A Dazzling Change Pt1. (SoL) - by Elky

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Chapter 1 ‘Knock knock’ Adagio’s eyes flickered open as she lay in bed ‘Knock knock’ There it was again, she groaned quietly This would be the third time tonight that Sonata had come knocking on her door Losing their magic and singing voices to the Rainbooms during the battle of the bands had affected all of them deeply Aria was even more reclusive than before and had rarely left her own room in the past few days, and Sonata kept having nightmares, sometimes waking Adagio with her cries Adagio couldn’t help but be a little worried, it felt like they were falling to pieces ‘Knock knock’ “Uugh… come in Sonata, what do you want?” Adagio called out, sitting up and smoothing her bedraggled hair back The door opened and Sonata poked her head into Adagio’s room She looked absolutely miserable, her hair was a ragged mess and tears stained her face, she sniffled as she spoke “I…I… can… can I please stay with you tonight Adagio, please.” she asked stammering nervously “Please, I… I don’t want to be alone, I’m scared” she added fresh tears welling at the corners of her eyes Adagio opened her mouth to tell Sonata to go back to bed and sleep it out, but she stopped short before closing her mouth Sonata stepped into the room fully clutching a pillow her eyes never leaving Adagio’s waiting for her reply “Are they really that bad? The nightmares?” Adagio asked softly, it felt like a stupid question to ask Sonata flinched and looked at her feet, mumbling as she teared up “Come here Sonata, sit down” Adagio patted the bed cover next to her It took a moment for her words to register before Sonata shuffled quickly over and sat on Adagio’s bed “Now can you tell me about the nightmares?” Adagio asked gently resting a hand on Sonata’s shoulder Sonata took a deep breath before releasing it, calming herself a little “It’s the same every time… I keep going back to the battle of the bands, then a bright light enveloped us and all I can hear is screaming and pain, like someone is trying to wrench my chest open, it hurts so much…” Sonata paused and took a long deep breath, struggling to keep herself steady Adagio understood what she meant, it had only been three nights ago but she knew she’d never forget the feeling of their pendants breaking, or the faint scars now left on her own chest “…and then our voices weren’t right anymore, I sounded ugly and everyone was yelling at us and throwing garbage” Sonata continued breaking into a soft sob Adagio could remember that as well, they’d ended fleeing from the CHS grounds and running terrified all the way through town and home Adagio was surprised when Sonata suddenly let go of her pillow to wrap her arms tightly around Adagio sobbing “I just want it to stop, please can I sleep with you tonight Adagio, I promise, I promise I won’t be a nuisance” Sonata looked at Adagio with wide reddened eyes Adagio felt conflicted, seeing Sonata so upset reminded her of when they’d first been banished to this world, Sonata had bawled for days until Aria lost her temper and screamed and ranted for her to shut it But that had never bothered Adagio as much as Sonata’s tears did now it tugged at her to comfort the miserable siren, to lessen her pain Why though? Had losing their pendants changed them? Adagio turned slightly considered the bedside drawer where she’d hidden the remaining fragments of her pendant, the others had left theirs behind at CHS Adagio let out a small sad sigh before turning back to Sonata “Okay Sonata, come on” Shifting over Adagio let Sonata slip under the covers next to her, pulling the sheet back over Sonata and tucking her in “Just try to get some sleep Sonata, you’ll feel better tomorrow” Adagio didn’t feel confident in her words, but it felt like what Sonata needed to hear Sonata snuggled in against her side, yawning and closing her eyes with a small smile “Thank you Dagi, could you cuddle me as well please” Adagio raised an eyebrow So much for not wanting to be a nuisance Regardless Adagio slipped her arms around the other siren and held her “There, that better Sonata?” Sonata nodded faintly and smiled “Uh huh, thank you Dagi, you’re the best” Adagio’s smiled and leant over to give Sonata a soft kiss on the forehead “Nighty night Sonata” Sonata had already dozed off in her arms leaving Adagio to her own thoughts Well this was certainly unexpected, She smiled hugging Sonata to herself, it felt kind of nice though Albeit In a strangely maternal way After everything they’d been through following her lead It felt nice to give her comfort and hold her Adagio closed her eyes This was nice Chapter 2 It wasn’t the pleasant tweet of birds or the sunlight that woke Adagio in the earlier hours of the morning “So what’s going on in here?” Adagio eyes snapped and looked at the door where Aria stood frowning at her Immediately Adagio’s eyes shifted down to Sonata who lay entangled with her, still sleeping “This is not what it looks like Aria” she replied Adagio started untangling her arms gently from around Sonata, who stirred a little at Adagio’s movement before settling again “Really? That’s the best you’ve got to say?” Aria responded leaning against the doorframe Adagio slipped out from under the sheets and made sure Sonata was comfortable before turning on Aria “How about we discuss this in the kitchen Aria, just let me have a quick shower first” “Sure, whatever” Aria huffed leaving Adagio for the moment Adagio took a deep breath and looked back at Sonata, still sleeping with a small smile on her face Adagio stepped over and brushed the sleeping siren’s messy hair back behind her ear before stepping out of the room Aria was waiting nursing a cup of coffee when Adagio, showered and fully awake, came down “Really, you didn’t make me a cup too” Adagio frowned busying herself in resolving the issue Quiet hung over the kitchen as Adagio poured her drink and took a chair by Aria sitting quietly in the warm morning sunlight “So what’s the deal with Sonata sleeping in your bed then? Did it take you a few hundred years before you decided to take her to bed” Aria asked idly Adagio sighed as she took a sip of coffee “It wasn’t anything sexual like that, she was just having nightmares again, and well I guess I caved and couldn’t stand to see her upset any longer” she responded softly “Why? It’s not like you gave two bits about comforting anyone before, so why now?” came the rough response “It’s… it’s hard to say, I guess it just made me feel nice comforting her, kind of like a mother would” Adagio mused Quiet hung over the kitchen again and when Adagio looked up she could see Aria had turned her head away with a scowl “How about you Aria, you okay?” she asked gently Aria was still looking away from her eyes narrowed “Me, yeah I’m fine” she growled “Losing our magic and our voices, I feel fucking dandy Adagio” Aria’s voice wavered as she continued “Why would I be scared…” Adagio set down her cup and shifted slightly to lean over and wrap her arms around her companion before pulling her into a tight embrace “Wha… what are you doing?” the purple siren asked freezing “I’m hugging you, I should’ve realized that you’d be hurting just as much as Sonata, maybe not in the same way, but still, I’m sorry” Adagio cooed rocking a little She could feel Aria relax and press her head against her shoulder and tentatively return the hug “Why are you being so nice?” Aria whimpered Adagio had never Aria this upset, not in the hundreds of years they’d known each other “Because it’s how I should have been treating you and Sonata from the start, I led you into this mess and it’s my responsibility to look after us all” she responded Adagio felt Aria tighten the embrace “Then thank you Adagio” Aria whispered Adagio hummed as she held Aria, she was enjoying this more than she wanted to let on Slowly letting go Adagio broke the hug and sat back with a grin “Feel a little better?” she asked picking up her coffee back up Aria rubbed at her face and glanced away “Yeah, a little” She glanced back at Adagio “Don’t tell Sonata though” she added nervously before picking her own drink back up as Adagio chuckled “Alright Aria, just remember I’m here for both of you” Adagio drained the rest of her now cold coffee and looked to the clock on the wall, they’d been sat here for a bit more than an hour She smiled to herself before rising and patting Aria on the back “Hey, I think I’m going to go out today and buy some more groceries, we can have a proper meal tonight, something that isn’t tacos” Adagio joked taking her cup to the sink “And after maybe we can all talk about what to do next” she added looking back “Yeah, that would be good, real food and a plan” Aria agreed, a faint smile playing on her face “So can I trust you and Sonata to get along while I’m out?” Chapter 3 “Sure, whatever” Aria replied quickly returning to her usual snark Adagio smiled while grabbing her keys and purse from the counter “Great, thank you Aria, I’ll just pop in and say goodbye to Sonata” She gave Aria another quick hug before dashing off Aria poured her cold coffee out into the sink and set aside the cup She passed Adagio grabbing a mauve jacket in the entryway before heading into the lounge room The sound of the shower kicked off as the front door slammed shut Aria slumped on the couch and flicked on the TV? She clicked through the different channels most of it was crap, tele-dramas, shitty movies One channel was playing classic rock videos, that’d do Aria sighed She missed singing it was they ever really used to do over the centuries Even though their had never been much energy to feed off, singing was what had made their banishment somewhat bearable Aria hoped that Adagio could come up with a plan to get them out of this mess She rubbed at her eyes to clear them, they needed a plan The thumping sound of footfalls heralded the end of Sonata’s wash and her imminent appearance “Morning Aria!” Sonata yelled leaping over and down onto the couch next to her in a fresh change of clothes “Morning idiot” Aria scowled at the blue siren “Hey I’m not an idiot, you are” Sonata replied poking out her tongue Aria ignored her and turned back to the TV with a frown After a few minutes Aria spotted Sonata from the corner of her eye leaning towards her with a wide grin “So you and me have the house all to ourselves huh?” That grin could not bode well “No, I don’t care what you’re about to suggest, I don’t want any part of it” Aria shot back moodily “Aww come on Aria, you never want to do anything together, and you just sit around being a grump all the time” Sonata whined sliding over to Aria and draping an arm over her “Sonata, get off me” Aria growled “If I get off you, can we hang out?” “No” “You’re no fun” “Yeah and proud of it” Sonata pouted and poked Aria’s nose before pulling away, arms folded “But Dagi said she wanted us to get along” the blue siren complained Aria groaned and smacked her head against the head rest of the couch “Uugh, alright fine! What do you want then?” she asked through gritted teeth Sonata’s face immediately brightened “Well if it’s okay, could you give my hair a brushie brush for me?” she smiling at Aria and producing a hair brush “Normally I’d have to get Adagio to help me, I can’t always get all the knots out” the blue siren giggled Aria scowled as she considered the proposal Sonata sat waiting expectantly “I’ll brush your hair too if you’d like Ari” she added hopefully Aria’s scowl deepened “No thanks” Sonata’s smile dropped for a moment before Aria snatched the brush away “But if it’ll keep you from bugging me, I’ll brush your hair, turn around” she ordered turning to focus on the siren’s lengthy blue hair Sonata giggled lightly and Aria faintly heard her whisper “Yay!” Sonata’s hair was full of knots, Aria patiently worked through them slowly undoing them and brushing the hair out, the more knot removed the more the blue siren’s hair flowed like silk Aria gave a small smirk of satisfaction as she continued to brush Sonata was staying fairly still and not wriggling around either “There, that’s all the knots out, happy now” she asked sliding the brush through the blue waves of hair one last time Sonata looked back over her shoulder with a sly smile “Nuh uh, it’s your turn” “Don’t push your luck Sonata” Sonata gave a pout before giggling “You’re the worst Ari” The blue siren collapsed back against Aria knocking her down “Pretty sure, you worse than me” Aria grumbled uncomfortably Sonata sighed and stretched her arms up past Aria’s face Aria narrowed her eyes, she didn’t like how cuddly Sonata was acting “Do you mind if I change the channel Ari?” Sonata asked tilting her head up to look at Aria “Whatever” Aria watched as the channel flicked back and forth while Sonata was looking for something to watch Looking down at Sonata again Aria considered shoving her off herself, but then Sonata would likely go whinge to Adagio and that was not an argument Aria wanted to have Sonata had stopped skipping channels and wriggled back against Aria “What is wrong with you now?” she growled, starting to feel uncomfortably warm Sonata grinned up at her and then looked back to the TV Aria followed her gaze to the brightly coloured kids show playing on the screen “What. Is this crap?” she asked pointing at the overly broad browed yellow brick like creature that was screeching on the screen Sonata glared up at her “It’s not crap, it’s Cavebob Spongeman” “It’s a stupid kids show, aren’t you a few centuries too old for this junk” Aria continued closing her eyes to block out the horrific apparition on the screen “Nuh uh, it’s funny” Sonata replied, not paying Aria much heed The creatures screeching laughter cut through Aria’s brain like a belt sander “Sonata, it’s fucking horrifying, like some kind of feverish nightmare” Sonata giggled again and rolled over on Aria to give her a teasing smile “Yeah I know, why ‘Aria’ scared” she answered narrowing her eyes Aria growled “You’re the worst Sonata” “Nuh uh, you are” “Don’t argue back idiot" “Well don’t start the argument then meanie” Sonata poked out her tongue again Aria gave an angry grunt and shoved Sonata off so she could stand up “Oww, what was that for Ari?” Sonata asked Aria, turned away “For being stupid, stop trying to be friendly, it’s already weird enough that Adagio’s doing it” She stomped off to her room and threw herself down on her bed It was unmade and messy but she didn’t care, she pulled a blanket up over herself to block out the world that was annoying her so much ‘Knock knock’ “Get lost Sonata” Aria answered “But Ari-” she began to protest “No, get out” Aria interrupted In the silence that followed she heard Sonata pad into her room and sit on the edge of her bed “I’m sorry Aria, I didn’t mean to annoy you, but you and Dagi are all I have” the blue siren whispered Aria could hear her start to sniffle, she hated that sound “Umm… sorry, I’ll go” Aria gritted her teeth and took a quick deep breath “Wait!” she barked She sat up and tried to not glare at Sonata, settling for glaring off at the wall instead “Look I may have overreacted a little bit, I’m just worn out and maybe a bit stressed, and losing our magic hasn’t helped either” Aria reached up to her neck for the first time since CHS and felt the empty space where her pendant used to be “I… it’s just, everything feels weird now and you guys are acting weird” Aria looked at Sonata confident she wouldn’t scowl at the blue girl now “It’s okay Aria, we're just scared, we'll find a way through this though” Sonata smiled rubbing her face hurriedly before reaching out to hug Aria “Hey, I didn’t say you could hug me…” Aria started as Sonata clutched at her She sighed and didn’t move to remove her immediately instead waiting for her breathing to calm down “Come on idiot, you said you wanted to hang out, you wanna watch stupid daytime TV and make fun of people till Adagio gets back” she suggested pulling herself from the blue siren Sonata nodded and grinned “Sure thing Ari…” - Keys rattled in the lock as Adagio opened the door and carried in a mass of grocery bags “I’m back girls! You have a good day?” she asked as Sonata who darted to her side to help carry the bags “Yeah it was fun” Sonata giggled leading the way into the kitchen Adagio loitered for a moment turning a questioning look on Aria Aria scowled back and crossed her arms “We didn’t have any fights or arguments Adagio, so don’t look at me like that” “Just making sure Aria, I’m sorry for doubting you" “Whatever” Aria replied taking some more bags to the kitchen Sonata helped Adagio with cooking dinner, fetching ingredients and utensils when Adagio asked for them Aria sat at the counter with the plates and cutlery ready for everyone “So what did you girls get up to while I was out?” Adagio asked, dicing up onions and throwing them into a pan with beef mince to start frying “We just watched TV and made fun of the actors and stuff” Sonata answered eagerly “Really, making of actors? That doesn’t sound like much fun Sonata” Adagio teased “Yeah well, we weren’t allowed to argue and tease each other, but it was still fun” the other siren replied happily Aria raised an eyebrow She couldn’t tell if Sonata was lying about enjoying their arguments or not Adagio seemed unconvinced too “Well I’m happy that you both got along” She turned her concentration over to their dinner fully, humming away as she went back and forth with ingredients Sonata took a seat next too Aria and nudged her “What is it Sonata?” Aria asked quietly “You wanna to hang out tomorrow?” Sonata replied Aria shrugged “Sure why not Sonata, it was fun” This seemed to satisfy Sonata while they waited Eventually the dinner was ready as the sun began to set and Adagio dished out spaghetti for each them “Just something simple, I’m afraid I haven’t cooked in a while” adagio smiled It tasted pretty good Aria mused while next to her Sonata dug hungrily into her own meal, Adagio shook her head as she tucked into her own They enjoyed the companionable quiet for a while, it was a pleasant atmosphere Aria paused and set down her fork to glance at Adagio “So Adagio what are we going to do about our current situation?” she asked Adagio frowned “Well I was going to wait until we finished dinner, but I see I can’t keep you waiting that long” Sonata looked up from her food paying uncommon attention “For starters we’re going to be here for a while so we may as well get comfy and keep ourselves busy, I’m gonna find some work to help supplement what we already have…” Adagio gestured to Aria and Sonata “…and you two should probably find something to do other than watching television all day, it may take a bit to get to our end goal on this plan” she added ‘Psst’ “Hey Aria, are you gonna finish that” Sonata whispered to pointing at Aria’s half finished plate Aria rolled her eyes “So what is the end goal of this plan then Adagio?” Aria questioned pushing her plate over to Sonata “Its simple girls, we’re going to restore our magic!" Adagio crooned eyes narrowing Chapter 4 It had been a few days since Adagio had told Aria and Sonata of her plan to get their magic back Aria had hassled her daily, asking as to how exactly they were going to accomplish the task, and so now Adagio was here back at CHS to retrieve the first thing they’d need Aria and Sonata’s broken gems from their pendants She glared across the road at the high school She’d avoided telling the girls she was coming here, she couldn’t have them freak out about the risk She’d told them she was out looking for work for the day, something she’d still had to get onto as well Just looking at CHS made her angry and a little afraid, but she couldn’t back out now She tired her hair back as best she could hiding her poofy hair, it wouldn’t do well to be recognized First she’d check the music stadium at the back of the school grounds and if the remains of the pendants weren’t there then she’d move on to plan B Interrogation Smirking Adagio moved off jogging across the street and around the main buildings of CHS Not too many students out at the moment, probably in class Climbing up over the rear of the music stadium stands Adagio looked down at where it had all gone so horribly wrong for them Adagio laid a hand to her neck out of habit before making her way down to the stage Of course they wouldn’t have left the fragments here Adagio cursed while she wander around the empty stage looking for any fragments She felt like an idiot for hoping that she’d be so lucky, of course it wouldn’t be that easy She gritted her teeth “Time to do this the hard way then” Adagio slipped into the school through an open window as the period bell rang, the room she was in was empty but that wouldn’t last long Ducking out into the hallway she walked along as casually as she could avoiding the eyes of the CHS students by pulling the hood of her jacket up They all seemed too wrapped up in their own little worlds to really pay her any notice For now at least Now who would know what happened to our pendants she pondered pausing outside the library The sound of footsteps approaching cut through her thoughts as she ducked made behind a set of lockers Adagio stayed close to the lockers sneaking a glance to see who was approaching She allowed a sinister smile to cross her face when she recognized them My luck must be turning she thought as the Sunset Shimmer strode past and pushed through the library doors “Oh, this is just perfect” Glancing up and down the quiet corridor Adagio quickly followed her prey through the doors The library was quiet, adagio kept an ear out for any sign of her target as she wandered into the room Wait, there was humming from the upstairs section Softly padding along up the stairs she paused to listen again, yeah shimmer was definitely up here Grinning she strolled past looking down the aisle for the fiery haired girl And then there she was, sliding books back onto the shelves completely unaware of her predicament Adagio approached, tensed and ready “Why hello miss, Shimmer” she whispered Sunset Shimmer spun around with a surprised gasp as adagio leapt forward to pin the girl against the book shelf behind her with a bang “Hrrk… what. What are you doing… here?” sunset’s voice asked, voice strained in response Adagio loosened her grip slightly but kept the other girl firmly in place as she hissed in her ear “Oh I’m just back to collect a few things that belong to us, and I thought who better to help me than the ever friendly Sunset Shimmer” “What are you talking about?” Shimmer asked eyes darting around Adagio glared at the fiery haired girl “The remains of our pendants, where are they!” she growled, switching her grip to sink her nails into Sunset Shimmer’s arms Sunset winced but didn’t struggle or fight back “I can’t tell you, I won’t” She mumbled “My friends and I won’t let you three harm our school again” she added, voice swelling with confidence Adagio wanted to spit on the girl, but she held back “Oh please Miss Shimmer, I don’t give a fuck about your school or your friendship garbage, I’m just here to get what belongs to my girls” Adagio sneered “Now tell me what you did the fragments of the pendants, and we’ll never have to meet again” The girl in her grasp shrank back and looked away from adagio’s eyes “I hid them away, so they wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands” “Good, now you can take me to them and they’ll finally be back in the right hands, let’s go” adagio ordered pulling sunset forward and locking an arm around her neck “And no tricks or any other funny business, miss shimmer” Adagio grinned venomously pushing Sunset towards the door The hallways were quiet again as under duress Sunset led adagio onwards “So if you don’t want anything to do with CHS, why do you want the pendants back?” Sunset asked glancing at adagio Adagio glared back and shoved her onwards “That isn’t your business now is it?” “But how can I trust you then?” “I don’t want you to trust me I just want Aria and Sonata’s pendants back” “So… you already have your one?” “Shut up miss shimmer” “Are you three still together?” “Again, not your business, keep moving” “My friends and I could help you all” Adagio chuckled to herself and gave a sigh “Not interested miss shimmer, we’ve got something better than your friendship” “Huh… b… what?” Sunset asked looking confused Sunset Shimmer brought them to a stop before a set of double doors, Adagio looked back to make sure that they were alone before shoving Sunset through “A music practice room, odd choice for a hiding place” she remarked as Sunset Shimmer regained her composure “Now then, where are the pendants?” adagio followed up looking about the room Sunset Shimmer had drawn herself away and stood facing adagio “No, not until you answer my questions first, why do you want the pendants, and what are you monsters up too?” “Don’t use that word, we are sirens not Monsters!” adagio shouted Sunset Shimmer froze on the spot “Wha… what?” Was all the fiery haired girl could stammer out in reply Adagio gritted her teeth, feeling anger building up inside her, how could she be so ignorant? Adagio kept her voice level and cold as she spoke again “You and your friends don’t even understand the first thing about sirens, those pendants, our magic, it was a part of our very bodies, and you happily took that away from us?” “It wasn’t like that, we had to stop you!” “Spare me your excuses, you could’ve stopped us without needing to pull our bodies and magic apart like that, but you didn’t” Adagio paused clenching her hands into fists “All I want is to give my girls the comfort they deserve, and ease their pain, I want us to feel whole again” she finished releasing her built up breath Sunset had dropped to her knees in shock “Do you still intend to stop me now?” “I didn’t know, I…” “Don’t give me apologies, I just want the pendants back” Adagio sighed, she had lost her anger, she just felt numb Rising Sunset Shimmer walked over to a row of cupboards along the wall, opening one near the window taking out a box, opening it she pulled out a small zip lock bag Adagio immediately saw the red shine of the pendant fragments “Here, the fragments, I… I’m sorry I didn’t know what we’d done to you all” Sunset spoke quietly turning and holding out the bag to adagio “Just stop, I don’t expect you to truly understand us” Adagio felt exhausted, she wanted nothing more than to get out of this place now She reached cautiously out and took hold of the bag, gently pulling from Sunset Shimmer’s own grasp and holding it close to herself “Will you not reconsider, I could help you all to learn about friendship, you could be good” Sunset Shimmer asked eyes uncertain Adagio backed away towards the door “We’re sirens, we won’t reconsider we’ve found our own friendship, and being good to others isn’t in our nature” She stopped as she bumped against the door “I will not forgive any of you for what you did to my girls, but I… thank you for returning our pendants” adagio called turning and slipping out of the room She didn’t pause She ran hard and fast down the school’s corridors, hurtling past a clump of students exiting a classroom as the period bell rang again A few shouts rang out behind her but no one gave chase as she fled the school again Running across the street Adagio slipped into the driver’s seat of her car Adagio looked down at the zip lock bag kin her hands The pendant fragments glinted beautiful Rain began to softly drum across the cars roof as Adagio slotted the bag carefully into glove compartment next to a second bag containing her own broken pendant “Now I need to find someone who can repair them today” she mused dropping her head back in her chair Adagio breathed a long deep sigh of relief and grinned tiredly “Step one complete” Chapter 5 “Why are we out so early?” Aria scowled at the blue haired siren walking next to her “Sonata, it’s already eleven in the morning, it’s not early anymore, idiot” “But it’s cold, and I’m hungry” “Yeah well you should’ve had breakfast instead of sleeping in, look we’ll stop at a café if it’ll shut you up” Aria replied “Don’t forget this was your idea after all, don’t you remember last night?” she added turning her scowl back to the footpath “Oh yeah! Adagio’s Surprise party” Aria let out a sigh Sonata had suggested the idea last night, just after Adagio had told them she’d be out the following day looking for work The moment she’d left the room Sonata had darted over and latched onto Aria with a grin, whispering about how they should throw a little party for Adagio when she got home Stopping in at a café along the footpath, they ordered something to drink before taking a booth to sit in “So…” Sonata started looking about “So what?” Aria replied taking there drinks from the waitress “Well, it won’t take us all day to get everything for Adagio’s party, so I was wondering if maybe we could go to the mall after” Sonata asked “The mall? Why?” Aria responded suddenly skeptical “Well, we’ve been at home all week with nothing to do, we could go clothes shopping” Sonata smiled over the lip of her mug of hot chocolate “So this was your plan from the start huh?” Aria replied sipping at her coffee “No, no I just thought that with how stressful everything has been over the last few days for us, that maybe it would be get to get out and relax” the blue siren hurriedly replied Aria opened her mouth to reply and stopped, Sonata had a point they really hadn’t had a chance to properly relax, how bad could it be? She looked back to Sonata, frowning “Alright, just don’t make me regret this, oh and we’re getting the cake first” The two sirens wandered down the main road, the sky above had become dark and threatened rain “That’s the last thing we need” Aria muttered to herself as they walked “Ooh! Ooh! Ari, there’s a bakery come on let’s have a look” Sonata shouted dragging the purple siren with her The bell rang as the girls pushed through the door “So what kind of cake do you think Adagio would like?” Aria asked peering through the glass at the colourful displays of cake “Chocolate, definitely chocolate” Sonata grinned over at her Aria raised an eyebrow “Isn’t chocolate your favourite?” “Maybe… but everyone likes chocolate right?” Sonata gave her sly grin “Hmm, I dunno Adagio might be more interested in something a little richer” “Come on Aria, please!” Aria looked away from Sonata’s puppy dog eyes and scanned the cakes again, the bakery owner stood by waiting patiently She fished out her wallet and gave Sonata a small smile “How about the chocolate and orange marble cake, chocolate for you, orange for Adagio?” she said gesturing through the glass Sonata looked at the cake and back, nodding a firm smile spreading from ear to ear “Yes” A minute later and the two girls left the bakery, Aria carrying the boxed up cake and Sonata following along giggling “If I’d known it was that expensive I would’ve just gotten a plain mud cake” Aria grumbled “Nuh uh too late now Aria” the blue girl chuckled as they walked on A few more stops and they had the rest of the decorations and snacks for the party “So what kind of card should we get Dagi?” Sonata asked skipping along with a bag in each hand “Well, we could also make one at home ourselves” Aria offered scuffing a boot against the pavement “Ooh for realsies, that’s sounds like fun” Sonata giggled linking arms with Aria “But first, we’ve one more stop” Aria growled as Sonata pulled her through the automatic doors of the mall, two levels of shops stretched away before them thankfully it was a bit quieter at the moment “Uugh, you don’t have to drag me Sonata I can walk alright” “Come on Aria, you said we could come to the mall and go shopping together” Sonata complained “Yeah I know” Aria huffed stopping and disengaging her arm from Sonata’s “Let’s just not go overboard” Sonata stopped and rested her chin on Aria’s shoulder “Well I only wanted to get some new clothes for myself, maybe you could get some too” “I’ve already got plenty of clothes “I know, but we’re doing this to relax remember” “Yeah, sorry your right” Aria replied “Hey, why don’t we pick out some clothes for each other?” Sonata grinned Aria coughed at Sonata’s suggestion “Is that really necessary?” “Yeah, come on it’ll be fun Aria” Sonata answered The blue siren stopped them in front of a large department store Aria gulped subconsciously, this could not end well “Alright so meet you at the changing rooms in say thirty minutes?” Sonata asked Aria just stood still paralysed “Hello, Aria, you okay?” Sonata asked concerned Snapping back to reality, Aria turned and nodded weakly “Great, see you in thirty minutes then” Sonata flashed her a smile and dashed off leaving Aria standing awkwardly by the store entrance “This is the worst” she groaned before wandering in Aria still hadn’t picked out anything when she slumped onto a seat by the changing rooms, to await her companion It must’ve been half an hour now, she was about to go looking for Sonata when the siren in question popped down next to her, a mass of clothes in hand “Hey Aria” she greeted, smile turning to a smirk “Didn’t you get me anything to wear Aria, you know I can’t walk around in just my underwear, not even for you” she sniggered Aria’s face burned red “No! It’s not like that, idiot” she crossed her arms and turned away “I couldn’t find anything that you’d like” she added glancing back with a scowl “That’s okay Aria, I actually picked out a few things for myself too” Sonata grinned placing a small bundle of clothes next to Aria “So you first or me?” Sonata asked with a sly grin “You, definitely” Sonata skipped off into one of the changing rooms the door clicking behind her Aria glanced at the bundle of clothes Sonata had left her and groaned - “So Aria, how do I look?” Aria smacked her head into her hand as Sonata sashayed from the changing room “Sonata, it… it looks so trashy, have you seen the length of that skirt?” “Why what’s wrong with it” the blue siren asked down the black leather skirt that hugged her thighs “It barely covers your ass” “So?” Sonata asked twisting about to look over her shoulder “It makes you look like a slut Sonata, you’re better than that” Aria huffed folding her arms “Do you mean that Aria, for realsies?” Aria was suddenly seized in a hug by the blue siren “Hey, get off…” Aria started “Nope, that was the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me… are you blushing?” “No, idiot, just go get changed” “Okay, your next” Sonata replied letting go Aria let out a long sigh and immediately snapped her eyes away “Sonata. Close. Your door” She heard Sonata giggle and close the door with a click “Come on Aria, I’m waiting” Sonata cooed “Shut up Sonata” Aria barked This was stupid, I’m stupid, why did I agree to this she grumbled fixing her belt at the top of a skirt Sonata had picked out It flared out halfway down her thighs, it made her feel awkward “If you laugh I’m gonna kill you Sonata” she announced before pushing through the door Sonata was waiting resting her chin in of her hand “Wow! That looks good Aria, it suits you” Sonata answered politely before rising up and walking over “Just one little change if I may” she remarked reaching out and pulling Aria’s vest off leaving her with just her white tube top on Aria flinched and crossed her hands to her shoulders “It looks stupid Sonata” she growled “It isn’t stupid Aria, I told you it looks good” “Don’t you feel sexy? Sonata continued to tease “Shu… shut up, idiot” Aria blushed and retreated back into the changing room “That’s it I’m done” she called out angrily She heard Sonata gasp and hurry over to the door “Wait, wait, can you please just try on one more Aria, the turquoise dress, please give it a try” the Siren called from the other side of the door Aria scowled picking out the dress in question before freezing It was beautiful Glancing at the door she quietly stripped off her clothes and slipped into the dress, carefully tying up the lacing on the back until it fit her comfortably She looked down at herself, it really did look amazing “Aria? You okay?” Sonata asked from outside “Yeah Sonata I’m okay” Aria smiled opening the door and stepping out Sonata watched her, stunned “Wow! Aria that looks amazing on you” “Yeah it was a good choice, I guess I’ll keep you around” Aria giving a twirl They paused looking at each other, smiles growing until Sonata broke into laughter, with Aria not far behind “Okay I’ll admit I needed that” she chuckled patting Sonata on the head “So time to go?” The overcast skies had finally opened up and let down a torrent of rain as Aria and Sonata got the bus back home They dashed from the bus stop to their front door, sheltering under the awning as Aria unlocked the door and let Sonata in “Put the bags of clothes in our rooms, you might as well go have a shower and dry off, I’ll get the lounge room set up” The blue siren gave a small salute and ran off towards the bedrooms Aria busied herself in lounge room, pulling the coffee table over next to the couch placing the boxed cake on it A quick glance at her phone told her that it was nearly five, they’d wasted more time than she’d have liked today “Oh well” Aria mused throwing streamers over the entryway and the couch “A little mess never hurt anyone” Fifteen minutes later Sonata was back down freshly showered and changed “Hey Aria can I set up the snacks and drink?” the blue girl called from the kitchen “Sure, I’m gonna take a quick shower and then we’ll get that card done, I can’t wait to see Adagio’s smile” she replied finishing up decorating the lounge room - It was maybe quarter to six when Adagio finally got in “Girls! I’m home” Adagio called out as she opened the front door Aria and Sonata jumped up to meet her, doing their best to hide their smiles “So what’s going on here then?” Adagio asked casually dropping her bag by the door “Hey Dagi, me and Aria wanted to give you something” Sonata started “We wanted to thank you for looking after us, so we made you this” Aria continued and with Sonata held out their card It was a soft yellow faced with two hearts, one blue, one purple Adagio smiled at them and opened the card Aria saw tears form at the corners of Adagio’s eyes and spill out to run down her cheeks as she read. “You okay Adagio?” Aria took a step forward in concern Adagio shook and threw her arms out around Aria and Sonata “Thank you, thank you, I love you too girls” she wept holding them fiercely Aria didn’t think twice about slipping an arm around both Adagio and Sonata, blinking tears from her own eyes, Sonata threw her arms around both of them completing the circle Adagio sniffled and drew back again smiling, her eyes reddened “Oh I’m sorry, I must look a mess now” she chuckled “Just wait until you see the cake we got you Adagio” Aria joked earning a laugh from the orange siren “Oh I almost forgot girls, I’ve got something for you too” Adagio reached into her bag and pulled out a small cloth pouch “Now close your eyes” Confused Aria and Sonata did as they were bid and closed their eyes Aria could here the soft rasp of cloth as Adagio retrieved something from the bag “Now, don’t worry about how I got these, I wanted them to be a surprise” Aria felt a silk ribbon slide over her head and a familiar weight bump against her collarbone Aria could feel her breath quicken It couldn’t be Could it? “Okay girls open your eyes” Adagio crooned Aria blinked a few times and glanced down Nestled against her chest on its silk ribbon sat her pendant, a little chipped and cracked, but in one piece Sonata gave a sob next to her “Oh Adagio it’s beautiful” the blue siren cried clinging to Adagio again who was wearing her own pendant once more “Adagio, how? I thought we’d lost them forever” “I’d do anything for you girls Aria, no matter how bad it gets, I’ll always be here for you” Aria’s face split into a wide smile as she hugged Adagio crying “It’s okay girls” Adagio soothed stroking their hair until they calmed down “They’re not magic yet but it’s the first step” Adagio smiled tenderly before breaking into a chuckle “Now then didn’t someone say there was cake?”