Adagio Dazzle bobbed in front of the statue in Canterlot High School’s yard, her gaze fixed upon it. The bucking horse that once graced the pedestal had been replaced by her likeness—lustrous hair that flowed to its thighs, equine ears perched atop its head, and gossamer wings that extended from its back. She didn’t know what the wings were made of, only that they resembled the ones extending from her own back that were flitting nervously.
The flowing dress was in stark contrast to the tee shirt and jeans she was wearing at the moment, the monolith putting on an eternal show with a smile that had disarmed nations carved across its face. She wasn’t here to admire herself, though. She could do that in a mirror.
No, she was here to meet someone, and by the position of the moon they were running behind schedule.
Reality rippled in front of her as Twilight Sparkle tumbled out onto her hands and knees, shivering as she stood up. She wrapped herself in her arms and looked around. “Celestia, it’s freezing!”
Adagio blinked as she reached into her voluminous tresses and extricated a small metal cube, pushed the button located on it, and threw it at Twilight. The cube grew into a cloak as Twilight reflexively caught it and stared at it.
“Wh-what is i-it?” Twilight asked.
“It’s a cloak.”
Twilight grunted as she draped it over her shoulders. “I gathered as much. It just doesn’t seem to have been able to fit in such a small space. The level of technology in this world amazes me.”
Adagio grinned. “It surprises me constantly what these worms come up with.”
“They’re not worms, Adagio,” Twilight said as she kept looking around. “They’re—” Her gaze stopped as she looked up at the moon. “Wh-what’s that?”
“Come on, I know your world still has a moon.”
Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s just… what’s on the moon?”
“What, you’re telling me Equestria doesn’t have a lunar colony?”
Twilight looked at Adagio, back at the moon, then back again at Adagio, jaw dropped. “... You’re telling me…”
Adagio nodded and hummed. “Indeed.”
“How—”
“A few hundred years now.”
Twilight shook her head. “Why didn’t you say anything? This has to be the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed! You have to—”
“You eat food, right?”
Twilight blinked. “What? Of course I eat food, but that’s not important! What’s important is how you got from here—” Twilight pointed at the ground “—to there—” Twilight pointed at the moon “—without—”
“How about we go get you something to eat, then?”
Twilight glared at Adagio, then pursed her lips and pulled the cloak around herself. “Very well. Let’s eat. Where would you suggest?”
Adagio floated off, Twilight following. “I’m not sure. We’ll have to ask one of my adoring fans.”
“Why don’t you—”
“Twilight, I haven’t eaten in hundreds of years. Why would I need to know the local cuisine?”
Twilight nodded as she followed Adagio off the courtyard and across the street, where Adagio opened her lips. A single droning note came out. The gem around her neck glowed as a din raised itself from the tenements lining the road.
Twilight glared at Adagio again, her jaw clenched. “Adagio, what are you doing?”
“What?” Adagio said with a chuckle. “I was just having a midnight snack.”
Twilight pursed her lips as Adagio continued her melodic mental assault of the populace, her footsteps now echoing off of the pavement as Adagio floated listlessly beside her. A green woman with purple hair wearing a flowing coat rummaged through her purse, unaware of her surroundings as she bumped into Twilight.
Twilight offered a hand. “I’m sor—”
“You damn well better be!” the woman barked at Twilight before she laid her eyes on Adagio. Her lips quivered as her eyes shot open and she dropped to her knees.
Twilight looked at the quivering wreck of a woman, then at Adagio. “Um…”
“What is it?” Adagio asked as she looked towards whom Twilight was gesturing at. Adagio grunted, facepalmed, and landed, her shoeless feet making nary a sound. “Stand, my child.”
The woman hurriedly rose to her feet and bowed. “I’m sorry, I’ve just never had the glory of running into our Queen befor—”
“That’s understandable. Now run along.”
The woman bowed her head and scurried off.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “‘Our Queen’?”
“What?” Adagio floated down the sidewalk. “It’s no more than you probably get.”
Twilight followed Adagio. “Well, I earned my title.”
“And you’re saying I didn’t?” Adagio snapped her fingers and turned around to see the woman hurrying down the sidewalk. “Woman!”
The green woman stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Yes, my Queen?”
“Do you know of an acceptable place to eat?”
The woman nervously tittered. “I don’t think anywhere around here is acceptable for—”
“I’ll ask again. Is there anywhere to eat?”
“Um,” the woman said as her back straightened, “there’s a pizzeria around the corner.”
“That will do. Carry on.”
The woman nodded and ran off.
Adagio turned around. “There’s a pizzeria—”
“I heard, Adagio.”
Adagio smiled. “Just checking, Princess Twilight.”
Adagio and Twilight rounded the corner. “Back to what we were talking about. What makes you think I didn’t earn my title?”
Twilight shook her head. “I earned my title through the magic of friendship.”
Adagio snorted. “And I earned mine through the magic of power.”
“Don’t remind me.” Twilight shivered and drew her cloak tighter around herself.
“And reinforced it through the mandate of the masses. You can’t just rule over someone because some mystical force deemed you good at friendship—”
“That’s enough, Adagio.” Twilight clenched her jaw. “I think this is the pizzeria she was talking about.”
Adagio halted, taking in the small shop.
“The lights appear to be on… but nopony’s inside.”
“Nobody’s inside because most of the business this late at night is done by delivery, Twilight.” Adagio asked her, “You do have delivery, right?”
“Some places, yes.” Twilight nodded. “But most places are closed at this hour regardless.”
Adagio chortled. “Well, welcome to the world that never sleeps.” She hovered over to the window and rapped on the glass.
“Can’t you read? We’re open for delivery only!”
Twilight and Adagio frowned. “Adagio, maybe we should—”
Adagio rapped on the window again, the glass vibrating under the force.
“I already told you, we’re—”
A yellow man with blue hair shouted as he walked out, then froze when he laid eyes on Adagio. He bolted to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. “Sorry, my Queen. I didn’t realize.”
Adagio looked at Twilight and smirked. “Now that’s service,” she said as she floated inside.
Twilight grit her teeth and followed inside, where Adagio had nestled herself into a booth bench. Twilight took a seat opposite her.
The man approached them. “H-h-hello, I-I’m Brick Oven. Wh-what will y-you be h-having t-t-tonight?”
“Nothing for me, thank you.”
Brick Oven nodded, shivering. He looked at Twilight. “A-and y-you?”
Twilight smiled. “Do you have a slice of cheese pizza?”
“W-w-we only h-have f-full p-pies—”
Adagio glared at him, at which he gulped.
“One s-slice of ch-ch-cheese p-pizza c-c-coming up!” He hurried off to the kitchen.
Twilight narrowed her gaze at Adagio. “They seem to be terrified of you.”
“I have no idea why,” she said with a shrug. “I’ve been nothing but helpful to these maggots.”
Twilight hummed. “I still don’t appreciate how you treat them as your inferiors.”
Adagio barked a laugh. “But they are. This entire planet has been under my thumb for almost a millennium.”
“And the moon as well, I presume?”
Adagio blinked. “So, how’s Equestria?”
“It’s… fine.” Twilight clasped her hands together. “We recently developed mobile telephony. That’s going to take some getting used to. I’m still having trouble adjusting to television. Did you know that it apparently makes you appear heavier?” Twilight shuddered. “Now, I’m not one to care about appearances—”
“Appearance is everything, Twilight,” Adagio said, her eyes focused elsewhere. “Why do you think I rarely touch the ground or go outside in such frigid weather wearing this?”
Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. Convenience?”
“Hardly.” Adagio snickered. “I do it to display my superiority over these insignificant specks. I fly to show that I am literally above them. I wear a tee shirt in this frigid weather to show that the elements don’t affect me.”
Twilight studied Adagio’s features. “How… does that help them improve?”
“Because I am the impossible ideal they strive for. All of their technology is a reflected desire to be like me, the apex of an evolution that they have no chance of achieving.”
Twilight grasped her cloak and looked at it. “So you’re saying this cloak—”
“Was someone’s deep-seated desire to resist the elements like me.”
“Then why do they still eat?” Twilight asked.
Adagio sighed. “Because they’re gluttonous pigs who have this inexorable need for solid food.”
“And setting up a colony on the moon? How does that reflect on you?”
Adagio grunted as Brick Oven brought Twilight’s slice of pizza and quickly departed. “I’d rather not—”
“Why not?” Twilight asked as a grin stretched across her face. “That’s what I find most interesting about this world as it is now. How did you get to the moon? How did you build structures that support life on it?” Twilight took a bite of her pizza. “This is good pizza.”
“Thank you.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she took another bite of her pizza. “Why are you taking credit for the pizza?”
“I already told you. Everything on this planet is a reflection of my will.”
Twilight paused, taking in what Adagio said. “... But the Moon isn’t.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, every time I try to bring up the lunar colony, you dodge the question.”
Adagio groaned. “Perceptive, aren’t we?”
Twilight continued eating the slice. “Which leads me to believe you weren’t responsible for it.”
Adagio straightened herself. “Look, can we please stop talking—”
“Only if you tell me who was responsible for the lunar colony.”
Adagio sighed. “Reach into the inside pocket of your cloak. You’ll find a communication device there.”
Twilight reached inside, pulled out a metal cube, and stared at it in wonder.“You can talk to people on the moon with this?”
Adagio nodded. “Alright, place it on the table.”
Twilight did as told, her body positively vibrating in excitement.
“Now, hold down the blue button on the top and repeat after me.”
Twilight held down the button, eagerly waiting for Adagio’s next instruction.
“What is my first message to the moon going to be?”
Adagio took a deep breath. “Aria, stop being an idiot and come back to Earth.”
Twilight released her finger from the button and looked Adagio in the eyes. “... What?”
Adagio squeezed her eyes shut. “Just do it.”
“Why don’t you do it?”
Adagio bit her lip. “... Because… because she’s refusing my calls.”
Twilight’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Ooooh, a friendship problem! I’m game.”
“It’s not a friendship problem.” Adagio facepalmed. “It’s an Aria stole my toy and won’t return her problem.”
“Did… did you just say toy and her in the same sentence?”
“What of it?”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “I don’t care what you think of humanity; people aren’t toys.”
“When they refuse to die, they are,” Adagio spat.
“You don’t mean…” Twilight held a hand to her mouth.
Adagio glared at Twilight. “The rest of your friends died that night. I’ve spent hundreds of years trying to figure out why she won’t, and Aria stole my chance to figure it out when she absconded with her to the lunar colony.”
Twilight teared up. “How… how have you been trying to figure it out?”
A wicked grin crossed Adagio’s face. “Any way I can.”
Twilight wiped the tears from her face and stood up. “I think we’re done here.”
“But we aren’t. You haven’t helped me with my friendship problem.”
Twilight shook her head. “I will not help you torture Sunset Shimmer.”
“Torture?” Adagio smirked. “I was simply performing… experiments. Surely you of all ponies can understand the importance of experimentation.”
“No!” Twilight shouted. “You knew she couldn’t die since… that night.”
“You mean the night where I shattered your friends’ eardrums and liquefied their brains inside of their skulls?”
Twilight bit her lip. “... Yes. That night.”
Adagio rose from the booth into the air and boxed Twilight in, her face almost touching the alicorn princess’s. “Why aren’t you on my case about that? I’m sure friends that you’ve had for five days are far more important than one you’ve had for two, am I right?”
Twilight looked Adagio in the eyes. “Because I can reason why you did that. You’re predators. We threatened you. You were simply defending yourselves. As much as it pains me to admit, the magic inside of us probably would have had a similar effect on you. It was simply two powerful forces clashing… and you won out.” Twilight gritted her teeth. “But what you say you’ve done to Sunset Shimmer is unforgivable.”
Adagio raised an eyebrow, bobbing in the air in front of Twilight. “And who’s going to stop me?”
“Aria apparently already did, judging by her probably being behind the lunar colony.”
“She’s outlived her usefulness, anyway.”
Twilight sighed. “And that’s probably why she championed the lunar colony. All this time, all I’ve heard from you is ‘I, I, I’... but you didn’t do this on your own. You had help, and she was probably sick of you taking all of the credit.”
Adagio chuckled. “You think you’re so smart. Truth is, Aria had already resented me for a long time before this. Why, once she realized what that portal was, she made a beeline straight for it.” She snorted. “Ricocheted off it like hot oil off of a frying pan. Poor soul apparently doesn’t even understand the meaning of banished.”
Adagio floated to the side. “If you’re not going to convince Aria to come back to Earth, I have no use for you. Away with you, now.”
Twilight grunted and walked towards the door of the pizzeria, shaking her head.
“Freeze.”
Twilight stopped mid-step.
Adagio flew towards Twilight’s immobile body and circled her. “You know what, I changed my mind. You’ll be... very useful to me.”
Adagio grabbed Twilight’s face.
“Yes, once I have you hostage, your friends in Equestria will come across the portal thirsting for blood. I will let them come and I will strike them down, one by one. Breathe.”
Twilight sucked in a breath.
A vicious grin slashed itself across Adagio’s face. “Don’t want you passing out, do we?” She landed in front of Twilight. “Yes, they will come, and I will slay everyone who comes in. Eventually, they’ll have to send in their heavy hitters.”
Adagio strolled around Twilight, put the back of her hand on her forehead, leaned back, and gasped. “But imagine their surprise when they don’t have any of their magic? The horror! They’ll be helpless as I assault their senses with the voice of billions.”
Twilight visibly winced as a thud came from the kitchen.
“Yes,” Adagio said, “my voice will reduce them to quivering wrecks as they have no choice but to acquiesce to my demands to remove the banishment from Equestria.”
Adagio stroked Twilight’s cheek. “What, you didn’t think entrancing eleven billion souls wouldn’t have any side effects, did you?” She glared at Twilight. “Speak.”
“You’re a monster, Adagio Dazzle.”
“I never claimed to be anything else.”
“I should have known you were up to no good when you sent me the journal message.”
Adagio shrugged. “Well, you live, you learn. Or you don’t. Whatever.”
“Aria saw it, too. That’s why she took Sunset Shimmer with her to the moon.”
Adagio slapped Twilight. “She stole my toy away from me because she grew weak!”
“You’re wrong, Adagio Dazzle. It takes an incredible amount of strength to stand up to tyranny like yours.”
“Tyranny? Me?” Adagio chortled. “I ended the ebb and flow of history with my siren song! I raised these mayflies flashing in and out of existence around me to a higher state of being! If it weren’t for me, they’d still be at each others’ throats!”
Twilight snarled. “Then why are they terrified of you?”
Adagio snickered. “It’s only natural to fear that which is stronger than you.”
“No,” Twilight said. “I’m enormously stronger than nearly everyone in Equestria, yet they don’t fear me. They gladly approach me because they know that I’m acting in their best interests. You, however, have hypnotized the entire planet into nothing more than lambs waiting for the slaughter.”
Adagio grasped Twilight’s face tightly. “They are expendable. Every single one of them. They only exist to praise my name and spread my gospel. As far as they are concerned, I am the Alpha. I am the Omega. Throughout the Age of the Sirens, they only needed to know one truth: Adagio Dazzle is.”
Twilight smirked. “Thanks. That’s all I needed. Unfreeze.”
With that, Twilight relaxed and took a moment to stretch.
Adagio’s eyes popped open. “How…”
Twilight circled Adagio. “It’s simple—that’s my special talent.”
Adagio backed away. “But your magic doesn’t—”
“The magic of friendship exists in every dimension,” Twilight proclaimed, causing Adagio to reel.
Adagio steeled herself and clenched her fists. “I wiped every trace of your magic from this world ages ago! The only rule is my rule!”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Adagio. The magic of friendship exists as long as it’s alive in one person. Why do you think Sunset Shimmer can't die?”
Adagio snarled, gritting her teeth. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Think about it, Adagio—”
“No!”
“That night, Sunset Shimmer was about to sing, but you three struck first, killing those who opposed you—except for Sunset Shimmer and myself.” Twilight paced around Adagio, her footsteps clacking on the tile floor. “And just now, you tried to kill me again.”
“Whatever made you think that?” Adagio asked, her wings flitting and her chest heaving in and out.
Twilight snorted. “You don’t think I’ve learned in one thousand years what the sound of a dead body hitting the floor sounds like?” She shivered, continuing her circling. “It is a cold sound that haunts me to this day. I’ve watched entire lives play out before me and have heard that sound many times. You just tried to kill me.”
“What of it?”
“Notice how I didn’t die. That leads me to one conclusion: the magic of friendship protects me, doubly so due to my Equestrian origin. Sunset Shimmer must also have the same potential hidden inside of her due to her not dying despite your best efforts.”
Adagio huffed. “What are you getting at?”
“Well,” Twilight said with a smirk, “the magic of friendship only invests itself in extraordinary ponies, ponies destined to do great things. I’ve had experiences with destiny forcing itself upon me before; I know what to look for.
“My guess is that Sunset Shimmer was supposed to do something extraordinary that night. Do you want to venture a guess as to what I think that is?”
Adagio clenched and unclenched her fists. “I’ll let you tell me what you think.”
“Gladly.” Twilight walked up to Adagio, her face almost touching the siren’s. “I think Sunset Shimmer was supposed to defeat you that night.”
“That’s heresy.”
“Think about it. Why did you win?”
“Because I’m better.”
Twilight chortled. “I doubt that. I think you won to set up an even greater failure in the future—”
Adagio clenched her hand around Twilight’s neck and slammed her into the ceiling, chips of plaster drifting to the ground. “How dare you challenge my immortal throne!”
“Nothing lasts forever, Adagio.”
“I have, I do, and I will.”
Twilight fruitlessly struggled against Adagio’s grip. “Adagio, you can’t fight fate.”
“If fate wants to fight me, then I will fight back will all of my power. If I am destined to fail, I will tear reality apart from the seams and stitch it back together to assure my eternal rule.”
Twilight gulped. “Adagio, your eyes—”
“There is only one truth that I ascribe to, and that truth is that I AM!”
Adagio opened her mouth and let out a soul-wrenching wail that tore into Twilight’s very being. Wings appeared on Twilight’s back as her hair extended and streaked itself with a shock of yellow. Her face contorted in response to the aural assault.
“Adagio, what are you doing? You’ve tried twice to kill me already!”
Twilight’s pleas went unheeded as Adagio’s scream shattered the windows of the pizzeria and peeled the paint off the walls. Adagio closed her mouth and slammed Twilight into the ceiling again.
“WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO BEND TO MY WILL AND DIE, TWILIGHT SPARKLE?!”
“Because people don’t die because you will it!”
“What are you talking about my will is supreme my will shall shatter the heavens and rewrite existence itself to assure my supremacy—”
“Adagio, listen to yourself, you’re going mad with power—”
Adagio clenched her fist tightly around Twilight’s throat.
“I am not insane my mind is clearer than it has ever been you have demonstrated that my failure is inevitable so I must remove the inevitability—”
“How do you even plan on carrying out these insane ramblings you’re spouting out?”
“It’s simple if you want to deconstruct something you must look at where the seams lie.”
“What seams are you talking about?”
“Where the dimensions connect I must figure out how to unravel existence by fraying where the dimensions connect with each other only then will my sovereignty remain unchallenged.”
Twilight squirmed under Adagio’s grasp. “Do you even understand the impossibility of what you’re proposing? You can’t just rip apart reality like it’s some kind of toy! How would you even approach this insanity?”
“Nothing is impossible for me for I am Adagio Dazzle.”
“And I’m Sonata Dusk!”
Adagio shrieked and swiveled to see Sonata floating next to her, smiling and wearing a green sundress. In her shock, she let go of Twilight. Twilight eased herself off the ceiling and rubbed her bruised neck.
Sonata looked between the two. “Wh-what? I thought we were doing introductions.”
“No, just… “ Adagio grunted. “Escort her out of here. I’m done with her.”
Twilight looked at Adagio, then at Sonata. “I think we’re done here, too.”
“Okey-dokey!” Sonata grabbed Twilight’s wrist and led her out of the ruined pizzeria.
Adagio closed her eyes, pinched her nose, and sighed as she settled back into the booth.
“Crap. Now I have to figure out how to remake reality in my own image.”
Twilight shuddered as she surveyed the damage Adagio’s scream had caused. Shattered glass lined the streets. The buildings themselves were impacted as well.
“Thanks, Sonata. But when did you show up?” Twilight asked.
Sonata smiled. “Right around when she said she was going to tear reality apart.”
“How can you smile when she says something like that?”
“Because it’s not the first time she’s threatened something like that.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “When was the last time?”
“Hmmm.” Sonata tapped her chin. “I think it was after Aria took Sunset to the moon. Adagio’s eyes went red and she threatened to destroy the planet if Aria didn’t return Sunset to her.”
Twilight shuddered. “Well, it’s good that she didn’t enact that plan.”
“Manehattan was leveled in the battle they had, though. So, why’d you come here in the first place?”
Twilight grimaced as she and Sonata rounded the corner. “How do you change topics so quickly?”
Sonata shrugged. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Oh.” Twilight sighed. “Well, she sent me a message in the journal asking for help. If I had known what she needed help with, I never would have come.”
“Huh.”
Twilight shook her head. “How do you deal with her? She seems beyond help.”
“It’s easy. Adagio needs a friend, and I’m her friend—even if she doesn’t realize it. I just hope she snaps out of it one day.”
Twilight looked at Sonata. “What do you mean, snap out of it?”
“Well, ever since the day we won… She’s been getting more and more screwy. Almost like she’s taunting everyone to take her down.”
Twilight rubbed her chin. “Hmmm… It sounds like the world is trying to right itself, but something about Adagio is preventing that.”
Sonata shrugged. “I dunno. I think she’s just bored.”
“Bored doesn’t account for threatening to remake existence.”
The two of them approached the statue. Twilight landed, her wings disappearing and her hair returning to its normal length. “Do you think she could do it?”
Sonata hummed. “Not sure. She’s surprised me before, so don’t count her out.”
Twilight removed the cloak, shivering once again. “A-alright. I’ll m-make contingency plans just in case. J-just… Try to hold off Adagio if sh-she tries anything.“
Sonata saluted. “You can count on me! I like the existence I’m in, thank you very much.”
Twilight wrapped her arms around herself, smiling. “Th-thank y-you.”
With that, Twilight entered the statue, reality rippling as she passed into the stone.
Sonata stared at the statue for a little while. She then shrugged and flew away, leaving Adagio’s likeness to glisten alone in the moonlight.
