The sun was shining, the birds were singing on the wing, and children were playing happily before them. At a glance, everything seemed to be utterly idyllic and tranquil. Yet Sunset still couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. It was like that feeling on the back of your neck when you've forgotten something important. A feeling that you knew wasn't going to leave you alone unless you'd resolved it. So in spite of just how great everything seemed on the surface around her, Sunset nevertheless felt unease as she sat on the bench at the side of the Canterlot park. But this feeling was, at least a little bit, given a time-out when who else but Twilight should suddenly walk along to her, carrying a pair of ice creams. Sunset smiled, accepting her strawberry one while Twilight kept her vanilla. "Thanks."

"No problem," Twilight remarked. And as the spectacled girl sat beside her, taking her first lick, she couldn't help but comment on it. "Hmmm, nice. Flash wasn't wrong to choose this as his favourite flavour. I mean, I know he was talking about milkshakes at the time, but still..."

Sunset chuckled to that, continuing to lick her own ice cream, and as she looked out at the serene park before her, she sighed slightly. "Things don't get much better, do they?"

Twilight smiled to her, shaking her head. "Careful, Sunset. Something like that usually precedes disaster."

Again, Sunset laughed. "Since when did you get genre-savvy?"

Twilight shrugged, looking more than a little smug in the process. "Well, after spending as much time with you girls as I have, you pick up a thing or two." The two laughed together, but when that laughter was over, Twilight could still feel that something was up with Sunset, even if the latter wouldn't say anything about it. "Sunset...what is wrong?"

Knowing that her friend was in the right for at least asking, Sunset took a deep breath, then looked her in the eye. "It's just...a feeling. I get them sometimes. Part of a consequence of having magic, I guess. But it's usually before something big happens. Like when we were back at Camp Everfree and we entered that cave for the first time?"

Twilight nodded, thinking on those words. "Well, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say it could be a sense connected to your inherent magical abilities. After all, if you're going to be the one who has telepathy, it's not that much of a stretch to see you as also having some degree of precognitive talent as well."

Sunset frowned as she once more glanced to the oblivious children playing some distance away. "It's not like seeing the future, what I'm feeling. It's more like...like..." Her shoulders slumped. "Ugh, I don't know. It's more like the feeling of you when you're worried if you left the stove on after leaving your house. Just a sense of...wrongness, even if it's of something small."

In the face of that, Twilight could only giggle. "Well, given our track-record with magic, let's hope it is something small like that."

Sunset looked back to her, opening her mouth to speak, only to be halted by an ungodly noise from afar. It was like some machine going horribly wrong somewhere, and it was so loud that every head in the immediate area, including those of Sunset and Twilight, turned in its direction. When they did, Sunset's eyes widened in shock. For the sight that greeted her, on the far edge of the park, was one she had silently hoped to never see again. A van, currently broken-down, with a trio of girls about their age exiting it. A trio that Sunset was more than familiar with, and whom she now frowned to. "Well...looks like it wasn't a small thing."

Twilight glanced to her in confusion, then back to the three girls, and even with her glasses on she had to squint to get a better look at them. At first, she didn't recognise them, but then memories started resurfacing in her mind, causing her to start looking just as worried as Sunset. "Wait...I remember you and the girls telling me about three who looked like them. Are...are they...?"

She didn't finish, but Sunset let out a long sigh, standing up with a determined look upon her face. "Yes, Twilight...yes they are."

Twilight too stood up, and as Sunset started to march towards the van, the former Crystal Prep girl hesitated, if only for a moment, before following. Closer and closer they walked, and as they did they could already hear the sounds of an argument breaking out between the three beside the van. "I thought you said you checked the engine, Aria?!" the one with copious orange hair bellowed.

"Hey! How many times do I have to tell you that this thing is old! It might have been working yesterday, but it's a miracle it's lasted this long!" the girl with pigtails angrily responded.

"So...does this mean we're not making it to the motel on time?" the one with blue hair asked obliviously.

The first of the girls facepalmed. "Ugh! Of all the places we had to break down, it just had to be this town, didn't it?!"

Aria shrugged as she once more looked to their smouldering engine. "We had no choice. If we didn't pass though we'd have had to take a road that was hours longer. If you think this engine was taxed from this, imagine what that trip would have done."

Lowering her hand from her forehead, Adagio continued to grumble for a bit. "Look, let's just do what we can to fix this thing and get out of here as fast as possible. In case you'd forgotten, our reception here wasn't all that great last time we were here, so I don't want to run the risk of someone spotting us."

"Ahem."

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused all three of them to freeze, and after a time, Adagio slowly turned. Her instincts, or perhaps even her fears, were right on the money, as the narrowed eyes of Sunset Shimmer were now looking back to her. After a long and very uncomfortable silence between them, the Siren leader looked completely and utterly exhausted. "...Of course." She glanced to Aria, then to Sonata, before taking a single defiant step forward. Sunset did the same, with Twilight close behind her, and after a long and tense silence, the lead Siren finally spoke. "Sunset."

Sunset gave a quick nod. "Adagio."

Adagio, in response, turned her eyes away, clearly unhappy about having to look at her right now. "For the record, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here."

"I don't doubt that," Sunset replied.

Slowly, Adagio's eyes drifted back to her, and soon found themselves locked onto the girl with glasses behind her. "Ah. I see you're not taking any chances. You decided to bring in your little Princess friend."

Here, Twilight finally stepped out from behind Sunset, clearing her throat briefly before speaking up for herself. "Er, no. I'm not her. I'm this world's Twilight."

Hearing that, and after taking a quick moment to grapple with that new truth, Adagio rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Right, there's two of you now. Well isn't that just lovely?" Lowering her hand again, she resumed her earlier frown. "I assume you're here to try and bring us in. For crimes against Equestria or Canterlot High, or whatever else you want to call it?"

After a time of considering her options, Sunset slowly shook her head. "No, I'm not. I think it's just best that you know that we'll do something only if you do something first."

Adagio chuckled, but it was dry and devoid of humour. "Will you now? Well, how comforting. But put your mind at ease, little unicorn. In case you'd forgotten, my colleagues and I are no more a threat than the last time you saw us."

Here, Sunset smirked slightly. "Oh, I know. You're just focusing on your music."

Adagio's eyes narrowed further. "And pray, just how do you know that?"

Sunset shrugged. "You may not have seen me back at that music festival, but I certainly saw you."

Now it was Aria's turn to add her voice to the matter. "Oh yeah, I think Nata told us about that."

Sonata smiled, clearly not getting the message that the three of them were all supposed to be in a bad mood right now. "I can show you the pictures again if you like, Dagi?"

Adagio groaned. "Not now, Sonata." She took another step closer. "Well then, Sunset Shimmer, if you saw us there, then you should already know that we're just passing through right now. We'll fix our van, we'll hit the road, and with luck we'll never have to look at each other ever again."

Sunset folded her arms. "For once, Adagio, you and I are on the same page."

Adagio, for just a brief moment, looked like she was going to ease off a bit, having accepted this "sort of peace" between them. But then, before she said anything else, she looked past Sunset's shoulder, and a look of rage came to her. "So, you are planning on doing something to us!"

Sunset and Twilight were, of course, confused by this, until they heard a familiar voice call to them from behind. "Sunset!"

They turned, seeing their friends, all five of them, rushing towards them, decked out in their usual magical hero outfits. Sunset quickly assumed why they were here, raising her hands towards them. "No! It's okay! They're not a danger right now!"

But Rainbow, speeding ahead of the rest of them, screeched to a halt right next to her, pointing up to the sky. "Not them! That!"

All eyes turned upwards, just in time to see, to their horror, a car, hurling towards them from some other location. All gathered there screamed in terror, but Twilight immediately leapt into action, activating her magic and using it to stop the car and hold it mid-air before it hit them. All of them panted with the fear that had gripped them, especially the Sirens, with Aria glaring angrily at their rescuer. "You girls have superpowers now?!"

Twilight grunted. "Never mind that! Move!" And move they did, getting as far away as they could, thus allowing Twilight the opportunity to finally get the car onto the ground. She took a moment to get her breath back, touching her pendant so as to transform just like the other girls, who only now arrived beside them.

Meanwhile, Sunset, who had similarly changed, looked to them all. "Anyone wanna tell me what's going on?!"

Fluttershy pointed ahead. "That's what's going on!" They all turned again, seeing a sight that, quite frankly, looked about as bizarre as they'd come to expect by now. It was an oak tree, and a big one at that. It's moved like a flesh and blood creature through the park, screeching in an ear-piercing way, prompting many a local bystander to flee from the sight of it. It scurried along the ground with its now-free roots, and it was reaching out with its branches, grabbing anything it could and hurling it towards the girls.

As before, Twilight caught the falling objects and lowered them to the ground, but it was clear that more needed to be done. "Okay...plan?"

Rainbow balled her hand into a fist, smirking. "What we always do!"

Pinkie looked to her. "Fly by the seat of our pants and take down the magical monster with a whole load of bright lights and rainbows?"

"...Yeah...that," Rainbow admitted.

With that, the girls leapt forward together, leaving the three Sirens behind in bewilderment. "Um...would someone care to explain what's going on right now?!" Adagio rightfully asked.

But the girls themselves were too far away now to be heard, having engaged the enraged tree, much to Twilight's dismay. "Urgh! How any times am I going to have to deal with magically-powered psychotic plants in my life?!"

Applejack, rushing right into the fray, looked to the dangerous tree with confidence. "Don't worry, girls! Ah've got an idea!" With an almighty punch, she used her great strength to punch right into the ground, and after a second or two of rummaging around down there, she yanked up a massive rock, at least the size of one of the cars that had been thrown at them. With another bout of strength, she flung the great stone at their enemy. Unfortunately, the tree was also quite strong, and effortlessly batted the rock away, sending it high into the sky, complete with a little twinkle when it was finally beyond sight. Applejack, staring upwards at where her weapon had vanished to, blushed a little before gulping. "Er...anyone else got an idea?!"

Rainbow, snorting to her friend's efforts, used her speed to charge ahead, grabbing a hosepipe from a front garden near the park, then running back and starting to spun around and around the base of the tree. "Girls! We've got this!" She kept on spinning around, until she was certain it was properly secured, and then all seven of them smiled to one another, knowing that they did indeed have things under control now. Together, they leapt to their enemy, their magic causing them all to glow brightly. Much like with the crazy robot they once had to deal with, their power burst forth, colliding with the tree and causing it to howl with defeat. As their magic swirled around it, it began to lose its own power, reverting back into its original state, with its roots once more burrowing into the soil. The girls landed back onto the ground, and after they were sure it was back to normal, Rainbow punched the air in triumph. "Oh yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

The girls had good reason to celebrate, and they gave each other warm and friendly hugs as they reverted back to their civilian outfits. But it was here that Sunset remembered what she'd been doing before and looked over to see Adagio and the other Sirens. The three of them clearly had no idea how to react to what had just happened, and as Sunset walked closer to them, she spoke softly for the first time in their interaction. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but you'd know if we wanted to do anything to you, Adagio."

The Siren leader, clearly wanting to maintain some composure, took on a more calm and thoughtful expression. "Yes...well...glad to know we won't have to worry about you girls bothering us then."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Not the friendliest exchange, but I'll take it, I guess."

Adagio let out a quick "hmph" before turning back to their van, with Sonata and Aria close behind. "And now, if you'll excuse us, we have our transport to tend to. And if we're lucky, we'll never have to see you or your friends ever agai..." Sadly, this remark was cut short, as it was right at that moment when the massive boulder, which Applejack had unsuccessfully thrown at the magical tree earlier, finally came back down to earth. Unfortunately, it came back down right on top of the Sirens' van, smashing it into a million pieces. As stray bits of metal were strewn in every direction, all eyes were upon its remains, and Applejack, naturally, covered her face with her hat out of sheer embarrassment. Adagio, staring long and hard at what would have been her ticket out of this town she hated so much, just stood there, never moving an inch, much to the concern of those around her.

After a while though, Sonata, realising for the first time how bad a situation they were in, gave a nervous poke on the side of Adagio's arm. "So...um...does this mean we'll be late for our next gig?"

Taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm herself down, Adagio unleashed the longest sigh she'd given in ages. "Yes, Nata...yes it does."

Author's Note

And I think that's a good spot for me to take a break. Not sure how long the hiatus will be, but I'll see you when I see you