> Endless Days Finally Ending In A Blaze
>  by Norm De Plume
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> And You're To Blame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aria Blaze knew a lot of things.

She knew how to harmonize.  Even with her voice broken, the notes were there in her mind.  She couldn't hold a tune, but she remembered how to support other voices and weave the spell of song.

She knew half a dozen synonyms for what had happened to her the night before.  Forget beaten.  She and her fellow Sirens had gotten pounded, splattered, smashed, clobbered, walloped, and pulverized, all with a couple blasts of magic.

She also knew energy, even more than either Adagio or Sunset Shimmer.  Which was why she sat in her fancy kitchen, sipped on her second glass of water, and fumed.  Sure, Sunset could stand there in their living room and use what little smarts she had to come up with a solution to the Sirens' pain, but without using real magic, Aria couldn't see how it would work.  The sort of energy needed to replace a dead magical power source was so unusual that it might as well be a — well, a unicorn.

It rankled, not having that tasty Equestrian magic around, but the loss of her amulet hurt even more.  Without their necklaces, the three of them were ex-Sirens; weak, ordinary humans, no longer able to feast on peoples' energy.  To her, that blew.

After getting smacked around by those rainbow beams, they had escaped the wrath of the school crowd and Adagio had pushed them home with the promise that today would be better.  So far, that hadn't happened.  There were three Rainbooms in their apartment.  There were people feeling sorry for her and trying to help her.

She wasn't in the mood for any of it, but since Adagio had gone soft and human, she had to sit and endure those useless sympathies.  All of it was useless.  Kind words wouldn't restore her power.  Good feelings couldn't bring back the long life she wished to lead.  And those girls had no magic to cure the ache in her chest that came from having her amulet smashed.

At least there were only three of them around.  If six Rainbooms had crowded into the apartment, Sonata wouldn't have dared come out of her bedroom.  Luckily, Sunset had brought only two friends over, and both of them were the gentle sort.  Not like that cocky rainbow-haired one or the perky pink menace.

Which had made it easier to sneak away when Adagio had taken Sunset and Rarity for a private talk.  The other girl's timid attention had been focused on the still-woozy Sonata and so Aria had made the excuse that she needed some water.  She had finished the glass in a few gulps and then poured herself another.  Sitting here alone and brooding was the only thing she wanted to do.  Sonata wouldn't care; she was getting attention and making a new friend.

Getting up, Aria went to the window and pushed it open.  The rain had stopped, but the zest of its passing remained.  The air was cleaner this high up and she inhaled its scent greedily.  Her throat was no longer parched but she needed the moist air in her lungs.  So many humans liked their air dry and hot, which she never understood.  Give her the rain, the overcast skies, the long, cool showers.  Places where her discontented soul could be quiet once more.

“Not feeling sociable?”

So much for peace and quiet.  Scowling, she turned around.  Sunset Shimmer was leaning on the door frame, all leather jacket, short skirt, and flowing red and yellow hair.  Amazing what a little victory could do for someone who just the other day had been a quivering mess of emotion in a darkened school hallway.  The fake bravado was gone, replaced by confidence; the uneasy defiance turned into compassion.  She was trying to help them, even if it meant looking bad in front of some of her friends.

Aria hated her for it.

Okay, she didn't really 'hate' Sunset Shimmer.  She hated the idea of needing help so badly.  Adagio had lost all her pride, so it was easy for her to beg for backrubs and pats on the head.  And Sonata would go along with it if it meant attention and new friends.

Her?  She wasn't ready to give in just yet.  Setting her glass down on the windowsill, she gestured at her grey sweatpants and green T-shirt.  “Not exactly dressed for company.  I was still in bed when Adagio called and said you'd invited yourselves over.”  She hadn't even bothered putting her purple hair up in its twin ponytails because the pulling made her headache worse.  “What do you want?  I don't have a spare amulet stashed in the flour tin or something.”

“Already checked in here earlier.”  Sunset shrugged and knocked on the stainless-steel refrigerator.  “Even in the crisper.”

Of course.  Sunset had vanished with Adagio when they first arrived.  Should have guessed it would be for a thorough rummaging of their apartment.  “Adagio would approve of your casual paranoia.”  Aria nestled her hips against the sill and let the cool air chill her spine a little.  “So you didn't find anything you could use to rainbow us again.  How about something to make us better?  Did you find that yet?”

Her back ached, as did the top of her head.  It might have been from the rainbow filling her senses, but the blast had actually ripped away the magical Siren attributes she'd regained.  Wings, ears, and ponytail had been yanked free of her body, leaving her sadly, fully human.  All three ex-Sirens were sore, Sonata especially, but Sunset had explained, and assured them the pain was minor and it would soon fade.

The loss of their amulets was a different matter.  The shattering had left a figurative void in their chests; their power gone and nothing to replace it.  Only the right energy or Equestrian magic could make it better.  Sunset had admitted this was a harder fix, especially without access to some real magic, but she was determined to find a solution.

Aria's chest twinged again and she grunted, rubbing the ache between her breasts.  Being in debt to the Rainbooms would suck, even if they did heal her.  Still, a cure would be better than being hunched over, all knotted up.

Noticing her discomfort, Sunset moved closer to sit down at the kitchen table.  “We might have found something.  Are you still hurting?”

Aria rolled her eyes.  “What do you think?”  She hated the whole 'polite conversation' thing at the best of times.  When she was sore, her grumpiness amplified.  “What's Adagio up to?”

Sunset crooked her lips in a weird smile.  “Funny you should say that.  She and Rarity might have the answer to your little problem.”

She could tell that she was going to hate this.  “What, some cheap crystals and chanting?  That stuff doesn't work.”  She had once tried to see if the gems in this world acted the same as those from Equestria.  It had been disappointing, like everything else in this forsaken place.  There was no decent energy in anything they made.

“No,” Sunset said, shaking her head, her cheeks reddening.  “It's . . . a little more intimate than that.”

What in the five Oceans are they doing?  “Adagio's taking her to bed or something?  That won't work, either.  Sex doesn't focus the energy enough to give us anything to feed on.”  Although she wouldn't put it past Adagio to take a little action for herself and pretend it was for her own health.  Besides Sonata, she was the horniest of the three of them.  “Adagio's taking her for a ride.”  She smirked.  “So to speak.”

Sunset continued shaking her head.  “This isn't her idea.  It's Rarity's, and that's still not what they're doing.  This is some kind of tantric massage; energy-focused, or so she says.”  Her fingers traced a line from her throat down through her stomach.

Her frown deepened.  Tantric.  She'd heard that word once before.  Some guy had hit on Sonata in a dive bar.  He'd bragged about how he could go all night because he studied it, and spouted some gobbledygook involving energies and worship of her body.  Aria had rolled her eyes because it had been obvious to her that he only wanted to get Sonata out of her leather pants, but now that she really thought about it . . . .

“Huh.”  Holding up a finger, she pushed off the windowsill and managed to straighten up without too much pain.  She breathed slowly as she made her way to the door, ignoring the ache in her neck when she looked back.  Without her ponytails in, her purple hair was heavy and it hurt to fling it aside.  “I'm not going to scare that Fluttershy girl too much, I promise.”

Sunset turned in her chair.  “She's here to help.  Don't scare her at all!”

“Uh-huh.”  Aria poked her head out into the living room.  Sonata was stretched out on the couch, eyes closed and her head in Fluttershy's lap.  She was smiling as her hair was stroked, much like a pleased cat.  “Sonata.”

Her legs jerked slightly as she sat up halfway, blinking.  “Yeah?”

Aria snapped her fingers, ignoring Fluttershy's frightened squeak.  “Focus for a sec.  Remember that guy from the place?”

“Kinda?”  Sonata swung her legs around to sit up and pushed her loose hair away from her face.  She had taken it back out of the ponytail she'd put it in earlier.  With it down and her amulet missing, she looked much younger than she normally did.  “Was he the one I beat at arm-wrestling?”

“Not him.”  Aria gestured.  “The one who was 'I can unlock the secrets of the universe in you'.”  She did her best to imitate the voice, even though it made her throat hurt.

“Oh, him!”  Sonata's sudden grin made Aria want to slap herself on the forehead.  “What about him?”

Tides help her, this was infuriating, but one had to take Sonata through several steps to get her brain to access certain information.  “Did he use any of that tantric stuff on you?”

Sonata blinked some more, as if her eyelashes would unlock her memories.  “Yeah,” she said, tilting her head.  “He was really big.”  There was an awkward silence and she looked around.  “On the breathing thing, you know?  Kept looking in my eyes and breathing deeply.  It was cool, but weird.”

Aria nodded, pretending to understand.  “How about your energy after?  Was your amulet stronger?”  She noted Sonata's hesitation.  If it had been, she should have told the others, but the difference might have been so small that she didn't notice.  Aria couldn't blame her for not speaking up.  “It's okay, Sonata.  You might still be the worst, but I'm not going to get angry if you didn't say anything.”

Sonata blushed and pressed her fingertips together.  “I felt lighter.  Like, really good.  I didn't even think about my necklace, but yeah, it kinda felt like I'd gotten some energy back.”

Aria nodded and turned away.  “Okay.  Go back to sleep.”  Back in the kitchen, she scooped her glass up, refilled it from the tap, and leaned on the granite counter to take a gulp.  She had to think.  This was a new idea, and a daring one, possibly with some pitfalls attached.  Sunset might be magical, but she didn't know energy entanglements like Aria.

The way Sirens absorbed power, there was a chance of their energy tangling with whatever source they were feeding from.  It wasn't dangerous, but it did mean there would be a bond, and thus no more energy from anyone else as long as you were linked.  Hence the amulets.  Energy came through the gems and was shared amongst all three Sirens, no one signature getting mixed up with their own.

But this energy was being exchanged one-on-one, and it was an Equestrian counterpart feeding a Siren.  Naturally, their signatures would mingle.  Aria supposed there was no real harm done if Rarity was the only source of Adagio's energy for a little while.  If there was enough of it, there wouldn't be a need for a second tumble together.  She could even untangle their signatures and break their link once she figured them out.  It would just take some time; time to explain, to recover, and to recharge.

She still had to play it cool until she knew for certain.  Looking over at Sunset, she shrugged, flinching at the pull in her breastbone.  “So, okay.  It might be a thing.”

Sunset nodded.  “I'd read about it years ago in the castle library.  It's different for ponies, but the theory is still the same.  If Rarity's right, this could be the answer.”  She put her chin on her hand and made an unhappy noise.  “So why am I not thrilled?”

Aria snorted and immediately regretted the pain.  “Duh, because it's kind of weird?  I mean, she's what, barely eighteen?  Adagio's closer to nine hundred and eighteen.”

Making a face, Sunset gestured.  “Okay, yeah.  But even though Adagio's agreed to this, I don't want to push you or Sonata.  If you're not comfortable, I want to try and find another way to help.”

If she hadn't been aching from the last time, Aria would have snorted harder.  “Eh, Sonata's always comfortable.  You won't have any problem convincing her.”  The real problem was keeping Sonata off Fluttershy.  They were already on the same wavelength, with Fluttershy willing to give affection and Sonata happy to lap it up.

“What about you?” Sunset asked.

“Why, you offering?”  Aria finished her water and shrugged.  “I suppose I could put up with it.”  

“Me?”  Sunset blinked, then looked frantic and waved her hands.  “Oh, no.  No, no, no!  I'm not qualified at all!”

“Qualified?”  Aria laughed, because Sunset was looking very much like her namesake, with her fiery blush matching the red in her hair.  Shoals preserve her, she had an ingenue on her hands!  “And Rarity is?”

Sighing, she slumped back in her chair.  “Yes!  Please don't ask how.”

Nope.  It wasn't enough.  Aria pushed herself off the counter and slid into the chair across the table from her.  “Nuh-uh.  You broke us yesterday and took away the long lives we had.  So spill, unicorn.  What does she know that we don't?”

Sunset blinked.  “Wait.  How did you know I was a unicorn?”

“What other Equestrian species would be such a pain in the ass?”  She tapped a fingertip on the table.  “Only unicorns care enough about magic to interfere with us, like Star Swirl did.  You didn't grow any wings last night, either, so I took a guess at unicorn, even though you've got thighs like an Earth Pony.”

Flushing redder, Sunset hunched her shoulders and looked away.  “Okay.  Here's what's going on . . .”


-~-~-~-~-~


“Geez, they're still in there?”

Aria rolled her eyes.  “No, Sonata, they escaped your stupidity by tying the bedsheets together and climbing out the window.”

“Yeah, like your last date?”  Sonata stuck her tongue out, huddled safely on the couch behind Fluttershy's back.

“At least my last date escaped without catching something,” Aria shot back, making Sonata gasp and press her palm to her chest.

“Wow,” Sunset commented.  “When I was hit by the rainbow, I was at least less bitchy.”  Both ex-Sirens turned indignant looks on her and she grinned weakly.  “Sorry.  Thought I could get into the swing of things there.”

Sonata sniffed, tossing her restored blue ponytail as she settled her chin on Fluttershy's shoulder.  “You need a few more centuries to match wits with us!”

“Uh-huh.  Sonata matched wits with a cucumber last week,” Aria commented, leaning to the side to look down the hallway.  “She lost pretty bad.  Sad, really.”  Yeah, Adagio's bedroom door was still closed.  Not surprising, since Sunset had said it was a very intimate ritual.  Rituals couldn't be rushed unless you wanted unexpected things to happen.  She wasn't sure what could go wrong with erotic energy transfers, but it was better they took their time and enjoyed themselves properly.

Fluttershy raised her hand.  “Is Rarity going to be all right?”

Sunset shrugged.  “Why wouldn't she?  She and Adagio are romping together.”

“Nice word,” Sonata drawled, uncurling a little.  “'Romp'.”  She stretched up close to Fluttershy's neck as she breathed the word, humming before popping off the 'p' behind her ear.

Blushing, she shied her head away from Sonata's lips.  “Um, yes.  That's what I meant.  She's going to be tired from . . . that.  She couldn't possibly, ah, do the same for Aria and Sonata tonight.”  Fluttershy took a deep breath, looking relieved as Sonata settled back down.

“She won't have to,” Sunset said.  “If this works, she thinks she can have the Luxury Lotus Spa finish the job.  Apparently there are people there who know what to do.”  She looked around.  “We might be able to get you girls better before midnight, if you feel up to it.”

Aria frowned.  Not that she objected to getting rid of that empty feeling in her chest, but this also meant she'd have more energy to untangle, with people who wouldn't understand it.  She'd have to visit them at least once more to figure out the connections.  “Will they believe we're not from around here?”

Sunset's expression quickly matched hers.  “Do we need to tell them?  That might get weird rather quickly.”

“Not for them.”  Both women glanced at Fluttershy in surprise, and she ducked at their gaze, but a nudge from Sonata made her straighten up with a sigh.  “You don't have to tell Lotus and Aloe all the details.  Once they see how much you're hurting, they'll help you.”

Sonata peeked around Fluttershy's shoulder and raised her hand tentatively.  “Umm, how come it can't be you?  You already know who we are.”  She squinted.  "Or is it because you're too young?  How old are you?  Wait, how old am I, now?"

Fluttershy looked back at her, shaking her head.  “Oh, no!  I couldn't possibly.  I mean, yes, I'm old enough, but it's very, very intimate.”

“For realzies?” Sonata widened her eyes.  “Wait, so this isn't one of Adagio's tricks?  Your friend really is doing her best to, y'know, get her off?”  She hesitated, looking back and forth at Sunset and Fluttershy.  “I dunno about this.”

“What's the matter, Sonata?” Aria asked.  She'd seen her fellow Siren string along four or five girls and guys at the bars and clubs.  Where Adagio was seductive, Sonata's innocent flirtation drew in so many.  This had to be a version of that, because no way was she this shy.  Unless the rainbow had walloped her harder than originally thought.

She shrugged.  “It's cool playing around with Fluttershy here.  I like her, she's fun.  But if strangers are gonna be doing that to me, it's a major buzzkill.”  She blinked as Sunset scowled at her.  “What?”

“I brought Fluttershy with me because I needed to balance you three out, not let you take advantage of her!”  Sunset sighed and pinched her nose.  “We can find another way, I'm sure, but it might take some time.”

Sonata's eyes got wider and her lip wibbled.  “Oh.”  She pressed her hand between her breasts, rubbing softly.  “I'm sorry if it's a lot of trouble, but yeah, please.  I'm sure I can wait.”

Oh, that little minx.  Playing her game to perfection.

Sure enough, Fluttershy cradled Sonata in her arms, rubbing her shoulder.  “It's okay, Sonata, we're not even sure if Rarity can help Adagio.  We can wait and find out together.”

As Sonata sniffled and leaned into the hug, Aria tuned out the conversation.  She had heard a door open down the hallway.  Then her skin prickled and she inhaled sharply as energy spilled from somewhere and Rarity followed in its wake.

Her dark purple hair was out of its curl and she was wearing only stretchy black workout pants.  Even with her arms piled full of blankets and cushions, she swayed her hips as she sauntered across the hall.  She stepped into the laundry room, emerging seconds later with a folded shirt over one arm and the other arm held across her bare breasts.

She was halfway down the hall before she seemed to be aware of Aria hanging off her armrest.  Smiling, she lifted an arm and waggled her fingers in greeting, revealing a glimpse of a dark nipple, then covered herself and vanished into the bathroom, the door closing behind her.

Aria straightened up and breathed out.  Energy hadn't been coming off Rarity in waves or anything.  But there was something there; both in body and gaze.  She was fluid, relaxed, and confident.  Whatever she and Adagio had done together, she was now imbued with power.  

As deeply as that power called, Aria could also sense its link to Adagio.  It was a connection built for two.  No matter how much energy was there, it wasn't meant for her or Sonata.  They would have to create connections of their own.

She grunted as she got up, ignoring the looks from everyone else.  Sunset started to stand as well, but Aria tapped her on the shoulder as she passed by.  “Give me a minute, okay?” she murmured.  She needed some space away from all the bright hair and bright ideas, if only to keep herself together.

Once she was back in the safety of the kitchen, Aria struggled to breathe through the renewed ache  in her chest.  Being close to so much power and not being allowed to taste any of it hurt.  The only thing missing was the anger that had consumed her for so long.  But that was gone, shot through by the Rainbooms.  Just as Adagio's pride had been smashed, her own rage had been melted in the heat of that rainbow beam.  There was no fire inside her, nothing to harness, which left her with a mere grumpiness that she couldn't do anything with.

There were no more angles for her to figure.  There had been the slightest chance that she had been wrong, that perhaps this energy could be siphoned off from these girls with no one being the wiser, but no.  One look at Rarity had killed any idea of working her own way out of this.

How had she even let this happen?  Sirens took control of things: Sailors, ponies, emotions, whatever they wanted.  It was how they survived in an environment that no one could tame, because in the sea, currents flowed where they would and swimming against one was a great way to wear yourself out.

Aria had been fighting the current since their escape from the bandstand.  She was out of strength and if she kept struggling, she would be dashed on the rocks of her own reluctance to accept help.  There were no more chances at power or immortality, so she would have to take a chance at a very slow, long redemption.  And that meant giving up control, forgetting about being a Siren, and letting Sunset Shimmer help her.

“You okay?”

Speak of the she-devil.  She rolled her eyes at Sunset, who couldn't seem to leave her alone to pick up the pieces of her life.  “No, I'm not.  I'm having one of those existential crises that you made popular.”

“Oh.”  She fidgeted, like she didn't know what to do with that admission.  “Sorry.  You kinda keep hiding out in here.”

Aria laughed bitterly.  “Yeah, because it's the only place I can get away from you.  I'm not enjoying this whole 'sit around until Adagio's done getting rocks off' thing we're doing.”  She sighed.  “I also saw your Rarity.  If Adagio's half as perky as she was, then it worked.”

Sunset looked surprised, then pleased, then thoughtful.  She blushed and twisted her fingers together, opening her mouth, then closing it.  Finally she opened it again.  “Even if you're not okay, are you still willing to do this?” she asked.  “Considering that it's probably worked?”

Okay, she had to stop snorting at these things.  It was really hurting her chest.  “Yes, Shimmer.  You've got my full consent to get someone to work me over.”  Aria rolled her hand in a circle.  “Yadda yadda, you get the drift.  Set it up, make it happen, call someone.”  After an awkward moment of nothing happening, except for the two women staring at each other, she sighed.  “Or not?”

“That would be Rarity, again,” Sunset explained.

“I see,” she noted.  “You just talk me into it.  It's someone else's job to follow through.”

“Yes!  That's because I'm still trying to find my way in this world and I don't have the friends that the others do.  I don't have contacts at the spa, or know every sports captain in town, or . . .”  Sunset broke off with a groan and pressed her palms against her forehead.  “Okay, I'm beginning to understand what Twilight was going through when she started this.”  She took a deep breath, then looked up at Aria.  “When this is over, do you want to go back to Equestria?”

“There's a way back?” Aria asked, cautious.  Why didn't she hear about this?  Maybe because Adagio had thought of conquering this place first and going home last, if she even thought of the second one at all.  “Why would you offer me that?”

“Because I've already offered Adagio the same thing.  If your magic's gone, you're no threat to the ponies there.”  Sunset almost smiled.  “I can ask, and if the Princess says it's okay, you can go or stay as you please.”

More caution was needed here.  She was sure this wasn't a trap, but her instincts told her otherwise.  Cynicism hadn't always been her default position, it had been learned over the centuries.  “What did Adagio say?”

“She said she'd think about it.”

So Adagio hadn't jumped at the offer, either.  At least they were still on the same page.  They'd have to talk soon.   No more of this invisible 'divide and conquer' technique the Rainbooms were so easily using.  So she changed the subject.  “You know Sonata's playing with Fluttershy out there.  They're wrapped around each other and if we leave them alone too long, they'll be in their pyjamas, hugging pillows, and watching some weird cartoon.”

Sunset shrugged.  “Rarity and I could barely pull her off the couch when we first got here.  If Fluttershy's making her feel better, then there's no harm in it.  It's not as if she can pull magic or energy out of any of us.”  She eyed Aria.  “Can she?”

“Nooo.”  Aria drew the word out as she set her glass down on the counter.  “But when the time comes for you to go home, you might need a crowbar to pry Sonata off your friend.  She's like the cutest little tick in the world.”

Sunset laughed at that.

Then there was a noise from the living room.  A combination of voices, a squeal that could only be Sonata, and a higher-pitched squeak.  Aria assumed that was the Fluttershy distress call, the way Sunset's head came up.

Ex-unicorn and ex-Siren traded glances, then headed for the door.  It could be Sonata doing weird things to Fluttershy, but Aria was willing to bet that Adagio had finally emerged.  The only hope was that she looked every bit as energized as Rarity had.  And had more clothes on.

She was half right.  Adagio leaned on the corner of the living room wall, shoulders bare, legs bare, with the rest of her body wrapped in a blanket.  She looked relaxed, content, and pain-free, though, and Aria breathed out in relief.  Okay, this was really a thing.  

She looked over at the couch, where Fluttershy sat on the floor with her back against Sonata's legs.  Yeah, she wasn't wasting any time getting her claws into the poor girl.  Aria hoped this wasn't a mistake on Sonata's part, since they were actually getting somewhere.  And holy crap, that was a lot of pink and blue hair there.  With any more length, she'd think Fluttershy had some Siren far back in her history.

Stretching, Adagio nodded at them.  “It worked.  I'm feeling better.”  Her gaze moved behind Aria's shoulder to Sunset Shimmer.  “You and Rarity are going to see to it that Sonata and Aria will be feeling better, too.  Then we can talk about what we're going to do next.  I still haven't been able to figure things out and I'm going to need some help.”

“For realzies?"  Sonata's brow furrowed as she put her hands on Fluttershy's shoulders, squeezing lightly.  “Don't you usually just tell me what to do?  I mean, that's how it's always been.”

“Yes, but we have options."  Adagio waved a hand. “I mean, we had options before, but they were exactly the same as they are now. We just have something now that we didn't before.”

“What's that?”  Aria asked.  Adagio looked —and sounded — slightly giddy, from either the energy or whatever pleasure Rarity had given her.

“Hope."  She sighed.  “We have hope.  That's the difference."

Then Rarity came up beside her, a stretchy black top added to her workout pants, and Aria's breath caught as she finally felt the connection they'd forged.  No wonder Adagio was giddy.  Her energy nearly crackled, the edges of both violet and orange hair floating in the sudden sea of static.  Aria stifled a whine as the ache hit her breastbone again.  With a little work, she could discover the links and break them, once things had time to settle, but for now, they were both still humming.  There should be a warning sign flashing over their heads that read 'Extreme Voltage'.

Fluttershy squirmed, obviously sensing some of it, too.  “Oh.  Um.”

Sonata giggled.  “Yeah.  Um.”  She kneaded Fluttershy's shoulders a little harder, leaning into it and producing another squeak.  “Good um, too.”

“Geez,” breathed Sunset.  “I wasn't expecting that.  Is it possible to feel jealous and awkward at the same time?”

Forget tea, forget booze; water was Aria's only salvation.  She didn't care if she drowned, she needed a drink.

Ice-cold water right from the tap was one of the few human-made inventions that she appreciated.  It was the shock to the system that she needed, the jolt to keep her in this reality as she gulped it down.  Otherwise she'd drift towards Rarity, wanting to be near the energy she couldn't have.  Unless she stayed calm, the warmth would pull her in like a moth to a candle and she would burst into flames, metaphorically speaking.

Aria put her empty glass down to suck in a lungful of air (no longer being a Siren meant she actually could drown), only to have her skin prickle again and she grimaced.  Wonderful.  Was that going to happen every time someone hopped up on energy got near her?  Steeling herself, she turned to face Rarity, who had come in the kitchen door.  “That good, was it?”

Rarity blinked big, black liquid eyes at her.  “She wasn't well.  It took a while to get her to open up, and if you're in the same way, darling, I am so, so sorry.”

Yeah, she'd gotten whammied.  Even her hair was sparkling.

Aria picked up her glass and kept it in front of her, half-hoping her water would ward off some of Rarity's tempting energy.  She needed to be careful.  A touch wouldn't hurt, but opening herself up to that energy could give her an unneeded jolt.  “Your pity is noted, as is your afterglow.  Did Adagio give you a little thank you for your efforts?”

The next blink was a little less self-assured and her gleaming white skin flushed slightly.  “Her gratitude wasn't necessary, as much as it was . . . appreciated.  But now we must worry about you, dear.”  It wasn't quite a slink, but Rarity's movements seemed more sensuous as she came closer, forcing Aria to sidle backwards to keep away from the lure of that tasty, humming energy.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”  Aria wasn't sure if throwing her water at Rarity would shock her or merely soak her, but she had to keep her at bay, lest she succumb to the hunger.  “Back up a sec, okay?  Listen, whatever you did to open Adagio up, it linked you together.  Your energy's mixed with hers and if you touch me, things are gonna get uncomfortable for the both of us.”

Rarity stopped, putting her head on one side in sudden confusion.  “Really?”

Aria held up one hand, her palm facing inward.  “You.”  She held up her other hand, also facing inward.  “Adagio.”  She waggled her fingers until the tips touched.  “Mingling your energies.  It's not bad or dangerous, but you shouldn't keep it for too long.”  Rarity was finally paying attention, so she stopped backing up.  “I can pull them apart again, I'm very good at that, but we'll have to wait until things have settled down between you.  Two days, maybe, three at the most.”

“I . . . see.”  Rarity lost a little of her poise and patted down her shirt.  “Hmmmph.  Well.  I suppose it was still worth it.”

“I'll bet.”  Aria glanced back at the windowsill she was nearly sitting on.  “Can you back up and give me some space?  It's like scuffing your feet on the carpet and touching the light switch.  It's not going to hurt me, but I still don't feel like getting zapped.”  

Obligingly, Rarity retreated and Aria let her breath out.  “Thanks.  So, since it worked, how soon can I get in on this?”


-~-~-~-~-~


“So Adagio's stuck with Rarity?” Sunset asked.

“Sure, stuck.”  Aria sighed and twitched her shoulders in a barely-there shrug.  “I prefer 'yoked', personally.  They're in this together.”

At the moment, she couldn't care less about Rarity or Adagio.  This spa was awesome!  How had she never come here?  Her chair was comfy, fully reclined with shiatsu-point beads and the curved headrest.  There were sandals on her feet, cute little pyramids of tightly-rolled towels on nearby tables, and cozy lighting everywhere.  So sweet!  If she was doomed to mortality, then it would be a waste of her short life to not spend time here.

The place was deserted.  Rarity's call had earned them an “exclusive after-hours access”, since the spa apparently didn't advertise this particular service.  Aria couldn't believe it was already this late, but apparently sleeping in, getting home-invaded by old adversaries, and then waiting around for your friend to get herself a kinky massage took most of the day.

Adagio was sitting up at the front counter, being scrutinized by the two women who ran this place.  Maybe they were grading Rarity's technique, Aria thought, and smirked at the idea as Adagio lifted her chin to let them touch her collarbone.  They were obviously sisters, given their opposite skin and hair colours.  The matching white tank tops and black pants, however, were probably just a uniform.  Tides help them if they dressed the same every day even while not at work.

From the depths of her own recliner, Sunset huffed and folded her arms.  “You could have said something.”

“Yeah?  When?  Rarity already had two fingers up Adagio before you even told me about it,” she pointed out.  “Besides, I can fix them and everyone will be happy.”  She spread her hands over the rolling beads in the armrests, enjoying the sensations.  Without her bracelets, having her arms bare felt a little strange, but also relieved to lose some of the weight.

“How do you even untangle it?” Sunset asked, crossing her legs, then uncrossing them again.  She couldn't get comfortable.  Maybe her mini-skirt had finally ridden up past the point of no return.  Or that thong beneath it, if Adagio was to be believed.

Aria shrugged again.  “Ever seen some messed-up knitting?  Just takes some finesse to sort it out.”  Where Adagio had wielded power like a hammer, and Sonata like a scythe, she preferred to use it like a stiletto: thin, sharp, and narrow.  She could pick apart a tangle with the point, sort the strands, and separate the energy.

She glanced over as Sunset squirmed some more in her chair, looking even more uncomfortable.  “What?  You look like Sonata after she flunked that history test.”  She snorted, ignoring the accompanying pull in her chest.  “That was really sad, because we were totally there when it all happened.”

Grabbing her armrests, Sunset clenched her jaw and pushed her chair upright.  “Nothing,” she breathed, relaxing once her own sandals were on the floor, “just pins and needles.”

More like tiny pitchforks and torches, but whatever.  Aria let it go since one of the sisters was coming over, having poked and prodded at Adagio enough.  She briefly considered pushing her recliner back up, but she was nestled too deep and too comfortably to want to give it up, so she lounged and watched the woman come closer.

Wow.  If  'pink' was a sign of being healthy, then this lady was in the best shape of her life.  Aria was downright dull and drab next to such bright skin and shining blue hair.  Back in Equestria, she had been such a lovely shade of violet compared to the faded hue she was now!

While she finished being green with envy over not being purple enough, the woman came around to stand at the head of her chair and smiled down at her from overhead.  “Miss Blaze, I'm Aloe.  I take it our chairs are to your liking?”

“I could buy one of these,” Aria said, lazily wiggling her toes in her spa-issued sandals.  “It'd be an investment, yeah?  I'd have to keep Sonata off it, though, so it wouldn't lose its value.”

“Ah, yes.  Miss Rarity had originally said there would be two of you, but it's okay if Miss Dusk is a bit nervous about this treatment.”  Aloe's smile quirked slightly.  Her thick accent rendered "Miss" as "Mees", and “there" as "zere", but she was still easy to understand.  "Miss Fluttershy is also a regular here and I have every confidence she will be good to your friend.  Now, shall we see about you?”

Grunting, Aria reluctantly flexed her legs to push herself back up, but Aloe's warm hands held onto her shoulders.  “Be still, Miss Blaze,” she urged.  “Miss Rarity explained your pain to us.  Energy is a finicky thing and it doesn't like being interrupted.  Here, let me demonstrate.”

Warm fingers prodded beneath her neck, unerringly finding the tender spots at the base of her skull.  “Ahh!” she breathed out, the flare of pain making her eyes widen and her shoulders roll back, arching her head.  This wasn't the nice, quick massage she'd gotten from Sunset so many hours before!

Aloe cradled her head, caressing the ache.  “Dull pain, yes?”  She smiled as Aria tried to nod.  “Because the energy is blocked and you're deficient in this spot.  But if I move above the blockage . . .”  The pressure lightened, but Aria still hissed and tried to twist away as the ache sharpened.  “Energy builds up and it hurts, yes?”

She let go and shifted her grip to the front of Aria's shoulders.  Thumbs stroked the edges of her collarbone, soothing smaller aches and knots, but didn't move closer to the biggest ache of all just inches away.  “We can clear these easily, Miss Blaze, but an ordinary massage will only help you physically.  While you need that, your emotions need help even more, and a yoni massage would be an excellent place to start.”  Her hands dipped beneath the back of the chair and pushed it upright.  “It's your choice.”

Aria blinked away the brief dizziness as the blood left her head.  The totally sweet chair had already chased away a lot of her moodiness.  The offer was here; was she ready to take it?

If she didn't, Adagio would move on without her, possibly forever linked to Rarity.  Sonata would dally with Fluttershy until they figured out something, and then what?  There would still be energy involved and Sonata would be linked to someone, somehow.  They would go on with their own lives, quietly oblivious to the connections they'd formed, until something, somewhere, decided it was time for an energy snack, exactly like the Sirens had.  And there would be no way to recover without their partner's help, all because of the link.  They'd miss her then, wouldn't they?  She wouldn't be able to help them, because she'd have no energy of her own.  

So, one last dose to make herself better and save her friends' lives down the road.  Yeah, she could do that.

“Sure, whatever,” she drawled.  “Let's slut it up, shall w— Whoah!”  Aloe snagged her by the wrist and hauled her up out of her chair before she could finish.  Pulled along by a surprising strength, Aria cast one last, longing look over her shoulder at her chair, bidding it a silent goodbye as it grew symbolic wings and fluttered away before her eyes.  Nooooo!  I'll come back for you, lovely chair!  I promise!

Then she saw the still-pained expression on Sunset's face, her body still slumped in the chair and Aria very nearly dug her heels into the polished floor.  Why was Sunset so bent out of shape?  It couldn't be because Aria was finally getting the freaky treatment.  That's what the Rainbooms had been angling for all day, wasn't it?  And it wasn't because Sunset wanted to do it herself.  Sure, her earlier massage demonstration had been a happy little perk-me-up, but she hadn't made any effort to continue it afterwards, either.  No way was Sunset into her.  No hint of a connection; nothing that called to her on any wavelength.  So what was going on there?

Aloe dragged her up to the front counter and pushed her in the direction of the other women gathered around the miniature coffeemaker.  “Lotus will see to you from here,” she said cheerfully.  “And is our coffee to your liking, Miss Dazzle?”

“I can't complain.”  Adagio looked comfortable, if very tired, with her hands cupped around a steaming mug.  “Sleep would be a much better idea, but I have to make sure Aria's okay.”

Aloe frowned at the mug.  “If you want a better sleep, you'd do well to forget the coffee and have one of our special tea blends instead.”

“Oooh, tea,” chirped Rarity.  She hadn't bothered to put her bra back on and was showing an impressive set of headlights through the thin black T-shirt she'd apparently borrowed from Adagio.  Ten bucks said she wasn't wearing underwear beneath those yoga pants, either.  “Tea is good after a massage.”

“Did you drink your water before?” Aloe asked.  “Then yes, you can have tea.”

“Not that it's any of my business,” Aria said, waggling her fingers for everyone's attention, “but aren't I due to be naked or something?”

Lotus slipped an arm through the crook of her elbow.  “Very well, Miss Impatience.  Let's get you prepped.”

She was guided away from the others, the cooler air of the empty spa caressing her skin.  Back by the chairs, Sunset was still sitting there, a mere silhouette that was making no effort to join the circle of light and warmth with the rest of them.  Maybe it was nothing and she was simply tired, but Aria was sure something more was happening.  With Sunset now acting like her, she was a little concerned.  How could she draw their attention to whatever was going on, but not coming off like she gave a damn or anything?

“Hey,” she called over her shoulder, “I think Shimmer's stuck.  Someone make sure her thong's not cutting off the circulation to her thunder thighs over there, 'kay?”

Given Adagio's snort and Rarity's gasp, that was sufficiently insulting.  Even Aloe shot her an unhappy look as she hurried over.  Aria caught a brief glimpse of her kneeling down beside Sunset, then Lotus placed a palm into the small of her back to guide her away down the hall.  “That was somewhat rude.”

Aria smirked.  “I've got a reputation to maintain here.  She can call me an old hag later to make up for it.”

Lotus sighed as they passed pedicure nooks, massage rooms, and other stations.  “The two of you aren't well.  It's not good for you to jump on her when you're both in this state.”

Given that Sunset and her friends had stomped on the Sirens with the weight of a rainbow, Aria privately felt that a little return shot was allowed, but wasn't willing to argue with her masseuse.  “Sorry.”

“Do you need to freshen up before we begin?  We offer that for our exclusive after-hours clients.”

She'd taken a shower after Adagio woke her up to let her know they were about to be besieged by Rainbooms, never mind the midnight soak she'd needed following the produce-pelting they'd endured.  “Nah.  Let's do this.”

“As you wish.”  Lotus stopped in front of a door and put her hands together, twining her fingers.  “I assume Rarity or someone else has explained the intimate nature of this massage.  It often bring up intense emotions, especially if they've been repressed.  Please understand you can stop at any time if you're uncomfortable or in pain.”

“Cool.”  It didn't sound as if Rarity had upset the oyster bed by telling them she used to be a magical sea creature.  Or, if she had, Lotus was being very discreet, even it was only the two of them.  Deep down, Aria approved of that.

“Also,” continued Lotus, “I must apologize for not insisting Miss Dazzle have a treatment this afternoon when we first met her.  If we had done this earlier, we might not have put Rarity in that particular position.”

Aria refrained from some snark about the number of possible positions Rarity had put herself in.  The sisters probably took tantra seriously and she would find herself twisted into some weird positions of her own if she insulted them like she had Sunset.  “I'm not responsible for anything Adagio does or doesn't do.  Anything else?”

Reaching behind her, Lotus turned the handle and bumped the door open with a hip, indicating Aria should go first.  “Merely a suggestion:  Relax.”

The room was as big as the front lobby, with cushioned chairs and wicker stands pushed aside to clear space in the middle.  On the floor lay two large, covered mattresses, separated by a thin paper screen.  Dozens of glowing tea light candles were scattered around the room; Looking down, Aria saw there were real candles on the stands and fakes on the floor, with a bowl of fluttering, glowing electric fire in the corner.  If someone accidentally knocked a candle over a in a moment of passion, they wouldn't go up in literal flames.

Everything felt so warm and smelt so comforting, it made Aria involuntarily rub her arms.  The languor she'd had in that chair was wearing off and the ache inside her was coming back.  Her calves and thighs were cooling, gooseflesh prickling beneath her clothes.  She needed to soak in some heat, but she didn't know where or how to start.

Lotus closed the door and put a hand on Aria's shoulder, turning her towards another screen in a near corner.  “I understand you're cold, but please go and change into the robe we've left for you, then we'll get you warmed up.”

Nodding, Aria went into the small nook and began undressing, threading her long hair through the neck of her shirt.  Like Rarity, she hadn't bothered with a bra, although it was because her sore wing-spots were right where the band would sit.  Her pants and underwear quickly followed and she folded everything, leaving it on the bench as she put on the white bathrobe, tying the belt loosely around her waist.

Pushing her hair back one last time, she took a shaky breath and tried to soothe the sudden fluttering in her stomach.  It was just a massage.  It didn't mean anything, no matter how wide she would spread her legs or how deep Lotus would delve inside her.  She was doing this to survive in her newly-mortal life.  All the same, she couldn't deny the accompanying thrill that skittered along her spine as she stepped out from the shelter of the screen.  This wasn't magic, but energy would flow into her without the aid of an amulet for the first time in centuries.

The flickering lights cast most of the room in a dim orange glow and in the middle of it, waiting by the mat, was a nude Lotus.  She wasn't as muscled as her sister and was a little more curvy than tight in places, but she looked quite serene with her hands folded in front of her.  It eased some of the quivering in Aria's stomach.  If Lotus was professional while naked, she could be, too.  So she reached for her belt, only to have her hands intercepted before she could undo the knot.  Confused, Aria glanced up.  “I thought—”

“Not yet,” Lotus said, smiling and letting go of her wrists.  She nodded at the mattress beside them.  “You need to warm up, first.  Please, lie down.”

Not sure what that meant, Aria nevertheless obeyed and eased herself back onto the pad.  Her legs were covered with a sheet and then Lotus moved to gather her hair up, a pillow slipped beneath to cushion her head.  Glancing to her right, she could see the intricate details of the swirling design on the screen.  The wooden frame was dark and polished, just inches away.

Lotus knelt behind her head and smoothed already-warm hands down her robe, tugging on the belt to loosen it slightly.  “Let's try and open some of those blocked energy lines, shall we?”  Cupping the nape of Aria's neck with one hand, the fingers of the other began to massage the ache at the base of her skull.

Aria widened her eyes as she drew in a deep breath, her palms pressing down on either side of her body.  The small, hot burst of agony made her hair tingle and she tried not to squirm as Lotus kneaded the soreness, the pain sharpening and dulling with each stroke until it finally began to even out into a gentle twinge.

“There, that's one,” came the voice from behind her, Lotus's accent buzzing her "th's" into soft "z's".  Hands slid beneath her shoulders, lifting her slightly off the mat.  Aria closed her eyes, her breath hitching as Lotus's fingertips pushed up into the soft muscles on either side of her spine.  The pressure spread out once, twice, over and over, pulling more pain out of her like a pair of aching wings finally stretching open.

“That's two,” Lotus whispered.  “Would you like the ones on your scalp done?”

Aria groaned, but nodded as she slumped back.  Ohhh, her back . . . 

The soft fumble of searching fingers brushed through her hair and she whined a little when her ear-points were discovered.  Please, please don't stop there!  The pressure on her scalp increased as Lotus worked her in tight little circles, hands cradling the sides of her head and kneading her thumbs deeper.  Aria fought the rising moan in her throat, barely stifling it when the ache finally pinched and vanished in a spreading warmth.

“And three,” Lotus murmured.  “Good girl.  Take a breath, and then we can get started on the last one in your chest.”

Aria squeezed her eyes closed even tighter and lay there, small pieces of her feeling wrung out.  If that was just the start, then she was in for it.  Forget the energy.  Forget the future.  She wanted to just lie there and soak.  “Whoah.  That was a rush.”

Lotus smiled, moving down to kneel at her feet.  “The nice feelings can sometimes be overwhelming, especially in a situation like yours.  You're hurting, tired, and have been through a lot.”  She dipped her fingers into a bowl beside her and reached beneath the sheet, catching the heel of Aria's foot and resting it on her own knees.  “We'll start here.  Tell me if it hurts more than you think it should.”

The first push into her instep made Aria's eyes roll and her hips twitch.  Oooh, talk about major tingles!  The strokes were slow and firm, working up to the tips of her toes as Lotus caressed and tugged on them, one at a time.  She cradled Aria's ankle next, kneading either side and rolling it back and forth, not pushing or stretching too hard.  When she got to the heel, Lotus gave it a squeeze, cupping it and digging in with a knuckle or two.  “Oh dear,” she whispered.  “Someone likes her impractical shoes.”

Aria coloured while her foot tingled as far up as her knee.  “Who doesn't?”  True, she hated the pain some of her fancy footwear brought her, but sensible shoes were so not fashionable.

Tsking, Lotus set her foot down and reached for the other.  “You should take care of yourself.  Shoes may be pretty, but your feet are forever.”  Her thumb dug into the arch and Aria responded with an arch of her own as a sudden, deep surge thrummed through her.  “Oooh, you're sensitive.”

No, that just felt so damned good, especially after a hard night of being brutally rejected by the pathetic people of this awful little world.  Some adoration was what she needed.

Lotus plucked each toe, then repeated the squeezing on her ankle and heel before setting Aria's foot down.  “Your energy is still low,” she said, folding the sheet up some more and dipping her fingers again before stroking up the edge of one shin, “but we're making progress.”

“Glad to hear it,” Aria said, sighing and wiggling her shoulders deeper into the mattress.  She watched as Lotus kneaded higher, hooking fingers into her calf to loosen her up.  At her knee, Lotus's oily fingers danced in a pattern, quick, sharp aches coming and going before Aria even realized that there was tension.  There was nothing teasing in those movements, nothing to suggest this was the beginning of something deep and intimate, but Aria simply lay there and watched Lotus in the dim glow that surrounded them, feeling pliant and willing with every higher caress of her thigh.

As those fingers began to wander beneath the hem of her robe, the air stirred around them both.  Lotus lifted first her head, then her hands, and Aria bit back a groan at the lost contact.  She had just been getting into it!  Then as her eyes refocused, she saw the spear of light across the ceiling, and her good feelings screeched to a stop as sudden anxiety skittered in her stomach.  What?  Why was the door opening?  The last thing she wanted was an audience for this!

Lotus's blue eyes closed in a mirror of her own exasperation and slipped her hands out, tugging the sheet back down.  She squeezed Aria's covered shin lightly.  “Breathe.  Keep warm.  I'll be right back.”  Getting up, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself as she strode off into the darkness

Aria sighed and let her head thump back into the pillow.  Why did she feel so deprived and regretful at the same time?  Was this how people felt when a Siren-spell broke?  The temptation to sink deeper into the heat and let herself be consumed was there, humming just below the surface.  She was ready for more, wanted more, if only Lotus would return quickly.

A streak of massage oil trickled down the inside of her thigh and she brushed at it, half-heartedly trying to mimic the way those fingers had stroked her.  But it felt far too awkward and she subsided, annoyed at being reduced to waiting once again.

Stretching an arm out, Aria pushed the screen aside, out of the need for something to do.  The empty mattress pad on the other side was the same as hers, as was the folded sheet and the pillows.  More tea lights were scattered around, softening everything into orange and golden shades.  

If not for Sonata's skittishness, she would be right there beside her, getting the same treatment.  As annoying as her fellow ex-Siren was, and even though it kinda squicked to think of her naked, Aria almost wished that she were here.  Sonata might be the worst, but she'd still had her magic and immortality torn away when her amulet was shattered.

It was Sonata who had clung to her last night, sobbing with loss and fright, while Adagio sat there and watched them with her arms folded.  It was Sonata who had wanted to share a bed for the first time since they had been banished to this particular universe (Aria had scoffed and pushed her out of the room, just as she had that first night).  And it was Sonata who had to be dragged out of her own bed before the Rainbooms showed up with their plans to put everything right.

Sure, both she and Adagio were hard on her, but that was because without some toughness in her life, Sonata would be even more of a perky liability.  A little yank on her chain now and then to smarten her up was necessary.  Not that it ever really took hold.  Sonata wasn't the brightest and would forever be that way.  But that didn't mean right now, at that particular moment, Aria didn't miss the hell out of her.

Overhead, the wedge of light on the ceiling narrowed, withdrawing into itself and finally vanished completely as the door closed.  Pulling her arm back, Aria slowed her breathing and listened anxiously for signs that there were people still in the room with her.

Lotus reappeared, towel draped over one arm, and crouched down beside her.  “So sorry, Miss Blaze.”

“Is it Adagio?” she asked, propping herself up on an elbow and holding her robe closed with the other hand.  “Is she all right?”

“Miss Dazzle and Miss Rarity are fine,” Lotus soothed, setting her towel aside.  “Aloe has merely learned that we have another patient in need of this treatment.  Miss Shimmer's energy  is —”  She pursed her lips.  “— in worse shape than we imagined.”

Aria flopped back in relief.  Adagio's energy was still stable.  Good.  As for Sunset Shimmer, it was hardly surprising.  With some time to think on it, Aria figured the power high she had been riding back at the apartment must have finally worn off.  There was a dip that happened with magical boosts, like a Sonata sugar-crash after Nightmare Night.  “So, uh, you're bringing her in here?”

Lotus glanced up from stretching her arms and shrugged.  “We originally anticipated two of you, so it was fortunate that we had the screen set up.”

Her cheeks grew hot.  “Won't it, ah, be noisy?”

“Trust me, dear.”  She smiled, stirring her fingers through the oil once more.  “That will be the last thing on your mind once we get far enough into your treatment.”  With that, she picked up one of Aria's hands.

The quick, hard pressure on her palm sent a jolt up her arm and there was an answering thrum in her breast.  Gasping, Aria spread her  fingers open, Lotus catching one and wringing it out, working her way from little finger to thumb in slick twists.  “O-ooh...” Her legs were already loose, with her calves humming and her thighs feeling like limp noodles.  Now her fingertips were buzzing and Lotus was doing intricate things to her forearm, pushing her sleeve up higher and higher.  “T-that's, ahh, nice.”  

Her smile widened.  “Good.”  She dug lightly into the hollow of Aria's elbow and stroked up along her bicep, causing some shivers.  The movements seemed so fluid and effortless, even as Lotus cupped the curve of her shoulder and pressed, eliciting a gentle pop from somewhere deep inside.  “Ah, there's some tension left over.  I imagine your other shoulder will react much the same way.”

Moving up to kneel beside Aria's chest, she opened the robe a little and eased her hand inside to knead the front of the same shoulder, thumb teasing the rim of her collarbone.  Her touch moved across to explore the other shoulder, and soon she pushed down with the heel of her hand.  Aria was expecting the pop this time and groaned as the bubble of tension dissipated.

“Good,” Lotus repeated.  She kneaded both shoulders, letting Aria feel the long, slow stretch of the muscles in her chest.  It ached deliciously, especially with no accompanying twinge in her breastbone.  “Just relax . . .”   Oily fingers brushed along the sides of her neck, tracing a warm path up behind her ears, then down, putting gentle pressure beneath her jaw.

Aria let her head loll back, the kneading smoothing away the last few kinks from her now-missing ponytail.  Relaxing was good.  She could do that.  

Then she heard a gasp from the other side of the screen and a flicker of bright red caught the edge of her vision.  Oh, sea foam.  She hadn't put the screen back all the way!  Hoping she was wrong, she tilted her head slightly to peek past Lotus, across the dark space at the other pool of golden light.  

The upper third of Sunset Shimmer lay visible there, head cushioned and red and yellow hair spilling everywhere.  Her shoulders were bare and instead of a bathrobe, her chest (and obviously the rest of her) was covered with a sheet.  She twitched subtly, her eyes closed, and Aria knew that somewhere behind the screen, Aloe was loosening her up just as Lotus had done with her.

Well, Sunset's energy was probably in more disarray than anyone else's.  Aria had heard the stories:  An Element of Harmony stolen and carelessly used.  A vicious reprisal from the other Elements.  And then last night, Sunset's sudden acceptance by those Elements, followed by her own use of the rainbow on Aria and the others.  That must have been why she looked so worn out back in the lobby.  With each magical transformation, energy would have come and gone from her quickly and ruthlessly until she was exhausted.

Sunset's shoulders gave a quick jerk and her eyes opened.  She stirred, and then Aloe was suddenly beside her, patting her arm and talking quietly to her.  Sunset shook her head, clutching the sheet to her chest before sitting up and disappearing behind the screen.

“See?  You're hardly alone,” Lotus whispered, pulling Aria's attention back.  Taking the other hand in her grasp, she massaged the wrist and forearm in long strokes.  “It can be difficult to relax when you're so used to being aware of what's around you.”  She spread Aria's palm open and pressed in with both thumbs, sending another small jolt through her.  “But I think you're nearly there.”

Aria breathed out languidly, the pain in her chest no longer a sharp point, but an aching pinch, like a muscle caught beneath a rib.  This was progress.  Then she recalled Sonata's version of how this went.  “Uh, aren't we supposed to be gazing into each other's eyes or something?”

Lotus giggled.  “Ahh, you've heard stories, then?”  She put Aria's arm back down and stroked it.  “It's appropriate, yes, but not always necessary.”  Her other hand came to rest on Aria's stomach, above the robe's loosely-tied belt.  “Shall we see how it goes for you?”

Aria snuck another glance over at Sunset's Shimmer's side of things.  Aloe had coaxed her back down and was leaning over her, rubbing a thumb in little circles on her forehead.  If Sunset were truly a unicorn, that was right where her horn would be; a soft, magical pressure point that would feel very good when massaged.  Even if Aloe didn't know she was a pony, touching her there would only do nice things, and sure enough, Sunset's eyes were closed, her lips were parted, and her head was tilted back.  She looked content, even if it was only in that moment.

Aria needed some of that.  There was so much she wanted that she couldn't have, thanks to Sunset and her friends, but she had to keep moving forward, if only for Adagio and Sonata.  Her body was humming and she was soaking in enough warmth to wash out her longing for Rarity's energy.  It was time.  “Yeah,” she said softly, looking back up at Lotus.  “Let's go.”

“Excellent.”  Lotus's fingers played with the loose knot of the belt, her gentle tugs enough to undo it.  “Please tell me if you want me to stay on a spot or touch you somewhere else.”   With that, she gripped the sides of Aria's robe and spread it open in one smooth motion.

Even though the room was cool,  Aria was more than heated and the sudden rush of air over her body made her gasp and arch.  As her hips and shoulders lifted, Lotus took that moment to briskly slip the robe out from beneath her body, whisking it off with a delicate flick of her wrists.  Winking, she folded it up and set it aside.  “Once I was a magician's assistant, before my sister and I were able to open the spa.  I was always told I was good with my fingers.”

As Aria lay back down onto the pillows, Lotus scooped up a handful of oil and let it drip over the pale violet of her stomach.  The oil pattered along her skin and Aria breathed deeply as she watched it trickle into her navel.  She fought the urge to shift her hips around, startled at the sensations the sight stirred inside her.  Lotus simply smiled.  “There?” she asked, caressing Aria's stomach and dipping one slim finger into her belly button to swirl the oil around. 

Aria nodded.  Oh, dear sweet seaweed, this was what she needed; the coiling in her abdomen, the fluttering beneath her ribs.  “Mmm . . . right there..”  Humming was too slight a word for this.  'Primed' might be a better choice.  Where she wasn't gleaming with oil, she was glistening with sweat.  Her nipples had firmed up over the slight swell of her breasts and she knew the first touch there from Lotus would pull a few un-Sirenlike noises out of her.  Lifting her arms, she laced them behind her head, hoping to entice the attention she was craving.

Infuriatingly, Lotus wasn't making any bold moves towards there.  Her fingers kneaded along Aria's hips, slid back and forth along her ribs, and even worked higher into her armpits, a spot Aria would never have guessed would be that sensitive.  But as more pressure was applied there, her breath hitched, she squirmed, then she began to pant.  “Ahh — nnngh!”

“Yes,” Lotus purred, stretching to lean over her.  She teased the underside of Aria's arms, sliding her palms over the smooth skin, then back down over the light stubble.  The oil was warm, as were Lotus's hands, and Aria breathed against the woman's neck as those hands continued to glide up and down, caressing, heating her.  Then they pressed down, pinning her to the mat by her biceps.

Aria lifted her gaze to meet Lotus's eyes, gasping as she was mounted.  Soft thighs squeezed her waist as a leg was slung over her body, a gentle weight settled on top of her, and she looked up into the other woman's face.  “H-haah?”  She had trapped her own hands beneath the pillows at her head and so she could only squirm.  All that did, however, was generate some hot friction against her mound from Lotus's body, and the first sizzle of arousal shocked her into stillness.

Lotus kneaded her thumbs along the insides of both elbows, making Aria yelp and writhe, resulting in another thrum of arousal between her thighs.  “You seem to want some attention paid to those lovely breasts of yours,” came the murmur.  “I've seen so many women thrust them up, begging for a little touch or pluck.”  Lotus dipped down, dragging her own breasts along Aria's stomach before sliding them up and over her breasts in a slow arch, catching most of the inside of her cleavage rather than the nipples.  “But I've always found a few of these are a fun way to warm up, instead.”

Drawing back, she repeated the motion, wiggling slightly as she glided up Aria's body.  The oil squelched between them as Lotus used her ample breasts to spread it along both their chests.  Her deep breaths and exhales at the end of every glide had Aria matching her, inhaling as she tried to catch the pressure against her nipples with each slow, upwards stroke.

Finally Lotus took some pity on her and tantalizingly lowered herself to circle Aria's nipples with her own.  Her hands slid up behind Aria's head and coaxed her fingers free so they could twine them together.  For a short while in the dimness, there was only the slide of one slick body against another, and the soft, hot breath in each other's ears. 

Then one set of fingers uncurled, followed by the other, and she released Aria's hands so she could sit up on top again.  Lotus kneaded Aria's breasts, careful to not press them both together and cause another twinge, then caressed their underside in one, long motion.  “This is what you want, yes?”

“Uhhnnnnh...” Aria squeezed her eyes shut at the massage.  She was hot, unable to form words.  Her thighs rubbed together and she could feel how slick she'd gotten.  It wasn't all oil, either.

“Miss Rarity said you needed some adoration,” Lotus whispered, cupping the soft undercurves and lightly rubbing.  “You poor thing.  Let me worship your yoni, yes?”

Yes, yes indeed.  Aria peeked out from beneath her eyelids to watch as Lotus slithered down her body.  She wanted to lift her legs, to do something to help, but they were so stuck, her thighs could barely open on their own.  The delicious friction she'd found had glued them together and all she could do was squirm more, squeezing them together to encourage more of the delightful humming.  “Mmmph.”

Lotus chuckled, understanding.  “Ah-ah, I have oil, remember?”  She raised the bowl to her navel, swishing its contents, then poured some into her palm and held it over Aria's groin.  Her hand tilted, fingers parting to let the oil flow through them.

No steam hissed, nothing to indicate the wet heat spattering softly across her mound, but Aria hissed as though she'd been scorched.  The slow drip, the feathery trails as droplets wended their way down, the maddening, itching, taunting trickle along the edge of her vulva.  She had to open up and offer herself up to the air, if only to relieve the tension.

So she opened her thighs, the pressure giving as the extra oil helped facilitate their parting; Lotus slid between them, hands cupping Aria behind the knees and opening her wider, all the way open.  Pearls at any price, she was spread so wide!  The air over her loins was cool, given how hot she'd grown, but it was welcome.

Lotus sat down carefully, legs slipped beneath Aria's bent knees, and lightly teased the creases of her open thighs.  “There we are.  Nice and open.”  She leaned to one side, then forward, and another pillow was tucked beneath Aria's tailbone to keep her 'nice and open'.  “Keep breathing, and . . . ahh.”  Her fingers spread the trickling oil around some more, then began to slide up and down her slit.

Aria couldn't help it.  She wiggled like a fish on a hook as Lotus fondled her, her outer lips squeezed, the soft pulling, plucking, and tugging overwhelming her.  The caresses skillfully parted and stroked her labia, the oil mingling with her own arousal until she couldn't tell how wet she was in the first place.  “Ahhh!”

Lotus hummed as she splayed a palm over Aria's belly, drawing a couple of knuckles from her other hand up the length of her pussy.  A finger dipped, teasing her inner lips and flicking lightly at them, then slid up higher to circle the hood of her clit, eliciting another moan as it circled one way, then the other.  “My, you are responsive, aren't you?”

Aria breathed harder, feeling half-helpless beneath the attention.  “Well, when you do that!”

Everything was coiling now and Aria shivered at the teasing finger that was stroking upwards over and over.  Her clit was throbbing beneath its hood and she swallowed hard as Lotus circled her fingers around the nub, never quite touching it.  The teasing pressure was maddening, never quite landing right on that bundle of nerves and she twitched her hips this way and that, seeking firmer contact that Lotus skilfully skirted time and again.

“That's it, work it out,” Lotus purred, her grin looking more and more predatory.  “Just let it roll over you, Miss Blaze, and you'll feel ever so much better.”  A steady pressure at her vulva made Aria whine with sudden realization, but even as she yipped, she was slowly penetrated.

One finger.  She was sure it was all that was inside her, but to her body, it was as thick and full as three fingers.  “Mmmmf!”  Oh, that was good!  It sank into her nice and easily, too, rolling from side to side.  Lotus was pushing in, pressing right up to the third knuckle, and Aria swore she could tell the moment when the last inch slipped into her.

As Lotus gently drove that finger home and tucked it up just shy of her G-spot, Aria writhed with the slow thrust.  “Just like that,” she whispered, helplessly sighing and rolling her head back.  She didn't want to beg, but a Siren could only take so much teasing.  “Please, please keep doing that.”

“Of course,” Lotus cooed, massaging her with deep strokes of her finger as she slid it out a little ways, then pushed it back in with a satisfyingly wet sound, her left hand moving up to caress one breast.  “As much as you like.”

She was liking it very, very much.  Aria moaned again, riding the waves of pleasure that were thrumming through her.  True to her word, Lotus continued to finger her in tantalizing thrusts, the strokes brushing her inner walls, sliding up, swirling down, and occasionally stirring her in deep circles.  Sweat was trickling down both their breasts as Aria rocked her hips up in want, only to have another finger slide into her pussy, the extra girth making her yelp.

There was no doubt she was wet; Lotus's second finger slipped in so easily, even as part of the massage.  But Aria still wasn't close to climaxing.  She would be stranded here, helpless, softly humping up against those endlessly thrusting fingers until she finally surrendered the last bit of control and let herself be plundered completely.

Obviously feeling the tension inside her, Lotus leaned over, eyes gleaming in the dancing candlelight.  She looked both pleased and calm, as if being the cause of Aria's shameless writhing was merely a job well done.  “You're all right, Miss  Blaze.  Orgasm isn't necessary.”  She offered a gentle curl of her fingers, tickling her in a place which drew a swift cry.

“Wh- hmmmmph!” Aria gasped, her thighs quivering from that little G-spot tease.  But she wanted to come!

“Shhh.”  Lotus rolled her wrist, letting Aria feel the turn of both fingers.  Her thumb was nudging, too, flicking, teasing around and around the edges of Aria's clitoris.  “Patience, patience.”  She swept it up in slow, hard strokes, and Aria nearly sobbed at the sensation.

To her surprise, a matching gasp came from her right, and she whipped her head to the side, shocked at the sudden reminder that she wasn't alone.

If someone ever looked like a Siren fresh out of the water, the vision of Sunset Shimmer would absolutely fit.  She pushed her shoulders back into her pillows, nude, glistening, and panting.  Her breasts shone in the candlelight, the crimson tips of her nipples hard and pointy.  Her hands clutched at the mat and her eyes were open, gaze fixed not on Aloe — who was a mere moving shadow behind the screen — but on Aria herself.

A surge flowed through Aria in response, a rush of energy and emotion she hadn't expected.  She didn't know if it was from watching or being watched, but she breathed out as Sunset's green eyes shone at her.  Were they both so lost in lust that they could stare at one another?  Sunset had been so reluctant to even talk about this, and now she was staring at Aria from inches away, her bare breasts jouncing enticingly.

Hoping to break the spell, Aria put an arm over her eyes and lay back to calm her roiling emotions, which wasn't easy with Lotus's fingers stirring her.  Crying wasn't an option.  All her tears had been used up last night and there was nothing left.  Likewise, any anger she once had was gone, blown away in the Battle.  What was left?  More lust?  Disgust?  The pathetic need to finally start making something of herself now that she was mortal?

Aria wanted to flail, thrash her head, and scream as Lotus pumped her fingers higher, the tips brushing the spongy ridge of her G-spot, while the thumb mashed against her clit.  Sparks danced deep inside her as the tension kept coiling.  Oh, shit, she was going to come!

She let her arm fall away, panting harder as she looked over once more, unable to ignore the sudden squeaking breaths coming from that direction.  Sunset was keening quietly, undulating with the waves rolling through her.  Aloe probably had at least two fingers in her.  

“Uhnnhh . . . hnnnh . . . so close,” Sunset moaned, her head rolling around.  She looked so debauched and open, it briefly took Aria's breath away as a new surge rippled through her.

Lotus drew her attention back with a hand on her belly.  “That's it,” she murmured back, “just let it happen.”  Sliding it lower, Lotus palmed her mound and added a little more pressure, kneading the heel of her hand against the pubic bone beneath.  “Slow your breathing, too,” she added, smiling at the sudden tilt in Aria's hips and the accompanying sharp inhale.  “This is going to feel nice, I promise.”

Aria shuddered, arching back onto her shoulders as she forced herself to breathe.  The tease of Lotus's fingertips was maddening, but she was so full and relaxed with those two fingers tucked inside her.  The sounds of Sunset Shimmer also vexed her.  She shouldn't be seeing or hearing that girl in such a state, even though Sunset's moans were so musical.  It perversely reminded Aria of ancient, haunting Siren-song, the lilting breaths and sighs calling out in desperation for release, for completion, for pleasure.

At the memory, her thighs clenched, her hips swivelled, and that was all she could take.  “Uhnh!  Hmmf!  Mmmff!”  The dam broke and that long-promised energy flowed free, surging through her body.  It was warm and cool, a whirlpool of ache and energy mingling, rising, and falling.  “Ohh!  Ohhh!”  This was miles better than waiting for dull, watered-down energy from her amulet!  

As the tide receded, Aria thumped her head back into the pillows and relaxed the claws that her fingers had become as they dug into the mat.  Even as it swirled through her, Aria knew the energy was different from what she was used to.  Not enough.  She would need more to fill herself up.  There had to be more.  Could she have more?

She peered down at Lotus, who had removed her fingers and was now fondling her labia up and down.  It felt good, so very good, so slick . . . and Aria breathed out, wondering how to ask for another go.  Was that something she could do?  As she lay there, panting and hoping for more, Lotus smiled at her and slid her fingers right back in with a low, lewd shlick.

“Guuhh!”  Aria gasped, both in shock and welcome, her thighs falling open.  Oh, pearls, aftershocks already!  Even though she was sopping wet, she was so stimulated and sensitive that being penetrated like that was sending tremors through her pelvis.

Their gazes locked together and Aria finally understood why.  This was the intensity she needed, the ache inside pleading for more energy.  She settled her shoulders back against the pillows, propping herself up as she was thoroughly plundered.  “Mmm, aaah!”

“You poor thing,” Lotus told her, as the deeper her fingers dipped, the deeper both of them breathed.  “You needed this, yes?  Miss Rarity said you should be adored.”

Tears stung Aria's eyes at that.  She should?  Why, when she had so little left?  What use was adoration now, when all that was left was the weakness of hope?  She whimpered, feeling unworthy of worship, even though she was still trembling with the shimmer of her orgasm.

Shimmer — Oh, oh sweet seaweed, she had been thinking of Sunset Shimmer when she came, because the noises that girl made were so much like those of a mating hunt.  With the energy roiling around them, she had to be careful.  There was a slim chance . . .

A soft wail broke her thoughts and Aria couldn't help herself.  She turned.  She watched as Sunset wantonly writhed, her upswept breasts cradled in her arms.  She was hugging herself, head arched back in the midst of an orgasm that she so badly needed.  Her eyes were squeezed shut and she gave little quavering cries as she shook.

Oceans help her, it was too much.  Aria surged again at the sight, sobbing as another climax rumbled through her.  It was softer and fuller than the first, but every bit as intense, her thighs aching with need for that release, her body heavy, her breasts heaving.  “Ohhhh!  Aaaah!  Aaaahhhhh!”

Finally everything seemed to wash away, leaving a low humming behind.  Aria swallowed hard and took a few breaths, filling her lungs deeply.  Energy, energy everywhere.  She could feel it deep inside, circling like a shark in a lagoon.  It had nowhere to go and simply lurked, waiting.  Waiting for what?

Before she could look at Sunset Shimmer to see if she was in the same situation, Lotus patted her knee and slid out from between her thighs.  “Time to turn over,” she said.  “We have to push that energy up higher to your chest and let it seal off that ache.”

Groaning, Aria managed to close her legs and turn onto her side.  Lotus helped her roll over on her stomach and hiked her hips up, adding another pillow underneath to get them at the right angle.  Hugging her own pillow, Aria was tempted to bury her face in it as her knees were pushed apart once more.  She knew she'd be sore tomorrow, but not as badly as she was that morning.

A swish sounded behind her and she involuntarily tensed, then the slick heat caressed the back of her hips and down her thighs.  She squirmed and Lotus urged her to relax, even as oily fingers pushed back into her pussy.

Aria muffled her moan as she rocked back against the slow penetration, her swollen clit throbbing harder.  It hadn't been that sensitive in ages and she wiggled, hoping to get some more oil there, if only to soothe the luscious ache.

In response, Lotus lightly rubbed the pad of her thumb over her clit and Aria groaned in relief at the slippery teasing.  The energy was thrumming inside her and she didn't move, didn't want to disturb it.  It was so hard to hold still, to let those long fingers delve deep and not churn her hips in response.

She pushed her hair back, panting some more.  Had Sunset come, too?  They had set each other off like firecrackers and Aria was hot at the thought of watching the other woman orgasm, even though Sunset had watched her first.  Was she some sort of unrealized voyeur, or was it the energy spiralling around them?  Unable to help herself, she peered over her forearm.

To both her shame and her satisfaction, she saw Shimmer on all fours as well.  Sunset's chest was pressed down into her own pillows and she was leaning on her elbows, rocking back into whatever Aloe was doing to her.  Orange and red hair spilled over her shoulders, hiding her face as she swayed, but Aria could hear her moaning, begging for more.

Sunset's soft carols of pleasure were another wave to ride and Aria caught it almost effortlessly, swept up in the rush of energy.  Sunset Shimmer was aware of her, too, peeking through her fingers, and they were both spellbound, watching each other as the tension grew inside and between them.  Their release came harder and closer as Sunset bucked, Aria sobbed, and then both women inhaled a shriek as the wave hit the shore.

The energy poured into her chest, not burning, but banishing the ache in a wash of warmth.  Aria arched, popping her hips from side to side and put her head down, hiding her satisfied tears of accomplishment.  She couldn't see Sunset Shimmer, but she didn't have to.  She could hear those wavering cries and taste the power in the air as it engulfed them.  Both women were hurting in different ways, needing different healing, but both of them were original Equestrians and could handle the energy.

Then the moment passed, the power receded, and Aria groggily lifted her head from the pillow.  If not for the comfortable softness beneath her and lack of sand in irritating places, she would have said she was beached.  But her body tingled where it had once ached, hummed where it used to be numb, and she could breathe deeply once again.  Even as she flopped gracelessly over onto her back, she was loose and fluid.  She sank comfortably into the mat, stretching herself out, then winced and wiggled to one side to avoid the damp spot near her tailbone.  Nothing popped, twinged, or cramped, and Aria sighed, lifting her arms up over her head to take advantage of the contentment in both body and soul.

Lotus reappeared beside her to brush a damp cloth over her mound, pressing down to soak up some of the oils.  “You seem better, Miss Blaze.”  Folding the cloth over, she left it there and laid another one in Aria's cleavage.  “Does anything still hurt?”

“Mmm, no.”  But the attention was still nice.  She could feel the link forming and it was exactly as she'd remembered how a one-on-one connection went.  The energy didn't crackle like Rarity and Adagio's had, but the bond was firm, a welcome feeling of stability in a world that had become much more complicated over the last few days.  She would be almost sorry to break it when the time came.

“Take a few moments,” Lotus continued quietly, stroking her arm.  “You might feel better now, but let it sink in.”  If she was aroused after giving Aria multiple orgasms, she hid it well.  Her body shone with perspiration and her nipples looked to have firmed up, but her professional facade hadn't cracked an inch.  Aria was grateful, and envious of that sort of self-control.

Lotus picked up the folded cloths and dabbed at her some more, lightly swiping at some trickling moisture, then picked up the robe she'd set aside, unfolding it and spreading it over Aria's body.  She smoothly got to her feet and went over to her tray of oils and her own robe.  “When you're able, you're welcome to put your robe back on and have a shower.  There's water for you, or if you'd prefer tea, I can ensure Miss Rarity makes more.  We'll see you at the front when you're both ready.”  Picking everything up, she sauntered away into the dimness.

Aria lay back and concentrated on breathing.  Oh, so accommodating.  If she could have ever chosen a subject to have a solo link with, Lotus would have been the ideal.  But in a few days, she and her fellow Sirens would probably have to sever their connections with this place.  They'd never been defeated this badly before, but staying too long made people suspicious.  The pattern had always been to pack up and skulk away, making sure to move their previous investments along as well.

She sighed regretfully at the memory.  The Rainbooms were annoying in chasing after her, but at least they had tried to help the hurt they'd caused.  That was something she, Sonata, and Adagio had never done.  Frankly, she didn't want to leave just yet.  Even if she couldn't absorb Equestrian magic any more, having it around was a nice reminder of her true home.  Leaving everything behind in the pursuit of a mortal life her didn't appeal to her.

Adagio had said they would discuss their next move once they were better.  Aria was suddenly looking forward to offering her opinions, especially since Sunset had offered them the chance to perhaps head back to Equestria itself.

Meanwhile, she needed some time apart to stabilize the energy and let the emotions settle.  She could then come back, get a steam bath or a normal massage, and cut the metaphysical ties she and Lotus had made.  'No fess, no mess, no very bad cess,' as the old saying went.  Sunset and Aloe would be a tiny bit trickier, but another visit wouldn't raise any objections.

She breathed in, then out, relishing the new warmth in her chest.  Her head and neck tingled slightly, but even that was fading.  The bond was firm, steady, and as strong as it was when Lotus was still beside her.

Frowning, she lifted her head.  That wasn't right.  With her giver gone, she should feel completely normal, not like they were there by her shoulder.  The energy should have faded into the background, to be called on later.  But her body continued to throb in symphony with . . . with . . .

Aria looked over at Sunset Shimmer, who was nestled deep beneath a sheet, eyes closed, and breathing serenely.

Oh, shark bait.


-~-~-~-~-~


“As I understood it, you were supposed to get your energy from Lotus, darling.”  Rarity hung back as the four of them approached the lobby of the Sirens' building.  “Are you saying something went wrong?”

Aria glanced back at a similarly confused Sunset Shimmer.  “Not wrong, just something I hadn't thought of.”  She had lost her edge, having gone so long with the amulet around her neck.  Small, important things had slipped past her.  Things she should have known.  “Sunset was —”  She gestured.  “Picture this.  Adagio and I were really empty.  Sunset was already half full, with transformations, power surges, stress, things like that.  So when she got that energy top-up, it overflowed and I got caught up in it.”

It wasn't as bad as she'd first imagined.  In fact, having Sunset as a link rather than the twins meant far less work for her.  And no explanations, either.  Sure, Sunset had been a little weirded out when Aria had explained things as they'd washed the massage oil off themselves in the spa showers, but she'd accepted that there was no harm done.  As for the whole 'watching each other naked' thing, she hadn't brought it up, nor had Sunset.  Privately, Aria was willing to dismiss it as the haze of lust they'd both been under.

Still, it felt so right to have someone at her shoulder once again, to have the energy still simmering between them.  It had been far too long.  Soon, the energy would settle and the high would fade, but right then and there, she felt like a Siren once again.

Adagio buzzed herself in and held the door for everyone else.  She had gone out and found a coffee shop, much to Lotus and Aloe's disdain.  There was probably too much sugar inside the tall cardboard cup, but she looked wide-awake for a woman who had been up all night.  “It's worked out for the best, Aria.  Now we can only hope the same for Sonata.”

“As long as we get Fluttershy back in one piece,” Sunset muttered, slipping through just as Adagio let the door go.

“Hey, they're friends now,” Aria said, jabbing the elevator's call button with her elbow.  “And Sonata doesn't break her toys that quickly.”  She glanced up to see all three elevators were somewhere around the top floors.  Sheesh, every time.  It hadn't mattered before, because there were no end to her years.  Being mortal meant there were now thirty seconds of her new life ticking away.  How on earth would she continue to live like this?

Adagio suddenly leaned on her shoulder, the smell of coffee invading Aria's nostrils.  “You've been doing a lot of thinking, I hear,” she said quietly.  “What have you come up with?  I'm curious.”

Where to begin?  Aria wanted to shrug Adagio off, but the bubbling energy inside her and the decisions she'd made in the kitchen upstairs stayed the urge.  “We're going to need some time with this energy.  It's too new and soft for me to start playing around with it.  A couple of days, at least.”  She looked over at Rarity and Sunset.  “Please tell me you Rainbooms can keep control of this world for that long.  If something else shows up and tries to invade the cafeteria during lunch, we could be in trouble.”

Rarity psshed and wiggled her fingers.  “I think we'll manage, dear.  It's not as if another energy-sucking monster is going to appear in front of the school without warning.”

“It had better not.”  Aria scowled as one of the elevators finally dinged.  “If you get drained, then it's gonna hurt way more than it usually would.”  She doubted anything in this world could cause magic trouble, since she and the other Sirens hadn't sensed it yet, but ponies had ways of unexpectedly popping up and causing problems.

Snobby, well-dressed Mrs. Crust from the 25th floor swept past them, ignoring the girls dressed in track pants and form-fitting shirts.  She even sniffed derisively for good measure to let them know how much she was ignoring them.

“Utter cow,” Adagio commented cheerfully, getting on the elevator.  “I would have enjoyed making her grovel at our feet if we'd won.”

Aria tried to follow, only to feel a tug on her sleeve.  She looked back to see Sunset holding onto her.  “What?  Sonata already texted us to say they were both okay.  She's got takeout upstairs and if she finishes the garlic shrimp before I get up there, you're going to have one less Siren to save.”

“Can we have a minute?” Sunset asked.  "Privately?"

Sighing, Aria stepped aside to let Rarity go past her.  “Oh, fine.”  She looked at Adagio.  “Don't you two stop for elevator sex, okay?  Your energy's fine and I want those shrimp before Sonata devours them all.”

Adagio merely smirked and curled an arm around Rarity's waist, pulling her tightly against her hip as the girl's squeak was abruptly cut off by the closing doors.

There was silence in the lobby for a few seconds, then Aria turned to face Sunset.  “Okay, what is it?”  She didn't dare snap at her.  Not only did Sunset deserve a chance to talk without the other two listening in, but if Aria got too annoyed in her present state, the energy inside both of them would ignite.  That sort of static charge would hurt.

“I don't understand.”  Sunset folded her arms and got up in Aria's face.  “Why did me watching you link us together?  Why did you even move that screen in the first place?”

Aria scowled.  “Because when you came in and Lotus left me on my own, halfway done, I got bored, okay?  And I missed Sonata.”  She crossed her own arms over her breasts and tried to put some distance between them.  “You didn't have to watch me, either.”

“Didn't I?  Seems that me watching you was what put you over the edge.”  Sunset closed in again.  “You were stuck until you got a look at me.  Now you're all better and I'm your personal little battery, right?”

“Buzz buzz,” Aria mocked gently, swearing that she wouldn't take another step backwards, no matter how close Sunset got.  “What do you want?  I wasn't expecting you to be all naked and shiny.  If you'd kept your mouth shut, I wouldn't have even noticed.”

“Says the girl who's practically yodeling when she's fingered!” Sunset snapped.  “And I want you to accept that you're as responsible for this as I am!”

Aria blew an exasperated breath out.  “Fine!  I can do that.  In fact, I'm more than happy to admit that I helped this along!  Know why?  Because you look good naked, and you looked even better climaxing!” 

The ensuing pause was more of a stunned silence this time and Aria quickly looked around, half-expecting to see the entire population of the apartment complex lurking behind the potted ferns.  Or worse, Mrs. Crust gaping at them and clutching her pearls in horror.  But the lobby remained empty.

Another elevator in front of them dinged and opened.  Thank the tides, it was also empty.

Grabbing Sunset by her leather jacket, Aria hauled her inside before anyone appeared and overheard their argument.  “Listen, I didn't know that would happen, because you weren't there when I went in!  I didn't tell them to do you at the same time; they made that decision without consulting me.”  She punched the button for their floor and went to lounge in a corner, boosting herself to rest her rump on the railings.  “I don't get why you're angry.”

Sunset nestled in the opposite corner and leaned against the mirrored wall.  “Because it's embarrassing!  No one's ever seen me like that and I hadn't expected the first time to be so . . . kinky.”  She blushed as she looked down at her boots.  “Aloe can be very persuasive.”

“Already knew that,” Aria pointed out.

“Not just the massage.”  Sunset peered up at her through strands of red and yellow hair.  “She, uh, offered a little twist when she turned me over.  And I, well, I let her do it, so —”

Oceans alive, she didn't have time to play therapist for a virgin unicorn discovering new desires!  Whatever Aloe had done, Sunset would have to deal with on her own.  “Shimmer, I'll be blunt.  You needed your energy fixed and that girl did it as a favour.  If you liked it, then you can go back and have her do it again.  If you didn't, then it's not for you, and that's cool.  Anything else, go see your guidance counselor.  They'll like having a normal teenage problem at that school of yours.”

Sunset ducked her head, looking slightly hurt, and Aria groaned to herself.  Oh, she really didn't want to do this!  “Okay, listen.  Just give it a couple days.  You got your energy jacked, so you'll be jittery about a lot of things.  When it's all nice and settled, we can talk about it if you're still feeling weird.”

She still looked conflicted, but nodded, relaxing her stiff posture and folded arms.  “I've forgotten so much since I came here.  Magic and energy aren't the same as they are in Equestria and it's hard having them all inside me again.”  She fidgeted as the elevator reached their floor.  “Between Aloe's attention and your, uh, bond, I'm feeling pretty stable.  So, thanks?”

Aria nodded.  This was good.  If everything stayed the same for the next while, breaking the bonds would be simple.  Calm energy was easy to play with, easy to pull apart.  “It was a fair trade.  So don't mention it again.”  She stepped off and slapped her hand over the bar to keep the door open.  “Ever.  Now, come on.  Sonata's still not better, even though I bet she's stuffing her face.”

She was ready for the worst before stepping into the apartment.  Cheery cartoons on the television, stuffed animals scattered around, perhaps even that horrible little plush shark that Sonata knew Aria hated, but still kept hiding in her room to freak her out.  And most likely an empty pan that once contained her favourite garlic shrimp dish.

Mentally preparing herself to punt a plush if it even squeaked in her direction, Aria opened the door and cautiously poked her head through the opening.

All was serene.  The television was off, there was still food on the table, including her beloved shrimp, and not a hint of anything plush in sight.  Both Fluttershy and Sonata were dressed in pastel-coloured pyjamas, but that was bearable.  At least they weren't giggling and brushing each other's hair.

Then the crackle of an energy link hit her senses and she nearly staggered backwards into Sunset Shimmer.

“What?” Sunset yelped, surprised.

She shook herself, annoyed.  “Got zapped.  Either Rarity and Adagio are making out behind the door and their energy's bleeding, or . . .”  She scowled.  “Oh.  Oh, she did.  I knew it!”  She shouldered the door open and stormed into the apartment.  Now that she was prepared for it, she was able to block the vibrations, pushing them aside as she literally swam through the air towards the couch.  “Sonata, what did you do?”

Fluttershy took one look at her face, then had the smarts to squeak in fear and try to bury herself beneath the couch cushions.  Sonata simply blinked, with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth. “Hmmm?  Oh, hey, Aria!  Me?  Nothing!  But Fluttershy here is way more fun than I thought.”  Stretching out, she picked a foil plate up from the table and offered it.  “Want some shrimp?”

Aria stared at her, at those big raspberry-coloured eyes as they shimmered.  One particular answer came to mind, regarding how the combined intellect of Sonata's parents had produced a negative number in their youngest daughter's brain.  Still, the little airhead had pulled off a coup, wrapped the remaining Rainboom around her little finger, and gotten her own ritual completed without anyone suspecting.  How could she be mad at that?

Irritation suddenly drained, she snatched the plate from Sonata's fingers and reached for a sauce packet.  “Yeah, thanks.”  Flopping into the armchair, Aria waved at a still-standing and shocked Sunset Shimmer.  “Looks like she's all better.  Might as well stuff your face, too, then we can explain what everyone's done to themselves and what happens next.”

Soon she would have to talk with both Adagio and Sonata about their futures, either here or in Equestria.  Sunset would ask the Princesses if there was any hope of amnesty.  Above all of that, Aria would have to perform some old rituals and break up some partnerships that no Siren had seen in ages.  

She reached for a nearby glass of water.  As good a place as any to start fresh. 


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FIN
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