Chapter 1
Dark storm clouds rolled over above, making the sky look a depressing grey. Her tail swished impatiently, causing currents to ripple through the increasingly rough waters.
A thousand years, more than any human had or ever will live, she has been watching the sea, waiting.
What for she wasn't sure, but along the way she's found a few interesting experiences.
More particularly, sailors.
Rugged, sea worn men who would do anything to spend the night with a woman after months on a voyage away from civilization.
They intrigued her, and the same could be said for vise versa. Her routine was always the same. She'd pretend to drown, some lovelorn sailor would come to her ‘rescue’ and seal his own fate.
The best meals were the ones that struggled the most.
But today was different. Today she was closer to shore than she had ever been before; land life had become her new obsession.
It was easy for her to remain hidden, watching humans go about their day as if a monster that was thought myth wasn't watching them with curiosity.
Recently, there was one human who had caught her eye. This human was female. Not that she had never had interest in women before, she isn't very picky.
The woman had locks of a fiery red and gold, jade eyes filled with determination the likes of which she'd never seen.
Humans were fickle creatures. Focusing on one thing one moment, another the next. This human, this girl, who looked like she was in her nineteenth year, has had the same goal for the past few weeks.
She'd make her way to the rocky shore beneath the docks, and stay by the water until night, and leave, never seeming to find what she was looking for.
Adagio could tell her heart yearned for adventure. Something more than the little coastal town that the young woman inhabited.
Sometimes the young girl would sing to no one but herself. Or so she thought. Because Adagio was always watching with a curious eye.
It was an old song, a song that Adagio had thought was lost to time. It rolled off the young woman's tongue like sweet honey onto a crisp piece of toast, and sent shivers down Adagio’s spine. The singing was always a treat. A way to break their everlasting silence.
That was, until Adagio slipped up. It was a rookie move. The songs of her ancient tongue had brought her back to her childhood, reminding her of the days where her and her sisters would laze atop the shore while their mother braided their hair singing the same tune.
She had sung back.
It was the only weak moment Adagio would ever have.
The singing abruptly stopped, the note ending in a startled yelp. “H-Hello?” The girl's strangled voice called out. “Is someone here with me?”
Adagio, whose heart practically almost never beats, was beating faster than she knew it could.
Should she reveal herself? Should she swim away? What if this young woman found out what she was? What would happen if she knew of Adagio’s existence?
The air was filled with silence, except for the quiet lapping of the waves against the shore.
Adagio held her breath, hoping that the young woman on shore would give up on finding out who her singing companion was.
She didn't.
“I know you're out there!” she said. “Show yourself!”
Though wanting to keep her identity a secret, this young woman still intrigued her, so Adagio made the decision to perch atop a nearby by rock, and sing out the note she had sung before.
She heard soft footsteps come closer, and smiled when she heard a soft gasp.
“You're beautiful,” the fiery haired woman said, breathless.
Adagio smirked wryly. “Says every man who has crossed paths with me. They quickly take it back when they find out what I am.”
The girl’s eyes surveyed her body. “What are you?” she asked, taking a step closer.
“If I told you, this wouldn't be any fun now would it?” Adagio asked. “First, tell me your name girl.”
“Sunset Shimmer. I am from this coastal town and I'm nineteen winters. What about you?”
Adagio quietly laughed at that. Nineteen winters? She couldn't remember what she was like when she was that young. That was years ago. This girl, this Sunset Shimmer, was a fetus compared to her. Naive and hopeful. Full of life and determination.
It was appetizing.
Adagio’s mouth watered. Her interest in the girl had been purely entertainment, but now that she got a closer look at her young, supple body, she could use more than entertainment.
“Why do you come to the sea every day? What is it that you long for?” Adagio asked, staring her down and ignoring the younger girl’s previous question.
Sunset Shimmer seemed a little unsure of herself, and seemed to shrink into herself as if her answer made her self conscious. “I...I long for adventure. I long to leave this boring town to see what lies beyond this shore.”
Adagio smirked. Humans were so easy. This girl was practically begging for the siren to devour her. Dreams and aspirations are weaknesses for these creatures. They'd do anything to achieve a goal, even leave their comfort and step into naivety.
Of course, this worked in Adagio’s favor.
The slow lapping of the waves behind them reminded her of her little game, and she decided to ask her next meal, er, acquaintance another question. “Would you believe me if I told you that I could give you what you seek?”
Sunset’s eyebrows furrowed at that, and Adagio could practically see the gears working in her head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean if you take my hand, I can lead you to what is beyond the shore of this quiet town. All you have to do is trust me,” Adagio’s slender hand reached out for the girl. Her cool, almost nonchalant composure was almost ruined by the shear hunger lying beneath her intentions.
Sunset looked to be confused, uncertain whether it was in her best interest to even entertain such a thing. She was taught from a young age to never trust strangers, but this mystery woman seemed to want to genuinely help her. Before she could make up her mind herself though, Adagio started singing.
At first it was a low hum, that became a tune as crystal clear as the sprays of salt water against the rocky shore. It enveloped Sunset, kind of like a warm blanket in front of a fireplace, or a hug from a relative she had not seen in what seemed like eons. It clouded her thoughts like a fog in the early spring morning, destroying any resistance she otherwise had.
She took Adagio’s hand. Her eyes were wide and docile, a sign that her will was no longer her own. The quiet bustle of her now forgotten town, the villagers who had known her since she was little, the smiling faces of people she knew for as long as she could remember, it all became nothing but white noise to her.
Adagio was the only thing she could focus on. The brilliantly beautiful woman in front of her who little did she know was leading her to her doom.
Adagio was ecstatic. It's been so long since she had captured a meal so easily. The cool feeling of the waters around her somehow warmed her, the excitement in her voice could be heard through her notes. Not that her guest could tell.
She smirked when Sunset slowly but surely followed the siren into the murky water, her eyes still soulless and trusting. By the time she had realized that she was far, far away from shore it was too late, she was in the middle of the ocean with the beautiful woman she just met.
Adagio couldn't contain her delight anymore and giggled as she thumbed at the girl’s now bluing lips as they delved deeper and deeper into the depths. Her canines ached, and were finally going to be rewarded after Adagio realized Sunset had stopped breathing.
Silence fell around her, the water rushing around her ears. She smiled as she sank her fangs into the neck of her victim.
Humans were fickle things.