Firecracker Burst and Aria Blaze both moved to the edge, crouching down.
"Kerfuffle!" Burst shouted. "Kerfuffle! Can you hear me?"
There was no answer.
"Kerfuffle!" Aria cried out. She moved to lay on her stomach, poking her head down into the gap. The smell of mold and rotting wood filled her nose. Eyes narrowed, she looked down, trying to catch sight of the fallen girl.
"I can't see her."
Firecracker Burst stood up and turned away. Her hands ran through her bright red-orange hair as she walked several steps, then turned and moved back. Worry filled her features as she stared down at the gap where one of their associates had disappeared.
Closing her eyes, she held up her hands.
"Okay," Burst said, her voice high with tension. "I'm going to take Babs out to the car, call for assistance, and get the first aid kit." Her eyes opened. "Aria, head down to the basement and look for Kerfuffle. Check to see if she's injured, and bring her back up if you can."
"Right," Aria confirmed, pushing herself back up. The iron bar rolled to press against her, having dropped it when she tried to catch Kerfuffle. Picking it up, she walked around the gap and made her way toward the staircase.
As hoped, there was a door built into the wall underneath. One that opened easily to reveal a narrow set of steps going down. A light was on somewhere further down, allowing her to see her way to a landing.
Aria made her way down the stairs as fast as she dared, which was still slower than she would have liked, but falling down them or having one break under her would just get her hurt. The railing seemed strong and sturdy, so Aria gripped it with her free hand. The wooden steps creaked, groan, and more than once, shifted under her weight, but held.
From the landing, Aria saw four figures on the floor. One was Kerfuffle, sprawled out on the floor where she had landed, staring up at the ceiling. The other three -- likely the missing trio -- were closer to the bottom of the steps. One was on the floor, with the other two on top of her. It almost looked like they had fallen asleep during a slumber party.
As she made her way down the rest of the stairs, Aria felt something pressing against her skin. It was slimy, chilled her to the bone, and vaguely familiar. Something that she had experienced at some point. A point far past remembering. Maybe something from her time in Equestria? Before their banishment?
She would figure it out later. Right now, there was more pressing matters.
Reaching the trio, Aria bent down and felt the neck of the white skinned one.
A pulse.
The same was true for the orange and the yellow ones. They were alive, and showed no signs of injury.
As Aria approached, it was instantly clear that Kerfuffle had not been so fortunate. She was breathing fine, and her pulse was strong and steady, which was a relief. The problem was her left leg. Kerfuffle's foot was bent at right angle, and there was a bulge from the shin.
But there was no blood.
Before she could move and get a better look, a hum filled the air. A black crystal in one corner started to glow, sickly green smoke rolling off it.
Aria realized what she had been feeling since coming down.
"Fu--"
Dark magic struck her.
The siren Aria Blaze was in a tank of water, metal bands around her neck, forelegs, and tail her chaining her in place. Even pressed against the bottom, the tip of her head fin broke against the surface, although the collar on her neck kept her from lifting her head up into the air. Her tail curled around her body, tip resting in front of her bound hooves. Even with that, the part of her furthest back nearly touched the back wall. At the same time, her snout was less than an inch away from the front. If she gave a snort, it would hit the glass.
Beyond her tank, she saw a human laboratory. Directly in her field of view was a massive steel table, the edges raised, and a drain built on one end of it. Next to it was a large tray filled with implements: scalpels, knives, saws, even rib spreaders. A single bulb shined down on it from above, as well as a hose with a sprayer head attached to it.
Four humans in white hazard suits entered. Each held a chain, gripping it tightly as they pulled and yanked.
"Sonata!" Aria cried out.
Sonata Dusk was dragged into the room. The blue siren was bound similar to how Aria was, with bands around her neck, legs, and tail. However, unlike Aria, Sonata had been muzzled as well, a small steel cage placed around her snout. Tears ran from her eyes, dripping to the floor below. She fought, yanking and jerking against the chains, but kept being pulled into the room.
Toward the table.
Aria Blaze let out a snarl, yanking against her own chains. She twisted, jerked, pulled with every fiber of her being, and even tried biting through them. She fought against them until they cut into her skin and blood seeped out.
None of it did any good.
The humans dragged the struggling siren to the table, flipping her onto her back. They pulled the chains taut and snapped the other ends to hooks in the floor, pinning Sonata in place. Once that was done, one of them moved over to the instrument tray and picked up a massive, glistening knife.
They were going to vivisect her.
As the realization struck Aria, her struggles grew more desperate. She had to get free. Had to stop what was happening. She needed to save Sonata. Protect her. Keep her safe.
She had to... she had to... she had to...
A small voice in the back of her mind told her she had to calm down. Aria had to remember that she had been hit by a fear spell of some sort. What she was seeing in front of her was not real.
Closing her eyes tight, Aria Blaze closed her eyes (or went through the motion), and tried to block out everything she thought she saw and heard. She had to focus. To concentrate. She was not a siren. At least in form. She was currently in a human body. That body was not currently in a lab. It was in an old farmhouse outside of Canterlot City. One that had dark magic crystals in the basement. Sonata Dusk was not in a human lab somewhere, about to be cut open. She was probably at home, watching some dumb cartoon or stupid movie.
Aria focused on her hands. Just on her hands. All her focus, all her concentration, all her energy. She focused on bringing them up to her face. A face she could not actually feel, but knew she had. A small twinge of pain let her know that she had found it. Aria's focus tightened, moving two the first two fingers of each hand. That was all she needed. Focus on those, press firmly, and give a hard twist.
Fresh pain exploded through Aria's face as her broken nose was once again forced out of joint. With it, the illusion shattered, leaving her standing in the basement once again. Fresh liquid warmth ran down her mouth and chin.
Blinking through tears (which was only from the pain of her face, and had nothing to do with the residual terror of what she had seen), Aria picked up the rod she had dropped and made her way toward the crystal. Both hands gripped one end, squeezing tightly until her knuckles were turning white.
Stance wide, Aria's entire body twisted as she brought the rod back as far as she could manage. With a feral scream of pure rage, she swung the bar, putting every ounce of emotionally charged strength into it.
The black crystal shattered. Dark energy exploded in every direction, but without the structure controlling and directing it, there was no real or immediate danger. Those exposed might be in bad moods for a while, and there might be some nightmares for a few nights if anyone ever moves in again, but all the negative energy will eventually fade.
Two pink feathers fell to the floor, unnoticed.
Dropping the now bent bar of iron, Aria turned and walked over to Kerfuffle. A small grunt escaped the young woman, eyes opening a second before closing again.
"Wh..." Kerfuffle mumbled.
"Don't move," Aria ordered as she crouched down. "You took a nasty fall. Your left leg looks broken in at least two places, and that's just what I can see." Her eyes glanced at the remains of the crystal. "You also got hit by a pretty nasty fear spell. Going to leave you feeling disoriented."
"It's fake."
"What?" Aria asked, the comment catching her off-guard.
"Prosthetic," Kerfuffle stated. She turned to look at it. "Lost everything below the knee when I was eleven."
"That explains the lack of blood," Aria said, looking at the pant leg. She then turned back to Kerfuffle.
"Come on, let's get you out of here."
"No," Kerfuffle snapped, moving one hand. She then winced in pain. "While my leg took most of it, I still took a nasty fall, and hit my back pretty hard. It or my neck could be damaged. Moving me wrong could make things worse. We need to wait until I can be properly immobilized and moved."
Her hand gripped Aria's as she looked up with those big, purple, worry-filled eyes.
"Stay with me until they get here?"
Looking down at the injured and frightened Kerfuffle, Aria Blaze felt... sympathy? That was the term, right? When someone felt bad for someone else being upset? Was... was she actually feeling bad for a human? Granted, one she found cute, if a little annoying, but still. She had never really felt sympathy for a person before.
Aria did not like it.
She should leave. Just get up, go upstairs and tell Firecracker Burst. Let the senior agent deal with the whole thing. Burst would come down and keep Kerfuffle company. Wait with her until help arrives. It would be easier now. Keep it clear there was no real emotional attachment between them.
She was a siren. A predator. One that fed off of negative emotions. Saw humans as food and play things.
Was.
"Yeah," Aria said, giving the hand a gentle pat. "Yeah, I can stay with you."
And she did.