//------------------------------// // Waterworld // Story: What If? - Equestrian Avengers: Shattered Dimensions // by Maximus_Reborn //------------------------------// Chapter Ten “Waterworld” “So...what do you think?” Peter questioned, holding out a photo so the astral image of Twilight standing next to him could see. The mare stared intently at the picture with a furrowed brow. Inhaling deeply before sighing, Peter’s eyes softened. “I still can’t believe that I have a son in that timeline. If anything, I’m glad he takes after Sweetie Belle.” Slow to respond, Twilight pursed her lips. “He looks like Ben, but I can easily see a lot of Sweetie Belle’s more notable qualities in him.” The alicorn chuckled under her breath. “Junior’s quite handsome. The bright green eyes look great on him.” “I can always get contacts.” Peter slyly replied before easing the photo back into a hidden pocket within his costume, earning a small laugh from the princess. After a brief duration, the stallion sobered while an unreadable expression surfaced on his face. “I know seeing that couldn’t have been easy. I wouldn’t blame you if you were upset with me right now.” Twilight closed her eyes momentarily before shaking her head. “I’m not upset, Peter. I can’t be.” The stallion’s eyes widened at her comment, prompting the mare to clear her throat. “I’ve spent years holding a grudge against you for what happened. The situation was beyond your control and I eventually learned to forgive you. If our roles were reversed, I'm not sure I could keep a clear head either.” “It’s become little more than an excuse at this point. You're my wife, and I cheated on you in a moment of weakness. I have to live with that,” Peter muttered in a somber tone, brushing a hoof through his unkempt mane. “I can’t change what happened. I have to accept responsibility. It’s just hard to imagine a kid being born from… that.” Smiling lightly, the stallion shook his head. “Then again, you and I don’t believe in accidents. We prefer the term surprise miracle.” Nodding, Twilight returned his smile with one of her own. “That’s why I’m proud of you. You handled the situation with grace and respect. You opened up to Junior lovingly and treated him no differently from our own children.” She paused as her eyes softened. “You did what any good father would do, and I’m proud of you for it. Once everything is situated, Eris said she would open up a communication channel so you could keep in touch.” Letting out a relieved sigh, Peter nodded. “Thanks for understanding, Twilight.” Just as Twilight readied to respond, the scepter hummed to life in her hoof. “I will destroy you, for my name is Sparklebutt! Fear my sparkly booty!” Twilight’s eye twitched involuntarily before she howled and threw both hooves around the scepter’s neck, attempting to strangle it. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Peter blankly watched the sight before Twilight’s image faded from sight, blinking afterward. “I’m beginning to regret modifying that scepter.” Shaking his head, the stallion turned towards the next portal and stretched his limbs. “Anyway. We’re almost done. Three more fragments before we focus on Starlight! Let’s hope this one’s easy, too!” The stallion jumped into the nearest portal, soaring through the surrounding energies. However, Peter’s body remained light once the vortex subsided and was met with an immediate cold sensation that engulfed his entire being in an instant. The stallion inhaled sharply out of reflex to the sudden chill. However, his gasp was not met with the expected result; nearly choking instantly at the unexpected sensation of fluid rushing into his lungs. Peter threw both hooves over his mouth and nose at the realization of the underwater settings around him. Alternating his gaze about wildly he noticed the dimly-lit ground beneath his hooves before shifting his gaze up at the surface, which seemed impossibly far away. Fighting back the rising panic in his mind, Peter quickly collected himself and attempted to swim towards the distant surface. Unfortunately, before he could make any progress, a pack of creatures emerged from the depths at multiple angles quickly surrounding the stallion. Their scaled forms were exceptionally larger than the equine’s, towering over him by at least three times his height; while each bore their fangs, as if ready to attack. Peter’s eyes widened at their familiar shapes, resembling the sirens he encountered several years ago. “Outsider! We don’t know how you made it this far, but you are approaching the boundary!” one exclaimed, narrowing its gaze on the stallion. The other members of the group inhaled deeply, prompting particles of energy to spiral into their mouths. “Turn back now or be destroyed in the name of the Siren Empire!” Peter’s mind rapidly began to shut down, as traces of water continued to fill his lungs. His eyes rolled into the back of his head before he yielded to unconsciousness. The sirens watched as the stallion finally inhaled, evident by the air bubble that escaped from his mouth, and he fell limp, floating in place. However, before any of them could react a loud boom echoed throughout the vicinity, causing the sirens to glance aside towards the source. Suddenly, a small being raced past the group with the speed of a missile, grabbing the stallion as it passed. The nearest siren caught sight at the last second before unleashing a potent blast from its mouth, causing the others to mirror its action. The being glanced back at the incoming blasts, pausing before greatly intensifying its speed with the stallion in tow. The surrounding waters were met with an explosion of prismatic light, erupting outward with the force of a shockwave. The expanding wall of colors shattered the beams from existence, and the being disappeared from sight instantly. The blast met the collection of the sirens with tremendous force, scattering all but one in it’s wake. The remaining siren growled through grit teeth with a furrowed brow. “It’s that thing again! She’s really becoming a nuisance. I’ll keep track of their movements!” She faced the remaining group, growling. “The rest of you inform Empress Adagio! She’ll want to handle the outsiders personally.” -u- Meanwhile the pair breached the surface, with Sonata dropping Peter’s unmoving form along the nearest bank onto his back. “That was way too close! In case you couldn’t tell, the locals aren’t very welcoming of new ponies.” she stated with a frown, folding her forelegs with a huff before pausing upon receiving no response. “...Peter?” Looking back to the stallion, Sonata blinked before her gaze slowly widened at a realization. Straightening her posture, she quickly placed her ear against the stallion’s chest before shifting it to his mouth. On both accounts, no sound reached the siren’s ear and her complexion paled. “Oh, no. He’s not breathing!” Furrowing her brow, Sonata simply nodded. “There’s no time to waste. I have to do it!" Sonata lowered by the stallion’s side, pressing her lips against his own before exhaling. She paused, receiving no response. The siren straightened her posture, positioning her hooves over Peter’s chest, pushing against his sternum repeatedly. Beads of sweat fell from Sonata’s face, but she remained vigilant, alternating and repeating the processes in an attempt to resuscitate her friend. Pressing her lips against Peter’s once more she readied to try again, but the stallion’s eyes shot open before he rolled to the side, coughing roughly as water escaped from his mouth. “Peter!” Sonata cheered, gently rubbing a hoof over the stallion’s back as he recollected his senses and freed the remaining fluid from his lungs. “I’m glad you’re okay. I was scared I lost you for a second there.” Slow to respond, Peter’s labored breathing slowed until it balanced back out. He weakly peaked to the side, sharing a glance with the siren. “I thought I was supposed to be saving you.” Sonata giggled in response, standing before offering a hoof. “There’s still time for that. I mean, I’m totally stuck here right now. Home would be a really nice change of scenery.” Peter accepted the gesture, allowing the siren to help pull him back to a standing position. He briefly lowered to a hunched stance. “That went south so fast. One minute into this reality, and I drown. Heck of a start.” The stallion lifted his head, gazing at the horizon. Only a few rock formations, stone columns, and remnants of broken towers narrowly stood over an endless body of water. Furrowing his brow, Peter frowned. “Where are we? What is this place?” “Believe it or not, this is Equestria… or what’s left of it,” Sonata grimly whispered, causing the stallion to sharply shift his widened gaze in her direction. The siren inhaled deeply before sighing, rubbing a hoof over her forelimb. “You see, it’s been almost three days since I ended up here, and I’ve heard a lot of things. Apparently, the sirens are the dominant race of this world, and every other species has been driven to near extinction.” Sonata’s eyes softened as she shifted her gaze away. “What’s worse? The one behind all of this is Adagio. She’s the one in charge here.” Blinking, Peter edged closer to the siren. “You’ve been here for three days? How’ve you been coping?” Sonata pointed a hoof in the distance. “Not well. The second the other sirens saw me, I was cast out and warned not to return. I guess a pony siren hybrid isn’t natural to their eyes.” Inhaling deeply before sighing, Sonata shivered involuntarily before brushed her hooves against her forelimbs. “It’s hard to breathe here, Peter. There’s so much negative emotions in the air. I had almost forgotten what it tastes like.” Peter glanced to the side. “Oh yeah, that’s right. If the sirens are in charge that makes sense. You’re the only exception to the siren race because of the cure we made for you.” Sonata nodded. “Yes, and I’m very grateful for that. Everything just feels so cold here. Believe me, I don’t miss the taste one bit.” Shrugging, the siren exhaled before forcing a smile. “I’m just lucky that I’m faster than everypony here. I’ve had a few close calls here and there, but I had to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. It’s a good thing I did. Otherwise, I would have missed you.” Peter simply nodded. “Yeah. Just a few more minutes, and I would have been fish food for sure.” His eyes widened at a realization. “Hold on. You haven’t eaten anything for three days?” The siren simply nodded, prompting the stallion to chuckle inwardly. He briefly wrapped his hooves around Sonata’s neck for a warm embrace. A bright light illuminated from the siren’s frame, causing her to inhale sharply at the tingling sensation coursing through her muscles. The pair soon parted, with Peter placing a hoof over her shoulder. “There you go. Does that help?” Smiling, Sonata nodded. “It does. Thanks. That’s always refreshing, but I wouldn’t mind if you brought a spare taco with you, too.” “No such luck, but I’ll treat you when we get back home,” Peter grinned, earning a content nod from the siren. Sobering, the pair held their somber gazes on the surrounding sea. Peter held a hoof against his chin, furrowing his brow. “So, the sirens rule, and pretty much everything that lived on land is extinct? We’re dealing with an alternate reality, and if Adagio is the one in charge, I can think of a possibility of how this world came to be.” He raised a hoof objectively. “It’s a theory, but what if Adagio actually managed to defeat Starswirl the Bearded with you and Aria? It’s possible that all of this followed right after that.” Tilting her head to the side, Sonata pondered the thought with an arched brow. “It’d be the exact opposite of what happened to us.” Shaking her head, the reformed siren let out a despairing sigh. “I’ve always wanted the siren race to thrive, but not with a cost quite THIS high.” She glanced to the side as her ears lowered into her mane shamefully. “Darn it, Adagio. Why do you always have to be so stubborn?” Peter frowned. “This world’s too far gone. It’s just the way things are meant to be here. The sirens are the dominant race, and if we try anything rash, we’ll disturb their way of life.” Nodding, the stallion placed a hoof over Sonata’s shoulder. “The best thing we can do is grab the fragment before things get any worse.” Sonata managed to share a glance with the stallion, pausing before eventually nodding firmly. “You’re right, but where would it be?” “Hopefully, not underwater. My Spider Sense is augmented to trace the fragment’s whereabouts,” Peter whispered, shifting his line of sight to the side. Pointing a hoof to the horizon, the stallion narrowed his hazel gaze. “It’s a good ways out, but if we head straight we should find it.” Sonata practically bounced in place, giddy at the aspect. “Oh goody! The sooner I get out of this gloomy place, the better!” She hopped into the water without hesitating, resurfacing after a brief duration. “Hop in! Just give me the directions, and I’ll swim us there!” Peter nervously chuckled under his breath. “The idea of you diving is scary. Just stay topside. I don’t have gills, remember?” The stallion merely sighed before jumping into the water, carefully approaching Sonata before wrapping his hooves gently yet firmly around her neck from behind. Once situated, Peter inhaled deeply before pointing a hoof forward. “Just head straight. Nice and easy.” “You got it! Nice and easy!” Sonata exclaimed, dashing forward without warning. Peter struggled to hang on as the water ruptured behind the speeding siren, splitting into two waves. Oblivious, Sonata merely hummed and bobbed her head playfully. “We’ll be there in no time!” -u- The journey to their destination was brief, lasting only a few minutes due to Sonata’s breakneck speed. They soon approached a ruined landscape emerging outward from the seemingly endless sea. Holding a trio of large marble columns, broken statues of what once resembled equines, and several empty ships floating in the sea around the locale. Peter furrowed his brow at the sight while they passed one of the derelict ships, its foundation aged yet stable. His sixth sense soon chimed, prompting the stallion to tap a hoof against the siren’s shoulder. Sonata slowed to a halt, reaching a pillar. Peter climbed from her shoulder, climbing onto the side of the column. “What happened here?” Sonata’s eyes softened as she glanced back at the surrounding ships. “I don’t know, but it’s really gloomy here. This place feels like it’s some kind of a graveyard, like, as if something really bad happened here.” The stallion offered a hoof to the siren, prompting him to lift her onto his shoulders before he proceeded to climb the column. The skies overhead rumbled with thunder as lightning crackled through the skies. Sonata furrowed her brow afterward. “I really don’t like this place, Peter. There’s so many negative emotions flowing through the air. It’s almost suffocating. Where is the fragment? I just want to grab it and get away from here.” Pausing, Peter pursed his lips. “Don’t worry. We’re close to it.” The pair soon reached the top of the column’s platform, with the stallion easing the siren atop before he joined her side. Shifting his gaze about, Peter frowned. Soon, he walked over to the edge of the platform and pointed a hoof in the distance, specifically at one of the equine statues overhead. He stared intently at its side, inhaling sharply before noticing the fragment embedded in the stone. The stallion blinked, leaping across the platform and landing on the side of the nearest rock formation, scaling it until he reached the statue. “There it is. Let’s grab it before--” he whispered, prying the fragment free from the stone. However, a blaring alarm erupted in his cranium, causing the stallion to sharply turn his gaze to the side. “Spider Sense is tingling! Something’s happening!” Just as Sonata readied to question the stallion’s statement, the column in which they stood on shook as tremors coursed through the entire vicinity. A shockwave erupted, knocking Peter from his heightened position, but the stallion spun in midair, managing to land gracefully next to Sonata. He paused to glance at his empty hoof, cursing under his breath upon noticing the fragment was missing. Peter walked to the edge of the platform, watching as something rose from underneath the water. A large scaled being levitated, elevating to their position until it hovered over the pair. Sonata blinked, inhaling sharply at the familiar sight. The siren possessed orange scales and a mermaid like tail, towering nearly three times the height of both ponies combined. Its rose tinted irises glowed momentarily before it bore its fangs, snarling. Peter narrowed his gaze on the fragment levitating in her possession, blinking once it fused into her being. Sonata stared at the siren with a widened gaze and her mouth agape. “Adagio?” “That’s Empress Adagio, whelp,” she growled as her gaze sharpened into a glare. Grumbling under his breath, Peter shook his head in an exasperated fashion. “This day just keeps on sucking. How did she know we were heading this way?” Adagio smirked. “Just because I rule under the sea doesn’t mean I don’t keep tabs over what’s happening above the surface.” The siren huffed once a pair of armored sirens joined her side. “You may not have noticed, but I had a spy trailing you two. You were simply heading in a straight line across a great distance.” Trailing off, Adagio smirked. “This peculiar fragment has been emitting volatile energies for days, yet none of my guards could remove it. When I heard of a mysterious pair approaching it, I figured it was a good opportunity to see if you could do what we could not. As always, I was correct.” She then shifted her gaze to the stallion. “I haven’t seen a pony in ages. I am certain your kind are all extinct. Where have you come from?” Peter chuckled nervously. “Oh, you know. Under a rock somewhere. We’re a stubborn race, like cockroaches. Even drowning us doesn’t really kill us… sometimes.” Sonata arched a brow. “What are you even doing here?” Adagio looked sternly at the interrupting mare. “I admit that one such as I-- the ruler of the world-- am forced to attend to this petty matter. I heard of a siren with pony-like qualities constantly running from my guards all week long. Then I hear of an actual pony swimming along the outskirts of our civilization?” Glancing to the side before returning her line of sight to the pair, the siren snarled. “You could say that I was forced to attend to the situation personally. It was I that issued the order to wipe the equine race from existence. The mere thought of having missed one was unacceptable.” Peter frowned inwardly. “So her role was reversed with Celestia’s in a sense, except Adagio took it above and beyond.” Sonata frowned, furrowing her brow. “That’s not what I meant. Where are Aria and me-- uh, I mean-- Sonata? They’re the ones who helped you defeat Starswirl the Bearded. Why aren’t they here with you?” “You have some nerve asking such a question,” Adagio scoffed, glancing to the side with a bitter gaze. “If you really must know, they were both killed in the final war against ponykind. In a battle that took place in this very location in fact.” Pointing a hoof behind his head where the ships rested, the stallion frowned. “What’s with the graveyard?” Adagio scoffed harshly, shaking her head. “A memento of false hope. The Equestrian forces tried one last desperate attack before we wiped the last of their kind from existence. Consider it little more than a lingering memory of those who would ever dare consider opposing the siren race.” Glancing to the side, Peter’s eyes widened at a sudden realization. “I get it! It makes sense why the fragment was here of all places. They're drawn to chaos. Every fragment so far has been found at the seemingly most chaotic location or individual in that reality. The shattered future, Discord, Cinch, Infurnus. Oh, and Mane-iac. She was pretty nutty, but I found her kind of fun to be honest.” Meanwhile, Sonata’s eyes widened briefly at the comment before softening towards Adagio. “I see... That certainly explains why you’re so... Bitter.” Peter shared a glance with Sonata, holding a hoof over his mouth while whispering, “This was a judgement call. Bad for her, but lucky for us.” Slow to respond, Adagio stared intently at the smaller siren. “You speak as if you know me... Who are you?” Sonata held a hoof over her chest. “A friend. One from long ago, not that you’d recognize me.” Adagio huffed, narrowing her gaze into a sharp glare. “No friend of mine would associate with a pony.” Growling, the siren narrowed her glare at the stallion. “Now, enough questions. I want to know how one reached the outskirts of our civilization.” She paused, shifting her glare to Sonata. “Above all, I want to know what this… thing is.” Sonata blinked, holding a hoof questionably at herself. “I’m standing right here.” Poking her lips out in a huff, the mare exhaled. “Besides, I’m a siren like you, but my genes have been blended with the ponies. You can say that I’m a pony-siren… or a siren-pony. Something like that.” She held a hoof out to the side, sharing a glance with the stallion nearby. “It’s because Peter here helped me. I don’t have to feed on negative emotions. Now, I can feed on positive emotions, and I feel so much better for it.” Adagio’s eyes widened at the comment. “So you’re a hybrid?” Slow to respond, the siren’s expression darkened as she gritted her teeth to the core. Dark energies emitted from her body while her rose tinted irises glowed with a bright crimson light. “You repulsive, disgusting piece of filth! You are an abomination! The very representation of what would doom our race! You may as well have joined the changelings, if they weren’t already extinct, too.” Tremors coursed through the entire vicinity, and Adagio’s body trembled violently while traces of magical aura glowed across her body. “Neither of you will not live to see past this day!” Peter blinked, lowering into a defensive stance. “You’re going to destroy us just for being different? That’s not how the world works Adagio. You let fear drive your actions, and you’ll never see the good those who are different around you have to offer.” Frowning, Sonata shook her head and glared intently at the siren. “Don’t bother, Peter. She’s just too stubborn to listen to anypony.” Holding a stern expression, she never averted her gaze from the true siren. “She’s no longer the friend I once knew.” “You have some nerve, talking as if you know me!” Adagio roared in a distorted voice, slamming her tail into the column behind her position with enough force to the shatter the stone and cause its entire foundation to crumble. The energies glowing from her body grew malevolent, spiraling out of control in a vortex. “I am not Adagio! I am the Queen of the Sirens!” Black mist exuded from her form while several large tentacles erupted from her back. Before long, Adagio twisted in place and fell over the ledge. However, one of her tentacles lashed out, forcing Peter to push Sonata out of its path, and the blow knocked the stallion high into the air. Adagio dove deep into the water while Peter soared through the sky, managing to land gracefully onboard one of the ships floating in the sea. Sonata jumped back to her hooves, ready to pursue the stallion, but the two siren’s guards hovered in her path, both attacking at once with a sharp song. A pair of pulsating waves approached the mare at two angles, forcing her to inhale deeply before shrieking at the top of her lungs. A shockwave erupted around Sonata, and the force of the blow launched both sirens skyward, one colliding through a pillar while the other burst into a wall. Both creatures fell limply into the sea below afterward, rendered unconscious by the vicious sonic assault. Meanwhile a massive whirlpool churned up in the open ocean, stretching out as far as the eye could see. One by one, the large flotilla of ships were pulled into the whirlpool’s rough and choppy outer edges, and several tentacles rose from the sea, reaching many yards above the surface of the water. Peter stood onboard his ship, watching the spectacle as it unfolded, and Sonata quickly dove from the column, swimming towards the fray with the speed of a torpedo. That same second, one of the many tentacles slammed into one of the ships as it took a swipe at Sonata, shattering the wooden vessel into nothing more than splintered timbers upon making contact with a resounding SMACK, and the destroyed ship sank beneath the waves, colliding with a rock. The whirlpool’s speed intensified, pulling the dozens of vessels towards it center at a faster rate. Peter furrowed his brow upon spotting something beneath the water at the center, recognizing Adagio’s orange skin, but it was larger in scale, matching the size of the large ship he stood on. Suddenly, one of the limbs snaked around the head of the ship the stallion occupied, lifting it high into the air. Peter maintained his balance, even as the ship was shaken violently. Meanwhile, Sonata inhaled sharply at the spectacle, diving beneath the surface before turning and rocketing herself out the water. While airborne, the siren inhaled deeply before screaming at the top of her lungs. A sharp bolt rushed out from her mouth, piercing the skies before colliding into the tentacle's tip holding the ship skyward. A shockwave erupted at the point of impact, and the energies sliced cleanly into the tentacle’s tough hide, causing a gash to spread. Peter eyed the injury, latching a strand of webbing onto the tentacle just as it relinquished its hold on the vessel. He clinged to its side, holding firm even as it dove underwater. Holding his breath, the stallion withstood the currents and lifted his gaze. A colossal monster stared at the pony from the shadows, its large pair of rose-tinted irises glaring intently at him before it roared ferociously. The tentacle rose from underneath the water violently, launching Peter high into the air once he lost his grip. Many of the other tentacles shot out afterward, lunging towards the stallion. Spinning in midair, Peter narrowly avoided the first, and he shot a strand of webbing onto the next, slingshotting himself over the second and third as they swiped at him. The stallion landed on the side of another tentacle, running across its surface as a fourth and fifth tentacle readied to slam onto his position. However Sonata shot out from the sea once more, vaulting clear over Peter as he ran. As if the world slowed momentarily, the siren turned to face both razor sharp tentacles. She unleashed a high-pitched wail, sending out several shockwaves, and the impact stopped the tentacles in their tracks, cracking their scales. Peter hopped over Sonata soon afterward, leaping from one tentacle to the next before shooting a strand into the distance. The thread latched onto the tentacle that previously held the ship, evident by its wide gash. The stallion spun around the tip of the tentacle, never relinquishing his hold of the webbing. Once his momentum ceased, Peter pulled at the strand and tightened its hold, allowing Sonata to unleashed another scream, and the bolt released from her mouth slammed into the open wound, triggering a small explosion before the tentacle was severed into two pieces. Adagio roar out in response, gritting her teeth violently. Peter dove from his position, speeding into a free-fall, and the stallion dove into the sea, falling deep into its trenches. Glancing around, he floated aimlessly. However, just as he readied to swim back to the surface, the stallion paused as a massive monster raced past him while passing a glance. His sixth sense blared as a tentacle lashed out from overhead. Peter lifted his hooves, managing to block the blow, but the tremendous force from the appendage sent him into a spiral. Just as the second tentacle swung down, prepared to swat the stallion, Sonata raced onto the scene. The siren burst through the tentacle, rupturing the tip from the base without losing momentum. Peter shifted his gaze to the side, holding a widened gaze as Adagio’s grotesque and massive transformed being raced towards him from the dark of the depths with her fangs drawn. Once within range, she attempted to bite the considerably smaller stallion, but he swayed out of range of her mouth with a hoof extended, managing to grab hold of the siren’s fin at the top of her skull. Pulling himself to a mounted stance, Peter punched at the hide repeatedly until its surface cracked, and he thrust a hoof underneath, prying a chunk of the scale free. Adagio released a pained screamed, stopping in her tracks. Suddenly, she shot for the surface, landing at the top of the structure where the statues and platforms stood. Peter crashed onto the nearest platform, giving Sonata just enough time to join his side. As she helped the stallion back to a standing position, Adagio’s tentacles stretched out and wrapped around many of the rock formations and columns, allowing the transformed siren to tower over the platform where the pair stood. Her form was no longer recognizable, all of her body having dissipated while tentacles sprouted from its place and held her massive head upright. All sense of reason had left her gaze, leaving only animalistic instincts in place. She hissed loudly, bearing her fangs as traces of drool escaped from her mouth, and the dark energies emitting from her body glowed brightly, igniting. Adagio leaned forward, releasing a loud roar, and the force of her voice sent tremors coursing through the platform, prompting both ponies to hold their ground. Sonata inhaled deeply, counteracting the scream with one of her own. Both energies collided, pressing against each other. Peter climbed to the highest point of the area while both sirens continued their beam struggle. Once he reached his destination, he jumped as high as possible before speeding into a free-fall towards the transformed siren. However, before he could react, one of the tentacles snatched his form from the air and slammed him into the nearest wall. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, Peter stood as four of the appendages aimed their razor-sharp tips in his direction. They lunged forward, but the stallion held his ground, lowering into a defensive stance. Once his sixth sense blared at its zenith, Peter jumped high over the conjoined strike and sliced a massive chunk of the rock free. Faster than the appendages could react, the stallion managed to web all four tentacles in place, and he sped back into a free-fall alongside the massive rock. Latching a pair of strands onto the stone, Peter spun in midair before launching the object directly into the gash on Adagio’s skull. The rock shattered on impact, causing the transformed siren to stagger and falter. Sonata’s eyes widened as Adagio’s screams lowered, prompting her to brace down. Inhaling deeply, the magical wings on her back sprouted and glowed. That same second, Sonata’s roars intensified, and the blast swallowed Adagio’s before it rushed forward, colliding into the transformed siren’s face. The energies generated a shockwave at the point of impact, triggering a small explosion. The fragment emerged from her body, landing on the edge of the platform. Adagio’s eyes closed shut as the surrounding tentacles shrank, retreating back into her body, and her entire form retook its original shape soon afterward. Peter landed by Sonata’s side as Adagio weakly opened her eyes, stealing one final glance at the pair before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Yielding to unconsciousness, she toppled over the edge of the platform. Sonata rushed to the edge, watching as her friend of old fell into the sea, and her form fading into the murky depths. Sonata inhaled deeply before sighing, a somber air overtaking her psyche. “I’m sorry, Adagio. You’re too lost in hatred to ever hear me again.” Peter’s eyes softened as he placed a hoof over Sonata’s shoulder. “Sorry you had to go through that, Sonata. Sometimes, the smallest difference in a timeline can greatly affect those that we know and love.” Slow to respond, the siren managed a nod. “I know. She wasn’t the Adagio that I knew, but the similarities were scary. My Adagio was just like that before she died: drowning herself in hatred so much that she couldn’t see the good around her.” “True, but the Adagio you knew saw the error of her ways and sought to right them in the end. If that’s any indication, it means that there’s still hope for this Adagio. We just don’t know how or when,” Peter whispered, earning a small smile from the siren. Sobering, the stallion retrieved the fragment. “Here. I managed to grab this during the fight. You need to hang on to it. I only have two more fragments left to find. You’ll have to lay low until then. Will you be okay?” Sonata accepted the fragment with a hoof, grinning. “Yeah. I’m faster than everypony here. Plus, there’s a nice oasis a good distance out. I doubt the sirens will be in a rush to find either of us after what happened to their leader.” The siren playfully punched the stallion’s shoulder. “Just don’t take too long. This place is depressing, and I need a full proper meal. Tacos, if we can help it.” Peter reached out, wrapping his hooves around Sonata’s neck for a brief yet warm embrace. “Sounds like a deal. Until then…” the stallion trailed out, tightening his hold as he gently nuzzled the side of her head affectionately. A large array of bright, warm energies channeled into the mare, causing her form to glow momentarily. Once the pair parted, Peter grinned as a portal spiraled into existence mere hoof lengths away. “That should hold you over for a while.” “That’s always refreshing!” Sonata giggled, waving the stallion off as he rushed into the gateway and faded into its energies. Sobering, the siren smiled sweetly once certain she was alone. “Don’t take too long. I miss the rest of my family, too.” To be continued...