Woo! Finally done! Knocked this out in a few hours! This chapter got kinda dark near the end, and wasn't really planned, but I think it came out rather well. So, hope you enjoy!
Back at Twilight's castle, Sonata watched worriedly as Adagio tilted Aria's head up before slowly pouring the blue liquid down her throat. Sonata's eyes widened as she heard that typical small sound of discontent come from the purple siren, causing her to smile slightly. Adagio smiled softly down at Aria before speaking.
"Well, if she's well enough to complain even while unconscious, then I'm sure she'll be fine." She said with a slight chuckle, turning her smile to Sonata. The blue siren managed a full smile in return, but quickly went back to a frown as she looked at the wound, which was bandaged now, thanks to Twilight.
"Are you two going to be okay? You can stay here if you like while she's recovering." The young alicorn asked. Adagio turned to her, a small, reassuring smile on her large, golden muzzle.
"As much as an enticement it is to stay, princess, I feel it'd be better if we return to the sea. It'd probable make her more comfortable while she's healing, it being our home and all." She said. Twilight hesitated before nodding in understanding.
"Right. Well, I'm glad I could've been a help to your friend. I hope she gets better soon." She said. Adagio nodded.
"And we thank you greatly for your aid. Goodbye for now, princess." She said, taking her giant maw and carefully wrapping it around Aria's neck. With Sonata's help, they lifted the injured siren easily into the air. Twilight waved in farewell as she watched them begin to fly away.
~o~O~o~
A small, green and purple dragon was rifling through the books in the library in a rather hurried manner. He was shuffling through piles, checking shelves, and looking just about everywhere.
"No…no…no…" He muttered, going through each one. "Ugh, where is it?!" He growled angrily. Suddenly, he heard footsteps, and he froze. He looked around quickly before spotting a large bookcase not too far away. He dashed behind it, and right in time before the door to the library opened. In walked a…small, purple and green dragon. He was carrying a small stack of books and humming contently to himself. The dragon behind the bookcase gulped as the identical one went over to adjacent bookshelves, beginning to put books onto it. And just as he finished, a voice was heard from a distant room.
"Spike!" The voice suddenly yelled, causing him to jump slightly before scampering towards the door.
"Coming, Twilight!" He yelled, exiting the library and closing the door behind him. The dragon hiding behind the bookcase breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was too close…" He grumbled. "I hope my subjects are having better luck than I am…" He sighed, stepping out and resuming his search. He then looked back at the bookcase he'd previously been hiding behind, his temporary dragon eyes dilating. "Wait a second…" He muttered, walking over to it. He went on his tiptoes, cursing the dragon for his shortness, and grabbed a brown book off the shelf. He held it in his hands, and looked at the cover. "Hmm…Monsters, Creatures, and Conveyers of Dark Magic. This might be promising…" He said, flipping it open to the table of contents. "Let's see…where are the S's…?" He muttered, running his finger down the page. "Aha!" He said in triumph, turning to the page it said. When he got to the desired page, it showed a picture of three graceful-looking sea creatures. "Found it! This could prove useful…" He said with a grin. He looked up from the book, checking his surroundings before walking out of the library, book in hands. He evaded the eyes of anyone he came across, sneaking his way out of the castle. Once he was out, he went to the side of the building. A swirl of green magic encased him, and his body started to change shape. In seconds, she was in her true form. "Time to return to my beloved subjects." She said. With a grin, she picked the book up with the magic from her twisted horn, and began quickly flapping her wings, generating a bug-like, buzzing sound. She lifted herself into the air, taking the book, and began her flight back to her hovel.
~o~O~o~
"Is she better, yet?" Sonata asked for the fourth time in thirty minutes. Adagio rolled her eyes.
"Relax, Sonata. It'll probably take some time for a wound like that to heal, even with that potion…thing." Sonata made a slight whine-like sound as her ears went back sadly, and she rested her head on the rocks that the three of them were lying on.
"Well, can't we at least go in the water? It's boring up here." Adagio shook her head.
"No, the last thing she needs on that wound is dirty, salty ocean water. And it would also ruin the bandages that Twilight so kindly applied. If you're so bored and want time to pass, go to sleep or something." She said. Sonata huffed disappointedly and moved her head to look at Aria. Adagio sighed and put her head down. "In fact, I just might do that." She said, her eyes fluttering shut. Sonata sighed as well.
"Guess I don't have much choice, now…" She muttered to herself. As she looked at Aria, a small smile crept onto her face. She moved forward a bit and rested her head next to the purple siren's. She nuzzled her cheek before lying her head down again. "Wake up soon, 'kay?" She whispered softly, a light purr escaping her throat. She then closed her eyes, and let sleep take over.
~o~O~o~
Aria opened her eyes. She gasped and looked around, only to realize that there was nothing to look at. "Where…am I?" She asked. She was in a void, nothing but darkness surrounding her. She was in her siren form, floating in nothingness. She looked down at her side, and noticed that her wound was no longer there. "Weird…" She muttered. She looked up, and her head darted to look every which way in confusion.
"Adagio?" She called. "Sonata?"
"Hello, Aria." A sly-sounding voice said. Aria blinked in surprise, then in confusion as she saw no one. She looked to the side.
"Wh-who are you?" She asked into the void. She suddenly heard a dark chuckle in response…and it was coming from right behind her. She whipped around to face the source, only to jerk backwards in shock.
"You seem surprised!" The creature said, a sick, twisted grin spreading onto its face. Aria realized, in shock, that she was face to face with none other than…herself. The identical-looking siren's grin widened, noticing her realization. "What's the matter, Blaze? Shocked, are we?" She laughed. Aria, breathing heavily, backed up a bit.
"Wh-what…are you…?" She muttered. The other siren's grin grew slightly smaller as she flew up, putting her face inches from Aria's.
"Why, don't you recognize me? I'm you, my dear." Now that the 'other Aria's' face was closer, she could see her in detail. To summarize, she looked exactly like Aria, only triple the psychotic. Her pupils were contracted, and she constantly held that nasty, evil-looking grin on her face, showing nearly all of her teeth.
"Why are y-you here? Why am I here?" She asked, trembling slightly. She couldn't help but do so under the other siren's menacing, psychotic glare. Almost immediately, the 'other Aria' became serious.
"Aria, I brought you here. Not to harass, mind you, as fun as that would've been."
"Then why?" Aria pleaded. The other siren looked away.
"To warn you." She said, looking back at her. Aria gulped.
"W-warn me about what?" She asked. The other siren moved, and began to slowly circle Aria.
"You're in danger, my dear. Terrible danger."
"What kind of danger?" She asked, confused.
"You're in danger of an unknown enemy. In danger of your own desperation. In danger of losing the one you love…forever." She then paused. "But most of all, you're in danger of yourself." Aria whimpered.
"H-how do you know all of this?" She asked. The other siren growled before coming face-to-face with Aria again.
"Did I not say that I was you?" She asked.
"Uh…yes. But…what does that have to do with anything?"
"Aria, I know these things because…I'm you from the future!" The other siren said, then suddenly broke out into a fit of hysterical giggles, the seriousness completely gone from her as she delved back into her psychotic look again.
"B-but…what do you mean? How could I possibly become…that?!" She asked, becoming hysterical. The other siren then broke into laughter.
"You're so screwed! Ahahaha!" 'Other Aria's' eyes constricted again, and she looked like more of a psycho before. "And if you think you can do something to stop it, you're-ahahahaha!-you're wrong!"
"Stop what?!" Aria demanded with a scared tone. The other siren didn't answer her. She just continued laughing psychotically, which unnerved Aria.
"Then, my dear, you-haHAHAHA!-you and I will become one in the same! You will become me! Ahahahaha!"
"No!" Aria shrieked, now angry. The other siren's laughter slowly became a continuous giggling. Then, suddenly, Aria noticed that her vision was slowly fading, and so was the other siren. "Hey, you need to give me answers! What's going to happen?!" The other siren smirked.
"Bye, Aria~" She said in a sing-songy voice. Then, an evil glare crossed her face. "I'm sure we'll be reunited again soon…" She said darkly. Aria growled.
"No! Please!" She screeched, but everything slowly disappeared from her sight, and her eyes closed against her will. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that she was no longer in the dark void, but was instead lying on some rocks surrounded by lapping waves.
Well, then...that just happened.
