Silence of a Siren

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine

Prologue

Silence of a Siren

By Mist

Prologue

16 Hours Until Execution

“BRING ME TWILIGHT SPARKLE! I WANT TO SPEAK WITH THE PRINCESS!” I screamed at the highest decibel level that my voice would allow. With fury and anger, I rattled the steel bars that kept me locked away, the bars that blocked my exit back into the open world, back into Equestria where I could escape the horrid punishment that was about to befall me.

I couldn’t remember how long I had been screaming, my voice had grown hoarse and was starting to crack with each sentence that left my throat, but my will had not been shaken yet; at this point, it was my dying will, the same kind of determination that some would get when they are faced with an obstacle that would mean the end of them if they could not pass it, except this time it truly was my own end.

I, Adagio Dazzle had been convicted of murder in the first degree in the royal court of Equestria. The punishment for that crime was death. That punishment was to be carried out in the next sixteen hours. In sixteen hours from that moment, I would be dead, a memory, just a bad dream.

It’s an odd feeling, knowing that you will die soon; odder when you have lived as long as I have. For nearly 2,300 years I have lived, and all that time the thought of death was always more of a “what if” scenario, not a “when” one. When you are immortal, the concept of death seems like such a foreign thing. You would see things die all the time, but it never truly connected.

“Stay here, I’ll go see if I can find her…” I overheard what I assumed to be the captain of the guards that were protecting my small dungeon cell.

I could hear his subordinate giving a salute and the captain muttering something under his breath before hoof steps echoed up the staircase leading to the castle proper. Canterlot Castle was a massive estate, one that I had never been in prior to today. It was odd thinking that when I arrived at this castle, my largest concern was spending the next few decades locked in a cage very similar to the one I sat in at that moment, now I wished I could spend longer in it than the remainder of a single day.

Exhausted from my screeching I tried to call the attention of one of the guards. “Hey, you…”

He ignored me at first until I increased my volume, booming my voice over to him. “Hey, fuckface!”

He grumbled and turned toward my cell and raised a brow. “What, prisoner?”

“Where’d the captain go?” I asked.

“None of your business, prisoner.” He growled.

“YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! COME INSIDE THIS CAGE AND SAY THAT TO ME! I DARE YOU! I FUCKING DARE YOU!” I screeched, rattling the cage some more, the energy in my body almost completely used up at that point, I could barely move, but somehow I managed to get my body to answer the commands I was giving it.

He ignored my threats, but I continued moving autonomously, my mouth spurting out every single profanity that I could think of, calling him every name that popped into my head and screeching in the hopes that he would obey me.

Everything froze though when I caught the sound of hoof steps from the stairs, and there standing a good few feet from the cell was a tired-looking Princess Twilight Sparkle. The mare opened and closed her eyes a few times and let out a yawn. Somehow despite clearly being awoken from her recent slumber, her mane was neat and tidy, not a strand of hair out of place.

Her eyes betrayed her however and their half-closed state made it obvious that she was haggard.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle… You came at last… I wanted to speak with you…” I spoke calmly, trying to regain some of my lost composure.

The Princess rose a brow and shot me a suspicious look of awry and annoyance. “And what makes you think I have any interest in talking to you? Especially after you ripped me out of bed…”

She had a valid point, but I ignored it. “There’s a lot that I need to tell you…”

For a moment I thought she would tell me to blow it out my ass or to tell me that it wasn’t her problem, but instead, the words that came out of her mouth surprised even myself. “Open the cage…”

Instantly, her decision was met with disapproval as one of the guards perked up and objected. “Ma’am-“

He didn’t even get an attempt at finishing that sentence as Twilight gave a dismissing hoof gesture and then signaled once again to open the cell. “It’s all right, I’ll be fine, open it…” Twilight assured.

She was a tough mare to read at that moment. It was difficult to tell if she truly knew she’d be fine or if she simply was bluffing to keep me from attempting anything the moment that door opened.

That creaking noise that echoed through the dungeon was perhaps the loudest sound I ever recalled hearing. What it lacked in decibels it made up for in impact. In my mind, all I could hear was my heart pounding as the Princess of Friendship slowly stepped forward into my tiny cell, a sigh escaping her as she sat down at the small table situated in the center of the cell.

I sat on the other side of her in front of my uneaten food from earlier. I wasn’t hungry, I couldn’t eat knowing my life would be over soon.

“Alright, you have my attention… What do you want?” Princess Twilight asked, clearly ready to get this over with.

“Make them go away…” I commanded, gesturing toward all the guards protecting the cell.

To my surprise, Twilight nodded and shooed away her ponies. Perhaps sleep deprivation made the Princess loosen her judgment. “Shoo, I have it under control…”

“But ma’am!” The captain tried to protest Twilight’s choice only to get the death glare from the good princess.

“That’s an order, Captain.” Twilight growled at him, her lack of sleep evidently getting to her.

Once he and the others all vacated the area and Twilight was certain they were out of earshot, she leaned back and relaxed herself.

“Alright, so talk…” Twilight instructed.

Adjusting in my seat across from the Alicorn princess, I spoke up, my voice still slightly cracked from the screaming prior. “This will take a little while, you may want to make yourself comfortable…”

The Princess smirked at me. “I guess I’m pulling an all-nighter tonight… We’ve got a few hours to talk it over…”

I nodded. “It’s probably best that I start at the beginning, way far back…”

Twilight held up a hoof stopping me before I had even begun. “I hope you don’t think telling me some sob story is going to convince me to change my mind about your execution later.”

I shook my head. “No… I am going to die. That much has clearly already been decided. My fate was sealed when I pulled that trigger…”

The Princess looked puzzled, confused even. “Then why tell me anything? What’s the point?”

I smirked at her before leaning back in my seat. “I just wanted my side to be known by someone. No one really wanted to understand my side of things in that courtroom… They only care that I did it, not why or how…”

“Generally that’s how the law works… Seldom does it matter why you committed murder only that you did…” Twilight reminded.

Never in my life did I imagine I’d be getting a lecture on the law from Princess Twilight Sparkle, but there in my last few hours of life it was happening.

“I guess… I just want the whole story out there, even if it is just with one pony… At least it’ll be with the pony that gave my death sentence…” I smirked. “Rest assured, when sixteen hours pass, I will be dead, but before then I want my story told…”

The Princess sighed and nodded. “Go ahead then… Tell me the story of Adagio Dazzle…”

Author's Note

Hey, you're all reading the author's notes! That's mighty kind of you! Welcome to the newest story! It's going to be a wild ride and I'm sure for avid Shadows fans, you'll be in for a few shocks and surprises. Stay tuned for updates every Thursday!

Chapter One

15 Hours 37 Minutes Until Execution

“I think the best place to start has to be with my mother…” I said to the enervated soon to be potentate. My hoof running through my long mane as I sat back in the chair, looking up at the ceiling in thought as I formulated the best way to tell the story.

“Mother?” Twilight Sparkle asked, her eyes betraying her as they were filled with genuine wonder despite her face trying to look serious and detached from the situation. An altruist at heart, it was difficult for the Princess to feign a lack of sympathy even to those she knew were undeserving of it, and I would wager that I probably ranked high on the list of undeserving.

I nodded as I looked around. “You wouldn’t happen to have a cigarette would you?”

She blinked, her serious face quickly transforming to one of pure confusion at the mention of a cancer stick. “Cigarette?”

“Oh… Right… That shit doesn’t exist here… Sorry, it’s a human thing…” I rolled my eyes, realizing how foolish I probably looked at that moment asking for something that didn’t even exist in Equestria.

The Princess tried not to focus on it as she furrowed her brow and leaned in over the table, resting her hooves atop of it. “So, you were saying regarding your mother? I actually didn’t even know that sirens had mothers…”

I smirked. “How did you think we came into existence?” Part of me truly was curious to hear whatever foolish theory the Princess had.

She shrugged. “I guess I just assumed you all just sort of popped into existence then? Or rather that you were always around, maybe.” Her hoof came to her chin as she pondered it. It was more likely that she had never even considered the subject before that moment.

“Most sirens don’t know their mothers… Sort of anyway… A siren reproduces usually when they are very old and have a tremendous amount of excess power to burn off…” I began to explain.

“Power? I don’t get it?” Twilight raised her brow in confusion.

Rolling my eyes, I hushed her. “I’m getting to that… See, an old siren will use her power on a mortal and that mortal will be infused with the siren’s print. Their next child will then be another siren.”

The Princess blinked and tilted her head. “How do you get the amulets then?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m not really supposed to tell you any of this because it’s all protected secrets among our kind, but the way I see it… Fuck it… I’m going to die anyway and it’s not like you knowing any of this will change my or any other siren’s fate…”

She didn’t know what to say to that statement evidently, as she decided to remain quiet and continue listening. Princess Twilight Sparkle was definitely the curious type and wasn’t willing to say anything that would risk me not telling her more.

“The amulet is forged from the power of the previous siren, it actually forms with the siren itself and when we are born, we’re holding it. It takes a siren thousands of years to get the kind of power necessary to create a single amulet… That is why there aren’t many of us…” I explained.

“Is your kind born in that aquatic form?” Twilight’s curiosity was clearly getting the better of her.

I shook my head, annoyed that she kept interrupting. “No, don’t be stupid. We’re born in the pony form that you see me in now… It takes time for us to be able to access our true form. Once we have gotten a grasp on our powers, we can start to transform. Naturally, most sirens these days wouldn’t be dumb enough to ever show their true form in public…”

Twilight frowned but said nothing.

“Anyway, as I was saying, I am not like most sirens… I’m unique in that I actually knew my mother…” I said.

Twilight leaned forward, eager to hear more. “How did that happen?”

A grin stretched across my cheeks as I recalled my mother. It had been so long since I had thought about her, but I could still somehow remember her beautiful face. She was gorgeous, perfectly chiseled as if the gods themselves crafted her as a monument of beauty to sirens everywhere. A creature as immaculate as she needed not her voice to get others to do her bidding, but instead only her appealing face.

“My mother had us out of her own womb…” I closed my eyes.

“Us? You mean Aria and Sonata are your sisters?” Twilight gasped.

My eyes shot open at how ridiculous that comment sounded. “What? Fuck no! Those two idiots? No, they’re not related to me at all, thank the gods for that!”

“You said ‘we’ though…” The Princess pointed out as she sunk down in her seat a little, her ears fluttering downward as she sat there with an embarrassed expression.

Nodding in agreement, I returned to my explanation. “Yes, when I said we, I was referring to me and my younger sister.”

“You have a younger sister!?” Twilight gasped.

Sighing, I shook my head. “Yes, her name is Serenade. Now please pay attention, otherwise, this will take a lot longer to explain…”

Covering her mouth, Twilight nodded. “R-right… Sorry…”

“Anyway… My mother fell in love with a mortal… A pony named Brass Builder… He knew what she was and accepted her anyway, at least that’s what he would lead us all to believe… Brass was a hard-working earth pony, a creature of habit and routine… He spent a lot of his time at work, but there was always food on the table at least…” I closed my eyes once more as the image of my father began to fill my head, annoyance, and rage building up inside me, becoming more and more toxic by the second. I was ready to explode just at the thought of him.

Twilight must have felt the tension in the room radiating from me as she leaned forward, offering me a sincere look. “Just try and remember, but don’t push yourself…”

It was odd, a few hours ago, this mare had sentenced me to my death, not a shred of mercy in her voice. She spoke with the conviction of a politician, yet there in that room, she gave off the aura of one who showed compassion. It was possible she was faking it at first, but somehow I could sense how sincere she was. Princess Twilight Sparkle truly was an enigma.

“Sorry… I just get very angry whenever I think about him…” I admitted.

“It’s alright, take your time.” Twilight smiled.

That smile on her face somehow calmed me, and so I began the story.

Some Time Far in the Past

Things were different back then, the three tribes had yet to be unified, and pony based society was still in its infancy. Most villages were small, and kingdoms hadn’t been established yet. Ponies were hardly out of caves by then, the age of immortals was coming to an end, and the age of mortals was beginning.

My father was born in one of the first towns to be erected. What? No, Twilight, I’m not going to give you a history lesson on the town. No! I barely know much about it myself! Can you just let me tell the damn story? Thank you.

Anyway, Brass Builder was born to some carpenters, and he would go on to become one of the first metal workers in Equestria. What? Yes, I know it wasn’t called Equestria back then. Twilight Sparkle, we can get through this a lot easier if you stop interrupting every ten seconds with a question.

He would one day afford himself a home on the hilltop, a place far out from the nearby town, but he preferred it that way. He always told me that it helped him concentrate on work and no one would bother him. That home was his sanctuary, and ours as well.

When he was merely a teenager he would meet a creature that changed his life, the envisionment of beauty itself. Whatever mental image you’re picturing probably isn’t doing her justice either. Serenity Dazzle, my mother, was pure perfection. Shining crystal blue eyes, long wild and exotic red hair, and a perfectly sculpted face. She was the kind of mare that any stallion would beg to even have a look from her.

Her voice was as majestic as they came, even by siren standards. There wasn’t a word that left her mouth that didn’t ring poetically when spoken in her voice. My father fell in love the moment he heard that voice. He used to tell me stories of how he courted her, and how she always kept her distance, trying her best to avoid his wandering eye like she did with all men in the town, but Brass proved more determined than others. Every day he would show up with flowers at her abode, hoping to make the beautiful angel come out to see him, and every day he’d be met with disappointment.

The stallion would leave the flowers behind at her doorstep and the next day notice they would be gone, but there he would stand with another bouquet, more lavish and gaudy than the last.

It continued on like that for months until one morning when he showed up, she was standing there at the front door. She offered to allow him inside to see that she had saved all of his flowers, filling an entire room with various posies, daffodils, and roses.

From that moment on, the two were inseparable, however, she tried to keep herself secretive, afraid that if he knew the truth of what she was, he would be mortified.

Eventually, he would ask her to marry him, but she knew that she could not until she revealed her secret. When she told him, she expected him to resent her, to feel betrayed, to want her to leave and never return, but he didn’t… He accepted her. He became more enamored with her than before, now her songs brought him more joy than ever. He would listen to her sing for hours, her voice filling him with love.

They would get- yes, I’m aware it’s a cute story, Twilight. I don’t know where they went on their honeymoon… Anyway, they would get married and eventually I was born. My mother named me Adagio because it meant a slow tempo, intended to lead. My mother believed I was born to be a leader, and my sister was named Serenade for the songs that my mother hoped she would shower people with. She hoped that I would guide my sister and that together we would change how people felt about sirens, that we would break the public perception.

After we were born, my father grew more paranoid than ever. He feared that the village would one day discover our secret, that he was housing a family of sirens. Up to that point, all sirens had ever done was steal the energy of mortals, feed off of them until they were nothing more than lifeless husks. My mother, however, I don’t know why, but she desired a different existence. She didn’t want that life for us or herself, maybe she was a visionary, or perhaps just a very desperate woman.

We weren’t permitted to leave the property, ever. Under no circumstances were we to go through the woods and down the hill to the town. No one was ever supposed to see us, and when anyone came over, we were to wait in our room. My father feared for our safety, he knew what his kind was like. He always told us that he would show us to the world when the time was right.

My mother would look down at me and smile as I asked why ponies can’t see us. She’d give me that motherly look as she held me close and gently stroked my long hair with her hoof. “The world isn’t ready for the beauty of the song that you’re going to sing one day…”

“When will it be ready, mommy?” I asked.

Cunning as she was, she giggled at the question and spoke in a near whisper as she tucked me into bed. “Adagio Dazzle, there will come a day when you sing from your heart, and that song will change everything. You’ll be the one who changes everything about us sirens here in Equestria, I promise that.”

Funny, how horribly wrong she was.

That very night, I remember waking up to banging at the front door. My mother rushing up to our room, shaking us awake. Her eyes were filled with fear, fear that I had never seen in her before. My mother was always strong, even in the toughest of times, to see her afraid was something I never expected to see in my entire life, but her eyes at that moment, they were ingrained in my memory forever. I can still see that look of pure horror to this day when I close my eyes.

Someone in the village had been poking their head around our home and saw my mother sing, they had put two and two together and discovered she was not a pony like the rest of them.

The earth ponies all arrived at our front gate, torches in tow, chanting and screaming to give them “the monster”.

Serenity Dazzle did the only thing she knew she could do at that moment. She woke the two of us up and ushered us toward the back door.

“Mommy, what’s happening?” I yawned, rubbing at my eyes.

She knelt down to my level and looked me in the eyes. “Adagio, what mommy is going to tell you is very important, I need you to make sure that you listen very carefully, alright?”

I nodded, unsure of what was going on.

“Take your sister and run. Do not come back here for any reason, and don’t tell anyone what you are, alright? You can’t tell anyone that I am your mother, or that Brass is your father,” She instructed, her tone far more serious than I had ever heard her.

“I thought you said that one day ponies would be ready to see what we were?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes, the sting of their saltiness already causing my heart to ache.

She smiled and kissed my forehead before shoving me and my sister out the back door. “That day will come, and when it does, you’ll know. Until then though, stay low, and keep your secret protected… I love you both very much…”

“Mommy… I want to stay here with you!” My sister groaned, trying to run back to the door, but I stopped her and pulled her back by her tail.

Serenity closed the door and locked it, leaving my sister to squeal and moan for the door to open again. With all of my strength, I tugged her away and managed to wrestle her into the woods, as far away from the house as I could make her go, she complained the entire way, begging me to turn around and go back, but I didn’t listen. I tuned it out, I flooded my head with other thoughts to try and drown out the complaints and protests of my sister and to drown out my own fear. I think the poor thing was more confused than anything else.

That night, we slept in the woods, and we eventually made our way to the town after fashioning ourselves some cloaks to see if we could figure out what was going on. Yeah, it was terrible… You’re only hearing about it, Twilight, try actually living it.

When we came to the town center, we… What? No, I’m not crying! Okay… Maybe I am a little… Sorry, it’s just still painful to think about. No, I can tell it. Yes, I’m sure…

We saw our mother tied to a thick wooden pole, the townsfolk all gathered around her, torches still in hoof, all chanting to “burn the monster!”

My father had told them that he was bewitched by the siren, that he had been controlled to fall in love with her. He spoke those lies to save himself, to try and keep his own life safe while he allowed her to pay the price. It was that day that I realized he was no different than every other mortal. The moment things became too much, he gave in and thought only of how to save himself.

We watched as they set the flames to the sticks below and the fire rose. My mother… We watched as they burned her alive. We watched in horror as she was subjected to unspeakable pain, with fear in our eyes, unable to do anything, and my father? He just stood there, doing nothing. So long as his life was saved, he cared not.

Sorry, I guess I got a little quiet there for a second. Thinking about it still… Well you know… Anyway…

It was that day that I began to hate mortals. My sister, however, hated them more than I. I could see it in her, hatred consumed her. I knew that from that day forward, our lives would be very different. The small quaint little home we had grown to love was no more, just ashes on the hilltop. The bedtime stories we were told came to an end, and the feelings of being loved and cared for were forgotten. From that day forward is was us against the world.

15 Hours 2 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight looked at me with an expression that spoke more than her silence after hearing the story of my origin. She chewed her tongue trying to find the words to reply to it with, trying to find something that perhaps would bring me an inkling of comfort, but the best she could muster was, “I’m sorry…”

I shrugged, uncaring at this point. “It was a long time ago, Twilight Sparkle. Though to be fair not much has changed… Now instead of burning our kind, your kind just imprisons us or banishes us.”

Twilight frowned, realizing that she had little to say to that, but attempted to anyway. “You and the other sirens were trying to control others, to steal their energy…”

I grinned and closed my eyes. “Do you know why sirens are born?”

Blinking, the Princess was taken back, clearly not expecting such a question. “I… I don’t know?”

“Funny… We don’t either… Our powers allow us only to manipulate others, to steal their energy for ourselves… No good can come from using our powers and yet we do… No one knows why we exist, maybe there never was a reason, to begin with…” I replied with a frown.

She remained silent.

“Our entire existence is like a big joke to the universe. Given these powers and the thirst to use them, but damned by mortals if we ever do… Instead, we’re told we have to deny what we are and try to conform to be more like you… Just creatures forced to be ashamed of what we are…” I continued.

Twilight had nothing to say to that point. She instead changed the subject. “What happened to Brass?”

I looked her in the eye, my expression glazed and uncaring. “He lived a long life, he married again from what I understand and had a real family, one that he could show off and share with others… He forgot all about the woman who had burned at the stake for his love…”

“What about Serenade then?” Twilight gulped.

“I was getting to that…” I said.

Some Time Far in the Past

Serenade and I would travel together for years, moving from town to town, watching as the world around us changed. By the time I was sixteen, my sister was merely twelve. At twelve years old, she acted far older. Her mind had advanced quickly, and her hatred for mortals grew every day. She began to speak with conviction, and while I was the one who cared for her, there were times where some would mistake her for the older sibling due to her mannerisms.

I could see my sister slowly being consumed by hatred, the same hatred that I harbored. In Serenade, however, it was turning into pure concentrated rage. I don’t think I ever saw a genuine smile of happiness from that girl since the day our mother died.

She was quick to use her powers in every scenario that allowed it and showed no remorse for those we manipulated. Serenade became ruthless, cold, and calculating. It was safe to say that whatever heart my sister had left was shrouded in darkness at a young age, consumed by bitterness and eaten by hatred. She spoke only of one day making mortals pay. My ire toward them was palpable, but nothing compared to the scorn that my sister offered them.

We spent so much time together, moving from village to village, running when we were nearly discovered or too many became privy to our nature. We fed where we could, and in time our powers grew.

Still, regardless of how strong we had become, we were no match for an entire town of ponies, so we lived in fear, always fleeing when the situation became too dangerous, and I guess you could say that I despised myself. Why? Do I really need to say it? Fine, it was because we had become what my father was, a couple of cowards, what’s worse we were cowards to mortals of all things. Cowards toward those who were so cowardly themselves; a couple of coward’s cowards. It was disgusting, I hated it, and I hated myself. I never wanted to feel that weak again, that pathetic again, that loathsome toward myself again.

Does that satisfy your curiosity, Twilight? Good.

Anyway, that was our life for a time; settling into a little village, using our powers to manipulate people in alleyways to give us food, water, and resources of any kind, then feeding off of them until it became too dangerous for us. Then we would flee and walk toward the next town with only the small trinkets we could carry in our saddlebags.

It was a listless existence, we had no place to be, and no one to care. It was the two of us, alone in a growing world.

Yes, I know that no child should have to go through that, Twilight… However, your apologies mean little to me, it was your kind that did this to us after all. You can’t just say sorry and expect me to forget a lifetime of oppression.

As I was saying though, we eventually came to a village that would one day become the site of Trottingham. I’ll never forget that place. I’m going to tell you why, if you would just shush, Twilight Sparkle!

It was a normal routine for the most part. We ate, we drank, we fed, everything was going so well, however, at some point one of the villagers noticed us singing to manipulate a stallion out of his money. They quickly alerted the rest of the village and before we knew it we were being chased out of the town with torches held high.

“Kill the beasts!” They screamed behind us as we galloped as fast as our hooves would carry us.

My sister lagging a few paces behind, huffing and puffing in exhaustion. I knew just by looking at her that she couldn’t run much longer. If we were to continue then I would either need to carry her or drag her behind me. Both options would slow me down far too much, so I did the only thing I could think of, the only option that I foresaw as a way to keep her alive.

“Serenade!” I called back to her as we galloped.

“Y-yeah!?” She wheezed as she tried to keep up with me. The poor thing was ready to pass out.

“I am going to go this way, you turn that way and run toward the forest. Go and keep running until you can’t anymore, then find somewhere to hide. I’ll take them as far as I can go!” I commanded.

“B-but… How will I… Find you again…!?” She yelled back, trying to keep her legs moving.

“I promise we’ll meet back up somewhere! I will look for you!” I replied.

She nodded and turned. “Alright! I’m counting on your sis!”

With those words, she bolted to the left and slipped out of sight. My plan had backfired however as the villagers saw her split from me and half of them went in her direction. There wasn’t a thing that I could do, however… I had no choice but to keep running, like the coward that I was. I wasn’t strong enough to take them on, not even to protect my sister… Just like I couldn’t protect my mother, and so… I ran.

14 Hours 50 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight gazed at me with awe and wonder as I told my tale, her eyes not leaving me as she watched my lips move, forming every single word of the story. She was clearly captivated by my telling. I never considered myself a distinguished storyteller, but I had somehow caught the attention of perhaps one of the biggest bookworms in Equestria. I only knew a little about Princess Twilight Sparkle, mostly from things that I had heard and my brief interaction with her in the human world.

“W-what happened to Serenade after that…?” Twilight asked, her voice slightly shaky.

I frowned and looked away. “I… Never saw her again…”

“Did you check the woods?” Twilight leaned in.

I nodded. “I found no body, nothing. Most likely they took her back to their village and burned her alive. At the time though I didn’t want to accept that as the truth, so I kept searching, for decades, then for centuries I looked for the girl whom I promised I would find, but no matter how far I went or where I looked, I could never find her… Equestria is a huge place, and the outlands are difficult to traverse or even reach…”

“Do you think she made it outside of Equestria?” Twilight asked curiously.

I chuckled and shook my head. “No, I am quite confident that she is dead… There is little doubt. She was exhausted, if those ponies chased her then they no doubt captured her. They likely held her for a time to try and see if she would tell them where I was…” I paused and closed my eyes. “Just thinking about the horrible things they must have done to her…”

Twilight frowned and shook her head. “It’s okay, you don’t have to think about it if you don’t want to…”

“I will never stop thinking about it…” I hissed back at her.

My outburst clearly caught her off guard as she inched backward a bit, trying to maintain some distance between us. Though it wasn’t as if I posed any threat to her. I was without magic, and my strength was sapped. Even if I wanted to jump over the table and knock her out so I could make my bold escape, I knew that my body was no match for her magic. All tackling Twilight Sparkle would do for me is net me a far quicker execution.

“For what it’s worth, those ponies shouldn’t have done that to your sister… Or your mother for what it’s worth…” Twilight responded, her voice still very shaky.

“Yeah, well they did! They murdered them and felt nothing! Your apologies are wasted as they can’t bring them back, now can they!?” I growled.

Twilight sneered and banged her hoof on the table, clearly fed up with my attitude as her voice boomed through the tiny cell we both sat in. “Now listen here… I had nothing to do with any of this, and while I understand your bitterness, I am not going to let you sit there and act like it’s any pony who is presently alive’s fault. Don’t you question the legitimacy of my sympathy, Adagio…”

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” I smirked.

Twilight sighed and calmed herself. She closed her eyes for a moment and took in a few breaths and exhaled. “Let’s just… Continue the story, shall we?”

I shrugged. “Sure, works for me…”

“So what happened after you got separated from your sister?” She asked.

I looked up in thought as I tried to remember. Most of the details past that point weren’t that relevant to me, tons of running, tons of moving from town to town, so I decided to skip to the most relevant detail.

“Well, after a few centuries, I eventually would find Aria and Sonata, they’re slightly younger sirens, by a hundred years or so, but I found myself in a situation where it was better to have strength in numbers than to walk alone… So despite how much they annoyed the ever-living hell out of me, I teamed up with them,” I explained.

“A trio of sirens, against the world…” Twilight mused, a small grin on her face.

“More like a test of my patience…” I rolled my eyes.

Some Time Far in the Past

At that point, I was already quite skilled with my powers. I knew how to manipulate a pony discretely, take all of his belongings, and slip away into the dark before ever being noticed. My abilities were growing, my power was expanding and it felt absolutely invigorating. However, nothing prepared me for Canterlot. Yes, the capital of Equestria, Twilight, however back then it barely qualified as a city by today’s standards.

Celestia had grown into a competent ruler in the past few hundred years and Equestria was beginning to thrive. Civilization and unity began to spread and within the century, Equestria was completely unified and had become a force to behold for the rest of the world.

I had been making my usual runs, fooling stallions out of their cash, a bit of gambling where I could, and of course getting a drink or two. It was there where I met them, the two sirens who would soon become attached to me for the foreseeable future.

Walking into a local pub, I kept my hood up to not draw attention to myself while I fetched some liquor. What? Oh, brandy. Yeah, I know I was a brandy girl back then, what of it? Not all of us can drink the finest wine of Canterlot like you, Princess.

With a bag of coins, I tossed two golden ones onto the counter and was handed a bottle. Yes, a bottle did only cost two bits back then, now am I going to tell a story, or are we going to talk about alcohol? Unless you brought some, I’m not interested in focusing on that detail. Alright, then.

A bottle in my hoof, I took a long swig, wiping my lips dry as I made my exit. Bars were not places that I enjoyed lingering at for too long, usually, the drunken riff-raff would start to hit on me, and I then found it hard to control my anger.

On my way out the door, I could hear two annoying voices pleading desperately with some unicorn. “Please! Don’t tell anyone!”

“Don’t tell anyone!? You’re a freak! A monster!” A male voice replied.

My curiosity was piqued, so I slipped around the corner and peeked into the alley between the bar and the building next to it. There stood a shaggy looking unicorn, a tufted beard and a dirty coat covering him. In front of him were two females, one with a long blue mane and the other with purple, and an annoyed expression on her face. Of the two, the blue one seemed the most concerned.

“Just forget what you saw… We’ll do anything!” The young-looking mare pleaded.

“You turned into some fish-like dragon thing! How can anyone forget that!?” He gasped.

My eyes shot open at those words. It was rare to run into other sirens, but perhaps these two knew where my sister was, all I had to do was get them out of this situation first.

“Hey, big boy…” I called out with the most seductive voice I could muster.

He blinked and turned in my direction. I removed my hood and flicked my lavish curls and fluttered my eyes, playing with my allure. He was nothing more than a fly to honey as he stepped in my direction, his eyes never leaving me. “What seems to be the problem here?” I feigned an innocent voice as he gently approached, completely in awe of me.

“These two… They’re monsters…” He said, though his attention was slowly waning as he looked into my eyes.

“Monsters, you say…? Well… You’ll protect us… Won’t you?” I whispered as I placed a hoof on his cheek, my lips getting close to his face.

He nodded, and closed his eyes, puckering his lips, waiting for his reward. Once I was certain he was vulnerable I quickly turned around and delivered a swift kick to the side of his head with my hind legs. The effect was instant and it was a direct hit as he staggered backward and collapsed.

“Come on, he’s out cold!” I instructed the other two girls.

They blinked and looked at each other but decided not to question my motives. They followed behind me as we exited the alley.

“What’re your names?” I asked.

“Sonata Dusk…” The blue-haired ditzy one said.

The other looked away and grumbled her answer. “Aria Blaze…”

I didn’t even get the chance to tell them my own as the stallion found his way back into the waking world and before I knew it he was shouting in our direction. “Monsters! They’re some kind of creatures disguised as ponies!”

“Shit… We’ll talk more later, let’s get out of here!” I commanded.

The two girls nodded and followed me as I began to navigate them through every back alley I knew in Canterlot. A small crowd starting to give chase to us after that stallion’s outburst. I knew what would happen if we got caught, so we needed to stick together.

“Aria, Sonata, we’re going to need to use our voices to get out of this one!” I stated as we approached a dead end.

“What!? You can’t be serious! We’re not strong enough to control an entire crowd…” Aria complained.

“Alone, maybe not, but together we might be able to, now shut up and start singing!” I hissed.

Turning toward the crowd that was heading our way, Sonata raised no objection and cleared her throat. Aria conceded that my plan was our only option and joined in, and before I knew it, I was taking the lead.

When our voices combined, they harmonized and began to deliver an immaculate song. I could feel the warmth of my amulet glowing, it was far warmer than I had ever felt. Singing is what makes us sirens feel alive; it’s not just a source of power after all.

With luck on our side, we were able to control the entire mob and give them explicit instructions. I commanded them all to forget what they saw and return to their duties. Within a matter of seconds, we had escaped and no one remembered we were sirens after that. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sonata fell to her haunches. “That was a close one…”

“It wouldn’t have been if you weren’t busy being an idiot… But what else is new…?” Aria rolled her eyes and looked away from her companion.

Raising a brow, I shook my head. “Do you two idiots always argue like this?”

“What’s it to you…?” Aria groaned.

“Oh, nothing… I just saved your life is all.” I rolled my eyes.

“Big whoop, want a fucking medal?” Aria smirked.

It was safe to say that Aria pissed me off from the day I met her. She really is just an insufferable prick. She would spend the majority of her time from then on doubting my leadership and challenging my plans.

Sonata on the other hand, while she was far more agreeable and easier to command; her complete lack of intelligence made her almost useless a majority of the time. These were the cards I was dealt, however.

“Look, I can see that the both of you are idiots, but perhaps…” I shuddered at the thought that was about to come out of my mouth.

“Perhaps what?” Sonata blinked, leaning in curiously.

“Perhaps… We should travel together… I mean it’s pretty clear that our powers are far better when we combine them… Maybe it’ll be easier to move around in a group than by ourselves?” I suggested, already regretting the idea when I saw Sonata’s response.

The bubbly girl jumped for joy as she squealed annoyingly. My eardrums begged for mercy as the young siren ran around in circles, squealing at the idea. “I love it! Siren trio! We’ll be unstoppable!”

“You just had to get her going… It’ll take hours before she shuts up now…” Aria sighed, her hoof placed to her temple.

“So are you both in?” I raised a brow.

“Sure… Whatever… all for one and all that crap…” Aria shrugged.

“Definitely!” Sonata giggled, a snort or two escaping her.

“Celestia help me for what I’ve gotten myself into…” I shook my head, realizing that I may have just agreed to the most unimaginable torture, to be stuck with those two morons.

14 Hours 35 Minutes Until Execution

“Quite a stroke of good luck there… Finding other sirens to take refuge with, I mean…” Twilight gave me a soft smile as she listened.

My eyes rolled hard enough to where I felt they would pop out of my skull. “Luck? More like a nightmare. Those two were insanely incompetent and the longer I was with them, the more I started to realize that I was tethered to two absolute idiots. After enough time passed, I basically was commanding them left and right. They more or less had to obey my every command if they wanted to survive. I guess my natural leadership kicked in, huh?”

“Leadership is often a learned trait, not one that ponies are born with…” Twilight pointed out.

“Are you this annoying with everyone you talk to?” I raised a curious brow.

Twilight grinned. “I like to refer to it as precise.”

“Right… Only an annoying pony would refer to their annoying behavior as ‘precise’, so I rest my case.” I smirked back at her.

Twilight shrugged and rested her chin on her hoof. “Either way, I’m sure they served to benefit you, given that with your combined might, you were able to survive much longer, and get around easier.”

“Well… I’ll give you that one, with the two of them at my side, I at least felt a little safer…” I admitted, begrudgingly albeit. The last thing I wanted was Sonata to hear that I actually needed her for something, more so Aria though.

“So, you had two more sirens at your side, what did you do next?” Twilight asked.

I grinned as I recalled how bold I became back then. “My next goal was to try and find my sister, but to do so I’d need a far bigger team to search than three sirens…”

Some Time Far in the Past

It was amazing that I managed to survive over two hundred years with those morons. Aria was an annoying piece of trash and Sonata made me want to tear my hair out, but somehow I put up with them. Over the years, I had led us to hone our skills and increasing our powers. In two hundred years we had nearly quadrupled our individual powers and the amount of magic at our disposal was nearly unstoppable. You can only imagine how strong I felt, how powerful I felt.

However, as the saying goes, pride cometh before a fall… What? Oh right, that’s a human thing. It’s from an ancient book in their world. I don’t remember the name of it, some religious text. I don’t know much about human religion, sorry.

The point is, I got too big for my boots I guess you could say, though I don’t exactly like admitting it. Oh, that’s another human thing. I got cocky, how about that?

One thing led to another and when the three of us had gathered enough power, we were ready to take over Canterlot. The plan was to control enough guards to grant us entry into the castle, where we could eventually reach the balcony outside of the throne room. There stood a horn intended to be used to address the citizens of the city by royalty. If we could only reach that horn, we could amplify our voices, and all of Canterlot would be at our service. They would obey every word we told them, and I would use them to scour the earth in vain for my lost sister. To be reunited… That was my dream…

14 Hours 31 Minutes Until Execution

“Hold on a moment… You mean to tell me that the historical event of three sirens trying to take over Canterlot was all to find your lost sister?” Twilight raised a brow.

I nodded. “I won’t pretend it’s entirely noble though… Anything that happened to the ponies we controlled… I wasn’t exactly concerned over. If they died serving me, I wasn’t entirely concerned about that… However, if what you’re asking is if my original intention was merely to have an army of slaves? Then no… it wasn’t…”

Twilight’s expression softened. “You missed her that badly, huh?”

“I hadn’t seen her for hundreds of years… She was… All I had left to remember my mother… My sister was everything to me, I promised her that I’d protect her, and yet she was all alone… Somewhere out there… At least that’s what I told myself…” I closed my eyes and shook my head. “The reality though is that she is dead, and I was in denial.”

“That’s common, death is not an easy thing to accept,” Twilight offered.

I scoffed and looked away. “Do you want me to finish the story or not?”

Twilight nodded. “Sorry, go ahead…”

Some Time Far in the Past

I’ll skip past the part where our plan gets foiled because honestly if you wanted to hear about that, then you could just read it in a history book. Yes, I’m sure you have read about it many times, Princess Sparkle. What? How many different history books did you read? Damn, you’re a fucking nerd.

Anyway, there we stood, our plan foiled. What? Oh for the love of… Fine. I’ll briefly go over what happened to you. The plan didn’t work, one of the guards alerted the Princess before we could reach the throne room. She sent her greatest mage our way, Starswirl the Bearded. That piece of trash bested us with such ease. Yes, I'm well aware that you're a huge fan of him. What was he like in person? I don't know, I didn't get a chance to get up close and personal with the guy, Twilight.

I was humiliated. All of the power we had accrued, all of the strength we had achieved, hundreds of years of gathering, just to be beaten by an ordinary unicorn. Our powers were drained from us, we were left with just a tiny amount of energy, almost less than a child.

I’ll never forget his eyes as he looked down at us on the floor before him. I could see nothing but judgment in his vision. He was looking at us like we were nothing more than objects. I hated him, I vowed there and then…

“You may have beaten us…” I groaned, trying my best to move. “But I promise, I’ll get strong again… I’ll defeat you…”

He looked away and closed his eyes as his horn lit up. “I’m afraid where you’re going, you won’t have the chance.”

The only thing I could remember was a bright flash, a light so blinding that I felt like a week had passed when I could see again. Little did I know though, much more time than that had passed…

You see, Starswirl’s spell was more of a crude form of the mirror that would open between the worlds. Just like how unstable the mirror was, his spell was even less stable, meaning that when I arrived in the human world, I was also sent a good two hundred years into the future. Apparently, I arrived at some point after Sunset Shimmer arrived.

Okay, explanations over. Anyway, I was transported to the human world, my power gone, my pride stripped, and to make matters worse, we had no way to get home. That is sort of where my story begins though.

14 Hours 26 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight blinked. “Wait, that was all exposition then?”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s all relevant, Twilight. I figured you’d need some background and context before I jumped right to the part of how I ended up killing that girl, right? I’m sure that’s what you’re most interested in?”

Twilight rubbed her neck and nodded. “Y-yeah… I suppose so…”

Her eyes darted over to a clock sitting outside of the cell and she blinked. “Oh wow… We’ve been talking for a good hour and a half… If we’re going to continue it probably would be a good idea to get some tea. A little caffeine should keep us lively.”

“Coffee,” I stated.

The mare blinked again and looked in my direction with confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Tea sucks, but I have grown accustomed to drinking coffee… Humans have it a lot…” I said.

Twilight nodded. “Coffee… Yes… I’ll get us some. Stay put!”

She came to a stand and let herself out of the cage before locking it back up behind her, shooting me a smile as I continued to sit at the dirty old pile of wood that qualified for a table. “As if I was going to go somewhere…”

The Princess blushed and nodded. “R-right… My bad…”

I shook my head as the ditzy princess ran off, sure to return very soon, not wanting to miss a second of the story.

Chapter Two

14 Hours 12 Minutes Until Execution

The Princess returned, levitating two mugs with her magical aura before unlocking the cell door and stepping back inside, locking it behind her. The cell was locked with some kind of magic print lock, and given that I had no magic to speak of now, even if I wanted to try and make an escape, it was a pointless effort. My fate was not to escape this execution though, but instead to tell my story to the Princess of Friendship. I had abandoned ambitions involving freedom long ago.

Twilight Sparkle was an enigmatic creature. She seemed so happy-go-lucky for someone who was talking to someone who was soon to be dead; more strange was it was by her hooves that it was to be done, but her demeanor didn’t suggest she knew that or if she did, she certainly wasn’t acting like it. Perhaps she was better at giving a poker face than I initially gave her credit for.

She placed a mug in front of me and I looked down at the steam rising from it and then back to her as she levitated her own cup to her lips, blowing gently before taking a tiny sip. She chewed her thought for a brief second before nodding in approval and set the cup down in front of her. She looked at me with an innocent smile. “Coffee for you, tea for me.”

I nodded as I looked down and noted that she had added milk. Coincidentally, she managed to guess that I didn’t enjoy my coffee so bitter. In the human world, I had grown addicted to lattes, especially that pumpkin one that came around in the Fall. What I wouldn’t have given for one at that exact moment. I could practically taste the bitter and sweet beverage.

Taking a sip, I noted that the coffee presented to me was far from the best that I had ever had, but it was passible.

“I imagine being a princess means you don’t have to make your own coffee or tea very often?” I raised a brow as I took the cup in both hooves, taking another long sip. The warm liquid reminded me of how exhausted I was.

She giggled and shook her head. “Actually, I make my own all the time. See, I grew up like any normal pony, and being a princess is still relatively new to me, so I’m not exactly a big fan of getting a bunch of maids to do the cooking and cleaning for me. It’s just me and my dragon, Spike…”

I nodded, a bit surprised by how humble the mare was. Anyone else would have flaunted their royal status, but not Twilight Sparkle. A mare of many mysteries, for sure. I could imagine that I would have actually gotten a lifetime of enjoyment out of picking apart the layers that made up that pony.

“I see… Well, the coffee is good…” I replied.

Twilight nodded. “I’m glad. I didn’t know how you liked it, so I just did it with milk and two sugars.”

“Not what I normally do, but this is fine,” I replied.

“Well, what do you normally do for future reference?” She asked, taking another sip of her tea.

“Future reference? What’s the point? In less than fifteen hours, I’ll be dead remember?” I raised a brow.

“Oh… Right… Yeah…” Twilight rubbed her neck nervously.

I could hardly believe how daft she was. She had actually forgotten that she was the one who ordered my death and that she would be pulling the switch on my life as she sat there across from me. Twilight had gotten so enthralled in the story that she had forgotten who was telling it.

“Twilight Sparkle, you are perhaps the ditziest princess I have ever met…” I rolled my eyes, albeit I hadn't met many princesses in my time.

“Sorry…” She blushed and looked away bashfully.

“No need to apologize, unless you feel that being ditzy is a quality warranting an apology…” I shrugged.

She sighed and shook her head. “Anyway, what were we talking about before… Oh, that’s right! You had just been teleported to the human world by Starswirl the Bearded, right?”

I nodded, regardless of how ditzy the Princess was, she at least had an impeccable memory. Given that she read all the time, I imagined she could follow along with virtually any story.

“Yeah, that old bastard pretty much trapped us where he thought we’d never escape. Joke’s on him because here I am sitting back in Equestria, sipping a hot beverage with the princess. I bet his blood would be boiling if he saw me right now.” I grinned with pride, knowing that at least in some capacity, I had bested that old mage.

“Now probably wouldn’t be an ideal time to remind you that I’m a big fan of Starswirl, would it?” Twilight asked.

“No, it would not… Not to mention you already did a while ago.” I rolled my eyes at her.

“Sorry, anyway, tell me what happened next?” Twilight pleaded.

Rolling my eyes once more, I leaned over the table as I thought about the next events in the story. “I guess I’ll skip ahead to the part after you and Sunset Shimmer team up with those teenagers to defeat us… I think we both remember that part pretty well…”

“Awww… That’s the only part of the story that has me in it though…” Twilight frowned.

“Are you that vain, Twilight Sparkle, that you need to hear a story that you experienced first hand?” I raised a brow.

She frowned and looked down at her cup. “N-no… I guess not… It would just be kind of interesting to see it from your perspective.”

“Then let’s skip ahead. This next part was about two months after our defeat, I believe it was a good few weeks before the other Twilight came into the picture,” I explained.

“So about… two years ago then?” Twilight placed a hoof on her chin as she tried to piece together the timeline.

“About then, yes…” I sighed.

Life after losing our powers was far from easy. For those first few weeks, it was a struggle to survive. Up to that point, we just manipulated our landlord into letting us live rent free using our voices. Without them though, our spell over him wore off and we were forced to resort to other means. Sonata and Aria bullshitted some paperwork together and got part-time jobs working at some taco place.

Oh, tacos are a human food with meat, cheese, and lettuce. Yeah, humans are omnivores, remember? It’s not that strange considering I am one too.

Given that all of our paperwork was about as fake as they come and hardly passible, that meant we were limited to working at places that didn’t ask a lot of questions. It didn’t help either that we looked like teenagers and naturally didn’t have any work references to speak of. I found out in a very short time that living on minimum wage in the human world is not that easy.

Sonata and Aria worked hard to get us by, and while I tried to get a part-time job as well, licking my wounds took up most of my time. The reality was that my thirst was for power, and my drive to work was minimal at best.

Sonata came home from her shift and tossed her visor onto the beat-up old couch before slumping down onto it. She looked over her shoulder to the corner of the room to observe me on the treadmill. It was part of my daily routine, an hour on the treadmill and then an hour lifting weights and exercising. The past two months had been nothing but finding ways to both vent my frustration and push myself further than I had ever gone.

“Dagi, when are you going to stop with that thing?” Sonata asked innocently as she kicked her boots off and lifted her dirty foot onto the coffee table. She began to search for a pair of nail clippers.

Huffing, I tried to focus on my exercise while I answered. “I’m preparing…”

“Preparing for what? A marathon? That’d be pretty cool… I’d root for you!” Sonata grinned with that stupid look of her’s on her face that made me want to punch her.

“I’m preparing for when we finally make a plan to get our magic back…” I groaned, trying to keep my feet going.

“You’re still doin’ that?” Sonata blinked.

Finally realizing that I wasn’t going to be able to continue exercising while Sonata was present, I hit the stop button and stepped off the old battered device, and gave her a puzzled look. “Well, one of us has to, it’s not like you’re doing anything productive.”

“At least she’s not wasting her time doing something pointless…” Another irritating voice rang in my ear along with the sound of a door swinging open.

Standing there in a work uniform, Aria reached into her pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes. She quickly pressed one between her lips and flicked a cheap gas station lighter. “Fuck… I haven’t had a smoke all day… Can you believe that stupid manager basically just kept making excuses to stick around me so he could stare at my ass?”

“I can believe a moron would fall for a moron like you if that’s what you’re asking?” I raised a brow and snatched the cigarette from her, placing it between my own lips and taking a long drag.

Aria grumbled and retrieved a new cancer stick and lit it. “What’s crawled up your snatch?”

“Sorry, I get cranky when dealing with incredibly stupid people…” I looked away and took another drag of the poison.

“You shouldn’t stare in a mirror so long then,” Aria stated with a smirk before plopping down on the couch, laying her legs across Sonata’s lap, much to Sonata’s discontent.

“I bet the mirror would break if you stared at it…” I retorted. Yes, not my best work, it was late and I was tired after running for so long, sue me.

“Bet you spent all day thinking of that comeback…” Aria responded.

“Eat shit.” I growled.

“I live with you, so that’s far worse.” Aria chuckled as she inhaled.

She’s such an insufferable cunt, isn’t she? Sorry… Just thinking about her gets me really fucking annoyed.

“What’re you wasting your time with that for anyway? Don’t you get it, Adagio… We’re not getting our powers back, plain and simple… Our amulets were destroyed, and I’m sorry but gluing them back together like you did didn’t work. Face it, they’re broken and we’re fucked, end of story. You should focus more on how we’re going to survive rather than chase after pointless bullshit that won’t happen…” Aria stated. Her annoying matter-of-a-fact voice pissed me off. I wanted to punch her, maybe smack her so hard in the tit that she’d- sorry, got carried away there.

“At least I’m trying to do something…” I hissed.

“You should try to forget… Face it, your plan backfired and the part of our life where we get to be powerful immortal sirens is over. Why waste what’s left of our lives trying to escape our fate… We’re mortal now…” Aria sighed.

With those words, I tossed my cigarette onto the ground and stomped on it with my bare foot. I stormed over to Aria and lifted her from the couch by her shirt. She coughed and struggled as I gazed into her eyes viciously. I could see the anger in my eyes reflected in her’s as I held her there threateningly. “Don’t you dare compare us to those things… We’re not mortals, we’ve just had a minor setback, that’s all…”

She wasn’t afraid of me, instead, she just gave me that smart-ass smirk of hers'. “Minor… Right…”

I dropped the woman and sighed. “Whatever… I’m going to work, toss me a pack of smokes…”

“Whatever gets the sand out of your vagina…” Aria chuckled as she fished a fresh pack out of her pocket and tossed them to me. I caught them viciously and wandered toward my room.

I tore off my workout clothes and slipped on a pair of tattered ripped jeans, black in color, and then a dark red button-up blouse that I left untucked. The shirt was a bit too long for even my tall form, but somehow I felt attractive in it. Unbuttoning the top two buttons, I allowed a small peak at the fabric of my navy blue bra before smiling at myself in the only mirror in my bedroom.

Satisfied with the look, I quickly slipped on a pair of tall black boots and stepped out of the room, retrieving a cigarette from the fresh pack that Aria had given to me and placing it in my mouth, I snagged a lighter from an end table in the living room. “By the way, these cigarettes fucking suck…”

Aria shrugged. “Had to pay the fucking electric guy, so I was short on cash. I had to buy the cheap shit… You’re right though, it tastes like smoking rolled up dog shit…”

“Then it probably tastes just like you.” I smirked.

Aria let out a genuine sounding laugh as she took another puff. “Heh, good one…”

Rolling my eyes, I took my exit to head out to my night job.

14 Hours 3 Minutes Until Execution

“Sounds like you and Aria don’t get along that well?” Twilight asked.

The temptation to scold her for pointing out the obvious was immense, but I managed to hold my tongue. To contain my inner smart ass, but still, I couldn’t refrain from commenting entirely.

“We’ve always been like that. I honestly can’t stand that stuck up pain in the ass…” I growled.

Twilight took a long sip from her tea, finishing it off as she did. “Yet, I can sense an almost sisterly relationship between you two…”

“How do you figure that?” I raised my brow.

She shrugged. “I noticed that you two take turns insulting each other and even apparently grade each other based upon your insults. It sounds like a part of both of you actually enjoys the other one’s company.”

I rolled my eyes, not wanting to discuss the topic further. “What’re you, a therapist?”

“Just a very analytical observer.” Twilight giggled.

There was a short silence between us before Twilight changed the subject.

“So the other two girls worked at some kind of fast food place, but what about you? You mentioned that you had a night job, but earlier you said that you didn’t exactly have much of a work ethic?” Twilight asked.

I nodded and a grin came to my face as the memories came rushing back. “Yeah, see I was more used to getting what I want a little faster. Working for eight hours a day for pennies… That wasn’t my style. I was chasing bigger cats, I just needed a little time to get myself an in so to speak… That night was going to be a big one for me…”

“So what happened after you left?” Twilight leaned in excitedly. She had become a child listening to a bedtime story from her mother almost. A part of me found it slightly adorable, but in a pathetic kind of way.

Walking downtown wasn’t always the safest of things, there were all kinds of dangers that awaited a young-looking woman. Fortunately for me though, I had a pretty intimidating scowl that kept most of the unwanted attention away. Had Sonata gone down that way, she would probably get jumped in less than three seconds. Guys go crazy for an airhead like her, I hear.

The other good news was that our apartment was already in the shitty part of town, so the walk was far from arduous.

See, I learned pretty quickly that the fastest way to get money in the human world was through a lot of illegal means, and if I’m anything, it’s practical. It’s better to get the boring nonsense parts of life out of the way quickly, isn’t it? Paying rent, earning money… Those are all tasks that should take up the least amount of time possible, it leaves more time to chase the things you really want or the things that matter.

Thank you, I know it is an interesting life philosophy. No, spare me your’s Twilight, we don’t really have time for it, we're on a time limit after all.

Anyway, after a good twenty minutes of walking, I found my way to a familiar hideaway. A small club in a basement, one that required the correct know-how and information to enter. I approached the door and tapped lightly as I lit a fresh cigarette.

Behind the basement door, a small window slid open and an older man peered out at me. He gave me a nod before closing the window. Within a second, I could hear the sound of the door unlock. I followed inside past a few other men of varying ages, a few shooting me an approving look or two, but one, in particular, looked up when he saw me enter, a smile growing on his young face as he placed the cards in his hand down and stepped up from the poker table he sat at.

When he approached, our height difference was evident. In the human world, I was a relatively tall girl, towering over most shorter men, and this little guy was no exception. He stood only at five foot six and so I had a good three inches on him. What? No, that wasn’t a penis joke.

A grin came to his face as he eyed me up and down. “Dagi… You’re early.”

“I’ve told you before Striker, I hate that nickname…” I rolled my eyes as I crossed my arms and looked away, making sure my discontent was visible.

It had little effect as Striker merely chuckled and ran a hand through his long messy black hair. His facial hair was neatly trimmed and he was sporting a nice pressed black shirt over his jeans as he shook his head. “Dagi, I don’t mean any disrespect. I give you this nickname as a sign of my friendship.”

“Funny, because I have something to give you as a sign of mine…” I smirked before reaching into my shirt and under my bra to retrieve a wad of twenty-dollar bills. Human bras are pretty convenient actually, sort of like extra pockets, especially since I’m not the bustiest of girls in that world. What? Oh sorry, rambling.

“Damn girl, how much did you bring home last night?” He whistled in approval as he took the wad of ill-gotten cash and began to count it.

“Two grand…” I replied.

“Two fucking grand!? I could kiss you!” He laughed.

“Please don’t…” I groaned at the thought.

“Oh man, Dagi, I don’t even know how you do it!” He nodded as he walked back to the poker table and laid the money out in front of himself, pushing it to a man across from him to count.

“I’m very persuasive…” I winked. Yes, even without my powers, I can still con people into doing what I say to a small extent.

Striker leaned forward and clasped his hands together. A grin on his face suggested that he was scheming something. There was a certain look he always got when he was plotting something.

“This is big, Dagi. Clearly, your talents are wasted pushing that skunk weed. I’m moving you up to some of our better products. A bit more expensive, but I think you can push them with ease. Keep impressing me and you’ll be sitting at this table with the big boys…” He grinned.

“Sorry to disappoint but I lack a penis… I know it’s a shock to me too…” I rolled my eyes.

“Big boys, big girls, doesn’t matter. Point is, I’m going to give you a taste…” He smirked.

That definitely piqued my interest. I turned and uncrossed my arms as my brow rose in curiosity. “Go on…”

“I’m giving you some higher-end weed we’ve got. What’s more, is I’m increasing your cut… Starting now…” He gestured with his hand to the man counting the cash I had handed him.

The big brute took a large wad of the bills and offered them to me. I blinked as I looked down at the amount I was being offered. It was a substantial raise over my previous… Salary. It was clear that Striker expected big things from me, things that I did not want to disappoint him on.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

Striker nodded. “Never been surer about anything. You’re the girl for the job, Dagi. This is only the beginning.”

Needless to say, I was excited.

There certainly were quite a few benefits to working the higher-end product. While it required asking people to part with more money, it was an easier sell. One sniff of those bags and anyone could tell it was the cream of the crop. It was nothing like the ditch shit I was forced to sell prior. It didn’t take long before I was bringing in twice what I did previously. My talents really shine when I'm given the proper canvas to paint with after all.

Even without magic, something I learned pretty well was the art of persuasion. I either convinced them they weren’t cool enough to have what I was offering which made them want it more, or I flirted my way to where I needed to be. Boys are stupid sometimes, though I can’t deny that there would be some benefits to being one. Did you know that almost no women’s jeans have real pockets? Also, the lines for the women’s bathrooms are ridiculous. Men are lucky, they can just whip it out and- Oh… Sorry.

Anyway, I was in the fast lane to becoming Striker’s best seller. There wasn’t a pothead in town that didn’t know who I was. Within a few weeks, I was on top, and the money began to roll in. I had convinced the others that I got a raise from the club I told them I worked at during the night shift. Sonata and Aria were seldom ones for asking questions, especially if things got taken care of.

Worrying about paying rent became a thing of the past, and before I knew it, I was bringing in the kind of cash that let me treat myself.

I think during that time I learned something about myself; I have very expensive tastes. I don’t know what it was, but somehow buying things filled something that was missing in my life. Designer boots, gold bangles, expensive earrings, I had to have it all. Before I knew it, I was letting the world know that Adagio Dazzle was a success.

No longer did I do business on that old budget phone, but instead on the latest iPhone with a solid gold Apple Watch to boot. Oh, iPhones are sort of like… They’re more or less a brand name cell phone I guess. I’m not that familiar with them, Twilight, I just used them for work. It’s a status symbol thing, I guess. What? No, of course, they don’t taste like apples, that’s just stupid.

Striker was pleased, my pockets were full of cash, and I was living far better than I would be working some shitty part-time job like those other two idiots. When you dream, you have to dream big, and I dreamt bigger than them all.

In the back of my mind, however, I was always trying to figure out how I would use my new status to get back to Equestria and eventually regain my magic. Reforging a siren’s amulet is challenging, but not so long as all the pieces are together, it’s far easier than forging a new one.

One night though when I came home, Sonata decided to bore me with the details of her shift at work. I was in a half-dazed state as I only partially listened to her ramble about nothing.

“So, the guy ends up ordering two taco supremes in the end! Can you believe that? After all that crap he gave me!?” Sonata was giggling out of control, apparently very amused by her own humorous story. You’ll find that’s a common thing for that girl.

“Yes, very interesting, Sonata…” I lied.

She took in a few breaths to subside her laughter as I inhaled a cigarette. The blue-haired siren looked over at me with a frown. “You know I heard those things will kill you.”

“I’m already dying slowly being stuck here… If these things kill me faster, I’ll consider them a blessing.” I grumbled.

“You and Aria are so pessimistic.” Sonata rolled her eyes but kept that annoyingly chipper smile stuck on her face. I know I’ve said this before, but I really really wanted to punch her. Not punching Sonata is probably the biggest test of patience that many could ever face. I mean she has just such a punchable face, and who really can stand someone who’s that annoyingly cheerful all the time?

“I’ll be optimistic when there’s something to look forward to in my life…” I sighed before leaning back on the couch and staring at the ceiling. I had chosen to wear a new pair of black jeans, with a belt stylized with fake bullets around it, custom made of course, and solid gold. It went well with the white blouse I had tucked in.

I liked gold, so naturally, that was sort of my theme. On my right hand a pair of gold bangles, on my left my gold watch, and around my neck the amulet that I had glued back together. Ironically the ancient amulet that at one point was the source of all my powers was the tackiest part of the outfit.

For some reason, I kind of always felt like I gave of a mixture of a masculine and feminine vibe. Feminine in that I definitely had the subtle and gentle curves of a woman, but I could give off the presence of a man if I wanted to. My height and smaller breasts gave me a powerful aura. Honestly, I bet I’d make a pretty sexy guy.

Thank you, Twilight, I’m glad you agree. Is that a blush I see?

Wearing something completely girly never really seemed for me, but I guess I always preferred the subtle feminine traits. Yes, I’m aware that the outfit I wore when we met was obnoxious. It was retro, it was in then, and my tastes got more refined as time went on.

“Well… You’re still hot?” Sonata winked and nudged my shoulder affectionately.

“Gee… Thanks… That means so much coming from you, Sonata…” I rolled my eyes.

Sonata rolled her eyes back and laid her head down in my lap, looking up at me with a goofy grin. “You could be one of those ugly mortals. That would suck.”

“Boy, that sure helps… Thinking of all the ways my life could get worse! Thanks, Sonata!” I spoke sarcastically.

Admittedly, Sonata had gotten better at detecting sarcasm over the years, and instead of actually believing I was being legitimate, she quickly discerned that I was being completely facetious. Impressive for her, really.

“Do you really think… We’ll ever get our powers back and go back to Equestria, Adagio…?” Her tone grew serious and her expression followed.

As I looked down at her, I could see the sadness in her eyes. I sighed and exhaled from my cigarette and put it out in a nearby ashtray as I had the girl sit up so she could meet me at eye level. Our height difference made it a bit challenging, but I placed a hand on her cheek.

“Sonata, we’re going to get our power back, I promise. I’ll think of something… I just need some time…” I spoke sternly.

Sonata merely closed her eyes and smiled as a content sigh escaped her. “I know… I trust you, Adagio…”

I’m not sure why, but her trust… It made me feel better, if not for only a moment.

13 Hours 44 Minutes Until Execution

A grin was stuck on Twilight’s face, the same kind of grin that usually annoyed me when I saw it on Sonata, except punching Twilight was definitely not an option that was available to me. Instead, I was forced to humor her. “What?”

She leaned in, and I could already sense how giddy she was becoming. “You cared about Sonata…”

“No, I didn’t!” I argued.

“You felt happy when she looked to you for answers… You felt better knowing that she believed in you… Admit it, Sonata was your friend!” Twilight teased.

I hissed and banged my hoof on the table. “I didn’t give a shit about that stupid girl, or Aria for that matter! They were nothing more than minions who would help me accomplish my goal!”

My performance didn’t seem to phase Twilight as she continued to sit there smiling. “Really?”

Admitting defeat, I sighed and looked away. “Okay fine… I at least cared about Sonata’s well being… But she wasn’t my friend if that’s what you’re thinking. In case you haven’t forgotten she helped Sunset take me down, and is part of the reason that I’m sitting in this cell at this very moment… Friends don’t turn on you like that!”

Twilight frowned and blushed. “Oh… Right…”

“If I ever see that stupid blue-haired bitch again, I’ll strangle her!” I growled. I could actually feel myself grinding my teeth in anger while I thought about Sonata’s ever more punchable face.

“Either way, I could care less if I see those two traitors ever again…” I grumbled as I crossed my hooves and refused to make eye contact with the Princess. “They fucked me over and I could care less what happens to them…”

“Did it ever occur to you that you put yourself in this position?” Twilight raised a brow.

Suddenly, Twilight’s face was looking a lot more punchable.

“Honestly, what difference does it make now? I’m dead soon, so what’s the point of self-reflecting now?” I groaned.

Twilight rolled her eyes and decided to leave the subject alone. “So, you were a success in the drug selling world. Not exactly a profession that I approve of, but at least you were passionate about something…”

I laughed and shook my head. “Weed is hardly a drug. I didn’t get into selling the hard shit until later. However, I’d be getting ahead of myself then. I didn’t get to the part where I met Shining Armor yet…”

That little sentence definitely caught Twilight’s interest. She leaned in and blinked a few times. “As in… The human counterpart of my brother!?”

I smirked from the corner of my mouth as I realized I had the Princess practically wrapped around my hoof. She would do anything to hear the next part of my story, anything to get pulled in further to the epic I was telling. Every detail was like a slow drip-feed, and I controlled the flow. It felt good to have some kind of power over someone again, even if it was so minor.

“Yeah, that’s the one…” I nodded.

“How exactly did you meet him?” Twilight spoke in awe.

“Well…”

Working the same beat as before, the night was coming to an end for me. Around three AM, I usually turn in. Sue me, I like to sleep. After working a three-hour shift, I have to get the fuck out of there. No, I’m not exactly concerned about my business hours, my customers know that if you don’t show up on time, you don’t get shit. Twilight, are you really going to lecture me on business ethics regarding drug selling. Trust me, it doesn’t exactly work like other businesses, for starters I can tell people I don’t like to fuck off.

The night was going pretty normal, however, when I began my walk home, I couldn’t help but notice I was being followed. A strange dark figure looming in the shadows behind me… No, I am not hamming it up, Twilight! That’s what it was like! Just shut up and let me tell the damn story!

As I was saying, he was lurking behind me, I think he followed me for a good few blocks before I was certain he was trying to follow me home. At first, I thought perhaps he was a customer that didn’t understand what “go fuck yourself” meant. I think the phrase is self-explanatory, Twilight…

Either way, he was on my metaphorical tail for a good few blocks, and I was starting to wonder what he wanted. Before I knew it though, he made a rapid approach, picking up his pace, walking faster and faster, forcing me to increase my speed as well to keep a distance from him. He only reacted to my speed increase by going faster still until finally, he was in a full-on sprint, and as was I.

My cardio workouts gave me the advantage in the situation, so I bolted away and turned into an alleyway, hoping to lose him.

Luck was not on my side, however, as I turned into the alleyway, I realized that I had trapped myself into a dead end. Turning, I could see a slovenly man with a wide perverted grin. I think it was safe to say that his intentions with me were not of the pleasant conversation type.

“Fuck, you’re ugly…” Were the first words that came out of my mouth. Yeah, perhaps not the smartest thing to say in that scenario, I know.

“I’ve been watching you, pretty girl…” He spoke, his voice crazed.

“I have a name, and it’s not pretty girl. Why don’t you go yank your cock out through your mouth, assface?” I raised a brow as I crossed my arms.

Again, not my wisest choice of words, I get it.

“How about I put it in your mouth instead…?” He giggled as he took another step forward.

I stood my ground and raised my brow. “Are you on some kind of new medication or something? I said piss off.” Rhetorical question of course.

The pig took another few steps, and I stepped back to try and put a little more distance between us. The closer he got, the more I could smell his foul odor. Soap and he clearly weren’t on speaking terms, to say the least. He smelled about as bad as a dead skunk in a trash can, or Sonata’s cooking. It’s bad, let’s just leave it at that. Once I was questioning if something she cooked was still alive.

It was pretty obvious what he was after, and I wasn’t about to be a willing participant, but judging by the look on his face, I don’t think that was a concern of his.

“Hey… Back off…” I stuttered as I found myself backed up against a wall with only a yardstick length between the two of us. My brain was already turning, trying to think of any way out of this situation.

“It’s alright, beautiful… I’ll treat you right…” He grinned before unzipping his dirty pants.

“You put that thing anywhere near me and you’re going to lose it!” I growled.

He chuckled and reached into his pocket. With the flick of his wrist, a blade extruded from a small metal object he had retrieved. Opening his mouth, he ran his tongue along the blade playfully. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll be doing anything like that, my little flower…”

I gulped and my eyes started darting around the alleyway, trying to find a way out of the situation that didn’t involve trying to get around the pervert blocking my way.

“I’ll only say it once more… If I so much as see your cock, I am going to take that knife, cut it off and wear it as my own as a trophy. NOW BACK THE FUCK UP!” I screamed.

He laughed and pinned me against the wall, the knife pointed directly at my throat. “Feisty… I like that…”

Leaning in he whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry, baby… If you relax, I’ll be quick…”

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. I felt helpless, a feeling that I hated, and at that moment, my self-hatred was through the roof. I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop him, and I couldn’t get away.

That douchebag may have had his way with me if it hadn’t been for the words I heard next.

From behind him, a deeper voice rang in the alleyway that caused me to open my eyes and my pursuer to turn his head over his shoulder.

“You’re gonna look really stupid with that knife up your ass…”

The attacker raised a brow and took note of the middle-aged man standing there with a revolver in his hand. His grey uniform alerted me right away of his profession.

“Hey… Tell you what… How about we take turns with her, officer?” The attacker asked.

“Well… If that’s the case… You’ll have to wait in line…” The officer smirked.

My attacker rose a brow curiously. “Oh?”

“Yeah, behind them.” The officer jerked his head to the right over his shoulder and sure enough, a group of four officers were all standing behind him, all with weapons drawn.

“Fuck…” The attacker released me from his grip and dropped his blade onto the ground and put his hands in the air. “I was just playin’ officers…”

“Yeah, tell that to the DA. Let’s go shit for brains…” One of the cops behind the first one stated.

Before I knew it, my attacker was being taken away in handcuffs and the initial officer approached me with a smile on his face. “You alright?”

I looked up at him and nodded. I was taken back by how in shape he looked. His blue hair was messy, and he looked a bit tired, but his smile was genuine. “Yeah… I’m fine…”

He offered his hand to me and I looked down at it before back up to meet his eyes. “Name’s Armor, Officer Shining Armor. You can call me Shining though.”

“Adagio Dazzle…” I replied as I cautiously took his hand and shook it gently.

“Those were some pretty cool moves there…” I stated.

He grinned and nodded. “You like that? I got that line from a movie. Anyway, do you live around here? I can give you a ride home.”

I wanted to decline, knowing that I was carrying some of my leftover stock on my person along with all the cash that I had netted from selling it. I wanted to do that, but the words that actually came out of my mouth were the total opposite of my actual thoughts.

“Y-yeah… Sure… I live about two miles that way…” I pointed to the right.

Nodding, Shining gave a finger wave to gesture me to follow him. Absentmindedly, I did so, passing by the other officers that were handcuffing and questioning my attacker. Shining gave them a wave before letting them know that he was going to take me home. He was given a series of approving nods before he opened the back of his car and smiled at me. “Come Miss Dazzle, let’s get you home.”

I locked eyes with him for a moment, but then I nodded and stepped into the car and allowed him to close the door behind me.

I could hear the low volume of the police radio from the front of the car as I watched Shining through the cage that protected the driver from the passenger in the back, usually a suspect. Luckily for me, he hadn’t asked to search me or what I was doing out there.

“So, what’s your address?” He asked, his voice as friendly as ever.

I blinked and pointed. “Down that road, I’m at the fourth apartment building on the left…”

He nodded. “Ah, I know that place… Used to be pretty big gang territory… I used to do my rounds around this place…”

I stayed quiet, not wanting to offer any information that I might regret to him. The rest of our car ride was in silence before we came to a stop across the street from my building. To my good fortune, Sonata and Aria were fast asleep, so they wouldn’t see me stepping out of a cop car if I was quiet.

Waiting patiently for Shining to open the door, he instead opened his mouth and looked over his seat at me, his eyes more serious now.

“Listen… Adagio…” He began.

I gulped. Part of me wondered if he smelled the weed on my person.

“I know this is a rough neighborhood. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t know you were selling pot in this area… I know the kind of things that teens your age out here do to survive… You’re all alone, you feel like you have no options… I get it…” He said.

I could feel the hairs on my neck not only stand up but feel like they were ready to jump out of my skin entirely. I said nothing, wanting neither to confirm nor deny what he was saying.

“I guess what I’m saying is… I get it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you in or anything…” He smiled at me before hitting a button to unlock my door.

I blinked in confusion. “Why though?”

“Maybe because sometimes I believe some things are better fixed by being a good person than getting the law involved…” He winked before reaching into his pocket. After fishing out his wallet, he retrieved a business card and offered it to me through the bars.

I took it gingerly and looked down at it before looking back at him.

“My number… If you’re ever in trouble… Give me a call, alright?” He smiled.

“T-thank you… Officer…” I replied as I stepped out of the car and shut the door.

He only laughed and shook his head. “I told you, call me Shining.”

With those words, he drove off, and somehow, I was off the hook.

Chapter Three

13 Hours 22 Minutes Until Execution

“So you and Shining knew each other… I have to say that’s quite a surprise. Given how close he is to the other Twilight, it’s amazing that the two of you didn’t run into each other prior to Shimmer’s murder…” The Princess rubbed her chin in thought, trying to fit the new information into her picture of how this all began. “What’s any of this got to do with the murder though? I’m assuming that’s where this story is leading, correct?”

I grinned and rolled my eyes at how predictable she was being. Princess Twilight Sparkle was too eager to know what she didn’t know, I imagined she would be quite the friend to bring along to the movies. I could already hear her audibly trying to guess the ending to whatever film was being watched; it made me laugh a little on the inside. “Way to try and spoil the ending, Princess. Though to be fair, given that my life ends later today, I guess in a story about my life that would be the most logical closing point wouldn’t it? The murder that lead up to my death and why I did it?”

Twilight grew serious for a moment and spoke with conviction. “Well… That was something at the trial that you simply refused to discuss… Why you did it… You said your plan was to kill Sunset to get your magic back, but somehow, the fact that you’re telling me this story tells me that there is way more to it isn’t there?”

“You’re impatient, you know that? It’s all going to make sense in good time, can’t you just let me tell the fucking story without wondering how it’s going to end or what direction it’s going to go along the way? Seriously, I’m fucking being put to death in a few hours, the least you could do is let me tell my fucking story without being so rude about it…” I complained, quite a bit of venom in my voice. I didn’t mean to snap at the Princess, but she definitely was getting on my nerves.

“Sorry… I’ll try and stop guessing what the point of all of this is, but do keep in mind that you pulled me out of bed late at night and I’m not obligated to hear any of this, so forgive my curiosity…” Twilight lectured.

She had me there. I couldn’t deny that her even humoring me at all was a testament to her kindness, though I wasn’t exactly keen on admitting such a thing, especially right to her face. I guess, I was always just stubborn that way, I refused to give merit where it was due, probably because very few ever did so for me. One only gives what they receive, I supposed.

Twilight Sparkle may have been an oddity as a princess, but she certainly cared. For some stupid reason, she cared.

“Fine, but try and not slow the story down too much, okay? It’s already bad enough that I have to relive some of these memories, so I’d prefer not to linger on some of them for too long if that’s alright?” I sneered at her, avoiding admitting I was wrong, of course.

She squinted and examined me thoughtfully. “Are you always this hostile, Adagio?”

“Yes,” I quickly retorted. “Is that the answer you were looking for?”

Twilight chuckled and shook her head. “So, Detective Armor saved your life… Odd that he would come to testify against you yesterday, isn’t it? I guess his sense of justice is so strong that murder quickly flips his opinion of someone?”

I looked down and then away from her. “Shining is…”

Twilight leaned with curiosity. “Yes?”

“He’s… Not a bad guy… I would have probably testified against me too if I was in his position…” I admitted, closing my eyes in shame.

“Oh? Why’s that? Are you going to elaborate?” Twilight blinked.

“It’s all part of the story, I’ll get to it, just… Be patient, okay?” I sighed and sat back up. I looked to my coffee cup, realizing that I had polished it off. “Let’s get back to it then?”

“Yes, let’s.” Twilight nodded gleefully, her smile returning so easily. Part of me wished I could find something to smile genuinely about as she did. There was something inside her that made her genuinely happy with little cause for such.

“So, as I was saying, Striker had me doing the bigger stuff, and before I knew it I was pushing the top of the line shit… So let’s fast forward to a few days after I met Shining… I think this part will be of the most interest to you…” I spoke quietly.

“Why’s that?” Twilight asked.

My tone grew somber as I spoke. “Just… Pay attention, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it under control, Striker,” I spoke into my phone as I leaned casually against a building talking to the drug dealer that I would call a "business partner".

I had been working my usual spot, only just arriving. Despite being in such a crappy part of town, I was probably the best-looking thing there, next to the run-down old building complexes I was like an immaculate piece of art hanging in a gallery. No, that wasn’t just me being vain, Twilight. That was pretty much literal. What do you mean I’m misunderstanding the word? Oh shut up, what do you know? No, I don’t care that you read the entire dictionary, would you just shut it and stop ruining my story?

I was rocking my usual ripped skinny jeans, a tucked-in white blouse, unbuttoned slightly and a face that definitely shows I don’t give a shit combo like a master. If anyone could make a scowl sexy, it’s me. No, I told you it’s not vain if it’s the truth!

The point is, I was on the prowl to find potential customers, and I needed them to know that I was a serious dealer, not some shitty bus stop dime bag pusher, alright? I had just started my shift and had quite a few hours left before I could think about retiring. It’s exhausting work, standing there looking intimidating just to offer the pleasures of getting high to would-be passers-by.

Pot was their kingdom, and I, the gatekeeper holding the key. I merely asked them to pay the proper tribute and they could drink from the splendid waters of euphoria. Why thank you, I did just come up with that myself. Yes, I’ll consider a career in poetry. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to publish a few works before I die later today in a few hours. I could set a world record for the fastest literary publications.

Little did I know however that I was about to make the biggest sale I had ever made, and wrap up for the night in a single transaction. Prior to that moment, I had maybe sold about ten percent of what I was carrying, maybe less even.

“You know I don’t doubt you, Dagi, you know how to get the job done, but if you need more shit, you let me know, okay? I got you, girl,” Striker spoke in my ear.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was mostly just flirting. “Anything else, Striker?” I spoke, signaling that I wanted to keep the conversation strictly on business.

“Yeah, you sell this batch all up and I’ll talk about getting you some more money. You got expensive tastes, I’ll see to it that they are satisfied…” Striker spoke smoothly.

I grinned and nodded in agreement. “I take back what I said before, Striker… You really do know how to sweet talk a girl…”

“What can I say… A girl like you shouldn’t be wearing anything but the best. Anyway, I gotta get going, looks like Grass is fucking up again…” Striker groaned on the other end of the phone.

“What else is new? Anyway, I have to get going myself too, looks like someone is pulling up. Time to talk shop, I’ll call you later tonight.” I replied.

“Sounds good, go get ‘em, Dagi.” He hung up with those words.

The car that pulled up was a shining black that reflected the moonlight elegantly. Tinted windows, and a Mercedes emblem on the hood. I wasn’t too familiar with cars, but I knew enough to know that this was a luxury vehicle. Someone who owned a car like that didn’t belong in the boondocks.

Boondocks? It’s a human term, more or less means slums. Yes, you’re welcome for the slang lesson, Twilight. Put it to good use. Maybe you can find a career in rap music.

A car like this was something that I generally only saw in the rich part of town, though I didn’t frequent there too often.

Looking down at the tires, one could easily tell that the rims were custom, and probably cost more than everything on my person combined. A part of me wondered what someone like that was doing in a part of town like this, but a sale was a sale after all.

I’ll never forget the moment that window rolled down ever so slowly. Time stood still as I watched a face begin to appear from behind the window. Young, pale, but most importantly, fierce fiery red hair with golden streaks.

Those cyan eyes, both piercing but innocent looking at the same time, hidden partially behind a pair of glasses.

Her hands were partially covered in black lacy sleeveless gloves that allowed her fingertips to show, and flaunt her fresh black nail polish job.

I could only stare, completely dumbfounded by the sight. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

13 Hours 1 Minute Until Execution

“Holy shit!” Twilight gasped, before covering her mouth.

I broke into a fit of laughter at her reaction. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you curse before, Princess!”

Her face had turned completely red as she tried to hide her shame. “S-sorry… I try not to make a habit of it… It just slipped out, I was surprised…”

“Don’t be sorry, it was hilarious…” I found myself unable to stop laughing.

“It’s just… You and Shimmer… Had met before!?” Twilight asked.

I smirked and gave her a coy look. “At the time, I didn’t know she was the person you all refer to as Shimmer. Remember, I had never met her before this, and since she hadn’t met all of you, the nickname ‘Shimmer’ hadn’t been given to her yet.”

Twilight nodded in understanding. “I suppose… that makes sense…”

“Naturally, this means for simplicity’s sake, I’ll be referring to her merely as “Sunset” from this point onward in the story, and I’ll be sure to differentiate when I am talking about the other Sunset,” I stated.

Twilight posed no objections, I think she was just still shocked that I had met Shimmer at all prior to the murder that I was just recently charged for. I could feel her anticipation in the room, Twilight wanted to know more.

“So what was Shimmer doing in a place like that? You said yourself it didn’t make sense for her to be there, didn’t you?” Twilight asked.

“Yes… Well… That’s where things get interesting…” I grinned.

I wanted to grab her hair and pull that bitch out of the car. I wanted to smash her face against the pavement so hard that she’d be unrecognizable after I was done. In my mind, there was Sunset Shimmer, the person who had fucked up my entire life, lost me my magic, and stranded me in the human world, and yet she had the audacity to come to my part of town, pull up next to me and roll her window down like nothing had happened, like she was completely ignorant to how much I hated her.

The girl eyed me up and down with rather uninterested eyes before speaking. “I was told you have some of the best stuff out here?”

Her voice was even as stupid as I remembered. Sweet Luna, I wanted to shove her face in the dirt until she ate it!

There was silence between us, causing her to raise a brow. My hands started to ball into fists. “Y-you…” I growled under my breath.

She squinted in confusion. “Do I… Know you…?” She asked.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Now she was mocking me, acting like we had never met, or at least that’s what I thought for a brief moment. Suddenly it dawned on me; if Sunset had come to this world through the portal, there was a good chance that she’d have a counterpart. Looking the car over again and the girl sitting in it, I was able to stop being blinded by pure rage for a moment and noticed this girl seemed genuine. She really didn’t know me.

I also recalled that Sunset didn’t wear glasses, and here this girl was with a pair. Not to mention she was clearly driving a car that was far out of Sunset’s price range. The logical part of me won out over the emotional part and I rationalized that this Sunset was a different person all together.

“N-no… Sorry… I guess I had you mistaken for…” I paused, realizing it was not a good idea to tell her about another version of herself living in the human world, “someone else…”

She nodded in understanding and leaned back. “I see… So… As we were talking about… I was told that you have some of the best stuff in town?”

I blinked and it took me a moment to remember why I was even standing out on the side of the street in the first place. Yeah, I tend to blackout a bit when I get angry. Fine, call it a character flaw or whatever, the point is that things can get a little hazy sometimes when I get upset.

“That depends on what you’re asking…” I Said, a bit suspicious of why a girl in a car like this would be buying from me in the seedy part of town.

“Look, I’m just trying to restock, do you have any or not?” She raised a brow, clearly running low on patience.

“Yeah, how much are you looking to buy?” I asked.

“All.” She gave me a stern look.

“You’re shitting me… This isn’t the cheap shit…” I reminded.

“Money isn’t a problem, so how much for your entire inventory?” She asked reaching into her purse.

“Fuck… You have to be shitting me…” I spoke under my breath. “Looking at around five grand for all I have…”

She nodded and retrieved a wad of one-hundred-dollar bills and licked her thumb as she began to count them out. I couldn’t even believe what I was seeing, this girl was walking around with that kind of cash out in the boondocks and didn’t even care what kind of target it made her. She had no discretion as she counted out a large sum and folded it in half between her two fingers offering it to me.

Taking the money I began to count it, a bit puzzled at why there was at least five hundred dollars extra.

“The rest is for you,” she explained.

“I don’t need your charity…” I growled.

She shook her head. “Consider it a tip, I like your face.”

“Are you making fun of me?” I raised my brow, ready to jump on the offensive.

I am not standoffish, Twilight Sparkle!

A smile came to her face and she shook her head. It looked so innocent, so child-like almost. “Nah, I mean it. You’re cute. So will that cover it?”

Realizing that I’d have to be crazy to turn down such an easy open and close night, especially with $500 on the top for myself, I nodded before I reached into my own bag and stepped closer to the car. I looked around to make sure no one was watching before I emptied the contents into her lap. Bag after bag of marijuana, enough to last most people a few months if they were sparing in how they used it.

After I had given her the last bag, she moved them over into her purse and winked at me. “Thanks, I’m sure we’ll see each other real soon…” She giggled.

I nodded and stepped back from the car, just staring, unsure of what to make of the situation.

She gave me another wink and a gentle wave of her hand. “Bye, cute stuff. See you soon.”

I could only think to wave back as her window rolled up and she drove away. It was safe to say that the first time I met Sunset Shimmer, I was completely perplexed. She struck me as a mysterious girl, whose motives were difficult to read. Who knew what was going on in that head of hers'.

12 Hours 55 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight placed a hoof on her chin as she chewed these new details, trying to make sense of it all. “So, you and Shimmer met prior to all of this… And she bought pot from you? Am I following this correctly?”

“So far, yes. However, it gets more complicated than that… it wasn’t the last time I was going to see that girl… Not by a long shot. Sunset Shimmer is the kind of person who doesn’t let you forget she is there…” I explained.

It was clear that Twilight had grown curious. “How close did you get to her?”

“Twilight, what did I tell you about letting me tell the story? I’ll explain it all in due time, but you need to not rush me,” I replied.

She sunk in her chair and nodded sheepishly, realizing that she was acting like a child being told to stop touching everything in the store. Twilight was definitely an inquisitive girl, but perhaps too much for her own good at times. She was an excitable person, and once you ignited that excitement, it was difficult to contain it.

“Sorry… I guess I sometimes let my excitement get the better of me…” She admitted.

“Sometimes?” I smirked.

“Okay, a lot of the time…” Twilight rolled her eyes.

“We’re getting to the good part of the story, I promise, Twilight, patience.” I grinned.

“Now… After I got home that night…”

Being able to retire early was always a nice feeling. I didn’t get to get out of working so quickly that often, so I decided to head home and enjoy the night off. It was still a while before I would go to bed, and the other two would actually likely still be up at that point. While I usually found conversing with the two to be a never-ending frustration, I was in a good mood for having finished up so quickly.

While I had my reservations about Sunset Shimmer buying all my stock, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. No that’s not an intended pun, Twilight. Yes, I get why you’d think that because Equestria is… Never mind.

The walk home was uneventful, and when I came into the apartment, there was Aria in a white overly large tank top and her panties as she sat on the arm of a chair. Just by looking at her from that angle, I could definitely see why her manager at work was staring at her ass a lot, that thing was huge. No, not in a bad way, like in that she had the kind of ass that guys flocked to.

A cigarette was between her two fingers as she looked over her shoulder at me quizzically. Her brow rose as Sonata came out of the kitchen, wearing a pajama top and a pair of booty shorts, her hair tied up into a messy bun on her head. “Dagi? You’re home early!” Sonata exclaimed.

I shrugged. “Got everything done early, the boss said I could go home…”

“You should have stayed, we need the hours…” Aria reminded.

I waved my hand. “Don’t worry about it, I have that boss eating out of my hand. We’re more than set.”

“Come to think of it… You have been buying a lot of new stuff lately… I mean those gold bangles look expensive…” Aria’s eyes squinted as she eyed up my outfit. Up to that point, I was relying on their ignorance of human brand names to not notice how much more lavish my wardrobe had gotten.

“The boss likes me, so he keeps spoiling me with crap in the hopes that I’ll go on a date with him,” I lied.

Aria squinted once more as she processed the lie and tried to determine if she was going to accept it or not. Ultimately, she clearly so no reason to reject it or accuse me of deceiving her, so she went with it. “Well… Be careful… You know how guys are, eventually after enough shit that they buy for you, they expect you to put out…”

“I can string him along for a while, for sure.” I grinned.

“Isn’t that what we sirens do best?” Aria grinned back.

For once, I found myself in agreement with her. We both allowed our grins to turn into genuine smiles and then nodded at each other. “I can smooth talk my way out of it if he gets too grabby.”

“Ain’t much to grab on you…” Sonata chuckled.

“And what is that supposed to me?” I placed my hands on my hips and leaned in with a scowl.

“You ain’t got much tits, and your ass is okay at best…” Aria chuckled before taking a big inhale of her cigarette.

“First of all, I’ll have you know I’m a B cup!” I growled.

“Woooo, big deal. Girls in middle school are B cups here in this world. Hell, Sonata is a D cup…” Aria gestured toward the other siren in the room who had laid down on the couch playing some game on her phone.

Sonata perked up and looked up with a blush. “H-how did you know that!?”

“You leave your damn bras all over the place, it’s kind of hard not to know…” Aria rolled her eyes.

“The dumb ones usually do have giant tits, don’t they?” I spoke crossing my arms.

“You got me there…” Aria sniggered.

“And secondly, not all of us need an ass that can be seen from outer space like yours…” I smirked.

Aria looked over her shoulder at her behind and grinned. “Yeah, but it definitely comes in handy.”

Naturally, as you are probably aware, asses are more coveted in Equestria, but humans seem to have a thing for tits too. I suppose I can see why they are somehow aesthetically pleasing to look at. They kind of complete the whole look, you know what I mean? You don’t? Whatever.

“Anyway, I’m exhausted… I’m going to bed, no one wake me up, alright?” I groaned as I wandered toward my bedroom. The other two girls just nodded, saying nothing as I exited and locked the door behind me.

Stretching, I reached into my pocket and placed my phone on the beat-up old desk in the room, and began to unbutton my shirt. I shed out of the article before sitting on my bed and untying my boots to slip them off as well. I placed them neatly against the wall and tossed my shirt in a laundry basket. Before I knew it, I was wiggling out of my jeans and then just found myself laying on my bed in nothing but my navy blue underwear staring at the ceiling.

My encounter with Sunset Shimmer had me confused. It was clear that this Sunset was different from the one that I had come to loathe, but I wondered if there was a connection between the two. I even considered if there was a human counterpart of myself in this world somewhere.

Sunset Shimmer, the girl who destroyed my life. The girl who I have come to know as a person who made my blood boil, and yet I saw the face of the one that I hate on this girl, and it was the wrong girl. It took some time to wrap myself around that concept.

I wondered if our paths would cross again. What would I say? What would I do? All questioned that I needed answered.

12 Hours 32 Minutes Until Execution

“So Shimmer was a person that caused you a lot of confusion at first?” Twilight asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I think it’s safe to say she was a confusing girl overall. I don’t think I ever came to understand her fully in my entire time of knowing the girl…”

Twilight blinked at that information. “So… You continued to interact with her after that?”

“Why not just listen to the rest of the story without guessing?” I smirked.

“Right… Sorry… I could sure go for some more tea, want some more coffee?” Twilight asked as she came to a stand stretching her wings. Somehow I noticed that wings looked adorable on the Princess. She struck me as someone who didn’t know much about flying and likely needed lessons still.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was definitely the ditziest Princess ever, but no one could deny that she was genuine. She wore who she was on her sleeve, which I was somewhat jealous of.

“You’re lucky, Princess…” I thought out loud.

Her ear twitched at those words and she turned to me with a “hm?”, her face contorted to an adorable look of confusion.

“You’re just so… Unapologetically you…” I grinned.

“That’s… a good thing, right?” Twilight asked, blinking.

I nodded, my grin only growing as I thought about it. “It’s what I always wished that I could do… I’ve spent my whole life being forced to hide what I am and who I am… I’m kind of envious of those who just are so fully themselves without even thinking about it…”

Twilight stepped forward and smiled back at me. “Right now, you’re doing exactly that. You’re opening yourself up, being vulnerable…”

I chuckled and nodded. “I guess you’re right…”

Twilight giggled and nodded back. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a genuine smile on you, Adagio.”

“Oh?” I asked.

She nodded again. “You shouldn’t worry so much about being vulnerable. Part of my lessons as the Princess of Friendship has taught me that being vulnerable is necessary to form bonds and connections with others.”

“Yeah… Okay…” I replied.

There was silence between us before Twilight remembered her tea. “Oh right! I was going to get tea and coffee! I’ll be right back!”

She hastily ran out of the cell, locking it again behind her. I only stared at the door as I considered her words. Being vulnerable wasn’t exactly something I was a fan of, truthfully the only reason I was doing it at that moment was because I was going to die very soon and had no reason to protect myself. In the past, I had put up walls around myself, never wanting them to go down, never wanting to let anyone in.

Princess Twilight spoke of the importance of being vulnerable to others to make friends, but she had no idea yet how I had already tried that, and the results were far worse than what she was imagining. When you were a creature, a monster, like myself… There was no place for being vulnerable. Not with Twilight Sparkle, not with anyone.

“Hot damn, Dagi… The entirety of your wares in a single transaction? I’m beyond impressed.” Striker nodded approvingly as he shooed his subordinates from the table and gestured for me to sit down with him. “Please, take a seat.”

Shrugging, I did as I was told and pulled a chair out to take my seat. Striker reached into the front pocket of his shirt, retrieving a battered old pack of cigarettes, offering one to me. Nodding, I took the cancer stick and leaned in for him to light it for me. I took a gentle draw of it and then leaned back in my seat before removing it from my lips and letting it rest between my fingers, a small trail of smoke exiting my mouth. Yeah, I know smoking is bad for you. Well, there aren’t any kids listening is there? So a disclaimer would be kind of pointless wouldn’t it?

He leaned back in his chair, reminding me a bit of that movie, “The Godfather”. Oh, it’s a human film, basically this Italian mafia… Oh never mind.

Striker inhaled and exhaled through his nose, smoke filling the room. “Dagi… You’re earning a lot of my respect very quickly. I’m liking what you’re bringing to the table here…”

I remained silent and just drew from my smoke as I listened to his praise. Being told I was good at something wasn’t something I heard often, so naturally I kind of soaked it up.

“If this is about going on a date with you…” I began.

Striker shook his head. “No, though don’t think I’m not still interested. This is about how I am going to use you the best way I can. I’m going to have to shadow a few harder stuff deals… You aren’t going to be selling just pot anymore, I got a ton of other stuff that I need to be moved, and someone like you… You may have what it takes to do that for me. Pot is just our small-time cash.”

I raised a brow. “You mean like morphine?”

“I mean exactly like morphine. Since you asked, I have a deal that’s going down next week. I want you to shadow Brick and Boulder, watch how they do business and see what you can learn from them,” Striker instructed, using his cigarette to point in my direction.

I blinked at the mention of those names. Brick and Boulder were tough-looking, but pretty quiet the majority of the time. For the longest time, I just assumed they were hired muscle. They didn’t exactly come off as the most intelligent duo, so I was a little surprised that they had the aptitude for selling.

“Those two idiots? You can’t be serious…” I rolled my eyes.

He laughed, clearly seeing where I was coming from. “They may not look like it, but Brick and Boulder are good at what they do. They will teach you everything you need to know about selling the hard shit. Their methods are… Unique, but they turn results.”

“If you say so…” I shrugged.

At the time, I hadn’t a clue what I was getting myself into, but I really wish I had…

12 Hours 20 Minutes Until Execution

“Human fascination with drugs is odd to me…” Twilight admitted as she listened, sipping on a cup of tea.

I shrugged unsure of what to even say to that. “Humans often find the need to escape from their shitty lives… I can sort of relate to that sentiment… Part of why I could see the rationalization from all of my customers so well… When your life is nothing but shit, you try to find ways to escape it, you know?”

“Why don’t those people try to focus on bettering their lives?” Twilight asked.

I was a little surprised at how naive she was. How absolutely daft she was being, but then again I should have known better. In Equestria things like poverty were not the same as they were in the human world. Homelessness was not as rampant as a problem and in Equestria when you were in need, ponies would help you. There weren’t systems upon systems designed to keep the downtrodden in their place.

The days of persecution in Equestria had long since faded since my time there, and while sirens were still not accepted in Equestria, the kind of treatment that my mother received would never happen under the new order. Burning at the stake was outlawed, and the worst punishments were usually reserved for murder or treason. My own impending execution was an incredibly rare practice in and of itself.

In Equestria, the slums were almost optional. Those who live poorly were usually those who chose that path with few exceptions. While there were still problems in Equestria, it seemed almost like a utopia compared to what humans dealt with.

“Twilight… The human world isn’t like here… Those who live like… Well, that live like that, they generally have tried… They’ve reached a point where they have no options… Do you think I turned to selling drugs because I was passionate about it? It’s like I said before… For a girl like me with no skills, no experience, and no identification… It was the best option available to me…” I explained.

Twilight frowned as she listened, not wanting to interrupt, clearly.

“The reality is that their world is different from ours… It's dog eat dog and survival of the fittest… Their look on the world is a bit grimmer than Equestria’s…” I stated.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I’m… I’m sure there are places outside of Equestria that are likely the same… I guess I just never thought about it because I’ve spent my whole life here… The idea of other places that are like that… are… foreign to me, I suppose…”

She frowned, clearly disappointed in herself for being so foolish. I sighed and reached a hoof forward, touching her forehoof and offering her some comfort. “It’s alright… Don’t feel bad, not many ponies in Equestria would know about this kind of stuff…”

“Yeah… But… I’m a Princess… I’m supposed to be less dense than that…” Twilight looked away, disgusted in herself.

I rolled my eyes. “No one can know everything. The important part is that you’re listening now and that you’ll be able to take this new perspective into account from now on, right?”

A small smile came across her face and it caused me to squint. Was Twilight toying with me? Was her little breakdown in front of me an attempt to get me to give her friendship advice? Was Twilight discretely trying to give me friendship lessons without me knowing it? It was hard to tell, and her poker face definitely had me guessing.

I wouldn’t get an answer to those questions as Twilight quickly changed the subject back to the story.

“So, you met up with Brick and Boulder to go and shadow a few of their deals… How’d it go?”

Blinking, it took me a moment to remember that we were sharing a story. “Oh, well a week or two passed and I was sent out to oversee a few deals by them until we got to around the fourth one… That’s when…”

Did I mention that Brick’s car smelled like a diaper from a dumpster? Yeah, it did. See, the guy had an obsession with Indian food which when left unattended in a car for too long… It’s bad, let’s just say that. The car reeked of it, it honestly wouldn’t surprise me if Brick didn’t ever get pussy in his entire life… Oh right, getting off track, sorry.

Anyway, there I was in perhaps the smelliest car imaginable, and trying to withhold from commenting about the stench for perhaps the 12th time that day alone, but naturally, I failed.

“Seriously, Brick, it smells like something fucking died in here… I don’t give a fuck about your no smoking in the car rule, I’m lighting one up in the hopes that it either masks this smell, or I die of lung cancer so I don’t have to smell that shit anymore. Seriously fucking get this thing looked at, this isn’t fucking natural!” I yelled from the back seat.

Brick seemed to take my complaining very halfheartedly. The nerve, being so nonchalant regarding the fact that he was killing me with that terrible smell. He just shrugged and didn’t stop me when I lit my cigarette to make good on my threat.

I took a puff and rolled my window down to allow some of the smoke to escape.

Finally speaking up, I caught the big ugly bastard taking a peek at me from his rearview mirror, obviously trying to scope a look at my rather unimpressive cleavage that was barely exposed thanks to the top that I had left somewhat unbuttoned.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer…” I commented as I caught him in the mirror, giving him a stern look as I smoked.

He chuckled and nodded. “Maybe we should pull over then?”

“Oh? So I can show you my tits? Keep dreaming big boy…” I rolled my eyes and directed my attention out the window as I crossed my legs and focused outside. The mini skirt I had chosen causing mild regret in me as I realized how cold it was that night.

“I may not look it, but I can treat a lady right…” He grinned.

“First of all, I’m not a lady. Second of all, if your idea of treating a lady right is staring at her cleavage and then asking if she’ll show you her tits, I seriously doubt that… And for the love of fuck, if you expose any woman to this smell, I promise you, Brick, you will never so much as see a pubic hair on that bitch. Get this fucking car cleaned!” I screeched.

Boulder who had been relatively quiet as always let out a soft snicker at my outburst before siding with me. “It is pretty fucking bad, dude. Seriously… Lay off the Indian food…”

“You both are a couple of pains in my ass, you know that?” Brick rolled his eyes as he kept his attention on the road, his giant hands looking very odd on such a tiny steering wheel. Brick and Boulder were the kind of people that I imagined took up a king-size bed for just one of them. The idea of Brick even being with a woman not only was disgusting, but it made me feel bad for the poor thing, he’d crush her.

Don’t get me wrong though, while the terrible twosome were both dumb and ugly, they were excellent at getting sales somehow. They could move wares without any trouble and I had seen that over those past few weeks. While I busted on them a lot, there was a certain camaraderie between us all. I respected them for some reason, and they in turn respected me. It’s a weird feeling… Being respected for anything other than powers you are using to control people… It’s not a common feeling for us sirens.

Brick and Boulder though, while they didn’t quite understand my attitude, they accepted it. That is one of the best parts about being involved in illegal businesses, there is a level of mutual understanding in not asking questions on why someone is a certain way. I was a bitch, and my partners in crime never questioned why. There was no need for a backstory as to why I became that way, and no one cared enough to ask.

Boulder reached into his pocket and retrieved a joint that he set fire to and took in a long puff. “Man, fuck you…” He retorted to Brick.

Brick reached over and swatted the joint out of Boulder’s hand.

“What the fuck did you do that for?” Boulder grumbled and he leaned down and tried to get the marijuana off of the floor, bumping his large head on the glove compartment in the process.

“You need to be focused, you shouldn’t get high right now… What kind of lesson are you setting for our… Female friend…” Brick paused at those last words and took a glance at me from the rearview mirror.

His words caused a smirk to appear on my face. “Nice save, and it’s fine… I could give less of a shit if he’s high or not… We go in, we make the sale, and we get our payday. Same as always, right?”

“One thing you need to learn, rookie. Never assume a deal will go so smoothly… You have to be on your toes… Ain’t no law out here but what we bring with us. You’ll do wise to remember that, may save your ass one day…” He wagged his finger at me as he pulled the car over, coming to a stop and leaning his head back. He turned to me and gave a serious face, his big brow scrunched up as he spoke. I could see his red hair up close now and noted that his goatee actually had some white hairs in it, the mark of a man getting older.

“Listen, Dagi. Let us do the talking, you just observe, okay?” His voice came off as more of a command than a request.

I frowned and looked away with a scoff. “I’ve been observing for all this time… I want to get involved… When are you going to let me help with the deal…”

“It’s nothing personal, you’re just not ready yet. Shit out here can get real very quick.” Brick frowned, clearly not happy about disappointing me, likely because he still harbored some kind of idea in his head that he could impress me enough to get in my pants. It’s a human expression, Twilight… It means… Never mind actually, it doesn’t matter what it means actually…

“Fine, but you two better make this really fucking entertaining, got it?” I scolded as I opened my door and stepped out with the two big lugs. Standing next to them, I realized just how tall they were, both were nearly a towering seven feet and stood far taller than myself. They were big and broad, and I was skinny and somewhat lanky. If I had to describe my human figure, I think beanpole would likely be the most accurate. Not that I wasn’t absolutely hot, but there was a certain masculinity to me that blended so perfectly with my feminine features.

I imagined myself briefly for that moment as a male and what I might look like, but then dismissed the idea as I refocused on the task at hand. Brick and Boulder began the slow walk toward another car parked in the old abandoned parking lot, Boulder carrying a briefcase tightly clenched between his meaty fingers.

Across from us, moving in from a dark green pick up truck was two more men, whom I suspected were those who had met us to make the deal.

“So, gentlemen, where’s our money? Striker said we had to wrap this up quickly, he has to go babysit his sister’s kid and he wants his money before he has to go take care of that today…” Brick began.

The shorter of the two men standing before us chuckled. “There’s been a small change in our deal…”

“Oh? Striker doesn’t exactly like changes…” Brick stated with a raised brow.

Before I knew it, the short one and his companion both pulled out handguns and pointed them in our direction. “Yeah, see… That’s the thing… I don’t give a shit what Striker thinks…”

Chapter Four

11 Hours 59 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight Sparkle was practically bouncing with excitement at this point, she couldn’t contain herself. As I mentioned before, the Princess was a bookworm at heart and it certainly showed when she was hearing a good story. In her mind, this story clearly had all the excitement she needed. I never considered myself an exceptional storyteller, or even a mediocre one, but the way that Princess Twilight was held on the edge of her seat, you’d think I was legendary at it. You would think that I was the greatest person to ever spin a yarn.

“So, the drug deal turned out to be a… What’s it called… A stick-up, I think?” Twilight asked, her hoof on her chin as she tried to think of the correct terminology.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed and shook my head. “Let’s just call it a double-cross. The short version is that these guys had other plans in mind, and they didn’t involve forking over the cash and then us giving them the drugs…”

“So they wanted both then?” Twilight asked curiously.

I sighed again and shook my head. “Much worse, but perhaps you would rather tell the story since you’re trying to guess what happens next so much…”

“Oh… Right, sorry…” Twilight blushed and knelt down in her seat, gently tapping her hooves together in embarrassment.

“I only have so much time to tell you this entire story… I die in…” I blinked before looking over at the clock.

“Twelve hours…” I said quietly.

Twelve hours, the length of a single day on the equinox. It had dawned on me then that I had less than half a day left to live. Sure, I knew I was sitting there waiting for the clock to count down to my death, but getting that close made it feel all so much more real. In twelve hours from that moment, I’d be finding out what happened to sirens when they died. The great mystery would be solved, at least for me.

The idea was haunting, but I tried to keep my mind on the story to calm myself.

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to distract you from the story… It’s just… This is all actually fairly interesting… I don’t get to learn much about the human world, that and I’m kind of a sucker for a good story…” Twilight admitted.

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my hooves with a smirk on my face. “Really? I couldn’t tell…” I teased.

“Alright, tease me if you like, but I really want to know what happens next…” Twilight pouted.

“Alright, but you have to do something for me to make up for interrupting me and all the interruptions you’re going to do down the road…” I replied.

Twilight opened her mouth, likely to argue that she wasn’t going to interrupt anymore, but she closed it abruptly, possibly determining that such a statement wasn’t far from the truth; she was too excitable, after all.

“Fine, what do you want?” Twilight asked.

“Tell me about Sunset Shimmer… The other one…” I stated.

Twilight blinked and tilted her head. “Why?”

“I’m curious to know more about the girl who defeated me twice and is the reason I’m sitting here about to be put to death… It’s only fair that I get to know more about the person that will be my undoing is it not?” I asked. To me, that logic was sound.

Princess Twilight chewed her thoughts for a moment, before ultimately shrugging and possibly deciding it couldn’t do any harm since I was about to be just a bad memory in a few more hours.

“Well… When I met her, she was kind of a bully…” Twilight began.

“A bitch, I remember. I heard stories of that…” I replied.

Twilight winced at my words but nodded. “I was trying to be more polite, but I suppose that’s a fair assessment as well…”

“So when you defeated her, she changed, huh?” I asked.

The Princess nodded as she smiled. “She did… It was… Really wonderful to be honest… While Starlight was my first official student, Sunset was sort of my beta test project, I guess… She turned into such a caring girl, albeit she has her flaws… She gets very bad tunnel vision sometimes, and she’s loyal to a fault, just like Rainbow really…”

“Sounds like you like her a lot…” I groaned, not exactly keen on hearing one of my mortal enemies being given so much praise right in front of me.

“Sunset has proven herself… She showed me that redemption is possible, even for someone who was as nasty as she was…” Twilight nodded happily.

“What about someone like me? Is redemption possible for someone like me?” I asked curiously.

The silence that followed was perhaps the most deafening thing in the universe. I couldn’t tell how long we sat there saying nothing, but it was as if my ears had turned off because I heard absolutely nothing until Twilight opened her mouth to speak once more.

“Well… It’s… hard to say, Adagio…” Twilight began.

“Give it to me straight, I’ve had enough bullshit for one lifetime, you know?” I grinned, ready to hear whatever it was she had to say, be it good news or bad.

Sighing, Twilight looked at the floor and then met my eyes with her own. Her purple irises shined in the low light of the room as she stared at me, her expression very serious.

“The reality is… It’s not what I think, it’s what society thinks. Sometimes there are things you can’t undo, that you can’t fix, so you have to pay the price for them… In this case… I think everyone agrees that you’ve done too much to continue living to prove that you can change…” Twilight admitted.

“Forget what society thinks… What about you? Do you think redemption is even something that I deserve a chance at?” I asked.

There was another silence, but she never broke eye contact once during it. “Adagio…” She began before sighing. “Let’s talk about something else…”

“You’re dodging the question…” I growled.

“The truth is that I haven’t decided my answer to it just yet…” She said.

Those words certainly surprised me. I had expected something far colder from her, but was the Princess truly undecided on if I truly deserved the death sentence or not? Would that make a difference? No, that much I knew. Even if she changed her mind about it, there likely wasn’t much she could do to stop it. She had promised the friends of the victim of my crime that they would see me dead, if she backed down now, she’d certainly cause some kind of disturbance.

I wanted to ask more, but I knew that the chances of getting a real answer were slim. Instead, I teetered back to the original subject. “So… You think Sunset is a good person?”

Twilight’s face reverted back to a smile as she nodded. “One of the best, I’d trust my life in Sunset’s hooves… err… hands… whatever…”

“You’re lucky…” I smiled back before leaning my head back in my seat.

“Why’s that?” Twilight looked puzzled.

“Being able to trust someone… It must be… an amazing feeling… My whole life… I’ve never really trusted anyone, not fully anyway. I probably came close from time to time, but the reality is… I always held back, in the back of my mind thinking that if I gave away too much… That those people would just stab me in the back…” I stated with a sigh.

“It must be tough living like that…” Twilight frowned, offering a hoof from across the table which I ignored.

Looking at her, I shrugged. “It’s all I know…”

Clearly feeling the air get too tense, Twilight cleared her throat and leaned in over the table. “So… What happened after those guys pulled out those guns? I’m dying to know…”

I grinned and returned fully upright before leaning over the table myself with a smirk. “Well… You’ll never believe what happened next…”

So there we stood, guns pointed at us, and Brick and Boulder moving in front of me to keep me covered. What? No, I am not hamming it up, Twilight! I am resetting the scene!

Anyway, Boulder and Brick were massive, so seeing around them wasn’t exactly easy, but with some finesse, I could see the other two we were originally going to strike a deal with still holding their firearms firmly pointed at us. No one dared make a sudden movement. I remember freezing in place myself as Boulder whispered to me, though making sure not to turn and face me and to speak out of the corner of his mouth.

“Whatever happens, Adagio… If we go down… Run back to Striker, alright? Get out of here the moment you get the opportunity…” Boulder stated.

“You don’t have to tell me twice…” I replied with a roll of my eyes. Okay, sure I was rough, but I didn’t actually want anything to happen to either of them… I may be cold and untrusting, but I’m not someone who wishes death on everyone. The truth is, I had at least an inkling of respect for the two, and I was praying that the two of them had a plan.

In a way, I felt disgusted in myself, having to pray that others could bail us out of a situation when I was so used to being able to take care of not only myself but two other sirens. I missed having my powers, and it was definitely showing. Still, without them, I wasn’t in a position to act, so I had no choice but to allow Brick and Boulder to take care of the heavy lifting, figuratively speaking of course, though I am sure the two of them could definitely lift their weight and more.

The two goons pointing their weapons at us grinned as they spoke of their plan. “Alright, so this is how this is going to play out… You’re going to hand over the drugs, and then you’re going to come work for us…” The taller, uglier of the two said.

“And if we refuse?” Brick asked with a raised brow.

The other one adjusted his aim to be pointing directly at Brick’s head. “Then you won’t live long enough to find out what we do next. We’re giving you a great offer here, you get to keep working, and keep your lives.”

“You know that even if we say yes, Striker is going to stop you guys… He doesn’t take very Kindly to competition, and you two greenies look like you don’t know the first thing about this business… He’ll tear you up…” Boulder replied.

“Hey fuck you, what do you know!?” The tall one growled, waving his gun to show he was serious.

“Well, judging by the fact that you are trying to recruit us, that tells me that you don’t have a crew yet, which means you’re winging this whole thing… Striker eats small fries like you two idiots for breakfast…” Brick responded in Boulder’s place.

To be honest, their ability to assess the situation and read people was remarkable. Part of me was not only jealous but glad that I had them at my side. I would have gladly accepted their skills into my little group. They may have looked stupid, but Brick and Boulder knew the street game like the backs of their hands.

Street game? It means… Never mind what it means actually… The point is that these guys were clever when it came to this stuff, alright?

The tall one grunted and shook his head. “I don’t give a fuck, we’ll fuck him up and take this territory for ourselves. We may not have a crew yet, but we’ll assemble one. We’re sick of having to do business with Striker, that asshole has pushed everyone else out of the region, so he controls the prices…”

“That’s capitalism.” Brick shrugged, unconcerned by the weapons being waved at them.

“Well, consider this a hostile take over them, cocksuckers!” The shorter one hissed.

“I resent that…” I raised a hand to join into the conversation.

“So here’s your options… You two will surrender the goods, join us and we’ll let you live…” The tall one demanded.

“And if not?” I asked in my two cohorts, stead.

He grinned and pointed his gun in my direction. “We kill these two brutes, and you are going to suck my cock before I put a bullet in your brain.”

“Must be a pretty unimpressive thing to behold if it takes that just to get a girl to touch it…” I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes.

Somehow despite the danger, the situation didn’t feel that real to me. To where my usual attitude and demeanor remained unchanged. I guess it’s because I had never actually seen guns go off in real life, or people get shot that I just kind of resumed business as usual.

“I think we’ve heard enough…” Boulder yawned.

Before I knew it, Brick and Boulder quickly drew weapons from their waistbands and open fired. The blasts were returned by the other two men just as quickly. My confidence and bravado vanished almost instantly when I heard those guns go off as I hid behind the safety of Brick.

The wall composed of Brick and Boulder… Yes, I get that that sounds somewhat like a pun… No, it wasn’t intentional… Anyway, the wall composed of Brick and Boulder didn’t prove impenetrable, however. Blood splattered from their bodies and sprayed me all over my new designer shirt. Yes, it was a big deal, Twilight!

The two brutes stood their ground for a few more seconds before collapsing backward, causing me to scurry away and hear their large bodies hit the pavement. Looking over at the other two men, they laid sprawled out on the pavement as well, pools of blood forming around them. I had seen blood before, but never that much at one time. I could hardly believe what I was seeing in front of me.

All four of them, dead. Their bullets hit each other causing both sides to fall, leaving myself as the sole survivor of the encounter.

At first, I guess I was in denial as I reached down and shook Boulder and then Brick, trying to get them to get up. “Come on guys, we have to get out of here…” I commanded.

When it was clear they were not going to move, I quickly snatched up the briefcase that we had brought with us, knowing that Striker would certainly want it back. My eyes flashed onto the handgun in Brick’s hand. I stared at it for a solid minute, contemplating taking it. If a situation like this one ever played out again, a girl needed to be protected right? Without my magic, I was a sitting duck in a situation like this. Reaching down slowly, I pried his limp fingers off of it and held the shining silver weapon in my hand, examining it.

Ejecting the clip, I noted that there was still three-quarters of a clip inside before placing it back inside. Eying the weapon up and down, I told myself that it would be just in the event of an emergency. Given that I had no real IDs and background checks were problematic for me, the chances of acquiring a weapon legally were slim to none. It was decided right there, I’d take the gun with me and keep it just for my own safety. There was no telling how much danger would come if I stayed in that line of business.

My thoughts were ended, however, when I could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

Shit. I thought, no doubt the police had heard the gunfire and were on route to investigate. I needed to escape, I needed to get as far away as I could without drawing attention to myself.

Slipping the gun into my waistband and with the briefcase in hand, I quickly ran to the other side of the alley only to see patrol cars heading from that direction as well. Scanning my eyes around, I noticed a dumpster nearby which I quickly got behind and nearly held my breath.

The footsteps of officers walking into the alley made me cover my mouth to keep myself from tipping them off to my location. I’d say that moment was an all-time low for me. A once great and powerful siren that struck fear into the hearts of many, reduced to hiding behind a fucking garbage dumpster. Oh, do no make an “oh how the mighty have fallen”, comment now, Twilight!

I could hear chatter among the police officers investigating the scene, one getting on their radio to call for back up.

“Looks like we got a drug deal gone wrong, might want to send some people down here…” One of the officers stated.

Another one called out to him. I peaked around the corner of the dumpster to see he was kneeling next to Brick, examining his corpse. “And a coroner.” He added.

Sighing, the officer on the radio relayed that order as well. “And a coroner.”

“I don’t see any drugs…” The kneeling officer stated plainly.

The other one shrugged. “Maybe they intended to fleece them?”

“Search the car…” The first one said.

Looking around, I could see that both of the officers were distracted, facing the opposite direction. All I needed to do was make a quiet move, get past the patrol car on the right and I could slip away undetected. Sure, my shirt had blood on it, but I could remedy that problem.

Sighing, I quickly began to unbutton my shirt, removing it entirely. Fortunately for myself, I had chosen to wear a white undershirt that day. Yeah, I know that’s more of a guy thing, but sometimes I felt they were more comfortable… Sue me.

Wadding the shirt up, and checking to make sure officer dumb and officer dumber were both still distracted, I was assured that my escape plan would work. Taking in a deep breath, I began to step out from behind the dumpster.

Tiptoeing at first, I kept my eyes on the two cops as they examined the car that Brick, Boulder and I had used to arrive. To my good fortune, they didn’t turn around, and backstepping, I was able to make it to the patrol car and then eventually past it. Once I rounded the bend, I quickly untucked my undershirt from my miniskirt, letting it hang so that the weapon in my waistband was at least not out in the open.

At first I opted for a fast walk to put as much distance between myself and the scene as possible, but after a good few minutes where I was certain that I was far enough away, I began a much slower walk, silently feeling thankful that I had managed to avoid most of the blood at the scene, as it would have soaked well through my shirt and made me still look suspicious walking down the street. Granted, I probably looked suspicious enough with a briefcase in one hand, a wadded up shirt in the other, and wearing an undershirt instead of a normal top.

There was no doubt in my mind that people could likely see my bra, but at that moment, I didn’t really care. I needed to get home and contact Striker. I needed to let him know that Brick and Boulder were dead, that the entire deal was a setup.

Police sirens blared as a few more cop cars whizzed past me, but I continued to act innocent and nonchalant, to the point where they didn’t even notice me as they headed to the direction of the scene I had just left.

I walked in silence for several blocks, hours of my time were exhausted before the street which held my apartment was in sight. Sighing contently, I was home free. As I approached, it had occurred to me that walking through the front door as I was at that moment might spark some unwanted attention from the other two sirens that lived with me. I didn’t want Aria and Sonata finding out about what I actually did for a living, or the two deaths that had just happened in front of me.

Looking around to the side, I could see the window to my room, it had been left slightly cracked open. Yes, Twilight, I’m well aware that it’s unsafe, but realistically burglars were the least of my worries. Letting out a content sigh, I headed toward the window and lifted it open before slipping inside, the briefcase following shortly after.

I wadded the shirt up and tossed it into a garbage can, frowning a bit. Hey, I really liked that shirt, thank you very much!

Setting the briefcase down on the bed, I reached into the small pocket on my mini skirt and retrieved my phone. Dialing up Striker’s number, I waited for him to answer. Despite the ungodly hour, I knew that Striker always answered his phone.

Judging by the fact that I heard a yawn on the other end, I safely assumed that I had woken him from a slumber. “Dagi? Do you know what time it is?”

“Not a clue…” I replied.

“Right… So why are you calling? How’d the deal go?” He asked.

Business as usual with, Striker.

“Not well…” I spoke quietly.

“What happened?” He questioned, his voice seeming to sound like he had become more awake just by hearing those words.

I paced around the room as I spoke. “The two morons we were supposed to sell to… Well turns out they wanted to start their own business…”

“Those little cocksuckers…” Striker hissed.

“Yeah, well I doubt that will happen any time soon now… They’re dead…” I said quietly.

“Shit… Brick and Boulder iced them then?” He asked curiously.

“Yeah, but not without a cost… Brick and Boulder are dead…” My voice trembled a bit.

I wasn’t scared, Twilight. I was just a bit nervous at how Striker was going to react to some of his people being killed in a shootout.

“Fuck… I’m sorry… Are you alright though?” His voice sounded genuinely concerned.

“Yeah, I just got blood on my shirt, I managed to get out of there before anyone saw me. The pigs are investigating right now…” I sighed.

“Fuck, that means we are going to lose a shit ton of stock!” Striker cursed.

“Nah, I managed to snag the briefcase before I left, I got it right here at my apartment, I’ll bring it by tomorrow after I get some sleep,” I stated plainly, my eyes on the briefcase sitting on the bed.

I could hear light laughter on the other side of the phone. “Fuck, Dagi! You are awesome, I could kiss you right now. What happened to Brick and Boulder is a damn shame, but you kept your head and at least made sure to get out of there and save the merchandise at the same time.”

“Thanks, though I’d prefer no kissing attempts next time we meet…” I rolled my eyes.

“Your loss… Anyway, get some sleep, there’s a big bonus coming your way tomorrow, I promise you that. I’ll replace that shirt and then some…” Striker replied.

Nodding, I decided it was best to end the call. “Alright, well I’m going to take that advice and go to bed… I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Sleep well, Dagi.” He said before I hung up and set the phone down.

Looking at the briefcase, I decided it was best to place it under my bed. I didn’t even bother to slip out of my clothes as I flopped down on the bed, letting my head rest on my pillow. I desperately wanted a shower, but my exhaustion won out in the end as I felt myself slip into a deep slumber.

11 Hours 20 Minutes Until Execution

“So you actually partook in a drug deal that went wrong.” Twilight covered her mouth in excitement. “I had only heard about them from books, it must have been horrifying though!”

I shrugged, unsure of what she expected. “Wasn’t that big a deal, I survived, that’s the important part anyway...”

The nerdy princess frowned and reached forward taking my hoof in her own. “It’s okay to be afraid, Adagio, it’s only natural...” Her voice was soft and tender, motherly even. For a brief moment, I was reminded of my mother who once said the same thing to me when I was a child. I couldn’t remember the exact context, but I remembered those words so perfectly in my mind, Though Twilight had a different face than my mother did, far less beautiful.

I shook my head as I became disgusted in myself for daring to compare a worthless mortal to the pristine image of my own mother. The reality was Twilight wasn’t anything like my mother, she was a mortal, a disgusting terrible mortal.

Yanking my hoof away from her, it had occurred to me I was letting her get too friendly with me. I cleared my throat and spoke again. “I’m not the type that gets scared so easily...” My face was slightly red as I looked away, avoiding eye contact with the mare.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but closed it instantly, probably thinking it was a waste of try and convince me that I could confide in her to share my feelings.

“Sounds like the ordeal was pretty crazy though, to say the least...” Twilight returned to the topic at hand as she withdrew her hoof and placed it back on the table carefully.

Something about Twilight made it hard to stay mad at her, and as I mentioned that only annoyed me more. Twilight was simply too loveable for her own good.

“I guess, I mean that’s hardly the worst thing that happened in this entire story...” I yawned, the late hour and long story session were starting to get to me.

“Seriously? Okay, now you’ve definitely got me interested in what happens next. I mean you could have died at that encounter and you’re telling me it gets worse!?” Twilight blinked.

It had never occurred to me at the time of the incident that my life was at risk. Was it because I was confident that I could get behind Brick and Boulder if things went south? Perhaps it was the fact that I was still so new to the line of work that it never occurred to me. Still, Twilight was right, I had been vulnerable and I didn’t even notice at the time of. Perhaps that’s exactly why though, I had spent my life hating feeling vulnerable, so when it happened I tuned it out. That could also explain how I was able to tell Twilight Sparkle so many intimate details about my life without worry.

“Well, I hate to leave you in suspense, but I’m sort of tired, mind getting us some more coffee?” I covered my mouth as another yawn escaped me.

Perking up right away, Twilight nodded and came to a stand as she raced out of the room giving a simple “Be right back.” Before bolting up the stairs.

My eyes turned to the cell door, noticing that she had left it open. There was literally nothing stopping me from walking right through that door. It seemed so simple, so perfectly easy. Then again I knew that even if I managed to make it up those stairs, the castle was swarming with guards.

I contemplated what would happen if I outwitted them and made it outside the castle walls? Then what? I quickly realized that I’d be Equestria’s most wanted fugitive and there wasn’t going to be many places I could hide even if I was resourceful. My best bet was to escape through the mirror. Sure, Shining Armor would be after me, but I could elude one person better than an entire kingdom. Sunset Shimmer was a problem too, but if I left Canterlot, she’d never find me.

The entire idea fell apart though when I remembered that the mirror was locked away in perhaps the most guarded chamber in the entire castle. Breaking into that room to even use it would have taken several miracles and an army.

With a sigh, I resigned myself to simply sitting there waiting for Twilight’s return.

It would only take a few more minutes for the mare to race down those stairs (nearly tripping as well) with two mugs and a metal thermos levitating around her. She returned to her spot across from me and set the cups and thermos down, panting a bit from all the running. Despite being slender, Twilight was certainly out of shape. She struck me as the kind of girl who had an excuse to skip gym class every single day. A part of me snickered internally as I thought about the various different excuses that Twilight pulled out of her ass to get out of physical activity.

She caught her breath and began pouring the coffee into two mugs, offering me one before herself. I took it carefully and noted that the coffee had been lightened up with what appeared to be milk. I was reminded of the mocha lattes form the human world for a brief moment.

I sipped from the mug and noted she added a bit of sugar. “It’s sweet...” I replied.

Blinking Twilight looked up from her own cup and smiled. “Oh yeah, I figured just straight up black coffee would be terrible.”

“Good thinking...” I replied as I took another swig of the hot liquid.

Twilight’s eyes were drawn to the door as she drank. “Oh shoot, I left the door open...”

Her tone sounded sincere but a part of me wondered if that was some kind of test from the Princess. Was it possible that she left the gate open on purpose? Was she testing me? She did mention before she hadn’t decided on how she felt about me in regards to redemption, perhaps this was some sort of testing method to find out. Had I passed?

Her head turned back to me and smiled as she drank. “Is it alright?” She asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine...”

“So back to the story then?” Twilight asked innocently.

Taking another long sip, I nodded as I set the cup down on the table and held it between my hooves, feelings its warmth course through me. “Alright... I guess I should start with the next morning...”

That next day I woke up far earlier than my usual three in the afternoon. No, I’m not lazy, I’m just not a morning person, plus I work at night. Oh, shush, Twilight. The point is that I was up at around eleven, which was far earlier than I was used to. Groaning I rolled over in my bed and stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, wondering if I had the energy to get up. I had hardly gotten any sleep from the night prior. No, I wasn’t scared, I was just a bit shaken up and confused, I suppose.

Figuring that I only had acquired around four hours of sleep, I was a little shocked when my feet actually reached over to the floor, almost involuntarily and brought my body into an upright position.

Looking over at the mirror in my room, I noted that I still had my long hair tied back. I sort of still miss that hair, kind of regret cutting it. Sorry, tangent, anyway I pulled the hairband tying my long locks back out and flicked my head to allow my messy bedhead to flow naturally. It was a small improvement at the very least.

Sluggishly dragging myself over to the door, I noted that my mini-skirt was twisted in an awkward way, but I didn’t care as I opened the door and walked out of the room, hoping to catch some time with the shower and avoid the other two morons that I lived with.

Unfortunately for me, both of them were wide awake and stirring already. Sonata was lounging about in an oversized T-shirt and a pair of pink panties as she sat on the couch mashing buttons on a Nintendo 3DS. It’s a handheld game system that humans have. No, I won’t explain it to you… Why? Because I don’t even understand how it works! I know a good deal about human technology, but I didn’t bother studying game consoles. Because they didn’t interest me, nor were they pertinent to what I needed to do…

Moving on, Sonata didn’t notice me at first (what a surprise), but Aria who had just stepped out of the bathroom caught a glance of me and raised a brow in confusion as she looked me over. “You’re out of bed early…” She commented.

Damn, I hated her smug attitude, I mean who does she think she is commenting on my sleeping patterns like that? Is she just observing me all the time so she can judge me when she needs to? Oh… Sorry… Another tangent.

Anyway, I just looked away and grunted. “I decided to get up early, I had a rough night, and I couldn’t sleep…”

It wasn’t exactly a lie, not that I cared about lying to Aria, considering I lied to her all the time.

“I see… That’s an… Interesting choice of attire…” She commented as she looked over my outfit.

Growling, I shoved past her. “I got a stain on my shirt, so I had to take it off… Are you the fashion police now, Aria?”

Aria just shrugged before wandering away from the bathroom and sat down on the beat up old recliner in the room, putting her feet up on the coffee table as she flicked the television on. “Whatever… I take it you’re going to shower now?” Aria asked.

“Yes, so please leave me alone…” I rolled my eyes before making my way to the bathroom, ready to end my interaction with one of the most frustrating people I knew.

11 Hours 15 Minutes Until Execution

“You show a lot of animosity toward other sirens…” Twilight pointed out, interrupting my story once more.

“You have not had the displeasure of spending time around those two idiots. Aria is a frustrating cunt always ready to say ‘I told you so’ at the drop of a hat, and Sonata is a blithering idiot! If you had to spend time around those two, you’d want to strangle them too…” I explained.

Twilight raised a brow. “Yet, you stuck with them for so long…”

“Strength in numbers, sometimes you do things that you don’t like because it’s beneficial to you… Even as powerful as I was, it doesn’t hurt to have a few other semi-older sirens with me…” I stated.

Twilight leaned in with interest, the topic of sirens and how our power worked seemed to fascinate her. “So you mentioned before that older sirens are more powerful then?”

Sighing, I decided there was no point in not explaining what I understood about the culture of our kind to her, after all, in less than twelve hours, I’d be dead so not like it could be used against me, and the knowledge wouldn’t really hurt other sirens either.

“Yes… By siren standards… I would be considered… a teenager…” I commented.

Twilight blinked. “You’re how old then?”

“Somewhere around 2,300… That sounds about right…” I replied.

Placing a hoof on her chin, Twilight shrugged trying to make sense of it all. “So what is considered ‘old’ for a Siren then?”

Sipping from the mug that the Princess had graciously given me, I decided to give her a minor history lesson. “Somewhere out there exists a council of sirens. They are the ones who uphold most of our laws and customs, though they are relatively loose about it… Most of the time they don’t intervene…”

“So there is a structure to siren society?” Twilight asked curiously.

I shook my head. “Not exactly, as I said, these old sirens seldom act. They only step in when something threatens all sirens. They also never involve themselves with anything here in Equestria…”

“Why’s that?” Twilight asked.

“Equestria is a powerful and strong nation. Meddling with it could cause military action across the world, and with the might of Equestria… It would cause a lot of problems for them… That’s why the elders more or less are very hooves off with Equestrian sirens. There’s probably more to it, but I don’t know much because I’ve never met them, I only know through stories…” I explained.

Instantly captivated, a smile came to Twilight’s face as she found herself learning. That girl certainly loved learning a bit too much.

Her next question was so predictable “So how old are the elders?”

“Old… Most are at least 20,000 years old, or older… The oldest siren I know of is a siren named Kiz.” I replied.

“How old is she?” Twilight asked, again predictable.

“No one is entirely sure, but she’s somewhere past 70,000 years old… Some say she lived to see the original siren, or that she is the daughter of her… No one’s really sure, she’s not exactly a person that is easy to get a hold of or talk to… On top of that, she isn’t a very talkative person either from what I gather…” I stated.

Twilight took a long sip from her coffee, clearly trying to keep up with the information that was being presented. Just looking at her, I could see gears turning in her head. “Kiz… That’s old ponish if I recall… It means… Harmony… An ironic name for a creature that feeds on negative energy…”

I could only shrug in response. “Either way, Kiz is very old and very powerful. I’m not exactly sure how powerful exactly, but I know that no siren ever dares challenge her. Many disagree with her, but no one is foolish enough to challenge an order given by her. While it is extremely rare for sirens to kill other sirens, those with extreme power can definitely make the life of a siren very difficult…”

“So murder isn’t common for sirens?” Twilight asked.

I shook my head. “No, that’s something that mortals mostly do… You all have a fascination with killing each other…”

Twilight’s ears lowered at that comment, but she chose to say nothing.

“Either way, the point is that sirens have existed for a long time… I don’t know much more about their history though, most of that is known only to the elders,” I said.

“How does one become an elder?” Twilight asked.

I shrugged again. “Don’t know, all I know is it only happens to those over 10,000. I have no idea otherwise… As I said, I grew up in Equestria, so my knowledge of other sirens is limited.”

“I see… Well, nonetheless, what you do know is interesting, to say the least.” Twilight smiled.

“Thanks, now can we get back to the story?” I raised my brow.

“Oh right… Sorry… So you were taking a shower then?” Twilight reminded me.

“We’ll skip to when I got out of the shower…”

After my quick shower and playing twenty questions with Aria and Sonata about where I was going (lying the entire time, of course), I had made it onto the bus in time to make my way downtown with the briefcase to meet up with Striker. The entire way there I played out the events of the night prior in my mind. Brick and Boulder got killed, but they were smart enough to carry weapons. From that point on, I knew that I had to do the same. I had never killed anyone before, but now I knew that I had to be ready to do so if necessary. It was a dog eat dog world, and if I didn’t play along, I was sure to become the meal and not the one eating the meal. It’s an expression, Twilight.

Either way, I had survived and more importantly I had gotten the merchandise back. No, I don’t have my priorities out of order, trust me, Striker is not fun to be around when he’s pissed. He’s only cool so long as you’re keeping him happy, that being said, I was always good at keeping him happy.

The bus let me off a block or two from the usual meeting place where Striker often met up with us. It felt strange going so early, but after the night I had had the night prior, I knew I wasn’t going to get any more sleep.

After a short walk, I came to the entrance of the old abandoned building, checking around to make sure no one was looking. One glance to the left and one to the right and I was confident that no one was watching. With a sigh, I gripped the briefcase tighter as I opened the door, making my way down to the basement of the old building. Striker preferred the cover of the basement due to the lower possibility of anyone hearing us from a street level.

Descending the stairs I could hear a mild bit of chatter in the room until I reached the bottom step when a single clap echoed through the room and everyone fell silent. Every person in that room was staring in my direction, Striker included. His eyes wandered down to the briefcase I had In my hand and then back to my face which brought a smile to his own. “Adagio Dazzle, you are a prodigy after my own heart... Come here, you.”

Blinking, I took a few steps forward as he came out from behind a table and finished the approach, bringing me into a half hug before patting my back and taking the case from my hand. He left an arm around my shoulder as he spoke. “Dagi... I’m sorry for what happened... Brick and Boulder clearly got careless. They’ll be missed, but I’m glad you’re alive. You show me time and time again why you’re my best...”

“Thanks, I suppose...” I shrugged.

“I want everyone to follow Dagi’s example... She not only kept her own ass alive, but she also managed to retrieve the goods before the pigs showed up. I expect the same level of commitment out of everyone here!” Striker praised loudly as he gave my shoulder a squeeze.

A few of the people in the room raised a drink they were enjoying and a few others gave a quick “good going, Dagi!”

Not exactly certain of how to respond to the praise, I merely shrugged. “So, what now?” I asked Striker.

The man grinned and gave me another squeeze. “Let’s put you on some easier jobs for a little while, let you relax a bit after that encounter, but then I’m moving you up to some of my top business. Lemme ask you, Dagi… Do you like new clothes? Shoes? Jewelry?”

It was as if he knew me all too well. Somehow when I didn’t have access to my powers or magic, clothes and jewelry helped fill the void in my life. “You’re speaking my language, Striker… Go on…”

“Well… There’s going to be a lot of that in your future, my girl… You’ve taken care of me, so I’m going to take care of you… From now on, you’re going to wear the best of the best…” He smiled.

For a moment, I was actually fully distracted from how shitty the situation I had fallen into because of losing my magic. If only for a brief while.

Author's Note

Sorry for the late post! Meaning to have this up this morning but got distracted.

So we get to learn a bit about siren culture and we're building to the juicy stuff. Next chapter you're going to love...

Chapter Five

10 Hours 47 Minutes Until Execution

Princess Twilight giggled as she listened to my story. “So within a short time, you were already the favorite of your little drug ring that you worked with? I don’t know much about drugs, but I read somewhere that criminal gangs usually don’t take promotions lightly, I guess you really must have been superb at what you did.”

It was an odd thing to compliment someone on for sure, especially coming from a Princess of Equestria. I raised a brow in suspicion as I replied, “You read books on criminal activities and gangs? That’s an odd thing for a Princess to have any interest in…”

Twilight blushed as she looked away bashfully. “I had a phase where I was really fascinated with bad boys...”

“Got a thing for troublemakers then?” I smirked as I teased the mare, somehow a bit amused at the thought of Twilight trying to impress some bad boy in school or something. Perhaps during her awkward teenage years, she did plenty of embarrassing things. Had I had more time, I would have gladly asked the mare about her “bad boy” phase, but given that I was scheduled to die in less than eleven hours, I decided it might have been for the best that I moved on.

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “It seems to be all I attract anyway...”

“Oh, woe is you...” I rolled my eyes, not really feeling much in the way of sympathy for a Princess who was beloved by many and permitted to sentence others to their death.

In another pathetic attempt to “connect” with me, the Princess grew serious eyes and leaned in as she spoke. “You know, Adagio... It’s perfectly normal to be scared... Death is a natural fear that we all have after all...”

I raised a hoof to cut her off. “First of all, I don’t need a lecture from the mare who sentenced me to death… If it weren’t for your decision, I wouldn’t have to deal with this problem… Second of all, death for us sirens is nothing like you ponies...”

“How so?” Twilight tilted her head in confusion.

I sighed as I realized I’d have to spell it out for her. “You lot are going to die eventually no matter what you do. You’ll never see it coming, but you know it’s always going to happen. You can’t avoid it, you can’t escape it. That’s the fate of a mortal; to die eventually, and to not know what it’ll happen.”

“Yes, and?” Twilight asked.

“And, we’re not like that. So long as we keep feeding and keep our heads down we can live as long as we like, but that means that when it comes time for a siren to die, we usually have to choose our own death. That’s the difference between us, you die involuntarily at any moment and we are forced to pick when we kick the bucket...” I explained.

“I see... That could drive somepony crazy for sure...” Twilight admitted.

I shrugged. “For some sirens it does, others they welcome death after such a long life of suffering. The oldest of our kind... I’m not sure... They’re fairly cryptic and they don’t have a lot to say, so stories about them are scarce... I imagine they have a unique perspective on death though...”

Twilight nodded, a smile on her face. “I’d love to hear more about them one day.” The joy of learning never ceased to get old for the Princess, she could find excitement learning about virtually anything probably so long as she was taking in new information.

“Yeah, well you may as well give up that dream... They almost never come to Equestria and I don’t know much more about them; even if I did though, I am only going to be alive for the next eleven hours at best, so it’s not like I have much time to see if I could arrange a meeting with them for you...” I grinned as I made the snarky comment.

Twilight frowned and looked away. “Guess I’ll have to just settle for passing curiosity...”

“I guess you will...” I stated.

There was a short pause before Twilight opened her mouth to speak again. “So you said the other two sirens didn’t know what you did for money. I imagine it was a hassle keeping that a secret for so long from them... I’d have probably let something slip after the first month...”

I grinned at that comment. “I’ve always been good at keeping my cards close to my chest. Many secrets do I keep.”

“Evidently...” Twilight rolled her eyes. Obviously noticing this prior.

“The fact that I’m telling you this only comes from the fact that I’ll be dead soon so it won’t matter if I tell you all of this...” I pointed out.

Twilight smirked as if she knew already. “I figured as much, considering you didn’t exactly strike me as the biggest fan of myself prior to this... I knew all I was to you was an ear to listen when this began... It never bothered me though.”

“Why are you still here then? Why bother? You could have just left me down here until the execution and then fried me... What do you gain out of this, Twilight Sparkle? What’s your angle?” I squinted with suspicion. It was all odd. A pony that helped defeat me before, and now gave me a death sentence acted as though she was interested in my life story, but why?

Twilight giggled and shrugged. “No angle, I was just curious.”

Was it possible? Was Twilight Sparkle merely the type to just do things out of morbid curiosity? It was certainly possible, after all, she used to be a librarian and her personality up to that point showed she had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. There also was the possibility that the mare had ulterior motives, but as I pointed out, it wouldn’t really matter if she did, I’d be dead in a few hours and I didn’t quite care if my knowledge was used to harm other sirens at that point.

“Curiosity can get one into a lot of trouble, you know?” I replied with a grin.

“You sound like you speak from experience....” Twilight said, her voice sounding so sure.

Was it possible that Twilight had me more figured out than I knew? What if the naive girl thing was merely an act.

“Sort of...” I responded quietly. “I guess that leads us into the next part of this story...”

“I was waiting for you to say that... I was assuming things get a bit out of control soon?” Twilight asked with a raised brow.

“You have no idea...” I shook my head.

After that day, I spent a lot of time at work learning the ropes of how to move the bigger products from Striker. A good week or two of training and I was dealing with the best of them. Striker was selling his goods so he was happy, and I was making mad bank so I was happy. Material possessions may not have magical powers that they can grant me, but I’d be damned if I couldn’t admit that they definitely made a girl feel good about herself. I was buying up all the best of the best, living higher on the hog than ever before. Sure, I still held onto a shitty apartment so as to not go too lavish and become obvious, but on top of buying designer clothes like I was before, I was treating myself to the best of the best when it came to dining.

On one occasion, I actually tipped a waitress a hundred dollar bill for a meal that only cost $31.50. Yeah, I know, I’m not generous often, so for me, that’s a big deal, Twilight. How much is a hundred in Equestrian bits? I have no idea, I’m not an economist.

With money in my pocket and jewelry covering my body, I was at the very least content. I wouldn’t say happy, but I definitely had a few of the voids in my life filled with material goodies. There was seldom a problem that buying a new something or other couldn’t make go away for me at that point.

Eventually, though, my two idiot cohort sirens began to sniff their nose around, noticing my nice things. Probably jealous or something, who knows what goes on in their empty heads.

Coming home from lunch at a restaurant with Striker, I was greeted by a suspicious looking Aria who sat on the couch with her brow raised. “You’ve been out and about earlier than normal lately… I thought you worked at night?”

“I decided to try and get out more during the day to have some me time…” I half-lied. It was at the very least somewhat true, as I was making time for myself.

“Yeah well… How are you affording to go out so often? Busses aren’t free. Not to mention you haven’t been eating here, so you’re clearly eating out somewhere…” Aria asked as she crossed her arms.

Her expression told me that she was definitely suspicious of my behavior as of late, and I couldn’t entirely blame her because I wasn’t exactly putting the maximum effort into keeping this new lifestyle a secret. I was practically flaunting it in front of them.

“I got a promotion at work… I’m making a lot more money now…” Again, a half-lie because I did actually receive a promotion and I was, in fact, making more money… It just wasn’t at the job that Aria thought it was.

“That must be a hell of a promotion… You’ve got more bling on you than a rap artist… Are those real gold bangles?” Aria eyed up the bangles on my right wrist which I placed my hand over and moved them closer to my chest with my arm.

“What difference does it make?” I asked. “Why am I being put on the spot here?”

Aria leaned forward, reaching to grab a cigarette from a pack sitting on the coffee table. She lit the stick and inhaled before looking up at me with those arrogant annoying eyes of her’s. “Well… Sonata and I are busting our asses off to pay our share of the rent… It isn’t exactly cheap to live here in Maryland… And here you are wearing fucking Walter Steiger’s…”

I blinked at the fact that Aria was smart enough to even recognize what brand of footwear I was wearing. She must have googled them or something.

“Those are some nice shoes by the way… custom made, obviously… Interesting because those are usually a few hundred… Sometimes up to a thousand… How much did you pay for those?” She asked.

I growled and placed my foot in front of me as I took a firm stance and crossed my arms. “What difference does it make? I can wear whatever shoes that I want.”

“Sonata and I are struggling just to pay the fucking rent and electric and you’re wearing shoes that probably cost more than a month’s rent… It kind of seems pretty unfair to me…” Aria grunted.

“Hey, we agreed to split the rent three ways. We each pay $500 a month, and then we each pay a third of the utilities… I pay my share on time, every month, I don’t see what the issue is…” I defended. See Twilight, I am reasonable!

Aria shrugged and took a drag from her cigarette. “It just kind of seems unfair that like… You make so much more than we do and yet you only pay a third of the rent, leaving you with tons of money to do whatever with and we’re stuck with maybe $100 a week to live on…”

“So what? It’s not my fault you two can’t get more money.” I hissed.

Another shrug came from Aria. “Doesn’t seem fair that you’re more or less rubbing our faces in how much you have though…”

“Just because you two are obligated to be broke and look like bums doesn’t mean I have to be. Am I supposed to just live like you two just because you can’t make enough money?” I was starting to get annoyed at the entire ordeal, the nerve she had in getting mad at me because she was a pathetic loser who had no financial prospects.

“I was thinking maybe you could pay a bigger share of the rent? I mean you make so much more than we do to where you could afford more of the rent than you’re currently paying… That way Sonata and I have some money for ourselves for a change?” Aria asked.

Oddly enough, her words sounded like a request, which I wasn’t expecting from her. I expected it to come off as a demand, a demand that naturally I was going to reject regardless because the entire notion was unfair and stupid.

“Since when did you become such a fucking socialist? I pay my fair share, if you want more money for yourself, get a better job or pick up more hours!” I growled. Socialism is an economic system, Twilight. I learned about it because Striker had talked about his distaste for it as well. How does it work? Fuck, I am not about to explain an entire economic system to you Twilight. No! Stop that! Stop begging! I won’t! Okay fine! It’s more or less a system where everyone is required to contribute, and those who make the most contribute more or something like that. I’m paraphrasing and I don’t know too much about it, but I guess it’s like some Robin Hood kind of shit. Who’s Robin Hood? You have to be kidding me…

“Selfish much?” Aria chuckled as she blew smoke in my direction.

I swatted the smoke away with a grunt. “Selfish for wanting to keep what is mine?”

Aria sighed and shook her head. “And you know we can’t find better work… We’re undocumented sirens from another universe, remember? It’s not like we can fill out half the paperwork necessary to get most jobs. We only get away with what we have because we found holes in the system or people who don’t ask a lot of questions…”

“It’s not my fault that you’re a loser who can’t think outside of the box, Aria… That’s why you’re not the leader…” I crossed my arms again and smirked.

“I fail to see how you’re behaving like a leader? A leader lets her subordinates sink while she dines on the finest meals?” Aria raised a brow.

I stepped forward and placed my foot on the coffee table to get her attention. I leaned down and met her face to face. “A leader teaches her subordinates to learn to get better and fend for themselves, even if it’s via the school of hard knocks. Get creative…”

Aria didn’t respond, she instead looked away and continued smoking. Her stupid face was getting on my nerves, so I turned toward the door and decided to get a head start on some sales for the night. “Whatever… I’m going to work… Don’t wait up for me…”

As I approached the door, I heard Aria call back to me. “Adagio…”

Blinking, I turned my head and gave her my best “what the fuck do you want?” face.

“If you’re…” She paused.

“What?”

“If you’re doing something bad… Like that you’re not supposed to… I would suggest you stop… You put all of us at risk…” Aria said calmly.

I smirked and shrugged. “I don’t have a clue what you’re on about… Now goodbye, Aria.”

“See ya…” She replied before turning her attention to a book she had left on the coffee table.

I needed to clear my head, so I headed out the door.

10 Hours 30 Minutes Until Execution

“You and Aria seem to get along the least of your circle of sirens…” Twilight pointed out as she sipped from a mug. The Princess had opted to pour herself some more coffee and when the thermos she had brought was empty, she summoned a guard to go and make more so as to not interrupt the story for too long.

I shrugged at that statement. “She’s a stupid bitch.”

“Why is there so much animosity between you two?” Twilight asked.

“Need I repeat myself? She’s a stupid bitch.” I rolled my eyes.

Twilight sighed and took another sip from her mug before offering me the thermos. Shrugging it off, I decided to pour myself another cup, since I wasn’t going to need to worry about staying up all night at that point.

Once I had enough in my mug, I took a long sip as Twilight continued her commentary. “So, you didn’t want to share anything that you earned with them? That’s a little cold, Adagio… I mean even if you don’t like them per say, they still have been with you for a long time. It didn’t bother you to think that they were suffering to pay the rent and that you were living like a queen?”

“What are you a communist now?” I raised a brow as I sipped again from the mug.

“A what?” Twilight blinked.

A sigh escaped me as I shook my head. “Never mind… And no… I didn’t feel bad. Those two are idiots and didn’t figure out how to make the big cash in the human world and if I told them how they’d fuck it up somehow. If they were trying to get into the drug business, they’d get busted and make it harder for me to deal, and then, of course, I’d have to bail them out of jail.”

“You have very little faith in them, huh?” Twilight frowned.

“My lack of faith in those two is well deserved, they are incompetent at best and useless at worst. I have had to devise all the plans over the years and I kept us safe. Those two, however, they only remember the few instances where my plans didn’t work and we got royally fucked over, but I never saw either of them pitching ideas!” I growled.

My entire life with those two sirens was more or less a big babysitting job. I was always taking care of them and providing for them, and neither of them ever showed an ounce of appreciation for it. Instead, they only recalled my blunders, but never all those nights where we didn’t go hungry thanks to me.

“So you feel unappreciated by them?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Do not try to analyze me, Twilight Sparkle, but yes, I did. Those two always bitched about the times where I let them down, but not once did I get a thank you for managing to save us numerous times, or keeping us fed. They are a couple of ungrateful twats!” I growled.

Somehow getting out my resentment for those two made me feel slightly better like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It was difficult holding things in forever, but telling Twilight about my loathing of my companions somehow relieved a ton of stress that I had been carrying.

I was half expecting an angry response from her, or maybe some kind of mediator approach that told me to try and consider their perspective, but instead she just nodded and gave an, “I see.”

It was odd, Twilight continued to become more and more difficult to figure out. I couldn’t even begin to understand her, even though earlier that night, I thought I had her all figured out. Now I found myself doubting my assumptions, wondering if Twilight was merely cleverly playing me. The gears in her head turned to a different tune, and it was clear to me that she didn’t tell me all she knew.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Twilight smiled. “So you liked designer shoes huh?”

Blinking, I was a bit surprised to hear her ask about that but partially happy to hear it. “Yeah, the ones I had were custom-made as Aria said. I got little spikes on the front of them, and the heels were made to be more comfortable to walk in. I was definitely drop dead sexy wearing them.”

Twilight giggled and nodded. “It does increase your confidence to wear something that you feel flatters you, doesn’t it? I’m not much for fashion, but even I can’t deny that a very beautiful dress that was tailored to fit my figure makes me feel… Great about myself…”

“I bet the stares of a few stallions helps too doesn’t it, Princess?” I smirked.

A blush came to Twilight’s face as she found herself stammering. “Well… I… Uh…”

I nodded as I confirmed my suspicions. “So… Stallions do it for you then?”

Twilight turned her attention back to me as she got over her embarrassment over my previous comment. “Huh? Oh… Well… I suppose mares are nice too… I’ve had a crush or two on both…”

“So you’re not a lesbian then…” I grinned.

“Not entirely no… I guess I’m bi? I don’t know. I like both, but I’m picky I suppose?” Twilight shrugged.

It was strange discussing the Princess’ sexual preferences but somehow I found the subject enjoyable.

“What kind of girls would you like?” I asked.

Twilight blinked once more as she looked up in thought, rubbing her chin with her hoof before looking back at me and shrugging. “Hard to say?”

“Well, I saw your friend… What’s her name… Rarity? A gaudy fashion obsessed bimbo like her? How about her?” I grinned.

Twilight grew a minor look of offense as she defended her friend. “First of all, Rarity is far from gaudy or a bimbo… Second of all… I don’t know. She’s pretty, and I admire her, but I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to her… I sort of like something… Different…”

“Bad girls then?” I smirked.

“I… Suppose you could say that?” Twilight gulped as she looked away.

“What about someone like me? Would you go for someone like me?” I could feel the smirk on my face growing as I teased her.

“Are you coming onto me, Adagio?” Twilight raised a brow.

I laughed and shook my head. “Relax. Do you really think I actually believe I could seduce you into letting me go? Or even seduce you at all? It wouldn’t benefit me to do so. It’s just a question.”

Twilight paused and eyed me up and down as she thought it out. “Hmmm… Nice figure… sort of a punky vibe from you… Cute eyes… Wild mane… I probably wouldn’t be able to keep my hooves off of you if you were in my bed…” Twilight admitted with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. “You really are into troublemakers aren’t you?”

“I guess so…” Twilight shrugged.

“Well, I’m apparently the biggest troublemaker of them all, Twilight. I’m a murderer after all, right?” I asked.

“I… Suppose so…” Twilight’s words were soft, lacking conviction. It sounded like she had a hard time admitting that she felt I was indeed a murderer, which was part of why I posed the question, to see if she would tell me more about her own thoughts on the crime I was convicted of.

“I won’t deny it… I shot Shimmer. My hands were on that trigger, but I am hoping that after this story is over… You’ll at least understand how I ended up there with that gun in my hand…”

Twilight inhaled and exhaled before nodding. “We only have about ten and a half hours left, we should probably continue the story…” She added.

It was clear she wanted to avoid that subject until she knew the entire story, so I decided to give her what she wanted.

“Well… What happened next… Might surprise you…” I began.

So, after my overly long conversation with Aria… What? No, it wasn’t really a fight… Okay fine, after my overly long spat with Aria, I wanted some time to cool off. Dealing with her always pissed me off when she got like that. That’s not to say Sonata didn’t piss me off too, but she did so in a different way, more like she just annoyed the hell out of you with how dumb she was, whereas Aria made you want to tear your hair out. There was also the fact that Sonata was such a crybaby. For a siren, she was an astounding weakling.

With those two always waiting for me when I got home, it was easy to see how I got stressed out all the time. They were like a never-ending babysitting job that I was being punished with.

I had taken the bus downtown to get some time away from my apartment. I could get a head start on my sales as I mentioned before, and clear my head.

The bus ride over was relatively unpleasant with a homeless man asking me for cash repeatedly so I could say no over and over. It didn’t seem to do much in the way of making him stop bothering me, so I was forced to deal with him the entire trip. Yeah sure, I’m heartless, Twilight. He probably would have just taken the money to buy booze anyway. I’m not a charity case. Okay, maybe I gave him a ten before I got off the bus, but I made sure to tell him to stop bugging people too.

After my unpleasant bus ride, my mind was starting to clear up as I made my way to a familiar street corner. I decided to hit up the old spot and see what happened, after all, it was there that I made the sale that got me noticed by Striker, maybe lightning would strike in the same place twice. Yes, thank you, I know that was a clever metaphor.

I leaned up against the wall and decided to light a cigarette. As I stood there, I admired my reflection in a window across the street. A taller woman with a black blouse that left the top two buttons open and the shirt untucked stared back at me as she puffed a cigarette. She was sporting a sexy pair of acid washed jeans that accented her long legs perfectly, and of course expensive custom shoes to complete the look.

For a moment I wondered how intimidating I would look to passersby. Looking intimidating is a very crucial part of drug dealing, Twilight. It can mean the difference between someone trying to jack you for your wares and someone thinking twice before trying to cross you. I think you need to be a drug dealer to get it, Twilight.

A good fifteen minutes or so passed and I made two sales from snot-nosed little brats who were likely just buying some weed to go to a high school party or something. I had chosen to only carry weed that night, as I didn’t want the drama that came with the harder stuff. Given my performance record, Striker let me pick my stock whenever I liked and seldom asked questions. He knew that I wouldn’t come back with whatever he gave me and instead I’d come back with cold hard cash, this was the nature of our relationship.

After finishing my cigarette, I decided another one was in order, after all, it was a stressful day. No, I don’t have a problem, Twilight.

No sooner than when I had ignited the flame and set the cancer stick ablaze did I see a familiar car pull up, one that I thought I’d never see again.

That expensive vehicle shined in the moonlight as it pulled up directly next to me and rolled down its tinted window to reveal the young face that was shared between this girl and one of my worst enemies. I paused for a moment and reminded myself that this was a different girl entirely.

“Hey, cutie.” She smiled.

I couldn’t tell if she was merely teasing or trying to butter me up to get me to sell to her, not like it mattered, I knew she had some cash after the bills she dropped the last time I had seen her.

“Hey… Welcome back…” I replied, trying to play it casual.

“I thought I’d get another look at your face…” She giggled. I suspected she was partially high already given her demeanor.

“What’s your pleasure, kid?” I stated, trying to keep the conversation strictly business.

“Kid? You’re probably not much older than me by the look of it…” She giggled.

I rolled my eyes. “What do you want? I have a business to run here…” I grunted at her.

“How about… Your entire stock again?” She grinned.

This girl had to be crazy, I thought. Was she just going to keep showing up to buy my entire stock every time I saw her? How much pot could one girl smoke? I wondered if perhaps she was holding parties and gave away free pot to all of her guests, not like I cared what she did with it once it was paid for.

“I have way more on me than last time… Looking at around eight grand. You still game?” I raised a brow.

She reached into her purse behind her in the back seat of her car and withdrew a considerably sized wad of hundred dollar bills and waved it. “Money isn’t an issue… Let’s make it interesting though…”

“I’m listening…” I crossed my arms after putting out my cigarette and tossing it aside.

“How much to know your name?” She asked.

“Five hundred,” I quickly blurted out. I don’t know, it was the first number I could think of, Twilight.

Nodding she counted out the bills and waved them in my direction. I stepped forward and reached for them only for her to pull them back playfully. “Tell you what… I’ll throw in some extra if you come to smoke it with me?”

I looked away. “I… I’m probably not supposed to… I have a policy about fraternizing with clients…”

“I won’t tell if you don’t…” She spoke with an innocent tone, waving the bills once more.

Caving, I sighed and nodded. “Yeah… Sure, I guess… Just… Don’t tell anyone I did this, alright?”

She gestured with her head to go around the car and get in the other seat. Absentmindedly, I followed her silent instruction and made my way to the other side of the car and stepped in, sitting down carefully as I shut the door. I must have been insane, I actually voluntarily got into the car of the human version of my worst enemy. I didn’t know what I was thinking, perhaps my fight with Aria had impaired my judgment.

“Buckle up.” She pointed to the seatbelt next to me.

Sighing, I grabbed the device and clicked it into place as she nodded and started the car up.

After we began moving, I decided that the silence was killing me. “This is a nice car…”

She nodded. “It’s alright… I have been thinking about getting some upgrades for it. Just haven’t gotten around to it…”

She said that like the car wasn’t already obnoxiously expensive.

“So… What do you do for a living?” I asked.

She grinned. “Why the interest?”

“Someone doesn’t just drop that kind of coin on pot so frequently and not make great money, or have something they are trying to get away from for that matter…” I commented.

“I take it you are good at drawing inferences?” She asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

“You have to in my line of work, but… I acquired the talent elsewhere, let’s just leave it at that…” I replied.

She nodded. “Fair enough… So… You still haven’t told me your name…”

“It’s Adagio… Adagio Dazzle…” I said plainly, my eyes stayed on her, squinting in suspicion as I watched her every move.

“Adagio… That’s a great name… It’s so… Beautiful…” She smiled.

“You can butter me up all you like, but I don’t give discounts…” I responded.

A laugh exited her as she heard that statement. She reached up and adjusted her glasses. “I’m not exactly looking for better prices… As for what I do… I’m an heir to a family fortune. Let’s just say that money has never and will never be a problem that I have to face…”

“Sounds lucky… Must be nice being a spoiled brat…” I grunted as I looked out the window, not particularly interested in making small talk with her.

“Not as much as you’d think… But I won’t bore you with a ‘rich people have problems just like you’ sob story…” She smirked.

“Thanks… I wasn’t interested in hearing one anyway…” I replied with a yawn.

“How long have you been dealing?” She asked.

“Not long enough… It’ll be a while before I can retire from this job… Especially with my shopping habits…” I commented as I thought back to how poor I was at saving money. The moment I had money in my hand, I was already planning on how to spend it. There was always money in my pocket, but I was always needing to do more work to keep the supply up. A night like that night was a blessing, only having to do a few sales and then sell my entire stock in one transaction, that meant after I was done, I could head home early and count my bills.

My mind was already thinking about what I’d do with my cut the next morning.

“I can see that… Your outfit is cute… Gold is so your thing, it suits you…” She commented as she made a turn.

Part of me was wondering why she was so complimentary, but another part of me just didn’t care. In my mind, she was another customer and I was just doing what I had to do to make a sale. It was just business as usual, the only difference is that this sale was to a girl who looked identical to my mortal enemy.

I had decided it was wise to keep my eye on her, to make sure she wasn’t trying anything funny.

“Thanks… So where is your place exactly?” I asked, trying to keep the subject casual.

“It’s right around here, we’re pulling up to the gate now.” She pointed in front of us.

I looked forward to see an expensive looking metal gate with the word “Shimmer” stylized into the metal. The girl tapped a button hanging off her key ring and the gate began to open for us. I had to admit, I was somewhat in awe when I saw the house in the distance. A girl like me seldom saw such a lavish place, maybe only once or twice in Equestria when I was feeding off of some mouth breather who had a load of cash, but nothing like this place.

The house was gigantic and immaculate, you could probably fit two entire schools in this place.

As we came up the driveway, she parked the car in front of the steps leading to the entrance and looked over at me with a smile. “We’re here.”

Nodding, I stepped out of the car with her, craning my neck to try and see the top of the building, but with no luck. A building like this was something that most people probably wouldn’t get to look at up close.

Sunset came around to the door and opened it as she gestured with her hand for me to follow her. A deep sigh escaped me as I nodded and proceeded into the building with her, not certain of what was going to happen from there.

As we entered, I looked around the house with intrigue, noticing that I didn’t see a single sign of anyone else inhabiting the large building. “Hey… Are you the only one who lives here?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Just me and Moon.” She shrugged.

“Moon?”

“Oh, he’s my dog. He’s around here somewhere… Did you want anything to drink, by the way?” She asked.

She seemed so innocent, so nonchalant about letting a total stranger into her house. It was odd, to say the least.

“I’m good…” Said as I stuffed my hands into my pockets.

She nodded and gestured toward a room to the left. “Shall we then?”

I only shrugged as I followed her lead and we ended up in what appeared to be a living room. The girl gracefully sat herself on a couch, patting next to herself for me to join. I stood there with hesitation at first, but after a few seconds, I decided that it was safe and I joined her, sitting down and trying to relax.

“So, let’s see the goods?” She giggled.

Shrugging, I reached into my bag that I had brought with me and began withdrawing every single bag of marijuana I had, placing it on the coffee table. She just sat there idly with her legs crossed as she watched me unload my entire stock onto her table. Nodding, she reached forward and withdrew a bag and opened it. She gave it a good sniff and nodded approvingly. “You must have some good connections to get stuff this good…”

“I can’t reveal any trade secrets…” I replied instantly.

She laughed at my cautiousness. “Relax, I’m not trying to open up shop, that means I couldn’t buy from you anymore… Nah, I’d rather get served than do the serving…”

The girl reached across the table and snagged some rolling paper she had kept there and within a few short seconds had fashioned the marijuana into a joint with skill and expertise. It was clear she smoked quite often.

Producing a zippo lighter from her purse, she smiled as she flicked it open and ignited the joint. Her eyes locked onto me as she leaned back in her seat and took a long drag, holding the smoke in for a few seconds before releasing it. “Fuck… That’s good…”

Sunset smiled at me and offered the joint to me then. I looked at it and then at her, truthfully with as much as I had sold, I had never once tried the stuff. “I… I haven’t really ever gotten high…” I replied.

She blinked. “Really? But you sell the stuff.”

“Part of what makes me a good saleswoman is that I don’t dip into my stock,” I stated with a matter-of-a-fact tone.

Grinning, she leaned forward and came closer. “Just close your eyes, okay?”

At first, I didn’t want to, I didn’t trust anyone enough to close my eyes and just let them do what they wanted, but for some reason I closed them anyway, allowing her the freedom. She came closer and placed the joint between my lips as she instructed.

“Relax yourself… Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds…” She said.

Following her command, I inhaled the smoke from the joint, holding it in my lungs for a few seconds as she told.

“Savor it… Then… Release…” She gently commanded.

As the smoke exited my mouth, I found myself leaning back in comfort. “Wow… That’s… Actually really nice…”

“See, you should come over and smoke with me more often…” Sunset Giggled.

“I’ll consider it…” I said before taking another inhale and passing it back to her as I exhaled the smoke.

“So… Adagio Dazzle… You’re a drug dealer…” She began.

“How did you figure that one out?” I replied with a sarcastic tone.

“I’m curious though…” Sunset said.

“About what?” I raised a brow as I watched her take another puff.

“About what else you are…” She grinned.

“What’re you talking about?” I asked.

“What makes Adagio Dazzle tick… Surely there is more to you than the fact that you sell rich girls pot, right?” She smirked.

It was odd to see her or anyone for that matter interested in my life, but I shrugged, not really knowing what to say or where to start even. The reality was that most of my life was probably uninteresting or stuff I couldn’t tell her.

“Don’t know what else to say… I guess you could say I’m a loner? Shy of my two idiot Si-“ I paused and corrected myself before I said something I shouldn’t have. “Two… idiot roommates… And my supplier, I don’t really associate with anyone… Hell even hanging out here is rare…”

“Not a people’s person?” Shimmer blinked.

“I guess you could say that… Actually no, you definitely could say that. People suck ass…” I grinned.

She offered the joint back to me which I graciously took and inhaled once more. She leaned back in her seat and smiled. “Yeah, they definitely can…”

The rest of the few hours that I spent there went by with casual small talk, getting to know each other. I did more listening than talking, but I came to learn that Sunset grew up traveling a lot, seeing all over the world with her parents, but they had died a few years ago and now she was the owner of this estate all by herself.

From the first time I came over, I could say that Sunset Shimmer was a mysterious person, someone who didn’t tell you everything she was thinking. I could sense a calculating nature about her, something about her demeanor always left one guessing.

I could barely believe what I had done when it was time to leave, I had spent the entire evening with another version of Sunset Shimmer, the same girl who assisted in making me lose my magic and stranding me in this hellhole world. Yes, you played a role in that too, Twilight…

After she drove me home, she sighed as we pulled up close to my apartment. I had purposefully instructed her to park a good block or so away. The last thing I needed was questions from Aria or Sonata about why I was hanging out with a human version of Sunset Shimmer.

She looked over at me with a smile. “So… When’s next time?”

“I beg your pardon?” I blinked.

“Oh come on, do I have to pay you again to come smoke with me?” She giggled.

“Look… I just did this because that’s what you paid for…” I rolled my eyes.

Nodding, Shimmer winked as she reached into her bag behind her and offered me a hundred. I stared at it for a moment before snatching it from her. “Incentive… To hang out again.”

“Fine… Whatever…” I rolled my eyes.

“See ya later…” She winked as I stepped out of the car. As she drove away, I stood there wondering what chain of events I had just set into motion.

Author's Note

Aria, stop being such a communist.

Chapter Six

9 Hours 59 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight leaned back in her seat processing everything I had just told her. Once she had it all figured out, she opened her eyes and spoke. “So… Shimmer paid you to come and smoke with her… Talk about an odd turn of events… I wasn’t expecting you to have any interaction with Shimmer at all prior to her murder let alone something like this…”

I shrugged. “There’s more to it than that though… I didn’t exactly know the kind of trouble I was getting into when I got involved with Shimmer, to be honest…”

“Trouble?” Twilight blinked. “From my perspective, it looks like you were the source of trouble, wouldn’t you say?”

I chuckled and nodded. “I suppose that is partially true, but no… There was trouble in it for me as well…”

“Naturally, I’m assuming your two siren… Accomplices didn’t approve of you spending the night with her?” Twilight tilted her head.

“I didn’t tell those idiots, are you nuts?” I smirked.

She sighed and nodded. “I figured as much, I suppose… Still, it’s pretty strange that you’d even go along with it in the first place…”

I shrugged. “I needed the money, and it was the fastest way to sell everything I had, so I went with it. A means to an end if you will…”

“What kind of person was Shimmer back then?” Twilight leaned in with interest.

Several words floated to the surface of my mind, many different ways to describe that girl, but only one actually came out of my mouth. “Enigmatic.”

“Sounds about right… I take it she was secretive back then?” Twilight asked.

I nodded. “She had bigger trust issues than me sometimes. That house remained empty for a reason, she didn’t trust anyone. I guess in the past people tried to steal her fortune from under her nose, people in her own family…”

“That’s terrible…” Twilight frowned. “Money really can make people do some terrible things sadly…”

“Not Shimmer though… That girl wouldn’t hurt a fly… She was kind to a fault when you got to know her…” I pointed out.

“Shy of her parents in that incident that is…” Twilight pointed out.

Shrugging, I replied. “I actually didn’t even know about that until after the fact.”

“Really?” Twilight blinked in surprise.

“Yeah, Shimmer didn’t exactly like talking about stuff like that. Also, I wasn’t particularly interested in such a subject as you’ll find out later…” I explained.

“Now you’ve got me curious…” Twilight smiled devilishly.

“First you have to do something for me before I’ll continue…” I grinned.

I could hear an audible gulp in Twilight’s throat as she shakily responded. “W-what…?”

“You have to tell me something you’ve never told anyone before.” I crossed my hooves as I sat there smiling at the Princess, taking a little pleasure in making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

“Something… I’ve never told anyone before…?” Twilight blinked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m here pouring my heart out, I’d like to hear a little more about you. I think that’s fair isn’t it?”

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well… My first kiss was with a guy named Fall Leaves… I was in third grade…”

“Nah, I want something juicier… Give me a time when Ms. Perfect Twilight Sparkle screwed up big time…” I grinned.

Another sigh escaped Twilight as she closed her eyes and spoke. “Okay… One time in middle school when I was sort of trying to get this clique of girls to like me… I may have participated in a prank on the teacher that went bad…”

“Teacher’s pet actually turned to the dark side then?” I asked with glee.

She nodded. “Yeah… we put a potion in her coffee that was supposed to temporarily turn her into a frog in the middle of a lecture, but it didn’t work at first. We thought that maybe it was just a dud…”

“It wasn’t though, was it?” I smirked as I leaned in with interest.

Twilight shook her head. “Turns out Yarn String had the mixture wrong and instead it was a slow acting vomit inducer… So we got to this assembly where my teacher was speaking…”

“Oh boy! I can see where this is going!” I giggled.

“It… Actually is a lot worse than you think…” Twilight blushed, looking away in shame.

“Do go on then!” I nodded contently.

“So… Mid-speech she throws up all over the Principal standing next to her… I thought that was the worst…” Twilight shuddered as she remembered.

“But the worst was yet to come wasn’t it?” I asked.

She nodded. “So then the sight of it made some of the kids in the audience start throwing up, and then throwing up on each other started making it worse… Before I knew it half the school was throwing up on everyone…”

I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I heard her story. “Oh man! That’s hilarious! Who would have guessed that Twilight Sparkle actually had done something like that!?”

Composing myself, I wiped my eyes after the laughter subsided. “That is… Most amusing, Twilight…”

“Yeah… It wasn’t so amusing for me… I still feel guilty about it…” Twilight rubbed her neck.

I gave a dismissive hoof gesture toward the Princess. “Don’t, it was a prank, and it’s so far in the past now that I’m sure you’re the only one that remembers…”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure some of my old classmates are probably still laughing about that one…” Twilight shook her head.

“Still, it was a good prank though, you should be proud, you got almost the entire school!” I pointed out.

“I guess if you look at it that way…” Twilight sighed.

“Cheer up… Now… You’ve amused me, so I guess I can tell you more of the story…” I said.

Twilight instantly perked back up as she adjusted herself in her seat, ready and eager to hear more of what happened to me prior to Shimmer’s murder. I blinked as I watched her sit there with bated breath. “Sheesh… Eager much?”

“I’m invested now; I sort of have to hear how this ends… I’m the kind of pony who once I start a story, I’m in for the whole ride…” Twilight explained.

“I guess that’s what makes you such a bookworm…” I shrugged.

She nodded in response. “So what happened next? After you got home from your time with Shimmer that is?”

“Well… I think it might be wise to skip ahead a few days… Right about when…”

A few days passed after my little “get together” with Shimmer, if you wanted to call it that. No, I don’t want to know what you’d call it, Twilight. Anyway, things stayed relatively normal for a little while after that, but I came home from a day at the mall with shopping bags clenched in my hand as I stepped into the living room of our shared apartment.

Aria and Sonata sat there conversing as Aria worked her way through a cigarette. I was still a little miffed at her for her commentary a few days back, but at that point, my annoyance with her has simmered a bit and I was starting to return to my regular level of ire with her.

Sonata was showing off a bracelet she had acquired as I walked in. I overheard part of the conversation.

“So, basically he bought it for me because he was hoping to wow me enough to go on a date with him… Isn’t it cute!?” Sonata spoke as she showed off her wrist.

Spying the bracelet, I rolled my eyes. When I had grown the shopping addiction that I had, I had become very familiar with fine jewelry, name brand clothing, and identifying counterfeits or cheap knockoffs. It was clear that this bracelet was nothing more than steel brushed to look like silver, probably only worth around $75 at most, $90 at best. I shook my head over how stupid she was.

“You know that if you keep accepting stuff from him, he’s going to eventually expect something in return, Sonata… Remember, we don’t have our powers to charm people out of their stuff without expecting things from us…” Aria reminded as she pointed her two fingers at Sonata.

Sonata frowned but nodded. “Yeah, but I sort of… Miss being able to get people to get me nice things, you know? At least with flirting with them, I can get… Some stuff… It’s not the same as having powers, but it’s close… I mean we’re all still super hot at least!” She seemed to cheer up by the time she reached the end of that statement.

She wasn’t incorrect though, we all were still very young and irresistible looking. Shut up, I am not being vain. It was the truth, Sonata had the kind of tits that would make a man drool, Aria had the ass that would make them beg, and I had the attitude that always made them come crawling back for more. Together we were the kind of women that men dreamed of getting a chance at, however, our place was always to tease but never deliver.

Without our voices though, we were stuck to relying on our looks to get what we desired, which definitely took more tact and effort.

“You’re clearly not flirting very well if all he bought you was that cheap trash…” I spoke up as I set my bags down and placed my hands on my hips.

“Oh look… It’s the bitch… When did you walk in? I don’t recall ordering our fun spoiled for at least another hour…” Aria sarcastically commented with a slight smirk.

Rolling my eyes, I did my best to ignore her comment and not punch her in the face. Realistically, that second part got harder and harder with every passing day.

“I like it though…” Sonata frowned.

“Sonata, if you’re going to flirt your way into getting stuff at least aim higher than someone who can’t get you a real silver bracelet…” I rolled my eyes once more.

“Easy for you to say… You just buy whatever you want… You don’t need to charm it out of people anymore…” Aria pointed out with a grunt.

“Oh can it, you miserable ungrateful cunt. In case you haven’t noticed, I kept a roof over our heads, didn’t I? I am keeping us alive out here aren’t I?” I pointed out.

It was the truth as well, were it not for me flirting with the landlord when we first lost our powers into giving us time to find jobs so we could pay the rent, rather than just brainwashing him into letting us stay for free, we would have likely been thrown out on the street long ago.

“Yeah, you’re also the reason why we’re in this mess in the first place… You got too big of an ego, and Starswirl cut you down and now we’re stuck here… Oh, and you lost our magic too thanks to your stupid plan…” Aria reminded.

It was as if this girl kept a record of all my failures ready to recall them at a moment’s notice. Again, resisting the urge to punch her in the face was getting harder all the time.

“That’s no way to show appreciation toward your leader…” I grunted as I turned my nose away from her.

A chuckle escaped Aria. “Why would I do that?”

“Because of this…” I grinned before tossing her one of the bags.

Blinking, Aria caught it in her lap and grunted as it landed. Curiously she peered inside and began to remove some of the items. “What the-“

“I checked all your sizes over the past few days and made sure to get the right sizes… Everything should fit.” I grinned, eager to see the smug look on Aria’s face wiped clean.

Aria held up a purple bra from the bag and whistled as she examined it and then the matching panties that went with it. She began to dig through the various pieces of clothing and jewelry, admiring each item longingly before looking over at me with confusion. Sonata was practically speechless at that point.

Reaching down once more, I picked up another bag and tossed it to Sonata. “I got you a few things too.”

Looking into the bag eagerly, Sonata gasped as she pulled out an attractive and expensive charm bracelet, eyeing the price tag with awe. How much was it? Somewhere around $1,500 or something… I don’t know how much that translates into bits, Twilight… It’s a lot of money, let’s put it that way.

As she held the bracelet she ripped the one on her wrist off and tossed it aside. “To hell with that thing, this bracelet is a thousand times better!”

Aria paused before looking over at me once more with a suspicious look. “What’s your angle?”

“Angle?” I raised a brow.

“You’ve never gotten anything for us before, and after our conversation the other day it sounded like you could give less of a shit about us…” Aria sneered, her suspicion clearly growing greater and greater with each passing second.

I scoffed and looked away from her. “I didn’t want to hear you bitch some more about how I have all this money and you have nothing… I know you well enough to know you’ll never stop whining until I cave… Consider it benevolence on my part…”

Aria’s expression softened just a hair as she heard that, but not wanting to sound like I did something out of the kindness of my heart, I decided to divulge further.

“Besides, you two are sirens… You’re supposed to be insanely attractive and desirable to men… I can’t have you both walking around looking like common street trash, it’s not becoming of our kind… Not to mention, I’m your leader so I’m supposed to look out for you, right?” I said.

“You’re the best leader ever!” Sonata clapped her hands together before digging through her bag of various goodies that I had gotten her, all items that complimented her figure flawlessly if I say so myself.

Aria was rendered speechless, and I was standing there with a smug grin on my face ready to rub her nose in it. I couldn’t wait to make her begrudgingly show appreciation toward me and my benevolence, but then something happened that I would have never expected in a million years, especially coming from Aria.

The siren looked up at me and nodded. “Thanks, Adagio…”

“Thanks?” I raised a brow, trying to figure her out.

“Yeah… I guess sometimes I forget that you do look out for us… I mean don’t get me wrong, I disagree with your methods a lot, and a lot of the time you’re kind of an insufferable bitch, and I definitely question whether or not you care if we’re alive or dead but like…” She looked at the bag and then back at me. “This is genuinely nice of you… It’s the first time I’ve seen you do something that showed you cared about us at all…”

I grunted and looked away. “Yeah… Well… I only did it to stop you from whining and stuff… Honest…”

I expected her to take back her thanks, but she didn’t. Instead, a small smile came to her face, a smile to me that suggested she didn’t believe that I was merely trying to get her to shut up. “Alright, if you say so…”

Part of me wanted to scream that she had me all wrong and that I couldn’t care less if she fell into a ditch, that she was merely an ally to help cover my bases and nothing more, but instead, I was distracted by Sonata suddenly showering me with praise. The annoyingly bubbly girl leaped off the couch and pulled me into a hug which I resisted and fought to get out of.

She squeezed me tightly as I tried to pry her off, surprisingly, Sonata is actually pretty strong. “Thank you, Dagi! You’re the best!”

“I told you to stop calling me Dagi! Second of all, get the fuck off of me!” I hissed.

“But you’re the best!” She giggled as she pulled me closer.

After a few more seconds of struggling, I managed to pry her off and catch my breath. “Fuck… Why don’t you go hug Aria? You know I hate that shit, Sonata…”

“You’re such a booty head sometimes…” Sonata pouted as she crossed her arms in front of her, causing her impressive chest to squish together and create a more alluring image for any man who would see.

“Whatever…” I rolled my eyes.

“Seriously though, thanks, Adagio…” Aria spoke again.

“Well… You should thank me more often…” I pointed out with my hands on my hips.

She was about to speak but was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. Blinking, I answered it and spoke up. “Hello?”

The voice of Shimmer rang in my ear, causing my eyes to widen as I heard her. “Hey, Dagi… What you up to?”

I had to play it cool, I was right in front of the other two sirens of my group, I couldn’t make it obvious that I was talking to the human counterpart of the girl who helped defeat us and lose our magic.

“Not much… How did you get this number?” I asked, trying to play it cool as Aria and Sonata stared at me.

“Not important, you busy?” She asked.

“About to be, I’m heading out to work…” I stated.

Sonata and Aria’s expressions implied they were becoming more and more curious.

“Work sucks, come hang out!” Shimmer insisted.

“Yeah, well I can’t, sorry…” I replied with a roll of my eyes. I wondered if this girl had any sense of work ethic.

“I’ll buy you out of your shift! Bring whatever you were going to sell and I’ll pay for it again!” She groaned in protest.

“I’ll be there soon…” I responded.

“See you soon, Dagi!” She giggled before I hung up with a sigh.

The other two sirens sat there with curious looks, waiting for me to explain who was calling me. Quickly, I thought of a believable lie. “Co-worker was wondering if I could pick him up something on my way to work…”

“How’d he get your number?” Aria asked with a raised brow.

She squinted in suspicion but decided not to call me out on it. “Alright… So you’re heading out now then?”

I nodded. “Yeah… Don’t wait up for me, probably going to be a long shift today…”

“Alright… Be careful!” Sonata waved at me as I headed toward the door, still trying to understand how Sunset Shimmer got my phone number, but also trying to keep my cool so as to not raise more questions.

9 Hours 40 Minutes Until Execution

“You actually got gifts for the other two sirens?” Twilight asked with a raised brow.

I hated how she framed it like that; implying that I would waste my time and effort buying gifts for those two rejects.

“No, I told you… I got them stuff so Aria would stop whining. You haven’t heard her whine, it’s super fucking annoying. She will keep going until she gets what she wants, and I figured it was faster to get it over with than try to put up with it. You underestimate how seriously annoying those two can be…” I crossed my hooves and looked away with a huff.

Twilight smirked, which told me she didn’t believe me, but she refrained from comment.

“So how did Shimmer get your number anyway? I don’t recall you mentioning you gave it to her…” Twilight blinked as she sat in thought.

My attention came back to Twilight as I uncrossed my hooves and nodded. “That’s because I didn’t give it to her.”

I yawned and stretched as I looked over at the only clock visible to me. “Fuck… We’ve been here for over five hours now…”

“Time flies when you’re having fun…” Twilight shrugged.

“I don’t know if I’d constitute this as ‘fun’, Twilight Sparkle…” I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t know… I’m having fun listening to your story anyway…” She replied.

“You would too…” I smirked in delight.

“Just the kind of mare I am…” Twilight winked at me.

It was too true of a statement as well. Twilight was the kind of mare who would sit through the story of a dying mare from start to finish, eating up every detail and acting as if it were just another tale of adventure. She listened with the same excitement and enjoyment that she would reading a Daring Do book.

Perhaps in a way, Twilight Sparkle was far too pure to be a princess, she was too innocent, too naive. There wasn’t a chance that she understood how relentlessly cruel the world could be. Sure she was able to decide that I had to be put to death, but did she have more decisions like that in her? Was she going to be able to carry out the duties of being a princess? I was doubtful.

I blinked and decided to probe the subject. “What’s it like being a princess?”

Twilight twitched for a moment before tilting her head. “That’s… And odd question… Coming from you…”

I shrugged. “I was curious…”

Twilight placed a hoof on her chin and thought, probably wanting to give some wise-sounding answer that was befitting a member of royalty, but instead she offered a shrug and far more simple words.

“It’s tough…”

“Really detailed response there…” I sarcastically remarked.

“Sorry, I wish there was a more profound way of saying it, but the reality is… being a princess is very difficult… I won’t lie, making decisions that determine the life of another pony are not easy to make, but I have to follow them through with conviction.” She paused before continuing. “I recognized a long time ago that I’d eventually have to make decisions that were not going to make me popular… And decisions that I personally would not like…”

“Is this one of those?” I asked.

Twilight closed her eyes. “You’re wondering if I am doubting my choice to put you to death then?”

“It’s not like me knowing will change anything, my death was agreed upon by the royal family… Even if your opinion swayed… It’s too late to change my conviction, right?” I asked with a raised brow.

Twilight, as expected, nodded in agreement. “Yes… However, that being said… My mind is still made up… Adagio Dazzle, you are going to be put to death for all you’ve done and while I am interested in hearing more of your story… It won’t change that fate. I believe I’ve made the right choice…”

Sighing, I ran a hoof through my long mane and nodded. “Yeah, I figured as much. I mean truthfully, I never expected a sob story to change your mind anyway… Nor spare me from my fate, I was just curious if your thoughts about me had changed… Guess not…”

“I never said that…” Twilight stated boldly.

I blinked and leaned in. “What’re you saying?”

“Just… Keep telling the story… I need to process my thoughts anyway…” Twilight smirked.

Just when one thinks that Twilight Sparkle is a mere ditz who was simple and easy to read, she finds a way to surprise you.

“I guess we’ll get to the part where I arrive at Shimmer’s place…” I shrugged.

A few bus rides and punching in a passcode at the gate that Shimmer texted me later, and I was standing at the front door to Shimmer’s estate. Again, I have to comment on how absolutely lavish the place was. The rich sure feel the need to have a lot of excess, this house was so big that you could probably house all of Ponyville in it.

I reached for the door only to find it unlocked. That made sense as it was doubtful that many would get past the front gate anyway, plus Shimmer was expecting me.

Entering the foyer, I nearly jumped at the sound of a dog barking. No, I’m not afraid of some stupid dog, Twilight.

This was definitely the famous “Moon” that Shimmer mentioned. I had read a bit about dogs in the human world and knew enough that they needed to smell you to get a feel for you before they would trust you. Leaning down, I slowly offered my hand. The creature extended its snout and whiffed my fingers a few times before giving them a gentle lick and an approving bark.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence… Now… Mind showing me where Sunset is?” I asked, crossing my arms.

He merely sat there wagging his tail. No Twilight, I wasn’t legitimately expecting a dog to be able to understand me!

“Okay… Let’s try this… Take me to your master!” I commanded with a stern tone.

He barked again, this time he came to a stand and started heading up the stairs. Shrugging, I figured there was nothing to lose by following him, so I gave chase and followed the canine to the second floor. He made his way down a long hallway decorated in fine art and portraits.

I stopped to examine one on the wall of Shimmer herself. She was wearing some kind of formal white dress, flowing in the wind as she looked over a cliffside. The girl in the painting was far younger, but she looked just as elegant. Her red hair was a splash of warm color that danced well with the cooler colors of the scenery and her outfit. I wondered what kind of person she must have been like back then. What kind of child was Sunset Shimmer?

It was difficult to imagine a human Sunset Shimmer living in this house as a child with two loving and adoring parents. Then again for someone like me, it was difficult to imagine a functional family unit at all. The part where her parents were taken from her, I could at least partially relate to that, albeit for completely different reasons. Also, I more or less hated my father, whereas Shimmer likely had great affections for her’s.

Once I had taken my mind off of the painting, I continued to follow the dog to a door that he sat down next to and let out another bark.

“In there, huh?” I asked gesturing toward the door.

Naturally, he didn’t answer, he just continued to sit there wagging his tail. What an oddly well-behaved dog.

Shrugging, I opened the door and stepped inside, noting that the dog stayed right where he was. I surmised that this was a room that he was forbidden from entering, which likely meant I shouldn’t have been in there as well, but I didn’t put much thought beyond that into it. Upon stepping inside, I could see why though.

The entire place looked like some kind of science lab, similar to the one at Canterlot High, but far more advanced with far more expensive equipment lying about. Most of the items were completely foreign to me, given that I was from Equestria, but no doubt, all of it looked like it was intended for more extreme research. This was the kind of research hub that any scientist would dream of. I didn’t know much about the machines in there, but I would wager they cost in the millions. Huh? Oh for the love of… Come on, Twilight I can’t spend the entire story describing the lab! Don’t you have your own lab that you can gawk at? Honestly, I don’t remember most of it, and most of the machines were too difficult to determine what they do.

On a wall behind a desk in the back was a whiteboard with some kind of complex math problem. I placed a hand on my chin as I examined it, trying to figure out what it was getting at. It took me a good few minutes before I finally started to work it out.

I stepped forward and picked up a marker and began to scribble in what I believed to be the answer. No, I am not a nerd like you, Twilight! I just happen to be very good at math, thank you! Why? I spent a lot of time reading when I was younger… Back then books were pretty much the only source of entertainment and I wasn’t permitted to play with other kids.

Stepping back from the board, I examined the entire equation, blinking as I was certain that I recognized it before. “Where have I seen this before…?” I thought out loud.

As I examined the problem, I actually found the numbers swirling in my head and before I knew it, I was picking up a marker and scribbling down an answer. Before I even had a chance to check my work, a familiar voice came from behind me.

“Hey, I don’t usually let anyone in here…” Shimmer’s tone seemed a bit annoyed, but she softened up as she approached in her white lab coat over her normal attire of attractive alternative clothing.

She blinked as she looked at the equation. “That’s… Correct actually… How did you…?”

I shrugged. “Dunno… I’ve always been good with numbers, I suppose?”

Squinting she examined my work and nodded approvingly. “Remarkable… May I ask you to take a crack at another one?”

I could only shrug a second time, not knowing what else to say and figuring that I had nothing to lose.. “Sure… I guess?”

Quickly, Shimmer found an empty space on the board and snapped the cap off of a marker. With haste, she scribbled down a problem with clean handwriting. I stood back and watched, looking over the problem with a hand on my chin as I thought it out. Within a matter of minutes, I stepped forward and jotted down the answer then placed the cap back on my marker and nodded. “I believe… That is correct?”

Shimmer blinked as she saw my answer nodding as she crossed her arms and a smirk appeared on her face. “Well, well, well… Adagio Dazzle the drug pusher has other talents… A bigger picture is painted…”

“I’m good with numbers and equations, I needed to be when I studied ma-“ I cut myself off, realizing that telling her about magic was likely not a good idea, instead I finished the sentence another way. “Errr… Math in school… During the short time, I did go… that is…”

It was a half-truth, I actually did only attend school for a short time… Short time being only a few days during the battle of the bands. Oh, shush, it’s not a technicality, Twilight! The reality was that I was taught at home by my mother until I was a young child, then from there, I had to teach myself. I studied magic all the time to try and understand it, I was obsessed with how to utilize it to the best of my ability and how to gain the most magic.

Due to this, I found myself exceptional at equations and math, but sadly in most of my plans, those skills never really translated well. The best they ended up doing for me was learning how to master my powers or how to find the largest sources of magic to absorb. There weren’t exactly a lot of job opening for magical sirens as math teachers in Equestria, or the human world. Oh please, don’t give me that “a mind going to waste is a crime” shtick, Twilight…

Sometimes though when I was in the bathroom I played a few math-related games on my phone though. In another world, or maybe one where I wasn’t born a siren, I probably could have been a mathematician or some kind of magic researcher.

Shimmer grinned at my explanation. “Did you go to college?”

“I didn’t even finish high school…” I rolled my eyes.

She frowned at that response. “A shame… Your mind is going to waste… Adagio Dazzle… You’re a genius…”

“I… I am…?” I blinked, this was the first time that anyone had actually praised me for my intelligence. Most of the compliments I was used to receiving were about how attractive I was, and usually because the person giving the compliment was under the influence of my power.

She nodded. “No doubt about it, you’re a regular math wizard.”

To be fair, I had a good few centuries to practice and learn, so it wasn’t entirely fair to say I was a “wizard” at math. Anyone who had thousands of years to practice something was naturally going to be better than the average person, but I wondered if I was any good compared to other sirens. It was hard to say since meeting other sirens was rare back in Equestria, and I knew that Aria and Sonata were hardly any bright. Those two couldn’t do long division I bet, let alone solve complex logic problems.

“Yeah, but I suck at virtually everything else… I don’t know anything about history, or anything like that…” I shrugged.

She shook her head and placed a hand on my shoulder, leading me out of the room. “Doesn’t matter. Being a genius isn’t about knowing things, it’s about how well or easily you understand when you’re taught…”

“I guess… Can we talk about something else though?” I asked as she lead us toward another room where she let us both inside. Peering around, it was easy to tell that we were now in some kind of bedroom.

“Sure, but why?” She asked as she wandered toward the back of the room and removed her lab coat, hanging it on the back of a door to what I assumed was a bathroom attached to her bedroom.

I crossed my arms defensively. “I just… Don’t like talking about myself a lot…”

“Why not? You’re smart and sexy, those are good qualities,” she complimented.

I chuckled at her remark. “Yeah right… If I’m so smart why do I hate my life and why am I still a pathetic drug dealer and not doing something more meaningful with my time?”

She shrugged. “Maybe the opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet? Most people don’t get to utilize their talents until they are given the chance.”

“Either way, it doesn’t matter… I don’t really like getting this much praise… It feels… unnatural…” I shuddered at the thought.

Shimmer frowned. “I take it your parents weren’t that supportive?”

“One was… the other… He was dead to be even before he actually died…” I sneered, remembering my father with a light growl in my voice.

Naturally, she hadn’t a clue what I was talking about, but she tried to act as though she understood. “I’m sorry to hear… Nothing is worse than feeling like family isn’t behind you… What about your friends?”

I scoffed and looked away, my arms still crossed. “I have no friends…”

“I thought you lived with some roommates?” She asked.

“I would never consider those two morons my friends… They’re minions if anything…” I replied curtly.

“So no friends?” Shimmer asked.

“No.”

She grinned and nodded. “Me neither… I’ve never been good at making them… I’ve always had a bad temper…”

“You? I find that hard to believe…” I responded with a raised brow.

She giggled and nodded again. “It’s true. I’m high a lot of the time these days, or just coming off of a high so I’ve mellowed out. I had a horrible temper myself… What’s your reason for not making friends?”

“Friends are stupid and pointless… All they’ll do is stab you in the back when it’s most convenient for them…” I sneered.

She had the look of a woman who wanted to pry deeper but clearly understood that she was treading on unsafe grounds and decided to change the subject. “Not much of a people’s person then?”

“No.”

She smiled. “That’s fine, I’m better in small settings myself, and I have a lot of patience.”

“Evidently…” I rolled my eyes.

“Lighten up, there isn’t any judgment here, promise.” She winked.

Something about that wink set me at ease slightly. I lowered my guard and let my arms fall to my sides as I nodded in agreement. “Yeah… Okay…”

“Trust me, I’m not in a position to judge you,” she replied.

My brow rose. “Even though I’m a drug dealer?”

She shrugged. “Who am I to judge that? I buy from you. Plus, I recognize that we all have our own vices and we sometimes need that little pick-me-up. The world is filling with bad, sometimes we need to get a little ‘good’ inside of us, right?”

“I guess… I never would have pictured you so… practical…” I replied as I sat down on her bed, noting how soft it was. Rich people could afford all the luxuries, so it was barely a surprise, I wouldn’t have been shocked if I was told it was made from the feathers of endangered birds.

The redhead smiled as she sat next to me nodding, getting a bit uncomfortably close. “I’ve always considered myself an opportunist. If you can make a situation more favorable, always go for it when the pros outweigh the cons.”

“Wise words…” I mumbled.

“So… Tell me more about you, Dagi… What makes you tick?” She grinned as she leaned in with interest.

Up that close, I could see her chapstick had made her lips glisten in the light, but I looked away and tried to focus on something else rather than examining the face of my mortal enemy plastered onto another girl.

“Power,” I said plainly.

“So you like to feel powerful?” She asked, not even pointing out that my answer was peculiar.

“Yes.”

She paused and thought about it before leaning closer. “What about power makes you feel good?”

That was an odd question, one I had never been asked before. I actually took a moment to answer. “I… Well…” I closed my eyes and remembered what it felt like to be utterly powerless. What it felt like to watch my mother burn alive and not be able to do a damn thing about it. I remembered what it felt like when my amulet shattered because of Sunset Shimmer and her friends, the other Sunset Shimmer that is.

The feeling of being powerless was the worst. It was the single most terrible feeling that I had ever experienced. It was a feeling that I was still partially going through, and one that I wanted to stop and never feel again.

“I hate feeling powerless…” I responded, locking my answer in, confident that that was indeed the worst feeling I had ever experienced. Of everything I had ever felt, that was the feeling that stuck with me the most, no matter how much time had passed, I always remembered what it was like.

“Don’t we all?” She shrugged.

“It’s different… It’s the worst thing… Standing there unable to do anything… At the total mercy of others… I hate that feeling more than anything in the entire world… I would do anything to never experience it again…” I rambled as I stared at the floor.

She didn’t say anything, instead, she wrapped her arms around me and leaned in to embrace me. Normally, if this were Sonata, I’d be prying her off and telling her not to touch me, but this was… It was different. I could sense a genuine caring, not just a “here’s a hug, now feel better and stop whining” sense that I ordinarily got from Sonata. Shimmer actually was listening and she was starting to feel what I was feeling, and she wanted that feeling to stop inside me as well.

It was a very… Odd thing, but I closed my eyes and allowed her to continue her hug, not daring to interrupt it. Without thought, my hand gravitated toward her and rested in her hair as I let her lean and hold me, feeling like it was more to bring herself comfort than me.

Her soft voice rang in my ears as I heard only a single sentence uttered. “I’m sorry.”

9 Hours 22 Minutes Until Execution

“Were you and Shimmer close? I’m starting to get the vibe that the two of you were friends at some point…” Twilight asked with a raised brow and a curious tone.

“Not at first… I spent a lot of our first encounters trying not to tell her anything that could be used against me…” I replied.

“So you two did become friends then… How did that friendship end in murder?” Twilight asked, her brow raised further now.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at her impatience. “It’s called patience, Twilight, try having some. We’ll get there in due time.”

“Sorry… It’s just this is quite an unexpected turn in this story… I was expecting you and her to become mortal enemies or something by now… Some kind of explanation of why you killed her…” Twilight pointed out.

Grumbling, I shook my head. “In case you forgot, she wasn’t the intended target, the other Sunset was…”

Twilight blinked as her memory was jogged. “Oh yeah, that’s right! Surely though you knew by trying to kill Sunset that killing Shimmer would be a necessity though… It’s not like she would have let you get away with it once she found out… She likely would have done what Sunset did and teamed up with her friends to take you out…”

“I’m well aware, Twilight…” I groaned in annoyance.

“Then why?” She asked.

“How about you let me keep telling the story and you’ll find out? We’re not even at the most screwed up part yet… The part that changed my life…” I answered.

“Oh? What’s so crazy about the next part?” She asked.

I smirked as I recalled the events in my head. “I think it’ll be obvious when it happens.”

Author's Note

Where do you think this is going?

Who knows.

Special thanks to the readers. You guys rock!

Chapter Seven

9 Hours 10 Minutes Until Execution

My decision to keep Princess in suspense by not revealing how Shimmer and I ended up no longer being friends and how I ended up putting holes in her at first seemed like an amusing one, a decision that I could use to annoy the princess endlessly, but after only a few minutes, she was beginning to annoy me more than I was capable of annoying her.

Question after question hit me until I finally shouted to get her to stop. “Fuck! How about you just let me tell the story, huh?”

Twilight raised a brow in confusion. “Why are you getting so upset?”

“Because you’re fucking annoying!” I hissed.

Twilight squinted as she thought about it. “Sounds more like you’re getting emotional… Is that it? Are you getting emotional?”

“Don’t be stupid… I don’t do that…” I looked away with a blush on my face.

Twilight smiled as she crossed her hooves. “I see… So you really did become friends with Shimmer then? You cared about her… I guess I can see why you’d get emotional now then… I mean you’ve been convicted of killing her and by your account, she was your first friend.”

I rolled my eyes. “Twilight… You don’t know anything, do you?”

“Well… By technical standards, I actually know quite a bit…” She placed a hoof on her chin in thought.

Blinking, I questioned how a mare could be so clueless. “I meant about my situation… You’re incredibly dense sometimes, you know that?”

“I… Have been told that a few times before…”

“And you’ll likely be called such many more times, I’m sure…” I grinned, somehow cooling off from Twilight’s pestering. Admittedly it was difficult to stay mad at her for very long, she was a little too dorky and plucky to be truly angry at. It reminded me a bit of an adorable dog, even if they got into the garbage, you wanted to forgive them right away because they are just so cute, even in their guilt.

Perhaps comparing Princess Twilight Sparkle to a dog wasn’t the fairest of things to do, but it was the aptest analogy that I could think of.

“That’s likely an accurate assessment…” Twilight admitted with a goofy grin.

It was like it was impossible to truly insult Twilight Sparkle it seemed. Eventually, with enough time she would grow immune to your attempts to down talk her. She was a nerd at heart, after all. Part of me wondered if she was in the chess club or if she got picked on for it when she was growing up.

“What’re some names you’ve been called, Adagio?” Twilight asked, changing the subject.

My ears twitched at the question but fell flat against my head as I thought it over, knowing a single insult that always stuck with me. I’d been called a bitch, a cunt, a complete succubus, but nothing like a certain word that always stung every time I heard it. A word that made my hands clench into fists, and made my heart beat faster as I felt my blood boil. The same word they called my mother before burning her alive. The same word they used to justify every terrible thing they did to my kind.

“Monster…” I growled under my breath, not wanting to even look at her as I admitted it.

“Come again?” Twilight leaned in.

“Monster!” I yelled, banging my hooves on the table.

Twilight blinked but didn’t even flinch when she saw my outburst. Instead, she kept her composure and raised a brow. “Is there some reason that the word ‘monster’ bothers you so much?”

“Is there? Yeah, there are dozens of reasons… Your kind uses that word to justify murdering my kind, to justify treating us like we’re nothing but vermin to be extinguished… And… To demonize us… To make us out to be horrible creatures that have no right to exist…” I replied, my tongue sharp and vicious, my voice filled with venom as I squinted at her.

“Do you think you’re a monster, Adagio?” Twilight asked, her tone plain and neutral.

“What kind of fucking question is that!?” I screamed, banging the table again. “I suppose you’re going to say my anger makes me more of a monster too, right?”

Twilight remained frustratingly calm. “Anger is perfectly normal. Given what you’ve been through? I’d day say even anger as explosive as yours is right now is also normal. Everypony gets angry, it’s a matter of how we deal with that anger…”

“What’re you getting at?” I hissed.

Twilight shrugged once more. “Again… It’s up to you… If you feel you’re a monster, then maybe that’s why the word bothers you so much… Though it’s understandable to be angry at a branding that you don’t agree with as well…”

I wanted to slap her something fierce. I wanted to knock some of her teeth out for even suggesting such a thing, but somehow I controlled myself. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, taking in a few breaths and releasing them as I tried to find what little zen that I had.

“Can we… Please just get back to the story now?” I asked after opening my eyes again.

Miraculously, I had calmed down enough to think straight once more.

Twilight nodded and smiled. “Alright, I suppose I’ve pushed your buttons enough… So, Shimmer was holding you in a tight embrace showing sympathy toward your rather terrible circumstances… What happened then?”

I placed a hoof on my chin as I thought it over, trying to figure out the best place to pick back up. “Well, given that nothing really substantial happened after that hug shy of me just heading home afterward, we should probably skip ahead to a few days from then…”

“An efficient story is a good one after all… Though I’m a big fan of knowing all the gritty details that most don’t care for… It helps me learn the creative process of the storyteller…” Twilight admitted.

I grunted and cocked an eyebrow. “Twilight, we have only a little over nine hours and there’s a lot more story to tell… So let’s move this along, okay?”

She frowned but nodded. “Alright… It’s your story after all… So what happened after your night with your new redheaded friend?”

Pretty soon after that night, I would find out that Shimmer snuck her number into my phone the first time I had come to hang out with her. I wasn’t exactly great with technology at the time, so I asked her if she could teach me a thing or two about computers or smartphones. Yes, Twilight those are the ones with the touchscreens. Anyway, it was a pretty good deal, I’d drop by now and then to learn a thing or two, and before I knew it, in only a few days I was beginning to understand the items that once mystified me.

This, of course, meant that Shimmer had access to my phone number and would start to use it to message me about virtually anything in an ongoing effort to get to know the girl who got her hooked up with pot on occasion.

Sunset: So, what do you like better: peanut butter or Nutella?
Adagio: I’m pretty big on chocolate, and Nutella is like chocolate… So I am going to go with that.
Sunset: So are your feelings toward peanut butter of the negative variety then?
Adagio: I can take it or leave it. Why do you care?
Sunset: I’m trying to bond with yooooooou!
Adagio: Trust me on this, you don’t want to bond with me.
Sunset: Why not?
Adagio: I’m a bad person.
Sunset: Nonsense! You seem like a sweetie to me.
Adagio: …
Sunset: You act all tough and strong, but I am pretty sure you’re a softie deep down.
Adagio: You’re a strange girl, you know that?
Sunset: I’m well aware, so are we still on to hang out later?
Adagio: Yeah, sure…
Sunset: See you then!

This was the typical kind of text I’d receive from the girl on a regular basis at this point. She regularly was probing me to reveal more about myself. What? I just don’t care too much for peanut butter, I mean I could eat it if I had to but… Wait… Why am I bothering to explain this! Shush, Twilight!

Rolling my eyes, I decided it was time to leave my bedroom and give my fellow sirens a visit since they were home.

Stepping into the living room, the first thing I noticed right away is that they were both wearing clothing that I had bought for them, Sonata’s charm bracelet standing out the most to me.

Both of them looked over the couch and armchair they were resting in and gave an approving nod before returning to what they were doing. Aria sitting there reading a book she had gotten from the library and Sonata painting her nails.

Wandering into the room, I sat across from Sonata on the small loveseat that surrounded the third side of the coffee table. The couch was on the south side, the armchair on the west side and the loveseat on the north side since I knew you were about to ask, Twilight.

Looking at the coffee table, I reached forward and snagged a package of cigarettes and drew one out of the container with my mouth before setting the package back on the table. “We running low on cigarettes?”

Aria nodded. “Yeah… I think we’re down to that and just another pack…”

I nodded in return. “I’ll pick up some more when I get back from going out… What kind do you want? Smooths again?”

Aria grinned and nodded. “That’d be cool, thanks.”

“No problem…”I replied as I flicked a lighter and ignited the cancer stick.

I’ve been over this, Twilight. Sirens can’t get diseases or sick, so we can smoke as much as we like and we’ll never catch lung cancer or anything like that. It’s truly remarkable if you think about it.

I took a few drags and exhaled as I leaned over the coffee table to reach the ashtray. Aria peeked over at me from her book. I raised a brow. “What?”

“You’ve been surprisingly more pleasant than usual lately…” Aria commented, her voice hinting at that she was mildly suspicious of me.

“What of it?” I scowled.

“What’re you up to…?” Aria asked.

I sighed and took another drag of the cigarette. “Just once in this fucking apartment, would I like to be able to do something without being accused of having ulterior motives…”

Aria’s expression dipped toward one of sadness as she nodded. “You’re right… Sorry… I didn’t mean anything by it.”

I wanted to gloat and rub her nose in the fact that she was supposed to submit to me, but somehow I just didn’t feel like it at the time. The fact that Aria was starting to back off at all was good enough for me.

“So work is going alright then?” Aria asked, her eyes glued to her book.

I nodded. “Yeah, things are working out. Maybe I can get us into a better apartment if this keeps up…”

“That’d be cool… Though I won’t like any since I have grown somewhat attached to this place and all its… quirks…” Aria admitted.

She was right there. As much as I felt the apartment was a rundown mess most of the time, there was no denying that my room had become “mine” over time. It was my little sanctuary away from the world, a place where I didn’t have to worry about anyone bothering me. I could turn my phone off, lock the door and do what I wanted. Usually consisting of sitting in my underwear and smoking while I sat on the bed trying to forget how much I hated my life. Shut up, don’t judge me!

This little building on the first floor wasn’t much, but it was more of a home than we were usually offered. In Equestria, we were mostly moving from place to place a lot and spent many nights sleeping in caves. It was at least nice not having to carry everything we owned on our backs because we had no place to keep them.

For the first time in centuries, I slept on a bed that was actually my own and that was definitely a pretty great feeling.

“Yeah… I feel you there… As much as this place is a shit hole… It’s our shit hole…” I grinned.

“I would prefer the air conditioner worked in the Summer though…” Sonata chimed in as she examined her fingernails. Satisfied with her work, she closed off her bottle of nail polish and allowed her fingers to air dry.

“I’ll nag the landlord about that soon…” I replied.

“So Adagio… I’m going to guess you have a plan to get our magic back still, right? You said you’d work on one when the battle of the bands was over… Yet I haven’t heard a word about that…” Aria raised a brow.

I knew pleasantness between her and I couldn’t last long. She always found ways to dig into me and rub my nose in every failure or thing that I had forgotten.

“It’s still on the back burner… I haven’t got any ideas yet, but I know something will come to me…” I grinned.

Aria shrugged and returned to her book. I already knew that she had resigned herself to accepting that we may be mortal forever. That we would eventually run out of energy and age and die like the rest of the mortals around us. Somehow she was okay with that outcome, but not me. I was determined to find another way.

Magic was far too important to me.

As I finished my cigarette I blinked as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Retrieving the device, I checked who was messaging me, and sure enough, it was Shimmer.

Hey you should come over! I just got a new filter installed for the indoor swimming pool and it adds all kinds of cool light effects. It’s pretty sweet!

I sighed and rolled my eyes at how childish she could be.

I don’t even own a bathing suit…

Her response made it seem like I had committed some kind of crime.

What!? For real? Well, that changes everything! Meet me at the mall! We have to find one for you!

Rolling my eyes once more, I replied.

I’ve never had a need for one… I don’t exactly go swimming very often… Or ever…

Naturally, my answer was not sufficient enough.

Nonsense! I will not allow this crime to continue! A girl as cute as you needs to be seen in a bathing suit! It’s unacceptable!

Shimmer was perhaps the most fashion-obsessed person I knew since I didn’t exactly know Rarity that well anyway. I’m not aware that she is far more fashion obsessed, but Shimmer was a close second. She couldn’t let crimes against “cuteness” go unchecked, that was sort of her thing.

Naturally, I had very little interest in swimming though the appeal of tons of men gawking at me and wishing they could have even a little taste was definitely something that I enjoyed the thought of.

Alright, well I could at least use it to flirt with guys into giving me shit. I do enjoy doing that.

It was like I was throwing the metaphorical dog the metaphorical bone.

I’ll meet you in like two hours by the food court! We’re doing this thing!

I rolled my eyes as I responded.

Hopefully, I don’t regret this.

It was at that moment that I noticed Aria was sneaking a few more looks at me when I was distracted by my phone. I raised an eyebrow at her. “Can I help you?”

“You’re getting a lot of texts for someone with no friends…” Aria commented.

“It’s my co-worker, he’s being a moron…” I lied.

“Seems like you’re smiling a lot for him being a moron…” Aria pointed out.

Damn, she was observant. Part of me wondered if she spent the majority of her time studying me so she could call me out on any bullshit that I fed her. Too bad for her, I always have some kind of lie either ready, or I could make one up extremely fast.

“I enjoy seeing him fuck up, is that not normal?” I grinned as I tried to sell the lie further.

Aria squinted but nodded as he suspicion subsided. “Yeah… That does sound like you, I suppose…”

Grinning, I was pleased with myself that I managed to lie my way out of another situation that would otherwise prove annoying to explain.

Coming to a stand, I stretched and looked toward my bedroom door. “Well… I’m going to go get ready… I’m going to go out for a bit before I head to work, alright?”

“Stay safe, Dagi!” Sonata grinned.

I scoffed and looked away. “I told you that I hate that nickname…”

Sonata frowned at my disapproval and scolding. “But I think it’s cute…”

“I don’t care. It’s not cute. Knock it off.” I commanded with a pointing finger.

She meekly nodded and looked down at the floor. I just rolled my eyes as I walked past her and into my bedroom to get ready to leave.

A change of clothes, a shower, and a bus ride later and I was at the mall standing there waiting for Shimmer to arrive. It had dawned on me that I was patiently waiting for the human counterpart of perhaps my worst enemy in the universe. I had a moment where I realized how pathetic my life had become, I was actually waiting for someone who was the replica of my enemy and actually not even remotely upset about it.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I was excited to spend the day with Shimmer, but the thought of picking out a bathing suit that made men stare at me with desire definitely was a positive feeling. I’m a siren, Princess Twilight, I love being wanted, it’s almost written into our DNA. You won’t meet a single siren that doesn’t love being adored by strangers. That doesn’t mean I like dealing with the random nonsense and bullshit of strangers, but I will gladly take their admiration.

Sure enough, I could see a familiar head of bouncing red hair with yellow streaks approaching me. There she was in a rather form-fitting black dress with teal ribbons tied around the sides, making it look more like a corset dress that hugged her center and showed off her impressive cleavage. By just a glance, I would guess that the girl was likely a DD cup.

Breast size is measured in letters, Twilight. DD is basically what we’d consider big… I don’t know why humans are obsessed with breasts, Twilight! It has something to do with ancient times I think.

Anyway, she sashayed over in her heels and smiled at me as she came without a foot or two away. “Hey, Dagi!”

Acting casual, I nodded. “Hey.”

“So, are you absolutely ready to get the hottest swimsuit ever? We are going to make you turn heads, leave men breathless, and maybe even break a few hearts…” She spoke with an overly dramatic tone.

I grinned and nodded. “Yes, yes and yes. All of that sounds like good stuff.”

“What a tease, you are!” Shimmer giggled.

“It’s fun to trick boys into doing shit for you by using sexual appeal.” I shrugged.

“Scandalous!” Shimmer smirked and covered her mouth to contain her laughter. “A regular bad girl if I do say so myself.”

“I thought that was evident… I mean I am a drug dealer after all…” I replied.

Shimmer rolled her eyes and places her hands on her hips. “Whatever, so are you ready or not?”

“Definitely.” I nodded.

She nodded back and offered her hand. I blinked when I looked down at it and then met her eyes once more. She fluttered her eyes playfully as she gestured back toward her hand. “Are you not going to take a lady by the hand when you are being guided by her? It’s only polite.”

“First I get computer lessons from you… Now proper social ettiequte? Are you trying to groom me into one of those sissy high-class girls?” I asked.

“Not at all, I just prefer to be treated like the lady that I am,” she said with an innocent sounding tone.

I shrugged, figuring it was a decent enough explanation, and I didn’t exactly have anything to counter it with. “Alright, fair enough.”

With those words, I took her hand in mine and held it as she walked with me. My mind at first was telling me how absolutely stupid it was to hold hands, but also noting how warm Shimmer’s palms were.

As we wandered toward the store, she came closer and used her other hand to grip my arm as she walked closer to me. I could feel the warmth of her body on my own, but I kept my eyes forward, focusing on our destination.

Shimmer, however, decided she had more on her mind and began to speak. “You know… You still haven’t told me much about yourself…”

I already regretted letting her get that close. I composed myself and shot her a reply without looking at her. “What do you want to know?”

“Are you just a drug dealer? Or is there something else you’ve always wanted to be?” She asked.

“What do you mean by that?” I raised a brow, finally looking over at her.

Her eyes were filled with innocence so I could tell it wasn’t a trick question. “I mean, what did you want to be when you grew up? Surely it wasn’t a drug dealer…”

Once I understood her question, I returned my gaze directly ahead of me as we walked. “Honestly? I don’t know. I know I wanted to be accepted though…”

“Accepted? Were you picked on a lot as a child?” She questioned.

“You could say that…” I replied quietly, not wanting to go much further into the subject.

“What did you do for fun?” She quickly changed the subject, either detecting I was uncomfortable or just wanting to hit me with as many lightning fast questions as she could before we got to the store.

“Sing, I guess…” I shrugged. It wasn’t a total lie, I did enjoy singing even though I couldn’t anymore.

She smiled. “Really? I can actually imagine your voice singing! Let’s hear a song!”

I waved my hand at her as I shook my head. “Nah… I haven’t sung in a long time now, and I’ve sort of lost all my abilities…”

“I doubt that!” Shimmer grumbled and frowned.

“I just… I don’t know if I’m ever going to sing again…” I responded.

Shimmer frowned but didn’t pry any further. Instead, she found another smile and got closer to me. “Hey… Wanna hear a secret?”

“Uh… Sure… Why not?” I shrugged.

She leaned in and whispered into my ear. “I think that guy behind us is checking us out. Probably thinks we’re a couple.”

Blinking, I tried to shoot a quick look behind us only for her to force me to keep looking ahead. “Don’t make it obvious that you noticed!” She whispered.

“What a stupid guy…” I rolled my eyes.

“Why’s that? We’d be a pretty hot couple, don’t you think?” She smiled.

I sighed and looked away, a small blush on my face as I thought about such a ridiculous notion. Couples were dumb. Romance was dumb. The entire idea of preposterous.

“No comment…” I said plainly.

She stuck out her tongue and looked away. “You’re such a party pooper, you know that?”

“Let’s just get to this store..” I sighed.

She pointed ahead. “Here it is.”

Blinking, I stepped inside with her, and she finally released my arm as she ran ahead into the store proper. I was captivated by all the expensive looking clothing articles around me. The shopping addict in me was drooling, ready to make some purchases, ready to buy up the whole store if I could.

There were walls upon walls of amazing looking outfits. So much that I wanted for myself, but I had to focus myself and follow Shimmer deeper into the store, trying to resist snatching up everything that we passed.

Reaching the back, we arrived at the swimsuit department where Shimmer began to examine what was available. “Okay… We need something that shows off your figure, but also accents you well… You’ve got smaller breasts, so something that sort of hides that a little…”

I crossed my arms in annoyance. “Are you saying my tits are too small?” I was half only pretending to be offended.

She shook her head. “I think they’re cute, but everything is about dressing for your body. Smaller breasts mean you can rock a lot of different looks that busty girls have trouble with. I don’t really feel anyone has flaws, just features that they need to dress differently for.”

Somehow her explanation made sense. I knew what looked good on me and what didn’t, but I wasn’t as knowledgeable as she was, that was for sure. Shimmer was a regular expert.

Searching about for the perfect suit, she picked up a few and looked them over. Occasionally holding one up and standing back as she compared it to my body and mentally questioned if it looked good on me.

I sighed and leaned against the wall while I waited for her to decide. It was clear that she wanted to do it all herself, so I wasn’t about to stand in the way and ruin her good time.

“So… Do you go shopping a lot?” I asked.

She blinked as she poked her head out of a rack of clothing. “Oh… Well, a decent amount but not as much as you’d think… I sort of suck at being a millionaire in that I don’t go out shopping every week… I spend a lot of time at home and most of my shopping is done from my bedroom with an iPad in my hands.”

“Online shopping then?” I raised a brow.

“Amazon customer service knows my address by memory…” She blushed.

“Nice sounds like you have them wrapped around your finger then.” I grinned.

“Every girl’s dream, isn’t it?” She winked.

Truthfully, I had never used Amazon, but I knew it was an online storefront that allowed people to buy virtually anything. I had heard stories of people ordering the most ludicrous things from it. I think I recall Sonata saying that she once found a 55-gallon drum of lubricant on there. No, Twilight, I didn’t buy it.

“What about you, Dagi? Do you shop a lot?” Shimmer returned the question as her eyes returned to the racks of bathing suits.

“I’m addicted…” I admitted.

She giggled at my honesty. “Well, we all have our vices, don’t we?”

I shrugged. “I guess… I have that and smoking…”

“Yeah, you smoke a lot, for sure.” She giggled once more.

“Wish they let you do it in more places… Seems like you can’t even smoke in your own house anymore…” I grunted.

Nodding, Shimmer kept her attention on the bathing suits in front of her. “Unfortunately there were many laws passed after people had some mass hysteria over second-hand smoke…”

“It’s bullshit…” I crossed my arms.

“Aha! I think I found it! This is perfect for you!” She exclaimed as she snagged a specific suit off the rack and held it in the air. After examining it for a few seconds she nodded approvingly as she offered it to me. “Go try it on!”

I blinked as I took the fabric in my hands. “Do I have to do it right now?”

“We need to see if it has the desired effect! We can’t just buy it and assume it looks perfect on you! We need to see for ourselves!” Shimmer insisted as she stomped her foot in a pout.

Sighing, I nodded and began to head toward the changing room, noting that Shimmer was following close behind me. She wasn’t about to let me off too easily until she was certain that she had found the most flawless bathing suit for me. A part of me wondered if she did this kind of thing with all of her friends.

Once she shooed me into the changing room, I shut the door behind me and began to unbutton my pants. Sliding them off, I tossed them onto the only seat in the room while I worked on my shirt. Before I knew it, I had stripped completely naked and glanced at myself in the mirror.

I had to admit, I had a fairly attractive figure. I could see why guys would stare at me from time to time. I wasn’t some big titty bimbo like Sonata was, but I definitely knew I was hot. I admired myself for a moment before remembering why I was there, and then I began to hastily slide the suit on and look it over in the mirror.

It was black, with a ruffled top and a bikini bottom. What was most interesting though was the top was held on by only one shoulder and left my other shoulder exposed. Somehow, I actually liked it, it showed my body off in all the right ways. It was safe to say that I approved of it.

“How do you like it?” Shimmer asked from outside the changing booth.

“I have to say… This is pretty good…” I replied, still staring at myself with a smile on my face.

“Let me see!” She commanded.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and reached for the door. “Alright, hold your horses…”

When that door opened, Shimmer was in awe as she looked at me. Her eyes traveled up and down my body as a whistle came out of her. “Damn girl… You’re a sexy beast right now!”

Blushing, I looked away. “Y-you think so?”

“I know so! Oh fuck, we definitely have to go to the beach together now!” Shimmer insisted.

“Maybe sometime…” I submitted.

That answer seemed good enough for her, as she nodded and pointed back into the changing room. “Alright, go slip back into your clothes, I’ll pay for that and then we can get back to my place and hang out.”

I paused as I heard her say she would pay for the suit, and I immediately took objection. “I’m not a charity case, I can pay for it myself…”

She smiled and shook her head. “It’s not like that, I want to.”

Blinking, I crossed my arms. “What’s the catch?”

“Catch?” She tilted her head.

“Yeah, what’s in it for you?” I asked suspiciously.

“There isn’t one… We’re friends, so I want to get that for you as your friend,” she stated plainly.

“Huh… That’s it?” I raised a brow.

“Yup.”

Not having anything to really respond to that statement with, I shrugged and headed back into the booth to return to my normal attire, my mind hanging on a single word: friend.

8 Hours 32 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight was smirking at me. Her smirk was so large that it looked almost unnatural. She leaned in with interest, her smirk not shrinking even a bit.

“What?” I complained as I felt her getting a bit too close for my liking.

“You made a friend…” She said smugly.

“What of it?” I looked away with a blush.

“You go on and on about how you’re this tough girl and that you don’t know anything about friendship, but you made a friend in Shimmer didn’t you?” Twilight asked, her face showing that she already believed she knew the answer, and as much as I didn’t want to say she was right, I was in a position where there was no point in denying it. Not because I was ashamed of my friendship with Shimmer, but because I didn’t want Princess Twilight to be right about something.

I crossed my hooves and looked away. “So what? Who cares?”

“It’s cute that you’re so embarrassed by it…” Twilight found herself giggling at my expense.

“I’m not embarrassed!” I defended.

“Oh? Then why are you trying to downplay it so much? Just say it, Shimmer became your friend and you were fond of her yourself,” Twilight said.

I bit my lip and diverted my eyes once more. “Because it wasn’t like that… It was… Well, it was more complicated than that…”

“How so?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Just… Listen to the rest of the story, okay? I promise it’ll all make sense eventually, but you have to be patient…” I replied with an annoyed tone.

Twilight adjusted herself in her seat and nodded as she prepared to hear more of my tale. “Alright, so what happened next then?”

“Well, when got back to Shimmer’s place… Let’s just say… Something unexpected happened…” I started up once again.

Arriving back at Shimmer’s home, we found ourselves on a familiar couch in her living room as I smoked a cigarette. Shimmer by my side sighing contently as she leaned back on the couch. “Man, you sure get some great pot… My compliments to your supplier…”

“Heh, if you want to compliment him, you could go on a date with him, he’s kind of a horndog to be honest…” I shook my head as I remembered how many times Striker had attempted to convince me to go on a date with him. At least he wasn’t one for making lewd suggestions such as telling me that I’d look good with him on top of me or something.

“Sounds like a real charmer.” Shimmer giggled.

“Well… I may be misrepresenting him, he’s actually a pretty cool guy…” I rubbed my neck as I corrected the impression I had given of Striker. Truthfully he was a pretty tolerable individual and one who had gone out of his way for me more than he needed to. In reality, I’d say that Striker was always looking out for me, maybe even more than the two sirens that I took shelter with.

“Oh?” Shimmer asked curiously.

“Yeah, Striker is actually pretty good to me. Like, I can’t really complain, he’s done a lot for me and he’s given me a lot more opportunity than most people would… He doesn’t judge what I am or expect me to justify my existence…” I replied, the light tinge of memories past hitting me.

Shimmer smiled and scooted a bit closer. “He sounds like a great guy actually… He’s not the only one that doesn’t judge you or expect you to justify your existence though…” She spoke quietly.

“Hm?” I asked before placing the cigarette I had back in my mouth.

“Well… I don’t judge you… And you’ll never have to justify your existence to me, Dagi…” She was practically whispering as she came closer and closer. A part of me was growing concerned, but that part seemed to lose out to the part of me that was intrigued enough to let it play out and see what happened.

“You hardly know me…” I looked away.

“I’d love to get to know you better… From what I do know, I can tell you’re someone who hasn’t been given a proper chance in life…” Shimmer said.

She had hit the nail on the head there. “You… Might be more right there than you realize… Most of my life is just people treating me a certain way before they even get to know me… I’ve spent my entire life being judged by what others perceive me to be, so I guess I never really wondered what I could be…”

Shimmer reached over and took my hand. “You never wanted to be a drug dealer did you?”

I shook my head. “No… Not really… No one ever asked me what I wanted to be…”

Shimmer squeezed my hand affectionately and spoke once more. “What do you want, Adagio? It’s high time someone asked…”

“I…” I paused and thought about it. Beyond my powers and the ability to control others, it had never occurred to me what I actually wanted from life. I never considered what I wanted to do with myself.

My entire life, I had spent avoiding difficult questions like this, and yet Shimmer could see right through my facade, she could see I was hiding from something, she could see that I wanted more from my existence, but I didn’t know what that was.

“I…” I tried to think of something to finish that sentence with, I tried to think of anything at all to get the subject to go away so I didn’t have to think about it any longer, but nothing came to mind. Eventually, I finished it the way I wished to avoid. “I… I don’t know…”

She frowned and shook her head. “That’s okay… I’m here to help you find out… Do you know what I want though?”

I shrugged. “A new bracelet from Tiffany’s?”

She giggled and shook her head. “Not quite.”

She placed a hand on my cheek and forced me to look at her, she met her eyes with mine. It was the first time that I had truly realized how powerful Shimmer’s stare was. She had a stare that would make many men freeze. It wasn’t until then that I also noticed… How beautiful her eyes were. They shined in the low lighting of the room, and their color was something truly special.

“What then…?” I dared to ask, my own voice getting a bit softer as I spoke.

“I want… to kiss you…” Her voice soothed me as it came into my ear.

Her request was absolutely ridiculous, ludicrous even. There was no way I could allow it, yet my body didn’t seem to resist. Instead, I shrugged lightly and spoke softly. “Do whatever you want…”

My words betrayed me because she reached over and pinched the cigarette in my mouth between her two fingers and set it aside on the ashtray on the table. Shimmer placed a hand on my cheek and locked eyes with me for a solid ten seconds, though they felt like ten minutes for sure.

Her eyes closed slowly as she leaned in, climbing over me to do so. At first, I didn’t know what to do, should I shove her off and say I was just kidding? Or should I turn away so she got my cheek? In the end, though, all I did was mimic her and close my own eyes. She would close the distance between us and land her lips on my own. They were soft, and she quickly became forceful as her free hand gripped my shirt and pulled me in for more.

Naturally, I had no idea what I was doing, so I sort of just let her lead. It was… Oddly intoxicating. Her lips and mine locked together, her tongue playing along with my own, and a few nips of my lower lip, the entire thing was more exciting that I thought it would be. Before I knew it I found my hands resting around her while she led the kiss.

It would end eventually, her breaking away with a small saliva trail as she did. Her eyes opened slowly as she smiled at me.

It had then occurred to me. I had just done one of the dumbest things I had ever done in my entire life. I kissed Sunset Shimmer.

Author's Note

The big kiss.

For those who have been reading Shadows and are up to date... This is no surprise. To everyone else... SURPRISE.

Chapter Eight

8 Hours 10 Minutes Until Execution

Princess Twilight Sparkle was flabbergasted, awestruck, dumbfounded, and virtually any other word you could think of that implied she was shocked beyond words. The revelation of what I had revealed with my story rendering her speechless for a long few moments as she sat there stuttering, trying to think of something to reply with. I, however, merely sat there soaking up how surprised I had made her. A part of me was taking pleasure in how much I had blown her away with such a shocking reveal.

I sat back with my hooves crossed as I watched her try to make sense of what she had just been told.

Twilight struggled to articulate for a few more minutes before she finally was able to form coherent sentences. “Okay… Let me get this right… You… kissed Shimmer!?”

I rolled my eyes at her stating the obvious. “I just said that, didn’t I? And that it was probably the dumbest thing I ever did…”

“But why though!? Why would you do that!? I don’t get it!” Twilight groaned, probably hoping I was pulling her leg and that I would soon reveal it was all merely a clever prank and that none of what I said actually happened, her next words making that apparent.

“You’re kidding? Right? You are throwing in made up parts to mess with me, right?” Twilight blinked.

I shook my head. “I’m afraid not… The reality is… This really happened, I really did kiss that girl, and it’s still pretty vivid in my memories even… She was actually a pretty great kisser… Me… Eh, I was mediocre…”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you, but you expect me to believe that the girl that you murdered…” Twilight began, I cut her off with a sneer.

“Easy there…” I said.

Twilight coughed and corrected herself. “Err… That you were convicted of… Ending… Actually kissed you at one point?”

“I am still trying to understand it myself… I’m trying to understand how I allowed myself to get so weak as to give into the temptation of a mortal… Maybe it was because I had lost my magic, maybe I just didn’t have much further to go down, or maybe I’m just out of my damn mind… Either way, the fact remains that I kissed Shimmer…” I spoke with a serious tone.

Twilight merely stared as she placed a hoof on her temple trying to think of what to say probably.

“I just… This changes everything…” Twilight shook her head.

I merely rolled my eyes. “It’s not that game-changing is it?”

Twilight leaned in with interest. “You have to tell me more! What happened next!? What did you do!? How did you feel!?”

I leaned back to try and put some more distance between us. “Twilight, please… One question at a time… Anyway… You’re going to find out what happened anyway if you just keep listening, alright?”

Blinking, Twilight blushed and retreated back to her seat. “Yes… Of course… Go on with your story then…”

“Right… So there I was… I just finished locking lips with Shimmer…”

Shimmer and I opened our eyes slowly, keeping locked in a stare as she smiled lightly. Finally, she spoke and broke the awkward silence between us. “You’re not very good at kissing…” She smirked.

I shrugged. “It’s never been a skill that I needed… Or that I really wanted…”

“So you’re telling me that was your first kiss then?” Shimmer smiled.

Looking away with a blush, I just shrugged, trying to play it off. Oh shut up, Twilight you wouldn’t have known what to do either!

“Don’t go spreading it around, okay?” I replied quietly.

Shimmer giggled and gripped my chin with her hand, forcing me to face her as she did with a smile on her face. “Well, then we should make sure it’s one to remember… Let me teach you, okay?”

“Why the hell would I need to be taught something like that?” I growled.

She winked as she responded. “So the next time you kiss me you won’t be so lame at it.”

Next time? It had occurred to me that despite her criticism of my abilities when it came to swapping saliva, she was actually willing and eager to do that with me again? At a later date? The entire thing was baffling, but I just shrugged and decided to go along with it; I have no idea why considering how insanely stupid the entire thing is.

“Fine…” I shrugged.

She nodded and took my hand and placed it on her own cheek. “It helps to put your hands on your partner… The neck is fine too, a little hair pulling is nice now and then as well…”

Moving my hand across her face, contouring her features as I reached her neck and eventually entwined my hand into her hair, giving it a gentle tug. She yelped a little as I stopped. “Shit… Sorry… I’m not good at this…”

“No no, it’s fine… I actually like that…” Shimmer blushed.

I rolled my eyes but placed my hand back into her hair. “Like this?”

Shimmer nodded. “Yeah… Then you kind of lean in slowly… And open your mouth a bit, you know? You want to be… inviting so to speak…” Shimmer instructed carefully as she began to lean in herself.

I slowly closed my eyes and parted my lips as I followed her lesson. “So we just… Do it… Like this?” I said.

“Yeah…” Shimmer said as she closed the distance, our lips meeting once more, this time, however, it was far more interesting than the last. I listened to her advice and opened my mouth and gripped her hair. She let out a soft moan which surprisingly was… exciting to me. Locking lips with the girl and the sound of them smacking together all culminating to a very amazing experience.

Her tongue eventually came into play, tangling with my own, her moans only growing as the kiss continued to increase in intensity. I felt my body slowly warm up as I leaned in more, Shimmer’s hand reaching forward and gripping the front of my shirt to keep me pulled in as close as she could while she opened and closed her mouth with my own, fiercely attacking my tongue with her own.

The lip-smacking, the feelings of her hands gripping me, the sound of her moans, it was all so… heavenly. It was an odd feeling like I was somehow lost in bliss while she kissed me. I was enjoying every second and yet a part of me knew what I was doing was beyond wrong.

All good things always come to an end though, as the kiss finally broke, another trail of saliva connecting the two of us finally breaking as Shimmer panted lightly. She rested her forehead on my own as our eyes stayed locked in the most intense staredown I have ever taken part in. We spent a good few moments just examining each other’s eyes, finally, she broke the silence and spoke. “Now… that… is an improvement…”

“You think so?” I asked with a light blush on my face.

She nodded lightly. “Very much so… In good time… You’ll be a fantastic kisser, Dagi…”

Shimmer had too much faith in me, I think. Well, you see, Twilight… She probably had a lot more lessons in kissing than I did, so that was natural to assume. How was she? Well, I’m not an expert, far from it, but in my incredibly novice opinion… She was incredible.

It was all so wrong, I kissed Sunset Shimmer, and what’s worse is that I kissed her again. What was worse still though is that I liked it. What was wrong with me, I wondered. I questioned if I had lost any bit of sanity I had left. Perhaps when my magic was taken, I also lost a bit of my brain in the process. To do something so insanely stupid wasn’t like me. No, I’m not exaggerating, Twilight!

“Maybe you’re overestimating me…” I looked away.

“Nonsense…” Shimmer shifted to force me to meet her eyes once more.

“I guess I never considered why anyone would even want to kiss me…” I shrugged.

“Why… Anyone would want to?” Shimmer blinked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I mean… I’m a pretty terrible person… I lie, I treat people like trash… I’m selfish…”

“You don’t seem that way to me…” Shimmer smiled.

“You hardly know me…” I reminded.

“I’d like to get to know you better… And everything I do know, I have no problems with…” She smiled.

There was a short pause between us.

“So… What’re you saying?” I asked.

“I want us to hang out more… If that’s alright with you? I mean hopefully, it’s not weird now…” She leaned back, removing her forehead from my own as she rubbed her neck.

“You mean after you just swapped saliva with me?” I smirked at her, trying to make light of the situation.

“I was going to use the term, ‘rocked your world and ruined you for boys forever’, but your crude choice of words works as well, I suppose…” She replied with a wink.

“You’re starting to sound a little egotistical…” I replied with a similar grin to the one she was wearing.

She shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll be remembering that kiss for a long time…”

She had me there.

“I guess… That’s not entirely untrue…” I admitted.

“So… Do you want to get something to eat? Maybe hit up a McDonald’s or something?” She asked.

I blinked. “You are a millionaire, and you want to go to McDonalds?”

She giggled. “We all sometimes like to be lazy. I don’t go often, but every now and then when I don’t want to cook or bring in a chef I go to McDonald's… Maybe… Once a month at best.”

I looked her over, her slender figure definitely implied such. She was far from anorexic, but she was definitely on the slim side. She had a good figure… Not that I was looking, Twilight… You can stop snickering now.

I shrugged, seeing no harm in it. “Alright… I guess we can grab a bite…”

7 Hours 58 Minutes Until Execution

Twilight and I had put the story on pause for a moment so we could both use the bathroom. Sadly I had to be accompanied the entire time due to “security reasons”. Two guards escorted me upstairs because Twilight didn’t feel comfortable using the toilet in the cell with me just sitting there. Needless to say, it was awkward having two guards staring at me the entire time while I tried to take a piss, but somehow, I managed it.

When we returned to the cell, Twilight stretched a bit and frowned as I came back with the two guards ushering me into the cell. Grumbling, I smirked at that. “What? No dinner? You guys skip right to the good stuff first… Usually, I’ve had a few dinners with someone before they watch me piss.”

The guard grunted angrily, and his partner rolled his eyes before the two of them took off, leaving me there with Twilight.

“I guess they aren’t much for comedy…” I said to Twilight with a smirk.

Twilight giggled and shook her head. “No, they’re usually all serious, all the time. Though I never took you for a comedian…”

“I’m not… I just like giving them a hard time…” I replied, my demeanor returning back to a neutral one. “I have to do something to keep my sanity in here after all…”

“I guess… I never really considered what imprisonment would do to one’s psyche…” Twilight frowned.

I shrugged. “It is what it is… There isn’t anything I can do about it anyway…”

“I just need to know something…” Twilight asked.

Sitting back down across from her, I raised a brow curiously. “Hm?”

“How did you…” She paused, trying to think of a way to word it so that it likely didn’t annoy me. “Pull the trigger…?”

“What do you mean? How does a gun work?” I blinked.

“No no, I understand that… Mostly. Twilight was pretty extensive in her explanations of how human weapons work, quite scary actually… What I mean is… How did you find the ability? I mean… You knew pulling that trigger would end someone’s life… How could you do that?” Twilight asked.

Her question didn’t come off as accusatory, but sincere instead. Like she legitimately could not understand the concept of ending someone’s life. I suppose it made sense that she didn’t though.

“Well… You sentenced me to death… How is that much different?” I shrugged.

“That’s… Not the same…” Twilight shook her head.

“Explain how,” I challenged.

Twilight closed her eyes. “It took a lot out of me to do that… You had caused so much trouble in the past, and you ended the life of a young girl who never got a chance to grow up… Everyone expected a stern judgment out of me… Don’t mistake me, I didn’t just decide what I did on a whim… It took a lot of personal reflection…”

I leaned back in my seat and nodded. Her answer was about what I expected, mortals always had some way to excuse themselves of the same guilt that they shunned others for. What was bad for us was always just fine for them, typical.

“To be honest with you… I don’t know… I wasn’t exactly myself when I pulled that trigger… I felt like someone different… I didn’t feel entirely in control of myself…” I admitted with a frown.

That probably wasn’t the answer she was looking for, as it likely sounded like a cop-out.

“I… See…” She said quietly, deciding to refrain from further comment, though I could already sense her judging me internally.

“Why are you so interested, anyway?” I raised a brow.

“I guess it’s because I have a desire to understand the minds of those who commit crimes like this… See… I try not to believe ponies can’t be reformed…” She said.

“Yet you’re putting me to death?” I smirked.

“Even I have my limits, Adagio; that and others do not always agree with my views. If I had decided to try and put you in some kind of reform program it would have been an insult to those affected by your crimes. I had to decide who was more deserving… Either you deserved a second chance, or they deserved justice…” Twilight stated.

I already knew where she was going with that line of reasoning. “And I lost.”

She nodded. “Sorry, Adagio, but you had done so much that it was difficult to side with you. I had to choose what made the most sense and was the fairest…”

“I would say I understand… But I never understand you mortals…” I shrugged.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

I leaned over the table with a serious expression. “Your kind killed all the time. Mass murders of anything you didn’t agree with…”

“That was hundreds of years ago, we’ve since-“ Twilight began, but I cut her off.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve changed. Spare me the sob story, I’ve heard it before. Where is the justice for my kind that you murdered? Where is the apology for that? When is your kind going to put yourself in prison to atone for that? No one ever came to show any sympathy for us, but one girl dies and you decide that you simply can’t allow that, can you!” I hissed as my hoof banged on the table.

Twilight blinked, but didn’t even flinch. “You’re asking me to take responsibility for the actions of our ancestors…”

“And why is that so bad? Your kind do the same to us! We’re expected to be treated like the same garbage just because of our ancestors! You look down on us for not letting go of the past, yet you do the same thing…” I sneered.

Twilight remained silent. Instead of replying, she sat there and chewed her thoughts before finally sighed and nodding. “Yes… You are correct…”

“Say what?” I blinked.

“What happened to sirens throughout history… It was… It was wrong. Please understand though that my ruling had nothing to do with you being a siren or the history of sirens… It had to do with your personal history and your personal history alone…” Twilight stated.

Strangely, I could feel a sincerity to her once again. Twilight Sparkle didn’t seem one for deceit after all, though I still couldn’t pinpoint what she was thinking most of the time, or at least when it came to thoughts that counted. From my examination of the mare, she seemed to be pretty easy to read when it came to things that were non-essential, but when it came to complex matters, she was an enigma.

“Well… At least someone said it… Too bad it won’t change anything…” I sighed as I calmed down and leaned back in my seat, removing my hooves from the table.

Twilight offered me a little smile. “We’ve wasted enough time on this subject… How about you go on with your story? We still have a little under eight hours before we’re out of time…”

Sighing once more, I nodded. Continuing my tale would at least get my mind off of my inevitable fate in the next eight hours. It was odd to think that the remainder of my life was the equivalent of a full work shift for most. To us sirens, we never really have a deep concept of time, due to how long we live, so the concept of our lives ending in only a matter of hours seemed so… odd.

“I suppose you’re right… There’s no sense in wasting more time bitching about something that’ll never change…” I replied.

She said nothing and just let me continue.

“Let’s see… So we were heading to McDonald's, oh… That’s a fast food place in the human world…” I pointed out.

Twilight smiled a bit at my comment. “I actually was going to ask…”

I nodded. “I know you were… Anyway, we were heading to McDonald's, and when we got there…”

So we went through the drive-thru to eat. Oh, the drive-thru is sort of like a way you can get food right from your car without having to get out. I know it sounds ridiculous, but humans live busy lives so sometimes it’s a necessity to them.

Anyway, I believe I got a cheeseburger and she got a salad with crispy chicken in it. Yes, I’m aware that humans don’t eat vegetarian. I get that it sounds morbid to you, but that’s just how they live, you can’t judge their culture so easily. Why did I eat meat? We sirens are capable of being omnivores too, though we don’t need to eat when we feed on energy, we can eat as a substitute to sustain ourselves. I’m not about to give you a biology lesson, Twilight.

Anyway, there I was sitting in the passenger seat of Shimmer’s expensive car taking a bite out of a cheap burger when I noticed her looking at me with a smile.

“What?” I raised a brow after I swallowed the bite of food in my mouth. “Do I have something in my teeth?”

She shook her head and giggled. “No, it’s just… It’s almost like a date, isn’t it?”

I rolled my eyes at the notion, how absurd. “Yeah… Whatever… As if I’d do something so stupid…”

She giggled again and took a bite of her salad before speaking again, naturally swallowing first. “How come you’re so standoffish?”

“Because people annoy the hell out of me…” I grunted and looked away, stealing another bite of my sandwich as I did.

She blinked and tilted her head. “So… you said you’ve never kissed anyone before… is it safe to assume that you’ve never been on a date either?”

I kept my gaze away from her as I answered. “You would be correct in assuming that… I don’t date. What a stupid idea…”

“Seems a shame to me… A cute thing like you? The world is missing out… Such beauty going to waste…” Shimmer sighed.

“The world can bite me…” I replied, still refusing to look at her.

“You have a lot of animosities built up…” Shimmer stated.

It was like the girl was analyzing me. First, she kisses me, then she tells me we’re on a date, then she analyzes me, what a strange girl.

“Are you writing a report on me?” I asked.

“No.” She shrugged.

“Then stop trying to analyze me…” I growled, finally looking back at her.

“I’m just trying to get to know you.” She raised a finger as she pointed out.

“Well don’t. You’re better off not knowing me. Everyone is.” I barked.

She blinked and tilted her head. “You really feel that way?”

I nodded. “Yeah… I’m nothing but trouble… Anyone who knows me… Trouble seems to follow them around too. All you need to know is that I’m a bad person.”

“I try to judge those kinds of things for myself…” Shimmer replied.

“Then you’re dumber than you look… Why bother seeing if something is terrible when you already know it is?” I raised a brow.

She sighed and looked out the window. “I guess… Maybe because in many ways… I know that I’m trouble as well… I don’t have many friends if any… I’ve been by myself for so long that I guess I’ve sort of been hoping there was someone out there who understands what it’s like to be an outcast, you know?”

Her words resonated with me. Especially a specific word: outcast. That was what I was, wasn’t it? An outcast. Someone who was tossed aside and treated like I didn’t belong; a creature if you will. Just a useless thing wanted by no one, except this girl. For some odd reason, she found herself desiring my company, she wanted to be by my side and even befriend me, despite all the warning I had given her that I was bad news.

“I… I know what it feels like to be an outcast for sure…” I replied.

She nodded and smiled. “I know… I could tell some time ago that you understood. That’s sort of why I went out of my way to break past some of the barriers that you put up…”

“I don’t put up barriers…” I crossed my arms and gave a snarl.

She shook her head. “You do though, you put them up because you’re afraid that if someone gets inside they’ll have the chance to hurt you again… I’m recognizing that I’ll have to be patient, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we met. We have more in common than you realize. We’ve both been through things that make us not trust, but for some reason… I trust you… Do you feel what’s happening between us?”

I paused and thought about what she said. The reality was, she was on point, as much as I hated to admit it. I had spent so much of my life trying to keep other out, trying to not open up for fear that anything I revealed could be used against me. This girl, however, she could sense that I was the kind of person that caused trouble and yet she still wanted to be around me. That had to count for something.

“I… I think so… I mean… We definitely have a few things in common… And maybe… it was wrong of me to call you stupid… Sorry…” I looked away, a blush on my face.

She smiled and nodded, placing her salad down as she looked in my direction. I caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye and raised my brow.

“What?” I asked as she stared at me.

A giggle escaped her. “This is supposed to be the part where you kiss me.”

The blush on my face grew deeper as I tried to compose myself. “Yeah… Well… Don’t expect this kind of shit all the time, okay?”

“Noted…” Shimmer nodded.

With a sigh, I placed my sandwich down and leaned over to bring myself closer to her in the driver’s seat. Our lips met, and almost instinctually, I followed the lessons she had given me only a short while ago. Our mouths opened allowing for a more sensual kiss, but this time only lasting a few seconds and not nearly as intense as the previous one, still pleasant nonetheless.

Shimmer pulled back into her seat and leaned back with a smile. “I’ll make a good kisser out of you yet, Dagi.”

“Am I some kind of pet project?” I raised a brow.

The redhead just shook her head and smiled. “No… You’re so much more than that… So much more…”

7 Hours 32 Minutes Until Execution

“You were growing closer to her weren’t you?” Twilight asked.

I wanted to tell her she was wrong, that she thought she had it figured out, but she was mistaken, but after a few hours with the Princess, my willpower to deceive her was waning. Instead, I went with the truth.

“Yeah… It was strange, for the first time in I didn’t even know how long… Someone was at least pretending to give a damn about me… I guess I was drawn to that. A feeling that I had not experienced for so long… I wouldn’t even know how to describe it…” I replied.

“Being wanted, maybe?” Twilight raised a brow as she proposed the suggestion.

“Yeah… That’s it… Being wanted… It was a weird feeling at first, but somehow it was filling a hole in my life that I didn’t even know was there, and I had this redheaded girl to thank for it…” I smiled.

Twilight smiled back and nodded. “One of the first seeds of friendship. Though it’s clear you two were closer than normal friends.”

“Yeah…” I looked away, a bit disgusted in myself for a brief moment as I remembered where the story would eventually end up, me pulling that trigger and killing Shimmer. I knew that was how it ended, Twilight knew it too, but somehow I think we both were hoping it ended differently.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Adagio… We all want to feel wanted, and by the sound of your story… You were long past due…” Twilight reassured.

“Yeah, but looking back… I doubt I deserved it…” I closed my eyes and sighed.

Twilight reached forward and gripped my hoof, only this time, I didn’t stop her, I didn’t swat her away and demand she not touch me. I allowed her to hold my hoof and give it a gentle squeeze, my eyes still closed as I calmed myself listening to her voice.

“Adagio… While what you eventually did was a terrible thing… If Shimmer wanted to make you feel that way, then you deserved it. She wanted to make you happy, and at the time… I’d say you deserved it,” Twilight said.

I didn’t know if I could believe her or not, but I wanted to. I wanted to believe she was telling the truth and that somehow despite what I had done, I still deserved any affection that Shimmer had shown me.

“Thank you, Princess…” I replied with a nod.

She released my hoof and smiled at me as I opened my eyes.

“It’s no problem…” She nodded back at me.

There was a short pause before she broke the silence. “So, why not tell me what happened next?”

“Well, let’s skip ahead a bit to about a week later…” I said.

I was collecting my wares for the week from Striker. Occasionally to save time, I’d just get a week’s worth of stuff to sell. Given my reputation with his group, I had the authority to carry as much as I’d like because he knew I was good for it. There were a few perks to being the top earner for sure. With my mind set on not having to set foot in the warehouse for a while, I walked up to our warehouse guy, a big brute named Stock.

He eyed me up as I stood there with my arms crossed. Finally, he opened his mouth and his low pitched voice asked me what I was waiting to hear. “How much you need?”

“Give me ten pounds…” I said firmly.

“Ten? That’s a lot to sell…” He blinked.

“I need a week’s supply…” I shrugged.

“Ten is pretty tough to sell in even a week…” He said.

“How about you mind your own business, Stock? Your job is to hand over the goods when I need them, got it?” I growled.

Striker must have overheard our little confrontation as before I knew it he had come to the scene from another part of the warehouse and tapped Stock on the back of the head. It was amusing to see such a small guy hitting someone as burly as Stock, but I tried not to laugh out loud about it.

“Stock, if Dagi wants ten, give her ten, fuck…” He shook his head.

Grumbling the bit lug nodded and reached into a crate in front of himself and began counting out bags until he had the correct amount. Briefly, he placed them on a scale to weigh them and then passed them off to me when he was certain the weight was correct.

“Thank you…” I sneered as I took them and stuffed them into my bag, crossing my arms afterward.

Striker found a smile on his own face as he stepped forward and placed an arm around my shoulder which I was tempted to swat away. “Dagi, how do you do it? What’s your secret for making riches so quickly?”

I shrugged. “I find people who love to get high?”

He laughed and nodded. “That is the name of the business, isn’t it…? Seriously though, you have a talent for salesmanship. One day… I can see you running this operation…”

“Yeah well… Let’s just focus on today, shall we?” I grinned at him.

He nodded and released me from his grip. “Well, good luck out there!”

“Thanks, Striker,” I replied, but felt a buzzing in my pocket. Within seconds I knew it was my phone and I was getting a text message.

I expected it to be Shimmer, but right away I could tell it was Sonata due to the poor grammar and stupid looking emojis attached to the text.

Dagi u promized u wuld com watch a movie with us!!! Where r u!?!?!!?!?!!!!??? :( :( :( :(

I swear, I wanted to punch her face so badly. She was so insufferably stupid that there were no words to describe it, but she was right. I had stupidly promised I’d hang out with them that night because Sonata was whining that I was never around anymore and to shut her up, I agreed to spend some time with the two sirens that I had taken shelter with.

A part of me could already tell it was going to be a miserable night. Trust me, Twilight… You haven’t seen how Sonata watches a movie… She commentates the entire thing. It’s really insufferable.

Sighing, I quickly typed up a response.

Calm your tits, I’m on my way.

I didn’t even bother looking at what insanely stupid overly excited reply she offered as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and nodded at Striker.

“I have to go… Some bullshit with my roommates…” I said.

He nodded and took a step backward. “Well, I eagerly await your return, likely with a fist full of dead presidents…”

“Always.” I winked before taking my leave.

After a short bus ride home, I was back at the apartment ready to endure whatever stupidity that Sonata was going to subject me to. Before stepping in, I already knew I would need a cigarette. Withdrawing one, I lit it up and inhaled before opening the door to the apartment and entering, tossing my keys into a bowl next to the door.

Naturally, the moment Sonata saw me she stood up from the couch and rushed over with open arms, preparing to pull me into a hug until I held my hand out to stop her. “No hugs…” I groaned.

She frowned and made her way back to the couch and nodded, sitting down. Aria, of course, was there too, sitting in the armchair flipping through a magazine while Sonata patted the spot next to herself for me to take a seat. I let out a sigh and did as I was instructed and sat down next to the bouncy siren and leaned back, placing an arm around the back of the couch while I smoked my cigarette.

Sonata stood up and walked over to the small flat screen television in the room and flipped it on before coming back to sit next to me. She hugged a stuffed animal as a movie she had selected started to play.

Naturally, I wasn’t particularly interested in the film, movies generally bored me. Most of the ones I had seen up to that point were things playing in the background at Shimmer’s estate, and I was high while watching those. Still, I remained quiet so that Sonata would at least believe I was somewhat enjoying it (even though the stupid pain in the ass never shut up the entire movie).

I couldn’t tell you what it was about, Twilight, I was mostly chain smoking and zoning out through the entire thing until I eventually started to get texts from Shimmer, which became my primary focus.

Sunset: Hey, whatcha’ doin’?
Adagio: Just sitting at home watching a stupid movie with my roommates.
Sunset: Ah yes, your mysterious roommates… Which one are you watching the movie with? The “stupid” one or the “frustrating” one?
Adagio: Technically they are both stupid and frustrating, but the stupid one picked the movie out and the frustrating one is here.
Sunset: What are their real names?
Adagio: Sonata and Aria, respectively.
Sunset: What movie are you watching?
Adagio: I don’t even fucking know, I’m not really paying attention. I only said I’d do this with Sonata so she’d shut the fuck up. She is insanely annoying when she starts whining.
Sunset: You should come over then! We can get high and watch something.
Adagio: While being high would definitely make this entire ordeal far more tolerable, I am afraid I’ll have to decline. I’m stuck here tonight, if I leave early, I’ll never hear the end of Sonata’s bitching.
Sunset: Invite them along!
Adagio: And the award for the mother of all bad ideas goes to you… That’s a terrible idea.
Sunset: Are they not pot smokers?
Adagio: No, but why would I subject myself to more of them when I didn’t have to?
Sunset: They can’t be that bad!
Adagio: You’ve never met them.

I looked back at the television and then around the room to see that Sonata was still glued to the TV with excitement as she hugged her stuffed animal tightly. To my surprise, Aria was watching too, albeit with a glazed and inattentive look in her eye.

My eyes returned to my phone.

Adagio: So… What’re you up to?
Sunset: I’m in my lab.
Adagio: Fun. Some kind of experiment or something?
Sunset: You could say that.
Adagio: Now look who’s being all mysterious…
Sunset: Sorry, it’s sort of a secret project, I can’t tell anyone about it yet. It may win a Nobel prize one day.
Adagio: Don’t forget about the rest of us when you’re famous.
Sunset: I could never forget about you, Dagi. You’re one of a kind.
Adagio: I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing… Coming from you, I’ll assume it’s a compliment.
Sunset: It is a compliment!
Adagio: So maybe we can meet up later?
Sunset: Yeah, call me when you get done with your movie, I’ll come to pick you up!
Adagio: That’s okay, I’ll just take a bus there.
Sunset: You are so against me meeting your roommates aren’t you?
Adagio: I like taking the bus.
Sunset: Oh don’t give me that.
Adagio: It’s just… It’s a bit awkward, that’s all…
Sunset: It can’t be that bad…
Adagio: You have no idea…

At that moment, Sonata noticed me tapping away at my phone. “Hey, who you texting?”

Her tone suggested her inquiry was innocent, but I still didn’t feel the need to divulge the information to her.

“None of your business…” I rolled my eyes.

“Pffft, you’re mean!” Sonata complained.

Aria looked over in my direction, and I could already tell she had something to add, which no doubt was going to annoy me. “You’ve been on your phone this whole time… Who are you talking to?”

“Allow me to repeat myself… None of your business…” I grunted.

“It’s just weird… You don’t have any friends and I doubt you’re spending that much time texting a co-worker…” Aria squinted.

I was in quite a bit of a pickle. I would find it hard to create a convincing lie to get my way out of that one, but I couldn’t tell them the truth. Somehow just saying “oh yeah, I’m talking to the human version of Sunset Shimmer, oh by the way we made out a few times!” didn’t seem like a wise option.

“Don’t worry about it, okay? Jeez, can’t you two mind your own fucking business?” I growled.

“You’re supposedly the leader of our group, and yet you keep secrets from us, how is that not our business?” Aria raised her brow.

I groaned and came to a stand. “Fuck, I don’t have to take this horse shit… You, two idiots, are questioning me like I’m some kind of fucking criminal. Listen to yourselves, you’re worse than the mortals right now!”

“How so?” Sonata blinked.

“Questioning your own kind, acting like I’m up to no good just because I’m supposedly acting differently!?” I pointed out.

“This is different…” Aria stated.

“Bite me!” I hissed before storming toward the door, scooping up my set of keys.

“Where are you going!?” Sonata blinked.

“Out, don’t wait up… I don’t know what I was thinking agreeing to spend time with you, two idiots… All you ever do is drive me fucking crazy!” I shook my head.

“You’re not exactly the easiest to get along with either…” Aria rolled her eyes.

“Shut the fuck up!” I pointed at her with an accusing finger.

“Whatever…” Aria shrugged before looking back at the TV.

I didn’t even bother waiting to see a response, instead, I slammed the door behind me and made my way out, sending a text to Shimmer.

I’m on my way now.

With that, I made my trek toward the bus stop.

Author's Note

What is to come? Who knows.

Chapter Nine

7 Hours 1 Minute Until Execution

“So, Aria and Sonata really get on your nerves huh?” Princess Twilight asked perhaps the most obvious question which had been made painstakingly apparent at this point.

“You’re not that bright for a bookworm…” I rolled my eyes.

As expected, she ignored my insult, she seemed to be quite remarkable at doing that. One could insult Princess Twilight Sparkle for days on end and she probably would just brush it off without much thought. I suspected she might even be immune to conventual insults. A part of me was tempted to call her a worthless cunt just to see what it would do, but the somewhat mature part of me resisted the urge.

She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t notice myself when I met them. I mean Aria can be a bit of a downer, but they didn’t seem that insufferable…”

“All they ever do is complain, as I mentioned before. Trying to get any appreciation out of them is like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone!” I hissed.

Twilight leaned in thoughtfully, reaching a hoof forward. My eyes were drawn to it until I heard her speak after. “You wanted to feel appreciated by them.”

It wasn’t a question, but an assumption; a stupid one. One that I had already dismissed.

Pulling my hoof away from being touched by hers, I grunted. “I told you before, don’t fucking analyze me, Twilight Sparkle. Pay close attention to what I’m about to say here: we’re not friends. I’m a dead mare walking and you’re the executioner; do not forget our roles here.”

“Yet you seem to be opening up to me and then closing back down… Why is that?” Twilight asked.

Sweet Luna she was frustrating. Nothing made her back off, and the annoying part was that since I was locked in that cell, there was nothing I could do to escape her badgering questions of stupidity. The only option available to me was to sit there and take the annoying abuse she was putting me through and then complain about it.

If there was an award for the most persistent person I had ever met, it would go to Princess Twilight Sparkle, no contest. She was relentless and didn’t seem to care what kind of trouble it got her in.

“Maybe because you’re constantly fucking with me…” I replied.

“I’m just trying to hear your story,” Twilight defended.

Naturally, I expected her to have an answer to that, she had an answer to everything after all.

“Yeah well… Try and do it with a little less personal analysis, okay?” I grumbled.

Twilight giggled and nodded, though I doubt she had any intention of adhering to my request, it wasn’t in her nature. Somehow though, deep down, I guess I wasn’t too bothered by it. It was her “thing”, her quirk, the thing that made Twilight Sparkle who she was. She analyzed people, and that was the nature of who she was. She couldn’t turn it off, because that would be denying a basic part of herself.

Part of me wondered what others would think my “thing” was; probably just being a miserable bitch.

“When you and Shimmer… Err…” Twilight tried to mince her words.

“Kissed?” I asked with a raised brow.

She nodded with a blush. “Yes, that…”

“What of it?” I shrugged.

“Did you… Feel anything?” She was blushing even deeper asking that question.

“Was I supposed to?” I raised a brow.

“Well… You know…” Twilight looked away, rubbing her neck nervously.

A grin came to my face as another opportunity to tease the Princess of Friendship presented itself. “Why Twilight Sparkle, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to live vicariously through me.”

She yelped and shook her head. “No! That’s not it! Honest!”

“Who would have guessed that the Princess of Friendship was such a voyeur!” I taunted.

“Me!? No way! I’m not a voyeur!” Twilight shook her hooves in front of herself frantically in her own defense, trying to dispel the thought before it spread any further.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at how defensive she was being over the accusation. I actually almost fell out of my chair as I did. “Oh fuck! Your whole face is redder than a fucking tomato! I can’t believe it!”

Twilight covered her muzzle with her hooves, though the red tint in her face was not dispelling. I had clearly hit her where it hurt in that regard.

“I swear you get too much fun picking on me…” Twilight pouted, her lip extended.

Wiping my eyes from the tears of laughter, I came back up to the table and leaned over it, letting my laughs stifle down to a bare chuckle before speaking. “What else do I have to do? I am a siren, after all, I feed on the discontent of others, remember?”

Twilight wiggled her nose and removed her hooves from in front of her face. She sighed and shook her head. “You know, there I more to like than getting under others’ skin, you know?”

I shrugged. “What do I care? I’ll be dead in about seven hours anyway, right?”

“Fair point…” Twilight frowned.

There was a short silence between the two of us. I could tell something was working in Twilight’s mind, but whatever it was, she wouldn’t say. As simple as she was to read on the outside, I continued to feel like there was more going on inside that wouldn’t be so simple to figure out. After all, this mare was appointed princess for a reason, right?

It’s odd that despite all I had been through, despite my own death being only mere hours away, I still found time to question the inner workings of Princess Twilight’s mind. I should have been more concerned with my own death that awaited me, but somehow that thought was on the back burner of my mind, hardly at a simmer even.

It must have been telling my story that put my mind at ease. Truthfully, not all of it was bad stuff, some of it was actually mildly enjoyable even. Though I knew the harder parts were coming up.

“So, you had a fight with the other two sirens then?” Twilight asked, trying to turn the discussion back to the story.

“I wouldn’t really call that a fight,” I replied plainly.

“You screamed at them and stormed out, that sounds like a fight if I’ve ever seen one, and I’ve seen my fair share. Rainbow Dash and Applejack bash skulls every time they’re locked in the same room together after all,” Twilight lectured.

“Trust me on this, when you hear more of the story, that little episode between us will look like nothing,” I informed.

That statement only caused Twilight to blink in astonishment. “It gets worse?”

“It’s me, Twilight. You should always expect it to get worse, don’t you think?” I smirked.

“Well, what happened after you went to meet up with Shimmer after that?” Twilight asked curiously.

I chuckled and shook my head. “You’re too eager, you know that?”

“We only have a limited amount of time to talk about this, so it’s probably best we get back to it, right?” Twilight lied.

I could tell she was fibbing, but I decided not to press her on the matter, and instead just roll with it.

“Fine, but if I tell you more, then you have to do something for me,” I proposed.

Twilight blinked and sat up straight. “What would that be?”

“I want some of my questions answered, fair?” I grew a stern look to tell her that I was serious.

She locked eyes with me and studied me for a few seconds before nodding, not taking her eyes off of mine. “Very well, I’ll answer some of your questions to the best of my ability, fair?”

“I guess we have a deal then.” I leaned back and closed my eyes in thought.

“Let’s see… I guess we should start right after I arrived at Shimmer’s place and skip the stupid bus ride over, since nothing eventful happened, except some homeless asshole hitting on me…” I stated.

“Awww, I was hoping to hear about that.” Twilight’s tone reeked of sarcasm.

“Sorry, but as you said, we’re on a schedule.” I grinned as my eyes opened.

“Fair enough.” Twilight nodded.

“So, when I got back to Shimmer’s place, things were starting to get a little strange, not gonna lie.” I contorted my face to one of confusion.

“Strange how?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Well… You see, the thing is…”

Aria and Sonata had really gotten under my skin, I mean more so than usual, though I don’t know why. I mean, yeah, they badgered me about shit that wasn’t their business, but that wasn’t anything out of the usual for the two of those idiots, right? Pissing me off and annoying the ever living hell out of me was almost in their DNA. Sometimes I wondered if they were my biological sisters or something because I hear that it’s in their DNA to be annoying twat waffles to their siblings.

What? You’re a sister? That explains so much. Oh calm down, Twilight, I was just joking, fuck. Don’t get your mane in a bunch, alright? Can’t fuck with anyone these days, can you?

Anyway, the point was that those two had royally pissed me off, I needed to cool off somehow, it just so happened that Shimmer presented the perfect opportunity. It was perfect really, I would be far away at a place where the two of them wouldn’t know where to find me, and I’d also be away from other people too, more than likely with weed to boot, so I could sit back, light up, and relax with perhaps the only person that was laid back enough to not bother me with stupid bullshit. I have a low tolerance for stupid bullshit in case you haven’t figured that out.

When I arrived, the gate was already open, and there at the front of the gate was Shimmer, sitting in her Mercedes. I was thankful for that because it would have been a hell of a walk from the front gate to the front door. Seriously, why do rich people feel the need to have their door so fucking far away from the actual entrance to their home? Is it some kind of fetish about being charioted to their house?

She rolled down her window and stuck her head out of the car gesturing for me to come around.

Walking up to her side of the car, I stuck my hands in my pockets and tried to act casual as I observed her. The spiked choker on her neck was interesting and went well with the whole gothic thing that she had going on. It was an accessory that I hadn’t seen yet, but it worked with her.

Along with that, I noticed her earrings were a set of spiders dangling which made them appear as though they were hanging from their own webs attached to her ears.

All of that was accompanied by expertly done makeup. Her mascara and eyeliner gave her eyes the right look that made them stand out even more than usual. I could tell she likely spent some time in the mirror every morning to accomplish art like that. Yeah, I agree, Twilight, some people never care about how many sacrifices it takes to be attractive, Shimmer was one of those people. While I would spend any amount of money for it, she would dedicate any amount of time and spend the cash.

I tilted my head as I stood there. “Sup?”

Yeah, I know, a very lame line.

She didn’t seem to mind as a smile came to her face, her black lipstick making her smile a little more interesting. “What’s up with yourself, hot stuff?”

I rolled my eyes. “Nothing, I guess…”

She nodded and looked at the steering wheel before turning back to me. “Wanna drive?”

I blinked and looked the car over before raising a brow at her. “I’m a drug dealer, a criminal and you want me to drive this car?”

“I trust you, besides I have more of them.” She chuckled. “I’m not particularly attached to this car.”

“Maybe you have bad judgment, besides, I can’t drive anyway…” I admitted sheepishly.

“Really?” Shimmer blinked.

“I don’t have a license, is that so surprising?” I asked.

“I guess not… I would have thought you did though, it’s easier to transport drugs when you don’t have to do it on foot or by public transportation, you know?” Shimmer shrugged.

There definitely were times where I wished that I could legally drive a car. It would have made getting from A to B easier. The truth was, it would have been far easier to exist in the human world if I had some kind of legal documentation. I don’t even know how someone like Sunset Shimmer managed to pull it off years later.

I looked away, trying to remain as aloof about it as possible. “No one ever showed me how…” I lied, well partially anyway, as that statement was true, but it wasn’t the full reason as to why I didn’t have a license.

With those words, Shimmer unbuckled her seatbelt and gestured for me to move. I stepped back as she opened the door and stepped out. She retrieved the key and tossed it to me. “Get in,” she commanded.

I just stared at the key for a few seconds and then met her eyes. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am, get in the car.” Shimmer demanded.

Sighing, I knelt down to climb into the vehicle and sat down on the expensive leather seat. It was a bit different being on the driver’s side for a change, but I took a breath and closed my eyes as I heard the passenger side open. Shimmer stepped in and buckled her seatbelt before I opened my eyes and looked at her. “Are you sure about this?”

She nodded. “First, buckle your seatbelt.”

“You’re really sure about this?” I repeated.

“Yes, now buckle your seatbelt.” Shimmer nodded again.

“Like, you know that I have no fucking idea what I’m doing?” I placed my hands on the wheel with a brow raised still.

“Dagi! Stop arguing! Buckle your seatbelt!” She grunted.

Sighing, I shrugged and grabbed the aforementioned belt and buckled it. “Okay, now what?”

“Start the car, put the key in and turn it.” She gestured with a turning motion with her left hand.

Obeying, I placed the key in and felt the engine come to life as I turned it. It was a pretty odd feeling, but somehow it made one feel powerful to have control of such a fierce machine like that. A girl could get used to a feeling like that, I guess.

“Put your right foot on the brake, it’s the left pedal.” She pointed to the floor.

“Can’t I just use my left foot?” I asked.

“No, you only use one foot while driving. Trust me on this. Right foot, brake, now.” She pointed again.

I followed her orders and pressed down on the brake.

Once she was satisfied, she nodded and took my right hand and placed it on what I now know as the gear stick. With her hand atop of mine, she shifted it to the letter “R”.

“Keep your foot on the brake, for now, check your mirrors to see behind you and we’re going to turn around. Turn the wheel in the opposite direction you’re trying to go when you go in reverse, okay?” She gave me a stern look.

Exhaling, I nodded and looked into the mirrors. Fortunately, there wasn’t anything nearby in Shimmer’s long driveway that I could possibly hit. So I looked back at her for instruction.

“Alright, let go of the brake, and put your foot on the gas pedal next to it, gently press as you turn. When you’re about ninety degrees from where you started, brake and put the car in drive-by shifting up to the D, okay?” She instructed.

I smirked. “So you want me to go to the D, huh?”

“Shut up and do it.” She rolled her eyes.

I shrugged and did as I was told. It was awkward at first, but somehow I managed it without any trouble. Once I had shifted up to drive, she gestured for me to go ahead. “Foot on the gas, and then guide us up to the front door. Take it slow while you’re getting the hang of it.”

Following the orders I was given, I found myself strangely enjoying the activity. I wouldn’t say I was amazing at it, as I definitely took my time getting used to how hard to press the gas pedal and did a few abrupt jerks forward while I experimented, but ultimately, I found a way to smoothly glide across the road toward the entrance.

Shimmer sat in silence as she kept her eyes on the road the few times I peeked over at her.

When we came close to the entrance, she spoke up again. “Slow down by slowly pressing the brake and when you come to a stop, put the car in park by shifting to the ‘P’.”

Nodding, I did just that, and while the care came to a rather jerky stop, it was tolerable and she didn’t complain when the car stopped moving. Once it was parked, she looked out her window and nodded before looking back at me with a tender smile. “See, we’re still alive.”

She really knew how to bring you from a high to a low.

“Gee, thanks…” I grumbled.

“I’m kidding, you did well. We can practice more some other time. You’ll be driving in no time, promise.” She winked.

“I guess… If you want to waste your time teaching me such a pointless thing…” I shrugged.

“Admit it, you liked it…” Shimmer leaned in.

I looked away and spoke almost under my breath, but loud enough for her to hear. “Maybe a little…”

“I know how you feel, I get tempted to go top speed in this thing sometimes. Maybe there was some truth to that shit they said in the 20s where women got too excited when going fast in an automobile?” She sniggered.

I hadn’t a clue what she was talking about, given that I wasn’t too familiar with the history of automobiles before you ask, Twilight. I surmised it had something to do with the fact that human society was extremely sexist until sometime in the past fifty years.

Yeah, supposedly men controlled the world for the longest time. Yeah, I know it’s weird. Men are stupid, so I’d imagine all they managed to do was fuck things up. Though, that’s not to say women aren’t stupid too, because frankly I’ve seen some dumb fucks in my day. I recall a comedian in the human world once said: “women are crazy and men are stupid. Women are crazy because men are stupid.”

“Maybe…” I played along, obviously not having a clue.

She undid her seatbelt and tilted her head toward the door. “Come on, let’s light one up.”

Nodding, I undid mine too and followed. That was perhaps the best idea I had heard all day. Hell, it still sounds like a great idea, I wish I had some weed right now. We could smoke it together, Twilight! Oh come on, don’t be that way. You are such a killjoy.

We wandered inside and found our way into the living room. Sitting down next to her on the couch, she reached into her top and retrieved a small bag from her bra and winked. I rolled my eyes. “Shit, with how big your tits are, I would imagine there isn’t much room in there to store anything else…”

“Bras are like extra storage, a girl like me has to learn to master where to store things, since I wear skirts and dresses a lot,” she explained. “And thanks for noticing my tits, I put a lot of work into making sure people notice them.”

I rolled my eyes once more. “Well, when everything you wear has fucking cleavage it’s hard not to notice them…”

“All intentional.” She winked.

Girls like her were why men got so many mixed signals and thus sexual harassment became more likely, for sure. She prided herself on being such a tease, I was almost jealous. As a siren, I can honestly say she’d have made a superb siren herself.

She produced a bong from under the coffee table and began to load it up and then lit the thing, taking a long puff before offering it to me.

I didn’t waste a second before sucking down the smoke and allowing it into my lungs. I savored it for a brief second before releasing and offering it back to her. She repeated the action herself before passing it back.

Once I had it the second time, I took it a bit slower, letting the feeling envelop me, I could already start to feel a small high coming my way, it would only take a little more before I could feel it all through me. I slowly inhaled, taking in as much as I could handle before exhaling, releasing a cloud of smoke into the room with a smile.

I leaned back on the couch and let out a content sigh as I passed the bong back to her. She frowned as she looked at me. Blinking, I asked what was wrong.

“You aren’t going to cuddle with me?” She gave a pouty face.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes and lifted my arm to allow her to come closer. Taking the opportunity, she scooted over and rested her head on my shoulder as my arm came down and landed around her shoulder, holding her there. It was awkward at first, but somehow the warmth of her body was soothing, like something that belonged there almost.

She moved slightly to get more comfortable before taking a puff from the bong and offered it to me. She held it in place while I leaned in and took a long drag, releasing after and leaning back.

“See, you should come over more often, we can do this more often.” She grinned.

“Get high? Isn’t that like… What we always do?” I questioned.

“Yeah, but we can make it more interesting.” She winked.

“How so?” I raised a brow.

As if being challenged, she took a long drag of the bong and held it in, gesturing for me to come closer with her finger. As I leaned in, she pulled my shirt collar and locked her black lips with mine, exhaling the smoke into my mouth. A small bit escaped from between us, but she kept our lips locked as the smoke escaped a little bit at a time before she let me go for a brief second to exhale the rest.

Once the smoke had exited my lungs, she came close again and pulled her lips back into mine, this time her mouth opened more, inviting me in, her tongue gently tapping against mine to give me the signal to play with her’s. Following the signal, I did what came to mind, though I guess it was far from natural for me.

Wait? Are you blushing, Twilight? You so are!

Our tongue rubbed against each other’s for a few seconds before the kiss broke, and she rested her head against mine. “You’re getting better…”

“You must be delusional…” I looked away, a bit embarrassed, admittedly. Oh shut up, you would be too.

“Might be the pot talking? Is that what you’re suggesting?” She giggled.

“Something like that…” I shrugged.

She leaned back against my shoulder and shook her head. “Nah, I’ve kissed people when I was higher than this. You’re getting better, slowly but surely. Though you need to work more on being forceful. You’re supposed to be the dominant one.”

“Says who!?” I grunted, a bit annoyed.

“Oh come on, you’re far more masculine than me. I can’t steer forever, you have to take charge eventually.” She giggled playfully.

I wanted to argue, but she had a point. “I guess that makes sense…”

“It’s okay, I like you as you are.” She winked.

“Thanks… I think…” I sighed.

“So… These roommates of yours…” She began.

I knew that unpleasant conversation would happen eventually. “Gee, remember when we were talking about getting high? That was cool, wasn’t it?” I tried to change the subject.

“Stop avoiding the topic…” She frowned.

Somehow, her frown worked on me. “What about them?”

“You said they were giving you a hard time?” She asked.

I sighed and shook my head. “They’re just so fucking needy and whiny, you know? I do so fucking much for them, and I seldom get a thank you out of them. All they ever did is bitch, piss and moan…”

She stayed quiet while I rambled doing poor imitations of them. “Adagio, we’re out of cigarettes! Adagio, can you tape my show for me? Adagio, I’m hungry and there’s no food in the apartment! Adagio, there’s no more hot water!”

My impressions, while poor, certainly were entertaining to her as she was snickering at every single one, probably due in part to the nasally voice I gave for the two of them.

“It sounds like they rely on you,” she suggested.

That statement was true, but I didn’t want to admit it at the time. “Yeah right, more like they leach off of me.”

“If you hate them so much, why do you hang out with them?” She questioned.

Realistically, in my mind, I didn’t have an answer to that, but I bullshitted one. I figured telling her that we were an entourage of magic sirens from another world wasn’t exactly an option. Thinking about it now, I supposed it was because there was strength in numbers.

“I guess we’re just stuck together at this point. I never really considered why we stick together, it’s just how things have always been, and I don’t really like change that much…” I frowned.

“Change can be good, you know?” Shimmer suggested.

I looked over at her with a squared eye. “Change for me has been statistically bad. Seldom does it work out in my favor.”

“Maybe you just need to keep trying.” She winked.

She was too optimistic for her own good. She somehow could only see the good in me when there was an ocean of bad looking her right in the face. Maybe she was naive, or maybe I was the naive one. It was hard to say.

“Not bad, Dagi. You sold more than everyone else this week. You’re going to keep me in business,” I heard the voice of Striker came through my phone.

“No problem, just make sure you have enough for me when I swing by next week, alright?” I replied as I leaned against my bed.

“No worries there. What’s gotten you so motivated, lately? How’d you start selling so much, so quickly? Someone lit a fire under your ass and I wanna know who and how, some of my other guys could use that fire,” he said.

I shrugged, not that he could see me. “Dunno, guess I’m just tired of living in a world of shit. Maybe one day I can get out of this fucking underbelly of the shithole we call downtown Canterlot?”

“Girl, you keep this up and I’ll get you the penthouse sweet of the uptown district.” He chuckled.

“I’ll hold you to that, Striker.” I smirked.

“Totally, alright, I’ll let you go crank one out or whatever it is that girls do.” He laughed.

“Fucking gross.” I rolled my eyes.

With those words, I hit the end call button and stuffed my phone into my skinny jeans’ pocket and decided to poke my head out of the room. As expected, the other two were still gone, and I was starving.

Coming out of my bedroom and locking the door behind me, I sighed and made my way to our pathetic excuse of a kitchen. Opening the cupboards, all I could find were boxes upon boxes of Lucky Charms cereal. They’re this stupid kid’s cereal with marshmallows in it. Sonata buys a fuck ton of boxes because she’s a child. You’re welcome for the explanation since I knew you were about to ask; yes you are that predictable, Twilight.

I groaned because I wasn’t exactly a fan of breakfast cereal, especially at noon. I had come home from Shimmer’s place late and crashed on my bed, I was still wearing the same outfit from the night before even. I knew a shower awaited me, but at that moment, I didn’t exactly care.

Opening another cupboard, I was greeted with a box of crackers which I groaned at. The carnivore in me was craving something with a lot more protein. Well without magic to feed the proper way, I had to fall back on instincts, Twilight.

Opening the fridge, I located a fairly low-quality cut of steak that was tucked in the back. I checked the expiration date quickly, before deciding it was safe to eat, as I walked over to the stove and retrieved the only pan we owned and started warming it up. The scratched up teflon pan took some time to warm on the old stove, but it was getting the job done. Within a few minutes, I had a steak searing as I stood there with a hand in my pocket and the other on the handle, trying to get a meal going.

I didn’t bother with any seasoning, I was just so hungry that I wanted anything, and was too lazy to try and elevate the food any. I’d likely just eat it standing at the counter anyway was my thought process.

The sizzling of the pan was making my mouth water.

It was a perfect moment almost, me, a steak cooking, and no Sonata or Aria. I was actually enjoying myself for a change until I heard the sound of the front door to the apartment creaking open, causing me to groan in annoyance.

As if the gods hated me, Sonata had arrived home to ruin my good time. Without wasting a second, she found her way into the kitchen where I stood cooking. I shot her a simple “what do you want?” look, which she returned with an uneasy smile.

“What?” I asked, making sure my tone was harsh enough to signal that I wasn’t interested in talking to her.

“Just got home,” she said plainly.

“Do you want a fucking medal?” I asked, reaching into my other pocket to retrieve a cigarette and a lighter. Flicking it, I lit the stick and placed it between my lips, taking a long puff.

“No… I just was trying to make conversation…” She frowned.

“Awesome conversation starter, got anything else?” I asked as I took a long drag of the cigarette.

Her face looked so pathetic. The kind of pathetic that made you want to puke. Sonata was a master at looking pathetic, but somehow this face she was making was more so than her usual ones.

“What?” I asked.

“Just… You’ve been acting different lately,” she meekly replied.

I looked away and focused back on my steak as I took another drag from my cigarette. “I’m the same as I’ve always been…”

She shook her head in disagreement. Always a naysayer that one.

“Nuh-uh. You’ve been really distant, constantly avoiding us, and last night you just stormed out after you promised you’d hang out with us!” She protested.

I knew she was going to bring that up, so I had already preemptively calmed myself down regarding the frustrating subject. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

“Adagio… If you’re doing something… Something you’re not supposed to… You can tell me, you know that right?” She took a careful step toward me, her hands in front of her chest.

I raised a brow before pulling the cigarette away from my lips and exhaled smoke. “Sonata, we’re both evil magic sirens from another universe who drain others energy for sustenance, at what point are we not doing something we’re not supposed to?”

“That’s not what I mean…” She frowned.

“Then what the fuck do you mean?” I growled.

“That…” She pointed at me.

“What?” I responded.

“Your attitude! You’ve been more aggressive than usual, and you’re being extra secretive about stuff… What’s going on, Adagio? What are you up to?” Sonata questioned.

“Nothing, I told you…” I rolled my eyes.

“What’s that black stuff on your shirt?” She pointed.

Looking down, I noticed at the collar of my shirt, a black smudge from Shimmer’s lipstick was lingering from when I had adjusted my shirt after wiping some of it off my face. I had forgotten about it on the grey top. I cursed internally for not being that attentive. “I was trying on some makeup, I got it on my shirt.” I lied.

It was a good lie actually, I totally gave it out with a believable tone and everything, I was actually kind of proud of how well I had lied there. I knew you wouldn’t understand the pride taken in a good lie, Twilight. It’s not really your thing after all. You can’t lie worth a damn.

Naturally, given the quality of my lie and the low intelligence of Sonata, she bought it. She shrugged and forced a grin. “Black isn’t really your color.”

“Yeah, I realized that now…” I rubbed my neck awkwardly after I placed the cigarette back in my mouth.

Her smile only started to grow as she revealed what she was thinking about. “Hey, remember that time when you spilled all that black paint on you?”

I rolled my eyes but smirked. “Yeah, you two started saying I should start singing death metal after that. It took a week to get that shit out…”

She nodded. “Yeah, and we had to use that special shampoo to get it out of your mane because you didn’t want to risk using paint thinner, remember?”

I found myself laughing, oddly. “You two scrubbed for what felt like hours to get that shit out.”

“And the entire time Aria kept saying we should just cut it off!” Sonata snorted.

“And I said…” I began.

The two of us spoke in unison as we remembered. “You cut the hair and I cut you!”

The both of us broke out laughing for a good few seconds before we took a breath or two to calm down. I took a drag of my cigarette before realizing my steak was done. I stabbed it with a fork and transported it to a nearby plate, letting it cool for a moment.

Sonata sighed contently as she came closer. “So… We’re still a team, right?”

I looked down at the food in front of me and then back at her. She was such a girly girl, even the way she stood, with her arms in front of her, pressing her tits together. I don’t even think Sonata knew how much guys were always staring at her.

“Yeah, we’re a team, always…” I said quietly.

“C-can I…” She made a pouty face.

I sighed and nodded. “Yeah, whatever, just this once, okay?”

Gleefully she hopped forward and pulled me into an obnoxiously tight embrace. I almost dropped my cigarette, but I held still for her, placing a single arm around the girl patting her back. It would have been completely normal except for one statement she made.

“You’re the best, Adagio…”

I blinked and frowned as I thought about it. The more I thought, the more I realized it was undeserved praise. The reality was, I wasn’t the best. I had failed these girls, and I was doing things that were forbidden for us sirens. I was getting close to a mortal, what’s worse is I had kissed her, several times now. Worse than that still… I didn’t care. I knew of the curse that plagues our kind, but I just didn’t care.

6 Hours 10 Minutes Until Execution

“You mentioned a curse?” Twilight asked.

“I figured you’d bring that up…” I rolled my eyes, wishing for a cigarette.

“Well, it’s certainly piqued my interest…” Twilight admitted.

“The Siren’s Curse… The thing that holds all of us siren’s back… The thing that keeps us in check…” I spoke quietly.

“What is it though?” Twilight asked again.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat. “How about you just keep listening to the story, alright? I’ll get to that, I promise.”

“Alright…” She said with a nod, readjusting herself in her seat. I knew she was all too eager to hear more, the little knowledge sponge.

I should probably warn you that this next part is a little difficult to tell. I’ll do my best, but it may help if you kept quiet this entire time, alright? It’s awkward enough as it is.

So, we had gone back to Shimmer’s place once more after I got done selling stuff. It had been a good two weeks since we had hung out in person, so up to that point, she was just texting up a storm to me. Things were pretty cool for a while, and we met back up once again. She let me drive her car once more, well, more like she forced me to and I could feel myself getting better at it.

Forcing us inside the house, the moment the door behind us shut, she stepped forward and gripped my shirt, pulling me in for a deep kiss. Shocked at first, I didn’t know what to do, but I sort of eased into it, allowing it to happen. Her tongue, of course, came into play, but this time I knew what to do.

Giving the girl what she wanted, I placed a hand behind her head, and gripped her hair, giving a gentle tug as we locked lips. She cooed and moaned delightfully as I did so.

Her body pressed up against mine, she pulled herself closer and closer. I could feel her soft breasts resting on me as she held me there, not allowing me to escape her kiss which seemed to last forever.

Shimmer moaned and nipped at my lip as she kissed, finally parting from it with a gentle pant. To say the girl was thirsty would be an understatement. “Fuck, I wasn’t expecting to get mauled when I walked in that door…” I stated.

With lusty eyes, she nodded and smiled. “Sorry… But I missed you…”

“You’ve been texting me non-stop, how can you miss me?” I raised a confused brow.

“No, I meant I missed you being here… In person…” She grinned.

“You don’t have anyone else to swap saliva with?” I asked.

Giggling, she shook her head. “You’re the only one, I want to with.”

I had never really considered the possibility that someone would exclusively want to be kissing me. I guess it’s probably because prior to her, I had never kissed anyone. Sure, I loved being adored by others, but actually being with them had never occurred to me.

“Why though?” I blinked.

She giggled and ran a finger down my cheek, stopping at my collarbone. “I’ve been teaching you, so you’re getting good at it.”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that…” I blushed and looked away.

“Oh?” She looked up to see me.

“Why are you teaching me that shit? What’s the point?” I asked.

A devious grin crossed her face as she leaned back, her hands still on my shirt. Gripping the top button in her hands, she undid it and began working her way down to the next. “So I can do this…” She giggled.

I reached down and grabbed her hands in my own to stop her. I couldn’t let it go further, I knew I couldn’t. Everything inside of me was telling me that I needed this to stop, to not progress beyond this point. If I allowed it, I was going to regret it. I was going to allow something to happen that a siren should never do.

She just looked up at me with serious eyes. Her stare, her gaze, it was mesmerizing. Enough to make an old idiot like me completely forget everything. I released her hands and let my arms fall to my sides.

With a nod and a giggle, she undid the next button, and then another before she had all of them undone. She smiled as she saw the expensive Victoria’s Secret bra I had on. “Oh my, red… It suits you…”

“It matches your hair, I guess…” I rubbed my neck nervously.

She slid the shirt off of my shoulders, causing me to stand there gripping my arm awkwardly as I looked away. I wasn’t exactly a well-endowed girl, but somehow she didn’t seem to mind. If anything, I was skinny and built like a beanpole.

Coming forward, she planted a kiss upon my neck then another on my collarbone before looking up at me with devilish eyes. This girl, her power over me, I didn’t understand it. I guess in a way, I didn’t want to understand it.

She spoke with a sultry and gentle voice as she looked up at me in her black zip-up dress. “Aren’t you going to do me now?”

I blinked, and a large blush crossed my face. “H-huh?”

“You’re not going to undress me now?” She rephrased her question.

“I… Uh…” I rubbed my neck nervously.

Giggling, she reached forward and grabbed my hand, taking it around behind her and placing it on her zipper.

“Sunset…” I began.

“Hm?” She cooed.

“I… We… We shouldn’t do this…” I attempted.

“We spend a lot of our lives doing what we’re supposed to… Sometimes doing the wrong thing can feel so much better though, can’t it?” She grinned.

Somehow, despite my better judgment, her words melted away my concerns. I pulled down on that zipper and there was no going back from there. Another Tennant was broken that night.

Author's Note

I know I said this story would be back in January, but a lot was going on! I'm back now though! I actually sat down and wrote this entire chapter in one night when I was feeling "the groove" so to speak.

Also yes, sexy time with Shimmer.