Adagio was shaking like crazy, her face pale and covered in a cold sweat. She could feel her control slipping. It was only a matter of time before her former self regained control. The headaches were coming with more frequency and magnitude. She was in a constant state of fear. She new the moment she dropped her guard it would pounce. The beast within her knew this as well. But it was purposely not trying as hard as it could, it was toying with her.
She hopped daddy had an antidote or some solution. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Sonata was often come to her aid with hugs, but it wasn't doing much. Rarity was trying to help in any way she could as well.
"How are you doing darling?" Rarity asked, her arm rubbing Dagi's back
Dagi could barely speak with her teeth chattering so much.
"N-n-not well."
Adagio could no longer stand. Every ounce of energy was being used to fight that thing in her mind. Rarity draped a deep blue blanket around her, attempting to get her warm.
"I made it last night, seeing as you weren't feeling well."
Adagio wrapped it around herself, her skin colder than ice
"Th-thanks."
Dagi clutched her head in pain again. It felt like someone was taking a steal mallet and banging it on her skull over and over. Only the steal mallet had been dipped in scalding water as well. The pain was such that she felt like she would pass out. But through sheer determination and stubbornness, she hung on. She was not about to let this thing take her.
Sonata looked at her struggling sister with tears in her eyes. She wanted to help her, make her feel better, but there was nothing she could do. All she could was watch and hug her.
"I'm sorry, Adagio." Sonata said sadly, hugging Adagio tightly
Adagio was gasping for air now as if she had been held under water. But her sister gave her strength. She was not going to make Sonata cry. She was going to fight through this. For her.
"It's... It's.. fine. Sonata. I.. I love you."
She talked tough but she could feel it. Each passing second she was growing weaker. It was only a matter of time before she caved. She had maybe minutes left before she lost. Rarity put her hands around her as well.
"Don't give in darling." she said "You'll make it through this."
Tears began to stream down Dagi's face
"B-but it's so hard! Just make it stop Rarity! It hurts so bad! Please! Just make my head stop hurting like this!"
"I'm sorry sweetie. I'm so sorry. There is nothing we can do right now. But just hang in there. The cure will arrive any minute now."
"Really?"
Rarity began to cry as well, knowing what she said was a lie.
"Yep." she sniffled "That's right. Twilight is just making sure everything is good before she sends it to us."
"That's good because I can't.."
Adagio's eyes shut as she lost consciousness. Rarity looked in fear as Dagi's chest had stopped rising and falling. Just as they were about to lose hope, Twilight Sparkle ran to their side, carrying a basket of vials filled with glowing green goo. Twilight is in a state of panic.
"No, no, no, no, no, no! I can't be too late!" she cried
"Why don't you just poor it through her mouth?" Sonata asked
"It doesn't work that way. She has to be conscious for it to work, otherwise the potion might end up suppressing her instead!"
"What happens if her siren self comes first?"
Twilight lowers her head
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Adagio hung in Rarity's arm like a limp noodle, her breathing still not returning. There was no telling what would greet them upon her waking, if she would even wake at all.
Adagio was in a milky blackness. She felt as if she were under water and the lower she went, the less her consciousness became. Was this really the end? The light was getting dimmer and dimmer, all the sounds of the outside world becoming fainter. She was growing calm now. She was ready for the darkness to consume her. Just as she was about to close her eyes and be consumed, she felt a sharp tug on her chest. In one fell swoop she was flung back. She awoke with a gasp and began coughing furiously, a horrendous taste in her mouth. Rarity, Applejack, Sonata, and Twi were all there. Twi looks at her dead in the eyes.
"Adagio? Is that you? Or are you the siren?"
Dagi could barely talk between all the coughing.
"Y-yes. It's me. I almost got completely consumed that time."
Twilight handed her the green drink
"Here. You need to finish the rest of this."
"Is this then antidote?"
"Yes. Now take it quickly. We don't know how long before you black out again."
Adagio took the vial and ripped off the cork. She knocked it back and was surprised by how horrid it tasted, like snot going down her neck. Almost instantly, however, the pain in her head subsided and her cold body began to warm up. Her airways began to open up again as well.
"How do you feel?" Rarity asked
"Amazing. I feel like I'm back to my old self. That stuff works fast."
"Alright Adagio." Twilight said 'You need to listen closely: Take this in the morning every day for a month. Miss even one day and your siren will spring out again to control you."
"I understand. I wish it didn't taste so disgusting though."
"Glad to hear it. And sorry about that. Sometimes the best medicine tastes the worst."
Twilight gets up and the rest of the group follow her to the portal, but it was still closed off from there end.
"Just as I feared." Twilight said "This is the same curse that I had back on my side. Black magic is leaking all over it."
"So does this mean that ya can't go back sugar cube?" AJ asked
"It does, at least until I can find a solution to the curse."
"Speaking of, how'd y'all get through last time? I though the portal was closed on yer end too."
"It was. But I solved the curse from my side. You see, curses normally take form in riddles and the only way to break them is to solve them. Without magic anyway..."
"I'm guessin' it wasn't too easy on yer end."
"Not exactly. I just used a lot of magic to overload it and thus break the curse. Brute force if you will. But magic doesn't exist here so we're at the mercy of the curse."
AJ sighs
"So this ain't gonna be easy is it?"
"Not at all. What I find so puzzling is who would do this? And for what reason? Not to mention who is capable of such advanced magic? This is something even Princess Luna would struggle to cast, much less to do it in the human world. No normal being could have possibly made this. Whoever did this is beyond powerful."
"Well no use fretin' over it now. Can ya read what the riddle says?"
"Yes. It says it has three codes for us and we must get them all right. This is the first:A natural state, I'm sought by all. Go without me, and you shall fall. You do me when you spend, and use me when you eat to no end?"