Animus (The Midnight Series)

Chapter 5: Enemy

I

Through Twilight's eyes, Sunset saw the things that happened.

"One day Spike..." Twilight said to Spike, watching him eat his food. She smiled, hopefully things will finally be back to normal, Twilight thought. "One day..."

A few moments later, Twilight heard the door being knocked, and some glass breaking. Twilight went to open it, and she was greeted by three figures standing in the dark. The porch light was broken.

"Hello?" Twilight asked.

"S'up!" The figure in the middle said. The figure from the right, drew her arm to Twilight neck, and all Twilight felt was a static shock in her neck, which made her fall to the floor. She heard Spike make a run for it in her bedroom. Twilight, on the floor, was whimpering and continued to feel the shock running through her nerves. Her eyes became drowsy. The figures came, they had their hoods on, and they took it off when Twilight nearly shut her eyes closed. She saw three girls, one of them had long curly blonde hair, magenta eyes. The one on the right, that electrocuted her, had long purple hair that had a streak of turquoise on each side of her twin pigtails. The other had light blue hair with purple highlights. They all wore black clothing. They smiled and snickered as Twilight fell asleep.

II

Twilight woke up, the sun was up, but it was pitch black inside her living room. Twilight was tied to a chair and gagged. Twilight screamed and tried to untangle herself sitting in the chair. Until she heard one of the girls call out to someone.

"Is she finally awake?" The girl asked.

"Yes, she is Adagio!" The other girl said.

"Excellent!" Adagio said. "Light towards me!" The light was pointed at Adagio, the fluffy curls, and magenta eyes she met, standing in the center. "Remember me?"

Twilight shook her head.

"What?!" Adagio said. "You don't?" She looked at the other two, the two were confused. "Well then, listen up!"

Adagio got up, and placed her hand on her chest to introduce herself.

"I'm Adagio!" She said. "To the left, Sonata Dusk, and to the right, Aria Blaze! Got it?!" Twilight nodded. "We are here because we have been watching you." Adagio said, swerving her hips back and forth as she walked over to Twilight's side view. "That amulet you had, I want it! Will you give it to me?" Twilight shook her head, and tried to say something to her. "Aria?" Aria came up and had the taser in hand. Twilight squirmed, and tried to sound off her fear of it.

"We searched the house, nothing!" Adagio continued, as she threw off the gag from Twilight's mouth. "Where is it?!"

"Please... I don't have it..." Twilight cried.

"What?!" Adagio yelled. "What happened to it, we saw you, taking away magic out of people, where is it?!"

"It's gone..." Twilight said.

"Aria..." Adagio said. As she went up, placed it on her shoulder and shocked her again. Twilight screamed, while she pulled it away. "We've covered this place, no one can hear you, you're stuck with us, until you tell us where it is, or how we can get one!"

"I-I made it..." Twilight cried.

"You've made it?" Adagio asked. "How?!" Twilight looked at the locked closet. Sonata got up to see.

"It's locked." Sonata said.

"Where's the key?" Adagio continued. Twilight shook her head. "Aria!" Twilight screamed again, but she heard growling coming from behind her.

"No, Spike, no!!!" Twilight pleaded.

"Get the dog!" Adagio ordered. The girls went for it, Spike had bit one of them when she heard one of them scream. "Bring it over!" The last thing Twilight heard was a loud thud, and a squeal. Twilight cried.

"Spike..." Twilight wailed. Adagio returned towards Twilight's side. She had brought up Spike. Spike was still alive, but was hurt and could not muster the strength to say anything. Adagio then looked at his collar, it was a small oddly shaped object sitting inside of it. She took it off, and dropped Spike on the floor.

"Open it!" Adagio ordered Aria. Aria got it open. Adagio went over to it, and found all her books, and papers until she had reached one that didn't move until she pulled it. "Well, well... Sonata, go ahead!" Sonata appeared to Twilight side, she saw her hand bleeding and with large teeth marks on the palm of her hand. She had a cloth in the other, and brought it into her face, going into the dark again.

III

Twilight awakened to her face directed to the floor, she looked up, and found her hands tied above her on the ceiling. Her feet were tied, but had them both nearly touching the floor with her toes. She couldn't move at all, her arms felt sore and her head felt heavy with pain still urging from her neck. Twilight cried, but the gag was replaced in her mouth.

"Adagio, she's awake!" Sonata said.

"Perfect!" Adagio said. "Look!" Adagio said, coming from the side of her, holding out a blueprint of her locket. Twilight shook her head. "This is it, isn't it?" Adagio unwrapped the gag from her mouth.

"Please... please stop..." Twilight pleaded softly.

"This could be simple!" Adagio assured. "Make this for each of us, we'll let you go!"

"No..." Twilight cried. "I can't... I promised..."

"I don't care! I want it!" Adagio demanded. "Make it for us!" Twilight shook her head. "Very well, if you want it the hard way!"

"Please... no!" Twilight fretted.

"Yes?!" Adagio mocked. "Let's start with you... girls!" Both Sonata and Aria came into focus with a couple of things meant for Twilight.

"No... please no!" Twilight cried.

"Say yes, or else!" Adagio requested. The girls prepared a couple of clips hooked up to a battery connecting to her toes. Twilight shook her head. The girls came and they both flipped the switch and it electrocuted her entirely throughout her body, strangling every nerve and vein in her body. Twilight could feel it pulsing through her, making her have a seizure, and uncontrollable movements. Twilight screamed to the rhythm of the charge. They took it off, and turned the switch. Twilight hung there, breathing heavily, coughing, and had tears falling. "Want some more?!" Adagio whispered in her ears. "How about your damn dog?!" Adagio brought up a metal cage, with Spike trying to get out of it. They unhooked the clips and placed it on the cage. "Say yes, or it's just one flip of the switch?!" Twilight saw the sadness in Spike's eyes, she couldn't take the pain. She would have rather them torture herself, and leaving Spike alone.

"Okay... okay..." Twilight yelled in a whisper. Adagio smiled, and the girls took away the battery and clips. They had let Twilight go, but her arms and legs felt too numb to run away. Twilight freed Spike, and held him close. Spike was sad for Twilight, but was happy they were both alive. Adagio quickly came to place him back inside.

"Don't get any ideas!" Adagio said. "We can still do it! But, we'll let him go, once we've acquired our little trinkets! And if you think about seeking help from Sunset or whomever..." Twilight got up, and nodded. For Spike, she had to go through with it. Sonata and Aria both came in with boxes of materials needed for them. They read the blueprints, and went to various locations to search for them.

IV

Afterward, Twilight was making them all lockets. When they weren't looking, she had a plan to do something about them. She had used some of the material to craft a familiar object. One that she knew she could use to put all that mess behind her. The memory stone. She got the drawing from Sunset when she asked her about it during the time they almost forgot about her. She let her keep it, along with a sample inside a container, in which she used for reference to make, secretly for the past couple of days, however, it was in terrible shape, given they had kept her up for the past how many hours, by giving only an hour of rest in between and to feed Spike.

V

It was the second night, and Twilight had finally finished the lockets. Twilight had given it to them. Adagio smiled. She came up to the cage, and she focused it on Spike. Adagio absorbed the life force out of him. Twilight fell. Aria picked her up, but Sonata came out with the memory stone.

"What's this?!" Adagio asked. Sonata pulled out more information about it. "Ha! Erasing memories?! Take her!" Adagio loaded up everything in their van, and shut the door. Twilight was dragged along, and was given another shock, while the girls trapped her inside. Twilight resisted. She grabbed her element, and had caused them to stop at the van. "That's it!" Adagio had enough of her, so she had the stone in hand. She looked at the back of the stone, and read what it said:

"perdet animam tuam"

The stone glowed, the skies opened up. And each of them felt lifted up, it then blasted each of them away in different directions. All the while, the reels had been taken away. Twilight then went blank, leaving her element somewhere, and the girls nowhere to be found. Twilight came up to Sunset's front door.

VI

Sunset came back into focus. Sunset knelt to the floor, she cried, and she couldn't breathe.

"Twilight...?" Sunset cried.

"I'm sorry..." Twilight spoke, with tears running down her face as well. Sunset got up to give Twilight a tight hug. "Ow..."

"Sorry!" Sunset yelled, pulling away from her. "I'm so sorry Twilight..."

"Sunset, I'm sorry..." Twilight replied.

"You were protecting us..." Sunset replied. "I can't believe... after all that..."

"I know..." Twilight responded. "But... you're here with me now... that's all that matters..." Twilight had Sunset's hand. Sunset smiled, but still cried.

"Adagio... I'll make her pay!!!" Sunset yelled, as she clutched her empty fist.

"No, Sunset..." Twilight pleaded. "I need you here... with me..."

"We have to stop them, we need the girls together right now!" Sunset's anger took control and wanted the Dazzlings to pay for the torment they brought to Twilight.

"Sunset, please... they won't listen, at least, until there's a cause..." Twilight continued. Sunset sighed, letting it all sink in.

"I guess you're right... they won't... even budge if I tried to talk, they're too angry." Sunset admitted. "What do we do now? Spike's still gone?"

"Yes, they have him. But, I'm so weak right now..." Twilight said.

"Let's take you back to your room." Sunset requested.

"Okay..." Twilight agreed.

VII

Sunset helped Twilight to her room. Twilight laid there, and began to rest. Sunset looked at her, even though the whole situation became worse, she smiled for Twilight's return. Sunset took pity on Twilight, and decided to lay next to her. Twilight felt Sunset next to her. Twilight blushed, but felt guilty for everything she caused on herself and others. How can they stop this now? Twilight thought.

VIII

The sun was down, the skies grew dark, and both Twilight and Sunset were laid to sleep. Sunset kept tossing and turning in her sleep, she felt uncomfortable. Twilight was too tired to notice. Sunset was having nightmares, the Twilight that haunted her... never left.

IX

Sunset felt the cold, chilling air, as she walked through a large forest. The forest was familiar to her, she found some lights in the distance. Sunset went to it. She came across a large body of water that had a dock and small boats tied to the wooden barriers. A small campsite, which Sunset recognized, the log cabins and symbols planted on the front doors. She was in Camp Everfree, the Everfree Forest. She went to one of the ranger's cabins, and she saw Gloriosa sitting there on a desk, drawing what appears to be Gaea Everfree. Gloriosa was relaxed and fixated on the drawing. Sunset heard a twig snap behind her. Sunset looked behind her, but there was nothing. Sunset turned back to look, and Gloriosa stared directly at her. Gloriosa then started on a new blank page, and drew another picture. Her movement was unnatural and she was drawing extremely quickly. Although, she kept her eye on Sunset the entire time. Her hand withdrew from the paper and dropped the burning pencil on the floor. She lifted up the drawing for her to see. It had Sunset looking through the window as she is doing now, but behind her was Twilight with no facial features and huge eyes. Sunset quickly turned to look, and at the center of the camp, Twilight stood there. Sunset couldn't move, and then she looked back. Gloriosa became Gaea once again. She broke the window, and used the vines to restrain Sunset by the neck. Sunset couldn't get out of them. Twilight walked to her. The closer she came, the fear began to encapsulate her. Sunset tried desperately to wake up again. Twilight came to her, and lifted up her hands to touch her face.

X

Sunset woke up and screamed. Twilight was facing her, with her hands on her face, and she screamed when Sunset did.

"Twilight?!" Sunset yelled, as she flicked off Twilight's hands.

"I'm sorry Sunset..." Twilight apologized. "You were shaking, and I tried to wake you... I'm sorry..."

"No Twilight... I'm sorry..." Sunset said sincerely, as she sat up in the bed. "Just a nightmare..."

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked softly.

"It's been terrible for the past night." Sunset added. "I haven't been able to get any sleep."

"I'm sorry Sunset, I wish there was something I could do..." Twilight said.

"Don't worry about it, Twi. I'll be okay."

"Are you going to try to sleep again?"

"Yeah, but... I might just head home..."

"In the middle of the night?!" Twilight cried.

"Don't worry, my place isn't too far." Sunset assured, as she got up on her feet and stretched.

"Oh..." Twilight moped, as she looked away on the floor.

Sunset looked at Twilight, she looked a bit sad about her decision. Sunset wanted to comfort her. She went down to sit next to her, and put her hand on Twilight's shoulder.

"Hey, I'll call you to let you know I'm safe, okay?" Sunset assured.

"Alright!" Twilight said, as she gave a passive smile while looking at her, face to face.

Sunset was at the door, and Twilight got up to watch her walk out. Sunset turned back and smiled, waved, and headed out the door. She shut the door.

XI

Sunset walked out into the night. She bundled up, beforehand to face the cold breeze. There were a few cars that drove, but none of which she could clearly see. Sunset felt the cold shifting through her hair, so she used her hood to cover herself. The wind made her dizzy and blind to see, in which she walked into someone.

"Sorry!" Sunset said. The figure looked back.

XII

Sunset finally made it home, shut the door, without looking, and called Twilight.

"Hey Twi, I made it. Okay?!" Sunset said.

"Alright!" Twilight responded. "See you later!"

"Yep, see you!" Sunset said, as she let out an exhausted sigh, and sat down on the couch. Sunset looked back at the door, and realized she didn't close it all the way. She went to close it. As she comes to it, the door slams her across the face and body. Sunset felt the pain in her left cheek and left arm. She laid on the floor, groaning from the pain. Sunset looked up, and saw the person she passed by earlier. The hooded figure revealed itself. "Adagio!" Sunset yelled.

"In the flesh!" Adagio said. "How convenient it was to bump right into each other, like some cheeky love story!" Sunset got up to face her.

"You will pay for what you did to Twilight!" Sunset assured.

"Oh you will, huh?" Adagio mocked. "How will you do it without your little friends?!"

"I don't need my friends to finish you!" Sunset continued.

"Such bold words, I'm afraid even you won't be able to lay a finger on me, unless I want you too!" Adagio added, as she gave a naughty smile and pointed hips. Sunset was trying to transform, but her power was not strong enough to manifest. "What's the matter? Your friends are not around to help you?"

"Shut up!"

"Oh you poor, lonely girl. How will you be of any use to me?"

"Use?"

"Yes, that's okay! I'll make use of you!" Adagio focused on Sunset with the power she gained, she was able to move quickly, enough to grab Sunset and restrain her to the floor. Sunset struggled. "Yes, continue to grunt and squirm. You're making me excited!" Adagio then absorbed her power into the locket. Sunset felt weak, and her body felt cold. "Now... for my pleasure..." Adagio, being a siren, was able to manipulate Sunset into being her pawn by her seductive lips into Sunset's. Sunset changed form into her demon-self. "Well... this got more interesting!"