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Eventide Hymn nudged Adagio with her elbow, “Um… ‘Cousin’, I think there is something you should be aware of if you intend to rule over a sea. There has been a name change. Twilight Sparkle had told me a few things about history.”

Adagio paused and cocked an eyebrow at her protégé, especially at that last word. Awful strange pick for events within memory, “Yes, yes, I’m aware some changes have happened to Equestria aside from that going from just a country name to that of the continent. Princess Celestia is out of her funk and apparently created two new alicorns, probably to replace her sister. I intend to catch up on how the ponies are faring, I don’t want any further quarrel with them anyway.”

She did however catch how Eventide Hymn was frowning, grimacing at something being thought but not spoken. That wouldn’t stand.

“Eventide, speak up,” Adagio said as she puzzled, trying to ignore how Eventide’s expression grew grimmer. The oldest siren chuckled in an effort to remove some of the weight pressing down on her shoulders, “Come on, cod got your gills?”

Eventide mulled through her thoughts for a bit more even after Adagio lightly jabbed her with her elbow, before breaking her silence, “Um.. Cousin. Twilight- er, Princess Sparkle told me a few things about back home. The eastern sea is now called the Celestial Sea.”

Adagio raised her eyebrow, picking through the thought before shrugging, “So they renamed it did they? Figures, Princess Celestia probably rebuilt her reputation since we left. Must have been one damn good PR campaign to rebound so quick-”

She tapped at her chin, passively noticing how Eventide was squirming more, shaking. Adagio kept going, lighting her tone to try and give some levity, “Huh, should maybe ask for notes given her image was in shambles when we went for Canterlot while you ‘stayed back’. I mean-”

“She didn’t!” Eventide blurted out.

Now it was Adagio who flinched. A hot minute passed as Eventide continued to tremble, Adagio frozen in place.

“Princess Sp-Sp-… Twilight told me about history,” Eventide Hymn swallowed, “Celestia, Princess Celestia, had to rebuild her reputation over decades through the Changeling Crisis after a big fight.”

One could have practically heard the mic drop as Adagio’s body locked up at the word ‘decades’. Eventide Hymn bit her tongue, hunkering down at seeing the paling on the alpha siren’s skin and smelling the cold sweat that began to break out over her body. Guilt stabbed in deep, and she didn’t want to say more. It took Adagio putting a hand on her shoulder, trembling at first and then gripping it tightly as if in both anger but also hidden fright that one as prideful as herself would never show on the outside, to finally get Eventide Hymn to spill it.

“You… still have more to say. Talk.”

Eventide Hymn took in a heavy, icy cold breath and prayed it would offer relief, “The Celestial Sea hasn’t been called the Eastern or East Sea in… 700 years. It’s been just under 1,000 years since we- since the sirens were banished by Starswirl the Bearded. Most Equestrians don’t even know we exist unless they read ancient history.”

Adagio Dazzle’s eyes widened so much that her eyebrows seemed to try and hide under her bangs. She said nothing, she did nothing. All that happened were a few raspy, half choked noises that seeped from the back of her throat as her muscles all locked up. It seemed to try and articulate something, express something. All the while, she was so obviously holding a tidal wave of thoughts and emotion back. And the cracks in the dam were growing obvious.

“What?” the whisper from Adagio was so small it was virtually silent to Eventide, “St-Starswirl… he…”

Eventide shuddered and grit her teeth as she chewed on her fingernail, eyes darting back and forth to try and think through what little she knew on this, “Uum, uuh, well obviously not much time passed between now and when you three- us four- Arg! It’s only been, what, few years for you?! I mean I know magic is weird and all but I guess Starswirl probably didn’t even know what-”

“He-! Hrgk! He!” Adagio shook all over uncontrollably, “Twilight didn’t tell us….”

Eventide was sweating bullets, “C-Can you blame her? So-So much has happened and all and maybe she’s had a ton on her mind- We’ll kinda be going up against her-”

Adagio Dazzle suddenly sat herself up, reaching up with a shaking hand to remove the band holding her hair back to let her orange locks cascade down her shoulders. With a shudder, she snapped her wrist and violently threw the band aside as she rapidly stood up. Eventide lost track of her face amidst the hair, seeing only the locks of mane and hearing the increasingly huffing breath behind them.

Concerned, she cautiously outstretched a hand towards the heaving mass; but paused upon seeing two things. Strands of Adagio’s hair, particularly the dark orange locks, darkening slightly and beginning to shift against the typical pull of gravity. They lifted up a bit along their lengths as if something was distorting the gravity like X could. Eventide’s pale face got paler when she saw a glint of a reddened eye through the hair and saw Adagio taking in a deep breath.

The oldest siren jolted up and felt the surge, emanating from the brief spark of yellow coming from her necklace. This was stupid, this was wasteful, this was unbecoming of a future queen.

Queen of what?! A place you’d be a relic in?!

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Posted previously at: 2020-04-05T03:50:08