The journey to the surface was a quiet one. The sisters had, understandably, all been shocked to discover the changes that their new magic had done to them. To look down and see those jewels permanently stuck to their chests was a constant reminder of one very important thing; they had been changed, and by their own hoof. And all of it was for the hope that they would not let their race fade into the annals of history, to ensure that the Siren people would not go out with a whimper. Whether they could achieve this goal was something they knew they'd have to find out, but regardless, they had set themselves on this path, and now there was no turning back from it. So, here they were, swimming in silence to the ocean's surface. Every once in a while, they'd cast a glance at each other, but not once did they ever speak to one another. Perhaps it was out of fear of what they each had to say on this great change, or perhaps it was something they simply didn't want to be reminded of. But regardless, it was not a pleasant journey.

Eventually, they broke the surface, raising their heads above the water and looking around. As before, it was night-time, though this time there was no clear sky or beautiful moon to behold. Instead, the skies were gloomy with grey clouds abound everywhere they looked. They had not gone to the same spot of land they had visited previously, as Adagio had stated there'd be little point, given that it would most likely be abandoned or overly-damaged from the tsunami. As such, they had journeyed further afield, along the coastline they'd found until they found a more suitable place. And here it was. Although still alien to them, they knew a settlement when they saw it. It was a small place, a mere shadow of the kinds of abodes they were used to, but there was life there, as shown by the many lights in the homes of the ponies. Occasionally, they'd see one or two of them walking about the streets near the water's edge, but overall it was clear that this place was no major centre of the pony people.

The sisters swam closer, eventually coming upon a pier stretching out from the village and onto the water. They hid beneath it, grabbing hold of the wooden pillars that held it up. After their long journey, they finally rested, with Sonata sill occasionally poking the jewel in her chest. However, one glare from Adagio caused the younger sister to stop immediately. After several moments of silence, Aria finally let out a groan.

"Ugh! What are we even supposed to be doing, Adagio?"

The elder sister turned to her, the expression on her face a stern one.

"The ancient writings said that we would "feel" what we needed to do once we got this power. I suppose all we need to do is just wait."

Aria rolled her eyes at that.

"Just wait? Some plan. We don't even know what this power does, much less what we're supposed to be waiting for.""

Adagio looked at her sister angrily.

"Look! This is the best plan we have right now, so why don't you just...!"

But she was stopped from finishing those words as a new sound could now be heard. Adagio gestured to her sister, letting them know that they needed to be quiet, and all three ducked down a little so that only the tops of their heads were emerging from the water. They stayed perfectly still, waiting to see what this approaching sound now was. It got louder and louder, and soon they realised that it was somepony waking above them on the pier. In fact, it sounded like there was more than one up there. Their suspicions were soon confirmed as they began to hear voices, albeit very angry-sounding ones.

"Hey! I said I was sorry, alright!" one voice called out.

"Sorry!? Sure you were! You knew damn well how important it was that we get those seeds in for the harvest this year, and what did you do? You screwed up as usual and got the wrong ones!" another voice shouted.

The three Siren sisters all glanced at each other, showing clear discomfort about having wandered into a spat like this. But nevertheless, they remained quiet and listened.

"Why don't we just go back to the market and get the right seeds this time?"

"Because, you idiot, that vendor only arrives here once a month! Do you have any idea how long it takes for him to get from his town to here? We had one chance to get this done early, and now, because of you, we'll have to wait even longer!"

The look on the sisters' faces made it clear that they all shared the feeling of wanting to get as far away from this as they could. However, as they began to move away, something happened. They felt something in their chests, not pain, but more like a feeling of wanting to stay, though why, they couldn't say. They all looked at each other, showing that they all felt confused by this, even more so when they saw that each of their gemstones was starting to glimmer, even in the darkness of the night. Adagio looked upwards at the wooden pier above her. Was it those ponies that was causing this, she thought to herself. She didn't understand what it was the jewels wanted, but this was the first sign they'd been given so far that they were close to unlocking their powers. Adagio wracked her brain, trying to figure out what to do, when suddenly, something else began to catch her attention. It was Sonata, looking upwards in an almost trance-like state, her hoof gently placed on the jewel in her chest. The other sisters looked at each other nervously before Aria spoke up, whispering so as to not alert the ponies above.

"Um...Sonata? Are you okay?"

The youngest sister nodded, though she remained in a daze.

"Yes. I...I feel...like I want to...sing."

Aria and Adagio looked at each other, clearly taken aback by an out-of-nowhere statement like that. Turning back to their sister, they watched as she began to open her mouth and let out a melody. It was quiet and simple, not unlike the rhythm they often used in their singing practice as children. But there was something about how Sonata was singing it. It felt almost soothing, hypnotic even, a feeling that their songs had never had before. Adagio opened her mouth, ready to say something, but was stopped as she looked up and started to see something strange occur. As Sonata sang, there was something emerging from between the cracks in the wood above them. It looked like a mist, but it's colouring was wrong, a sickly green instead of the pale white it should have been. But when Adagio looked at it, she felt something within her. The closest thing she could describe it as was hunger, though not the kind she'd felt before in her life. As she watched, she began to hear the argument above them intensify.

"Well then! If I'm such a screw up, then maybe you should look for another partner in this!"

"You know what?! That's the first thing that's come out of your mouth today that has even a fraction of intelligence to it!"

The more the two argued, the more mist was descending down from them, and for the first time, Adagio began to feel what Sonata had felt. A sudden urge, a need, to sing. It was as if the jewel and powers within her were whispering to her, encouraging her to follow Sonata's example. And so, she too looked upwards with intent, as did Aria. The two opened their mouth as began to join in on Sonata's melody. Their voices harmonized well, as they always did, and soon they produced an eerie chorus that carried across the area around them. The ponies above them didn't even hear it, not above the sound of their own aggression, and as always, the mist continued. But now, as the sisters sang, the mist was starting to be drawn towards them, specifically to the jewels. Those gemstones began to absorb that mist, drinking it in with great fervour.

And it was here that the Sirens finally felt something. As the jewels absorbed the power that now came to them, the three began to feel stronger, rejuvenated. It was as if the fatigue of their long journey was never there. It was that hunger, now sated with the power they were absorbing. Somehow, this petty feud between ponies had created a magic that they could feed upon, though "feed" was the only word they could think of to describe this new sensation. They carried on singing, until finally the ponies above began to walk away from the pier, leaving the three of them alone. Within moments, their jewels had soaked in the last of that strange mist, and the three finally stopped singing. They sighed deeply after this feeling had washed over them, looking down at their chests, where they now saw that the gems were glowing their usual bright red. It was, by far, the most bizarre feeling they'd ever known, but even so, they felt stronger, more powerful than ever. It was a moment Adagio was quick to comment on, her face lighting up with realization.

"That's it! Rivalry and opposition gave birth to that magic. Our gems feed upon it, and our songs..."

She raised a hoof and gently placed it upon her throat, her face now bearing a look of confidence as she regarded her two sisters.

"...our songs are the key, my sisters. The more we sing, the more power we gain."

Aria and Sonata looked at each other, initially unsure of how to take all this. There was no denying that what they'd experienced was unusual to say the least. And yet, when they'd felt that power flow into them, they knew that it was them that had allowed it to be. They now saw Adagio's plan, and how they could use this new magic. Their race could not come back from the grave, but with their magic, and their voices, they could instead carve out a new Kingdom. A new nation, wherein they would reign over the ponies of Equestria. Mares and stallion alike would be the fuel by which they would grow stronger, and ponykind would bow down to the last of the Sirens. In stark contrast to the uncertainty and worry that had plagued them before, Aria and Sonata's expressions became ones of glee and confidence, much like Adagio's. They turned and smiled at her, after which she returned that smile, raising her hooves and carefully placing them upon her sisters' shoulders.

"Come...we have a Kingdom to make."