The Siren's Story

I can't say I've been a lucky pony. And yet, here I am, still alive, somewhat. Lying on the ground of a shot-up old apartment, looking up at the bullet-ridden ceiling, the wallpaper to my demise. I lifted my hand and examine the old revolver clenched to my chest like a bouquet. One bullet left, just as it had been since the rest had been dished out like candy to give this room another reason to come crumbling down in a heavy embrace with me. Suffocating me when I'd already been starved of life.

I let my cold hand fall back to my chest, still clenching the handgun and my other cradling the nozzle before tracing up between my breasts to brush a finger along the flat edge of my Crystal. I tilted my head down slightly to examine the sickly-red welt fastened upon my body from that deceptively sleek chain. I gently traced my fingers around to the back of my neck, weaving through the mat of hair, stiffly straightened by being soaked and dried in blood and tempted the thought of undoing the black ribbon. They eventually shied away from it and retreated back inside the palm of my hand, and I growled; yet again I'd lost my nerve. Maybe it was the image seared onto my memory that scalded my courage, the copious amounts of blood spilling everywhere and the bubbles of dying gasps surfacing from the base of her throat. Too long. Too painful.

My head rolled back on the floor; too heavy for my neck, even when it was supported by the ground itself as my head throbbed with an overload of fear, confidence and every emotion imaginable as it slowly crept down my body with a sullen calmness that only proved how powerful it was. I didn't intend to stop it either. I felt it drain me of all senses and blood as it leaked out of the bullet wound that was gripped by the sudden, unbearable cold of the room. The familiar sound of steps racing around a building and shouting was muffled then plunged into silence as if my head had been forced underwater, the tips of my fingers numbing from being drenched.

The police are here, aren't they?

It really was now or never.

I wrenched my left hand out of the depths of numbness and guided it with the little sight I had left, the edges of it scorched with the heat of tears bubbling up in my eyes. I struggled out a ragged breath as I picked up the revolver, my finger far more prepared to squeeze the trigger that it had only previously dared to stroke. I counted my last few breaths, slowly moving the barrel to rest in the underside of my jaw. I paused my breathing for a second, allowing myself to truly mark my last breath.

Now, breathe.

"ADAGIO ST

"This doesn't make sense!" Adagio insisted, pacing around the room maniacally, her fingers flexing as they restlessly gripped her hair, grasped her hands and buckled into fists that lashed out at the wall. "You.... you... you can't do this to me!" She managed, filling any silences between her speech with incomprehensible gasps and groans as she struggled to collect her thoughts, staring wildly at Sonata and Aria.

"The battle is lost Adagio."

"No, YOU surrendered and made us lose! I had EVERYTHING under control and you two fucked it up!" Aria ignored her, grabbing Sonata's shoulder and yanking her away from gazing at Adagio with fearful innocence.

"Come on, I need you to take this bag..." Aria mumbled to Sonata, and she nodded in response, taking her fifth bag on and slinging it over her shoulder, both of which were anchored down by all the possessions they were carrying. Sonata slowly allowed herself to look back at Adagio, who was frantically pacing, mumbling and groaning in pain.

"Aria.... do we have to?" No response. "Aria-"

"For Celestia's sake, shut up Sonata!" Aria growled, stuffing the last of their possessions into the bag and stood up.

"But it's not fair," Sonata pleaded again.

"Life is not fair." Aria spat with subdued venom, steadying the hand that clenched her bag in rage. Sonata gulped, feeling her heart sink, bowing in defeat and Aria turned away, obviously considering the conversation over.

"We could save her!" Sonata exclaimed with a freak flash of confidence which she had seized before it could waste away. Aria exploded.

"You need to stop playing the fucking hero, you dumb bitch! Have you not just watched what happens when you try to do the right thing?! You waste away, because there is NO way to do the right thing in this Celestia damned nightmare! It is NOT my fault that Dagi gave in, it is her own fault! You better fucking accept that and get out of the door RIGHT NOW. "  Sonata's eyes widened, feeling herself choke on the impending tears bubbling up behind her eyes and tearfully looked down at Adagio. Aria was right. Adagio was in no way what she had started out to be, nothing but a wreckage and empty shell that rocked itself maniacally on the floor, it's fingers unsatisfied even after tearing at it's own shell and yanking at it's own rage. It was gripped by a furious rage, filtering through and infecting every inch of it's being as it's eyes were highlighted yet subdued with an empty green colour. Sonata looked away, feeling sick to the stomach, as if this was the first time she'd seen her poor, dear Dagi like this. But it wasn't. She'd been too blind to notice it.

"I could've... stopped this before it was so.. deep." Sonata felt her heart melt as she met gaze with... this thing, and it ran down her inner arm and flowed to her hand; the hand which she offered down to Adagio as she petted her head like an old, dying animal which was ravaged by desperation, which in turn ravaged those around  it- as Adagio seized Sonata's hand with an iron grip and yanked her down and straddled her with a primal want.

"You're not leaving." She firmly slammed her arm down onto Sonata's throat, causing her to reel and gag as her breath was forced from her and her lower lip became lined with saliva. Aria swung around with reflex, handgun firmly ripped from a bag and made no hesitation in firing several bullets in Adagio's direction. The flash illuminated the room before spraying blood into the air before it came down on Sonata in a horrific rain. The bullets ripped through Adagio, making huge punctures in her arm, the area around her arm drenched as the blood infected her jacket, with  a few exceptions riddling in the ceiling, having dust explode downwards to clash and mix with the film of blood exploding upwards.

Adagio's scream exploded out as she reeled back from Sonata, who coughed and gagged from the sudden invasion of air back into her lungs, which came with her reflexively inhaling, causing her to choke on some swallowed blood as she got to her knees and crawled towards the door. Aria flew over Sonata's choking and retching figure to pin Adagio up against the wall.

"YOU BITCH!" Aria slammed the gun into the wall right next to Adagio's head and turned it to her and forced her face right up close to Adagio's, unwavering even when coming so close and gazing at the disease in Adagio's once pure eyes.  She paused for a second, breathing hard, then stood up. "I'm not going to kill you." She shot Adagio in the foot. "But I will protect Sonata."

Adagio wailed and cried, grasping at her foot, and Aria turned away as the blood started to pool around her own feet in a sticky mess and checked the handgun.

"One bullet left, huh?" She dropped the gun in the ever expanding pool of blood. "I'll leave you with that one. If you want people to ever be happy in this stupid world, I suggest you put that bullet to good use. Do everyone a favour."

Adagio slumped down from being sat up against the wall and looked across the floor as her head rested against it as the blood seized and tugged at her hair. Then she looked up at Aria, who roughly heaved the still gasping Sonata out of the room who gazed back at Adagio one last time and left. And shut the door behind her.