Afternoon at Twilight's
Aria’s P.O.V.
“Your house? Tomorrow?” It was a slow Sunday. I was just reading the astronomy book Twilight gave me until she called me. She went straight to the point and invited me over to her place.
My friend did a ‘mhm’ noise of confirmation before speaking. “I’m free tomorrow after school! We can meet at the entrance of Greystone Park and head to my home from there. If you’re free, that is?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, I am free. I’ll meet you there.” I replied.
“Yay!” Twilight’s excitement caught me by surprise. I moved the phone away from my ear. “I-I mean… splendid. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“Me too. See you tomorrow.” I said back.
“Yeah! See you then, bye!”
I hung up after her last word and stared at the phone. That was… strange, right? She sounded more enthusiastic than usual. Maybe she had a good day. I shrugged it off and turned around to go to my room, but Adagio was standing right in front of me with her arms crossed.
“I thought you were going to take Sonata to the cinema tomorrow.” Oh, damn…
I hit my own forehead with the palm of my hand. “I… forgot. Just great, now I have to call her to cancel-”
“No, no. Don’t worry.” My older sister smirked. “I’ll take her. You go have fun with your friend.”
“Really?” Adagio nodded. She has been acting awfully nice ever since I encountered Twilight and became her friend. I wonder why. I have Adagio here and the subject was brought up. I might as well ask. “Adagio…”
“Hmm?”
“Why is so important to you for me to have a friend? Why have you been… nicer since we turned our lives around?”
Adagio lost her smug smile. Her expression changed to one I rarely see on her. She got gloomy. She dropped her head and headed to the couch to sit down. She then placed her hands between her legs. After taking a deep breath, she spoke. “Have you ever seen a Siren die from magic starvation?”
“I can’t say I did.” I replied without moving from my spot. I’m not sure if I want to have my question answered now, but something tells me I should listen to what my older sister is going to say.
“I did. It’s not a pretty sight, trust me. Do you remember Forte Pulse?”
“Your best friend, yes. Now that you mention her, I always wondered why you suddenly stopped talking about her. Is that… what happened to her?”
Adagio nodded and looked away. “I tried to help her, but it was too late. There was nothing I could do.” Her eyes got wet. I never saw her like this. "She became delirious. At first, she was just disoriented. Then she started to hallucinate, seeing... 'Things' that were not there and hearing voices from nowhere. That led Forte Pulse to become paranoid, afraid to leave her den because she believed something was hunting her. Finally, her fears consumed her mind and she forgot who she was... She forgot who I was... and attacked me."
My eyes widened in horror. What I was hearing was horrible. My sister didn’t look so good at this point. She was pale. “Adagio…” I tried to tell her to stop, but she silenced me by rising her hand.
"The worst part was that her physical health kept deteriorating as well. Forte Pulse's scales lost their luster, her fins began to rot away, she felt pain across her entire body. Every time I saw her, she looked worse. And one day, right before my eyes, I saw her turn into foam while screaming in agony."
Adagio sobbed and cleaned her tears with an arm. “I didn’t want any of us to die like that, so when we saw all that Equestrian magic on that fateful night, I thought that we would never die of magic starvation if we harnessed it all. After we were defeated, memories of Forte Pulse’s last moments of life haunted me again. But then we discovered that we could feed of regular food after our amulets were destroyed. I saw it as a second chance and I didn’t want to waste it.”
“I…” Once again, Adagio interrupted me. My sister stood up. Her sadness was gone and her expression was now more serious. She frowned at me.
“Aria, your friendship with Twilight is your chance to change your life!” She said sternly, clenching her fists. “You’re finally going out more, and you’re getting more interests. Please, keep going. I don’t want you to lock yourself in your room all day. I'm also not asking you to surround yourself with friends, either. I’m just happy with you having at least one.”
I was shocked, to say the least. I had no idea we could suffer such a horrible death. I thought that all that would happen if we didn’t feed of magic was grow weak, not… this. I really hate to admit it, but… the Rainbooms saved our lives. I won’t thank them for it, though. Still, Adagio has a point. I never cared for anyone outside my sisters like I do with Twilight. I value her friendship and I know she values mine. I don’t want to screw this up. “I won’t ruin this, Adagio. Twilight’s cool. When I visit her home, I’ll try to make a good impression. Do you have any advice?”
My sister smiled. “You seem to be doing well on your own. The only thing I can think of is a change of clothes. Oh, and a shower. You haven’t had one in a couple of days.”
I groaned. Adagio has tried to convince me to get more clothing for months, and now she’s taking advantage of the situation to keep insisting. “Fine! I’m going to buy more stupid clothes. And I’ll take a shower before meeting her.”
“Do it today and tomorrow, just to be sure.” My sister said with a smirk smile. She definitely still has an evil streak in her.
“Whatever.” I started to make my way to the bathroom, when Adagio called me.
“Wait, Aria.” I turned my head to give her my full attention. “This goes without saying, but do not mention any of what I told you to Sonata. There’s no need to destroy her happiness by telling her what could have become of us.”
I remained silent for a moment before answering. “Of course. I’ll take the secret to the grave.”
My sister groaned. “You don’t have to be so dramatic. Now, go take a shower. We’ll go shopping afterwards. There’s no way I’m letting you buy the first thing you find. Your outfit can't be some cheap rags.”
I groaned, but I said nothing. I just headed to the bathroom in silence. I better listen to her… for now.
The next day…
I arrived to Greystone Park with a few minutes to spare. I didn’t want to be late. Adagio bought me black jeans, and a lime green t-shirt. It wasn’t bad. My sister also forbid me from using my hoodie. I wasn’t keen with the idea at first, but for once, I’m not sweating.
I was chilling, leaning against the entrance of the park and chewing a bubble gum while I waited for Twilight. I tried to keep my mind distracted, but I couldn’t. I can’t stop thinking of Forte Pulse’s fate. I can’t believe we almost ended up like her. I suppose she didn’t suffer much after she started to lose her memory, but Adagio wasn't happy to relive the experience. They were very close. I don't know how she managed to pretend like nothing happened after Forte's demise. I guess my older sister is good at concealing her feelings, even better than me.
“Aria, hello!” I returned to reality when I heard my friend calling me. I turned my head towards her. She was running towards me and waving. A smile automatically appeared on my face as I stopped leaning against the wall. When Twilight was close to me, I noticed that she had the intention to hug me, but she hesitated and lowered her arms. All of the sudden she got nervous.
“Something’s wrong?” Her behavior was strange. I got a little worried.
“I-I’m sorry,” She looked away. “I was going to hug you, but I didn’t know if you were okay with it. And, umm…”
“Oh, I see.” I smiled again as I felt relief within me. “It’s okay. I’m not a hugger, but you can go ahead.” Twilight grinned before hugging me. I wrapped my arms around her. There it is. For some reason, I really enjoyed this. “Don’t hesitate to hug me next time.”
“I'll try not to. Thank you.” I smiled and removed my arms from her body, but Twilight didn’t do the same. I’m no stranger to hugs. Sonata does it all the time. They’re not supposed to take this long.
“Twilight?” There was no response. “Can I have my body back?”
“Oh!” My friend quickly released me. She hid her face from me. “I-I’m sorry, Aria.” She’s acting odd. Should I get worried?
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” I made one step closer to her. Twilight nodded before looking at me. She was smiling, but her eyes were closed. I think I also noticed her face a little red.
“Yes! Everything’s fine. Come on! My house is this way.” My friend pointed towards a direction as she started to walk in a fast pace. I placed my hands on my pockets and I followed her. However, she stopped dead on her tracks and turned around. “No, wait. It’s this way.”
Something’s definitely up, but I don’t want to bother her with questions. If she wanted to tell me, she would. I won’t risk my friendship for getting in her business. For now, I’ll let her be.
Twilight was silent. We walked a few blocks and she didn’t say anything. She lead me towards a wealthy neighborhood. The bypassers were well dressed. Some were dressed like maids. I even saw a limousine on the road I glanced at my friend. She didn’t seem confused, so I guess we’re walking on the right direction.. “So, your house--” it was time to break the silence. “have you always lived here?”
“Oh?” Twilight looked at me. “Yes. I have grown attached to this city, especially now that I have more friends. Canterlot City has most of the things I need for my equipment and hobbies. What about you? Have you been here for long?” Twilight smiled.
“Not as much as you. Adapting to live here wasn’t easy for my sisters and me. When we first arrived, we didn’t even know how to stay standing.”
My friend looked at me with confusion, but then she made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth. “That’s right, you told me you were from another world. Is it really that different?” There’s the Twilight I know. Seems like I was worrying over nothing.
“Very different. For starters, there are many species. Hippogriffs, ponies, yaks and so on. My sisters and I, for example, are... sirens.”
“That sounds pretty!” Twilight grinned. “I have watched the Glisney movie, The Little Siren. Were you like them? Although---” My friend changed her expression to a thoughtful one. “---sirens came from an ancient Greek mythology who used their seductive singing voice to lure unfortunate souls to their demise. I always found that scary.”
“Umm…” What do I do? My sisters and I were not nice people. Even though things are different now I fear I would scare Twilight away if I say the truth. Should I lie? I don’t feel comfortable with that either. I need salvation now!
“Oh, Aria! See that house over there? That’s where I live.”
She doesn’t seem to want a reply right now. Phew! That was a close call. I looked over to where Twilight pointed and found the house in question. “Wow… it’s… huge!” The house wasn’t just huge. It was immense! It looked like it occupied the entire block. The house’s, or should I say mansion’s, walls were painted of purple and the roof was dark pink. The paint matched Twilight’s color of preference. I also saw more windows than I could count with my hands. I could also see a yard and a garage. I’m sure there’s an even bigger yard behind the house. When Twilight told me her parents had enough money to send her to a prestigious school, I didn’t imagine she was this rich.
“I feel small.”
My friend giggled. “Let me show you around.” She said before taking me by my wrist and leading me inside. “Mom, dad, we’re here!”
I scanned the room upon entering. The entrance was nicely decorated and had a few seats and chairs. There were also some sculptures and photos around. I have never seen this much luxury before. “Now I’m glad that Adagio suggested me to get new clothes. I felt watched in this neighborhood.”
“Don’t pay attention to them. There are some people who hold prejudice, but they’re harmless.”
“I don’t care about what they think, but I still feel their eyes on me. Just let them try get their hands on me.” I frowned.
If somebody ever tried to touch me, I would break their arm. Very few people I can tolerate invading my personal space. While I was busy with my thoughts, I felt something on my shoulder. I quickly shifted my head to the side to find Twilight with her hand on me.
“Like I said, they’re harmless. Don’t mind them, Aria.” She was smiling warmly. I shared in her smile. I shouldn’t think about the spoiled brats from around here. I should just focus on what I’m doing.
“Twilight! welcome home.” Someone entered into the room. I looked towards where the voice came from and saw a woman by the door. Her hair was white and pink. She kind of looks like Twilight, so I’m guessing that’s her mother.
“Hi, mom. This is my friend, Aria.”
“Aria? You mean…” The woman briefly looked surprised, then smiled. Was that normal? “Right, the girl you talked about so much lately. I’m pleased to meet you, I’m Twilight Velvet. Twilight’s mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” I smirked. Twilight’s mother seems nice enough, but the brief pause she made before introducing itself was kind of weird, wasn’t it? I glanced at Twilight and noticed that her cheeks were slightly red.
“I-Is dad here?” She asked her mother.
Mrs. Velvet smiled. “You just missed him. He’s out doing an errand. Twilight, why don’t you take your friend to your room while I prepare you something to drink?”
“Okay.” Twilight glanced at me, fully smiling. “Come on, Aria, this way.”
I nodded before following her. “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Velvet.”
“Just Velvet is fine. Have fun!” I barely had time to wave at her before Twilight dragged me outside the room. We reached the dining room, which was as fancy looking and decorated as the rest of the house. I couldn’t help but to stand still and look around.
“I hope you’re not feeling bad. It’s not my intention to throw my wealth in your face.”
“I’m astonished, I won’t lie, but it’s fine. It’s not your fault you got better luck than me.” I reassured my friend with a faint smile. Twilight returned it and I glanced towards a nearby table which had photos in frames on it. One photo in particular called my attention. I looked at Twilight but she had her attention somewhere else. I’m sure she won’t mind if I take it. I walked closer to the table and took a closer look at the photo. It showed a much younger Twilight sleeping on the lap of Principal Cadence, who was holding a book. The photo also showed two other girls, which might be Cadence’s friends. I couldn’t move my eyes from it. Twilight looked… cute. It’s not often that I use that word.
“Oh, no… A-Aria…” I turned my head to find Twilight covering her face with both of her hands. I could see her turn red. Bright red.
“What? It’s a nice photo.” I smirked, without letting go of the photo frame.
“It’s gorgeous if I may add.” Both Twilight and I gasped and turned our heads behind us to find Velvet right beside us. “It’s my favorite photo of the collection here. Twily was just five when this photo was taken.”
“M-Mom…” Twilight removed her hands from her face. I don’t think my friend’s face could get any more red. I found her reaction quite amusing. “I asked you to move this photo somewhere else!”
“But if I did, no one would be able to appreciate it. That would be a crime.” Velvet said with a grin.
“Mom!” Twilight covered her face again. She was so embarrassed. I kind of enjoyed the situation, but I’m sure she’s waiting for me to save her.
“Velvet, I would enjoy to keep talking, but I have the feeling that your daughter won’t forgive me if we keep this up. But I would like to talk more about it another time.” I said
Twilight’s mother smiled. “Of course, dear. Another day, then. I won’t take any more of your time.”
I nodded before taking Twilight from her wrist. She gasped. “Where’s your room?”
“O-Over here, up the stairs.” Her blush was more evident. Was she that embarrassed? I followed Twilight’s indications to take us to her room. “Aria…”
“Mmm?” I glanced at her.
“When you told my mom that you wanted to talk more about my photos another day… y-you didn’t mean it… right?”
“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” I smirked again. Twilight widened her eyes.
“Please, Aria, don’t! I would die of embarrassment! She has a whole album my brother and me when we were babies, toddlers and kids!” Twilight cried indignantly.
“A full album, you say?” I said with a playful grin.
“A-Aria!” She covered her face again. I suppose enough is enough.
“Alright, fine I’ll stop.” I said after chuckling. “It looks like all your blood is in your face now. I didn’t know someone could get that red.” My friend didn’t say anything, but she avoided my gaze. I looked around. I found the stairs Twilight mentioned and climbed them with her. “Where to now, Twilight?”
“To the end of the corridor, the doors on the right.” I walked towards the direction she told me and reached her door. Twilight looked at me and I returned the gaze. “Aria…”
“Yes?”
“My arm…”
“What?” I glanced down and realized I was still holding her from her wrist. “Oh, sorry!” I quickly removed my hand. Now I felt a little embarrassed. Twilight smiled, though. Looks like she’s feeling better already. Twilight opened the doors. As soon as she did so, a small purple and green thing ran from the inside. It was a dog. A dog who started to growl and bark at me. “What the-?!” It almost scared me. Almost.
“Spike!” Twilight called the small dog, who stopped barking at me to look at it’s owner. It’s tail also started to wave fast. “Be nice, boy. This is Aria, one of my friends.” The dog stopped barking and started to sniff me. Moments later he began wagging his tail in happiness and placed his front paws on my legs and barked. That was quick. I glanced at Twilight. She giggled and grabbed her pet. “I’m sorry. He can be very protective of me.” She said, as she scratched the dog’s head.
“It’s alright. You did tell me you had a dog, but I forgot.” I scratched the back of my head. I can’t believe I forgot to ask about her pet.
“It’s okay.” My friend smiled. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
I nodded and followed into her room. Twilight closed the doors behind me. The room was of a considerable size. I could see a mirror next to a bookshelf. I also saw some photos of her dog framed on the walls. Even his footsteps were framed. It’s obvious that she loves her pet. Beside her bed, I saw a night stand with an alarm clock and another bookshelf next to it. On the other side she had her drawer, with a lamp and a couple of decorations more. Right above the had of her bed there was a round window. I was never a fan of windows in the bedroom. I prefer to wake up when I want, not when the sun tells me to.
“So…” Twilight stood next to me. “Feel free to sit on my bed.”
“Okay.” I headed towards her bed to sit. I have been standing for a while and I needed it. My friend placed her dog on the bed before going to her computer.
“I’m going to play some music. Is there any song genre in particular you would like?” Twilight asked sitting on her seat.
“Nah, put whatever you want. I don’t mind.” As I spoke, Spike walked towards me and sniffed me again. “What’s with that nose of yours? Do I stink or something?”
“He’s just getting to know you. Dogs learn a lot about people with their noses.” Twilight said before returning to her computer.
The dog stopped smelling me and stared at me instead while wagging his tail. Is he expecting me to pet him? I suppose I should give it a try. I raised my hand and slowly moved it to Spike, but I didn’t touch him. Instead it was him who leaned toward my hand and snuggled his head on the palm of my hand. With his approval, I felt free to caress him from his head to his back. He remained immobile.
“Aww, I’m so happy to see you two are getting along.” My friend commented as she approached us after setting her music. It was a genre I never heard of. It doesn’t sound like if it belongs to this decade.
I smirked. “Of course. I’m pleased to accept another cub into the pack.”
Twilight giggled. “Good. I would hate to leave him out of our group.” She said as she sat, leaving her pet between us. My friend then scratched Spike’s ear, which he seemed to enjoy a lot. “Isn’t he the cutest thing?”
“He’s pretty cool.” I moved my gaze from Spike to Twilight. “That’s some interesting music you put on. What is it?”
“Oh,” my friend accommodated her glasses and smiled. “I have been doing research on VCRs. I got one and disassembled it to see by myself the inside of one. While I was working on it, I thought it would be nice to listen to appropriate music of the time it was popular, so I looked up for a mix of the best of 80’s music. Isn’t it great?”
I knew it sounded old. “It’s my first time listening to it. Not what I usually listen to, but it’s not bad. It’s kind of catchy.”
“A little too catchy for my work. I found myself humming and dancing rather than focusing on what I was doing. So I had to change to classical music. I was able to enjoy it and focus.”
“Classical? Now, that’s definitely not my thing. No offence.” I said.
“There’s nothing to be offended about.” Twilight blinked in confusion. “It’s fine if classical music isn’t your preference. If you were to insult it, then I would be offended.”
I felt a sense of relief hearing that. I’m glad to hear our friendship isn’t in peril just for having different taste in music. “Then we’re good. A genre I really can’t stand is rap. I don’t even consider it music. It’s just a loop of a random sound with some people saying random stuff.”
Twilight giggled. “You have nothing to worry then, Aria. I dislike it too.” I smirked and placed the palm of my hands on the bed to stare at the ceiling. The mattress is really comfortable. Mine is not as soft as this one and is difficult to find a position to sleep. If Twilight isn’t careful, I might fall asleep even when I’m sitting. “So, Aria, what’s yours?”
“Hmm?” I glanced towards my friend.
“Your genre. What do you usually listen to?”
“Oh. Well, punk is more of my style. Punk, metal, maybe some rock. I have a band which I really like. They’re called ‘Powerwolves’.” I said, pumping my fist.
Twilight tilted her head to that taking on a thoughtful look. “I heard about them but I never really listened to any of their songs. Maybe you can show me one day?”
“Sure. It might not be your style, but I can still show you a song or two.” I smiled, but only briefly. “They announced that they would be coming to Canterlot City at some point in the future and I would love to go, but the tickets are expensive and my sisters and I barely have enough to get by.”
I crossed my arms and looked away. Even if I save little by little, I don’t think I would be able to afford a single ticket. Twilight placed a hand on my shoulder, so I looked at her. She was smiling warmly.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to go to one of their concerts one day. Maybe not this one, but next time, or the next.” Twilight said.
It wasn’t hopeful, but I won’t be pessimistic in front of my friend, so I faked a faint smile to her. “Yeah, thank you, Twilight.” She giggled and I turned my head to look around the room a bit more. This is the kind of house Adagio can only dream of having. When she finds out about this place, she will most likely get envious. Oh, I can’t wait to tell her. I glanced back at Twilight and realized that she was staring at me but she quickly looked away when she noticed me looking back. That was odd. I was about to ask her what was it about when the doors to her room opened, revealing Velvet with a tray with two glasses of juice and a bowl filled with chips.
“Hello, girls. I brought your snacks. How are you doing?” Velvet asked setting the tray down.
“W-We’re good, mom. We were just talking.”
“Wonderful.” Twilight’s mother walked in and placed the tray on the desk. “I remember this song. Your father and I danced to it in our prom.”
“Did someone call me?” A man suddenly showed up at the door. His hair was dark blue. He looks like he’s around Velvet’s age, so he has to be Twilight’s father.
“Night Light, dear. Come in. Do you remember this song?” Velvet asked him in a longing voice.
“Of course I do, sweetheart. The day you accepted to be my date to the prom you made me a very happy boy.” Twilight’s father said, while he wrapped an arm around Velvet’s waist.
“You could have been happier sooner if only you asked me out earlier. I had my eye on you since the start of that year.” Velvet frowned.
“Why didn’t you do it then?” Night Light frowned back.
“I was going to, but my friends said you had to take the leap. And, dear, you really took your time.”
“I wasn’t aware you were timing it.”
“We weren’t just timing it,” Velvet smirked. “We were also spying on you. When I knew you were nearby, I took my pocket mirror and pretended to put on makeup. I lost track of how much you made me smile whenever I saw you approaching and then change your mind and walk away.”
“Well, I’m glad my shyness was so entertaining for you, honey.” The man looked away. Velvet giggled and placed an arm around his neck before kissing him on his cheek.
“Looks like someone got grumpy again. I’ll just make your favorite meal tonight and you’ll erase that pout of yours.” I noticed Twilight’s father was struggling to avoid a smile. I wonder how many times has this happened.
“Mom, dad…” I glanced at Twilight when she spoke. She was covering her face, but I’m sure it was entirely red again. “Please, don’t do that when I have company…”
“Your parents have the right to love each other, Twilight.” Velvet replied, smiling playfully.
“I know, but it’s embarrassing.” My friend uncovered her face but avoided looking at her parents. As expected, she was blushing hard.
“Alright, alright. We’ll stop.” She said before looking at her husband. “Dear, are you going to say hello to Twilight’s friend?”
“Sure.” Night Light smiled and walked towards me. I stood up to shake hands with him.
“Aria Blaze, right? My daughter was told me a lot about you. You heard my name already but allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Night Light, Twilight’s father.”
“It’s good to meet you.” I smiled at him. He seemed nice, just like his wife.
“Dear, I think we should leave Twilight with her friend alone so we don’t embarrass her anymore.” Velvet said, pulling her husband away.
“I say we stay here and embarrass her a little bit more.” Night Light smirked.
“Dad!” Looks like Twilight didn’t like that idea.
“Okay, I got the message.” Twilight’s father was still smiling. “We’ll be downstairs if you need anything, Twily.”
“Thank you dad, and mom.” My friend was able to smile at her parents without signs of embarrassment.
“Have fun you two.” Velvet said as she and her husband left the room and closed the door behind them. After they left, I glanced at Twilight.
“Your parents are… something.”
“I’m so sorry, Aria.” My friend was still blushing. Her nervousness was all so clear. “They’re caring and I love them, but they’re sometimes like this. I hope they didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Nah, it’s cool.” I smiled to try to take Twilight’s worries away. “I just never saw adults behave like that. The marriages I saw never showed this kind of affection nor were playful.”
Twilight giggled. Looks like everything is returning to normal. “That’s because my parents are of those who still keep the love they had from when they were young. Age didn’t change their feelings at all. They frequently go on dates, they help each other with chores, they just enjoy each other’s company. They might embarrass me sometimes, but I’m happy with them. I’m glad they still share these moments. Not everyone is lucky to have a family like mine.” Twilight stared into nothing in particular, smiling. I suppose it’s my turn to say something. I remembered our previous conversation from when we were coming here.
“I never met my own parents.” My friend looked at me. Her smile faded.
“You… didn’t?”
I shook my head. “It was normal for us sirens to never meet our parents. You see, in Equestria we had the appearance of sea serpents. We had long tails with fins at the very end and two forelegs. We were born from eggs. Our mother only provided us warmth for us to hatch. Once we did, we just swim away on our own.”
“Really?” Twilight placed her hand on her chin in a thoughtful manner. “Curious…”
“What’s curious?” I raised an eyebrow.
“In this world, snakes are on their own as soon as they hatch, just like you were. You said you had the form of serpents, right? That makes sense. Although snakes don’t go in groups.”
“Sirens have more chances of survival when in groups. Equestrian seas can be… dangerous.” It wasn’t a complete lie. As long as she doesn’t know sirens were one of the dangers.
“I see...” Twilight was expressionless. “The ocean scares me, to be honest. I’m fine with beaches and lakes, but open seas? No. I can board a ship, but I would rather stay on solid ground.”
“As long as you don’t become a pirate, you’ll be fine.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at me, confused.
“Me, a pirate? I-I’m not that kind of person. I don’t break the law nor I know how to handle a sword. I---” I cut her off with a hand.
“Relax, Twilight. I was only joking. I’m sorry.” I should really keep jokes to myself in front of her. It might start to annoy her.
“Oh…” My friend blushed. This time I was the one to embarrass her. “Aria, you shouldn’t apologize for joking around. I’m the one who still can’t see when someone is serious or not. I’m learning a lot about friendship with the rest of my friends. Who knows? Maybe I’ll start catching the jokes soon. Still, I’m sorry for not getting this one.”
“And here I thought I was the only one who was a friendship mess.” I smirked. “Why don’t we call it a draw so neither of us feels bad?”
“Sure.” Twilight smiled. “Continuing on, I’m glad that I won’t need to be on a ship for my ambition.”
“Your ambition?” I raised an eyebrow, asking her to continue.
“What I want to do in the future. I want to work in a lab. Do research, discover, and develop inventions. I want to uncover science’s secrets.”
“That sounds pretty… wow.”
Twilight giggled. “It does. But the future is uncertain. I might or might not be a scientist.”
“Why wouldn’t you be? You seem to have what it gets to be a good one.”
My friend blushed again. Why? I said nothing wrong this time. “Th-Thank you, Aria, but times change. I had this dream ever since I was a little kid, but with my new friends and my new school, I’m getting doubts. A scientist is a full-time job with little breaks. I won’t have time to be with any of my friends. I’m currently happy. Very, very happy with my new life. I want to enjoy every minute I have with everyone. The future is still far away. I’ll think on something to use my brain and still be able to keep my social life. I really don’t want any of you to fade away and become only memories.”
“That was… deep.” My eyes widened after hearing Twilight’s little speech.
“Well, all of my friends mean a lot to me. I’m still adjusting to my new schedule. I’m invited over to hang out frequently. I want to do something nice for my friends. Starting with you.”
“With me?” Twilight nodded happily and stood up. She headed to her desk and opened a drawer. “What are you doing?”
My friend didn’t reply. Instead, she took something wrapped up from her drawer and returned to the bed, sitting next to me. “I have a little something for you… here.” Twilight handed me the gift and I took it.
“Thanks, Twilight.” I smiled at her before starting to unwrap my gift. I gasped upon seeing what was inside. Wh-What…? “A copy of… Young Sorceress Academia?” I glanced at my friend. She was still smiling.
“The bookstore I usually go to called me. Turns out they always had this copy saved for me, but it wasn’t stored where it was supposed to be. I would like to give it to you.” She said.
“But, Twilight. I already have a copy at my home. Wouldn’t it be easier if you just kept this one?”
“The one you have was bought by you but you gifted it to me. So I thought I could do the same. I bought that book for me and now I’m… giving it… to you. Saying it out loud sounds stupid.” My friend looked away. I placed a hand on her shoulder to make her look at me and see me smirk.
“It’s not stupid. It’s… nice. Thank you, Twilight.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Y-You like it then…?”
“Of course I do, Twi-” I was cut short when she hugged me all of the sudden. My arms were in the air. I couldn’t even react before my friend broke the hug.
“I-I’m sorry. I got excited since you liked it, and…” She blushed and looked away. I smiled and chuckled.
“No need to apologize. Thank you. I’ll return your copy the next time we see each other.”
“Okay.” She looked back at me and smiled again. My eyes then focused on the book I had on my hands until I felt something on my lap. Spike made himself comfortable on me and started to close his eyes. “Looks like he really likes you, Aria.”
“Yeah, I think so.” I said before placing my hand on Spike’s head to scratch it softly. Twilight, her parents, her pet… all of them are nice to me. I would be lying if I say I don’t like it. However, there’s one thing that has me worried. I glanced towards the desk to see some of the photos she has. I noticed them as soon as I entered, but I didn’t want to ruin the day by commenting on them. She had many photos with herself and the Rainbooms.
Despite them being the reason that my sisters and I had a second chance, their sight still puts me in a bad mood, but I admit it’s not as much as before. We’ll meet again. I’m sure of it. I just hope it isn’t any time soon. For now, Twilight knows nothing of my former life. I want to keep it that way for as much time as possible.
Sorry for taking so long, but here’s another chapter for you! 
I’m giving a star to whoever guesses what inspired me to write how a siren dies 
I want to thank Zalla661 for editing this chapter before its release! 
P.S. I just feel like showing more love to one of the photos Aria found in this chapter. So here we go! 
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No idea what the inspiration for a siren's death is. Wild guess, it's from Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson) Sea Monsters desolve in foam or mud when they die (I think
)
My thoughts exactly. gangster rap is even worse.
I know who you mean
9423401
Nope!
Actually, I'm not sure if anyone will guess it
I knew I wasn't alone with gangster rap. It's especially annoying when rap is used in cartoons to be "cool"
Rock on, my reader!
9423523 Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!
Here's your star
derpicdn.net/img/2018/11/3/1874265/large.png
Mermaids and Sirens may be the same or not, but I still took inspiration from the original "The Little Mermaid"
Poor Adagio. No wonder she wanted Aria to make some friends.
That aside, it was another good chapter of a nice bonding between Aria and Twilight. Can't wait for the next one!
Now that's what I call timing. Just this morning I saw this story in my tracking and wondered when the next chapter would be
Poor Dagi, I can't even imagine how that must have been...
And Twi, directly in the first seconds you forgot Cadence advice not to hug too long
But good to see that she gets along well with all the Sparkles, including Spike (minus Shining, hard to say what he thinks of her)
Looking forward to the next one, and really waiting for the rest of the Rainbooms to meet her again
9423660 Timing at it's best
No one likes to see someone they deeply care about die before their eyes
That's a crush for you! Imagine when it reaches love levels
I do have something planned for the Rainbooms and Aria. Don't you worry
9423574 Thanks!
Yeah. Aria needed to hear the truth
9423523
Fun fact, sirens are what mermaids in mythology are based on. Aesthetically speaking. While also combining hippocampus from mythology as well. That's what makes the sirens so amazing they're a combination of two different mythological creatures mashed into one.
9423983 Yeah, I had the feeling
Thanks for the fun fact
Oh, get rekt Twi Twi, you know Aria is gonna hold this against her forever. And of course the fun begins. I'm seriously glad Twi's parents aren't rich snobs. I expected one of them to say something about Aria, but then I remember she's not dressed like she normally would be. I like the trolling mother Velvet I love trolling mothers. Of course I look forward to more interaction between Aria and old Velvy.
At Twi Twis expense.
GASP!!! There she is! My OC! Too bad she foamed. That's what I'm calling it instead of dying. Sounds better, if a bit kiddish.
9424007
Sorry about Forte Pulse
Remember, I just borrowed the name, not your entire OC
This is the most heartwarming portrayal of the Sirens' relationship, and I like the progression of the Aria-Twilight relationship.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
9431600 Aww, thank you, I'm glad you think so!
I'm proud of how Twilight and Aria's relationship is developing too
Please post the next chapter soon. This is getting really good.
9493110 Do not worry, I'm working on it
9493114
Thank you. This is almost as good as Sucker For A Cute Face.
I have only one thing to say about that picture at the end of the chapter. Hnnnnnnggggggg!
10323568 Funny, I think the same thing
By Luna's blessed mane, that image is Precious!
10671071 I know!
That art has no right being as cute and adorable as it is
11113920 I know!