"No, Sonata, don't you understand?! It's OVER!"
>They were arguing for sometime in the booth behind you. You couldn't help but listen when it reached a fever pitch
>A girl was sobbing when another piped up
"Why do you always have to RUIN everything! We were right there, and we lost it all!"
"B-but I-I didn't do anyth-"
"Save your breath... I don't think we can gain anything by staying together now, and we can't drag you along everywhere we go... C'mon Aria, let's get out of here."
"I thought you'd never ask."
>you hear shuffling and a few seconds later, two girls in hoodies walk past, you couldn't see their faces
"G-girls? Girls w-where are you g-going? Don't leave!..."
>They were already gone
>The girl resumed her crying
>You look over the booth seat to see someone in a matching hoodie, vibrant blue hair, and tears streaming down her face
>she doesn't notice you looking as she continues on
"They're such... *sob* big meanies... I didn't... *sob* do anything. I don't want to be... *sob* alone."
>she eventually starts making choked up calls between her hiccuping
>Was she... attempting to sing? 
>If you could call it that... It sounds like a braindead monkey trying to imitate a bird call!


>She needed help, and your ears couldn't take any more of her vocal noise
>You grab your coffee cup and move up to her booth, sitting across from her
>"Uh... hi."
>Her sobbing was cut short as she raised her head suddenly, her face streaked with fresh tears
"H-huh? Who are you?" >"Uh, you can just call me Anon. What's your name?"
>She blinks as she straightens up
"Um... *sniff* S-Sonata."
>You had to admit she looked cute past the tears and ear-rape
>"Why were those girls so angry with you?"
>Sonata looked away, the question seemed to hurt
>Nice going Anon, not just breaking the ice, we're wrecking it
>"I'm sorry, I just overheard and I-"
"No, it's alright,"
>She wiped her eyes with a sleeve
"They were... old friends. We were gonna rule the world, and we messed up, and now we can't sing, and they think it's my fault, but it wasn't and I don't know why they would just leave me when we've been together for years and years and-"
>"Okay, okay!"
>you raise your hands to stop the run on 
>"Just... slow down."
>You sigh and run a hand down your face
>it was late and even the coffee stopped having an effect two days ago. Those sleepless nights studying for that test had taken their toll
>"So what you're trying to say was they were good friends that thought you're bringing them down so they cut you off?"
>she stared blankly for a moment then finally nods
>Cute, but not that bright
>Probably why they dumped her in the first place
>Your sleep-deprived brain was at a loss at what to do, so it winged it
>"Well screw them. You can rule the world without those brats!"
>You emphasize your slightly sarcastic pep talk by gesturing out the window towards the mountains with your hand
>Sonata seemed to crack a smile
"I could, yeah!"
>She stood up and pumped her fists, before the confidence drained out of her and she slumped down back in her seat
"...Except, I can't sing."
>"Well what does singing have to do with it?"
>She gives you a questioning, 'well don't you know?' kind of glance
"It's how I got people to do things for me, of course!... Before, well, we had that big Battle of the Bands..."

>So she lost her voice in a singing competition? Strange, but you could roll with it
>"Don't worry, it'll come back."
"You really think so?"
>She smiled more this time
>"Yeah, I know so. I bet you were a wonderful singer."
>Yeah, no. They dumped her because she has the voice of a dying animal for sure.
"Yeah... I was."
>Disheartened again.
>You were tired. Winging it wasn't working. Caffeine, why don't you work no more?!
>You had to bail before you crashed, but you couldn't just leave her like this
>initiate emergency generators.exe
>"So, it's getting late... don't you have any place to stay?"
>Yeah, brilliant thinking brain. Ask if she wants to move in with you? Great!
>she rubbed her arm
"No, I don't."
>Of course she- Wait wat
>"What do you mean you don't? Don't you have a home? A family? Anything?"
"No. I just followed those girls everywhere."
>Well, I guess brain was working better than you thought
>good job brain
>Wait, so she was homeless all this time? What if she was one of those homeless leeches? Was that why they dumped her-
>*warning* Emergency generator fuel running low!
>---Sleep Priority Mode Engage---
>"Well, I guess, if you want a place to stay, wanna head to my place? I mean, I got a couch you could sleep o-"
"Yes!"
>The sudden smile plastered on her face stunned you
"Um... please?"
>"...Okay then." you chuckled nervously
>"It's getting late... I guess you could follow me?"
>She enthusiastically bounced up to her feet and nodded.
>You question what in the world just happened and why a girl was following you to your apartment as you strolled out of the cafe.
>You head down the rather empty street, your apartment wasn't that far, so you didn't waste the gas to get here.
>You walk in silence for a moment. Hands in your pockets, as it was rather chilly out.
>Suddenly Sonata wraps her arm around yours and cuddles up next to you
>INITIATE BAD TOUCH PROTOCOL! ACTIVATE ADRENALINE DISPENSERS!
>"WHOA Whoa! What are you doing?!"
>You shake her off, making her retreat back
>She looks at you all confused
"It's cold."
>Okay
>This girl is all sorts of weird
>And you were bringing her to your apartment
>Why were you bringing her to your apartment?
>Oh look, you're at your apartment
>"Alright, well, just no cuddles please? I just don't like it."
"Oh. Okay."
>You give her an annoyed glance over your shoulder before unlocking your front door and walking in.
>"After you, I guess."
>Good thing you like to keep your place somewhat tidy
>She walks in and gives a brief look around. Nothing more than a kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom.
>She doesn't say anything and turns back and gives you an innocent smile
>Like she forgot about the whole incident at the cafe
>No talk, sleep now
>"Alright. I really need to get to bed, so, heres a couch you can sleep on, and here's a blanket you could use. And the bathroom's down the hall there on the right. I haven't slept in a while so don't make any noise please? Thanks."
>And with that uncurt tour concluded you headed to your bedroom, testing the lock on the door to see if it functioned properly.
>you saw her sit on the couch, across the room from your doorway, and again give you that innocent smile.
"Thanks Anon. Sleep well!"
>What is wrong with her?
>You slowly shut the door, and lock it
>Tossing off your shoes and jacket, you flop on your bed and pass out almost immediately.
>Rebooting Brain-OS, Anon Edition, please wait...
>...Done
>Initiate Dream.screensaver


>You were floating... floating in darkness
>Some green mist started collecting at your feet, and a figure started aproaching
>Something began to echo from the figure. First it was indistinguishable, but then, noise became pitch, pitch became tone, tone became... music
>Some of the most beautiful music you've ever heard
>It chilled you to your very bone and it made you want to kneel and praise the girl blessed with that voice!
>you reached out to the singing figure, but no matter what, you couldn't touch her.
>The green mist wrapped around you and dragged you further into the abyss
>No! You needed to listen to her more!
>Two more voices began accompanying the first
>first they complimented and enhanced the increasingly distant voices, but then they became discordant and screeching
>then a flash, a whirlwind of color, and suddenly the voices were silenced

>You wake up with a gasp
>You don't know why, but your heart was pounding in your chest
>It wasn't even that bad of a dream
>You tried to remember that haunting melody but the more you thought about it the more it escaped you
>You almost choked up for a second in your delirium, never able to hear that voice again
>until...
>*limb condition sys check:... R Leg: operational - L Leg: operational - R Arm: Operational - L Arm: WARNING, WARNING, REPORTING SOMETHING WARM AND SOLID WITHIN SENSORY REACH*
>*ACTIVATE BRAIN RESPONSE: "WTF SOMETHING IS IN THE BED WITH ME.EXE!"*
>You catapult yourself out of the bed opposite of the alien intruder
>Magenta eyes, wide open and accompanied with a smile
>*Rebooting Memory.sys*
>Oh yeah, you brought a girl into your apartment
>And she was in the bed with you
>Wait, didn't you lock the door?
>That didn't matter now though
>Cause she was already awake
>Oh good lord why was she smiling like that after she practically scared the morning wood off of you?

>"What in the world do you think you're doing?!"
"Good Morning"
>"How'd you get in here?!"
"I walked in?"
>"Why are you in by bed?!"
"Because you didn't say I couldn't... I didn't make any noise! I promise!"
>"But I... you... UGH!"
>You face palm hard
>She wasn't just a cute ditz. She was a complete idiot.
>You wonder why her hair wasn't yellow
>At least she still was in her hoodie and jeans...
>And again with that confused look
>"Just... just get out and let me get dressed please."
"Ooh! Can we get breakfast after that!"
>"Yeah, yeah... I'll see if I can make something."
>You had to agree with her for once, your stomach grumbled it's *empty tank* warning
"Can you make tacos?!"
>"Tacos... wha-... Tacos are a lunch thing!"
"But I like tacos..."
>Darn those puppydog eyes. She was an idiot, but a cute and somewhat manipulative idiot.
>"FINE!"
"Yay!"
>Sonata bounced up and out of the bed, before practically running into the kitchen
>slamming the door behind her, you pinch the bridge of your eyebrow.
>*Brain.sys and memory.sys resume reboot, restoring previous session...*
>The previous events of last night came back to you full force, along with all the regret
>No more sleepless nights for Anon
>At least the test was done for yesterday, there won't be another for a while
>After slipping into a change of jeans, a new shirt and jacket, and finally approached the alien in your home
>She was patiently sitting on the couch, the most excited smile on her face
>You weren't going to bull around with veggies, so you grab some eggs and precooked sausage, and throw them both into a frying pan
>Scramble with cheese, and put into a tortilla. It's technically a taco, so shove it.
>After grabbing a couple plates, you hand Sonata your breakfast taco invention
"Thanks!"
>You sit on the floor across from her, and take a bite. Not that bad, actually!
>As she ravenously digs in, you sigh.
>Now you were all rested, it was time to get answers from her.

>You both finish breakfast in silence
>She gobbled up her food at record speed like an african in a bacon exhibition
>You finish yours in a much longer time, (it could have used some hot sauce) and head over to put the plate in the dishwasher
>You nearly drop it when you glance at the clock
>10:35am Friday
>Well, crap. You were late for school already.
>But screw it. You have a guest. 
>A homeless guest that can somehow get through locked doors and could probably empty a fridge like no other.
>Your grades could withstand a couple missed assignments... And the weekend started tomorrow anyway
>Now what to do?
>Heading back over to the couch, you see Sonata again staring at you patiently
>What in the world was in that girl's head?
>Or you should more ask, when was the last time she's had a clean pair of clothing?
>That hoodie in the daylight was a lot more honest about her homeless claims... 
>You didn't even want to check and see how much dirt she left on your bedsheets...
>"So Sonata,"
>She tilted her head attentively,
>"You got any other clothes? Those look... Well lets say they look... and smell, like the streets."
>She brightens up and nods
"Oh yeah, we had to get these cool outfits for the Battle of the Bands! Um, I think they're in an old dumpster near the Cafe."
>"...The cafe we were at last night. You just threw a new outfit out just like that?"
>She looked slightly cross, almost in agreement
"Adagio said they 'attracted too much attention' and made me wear these things again. I don't like it. It itches."
>You sigh again.
>Well, you guess, a freshly dumped, free outfit is an improvement over such filthy things and better than going out and buying her some new clothing.
>"So, you mean the big dumpster that's in that small alley between the barber and the tea shop, right?"
"Mhmm! That's were we keep a LOT of our stuff!"
>...Okay.

>You and Sonata stand before a fairly large, yellow dumpster, fairly hard to miss being in such a small alley
>Scratching your head, you wonder to yourself how these girls were not shanked by some angry hobo by now...
>Especially that oblivious airhead that was opening the dumpster top in front of you
>She gasped in shock, drawing you close to peer in
>The dumpster was... immaculately clean on the inside, scrubbed down to the bright yellow paint
>You never thought there was a dumpster so... Colorful.
>There were signs of former living there; some blankets remained... must have taken whatever they were sleeping on though.
>Some paintings marked one corner, looking like little, happy fishes. Probably belonging to Sonata
>There were also six small mounds of clothing scattered about... and in the middle of it all, three piles of what looked like shattered red glass on top of a handwritten note.
>Sonata jumped over the waist hight edge with quite the agile grace. Showing obvious experience.
>She gathered the two piles that must have been hers, being almost entirely a plum purple color, marked with a bright blue note and a heart, and passed them to you
>She then picked up the note and after a moment, covered her mouth as tears began to form
>"Here, lemme see that."
>She glances at you, worryingly, like the letter could bite you if you touched it, but then slowly handed it over

Sonata,

Assuming you can read this...

Like we told you, it's OVER. Don't come looking for us. The magic is gone, but it had to have come from somewhere into this world. It had to. And there has to be a way back, right?

Me and Adagio have left to find that way back home.
But even then, all you'd ever do is follow us around to the edge of Tartarus and back. Nothing more than being such a stupid, ignorant fool that can't even sing. So whatever you do, don't follow us there. Stay out of our- MY Equestria. You deserve to stay here forever as a lonely human.

Worst wishes,
Aria

>These girls had bad written all over them
>But they sure do write awfully cryptic for teenagers
>Unless they're being literal with each other..
>Did they escape the mental asylum?
>That'd definitely explain Sonata
>But you couldn't tell. She seems harmless enough
>You look up from the note to see her holding one of the piles of red shards with some kind of longing gaze
>She sniffed once, wiped her eyes, then seemed to look normal again, albeit much more somber, stuffing the shards in her front pocket
>You might have to ask about that later... Along with whatever this note meant
>You pocket the paper and look at the clothing in your arms
>It seemed clean enough. You'll wash one of the outfits with her hoodie and jeans, just to be safe though.
>"Alright, well, I don't think there's much more we can do here. Let's head back to my place so you can wash up."
>And then maybe figure out what to do with you
>She didn't smile, but let out a soft "Mhmm." of agreement before following you out of the dumpster

>Back at your place you brought her into the bathroom
>After showing her, with particular care, how the shower works so she doesn't somehow burn herself, you leave one of the outfits (some kind of high collar piece and a skirt, and to your relief, a change of underwear) and tell her to hand you her old clothing when she was finished
>She seems to understand well enough and you leave her be to clean up
"Hot. HOT!"
>"Turn the dial a bit to the right!"
"...Thanks!"

>As Sonata was busy, you head back into your room
>Ugh. She DID leave dirt on your bedspread
>That'll have to be washed along with the hoodie.
>After taking and compacting the sheet and blanket covers into a ball for later transport, you open up your laptop
>You opened up Google, pausing on deciding what to type.
>..."Mental Hospitals, Canterlot City"
>The first two results said there were two of them in the area. None showed anything that would say if there was a breakout.
>You clicked back and retyped...
>"Local News, Canterlot City"
>String of robberies... New statue opening today... Oh, and what is this?
>"Musical Meltdown At Canterlot High Sponsored Battle of the Bands"
>Dated from last week.
>You click on the link to the article. The attached picture showed seven girls in pretty outrageous outfits except for the red and yellow-haired girl. Wearing some kind of animal ear makeup going on. And good lord their hair.

...Canterlot High Battle of the Bands event went out with a bang last Friday with an amazing finale. But some critics place it as being a staged show...

"Oh, it was definitely staged. They rigged it from the start, and used smoke and mirrors to make all those cool effects happen." Said one disgruntled, anonymous student, "What's worse was they made all the students think they had a chance at winning! I spent part of my college funds for those fireworks! Everybody knows that award deserves to belong to this Great and Powerful Anonymous Student!"

Despite some student reviews, the majority of attendees were greatly satisfied with the light show and musical battle of the Rainbooms vs the Dazzlings. The members of both currently attend Canterlot Highschool.

>Below the article there was another attached picture taken from the stands
>Three people were glowing and apparently floating on the stage, their eyes a distinct red
>One of the figures though...
>That blue hair...
>So she wasn't lying after all.

>You delve deeper into the article
>More attached pictures showed some pretty zany effects
>Flying people, laser beams... 
>That is one gigantic horse
>You kind of regret not looking into that whole Battle of the Bands thing now. You were too busy studying to attend
>But what happened there that was so bad for Sonata? You'd think it'd be pretty fun, even if you were supposed to lose from the start.
"Hey Anon?"
>You slam the laptop closed in well-practiced reflex
>"Oh, I didn't hear you come in."
>She was standing in the doorway, wearing a very stylized high collar jacket, spiked wristbands, light pink skirt with particular emphasizing stitching and high boots.
>Her former friends were at least right in the regard that it'd attract too much attention
>It made your inner-fashionable gay friend scream bloody murder
>Your normal self thought it looked kind of cute though.
"Here's the old clothes."
>She tossed you the bundle, which you caught.
>She had the red shards clutched in her other hand and seemed to be paying more attention to them
>"So, Sonata,"
>She looked up from her hand
"Yes, Anon?"
>"So what exactly happened at this Battle of the Bands?" 
>She slumped slightly against the doorframe and looked down towards her feet
"Oh. Yeah, that."
>"So something bad did happen there..."
>Sonata was silent for a moment, biting her lower lip
"Well, Adagio told me I shouldn't tell anyone about the Siren Gems and how they make us able to sing so good people will do what we say..."
>"...The Siren what-now?"
>Sonata stiffened and gained a blank stare.
>Gotcha

"Um, forget I said anything."
>"Too late."
>Sonata looked more annoyed than upset, walking over to your bed and sitting at the corner, hands on her lap
"Adagio said that we'd be adored. That we wouldn't need to worry about looking for places to cause trouble and feed."
>She brought the gemstone up to her chest
"I only wanted to have fun. I thought that they'd stop hating me if we made it all the way."
>This can't be real, could it?
>Cause it sounds like some voodoo witchcraft magic crap you don't want to deal with
>But Devil soul-stealing risks aside, she seemed genuinely upset about this... you have to tread carefully
>"So, you were only in it to please those girls?"
>Sonata nodded silently
>You couldn't believe how much you wanted to help her, even knowing yourself how insane she sounded...
>How insane the plan you were hatching sounded
>"And because that gem is broken, you can't sing?"
>She nodded again,
>"I bet you can sing again even without that old thing."
"R-really?"
>Why were you doing this?
>Helping the psycho just to watch her dreams crushed when she faces reality?
>Getting revenge on those former friends of his for tossing her aside like garbage?
>Taking advantage of a helpless girl for sexual favors?
>Even you didn't know where this would lead...
>"Of course. I had to go through three semesters of choir, I think I can help. Try singing something for me."
>Bad move
>Sonata hesitates, but then made an *attempt* to sing
>You had to stop her short to spare your ears
>but from what you could hear, she could actually hold a pitch
>just seemed to use the wrong pitches in all the wrong places
>This is gonna take some work...

>You spent the rest of the afternoon working with Sonata
>different techniques, pitch control, breathing exercises
>Sonata followed you to the letter, and single notes she could sing, rather beautify even
>but she just couldn't sing them in any combination
>Like mentally it was all jumbled up
>It was late and your throat was feeling dry by the time you decided to stop
>"This is getting us nowhere... Let's take a break for dinner."
>She seemed to agree wholeheartedly
>After a quick bite of some rice and chicken,(despite Sonata's protesting, you didn't have much left) you sat next to Sonata on the couch
>She was watching some bubbly kids show on the tv
>You were looking over some notes you scribbled out while looking for her 'voice'
>most of it came to no conclusion, it just made sense how she just couldn't sing
>Was it some mental block or was she so stupid that she believed she forgot how to sing
>You'd like to try something, but the lateness of the hour made itself known with a yawn from Sonata
>Putting your notes away, you toss her an oversized shirt from when you used to be fat
>"Here, that outfit looks uncomfortable to sleep in, so you can wear this.
>She didn't say anything, but she... started undressing right in front of you.
>You feel your cheeks flare with the intensity of a thousand suns
>You promptly turn about and head to the front door
>"I'll, uh... I'll go and grab your clothes from the wash. They should be done by now."
>Anon, you are such a beta faggot
>No, shut up conscious. You know you don't tap crazy.
>If you say so Anon
>You continue to argue with yourself as you make your way to the laundry room
>You grab the freshly dried clothing and bedsheets and turn back
>Returning home you found Sonata in a white, loose sweater, a bare shoulder and bra strap peeking through the lopsided collar.
>Stay down boner, or you're going down with me
>"Well, I'm gonna go to bed. This time though, can you please stay on the couch?"
"Okay Anon..."
"Too bad we couldn't find my voice..."
>Sonata seemed disheartened
>You try and give a reassuring smile
>"I have an idea we'll try tomorrow. We'll see how it goes"
"Alright. Thanks, Anon."
>You give another smile before shutting the door, making sure the door was locked all the way
>Making your bed again, you lay down in the fresh smelling sheets
>It didn't take long to drift off to sleep...


"Aaahhh ahhh ahhh, ahhhh ahhh~"
>That voice again
>that melody, just as beautiful
>you heard other voices... arguing.
>That same mist rising from a crowd
>the mist rose and rose, your eyes following it
>swirling down it materialized into a massive red gem
>Something about it... was hypnotic. It was the most beautiful gem you've ever seen...
>lights... bright lights of several colors came from above, and struck the gem
>It shattered into thousands upon thousands of tiny fragments...
>What was left was a creature, that looked like a horse crossed with a fish
>It spotted you and began to fly
>you turn to run, but you were rooted to your spot...
>The singing got louder and louder as it approached
"Ahh Aahh! Ahh Hah Ahhh"
>It opened it's great maw,
"AAAAHHH HAAAAAAHHH AAAHHH AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
"BATTLE!"

>You shot up from your bed
>you were covered in sweat and shaking head to toe
>It's alright Anon, it was... it was just a dream...
>But that thing in your hand isn't.
>You look down to see the object in your grasp
>A red and glossy shard caught the moonlight peering through the window, sending an iridescent shiver of light through it
>"...Now I'm going crazy."


----
End of chapter 2.
>You couldn't sleep
>that gem had burned itself in your eyelids
>Every time you shut your eyes, that song echoed in the back of your mind
>The feeling of the maw enveloping you caused your muscles to tense
>that shard that lay on your nightstand lay there, almost mockingly at your predicament
>Oh you did it now, Anon, that soul of yours is good as gone
>But magic and supernatural garbage doesn't exist. Shouldn't exist
>But now after meeting Sonata...
>How did that shard end up in your hand in the first place?
>Was Sonata really just messing with you this entire time?
>You got up and checked your door, picking up the shard along the way
>Locked tight
>You turn back towards your bed
>there was a soft knock
"A-Anon? Are you awake?"
>"Sonata?"
>You turn and open the door
>Sonata looked worried, clutching something against her chest
>"What's wrong?"
"Those shards I picked up at the dumpster a while ago? One of them is-"
>"Is missing?"
>Sonata fell silent as you opened your hand, revealing the gem shard
>She slowly reached a hand out, and very delicately plucked it from your palm
>She looked back up at you, her expression as questioning as yours
>"Remind me, what did you say these "Siren Gems" were?"
>Sonata bit her lip, her face marked with what you could guess was apprehension
"I... It's hard to explain..."
>"Sonata, please"
"I thought they didn't work anymore..."
>"But what is it? What does it do?"
"I... I.."
>She retreated back from each question, looking to either side in a slight panic
"It's not what you think."
>"Then what?"
"I... I have to leave!"
>"Sonata!"
>You swiftly grab her shoulder as she turned away and force her to face you again
>Her eyes, wide and panicked, shone in the moonlight
>"I... I'm not going to hurt you. I promise I won't tell anyone about this, but please... I need you to tell me what this is... I need you to tell me why I'm getting weird dreams, why I found that shard in my hand when I woke up."
>"Just tell me... Please."

>Sonata was deathly silent, her jaw locked
>After a moment, she looked down
>Her eyes closed, tightly
>Tears began to surface
>Suddenly she stepped forward and buried her face in your chest
>Sobbing softly, she wrapped her arms around you
"I want to go home... I never w-wanted to come here... I- I never wanted to be with those girls..."
>Hesitantly, you return the embrace
>"...It's- It's okay."
>Man up, Anon! You got a crying girl in your arms!
>You've fantasized about things like this for years!
>But...
>Why don't you feel anything but concern?
>Anon, pls, you haven't gone all soft have you?
>Sonata's sobbing intensified as she clutched tighter at your shirt
>Screw it, Anon, you have gone soft
>"Shhh... Shh..."
>You hold her closer, your embrace seeming to calm her down
>"I know you're scared. I promise that I'll help you in whatever way I can to get you home"
>She looked up, her eyes glazed with fresh tears
*sniff* "F-For realzies?"
>"F-... For realzies."
"Can... *sniff* Can I sleep in your bed again, Anon? It's lonely out there."
>You take a deep sigh
>"Alright... Just, keep to your side this time?"

>You had a surprisingly restful sleep this time
>Blissful, blissful sleep with no dreams
>Next to a most-likely psychotic girl who may or may not have some sort of supernatural powers
>Why that didn't bother you enough to keep you awake was almost troubling
>But yet your concern for her outweighed it enough to keep it at bay for now
>When you opened your eyes this time, sunlight greeted them
>You never wanted to see the sun so much until now
>And under that sunlight, Sonata lay still, peacefully asleep
>Her hand still clutched around those shards, now wrapped in a small bag
>You found it hard to not stare at it
>Nothing about those pieces seemed right
>Pieces to a puzzle that leads to Sonata's home, maybe?
>Gingerly you shuffled out of bed, trying not to rouse Sonata
>Luckily she didn't stir, and after putting on something warmer than a sleeveless shirt, leave to start to make breakfast
>You thank yourself that you took advantage of a break in singing lessons yesterday to grab some groceries
>Time to improve that breakfast taco
>Eggs, sausage, mmm... tomatoes? Why not. Maybe a bit of green onion? Don't forget that hot sauce. Lets grill it all IN the tortilla while we're at it!
>Eventually you spot Sonata peering out from your room, most likely attracted to the smell
>"Morning!" You greet cheerfully
>She gains a gentle smile as you offer her your new and improved recipe 
>Sitting down together to chow down, you pause
>"Again, I'm... sorry about last night."
>Her face was already stuffed, but almost as expected, her demeanor completely changed
>She seemed to be really enjoying the food
"Mph.. Ifts awwrigh' Ah'on.. Difs is dewisious!"
>You chuckle, relieved that she didn't dwell on things as much as you did
>You try your own taco
>Good lord that hot sauce was indeed a good idea

>"Now... About that gem."
>Sonata visibly slowed down in her eating
>"Look, like I said last night I won't tell anyone about it, and I won't think any different of you. I don't know what it is, or why, but something's been seriously bothering me. And I think that,"
>You point towards that pouch
>"Is the reason why."
>Sonata paused, then gulped down her bite.
>You continue, your tone stern, but careful
>"Maybe you can start with where you came from?"
>She made a strange glance towards you, before looking back down towards her plate, her fingers crumbling a piece of tortilla between them
"...It's been so long since I've seen Equestria, I can't even remember what it looked like."
>You remember the name from the note from the other girls, a peculiar one at that
>"Is it a city? A country even?"
"Not really. It's a place though."
>"Could you point it out to me on a map, maybe?"
"No. It isn't in this world."
>"Alright... Is it somewhere in space? Are you an alien?"
>Sonata shrugged
"All I know is it isn't here."
>"Then how'd you end up here, then?"
>She seemed a bit guilty
"I was... more following Adagio's lead... We used these gems to cause the ponies to fight. It was funny at first, and we gained power from it, but over time... I only went along with it to make them happy"
>"...Uh huh." 
>Buckle down, Anon, let's see how far the rabbit hole goes.
>"So, whenever these... 'ponies' fought each other, you gained power? In what way?" 
>She took a moment to consider her words
"We've had these gems for as long as we could remember..."
>Opening the pouch, the shards caught the light
"They make it so we can sing. When we sing, we can control people."
>"And, you get more powerful when people fight?"
"Yeah."
>Mayday, mayday, Earth to Anon, brain functions are at critical
>This was sounding to sound more like the script to some cheesy children's show than witchcraft...
>"But then what happened?"
>That seemed to make her pause the most
>"We were banished here."
Pastefag note: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV6bbP1rZ84, I don’t know, I’d fit in a DW episode
(2016 note: That shit is so cringy. Holy shit)

>"So lemme get this straight,"
>You recap the hour-long, mind-numbing interrogation
>"You're some kind of supernatural singing Siren-thing that all the horses thought was evil because you helped the other evil Siren-things make them fight each other for your own power, but then some powerful magic-horse with a beard kicked you through a mirror, turned you into a human, left you here for centuries, and after finding out there were more inter-dimensional horses from horse-land that came here for other reasons, they broke your power gems in a big singing battle because again, you're with the bad guys, and then that's when I found you, when the bad guys dumped you because you were useless?"
>Sonata nodded, rather humbly
>"Seems legit."
>She seemed defeated and her mood drooped a bit
>"But considering everything that's happened, I'm more inclined to believe you now."
>Sonata turned back to you with a bright smile
"Really?!"
>"Yeah, why not at this point."
"Oh thank you! Thank you sooo much!"
>Man she had some strength in her hugs
>"Alright, alright, that's enough..."
>You brush yourself off as she returns back to her place, blushing slightly
>"Now, if that note was correct... those other horses-"
"Ponies."
>"-Ponies, yes, came here somehow, they must have some sort of... portal, or stargate. You said it was a kind of mirror you went through to get here?"
"That's what I remember..."
>"Mhmm... And do you know who those human-pony things are or where they might be?"
"Oh yeah! They were in that band that beat us in the Battle of the Bands! I know one of them used to be a pony, we made fun of her in a hallway once."
>You remember the gaudy outfits in that article
>You hope the pony was the one that designed their costumes Then you could have a reason for such an offensive dress code.

>After getting ready, and planning a few things, you head over to Canterlot High with Sonata in your car
>It was a Saturday, you realized, so the students most likely wouldn't be there unless a couple of them involved in extracurricular activities...
>You knew one of them probably was in a sowing club...
>You remember the rainbow haired girl from the soccer team 
>One of the few extra-school activities you enjoyed
>They WERE all in a band though, you remember
>They had to practice somewhere
>Would they practice in the school though?
>There were a handful of cars in the school lot as you parked, so you weren't alone
>No one was hanging outside the front doors, by the looks of things
>You knew the school was mostly unlocked for the club students, so you walked in
>Not much in terms of noise, a bit of chit-chat echoed down the halls, but no machinery or musical instruments to be heard yet
>You turn back to see Sonata glancing around
>She seemed slightly worried
>"Don't worry, you'll be alright. I won't let those girls get at you again if they see you, alright?"
>She seemed comforted, albeit still worried.
>Walking down the halls, you pass by a couple random students
>You pulled up a pic of the "Rainbooms" on your phone on the way to compare them to, nothing close
>Some gave Sonata strange glances, but nothing over the top in reaction
>You decide to pass through the library, see if any of the Rainbooms were readers
>Browsing through bookshelves, you and Sonata look around. Mostly deserted apart from the couple of students working on a group project
>"Come on, Sonata, let's get out of here-"
*gasp!*
>It was soft, but you heard it come from the printers, and it wasn't Sonata
>You spy a wide-eyed girl, yellow skin, pink hair, hand covering her mouth in shock
>You glance at your phone
>There! The one holding the useless tambourine!
>...what sane band would have a solo tambourinist?
>Even still, you needed to ask her some questions
>She's already gone

>"Where'd she go?!"
"That way!"
>Sonata pointed at the nearby outdoor exit
>You sprint down to the door and barged through, Sonata trailing closely behind
>You spot the girl riding away frantically on a frilly green bike, you probably couldn't track her down even with your car
>Great, probably off to tell her friends about the 'evil siren returning to get her revenge'
>Maybe you can twist it into your favor somehow
>You shrug off it as a future problem and lead Sonata furthur through the school
>You check the sowing classroom and the gym and field but nobody was using them
>It was reaching the early afternoon when you decided to pack up and leave empty handed
"Do you think that girl will tell the others about me?"
>Sonata asked finally, you knew she had been thinking about it for some time
>"I know she will. Though really, what are they going to do? Sing at you again? You don't have any magic left, right? So I don't think you're in danger."
>She chuckled lightly, looking out the car window
"Maybe you're right... I still wish I could sing though."
>"...You really didn't realize how much you'd miss it until you lost it, huh?"
>She remained quiet, but her longing, guilty expression told you enough
>"We'll find a way to get your voice back. And you won't have to use it badly to make others happy, sound good?"
"Mmm... Sounds good."
>You stop by a local Taco Bell (seriously what is it with this girl and mexican food?!) and head home
>After entering your apartment, you fish something out of your pocket
>"Oh, Sonata, I've been meaning to try something...
"Hmm?"
>You hand her a small pendant, the front, inlaid with a glossy, naturally vibrant blue stone
>"I picked this up when I went shopping yesterday... I know now it isn't a good replacement for your gem, but the person that sold it to me said that people use that mineral to help them sing, I think."
>She holds the silvery pendant close for inspection
"Oooh... Thank you, Anon. It's lovely!"
>She put it on her neck, the color matching her overall scheme rather nicely
>"Well? Let's try it out?"
"Are... Are you sure?"
>"Never know unless we try, right?"
>Sonata gave a cute little smirk, and took a breath
>Was the necklace... glowing?
"Ahhhh ahhh ahhh, aaaahhhh aahhhhh..."
>Her voice was slightly off, and trembling, but... but it was working! It was working, holy shi-
>The necklace suddenly flared white hot, and popped, sending smoke and fragments flying everywhere and making Sonata let out a little yelp of surprise
>Well, there's $20 down the drain...

"Oh Whoa! Oh Whoa! You didn't know that you fell~"
>In the darkness, you floated effortlessly
>That mist wrapped around you, caressing you
>You felt your worry, your fear, gently ebb away with each note
>The siren's song ever so strong, so piercing
>You lost yourself in the melody
"Oh Whoa! Oh Whoa!"
>A figure danced in the shadows outside your vision
>A flash of blue hair
>A glimmer of violet eyes
>A shine of a brilliant red gem around her neck
"Now that you're under my spell~"

>You didn't like the sun anymore
>It's rays somehow targeting that narrow strip across your face to perfectly penetrate even the tightest eyelids
>Forced to sit up to avoid the blasted light, you stretched to shake off the morning
>Looking to your side, Sonata, who slept next to you again, wasn't there
>Getting out of bed, and out to your apartment, you find her sitting on the couch
>In her hands was the charred remnants of the pendant you gifted her
>"What's up?" you greet her, a bit groggily
>Sonata looked troubled when she acknowledged you
>Sitting next to her, you take the pendant.
>The formerly blue crystal inside was now a cloudy, spotted white, cracked and with several pieces missing
>"You think you know why it exploded like that?"
"Maybe..."
>She took out a shard of the gem from the pouch at her side
>Sonata looked frustrated
"I wish I was as smart as Adagio... she knew more about magic than me."
>"I thought you didn't have any magic left?"
>Sonata nodded
"I thought so too. But then..."
>She paused, replacing the shard in her hand with another one
"It feels... different though."
>"Care to explain?"
"Mmm, when we first found out there were Equestrians here, we could feel this... flash. It felt different than anything I've ever felt before... And in the Battle of the Bands, I felt that magic again."
>She looked up at you pleadingly
"And I felt it now when I used that necklace."

>"So... It sounds like they left a bit of that magic left behind?"
"I... Think so."
>Sonata clutched the gem shard tightly, before placing it with the rest
>Those other girls obviously had the answers
>"We'll figure this out. Though at least, it's something, right?"
>Sonata gave a comforting smile

>After hanging out a bit and showering, you both decided to go out and get something to eat for lunch
>Sonata was wearing the other outfit now, a black and plum striped shirt with a darker and longer version of her skirt. There were long gloves that went with it, but she didn't wear them
>You thought it looked better than the other one 
>After that, you went to the school again to see if you could find any more magic clues
>You park nearby, and at the front of the building, you see a group of girls hanging around the school statue
>You notice the pink-haired girl with them, and all of them looked concerned
>Sonata moves to get out of the car, but you stop her
>"Wait... It's those girls."
>She looks on in concern but stays put while you roll down your window
>You were too far to hear them, or for them to notice you, but close enough to see that they were talking
>Tambourine player seemed to be mainly talking to red and yellow hair who was holding on to a large book
>red-and-yellow chatted with the ones with purple hair and another pink hair, and then seemed to get in a bit of a shouting match with rainbow hair
>The one in the cowboy hat finally spoke and red-and-yellow nodded, before writing something down in the book
>They waited for a minute, and then the book seemed to flash
>Red-and-Yellow opened the book again and read it aloud, they all gave each other worried glances but then nodded in confirmation to each other
>They talked for a couple more moments, and then departed their separate ways
"What was that about?"
>"I'm not sure Sonata, but I think they know you're up to something..."
>You give a sly smirk
>"What we're up to, I should rather say."

>"...Were you followed?"
>You look up from Twilight's book when you see Fluttershy get off her bike as she approached the statue
>Her friends were not far behind
"No, Sunset... They stopped chasing me after I left the library."
"I don't like it."
>Rainbow piped up, arms crossed
"I thought those Sirens left for good. Why would one of them still be snooping around the school?"
"Especially during a weekend..."
>Fluttershy seemed the most shaken of all
"Not many people know I use the school library to print out flyers for animal shelters... She was there looking at me right as I came in."
>You rub your chin, this was a potential problem that might get worse if left alone
>"But why wouldn't she be with the others, and with someone else? And why Anonymous? If I remember right, he's not really the kind of type to go out and do... anything really. Especially helping villains."
>Pinkie piped up in one of her 'conspiracy' mantras as you fold your arms
"What if she somehow hypnotized him to do his bidding and he's like some sort of MAN SLAVE!"
"Pinkie Pie, darling, don't be ridiculous!"
>Rarity flipped her hair in her usual flamboyant fashion, 
>off in the distance, you glimpsed a car park in a nearby parking lot... You couldn't recognize it, but no one came out so you ignored it.
"We all saw that their powers were lost when those gems were shattered. How in the world could they hypnotize someone without their singing?"
>Rainbow was visibly irritated as she snapped
"I think we should stop standing around and hunt her down! Use our magic to defeat those sirens for good!"
>"We need to be careful about this Dash! Even if I don't want to be right, Pinkie might have a point here. We're dealing with magical beings that managed to plague Equestria for centuries. I think we should take a bit more caution here,"
>You let out a small huff
>"Even if Sonata isn't the brightest girl I've met by far..."

>Applejack tipped up her hat, a serious glare in her eye
"Ah really think that we should tell Twilight about this. Ah know it's only been a week since she left, but since she can come back anytime she needs ta, I reckon she should help bury this rotten egg before it stinks up the whole barn."
>You grimaced at the idiom but agreed with Applejack's logic with a nod and began scribbling down in the magic book
>"I'll send a note to Twilight. Tell her all that we know, but I don't want to make any assumptions yet. After all, Twilight did say that they were nothing more than 'regular teenage girls' after we defeated them, right?"
>The other girls agreed in unison as you finished your note and closed the book.
>A couple minutes of random chit chat passed, and the book flashed and vibrated in your hands
>You opened the book to the fresh text and read the contents aloud:

Dear Sunset,
Thanks for letting me know about this. It's... Unsettling to see that one of the Sirens decided to stick around. I agree with you that you don't want to make any assumptions, but I'll come over to help investigate in two days time. Come to the portal at noon.

Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Even if it's only been a week since I last saw you, I miss you guys already and already have been looking for excuses to come and visit! I'm soooo excited to come back and see you again!

>The girls exchanged mixed glances
>"Well," you shrugged, "I'd wish she'd come sooner, but the fact she's coming is good enough. Like the letter said, meet here Tuesday at noon, and we'll figure out this mystery once and for all."
>The girls nodded in agreement and most turned their separate ways
>As you headed to your place, you notice that car leave the parking lot without anyone going in or out
>You knew Sonata from your brief encounters that the other Sirens were annoyed of her
>Her relationship with the other two was, well, reminded you of darker times in your life
>She also wasn't the smartest of the bunch by far
>Not the expected candidate to hatch any sort of schemes
>But as with everything from Equestria, not all is as it seems...

>The rest of the day went with planning and random hanging out with Sonata
>Eventually, you had a decent enough schedule forming
>You would go with Sonata to school on Monday, see if you could find any more information about the Rainbooms and their members
>once you find out the best one to confront about this horse-magic issue, you'll try and gain as much information out of them as possible
>You knew that they'd be more than reluctant to help someone that they'd probably feel is looking for revenge, but you hope you could diffuse the situation as peacefully as possible.
>You made sure that Sonata was to be expecting backlash, and thankfully she seemed to be on the same page
>Maybe an airhead, but not as dull as you thought she was at first
>Another thing made you scratch your head when you reviewed the picture of the Rainbooms
>You remember the lavender girl singing next to red hair wasn't present at their little meeting...
>Maybe it had something to do with that book.
>You also go by the little strange shop where you purchased that trinket from
>The heavily-accented, gray and white woman at the counter raised an eyebrow when you asked for something of better 'purity' than the last one
>She brought out a brilliant blue gem that was inlaid in a silver ring, deep and vibrant like a sapphire but sparkling like opal and advertising its mystical properties for singing and how it would compliment Sonata's beauty
>All in unbroken rhyme
>You and Sonata exchange an interested glance, but the price of $100 paused your wallet hand
>Sonata gave a slight pout of defeat, however, and you couldn't stand for that
>You could afford to wait another month for that game system you were saving up for anyways
>Taking the jewelry, but not letting Sonata touch it for now, you both decide to head home for the night.

"Listen to the sound of my voice~"
>You ran through the darkness towards the figure
"Hoh whoaaa whoa-ohhh~"
>She danced in hypnotic circles, but her features were indistinguishable"
"Soon you'll realize you don't have a choice~"
>You wrap your arms around her..
"Hoh whoa-ohh~"
>She collapses into dust
"Captured in the web of my song~"
>You find yourself falling into the waiting mist below
"Hoh whoaa whoa-ohhh~"
>Tumbling, deeper, deeper...
"Soon you will be singing along~"

>The next morning was rather silent in comparison to the last two
>Not much was spoken through breakfast and the general morning preparations
>You both knew that if anything, you would get answers
>And answers would be one more step to helping Sonata get her voice back
>And somehow...
>The prospect of it made you feel rather excited
>Sonata finally resigned for her casual hoodie (which she now found extremely comfortable after finding the washing cured it of its itchiness) and you chose something similar
>You took the car to school and came considerably early, hanging out in the lunchroom, which was unusual for you
>Making sure Sonata kept her hoodie up along with yours, you notice a couple of the Rainbooms chatting next to one of the tables
>You sat down nearby and pretended to check your phone while overhearing Orange-hat
"Ah have to agree Rainbow, I'm not sure what that Sonata girl is up to, but it can't be good."
>Rainbow, the one with the... rainbow hair, how original, raised an eyebrow to break her apathetic stare
"So you agree that waiting for Twilight to come over isn't going to be enough? I mean, Applejack, you saw how fast those Sirens took over the school last time!"
>Applejack shook her head
"That's where Ah have to disagree there. Twilight should know what to do this time, we just need to be patient."
"But Twilight didn't have the answers last time! We were saved by Shimmer and a DJ that just happened to be too addicted to her own tunes to listen to anyone else!"
"Hush!"
>Applejack motioned for Rainbow to calm down, glancing around
"Like ah said, wait until Twilight gets here, then we can talk about this. Ah'm not keen on attractin' attention here."
>With that they both went to their classes, pulling your hoods down you stared after them
>Rainbow seemd to be the least likely to be convinced to your side. Applejack seemed to be a bit more open minded, however.
>You take a small note and head with Sonata to your classes

>First class, your most despised
>AP Calculus
>You managed to BS Sonata into the class well enough
>School records here weren't exactly the most consistent or punctual
>It took a whole three months for your name to show up in one class' attendance sheets, getting you a good week's worth of absences scot-free
>As the teacher droned on, you notice another girl giving you and Sonata side glances from the seat nearly directly in front of you and to the side
>The one with the violet hair
>She sat close enough for you to decipher some of the rapid texting going on under the table

-Found her
-In my AP Calculus class
how and why is she in ap calc???-
-Anonymous cheated her in here
-He's sitting next to her
don't do anything just ignore them-
but still keep an eye on them rarity-
-Alright

>Rarity glanced at you again
>Caught you looking

-They're eyeing my phone We'll talk about this later

>She put her phone away and continued to sit stiff as a board
>You'd think that if she wasn't white as a ghost already she'd be pale
>Seems to be mostly wary of you and Sonata. 
>Probably would run before considering negotiations.
>The bell finally rung, rousing the drooling Sonata from her coma
"That hurt my brain. I couldn't understand anything!"
>You chuckle, "No one does. I think you'll like the next class better"
>You look up to see Rarity make a beeline for the door, and swiftly get out of sight.

>Art
>Again, talking the teacher into thinking that she was a student there, you take your places
>Sonata seemed to really enjoy herself this time
>Grabbing the pastels, she quickly started sketching up a nice aquatic scene
>Strange that she liked fish so much
>While she was stirring up pastel dust and splattering her dull hoodie with color, you scan the classroom for any of the other students...
>You saw a pair of big blue eyes staring directly at you from across the entire class
>Wide smile, pink, poofy hair
>You got a sugar headache just looking at her
>She started working hard on something, which made you go back to your things when the teacher stood between you two
>Suddenly you feel a paper airplane hit you in the head
>It was made of pink paper and covered in blue spots
>You unfold it to see big sprawling words in marker:

HI IM PINKIE

>You look at the girl, who was now waving at you
>A blur of hands later, and another plane floated your way
>Yellow and covered in glitter and confetti
>You catch it this time and open it

PLZ DONT HYPNOTIZE ME

>You look up to see Pinkie rolling her eyes and making zombie impressions
>You thought Sonata was weird
>Suddenly you felt the teacher standing over you
>Shoot, you know how she hated notes
>You open your mouth to explain yourself, but she wasn't paying attention to you
>Sonata really did a good job with her work... 
>The teacher was more interested in it and said she'd hang it up and asked if Sonata could meet her after school sometime
>Jealousy aside, the bell rung soon after and you had to practically drag Sonata out
>Pinkie was long gone when you checked
>4 down, 2 to go

>Lunch time
>Sitting down with Sonata, in a far corner of the lunchroom, you decide to take a break from your spying
"This is fun, Anon."
>Sonata said between bites of veggies
"I never really went to any of the classes here with Adagio and Aria."
>You couldn't see any of the Rainbooms out and about yet
>Probably were in a back room discussing their plan of actio-
>No, wait, there's one of them
>The Red and Yellow haired one
>You couldn't recall her name, but she sort of fell into obscurity after her initial years of being "Miss Popular"
>And by Miss Popular, you mean Miss Dictator
>She seemed softer in recent times, but you didn't want to cross her to find out if she really had gone soft
>You recall that she was somehow responsible for that huge hole in the building last year, but you couldn't believe the other students' stories about her turning into a "demon"
>Maybe that's not so ridiculous of a story this time...
>She sat at a wide table and made eye contact with you across the room
>Her eyes narrowed and her expression remained wary as she ate
>Soon her friends arrived in the lunchroom, Rarity and Applejack were noticably less enthusiastic as the rest, while Pinkie just jumped up and shouted
"HEY SUNSET SHIMMER! GUESS WHO I SAW?"
>Well, I guess that gives away her name
>Sunset motioned them to be quiet and gestured in your direction
>They chattered for a bit, all of them exchanging glances between each other and you
>You and Sonata gave a mocking wave back, which caused them to immediately stop staring
>Yeah, we see you too
>They finished their lunch quickly and all made their way out
>Lunch bell rang, time for the next class...

>You make your way to the lunchroom from your class
>You got Rarity's texts, but after that, no further sign of Anon or Sonata
>You knew that if anything, they'd be in the lunchroom, so you kept your guard up
>You walked from the counter, food in hand to your usual table
>The girls hadn't came in yet, so you took your time to scan the tables
>You noticed two were staring at you and you paused
>There they were, and they had been watching you
>Oh Celestia's beard, why was Anon smiling like that?
>And Sonata, innocent smile as ever
>They looked like they were planning something, and you did not like the feel of it
>Suddenly,
"HEY SUNSET SHIMMER! GUESS WHO I SAW?"
>You hastily bring a finger up to your mouth and beckon that Tartarus-bent Pinkie and her friends to sit down
"Shh! They're right there and they're watching us."
>You point towards Anon, and the girls' gaze followed your gesture
>They waved
>Rainbow shuddered
"They're definitely up to something."
>"I have to agree Rainbow. But we can't blow things up just yet."
"He seemed nice enough though in art class."
>Pinkie optimistic as ever
>You kept your voice low as you looked around between your bandmates
>"Hmm. Who else has classes with Anon today?"
>Fluttershy scratched her head
"I don't even notice him, but I think I have him in 4th period."
>You nod,
>"I assume he'll be dragging Sonata along with him, so don't freak out. He hasn't done anything yet, but we can't be too careful. Just text if you need us."
>Fluttershy timidly nodded
>"Alright, let's all meet after school in the band room. See if you guys can find anything and report back."
>After finishing your food, you all silently disband as the lunch bell rings
>Sonata and Anon's sly grins still unwavering, watching you go

>3rd period went through uneventfully. None of the suspicious girls were there to be found, and you don't think Sonata enjoyed history as much as you did.
>After the bell brought Sonata out of her second aneurism of the day, you make your way to your final class
>Good old Choir
>This will be fun
>As in fun, you mean, you're glad you packed your earplugs
>Unless...
>You feel the newly bought ring in your pocket
>The other pendant you bought was just an uncut, very minerally looking rock
>This was a pure gem-quality piece
>You wondered if it would work better this time...
>But would you want to just watch $100 go to waste?
>You nearly tear yourself inside over it until you made it to the door leading into the large choir room
>"Here, put this on."
>You shove the ring onto one of her fingers
>Sonata gasps in surprise
"But, Anon! What about-"
>"Shush. It shouldn't happen this time, and I need you to sing to get past this teacher..."
>Sonata gulped, but nodded
>"Just, don't belt it."
"Anon? Who is this."
>Yep, whole class watching, don't mess it up now.
>"Oh, hey Mr. Cleff. New student, her records haven't come in yet, might take a few weeks, etc. etc."
"Can she sing."
>"Oh, always so direct with you, of *course* she can sing!"
"Prove it. You know that there are prerequisites to this class, and I won't allow you to bring your 'girlfriend' along, no matter how much you might like each other."
>You give an innocent smile and push Sonata forward
>The teacher stood over her like a mountain
>Sonata shuddered and blushed, but after glancing back at you, and your gesturing to continue, she seemed to gain a bit of confidence
>Opening her mouth softly, and hiding her ringed hand behind her back, she took a breath

"I'm sorry Mr. Cleff! I got caught up in something!"
>The tambourine player came barging in, loose notation papers falling out of her arms
>The teacher turned his attention to the panting girl
"Miss Fluttershy, this is the second tardy this week. If you care about your... animals that much I advise you tofind a different elective class."
>Fluttershy let out a soft squeak
"Okay."
>As she headed to her seat, the teacher turned
"As for you..."
>He turned to Sonata
"On this instance I shall let you stay, but you shall show me proof that you've passed the proper classes next time, or I will go to Principal Celestia about this."
>That was way too close
>Sonata wiped the sweat off her brow before sitting down alongside you
>Luckily no performances were on the horizon, so you were only doing paperwork and more learning about concepts of singing
>Sonata didn't take the ring off though.
>She sat admiring it for most of the class
>After the final bell rung, Fluttershy, who had been paying very little attention to you made her way out in front of everyone
>You lean in to Sonata
>"Hurry, let's follow her"
>She gained a mischievous smile as she pulled up her hood and quickened her pace
>Keeping low you were able to track the rather fast speed-walker to one of the spare band rooms
>You kept back enough so she couldn't see you among the mass of students as she entered along with the rest of them that were waiting outside
>You get close to the door, but the thing was soundproofed for band purposes. No way you could eavesdrop a conversation here...
>Peering through the door window, you could see all of them in heavy discussion,
>Oooh, the window to the outside was open
>You make your way swiftly out the doors to the outside with Sonata and perch yourself on the other side of the room, the Rainboom's discussion quite audible

>Fluttershy was the last to arrive at the band room
>You made sure that everyone waited outside the door before entering, ensuring that you could lock the door afterwards
>Once securely inside, everyone turned to Fluttershy, who seemed to be very troubled
>"Hey Fluttershy, you alright? What happened over there?"
>She rubbed her arm "Oh, I... well, I dropped my music books, and, um, I made it late to class... the teacher was angry at me"
>"I'm... sorry to hear that. I know Mr. Cleff is a stickler and all, but did you notice anything peculiar?"
"Well... um..."
>Fluttershy went quiet for a very unbearable period
>Rainbow was almost tipping over leaning forwards, Pinkie... tipped over entirely.
"Sonata was singing to the teacher when I came in."
>Mixed chatter spread through the group
>Rarity stepped forward
"Did you actually hear her sing?"
"Well, no... I sort of interrupted her."
>"How do you know she was singing?"
"The teacher said she could stay in the class, and you know Mr. Cleff..."
>Rainbow Dash finally pounded her fist into her palm, her face of solid realization
"Then that confirms it! She does have her powers back!"
>"But how?" You ask, scratching your head, "She doesn't have her gem back, does she?"
>Fluttershy shook her head
>Then she looked like she was considering something, before speaking even softly
"She was wearing a... a ring of some sort. It had a blue gem on it."
>Rarity raised an eyebrow
"A *blue* gem? Why didn't you say this before?!"
>Fluttershy cringed under the interrogation and you stood between them
>"Give her a break, I'm sure she didn't think much of it at the time... But what it does look like is that Sonata has another power source, and can sing."
>You raise a finger
>"But this question still remains unanswered: Where are the other two sirens?"

"Did you actually hear her sing?"
>A very eloquent voice came over the heated debating\
>A soft voice, almost quiet enough to miss answered
"Well, no... I sort of interrupted her."
>Another voice, level and concerned, but gentle
>"How do you know she was singing?"
"The teacher said she could stay in the class, and you know Mr. Cleff..."
>You follow along with the discussion until they start talking about the gem
>So it seems that they think Sonata is back to her full strength, it complicates things a bit
>But it seemed like you had a good candidate for your interrogation strategy
>Rainbow and Rarity seemed to be the least likely to listen to you outright, they'll need others to vouch to convince them otherwise
>Applejack and Fluttershy seemed a bit more neutral in all this, but again, both seemed to be very avoidant of becoming involved. 
And Flutters didn't look confident enough to approach without her going into a massive breakdown either...
>Pinkie... we'll she's friendly but you didn't want to risk it
>Sunset seemed to be the more level-headed and inquisitive of all of them as she spoke, you noted. She'd probably be the one you'd need to single out and convince first.
>So in review of your plan to those keeping score: Step one, convince Rainbooms we're friendly, gaining any info they might not want to let us hear in their conversations while we're at it
>Step Two: See if they had any answers as to why Sonata can't sing, and why they don't WANT her to sing., and maybe if you're lucky, how to get her to sing again
>Step Three: Use the Rainbooms help to get Sonata a way back to pretty-pony land where she belongs 
>You're a genius Anon
"But this question still remains:"
>You resume your eavesdropping as you hear Sunset's voice rise up, silencing the rest
"Where are the other two Sirens?"
>Good question Sunset, where are th-
"What are you doing here, Sonata?!"

>You turn about to see two girls standing above you
>You recognized those hoodies
>One of them, the orange one with the almost disproportional amount of hair, pointed an accusing finger towards your companion
>Ugh, you could smell their unwashed clothing from here
"I thought we made it clear that you were not to follow us here"
>Sonata stuttered, glancing at me and to the ground
"I-I wasn't f-following you, I swear!"
>The purple one with the pig tails raised an eyebrow 
"Don't lie to us, we both know you couldn't have just ran into each other by accident."
>She glanced at you, and gave a slight grin that sort of sickened you
"And who's your friend? He's kinda cute."
>you stand up to their level, not caring about revealing yourself to the now silent group inside, jamming a thumb into your chest for emphasis
>"I brought her here. And so far I've been taking care of her when you two had to go and dump her out in public like that. Really, she's a good girl, why do you have to be so heartless?"
>The orange one walked up to you, her motions were disgustingly smooth and emphasizing. 
>No, you're not going to let them be all seductive with you.
"Is that really what you believe?"
>She lifted up your chin with a finger to see you eye to eye
>Her irises were the same color as Sonatas
"You probably don't even know what she is."
>You swipe away her hand
"Yes, actually I do. And I'm helping her get her power to sing back, because she's not going to use it to hurt anyone else, unlike you two."
>The Siren paused, her face changing to genuine interest
>Sonata stood up behind you, hands clasped over her chest
"Adagio, please. Anon's saying the truth. I... I just want to go home."
>Adagio turned her attention to Sonata, pacing around her along with the other Siren
"Oh is that right? And what would you do, once in Equestria, hm? Expect to live amongst the ponies as one of them?"
>Sonata put her hands over her ears, eyes tightly shut
"No! S-shut up!"

"And what about when you sing? Watch on as the ponies begin to fight for your adoration?"
>Sonata fell to her knees, tears beginning to show
"No... Please..."
>You were going to unleash hell on these girls and you were going to enjoy it
>You step forwards but the purple one, who you assumed was Aria from the note, stepped in front of you
>You shove her to the side, and her sly face widens to a terrific grin
>She steps forwards and swiftly lands a surprisingly hard sucker punch
>You could feel something in your nose pop
>As you land to the ground, blood starting to flow down your face you saw Sonata crying
"Just realize it, Sonata, you don't belong there, as much as you don't belong here."
>Adagio glanced towards you,
"Finish him off, Aria."
>You move to get up, but a purple boot shoved your face into the grass
>These girls fight rough, you'll give them that
>Too bad you won most of your picked fights all through Jr. High!
>Rolling to the side you were able to get Aria's weight off of you
>You rolled to your feet, and immediately threw a punch
>She caught it with incredible speed and returned the favor by pulling you into a headbutt
>Your vision flashed as you reeled back
>You felt something hit you hard in the gut, sending you lurching forwards
>You saw a fist heading for an uppercut, 
>but you wouldn't let her win just yet
>You rolled to the side, causing Aria to miss her mark
>You spun your leg around, sweeping her feet from beneath her
>With a yelp she fell down to the ground as you resumed a fighting stance
>An irritated glare from Aria elicited a smirk from you
"Oh, and what's this?"
>You turn to see Adagio inspect Sonata's ring
>Bad move Anon
>Aria took your distraction for a chance to get a good groin-kick in
>You felt the kick move through your body, bounce off the inside of your head and down to your feet
>You were on the ground for good now
>Darn it Anon, first fight in years and with purpose and you lost to a girl in the cheapest way possible

>Through your tears you could see Adagio standing over a sobbing Sonata
>No, you won't let them get to her like this
>Again you tasted grass as the boot slammed down on your head
>Yeah, your nose was broke now
>Through what you could hear, you heard Sonata's sobbing stop
"Anon!"
>You tried to tell her to leave, but you were too muffled by the dirt to get anything out more than a "Mmmffff!"
>You could hear other people approaching, but you couldn't see anything while Sonata seemed to be trying to get to you
"Leave him alone!"
>You heard Aria chuckle as she fended off a distraught Aria
>Sonata sniffed, but her voice was far more determined
"I said... Leave him ALONE!"
>Out of the corner of your eye, there was a flash of blue light...
"AAAAaaaaaAAAAAHHHHhhh~"
>Sonata let out a powerful wail that sounded beautiful but pierced your ear drums at the same time
>You felt Aria reel back off of your head, granting you the ability to see
>Sonata was... floating, the ring on her finger shining white-hot
>Oh and look, the Rainbooms were here too
>Adagio shielded an arm over her face, her face was of disbelief
"Impossible! You shouldn't have any magic!"
>Sonata paused in her singing, glancing in your direction before curling up
>The magic flared, her eyes began to glow a solid white, and then
"aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
>A wave of blue energy tossed both Adagio and Aria several feet away
>But it bypassed you and the others without any effect
>Sonata stopped glowing and collapsed to the ground in front of you, raising a hand to her head
>The other Sirens got quickly to their feet and ran off the campus before anyone could do anything about them
>A pregnant pause before Pinkie spoke up, bouncing on her feet
"That was AWESOME!"

"What are you doing here, Sonata?!"
>You and all the girls turn about to see two of the Sirens standing outside the band room window
>All of you rush over to the window to see Sonata and Anon crouched beneath the windowsill
>Were they spying on you?
"I thought we made it clear that you were not to follow us here."
>Something was obviously wrong here
>Why were the Sirens attacking Sonata and Anon?
>Anon got up and pointed at himself when Sonata seemed to be failing
"I brought her here. And so far I've been taking care of her when you two had to go and dump her out in public like that. Really, she's a good girl, why do you have to be so heartless?"
>Everyone else in the room was silent in anticipation as Adagio approached
>Her snake-like movements always creeped you out
"Is that really what you believe? You probably don't even know what she is."
"Yes, actually I do. And I'm helping her get her power to sing back, because she's not going to use it to hurt anyone else, unlike you two."
>Everyone exchanged glances
>Now you were really confused, Rarity scratched her head
"Why is Anon helping her if he knows who she is?"
>Applejack piped up as well
"Why does he think that she's good now? Don't they only feed off fightin'?"
>You shrug
>"I'm not sure either. Why would the other Sirens try and get rid of Sonata?"

>Looking back you see Anon and Aria getting into a fist-fight while Adagio resigned to verbally bring Sonata down even more
>Pinkie started cheering Anon on, punching the air
"Give her a left! NO LEFT! Ooooh, Headbutt! That's gotta hurt!"
>Anon was putting up a valiant effort but soon ended up on the ground with a below the belt kick, Aria immediately digging his face into the ground with her boot
>You look over to see Sonata in tears
>You felt torn, but you couldn't just stand to watch
>"C'mon girls, let's go help!"
>They all nodded and followed your lead out the room and out the outside doors
>You heard Sonata cry out in anger
"I said... Leave him ALONE!"
>You cringe in preparation as Sonata opened her mouth and started singing a powerful siren call
>Except this time you weren't at the receiving end of it like in the Battle of the Bands
>Sonata's eyes glowed white, her face opened in a terrific scream
>A ring on Sonata's hand glowed with just as much intensity
>Adagio could be heard over the commotion, using an arm as a shield
"Impossible! You shouldn't have any magic!"
>Sonata curled up and extended out in answer, her wail reaching a painful volume as a wave of blue energy blasted out
>Sending the Sirens flying away past you, the wave not even touching you, the girls, or Anon
>As Sonata collapsed after the spell, the Sirens made a dash to leave, the distance the spell gave them provided a fair head start
>You didn't think that you could catch them
>You felt like they'd definitely be back for revenge, though
>Pinkie jumped up, her face not having lost any of her eager smile the entire time
"That. Was. AWESOME!"
>You couldn't help but roll your eyes

>It took a moment but you shakily got to your feet
>Your entire face throbbed from the beating, not discounting the aches radiating from your gut
>Probably with a nice coating of blood and dirt all over yourself
>Pro Tip: Don't get in fights with inter-dimensional horse girls, even if they're in the shape of a human
>Your eyes felt swollen and blurry, but you could see that Sonata wasn't faring any better either
>You try to move towards her, but you felt your legs begin to fail
>Someone's arms reached under yours to keep you up
>Whoever she was, she was pretty strong to support your weight so easily
"Whoa there partner!"
>You could see Rarity and Fluttershy helping Sonata to her own two feet
>You saw Sunset step between you two, pausing her set gaze on your destroyed face
"You alright, Anon? You don't..."
>"Look too good?" You spit out a glob of blood, "Eh, I've had worse."
>By her expression you probably didn't look as good as you sounded.
"Regardless, I think we should get you and Sonata somewhere safe... Something tells me those Sirens will be back soon."
>You grimace, but glancing over at Sonata, her scared expression was enough to get you to agree
>Fluttershy let Rarity have sole support of Sonata and started walking
"We'll go to my house. I live close and I should have some first aid for Anon's... nose."
>It was really that bad wasn't it?
>You're going to kill Aria for ruining your face
>You let Applejack support you and you both hobbled down to an adjacent neighborhood to the school
>You didn't have to guess which one was Fluttershy's; plaster and wood, with greenery covering every inch of the property along with several bird houses
>Apart from the animal smell it looked decent

>You entered the small rustic cottage and let Applejack drop you on the couch
>She was way too strong for a girl her size
>At least you didn't have to rough it out with her, or more than your nose would be on the line
>Fluttershy quickly ran into the adjacent bathroom, and came out a minute after, arms full of various medical supplies
>After placing them next to you, she put on gloves and began to inspect your face, turning your head side to side
"Don't worry, I've seen my parents do this enough to know how to fix this sort of thing... My parents are doctors... But, um, this might sting a bit."
>Some of the girls watched on in interest as Fluttershy began to clean off your face with a cloth, while the others were looking at Sunset
>Sonata was seated on an armchair nearby, looking a bit dazed and confused
"Now, can one of explain to me what happened back there?"
>You wince as Fluttershy runs a gloved hand along your nose
>"Well if you weren't listening, what we said to those two back there was the truth... They dumped Sonata in front of me, I felt like I should help, I learned who she was, found out she's good now, and now here I am trying to hel-"
*CRACK*
>You holler as pain shot out of your face from Fluttershy twisting your nose hard
>The impromptu, inexperienced nurse winced at your glare
"Oh, sorrysorrysorry! I didn't think you weren't ready yet..."
>"A LITTLE WARNING WOULD BE APPRECIATED, THANK YOU!"
>She inspected you a bit, tilting her head
"...It's still a little crooked, I'll need to twist it again. This time I'll be sure to tell you."
>You give a deep scowl towards her but don't protest, this was your good looks on the line here
>"As I was saying... I'm trying to help her find a way to get her to sing again, and help her get back home to your pretty pony land."
>Sunset jerked her head towards you in surprise
"What do you know about Equestria?!"

>The girls all stirred to the point even Fluttershy moved slightly as she reeled back, jiggling that stick she just put up your nostril and making you grimace in pain
>"Rrgh... Enough to know that it's inhabited by some sort of magic horse race... that you girls and Sonata are from there, and that there might be a portal of some kind between here and there."
>Pinkie somehow got her face between you and Fluttershy, making you jerk your head back
>Again with that nose stick! Please hurry up with the treatment please you useless Tamborine player!
"Oh, no, we're not from Equestria! Sunset Shimmer is! And Twilight!"
>After Pinkie departed your personal bubble, you scratch your head
>"And who's Twilight?"
>Were they talking about the lavender girl from the picture?
>Rarity scratched her chin
"Oh, well, she's in Equestria right now, and she won't arrive until tomorrow..."
>Sunset got between you and Rarity, looking visibly concerned
>"So there IS a portal?"
>You smirk as Sonata raised her eyebrows in interest, Rainbow giving you and her a suspicious look in response
"Anon,"
>Sunset sighed,
"You... really don't understand the weight of the information you have. Sonata just can't live in Equestria. She wouldn't belong."
>You opened your mouth to protest but another voice beat you to the punch
"Now wait a moment,"
>Applejack protested, raising her hat
"But what about what happened back at the school? Aren't Siren's supposed ta just feed off of people fightin'? What Ah saw back there didn't look like what I saw back at the Battle."
"I have to agree..."
>Fluttershy also pitched in
"It felt different. Almost familiar... Alright, Anon, one... two... THREE!"
*CRACK*

>Your screaming and cursing ignored, the girls continued their conversation
>Rarity also was giving a questioning expression
"Along with that rather marvelous stone Sonata is wearing..."
>Sonata retracted her ringed hand from view, you couldn't see well enough through your tears to see if it was damaged or not
"It didn't feel quite as... offensive as before. Could Sirens be able to use another kind of magic entirely?"
>Rainbow finally stepped in, not breaking her suspecting stare
"I'm gonna have to agree with Sunset on this one. Anon knows too much, and Sonata is too dangerous as it is."
>Pinkie interjected
"But girls! The magic was BLUE!"
>They continued to argue one by one in increasing intensity, Sonata cowering under them
"GIRLS!"
>Fluttershy finally got up from holding your head to face the crowd
"Aren't we forgetting that the girl we're arguing about is right here?
>The girls all looked down at the ground in disappointment, especially Sunset, who suddenly seemed as shaken as Sonata was
>Applejack added on with a gentle tone when she noticed Shimmer
"And don't forget, another one of us was in that same exact spot once upon a time..."
>All the girls turned to look at Sunset, who suddenly looked so shy and weak, a side of her you don't remember seeing before
>Sunset glanced between you and Sonata, and after a long moment, knelt down next to the silent siren
"I'm... so sorry, Sonata. We shouldn't have judged you, or Anon, so harshly."
>Sonata finally spoke for the first time since the attack
"It's... alright Sunset. I understand why you don't want me to go to Equestria and all... I'd..."
>She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked down
"I'd probably not fit in, anyways."

>You felt heartbroken seeing Sonata deflate
>You hated Adagio for it but she told the truth
>Realizing how serious Sonata's situation was
>Trapped in two worlds unwanted
>If you were in the same place you'd probably want to just die to appease both
>And you could probably guess the rest were thinking it as well, by how shockingly quiet everyone became
>Sunset's expression drooped for a moment,
"To be honest, I kind of felt the same way. I'm sure you already know about what I did to the school, to the students, and what I tried to do to Twilight and the girls here... 
>Sunset shook her head,
"The Fall Formal isn't something that I like to remember, but everywhere I go, I'm reminded again and again, and people hate me for it."
>Sunset reached forwards and lifted up Sonata's face to meet hers
"But at least after everything, I still have my friends here who keep me from being alone. They decided to take me in, regardless of who I was, and I'm sure that there are others that will do the same."
>She gestured towards you
>you tried to smile, but your nose was so swollen it hurt like crazy and made you look more like you were snarling
>Sonata let out a small, timid smile
"Do you really think so?"
>Sunset gave a soft chuckle
"Well, let's just say that if I didn't I'd probably be in a dungeon under Canterlot."
>Sonata suddenly leaned forward and reached around Sunset in a big hug
>Shimmer was stunned for a moment but then returned it
>After a while of luvy duvy mush, you decide to continue on
>"So what do we do now? Just send her through the portal?"
>Sunset shook her head
"No, the portal can only be opened from Equestria now Twilight found out how to open it at will." 
>"And you said that she's coming tomorrow?"
"At noon, yes, but, I'm not sure if she'll be so willing to let Sonata go with her unless she can prove that she's not going to be a problem..."
>You exchange glances with Sonata, then towards the ring
>"I guess then we're going to have to prove it."

>You look in the mirror Fluttershy presented to you
>Your face was heavily bandaged up, but overall it at least didn't feel as bad as it used to, and your nose wasn't crooked beyond recognition
>Overall, you were thankful that Fluttershy at least knew what she was doing
>Sonata was now sitting at your side, and both of you looked far more relieved now that the Rainbooms were looking like they were going to help
>Sunset crossed her arms, continuing her questioning
"So you actually don't know the extent of what this gem does?"
>"No," You reply back, "At the school was the first time Sonata tried to sing with the gem, and really I'm surprised that the ring was intact. Let's say the first time we tried this out, it had more violent results."
>Sunset folded her arms and raised an eyebrow
"So you've tried other gemstones?"
>"Only one, and it was a more rough, natural version of whatever it is. All I remember from the person that sold it to me was that it rhymed with 'bright.'"
>You rubbed your forehead, scratching at some of the bandages
>"Even trying to remember her rhyming gives me a headache
>Sunset looked towards Rarity, which telling by the three gemstones decorating her skirt, knew a thing or two about the shiny rocks.
>Rarity only shrugged
"It could be anything, darling. Only counting minerals that can get that lovely shade of blue that also end with '-ite' narrows it down, but it's still far too many to be accurate and I don't know enough to really tell them apart."
>Fluttershy raised her head up after disposing of her gloves
"Do you think that Sonata could try singing for us to see how the ring works?"
>You and Sonata look at each other worryingly, you could tell she was uncertain herself as to what she could really do
>"I don't think we'd want to risk it. I mean, the last pendant we used exploded when she just tried singing by herself. Obviously the purity of the ring allowed her to do more, but we don't know how much more could it take."

>The girls exchanged strange glances, and Sunset looked disappointed
"This is something more along Twilight's expertise. I'd write to her, but I don't have the book with me."
>You remembered the strange book from that meeting you eavesdropped in, you guessed it had some way to communicate between here and someone in that other world
>Pinkie butted in again, this time she actually looked like she was thinking about something seriously
"Hmmm, my sister Maud might know something about it! She loooooves rocks you know! Knows everything there is to know about them!"
>She bounced to Sonata and extended her hand expectantly
>Sonata hesitated, but timidly revealed her ring-hand
>The gemstone encased in the silver still shone brilliantly, but seemed a bit cloudier than you remember
>Pinkie brought out her phone and within seconds, took a few up-close pics of the jewelry
>She spent a couple more seconds texting happily before dramatically hitting the send button
"There, she'll be able to figure out what it is!"
>Sunset nodded,
"Good, maybe we should then have some idea about what we're dealing with. In the meantime, Anon, Sonata, again I have to say sorry for bothering you. I... hope you didn't have any plans for the rest of tonight, cause for the sake of it, I guess us girls are going to have another slumber party, and you're invited."
>You wave her off while some of the girls gain giddy expressions
>"Nah. If anything we'd probably be interrogating you guys one by one for the rest of the day trying to get answers if you didn't come to us first."
>She gave you a suspicious look, but lost it almost immediately in the commotion
>Sonata gave an innocent chuckle
"I'd actually like that."
>Applejack piped up
"How about this time y'all can sleep over at my place? Lots of room, even for Anon and Sonata!"

>After making a few more arrangements (you didn't think you could stand cooking another taco for a while) you and the girls headed back to the school
>The ones that could drive, along with yourself, piled into their respective cars and after grabbing a few supplies, were all led out to the city limits
>You all stopped at a large country home, a barn and granary standing off to the side of the property which hid a large orchard
>Only now did you actually realize something
>You were going to a girls slumber party with no intention of crashing it!
>Outnumbered 7 to 1, and in pajamas to boot!
>If your little Anon wasn't so damaged, you would have feared keeping him down this time
>It felt wrong to actually be thankful to Aria for that
>Maybe you won't beat her up too harshly next time you meet
>The air was fragrant with apples upon entering, Applejack announcing her and everyone's presence
"Granny Smith! Big Macintosh! Applebloom! We got company!"
>An elderly voice called back in answer
"Aaalrighty! Good thing I made extra!"
>At the same time, you spotted a rather tall man come from another hallway, red haired, and looked solidly built
>It kind of relieved you to know that there was another guy here
>He didn't seem to react much to everyone and headed into the kitchen probably to help
>Applejack waved over everyone, mostly towards you and Sonata
"Lets put your bags down over here for the night, and then lets eat! Ah'm starvin!

>It was late at night, you and the girls were hanging out, all stuffed with various apple products, when Pinkie's phone let out a chime
>She paused her game with Dash to read it
"Girls! Girls Maud texted back!"
>Everyone stopped what they were doing and huddled around Pinkie
>Pinkie's face slowly changed from a grin, to a blank face, to a disappointed scowl
>"What's wrong, Pinkie?"
>Pinkie shook her head
"Oh, Maud said that she can't tell what it is exactly by the pictures I sent. She needs to see it in person and she's out of town right now."
>Everyone let out a frustrated sigh, but Pinkie continued,
"She does say though that she could narrow it down if you remember what the crystal's powers and mystical qualities are."
>"...Huh?"
>The girls mimicked your question, and Pinkie flipped her phone around like she was expecting something else to pop up
"She doesn't say anything more than that..."
>Rarity gave Sonata a weirded out look,
"But, gemstones don't have any 'mystical' properties, do they?"
>Sunset scratched her chin again,
"In Equestria some gemstones actually do have some powers, the gem on top of Twilight's Element crown, for example, but in this world, I'm not so certain."
>All the girls turn to you
"Do you remember what the person that sold you this gem say it could do?"
>You searched your mind, but you couldn't remember half of what the witch doctor said
>"All I remember was that some people think that it helps them sing. I didn't think much about it until Sonata actually used it."
>Sunset gave a quizzical look
"It might not be specific, but try it out Pinkie, and see what she comes up with."
>A few texts back and forth later, Pinkie announced worryingly
"She says she'll research a bit on it. But it might take her a while. She is busy with college and all..."
>Everyone seemed a bit downtrodden with the news, but Pinkie seemed to have faith in her sister
>With nothing much more to be said, you all bed down for the night...

>She was walking out of the mist towards you, her arm outstretched
"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh~~ Ah-Ahhh-Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh~"
>The mist around you throbbed with the beat of the drums and base around you
"Aaaaah aaah ahhh ah aah aahh~ ahh ahh aahhhh~"
>The chanting song repeated, feeling yourself lost to the fluctuating rhythm
"Feel the wave of sound!"
>she lowered her arm, sending a crashing wave of energy around you
"As it crashes down!"
>You try to run away from the tsunami of light
"You can't turn away!"
>You feel the light surround you, the air beginning to shimmer
"I'll make you want to stay~"
>You felt yourself being lifted up into the air by the blue light
>Forcing you to face the figure floating at the same level
"I WILL BE ADORED!"
>A swirl of energy surrounded the figure
"Tell me that you want me~ I WON'T BE IGNORED!"
>Wings sprouted and her hair lengthened, her eyes glowing a vicious azure light
"It's time for my reward!"
>No...
"Now you need me!"
>It couldn't be...
"Come and heed me!"
>She had one of the widest, evilest grins you ever saw on her
>She reached forwards towards you
>The blue gem on her finger...
>Irridecent and mystical
>Drawing your eye in... The most beautiful thing
>Just like last time
"Nothing can stop me now!~"

>You woke up with a gasp in the middle of the night, again
>You felt worse than ever, even more than the last horrible dream
>Your adrenaline-racked body immediately picked up the gentle snoring of the girls that lay asleep around you
>The most recognizable coming from right next to you...
>Looking over, Sonata rested in her little sleeping bag peacefully
>The ringed finger catching the same glimmer of moonlight from the window
>Just like the shard from before...

>You tip-toed over the sleeping girls that littered the room
>How they could sleep in those sorts of positions you'd never know
>You made your way rather silently through the house to the kitchen
>The place was old, and creaked like crazy, giving you the creeps
>Grabbing a glass and a drink from the faucet, you try to soothe your dry throat
>Turning around, you nearly scream in fright when you spotted someone behind you
>A slight adjustment in the low light helped you see the locks of rainbow colored hair
>Rainbow Dash was leaning against a wall, her face dark
>"Oh, Rainbow... I didn't notice you were awake."
>She was silent for a long while, just staring at you, like she was searching for something
>"Um... alright, I guess I'll just go... to bed?"
"What do you take me for? An idiot?"
>Her sudden outlash stopped you
>"Excuse me?"
"I know you're up to something. First that whole deal with the Sirens right outside where we were talking about you, your sneaking and spying, that gem and now Sonata's singing? Don't think I'm stupid enough to not see that something's not right."
>You shrug,
>"Well, it's not the best of coincidences I agree, but I'm on your side, I swear. Sonata's better than you think she is."
"Oh really?"
>Dash tossed her head to flip her hair off her face
"What makes me think that she isn't hypnotizing you and all."
>"What makes you think-"
"You were talking in your sleep, Anon. Calling out 'Sonata... Sonata...'"
>She rolled her eyes in a mocking fashion with her deep-voiced imitation
"I don't know what's going on between you two, but she isn't the nice girl you thought she is."

>You didn't want to deal with this right now, not even think about it
>It only made you angry
>"Well unless you can prove it, we're taking it to Twilight. You want to see judgment? Then she'll have to be the one to dish it, because all I see is a lonely girl that just wants to go home at this point."
>It was hard to keep your voice down from the rising emotions, as you poked Dash's chest, 
>"and if even the pretty-pony-people want to throw her out just as much as her own kind, then count me as losing faith in two worlds!"
>Dash kept her arms folded, eyebrow raised
"And what then, Anon? What will you do if Twilight decides to keep her from ever going to Equestria?"
>"Then count me as her adoptive father, or brother, or whatever you'd call me! Because she's too precious to throw away. She might not be a human, or a pony, but she's a person... And not just that I... I..."
>Rainbow Dash leaned forwards smugly, looking off to your side for a second
"You what, Anon?"
>"I..."
>Darn it Anon, don't cry now
>Please, don't look like such a wuss
>"I love her, okay?"
>Why is Rainbow Dash smiling?
>Why is she looking behind you?
>You turn about
>You see those two violet eyes peering around that corner
>the expression they gave...
>Your heart stopped

"A-Anon?"
>Sonata came around the corner
>You swear that confused, almost scared expression set your veins ice cold
>Oh Rainbow, if we were alone you would so be missing teeth by now
>"Sontata, I..."
>She took as step back as you took a step forward
"It... it can't be."
>"No, Sonata,"
"This shouldn't be happening..."
>"Sonata, please, don't listen..."
"She's right."
>She reached for her ring
>"No!"
>She took it off and threw the jewelry onto the ground, bouncing off the tile with a light 'ping'
>Tears streaming down, she turned around and bolted for the front door
>"Sonata! No!"
>She was already outside and heading down the street when you reached the entryway
>You could only stand there... and watch
>You felt... so defeated...
>So... empty
>You fell to your knees, watching one of the few things with any meaning to your life just run away from you
>"...I just wanted to see you happy."
>Tears of your own decided to join the trail of droplets leading out
>You were so close... And now... what will you do?
>You hear shuffling coming from the girls' room
"Anon? Rainbow Dash? Why in tarnation are you making all this racket?!"
>Fluttershy added after a pause
"...Where's Sonata."
>Rainbow huffed, you could hear her walking away
"Ask Anon. He knows more than me."
>You turn to see Sunset walking up to you
>She became shocked when she saw your tears
"What happened?"
>So many mixed feelings spun about in a turbulent storm
>You wanted to blame so many people... Rainbow Dash, the Dazzlings, Sunset, everyone...
>But you were just mad at yourself
>For making a stupid proclamation, and letting Rainbow get what she wanted
>"She's... gone. Sonata left... I don't know what's going to happen to her."
>Applejack placed a firm hand on your shoulder
"Now, now, it'll be alright. Just take a breath and tell us what happened. Slowly."
>She rose up, along with her voice
"And Rainbow Dash! Git yer sorry butt back in here before Ah have to drag you out myself!"

>Sunset's legendary rage was set off in front of you as she towered over Rainbow Dash
"Rainbow Dash!? What in all seven circles of Tartarus are you thinking?!"
>Applejack and Rarity weren't at all pleased either
"What she said. Seriously Rainbow, what's got your knickers in a twist?"
>Rainbow Dash blew some bangs out her face
"I already told you. I suspected Sonata was up to something from the start but NONE of you were listening to me."
>She pointed a finger through them towards you
"He's being hypnotized by Sonata! She said so right after she heard Anon say he loved her!"
>The girls whispered amongst each other but you wouldn't stand to be insulted so easily
>"No she didn't! You made her think she was! And that's what got her to leave"
"I never asked for us to take her in, much less have her sleep over!"
>Sonata stepped back between you two
"Enough! It was still uncalled for to accuse her of something she might be unaware of doing."
>Pinkie jumped next to you, swirling her eyes
"Yeah! And you don't see Anon walking around like some sort of zombie slave do you?"
"I think, um, we might have to go after Sonata... she's probably cold and afraid..."
"You're right Darling. I'll grab my coat and my keys, she couldn't have gone far."
>Sunset nodded,
"Applejack, stay here with Rainbow. Don't let her move an inch until we get back."
"Roger!"
>RD just gave an annoyed glare
>Sunset grabbed her slippers, and paused as she walked past your slumped over form on the sofa
"Anon? C'mon... We know she didn't do anything wrong. And she needs our help..."
>She crouched down to your eye-level
"She needs you."
>Oh that did it
>You let out a sigh and another bitter glance at the Rainbow Maniac (how were these girls friends, again?)
>"Alright. Lets go."

>You rode with Rarity in her small car, driving slowly and looking this way and that for any sign of Sonata
>But for the most part, you were pretty freakin' depressed and mostly leaned on the car door
>Rarity gave a concerned glance
"Anon dear, I know you're upset at Rainbow Dash for getting between you and Sonata, but you'll just have to forgive her for her behavior. She's always been... rather brash."
>You only let a soft grunt in reply
>You really weren't in any forgiving mood
>Rarity paused, her voice careful
"If it is any consolation... I think it was a rather valiant and generous thing to offer to take care of Sonata when she was abandoned, and even more to remain with her once you knew who and what she was."
>She sighed
"I'm not sure whether or not you were truthful, but I think that your compassion and actions are nothing but noble."
>You sigh
>"Thanks and all, Rarity, but really I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm only trying to be considerate here. To openly confess your love and have the girl run away in tears, not because she despises you but because she thinks it would bring you harm! Oh, the dramatics of it bring a tear to my eye!"
>Aint that the truth
>Speaking of dramatics, you saw a small form on the side of the dirt road, hunched over
>You brace yourself for the worst
>"There she is! Pull over!"
>Rarity pulls off to the side a bit past the hunched over figure and you get out of your car
>"Sonata? Sonata is that you?"
"*sniff* G-Go away! Stay away from me! I-I'll only hurt you!"
>You could see the other cars following you pull off to the side, their occupants emptying out onto the dark street
>"Sonata, please... just listen to me."

>You slowly approach the sobbing girl and crouch next to her, lit strongly by the headlights on both sides
>you had an extra blanket in your arms, as the night was chilly
>you offered it to her, which after a quick glance, she took, wrapping it around herself for warmth
>"Sonata... Really, it's okay. All that stuff Rainbow saying was all lies to get you to leave and I got angry..."
>Sonata pulled the blankets around her tightly, refusing to make eye contact
"She doesn't like me. No one really likes me."
>Your heart panged in sorrow at the sharp reply
>"No, Sonata, what I said to Rainbow back there... I really, truly meant it."
"How do you know? How can I know if you're not... not hypnotized like the rest of them... "
>"Because you're a siren?"
>Sonata turned to you, her face scrunched up in anger
"Because I'm a monster! Always have been, always will be!"
>You retreated back an inch, small gasps breaking the girls otherwise total silence
>The tension rose as you wrestled together something to say... the pause between you two almost deafeningly quiet
>But then... finally something
>"Sonata... if you were a monster; If I really was under your spell... Why would I go after you still once you left?"
>She glanced up, fresh tears washing out the old streaks
"Y-you don't mean that. You c- you cant!"
>You reach into your pocket, and pull out the ring
>"Why would... I feel so empty, so hurt, without you there?"
>She was silent in disbelief while you continued
>"I really didn't believe this whole magic deal when I met you... heck, I still don't understand a lot of it. But if your magic back then caused only disharmony and distrust, then what you've given me is something entirely different. A different kind of magic. And now... I can't live without it."
>You slowly open her hand and place the ring gently on her palm
>"Sonata... please, will you come back with me? Will you let me help you get back home?"

SW Posted: ...I'm tearing up so much myself I cant even post correctly.
So yeah, real ending will be tomorrow. Love ya guys.

Paster Note: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH *fangirl scream*

>Apart from the fact Sonata never left your side the entire night, the morning after was absent of any formality
>The true downside of school-night sleep overs
>Everyone was somewhat irritated and fumbled with twenty different things to get ready for the school day
>Rainbow dash a bit more so, the side of her face still a bit flushed from the god-tier slap Applejack landed on her when you got back with Sonata
>Seemed to knock some sense back into the girl at least
>Lightened your own mood tenfold
>In the midst of the chaos you were thankful for your gender, being able to get ready with nothing more than deodorant and a fresh change of clothes
>Spending most of your time encouraging Sonata and helping her get ready, you all pile into your cars when everyone could consider themselves ready enough and headed off
>A few minutes later, the rather large convoy made its way through the school traffic and emptied out
>Sunset let out a sigh
"Alright girls, remember the plan. Anon, meet us at the front statue at noon. If you didn't know by now, that's where the portal is."
>A... statue was the portal
>A statue in front of a high school that have dozens of high school students hanging off of it daily
>Made you wonder how in the world more students don't know about this portal if it's that public
>Besides wasn't it a mirror of some sort?
>Brushing doubts off to the side, you nod in agreement
>If after everything these girls were STILL playing tricks on you, well, you've already got an order of who to beat to a pulp first...
>The girls all left to their separate classes, with Sonata following close by you to wherever you were headed

>Sonata's mood seemed to be timid but happy as you entered and talked your way both into your first class,
>You both really didn't care for what the laid-back English teacher blabbered on about, only faking participation at most
>You could only stare at each other through the whole thing
>So many questions shared just through look
>What was going to happen to her?
>Would Twilight really be accepting of Sonata?
>What was going to happen to her on the other side?
>And that one question that loomed over everything else
>One that you'd have to face in the end despite what happened
>Would you be able to live up to your promise?
>The gemstone gleamed on Sonata's finger, the siren content to gaze into it
>She had hardly spoke a word since last night
>Made you wonder what was going on in her head
>Was she scared?
>Anxious?
>Sad because she might miss you?
>All of the above?
>Darn it Sonata, why doesn't she tell you!
>The bell rung when you were starting to think it never would come
>At least you could relax a bit now
>You only had an hour of Study Hall before the portal opened
>An hour until this all would be decided

>Sitting in a quiet library didn't appeal to you as much, so you took Sonata in a different
>You led Sonata out to the statue, deciding just to wait there for the rest of the girls to show up
>Outside and alone, maybe you could talk to her about what happened last night
>What was plaguing your mind this whole time
>Sonata just stood there, staring at the her reflection in the polished marble
>Huh... so it wasn't the type of mirror you'd thought it was
>Pushing those thoughts aside, you stood next to her, gazing into her reflection as much as she gazed at yours
>"What's on your mind? You can tell me."
>Sonata, hands clasped over chest, looked off away from you, speaking for the first time all day
"Its... it's almost over isn't it? This is where it all ends?"
>You could only answer with confirming silence
"Anon... I know you told me and all, but... did you really mean it when you said you loved me?"
>Now you looked away
>"I don't know why I said a lot of things last night..."
>She seemed slightly shocked, but you continued
>"But I do know what I said there was the most honest statement of my entire life."
>You turn towards the reflection to see her real image, an indecipherable emotion in her eyes
>"I-"
>A chilling laughter cut you short
"Mhmhmhmahahaha... Oh how precious!"
>That voice...
>Your fists clenched immediately, your muscles tensed
>You weren't going to be taken off guard this time
>Adagio, in a different garb from last time held a wicked grin
>Aria, aka future punching bag, stood smugly behind her
"A human admitting his love for a siren, thinking it's genuine? Thinking that he'll stand by her side forever?"
>Your jaw remained clenched, bandaged face in a full scowl
>"What are you doing here?"

>Adagio ran a hand through her wild hair, raising an eyebrow
"The same reason you are here:"
>Her hair moved to reveal...
>Were those gems around their necks?!
>They glimmered brightly in the sun, the design similar to that of Sonata's ring
"The portal to Equestria."
>You step in front of Sonata, stance wide
>"Well too bad! Portal's closed! What makes you think you'll ever go there?"
>The two separate to surround you and Sonata
"Why, she's standing right behind you."
>You turn slowly to see Sonaata looking away ashamed, hand over an arm
>You turn back, your anger only rising even more
>"What does she have to do with this!?"
>The sirens resumed their slick, seductive pacing around you both
>Adagio raised a hand to the necklace
"She led us to a new source of power, which I feel we could utilize to become even greater than we've ever dreamed!"
>She lifted Sonata's chin
>Don't touch her you citrus colored demon!
"And we have your pretty companion to thank."
>Sonata looked horrified from the Dazzling's new jewelry
"How... where did you get..."
>Aria chuckled
"We stole them, obviously."
"And with these gems... Now we aren't limited to just the old discord and distrust that nourished us all these years... Now we can control so much more! We're unstoppable now!"
>You lifted up a sleeve as you wedged yourself between Sonata and Adagio
>"Oh we'll see about that!"
>You reeled back and threw your fist as hard as you could to wipe that grin off her orange face
>"She let out a single, unwavering note
"Aaaaahhhhh~"
>Your hand landed into... something
>You looked forwards, and your hand was in some... translucent aura
>Adagio raised her pitch, and you found yourself flying over Sonata's head into the concrete far off
>Rolling to withstand the throw, you got back up to your feet
>Though now, you were really scared as Aria began to advance towards you, cracking her knuckles in anticipation
"Round Two."

>Not even caring where you'd hit, you try a few swift punches and even some kicks
>Her dark song unbroken, slices of deep violet energy deflected every one
>But she wasn't just content to let you wear yourself out on her, oh no
>She extended her hand, lifting you off the ground again, you let out a yell as you felt electricity flow through your limbs
>Her grin devilish she tossed you to Adagio, who added her song to the mix
>Adagio, who was floating in the air at your level
>You recognized this song...
>No thinking Anon! Struggle for your life!
>No use, limbs not working!
>You felt a ball of energy ram into your chest. Hard.
>You could feel a couple bones break, drawing all the air out of you
>Adagio and Aria's voices combined in unison as they both began to glow with power
"What we have in store!~"
>You were tossed to Aria again, who caressed your face
"All we want and more!~"
>The caress turned to a blast of energy that sent stars flying through your vision, and your body hurdling towards the air.
"We will break on through,"
>Adagio's aura joined with Aria as they charged up their magic
"NOW IT'S TIME TO FINISH YOU!"
>You felt yourself drop extremely quickly
>Right into the ground
>You felt your body give
>Any air left was gone now
>Your senses dulled
>You could barely see
>But you could hear Adagio say something...
"Now, do it Sonata. Finish it."
>You tried your best to look at her
>Sonata... She... betrayed you?
>She stood over you, her face blank
>How could she... Even after all this time
>You heard footsteps
"Anon! We're coming"
>Adagio snarled and her eyes glowed
>A ring of fire surrounded you and the Dazzlings
>Leaving you to their mercy
>Sonata remained solid throughout, her face unchanging
"Anon... I'm sorry."

>You blamed yourself
>You should have seen the signs
>The dreams
>The emotions
>You ignored your own feelings and followed her down the rabbit hole
>Except it was no rabbit
>It was a snake
>And you could only now brace yourself for death
>Maybe the Rainbooms could save the day,
>But not you
>At least you've stopped feeling enough to just take it
>Except why are you still alive
>You've been thinking this long and nothing's been happening...
"Come on! Do it Sonata!"
"Yeah, what are you waiting for! Finish him off, and together, we'll take this portal, and use the magic to become the most beautiful and powerful beings in both of these worlds!"
>You opened your eyes again
>Sonata just stood there
>Staring at you
>Slowly, her song added to the others,
"Aaaaahhh ahhh ahhh, aahhhhh ahhh..."
>the ring on her finger glowed brightly
>that voice
>the one from your dreams
>standing above the rest
>She raised her hand, and all the fire around her swirled up
>and up
>Into a swirling storm that hung ominously over everyone's heads
>She increased in volume
>You tensed as she brought her hand down, bringing a vortex of blue fire careening towards you
>Except... in what you thought were your final moments as you were engulfed
>You heard the melody change

>It was... Different
>Something new
>Something that conflicted with the other Sirens
>Something that carried a whole new energy
>And as the fire impacted... it didn't burn
>You felt a great warmth fill you from within
>Bones snapped back to place, strength filled your limbs
>You gasped and your senses flared as your lungs filled up with air again
>You were surrounded by brilliant flames of blue
>Unlike Adagio's fire, gentle, and warm, without even burning
>You felt yourself being softly lifted to your feet
>You could see Adagio and Aria's faces stricken
>"Sonata?! What are you doing?!"
>Sonata paused in her song, the flames around you ebbing away
"No I won't. Because I love him!"
>Oh please, Sonata, just strike you down then and there to save the trouble
>She raised her new song to a new volume, her magical aura consuming her
>Her hair lengthened
>Gossamer wings sprouted from her back
>And ears came from the top of her head
>And behind her... that creature from your dreams
>Except it wasn't nearly as terrifying as it was majestic, it's scales and fins shining brilliantly
>opening her arms, a brilliant wave of energy came at the Dazzlings
>But they didn't just sit there,
>Their song changed from a soft melody to a scream of pure energy
>Waves of sound collided, crashed, and conflicted
>They seemed to match each other for a moment
>But slowly Sonata's song gained speed
>And the Dazzlings, brought to their knees, finally gained expressions of pure fear
>A brilliant light came from above, descending onto Sonata
>A final note
>And the beam of light crashed into the Dazzlings, then onwards to engulf everything

>You heard something shatter
>And then a body falling to the ground
>The blinding light ebbed slowly
>Revealing the Dazzlings
>All on the ground, appearing to be unconscious
>The gems on their necks, smoking and broken
>And Sonata... 
>No
>You scramble to your feet to reach her limp form laying against the statue base
>You grab her from underneath and lay her on your lap
>The gemstone on her ring turned white, and smoked like the others
>You couldn't feel any sign of life
>She shouldn't be... she couldn't be...
>You hug her close, tears wetting her slightly charred shirt
>You felt the rest of the girls step up to you slowly
>Applejack brought her hat over her chest
>Suddenly, you felt a gasp
"A... Anon?"
>You couldn't hold it back anymore
>Anon you big, soft, crybaby faggot
>You cried into her shoulder,
"Sonata..."
>All the girls cheered, some like Pinkie screaming out her joy while, others like Rarity sat blowing into a hankerchief from emotion
>Sonata reached around you and held you tightly
>You were jarred from your reuinion to hear something strange occurring behind you
>The marble stone behind you gained an even more reflective sheen, then rippled
>Suddenly a scream
"Augh!"
>A purple girl rocketed out of the statue's base and landed roughly beside you.
"Uuugh... Why it always decides to throw me out this way, I'll never know..."
>The girls called out in unison
"TWILIGHT!"
>Twilight only was able to brush herself off before being tackled by several of the Rainbooms
>They laughed and greeted each other for a few seconds, and then Twilight noticed the damage around her, the unconscious Dazzlings, and finally you and Sonata sitting next to her
>Twilight just stared on in confusion
"...What in Equestria happened here?"

>It took several minutes and Sunset's help to explain to Twilight the proceedings of the past few days
>She seemed sort of overwhelmed, and looked at Sonata and the now awake and restrained Dazzlings suspiciously
"This really is something new. Able to use a new type of magic entirely... And gem-based loopholes to boot! We might be on the verge of a whole new area of magic to research!"
>She grinned in excitement and bounced up and down
>She was a lot more nerdy than you expected
>Made sense though, that there'd be magic researchers in a world of magic
>Does that make her a wizard?
>You shake it off as Sonata stepped forwards with you, Sunset speaking for you concerned
"Regardless, we now come to the reason why Anon and Sonata are here."
>Twilight regained a more serious, albeit timid, composure
>If Pinkie was right in blurting out earlier how she was royalty or something over there, she didn't appear to fit the bill
"If it wasn't confirmed then, we know for certain now that she isn't a threat, and we both know she doesn't belong here."
>Sonata spoke up finally
"Please, Princess Twilight, I just want to go home..."
>Twilight looked down awkwardly
"I'm sorry, but ultimately it isn't my call to decide who can come from such a banishment to Equestria... I can bring her through, yeah, but Princess Celestia might not agree as much as me and have her sent back... or worse..."
>How she said the last part did not sound good at all
>"But aren't they all rendered powerless now that their gems, both the old ones and new ones are all destroyed?"
>Twilight scratched her head
"Maybe, but with what you said happened... I'm not certain. Gemstones are a lot more common there than here."
>Everyone sighs in disappointment

>You weren't going to let that keep that down though
>"What about research?"
>This got Twilight's attention,
>"You said you wanted to spend time studying about this magic anomaly? Sonata would be a perfect subject, and maybe through that..."
>The gears grinded in the logical pony-girl's head as she scrunched her face
"...I could probably do that. Celestia probably would want to know more about this anomaly too to prevent possible future disasters. And I could keep her in Equestria under close watch until we know she's not a threat."
>Twilight smiled confidently,
"So I guess yeah, she can come to Equestria!"
>Everyone cheered
>Sonata bounced up and down excitedly before hugging you
"Oh this is so amazing!"
>You could only return it partially before she turned back towards Twilight, eyes glimmering brightly
"Could Anon come too?!"
>The joyous mood ground to a halt
>Applejack stepped in before you could say something
"Now hold yer horses there... heh... Anon, well, uh, he's part of this world more than Twilight or Sonata. Ah don't think that it'd be a great idea to take him with ya."
>Twilight, to Sonata's horror nodded
"I'm not certain it'd be wise either. A lot of things changed as it is just from me and Sunset coming here in the first place... I don't know what consequences bringing Anon over would bring..."
>Sonata turned to you, her expression pleading
"Please... I... I don't want to go alone."
>It hurt you so much to see Sonata...
>Now the roles were reversed, and this time it hurt even more
>"I'm sorry Sonata, but... she's right. I shouldn't go with you."
>You turned away as you saw that betrayed look
>It was too much to bear
"But you promised..."
>"Twilight can bring you back any time you want." You reassured her, brushing away a lock of hair
>"And I'll be right here every time you go through."

She pulled you into a strong, final embrace
>And then pulled back enough to and pressed her lips against yours
>It was quick... but you were feeling it still after she pulled back
>You pulled her back and continued, you weren't going to let that smooch count as a full goodbye
>Some of the girls 'aww'd', Rainbow Dash retched
>Screw you, Rainbow Dash
>Sonata pulled back
>She took a step away
>Pausing on a small hand hold... 
>Then she let go towards the awaiting princess
>Behind her, the bound Dazzlings were kicked unceremoniously through by Applejack into the portal, their faces grimaced with hatred
>Not breaking eye contact, 
>Sonata smiled
>Violet eyes glazed with tears
>She let out a small hum of a final melody
>Soft, but perfect and beautiful, you could feel your heart swell
>She took Twilight's hand, and with a final glance... turned towards the stone
>They stepped through, the final lock of hair disappearing into the rippling stone, her voice fading away to silence
>Goodbye...

>No.
>Not just yet.
>To hell with this world, you weren't going to do anything as significant as this anyways!
>The girls screamed after you as you bolted
>You tensed for a hard surface, but felt instead what was like water that enveloped you
>you felt yourself stretched, pulled, and thrown about in a flashing zone of colors and lights...

>You found yourself on a wooden floor, something whirring behind you
>Your body felt so wrong and different, but you didn't care
>You heard familiar gasps
"Anon?!"
>You stood up shakily on four legs, and gave a smile towards the magnificent creature that towered over you
>Those eyes the same, beautiful, beautiful violet
>"I made a promise, yes... And I intend to keep it."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>The soft grass around you swayed in the warm ocean air
>The sunset still radiating it's comforting light as it set in the horizon behind
>Hooves folded underneath you, you recalled once having fingers and walking on two legs...
>A life, money, technology even.
>And on a promise, you gave that all up
>On a promise, you physically had to fight that purple pony from bucking you back through that mirror
>On a promise, you had to talk your way through a set of very familiar ponies to be allowed to stay in this world
>On a promise, you had to stumble your way up to some horse god and again hurdle through more loops to get her to stay in this colorful world
>You were grateful that she wasn't nearly as tyrannical as Twilight made her out to be
>And here you lay, as a result of that one oath
>A voice, just as warm and precious as the sun's rays
"Anon!"
>The sound of galloping hooves on grass was the only warning of the sudden tackle hug
>You were grateful that Sonata had both an aquatic and pony form, and that today she decided to lay on top of you with something more equivalent in size to yourself
>You share a happy chuckle with each other, 
>then nuzzled together, 
>and then a kiss
>It had been so long since the first...
>So many things had to be sorted, you couldn't even steal one
>But from the flare in the sunlight, and the presence of others behind you two, you knew that was to come to an end
>Finally

>You both climbed off of each other and turned to face the great princess pony of the sun
>The sheer fact she could control the sun's position in the sky, (and boy did you argue for days with Twilight over the specifics of it) made you acknowledge the royal horse with care and a respectful bow
>At her side, another appeared
>Dark in coat, her mane sparkling and mystic like the sky on a moonless night
>Another who you regarded with a bow
>And finally, the Ponyvillian Princess and her entourage of the pony clones of the Rainbooms from the world you came, scratch one Sunset Shimmer.
>Celestia gave a gentle smile at your gestures
"You may know why we are here, Anonymous."
>"Of course, Princess." you reply
>She chuckled lightly, before drifting her studying gaze over to the Siren that stood beside you
"Your companionship and love for each other is strong. Perhaps some took it as wrong or misplaced..."
>She slyly glanced at Twilight who harshly blushed in response
>You had to admit you thought the princess' playfulness despite her power was adorable
"But over time I have seen it grow and flourish, even enough to stretch across worlds, and thrive no matter the location."
>A strange expression marked her face for only but a second, but maintained no sign of it after it left
"And as such, after everything that has transpired, I hereby grant Sonata Dusk the Siren her freedom to roam Equestria, knowing that she and Anon have proven, and may prove again, to be great allies and friends to ponies and humans alike."

>You let out a chuckling sigh of relief as Sonata hugged you tightly, Twilight's companions cheering their support, while the princess shared a satisfied grin
"You hear that Anon?! I can be with you aaaalll day now! Forever and ever!"
>You nuzzle up against her, yes... forever and ever
>Twilight also stepped forwards after she got over her embarrassment
"And, um, well, I apologize again for trying to get you to go back to your world. But really, you only need to talk to me and I can get the portal up and running if you want to visit the other world whenever you want."
>You nod your thanks to the inexperienced princess, and turned back to the highest one as the others turned to leave and chat about other things
>Celestia chuckled again... She knew something you didn't
>She glanced down, deep in remembrance
"Proving once again that magic can exist and shine in even the most unexpected of places. Even I have yet to discover all of its secrets."
>Celestia turned about, her great wings outstretched
"And with that, we bid you a good night. Anonymous, Sonata."
>You bow again, as Sonata this time spoke
"Thank you so much Princess! For everything!"
>The ponies soon left, some lingered longer than others, but eventually just you and Sonata remained
>On a cliff overlooking the ocean
>Sonata cuddled up next to you, her gossamer wings reflecting the last bits of sunlight
>You snuggled up against each, silently enjoying each other's company
>You look up to see that silver ring on Sonata's horn, the gemstone still bleached and cracked
>But shone brightly still
>And as Sonata hummed that lullaby, her magic weaving you two together in mind and heart
>You remembered
>On a promise,
>By my side,
>Forever and Ever
>My Sonata Dusk.