More Than Mutual Interest

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Associations
Chapter 2 - Shame and Frustrations
Chapter 3 - Lunchtimes

Chapter 1 - Associations

Adagio Dazzle woke with a start. Drenched in sweat, she sat up to take a long drink from the water on her bedside table.

Another nightmare. She shook her head.

She didn’t remember the dream itself, but she was sure it wasn’t much different than the others she’d been having. We really aren’t that different. Lying back down, she fitfully nuzzled down into her hair, not caring that it twisted under her, not caring that it would be hell to deal with in the morning.

Maybe I should just stay in bed. Who needs mornings?

She fell back into a restless sleep.

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“You look like shit.”

Adagio looked up from the floor to be greeted by the sight of Aria Blaze leaning on the kitchen island and eating the last of her cereal. “Maybe I wouldn’t if your fat ass didn’t vacuum up all my food.” She threw in a growl for good measure, but it was lackluster at best.

Aria sneered, “I’m just trying to get your physique. Sorry we’re not all graced with a naturally plump derrière.”

The weary girl shook her head and started the kettle. “I accept your apology.”

“Seriously though,” she said, pausing to drink the milk from her bowl, “you don’t usually look so terrible.”

“And you don’t usually talk this much.” She sank into a seat at the table, the glossy wood cool on her face. “I’m fine.”

Aria opened her mouth to say something undoubtedly vile when Sonata Dusk walked in, blanket clutched around her like a cape. Her long blue hair stuck out at odd angles; it honestly looked like she was being electrocuted.

“Can we, like, not bicker this morning?” Sonata yawned. “I’m tired.”

“You look like shit, too.” The mean girl promptly received a flick to the forehead. “Fine, only a little crappy. Did you hear the screaming again?”

The hooded lump settled into a chair next to Adagio. Safe in her cocoon she nodded and shivered.

Adagio shivered too, yet she wasn’t remotely cold. “Screaming?” She watched her friends exchange a look that, despite their innumerable years together, she could not decipher.

Aria turned quickly to put her bowl in the sink. She leaned forward on her palms against the countertop. “I didn’t hear anything, you probably just watched too many scary movies before bed. Again.”

Though Adagio could hear the vitriol in her voice, there was a faraway quality to it. Then she scoffed. “You could sleep through an earthquake and a fire, what’s a few cries in the night going to do?”

“Okay, that was one time!”

Adagio wanted to smile. “Whatever.” She grabbed honey for her tea instead. “You can take yourselves to school today, right?”

The simple question made Aria look and forced Sonata from her barricade, “You’re not going to drive us?”

“Not if you can get there without me.” Adagio shrugged. It didn’t seem like a big deal.

“But you always take us everywhere!” Sonata wailed.

Adagio sipped her tea, unfazed by yet another outburst in their very long lives together.

“Cut the crap, Dagi.” Adagio winced imperceptibly. “When are you coming back to school? It was your idea and all.”

“I was thinking never, or maybe even a week or two after that. Give the students some time to forget about it.” Besides, we enrolled as seniors, what’s one measly year of high school in comparison to the centuries of higher learning we’ve already been exposed to?

Aria shook her head. “You’re totally overestimating Canterlot High’s ability to hold a grudge. They really suck at it.”

“We’ve already sort of made some friends, I think,” Sonata blurted, the thick quilt muffling the shrillness to a reasonable level.

“Maybe they can forgive you two, you weren’t the leader,” she muttered tersely under her breath.

“Well thank you for not letting me do that then.” Aria held her hand out expectantly. When nothing happened, she huffed. “We’ll go straight there and come straight home so don’t bother nagging.”

The smile she gave was decidedly sardonic. “That’s special. I don’t give a damn.” Adagio fished the keys out of her pants pocket and dropped them into the waiting hand.

“Whatever. Gimme a call if you stop feeling like shit and wanna take a ride.” Aria strode out to the front door.

“Hope you feel better Dagi!” Sonata chirped, throwing her arms around the uncharacteristically-surly girl’s waist. Before Adagio could throw her off with annoyance, she let go and skipped away. “See you later!”

“I’m fucking fine, you little shits!” she yelled after them. Eyeing the bedclothes strewn across the floor, she couldn’t muster the energy to be angry. “Dammit, stop leaving your shit everywhere Sonata.”

After stirring her tea into a mug, she let the liquid scald her hands. Taking a deep breath and a slow slurp of the soothing brew, Adagio felt her mind unmuddle. She cleared her throat. She sat alone in the kitchen: not eating, not moving, not thinking. Just breathing; just existing.

There was a limit, she found, on how far she could empty her mind. Roiling beneath the surface, unnamed - unidentified - emotions clawed at her, and she didn’t know how to assuage those.

Sleep. It was definitely time to try that sleep thing again.

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Cinnabar skin touched her body, leaving tendrils of fire behind. Powerful wings took them higher and higher as Adagio clung to the other woman for safety. Their ascension stopped. Curious, Adagio looked into the whiteless eyes of her guardian.

Her sharp tongue flicked out between jagged teeth to lick Adagio’s bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.

Adagio moaned into the sanguine kiss, the rich taste piquing her senses. She nibbled the tongue that invaded her mouth, pouring as much passion into her actions as she could, given her position.

The winged woman pulled away slightly, then rested her forehead upon Adagio’s. Together, they danced in the air. Gently she said, “See ya ‘round, Dagi.” She released her.

Sunset Shimmer felt her phone vibrate. This was what it was programmed to do… right before ringing. On the second set of vibrations, she yanked out the device to silence it before the entire library learned what her ringtone was.

Glancing at the wide screen, it flashed a number for just a moment before it told her she had a missed call. Brow furrowed in confusion, 415?

“Who was that?” Applejack asked in a hushed tone, looking around to make sure she hadn’t disturbed anyone who may have been nearby.

“I don’t know,” Sunset replied. “It must’ve been a wrong number - it barely even rang.”

“Probably, seein’ as they called in the middle of class when everybody knows ya should be sendin’ messages.” Applejack had a point. “Anywho, what’s the number, maybe I know it on account of me having more people in my contact list.”

“Thanks for rubbing it in that I have no friends,” Sunset joked wryly. Then she pressed a button and shrugged, “Beats me. Blocked.”

It wasn’t the first lie she had told that day. Hell, it wasn’t even the first lie she had told to Applejack that day. It was common knowledge AJ had a free period before lunch, during which she would read up on current events in agriculture and history of apples. Personally, Sunset didn’t understand how an hour every day wasn’t enough to absorb all the information by now; surely Applejack has read all the small library could offer. Still, she had excused herself from her own class (Chemistry) by feigning a stomach ache and stole off to the library. Upon finding her friend, she told the trusting girl she’d finished her lab quickly and gotten excused for the rest of the day.

Applejack never suspected a thing. “Dang, dunno what to tell ya Sunset.”

Not looking up from the textbook she was supposedly reading, Sunset shrugged again, “If it’s not meant for me then it can’t mean anything, right?”

“I reckon not.” She didn’t sound entirely sure in her agreement, but turned back to her article on cross-fruit grafting all the same.

Sunset didn’t know why she kept lying to her friend. She wasn’t studying. She would definitely have to make up the lab she’s missing.

She didn’t want to talk.

That’s why ditching chem to sit in a force-quieted room in a friend’s presence was ideal.

She cursed her phone silently for infringing on her slice of perfection. Racking her brain for who the completely foreign area code could’ve been, her only guess gave her no comfort. Seeing as the other party couldn’t bring themselves to complete the call, it would be no use to dial them with her own number.

She had a plan though.

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Sunset waved at the departing librarian, the closest thing she had to a friend prior to the latest Fall Formal. As a regular patron of the run-down city library - at least one that didn’t huff paint in the bathroom or sell drugs behind the more intricate science fiction epics - she had become rather well-known among the staff.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s sufficiently far away from school and nobody knows about her past. No… everyone here knew her as Sunset Shimmer, the primitive girl who survives without internet at her pad and has to forage in public areas for scraps. Better than she-demon pony-freak.

A small part of her felt uneasy resuming her after-school routine immediately, but she refused to turn her life on its head because of a little mishap.

Of course, that small part remained. And here she was, about to test her morning hypothesis in the short minutes by herself.

Reciting the number several times, and rehearsing the motion in a dry run, the tremulous girl picked up the receiver of the old Help Desk landline and clicked the digits in their proper order.

She shut her eyes, willing herself to ignore what kind of trouble she might be in for if the staff found out she was calling long-distance. Bringing a hand to her chest, she commanded her heart to stop pounding frantically as she listened to the intermittent drone.

She knows it’s me, that’s why she’s not answering. Now wha-

“You’ve reached Adagio. How may I help you?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

There was a lengthy pause and Sunset was about sure the woman had hung up on her and she just hadn’t heard it. Maybe it’s for the best: it’s not like she knew what to say.

A considerably less stuffy “What did you want?” came across the line. The familiar dourness sort of put Sunset at ease.

“Meet me in the tunnel in one hour.”

“O-”

For the first time in nearly a week, Sunset felt confident and in control. She hung up before she could lose her nerve and start questioning herself. She’d encountered a lot of questions lately.

Making a note of the time, it would be best to leave now lest she be late for the appointment. Won’t hurt to get there before her either.

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Standing under the only working light Sunset chewed a thumbnail. Some hooligans rode their bicycles past her, whooping and throwing glass bottles at the walls. The draft they caused blew cold air up her legs. Shuddering, she hoped one of them would blow a tire from the result of their earlier shenanigans and just eat shit.

While she chastised herself for such thoughts, the enduring grin pulled her hand away from her mouth. Smiling complacently she crossed her arms and leaned back.

It was mere minutes before she heard the telltale clicks of a swagger in heels. Looking up she met the determined glare of a siren, dressed much more appropriately with the season in jeans and mid-calf boots.

Adagio’s hands were tucked into her sweatshirt pocket. Sunset winced in jealousy.

Approaching, her intense scowl receded to an uneasy grimace. It was returned with a crooked smile. The older girl stayed out of arm’s reach. “Shall we go for a walk in the park?”

Suddenly, Sunset felt like a cornered rabbit. Her mind’s ears twitched as she tried to remember why this was a good idea. Of course it was a symbolic meeting place, but why in the world would she pick such a seizable point?

“No, I’d much rather sit for this.” Gesturing out where Adagio just entered from, she asked, “Can I interest you in a drink?”

The woman’s face became unreadable, but Sunset could see a tremor in her pupils. “Sounds good.”

Her grin returned full force at the reluctance. Sunset strode past, stopping to see Adagio hadn’t moved an inch aside from turning around. Cheekily, she extended her left arm to escort the lady. To her surprise, her arm was quickly taken and their pace much brisker than originally intended.

Though her devious side wanted to let Adagio guide them aimlessly, she would refrain from spite. After all, it was her idea: she would lead the way.

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Holding the door open, Sunset was only the slightest bit disappointed Adagio had kept up so well. Part of her envied the other girl’s ability to power walk so effortlessly in those shoes.

Her grudge was forgotten as the air in the cozy coffeehouse warmed her face.

“Thank you,” Adagio said, her own face pink from the late autumn chill.

Sunset waved it off, a bit uncomfortable at the normalcy of the instance. Instead, she nodded toward the attentive barista who awaited orders.

Ignoring the banal pleasantry of everyday greetings, Adagio stepped up to the counter. “Large coffee, two shots of espresso, one caramel.” She pulled a plain leather wallet from her back pocket.

Putting her hand on the other girl’s to stall the activity, Sunset smiled to the frazzled-looking worker and said, “Make that two.” She really didn’t listen to the total, paying it mind only long enough to pass along enough money to cover the bill and throw the change into a tip jar.

If she were being honest with herself, Sunset was not much of a coffee drinker. To herself at least, she could admit to being a little glad that Adagio had chosen a drink that sounded somewhat interesting: partially to expand her own horizon, but mostly to make herself seem more flexible, and maybe less uncultured.

The overwhelming silence proved to be a lesson in awkwardness, so Sunset offered to wait for their drinks while Adagio found a place for them to sit. Thankfully it was accepted and she sighed with relief to be alone.

Alone meant no one looking over her shoulder, searching with big concerned eyes, waiting for the spontaneous generation of secrets.

The reprieve was short-lived. On her way to find the other girl, she briefly questioned her choice to forgo the cardboard insulators. She told herself to shut up and savor the burn.

In a corner Adagio sat on the far side of a booth by the window. Probably expecting her to sit on the other side… with her back to the café.

A deliberate effort to thwart any possible offensive, Sunset slid into the booth right beside Adagio and drank in her shock.

“So…?” The elongated syllable hung between the atypically-meek girls.

Gagging a little, Sunset swallowed her mouthful of liquid quickly; it was much bitterer than expected. “Hot,” Sunset explained. Then, “You called me.” When Adagio didn’t pick up the conversation, she averted her eyes and continued, “I started to think you wouldn’t, it’s been a week.”

“Today’s Wednesday.” The uncooperative girl stirred her beverage, “It’s only been six days. Besides, I thought it was customary to wait a few days before calling.”

“Isn’t that supposed to keep me guessing?” Sunset snorted, “What kind of game are you playing, Adagio Dazzle?”

“No game.” Adagio took a deep breath, “I just thought I needed to see you.”

“Why?” she said, silently hoping it came off more like a demand than a plea. Looking deep into Adagio’s dark-rimmed eyes, she could see the simple concept plagued both of them at night. Sunset didn’t have the energy to sympathize, imploring, “What could you possibly want from me now?”

“I don’t know, okay?!” Lowering her voice - for which Sunset was glad as she suddenly became conscious of how many other patrons were actually in the shop - Adagio continued, “I thought it would make me feel better.”

Sunset didn’t know how to answer that; dead air shrouded them once more. It was nigh unbearable, sipping coffee at each other. Surely there was a better way to break the ice.

“So… where did you grow up?” Sunset winced, but to her surprise Adagio answered immediately.

“Aquastria.” Her bored tone was considerably less shocking. Obviously she wouldn’t want to talk about a home she could no longer return to.

Not like I can relate or anything… she thought with a sigh. “Oh,” Well, as long as I’m already diggin’ my grave: “Isn’t that in the Caballo Latitudes, west of Saddle Arabia?”

“How” - it was Adagio’s turn to look surprised - “How do you know that?”

“Princess Celestia fostered no fools.” There was a break in her self-satisfied posturing. “You said you three ‘knew all about me’… Did you miss the part where I came from Equestria a couple years ago?”

Chuckling, Adagio responded amiably, “We were just fucking with you apparently. We knew you were a bully - even if you were one that got shot down by the giant, swirling rainbow that first drew our attention.”

Sunset nodded ruefully, “No reason to think there’s anything more to me than another teen ‘I had a bad childhood’ story.”

“Literally no clue you weren’t birthed a people thing,” Adagio agreed. “You hid it much better than we did in our early years.”

“You were kind of not expecting it,” Sunset said generously, pleased with the odd compliment.

“Well what happened that you could expect being banished?”

“Oh, nothing. I wasn’t banished.” She hesitated, unsure if it was wise to share this moment of her past life. In for a penny. She drained the last of her cup’s warmth. “Not from Equestria, anyway. I threw a fit, attacked the Princess with a book, and crossed over with what I could carry. I’ve never told anyone.”

Adagio threw her head back and laughed, “You are so much worse than I ever thought you were.”

Fidgeting with an empty paper cup, she diverted focus away from her hands. “Speaking of bad things…” Sunset reached into her backpack and removed from it a semi-transparent black fabric. “I believe this is yours.”

The fierce blush spreading over the older girl’s face made the ostentatious gamble worth it. Adagio quickly swiped at the cloth that dangled in front of her. “What, you just carry these around with you?” The way she mumbled the potentially-rhetorical question made Sunset’s chest swell.

She shrugged, “I’m hopeful that way.”

If it was possible, Adagio’s blush deepened. She looked out the window petulantly.

Sunset kind of regretted breaking their easy rapport, fruitlessly sipping coffee. She stood, tugging at her skirt. “I’m gonna get another cup - want one?”

“It’s getting late,” Adagio said without turning, “Don’t you think you should be heading home?”

Following her eyes, Sunset found she appeared quite correct. Really it was still rather early - if her phone was more indicative of the time than the encroaching nightfall - and were it a routine afternoon, she would spend at least another hour at the library.

“Maybe one for the walk then?” she asked, humoring the aberration and already backpedaling toward the counter.

Adagio extracted herself from the table. “On one condition.”

“Name it.” Sunset was feeling reckless.

“Let me walk you home.”

Sunset’s crooked grin receded into an even deadpan. On the other hand, she’d already - in all but name - accepted.

The impulsive girl ordered two more drinks.

“You just want to know where I live.”

If Adagio were to offer full disclosure, she was much more interested to know how Sunset lived. In any case, she stated as haughtily as she could, “I know where you live.” She smirked a little to see the pony-girl bristle.

“Then what’s in it for you?” the girl asked in a clipped tone, the grip on her knapsack tightening.

“Oh, y’know.” Adagio took a sip of the heavenly beverage, letting her tongue bask in the hot bittersweetness. “Just in case.”

Sunset loosed a bark of laughter, but otherwise quietly accepted the irony.

At least she can appreciate it.

A gust of wind ruffled the siren’s hair; she struggled to pull her hood up with one hand. Shivering, she grasped her brew with both hands, wishing them warm. Gazing jealously at the girl who looked like she was continuously on fire, Adagio very much wanted to lock arms again, even if only to siphon the heat from her bones. Yet that felt like it would be inappropriate so she refrained.

It was a very short walk - less than a mile from the bistro - to the cramped parking lot of an overstuffed apartment complex. She would choose to remain mute during the young woman’s one-handed search for keys.

Victoriously wrenching a small set of keys from her bag, Sunset opened the door with a flourish. Perhaps it was her own imagination, but it seemed to actually be colder inside the modest apartment.

When the unpredictable girl turned and asked, “Would you like to come in?” she was so taken aback she nearly forgot to shiver at the prospect.

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Exactly how she ended up pinned against the back of Sunset’s door was not clear to her.

Though their hands had freely explored one another’s bodies before, Adagio felt there was something new to the situation. Sure hands scratched at her exposed midriff, grasping the bottom of her sweatshirt and pausing.

Adagio fidgeted at the sudden cessation of attention, feeling scrutinized. Her throat bobbed, meeting her aggressor’s intense teal eyes; they were soft with beseeching. Adagio gave a sharp nod of assent.

Lifted to aid the removal of her thickest layer, her arms quickly came down to circle Sunset’s neck to pull the girl into another kiss.

Sunset stepped back, removing her own jacket, and took Adagio’s hand. Before she could blush, she was dragged through a narrow doorway and pushed onto a single bed.

Low purrs rumbled from Adagio’s chest as she watched Sunset strip in the dim light. She gasped silently as the lithe figure stepped out from a pile of clothes. She’s beautiful.

Drinking in the supple golden curves that made up Sunset Shimmer, Adagio barely registered herself being undressed, startled back to reality only when deft fingers unbuckled her boots.

“I- I can-” Adagio stuttered.

“Shut up,” Sunset growled, “and scoot back.”

Dumbstruck, she obeyed. Lying back on the bed, her face heated up when her jeans did not follow. Her hips were raised; her underwear slipped off. Adagio quickly shed her shirt and bra to match, feeling self-conscious that Sunset didn’t even look.

No, the seductress was occupied with a more intimate heat, leaning dangerously close to an embarrassing wetness. Adagio closed her eyes to block out the abasement of being scrutinized so intently.

A startled moan choked out of her, she looked down between her breasts to see Sunset lavishing her folds with a slow lick.

Without moving her head, the woman prowled onto the bed and turned her body in parallel with Adagio’s. Tentatively her knees moved closer and closer until one swung over to the other side.

Treated to a new sight, the siren gasped and consequently breathed in the deep aroma of fresh hormones. It was intoxicating. Shaking hands stroked the warm globes of muscle hovering overhead.

Pulling her mouth away, Sunset shifted to make eye contact. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

The girl on top resumed her work and wiggled her hips enticingly.

Saucy bitch, Adagio thought. Tilting her head to the side, she nipped at the inner thigh that trapped her. No reaction. She bit down harder till moans shook her from the core.

Sunset didn’t pull away, merely rested her cheek on Adagio’s lower body, panting. “I guess you can do that too.” Adagio giggled at the vibrations the terse words made on her skin. “If you play nice, I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Oooh,” Adagio said before she could help herself, unsure if her muteness should stay unbroken. It no longer mattered as soon as the lapping tongue betwixt her legs repossessed her.

Tongue outstretched, she inched forward gingerly. The pink flesh was smooth and yielding and Adagio was gentle in her experimental probe, but Sunset recoiled sharply as if she’d been bitten.

“S-sorry,” she stuttered; through the hushed tone Adagio could hear a blush. “I was joking, you really don’t have to do anything.”

At a loss, Adagio said softly: “Shut up and spread your legs.”

A teasing shake later, Sunset complied.

Author's Note

I'm just posting this now as a placeholder. I'm going to keep writing before I make this public.
edit: oops I made it public. I guess I was gonna hide this chapter again, but since it's up I'll leave it.

Chapter 2 - Shame and Frustrations

“Would you mind if I use your bathroom?”

A small voice inside Sunset wanted to say yes, but that seemed unreasonably cruel. Instead she pointed out the open door. “It’s on the left.” Part of her felt stupid: it’s not like her one-bed-one-bath was any place to get lost.

Adagio thanked her and disappeared around the corner. A not-so-distant fan spluttered to life.

Body fully satiated, her mind wandered into uncomfortable territory. Sunset didn’t know why she lied earlier; it wasn’t a big deal that she went home and retrieved the underwear before their meeting. Why wouldn’t she want Adagio to know that?

Sprawled naked on her sheets, Sunset busied herself in finding defects to be ashamed of in her bedroom. The barren walls, the unbalanced desk, the laundry piled on top of a capsized hamper.

Definitely a much better use of her returning mental faculties.

The adjacent door squeaked open; Sunset scrambled to sit up, despite the protest of many tender bits.

Adagio stopped between the two rooms, obscured in the shadow but Sunset took in all she could. She padded into the room, eyes roving. She toggled the light switch.

“I know.” Shamed, check. “It’s not very bright.”

The inquisitive hand dropped to Adagio’s side. She said nothing. The tension mounted, surging back into place as if nothing had budged it to begin with.

Then: “I should get out of your hair. Time, sleep, school and all.”

Sunset felt only mild disappointment. “Oh… Did you want to take a shower first?” she cast out, though hoping for rejection.

At the thought, Adagio’s cheeks puffed out slightly; it was incredibly cute. Finally she sighed, “No, it’s alright. I won’t want to put my clothes back on if I’m cleaner than they are.”

Neither wanted to suggest obvious solutions, so both girls looked down stiffly. Adagio went around and collected her clothes. The mattress creaked as she sat down on the very edge to put her shoes on.

Sunset, impressed, watched the shaking siren pull her hoodie over all that hair and into place.

She coughed, looking out the window into the night. It’s pretty late now. Steeling herself, asked: “Are you going to be warm enough out there?” On a whim she pinched the threadbare material, only now recognizing the sweatshirt’s indecorous state.

“This thing has gotten me through worse,” Adagio replied, with neither venom nor vigor. Her smile was very unconvincing.

It wasn’t like it was any of her business… but Sunset crawled over to the headboard and removed a light blue throw blanket draped over the tarnished metal. “Here, it’s not much but it’s enough to stave off the worst of the wind.” Unfurling it for the other girl to see, she continued, “With any luck, if you walk through the park with it over your shoulders, nobody’ll bother you.”

“Right, because they’re going to think I’m crazy,” Adagio deadpanned, her head lolling slightly to the side to accent her skepticism.

“Which you are!” Sunset exclaimed brightly. At least one of us has to be: why else would you be here? “Or you would be if you don’t take it.”

Warily eyeing her, the older girl reached out and stroked the proffered item with a slow, careful slide of her hand. “Are you sure? This must a nightmare to clean.”

“Stop overthinking,” Sunset shrugged. She folded the plush blanket over Adagio’s wrist, swinging the bulk of it around her waist and pulling it taut. “Take it.”

Adagio’s quick exhale tickled her face. Sunset shivered against the cold clothes pressing into her front, yet refused to give an inch to the women she had ensnared.

The only answer she would accept was the breathless “Okay” that followed.

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Alone again, Sunset readied herself for a late night of compensatory studying. First chem, now this. This was no way for a valedictorian candidate to act.

The silence was back. If it was unbearable in Adagio’s presence, it was even more so with no soft body to stifle the sound of her beating heart. That’s just what hearts do though - it’s natural that they beat rhythmically; there was nothing about the phenomenon that was affected in any way. No, her body had reverted to its baseline activity, the rush of chemicals has receded, and she caught her breath.

Still… no longer warmed by blissful friction and hormones, she felt terrible, cold, and gross.

Padding out to check the main door, she scurried to endure a quick shower. Not bothering to close the door behind her, she turned the faucet as hot as it would go - having just depleted the water heater several hours earlier, it was bound to be less-than-scalding.

Coated in dried sweat and lust, her skin became slick instantly. Once she was fully immersed, she planned to stay as long as she could. Lukewarm quickly turned to steaming, a rather pleasant surprise in lieu of the numbness that threatened to overwhelm her. She sighed, leaning her head against the plastic wall, shivering when the water saturated her hair and trickled behind her ears, moaning as her scalp burned.

Her eyes stung with exhaustion, but there was no time for that. Mentally listing the things she should have done for tomorrow, the stubborn unicorn could collapse from the weight of busywork.

The temperature in the stall dropped steadily and she cursed herself for letting the steam out so rapidly. Living alone taught her bad habits. She lathered quickly so she could get clean. Y’know, the actual point of said shower. She sighed again.

No longer soapy, her frantic hands slowed. She hadn’t stopped earlier, but standing now under the tepid deluge, Sunset conscientiously appreciated the subtle soreness of her body. The mild ache in muscle tissue she had no control over. It was all still very new to her.

In the chill, she curiously ran her palm over a tightening nipple. She gasped as it shocked a new warmth through her. She hurried to bed.

Laid upon a pair of towels, she tried her damnedest to exercise control on her muscles. She flexed and relaxed as best she could, but all she accomplished was needing to use the bathroom again. It didn’t make her feel sexy and her arousal started to wane.

She gave up the efforts to train the recalcitrant flesh. It was frustrating, to say the least.

Thoughtlessly, her hands drifted to caress her body, luxuriating in the feeling of being clean and smooth. Homework could wait. She wagged an imaginary tail, gradually stretching the kinks in her back and shoulders. Thoughtlessly, her mind drifted back to a short time ago when someone else was helping her stretch. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she licked a fingertip and guided it to her clit.

In spite of being very naked, their bodies were so very warm. As nice as her hot breath had been on her leg, Adagio’s sharp tongue was extremely pleasurable this time around. Sunset shivered at the memory and those same intractable muscles rippled in sympathy.

She groaned, pressing a finger into her vagina, only slightly flustered at the heat she found. In short moments, she began to imagine Adagio performing the actions that moved her body, drawing on the visceral memory of the woman’s experienced touches; of her light hands, her hot mouth.

Sunset, straddling the other girl’s face, spread her knees on command. It was all she could do to stay up when soft lips tickled up her thighs and laid a wet kiss on the crux that separated her leg from her loins. She burned a wild, desperate need before Adagio relented and tasted her in earnest.

In real time, she swiveled her hips to glean all the pleasure she could from her own hands. Her heels dug into the mattress; her back arched.

Illusory-Adagio slipped another finger in her. Sunset tried to return the sentiment. Gasping for breath, she lowered her head to graze Adagio’s taint from the inside. Moans filled the room as she pistoned her tongue in and out of the siren.

An unexpected surge threw her onto the bed and the ancient sea-monster mounted her properly. Laying on her back, Sunset was vulnerable to whatever the yellow-skinned human wanted to inflict unto her. She shuddered with nerves. Fingers lined themselves at her entrance. The hand was controlled by the upright girl’s pelvic bone. Adagio directed the pace and the depth of her thrusts with minute shifts of her hips.

Lungs ached with exertion; she couldn’t take much more. Memory and desire intertwined seamlessly, she couldn’t care for such fine distinctions.

Shimmering gold scales roared and snapped Sunset out of her fantasy, but it was too late. Orgasm rippled around her fingers as she bit her lip, refusing to alert the neighbors.

Sweet oxygen rejoined her as she whispered comparably sweet nothings into the cool night air. She shone with a new layer of sweat, but it was clean and well-deserved; it could stay.

Wiping her hands on the towels, she curled up and let sleep take her.

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Damp. This is not okay.

Waking up never used to be a difficult task… but there was something about being tangled in wet towels which didn’t quite cover everything that she didn’t quite love. Rather than feeling rested and relaxed, she only felt unproductive and irritated at wasting time. She fumbled to get up. She still had homework to do.

Her foot has the unfortunate luck of kicking a cup over. Her other foot naturally followed suit and only managed to mire itself into the tepid pool forming on the floor. This did a much better job of rousing her than drinking the coffee would have.

“Crap.” The puddle was stopped by a mound of clothes.

When her brain caught up with the events, she felt exceedingly stupid; the desk was barely more than an arm’s length away.

Hell, Sunset didn’t know why she bought another cup. It was just a ploy to fill the gap, buy another twenty minutes with Adagio - Another ‘why’ I’ll never understand - and sit in the company of someone else.

Picking up the cup and using her already-sodden skirt to soak up most of the mess; she retrieved the mop. Donning her pajamas with a sigh of defeat, she took a quick look around. It has to be done.

She stripped the sheets, dumped everything into the basket, and set off to start a load of laundry.

And maybe a third shower before morning.

Adagio Dazzle kept sleeping with the enemy.

Except she wasn’t the enemy. In fact, she was quite nice and it took all of Adagio’s strength to not run out of her apartment.

Except they didn’t sleep together. Of course, it certainly wasn’t lovemaking, but it wasn’t nearly as vindictive or malicious as their previous get-together.

That didn’t go as planned.

She had retreated to her room as soon as she got home, neither snooping inquisition nor snide inferences could extract her from self-imposed exile. Both of her roommates saw her come home. Aria looked away from the door as soon as Adagio poked in. Sonata had at least been pretending to look at the textbook. Their homework spread over the coffee table the same as when she’d left hours before.

She leaned back on her own door, blocking out the very similar position she was in not too long ago. Knees buckled under the weight of startlingly familiar turmoil. She did not have the mettle to move any deeper into the room - not when the bed looked so far and uninviting.

She felt crying would be appropriate at this time, but the pressure that would force itself on the inside of her ribs was missing so she didn’t. The former megalomaniac sighed in frustration, tracing the steps and missteps of the day.

Adagio had been in no mood to weather Aria’s insufferable I-told-you-so smirk when the two came back from school. She waited in front of the driveway until the car pulled to the curb. Sonata skipped past with a kiss on her cheek, but she was focused on the laconic siren whom she approached: hand out, palm up, eyes averted.

She drove for miles. She left the city far behind. Hood up, windows down, wind whipping all around her. Tears would fill her eyes and refuse to fall; she hoped for rain in the face of the sunny afternoon.

Navigating serpentine back roads of the remote mountainside slowly, she could dispel the terrible emotions that eroded her sanity. It was her and the road, the trees and the air.

Then her phone had rung and she knew there would be no peace for her. Pulling over, she saw a familiar number flash across her screen. She had sighed, instinctively annoyed with Sonata for not returning a book.

Hanging up, Adagio laughed now. Luck would have it that the girl she lost her nerve to would be so crafty.

Truthfully there wasn’t a definite goal for the evening. All the serenity she had composed during the drive propelled her the entire way to the park, to the coffeehouse, to bed. Sex most likely complicated the situation.

A booming knock came through the door, contrasted by the soft voice that followed. “Hi, AD… it’s AB.”

It was the way Aria approached when she was trying to be playful. Adagio hadn’t heard it in years and though the silly little thing made her feel better, she didn’t want company. The call went unresponded.

It didn’t take long for the knob to jiggle, and though she overlooked locking the door, it wouldn’t budge.

“C’mon Adagio, let me in.” There was another push, this one strong enough to inch the sitting girl forward. She dug her heel into the carpet and pushed back. “I have to talk to you about something.”

“No!” her throat strained, feeling rawer than when she’d had her pendant shattered. “Go away!”

The hesitation was palpable, her mind’s eye could see the girl who’d become closer than kin scowl and take a deep swallow before she heard the fading footsteps. She breathed in relief. If anyone could read her like a book, it would be Aria.

“Dagi!” Apparently her hell was not over. Another voice sang through the solid wood, “Ari wants to talk to me ‘cause you won’t talk to her and it’s scaring me!”

“I don’t care Sonata!” she screamed into the room, not really caring how muffled it would sound. “Don’t talk to her then.”

There was some quiet scratching and then, “Oww! Aria hit me, she said I was messing up your veneer.” Sonata had a gift to make every other word sound like a whine. “She also said not to bother you while you’re crying, but you can talk to me.”

“I’m not crying now go the fuck away.” She willed her command to carry the implication they wouldn’t get another word out of her.

At the sound of the wall-to-wall carpet’s life shortening, Adagio mentally swore at Sonata’s immature fits; if it didn’t contradict her desired implication, she would’ve yelled about walking properly.

Reaching up to lock the door, her hand returned to rub her eyes: looking for evidence that she wasn’t crying. She didn’t find it.

“Great.”

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When the salty residue caked around her eyes irritated her enough, Adagio searched her pocket for a handkerchief. Only after she’d already wiped her face did she take notice that she wasn’t using any sort of kerchief.

Unfolding the lace pattern with a modest disgust, she was casually surprised by how black it was.

She had almost forgotten about her lost panties, and truthfully did not expect them back. She didn’t expect the other girl to keep them. She’d left that night and considered things to be settled: they each lost an article of clothing.

"Besides, you owe me a pair."

And now... Adagio's thought trailed off as she fingered the soft shroud laid over her frame. Now, she possessed something that belonged to Sunset. It was generosity Adagio in no way deserved. Not for the first time, the girl felt like a shell of her former self. She shrugged it off. It seemed late to feel guilty.

But Adagio did feel guilty. For leading her friends down the path that ended in their defeat. For her subsequent petty behavior that led her to whatever the hell is going on now. For leaving Sunset’s torn and unsalvageable panties in the dirt and not taking them home with her - which was frankly an idiotic notion on its own, let alone something to feel badly about.

It wasn’t just the panties, or the blanket she had given so unselfishly, or the two cups of coffee, or the fun sexy time and subsequent free range of her bathroom. Though that was all appreciated accordingly. Sunset Shimmer gave Adagio a new companion who knew of home. She gave away a secret that must have burdened her for years.

Then, she intimated something she hadn’t even told her friends! There was power in knowledge and she’d relinquished it. Readily, willingly, freely. The simplicity of the truth brought fresh tears to Adagio’s eyes.

She laid on her side and wept into the carpet.

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Crying alone on the floor of her bedroom, fully dressed and feeling a coldness that no amount of tucking into herself - and not for lack of trying - would assuage: it was clearly a prolific way to waste a lot of time. Adagio stayed thusly for hours, unable to make herself get up. It was simultaneously restful and tiring, though perhaps not at the same rate.

In any case, she was hungry and she needed a shower, but those were secondary to her urgent need to die slowly in the fetal position.

Maybe Sonata was the smart one, hoarding random snacks all over her room for ‘emergencies’ - whatever that meant.

Bleary-eyed, she took stock of her own opulent surroundings. Closing her eyes, she revisited the small apartment.

Candles were littered throughout Sunset Shimmer’s bathroom. Adagio had smelled one and found it unscented. It wasn’t something she noticed upon arrival, but after a brief scan, it had become clear that various candles were a central running theme to the home.

As bare as Sunset’s room was, she couldn’t claim her own held any more personality. There was no motif, no rhyme or reason. All the furnishings matched and complemented the area. It was picturesque as a luxury suite might be, and were it not for her insignia emblazoned coyly on several items, she might have been fooled.

There were no posters of concerts attended or performed; no kitschy souvenirs of perfect journeys with perfect strangers; no trunk of admirers’ tokens which were any enchantress’ birthright to cache.

Who was she anymore? Had she changed after the loss of her magic, or was this always bubbling beneath the surface? Does it even matter?

Cried out, she felt as cold and lonely as ever.

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The ground, plushness aside, began to hurt her skeletal structure. A deep breath soothed overworked lungs; she held it as long as she could.

Slowly, she relaxed her chest in concert with pushing arms. Adagio knelt victoriously as the last of the air was forced out. Inch by inch she drudged at her bed, uninspired to stand and take the few steps.

By the time she pulled herself onto the queen-size mattress, she was appreciative enough for the pants she wore to let them stay. Shortly thereafter she recognized the further indifference toward the rest of her attire and knew she wouldn’t be bothered to take anything off. Far-from-flat on the covers and lying at a queer angle, Adagio grabbed blindly at a pillow and dragged it under her.

Her body was leaden with fatigue, but as overly dramatic as the excessive crying felt she could not deny the results. Swollen eyes and sniffles were outweighed by the chemical respite they afforded her.

The steady rhythm of her breathing coaxed a gentle movement; her chest felt raw from suppressing sobs, lest she be heard by the others. She’d never live it down. Worse yet, they might offer understanding. What good it would be for those two to understand what she herself can hardly wrap her mind around.

Yawning unexpectedly, beads of warmth sprang from her eyes. Dismayed at even more tears from such inoffensive stimuli, she was relieved in equal measure when more did not follow.

Of course she had experience with leaking from her eye holes, but it was usually done to manipulate a target. For a long time, all it took to sell a story was to be a young maiden in tears. She yawned again, this time immediately rubbing away the physiologically-induced moisture.

Still, she was ill at ease. Internally she warred over what to do with the cozy cloth still wrapped around her shoulders. Will Sunset want it back, or was it an awkward pity gift?

Is Adagio supposed to care about what the other girl wanted? Even without being enemies - not that she could tell how Sunset felt about their entire liaison in one way or another - they certainly were no manner of friends. Hell, she hardly cared what Aria or Sonata wanted most of the time.

Maybe it should go into the back of the closet until further notice. Or be discarded in some manner.

No, she decided at last. I’ll just hold onto it until she asks for it back.

For the first time in nearly a week, Adagio slept soundly through the night. She gave in and nuzzled deeply into the sea-green blanket, breathing in the scent of her non-enemy.

In her dreams danced a pair of sand-colored creatures. See you soon, my little pony.

Author's Note

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Chapter 3 - Lunchtimes

Sunset might have felt bad about doing laundry so late at night if she didn’t already know the neighbors in that building were too strung out to care. Hanging her favorite skirt, it was stained but would probably still be wearable once it dried.

Behind it dangled her beloved leather jacket. Sunset missed her old jacket. Long ago she’d bought a backup coat if ever she should need it... she just never thought about a time it would happen. Though the garment hung, cleaned and patched, in the back of her closet, looking at it too long made her sick to her stomach.

She left her bedroom. She sat at the end of the couch: the farthest point from her closet short of actually leaving her apartment.

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Sunset Shimmer walked the halls of Canterlot High School. Each step reminded her that at least it was Friday.

First to arrive, she had sat at the corner of the table, had experimentally lifted her blouse and massaged the exposed midriff. “At least I’m not pregnant?” As consoling as the thought may have been - and it was - it would hardly mitigate the gnawing ache of her intestines.

“Ain’t ‘cha gonna eat somethin’, Sugarcube?”

Furtively Sunset unfurled her shirt as Applejack plopped down to her right, tray in hand. “Hey Applejack, I guess I’m not really that hungry.” At the time, she had felt self-consciously aware she had likely been caught rubbing her stomach - which could’ve been taken for a sign of the contrary - but thankfully it wasn’t mentioned.

“Sunset, dear, you must eat something,” Rarity said from behind Applejack, then pushed a small bag of carrots from her own meal.

Her long-time favorite. Sunset smiled despite herself, appreciating the compassion. “Thanks Rare,” she conceded, knowing better than to argue. The fastidious girl waved away the sentiment.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash cried from the cafeteria doors. She sprinted to the table and crashed into the chair across from Sunset. “I called you like eight times last night! I need your homework, pronto!”

Rarity scoffed at the display and walked around to sit at Applejack’s other side. AJ and Sunset exchanged a grin at Rarity’s exaggerated eye roll.

“Umm, yeah. Sure…” Sunset trailed off, riffling through the contents of her backpack for the singular class they had together. “Cutting it kind of close there Dash, why didn’t you call somebody else?”

Snatching the notebook from her friend, Rainbow flipped the pages from the end for what she was looking for. “Duh, you’re the only one who ever does the whole assignment.” The answer only added to the table’s confusion.

“Right, you never do homework. So why are you doing it now?”

“Can’t talk, working,” was the aloof reply. Sunset’s face scrunched. Note to self: ask first, give answers later.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, each carrying a plastic tray, approached to take a closer look at Rainbow. As Fluttershy stood next to her chair irresolutely, Pinkie shrugged and threw down her lunch in front of Rarity.

Sunset recovered from a flinch and pointed a vegetable at the discomfiting scribbling of their manic-looking friend. “Can either of you explain this?”

“The counselor sent Rainbow an email last night.” Shuffling the chair aside, Fluttershy sat down with great care and caution. “If she doesn’t raise her grades, she won’t be allowed to play in any games for the rest of the semester.”

“That includes the Friendship Games, which isn’t even fair ‘cause it’s not even this semester!”

Arranging her carrots into a small, orange teepee, Sunset chuckled, “I don’t get it. We don’t even deal with that school, why do we suddenly care so much every four years? Who cares if we’re friends with them or not?”

Rainbow flicked down the structure - “Oh no, the food pyramid,” Sunset whined facetiously - ready to bark about the myriad sporting events (that Sunset cared ever-so-much about) the ever-illustrious Crystal Prep Academy would trounce them in. She was interrupted by Applejack shoving her face into the notes, muttering something about being grateful.

“Sunset Shimmer, stop fussing with your food this instant and eat it!” Rarity chided, only smiling when the addressed girl meekly shoved a handful of baby carrots into her mouth. “Better. Now tell me about this marvelous new jacket of yours - not that your other jacket isn’t absolutely you and très dazzling, I’ve simply never seen you without it. Why the big change?”

“Oh,” Sunset started regretfully. The question made her stomach turn especially hard. “I kind of erm, snagged it last night on my way home, and it’s ruined now.”

“Surely it isn’t completely lost! If you’d like, I could look at it for you,” the fashionista offered.

Over several minutes Sunset continued to decline Rarity’s increasingly insistent offer as the others looked on.

Finally, Rainbow had slapped her pencil down. “Look Rare, she doesn’t want you messing w- Whoa, Sunset. What happened to you?”

“Whatever do you mean, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity pursed her lips at the other girl.

Pinkie's hand shot up in the air. The most excitable among them tried interpreting the statement. “Do you mean her hair’s not as shiny as it usually is? Is it the bags under her eyes? Ooh! Ooh! She’s really jumpy!” Each guess listed was a wrought iron anchor in Sunset’s belly.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rarity turned to face Sunset, “What I think she means, darling, is that you seem a bit… out of sorts. Distracted - reclusive even.”

“Not really,” Rainbow interjected. “I mean that.” Her pencil pointed at Sunset’s face, who reached up and brushed where she might have been indicating. She grunted. “Not there.”

Sunset moved her hand a few inches, pausing in question.

Rainbow was not so patient. Lunging over the table, she grabbed Sunset by the shirt and twisted it to the side to show everyone what she saw.

All present gasped.

Except Sunset. “What?” Her friends’ bulging eyes provided unsatisfactory answers. “What?!”

Wordlessly, Rarity pulled from her purse a compact mirror and angled it up for Sunset to see jagged dashes forming an angry red circle.

Adagio Dazzle, you bitch. How was she supposed to explain that? Unable to help herself, Is that the last I’ll see of her?

“Sunset Shimmer, I think I know what happened.” Pinkie said, lowering her head and retreating slightly. “The loss of appetite, the insomnia, the aversion to the light” - Sunset exchanged looks of bewilderment with the rest of her friends - “Did you run into a vampire?”

I honestly don’t know what I expected.

“Or, y’know, she got laid in some back alleyway or something.” The athlete had said it so nonchalantly it was disconcerting.

“It don’t look anything like a hickey! You’re only sayin’ that to make us all uncomfortable.” AJ sounded angry.

“It’s round and red and on her neck… what else am I supposed to think!” Rainbow elbowed the girl at her side, “Back me up on this, Flutters!”

Peeking through pink hair, she squeaks, “It is round.”

Rarity waved off the assumptions, “I’m sure it’s simply a bad reaction to a new lotion or makeup. Sunset?”

“I dunno, something like that I guess.” Sunset shrugged, “I didn’t notice anything strange.”

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Sunset hadn’t liked lying to her friends but what was she supposed to say, the truth?

Between the guilt and the twisting in her gut, she’d ended up vomiting before the end of lunch and had to be escorted to the nurse’s office. After hiding out for a half hour, she requested to attend her last classes to collect her homework. In her last hour, she immediately approached the instructor for the assignment and asked to go back to the nurse.

Her teacher said yes. She went home.

That weekend she was supposed to help Fluttershy at the shelter. She called Rainbow to help in her place; of course Fluttershy understood, she was sick after all.

She spent the next two days by herself, replaying the scene in her mind over and over again. Burned every word exchanged into her forever-memory. Analyzed the spontaneity out of it. She kept thinking maybe she had missed something - maybe something that would help her understand - but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was she didn’t understand, let alone what caused it.

Each recital confounded her further, made it that much harder to stomach herself and her actions. Sure, she was cornered in a dingy park a block away from her home, but she’d turned around and did the same…

And Sunset enjoyed it. Didn’t she? She wasn’t sure now. Maybe I am sick. What kind of creature am I?

Lying half-asleep on the couch, Sunset dreamed of the body she was born into.

It transmogrified into a gaunt form whose coat had the color of blood and the wings of a bat. Adorning her chest was a collar with a sparkling dark red jewel. The horn she had sorely missed for quite some time tapered to a finer point. Her tail extended as well. Tufts on her ears created minor secondary peaks but otherwise appeared to be frayed and torn.

Her eyes blackened and her hooves shone a rigid blackness. The colors of her cutie mark inverted; honestly, she never paid much attention to its orientation, but the sudden appearance of the bright red rays inching to her ribs perturbed her.

Her new webbed appendages flapped, revealing that they were backed in a thick, black hide and tipped with sharp, silver claws. Unnaturally-pointed canines proved to be true fangs as her mouth opened. She screamed, a small ball of fire materialized in place of her voice. The gem at her throat blazed.

The sphere grew. There was no aura indicative of any magical activity. Then her incisors snapped together, releasing the massive fireball.

Mentally blinking, she conjured an image of Adagio Dazzle. Not a ponied-up form, not the siren apparition, not even the old sketch Twilight Sparkle had brought with her from Equestria.

Unassuming, innocuous, human girl Adagio. And she stood in the way.

Bolting upright, Sunset rejected the rest of her caffeine.

Adagio picked another berry off her muffin. It joined a growing pile of purple mush.

“I don’t see why you bother if you’re just gonna rip ‘em apart.” Aria stepped into view and sat at the dining table where Adagio had been nursing a headache with a demitasse of black coffee.

“Yeah, well I don’t see why they’re not made with real blueberries.” She cast a look out the window in the direction of a fruit bearing hill.

Aria smacked her forehead with an open palm. “Are you going senile? They’re outta season. There aren’t any left to just pick off some bush.”

Adagio scowled, feeling foolish at the oversight. “Seems like a waste is all.” When the woman raised her hands in mock surrender, Adagio glanced at the clock and said, “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

This drew a warm chuckle of surprise. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle.” She reached forward without warning and placed her hands on Adagio’s, slowly extricating the cup from her grasp.

Even with her hands wrapped around the hot ceramic, they felt so cold compared to Aria’s. “You fishface, get your own.”

“I did.” She sipped smugly. “I took yours.”

The ex-lead siren rolled her eyes, “Tell me you’re not skipping school just to bother me.”

“But Adagio,” the pigtailed girl batted her eyes coquettishly, “how can I lie to you?”

“Then at least stop hitting on me.” She shuddered, "You know it doesn’t work.”

“Sure it does.” Aria wiggled her shoulders like a lioness about to pounce. Leaning across the table, she whispered, “It makes you uncomfortable.”

Adagio spread her palm on Aria’s face, firmly pushing her aggressor back into the chair. “Whatever. Where’s Stimpy?”

“She got on the right bus to school, but…” she trailed off with a shrug. “I would’ve taken her if I had a car.”

“‘Taken her’?” Her eyebrows twitched. “So you weren’t going to stay even after driving there.”

Aria stood up, still sipping the beverage, and walked to the island. She did not look back as she spoke. “Excellent deduction. Good to know your new sleep schedule hasn’t taken a toll on your rationality.”

Adagio chased her mug, retrieving it from her irritating roommate. Empty. She very briefly entertained the idea of bludgeoning the cause of said emptiness until said mug shattered. Briefly.

She really liked that mug.

Pausing at the sink to massage her temples, a short glance to Aria’s smirk and she deigned not to answer. Sighing, she cleaned the dishes and left.

Or she tried to.

Aria would have none of it, jerking her back by the shoulder.

Her eyes fluttered up with indignation as the other girl frisked her. “Can I help you?” No answer. “Ar- Ari.” She was not getting through. “Aria Blaze!”

“Come on, let’s get lunch.” Aria walked away holding a set of keys that did not belong to her.

“Get back here.” Adagio didn’t want to go out. She especially did not want a chaperone if and when she did. “Didn’t you just see me eating?!”

The woman stopped. Adagio swore she took a step back with the intent of causing a collision. Aria grinned, reaching down to help her fallen comrade. She did that on purpose. Adagio swiped the hand away.

“So what? That's a breakfast.” Aria jingled the keys at her teasingly. “I’m talkin’ about lunch.”

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Adagio was loath to admit it, but Aria was a very good driver. She used her mirrors and her turn indicators, looked before changing lanes, and remained generally aware of her surroundings.

These were, of course, very basic skills and habits, but it made her feel safe. And more recently, envious.

While Adagio could handle her sedan with confidence and proficiency, she found herself lacking awareness. Thoughts would cloud her vision, the miles blend together. Caught up in something or other, she might miss a turn or lose track of where she was altogether.

An aggressive horn made her jump in her seat. Her friend laughed at her frown.

In confusion, she noted the green light in front of them; no wonder they were honked at. Mouth open, her question was overshadowed by a small fleet of emergency vehicles, each blaring its own discordant sound as they crossed their path. Then Aria just drove on like nothing happened.

Considering all the time they’ve spent together, that’s what impressed Adagio the most. The surly girl didn’t spitefully sit at the light until it turned yellow to block the jerk behind them. Even she was tempted to throw an inappropriate hand gesture out the window.

No: impulsive, hot-blooded, angry Aria was a level-headed motorist. She achieved nirvana behind the wheel. As long as she stayed seated, nothing could break her placid state. She might get out of the car and throw the biggest bitch-fit of the century, but as long as she was in the driver’s seat, all was calm.

They pulled into a spot at a small, archetypal diner by the edge of town when Adagio realized she’d lost focus for a large portion of the drive.

“Man, what a dick!” Aria unbuckled her seatbelt without waiting for an answer. When Adagio joined her in the near-winter chill, she continued to rant about ‘the asshole in the shitty pickup’. “If I didn’t already have plans, I’d say we should’ve followed them to wherever and egged the shit out of ‘em.”

Adagio shook her head. There were no eggs, but she didn’t care to ask where they would find some. “What is the plan anyhow?”

“French toast!” The enthusiasm felt out of character for the sullenest siren, and had she not been staring, she’d’ve attributed the words to Sonata.

Then the elder girl scowled, “I thought we weren’t getting breakfast!”

“You can have whatever you want, but I wanted french toast” - the brat held the door open for her and she entered with a slight huff - “and we’re out of ingredients.”

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Sometimes talking to Aria is like pulling teeth. She demands an equivalent exchange of any piece of information, which is irritating when she wants to talk about something personal to her. On the other side, she’s willing to soak up dramatic monologues without any voluntary feedback.

Adagio held no information she was inclined to barter so, delicious BLT aside, lunch was a bust.

What she managed to pry from the uncooperative girl pretty much amounted to Aria making friends. Reflecting on countless years as a steadfast trio, Adagio couldn’t help but wonder if this was maybe for the better.

In all likelihood, the young-looking girl was concerned. Ari was known to keep secrets for very long stretches of time. Not unlike a cat, she was perfectly content to walk away from a conversation as it happened. Adagio highly doubted that reserved Aria was so overcome with the burning desire to talk about her potential new companions she would go through the trouble of requesting an audience two days in a row.

Maybe Adagio was projecting and unconsciously wanted to be asked about her own recent activities. Maybe all she wanted to feel like somebody cared.

Maybes had no place in her life. To remove the temptation of dwelling on them, she took Aria to the mall to wait for semi-secret friends and returned to the kitchen to sit alone with her mug. Only then did she note with mild astonishment that it was nearly 2 o’clock.

School was almost out for the day. The mere fact caused her brow to furrow. For the second time that day an incredible loneliness washed over her, in spite of her voluntary distance from her housemates. This time, however, she was in no position to wash away the shame it brought.

Her fingertips drummed against the glossy surface of the table.

Maybe she’d reach out to a real high school-aged girl.

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Sunset answered after the first ring. Adagio was certain the girl either didn’t know or didn’t care who she was speaking to, sounding terse in a husky, hushed voice. She said she would call back after class was dismissed and that was good enough.

True to her word, Sunset returned the call within the hour. “I was in Lit, what’s up?”

The casualness of the opening line caught Adagio off-guard. For someone who’d only been greeted by the most obsequious of groveling suitors, it simultaneously, alternately, distressed and warmed her. Emboldened by the absence of malice, she felt safe to ask for another meeting.

Her face broke into a smile at Sunset’s calm, ready acceptance. Flush with excitement, she quickly thought of where to meet her latest thrill.

“Dazzle, you still there?”

“Yeah,” her mind still drawing blanks, “I’ll meet you around the back of school in fifteen minutes, alright?”

Eyes closing of their own accord at the girl’s assent, she bought time for her racked brain. Shit, she realized, I have to go to Canterlot High.

As she got back in the car, she vainly considered dawdling until Sunset was the only one left on campus. She belatedly decided against this tactic since her body drove on, heedless of her brain’s procrastination.

Stopping at the sidewalk with a sigh, she spotted the target facing in the wrong direction. In the admittedly short time she’d known the multi-faceted woman, pants were never part of Sunset Shimmer’s attire. Indeed, she wore a completely different outfit from before. Adagio recognized the sun pattern etched into her bookbag and dialed her number.

“Say your goodbyes and turn around slowly.”

She cut the line and watched over her shoulder. The young woman waved to a departing group of students, several of whom were Rainbooms. And one was Sonata.

Her lungs refused to fill with air until she looked away with a shake of her head. Her hands were pale on the steering wheel.

A soft knock on the window startled her. She unlocked the door without a glance.

“Nice ride,” Sunset whistled, sliding into the passenger seat. “I didn’t think you’d have a car.”

“Hmm,” Adagio didn’t know how to reply. “Where did you want to go?”

“Oh, well…” The girl cocked her head to the side, evidently surprised by the question. “I usually go to Downtown Library around this time,” she coughed, “but you already know that, don’t you?”

Adagio kept quiet.

“Then we’re free to go anywhere you want.” Sunset perked up a bit in her seat, “Except the arcade - I told everybody I wasn’t going so I can’t go now.”

With me, Adagio finished for her. “That won’t be a problem.”

She preferred card games and jigsaw puzzles anyhow.

Sunset’s stomach lightened the mood in a big way and gave Adagio a direction. She shook off the bitterness. “Hungry?”

She had seen the other girl blush several times now, but she found each one more endearing than the last. Sunset mumbled something or other that pared down to ‘I didn’t eat much at lunch. I wasn’t hungry then.’

She chuckled, a destination in mind.

Though the silence wasn’t nearly as awkward as other silences they’d shared before, the girl broke it quickly.

“Is this legal? Like, do you have a license and all that?”

Adagio grinned wryly, extracting her pocketbook to toss at the skeptical woman. Sunset didn’t move, so she prompted, “Open it, it’s not dangerous.”

“Wow, it looks real.” She pulled the card from its protective sleeve and flexed it in examination.

“That’s because it is.” Adagio waved her hand to stall the process. “Stop it.”

Sunset’s marveling gave Adagio a fleeting sense of pride. “Damn, I need to get me one of these.”

“You can’t drive?” she laughed in surprise.

“Drive?” Sunset echoed incredulously, “I barely exist.”

In confusion Adagio looked at the girl a little too long, clipping the roundabout as she decelerated hastily.

Sunset grabbed what Sonata had dubbed the ‘oh shit! bar’ and did not let go. It was adorable.

Adagio pursed her lips to conceal a smile. “What do you mean?”

The frazzled girl cleared her throat, “Oh... since I came from Equestria I didn’t have any form of identification. I filled out the paperwork properly so CHS let it pass. It must’ve looked normal since there wasn’t a follow-up or anything.

“After the dance I decided to stay. Everyone knew about my otherworldliness already, so there wasn’t a point in keeping up appearances. I asked the princ- the principals to help me apply for documentation and all that crap.”

The girl was full of surprises. “How’s it feel to be a part of the system?”

“I don’t know about your species and cutie marks, but kind of like that.” Not looking away from the road, Adagio waved her hand in a circle for further explanation. Sunset huffed an uncertain breath, “Well… I mean it’s like… being stamped with something that doesn’t have to mean anything - to you or to anyone else - but you’d feel exposed and naked if someone took it away from you.

“Damn, I don’t know how much you know about cutie marks.” Sunset was openly rambling now, “It’s like a butt tattoo that magically manifests itself when somepony realizes what they’re supposed to do in life.”

“I know what a cutie mark is.” Adagio felt she was going to laugh herself sick. That had been the best explanation ever. Finally she sighed. “‘Somepony’ - if that isn’t a word I never thought I’d hear again.”

Sunset tittered, “I did say ‘somepony’ didn’t I?”

Adagio put the car in park. “Yup, but lucky for you, we’re here.”

“Okay, but where’s here?”

Sunset Shimmer looked good in her car. The mesh seat covers - accented candy red - received the lion’s share of the credit. What had previously been a rash decision on her part to shut Aria and Sonata up was now a good accessory to the girl sitting shotgun.

Adagio wet her bottom lip, then blinked away an unseemly impulse. “Lunch.”

Sunset had never been to the isolated café, relying on the waitress’ recommendation of the club sandwich to be a good one. Adagio ordered strawberry-topped dessert crepes.

Passing the menu along, she gave a crooked smile, “I thought you said we’d have lunch.”

The other girl returned the lazy grin. “I thought you’d be a vegetarian.”

“I was.” Adagio tilted her head inquisitively, prompting for more. She grimaced. “I didn’t consider eating meat when I came here. The first few times were by accident.” She paused to let herself be laughed at but it never came. Sunset continued, “Animal flesh isn’t served in pony communities - there are specialty restaurants in larger cities that cater to other, carnivorous species but they’re not usually run by equids. I didn’t realize my new anatomy would be so fundamentally different. By then it was too late, I had to pass in this world if I wanted to succeed.”

“How was it,” Adagio asked, eyes soft with patient understanding, “when you realized?”

How was it. She sipped her water, trying to formulate a cohesive answer. One that doesn’t make me sound utterly reprehensible.

“Delicious,” she admitted finally. “A lot of my old diet tasted terrible and I was so hungry. Then I was disgusted with myself, for not feeling sick or finding it more repulsive. This body accepted it like any hayburger or hawksbit salad, but those aren’t things I can eat anymore.”

Now Adagio scoffed, “Why not be a vegetarian then? It’s not that they don’t exist here.”

Sunset choked back a laugh, “What’s the point after coming to terms with it? And I don’t know if you noticed, but they’re not exactly a popular group.”

The server returned with their food and their immediate conversation was suspended. The sandwich looked tasty enough, and considerably more palatable than the plate of whipped cream the older girl faced. Part of Sunset enviously thought the crepes looked divine, but her stomach turned at the prospect of having any.

Tentatively she lifted the toasted bread and bit into the cool center of meat and vegetables. She could imagine how this was a popular item. She swallowed the mouthful with a small moan.

Embarrassed, she glanced to see if Adagio heard. Damn.

Not only was her brow raised, but it appears as if she’d been watching the whole thing. She held a fork but her plate was undisturbed. “Eat often?”

“Shut up,” Sunset managed lamely after too long of a silence, making the girl across the table laugh with glee. Pointing a pickle spear at her, she demanded, “Tell me about differences you found when you arrived in this world.”

“Aside from the bare skin and the land legs?”

Though it made her feel silly, Sunset nodded enthusiastically. She gave a sheepish quirk of her lips when no further explanation was forthcoming.

At last she shrugged. “I can’t say I had the same problem, merponies are omnivores.”

“There’s gotta be something you don’t feel comfortable eating because of who you used to be.” I can’t be the only one.

“Some cultures eat seahorses.” There was no hesitation; she must’ve had a lot of time to dwell on it. “In the old world - that’s what we call it since our expulsion - there was a neighboring seapony tribe. We were good friends. Seahorses in this world look a lot like miniature seaponies.”

Sunset knew there were aquatic clans of ponies, but lacked practical experience for obvious reasons. Squinting outside at tall, wispy shadows, she wondered if their cultures shared any holidays.

Adagio broke through her musings, holding out a perfect cross-section of her meal and jiggling it slightly at Sunset.

The latter gave in to her curiosity and took the fork.

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Sunset had sincerely been curious about the backseat; though she rode the city bus on a near-daily basis, cars still made her heart race.

She was interested to know if what they were doing now was legal.

"Roll up the window," she hissed.

"It's humid in here." Adagio was untroubled.

"You're not wearing a shirt!"

Adagio rolled her eyes and sat up on Sunset's lap. "Tell the whole town, why don't you? You should be aware that glass is clear." Mockingly, she pulled down on her bra and released one of the cups’ contents.

Not really… The windows had long since fogged up in the cool evening. It was the brief span of time between the sun’s total descent into the horizon and the streetlights coming to life. Her paranoia about being ditched in the sticks melted away under the torrent of kisses against her collarbone.

Unable to give a witty comeback, Sunset latched her teeth around the other girl's proud nipple. Her lip grazed the areola with a smile when the girl gave a sharp cry.

Sunset pushed up and to the side, dislodging the warm body onto the black and red seat. She climbed onto a surprised Adagio and rasped into her ear, “I think it’s time you take me home.”

It was her turn to gasp when the pinned woman sunk sharp teeth into her neck. Unwilling to have another hickey, she jabbed a thumb into her assailant’s collar and pried them apart.

Adagio yelped, panting, “You’re right, it’s getting late. Let’s get you into bed.”

Author's Note

This is for you. You know who you are.