Mistress (Adagio's Big Comeback)

Goddamn, you feel awful. It's that morning after drinking all over again.

You force your head to think of the unicorn booster, and all that awfulness is just gone! Magic is awesome! Except when you use it to slap yourself with an anti-field and it knocks you out.

Standing is still awkward. You flail your limbs, finally connect hoof to floor, but still end up leaning on the table to stand. It's light outside now as well, though you see Adagio's still sleeping. You shake your head, and your mane flicks against your neck, which is a new experience. Same with your short tail whipping around.

You head to the bathroom, and the toilet looks like one of those ground level squatting ones you see in some countries. Makes sense, you guess. Even though you're naked already, and you don't need to touch anything as you use the facilities, you still wash your hooves in the sink.

After leaving the bathroom, and with the morning light radiating around the curtain and dancing through her glorious locks of hair, you see Adagio's eyes slowly open.

“Good morning,” you say.

She smiles at you and says, “morning, Ray!” Maybe it's the new form, or maybe she had a really good sleep, but it's different. Broader, less restrained. She rolls onto her front and fidgets to the edge of the bed, then climbs off.

Again, you're astounded by how big she is compared to you. It feels more pronounced than back in your world, and you suspect it's her height, her build and it's now being amplified by her being an earth pony. It's made even clearer as she wraps her forelegs around you and gives you a tight squeeze while resting her head on top of yours.

“You're obviously feeling better,” you say and hold her in return, even if you can't get as good a grip. “I'm glad. Frankly, with your shrink effect not surviving the the portal and how dazed you looked, it feels like we're already on the back hoof with this whole plan.” You snort and chuckle. “Hoof? There's something odd about this place. I keep catching myself using the local parlance.”

Adagio lets you go and stretches. You get lost in watching the muscles under her golden coat flex and move. It's hypnotic. She yawns and says, “I feel amazing. I thought that night we spent drinking together would have been my big reset, but today? I'm a whole new me!”

She's certainly bubblier than you expected. Saccharine, even. It's bordering on unsettling, if you're honest. Your Addy is perfectly pleasant to you these days, with doses of insightful criticism balanced with moments of glorious passion, rather than outright sweet.

Adagio suddenly turns towards the window and her eyes go wide. She approaches it, bites the pull cord and the curtains open, blinding you for a moment with the dazzling sunshine.

You recover, and Adagio's staring outside. You step up beside her, and witness the new world.

Crystalline buildings and roads beneath endless, perfect blue skies. Ponies of all colours are setting up market stalls by magic, hoof and teeth. Armoured guards patrol, yet smile, nod and wave to the civilians. Pegasi fly here and there, some in formation, others just gliding without a care in the world. You can even see there's two types of earth pony. Some are like Adagio, but others are curiously shiny, as if part crystal themselves.

You hear Adagio sniffle.

“Addy? What's wrong?”

Wet furred cheeks, tears cascading down and dripping off her chin and onto the floor.

“Radian, isn't it beautiful? I'm home!” She looks at you with such an exposed heart and open sobbing as the tears just keep flowing. “I'm finally home... I never thought I'd ever see it again...”

Okay, it's official. Something's deeply wrong with Adagio. You tap her with a hoof and say, “hey, snap out of it!”

Adagio blinks a few times, looks terrified, then shakes her head. She begins pacing on the spot, doing something between a trot and a potty dance as she says, “what the hay is wrong with me!? What was all that? The fu- the fuuudge ...dang it! What the buck is happening?”

You sigh with relief; it's still her, although she's maybe worse off in terms of being able to swear. For an honest second, you thought you'd just spent the night with an imposter. You take pick up your emitter using your telekinesis, but realise you're not skilled enough to hold and tap the buttons at the same time. Instead you bite the grip, use the tactile sensation of your magic to find the buttons to set it to scan, and try to get a reading.

Adagio's siren signal is all but depleted, presenting as a tiny rise on the spectrograph, and there's a wild cascade around her earth peak. Actually, it's less a peak, more a whole mountain. Strong and steady, with almost no deviance.

“I'm honestly not sure yet. This world's very different in how it handles magic. It's no longer traces, but vast clouds of the stuff all moving, gathering and fading. It wouldn't surprise me if me being a unicorn is throwing it off as well, like ambient interference.”

Adagio paces about in a more controlled manner. “It's fine. I just need to remain focused. This is too important!” She may be saying that, but it's obvious she's still close to a panic.

“There's a really nice bath in there,” you say and point to the bathroom, “maybe try relaxing for a bit and collect yourself?”

“Right, good idea,” Adagio says and takes a few long, controlled breaths, then heads off.

You need to write some ideas and theories down to mull over, so you gather some writing supplies together. Then realise that writing isn't exactly feasible with hooves.

You gather a lot more loose paper and practise writing with magic. You'd think learning how to write again would be a chore, but the whole mundane made fantastic angle is tremendous. This world never fails being an adventure.

Finally, after scrawling some halfway decent, legible writing and a basic list of theories to expand on when you get a chance, Adagio exits the bathroom.

She's dripping wet and has thrown a few towels over herself. Her mane and tail droop down to the floor as she carefully walks towards you, worried about stepping on her trailing mane. You start getting lost in the way her wet fur clings even more firmly to her powerful body when she grumbles and says, “a little help here, Ray? I have no idea how earth ponies get dry without rolling around on the floor like a dog.”

You smirk and pick up a towel with your magic, and begin drying Adagio off. You won't deny it; that weird the telekinetic feedback? You're feeling Adagio's new body with it. You're no country boy, you've never really even liked horses (in a sort of rebellion against the CHS and their Wondercolt mascot and everything), but this is dangerous to your focus. Her thickness, the sheer width of her haunches... she's incredible to feel.

Eventually, you've dried her enough so you open a drawer, lift over a hair brush and begin the painstaking process of getting all her coat, mane and tail in order. Adagio even hums to herself as she sighs with pleasure and closes her eyes. Human or pony, she still loves it.

It's not a tune you're familiar with. You're about done with your task, and put her spiky hair band on to finish the look, when-

“For so very long I've had a heart of stone,

Just carried on, soulless and all alone,

I lost the way ahead, I lost my will~!”

She's singing, faint, quiet and tender.

“Living blurred together, just as bleak,

Every day drained me, left me weak,

This was my life; the final, bitter pill~,

There was no way out, but then, oh, what I saw!

Oh, what I saw!”

Adagio turns to you with a huge smile as she belts out with a passionate, energetic voice.

“What I saw was somepony that my heart's worth beating for!”

Your emitter beeps as a pink flash occurs near the door. A female voice gasps, and you want to look at who or what just appeared. Really, you want to, but you can't take your eyes off Adagio as she bolts off, prancing around the room. She reaches the window, shoves it open and leans out, her mane billowing in the wind.

“So as my heart began to beat anew,

And once more there was so much I could do!

A life to live, and songs to sing~!”

“Life had colour, and the joys it brought,

I witnessed wonders I'd have never even thought,

I couldn't wait to see what else life would bring~!

And it's all because of you, the one I adore!

The one I adore!

Because you are somepony that my heart's worth beating for!”

She's a burning star. An exploding supernova of life and energy. Raw, unparalleled. Beautiful and filled with light.

“I feel our souls ignite and grow,

No walls or places we can't go,

The world's now ours to explore and find~!

You gave me back my strength, my family,

A golden horizon I can't wait to see!

With you and me, two of a kind~!

And now we're together, forever-ever more!

Forever-ever more.

You're truly somepony that my heart's worth beating for!”

Adagio trots over to you and raises a hoof to bring your muzzles close together. So close you see the fine hairs on her snout move from your own breath. Your lips all but touching.

“To whom my beating heart belongs, forever true...

Oh, my Ray of sunshine, I love y-”

*BANG*

“Breakfast fudge!” A high pitched squeal pierces you as the door slams open!

Adagio screams, rears up her hind legs and lifts you off the ground in a panicked hug.

You both look at the doorway and a pink earth pony stands with a huge grin, bearing a tray that's strapped to her head, cushioned by a thick mass of darker pink curly hair and covered in a pile of, apparently, breakfast fudge cubes.

She bounces into the room without a care in the world, and chirps, “get your super, sumptuous, sensational summit spectacular edition breakfast fudge right here! Filled with oats and hay to get you moving on this crystal summit day! I got it, you want it! Even if you don't. Especially if you don't! I don't wanna brag, but this fudge is the best I've ever made!”

You and Adagio glance at each other, then back at the pink intruder.

She blinks at you with her big blue eyes and tilts her head (yet doesn't drop a single cube). “Did I oversell it again? I oversold it, didn't I?”

“Pinkie!” Another intruder enters. This one a white unicorn with an indigo mane and tail that look meticulously groomed, flowing and very fashionable. She's undeniably beautiful and moves with an elegant grace. She says, in a well spoken manner, “we're not supposed to be in here! Now, you apologise and-”

She stops, gasps and stares at Adagio, who starts losing her balance and drops you before landing on all fours again, but raises one foreleg again as if to defend herself.

The unicorn takes a few cautious steps towards Adagio before she says, “that lustrous, voluminous mane! Those curvaceous, long, well sculpted legs! Your immaculate hooficure! Why, darling, you look spectacular! I thought I knew all the ponies of note about the summit, but you? I don't suppose you follow the modelling circuit?”

“Uh... no,” Adagio says, and seems to relax at the compliments. “But thanks?”

“Well, you should! You would dominate any show with your regal height, paired with that natural power and dark, seductive gaze!” The new unicorn then pulls Pinkie beside her with a foreleg, leans against her friend, points at Adagio and says, “see, Pinkie? With a good conditioner and a mere hour of brushing, your thick curls could look just as glamorous. First impressions are so important these days, and you do sometimes come off a bit strong. An appealing and well organised coiffure would soften your more dramatic aspects.”

“Fudge this good waits for no mane, Rarity! Except on mine,” Pinkie giggles and taps the tray on her head with a hoof. “Where it's waiting to be eaten, I mean! Have you even tried it?” She extends her tongue like she's part frog and plucks a cube from the tray on her head.

Rarity purses her lips as a blue aura radiates from her horn. A like-glowing cube of fudge levitates in front of her, where she eyes it warily, then takes a tiny bite. “Well, no, but I fail to see how...” Her eyes go wide. “... oh my... well played, Pinkie. This is the finest breakfast fudge, if indeed the only breakfast fudge, I've ever eaten. It is positively a triumph!” She pops the rest in and savours the treat.

“Right?” Pinkie giggles, then reaches skyward with her forelegs and yells, “everypony must taste this! Everypony!!”

You whisper to Adagio, “what the hell's going on? These ponies are crazy.”

Adagio stammers, but fails to come up with an explanation, merely shaking her head.

A new, third intruder says in a harsh, southern drawl of a whisper, “what in the name of Granny Smith's girdle are you two doin' in here!?” This one an orange coated, blond, pony-tailed earth mare with a build similar to Adagio's, though nowhere near as grand in height, and wearing a cowboy hat. “Twilight said this whole wing was off limits!”

“Oh, Applejack, forgive me,” Rarity responds, sheepishly tittering. “I was attempting to apologise for Pinkie Pie's own interruption, but I got rather distracted myself.”

Applejack huffs, approaches you and Adagio, hooks a hoof around her hat and pulls it off as she gives a respectful half-bow. “Beggin' your pardon, folks. Pinkie's always gettin' into places she shouldn't, and Rarity's got a soft spot for fancy lookin' folk. I'll just wrangle 'em up and we'll be out of your manes lickity-split. Although, I've gotta say, a gal as big as you has-”

“Girls!” A voice from the door. Nopony's in the doorway, but this time, the door itself swings to a close. It reveals a wall-embedded, part-flattened Twilight Sparkle, who falls away from a her-shaped impact crater. She stumbles a bit, shakes her head and sighs as she gives the three a frown. “Would you mind? These are the special guests I mentioned.”

Applejack balks, gives Adagio a panicked look, then nervously backs away. The turns to her fellow intruders and says, “c'mon, you two!”

“Oh, wait just a second!” Pinkie squeaks and all but teleports herself up to you and Adagio, shoving a couple of fudge cubes in your mouths. “Tell your friends!”

Applejack bites Pinkie's floofy tail as she drags her friend to the exit, and Rarity follows.

Twilight smirks and levitates a fudge cube from Pinkie's tray for herself before kicking the door shut behind her friends.

She pops it in her mouth and says, “shorry about that, but- oh, wow... thish ish good fudge. Pinkie's really outdone hershelf thish time.”

There's no two ways about it, and ordinarily you're not a fan of sweet things this early in the day, but this is some amazing fudge. The oats give it substance, there's a subtle tang to offset the sweetness that's got a good punch of cinnamon, amongst other spices. And the hay? A revelation! Maybe it's the chewing aspect, or the fact you're equine, but you're savouring every second. Adagio's into as well, smiling softly to herself as she masticates the treat.

Twilight waits for everyone to finish eating before she says, “like I was about to say, don't mind my friends. They get up to all sorts of mishaps and misadventures, and I hope they didn't make you uncomfortable.”

“No harm done,” you say.

Adagio nods. “It's strange seeing different versions of the same people...”

“The weirdest part is how similar, yet distinct they are from their contemporaries in the other world,” Twilight says and glances at the door with a smile. “They share personalities, but it's their experiences make them unique.”

Adagio looks lost in thought. “True. They seemed okay, though. Although I swear this Pinkie's a bit weirder.”

Twilight smirks. “She takes some getting used to, but you'll not find a sweeter mare. Anyway, I'm getting distracted. Once you two are prepared, we should get going. Radian, I'll meet you outside the palace gates. I wanted to chat with you on the way to the workshop. And Adagio? You're going to be kept company by my friends, if you're still okay with that?”

Adagio's eyes narrow. “To keep an eye on me, right?”

Twilight meets Adagio's stare, and simply nods. “I have no intention of lying to you about this, but that is part of it. Nor am I going to sugarcoat the fact you once represented a threat to Equestria seldom seen before or since your time. But I hope we can put aside old grudges.”

Adagio smirks and stands tall before Twilight, as if challenging her, but you interject, “we're here to repair the stone, Princess Twilight, and I'm more than happy to share with you my findings about Equestrian magic. We're not here to cause trouble.”

“I hope so,” Twilight says and smiles. “In fact, I suspect we may even become friends, even if you may not think so right now.” She approaches Adagio, firm and completely unafraid. Like when you first met Aria, there's a clash of presence, and Twilight's feels unshakable.

Adagio even leans back on her haunches and sits down, as Twilight gently puts a hoof on Adagio's chest.

“I heard your song. I could feel the good in you radiating from within as you bore your soul to Radian. You're not the same girl I fought at the Battle of the Bands. And you're definitely far removed from the siren you were in Equestria's past. You've changed, or perhaps changing. You may not understand it now, but you will. No matter your intentions on coming here, I believe you will return home so much greater than you believe yourself to be.”

Adagio's mouth opens as Twilight steps back, but she doesn't say a word. She just stares at the disturbed fur on her own chest.

Twilight then looks at you. “As for you, Radian, I can't wait to hear your theories on magic; it will be fascinating hearing an new perspective, and your knowledge and experience will serve you, Adagio, Aria and Sonata well. The sirens owe you a great deal for what you've done. But enough of that for now. I'll be waiting outside when you're ready, and the sooner we get moving, the sooner we can help your friends.”

Twilight horn glows and she vanishes with a pink flash.

Damn, did she just teleport!? You've got to learn how to do that.

You look at Adagio as she continues to stare down at herself. “She's right...”

“What do you mean?”

“... I can't trust myself, Ray,” Adagio says. “The feelings from last night, my weird, uncontrollable behaviour? Bursting into song!? I'm compromised, and even now, I can feel that... bubbly, emotional side seeping into my head. It wants me to give in, to play nice, to go and frolic. I don't think I can stop it.”

“Maybe there's some way I can prevent it? I could try a few ideas with my emitter.”

Adagio shakes her head. “You've got more important things to do, Ray. This whole plan is already falling apart, but we can only hope they don't know about the other stones. You needed to remove them to make the emitter work properly again anyway, so hide them somewhere and don't tell me, just in case.” She stands and puts a foreleg around your shoulder. “Ray? I have to leave this whole thing in your hooves. From this point onward, you can't trust me.”

Shit, this sounds dire. “Adagio...”

She grimaces and squints, like she's getting a headache, then leans down. “Ray. No matter what, it's up to you, so I want you to swear to me: promise you'll do the right thing for us. For you, me and my sisters, no matter what happens. Even if it goes against the plan, if something changes and you feel it's necessary to help us, I trust you to use your judgement. Be you. Be empirical and scientific, the way I know only you can.”

You look deep into those dark pink eyes and nod. “No matter what, I'll do what's best for us. On my life, I promise.”

Adagio smiles and pulls you closer still, and you kiss deeply. Passionately.

She suddenly breaks away and stumbles. She shakes her head, turns to you and, in a higher pitched, perky tone says, “and have fun, okay? Seeya later!” Adagio heads out of the room.

Once upon a time you'd have loved to see a more pleasant Adagio. Those early days of meeting her when she was at times openly hostile. But you learned to see the good in her for who she was, for what she had gone through, realised how strong it made her, resilient to the same harshness that life can bring which you, too, had felt. She's even tutored you in using the worst parts in life as a way to stand back up and fight back. You love her.

This new Adagio scares you. And it makes you even more determined to do right by her, for accepting you, for loving you. Everything you do now is for her, and her sisters.

No matter what it takes.

* * *