A Dazzling Trio

Chapter XXVI: Weary Souls

Chapter XXVI: Weary Souls

A blinding light is aimed right at my eye. As much as I want to close my eyes, I can't. Twilight's hand forces me to look directly into the light, much to my annoyance. I get that this is supposed to help her determine what happened to me, but I honestly feel fine.

"Pupils are fine," Twilight states in a monotone, factual voice. Finally, her flashlight turns off, letting me see the rest of the room. Pinkie looks confused, as if she's wondering what she can do in this scenario. Applejack stands in the back of the room with her arms crossed, looking like a rigid statue. Being the only other one taught in first aid, she was called by Twilight to come help. However, nothing has required Applejack's skills as of yet. Finally, Sunset is sitting next to me on the bed. She holds my hand like a reassuring friend.

Not like a lover...

"What in the hay even started this?" Applejack asks with a slightly agitated tone. I know she's not meaning to be angry. If anything, she's probably just worried and protective. Not to mention that we woke her up with something concerning when she is already sleep deprived.

"Adagio was draining my magic. It tickled, but... then she started acting weird. That's when she started-"

"Bleeding," Twilight interrupts our pink friend, wiping my upper lip again. The blood hasn't stopped, but it has slowed down. I don't feel ill otherwise. It is the weirdest feeling to have a stuffy nose because of blood and not because of mucus or such.

"Then I want to know what you felt, Adagio. What happened from your point of view?" Applejack asks me in the same tone as before. Despite the really serious voice, her eyes show the same level of worry as everyone else in the room.

"When I was draining Pinkie's magic, I felt really powerful surges. It was like my nerves got set on fire. I'm used to this, but it felt different. It hurt..." Shaking my head, I can't help but wonder exactly what caused this. I've used magic all my life. What made it feel like it was searing my veins this time? "Next thing I know, I couldn't tell which direction was which, my legs were weak, and my upper lip felt wet. Of course, I should have sat back down, but I... didn't think of it." That is really weird for me... I'm usually pretty quick with my wits. I should have been able to think of that solution in half a second. It was hard to think for whatever reason...

Twilight nods her head at my explanation, but Pinkie and Applejack seem more confused than they were at the beginning. Sunset, on the other hand, has a blank expression, staring down at the floor.

"Arcane Narcosis," Sunset whispers in an understanding voice. "Of course. You have drained so much magic in the past few days that you're overdosing your cells." Ah... I remember that. Sirens had a different name for this condition, but still. I should have been more careful. I guess I was too focused on my friends and Sunset to be concerned about the magic I have been absorbing.

"Could I trouble you for an explanation?" Twilight asks Sunset with a curious stare.

"It's a condition when a creature takes in too much magic of some kind. Usually, it makes the pony, or siren in this case, drowsy, tired, weak, and feel pain through most of their nerves. Thankfully, it's simple to fix. Adagio just needs to take a break from magic for a couple of days." Sunset pats my shoulder before standing up. From the look on her face, she seems content that I'm only dealing with this instead of some serious disease. I am pretty lucky, but it does put a damper on my plans. I was going to finish draining everyone of their magic by tomorrow, but I guess I will have to wait.

"So, Adagio is fine?" Twilight asks with a raised eyebrow, confused once more. "How did Gloriosa Daisy not get Arcane Narcosis when we defeated her? Or me? I feel so lost here." Twilight brings her hand up to her brow, rubbing as if she is trying to get rid of a headache.