By Her Side

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Outcasts
Chapter 2 - Webflix and Chill
Chapter 3 - Awakening
Chapter 4 - Love
Chapter 5 - Tension
Chapter 6 - Forgiveness
Chapter 7 - Spring
Chapter 8 - Truth
Chapter 9 - Last Days
Chapter 11 - Close Call
Chapter 12 - Another Morning
Chapter 10 - Unforgotten

Chapter 1 - Outcasts

Several years ago, she’d almost had it: all of the power of this world.

She’d had Aria and Sonata, by her side, under her control. They were what some would call living, breathing myths. They called themselves the Sirens. Since that fool Starswirl had banished them from their homeland, they had used the power of their voices to feed on those who produced negative energy. Usually those who were simple-minded, easy victims, weak.

With the passing of time however, the people of this world were changing and the Sirens main food source was becoming scarce. Then, however, they found something they had not witnessed in this world. A wave of light emitted from the nearby high school: Equestrian Magic, a source of magical power that originated from the land from which they were exiled.

Her plan was to pose as students at the local high school, participating in the school's ‘battle of the bands’ contest as a vocal grouped named ‘The Dazzlings.’ She then proceeded using her combination of skills in planning, manipulation and of course vocal talent to win over the school.

Without much effort, she soon had a majority of the school under her control. One group by the name of ‘The Rainbooms’ were seen as a possible threat to her, but with almost everyone under their control, the Rainbooms were powerless against the Dazzlings.

She remembered when she was standing over everyone, looking down at the weak Rainbooms. She was close to gaining all the power she could ever want. This world would soon be hers as soon as she was completely rid of the Rainbooms.

Then she came. Their friend, Sunset Shimmer joined their side. With their powers combined, they were able to launch a wave of magic like she had never witnessed before.

It was a huge wave of light; it took her by surprise, catching her in the center of the blast. It was something she’d never felt before. In the span of several seconds she felt pain, then, nothing.

Initially she was confused; something felt different, the gem she wore around her neck was broken. All her magic, all her power: shattered in an instant. Then came a rush of emotion she’d never felt before, hitting her right in the chest.

The once-Sirens were now nothing more than average mortals.

That day still haunted Adagio. She could have taken revenge, but what was the point? Her life as a siren was over. The life she’d had before was taken away from her, and now there was nothing else she could do but live in this world like everyone else.

The sun outside had risen and was shining brightly throughout Canterlot. Inside Adagio’s room, however, it was nearly pitch black, with her black curtains covering her room in darkness. She was in her bed, by herself, sleeping throughout the evening to the early morning.

Adagio’s phone rang across her room and began to vibrate on her side table. Opening her eyes, she groggily grabbed the phone and set it to snooze for another five minutes.

She could use another hour or two of rest, but she didn’t want to sleep in too long on her first day of the new semester at Canterlot Community College.

She soon emerged from bed, wearing nothing but her bottoms. She went over to the windows in her room and opened up the blinds, allowing the morning sun to light up her room.

Stretching her arms and legs, she went straight to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror; her general appearance hadn’t improved in the past three years. The only time she’d have any physical activity is if she needed to go somewhere for class or errands. With her lack of friends, she spent a majority of her free time in the apartment watching TV or reading.

She didn’t pay much mind to her daily diet either, usually eating takeout, junk food, and excessive sweets. Her arms and thighs, which were razor thin not so long ago, now were thick and flabby. Her taut, sculpturesque stomach jutted out, hanging limply over her waist.

She hesitantly went over to the scale, despite knowing what it would say. Standing on it, she groaned as it read just over two-hundred pounds.

“Yup, still fat.” She sighed.

Stepping off the scale, she went over to the shower and turned it on, allowing the bathroom to steam up for a minute before stepping in.
Inside the shower, she quickly cleaned herself off before grabbing a large bottle of conditioner. She may have let herself go, but there was no way she was going to let her hair go as well.

She covered her hair in several layers of conditioner, letting it sit in for a few minutes. She remained standing in the shower, then began humming. Every morning she would hum a generic tune, then make an attempt to sing.

“AaaaaahhAAHHH—” She stopped when her voice cracked.

She sighed again, and began to rinse the conditioner out of her hair.

After finishing up in the bathroom, she walked back into her bedroom and got dressed. Some tight black pants, a purple long sleeve top, her old worn purple boots, and the choker she’d had for centuries. A fake gem rested in the place of what she’d had before.

She quickly went back into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She may not be the siren she once was, but she damn well was not going to stop being herself.

Leaving the bathroom and passing by her bedroom, she went into her kitchen area, where she prepared herself a healthy breakfast—at least by Adagio’s definition—which was a bowl of cereal with milk.

She quickly took down her meal and grabbed her bag. Checking inside, she made sure she had the necessary materials for class today. She then placed her bag on her back, grabbed her phone and keys, and went out the front door.

Walking out of her upper level apartment, she made her way down the stairs and across the parking lot to the sidewalk. The college itself didn’t have dorms like a university, but her apartment complex was only a few blocks away from campus.

She passed other students, but didn’t interact with anyone along the way. She placed her attention instead on the environment around her; it was shortly past Hearth's Warming Eve, but the weather was warmer than usual. Walking along the sidewalk, she passed underneath a few trees and past other individuals walking slowly along her route.

Passing the local book and record store, she soon made it onto campus. Walking down the hill past the parking lot, she went across campus and into the arts building where her class was. The halls were crowded, but she entered an empty classroom and slumped into a seat near the back of the room.

It would be nearly half an hour before class started, which gave her plenty of time to skim through her textbook to get an idea of what to expect from the class. She pulled her bag open, rummaging for her book before plopping the bag into the seat next to her to mark her territory.

After a few minutes, students began to arrive and sit in the unoccupied seats; Adagio paid no attention to any of them, keeping to herself.
Soon after, the instructor came in, wearing a long black dress with a dark blue cardigan on top of it. Completing the outfit was a pair of thick glasses over her face. She looked like an instructor from a fancy art school rather than a community college.

The class was nearly full by that time. Adagio quickly looked over the students that had come in; most of them looked like first years out of high school.

The instructor then stood up at the podium at the front of the class.

“Looks like almost everyone is here. Let’s get started.” She adjusted her glasses. “I am Ms. Rose, and I will be your instructor for Introduction to Art.”

She placed a thin folder on her podium and twirled a pen in her left hand. “While you will do individual work throughout the semester, I also ask that you all work together every once in a while. Therefore, I will assign you each a partner to work with throughout the semester as I call roll. The person whose name I call along with yours will be your partner for all team assignments. Is that clear?”

“Clear,” a few students murmured, unsure whether or not they were supposed to answer.

Great, Adagio said to herself, bitterly. I can see this class will be fun already.

Adagio kept her face in her book, not giving her attention to any of the students.

“Let’s see here,” the instructor said opening the folder. “When I call your names, just raise your hand and say here, present, whatever works for you.” She cleared her throat. “Lyra and Bon Bon?”

“Yes!” said two girls in the classroom, they sat next to each other and held their hands high in the air.

Rose raised an eyebrow at the two, but then went back to calling roll and putting students into teams.

“Troy and Canvas?”

“Here,” a burly guy said in a heavy accent, raising his hand timidly. From the sound of his accent, it sounded like he came from the East, most likely raised outside of Equestria.

“Present,” a smaller guy said at the back of the class near Adagio. He only raised his hand about halfway before bringing it down.

“So far so good,” Rose said. “Adagio and—”

“Sorry I’m late!” A girl barged into the classroom, interrupting Rose. She breathed heavily underneath the motorcycle helmet she wore over her head, sounding like she’d sprinted to class.

“First time here?” Rose asked, tilting her head.

“Yes. Sorry, ma’am.”

“It’s fine. Please take your seat. Also I hope you don’t plan to keep that helmet on.”

“Oh.” She laughed. “I didn’t even realize. Sorry.”

A few students giggled.

Rose sighed, and went back to taking roll. “As I was saying… Adagio and Sunset?”

That name.

Adagio looked around the classroom and then focused on the girl in the motorcycle helmet. She wore a black leather jacket that looked familiar. The girl took off her helmet, and her long red and yellow hair fell down, and she saw that familiar face. It was Sunset Shimmer.

“A-Adagio?” Sunset’s jaw dropped, immediately noticing in Adagio in the back.

They both made eye contact. Adagio glowered at her menacingly. The woman who ruined everything was right here in front of her.

“Is something wrong Adagio?” Rose asked, breaking in-between the two.

Adagio shook her head, re-focusing her attention on Rose.

“We can’t work together,” Adagio said to her.

“What, do you have a restraining order against Sunset?” Rose asked with a flash in her eye.

Adagio had always acted like she was too cool for her classes, and the sour look on her face was delicious.

“I wish,” Adagio said.

“Well, wishes aren’t a solid legal foundation and I’m not staying up all night tonight redoing my partner lists, so you two will be working together.” Rose then looked at Sunset. “Take your seat next to her, Sunset.”

“Uhh… Thanks,” Sunset said, walking to the back of the classroom and standing next to the table where Adagio was seated. Adagio glared at her, not saying a word as Sunset sat next to her.

“H-hi Adagio,” Sunset whispered.

“I have nothing to say to you, Sunset Shimmer,” Adagio huffed.

Rose continued calling roll in class. Students were shifting seats throughout the classroom, but soon everyone was settled and they began their first lesson.

“Okay, students, see you all Wednesday,” Rose said. The students in the classroom began packing their bags.

Adagio meanwhile was already packed and was the first to leave. Sunset quickly packed her bags and began chasing after Adagio in the hall.

“Hey, Adagio! Wait up!” Sunset said, catching up with her.

“What do you want now? Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone?” Adagio grumbled.

“I just wanted to know what you are doing today.”

“Dropping this class first off, then going to my next class.” Adagio began walking away from Sunset before she grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Do you have a few minutes to talk? I am not asking for forgiveness, but we are going to have to work together throughout this class.”

“That’s not going to be a problem when I drop it.” Adagio withdrew her arm from Sunset.

“Please? I just want to talk, no more than a few minutes” Sunset clasped her hands together, in a begging pose.

“Hmm.” Adagio placed her hand over her chin. “I’ll make a deal with you Sunset.”

“Okay…?” Sunset tilted her head. “What kind of deal?”

“I’ll have that talk with you. If I stick around for more than ten minutes then I will stay in the class with you, and we can work together.”

“What happens if I can’t do that?” Sunset asked.

“If I get sick and tired of you and leave, or am not impressed after ten minutes.” Adagio grinned. “You will be the one dropping the class.”

“That doesn’t seem very fair.” Sunset crossed her arms.

“Neither was taking away my power. Plus, you seemed so confident earlier.” Adagio extended her hand in front of Sunset. “Take it or leave it. I drop the class now, or you can talk to me and take a risk yourself. If you’re honest about wanting to get to know ‘the real me’ or whatever it is you want rather than just trying to get rid of your guilt…”

Adagio let the word hang in the air for a moment before smirking. “What’s a little challenge?”

Sunset looked at Adagio’s hand and gulped; it was a risk, but it was her only chance. She slowly extended her hand and shook Adagio’s.

“Deal.”

“Good.” Adagio smiled, and withdrew her hand. “We’re also going to talk at the campus coffee shop. You're buying, by the way.”

“What?” Sunset’s jaw dropped. “N-no fair!”

Adagio grinned.

“C’mon, let’s go.”

Adagio then turned around and walked toward the exit of the hall, with Sunset following behind her. Adagio had no idea why Sunset had such an interest in her, but she decided to have some fun and play her little game.

After walking out of the arts building and across campus, the two entered a small coffee shop that was located in a small separate side building. Sunset ordered (and paid for) two lattes, and Adagio picked her usual spot and sat at one end, with Sunset sitting across from her.
Adagio took out her phone and placed it on the table. On the screen displayed a timer. “Last chance to back out, Sunset Shimmer.”

“I said I accepted the deal,” she replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

“A woman who sticks to her word; I like that.” Adagio tapped the screen and the timer began. “You have ten minutes. Go.”

Sunset closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began making her case.

“Okay, I know it seems a bit weird that I want to talk to you—”

“That’s for sure,” Adagio said cutting off Sunset.

“Can you let me talk?” Sunset huffed.

“Oh, you can talk. However, I didn’t say I couldn’t talk back during these ten minutes. Go ahead.”

“As I was saying, I just wanted to say I sort of used to be in your position. I was nothing but a power hungry bitch when I was originally thrown into this world. We’ve both been there, being exiles from our home.”

“So, what? Am I supposed to be impressed and feel touched that you used to be like me? You tried to control a high school and failed. Big deal. Whatever you did in the past can’t compare to what I have done. Nor are you fooling anyone with the motorcycle, goody two shoes.” Adagio chuckled.

“N-no, I’m not trying to impress you!” Sunset said, red-faced. “And I have the bike because I like it. It’s just, our circumstances aren’t entirely the same, but I still know what it’s like.”

“I am a little surprised to hear you’re an exile though. How’d a straight-laced girl like you get herself the boot?” Adagio raised her eyebrow.

“Well, not an exile exactly.” Sunset twiddled her fingers. “It’s more like I ran, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be welcome back, so I stayed here.”

“Of all the places, you chose to stay here?”

“I’ve had problems with The Princess in the past. If there’s one pony you don’t want to cross, it’s definitely her. I’ve managed to make some small amends with her last Hearth's Warming Eve, though.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, I also have friends here, and a place I can call home.” Sunset took a sip of her coffee. “I felt like an outsider ever since I settled here a few years ago. I’m also not on the best terms with my parents. You can say that’s why I sort of call myself an exile.”

“Surely you had some past friends in Equestria?”

“Well, some, but they are not like my friends here. Let me get back to the point.”

“Okay.” Adagio checked the timer. “You already wasted a quarter of your time.”

Sunset gritted her teeth.

“Back when I was in high school, I wanted power like you, and I did eventually gain it. I became something more powerful than I ever imagined.”

“Felt good, didn’t it?” Adagio smiled.

“It did, but I also had to lose something to gain that power.” She paused. “I felt like I lost a part of myself.”

“Some sacrifices have to be made. You wanted that power in the first place, right?”

“Yes.” Sunset nodded. “It’s what I wanted, but, like you, I had that power taken from me, and I felt something I’ve never felt before.”

“The burning pain of magic ripping away your power?” Adagio said.

“No.” Sunset shook her head. “Being human.”

“Uhh…” Adagio tilted her head while raising an eyebrow. “What?”

“Tell me Adagio: When The Rainbooms and I took away your power, what did you feel?”

“Hmm.” Adagio leaned back on her chair, rubbing her chin. “Confusion at first. The girls and I tried to sing, but then we failed, and then I felt… Loss, and once the crowd booed at us…” She paused. “Rejection.”

“What were those feelings? What do they make?” Sunset asked.

“Emotions. Those were emotions, my emotions.” Adagio muttered.

“And emotions are what make us what we are: human.”

The two went silent for a short time. Adagio crossed her arms and looked down at the timer, she only had a few minutes left. She could just end this and walk away, saying she had no more interest in what Sunset was talking about, but then she would only be lying to herself.

“Okay, that’s nice and all,” Adagio said, breaking the silence. “Get to your point before you have to drop your class.”

“Adagio, this may seem out of nowhere, but I want to be your friend.”

“I thought you didn’t need my forgiveness? Now you are asking to be my friend?” Adagio asked.

“Yes, it’s weird, but even with our differences, you and I are also alike. We are both outsiders in this world. We have both lost something we wanted, but gained so much more afterwards, don’t you agree?”

Adagio got up and stood over Sunset, looking her in the eye.

“Get this into your head, Sunset: You are nothing like me.”

Sunset gulped, looking up at Adagio.

“You haven’t lived for multiple lifetimes, nor are you truly an exile from Equestria, only an outcast. Not to mention you aren’t really a human, you’re really a…”

She paused. She thought she knew what she was about to say, but suddenly her memory went blank. The world she and Sunset were from, what did reside there? It certainly wasn’t humans, but something…

“Adagio?” Sunset waved her hand in front of Adagio’s face. “Were you going to say something?”

Adagio sat down and did her best, trying to think hard. Before she lost her powers, she was able to hold multiple lifetimes of information. Once she lost her powers however, her mind was like any other young adult; it could only hold so many memories before some were forgotten.

“Uhh… You know what I mean.” Adagio crossed her arms and looked to the side.

Sunset looked at Adagio, puzzled. One minute she was confident and looking down at Sunset, and then suddenly she looked like she was lost, almost defensive. It was almost as if…

“You don’t remember, do you?” Sunset asked.

“I didn’t forget anything,” Adagio said, rolling her eyes for effect but tensing up.

“What was I before Adagio? There were plenty of us in Equestria, you should know.”

“I-I don’t need to say it.”

“Uh-huh, so what would you think if I said Equestria was populated by talking magical ponies?”

“What? That’s ridic—” Adagio paused. The instant Sunset mentioned ponies, some of her old memories came back. “T-that’s right, somehow…” She placed her hand over her forehead, beginning to get a headache. “Though it only opens up more questions in my mind.”

“You did lose your memories,” Sunset said.

“When you took my power,” Adagio said, rubbing her temples. “I was not just confused from losing my power and abilities, but I suddenly forgot about a lot of things, my long past included.” She paused, frowning. “While I was seeking power, I honestly don’t remember why I wanted it in the first place, I… I don’t even know where I was from other than a place called Equestria, not here, but somewhere else.”

“I’m sorry Adagio,” Sunset placed her hand on top of Adagio’s. Adagio tensed at first, then stared at it curiously. “At the time we didn’t really c—” Sunset choked down the word ‘care,’ “think about how you might suffer afterwards. And, well, you had to be stopped. We had to protect everyone.”

“Yeah, you’re so noble now that your first plan didn’t work out, aren’t you? Whatever. It is what it is. You had your goals, I had mine, and I lost,” Adagio said.

“I wish we could have done something different, but I guess that's too late now,” Sunset said.

Adagio nodded, then looked at her phone on the table, seeing the timer was over ten minutes, near fifteen. Sunset looked down at it too, then back at Adagio.

Her time was up.

“So, what’s the final verdict?” Sunset asked.

Adagio looked at Sunset. She didn’t exactly know what she’d gotten from the conversation. Sure, she understood that Sunset wanted to be friends with her. Was she really so pathetic that even her enemies pitied her?

On the other hand, Adagio could spot a liar easily and Sunset seemed genuine, if a bit foolish. She would admit however, it was definitely the most interesting discussion she’d had on campus in recent months.

“We’ll call it a draw,” Adagio declared.

“A draw?” Sunset said, puzzled. “What does that mean?”

“Well, I am not sure what to take from our conversation, but you are better than what I expected Sunset. Therefore I will stay in class with you, though I can’t promise if we can work well together or not.”

“Can we still be friends?” she asked.

“I’m not sure about that.” Adagio sighed. “But we can remain acquaintances at least, which is an achievement in itself.”

“How?”

“I have no friends or anyone I can really depend around here; I keep to myself.”

“Whatever happened to your other friends? Aria and Sonata?”

“That’s a story for another time, but I can just tell you we split the day we were defeated.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, Sunset.” Adagio got up from her seat with her coffee. “I have another class soon, we will talk again Wednesday, after class.”

“Thank you for allowing me to talk to you, Adagio.” Sunset smiled.

“Yeah, sure,” Adagio huffed.

“Well, um… See ya.” Sunset waved.

“Bye,” Adagio said, leaving Sunset alone in the coffee shop.

Walking to her next class, Adagio couldn’t stop thinking about Sunset. While she had that stereotypical good-girl attitude to her, she could tell she was smart, independent, and maybe still had a bit of a bad side to herself?

Maybe having her stick around for now wouldn’t be too bad.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

The original characters Troy and Canvas are from the Brushed Away series, created by TheVClaw.

Chapter 2 - Webflix and Chill

It was the second day of Adagio and Sunset’s art class. After their encounter on Monday, Adagio decided she would stick in the class and work with Sunset throughout the semester.

Sitting next to Sunset, Adagio remained silent, listening to the instructor’s lecture on artists from the middle ages. Sunset did the same. She would occasionally look over at Adagio during the lecture, giving her a smile but Adagio only returned a raised eyebrow and placed her full attention back on the instructor.

Once class was over, they walked out together and leaned up against a bare spot between note boards in the hall.

“I hope our class isn’t this boring throughout the semester, I was hoping we would have more hands-on activities than lecture,” Sunset said, stretching her arms.

“I really don’t know why I chose this elective over my other choices,” Adagio said, placing her hand over her forehead.

“For someone who was talented at singing, I am surprised you don’t have an interest in the arts,” Sunset said.

“I do have an interest in art, just not a 101 class on history and terminology. As for singing…” Adagio paused. “I’m past those days. I practice, but my vocal talent is just… gone.”

Sunset frowned. Even though she admitted the day before that she regretted taking away Adagio’s powers, she couldn’t fathom what it must have felt like for the former siren.

“Sorry to hear that,” Sunset said.

“Are you going to keep saying sorry for things I’ve lost due to you?” Adagio snapped at Sunset, making her flinch. At first, it was kind of nice that she had apologized—more than anyone else had bothered to give her over the past year, anyway—but it was quickly becoming annoying and she didn’t want this to become routine. Those large, glassy eyes brimming with pity made her sick.

“I just don’t know what else to say,” Sunset said. She rubbed her arm and shrugged. “What am I supposed to say?”

Adagio sighed.

“We made our choices and faced the consequences. Some part of me misses having control over everyone, but even if I did gain the power, I am not sure what there would be left for me afterwards.”

“Really?” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “So, you don’t mind where you are at now?”

“I didn’t say that; I just know there are not many choices for me and being here is the best one I have at the moment.”

There was silence between the two as they stood there up against the wall next to each other. Breaking the silence, Sunset decided to move to another topic.

“So, what are you studying?” Sunset asked.

Adagio took a deep breath.

“Business,” she replied.

“Really?” Sunset tilted her head.

“It’s not like being a goddess.” Adagio grinned. “But I can still control those under me if I become a manager. Besides, my first instructors here said I would do well in a business environment.”

“Why’s that?” Sunset asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Because I’m so charming and pleasant, of course!” Adagio winked, giving Sunset a confident thumbs-up. “Aaand possibly because I’m cool, constantly calculating, and have”—she stiffened her posture, squaring her shoulders and pantomiming adjusting glasses—“‘an emotional detachment and willingness to deceive usually found in dangerous sociopaths,’ or so I’m told.” She shrugged.

“Let me get this straight.” Sunset laid out her hands to the left. “In one year you were a two-thousand year old Siren controlling her subjects and feeding on their negative energy.”—she then placed her hands to the right—“And now you are a student majoring in business at a local community college?”

“Pretty much.” Adagio shrugged. “Why do you ask?”

“That’s just… quite a jump.”

“It’s better to utilize my remaining skills then have them go to waste. I may have lost my powers, but I’m still the same me. I’m still going to find a way to come out on top; it’s all I’ve ever done.” Adagio checked her phone for the time. “I need to go to my next class.”

“How long is it?” Sunset asked.

“Nearly two hours. Why?” Adagio stretched her arms, straightening herself out.

“Can we meet up afterwards?”

“For what?”

“To hang out; it’s what friends do, isn’t it?” Sunset asked quietly, fidgeting with her hands and scuffing her on the ground.

“I didn’t say we were friends.”

“Well, we can still hang out, can’t we?”

Adagio drummed her fingers against the wall behind her and didn’t respond, so Sunset continued on.

“I have another art class in about fifteen minutes, but it’ll get out before your class ends.” Sunset checked her phone. “I have to get some gas for my bike, but that won’t take long since the gas station isn’t far.”

“Where can I meet you?” Adagio asked.

“I’ll be at the bike lot by the time you get out and we can meet there, sound good?”

“Sure, I guess,” Adagio said, grabbing her bag. “I’ll see you there, then.”

“Awesome! Later, Adagio!” Sunset waved at Adagio as she walked off to the exit at the end of the hall. Adagio turned back and raised her hand a bit and waved back at Sunset, though not as enthusiastically as her.

As soon as Adagio left the art building, the first thing that came to her mind was, Adagio, what are you doing talking to her? Much less hanging around with her?

Sunset was the reason she’d lost everything, the reason she was stuck at this college. Yes, she was smart and a bit similar to her in terms of past evil intentions, but why was she sticking with her? Surely there were other people she could be around?

Thinking about it again, it had been three years since she had lost her powers. Since that day no one else had given her any attention like Sunset had in the past three days. She had only started talking to her this week. She could decide later on if she should be friends with her or not.

Adagio left the classroom and the building that held most of the business classes, heading to the motorcycle lot Sunset said she would meet her at. Arriving soon after, she found Sunset sitting on top of her bike, yelling at it.

“Goddesses damn it, start!” Sunset yelled, repeatedly turning the key in the ignition, the engine only giving a slight whine before going dead.

Sunset threw her arms into the air, frustrated, and yelling. “Shit!”

“Goddesses? You some kind of polytheist?” Adagio asked, raising her eyebrow. She had honestly never seen Sunset angry like this before. It was like she was almost a different person for those few seconds.

“Oh!” Sunset only noticed Adagio now. “S-sorry. Just my bike not being cooperative.”

“No reason to apologize.” Adagio smiled. She was actually entertained seeing Sunset being angry for once, it was not something she would want to see every day, but it was a side of her she rarely saw.

“Adagio?” Sunset said, seeing Adagio staring at her.

“Oh, Um, I like your bike. What is it exactly?” Adagio asked, wanting to refocus the conversation on Sunset’s bike, rather than… her.

“My bike? I’ve been building her up since high school.” She smiled.

Adagio looked at the bike. It seemed like it was made more for performance rather than comfort. Devoid of any real branding, the main engine, wheels, and frame were all painted matte black, while the outer shell was a bright matte orange.

“It was just a scrap heap when I found it. I used whatever parts I could find at the local scrap yard. I had it painted only recently and the guy said it looked well over 25 years old.”

“It looks like a lot of hard work went into it.”

“It was worth it.” Sunset turned the key one last time, the bike still refusing to start. “Well, it’s going to take me forever to walk the bike back to my place. I know I had enough gas to get to the station, just hope it’s nothing serious.”

She stepped off the bike and pulled out her phone. “I think we may have to cut our plans today. I am going to call my friend Applejack and see if she can give me a lift.”

Adagio only nodded, looking up at the sky, noticing the change from sunny to cloudy.

“Hey Applejack, it’s Sunset. Can you come pick me up? The bike broke down again.”

Sunset nodded her head, listening to Applejack on the other end. Then her eyes widened.

“Wait—you're out of town? When are you going to be back?”

Adagio crossed her arms, seeing Sunset was frustrated again.

“Tomorrow morning, right… All right, I guess I’ll just push the bike downtown. It’s going to take me all afternoon at this point—No it’s not your fault, look I’ll give you a call if something changes, bye.”

“So?” Adagio said.

“My friend is not going to be in town until tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to spend most of the day pushing this thing back now.”

Sunset sighed and looked up, noticing the cloudy sky. Rain droplets sprinkled over her face, streaking down her cheeks and neck. Adagio looked up at the sky as well; the forecast did say there was a possible chance of rain later in the afternoon. Though not this early.

“I thought it wasn’t going to rain until this evening.” Adagio placed her hand out, feeling a few water droplets land in her palm. “Guess the forecast was wrong.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Sunset’s face fell.

Adagio looked back at Sunset. Her hair was already going to be ruined by the rain, and she knew this weather wasn’t going to help Sunset pushing her bike back.

“How long would it take to get back to your place?” Adagio asked.

“On foot? Nearly two hours, but pushing the bike will take over twice as long.”

Adagio placed her hand over her chin. She did not exactly plan on hanging out with Sunset that long today, but she couldn’t just leave her out here by herself in the rain.

“Adagio?”

“Sorry,” Adagio said, refocusing on Sunset. “I live in an apartment complex near the campus. If you want we can take your bike there and have whoever pick it up tomorrow.”

“You are letting me stay over at your place?” Sunset said.

“I guess so. Better than walking home in the rain, right?”

Sunset rushed up to Adagio and hugged her.

“Thank you so much, Adagio.” She smiled.

Adagio was taken by surprise and flinched instinctively. Normally if someone ever touched her, much less hugged her, she would have given them a good punch. This however, it felt… Warming. She stood there while Sunset kept herself wrapped around her before letting go.

“So, are we going to need to push this thing?” Adagio asked.

“Yeah.” Sunset walked over to one side of the bike, placing one hand on the seat and another on the handlebar on her side. “Can you get on the other side? This bike is pretty heavy to push by myself.”

“Sure.” Adagio walked to the other side of the bike and placed her hand next to Sunset’s on the seat, and her other hand on the other handlebar. “I think we can push this across campus. I also know a few shortcuts along the way to my place.”

“Just let me know if we need to turn in a certain direction. We can’t be fighting over these handlebars, nor do I want to drop my bike.”

“Right.”

“All right. On the count of three.” Sunset pushed the bike back and fourth in small motions, with Adagio mimicking her actions. “One, two… Three!” The two then began pushing the bike forward with force slowly across campus, then onto Adagio’s regular route.

The rain had gone from a small sprinkle to a downpour.

Normally it would have taken Adagio about twenty-five minutes to get from campus to her place. Pushing a heavy bike along her route, however, took about twice the time.

Pushing the bike up a hill, Adagio began breathing heavily in irregular patterns and was hurting in several places. Sunset looked over at Adagio, worried over her health.

“Hey, you all right Adagio?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah, sure.” She huffed in-between sentences. “We’re almost there once we get up this hill.”

Pushing it up along the sidewalk, they finally made it to Adagio’s apartment complex, where they placed the bike underneath the stairwell that lead up to Adagio’s apartment. Sunset locked the bike up against the stairs’ railing to make sure no one would make off with it.

“Thanks a bunch for helping…” Sunset looked at Adagio, who was up against a wall, exhausted. “You sure you are all right?”

“Just out of shape,” Adagio said, standing up straight again. “If you couldn’t tell.”

“I didn’t want to say anything, honestly,” Sunset said.

“Yeah, that makes me feel better, getting judged silently.” Adagio rolled her eyes.

“Sorry.” Sunset frowned, looking down at the ground.

Adagio frowned as well. She was the kind of person to make people feel bad for the slightest of actions, but Sunset was probably upset already over her bike, no reason to make her feel worse.

“Well, you can make it up to me by buying us pizza for tonight. Also, you owe me one for me helping you out.”

Sunset looked back up at Adagio, smiling.

“Fair enough; deal.”

“Good.” Adagio smirked. “Now, let’s get inside. I need a hot shower after walking in this rain.”

Adagio led Sunset up the stairs to the second level of the apartment complex. Digging out the keys from her bag, she inserted it into the lock and twisted a few times until it went in all the way and unlocked the door. Opening the door, she stepped over to the side.

“Ladies first,” Adagio said, motioning with her hand and allowing Sunset in first.

Sunset only nodded, and walked inside with Adagio following and closing the door behind her. It was a bit messy, with a few dishes stacked in the sink, a few articles of clothing hanging on chairs, small bits of clutter and dust here and there. For the most part however, it was an average and decently maintained apartment. Not the worst she’d been to.

Taking another glance, she did notice that this place was small. From the front door she could see the entirety of the living room and kitchen that were connected to one another, and a door to another room on the right.

“You have a cozy place here, though. How big is it?”

“Enough for me. It’s just your standard living space, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom.”

“Do you just live here by yourself?” Sunset asked, standing in the living room.

“Yeah, I moved here after the Battle of the Bands.” Adagio dropped her bag in the kitchen and went straight to her bedroom. “I have plenty of money in the bank to support myself, I decided to just attend the college and get my GED during the past two years, and now am working towards the business associates.”

“That’s good to hear. Any future plans?” Sunset took off her leather jacket and placed it on a kitchen chair.

“Find a good job more or less.”

Sunset nodded and went over to the fridge, and looked over at Adagio inside her room. “Hey, is it okay if I raid your fridge—” Sunset then saw Adagio clearly, mostly undressed. Her back was facing Sunset while she took off her bra.

“Sure, go ahead,” Adagio said. “Also don’t look in here. I am going to take a quick shower.”

“R-right, not looking!” Sunset quickly darted her eyes away, refocusing on the fridge. Her face was bright red.

She opened the fridge and looked inside. There was some orange juice, milk, a small carton of eggs and various pre-cooked meat dinners. Her eyes were locked on the packages, frozen. She quickly focused her attention on something else in the fridge and found a few beers in the back and grabbed one for herself, quickly shutting the fridge door.

Walking back into the living room, her eyes caught a large painting hanging on the wall. She went up to it and examined it.

It was a scene of a woman falling into a dark void. Tears fell out of her eyes. She was screaming and looking terrified. Her hand was stretched out, reaching towards Sunset, as if she was looking to hold on to someone to keep her from falling.

Sunset took a sip of her beer, focusing on the painting. It was terrifying to look at, yet it only brought her in closer.

“Like that piece?” Adagio said, stepping out in dry pajamas, her hair wrapped in a towel.

“Oh.” Sunset was caught by surprise, coming back into reality. “It’s very unsettling, really. Who painted it?”

“Local starving artist.” Adagio stood next to Sunset. “He was a skilled painter, graduated straight from high school and wanted to only do art. He had a lot of talent. Unfortunately, most of his pieces were like this.”

Adagio stared into the painting.

“Most people in this town weren’t interested in his work. He was selling this for only a hundred dollars when other artists at the same studio sold their pieces for over three-hundred.” She smiled. “I gave him five-hundred for the painting and told him to find another place to settle, that there was nothing here for him. Needless to say, I visited his studio a week later and he was gone.”

“That’s very generous of you, Adagio,” Sunset said.

“He deserved more. Most of the artists in his studio painted nothing but shit.” She looked at Sunset and back at the picture. “This piece… I feel like it’s me sometimes. I got myself into a bad situation, and since then I’ve been stuck in this continuous void.”

Sunset frowned, focusing on Adagio, who only stared into the painting.

“I felt the same before, when I lost my power.” Sunset said.

“Losing everything, and having no one to turn to?” Adagio said.

“At first, yeah, but then my friends helped me back up on my feet, and if anything, I’ve grown more powerful than I was before.”

Adagio raised an eyebrow and shrugged. She walked away from the painting and sat on the sofa behind Sunset. “Power means nothing to me now. Whatever I had, it’s all lost. This endless void is my only path now; either I stick on this path, or end it entirely.”

“Perhaps not,” Sunset said. “Maybe you just have to find an alternate route along your current path.”

“Hmm, maybe.” Adagio shrugged and turned on the TV. “Can you get me a beer as well? I could use one after all that pushing.”

“Sure.” Sunset went over to the fridge and grabbed another beer, popping off the top for Adagio and walking back into the living room, handing the beer to her.

“Thanks.” Adagio held the beer in her left hand while she held the TV remote in her right. “You watch anything on Webflix?”

“I hear a lot about it, but I don’t have a subscription.”

“Ah, good. Now I have to a reason to marathon Sensation8 for the fourth time.”

“Sense what?” Sunset asked, a bit puzzled by the title of the show.

“Just sit back and relax. It’s a good science fiction drama.”

“Oh, okay.”

Sunset remained on the other end of the sofa, tightly gripping a pillow, making herself comfy while Adagio clicked the remote a few times, navigating a few minutes before starting the episode.

Watching three episodes of the show, Sunset was confused at first, but was soon glued to the television, only wanting more.

Instead of starting the next episode however, Adagio picked up the remote and went back to the main menu for the show.

“H-hey! I thought we were going to watch some more?” Sunset said.

“We are, but you still have to order that pizza for us,” Adagio said, getting up and stretching her arms and legs after sitting down for nearly three hours.

“Oh, right, about that,” Sunset said, twiddling her fingers.

“What?” Adagio focused her attention on Sunset. “Something wrong?”

“Well…” She paused, scratching the back of her head. “Before I order a pizza, I should tell you I am a vegetarian.”

Adagio raised her eyebrow.

“Seriously?”

“In Equestria, ponies don’t eat meat, nor do their stomachs take that kind of protein well. Even though I am a human now, I still can’t wrap my head around eating meat.”

“So, you don’t eat meat, yet you wear a leather jacket? You do know that leather comes from a cow’s skin, right?”

Sunset made a small laugh and shook her head.

“It’s made of polyester, and I’m just a vegetarian, not a vegan. In Equestria, there are ponies that do own farms and have livestock to produce eggs and milk; we just don’t slaughter animals endlessly like people here do.

“Must have been a bit of a culture shock, seeing how we treat animals like a commodity more than anything else.”

“Quite a few things, really, but it’s not hard to adjust. It’s kind of like visiting the Gryphon lands for the first time.”

“Wait, wait.” Adagio raised her hands. “Gryphons are an actual thing in Equestria? Not here, but you know, your original home?”

“Yeah.” Sunset nodded.

Adagio was only silent, processing the information. A little bit came back from her distant memory, but not enough to get the big picture.

“Sorry, it’s just hard process stuff like this, I remember faint memories, but the human brain can only hold so much before forgetting other things.” Adagio said.

“You must have forgotten a lot if you can’t remember species like ponies or gryphons living in Equestria. Do you even know who Celestia is?” Sunset asked.

“Um, well she was a principal at that high school. I guess she was sort of the same in Equestria? Maybe for an academy or something?”

“Actually, she is the leader of Equestria. She has been for the past…” Sunset paused, trying to recall. “Thousands of years.”

Adagio was silent.

“Unbelievable.”

“Must be a shock for you now, huh?”

“It is, but I know I will never be let back into Equestria. I don’t remember too much about it other than Sonata, Aria, and I getting banished and being stuck here for… To be honest, I don’t know how long now.”

Sunset bit her lip, her expression glum. “How old are you, Adagio?” she asked.

“Depends, I know i’ve been around for over two thousand years, and throughout that time I never aged. Since I lost my power however…” she rubbed her arm. “I’ve begun to age like anyone else, so, technically I am in my mid twenties by now. I was the oldest of us anyway.”

“That’s gotta be a weird change.”

“One of the many,” Adagio sighed. “Anyways, magical pony land, fuzzy past and aging aside.” Adagio fell back down onto the sofa. “Order something good, veggie girl.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sunset rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. “There are plenty of good veggie pizzas at Dice.” Sunset then began making an order. “How does tomato, mushroom, spinach, black olives, green peppers and onion sound?”

“I'm not use to having a salad on my pizza.”

“Trust me, it’s good.” Sunset smiled.

The two remained on the sofa throughout the afternoon and into the late evening. The only things giving them company were a pizza box and few empty beer bottles on the coffee table. In the center was a large veggie pizza that surprisingly was one of the best pizzas Adagio had eaten in a long while.

With both of them bloated, Adagio laid on one end of the sofa while Sunset laid on the other side. Adagio took up most of the sofa while Sunset had her feet off to the side. She was wanting to get a more comfortable position however and began shifting to Adagio’s side, resting her head on Adagio’s stomach.

“Um, Sunset. What are you doing?” Adagio asked, tilting her head, confused as to why Sunset decided to lay on her like a pillow.

“Getting comfortable. Is this a bit much?” Sunset asked.

Adagio was ready to tell Sunset to get off of her, but having Sunset lay on her felt… welcoming. She refocused her attention instead on the TV.

“It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

The two were laying on the sofa. Adagio laid up against the sofa, tilting her head to the side. Sunset rested her head on Adagio’s stomach with her arms laying beside Adagio’s torso, while Adagio rested her hands on Sunset’s back.

While Sunset was focused on the TV, Adagio began to snooze and fell asleep, snoring lightly. Sunset could only smile as she rested her head on Adagio’s chest, falling asleep herself.

Opening her eyes, Adagio sat up from the sofa and looked around. She had drunk a bit more than she should have and had a headache.

“Sunset?” she called groggily. No one answered.

She sighed. Looking at the coffee table, she saw a small hand-written note next to her phone and picked it up, then began reading.

‘Hey Adagio. You were out and I didn’t want to bother you while you were sleeping. My friend called early this morning and said she was able to pick me up. I’m about to head out, but I just wanted say thanks for everything yesterday. We should do this again and finish watching Sensation8 sometime.

Give me a call when you are available. My number is: (101) 903-5768

—Sunset

P.S. I left the pizza in the fridge. I knew you would like it.’

At the end of the note, Sunset also drew a quick doodle of herself smiling. Adagio smiled back at the small gesture.

She picked up her phone off the coffee table and began recording Sunset’s number into her contacts. She wished she could have said bye to her before she left. She liked having her around yesterday. If anything… She missed her.

Getting up from the sofa, she decided to take a shower. She was hungover and had missed a majority of her class for the day already. It was going to be a pain to catch up, but the time she’d had yesterday was worth it.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 3 - Awakening

“Such a pain in the ass.”

Adagio groaned and wiped the fog from her breath off the mirror. She stood in her bathroom, hunched over the sink with her face so close to the mirror that the tip of her nose nearly touched it. The reflection staring back at her looked like a monster, one of her eyes pinned wide open by her fingers as the other carefully drew a tiny brush across her lash line.

She hadn’t worked on her appearance like this since the Battle of the Bands all those years ago. Her old stock from that time filled the trashcan by her feet, covered with the receipts and shredded packages of hastily purchased replacements.

Why are you trying to make yourself look good? Are you trying to impress her?

She tried not to rush her application of dark mascara and eyeshadow; one slip and it would all be ruined. Finishing the last agonizingly slow brush stroke, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding; her eyes were now surrounded by a dark shadow which stood out boldly against her pale foundation. Was it too pale? No, no. Everything was going to be fine. She looked great. As a final touch-up, she applied a contrasting lipstick in a satin dark red.

Adagio took a step back from the mirror and tried smiling at herself. It looked weird. Still, she looked better without a smile anyway.

Her phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. Picking it up, she read her latest notification.

At the stoplight near your place will be there in a few minutes!
— Sent by Sunset, 12:17PM.

Grabbing a small side bag, Adagio placed her wallet, phone and some of her cosmetics in it, in case she needed to reapply her makeup.

Walking out of the bathroom, she left the apartment and locked the door behind her. She could hear the rumble of an approaching motorcycle.

She turned toward the source of the noise and soon saw Sunset’s familiar bike riding down the hill. She wasn’t going fast, but even so, her engine and exhaust sounded like a plane getting ready for takeoff.

Adagio walked down the steps as Sunset drove into the parking lot. Sunset pulled up her helmet visor and waved at Adagio. She waved back and walked up to Sunset’s bike.

“Hey, Adagio.” Sunset said, eyeing her striking appearance. “You’re looking good.” She cut her bike off so she didn’t have to talk over the loud idling exhaust.

“Thank you. I always look my best.” Adagio grinned. “Though… I didn’t know we were going to ride downtown on this,” she said, eyeing Sunset’s bike.

“Unless you want to spend half an hour walking downtown, yeah, we are riding there.” Sunset took off her backpack, unzipped the large pocket, retrieved a helmet and held it out to Adagio. “You’re going to need this.”

“Um, okay.” Adagio grabbed the helmet and placed it over her head. Her large volume of hair struggled to fit inside and covered her vision. Some pieces of hair even stuck out of the front of the helmet.

Sunset laughed and got off her bike.

“Here, let me help you.” Sunset gently took the helmet off of Adagio. “Hold your hair back while I put this on, so your hair doesn’t go over your eyes.”

“Sure.” Adagio grabbed her large volume of hair and held it behind her while Sunset placed the helmet over her head. Her hair now came out the back of the helmet and didn’t impede her vision.

“Looks like it fits just right. Sorry if your hair gets ruined, though. I can’t do much about that.” Sunset stepped back onto her bike. “Well, get on.”

“Where do I sit?” Adagio said, looking at the bike again, not sure where to sit, much less place her feet.

“On the back here.” Sunset pointed to an open spot on the back of the bike. “I recently installed some foot pegs on the back there, just sit your feet on them and hold onto me while we ride.”

Adagio nodded and sat on the back of the bike, sitting her feet on the pegs, just above the exhaust hanging out the right side of the bike. She wrapped her arms around Sunset’s stomach.

“Like this?” Adagio asked.

“Perfect.” Sunset gave a thumbs up. “Also when I am making a turn, be sure to lean in the direction I am turning. I can give a hand signal just before so you can prepare to lean in that direction. Also, if we are at a stoplight you can set your feet down, just be sure to keep your eyes on the light and watch out for the exhaust.”

“R-right,” Adagio gulped. It was a bit of info to take in, but she more or less got it. “So, you aren’t going to go fast, are you?”

“I drive the speed limit.” Sunset paused. “Most of the time.” She winked.

“Just try not to get us killed,” Adagio huffed.

“I didn’t plan on it.” Sunset started up the bike and revved the engine several times, the sound itself was a surprise for Adagio, making her jump. “Ready?”

Adagio nodded, holding onto Sunset tightly, not sure how the ride was going to go.

Sunset slowly turned the throttle and the bike began to move, she raised her right hand to signal Adagio and began turning once she placed her hand down. Adagio leaned a bit to the right, only focusing on what was in front of her.

Pulling up to the entrance/exit to the parking lot of the complex, the world around Adagio felt like it was rushing by as they moved.

Sunset looked both left and right for traffic and raised her left hand, she then took off and turned with Adagio leaning to the left side again. The bike then began to pick up speed.

Even when riding the speed limit, Adagio held tightly onto Sunset for dear life. She had ridden on various types of transportation before. Unlike a car or train however, everything sped past her and she almost felt like she was one with the road.

The warmth of Adagio’s arms around her waist felt nice as Sunset rode into downtown Canterlot. The pressure, however, was less pleasant. She signaled with her right hand and pulled into a parking lot, parking her bike in a small motorcycle section of the lot.

As soon as Sunset cut off the bikes engine, Adagio stepped off the bike and took her helmet off. She pulled a mirror out of her bag and looked over her makeup and fixed her hair; it had become a bit of a mess throughout the ride, but nothing she couldn’t manage.

Sunset took off her helmet and stepped off the bike. Opening a compartment on the backseat, she retrieved her wheel lock and secured her bike.

“Have you been down here before?” Sunset asked.

“Plenty of times. I never really went to anything here though” Adagio wrapped her arms around herself, looking at a few buildings across the street. “I am guessing you know some places of interest. What do you want to do first?” she said, placing her attention back on Sunset.

“How about lunch? I know a nearby lunch cafe. They have some good healthy choices there.” Sunset smiled.

“You’re aren’t trying turn me into a veggie girl, are you?” Adagio grinned.

Sunset giggled.

“Not exactly, but looking at your fridge a few days ago, I figured I could introduce you to some healthy alternatives.”

“Fair enough. I’ll trust your judgement again seeing how the pizza last time was good.” Adagio walked up to Sunset and stood next to her. “Lead the way.”

Sunset nodded. She lead Adagio out of the parking lot and the two began walking along the sidewalk downtown. They passed several shops including a hair salon, record store, and a bar.

They soon arrived at the lunch café. Outside there was a shaded seating area with a few tables. Adagio took a quick glance at the building and noticed it was smaller compared to the other businesses they passed earlier. Before going inside she read a sign above the front entrance, saying: ‘CanterFresh, The Freshest Food Downtown.’

Walking inside, there were several tables and a lunch counter next to the open kitchen where employees took orders and prepared meals.

“Sunset, good to see ya!” an older man said, standing behind the register.

“Hey Green, good to see you.” Sunset waved.

“The usual? Veggie salad with a vinaigrette and water?” he said.

“Yes please.” Sunset pointed to Adagio. “It’s my friend’s first time here, though. She needs some extra time.”

“No rush; let us know when y’all are ready.” Green added Sunset’s meal to the order, waiting for Adagio.

Adagio looked at the menu for a minute. She was in no mood for a salad and eyed the wraps menu instead. There were quite a few choices with large descriptions. Then she placed her attention on the cashier.

“I’ll have the…” Adagio paused, reading the wording again for the item on the menu. “My Hammy Vice wrap, and a water as well.”

“Alrighty.” He nodded, adding Adagio’s order. “That will be $17.25 total.”

Sunset went through her bag, retrieving her wallet, when Adagio raised her hand.

“I got this,” she said, pulling her wallet out of her bag.

“Thanks, Adagio, but you don’t have to do that.”

“You drove us here today.” Adagio passed her card to Green at the register. “It’s the least I can do.”

They waited behind the counter, seeing the cooks go to work on their orders. In only about a minute both of their orders were ready and they went back outside. They sat across from each other, at a table next to the window.

Sunset immediately began digging into her salad. Meanwhile, Adagio took the tinfoil off her wrap and could only stare at it, surprised by what she got. Sunset noticed Adagio’s change in expression and raised an eyebrow.

“Something up?” Sunset asked.

“It’s…” Adagio paused, poking the wrap with her fork. “Green.”

“Yeah, it’s a spinach wrap. Did you even check to see what you ordered?”

“I saw that it had ham, and that’s one of the three things I know I like,” Adagio said with a shrug.

Sunset sighed, shaking her head.

“I am just not used to eating stuff like… well, most things,” Adagio added. “To be honest, before I lost my powers I never had to worry about eating food. The girls and I got our energy from fear and hatred. Everything about biological digestion looked like such a hassle. There were exceptions, of course, for special occasions. Pretty much the only thing worth going through all that for was ice cream.”

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah. It’s cold, soft, and flavored like whatever you want.”

“Hmm, it does taste good and is definitely more of a comfort food than anything else.” Sunset shrugged. “Ice cream aside, I guess having to eat three meals a day and maintaining a diet is a new concept to you as well?”

“More or less. You saw how much fresh food I had in my fridge.”

“You mean the lack of it?” Sunset snarked.

“Exactly.” Adagio sighed.

“Well, you have to start somewhere. Maybe I can teach you some recipes. Unlike me, you actually have a working kitchen to store ingredients and make meals.”

“What kind of home doesn’t have a kitchen?” Adagio asked. Sunset frowned and Adagio bit her lip. That came out a lot meaner than she’d meant. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way,” she added hastily.

“Oh, no no. It’s cool. I, um.” Sunset paused, taking another bite from her salad. “I live in a garage, around the old industrial area here downtown.”

“A garage? Like, an oil-stained, concrete floors garage?”

“When I first bought it, yeah. Over time, however, I renovated it into a place I can happily call home.” She paused before adding, “Mostly.”

“Better than under a bridge, I guess.” Adagio picked up her wrap and took a deep breath, suspiciously eyeing its greenness.

“What are you so afraid of? Just take a bite.”

“Can’t be too bad.” Adagio took a quick bite and began chewing. The taste wasn’t striking or pleasurable like her regular junk food. At the same time however her taste buds were able to separate the ingredients in the bite she took. Not to mention it wasn’t a greasy mess like other meals she had.

“How is it?” Sunset asked.

“Not bad.” Adagio nodded her head, taking another bite, and took her time to enjoy the flavor. She soon swallowed and smiled. “Good choice again, Sunny.”

Sunset was taken by surprise at the nickname Adagio had given her, but she smiled back and they both continued with their lunch.

Canterlot Central Park was a little windy and though the brunt of winter’s chill had passed, everyone there wore long sleeves at least. Adagio and Sunset only wore their light jackets to keep warm while they walked past other individuals and couples in the park. The park itself was mainly a plain of grass with trees towering all around the area, with short bushes sitting along the edges of the park’s border.

Throughout their walk they stopped to watch street performers play music, and looked at several statues of influential people in Canterlot, mainly past politicians and activists.

After walking about for about an hour, they sat on an empty bench.

“So, what do you think of the park?” Sunset asked.

“It’s nice,” Adagio said, looking at the trees, seeing the light pour through them. “Also relaxing. I’ve been here before, but I never bothered to take in the surroundings. I only cared about feeding off of those who came here.”

“How did you do that?”

“Hmm?” Adagio raised an eyebrow at the question.

“I’m just curious.” Sunset fidgeted with her hands. “I had my ways of gaining control over people; I just want to know how you did it.”

“Well well, Ms. Reformed wants to know how an evil woman like myself does her work.” Adagio smirked. “But really, don’t you know? The girls and I would come here and we’d sing.”

“I know that,” Sunset huffed. “I mean… what was it like?”

Adagio thought for a moment, then grinned. “It was fun. We easily pulled people in and took their energy, and once we were done, the adoring crowd would be little more than a mass of squabbling couples, bickering friends, and hostile strangers. All the love they’d had for everyone else was ours and ours alone. It felt… like we were Goddesses.”

“But, you regret doing that stuff, right?” Sunset said shakily. Adagio’s expression as she talked wasn’t one of a criminal filled with regret. It was more like an old person recalling happier times.

“Not entirely. Sure, I know it was wrong, but I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t enjoy pulling in our prey.” Adagio’s smile then went to a more blank expression. “At the same time, however, I wish we did more regular activities as well.”

“Regular activities?”

“You know, like what we are doing now. Just going for a walk downtown, having lunch, watching Webflix, whatever. We hardly ever did stuff like that. We were always on the move, always on the hunt. Sure, the three of us were always together, but…” Adagio lay back against the bench, letting her head hang free and staring up at the rustling tree branches overhead. “Sometimes I wonder if we ever were what you’d call ‘friends.’ On the inside, maybe we each were alone.”

“Reminds me of myself a few years back.” Sunset said, with regret in her tone.

“I told you about myself; your turn. Quid pro quo, Clarice.”

Sunset tugged at one of her locks, trying to think of what to say. She was taking too long, so Adagio prompted her again. “How did a sweet little girl like you manage to get on nearly all of Canterlot’s bad side?” Adagio asked.

“Me?” Sunset said, eyes wide.

“No, the other girl directly behind you,” Adagio deadpanned. “But really, I’ve heard bits and pieces from the students at CHS, wild stories of a flying demon nearly destroying the school or something like that, but it was all just gossip. All I really know is that you did something very bad in the past and you’re ashamed of it.”

“Well…” Sunset placed her hand over her chin. “It was when I first came here: I ran away from my home world and ended up at CHS. That school would take anyone, so I attended and got to know everyone.”

“What made you leave your home in the first place?” Adagio asked.

“Celestia.” Sunset lay back on the bench and placed her arms behind her head. “She accepted me into her school for gifted unicorns, and she watched over me throughout my time there. She always told me if I put my mind to it, I could grow up to be the most talented unicorn in Equestria.”

“A unicorn…” Adagio paused to think. “So, you dealt with magic?”

“Mhm.” Sunset nodded. “Even when I was little, I had a gift for it, and when Celestia took me in, I wanted to learn it all, including forbidden arts.”

“So what happened?”

“She wouldn’t allow it; she warned me that gaining too much knowledge about certain magic could make me end up like her sister, who became corrupted by dark magic over time.” Sunset sighed. “I didn’t listen, however, so I was expelled from the school, so she could protect me.”

“I bet you were furious.”

“I was.” Sunset clenched her fist. “But that was nothing compared to Mom and Dad. I can still remember the looks on their faces when I had to leave. The day that I’d gotten accepted was the happiest I’d ever seen them.” She smiled at the thought of her parents, but then became sullen. “And I let them down. I still resent Celestia some, even though we’ve made amends. That school was what kept me motivated, and she took it away from me.”

Adagio remained silent, listening to Sunset. She saw similarities between both of them. Only, Sunset was still resentful. She was still angry, even now, when she was living in this world.

“Being expelled, however, didn’t keep me out of the library. I learned to sneak myself into the libraries at night and I always read the forbidden archives. Then, I learned of the portal.”

“And that’s how you ended up here?” Adagio said.

“Yeah, I attended CHS as a freshman, and built up my influence until Twilight showed up and ended it all.” Sunset sighed. “I miss home sometimes, but like I said before, there is nothing for me there.”

“Things here are not much better,” Adagio said.

“Not exactly. Here, we have the luxury of changing what we do at any time. It’s not like home where you dedicate your life to a single talent. For example, you lost your singing talent. Rather than giving up entirely, you are now pursuing business with your remaining talents.”

“Fair point,” Adagio said. “So what are you doing here then, Sunset? I know you are taking art classes. Are you looking to be an artist or something?”

“Sort of; I want to be a musician.”

“Really?” Adagio placed her hand over her chin. “I, uh, remember your brief stint with the Rainbooms. Still got the bruises to prove it.” She laughed hollowly to fill the silence. “Are they still around?”

“I was with the Rainbooms throughout the rest of our senior year, both playing guitar and doing vocals. We had to disband after graduation, however, so I’ve kinda been doing the solo thing since then. Open mic nights and whatnot, nothing special.”

“Well, I hope you succeed. Your talent shouldn’t go to waste.”

Sunset frowned.

“…I wish I didn’t take your talent away Adagio, you had a beautiful singing voice. On an even higher level than a star like Countess Coloratura,” she said.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop doing that?” Adagio tensed.

“Yes, I know. I wasn’t lying about how talented you are, though,” Sunset murmured.

“Well.” Adagio smiled. “I’m flattered. Although…” she trailed off, nervous about whether to say this to Sunset or not. “I actually can still sing. Sort of.”

“Y-you can!?” Sunset yelled.

“Relax; it’s not like it was before. I’ve been teaching myself to sing again little by little, but I haven’t gotten far and my voice still cracks. Humming’s a lot easier, though.” Adagio cleared her throat and closed her eyes, then began to hum a gentle tune.

It sounded like a lullaby. At first Adagio hummed softly, but as she went on, it grew in volume and intensity. Sunset closed her eyes and laid her head on Adagio’s shoulder as she continued humming the tune throughout the park.

A few individuals and couples passed them, noticing her tune, with some even stopping to listen. Adagio continued on and only opened her eyes when she finished the tune. To her surprise, several people were standing around them, clapping for her performance.

“I was not expecting that. It was lovely,” Sunset said dreamily. The surrounding crowd began to disperse, carrying on as though they’d never stopped. “Though, I guess I’m not the only one who liked it,” Sunset said, lifting herself off Adagio.

Adagio froze, confused by the crowd she had pulled in. What is this? It feels just like…

“Adagio? Are you all right?” Sunset said, getting Adagio’s attention.

“Oh.” Adagio shook her head, focusing again. “Sorry, just lost in thought.”

“It’s fine.” Sunset smiled. “You may have lost your singing voice, but you can still make a beautiful tune.”

Adagio stared blankly at Sunset and only nodded. “Thanks.”

“I know you wanted to go back home before it gets dark, buuuuuut,” Sunset said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, “What would you say to a sleepover at my place?” Sunset proposed.

“What do you want to do?” Adagio asked.

“Well, for one we could finish Sensation8.”

“And?”

“I can make some dinner as well.”

“Hmm.” Adagio placed her hand on her chin. “That sounds kind of nice. I mean, you didn’t do too bad with lunch.”

“Oh? Not too bad?” Sunset raised an eyebrow quizzically, but smiled.

“Yeah. I’m willing to give your veggie cuisine another try.”

“I’ll be sure not to disappoint.” Sunset winked.

“You’d better.” Adagio grinned.

Adagio got up off the bench with Sunset following closely behind her. They walked out of the park as the winter sun began to sink behind the hills.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 4 - Love

As Sunset and Adagio rode through downtown Canterlot, the setting sun made the colorful buildings they passed look elegant. Leaving downtown, they transitioned into the industrial part of Canterlot, passing several abandoned buildings and old warehouses. Adagio didn’t feel threatened in this part of Canterlot, but she decided it would be best to keep her guard up.

Turning off the road, they rode into a cramped alley between two old structures. Pulling up to a lone garage, surrounded by abandoned buildings and tall apartment complexes, Sunset parked her bike in front of the large garage door and killed the engine. Adagio stepped off first and could only stare at the building.

It was made of stained concrete, but traces of old graffiti remained from whenever its last owner had stopped bothering to remove it. There were some windows near the top to let light in, but a majority of them were covered up with boards. Looking around at her surroundings, she saw the structures around them were made of concrete, with no sign of life whatsoever.

“Please don’t tell me you live here,” Adagio said.

“It doesn’t look pleasant on the outside, but I promise it’s not that bad inside.” Sunset stepped off the bike.

“You sure about that?” Adagio grimaced.

“Of course. Besides, we can’t really drive back now, anyways.” Sunset walked to the regular door next to the garage and pulled up her keys.

“Why not?” Adagio asked.

Multiple gunshots could be heard echoing in the distance.

“That’s why,” Sunset said, undoing the deadbolt and knob lock, then opening the door. “During the day it’s not bad, but near the evening it’s a different story.”

“No kidding.”

Sunset walked into the building and opened up the garage door from inside. Adagio got her first glimpse of the interior and walked through the garage door, going towards the center and taking in her surroundings.

It was a larger space than her apartment, enough to fit two large vehicles. The floor inside was made of concrete, but the main footpaths were covered by two large rugs.

Looking to her right near the garage door was a small living area. There was a TV up against the wall with a coffee table and torn sofa to really tie the room together.

In the corner next to the living area was a queen-size bed taking up a majority of the space. Beside the bed were both an electric and an acoustic guitar sitting on their stands.

At the opposite corner was a makeshift kitchen. A rack held most of the food and supplies, while beside it was a counter covered with a few common kitchen appliances.

The remaining space in the kitchen was filled by some chairs around a small table, where a vase containing various flowers sat alone.

The entire space was cleaned fairly well, with everything being well organized and there not being much dust. The air was a bit musty, but considering what this place looked like on the outside, it was better than what Adagio imagined and it certainly contained a lot of Sunset’s charm.

“So, what do you think?” Sunset asked, pushing her bike into the garage on top of some flattened cardboard boxes.

“It’s very… open.” Adagio took a quick glance around the garage. “Though, please tell me you have a bathroom.”

“Behind the door there.” Sunset pointed to another door near the entrance. “It has a sink and toilet, unfortunately no bath… Or shower…”

“Wait,” Adagio said, her eyes wide. “Please tell me you bathe.”

“W-what? Of course I do. I just have to hook up an external shower to the sink. There is a drain in the center of the bathroom to help keep this place from flooding.”

Adagio let out a breath of fresh air. “That’s a relief.”

Sunset rubbed her arm, a bit nervous regarding Adagio’s comments. “I don’t—“ Sunset sniffed her jacket. “I don’t smell? Do I?”

“Actually I was more concerned with my hair. I have to wash it every morning or it’s a disaster.”

“Adagio Dazzle, her only known weakness…” Sunset grinned. “Bad hair days.”

“Very funny, Sunny.”

Sunset chuckled while she closed the large the garage door and locked it, then closed the other door and made sure all the locks were set.

“Though, I am curious.” Adagio sat at the kitchen table. “Where did you get the money to pay for all of this?”

“When I first got here, I was desperate. I’m not proud of what I did, but I scammed some people at CHS.” Sunset walked over to the kitchen rack and grabbed a bag of kale chips, sitting at the other side of the kitchen table and placing the bag between the two. “I held a fundraiser when I first attended the school, made a grand that I kept for myself.”

“What were you raising money for?” Adagio asked.

“Cancer research.”

Adagio only stared blankly at Sunset.

“What?” Sunset said.

“You really were a bitch.” Adagio grinned.

“I was homeless and technically an illegal immigrant. What else was I supposed to do?”

“True.” Adagio grabbed a few chips after Sunset. “Anyways, go on…”

“Once I got the money, I bought this place and cleaned it out. While at high school, I began to take control through… less than respectable methods. You know. Lying, cheating, blackmail, intimidation. Like you said, I was a bitch. Once I won the fall formal my freshman year, I began to get everything in order.”

“Impressive.”

“Like I said earlier, I regret a lot of what I did,” Sunset huffed. “Throughout a majority of my time there I began to date Flash Sentry to gain popularity among students. I also became friends with a politician's son who helped get my legal documents in check, and I brought in regular income from students through my various methods.”

“You did this for how long?”

“Until my senior year in fall when Twilight came and basically undid everything I’d done.”

“How disappointing. What did you do afterwards? I can’t imagine you had money left to attend college, much less maintain that bike over there.” Adagio pointed to Sunset’s bike.

“Mmm,” Sunset nodded her head. “I felt like I lost it all when Twilight changed everything, but instead I got friends, which I never had before, and I was offered a job by my friend Applejack soon after I graduated.”

“What does she do?”

“She worked for her family’s orchard. When she turned eighteen, though, her grandmother passed the entire farm to her and she hired me to work on the orchard and do odd jobs around the farm.”

“Well, that explains why you are in such good shape.”

“Hmm?” Sunset raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I lost myself over time. You on the other hand look…” Adagio paused, thinking of the word. “Good. I’m guessing doing a lot of physical work on the farm helped with that.”

“Oh, um. Thanks.” She twirled her hair. “To be honest, I think you looked really good today, Adagio. I wasn’t lying earlier when I first saw you.”

“Well, thank you.” Adagio smiled.

The two sat there in silence at the table, not sure where else to take the conversation. Sunset then broke the silence.

“So, do you want to watch the rest of Sensation8? Just like at your place?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Adagio smiled.

The two went over to the living room area and flopped on the sofa. Soon, they were curled up together like they were at Adagio’s apartment a few days back. Adagio laid her back against the sofa, with Sunset resting next to her, with her back up against Adagio’s side. They continued the show from where they left off last time.

Several episodes in, Adagio’s stomach growled audibly. Sunset giggled.

“Hungry?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah,” Adagio replied.

“I can make us something. Can you help me out?”

“Sure.”

Sunset got off the sofa first, with Adagio following behind her as they walked into the kitchen.

“How does fried eggplant parmesan sound?

“Fried… Eggplant?” Adagio tilted her head at the name of the dish.

“It’s a vegan-friendly pasta dish. I know that sounds gross, but trust me, it’s my best recipe.”

“Fair enough, I guess.” Adagio said unenthusiastically.

“Good.” Sunset reached over to the tall rack, pulled out a bag, and passed Adagio a small eggplant. “Can you cut that into large slices while I get the batter and noodles prepared? I already have some leftover sauce in the fridge.” She pointed to the counter. “There is a knife and cutting board over there.”

“Sure…” Adagio went over to the counter and began cutting the eggplant.

Sunset, meanwhile, placed two decently sized pots on the portable stove as she began making a batter for the fried eggplant.

“So Adagio, just curious…”

“What?” Adagio said, pushing the knife down against the yielding eggplant, which bowed and eventually gave, letting the knife cut through to the block with a hearty slap. Sunset flinched and Adagio realized how she’d sounded. “Sorry. What is it?”

Sunset opened her mouth to ask a question, then shrank back a little, running her hand through her hair in an effort to appear casual. “Ever, uh, date anyone before?”

Adagio’s mind flashed back to the park–The song!–and her grip on the eggplant slipped. It rolled away from the knife lazily. Sunset ran over and grabbed Adagio’s hand, lifting it up to her face and inspecting it for cuts.

“Are you okay?” Sunset asked loudly.

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Adagio said quietly. Why would she ask me that? She’s not… is she?

“You need to saw back and forth when you cut instead of pushing down. Nice and slow. Here, like this,” Sunset said, giving Adagio the knife again and guiding her hands in her own. They were warm. Adagio caught herself smiling and cleared her throat.

“What was the question again?” Adagio asked.

“Oh!” Sunset froze, her face flashing pink. “I, um, I was just making conversation was all. I was wondering…” She paused, swallowing. “If you’ve dated anyone before.”

“Not really sure. I’ve been on dates if that’s what you mean. Plenty of them. All for my own gain in various ways, of course. But it seems like dating is more about how you feel than what you do, and I can’t say I’ve ever felt the proverbial butterflies in my stomach.”

“So you never really loved anyone? For who they were?” Sunset asked.

Adagio shrugged.

“I guess so,” she replied, passing the chopped eggplant to Sunset.

“Have you thought about finding a partner?”

“…Maybe?” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Just curious,” Sunset said quickly, grabbing the eggplant slices and throwing them into the batter she prepared. “These are going to turn out really good. I make this recipe for all my friends when I can.”

“Right.”

Sunset took over the rest of the meal preparation, frying the eggplant slices, boiling the noodles and throwing it all together after reheating the sauce.

After a few minutes of preparation, the meal was ready to serve. Adagio and Sunset sat at the kitchen table, each with a plate of pasta in front of them. Adagio poked this dish with her fork just like she had at lunch, not sure about it.

“Oh come on, I made it myself. I promise it’s good.” Sunset said.

“I’ll hold you responsible.” Adagio cut the large eggplant chunk in half and grabbed it in her fork with the noodles. Taking a bite, she took in all the flavor and her eyes widened.

“Well?”

“I take it back.” Adagio began digging into her plate.

Sunset could only chuckle as she dug into her plate of pasta as well.

After having dinner, Sunset and Adagio watched the last few episodes of the show, going through the finale with a shared bowl of popcorn.

Sunset clapped after the final scene of the episode.

“Wow, they could be going anywhere after that ending. We should watch the next season!” Sunset said, grabbing the remote.

“There is only one season at the moment.” Adagio stretched her arms.

“You’re kidding!?” Sunset said, disappointed.

“Well, there is another season coming.” Adagio placed her finger on her chin. “But it won’t come out for another year, possibly two.”

“Damn…”

“What do you want to do now?” Adagio asked.

“Mmm, I don’t know.” Sunset wrapped her arms tightly around Adagio.

Adagio welcomed Sunset’s embrace, but she knew something was up. Friends are never this touchy.

“Sunny…”

“Yeah…?” She looked at Adagio.

“The talk we had earlier, and this.” She pointed Sunset holding her. “I don’t think friends are this clingy. Is there something you need to tell me?”

Sunset remained silent.

“I honestly don’t know how to say it,” she said.

“Cmon, just tell me,” Adagio huffed.

Sunset took a deep breath.

“I-I like you, Adagio.”

“I know that—”

“No, Adagio.” Sunset shook her head. “I really like you.”

Adagio only had a blank expression.

“You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious.”

They both remained laying on the sofa, silent.

Adagio could only think to herself, Could this be my fault? That song… surely it's not capable of pulling her in.

“Adagio?” Sunset interjected.

“Sorry,” Adagio said. “Just… I am not sure what to say, or even how to feel. How long have you felt like this?”

Sunset trembled. “When I first saw you in that classroom, I saw myself back when Twilight and her friends gave me a chance after my downfall. I wanted to do the same.”

Sunset sat up, sitting at the other end of the sofa.

“When we were talking in that coffee shop, I began to take an interest in you. You had that old attitude of yours, but at the same time I could see a different person. I felt sorry for you and kept blaming myself for where you are now, and I wanted to be friends with you.”

“That one night, when we were at your place on the sofa… you were so warm. I was so happy. I knew it was stupid, but…” Sunset bit her lip. “I couldn’t get you out of my head. I knew that what I was feeling wasn’t just friendship or empathy. Then today at the park when you were humming that song, I realized exactly what it was. I don’t want to just be friends, Adagio.”

“Seriously?” Adagio got off the sofa, wrapping her arms around herself. “Sunny, we were enemies only a few years ago.” She paced back and forth. “You smashed my plans, took away my power and separated me from the only people I’ve known for years.”

Adagio stared ahead at the wall.

“Honestly, you ruined my life. For several years!” She shot a glare back over her shoulder. “And after all that, all the shame and the pain you’ve caused me, you want to hold hands and kiss it better?!”

Sunset trembled. This wasn’t going the way she’d hoped at all. “Um… y-yes?” She replied.

“This is ridiculous,” Adagio said.

“What about today? Do you doll yourself up with makeup and perfume every time you go out with a friend?” Sunset snorted. “Adagio ‘I don’t care what anyone thinks of me’ Dazzle? I may be foolish, idealistic, even stupid, but don’t you dare tell me you don’t feel anything!”

“I-I do want to impress you!” Adagio stomped her foot. “I want to impress everyone, that’s how I take a hold of my subjects. You to me are just nothing but another pawn. I’m not doing any of this for you.”

“But you didn’t do it just for yourself. I can tell you like me as more than just a friend.”

“I never said I was your frien—”

“Adagio, cut the shit.” Sunset interrupted her. “Over the past few days, I’ve seen you go from someone who can barely get out a word that’s not a grumble to someone who smiles, laughs, even sings again. Don’t just stand there and lie to my face.”

Adagio sighed.

“This isn’t going to work out between us,” she said.

“Why? Why can’t we be together?” Sunset asked.

“Look,” Adagio said. “Watching Sensation8 together is fun and all, and maybe our situations right now are vaguely similar, but do you really think you know me? I don’t even know me! I’ve lived for thousands of years; I was adored and feared to the point that I was banished from an entire realm. Does that sound like ‘girlfriend material’ to you?”

She paused, walking up to Sunset with her arms crossed, staring down at her.

“What do you think your friends would say? Your already-disappointed parents? Better yet, that princess in pony land, Celestia? I’m sure she would love you dating an exile from the past that gave her trouble.”

“I don’t care about any of that.” Sunset looked up at Adagio, gazing into her eyes. “I care about you.”

“I don't!” Adagio screamed, turning her head, unable to meet Sunset's piercing gaze. “There's no way anything like that could work! I don't—”

Sunset placed her hand on Adagio’s chin, turning her back to her gaze and silenced her with a kiss, holding Adagio tight around the waist.

“Then don't kiss me back…” she half-whispered as their lips parted.

Adagio was caught off guard, again, by the same woman who surprised her at Battle of the Bands. She was shaking, not sure what just happened. She didn’t want to fall again to Sunset, but her feelings took the better of her.

“You bitch.” Adagio pulled Sunset into a kiss.

They stood there, exchanging kisses with one another. Adagio didn’t want to stop. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she continued.

“Adagio—” Sunset tried to talk in-between their kisses, but only for Adagio to cut her off.

“Shush.” Adagio said, continuing on, moving away from Sunset’s lips, beginning to nip along her neck as she moaned loudly. Adagio continued, enjoying the sound coming from Sunset.

Inching closer, they fell onto the bed. Adagio was on top of Sunset as they continued to exchange kisses. They went on throughout the night, remaining in the bed.

It wasn’t until the late evening that they finally stopped to rest, falling asleep in each other’s arms.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 5 - Tension

Adagio grumbled, tossing and turning in bed. It felt foreign, nothing like hers at the apartment. She soon opened her eyes to find light pouring in through the upper windows of the garage; it wasn’t pitch black like her apartment.

What was very different, however, was Sunset resting next to her, still underneath the covers peacefully resting. Adagio was still confused as to what had happened last night, or whether her song has any part in it. That night however was definitely something she wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

Sitting up in bed, she blinked her eyes a few times to get things into focus. Then came several loud bangs from the door, making Adagio nearly jump out of the bed.

“Hey, Sunset! You home? I wanted to bring back your sledge,” a woman yelled from the other side of the door in a heavy southern accent.

Adagio caught her breath again, resting a hand over her chest. Her heart thumped in her chest and slowly returned to its normal resting pace. Well, that’s one way to wake up.

She looked down at Sunset to see she was still asleep. She was curled up in a fetal position half-buried by the covers, snoozing peacefully as though there wasn’t someone just outside the door banging on it and yelling. Adagio thought back to the gunshots last night. I guess she sleeps through worse on a regular basis. She decided it would be best to wake Sunset up.

“Sunny, hey,” Adagio said, placing her hand on Sunset’s shoulder shaking her a few times. “I think one of your friends is at the door.”

Sunset opened her eyes and made an audible yawn, looking up at Adagio.

“W-what?” she said.

“Friend. At the door.” Adagio pointed to the front door. “Wanted to return a sledge I think.”

“Sledge?” Sunset only took a second to process the information and her expression immediately changed. “Oh shit!” she immediately got out of bed naked and grabbed the nearest garments off the ground, hastily throwing them on.

“Uhh… are you okay?” Adagio asked without getting up. “I don’t think they were in a hurry or anything.”

“Lay down, and stay hidden!” Sunset hissed, throwing the covers over Adagio.

“Hey, what the fu—” Adagio then began to muffle underneath the covers, trying to finish her sentence.

“Ssshhh!” Sunset said, placing a finger over her lips. “Just be quiet for—” Sunset was cut off when she heard the locks to the door click open. A blonde young woman sporting a stylish cowboy hat stepped into the garage.

“Uhhh…” she said, staring at Sunset standing in front of her. Her hair was a tangled mess, her shirt was wrinkled and hanging off one side of her shoulder. Her legs were bare, her decency kept only by a pair of rainbow panties. “Thought you were away, sorry.”

“H-hey Applejack! Um, morning!” Sunset said, blushing and rubbing the back of her head.

“It’s actually past noon, Sunset,” Applejack said. She closed the door behind her and held the large hammer in her right hand, resting it against her shoulder. “Has studying at that college already make you stay up this late?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. You’d be surprised how much work they give you in the first week.” Sunset inched herself closer to Applejack, wanting to take her attention off the bed behind herself.

“Uh-huh. Anyways, where do you want me to set this thing?” Applejack asked, motioning the hammer a bit.

“Oh, just place it anywhere, I need to get back to doing, um…” Sunset said.

“Mrrpph!” The covers behind Sunset audibly murmured, and ruffled.

“…studying?” Sunset finished sheepishly, folding her hands behind her back.

Applejack immediately noticed the sound from the bed, raising an eyebrow. “I can definitely see you were studying something Sunset,” she said, with a small smirk. “Already making new friends? Close friends?”

“M-maybe.” Sunset nervously laughed. “They’re totally shy though. I can introduce my new friend once—”

Adagio then suddenly burst out from underneath the covers, taking a loud gasp of fresh air.

Applejack immediately saw Adagio emerge from the covers: the woman who almost ruined her friendships several years back. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. She lost her grip on the hammer; it fell out of her hand and slammed onto the ground beside her.

Adagio stayed on the bed and sat up against the wall and waved to Applejack.

“Morning,” she said.

“W-what is she doing here? Much less in your bed!?” Applejack yelled, pointing at Adagio.

“We’re umm…” Sunset twiddled with her fingers, not sure how to say it before Adagio talked over her.

“Like you said, Applejack was it? We were doing…” Adagio made a small laugh before grinning. “Stuff.”

“Sunset,” Applejack focused her attention on her. “S-surely you can’t be…?”

“Look here, Jackie.” Adagio said lowering her gaze. “I don’t know which backwoods you came from, but Sunset likes me. Whether or not you are able to accept she likes the ladies, she isn’t going to change for you anytime soon.”

“Uhhh,” Applejack tilted her head. “I already knew she liked girls since high school. But that’s not the point!” She crossed her arms. “What I am asking is of all the girls in Canterlot, why would it be a rotten-to-the-core… temptress like you?”

“Hmm… you know, jealousy really isn’t your color.” Adagio smirked, running her hand over her chest down to her stomach. “Maybe she’s just not into freckles.”

“I’m not jealous! I’m not interested like that in Sunset. No, uh, offense,” Applejack said, pausing and fidgeting with her hat.

“None… taken?” Sunset stood frozen, watching the staredown between Adagio and Applejack and biting her lip.

“But that don’t mean I’m not going to try and stop her from making a bad decision!” She turned her head away from Adagio and back to Sunset. “What do you see in someone like her? She obviously hasn’t changed since Battle of the Bands.”

“Oh, I’ve changed plenty, no thanks to you all,” Adagio said with narrowed eyes, tapping the fake stone on her choker. “You neutered me, remember?”

“Neutered animals are supposed to be calmer,” Applejack mumbled.

“You lot were willing to welcome Sunset with open arms after she’d made mistakes, but you left me to rot.” Adagio snorted. “That doesn’t sound like something a good friend would do, now does it? Who’s to say you’re not the villain this time and we’re not two misunderstood loners who’ve finally found each other?”

“Who’s to say you’re not the same conniving bitch you were who’ll say anything to get in Sunset’s pants!” Applejack shouted, her teeth clenched.

“I already have.” Adagio grinned.

“Will you two just stop!” Sunset said stomping her foot down in-between the two.

“You’re right, you got yourself into this mess, and I don’t want to be a part of it.” Applejack turned to the door and opened it, looking back at Sunset.

“Don’t be surprised if this messes up our friendship. Not just with me, but the other girls too. I’ll let you figure out how to tell them. You have some hard decisions to make; I just hope you make the right ones.” She walked out, waving her hand. “At the very least, I won’t have it affect your job, have a good one.”

She then pulled the door in, slamming it shut, making both Sunset and Adagio jump.

“And put a damn shirt on!” Applejack yelled from outside.

Sunset turned around again only now to realize Adagio was still naked, not having bothered to yank any covers up over herself. Sunset could only place her palm over her head.

“Well, that happened.” Adagio shrugged.

Sunset wrapped her arms around herself. She was visibly shaking, rapidly murmuring to herself “this is not happening,” repeatedly.

“Hey,” Adagio said to Sunset, noticing she was keeping to herself. “You all right?”

“Am I all right?” Sunset joylessly laughed, and turned around to Adagio. “What do you think Adagio! What in Tartarus were you thinking acting like that in front of my friend!?” She yelled.

“Tartar? What?” Adagio titled her head, confused.

“You know what, just… Ughh!!!” Sunset had a few tears in her eyes before storming into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.

“She… she started it,” Adagio said to herself. Even in her own ears, it sounded like an excuse.

Well… shit, real smooth Adagio. She sighed. Let’s just be cool and not make this worse.

Adagio grabbed her garments off the ground and put them on, tip-toeing to the bathroom door. She made a small audible knock on the bathroom door.

“Look, um… I know you probably want a few minutes to yourself,” she stumbled on her words. On the other end of the door, Sunset was curled up, crying.

“I’ll, uh… just make some coffee for us and wait until you are ready to come out,” Adagio said, walking away from the bathroom door.

She went over to the kitchen and picked up a bag of coffee, preparing the coffee pot that sat on the counter. Sitting up against the counter, she pondered what to say to Sunset.

The coffee was finished brewing and she poured a cup for herself, and sat down at the kitchen table, taking a few sips from her cup while she waited.

Soon the bathroom door opened with Sunset coming out. She walked into the kitchen wiping the rest of the tears from her face. Adagio looked up at her. Sunset’s face was red, her eyes were puffy.

“I left a mug for you next to the pot,” she said.

“…Okay,” Sunset replied with a flicker of a smile, shuffling over to the coffee pot and pouring herself a mug. then sat across from Adagio at the kitchen table. She blew the steam away and took a few careful sips, staring into the darkness as it swirled in the mug.

“Look, I’m…” Adagio paused, never having had to say this before. “I’m sorry. You know how I am as a person, and I could have approached that situation better.”

“Yeah.” Sunset took another sip of her coffee. “Adagio, what are we going to do?”

“You’re asking the woman who had no more than two friends throughout her lifetime, three if I count you, but you are more than just that to me.”

Sunset smiled at the comment.

“Adagio, I know you like to be a bit of a, um…” Sunset stopped.

“A bitch?” Adagio said.

“Yes, that.” Sunset took a sip from her mug. “I don’t expect you and my friends to become buddies easily, but at the same time you can’t just tell them off like you did with Applejack.”

Adagio sighed.

“She’s the one with the problem. I’m just trying to put the pieces of my broken life back together here, and that’s hard enough without some holier-than-thou bitch going on about how awful I am.”

Adagio was now visibly shaken; her hands were clenched into fists.

“They’re just as responsible as you for everything that I’ve been going through, but unlike you they don’t understand what it’s like. The thrill of coming so close to having it all, and having to live with regret after realizing that you weren’t the hero of your own story after all. I can’t stand judgment from people like that with perfect lives who think that being just and righteous is just so easy!”

She slammed her fists down on the table.

“It pisses me off!”

Sunset jumped back from Adagio’s burst of rage. She frowned and brought her hands to Adagio’s, bringing them up.

“I understand. I was there too. Losing all that you built up, and those who brought you down only wanting to keep you there. It’s frustrating, and it feels almost impossible to overcome.”

“I’m just all so new to this.” A few tears fell down Adagio’s cheeks. “I-I don’t know where to start.”

“I’ll guide you.” Sunset held Adagio’s hands tight. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, and I am not going to leave you behind like the others have.”

“T-thanks.” Adagio began to settle down. “Like you said, as long as we are together, we can get through anything.”

“Exactly,” Sunset smiled. “I love you.”

“I know.” Adagio said, returning a smile.

After a shower and getting fully dressed, Sunset packed her backpack with a spare set of clothes, a few essential items, and a large book. She also had her acoustic guitar to the side, packed away in a soft case.

“You sure you want to stay with me? You know how small my place is,” Adagio said.

“Small, but relaxing. After this morning I just want a few days off if anything. I don’t want to miss any classes though and your place being near the college is pretty convenient.”

Adagio nodded.

Soon after, Adagio and Sunset left the garage and were riding along the road on the bike again, still remaining in the industrial part of town. They were stopped at a red light, and Adagio decided to strike up a small conversation as they waited for the light to turn green.

“So where are we going? I thought you liked to cook,” she asked.

“After this morning, I’d rather have something a bit junkier.”

“Finally. I could use some comfort food,” Adagio paused before adding, “…not to say your cooking is bad of course.”

“It’s fine.” Sunset smiled through her helmet. “I need junk food once in a while as well, and I saw how much your liked my dish from last night.”

The light turned green, and they were finally moving again.

They drove past a few factories and warehouses. Compared to where they were earlier, this part of town had a bit more activity along the road, mostly workers getting to and from work.

They entered a diner parking lot and Sunset parked up at the front and killed the engine. Adagio stepped off the bike and took off her helmet, looking at the large red sign at the front of the business.

“Goldy’s? What kind of name is that?” Adagio scoffed.

“Just a diner franchise, apparently they are popular.” Sunset replied, removing her helmet and getting off the bike.

Sunset took Adagio’s hand, and she smiled at the small gesture.

Adagio’s senses tingled as soon as they walked through the door at the permeating smell of bacon. She was surprised Sunset could visit a place like this, but living in this part of town, it looks like she could take what she could get.

Standing at the front of the diner, a waitress came around.

“Hey ladies, just the two of y’all?”

“Mmhm.” Sunset nodded.

The waitress grabbed two menus. “Follow me, please.”

They followed her past a few patrons; a majority of them sat at the lunch counter while the booths remained largely empty. One old man sitting at a booth gave both Adagio and Sunset a mean look before going back to his meal.

The waitress stopped next to an empty booth in the corner of the diner. Adagio and Sunset sat across from each other. The waitress placed the menus in front of them.

“What drinks would y’all like to start off with?”

“Orange juice, please,” Sunset said.

“Lots of coffee, black,” Adagio replied.

“Alrighty, be back soon.” The waitress walked away.

Adagio pulled up her menu. It was a bit sticky from the past thousands of patrons that had mishandled it. She looked at the options and saw a sampler platter of various meats, hash browns, eggs and pancakes. She immediately set her menu down.

“That was fast,” Sunset said.

“Bacon and pancakes wins by default.” Adagio grinned. “What does a veggie girl like you order at a place like this?”

“I have a few options,” Sunset said, skimming through the menu.

The waitress soon came back with their drinks and placed them on the table.

“Are y’all ready to order?” she said, pulling out a pen and notepad.

“I’ll have the meaty slam,” said Adagio.

Sunset’s eyes widened, wondering how Adagio could eat so much food. But then placed her focus back on the waitress.

“I’ll just have the vegetable omelette,” she said.

“Coming right up!” The waitress took back the menus and walked to the back of the kitchen.

Sunset picked up her orange juice and took down a sizeable gulp before bringing the cup down. Adagio only took a sip of her coffee before breaking the silence.

“So, I never had the chance to ask last night,” Adagio said. “Since when did you like girls? Better yet, how does Applejack know about it?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow at the very personal question.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Adagio said with a wink. “Just curious.” She rested her elbows on the table and set her head on top of her hands.

“Well,” Sunset took another sip of her orange juice. “I knew since I was a filly. Unlike here, sexuality isn’t that big a deal back home. A majority of pony couples date the opposite sex, but you will find a good chunk of ponies that only like the same sex, or both.

“To be honest, I am surprised you found an attraction to me as human. Seeing how you used to be a, well…” Adagio paused, still confused by the concept of talking horses. “Pony.”

“While we do know a fair bit about the portal, there are still plenty of unknowns. When I turned into a human, being attracted to girls just felt natural, kind of like how I was attracted to mares. I’m not sure how it did it.”

“Hmm, interesting.” Adagio scratched her chin. “So, back to yourself. How did Applejack know about you liking the ladies?”

“I dated a girl after the Friendship Games at CHS.”

“Do tell…” Adagio smirked.

“Just some background, are you aware that there may be two of us in this world? Like, there is me from the pony world residing here, but there is a possibility that there is another me that was born into this world as well.”

“Oh, I know.” Adagio said casually, not showing a least bit of surprise.

“You do? How?” Sunset asked.

“There was another Adagio Dazzle here, thousands of years ago. I only knew about her through an archive of family trees from ancient times.”

“If it was thousands of years ago, is she…?”

“She’s long dead. Unlike myself from pony land, she lived like any other average human being.”

“Huh.” Sunset shrugged. “You learn something new every day.”

“So, that girlfriend?” Adagio said, wanting to get back on topic.

“Well, long story short, I met the Twilight Sparkle of this world. We dated only for a short time.”

“Who broke it off?”

“Her, turns out she was ‘experimenting,’” Sunset motioned her fingers in mocking quotations. “She liked being around me, and enjoyed my affection.” She sighed. “Once we were in bed, however, she came to the conclusion she was not into girls, and called it off immediately afterwards.”

“Wow.” Adagio had a blank expression, not even wanting to imagine the situation. “Awkward.”

“You’re telling me.” Sunset took another sip of her juice. “Afterwards we still talked and hanged out. Once we graduated she moved away and is probably at some major university outside of town by now.”

“And your other friends?” Adagio asked.

“Other than Applejack, everyone is out of town doing their own thing. We still keep in contact over social media and we meet every spring break for a camping trip.”

“Camping, huh? Sounds fun.” Adagio smiled.

“…I was hoping I could take you with me this year. But with all of this…” Sunset paused, running her hand through her hair. “I am not sure if they will even talk to me after what happened this morning.” she frowned.

“As I said, we’ll get through it.” Adagio turned around from her seat, and looked throughout the restaurant. “Before that however, where is that food?”

The earlier waitress soon came out from the kitchen holding multiple plates. She walked up to Sunset and Adagio’s table placing the individual plates in front of the two.

Adagio had a large plate with two fried eggs, hash browns, and a sampling of meat including sausage, ham and most importantly… Bacon. Beside the large platter of food was a small plate with a small stack of pancakes.

Sunset’s meal in comparison was small, with only a large omelette sitting on her single plate.

“Let me know if y’all need anything else. Enjoy!” She walked off again.

“Oh man, I don’t know where to start.” Adagio said, pulling up a fork and knife and cutting up her fried eggs, allowing the juices to spread all over her plate.

Sunset could only stare at Adagio’s plate as she began digging into her food, mixing her hash browns and meats together in the egg yolk and taking large bites. Before it would make her sick, but she built up a tolerance over time.

Adagio noticed Sunset looking at her eating habits and raised an eyebrow.

“Something up?”

“Oh, nothing.” Sunset shook her head, going back to her meal. “It’s just, you know, those used to be… alive.”

“Yes, and now they’re tasty,” Adagio corrected with a smirk.

Adagio continued devouring her meal, finishing before Sunset. She took her time, focusing on one item at a time, enjoying every part of her meal rather than finishing it as fast as possible.

Once Adagio cleaned her plates, she set her utensils down.

“So, I’m gonna be up front. I don’t know how we are going to deal with Applejack,” she said.

“S-seriously?” Sunset said.

“I said I was new to the friendship thing,” Adagio huffed. “Surely you have someone else that can help us out?”

“Someone else?” Sunset scratched her chin. “That’s it!”

“What is it?” Adagio asked.

“I’ll tell you when we get back to your place, let me finish my omelette,” Sunset said, digging into what remained of her breakfast.

“…Can I have some?” Adagio asked sheepishly.

“You had ALL of that food and you are still hungry?”

“I may have eaten a bit fast.” She scratched the back of her head.

Sunset smiled and finished the rest of her late breakfast. Adagio paid the bill and they soon left.

Opening the door to the apartment, Sunset walked in first with Adagio closing the door behind her. It was still the mid-afternoon on a weekend and they still had plenty of time to do whatever they wished.

Sunset sat on the sofa in the living area while Adagio walked to the kitchen in the back of the apartment.

“You want anything to drink?” Adagio asked.

“Just a glass of water,” Sunset replied.

“Coming up.” Adagio grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and began making the beverages. “So, now that we are here. What are we going to do about Applejack?”

“Come here.” Sunset picked up her backpack and shuffled around the materials inside, pulling out the large book she’d packed earlier and a pen.

Adagio placed the two glasses of water on the table and sat next to Sunset, who opened up the book. Adagio noticed the first few pages had been torn out, but the remaining pages looked like letters between two people.

“What’s this?” Adagio asked.

“This is a book passed down to me by Celestia. It contains some Equestrian magic, so whatever is written in here…” Sunset pointed her pen to the book, before pointing it in the air. “…is sent to another exact book elsewhere. Neat, huh?”

“So it’s like texting.”

“No, it’s a highly complicated magical algorithm that allows you to—”

“Text?”

Sunset glowered at Adagio, who stuck out her tongue in turn. They both laughed.

“So, who do you write to? Surely it’s not Celestia.”

“It’s not, it’s my friend Twilight.”

“The ex?”

“No, no.” Sunset waved her hands. “The other Twilight.”

“Makes sense.” Adagio shrugged. “Where does she live?”

“Ponyville,” Sunset replied.

“Seriously?” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “There is a town called Ponyville?”

“Well, it’s a village full of ponies, so I guess the name fits?” Sunset could only shrug at Adagio’s comment, and turned the book to a blank page.

“Anyways, Twilight is a good friend to both Applejack and me, and she specializes in solving friendship problems,” Sunset said.

“All right. Write her a letter, I guess.”

“Well, it’s not that simple. I actually haven’t talked to her in a few months, and she obviously doesn’t know I’m dating you. Seeing how Applejack reacted earlier, how should I tell her about us?”

“Don’t go into details, then; we can tell her about me when she gets here. Just tell her you are doing well and that you are having a…” Adagio raised her fingers into quotations. “Friendship problem.”

“All right, give me a moment…”

Sunset thought to herself for a moment, before striking the pen onto the page and began writing a small letter.

Dear Twilight,

Hope you are doing well. I’m sorry for not sending you any messages throughout the past few weeks. Taking a break from Applejack’s farm and attending college has been a sort of new experience for me in this world, but I am adjusting to the change.

Recently on my campus I met this girl. She is a bit older than me—Adagio punched Sunset’s arm—but I really like her and we’ve officially begun dating. Unfortunately, I am in need of your help with a friendship problem involving her. Recently, we ran into Applejack and got into an argument, and now I am worried my entire circle of friends may hate us. I can’t explain it in full detail, but I hope you can take some time to visit here and help us out.

Be sure to write back ASAP, hope to see you soon.

—Your friend, Sunset Shimmer

Sunset closed the book and placed it on the coffee table.

“Hopefully she can visit us soon. I’m not sure how long this can go on.”

“Are you sure we can trust her?” Adagio asked.

“Of course; she’s my friend.” Sunset replied.

“So was Applejack, and unlike Applejack I am sure Twilight knows even more than any of your friends here about my past crimes. Possibly even more than I do,” she admitted sheepishly. “How do you think she is going to feel about you dating me?”

“She’ll probably be on guard at first, but she’s made friends with past bad individuals before.”

“Excuse me.” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I am a bad woman?”

“The worst. But it’s okay though.” Sunset sat herself up against Adagio, whispering into her ear. “I like bad girls.”

Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset and gave her a kiss.

“Fair enough.”

They both remained on the sofa, close to one another.

“Can you hum me that song from the park yesterday?”

Adagio stared at Sunset.

Should I tell her? What if my song does have an influence over her?

She sat there not saying anything, only deep in thought.

“Adagio?” Sunset said.

“Oh, sorry.” Adagio shook her head, focusing back on Sunset.

“Are you okay? Is there something you need to tell me?” She asked.

“No, everything’s fine,” Adagio picked up her glass of water from the table and took a sip. “Any reason why you want me to sing?”

“It makes me feel at ease, and it sounds beautiful, like you.” Sunset smiled.

“You are just trying to please me now.”

“Maybe, but I wasn’t lying.”

Adagio cleared her throat.

“If I hum my tune, you have to play me a song on that guitar you brought along.”

“Deal.”

Adagio begun to hum the song from yesterday. The tune resonated throughout the room.

Sunset sat her head along Adagio’s shoulder as she continued, until she was interrupted by the book on the table.

It vibrated repeatedly, similar to a phone, surrounded by a purple glow. Adagio stared blankly at the book.

“Well, at least it doesn’t have an annoying ringtone.”

“That didn’t take too long,” Sunset said, opening the book back to the page where she left off.

Below her handwriting was a small reply from Twilight.

Dear Sunset,

It’s good to hear from you, and sure! My schedule is pretty open at the moment, can I perhaps visit tomorrow at the start of the afternoon? We can have lunch while we catch up, then I can help you with Applejack.

—Princess Twilight Sparkle

Sunset immediately grabbed her pen and wrote:

Twilight,

Sure! We’ll see you at noon tomorrow, I know a good place near the school! Thanks, Twilight.

—Sunset

Sunset then slammed the book shut and placed it back in her bag.

“All right, your turn.” Adagio said.

Sunset got up off the sofa and retrieved her guitar case, unzipping it and pulling out a well worn acoustic guitar. She sat back down next to Adagio, positioning herself and the guitar.

“What do you want me to play?” Sunset asked.

“Whatever song you like,” Adagio said.

“Okay.” Sunset strummed a few chords, making sure the guitar was still in tune. She then began to play a slow melody. Her fingers flew across the frets. Despite the song’s apparent simplicity, Sunset was incredibly dextrous. Not only was she hitting every note perfectly, but there was a peaceful look on her face as though she could do this while half-asleep.

Adagio felt her eyelids getting a bit heavy as she lost herself in the maze of notes. The magical book, their problems with Applejack, the pony village with a name so stupid it demanded destruction… all of these problems grew further from her mind. She rested her head on Sunset’s lap and was at peace.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 6 - Forgiveness

“Sparing you was a mistake.”

What?

Adagio was trapped, surrounded by darkness, alone. She tried to find the source of the voice, but it was as if it surrounded her.

Six colorful ponies circled around Adagio, with a purple pony with a horn and wings standing in front of her.

“Twilight?” Adagio was able to recognize her from her hair, nor could she forget that voice of hers.

“Adagio Dazzle! Sunset was a better pony until you showed up. Your influence will only take her down her old evil path.”

“But I have changed! For the better!” Adagio said, looking down at Twilight. “Please, just give me a chance.”

“What makes you think you deserve a chance?” Applejack stepped forward. “What’s to stop you from turning against us?”

“I would never do something like that; just ask Sunset! She trusts me! Why can’t all of you?” Adagio asked.

“You tell us now you are trustworthy, but your past does not,” Twilight replied.

“I don’t even know my past; you took that from me!” Adagio yelled

“I’m sorry, Adagio, but we can’t allow you to be around Sunset.” Twilight’s horn emitted a glow. “For the safety of Equestria, we must be rid of you, entirely.”

The floor below Adagio opened into a void of light. Blinded, she fell into the void. The light surrounding her was similar to the wave of magic that originally took her power years back, only this time it didn’t stop and every part of her body began to burn like it was on fire.

She opened her eyes and looked down; whatever garments she had were immediately burned away, her skin was next to go. She felt nothing but intense pain and could only scream. Looking up above, she saw Sunset stepping out from the darkness, standing next to Twilight.

“Sunny!” She reached her hand out. “Help me! Please!”

“I’m sorry.” Sunset looked away from Adagio. “But, this is the only way.”

Adagio screamed and opened her eyes. She sat up looking at her surroundings. It was pitch black again, the pain was gone and her body instead was covered in sweat.

“Adagio?” Sunset mumbled beside her in bed, turning over to her. “Is everything all right?”

Adagio was visibly shaking. Just a nightmare, a dream. Get yourself together.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She looked at Sunset. “Can I just… hold you?”

“Of course.”

Adagio wrapped her arms around Sunset. She sighed and rested her head against her chest, listening to the slow, soothing rhythm of her heartbeat. When Adagio fell asleep again, her dreams were free of nightmares.

After a rough night, the two woke up later than planned. They rushed throughout the morning and got ready to meet Twilight by noon. Leaving the apartment, they made it to Canterlot High School just in time.

The school grounds remained largely empty on Sundays since the school was closed. Sunset and Adagio waited on the sprawling front lawn of the school grounds next to the statue of a horse, the base of which formed the portal to Equestria.

“I never thought I would be back here,” Adagio said. Sunset stood next to her.

“It’s been quite some time, huh?” she said.

“It has,” Adagio replied. “Is Twilight the kind of person—”

“Pony,” Sunset interjected.

“Whatever,” Adagio grumbled. “The kind of pony that shows up exactly on the dot?”

“Yeah, what time is it?”

Adagio checked her phone.

“It’s almost twelve.”

“Right,” Sunset took a deep breath and exhaled. “No pressure.”

“You sure about that?” Adagio asked.

“Not really,” Sunset sighed. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Can you stand on other side of the statue, out of sight?”

Adagio raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just worried if she sees you first, she’ll freak out like Applejack did,” Sunset said. “Let me just say hi to her and I will tell you when to come out. I promise it won’t be long.”

“Tch.” Adagio placed her hands in her pockets. “Fine, don’t keep me waiting too long, dear.” She disappeared behind the statue.

Soon enough, there was a flash of light as a woman materialized from the statue, right on time. She wore a formal outfit with a light blue button up long-sleeve shirt and a dark purple mid-length skirt with black low top slip-ons. Her midnight blue hair had a single pink-and-purple stripe down the length, which reached her mid-back.

The woman patted down her clothes and hair, then saw Sunset and smiled, giving her a tight hug.

“Sunset!” She said.

“Hey, Twilight!” Sunset returned a smile and hugged her as well.

“It’s so good to see you! I’ve been busy with so many princess duties, I hardly have any time to hang out with my friends nowadays.”

“I’ve been busy as well with school, and um…” Sunset stopped, knowing soon she would have to bring up Adagio.

“Your new girlfriend, right? Where is she?” Twilight asked, looking around.

“Before that…” Sunset grabbed a hold of Twilight’s hands. “Twilight, do you trust me?”

“Uhh… Of course. We’re friends.” She tilted her head, puzzled. “Should I be concerned?”

“Maybe just a tiny bit, but I assure you it’s nothing bad.”

“Can I come out now!?” Adagio yelled at the other side of the statue.

“Yes, dear, you can.” Sunset sighed.

“That voice, it sounds familiar, almost reminds me of—” Twilight stopped, seeing Adagio come into view and walk past her. She gave Twilight a wink and stood next to Sunset, holding her hand and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Twilight, meet my girlfriend—”

“Adagio Dazzle!?” Twilight yelled, beginning to shake. “Sunset, surely you remember years before that we fought against her and the sirens, and that this world almost fell to them!? Oh goddesses, Sunset please don’t tell me you are—”

“Twilight, please.” Sunset raised her hands innocently. “You said you could trust me, right?”

“Sorry, I’m just not sure what to think.” Twilight sighed, taking a few deep breaths to calm down. “I know some time has passed since I first met you, Adagio, but…” Twilight bit her lip. “Sunset, are you aware that you are dating one of Equestria’s longest standing enemies?”

Sunset looked at Adagio.

“I honestly didn’t think of it that way.” She held onto Adagio’s arm. “But Adagio’s changed, for the better, I promise!”

“Only a little.” Adagio shrugged.

Sunset lightly jabbed Adagio in the shoulder.

“Adagio, please,” she whispered.

“Well…” Twilight fiddled with her hands. “I’ve seen bad ponies in Equestria turn their lives around. I guess the same could go for people in this world as well.” Twilight extended her hand to Adagio.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Adagio,” Twilight said.

Adagio left Twilight hanging for a few seconds, before extending her hand and giving her a formal handshake.

“Sure, same for you as well.” Adagio withdrew her hand and held onto Sunset’s.

“So…” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. “I can see why Applejack may be a bit upset about you and Adagio. What happened?”

“Why don’t we talk about it over lunch,” Sunset said. “I know a place nearby. I texted Applejack last night and she said she would not be available until later in the afternoon. We can catch up before heading to the farm then.”

“Sounds good, Sunset.” Twilight smiled. “Lead the way.”

Sunset wrapped her arm around Adagio’s. They walked off the school grounds together as a couple, with Twilight following.

After some catching up and lunch, they were ready to head to Applejack’s farm.

Adagio called a taxi through her phone, and soon a car came around to pick them up. They all sat in the back with Sunset in the center and Adagio and Twilight sitting up against the window seats.

They rode out of town and through the back roads, being ferried through the countryside of Canterlot. Along the way they passed several farms containing fields of crops and livestock out in the open fields.

After passing a few more farms, Adagio saw a large orchard filled with apple trees and they stopped at the entrance.

“We’re here,” Sunset said.

They stepped out of the vehicle and stood in the gravel lot for guests and visitors. Inside the farm was a long gravel road that went through the apple orchard, up to the main residence on the farm.

“Do we seriously have to walk all the way up there?” Adagio said, pointing to the house up on the hill that sat at the end of the road.

“Unfortunately. I’ve gotten used to walking up that road each morning when I worked here.” Sunset walked up to an intercom system that was inside a small wooden booth

“Let me ring up Applejack before we go in.” She pressed a button and waited for a response.

Adagio and Twilight stood next each other while Sunset tapped her foot as she waited for a reply.

“So, Princess,” Adagio said.

“Yes?” Twilight replied, switching her attention to Adagio.

“You are a pony princess, from a magical pony land… Do you have a castle?”

“I do, actually,” Twilight replied. “Before that, I lived in a tree!”

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Adagio placed her palm over her face.

“The tree was also a library!” Twilight chirped, beaming.

“Okay, princess. I get it.”

“You can just call me Twilight by the way.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Adagio waved her off.

Sunset was still waiting for a response. Applejack finally picked up on the other end.

“Canterlot Apple Farm, who is it?” she said.

“Hey Applejack, it’s Sunset. I’m here with Adagio and someone else.” She said.

“Oh, hey,” Applejack said. “Y’all were coming to apologize or somethin’, was it? Who is the someone else? You didn’t bring one of her Dazzling friends did you?”

“I was wanting to surprise you, but no. It’s Twilight.”

“Wait, Pony Twilight or Ex Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“Do you really think I would call my ex and drag her out here?”

“Hmm, good point. Come on in, I guess. I’ll be sure not to shoot y’all, heh.” She laughed before hanging up.

Sunset walked out of the booth.

“She wasn’t serious about the shooting part, was she?” Adagio asked.

“She always says that to anyone visiting,” Sunset said.

“Well, I like her sense of humor at least.” Adagio shrugged.

“I hope this goes well.” Sunset sighed.

“Sunny.” Adagio placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “Look at me.”

Sunset looked up at Adagio.

“Like we said earlier: whatever happens we’ll get through it.”

“Thanks, Adagio.” Sunset wrapped her arms around her.

Twilight saw the display and smiled at seeing the two so close.

“Though, if this does go bad, I’m blaming it all on you, Twilight.” Adagio grinned.

“H-hey!” Twilight stomped her foot.

“Well, let’s go and get this settled.” Sunset pulled back from Adagio, but held onto her hand. The two began walking down the gravel road, with Twilight walking beside them.

They passed many rows of apple trees. Adagio had never really had an interest in farming, but was impressed with the display, wondering what it took to maintain an orchard of this size.

“So, you worked here?” she asked.

“Yup. A few other workers and I spent our entire day's picking apples off the trees. Once the harvest season was over, Applejack kept me around for when she needed to maintain equipment and buildings around here.”

“Was there anything else you did?”

Sunset nodded.

“She kept two horses around. One was named Lonestar. I took care of him and he came to liking me. One day, Applejack asked me if I’d like to ride him. I’ve been learning how since, and I’m actually pretty decent now.”

“Wait,” Twilight butted into the conversation. “Humans take care of horses and… Ride them?”

“Yeah,” Sunset laughed. “Was a bit of a shocker, but from what I saw on their faces and the way they acted, they seem to like it here.”

After several more minutes of walking, they finally made it up to the house that stood in the center of the farm. The house looked quite old, with two stories and a front deck, where Applejack stood.

“Applejack!” Twilight ran up to Applejack and gave her a hug.

“Hey, sugarcube.” Applejack wrapped her arm around Twilight. “Princess duties keeping you busy?”

“Yeah, but nothing I can’t keep up with.”

“Good to hear,” Applejack said, focusing her attention on both Sunset and Adagio. “So…”

“So?” Adagio said, staring at Applejack.

“I guess we are all here to… talk.” Applejack grumbled, making air quotes with her fingers.

“I just want us to settle our differences, Applejack,” Sunset said.

“It’s not you, Sunset. I’m sorry about yesterday and I’ll admit I was kinda out of line.” Applejack pointed to Adagio. “You, however, were also out of line.”

“Uh-huh,” Adagio said. Crossing her arms.

Sunset rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

“I think we just got off on the wrong foot yesterday. If we just start over again, I’m sure things will go better. I hope afterwards you can accept Adagio for who she is now, rather than who she was.”

“I’m open to listening what y’all have to say.” Applejack stepped off the front porch and pointed over to a picnic table below a tree standing over the house. “Let’s sit over at the tree there; it’s too nice to be inside today.”

Sunset nodded, and went back to Adagio, grabbing her hand. They walked behind Applejack and Twilight.

Twilight and Applejack sat on the far end of the table, with Sunset and Adagio sitting opposite them. It was silent for a moment before Adagio broke the silence between all four of them.

“So, who talks first? You talk first? I talk first?” Adagio said to Applejack.

“Well, I think you obviously know what to say after all that you did yesterday,” Applejack said, placing her arms on the table and crossing them.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to see my ti—”

Sunset raised her foot and brought it down on Adagio’s. She winced from Sunset’s strike and kept her mouth closed to prevent herself from yelling several obscenities.

“I mean, yes.” Adagio sighed. “I’m sorry for what happened. You were being a bit of a jerk toward us, but me being a complete bitch didn’t make it any better.”

“You’re… sorry?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah.” Adagio titled her head. “Isn’t that what people are supposed to say?”

“So are you saying it because you mean it, or because you’re supposed to?”

“Applejack,” Twilight interjected. “I know you don’t trust Adagio. And that’s fair. You don’t really have a reason to. But friendship is about being willing to trust someone, even in spite of reason sometimes. I haven’t been able to talk with her very much, but from what I’ve seen, I can already tell that she’s not the same.”

“She’s certainly not like Sunset when she turned around,” Applejack said.

“Not exactly. She still has some of her past attitude, but Sunset has stuck with her for a reason, just like how we stuck with her.” She smiled.

“Okay, maybe she has changed for the better, great,” Applejack said. “But what about the past? She nearly ruined our friendships several years ago. Who could forgive her for that?”

“I can,” Sunset said. “Applejack, you need to let go of the past. Do you remember what I did all throughout high school?”

“Yeah, you were evil, Sunset, but you’re much different than she was,” Applejack said.

“I am. While Adagio only terrorized the school for a few days, I managed to put fear into every student and control the entire school from my freshman to early senior year.”

“We were only teenagers, Sunset. Adagio, on the other hand, has been around forever. How many individuals’ lives has she ruined over her lifetime, huh?”

“Thousands, probably,” Adagio said.

“See? Even she admits it!” Applejack yelled, interrupting Adagio.

“…and I regret it.” Adagio finished her sentence.

“What?”

“I have lived for a long time, and I have spent that time ruining people’s lives, and I regret it. I don’t remember much from when I first arrived here, but I wish my friends and I would have made lives for ourselves rather than ruining others.”

“Adagio, are you serious? You regret all of it?” Twilight asked.

“Well I suppose that makes everything better, doesn’t it?” Applejack said, arms folded.

“No. I never said it makes what I’ve done go away.” Adagio shook her head. “The little I know that I’ve done is terrible. I enjoyed controlling people, but I’ve been doing that throughout all of my life. There was a time where it became repetitive, and the girls and I only regained an interest when we saw that burst of Equestrian Magic from the school.”

“But, after you lost all that power?” Twilight said.

“I wish I could have used it for something better, whether it be building a life for myself, or heck… even now I wonder what else I could have done for the girls.”

“Who do you mean by ‘the girls?’” Applejack asked.

“Aria and Sonata. When we lost our power, I had a fight with Aria. She blamed me for everything that happened, and my smart mouth lead to her punching me until I was on the ground.”

Tears began to form in Adagio’s eyes as she continued.

“Sonata tried to break it up, but by the time she did, I was pretty banged up. Aria ran off and Sonata went looking after her. At that moment I knew things were over.”

Her tears ran down her cheeks. Sunset caressed Adagio’s shoulders to console her.

“I haven’t seen them since, and I didn’t make any other friends until I met Sunny.”

Applejack and Twilight were silent. They thought the Battle of the Bands was where they’d seen Adagio at her weakest point, but seeing her cry in front of them showed she really had changed since then.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Applejack said. “You must have been lonely.”

“Yeah.” Adagio cleared her tears. “Sunny was the first person to ever show interest in me, and… I guess you can see why we are dating now.”

“Adagio, I’m so sorry,” Twilight said. “I wish we could have done more after we took away your power.”

Adagio raised her hand.

“Look, I don’t want your sympathy. I’ve said as much to Sunny multiple times now. I just want to get away from my past and put my life back together, and Sunset is a big part of that.”

Adagio returned her attention to Applejack.

“All that I can ask, Applejack, not just you, but to all of Sunny’s friends… Can I have your forgiveness? I’m not seeking friendship, but she can’t lose her friends, not like I have.”

Adagio held her hand out in the middle of the table. Waiting for a response from Applejack.

“I’m still not sure about trusting you, Adagio.” Applejack’s hand joined Adagio’s and she shook it. “I can give you a chance, though, but only one.”

“Fair enough,” Adagio said.

“You’re welcome,” Applejack replied.

Sunset and Twilight smiled at seeing the two finally make amends.

“So,”—Adagio retracted her hand—“now that is out of the way, what is there to do around here?” she asked.

“If y’all want… Want to stay for dinner? I know you, Sunset and Twi, are the veggie types, but I can convince Granny Smith to have apple pecan salad tonight if y’all can help.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Twilight clapped her hands.

“What do you think, Sunny?” Adagio asked Sunset.

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Sounds great.”

After having dinner at Applejack’s and an extended visit, it was well into the evening and everyone had to part ways.

Walking out onto the porch, Applejack followed behind Adagio, Sunset and Twilight.

“Hey, Sunset, before you go…” Applejack said.

“Yeah?” she replied.

“If you want, you can bring Adagio along for our annual spring camping trip. I can bring a small spare tent for the both of y’all.” She scratched the back of her head. “You know, for privacy.”

“Oh good. I don’t like it when people watch,” Adagio said, butting into the conversation.

“Seriously, Adagio?” Sunset’s face turned red.

“It’s a joke.” Adagio chuckled. “I have changed, but not that much.”

Twilight giggled, and gave Applejack a hug.

“I’m happy we got all of this sorted out, and it was good seeing you, Applejack,” she said.

“Mmm, thanks for visiting, Twilight. Hope things go well for you in Equestria.” Applejack smiled.

“You too.” Twilight walked away from Applejack, and waved to her. “I’ll be sure to visit for the spring trip!”

Applejack nodded, then Sunset hugged her as well.

“Thanks for listening to us, Applejack,” Sunset said.

“No prob. Anything for a friend.” Applejack winked.

Adagio was next, but held out her hand for Applejack.

“Not the hugging type?” she asked.

“I only like hugs from Sunny.” Adagio shrugged.

“Heh, right.” Applejack’s hand joined Adagio’s and she gave it a firm shake. “I’m happy we got past our differences, and I’m sorry for earlier.”

“Uh-huh. I’m looking forward to that trip, though. Better not disappoint.” Adagio smirked.

“I’ll be sure not to. Looking forward to seeing y’all there later.”

Adagio and Sunset nodded, following Twilight, who began walking away from the house.

“See ya, Applejack,” Sunset said, walking next to Adagio.

“Bye, y’all!” Applejack waved to all of them as they left. “Have a good one!”

Twilight and Sunset waved in unison, walking down the gravel road back to the entrance to the farm. Adagio pulled out her phone and called for a ride along the walk. By the time they got back to the parking lot, their taxi was waiting.

The roads through the countryside were pitch black, with only the headlamps of the car providing any light along their path.

It was late in the evening by the time they arrived at the school, but the street lamps around the school grounds kept it well lit.

They made it back to the portal and Twilight stood in front of it.

“Well, I guess this is it,” she said.

“Before you go, Twilight,” Adagio said. “Can I ask for a favor?”

“Well of course you can ask,” Twilight said with a smile. “As for granting it, however, that unfortunately depends. What is it?”

“I told you at lunch how I had forgotten most of my past, but…” Adagio bit her lip. “I was wondering if you can gather some information on what exactly I did, so I can know the truth.”

“Adagio…” Sunset placed her hand on Adagio’s shoulder. “Are you sure you want to?”

“I do.” Adagio replied. “I know I’ve done bad things, enough to get me banished from another world. A part of me doesn’t want to know what evil things I’ve done, but at the same time I can’t be hiding from the truth.”

“I understand you want to know all about your past self, Adagio, but…” Twilight sighed. “From my current knowledge, you and the other two sirens are the only few ever banished from Equestria.

“So, whatever I did, it must have been really bad?”

“Yes, unfortunately,” Twilight said. “It’s just that you’re doing so well right now with Sunset. I don’t want to see what happiness you’ve gotten for yourself ruined by guilt.”

“I understand.” Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset. “Like Sunny said earlier, I am past a majority of my evil ways, and I am who I am now, but I can’t just ignore whatever I’ve done in the past.”

Twilight nodded.

“Okay, it’s going to take some time since I will need to be going through some archives that are more than a millennium old, but I’ll be sure to find everything regarding your past crimes.” Twilight shuffled her hands. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I said so the first time,.” Adagio grumbled. “Thanks, though, Twilight. I mean it.”

“Twilight,” Sunset said. “Whatever you find, you won’t see Adagio any differently, right?”

“Of course,” Twilight replied.

“Do you promise?”

“I promise, Sunset.”

Twilight walked up to both Sunset and Adagio and wrapped her arms around them.

“H-hey—” Adagio muttered before getting cut off.

“You two seem like a great couple, and I hope whatever I find puts you at peace, Adagio.”

“Yeah, great, thanks.” Adagio lightly pushed Twilight back. “No hugging, though.”

“Oh, sorry!” Twilight quickly released herself from the two. “It’s a habit, hugging my friends.”

“Uh-huh.” Adagio said, rolling her eyes.

“It was great having you here, Twilight.” Sunset hugged her. “We couldn’t have fixed our problem today without you.”

Twilight smiled.

“I’m glad to have helped.” Twilight pushed herself back from Sunset and walked up to the portal. “I’ll see you two on the spring trip.”

“See ya,” Sunset said.

Adagio only waved. Twilight, in return, waved to the both of them and walked through the portal.

They both stood there in silence, seeing Twilight suddenly disappear. Adagio walked up to the portal and placed her hand on it. To her, though, it was just a regular hard stone surface.

Even with the portal in front of her, Adagio truly had no way of visiting her original home. She looked back at Sunset.

“Have you ever considered returning?” she asked.

“I have.” Sunset walked up to Adagio and grabbed her hand, bringing it to hers. “I’d rather be here with you, though.”

Adagio smiled, pressing her lips to Sunset’s.

“Let’s get some rest.”

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 7 - Spring

“Are we there yet?”

“For the last time Adagio, NO!” Sunset yelled.

Sunset was riding her bike down the highway a few miles above the speed limit. Adagio rode in the back seat, occasionally shuffling to keep herself from becoming stiff. When she first rode with Sunset, she held on for dear life. Two months since meeting her after their first encounter in art class, however, she had gotten used to being a passenger.

It was finally spring break, and today was their first day off. Not wanting to waste time, they were already on the road that morning for their spring camping trip with Sunset’s old friends from Canterlot High School.

“No need to yell. I can hear you just fine through our headsets,” Adagio grumbled.

“Sorry, I can get irked easily if I am distracted while driving,” Sunset said.

“Fair enough. We’ve been riding for over an hour, though. How much longer do we have out on the road?”

“At least forty-five minutes.”

“Ugh… geez. I thought I’d gotten used to riding on this thing, but I don’t see how you can stand it for more than an hour.”

“You just get used to it over time.”

Coming up on their right was a blue sign reading “Rest Stop: 2 Miles.”

“Hey, can we stop there for a few minutes?” Adagio asked.

“Sure,” Sunset replied.

They took the exit to the rest area and parked near the main building. As soon as Sunset stopped the bike, Adagio got off and removed her helmet, allowing her large volume of sweaty hair to move with the wind.

“Much better,” Adagio said, taking in the breeze.

“Yeah, good call.” Sunset killed the engine to her bike and got off, removing her helmet as well. “I could use a water and sit down for a few minutes.”

Adagio nodded and grabbed Sunset’s hand. The two went to the vending area and ordered two waters from a vending machine. They went back near the bike and sat up on a ledge.

“Before we get to the camp, should I—you know—worry about anyone?” Adagio asked.

“I talked to each of them on MyBook. I don’t think there is anything to worry about. Although, Rainbow Dash might be a bit of a problem.”

“Why should I worry about her?” Adagio said, raising her eyebrow.

“Well…” Sunset fiddled with her hands. “Unlike the others, she doesn’t know you’ve been dating me.”

“Wait, what!?” Adagio yelled.

“Sorry, Adagio. You did kinda hurt a lot of people she cares about last time, and with how loyal she is, she’s… let’s just say she’s not your biggest fan. We were worried she wouldn’t come at all if she knew you were coming, much less that you and I are dating. So I left it up to Applejack and Twilight to tell her about us along their drive up here.”

“Great.” Adagio rolled her eyes. “Only a few hours into the trip and I already can look forward to being an unpleasant surprise. I actually do want to have a fun time out camping with you and your friends, you know, not spend the whole time explaining myself and being judged.”

“Let’s not worry about that; let’s just focus on having fun, okay? Plus, I am sure Applejack will put in a good word for you. Same for Twilight,” Sunset said.

“What is so bad about Dash anyways?” Adagio asked.

“While loyalty is nice and all, subtlety and nuance isn’t exactly her strongest suit. The world’s pretty black and white to her. It took a long time for her to be okay with me as well.” Sunset sighed.

“Even if I have gotten better over time?”

“Yeah.” Sunset nodded. “She would probably want to see you show you’ve become better over time rather than just saying it.”

“What do you think would be the best way?”

“Unfortunately, it’ll probably just take time. Though, try not be hostile toward her like you did with Applejack the first time you met her. Other than that, just be be nice to everyone. I’ll step in if she gets out of line.”

“Fair enough, I guess.” Adagio shrugged and checked the time on her phone. It was nearly noon. “We should probably go before it gets too late.”

“Right, ready for another forty-five minutes of riding?”

“I don’t like having to sit for another hour,” Adagio said, slipping her arms around Sunset’s waist. “But being your seatbelt isn’t too bad, I suppose.”

After riding for thirty more minutes on the highway, Sunset took an exit and rode through a small town. She turned off the main road and took the back roads for a few minutes before they finally made it to the camp. Passing underneath a large sign reading ‘Whitetail Camp,’ they pulled up to a parking spot between a large truck and an expensive car.

“Looks like we got here last,” Sunset said, cutting off the engine to her bike.

“How can you tell?” Adagio asked as she stepped off.

“The truck is Applejack’s and the car is Rarity’s. The rest were all carpooling with them, so it’s safe to say we are the last ones.” Sunset sighed, stepping off her bike and pulling her keyring out of her pocket. She flipped through several of them.

“Makes sense; I didn’t see Applejack this morning, but our bags were picked up, so either she came by or we got robbed.” Adagio stuck out her tongue, then noticed the set of keys Sunset was holding up. “Which key are you looking for?”

“Applejack’s truck. Give me your helmet,” Sunset said.

“I didn’t know you had a key to her truck.” Adagio passed her helmet to Sunset.

“She has the key to my place, so it’s fair I have a key to her truck.” Sunset walked over to the passenger side of the truck, inserted the key and opened the door, placing both of their helmets on the passenger seat.

“I’ve actually been wondering about that. Why does she have a key to your place?”

“Well, she had to house sit for me once last year, and after going through the trouble of getting a copy made, I figured she might as well keep it. She borrows tools from my garage pretty often, so it was easier not having her ask for the key every time.”

“I guess our stuff is in here as well?” Adagio said.

“Yeah, should be in the bed of the truck,” Sunset replied.

She closed the passenger side door, making sure the door was locked, and dug through the truck bed. She passed Adagio her bag, and dropped hers next to the truck.

“Anything else?” Adagio asked.

“Yup,” Sunset pulled up a large bag and placed the bags strap along her shoulder. “This is our home for the next few days.”

“I’m looking forward to the bug bites in the morning.” Adagio rolled her eyes.

Sunset giggled and hopped out of the back of the truck bed, placing the pack on her back.

“Ready for the half hour walk?” she asked.

“Wait, seriously?” Adagio’s jaw dropped. “I thought the site was right here.”

Sunset looked down at Adagio’s feet, noticing she was wearing her old purple platform boots with spikes.

“I told you to bring good shoes for a reason,” she said.

“These are my good shoes.” Adagio made a pose, showing off her boots. “I wore these even before the Battle of the Bands. They always turn heads with the ladies.”

“I meant for hiking, smart ass.”

“Well, fortunately I have experience walking in these. Shouldn’t be too bad.”

Sunset sighed.

“I better not hear you complain along the walk then.”

They began walking from the parking lot to the path, passing by the community building and a general shop.

“So why is the campsite so far away?” Adagio asked.

“There are various smaller sites all throughout here; the best one, however, is at the back.”

“Better be worth it,” Adagio grumbled.

“It will be.” Sunset smiled, grabbing Adagio’s hand.

Adagio returned a smile and the two walked next to one another along the path, passing underneath the trees that towered over them. Enjoying the sound of ruffling leaves and birds chirping.

Sunset and Adagio continued walking down the main path, passing by a few branching paths to other campsites.

As they neared their destination, Sunset and Adagio saw two figures in the distance off the side of the path.

“Hold on,” Sunset said, squinting her eyes at the unknown figures.

“Recognize them?” Adagio asked.

Sunset immediately noticed it was two girls. Their silhouettes looked familiar, particularly their hair. One of them was seated on the ground while the other paced around her..

“I think it’s Rarity and Fluttershy. I think they may be in trouble; let’s pick up our pace.” She took off running, leaving Adagio behind.

“Hey!” Adagio reached out her hand, but Sunset was already too far ahead of her. She started to run and was uncomfortably reminded that her spiked boots didn’t bend, so she walked as fast as she could to catch up.

Sunset soon made it to Rarity and Fluttershy. Rarity was seated on the ground, clutching one of her ankles. Fluttershy circled her nervously. She looked over to Sunset and ran up to her.

“Oh thank goodness you’re here, Sunset!” Fluttershy nearly ran into her, giving her a hug. “I thought I was going to have to get help and leave Rarity here alone!”

“Good to see you two, what happened?” Sunset asked.

“It’s horrible Sunset! Fluttershy and I were walking to the campsite, and along the way that blasted pothole over there nearly killed me!” She pointed to a small hole along the path. “I fell and now I can’t walk. I think I may have broken something.”

“I don’t think it’s that bad Rarity,” Fluttershy said. “We just need help to carry you to the camp.”

“Nonsense! We need an ambulance!” Rarity wailed.

“Could you help me carry her then, Fluttershy?” Sunset asked.

“Umm, well… I am not exactly the lifting type,” she replied, rubbing her arm.

“I’m here!” Adagio yelled, stopping and bending over to catch her breath.

“Oh. Hello…” Rarity trailed off, her whining offset by her unease. She looked over at Adagio and did a double-take, waving meekly. “My, you certainly have…” Her eyes wandered over Adagio’s broad figure. “Grown.”

“H-hi,” Fluttershy whispered, immediately hiding behind Sunset for cover.

“Yeah.” Adagio rolled her eyes. “Nice meeting you two as well.” She took a few quick breaths between her words and straightened herself up. “What did I miss, Sunny?”

“Rarity fell and got herself hurt. She can’t walk on her own and I need your help to carry her.”

“She’s going to help?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Yup.” Sunset nodded. “Adagio helped push my bike up the hill in the rain. She’s stronger than she looks.” Sunset winked to Adagio, with her returning a smile.

“Well, let’s help the beauty queen,” Adagio said getting beside Rarity.

“Here, Fluttershy.” Sunset took the tent bag off her shoulder and passed it to her. “It’s a bit heavy, but still lighter than carrying Rarity.”

Sunset then walked over to the opposite side of Rarity, where Adagio stood. She knelt down and wrapped an arm around Rarity just below her shoulders, gesturing with her head for Adagio to do the same.

“Okay, Rarity, tell us when you are ready,” Sunset said.

“Sunset, if I don’t make it—”

“She’s ready,” Adagio said, cutting her off.

Sunset rolled her eyes, then made sure to have a good grip on Rarity.

“Okay, on the count of three: one… two… three!”

Sunset and Adagio raised Rarity off the ground. Slowly, she lowered her good foot to the ground and put her weight onto it, keeping the other in the air.

“I think she’s heavier than the bike, Sunny. Not sure if I can do this.” Adagio grinned.

Sunset and Fluttershy couldn’t keep themselves from cracking up.

“That’s not funny!” Rarity yelled, attempting to wave her arms.

“All right, let’s get her to the camp,” Sunset said. “Applejack should be able to help her.”

The four began to move forward slowly, soon completing their walk to the campsite.

“I can’t make it any farther. Leave me behind girls!” Rarity yelled.

“Actually, Rarity, I think we’re here,” Fluttershy said, pointing at the campsite that stood in front of them.

“Oh…”

Adagio took a quick glance around the campsite. She saw a single-floor cabin sitting in the center. Judging by the wear and tear, it had been there for quite some time. In front of the structure was a wooden picnic table that was long enough to seat a family gathering.

Although surrounded by the forest, the campsite itself was very open. Two trees near the center were the only sources of shade. A large open lake with a small dock lay behind the cabin.

Tying it all together was a fire pit between the lake and cabin.

“Finally! Everyone’s here!” A girl with a large volume of pink hair screamed, withdrawing a canon from nowhere and firing confetti. She then noticed Rarity and her minor injuries. “Oh no! Rarity, are you okay?”

“Good to see you, dear, and I think I’ll be okay.” Rarity sighed.

“Hey, Pinkie. Where’s Applejack?” Sunset asked.

“Right here,” Applejack said, coming out of the cabin. “Bring her to the picnic table; I’ll go grab the med kit.”

Sunset and Adagio sat Rarity down at the picnic table. Applejack went back inside the cabin and quickly came out with a small plastic box containing various medical items and sat next to Rarity.

“Nice seeing ya’ll made it here, though. What happened to Rarity?”

“We were walking together, and she tripped on a pothole along the path,” Fluttershy said. “We were there for a few minutes, and then Sunset and um… her girlfriend ran into us.”

“Well, good on ya for helping Rarity. It’s probably just a minor sprain; let’s check the damage.” Applejack took off Rarity’s shoes with care, but she still winced at the slight movement of her foot and Applejack began to check spots along Rarity’s ankle.

Adagio watched Applejack give first aid, then looked back at Sunset.

“Why can’t you handle my feet like that, Sunny?” She snickered.

Sunset raised an eyebrow.

“Really, Adagio?” she replied.

“Not even here for ten minutes and you're already cracking jokes?” Applejack said.

“Who said that was a joke?” Adagio grinned.

“She’s funny!” Pinkie giggled.

Rarity merely stared at Adagio, uncertain whether to be offended that Adagio was making light of her wound. She elected to remain silent. Fluttershy did the same, only she turned a bit red from the comment.

“Anyways,” Applejack said, placing her attention back on Rarity. “As I predicted, just a minor sprain. Keep it wrapped up for a day or two, put some ice on it for now, and don’t put any strain on it throughout the day.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed with relief.

“So,” Applejack said. “I take it y’all have already been introduced to each other?”

“Quick introductions, really, not formally.” Rarity extended her hand to Adagio, “Thank you for assisting me, Ms. Dazzle, and sorry for the comment I made earlier.” She looked down at Adagio’s boots. “I also adore your choice of footwear by the way.”

“No worries,” Adagio’s hand joined Rarity’s, giving a quick and formal shake, “and thanks.” She leaned over to Sunset. “Told you someone would appreciate the boots,” she whispered.

Sunset rolled her eyes.

Fluttershy stood close next to Sunset, still a bit shy to talk to Adagio. Applejack noticed her keeping her distance.

“C’mon Fluttershy, introduce yourself to Adagio like you would anyone else,” she said.

“I already did,” she replied timidly.

“Saying hi and hiding behind Sunset doesn’t count as a formal introduction, dear,” Rarity said.

“Also don’t stick too close to Sunny. Some of my bad girl tendencies may have rubbed off on her.” Adagio grinned.

“Eeep!” Fluttershy jumped away from Sunset.

Adagio sighed, and stepped forward, holding her hand out to Fluttershy.

“Just to be real for a moment, Fluttershy, I’m here to have fun, not to cause trouble.”

Fluttershy kept her hands away from Adagio, not sure of what to say. Instead she quickly joined her hand with Adagio’s, shook it, and withdrew it immediately.

“N-nice to meet you Adagio,” she said shyly.

Adagio shrugged at her gesture.

“It’s a start. Nice to meet you as well Fluttershy.”

“Oh! I forgot to introduce myself as well!” Pinkie yelled, hopping up to Adagio.

“Don’t tell me,” Adagio raised her hands, quickly examining Pinkie Pie. “Energetic with bright pink hair... You obviously have to be Rainbow Dash.” She smirked.

“No silly,” she laughed. “I’m Pinkie Pie!”

“I’m Rainbow Dash!” yelled a girl at the opposite end of the camp.

Everyone turned their heads to see Rainbow and Twilight carrying a few sticks. They went over to the fire pit area and dropped off their load onto a pile of previously picked up sticks. They then walked up to the rest of the girls.

“Hey Adagio, Sunset, good to see you two!” Twilight waved to them.

“Good to see you too, Twilight.” Adagio waved back. She lowered her hand and looked at Rainbow. “So, you’re Dash?”

“Uh-huh.” She folded her arms, looking at Adagio and Sunset. “I’m happy to see you found someone Sunset, I am just surprised it’s… Her.”

“Good to see you, too, Rainbow.” Sunset grabbed Adagio’s hand. “And yes, it was a bit of shock for everyone finding out we are dating, but Adagio has changed for the better.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Rainbow grumbled, walking past both Sunset and Adagio, up to Applejack. “Hey, AJ, can we talk for a moment? In private?”

“Uhh… Sure.” Applejack looked back at the rest of the group, none of whom gave much of a response. “Y’all just enjoy yourselves. We’ll be back soon.”

She and Rainbow Dash broke themselves off from the group, leaving the campsite.

Adagio placed her hands in her pockets, looking down at the ground. Sunset walked up beside her and placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.

“I think so,” Adagio sighed. “Not even here for an hour and I am already causing problems.”

“You’re not the one causing it. That’s Rainbow’s fault. Let’s just keep our distance from her for now.” Sunset looked over at the picnic table where everyone sat, they waved to Adagio and Sunset. “I’m sure the others would like to chat with us.”

Adagio turned around and looked over at the picnic table, seeing Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. While she knew Rainbow was likely going to be a problem, it looked like Sunset’s other friends were open to giving her a chance.

“Yeah.” Adagio smiled weakly. “I’ll try not to worry about it.”

They both walked back over to the picnic table and sat next to each other.

“Did Rainbow say anything mean?” Twilight asked.

“No, but I can tell she doesn’t want me here,” Adagio said.

“She’s been upset since Applejack and I told her about you and Sunset,” Twilight said.

“I can tell,” Adagio replied.

“Sorry for Rainbow,” Fluttershy said. “It does take her time to adjust to past enemies becoming friends. Sunset knows about that experience.”

“I remember how much fun that was.” Sunset sighed. “That and all of you taking jabs at me for turning into a she demon.”

“None taken,” they all said.

“Wait, the demon bit was real?” Adagio asked.

“Um…” Sunset rubbed her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“…That sounds kind of hot,” Adagio cooed.

Sunset’s friends couldn’t keep themselves from giggling.

“S-shut up Adagio.” Sunset turned red, at the same time cracking an innocent smile. “Are you going to embarrass me this entire trip?”

“Who says I’m going to stop after the trip?” she said with a grin.

After catching up with one another, everyone separated and began applying the final touches to the camp. The cabin had a kitchen and two bedrooms. The size of the cabin was limited, however, so Adagio, Sunset, Applejack and Fluttershy opted to sleep in tents outside. Applejack set up her tent she was to share with Fluttershy near the cabin, while Adagio and Sunset began setting up their tent near the lake.

“Is there a reason you want to be away from everyone?” Sunset asked, unpacking the bag that contained all of the items to their tent.

“Applejack said she gave us the tent for privacy. It’s not private if it’s right next to the cabin.” Adagio picked up the tent and lay it out with Sunset. “Besides, I have some plans later.”

“What kind of plans?”

“You’ll blush again if I tell you, and I’d rather it be a surprise.”

“I don’t get that embarrassed from having… you know…” She paused. “Sex.”

“It’s not sex, though I am up for doing that tonight once everyone’s asleep.”

Sunset began to blush again.

“Also, you are bad at telling lies.” Adagio grinned.

With Sunset assisting her, it didn’t take much time to get the tent up. Once they got their air mattress filled up and had thrown all their items inside the tent, it was late in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Applejack and Rainbow set up another tent next to the cabin. Everyone else began working on dinner inside, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie being in charge. By the time the sun was setting, dinner was ready and everyone was sat around the campfire.

Rainbow took a bite of her burger and made a sour face.

“How do you eat this, Fluttershy? It tastes nothing like beef,” she said.

“Dash, have some respect,” Applejack said. “She made us dinner. Either appreciate it or make something for your damn self.”

“I also made desert, but you have to finish your meal first!” Pinkie added.

“Whatever,” Rainbow grumbled, eating her burger as best she could.

“What kind of burgers are these, actually?” Adagio said, taking a look at her patty. “Nothing like i’ve seen before.”

“Black bean burgers,” Fluttershy smiled. “My own recipe.”

Adagio took a bite. The texture of the patty was quite different from anything she’d tasted, and the flavor and spices were of another world. She nodded and gave Fluttershy a thumbs up for her appreciation of the meal.

“So, Sunset, how did you and Adagio get together?” Rarity asked, moving the conversation elsewhere.

Sunset quickly swallowed her food.

“I already said we met in college. We just happened to have the same art class and ended up getting together.”

“Yes dear, but didn’t you mention something earlier today about Adagio helping you push your bike?”

Sunset nodded.

“My bike wouldn’t start after school and Applejack was out of town. It was beginning to rain and Adagio helped me push it from campus to her apartment complex nearby.”

“That sounds rough, but it was very noble of you Adagio,” Twilight added.

“It was damn heavy, and the rain wasn’t helping, but Sunny was in need of help, and I was the only one around.” Adagio shrugged.

“Surely there was another reason, darling,” Rarity said.

“A reason?” Adagio tilted her head, puzzled.

“She’s asking if you did it because you liked her,” Applejack said.

“Oh, well… I cared about her at least.” Adagio took a bite of her burger, avoiding the conversation.

“Adagio is not exactly the one for sappy love stories, but we do love each other.” Sunset sat herself up against Adagio. “Right, dear?”

Adagio looked at Sunset and thought back to those months back when they were in the park and her apartment. She still remembered humming the tune to her and Sunset sitting up against her. She knew she still had some power behind her voice, but was it the reason Sunset actually loved her? What if Sunset never really had these feelings for her?

“Adagio?”

Adagio shook her head, coming back to reality.

“Sorry, did you say something?” she said.

“You were just staring into blank space. Are you okay?” Sunset asked.

Adagio looked at everyone around the campfire, they were all staring at her, not sure what was happening or going through her mind.

“I’m fine, just thinking about… stuff.”

“Are you sure, Adagio?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah.” Adagio shuffled her food on her plate. “You know how fuzzy my memory is, Twilight. Sometimes my mind can just get overloaded with things, and it just sort of pulls me away from reality.”

“I understand.” Twilight went back to her meal.

“We should finish up, before our food gets cold.” Sunset said, sticking close to Adagio as they finished up their meals.

Everyone only nodded and went back to finishing up their burgers.

Once they’d had dessert and shared a few campfire stories, everyone began heading to bed, wanting to get an early start the next morning and catch the sunrise.

Adagio was lying on the mattress inside the tent. Sunset and Applejack stood out in front of it.

“If there is an emergency, Fluttershy and I will be in the tent next to the cabin,” Applejack said.

“Thanks Applejack,” Sunset said.

Applejack nodded and looked over at Adagio inside the tent.

“Hey, Adagio.”

“Yeah?” she said, lifting her head and blinking as she looked at Applejack.

“I’m sorry about Dash. When I talked to her in private I did my best to keep her in a good mood and tell her you are nothing to worry about, but it’s hard to keep her on a leash sometimes.”

“It’s fine,” Adagio sighed. “I just wish I didn’t have to worry about anything while I was here.”

“You aren’t alone in that. Just to let you know, Adagio, I trust you. So do the rest of the girls.”

Adagio laid her head back down, looking up at the night sky through the top mesh of the tent.

“…Thanks, Applejack.”

“You’re welcome. Night, y’all.” Applejack walked away from Sunset and Adagio’s tent. She went over to the camp fire area to make sure everything was completely out, and soon made it back to her and Fluttershy’s tent next to the cabin.

Sunset walked into the tent and zipped up the entrance. She made sure to zip up the mesh windows as well, keeping only the top section of the tent uncovered with its mesh liner.

She lay on the air mattress next to Adagio, pulling a thick blanket over them. She rested her head against Adagio’s, and they held one another as they looked up at the stars.

“This is nice,” Sunset said. “Other than Rainbow, did you have a good day?”

“I did,” Adagio sighed. “I just hope she is not a problem throughout this trip.”

“She won’t be.” Sunset sat up and kissed Adagio on the lips. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Adagio smiled and placed her hands along Sunset’s waist, pulling in her in as they enjoyed the evening together.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and Gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 8 - Truth

“Sunny?”

Adagio was lying on the air mattress, listening to the chirping birds and insects. She opened her eyes, only to be introduced to the sun's rays pouring into them. She quickly closed her eyes and covered them with her hands. Sitting up, she shook her head and noticed Sunset was not in the tent with her.

She crawled over to the opening of the tent and unzipped it. The sun had already risen and the heat was picking up. Stepping out, she looked at her surroundings, spotting Sunset and Twilight sitting at the picnic table in front of the cabin. She slumped her way over. The two immediately saw her emerging from the tent, with Sunset giving her a gentle wave.

“Morning, sleeping beauty,” Sunset smiled.

“Coffee,” Adagio mumbled, sitting down next to her.

“I’ll go get you some.” Sunset gave Adagio a gentle kiss and got up from the table, heading inside the cabin.

“Good morning, Adagio,” Twilight said.

“Morning.” She paused... stretching her arms and giving a loud yawn. “Princess.”

“Adagio, you know I don’t mind being called Twilight.”

“I like giving people nicknames.” She shrugged.

Sunset exited the cabin with two filled mugs of coffee in hand. She walked carefully, making sure not to spill the contents. Returning to the picnic table, she passed a mug to Adagio and sat next to her.

Adagio grabbed the mug with both hands and gently blew on it before taking a sip of the bitter beverage.

“You missed the morning sunrise,” Sunset said. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, just slept in is all,” Adagio replied. She placed her mug on the table and began rubbing her temples. “Travelling can make me exhausted; don’t be surprised if I’m lazy throughout the day.”

“I’m a bit tired as well,” Sunset said, taking a sip from her mug. “I’m just used to getting up early, having worked on Applejack’s farm and all.”

Adagio nodded and looked at Twilight. “So, Princess.”

“Yes?” Twilight replied, placing down her cup of tea.

“Have you been doing any of that research? Surely you’ve found something over the past month or so.”

Twilight remained silent for a moment. She brushed her hair back and took a deep breath, then exhaled.

“I have.”

Adagio raised an eyebrow at her response, made curious by the sudden pause, but decided not to mention it.

“So what did you find?” Adagio placed her elbows on the table, sitting her head on top of her hands.

“Plenty of information.” She shrugged. “I just finished my research before coming here. By next month I should have everything together.”

“That’s great to hear, but what did you find?”

“You’ll find out when I am done putting it all together,” she said, blankly.

“Oh come on, surely you can tell me—”

“Adagio, that’s enough,” Sunset said, placing her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder “She obviously doesn’t want to share.”

“Fine,” Adagio sighed. “But only because you said so.” She picked up her mug and took another sip of coffee.

Everyone was now silent at the table. Twilight avoided eye contact with Adagio and looked down, then immediately got up from the table. “Excuse me,” she said, walking away at a fast pace. Both Adagio and Sunset stared, perplexed.

“Did I say something wrong?” Adagio said.

Sunset shook her head.

“Let’s just finish our coffee.”

Morning had passed. Everyone at the camp had separated into small groups, though most chose to hang around the lake. Applejack and Rarity were chatting with one another at the dock. Rainbow and Pinkie were out fishing in the lake. Fluttershy and Twilight were the only ones not around, having instead chosen to go out on a nature walk.

Meanwhile, Sunset and Adagio were laid back on beach chairs next to one another near the lakeshore. With the sun fully out today, they decided to catch the sun's rays. They kept their distance from everyone else, but kept within eyesight.

Adagio had her headphones in, listening to music on her phone, wanting to cut out the surrounding sound. Sunset meanwhile took in the sounds around her, the chirping of birds and insects, the wind blowing past her, the occasional splash in the lake. They both wore their own bathing suits, with Adagio sporting a purple one piece and Sunset in a bikini with rainbow patterns.

It was quiet, but then the sound of someone screaming echoed across the lake.

“Help!”

Sunset’s eyes shot open. She looked to the lake, immediately noticing Pinkie and Rainbow had fallen out of their boat and struggling to keep afloat.

“Hey, Adagio!” Sunset yelled, grabbing Adagio’s shoulder and shaking her.

She grumbled and took off her headphones.

“What is it?” She said.

“Pinkie and Rainbow are in trouble,” Sunset pointed out to the lake. “Look!”

Adagio looked out at the lake and saw two familiar figures in the water. She sprang from her chair and ran over to the dock to examine the situation. Squinting her eyes, she saw Rainbow was flailing her arms, struggling to stay afloat. Pinkie held onto her from behind, helping keep Rainbow from drowning.

“Pinkie! Dash! Y’all all right!?” Applejack yelled from the dock.

“I got Dashie, but she’s dragging me down!” Pinkie yelled, struggling to keep herself and Dash afloat.

“Hold on Darling! We’ll get some help!” Rarity yelled, turning back to Applejack, Sunset, and Adagio.

They started talking about the best way to help Rainbow, while Adagio only focused her attention out to the lake where Pinkie and Rainbow struggled to remain up on the surface. Rainbow kept flailing her arms, while Pinkie struggled to keep them both up.

If nothing was done in the next minute, they were done for.

“No time for a plan,” Adagio took off her sunglasses and passed them to Sunset. “Sunny, hold onto these.”

“Okay…?” She grabbed them and looked back at Adagio “Do you have any ideas—”

Before she could finish, Adagio dived into the lake and began swimming towards the two. She kicked her feet at a rapid pace, her arms moving in sync.

Everyone on the dock gasped, keeping their eyes on her.

“Holy cow, she’s swimming like an athlete!” Applejack’s mouth dropped.

Sunset clasped her hands together, keeping silent and her eyes locked on Adagio. She was taken aback by Adagio’s sudden action, much less her swimming technique.

“Sunset? Are you all right?” Rarity asked.

“N-no,” she looked back at Applejack and Rarity. “Is she going to be all right by herself? Should we help her?”

“She looks like she can handle herself fine,” Applejack placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “We have to hope for the best.”

“R-right.” Sunset said, placing her eyes back on Adagio.

She cut through the water like a knife, arms pulling her ahead with each powerful stroke, faster and faster. She needed to be faster. Adagio made it to both of them in seconds. Grabbing Rainbow from behind, she kept on flailed her arms, making it hard for Adagio to stay afloat.

“Help!” Dash picked up some water in between her sentence. “Someone!”

“Dash, relax!” Adagio yelled, struggling to keep Rainbow up in the water. “Pinkie, are you okay? Can you swim?”

“Y-yeah.” She said, catching her breath as she watched Adagio struggle to keep Rainbow from drowning.

Adagio looked around to see if there was anything she could use to get Rainbow to safety, she immediately noticed an oar floating next to Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, listen to me. I want you to grab that oar floating next to you and bring it to me,” she said sternly. “Then, I want you to swim back to the shore, got it?”

“What about—”

“Just do it!” Adagio said, cutting her off.

“Right!” Pinkie quickly retrieved the oar and passed it to Adagio.

“Get yourself to safety.” Adagio said, struggling to keep Rainbow and herself afloat.

Pinkie nodded and started swimming back to the shore.

“Pinkie! Where are you going!?” Rainbow screamed, “I don’t wanna die!”

“Dash, relax! You’re going to drag us both under if you keep flailing your arms like an idiot!” Adagio yelled.

Rainbow, however, wasn’t listening; she only panicked and continued flailing her arms, about to drag Adagio under.

Okay, how do I calm her down? Think Adagio, think! She first thought of what was relaxing to her, then thought back to when she sang to Sunset and how it had calmed down the both of them. The song!

Adagio began humming the same tune she’d sang to Sunset. Dash was still flailing her arms, but soon her movements slowed and she eventually floated limply in the water. Adagio grabbed her tightly under one arm and threw Rainbows arms over the oar.

She wrapped her hands behind Rainbow and began slowly swimming backward to the shore. She kept humming the tune throughout, finishing when her feet touched the slope of the looming shoreline.

“Dash!” Applejack ran into the lake, footfalls splashing as she met them in the shallows, where Adagio was pulling Rainbow onto land.

“Take her,” Adagio said, passing Rainbow to her.

The only thing that kept Adagio going was her adrenaline. As she came down, she began to breathe irregularly, panting with her hands on her knees for support.

She looked ahead to see everyone else looking at her. Then everything turned black.

She fell onto her knees and head-first into the shallow water.

“Adagio!” Sunset screamed, running into the water and immediately pulling Adagio up to keep her from drowning. Her eyes fluttered open, and she coughed several times. Looking up, she saw Sunset was crying.

“H-hey, Sunny.” Adagio said, catching her breath. “How did I do?”

She responded with a huge sigh of relief.

“You did great,” Sunset smiled, not bothering to clear away her tears. “Let’s get you to safety.”

She helped Adagio up on her feet, then guided her over to dry land.

Everyone was gathered at the two chairs Sunset and Adagio sat on earlier. Rainbow sat on one, wrapped in a towel. Pinkie passed another one to Adagio who sat on the opposite end.

“Is everyone all right?” Applejack said.

“My chest feels like it’s about to burst,” Adagio took a few deep breaths, Sunset meanwhile sat next to her, keeping close for support. “I’ll be okay though.”

Rainbow only nodded her head, keeping silent.

“Rainbow Dash, look at me,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow shifted her head towards her. “Did you wear a life a vest while out in the water?”

“No,” Rainbow muttered.

“I can’t believe you, Rainbow! You know you can’t swim, and you figured it would be best to go out into the lake without a life vest? What were you thinking?”

“I don’t like them.” She glanced over at Adagio and Sunset, who were staring at her. “What? I don’t.”

Fluttershy slapped her across the face.

“You idiot! Not only could you have gotten yourself killed, but you also put Pinkie and Adagio at risk!” She yelled, stomping her foot.

“Fluttershy, dear, please.” Rarity placed her hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Let’s all try to calm down,” Rarity looked over at Twilight. “Can you join us Twilight?”

“S-sure,” she said, stepping next to Fluttershy, guiding her away from Rainbow. The three then went to the cabin.

“Rainbow,” Pinkie said, crossing her arms. “I’m sorry for tipping the boat over. If I was more careful this would never have happened.”

“It’s not your fault Pinkie, it’s mine.” Rainbow sighed, looking over at Applejack. “Do you have anything to say?”

“No, I don’t.” Applejack turned her head away from Rainbow Dash and went over to Adagio, wrapping her arms around her.

“Hey—“ Adagio said before Sunset tapped her on the shoulder, shaking her head, signaling Adagio to just allow it.

“Thank you for saving her Adagio,” She began to tear up. “She’s dumb and arrogant at times, but she’s my best friend, and I need her.”

“You’re welcome.” Adagio remained still as Applejack remained wrapped around her.

She soon let herself loose from Adagio, wiping away her tears. “C’mon, Pinkie; let’s go do something.”

“Like what?” She asked without looking up.

“Anything.”

Both her and Pinkie walked out of the campsite. Leaving Adagio, Sunset and Rainbow by themselves.

Sunset remained next to Adagio on the chair, while Rainbow pulled her head up to look up at Adagio.

“Why did you save me?” She asked.

“Would you believe me if I said it was because it was the right thing to do?”

“I could...” Rainbow shook her head. “But still, I was being a total bitch to you since we met yesterday. Why would you help me? It would have been easier to grab Pinkie and leave me.”

Adagio sighed. “Same answer as before, not to mention this camping trip would be ruined if one of us died, don’t you think?”

Rainbow snorted. “I wouldn’t have died.”

Adagio raised an eyebrow, staring with silent judgment.

“Okay, fair point.”

“If it means anything, I didn’t do it for you or myself, I did it for everyone’s sake.” Adagio looked over to Sunset. “Especially Sunny’s.” She said.

“Uh huh,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Rainbow, why were you being a jerk to Adagio yesterday?” Sunset asked.

“I don’t trust others so easily.” Rainbow replied.

“I remember. You were the same way with me when I turned around a few years back,” Sunset said. “Even then, you weren’t that hard toward me like you were to Adagio yesterday.”

Rainbow nodded.

“Unlike you, Adagio didn’t just target our school, she targeted my friends, the ones I am loyal to most.” Rainbow stared down at the ground. “It’s hard for me to turn around from something like that.”

Adagio normally took joy into her past actions; at the same time however, she knew others suffered from her decisions.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“That’s it?” Rainbow scoffed.

“I agree that I made mistakes, and I wish I could have done things differently.” Adagio sighed. “I’ve already said that to both Applejack and Twilight, I’m not sure what you want.”

Rainbow opened her mouth wanting to say something, before that however, Sunset stepped in.

“You know, Adagio did just save your life,” she said.

“I know.”

“So, isn’t that enough of a reason to trust her? I can understand it’s hard being friends with past enemies, but you see where Adagio and I are now. We’re well past Battle of the Bands.”

“About that, how did you two even become a thing? I get forgiving you, but don’t you think it’s a little sudden: just days after meeting again?” Rainbow asked.

“We just are,” Adagio said, sternly. “We have our differences, but I look up to Sunny, and she looks up to me. There really doesn’t have to be a reason for us liking one another.”

“I guess,” Rainbow sighed and got up. She was ready to walk away, but instead walked up to Adagio and held out her hand. “I still don’t understand why you two are together, and I may still be a bit uneasy around you, but… I’m sorry. And thanks for saving me.”

Adagio shook Rainbow’s hand.

“You’re welcome. Though, I have to ask you something.”

“Hmm?” Rainbow retracted her hand. “What is it?”

“How does an athlete like you not know how to swim?”

“Oh,” Rainbow looked down, dragging her foot across the ground. “Never really learned, I guess. My first try didn’t go so well.”

“Sassy question.”

“As in ‘nearly drowned’ bad. So, I guess you could say this isn’t my first time. Didn’t exactly feel the urge to learn after that.”

“If you want,” Adagio smiled. “I could teach you how to swim tomorrow afternoon.”

“Eh, by this point I’m pretty much resigned to it. Besides, you had to get me out once and you already look worse than I do.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll start easy and slow.”

“Who said I was worried? I don’t like swimming; I’m not afraid of it.”

“Then show up tomorrow. Think of it as doing your friends a favor.”

“I guess I’ll take you on that offer, then. Thanks, Adagio.” Rainbow looked back at the cabin. “For now, I should probably go say sorry to Fluttershy and the others.” She sighed. “This should be fun.”

“Hey, if they can forgive me, I don’t think they’ll stay mad at you long.” Adagio said.

Rainbow only nodded in response, then walked away from both Sunset and Adagio, heading up to the cabin and going inside.

Sunset wrapped her arm around Adagio, giving her a gentle kiss.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, just tired…” Adagio laid back into the chair, Sunset laying on top of her. The two remained there, only wanting to be at ease throughout the day.

The day had soon passed, and evening came again. After dinner and a group talk around the campfire circle, everyone headed off to bed. Sunset and Adagio, however, were at the dock along the lake instead of sleeping in their tent.

Adagio sat on the edge of the dock, her pant legs were rolled up and her feet were in the water. Sunset sat next to her, mirroring the actions.

“I probably said this already, but what you did today was amazing.” Sunset placed her hand on top of Adagio’s.

She turned her head to Sunset, she was smiling. Adagio returned a weak smile and looked back out at the lake, the moon was full tonight, reflecting the moonlight throughout the camp.

“Thanks,” she said.

Sunset’s smile dropped. She thought back to earlier that day when she saw Adagio in the water risking her life to save Rainbow. Falling head first into the water. Coming back to consciousness in her arms.

“Adagio… I really was scared today, thinking of what could have happened.”

“Like what?”

“You…” Sunset paused. “Dying.”

“You really didn’t think the water was going to kill me, did you?”

“No.” Sunset shook her head, “But if I did just suddenly lose you, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Adagio wrapped her arm tightly around Sunset, pulling her in close.

“That’s not going to happen,” Adagio whispered into Sunset’s ear.

Sunset smiled in response, which her girlfriend returned. Adagio kept her arm wrapped around Sunset’s side.

Throughout these past few months, Adagio had gotten to know Sunset more than ever, from when she first talked to her in that coffee shop, to helping push her bike in the rain, and the night she stayed over at Sunset’s place and had their first intimate moment. It wasn’t until this moment that she realized she had been depending on her throughout this entire time. Not as a friend, not as simply her girlfriend, but someone she could rely on throughout the rest of her life.

“By the way,” Sunset said. “I faintly heard you humming a tune to Rainbow while saving her. Was it the same one you sang to me in the park those few months back?”

There it was again, that damn song.

“You heard that?” she replied.

“Yeah,” Sunset nodded. “Since that day you sang it to me, I would never forget it.”

“Why?” Adagio asked, tilting her head.

“Because.” Sunset rested her head on Adagio’s shoulder. “After you sang that song, I knew I wanted to be with you.”

Hearing those words, Adagio’s smile fell. Through all this time, she never told Sunset about her remaining powers, and if her singing may have had an influence over her.

“I-I never thought about it that way,” she trembled.

“Though, now that I think about it” Sunset tilted her head, placing her index finger on her chin. “Why were you singing it to Rainbow?”

The moment Sunset asked that question, she couldn’t hold the secret anymore. This was it. She had to tell her.

“I sang the song to calm her down. She wouldn’t stop panicking until I began humming.”

“So… you sang, and she just calmed down?”

“Yes.”

“How does that work?” Sunset shook her hands. “Not to say your singing isn’t moving, but she was panicking while drowning for goddesses sake. No one just calms down like that.”

“I told you I still have some or my singing abilities, right?”

“Of course,” Sunset nodded.

“I feel I may still have some of my powers... not on the same level as Battle of the Bands, but… I can pull in people with my singing, a-and I feel my humming in the park did that, and…”

Adagio let her arm loose from Sunset and got up, facing away from her.

“I feel like If I didn’t sing that song that day...” She wrapped her arms around herself, looking over to the side. “You wouldn’t have loved me.”

Sunset got up and stared at Adagio from behind her.

“I do love you though.”

“Do you!?” Adagio turned around quickly, tears flowing down her cheeks. “When I sang to you the first time, people gathered around us. They didn’t just have an interest; it was as if my voice pulled them in. Not due to talent, but due to my powers, the same ones that pulled in everyone at your high school those years back.”

“Yeah, but...” Sunset tripped on her words, not sure what to say next.

“This entire relationship,” Adagio sniffled in-between her sentence, continuing to cry. “It’s possible it was all built up from nothing but a lie.”

Sunset shook her head and stepped up to Adagio. She wrapped her arms around her, giving a tight hug.

“Don’t say that,” Sunset murmured.

“Sunny,” Adagio looked up at the sky, with Sunset setting her face along Adagio’s shoulder. “Do you still love me?”

Sunset felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall, but she blinked them away.

“Of course I do.” Sunset looked straight at Adagio.

“Even after what I told you?” Adagio whimpered, wiping away her tears.

Sunset nodded.

“Remember when I was at your apartment for the first time? When we were on that sofa together?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“I didn’t just sleep on the sofa next to you just because I was tired,” she smiled. “I liked being next to you.”

“So, you aren’t mad at me?”

“Of course not,” Sunset shook her head. “Maybe your song had a bit of influence over me, but I truly do love you.”

Adagio wrapped her arms tightly around Sunset.

“Thanks Sunny, you’re the best.”

They remained in each other’s embrace. Soon after they left the dock and went back to their tent, sleeping closely next to each other.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and eLLen for helping with this chapter.

Chapter 9 - Last Days

“Hey, get up.”

Adagio nudged Sunset, as she turned over on her side and grumbled.

“What time is it?” Sunset mumbled.

“Past nine,” Adagio replied, taking a quick glance at her phone.

“Didn’t we go to bed past twelve? How are you up so early?”

Adagio wrapped her arms around Sunset, resting against her as she whispered into her ear.

“I had a good rest with you next to me.”

“Mmm, certainly did,” Sunset cooed, welcoming Adagio’s embrace.

After sticking close to one another a few more minutes, Sunset released herself from Adagio and got off the air mattress, exiting the tent. Outside, the sky was not as bright as the previous morning, due to clouds covering the sun’s rays.

Sunset and Adagio walked from their tent and entered the cabin nearby. Inside, they were greeted by the smell of breakfast being prepared. Almost everyone was there. Rainbow and Rarity sat in the living area while Pinkie and Fluttershy scurried around the kitchen making breakfast.

“Morning, you two!” Pinkie yelled, holding up a mixing bowl, furiously whisking back and forth with a wooden spoon. “Fluttershy and I were about to finish up these pancakes! Just sit anywhere in the living room!”

“Sounds delicious.” Adagio smiled as she walked over to the coffee pot on the counter, filling up two mugs of coffee.

Sunset meanwhile sat on the empty sofa opposite Rainbow and Rarity. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and took a quick glance around. It took no time to notice that not everyone was there.

“Where’s Applejack and Twilight?” she asked.

“Applejack said that she needed some supplies before we head back tomorrow, not sure what.” Rainbow shrugged. “But she said she can get breakfast while she's out. Twilight decided to tag along.”

As Adagio listened in on the conversation, she thought back to yesterday with Twilight. She hadn’t talked to her since their initial conversation the morning before. Even after saving Rainbow she didn’t say much other than an initial thank you. Is she avoiding me? is all Adagio could think.

“Adagio,” Rarity said, cutting Adagio away from her thoughts. “Are you going to join us?”

“I think she just wants first dibs on the pancakes; she’s a big girl after all.” Rainbow chuckled.

Adagio wanted to snap back at Rainbow for pointing out her weight, instead of disappointing Sunset however, she grinned.

“It’s going to take all the pancakes in this camp to give me the energy to teach you how to stay up in the water.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Rainbow waved her off.

Adagio kept her grin and sat down next to Sunset.

Pinkie came around to the living area with a plate stacked high with pancakes, with Fluttershy next to her, holding a small stack of plates. They placed them onto the coffee table and sat along the floor.

“Let’s dig in!” Pinkie yelled.

They all began partaking of the pancakes; there were more than enough for everyone. No one really said anything, enjoying their breakfast which was nothing short of top notch.

Before they were finished, the door to the cabin opened and Applejack and Twilight walked in. In each hand Applejack, held a plastic bag filled with various items. She went over to the counter in the kitchen and placed them up top.

“Hey you two!” Rainbow waved. “You two are missing out, these pancakes are the best!”

“I’m stuffed.” Applejack patted her stomach, looking over at Twilight. “Twilight hasn’t really eaten much of anything though.”

“Well, there’s plenty here,” Adagio said, pointing to stack on the coffee table. “You’re more than welcome to join us, Twilight.”

“That sounds—” Twilight stopped mid-sentence, looking at Adagio. “Actually, sorry. I am not that hungry. Maybe later.” She quickly bolted out of the cabin.

Everyone remained silent, except for Rainbow who shrugged and took another pancake off the the main platter.

“I’m gonna be honest,” Applejack said. “She’s been silent with me throughout the morning. It looked like she wanted to talk about something, but didn’t want to make a mention.”

Adagio put her plate down and got up from the sofa.

“I’m going to talk to her,” she said.

“Is that really the best idea?” Sunset asked.

“It’s better than sitting on our asses guessing what’s wrong with her,” Adagio said, already walking out.

Outside, Twilight was walking out of the camp towards one of the trails. Adagio ran after her before she was out of sight.

“Hey, Twilight, wait!” Adagio stopped to catch her breath. “What’s going on?”

Twilight stopped and turned around. She kept her eyes away from Adagio’s.

“I’m sorry, Adagio. I just some time by myself.” She said.

“Yet you just went out with Applejack, and you knew everyone was having pancakes at the camp.” Adagio stepped closer to Twilight. “Are you avoiding me? Since I asked about that research yesterday?”

“Yes.” Twilight turned to look at Adagio, “And I know you won’t stop asking about it until I tell you.”

Adagio was ready to say something, but stopped before she could say anything, she would be lying if she said she wouldn’t. She wanted to know about her past, and Twilight knew it all! Why is she holding it back?

“I do,” Adagio muttered. “What is it you are hiding from me Twilight?”

Twilight sighed.

“Things that Sunset and I would find… disturbing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I do my best not to judge you Adagio. That was your past self and not you now… but…”

“But what?”

“I can see why Princess Celestia has kept you forever banished from our world.” Twilight turned her head away from Adagio. “Try not to think about it. You’ll find out the truth when I finalize everything.”

Adagio felt her chest tremble. How was she supposed not to think about it? Especially after what Twilight said.

“I can’t wait any longer, Twilight.” Adagio formed her hands into fists, stomping her foot along the ground. “You keep hinting that I’ve done something horrible in the past, yet you won’t tell me anything.”

Twilight turned away from Adagio.

“I’m sorry. Just leave me alone, please.” Twilight said, treading away from Adagio.

Adagio’s heart began to beat rapidly; it felt like it was ready to burst. She fell onto her knees, and placed her hand over her chest to help mitigate the pain. She then heard a familiar voice.

“Twilight!”

She turned her head to see Sunset calling out for Twilight, only to be ignored. Sunset then looked over at Adagio to see she was on the ground, her hand still grasped over her chest.

“Adagio?” Sunset knelt down beside her, placing her hands along her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Adagio looked at Sunset, her chest pain began to die down when she was next to her. She wanted to tell her girlfriend the truth about Twilight’s findings, but she didn’t want to disappoint her, nor Twilight.

“I’m fine,” she said, getting up and dusting off her pants

“Are you sure? Maybe you need some rest.”

“I said I’ll be fine.” Adagio reiterated.

Sunset sighed.

“If you say so… I’m just concerned about you is all.” Sunset looked over to where Twilight was before she disappeared from sight. “Do you know what’s up with Twilight?”

Adagio remained silent for a moment, thinking of something to say.

“She’s under stress from princess duties in pony land. She just needs some alone time.”

“Should we go after her?” Sunset pointed over to the exit of the camp. “We could still catch up with her.”

Adagio shook her head.

“No, she’ll come back when she has had enough time to herself.”

“If you say so.”

Adagio wrapped her arm along Sunset, and they went back to the cabin, where they were ready to continue the rest of their day.

With everyone going their separate ways after breakfast, Adagio kept her promise to Rainbow and gave her swimming lessons throughout the afternoon. By the time they were done, the sun was going down and everyone was preparing for dinner. It felt like the day had passed in an instant. Soon after it was well into the evening again, and everyone had gone to sleep. Tomorrow, everyone would have to get up early to help pack and leave the camp.

Unlike the previous night, the moon was hardly present, and the camp was littered in darkness. Adagio and Sunset, rather than sleeping, were out on the dock again.

“She was so scared, but after a few mistakes and retries, she finally managed to learn to swim decently. She told me she would practice more throughout the summer.”

“That’s great, I’m still surprised someone like Dash doesn’t know how to swim though.”

Adagio shrugged.

“Past trauma can keep a person from doing anything. Moving forward can be a challenge.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there all right,” Sunset sighed. “Is that why you took up swimming?”

Adagio nodded.

“It was one of the few things that still felt familiar when I lost my power, almost natural if anything.” She shook her head. “Regardless, it was very therapeutic for me when I thought I had lost everything.”

“I’m happy you had something to provide you comfort.” Sunset smiled.

Adagio only nodded in response and looked back at the camp. All of the lights throughout were shut off, and by now everyone except her and Sunset were asleep.

“So, why are we out here this late?” Sunset asked. “We have to pack up tomorrow before—”

“Shh,” Adagio hissed, grinning behind a single raised finger. She strutted to the water’s edge, placing herself between Sunset and the shimmering water. The moon framed her head like an ironic halo.

“Adagio? What are you—“

Adagio reached out and silenced Sunset with a caress of her cheek. “I said shush, didn’t I? Or do you not want that surprise I promised you?” Adagio winked, and Sunset couldn’t help but smile, pleasantly confused.

“Just enjoy this.”

Adagio crossed her arms and reached down, fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt. Her hands slipped underneath it and she caressed her hips, swaying back and forth before slowly lifting her shirt and exposing her belly to the cool night air. She paused for a moment to mock-flash Sunset with her bra and a giggle, then pulled the shirt off over her head, tossing it aside.

Gradually, her fingers made their way around her body to her bra clasp. With a tug, she undid the hooks and let the straps fall from her shoulders. Adagio tossed her bra at Sunset, whapping her harmlessly in the face.

She undid the button of her pants and let them fall to her ankles before stepping out of them. Turning to face the water, she shook her hips and gave her rear a smack. Looking over her shoulder to watch Sunset’s blush deepen, she hooked her thumbs through her panties and tugged them down an inch at a time, one side then the other. Eventually, her panties fell to her ankles and she kicked them off to the side as well.

Fully nude, Adagio sauntered up to Sunset slowly. She stopped a foot away, leaning forward slowly. She purred as her lips inched closer and closer to Sunset’s. She closed her eyes and leaned forward to meet them, but Adagio stopped her with a warm hand on her cheek. She made Sunset wait for it as she closed the distance herself. Sunset could feel her girlfriend’s breath on her face.

Instead of the kiss Sunset expected, she felt Adagio’s tongue lick her nose wetly, and with a laugh her girlfriend sprinted back to the water’s edge and cannonballed into the lake.

Sunset was taken by surprise, seeing Adagio emerge from the water.

“Hop in, it feels great!” she called.

“Is this the surprise you were talking about the day before?” Sunset asked.

“Actually that was me stripping in front of you.” Adagio lifted her arms and brought them down, making a small splash. “This is a bonus.”

Sunset could’ve rolled her eyes at Adagio’s usual antics, but instead cracked a small smile.

“Are you coming in or not?” Adagio asked. “It’s boring in here by myself.”

“It’s kind of late,” Sunset murmured, rubbing her arm.

“That, or you are scared of breaking the rules.” Adagio smirked. “Still a goody two shoes like when I first met you?”

“N-no!” Sunset stomped her foot. “I’m just, well… What if someone catches us?”

“That’s what makes it fun.” Adagio smiled, then lifted her hand and threw some water up at Sunset “Come on!”

Sunset pushed back the blush on her cheeks, and began stripping herself down as well. She occasionally took a quick glance around her to make sure no one happened by, then she placed all of her garments in a pile next to Adagio’s before jumping in.

When she emerged from the surface, Adagio couldn’t resist looking at Sunset’s swimming form. Unlike Rainbow, she swam just fine. It was quite impressive to her considering Sunset wasn’t always human.

“You swim pretty well for a pony gal,” Adagio said.

“I learned the basics in high school.” Sunset swam up right next to Adagio. “Was in the swim team for a year as well.”

Adagio nodded, still focusing on Sunset’s body. To both of them, these were not the bodies they had since birth, yet after a few adjustments, it felt like any other aspect of themselves. At the same time however, she always felt like she was missing a part of herself.

“It’s nice to know you like me, but my eyes are up here Adagio,” Sunset said.

“Sorry.” Adagio looked back up. “I was just thinking, wondering actually… How did you adjust to being, you know, human?”

Sunset opened her mouth ready to answer, but then kept quiet, visibly thoughtful.

“I was confused, really. The biggest thing being that I didn’t have my horn anymore.” Sunset lifted her hand, touching her forehead. “A part of me still misses having my magic; a unicorn’s horn is really what makes them what they are. Without it, I do feel disconnected at times.”

“I feel the same sometimes, but I’m not sure why.” Adagio sighed.

“I know I was some kind of sea creature, but when I lost most of my memory, I honestly forgot what it was like to be a Siren.” She looked over at Sunset. “Even after living in this body for I don’t even know how long, it still affects me once in a while, ya know?”

Sunset gave her a small nod.

“You feel okay in your current form though, right?” she asked.

“I do,” Adagio replied.

“That’s good.”

Sunset wrapped her arms around Adagio, and placed her lips onto her girlfriend’s. The two still kept above the surface of the water as they exchanged kisses with one another.

The next morning, everyone had awoken early, beginning to pack up their belongings and equipment throughout the camp. Sunset and Adagio had already finished packing and were taking down their tent.

As they were working together, Twilight emerged from the cabin and walked up to Adagio and Sunset, giving a small wave.

“H-hey you two,” she said.

“Hey, Twilight.” Sunset waved.

While Adagio continued to put the tent away, Sunset and Twilight began to have a small talk between each other. From her encounter yesterday, Adagio figured it would be best not to talk to her.

“Adagio,” Twilight said, looking over at her. “Can we talk real quick? About yesterday.”

Adagio sighed, looking over at Twilight. She held her hands together, as if she were almost begging.

“Sure, though, I prefer we talk in private.” Adagio looked over at Sunset, her face showed concern.

“Is there something I should be concerned about?” Sunset said.

“It’s nothing,” Adagio said.

“Adagio, I love you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be worried about you.” Sunset walked up to Adagio. “Especially if you are holding secrets from me.”

“I’m sorry, Sunset.” Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “We just got into a small argument yesterday, and I rather we leave here on a more positive note.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“We just had a minor disagreement is all,” Adagio answered. “Look, I promise I am not keeping any more big secrets, okay?”

Sunset sighed.

“Fine.” She crossed her arms. “You two settle your differences, I’ll just wait here.”

“Thank you Sunset,” Twilight made a small bow. “It won’t take long.”

“C'mon Princess,” Adagio said, walking over to the lake. Twilight quickly followed behind her.

Once they were a distance away from Sunset and by themselves, Adagio turned over to Twilight, standing over her.

“Make it quick,” Adagio sneered.

Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I made a promise to not judge you any differently, and I broke it yesterday. It was wrong of me.”

Adagio raised her eyebrow, she still wanted to know what Twilight found out about her, but there was no use to keep bugging her. She didn’t want to ruin the final moments of this camp trip for Sunset and herself.

“Well, thank you.” Adagio shrugged, “I guess.”

“Is that all?” Twilight asked. “You don’t want to hear anything about your past?”

“I do, but I think what you told me yesterday was enough for now. Just promise me you won’t take forever getting it to me.”

“I won’t.” Twilight dragged her foot along the ground. “I am just concerned over how Sunset will take it; I wasn’t lying yesterday about what I found.”

Surely what Twilight found couldn’t be that bad, could it? Adagio looked over at Sunset, she was standing over the flattened tent, waving at Adagio in the distance.

“I think she’ll accept it, whatever we find,” Adagio said.

Twilight took a quick glance at Sunset and looked back at Adagio.

“You two have come a long way.” Twilight crossed her arms, looking down. “I just hope I do nothing to disrupt that.”

“If something bad does happen, can you promise to help back me up? Whatever it is we find out.” Adagio asked.

“Of course.”

“That’s all I need to hear, then.” Adagio placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Twilight looked up, nodding. “You’re welcome.”

Adagio placed her hand in her pockets and walked back over to Sunset.

“Everything settled?” Sunset asked.

“Yeah.” Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset. “Twilight also agreed to help us pack away the tent.”

Twilight gave a sour face to Adagio, with her winking in response.

By the time Adagio and Sunset finished up, everyone was done packing up and had gathered at the front entrance to camp. A majority of the camping equipment was placed into a large cart where Applejack looked over a checklist, making sure nothing went missing.

“All right, everything’s here,” she said, putting away her notepad. “Y’all ready to leave?”

She was met with nods and yes’s.

“Well, time to say goodbye then.”

Everyone looked back at the camp. Compared to other years, this one was a bit more confrontational with Adagio around, but in the end everyone did have a good time in one way or another.

Applejack began pulling the cart from the handle while Rainbow Dash walked next to her, ready to take over in case she got tired. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all conversed with one another, with Sunset, Adagio, and Twilight doing the same.

After nearly half an hour of walking, they arrived at the parking lot. Everyone began packing their items into either Applejack’s truck or Rarity’s car.

Sunset and Adagio simply tossed their bags into the truck and grabbed their helmets from where they left them a few days ago.

“Well,” Sunset said, putting on her jacket and helmet, adjusting them accordingly. “I think Adagio and I are ready to go.”

“Already?” Twilight said.

Adagio smirked.

“I’m all Sunny needs,” she said.

Everyone gave a small chuckle and exchanged hugs with Sunset, with Adagio next to her shaking their hands instead.

Once they were done, Sunset stood over her bike with Adagio standing behind her, wrapping her arms around Sunset’s stomach. She lifted up her keys, and inserted them into the ignition. Starting up the bike, its exhaust screamed across the parking lot. She throttled a few revs before they took off out of the parking lot.

Adagio gave one last wave to everyone with her back facing them. They soon disappeared into the distance.

Sunset and Adagio rode along the highway for well over an hour, skipping any rest stop they encountered along the way. While they did save time, Sunset began to feel low on energy.

“Hey, do you want to stop anywhere soon?” she asked over their comm system.

Adagio’s stomach rumbled.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I could use something.”

“All right.” Sunset looked ahead, seeing a restaurant's sign ahead of them. “Our next exit has some places to eat. Let me know which one you want.”

Adagio nodded and looked at the passing sign. Most of the restaurants were popular fast food joints. One particular franchise immediately caught her eye.

“Pimiento!” she yelled.

“Ow!” Sunset yelped from Adagio yelling into the comm system. She made a small jerk motion with her bike, keeping it from falling over. “You told me earlier not to be so loud with these things, and now you’re yelling random words through it.”

“Sorry,” Adagio shook her head. “I wasn’t yelling gibberish, though. Pimiento is a popular burrito place.”

“Say no more.”

Turning onto the next exit, Sunset rode into an unfamiliar town. It wasn’t huge like Canterlot, but at the same time wasn’t a middle-of-nowhere like where their camp was. They drove past a few gas stations and restaurants until they found their destination.

Riding into the parking lot, Sunset parked in front of the restaurant. She killed the engine and they both removed their helmets. They stepped off and held each other’s hand walking to the front entrance.

Inside, they were introduced to the sound of loud music blaring across the establishment, with a small line at the front counter ordering their food.

After waiting several minutes and ordering, they both sat at a small table next to one of the large windows with Sunset’s bike in view.

They both had large chunky burritos, wasting no time, Adagio immediately picked hers up and began tearing into it. Sunset stared at Adagio before looking down at her burrito.

“I know you said they had good burritos here.” She poked her burrito with her fork. “However, I didn’t know they would be this big.”

Adagio gave a quick nod, finishing her first bite.

“I like em big.” She grinned, before resuming her meal.

Sunset rolled her eyes and picked hers up, taking a small bite. She was able to taste all of the separate ingredients while the spice hit her taste buds as she began chewing.

“Good?” Adagio asked.

Sunset nodded, quickly swallowing her first bite and taking in another.

They both remained quiet, only focusing on their burritos. When Adagio was past halfway done with hers, she turned her attention to Sunset.

“So,” she said. “I was wondering about something while we were riding back to Canterlot.”

“Mmm?” Sunset quickly swallowed her food. “What is it?”

“I’ve been thinking.” Adagio picked up a fork she had to the side, holding it in her left hand, tapping the blunt end along the table. “Since we were at the camp and along the ride home, I just wanted to say… I love you.”

“I love you too.” Sunset smiled, placing her hand onto Adagio’s. “I’m guessing you have something else to add?”

“Yeah.” Adagio nodded, putting the fork down to stop distracting herself.

“After this school semester, I’m only going to take two courses online this summer and will have plenty of free time.” She stopped briefly, biting her lip. Nervous as to how Sunset would take her question. “Throughout that time, I was wondering if you wanted to move in with me.”

Sunset’s mouth dropped.

“Y-you’re serious?” Sunset shook her head, “You want me to move in with you? Not as roommates, but like a… couple?

“I guess.” Adagio shrugged. “I didn’t think of it like that, but yeah. My apartment isn’t as big as your current place, but I know you like being around me. So why not be with each other as much as we can, right?”

Sunset couldn’t help but grin.

“Are you sure it isn’t you wanting to be closer to me?” she asked.

“I’d be lying if I said no,” Adagio smirked. “I do want to be closer to you, and I would love it if you moved in with me.”

“Just one question,” Sunset said, raising her finger.

“Um,” Adagio scratched the back of her head. “Shoot?”

Sunset made her hand into a gun and pantomimed shooting her the question.

“Can you endure my cooking every night?”

“You’ve seen my lack of cooking skills; I think you know by now I love your cooking.”

“Then it’s settled.” Sunset clapped her hands. “I’ll move in with you once we are done with the semester, and… Thank you, Adagio.” She smiled again. “It may take some time for the both of us to adjust, but I think it will be a decision neither of us will regret.”

Adagio gave an affirming wink and went back to her burrito, with Sunset doing the same before their food got cold. Once they were finished, they were holding hands again. They left the restaurant and took off onto the road.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors eLLen and gardrek for helping with this chapter. Super duper thanks to Madeline L-Equine for her writing contributions to the dock scene.

Chapter 11 - Close Call

“Ma’am, please calm down,” a paramedic said, placing his hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Sunset did her best to control her abnormal breathing. She looked down at the sofa where Adagio still lay. Next to her was another paramedic attending to her. He placed an oxygen mask over her mouth, checking her vital signs.

She was unsure of what to say. It was only a few minutes ago that she learned her of her girlfriend’s crimes against her race over a millennia ago. Twilight's notes were still strewn across the apartment floor. Her vocal cords were still sore from yelling.

“My girlfriend and I were just having an argument,” she murmured, crossing her arms. “Then she fell over on the couch.”

“Did she display any symptoms before that?” he asked, pulling out a pen and small clipboard.

“She was sweating—” Sunset stopped talking mid-sentence, remembering seeing Adagio looking the same way back at the camp they attended a month before. “Then suddenly she was breathing heavy. It started getting really bad, and she grabbed at her chest. Then she fell over.”

“Did she do anything afterwards?” the paramedic asked, writing down some notes.

“No,” Sunset said, shaking her head. “She hasn’t been responding.”

“Thank you,” he said placing the clipboard onto a stretcher next to him and then wheeling it over next to the sofa where Adagio was.

“Is she going to be okay?” Sunset asked.

“We’ll do what we can, ma’am.”

The two paramedics lifted Adagio into the stretcher with ease. Nodding to each other, they wheeled her out of the apartment.
Sunset frantically following behind them.

They went down the stairs and out into the parking lot where an ambulance sat, loading her in. Sunset was about to step onward before one of the paramedics held up their hands.

“Sorry, can you follow us instead? The ride in here is already tight enough as is.”

Sunset balled her hand into a fist.

“I’m not leaving her,” she said.

“Look lady, we normally don’t let others ride with patients unless they are family, and—”

“I’m her girlfriend for crying out loud!” Sunset yelled. “She has no one else. I am her family!”

He sighed.

“Look, I need to concentrate on making sure she’s all right along the way. I can’t be doing that if I have you sobbing and asking questions the whole ride.” He scoffed. “Now would you kindly back off? Because every second I’m explaining this to you is a second I’m not able to treat her.”

Sunset backed away from the ambulance and watched as the doors closed in front of her. The siren on the ambulance blared once more and drove away.

She kept her eyes on it until it disappeared around a corner. She immediately ran back into the apartment. Dashing into the kitchen, she picked up her book and turned to a blank page. She looked over to the counter and grabbed the nearest pen.

‘Emergency. Adagio in hospital. Wait in front of school. Will arrive shortly.’

She dropped the book and pen and sprinted back to the door, grabbing her helmet on the way and slamming the door behind her. She fumbled with her keys and snapped the lock shut, then darted down the stairs.

She got onto her bike, starting it up, giving the engine a few revs, and speeding out of the lot.

She dangerously swerved through traffic, with some drivers honking at her for her reckless riding. She was still furious that she couldn’t be with Adagio, but she had to let out her inner rage in one way or another.

Soon she was in front of her old high school where she saw Twilight standing out front. Sunset stopped the bike next to Twilight. She kept the engine idle and lifted her visor.

“Sunset!” Twilight shouted. “What’s going on? Why is Adagi—”

“Get on.”

Twilight's eyes widened, taken aback by Sunset’s demeanor. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Sunset sighed.

“I’m worried, confused, and angry,” Sunset growled. “Get on. We can talk when we get to the hospital.”

Twilight nodded, carefully stepping over the bike and settling onto the unfamiliar, shallow seat.

“How do I…?”

“Feet on pegs, and just hold onto me tight as possible until we’re there.”

“R-right.”

Twilight positioned herself on the back and did as Sunset ordered.

Without any confirmation, Sunset revved the engine again and took off. Twilight held on for dear life, closing her eyes the entire way. She only heard the sounds of the bike and cars honking at them along the way.

When they arrived at the hospital, it was hectic all throughout, with doctors and nurses scrambling through the halls attending patients. There wasn’t much Sunset or Twilight could do other than allow them to do their work. Adagio had already been taken into intensive care; they were not allowed access until she was in a more stable condition.

A receptionist pointed them to a small waiting room on the fifth floor. They remained there by themselves throughout most of the afternoon. None of the staff came by to update them. Whether it was due to them being busy or Adagio being in a bad condition, they didn’t know.

Evening arrived. Twilight had been napping, but every time Sunset closed her eyes, she saw Adagio collapsing. She remained awake to keep her focus away from that image.

She would walk up and down the dim halls during the late night. Compared to earlier that afternoon things were less hectic, with only a small night crew attending patients. With the doctors only attending those under critical care, none of whom were able to update her on Adagio.

After staying up all night, morning was coming and Sunset was in the waiting room again sitting next to Twilight. She woke up with a vocal yawn, and looked over at Sunset. Sunset’s eyes were shot, bags underneath them.

“Sunset?” Twilight’s mouth dropped. “You haven’t been awake all evening, have you?”

“Maybe.” She nodded, groggily. “I’m fine though.”

Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“Get some rest. You’re not going to be any good to Adagio if you pass out in front of her.”

“What if she wakes up in the next hour?” Sunset said. “I want to see her as soon as possible.”

“I’ll be sure to wake you up if that happens. Just take a small nap at least, please.”

Sunset was ready to object, but her vision flickered and she gave in.

“Fine.”

She laid down across several chairs and closed her eyes, soon falling asleep.

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

That unnerving sound echoed throughout the room every second. Adagio opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was nothing but a blur. She blinked several times and everything became clear again. Looking around, she found herself in a small white room. A blank white-board was mounted on the wall in front of her. To the right was a sink and some cabinets, while to the left was a large window showing the small cityscape of Canterlot, and a TV hung from the ceiling in the corner on that side.

The room felt quite empty, with only the bed she currently sat up on providing her company. Looking along her right arm she saw an IV was inserted, and where the IV bag was, she found the source of the beeping.

A heart monitor.

“What the fuck?” she uttered to herself, then a sharp pain hit her.

Her head was pounding. She thought back to what had happened earlier, but her memories felt jumbled all throughout her mind. What was going on? Why was she here?

The door to her room opened and a man in a white coat stepped inside.
Adagio looked at him curiously, giving an awkward wave. Not sure what exactly was going on.

“Good morning, Ms. Dazzle,” he said, grabbing a clipboard from the wall. “I see you are finally awake. You’ve been out all night. How are you feeling?”

“Where am I?” she asked.

“If you can’t tell already, you are in a hospital. Canterlot City Hospital to be exact.”

“That explains all the hospital equipment, I guess,” Adagio said dryly. The question was how did she end up here?

The doctor merely smiled and pulled out a pen from his jacket pocket, writing a few notes on his clipboard. He stood at the edge of Adagio’s bed.

“Are you in any pain?” he asked.

“No.” Adagio placed her hand over her forehead. “My head and the rest of me just feels... scrambled. I can barely even lift myself up.”

“That’s to be expected; you haven’t eaten since you arrived here yesterday afternoon.” He wrote a few more notes before continuing. “Do you know why you are here?”

“No, I just remember being in my apartment and—” Adagio stopped abruptly, thinking back to yesterday. The book, finding out her true past, her conflicting memories, the pain, but most importantly…

Sunny. She last remembered seeing Sunset screaming. She wasn’t sure if it was at her or due to her being frustrated with finding out the truth. Regardless of what happened earlier, she could only wonder if she was okay.

“Ms. Dazzle?” The doctor tapped the edge of her bed with the clipboard. “Are you okay?”

“Sorry, just lost in thought. It happens once in a while.” She shook her head and looked back at the doctor. “I didn’t happen to catch your name.”

“Oh, sorry.” He walked to Adagio’s bedside and extended his hand. “Doctor Kardia is the name. I’ll be looking over you throughout your stay here.”

Adagio gently shook his hand.

“Adagio,” she replied, withdrawing her hand. “What am I here for, Doc?”

He placed the clipboard to the side.

“Before I tell you, I need you to take a deep breath and exhale.” He clasped his hands together in front of him. “Can you do that for me?”

Adagio followed his instructions, taking a deep breath and letting it out.

“Lay it on me,” she said.

“Yesterday, around 5 PM, emergency services received a frantic call from your girlfriend, saying you were sweating, breathing irregularly, gripping your chest and that you then went unconscious. An ambulance brought you in.” He shifted through a few pages on his clipboard, adjusting his glasses. “After getting you into a stable condition, we did a blood test and found that...” He paused for a moment. “We found you had suffered from a heart attack.”

Adagio’s expression was nothing but blank, she placed her hand over her chest, looking down at herself.

“I had a… heart attack?” Adagio gulped. “Like, a heart attack that can kill people heart attack?”

He nodded.

“You did. It was relatively minor.” He shook his head. “Still, even a minor heart attack should not be taken lightly, as it can still be a serious risk. If it wasn’t for your girlfriend, you could have died in your apartment.”

“Where is she?” Adagio asked.

“Hmm?” The doctor raised an eyebrow.

“My girlfriend, is she here? Is she okay? Does she know I am all right? Is-” Adagio stopped abruptly. Her heart beat rapidly again, and she clenched her burning chest, though this time the pain wasn’t quite so intense.

Kardia placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Ms. Dazzle, I know you have many questions, but I need you to remain calm throughout your stay here. The most important thing you can do right now is keep that heart rate down and allow yourself to heal. Can you do that for me?”

Adagio quickly nodded, and did her best to follow the doctor’s instructions. She took a few deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling heavily. Her pain soon subsided and she stopped clenching her chest.

“Thank you.” He walked away from Adagio’s bedside. “I was told your girlfriend’s been here all night with a friend of hers. We couldn’t allow them to see you during the examination.”

Adagio glared at him.

“I want to see her,” she said.

He raised his hands.

“I’ll be sure to let her know. I just need to check off some things quickly before allowing visitors. It will only take a few minutes. Can you promise that you will follow my instructions and remain calm throughout her visit, and your stay here?”

“Yes,” Adagio said. “Just, please hurry.”

“Will do,” he said, walking over to the door. “Try to make yourself comfortable. Your bed has all the controls you need for everything here, including calling a nurse if needed. Your girlfriend will be here shortly.”

Adagio nodded. “Thank you.”

The doctor then left the room, leaving Adagio alone. She thought idly about turning on the TV while waiting for Sunset, but she elected to look out the window where it was lightly raining outside.

She thought back to yesterday, reading over the research provided to them by Twilight. She still remembered what she did those thousands of years ago; the sounds of ponies screaming would never escape her.

What was Sunset going to think about her?

Sunset opened her eyes and sat up on the sofa, rubbing her eyelids. She yawned.

“What time is it?” she asked.

Twilight looked at the clock on the wall.

“It’s almost noon,” she replied.

Sunset rose from her chair, stretching her arms and legs.

“Well, I got my rest.” She sat back down. “Did I miss anything?”

Twilight shook her head.

“No one came by; it’s like they forgot about us.”

Sunset sighed and glanced at the TV Twilight was watching. The entire time it was stuck on the news channel, currently showing commercials, nothing of real interest.

She thought back to Adagio. She was still concerned over her girlfriend's health, but at the same also wondered, when she did get better, what was going to happen between them?

“Sunset?” Twilight prodded, having been met with silence. Sunset was staring off into space again.

“Hmm?” she mumbled.

“Are you okay?”

“As okay as I can be.” Sunset frowned, turning away from Twilight.

“I can tell you're thinking about Adagio… Is there something else, though?”

Sunset sighed.

“I’m concerned over Adagio’s health, but at the same time, when she is better—” She bit her lip. “What is going to happen to us? Our relationship?”

Twilight placed her hand over Sunset's.

“That’s up for both of you to decide. Not me, nor anyone else.”

Sunset looked up at Twilight, giving a weak smile.

“Any advice?”

Twilight returned a smile.

“Well, based on what I’ve learned from studying friendship, you two should be truthful to one another. No matter how devastating any secrets you keep may be, honesty is always the best policy. You’ve been honest with Adagio, right?”

Sunset nodded.

“I have, but…” Sunset paused.

Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“But what?”

Sunset kept silent for moment.

“Since we were dating, she held a secret until she told me one night during the camp.”

“What was it?” Twilight asked.

Sunset took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Just don’t be mad at her,” Sunset added hastily. “I really should have told you as soon as I realized it… She still has some of her manipulative powers as a Siren.”

Twilight’s heart sank.

“Y-you’re serious?” She placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “How is that possible? Does she still use these powers? Is she in control of—”

“Calm down.” Sunset raised her hands. “Neither of us is sure, the only way she can use her powers is by humming a tune since she lost her singing voice. Its power is only a fraction of the scale it used to be when she and The Dazzlings took control of Canterlot High.”

Twilight took a moment to process what Sunset said.

“What about you?” she said. “Did she use her powers on you?”

Sunset sighed, thinking back to when she and Adagio had their day out in the park.

“Once, accidentally.”

Twilight gasped. “Wait, are you in love with her right now due to—?”

“No, no.” Sunset shook her head. “ I had a crush on her long before she ever sang.” She paused, remembering how Adagio presented herself in her nice outfit and makeup, wanting to impress Sunset. “She probably had a thing for me too, though when I asked to be her girlfriend she didn’t want anything like that.” Sunset smiled. “Yet, since we left that camp, she wants me to live with her now.”

Twilight wanted to ask more questions, but she knew she could trust Adagio now. She still had her concerns over Adagio’s remaining power, but this wasn’t the time.

She placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder.

“I commend both of you sticking with each other still, even after everything you two have been through.”

Sunset nodded.

“I would take a bullet for her.”

“A… bullet?” Twilight asked, quizzingly.

Sunset scratched the back of her head.

“It’s a, um… human thing. It means that I would put my life on the line for her.”

Twilight smiled.

“I think she would do the same,” she replied.

It was past the afternoon now, and Twilight and Sunset were still in the waiting room, thinking of whether to remain there or head out for lunch. The thought of it however was cut short when a man entered the waiting room.

“Excuse me,” Kardia said.

“Hello?” Sunset said. “Are you taking care of Adagio?”

“That I am.” He nodded, and asked, “Are you the one that called her in?”

“Yes!” She sprang out of her chair. “Is she okay? We haven’t received any news of her.”

“She’s awake and in stable condition. She will need to remain in the hospital for the next few days, but I have cleared her to have visitors now. She is in room 523.”

“Thank you.” Sunset immediately left the waiting room, leaving Twilight behind.

Pacing through the halls, she navigated the maze of rooms until she came upon Adagio’s. As soon as she was through the door, she called for her.

“Adagio?” Sunset uttered, before she saw her girlfriend looking out the window.

Adagio turned her head to the familiar voice.

“Hey.” She waved, making a small grin. “How pathetic do I look?”

Tears rolled down Sunset’s eyes and she immediately ran to the side of the bed, falling onto Adagio, wrapping her arms around her, sulking into Adagio’s hospital gown.

“I was so worried!” she wailed. “I thought I was about to lose you yesterday!”

Adagio wrapped her free arm around Sunset and gave her a kiss on the head.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’m here.”

They remained wrapped around one another, Sunset still crying softly. Meanwhile, Adagio smiled as tears rolled down her face.

Twilight poked her head through the door. Adagio saw her briefly, but paid no mind to her, only focusing on Sunset. Twilight turned around, ready to leave the two alone.

“You can join us if you want,” Adagio said. “Princess.”

Sunset let herself off of her girlfriend, turning to look at Twilight. “Don’t mind us,” she cleared the tears out of her eyes. “I’m happy is all.”

“Thank you.” Twilight bowed. “Both of you.”

“Look at that. Even royalty is bowing to us, Sunny.” Adagio grinned.

“Don’t push it,” Twilight grumbled.

Sunset giggled.

“So, how are you feeling?” she asked. “When did you wake up? Do you—”

“One thing at a time,” Adagio said, raising her hand. “I only got up a few minutes ago”—Her stomach grumbled—“and I’m starving.”

“If you can spare me some money Sunset, I can go get her something,” Twilight said.

“Please do.” Sunset reached into the back of her pockets and pulled out three bills. “Just put those into the slot of the nearby vending machine, the numbers on the keypad correspond to the items in the case.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Twilight said, pocketing the money and walking out.

“Get me something good,” Adagio said, before she walked out the door.

The second Twilight left, Sunset hopped off her chair and pressed her lips onto Adagio’s. They exchanged with one another for a moment before she pulled herself back again.

“Someone’s feisty.” Adagio grinned.

“You don’t know how worried I was,” Sunset said.

“Did the doctor tell you what happened?” Adagio asked.

“No?” Sunset replied. “We didn’t receive any updates until just a few minutes ago, and even then the doctor just said you were in stable condition.”

Adagio took a deep breath and exhaled.

“According to the doctor, I had a heart attack.”

Sunset’s smile dropped and she took a step back.

“Goddesses.” She placed her hand over her mouth. “Are you going to be okay?”

“The doctor told me to take it easy, so I think we are safe for now.”

Sunset sat down on a chair next to Adagio.

“That’s good to hear.” Sunset placed her hands on Adagio’s. “I’m asking if you are okay, though. Not just physically, but mentally as well.”

Adagio sighed. She knew Sunset was referring to the recent revelations.

“Honestly, I am not sure.” Adagio looked away from Sunset, looking at the rain droplets hitting up against the window. “It’s scary, not remembering what I did, it doesn’t sound like something I would ever do, yet, it all feels so familiar now.”

Sunset’s grip on Adagio’s hand became tighter.

“It’s not something you would do now though, right?”

Adagio nodded.

“Of course not,” she sighed. “I think a simple apology isn’t going to fix that though.”

“If it means anything,” Twilight said, stepping back into the room with a fruit bar in hand. “While Celestia won’t forgive you for your crimes, Adagio, I do.” She passed the bar to Adagio.

“Do you always eavesdrop on people’s conversations?” Adagio asked.

“I just make sure to look over my friends,” Twilight replied.

“Thanks then,” Adagio said, grabbing the bar from Twilight. “I guess.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and sat down on a chair across from Adagio.

“It’s been a long day,” Sunset sighed. “There is just so much to take in.”

Adagio shrugged. “I’m still a bit overwhelmed myself, honestly.” She unwrapped the bar, taking a bite. “Learning about my past… I didn’t think it would take that much of a toll on me.”

“I should never have done that research, Adagio.” Twilight stammered, “If I hadn’t… You wouldn’t—”

“No, Twilight,” Adagio said. “You did only what you were told, it’s my fault.”

Twilight raised a finger, ready to object, but she lowered it quickly afterwards.

“Thanks,” she said.

Adagio nodded, looking back at Sunset.

“Sunny, are you going to be okay?”

She nodded.

“I am. I just hope we don’t have to go through that again. I don’t know what came over me when I read that page about you.”

“You were upset. That’s to be expected.” Adagio thought back to when they were in the apartment, when Sunset began tearing pages out of her journal and tossing it across the room. “When I saw you screaming, I was scared of what you thought about me.”

“I was overwhelmed.” Sunset rubbed her arm. “I’m not sure either of us knew what to think.”

“What do you think of me now?” Adagio asked.

Sunset remained silent, looking at Adagio. She knew she was dating one of Equestria’s biggest criminals, something her original mentor would not approve of. What would her remaining friends in Equestria say? Her parents?

Looking back at the past few months, however, this was the best time in her life ever since arriving in the human world, and even knowing Adagio’s past crimes against her own race, she would never want to separate herself from her.

“I think you are the best girl I have met, and I love you.” She smiled. “I was close to ruining my home a few years back as well,” she said, thinking back to when she first met Twilight Sparkle. “I’m past that now. Sure, I regret my past actions, but I told myself that I would not dwell on it, and I would become a better person.” She looked back at Adagio. “And I know you can do the same, Adagio.”

Adagio smiled, motioning for Sunset to come close to her.

“I love you, Sunny,” she said, wrapping her arms around Sunset.

“I love you too.” She wrapped herself around Adagio tightly. “I’ll be with you, always.”

It was almost sundown and Twilight had left to return to her duties back home. Sunset was the only one giving Adagio company throughout the day to evening.

“You know,” Adagio said. “I like having you around, but you don’t have to be here 24/7.”

“I have nothing else to do since I’m done with the semester, and I’d rather be here with you.” Sunset smiled.

“Fair enough.” Adagio turned on the small TV mounted in the top corner of her room. “I’m sure they might have some kind of movie channel available on here.

“You really like movies, huh?” Sunset asked.

“Other than manipulating people, it was the only thing I really enjoyed.” Adagio browsed through channels, skipping to another every few seconds. “Once I lost that, watching movies was all I could really do.”

There was a gentle knock on the door.

“Dinnertime!” a hospital staffer called out, pushing in a cart filled with food.

“About time! I haven’t had a meal since yesterday.” Adagio beamed, focusing on the cart. “What’s on the menu tonight?”

“Let’s see here,” the woman said, looking at her clipboard. “Your doctor has set you on a diet good for your heart, so for you, some salmon and steamed veggies.”

“Oh, joy.” Adagio rolled her eyes.

The staff lady picked up a tray and laid it across a table next to Adagio.

“Bon appetite,” she said, walking out with her cart.

“You should eat something other than snacks,” Sunset said.

“Yes, dear,” Adagio grumbled, popping open the lid to her meal. Underneath was a wet, steamy mess of various steamed veggies, and a small piece of fish.

“That… doesn’t look appetizing.” Sunset covered her nose, picking up the smell of the cooked salmon. “How are the veggies?”

Adagio picked up a piece of broccoli with her fork and gave it a gentle blow. She placed it into her mouth and began chewing. She didn’t find any immediate appeal, as it tasted of nothing but soft mush and steamed water. She spit it into a napkin, placing it to the side.

“Garbage,” she coughed.

“Oh it can’t be that bad, let me try.” Sunset held out her hand, and Adagio handed her fork over to her. She grabbed a piece of Broccoli from the plate. Placing it in her mouth, she began chewing it, her face turned grim and she immediately swallowed it down. “Okay, no argument.”

“I also don’t like fish,” Adagio added.

“Really?” Sunset quizzingly looked at Adagio, tilting her head. “I figured that, you know, being a sea serpent, you would eat fish.”

“Nope. Fish are friends, not food.” Adagio grinned.

Sunset giggled.

“Quit it, I know you’re joking.” She smiled, keeping herself from giggling more.

“Just a bit.” She shrugged. “Though, I actually don’t like fish, the smell and texture always turned me away.”

Sunset placed her finger on her chin.

“Do you want me to pick up something? I could use a meal as well.”

“Have you even slept?” Adagio said, concerned. “I don’t want you ending up in a hospital bed after a motorcycle crash.”

“There is a sandwich shop nearby. I’ll just walk there and back.”

Adagio raised her eyebrow.

“Are you sure?”

Sunset nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

“All right, get us something good then. I seem to like whatever you eat most of the time.”

Sunset got up from her chair, had a quick stretch and put her jacket on.

“I won’t be out long. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Adagio smiled, going back to browsing the television channels for something to watch.

She stopped on a channel playing an older film in black and white. With no luck on the other channels, she decided to keep it there.

She remained in her bed, watching the television. Sunset had been away for only a few minutes and she already felt lonely. She hadn’t felt this way since when her evenings consisted of laying on the sofa, watching whatever was on Webflix.

Ever since the day she first met her girlfriend, she constantly saw her throughout the day, most times even staying over at her apartment. She looked forward to the day she would never have to be separate from her.

“I’m back!” Sunset exclaimed, walking inside Adagio’s room holding a paper bag in one hand and a large drink in the other.

“About time.” Adagio smiled.

“I’ve only been gone half-an-hour; I said it wouldn’t take too long.” Sunset sat on the chair next to Adagio, unpacking the contents of the bag: two wrapped sub sandwiches. “I got us the same thing. I promise it’s good.”

Adagio grabbed hers and unwrapped it.

“I’m sure it’s better than that mush we tried earlier.”

Adagio looked at her sandwich for a moment, It was a large quantity of veggies and hummus on a sub roll. Taking a bite of it, she immediately tasted a burst of flavor, appreciating her sandwich over whatever the hospital had given her.

Sunset took a bite from her sandwich as well, and sat on the sofa next to Adagio’s bed. It was pointing away from the TV, with Sunset only able to take a minor glance at the television while eating.

“What are you watching?” she asked.

“Some old romance film.” Adagio shrugged. “Just started a few minutes ago.”

Adagio looked over at Sunset and noticed she was struggling to keep her eyes on the TV while eating. She pushed her table over to the side and scooted to the right, opening up a spot for Sunset on the bed.

“Sit next to me. I wanna watch the movie with you.”

Sunset raised her finger.

“Isn’t that breaking several hospital rules?” she asked.

Adagio snorted.

“Probably, but it’s getting late and I doubt the night crew will care.”

Sunset shrugged, then proceeded to take off her boots. She placed them on the floor beside the bed. Doing a bit of leg work, she got herself over the tall bars that stood on the edge of the bed and laid herself gently next to Adagio. She reached over to the table and brought it back to both of them, and they proceeded to finish their dinner while they watched the movie.

They continued watching old black and white films throughout the night. Sunset finished her food after Adagio, and rested her head on Adagio’s shoulder.

“Adagio…” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

Sunset closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you yesterday, when I found out about…” She paused. “You.”

Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset and held her tight.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Sunset nodded, falling asleep soon afterwards. Adagio kept her eyes on the TV, watching the rest of the film late into the night.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine, eLLen and gardrek for helping with this chapter.

Sorry for the long wait. ^^'

Chapter 12 - Another Morning

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Adagio’s phone was blaring once again across her room, signifying that it was indeed another morning.

“Urrrghhh… That fucking alarm.”

Her hand hovered over to the bedside table while the phone was rattling along the wood surface. Picking it up, she winced from the brightness of the screen as she brought it up to her face and switched off the alarm.

Putting her phone aside, Adagio rubbed her eyes while making a small yawn.

She slowly got out of bed, ready to hit the shower, but the rumbling of her stomach stopped her along the way.

“Oh, fine. Just this morning though.”

Stepping out of her bedroom, she went into the kitchen and followed her first instinct to click on the coffee pot. She then picked a piece of bread out of the loaf sitting on top the fridge and popped it into the toaster.

While waiting for everything to prepare, she checked her phone notifications. As usual, nothing of interest was happening. She then placed the phone on the counter once her toast was done.

She spread some butter across the toasted bread, and quickly took a few bites with the occasional sip of her coffee.

That should hold her over until she got out of the shower.

Ready to head to the bathroom, Adagio stopped herself and went over to her bag that hung along a kitchen chair. She pulled out a container full of pills.

There was a half-filled glass of water sitting on the table overnight, which she brought beside her as she began to take down her pills one by one.

It was well over a year since her near death experience. Since then her life had changed, but at the same time it also felt largely the same. Taking pills to keep herself healthy was nothing more than a daily thing now next to her usual activities.

Finishing her pills, she took another few sips from her coffee cup and went into the bathroom.

One change in her morning ritual was that there was no scale in her bathroom anymore. Constantly looking at her weight every morning wasn’t going to make her lose it, and even if she were overweight she became more confident in her ‘fluff’ nowadays.

Taking off her pajamas, Adagio turned on the shower, getting the temperature just right and stepped in.

She took a minute just to stand in the shower, letting the warm air fill the bathroom. She closed her eyes.

It was a moment of peace for her, until…

“Morning sunshine.”

Sunset took Adagio by surprise, wrapping her arms around her stomach and pulling her in. She quickly nipped Adagio along her neck.

“I thought you wanted to sleep in this morning?” Adagio smiled, resting her head against Sunset’s shoulder.

“I did, but the smell of coffee kind of woke me up.”

“and…?” Adagio said.

Sunset bit her lip.

“And… I couldn’t keep myself from joining you this morning.” she smirked.

Of course, the biggest change in Adagio’s life was her girlfriend moving in. Sunset was there with her all throughout this time. Whether it was being there with her in the hospital, leaving and readjusting to her new life, dealing with the trauma of her past. Everything. Sunset was always there for her.

“Sunny…”

“Yeah?” Sunset said, pulling herself back.

“I love you.” Adagio smiled, turning around and planting her lips onto Sunset as they began to exchange kisses.

The morning could wait. Right now she just wanted to be with Sunset.

Forever.

By her side.

fin

Author's Note

Thanks to TheVClaw for helping me wrap this up. Sorry for the long delay.

Special thanks to everyone that enjoyed my writing and believed in me, without y'all I would not be where I am today. Take care and love yourselves. <3

Chapter 10 - Unforgotten

“I will never, ever, take an art history class again.” Adagio huffed, resting against the wall in the hallway. The halls in the college were not as full as they used to be. The semester was nearly over, and most students were beginning to wrap up class.

It had been a month since Adagio and Sunset came back from their spring camp. Since then, most of their time had been spent studying and preparing for final exams before the end of the semester.

“It wasn’t so bad.” Sunset smiled, hooking her arm onto Adagio’s. “If it weren’t for that class, we wouldn’t have met each other.”

“That’s one way to look at it.” Adagio shrugged. “But you’d think that something covering so many years of history would have a little pizzazz; I was there for most of it, and it was much more exciting than dates and locations.”

"Wait,” Sunset shook her head. “I thought you said your memory was very limited?"

Adagio nodded.

"It is, but when the instructor was mentioning certain people and events, a part of my past does come back into my memory.”

“You never told me about this.” Sunset said.

“I figured you would've known since it happened when we ran into each other and talked in that coffee shop.” Adagio placed her hand over her chin. “Remember when you mentioned talking magical ponies?”

“Yeah?”

“You were the only reason why I remembered them existing.” Adagio sighed. “Unfortunately, most of my memory that does come back is in tiny slivers. A person has to mention certain key details before it all starts coming back.”

“So, if I mention something like…” Sunset snapped her fingers. “When humans first landed on the moon, where were you here in Equestria?”

Adagio shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, also that was less than fifty years ago, Sunny; try to think of something older and be more exact, I could’ve been anywhere during that time.”

“Um…” Sunset scratched her head. Compared to her peers, she had a limited knowledge of history. “Where were you during the war here?”

“Which one?” Adagio asked.

“There was more than one?” Sunset tilted her head.

Adagio slammed the palm of her hand into her face at Sunset’s comment, but then thought back to when Equestria was in one of its major wars. The first thing that came to mind were the troops that served during the war. She wasn’t exactly sure where, or what she did, but she remembered a small dark place where they cheered for her.

“I do remember something back then...” Adagio closed her eyes, she tried to salvage her memories, but nothing was clicking in her mind just yet.

“What did you do?” Sunset asked. “Sing?”

That was it! Singing.

She sang to troops, but where? She wasn’t going to be able to point out the exact details, but she remembered what first came to mind. Somewhere small and dark, a bar? No…

She was sweating and picking up a fever. The memory felt so familiar, yet far away at the same time. A dark place, troops gathered, cheering for her singing…

“A club,” Adagio uttered. “That’s what I did back during the last big war, I sang in a local club in the middle of the night somewhere outside of Equestria, nearby where the troops were stationed. Not sure why, but I remember that at least.”

“Wow,” Sunset said, “You remember it just like that, huh?”

“I still had to think very hard.” Adagio placed her hand over her aching head. “Maybe a bit too hard.”

Sunset was ready to say something else, but then was taken by surprise by her entire backpack vibrating.

"What did I say about bringing your toys to school?" Adagio snickered.

Sunset raised her eyebrow, unamused, and opened her book bag to withdraw the enchanted book she used to communicate with Twilight in the pony world. Sitting up against the wall, she opened up to the most recent page.

Adagio immediately took interest, reading over Sunset’s shoulder.

Dear Sunset,

I just finalized my research regarding Adagio. It will take an hour or two to publish, but I am copying my findings in the back of your book.
Hope you two are doing well, feel free to reach me if you have any questions.

—Princess Twilight Sparkle

“About time.” Adagio said, holding out her fingers to count the weeks “It’s been about a month since we got back from that camp, she said she was going to get it done soon.”

Sunset lifted her finger.

“Considering she most likely had to go through the castle archives, she probably dug through centuries, maybe even millennia worth of history material.” Sunset said.

“Then she shouldn’t have said soon,” Adagio huffed, crossing her arms. “Regardless, what classes do you have left? I am already done with this semester.”

“Wait,” Sunset blinked. “You’re already done?”

“That’s right.” Adagio sprung forward, placing her hands over her hips, standing confidently “I got straight A’s in all my business classes, therefore…” she turned around, grinning at Sunset. “I am exempt from final exams.”

Sunset clapped.

“Lucky you.”

“Wasn’t luck,” Adagio shook her head. “I was studying my ass off when I didn’t spend my days and nights with you.”

“Fair enough,” Sunset shrugged “I still have one more class today. How about I meet you at your place afterwards?”

“Don’t you mean our place?” Adagio said, wrapping her arms around Sunset’s back.

“Yes, dear. When I move in later.” Sunset smiled.

“Hopefully sooner than later.” Adagio pulled her in closer.

“Of course.” Sunset pressed her lips to Adagio’s and they exchanged a few kisses. “Nothing will ever separate me from you,” she said.

Adagio smiled and let go of Sunset, allowing her to get to class. “You have the key to my place. If I don’t respond, then I am probably taking a nap.”

“See you, Adagio.” Sunset waved. “Love you.”

“Love you too, Sunny.”

Adagio turned away from Sunset, walking down the hall and waving to her from behind.

Screaming, so much screaming.

Everything in front of Adagio was nothing but a blur. The only things she could make out were the sounds of rushing water and screams. She kept blinking her eyes, hoping to see what was in front of her.

Then, she was introduced to the darkness of her bedroom. Looking around, she could feel her bed beneath her, covered in sweat. Slowly waking up, she was still able to hear the constant screaming, albeit faintly. She clamped her hands over her ears, but it continued unimpeded.

Where is this screaming coming from? Just, get out of my head!

She heard a small series of taps inside her room, the screams immediately went away. Turning her head to the doorway from the source of the noise, she saw Sunset standing there, lightly knocking her hand against the wall.

"Are you okay? You look like you had a bad dream.” she said.

"You could say that,” Adagio sat up, rubbing her temples. “I tend to have a hard time falling asleep, whether it’s thinking too much about something or bad dreams."

“Really?” Sunset crossed her arms, looking down at the ground. “I’m sorry to hear that, I could never really tell.” She said.

“It’s easier when you are sleeping next to me.” Adagio smiled.

Sunset returned a smile, walking inside she went over to the single window and opened the blinds, allowing sunlight to pour in.

Adagio raised her hand over her eyes, allowing them to adjust to the light. Sunset sat next to her on the bed, resting herself up against her.

“On the way here, I was wondering…” Sunset twirled her finger in the sheets. “Do we really need to know the details of your past? You already know it’s bad. What are you hoping to find?”

Adagio looked out her bedroom window and thought back on it. Did she really need to know about a part herself that wasn’t her anymore? She already built a new life with Sunset, did she want to risk that?

No, she deserved to know about herself.

Adagio sighed. “I just want to know about my past. Wouldn’t you if you had forgotten about your entire life?”

Sunset nodded.

“I guess I would,” she sighed. “You were banished for a reason, though. I can’t recall anyone else in history that’s been banished, not only from Equestria, but from the entire world.” She looked up at Adagio. “Most ponies that break major laws only get banished to the Gryphon lands.”

“Last we checked, I wasn’t a pony.” Adagio said.

“That’s not the point.”

Adagio kept her eyes on Sunset for a brief moment, then looked back out the window.

“I guess whatever I did must have been really bad, huh?”

“Yeah,” Sunset rubbed her arm. “I’m just worried of what we will find out, you know?”

Adagio scooted over to Sunset from behind and wrapped her arms around her.

“Just know it’s my past, nothing more.” She rested her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “It doesn’t change who I am now.”

“We’ll look at it together.” Sunset said, resting her head along Adagio. “Whatever we find, it will never separate me from you.”

“Thanks,” Adagio rested her head along Sunset’s. “Sunny.”

The two remained on the bed for a few minutes in silence, wrapped around one another. Adagio was ready to look at the book, but she could feel Sunset trembling beside her.

“Before that though,” Adagio said, knocking Sunset back into attention. “Do you want some lunch?”

“You didn’t eat?” Sunset muttered.

“No,” Adagio shook her head. “Just came straight here and passed out on the bed.”

Sunset laid there silent, thinking for a moment on what she could prepare for the both of them.

“Do you still have those packages of ramen in the cabinet?” she asked.

“Of course,” Adagio beamed. “It’s about the only thing I can cook that’s not in the microwave.”

“Why don’t we have some before we read over Twilight’s research?” Sunset proposed.

“Sounds good.” Adagio replied.

Adagio slipped her arm out from under Sunset and got up from the bed. She stretched her back and yawned loudly. Sunset got up from the other side of the bed, going over to the kitchen and preparing a late lunch for the two of them.

After having a late lunch, Adagio and Sunset went into the living room and sat next to each other on the sofa. Withdrawing the book from her bag, Sunset sat it between the both of them, and opened to the last page where they left off.

Turning to the back of the book, she stopped when she reached a synopsis page.

“Are we ready?” Sunset asked.

Adagio was trembling. This was it. She’d wanted this for some time now, hadn’t she? At this point, there was no turning back. She needed to know the truth.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” she replied.

They both read the first passage.

‘By the request of long banished siren, Adagio Dazzle, and under the strict permission of Princess Celestia, I, Twilight Sparkle, have been granted permission for writing a detailed analysis on The Sirens. The information gathered and formed into this report come strictly from the Royal Canterlot archives, as ordered by Princess Celestia, this report is only to be released by authorized parties and is hereby prohibited to be distributed by—’

“Boring,” Adagio rolled her eyes pointedly and flipped the page over. “Who did she think would be reading this, her English teacher? I wanted to know about myself, not all this legal jargon.”

“Considering how much time she put into this, I wouldn’t be surprised if she submitted it into an scientific journal,” Sunset shrugged.

Looking at the next page was a detailed drawing of a sea serpent, titled: ‘Siren, young adult stage.’

‘While there are not many recorded findings of the species, from what was gathered of the last Sirens in Equestria, they were well over several thousand years old and were in their young adult stage. It is unknown where the origins of the Siren came from, much less what happened to the rest of the species.’

Adagio looked at the illustration of the Siren. The creature itself looked like a combination of a serpent and a sea horse, sporting a long tail, fins, front hooves, and very sharp teeth.

“You sure didn’t smile much, did you?” Sunset said, observing the illustration. “I wouldn’t lie that I was a bit terrified when I saw your true form.”

Adagio nodded.

“The details in the drawing give you a different perspective though,” she said, pointing at certain parts of the illustration. “What would you do if both of us suddenly went back to our original forms?”

“What do you mean?” Sunset asked.

“Well, if you were a talking magical pony, and I were a giant sea serpent, would you still date me?”

“Umm…” Sunset tilted her head. “Wouldn’t we need to be near the ocean? or—”

Adagio raised her hand.

“Ignore all the other facts and details. I’m just talking about us being different species.”

“It would be… different.” Sunset rubbed her chin. “However, I think we could make it work.”

Adagio smiled in response and went back to the book.

“I appreciate Twilight’s detailed research, but I wanted to read this thing about my past, not learn about my species biology.”

She turned past a few pages and stopped when she came upon history, mainly the crimes of the last sirens before their banishment. She kept silent to herself as she began reading.

‘With the Sirens requiring energy from unconventional sources, they relied mainly on pony-kind to sustain themselves. Utilizing their natural singing talent, the Sirens managed to not just gain energy from ponies, but they were even said to manipulate entire populations. Under their manipulation, ponies were forced to commit certain crimes like theft, fraud, and assault.’

“Can see why I was called a criminal by your worlds standard,” Adagio said. “These seem like pretty common crimes though, I would figure most individuals would just be put into a cell.”

“There’s more.” Sunset said, pointing to the next paragraph.

‘With their crimes towards pony-kind, they were marked as threats to Equestria, and soon ponies found a way to avoid manipulation by The Sirens, leading to the Cambraya massacre.’

“M-massacre?” Sunset blinked, “Adagio?”

Adagio ignored Sunset, she was getting closer to the truth. The implications word massacre were clear, and Adagio knew that she should leave off there, but she couldn’t stop herself from reading on.

‘Thousands of years ago, Cambraya was known as one of the largest coastal cities in Equestria, located next to the Celestial Sea. It connected Equestria with vessels from other nations, becoming the largest trading and economy hub in Equestria. When The Sirens were unable to control the population, they retaliated by using their voices to control the sea and brought a large tidal wave down onto the population.’

‘Many ponies immediately perished from the violent waves, either drowning or crushed under the collapsing buildings. Shortly after the attack, Princess Celestia named The Sirens enemies of Equestria. Due to their immense power, Princess Celestia enlisted the aid of legendary wizard Starswirl the Bearded to permanently banish them to another reality.’

‘While the history of the Cambraya massacre is not kept secret, many ponies today are not familiar with the city or its destruction at the hands of The Sirens. All knowledge of it and them was allowed to fade into legend, and then into obscurity.’

Adagio, not wanting to read anymore placed the book to the side.

It all came back to her, the screams from earlier, they weren’t just from a bad dream. They were from those she’d… murdered.

The memories of Cambraya rushed through her mind: Adagio was looking down at the city, with Aria and Sonata next to her. They sang a loud melody that brought the waves of the Celestial Sea toward them. Waves crashed over the barriers, and the city flooded. Some perished instantly as the waves crashed into them, those farther into the city screamed and ran for their lives. Looking behind them to only see the Sirens and the waves that were about to take them away.

Her heart thundered in her chest. All of her crashed over her at once like waves, becoming too much to take in. She looked over at Sunset for support, but her girlfriend was staring blankly ahead, her hand over her mouth. A low whine escaped her, which soon gave way to a whimper.

“Adagio,” she sniffled in-between her sentences. “You didn’t do these things, did you? This isn’t you, right?”

“S-Sunny…” Adagio pleaded.

Sunset shook her head. “It can’t be true, that’s… That’s not you!”

Adagio wanted to say no, but she knew this wasn’t the truth. She wasn’t just a petty criminal banished from Equestria; she was a psychotic murderer.

“It’s true.” Adagio paused, her heart began to beat more rapidly. “Some of it is still faint, but I remember the flood, the screaming… my past.”

Sunset stared coldly at Adagio, tears continued to streak down her cheeks. She looked down at the book between the both of them, springing up off the sofa, she snatched it from Adagio.

“Then we don’t need this anymore,” she began to tear out the pages. “You know your past and that’s it; we don’t need to know any more.” She got to the end of the book, but not before she screamed, throwing the book across the apartment and falling onto her knees, sobbing.

“You are still you, right?” she sniffled in-between sentences. “You’re still same old witty and fun Adagio, r-right?”

Adagio couldn’t answer, what could she say? She wanted to make a witty comeback, but nothing came. She flinched. Her chest burned like it did at the camp a month ago.

“Adagio, please, say something.” Sunset crawled over to Adagio, placing her hands on her shoulders. “What was in that book... it’s not who you are now.”

Adagio looked at Sunset. She wanted to say so many things at once, but none of them were the right thing. How that siren in that book wasn’t her, how she now regretted learning about her past, how much she just wanted to hug Sunset and say everything was going to be okay.

She was beginning to sweat, her breathing was becoming irregular.

“H-hey,” Sunset said, noticing Adagio’s sudden change. “Are you okay?”

“No.” Adagio uttered, she clenched her chest, it felt like it was on fire. “Sunny…”

“Yeah?” she said.

Her heart was beating faster with every passing moment. Her burning chest was not settling, and only getting worse. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t even do that and could only muster the strength to say,

“I’m sorry.”

She fell onto her side.

“Oh goddesses, Adagio!?” Sunset placed her hands along her, shaking her lightly, no response. She quickly retrieved her phone from her back pocket, frantically typing in the number for emergency services.

Adagio wasn’t able to say anything. She looked up at Sunset, she was frantically yelling into her phone. She could barely see her due to her vision blurring, nor could she hear her. Sunset looked down at Adagio, tears were flowing down her cheeks as she was visibly shaking.

She slowly closed her eyes as the world around her turned black.

Author's Note

Special thanks to editors Madeline L-Equine and eLLen for helping with this chapter.