Yay, longer chapter!


Adagio's eyes immediately popped wide open, and she heard her companions gasp. Had she heard this stranger right? Give their power back? No, that's impossible. How could she? Their pendant broke. Unless there was another way to use their magic...

Wait, no! Why was she even considering this?! All that power brought them in the end was greed, mistrust, and grief. She didn't want to go through that again. Not if she could survive without it. As good as it felt, she didn't want to once again get addicted to feeling the negative energy coursing through her, empowering her. Getting others to bend to her indomitable will. She didn't want the repercussions. A previous version of herself most likely would've taken the offer without a second thought, but thanks to the shattering of their pendants, their life had taken a better turn, all things considered. So, as tempting as it was, she would have to reject the offer immediately, before it became to tempting to refuse. Adagio smiled at the stranger politely.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline." The elderly pony seemed slightly take aback and rather surprised.

"But...I haven't even explained the details. You don't know what I have to offer."

"You don't have to explain. If it means getting our powers back and becoming what we once were, then I don't want any of it. Thank you for the offer, though, and thank you for the meal, but I'm afraid I must be going. Good day." Then, without further ado, she turned without another word and began walking back to the tunnel that led to the entrance of the cave. "Aria. Sonata. Come." She said firmly. Sonata turned as well and began following Adagio, but when Aria didn't join her, she turned and looked. Aria just stood there, stiff-legged, seemingly hesitant to leave. "Aria, are you coming?" The purple pony looked at them, then back to the stranger. She stood for a few moments longer before leaving her spot, walking towards her waiting companions. The elderly pony remained uneasily silent, and she seemed indifferent about their departure. In fact, she almost looked somewhat...confident. Deciding to think nothing of it, Adagio nodded before turning back around, beginning to walk again, the other two following behind. Then, suddenly, the ponies from before blocked the entrance once again, creating an impassible wall. Adagio stopped and glared at them, but was surprised when she heard the elderly voice behind her.

"Let them go." The ponies seemed confused, but with some hesitation, they parted, allowing the siren-ponies to pass through. With a nod of thanks, Adagio and her companions left without looking back, heading towards the direction of their home once again.

~o~

Once the sirens left, the elderly pony broke out into a dark cackle. A few of the ponies, ticked at her letting them just leave, marched up to her.

"Queen Chrysalis...why would you let them leave?! We almost had them! I thought you wanted them to join us, and then you let them go just like that?!" Immediately, she cut her laugh off, and her grin was replaced with a scowl, mixed in with the most dominating of glares. She morphed her body, changing back into her original form, and stood over the ponies, who were now not so assertive.

"Idiots, how dare you question me? Can you not trust that I know what I'm doing? No, we did not get them all, but there's one that I'm willing to bet we haven't seen the last of. That purple one...Aria. Her hesitation to leave meant that she was considering it, despite her leader's wishes. Which ALSO means that she's defiant against her leader. And if she's so distant from her companions that she's willing to go against the majority..."

"Then she's more likely to join us!" One of the ponies gasped in realization. Chrysalis nodded in approval.

"Indeed. Now, all we have to do is play the waiting game..." She then paused, and looked over the ponies that were currently in the cave. She pointed at one with her hoof. "You!" A tan pony stiffened at being called upon, and he stood at attention.

"Yes, queen?" Chrysalis grinned.

"Go get the stones ready."

~o~

The sirens, who were now actually in siren form, flew over their territory, scanning for their specific place that they liked to be. Sonata smiled when she saw the familiar rocky formation poking from the waves in the distance.

"I found it!" She called, accelerating towards it exponentially. The other two, seeing it now, followed close behind. Sonata flew down and landed on them easily, and Adagio landed next to her, but Aria did not join them. She just hovered there, staring back in the direction they came from.

"Ari?" Sonata asked. Aria snapped her head back to look at them before looking away with a sigh.

"Uh...I, uh...I need to be alone." She said suddenly, not even hesitating before diving straight into the water, leaving a large splash in her wake. Sonata moved to follow, worried for her, but Adagio stopped her.

"No, leave her be. She's going through something, though I'm not sure what, so she does probably need to be alone right now." Sonata sighed.

"She...she hates me, doesn't she...?" She asked sadly. Adagio gave her a pitiful look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling...this is my fault." She paused before continuing. "Look, you know how Aria is sometimes. She tends to get mad at the smallest things, and it seems like she'll never change her mood. But then, when you least expect it, she bounces back just like that. I mean, think about this: Aria was in denial that she actually liked you, and so to cover it, she'd be mean to you and act like she hated you. But then, just like that, you two become a couple." Adagio nudged Sonata's shoulder playfully. "Don't worry, she'll be alright. That seahorse always finds a way to bounce back." Sonata giggled a bit and sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

~o~

Hours later, Sonata slid off the rocks and into the water while Adagio was napping. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the water, her eyes finally landing on a hazy purple figure lying on the ocean floor. She swam down slowly, trying not to create noticeable water currents. She heard a sound coming from Aria, so she went even closer. But she stopped when she realized what the sound was. Crying. Sonata's eyes widened, and her expression changed to worry. She finally decided to speak.

"A-ari...?" The purple siren's head snapped up and she reeled her head around to glare at Sonata.

"Wh-what do you w-want?!" She asked in a slightly sob-filled voice. Sonata lowered her ears.

"Ari...why are you crying...?"

"Leave me alone! I said I wanted to be alone! Now go!"

"But Ari..."

"Now!" A sudden silence fell between the two, and Sonata looked down awkwardly as Aria glared at her. She sighed and looked back up at her.

"Ari, just tell me one thing. Do you...do you still...love me...?" Aria blinked at this and her gaze softened slightly, clearly having not expected such a question. Sonata watched as Aria looked down, remaining silent. She looked up when she heard Sonata scoff.

"What, so that's it? You're just...pushing me away, now? You don't love me anymore?" She swam up to her. "Aria, I want to help you! I want you to tell me what's wrong! Why won't you ever let me in your life anymore?!" Aria's ears flattened against her head, and she looked uneasily at Sonata. She did still love her, even though she was pissed at her. But...she couldn't let her know what was going through her head. She'd be against it, and she knew it was something she had to do. So, despite how much it would hurt Sonata, she spoke.

"Sonata, just...go away..." She mumbled. Sonata jerked her head back in hurt and shock, and she swam backwards a couple feet. Aria watched she she shook her head in disbelief before shooting up to the surface, disappearing above the waves. Aria sighed and settled herself once again on the sandy ocean floor, her mind reeling with regret, pain, fear...and revenge.

~o~

Adagio woke up to the sound of Sonata's shriek of panic. Her eyes snapped open, and her head shot up.

"Sonata?!" She saw said siren looking at her with panic and a hint of guilt, and she appeared on the brink of tears. "Sonata, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's all my fault! It's all my fault!"

"What is?" Adagio asked, confused. Sonata sniffled.

"I-it's Aria. She...she's gone!"


Poor Sonata...and Aria.