so to compensate, they turn against each other as a source of amusement.
One such siren felt the need for a little... silent sabotage. A little wardrobe malfunction to help spice up the night
Aria Blaze.
It was a few hours before the party was to begin, which means a few hours for preparation. The main issue was finding a pair of scissors that could cut cloth, but it wasn't a large one. After locating said scissors, she went over her plan.
Once her sister was distracted, which was fairly common, she would sneak behind and cut open a small slot around the backside as to reveal a few areas. Knowing her sister, Sonata, she'd be surprised if she noticed someone jamming a knife in her spine.
####
The party had begun, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Well, by that I meant everyone was under their spell and goggling over them as if they were gods, still at least they were enjoying themselves.
Aria's target was currently amusing herself with a jello mold. Poking and prodding the thing; watching as it jiggled too and fro, fro and too. Kinda like she was poking a dead animal with a stick.
'Too easy,' Aria thought with a devilish grin.
Approaching her target quietly, she went to work. A simple cut out was all that she needed. She made sure to do this delicately, one slip up, and it will be ruined. Swift fingers and deft hands made this procedure quick and efficient. As an added bonus, the hole was a perfect square. Quickly hiding the offending tool in her dress, she sat and waited for the chain reaction.
The best part was: there was none. At first Sonata continue to saunter by, the guests watching in quiet shock as her behind was revealed. Only something very shocking had the capability of breaking their spell, even for just a few minutes. No one commented, no one told her. 'Excuse me, ma'am, but it appears your buttocks is showing,' she was purely oblivious.
It took Aria every fiber of her being not to burst into laughter.
"Does anyone feel a draft?" Sonata had asked. Standing upright when her lower body had started to feel very cold.
The suspense that kept everyone in silence was broken as waves of laughter now filled the air. Although unprofessional, they just couldn't hold it in anymore. At first, Sonata was confused. Why was everyone laughing? More specifically: why was everyone laughing at her? Unbeknownst to her, she just assumed everyone was just being rude.
"Well that is just cheeky!" she commented, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks
That only seemed seemed to fan the fires. Realizing where everyone was pointing at, she started to turn to see what was wrong with her butt. She didn't get a good enough view, so she began to spin in circles to try to see what had caught everyone's' interest. Grabbing hold of her dress, she lifted it so she could get a good enough view of the offending hole. She was shocked, who could have committed such a horrid act?
"Oh, Sonata, my dear, dumb, sister, you had the appearance of a canine attempting to grab its tail," Aria said, picking herself off the floor and approaching the blue haired siren.
"You did this?" she asked; shocked.
"That I did, and it was the highlight of this eve, wouldn't you say?" Aria said; an evil grin on her face.
Sonata suddenly latched a fist under her sister's collar, pulling her close to her face. The fire behind her eyes were growing in fierce intensity.
"I do not say! You have awoken something, Ari! Something fierce, something righteous! Just remember as you sleep tonight, dear sister." she spat. "Momma don't play to be even... Momma plays to win!" she pulled her sister close enough to the point there foreheads clashed.
"Just what in Tartarus is going on in here!?" a voice screamed from the hall. Adagio walked in shortly, followed behind by several men who were vying for her attention.
Sonata threw Aria back.
She stumbled backwards a short distance before regaining her balance, every fiber of her being telling her not to rip off Sonata's head.
Sonata was now turning to face the crowd.
"Listen her, and memorize, puny mortals! For you shall remember these words when your eyes are to close for the rest of time! It was Aria Blaze who fired the first shot! But it shall be Sonata Dusk, who fires the last!" she announced, holding up a fist into the air.
"Ugh!" Adagio groaned as she placed a palm to her face. "Sorry boys, but I must leave momentarily," Adagio said as she waved off her new followers, they were already tamed, so they did as they were told. "girls? Could we speak for just a second?" she asked.
As Adagio led her two sisters out of the room, the two simply stared at each other with pure malice. They followed their eldest sister to the ballroom which was now deserted once she announced for their subjects to leave. She turned to her sisters with a mad glare. "Now could you two please explain to me what that was all about?"
"She started it!"
"She started it!"
They both said this in unison; pointing to each other.
"I don't care who started it, I'm ending it! Listen here, we barely got enough energy from this, so save whatever blood-feud you two sarted for after this party, because I don't know about you but I haven't had a night like this in a long time, and I am not going to have it ruined by you two idiots!" she growled. "Deal?"
"Deal..."
"Deal..."
During this time, their spell began to wear off and the guests began to come to their senses. That had to change now.
'This isn't over, Aria. My vengeance may have been stopped for now, but remember my words.' Sonata thought as they placed everyone once more under their spell. The green in their eyes returning as the raw power of their voice placed their minds into the deepest parts of their psyche.
'I don't care if it will be years, decades, generations, even! No matter what, I will have my revenge!'
Jeepers Creepers, Sonata! Where'd You Get Those Peepers?
5 years, seven months, and twenty two days before 'Endgame'
Day started normally; just about as anyone would've expected. We woke up, we cleaned ourselves up, we had breakfast. Than we sang as people were shouting at one another at the top of their lungs for a few hours, and came back. Just a regular day, really.
Sonata finds it boring, Adagio is constantly pushing we go for an all nighter all the time considering we actually don't need sleep. Me? I find it meh.
Say what you will, but watching people scream at each other is a form of entertainment money can't buy. But after a few hundred years, it lost its impact. Specifically after wars stopped occurring when we sang. Just looking across a battlefield, soldiers and horses strewn about with random weapons scattered everywhere, I just look down and think.
'Yeah... I did that.'
It lost its charm once that stopped, humans decided to be a little more 'peaceful,' one downside to peace: it's @%!*$?& boring! I preferred it back when we could watch people battle to the death, and it wasn't deemed "unethical!"
Bunch of bull.
Sonata found a way to keep herself entertained now, She was a big fan of old fashioned music. Gramophones and jazz, that kind of crap. I hated it. She liked to collect old records and music boxes for some weird reason. Sometimes she would blast one of those things out loud to where it made a screeching noise! And those music boxes! Don't even get me started!
I feel as a joke she just plays those things at the strangest times. I woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to get a glass of water, I could hear one of her dammed music boxes playing in her room. Freaking creepy cause it was FOUR in the morning. I don't know whats creepier: the fact that she stood up all night playing that thing, or the fact she finds it... soothing.
Needless to say, I didn't get up. Not because I was scared! I just feel like if I look into her room while she's doing that, she'll be in the center of the room, looking away from the door. She'll stop turning the box, and suddenly turn towards me with the sound of cracking bone and whisper, "hello, sister!" in a demonic voice.
Screw those music boxes. Screw them, and everything they stand for.
Only thing I hate more than her music boxes is this one song in particular. She always blasts it high enough to hurt our eardrums and just below so it doesn't screech like a disemboweled cat.
Not only that!
she sings along with it as well. I don't know what, but something about that song is just... unsettling.
There she goes again! Blasting it to the point where it can affect the way you think! It's not brain cancer, it's mind cancer!
"I don't care what the weather vain says when the weather vain points to gloomy, you gotta sunny too me, when your eyes look into mine.
Jeepers Creepers... where'd you get those peepers?
Jeepers Creepers... Where'd you get those eyes?"
I just planned on going to my room and wait out the rest of the day. Now even that's ruined! Sonata never listens to me, and Adagio was out learning this new town inside and out, so she couldn't tell her to shut it, I just had to wait this out.
Thankfully, a ray of hope shined for once when the power suddenly cut out. It was already night so it was pitch black now. I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face.
I heard Sonata shriek from inside her room and the sounds of scrambling came from inside. Usually when the power goes off she does one of two things: she either hides under her bed, or she clings to one of our legs till it comes back on. By the sound of things, she's gong to hide till summer comes around.
I took a step forward to head to my own room when I heard something.
Sounded like footsteps were coming from behind me.
'Must be Adagio... wait?'
She was still out!
Now that I think about it... how'd the power go out? It wasn't storming at all, and there weren't even any electrical repairs or anything.
How'd it...? Oh crap!
Slowly backing up, I made a very controlled walk to my own room. My heart was starting to the pound in my chest as the sounds of footsteps continued in the living room.
'Do they have a flashlight? Oh god, please no!'
I heard the intruder walk just outside the hall and stop. I didn't dare move, I may be strong on my own, but I dot think I could handle a knife very well... or a gun.
It sounded like he was about to go away when I started to back up again. I really need to pay attention to where I'm going, cause I slammed myself right against the door. The loudest slam ever echoed across the house. I stood there in silence as no sounds seemed to echo anymore. That was unsettling
I could hear the sound of rushing footsteps coming from the living room! And they were heading right for me!
Instinctively grabbing the doorknob, I turned it.
It was locked.
I could hear the intruders footsteps down the hall and he was sprinting.
At this point, all hell broke loose.
"OPEN! OPEN! OPEN YOU PIECE OF !@%# DOOR!!"
Suddenly, the lights switched back on, and the sound of running footsteps stopped.
Right behind me...
Taking in the situation, I stared at the black door that led to the safety of my room. So close yet so far. I knew the intruder was right behind me, and I was way too afraid to turn around.
You may ask yourself. 'Why wasn't I singing?' In those situations, common sense is replaced with fear, and you don't think, you just act. And even if my brain wasn't swimming in adrenaline, it still needs time to take affect.
Very, very slowly, I turned around.
I was expecting a lot of things. I was expecting your average garden variety burglar, I was expecting a hockey masked killer, I was even expecting a bat out of freaking hell. I got something much worse.
It was Sonata, but... twisted. Her shirt was torn and bloody, almost like she was swimming in a pool of blood, and her eyes. Her eyes were gone, not just that, they looked like they were ripped from her face with a set of claws. There was dried blood going down her face and neck; and her throat looked... shredded. She looked forward at me, as if expecting me to do something. Then she spoke. It was as if she were pleading, but at the same time, terrified.
"Where'd you get those eyes?"
####
Sonata was expecting a lot of things, she was expecting Aria to scream, she was even expecting to get punched in the face. what she really wasn't expecting was for her to scream, and fall down on the floor. She also curled up into a ball.
Sonata had planned out the prank like this. She left a tape recorder in her room and set it to play, she timed it to scream the moment she cut the power so it would seem more real. Once that was over, she would pretend to stalk Aria and corner her.
Worked a little too well...
She just looked down at her sister, unsure of what to do. She wasnt expecting her to react like this, she was expecting her to just jump a little and play it off. Not this!
'Was my makeup really that scary? I thought it was silly' she thought.
she sat down beside her sister and started to take off the makeup, smearing it all over her face and neck in the process. Then she started to stroke Aria's head a little to calm her down.
"Aria, are you okay?" she asked in a soothing tone.
She didn't answer her, she just kept mumbling to herself.
It was only after a few more minutes of stroking did Sonata finally get a reply.
"Sonata?" a timid voice asked.
"Yeah, Aria?" she asked.
"You know that me and Dagi love you, right?," Aria whispered.
"Yeah, of course," Sonata comforted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Promise me you'll never leave us."
"What? Yeah... sure."
"I SAID PROMISE!" Aria suddenly barked.
"Okay! I promise!" Sonata said; suprised by her sister's sudden outburst.
She continued to stroke her sisters hair in the now silent house.
####
3 hours later
Adagio had stepped inside their new home and took off her shoes. After pushing them to the side, she started to walk to the living room to call for her sisters. When passing the hall though, she spotted two figures at the end of it. It turned out to be Sonata stroking the head of a now passed out Aria. Sonata's face was smeared with dry makeup and a strange choice of clothes. it looked like she was drenched in food coloring.
Sonata looked up at Adagio and seemed to mouth something.
"Help me, please," she whispered.
Adagio's only reply was to take out her phone and point it towards the two with a large shit-eating grin.
Five years, six months, and ten days before 'Endgame'
Spring: a time of life, a time of rebirth, a time of warmth. It was the signal for new life to come into play, for new life to be tested in the cycle of life, and if they fail, they have oblivion take them, if they succeed: they watch as their offspring do the same.
On this day, the sun refused to let any clouds stain the sky and continued to shine below, casting down beautiful golden rays of glorious sunshine. They warmed the earth with a crisp air and gave it a rejuvenating feel.
You take in a breath and feel alive!
Sonata Dusk was simply lazing about outside, enjoying the sights and soaking in the light, on such days, nothing can bring her spirits down. No matter how absolutely horrid this world was, nothing could beat the feeling of spring to her.
Except for sweets, those things are absolutely delectable to her. Or Mexican food, that too.
After a few hours of simply laying down on a bed of grass, specifically labeled. "Do not tread," she decided to go on home.
She walked slowly; she wanted to get as much of this glorious day as possible. She decided to be merciful to the other people walking down the street, the civilians, unaware of the power she and her sisters hold. They just saw her as another happy go lucky girl walking down the street.
Now standing outside her home, a smile on her face. She could only think of one thing as she opened the door.
'Nothing could ruin this da-!'
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"Oh, hi!" Aria greeted from the middle of the living room... in a bee keeper suit.
Surrounded by bees...
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Sonata continued to scream.
Aria simply stood there as the bees continued to mill about doing their bee duty as bees do, while Sonata continued to scream. Considering she was siren it was... quite loud. Window panes shattered from across town.
she finally stopped after her lungs ran out of air.
Aria stared at her; unamused.
"Eleven minutes... new record," She muttered.
"Why do you have all these bees!!" Sonata shrieked. It was a surprise she hadn't passed out from oxygen deprivation. Even more surprising her brain survived that long.
"I decide to become a beekeeper today," she answered.
"Why here?!" Sonata screamed.
"I thought it was in good enough condition to hold a few boxes of bees," Aria answered.
"Why?!"
"No reason," Aria replied with a dark smile.
Sonata felt her eye twitch.
"Come on in! They don't sting... much."
Sonata simply stood at the doorway, unsure of what to do. Her mind was beginning to fog up as the sounds of buzzing began to turn into a mindless drone.
"I have an extra suit in your room if you want it," Aria said.
That managed to break through the haze in Sonata's mind. Protection! From these freaks of nature! She could've just left, but the buzzing, and the news of salvation were too much for her instinctual mind to comprehend at this point. She very slowly entered her own home which had become an over-sized hive. She watched as her worst fears continued to fly past her, paying her no heed when all she wanted to do was scream, and punch every single bee in the face.
She could feel their furry little abdomens brush by her arms and face, every time she felt one touch her, or fly by her ears, she froze in place. Refusing to take another step forward until they disappear into the horde of their own brethren. One had even landed on her forehead, she could feel a strange tingling sensation as her heart continued to pump adrenaline through her body. Every ounce of her being knew.
If she screamed, she would surely die.
She was in the lion's den now, she felt purely helpless, and her sister wouldn't do a thing to ease her suffering. She was just watching with an evil grin as she had hardly walked two feet into her own home.
The bees continued to buzz around doing their bee duty, or whatever bees do inside a fairly well constructed house. it had taken what felt like years to Sonata to finally reach her own door. The salvation of it felt glorious, to finally be away from these dogs of war felt gratifying.
She wrapped her trembling hand around the door knob and twisted it.
It was locked.
The insane smile on her face was replaced quickly by dread
Her mind began to shatter, her only hope of salvation. Stopped by two inches of wood. She fell to her knees and stared at the door. The dread only growing as tears began to well in her eyes, streaming down her face.
The buzzing paid her no mind.
She was about to test her theory on whether she could punch a hole in the door when she heard a voice, she didn't recognize at this point, all she could recognize was that it was in a language she understood.
"Did I say in your room? Whoopsie, I meant in here," the voice said.
Sonata turned around to see a bee keeper suit pointing at a box, it was a white box with splits and splinters strewn across it.
"Careful though, I think the queens in here, and they don't like it when you get too close," the suit warned.
That warning fell upon deaf ears. Sonata heard only one thing, and that was that her safety was nestled deep inside that cage where a great beast lays in wait of her. She would win this, she must.
She let out a war cry before sprinting for the box.
"GIVE ME!!!" she screamed with a guttural cry, sounding more like a rabid dog than anything else.
Stopping just outside the box, she flung open the top door, the hinge flying open, and the door flying away, and slamming against the wall. She stared deep inside the box, seeing nothing but darkness. Colors swirled around her and the box, creating a small arena with them in the center. She knew something was in there, and that something knew she was coming for it. Any minute now, it would sic its minions on her, but what if she were to usurp it?
Yes, that would work, become the queen of all bees. That would work.
Reaching her hand in, first thing she felt was something hard and fuzzy, but the hair was prickly, like it was freshly shaven. It felt like it was wearing armor. It was the current queens body! But it was so much bigger than her hand, maybe even her head! She continued to feel around, looking for this things neck when she felt it move. She swore she felt teeth as it bit into her.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" she screamed, before promptly fainting in fear.
####
Aria stared as her sister fell on her back, a permanent face of shock. Even with her eyes closed, she looked absolutely livid. Some bees continued to crawl on her face and identify that the threat was gone. She gave a dark chuckle before reaching inside the box. Inside wasn't a bee of legends, nor a bee suit.
But rather a Roomba with googly eyes and a large lock of golden hair attached to the back.
She set it down and watched as it continued its duty of cleaning the floor, it comically slammed against Sonata as it tried again and again to get past the block.
She heard the sound of a door opening and watched as Adagio walked out, no bee keeper suit, just her and a black lingerie, also a large chunk of her hair was missing. She looked tired, as if just woken up, and a swarm of bees followed shortly behind.
"So what happened? I think I had money on, 'passes out'" she said.
"Nice try, you had 'wets herself' I called she faints," Aria corrected.
"Dammit,"
"Hold up..." Aria interrupted. "looks like everyone's a winner."
Only after she looked back up did she notice the cluster of bees sticking by Adagio's side, they appeared to be waiting for something.
"Whats up with you?" she asked.
"Dunno; think they made me their queen or something," Adagio said.
"Seriously?"
Adagio was about to answer when she brushed her hand through her hair to straighten it slightly, only to feel that the part that was her left half completely missing, it was when she saw the Roomba did she put two and two together. She felt her eye twitch and saw the culprit in front of her. She felt a slow rumble deep inside as her eyes began to redden around the edges, she felt... angry. This, combined with the lack of sleep, didn't really help.
"Uh, Dagi? You alright?" Aria nervously chuckled.
"Oh yes," she said. "I'm just absolutely LIVID right now!" her voice was started to sound a few octaves lower. "And just so you know: I hate it when idiots ruin my beauty sleep!, and especially my HAIR!" and with that, she pointed a crooked finger towards Aria , and said with a low and menacing voice. "Kill!"
Warm sand between your toes, the clear bright blue skies, the crystal blue water that crashes with white foam. The beach was a truly wondrous sight. So clear you can even see tiny schools of fish swim in the water. A day to truly relax.
The beach was fully pact, and in a small reserved corner, were only two sirens. both wearing appropriately colored bikinis.
Adagio, and Aria.
Sonata had said she wasn't feeling so well, so she vouched she stay back in the Dazzling's hotel room.
Aria had managed to... 'Procured' a metal detector from an old, elderly couple and was now wandering the sands while listening in on the signals.
Adagio was simply laying down on her stomach, exposing herself to the warm sun, and giving a good view to anyone who walked by.
Aria had just given up on the whole "Metal Detector" shtick after a half hour of nothing.
"Stupid piece of junk," she muttered, before throwing the device into the ocean. Watching as it sank, and settled into the sand below.
Walking back and taking a seat on her own towel, she stared forward at the water. Bored.
"You're not going for a swim?" Adagio asked.
"And get a rash when sand gets in my crotch? No thanks," she said.
In truth, it was a bit more than that. She felt as if she didn't belong here anymore, well that was pretty obvious, but more rather. She didn't belong home anymore. Knowing that back then, they ruled the ocean waters, exploring its many beauty's and terror's. The coral reefs and the deepest trenches. It felt wrong to enter the water now. Like walking in someones home wearing the owner's skin. Just didn't feel like you belonged. She doesn't go into the water because she hates the beach, but rather... in respect to who she once was. She didn't want to try where she already succeeded before, it made her feel pathetic.
Just then, her phone started to vibrate, she had it strapped it to her thigh using one of the straps on her bikini.
Pulling it off, she checked the number. Unknown caller
She declined the call, dismissing it as a wrong number, and set it back in its place when it started to vibrate once more.
Different number, but still completely random.
Doing the same, she declined, only this time there wasn't even a pause as the next call came in.
A little freaked out, she did the same, only to get the same result.
"What the hell?" she muttered.
Adagio flipped onto her back and gave a look that said. 'What are you on about this time?'
"You seeing anyone?" she asked with a sly smile.
"Wha-! No! What the hell is going on with this thing?" she said. "Probably busted."
"Its a... mystery?" Adagio's voice dragged off, her gaze seemed locked at the sky, her face then turned into a shocked smile. "I think you may want to look up."
"What are you staring... oh my god..." Aria had focused her attention to the clear blue skies. Her eyes widening at the sudden realization.
In the sky, wasn't a bird, nor Superman, but rather a small plane. Attached behind was a banner that flapped in the wind, its message wide open for the world to see.
'My name's Aria. I'm lonely. Call me:'
And listed right there was her phone number, exposed.
Adagio had broken into fits of laughter and was very much rolling around, laughing her ass off.
Aria could taste pennies as she stared at the banner. It continued to fly by, displaying its message all across the beach that held perhaps thousands of humans. Her mind was shell shocked.
'How did she do this,' she wondered. She then realized her hand was moving to answer one of these random calls, almost as if on instinct.
"Hello?" she asked.
"The beach is no place to be lonely," a rasp and husky sounding voice said from the other line. It sounded as if it were demanding gratification.
Aria felt as if she were going to vomit.
Adagio had managed to calm down long enough to speak properly.
"Awwwww, isn't that sweet? Sonata really cares about you, she wants you to make some friends. Isn't that sweet of her?" she said before tumbling into even more laughter.
Aria couldn't hear her anymore, she felt a strange feeling in her right hand as it became numb. The only sounds she could hear were that of crashing waves, and mocking seagulls. She could feel eyes on her as the beach goers realized she was the girl who's name was written in the sky.
Flattering to some, terrifying to her.
She could only thing of one thing as her senses returned.
'Get Sonata!'
Meanwhile, on a nearby balcony, a certain blue skinned siren was watching her plan unfold, her arms crossed behind her back, and a devious smile as she watched the banner fly through the sky.
Three years, seven months, and nineteen days before 'Endgame'
Sonata had just entered her and her sister's hotel. She was wearing a dark blue sweater, accompanied by a set of jeans. She pressed a button inside and waited for the elevator to come. Waiting alongside her were two strangers, one who was wearing a light coat and baggy pants, and a woman with a fairly large bag.
She thought nothing of them, they were nobodies, she would acknowledge their presence for the duration of the ride, then forget them.
Unimportant.
The elevator doors opened silently, revealing a small room with mirrors on three sides.
She stepped in, as rehearsed over, and over for the past few months. She pressed the button for the fifth floor, as rehearsed, and waited. The other two pressed their own buttons, and they too waited.
They were all simply following the rules of the elevator, never make eye contact, never interact, and never invade ones' personal space. Rules which Sonata is very happy to abide by in these cramped spaces.
She noticed the numbers on the door frame that counted how high they were going. She awaited for it to hit five any second now.
#3
#4
...
Clunk!!
The sound you never want to hear when in an elevator just blasted in their ears. A brief moment of silence, followed by realization.
"Oh that's just great," one of the occupants of the box said, disinterested.
"*Cough* *Cough*" the other occupant began to cough wildly.
Sonata could feel the hair on her neck rise.
'Keep calm'
"*Cough*"
'Just a few minutes and the doors will open'
"*cough*"
"will you cover your mouth!" she barked at the man.
The woman flinched at the sudden outburst.
"Sorry... just a little sick," the man apologized.
"I can tell..." Sonata humphed, turning around to face the door.
"What about the emergency button?" the woman suggested.
Sonata, being the closest to it, obliged, and pressed the big red button. A small alarm set of when she pressed it, upon releasing her finger, the sound ceased.
She noticed something when she looked around the compact space. Everyone was closer to her, then she noticed that the whole room was a whole foot smaller.
'No... you got over that two hundred years ago, just a little worried is all, you're a big siren now' she assured.
"*Cough*"
She felt an eye twitch.
"*Cough*"
She was darn near ready to tear this man's throat with her bare fingers when she heard clanging from the other side of the doors.
"Hello?!" she called.
"Hold on. We're trying to get you out of there," the voice said.
"Could you please hurry?" Sonata asked.
"Just get comfortable, you might be in there a while..." the voice advised
Click
"That's okay..." Sonata said, she felt a few hair strands come out of place.
She could hear the clanging continue outside. But it sounded more like an echo.
The woman focused her attention back on the bag and started whispering to it. Sonata couldn't make out the words, she knew for fact she was crazy, who talks to a handbag... roughly big enough to hold a small animal...
"Hey, *Sniffle* What's in the bag?" the plague victim asked.
"Oh, its just my cat, he doesn't like loud noises," the woman said. She opened a small zipper and reached a hand inside. She looked as if trying to secure a grip before pulling out the most hideous thing on this earth.
The abomination squirmed in her master's hand, seemingly wanting to escape. She continued to coddle it, whispering in its ear as the wrinkles on its skin continued to fold.
Sonata suddenly slammed herself against the door, prying her fingers between the doors and attempting to open it with pure strength alone.
"HEEEELP!! Can we do anything from here!?" she shouted, wanting nothing more than to escape her confinement.
"Hold on, we're trying something bigger!" the voice said. "Stand back."
Almost immediately after he said that, a large slamming noise was heard from outside. Almost like a battering ram.
Sonata began breathing rapidly now, the woman had set her beast on the ground where it began to circle the perimeter of the cage. Stopping directly in front of Sonata. It stared at he with those black pits it called eyes. She saw white pinpricks coming from deep inside the pits.
"*Cough*"
"TURN AROUND WHEN YOU COUGH!" she screamed at the man.
The beast hissed at her, She returned the feeling ten fold. Actual spit coming out.
The beast raised a claw at her, ready to strike with fatal force.
She was in a fight for for her life now, and this time she would win.
Click
####
"So, how did you manage to gain control over the elevators?" Adagio asked, following Aria down the steps.
"Easy, had a technician here connect the elevator controls to this here remote," Aria answered, taking it out of her pocket and waving it around.
Upon getting out to the fourth floor, they saw the elevator doors, someone was currently overlooking them, slamming a hammer on the door with a buzz saw in his hand.
"Thanks for the help," Aria said to the man before pointing a thumb in the opposite direction.
"It was really no problem," the man said, giving a slight bow, his eyes were green, tell tale sign of how Aria got the controls.
"So now what? Last time I remember, Sonata had it pretty bad back then," Adagio said, staring at the elevator.
"Ahh, she'll be fine, at worst she'll be cowering in the corner." Aria assured, pressing the button for door controls.
"I'm not sure, I mean it was pretty- AGHHHHHHHH" Adagio was cut off as a cat from inside the elevator flew at her, straight to her face.
Claws first...
And with enough force to send her on the ground...
The cat continued to yowl wildly as it was tearing Adagio's face a new one. She was screaming and kicking to get it off her face, while Aria was staring at the contents of the elevator.
Sonata was in the center alright. She looked... deranged. Her hair was loose now, and she looked wild, her clothes were torn with large claw marks, and there was a small cut on her cheek. There was a man groaning on the ground in pain, and a woman sitting in the corner.
"COME ON, YOU OVER SIZED SCROTUM!! I'M READY FOR MORE!!" Sonata exclaimed from inside the elevator, going into a fake jujitsu stance.
Aria continued to stare inside the elevator, Adagio was still screaming, the cat was still hissing wildly, and Sonata was insisting on screaming insults at the cat.
Aria wasn't sure whether she felt proud or scared.
three years, seven months, and five days before 'Endgame'
The living room was dimly lit, the curtains were closed, and the kitchen table was moved to the center of the living room. By the table sat Sonata and Aria. Adagio had called for a meeting for the two regarding the war. She didn't put any more light on the subject; just said they needed to talk.
Aria was sitting cross armed and disinterested as always. Sonata was looking around trying to see whether there was something she hadn't noticed yet about the room.
The door outside slowly slid open and in walked Adagio. She held a single sheet of paper and walked with an air of authority. Sitting down, she set the paper down and looked at the two with angry eyes.
"Do you two know why I called for this meeting?" she asked in a low voice.
"Cause you want to punish Aria for giving me S.T.Ds?" Sonata suggested.
"It's P.T.S.D you idiot!" Aria snapped.
"Oh..."
"No, not that," Adagio said, same face as before.
"So you can convince Sonata to submit and accept defeat?" Aria retorted.
"You're just mad cause you know I'm gonna win!" Sonata exclaimed.
"No way!" Aria shouted back.
"Uh-huh!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"GIRLS!!" Adagio yelled. "This paper right here," she placed a hand on the paper, the writing was hard to make out considering the dark. "Is a list of rules you two must sign if you're going to continue this stupid war of yours. God knows why you started it in the first place."
"She embarrassed me in front of high society!" Sonata shouted, pointing a finger to Aria.
"It was just a prank!" Aria protested.
"It was so embarrassing!"
"They were under our spell! None of them could remember it, and besides, they're all dead now anyway," Aria said.
...
"That was cold..." Sonata whispered in the now awkward silence.
"Uhhh! What's the paper say?" Aria asked, holding her hand out.
Adagio set the paper in front of them both to read.
The Rules of War
Upon signing this document, you have agreed to follow and abide by these new set laws, as written by I, Adagio Dazzle. In this document, you both shall agree: there will be no 'Victors Justice' all methods of war and how they are won shall be decided by me, Adagio Dazzle. Breaking said rules will result in a planned out punishment that shall be carried out by me, Adagio Dazzle.
First Rule: the usage of powers such as singing and hypnosis are strictly forbidden. Any such usage will result in a punishment decided by me, Adagio Dazzle. We need to save that for gathering energy, not for your stupid war!
Second Rule: you are not allowed to cause any serious physical trauma to each other, as evidenced by the Elevator Act of 2011. No forms of stabbing, mutilation, or assault is allowed. Should any forms of injury occur, the victim may file a grounds to a pause to me, Adagio Dazzle. Where I, Adagio Dazzle, will decide whether or not the pranker shall be punished for her actions or not, if so, how severely. I freaking mean it! Sonata broke down and was crying more than when she watched 'Marley and Me,' and guess who had to clean up that mess? ME!!!
"I said I was sorry!!" Aria defended.
Adagio gave her sister the death stare as Sonata continued to read. "Forty dollars worth of ice-cream, Aria. FORTY DOLLARS!!" she barked. her teeth were barred and she was practically frothing at the mouth.
"Point taken..." she said before returning to the paper.
Third Rule: you cannot, and I mean cannot! Drag any third party group into your stupid little war!! More preferably, me, Adagio Dazzle. Should I, Adagio Dazzle, be dragged off into any of your hairbrained schemes again, you both will be subjected to a punishment of my choosing.
Got it!?
Sign here:
Sonata Dusk
Aria Blaze
"Glad we could come to an agreement," Adagio said, slowly pulling the paper back. "Now to current affairs, Aria for your previous actions: You are to be punished."
"WHAT!? That wasn't in the document!!" Aria cried out.
In reply; Adagio held up the paper, and flipped it.
Fourth Rule: Any previous pranks that violated these rules, will be debated, and the caster: Punished.
"Well that should mean Sonata gets punished too! She had someone fly a plane with my number on it!" Aria said.
"That is true," Adagio began. "But we don't know if she used her magic for it, I can't convict her for a simple theory. For all we know, she could've been flying that plane," Adagio explained.
"What?!" Aria exclaimed.
"But you on the other hand! you broke all three rules, you used your magic on that technician, you had me become 'queen of bees' and you got me and Sonata attacked by a cat. As such, you are eligible for punishment," Adagio said with a crooked smile.
seven months, one day, and three years till 'Endgame'
"I hate you both... soooooo much..."
After the initial meeting to discuss the rules of over was finished; and Aria convicted of multiple war crimes, Adagio and Sonata went right to work to think up a suitable punishment. They thought of one all right. Aria was now supposed to present a pet seminar on how to bond with cats... while dressed as a cat... while making cat puns all the time... they also said it was going to posted on the internet
They already went through the trouble of making her the costume, and now they had her blindfolded and were driving her to the seminar.
It was a black cat costume, but they went through the trouble of making it authentic. They gave her little finger pads that were shaped to resemble claws. She had a small tail that was... let's leave it at 'it's a tail.' She had ears on the top of her head, and to top things off: Her costume was made out of actual cat hair...
Don't ask how.
"And why do I need the blindfold anyway!" she asked with an impatient tone not too different then her normal tone.
"It's supposed to feel degrading," Adagio explained from behind the wheel.
Sonata was humming a tune in the passenger seat, as if oblivious to the obvious cat-lady in the back seat.
Aria humphed before crossing her arms. Every now and again, Adagio would hit a pothole and Aria would be sent flying to the roof of the car, the cat ears didn't help with the pressure; in fact, they probably made the pain even worse.
After a few more minutes of driving, the car came to a stop. Aria could hear the doors in the front open and close, few seconds later she was pulled out, and was being guided who knows where. All she could do was remember how to walk.
Just the fact they were in public now made her want to puke. The fact she was in a cat costume didn't help that feeling.
She could hear a door opening next, then she felt something being put in her ear.
"Hey! Hey! What're you doing!" she shouted, attempting to get away from it.
"Earpiece," she heard Sonata say as she fastened it inside.
"Why?"
"We're gonna be giving you instructions to make this punishment a little more painful," she heard Adagio answer. A dark chuckle followed next.
"Perfect..."
"Ah, ah, ah! I think you meant purr-fect," Sonata corrected.
"Kill me meow."
"That's the spirit, now go in there, we'll tell you when you can't take of the blindfold," and with that, she was pushed past another door where it rudely shut behind her.
She could hear very loud cheering.
The hell...?
"Take it off," she heard the earpiece come to life, she was glad they didn't set the volume to max.
Taking off the black blindfold, she really wasn't expecting what she was going to see.
It was a freaking wrestling arena!
A large intercom sounded, and the voice sounded oh so familiar.
"In this corner! For one night only! The one, the only! Ms. Snugglebottom!!!"
The crowd started booing as her theme song filled the arena.
'This song! This f$@!#*¥ song!'
She was about to leave when the realization came in.
'They locked the freaking door, didn't they?'
With no other option but to walk forward into the ring, she did so while sulking in the most shameful way possible while the crowd continued to jeer and throw objects at her. Her plastic tail dragging across the floor in depression.
Once in the ring, she refused to look up, but instead was provided a microphone from the referee.
"We left a note in your pocket. Read it word for word," the voice in her ear instructed.
With really no other option, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a white note.
The contents made her gag.
"Hi," she began. "I am... Ms. Snugglebottom, and I've been a bad, bad kitty..." she was practically mumbling into the microphone. "And my favorite thing to do... is cuddle," the crowd began groaning. "Everyone, right now: Say your favorite scene from The Notebook!" she read from the note.
The crowd continued to boo and jeer. Some of them even resorted to chanting. "PUT HER DOWN!" None of them noticed the green mist that soon started to surround the ring.
"I have one warning to my opponent! Curiosity can't kill me!" There was a huge issue now. The crowd was constantly feeding her negative energy with all the booing. They may not know it, but they're feeding her desire to fight. And she wasn't even trying. But that wasn't the issue, the issue was that Aria was beginning to enjoy herself.
Aria crumpled up the note and threw it right at someone's face in the crowd. She then reached into her ear and pulled out the earpiece and crushed it between her index finger and thumb.
"I'm on the prowl, b#%$!*," she continued with her taunting. "I will has cheezburgur!" she raised a triumphant claw into the air as the crowd continued to feed her. Her plastic tail was wagging in excitement, the magic coursing through her giving the thing energy.
Almost as if on cue, the spotlights shut off on the ring and focused on the walkway. A dark silhouette was standing there as blaring music played, starting with a heavy beat that refused to let up. The crowd appeared to know what this meant as they began to cheer one name.
"BEOWULF! BEOWULF!"
Soon enough, the silhouette began to walk towards the ring, not really walk, more or less stride. The silhouette dived over the rope, performing a flip before landing it perfectly. The spotlight focused back on the ring, revealing this "Beowulf."
'Jesus the Christ he's big!" Aria thought as her opponent was revealed.
He was thick, his body was well muscled and his arms were like tree trunks. his face had clean black hair with scruff. He appeared to be wearing a wolf's pelt and the top half of the things head was dangling behind his shoulders. He also had a chair strapped to his back. He wore a constant smile that screamed confidence. Heck! He probably bleeds testosterone.
He looked at the mysterious cat-girl in the center of the ring with a look of confusion, then towards the crowd as if saying. "Really?" He then turned his attention back to Aria with that same smug look.
"Alright, I can get behind this," he said.
"Watch your wording there, puppy!" Aria warned. "Or else I'll have your tongue."
"Oh! Feisty, I like that," wulf boy said.
Aria replied with what can only assume to be her version of a cat hissing. Only this 'hiss' was slightly more guttural what with her being on a magic high at the moment.
"Listen here, kitty. Something tells me you got lost or something, so I'm giving you two options," Wulf began. "Either you leave through the crowd and die," he finished that sentence by posing a hand over his ear and listened to the roaring crowd demanding blood. "Or, you can leave through that walk way," he then used airplane signals to refer to the walkway Aria had came from.
"That supposed to scare me, puppy? How's about I neuter you and we can go?" Aria taunted.
"You hear that?!" he began screaming to the crowd. "Kitties got some cojones!" the crowd roared at just his voice. "Well let me warn you, kitty!, you're in the wolf's den now! Isn't that right?!" the crowd continued to cheer for him.
Aria feigned a yawn. "una-mew-sing," Aria said before going into a fake fighting pose. "Let's see if you're up to scratch!"
Beowulf accepted the challenge with a nod and got into his fighting pose. "It's time! It' time! IT'S BEOWULF TIME!!!"
####
Substantially less then two minutes later.
Aria woke up to the sound of an E.R machine beeping...
Her head was killing her, and she felt very thirsty.
"Ughhhh," she groaned.
"Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead," a familiar voice said. The voice didn't help for her headache. Sonata seemed really excited about something.
"Ugh, what happened?" she asked, refusing to get up.
"You got the ever living stuffing beaten out of you," Sonata explained, a smile on her face.
"Where's Dagi?" Aria asked.
"Right here," she heard another voice say, she turned her head slightly, with her neck protesting in response. Adagio was sitting beside her bed, examining her own nails.
"Glad to see you care... so can you explain what happened?" Aria asked, looking back at the ceiling, she didn't feel any broken bones, that was good.
"Well, lets just say it wasn't pretty, looked like a massacre from our point of view," Adagio answered.
"That bad, huh?"
Adagio simply nodded.
"Well, did I at least get a piece of that butt munch at least?" she asked.
"Oh, not even close," Adagio said.
"I wouldn't say that!" Sonata exclaimed from beside Aria's bed. She looked like her smile was tearing her face apart.
"Wait I actually got a hit in?!"
"Oh no! you got destroyed! But after the match, he actually called the ambulance for you, and left this in your pocket!" Sonata pulled up a small slip of paper, written on it was a set of numbers and some writing at the bottom.
'You may not have nine lives but I can assure you I am 287 pounds of folded steel and sex appeal! Make a call if you want to be running with with the Big Bad Wulf'
And below that was a picture of the egotistical jerk.
Six months, fourteen days, and three years till 'endgame'
The night sky was finally beginning to overtake the sun for the next twelve or so for their eternal struggle of power. No one could care how intense their battles were, but it's a long one, and it certainly won't be ending anytime soon.
The living room was dark. The only light being that of the television screen, the only form of life being Sonata, who was sinking inside the leather couch, holding a dark blue smoothie. She was flipping through channels, hoping that by some miracle something good will be on. Eventual after flipping through the entire roster of channels, she decided to input a random set of numbers and hope for the best.
Sonata stared at the TV screen, unsure if she should burst out laughing, or cower in fear at the contents of the screen. She was about to switch it again when the the door to the house opened, and in walked a new siren, Aria had stepped inside now, and her current attire was definitely... different from what she usually wore.
She was wearing a thin purple sweater with a green overcoat. Her hair was still in the normal twin pigtails. But actually looked well taken care of, instead of just being a natural mess.
She sat beside Sonata on the couch,sinking in slightly, watching the TV screen.
"What're you watching?" she asked.
"Tiny Indians..." Sonata answered.
"So... tiny."
"Yup..."
...
The sounds of the TV continued to blare as Sonata offered her candy flavored drink to Aria, who refused upon hearing it was sweet.
"Seriously why do you hate candy? Candy's delicious!" Sonata said.
"I hate that sweet crap, now sour stuff, I love that!" Aria answered.
"I can't stand sour! It makes my tongue feel sad."
...
After that was over with, silence once again became the dominant force in the room. It wasn't awkward, it was more, you're trying to think of what topic to discuss. When you've lived with the same person for over two thousand years, it gets a little hard to find such topics.
"So... how was the date?" Sonata asked from seemingly nowhere.
"Huh-wha?!" Aria blurted.
Sonata took a sip of her drink before turning back to her sister. "It was Wolfy, wasn't it?"
"Wait! How did you know?"
"Aria... I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid," Sonata answered with a knowing smile.
That really left more questions than answers
"How does that work?" Aria asked.
"I dunno..." she took another sip.
"How'd you know anyway?"
"Well... you never dress up for like, anything! You never clean your hair for like, anything! Also I heard you talking on the phone last night," Sonata said.
"... When you put it like that, I sounded really freaking obvious."
"You really were... So how was it?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Because there's nothing else to talk about and if really want to watch this, be my guest."
Aria considered her options for a second.
A second.
"It was... alright," Aria said. "It was fine. Nothing went wrong, really."
Sonata was staring at her as if she was told air was a lie.
"What?" Aria asked, becoming slightly disturbed by her sisters stare.
"In all my years, Ari! I have never heard you call anyone 'alright'!" she was still staring with those stunned eyes.
"Yeah? Okay? So what?"
"So!? You love him!!!" Sonata blurted.
"What!? No I don't!"
"Give me details! Please, please, please!" Sonata got up an started running around in excitement.
"Well. It was-"
"Hold that thought," Sonata interrupted suddenly, staring at the windowsill, her eyes were gazing at something.
Aria couldn't see what it was, but she thinks she spotted a pair of beady yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Give me a second, kay?" Sonata got up and went for the door. She quietly closed it behind her.
Then the carnage began.
####
Several minutes later
Sonata returned, but she looked... different. Her hair was wild and free flowing, it also looked to be flowing in a non existent wind, as if stuck in slow motion. Her shirt was beaten and torn, specially in the forms of large scratch marks that tore at the shirt. Her backside looked very bad, it was scratched up with a giant burn that took up her entire backside.
"Continue," she said, closing the door.
"kay...? Even though he did beat the ever living crap out of me, nothing to complain about really. I got to punch the waiter... he told how to punch him better," Aria explained.
"Yeah, yeah, but how was he?!" Sonata had thrown herself at the couch and was lying on her back now.
"Well, he was... nice. He was very humble, and chivalrous, he was just... so nice. Felt good actually, being treated like that without having to use my voice. And he wasn't boring either! He killed a shark when he was five, I rode one when I was five," Aria stopped for a moment. "Can we just... move on from this?"
Sonata gave her a large grin which oozed the term 'I knew it!' "You-"
"I don't love him!" Aria barked.
"Suuuuuuure,"
"I'm going to bed..." Aria said before getting up and heading for the steps.
"Don't worry, Ari... you're secret's safe with me," Sonata whispered with a devious smile.
One month, eighteen days, and two years until 'Endgame.'
Mornings... Aria hated mornings... a lot. The way her bones creaked and cracked with every inch of movement, the crust in her eyes, that feeling of pure exhaustion. She hated it. Then again she wasn't really an 'awake' person. She just hated mornings even more. She was sitting in the kitchen, bored, waiting for her mind to get back to working properly. The coffee would help... in time. You become resistant to it if you drink more over the years. Heck, this was probably her third cup this morning.
She was sitting by the window, watching the golden haze that was the outside world. Pure, and without air conditioning.
'Meh...' she took a sip of the bitter coffee.
She could hear footsteps behind her, she knew it could only be two things. That or a third of option of someone breaki-
'Not again!'
"Hello, sister," a cheery voiced asked from behind.
'Dammit, it's even worse!'
With a forced, toothy smile she turned around that look that screamed. 'LEAVE,' "Hello, sister."
That fake smile went away with a look of genuine curiosity when she saw what she was holding. It was a pot, the same kind you use coffee, but... it had a red liquid inside.
Her sister was wearing a white bathrobe, half open with the words '#Strongisthenewcute,' she remembers those bathrobes, she tried to get her to wear one that said. '#Peasareeasiertohug,' she told her to bug off, so she gave it to Adagio.
"I made a pot of Kool-Aid," her sister said in that cheery tone she found grating.
'I'm too old for this...'
"You don't make a pot of Kool-aid," she said.
"Well, I-I did..." Sonata answered back.
'Screw it.'
"Is it hot?" she asked.
"Maaaaybe."
"It's hot, isn't it?"
"Yeah it is! It's a pot of Kool-aid!" Sonata bounced suddenly, spilling some of the liquid on the ground.
"Hot Kool-aid?" Aria said, in an increasingly grouchy tone.
"I could put some ice in it if you want?" Sonata suggested.
"No, I'm not thirsty," Aria said as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Sister?"
"I'm not gonna drink it!!"
"I made this for you," Sonata said in a hushed, hurt tone.
"NO!"
"Drink it!"
"NO!"
"I want you to drink this!" Sonata demanded.
"I'm not gonna drink it, so shut up!"
"Drink this right now or I'll pour it on floor and blame it on you!"
'She's bluffing... she has to be.'
"Oh yeah, real mature!" Aria mocked.
Sonata's face contorted into an angry look: which looked seemingly painfully as she practically never makes one. "I MADE THIS FOR YOU!!!"
"you're what? Three thousand years old? Why don't you grow up!?"
"I DID, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" she continued to scream.
"Well, I'm not gonna drink it, so bug off!"
"I HATE YOU!"
That took Aria by surprise, she visibly flinched, clutching her coffee a little tighter. Never before did Sonata use a strong term like that. Then again, Aria uses it on a daily bases. But she couldn't even remember the last time she cursed, if she ever did.
But she couldn't back down now, she set her foot down to deep already.
"That's all I ever hear anymore. 'Sister, try this! Sister, try that!'" She started. "What you make last time?" she started snapping her fingers as if that would help remember. "Stale bread, Horseradish, and uh-"
"Whale oil," Sonata reminded.
"Right! Of course! Freaking whale oil!" Aria mocked again.
"It was a good idea," Sonata defended.
"You hospitalized three women!'
"They didn't matter, they were weak," Sonata's face turned serious as a dark cowl overtook it.
"Still not gonna drink it."
"YOU DRINK THIS RIGHT NOW!!"
"Drink your own hot Kool-aid!" Aria retorted.
"There's so much of this left! What am I supposed to do with all this hot Kool-aid?" Sonata asked, lifting up the pot.
"Drink it!"
"NO!'
"Yes!"
"NO!"
Sonata suddenly threw herself at the table, causing the contents to spill unto the floor below. Including Aria's coffee.
"Sister?' Sonata asked in a panicked hushed tone, her eyes were wild.
"WHAT!" Aria barked
"Please. Drink. My. Hot. Kool-aid," she whispered.
Aria was fed up at this point, she was practically seething. But she knew one thing. The only way Sonata would leave her alone in peace was if she abides by her will.
"Fine..." she said.
Sonata picked up one of the very few unshattered cups off the floor, and poured it out. Aria grabbed it with a heavy hand and with heavier reluctance, lifted it to her lips. The warm plastic met it, and she opened her mouth to allow the foul liquid inside. It tasted strange. Not awful, but it was definitely warm. It tasted like cherry flavored cough drops. She swallowed, allowing the red juice to fall into her gut, where it will eventually be drained of any nutrients and passed through her body.
She put the cup back down, breathing heavily as if the liquid was as thick as paint.
"Well?" Sonata asked, with wide, curious eyes.
"... It was fine... it was okay," Aria answered with an exhausted look.
...
"Thank you!" Sonata's face quickly changed back to its normal smile, before she left the kitchen, leaving the pot behind.
The silence returned inside the kitchen. She could hear the sound of the front door opening and closing.
"Freaking pyscho..." Aria mumbled. Then she shot straight up.
'She got me to follow her orders...'
Her frame of reality shattered. She just took orders from someone who couldn't even figure out how to work a remote without aid.
"What happened in here!" a new voice screamed.
Looking back, only then did she realize the mess that was created.
Broken glass scattered everywhere, the coffee machine was red and sticky with hot Kool-aid, and it was just a downright mess. But she didn't focus on that.
"Excuse me, I got to go rethink my life," Aria said, a look of shock on her eye as she got up.
"Oh no you don't! You're helping me clean this mess!" Adagio snapped.
"I don't think you heard me right, I need to rethink my life," Aria emphasized.
"Did you just backtalk me?!"
She was already gone.
Adagio was stuttering, the only words being random gibberish, she was beginning to foam. Meanwhile, Aria was laying in her bed, staring the ceiling with a blank expression.
Almost as if she had seen the darkest corners of the universe.
Nine months, twenty three days and two years until 'Endgame'
Proper stories supposed to start at the beginning... ain't so proper with this one.
Now here's the story of two girls, whose whole world got twisted upside down for one day.
I was just an average bartender, I've seen certain people. I've seen those who want to take a break from life, and those who want a good time in life. I've seen those who are down on their luck, and those who were celebrating a greatly achieved goal. I knew people by how they walked, and what they wore, those were tell-tale signs.
So come to my surprise when for once, I can't seem to pin these two young lady's who walk in.
Easy to look at, no doubt, but at my age, a relationship was the last thing I need.
They ordered two different drinks, the blue skinned one ordered something on the sweet side, something that was nutty, but the same time, creamy. Something so rich, it's brought men back from the brink for one last taste. She was as sweet as the drink.
Now the other, whoa mother, that other one. She ordered something hard hitting, and sour. Now, I've tried every drink in this ol' place, heck I made every single one of em', and what she ordered was bitter, and lasted for hours. But it's so sour, it'll perk you right up when you're feeling low. She definitely had the attitude to go with hers.
Now they go on about something, I decided to listen in, with their permission of course. They start talking about this 'war' these two were in, by the sounds of it, it was mostly a pride thing. And they go on about how their older sister had banned certain aspects of it.
Now let me tell you something.
When there are rules, people find a way around them that suits their needs. These girls were no different, they made a small... 'truce.' The blood sizzled in the flames when they made the agreement. 'What happens at home when Adagio's not around, stays at home when Adagio's not around.'
And today, she was out.
Now they went right to work on something, they knew they had only had till nightfall to get it done.
####
Adagio, was in all honesty, exhausted. All she wanted to do was relax for one day. That wasn't too much to ask for, right? She decided to try and relax in her home first,
try and imagine how well that went...
She decided to take a walk, see the sights of this new neighborhood they were now in. The locals were... strange, to say the least. They seemed very nice... too nice. It was unsettling, one of them was waving at her now! They had already made plans to move outta here A.S.A.P.
Before she knew it, she had walked for an entire hour, and she was on the outskirts of town when it started to rain, hard! So now she had to walk back an entire hour, in the cold hard rain. Her heavy clothes didn't help in the trek.
She was finally outside her own home now, her hair was soaking, and her skin was shining a little when the porch light reflected off the water on her skin.
She didn't bother knocking, it was her house anyway, and it was already unlocked. She walked right in.
*click*
'What was that?'
*tink*
'Seriously, what is that?'
*Ptang*
Something moved out of the corner of Adagio's eye. It looked like a little ball, it had just escaped from a tin can that tipped over.
*Clank*
The ball had knocked over a metal bar and it was now riding down it.
*Crash*
It pushed down a bowling ball at the apex of its descent which knocked down a pile of dominoes before rolling away from a line of the things.
*Clunk*
The dominoes now knocked down a wood plank which launched something in the air.
*POW*
Adagio's ears started ringing as she heard a gunshot, A GUNSHOT! Turned out that something that flew threw the air landed on a pressure plate that tugged a string which pulled the trigger of a loaded pistol.
'When did we get that!?'
The bullet had hit a bulls-eye on the other side of the room, and she could hear the sound of rushing air next.
She then saw a small pink... thing was slowly growing in size right beside her. First to the size of a thumb, then quickly to a head, and then a watermelon. It only increased in size as Adagio backed off away from it. But the size of the thing continued to grow. It took her a second to realize what it was.
A giant wad of gum!
And it only continued to grow in size!
It was touching the roof now, and it looked as if it were stretching. Meaning only one thing!
Her screams were drowned out as she tried to push it away.
*POP*
####
Now, if you were to walk into their house, whether it be to visit, or for other... unclean motives, you would've seen the walls were coated in pink. Maybe a little slimy too. With a lone figure standing in the center, covered in pink as well. The only thing showing was her eyes, and they were furrowed in nothing but anger and rage. I can assure, you would've left in a hurry.
I may not have seen it, but I laugh at the simple image of it.
Now, to those two gals, that sight was something to tremble too.
####
Adagio was steaming, but because of the gum that didn't allow any air to break through, she was being cooked alive. She burst through the gum in a fit of rage, breaking through with her arms and taking in a breath of air. But she was still covered in the sticky material.
She could hear wet splotches as she saw a figure slowly approach her.
"Dagi? You okay?" it said timidly.
Didn't take a genius to realize it was Sonata.
"Oh yeah... I'm absolutely livid!" she seethed.
"I-I'm sorry," Sonata said.
"Rule number three! Say it!" Adagio demanded.
Sonata's head went low. "Quote. 'You cannot, and I mean cannot, drag I, Adagio Dazzle, into any of your hair-brained schemes.' End quote."
"Right! So what's going to happen, is I'm going to go and shower this muck off me before it hardens, and when I get back, all of this better be cleaned up, or else!" she let those last words sink in.
"O-Or else what?" Sonata asked, a worried look in place.
"I don't think you wanna find out..." and with that, she headed for the stairs.
She set one foot on the first rise when.
*Click*
'Not again!'
####
Now who here bets on what's gonna happen next?
####
She felt a chair push from behind as she unexpectedly took a seat.
She could feel it rising up the steps at breakneck speeds when it came to a full stop. This effectively flung her forward
The door leading to the master bedroom was wide open, and she could see a wide array of mechanical arms... menacingly holding scissors.
Once through the doors, she saw the scissors dive right for her.
She closed her eyes expecting unimaginable pain, but instead, they brushed right past her.
Once on her feet again, she felt... lighter. Then she realized the scissors did cut something... her clothes. She was now naked, save forthe fact there was bubblegum on her hair and face... that was it, eerything else was pure skin, and a pair of revealing panties.
"AHH!!!"
*Click*
Before she could cover herself, she heard a camera shutter. Then she was splashed with water which was daintily hanging from right above her. Across from the room was a digital camera, and it was wired to a computer.
After recovering from the initial shock, she went over to the camera to see what exactly it had shown.
Turned out the computer was doing that for her, she was bare open, and next to her picture was a little bar which read.
'Uploaded 100%'
She could then see the closet door open, and out walked Aria, a shocked expression on her face as she had a hand covering her mouth.
"Oh my god!" she muttered.
"Don't say anything! I have had a long day! And all I wanted was to finish it with a nice warm shower, but nooooo! You two idiots ruined that too!" she wasn't letting up. "All because of this stupid war you have going on! I mean, what the hell is the matter with you two!"
"Uh... Adagio?"
"I don't want to hear it! I'm gonna try and savor whatever time I have left, you better be out of my room when I get back, or else!" she warned through gritted teeth.
"Or else what?"
"YOU DON'T WANNA KNOW!!" she barked. She then left her room, and made way for the bathroom.
Aria stood there, dumbfounded. Sure, she got mad at them, but that time... Jesus. And it would only get worse... much worse.
Sonata poked her head from the door frame and looked at Aria.
"You okay?" she asked timidly.
"Yeah... I'm fine..." she was still staring. "So what'd you do?"
"I covered the living room in bubblegum... and her. What'd you do?"
"I posted a picture of her naked onto the internet... and I may have..." she hesitated.
"Yeah?"
"I sort of..."
"Sort of?"
"Dumped her with hair remover."
Sonata stared at her soon-to-be-deceased sister.
"You dead."
"Should we.. you know? Get out of here before she snaps in there?" Aria asked.
Sonata made a motion with her arms, signalling Aria to pass. "Lady's first," she said.
"*Hmph* Lady? You must have me confused for someone else, clutz," she said, walking to the steps, and later the door.
####
"So what'ya waiting for exactly?" I ask them.
The sweet one answered first. with a slightly higher octave in her voice, she looked tired. As if struggling to stay up. "*Hic* Dunno..." she said.
"Yeah, we're kinda just waiting for a sign that she... you know," the other made a circle with her finger motion near her head.
"Ahh, I see," I nod. "So how long do ya reckon that'll take?" I ask.
Then I heard something. I didn't know what at first, but after a little time, I figure it out.
I look at the two of them. Now they look like they heard death coming for em'. Probably is.
"Could we... stay here for a bit? Just till she calms down a little, please?" the purple one asked.
The sweet one fell asleep somehow, she was leaning against her older sister now.
"Girl, with the trouble you stowed, she's gonna sniff you out," I say jovially.
####
Meanwhile, in an alternate universe.
Twilight had just dipped her quill into the ink pot, ready to write a new sentence before it inevitably dried up, forcing her to re-dab it. She decided to quickly read what she had wrote. To check for any mistakes, unlikely, but it wouldn't hurt to check.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned-
Something snapped her attention out of focus, and her ears swiveled in all directions.
She could hear something, but she couldn't tell where! It was faint, no different then a squeaking mouse. But then it quickly picked up. Something... angry, something that demanded blood!
Five months, nineteen days, and two years until 'Endgame'
Over a cliffs edge, two girls stood near it, staring off towards the sunset, as if expecting the end of days. They wore faces of determination.
"We both broke the rules at the same time." Aria began.
"Does that mean none of us get punished?" Sonata asked.
Aria shook her head. "No... it cant possibly be that."
"No it doesn't," a voice said from behind. "It means you both get punished," it said. It belonged to their eldest sister, who was currently wearing a large hat to cover up the... incident.
It was a large white hat with a red center where your head goes. It also had a large white eye on the front, surrounded at the tip with black feathers. On the eye was a strange looking symbol.
It had even come with a black and red umbrella.
"Well?" Aria said. "What is it?"
Adagio had stepped to the side, revealing a large vat, inside was a thick liquid that looked freezing.
"Inside this are four objects, you two are going to dunk your heads in, and pull one of those things out with your teeth. Whatever you pull out decides your punishment," she explained.
"Sounds... easy?" Sonata had said, staring at the strange vat.
"Just do it. You go first, Aria," Adagio said while pointing at it.
Aria stepped forward and stared the strange liquid.
"Well, here goes nothing," and with a large intake of breath, she dumped her head inside.
The liquid was freezing, as if it were left in a freezer but never turned to ice. And considering she was in the warm outside world, the sudden shocked drove her mind mad for a second.
But she had a mission. Immediately going to work, she opened her mouth and tried to feel around with her head to at least find something. She could feel a heavy object hit her forehead, it seemed to be shaped like a square, meaning she wouldn't be able to get a grip with her teeth, she continued with little breath. She felt something brush past her nose, and with the reflexes of a snapping turtle, she bit down on it, and pulled it out.
Once her head started to dry, she spat out the object and took in some air. Opening her eyes, she could see it laying in the grass.
It was a phone casing.
'What's that mean?' she wondered.
Adagio took a second to look, and then turned to Sonata.
"Your turn, little sister," she said. Her tone was emotionless.
Aria moved out of the way, and allowed Sonata to place her hands on the rim of the container before she did the same as her sister before-hand.
She went by quicker, apparently latching to the first thing she found, picking it off her teeth with her hand, she revealed it to be a soggy piece of paper.
Neither of them knew what the two objects meant, but it was all the information Adagio needed.
With a quick nod, she motioned her hand for them to follow.
They drove off later, and returned home where Adagio would make the necessary preparations.
####
Sonata had no idea how she ended up in this new area, she was blindfolded for one thing. But the area smelled of strong ink and the sound of tiny machines filled the air.
Aria was left at home.
She could feel hands pushing her deeper inside. Less then a minute later, she was seated down, and the blindfold was removed.
Adagio was sitting in front of her, and next to her was the most hideous human she had seen yet.
She looked like a dinosaur made out of melted pug dogs!
She screamed in fear and backed off a few feet, stumbling onto a chair that was behind her.
Beside Adagio was a turning wheel labeled "The Wheel of Pain!"
"Welcome, Sonata,' Adagio said, with a dark smirk on her face, hat still in place. "Listen, I'm not sugar-coating it, you're getting piercings whether you want em or not," she said.
Sonata was still confused, and that showed on her face.
Adagio was forced to explain further. "Just spin the wheel three times, and hope for the best," she finished.
Sonata took another look at the wheel, and it see could see multiple options.
'Left Ear'
"Right Ear'
'Tongue'
'Right Nostril'
'Left Nostril'
'Belly Button'
'Little Nata'
'Lower Lip'
'Upper Lip'
'Eyebrows'
'Surprise Tattoo!'
'My Choice'
That one was written three times on the wheel.
Several of them scared her, but the ones that caught her eye, really terrified her.
Especially 'Little Nata'
She took a deep breath, and approached the wheel. She wouldn't say a word, she wouldn't give her that pleasure. She placed one hand on the rim.
And spun it as hard as she could.
She doesn't know why humans always have that instinct. You see a wheel, and you spin it with all your might. Is it because they like to watch it spin? Do they think that if they spin it hard enough something good will happen?
She just watch as the spike continued to slow its movement, it continued to slow down as it made that continues clicking noise when it touches the little bar.
She could see it slow to the point she could predict where it would land.
'Belly Button'
One above 'Little Nata'
She exhaled the breath she was holding for the duration of the spin.
"Oh, how unfortunate," Adagio clapped her hands together. "Whelp, let's not waste anytime! Ink Skin, get to work," she said.
She felt a hand lift her shirt just slightly below the chest.
She knew who it was and all she could think was. 'What is that? Why is it touching me?'
"Take a deep breath, Sonata" Adagio sang, a dastardly smile on her face.
She could feel the hand push together a flap of skin, and then she felt the needle go through. It hurt, and she made the face of someone who had just eaten a jellyfish sandwich. No sound came out of her oval shaped mouth as she couldn't find the air in her lungs to do so.
It became less intense and simply stung a great deal, but still mercy compared to before hand. She looked down below and saw that just above her belly button was a shiny little knob. There was a tiny chain next to it, and it attached itself to one word.
"Sexy"
Adagio was diabolically laughing as Sonata stared at her new attachment, wide eyed.
"Well then, 'sexy,' ready to go again?"
Sonata started to stutter her words as she continuously referred to the woman, the wheel, and Adagio.
"Say goodbye to something, cause its getting pierced!" Adagio cackled.
With no other choice, Sonata wordlessly spun it again.
The rapid clicking noises were driving her insane. Too insane, some would say!
Eventually it slowed to a full stop, and it made her dread.
'My Choice'
"Ohhh! Yay for me!" Adagio waved her hand for the woman to come closer. She then started to whisper as loud as she could. "By any chance, do you have those piercings that stick to the back of the person's neck?" at the mention of that, she looked at her sister; mischief and pure evil in her eyes.
The woman nodded.
"I pick that one!" she said.
The two followed the woman to a different room with a lay-back chair in it. The woman directed Sonata to lie down on the chair, her back facing the ceiling.
She turned to her eldest sister, a saddened look on her face.
"Do I have too?" she asked. With her years on this earth, she managed many ways of perfecting certain tones in her voice to swindle anyone to her favor without her magic, being a siren helps with that too.
Shame it doesn't work on her sisters.
"I found a piece of gum behind my eyelid yesterday..." Adagio dead-panned.
Sonata looked at the ground and slumped her way towards the chair.
After making sure she was comfortable, the woman went to work. She pinched together a piece of skin, and using a pen, marked a little black dot on one side. Sonata flinched at first, thinking that was a needle, and she thought it was.
'Maybe this one won't be so ba-OWWWWWWWWWWWWWW'
Her thoughts were cut off as she felt something pierce her flesh, it hurt quite a large bit as she was now biting down on the chair, holding onto it with as much force as her hands could put on it.
This went on for another few minutes as the woman put two more of these things inside her. She was darn near ready to tear off the headrest and throw it at the woman when she stopped.
she could her a simulated click as Adagio went to her side, showing her a picture of what had just happened.
Her skin on the back of her neck was purple now as there now a total of three piercings on her neck in the shape of a triangle.
She felt faint. And the worst part was she still needed to go through one more.
Leading her back into the room, with that same wheel.
No words were exchanged this time, Adagio was staring at her with malicious intent, and the woman just looked uninterested.
Sonata was terrified out of her wits, but this was a punishment, and she signed the contract. She had to this whether she liked it or not.
With a final spin, she watched with bated breath as the Wheel of Pain spun in its continues loop.
It slowed and slowed, but it seemed to never step, waiting for Sonata to knock herself out at this rate.
But the waiting ended, it was over and done, and Sonata was to go through with her final trial.
'Surprise Tattoo!'
Adagio was bouncing up and down clapping her hands together.
After Sonata was finished staring off into space with glassy eyes, the woman led the both of them into a new room. The smell of ink grew stronger. They were both kinda surprised it could get stronger, considering the woman reeked of the stuff.
The the two sisters had clear contrasting facial expressions as the woman motioned for Sonata to sit down on another chair. After Sonata leaned to her back, she looked forward to see the woman and Adagio were discussing something in the middle of the room. Sonata couldn't hear them from where she was. Every now and again, Adagio would turn to face her and give a large, crooked smile.
She was considering making a a break for it again when the woman and Dagi broke huddle.
Adagio approached her, making the walk slow and intimidating. "We decided," she said.
"On what?" Sonata asked, backing into her seat slightly.
"Oh no, I'm not telling you. It's a surprise," she menacingly whispered.
She had apparently come prepared as well, next thing Sonata knows, she was blindfolded.
She personally hated that, that feeling of being unaware. She knew she was in a... somewhat safe room. but there's always that nagging feeling of 'what if?'
She waited for a few minutes in the blackness. She could hear the shuffling of feet, and nothing else. She was terrified, mainly because she didn't like pain in general... or tattoos. She was about to take off the blindfold when she heard a noise that would make the manliest of men shriek like a pack of girly girls.
Then came the stinging.
Now, when it comes to Sonata, or the other sirens in general. They know pain. The ocean here on earth is unforgiving and cruel.
In Equestria, it was only worse. The creatures were something to tremble before, and it took some stubborn pride to live there. But this pain... it felt as if she were being electrocuted in the area that needle was. She should know, she's been electrocuted before by some strange creatures. The pain was one thing, the thing that made it a nightmare was not knowing what it was.
She let out a small yelp of pain, she ripped off the armrest, and brought it her mouth where she bit down. She didn't want to appear weak in front of this... thing, she feels it could smell weakness. Her teeth actually met each other after some time. The look on Adagio's face simmered down slightly... but only slightly.
This continued for some time. That feeling of time slowing amplified. It appeared to be hours when it very well could have been minutes.
But her dedication paid off... somewhat. The pain was still numbing and felt as if it would stay for a couple days. Her leg would probably be red for more than that.
Sonata couldn't get a view of the tattoo before the woman wrapped it in a bandage.
After speaking with the woman for a few more minutes, Adagio led Sonata to the back, handing her a bag with clothes in it.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Part of your punishment," was Adagio's only response. "Meet me in the front of the store when you finish," she said before leaving through the entry way.
Sonata was... unsure, to say the least. She didn't want to, but she had to. Entering the changing room; she survived this far, how much worse could it get?
####
Much worse.
The outside world was definitely unprepared for the duo that stood outside the tattoo/piercing store.
One of them was a curvy, bald woman wearing a very strange hat.
The other was a very robust woman wearing... probably only two pieces of clothing. One thing that barely covered her top half, and shorts that barely pass as underwear.
It was humiliating. It exposed her brand new piercings, and on her leg was a large bandage covering up her new ink. Funny thing is: she doesn't even know what it is.
She heard the sound of he sister clasping her hands together. "You ready to see it?" she asked.
"I don't wanna..." Sonata said.
"Well you're gonna," Adagio replied, she crouched down and put her fingers between the bandage and skin. Ready to lift it off. "Want a countdown?"
"Please?"
"Alright." Adagio tightened her grip on the bandage. "Ten, ni- three, two, one, go!"
The interruption startled Sonata, the fact her sister simply tore off the bandage didn't really help either. With a quick yelp of pain, she saw a mass of black ink on her leg, at first she couldn't make it out, then the haze cleared.
Her pale blue skin seemed to only help make this new brand even more eligible. On her leg was an initial set of words.
'I asked my sister out when I was 21'
And below that was a very... artistic rendition of grouchy siren.
Just when she though certain memories were banished to deepest recesses off her mind, they were ripped open like bad stitches.
"Ah, I loved the seventies..." Adagio purred.
Sonata was on her knees making the sound of a sad ghost.
"We're not done yet," her sister mused.
"There's more?" she whispered.
"Yep!" Adagio reached into her pocket.
Sonata was just about ready for something worse then what the collective minds of tartarus could think of.
Then her sister pulled out a small note. That's it. A tiny, insignificant, folded note.
She handed it to her sister, and walked for the car they drove here with.
Sonata instinctively followed, not bothering to read the note just yet. She pulled the handle when something unexpected happened.
The door refused to open.
Adagio gave her a disappointing look. "Read the note, the last part of your punishment is to walk home," Adagio explained.
"Wait, what's on the note?" Sonata asked, pulling it closer to her.
"Directions to home," she answered. "So long, idiot," the engine started up and the car pulled into the street.
Took Sonata a bit to process what had just occurred. Then she remembered the note. She unfolded it and read contents.
The sad ghost returned.
'Follow the car, idiot!'
She looked up again, only to see the car she arrived in was long gone. No way she could run to it now.
With a sigh of defeat, she got up, and began what she knew was gonna be a long trek home.
She could practically feel the judging eyes of the humans she passed. With her new clothes, the piercings, and the tattoo. She looked like every mothers worst nightmare. She looked down, hoping to not meet their disproving gazes.
Just when she passed an alley, she swore she heard something.
Something that sounded like a strange version of cackling.
She looked down there and was surprised to not only see darkness.
But ,IT, standing on a trash lid.
Her eyes narrowed, and if looks could kill, that thing would be decomposing at this rate.
"So we meet again..." she whispered.
"Myeee, that we do..." It said while rising to its two hind legs, accidentally putting too much pressure on one foot and losing balance. "Myeee, You'll regret crossing me, myeee"
"We'll just see about that," Sonata warned, assuming a fighting stance.
####
*Click*
...
*Click*
*Click*
That feeling of boredom you get when there's nothing to do... yeah. Aria was experiencing that right about now. Adagio and Sonata were out undergoing the punishment while they left her here. They had scheduled hers a week from today. So there' s that she has to look forward too.
Right now, she was sitting in the living room clicking away at the TV screen. She decided to try something after she exhausted all the channels.
She decided to shrug it off and stay with whatever she got.
Then she perked up.
'Why am I getting this feeling of deja-'
before she finished that thought, she quickly turned her head to the front door.
She waited for a moment, as if expecting something. She sat there with bated breath. Expecting the doors to fly open and something to launch in.
After nothing happened, she slowly turned her head around to face the television. Her eyes slightly squinted as they refused to turn away.
With a sigh of relief, she gave in the staring contest and focused her attention back on the TV.
Then the door opened.
Mentally face-palming, she turning to greet her sisters. Or more rather sister.
That didn't seem right. She remembered back to that morning. She remembered her morning step-by-step.
She woke up, got ready, had breakfast.
Oh, and Adagio led Sonata outside with a blindfold.
"Where's Tweedledum?" she asked, focusing on the TV again.
"Oh, don't you worry, she'll be back soon," Adagio said, heading upstairs, and back to her room.
The door closed, and the silent buzz of the TV resumed.
Aria shrugged her shoulders and resumed watching the TV.
'... Hold on a sec?'
*CRASH!!!*
The roof suddenly caved in, and in dropped a body. First it was a small, pale-blue blur. It stopped right in the middle of the living room floor before turning its head to greet Aria.
"Hi..." It says. She was messed up pretty badly to put it plain.
Her clothes were practically gone, revealing small, torn up areas that revealed pink cloth. Her skin was reddish and there were quite a few cuts and scraps over her body. She had a scar on her upper lip, and bits of her hair were ripped off.
"You... okay?" Aria asked, leaning in slightly.
"Yeah..." she said, making a strange motion with her arms as she got up. Kinda like she was covering her leg.
"Okay...? I just don't think it's a good idea to get home all... mauled," she said. "So what happened?"
"I won..." was all she said.
"Okay... don't know what that mea- what is that!?" her eyes focused on Sonata's leg where she saw the new tattoo. "What the hell is that!" her face looked distraught. Then she noticed that her sisters skin reflected some light from the hole in the ceiling. "Holy Jesus, what happened?"
Sonata had turned beet red and was now curling herself into a ball on the floor, trying her hardest to cover the offending image.
"Did you see it?!" Adagio called out from her room.
"I thought we agreed to forget about that!" Aria shouted back.
Adagio's laughter filled the air. "I loved the seventies!"
five months, eleven days, and three years until 'Endgame'
It's been one week! Hooray! Now it's endure time to endure Aria's hell Perfect...
So how come she wasn't blindfolded yet?
All three of them woke up, they announced today to be the day Aria would get punished, then they all got in the car.
There was a surprising lack of the color black in Aria's opinion, she wasn't complaining. She just found it strange is all.
She didn't like it, though. It made things too... tricky to decipher, she wouldn't be able to tell friend from foe. At least blind folded she wouldn't see it coming. But like this, it could be just about anything.
She decided to try and think about something less uneasy.
For instance, why was Sonata in the passenger seat and Aria in the back?!
Questions for later...
What's more important is the fact she had never see this part of the town before. Weirder still was all the signs everywhere. They looked like advertisements for a circus. They had little arrows pointing in certain directions.
Now that she thinks about, they were following those signs...
'Oh boy...'
She looked at the signs again, making sure to read them word for word. Hoping that by some force of nature, she was never mentioned.
It proved difficult when you're in a moving car, but easy enough since the words were in bold letters. But nothing, no mention, she wasn't on a sign or anything. Just the regular cast of whoever was in the original act.
She let go of a breath, but that really only made more questions.
'If I'm not part of the act, why are we going there?'
She waited the rest of the trip in silence. Hoping that nature would answer her with a sign. Too bad they were as vague as ever.
She noticed the car had slowed down, and they were by a large building. The entrance had ticket gates. Adagio was cursing to herself when no parking spots were available. Heck, she couldn't even steal the handicap parking. By some sliver of luck, though, they were able to find a spot that rested towards the back of the parking lot.
For good reason too. It was right between two trucks whose manufacturers had no idea of the definition, 'less is more.'
Someway, somehow, they manage to park right between them.
Now there was a new challenge.
How were they gonna open the doors?
Adagio whispered something under her breath before opening her door with all her might.
Since she's a magically infused being from a magical world where even the inhabitant can break your spine. It came to no surprise the trucks door dented.
Well... dented is such a weak word... perhaps 'unhinged' is more appropriate.
Her sisters did the same, not wanting to waste much time in getting out.
Stepping outside, something was off. Their outward appearances were... different.
Adagio's hair had started to grow back, although her hair can grow faster, it was still just a small frizz. Even when it does fully grow back, she decided to keep the hat anyway.
Sonata wore more thick clothing as of now, as well as knee socks when in public for obvious reasons.
Aria was just... Aria
They walked to the building in the same triangular formation like always. The line was long, but because of that...
Let's just say they got a quick bite to eat, and found themselves inside in no time.
Adagio knew where they were going, leaving the other two to follow behind.
The building appeared to simply be a circular hall with multiple doors everywhere. It seemed to never end.
Adagio had stopped suddenly by a set of doors with the numbers '0451' hanging above, and stopped.
Aria assumed she was meant to ask. "So, what're we doing here, exactly?" she said with a bored expression. However, this one was mostly a front.
"Nothing," she said. "Just enjoy the show..." she opened the door for the two of them to enter. Sonata had gone in first, but just before Aria could get through, Adagio had slammed the door shut, mere millimeters from her nose.
"Ugh, what now?" she asked in an overly exhausted manner.
"I forgot to mention one thing," Adagio began, speaking in that exaggeratedly innocent tone that screamed trouble.
"And that would be?" Aria said, crossing her arms. Her expression hardly wavered.
"Well, I assume you know where we are, right?" she asked.
"From the signs over here, there, and right behind you, a circus act," Aria answered.
"Exactly! Good to see you're observant. Now, back to business. The ringleader is gonna need a volunteer later, I'm sure you can guess who's that gonna be?"
"Oh god..." Aria's head went low as she did a silent face palm.
"That's the spirit, now let's have a seat," Adagio opened the door, and motioned for her sister to enter first.
Aria walked in, her mad facial expression growing by the second. Anyone sitting closest to the steps that led to the main stage immediately sat a seat away as the disgruntled girl continued forward.
She saw a hand wave for her, and saw Sonata waving at them from the front row with a large smile.
She sighed and continued forward.
After taking her seat, Adagio squeezing through so she was in the middle. she simply had to wait for the show to start.
This was a really weird feeling for the three of them. For all they time being on this earth, very rarely were they in the audience. Normally they were the ones who were performing. So this was a definite change of pace.
Now, as horrible as these humans were, if there was one thing they knew what to do.
It was to mimic.
How else did they survive all these years? They weren't particularly strong enough to overpower a lion. That's where they grew a brain.
'How do you improve claws that were made to tear, and hook?'
A human would answer 'You make our own.'
Even to something as simple as a car, remember that the inspiration for that, was just four legs.
To the three sisters in the audience, that was the only respectable thing these humans had.
So imagine they're surprise when they saw them mimic magic for the first time...
Now this wasn't their first magic show, and there were greatly disappointed when they found out it wasn't the real deal. But they learned to move on from the humans most offensive form of mimicry, and simply decided to enjoy the show.
As mundane as it was to them.
Some things were... mildly interesting, such as the sword swallowing, and knife throwing, whoever these people were had nerves of steel. And even lighter hands.
After this went on for another half hour, then lights dimmed before a spotlight revealed a girl in the center of the stage, no older than fifteen.
She had medium length blonde hair that held in a short pony tail, with braided pigtails that hung by her neck. The ends of them had orange feathers. Strangest part was her eyes. They were green, but her pupils looked as if they were swirling. She wore green shorts, and an orange sleeveless tank-top that had side straps. Her back had two long blue ribbons that trailed her feet. She was always smiling.
She spoke with a very upbeat tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?" she was definitely charismatic, for the entire stadium went dead silent. "Thank you, now. The hardest thing for a knife-thrower, is popping balloons. Sooo, that's why I made this brand new stunt tonight that I want to try for the very first time! Anyone care to join?"
Aria's life flashed. She was to trust her life to this... infant!
She refused, she wasn't gonna do anything, anything could be better than being STABBED by a little girl!
"She would!" Aria felt her arms suddenly forced into the air as Adagio and Sonata raised them both high into the air.
"Got her!" the performer exclaimed.
The audience laughed and cheered at Aria's misfortune.
'Nope, nope, nope, so much nope!'
She tried her hardest to sink into her seat, but alas, that girl came down, and grabbed hold of her arm, and dragged her onstage.
The girl had a little pep to her step as she made her way to a darkened part of the stage. The spotlight followed her as a second one turned on to illuminate Aria. She was now standing next a curtain that was supported by... something.
"Now I like to call this little stunt, 'The Wheel of Doom!'
Sonata shivered slightly in the crowd.
'Oh... is gonna be one of those days...'
The girl unraveled the curtain to reveal a giant wheel, with balloons strapped to it in the basic shape of a human silhouette.
She came to Aria's side and grabbed her hands, where she started to tug her closer to the device.
Once Aria was only a few feet away from it, she snapped.
"STOP TOUCHING ME!" she snapped, forcing her arms away from the girl.
"Ohhh, someone's a little grumpy! Maybe you just need a hand. COME ON EVERYONE, LET'S GIVE HER A BOOST!" she yelled. She then started to jump around Aria as she chanted three words. "WHEEL OF DOOM! WHEEL OF DOOM!"
The crowd followed along, cheering at the same pace as the girl.
Now she felt intimidated, even her sisters! Never before have they turned people into mindless slaves that quickly, with the three of them! This one girl did it in record time! And it wasn't negative energy, either, so they wouldn't get anything out of this.
"Okie-dokie, I promise this will be quick," the girl assured.
"I somehow doubt that..." she grumbled.
Aria was now standing in front of the device, trying to figure out what to do. She saw small handles which she assumed she was supposed to latch too.
With a deep breath, she set her back against the wheel, and grabbed the handles.
"Ready?" the girl asked.
"No,"
"Sorry, but the show must go one," and before Aria could blink, she flicked her wrist, and five knives somehow stacked behind her hands unfurled.
Now Aria's vision was a blur as she saw the girls feet, then her face, then her feet, then her face.
Then she heard popping, and could feel very quick bursts of rushing air at her sides. She knew what this meant, she could just barely see the girl make a flicking motion as her knives continued to disappear.
She was now screaming externally in a perfect falsetto as the nightmare continued.
The audience was laughing along with this. Now only at how loud Aria was screaming, but also at how high it was.
Even her so called 'sisters' were surprised at how Aria was taking this.
And the one thing that terrified her the most, was how she knew for a fact that this would end up on the internet. Right now, though, she was worried one of the knives would make a nice and comfy home in her knee.
The popping had stopped, and she could just barely see the girl run to the side of wheel, and slowed it down. She moved it so Aria would land on her feet.
Aria propped down from the wheel, she was breathing heavily, and attempted to stand upright. Her balance toppled over and she immediately fell to her knees and would've fallen on her side too if the girl hadn't tried to help her up. Using the girl's head to push herself up, she suddenly found herself stumbling forward towards one of the signs.
Thankfully, she managed to put her arms in front of her fast enough to prevent herself from joining this freak show.
She was doubled over and felt as if she were going to vomit. If she was, she knew on who. She felt a warm hand pat her back as the girl's face lowered next to hers.
"You did great! I'm sorry I didn't ask before, but, what's your name?" she asked.
"A-Aria," by simply speaking, she initiated a gag reflex.
She suddenly felt herself standing upright as her hand was lifted again.
"GIVE A BIG HAND FOR, A-ARIA!" the girl cheered.
The crowd started to applaud while Aria wanted nothing more than a doggy-bag.
When the girl let go of her to head backstage, Aria's legs felt wobbly.
"If you excuse me, I think I'm gonna pass out now..." she said, before falling backwards. Her head slammed against the wood, and her vision was in a slight haze. She could see swirls which slowly took form of a devilish smile looking down on her.
Then she realized it was Adagio.
"W-What are you smiling about?" she was downright exhausted, and it showed in her eyes. As well as her voice.
Adagio only brought up a small remote with a button at the top.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Take a look at the wheel," she purred.
Aria let her head flop to the side before she saw the source of her torment.
There were bits of rubber and the handles. That's it.
"Huh? Why aren't there any knives in it?" she asked, her eyes drifting.
"There were no knives, idiot. I rigged the balloons to explode." she started to wave the remote slightly.
It took a second in Aria's drowsy mind to respond to the news. "No knives?"
"No knives."
"I hate you... soooooo much." she went silent for a second. "... Can we go home now, please?"
Adagio chuckled slightly, "Alright, fine," she lifted Aria by the arm, and had her lean on Adagio's shoulder. Once downstage, Sonata made sure her other arm was wrapped around her too.
The crowd continued to cheer for Aria's 'Bravery' while all she could do was mutter curses to them.
Shame that the Dazzlings weren't 'most families,' they spent time together, but they treated more as a necessity then to actually spend quality time.
Still, they at least try to spend time with each other. Sometimes they even learn an extra thing or two. That or they argue about differences in opinion. But that's what siblings do.
Adagio's hair was now at it's apex, that hat she liked to wear was in her room, awaiting use. She was laying on the couch, taking all of the space.
Aria was on a fat chair that was stiff as a board.
Sonata was sitting on a leather rocking chair that gave the effect of eating her.
All the lights were out, and it was night. The only form of light was the blue spectrum light of the TV, and they stared at it, finding mild interest in their favorite show to watch together. Their eyes gave the illusion of sticking together whenever they blinked, and they looked groggy. This was a typical Friday at this rate.
They were watching as a cliffhanger begun and it made the announcement for commercials.
"WE WILL RETURN TO CELEBRITY UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING AFTER THESE MESSAGES!!!"
Commercials were... commercials really. They were pointless ads that served no purpose but to pay the channels that broadcast their shows.
Once such commercial started off with a bit of static and then a black screen with a red heart in the middle. It seemed... low grade.
Then a picture started to fade into the background. It started out as a simple silhouette. Details slowly began to come in as the picture got brighter.
"WHAT!!" Aria screamed, sitting bolt upright.
The background had fully colored itself, revealing it to be Aria. The heart was now where her chest is as a voice began to narrate the commercial.
It was Sonata's voice...
"People of the world, time to put the rumors at rest: Aria Blaze is single and looking for love,"
"No..." Aria muttered.
Adagio had a hand over her mouth, a large open smile behind it. She was silently laughing.
Sonata was still sinking into the couch, but her face looked as if a master plan was unfolding.
The TV continued to speak.
"Sure, you may have seen her around, walking about, trying her best to act all mean and tough. But in truth, she's a puppy dog at heart."
"No." Aria said, slightly louder this time.
Adagio was giving off muffled laughter that gave the impression of choking.
"She loves all the standard things: Long walks on the beach, brushing her hair, fun parties, and romantic picnics with cheese."
"NO!
"Do you think you have what it takes to tame the heart of this lone warrior? Call this toll-free number on-screen. Will you be her greatest adventure?" After that sentence was finished, it showed a picture of Sonata's tattoo, and to it's right, in white text was Aria's number. Sappy music began to play in the background.
"NOT AGAIN!" Aria screamed, standing up. "NO, GOD PLEASE NO!! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she put her arms in front of herself in a calming manner. "This isn't happening! I'm just gonna wake up and poof! It'll be over!"
Adagio held her hand in front of her face. One digit extended.
Aria suddenly lunged herself at Sonata, arms extended and twitching. Sonata managed to stop her with an extended foot, Aria's fingers nearly at her eyes.
"YOU STUPID IDIOT! WHAT PART OF THIS SEEMED SOOO FUNNY TO YOU! HUH!? HUH!?"
Adagio extended her second finger.
"Okay, no... maybe this is a sign, maybe I just gotta be nicer, maybe that will make things right. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!?" she screamed at the air.
Adagio extended a third digit.
"Why did you do this?" she sat back down on her seat, her hands covering her face. "I thought we were sisters..." her voice was hollow.
Fourth digit.
"Okay... okay, this isn't a big deal, I just need to power through this, everything will be fine. I just gotta power through..." Aria was taking deep breaths. "This is just the one channel, right?"
"Nope," Sonata pipped, putting emphasis on the P.
"How many?"
"...All of them," she was grinning.
"Why aren't I getting calls y-"
*Ring*
"Goddammit..."
She extended her hand to her back pocket, and pulled her phone out.
As expected, it was an unknown caller.
She accepted the call, she wasn't sure why, she just had to know.
"Hello? Hell..o?"
She heard an all too familiar voice answer her.
"Hello again."
"NO! SCREW YOU! SCREW YOU!" she tossed the phone straight out the window where it landed in the front lawn. "VETE AL DIABLO YOU SONS OF B@#$%!*!!!"
Adagio had rolled off the couch and was struggling to breath between her laughs. All the way to the point where her laughs were silent with the lack of air.
Aria had stormed up the stairs, screaming in frustration as her phone continued to ring on their front lawn.
Adagio was struggling to breath, her laughing coming in short wheezes at this point.
Sonata had gotten off the couch, an impression left behind on it, and left for her room.
She had put on a green dress that extended to her thighs, and a bright yellow star on the center of her chest.
She was about to go to sleep when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," she said.
The door opened and in walked Adagio. She sat down on the bed besides Sonata.
"Be honest with me," she said. "You used your magic, didn't you?"
Sonata went silent for a moment. "...yeah"
Adagio looked surprised. "Wait, you told the truth? You could've just lied and I would've dropped it."
"No I did..."
"I know you, Sonata. And I know you wouldn't be telling me this unless you had a reason," she said.
She went quiet again. "Well, I was thinking back at what I did to Aria, and... I feel bad," she answered.
"You feel bad?" Adagio questioned.
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry, but... throughout all of your dumb little pranks... you've never laid a finger on her," Adagio began. "Yet she attacked you with bees, made you do battle with a cat, and beat the crap out of a sick man, and if it weren't for me, there'd be a naked picture of you on the internet and you'd be bald. And you feel bad?"
"Well when you put it like that, it sounds kinda dumb..."
"Oh no, I understand, I just feel Aria should be the one apologizing," she went quite for the moment. "You sure you wanna go through with this? Cause if this whole thing is about being on equal level with her, she'll have to pick the punishment," Adagio explained.
"I'm okay with that," Sonata assured.
"You sure? You just need to say the word and we can forget about this whole conversation."
"I'll be fine," she said.
"You really wanna go through with this, don't you? Alright, just get ready. She's not gonna through any pucnhes, alright?"
"I'm okay with that."
"Alright..." Adagio pushed herself off the bed. "I'm gonna go make sure Aria's not writing poetry... and also tell her the good news i suppose," she made her way for the door, but stopped when she reached the frame.
"Oh, and Sonata?" she called.
"Yeah?"
She gave a warm smile, not a fake one to lure in thralls, this one was genuine. "You're a good sister... you do well to remember that, alright?"
Sonata was awoken by this strange sense of displacement, like she wasn't somewhere she belonged. Her eyes fluttered open with a drowsy look as her hearing began to clear. She heard murmuring. But it wasn't just one or two people, it sounded like an entire crowd.
She was... fairly certain she went to sleep in a bed the previous night.
So...? Why was she being strung up by a crane? Covered in cardboard? And decorated like a pinata? And why was she wearing a sombrero?
She immediately stiffened once she realized she was a good ten feet off the ground. She doesn't like heights
In her drowsy state, it took her a second to realize that her punishment had come into play. There was a crowd surrounding her, watching in curiosity as a blue haired girl was coated in rainbow confetti. And directly in front of her, was Aria. She wore a dastardly smile and was focusing her weight on one hip.
"This was a long time coming, dear sister," she said.
"Aria?! What's happening!?" she... really doesn't like heights.
"Oh nothing special, but look at your belly," she instructed.
Sonata tried to look, but the thick cardboard surrounding her neck made it impossible. "I can't see..."
"Exactly, and if you were able to see it, you'd notice that it looks a little... chubbier than last time," Aria said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
Aria raised her arms up and made the Jesus pose. "We're gonna get that candy you love to eat out of your system... permanently!"
"Where's Dagi?"
"Oh, she's not gonna Arlington you out of this one."
"I WARNED YOU!" Sonata heard a voice cry out. It sounded like it was coming from behind her. Then she realized it.
Adagio was manning the crane. She made sure to lower her to the point where she was at eye level with Aria now.
Aria waved her waved her arms in front of her as if signalling something. "RELEASE THE CHILDREN!!"
And with that, the crowd behind her seemed to clear. And a deep rumbling began to sound off. Like a thousand pairs of feet running.
Sonata had to squint to see what exactly was happening. Her eyes immediately widened when she saw it.
It was an army of children. None of them no older than ten. They all had weapons, sticks and paddles. She even saw little girl with an umbrella.
They surrounded her like a pack of wolves, her eyes widened with nervous curiosity. They looked like they were waiting for something. And that scared her.
"You ready kids?!" Aria shouted from the buzz of the crowd.
"YEAH!!!"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Aria yelled, she had her arms raised as the children watched. "It's showtime!"
And with that, the children faced Sonata. The crowd of pre-pubescent children surged forwards, weapons at the ready and began to swing mercilessly.
Adagio made it a game to lift her up with the crane just out of reach and drop her back down to the ravenous kids.
They continued to bat at her sides, most of them showing enough courtesy to avoid her face... most of them. She was lifted to the point where they had to poke at her underside by jumping up. One had managed to get her neck, and one of the sticks broke through the cardboard and hit her in... I'm sure you can guess.
Adagio had lowered her nearly to the ground, allowing the kids the put there entire body weight into downward swings. One kid with the stick is fine. When there are about ten of them ,each one with a stick and swinging mercilessly, you got a problem.
Aria had even grabbed one of the sticks out of one their hands and started wailing on her with fits of mad laughter.
Eventually Adagio managed to lift Sonata high into the air, away from the prying hands and sticks of the insane children... and Aria.
Sonata was panting, even the sombrero on her head was battered and torn. "Are we done yet?" she asked.
Aria was standing with a finger on her chin, and with a thinking look. "I don't know... I mean, I don't think a bunch of kids can hit nearly as hard enough to get that candy out," she pondered.
"Wait? What does that mean?" Sonata asked.
"I think it's time we bring in a registered hitter," she cooed in a matter that spat out venom. She looked away from he sister for a moment and did something Sonata never expected her sister to ever do.
She howled into the air.
"AWOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Everyone went silent. Even the rowdy children refused to speak, like they knew what this meant. Sonata had an eyebrow raised. She knew for a fact that she forgot to remember something she forgot. But what was it?
The crowd was watching the direction Aria was facing, that smile never leaving her face. Then the silence was broken.
"STEP ON BOARD THE AROOOO TRAIN!"
The crowd started cheering one name, and one name only. "BEOWULF! BEOWULF!"
The amount of hype in the air was enough to fill an average man with absolute madness. But he was no average man, for he is, the one, the only
BEOWULF!!!
A dark figure jumped over the crowd, a seeming three wulf moon as he flipped over them, landing perfectly in front of them, his back facing Sonata.
He rose slowly, his head looking down as to make his entrance even more dramatic. The crowd was watching with bated breath to see his next move.
He flipped his head backwards; his wild hair whipping behind. He then cracked his head forward with a confident smile, he took in a large breath right before shouting into the crowd.
"CAAAAN YOOOU DIG IT?!" he screamed.
Bursting into cheers, the crowd jumped and cried for him. Aria was leaning on his shoulder, that smile still on her face. Wulf grabbed her arm and lifted it up.
"And with my new omega by my side! Howl out for: Ms. Snugglebottom!" he announced, the crowd begun to break into fits of laughter now. Sadly it wasn't enough to be considered negative energy.
"You're not gonna let that go, are you?" Aria mumbled with a dead-pan voice.
"Nope!"
And with what had to be planned synchronization, they both turned around to face Sonata who appeared more confused than ever.
"You can ask questions now," Aria said.
Sonata had flipped her eyes between Aria and Beowulf for a few seconds before speaking. "How'd you get Wulfy all the way here?"
"World star wrestler, kid! I travel everywhere!" Beowulf stepped into the conversation.
Aria gave a quick chuckle before setting a hand on Beowulf's shoulder. "Care to begin?"
the chair from his shoulder, Beowulf made a big deal of slowly approaching Sonata.
"Now, Wulf, I know what you're thinking: Should I start beating her up with a chair until candy falls out? And the answer... may surprise you-"
"WULFAMANIA RUNNING WILD!!" and with a look of insanity, he took a first swing right to Sonata's side. This effectively flung her away, and now she was spinning around on the string. Every time Sonata would swing back on her pendulum back to Beowulf, he made sure she was sent flying away again.
This went on, always ending in Sonata getting farther and farther up the crane. Sonata was screaming, really playing the role of 'Pinata.' This little swing-set went on, Beowulf would even change his game and stop her to let her dizziness wear off. Onl to begin again with the process.
After deciding to finish it. Sonata was doing her final arc to Beowulf when he swung his chair for what he knew would be the last time. in this little game. The cardboard stomach popped open, and with Sonata's momentum, forced the candy in her to spill everywhere as she began to wrap around the crane like a tether ball.
The children scrambled out of the crowd, making way to the contents of Sonata's armor. Grabbing it by the armfuls and stuffing them into their pockets for later consumption.
She was now fully wrapped around the crane, no more string left to tie her. She couldn't move an inch and her cardboard armor was almost gone, leaving the string to dig into her skin. Some spots squeezing out from the pressure.
"What's up?" Aria called from the ground?
"Let me down! Please!" the crane was another good ten feet off the ground, and considering that Sonata was now attached to it, she could hardly see the children as they were now the size of ants.
"Hey kids!" Aria called out, faking an excited voice.
The children turned their attention to her, most of the candy already being eaten by them.
"Who want;s ice-cream?!" she shouted.
The kids started cheering and Aria started to lead them in the other direction "Follow me!" she said as she left the crowd.
Beowulf was leading the pack of children, that same look in his eyes as theirs. It was hungry for frozen deserts
Sonata could here a door behind her open and close. That means that Adagio had just left the thing.
Without setting her down first.
"Dagi?" she called.
She could only hear footsteps as they got farther and farther.
The crowd began to dissipate as well, losing interest fairly quickly.
"Hello?" Sonata whispered sadly, seeing the crowd eventually disappear to the point not a soul was near her. "Hello?"
Sonata was a simple siren, she didn't want much out of her immortal life. She had likes and dislikes just like any other person... or siren. But of course, there are a few things she's learned to hate. Mostly four in particular, all of them from this world... well except for one, but the only comfort in that thought is that he's long gone now.
These things included.
Four: Closed spaces.
Three: This world.
Two: Cats...
and One: Heights.
It was a natural thing really. Once you've spent a couple hundred years living in cold clear waters, you learn to fear what's above you. Not because you really are scared, it's just instinct
So, come to her surprise when she wakes up with her face against a window. And that window is superseded in mid-air. By about one thousand feet.
Her mind scrambles awake, her body tensed, and her eyes were reduced to the size of pinpricks. All in a matter of a few milliseconds. Her worst fears realized, she immediately gripped her seat. Except she wasn't sitting in a regular seat, her fingers seemed to dig into flesh. When she turned around, guess who she was pleasantly surprised/not surprised to see.
It was Aria, but she was wearing an aviator helmet with goggles. She was looking out the same window as Sonata, a clearly different facial expression to hers.
Upon looking around, Sonata noticed another thing. This place was quite... cramped. Her breathing became short as well once she realized how close to her sister she was. She realized she was attached to her by a harness that was strapped around her by a skin tight suit. Kinda like those harnesses you see mothers carry their babies with.
Then she could hear a collective band of squeaking. She noticed, lined on the back walls, were opossums in cages. That's when she realized.
She wasn't in a standard plane, she was in a cargo plane filled with possi
Or was it possums?
Possmeese?
She began to squirm in her... seat?
"Get me off! Get me off!! GET ME OFF!!" she started to struggle more, but the restraints on her harness proved too much.
She saw the enter the cargo bay, he was a large man, and he a stick of pepperoni in his mouth, a large rope was slung on his shoulder.
"How are you gals!" he screamed.
"HOW ARE YOU DRIVING THIS THING!?"
"What do you think this rope is for?! See!" the man grabbed the rope, and pulled against it, forcing the plane to lurch to the left. The loss in balance forced Aria to stand and stumble forward, luckily, Sonata's legs were already tucked in, so she didn't worry about tripping on her legs. She was screaming the entire process.
Sonata stared at the man, with nothing but pure terror. "WHY ARE ALL THESE POSSI HERE!?" Sonata screamed.
"Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same myself!" Aria shouted back.
"These possums are going to Japony! Possi are the most popular pets there, now!" he pulled the pepperoni stick out of his mouth and offered it to Sonata. "Here! Hold my pepperoni!"
"OH MAY I?!" Sonata shouted.
"Yes!" before Sonata could object, the man had forced her fingers open and put the pepperoni in her palm. He walked back towards the cockpit and took a seat by the controls.
"Isn't this insane?!" Aria asked.
"I'M FLYING IN A PLANE GOING TO JAPONY SURROUNDED BY POSSI!?"
"Possi?"
"IT'S THE PLURAL OF POSSUM!"
"No it's not!"
"YEAH IT IS! ONE POSSUM, MANY POSSI!"
"That's so stupid!"
"NO IT'S NOT!"
"You like Freight Dog?" Aria asked.
"HE GAVE ME HIS PEPPERONI!"
Suddenly, Freight Dog got out of the cockpit. Sonata took the opportunity to address the fact she wanted to get off this mad house!
"I WANNA GET OFF!"
Then Freight Dog walked towards the main door before forcefully opening it. The thing dangled there with one hinge!
"This is where you jump! I recommend using a parachute!"
"Whatever you say!" Sonata could just barely hear Aria's voice over the roaring winds. It was cold up here.
Sonata could feel movement as she was lifted up, and now without her limbs instructing her, she was now facing the open door.
"NO! NO! NO! NOT LIKE THAT!" she started batting at her sisters head, but at the angle her arms were going, she just feebly slapped at Aria's helmet.
Freight Dog looked at Aria and shook his head. "This what you got to put up with!?" he asked.
"Yeah, look on the bright side! I get to finally push her off a plane!" she responded.
"WHY AREN'T WE GETTING OFF YET!? WHY!? WHY ARE WE STILL GOING UP!?" Sonata shrieked.
"We're not high enough yet!" Freight Dog said.
"NOT HIGH ENOUGH!? THIS IS REALLY HIGH! THIS IS WAY TOO HIGH!" she continued screaming. She was breathing heavily from all the screaming and lack of oxygen in these tight spaces. "HOW DID YOU EVEN DO THIS!?" she screamed to her sister.
"Remember how I've been disappearing for the past few months?!" she shouted.
"YOU DIDN'T!?"
"Every cent went to this moment!" Aria shouted.
"We're here!" Freight Dig shouted.
"Thanks for the tip Dog!" Aria started to move towards the open door. Sonata trying her darn hardest to move against it, whimpering sadly.
Freight Dog moved out of the way, allowing Aria to replace that spot, and to grab onto the rim of the plane. Her back was fully outside. Sonata went wide eyed at the sights before her. Everything was laid bare in front of her. She could see patches of squared land in different shades of the same color. She could barely see any trees, and the ones that were there, were only tiny black sticks.
"TOO MUCH SPACE! TOO MUCH SPACE!" she started to push back with all her might, trying to turn around in her babies harness.
"Wait!" she heard a voice scream from behind.
At first Sonata was ecstatic, she thought she could stay on the plane and land in a nice quiet lake in Japony.
Oh how she was wrong...
Aria turned to face Freight Dog and Sonata could feel something being forced on her, she instinctively wrapped her arms around it. It felt furry.
"Take that one! He's my favorite!"
Sonata looked down and saw she was holding one of these possi which had begun to eat Freight Dog's pepperoni.
"You need to jump! NOW!" Freight Dog screamed.
"CAN WE COUNT DOWN FROM THREE?!" Sonata asked.
Aria answered her first. "No! Just scream!" she immediately let go. "GERONIMOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Freight Dog looked down out of the plane, he could see a silhouette that continued to get smaller and smaller.
"GOOD JOB!"
####
Sonata was terrified, the only thing that held her in place was what she felt like a thin strap of fabric. She was screaming in a perfect crescendo. The whipping wind was no match for her perfect lungs, and if it weren't for the fact that they were currently descending at a pace of a hundred miles per hour, she would have shattered the eardrums of any human within a ten mile radius, probably more.
She was whipping around one arm in every direction in blind panic. Her other arm was holding onto the opossum which had started playing dead.
As a game, Aria decided to mess with her little sister. Even more so than throwing her out of a moving plane.
She waited.
She didn't care how long it would take in all honesty, no doubt it'd happen soon.
And she felt it.
Sonata's arm had smacked her on the head, albeit it wasn't painful in the slightest, but she didn't have to know that did she?
She went limp.
Both their bodies began to somersault in the air, flipping in random directions. Sonata's screamed somehow doubled in intensity.
'That poor possum...' Aria thought.
Her screaming was the best part. They couldn't feed of each other, but sometimes, you just really want to hear your siblings screaming for their life in a controlled situation. Their was a morbid sense of accomplishment in that.
Or as controlled as falling out of the sky is...
The ground was rapidly approaching terrifyingly fast actually. Their speed did increase a good twenty miles back there.
And suddenly, deciding she didn't want to die as well. Aria sprang to life and pulled the cord. Sonata's skin crawled with the sudden movement. Heck, she thought she killed her with that slap. The possum was still in her arms.
She nearly dropped the poor thing when the sudden stop kicked in. The parachute opened up, forcing them to slow down at a very fast rate. Going from 120 to 10 in a matter of seconds.
Her organs felt like they continued to fall, the continues momentum forcing her skeleton to shift out of place. But she didn't care. She could see her descent slowing down and now she was screaming while breathing heavily, this came out as shaking breaths with fits of screaming madness.
"Are we falling!?" she asked through this.
"No, we're not falling we're floating!" Aria answered.
"Don't like! Do not like! Get me down!" she begged.
"Just gotta wait it out," Aria said.
Sonata was still breathing shakily, the possum in her arms had come back to life and was gnawing at her nylon suit.
After another three minutes of floating, they finally reached the ground. Aria began undoing the strap and moment Sonata's harness was loosened, she immediately collapsed to the ground. She was kissing the ground as the possum continued to eat the pepperoni stick in her hand.
"I need two new sisters..." she mumbled.
"Hey, look on the bright side!" Aria said, forcing Sonata to her knees.
"What bright side?"
"We have a possum now!"
"It's opossum," she mumbled.
"Oh come on, who cares about that!"
"I do!" Sonata got up, the opossum was still wrapped in her arms.
"New question," Aria started.
"What?" Sonata asked.
"How do we get home?" she asked.
The two of them looked around, noticing there was nothing but clear ground and open sky's.
These were definitely not the words Aria would use to describe the condition in which she slept last night. Heck, she slept fairly well yesterday all things considered, they had almost an entire high school under their control, and after today, they'd finally go back home...
So why was she waking up in the basement? She was hanging upside down from the ceiling in the center of the room by a chain wrapped around her feet, her hounds were even bound behind her. She could feel the blood rushing to her head which is what woke her up to begin with. She looked around and saw a skeleton hanging by its wrists on the wall. Right next to it was the skeleton of a cat in the same exact way. Wrists and all.
'Why is their the skeleton of a cat chained to the wall...? Wait? Why are their skeletons on our walls?!'
In front of her was an assortment of containers, each one holding inside either a bug or reptile. Snakes and lizards, wasps and even some Hissing Cockroaches. Some animals even she assumed went extinct, and that's saying something!
She could see a large drape covering something in the corner of the basement, anything else behind her she couldn't see.
Can't say this is the strangest place she's woken up in...
She was wearing the same clothes she went to sleep in, a black tank top and boxer shorts. Both of which were experiencing the results of gravity.
'Great... what else could go wrong?'
"Helloooo, sister," a voice said from the darkness.
'Ughhhh... why me?'
"What do you want, Sonata?" Aria groaned.
"Oh... nothing," she giggled innocently, still shrouded in the darkness that surrounded Aria.
Aria gave a dirty look into the patch of darkness the voice was emanating from.
"Okay... fine" Sonata whined, emerging from the darkness. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. She was even wearing the same knee-socks as before, doing a good job of hiding her secret shame. "So; you know how we kinda have the entire high school under our spell?"
"... yeah?" Aria answered, unsure as to where this was going. "I mean, we were just there yesterday, and we have to go back today to finish the job," Aria answered.
"Well, since the girls from Equestria will do whatever want after today, and after we become queens, I thought we would become busy. You know, like bees," she explained.
"I guess...? But that doesn't explain why YOU HAVE ME CHAINED TO THE CEILING!" Aria burst suddenly, lashing at Sonata.
Sonata didn't even flinch from the sudden outburst. "Well, I started thinking-"
"Wait? You started thinking?" Aria mocked.
Sonata put on a grumpy face before continuing. "I thought that after today, we'll never be able to continue this little game between you and me-"
"Yeah, real shame," Aria continued to mock.
"So... I figured: if we're not gonna keep playing, why not finish it today?" she asked rhetorically. Sonata started to walk towards Aria slowly.
"What does that mean?"
Sonata walked right past her and Aria could hear screeching wheels in the next moment. Sonata came back into view, and she was pushing in front of her a large whiteboard.
The one from the school, no doubt.
She positioned it in front of Aria and pulled from her pocket a dry erase marker before pointing at the board with it. She started to draw a human head.
"Today, we're going to learn about the human brain!" she said excitedly.
...
...
...
Aria stared, dumbfounded. She'd be lying if she said her jaw hadn't... risen? Was she serious? This was her coup de grace? Aria couldn't help but to start laughing. "A-Are you kidding me?" she chortled. "You're 'master plan' was to bore me to death?"
Sonata either didn't hear her or didn't care cause she just kept talking and drawing. She began drawing a squiggly circle in the cranium after announcing the subject. "You see, the brain is an amazing organ, Ari. So many of its capabilities are unknown; even to us! Some of these things we have a basic idea of, but we can't understand completely, and may never will. Such things like: Sleep, morality, personal preferences... and pain..." her voice turned crooked as she suddenly pressed down on the board and the lines became sharper. She drew a lighting bolt inside the brain swiftly as a few cracks began to show up on the actual board.
That sly smile on Aria's face was wiped off nearly instantly.
"Any questions?" Sonata asked, turning to face her. She had an entirely new outlook, her mascara was now running, giving the illusion of black tears, and a few strands in her hair were loose, but that smile... that goddamn smile. She swore it looked like someone took a pair of hedge clippers and slit it from ear to ear.
Aria refused to speak.
"Good! Now we can move on to the demonstration!" she said cryptically.
She started to walk behind Aria again. But this time she heard a strange clanging noise from behind her, and then the sound of rusted wheels trying to move forward.
Aria felt a presence beside her, she turned her head just slightly to address what she assumed was Sonata.
Right next to her face, looking in the opposite direction, was a blow-torch. It let out a spurt of flames that fired away from Aria. But close enough to feel the heat. She let out a scream, pulling away from the flames by shifting her body weight. The torch pulled back behind her, but now she was swinging from left to right.
She was panting heavily as she tried to turn loose from her hanging prison. But as one would imagine, this proved futile.
She felt a hand stop her and she settled to her original resting position as Sonata's head appeared by her side. She was cradling the blow-torch like it was a child in her arms. "Amazing thing, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically. "This beauty is able to spit out flames at a whopping three thousand and five hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Simple astounding," she praised.
"What's, 'Astounding,' is how far my foot will go up your *%! if you don't cut me down right now!" Aria barked, struggling against her binds.
Sonata gave a disappointed look at Aria before that smile came back. "Temper, temper, dear sister. I'll be sure to curb your... enthusiasm" she purred. She walked in front of her, that ear-to-ear smile boring into Aria's eyes. "Look at me," she said.
Aria turned her head away.
"I SAID LOOK AT ME!" Sonata roared, she suddenly reached for something behind her and suddenly smacked Aria with a small Salmon. She dropped the thing and suddenly cupped one hand around Aria's temple and forced her head around to stare into her eyes. Sonata inched closed to her sister, that smile never leaving, her eyes bearing a message of macabre. Her breathing was steady and warm, it brushed off into Aria's forehead. giving a cold feeling when it came into contact with the sweat on her brow. "You are beautiful."
Aria pulled away from her grip quickly and started to thrash more before calling for help. "ADAGIO! HELP! SHE'S F!*&#$} CRAZY!"
A voice rang down to the basement, Aria's spirits lifted up exponentially.
Until she heard the message they brought. "GET SOME SLEEP FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"
"It's no use; once I told Dagi this was guaranteed to end this game, and give her peace, she gave me the go-ahead," Sonata cooed, walking around Aria in circles.
"You're bluffing!" she called.
"Care to try me?" Sonata dared. "How about another lesson in biology?" she grabbed the marker, but the board was cracked and broken. So instead she resorted to drawing on Aria's exposed stomach. Aria couldn't see what she was drawing, but it felt as if she were only writing scribbles. "That little torch is so hot, that when exposed to flesh, the synapses, the little nerves that respond to pain, die, and go into shock," she explained. "It's strange, really. Cause you don't feel a thing, except something really, reallycold! And maybe even the smell of burning flesh to accompany it," she stopped suddenly and dropped the marker on the floor. "Isn't science fun, Ari?" she waited a moment, as if expecting her to answer. "ISN'T IT!"
"You let me down, NOW!"
"You'll smell burning meat, and then it'll start to hurt," she acted as if she hardly even heard her.
She went back behind Aria and then she heard the sound of something scrapping against the floor. It sounded like a chair. She could hear Sonata taking a seat behind it.
"The situation is very simple, Ari. All you have to do is surrender to me, and acknowledged me as the best, and we can all go back to sleep," she explained.
"Screw off!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... guess it'll be a long night," she muttered. A small chuckle sounded off next. "Strange, isn't it? Felt like only yesterday I marked my words, huh?"
"I hope you choke!"
"'It was Aria Blaze who fired the first shot, but it shall be Sonata Dusk who fires the last'." she said with a nostalgic smile.
Aria could hear the sound of the torch going off. But that was it. She could hear the sound of something sizzling, and the realization made her sick. She couldn't feel anything. She just bore witness to the sound of burning flesh and that was it. Than she could feel her nerves wake up as the feel of something freezing spread across her back. Like she was lying down naked on the arctic.
She started screaming like some mad thing. Aria was thrashing about, the continuous sound of burning flesh and the feel of the cold. It drove her mad.
"STOP IT!" she screamed, feeling some pride drain away with the words.
Sonata stopped, allowing Aria a moment of respite. "All you gotta say is three simple words, Ari," and with that, she went right back too it.
She started thrashing again wildly. The adrenaline in her mind made things difficult on a reasonable standpoint, so all that she was left doing was screaming profanities at her sister. The sizzling noise was becoming god-awful as a foul stench filled her nostrils.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY!?" she managed to scream.
"Well it's very simple, really. All you have to say is 'I give up'," she said. "Say those three words, and we can finish this."
"%$!@#*& FINE! I GIVE UP!" she screamed, hoping that this would end.
Sonata stopped for a second, considering her words. Just a second. "I'm not yet satisfied," she said before turning it back on.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screamed
"I want you to refer to me as 'The Best,' for once!" Sonata demanded.
"ARE YOU %$@!*& KIDDING ME!?"
"Oh look! I think I'm starting to melt body fat!" Sonata cried out enthusiastically.
"OKAY! YOU'RE THE BEST!" Aria shrieked, thrashing wildly still.
"Hmmmm..." she hesitated, turning down the flame's power. it still remained on though and the immolation of Aria's back was reduced to a flambeing.
"OH COME ON!"
"That didn't sound authentic," she muttered.
"WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO YOU WANT?"
"Sing for me..." Sonata purred.
"WHAT!?"
"Sing the song." said Sonata huskily.
"Please, n-!"
Aria was suddenly cut off as the flames grew louder in a very short time span and the cold feeling on her back was pressing down even more!
"YOU'RE THE BEST! AROUND! NOTHINGS EVER GONNA KEEP YOU DOWN!"
"You're mine now, Ari," Sonata chortled. She turned off the Blow-Torch and began to slowly walk in front of Aria, device still in one hand.
Aria was practically heaving her breaths that continuously quivered in its wake. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying.
"You're a psychopath! A %$#@!*& psycho- hmm!" she suddenly felt something being shoved into her mouth.
It was cherry flavored...
It was a half melted Popsicle stick. And now that the panic was draining away from her, that smell she was smelling. It was pork...
Sonata was roasting pork.
She was confused at first, and it must have showed on her face if Sonata's muffled laughter was anything to go off of. Then she realized it.
Sonata hadn't even laid a finger on her. It was just a ploy, a bloody game! There was no flames licking at her back! She was just lathering the Popsicle stick on her!
Aria spit out the Popsicle from her mouth, the half melted treat's taste still stuck in her taste-buds. She looked up at her sister with a look of utter disbelief; which slowly merged into pure malice. "You son of a @#$%!" she bellowed. She was afraid to use the W word just in case.
Sonata was now keeled over laughing like a mad-woman. Her deranged laughter, echoing across the basement, and bouncing off the walls. She was laughing so hard that she began to snort whenever she took in a breath.
"D-Did you see even hear yourself?!" she asked through small breaths. "You were all like, 'No! Please! Stop! AHHHHH!'," she began her tirade of laughter once more.
"I did not sound like that!" Aria protested, trying to swing herself at Sonata. This proved to appear more comical than threatening
Sonata had wiped a tear from her eye before reaching into her other pocket. She pulled out a tape-recorder. Making sure Aria got a good look at the device, she pressed play.
*Click*
"NO! PLEASE! STOP! AHHHHH!" it played.
"..." Aria was giving her a defiant glare as Sonata burst into more fits of laughter.
"I suppose this is the end of an era, dear sister," she said whilst picking herself off the floor.
"Go screw yourself," she spat.
"Well then, now to make sure nothing like this ever happens again, I need to leave you with my ultimatum,"
"You're gonna threaten me?"
"What? No!" she suddenly looked up the stairs leading to the living room. "DAGI! DAGI! RELEASE THE MONKEY!" she called out.
There was a brief moment of silence. "I SAID GET SOME SLEEP!"
Following shortly after that was another awkward pause.
"Wait? There's a monkey in Adagio's room?"
"I thought there was..." Sonata murmured.
Now there were loud crashing noises coming from upstairs, as well as an assortment of, 'Ooh ahh ahh's!' and high pitched screaming.
"WHY THE HELL IS THAT HERE! SONATA!!" they heard a voice cry.
"There he is," Sonata smiled. There was a brief pause as the two listened in on the carnage upstairs. "I'm sure she'll be fine,' Sonata assured with an embarrassed tone.
Aria noticed a shadow crawl over to Sonata's foot. She thought it was a giant rat until it started to crawl up her leg, it revealed a patch of grey and white fur. It was just Bom, Sonata's newest rodent.
He crawled up her leg and to her shoulder where his worm-like tail hung down. She put a finger on his chin as she began to scratch and pet him. She was simultaneously walking towards the large object that was covered by a drape. She grabbed a handful of it and turned to Aria.
"Since my little monkey plan failed. I must now resort to plan B," she said, a hand still on Bom's chin.
"The hell is plan B?" Aria asked, with the adrenaline fading from her body, she felt exhausted and her eyelids were growing heavy.
"Only the most horrid of horrible horrors! Prepare your bladder for imminent release!" she cackled maniacally.
"Nuh-uh!"
She pulled over the drapes revealing just what exactly they were hiding.
It was a large cage, and inside it was a 27x40 poster of Sonata's tattoo.
"Oh my G-!" Aria cut herself off and turned away. "I never actually got a good look at it till today..."
"Does this not fill your bladder with terror?!" Sonata exclaimed with a crooked hand in the air.
"Not really, but... oh God! Why do I have piercings... there?"
"I dunno. Ask Dagi about that one," Sonata said. "Oh! I almost forgot!" she went behind Aria once more and grabbed something. Aria could hear rustling and then she appeared once more with a weird looking object... or device. It looked like it could fit around Aria's neck and on each side was a metal wedge with two prongs on both sides.
"The hell is this?" Aria asked as Sonata began to fit it around her neck. The prongs now dug into her shoulder and the underside of her chin.
"A little incentive so you don't look away," Sonata explained. "If you relax your head or turn you head around-" she suddenly jammed a pointy finger into Aria's stomach, not enough to hurt her, but it definitely surprised her a bit. "You get the point!"
"This things gonna stab me?!" Aria exclaimed, becoming stiff as a board.
"What? No! It'll just feel really uncomfortable," Sonata answered.
"Than I'll just close my eyes!" Aria exclaimed.
Her lids were suddenly forced open and she could see Sonata holding something in one hand.
It was tape.
"Oh really now!" Aria groaned, disgruntled as her eyes were taped open.
Sonata took one final look around Aria's face to make sure everything was in place. After assuring herself that nothing would fall out or the tape wouldn't dry up too soon, she gave a happy smile to Aria. "Well! Goodnight!" she exclaimed.
"Wha-! That's it?! Goodnight!?" Aria shouted, her eyes furrowing in more rage.
"Yep! Goodnight!" Sonata gave a quick hug to Aria before turning around and heading for the steps. As she climbed up the steps, she sang a little song to herself in the silence.
Aria was now forced to stare in mild discomfort at an explicit image of her in graphic and clear detail. She winced whenever she noticed something she was unaware of earlier.
"I didn't even know it could do that..." she muttered.
Things were bad! Things were real bad! They were prepared! They were ready, and they were strong...
But it wasn't enough.
They... They lost. They lost everything.
The sirens had made a hasty retreat after the disaster of a night they had. And considering they had a place here in this accursed city, those nights will continue.
The three of them all vowed to go home, and just... wait and see. Nothing else they could do, just... wait.
On the way, 'home,' in a fit of rage, Aria had slammed her fist against the window of a clothing shop, shattering the window and tripping the alarm instantaneously. They were running faster then they ever knew they could in that moment.
Aria didn't get the time to notice she was bleeding from her knuckles...
Once home, neither of them spoke a word to each other, Adagio and Sonata simply retreated to their rooms.
Adagio: Silent and utterly she'll-shocked.
Sonata: in a mess of tears and cries of anguish.
They left Aria in the living room to cope on her own. Her palms were in her face and she was trying hard not to show any emotion.
It proved difficult as she was now heaving her breaths. Her palms were starting to get wet with something. No doubt in her mind it was a mix of tears and snot. She pulled her hands away and quickly wiped them off on her beautiful dress. Although ,she's not much for saying it aloud.
She took in several deep breaths and stood up. She walked around the living room a few paces, letting it sink in further.
She could feel a stinging sensation coming from her right hand.
She went back to the couch and took a seat. A look of pure apathy now plastered. She accepted all this to be a dream. She'd wake up in the basement surrounded by skeletons and a graphically detailed image of her figure.
Strange how she wants that to become a reality.
She picked up the remote and flicked the TV on. Not even she knows why.
The TV immediately turned to a local news network. They were discussing political crap that Aria honestly couldn't care less about.
But then, it suddenly cut to a picture of-
"GRAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
She suddenly threw the remote with all her might at the television. The screen glass shattering instantly as the remote lodged itself inside. She stared furiously at it; unsure of what she just did. She panted heavily, staring at the now broken television, expecting the shards that didn't fly off to turn back on and continue to mock her and her sisters.
But nothing happened.
It was only then did she realize how much her throat burned from that scream.
She took in a few more deep breaths and calmly walked to the bathroom. She looked in the medicine cabinet and found some bandages to help fix her hand. After dressing her wound, she sat back down on the couch. A feeling of dread hanging over her.
'We... lost.'
She repeated these words in her mind over and over. All to the point where they began to sound like gibberish. They were just... sounds. How did they start to sound so... corrupt?
If she was taking this hard... then the other two must not be faring so well.
She got up, deciding to take it upon herself to check on them.
She trudged up the steps. Her hair hanging low and brushing her face in an unfurled mess. She looked up once she reached the top. At the other end of the hall was Adagio's room. The doorknob was already set to the locked position.
Meaning she wouldn't get anywhere with her.
She looked at Sonata's door, just parallel to her own room.
She walked in front of it and inspected the lock.
Horizontal, she could enter as she pleased.
She pressed an ear against the door, wanting to hear if Sonata was sharing similar results.
Nothing.
She decided to knock, despite the door already being unlocked.
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
"Hey... Sonata? You mind if I come in?" she asked.
...
No response
Aria sighed impatiently. She knocked another few times. "Alright, Nata. I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your older sister, I'm coming in anyway," she warned.
She twisted the knob and stepped inside.
Pitch black.
The blinds were closed and no light seemed to enter from the hall.
She could just barely make out the outline of Sonata's bed, and laying face down on it was Sonata. She was breathing, but her face was being covered up by a pillow.
"Hey..." Aria said awkwardly. "How you doing...?"
No response.
Aria slowly approached her bed. "Uh... yeah..." she said as she sat down beside her. "Hmm... Look.... I know things seem crappy-"
"Hmph!" a muffled voice from the pillow said.
"... Okay, really crappy," Aria corrected. Was she doing a good job? Is this how, 'i]comforting,' works? "But... we've been through worse, right?" she asked, hoping it'd sound rhetoric.
"Ut ack en e ad our agic..." Sonata said; voice muffled by the pillow.
"Yeah... but... uh...?" Aria drew a blank.
'I am really bad at this...'
"But, uh... we-"
"E aht?" Sonata interrupted. Aria heard a sniffle next.
"We always had each other," she answered, there was little confidence in her voice.
Sonata gave a second harrumph.
"Well, it's true!" Aria defended. "We've lived through countless battles from these idiots, remember?"
"ut it oesn't ount ehn e tarted it..." she muttered.
"Yeah... but still," Aria started. "Least those stupid Rainbooms didn't take us away from each other, right?"
"..."
Aria groaned. "Alright, screw it! If that won't cheer you up, I'm just gonna try something else that's stupid."
"Aht?"
"Hey, Sonata?" Aria asked.
"Aht?"
"Why so... anglry?"
"..." Sonata shuffled in her spot slightly. But she still had her face inside the pillow. "Ou're ust saying ad okes?"
"Whale obviously!" Aria continued
"Why?"
"Well you don't gotta be a... brain sturgeon to come up with fish puns...."
"Aria, stop," she seemed to lift herself up a little from the pillow.
"What? Oh, I'm... saury, was that... tunutch for you?"
"Aria, please."
"I can't... kelp it, now can I?"
Sonata was no longer laying flat on her stomach, she was now sitting beside Aria, but looking down at the ground. Leaning down, Aria could see her face was shining a little with tears and that she was fighting back a smile. Any minute now.
"Come on, Sonata! Don't be... orcward, join in, you'll be... fin," Aria continued. She had a certain tone to her face that gave her a more jovial outlook in her voice than her standard demeanor.
"..." Sonata was puffing her cheeks, holding in whatever air she could.
"Got something to say, Nata?" Aria asked, nudging her side. "What's wrong? Catfish got your tongue?"
Sonata was breathing heavily through her nose, trying not to let any air pass through her mouth, knowing they would pass off as a laugh and only force her to laugh more. She shuddered slightly every now and again with a quivering breath.
"Hey, Sonata?" Aria asked, a maniac grin plastered in place. "How does a seahorse get around?"
"H-How?" Sonata heaved holding back her smile, it looked slightly painful.
"They... scallop," Aria finished.
Sonata finally let loose, keeling over and looking down. She began laughing, but... how exactly do you define this form of laughing? She was laughing, but? It also came out as garbled sobs. It was actually disconcerting to Aria's perspective. When Sonata straightened herself back. Aria saw that her knees were wet with tears.
Her breath was still quivering, but she had a smile as she did so.
"Oh the hu-manatee..." Sonata mumbled.
Aria felt slightly concerned, but pushed it aside to try and play along. She was nodding her head with a look of consideration. "Not bad... Cod to better."
"These fish puns are... kraken me up!"
"If you can think of a better one, let... minnow."
"Whale, whale, whale, looks like we got a smart-alek ."
"That was... inkcredible."
The prattling continued like this for some time. The jokes, if you dare call them that, descending in quality and effectiveness.
Eventually the two just found themselves staring forward at the door with a smile on both their faces.
Sonata broke the silence.
"It was my fault... wasn't it?" she asked, her half-smile slowly draining away.
"What?"
"I went too hard on you, didn't I? You got tired from a lack of sleep a-and-"
"Sonata, it wasn't your fault," Aria assured, letting an arm rest on her back. "And besides, we don't need sleep, remember?"
"Oh yeah..."
"And besides; I started the damn thing, remember?"
"Right... but still. I shouldn't have-"
"Will you cut it out with that? If I hadn't started that stupid war, everything would've turned out the exact same, and you'd be finding an entirely different dumb reason to blame yourself," Aria said.
"Yeah, but-"
"Stop with the buts. You're starting to sound like a broken record," Aria said. "It wasn't your fault, and that's that, got it?"
"...Yeah," Sonata glumly agreed.
"Good... now that that's out of the way...uh..." Aria had drawn a second blank.
"We won't... we won't go home now, right?" Sonata asked.
...
The realization hit her like a truck at full force. She seemed stunned for a second, letting the sick fact that this horrible world.
Would also be their tomb.
"I... I guess so..." was all she could say.
She could hear Sonata starting to sniffle again.
"Hey! Don't you go crying again!"
She appeared to be trying to choke back a sob now.
Aria sighed. "Look... I wasn't just saying it... when I said that I was glad we still had each other," Aria said. "I meant every word of that."
Sonata wasn't saying anything, but she just kept holding something back and was staring at the ground. She looked to be shivering.
"You remember a couple years back... how you promised me you wouldn't leave us?" Aria asked.
"Y-Yeah...?"
"Promise me again..."
"W-What?"
"I want you to promise me you won't leave us to ourselves;" Aria clarified.
"W-Why would I d-do that?" Sonata was trying her hardest not to start bawling again, but her breath kept catching in her throat, forcing her to stutter.
"Well... you don't really have a reason to stick with us anymore..." Aria began. "Heck! It's probably for the better if we split up-"
"Y-You're not g-gonna do that, a-are you?" Sonata asked desperately, quickly turning to face her.
She was suddenly pushed back as a set of arms wrapped around her and a head started to cry into her shoulder.
"I promise!" a muffled voice shouted, followed shortly by uncontrollable sobbing.
Aria gave a brief look of annoyance at the unexpected and unwanted physical contact. But returned the hug despite it.
"That's... that's good to hear," she said.
Aria went quiet. The only sounds being that of her own breathing, and Sonata's sniveling. She closed her eyes to allow a moment of peace.
"I-I feel like I-I'm being strangled by a b-boa constrictor..."
Aria pulled herself away awkwardly. "Sorry! I didn't know I was hu-"
Sonata was staring at her, appearing to well up again. "Why'd you stop!?"
"Uh!? Sorry?" Aria put her arms back around Sonata.
...
Aria was waiting for a sign on when to let go.
...
Seems like she'd be here a while...
Sonata had quieted down, but she was still awake, otherwise Aria could put her down without resistance. And every time she made a move that even implied she was going to let go of her, Sonata would give off a small, high pitched whine.
She held on for a while longer until she felt another pair of arms wrap around them. Nearly scared the skin off her.
She heard a deep sigh, and then a hoarse and patient voice.
"You two are idiots..." another sigh quickly followed. "But you're my idiots... and I love you."
This was... honestly not what Aria was expecting. She was expecting a bit more screaming and insults with an array of curses thrown in the mix.
Not like she was complaining.
This embrace continued for another second or two before Adagio had to withdraw. She was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Come on, let's go celebrate," she said.
"Celebrate?"
"C-Celebrate?"
She seemed to realize what she said a tad too late and quickly corrected herself. "Right. Let me put it into words you two can understand," she began. "We're gonna go get drunk off our tits, and forget this night ever happened," she explained. "Join me in the living room when you two are ready..." she walked out and they could hear her descending the steps.
Sonata had stopped crying altogether now. But she still held on to Aria for dear life. Aria let her continue this for another minute before giving a quick signal that they needed to go.
Sonata reluctantly let go, allowing Aria to stand. She gave a quick motion for Sonata to follow her down.
Going down the steps, they entered the living room in silence. They saw Adagio sitting by the dining table with a patient but solemn expression. She gave a brief smile before getting up and walking to the cabinets where they stored the alcohol. Normally they drank on celebratory nights after a good feast, or when they needed a quick pick me up.
Gonna need to empty the whole darn thing...
Adagio wrapped a hand around the top cupboards handle before opening it gently.
She suddenly jumped back giving a pained and soft sounding shriek, followed shortly by a, sadly louder, hiss. A dark black splotch crawled down the shelf and jumped to the floor. It seemed to scurry its way to Sonata before climbing up her leg.
Panting, but seemingly trying to control her breathing, Adagio was glaring daggers at Sonata. "I swear to god, Sonata!" she reproached hoarsely. "When are you going to put that thing down?"
Sonata puffed out her cheeks quickly. "His name is Bom! And he is a part of this family now!" she said assertively... or at least tried too.
"Part of my fur collection is what he'll be if you don't get rid of him..." Adagio seethed.
The two stared at each other for a moment, their brows only furrowing more and more. Aria was honesty worried they'd break into a fight, right now; that was the last thing they needed.
But then Adagio let out a quick snort through her nose and her body language relaxed. She smiled happily and she turned around to the cabinet. She reached a hand inside and pulled out a tall bottle. The glass was crafted in a beautiful leafy pattern that gave it the look of a round, freshwater blue, glass bouquet. On it was a little symbol that only they, and they themselves could read.
This thing would definitely give them the kick they needed. Not only that, but it also had a bit of sentimental value to them.
After all: they brought it from home.
Sitting back on the table, Adagio sat the bottle down and took off the stopper.
"Forgot the glasses..." she muttered before getting up and going back into the kitchen.
Aria and Sonata sat at the table, silent. Bom stared at the bottle with intrigue.
Adagio returned later with three tall glasses. She set them down and slid two of them to her sisters, keeping one for herself. She grabbed the bottle and titled it. Bluish yellow liquid poured into the glass, licking at the sides and slowly rising. It rose to about three fourths of the way before abruptly stopping.
She slid the bottle over to Aria who did the same.
After she was done, she passed the bottle over to Sonata who filled her glass.
Half of the bottle remained.
Adagio clasped her glass in one hand and raised it in a toast.
"To the lives we left behind," she announced.
"And the same we tried to reclaim," Aria and Sonata replied meekly.
"A-freaking-men," Aria mumbled before throwing her head back, allowing the drink to enter her throat. Moment she swallowed however, she started to cough it right back up. She was pounding a fist against her chest to try and cough any back out.
"You all right, lightweight?" Adagio teased. She was about to take a sip until Aria had her little episode.
"When did this stuff get so damn strong!?" she asked. Her throat was tearing from all the coughing.
Adagio seemed to consider this question for a moment. "I think we're gonna experience a, 'fresh body cleanse.'"
"What's that?" Sonata asked.
"We didn't need to eat human food back then, that was more a luxury. I guess without our magic, we're gonna have to eat and drink regular human food," Adagio explained.
"Human food!?" Aria faked a retching noise.
"It's not that bad..." Sonata chimed.
"I suppose this is the first thing we ever drank in... damn... I can't even remember how old we are..." Adagio looked away for a moment. She took a quick sip and lurched forward with the sudden punch. "Oh yeah! That's strong, alright..." she gave a brief chuckle. "Sonata?"
"Hmm?" she still hadn't taken a drink from hers yet.
"You keep track of our birthdays, right? You know how old we are?" Adagio asked.
"Sorry, I forgot them after we came to this world..." she answered sadly.
"That's alright... I guess we just gotta make new ones..."
"Why?"
"Remember what I said? We're gonna get drunk AND forget this night..." she let her words hang in the air for a second.
"I don't... oh..." Sonata looked down before finally taking a sip. Her shivers and a slight gag told the rest.
Aria caught on and simply shook her head slowly. She took a drink, her body rejecting the offensive material, but she managed to force it down.
"We're gonna need an excuse for this night, so I'll suppose today will be my, 'human,' birthday," Adagio said.
The other two just shook their head in disbelief. Didn't stop them from making their own, however.
"I... I want to have... April," Sonata said.
"April what?" Aria asked.
"The seventeenth?" she replied skeptically.
"Alright, sweet, I got Christmas," Aria said with a mocking tone.
"Hey, why do you get Christmas?" Sonata asked, suddenly feeling betrayed.
"Cause you didn't call it," she answered simply.
"Aww."
Adagio chuckles slightly at her sisters's antics.
A forlorn silence overtook the room. Sonata tried to make the best of it by offering Bom some of her drink. He took a quick lap of it and made a sputtering noise before spitting out the liquid. Aria gave an amused chuckle.
They continued to drink from their glasses. And since this is the first thing they'd ever had in their now... human bodies, they knew they'd be in for a hell of a hangover. Too bad they didn't care at this point. They finished their drinks, and soon after, the whole bottle.
They were drunk, they were laughing and guffawing about memories long since gone.
Like how Adagio had fallen for a man named Mighty Pen who only spoke in corny poetry lines such as. "Oh how the night Raven mourns!"
In her defense, she says she was just going through a phase.
Or Sonata's inability to understand sarcasm and modern metaphors.
In her defense, she preferred back when people were more to the point and just brutally honest.
Or how Aria was screaming like a little girl just last...
She had a good excuse...
Their smiles soon faded once they realized something. Out of all the memories they shared, they couldn't remember a single thing about Equestria...
All they had now was an empty bottle and the memories of the dark depths they grew to call home.
Its been too long...
"I guess... I guess there's no beating around the bush with this," Adagio said. She had a fake smile plastered on now. "Come on, let's finish this," she stood up and motioned for the two to follow.
They did so obediently and without any words to share, after all, they knew what was coming next.
####
They stood on top of the roof.
They weren't gonna jump, they may be stubborn, but they're not idiots.
They sat down, their legs dangling over the high drop, staring at the city below. The cars, moving along their merry way. They could see the school, although they chose not to acknowledge it.
"So how's this gonna work?" Aria asked, staring into the distance.
"We just... sing," Adagio replied.
"Wait, but I thought we can't anymore?" Sonata said, looking confused.
"No... we just try, and hope I guess," Adagio explained.
"Hope for what? We just don't explode?" Aria asked with a snarky smile.
"T-That won't happen... right?" Sonata asked with a slight bit of panic.
Adagio just smiled. "Hope we still have even just a... just a fragment of our magic."
"So it's just a shot in the dark?" Aria asked.
"Pretty much," said Adagio.
"Will it hurt?" Sonata asked.
"No... well, yes. But at the same time no," She said. "We'll get to see it all one more time, but... I don't think we'll feel anything," her voice lacked something. Her normal strength and confidence drained, replaced by something else. It sounded docile and meek.
"We'll still remember each other, right?" Sonata asked.
"Yeah, we will... but most of it will be just snippets... we'll remember the important bits, don't worry..." she reached a hand over and patted Sonata's back in a slight act of reassurance.
"We'll relive it all," Aria said.
"We'll laugh again, and we'll cry again," Sonata continued.
"One more time," Adagio finished.
"One more time," said Aria.
"One more time," Sonata said.
After that, all they could hear were the calm winds. It was freezing and they weren't wearing exactly appropriate attire for this kind of weather. But a cold is the least of their worries at the moment.
...
Aria suddenly clapped her hands together. "Alright! Are we gonna do this? Or are we gonna sit on the idea of it?"
"You're right..." Adagio muttered. "I guess... I suppose I'll start like good ol' times," she said. "We all remember how it goes right?" she asked looked at the two of them.
Aria leaned backwards, as well as Sonata. They made brief eye contact before signaling a nod to each other.
After a silent three seconds, the two began a... more than terrible harmonization.
They started to cough violently as their throats protested in response to this. They could definitely feel something tear.
Taking a moment to recollect themselves, they started again. It seemed to hurt more, but it lacked that surprise, so they continued.
Adagio listened for her cue, nothing major, just a slight dip in their tone. Although... maybe it passed already and she just didn't know, she couldn't tell.
From an outside perspective, you'd hear a garbled mess of tearing vocals and awful crescendos. It was as if they were trying an aria da capo with each other and no instruments, it was just downright horrid sounding. Even equatable to three individual cats being tortured, some might say! Whenever one of them would drop out, another took their verse. It was an unending cacophony. But there was a bright side. With every wrong note, a couple hundred years suddenly flashed before them. Something meaningful. It hurt them just singing. Pain wasn't something they had to worry about back then, at least extensively. But now... they'd honestly be surprised if they could ever speak again. And the song was meant to be sung gently. It was passed down to them, and here they were, butchering it.
They combined their voices for one verse, the tearing in their throats becoming unbearable.
The three went silent for a moment; tears were almost flowing down their cheeks like a stream. In those few verses, that had just relived almost their entire existence. All the pain they cause, all the laughs they shared, the sights they'd never see again. It was aching their minds. They were laughing, yet at the same time, crying. They weren't even aware of the metallic grey mist surrounding them and billowing the sides of the building. It appeared to be coming from them, from the very pores in their skin it was leaking out.
Now they just had to finish it.
They combined their voices for what would no doubted be their last time, 'singing.'
"OOOOoOohhh! Buckle down TOnight! You want to get away, forget it, baby! Got you in mY SIghts, they never go, they dON't ever learn! Hell for hEAvens sake! In just a moments time, yOU'll wonder why you'D evER look furTHER morE thaN you'VE goT, Cause, BABY, YOu, you had YOu and meeeeee!"
The mist suddenly stopped its movement as it retreated back to the source it came from, the three sisters. With it came a surge of new memories, artificial ones.
New lives, put together with less that important memories. In order to make room for these ones, it had to wipe away something else, something much closer. The sudden shock of having their past wiped away and being replaced with an entirely new life shot them backwards. they were all laying on their backs, facing the night sky. They were giggling among themselves, laying close in the cold wind, staring up into the night sky as if the stars were telling a real funny joke.
Before the last of their memories were wiped away, they got the feeling that they were the punchline.
Adagio opened her eyes to a cloudy morning with rays of sunlight piercing through.
She was leaning against an air-conditioning unit. Her head felt as if it was splitting open. If you cracked it open with an axe, that'd be a mercy. Her throat was very parched. It felt like sandpaper was rubbed on it through the night and then drenched in salt. Her eyes winced at the light entering her eyes. She averted her eyes from the offensive sun.
She saw that Sonata was sleeping on her lap, and sleeping on her head was Bom. She was sleeping soundlessly; peaceful.
She felt something leaning against her side. Turning her head slightly, she saw it was Aria, her head was leaning on Adagio's shoulder. She was having the same results as her younger sister. Maybe a little less with peaceful, though.
'Damn... what happened last night?' she wondered.
She didn't move, not wanting to disrupt their slumber, if they had what she had, no doubt they would curse her name for waking them up
'Oh yeah... it was my birthday yesterday,' she concluded. 'Heh... hell of a night.'
Her throat was more sore than it had ever been in her life. Wasn't actually sure what felt worse; the hangover, or the strep throat.
Here she was... a now twenty seven year old woman sleeping on the roof with her two younger sisters with the hangover to end all hangovers.
There are definitely worst things that could've happened, right?
Sonata began stirring in her lap, making small mewling noises. A bad dream during a hangover may as well be a kick in the head. That must be what the dream is. Adagio reacted by using her free arm and running it through Sonata's cold blue hair, the physical comfort provided the needed result of Sonata calming down.
"Shhh," Adagio cooed gently in a low voice. "You'll be alright, you can tough it out," she said.
She decided it would probably just be best to try and get some more sleep. Or at the very least as much as her body would permit.
Leaning her head back slightly so it could rest against the cold metal, she closed her eyes.
She poised herself in front of the mirror trying to get a view of herself on all angles. She wasn't too sure why, she was meeting family, not going to church. Her dress was formal but still casual. It was simple white dress that went down to her knees. It exposed her shoulders and hugged her skin, letting a perfect outline shine through. A red waistband wrapped her hips.
To match the theme, she was also wearing her white and red hat with black feathers.
The dress definitely looked good on her. Than again? What didn't? She heard the doorbell ring and she left her room. She passed by a small room that had a grand piano and a black-gold saxophone lying against the wall. She took a day off from work to spend this day getting ready and catching up.
Going down the steps, she saw a head poking up from behind the stained glass at the top of the door. She couldn't help but recall the events leading here.
Things had been rough after her twenty seventh. Her and her sisters had to live off sugar water for about a year or so before they were finally able to move out of Canterlot and gain a new footing in life. Although... she still couldn't wrap her head around the dirty glares they got on a regular basis.
Standing in front of it, she reached for the handle and was greeted the most halfhearted, 'great to see you again,' of all time.
She gave a genuine smile in return as she greeted her house-guest.
"Good to see you again, Aria," she said warmly.
She was wearing torn up jeans with a... less than common sweater wrapped her shoulders.
It was a tiger pelt... the lower jaw was missing and the top jaw was hanging over her head like a hoodie, the sharp teeth covering up her forehead. The arms of the thing rested on her shoulder and leaned forward, almost looking they were hugging her. She was also dragging behind a one strap backpack that looked full. On the parts the pelt didn't cover up, she was wearing a sports bra.
Just the sports bra.
"Hey there big sister," she replied warmly. Her eyes darted down slightly and a small smirk grew on her lips. "Or should I say, 'little sister?'"
Adagio replied to this with an annoyed look before looking behind Aria, almost as if expecting to see someone.
"Where's Sonata? I thought you said she was driving you here from the airport?" she asked.
"Turned out I gotta another ride, I gave her a call to let her know to come straight here," she gave a brief look of realization. "Wait? She's not here."
Something caught Adagio's eye. "Oh, she's here alright," she said shaking her head with an amused smile.
"What are you- oh my god..." Aria turned around to see what had her interest at the moment.
They could see Sonata's little purple car parked in the driveway... on the other side of the street. Sonata herself was engaged in a conversation of the owner of the house right across from Adagio's home.
The man appeared terrified for whatever reason, looking at this woman who had just randomly pulled up in his driveway and was now attempting to strike conversation with him. He must have though this was a strange new attempt at a robbery. With the way his body language spoke, he appeared to be trying to close the door without appearing rude, but would get cut off when Sonata found another reason to keep it open.
Creepily enough, she seemed to be inching closer to him...
"HEY! IDIOT! OVER HERE!" Aria called out, grabbing her attention.
Sonata turned around and saw her two sisters on the other side. She smiled brightly before waving goodbye to the man who replied by sighing in relief before she made her way down the street. She was wearing a warm looking purple and yellow stripped sweater, and she was carrying a large food container with what looked like it had a home-cooked meal inside.
"Hey there, little troublemaker," Adagio greeted.
"'Little'?!" Aria exclaimed. "She's bigger than the both of us... combined!"
"Is that a fat joke or a big boob joke?" Sonata asked, looking slightly offended.
"Big boobs," Aria answered blatantly.
"... I'll allow it," Sonata said with a happy smile, striking a pose.
"Alright, stop flirting you two-"
"Flirting?!"
"Let's get inside before you catch a cold," Adagio finished, taking a step inside.
"Ughh!" Aria groaned as she stepped in.
"I thought it was kinda cute..." Sonata chimed.
Aria stopped suddenly, half her body was still inside and the other out. She turned her head slowly and made a look that can only be described as perplexed.
"I made it weird, didn't I...?" Sonata replied with a shy smile.
"Yeah! You kinda did," Aria mocked before turning back and going inside.
The house was warm, and the first thing you would see is a large, red couch. Several heart shaped pillows leaned against it. As well as a large black blanket which has no doubt seen a lot in its years of use if Adagio's life style was evidence enough.
Adagio was sitting on the dining room table waiting for the other two to sit down.
She was sitting on the end closest to the door and was waiting for the other two to take their seats. She wore a patient expression.
Aria sat down and set her backpack on the floor just next to her feet.
Sonata sat down beside Aria on the farthest end of the table, despite the large space in the dead center.
Their lives had taken a more positive turn after their agreed upon separation. They thought it'd be best to move on.
Adagio was now helping run a small jazz club with big business in this town, although she practically runs the thing by herself. She does help write the music though, she even contributes a little more by playing the piano on most nights. Lord knows she couldn't handle the mic even if her life depended on it.
Sonata moved to a small little town called humansville, while there, she actually opened up a little restaurant, ironically named. 'The Little Restaurant,' look, those two may love their little sister, but she doesn't really have a way with names. She has an aquarium with an electric eel inside named, "Mr. Unagi," who she posts videos of his feedings every two days. Now Bom on the other hand... she held on to Bom for as long as he could before he passed away the year before. He spent his final two months sleeping most of the time in Sonata's arms.
Moving on, Aria was a second in command so to speak. She ran a gym all the way over at manehatten with her boyfriend. Well... by day it's a gym, at night it turns into a full fledged arena, with bets on winners and everything! Adagio is still wondering whether it's legal or not. Needless to say, those two rule the underground.
Sonata set down the container of food while Aria pulled up her backpack and gently set it down on the table. Key-word: gently.
She unzipped it stating that she had a special surprise for everyone. Sonata was sitting relatively close, very exited over what kind of occasion would make her grouch of a sister bring gifts.
Aria reached a hand inside and rummaged carefully. She grabbed something and pulled it out. It was a small purple mug with a topaz gemstone expertly painted on it. She slid it across the table towards Adagio. She looked at it strangely, examining the side presented to her. She gave a forced smile and turned to Aria.
"You got me a mug... how, 'thoughtful,' of you," Adagio muttered apathetically
Aria's brow furrowed as she sighed in annoyance. "Read the mug, numb-nuts," she said.
Adagio complied and wrapped a hand around the mug and lifted it up to investigate the other side. On the other side of it were words written on it. She read them aloud.
"Worlds greatest..." her eyes widened suddenly as she put a hand to her mouth. "...Aunt?" her eyes glued to those words for a good ten seconds before she looks back up. "Holy god! When?!" she asked, her voice rising in pitch up very quickly.
"Found out last month," Aria replied with a warm expression. She reached inside her backpack and gave Sonata a mug as well. It had a dark pink heart on it and on the other side was an amethyst gem. But instead of 'greatest aunt,' the words were written as 'worst aunt.'
"Wait, I don't get it...?" Sonata said, one eyebrow raised.
"Sonata, Aria's-"
"Hold up!" Aria interrupted. "I wanna see how long it is before she figures it out."
Sonata stared into the distance, seemingly trying to put the pieces together.
...
"Oooooohhhhhhh!" she said, smiling slightly and nodding.
...
No reac-
"OH MY GOD!" She suddenly burst upwards and nearly tackled Aria out of her chair. She wrapped her arms around her and they actually wrapped around the chair she was sitting on as well.
"Alright, alright," Aria protested, trying push her off. She was stronger in every way, yet she somehow couldn't push Sonata off herself. "You can let..." Adagio just came up beside her and now her arms were wrapped around her and Sonata.
...
"Could I get some personal space!" Aria barked suddenly.
The two didn't flinch but they did comply and let her go.
Once they took their seats again, Aria could do nothing to stop the influx of, 'congratulations,' and, 'when is it's?'
She would say she spent around thirty minutes answering their questions and she just felt exhausted after all that.
"So!" she said. "Could we please just get this night started?" she asked. Being entirely truthful... she was hoping that would have went better.
After regaining her bearings, Adagio got up and walked to the sofa in the living room. Sonata got up as well, but still had enough time to give Aria a celebratory smile.
Aria was mumbling beneath her breath when she got there. She took a seat next to the black blanket and realized just how cold the room was. She tore down the blanket and wrapped it around herself.
"So what're we watching, cougar?" she asked, finding a suitable position laying on her side.
Adagio was rummaging through a cupboard where she held an assortment of things, mostly just dusty old books, but sometimes a mysterious movie would appear there that she lost during spring cleaning.
"We are watching..." she pulled a disc out. "Return of The Attack of The Zombie Mutants From Hell and Outer Space..." her voice trailed off as she read the extensive title. "When the hell did I get this?"
"Sounds like my kind of movie!" Aria said.
Below the television was a DVD player. Placing it in, Adagio went back to the couch and grabbed the remote.
She pressed play.
The pre-movie commercials began, allowing for ample time to start up a riveting conversation.
...
"So..." Adagio began awkwardly. Then, inspiration struck. "Sonata?"
"Hmm?" she hummed, turning her head to face her.
"Have you been seeing anyone?" she asked with a smirk.
Sonata put on a contemplative look.
"Uh, not really, no," she answered plainly.
Aria suddenly bolted upright, staring at Sonata with the most bewildered expression.
"I refuse to believe that!" she exclaimed. "Sonata, you're twenty-six years old now, and you're telling us not ONE guy tried to hit on you?"
She just shrugged her shoulders. "I guess no ones interested in me," she said sadly.
"Give me your phone," Aria demanded.
"What?! Why?!"
"Just give it to me, I wanna see something," Aria replied.
"What?"
"You gonna ask questions or are you gonna give me your phone?"
Sonata reached into her sweater pocket. "Okay?" she pulled out a little pink phone and handed it to Aria skeptically.
Aria immediately went to her phone list.
Her hand trembled at the sight.
"NINETY-SEVEN CONTACTS!!!" She shrieked.
"What!?" Adagio suddenly sat upright, her eyes expanding to near supernova levels. "Your lying; let me see," Adagio dared, holding her hand out.
Aria tossed the phone into the air, much to Sonata's dismay, as Adagio snatched it before it could land on the soft couch.
Looking at the the screen, Adagio's eyes widened nearly twice as much as before.
"Freaking hell, Sonata! You've been busy!" she exclaimed, scrolling down the list, only recognizing two names in the whole list.
'Aria,' and, 'Adagio.'
"What'd I do?" she asked, still confused as to the whole situation.
"Sonata?" Aria began. "Out of that whole list; how many of em' are dudes?"
"Well there not ALL guys, some girls even give me their phone numbers... but they never call for some reason...?" she stared off quietly.
Aria just stared at her while Adagio was bellowing with laughter.
"I'm so proud!" Adagio said, finding some breath.
"Proud? This is just sad," Aria counted.
"My little sister's a real player!" she let lout before continuing her hysteria.
"Wait, I'm confused?" Sonata chipped in. "What's going on?"
"Sonata, do you really think all those guys and women were just being really nice to you for no reason?" Aria asked.
"Kinda..." Sonata said sheepishly.
"They were flirting with you!"
"Ohhhhh!" her pondering expression returned again. "Wait, so why don't they call me again?"
"That's not how flirting works! You're supposed to call them next!"
"What? Why?" Sonata asked.
"I don't know why! It's the rules of nature or something," Aria answered.
"Okay...?" Sonata said skeptically.
"Alright, look, here's the deal," Aria began. "You and me are gonna look through ever single one of these people, and your gonna try and remember as much as you can about them, can you do that?"
"Yup!"
"Alright, once we do that, I'm gonna pick out a suitable mate for you, okay?"
"Kay?"
"You'll call them and meet them for dinner."
"Alright?"
"And you let me and Dagi know if anything naughty happens, we'll take of it, you got that?"
"Okay!"
####
A good bit of time was spent on their next task.
Aria would pull out a random number and Sonata would her best to remember that person in all details she could fathom.
Adagio joined in when Sonata mentioned a man named, 'Apex Beat,' in a very good light.
Once it was set and done, Sonata agreed to call someone, guy or gal, she couldn't remember, who went by, 'Vanishing Point.'
After that, they finally started movie.
...
"Hey, Dagi? How have things been going at the cafe?" Aria asked.
"It's not a cafe," Adagio replied.
"It's called the Madman's Cafe..." Aria retorted.
"It's a jazz club," Adagio said sternly.
"It's called the Madman's Cafe."
"It's open at night!"
"It's called the Madman's Cafe!"
"THE NAME IS SUPPOSED TO BE IRONIC!"
"THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE CONTEXT!"
"Ughh! Anyway, what did you want to know anyway?" Adagio asked in a disgruntled tone.
"Anything new happen?" Aria asked.
"Well, since you so graciously asked! If it weren't for me constantly pushing on the topic, we wouldn't have gotten someone to finally fill in our missing cello role," she answered.
"Well that's good, you know em'?" Aria asked again.
"Not yet," a predatory smile curled on her lips, "but I do intent too..." she let her words hang in the air like a bad omen.
"Oh god! How old is she?" Aria asked in a mocking disgusted tone.
"She's legal, she's actually attending a university not too far from here, if I remember correctly, she's majoring in Music Theory," that dark smile came again. "Best part is she looks fresh outta high school..."
Aria threw her arms into the air. "Do you have, like, any problem with the fact your a freaking cougar?"
"None. At. All"
"ugh... moving on!"
"You know, as a joke I actually started to call her, 'raw meat,' and the funniest part is she thinks its some sort of initiation!" she started to cackle.
"I said I'm moving on!" Aria exclaimed.
"You wanted to know so badly!" Adagio retorted. "She constantly has this, 'High and Mighty,' front she puts on, but I can see right through it. And you wanna know what I see?"
"You're gonna tell me whether I say yes or no, aren't you?" Aria asked with no emotion.
"You know me so well, Aria.'
"Hey, Sonata?" Aria called.
"Hmm?" Sonata hummed, turning away from the television.
"Wanna go hang ourselves in the hallway?"
"Was that sarcasm?" she asked.
"yes," Aria said exasperatedly.
"Yay! Wait? Was that sarcasm?"
"No," Aria answered.
"... Was that sarcasm?"
"Oh my god!"
"Oh shush, will you?" Adagio asked, chuckling slightly. "As I was saying-"
"I'm gonna kill someone!" Aria muttered.
"Was that-"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP!!"
Sonata flinched back, hers eyes widening in response. She suddenly got up and walked off. She didn't say anything, just walked to the bathroom next to the kitchen.
"Nata, I'm sorry!" Aria called. Attempting to get up. She stopped her attempt when she heard the door. "Ugh... goddammit..."
"I swear, that girl has the bladder of a puppy," said Adagio.
"You're not at all bothered by the fact I just scared off my little sister?" Aria said.
"Why should I? You gotta pretty good reason for being like that," Adagio explained.
"And what would that be?"
"It's right inside you."
"Oh... yeah..."
They could hear a small tinkling noise coming from the bathroom now.
"You think she's ever gonna get laid?" Adagio asked suddenly.
"I thought we both agreed she was asexual," Aria quipped.
Aria put a hand on her chin. "I was always a big fan of mitosis."
Adagio chuckled. "And how does that work."
"I feel like one day she's gonna eat so much food that she kinda just splits into two Sonatas," Aria explained.
"That'd be hell on earth," Adagio remarked.
"Well, what do you say?"
"I say she's the larval form of her species and one day she'll spin a cocoon and emerge two weeks later with an exo-skeleton and moth wings..."
"Well... thanks for the nightmares..." Aria retorted. A smile brewed on her face. "Hey, maybe that's what she's doing right now."
"Not in my bathroom, she ain't!"
The door opened and Sonata walked back in looking slightly better.
"Look, Nata, I'm sorry for snapping like that," Aria said.
"It's okay," Sonata replied.
"It's... okay?" Aria said skeptically.
"Yeah," Sonata replied once more, taking a seat on the couch.
"You're not mad?"
"No, you just scared me a little, you didn't mean it, did you?"
"Wha-no! of course not!"
"Well, then I'm okay," Sonata finished.
"Well glad that smoothed over," Adagio chimed.
Aria just decided to drop the situation and-
"I see in her eyes an inner beast, one that wants to let loose and ravage in bed," Adagio said without warning.
"GOD #$%*!&/! dammit!!"
####
"Ari?"
"Yeah, Sonata?"
"I'm cold," Sonata complained.
"So what?" Aria asked, growing impatient.
"Can I have your blanket?" she asked timidly.
"Wha-? No!" Aria exclaimed.
"Please?"
"I'm the one carrying! I say I get to keep it!"
...
"...Can we share it?"
"Wha-!"
"Please?"
"I don't... fine! Whatever!" Aria groused. She lifted her arm up, allowing for a small place for a small person to fit in.
Sonata got up. "Thank you," she said, sliding into the gap.
"Yeah, whatever..." Aria grimaced. She closed the blanket and moved her head slightly to let Sonata her pillow.
Adagio let out an amused chuckle.
"And what are you laughing at, miss 'I can't get a steady relationship, so I compensate by dating barely legal kids'?" Aria fussed.
Adagio smiled and shook her head. "You two would have made an adorable couple," she turned her head back to the TV
"You shut your mouth!" Aria growled. She glared at Adagio for another minute or so before slowly turning her attention back to the television.
####
"Alright, I say it's time to hit the hay," Adagio announced, turning off the TV as the movie's end credits began to play.
"Wait! We didn't see if there are any after-credits!" Sonata pleaded suddenly, refusing to leave her warm spot on the couch.
"Sonata, there is no way a movie like this has after-credits," Adagio protested.
"But what if there is? Then we might miss something important," she replied.
"I sincerely doubt a movie with a title like, 'Return of The Attack of The Zombie Mutants From Hell and Outer Space,' would have after-credits," Adagio replied listlessly.
"Oh come on, Dagi!" Sonata whined.
Adagio shook her head and switched the TV back on.
Ten minutes of credits and nothing...
"Whelp, that was good ten minutes of my life I'll never get back..." Aria said, shaking her head.
"Alright, Sonata, we stayed and watched your little after-credits bull-hunkey. Now can we get some sleep?" Adagio asked, slightly ticked.
Sonata was slowly getting up now from her spot, letting out a soft yawn. "Okay, Dagi."
"Great, the guest bedroom is where it's always been," Adagio said.
"Did you get the new beds?" Aria asked, getting up and removing her tiger pelt. She cut her hair short, so now it barely went past her ears.
"I keep telling you, I'm not buying TWO beds for two guests who come over once a year! And besides, what's wrong with sharing a bed with Sonata?"
"Cause this little gremlin keeps latching on to me when she sleeps!" Aria protested. "I swear she's like a parasite!"
"I feel more comfortable when someone sleeps next to me..." Sonata said.
"See? She feels safer next to you! Now go upstairs already," Adagio mumbled, heading to the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" Aria asked, an angered face plastered.
"I need to clean up the table!" Adagio called from the kitchen.
Adagio could hear a groan coming from Aria and two sets of feet going up the steps leading to the guest rooms. She scratched her nose real quick and grabbed the glass containers with Sonata's home brought meals. She opened the fridge and found space for them on the bottom shelf. Closing the fridge, she turned back to the table and groaned when she saw the mess of plates and cups.
Grabbing a few, she set some plates down in the sink and turned back to the table.
The rest of the plates continued to mock her.
"Ehh, I'll get to it tomorrow..." she said, walking back into the living room
She heard something... just slightly outside her door. It sounded like something was rustling against the stone gravel outside. She turned slowly towards it as the sound continued to grow louder.
They were heading for the door...
Something in her, she wasn't too sure what, told her to get closer. She took a slow and deliberate step towards the door. It was all the way across the room and she was approaching very slowly, listening for any changed in the unknown trespasser's pace.
It continued the same, and she quickened in response. She had a hand just inches over the door knob. With sudden speed, she grabbed and twisted the doorknob, pushing open the door nearly instantly. The door smacked against something and she could hear a feminine sounding grunt. She saw a darkly clad figure fall backwards, something dropping from their hands. They got up quickly and stared at Adagio.
Their face was covered in a dark hood and all she could see was cyan colored eyes.
Adagio began yelling.
"GET OUT!!" she bellowed. "I'M CALLING THE POLICE! GET OUT!" she looked around and found a potted plant by the doorway. She quickly picked it up and arched it to toss. The figure was already halfway down the street.
Panting heavily, she watched as the imminent threat was growing smaller as it ran off into the distance. She looked down and saw what exactly they dropped.
It was an envelope.
Looking back, she could see the figure disappearing into the darkness. She looked back down onto the letter and crouched. She wrapped it around her fingers softly and picked it up. She examined it front to back and found writing that said, 'Please Read Me.'
Walking back in, she made extra care to assure herself that the door was locked. She looked back down on the envelope. She was debating whether or not to throw it away.
Curiosity got the better of her when she opened the thing.
It was a neatly folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, Adagio raised a brow when she read the contents.
It was, 'I'm Sorry,' written seven times in different colored pencils and penmanship. She stared at it for a good while, unsure of what to make of this.
She turned it around. There was an actual message on the back of it.
'Dear Adagio Dazzle.'
How did that woman know her name?
'We want to tell you how sorry we are about what happened. We don't know whether you really don't remember us or if your trying not too, but please, let's talk with you. Please meet us at-'
"ADAGIO!!" a panicked voice called going down the steps.
Adagio looked up suddenly and saw Sonata and Aria standing by the steps, looking at her with panic and worry.
"Are you alright?!" Aria asked, she was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, as if ready to fight..
"We heard screaming and wanted to make sure you were safe," Sonata said, talking a step towards her.
Adagio looked at them and back at the letter. She looked back up before walking towards the kitchen. "I'm fine, girls," she assured. "It was just... it was just some crazy woman," she said as she tossed the note into the trash bin. "Come on, it's been a long night, let's get some sleep,' she suggested.
She was the first to go up the steps as Aria and Sonata exchanged worried glances.
####
The two got into the queen sized bed together, Sonata was already wrapping an arm around Aria as she groaned in protest. Aria closed her eyes, knowing how difficult finding sleep will be when she has a little sister constricting her lungs.
She found herself surprised when Sonata actually let go of her.
She rested a bit more comfortably now.
"Ari?" Sonata asked after about five minutes.
'Oh, dear lord, why?'
"What, Sonata?" Aria asked, trying her darn hardest to muster her, 'Don't bother me,' tone.
"When did Adagio post this?" she asked, Aria could see the faint glow of phone.
"When did she post what?"
"This," Sonata said as she pulled up her phone so that Aria could get a clear look at it.
It showed Aria and Sonata, the both of them lying down together.
On Adagio's couch...
Underneath a black blanket...
Sharing the same heart-shaped pillow.
Aria could hear her teeth grinding against each other.
Underneath the picture was a large caption in a romantic font that read.
