//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Sweet Atonement // by mouch30 //------------------------------// Sunset squeezed Sonata’s hand. “Hey. Hey, look at me. Everything’s going to be fine.” They were sitting on Sunset’s couch. There were mugs of tea on the table in front of them, but neither had felt like drinking. Sonata’s hands shook, and her face was frozen in an expression of fear. There was a loud thump at the door. Sunset leapt up to answer. Adagio pushed her way through and headed straight for Sonata. “Sonata, are you okay? Did she hurt you? What did she say?” she barked, grabbing Sonata by the shoulders and hugging her tightly. A piece of paper fluttered from her hand - the note that Sonata had left for her back in their apartment. “I-I’m fine,” Sonata stammered, gently untangling herself from Adagio’s crushing arms. “Just...a little freaked out.” She gave her sister a smile. “You’re here now. I’m ok.” “So, mind filling us in with the details?” Sunset asked, handing Adagio a fresh mug of tea. She took her place at Sonata’s side. “You just sorta stumbled here and repeated, ‘It spoke, it spoke’.” “Okay,” Sonata murmured, taking a deep breath. “After Sunset left, I heard this weird voice. It sounded so familiar...I didn’t know where it was coming from. Then I looked back, and the book Adagio bought starting moving. Like...rocking back and forth. Then it stopped. Then I ran here.” “What did she say?” Adagio pressed, slamming her empty mug on the table. “She said...uh...my name. And called herself...mommy.” “Wait, she? Who’s she supposed to be?” Sunset asked. “Oh gosh...you don’t mean…” Adagio nodded stiffly. “The Maestro,” she whispered. “She’s in the book.” “Wasn’t she…” Sonata swallowed hard. “Killed?” Snatches of Sunset’s talk at brunch came back to her. “Didn’t the birth of the three sirens kill her?” “That’s what the problem is, Sonata,” Sunset said. “She is supposed to be dead...but clearly, there are still some traces of her in that book. I just can’t think of any ways as to how that might have happened.” “I know someone who might,” Adagio piped through gritted teeth. *** Minutes later, they were at the doorstep of the small shop that Adagio bought the book from. It was dark. Adagio made a fist and pounded at the door. “Hey! Hey, anyone home? Open up!” “Adagio, are you crazy?” Sunset hissed. “It’s like four in the morning!” She was hugging herself as a sharp breeze cut through her thin shirt. Adagio hadn’t let her change into more acceptable clothes, and insisted that they immediately run to the store so they could yell at the old lady. “I don’t care!” She hit the door again. “I will break this door down if I have to!” Suddenly, the door opened, and the old woman appeared, a stern look on her face. “What’s going on?” she snapped. She was in an old dusty pink robe and carried a metal lantern. “Why have you woken me?” “Let us in,” Adagio demanded. “We need to have a little talk.” The old woman scowled, flipped whatever hair she had left on her head and beckoned them in. Sunset gasped, feeling the rush of ancient magic hit her. It was something she hadn’t felt in a long time...as if someone from her past life was standing next to her. “You feel it too,” Sonata whispered, holding onto Sunset’s hand. “There’s magic here!” “Magic?” The old woman smirked. “My, my, it seems that there’s more to you three girls than meets the eye.” “Who are you?” Sunset blurted out. “How do you know about magic?” The elder chuckled. “I could ask you all the same thing. Come. Sit. We seem to have much to talk about.” She led them to the back of the store, and gestured towards the small sofa. “Sit. Tea?” Everyone shook their head. “Very well.” She took a seat. “What would you like to know?” “How did you get this book?” asked Adagio, heaving the book out of her bag. She had brought it with her when she went to Sunset’s. “It was given to me. Next question?” “Wait, wait...don’t give us those stupid one sentence answers, like it’s that simple! Who gave you the book?” Adagio gave the woman a scowl. She settled in her chair, and gave the three girls a gentle smile. “I was born in a poor family. My mother and father tried so hard to provide for their children, but sometimes, washing other people’s clothes and driving them around isn’t enough. My siblings and I, we had a knack for finding things. During those hard times, we found many, many things. Valuable things. Things people would pay a lot of money for.” “So you stole?” Sonata asked, mouth agape. “That’s not very nice.” “If I recall, I only stole possessions, I didn’t actually possess anyone, did I?” The old woman giggled when she saw the sirens’ faces. “Oh yes, word gets around quickly in this part of town. I know you’re sirens. I knew from the very moment you,” She pointed a gnarled finger at Adagio, “came into my store. Now, you can either sit there and judge me or you can sit there and listen to me.” When everyone was silent, she continued. “My siblings and I were never caught. We made enough so that our family could live comfortably from now on. Everyone else was happy with what they accomplished, but I wanted more. It was my special talent. I began to travel, and poke my nose into museums, libraries, palaces...Eventually that bored me as well. That’s when I turned my attention to artifacts. Rare, powerful objects said to contain ancient magic.” She stopped, and closed her eyes. “I can still remember those days. I would dress up in a little black catsuit, complete with tiny ears! Oh, how the boys loved me...girls as well! I was never picky…” “Can you not,” Sunset said. “Please, just get on with the story.” She opened her eyes. “I searched high and low for all sorts of magical artifacts. I had always believed in magic when I was a young girl. Why stop now? So, after a lot of research and...favors...a rumor made its way into my ears - a mirror, they said. What a delight it sounded! A portal to another dimension!” She began to laugh, spittle flying from her mouth. “Did you…” “Oh yes. Of course I went through! I was transported to this beautiful land, so bright and colorful. And the inhabitants! They were just the most adorable things! What did I used to call them? My little…” “Ponies,” Sunset whispered. She took a deep breath. “That portal led you to Equestria, didn’t it?” “How did you know?” “The magic...here...from the book. It’s Archaic Equestrian.” “It can’t be Equestrian magic,” Adagio cut in. “It doesn’t feel like it.” Sunset shook her head, a smile growing on her face. “No, it is! You may be centuries old, but this magic is even older! I remember how it felt because Celestia...showed me...once.” She stopped talking and looked down at her feet. “You’re right,” the woman agreed. “It is Archaic Equestrian. This book,” she titled her chin towards it. “comes from Equestria itself. It’s an old history book written long, long ago. It doesn’t have all the details, though. If I recall, the powerful magic that banished those sirens was the Spectral Alicorn, but that wasn’t mentioned in the book. I only know because I was sweet with one the guards there…” “The Spectral Alicorn? Oh my god, that giant horse that totally blasted us that one time!” Sonata chimed. “That’s, like, the second time it defeated us!” “The Alicorn Sisters didn’t come into power until a couple hundred years after,” the woman said. “They had wanted to write down all the great historical events of the past, but most of the ponies who were there were dead! So, with a little bit of chronological magic, they tapped into the past and wrote down what they could find out. Just so happens they witnessed the death of the Maestro. As they watched, and wrote, well, the ink was still wet. And when she died, it must have been awfully dusty...you know where this is going, don’t you?” The three girls nodded solemnly. “The Maestro’s dust must have travelled through the portal the Sisters were looking through and settled onto the ink,” Sunset explained. “That explains why her spirit lingers in the book!” “And you stole this book because...you wanted to?” Adagio questioned. “You stole a probably priceless and clearly magical, not to mention important part of history because you were bored?” “Yeah.” “Unbelievable,” grumbled Adagio, crossing her arms. “This is all your fault.” “Wait...you stole that book…” Sunset gasped. “Oh. My. Celestia. You’re the Filching Filly?” That brought a hearty laugh out of the old woman. “That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time! You can call me Penny, dear. I’m glad you remember my nickname, though.” “There are books written about you!” Sunset began to get excited. “You were the greatest thief in Equestria at that time! I’ve read all about how you broke into Royal Archives, and when Winter Ward was a guard back then! I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person!” “Calm down, Sunset,” Adagio said, placing a hand on the amber girl’s shoulder. “Sorry...you’re just so cool!” Penny winked at Sunset. “I’m flattered you think so, honey.” “But...there’s something I don’t understand,” Sunset interjected. “Proper time travel wasn’t safely conducted until Star Swirl became the Royal Wizard. How did the Sisters do that?” Penny pondered, humming loudly. “Beats me,” she shrugged. “I just took the book. I didn’t really care about anything else, to be honest.” “Then how do you know all those things?” Penny clicked her tongue. “It’s called researching, girls. It’s not hard.” Adagio held the book tightly on her lap. “I guess those were all our questions,” she said. She looked down and flipped through the pages of the book. The Maestro was still there, fins floating gently in water that wasn’t there. She placed her hand on the image. And ripped the page clean off. “Adagio! What the fuck!” screamed Sunset. “That book is like, a bajillion years old! You can’t just rip it!” “Hey, I’m the one who bought it. I can do what I want. But now she can’t bother us,” Adagio stated, smiling at the people around her. “Problem solved.” “Augh!” groaned Sunset. “That beautiful book...marred! Spoiled! You ignoramus!” “Hey! Don’t call my sister that!” snapped Sonata. “It’s just a book. Can’t they write another?” “Penny! Don’t you care? Do something!” Penny simply shrugged once more. “It is hers. I really don’t care anymore, sweetie. I’m too old to pay attention anymore. And it’s past my bedtime! Thanks for stopping by, but you should all probably leave. Now.” The girls exchanged goodbyes and thank yous, leaving the bookstore with satisfied looks on their faces. “I still can’t believe you ruined that book,” moaned Sunset. “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad Twilight wasn’t here to see this.” “Stop whining,” Adagio said. “I won’t rip anymore pages out, okay?” “The Maestro won’t be able to talk to us anymore, will she?” Sonata asked, punctuating her question with a yawn. “I don’t know,” Adagio replied. “Look, I’ve got to get her home, Sunset. I’ll keep in touch.” They parted ways. Adagio still had the book in one hand, and the page in another. She crumpled the loose page and stuffed it in her pocket. Looping her free fingers through Sonata’s, the two sisters made their way home for a well-deserved rest.