"Dusk! Get out of the vines! You'll leave a blood trail!" Barked Adagio, soaring through all the green thicket and wincing as her scales were nicked.

The tips of branches and serrated invasive growths drained her strength away. Flying was challenging when magical. Her thundering heart skydived when she saw a metallic gleam in the sun-splotched darkness. Sonata Dusk cried out for her only, living friend. She bolted on her hooves, ugly and stricken by both her injuries from the escape and the pain of watching somepony decapitate her childhood companion. She galloped. And galloped. And galloped. No more, she sobbed, jumping in panic from a puff of smoke. No more. Sonata Dusk ran a corner into some well-adjusted cottage window. She struck the floorboards and crashed against her palms and facial regions. The grieving siren sobbed herself into the fetal position as she bled warm, salted red and repeated 'Adagio.'

All her physical trauma took a toll and slowly, but surely, stuck her into dreamland.

Vivid recollections of seeing her corpse struck the girl. It was headless and limp, striking an oak of sorts before the head slid off. The slaughter warped her body into a hell of coughing and vomitting into wake. She shook, horrified at what happened in so little time. A cold sweat plagued her flesh even when she discovered she lay in bed with puke-pregnant sheets. Miss Dusk led herself out of bed, bundling the gross covers into a sack of sorts with her fingertips. They were set onto the floor as she sniffles softly. Another sniffle would've drawn more tears, if she didn't smell something... familiar.

"T... tacos?" The siren inquired, shuffling timidly about their room.

To the exit. Well. To the exit before someone opened it. Sonata froze. Her eyes welled with tears from sheer, unexpected terror at the idea that she was next. Maybe the killer found her. The fears never stopped running even as her host asked the words 'Soanata Dusk?'

In an absent stupor, she replied with a hesitant nod, putting her hands at her chest. The pink-haired humanoid welcomed her with supper. Tacos. And anchovies on the side. She didn't know what to do. How to react. Instead of saying anything, she took the tray, set it on a nearby table and embraced her host. She clung for dear life, shaking, trembling and streaming from her wobbling eyes. Her lip trembled as her throat cracked in whimpered pleas. Her painful hiccups struck Sonata nearly unintelligible.

"P-please... Tell me th-i-i-is i-isn't a d-d-dream."

Lilith closed her eyes and held them loosely, keeping their cheek against her collarbone.

"No... It's not a dream, Miss Dusk. I promise. When we're all full of tortilla and lettuce, you can tell me all about how you got here. It's okay, you know. You're safe."

The words choked back her piercing sobs. And though she couldn't say a word, she held her lips shut with both hands to say 'thank you' with murkey eyes while the thunder raged outside. Inside that cottage she'd hide whatever died inside her the moment they lost a friend to lies. The water down her cheeks, drying ane chaffing her sea-hued skin, that was no disguise. She just felt too- not just a siren but a weakling in guise, could she do anything but hurt like a child without sleepovers and lullabies. No. Sonata Dusk gave her trust as she sat down and fought her emotions one versus all the water in the sky.

Sonata Dusk knelt down and ate it all to feel okay ,
hoping her favorite dish could make the rain go away.

Author's Note

"She bolted on her hooves, ugly and stricken by... the pain of watching somepony decapitate her childhood companion."

" Her thundering heart skydived when she saw a metallic gleam in the sun-splotched darkness."