DISCLAIMER: This chapter includes a reference to dementia in passing when referring to an elderly person. Since this hits too close to home for some people, I figured I should make a warning.

“Are you going to be in there forever? We’re going to be late~” a sweet voice calls out for me from beyond the bathroom door. The warm water falls down onto my shoulders, my hair soaked from the previous twenty minutes. I’ve been in here for twenty minutes…. Twenty minutes of roaring water and racing thoughts… No matter how I try to block them out, they keep coming. Water is the most thought-provoking element in my life. It was where I was born and I can’t help but feel at home in it. The longer I stay here, the more my fingers prune up. Yet I find it hard to actually step out. Was she born in it as well? Was that demon also born in the water or was she born in fire?

Pressing my hand against the shower wall, I take a deep breath, sighing as the water runs along my back. She’s been more and more persistent lately. Popping up at the most inconvenient times. She made me leave Apple Bloom abruptly when she and I decided to hang out together. All the time she appears, I have to make some stupid excuse as to why I was acting uncharacteristically. The worst part about it is that she acts exactly like me with Sunset. She can’t tell the difference at all. This demon in my mind has been impersonating me, sweet talking Sunset, only to change her demeanor as soon as she’s alone. I’ve been able to stay present when she’s in charge more often, seeing exactly what she’s doing. Every single time she is in control, she does something completely random. Searching up Egyptian mythology, capitals of the world, and even the types of witchcraft there are in the world. How in the world do those things connect?

One thing I noticed she had tinkered with was… that. The broken red gem inside my shoebox of personal belongings. I don’t know why I kept it around, but I noticed that she had messed with it. She must have given it up after a while though… Not a single piece is missing. All 47 pieces are there. Why do I even have that number memorized…? Maybe because I had hope that maybe I could repair it back when I lost my magic. Surely she would know that it isn’t repairable. Right? She seems to know everything I do, so why mess with it? Unless there’s some way that it connects to her plans…

“Honey? Are you there?” the same voice calls out for my attention, making me open my eyes with a sharp breath. Clenching my fist, I shake my head, trying to get the demon’s chuckle out of my mind.

“Yeah? What is it, Sunny?” I ask in a loud voice, trying to speak over the water. I kind of forgot what she said before… Can I really be blamed? She has been in my mind for far too long and I need to get her out.

“I was just saying we’re going to be late if you stay in there much longer,” Sunset repeats herself with a concerned tone to her voice, a slow silence following after her sentence. “Would you feel better if I joined you? If the nightmares are-”

“It’s alright. I’ll be out soon, I promise~” I interrupt the love of my life, looking directly into the shower’s wall. The blurry and vague reflection of me only makes my resolve to beat this siren queen in my mind stronger. It’s the middle of July… A full year since she started to invade my mind. Unless you count the nightmares I had before. Sunset was mentioning nightmares… That’s what I’ve been saying whenever I wake up in the middle of the night, thinking about the siren taking control of my body. The truth is that this nightmare is no longer a dream. It’s become a reality.

“Alright~ Maybe next time,” Sunset tells me with a cheeky tone through the door, making me sigh quietly. All these fun times with Sunset mean the world to me. She means the world to me… That’s why I need to get to the bottom of this. To protect her…

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Slowly getting off the motorcycle, I look towards the beach with a deep breath, remembering Sunset’s last birthday almost a year ago. Today, we agreed to meet with her friends to go swimming and honestly? I’m a little excited. The swimsuit Sunset tried on in the mall all that time ago never got to be used. Until now. She looked great in it back then and I doubt anything has changed since then. From here, I can see our friends already setting up their towels on the beach, a pink blur running around the shoreline for some random reason. The white woman with purple hair is setting up a whole chair with an umbrella, making her space seem much more sophisticated than everyone else’s. To be honest, I’m a little jealous.

“Excited? I can’t believe we’ve never gone swimming before~ We’ve been dating for more than a year and that’s something we still haven’t done,” Sunset tells me with a happy chuckle, holding a duffle bag with all our swimming supplies in one hand and her helmet in the other.

“I’m especially excited to see you put that swimsuit to use~” I tease my Sunny with a short laugh, making Sunset roll her eyes with a smile on her face.

“I know, I know~ You like looking at my body. Just remember that I’m not the only piece of eye candy here, Alligator~” Sunset tells me with a wink, nudging me with her shoulder. Instantly, a small blush comes to my face without my control, making Sunset giggle a little more. It’s always easy for her to make me blush and feel flustered… Regardless, her statement does make me feel a little better that I can look good for her too. It’s ironic that I talk a big game, but as soon as Sunset sways her hips and uses a sweet tone in her voice, I’m putty in her hands. Thankfully, she doesn’t use that power for evil.

Shaking my head slowly, I try to get rid of the blush before the two of us get close enough for our friends to notice. Approaching the beach, I can see everyone either getting ready to swim or trying to rest in the shade. Fluttershy is close to the beach, crouching down and looking at the sand. Pinkie Pie, however, is rushing around the beach, seemingly picking up all the pieces of trash she can find. Pinkie’s randomness being used for a pretty good deed. Huh.

“Hey, guys!” Rainbow Dash calls out to us, causing the rest of the girls to look in our direction. Applejack almost instantly stands up from her towel, putting down the sun screen she was just lathering on herself. Twilight gives us a wave with a big smile,

“Hello, darlings~ I was wondering where you were,” Rarity tells us with a slightly dramatic tone, playing up her worry and resulting in an eye roll from Rainbow Dash. Before anyone else can say anything, Applejack walks towards us with a smile, patting Sunset’s shoulder.

“Heya, girls~ Glad ya could make it! Do you mind if I borrow Adagio for a moment?” Applejack asks, cutting straight to the point, but what that point is remains unknown to me. Sunset’s eyes connect with mine, a sense of shared confusion between the two of us. At this point, I can almost tell what Sunset is thinking about when she looks at me like that. This time, I’m sure I didn’t do anything wrong. At least, I’m ninety percent sure. Right?

“Alright? Well, I’ll see you in a minute then,” Sunset says with a confused tone, giving me a small kiss on my cheek before walking away from the two of us. Sunset opts to talk to her friends a bit before going to the closest bathroom to change into her swimsuit. Reconnecting my eyes with Applejack’s, I can’t help but notice her serious gaze.

“Okay… What did I do?” My question is filled with a tone that sounds tired, feeling exhausted that I always seem to be doing something wrong. Every corner I turn, there’s yet another thing that I’ve done that comes back to bite me.

“Ya didn’t do anything, sugarcube. Well, at least I hope not,” Applejack tells me slowly, leading me away from the beach to avoid the others from overhearing our conversation. I’m either about to be scolded or she’s about to deliver some difficult news. I’m not sure which one is better if I’m being honest… “It’s more about what ya haven’t done.” I can’t help but raise my eyebrow at Applejack’s statement, looking back at our friends briefly as the worrisome thoughts fill my mind once again.

“Okay. Then what did I not do?” I ask slowly, wishing the cowgirl would just get to the point already.

“Adagio, I’ve been trying to ignore it as best as I can. You wanted me to drop it, but I can’t. It’s been a full year and I… I feel worried about ya, sugarcube,” Applejack tells me with a concerned expression, putting both of her hands on my shoulders. “A year ago, we moved your stuff from Filthy Rich’s place back to your apartment and I really need to know what kind of business you had with him. He’s not good news, I’ll tell ya that much.” Suddenly, the memory Applejack is referencing comes back to my mind, making me realize just what she is talking about. I never told her the extent to which I used to work for Filthy Rich and that’s probably been eating her up from the inside out.

“Applejack. I’m fine, really. You don’t have to worry-”

“Damn it, Adagio. Don’t tell me that,” Applejack says in an angry tone, letting go of me and walking a few steps away from me with a huff. “Don’t ya know it’s my job to worry? I have to worry every day about the farm, Apple Bloom and now Granny. All I want is to know how exactly you’re connected to him, sugarcube.” Applejack’s hand comes up to her hand, clearly annoyed by my dismissal of her worries, but I can’t help but wonder why she would be stressed out over her grandmother…

“What’s going on with your grandmother…?” I slowly ask her in response, seeing Applejack’s expression turn from annoyance to hesitancy.

“Quid pro quo, Adagio. I already asked ya a question I’ve been waiting a year to ask. I would really appreciate hearing about your connection to that man,” Applejack tells me with a deep breath, looking back towards me in an attempt to restart the conversation. In a way, I appreciate Applejack’s concern for my safety… It shows that the two of us have come a long way since a year and a half ago. Back when she hated me…

“Alright… You want to know the story? I’ll tell you everything. I promise. Just… not here, alright? How about this Friday? I can make some time for us to be alone and I’ll tell you the whole story there.” This statement seems to please Applejack slightly, her expression telling me she’s not exactly happy that she can’t hear it now, but she seems to enjoy the outcome regardless. She isn’t the type of person to “look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Fine. If ya promise, then I suppose that will do. As long as I get a straight answer, then I’ll be happy.” Hearing Applejack’s words, I can’t help but chuckle slightly, finding humor in her choice of words. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe no one else would think of this, but it’s pretty funny to me. Applejack, in return, looks confused. “What’s funny?” she asks me with a raised eyebrow, looking around her to see if something near her is causing my laughter.

“I just thought about how funny it is that you always want a straight answer or solution, but you, in fact, are not straight~” I tease the cowgirl with a short chuckle, an odd look coming from Applejack that can only be described as “Really?” After a minute, Applejack chuckles with me, shaking her head.

“I guess you’re right about that. Though, I already get a lot of jokes like that from Rarity.” The cowgirl looks towards the beach and subsequently her girlfriend, smiling to herself. For a couple moments, the sound of the ocean fills the air between us before I can remember my previous point of interest.

“Do I have to wait until Friday to hear what’s going on with your family? If it’s as private as my story, I would understand.” Honestly, Apple Bloom told me during the school competition of hers a year ago that something was happening in her family, but it was said in passing and I didn’t really have much time to address it then. It honestly makes me pretty curious. That combined with the fact that Apple Bloom hasn’t had much time to hang out anymore makes me a little worried. It’s the middle of summer and she’s in high school. She should have all the free time in the world.

“Nah, I guess not. I mean, it is pretty big, but I can sum it up in a few words,” Applejack tells me quietly, a small tone of uncertainty lingering in her voice. With a deep breath, Applejack connects her gaze with mine once more, a solemn smile spreading across her face. “Let’s just say I’ve been the head of the farm for a while now. Granny hasn’t been remembering things that well and she’s made some crazy demands that even she would have called insane just a few years ago. Such as painting the trees a different color.” Applejack tries to lighten the situation by making a joke, but it falls flat pretty quickly. I think both of us can tell just how serious the situation is and I can’t help but wait in morbid silence.

“What’s happening exactly…?” I ask her quietly, trying to be careful about potentially stepping on a sensitive area. Applejack shakes her head slightly, a pained sigh escaping her lips as she does so.

“The doctor said that she’s showing early signs of dementia… There’s hope that the new medication she’s on is the cause of this confusion, but we’ll have to wait and see.” Applejack idly kicks a stone away from her, the expression on her face telling me it’s a hard truth for her to admit, but maybe it also helps to talk about it… Rather than keep it inside.

Resting my hand on her shoulder, I do my best to give her a kind smile, trying to sympathize with her current situation. I’ve never had a family member that had to go through something this painful, but I never really had a family to begin with. Now, the closest person I have to family is Sunset. “I’m sorry you’re going through this, Applejack. If there’s something I can do to make it better, just tell me. I’ll be there as soon as possible.” The cowgirl returns my smile, gently grabbing my hand with a nod.

“Thanks, Adagio. There’s not really much ya can do. Other than holding yourself to your promise. Either that or help with Apple Bloom sometimes. She’s a handful that I sometimes don’t have the patience to deal with.” Applejack waves her hand in the air as if she’s describing Apple Bloom’s carefree nature in a gesture. Honestly, as much as Apple Bloom may pretend she doesn’t have a care in the world, I kind of doubt that. She probably deals with a lot behind the scenes…

“Speaking of Apple Bloom, where has she been recently? She’s been really busy, despite the fact that it’s summer.” Usually, the rascal is nagging me to help her with some school assignment or do some random thing that only makes sense to her. Why do I even go along with her antics? It’s probably because I care about her in a way and seeing her happy that I get to spend time with her isn’t something I get to see every day. It’s not as powerful as seeing Sunset’s happy smile, but it’s still nice.

“She’s been visiting Diamond Tiara a lot lately… I don’t necessarily think she should be doing that due to Filthy Rich and his slimy nature, but I suppose it’s a good deed. Helping someone in a time of need.” Applejack shrugs to herself with a conflicted expression. A part of me can understand how she feels about this odd situation. I can admit Filthy Rich isn’t the best influence, but at the same time, I don’t think he’s the type of man to jeopardize his daughter’s only friendship. From what Apple Bloom told me, Silver Spoon used to be her friend, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. I teach the girl every couple of weeks and it seems like she dropped Diamond Tiara as soon as she wasn’t popular anymore… It’s unfortunate. Diamond Tiara can’t control her sickness. Kids can be cruel to each other…

“I don’t think Rich will be a bad influence for your sister. He surely knows that Apple Bloom is Tiara’s only friend at this point,” I tell Applejack with the best reassuring tone I can muster, rubbing her shoulder. Applejack nods slowly, giving a doubtful yet understanding smile as best as she can.

“Just remember to keep your end of the bargain. I want to know about your business with Filthy Rich.” After a couple moments, Applejack flicks her hand a little, dismissing me. “Alright, that’s all I wanted to talk to ya about. You should probably get changed. Wouldn’t want to swim in that jacket, right?” Applejack teases me, both of us laughing shortly. Taking a couple steps away from the cowgirl, I give her a small wave, feeling glad that the two of us had this conversation.

“I’ll see you in a minute,” I remark, heading in the direction Sunset walked off to. A smile spreads across my face, thinking about the upcoming day. At least we got the tough conversation out of the way before anything else~

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The sun beats down on everyone, but this environment makes it feel bearable. The mixture of fun games and water makes me feel more energetic than usual. Rainbow Dash’s insistence on playing volleyball and Fluttershy’s quest to find more shells for her collection are just two parts of the fun day in the sun. Everyone has their different definitions of fun, but at least they can all mesh together here. Even Rarity has had fun swimming with the others, despite her less than enthusiastic response to getting her hair wet.

The best part about the day has been the downtime I’ve gotten with Sunset, briefly wading in the water with her and talking about mindless subjects. It doesn’t matter what we talk about honestly. Just being with her is nice, seeing the water shine on her skin and her clear joy. Her smiles and laughs every time we splash each other makes me feel like time itself has slowed down just so I can enjoy the moment for a little while longer. Every smile seemingly captured like a photograph in my mind.

For now, I have to deal with the water dripping from my hair as the two of us stand on warm sand. Sunset’s hand holds onto mine as she talks with the man inside the ice cream shack, my ears not picking up a word she says. Instead, my focus is on her beautiful eyes, full of hope and life. Despite the fact that her hair is pretty much soaked, she still looks just as amazing as ever. Her jokes and optimistic outlook never fail to make me feel comfortable and at ease, being like a summer breeze in my mind. Once upon a time, it felt weird to hold her hand like this. It felt like I was doing something wrong, but now? It’s just second nature to us. In no way does it remove the effect it has on me, calming me down from essentially anything.

Hell, even my insecure thoughts about the siren queen locked inside my mind are easily soothed by her smile. Her words of reassurance instantly make me believe there’s some way out of this mess. There has to be, right…? There has to be some logical answer to help me take care of this… Life wouldn’t give me this great relationship with Sunset only to take it away with these bad circumstances, right? Then again, maybe I shouldn’t tempt fate with thoughts like that…

“Thank you~” Sunset tells the man with a smile, letting go of my hand to grab the two ice cream cones. I used to feel sad whenever she would let go of that embrace, but now I know it’s only a matter of time until she can hold my hand again. Turning away from the ice cream stand, Sunset hands me the vanilla cone with cherry syrup, once again getting what she deems to be my favorite. Sunset’s smile brightens up when she locks her eyes with mine, the sun reflecting off of her wet hair. “Nothing like a little refreshment after all that exercise, huh?” The light of my life simply licks her ice cream with the joy of a child on their birthday, enjoying every second of the day that she can.

“True, but it’s nothing compared to you,” I whisper in response, still simply trapped by her happy smile. I’d do anything to make her feel this way forever… To make her happy for multiple lifetimes, all because her happiness means the world to me. Sunset’s cheeks blush to my words, but instead of looking at me in disbelief, she simply kisses my cheek in gratitude.

“Well, I’ve enjoyed being with you too, Alligator~” Sunset coos with a happy tune, pressing her shoulder against my own. The warm sand under our feet gives us an incentive to keep walking, ignoring the sight of our friends. As much fun as it has been to hang out with everyone, sometimes, it’s nice to ignore them for a few minutes. Licking my ice cream, I take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air, holding her hand once more.

“I’m just glad I could be free to come here today.” My statement carries two different sentiments. For everyone else, I simply mean I’m happy to be off work today, but for me? My life has been a constant fight for control lately. Every day, I can’t help but feel worried that she might take control and make my life even harder. The worst part is that I can’t tell anyone, so the best way I can express my sentiment is by saying I’m free for the day. Free from her influence.

“Is work being that difficult for you?” Sunset asks me quietly, seemingly picking up on the discomfort in my voice. Sunset’s concerned gaze looks towards me as we walk, enjoying her treat every now and then. “You know, if you’re not happy with it, I could help you job hunt and make a resume. I-”

“It’s not that,” I interrupt her with a smile, nudging her. “I’m fine. I like teaching kids how to sing since it gives me an excuse to involve myself with music even more. It’s just been busy lately since school is about to pick up next month and my boss is trying to find ways to make more money.” Fancy Pants has given me the latest news about the studio whenever he can and honestly? It’s been losing money for the past year, regardless of what Fancy Pants has tried. I have had multiple ideas that couple draw in more customers, but he hasn’t listened to me thus far. This latest venture is just one example of him trying something new to make the studio profitable again.

“Well, if you ever need to talk about it, just remember that I’m always here for you~ No matter what it is~” Locking eyes with Sunset again, I can tell the genuine tone to her statement, her warm smile reassuring me just how much she loves and cares about me. Regardless, I can’t talk to her about everything… There’s one thing I can’t tell her under any circumstance, no matter how much I may wish to tell her. She can’t know about the other version of me… The siren queen inside that has been taking control. She told me that Sunset would be put in danger if I ever tell her about this current situation we’re in. As much as it hurts to lie to her once more, I can’t tell her… She wants me to be truthful with her and she wants to be here for me under any circumstance, but I can’t risk talking to Sunset about this.

“I know. I would tell you if something is bothering me, I promise,” I lie to her as naturally as ever, not looking away from her for a second. Licking the ice cream again, I can’t help but feel a slight pain inside, wanting to let loose and tell Sunset about this danger. I’d never put her in harm’s way though…

“Can I talk about something that’s been bothering me?” Sunset asks me plainly, almost done with her treat as we walk ever closer to our friends. Stopping us in the middle of the beach, Sunset makes sure we’re out of earshot before looking back at me.

“Of course? What’s going on, Sunset?” My heart beat speeds up slightly upon watching Sunset’s conflicted smile, wondering what could be going on inside her head.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but… are you still having hallucinations?” Sunset asks me with an insecure tone to her voice, her eyes never breaking from mine. At this point, Sunset had finished her cone of ice cream, holding my hand with both of hers. “The last time we talked about it was a few months ago and you said it wasn’t affecting you so much anymore. You told me it wasn’t a problem and… I don’t know. It felt like you were brushing it off without taking my concern seriously.” Sunset shrugs her shoulders slightly, trying to express her feelings in the best way she can. I didn’t even know I had made her feel like I was disregarding her or that her thoughts didn’t matter… That wasn’t my intention at all. I can’t really talk to her openly given our current situation, so I had to make some excuse to stop talking about it. “I still think we should have Twilight study your symptoms and all, considering your past experiences with head trauma…”

“Sunset, I really am fine,” I tell her with a soothing tone, giving her the kindest smile I can. Despite my expression, my soul feels like it’s on fire to lie to Sunset like this… To tell her that everything is alright when it clearly isn’t. “I’m so sorry I disregarded your feelings before. I haven’t had a hallucination in months. Especially one regarding the evil version of myself.” Why do I have to be forced into this situation…? Her innocent expression of concern rips into me every second and it tears me apart to not tell her the truth… God damn it… “If you still want me to consult Twilight, I will, but I don’t think I need to since I’ve been fine for a long time now~ Especially with you by my side~”

Sunset’s expression lightens upon hearing my words, her smile getting ever bigger. “That’s… really nice to hear~ If you’re sure you’re doing better, then I won’t push you to consult Twilight.” Sunset giggles slightly, getting closer to me and surprising me by pressing her lips against mine. This kiss is filled with… conflict… As always, it feels so nice, but a part of me can’t enjoy it when I know that the reasons behind this embrace are lies. Everything I just said there was a lie just to get her off the trail… She’s bright enough to still be worried about the hallucinations and I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s always been smart, but please… Don’t get involved in this, Sunset…

Breaking the embrace, I force us to continue our walk towards our friends, trying my best to stop the conflict inside me. “Speaking of Twilight, you promised you’d be on her team for the next volleyball match, right?” I ask her as nonchalantly as possible. Hopefully, I can steer the conversation to a different topic and avoid it.

“Oh? Yeah, I did~ I totally forgot about that. Do you want to play with us? You’re pretty agile after all~” Sunset’s statement ends with a wink, her cute smile almost convincing me to take her up on the offer just to have a little more fun with her. Unfortunately, I need some time to myself after all that lying…

“I don’t think so~ I kind of want to just float by myself for a few minutes if that’s alright?” An understanding expression sweeps over her face before she nods, bringing her hand to my cheek.

“Alright~ Don’t spend too long in the water. You wouldn’t want to get too much water trapped in your ears~” Once again, Sunset’s statement is said in a caring tone, brushing the hair out of my face. She’s always looking out for me and making sure I am doing the best I can. Which is why it hurts even more to lie to her…

Taking the last bite of my ice cream cone, I give Sunset a nod, finally letting go of her hand. “I’ll only be in there a few minutes, don’t worry~” Sunset gives me a wave that lasts a little longer than usual, blowing me a kiss as we go our separate ways. Walking towards the ocean, I can’t help but wish that no one will bother me for this little endeavor. All I want is a few minutes to myself.

Easily, the water flows around my feet, getting deeper the further I walk into the silky smooth depths. Just as my hair started to dry, I decided to get myself wet again. What can I say? The water is pretty… nostalgic. At least, it is to me. The water is something that feels so natural. Even though it can be dangerous under the right circumstances, I never feel like I’m in any real danger when I’m wading in it. Even in the shower, water feels like a second home to me and it’s pretty obvious why. I was born a siren. Sirens are born in or near the water and my memories from being a siren are not gone yet. I may not have my magic, but that part of me still lingers.

Letting the water surround my body, I gently fall back into its embrace, instantly hearing the raging sounds of other people and the wind get deafened by a strangely lulling hum of the ocean. A soft, soothing hum of water fills my ears and it feels really… nice… Floating here without a care in the world. The nice soft touch of the water reminds me of a lot of different things. Hard situations or days I felt my happiest. The fresh air and the cool water make me feel at ease. Hopefully, I can find a way to tell Sunset the truth someday, but this is exactly what I needed to calm down. All the distracting sounds are deafened just like my thoughts… As much as I enjoy spending time with everyone, this type of bliss is what I’ve needed for a while now…

Within a moment, my body is pushed further into the water, something hitting my face at full force. Instantly, I can feel every part of my face turn to fire as pain registers on my mind. What…? My eyes open as quickly as they can, but I force them shut again due to the burning sensation of the water touching my eyes. Why am I in so much pain? What hit me…? Flailing my arms, I feel my body get more numb as the seconds tick by. Without my control, my legs instantly kick downward, pushing my body upward.

As soon as I can feel fresh air on my face, my body gasps in as much air as possible, water pouring from my hair. Everything still feels so numb and I can barely feel the air entering my lungs… What even happened…? Again without my control, my eyes open, water still trickling from my hair as my eyes look around. I’m… not controlling this at all… My body is moving on its own. No… Not on its own. Not again…

My eyes spot a floating volleyball in the water right next to me, my gaze instantly looking towards the beach. I can feel the roaring fire of a star stir inside me, despite the fact that I’m not angry… It’s her anger that’s in control. Not mine… I can feel her emotions…

“Who… threw that?” my voice lets out in a low growl against my will. I’m not in control of what I say… She is…

Everyone on the beach looks towards me with a concerned expression, but Rainbow Dash walks forward with a guilty expression, waving towards me. “Hey, Dagi! Sorry about that. I didn’t mean for that to happen! I hope I didn’t cause too much water to go up your nose?” Dash asks in the same obliviously kind tone she’s always used… She doesn’t know any difference between me and her, does she…?

“Rainbow Dash… Ever hit me again and you WILL regret it,” my voice states in a cold growl, my hand instantly grabbing the ball and throwing it at Rainbow Dash’s head as hard as I can. Dash catches the ball a second before it can hit her square on the nose, everyone looking at me with concern.

Without wasting another moment, my body forces itself to walk out of the water, the anger still ever present. She clinches my fist and walks away from everyone with a grimace on my face. “Darling? Will you come back here? Rainbow Dash didn’t mean it!” Rarity calls for me, but I have no choice but to ignore her. The siren queen in control disregards her statement as if it wasn’t an actual sentence. I can hear everyone else call after me, but she doesn’t even look back. She just forces me to walk on away from the beach, a grimace on my face. Why did this have to happen…?