Eyes of Sunset, Siren Songby Moon QuillChaptersEyesEarsThe Sunset before the TwilightThe First Song in the TwilightEyesSunset Shimmer sashayed down the halls of Canterlot High, head held aloft, teal eyes gazing down with superiority on those poor, simpering fools called her classmates. Although the halls were already crowded, somehow, her mere presence parted the throng like the Red Sea. Most would instant hide behind books or bodies, trembling, and any who dared to meet her gaze would soon back into a corner and hide. She liked it that way. After all, this may have well have been her school. Sure, Luna and Celestia ran the place, but everyone knew that she was in charge. As she walked down the halls, already wondering what she would have for lunch, a solid object slammed into her right shoulder, knocking her to the ground with a painful thump. Wincing in pain, Sunset glared upwards, looking for the one so foolish as to have knocked her over. Her eyes rested on a stocky girl with pale blue skin and long, fluffy, purple and lavender striped hair, held back with a yellow headband adorned with a ridiculous bow. Sunset vaguely remembered her from an incident a few days back. she had come to the rescue of one of Sunset's victims, comforting them after Sunset had left them in tears. Pastel Petticoat, that was her name! Pastel turned to see who she had hit and, once she saw it was Sunset, the snarky, "Watch where you're going!" died in her throat. She gulped audibly, swallowing the dead lump of words, before walking up to Sunset, a feeble smile on her face. "Sorry, Sunset Shimmer," she said weakly, holding out a pale blue hand. "I didn't see you. Need a hand?" Sunset snarled, baring her teeth, and the girl flinched away as though the noise was a flame, scorching her flesh. Sunset stood up, dusted herself off, and grabbed the girl's wrist with an iron grip. "Come on," she growled, dragging the girl into a nearby bathroom. Inside a group of girls were laughing, texting, and applying lip gloss in mirrors. Sunset shot all of them her best death glare. "Out!" she barked. The girls looked up, terrified, and as one, rushed from the room, leaving Pastel to cower at the thought of what Sunset would do to her. Sunset dragged the girl into a stall, locking the door and shoving her into the corner. She rested a hand on the wall, her back to the girl. Pastel gulped. What happened now? She had heard of kids getting their heads stuffed into toilets, but that seemed far too brutish a method for Sunset Shimmer. She wildly considered texting her friends for help, but knew, in her heart, there was no way they'd save her. Facing Sunset's wrath was too great of a risk. Sunset turned back to face the girl, eyes hidden underneath her gold and crimson striped hair. "Look at me," she said, in a quiet, almost two-toned snarl. Pastel, startled by this demonic voice, automatically looked up. As she did, Sunset moved her hair away from her eyes. Pastel gaped. Sunset's eyes, instead of their usual wide-pupiled teal, were now glowing, spinning with black spirals that twisted and shimmered like swirls of oil paint on a canvas. Pastel, terrified as she was, couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was. There was just something so perfect about the way that the teal glow pulsed with a gentle light, how the spirals merged in the center into bottomless pools of shadow, and how the whole thing shimmered as if through a heat haze. The longer she looked, the less she wanted to look away. Sunset smirked, already seeing that her power was taking it's toll on the girl. Her eyes, which seconds ago had been full of fear, were starting to be replaced by the dull, glassy look of a tired child. Few people knew that, in Equestria, she had not been a unicorn, but a powerful daemon, spawned from the primordial shadows in the depths of Tartarus. She had disguised herself as a pony in order to get close to the princess, who, to her delight, not only accepted her, but promoted her to her own student. Eventually, Celestia had become suspicious, so she fled to this world, assuming the role of a furious, scorned unicorn who believed she was destined for greatness that her teacher refused to bestow. Instead, she was biding her time, waiting for the right moment to return and conquer Equestria, silently laughing at the naivety of the Solar Princess . Although she kept almost none of her powers, this one had stayed, although she didn't know why. Still, it had been useful in conquering this school. Pastel continued to stare into the depths of Sunset's eyes, a warm numbness stealing over her. Her thoughts slowed. Thinking became less important. All that mattered was looking at Sunset's eyes, because if she didn't, everything would turn cold, the world would end, she would surely die of sadness... Sunset laughed. "Do you like this?" She mused. In her state, Pastel was blind to everything, but Sunset's voice broke through the fog that had crept over her. Dimly, she was aware of Sunset laughing. Good. if Sunset was happy, maybe she would let her look at her eyes more. She heard her question, chiming like a bell, reverberating around her brain. "Do you like this?" She had to answer. "Yes, Sunset," she said dreamily. Her vision had actually begun to cloud over, filled with more of those beautiful spirals. She could barely think anymore. A relaxing warmth, like being cradled in cloud, had enveloped her. "Well of course you like this," chuckled Sunset. "You like this more than anything. Looking into my eyes makes you so happy. Notice that, starting now, the more you look, the heavier your eyes get. Each word I say makes them heavier, until it's painful to keep them open." Pastel's eyelids began to droop. As she watched, they got heavier and heavier, until she had to fight to keep them open. Each second they stayed open just made them heavier. They started to ache, begging to shut. Still, she couldn't close them, or the colors would disappear... "Now, I'm going to count down from five. With each number, your eyelids get ten times heavier, until you want nothing else but to close them. However, you're going to keep them open until I get to zero. Then, you'll fall into a deep, blissful sleep. Anything I say to you while you're asleep, you'll hear and remember, but it won't interrupt your rest. Ok?" Pastel nodded mechanically. "Good girl," purred Sunset. "Now...Five." Pastel felt more weight on her eyelids, fought harder to keep them open. The spirals were everywhere now. They dominated her vision, filling her mind with irresistible swirls of beauty. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes at the pain of holding them open. "Four." More wieght. More pain. More utter exhaustion. "Three." If Pastel's arms had worked, she would have used her fingers to hold her eyes open. With each blink, re-opening her eyes became ten times harder. "Two." Sleep taunted her, just out of reach, not available until Sunset said it was ok. She had to listen to Sunset. "One." Pastel's eyelids sank, until her eyes were only squinting, an unseen force keeping her from shutting them completely and falling into oblivion. She teetered on the edge, waiting for the last number. "Zero." Finally. Pastel's eyelids snapped shut, a wave of relaxation like a tsunami washing over her, swamping her. With a sigh, she sank into sleep, teal spirals giving way to utter darkness. Sunset smiled, patting the sleeping girl's head in a fond way, before grinning deviously, already having the perfect punishment in mind. "Pastel Petticoat, listen to me. Follow my voice..." In the cafeteria, a group of girls sat around a table, chattering like a group of canaries. "She really didn't do anything?" said one, in wide eyed tones of reverence, as she stared at Pastel Petticoat. "Nope," said Pastel, absentmindedly poking at her fruit salad with a spoon. "She said that she figured I was busy, but I did have to apologize and give her some cash. She called it, 'paying insurance costs.'" "Wow, said the girl, impressed. "You really were lucky." Pastel's pupils shrank to the size of pin heads, before widening until they dominated her eyes. She stood up abruptly and, in one swift motion, hurled her fruit salad at the nearest person, a curly-haired jock. It hit him square in the head, grapes and melon slices sticking in his hair. Pastel looked around the lunchroom, which, inexplicably, had fallen silent. She screamed two words, two words that would result in a detention, several dry-cleaning bills, and a punishment of cleaning up the resulting chaos. "FOOD FIGHT!" As pandemonium erupted, Sunset smirked from the corner of the room, calmly chewing on her sandwich. EarsAdagio stalked out of the lunchroom, a angry scowl on her face. She shook her mane of orange and lemon striped hair, sending a cascade of taco shell crumbs, shredded cheese, and lettuce tumbling to the floor. Her pale golden face was smeared with salsa and sour cream. Just her luck that it was Taco Tuesday on the day that someone decided to start a food fight. Immediately, she cringed slightly, lifting a hand to automatically rub the three crimson gems that adorned a black choker on her neck. Sonata loved tacos. Some would say that Adagio Dazzle, leader of the sirens that had terrorized Equestria all those centuries ago, didn't have any feelings, and they would mostly be right. She never felt pity for her victims, nor remorse for what she had done. However, one thing she did feel was the pain of loneliness. Her fellow sirens, not as strong as she was, hadn't survived long in this new world, with its limited magic. Arrogant Aria. Simple Sonata. Both gone. Their two gems were the last vestige of their existence that she had. Even now, all these years later, their death still stung. Shaking her head, Adagio walked into the nearest bathroom to clean up. The people that were already there looked up when she entered, and, realizing who she was, scurried out the door. Adagio couldn't help but smile. Next to Sunset Shimmer, she was undoubtedly the school's top predator. At the thought of Sunset Shimmer, she frowned. Ever since she had come to this school, she had sensed something off about that girl. Equestrian magic hung over her like a cloak. It was faint, yes, and different from the magic of the pony inhabitants, but it was there. That, and the way that everyone seemed to bend to her whims, made Adagio certain that girl was hiding something. She just wasn't entirely sure what. She wasn't going to spend too much time thinking about her, though. Not when she had other stuff to do. She grabbed several paper towels and, after dousing them with water, rubbed her face vigorously. Once she was satisfied that the last traces of food were gone, she whipped a comb out of her pocket and started on her hair. It took a few minutes to get all of the taco crumbs, cheese, and fruit slices out of her hair, but once she was sure they were gone, she stowed away her comb, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out of the bathroom. The final bell echoed through the halls as Adagio exited Canterlot High, groaning inwardly when she remembered how much homework she had. Despite not being entirely human, she tried to keep the guise up as well as she could. Equestrian conquest was the last thing on her mind nowadays. Adagio walked down the silent roads, she thought she heard a noise behind her, like...footsteps. And laughter. She whipped her head around, but she didn't see anything. Feeling slightly uneasy, she continued on her way. She turned down the alley that led to her street. As usual, the walls were covered with obscene graffiti, there was trash everywhere, and several large dumpsters buzzed with flies. Adagio's nose wrinkled in disgust as it was assaulted with the pungent aroma of rotting garbage. She really didn't have to walk this way, but going around meant an extra ten minutes of walking while carrying a heavy book bag. Avoiding that was worth a little trash. As she walked down the alley, she was aware of the noise again, footsteps and suppressed chuckles. She sped up ever so slightly, anxious to get home. She looked behind her to see if there was anything there, but there wasn't. She turned around in time to slam into what felt like a solid brick wall. Stumbling back a few steps. she looked up to see that what she thought was a wall was actually a boy. He was giant, with pale green skin and greasy teal hair feathered into a mullet. His face was shredded with scars, some white and faded, others newer, still scabbed over, so that his face was marred with spots of rough red crust. He had three green jewels in his eyebrows, one over his lip, and one in his nose. His clothes were filthy; shredded and battered like he'd never washed them with water, only gravel and sand. "Hey, pretty girl," he sneered, in a voice that made him sound as if a cat had torn his vocal chords apart. "Need some help with that?" He grabbed her backpack with one ropy arm, tugged it out of her hands, threw it to the ground behind him. Adagio turned to run, heart pounding, only to find that there was another boy behind her. This one was skinnier, with skin a sickly shade of yellow and a dark red buzz cut that made him look like his skull had been dipped in blood. He smirked, stepping up to her so she was forced to back up. "Not so fast, girl," he said. "We ain't finished yet." Adagio backed up until she hit the brick wall. Both boys were leering at her now, cracking their knuckles in anticipation. Adagio, since coming to this world, had learned plenty about its inhabitants, and she was pretty sure she knew what was about to happen if she didn't do something. She took a deep breath, focused on the three gems around her neck, and sang the first song that came to mind-an ancient lullaby created by a princess of Equestria for her sister. Adagio poured her soul into her words, filling them with as much love and sadness as the princess who composed it. "Fate has been cruel and order unkind How can I have sent you away? The blame was my own; the punishment, yours The harmony's silent today. But into the stillness I'll bring you a song And I will your company keep Till your tired eyes and my lullabies Have carried you softly to sleep..." The boys stepped back, shocked, but just as quickly started to slump, a tired, dull expression appearing in their eyes. The green one shook his head slightly, and glared at her weakly. "W-what a-are you...?" he muttered, swaying on the spot. Adagio just smiled at him. She was in control now. She closed her eyes and kept singing. "Once did a pony who shone like the sun Look out on her kingdom and sigh She smiled and said, "Surely, there is no pony So lovely and so well beloved as I!" So great was her reign and so brilliant her glory That long was the shadow she cast Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved And grew only darker as days and nights passed..." As one, both boys hit the ground with matching thumps, totally unconscious. Adagio smirked. Usually it took more than that, but these two seemed particularly dim-witted. She walked up to them, eyed them distastefully, then kicked the green one in the ribs. "Get up," she sniffed. Both boys immediately sprang to their feet, pupils green and shrunken to pinpricks. They stood perfectly still, waiting for her commends. "You," she pointed to the green one, "-pick up my bag and carry it. Both of you, follow me." She began walking towards her house, the two boys trailing behind her like she was the Pied Piper. Which, in a way, she was. Once she reached her house, she turned and took her bag from the boy's unresistant grip. "Now..." she mused, putting a finger to her chin. "If either of you do this again, the instant you start following the girl, you will both suddenly realize that your arms are on fire. You'll feel your skin blacken and burn, and only once the girl is out of range will it stop. Afterwords, you will forget the girl and what you were doing, but remember the pain. Is that clear?" The boys nodded, both perfect robots. Adagio smiled. "Good," she said, turning to her front door. She paused. "Oh, yes. When I go in the door, both of you will suddenly have a burning hatred of each other, and fight for the next fifteen minutes. Once those fifteen minutes are up, you'll forget everything, wake up, and leave." She opened the door, walked inside, and slammed it shut. Outside, she could hear yells, followed by thuds as the boys began fighting. She peeked out a window and saw a green gas begin to appear between the boys, drifting towards the house. Perfect. She'd get a good meal tonight. The Sunset before the TwilightSunset saw her first. It was a typical day at Canterlot High, or at least as typical as Sunset let it. She opened the doors with a flair akin to a dramatic villain entrance, causing everyone in the vicinity to stop what they were doing, stare, then beat a hasty retreat. Sunset smirked. Although that happened every time someone saw her, the charm had never quite worn off. She set off down the halls to her locker. Once she got there, she entered her combination and opened the door, setting her backpack down so she could pull out the books she needed. "Oh, hello!" Sunset turned to see who had spoken and found herself looking into a pair of soft, intelligent violet eyes. They belonged to a girl with pale lavender skin and straight indigo hair, which contained one purple and one pink stripe. The girl was dressed in a pale blue, short-sleeved blouse with a pink bow on the collar, pulled over a pleated purple skirt patterned with a pink, six-pointed star. Pink-rimmed, purple argyle leg warmers covered her legs, and on her feet were a pair of black Mary Jane's. She looked at Sunset Shimmer, somewhat shyly, and smiled. "Hello," she said again. "My name's Twilight Sparkle. I'm new." She opened her locker (which was right next to Sunset's) and started putting books of every size and subject inside. Sunset's insides quivered with excitement. She made it a point to seek out new students so she could 'show them' who was boss, and here was one right next to her! Sunset looked around. There was no one in the halls. She had plenty of time until class. It was the perfect opportunity to 'lay the ground rules,' as she liked to put it. Although the students that had been here for a while learned to fear her, anyone new became her unflinching assistants. That's why Snips and Snails always bent to her whims, no matter how difficult, outlandish, or embarrassing. She grinned, sweeping her bangs in front of her eyes and ducking her head slightly. She knew it was terribly cliche, but she couldn't help but have a dramatic unveiling every time she did this. It just made everything the tiniest bit more satisfying. Peering out from behind her hair, Sunset saw the girl finish with her books and turn to look at her. Sunset stood perfectly still, chuckling inside as the girl grew more and more uncomfortable, fidgeting slightly. "Sooo..." Twilight said, in a downright embarrassingly thin attempt to break the tension. "What's your name?" Sunset smirked, lifting her head until she was looking Twilight in the eye, her gaze burning into her like a laser. Twilight flinched visibly at the intensity of Sunset's assault. The glow from Sunset's eyes was reflected in Twilight's, tinting the violet a unearthly shade of blue-green. "My name?" mused Sunset, grinning at the sight of Twilight's jaw hanging open. "Sunset Shimmer, although to you..." she paused, trying to think of the perfect term. Finally, it clicked. "Although to you, I'm the boss around here." Twilight's left eye twitched sharply. She wasn't sure what was going on, or how this girl's eyes were glowing like they were, but one thing was certain: it was making more and more sense that this girl should be the boss. The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the way she looked at Twilight as though she was nothing more than a cute dog... Something clicked. Twilight had read enough science-fiction to recognize the signs of mind control when she felt them. At any other time, she would have chided herself for even suspecting something so outlandish. But now, as she felt her thoughts begin to crumble like rocks under an unrelenting wave, and saw the captivating glow of Sunset's eyes become brighter and brighter, she decided, just this once, to accept those signs as fact. After all, hadn't she once read a scientific study on the effects of morphogenic engine imaging on the human brain? This could be like that. Twilight tried to twist her head away, but no matter where she looked, part of her was unwilling to look away from those mesmerizing eyes. They were just so beautiful, and really, it was silly of her to think they were bad. Something this beautiful couldn't be dangerous, could it? Of course not. Twilight was still was lucid enough to know that those thoughts weren't her own. In a desperate final attempt, she lifted her arms so she could put her hands over her eyes, blocking her sight. Sunset, however, saw her arms lifting and frowned. "Don't do that," she scolded. Against her will, Twilight's arms drooped back to her sides. Despite herself, she found herself feeling terribly ashamed. She had upset Sunset Shimmer! What was wrong with her? Sunset noticed Twilight's sadness and smiled. "Oh, don't be so sad!" she said gently. "You didn't mean to. You just didn't realize that all I'm trying to do is-" Sunset couldn't help herself, a nasty grin spread across her face, "-help you." Twilight nodded mechanically, her willpower finally breaking under the weight of Sunset's prolonged assault. Of course that's what she had been doing. She only wanted to help her. Why couldn't she see that before? Twilight sighed happily, feeling a gentle warmth creeping through her. Looking into Sunset's eyes made her feel warm and comfortable, like she was lying on the world's softest feather bed. Why had she fought this? When she looked back, all she could remember was feeling cold and terrible. All Sunset was doing was helping her! What a fool she had been not to see it. Sunset could barely conceal her excitement. Twilight was showing all the signs of being almost under. Sunset had always felt that the more resistant people were to her control, the better they listened to her once they were under. She beamed to herself, gazing at Twilight's blissful, unaware face. It was then that the idea first wormed it's way into her head. As she looked at Twilight, she started noticing little things that she hadn't before. She had a cute dimple on her cheek; only on the right side, though. Her hair was soft and silky looking, and Sunset had a sudden, irrational urge to run her hand through it. She fought the feeling down, uncomfortable, and shook her head a bit. Time to get down to business. No time for weird thoughts. "Now, then, Twilight Sparkle..." Sunset said haughtily. "Do you feel good right now?" Twilight could only nod. "Good," said Sunset, grinning. "But notice that, as good as you feel, there's a pain in your head that keeps you from relaxing." The instant Sunset said this, Twilight noticed that yes, there really was a stabbing pain behind her eyes. In fact, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. She winced in pain, putting a hand to her temples. "Yes, it does hurt," simpered Sunset, in a voice dripping with false sympathy that, to Twilight, sounded only too genuine. "Now, how about I help you feel better? Does that sound good?" Twilight whimpered in pain, the stabbing behind her eyes getting worse every second. "Y-yes," she stuttered. Sunset smiled. "Good," she purred. "Now, when I snap my fingers, the pain will vanish, and you'll suddenly be so tired that you'll fall asleep, right here. Ok?" Twilight nodded. "Okay," she echoed. Sunset smirked, then, with a flourish, snapped her fingers. Instantly, Twilight keeled over, fast asleep. Sunset was ready, however, and caught her, surprised at how light the girl was. Sitting her down and propping her against the lockers, Sunset put a finger to her chin, wondering what she should say. The wording was always very important in these situations. Why, once she'd told someone that they would love her unconditionally, and the next day, they showed up at school wearing a shirt that said: I LUV SUNSET on it, and bore a picture of her face in the middle of a heart. Where they got that, she never found out, but needless to say, it was pretty embarrassing. She had to make sure she did this right. Finally, she had a brainwave. "Twilight? Can you hear me?" she ventured. Twilight's head bobbed up and down in a nod, although her eyes were still closed. "Ok, Twilight," said Sunset. There are two boys that follow me around. Maybe you've met them? Snips and Snails?" Twilight nodded again. She had, in fact, met those boys earlier. "Well," Sunset continued. "From now on, you'll act just like how they act around me." Sunset would have gone into more detail, but it was nearly time for class, and she wanted to wrap this up. "Got that?" Twilight nodded a third time. Sunset clasped her hands together with glee. "Perfect. now, when you hear the bell ring, you'll wake up with no memory of this. You'll only remember that you tripped and hit your head on the lockers. Is that clear?" A fourth nod. Sunset nodded to herself, leaned down, gathered up her backpack, and hurried off to class, smiling to herself. When she got to class and walked through the door, she heard the bell ring. The First Song in the TwilightAdagio leaned back against the statue, stopped singing under her breath, and smiled, watching as the trio of girls outside of the school squabbled noisily, getting right in each other's faces and gesturing violently. A green mist was swirling away from the girls, directly into the three gems on Adagio's neck. She sighed deeply, absorbing the energy. Adagio was in an incredibly good mood as it was (on the way to school, she had heard yells behind her, and turned to see two boys squawking and waving their arms around, bawling for water), but being well fed made everything a little bit nicer. It had barely taken anything to put these girls at each other's throats; the females in this world were incredibly insecure, and all it took was a nudge towards the cliff to send them to rock bottom. Better yet, they had a nasty (but helpful) habit of latching onto whoever was with them and dragging them down, too. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder and finishing off the last of the girls' energy, Adagio headed towards the school building, leaving the girls to screech in each other's faces. As she walked in through the front doors of the school, who should she ram into but Sunset Shimmer. Both girls flew backwards; Sunset into the three people behind her, who faithfully stopped her fall, Adagio into the doors, which (unfortunately) were in the process of being opened by another student. With almost comical precision, the handle of the door hooked under Adagio's choker, which snapped under the strain, flying off into the air. Adagio, settling to her knees and rubbing her sore head, realized the absence immediately: her throat felt clogged and sore, only slightly, but enough to be noticeable. Hand flying to grasp her throat, Adagio gasped, her eyes darting around the room, searching in vain for a glimmer of red, somewhere, anywhere. Her eyes landed on one of the girls whom Sunset Shimmer had fallen on. She had pale lavender skin, flat, indigo hair striped with pink and purple, soft violet eyes...and was currently holding Adagio's pendant in her outstretched hand. The girl regarded the pendant curiously, eyes lifting from her hand to meet Adagio's. With an nervous expression, she tossed it gently back to Adagio, who gaped as it fell to the floor in front of her. "Here you go." The girl's voice was soft, shy, and almost tentative. "Sorry it broke." Adagio gaped at the girl, automatically opening her mouth to reply, only to be cut off as another voice, sharp and harsh, scalded the air. "Twilight! What do you think you're doing?" The girl-Twilight-flinched, turning to stare at Sunset Shimmer, who was back on her feet with murder in her eyes. "She just slammed into me! Why are you helping her?" Twilight cowered, whimpering, underneath Sunset's furious teal gaze. "She just...I was..I j-just wanted to-" she stuttered. Sunset put her hands on her hips. "You wanted? You wanted? Did you forget who's opinion matters most here?" She fumed, glaring down at Twilight, voice full of contempt. Twilight shook her head so hard it became a blur. "No...I didn't mean...I'm sorry." The last words were spoken in barely a whisper. She looked up at Sunset, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Adagio stared. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen anything more heartbreakingly pathetic in her life (and she had once caused a mother to throw her only child into the streets after they had forgotten to clean their room). This girl was positively prostrating herself in front of Sunset Shimmer, who was looking down at her with disgust. It was like someone looking at a begging, starving puppy with their hands around a burger, refusing to share. She almost...no, she definitely felt sorry for her. Sunset flipped her hair and shot Adagio her patented glare. Most would have shriveled instantly under her gaze, but Adagio had faced worse in her centuries of living. She gave her a superior glare under her eyelids in return. This didn't escape Sunset's notice, although she pretended not to care-even though she couldn't hide the slight flush of embarrassment in her cheeks. She stomped away in a huff. Without a word, Twilight and the two other boys in Sunset's posse followed, the short, orange-haired boy sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry in Adagio's direction. Adagio barely noticed, staring at Twilight's retreating figure. The girl walked slumped over, with a slight limp in both legs, dragging each foot behind her as she followed Sunset. Adagio, though she tried to deny it, felt a swell of pity for the girl. She couldn't understand why upsetting Sunset was bothering her so much, especially when Sunset was abusing her like this. The two boys that usually followed Sunset suffered the same treatment, but Adagio had realized long ago that neither of them was the brightest star in the sky. She doubted anything Sunset did to them bothered them much. However, that girl had seemed fairly intelligent. So why in Equestria was she following Sunset around like a lost puppy? Adagio made up her mind. She was going to find this girl after school and figure out her story. The final bell echoed throughout the halls of CHS as Twilight gathered the last of her books and headed for the front door. She was still completely ashamed of herself for upsetting Sunset earlier. That girl had plowed right into her, and instead of helping Sunset to punish her, like she should have, she had helped her instead! What was wrong with her? Sunset had every right to be angry with her. After they had left that girl sitting there, she had chewed Twilight out for what felt like hours. And why shouldn't she? Twilight had never felt lower in her life. As she exited the front doors and walked out onto the schools front lawn, Twilight, depressed as she was, never saw the puffy blur of lemon and orange that whipped out of sight behind the main front statue. And as she walked by the statue to start the long journey home, she never realized that she was being followed.....
EyesSunset Shimmer sashayed down the halls of Canterlot High, head held aloft, teal eyes gazing down with superiority on those poor, simpering fools called her classmates. Although the halls were already crowded, somehow, her mere presence parted the throng like the Red Sea. Most would instant hide behind books or bodies, trembling, and any who dared to meet her gaze would soon back into a corner and hide. She liked it that way. After all, this may have well have been her school. Sure, Luna and Celestia ran the place, but everyone knew that she was in charge. As she walked down the halls, already wondering what she would have for lunch, a solid object slammed into her right shoulder, knocking her to the ground with a painful thump. Wincing in pain, Sunset glared upwards, looking for the one so foolish as to have knocked her over. Her eyes rested on a stocky girl with pale blue skin and long, fluffy, purple and lavender striped hair, held back with a yellow headband adorned with a ridiculous bow. Sunset vaguely remembered her from an incident a few days back. she had come to the rescue of one of Sunset's victims, comforting them after Sunset had left them in tears. Pastel Petticoat, that was her name! Pastel turned to see who she had hit and, once she saw it was Sunset, the snarky, "Watch where you're going!" died in her throat. She gulped audibly, swallowing the dead lump of words, before walking up to Sunset, a feeble smile on her face. "Sorry, Sunset Shimmer," she said weakly, holding out a pale blue hand. "I didn't see you. Need a hand?" Sunset snarled, baring her teeth, and the girl flinched away as though the noise was a flame, scorching her flesh. Sunset stood up, dusted herself off, and grabbed the girl's wrist with an iron grip. "Come on," she growled, dragging the girl into a nearby bathroom. Inside a group of girls were laughing, texting, and applying lip gloss in mirrors. Sunset shot all of them her best death glare. "Out!" she barked. The girls looked up, terrified, and as one, rushed from the room, leaving Pastel to cower at the thought of what Sunset would do to her. Sunset dragged the girl into a stall, locking the door and shoving her into the corner. She rested a hand on the wall, her back to the girl. Pastel gulped. What happened now? She had heard of kids getting their heads stuffed into toilets, but that seemed far too brutish a method for Sunset Shimmer. She wildly considered texting her friends for help, but knew, in her heart, there was no way they'd save her. Facing Sunset's wrath was too great of a risk. Sunset turned back to face the girl, eyes hidden underneath her gold and crimson striped hair. "Look at me," she said, in a quiet, almost two-toned snarl. Pastel, startled by this demonic voice, automatically looked up. As she did, Sunset moved her hair away from her eyes. Pastel gaped. Sunset's eyes, instead of their usual wide-pupiled teal, were now glowing, spinning with black spirals that twisted and shimmered like swirls of oil paint on a canvas. Pastel, terrified as she was, couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was. There was just something so perfect about the way that the teal glow pulsed with a gentle light, how the spirals merged in the center into bottomless pools of shadow, and how the whole thing shimmered as if through a heat haze. The longer she looked, the less she wanted to look away. Sunset smirked, already seeing that her power was taking it's toll on the girl. Her eyes, which seconds ago had been full of fear, were starting to be replaced by the dull, glassy look of a tired child. Few people knew that, in Equestria, she had not been a unicorn, but a powerful daemon, spawned from the primordial shadows in the depths of Tartarus. She had disguised herself as a pony in order to get close to the princess, who, to her delight, not only accepted her, but promoted her to her own student. Eventually, Celestia had become suspicious, so she fled to this world, assuming the role of a furious, scorned unicorn who believed she was destined for greatness that her teacher refused to bestow. Instead, she was biding her time, waiting for the right moment to return and conquer Equestria, silently laughing at the naivety of the Solar Princess . Although she kept almost none of her powers, this one had stayed, although she didn't know why. Still, it had been useful in conquering this school. Pastel continued to stare into the depths of Sunset's eyes, a warm numbness stealing over her. Her thoughts slowed. Thinking became less important. All that mattered was looking at Sunset's eyes, because if she didn't, everything would turn cold, the world would end, she would surely die of sadness... Sunset laughed. "Do you like this?" She mused. In her state, Pastel was blind to everything, but Sunset's voice broke through the fog that had crept over her. Dimly, she was aware of Sunset laughing. Good. if Sunset was happy, maybe she would let her look at her eyes more. She heard her question, chiming like a bell, reverberating around her brain. "Do you like this?" She had to answer. "Yes, Sunset," she said dreamily. Her vision had actually begun to cloud over, filled with more of those beautiful spirals. She could barely think anymore. A relaxing warmth, like being cradled in cloud, had enveloped her. "Well of course you like this," chuckled Sunset. "You like this more than anything. Looking into my eyes makes you so happy. Notice that, starting now, the more you look, the heavier your eyes get. Each word I say makes them heavier, until it's painful to keep them open." Pastel's eyelids began to droop. As she watched, they got heavier and heavier, until she had to fight to keep them open. Each second they stayed open just made them heavier. They started to ache, begging to shut. Still, she couldn't close them, or the colors would disappear... "Now, I'm going to count down from five. With each number, your eyelids get ten times heavier, until you want nothing else but to close them. However, you're going to keep them open until I get to zero. Then, you'll fall into a deep, blissful sleep. Anything I say to you while you're asleep, you'll hear and remember, but it won't interrupt your rest. Ok?" Pastel nodded mechanically. "Good girl," purred Sunset. "Now...Five." Pastel felt more weight on her eyelids, fought harder to keep them open. The spirals were everywhere now. They dominated her vision, filling her mind with irresistible swirls of beauty. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes at the pain of holding them open. "Four." More wieght. More pain. More utter exhaustion. "Three." If Pastel's arms had worked, she would have used her fingers to hold her eyes open. With each blink, re-opening her eyes became ten times harder. "Two." Sleep taunted her, just out of reach, not available until Sunset said it was ok. She had to listen to Sunset. "One." Pastel's eyelids sank, until her eyes were only squinting, an unseen force keeping her from shutting them completely and falling into oblivion. She teetered on the edge, waiting for the last number. "Zero." Finally. Pastel's eyelids snapped shut, a wave of relaxation like a tsunami washing over her, swamping her. With a sigh, she sank into sleep, teal spirals giving way to utter darkness. Sunset smiled, patting the sleeping girl's head in a fond way, before grinning deviously, already having the perfect punishment in mind. "Pastel Petticoat, listen to me. Follow my voice..." In the cafeteria, a group of girls sat around a table, chattering like a group of canaries. "She really didn't do anything?" said one, in wide eyed tones of reverence, as she stared at Pastel Petticoat. "Nope," said Pastel, absentmindedly poking at her fruit salad with a spoon. "She said that she figured I was busy, but I did have to apologize and give her some cash. She called it, 'paying insurance costs.'" "Wow, said the girl, impressed. "You really were lucky." Pastel's pupils shrank to the size of pin heads, before widening until they dominated her eyes. She stood up abruptly and, in one swift motion, hurled her fruit salad at the nearest person, a curly-haired jock. It hit him square in the head, grapes and melon slices sticking in his hair. Pastel looked around the lunchroom, which, inexplicably, had fallen silent. She screamed two words, two words that would result in a detention, several dry-cleaning bills, and a punishment of cleaning up the resulting chaos. "FOOD FIGHT!" As pandemonium erupted, Sunset smirked from the corner of the room, calmly chewing on her sandwich.
EarsAdagio stalked out of the lunchroom, a angry scowl on her face. She shook her mane of orange and lemon striped hair, sending a cascade of taco shell crumbs, shredded cheese, and lettuce tumbling to the floor. Her pale golden face was smeared with salsa and sour cream. Just her luck that it was Taco Tuesday on the day that someone decided to start a food fight. Immediately, she cringed slightly, lifting a hand to automatically rub the three crimson gems that adorned a black choker on her neck. Sonata loved tacos. Some would say that Adagio Dazzle, leader of the sirens that had terrorized Equestria all those centuries ago, didn't have any feelings, and they would mostly be right. She never felt pity for her victims, nor remorse for what she had done. However, one thing she did feel was the pain of loneliness. Her fellow sirens, not as strong as she was, hadn't survived long in this new world, with its limited magic. Arrogant Aria. Simple Sonata. Both gone. Their two gems were the last vestige of their existence that she had. Even now, all these years later, their death still stung. Shaking her head, Adagio walked into the nearest bathroom to clean up. The people that were already there looked up when she entered, and, realizing who she was, scurried out the door. Adagio couldn't help but smile. Next to Sunset Shimmer, she was undoubtedly the school's top predator. At the thought of Sunset Shimmer, she frowned. Ever since she had come to this school, she had sensed something off about that girl. Equestrian magic hung over her like a cloak. It was faint, yes, and different from the magic of the pony inhabitants, but it was there. That, and the way that everyone seemed to bend to her whims, made Adagio certain that girl was hiding something. She just wasn't entirely sure what. She wasn't going to spend too much time thinking about her, though. Not when she had other stuff to do. She grabbed several paper towels and, after dousing them with water, rubbed her face vigorously. Once she was satisfied that the last traces of food were gone, she whipped a comb out of her pocket and started on her hair. It took a few minutes to get all of the taco crumbs, cheese, and fruit slices out of her hair, but once she was sure they were gone, she stowed away her comb, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked out of the bathroom. The final bell echoed through the halls as Adagio exited Canterlot High, groaning inwardly when she remembered how much homework she had. Despite not being entirely human, she tried to keep the guise up as well as she could. Equestrian conquest was the last thing on her mind nowadays. Adagio walked down the silent roads, she thought she heard a noise behind her, like...footsteps. And laughter. She whipped her head around, but she didn't see anything. Feeling slightly uneasy, she continued on her way. She turned down the alley that led to her street. As usual, the walls were covered with obscene graffiti, there was trash everywhere, and several large dumpsters buzzed with flies. Adagio's nose wrinkled in disgust as it was assaulted with the pungent aroma of rotting garbage. She really didn't have to walk this way, but going around meant an extra ten minutes of walking while carrying a heavy book bag. Avoiding that was worth a little trash. As she walked down the alley, she was aware of the noise again, footsteps and suppressed chuckles. She sped up ever so slightly, anxious to get home. She looked behind her to see if there was anything there, but there wasn't. She turned around in time to slam into what felt like a solid brick wall. Stumbling back a few steps. she looked up to see that what she thought was a wall was actually a boy. He was giant, with pale green skin and greasy teal hair feathered into a mullet. His face was shredded with scars, some white and faded, others newer, still scabbed over, so that his face was marred with spots of rough red crust. He had three green jewels in his eyebrows, one over his lip, and one in his nose. His clothes were filthy; shredded and battered like he'd never washed them with water, only gravel and sand. "Hey, pretty girl," he sneered, in a voice that made him sound as if a cat had torn his vocal chords apart. "Need some help with that?" He grabbed her backpack with one ropy arm, tugged it out of her hands, threw it to the ground behind him. Adagio turned to run, heart pounding, only to find that there was another boy behind her. This one was skinnier, with skin a sickly shade of yellow and a dark red buzz cut that made him look like his skull had been dipped in blood. He smirked, stepping up to her so she was forced to back up. "Not so fast, girl," he said. "We ain't finished yet." Adagio backed up until she hit the brick wall. Both boys were leering at her now, cracking their knuckles in anticipation. Adagio, since coming to this world, had learned plenty about its inhabitants, and she was pretty sure she knew what was about to happen if she didn't do something. She took a deep breath, focused on the three gems around her neck, and sang the first song that came to mind-an ancient lullaby created by a princess of Equestria for her sister. Adagio poured her soul into her words, filling them with as much love and sadness as the princess who composed it. "Fate has been cruel and order unkind How can I have sent you away? The blame was my own; the punishment, yours The harmony's silent today. But into the stillness I'll bring you a song And I will your company keep Till your tired eyes and my lullabies Have carried you softly to sleep..." The boys stepped back, shocked, but just as quickly started to slump, a tired, dull expression appearing in their eyes. The green one shook his head slightly, and glared at her weakly. "W-what a-are you...?" he muttered, swaying on the spot. Adagio just smiled at him. She was in control now. She closed her eyes and kept singing. "Once did a pony who shone like the sun Look out on her kingdom and sigh She smiled and said, "Surely, there is no pony So lovely and so well beloved as I!" So great was her reign and so brilliant her glory That long was the shadow she cast Which fell dark upon the young sister she loved And grew only darker as days and nights passed..." As one, both boys hit the ground with matching thumps, totally unconscious. Adagio smirked. Usually it took more than that, but these two seemed particularly dim-witted. She walked up to them, eyed them distastefully, then kicked the green one in the ribs. "Get up," she sniffed. Both boys immediately sprang to their feet, pupils green and shrunken to pinpricks. They stood perfectly still, waiting for her commends. "You," she pointed to the green one, "-pick up my bag and carry it. Both of you, follow me." She began walking towards her house, the two boys trailing behind her like she was the Pied Piper. Which, in a way, she was. Once she reached her house, she turned and took her bag from the boy's unresistant grip. "Now..." she mused, putting a finger to her chin. "If either of you do this again, the instant you start following the girl, you will both suddenly realize that your arms are on fire. You'll feel your skin blacken and burn, and only once the girl is out of range will it stop. Afterwords, you will forget the girl and what you were doing, but remember the pain. Is that clear?" The boys nodded, both perfect robots. Adagio smiled. "Good," she said, turning to her front door. She paused. "Oh, yes. When I go in the door, both of you will suddenly have a burning hatred of each other, and fight for the next fifteen minutes. Once those fifteen minutes are up, you'll forget everything, wake up, and leave." She opened the door, walked inside, and slammed it shut. Outside, she could hear yells, followed by thuds as the boys began fighting. She peeked out a window and saw a green gas begin to appear between the boys, drifting towards the house. Perfect. She'd get a good meal tonight.
The Sunset before the TwilightSunset saw her first. It was a typical day at Canterlot High, or at least as typical as Sunset let it. She opened the doors with a flair akin to a dramatic villain entrance, causing everyone in the vicinity to stop what they were doing, stare, then beat a hasty retreat. Sunset smirked. Although that happened every time someone saw her, the charm had never quite worn off. She set off down the halls to her locker. Once she got there, she entered her combination and opened the door, setting her backpack down so she could pull out the books she needed. "Oh, hello!" Sunset turned to see who had spoken and found herself looking into a pair of soft, intelligent violet eyes. They belonged to a girl with pale lavender skin and straight indigo hair, which contained one purple and one pink stripe. The girl was dressed in a pale blue, short-sleeved blouse with a pink bow on the collar, pulled over a pleated purple skirt patterned with a pink, six-pointed star. Pink-rimmed, purple argyle leg warmers covered her legs, and on her feet were a pair of black Mary Jane's. She looked at Sunset Shimmer, somewhat shyly, and smiled. "Hello," she said again. "My name's Twilight Sparkle. I'm new." She opened her locker (which was right next to Sunset's) and started putting books of every size and subject inside. Sunset's insides quivered with excitement. She made it a point to seek out new students so she could 'show them' who was boss, and here was one right next to her! Sunset looked around. There was no one in the halls. She had plenty of time until class. It was the perfect opportunity to 'lay the ground rules,' as she liked to put it. Although the students that had been here for a while learned to fear her, anyone new became her unflinching assistants. That's why Snips and Snails always bent to her whims, no matter how difficult, outlandish, or embarrassing. She grinned, sweeping her bangs in front of her eyes and ducking her head slightly. She knew it was terribly cliche, but she couldn't help but have a dramatic unveiling every time she did this. It just made everything the tiniest bit more satisfying. Peering out from behind her hair, Sunset saw the girl finish with her books and turn to look at her. Sunset stood perfectly still, chuckling inside as the girl grew more and more uncomfortable, fidgeting slightly. "Sooo..." Twilight said, in a downright embarrassingly thin attempt to break the tension. "What's your name?" Sunset smirked, lifting her head until she was looking Twilight in the eye, her gaze burning into her like a laser. Twilight flinched visibly at the intensity of Sunset's assault. The glow from Sunset's eyes was reflected in Twilight's, tinting the violet a unearthly shade of blue-green. "My name?" mused Sunset, grinning at the sight of Twilight's jaw hanging open. "Sunset Shimmer, although to you..." she paused, trying to think of the perfect term. Finally, it clicked. "Although to you, I'm the boss around here." Twilight's left eye twitched sharply. She wasn't sure what was going on, or how this girl's eyes were glowing like they were, but one thing was certain: it was making more and more sense that this girl should be the boss. The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, the way she looked at Twilight as though she was nothing more than a cute dog... Something clicked. Twilight had read enough science-fiction to recognize the signs of mind control when she felt them. At any other time, she would have chided herself for even suspecting something so outlandish. But now, as she felt her thoughts begin to crumble like rocks under an unrelenting wave, and saw the captivating glow of Sunset's eyes become brighter and brighter, she decided, just this once, to accept those signs as fact. After all, hadn't she once read a scientific study on the effects of morphogenic engine imaging on the human brain? This could be like that. Twilight tried to twist her head away, but no matter where she looked, part of her was unwilling to look away from those mesmerizing eyes. They were just so beautiful, and really, it was silly of her to think they were bad. Something this beautiful couldn't be dangerous, could it? Of course not. Twilight was still was lucid enough to know that those thoughts weren't her own. In a desperate final attempt, she lifted her arms so she could put her hands over her eyes, blocking her sight. Sunset, however, saw her arms lifting and frowned. "Don't do that," she scolded. Against her will, Twilight's arms drooped back to her sides. Despite herself, she found herself feeling terribly ashamed. She had upset Sunset Shimmer! What was wrong with her? Sunset noticed Twilight's sadness and smiled. "Oh, don't be so sad!" she said gently. "You didn't mean to. You just didn't realize that all I'm trying to do is-" Sunset couldn't help herself, a nasty grin spread across her face, "-help you." Twilight nodded mechanically, her willpower finally breaking under the weight of Sunset's prolonged assault. Of course that's what she had been doing. She only wanted to help her. Why couldn't she see that before? Twilight sighed happily, feeling a gentle warmth creeping through her. Looking into Sunset's eyes made her feel warm and comfortable, like she was lying on the world's softest feather bed. Why had she fought this? When she looked back, all she could remember was feeling cold and terrible. All Sunset was doing was helping her! What a fool she had been not to see it. Sunset could barely conceal her excitement. Twilight was showing all the signs of being almost under. Sunset had always felt that the more resistant people were to her control, the better they listened to her once they were under. She beamed to herself, gazing at Twilight's blissful, unaware face. It was then that the idea first wormed it's way into her head. As she looked at Twilight, she started noticing little things that she hadn't before. She had a cute dimple on her cheek; only on the right side, though. Her hair was soft and silky looking, and Sunset had a sudden, irrational urge to run her hand through it. She fought the feeling down, uncomfortable, and shook her head a bit. Time to get down to business. No time for weird thoughts. "Now, then, Twilight Sparkle..." Sunset said haughtily. "Do you feel good right now?" Twilight could only nod. "Good," said Sunset, grinning. "But notice that, as good as you feel, there's a pain in your head that keeps you from relaxing." The instant Sunset said this, Twilight noticed that yes, there really was a stabbing pain behind her eyes. In fact, she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. She winced in pain, putting a hand to her temples. "Yes, it does hurt," simpered Sunset, in a voice dripping with false sympathy that, to Twilight, sounded only too genuine. "Now, how about I help you feel better? Does that sound good?" Twilight whimpered in pain, the stabbing behind her eyes getting worse every second. "Y-yes," she stuttered. Sunset smiled. "Good," she purred. "Now, when I snap my fingers, the pain will vanish, and you'll suddenly be so tired that you'll fall asleep, right here. Ok?" Twilight nodded. "Okay," she echoed. Sunset smirked, then, with a flourish, snapped her fingers. Instantly, Twilight keeled over, fast asleep. Sunset was ready, however, and caught her, surprised at how light the girl was. Sitting her down and propping her against the lockers, Sunset put a finger to her chin, wondering what she should say. The wording was always very important in these situations. Why, once she'd told someone that they would love her unconditionally, and the next day, they showed up at school wearing a shirt that said: I LUV SUNSET on it, and bore a picture of her face in the middle of a heart. Where they got that, she never found out, but needless to say, it was pretty embarrassing. She had to make sure she did this right. Finally, she had a brainwave. "Twilight? Can you hear me?" she ventured. Twilight's head bobbed up and down in a nod, although her eyes were still closed. "Ok, Twilight," said Sunset. There are two boys that follow me around. Maybe you've met them? Snips and Snails?" Twilight nodded again. She had, in fact, met those boys earlier. "Well," Sunset continued. "From now on, you'll act just like how they act around me." Sunset would have gone into more detail, but it was nearly time for class, and she wanted to wrap this up. "Got that?" Twilight nodded a third time. Sunset clasped her hands together with glee. "Perfect. now, when you hear the bell ring, you'll wake up with no memory of this. You'll only remember that you tripped and hit your head on the lockers. Is that clear?" A fourth nod. Sunset nodded to herself, leaned down, gathered up her backpack, and hurried off to class, smiling to herself. When she got to class and walked through the door, she heard the bell ring.
The First Song in the TwilightAdagio leaned back against the statue, stopped singing under her breath, and smiled, watching as the trio of girls outside of the school squabbled noisily, getting right in each other's faces and gesturing violently. A green mist was swirling away from the girls, directly into the three gems on Adagio's neck. She sighed deeply, absorbing the energy. Adagio was in an incredibly good mood as it was (on the way to school, she had heard yells behind her, and turned to see two boys squawking and waving their arms around, bawling for water), but being well fed made everything a little bit nicer. It had barely taken anything to put these girls at each other's throats; the females in this world were incredibly insecure, and all it took was a nudge towards the cliff to send them to rock bottom. Better yet, they had a nasty (but helpful) habit of latching onto whoever was with them and dragging them down, too. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder and finishing off the last of the girls' energy, Adagio headed towards the school building, leaving the girls to screech in each other's faces. As she walked in through the front doors of the school, who should she ram into but Sunset Shimmer. Both girls flew backwards; Sunset into the three people behind her, who faithfully stopped her fall, Adagio into the doors, which (unfortunately) were in the process of being opened by another student. With almost comical precision, the handle of the door hooked under Adagio's choker, which snapped under the strain, flying off into the air. Adagio, settling to her knees and rubbing her sore head, realized the absence immediately: her throat felt clogged and sore, only slightly, but enough to be noticeable. Hand flying to grasp her throat, Adagio gasped, her eyes darting around the room, searching in vain for a glimmer of red, somewhere, anywhere. Her eyes landed on one of the girls whom Sunset Shimmer had fallen on. She had pale lavender skin, flat, indigo hair striped with pink and purple, soft violet eyes...and was currently holding Adagio's pendant in her outstretched hand. The girl regarded the pendant curiously, eyes lifting from her hand to meet Adagio's. With an nervous expression, she tossed it gently back to Adagio, who gaped as it fell to the floor in front of her. "Here you go." The girl's voice was soft, shy, and almost tentative. "Sorry it broke." Adagio gaped at the girl, automatically opening her mouth to reply, only to be cut off as another voice, sharp and harsh, scalded the air. "Twilight! What do you think you're doing?" The girl-Twilight-flinched, turning to stare at Sunset Shimmer, who was back on her feet with murder in her eyes. "She just slammed into me! Why are you helping her?" Twilight cowered, whimpering, underneath Sunset's furious teal gaze. "She just...I was..I j-just wanted to-" she stuttered. Sunset put her hands on her hips. "You wanted? You wanted? Did you forget who's opinion matters most here?" She fumed, glaring down at Twilight, voice full of contempt. Twilight shook her head so hard it became a blur. "No...I didn't mean...I'm sorry." The last words were spoken in barely a whisper. She looked up at Sunset, tears beginning to pool in her eyes. Adagio stared. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen anything more heartbreakingly pathetic in her life (and she had once caused a mother to throw her only child into the streets after they had forgotten to clean their room). This girl was positively prostrating herself in front of Sunset Shimmer, who was looking down at her with disgust. It was like someone looking at a begging, starving puppy with their hands around a burger, refusing to share. She almost...no, she definitely felt sorry for her. Sunset flipped her hair and shot Adagio her patented glare. Most would have shriveled instantly under her gaze, but Adagio had faced worse in her centuries of living. She gave her a superior glare under her eyelids in return. This didn't escape Sunset's notice, although she pretended not to care-even though she couldn't hide the slight flush of embarrassment in her cheeks. She stomped away in a huff. Without a word, Twilight and the two other boys in Sunset's posse followed, the short, orange-haired boy sticking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry in Adagio's direction. Adagio barely noticed, staring at Twilight's retreating figure. The girl walked slumped over, with a slight limp in both legs, dragging each foot behind her as she followed Sunset. Adagio, though she tried to deny it, felt a swell of pity for the girl. She couldn't understand why upsetting Sunset was bothering her so much, especially when Sunset was abusing her like this. The two boys that usually followed Sunset suffered the same treatment, but Adagio had realized long ago that neither of them was the brightest star in the sky. She doubted anything Sunset did to them bothered them much. However, that girl had seemed fairly intelligent. So why in Equestria was she following Sunset around like a lost puppy? Adagio made up her mind. She was going to find this girl after school and figure out her story. The final bell echoed throughout the halls of CHS as Twilight gathered the last of her books and headed for the front door. She was still completely ashamed of herself for upsetting Sunset earlier. That girl had plowed right into her, and instead of helping Sunset to punish her, like she should have, she had helped her instead! What was wrong with her? Sunset had every right to be angry with her. After they had left that girl sitting there, she had chewed Twilight out for what felt like hours. And why shouldn't she? Twilight had never felt lower in her life. As she exited the front doors and walked out onto the schools front lawn, Twilight, depressed as she was, never saw the puffy blur of lemon and orange that whipped out of sight behind the main front statue. And as she walked by the statue to start the long journey home, she never realized that she was being followed.....
