Mistress (Adagio's Big Comeback)

Adagio returns with both a bag labelled 'Can Taco Lot' (but you'll be too busy eating, so says the slogan), but also a perplexed expression. She immediately hands Sonata a couple of breakfast tacos.

Sonata looks at them and says, “I've, like, kinda grown out of tacos, I'm more into pasta now, but... eh, whatever.” She tears into her taco with abandon.

Adagio chuckles and smirks. “Sorry. I guess it has been a while and you've definitely grown up a little. I should have asked. But anyway, that money? Sonata, you shouldn't have. We were going to be okay.”

“It'sh okay!” she says with her mouth full. “Radian's already gonna, like, pay me back.”

Adagio gives you a look, so you nod to her and say, “we're all resources here, right? Everyone gets an even share.”

She smiles at you. “Sure thing, Ray. Good call,” she says and turns to Sonata, “and thanks. That's sweet of you.”

Sonata demolishes her second taco and just offers a thumbs up.

Your stomach's eased enough for you to eat a couple of breakfast burritos. The food and lingering queasiness takes you back to college, grabbing them from this one place near campus. You remember calculating a 12.7% chance of it making you sick each time. Good odds, all things considered.

You set upon tinkering with the main machine again and feel free to do so at your leisure. The money woes are over, and it feels like you've hit a major milestone in your relationship with not only Adagio, but Sonata's extremely easy to get along with. You feel a part of the group, like an honorary Dazzling. It certainly makes you more determined to play ball with Sunset.

You're not just a pawn in Adagio's scheme, regardless what the overall plan is. You're in the same position as her sister and you have to believe that this is for the best. You did say Adagio could achieve some magnificent things if she put her mind to it. And if not? Well...

The sisters catch up on other facets of their lives; Sonata rents a far more fancy apartment in a nice location over the other side of the city, and it suddenly makes sense she can drop a couple of grand on you and Adagio without so much as batting an eye.

Obviously those toy sales are financing Sonata's cartoon just fine, even more so considering they're getting more seasons. You then learn she's not just a voice for one character, but sings for a couple of the other characters too.

Adagio gloomily regales her woes with the bar, to which Sonata says, “aw, that's a shame. There's a club near the recording studio that me and the others go to sometimes that has live music. The singers look so glamorous on the stage. You'd be totally perfect.”

“Yeah, that was the plan,” Adagio says, wistfully.

You chime in, “I guess you missed singing more than you admit. Like how you tried getting into musical theatre.”

She frowns, but says nothing.

“Dagi? Is something wrong?”

“Drop it. We should prepare for our guest.”

It is afternoon now. You begin mentally preparing to fend off your bitterness and double check your magic conversion thesis papers again.

Sonata asks, “wait, what guest?

Adagio sends a text and says, “Sunset Shimmer.”

“Ugh, for realsies?” Sonata pouts. “Why's she coming over.”

“We were working out a deal that will help Ray with his invention, but since we've discovered we can't go without our amulets without suffering,” Adagio bites her lip and closes her eyes in worry. It's almost convincing. She continues, “I hate to ask her, but we may need her help saving our lives. I'm just not sure if she'll believe us, so I want you to let her read your mind, Sonata, if that's okay?”

Sonata keeps her pout, but nods.

It's a few minutes before Adagio's phone chimes, and she says, “she's on her way.” She plays her shrink sustaining music track to Sonata's confusion. You're a bit too distracted to really work on the machine now, but go over the signal commands anyway.

Adagio watches out the window, and nods to you when Sunset appears on the street.

You take a deep breath and activate a low strength anti-unicorn signal. It's more of a general malaise, to use a fancy term, over the outright illness sensation you felt when experimenting before. The sort of feeling you'd have and know you couldn't justify taking a sick day, but it would give you the perfect excuse to least bitch incessantly to your superiors about the sacrifices you make for the company.

Enough inner monologue. This is it. Time to lick boot.

The doorbell rings and Adagio takes a deep breath. Her normal, firm expression shifts, softening, tinged with sadness. Then she opens the door.

“Hey, Sunset. Come in.”

“Hi, Dagi” your old bully replies and enters. She shivers for a moment and rubs her forehead as she enters the influence of the weak signal, but shakes it off and focuses. She then notices Sonata and adds, “hey, Sonata. It's been a while.”

Sonata gives her a sideways glance and a half-hearted wave.

“Radian,” Sunset says and frowns as she looks at you.

“Sunset.” You hold on to your research notes for now; only on Adagio's orders.

“So,” Sunset says, “I've been in contact with Princess Twilight, and she's agreed to let you visit Equestria on the condition you can prove what you said last time. About this whole business about being an earth pony. The portal will only open for three nights, and we're going in two days time. But I'll make one thing clear; there's a summit going on in the Crystal Empire, which means there's going to be Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight, and a couple of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria in attendance.”

Adagio raises her hands in mock surrender. “No need for the implied threats, Sunset. I just wanted to see my home again. The open skies, even if I won't be able to fly. Just to breathe the air, feel the ground under my feet. Or hooves, I guess. I'd even like to apologise for my actions from way back when, if anyone's willing to listen. Most of all, I'd like to make travelling there regular thing.”

Sunset smiles, reassuringly. “If it all goes smoothly, I don't see why not. And if we stay friends, it would give me a reason to visit more often too. Most of the time I visit, it's because I need Twilight's advice or guidance over some magic issue.”

“I'd love that,” Adagio says and clasps her hands. “Us putting all the bad times behind us.” She turns to you and nods, “speaking of which, Ray?”

You take a deep breath. “Here. Everything condensed down about my understanding of converting magic, how it correlates to the pony types, as well as how it proves Adagio's an earth pony by her resonance.” You hand your research to Sunset. “So this mind-reading thing... does it hurt?”

Sunset starts reading through your notes, but shakes her head. “No, not at all.” As she goes from page to page, you notice her frown and cock an eyebrow on occasion, as if she doesn't quite understand some of it.

Even Adagio looks worried at this, in case it throws a spanner in the meeting, but you know Sunset was one of the smarter students in school once she bucked her ideas up from the Fall Formal event. She never tested as well as you or Twilight, but you kept things as simple as you could while retaining everything important on those pages.

Her eyes go wide. “This is incredible, Radian. I don't even understand some of these more advanced equations, but I definitely recognise some of these figures about Equestrian magic from when I tried to make sense of it. I never even considered how magic would resonate with the our sun's energy, but would need this 'scrubbing' function here to uncouple it and make it functional. I'd love to give this to Twilight... well, both of them, if you'll let me. They'd geek out over this.”

You shrug and put on a smile. “Sure. Like Adagio said, it's time I buried the hatchet. You're helping my girlfriend, after all.” You glance at Adagio, and she doesn't flinch, like you using the word was expected. Maybe even accepted.

After a quick sigh of relief, she winks at you. “Thanks, sweetheart. So, Sunset, want to check his memories?” Adagio slinks over to the main machine and casually leans against it, her hands resting on the edges of the laptop.

“Yeah, sure,” Sunset says and extends a hand.

You offer your arm and flinch as you feel Adagio increase the potency of the anti-unicorn field ever so slightly, and Sunset gently holds your wrist. You fill your head with your experiments, but your mind also can't help but focus on the woman before you, and your thoughts go farther back, to Canterlot High.

Her eyes flicker white, then glow, but it's not a steady light. You don't really feel anything tangible, but you still feel something in your mind. After a few moments, her eyes fade back to their normal turquoise, then Sunset winces and backs away, feeling her forehead, then glances at something around her neck and tucked into her t-shirt, but you don't get a good look at it. Adagio taps the keyboard a few times and smoothly reduces the anti-unicorn field.

“Weird, it came through all broken and skewed but yeah, I guess what you're saying is true; Adagio really is an earth pony now. And I, uh... saw about your parents, Ray.” Sunset rubs the back of her neck and she can't meet you gaze. “I get your anger, and I'll say it again. I'm sorry about what I did. All I can offer you is I'll do everything I can to help you and Adagio from here on out. I'm not the same person I was back then, and I'll prove it to you if you'll let me. I want to make things right.”

Adagio's grin twists, classically dark. “Now that you mention it... there is something else. Something I've been too worried about bringing up, but if you really want to offer your help, I shouldn't be stubborn and just ask.”

She walks over to Sonata and gently places her hands on her sister's shoulders. “I've been trying to reconcile with my family. I didn't want to be angry and alone any more, so I figured it was time to eat humble pie and confess my failings. After the joy my Ray of sunshine gave me, having Sonata back has really made things feel right again... except something else has come to light.” Adagio's expression turns even more dour.

Sunset looks worried. “What's wrong?”

“I fear we may be on borrowed time,” Adagio says and lets her hair obscure her face. “I wanted to take a closer look at Sonata's broken siren stone and... well, take a look. Feel it for yourself.”

Sunset's brow creases as Sonata offers her arm, and as they make contact, her eyes glow a smoother, stronger white for a few seconds. She gasps and recoils. “I don't believe it... that's terrible,” she whispers.

Adagio fidgets and bites the end of her thumb. “I know how this probably sounds sounds, and even I wouldn't trust myself if I were in your shoes. Like I said, I was worried about bringing it up at all, because I know what you'll think, considering our history. We need our stones repaired.”

Sunset puts her hands on her hips. “Which you know is something that I doubt anyone would agree with. But there has to be something we can do,” Sunset says, casting a sympathetic look at Sonata, who's just staring at the floor.

“Exactly, and I've been racking my mind for a suitable solution, and I think I have a compromise.” Adagio gives Sonata's shoulder another squeeze. “Ray's been working on making a replication of the energy we need to sustain ourselves, and I think if we have even one stone repaired, we can use it to feed without harming anyone. I've been okay for now, but you saw it; the moment I took Sonata's stone away for a closer look, she immediately felt unwell. I was always the strongest of us, so it's probably only a matter of time before I also start to suffer. I intend to get in touch with Aria as soon as I can to see if we can help her too.”

Sunset strokes her chin. “You're in luck. The Crystal Empire is the best chance we have to repair that stone. Their whole city is made with crystal, and they've taken to repairing artefacts I've sent back to Equestria where I've had to...well, get heavy handed with some of the people tampering with forces they don't understand. I figure a siren stone wouldn't be out of the question. This changes things, though... You're asking to potentially unleash a siren back on Equestria.”

Adagio bows her head. “Please, don't let my past mistakes cost my sisters their lives! I beg you! We won't even need my stone, you can take Sonata's! She can remain here and use Ray's machine to keep herself well; it should be fine so long as she doesn't leave the apartment if it's only a couple of days. That will keep Sonata safe and healthy while me and Ray visit, and you can see about repairing the stone. And you even said, there's all those alicorns and and powerful unicorns there. What hope would I have fighting against that?”

Sunset paces back and forth, her hand over her mouth and finger tapping her cheek.

Adagio grimaces and her eyes dart about while Sunset's back's turned, then she takes off her own necklace, and holds it out to Sunset. “Please, you can even take mine as collateral! A sign of good faith. I'll endure the pain if it starts to happen to me. Our lives are in your care, Sunset. Please, you have to help us!”

Sunset turns and looks at the cracked and damaged necklace. She gingerly hovers her hand over it and grits her teeth. She glances from the stone to Adagio's pleading expression, and gently closes Adagio's fingers over the necklace.

Then Sunset suddenly grips Adagio's hand with both of hers, and her eyes flash white.

Adagio gasps and looks terrified as she tries to pull away.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck! You ramp up the anti-unicorn signal and it hits you both like a freight train. It's so drastic that both you and Sunset yelp and stumble, so you cling to the machine to keep upright. As soon as she releases Adagio, you shut it down.

Sunset grasps her forehead as she supports herself against the wall. She forces herself upright, steps up to Adagio and holds your girlfriend by the shoulders.

You expect suspicion, maybe hostility, both from the sudden signal you caused or what she saw in Adagio's mind, but instead Sunset looks close to tears as she shakes her head.

“Adagio... why didn't you call us!? You have Pinkie's number, I know you do! We would have helped! Did you at least call the pol-”

“Shut up!!” Adagio yells.

Sonata stands and looks between the two. “What's going on?”

Adagio has her back to you, but her arms are down by her sides. Hands balled into fists. She's shaking, shivering. As you peer around her, Adagio's all but feral with anger, seething and breathing hard through her teeth. Her arms fly up, swat Sunset's hands off of herself, and she slaps Sunset full force across the face so hard both you and Sonata recoil from the sound. Sunset spins and falls against the wall.

Adagio screams, “how fucking dare you!? Don't you dare pity me!” She turns, storms into her bedroom and slams the door behind her.

There's a painful silence as you and Sonata both just stare. Sunset pushes herself up and off the wall as she clutches her reddened cheek. She's now just as furious, and you half expect her to explode back, but she closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. She looks at Sonata, then you as her concerned look returns and, calm again, she turns towards the door.

“I'll let Twilight know, and try and get them to repair Sonata's stone.”

You're shocked. What was lurking in Adagio's mind that would make Sunset still want to help? You have to ask, “what did you see?”

Sunset opens her mouth to speak, but then she glances at Adagio's bedroom door. “I guess Adagio has her reasons for covering this up, and it's not my place to betray that. I just had to be sure about something, but I never expected...” She shakes her head again. “Please. I believe she wants to be better. Just look after her, okay?” She then leaves.

Sonata slowly steps towards Adagio's door, hesitant and afraid, but gently raps her knuckles against it. “Dagi? Are you okay?”

Adagio opens the door. She's red in the face, her dark pink eyes are wet, but she's eerily placid.

It's more telling when Sonata wraps her arms around her sister that there's no response, Adagio's rigid and stiff, like that calm veneer is taking all of her will to maintain.

“Do you need to talk, Dagi? If something's, like, wrong, I-”

“It's fine,” Adagio whispers. “Forget about it.”

A few moments pass, and Adagio's forced stillness breaks as she holds Sonata, then she gestures for you to come to her, and you join in the three-way hug. It's a tender moment that, even at this stage in your relationship, feels like a big step. If only it wasn't tainted by whatever happened to Adagio before you met her.

You were fairly sure something happened already; that song seems to have been a clue, and she's hesitated about talking about certain things about her depression from when you met her, but now you know for absolute certain that something happened to your girlfriend before you met. Something that completely shattered her pride and defeated the proud siren once and for all.

But you know Adagio too well. Getting it from her will be a challenge so, for the moment, you just give her the comfort she clearly desires, and drop the issue for now.

For better or for worse, you've apparently succeeded. You're heading to Equestria.

* * *