Finally, as if it took literal hours, we made it to the hospital. We drove behind the ambulance which had Aria, and Sonata was next to me, clinging around my arm, scared and terrified. It made driving seemingly hard, but I just let it happen. She's terrified, and for all we know, her sister could be... No... She's tough, she can hang on... Hopefully.
Soon, we arrived at the hospital. The ambulance entered some garage, and the door closed. I parked in the lot, and Sonata bolted out of the car. Without me saying or doing anything, she just went out and entered the hospital, in such panic, too. The gang parked, and before they got to the hospital, they went up to me, in which I was a couple of feet from the entrance.
"Darling, you think she'll be alright?" Rarity questioned.
"Oh, I hope she's alright." said a worried Fluttershy.
"Aria's gotta be alright... She's a tough gal... Right?" said Dash.
I finally spoke up. "I don't know." I said, then entering the hospital. I could see Sonata trying to get to an medical room straight across, but was being held back by medical staff.
"Come on! I gotta see my sister!" she ordered.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." one of the staff said, a man with black hair and white skin. He was struggling with keeping Sonata back with the other worker. "Please, our men have to check her, please- oof- You have to wait. I'm sorry."
Sonata was almost making it through, but I was right there behind her. I placed a hand on her shoulder, making her freeze. "Sonata." I said, calmly. She slowly turned her head to see me. "Come on... She's alright in there... Just... Wait."
Tears were flowing lightly, but then stopped. She slowly wrapped her arms around me then, and dug her head into my chest. "I just want to know she's safe... I hate seeing her... hurt..."
I rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her down and comfort her, and it seemed to work, though very slowly. "It's alright, just... Aria's just hurt..." Sonata just clutched onto my shirt and cried deeply, and I couldn't help but feel bad for her. To see the one you love go through a hellish experience like that, then ending up to be put in the hospital... pretty scary... I could only hope that by the end of this, not only is Aria alright, but Sonata is, too...
Come to think of it... There was something that flashed back in mind... Sonata being alright... Aria being al-... No. Wait. The... The dream... Aria just... and then Sonata does... No, no, no...
Why do I bother thinking of it? All of these coincidences... All of those horrifying thoughts and visions... Only fantasy, right? R-Right...
I just continued to soothe Sonata, and eventually made our way to the seats, where the girls were. They were in quite a shock to see Sonata in my arms, tears still flowing like Niagara Falls.
"Oh, Dear," Rarity said, approaching towards us. "Sonata, are you-"
Sonata just put her hand in front of Rarity, like she wanted her away. She kept away from me, too, when she pushed me lightly and made her way to the other side of the room. I didn't see her eyes, as they were covered by her hair, and from my words, it looked kinda... disturbing... I almost took a step, when suddenly AJ grabbed my arm.
"Just... give her some time, Sugarcube." she said quietly. "She needs some time, so... let's just sit back."
I was at first going to say no, but I thought for a second, coming to the conclusion that Sonata probably did need my time... But still, even if that was the best choice, even if it brought good, I couldn't help but see Sonata's dark look of sorrow and, what choked me just from looking at her shaking body and quivering lip, fear.
I sat in a seat, all in utter silence. The girls? Nothing different. I couldn't help but feel cold just sitting there. Knowing some dear friend of mine is in the hospital, after what the blue hell just happened. Can you think of ever seeing something like that? I didn't. Cause I didn't believe it would.
Eventually, as time passed, and silence was still happening, it was quickly broken as a doctor came from the hallway. He looked at all of us. "Are you Aria Blaze's friends?" he asked. He quickly turned to look at Sonata, noticing and possibly remembering the girl as she was trying to break in earlier. "I suppose you are." We all stood up, but Sonata just sat there, head down, and very quiet.
"Is Aria alright?" Fluttershy asked with concern.
The doctor smiled. "Yes. She's still alive, of course, and is in the process of healing." We all smiled and had a sigh of relief. Thank God... "But, due to the gruesome burns, she's gonna have to stay here." We then got shot back into the state of worry. Not as much as before, but still worried.
"How long?" Sunset asked the doctor.
"Two weeks." he answered.
Sonata then suddenly jerked her head up. "What?" she questioned, her eyes in shock. "No, no, no, this can't be right."
"But it is." the doc assured. "Based on her burns, it shows-"
"It can't be right! Aria's tougher than that, fact she's the toughest person I've seen!"
"Well, as tough as Aria is, she has to stay here for two weeks."
"Well-" I then put my hand on Sonata's shoulder as she drew near the doctor.
"Sonata..." I said, trying to get her to calm down. It worked... back then. Now? Didn't seem to quite work.
She pushed my arm away, and scolded at both me and the doctor. What happened next kinda shocked me. She just simply went back to her seat. For a second, I thought she'd keep lashing out, considering her actions, but fortunately, she went back. I looked at Sonata as she went back.
Then suddenly, she stopped. And immediately bursted out of the hospital. Crying... Sobbing... Hurt...
Dash approached the doctor. "Can we at least see Aria?" she asked.
The doctor shrugged. "I don't see why not. But please, don't touch her, she's gone through some pain in the procedure, and plus her burns can be increasingly painful if touched." The doctor gestured for us to follow him. "Come. I'll lead you to her room."
After walking down a long hallway of rooms where it would either have a patient or be completely vacant, we ended up stopping in front of a door to our left. "She's in here?" I asked.
"Yes." he said, then opening the door. We peeked inside the room, only to see an unconscious Aria. "Do make your visit for around ten minutes."
"Will do." AJ said, with the doctor then closing the door. We all stared at Aria. Her badly burnt body, her closed eyes. If it weren't for the heart monitor, I'd think Aria would be dead, but the heart monitor was beeping slowly, but very surely.
"Can't believe it all happened so fast." Rarity said. "She must be in so much pain. I can't begin to imagine."
"Same here." Dash admitted. "I... I never saw such bravery in my life."
"But, thankfully Aria's alright." I then got into the conversation. Everyone looked at me, but I didn't notice. "She's a tough one, like Sonata said. Hopefully she heals by then."
Sunset then brought up something. Something I almost forgot. "D-Dusk?"
"Yeah?"
"I almost forgot... You almost did the same." At that point, everyone held their mouths shut in shock and notice, except for me and Sunset. "You were about to barge in, but the forces stopped you... Then came Aria."
I get an instant flash of memory. Aria, running into the burning building, Sonata next to me, and a man trying to keep me back from being a hero. Aria took that spot of being a hero... Aria became the hero... Then she also ended up a casualty. The only one. And if it weren't for the man, I probably would've been done for, or maybe if I'm lucky, end up where Aria is laying. But then I wondered: Would Aria still come with? Would she still bolt, or would she just watch, like... like I did?
I was stuttering, trying to find words. I then started to picture my own hands, burned, and the setting? A burning bedroom. I can hear the crying of the poor child from earlier, and couldn't feel like this was imagination, but instead a gruesome reality. Then to make it better for me, Sonata was heard... Screaming my name.
'DUSK! DUUUUUSK! DUUUUUUUUUUUSK!'
I then quickly flash back to reality. I was there, staring at Aria's body, but only for a second before I stuttered back and almost fell. Sunset caught me. "Woah!" she said. "Dusk, you alright?"
"Y-Yeah..." I said. "I'm alright. Just... pretty shocked I didn't remember..." I then looked into Sunset's eyes. "Sunset... Let's talk alternative... What if it were me?"
The question got to Sunset, and to the girls, too. We all just stood there, thinking really carefully for a good answer. But, it was to the point where we just never knew.
"I just hope Aria's doing alright." Rarity hoped. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, but I just still stared at her. If only Sonata was he- No. I don't think I want Sonata here. If she couldn't bear hearing, she wouldn't bear seeing. Even with the heart monitor, all fine and everything, she wouldn't be stable...
Suddenly, the doctor popped his head in. "Sorry, but the time's up."
"What? Already?" Sunset said, then checking her watch. I just looked at the clock, and so it was. Ten minutes. Well, this kinda sucked. I honestly thought three minutes passed. The doctor stood clear of the doorway as everyone left, but I stood there, and noticed a post-it note pad on the desk.
"Excuse me, but everyone has to leave the room." the doctor told me. I looked at him for a second.
"Hey... do you mind if I left a note here? For Aria?" I asked.
The doctor looked at me, and cocked a brow. He then reached into his shirt pocket, and pulled out a pen and tossed it to me. Once I caught it, he said, "Alright. But please, make it quick."
I grabbed a post-it note, and started writing on it. Only took a minute until I was done and posted it on the lamp next to her. If she turns her head to the door, she would be able to read it perfectly. I walk out of the room, smiling. I got to the parking lot, but then, something got to me.
Where was Sonata? And where was my car?
Hey, Aria, if you wake up and see this just know that we're here for you, and that you're a true hero. We all hope you heal, and get well soon. Thank you. Sonata is worried to death and isn't so happy about hearing you be here, so she couldn't see you, sadly. But, I'll try to get you two together. Maybe you can help her feel better about this? But anyways, we'll probably be meeting again.
-Dusk Shine