A Shimmering Heartbreakby Spyder27ChaptersStarting OverYou're Still DesiredEscalating CircumstancesA New AdventureSix to ConvinceAn Awesome MeetingThe One I LoveNew ThreadsLast Minute ShenanigansA Safe PlaceBack to the CaveTesting Your HypothesisBalloons are Meant to PopAlways TogetherMorning DelightsAfternoon SurprisesTroubles Amid the StarsStill More Work to DoA Step ForwardThe Light of LifeNew BeginningsWhite Lies and Solemn TruthsStarting OverAuthor's Note The day isn't over yet for Adagio Dazzle, but little does she know this new adventure is just beginning. Hopefully, she can befriend a familiar fashionista and save face in front of others. Luckily, a burrito can always lighten the mood. Disclaimer: This story is a sequel to A Dazzling World which was a story that touched upon some heavy topics. These topics may be mentioned in future chapters, but I will warn you ahead of time when those chapters come out. There isn't really anything in this chapter to worry about yet though~ Also, this chapter was beta read by Mon668 on AO3! She's a good friend of mine, so shout out to her for helping make this story the best it can be! Starting Over Chapter II: Starting Over Apparently, Rainbow Dash’s plan to hang out with both of us is to watch colorful moving platforms of cardboard and confetti. I can’t complain, though. They do have some nice treats and even music, so it made me wish Sunset was here, but she needed more sleep today. I’ll have to remember to save some of the candy they threw out for her, especially the chocolate mermaids. It’s funny that Sunset likes mermaids, considering Sirens have a somewhat aquatic origin, but I don’t know if she knows that. Taking a bite out of the cotton candy Rainbow gave me, I nod slightly to myself, enjoying the taste. “Fine, you’re right. It is pretty good, but you didn’t have to force me to try it,” I say with a small chuckle escaping my lips. “Oh, darling. She does that to everyone. Just go with the flow,” Rarity giggles to herself, taking a dainty little bite out of her cotton candy. Rainbow Dash’s jaw drops slightly after hearing Rarity’s statement, but she wipes it away with a big grin. “Well, cotton candy is one of the best treats in the world! Pinkie Pie introduced it to me back in the day. It’s almost as awesome as me! Almost though,” Rainbow says with a snicker, striking a pose and pretending like she’s the best person in the world. “Sure, Rainbow,” I say with the same humorous tone that Sunset would have if she was here. “If you’re so awesome, then prove it~” My taunt seems to intrigue Rainbow Dash as she instantly looks at me with confusion in her eyes. A smirk comes across her face as she laughs loudly. “Oh, yeah! What do you want me to do? It better be a challenge because I hate sissy proposals,” Rainbow says as she pokes me with her index finger. For a second, multiple thoughts pass through my mind about possibly hard challenges, but nothing seems hard enough for Rainbow Dash… Unless… “You know how these wrappers can be collected and traded?” I ask Rainbow Dash, showing her one of the cotton candy wrappers. It’s funny that most people haven’t really paid attention to it, but as a measure to try and avoid more littering, the parade made the wrappers worth 25 cents. The best part about it? You could collect as many as you want and exchange them for the money they’re worth, and since most people don’t think to cash in the reward, there’s a surprising amount of them on the sidewalks and around the food trucks and parade floats. Rainbow’s eyes look at the wrapper in my hand and smirks at me. “Oh? You want me to get us some of our money back, huh? That’s child’s play!” she states in a confident tone. “Not exactly,” I say with my own smirk, narrowing my eyes as I look into hers. “See, there are two things I want a lot right now. The first being Sunset, but since she isn’t here, I’ll happily take a burrito from Taco Pony. If you can collect enough tickets and get me that burrito within, say, ten minutes? Then you’ll officially be the ‘awesomest’ person in the whole world,” I tease Rainbow, holding out my wrapper with a wink. “Think you can handle that, Dashie?” Confidently grabbing my wrapper, she chuckles to herself, looking around the crowded street. “Oh, yeah. I can do that in five minutes~” Rainbow states, instantly running around the crowd, picking up different wrappers on the ground or in other people’s hands. A laugh is shared between Rarity and I for a second, both of us finding it humorous to see Rainbow take on such a silly challenge just to prove herself. The loud music seems to be the only thing shared between the two of us for a few moments, Rarity just watching Rainbow dart in and out of the crowd, taking small bites as she waits. Rarity still wears those sunglasses despite the sky being close to dark, streetlights already ablaze and the pastel colored sky being the only light offered otherwise. Slowly, Rarity pulls off a piece of her pink treat and hands it to me, smiling as she does so. “So, Adagio. It seems we have a moment alone now,” Rarity sighs, still maintaining her smile and kind look. Despite her clear awkward feelings, the fashionista wants to bridge the gap seemingly. Grabbing the piece from Rarity, I slowly put it in my mouth and nod to her statement. “Tell me, dear. Judging off of your clothing choices a couple years back, I would assume you like fashion?” Rarity questions me, looking at the clothes I have on right now. “I do actually. Well, I did. I… had to get rid of the more fancy clothes I owned a while back, but I still have some things that look decent on me. I guess I just have to gather up the confidence to wear them.” Looking up at the early rising moon, I lean against the building we decided to stand beside. The white girl leans back with me and sighs to herself, pushing her sunglasses back up to her eyes. “I understand that feeling all too well. There are many times I don’t feel confident enough to go out, but AJ has a way of always convincing me that I’m… worth it, if you will.” “Yeah, Sunset has the same effect on me… It’s like no matter how broken I feel, she knows exactly what to say or what to do.” A simple nod comes from Rarity as a response, looking down at her feet with a frown. “AJ can always tell when I’m lying about my feelings and she’s always there to lift me up again like the darling she is.” Nodding, I smile for a moment, closing my eyes as I imagine her happy expression once more. “It’s like no matter what trouble you’re going through, Sunset can always tell and she’s always willing to drop everything to be there for you. It’s like she-” “Can read your mind…” Rarity sighs to herself, her hand gently clutching a locket around her neck, gently smiling at the feeling. “You really love Sunset, don’t you?” Rarity asks me as she looks at me again, our eyes locking once more. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to say to the question at first, feeling my words get caught in my throat. Of course I love Sunset, but I suppose it’s hard to say that to someone else other than her. Hell, it’s hard to say it to Sunset herself… “Yeah, I do,” I slowly let out, nodding to her query. No matter what happens, that fact has been cemented in my mind ever since January… “It’s funny… I fell in love with her so fast and… it felt like I couldn’t control it.” Rarity’s head nods up and down slowly, her eyes looking at the locket around her neck for a moment. “It does feel like that sometimes… When AJ asked me out that first time, I… I froze. I wasn’t sure what to do, especially since I had pined over her for a year at that point. I even remember exactly what the rugged cowgirl said to me. ‘Rarity. I um… You’re really kind and I always have thought you’re pretty and all, so um… Would you like to maybe go out sometime?’” For a moment, both of us laugh at her impersonation of the cowgirl, Rarity’s smile genuine and innocent. “Despite her simple nature, she means the world to me and I’m not sure what I would do without her,” she states slowly, looking at me with a giggle. A silent moment is shared between the two of us as we look into each other’s eyes, eventually giggling at the awkward lack of words. “Tell me, Adagio. Why do you keep touching that scarf of yours?” she asks me with an inquisitive look, looking at my hand. For a moment, I feel surprised, realizing that my hand had been feeling my scarf the entire time we’ve been talking, the action happening without me knowing it. A sheepish grin comes to my face as a blush overtakes me, my hand instantly moving away from my scarf. “I um… It’s a gift. Sunset gave it to me for Christmas and all. Back when I… Well, let’s just say I wasn’t the best person last Christmas.” Averting my eyes, I look around at the crowd around us, biting my lip. I really wish Sunset was here… If I could, I would hold her hand just to calm down my beating heart and to avoid my embarrassment from growing anymore than it already has. I guess I do feel the scarf a lot just to… facilitate some sort of connection with her, even when we’re apart. “I suppose this locket is similar to your scarf in a way. When my darling gave me this locket, I couldn’t stop feeling it, wishing she was nearer to me. I even do it now, as foolish as it may seem,” Rarity chuckles to herself, smiling to me. “But I suppose we would both be fools in that case, huh?” With a shared giggle, I nod, rubbing Rarity’s shoulder slightly. “Only fools for the ones we love, Rarity.” ============================================== “Really, that is quite a romantic sounding gesture~” Rarity lovingly sighs, thinking to herself. Rainbow, who is sitting next to Rarity with her own burrito, has a frown written across her face, taking a bite of her food. “That’s it? You two walked on a beach after watching a weird love movie?” she asks with a weird look, glancing past Rarity at me. Despite the size of the park bench, it easily fit all three of us, with Rarity insisting on sitting in the middle due to the cool feeling of the night breeze. A small chuckle comes from my lips, taking a bite out of my burrito as I look up at the moon. “You’d be surprised at the power simple things have over you, Dashie. Like a Ferris wheel.” Before I can say anything more, Rarity’s hand quickly grabs onto my arm, her eyes staring at me with fantasy in them. Being the hopeless romantic she is, Rarity always seems to gravitate to any term I say that has any semblance with love. “Did you… say a Ferris wheel? Darling, please… please tell me something happened on a Ferris wheel…” Her eyes plead for me to spill any details I have behind this story, wanting to know if one of her own romantic fantasies were fulfilled by someone else. A small chuckle escapes my lips as I pat her shoulder, nodding slowly to her inquiry. “Something did happen on a Ferris wheel, though it was back in February.” “Are we only going to talk about love stuff?” Rainbow asks, standing up and walking a few steps away from the bench. Even if Rainbow’s usual attitude is daring, humorous and challenging, her tone now displays a more irritated and exhausted feeling. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rainbow,” Rarity says quietly. “I know what… happened and all. We could talk about something else if you would like?” Rainbow Dash, thinking for a moment, nods slowly and sits back down with us, taking a bite out of her burrito. “Fine. Could we talk about Sunset’s birthday? I assume we all know it’s coming up, right?” Rainbow states, looking at the both of us with an inquisitive tone in her voice. A proud smile comes across my lips as we both nod, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. I even got her a gift and such. It’s something I’ve saved up for weeks to buy for her.” Rarity’s eyes turn from Rainbow and stare at me with an eager expression, her smile telling me her thoughts easily. “Ooh~! What did you get? Is it something expensive?” Rarity excitedly asks me, aiming her body towards mine. “Well, not necessarily. It is expensive given my pay, but I suppose it wouldn’t be for others. It’s just a leather jacket I saw at the store and all. It’s red with flames on it and it even has matching gloves, so I figured Sunset would like it to keep her warm and all.” Rainbow’s eyes widen quickly upon hearing my explanation, staring at me for a bit. “Wait, really? Dagi, you need to show me this jacket! It sounds freaking awesome!” she states excitedly, practically jumping in her seat. “To think I only got her a pair of roller skates. Your gift sounds way cooler.” “Well, I can’t really show you it. It’s kinda wrapped. And hidden in our apartment…” Nervously, I scratch my head and chuckle, feeling quite awkward that I can’t show the gift to the two girls. “Rainbow, I’m sure Sunset will still enjoy your gift~” Rarity reassures her with a smile, patting Rainbow Dash’s shoulder lightly. “And your gift sounds lovely, Adagio~ I’m sure she will love it too~ Sunset loves most gifts she gets after all~” Nodding to Rarity, a memory comes to my mind easily, making me think of the gift I made for her all that time ago. It didn’t necessarily scream Sunset’s personality, but she still loved the blanket and gloves I got for her nonetheless. Sunset is never really picky about what she receives, loving whatever she gets and she tries to make sure everyone feels special. “Hey, what do you gals think of throwing Sunset a birthday party?” Rainbow asks us with a big bite of her burrito, looking excited at the prospect she suggested. “Ooh~! That’s a terrific idea!” Rarity exclaims, instantly bringing her hand to her chin. “I could design the decorations too! Of course, Pinkie would need to be consulted.” Despite the girls’ excited conversation, a confused expression comes across me as I look at the both of them, feeling a little left out due to my lack of knowledge. “Um… what exactly is a birthday party…?” You're Still DesiredAuthor's Note Adagio Dazzle has a new day ahead of her, full of exciting and interesting turns. Despite the rocky relationship between them, Adagio and Applejack are able to talk to each other. Maybe things get better from here~ After helping Apple Bloom prepare for the family reunion, Adagio returns home for one last surprise. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Thank you all for reading my story this far~ I know this sequel seems like a jumbled mess so far, but trust me, the story will soon be apparent~ Again, big thanks to Mon668 for beta reading this story~ You're Still Desired Chapter III: You’re Still Desired Maybe it’s just the warm summer air pushing down on me, but I feel… sort of incomplete… I suppose it’s all due to the stress of life, causing Sunset and I to spend less and less time with each other. It’s a lonely feeling… One I can recall all too well from just a few months back. It’s funny to think that I didn’t really have anyone back then, but I can proudly call a few individuals my friends. Though, it sometimes still makes me think whether or not they deserve someone better… Either way, my confidence has been an issue for a while now, so I suppose I should try to work on that while Sunset and I are busy, right? A small sigh exits my lips as I bring my hand to my head, blocking the sun from my view and allowing me to look further ahead down the dirt road. It would be really nice if I could talk with Sunset at least, but with our varying schedules, the only times we can really see each other are when we wake up or go to sleep. It’s still a nice feeling though… Don’t get me wrong. I love Sunset with all my heart. I wouldn’t want to live without her, but even I can feel lonely at times. I didn’t know that until I lost my two best friends over a year and a half ago. Whatever happens, Sunset is still the one I love, but I just wish I could… grasp more time with her. Maybe she could come with me to the Apple Family Reunion later this week…? It would definitely be a welcome break from the busy lives we lead. Bringing my hand to my scarf, I smile slowly, looking around at the bright green woods around me. Perhaps it’s for the best right now. Once we get some time to ourselves again, we can have one of those movie nights again. Or maybe we could go to the beach again. Shaking my head, I try to clear my mind of the lovely thoughts for a moment, focusing on what’s important. I’m not here to have a fun thought process. I’m here to help Apple Bloom… Though, it is weird finding the front entrance of the farm. Applejack insisted that I stop sneaking around her orchard and walk through the farm in general. I must have been following this fence for a good ten minutes now. I don’t walk quickly anymore, since I don’t usually have places to be in a hurry, but it still felt like a long time to be walking. Stopping in my tracks, my eyes catch a glimpse of red past some of the trees, the shine of paint glinting from the sun. The smell of apples is all too present, masking the scent of mud. Walking another few meters in front of me, I can finally see a clearing a good distance away from the fence with a barn in the center of it. There are a few more smaller farm buildings scattered around, all of them probably have their own purpose, but the centerpiece of the whole art piece was the house, standing at around two and a half stories tall. It is a beautiful farm, I’ll admit, but the thought of entering it still ends up scaring me slightly. Perhaps it’s because of Applejack’s inevitable games, testing my new character, but a part of me knows the real reason why I don’t want to set a toe inside the property. Someone like me doesn’t really deserve friends… Especially after all I’ve done. Shaking my head, I sigh to myself, reaching the driveway at the fence and walking into the farm. It’s still a good distance from the fence to the farmhouse, making the walk all the more dreadful. I’m incredibly lucky to have friends like Apple Bloom… I mean, when I look back, I didn’t deserve an ounce of the kindness she showed me back then, but here I am, looking forward to spending time with the little daredevil. I know I don’t deserve her friendship, but regardless, she gives it to me despite my past. Now I just have to convince her sister as well… A feat that sounds easier said than done. Who knows? Maybe that kindness runs in the family… Walking further down the driveway, I see Applejack working on a wheelbarrow with a whole host of tools, seemingly struggling with something. Even though I feel anxious about talking with the cowgirl again, she’s willing to give me a shot and I should be willing to be friendly with her too. If things go well enough, maybe we will become good friends. If she wants of course… Smiling to myself, I gently brush the hair out of my face, closing the distance between Applejack and I slowly. At first, Applejack doesn’t look up from her work, clearly frustrated by the problem at hand. Looking down at the wheelbarrow, I can’t help but smile at the irony of the broken wheel, considering how often that trope is shown in media like cartoons. “Broken wheel?” I ask, squatting down slowly to take a better look at the mess. “Yep, I’ve been working on it for an hour now,” Applejack slowly states, acknowledging my presence with her gaze and a small smile. “It’s damn frustrating, that’s what it is. I swear I would have replaced it by now, but…” The cowgirl’s sentence is forcibly cut short, her thought process seemingly telling her to keep whatever she was about to say a secret. “Sorry, I ain’t trying to bother you with my own problems.” Slowly, her hand extends out to me, gesturing for aid, one I accept by pulling her up to her feet. “Don’t apologize. It’s a bigger problem than the ones Apple Bloom talks to me about, so I’m used to it~ Besides, I don’t mind talking about troubles.” My mouth forms into a smile as Applejack nods to my statement, sheepishly avoiding my gaze for a moment, before shaking my hand slightly. Her usual confident and honest behavior is shed when we lock eyes, both of us understanding one another for a short time. Applejack is a kind and hardworking woman, one who worries about her family, but now, she seems oddly at peace with the current situation. “I don’t suppose you wanted to see me, huh?” Applejack says with a small chuckle, walking a few steps away from me to pick up one of her tools. “Apple Bloom isn’t here yet. School isn’t done,” she states plainly, despite her chuckle from before. “Ah, I see,” is all I can seem to let out, walking around to the other side of the broken wheelbarrow. “She asked me to help with the decorations for this family reunion~” For some reason, Applejack giggles slightly at my explanation, bringing a hand to her face to cover her exhausted yet humorous expression. “Figures. That girl is always asking for help and getting into trouble. When I was her age I…” Again, Applejack stops herself, looking down at her tools with a disturbed expression. “Sorry, sugarcube. I’m not really myself today. I didn’t get a full night’s sleep and everything seems to be getting on my nerves,” the cowgirl states, a vulnerable look coming across her face for a few moments. Even though Applejack and I are not on the best terms, I still feel sad that she’s clearly struggling, wanting to help this girl that is… admirable I suppose. “What’s been bothering you?” I ask calmly, reaching over and holding the wheelbarrow in place, seemingly surprising Applejack. “Well, everything really… This reunion has me up the walls, trying to make it perfect, you know?” Applejack slowly shakes her head, taking her wrench and positioning it on one of the bolts holding the broken wheel on the piece of equipment. “Apple Bloom is growing up so fast and it all sort of seems to be going out of control. Even Granny is starting to go downhill, so I need to help her in my spare time as well.” The cowgirl’s brow furrows slightly as she finally loosens the bolt, pulling it away from the wheelbarrow. “I suppose it’s not all bad though… At least I get to know you again. Well, the real you, instead of my perceived image of you,” she sighs quietly, trying to loosen another bolt. For a moment, I feel a bit happy, hearing her statement… I suppose it makes me feel happy that she’s accepted, at some level, that I am a different person now. “I’m glad I get to know you too,” I slowly let out, directing my eyes away from us and towards some of the trees in the orchard. No matter what may have been exchanged between the two of us, we could both understand the sentiment behind Applejack’s statement, not meant to be hostile or to wound me in some way while laying the groundwork for a possible friendship. Smiling, I shake my head slightly to myself, looking back to the rugged cowgirl. “So, is everyone invited to this family reunion or am I a special case?” I tease slightly, both of us sharing a short laugh. “Well, not everyone. Family and friends are invited and well… I figured you were close enough to Apple Bloom that she would beg for me to invite ya.” A shameful expression comes across her face as she averts my gaze, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. Taking off her hat for a moment, she stumbles with her words, bringing her hand to her forehead. “Besides, I’m… sorry. I really do want to get to know ya, it’s just… all my instincts tell me not to, so take this invitation as both my apology and my way of starting over,” Applejack slowly states, holding her hand out to me with the most humble smile she can muster, a small tear welling up in her eye. Being the proud cowgirl she is, she wouldn’t let herself cry obviously, but it still reflects a sense of honesty deep down. Taking her hand in mine, I smile and nod, locking my eyes with hers. “Don’t be sorry. Actions speak louder than words, right? So, let’s both act better~ Besides, I have a lot more to prove.” Patting her shoulder lightly, Applejack chuckles to my statement, nodding and letting go of my hand to pick up her tools. “How about you stay around for a while until Apple Bloom comes back? You could help me ignore the dang wheelbarrow and focus on making the cider,” she teases me before laughing to herself. “And god knows we will need a lot of that apple cider.” ===================================================== “So, wait a minute, sugarcube.” Applejack, downing the last of her water bottle, pauses to collect her thoughts as she wipes the sweat from her forehead. Sitting beside the front door, I sigh a little to the cool breeze, finally relaxing from fixing this porch. It’s funny that we were supposed to work on the apple cider preparation, but Applejack’s grandmother asked her to fix the porch halfway through, so now we’re tempted with the smell of apple pie the whole time we work here. I’m not necessarily new to making home repairs, considering my past shitty apartment, but I never really fixed a porch before. “You’re telling me that you had an accident at work and then you went to watch movies with Sunset?” Applejack’s confused eyes express the emotion she feels towards my probably odd wording of my story. “No no no, Applejack. I’m sorry, let me clarify. I went to watch Romeo and Juliet with Sunset and then we walked on the beach. After all of that is when I had my accident. Though, we did have a movie night later when I stayed at her apartment and all.” “Ah, I see,” Applejack says with a relaxed tone, resting against one of the porch beams and bathing in the cool breeze under the shade. “Of course you two watched Romeo and Juliet. Sunset picked, right?” A short chuckle comes from her lips as she closes her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath to herself. “Sunset has always liked romantic movies. Did she ever tell you how she forced all of us to watch The Beauty and the Beast?” Shortly, the cowgirl begins to laugh to herself, recalling some sort of memory presumably as she holds her belly slightly. “No, I don’t think she ever told me about that story~” I say in a quiet yet cheerful voice, taking a long sip of water afterward. “Good golly, it was a good time~ Rainbow was none too pleased about it and even threatened to jump out the window until Fluttershy asked her to please stay. Rarity was so excited that she gripped onto my arm the whole movie. I swear she must have made my arm go numb at one point,” the cowgirl states slowly, thinking about the past situation. “Either way, Pinkie also made some sort of surprise popcorn which turned out to be a random assortment of candy and chocolate syrup. There was hardly any popcorn in it now that I think about it.” Her laugh starts to subside as she takes a deep breath in and out, nodding sleepily to the cool air that brushes past both of us. “That sort of reminds me of a certain chaotic visit to the amusement park,” I chuckle slightly, thinking about a time that seems like a lifetime ago at this point. Applejack, seemingly curious about my statement, opens her mouth to ask me a question, but she’s stopped by the sound of a loud kitchen timer just inside the house. Standing up quickly, she opens the door to the house, walking inside and opening the oven. Just as I stand up to help Applejack, I look towards the long driveway and see an all too familiar sight. Running towards the house with a wagon right behind her, Apple Bloom’s bright yellow skin reflects the sun easily as her bow bounces to each movement she makes. Smiling to myself, I look inside the window into the house and see Applejack setting out a couple more pies. “Hey, Applejack?” I nervously say, catching her attention as she looks towards the window. “I’m sorry to say this, but Apple Bloom is back home now and I promised her I would help with her own preparations for the reunion. Do you think you can fix the porch without me?” I ask cautiously, not wanting to seem like I’m just ditching her for a new chore. “I don’t think I can,” Applejack says, slowly, tilting her hat slightly as she walks to the window, locking her gaze with mine. “I know I can. I’ve been fixing this dang porch every summer for ten years now.” With a slight chuckle, she puts her hand on my shoulder, nodding slightly. “Thanks. For helping out around here and talking with me. I… I hope we can learn to be great friends, sugarcube,” Applejack slowly says, another guilty expression taking hold of her face. Both of us laugh slightly, sharing a singular moment. “I hope so too, Applejack~” ====================================================== Walking into Apple Bloom’s room, I can’t help but feel like I’m being invasive, looking around at all of Apple Bloom’s closest belongings. To the right of the door, there’s a big dresser, presumably full of clothes, and to the left, there is a huge toy chest, overflowing with an assortment of pretty things and more rugged toys that you would expect a cowgirl to play with. I have to admit, it’s odd to see a doll right next to a toy revolver. Apple Bloom, seeing where my attention is directed, grabs her toy revolver and pulls the trigger, making a clack sound ring through the small room’s walls. “Do you like this?” she asks, handing me the toy innocently enough. Despite the kind smile on her face, I can’t bring myself to accept the offer, just looking blankly down at the toy slightly. Even though it’s a toy, the shape of it reminds me of times that I would… rather forget. The click of the trigger is all too familiar… “Not really. I’ve always been more of a doll person if you will.” Especially since Sonata often shared her toys with me back when we were children… “Oh? Okay~ Well, just make yourself at home, alright? I don’t mind if ya touch my dolls or such~” Apple Bloom, just as caring as ever, walks over to her bed in the middle of the room, patting it slightly to signal me to sit. Just as I comply with this request, Apple Bloom walks over to her dresser and opens it, looking through it intensely. The bed also had a couple of small bedside dressers next to it, one with a lamp and the other with an alarm clock and a framed picture of her family. Opposite of the door to her room, there’s a small white desk with a mirror, pictures of the CMC surrounding the edges of the frame. Apple Bloom’s room, as small and limited as it is, has a lot of character, expertly displaying the type of person Apple Bloom is. Reserved when she needs to be, but passion pours out of every action she takes. “How was school?” I ask slowly, lying back on the bed with a small sigh to myself. Apple Bloom simply shrugs to my question, content on her search for something in the dresser. “It was fine I suppose… It’s just Diamond Tiara again. She keeps teasing Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and I.” Slowly, Apple Bloom carries a big box of craft supplies over to the bed, setting it down beside her when she sits down next to me. “Again? Have you tried talking to her like I said?” I ask, sitting up and remembering the small conversation Apple Bloom and I had over this in our letters. “Yeah, I did, but she can’t seem to stop it. She doesn’t even seem to regret it. It’s just like she’s taking her anger out on us for some reason.” Setting the glue, scissors and colorful paper on the bed, Apple Bloom grabs some string and starts to cut it into five inch intervals. “Not only that, but her dad, Filthy Rich, brings her out of school every Tuesday, so she gets a day off from everyone else. I mean, how hard can her life be?” The small cowgirl’s anger makes her fingers shake slightly, sighing to herself. “I mean, I work on a farm every day and she can’t bring herself to lift a dang backpack. She needs to gain some muscle, that’s all.” “Wait, her dad is Filthy Rich?” I ask cautiously, still registering the words she said before. Apple Bloom’s eyes lock with mine for a moment as her eyebrow raises, a slow nod coming from her. “Uh, yeah. What about it?” she asks me, curious of my response. “And you say that she… can’t even lift a backpack?” “I would say she acts more like it. She’s always had her butlers carry things for her, but recently, she’s even started acting sick to avoid teach’s questions.” Apple Bloom’s eyes drift down to her craft again, mumbling off to herself slowly. If I had known Apple Bloom’s bully was the daughter of Filthy Rich, I would have given her different advice… I probably forgot the girl’s name since I never really listened to Rich back then, but now… I can’t seem to forget the words he told me the last time we talked on that beach… God damn it, the dots are finally connecting… “Apple Bloom? I… Maybe you should take it easier on Diamond Tiara,” I slowly sigh, looking away from the craft materials momentarily, staring outside her window. “Tiara may not be… acting…” =============================================== Slowly, I close the door, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. Even though it’s already night, it’s strange that the blinds are already closed, making me question whether I closed them myself earlier in the morning. Even though today has been a stressful mess of social relationships, my mind is already eager to hop into bed, thinking about the feeling of Sunset’s warmth. It’s always the best thing to put me to sleep after all~ Shaking my head slightly, I breathe in and out before I start taking off my boots. Even though it wasn’t necessarily a lot of work to make apple decorations with Apple Bloom, the day itself has still taken a toll on me, making my body weary and tired. I yawn gently, bringing my hand to my mouth after unraveling the scarf from my neck and gently hanging it on the rack next to the door. It wasn’t the apple decorations that made us truly tired though. It was the conversation we shared at that time… Apparently, Diamond Tiara has been missing more and more school days, insisting that she can’t carry things mundane because they hurt her. This wasn’t out of the ordinary in Apple Bloom’s eyes, but now that she looks back on it, she told me that the statements had eerily serious tones to them. The information I gave Apple Bloom about Tiara’s father was… quite shocking to her. Normally, I would avoid telling the secrets of another, but in this case, I believe that maybe it was needed… Apple Bloom agreed to take it easier on the girl and look for anything she considers a true sign of weakness. Given the amount of medical equipment Filthy Rich had asked for, it’s not really hard to imagine what is going on in that household… Rubbing my forehead slightly, I fully slip off my socks and jeans, leaving myself in a t-shirt. Yawning, I close my eyes, listening to see if Sunset is awake. Walking into the hallway, I smile slightly. Hopefully, Tiara will be okay. For now, I need to have some time to breathe and finally rest from all the physical and… emotional work I’ve done today. Imagining Sunset’s cute breathing as she sleeps is almost enough to make me burst through that door and jump into bed with her, but I would prefer to not wake her if she is asleep. Smiling a little more, I grab the door knob slowly and nod to myself. Despite how stressful things can get, I am so glad I can always rely on Sunset. She’s always here for me, no matter what happens. I try to be there for her as well, but she never seems to complain about life, always smiling to herself. Turning the door knob slowly, I peek inside to see if she is asleep and… S-S… What…? Instantly, I let go of the door, freezing in my tracks as my eyes are glued to the figure on the bed, illuminated by the moon from the window… The woman I thought was asleep is instead sitting straight up, her shirtless body reflecting the light… But not as well as the object in her hand… The sharp and metallic object, gently held in her hand as tears stream down her face… Sunset…? What is… Please don’t tell me… Don’t tell me… Her hand slowly brings that object closer to the bottom of her belly, her tears staining her face even more… Every part of me can’t move as I see that damned object press against her skin, her eyes closing slightly as she winces… Why is this happening…? Through the sniffling, I hear Sunset make a singular whisper to herself, watching her action take place… “I deserve this…” Escalating CircumstancesAuthor's Note Confrontation always leads to unforeseeable consequences. It's an awkward feeling that Adagio is about to understand all too well as she tries to help the love of her life. Will they both come out with hope in the end? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this newest installment of the series! Again, sorry for the slow burn, but that's just how I write~ Anyway! I am posting this with chapter 5, so I hope you all enjoy the double upload~ Thanks to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading these chapters, this story wouldn't be what it is without her valuable input on my story decisions! So, everyone feel free to shoot her a PM to thank her on Fimfiction under the profile Mon668! https://www.fimfiction.net/user/473432/Mon668 Escalating Circumstances Chapter IV: Escalating Circumstances “A-Adagio…? H-how long have you been there?” her lips instantly move in sync with her words, her eyes show a feeling of surprise as she covers herself up with the damned blanket… Tears instantly wiped away… The object isn’t in sight anymore, but it’s shape is still imprinted in my mind… “A-are you doing alright? I um… I missed you~” her voice let out the statement confidently, faking cheer and happiness as her fingers twitched on the blanket around herself… Her smile comes back to her face, hiding the nervousness she clearly feels. My hands feel numb… A wobbly feeling spikes through my legs and my head is spinning… Despite my attempts to stabilize my breathing, my thoughts race through my mind, making me drop my phone to the floor. Why would… Why would she do this…? Someone so confident… Someone so determined and happy. Someone so… perfect… “Where is it…?” I ask weakly, finally locking my eyes with her again, slowly entering the room and walking towards the bed. “Hmm? Where is what?” she asks innocently, shifting slightly in the bed as she rubs her arm slowly, the cool air lowering the temperature of the sweat on my forehead… “Don’t fucking do that,” I say harshly, looking away for a moment. “Where… is the damn knife?” I ask slowly, looking into her eyes as I clench my fists. Why would she do this…? Am I not good enough…? Can I not help her…? “A-a knife? I don’t-” “Sunset, I know when you’re lying.” Interrupting her mid sentence, I walk the last stretch towards the bed, grabbing the blanket and pulling it away from her in my moment of anger and confusion. There it was… shining in our bed… That fucking object… It only takes a moment for Sunset to grab it, holding it close to her body, seemingly thinking of what to say as we lock our eyes. Why is it here, Sunset…? Why is there a knife in our bedroom…? “I-I can explain!” she states quickly, looking down at herself and the knife for an idea. “Why, Sunset…?” My question, as weak as it is, hits her ears as her head aims away from me, tears welling up in her eyes. “Someone so happy… so confident… Determined, caring, kind… Why would someone like that be in this situation?” My voice cracks slightly, feeling my own tears starting to well up in my eyes as she shifts uncomfortably, closing her eyes. The horrible feeling of silence is present as I stare at her, waiting for some sort of answer. To be honest, we both probably don’t know what to say… I never thought in a million years that I would… ever come across a scene like this… “I-it’s not like that…” “Then what is it, Sunset?” I ask instantly, walking towards the window and closing the blinds. No one else should ever see Sunset in these circumstances… I don’t even know why I am being subjected to this torture… What form of humor does god take from harming her…? Taking a deep breath, I look to Sunset once more and see her shivering body, her fingers quivering and the sound of sniffling fills my ears… “I’m… I’m sorry. Please, Sunset… What’s going on here?” I slowly ask her, walking towards the bed and sitting down next to her legs. “Let me in…” “No, I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to let you see me like this, Adagio… I didn’t want you to…” Covering her face with her hand, a few more quiet sobs fall into the air, her other hand dropping the knife back onto the bed. “Please don’t hate me… I can explain…” Her voice weakly lets out each word, pleading for me to stay rather than leave her in this hole of darkness. Gently, my hand rests on her leg, her eyes finally peeking through her hands… Both of our eyes filled with tears, not a sound escaping our lips. “I would never hate you, Sunset… Never. You made that impossible by being so kind to me… By being so friendly with me and giving me another chance. By being you…” Slowly, I move closer to Sunset, bringing my arms around her as gently as I can, rocking us both slightly. “I love you with all my heart… You’re the light to my life and I never want to see you hurt…” Bringing my lips to her cheek, I press them against her as softly as I can, trying to avoid the urge to cry into her. “That’s why I’m worried, Sunset… I love you…” Sunset’s arms gently return the embrace as her walls crumble down, finally crying and staining my chest with her sorrow. “Y-you really mean that?” Sunset’s voice cracks as she speaks, barely able to let out the few words through her cries. “I-I know that I… I always tell you that a-and all… It’s just that…” “You don’t think you deserve love?” I slowly interrupt, still rocking her in my arms slowly. Without saying another word, Sunset simply nods, crying a little harder into me as she holds us tightly together. “I promise, Sunset. I always mean that. Just like how you mean it when you say it to me.” Holding her close to me, I slowly hum as I rock her. “What would cause you to do this, Sunset? What hurt you this badly?” I ask as carefully as I can, using my most soothing tone. Sunset’s sniffling slows down a bit, burying her face into me slightly and breathing in deeply. “I did…” “You did…?” With a small nod, Sunset slowly lets go of me, wiping her tears from her face even though I’m still holding onto her. “Y-you… remember how I was evil a long time ago?” her voice lets out in a quiet whisper, taking a deep breath in afterward. Nodding to her question, I rub her head quietly and close my eyes, listening to her scattered breathing. “I-I… I have already forgiven myself for it… I know I’m not the same person anymore, but… every time my friends and I use magic anymore, I can’t help but feel… afraid that maybe she will come back…” A deep sigh comes from her as her tears slow down and her breathing becomes a little more controlled. “Magic is the thing that turned me into that… It also turned me into better things, but… I don’t know.” Her arms wrap around me as she rests her voice for a moment, calming herself. “It doesn’t happen often… Maybe once every couple of months… I even make sure to cut in the same spot to avoid… too many scars…” Gently scratching her scalp and feeling her soft strands in my hand, I take deep and slow breaths, rocking us both back and forth. “I understand… You do deserve love though, Sunset. Someone so pure and good… I love you so much. I don’t think I deserve love at all…” As soon as I say this, Sunset pushes away from me, locking her eyes with mine. “What? No! No no no, you do deserve love, Adagio. You deserve so much and I… I only want to give you the world, not my problems…” Once again, her eyes avert mine, thinking of what to say, but before she can let out another word, my hand cups her cheek slowly. A smile comes across my face, tears slowly sliding down my cheeks as I nod. “You do give me the world, Sunset~ You are my world~ I want to know about your problems and be there for you,” I slowly whisper, trying my best to hold back any urge I have to cry. Sunset’s eyes meet mine once more, her own smile coming back to her as we share a few tears. “Please… Try to rely on me more~ I will always be here for you, no matter what. Just like how you’re… here for me~” Sunset, now taking the initiative, grabs me in a hug and nods slowly, holding me as tight as she can. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be like this or-” “You can’t be perfect, Sunset~” For a moment, silence passes between us, nothing bothering our moment except for the sounds of our occasional movements. “You always tell me that. You’re human, Sunset~ And I love you just how you are~” Kissing her cheek once more, a sigh escapes my lips as I close my eyes. “Please, tell me when you feel like doing this again… I want to be here for you.” “If… if you promise me you’ll try to get your confidence back…” Letting go of our embrace, Sunset cups my cheek and smiles, looking into my eyes. “Then… I’ll promise to rely on you more… I’ll try. Just promise me, okay?” she asks me with a pleading look in her eyes, her warm smile once again eating at my heart. It seems that we still have a long way to go before we’re an ideal couple, getting along as best as we can. “I promise~” Pressing my forehead against hers, I gently rub my nose with hers, closing my eyes as I do so. “I never want anyone other than you, Sunset~” A small chuckle comes from Sunset, the final of her tears streaming down her face as she holds onto me. “I don’t want anyone other than you as well, Adagio~” We still have a long way to go… But I look forward to every step of the way with you, Sunset… A New AdventureAuthor's Note The world may seem dark at times, but at the end of darkness, there is always going to be a light. At least, this is what Adagio Dazzle has to tell herself now. As she tries to fix things with the one she loves, she realizes that life is about to become a whole new adventure~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this newest installment of the series! Again, sorry for the slow burn, but that's just how I write~ Anyway! I am posting this with chapter 4, so I hope you all enjoy the double upload~ Thanks to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading these chapters, this story wouldn't be what it is without her valuable input on my story decisions! So, everyone feel free to shoot her a PM to thank her on Fimfiction under the profile Mon668! https://www.fimfiction.net/user/473432/Mon668 A New Adventure Chapter V: A New Adventure Waking up early isn’t necessarily my favorite thing in the world. After all, I had a schedule that required me to go to work in the afternoon and go home way past dark at the nightclub… Now I work different times under Fancy Pants, but I never usually have to wake up before eleven. I’m not sure if I was ever really a morning creature… The only people who can answer that are Sonata and Aria. That is if they remember more than I do. I only really remember the big details about our lives back then… Like how Sonata shared her toys with Aria and I and how Aria would make all of us treats whenever we needed one. It was definitely a fun time, even if we did try to crush everyone under us. We never had a care in the world other than our own needs. After all, we didn’t need anyone else nor did we want someone else. It’s funny that my days are filled with worries now… I always worry about how they’re doing, even if I know I can’t find that answer. I don’t know where they are anymore and it’s far too late to find them now… I also worry about Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash and… Sunset… That’s why I woke up early today… I wanted to talk with Sunset before her damn internship. Maybe we can straighten some things out and… find out how we can make things better. At least good enough where she can rely on me… Pulling out the blueberry container from the fridge, I give them a slight shake to hear the oddly appealing sound of the berries rolling around inside the box. Opening it slowly, I take a small handful of the berries and gently drop them onto the waffles I prepared just a few minutes ago. Instead of dropping more berries on the second plate, I close the container and smile to myself, sliding it back into the fridge in exchange for a cherry container. Despite how busy things have been, I know that Sunset and I need some time together desperately. It’s especially been stressful since we haven’t really been able to talk a lot recently, but I know that Sunset would really enjoy some more time with me, even if I am a boring person. Maybe we can have a movie night soon~ Maybe… with her friends? For now, my main thought of getting to spend some time together is the Apple Family reunion, since I will be free and I’m already making a commitment to hang out with the others. I still… feel bad that Sunset hasn’t been relying on me, but I have to tell myself that things will be better soon… It’s just been a stressful period for both of us. Besides, I’m trying to build my confidence up, right? Putting a singular cherry in the middle of my waffle, I sigh to myself, closing the container and returning it to the icy domain it came from. It isn’t much of a breakfast, but I’m not much of a cook. I’ve been trying to learn more recipes, but compared to Applejack, I’m still a novice. Taking the plates in my hands, I walk into the living room slowly, setting them down on the coffee table with a small smile appearing on my face. I already made both of our drinks beforehand, a cup of orange juice for Sunset and some water for me. Personally, I’ve never tried orange juice, but given Aria’s reaction to it a long time ago, I feel hesitant to give the beverage a try. Then again, Aria didn’t like most foods and thought of it as a petty thing to do when we could just siphon off power with our magic. I wonder what she eats now that we don’t have magic… Walking out of the living room, I slowly approach the door to our bedroom, listening for any activity inside before putting my hand on the knob. I gently turn the knob after I’m satisfied with the sound of nothing, peering inside our white room. The lump in the blanket indicates the shape of a sleeping person, causing me to smile a little to myself. Personally, I feel a little responsible for her… actions last night, but Sunset wouldn’t want me to feel that way. No matter what I try to think, it feels like there is something I could have done to make things better between us… Maybe I wasn’t caring enough… I’m going to fix that, no matter what it takes… Gently walking inside on the tips of my toes, I slowly approach her side of the bed, seeing her peaceful sleeping face. Even after everything she’s gone through in life, she still has the sweetest smile and finds the determination to show it each and every day. Bringing my lips to her forehead, I can’t help but lay a small kiss on her as I pull the blanket off of her, my arms gently sliding under her. Honestly, I’m surprised that Sunset hasn’t woken up from this, but regardless, I slowly pull upward, carrying her body up in the air. I suppose my eyes can’t help but linger on Sunset’s cute smile in her sleep as she leans against me, the urge to kiss her building up in me once more. “You’re so beautiful, Sunset,” my lips mouth quietly to myself, smiling as I begin to walk away from the bed. As I walk slowly, the motion seems to stir Sunset, causing her to move slightly and yawn. Her hand lazily comes up to her eyes, rubbing gently to wake herself up a bit more. By now, I’ve stopped moving to try and coerce her back to sleep, not wanting this moment to end already, but it seems Sunset has different plans. Slowly, her eyes open to look around, probably to find the source of the motion. As she sees me, a big smile comes across her face, seemingly surprised by this current predicament we’re in. “Adagio…? What are you doing~?” she asks with a tired tone to her face, looking down to realize the source of the movement. “You’re carrying me? I thought I was supposed to be the romantic one in this relationship~” Sunset teases me slightly, leaning into me with a smile. Taking a few steps towards the door, I gently kiss her forehead once more, smiling to myself. “Well, I just wanted to take the initiative for once~ Besides, I figured it would be nice if we could talk before you go to work~” “Don’t you think you should at least let me get dressed first?” Sunset giggles slightly in both a humorous and nervous tone as she covers her chest. Despite the fact that last night was the first time I’ve seen her shirtless body, I don’t quite care due to the current circumstances. The more pressing matter is making sure Sunset feels loved and comfortable. “I’ll get you a shirt and some pants in a moment~ Just relax and let me take care of things,” I whisper slowly to her, kissing her cheek and nuzzling her slightly. “I love you so much~” Walking through the doorway, Sunset giggles slightly, resting her head against my chest with a sigh. “I hope this isn’t because of… what happened last night. I don’t want to make you treat me any differently.” A small sigh escapes her lips as I carry her down the hall. “It’s true that we need to talk about that a bit more, but the main reason I’m doing this is because I’ve missed talking with you for a week now~” A small giggle is shared between the two of us as we enter the living room, Sunset’s eyes widening to the sight of the waffles on the coffee table. “Adagio? Did you do all of this for me?” Sunset’s voice catches in her throat slightly, making her embarrassed and flustered features seem even cuter than before. Giving her a nod as my only response, I set her down on the couch with a chuckle. Turning around, Sunset’s hand grabs my arm gently, causing me to look at her, wondering what she needs. “Could you also get my socks? My feet are a bit cold and all,” Sunset sheepishly says, averting her gaze slowly. “Of course, my summer mist~” I slowly state, kissing her forehead before taking a few steps away again. A bright blush appears on Sunset’s face as I leave, her shocked expression still imprinted on her face. A smile comes across my lips, bringing my hand to my cheek slightly as I walk back inside of our room. Slowly opening the first drawer of the dresser, my eyes widen and I stop breathing for a second, quickly closing the drawer again. How many times will I forget that the first drawer is her underwear drawer…? Shaking my head, I open the second drawer and pull out a white shirt. It doesn’t have any real designs on it except for Canterlot High’s logo on the shoulder of the shirt. It was probably something Sunset had to wear during school events like the Friendship Games. Even though I wasn’t really there long enough to see what the Friendship Games are about, Sunset told me the basic details of what happened the last time she was a part of it. Apparently, that’s where they met Twilight. Well, the new Twilight. I guess there are two versions of her now, huh? It’s always confusing to think about that, I just hope there isn’t some other version of me in this world… Pulling out a pair of jeans from the third drawer, I can’t help but feel a little jealous of Sunset since she has more than two pairs of pants. I really need to save up for some new attire… Brushing my fingers through my hair, I open the fourth drawer and pull out a pair of black socks. Hopefully, Sunset will enjoy the articles of clothing I’ve picked out for her. Walking out of our room, I can see Sunset from the hall, enjoying the blueberry waffle I made for her while trying to keep herself modest with one arm covering herself. Honestly, I don’t mind if Sunset is exposed or not since I still love her all the same. I guess I wouldn’t want her to feel embarrassed around me. No matter what happens to the two of us, I will always love her with all my heart… That fact was proven with how much my heart hurt when I forced myself to stay away from her. It’s ironic since I’ve thought this heart of mine has been dead for a long time, so the sensation of pain was odd. Walking into the living room, I give Sunset the articles of clothing with a smile, sitting down next to her as she takes a drink of her orange juice. Her happy smile once again returns to her as she hugs me, gently laying her lips on my cheek as she does so. “Thank you for all of this, Adagio~ It’s really nice of you~” she states before standing up to pull on the shirt I gave her. Sunset, pulling her jeans up her legs, slowly takes one of the blueberries and pops it into her mouth with a giggle. After she gets done with her socks, Sunset grabs a blanket from the side of the couch and sits right beside me, draping the blanket across both of our laps. For a few moments, nothing but the sound of our forks cutting into our waffles is heard, both of us unsure of what to say at the moment. I suppose it’s understandable in this case, but I try my best to shake my head, taking one of my last bites of my waffle. Unsurprisingly, my cherry is still left on the plate. “I… kind of have a question.” My statement seems to come across perfectly, Sunset’s eyes look towards me slowly. A sense of dread overcomes me for a few moments, but I try to avoid the nerves, clearing my throat slowly. “You say you… don’t do that very often. What caused you to feel like you needed to last night…?” I ask her slowly, locking my gaze with hers. For a moment, Sunset has a guilty expression take hold of her face, her hands fidgeting with themselves as she nervously giggles to the question to think of an answer. “To be honest…” Her words trail off, looking away from me as she thinks of the right words to say. “I… My friends and I have been… kind of distant with each other. Ever since Valentine’s Day and all. I told you about that and I am sure things will get better, but last night… it just felt like I didn’t have time for you or my friends…” Her ocean eyes turn back towards mine, a shameful look caught inside them. “Again… I’m really sorry about-” Gently wrapping my arms around the person I love, I hug her as softly as I can and close my eyes. “It’s alright, don’t be sorry. I just… want to be there for you,” I whisper into her ear, slowly rocking us both back and forth. “I know, and I will try to rely on you more. I promise that. I just… wish everything wasn’t so difficult with our lives recently… You know?” Her statement, as simple as it is, carries a lot of weight for the both of us, a sense of melancholy surrounds us both for what feels like an hour. “I know what you mean… But I um… I was actually wondering if… maybe you would like to go to the Apple Family reunion too? It would be really nice to hang out again.” Before I can explain any more, Sunset nods happily and hugs me even tighter than before, both of us feeling the warmth of each other’s embrace. “I would love that~ I… I would love to spend time with my friends and I… would love to spend time with you…” A happy sigh exits Sunset’s lips as she probably thinks about the upcoming events. That same melancholy feeling lingers on my mind though, keeping me from smiling as much as she does. I suppose being separated from her friends boils down to my fault in the end… It’s due to my existence in Sunset’s life that this all happened. It’s due to my hubris that I fell so far… that Sunset had to save me from that dark hole I called life. It’s inevitably my existence that caused the distance between the seven friends… It is my fault… And… It’s my responsibility to fix it… ======================================== Looking at the map in my hands, I can’t help but sigh to myself, trying to figure out which house I am supposed to go to. Due to the messy handwriting on the note, the address is almost illegible except for the neighborhood title. I haven’t quite been in this part of the city before, but I hear it’s where most of the richer people live. Although, I believe that fact is evident when one sees all the fountains, clean grass, nice outdoor parks and even sprinkler systems. These kinds of things would be wrecked or stolen within minutes in the same neighborhood of my old apartment… That’s partially why I’m glad Sunset suggested that we move in together. It got me out of the hell hole I called home and allowed me to be closer to her. Still, Sunset and I don’t nearly have the same amount of money as the people who live in this district. If I remember correctly, Fancy Pants also owns a house somewhere around here, but that’s not the reason why I’m here. Walking past a park area, I see kids in clean clothes playing games with each other and laughing the whole time. Honestly, their attire is probably worth three times the amount of the clothes I have on… Then again, that’s not saying much, considering the fact that I only really have jeans, boots, a jacket and a scarf on. The kids are probably friends with one another, since they all come from around the same area. Though, I suppose it depends on if there are bullies within this environment. I guess there are bullies in every environment now that I think about it… I was one of them… Friendship is actually the reason why I’m here… not to look at the nice architecture or to admire the scenery of the parks. If I remember correctly, one of Sunset’s friends lives in this area, which is honestly surprising, given the fact that none of her friends strike me as the rich type. Other than Rarity, but I sense that’s more of her personality rather than actual income. A small sigh exits my lips as I look around my surroundings, seeing the same house being pasted every few yards on the same street. Not wanting to knock on every door until I find the right one, I take another look at the note, trying to decipher what the handwriting says. Sunset said that this was Rainbow Dash’s handwriting, but even she forgot what house it is specifically directing me to. Why am I not surprised that Rainbow Dash would be the one to write an incomprehensible address? With a sigh, I rub my forehead slightly, taking a right on the next street to sweep the houses for any indicators of a house that may belong to one of the girls. It’s my responsibility to fix this mess they’re in, so the faster I make amends, the better. Then, everyone can attend Sunset’s birthday party and she will be… a lot happier. Stopping in my tracks, a peculiar sight surprises me and makes me do a double take on my surroundings. Despite every house being virtually the same next to this one, this house was painted in a brown hue with vines growing on the outside. Dog obstacle courses are set up in the front yard and even bird feeders are hanging from the porch’s beams. A pit in my stomach gets even bigger as I finally realize who this house belongs to… I just hope everything goes alright… Six to ConvinceAuthor's Note After thinking to herself for a long time, Adagio finally decides that she needs to try and fix things between her and Sunset's friends. At least before Sunset's birthday. But when she finds herself at a particular house, will she have the courage to push through this mission of hers or will she fail to deliver? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I just wanted to make a new chapter upload since the last time I uploaded was more than a week ago. I really hope everyone enjoys this story! My beta reader loved reading it and I had a lot of fun writing it~ I haven't proofread it myself yet, but I will at some point~ Sorry for grammar mistakes. Again, a big thank you to Mon668 for helping me make this story what it is today! Six to Convince Chapter VI: Six to Convince I suppose it’s my legs that prevent me from getting closer to the house… They won’t move an inch, no matter how hard I try. Or maybe it’s the overwhelming smell of pets. I suppose it’s not necessarily a bad smell… if you like animals. Either way, the sense of dread I feel right now is equivalent to the urge to walk away. I suppose it’s always easier to run away from my problems, rather than approach them head on. I’ve always been like that, no matter what I do to fix it. Same old Adagio, huh? Running from those dark shadows in the deep corridors you call a mind. Trying to escape the inevitable and avoid any sort of loss… Those same old shadows chase me still, reaching out to me and trying to reign me in to the consequences of my own actions… Taking my first step closer to the house, a heavy feeling surrounds my heart. I still remember the words this girl said during Valentine’s Day… I never meant to cause such pain, but I did. I can never take it back, so the best I can do is to try and give more happiness now than the pain I dealt out back then. I had a deck to screw everyone else over in this card game of life, but sometimes you have to be fair to find happiness in this game… I’ve won far too many times. It’s about time I lose some… Walking closer to the house, I can’t help but notice the dog bowls with multiple names written across them. One surprisingly small bowl catches my eye though as I notice the few carrots left inside it. What dog eats carrots? Well, what kind of dog likes carrots that much? A dog named Angel at that… Shaking my head, I try to ignore all the different kinds of pet care tools on the porch and birds zipping around me, knocking on the door slowly. At first, I hear a few dogs start to bark and other animals begin to rile themselves up at the sound of my knock, but they are quickly soothed down before the door’s locks begin to jingle slightly. A knot forms in my throat instantly, realizing I don’t know what to say to the girl behind the door. No matter what I think of, it all sounds bland and uninspired. Hey, I’m sorry for ruining your life? Nothing sounds… sincere enough, I suppose… No matter what way I spin this story, it all comes down to me in the end. I caused all of this to go in this direction and I can’t undo it. Trying my best to smile and stand in a non threatening way, I brush my hair back quickly before the door opens to a pale yellow girl, pink hair running down her face and along her slim shoulders. Her eyes remind me of a gentle stream from a creek and her gentle frame reminds me of a deer caught in headlights. In fact, that’s exactly how she looks, standing right in front of me, her eyes glued onto me as her mouth gapes open for a moment. I can’t quite say the reason for her shock and fear is unknown to me, but I suppose it still proves how far I have to go as a person. Stepping back from the front door to give her some space, I smile as best as I can and bow slightly to the girl. I suppose I just want to give her the respect she deserves, despite my past… “Hello, I’m Adagio Dazzle~” I try to say kindly, even if these are the only words that seem to come from my lips. What else is there to be said…? Looking up and locking my eyes with the girl once more, her expression has changed from one of shock to an expression of confusion, looking at me from head to toe. Holding my hand out to her slowly, I nod, biting my lip at my own silent behavior. “I was wondering if we could talk~” A small breath seems to escape her lips as she tries to compose herself, bringing her hand to her shoulder and looking away from me for a moment. Now that I see her, it’s no surprise I never thought of the girl as a threat when compared to Sunset back then. Unless her friends are hurt or if she is motivated by them, she doesn’t really have a backbone. She mostly just tries to go with the flow… As understandable as that feeling is, it can lead to her being hurt… “I um… Hi…” Her small voice is barely able to say the statement as one of her hands tightly grips the door. She’s probably uncomfortable seeing me in the first place, but something like that is understandable when it comes to me. Not many people are exactly jumping up and down to see me… Regardless of her clear uncomfortable feelings towards me, the shy girl gently reaches her hand out to shake my hand in return, her grip almost nonexistent. I suppose a bit of me feels… sad that I still have such an impact on the girl. It feels like no matter how many hoops I jump through to try and be a better person, it’s never enough. Still, I enjoy the fact that Fluttershy is willing to at least say hi to me. “W-what do you want to talk about…?” her voice lets out directly with her eyes staring towards the ground instead. Honestly, she’s so quiet that I wouldn’t be surprised if I mishear her at some point in this conversation. “I was wanting to um…” Once again, the words escape me, still having a hard time believing I got this far in general, due to how much my legs wanted me to turn back. There’s still a long way to go, so I hope I say the right things… “I wanted to apologize.” For a moment, my words seem to have an impact on the small girl as her eyes widen slightly, still looking toward the ground as she thinks of what to say. “I know that… it’s hard to believe me. Especially with how much I’ve hurt everyone. I manipulated everything into a dark reality, one that only really benefited me.” Closing my eyes for a second, I find it a little hard to breathe, thinking about my own life and how long this past year and a half has felt. Deep down, my thoughts keep battering me with the same damned message. I know that I shouldn’t be forgiven, but… Sunset tells me otherwise… “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I’m sorry for hurting your friends and I’m really sorry for causing any of the hurt you may feel.” Despite my urge to keep my eyes closed and shut this reality out, I look towards Fluttershy once more, trying to keep my composure as I do so. No matter how much it may hurt to confront these feelings and mistakes, they’re mine to bear. Sunset once told me the first step to being a better person is by taking responsibility for your actions. That’s what I intend to do… For a few moments, nothing but silence is shared between Fluttershy and I, her eyes still avoiding mine as her hair droops over her face. Maybe my apology wasn’t enough… It doesn’t matter if she forgives me at this point. As long as I apologize and Sunset gets to reconnect with her friends, I will be happy. I would do anything just to make sure she has the best life she can… And I would do anything to try to make up for what I’ve done. Despite the awkward circumstances of the meeting, Fluttershy finally looks towards me from the corner of her eye, her hair still obscuring some of her face. “Did Sunset tell you to say that…?” is all her small voice whispers in an unusually straightforward tone. Not one stutter occurred during the statement… “No, she didn’t. She didn’t even tell me to come here,” I say quietly as well, the urge to feel my scarf once more envelopes my hand, causing my index finger to twitch slightly. I rely too much on this scarf… “That’s… really mature of you,” Fluttershy states in a shy tone, bringing her hand to her face and brushing the hair away. “I… really appreciate it… thank you.” Both of our eyes connect again, a small summer breeze brushing past the both of us on the porch. The sound of Fluttershy’s wind chimes accompany the breeze and the swaying branches of trees around us. Fluttershy’s house really is peaceful. I suppose I understand why she lives here, but how she can afford it is an entirely different question. “Don’t thank me just yet,” I state with a smile, trying my best to be as friendly as possible. I suppose I want Sunset’s friends to like me someday… Maybe then I will feel worthy of her. And maybe I could have more friends myself… “I still have a lot to prove, but I’m really glad you listened to me. Thank you for sparing me your time~” With a smile and another slight bow, I turn around slowly and look around at the world in front of me. All the bright colors and soothing noises fill my senses as my hand finally reaches up to my scarf to feel the material slightly. Taking my first step off the porch, I take a deep breath and try to smile to myself. This was good progress… wasn’t it…? “Wait…” Fluttershy’s voice quietly calls out to me from behind, my gaze turning around to meet hers. My mind tells me to heed her request, making me smile at her as best as I can. Gently, Fluttershy’s hand reaches inside her doorway and pulls out a towel slowly, her eyes meeting with mine. Again, silence ensues for a little while, Fluttershy seemingly thinking of what to say as our eyes lock with each other. “Have you… ever washed a dog before?” ============================================= Soap. Soap gets everywhere. It’s slippery and usually wet, causing it to be easily spread, which definitely helps with hard to reach areas. Although, when it comes to trying to see, the soap suds don’t necessarily help you with your overall quality of life. I suppose it’s just my own opinion, but I never thought this much soap would be needed to wash anything smaller than a fucking fighter jet. But here I am, in an old t-shirt and shorts, barefoot in knee high soap suds, water spraying everywhere around me and hyperactive dogs running through the soap and sprinklers. At this point, I’m afraid to move anywhere, due to the possibility of stepping on a smaller dog or tripping on one of the bigger ones. The soap suds are all around me and I’m at every disadvantage if these hairballs decide to gang up on me. It would be like freaking ninjas jumping out of the shadows… A small giggle comes from Fluttershy as she sees the situation I’m in, gently washing a small white rabbit. This rabbit in particular has kicked me five times and has tried to make me trip in the soap more than once. It’s almost like the little ball of riled up cocaine is the ringleader of the animals here, not only running with the dogs, but deliberately riling up the cats that I had worked so hard to calm down. Never before have I wanted to commit homicide on an animal, but I suppose today is a day of firsts. Can you be arrested on a murder charge for what is essentially a white demon made of fluff…? Regardless, the rabbit seems to be Fluttershy’s favorite pet, so I’ve been trying to be nice so far. Looking away from the two of them, I look down at the soap suds that envelope my legs, four or five dogs keep zipping right past me. My balance is thrown off practically second, but I have a mission to complete… Wash Snowy… Snowy is a particularly small white dog who also seems to have the energy of a kangaroo on steroids. His coat color makes it even harder to spot him whenever he zooms past me and that’s not accounting for the fact there are at least four other dogs mixed in as well. Holding a bar of soap in one hand, I instinctively reach down into the suds right as a blur runs into the soap toward my legs. For a moment, I feel the shape of a pitbull and realize that this isn’t the right dog before a big tongue licks right across my face from the suds. “Buster likes loving on people~ Sorry about that,” Fluttershy states with another giggle, brushing the hair of the rabbit as he ate another carrot. The pitbull runs away just as quickly as he came, starting me back at square one. I suppose the only thing I can do is keep trying the same method until I get Snowy… Or move out of the suds, but I almost fall every time I try. A small breath exits my lips as I catch a particularly active dog. Pulling up the little guy from the suds, I do my best to hold him as a smirk spreads across my lips. “Snowy, you rascal. It’s time to have your bath,” I slowly state, trying to keep the dog calm in my arms. “Hey, Fluttershy, I got him-” My sentence is abruptly cut short as I see the same white ball from hell come sprinting at me, right from Fluttershy’s lap. Before I can react to the sight, the rabbit runs into the suds right before something hits my leg, causing me to trip. Thankfully, hitting soapy grass is a lot less painful than hitting concrete, but now Snowy has once again gotten out of my grasp. I swear this rabbit is making me think of things that are… less than ideal. Rubbing the dirt from my face, the soap suds around me are brushed away as Fluttershy looks down at me, offering me a hand up from the ground with a smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into Angel. He usually doesn’t play this rough with others.” I would love to ‘play’ with him too… Shaking my head, I take Fluttershy’s hand and bring myself to my feet, nodding slightly. “It’s alright, I understand. I’m just curious as to how you handle these rascals now,” I say with a nervous chuckle to myself, wiping the dirt from my legs as I look at the dogs running all around the backyard. Of course, the rabbit runs back to Fluttershy, instantly being carried up to her shoulder by her hand. “It just takes practice, that’s all~” Fluttershy states with a smile, petting her rabbit companion slowly. “If you want, I could help you clean Snowy,” she offers quietly with a polite tone to her voice, but I shake my head slowly, looking toward the grass in front of me. Fluttershy helped clean the other dogs before Snowy, but I want to clean the little guy myself… At least then I can say I was of some use. “No, no. Go back to resting, I can handle Snowy. Especially now that I am out of those soap suds,” I joke with a small laugh, looking down at my feet. This dog thinks he can beat a siren? He has another thing coming to him real soon. “Now, back to Snowy~” =============================================== Walking back down the sidewalk, I give Fluttershy one last wave as she closes her front door, the light of the setting sun bathing the world in a darker orange hue. A small sigh exits my lips as a smile forms, thinking about the day’s events. Honestly, I’m really glad I got to help her a little bit. Despite Fluttershy’s kind words, it was still obvious that she felt awkward around me, but hopefully this can help us close that gap. Given, I didn’t help her a lot. I kept needing her help or my productivity was being countered by the rabbit named Angel every five seconds. Still, it’s a nice thought that maybe things can start to get better now. I just need to make an effort to keep that cycle up. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I notice a notification bubble lights up on my screen, showing me that I’ve received a message since the last time I opened my phone. A small part of me feels oddly guilty since I didn’t actually open the message until now, but I don’t think I could have checked it before, due to the mischief that happened at Fluttershy’s house. Turning my phone on, a big smile comes across my lips involuntarily as I see my background, unchanged from the sleeping picture of Sunset I took a few months ago. It still makes me smile like a small child being given a new toy, but I suppose that just shows how much the fiery-haired girl means to me now. I wish I could hug her or hold her hand right now~ It would be so nice to feel her soft touch and see her beautiful face smile for me once more~ Shaking my head, I bite my lip as I open the message notification, seeing it’s from Sunset. “What could my Summer Mist want~?” I mouth to myself, feeling my scarf with my other hand. It will only be a few more hours until I can hold her again~ 1 NEW MESSAGE FROM: Shimm Shimm Hey, Adagio~ I know you’re probably busy right now, but I was wondering if you could maybe pick up some groceries on your way home? I only really need a couple things, but you can also get anything you need as well~ Just remember that I love you SO much and you mean the world to me~ Even if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe in you~ I miss you~ <3 Instantly, my cheeks flush once more, unsure of what to say in response as my eyes reread the message multiple times. Even though she does this daily, I still never get used to the loving messages. A small smirk comes across my lips as I type my response into my phone’s keyboard, thinking about Sunset’s warm smile. “Sure~ But only if we can watch a movie tonight again~” For a moment, my finger hesitates to type in any more words, but I force myself to type in the last sentence, despite my bright blush. “I love you more~” An Awesome MeetingAuthor's Note The day's coming to a close on Adagio, meaning it's one more day closer to the Apple Family reunion. Adagio thinks about the day so far until she bumps into an old friend, inspiring a conversation that gives her a bit of hope for the future. Things seem to be looking up for the siren. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Yeah! It's another double upload! I hope everyone is enjoying their spring breaks! Yes, I used mine to write Sundagio trash, but hey! I love the ship and it makes me happy to write this stuff~ I really enjoyed writing these chapters, but as always, criticism is always welcome! Negative and positive. I'm always willing to hear what people have to say. Once again, I want to give a HUGE thank you to my good friend Mon668 for helping me make this story the best it can be~ An Awesome Meeting Chapter VII: An Awesome Meeting I don’t set foot in supermarkets that often. The last time I walked in here was to buy the jacket I planned on giving Sunset for her birthday. Hell, the time before that was months ago to actually buy Sunset a gift for Christmas. Back when we weren’t friends… If groceries can qualify as a gift, I suppose the only three times I’ve gone to a supermarket in the past three years were to buy Sunset a present. This time, the present is a whole host of foods from a list she sent me by text. Apparently, she wants to try cooking a new recipe for us tonight once she gets home. But honestly? What the hell kind of recipe requires this much cheese? I’ve already gotten four packs of lasagne noodles, two jars of tomato sauce, three peppers and two seasonings. Now I’m supposed to get “as much as your arms can carry” worth of cheese. As much as I love the orange girl with a fiery passion, sometimes her antics confuse me. But, then again, her antics are the things that inspire such nice adventures between the two of us. It’s what keeps me guessing and allows her to think of innovative ways to approach a problem. I suppose it’s another reason I love her honestly. “What is that? Reason number 56?” I ask myself as I close my eyes, putting my phone back into my pocket to pick up some cheese containers. If I wrote down the whole list of reasons to love her, I’m sure it would beat one million without getting half way. She’s just too… perfect not to love. Smiling to myself, I think about the day’s events. Today has been pretty good, honestly. I got to apologize to Fluttershy and start our way towards what can possibly be a friendship. Slowly, I put another one of the cheese containers into my cart, humming slightly to myself. The best part of it all is that I get to go home and have a nice meal with my favorite person in the whole world~ Although, I’m not trying to put down Rainbow or Apple Bloom. They’re still great people and my best friends, but it’s normal to feel this way towards your girlfriend, right? Girlfriend… It’s such an odd word. Sunset told me it’s what people call the person they’re in a relationship with. If I remember correctly, sirens didn’t really have a lot of relationships. We had ceremonies equivalent to weddings, sure, but relationships? I never really felt attraction for someone before, but even if I did, I was determined to prove my worth as the best siren out there. Not only did I want to satisfy my own ego, I wanted to prove I was better than everyone else. Honestly, there wasn’t much to prove since there weren’t many sirens left anyway. If there’s not a lot of competition, then you’re not fighting so hard. So, I moved onto Equestria to try and get a bigger challenge. At first, it worked out, but later down the line, not so much. It’s funny that only now, in a different world, do I find someone I love. Someone who’s from the same world I’m from, so it’s twice as confusing. Love in of itself is confusing. You spend so much time wanting to make them happy and wanting to be a part of their life. There are so many times that I think about her for no reason at all, just to try and remember her fiery hair and warm smile. Hell, I never thought I would say ‘I love you’ to someone before, but here I am, awkwardly thinking about the girl who has captured my thoughts for so long now. “Woah, woah, woah! You can’t tell me you’re seriously about to buy those!” a familiar voice exclaims beside me, startling me awake from my daydream. Instantly turning my gaze, I see the welcoming sight of a blue girl with rainbow hair, her jaw agape at my choice of cheese. “Dagi, may I ask you something? Are you out of your bucking mind!?” she asks me with an expression of shock as she instantly grabs a different kind of cheese, handing it to me as quickly as she can. “Trust me, you’ll thank me later!” “Did you just say… bucking?” I ask slowly, still trying to comprehend the situation I’ve been tossed into. For a moment, the rainbow-haired girl blushes at her own words, bringing her palm to her face and sighing profusely. “Damn it, AJ… Sorry, Applejack uses bucking as an alternative for the actual swear. She and I hang out a lot and I guess she’s starting to rub off on me. Ugh… Please, if you ever see me in cowboy boots, just shoot me.” Rainbow slowly chuckles at her statement looking up slightly. “But seriously though, don’t pick that cheese. It made me hurl for like weeks.” “Weeks, huh?” I ask with a look of skepticism to my eyes, adding to my smirk. We both share a light chuckle before Rainbow shrugs her shoulders. “Well, okay. Maybe that was an exaggeration. It was more like two or three days.” Without warning, Rainbow Dash immediately wraps her arms around me, tightly squeezing me in her embrace. It’s nowhere as strong as Apple Bloom’s hugs, but there’s possibly no way anyone could be as strong as that little steam engine. I swear that girl could pop the eyes out of Bigfoot itself. It only takes a few seconds for Rainbow to let go of me, a confident expression seizing hold of her face once more. “It’s really nice to see you, Dagi~ How are you doing? I didn’t expect to find you here~” A small giggle escapes my lips as I start to grab the cheese Rainbow recommended. Sunset wasn’t specific about which brand of this cheese, so I suppose any kind should work. “Well, Sunset wanted me to get some groceries for her. Apparently, she wants to try a new recipe for dinner tonight~” My cheerful expression lingers on my face longer than I mean it to. Honestly, I’m really proud of Sunset for always pushing herself to try new things and to get better at the things she’s already a part of. “Huh? I see~ Do you mind if I see what you have there?” she asks me before looking into my grocery cart anyway. I would have been a little irritated at someone for asking for my permission and doing it anyway, but this is Rainbow Dash. Oblivious comes as a second nature to her. “So, she didn’t say what it was she was cooking?” Rainbow asks me a bit suspiciously, a weird look caught in her eye. “No, she didn’t. But I’m sure she made a good choice~ She usually does.” Once again putting a cheese container into the cart, Rainbow Dash giggles to herself, seemingly recognizing the materials in the cart. “What? Do you know what she’s making?” “It looks like she’s planning to make lasagna to me~” Rainbow chuckles to herself, nodding at the idea. “It’s pretty good~ If you haven’t had it before, you’re about to be amazed! Well, unless Sunset uses a shitty recipe, but I feel like she can manage. I mean, she can make good toast~ That’s pretty much all I know of Sunset’s culinary skills.” “And you can only make cereal, Dashie,” I tease her with a giggle of my own, patting her shoulder slightly. “That’s not true, actually! I know how to make sandwiches. And I have recently acquired the skill of using a can opener!” Rainbow proudly says with a big smile. Despite my urge to tease her for the skill that is usually learned a lot sooner, I can’t really judge her since I am still learning how to use mundane things. Given, I’m from another world and she was born here. “But hey! What have you been doing recently? We haven’t really talked for like four days now other than you asking me what the address meant. Seriously, girl. Not cool. You could have at least had a small chat with me.” A silly smile comes across my face momentarily, remembering the things I’ve done this past week. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I’ve been really busy lately, but I did go to the Apple Farm. Applejack and I did chores together as I waited for Apple Bloom, so we got a chance to talk.” “Oh? Really? Are things going better between you two?” Dash asks me with a smile, leaning against the shelves of food. Again, she forgets her irritation almost instantly after being given an interesting conversation topic. “I would like to think so~ Though, there’s still a lot to do before we can call each other friends, if you understand what I mean.” A sympathetic smile comes from Rainbow as she nods slowly, brushing the strands of rainbow hair out of her face before it falls right back into place. “Yeah, AJ can be hard to become friends with. I suppose it’s even harder for someone we had beef with, huh?” A small laugh comes from the athlete as she holds her stomach, walking past me and pulling her own cart along behind her. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll like ya soon enough~” Despite her kind words, my eyes are filled with confusion as I watch her walk away from me, slowly throwing a piece of gum into her mouth before locking eyes with me. “Come on~ You can tell me more as we shop~” Stopping in her tracks, our eyes stay locked for a while. I suppose talking with Rainbow for a bit as I find some more of the items on my list wouldn’t hurt… Redirecting my cart towards Rainbow, my feet take a few short steps, a smile appearing on my lips. “Yeah, I’m coming~” ============================================= “Huh? So, you went to Fluttershy’s house?” Rainbow states with a chuckle to herself, leaning on her shopping cart as I look at the selection of bread available. “Yeah, I did. It was definitely nerve wracking, but I did it. Though, it made me wonder why you forgot whose house the note was directing me to,” I say with a tone of suspicion, not meeting eyes with her as I inspect the expiration dates on the loaves of bread. A small, nervous chuckle escapes Rainbow’s lips, scratching her head gently. One of her feet rests on the bottom part of the shopping cart as she slowly blows a bubble with her gum. Clearly, the sporty woman had a lot of practice with gum, given the fact that she pops the bubble easily without making a mess on her face. “Yeah, I… kinda lied,” she admits with an embarrassed tone to her voice. “I just thought if I admitted it was Fluttershy’s house, then maybe you would be too scared to go.” The fact that she’s probably right is what scares me the most. Rainbow Dash being right about me. Well, it’s not the first time, but it means she knows me way too well. “Maybe it was for the best anyway. At least she and I got to wash the dogs together.” “Wait, Fluttershy wanted you to help wash the dogs?” Rainbow asks me with wide eyes, gently popping a cherry into her mouth from a container in her cart. Again, a surprised expression grips hold of my face, watching her chew the treat and wondering why she would do so with gum in her mouth. It seems my stare lasted for a little too long though, since Rainbow’s expression also turns to confusion. “What? I’m going to pay for it.” “I have no idea why, but my first thought was to doubt that,” I state quietly as I return my gaze to the bread, trying to ignore the thought of that damned thing… Cherries are great, but cherry cheesecake is even better… “Yeah, Fluttershy asked me to help clean the dogs. Why?” A nervous laugh escapes her lips before she pops another cherry into her mouth, giggling to the pain I went through. “Oh! Oh oh! Let me guess! You had soap suds everywhere and the dogs were running all around you, right?” Rainbow chokes out through her heavy laughter, irritating me slightly that she was right. “What, you went through it too?” “Of course! Practically every one of Fluttershy’s friends have helped her with it at one point. But damn. I almost feel bad that Flutters runs a daycare for pets. She probably loses sleep all the time.” A small giggle escapes her again, chewing on the berries slowly. “Though, I am glad you two got to spend time together, Dagi. Do you think things will get better between you gals?” Her question, as innocent as it is, inspires another ten questions inside my mind, despite my best efforts to keep the insecure thoughts down. Or at least keep them quiet… Of course, there’s the worry that things won’t get better… Maybe it will all get worse… “I think so,” I try to lie as best as I can, a stone cold expression on my face as I finally pick the loaf of bread that I want. Rainbow Dash, looking at me in a curious way, nods slowly and shrugs her shoulders. “Hey, Dagi. Let me tell you something…” Without explanation, the athlete grabs a container of peanut butter and a jar of jelly from her cart, holding one in each hand. “Being friends with someone like me is like spreading peanut butter. It’s easy depending on the circumstance, but you’re usually able to spread it with one swipe of the knife. But Flutters…? She’s more like the thick and hard to deal with jelly.” Should I be amused that her analogy actually makes sense…? “So, I’m sure things will get better between the two of you~ I’m rooting for you guys, you know?” Rainbow’s hopeful eyes stare into mine and despite my insecure thoughts flooding my mind, it still makes me feel better to hear those words said out loud. For a moment, the urge to thank her takes hold of me, but all that comes out of my mouth is a chuckle, nodding slowly to her words. “Hey, Dashie? Can I have one of those cherries~?” ======================================== Opening the door to our apartment, I rush inside quickly, my body shaking slightly from the cold outside the walls. Even though it was still summer technically, the night’s temperature still drops significantly, whether I want it to or not. Gently dropping the sacks on the carpet, I sigh to myself, feeling the warmth of our apartment hit my skin. A small smile spreads across my lips instantly when the thought of hugging Sunset comes to my mind. I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ve been thinking about her all day, so it’s a little hard to not want to hug her. Especially if it means we can cuddle each other to sleep~ Although, I suppose we do have to have dinner… Still, the thought of it is nice after the long day. Quickly taking my boots and socks off, I slide my jacket off my body, hanging it on the rack close to the door with my scarf. A small lingering scent of dog shampoo is still faintly in the air, probably due to how soaked my t-shirt got earlier in the day. At least it will offer a good story to talk about during dinner. While we eat lasagna and all. Honestly, Rainbow’s statement about lasagna has intrigued me ever since she said it… Shaking my head slightly, I instantly walk into the hallway from the living room, a giant smile spread across my face. “Hey, Sunset? I’m home~” I say a little too cheerfully, thinking about holding her in my arms just once more tonight. Perhaps I’m excited due to the fact that we can finally have a movie night together again. Or maybe it’s the thought of Sunset falling asleep on me like she does all too often~ The experience never gets old though. If anything, these small little experiences help remind me how much she means to me and how much I want to be her friend for the rest of our lives~ To be her… one and only for the rest of our lives… Opening the door knob to our room, my eyes peer inside and instantly locate Sunset sitting on our bed with a smile spread across her face, her eyes turning to me instantly. Her hands are preoccupied with feeling a pink towel in her lap. “Hi, Alligator~” Sunset says with a happy tone to her voice, her warm smile invading my mind again as she opens her arms toward me. “I’ve been waiting for you~” Instantly walking toward her, I practically sink into her embrace as both of us feel the warmth of our bodies. Sunset’s smell fills the air and my mind equally, that all too familiar feeling of happiness encompassing my thoughts once more. “I missed you~” I tease her with a soft sigh, resting my head on her chest as we hold onto each other. The moments pass by easily enough, nothing breaking the peaceful silence other than the sounds of our own breathing. The occasional whispers of ‘I love you’ are shared between us and the love of my life plants a few kisses on my forehead during our embrace. This is… pure heaven~ I’m sure she feels like it too, since her grip hasn’t loosened at all, still holding me tightly against her own body with peaceful sighs exiting her lips. Slowly, her hand brushes the hair out of my face, pressing her lips against my forehead once more. “I was planning on taking a shower before dinner and all, but now you’re home and it smells like maybe you need one more than me~” Sunset teases quietly with a loving tone to her voice. “Unless you’d like to join me, my sweet alligator~?” …. Wait. What? The One I LoveAuthor's Note The end of a day brings about many things. Some people will say that the end of a day is the best part, finally being able to relax before the storm of tomorrow. In this case, Adagio believes in that, finally being able to spend the night with the love of her life before worrying about what tomorrow will bring~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! Here's the fluffy chapter I've worked so hard on and I hope you all enjoy! I know I left off on a kind of big cliffhanger last time, so here is the resolution to it~ Anyway, enjoy the show and feel free to tell me what you think~ Once again, a HUGE thank you to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading this chapter and providing her feedback for the story~ The One I Love Chapter VIII: The One I Love My body isn’t technically something to be admired… When I still had my magic and ego, that wasn’t really the case. I believed the world was made to grovel and worship my every breathing moment. Perhaps I would have been right if I had just made a few less mistakes and actually won. But ever since I lost my powers, my body isn’t that great of a sight. At least, I don’t think so… I suppose one could think that I’m attractive, but every time I look in the god forsaken mirror, I sort of freeze up… What once was a powerful siren is now just a mortal woman, every last shred of dignity gone. The least I can do is try to hide myself more from everyone else. I suppose that’s why I wear jeans and hoodies all the time. My body isn’t beautiful… A small part of me still believes my only value as a person was my power and beauty, but now both are gone from my own eyes. Looking into the mirror, it almost feels shameful to look at my bare body. I was once worth something… No, don’t think that… I am still worth something, right? Just not in the same way I was back then… I’m worthy of love. I’m worthy of happiness. Right? I’ve tried so hard these past few months to turn it all around… And maybe it will all be worth it in the end. If I can just make things right with all of Sunset’s friends, then Sunset can have a happy birthday… The bigger problem, though, is the fact that Sunset is about to see this body for the first time… Why the hell did I agree to this? Just because Sunset loves me doesn’t mean she will love this physical form of mine… Hell, she deserves a lot better. Something… nice to look at rather than something plain, boring and ugly. It all comes down to me. Why would she fall in love with someone like me, who can’t give her what she deserves… The sound of running water fills my ears, imitating the running thoughts throughout my mind. Steam clouds the mirror I look into easily, my gaze diverting to my body instead. I was confident in this skin before… Recently, it just feels gross to look at myself. Sunset deserves someone who can make her happy. Someone who is… pretty… “Adagio? Are you coming?” Sunset’s voice happily calls out to me from the shower, the falling water obscuring her sentence ever so slightly. “Yeah…” My mouth can only really mouth the statement, slowly grabbing my clothes from the ground and putting them inside the hamper, a frown growing on my mouth. A thousand little thoughts chip at my mind, all of them related to the perception of my form. Sunset is a surprising person, so maybe she would actually like this… But my mind somehow doubts that. Bringing my hand to my eyes for a moment, I sigh to myself, thinking once more about what crazy thoughts convinced me to accept this offer. I wasn’t ready to share my own body, yet here I am, wanting Sunset to be completely comfortable around me? What is the good of becoming a hypocrite…? If I want Sunset to completely rely on me, I should be willing to completely rely on her… God, why can’t I trust that she’ll love me how I am? I’m always doubting our whole relationship as well… The reality I live in seems far more like a dream than an actual truth. Hell, I dreamt of this exact life multiple times when I tried to stay away from Sunset. I believed she deserved better, but in my effort to explain my own actions so that she wouldn’t blame herself, I ended up making this life a reality. Somehow, Sunset fell in love with me too. I’m not sure why… Or how… But here we are, in a bathroom where we both intend to bathe together. Both of us love each other more each and every day, yet we still find ways to be nervous around each other. Perhaps it’s because I admire her so much… Or the fact that she means so much to me that I instinctively want to impress her in any situation. A small sigh exits my lips, knowing damn well that I’ve prolonged this for too long. I just have to hope that I’m wrong about my assumption of what Sunset will feel, seeing this body of mine. Bringing my hand to my forehead, I slowly rub away the migraine and place my hand on the shower door handle. “I’m coming in,” I quietly say, just loud enough to be heard over the water. Pulling on the door’s handle, I slowly step inside the shower, looking towards the floor instead of watching the person in front of me. Closing my eyes, I gently bite my lip, waiting to hear any sort of reaction out of the person I love. Honestly, I’m not sure how I’m able to avoid the urge to let my eyes tear up, but I try to concentrate on my composure above all else. The feel of Sunset’s hand on my shoulder scares me at first, but I can once again feel the thoughts swarming my mind begin to fall away as she rubs gently, bringing me into her arms slowly. Despite the wet feeling of her skin, it’s still warm nonetheless. All of this just increases the urge to cry even more, unsure of how I should feel. “It’s alright~ You can open your eyes~” Sunset’s soothing voice whispers into my ear as she holds me close to her, gently laying a kiss upon my cheek. Following her advice, my eyes slowly open, still not sure if I am ready to see Sunset’s own reaction. Stepping back from our embrace, I slowly turn my gaze to the woman I love… Again, her eyes filled with the kindness she’s shown me ever since we met. That warm smile is still present, always forcing its way into my thoughts. Her shoulders still look soft, yet firm, ready and able to carry something if she has to. In fact, that could be applied to all of her… Just like her personality and actions, her body is… perfect. Beautiful is an understatement. This is the body Sunset is embarrassed about…? Honestly, it’s ironic how much her personality reflects her appearance. Never wanting to take away the spotlight, yet she radiates the beauty of the world in her actions, never letting go of my attention. Looking back up at her eyes, I feel a bit embarrassed as I notice where her own attention is directed. Despite my depressing thoughts, a smile is present on Sunset’s face, her eyes locking with mine once more. “Do you… like what you see…?” I am barely able to say, instantly averting my gaze towards the ground in an attempt to keep my composure intact. Slowly, Sunset’s hand reaches out and grabs mine, forcing my gaze to return to hers. “Why wouldn’t I~?” she teases slightly, bringing me in for another hug. “You’re perfect, Adagio~ In and out~ I will always mean that,” she whispers slowly into my ear, kissing my cheek as gently as she can. “You’re my everything, Adagio~ I will always love you. It’s just a bonus that you’re perfect on the outside as well~” Returning the embrace, I sigh happily, breathing into Sunset’s neck with a big smile on my face. “You’re perfect too, Sunset~ I really mean it~” Bringing my hand to Sunset’s cheek, I force her eyes to connect with mine once more, nothing but the sound of water being shared between us. “I… really love you, Sunset…” Without waiting for her response, my hand slowly brings her face closer to mine, shutting my eyes before our lips press together once more. Sunset pushes against me just as equally, bringing her hand to the back of my head, feeling my hair gently. Everything seems… right in the world. Whenever I kiss her, the world is suddenly okay… No matter what bad news may be keeping hold of my thoughts, being with Sunset always fixes my reality. I can’t help but love this person who has always been there for me… This person who loves me unconditionally for no reason other than she wants to. What did I ever do to deserve her? Sunset, breaking our embrace entirely too early, forces our eyes to meet once more, a giant smile written across her face from the kiss I initiated. “I really love you too, Adagio~” Gently, her hand reaches up and cups my cheek as her eyes become slightly more dreamy. “I can’t wait to spend forever with you…” Instantly, my cheeks flush to her statement, causing both of us to look away in a flustered state. I can never get used to our lovey statements, even if I initiate them. “Anyway, mind if I wash your back, Alligator~?” =============================================== The smell of pasta fills the air, bringing a smile to my lips. One could define it as the smell of our success, since we both made this together, but I probably caused it to take a lot longer with my questions. Sunset was able to find us both aprons for making this peculiar dish, but mine was just a plain checker pattern. Sunset’s, on the other hand, had the phrase ‘Kiss the Chef’ written across it with a couple hearts dotted around her chest. Normally, I would just giggle at the statement, but tonight, I took advantage of it every few moments, causing a big blush to appear on Sunset’s face when I did kiss her. Sunset has always been cute when she blushes~ Even when I didn’t realize it… “Hey, Adagio~ Look at this~” Sunset states to get my attention, my eyes turning to her as I wash out one of the measuring cups we used. Sunset, standing in front of the oven, giggles to herself as she carefully balances a spoon on her upper lip and beneath her nose, amused with her own action. The metal spoon looks similar to a mustache if it was metallic and reflective, causing me to laugh at the sight as well. “Am I a real chef now~?” Sunset tries to ask with a straight face through her own giggles, barely holding the spoon in place. Before I can try to answer her inquiry, the spoon falls from her lip, barely being caught by her hand before it has the chance of hitting the floor. “Well, you’re always making us the best food you can~” I state quietly with a smile, turning my attention back to the dish, scrubbing it gently. “So, I’d say you’re the real chef here~ But preferably without the mustache.” My response makes Sunset giggle to herself, walking over and hugging me from behind with a happy sigh exiting her lips. “What? Are you saying I wouldn’t look good with a mustache~?” Sunset teases me with a kiss on my cheek, holding me tightly as she giggles to herself. “Well, let’s just say I prefer you as you are now~” I slowly state, both of us sharing a small laugh ending in a content sigh, Sunset not letting go of me by even an inch. Even when I turn off the water from washing the measuring cup, Sunset doesn’t loosen her grip, just happily sighing to herself. “Sunset? I’m done washing this thing now, so-” “Just… a few more moments~” Sunset interrupts me, holding onto me as carefully as she can. A smile forms on my lips, closing my eyes to enjoy the moment as well, only the sounds of our breathing interrupting the silence in the warm room. That is until the damned oven starts beeping, making me jump slightly to the sound. Sunset sighs quietly, letting go of me to walk back towards the oven. Pulling some oven mitts on, she opens the cooking device quickly, grabbing the pan of lasagna as gently as she can and setting it on top of the oven with a smile. “It smells good~ I think we did a good job~” she quietly states with a wink before she gestures for me to grab a couple of plates. If you call a good job having to explain every step of the way to a dumb siren, then sure, we did a great job. It embarrasses me that I have such little experience cooking, but I am trying to learn as much as I can. Besides, it would be nice if I could make dinner for the both of us one of these days~ Grabbing the plates slowly, I place them on the counter next to the oven, looking at Sunset carefully cutting out a portion of the pasta. Even now, Sunset looks just as elegant as the day I met her… Given, I didn’t realize it back then, but Sunset hasn’t changed since then. At least, not a lot. She still tackles every situation head on and with full confidence that if she tries her best, things will work out in the end. The cute smiles she gives always inspire me to do my best, just for her. Those eyes penetrate my soul no matter the circumstance, forcing their way through my tough layer. Her hand is always able to calm me down just by holding mine, being able to feel her warmth again and being reassured that she’s always here for me. Even after dating the girl for a few months now, I can’t answer why she is always so inspiring. I figured I would know everything there is to know about the girl by now, but I clearly haven’t learned everything. Maybe it will always be a mystery why she’s so kind to people. By all accounts, she has the right to be bitter and angry at the world, but instead, she takes her falls and incorporates them into her future, making sure she won’t make the same mistake again and even being there for others when she can. Reason 57: her undying kindness and caring nature… Sunset slowly sets the piece of lasagna onto the plate, smiling at me as she pulls off a piece with a fork and brings it closer to my mouth. “Would you like to be the taste tester~?” is all she says, her all too pure eyes reaching inside my soul once more. How in the hell can she stay this cute…? How can I say no when she does this to me…? Slowly, I open my mouth and take the bite. ================================================ Our plates have long since been emptied, resting on the coffee table for the time being. The dark interior of our apartment is only lit up by the images on the screen of our TV, displaying the current movie Sunset chose for us to watch. Normally, a scene like this would be portrayed as cold in shows, but it’s actually quite warm under the fuzzy blanket both Sunset and I share. Once again, her head rests on my shoulder with a happy sigh exiting her lips, both of us smiling at today’s events. Things go up and down, but I know I will always have her~ She’s always here for me, no matter how I do her wrong or what I screw up. I try to be here for her whenever she needs me as well, but sometimes it feels like I can’t adequately do that. No matter what happens, she’s always strong enough to carry my problems. She promised to rely on me more as well, so hopefully I can return the favor soon. Whenever I think of her, it’s hard to not smile. Even now, being able to sit with her and hold her hand, I still can’t help but wish this moment never ends. She makes me feel like I’m living in a dream, reality be damned. None of the problems of the real world are allowed in our space during times like this. None of the stress or the insecure thoughts should be allowed here. Just us. Just our embrace and the love I feel for this one woman, not a single desire for anyone else in the world. The love I feel for her was once mistaken for friendship. I didn’t know how love felt, but it was clear once I realized just how much she means to me. Friendship isn’t the desire to hold her hand for hours upon hours nor is friendship the fantasy of spending every second of my life with the summer mist who gave me a second chance at life. She deserves the whole world. Opening my eyes again, I try to concentrate on the show, feeling Sunset’s hand grip mine a little tighter as the two main characters begin to kiss each other. Slowly, a small sigh exits Sunset’s lips as she rubs her face against my shoulder slightly, the feeling of her breath warming my arm. “You know, I never thought I would fall in love like this,” Sunset whispers, scooting herself a little closer to me. “When I was a filly in Equestria, my parents always raised me to believe there was somepony out there for me, usually with the assumption it would be some lucky colt.” A small chuckle escapes her, prompting me to laugh a little as well, resting my head on hers gently. “Well, anyone would be lucky to have you~” I tease her slightly, rubbing my thumb against her hand as gently as I can. “You smooth alligator~” Sunset giggles to her own statement, taking her head off my shoulder to look at me, prompting my own gaze to lock with hers. “But… seriously. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would… fall this hopelessly in love. In a different world and with a siren of all situations.” Her hand lets go of mine and moves to my cheek, a dreamy smile appearing on her face. Again, I fluster way too easily, yet my eyes are able to maintain the gaze shared between us. “You… complete me, Adagio~ You mean so much to me and…” Bringing her other hand to the other side of my face, a small tear forms in her eye, our eyes still connected. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” For a moment, a sense of confidence spikes through me, bringing my own hands to Sunset’s back, gently leaning back and pulling her with me. The movie is nothing but background noise at this point, both of us hopelessly lost in each other’s eyes. Sunset props herself up without fully laying on me with both of her hands by my sides, a cute smile appearing on her face as I bring my hand to her hair, gently feeling the strands. “I should be asking you the same thing~” Once more, that final wall crumbles as our lips connect, a passionate kiss being shared between us. Nothing more matters in the world other than us, Sunset’s hands gently reminding me of that by holding my back and head, refusing to let me go. I never want to let her go either… This moment is just too perfect to simply let go and go about life. Life is far too colorful with Sunset to simply be content with a mere moment with her. Each and every second being filled with vibrant colors and each sense being fulfilled. By the time our embrace ends, both of us don’t want it to stop, pulling each other back into the same loving position. Each kiss fills my mind with her, thinking about every one of those smiles I treasure. Every time one of us pulls away, the other pulls us back in, both of us equally passionate in our approach. How could I not be…? Every single moment with Sunset is a blessing, one I don’t deserve, but I still have it nonetheless. I treasure every day I spend with this woman I call the love of my life. I treasure her so much… Each kiss feels like it’s never enough, just wanting to show her how much my heart beats for her. “I’m forever yours,” I’m barely able to let out through Sunset’s lips, forcing more kisses upon me, every one of them making me smile even more. Every time our lips press together, my mind can’t help but think of every reason why I adore the woman with fiery hair and ocean eyes. “You’re my…” Sunset lets out in between a couple of kisses, still holding onto me just as tightly. “everything~” Both of our arms wrap around each other, our lips passionately pressed against each other as we ignore the movie that desperately tries to capture attention. At this point, I doubt anything could bring my attention away from the person I love, not even if the world was ending around us. As long as we have each other, I’m okay~ Sunset is the one to pull away from our embrace, opting to hug me as she lays on me instead, her arms tightening their grip around me. Both of us sigh into each other’s necks with a giant smile appearing on my face, both of us finally whispering those three words in unison. “I love you~” New ThreadsAuthor's Note Sunset and Adagio are getting to spend more time together and it causes Adagio to feel a lot happier~ But what goes up must come down. Life is a rollercoaster for Adagio Dazzle and the ride is just starting. What happens in a skate park stays at the skate park, but should this also apply to the mall? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! Happy April! Sorry for the late upload, but school has really been stressing me out lately. I originally had five more scenes planned for this chapter, but don't worry! I will include them in the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys this especially long chapter that I have spent a lot of time on~ I'd like to give a big thank you to my friend, Mon668, who helped me with the writing process and beta read the story~ She's genuinely an awesome person, so give her a follow sometime~ New Threads Chapter IX: New Threads Walking down the sidewalk, I sigh quietly to myself, feeling a little overwhelmed with the day’s events. There’s a lot to do and it’s almost unbelievable that I can do it in a 24 hour time span. The first thing I have on my schedule for my day off is hanging out with Rainbow Dash… I still find it hard to believe I’m spending my day off running around the whole town rather than resting at home, but I suppose that’s what happens when I need to connect with Sunset’s friends more. There’s still a long way to go to make everything alright between everyone, so I need to put in the work… As long as Sunset has that happy birthday, I’ll be happy. Technically, I suppose hanging out with Rainbow Dash isn’t as big of a priority as making connections with the others since she and I are already friends, but it’s still a good idea to keep Rainbow close without making her feel like I’m rejecting her in favor of everyone else. Besides, it’s not every day we get to see each other, since the two of us were put on different shifts at the music studio. So, it would be nice to catch up a bit more before Sunset’s birthday. If I remember correctly, Rainbow wanted to meet at some skate park in the city that is all but abandoned at this point. It makes me think why would the city keep it up if barely anyone still goes there? Then again, a lot of things the city should have torn down are still standing… Like my old apartment complex. Full of mold and decaying infrastructures, it shouldn’t have been allowed to stand. But it was the only place I could afford… Bringing my hand to my forehead, I feel that all too familiar migraine come back, pounding on my head as I walk down the sidewalk. Walking past a lamp post, I stop for a moment, looking back at the wooden pole in the ground and seeing the multiple posters stamped on it. Huh… I must be close to Halo Bakery then… Once upon a time, I practically ran to this post to find one of the posters. The one advertising Hooves Homeless Shelter… Shaking my head slightly, I keep walking down the sidewalk, an eager thought entering my mind. It would be nice if I could get a slice of cherry cheesecake while I’m here, since it’s not often I still walk past here. Although, I’m not exactly flush with cash… Given, my job doesn’t pay much, but I also spent most of this month’s wage on the jacket I bought for Sunset… Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be at a point of my life where I’m not counting the pennies, especially since my experience having nothing was pretty impactful on me. Walking up beside Halo Bakery, the sound of patrons talking from inside is briefly heard as the door opens for another person to enter, quickly shutting behind them. The smell of freshly baked goods is almost too much to bear, looking into that same window at the cherry cheesecake slice. I used to look at this in anger, wishing for a better life, but now that a better future has come, I look at the window in nostalgia and happiness. It feels like I’m actually making it, even if I don’t have a lot of money. At least I have people who care about me now. Friends. Someone to love. Life is… better now. Taking my eyes off the window, I keep walking, smiling to myself at how much things have changed in the span of half a year. Despite my own mistakes, I’ve done better for myself. At one point, I believed life was only a punishment for the mistakes I’ve made. Now, I’m standing at a much better place, but there’s still work to be done. Like fixing my relationships with Sunset’s friends. It’s easier said than done, but… I can do it. ================================================== “Are you really telling me you’ve never tried skating before?” Rainbow Dash laughs a bit to herself, already in her full skate gear with knee and elbow pads to match. She even has a bright neon colored helmet atop her head, looking more silly than she thinks she does. Her eyes look down at me from my sitting place on the bench, putting on a spare set of skates Rainbow brought for me. “You, miss badass. I mean, come on! You were rocking the whole bad girl vibes at school, so I guess it makes me suspicious that you haven’t even touched skates before.” Rainbow, again putting a piece of gum in her mouth, stretches her arms in the air before doing a couple of squats to get her legs prepared. “I have experience with high heels, but not skates,” I say quietly, concentrating on the damned laces on these shoes. Should I call them shoes…? Regardless, it is like putting on boots with wheels that threaten to drag you off to the fourth dimension if you’re not careful. “Believe it or not, my balance is something I prefer to have while I try to move.” “Huh? Balance is overrated!” Rainbow laughs again, holding her stomach slightly as she leans against the beam of the overhead ceiling, covering some of the outdoor tables. “Well, okay, I understand that, but you seriously need to try this. It’s fun once you get the hang of it!” That’s the part that scares me. Getting the hang of it… “Do you have a helmet and pads for me?” I ask, finally tying the last laces up on my boots, trying to stand up slowly, but promptly falling back down on the seat. This… is going to hurt like hell. Oh well. I’ve dealt with the big sister of Apple Bloom, Sunset’s insecurities, and a homicidal bunny. All in one week. I think I can deal with this. “Yeah, I do!” Rainbow says with a smile, skating to the other side of the table where her duffle bag is. Surprisingly, Rainbow has a giant bag full of sports supplies whenever she needs them, though it’s surprising that she carried it here. “You prefer diamond prints, right?” she asks, searching through the bag with her tongue sticking part way out of her mouth, seemingly concentrated on her search. “Hmm? Um… Yeah, I do. But how do you know that-” My question is cut short as Rainbow tosses a helmet towards me, hitting my stomach like an excited Apple Bloom. I didn’t expect this thing to be heavy… or to hit like a freaking rock. True to Rainbow’s word though, it had diamonds printed all over it with a purple background color. Even though skating isn’t necessarily my favorite activity, the helmet does look pretty. “You wore a big diamond on your belt buckle at school. Besides, Sunset told me~” Rainbow states, handing me the pads I’ll need for my elbows and knees. “You’re still talking to Sunset…?” I slowly ask her, my eyes connecting with hers under the shade as the cool summer breeze brushes her hair. “Yeah. Sci Twi and I are still talking to her and all. I guess all of us are still talking to each other, but there’s still that tension, you know?” An awkward face appears on Rainbow, her eyes averting mine and opting to stare at the skate park behind her. “That’s why I brought Rarity along at the parade. I figured we could try to ease some of the tension, but I suppose the reason we’re all sort of tense is because we haven’t really apologized for what happened on Valentine’s Day, you know?” A small sigh exits Rainbow’s lips, her hand coming up to her eyes to rub gently. “I know I kinda went over the line with some of my comments, but I didn’t want them insulting you without giving you the benefit of a doubt, you know?” “Dash, you don’t need to fight so hard on my behalf. We’re just friends. Besides, it’s understandable how they feel about me. It’s my job to fix the relationships I have with them-” “Don’t do that.” Rainbow interrupts me with her gaze instantly returning to me. “You’re my friend now, Dagi. I can’t just stand idly by as someone insults you and doesn’t even give you a chance. You know what I call that?” Rainbow’s eyes are locked with mine at this point, her body turning back to me as her hand comes up to her chest, a heavy breath exiting her lips. “I call it loyalty. I believe it’s important to stay loyal to those you love and the people who are your friends. So, don’t ask me to pick a side. I will always fight for my friends, got it?” A fiery passion is now ablaze inside Rainbow's magenta eyes, her gaze not disconnecting from mine for a second. “It’s equally our fault that things got messed up. I think we’ll fix it soon, but just know that you’re one of my friends now too. It doesn’t matter if it’s you or AJ, I’ll still be there for the people who are close to me.” For a moment, a part of me wants to tell her to stop. I don’t want her to feel like she’s responsible for protecting my own image, but it’s clear Rainbow wouldn’t take that as an answer. “Thanks, Rainbow. For being who you are~” A bright blush appears on Rainbow Dash’s cheeks before she turns away from me, slowly skating towards the concrete structures. “Yeah yeah. Don’t make it mushy. Just prove to me you can learn how to do this, okay?” A big smile appears on my face as I finally strap the helmet on my head, standing up very carefully. Wobbling very carefully towards the wooden beam, I look at the scene where I would either die or end up making a fun story to tell. I’ll try my best~ =================================================== “I don’t know, Dash…” Looking down at the pretty steep incline Rainbow wants me to skate down, a pit in my stomach begins to form, fearing the possibility of injury. It’s funny… I didn’t fear injury back when I had my powers. I was one of the most powerful creatures to exist. Why would I fear a little height? “Aw, come on! You’ve been doing well so far! Especially since we switched you to the skateboard~” Rainbow tries to reassure me from below, looking up at me on the top of the incline. Honestly, I’m not exactly sure how that is supposed to cheer me up, especially since I have only been doing well by going along flat surfaces. “Are you freaking kidding me, Dash?! I’ve been skating along flat surfaces the whole time we’ve been here!” I state a little harsher than I meant it to come out, positioning the skateboard near the edge. “What? You skated down the smaller ramps and stayed on the board!” Rainbow exclaims, pointing at some of the smaller inclines around us. Holding my hand out to her, I signal that I get the picture, taking one last look at the steep edge that I’m supposed to skate down. “Fine, I’ll do it,” I state just loud enough to be heard. Rainbow claps me on, stepping back to avoid getting hurt should something bad happen. Looking towards the sky, I sigh to myself, bringing my hand to my scarf gently. It probably looks odd, having a t-shirt on with a scarf, but I suppose that’s because people don’t usually have a scarf as a comfort item. Sighing to myself, I put both feet on the board, balancing on the edge of the incline like what Rainbow showed me. For a moment, my body hesitates, but with a big breath, I finally lean down, zipping down the ramp on my board. At first, everything feels alright, until the board starts shaking halfway down the incline. Please don’t break on me now… My board brings me down the incline in less than a second, launching me along the flat portion of the ramp and up halfway up the second incline. Instantly, I feel my feet lose balance as my eyes widen, my body falling backward. My arms instinctively spread outward to try and stop my fall, but it’s no use as my body hits the concrete and slides downward, my breath is punched out of me as my head harshly hits the ground. “Dagi!” ………. God damn it… My head is ringing again… I shouldn’t have tried this stupid trick, but hey, I did… It’s a damn good thing I was wearing a helmet. Taking in a deep breath, I let out a grunt of pain, opening my eyes to see Dash reach my side, falling to her knees and using her hands to touch my stomach lightly. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?” Dash asks me with a scared look in her eyes. Bringing my own hand to my head, a heavy sigh escapes me as I close my eyes again. I knew I shouldn’t have tried this. Now my head is going to be spinning for who knows how long. “Yeah, I can hear you,” I slowly state, rolling over onto my side. My hand still holds onto my head, but other than the dizzy feeling, it seems everything is alright. I’m just glad I was wearing protective gear. The ringing in my ears only starts to subside after a few moments, allowing me to finally hear the world around me without the sound of being stuck underwater or such. Bringing my hand to the concrete below me, I get on my knees and groan slightly, opening my eyes and looking at the ramp I just slid down. I’m going to make Rainbow buy me a smoothie or something to compensate for this pain in my head and the scrapes on my arms. I’m… My eyes widen as I see the ramp, purple streaks lining the path I just fell down. Purple fabric, torn apart by the rugged concrete… A big purple clump lays beside me, torn to hell and back with a single fall… My hand instantly leaves my head and grabs the material, trying desperately to convince myself that it isn’t real by feeling the fabric… But of course… it is real… This soft and beautiful scarf I’ve cherished for months now is… I shouldn’t have been wearing it… This scarf that has been here for me through thick and thin… it’s all but a pile of scrap now… why…? “Uh, Dagi?” Rainbow asks me, scooting closer to me and inspecting my body slowly. “Are you okay…?” she asks, clearly not paying enough attention to where my own gaze lies. “No…” The only word that falls from my mouth as I gently cradle the fabric close to my chest is no. I can feel tears start to form in my eyes, closing them and biting my lip to avoid the urge to break down. This scarf has always been with me when I needed it the most… It helped remind me that there’s a better life out there and let me feel close to Sunset even when something bad happens… It’s handled so much abuse from tree branches and other things. I shouldn’t have been wearing it… It was my fault… I’m sorry, Sunset… I’m sorry I ruined your perfect gift… “Dagi?” Rainbow asks for my attention hesitantly. “Hey, if you’re not hurt and it’s just about the scarf, we can always buy a new one, yeah? I know some really nice soft ones in Rarity’s shop~” “We can’t just buy a new one,” is all that I can say before I have to bite my lip again. “Okay…? What’s going on here, Dagi? It’s just a scarf, yet you’re more concerned about it than your own health?” Instantly, I turn my gaze at Rainbow, feeling that all too familiar flame of anger inside of me. “Just a scarf…?” Unbuckling my helmet from my chin, I toss it on the ground, standing up to look her in the eye. “Just like how your Daring Do comics are just pages? Or your trophies are just hunks of metal?” I ask Rainbow with a grimace, holding the scarf close to me with tears streaming down my face. “When will you learn that others have the ability to place value in something you don’t care about?” I lash out at her, looking away instantly towards the torn material in my hand. Why did this have to happen today of all days…? ============================================= A lump forms in my throat as I walk inside the huge building, an imposing feeling lingering on my mind. The mall is not necessarily a place I ever expected to go to again, especially since the last time I was here, Sonata and Aria were with me. We bought the flashiest clothes we could, wanting to stand out compared to everyone else. But now, almost two years later, I’m back again to once again buy myself a new wardrobe. Though, I would say my style is much more reserved now… In general, it’s odd to be back here, especially given the standing of my bank account… Given the prices in the mall, it’s hardly a surprise that no one other than people who are rich come here… Well, they’re not rich, just… more wealthy than me. It makes me feel bad, coming here right after arguing with Rainbow… We both said some pretty… mean things. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with her… Of course she wouldn’t understand the value I put in a fucking scarf of all things. I mean, it’s understandable to love that scarf, right…? It was the first gift I was given in a long time by someone who actually cared, that person being Sunset… I mean, just because I see little to no value in Rainbow’s athletic trophies doesn’t mean that they are seen the same by her… I don’t know, I guess I just feel awful for yelling at her, even though it hurt that she would just so casually disregard my feelings. For a moment, I feel an urge to grab my phone to text Rainbow, wanting to apologize for my own actions. Shaking my head, I sigh to myself, looking towards the floor as I walk further into the mall. I should give us both time to clear our heads… Apologizing right after the fact often sounds insincere. I just hate fighting with one of my few friends… Rainbow is my friend after all… I wish she didn’t make it sound like I was being petty for feeling sad about my scarf… The loud sounds of people talking throughout the wide open mall fills my ears, the smells of different stores and the bright colors of signs fill my senses as I look around, trying to ignore the thoughts of Rainbow. Customers go from store to store, eagerly looking around at the products that are being sold, talking amongst themselves as they do so. It’s almost too much for me to handle all at once, closing my eyes for a moment. Since when did I become such a weak person…? Taking a deep breath, I push forward, walking past an escalator and a sunglasses stand, my eyes scanning the environment around me. Once again, the pounding in my head makes it hard to concentrate, feeling like a hammer is smacking the back of my skull. Actually, it’s not that bad, considering I know how it feels to be… hit back there… Walking towards a bigger open area surrounded by the food court, multiple stores, a small kid play area and benches, I sigh to myself quietly, bringing my hand to my eyes. It’s almost too hard to find Sunset in the crowd of people just from the pain in my head alone. Sunset wanted to shop with me and help me pick out some of the clothes we would buy. Well, it’s actually her money we’re spending… I already used all of my month’s pay to buy her birthday present, so my wardrobe will be entirely thanks to her. Still, it makes me feel bad that I’m spending her money so carelessly… Walking over to one of the nearby benches, I sit down and close my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath of the mall air and sighing to myself. I suppose this is as good of an area to wait in, considering it’s close to the entrance and it’s easy to spot someone else from here. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I gently click on Sunset’s contact, typing a message in quickly. Given how big the mall is, I’m not sure if she’s here or not, considering it would take at least an hour to look through every store and area of the establishment. I mean, this place even has three floors… Its almost enough to make you feel overwhelmed with the big open interior and the echoes of dozens of people throughout the building. Turning off my phone, the device’s screen goes black, instantly reflecting my face back to me, causing me to freeze for a moment. The dark reflection staring back at me strikes a tone in my heart that hasn’t been felt in a while, deafening the world around me. That image being the only thing I can look at, my eyes not daring to look away for a moment. Why… do I have to see this…? Those eyes… That smile and crown… Everything in me wants to look away, but… how can I? Nothing but evil lies behind those eyes of red. The beautiful face is nothing but a facade to draw others to their doom. Her whole being composed of nothing but evil intentions… A creature of darkness stares back at me, paralyzing me with confusion and fear, seeing this apparition. The siren behind me smiles, her wings displayed behind her… My breathing instantly increases its pace, my heart beating faster than before as my wide eyes find it hard to blink. Why is she here…? That all too familiar dress dripping with the same red liquid, her eyes staring into my soul as her mouth opens to let out a demonic laugh. “Hello, Adagio~” her seductive voice lets out before her hand grips my shoulder. Instantly, I stand up from my seat, throwing the reflection away from me. I… I… Where is the sound of everyone…? Where is everyone…? Why is it dark in this mall…? I… The only thing I hear is the same damned laugh from behind me, a chill going up my spine as my body seems to freeze in place. The darkened interior of the building is only lit up by the moon from the glass roof above the opening, casting upon me with ease… My body tells me not to move, but I force myself to turn, looking at the bench and the subsequent darkness behind it. That same laugh still emanates from the darkness as a yellow hand with red liquid staining it moves from the darkness to grab onto the bench. The only thing indicating her full presence from inside the shadows is the faint red glow of a gem. “So weak…” a voice echoes as the bench is tossed to the left, her frame slowly stepping into the light of the moon. Her dress beautifully designed in red, occasionally dripping down to her feet, the necklace around her neck glows even more from the light. The leader of sirens in all her glory stands before me, her eyes trained on me as her echoing chuckle comes from every corner of the building. “Trembling at the mere sight of something better than you,” her voice whispers into my ear, despite the distance between us. “You… you can’t be real…” Despite the overwhelming urge to look away or to back up, my body remains frozen, completely paralyzed by her. Another chuckle comes from her red lips, her hand moving to her hip easily. “Alas, here I am~” her lips state in an all too soothing voice, causing a chill to spread across my back and arms. “Playing the part of a good girl, learning the trade of these ape creatures just to fit in. I would say it’s a smart cover, Adagio, but you’re not using it as a cover, are you?” Each and every word she utters sinks into me, only cementing her presence into my mind as she walks towards me. “You’re actually trying to be one of them. How far the promising siren has fallen,” she whispers with a smirk, her yellow hand coming up to my face and dragging her nails across my cheek. “You’re completely frozen and I haven’t even let out one melodic note. You’ve fallen from grace into a pathetic shriveling rodent. You don’t even have the backbone to fight back, do you?” With one push, she forces me to the ground, looking down at me with an evil smile, the moon behind her. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper, moving myself back with my hands slightly. “Don’t play coy with me, Adagio,” she states as her wings flare up into the air, her eyes staring into my own. “Trying to build yourself back up by finding confidence. It’s all so predictable and sad to watch.” Her foot presses against my stomach as her hand comes up to her face, caressing her chin with a smile. “Perhaps you forget what true power can bring you, because all it took was one smile from that worm you call a lover to make you wag your tail for friendship.” “S-she has a name!” I exclaim, looking up at her with a grimace as she cackles, her face tilting upward to the sky for a moment. “We shouldn’t care for names, Adagio. They’re all either food or pawns under us, but that’s something you’ve forgotten, isn’t it?” Her hand points at me, her glare still trained on me. “But you went soft, following the way of a coward.” Pushing myself out from under her foot, I stand up to look her in the eyes, my nerves on the fritz. “Friendship isn’t cowardly. It saved my life and let me know I’m still worth something,” I quietly say, backing away from her. “You’re worth something? No no no. You’re worthless, Adagio. You’re nothing and you always will be now that you’ve forsaken power.” Slowly, she begins to float into the air, looking down at me. “You’re wrong! I hurt so many people and Sunset helped me see that. She helped me see the good in life,” I state, my eyes maintaining my gaze at the siren floating above me. “Good in life? The only good in life is power! But of course, now you want everyone’s forgiveness, struggling to keep everything intact while the world makes you choose.” The red gem around her neck glows even more, her eyes narrowing as her body casts a big shadow upon the ground. “They will never forgive you. For once in your new life, be strong and pull that trigger,” her venomous words hiss, embedding themselves in my mind. “I’m no longer that person. I’m better,” I slowly whisper, looking up at the demonic form in front of me. “Better? I WAS the better version of you!” she states in a loud voice, my own face staring back into my own. “But maybe you need to be reminded of your true potential.” Flapping her wings, her body instantly lunges forward at me as the light of the moon disappears, enveloping us both in complete darkness. “Adagio~?” a voice calls out to me, a hand gripping my shoulder and shaking me. Instantly, I jump to the sensation, my eyes opening and trying to take in the world around me. So much light enters my eyes, but I still can’t help but feel a smile as I see the person who touched me, a warm sense of relief hitting me. Once again, I can hear the sounds of the crowds throughout the mall and the smells of the food court, but my attention doesn’t deviate from her warm smile. “Sunset? Hi, I um…” My cheeks instantly flush as I look around at the bench I am once again sitting on, realizing the situation I’ve been caught in. “I-I was just waiting for you,” I stutter, looking back up to her with a nervous chuckle, Sunset giggling at my awkward reaction. “I’m sure you were~ Putting in a couple z’s while you were at it too, right?” Sunset teases me before petting my head. Slowly, Sunset sits down on the bench next to me, putting her arm around me and resting her head on my shoulder. “We don’t have to do this today if you’re too tired, you know~” she states in a whisper, a happy hum ending off her sentence. “I’m always willing to carry you home for a nap~” “I’m not that tired,” I slowly say, finally calming my nerves and smiling at the embrace Sunset shares with me. “We can shop for clothes if you’re still up to it~” Moving my legs slightly, I prepare to stand up, but Sunset’s hand holds me down, her fingers slightly shaking. Is… she alright…? The quiver of her hand worries me as I look at her with concern. “Is something wrong…?” If anything happened to her today, I… don’t know what I would do… Please just be okay. “I just like this embrace, Alligator~” she whispers with a peaceful tone, gently leaning into my neck and kissing me slowly. “You know, it’s… I guess it’s surprising being here with you. It wasn’t even a year ago that you still hated me and I didn’t really want you in my life. I just wanted to reach my hand out because that’s the morally right thing to do.” Sunset sighs quietly, her arm letting go of me and holding my hand gently, her fingers intertwined with mine. “You reflect a lot on the past,” I tease her with a small kiss on the top of her head, smiling to myself. “It’s funny. I actively try to avoid memories of the past, but you embrace them. It’s not your responsibility to help everyone, but you still try nonetheless.” “Hey, are you criticizing me?” Sunset asks with a slight chuckle to her tone, raising her head to look into my eyes. “I’ll have you know that I’m trying to be more selfish, just like I said I would. I’m thinking about taking an art class~” A bright and cheerful smile appears on her face before she quickly presses her lips against mine, my cheeks instantly flushing to the embrace. “No, I’m not criticizing you~” I slowly whisper, still trying to process the kiss Sunset surprised me with. “But an art class, huh? I didn’t know you were interested in art~” A cheeky smile comes across Sunset’s lips as she giggles to herself, looking away from me and towards the children’s play area. “Well, seeing you makes me know that some of the best art in the world is right in front of my eyes~” Sunset says with a genuine tone to her voice, her smile turning into a solemn one. Honestly, seeing her like this makes me feel happy, knowing that no matter how hard life may be pushing her down, she’s always willing to jump back and find something worth living for. The sun’s light coming from the roof almost makes Sunset look like she glows in the light of the world. It’s so admirable… It’s hard to look away from someone who is so… beautiful. “Can I ask you something though?” Sunset says as her eyes turn back to me, cutting me from my peaceful daydream. “Hmm? What is it?” Sunset’s hand holds mine tightly, looking at me with a smile before nodding to herself. “What were you dreaming about? It looked like it wasn’t a pleasant dream from your expressions and all.” What…? She watched me sleep…? Here of all places? I… I mean, I watch her sleep whenever I can as well, but she’s never fallen asleep in public like an idiot. An idiot like me… Averting my gaze from Sunset’s eyes momentarily, I think to myself, unsure of what to say. Should I even say what I was dreaming about…? Is it even important enough for her to worry about…? No, it isn’t. She shouldn’t have to worry about this of all things. Especially with so much on her mind about her friends… I’ll tell her later, she just… needs to worry about herself for now… “I was dreaming about my life, I suppose,” I say as calmly as I can, sitting back and smiling to myself. “You woke me up right as I was about to ask you to be my friend~” My tease gets a reaction out of Sunset, her giggle warming my heart even more. “Aw~ I think back to those days a lot too~ I suppose it’s because I never expected our lives to go down this path. I mean, falling in love with a siren? Who would have thought about that?” Instantly, a nervous look grips hold of Sunset’s face, scratching her head slowly. “No offense of course~ There’s nothing wrong with you being a siren, my sweet alligator~” Still, Sunset is always trying to make sure I feel okay, being careful with her words to avoid hurting my feelings. She is always so selfless and even when she tries to be selfish, she still drops everything to be there for me. I guess it’s yet another reason why I love her. Reason 58. “None taken~” Kissing Sunset’s cheek slowly, a blush instantly comes to her face, her nervous exterior now being replaced with a flustered one. “Anyway, where’s your scarf, Adagio~? You usually never leave home without it~” Sunset says in the most tender and sweet voice that she possibly can, but it still spawns a series of depressing thoughts throughout my mind. Instantly, I want to lose my composure, but I simply smile at the fiery-haired girl, her ocean eyes looking straight into my soul. “I left it at home~ I felt like it was pretty hot today and we already agreed on buying more clothes today, so I didn’t want to dress in a lot of layers.” Every word flows from my mouth as smoothly as possible, making my lie sound more like the truth and subsequently bringing a smile to Sunset’s face. “Oh, good~ I was a little worried that maybe you were feeling depressed~” Instantly, Sunset hugs me tightly, sighing happily to herself before she stands up to stretch her muscles. Even though she is just stretching, Sunset is still the cutest person alive. I don’t care who disagrees with me, they’re wrong. “Anyway, I’m sorry for prolonging this so long, Adagio~” Her hand slowly reaches down to me, offering to help me up from my seated position. “Would you like to shop now, Alligator?” =============================================== Shopping for clothes is… an interesting process. At first, it’s sort of fun to look at the different designs and make outfits with different articles of clothing, but then you actually have to try them on. I’ve always had an eye for fashion. I know what looks good and what deserves to be thrown away, but that’s all from my own point of view. I’ve never really had a problem deciding what I like and I loved certain styles back in the day. Hell, I can still admire a good pair of heels when I see them, but now… it’s hard to try on clothes like the ones I used to wear. Tight-fitting, attractive and more dominant clothing… I was used to that at the nightclub when I was on shift, but now it just feels… wrong. Like it’s wrong for me to wear something so fashionable. Something so flashy and nice. I’ve been used to boots, jeans, and hoodies for a while now as it is… Bringing my hand up to my head, I sigh quietly to myself, standing up in the changing room to slide my jeans down. “Come on, Adagio… It’s alright for you to wear this,” I whisper to myself, trying desperately to believe that it would be okay to wear this type of clothing once more. Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to take myself seriously. All of my confidence is gone at this point, leaving me a shell of my former self. The cocky, sassy and confident Adagio Dazzle could handle anything she wanted. The big problem with her…? She didn’t have an ounce of empathy in her… Slowly pulling my shirt off my body, I look at the stack of clothes Sunset and I picked that fit my older fashion style, Sunset believing it would do me some good to dress more confidently. She thinks it will help me gain that confidence back and help me get myself out there, but now, I’m honestly trying to decide if this was a mistake. Of course the clothes themselves look… nice… but will they still fit on me…? Will I be able to bring back my older self in a good way…? Will that confidence bring back that lust for power and that evil behind those eyes… A light sound emanates from my jeans falling to the floor, gently pulling my socks off and looking into the mirror for a moment. My loose hair is strung across my shoulders until I slowly bring it up with my hand. There she is. There… I am… Every curve on display within this small room, and my hair as soft as ever. Sighing to myself, I look at the first article of clothing we picked out, an anxious feeling overcoming me slightly. I suppose it makes me think. Do the clothes make the siren or does the siren make herself…? Those purple fingerless gloves with a matching pair of tights. I haven’t worn tights since the nightclub, and even then, they weren’t that flashy. Not like my old self… I loved flashy clothes. They were like a calling card and it… still looks good today. Slowly bringing my hands to the gloves, I slip them on before grabbing the tights, biting my lips slightly. “Here goes nothing,” I whisper to myself, my eyes closing before I pull the soft fabric over my skin. For a moment, I actually… enjoy the sensation. The soft fabric over my own skin feels pretty nice compared to the jeans I have been wearing for a while now. Even though I will be wearing jean shorts over these tights, it still feels nice. I have practically forgotten what it’s like to wear colorful clothes without trying to gain the lustful eyes of others. That is what I had to do for the nightclub, but now… now I can wear these for myself. For my own enjoyment. I get to decide what to wear, if it’s revealing or not. Damn it, am I actually enjoying myself? Trying on clothes that I haven’t worn in a long time and I’m enjoying it? At this rate, I’ll end up singing again and loving it too… I… actually never want to sing again… That’s what scares me about trying on these clothes once more. The last time I dared to wear these things or anything in this style, I sang at the battle of the bands… I sang so hard and I… I was so angry and hell bent on winning. The last time I sang, the universe punished me for it by taking away my power… And my only two friends… Pulling up my jean shorts and pulling out a pair of shoes from a box, I sigh slightly, sitting down and looking at myself in the mirror. Now I have so much more… I have friends, people to care about, a girlfriend… I finally have a good and stable job, an apartment where the heater doesn’t break down and a better life overall. Everything is finally getting better and it’s… all so fragile. With a single mistake, it could all crash down once more, right? One wrong move and I’ll be alone again… I don’t want that. I don’t want to lose them… Looking back to the floor, I slowly bite my lip, a small sigh exiting my lips. That’s the reason why I can’t let myself sing again… I can’t tempt fate again… No matter how much I miss it, it’s better… to just keep my lips shut… A loud knocking sound breaks me from my thoughts as I look up to the door. “Y-yes?” I ask, still a little surprised at the interruption from the other side of the door. I hear a familiar chuckle from the other side of the door as Sunset’s hand reaches over it, placing another shirt on the top of the door. “I just found something else that I thought you would maybe like~ Are you almost done changing? I can’t wait to see some of these things on you,” Sunset says with a cheerful and teasing tone at the same time, the only thing suggesting her presence on the other side of the door being the shadow at the bottom. “Yeah, I’m almost done. It’s just the first outfit is… Interesting to try on,” I slowly reply to her, my eyes looking down at the pair of heeled boots in my hands. The boots didn’t technically have big heels on them, but they did look quite… interesting… There’s a lack of spikes on the heel itself, but I suppose I picked them due to the fact that they would serve to replace my older boots while still being somewhat fashionable. That is, if I can get the nerve to wear these in public again since the last time I wore these types of clothes. Besides, my old boots are all but broken at this point, so it would be nice to get a new pair of boots just meant for normal everyday use, right? A small giggle comes from the other side of the door, Sunset undoubtedly displaying the cutest smile just out of sight. “Alright, Alligator~ Take your time~ I’ll be here when you’re done changing~” With that, Sunset’s shadow leaves the bottom of the door as she walks off, presumably to sit down on one of the chairs nearby. I shake my head slightly, smiling at Sunset’s cheerfulness and her total patience with someone like me. Slipping on the boots, I finally grab one of the shirts Sunset picked out for me. Unsurprisingly, it was a t-shirt that was mostly white with the exception of a purple diamond print on the front, the design being the thing that made Sunset fall for it, telling me that it really fit my style. To be honest, sometimes it scares me to think how much Sunset knows about me. I’m just waiting for the day when I wake up from a nightmare and she can tell me exactly what I dreamt about before I can let out a single word. Given, Sunset already knows I have nightmares fairly regularly… The final piece of clothing that Sunset picked out for this outfit is a black jacket. It doesn’t necessarily have any special prints on it or even colors, it’s just a black jacket to wear over my t-shirt and to compliment the boots I have on. The only noticeable design element of the jacket were silver metal beads on the collar, shining every so often whenever the light would hit them just right. Honestly, it feels kind of worn, like it’s been used. Is that the new aesthetic of clothes these days? If it is, what do corporations use to make it feel like it’s been used? If not, then how much has this particular article of clothing been tried on? I guess the other customers even ripped the tag off, since I can’t seem to find it. I would hate for Sunset to buy a coat that is worth ten times the amount of my salary. I suppose it does have that… charming effect, but seriously, who rips tags off of the products just to put them back? Slowly, I push my arms through the sleeves and smile to myself slightly, feeling how warm it makes me feel. Despite the fact that it doesn’t have a tag, it still feels pretty good, honestly. I shouldn’t doubt Sunset’s choices. She knows me pretty well. I… I know her pretty well too, but I never really seem to get her great gifts… Well, at least things that are higher quality than a damn alligator themed shirt I won from that maze. Sighing slowly, I look into the mirror and pull my hair up slowly, reaching into my purse to grab a headband. Unfortunately, this headband doesn’t have spikes on it, so it doesn’t fully capture my old fashion sense, but it will do for now. The last spiked headband I wore… I kind of stuffed it into a box and never really wanted to see it again… But I suppose I will have to fish that out of the closet to get the full effect. Looking into the mirror, I try my best to smirk at myself, putting my hand on my hip and bending slightly forward. It’s… honestly surprising how little I’ve changed in appearance since then. Especially considering how much I’ve worked to change on the inside. Yet here I am, looking like a badass boss just like I was back then. Hell, I can sell the act even further if I strike poses. Is this what I was like when I was confident in myself…? When I didn’t have many fears or insecurities and felt like I could take on the world. I suppose I… did look better with confidence as compared to my more recent appearance of being overly modest and hiding myself under as many layers as I could. Both physical and mental… Grabbing the door knob, I take a deep breath before opening the changing room door. At first, my mind still feels insecure about this, wondering whether or not I will be judged for wearing these things once again. I just have to remember that… it's all about my confidence. Sunset thinks I would benefit from wearing these things once again and… she even thought I would look cute. Shaking my head slowly, I walk down the hallway of changing rooms into a small room with chairs to sit on if you’re waiting for someone. Across from the hallway, Sunset sits on one of the larger seats, looking down at her phone as she presumably waits for me. A small part of me wishes that I could hug her from behind to surprise her instead, but I simply shake my head, putting my hand on my hip as I do the best smirk I can. Sunset wants to see me try to be confident again? Then let’s make a show out of it. “Shimmer~” Instantly, Sunset’s eyes look up from her phone and go wide when she sees me in this new outfit, a bright smile appearing on her face. Putting her phone back in her pocket, she stands up and walks up to me, smiling as she looks me up and down. “Adagio~ You look really nice~ Do you like the clothes?” Sunset’s hand lingers on the coat sleeve before grabbing my hands with a cute giggle. My fake confident smirk disappears as I look away from her, thinking about the experience as a whole. “Honestly, yeah. I do. Though, it’s still hard for me to believe I am allowed to wear these due to…” Shaking my head slightly, I look back into Sunset’s eyes with a smile of my own, my hand coming up to her cheek before I slowly plant a kiss upon her lips. Every time we share an embrace, it’s like a slice of heaven in my life~ “Thank you for… doing this. For trying to help me feel more confident. It’s really nice~ Though, can I ask you something?” Looking back down at the black jacket, I hold my arm out to her, showing her the lack of a tag or sticker, indicating the price of the item. “Why did you pick out a jacket that doesn’t have a price…? I don’t want to settle on something like this when we don’t even know the price of it.” To my surprise, Sunset giggles to my question, gently bringing her hand to mine and shaking her head lightly. To say that I’m a little confused is an understatement. “You’re so cute, Adagio~ We won’t have to pay for it~” Slowly, her left hand runs up and down my arm, her smile only getting bigger as she sees how it fits me. “I was wondering how this would fit on you~” she states before gazing into my eyes once more, a slight blush coming to my face out of my flustered feelings and confusion. “What do you mean exactly…? Sunset simply giggles again to my attempt to clarify what she means, her hand coming up to my cheek slowly. “You really don’t realize it, huh~?” she teases me slowly, leaning in and pressing her lips against my cheek. The moment doesn’t last as long as I would like it to, but it still makes my heart beat faster, our hands still holding onto each other. Slowly, Sunset looks at me with her warm smile once more before she opens her mouth. “This is my old jacket, Adagio~” Last Minute ShenanigansAuthor's Note Whoever said that it was a crime to have fun~? Why can't we just spend a little more time enjoying the empty seconds with the ones we love? Who would it hurt? The answer is no one~ Adagio has come to this conclusion after realizing how much fun the day has been with her girlfriend, Sunset. What will a couple more hours hurt? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes: Hey, guys! I'm really sorry for the late upload. It's been a minute, right? I've been really busy lately due to university and my relationships with different people. But I think I've more than made it up with this LONG chapter of mine~ Be warned, this chapter is not fully edited and it may not be the best due to the stress I've been feeling recently, but I will try to edit it later~ A big thank you to Mon668 for beta reading this chapter since her reactions show that my story still has an impact~ Have fun~! Last Minute Shenanigans Chapter X: Last Minute Shenanigans My eyes widen, looking back down at the jacket I have on and instantly realizing where I had seen something like it before. Back when music and power were the biggest things in my life, instead of love and friendship. The reason there is no price tag… is because it’s already been bought. A long time ago. It has been worn ever since then by a very special person. Someone who meant nothing more than dirt to me a long time ago, but clearly, that definition has changed. She means the world and more to me now and I would do anything for her. “This is… your jacket…?” I ask slowly, my eyes still looking at the sleeves. Her head nods with a smile pasted on her lips, her hands still holding my own and refusing to let go. “Yeah~ I used to wear it all the time, but it’s been sitting in the closet for a while now. I thought that maybe it would be just the right thing to get you to feel a little more confident~ Especially since you loved this type of clothing back then~” Sunset’s smile doesn’t fade as she kisses me slowly, bringing her hand to the back of my head. No matter how many times I feel her soft lips, I can never get used to the sensation, becoming addicted to it each and every time it happens. I’m always left wanting more, wanting to love her even more than I am now. To spend an eternity in her embrace and a minute more. I know heaven has to exist, if not in another life, right here in her arms. Paradise is being able to spend each and every second with the one you love and not get bored of it. Each moment is a new adventure. The soft texture of her lips and the warm feeling all make me feel even happier. Perhaps it’s because she’s so wonderful. Or because she makes my life feel so nice. She’s always there to pick me back up no matter what happens, even if I’m the one who hurts her. All I ever wanted was the world and here I am, with my whole world in my embrace~ Pulling away slowly and reluctantly, a smile comes across my lips, looking into her eyes once more. “Does this mean you’re giving me this jacket…?” I ask hesitantly, unsure how I feel about the situation. I don’t want to take something that has clearly been with her for a long time, but it’s also… a really nice gift. Something that is so personal to Sunset, connecting me with her even more. I kind of wish I had something to give her as well… “Of course~ Why else would I want you to try it on?” Sunset asks me with a small wink before her hands slowly grab the collar of the jacket, fidgeting with it slightly. Despite the fact that this jacket was hers, Sunset seems to really like the sight of it on me for some reason unknown to me. A cheeky smile spreads across her face before her hands pull the collar towards her, bringing me with it. Instantly, a blush comes to me as Sunset forces me to lean on her slightly, our eyes locked with each other. “And I have to say that it looks really nice on you~” Sunset’s voice whispers in a sharp and teasing tone right into my ear, her warm breath gently lingering on my earlobe. Chills go up and down my spine as Sunset holds me close to her, her hands not releasing their grasp on the coat. What is… this feeling…? Why do I feel hot and cold at the same time…? Why do I not know what to do? This nervous and anxious feeling mixed with some sort of… expectation? What am I even expecting? The smell of her hair invades my mind as one of Sunset’s arms moves around my lower back, pulling me in even more. A small giggle escapes her lips as I feel a tingling sensation around my earlobe, Sunset’s teeth just barely biting at the area. Why does this feel… nice…? What the fuck am I doing right now? It’s like my body can’t move… No, I… don’t want to move… Each and every urge I feel tells me to stay in this embrace, no matter what may happen in the world around us. The sound of Sunset’s breathing can still be heard as she lets go of my ear, her lips slowly kissing my cheek and moving down to my neck, laying multiple small and warm kisses upon my skin. I-I… Why does my mouth feel dry…? Why does my body shiver to each sensual touch and loving embrace…? I… Slowly, Sunset bites my neck before leaving a final kiss on my skin, bringing her eyes back up to meet mine again, her face conveying a look of confidence unlike her previous confident expressions. Slowly, Sunset’s hand comes up to my cheek, a giggle escaping her lips as we stare into each other’s eyes. “That is one way you can act confidently~” Sunset teases me in her normal tone of voice, her warm smile returning to her. “Let’s try to focus on finding and building up your own confidence~” Acting as if nothing had happened, Sunset let’s go of the jacket, ruffling my hair slightly before playfully pointing behind me towards the changing rooms. “Now, let’s see how those other outfits work on you, okay~?” ===================================================== The interior of the mall is kept at a colder temperature than I would like, but I suppose that’s because it’s in the middle of summer. Well, technically, it’s getting closer to the end than the middle, but the point still stands. I suppose most stores keep their temperatures pretty cool during this time of year to accompany the vast majority of people. It’s not necessarily uncomfortable, but it’s chilly enough to occasionally shiver at. That’s why I chose to go ahead and keep Sunset’s coat on while I wait. Actually, it’s not Sunset’s coat anymore… It’s mine, right? Sunset gave it to me to keep and wear, so, I suppose there’s no reason to keep thinking of it as hers. Shaking my head, I look at the jacket’s sleeves, remembering the times Sunset wore this. Back then, she and I were enemies because of my own selfish ambition. Now I get to wear it myself under entirely different circumstances. When I was told that time changes everything I didn’t necessarily believe it, but my own journey since last Christmas should prove that message all too true. Excluding the jacket, Sunset bought me three to four new outfits to wear, all of them having the same general feel, but with different colors and articles of clothing. The funniest part of the whole checking out process is that Sunset insisted we needed to get me some headbands to complete the look. As much as I would do anything to make her happy, there weren’t any of those headbands in this clothing store, so Sunset got a little angry. In the end, she decided to find some online, but I’m not quite sure how that works. How does online shopping work? It confuses me to no end, but that could just be from my lack of experience with the online world. The most I’ve ever done on the internet is using my phone to make calls or text others. Oh, wait. I did once have to help Apple Bloom with some homework paper, but she spent more time helping me learn how to use the keyboard than I actually did to help her. Why am I even debating online shopping…? It’s not like I would be able to comprehend it and do it myself… I mean, it sounds interesting, finding things that you may not necessarily find in normal stores, but I suppose I would have to have money to even consider the idea. Even if I didn’t buy Sunset’s jacket this month, I wouldn’t have a lot to necessarily spend on. Though… a part of me feels guilty for spending Sunset’s money on my new attire… I kind of wish I did have the money to spend, just so I could pay her back for the countless times she’s covered the bill. Even now, I would be able to help out if I just had a little more money since Sunset decided she wanted to buy some new clothes for herself too. I don’t know. Maybe it’s enough that I got to contribute and help her decide on some articles of clothing. I think she liked some of my choices, but I’m not entirely sure. I tried to pick cheaper things, so I hope she didn’t notice the trend. Every now and then, a couple more people would walk in or out of the changing rooms, looking disappointed or content with their choices in wardrobe. Some of the people who passed by me were people I recognized from Canterlot High, former students who are presumably making their way in the world. Just like Sunset and I now. Sometimes, people would wait out here as well, obviously waiting on someone they’re close with to get done changing. For now, it’s only me and an older man in the waiting space, a magazine being held in one hand while a plastic bag of purchased items is in his other hand. A small part of me is curious as to what he bought before, but I try to not pry, looking at my own plastic bag filled with clothing items. Before I can look through my items once again like a child interested in new toys, my phone buzzes in my pocket, prompting me to pull it out to check what the notification is. Opening my phone, I see a text pop up from Sunset, instantly feeling confused at the sight. “I’ve changed~ Can you come back now?” is all she typed, making me reread it a couple more times. The last couple of times she changed, Sunset came out here for me to look at her, but now she wants me to come back to her changing room? Closing my phone slowly, I pick up my bag and smile to myself. Maybe Sunset just feels a little self-conscious about her appearance. If I can help in any way, I would obviously do it in an instant, so this is the least I can do. Standing up from my seated position, I slowly walk down the hallway of changing rooms, my mind a little unsure of which room she picked. Sighing quietly to myself, I look at the different doors and realize they don’t have differentiating numbers. “Movie,” I say loud enough to be heard while trying to not be a nuisance to anyone else in other rooms. “Night~” Sunset’s voice cheerfully pitches in from a door two rooms down the hall, her hand reaching over the door and waving slightly. As embarrassing as it may be to say something like that, it’s always cute to see Sunset’s reactions. It was her idea to turn the phrase ‘movie night’ into something we use when we’re trying to find each other. Maybe because Marco Polo was used too much or such. Walking down to the door Sunset’s hand was above just seconds ago, I slowly turn the doorknob, looking inside carefully. Inside the small room, Sunset’s back is turned to me, facing the mirror parallel to the door. From here, I can see the tan coat I picked out reach her thighs, black jeans covering her legs all the way down to her plain black boots, despite their soft material. Sunset seems to be adjusting something quickly, before brushing the hair out of her face, turning to me and smiling as best as she can. Despite the smile, I can tell Sunset is clearly nervous about what I think. Under her tan coat, she has a dark gray turtleneck shirt on, surprisingly making her even cuter than before. With this type of outfit, she looks quite… casual and professional at the same time. She looks… really beautiful~ “So, what do you think?” Sunset asks me slowly, turning her body and making different poses, trying to see what specifically appeals to me. Slowly, I reach my hand out and grab her shoulder, a big smile already present on my face as I look at her body. “Honestly? You look amazing~” I say quietly, unsure of what else to say. “This outfit looks really nice on you~” “You really think so?” Sunset asks as she turns back around to the mirror, inspecting her appearance a little more. “I… I like how I look as well, I was just worried that maybe… Maybe it doesn’t fit someone like me, you know?” For a moment, Sunset’s eyes connect with mine from the mirror, her hand slowly reaching behind her and grabbing onto my own. “Thanks for the feedback~ I’m glad to know I was wrong~” In one swift motion, Sunset turns around and pulls me in for a hug, tightly holding me against herself. Wrapping my own arms around her, I smile to myself, simply enjoying the fact that I get to live this life with Sunset. “It’s not a problem~” I slowly whisper, leaving a small kiss on her cheek before our embrace ends. Sunset’s eyes speak a thousand words of gratitude and appreciation, her smile indicating some happy thought inside that head of hers, but before I can try to guess what it is, Sunset pats my shoulder and nods to the door behind me. “Thank you for being so patient with me changing and all. I only have one more outfit and then we can get out of here~'' Nodding to her statement, I slowly back out of the room, exaggerating my sigh for comedic effect. “Okay, I get the memo~ I’ll be back when you’re done changing yet again,” I tease her slightly, swaying my hips to her words with a chuckle. “Just text me when you’re done, alright~?” With that, she waves to me as I close the door behind me, walking away with a small lingering grin left on my face, chuckling at how cute Sunset can be at times. Despite our purpose being here to help me feel more confident, I’m actually enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. That’s how every situation with Sunset has gone. Even when we were enemies, I enjoyed teasing her more than I thought I would, often looking forward to our next confrontation. Can I help that Sunset is that fun to tease? Or just be around in general…? Maybe it’s just my own viewpoint since not everyone is in love with Sunset, but no matter what happens, I always think of Sunset as an… interesting person. To be able to keep that confidence while dealing with so many self-esteem issues is nothing short of impressive. I guess that’s why she’s trying to help me so much to get my own confidence back. I went through similar circumstances as her and she had people there for her, supporting her reformation. I didn’t… I had no one, not even my sisters… They left shortly after our defeat and I don’t blame them. I didn’t have those people for me until Sunset appeared and tried to convince me of happiness. I only repaid her by laughing in her face and criticizing her personality. I guess, in that sense, I had a different path than Sunset, but either way, our paths lead us into each other’s arms and I wouldn’t change a thing. This reality I live in is the best it’s ever been. Almost perfect… As much as the constant fights annoyed me, they were still a big part of my life… I saw them as family and I never thought it would go down like this… Life that is. The only thing that could make this life better is if… I could apologize to them. To tell them one time that they actually did mean something to me, despite my belittling nature combined with my anger issues. To tell them that I… loved them… Shaking my head slightly, I walk back inside the waiting area, quickly taking my seat to avoid looking like an idiot. By now, the elderly gentleman was nowhere to be seen, the waiting room being mostly empty except for a younger man, dressed up in a high school suit with a flower in his pocket near his heart and a corsage in his hands. It looks like he’s sweating bullets, clearly nervous about something. If I had to guess, he is probably waiting for his high school sweetheart to get done changing into a dress, one that’s probably way too expensive for my taste. Well, at least my taste now. All of this effort and time wasted on a single night out during their young years in life. Given, I’ve never been to a dance, so why should I criticize something I haven’t experienced myself yet? Yet…? It’s not like I’m going to a dance any time soon, so using that word isn’t quite accurate. Personally, I would be happier spending some time alone with Sunset inside and under a blanket while we watch a movie, when it comes to romantic time together at least. Or walking along the beach… There are so many more peaceful and beautiful alternatives to a dance where you wouldn’t be bullied for your choice in outfits. Then again, I’ve never danced with Sunset… I… I mean, it would be fun, wouldn’t it? How would it feel to dance with her…? Hands intertwined while holding her hip… Or her shoulder? Who would lead? It’s awfully funny that I’m sitting here, contemplating the logistics of a dance with Sunset when we probably won’t have the chance to for a while… Unless the Apple Family reunion has a dance…? My phone buzzes again, bringing me out of my train of thought as I grab my phone. I expect to see Sunset’s icon once again, but surprisingly, it’s not displayed. Instead, it’s Fancy Pants’ icon with a message detailing… Wait. What? He’s changing what…? Why would he… I got used to how things were, but now he wants to change things around…? Why would he change my schedule…? Why now of all weeks? The reunion is in five days and he’s wanting to change it around…? Instantly, my fingers start typing in a response to his message, but before I can finish my reply, a new buzz alerts me to a message, this one being from Sunset. God… Now I’m going to have to wake up before Sunset… I don’t know how she will react to this awful schedule change, but I’ll try to convince Fancy to change it back in the office tomorrow… Sighing heavily, I slide the phone back into my pocket, standing up once again to walk towards Sunset’s changing room. Today just has to be full of ups and downs, right…? Shaking my head a little, I try to get rid of the migraine in my skull before I see Sunset again, rubbing my forehead slightly. Once again, I walk to Sunset’s door, knocking on it slowly to make sure she has time to fully settle. “Come in~” Sunset’s voice cheerfully rings out, the door unlocking at the same time. Accepting Sunset’s request, I slowly turn the doorknob, taking a couple steps inside, but before I can even see what she has on, my eyes are instantly covered by her hand. “Don’t look yet~” she slowly states, guiding me into the changing room and closing the door behind me. Already, I feel confused about this new situation, but I try to accept it as Sunset makes me sit down. Why is she making us do this…? Is this some surprise outfit she tried on…? Honestly, I don’t remember all the clothes we picked out so even trying to think of what she’s wearing right now is nearly impossible. It all just confuses me even more, bringing my hands up to hers, gently trying to remove her grasp from my eyes. “Sunset? What is this about…?” I ask slowly, unsure of what to say in general. I’ve never really been surprised like this and it only really makes me realize how much I rely on my eyes. Especially to fully appreciate Sunset’s beauty, inside and out… If I couldn’t see, how would I be able to enjoy her warm smiles and cute faces? It’s… a depressing thought actually. I suppose what’s reassuring about this is the fact that Sunset is the one forbidding me from seeing her. I know it won’t last, but it still makes me wonder… “Shh~ It’s alright~ I just wanted to do something different~” Without taking her hand away from my eyes, Sunset presses her lips against my forehead gently, a slight giggle escaping her shortly after. “I was thinking that maybe you could guess what I have on~” she states in a slow and teasing tone, probably with a big smirk written across her face. “Hmm? How can I guess…? I forgot nearly a third of the stuff we picked out.” Finally, I let go of her hand, content to play her game until she’s satisfied with teasing me. With every fun tease she pulls off, another cute smile follows. Besides, I can usually use it as leverage to get another movie night that we can spend together~ Not that I need it, since Sunset loves them too. “Well, you can feel me~ I’ll only let you see after you make a guess of course~” A small laugh escapes her, trying to not disturb anyone else who might hear her if she is too loud. A part of me feels worried about this idea, thinking about feeling somewhere that she might not be comfortable with forces a nervous smile on my face. Feeling her body to discern what she’s wearing… As worrying as it may be, the thought still makes me curious… What could be so mysterious that she needs me to guess what she has on before I see her? “Alright,” is all that can leave my mouth, the only thing I really know what to say. Taking a deep breath, I slowly reach my hands out to try and feel her only for Sunset’s hand to guide mine to her legs. Instantly, I feel the soft sensation of her skin, recognizing the feel of her legs. So, she isn’t wearing tights or long pants, huh? That’s a pretty interesting fact since every other outfit she’s had on included one of the two. From what I can feel, it seems like I’m touching her shins, so I guess it wouldn’t be that odd to not feel something. She has worn skirts before. And shorts now that I think about it. Breathing in gently, I finally slide my hands up her legs slowly, getting to her knees with a smile coming to my face. Despite how skinny Sunset can look to normal eyes, she certainly has a good amount of muscle on her. Maybe it’s due to the fact that she was a pony before coming here. Though, I find it easier to believe that she just works hard to keep herself in shape. Sunset works really hard to get through her college classes and her internship, so it probably takes a toll on her body. Does she… ever come home in a lot of pain…? Does she just hide it to spend those countless movie nights with me…? I should try to make her welcome home more inviting… I mean, I can’t cook that well at all, but I could try, right? Her thighs are so soft, yet firm, feeling like she could probably carry me with no problem at all. She deserves to rest when she comes home. Maybe a massage could help? Then again, I have very limited experience with that. The last time I tried was to help Sonata with a backache due to pulling a muscle. Moving my hands up Sunset’s thighs, I hear her chuckle to herself, the reason unknown to me. I really do have to admire how perfect Sunset’s thighs feel. Even though I would love her no matter what shape she’s in, Sunset clearly maintains her body. She’s… really soft too… Why don’t I feel anything yet…? No skirt or shorts, despite my hands being halfway up her thighs. Just what in the world is Sunset wearing…? I… I mean, I’m supposed to find out what she’s wearing and I haven’t felt anything but her yet. Just her… Before I can move my hands up towards her hips, Sunset stops my hands and I hear a small hum escape her lips. Opening my mouth, I prepare to ask her why she stopped me, but my words get caught in my throat as I feel Sunset’s leg slide up next to mine, slowly sitting down in my lap. The weight of her body pressing down on my legs only reaffirms the fact in my mind that she’s still here, the nerves along my back being lit on fire. “You can feel me again~” her voice whispers in the sweetest tone right in my ear. Her voice is sometimes addicting, no matter what she says. It’s so nice to hear those words simply because Sunset is the star in my life, but for some reason, her voice stirs my nerves more, making me feel warmer. I swear the temperature went up… Didn’t it…? Regardless, I hesitantly move my hands back to her thighs, feeling Sunset’s hand rest on my shoulder as her other hand is busy keeping me blindfolded. Moving my hands upward, I finally feel some fabric around her thighs. It’s a really soft and sleek material, feeling like a waterproof shirt or something made from similar fabric. Is… is this…? Tracing my fingers along the fabric, I feel her skin once more right above her hips, making me feel all the more nervous. Is she wearing… a swimsuit…? This piece of clothing she has on is only covering such a small area not unlike a person’s underwear, but it feels like a strange material to be made out of if it is just that. Slowly, I lick my dry lips to try and keep them from sticking together as I take my hands off the person I love. “I… think I can guess now,” I state in a nervous whisper, Sunset simply chuckling as a response. “No, no~ You can’t guess yet~ You haven’t felt the rest of me,” her warm words reassure me as she guides my hand back to her hip. Without hesitation, Sunset’s lips press against my forehead again, telling me it’s alright. Honestly, I feel a little worried what may happen if I feel more of her, considering how nervous my body feels right now. My back feels like it’s on fire and my neck tingles from the sensations. I can’t stop my lips from drying up every few seconds and I'm not sure why. Nonetheless, I slowly move my hands up, feeling her soft sides and her firm stomach. All of her body feels soft and soothing to the touch. I don’t know how she can be so perfect, both in and out… She’s so perfect and I love her more than anything in this world… What is this desire I feel to just hug her and never let go? To tell her how much I love her and to kiss those perfect lips once more… Even her ribs feel perfectly formed… Once again, there’s that same fabric, right below where her chest is, snapping me out of my thought process. Tracing the fabric, I feel it go all the way around her back. This piece of clothing has a zipper in the back and it feels like it goes all the way up to her neck, while covering most of her shoulder blades. Hesitantly, I take my hands off of Sunset, licking my lips again and trying to compose myself. “Are you… wearing a swimsuit?” I ask slowly, unsure of what her reaction is to my question. Slowly, Sunset’s body shifts off of mine, her mouth coming close to my ear and whispering, “Correct~” Finally, Sunset takes her hand away from my eyes, letting me see once more. And… she looks even better than I expected. ======================================================= Strawberries are odd foods. In some ways, they taste sweet, but at other points, they can taste kind of tart. I suppose it all depends on how they’re prepared. For instance, strawberry milkshakes are pretty sweet and taste pretty nice. I haven’t actually tried many strawberry flavored things in my life, but that’s mostly because I haven’t tried most foods in general. I didn’t really need to when I had my powers, but now I sort of need to eat. The most ironic part is that as soon as I needed to eat food to survive, I didn’t have the money to buy the best foods of the world. Hell, I still don’t have a lot of money. I only get a little money each month that’s spare from the expenses of food and bills. I agreed to pay half of the bills for our apartment when I moved in with Sunset, so I usually need to save for a few weeks if I want to buy something nice. Unfortunately, I needed to save for a month and a half to get enough money to buy that jacket for Sunset. Then again, I would say it’s worth it. Just to see the smile Sunset will have on her face will be… priceless. Taking another sip of my strawberry milkshake, I savor the taste in my mouth, enjoying this time I get to spend with Sunset. She and I decided to get ourselves a treat before we leave the mall, but surprisingly, Sunset picked a mint chocolate chip milkshake. I always thought she preferred straight chocolate, rather than having it mixed with something else. Given how many times she’s had chocolate syrup with her ice cream, I was under that impression for a while now, but I suppose I still have new things to learn about Sunset. Looking over to her, I see her sip the straw from her cup with a smile, the light slightly reflecting off her hair. She looks just as priceless as ever and I can’t adequately describe just how much she means to me. Even now, I feel so close to her and I’m just glad to have her in my life. Actually, I don’t feel close enough to her… Wrapping my arm around her, I pull our bodies closer together, leaning my head on her shoulder with a happy sigh leaving my lips. Sunset giggles in surprise, almost choking on her milkshake in the process. “Playful, are we?” she asks after composing herself, clearing her throat in a moment. “Well, you’re either playful or clingy~” “What’s wrong with both?~” I ask her in a coy tone. A small chuckle is all Sunset lets out in response, holding me close as well. A small part of me feels bad that we have to leave the mall, given how fun it’s been shopping with her here. I suppose it would be nice to just be able to take in this moment longer. To be with her for just- Sunset’s hand lets go of me quickly as she walks ahead of us, a gasp leaving her lips as she looks into a store. The store in question is an arcade with a more modernized style, bright lights, sounds and games, but there are still some classics towards the back of the store, like Pac-Pony or Diamond Dogs. The more surprising fact is that Sunset herself is focused on something in the store, though I’m not sure what. “What are you looking at?” I ask her with a puzzled expression, walking up beside her to try and discern what game has caught her attention. “I didn’t know they had Equestrian Dance Party~” Sunset says fondly, looking at a dancing game that is closer to the front of the arcade, a couple of middle school children trying to press the buttons on the floor as fast as they can. “What’s Equestrian Dance Party…?” I ask like a complete idiot, unaware of what arcade games are ‘good’ and which are ‘bad.’ Given, this idiot needs to know this piece of information, so I guess it’s okay to ask, right? “It’s this really fun game that Pinkie Pie introduced me to a long time ago~ My friends and I used to play it a lot, but then we got busy and the store we went to play it removed the game. I’m not sure why.” Sunset’s face reflects a melancholy feeling, a sad smile displayed for what feels like an eternity. It isn’t nice to see Sunset hurt or feeling some sort of discomfort like sadness… I love making her happy instead of seeing this. Pressing my shoulder against hers, I take a sip of my frozen drink, putting my other hand on my hip. “That doesn’t explain to me why those kids are stomping the buttons on the ground,” I say in a slightly interested tone while feigning ignorance. Truth is, I can already piece together why the kids were doing this, but I figure Sunset would enjoy teaching me this game while playing it. Slowly, I wrap my arm around her waist and walk toward the arcade, pulling her along. Instantly, a flustered expression comes across Sunset, a blush making her already orange skin turn into a lighter tone of orange with tints of pink. “W-well, they’re pressing the buttons to dance in rhythm with the game. If you press them accurately and on time, you gain points. The person with the most points wins,” Sunset lets out, trying to hide her blush. Walking up to the game, I put us right in front of the game’s dance pads, clearly being next in line to play while I search my bag for some change. “W-what are we doing here?” Sunset asks quietly, looking around the arcade. “We’re going to play and you’re going to teach me,” I state in a teasing tone, finally finding ten dollars from my bag. “B-but um… Adagio, we’re kind of old to be in an arcade… I mean, maybe if we were in high school, but now? I’m in college and all,” she states apprehensively, clearly conflicted on the idea. “Shimmer. Are you scared I might beat you~?” I tease her as a response. “My, I didn’t know THE Sunset Shimmer backs down from challenges. I had a different impression of you~ I suppose I could just learn from someone else.” Sunset’s expression turns into one of surprise as she reacts to my statement, unsure of what to say next. “Do you… really want to play with me?” Sunset asks in a hesitant tone again. Her cute flustered face clearly tells me of her unsure feelings, wanting to play the game, but not wanting to be seen as weird. Every time she’s like this, it makes me want to kiss her even more, just to reassure her that I’m here. Putting my hand on my hip, I lean in close to her ear, kissing her cheek in the process and letting it linger for a couple moments. “Oh, I definitely want to~” My tease causes Sunset to blush even more before I hand her my milkshake, patting her shoulder. “Hold this for me~ I’ll be back~” Sunset’s mouth opens to object, but I quickly stop her by putting my finger on her lips, shaking my head. I don’t attempt to say another word before walking away from Sunset, chuckling to myself. Hopefully, ten dollars is enough to be able to play that game, even if I end up losing. Walking towards the counter, I see tons of prizes that kids could earn with enough tickets, but most of them are the cheap toys that would break in two minutes. Though, some of them are actually some nice quality items, requiring a lot of tickets. One such thing that catches my eye is a pair of wristbands with spikes on them. Honestly, it reminds me of something Aria would wear… Shaking my head, I look up to the cashier at the counter. The girl in the arcade uniform is leaning over in her chair with her feet kicked up on the counter and her ball cap pulled over her eyes, seemingly asleep from a lack of business. “Um…” Honestly, I’m unsure of what to do exactly in this situation… I don’t want to be rude to the girl, but I would also like to get the transaction over with, regardless of who she is. Though, I definitely understand the need for a power nap during work. I especially needed those in-between performances back at the nightclub… “Trixie! Get back to work!” an intercom voice states within the arcade, instantly surprising both the girl behind the counter and me. Her body jumps slightly, pushing herself back from the counter before catching her hat from falling off her head. “Um! Welcome to Cosmos Arcade! I’m Trixie and we can sell you hours of fun!” she instantly states as if it is rehearsed before straightening her hat, a worried expression written across her face. Honestly, the blue girl seems a bit familiar to me, but I’m unable to place exactly where I’ve met her before. “What can the great and powerful Trixie do for you tod-” Her voice unceremoniously cuts off as her eyes connect with mine, her smile disappearing with a look of recognition replacing it. I guess we have met before… Probably back at that damned school. I guess I can’t help but feel the urge to vomit when I think about how evil I was… And how many people I hurt. “A-Adagio Dazzle?” she asks in surprise, stepping back slightly to the sight of me. “What are you of all people doing here?” For a moment, her snarky tone annoys me a bit, but I can’t really blame her for any hostility that she shows. It’s understandable after everything I’ve done. Sighing quietly, I look back up to her and place the ten dollars on the counter. “I’m here to play a game, that’s all,” I state quietly with as much of a peaceful tone as I can muster. Trixie surprises me quickly with a loud scoff leaving her lips, her hands moving to her hips. “You expect me to believe that? You took me for a fool back at Canterlot High. I deserved more respect since I am the greatest and powerfulest of all time.” Once again a smirk comes across her face, seemingly happy in her own title before looking back at me. “What scheme do you have this time? Because I will not be a part of it. Besides, I probably have a better one anyway,” Trixie states, feigning an indifferent tone as she tries to pretend she’s the most powerful of all, yet I doubt she can throw an adequately good punch. Honestly, a part of me wants to strike her myself for the comment, but another part of me knows that what she said isn’t necessarily a lie… I was always known to lie due to… yeah. Still, I guess it hurts to have that past haunt my every action. Damn it… Regardless, I have to keep going through each day I can, no matter what others think. Right…? “What’s wrong? You look like someone killed your pet dog,” Trixie says in a slightly annoyed tone as she crosses her arms. Has she always been like this or did I ignore it back then? “I mean, I’m the one who’s supposed to be laughing at the fact you’re even here, but you’re making that difficult.” “Just tell me the prices already,” I state in an equally annoyed tone, trying to avoid eye contact from the blue girl. “I can’t believe you of all people would want to play a game,” she mutters under her breath, finally typing something up on the monitor. “Seriously though, where is that bully attitude you had?” Her tease is clearly meant to get on my nerves even more, grinding on my mind. I could try to justify it by saying I deserve this hostility, but it still gets on my nerves… I was horrible before, but the only way to change that image is to show I’ve changed… It’s just my damn anger issues that make it so hard to do that. “Okay, so you can either buy individual game passes or a day pass,” Trixie speaks up in a more tired tone than before. She was probably hoping for some reaction out of me… As long as I can be better than I was before, then I can maybe deserve better treatment in the future. From everybody. Just be the best person you can be, Adagio… “What does the day pass entail?” I ask as politely as I can, finally making eye contact with her once more. Trixie looks surprised for a moment, but she instantly types something into the monitor with a sigh. “It’s by far the most popular option, allowing you to have access to unlimited tries on any of the games in the arcade, but it costs twice as much as that,” the blue girl states as she points down at the ten dollar bill with a smirk written across her face. “Twice as much?” That is… pretty steep… I don’t have twenty dollars on me for just one day pass… But I suppose I could put it on my credit card? It wouldn’t take that long to pay back if I use my paycheck well. Looking over at Sunset, I can’t help but feel myself smile, seeing her happy nature as she watches the different arcade games around her, despite the fact that she was worried about being too old just a moment ago. Would it really be that bad to indulge in this moment a while longer…? Just a couple more hours. Just a few more hours of seeing that bright smile and wonder in her eyes. I won’t go into debt over this as long as I make sure to pay it back by Friday. Just a while longer wouldn’t hurt. Taking my card out of my bag, I slide it across the counter with a smile, nodding slightly. “Yeah, I’d like two of the day pass.” Trixie’s eyes widen slightly to my statement, but no snarky remark seems to come from her. Slowly, she swipes my card and confirms with the monitor before reaching behind her to a rack of lanyards. Plastic cards were attached to the lanyards with big letters spelling out ‘day pass’ in big electric letters, making it seem appealing due to its colorful format. Her hand slowly hands over two of the lanyards and my card before giving me a thumbs up. “Have fun,” is all she says in a quiet voice as she sits down again, pulling her hat down to avoid the light. I’ll try to. Well, no… I will have fun. As long as Sunset is genuinely enjoying the experience, it will make the whole experience that much better. I just have to try and get the taste of this sour meeting out of my mouth for a bit… Thankfully, a strawberry milkshake should help with that a lot actually. Shaking my head lightly, I quickly walk away from the counter, looking towards the dance arcade game where Sunset is still patiently waiting, but now her eyes are trained on me with a frown written across her face. Seeing her frown makes my own feelings of anxiety and sadness hit against the walls of my mind. I don’t want her to frown today. I want her to smile. I just want a little more time with that smile of hers. “Hey, is everything alright? You didn’t seem to have a good time at the counter,” Sunset slowly says, her concerned eyes trying to pierce my soul again. She’s always pretty good at determining when I feel bad, yet another quality I admire about her. But today is going to be a good day for us. It’s been way too long since we've had a fulfilling day like today. Taking the strawberry milkshake from her hand, I simply smirk before laying a kiss upon her cheek. “Of course I’m alright~ I was just thinking about how else I can spoil you today~” I tease her in a defiant voice, taking her hand in mine. “Just make sure you wear this.” Handing her the lanyard, I smile a bit, raising my eyebrow a little. Honestly, a part of me thinks about teasing her even more with some joke about having my name around her neck instead, but I decide against it as I notice the kids who were using the game finally leave the dance pads. “Oh, looks like it’s our turn, Summer Mist~” I state with a wink, pulling her with me towards the game. Sunset’s cheeks instantly flush a pink color, her sheepish smile controlling her face. “You’re sure you want to do this…?” Sunset asks as she steps up on the pad, looking at the game’s monitor before locking our eyes once more. “Where’s that confidence you had just an hour ago?” I ask her before playfully pushing her shoulder, setting my milkshake on a cupholder off to the side of the game. “Come on~ Show me those moves, Shimmer~” ====================================== “Aw, what’s wrong, Adagio~?” Sunset asks me as I look at this infuriating game. Slamming the mallet down on the hole in the surface in front of me, I can’t help but growl under my breath. “Who’s idea was it to make these fucking moles so damn hard to hit?!” My statement just makes Sunset giggle more as she sips on her shake, watching me try to hit the damn robotic moles. They could have at least made it on a curve, making the first few easy to hit rather than this. As soon as you start up the game, the little bastards tease you just enough and then disappear into the darkness once more. The brown moles just keep peeking out enough to imprint their stupid cheeky grins in your mind before they’re gone again, making you look stupid as you hit an empty hole. The game’s buzzer rings, interrupting my thought process. “God damn it… How much did I get?” I ask out loud, even though I’m talking to myself more than Sunset. Looking up at the scoreboard, my mouth drops open almost as quick as Sunset giggles to the score. “Zero?! I swear I hit at least ONE of those little shits!” I almost yell, feeling my anger build up inside my mind. I could have sworn I hit one. They must be cheating me, right? “Aw, chill out, Adagio~ It’s just a game~” Sunset tries to reassure me by hugging me from the side, a grimace still written on my face becoming a little less strict. “Just a game? Those stupid things embarrassed me…” Shaking my head, a sigh leaves my mouth slowly, my eyes connecting with the mallet. “I could do it. I can hit them with one more try.” “You said that the last two times~” Sunset laughs, pulling me away from the machine. “Come on, we can find some game you’re good at~ Just because you lost at the dance game and Whack-A-Mole doesn’t mean you will suck at the rest of these games.” “It doesn’t mean I’ll suck. It means I’ll fail so miserably that even my ancestors will be embarrassed.” Then again… I don’t think my ancestors matter much anymore. I never really cared about who they were or what they would say about the choices I make. For all I care, they were weak sirens. Sonata, Aria and I were the only strong ones. Strong enough to have it all. But we were too weak to avoid being banished here. “But I won’t be embarrassed of you~” Sunset cheekily teases me, kissing my cheek with her soft lips again. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll win at something. You just have to believe in yourself~” A thoughtful expression comes to her, locking her eyes with something ahead of us, but the exact thing that’s caught her attention is still unknown to me since there are dozens of games in this arcade. “What about a racing game?” she cheerfully hums, looking back to me with her usual warm smile, never failing to bring me a bit of happiness. “Racing…?” Looking ahead of us, my curiosity is piqued, seeing a game with a singular motorcycle ride with a monitor right in front of it. “I’ve never… ridden a motorcycle before,” the words slowly fall from my lips, thinking about the possible defeat I’d suffer again, despite the fact that it seems to be a one player game. “Aw, come on~ I’m sure you’ll do great~” Sunset’s enthusiasm isn’t shared by me but seeing that smile of hers always has a way to convince me to do anything. “Besides, if you win, I’ll let you be the little spoon tonight~” Sunset states with a cheeky smile and raised eyebrow, challenging me to make my move. Now that’s just playing dirty… I mean, I enjoy being both the little and big spoon, so it’s not that big of a deal, but cuddling as a reward for winning a game? Why does she have to be so beautiful, yet sadistic? “Okay, you’re on~” =============================================== The air outside is much colder than the air that I’ve been accustomed to during the summer days. It always causes me to shiver ever so slightly, sometimes making the long walks home depressing. Although, on this occasion, it’s different. This time, I get to hold Sunset’s hand all the way there, despite the long and often dull paths through the city I’ve taken dozens of times. Now, every second is just another peaceful moment with her, another second that I get to smile with Sunset by my side. It’s all thanks to her that I get to have this peaceful and happy life. It’s thanks to her kindness that I’ve gotten friends in the first place. I really do owe her a big deal~ Even if we’re not talking, just spending time with her is enough to make me feel better from all the troubles in my life. “As promised, you get to be the little spoon tonight~” Sunset states in that same teasing tone, slightly sticking her tongue out at me. “I mean, I told you that you could be the little spoon if you won, but you didn’t have to win that hard~ The bots in that game must have felt really bad~” A laugh comes from her mouth before she rests her head on my shoulder, squeezing my hand a little tighter. Her happy sigh warms my heart a little more, “You said I would find a game I would be good at and now you’re telling me I shouldn’t have flexed my stuff~?” I laugh, nudging her with my hip. “I even found a second game I’m good at with that game called air tackey~” “Honey, it’s called air hockey~” Sunset barely states through her laugh. “You’re so cute~” Once again, my cheeks flush, embarrassed by my stupid mistake. “Eh, it’s not so cute when you’re the one who made the mistake,” I groan, trying to hide my face behind my scarf. My… scarf… Yeah… “Well, it’s still cute~” Sunset’s hand reaches up to my cheek and rubs slightly with her thumb, her warm expression still there as always. “You’re… beautiful, Adagio~” Sunset’s words slowly flow out of her mouth, a longing look still in her eyes. Why does she always have to fluster me so easily? She’s so good at making me smile uncontrollably, despite my mind expecting this by now. I mean, every kiss of hers still lights my heart ablaze and makes me wish for it to last an eternity more. But before I can reply to her statement, something catches my eye. Nearing our apartment, something looks… different… What the… “Sunset… did you leave our window open…?” A Safe PlaceAuthor's Note Life is full of complications... But can they be fixed? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a good day today! I just finished chapter 11 of this story and I figured I would go ahead and upload it now! I have a lot of ideas and originally, this was only going to be half of the chapter, but I felt bad for the almost month long break~ I'm almost done with finals now! Yay~! So, hopefully I can push out more updates on a fairly regular basis~ This chapter was a hard one to write with all the finals happening recently, but I definitely had a good time writing this~ Hopefully, you will have a good time reading this too! Maybe you will save it for a bedtime story or such~ Who knows? Before I sign off, I just want to say that you're always welcome to comment your thoughts of the story so far and I always appreciate hearing peoples' criticisms or kind comments~ I want to give a BIG thank you to my friend, Mon668, for reviewing this chapter and helping me make this story as great as it can be~ Have a good day, everyone~! A Safe Place Chapter XI: A Safe Place The sound of the door slamming open is all I can hear as Sunset runs ahead of me, right inside of our apartment. The dark night outside almost seems brighter than the pitch black room Sunset just ran into. My hand instantly reaches inside to flick the light switch, but no light emits from the room, my heart racing. “Sunset?” I call out for her, slowly walking into the living room. My body jumps slightly as the sound of glass being crushed under my foot echoes in the room. “Sunset? Come here now,” I state as loudly as I can, still unsure where I am exactly in the living room. Why the fuck is there broken glass on the floor…? The only way I can move through the room is slowly shifting my feet, not wanting to run straight into a wall or piece of furniture. Without realizing it, my hand had already grabbed the revolver from my bag, holding it close to my thigh. It’s scary to think that I’ve become so used to this damned weapon that I instinctively pull it out now, but the real thing causing my heart to pound was not knowing where Sunset is. For a moment, I hear movement from down the hall, careful footsteps walking towards me. The hall’s light came on as Sunset stood next to the closet, her hand still on the light switch. Her tear-stained eyes widen at the sight of the revolver in my hand, but it doesn’t last long as she looks around the living room. My eyes are finally able to see the environment around me, looking at the shining shards of glass all across the carpet from a smashed coffee table. The TV that we had wasn’t anywhere to be seen as well as the box filled with Sunset’s movie collection. I finally realize just how many tears of my own have been shed, wiping them away instantly to try and stay concentrated. Everything feels so surreal. This can’t be happening… Not to us. Not here. Not now. We had such a wonderful day and this happens…? What did I do to deserve this…? The kitchen is still shrouded in darkness, so I’m not even sure what is destroyed or missing in there. I haven’t gone inside our bedroom, but judging from Sunset’s own reaction, I’m not sure I want to know… “It’s gone…” A faint whisper comes from Sunset’s lips as she looks towards the ground. “The small amount of jewelry I owned is gone… My guitar is gone… Even my textbooks are gone.” A quiet sob is all I can hear after her statement, Sunset leaning against the wall of the hallway with no will to open her eyes. Why did this have to happen…? I don’t fucking care what is robbed from me. Take my own stuff, I wouldn’t give a damn… What hurts the most is when someone robs Sunset of her smile, especially when I worked so hard to put it there in the first place. Sunset and I haven’t had a lot of time together in general, so today was special… And all it took was one act of cruelty to take everything away… Slowly, Sunset’s hand moves up to her eyes to hide her tears, walking across the carpet towards me. She desperately tries to hold back her tears and remain strong like she always does, but her walls are too thin this time. Within a moment, Sunset embraces me in a hug, crying on my shoulder as she lets herself go, only for me to hold her tightly against me. Not a sound can be heard other than us… Sunset’s body shakes with every sob she lets out, breaking my heart even more… Why does this have to happen to her of all people…? She’s the least deserving person to be hurt in such a way. I can feel my grip tighten around the revolver’s handle, but it’s hard to care when someone close to you is hurting so much… “How long have you had that guitar?” Sunset’s cries become a little stronger for a moment, her arms tightly holding onto me for some sort of support. Her fingers grip onto the jacket I have on and she tries to force each cry down, only making it choke her or come out stronger than before. “Ever since the battle of the bands or before, right?” Slowly, my hand reaches up and gently rubs the back of her head. “It must have meant a lot…” Once again, I can feel that all too familiar fire inside me. Not the heat of love, but one I haven’t felt in a while. At least, with this intensity… The roaring flame of anger within me that I haven’t felt ever since Sunset and I became friends… This anger inside me once again rears its ugly head, despite how hard I’ve tried to hide it. It doesn’t matter if they screw me over… But if they hurt my summer mist, someone will have hell to pay. She doesn’t deserve this… This scorching hate that I promised to never let out again is freed once more. Tightening my grip around my revolver, I kiss Sunset’s cheek as gently as I can. “It’s alright though. I promise. I know a thing or two about how these sorts of people operate and I can get our stuff back.” As soon as my statement hits her ears, Sunset’s crying halts slightly, her body holding onto mine even tighter. For a moment, nothing but our breathing is shared between the two of us. “I promise, Sunset. I’ll protect you. We will change the locks and I’ll even put some cameras up. And I can get our stuff back.” Running my fingers through her hair, I kiss her cheek once more, rocking our bodies ever so slightly. How many bullets do I have in this gun again…? Two? “I’m supposed to protect you as well,” Sunset’s weak voice lets out, slowly breathing in and out to try and clear her system of her previous sobs. “You mean everything to me… And I let this happen to us…” “No, you didn’t let this happen. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I interrupt her, bringing her face in front of mine to make eye contact with her. “You’re amazing and strong and so determined to do what’s right~ You mean the world to me~ Please don’t blame yourself~” That pain in her eyes finally seems to be lifted a bit as she tries to wipe her face of her tears, nodding a little to my statement. “Y-you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just… I can’t believe this happened today…” For a moment, she looks away from me, towards the broken glass on the floor. “You’re so strong too, Adagio. I just hope I am here for you as much as you’re here for me.” “Of course you are~ You’re always helping me feel better, Sunset~” Bringing my lips to hers, I kiss her as gently as if she was a puppy or something else fragile. All the while, that fire of anger still resides inside me. “Hold on for a moment. I need to check something,” I tell her with a smile as I let her go, walking to my left towards the pitch black kitchen. My hand reaches over to the light switch momentarily, hesitating in fear of what mess I might see… Or the lack of certain items. Nonetheless, I turn on the lights instantly, my eyes widening at the sight of the microwave’s door broken off, glass dishes left in shards on the floor with only the expensive ones being missing. I hear Sunset’s footsteps walk up behind me, but the only thing I can think about is the present… The one I had spent so long wishing I could buy for her… Quickly, I walk over to the lower cabinet beside the fridge, looking inside and feeling behind the damned cleaning supplies. All the while, Sunset’s face dropped even more upon seeing the inside of the kitchen. “What are you doing?” Sunset asks in a quiet voice, a melancholy look to her as she inspects the counter. My fingers touch something sleek and my eyes widen, quickly reaching in and grabbing the box. I know I hid it well, but I can’t believe it’s still here. Pulling out the wrapped gift, I can’t help but hug it with a slight smile on my lips. At least this is still here… When I open my eyes, I see that Sunset is looking down at me with confusion, sadness still written across her face. “Sorry, um…” Standing up slowly, I look into Sunset’s eyes and back down to the box again, unsure of what I should say. “We should call the police soon, but I just wanted to make sure this was still here.” Handing her the box, Sunset takes it with a surprised look on her face, her eyes looking back up to me. “It’s supposed to be a gift for your birthday, but I think it would be better if you opened it now. Maybe it will help you feel better until we can get our stuff back.” Sunset’s hand slowly traces the edges of the box, admiring the wrapping paper before a small sigh leaves her lips. “You’re pretty confident you can get our stuff back… Why is that?” Bringing my hand to Sunset’s cheek, I try my best to smile, knowing I can’t admit the real reason why I feel confident. In all my experience, I know how these people operate… I know what happens to the stuff that isn’t that valuable but still worth a pretty buck. I was so tempted to slip into this lifestyle not so long ago… The fact of the matter is that I have personal ties with the person who’s usually behind all of this. That’s why I know I can get our things back… “I just have experience with these people. The people who steal from others. So, I’m pretty sure I know where I can find your movies, your guitar and everything else.” Sunset’s eyes show concern in them for a moment, her mouth opening to say something to me, but she holds it back and opts to just look down at the gift again. Her finger pokes a hole in the wrapping paper and pulls it back, ripping it across the top. The cardboard box I had lazily thrown the coat in is finally revealed, small pieces of tape holding the box closed. Expertly, Sunset’s finger flicks each piece of tape and undoes the packaging, the top popping open a little. Placing the box on the counter, Sunset places the wrapping paper in the trash can that was thankfully left standing. Her hands gently open the box further, her eyes peering inside. Her expression instantly turns to one of surprise as she pulls out the red jacket, inspecting the flames on it in detail. Her hand runs over the soft and sleek surface and feels the warm interior of it. Her eyes close with a smile on her face as she brings the coat closer to her, hugging the material. My mind begins to worry again as I see tears start to stream down her face, her sniffles becoming audible again. Once again, Sunset turns to me, placing the coat on the counter and hugging me quickly, holding onto me as tightly as she can. “T-thank you, Adagio…” Her voice becomes weak, gently letting her tears fall on my shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her, I can’t help but wish that I could take all this pain away from her. I swear I’ll make this right somehow… ============================================ The sound of a doorbell can be heard faintly from outside among the sounds of crickets and the wind. Despite the kiss of cold air on my cheek, I didn’t feel that uncomfortable. If anything, I’ve been keeping myself warm with my own thoughts… Either about Sunset or the anger in my soul. I already have a lot on my plate this week, trying to make amends with every one of Sunset’s friends while preparing for the Apple Family reunion. Now, I have to find our stuff… And resist the urge to hunt down whoever hurt Sunset like this. The first order of business is to get a place to sleep first… Even though we’re going to replace the locks in our apartment, Sunset and I still feel unsafe sleeping in our apartment tonight… In fact, the cops told us it would be a good idea to find a different place to stay for a couple nights. I just wish I didn’t have to come here… Everything’s sorta been awkward since yesterday between her and I, so it is weird to contact her and ask if Sunset and I could crash at her place… Although, I’m surprised that she lives in a house. The house Sunset and I find ourselves in front of is a modest little home with a fence surrounding the backyard and a decent-sized porch. It is the spitting image of a middle-class household, everything from a garden to a mailbox still present. These sorts of luxuries wouldn’t have been around in the neighborhood my old apartment complex was near… A surprising part of the house is the decor on the porch beams and even the mailbox. Rainbows were overly present, making it look like someone is really proud of their sexuality. I mean, they’re probably not here to show someone’s pride, given the person who lives here, but still. It was a little… inspiring. A fun little showcase of colors despite the night’s horrible events… Rainbow Dash has a nice way of decorating I suppose. Sunset’s head turns to me, breaking me from my thoughts. “Do you think she’s still awake…?” Sunset asks me with a look of worry in her eyes, her gaze returning to the front door momentarily. “She should be. She said she would wait for us when we talked on the phone,” I say in a gentle tone, trying to not worry her further. The truth is that there’s still a clear tension between Rainbow and I… She was hesitant to accept my calls and the tone in her voice wasn’t that excited to hear from me. I just hope she is willing to talk to me… As much as our conversation hurt yesterday, I do value Rainbow Dash as a friend. Slowly, the door opens and reveals a rainbow-haired girl as the light spills out onto the front porch. Rainbow Dash has her pajamas on, which are decorated with cute little Daring Do characters and doodles on them. “Hey, guys,” Rainbow’s familiar raspy voice lets out quietly, ushering us inside with her hand. “Try to be quiet, okay? My parents are still asleep.” From here, we’re faced with a small hallway that leads into a living room with two doors to the sides. One of the rooms is an office space and the other seems to be a storage closet. Sunset quietly walks down the hallway, carrying a small bag of things she gathered from our apartment. Mostly, she just grabbed essentials that we would need if we were staying somewhere else. Thankfully, everything I would need can fit inside my own bag, just being the few spare outfits we bought today and a small box of my possessions. There’s not much inside other than a few old postcards, a hair band and… that… “Thank you for taking us in, Rainbow. It really means a lot,” I quietly say, locking my eyes with hers for the first time in what feels like forever. Rainbow’s eyes roll slightly to my statement, briefly brushing past me and walking into the living room. “The guest bedroom is by the kitchen. You also have your own bathroom, so be nice and share,” Rainbow states as she points to the left of the living room, leading down a hallway with an entrance to the kitchen on one side and a closed door to the left. “My room is upstairs, two doors down on the right side. If you need anything, tell me and I’ll be here,” Rainbow says quietly, still avoiding eye contact with me. “And for the love of god, please don’t buck on the bed. I don’t want to have to clean that up.” Instantly, a blush comes across all three of our faces, Rainbow’s probably caused by her mix up with the swear rather than the content of her actual sentence. “Damn it, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash mutters under her breath. “U-um… Don’t worry. We won’t ‘buck’ in your guest bed,” Sunset is barely able to reply, her blush making her cheeks a bright red, her eyes darting around the room for something to look at. I don’t quite know what to say either, unsure whether I should comment about her mispronounced swear or the insinuated time Sunset and I would share together in her guest bedroom. Sunset and I haven’t slept together yet actually… And I highly doubt we would do that here of all places. I’m not even sure when we will. If we will…? I… don’t know what to do in that situation… It sounds fucking pathetic of me, the leader of the sirens who used seduction and power over others to climb my way to the top. Isn’t it expected of someone like me to be… experienced? No, Adagio… You’re being self-destructive again, just calm down. It’s alright… Taking a deep breath, I nod, walking down the hallway and towards the doorway opposite of the kitchen. Sunset briefly exchanges a thank you with Rainbow Dash and a hug before she walks up behind me just as I open the door. The guest bedroom isn’t technically that big, but it’s spacious enough to give us some space to stretch our legs if we need to. There aren’t many decorations on the blue walls, the room mainly consisting of a bed, a couple dressers and chairs. One of the chairs has a foot rest with it and a small table next to it with a lamp resting on top. Honestly, the corner looks like a cute little resting place, warm and cozy despite the colder air outside the house. Sunset slowly closes the door behind us, a sigh exiting her mouth as she sits down on the chair and props her feet up. A small chuckle is all she lets out for a bit, dropping her bag to the floor. “Well, I’m glad we got a place to sleep~” Sunset tries to say with a smile even though her cheerful demeanor wasn’t convincing at all. “Although, I’m not sure I will be able to sleep after tonight…” Her expression instantly changes to one of doubt, her eyes avoiding mine and opting to look at her boots instead. With a groan, she slowly leans forward and pulls off her boots, finally letting herself rest afterward. “I’m sure we can find some way to sleep. Or at least rest, as long as we’re with each other.” Resting my bag on the floor next to the bed, I walk over to the second chair and pull it over next to Sunset, facing her. Even though tonight has been a bad one, I don’t plan to end it off without trying to help the love of my life feel a little bit better. “It’s been a scary night. It doesn’t help that we’ve had a stressful life recently.” Sunset’s eyes connect with mine for a moment, a giggle escaping her as she slumps in her seat. “You could say that again~” Her lips purse and a pouty look overcomes her, noticing my more glum look. “I don’t mean to be so busy with my internship, you know… I want to spend time with you and my friends. I guess that’s why I tried so hard to make today meaningful, you know?” Her eyes avert mine and opt to look at the lamp shade, resting her head on her hand. “I tried to make today a good one too. But… I think we were still able to have some special moments together, you know?” Despite the silence between us, it still feels like both of us could share an understanding, knowing how we both feel. Body language is sometimes enough to tell someone what you’re feeling and in this moment, I can tell Sunset feels conflicted. “Do you want to talk about it?” “Hmm? Talk about what?” she asks me, returning her eyes to my own. “Don’t play dumb with me, Shimmer,” I try to reply in a soft and caring voice, despite my use of her formal name. Gently, I lean over and pull Sunset’s socks off her feet with a questioning look coming from her. “Um… What are you-” “Answer my question,” I state quietly, grabbing one of her feet as gently as I can and pressing my fingers down. “Do you want to talk about it?” Sunset has been working so hard recently, not giving herself a second to sit and rest unless she’s with me. Even in those instances, she doesn’t complain about her studies or about any pain she may be in. Not once. Honestly, it’s not surprising that Sunset’s feet are really tense. I would bet her shoulders are also pretty tense too, but I can only focus on one thing at a time. The troubles with mortality. Slowly, I press my fingers down and start to rub, keeping my eye contact with Sunset. “Adagio. You don’t have to do this. It’s nice and all, but I will be alright, really.” “Did I say I ‘have’ to? What if I want to?” A smile comes to my face when I see a look of relaxation come to Sunset’s face clearly enjoying the sensation of her tension being evaporated. I guess it naturally makes me happy to be able to take away some of the pain Sunset has been dealing with, which is ironic coming from a siren… Well, former siren. Sunset was my enemy. I would have hated the thought of doing this back then, but now, it’s nice to be here for her when she needs me. “It… does feel nice,” Sunset replies as if she was talking to herself more than me. Her eyes connect with mine once more, a guilty expression taking over her for letting herself take advantage of my offer. “Thank you, Adagio. It… really does help with the pain.” “You don’t have to thank me, Summer Mist~” Winking to her, I scoot closer in my seat to get a better grip, Sunset smiling at the feeling. “It’s just… I don’t know,” Sunset states quietly, once again averting her gaze. “You can talk to me, Sunset. I promise.” Pressing my fingers against her sole slowly, Sunset relaxes her brow and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I want to be here for you, Adagio… But I also feel like I’m failing you by taking so much time to prioritize my internship and my studies. You know?” Her face shows just how much guilt she’s been feeling recently due to the stress. “Go on~” I whisper with a smile, nodding to her statement. “It’s just been… a lot. I love you so much, Adagio. I just have a hard time showing it these days. I’m sorry.” A part of me stings when I hear that. I don’t want her to be stressing over these small details. I mean, it’s true that it’s been hard, not being around her as often as I would like, but I know that we’re both trying our best. Sunset will have more free time soon, so I suppose it’s just a waiting game. “I know how that sounds, but I usually try to show you how I feel. It’s just been a lot lately and all I wanted was for us to have a good day together again. Then maybe we could try to talk to my friends more and all.” Her eyes slowly connect with mine again to see my reaction to her baring her soul. “Well, for what it matters, I think we had a good day, despite what happened tonight~” Rubbing a little harder, I break our eye contact to make sure I won’t hurt her. “It all depends on… perspective. I mean, look at it from my shoes.” Taking a deep breath, I look back into Sunset’s eyes, reminding me of the ocean ever so slightly. “Just half a year ago, I was hell bent on finding power in this ‘useless’ world again. I couldn’t see past the agony that life was and centered my focus on every bad thing that happened to me.” A sigh escapes my lips as I can’t help but frown at the memories from that time. Despite how much life has changed, the memory of that… night… It still shakes me. I don’t even know why I still have that damn gun… “Being robbed was unfortunate, yeah, but let’s look at it from a different angle. No one got hurt and we’re both safe together~ Comparatively, I would rather have you safe here than for something worse to happen. You’re… my everything.” By the time I look at Sunset again, the tears on her cheeks come into focus and I instantly feel my heart sink again. Why is she crying…? Did I say something wrong…? “That is… so sweet, Adagio~” she weakly states, trying to withhold her emotions as much as she can. Sunset is always so emotional, but I can’t quite blame her. It’s cute that she gets this way. It allows me to see her beautiful smile a second more and I will always treasure that opportunity. Before I can say anything, Sunset slowly wipes the tears from her eyes, giggling to herself and smiling widely at what I had said, despite the fact that I don’t think it was that sweet. “You’re right. It’s much better to have my Alligator with me, safe and sound, rather than the alternative~ And even though it’s been hard recently, at least we’re trying to fix things.” A bright smile takes the place of her once sad expression, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly. “How about we visit one of my friends tomorrow afternoon? Then we can both finally get somewhere in fixing things~” A sense of confidence seems to appear in her, making us both giggle at each other. “Is my massage so good that it’s making you feel like you can take on the world?” I tease her with a wink, another small laugh escaping our lips. “W-well, no, it’s not that. It’s just that I need to remind myself that good days are ahead~ No matter how much hurt we go through~” Honestly, I wish I had that mindset months ago… It’s so easy to give up and feel like each day is worse than the last. Hell, I still have a hard time thinking about how things can get better. The only reason I can sometimes is because of Sunset. Her presence in my life proves that things can change. If two people who hated each other’s guts just a couple years ago can come to love each other like there’s no tomorrow, then life can change, no matter the circumstance. “Very cute, Shimmer, but I believe it’s past your bedtime~” My statement makes Sunset blush even harder, her eyes wide with surprise at the teasing. “My bedtime? Since when were you this playful? I’m usually the one teasing you~” Sunset giggles to herself, her eyes locking with mine. Her confident look disappears as soon as she hears my mischievous chuckle, being replaced with confusion. “Ever since you bit my ear~” “What? Do you want me to do it again~?” Sunset remarks with the perfect comeback, reversing our situation and making me the one with blushing cheeks. “N-no, I was just stating um…” “Besides, if you want me to sleep, you’ll have to rub my shoulders as well~” Sunset giggles, pulling her feet from my grasp as she stands up from her seated position. “Eh? I don’t recall offering that treatment?” “Well, too bad~ You offered to massage my feet, so now you have to follow through with my shoulders too~” Sunset gently sticks her tongue out at me before walking over to the bed, landing on the plush mattress with a soft thud. A sigh of relaxation escapes her before she looks over to me. “You’re lucky that you’re cute,” I slowly sigh, getting up from my seat and taking off the black leather jacket. Sliding my feet out of my boots effortlessly, I walk towards the bed and chuckle at Sunset’s demand a little more. “And you’re lucky that I can take care of injured alligators~” Straddling her back as gently as I can, I place my hands on her shoulders, rubbing in small circles with minimal force at first. “Are you talking about our week-long sleepover?” I ask her with a curious tone in my voice. “What else would I be talking about~? I mean, that is when I first started calling you my alligator~” A small laugh comes from Sunset as she seems to remember the days in question. “Do you even remember why I call you that?” Honestly, the reason why she calls me that nickname escapes me. I know the reason made sense back then and I eventually accepted the nickname, but a lot of the memories surrounding the day I left the hospital are sort of… vague. It was like my mind was on a static television the whole time. I know it made sense back then… “No, I don’t actually. I used to, but… I guess I’ve just accepted it over time?” My statement brings a sad expression to Sunset’s face, seemingly thinking about something. “Oh? Would you prefer it if I stop calling you that…?” “Of course not,” my mouth instantly responds before my mind can even register what is said. “I mean, I love the nickname now. It sorta makes me feel… loved? I wouldn’t want anyone else to call me it actually.” A relieved look appears in Sunset’s eyes, her gaze pointed towards the wall to our left. Rubbing a little harder, Sunset’s eyes close in pleasure to the feeling of my hands rubbing her sore muscles. “It would be nice if you could remind me the reason you started using that name though~” “Oh, yeah~ It was because you were being particularly snappy, argumentative and uncooperative during that time when I was trying to take care of you. Honestly… I think my feelings for you started when I was told you got hurt. I just didn’t realize it for a bit. I didn’t realize that friends don’t really cuddle as long as we did. Friends don’t linger on each touch and want to see each other every day.” Her statement instantly brings up a memory… The time on the Ferris wheel… It was such a nice day and the sun’s light caught in her hair… Everything made my heart beat out of control back then, bringing this dead heart back to life, full of love for another person. A love I never thought possible. “Friends don’t think about each other’s smiles every second they’re apart…” Sunset’s eyes open to my statement and she briefly tenses her shoulders before relaxing them as she smiles. “Friends don’t have movie nights every couple of days, holding each other’s hands throughout the night~” Closing my eyes, I try my best to remember exactly how I felt during that moment, visualizing how beautiful Sunset looked. “Friends don’t… think about how perfect the other is every single day.” Sunset chuckles lightly, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. “When did you realize that you loved me~?” Rubbing her back as firm and gentle as I can, I take a deep breath and smile to myself. “The day we went to Equestria World. Though, I technically only admitted it to myself that I had feelings for you on the Ferris wheel.” “I knew you were acting differently after that day~” Sunset giggles, a thoughtful look coming to her. After a moment of giggling to the memory, a content sigh escapes her as she closes her eyes, a big smile pasted on her lips. “I really love you, Adagio~” Leaning over as slowly as I can, I press my lips against Sunset’s cheek tenderly and whisper in her ear, “I love you more, Sunset~” ================================================== The dark atmosphere surrounding the night is comforting in certain circumstances, but terrifying in others… Creatures that prey on others revel in the darkness. Once upon a time, I had no reason to fear the dark. I was the one who hunted others. Now, I’m more or less stuck as prey myself, being subjected to a weak body at one of the lowest places in society. All because of those girls… My plan should have worked. We successfully turned them against each other and we had the audience under our spell. If anything, we should have come out on top… Somehow, they were able to overlook their differences and come together to defeat us. To take away our magic… Bringing my hand to my bare neck, I can’t help but grimace, still feeling pain from where the gem used to be. It was a part of me back in Equestria. It was MY magic and they took it away from me… Why did this happen? I should have won! Not them! It should have been my turn in the spotlight. To take the world by the throat and subject it to my will. Then we would move onto Equestria, but now, all I can think about is her… Sunset Shimmer. If she wasn’t there, we would have won. If only I could choke all specks of life out of her body right now… “So, what are we going to do now…?” Sonata asks me in a scared voice, her back leaning against the brick wall of the alley way. Forced to run away like rats… This is NOT the life I wanted for myself. “Can you shut the fuck up for once in your life, Sonata?!” Aria yells at her as she slams her fist against the wall with a heavy sigh, her dress wet from the light rain falling on us. “All you ever do is act innocent and go with the flow, huh?! Just shut up!” “Like you’re any better,” I scoff at Aria, my back turned to the other two as the occasional car passes by the damn alley. “You’re always complaining and never taking my advice seriously. If you would just stick to plan once in your life, maybe we would already be ruling over Equestria, Aria!” “You never take our advice either, Dagi!” Sonata states in an angry tone, her normally kind eyes displaying hurt in them now. “What did you just say…?” I ask in disbelief, surprised Sonata of all people would speak out against me. Does she know her place any more? “Since when did weak little Sonata grow a spine?” Sonata’s eyes glare at me with anger as she clenches her fists, unsure of what to do. “All you are is a bully, Dagi! You bully everyone under you and stomp on those who are supposed to care about you. I… I used to be your friend, but I’m tired of being bullied.” Her eyes avert mine for a moment, Sonata throwing her hands to her hair and undoing her ponytail. “I… I wish I never shared my toys with you at all!” Sonata stomps past Aria, walking towards the entrance of the alley way. “Are you serious?! Like you didn’t want to conquer as well!” Aria laughs out loud at Sonata’s statement before the blue girl quickly turns around, slapping Aria’s face. “I didn’t! I just wanted to be with you two! I didn’t care where we were or what we did. I cared about both of you!” Sonata yells at both of us, her eyes switching between Aria and I. Aria, bringing her hand to her face, growls slightly at Sonata, clearly angry about the assault to her face. “You’re a siren, Sonata! Sirens aren’t supposed to have mushy feelings like that!” Aria almost screams in Sonata’s face, ready to fight her if the situation calls for it. “You’re wrong! Both of you only see power and domination as life’s purpose! I just wish we could have actually been friends.” “Zip it, both of you!” I snap at them, looking away as I try to think of what we’re going to do. “We can get back at those damned Rainbooms if we just think of a plan.” I instantly hear a scoff from behind me, Aria laughing slightly to herself. “You know what? There WON’T be a next time, Adagio. I’m done with this shit,” Aria states in a satisfied tone, turning her back to me. “I’ll get my power back on my own, no matter what it takes. I don’t need you two.” With that, Aria walks past Sonata and steps onto the sidewalk. “I never want to see you guys again,” Sonata quietly lets out, her fists still clenched from anger, quickly running out of the alley way as Aria stands right outside, looking in at me before she walks away as well in the opposite direction. “Fine. Good riddance,” I slowly state, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I can finally rest from their damn arguing. They’ll be back. They need me. They just need to learn their place, talking to me like that. ===================================================== Taking a deep breath, my eyes shoot open as I feel the cold sweat that’s formed on my face. The air itself smells slightly of dust mixed with clean sheets, reminding me instantly where we are. Over time, I’ve been able to stop myself from freaking out after nightmares, especially since they happen often. Of course I dreamt about them again… It’s hard not to think about them. The last time we talked, we left on bad terms. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I could talk to them again. Though, that’s posing the question if we see each other again… I don’t even know where they are. The few postcards they sent felt more like an obligation than an actual sincere greeting. Looking down, I see Sunset’s peaceful expression as she rests her head on my chest, holding onto me tightly. Apparently, she didn’t have nightmares~ Leaning down, I kiss her forehead as gently as I can, making sure to not wake her if possible. It was my fault that Sonata, Aria and I went our separate ways… But I will make sure to not let that happen with us. Or with Sunset’s friends. Sliding out from under Sunset’s embrace, I place a pillow under Sunset’s head and smile at her image, wanting to kiss her again. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what will wake her, but it’s not hard to imagine that she needs sleep after the last few days. Hell, maybe my massage skills helped her feel sleepy, even though I probably gave one of the worst massages out there. With a small breath, I turn around and walk towards the door, making sure to grab a pair of pajama pants on my way out. The pair I grabbed are white with pink hearts thrown all over them. Apparently, Sunset got this from Rarity, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me borrowing it. Opening the door, I take one last look back at Sunset’s sleeping frame before taking a step out into the dimly lit hallway. I make sure to close the door behind me before walking into the kitchen, neglecting to turn the light on. Honestly, I don’t plan on raiding Rainbow Dash’s fridge, but a cup of water should help me calm down. I wouldn’t want to eat her food after our fight… In the kitchen, a small island is erected in the center with a stove. To the right of the doorway, there’s a large oven and microwave built into the wall, flush with the cabinets beside it. There’s also a large fridge on the far left, with a small dining area at the opposite side of the room, seemingly opening back up to the living room which can also be accessed from the hallway. Honestly, it’s an interesting design, but what makes the kitchen stand out even more are the countless pictures of Rainbow Dash on the walls, from a baby to now, all of them displaying some big achievement of hers. Honestly, as proud as Rainbow Dash is, she isn’t the type of person to boast to this extreme. Sure, she would show off, but literally plastering her walls with just her face isn’t her style, which makes me think this is her parents’ doing. They must be really proud of her. Walking over to the sink next to the fridge, I grab a plastic red cup from a stack and pour myself some tap water to drink. Living with almost nothing before has made me less picky with the food and water I put in my body. At least it can satiate me for the time being. Taking a sip of the water, I can’t help but savor the feeling of the cold liquid against my tongue. I guess I didn’t realize how dry my mouth was… “Tastes good, right?” a sinister voice whispers in my ear, the muscles in my back tensing up as a response. Instantly, I look to my right towards the dining room table and that all too familiar sense of dread crawls down my back as I see her shadow… The red eyes and gem being the only things illuminating her figure. Why is she here again…? “What do you want?” I ask in an annoyed tone, feigning my confidence and taking another sip of my water. “Don’t try to trick me, Adagio~ I know when cowards lie,” she states in an eerily soothing tone, her nails gently coming down to the table and scratching the surface. “How about you don’t try to trick me, alright?” I let out in an exasperated sigh, holding my hip with one hand. “The last time you appeared in my dreams, you had some message to give me. Now, you’re sitting in the shadows, trying to intimidate me again. So, answer the damn question already.” Defiantly, I take another sip of my drink, keeping eye contact with the shadow. To my surprise, she gently starts to clap, a chuckle emanating from her. “Well done~ Thinking you’re so smart like an obedient dog~ Wow, Sunset really has wrapped you around her finger, huh? Pathetic.” Her hand comes up to her face, crossing her legs as if she was royalty sitting upon a throne. “Truth is that I just love seeing how far you’ve come. Thinking you’re becoming a better person while you’re actually falling further and further. I thought you had reached the bottom of the barrel when you decided to give the bitch a gift, but here you are~ You never cease to disappoint. Oh, wait. That’s all you are~ A disappointment of a siren~” Standing up from her seated position, the shadow’s eyes stare into my soul with only evil hidden behind them. Walking over to the table, I sit down on the chair opposite of her shadow, still trying to ignore the nerves telling me to run. “Well, maybe I don’t want to be a siren anymore,” I state quietly, drinking my water and avoiding her evil gaze looking down at me. For a moment, nothing but silence is heard before she puts her hand down on the table. “Well, that’s too bad. You’ll always be a siren. The worst of them all.” As she sits down, I make eye contact with her again, seeing those eyes filled with hate staring into me. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you still have siren genes in you, since you keep hurting those around you.” “What the hell is your problem?” I snap at her, holding my head in my hand with a heavy sigh. “First you ridicule me for not grabbing power by the damn throat and now you’re here to taunt me for not being good enough. What is your damned point?” “What if I said that it’s just fun, watching you suffer? Every little day, watching you fail brings another smile to my lips~” her voice whispers in a taunting voice, leaning back in her chair. Word after word effortlessly leaving her mouth, no care for what effect that they may have. “The only thing that I’ve found admirable about you is that rage in your heart.” Looking up to her instantly, I feel my words catch in my mouth, unsure of what I should respond with. “Yes, I know all about that. In fact, it’s spiked up again recently, hasn’t it?” Her sinister chuckle echoing in this house, surrounding me in its sound. “Wanting to hurt whoever caused so much pain to that summer mist of yours~ How sweet and ridiculous at the same time~ Though, I will admit it’s intriguing to see you slip back into your old ways.” “I am not slipping back! I’m just… angry. That’s all.” “Anger is the harbinger of chaos, Adagio. It allows someone to show their true self, letting out they’re most volatile emotions without a care for the world.” Her fingers claw into the table, letting out a shredding sound. “But you know that already, don’t you?” “Will you just get to a point or leave already?” I can’t help but snap in an annoyed tone, reminding me of how I used to treat Sonata and Aria before… Once again, her hands clap as she stands up from the table, looking down at me as a smile can barely be seen from her dark frame. “There’s the siren we love to see~” Walking around the table, she places her hand on my shoulder chuckling to herself. “I’ll leave you be for now. You’re making it boring to ridicule you. But listen to me now, Dazzle.” Her words stop for a moment after she hisses her statement, leaning in slowly. “Those strong feelings of yours, whether they be hate, anger, or even love. Don’t try to kill them. Use them to fuel you. Maybe then you can actually be confident instead of faking it like a coward.” Her hand lets go of my shoulder, walking behind me with her sinister whisper still lingering in my ears. “Who knows? Maybe someday you will come back to your senses and take back power for yourself.” Taking a deep breath, I turn around and glance behind me to see nothing but a hallway, her dark figure gone from sight. Fortunately, her evil chuckle is gone too, finally making her atmosphere dissipate from around me. I don’t know why she must show up to give me a hard time. Why am I dreaming about her…? About me… I’m trying to be a better person and all I can seem to think about is that worse version of myself… I can never seem to just be happy with life because something comes up… Finishing off my cup of water, I bring my hands to my face, sighing to myself. I suppose she’s right about one thing though. I’ve been trying to hold off my emotions as much as I can since they tend to be my downfall… Maybe… Maybe my emotions can be of use… A light sound interrupts my train of thought, coming from the hallway at the opposite side of the kitchen. Slowly, a figure walks into the doorway of the kitchen, turning on the light I chose to keep off to avoid disturbing anyone. The colorful hair is unmistakable, making me feel a bit scared of being here. Rainbow Dash, as tired as she looks, seems to notice me right away, giving me a small wave. “Hey,” is all she says in a monotone voice, seemingly not ecstatic to see me. I give her a wave of my own in return before she walks over to the fridge, opening it quickly. For a moment, I notice the Wonderbolts magnets on the fridge, yet again reflecting Rainbow Dash’s personality. What confuses me the most is the fact that Rainbow Dash only seemed to sleep in is a loose crop top and some shorts, despite the cooler temperature that the AC is set on. I mean, it doesn’t surprise me that the shorts have the Daring Do logo on them, but it does make me question why she wouldn’t sleep with more warm clothes. Maybe she’s just used to the cooler air… In a moment, Rainbow Dash closes the fridge door, holding an orange and grape soda. She seems to take a deep breath before approaching the table, setting the grape soda down in front of me. “I just had some water, I’m fine,” I state quietly, trying to politely refuse her offer. “Dagi. Just… accept the damn drink,” Rainbow says in an irritated voice, clearly holding back a little. A part of me still wants to reject the offer since I didn’t feel like taking advantage of Rainbow’s hospitality, especially due to the way I acted earlier. Eventually, I take the soda in my hand, Rainbow sitting down in the seat opposite of me. After taking a big swig of her orange soda, Rainbow sets her drink down on the table, burping slightly. She really doesn’t have any shame, but I suppose that’s part of her charm. After she notices my stare, both of us giggle slightly, looking away from each other. “I suppose you want to talk?” I ask in a hesitant voice, finally opening my own soda in the process. “You could say that…” Her voice sounds distant, seemingly thinking about whether or not she does want to talk. “I… couldn’t sleep honestly. Let’s just say that I’m not necessarily… happy where we left things off.” Honestly, I’m not happy about it either… I’m kind of ashamed of how I acted. I treated her harshly and she treated me with the same energy in return. In a way, I think both of us feel that way… “Me neither,” I nod in agreement, lowering my gaze to the purple liquid inside my bottle. “I’m… I’m sorry. For all the things I said earlier today. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way and I… I didn’t want to alienate one of my only friends.” Sighing, I take a big drink of the grape soda into my mouth, savoring the taste for a long moment before I decide to swallow. Remembering our fight alone makes me feel sad at how angry we got, especially me. I could have done so many other things to resolve that situation, but I guess it just hurt… Seeing both my scarf torn and Rainbow shrugging off my feelings like they didn’t matter. “I’m sorry too, Dagi… I thought long and hard about what we said and…” Rainbow’s eyes look away from me, looking towards her lap in hesitancy. “I admit it, Dagi. I have a hard time placing value in things that other people like. I often have a big ego and like to think that situations revolve around me, which made me not even try to stop and think why you would be sad about… well, that.” Her eyes finally lock with mine again, both of us sharing this moment together. “I was wondering if we could maybe agree to put it behind us? I will try to be better at reading other people’s emotions and all. I just don’t want us to stay awkward with each other, you know?” Looking into Rainbow’s eyes, I can tell she is genuinely sorry for what happened, just like me. It’s hard to say no to her when she bares her soul like this. “As long as you promise me we can watch the new Daring Do movie together,” I state in a teasing way, both of us finally laughing at a joke together again. Rainbow Dash raises her drink, tapping it against mine with a smile, nodding slightly. “Yeah, we can~” ============================================================ “I don’t get it,” I state quietly, looking at the papers Fancy Pants set on his desk. I wasn’t exactly happy to wake up pretty damn early to get to the studio on time for my new work schedule, but that’s why I’m here to talk to him. “Isn’t there any way we could just change it back to the previous schedule? My girlfriend and I have been having a really hard time since our apartment just got robbed and all.” Fancy Pant’s expression looks conflicted, clearly sad for my misfortune, but he was probably going to say he can’t change it back. “I must apologize, Ms. Dazzle, but I can’t change it back. The studio has been losing money and I can’t afford to keep it open into the afternoons like I have been.” His hand reaches over his desk and pulls the papers back towards him, a small sigh leaving his lips. “I don’t wish to cause you even more misfortune, but this is how things must be done for now. Once school starts back up in the fall, maybe I can afford to keep the studio open longer.” The end of the summer is quickly approaching… The idea of waking up earlier to go to work isn’t exciting for me at all, but maybe I can tough it out for now. It can even give me more hours during the day to connect with Sunset’s friends, which is definitely needed since the Apple Family Reunion is almost here. As much as I hate the idea, I guess I can wait until the fall. “Does this mean I have to decrease my student size?” I ask hesitantly, knowing damn well that I am a one-on-one teacher. I would feel sad for the kids I teach if I have to stop teaching some of them. One I need to make time for is Apple Bloom. No matter how much crap we’ve been through, Apple Bloom is always there for me. I should talk to her again soon, especially since she probably needs more help with the reunion… “Not at all. Though, your students may not be able to attend the new times, so you may have to find some new students, but your workload will remain the same overall,” Fancy reassures me as politely as he can, giving me a small nod. “Okay. Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Pants,” I say with a bow of my head, standing up from my seat. “Before I go, I wanted to request the day off, even though I had a day off yesterday. As I stated before, my apartment was robbed and it’s an emotional time for my partner and I, so I wish to settle some matters before tomorrow.” Fancy simply nods and looks down at some paperwork, using a pen to mark off a box. “I figured you would need the day off. Don’t worry, I’ll find a stand-in for you, Ms. Dazzle.” I bow my head again as a thank you before walking towards the door, bringing my hand to my hair and brushing it out of my face. “Have a good day,” I state before walking out of his office, Fancy simply giving me a thumbs up as a response. Closing his door, I swiftly walk past the receptionist’s counter and through the front door. It’s true that I need to talk with Sunset a bit more, but the first order of business is finding our stuff again… Which means I’ll have to talk to him again. He’s the king of organized crime in Canterlot City, meaning that he will probably know what happened to our apartment. If he ordered this hit, I will be VERY pissed… Especially after all the favors I’ve done for the bastard over the years. Sighing to myself, I walk down the metal stairs, not anticipating the direction I will have to go. I didn’t want to have to return to the nightclub, but it seems that is my only choice. “I hope you’re ready to talk to an angry siren, Rich.” Back to the CaveAuthor's Note When tragedy falls upon Adagio's happy little life, she struggles to find what was stolen from her partner and herself, but her search leads to unexpected meetings. New facts are learned and some things are a bit clearer. Are things looking up for Adagio? Let's hope so. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes at the end of the chapter~ Back to the Cave Chapter XII: Back to the Cave Normally, my long walks across the city would be accompanied by a few pit stops to help me rest my legs and think about my situation, but this isn’t the case today. The nightclub is halfway across the city from the music studio and I sure as hell don’t want to get there late. I never expected myself to even approach that place again, much less have business there, but desperate times call for those kinds of extreme measures. Either way, I am just dying to hear what Rich has to say about what happened last night… Even though he clearly loves his family and keeps his promises like an honorable person, Filthy Rich is still the king of organized crime in this city. Hell, he’s even been trying to get into office as the mayor, which would surely give his profits an even bigger boost. If there’s anyone in this city who knows what happened to Sunset and I’s apartment, it would be him. On the off chance that he isn’t the one responsible for the act, then he can still help me find our lost belongings, given the network he’s in charge of. It’s unlikely though… Rich always had these sorts of operations to make things look like a simple break-in when it’s really a cash in. That was the sort of ship he ran, even when I agreed to do certain deals for him. Just thinking about his ugly mug makes me want to vomit, the feeling of anger raging inside me. If he was the one who hurt Sunset, I’m not sure what I would do… I guess the only reason I’m willing to talk to him now is because I owe the man the benefit of a doubt. Let’s just say that he and I have both kept our promises to each other… Maybe there’s a mutual sense of respect… I just wish we could meet somewhere safer. Somewhere better… This part of town always has that stench of alcohol, stained streets, run down buildings and pawn shops on practically every corner. To kick it all off, trash litters the sidewalks, despite the trash cans beside public benches. I wouldn’t want Sunset to touch this place, even with a fifty-foot pole. Fortunately, I still know how this part of town works… Keep your head down, avoid the holes in the walls and only start fights you know you can finish. Keeping my head down doesn’t necessarily mean letting myself get picked on… Even though I let Trixie do that at the arcade, this is a different story. You need to look like you know where you’re going and like nothing is going to stop you from getting there. If someone looks confident and has a face that screams ‘Don’t fuck with me’, then they look less like a target and they may give you a challenge instead. As much as I’m trying to be a better person now, this is not the time to let people walk all over me. “Come on, you have to have something on ya.” The sound of a groggy and dazed voice hits my ears as I look up from the sidewalk, surprised at what I see. It’s not abnormal for local drunkards or addicts to harass the passersby for some cash, but the person this guy is bothering instantly causes me to feel uneasy. The woman in front of the disheveled man has a bright green dress that contrasts nicely with her yellow skin, her pink hair flowing down her shoulders. “I-I’m sorry, but I really don’t have anything on me,” the all-too-caring woman states, trying to de-escalate the situation. Nervously, she backs up and tries to keep eye contact with the man, despite her clear feeling of fear. Normally, I would just walk away from an interaction like this since it’s less likely for something to happen to you if you just turn a blind eye, but I can’t do that this time… Even if this was happening to a different woman, the man seems too irrational for his own good, making it dangerous to argue. What makes this situation even worse is that it’s happening to Fluttershy of all people, a person who wants to avoid conflict like the plague, even if it means letting herself be walked over. Sighing to myself, I reach into my bag and feel inside for a dollar bill, making sure my revolver is still inside in the process. What is she even doing in this part of town? Wearing an expensive dress as well? Her weak posture, shy appearance, and nice attire practically beg for her to be mugged. Shaking my head, I take a deep breath and clench my fist, preparing for whatever may happen. I really wasn’t looking to do this today, but here goes nothing… Walking up to Fluttershy as quickly as I can, I grab her arm just above her elbow, causing her to jump and let out a high-pitched squeal, looking at me in surprise. “Here’s a little something. Treat yourself,” I try to say in the least hostile tone I can as I hand the inhibited man a five dollar bill. I was hoping for him to just take the bill and be satisfied with this outcome, but the man looks at me with a confused expression, eyeing the bill in my hand. “Is that all?” he practically scoffs, inching closer to try and intimidate us into handing over any more that we may have. “Take it or leave it, pal. I don’t have any more and I’m feeling generous today,” I state in a deadpan way, raising my eyebrow at him. Fluttershy responds to his approach by moving back a little, but I hold my ground, still offering the dollar. After a moment of consideration, the guy mumbles, taking the bill and stumbling away from us, only to sit on a nearby bench. Without waiting another moment, I pull Fluttershy along, walking down the sidewalk as quickly as I can. Why did she have to be here? Fluttershy stumbles to try and keep up with my pace, trying to talk to me as she does so. “A-Adagio? Why are you here?” she finally asks, the feeling of shock and fear seemingly fading away just to be replaced by confusion. “I could ask you the same thing,” I state in an irritated tone. I didn’t mean to sound rude to her or to show my fangs in a sense, but right now really isn’t the best time to swoop in and save someone else. “What are you doing in this part of town, Fluttershy? Worst of all, with that dress on?” Bringing my hand up to my forehead, I rub slightly and sigh at my current situation. “You h-helped me…?” she states weakly, her confused expression still pasted on her face. “Of course… That’s what friends do, right?” I ask hesitantly. Honestly, I’m still unsure what it completely means to be someone’s friend… I don’t know what’s appropriate to say or do, despite my experience with Rainbow and Apple Bloom. Let’s be honest, though. Rainbow isn’t the best example since she’s… quite a unique person. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, is the textbook definition of a friend. Almost way too caring and helpful at times… Fluttershy’s expression turns into one of sadness and anxiety, her eyes looking away from me as she tries to catch her breath. “Yeah. That’s w-what friends do…” Her eyes slowly return to me, smiling as well as she can. “Thank you, Adagio~” Her smile and nod cause me to look away, trying to avoid looking stupid again since I don’t know what to say. “Anyway, why are you here?” Trying to get back on topic, I drag Fluttershy along with me into an open donut shop. I really need to get to the nightclub soon, so I hope she can make this quick… The smell of the shop is almost enough to distract me from the pending stress of the morning, the sweet scent of glazed bread and sugar filling my nostrils. Walking over to one of the tables, I motion for Fluttershy to sit on one of the chairs opposite of me. Fluttershy’s anxious expression remains as she sits down, her hands fidgeting with each other for a while. “I um… I’m sorry for getting you involved in this. It’s just a personal issue,” Fluttershy is barely able to say, whispering under her breath to avoid being heard by anyone else in the shop. Honestly, Fluttershy and I are not that close, so I shouldn’t really care what business she has here, but… I suppose Sunset is rubbing off on me. Her inquisitive nature and how she always wants to help when she can. Besides, I… want to be friends with Fluttershy, it’s just hard to think about what to say. She could easily be hurt if she doesn’t know how to handle herself in this part of town, so it’s my responsibility to help in any way I can, right…? “Look, Fluttershy. You almost got robbed just a minute ago. Your personal issue that you have to deal with here could get you hurt.” A heavy breath leaves my mouth as I try to think of the right words, my eyes connecting with hers once again just for her to look away with a nervous feeling in her gaze. “If you tell me what you are doing here, maybe I could help you. No judgment involved.” For a moment, Fluttershy brings her hand to her chest and looks down at the table, her lips twitching slightly in her nervous state. Despite her awkward and shy emotions, Fluttershy finally grabs her purse, sighing slightly to herself. “The truth is… I’m here to help a friend,” she barely mumbles before pulling out a Tupperware container from her purse, seemingly filled with some kind of soup. “Her father just… passed on… and she fell sick as well, so I was wanting to help her in some way.” Even though Fluttershy is normally pretty reserved, her statement this time is said in a more direct way with sorrow in her voice, making it sound genuine. “I admit that she doesn’t live in the best neighborhood, but I couldn’t really stand by and not help her, you know?” A strike of pain goes through my heart for a moment, memories of the past being opened from Fluttershy’s words. That day I got injured was… definitely traumatic. If I didn’t have Sunset there to help me, I’m not sure what would have happened. She confidently stepped up to the plate to help me, not bearing to see me in pain or without some sort of support. That helpful spirit of hers has definitely rubbed off on me and… I think it’s the reason I fell so madly in love with her in such a quick amount of time. “Yeah, I can understand that sentiment,” I slowly respond, bringing my hand to the back of my head with a sigh. “You should still bring someone with you when you come here. It’s better to travel in a group rather than being targeted by muggers.” Looking up to Fluttershy, I can’t help but feel surprised as I see her raised eyebrow and confused gaze, seemingly puzzled about my response. “You seem… to know a lot about staying out of trouble,” Fluttershy whispers, her finger gingerly playing with her hair. I wasn’t aware she could catch onto that fact from the few things I’ve said so far, but I guess it can be obvious from how I handled the recent situation. “Well, I used to live in this part of town…” I mean, it’s normal to gain experience from these sorts of situations if you live around them for long enough… It’s hard for me to not watch my back, even during the day. At one point, Rainbow Dash told me that it was ‘too freaking hard’ to surprise or scare me, to which I only replied with a chuckle. Now, there’s only an awkward silence that passes between us, my eyes glancing back down to the table. “Um, hey?” Fluttershy states in a louder tone, surprisingly more direct than her naturally held back dialogue. Looking back up at her, I see her raising her hand, her attention focused on a young man in work attire for the donut shop we’re currently sitting in. When he finally walks over, Fluttershy takes out her bank card from her purse, handing it to him in a reserved manner. “Um… I’d like a light roast coffee, if you have it. And…” Fluttershy’s gaze now rests on me as she expects for me to order something of my own from the shop. “Oh, no. You don’t have to, Fluttershy. I had a breakfast earlier and-” “It’s the least I can do to repay you for your kindness today~” the pink-haired girl states in a happier tone, giving me a genuine smile. Shaking my head, I can’t help but smile slightly, rubbing my eyes. I guess Sunset isn’t the only person with that pushy attitude to help someone else. “A black coffee will be nice~” After my words are said, Fluttershy nods to the man before he walks back towards the counter of the shop. Even though I need to meet Rich relatively soon, I guess I can spare enough time to get Fluttershy to her friend’s house and such. My conscience wouldn’t let me just walk away now, especially after she went through the trouble to buy me a coffee. “So, how far away is your friend’s house from here?” I ask slowly, pulling out my phone and typing in a message. “O-oh? You still want to… help?” she asks weakly, putting the soup container back into her bag. “Of course. And who is this friend, by the way? Is it someone I know?” I ask cautiously, afraid that the answer might be yes. I just saw Sunset and Rainbow before I left the house today, so they should be fine. I haven’t talked to Apple Bloom or Applejack in a few days, but I would think Apple Bloom would tell me if one of them isn’t feeling well. Besides, their parents have already… yeah. Rarity might be the person Fluttershy is talking about, but I’m not sure if she lives in this part of the city. The other Twilight could be another option… What the hell should I even call her? Every time I think of her, I can’t help but confuse her with the Twilight I met almost two years ago. The Twilight I met had straight hair with bangs, but this new Twilight seems to keep her hair tied up and she has glasses now. You’d think that the same person from two universes would have relatively the same eyesights, but I suppose not. Other than glasses Twilight, there’s always Pinkie Pie. “Oh, um… No, you don’t know her. Her name is Tree Hugger and she lives about half a mile away from here if I remember correctly,” she states nervously, once again playing with her hair as she talks. “You see… Tree Hugger and her dad didn’t really agree on a lot of things, but she still feels awful about what happened. I’m sure most people with parents they love would feel the same way.” Fluttershy’s eyes break from me, looking out the window with a solemn smile on her face. “What are your parents like?” she abruptly asks me, surprisingly without a stutter. Shaking my head slowly, I look out the same window towards the sky, taking a deep breath as I try to come up with the words. “I didn’t have parents. If I did, they left before I could remember. So, I sorta grew up by myself with Sonata and Aria.” Looking back at Fluttershy, I see a pitiful expression across her face, seemingly sad about my statement. Honestly, it looks like she’s staring at an injured puppy. “What? It’s fine. I still learned from other sirens and strived to be the best I could. I think I turned out mostly fine without them.” After hearing my words, Fluttershy tries to wipe the pitiful look from her face, but the glances still come out every now and again. “How about you? Did you have parents?” I ask in response, trying to still gauge the conversation so that we can avoid another awkward silence. “Oh yes! I do~ They’re the best parents I could ever ask for~ Although, they sometimes lack the confidence to speak their mind or stand up for themselves.” Honestly, I have to hold back the urge to laugh at Fluttershy’s words just from the sheer irony of them. The fact that Fluttershy of all people thinks someone else lacks a spine is pretty hilarious, but it also makes me think about how shy her parents must be if she’s technically more confident than they are. “That’s nice to hear~ The only family I have had were Sonata and Aria~ Well, we were close enough to be sisters practically.” As soon as I finish talking, the young man walks back to our table with the coffees in hand, resting them down on the table as well as the card and a receipt. Honestly, I’m surprised this donut shop has this level of service. Most stores like this don’t have people who come up and help with ordering. “I don’t have sisters, but I do have a brother~” Fluttershy says with a soft smile, bringing her coffee up to her lips. A brother, huh? That’s interesting. “What’s that like?” I ask quietly, sipping my own drink slowly to not burn my tongue. Instantly, I can feel myself relax as I try to savor the drink. God, I really needed some stress relief today. I guess a good drink or snack can always do that to a person, huh? Sorta like magic sometimes. “Well, he’s… a character. He always gets in trouble and debt by his own bad choices. Almost as soon as he gets his own place, he loses it by not paying rent and he ends up moving back with my parents. Though, he’s been trying to work harder recently. When I talked to him and all.” A sorrowful gaze envelops her eyes as she stares down at the table, looking into the distance of reality itself. Honestly, I can’t tell what she’s thinking behind those eyes, but I can understand that this topic is quite a touchy subject for her. “Hopefully, it’s the truth,” I respond, nodding my head slightly. “But hey, we should probably go now,” I tell Fluttershy before standing up from the table, slightly concerned about the ticking down clock. “Oh? U-um, okay,” Fluttershy awkwardly responds, picking up her bag and drink to follow me. “You said Tree Hugger’s house is half a mile away, huh? Then how about you lead?” Gesturing my hand towards the door, I try to smile as best as I can, nodding to her. Knowing how slow she walks, something tells me this will be a long walk. ================================================= The convenient thing about our conversation at the donut shop is that Fluttershy forgot to mention how… unique Tree Hugger is. After we got to her house, I got to understand pretty quickly what Tree Hugger believed in. First of all, she didn’t have many electronic devices or things that ran on electricity besides the essentials. The heater, air conditioner and lights were still operational, but even these might be replaced in Tree Hugger’s words. She also didn’t have running water since she thought the city water was tampered with too much. How she takes baths is something I don’t know. I’m not even sure I want to know. All the food she bought claimed to be organically grown with no preservatives or chemicals added to them, but I still somewhat doubt that. The weirdest thing about her though is that she owns a motorcycle with flame prints on it. Conveniently, there was a ‘for sale’ sign on the vehicle, so I suppose it still fits with her ideals. It’s just surprising that it’s here to begin with. A loud sneeze wakes me from my thoughts as Tree Hugger sips on some of the soup in her spoon, smiling at the taste. “Like, Flutters~ This really helps, you know?” Tree Hugger slowly responds in a laid back tone, her eyes half opened. Turns out that this is normal for her since she always speaks this way and looks tired, despite it being mid morning. “I really hoped it would~ I tried my mom’s recipe~” Fluttershy says with the kindest smile that she could make. Even though Sunset’s smile is the best one in my book, Fluttershy’s is definitely close to the top of the list. I can see why she can befriend so many animals easily. Does that speak to my character…? Do I seem mean or ugly to animals? Because they sure as hell don’t listen to me… All the bruises I got from falling down at Fluttershy’s house should prove that. Conveniently, most of them are from that white ball of fluff, sporting a name that is the opposite of his true nature. Angel… A small breath escapes Tree Hugger’s lips as she tries to shake away the chills she’s been feeling. She still refuses to take any medicine since she wants her body to heal in a natural way rather than relying on drugs made by ‘big pharma’. Honestly, if I got sick, I would probably say “Screw that,” and down a headache relief instantly. Even though I’ve remained quiet for most of the conversation, Tree Hugger’s eyes look toward me with a curious stare, making me feel a little uncomfortable. Honestly, the only reason I’m still here is to make sure Fluttershy gets back home safely. Or out of this neighborhood at least. “What are you thinking about, Flutter friend?” she asks me in that laid back voice again, making me question whether or not she is fully here or not. Flutter friend? I guess it means friend of Fluttershy’s? “Not much,” I say quietly, nodding to her with an awkward smile on my lips. The only thing I’ve actually been thinking about in depth is the motorcycle she has for sale… I don’t have a driver’s license but… the thought that it could maybe help Sunset and I eats away at the back of my mind. Especially since Sunset often has to take a bus ride and be on her feet practically all day. Maybe it would help her a bit to have a ride directly from our apartment to her school… Looking back at Tree Hugger and Fluttershy, I see both of their expectant eyes for me to say something more, to contribute to the conversation that was mostly existing without me not so long ago. “Um… If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have a motorcycle?” I blurt out, saying the first thing I could think of to try and avoid an awkward silence. Fluttershy’s eyes widen to my question, but before she can say anything, Tree Hugger simply chuckles lightly, trying to avoid another coughing fit. “It was my dad’s. My old man and I have had a lot of disagreements about things like it, but I still cared about him, you know? So, I guess that’s why he left it to me instead of Mom.” Her eyes slowly turn to peer at the vehicle, a heavy sigh leaving her lips. “I want to sell it, but I don’t have any buyers just yet. I guess it’s because of the problems with it.” Problems? It looks just fine to me… Maybe it’s some mechanical issue. “What are the problems?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, taking a drink of the tea Fluttershy prepared for us. I have to admit, she’s pretty good at making tea. I should never reject a tea party with Flutters here. “Well, the engine won’t start and it’s out of oil. I think he also said the clutch was broken, so those fixes would need to be made.” Once again, Tree Hugger’s eyes meet with mine with a curious tone, a small smile appearing on her lips. “Are you interested?” It could help Sunset and I… Especially since we don’t have a vehicle of our own. The biggest problem is the price. “Maybe. How much are you looking for?” I ask slowly. Looking at the motorcycle. Honestly, I may not be able to afford it, but hey, it’s worth a shot, right? After looking at Fluttershy, Tree Hugger shrugs her shoulders and takes another bite of her soup. “I was originally looking for eight-hundred, but since you’re friends with Fluttershy, I would be willing to take seven-hundred on it.” Seven-hundred dollars. I guess friendship has its benefits every now and again. I think I could maybe make that in a couple weeks… But would she still have this here by the time I have the money? How much would the repairs cost…? “I will have to think about it. Would that be okay?” Before finishing my tea, I stand up and take my phone out, taking a picture of the bike for later reference. Tree Hugger nods and gives me a thumbs up. “That’ll be fine, gal~ Thanks for bringing Flutters here to see me~” “Oh, it’s really not that big of a deal,” Fluttershy awkwardly says, finally speaking up after seeing that our conversation about the bike is over. “I just wanted to make you feel better~” The two friends hug each other, Fluttershy completely disregarding the fact that Tree Hugger is sick. Since I have to walk her out of this part of town, I’m now kind of scared of getting sick myself. Ironic, considering that you would usually be more scared of getting robbed here. After a moment, Fluttershy stands up and smiles at Tree Hugger before walking off her porch. Tree Hugger gives us a small wave and returns the smile, still holding the bowl of soup in her lap. “Take care, okay?” she tells us before either of us start to walk away. It’s nice of her to tell us that, but honestly? I’m not looking forward to the rest of my day. Stay positive, Adagio. Stay positive. ================================================ By the time Fluttershy and I parted ways, the nightclub was closed, leaving me a little more than angry. Of course, I wouldn’t have left Fluttershy where she was, but the nightclub was one of the best ways to get a hold of Rich. He doesn’t have an office there, but I could have found a way to talk to him at least. Now the best choice is to walk across town again… All the way to his house. Hell, I shouldn’t even say house. He has a mansion for him and his family, unsurprisingly. I don’t think I’ve ever had to go to him personally, but I guess I have to now. I just hope the bastard has an answer for what happened to Sunset’s apartment. Our apartment… Losing her most treasured items was probably more impactful on Shimmer than she admitted… She always tries to put on a brave face and only tells me the things that are hurting her the most, leaving out the smaller details. At times, it’s infuriating when I try to help her, but I suppose it’s a way for her to try and avoid the reality of what happened. I understand that as well, since I usually try to hide from reality under a blanket or something like my scarf. Bringing my hand to my neck, I feel my skin slowly, sighing at the empty air that used to be occupied by a soft purple material. Even if I hadn’t torn it, I wouldn’t have been able to bring it with me today, considering how warm it is today. Honestly, it’s just bearable enough to wear the leather jacket Sunset gave me as well as some of the clothes we bought at the mall. It just sucks that in order to gain something new, we had to lose some things. I’ll try to get our stuff back though… I even promised Sunset that I would. My only lead is Filthy Rich and I’m not even sure if he will talk or if he was even behind it… I mean, it only makes sense for him to be behind it all. Shaking my head, I sigh quietly, looking down the road and noticing the sheer amount of cars. It’s normal for cars to be on the road, but it seems even busier than usual… Maybe one of the main streets is closed down for construction again. Whatever it is, it forces me to be more aware of my surroundings than usual. I wouldn’t want to be run over by some rogue driver. Especially for Sunset’s sake… The last time I got hurt, she said that she cried pretty extensively, so I would rather avoid causing her that pain again. Walking past a few people, I turn a corner and smile to myself, happy that I’m getting close to my destination. I’ve only really been to Rich’s mansion once, and that was to tell him about one of the deals we conducted. I didn’t go inside though, so this should be interesting, no matter how this conversation goes. Even if things don’t go super well here, at least I can look forward to hanging out with Sunset later today. Now that I think about it, I haven’t actually met Rich’s family before either… I’ve heard of his daughter before from Apple Bloom and former students of mine, but I’ve never met her or Rich’s wife. The only frame of reference I have for the both of them is a picture I saw briefly in his wallet. I guess that could make someone feel nervous, but I feel more scared than anything. If my suspicions are correct, Rich’s daughter is pretty sick, so I’m not exactly sure how I will handle seeing that. A sigh exits my lips as I close my eyes, feeling the collar of my jacket with a shake of my head. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it. I’ll have to since the mansion is within eyesight now. Besides, I’ll probably only talk to her father during the duration of my visit. The sight of the mansion is technically impressive. All of the walls are either white or a sandstone tan with carved pillars, extending all the way to the roof. The roof itself can’t quite be seen, but its flat appearance makes it look like one could easily make their way to the roof. What you would do on top of a three story mansion is an entirely different question. From here, I can see a large black fence around the property, made primarily of metal with spikes at the top. Knowing Rich, he probably has some stupid automated system at the gate to monitor which people are allowed on the property. Honestly, I’m glad Fancy gave me the day off to let me sort out my affairs. If I didn’t have today off, I probably wouldn’t have been able to have this talk with Rich, which means that our stuff would be ten times more likely to be lost. Thankfully, Sunset helped me make a list of everything that should be stolen instead of broken. Quickly crossing the street, the gate to Rich’s mansion is finally in front of me, making me shake my head slightly. This better have been worth it. Taking a moment to brush my hair with my hand, I walk to the side of the gate, seeing a big button and a speaker. Okay, so the system isn’t actually automated, but it still fits his standards. Sighing to myself, I quickly press the button, a loud beep emanating from the speaker. The last time I was here, he didn’t have this whole system in place, but that was over a year ago. I guess a lot happens in a year… I mean, I should know that by now, given my current situation with the love of my life. I… can’t imagine being without her anymore. Another loud beep rings out only seconds later with a static following after. Quickly, a man clearing his throat can be heard from the other end. “My, I wasn’t expecting to see someone like you here,” the man chuckles loudly. “Normally, I’d be more hospitable with the people who come to visit, but you’ve caught me at a busy time, Dazzle.” Rich’s voice is still the same as always, condescending half the time and loud. Needless to say, I didn’t miss it. “Too bad, Rich. I need to talk to you today. And no, it can’t be postponed,” I state in a slightly annoyed tone, pushing my hands into the pockets of my shorts. Honestly, it’s surprising that Rich could see me, but I suppose that means he has some camera around here. “Still haven’t changed one bit, have you?” Rich says in a teasing jab, taking a deep breath. After a moment of silence, Rich sighs to himself, presumably annoyed by my last minute drop in. “Alright, Dazzle. I’m feeling quite generous today, so I’ll give you some of my time. But make it quick. I have an election to prepare for.” Before I can respond, the speaker buzzes again, making the gate open in front of me. That was… easier than I thought it would be. And what election? Quickly walking inside the property, the gate closes behind me, making me feel a little trapped. Regardless, the driveway I’m on leads right to the mansion’s front entrance, small lights aligned on both sides of the cement. The grass is freshly cut with automated sprinklers watering the yard, making me sigh slightly to myself. Sometimes, I wonder what it’s like to have a yard. I mean, it’s just a bunch of grass, true, but it could also offer a nice day outdoors instead of having to go all the way to a park. Then again, it also requires a lot of work, especially with bigger yards. Regardless, I walk down the driveway, my hands still in my pockets. Surprisingly, there are a few people close to the front door, standing around tables of supplies. As I get closer, I can hear old music being played on a radio as people put things together. They look like… signs? Honestly, with the whole host of things they’re trying to put together, it’s hard to actually make out what this is for. Some of the people here look at me with a bit of confusion, but that’s probably because Filthy Rich is selective about who he lets near his house. Shaking my head, I walk past all the tables and walk up the tile stairs, putting my hand on the front door. As soon as I open the door, the sound of people talking becomes even louder, walking into the foyer to see two big rooms to my left and right filled with people. Every now and then, people would walk by to go to the other room with supplies in their hands. Hell, I wouldn’t doubt it if it wasn’t just these two rooms since I can see other people moving around down the hall. In this foyer area, there are two sets of staircases going to the second floor on each side of the main hallway, a big chandelier right above anyone who walks in the front door. The walls are white as always, but the floor is made out of gray marble tiles. Honestly, all of this is a little intimidating, just walking in on it. “Ah, Dazzle~ I’ll be with you in a moment~” Rich’s voice echoes from the top of the stairwell, prompting me to look up. My eyes open wider and I can’t help but freeze at the sight. Wait… Why is she here…? Why would… I mean, I’ve known her before, but I never really wanted to see her again, just so I could avoid the embarrassment of my actions… Why would Celestia of all people be here? As if it wasn’t enough to screw with me yesterday, the universe thought it was appropriate to make Celestia be here of all days. Her eyes look down the stairwell and make contact with mine, a look of surprise appearing on her face. Her white skin is still as recognizable as ever, contrasting with her multi-colored hair well. Just from this alone, it makes me want to have a hoodie on again, just to try and avoid recognition. Clearly she’s surprised to see me here too, but… it’s for all the wrong reasons. Not for embarrassment or anxiety, but for recollections of my actions before… Celestia’s eyes move back to Rich as they talk to each other at the top of the staircase, her hand resting on the railing as if she’s about to leave. Her eyes move back to me in small intervals, but she maintains her professional demeanor, smiling at Rich. “Thank you for the proposal, Mr. Rich, but like I said before, I will have to decline your offer.” After that, Celestia takes a couple steps down the staircase, her eyes making contact with mine once more. Honestly, it’s hard for me to even be here, but I… have to remember I’ve changed. At least, I think so… There’s no reason to be afraid of her recognizing me… “At least think about it a little more before the election, alright?” Rich asks her from the top of the stairs, prompting Celestia to wave a little as an affirmation that she heard him. Rich looks surprisingly annoyed by this, making a part of me feel amused. I didn’t know someone like her could so easily annoy Filthy Rich. Before I can think any more about it, Rich signs for me to come up the stairs just as Celestia makes it to the bottom. “Dazzle,” Celestia says in a quiet and respectful voice, nodding afterward. “Celestia,” I try to respond with an equal amount of respect, unsure how I should talk to her. Despite my past actions, the woman advocated for me when it came to getting the job at Fancy Pants’ music studio. That’s something I can’t ignore, so at least she doesn’t fully hate me. I guess she lives up to a principal’s goal of trying to help people, at least in this universe. As she passes me, I can’t help but keep my eyes on her, trying to think if I should say anything more or if I should just leave it be. “Hey, Celestia,” I barely say, catching her attention before she leaves, her eyes returning my gaze. “I just wanted to say… thanks. By recommending me.” For a moment, a look of confusion is painted across her face, unsure of what I’m talking about until she simply smiles. A nod comes from her, clearly remembering the event in question. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance, Dazzle,” is all she says in a quiet voice before turning around again, walking towards the front door. A small part of me feels like I owe more of a conversation to her, but I just have to shake my head, walking up the stairs slowly. The whole reason I came here is to talk to Rich, so it would be better to get that out of the way now. Besides, what more is there to be said? We never knew each other that well and honestly? It would probably just be awkward for the both of us. I guess the most I can do is carry around a mutual respect for the woman, despite how I felt in the past. Reaching the top of the stairs, Filthy Rich simply smiles at me offering his hand for a handshake, an offer I don’t accept. Rich pulls his hand back, straightening his jacket and tie. “I must apologize for the… unstately position of my home. I’m coordinating my campaign to run as the new mayor of Canterlot City, so a lot of work needs to be put in.” Rich states in a proud manner, smiling to himself at the thought. “Sounds ambitious. Moving up the ladder again, huh?” I ask in a monotone voice, looking down at his tie for a moment. “Ah, but being mayor requires a lot of responsibility, Dazzle. Something you should understand,” he states with a wink before walking away from the stairway. Surprisingly, there’s a big lobby area right in front of the stairs, luxurious couches and glass tables to act as a resting area. Rich starts walking through the area, making me follow behind him. “So, what do I owe this visit to? You said you needed to talk to me today,” Rich asserts with a small smile, looking back at me as we walk through this lounge. “Could we address that topic in more private quarters? I’d rather keep this between us,” I ask in the same monotone voice I used from before, looking around the rooms and hallways that are positioned around the lounge. Multiple people walk back and forth to presumably help with preparations. “I thought you’d be more trustful of others after a while, but I assume that hasn’t happened yet,” Rich laughs quietly to himself before we walk into a hallway. “Then how about we talk about something different? What is between you and Ms. Celestia?” Rich asks in a curious tone, looking at me with a snarky look. “We used to be acquaintances. That’s it.” “Come on, Dazzle. I know that from what I’ve seen, but how did you two become acquaintances? Was she your principal?” Rich’s tone of voice changes to a teasing one, chuckling to himself as we walk along. Honestly, I don’t know why he’s so interested, but it probably has something to do with whatever proposal he was trying to offer Celestia… “She was. A long time ago. But we never talked other than a couple times,” I slowly explain, closing my eyes. To be honest, it’s hard to remember whatever I said to Celestia before I controlled her. I’m not even sure if I did say anything. That makes it even more surprising that she would think I’m deserving of a second chance. “Ah. Then I suppose that means you can’t help me convince her,” Rich mumbles under his breath. Before I can say anything in response, I notice one of the doors to my left is actually open, despite all the other doors remaining closed. Rich himself also seems to notice this as he approaches the door with an expressionless face, possibly being the first time I’ve seen him like this. Before he grabs the door knob, I can see the dimly lit room has multiple medical equipment devices and even a hospital bed inside, a small lump in the blanket still visible. Filthy Rich closes the door as quietly as he can before looking at me with a worried glance, trying to keep his composure. “Disregard what you just saw…” Without another word, he simply keeps walking, expecting me to follow after him. “Sure. Don’t worry about it,” I barely say, looking towards the floor as I follow him. Within a few moments, both of us walk towards another set of stairs that lead to the third floor. Unlike the first set of stairs, these were smaller with red carpet, only allowing one person to walk up or down it rather than two or three. “Hey, Rich?” I ask quietly, walking up the stairs behind him. Even though he may have been involved with… that, I somehow doubt it by now. Hell, I shouldn’t doubt it. I’m talking about Filthy Rich here. Of course he would do anything to make a quick buck, but… a part of me hopes he wouldn’t strike me or anyone else he remotely knows. Maybe that’s just Sunset’s attitude rubbing off on me… Having hope for even the most hopeless, huh? That’s something she would always do. “What is it?” Rich asks after clearing his throat, not bothering to look at me. “You know you’re not alone, right?” This time, I use a more caring tone than before… I’m not even sure why, but I guess it felt right. This isn’t my problem, so I don’t know why I’m even inserting myself into it. “There are a lot of people with… ill family members.” As soon as I say this, Rich’s eyes look behind himself and at me with an angry tone in them. “What is your point, Dazzle?” he asks, stopping in the middle of the stairway. “I was just… observing. There are people out there who you can talk to. Maybe it’s-” “Maybe you should stop observing situations that are none of your business, Dazzle.” Rich looks away in an instant, taking a deep breath as he straightens his tie. “This is not your concern, Dazzle… You know nothing of what’s going on and I would prefer it if you keep out,” he states in a calmer voice, turning around again to walk up the stairs. A small sigh exits my lips, following after and looking towards the ground. The first room to our right is the one Rich decides to walk into, opening the door for both of us quickly. “What we can talk about is whatever you needed to see me so urgently for.” The click of his door closing can be heard before he walks around to the other side of his desk, his eyes looking into my own curiously. “What is it you want from me, Dazzle?” ================================================== The dirt road never fails to make you feel like you’re alone. Dirt roads are usually less traveled by definition, but I suppose it really depends on where you live. Regardless, it provides an atmosphere that promotes thoughts, even if you don’t have much to think about. Even if you’re just walking to do some mundane errand, you don’t usually have a shortage of entertaining things to think about. Today is not much different since the long road to the Apple Family farm is quite boring. I suppose you could bring a book with you, but other than that, you’re pretty much left to yourself. Unless you bring someone with you. Today, I don’t have anyone with me other than the constant buzzing of my phone. A smirk comes across my face, opening my phone again to answer a text message, sent by a particularly colorful girl. “You should have seen it! We scored like 12-2 on those losers! I did offer some of the sports drinks we had in our cooler though,” the text message details in the same old excitement that Rainbow carries with her in almost every facet of life. “How is offering the opposing team sports drinks supposed to help?” I type in with a short laugh to myself, shaking my head at Rainbow’s bizarre message. “It’s obvious! God, you’re hopeless, aren’t you? It’s supposed to be a sign of sportsmanship and to say ‘good game’ to the other team~” Rainbow texts back quickly after, using a smiling emoji at the end of her statement. Despite the intent of the emoji, it still sorta creeps me out. “Given, I don’t play a sport, Dashie,” I text her back with another chuckle. Honestly, I debate using the laughing emoji, but I decide against it since I’ve never used them before. “Says the girl who can bowl like there’s no tomorrow!” her text comes in immediately after I sent my own, Dash applauding our last match together. “Seriously, we need to bowl again sometime.” “I’ll think about it~ But I was wondering something. Do you know anything about motorcycles?” I ask her with a curious smile, despite the fact that she can’t see me. It doesn’t take long for me to see the same old symbol to show the other person is typing, making me think Dash has nothing better to do than to text with me. Either that or she is texting while doing something else. If that something else is driving, then I may not talk to Dash much longer. “Yeah, why do you ask? Do you want to know something?” her message asks me in just a few seconds, promptly being followed by a moving image of a confused duck. What the fuck, Dash? “Actually, yeah. I was wondering what you think is a good price for a motorcycle like this.” Right after I send my message, I attach the photo of the motorcycle I had taken earlier, sending it to her as well. “Apparently, there are a couple problems with it as well, so take that into account.” For a few seconds, nothing pops up onto the screen, but this radio silence doesn’t last long. The texting icon finally shows up and disappears multiple times over. “Huh, a Royal Enfield Classic 500, huh? Nice~ Do you know what year it is?” Rainbow asks with a confused emoji. “Um… Dash, if you don’t know the current year, I think you should see a doctor. And possibly stop playing soccer.” “No no no! Not like that! I mean, do you know what year the motorcycle was made?” Rainbow almost instantly responds, making me feel a little stupid due to my confusion. “No, I don’t. But that doesn’t really matter unless you’re trying to sell it, right? I’m trying to buy it.” Even though I feel confused about the whole process, I’m still glad that Rainbow can at least try to help me. “Well, the year kinda does matter if you want to know a good price. I could do some research for you if you want?” Research, huh? This is possibly the first time I’ve ever heard of Rainbow Dash voluntarily doing research instead of having to do it against her will. “That would be nice, Dash. Though, I do have to go now. I’ll talk to you more later, okay?” I text into my phone, closing it right after sending the message. Despite the buzz of a response, I ignore it and look out in front of me, finally seeing the farm house in the distance. It’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen Apple Bloom and her sister, so I want my visit with them to be uninterrupted before I meet Sunset. Walking faster along the dirt road, I can’t help but smile at the thought of Apple Bloom. Even though it’s only been a couple days, we haven’t seen each other all that much in the last few months, so it’s nice to imagine seeing her. Even if she has some weird story to share with me, it’s fun to see her enthusiasm and her clear belief that everything will be alright. I suppose that belief also extends to me, huh? She believed without a doubt that I had changed and she wanted to help me with that process all that time ago… For that, I can’t really repay her, no matter what I do. Her sister, on the other hand, is still a bit awkward around me, but I think we’re getting to a point where we can honestly say that we have fun hanging around each other. I’m really glad about that too since it means I have another friend and I get to see Apple Bloom more often. Walking through the opening in the fence and down the driveway, I notice a big wagon in front of their big barn with one of its wheels on the ground. Unlike the one Apple Bloom drags along with her everywhere she goes, this one is big enough to be attached to a truck, looking like it can hold at least fifteen people on it. Even though I have limited knowledge of how families like Apple Bloom’s do things, I can take a couple wild guesses as to what the wagon would be used for. Upon closer inspection, I can see Applejack inspecting the wheel on the ground while Apple Bloom sits on top of the wagon. It doesn’t take long for Apple Bloom’s eyes to look around towards Applejack, only to notice me walking down the driveway, a big smile appearing on her face. Instantly, the young girl jumps off the wagon and starts running towards me, prompting her big sister to look up. “Adagio!” Apple Bloom yells before colliding right into me, punching the air out of my lungs. It doesn’t help that her head reaches the upper portion of my stomach and that her head is as tough as a pile of bricks. “H-hey, Apple Bloom,” I weakly let out, petting her head and returning the hug. Given, my hug wasn’t nearly as tight as hers. Good lord. “How are ya doing? You doing alright? Ooh, what’s with the new outfit? Are you trying out a new style?” Apple Bloom asks a billion questions all in the span of a few seconds, her hands quickly feeling the leather jacket I have on and observing the jean shorts and tights I have on. What seems to catch her eye the most, however, is the fact that I have my hair up, something I haven’t really done since Sonata and Aria left. “Well, I guess it ain’t technically new, but it’s certainly a nice change!” “I’m glad you like it. Sunset wanted me to try something new out to help with my confidence since it’s been an issue lately.” To humor the excited girl, I do a quick little twirl to show her the outfit in its entirety. It seems the desired effect is easily achieved as Apple Bloom looks awe struck by my appearance. “It looks really good on you, Adagio~! I’m glad you’re trying it out~ Do you like it though?” A concerned look comes over her face being quickly replaced by confusion after I let out a small laugh. “Of course I like it, Apple Bloom~ I wouldn’t wear it otherwise.” “I don’t know. You do have a history of doing whatever Sunset wants ya to~” Apple Bloom quickly responds with a wink, jabbing me with her elbow. I can’t help but raise my eyebrow at Apple Bloom’s statement, but before I can say anything, Apple Bloom quickly grabs my hand and drags me towards the wagon. It’s nice to see that Apple Bloom never changes~ Despite how much someone may dread being dragged around by her, she does it out of the best of intentions and her happy smile just makes you deal with it rather than complain. “Also, why are ya here? I wasn’t expecting to see you for a while~” Apple Bloom asks excitedly, walking past some apple decorations set up along the driveway. Honestly, these apples remind me pretty quickly that the Apple Family reunion is only a few days away, making me smile at the thought. “Well, I have some free time today, so I figured I would visit you. Is that such a bad idea?” I ask her in my own tease, both of us laughing slightly. “Of course not! In fact, I was kinda missing you.” Another happy expression comes across Apple Bloom’s face, a nice contrast to the annoyed look I saw the last time we met. “Oh! We have another science project coming up in my class, so would you maybe like to help my big sis and me make something?” Apple Bloom quickly asks me with a childish excitement that doesn’t fit her age, but her personality. “Apple Bloom, don’t bother her with that sorta thing,” Applejack states as we get close enough to the wagon, wiping her hands of grease and oil with a rag. Standing up, Applejack walks closer to us, extending her hand out to me with a nod. “It’s nice to see you again, Adagio~” Taking her hand in my own, I nod at her statement and return a smile, bringing her in for a hug. From the way Applejack reacts to the action tells me she wasn’t expecting to be hugged by me or get that sort of affection in this way, but nonetheless, she returns the gesture in a tight hug as well. “It’s nice seeing you too, Applejack~ But I really wouldn’t mind helping you two with Apple Bloom’s science project,” I state after our hug, looking down at Apple Bloom. Without warning either of us, Apple Bloom grabs us in a hug and giggles to herself. “Well, if ya don’t mind, then I suppose you can. Apple Bloom and I don’t really have an idea of what we’re going to do as of yet,” Applejack confesses with a nervous grin, taking off her hat and scratching the back of her head. Judging from the sweat on her head, I can see that the two sisters have been working for a while. “Don’t worry about it~ But if you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong with the wagon?” I ask, nodding to the wheel that Applejack had been working on until recently. “Oh, that damn-” Applejack stops mid-sentence after looking at Apple Bloom, only to compose herself by clearing her throat. “I mean, that dang wagon had a rotten wheel, so Apple Bloom and I needed to buy a new one. And then make adjustments because it’s apparently too big.” Applejack quickly brings her hand to her face, sighing at the hard repair. “We could always use the extra hands~” “I could help~ I have a couple hours before I have to go, so it wouldn’t be a problem,” I tell Applejack with a friendly smile before giving her a thumbs up. Surprisingly, Apple Bloom grabs a hold of my arm tightly with her hand, an excited expression coming to her quickly. “Oh! Big sis! Could I maybe show Adagio the pictures of the water park trip the girls and I went on yesterday? Please? We’ll be right back~” Apple Bloom pleads with her sister with the same puppy eyes I’ve seen all too much. I think I can understand why Applejack gets annoyed by it at times, but it’s hard to say no to her. “Alright, fine. But come back in fifteen minutes, okay? I ain’t going to fix this by myself,” Applejack states with a small hand gesture, promptly getting a big hug from her little sister. “Thank you, big sis!” Apple Bloom quickly responds before grabbing a hold of my arm again, full on sprinting to the front door and dragging me along. If there’s one thing I don’t miss, it’s the dangerous trips at mach one speed that Apple Bloom drags me along on. I guess this is what I got myself into, daring to be friends with the small titan. God, have mercy on my soul. ==================================================== Despite how most modern appearances look these days, Rarity’s shop gives off a warm feeling while also sporting the newer models of how shops should look. I suppose it’s a combination of tiles with colorful drapes and even artwork on the walls. Regardless, the warm aura of the shop almost makes it feel intimidating to enter, feeling like a place I probably shouldn’t visit, especially just to ask her a favor. Honestly, it feels greedy to come to Rarity in such circumstances without visiting her just for fun beforehand. I mean, I’m trying to be her friend, right? How would it look to have someone trying to be your friend while also saying ‘hey, I need to buy something from you’. Taking a deep breath, I slowly open the door to Rarity’s shop for the first time. This isn’t the only time I’ve seen her store, but I haven’t actually entered the establishment before, the only time I’ve ever been this close was when I had to pass it to go have coffee with Sunset. In fact, that was the first time Sunset and I ever hung out together as friends, wasn’t it? I don’t think Rarity even knew I was going to meet up with Sunset. A ring of a bell signals my entrance prompting the familiar purple-haired girl to look up from her magazine at the counter, red glasses on her face. Before she can even say anything, Rarity’s eyes widen as she takes the glasses off, seemingly surprised to see me. “Adagio? Um, how are you doing?” she asks with a smile, quickly rushing around the counter to take my hand in hers, rubbing my shoulder. “Been a while, hasn’t it?” Quietly, I nod to her statement, looking down to the floor. “Yeah, it has been. I have been wanting to see you again,” I respond with as kind of a voice as I can, returning the handshake. For a moment, I look around her shop, impressed at all the decorations around the main room, complimenting the clothes for sale. “Oh, darling, it’s quite alright. I know you have the best of intentions~” Rarity reassures me, leading me over to a small dressing room area to the left of the store with chairs beside it. “Would you like some tea and a conversation~?” Rarity asks with a smile on her face, trying to offer a welcoming environment. “That sounds really tempting, honestly, but I can’t… I have to go soon to meet with Sunset.” A guilty expression comes across my face, unable to hide my feelings for just dropping by without so much as a decent visit before I have to go again. “Of course, I’d love to stick around and talk tomorrow if you can, but I can’t really afford to do that today.” Rarity’s eyebrow raises slowly, her mouth slightly opening in confusion. “If you can’t stay, then why are you here, Adagio? Do you need something?” she asks me with a concerned look, her body now aimed at me once more. Her statement just makes me feel even worse for dropping by with a request of all things, rather than genuinely trying to have a good day with her… “The truth is… I was wondering if you could fix something for me? It’s very special to me and it was kind of ripped recently.” Once again, my eyes avoid hers as I look towards the floor, feeling guilty for asking this of her. “Well, it really depends on how badly its ripped and what item it is. Could I see this damaged piece?” Rarity requests, urging me to show her whatever I wished for her to repair. Honestly, I feel bad for asking her to fix something so badly damaged, but I didn’t really know anyone else I could go to… Pulling out a lump of purple fabric from my purse, I set it in Rarity’s hand. Almost instantly, a horrified and confused face comes over her, inspecting the fabric. “Oh my god… Is this your scarf?! It’s unrecognizable! What did you do to damage it this badly?” I’m pretty surprised Rarity remembered the fact that I had a scarf. ‘Had’ being the optimal word… “A skateboard accident… It wasn’t my idea. Rainbow Dash brought me along and I was… stupid enough to not take it off before we skated.” Before I can say anything else, Rarity rolls her eyes, bringing the fabric to the counter and promptly putting her glasses back on. “Of course it was her fault. Rainbow Dash is kind of a… brute.” Clearly, Rarity’s frown is caused by her thoughts of Rainbow, but what those thoughts are remain a mystery to me. “If you had torn this any more than you did, then I probably couldn’t have fixed it, but I can probably work with this.” Turning to face me with a smirk, Rarity taps her finger on the counter with a thoughtful expression. “My services aren’t free, so how about you treat Fluttershy and I to a spa day tomorrow?” Spa days aren’t my specialty… I don’t know any good spa places to go to nor what treatments are worth buying. For some reason, I think Rarity’s already got that part of the trip figured out, but I’m still not sure if I can necessarily afford it… “Can I take Sunset with me?” I ask her hesitantly, but my worries are quickly relieved when I see her nod to my question. “Okay, I’ll try my best to do that~” Let’s just hope I can hold up my end of the deal… ====================================================== “Apple Bloom was excited to see you, I take it?” Sunset happily asks me, taking a bite of a snow cone she got for herself. Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised when Sunset buys me a treat as well, but each time she does, it’s still a happy little surprise, something I can smile at besides Sunset herself. Every time I look at her, I still see that beautiful face and fiery hair, filled with such passion for life itself~ “Yeah, she was happy that I went to visit her~ Apparently, she went to a water park with her friends yesterday, so she really wanted to show me the pictures they took together.” Sunset giggles at my response, almost spitting out the piece of her snow cone in her mouth. “Apple Bloom shows you a lot of things, huh? She trusts you a lot~” Sunset smiles in almost a dreamy way, looking at me in an affectionate way. “What? I don’t know why she trusts me. She just decided to talk to me one day and now we’re here.” My cheeks flush to Sunset’s intimate stare, looking towards the concrete we walk on, shaking my head slightly. “Still, it makes you even cuter~ Such a trustworthy and kind person~ I guess you could say I caught the best fish in the sea~” Sunset coos with a smile, leaning her head against my shoulder as we walk. “I-I’m not the best fi-” “I love you, Adagio~” Sunset interrupts me with a small whisper, grabbing a hold of my hand. “You’re the best in my eyes~” Instantly, my cheeks flush again, my face feeling hot from the embarrassment or intimate feeling in my soul. Honestly, I can’t help but lean my head against hers, liking the feeling of us being so close to one another. “I-I… I love you too, Sunset~” It doesn’t matter who sees us in the world today. It doesn’t matter what people think of us or our past. Honestly, I just wish I could watch a movie with her right now, inevitably falling asleep in her arms with nothing else in the world mattering anymore~ I can’t wait until we can do that again~ Unfortunately, it seems we probably won’t be able to do that until we fix the locks on our apartment, so we can only really focus on today. “By the way, you never told me who we’re going to see today. If you don’t mind me asking, who is it?” I ask quietly, not moving my head from hers. Suddenly, Sunset giggles quietly to herself, squeezing my hand gently. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you, huh? I figured we could spend some time with Twilight today~” The words flow out of Sunset’s mouth in a soothing tone, but the content of her words does the opposite effect. We’re going to be spending time with Twilight, huh? I’ve never met the girl before… How should I act? What should her first impression be? “I just hope everything will go alright…” Author’s notes: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the really late upload! I hate to keep everyone waiting to read the next chapter of my story, but honestly, it’s been a really hectic time in my life recently. Dealing with finals, breaking up with my significant other and a falling out between my two best friends has been pretty hard for me mentally, so I’ve kinda been on and off writing for the past month. Due to everything that has happened to me recently, I have been less motivated and inspired to write anything, not just this story, but in the past couple of days, I finally decided I would write some more~ It’s been a hard time for me, but in no way am I stopping this story. There may be long breaks, but I still love this story with all my heart and I have every intention to finish this story~ I hope everyone still loves this story as well and that this chapter holds up to your standards of quality~ I especially tried to make this chapter have an extra bit of oomph to it since I wanted to give a bigger reading, so I think I accomplished that due to this chapter being the longest chapter I’ve ever written. I can’t wait to write the next chapter as well~ If you have anything you want to say about the story, make sure to comment and I want to give a big thanks to my friend, Mon668, for being my friend throughout this hard time and for being my beta reader for this story~ As with everything, though, stay special, everybody! I’ll talk to you all again later~ Testing Your HypothesisAuthor's Note What is supposed to be a short trip turns into an awfully hilarious conversation~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. This chapter is a short little update before my next big chapter for this story~ This is not part of the birthday surprise for my friend, Mon668, but if you want to see those, check out It's Just Us and the two bonus chapters on A Dazzling World~ Testing Your Hypothesis Chapter XIII: Testing Your Hypothesis “What are you talking about? Of course everything will be alright~” Sunset reassures me, nudging me with her hip. Despite the kind intentions of Sunset’s words, a part of me still feels unsure as I think about the friend we’re going to see… Twilight Sparkle is… predictable, kind and anxious. She has a tendency to overthink things and she lacks the charisma I used to have, but she has the ability to bring people together. At least, all of these attributes can be traced back to Princess Twilight. She’s the one I met a long time ago… This new version of her, on the other hand, is someone I’ve never met and no matter what Sunset says, it’s still nerve wracking to think of the ways she could be different. I have no idea what would qualify as a good impression to her, especially after what she’s probably heard about me from her friends… “Adagio…?” Shaking my head slightly, I grip Sunset’s hand a little tighter and sigh to myself, closing my eyes as we walk. “I’m just nervous about what she may think of me, that’s all.” Surprisingly, a cool wind passes by us, providing us a nice change of pace from the usual hot air during this time of the year. Though, I suppose the winter will return sooner or later… “Don’t worry, Adagio~ I’m sure she will like you~ She’s one of my best friends and she knows what it’s like to try and change someone’s perception of you, just like you and me.” Sunset moves her head from my shoulder to look at me, the same warm smile that I fell in love with presenting itself as she presses the cup of her snow cone to my cheek, making me raise my eyebrow. “Um. Sunset? Why are you holding your snow cone against my face?” I ask, trying to hold back a confused giggle. “Well, I would hold my hand against your cheek~ But you have my only free hand in a death grip and I can’t just drop my snow cone, so this is the best I can do~” In unison, both of us laugh at Sunset’s cheeky joke, making my heart feel warmer at the sight of Sunset’s amusement. Before I can say anything, however, Sunset brings her face closer to mine, pressing her nose against mine and closing her eyes. It doesn’t take long for Sunset to close the distance, finally connecting our lips only to make me feel that warm and fuzzy feeling deep in my soul. I guess you could call that feeling love~ After all, Sunset is… really perfect. No matter the situation, she finds a way to make me feel happy~ “Why are you so random?” I mutter after our far too short kiss, my lips craving more. “It made you less worried, didn’t it~?” Sunset asks me in a cheeky tone, still rubbing her nose against my own. “That’s cheating and you know it~” I try to say with a straight face. This, in fact, fails horribly since I can’t help but giggle at Sunset's remark, feeling my cheeks flush once more. She always has this effect on me, even though I’ve been trying to get used to it for the past few months. Then again, why would I ever want to get used to this? Wouldn’t that mean the magic of these moments be lost? Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Sunset looks back at me with a curious expression, still as cute as ever. “Alligator? Is something wrong?” she asks me as gently as ever, making me feel so… so lucky. I’m so lucky to have her in my life. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull Sunset into my embrace, resting my head on her shoulder with a happy breath exiting my lips. I guess I’m just a sucker for her in general. Being near her and being able to talk to her brings me a smile most days, even if I don’t expect it. “Just… let me have this moment. Please,” I tell her quietly, hiding my face in her neck. Even though we’re about to meet Sunset’s friend today, it doesn’t change the fact that I wish she and I could just hold each other for eternity and more. “Hey, you don’t have to feel so anxious about meeting Twilight~ It’ll be alright, really~” Sunset tries to reassure me, scratching the back of my head gently. “No, no. That’s not it. I’m sure things will turn out okay, I just… As random and silly as our adventures are, I just want you to know that I love you so much,” I state quietly, hugging her tighter. “I don’t think I tell you enough to adequately show just how much you truly mean to me.” “Aw, Alligator~ You tell me almost every day that you love me with all your heart, so I think I understand~” Sunset whispers in my ear, holding me closer to her. The cool breeze blows past us again and the surprisingly quiet city offers some sense of privacy, but I don’t think I could care if someone did see us. It’s not their problem. Once again, Sunset’s fingers run through my hair, gently tracing along my scalp as she hums to me. “You don’t have to go today if you don’t feel like it~ It’s alright~ We can just go back and hold each other if that’s what you need? It seems like you’re carrying around a lot~” Sunset always has a way to find the core issue in my mind, reading me like a book she’s memorized ten fold. As tempting as that offer is, I know how important this meeting with Twilight is to her. “No, we can still go~” I whisper, kissing Sunset’s cheek before grabbing her hand again. “I just needed a moment~” Pulling her along, I walk down the sidewalk with a big smile on my face, almost every problem fading away easily. “Okay then, my sweet Alligator~” Sunset coos with a wink, resting her head on my shoulder once again. “And just so you know, I love you so much too~” ========================================================= To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting Twilight to live in a place like this… If anything, I kind of assumed she would be living in a cramped apartment like Sunset and I, but here we are, standing in front of a house. Given, the house isn’t that big, but it’s a house nonetheless with a front yard and mail box. There are even some dog toys laid out on the front porch, being the only things in the front yard except for the bare house. Surprisingly, the house has wood panels on the outdoor walls in a dark purple color, but to be honest, I think the color looks kind of hideous for house decor… What would help with the outside appearance is some sort of garden, but the garden bed has long since been overrun by weeds and grass. Any semblance of flowers long since destroyed. It seems Twilight spends most of her time inside… Despite my initial reluctance, Sunset walks ahead of me and up the porch’s steps, knocking on the door as loudly as she can. “Sometimes, Twilight sleeps in and all~” Sunset explains to me before I walk up behind her, still nervous about what sort of impression I should try and portray. “How is it exactly? Being friends with two different versions of the same person?” I ask quietly, looking at Sunset’s cheerful expression. From what I remember, Sunset keeps in contact with Princess Twilight with some magical book fairly often and texts glasses Twilight at the same rate. I really need to come up with a better name than glasses Twilight to differentiate them… I can’t just call them Twilight 1 and Twilight 2, right? God, why does it have to be so difficult? Just thinking about doppelgangers is confusing by itself since it implies there might be another version of Sunset out there. Or even me… Would she be a bitch or what? Given, I kind of… like being a bitch. It’s fun to tease people and be annoying half the time, but now I mean it in a more joking way than anything else. A doppelganger of mine might not… “It’s confusing sometimes when talking about Twilight to someone else. But overall? Not that much different from having normal friends. The Twilight from Equestria is more obsessed with magic and friendship than the Twilight from this world. She’s more into science and knowledge, but friendship is also a big part of her life too.” “Don’t forget their physical differences,” I tease Sunset, laughing slightly. “Seriously, I can’t understand why one version of her has such drastically different vision and all.” A quizzical look comes over Sunset, seemingly thinking about the words I just said. “Actually, I never thought about that. Maybe it’s because of Equestria’s magic? But some ponies needed glasses too…” Sunset pouts slightly, looking off into space as she ponders the question for a moment further. “what the fuck…?” she slowly whispers to herself. “I know, right? It’s a weird question,” I tease her with a chuckle pushing my shoulder against hers for a moment. “Thanks, now I won’t be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Maybe forever,” Sunset sighs in annoyance, resting her head on my shoulder. “Though, I guess it just shows how smart you are. So, I’ll let you off the hook.” “I was on the hook for posing a legitimate question?” I am barely able to ask before laughing out loud at the absurdity of her statement. “Well, you made me think about a question I don’t have the means of finding the answer to, so it’s kind of unfair.” Sunset’s response loses its humorous tone by the end of it, being overtaken by a thoughtful look on her face. “I suppose it would be like… asking why you’re so beautiful,” she whispers, her gaze looking at me slowly. Instantly, my cheeks flush to the compliment, being embarrassed but unable to avert my gaze from Sunset’s eyes. “You were born like this and there’s no real rhyme or reason as to why you look so beautiful. You just are~” Sunset whispers in my ear, kissing my cheek as slowly as she can. Why does she always take every opportunity to fluster me by the throat? It’s like my blush is her reward and her kiss is mine… Before I can respond, the sound of the door’s lock turning alerts us both, making our gaze turn to the door. Every time I’m about to respond to one of Sunset’s antics, something gets in the way… Though, I can’t really blame it this time since Sunset did knock on the door. Opening it slowly, a purple girl with messy hair and squinting eyes looks at us in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. Bringing her glasses to her face, her gaze is instantly directed at me, her eyes widening at the sight. “Hello…?” she whispers, still looking at me. “Twilight~” Sunset greets her with a smile. “This is-” “Adagio Dazzle,” Twilight interrupts her in a monotone voice, her surprised expression still aimed at me. Okay, this is… a little awkward… “You’re a siren, right?” she asks quietly, her eyes glued onto mine. A nervous expression comes over me before I finally nod to her question, her gaze lighting up. “Come with me~” Without giving me a warning, this nerdy version of Twilight grabs my arm and drags me into her home, instantly walking past the entrance hallway and living room. Sunset tries to say something to us as she follows behind, but Twilight pulls me down the stairs to her basement faster than I can hear her. What the fuck is she doing? Where are we going? Did Sunset bring me here to die…? “Don’t hurt her, Twilight~” Sunset is barely able to say through her laughter of the situation. Hurt me? What the fuck does she have in this basement?! Torture devices? What did you just get me into, Sunset? What is… down here…? Okay, now I feel confused… Entering the basement’s entrance, I see a bunch of lab equipment like beakers, microscopes and tools, but nothing necessarily to torture someone like me. Unless she has scalpels somewhere here… There aren’t technically restraints, so I could just run from her if she does try something. Though, I think a good punch would be the better option. Looking to the right of the room, there’s a purple and green dog stretching in the bed, yawning slowly. “Can I take a sample of your blood?” nerd Twilight asks me excited, her eyes sparkling at me with a big grin plastered on her face. “What the fuck? No!” I exclaim, ripping my arm from Twilight’s grasp with a confused expression. Why would she need my blood? So far as I’m concerned, she would do unspeakable things with it… “Relax, Honey~” Sunset whispers in my ear, catching me from my quick retreat. “Twilight is just… very excited about science. She’s particularly interested in studying-” “The difference between Equestrian individuals and Earthly individuals~” Twilight interjects, quickly walking over to a blackboard in the back of the room. Who has a blackboard in their house…? Much less their basement… On the board, there’s a crude drawing of Sunset as a pony and a human version of Twilight Sparkle, scribbled in notes beside each of the drawings. Of course, the drawing of Twilight has glasses on as well, likely basing it off herself instead of the… pony one. “When Sunset told me about you, I was excited to meet you since I’m not sure how siren DNA is manipulated by this world and the interdimensional travel between universes!” Suddenly, a confused look comes across Twilight’s face, her eyes being directed at the board once more. “Although, I’m still not fully sure if the pony world is actually a different universe since our two worlds seem connected in more ways than one. But that’s besides the point.” Walking over to one of her file cabinets set up next to a table, she eagerly pulls out a file and flips through the pages, her wide eyes not matching her tired appearance. “Apparently, our DNA isn’t fully human,” Sunset whispers to me to try and explain Twilight’s rant. “Exactly~” Twilight interjects again, pulling out a specific page from the file in her hands, smiling at the contents. “From my research of Sunset’s blood, there’s one line of genetic code that’s different between her and I. The full extent of this difference is unknown to me yet, but from what I can tell, it doesn’t affect much. If I had to take a guess, it’s left over magical code inherent to almost every creature that comes from Equestria.” Twilight, reconnecting her eyes with mine, smiles a little wider. “Something that backs up this theory is that DNA taken from Rainbow Dash when she was fully transformed due to magic has a very similar trace, but it only lasts as long as she’s transformed. Problem is, I only have a sample from Sunset here and I’m not sure if this is inherent to just ponies or if each creature from Equestria has similar strains of code.” “You’re talking about my blood… as if it’s a computer,” I state quietly, a little annoyed at the use of ‘code.’ “Well, our DNA is what programs us~ It tells our body how we should look like, how we should heal, what certain cells are destined to do and a bunch of other stuff.” Raising my eyebrow, I can’t help but find this whole situation a little… humorous. I was pretty worried how my first impression would be with the purple girl, but here she is, practically begging to have a sample of my blood just for the sake of scientific discovery. In a way, I suppose it’s cute and makes our whole interaction easier on me. Chuckling slightly, I brush my hair off my shoulder and look at Twilight with a smirk. “You really want to know what makes this siren tick, huh?” I ask her in a teasing tone, but the nerd doesn’t seem to pick up on my tone. “Yeah? I mean, it’s important to try and understand the reason why this world is connected with your world and why you change. I mean, I’m still trying to understand the whole logistics of why you two changed into humans upon coming here.” For a moment, a quizzical look comes over Twilight’s face, seemingly pondering the question she brought up, but it quickly goes away as her smile comes back. “Does that mean I can have a sample~?” “Depends. You’re not going to try and clone me, are you?” I ask with a short laugh, placing my hand on my chest. “I think this world can only handle one of me~” My confident statement makes Twilight raise her eyebrow quickly, her hand coming to her chin. “Well, I wouldn’t clone you or anything, but there is a distinct possibility there’s another version of you in this world,” Twilight responds to me, looking for a reaction to her theory. “I already thought of that, but it’s not that likely they are exactly like me, Sparkle,” I state with another short laugh. To be honest, there’s no way another version of me would be like me, right? I’ve gone through thousands of years of turmoil and I’ve traveled to another world. Surely, a version of me from this world wouldn’t turn out exactly the same or have the same thought process I would… Right? I mean, if anything, she would probably be less patient than me due to… well, a limited life span. “I mean, you are clearly different from your pony counterpart, with your lack of vision and different fashion sense.” Sunset shoots me a glare that tells me to behave, but Twilight has a completely different reaction to this. “Actually, you’re right about that. Hmm… I didn’t even think about physical differences between individuals… Maybe the different code Sunset has alters her physical traits from her counterpart? Of course, we don’t know the other version of Sunset, so this has yet to be tested.” Taking a deep breath to collect herself, Twilight looks back at me, seemingly concentrating. “Anyway, I promise I won’t clone you or anything serious like that~ Although, I wish I had that sort of technology.” Raising her hand out to me, Twilight’s eyes look hopeful that I will take her deal, letting her see just a little more into Equestrian biology. Knowing that Sunset would not stop pestering me if I refused, I take Twilight’s hand in my own and shake gently. “Fine. You can have a… sample. But just one. I’m not quite a fan of needles.” “Oh, it won’t hurt~ I promise~” Twilight states with a big grin, walking me over to a chair right next to the dog bed before she takes out a syringe. Looking down at the dog next to me, I see the collar has the name Spike engraved into it. Spike’s eyes slowly open right as I sit down next to him, his head looking around the room at us before yawning again. Stretching and scratching his ear, he walks off his bed and looks up at the purple girl preparing my arm. “Are you done talking about the science stuff yet, Twilight? I couldn’t help but fall asleep to all that talking,” a male voice comes from thin air right as the dog opens his mouth… Did the dog just talk…? “What the fuck?!” Balloons are Meant to PopAuthor's Note :) DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: I didn't think I would finish another chapter in such a short time span, but here I am once again~ Maybe it's because I've been sleep deprived, but hey~ At least I'm making some serious progress on my story~ This chapter has not been edited simply because I am so tired right now, but I will edit it in the upcoming days~ Balloons are Meant to Pop Chapter XV: Balloons are Meant to Pop Unsurprisingly, the thing Rarity and Fluttershy ended up settling on is the Rarity Treat from the menu, the purple-haired woman seemingly proud that she has an option named after herself. We also got a hefty discount due to Rarity’s reputation around the spa, being one of their ‘favorite customers.’ What’s even more surprising is that Fluttershy has been here almost as long as Rarity, but she doesn’ have her own menu item or something dedicated to her. I suppose that could be due to Fluttershy’s nature and maybe she denied such a privilege, but it still strikes me as odd. Walking into the back of the spa, a large open room with multiple lounging areas, a hot tub and steam chamber is in front of us, making it feel a little daunting at first. There are also private rooms off to the sides of the main area, but those seem to be reserved for more private treatments like massages. The Rarity Treat actually covers five different things, two of which I have already forgotten. The three I do remember are a lower back massage, a pedicure and a manicure. I’ve never had any of those except for the massage and that was given to me by Sunset a while ago… “You go on ahead, darling~ We’ll catch up~” Rarity tells Fluttershy with a small wave, one of her hands grabbing my shoulder. With a small nod, Fluttershy follows the spa worker towards the steam room, apparently being one of the things we’re doing today. I guess that is one of the two things I forgot about… Locking my eyes with Rarity’s gaze, she smiles at me as best as she can, looking me up and down. “So, Sunset didn’t want to show, huh?” she asks me slowly. “Unfortunately, she had an extra long shift at her internship today, so she couldn’t make it. I’d be surprised if I can even get a word in before she falls asleep tonight~” Rarity laughs at my joke, clearly amused. “I know what you mean, darling~ AJ is quite the same way. She works herself way too hard most days.” Before I can say anything, Rarity’s face momentarily shows a melancholy expression as her eyes look to the floor, but she simply locks her eyes with mine again, presenting a smile. “Applejack didn’t want to come?” I ask her, cutting her off from whatever she was about to say. The usually composed fashionista dawns a sad smile before she lets go of my shoulder, sighing quietly to herself. “Oh, you know how she is. Her family reunion is coming up soon and she doesn’t really like the spa. It’s been hard to talk to her at all recently, but I’m sure she’s just busy.” Her sad smile doesn’t disappear by the time she turns away from me, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Quickly, Rarity rummages through her purse, looking for something. “Although, that is not the reason I stopped you here.” Taking out a small bag with some purple material sticking out of the top, Rarity hands me the bag, an accomplished look coming to her. “It wasn’t easy, mind you, but I stayed up all night and managed to fix it as well as I could~ You may notice some stitch marks, but I think it should be as good as new~” Upon hearing Rarity’s words, I quickly grab the bag and look inside. Even the thought of her managing to fix it makes me so excited for some unknown reason. That feeling only increases in my chest when I see the fully intact scarf, as beautiful as it was the day I got it~ My heart beats faster, grabbing the soft material and feeling it once more. Even though it’s only been a few days, my hands have missed this feeling for what feels like ages. The scarf Sunset gave me so long ago… It’s back together and with me~ The luster of the fabric brings back so many memories automatically, my eyes involuntarily making tears form. It was so long ago that I was given this gift… The person I love gave it to me herself and I can’t help but love it with all my heart. Just having it back makes me feel so nice, having this constant reminder of Sunset and her meaning in my life~ It is the first gift she ever gave me~ Bringing the scarf closer, I can’t help but rub my cheek against it for old time’s sake, a couple of my tears sliding down my face despite the biggest smile I could have written across my face. The thought of how ridiculous I may look crosses my mind for only a second, but I don’t let my mind dwell on it. I don’t care who may see. It’s just… really nice to have it back and for it to be in one piece. “Darling?” Rarity speaks quietly, trying to get my attention. “Are you alright?” “Sorry. I just… Thank you so much, Rarity. You don’t know how much this means to me~” Instinctively, my arms wrap around the purple-haired woman without my smile leaving my face. A part of me is still shocked she could have fixed what was left of my scarf, but she really did it~ Something so special to me that was torn to shreds is practically just like I left it, except for a couple stitch marks. They’re barely visible due to the similarly colored fabric that Rarity used to fix the material. “I would say it was no problem, but the truth is that it was quite difficult to fix it. From now on, don’t go skating with pieces of clothing you don’t mind ripping. I swear that scarf was begging to be put down before you came to me.” Rarity hugs me back gently, patting my back with one of her hands. “I would also suggest not bringing it into the steam room with us. I swear if I have to bring that poor thing’s life back from death’s door again, you’ll have hell to pay.” Ending our embrace, Rarity smiles at me and gently slides her finger across the scarf, turning away from me to walk in the direction Fluttershy went. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” I tell her with a happy sigh, looking down at the scarf once more. I don’t intend on letting it get destroyed again. ========================================================= I didn’t expect for the visit to the spa to last that long… We stayed there for hours just to get everything done with the treatments I bought. If I had known it would have taken that long, I probably would have left halfway through. I suppose it did help with a bit of my stress, though… Not much… There’s still so much to do and I’m not even sure how I will be able to do half of it. Rarity wasn’t joking when she said a spa day since the only light out now is the moon, shining down on the world around me… I guess the day hasn’t been wasted, but… a part of me feels a bit guilty that it’s already over. Hell. I thought I would be home sooner than Sunset, but she is probably already back in bed. I was hoping to have at least one small conversation with her before tomorrow, but I guess that was wishful thinking. Walking further down the sidewalk, a small buzz catches my attention, searching my pocket for my phone. Once again, it’s a text, alerting me to someone’s attempt to contact me. That’s practically the only notification I do get other than alarms. “Huh, Rainbow,” I whisper to myself, seeing the icon on my screen. The picture I set her contact to is simply a photo of her eating a hot dog back when I first started working for Fancy Pants. I think it was the first time she and I ever had lunch on that roof together actually… Shaking my head, I slowly tap the notification, bringing me to our text conversation instantly. Despite her usually small text patterns, I’m greeted by a big message this time, taking up half of the screen easily. “Hey, Dagi. Thanks again for the pep talk we had earlier today. I was feeling really lost and I’m glad you were there to help me see straight. I just wanted to let you know two things before I hit the sack. First, I went ahead and quit my team, but I still want to be somewhat active in sports, so I’m going to look at different things. My mom agreed to help me with that. Secondly, I had some free time today, so I thought I’d do ya a solid like you did for me. I went over to your apartment today and I changed most of the locks with Sunset’s permission.” She… changed our locks…? She really didn’t have to do that, especially with everything she’s dealt with recently. Before I can even react to her previous message, Rainbow starts typing to me again. “If you tell anyone else this, I will deny it, but I did sorta need my dad’s help to learn how to change a lock. Turns out, it’s a lot more complicated than I thought. Especially when you’re only changing the lock and not the whole doorknob.” Rainbow’s text ends with a smiling emoji followed by a thumbs up, making me feel slightly confused… “Sunset already took all your stuff back to your place when she got off work, so I suppose I won’t be saying goodnight to you in person. Have a good night, Dagi~” Stopping in my tracks, I can’t help but reread Rainbow’s messages, making sure I got everything correct. Rainbow Dash… She does so much to appease people or make them happy, despite her own interests. No matter what, she sticks by you till the very end, making you feel a little guilty for putting her through so much trouble. She really didn’t have to do that, but if you try to argue with her, she’ll just refute it by saying she wanted to. I guess I do that to Sunset as well, but still. Turning around, I walk in the opposite direction of Rainbow’s house, smiling to myself. Instantly, my fingers type in a response, shaking my head slightly. “Thank you, Dash~ Get some rest.” ======================================================== Knocking on the door of our apartment, I can’t help but smile. The first time I knocked on this door was to drop off a gift I wasn’t even sure would help me find happiness. Turns out, it made my life so much better, despite every setback. Just knocking on this door made my life so much happier and gave me a friend that I could never replace. A person I’d never want to lose. I mean, she’s the reason I look forward to the end of the day, just to see her warm smiles and to hold her one more time. Now that our locks are changed, maybe she and I can just lounge around on the couch until we fall asleep~ If it wasn’t for that one night, it could be a movie night… It’s fine, Adagio. At least you can still hold her tonight. Everything will be alright… I have to keep believing that. For her sake. She needs to know that… Why does it sound like an excuse…? Within a few moments, the door is unlocked and opened, the light of our apartment spilling out into the world outside. Looking up, I smile at the woman in front of me, but it quickly fades as soon as our eyes connect… Inside those eyes is a cold and melancholic tone, her mouth morphed into a slight frown instead of her usual warm smile. Why is she… looking at me like this…? “Hey, Adagio,” she whispers, gesturing for me to come inside. What is going on here…? Did I disturb her? Carefully walking inside the living room, I can’t help but notice all the glass from before is cleaned up, nowhere to be seen. Maybe that’s why…? “I’m sorry I couldn’t help clean up,” I say as kindly as I can, slowly taking off my jacket. Without saying another word, Sunset walks towards the couch and sits down, leaning on one of the arms before picking up a plastic cup. Every moment, her calm yet downtrodden demeanor makes me feel more worried… “Did I wake you…?” “No,” Sunset responds without looking at me, taking a small sip from her drink. Sunset is wearing pajamas, but due to her drink, it looks like she’s been in here for a while… “How did your day go?” Her quiet words can barely be heard, worrying me more than anything else. Did something happen while I was gone…? “It went alright. Rarity, Fluttershy and I spent all our time in the spa,” I say without taking my eyes off of her, sitting on the other side of the couch. Pressing my hand on the cushion between both of us, I can’t help but feel… disconnected from her. What could she possibly be thinking about? Did I do something…? Her eyes say so much yet so little at the same time… She’s usually so open with me about what’s bothering her, but she’s sitting here trying to act like casual conversation will hide anything that’s behind those eyes. She was so happy last night, and now she’s distant…? What happened…? “Rarity told me about that,” Sunset says in the same quiet voice that she’s had ever since I walked in. A long pause in our conversation fills the space between us, making her feel so far away… A heavy breath exits her lips before she turns to me, her eyes displaying some form of hurt in them… Sunset… What’s wrong? “Rarity also told me something else. Something that I think we should… talk about.” Raising my eyebrow, I lean forward slightly, reaching over to Sunset’s hand, only for her to pull away. What did I do…? What caused Sunset to feel like this…? Just seeing the hurt in her eyes pains me in a way I’d rather not bear… “What do you want to talk about…?” Even though I tried to ask my question in the kindest way I could, Sunset still looks uncomfortable, breaking our eye contact momentarily to think to herself. Her hand slowly rests her cup on a small table next to the couch, shaking her head slightly as if she is rejecting a certain thought. “She told me that she fixed your scarf. She assumed I had known about such an incident, but she was surprised to hear my confusion.” Instantly, my eyes widen upon hearing her statement, looking down at the scarf around my neck for a moment. “It was one of the first times I had talked to Rarity in a long time, which made it even harder when I heard about this whole ordeal.” I didn’t expect Rarity to talk about this with her… Maybe because I assumed she would keep it a secret, knowing how much the scarf meant to both me and Sunset. Maybe I should have told her to keep it to herself… “I… I would have told you-” “And normally, Adagio… I wouldn’t be mad or sad about something small like your scarf being torn. Even if I was the one who gave it to you. But the reason why I bring it up now is because of what you said in the mall.” An almost shaky breath leaves Sunset’s mouth before she reconnects her gaze with my own, ready to speak once more. “You told me that you didn’t wear your scarf because you left it here. Which means that… you lied to me.” Leaning forward, Sunset’s sad expression now shows a slight annoyance, her hands resting in her lap. “I like to think that I am here for you whenever you need me to be, which kind of made it hurt to hear from Rarity that you lied about the scarf I gave you… I can even overlook small lies like that as well, but…” Standing up from her seated position, Sunset walks to the opposite side of the room before looking at me again, crossing her arms slowly. “That’s not the only small thing, is it?” I can’t help but feel my throat become dry, trying to think of what I should say… What is there to be said? Another excuse or apology? “What do you mean…?” I ask her, trying to understand the question she just asked me. “There are other small lies, aren’t there? Like your hallucinations you conveniently never brought up…” My eyes widen once more, my breathing becoming disjointed and hard to do with accuracy. My hallucinations…? How…? “How do you know about that…?” I’m barely able to ask, my dry mouth making it hard to form the right words without losing my composure. “While we were at Twilight’s house, Spike talked. You asked for us to tell you that you weren’t hallucinating again. What really worries me is the ‘again’ part of it,” Sunset whispers, her eyes not leaving mine in this worrying dance of words. Why did I have to say that…? I don’t even remember saying it, considering I was more concerned about the dog, rather than what was leaving my mouth. “I didn’t think they were that important…” “Damn it, Adagio… You had a serious head injury half a year ago and the doctors told both you AND me to look out for anything wrong. You didn’t think that was important? Or did you just not trust me with that information?” Sunset asks harshly, her words flying out of her mouth before she tries to calm herself down. Her hands rub her face up and down in irritation, sighing at her own thoughts. “How many hallucinations have you had? What were they about?” she asks in a more demanding tone, clearly wanting the true answer. “It’s only happened a few times… It started recently. They’re about…” My mouth hesitates to finish my statement, my mind instantly flashing images of her to the forefront of my thoughts. Just the thought of her evil eyes staring back at me is enough to make me shiver, but am I really going to share this with Sunset…? Do I really have a choice? “They’re about me… The evil version of me, back when I was a siren. Well, when I was a powerful siren anyway…” I break our gaze, finding it hard to look Sunset in the eye and tell her this… Something so personal and oddly… terrifying. I don't even know why she’s been appearing, so how am I supposed to explain it to her? “She talks to me… Tells me things like how pathetic it is to want friends and happiness instead of power…” “Do you really believe that?” Sunset quietly asks me, not moving from her spot leaning against the wall. Looking back at Sunset’s eyes, her gaze is now filled with worry and hurt, an expression of concern on her face. “Of course not. I love this life I have now. I’m not sure why I started hallucinating her… She just appears and tries to taunt me, that’s all…” A long painful silence follows my words, both of us staying still with the sound of some wind outside being the only thing we can hear. Our eyes don’t move from each other as I try to find the words that would be appropriate to say… Every time I come close to forming the right sentence, my thought fractures into a million pieces. Just seeing Sunset like this is enough to make me want to cry, yet I’m frozen in my place… It would be so easy to blame something else for this, but I know that it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. I caused this… After a long pause, Sunset clears her throat and closes her eyes, her expression still full of conflicting tones. “Tell me honestly, Adagio. Have you also lied about your feelings? How you have felt within the past few days?” Instantly, a lump in my throat forms when I hear her question. I’ve lied more times than I can count this week… When it comes to my feelings at least. But it was just so that she could stay happy. I didn’t want to burden her with any of the things I’ve been feeling, especially since she’s been having such a hard time… It wasn’t out of malice or to deliberately hurt her. I just wanted to keep her smile on her face as long as possible just in case something ruined her day… “I thought so,” she whispers, taking my silence as an answer itself. “I had a feeling that you were hiding some of your feelings away… But I didn’t say anything because I figured it couldn’t have been that big, right? She would trust me, right?” Sunset states with a couple tears sliding down her cheeks, her frustration being clear from her words. “I’m sorr-” “No. You’re not. You catch me cutting myself ONE time and you withhold every negative part of your life from me. You think you’re protecting me when I fucking told you that you could trust me,” she quickly lets out, her glare full of hurt and anger. “I want to be a part of your life too, Adagio! I don’t want you to just go with whatever I say or do just to keep me happy. You do so much to keep me happy, but I’m not allowed the same courtesy when it comes to the woman I love?” Getting off her spot on the wall, Sunset’s tears fall faster, finally unable to keep herself from crying. “You know what? Forget it. Keep your life a secret,” she’s barely able to state in a whisper, quickly walking down the hallway. A loud slam accompanies the bedroom door shutting, silence following the aftermath… Why did it have to go like this…? ============================================================== I would be lying if I said I didn’t look like crap… Getting barely any sleep on a couch isn’t the best way to look great in the morning, especially due to… last night… Sunset never came out of our room as far as I know of. Every second that passes by, I can’t help but feel even worse, the words shared last night being the only things passing through my mind. I could hear her cries for a couple hours after our fight… My mind keeps trying to think of some good reason why I kept lying, but all of them just sound like more excuses to keep me from owning up to my actions… The truth is that I lied over and over to try and keep her happy without giving her a choice in the matter. Of course she would feel upset… Combing my hair down, I try my best to smile in the mirror, but it almost feels pointless. Trying to act like everything is okay is technically what got me in this mess to begin with. It’s going to be hell to try and go about my day when all I can think about is the image of her crying face, storming off to our room… Why did I have to be such an asshole…? I caused all of it… Great way to try and prove you’re worthy of her, Adagio… Every time I think I’m actually a good fit for her, another ten reasons prove why I shouldn’t have confessed my love to her to begin with. She would have been happier otherwise, right…? None of this friendship drama would have happened and now this situation wouldn’t happen. Who knows? Maybe I’m responsible for the break-in too… All it takes is one person who doesn’t like me to do something like that to our home and let’s face it. I am on a lot of bad sides… A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I walk outside the bathroom, my eyes briefly lingering on the bedroom door. I don’t know how I can make it up to her… or if I can. I hope so? Maybe she and I can try to talk more tonight and I can apologize… Sunset isn’t the type of person to not listen to someone after she’s had the chance to cool down. Just the thought of something like us ending over my own stupidity is… too hard to bear. No. I’m sure we can… Just don’t think about that possibility. Pulling on one of my t-shirts with ease, my hand reaches for my coat, trying desperately to not let my walls break. It’s just the beginning of the day… It wouldn’t look great if I end up crying right now. I just have to bottle these feelings up until later… Slipping my feet into my boots, my hand grabs a pencil and a small notebook from my purse. Usually, I use this to take notes on students of mine to see what they need to work on, but now? I think I need to use it for a better reason… Quickly, my hand scribbles in words on the blank piece of paper, trying my best to smile while tears fight to form in my eyes. “Hey, Sunset. I hope you got some sleep last night? I have to go to work now and then I’ll be meeting someone for the rest of the day, but I should be back by seven.” My fingers hesitate for a moment, my breathing halting as I try to think of the right words… “I’m really sorry about last night. I know I didn’t give you much choice and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but I realize that my actions inevitably did that either way… I really do mean it when I say I love you, Sunset. You mean the whole world to me and that feeling has only grown stronger as time has gone on. I really hope we can talk more tonight. I’m sorry, Sunset. You deserve to be treated fairly.” A tear slowly falls down my cheek as my fingers scribble in the last few words. For some reason, my lips mouth the words that I write instinctually. I can’t quite help it… “I’ll miss you. With love, Adagio.” Ripping the piece of paper from the notebook, I quickly walk over to the bedroom door down the hallway, quietly slipping it underneath the door with a solemn smile on my face. If she is still asleep, I hope she gets enough of it… Tomorrow is the Apple Family reunion, so I just hope she can get enough rest. And I hope we can try to fix things before tomorrow… ========================================================= Looking at my map with a raised eyebrow, a part of me just gets more confused as I try to find my way to the shop. In no way do I feel in the mood to do this today, but this is the last day I have available before the reunion tomorrow. My mind can’t stop thinking about Sunset and how she must be feeling today… In a way, I think that sort of affected my work since there were numerous mistakes I didn’t catch onto right away. Technically I know a lot of this city already, but the exact store names don’t stick out to me. I’ve never heard of a Sugarcube Corner before, but I’ve probably seen it. I’ve always stuck to myself and didn’t really pay much attention to each store, just the landmarks that would help me get home. This bakery should be close to this part of town, since the map says it’s only a couple blocks away from the coffee shop Sunset and I went to all that time ago. That coffee shop… I really hope Sunset and I can go back there soon… Shaking my head, I trace my finger along the map with a small frown, analyzing exactly where I’ve gone before. I’ve already gone past the Museum of Astrology shop and the fortune teller place, so I guess it should be somewhere around here. Putting the map back into my back, I quicken my pace down the sidewalk, looking around my environment with no luck. I mean, I know it’s not going to stick out to me like a sore thumb, but I thought it would be more recognizable with a name like that. Maybe with frosting decorations or something, but I guess I’m just wishing for this to be easier than it will be. Honestly, this will probably go… horribly… I haven’t seen Pinkie Pie ever since Valentine’s Day, but she didn’t see me there, so the last time we formally met was the Battle of the Bands. Back when I was… her… I know how she sees me. She’s scared of me and was clear with her wishes that she didn’t want to talk to me. Now here I am, trying to find the bakery she works at just to talk to her. I guess I’m breaking her wish in that way, but I promised myself that I would try to make things right between me and all of Sunset’s friends… It’s hard to imagine that anything will go well today, especially since I royally fucked up with Sunset last night… I thought that things would go horribly with Fluttershy, but I was pleasantly surprised, so maybe there’s just a little bit of hope there…? A part of me wants to believe that everything will be alright, but my luck isn’t exactly the best. What will I even do to try and get in Pinkie’s good graces? Of course I will apologize, but will that be enough…? I don’t think so… Shaking my head, I look around the intersection I come up to, trying to find the store that I’m supposed to go to. I only have one shot to get a good impression before the reunion, so I have to make this count. Quickly, a building across the street with pink canopies catches my eye. Looking closer at the building’s windows, the logo for Sugarcube Corner is faintly painted on them so that people can look through them easily. Fucking finally. I either have an outdated map or I’m just really bad at directions. Then again, I’ve been pretty bad at a lot of things in my life… Taking a deep breath, I quickly cross the road, looking inside the window carefully. Lots of patrons inside eat their treats while talking to people they know, some customers even play on a laptop while they enjoy whatever they bought. I guess this place has free WiFi, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t use the internet all that often… Brushing any wild hairs out of my face, I quietly walk over to the doors, pushing them open and being greeted with the sound of people talking and a cash register. Despite the store’s small size, it makes up for it with a welcoming atmosphere and quite a few open tables to sit people at. This wouldn’t be the best design for a pandemic, but it works in pretty much any other instance. Walking past the many tables, I make my way to the counter, seeing a familiar face behind the register. “Mr. Cake? You work here?” I ask in surprise, finally stopping right in front of the man. His eyes move from the register up to me and a look of surprise comes over him too. “Adagio! My, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you~ How are things? Is the music studio still up and running?” he asks me excitedly, seemingly happy to catch up with me even though we only worked together for a short while. He only volunteered at the studio for a short time whereas I worked directly for Fancy Pants. “Yeah, but we’ve had to shut down our afternoon classes since it wasn’t profitable,” I respond with a smile, nodding slowly. “Though, I’m just surprised to see you here in general. Some of the kids miss your lessons,” I lie with a straight face, trying to keep our conversation up for a little while longer before I have to meet Pinkie. “That sure is flattering! I will have to think about volunteering again~ Also, my wife and I own this establishment! It’s our own little bakery that we’ve run for close to fifteen years now~ Do you like it?” Fifteen years of running a bakery, huh? Impressive. I guess I should have known he owns an establishment like this. His name is Mr. Cake for God’s sake. If that isn’t the biggest case of fate, I don’t know what is. “It has a certain flair. You must be proud of it.” “Oh, me and the missus are very proud of it~ We worked hard to make it a reality and all.” A prideful smile comes to his face as he looks around his bakery before his eyes return to me. “Anyway, what brings you in today? Want to try our Pumpkin Pound Cake Surprise?” he asks me, pointing to the special of the week on the menu board above him. “I’m going to have to pass, unfortunately. I came here to meet a… past acquaintance.” For a moment, I hesitate to say the actual name of the woman I’m looking for, but I take a deep breath and compose myself quickly so as to avoid any awkward interaction. “Does Pinkie Pie work here?” “Oh? You know Pinkie?” The surprise on his face tells me that Pinkie Pie never really talked to him about Adagio Dazzle. That means he might point me in her direction, not knowing how much she probably doesn’t want to see me. Still, a promise is a promise… “Yeah, she works here, but she left to see her family a couple days ago and she won’t be back until tomorrow. How urgent is this?” “It’s pretty urgent… I kinda needed to talk to her before tomorrow. She and I are going to the same event and I wanted to… straighten out some details before then.” A conflicted look comes over Mr. Cake, his eyes breaking away from me as he looks down at the counter and the register. Pulling out his phone, he looks at the time and sighs quietly before directing his gaze to the door behind him, presumably to the kitchen area of the bakery. “I suppose I could help you out here and let you video call Pinkie, but I need to tell my wife to man the register if you will.” Nervously scratching his head, he holds his hand out as a gesture to wait before he walks into the door behind him, presumably going to talk to his wife. This is going to be… a very awkward call… ========================================================== Mr. Cake and I decided to go to a park to call Pinkie so that I would have some form of privacy with her, while still being close enough to give him his phone back once we’re done. A part of me is still questioning why he decided to let me call her on his phone instead of just giving me her contact details, but I’m also a little glad about this turn of events. Pinkie is less likely to hang up my call or just ignore it if it’s from a random number or if she knows it’s from me, but since it’s from her employer, maybe she’ll feel a little compelled to stick around and hear me out. I never thought having a past with a volunteer of the music studio would actually help me try to reach out to Pinkie Pie, but here I am. Walking over to a bench in the middle of the park, I can’t help but feel blessed that we’re the only ones here. If there were a bunch of people here, I would feel worried about what may ensue, given I don’t know how Pinkie will react to this surprise call. It’s unfortunate that she and I couldn’t meet in person since she can just hang up at any time on a call, but I suppose I’ll just have to make due with what I have. If everything goes well here, then the only thing I will have left to worry about is tonight… and whatever may result from a talk with Sunset. After I sit down on the bench, Mr. Cake pulls out his phone again, a nervous expression dawning on his face. He looks conflicted, almost like he’s not sure if he should be doing this, but he’s already decided to help me. Maybe him letting me use his phone rather than give me Pinkie’s contact details is his way of making sure nothing will go wrong just in case Pinkie doesn’t want to talk to me. If so, that’s a smart move on his part. I probably would have planned something similar myself, so I can’t help but admire the intelligence it takes to come up with something like this. Of course, if it isn’t a plan, then I’m more of applauding something that is merely coincidental. Either way, there’s no reason to actually voice any of this to him. “I’ll call her and tell her that someone wanted to talk to her first before I hand you the phone,” he timidly states, his finger hitting a button on the phone before trying to compose himself, brushing his hair to the side. His eyes look at the screen without any change for a while before the ringing finally stops. “Hiya, Pinkie Pie~” Mr. Cake says in his cheerful voice, giving a small wave to the phone’s camera. “Oh! Hi, Mr. Cake! I didn’t expect to get a call from you today~” an excited woman’s voice responds to the man with the energy of a blown up balloon. “Did you get my postcards yet?” I don’t know why, but a part of me finds it a little odd to hear that Pinkie had sent postcards to her employer. Nonetheless from a trip that only lasted a few days, but I suppose that fits Pinkie Pie’s style. Back when I observed Sunset and her friends in Canterlot High, I knew Pinkie was random and unpredictable, but I didn’t deem her a major threat since she usually needed the organization of her friends to keep her contained and focused on a single goal. Maybe that’s why I saw Sunset and Twilight as the biggest obstacles. And why I blamed Sunset for my downfall… “No, not yet unfortunately. Still checking the mail everyday~” Mr. Cake’s genuine smile turns into a nervous one as he scratches the back of his head, still looking at the camera. “The reason why I called was because I have someone here who wants to talk to you and all.She said that you two needed to talk before tomorrow and that it was urgent.” “Ooh! Who is it? Is it Rainbow Dash? Or Twilight? Oh! Wait! Don’t tell me! I want to be surprised~” the excited voice once again replies to Mr. Cake’s statement, clearly anticipating whoever might want to talk to her. Something tells me that excitement will die as soon as she finds out it’s me. Mr. Cake’s smile fades for a moment, chuckling slightly at Pinkie’s words. “Okay then, well, she’s right here~ She asked for you to stay on the line as long as you can since she really wants to talk to you and all.” Without giving the pink woman a chance to respond, he slowly hands me the phone, making me take a deep breath. This is it. She’s the last of Sunset’s main friend group that I have yet to make amends with. If there is any god in this world, please let this go alright… Grabbing the phone gently, I aim the camera at my own face, surprised to see the pink woman’s face on the screen. I’ve never video called someone before, so this is a new experience for me. Instantly, the happy expression on Pinkie’s face deflates as her once curly hair goes flat, her eyes never straying from the screen. It seems I still have the same effect on the girl, but I can’t quite blame her for that… “Hey, Pinkie,” I say as kindly as I can, giving a wave like Mr. Cake did before. Pinkie’s mouth opens for a moment, but it promptly closes again as she fidgets with her hands. From the camera angle, it looks like Pinkie’s calling from a computer screen, rather than a phone. “Hi,” is all the pink woman brings herself to say, her eyes finally looking away from the screen to focus on the room around her. The room she’s in is primarily gray and dark with multiple rocks on shelves in the background which raises more questions than answers. “I know you probably didn’t expect me to call you today,” I state quietly, still trying to come up with the right words to say. “I just wanted to talk to you today to… try and clear up some things. Especially since we’re both going to the Apple Family reunion tomorrow.” As kind as I try to make my words, I also make sure to say them as honestly as I can to let her know I only want a talk rather than a fight. My past self would have loved to pick fights… “I would understand if you don’t want to, but do you think we could talk? Just person-to-person?” Pinkie’s eyes widen as if she is surprised by my request, trying to not look at the screen, but she eventually nods her head. “I suppose so,” she whispers, her sad tone not leaving her voice. A silence follows after her statement, both of us seemingly unsure of what to say next. Technically, I know what I need to say, but I’m not quite sure how I will phrase it… “Before we say anything else, I just want to tell you that… I’m sorry. For all of it.” Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, finding myself unable to look at Pinkie as the words come out of my mouth. “I know that I hurt you and your friends two years ago. That’s one of my biggest regrets and I wish I could take it back. Especially since I love Sunset with all of my heart and I’ve become good friends with her other friends.” Opening my eyes, I instantly notice Pinkie Pie’s surprised expression with one of her eyebrows raised, confusion being painted all across her face. “You’re… dating Sunset?” she quietly asks, seemingly hearing this news for the first time. When was the last time she talked with her friends…? “Yeah. I’ve been dating her for a few months now, actually.” I can’t help but pause to collect my words, taking in another deep breath. “I guess you haven’t been in touch with your friends recently?” I ask as kindly as I can, seeing her flinch slightly to the question. “No,” Pinkie simply whispers, looking away from the screen once more to try and keep her composure. I can’t help but widen my eyes once I hear a chuckle come from the pink woman on the other side of the call… “But… that’s kind of your fault, huh?” Pinkie says after her chuckle, her eyes reconnecting with mine through our virtual communication. My fault… I always blame myself, but to hear someone else validate that… hurts. “We were all fine before you and Sunset became friends and all,” Pinkie says in a hurt and depressed tone, her body language showing just how uncomfortable she feels with this conversation. “It’s… nice of you to apologize. Thank you for that. But I can’t just immediately turn around and throw a party for you just because you said sorry. Why didn’t you try to talk to me before?” Pinkie’s eyes are full of hurt with a slight bit of anger coming to the surface through her words. “I… I’m sorry. I haven’t had a lot of time due to work and I owed my time to other people recently. I didn’t really have the chance to say sorry until now.” “Or you just didn’t wanna,” the pink woman callously responds in an uncharacteristic way. Even she seemed to notice how weird her response was, stopping herself from saying something else. “I’m sorry. I just…” Her eyes carry a deflated tone, pausing her sentence to take a breath. “I don’t really… believe you. I don’t know why you waited so long and all, but yeah… If you do mean it, I guess it’ll be proven soon, but this just seems like some desperate attempt in my opinion…” Pinkie hesitates momentarily, but her hand finally reaches for the mouse, making me widen my eyes. “Pinkie! Please, wai-” Before the rest of my words can leave my mouth, the call is cut short with a loud beep, returning the phone back to the set background. She hung up on me… I was trying to expect that but… why do things have to go wrong…? Instantly, tears start to flow from my eyes, causing me to close them and sigh quietly. She’s right… It’s all my fault… Always TogetherAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Always Together Chapter XVI: Always Together AN: HEY! STOP! Before you read any further in this chapter, I need to warn you about something. Normally, I would leave these types of warnings to my disclaimer section at the beginning, but a part of me just knows that people will probably skip that section in favor of reading the chapter quicker. I would also usually want to keep this secret, but I don’t want to spring something like this on someone as a surprise. This chapter includes references and depictions of sexual activity, making this story now marked as mature. The sexual activity in this chapter isn’t fetish or kink related, but it’s still worthy to make a warning for. I don't think this needs to be said due to the setting of my story so far, but all characters in this chapter are eighteen years-old or older. This chapter will be the only one with sexual activity in this story, so if you do not feel comfortable reading this, feel free to either quit the fic or wait until the next chapter uploads. I will give a brief SFW summary of this chapter in the next installment for the people who don’t want to read about sexual activity. As always, thank you for the continued support of my story since it means the world to me and keeps my motivation high to continue this story. I hope everyone has a good day and I will see you when the next chapter uploads~ Enjoy~ ============================================================ The walk home is especially slow today… I didn’t expect Pinkie to hang up on me so soon, but I suppose I should have. I knew she wasn’t going to be happy to see or hear from me, but that reaction wasn’t something I prepared for at all. She does have a point though… I did wait especially long to talk to Pinkie Pie because I wasn’t sure how to approach the unpredictable woman. That wasn’t any excuse… I should have made the time to accurately apologize and make it seem more genuine. The cool breeze of the twilight of the day presses against my skin, reminding me just what I have to return home to. I don’t even know if Sunset will be willing to talk to me… She should have gotten my note by now, but I’m unsure if it did anything to actually help. Thankfully, the streets seem mostly empty at this time, giving me some time to think of what I will say to her. Then again, that could be just because I’m taking mostly back streets to get to our apartment. Maybe that’s because I’m not exactly looking forward to going home… I have no idea how tonight is going to go and I would hate it if things got even worse. Bringing my hand to my scarf, I feel the material as gently as I can, taking a deep breath in and out. It’s hard to have hope when everything seems to be going wrong in the world, but Sunset always tries to, despite whatever odds she’s against. She’s so inspiring, teaching me multiple lessons I wouldn’t have learned any other way. I just hope she and I can talk it out. I don’t know if I will be able to accurately apologize, but… Walking through the cold air, I can’t help but feel nostalgic, the long distance I have to travel with a cool temperature nipping at my nose. I remember when I used to walk this same path to Sunset’s apartment all the time to hang out with her. Back then, I would always think about how I don’t deserve her on this specific walk, a thought that Sunset has tried so hard to dispel from my mind as of late. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, I look down at the coat and scarf I have on, my mind instantly bringing the memories of our adventures together to the forefront of my thoughts. I know that Sunset loves me. She clearly enjoys our relationship, I just… hurt her. Pretty badly. There’s no reason for us to not be able to fix this, right? Everything that’s happened just proves how much Sunset and I can go through together. We’ve gotten through so much and I… love her… with all my heart. We can fix this. I just have to have a little faith, right? Walking forward quickly, I try to put a smile on my face, trying to keep my hopes up. All I have to do is have a little hope, like Sunset always does. Things will be fine between Pinkie Pie and I. And I will be able to apologize to Sunset. All I need is a little faith… What’s wrong with having a little bit of hope, right? The last time I had no hope when it came to Sunset and I, she reached out to me and we both found out our mutual feelings for one another. So, there is some precedent for being hopeful, right? I need her in my life. I need her in general. Just to see her smile and spend all of my moments with her. Quickly, my walk turns into a run, rain starting to fall down to the ground. I… want to spend the rest of my life with her. It’s such a weird feeling for someone like me. I’ve lived for thousands of years, but now? I don’t quite care if my life is short now, as long as I get to spend it with her. I never wanted to be tied to someone before because I always saw it as a form of bondage, but that tie to Sunset has turned out to be one of the most freeing things I’ve ever experienced. She’s helped me overcome my past and I… want my future to be entangled with hers~ Can I really be blamed for loving her this much? Raindrops fall on my hair and my jacket, but a part of me finds it hard to care. My mind can only focus on getting back home to the one I love so I can try to make things up to her. She deserves the whole world, but I still should have given her the choice to be here for me too. Running around a corner, I see the apartment complex just ahead of me, my heart racing. I have to make things right between us. I love her too much to let something like this go. The rain starts to pick up its pace just as I finally make it to our porch, ducking under the overhead cover and knocking on the door. Brushing my hair back, I take a deep breath and try to think of what I will say. She’s so important to me. I can’t afford to let another thing go wrong with us~ Hearing the door’s locks, I smile as best as I can, seeing the door slowly open. My smile fades slightly as I see her face once more, her eyes carrying the same sad feeling in them from last night, but she tries to smile at me as well, gesturing for me to come inside. “Come in, Adagio,” she whispers, trying her best to smile just a little bit more. Walking inside slowly, I start to take my coat off before Sunset grabs the shoulders of the coat, helping me out of it. Her hand gently pats my shoulder as if she’s telling me to make myself comfortable as she hangs my coat on a hanger. “Did you get enough sleep?” I hesitantly ask, sitting down on the couch with our eyes connecting for a moment. Briefly, she nods before she walks over to the other side of the couch, sitting down with her body aimed at me. Hesitantly, Sunset looks at me and smiles, still thinking of what she should say. “Yeah, I did. Don’t worry about my rest and all.” Despite how she’s trying to act, something is still on her mind, obviously taking up the majority of her thoughts. “How did your day go…?” Sunset’s gaze still locked with mine, her curious glance makes me feel a little nervous… I can’t help but wonder whether or not she got my note earlier today. Or if this is maybe a test. I don’t know, maybe she wants to see if I will tell her the truth about what happened. “It went well, technically… My work wasn’t any different than usual.” My mind instantly tells me to keep the actual aftermath of Pinkie and I’s meeting a secret, but Sunset’s locked gaze with mine only serves to remind me what happened last night. I didn’t give her a choice with the other times I had a bad day… “I also went to talk to Pinkie Pie, but… she wasn’t exactly welcoming.” Sunset’s eyes widen slightly upon hearing my news, frowning at what happened. “I’m sorry, Adagio. That Pinkie didn’t accept your attempt to make peace with her. But I’m sure you’ll get to her sometime.” Leaning forward slightly, Sunset places her hand on mine, rubbing gently and making me feel surprised in the process. She keeps sending me mixed signals… Half the time, her eyes tell me she’s still sad about last night, but she’s also trying to smile and console me for something that happened when she should still be mad at me. I can’t help but feel a little confused at each turn, making me wonder exactly what she’s feeling. “I’m… also sorry for storming out last night. I didn’t exactly give you the best chance to talk and all.” A guilty expression comes to Sunset, causing us to break our eye contact. I didn’t exactly want her to apologize to me… Sunset usually finds a way to blame herself, even for situations where she wasn’t at fault at all. Yeah, she did storm out last night, but I don’t think it was unwarranted, given what we were arguing about… “Yeah… But I understand why you did that. Really.” Our eyes quickly break away from each other, looking separate ways as silence fills the air. To say that both of us seem unsure of what to say or do next would be an understatement. Is it really that unfair for me to wish I could easily look her in the eyes in situations like this? Her gaze has a way to make me feel nervous, even when we’re not fighting. I love looking in her eyes so it’s ironic that I often feel like I’m at her mercy whenever we lock eyes. If only it could be easy to look in her eyes and apologize… “I got your note,” Sunset whispers, both of us still looking in different directions. “You really hurt me, Adagio… I just want you to know that.” Instantly, my heart feels like a spike of pain goes through it, making me close my eyes quickly. I know I hurt her… In no way would I ever want to do that, but I still did nonetheless. I keep trying to convince myself we can still fix this, but the other side of my mind tells me this mistake of mine is too much. Is it…? “I’m really sorry, Sunset… You mean the world to me and I never meant to hurt you. I just… thought it’d be easier to avoid my issues when we’ve already been so stressed as it is.” Despite how much I try, my mind still doesn’t let me look at her, keeping my eyes firmly shut as if trying to shut out reality itself. I realize now that what I did was wrong, but it still doesn’t make it easier, knowing how I hurt the one person I love. The person who loves me… Feeling a soft touch on my cheek, my eyes open slowly, seeing Sunset’s hand gently hold onto my face, finally allowing me to look back at the woman right next to me. Her eyes show a feeling of understanding and her smile warms my heart, despite the circumstances. “Adagio. Your issues, they… They’re a part of your life. They affect you, just like how my issues affect me. It’s never a problem to want to see the love of your life happy. The problem is when you actively try so hard to keep a smile on my face, keeping your life away from me to do that.” For the first time in over twenty-four hours, Sunset’s warm smile comes back to her, a genuine look in her eyes as we share this moment. Easily, tears begin to form in my eyes, noticing just how much she cares for me. I’ve been so selfish, trying to look out for her. I failed to notice that she wants to look out for me too, despite her countless attempts to portray that to me. Grabbing Sunset’s hand gently, the tears slowly fall down my cheeks, a small smile barely coming to me. “I… I’m really sorry. I love you, Sunset,” my voice lets out weakly, my eyes still connected with hers as the sound of rain starts to ramp up. Sunset slowly nods to my statement, pressing her forehead against mine as thunder roars in the distance. Only the warm light of the lamps in the living room illuminate our bodies, making the moment feel even slower. “Do you promise to not hide everything from me again? We’re a team, after all,” Sunset whispers to me, one of her hands slowly rubbing my shoulder to give me comfort I surely don’t deserve. My throat finds it hard to speak, forming lumps all too easily and feeling dry, even though I just got rained on earlier. “I-I pinkie promise,” my voice cracks, my arms slowly reaching out to Sunset, and holding onto her. Our new hug is accepted by Sunset, her own arms holding me tightly against her own body, both of us leaning back into the couch. “Then I forgive you, alligator~ I love you too~” Sunset whispers again, kissing my forehead as we lay here, my tears flowing all too easily. I hurt her so much and I probably don’t deserve her forgiveness, but here we are. I don’t ever like hurting her. Her hand quietly runs her fingers through my hair, a quiet moment existing between the two of us even though my tears can’t seem to stop flowing, no matter what I do. Kissing my forehead once again, Sunset gently rests her chin on my head, holding me as close as she can. “It’s alright, alligator~ Really. I’ll tell you what. We can watch a movie before we go to bed if you want? To help us both feel better?” Looking up at the woman who has warmed my life, I can’t help but feel a little confused, her hand wiping away some of my tears. “I know that we don’t have a TV, but…” Reaching into her pocket slowly, Sunset pulls out her phone, showing it to me with her same smile. “We could watch something on this~” ====================================================== My body feels stiff and frozen… Opening my eyes does little good since the whole room seems to be dark, but I still feel really warm. A small groan leaves my mouth as I rub my head against the soft fabric supporting me, the heat making it feel like heaven on Earth. I love moments like these, as rare as they are. No matter the troubles plaguing my mind, this warmth scares away all the monsters and negative thoughts, making me smile widely. This heat isn’t produced by simple sheets or pillows. Instead, it’s the feeling of being held by a loving embrace, one that doesn’t disappear by the time you wake from your slumber. A smile comes across my mouth as I hold onto her tighter, breathing in her scent. Despite the darkness, her presence is reaffirmed in my mind as I feel her fingers gently rub the back of my head, my hair being played with every now and again. Her chest rises and falls with every breath, nothing but the sound of our breathing filling the air. It’s a peaceful harmony. She has a way to make me feel safe and loved no matter what. Even though this apartment has been broken into before, that possibility almost feels impossible when she holds me in her arms. Maybe it’s just a love high again, but if that’s the case, I’d rather not be sober. If I could, I’d want to be in this heaven on Earth for the rest of my life. The rest of my life… I don’t think I’m immortal anymore without my magic, so the possibility of death is almost certain now, right? But what is the point of life if it’s eternal and without happiness? Just power and nothing else… I guess that’s what gives this meaning, right? It’s not forever. It’s limited, making it all the more precious to me. Looking up slowly, I see Sunset looking at her phone as if she’s reading something, resting her head on the arm of the couch. Her eyes connect with mine and a smile appears on her face, the blue light of her phone illuminating her face. “Did you have a good rest, sweetheart?” Sunset whispers, still running her fingers through my hair as gently as she can. The sound of far off thunder reminds me of the rain outside, making me increasingly aware of the cool air around us. Actually… when did I fall asleep…? “What happened? Well, I mean, did I fall asleep during the movie?” I ask with a small groan, yawning to breathe in as much air as possible. A small giggle comes from the light of my life, her hand gently patting the back of my head. “Yeah, you did~ You never let go of me, actually. So, we stayed here~” she whispers to me before bringing her lips to my forehead, turning off her phone with a quick press of the power button. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to fall asleep or um… well, keep you captive here,” I tell her with a nervous smile, trying to make a joke of the situation. Luckily, it seems that Sunset liked it, giggling at my words easily. “If I’m captive in your arms, then it’s the best trap I can think of. One I would willingly get trapped in~” Hugging me tighter, Sunset sighs happily, both of us have a big smile on our faces. “The power was cut off while you were sleeping, so that’s why it’s so dark in here. I hope I was warm enough for you, though~” Sunset says in a teasing tone, prompting me to chuckle. “My little Sunny not warm enough? Impossible.” Both of us share a small laugh, my arms not letting go of Sunset for a second. It almost feels like I shouldn’t have this. This happiness and peaceful feeling fills my heart, despite how much I hurt Sunset yesterday. It feels so nice to have her with me… A slow sigh leaves my mouth, resting my head back on her chest and taking in the warmth. “I… really am sorry. About lying to you and all,” I whisper as I hold onto the love of my life, gently rubbing my face into her shirt. Her smell still lingers on my mind, erasing almost every worry that usually persists in my thoughts. I really can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to have her influence in my life. Even though Pinkie and I are still not on good terms, she makes me believe that everything will work out somehow. Maybe it’s because of her hopeful attitude, despite how little she sees in herself. “Shh… I told you that it’s alright, alligator~” Sunset whispers, holding me tightly as her fingers caress my head. I really didn’t deserve her forgiveness, but I still feel incredibly happy to have it. To still be in her arms and be able to enjoy the night, regardless of any thunder outside. It’s hard to believe how narrow-minded I was before I lost my magic. I focused so much on the power that was possible, but now? I can’t stop thinking about the fiery-haired girl that penetrates my dreams whenever I sleep. Her magical touch makes me feel safe and alright, even in the most nerve-wracking situations. I constantly wish to see her smile for the rest of my life, even though smiles aren’t worth much. Hers is worth the whole world to me. Looking up slowly, my eyes connect with hers, the dark room giving an atmosphere of privacy. Tomorrow is a big day, but… is it really that wrong to revel in this night? To enjoy every moment I get to feel her embrace around me… Gently placing my hands on Sunset’s cheeks, I can’t help but feel my nerves spike, wanting to feel even more of this feeling, no matter how late it may be. “Please. I need this,” I whisper, bringing my face closer to hers and placing my lips upon hers. Even today, every kiss we share electrifies me, making my mind race and disregard the world around us. Her hand on the back of my head pulls me deeper into our embrace, shooting another shock down my spine in an instant. Her skin feels as soft as flowers and her embrace never fails to remind me of heaven. Even though nothing lasts forever, I wish this one feeling could. I wish this paradise on Earth with her would last as long as possible, stretching every possible second. Every little kiss amps up in passion, feeling Sunset’s love just as much as I try to portray my love for her. Her hands gently feel my waist and back, my heart racing with thoughts about her and us. Thoughts of the future. About how much I love her… My hands move towards her stomach, gently slipping under her shirt to feel her skin once more like I did at the mall. Her teeth bite my bottom lip for a second, making me fall deeper under her spell. Once upon a time, I never cared for this girl, but the thought of living without her now hurts me at my core. I need her. I need more of her and this feeling… My hands instantly move on their own, slowly pulling up Sunset’s shirt as her lips clearly hold me captive. Suddenly, Sunset’s hand presses against my chest, pulling us away from our embrace abruptly. I can’t help but open my eyes in surprise, still wanting more as my gaze locks with Sunset’s. Her eyes have a dreamy look to them as her hand quivers on my chest, but she shakes her head slowly, trying to regain any composure she has left. “Adagio…” A bit of desire is reflected in her voice, thinking of whatever words she wants to say, but she clearly wants more of this as well. Both of our breaths sound heavy, my mind just now realizing how hot I suddenly feel. “Do you… want to take that next step?” she asks in a slow and hesitant tone, her eyes not breaking from my own. Even though I easily get confused by Sunset, her meaning this time is crystal clear. My heart races at her words, trying to justify any reason that would let us indulge even further in this heaven. I know that we probably shouldn’t… In my mind, I know we should go to bed and get some rest for the upcoming day, but in my heart? My heart wants to ignore rational thoughts and take what I want. Greed may be one of the biggest sins, but even Sunset herself acknowledged it’s alright to be selfish every now and again. Just to feel more of this emotion and her love would be… priceless… Nodding quickly, I press down on Sunset’s hand, our lips reconnecting in the embrace that vanished all too soon moments ago. Sunset pushes up, bringing herself to a sitting position, keeping me in her lap as her hands feel my waist. Grabbing the edge of my shirt, Sunset pulls up across my body, only breaking our kiss momentarily to take the garment off. The nerves in my skin get set on fire as her hands feel my stomach, running up along my back. At this point, I don’t even know what my body is doing, running off of instinct alone. My hands gently unbutton Sunset’s pants, feeling her waist with an internal smile. Every movement and embrace sends another shock throughout my body, unable to think of the world outside of this room. Feeling her soft touch makes me feel so free and loved, even when the world is cold. Sunset bites my lips again before moving her teeth down to my neck, her hands holding me close to her own body. Whereas I was once surprised by her bite, now my body begs for it. Her hand gently feels my chest, feeling me with desire and care. Every one of her actions clearly displays how she would never want to hurt me, making sure to keep me as happy and healthy as possible. She loves me so much, just like how I love her… Pulling her shirt off her body, I can’t resist the urge to feel her skin once more, my hands covering every inch of her back. Her lips press against my neck over and over, never making me tired of the sensation. “Let’s take this…” her hand grabs my chest as she holds my back, kissing my shoulder slowly, “to another room, alright?” she’s barely able to say, finally breaking her lips off of me. Standing off of my lover, I grab her hands and pull her up, both of us kissing each other a little more as we make our way to our room, closing the door behind us for some sense of privacy. Without wasting a second, Sunset’s hands push down the jean shorts I had on, bringing down her own pants in the process. My hands cup her cheeks as we fall down onto the bed, both of us still fighting to keep up this moment as long as possible. Every second I’m with her makes my legs feel weak, enjoying this loving feeling as much as I can. Her touch never fails to remind me of her love, every kiss feeling like a drug in my mind. Despite how I’ve acted in the past, I’ve never done something like this before… I never saw someone worthy enough to be with me, much less any reason to have offspring of my own. I was the greatest siren in my opinion, seeing no advantage to giving my body away to anyone else but myself. But now? Feeling her touch on my skin feels so great simply because it’s her. No one else could have this astounding effect on me nor could they erase all my insecurities about my body in one fell swoop. Despite how much I look at my own appearance with disdain in the mirror, Sunset’s hands gently feel my figure, showing how much she appreciates my body. She clearly doesn’t share my viewpoint about it, but the opposite is true as well. I can’t stop myself from bringing my hands across her stomach, feeling down her waist and touching her thighs as gently as I can. Sunset shivers at my touch, our lips battling for control even though there’s no winner or loser in this case. My fingers play with the edge of her underwear easily as Sunset pulls my leggings off of me, our eyes connecting with each other once again. Her gaze spells out desire just as mine does, our bodies freezing momentarily to keep our eyes on one another. Her hands grab my own underwear slowly, her eyes almost asking if I was sure I wanted to do this. With a single nod from me, Sunset pulls the last piece of clothing off of me, her eyes seemingly admiring whatever beauty she sees in me. Sunset is the one who is truly beautiful. Inside or out, she always looks her best. She has such a strong mind, a warm smile, beautiful curves and her kind attitude, making her the best in my eyes. I don’t even know why I am attracted to her form. I wasn’t a human originally, but here I am, tracing her body with my eyes, wishing to feel her just a little more. “I suppose… I’m not being quite fair here, huh?” Sunset whispers as if someone could hear us, her hands reaching for her own underwear and pulling them off slowly. She sits right in front of me, looking down at me as I lay on the bed. Both of us look at each other a little more before Sunset crawls on top of me, her eyes connecting with mine with a smile. Without even thinking about it, my hands move up to Sunset’s cheeks, unable to stop myself from smiling. “You are… so beautiful, Sunset,” I respond in my own whisper, my hands sliding down to Sunset’s chest, feeling her body slowly. Her head moves downward, passionately pressing her lips against my own. Moving my hands down to her hips, she gently presses herself down on my thigh, sharing our body heat with one another. Every kiss brings another wave of ecstasy through my mind as Sunset slowly grinds herself against me. In between every kiss, a heavy breath exits both of our lungs, instantly feeling shocks of electricity going up my spine as Sunset places her hand on the lower part of my stomach, tracing down to my thighs and lingering. Her other hand grabs my chest a little more than before, clearly communicating her feelings without saying a single word. I can feel my nerves go on edge throughout my body, making goosebumps appear easily as her hand moves from my thigh, touching one of my most sensitive spots as gently as she can. Instantly, the nerves along my spine are set on fire, my heart thumping in my chest. Our heavy breaths are almost in unison, both of us enjoying every second of the sensations we have given each other. Without saying a word to her, I grab Sunset’s hands, pulling her off of me and moving her to the bed. My body had moved on its own again, my eyes looking down at her as she looks surprised, both of us still breathing through our mouths heavily. All I know is that I love her so much. She means the world to me and I just want her to enjoy this as much as I am. “I… don’t quite know what I’m doing,” I tell her the honest truth for the first time in what feels like forever, baring my soul to her. Bringing my hand to the area between her legs, smiling to the best of my abilities. Sunset smiles back at me, closing her eyes quickly in response to my touch. Without wasting a moment, Sunset grabs my hand with her own, trying to desperately keep her eye contact with me. “I-I can help you. Don’t worry,” she whispers, guiding my hand in a slow rotation. I can’t help but enjoy every expression Sunset makes, enjoying this feeling of being with the one I love. Moving to her side, I use my other arm to hold her close to me, gently biting Sunset’s neck as revenge, her hand still guiding me. In a way, she’s teaching me what she likes while the rest of her body is subject to my control, my lips kissing away at her neck and chest, wrapping my leg around hers. Her heavy breathing turns into soft moans, barely able to be heard. Of course, her eyes refuse to open now, feeling her body be explored by my hands and lips. Every moment that passes by just gives me more of a blissful feeling, the absolute love I feel for Sunset having no limits inside me. I love her with all my heart and I can’t seem to find the right words to express that. Maybe it’s impossible to do that, but I can try my best to show that tonight. The sparkle in her eyes whenever she opens them fills my heart with a fluttering feeling, kissing her cheek as tenderly as I can. After a bit, I gently push Sunset’s hand away, trying my best to help her myself. Her skin feels just as soft down here, every pattern she guided me through ingrained in my mind. A slight chuckle comes to me, biting her neck once more before I sit up, looking down at her with a smirk. Her hands cover her face in embarrassment, still allowing me to give her this certain situation. Even though I’ve never done this with someone before, I can’t help but feel the biggest sense of pride and happiness run through me. Seeing her enjoy herself is so… nice. I used to only care for my own joy and how people could service me, but now I can see the value in giving someone else the smile they deserve. It’s so cute~ Her hands quiver quite a bit as she tries to hide her expression, her legs tensing up slightly as the moment goes on. Her moans start to get louder, despite her attempts to hold them in. “Don’t hide from me, Sunset~” I whisper with a teasing tone, feeling myself get more bold by the second. Even though I haven’t done this, I feel my confidence rise in me, my hand rubbing Sunset’s sensitive area just a little faster. “You wouldn’t want to miss out, would you?” Moving myself to sit in front of Sunset, her eyes peek out from her fingers for a moment, a heavy blush seemingly on her face. “I-it’s… embarrassing… I-I didn’t expect you t-to take control like this,” Sunset barely lets out in her weak voice, her moans still music to my ears. A high-pitched gasp comes from Sunset’s mouth just as one of my fingers explores her body a little deeper. I smile at her, inspecting her expression to see if she’s okay with it before going on. She looks so cute, enjoying the moment to the fullest that she can, making my heart beat with a rhythmic thump. I can’t help but love every moment I have with her. She’s so perfect~ “You wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing this, would you?” I tease the love of my life, gently leaning down and blowing on her, bringing my mouth close enough to her body to feel the heat from my face. She’s taught me so much and made me so happy in this questionable life of mine. Just having the chance to give back in even a small way makes me so happy, my mind once again racing with thoughts about us. “Please don’t hide?” I ask her in my most sincere tone, carefully bringing my lips to her thighs. Her legs instinctually try to close, surprised by the sensation that she seems to enjoy. A part of me feels even happier when Sunset finally removes her hands, her blush and shimmering eyes on full display, looking down at me despite her heavy breaths and moans. Mouthing the words ‘thank you,’ I bring my lips slowly closer to the region my hand has felt for so long now, her legs quivering at each small kiss. Her hands grip at the sheets in anticipation, biting her lip to try and diminish the sounds of her breaths. I’m not even sure if this new experience will feel good for her, but both of us seem eager to try. Bringing my lips as close to her soft skin as possible, I look up at her, biting my lip slowly. “Tell me if anything feels bad. Otherwise…” Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, a part of me is still shocked that I’m about to do this, unsure if this is technically the right time. “Let go whenever you feel like it.” Pressing my lips against Sunset’s soft vulva, a gasp comes from her again, smiling at the fact that her anticipation wasn’t prolonged even longer. My embrace is soft and passionate, giving her body teasing kisses with a small smile appearing on my own face. Every moan and gasp coming from her is my reward, feeling a sense of ecstasy at the experience. Even though I’m not pleasuring my own body, it’s still the best experience in the world. Sunset’s hand gently moves to the back of my head, once again caressing my scalp with her fingers. The feeling is heaven itself for me. Gifting such an experience to Sunset while she tries her best to show her gratitude in any way possible is such a perfect outcome of the night. Her moans get progressively louder and her fingers hesitantly move across my scalp every time I press my lips against her. A thought comes to my mind, causing me to hesitate for a moment. Pressing my tongue against her, Sunset’s surprised breath makes my heart skip a beat. I can’t help but enjoy every single sound she makes while I move my tongue gently across her skin. Her taste permeates my mind, undoubtedly becoming something I will never forget no matter how hard I may try. Why would I want to forget this? These heavenly moments with the one I love, the pure look of ecstasy written across her face as I do this to her. I don’t know how I should move my tongue to give the best feeling, but it makes me happy to see that she seems to be enjoying it nonetheless. She means the whole world to me. I don’t know how her smile easily engraved itself in my mind back then, but every time I get to see her happy gives me another reason to wake up in the morning. To push and do my best so that we can both be happy together. My hand reaches up and holds her own, Sunset’s legs tensing up even more with each second that passes by. I can tell her desperate attempts to hold back, grasping at the sheets with her extra hand and biting her lip, but I gently rub her hand with my thumb. In a way, it was my way to comfort her and tell her it’s okay without words. “O-oh my god,” she barely whispers, her moans getting louder as her back arches slightly. Her legs quiver much more than before, tensing up without release multiple times. My heart skips a beat once more as Sunset’s back fully arches, a loud gasp of air coming from her. The muscles in her thighs spasm, her hand pressing down on my head weakly, but with force to try and prolong this feeling as long as possible. Her closed eyes and expression of pleasure send electricity throughout my nerves while the love of my life loses herself to the sensation my mouth gives her. Loud and heavy breaths come from my summer mist, her body refusing to cease the energetic reaction to pleasure. All the while, the sweat on Sunset’s body glimmers in the small amount of light from outside. Every action she’s made permanently marks itself in my mind, increasingly surprised at how beautiful she is. Even in something that’s seen as taboo by others, her beauty never leaves her, making me smile even wider. Her fingers grip onto my hand as tightly as she can, finally coming down from the overwhelming amounts of pleasure that just coursed through her body. Her heavy breaths persist, being one of the only sounds in this room before I lick my lips, sitting up in front of her without letting go of her hand. An overwhelming sense of pride comes over me, happy that I was able to do this with her and bring this much joy to her. She makes my first conquest. And hopefully my last~ “I assume you enjoyed yourself?” I ask her in a teasing tone, brushing my hair back before looking at her again. Her eyes remain closed, biting her lip between her breaths. Reconnecting our eyes, Sunset slowly shivers and sighs, holding my hand tighter. “T-thank you, Adagio~ That was… really nice~” Sunset whispers in the same confident tone she uses throughout our day-to-day life. Quietly, she pushes herself up to a sitting position, locking her gaze with mine before pulling me into the same kiss that started this. From here, it’s easy to feel just how heated Sunset’s body is from our activity, her forehead pressing against my own for a few seconds. The images of her cute reaction flash throughout my mind, grateful that we got to do this. “But… we’re not done quite yet,” Sunset states with a chuckle, a mischievous smirk coming to her before placing her hand on my shoulder. Instantly, my eyes widen to Sunset’s advance, making me nervous about what’s going to happen. Even though tomorrow is the Apple Family reunion, a part of me wants to keep going, waging a war from both sides of my brain. It’s alright to be selfish sometimes, so… why not indulge in it just for a few more minutes? Returning the smirk to Sunset, I pull her into a passionate kiss as she pushes me down onto the bed, disregarding the world around us for a little longer. “Bring it, Shimmer~” Morning DelightsAuthor's Note Adagio finally attends the Apple Family reunion, leading to more chaos then she signed up for. As fun activities rage on, Adagio realizes something new that could make or break this reunion. Things can still be fixed with hard work, right? The day is still young, giving Adagio plenty of time to do what she has to do. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Morning Delights Chapter XVII: Morning Delights AN: If you remember, I stated that last chapter had depictions of sexual activity and I promised to offer as much of a SFW summary in this chapter for the readers who skipped it. The summary of the last chapter is that Adagio and Sunset had a talk about their fight the day before and they made up. They end up getting really romantic with each other and end up making love in the middle of the night. That’s all you need to know~ As always, I love all the comments and support I get for this story and I appreciate all of you~ Have a good day and enjoy the show! ======================================================= The daylight barely peeks through the window, piercing the small abode that Sunset and I call our home. Both of us didn’t get a wink of sleep, but I don’t think we cared much about that. I know I will regret the lack of sleep later, but right now? My mind can’t think of a single thing I’d take back from last night. A small chuckle leaves my mouth, Sunset’s arm wrapped around my shoulder as we both look up at the ceiling. The cool air in the room is a welcome addition from the rather heated night. I suppose both of us could have gone to sleep if we really tried, but a part of me tells me that we didn’t want to. I… didn’t want to. “Hey, Sunny?” I whisper, not taking my eyes off the spot in the ceiling I chose to stare at. “Hmm?” Sunset hums in a curious tone, her hand gently rubbing my shoulder. “What we did last night. It wasn’t a mistake. Was it…?” I quietly ask her, trying to make sense of the conflict in my mind. Making your nest is supposed to be… magical. Planned. Not on the fly, right? It was magical, but hardly planned. It’s supposed to be “a joining of two spirits by fate itself.” At least, that’s what other sirens believed. I never bought into it back then, but that was simply because I never saw someone as worthy of my body or soul. Was last night the right time or should I have avoided my desires…? “Well, that question can be answered with another. Do you love me~?” Sunset teases me, kissing my cheek as we lay there. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have done this otherwise,” I whisper as a response. My eyebrow raises to Sunset’s question, wondering if I hadn’t displayed that fact enough last night. “Then it’s not a mistake~ Well, unless you didn’t want to do it and all.” A nervous expression comes to Sunset, both of us looking at each other once more. “That’s what I’m trying to think about, honestly. Making a nest is supposed to be something like a ritual. They kept saying there’s a right time and place and only you will know what it is when it comes to you.” Raising my hand to the ceiling, I sigh slowly, shaking my head. “But that’s the thing. It’s not as simple as any other siren said it would be. Maybe that’s because I didn’t listen a lot, but still.” Looking back at Shimmer, I can’t help but feel confused at Sunset’s bewildered face. “What…?” “What does ‘making a nest’ mean?” Sunset asks hesitantly, her wide eyes making her a little cuter. Even when she’s confused, she finds a way to be adorably innocent. “It is- I mean, it was a saying. It was basically a kind way of saying two sirens had sex without making one seem less elegant for saying the word.” Shrugging slightly, I can’t help but chuckle at a distant memory, resting my head on her shoulder. “Of course, there were also slang terms when one was referring to someone they didn’t like or wanted to make the act sound dirty. Like ‘steal the gem’ and ‘sliding scales.’ But those were not used as often, mostly out of respect.” Sunset’s expression looks curious and full of wonder, seemingly interested in the words I said. “So, it’s like a version of ‘making love’ and all? Even when I studied under Celestia, I never knew that~” I’m not quite sure why, but a part of me feels amused to see Sunset’s clear curiosity in this new facet of knowledge she never learned about. The other part of me feels a little guilty for even bringing up the terms, considering they were used back when there were sirens. Now… Well, we might as well be myths. “Yeah. The point is that I’m not sure if I technically did everything right. Or if it was the right time. Of course I wanted to do it with you, but I guess I feel slightly conflicted.” A small silence follows after my words, both of us simply resting there in our bed. “Honestly, I think that’s normal. I think a lot of people are unsure whether or not they regret it after their first time and all,” Sunset says with an honest tone to her voice, making her sound like she speaks from experience. “Have you… done this before?” Sunset’s eyes break from my own, looking to the ceiling with a thoughtful look coming to her. “Yeah, I did it once. It was with this guy I used to date in high school, but I ended up regretting it because I didn’t really do it because I loved him. I did it for popularity and all.” Her expression briefly turns into a solemn one before smiling to herself, looking back at me with her kind eyes. A part of me can’t help but feel the same old insecurities come back to me once more, no matter how hard I try to remain positive. “Do you think you’ll regret this…?” I ask with a quiet tone, telling her my honest feelings in the form of a question rather than hiding them. It would be so much easier to keep everything to myself, but… Sunset wants to be here for me. She deserves to know what bothers me. “No! Not at all!” Sunset quickly responds, her hand cupping my cheek with the kindest smile she can possibly give me. “I love you so much, Adagio~ You mean everything to me. I won’t regret this at all~ If anything, I will treasure this memory~” Without a single moment of hesitation, Sunset brings her lips to my own, sharing her love and succeeding to bring a smile to my face. My cheeks flush easily to Sunset’s action, shaking my head slightly. “W-well… I’m glad~” I say with a wink, pinching Sunset’s cheek. In response, she raises her eyebrow and sticks her tongue out at me, both of us giggling for a few moments. “We should probably get ready now though. Applejack will kill me if we’re late.” “She’ll kill you?” Sunset asks through a giggle after I pull the blanket off of us, bringing myself to a sitting position. “Why wouldn’t she kill both of us?” “Because I technically promised Apple Bloom I’d be there as soon as they started the reunion. Applejack wouldn’t like it if I broke a promise to her little sister after all.” Even though I have broken promises to her before, Applejack doesn’t know that. Most of those situations were times I couldn’t uphold my end of the promise, so Apple Bloom altered the terms of our agreement. She’s like a small entrepreneur… Stretching slowly, I stand up from the bed, shivering slightly as I realize how cool it is in our room. “You’re free to join me in the shower, Sunny~” I tease the woman of my dreams who hasn’t left our bed yet. Her eyes roll slightly, chuckling to my words before she sits up, brushing the hair from her face. “You should know I’ll always take that offer~” ======================================================== The sound of hundreds of people talking is all that fills the air as we walk down the driveway towards the farm. So many people walk around the front of the farm, seemingly catching up with family members they haven’t seen in a long time. It’s almost overwhelming, thinking about navigating through the crowd and perhaps talking to other people. On top of that, I also need to try and find Pinkie so that I can talk to her, but that is considering she didn’t cancel her plans to be here. Regardless, I have to be here. It’s hard to imagine that I was invited here by Applejack just about a week ago, making my progress with Sunset’s friends seem pretty… impressive? In one week, I was able to get on the good sides of practically everyone except for Pinkie Pie. If that’s the case, maybe I can rely on the help of everyone else to apologize to her. Holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter, I gulp down a breath of air, looking at her for some level of comfort. “You’ve been to this reunion before, right?” I nervously ask her, still trying to think of what I would do and in what order. There are quite a few people I’ve promised to hang out with during the day, so I need to manage my time wisely… “Of course I have~ I think I’ve already told you that. Don’t worry though~ It’s not going to be as stressful as you think.” The grasp of her hand and the smile I fell in love with both help to convince me that everything will be okay, despite the massive day ahead of the both of us. Slowly nodding, I look towards the crowd, both of us walking into the horde of people. A part of me feels like we’re blindly guessing our direction towards the house, given just the sheer amount of people around us just standing around, greeting each other. Some of the people around us look at me with a confused expression, possibly because I’ve never been here before. How the hell does Apple Bloom have such a huge family…? Almost everyone here is an Apple Family member, making it seem gigantic compared to other families. Apple Bloom told me she has a big family, but this isn’t just big. Now I can kind of understand the massive amounts of preparation they needed to do for this… Suddenly, a large amount of pain hits my stomach as I fall over onto the ground. “Aah!” I groan, gripping the back of my head as a huge migraine starts to take hold of my brain. Even though the ground around us is stupid dirt, it doesn’t make it hurt any less… It’s hard to hear for a few moments, the stinging sensation finally subsiding as I open my eyes, seeing Sunset and a familiar person looking down at me. “Oh! I’m dreadfully sorry, Adagio!” a young voice says loud enough for me to hear as the ringing dulls down. Her big magenta bow on her head bounces slightly as she offers me her hand to pull me up, an apologetic look in her eyes. “I didn’t think you would fall down like that,” she nervously states with a chuckle, helping me up off the ground. A heavy sigh leaves my mouth as I shake my head, trying to desperately get rid of the headache I have. “Well, a surprise attack won’t exactly help me keep my balance,” I tell the young girl, looking at her with a confused stare. “What the hell prompted that anyway?” A sheepish grin comes across Apple Bloom, rubbing her boot into the ground slowly. “W-well, I was um… just excited to see you!” she said in an anxious tone. Normally, she is pretty excited to see me, but something tells me that isn’t the only reason. Raising my eyebrow, I put my hands on my hips, smirking at her. “And?” “E-eh? Well…” Apple Bloom’s face turns from surprise to an anxious expression, her eyes looking around us quickly. “I um… kinda need help.” A giggle comes from Sunset when we hear Apple Bloom’s words, Sunset’s hand holding onto my own before the little bulldozer rammed into me. “What kind of help do you need?” she asks before I can, both of us seemingly curious as to what Apple Bloom will need now. “Um… I really need an excuse or somewhere you could hide me. Like quick,” Apple Bloom states with her eyes still scanning the environment around us. “My aunt’s just arrived and she’s really big into physical affection and I can’t stand it! Could I borrow your girlfriend till my big sis makes the announcement?” she asks Sunset with pleading eyes, seemingly asking for me to do something with her as an excuse until further notice without asking me directly. Also, I find it ironic that Apple Bloom can’t stand her aunt’s physical affection when she’s a big hugger herself. Is it wrong of me to think that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…? Jeez, when did I start making cheesy jokes like that? Without missing a beat, Sunset’s eyes turn to me, seemingly asking me with just a glance if I was okay to help Apple Bloom with her plight. Bringing a hand to my face, I can’t believe that I’m about to help her try and avoid family at a freaking family reunion. “How can I help?” I ask slowly, reconnecting my gaze with Apple Bloom to see her happily smile. “I’ll bring her back soon!” Apple Bloom quickly tells Sunset before grabbing my arm, subsequently dragging me through the crowd. The young girl barely gives me enough time to look back at Sunset, seeing her kind smile still present with a small wave. Bobbing and weaving past dozens of people, Apple Bloom quickly brings us past a bunch of tables with snacks and drinks, making me wish I could get something to quench my thirst. Alas, her grip is too strong, instantly running into the orchard and through the trees. A part of me can already guess where we’re going, remembering the rigid terrain leading up to Apple Bloom’s desired location. All the while, her bow bounces up and down on her head as she runs. I, on the other hand, am left stumbling behind her, desperately trying to succumb to gravity itself. Reaching to my neck, I grab my scarf quickly, pushing it inside my bag with one hand. “What kind of excuse could you make with me?” I ask behind her, still not used to moving this fast. How the hell is she always so fast and strong…? “We can say that we’re practicing for the race!” Apple Bloom exclaims in a loud tone, trying to make sure I can hear her from behind me. “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are already practicing with their partners and all, so it would make sense!” A race…? Partners? What? “There’s going to be a race?” I hesitantly ask her, trying to not trip on the various fallen branches as we get further and further away from the farmhouse. “And what do you mean partners? Also, you do know you’ll have to face your aunt eventually, right?” At this point, a hundred questions pass through my mind a moment, making me wonder what exactly is happening during this reunion. Do they have a freaking outline for this thing…? If so, why wasn’t I given a handout when I visited three days ago? “I know, but if I can prolong it, she will be more tired, meaning less of the overwhelming hugs and all!” Apple Bloom describes in a confident tone as if it is the greatest plan someone could come up with. In reality, it sounds kind of mediocre and I would rather just get over with it sooner, but I suppose that is not my decision to make. “There’s going to be a race pretty soon after everyone gets here and my big sis makes the announcement! It will take place from one end of our farm to the other. Isn’t that exciting!” Apple Bloom exclaims with a gleam in her eye, smiling widely at the idea. Remembering how absolutely massive their farm is, that sounds like an exhausting idea rather than exciting. “Every person who’s going to race will need a teammate since each person will run half of the track. You basically pass off the baton to your teammate and they run the rest of the way~” Jumping over a small creek, Apple Bloom acts like all of this is completely normal whereas I would classify running through an orchard with dozens of things to make you trip is risky as crap. Not to mention that she wants me to run a race in this orchard with her. “Why didn’t you ask your big sister to do this with you?” I ask her, watching the ground ahead of us just in case another jump comes up. “Surely she would be a better fit for this. You’re both super strong and you both live here.” “I thought about that!” Apple Bloom says in a ‘fun fact’ sort of voice, looking back at me as we sprint. That seems like a bad idea, but I guess she has every inch of this place memorized. “First off. My big sis is busy preparing for the announcement right now and she already agreed to run the race with Big Mac. Usually, she runs with me, but this is the first time my brother wants to participate, so I guess she wants to support him.” Apple Bloom quickly reaches into her pocket, pulling out a package of wrapped crackers and giving them to me. “Also, you may wanna eat these to get your energy up. You look exhausted.” No shit I’m exhausted. You’ve pulled me in a full sprint rather than a leisurely walk or a light run. Hesitantly taking the crackers from her hand, I try to open the package while we run, thinking about what Apple Bloom’s said. “That still doesn’t answer why you thought I’m a good fit for this,” I state before taking a bite of the crackers, immediately noticing that they taste a little stale. And bland… “Well, remember how you told me you ran in that alligator maze at Equestria World?” Her eyes are full of curiosity, trying to see if I can recall such a conversation. A sudden realization comes to my mind, making me sigh heavily at the idea. “So, your idea is to use Sunset against me by saying I can ‘impress her again’ by running this race with you,” I state in a slight annoyance, realizing just how mischievous the girl can be. This is my punishment for becoming friends with her, I suppose. “Well, ya can! I mean, you told me how Sunset hugged you and was really excited when you won and how it meant the world to ya~” Apple Bloom’s eyebrow raises with a smirk coming to her face. “Wouldn’t you want to do this to see how happy she would be? You do practically everything for her after all~” she teases me with a chuckle, manipulating the fact that I melt at the sight of Sunset’s smile and her adoration. “You’re a very mean girl, Apple Bloom,” I say defeatedly, shaking my head. “So, you do agree?” she asks me excitedly, her eyes full of that same hope I’ve come to expect from her. “Throw in a grape soda before the race and it’s a deal.” Apple Bloom nods at my request, bringing her gaze back to the ground in front of us. To be honest, it’s a little surprising for me to hear that Big Mac wants to join the race. I’ve only met him a couple times and he didn’t say that much, but he seems to have more strength than speed. Maybe it’s something to boost his ego or he just wants to join the activities for fun. Either way, I’m not particularly looking forward to ‘facing off’ against everyone. Just because I ran in that alligator maze doesn’t mean I’m that fast. At least, I don’t think so. Jumping over the big ditch I have memorized at this point, I can’t help but try to peek through the trees to see the clubhouse, knowing it’s nearby. With how dense the orchard is, though, that is quite difficult. The young girl gripping onto my arm pulls me through the trees with an energetic boost, backing up my idea that the treehouse is close. The sound of talking can be heard as we run into one of the only clearings in the orchard that I can think of. The young girl finally lets go of my arm, instantly falling down to the ground to sit down. Is it really necessary to sprint everywhere…? Taking a deep breath, my eyes connect with the other people in the clearing, seeing Rainbow Dash talking to Scootaloo while Sweetie Belle shakes her head at her big sister. “Rarity! You can’t wear high heels in this!” Sweetie Belle exclaims as Rarity tries to organize her attire. “Seriously, darling. Do you really want to do this… race? You’ll get dirty,” Rarity whines, looking at Sweetie Belle’s shirt. “At least you didn’t take one of your nice shirts, but still. I already know AJ wants to do this, but why would you?” “Because my friends are doing this and I want to participate too. Are you going to change your shoes or not?” the purple and pink haired girl asks her older sister, crossing her arms with a pout. “Fine… I will,” Rarity says with a clear distaste for the tennis shoes in front of her, shaking her head. “Would you be okay with coming in seventh, Sweetie? I don’t want to get myself dirty in this… race.” Every time the fashionista uses the word race, she sounds like she doesn’t really believe that’s what it’s called, despite the fact that it’s as clear cut a race that I can imagine. “Ugh! You’re impossible!” Sweetie Belle exclaims, walking away from her sister with a huff. “Could you guys keep it down? Scoots and I are trying to form a plan here,” Rainbow Dash tells the two sisters, rolling her eyes slightly before spotting me at the edge of the clearing. “Oh, hey, Dagi! What are you doing here?” Rarity instantly turns her eyes to Rainbow Dash, clearly making her the focus of her angry glare. “Oh, Dash! I thought you wanted us to hush because you were ‘strategizing,’ but you suddenly want to make conversation with Adagio?” Rarity asks with air quotes, angry at the athletic woman. It seems that Sweetie Belle and Rarity have really been getting on each other’s nerves. “Chill, Rarity. All I asked was for you two to keep it down. And besides, Dagi just got here,” Rainbow says with another eye roll, looking back at me with a small wave. In response, Rarity just turns away from her, walking towards the table with the tennis shoes in her hand. “She’s here to race with me~” Apple Bloom answers for me, cheerfully smiling with a thumbs up. The girl with the bow turns back to me, nervously smiling and scratching her head as the wind begins to blow against us. “I’ll be right back, okay? I have to go see how Sweetie Belle is doing.” Before I can say anything to Apple Bloom, she quickly runs past me in the direction her friend stomped off in. A small part of me can’t help but worry that this is going to go poorly, but maybe I’m just looking too into things… Trying my best to smile, I stand up from my seated position, stretching my legs slightly. I can’t believe I’m going to do this. It’s that situation at Equestria World all over again. Maybe I just like performing in front of Sunset. Either way, today is going to be a long day, isn’t it? ============================================================ Quickly walking through the crowd, I take a big sip of my grape soda, looking at the people around me. Everyone’s gathering around a wooden stage built in front of the farmhouse, making it easier on me that no one is technically moving around. All I have to do is find her before the race. What sucks about this crowd is that a lot of people have skin that is close to orange, making me rely on hair color to try and find Sunset. Normally, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask someone else if they have seen someone like her, but in this huge crowd, it feels a little too overwhelming to try and talk to everyone. Especially since all of these people are relatives to Apple Bloom. Then again, that could be due to the fact that I’ve been more introverted lately because of my lack of confidence. Bringing my hand to my face, I honestly feel embarrassed for not being able to find her. I’m usually able to pinpoint her pretty easily, but now, she could be anywhere in this crowd. A sigh quickly leaves my mouth before I bring my hands to my lips, feeling stupid for doing this. “Movie!” I yell out with complete confidence, despite the embarrassment I can feel. Instantly, multiple people around me look at me with shock and confusion, wondering what the hell I am doing. “Night!” a familiar voice calls out to my right, making me walk as fast as I can towards the sound of her voice. If I had a hoodie on, I would definitely be hiding under the hood from everyone’s stares, but for now, I just have to keep acting composed and like I don’t care what they think. Within a moment, I can finally see her fiery hair in front of me, her eyes looking around herself to try and find me. I can’t help but feel relief, walking towards her without a single moment of hesitation. My feet feel light and weightless despite the practice I just did with Apple Bloom, a big smile coming over my face as I finally hug Sunset from behind. A surprised giggle comes from her, grabbing onto my arms lightly. “There you are~” I whisper, kissing her cheek with a smile on both of our faces. I don’t doubt that there are probably some people still looking at us, but I don’t quite care. It doesn’t matter, does it? “You were gone for a while~” Sunset responds to me, turning herself around and wrapping her arms around my neck. Her eyes sparkle from the sun and her smile makes me melt even more, just happy to see her happy. The wind gently plays with her hair as she stares into my eyes, seemingly at peace to see me again. “I couldn’t really help it. Apple Bloom made me do the Cutie Mark Crusaders swear to do my best during the race.” Bringing my hand to her cheek, I smile at the feeling of her skin. It’s not every day I get to just stare into her eyes like this, completely forgetting the moment and the sounds around us. I can’t afford to do that now though… Sunset’s puzzled expression shows her confusion, tilting her head slightly. Why does she always have to be so cute…? “A race? What do you mean?” Her questions hit my ears, but my ability to respond is cut short by a loud applause from everyone around us. Both of our eyes look towards the stage to see two women walk on stage. One of them is an old woman with green skin and white hair and the other is Applejack. The older woman seems oddly familiar to me, but I can’t quite place where I’ve seen her before… Slowly, the elderly woman reaches the microphone and smiles at the crowd, Applejack waving at everyone. “Hello, everyone~ It’s so nice to see y’all again. Especially since the last Apple Family reunion was so long ago,” the woman says in a kind voice to a roaring applause. “What happened last time again? I can’t remember… Didn’t my grandson, Braeburn, almost burn down the barn?” she asks the crowd with a light chuckle, getting a response of some laughs. “Sorry about that!” a masculine voice calls out from somewhere in the crowd, making even more people laugh. “It’s alright, kiddo. Don’t you worry about it~” The old woman waves at whoever apologizes, smiling to herself. “Now where was I? Oh! It’s so nice to see that everyone could make it this time around and I’m proud to say that my granddaughter, Applejack, planned all of this herself~” Raising her hand out towards Applejack, another applause starts, prompting the cowgirl to walk towards the microphone with a sheepish grin. “Thank ya kindly, everyone, but it really wasn’t that much work. I am really happy to say that this looks like it is going to be one of the best reunions we’ve ever had!” Everyone around us clap at Applejack’s statement, making the cowgirl bow slightly. “We have a lot planned for today with tons of fun games, leisure activities and even sports to help everyone have a fun day while catching up with family! Before we officially begin this reunion, I’d like to give a big thanks to my friends and my siblings for helping me put all of this together~ With that being said, feel free to participate in whatever you want to do and take whatever food we lay out! And before anyone asks…” Applejack’s gaze is directed at a certain part of the crowd, clearly looking at someone with a small shake of her head. “The cider won’t be handed out until noon. Now go on and enjoy yourselves, everybody!” Applejack exclaims in her Southern accent to the acclaim of everyone around us, cheering at her as she raises her hat in the air. Looks like Sunset is about to find out what race I mean for herself. =========================================================== Slipping on my older boots, I’m kind of surprised to be back in this attire. It was only a few days ago that I bought new clothes with Sunset, but I’ve already started to get used to having my hair up and wearing more flashy clothing. Maybe it’s because it legitimately did help with my confidence, but for this race, I need something that can get dirty. I suppose that’s why I chose to wear this hoodie, jeans and my old boots. I don’t think I will personally care if these rip or get dirt on them. Thankfully, Sunset agreed to hold onto my bag while I race so that none of my belongings get lost. It’s a bit weird to have my hair down in public again, but it will only last for a little bit. Opening the door to the bathroom, I quickly walk through the farmhouse which is surprisingly empty. Jogging outside the house, I make my way towards the beginning of the track, seeing multiple activities along the way that other people were involved in. One such game was horseshoes, making me chuckle at the irony of it all. Sunset and I both came from a world of talking creatures like ponies. It almost makes me feel weird when I think about it. I’ve gotten so used to this body that my original body seems… foreign. Either way, it just seems ironic that we both used to have hooves, but those days are long gone. The crowd around the small fence posts with string tied between them show just how excited some people are to see this race. There are even a couple of trucks to transport people from one end to the other to see how the race goes and which team wins. That’s not surprising, given the sheer size of the farm, but it does make the task of the runners seem a little more daunting. Every team needs to decide a member that will start the race and give the other member the task of finishing the race. Thankfully, Apple Bloom and I decided it would be a better idea for me to start so that she can make up for any ground I may lose by the time I get to her. Even if I come in close to last, Apple Bloom is as fast as a fly, so I don’t doubt she would be able to recover our losses. Jogging past the crowd, I quickly make my way over the fence towards the beginning line. There are quite a few participants in this race other than the teams I already know of, but the people I do recognize at the front are Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle. Already, I begin to question why Sweetie Belle is starting the race instead of her sister since it seems like everyone picked the adults to start. Well, except for Big Mac and Applejack. In that sense, they’re both adults. Regardless, I shake my head and run over to the line, standing beside Applejack and Sweetie Belle. “Hey, sugarcube~ I heard Apple Bloom wrangled you into this,” Applejack says with a chuckle, stretching her arms and legs before the race. “Yeah, she said you promised to be in a team with your brother,” I say with my own smile, stepping back to take a deep breath. “Well, he wanted to participate this year and all~ Although, I’m not sure if we’ll win, but we’ll try our best.” The cowgirl gives me a big thumbs up before stretching her back. “I can’t help but notice you changed into some of your older attire. Good choice~ There’s probably going to be some mud on the track from last night’s rain and all~” “Thanks. I don’t quite care about these things, so it doesn’t matter if they get ruined honestly,” I tell the cowgirl with a small laugh, both of us finding amusement in the moment. “Although, I am a little curious why Sweetie Belle here is starting the race,” I talk about the young girl in the third person, nodding to her with a slight chuckle. “That’s because Rarity is pretty slow,” Sweetie Belle responds in a completely honest and blank tone, focusing on tying her shoe laces. Applejack laughs out loud at Sweetie Belle’s comment, bringing her hand to her face quickly. “Sugar, don’t tell your big sis, but I agree with that fully~ If she knew I said that, I would be in the dog house for sure,” Applejack tells Rarity’s younger sister, making me chuckle slightly. “Oh? Should I use that as blackmail material?” I tease her with a smirk, causing the cowgirl to look at me with a look that tells me to ‘watch where I step.’ “You do that and I’ll personally make sure you don’t get a drop of the cider.” “Eh, I’m more of a whiskey person myself,” I tell her with a chuckle, looking towards the opposite end of the starting line where Rainbow Dash decided to start. “Although, I think Dash wouldn’t mind having my share of it.” “Oh, yeah…” Applejack’s expression instantly turns into an annoyed one as she looks toward Rainbow Dash, shaking her head slowly. What does that mean…? Why does she look… pissed off? Before I can ask her what was up with her reaction, a man walks along the starting line with a smirk, looking at all of us before turning his head to the audience. His yellow skin and tan hair reflect the sun pretty easily, making him easy to spot. Unsurprisingly, the man has a bunch of sunscreen on, probably because his skin would burn easily. I mean, mine burned faster than Sonata and Aria, but I usually don’t have to wear heavy sunscreen. “Hello, everyone! I’m Braeburn and I can see everyone is excited to get this show on the road!” Everyone yells in excitement at his words, making me scan the audience. Where is she? Sunset said she would watch as much of the race as she can and I know she’s usually pretty excited about watching me participate in things like this. A big smile comes to me as my eyes connect with the one person looking towards me, her ocean eyes full of happiness. My heart skips a beat as she makes the shape of a heart with her hands and mouths those three words we tell each other every day. Those three words should be normalized in my mind at this point, but every little reminder refuses to leave my mind, bringing a blush to my cheeks. She is the best magic I could ever think of. I love you too~ “Before I let our faithful racers run away from us, I need to establish some rules. In no circumstances is hitting and kicking allowed, but pushing another racer is okay. You are not allowed to stray too far from the track and deliberately putting obstacles in front of others isn’t allowed. Your teammate is allowed to pick up where you leave off at any point if you get injured. Other than that, everything else should be a-okay~” With that, Braeburn walks back to the opposite side of the track, grabbing a green flag. “Good luck, racers!” he yells out, waving the flag high in the air. Instantly, everyone takes off running, despite a couple of stumbles from people behind me. As I run past the audience, I can’t help but notice Sunset’s wave, motivating me to do my best. My heart beats quickly, feeling the adrenaline rush throughout my body. It won’t be long before everyone starts to disperse… Applejack is the first one to go sprinting past me, unsurprisingly leaving me a few feet behind. Some people get ahead of me and some fall behind like Sweetie Belle, despite how fast she tries to run. I truly don’t know how I’m going to retain enough energy to run half the length of the orchard, especially since I will probably fall behind some of these people by a good bit. We finally run into the dense trees, trying to make my way around them as smoothly as possible. Of course, Applejack gets even further ahead than all of us. It’s not surprising since this is her home turf. She literally grew up here, making every nook and cranny probably something she memorized. I can’t help but take deep breaths, every step reminding me why I’m doing this. Flashes of that damned alligator maze come back to my mind, drawing parallels to both situations. Both times, I ended up agreeing simply because it would make Sunset smile. I mean, that’s the whole point of this reunion right? To have fun? Sunset has been so busy with her internship that this is the first time she’s been able to see all of her friends in the same place in months. It should be a fun day for her. Well, as fun as I can make it. Jumping over a log, I shake my head quickly, looking at the environment around me. Surprisingly, quite a few people fell behind me, even though I don’t think I’m that fast. If I am this close to the front, maybe Apple Bloom and I can make it in the top three. At least, that’s what she’s hoping for. I just don’t want to come dead last… “Sorry! Coming through!” a familiar voice yells behind me right before a strong force hits my back, throwing me forward towards the ground. Colliding with the ground causes pain to strike through my arms, protecting my face from the fall. What the hell… Looking up at the people running past me, I see rainbow hair sprinting away. I knew she would try to win, but pushing me down…? What the fuck, Dash? Why would I deserve that? Hell, how were you behind me? Were you just slowed down by the trees or what? My eyes widen as I notice everyone starts to slow down, running as if they were stuck at less than half of normal speed. Even the leaves falling to the ground linger in the air a lot longer than they should, losing their color slowly. Everything is… losing its color… Did I hit my head? Why is this happening? Everything slowly turns black and white, even my own skin. I can’t even get up… I can look around, but why can’t I get up? Am I… alright? I’m less concerned with the fact that Rainbow pushed me now… The thing that matters the most is the change of scenery. “It’s quite interesting,” a dark whisper enters my mind, crawling down my back in an unsettling way. That’s why everything’s changed… Of course it had to be this again. “After all the turmoil leading up to this day, you decide the best way to start it off is to repeat something you did months ago. How… unique.” Quiet footsteps can be heard walking around me, approaching the area in front of me. Despite my own intentions to keep my composure, I can’t bring myself to look up at her, only seeing her feet walk in front of me as red liquid drops to the ground. It’s surprising that she’s not a shadow right now… Hell, it’s more surprising that she’s here with other people around. Why did this have to happen now…? “It seems that the simple thought of seeing the love of your life smile brings you to do whatever she wants. Or, in this case, complying with a brat to run a pointless race. All this does is exhaust your muscles for a simple smile from her.” Getting down on one knee, her finger comes to my chin with her sharp nail poking at my skin. Her grip forces me to look up at her, my own evil grin facing right at me. “Why are you appearing so often…?” I ask her slowly, pulling my chin from her grasp with a grimace. Every couple of days, it seems she appears again. What is the point…? “That doesn’t matter, now does it? The important issue is the situation you’re in right now.” Standing up slowly, her red dress glistens in the light, her wings casting a shadow on the ground. “I told you to handle your situations with your anger and emotions. To let them fuel you. Instead, you resisted your emotions and waited to apologize to that girl, making it sound insincere at best.” Despite her normally quiet and piercing voice, a laugh comes from her, penetrating my thoughts. “Though, it’s not like you need the approval of Pinkie Pie. She is worthless after all.” “Don’t talk about her like that,” I strike back, still unable to move from my spot on the ground. I’m usually able to move… Right? I feel so powerless right now… “This is why power was the better option, but no. You wanted love and friends.” Again, she chuckles, walking away from me. Her hand grabs Rainbow Dash’s hair slowly, inspecting the colors with a shrug. “What’s even more pathetic is that you, Adagio Dazzle, finally made a nest. How cute~ It must feel great to give away your body to some mortal when you’re supposed to be queen of the sirens.” Clenching my fist, I can’t help but grimace at her words, staring into her red eyes. “It was fucking worth it… And I don’t care if you say otherwise. Now leave. You have no business here.” “And you do?” she instantly remarks, her usually evil smile gone and replaced by a threatening stare. “Think about it, Adagio. You don’t belong in the dirt. You agreed to come to this pig sty of a homestead just to have fun with friends. That sounds so pathetic. The worst part about this whole day is that you let that girl you’re infatuated with taint your body last night. For that, I would personally want the death penalty, but you’re too weak to realize that.” Flying up to a tree branch above me, she sits down, casting her body in shadows once more. The red liquid drips down to the ground, slowly forming a puddle. “All of this and you’re still not even sure if everyone will get along in the end.” My eyes widen at her statement, making me quickly look back up at her. “What do you mean?” Not getting along…? I know Applejack seemed a little pissed at Rainbow and Rarity was clearly on edge earlier, but that’s no reason to worry, is it? “Adagio… Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of the possibility that today won’t end well. Think about it rationally. What happened on Valentine’s Day?” she asks in a striking tone, her eyes still locked with my own. Her glare almost demands for an answer, feeling like she can look directly into my soul. “Everyone got mad at each other at Garden Hooves Park. Because of me…” “Good~ Glad to see your memory is still intact after all the shit you did to your head…” She claps her hands a few times before her hand waves slightly, sparks flying from her fingers. Instantly, a small diagram of me and everyone else is drawn in midair, illustrating the event in question. “You’ve been trying so hard to apologize to everyone and make things right…” The illustration turns into multiple, showing all of my attempts with Sunset’s friends. The last one with Pinkie Pie is conveniently marked out with a ‘X.’ “Rainbow Dash herself even said that they were not all talking to each other. Did you really think that you making things right with them would suddenly make them all forgive each other for what happened last time?” Her diagram then shows a solid line between me and everyone else except Pinkie Pie. “You’ve been so focused on your own relationships with others than actually looking at the relationships between them. Don’t you think that will lead to a disastrous outcome by sundown?” “That can’t happen… I… How can I stop this?” I talk to myself, thinking about the upcoming day frantically. “Now you panic because you realize that I am right. You should know that I’m always right.” Pushing herself off the branch, she slowly falls to the ground with that evil smile returning to her. “Just give up. Grasp power by the throat and leave before everything falls down before you.” “Can you shut up about power just once!” my voice lets out without me even thinking about it, my yell seemingly reaching her. My angry stare makes a surprised expression come to her, bringing her hand to her chest. “Did you just… feel anything?” she asks more cautiously than anything else she’s ever said to me, stepping towards me with a curious look in her eye. “Why the fuck would I feel anything? Everything’s frozen thanks to you… Now I need to think of how I’m going to help everyone, so just leave.” Looking towards the ground, I can’t help but sigh heavily, overwhelmed by my thoughts. Who is on good terms? Which of them need to forgive each other…? “Interesting. I thought I just saw your eyes flash green, but I could be wrong.” Slowly walking towards me, the drops of red liquid get closer, tainting the dirt. “You truly are pathetic. Wanting to hold all of these people together, failing time and time again. Giving your body away and betraying who you are.” Her hand quickly grabs my own, her nails digging into my skin. “This is the path you’ve chosen. All you can do is reap what you sow. But… perhaps the stitches can be changed.” Looking up at her, my mind tells me to not listen… “What exactly do you mean?” “If you act fast enough, maybe… your friends can forgive each other before this godforsaken reunion is over.” A quiet chuckle comes from her mouth, letting go of my hand. “I would expect letting Rainbow Dash or Applejack win this race would cause an even bigger rift between them. But… they both forgave you by this point. If you win, they will both lose, giving you the happy smile you want and a commonality between them. Perhaps, they can even congratulate each other for a good competition.” “You really think I could win this race?” I ask with a slight scoff, shaking my head. “You could do anything you wanted. In some way, I believe you still can. Now if you don’t want to be completely worthless, I’d suggest you get up and win. Or just stay in the dirt and prove to me that you are nothing.” An evil chuckle penetrates my mind as I close my eyes, trying to keep her words out of my head. “Maybe… that trigger should have been pulled one more time.” Opening my eyes, the pool of blood in front of me is gone. The sound of running feet fills my ears as I notice all the colors, seeing people run past my body on the ground. She has to appear at the worst times… But she was right. God. Why didn’t I think about the possibility of everyone else not forgiving each other? I was so naive and stupid… I should have at least thought about it before coming here. I only thought about making them forgive me and not each other. I have so much more work than I expected… Pushing myself off the ground as quickly as I can, I sprint towards everyone else, trying desperately to regain the ground I’ve lost. I need to help them too… I need to try. Why was I so stupid? Getting closer to everyone else, I can’t help but grimace, thoughts racing through my mind. Maybe… Maybe her advice will help. I don’t even know why she appears, but maybe winning this race will at least help Applejack and Rainbow Dash talk to each other. Maybe it could even help Rarity? Then I can move onto everyone else. My first priority? Winning this god damn race… ======================================================= “Adagio! We won! We won!” Apple Bloom yells at me after jumping off the truck, instantly running over to me to grab me in a hug. I was barely able to make it to the halfway point right behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but thankfully, Apple Bloom was able to pick up the slack and sprint past her big brother and Scootaloo. All of the secondary runners were brought back to the main clearing in front of the house, despite the fact that there are activities all over the farm. Apple Bloom holds a blue ribbon in her hand, but my eyes are more focused on everyone else getting off the truck. Big Mac just hops off the truck with a proud smile on his face, an orange ribbon with the number three plastered on it stuck to his chest. Scootaloo zooms off the truck towards Rainbow Dash with a silver ribbon, presumably representing second place. Rarity, of course, daintily steps down off the truck, trying to get the least dirty as possible. Unsurprisingly, no such ribbon can be found on her or near her. Still, it’s nice of her to actually try for her little sister. “That’s great! You worked pretty hard there,” I tell Apple Bloom with a chuckle, playfully rubbing her head. “You did good too! I was surprised you were so close behind Rainbow and my big sis! How did you do that?” Her curious eyes stare up at me, making me nervously smile down at her. “Pure luck…? Either that or because you slammed me through those trees on more than one occasion.” A small pout comes to her as she lets go of me, crossing her arms. “You’re acting like I abused ya or something. All I did was pull you along cause you were too slow.” Too slow my ass. It’s more like she’s way too damn fast, but I guess that turned out to be a good thing today. It helped us win the race~ “Whatever you say, small fry~ What are you going to do with that ribbon?” I ask her with a smile, looking down at the bright blue award in her hand. “Well, that’s the thing,” Apple Bloom says quietly, her eyes looking away from me. “I already won one of these in a past reunion and all. So, I was kinda thinking… maybe you could have it~ Ya know. Since you helped me and all?” Apple Bloom holds out the ribbon slowly, her eyes looking up at me to see if I will accept it from her. She’s always been so kind to me, no matter what happens. Even when I ghosted her, Sunset and Rainbow Dash, she still treated me with kindness in her letter. I really don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like her. Taking the award from her hands, I feel a smile come to my face due to this sign of friendship. From my first friend after I lost my magic… “Thank you, Apple Bloom~ I’ll keep it on my fridge~” Wrapping my arms around Apple Bloom, I hug her as tight as I can again, happy that I got to do this with her today. “I should show this to Sunset, huh?” “Well, duh! I mean, the whole reason you decided to help me was so that you could impress her again,” Apple Bloom teases me with a wink. “Where is she by the way?” “She went to get some snacks for the two of us right before you and everyone else got back. Although, I don’t know what snacks are available.” An excited look comes across her face, grabbing my arm once more. “Oh! You’ll love it! We have apples, apple pie, apple fritters, caramel apples, apple cookies-” “Apple Bloom? Do you have anything that’s not apple related?” I ask her with a laugh, shaking my head as she leads us to where the snacks are. “Oh, sure! We have lots actually! We have some pear related foods and we have some things that aren’t even fruit oriented~” A smirk comes to Apple Bloom’s lips, raising her eyebrow slowly. “Let me guess. You want to know if we have anything with cherries, right?” Both of us share a light laugh as we walk, the muscles in my legs still aching from my portion of the race. I’m honestly still surprised that she knows so much about me. I mean, she’s just a kid. Usually, they don’t memorize everything about their friends, especially since those friendships don’t last longer than a couple years on average. “You know me too well, you know that, kid?” I ask her with another head rub, scruffing up her hair slightly. Once again, her bow bounces up and down, contrasting with the pout on her face. “Call me a kid again and I will ‘slam’ you through those trees again,” Apple Bloom remarks, sticking her tongue out at me. I guess threats run in the family. “But I know you well because you’re… a good friend, Adagio. I’m really glad you decided to keep being my friend.” Apple Bloom smiles up at me, clearly being genuine with her gratitude to have me in her life. It doesn’t quite feel like I deserve this due to everything I’ve done before, but I know that most of that is probably just my insecurities talking again. “I’m glad to have you in my life too, Apple Bloom,” I say in a slightly teasing tone, both of us giggling at the situation. Walking into the dense crowd, Apple Bloom expertly guides us past different activities, being focused on a certain destination. I suppose she’s used to these reunions being absurdly large. “By the way, how big is your family?” “Including all of our extended family, about two-hundred-forty-two strong~” Apple Bloom proudly states with a big smile on her face, dragging me along. “It can be a bit daunting, but you’ll get used to it~” Daunting doesn’t even describe the feeling. I didn’t have any family in my life other than Sonata and Aria. We were best friends and looked out for each other. Probably because all of us didn’t have anyone else. Still. I didn’t really admit that back then. “I think I’ll manage,” I tell the young cowgirl, ducking past the crowd as we walk towards where all the food is being served. That is until we see a familiar woman walk towards us, her fiery hair blowing in the wind. Her head nods as a substitute for a wave since her hands are full. Waving at her, I can’t help but smile like an idiot, seeing her quickly make her way towards us. “Hey, Sunset! I told ya we would win~” Apple Bloom says with excitement, pointing at the blue ribbon in my hand with a big grin. “Oh, here’s your girlfriend back, by the way.” Holding my arm out towards her, Apple Bloom sheepishly smiles as if she is offering back a borrowed item and not a living person. “Why thank you, Apple Bloom~” Sunset expresses gratefully, giving me a plate with an apple fritter on it, grabbing me slowly with her now freed hand. “Congratulations, you two~ I knew you girls could do it!” Sunset tells us before kissing my cheek, pressing her shoulder against my own. “How did your friends do?” “Well, Scoots got second place with Rainbow Dash. My big sis and brother got third place and Sweetie Belle… Well, let’s just say Rarity came in fifth.” Huh. I didn’t know exactly where they placed, but at least they came above seventh. I don't know how the hell they made it in fifth, but maybe Rarity got lucky with the least amount of obstacles. I had at least three logs and multiple holes in the ground that I had to avoid. Regardless, Apple Bloom’s eyes look away from us with a conflicted expression. “Speaking of which, I should probably go see if Sweetie Belle is mad or happy with the outcome. Do y’all think you can fend for yourselves?” “Don’t worry. I have a couple things to do as well before we can do something else together~” I tell her with a wink, prompting a giggle out of Apple Bloom. “Okay! Great~ I’ll see you both later, okay?” Without even waiting for us to respond, Apple Bloom runs away in the direction Rarity and Sweetie Belle were, leaving Sunset and I alone. Well, surrounded by people we don’t know, but still. Sunset’s hand still holds onto mine tightly, her smile not ceasing for a moment. “So, what do you say we find a table to eat this somewhere?” Sunset asks me, tugging on my hand a little bit. When I don’t follow her and hold back, a confused expression comes to her, looking at me with a curious tone in her eyes. “Unless you don’t want to…?” “No, I want to. I just need to let you know something,” I say quietly, breaking our eye contact momentarily. “You wanted me to let you know things about my life and I… just wanted to tell you that I hallucinated again. During the race.” A concerned look washes over Sunset’s face, making her smile disappear quickly… That’s not what I wanted, but nonetheless, Sunset gets closer to me to try and see if I’m alright. “What happened…? Did she appear again?” Sunset asks cautiously, insinuating the pronoun to try and reference my hallucination accurately. That shadow’s eyes always cause a chill to go up my spine, even if I’m just thinking about her… “Yeah… She did. She was mostly just taunting me again and told me that today will turn out horribly.” Despite the plate in her hand, Sunset wraps her arms around me in a hug, placing her lips on my cheek slowly. “Don’t worry, alligator. Everything’s going to be alright~ If we just do our best, I’m sure it will,” she states with the same optimistic attitude that she’s had ever since I met her. That same level of confidence that never fails to inspire me… “I know. But I think I will need a bit of help with Pinkie Pie to resolve things there before today ends,” I whisper to her, hugging her tightly as well. “I think I can talk to her again, but making her open to that…? I think someone else will have to do that.” I know I have to apologize to her again… I can muster up enough strength to do that, but without Pinkie being willing to talk to me, she will just avoid me at all costs for the whole day. That’s something I can’t afford to do. “I see. I could ask Fluttershy to talk to her since they had similar…” A nervous look comes to Sunset, clearing her throat quietly. “Viewpoints when it came to you and all. Maybe Fluttershy can get through to her.” Slowly guiding me out of the crowd, we both walk towards an empty table, placing our plates down on the surface and sitting right beside each other. Fluttershy did think of me in the same way Pinkie did back on Valentine's Day. The only difference between the two of them is that I prioritized talking to Fluttershy and left my apology to Pinkie until the last moment. “Yeah, I think that could work. I can ask her right after-” “I can talk to her~ It’s been a while since Fluttershy and I have talked, so I think it would be good for us to catch up during this reunion,” Sunset tells me with a smile. Taking a bite of her apple fritter, she happily chews the food with an expression that tells me it tastes great. “Okay. Then I could see how Applejack and Rainbow Dash are doing while you do that, I suppose,” I respond to her with a curious tone, half wondering why Sunset is so willing to talk to Fluttershy on my behalf. The two of them both lost to Apple Bloom and I, but it’s still impressive that they came in the top three. Honestly, if it was a race just between the three of us, I am pretty sure I would come in last, but it was thankfully a team race. “Actually, could you maybe hang out with Twilight before you catch up with them…? Twilight should be here any moment and this is technically the first reunion she’s been able to attend. The last few times they were held, she was busy. So, you two have that in common~” Sunset states with the cutest smile known to man on her lips. Her request isn’t necessarily out of the ordinary, but I don’t know what goes on at these reunions either, so my companionship isn’t exactly going to help. Instead, I think I’m probably going to make Twilight even more confused about the ordeal. “I suppose I could,” I respond to the summer mist beside me, looking down at my own treat. I did plan on spending time with everyone during this reunion, but I still don’t have an idea of what Twilight and I will do. Or what I will do with everyone else as a matter of fact. I guess I’m just going with the flow unintentionally. If the Apple Family had a schedule of events, I would definitely take a peek at that to decide what to do, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. “Thank you, Adagio~ You’re doing a big favor for both me and Twilight~” Sunset says in a hum, hugging me quickly. I just hope I don’t fuck it up… =================================================== “So, what’s this activity exactly?” Twilight asks me as we walk past one of the many different games that are scattered around the Apple Family farm, Spike firmly in her arms. Looking over at the game, I quickly scan it with a bit of disinterest, raising my eyebrow slowly. Sitting at a table, a young girl with orange skin and magenta hair prepares a paint kit, looking at a couple of her brushes before she locks eyes with us, giving us a smile. “I may be wrong but I’m going to guess and say that it has something to do with paint,” I say in a teasing tone, sounding like a smartass as I do so. I didn’t necessarily intend to do that, but there’s no way to take it back now. Walking closer to the table, Twilight bends slightly with her own smile. “Hey there~ What exactly is this? I was just curious in your supplies and all,” Twilight asks as politely as she can, looking at the girl with genuine curiosity in her eyes. “Oh, this?” the girl asks in a New York accent, pointing to her paint set. “Well, I can paint on your face or arms if you would like~ I was asked to do this until noon since a lot of the kids seem to enjoy it~” It’s ironic that she says kids since she looks like she’s Apple Bloom’s age. Of course, she could be referring to kids even younger than her, which wouldn’t be surprising due to the sheer size of this family. If someone told me this family doesn’t believe in birth control, I wouldn’t doubt them. “Really?” Twilight asks with enthusiasm, widening her eyes a bit to the girl’s explanation only to be replaced with a sheepish look within a few moments. “So, this is for the kids and all…? None of the adults here want face paint or such?” “Well, none so far. But it’s quite early, so that may change. Anyone of any age can get face paint if they want it~ Unless you’re an infant. Then it might get in a baby’s eyes or mouth.” A conflicted look comes over Twilight’s face before she sets Spike down on the ground, slowly sitting down in front of the girl. Due to her actions so far, it’s not that hard to tell what her conflict is about… Sunset also felt conflicted about being ‘too old’ when we played arcade games at the mall, but from my standpoint, why the fuck do humans worry so much about what is traditional for their age? They only live once, so they should do what they want. Even my life is limited now due to the loss of my magic, so I have to take priority in what I want to do rather than social perceptions of me. “Um… Can you maybe paint a symbol on my cheek? I have a picture of it right here,” Twilight says as she pulls out her phone, showing a sparkle emblem on her phone case. “Sure~ Does your friend want one as well?” she asks Twilight, looking to me slowly. This question prompts Twilight to turn her gaze towards me, a curious tone in her stare. “I’d rather not, thanks,” I tell the two of them, taking a step back from the stand. “Aw, come on, Adagio~ Just one? It’ll be fun, I promise!” Twilight pleads with me, gesturing for me to get closer to the stand. The problem with face paint is that it is often messy. If it’s especially hot out, it can smear on your face rather than stay as a cute little symbol, possibly messing up your shirt. I mean, I don’t care about this hoodie, but still. The girls and I tried face paint as a possible attire choice for the Battle of the Bands finale, but we ultimately ditched the choice when it would run down our faces after a song. The other reason we inevitably decided against the paint was because it turns out Sonata was allergic to it. Maybe it was just the brand, but she couldn’t stop itching until she took an anti-allergen pill and a cold shower. Even though I liked how it looked, it just wasn’t feasible for a live performance. Looking back at Twilight’s eyes, I see her begging look, not wanting to be the only one with face paint. Possibly it is due to a fear of being judged by everyone else around us. Or it could be that she just wants to share this activity. Regardless, I slowly sigh, walking towards the empty seat and sitting down next to Twilight. “Fine. But only a small one.” Twilight smiles excitedly, nodding to my acceptance before turning to the girl. The high school kid opens her paint set, looking at the emblem one more time before mixing variations of red and blue together to create a vibrant magenta hue. The color she makes matches the primary color of the symbol on the back of Twilight’s phone, making me slightly impressed that she could do that so easily. “How are you two liking the reunion so far? I can tell you are guest invites since I’ve never met you gals before~” the young girl says again in her New York accent, making me raise my eyebrow. Honestly, how in the hell would she be able to recognize every member of this family? From her statement, it confirms she’s a part of the family as well, instead of a guest. Even if she is related to everyone, you’d think that her memory would only be able to go so far. Then again, I remember thousands of years of my life as a siren, but that’s simply because I’ve lived that long with the assistance of magic. “Actually, I just got here~” Twilight mentions, looking around at the area we’re in before bringing her face closer. Dabbing the brush in the paint, the orange girl slowly drags her brush across Twilight’s cheek, putting the magenta color on Twilight’s previously purple skin. “This is the first thing I’ve decided to try out and all. Applejack didn’t really tell us what would happen throughout the day, so we’re really just walking around.” “Oh? You’re friends with Applejack, huh?” The girl asks us as she concentrates on the picture she paints on Twilight’s face. “Apple Bloom did tell me some of her big sister’s friends would be here. Though, I’ve already met some of them at previous reunions. Are you new friends?” This girl knows and talks with Apple Bloom, so she’s close enough in the family tree to have regular contact with. “Oh, no. I just haven’t really made the time before,” Twilight sheepishly says, her hands fidgeting with each other. “I’ve been quite busy with studies for the past couple years… But I finally made the time today~” Without moving her face, Twilight’s eyes turn to me, looking for me to contribute something to the conversation. “I… am a new friend,” I say quietly, memories of Canterlot High resurfacing easily in my mind. Friend is a term I’m still not one-hundred percent certain applies to me, due to everything I’ve done to these poor girls. “I actually became friends with Apple Bloom first, though.” The young girl’s eyes widen slightly, halting the strokes of her brush to look at me. “Wait. You’re friends with Apple Bloom?” she asks in surprise, seemingly inspecting me. “I didn’t know Apple Bloom had friends outside of high school other than her big sister. I’m her cousin, Babs Seed~ Nice to meet you,” she tells me while offering a handshake. “Adagio Dazzle,” I respond, taking her hand in mine with a firm shake. Moving her hand back to the brush, Babs starts to paint Twilight’s cheek again, concentrating on the colors. “Adagio, huh? I think I’ve heard about you in Apple Bloom’s letters.” She writes letters to Babs Seed? Kinda old-fashioned, but I suppose it works. The thing that intrigues me more is the fact that she’s written about me. What exactly about me did she tell her cousin…? “What did she tell you?” I ask her cautiously, wondering if Apple Bloom revealed things I wasn’t comfortable sharing with other people or if she just said the general details about me. Did she share the fact that I was a siren…? Was… “She told me that you had a complicated past and seemed really beat up and tired when she found you. Though, I always thought she meant someone closer to our age when she talked about you.” Dabbing her brush in the white paint, Babs moves onto the next step of painting Twilight’s requested symbol. “She also said that you’re sassy and kind of a bitch. But not in a bad way. More of a good way. I don’t know what she meant by that, but that’s what she told me.” Apple Bloom said that…? I admit that I’m a bitch, but ‘innocent’ Apple Bloom curses in her letters? There have been a couple times she has cursed in front of me and automatically corrects herself, so it’s a little hard to believe the young cowgirl said something like that intentionally. “You’re telling me that Apple Bloom, the girl who says ‘horse apples’ as an alternative to ‘shit,’ is the one who called me that?” I ask the girl with a couple of giggles escaping my mouth, trying to not burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. “Well, that’s what she wrote. Believe me, it surprised me too,” Babs says with a short chuckle of her own, prompting me to laugh out loud at this new turn of events. Oh, I can’t wait to tease the ever living hell out of Apple Bloom~ “What about you, though? What’s your name?” Babs asks the girl she is painting, causing Twilight to blush slightly. “Oh! Sorry. Um. Usually I introduce myself before something like this and-” the purple woman stops herself mid-sentence, realizing that she’s rambling. “My name is Twilight. Nice to meet you, Babs~” “Oh! Twi, huh? Applejack mentioned you at the last reunion,” the young girl says with enthusiasm, clearly happy to finally meet the person that has missed out on these reunions so far. “She said you were quite the science whiz. Now it makes sense that you said you were busy with studies. What kind of studies have you been working on?” Honestly, it surprises me that Babs would be interested in the details of Twilight’s studies, considering they can be pretty boring, but I suppose it’s just something I don’t have an interest in. “My professors and I have mostly been researching the differences between frog species from different environments and how similar they are to each other. We then take educated guesses as to how the food sources from each environment would affect the frog species from a different area~” Twilight explains happily, a big smile coming to her face. “We were also studying beavers last year~ They’re so cute, aren’t they?” “Eh, I suppose so,” Babs says with a shrug of her shoulders. “I live in the big city, so I don’t personally have a problem with them, but apparently Applejack has a hard time dealing with beavers here.” With a small breath, Babs puts the finishing touches on Twilight’s cheek, handing her a mirror. “But this should make you cuter than a beaver for the rest of the reunion~ Unless you get water on it. Then it may smear,” Babs warns Twilight as she looks in the mirror, a big smile coming to her face. “It looks perfect! Hey, Spike, do you think this is cute?” Twilight turns around to ask the dog sitting behind us, his eyes just staring at us weirdly before scratching his ear. Once again, an embarrassed look comes to her face before turning back to Babs, sheepishly scratching her head. Huh. Spike knows when to stay quiet and act like a normal dog. Funny he didn’t do that around me, but it’s still impressive. “Sorry. I sometimes… talk to my dog,” Twilight embarrassedly states, her cheek shining a bright pink. “No worries~ I sometimes talk to my hair supplies when I’m bored or lonely,” Babs reassures Twilight with a thumbs up before turning to me. “Do you have something in mind or do you want me to suggest something?” Without a moment to try and respond, something grabs my shoulder gently, making me look behind me. Instantly, my eyes recognize the yellow person standing behind me, her bright red hair blowing in the wind slightly. “Hey, Babs! How are you doing?” Apple Bloom greets her cousin, prompting Babs to stand up and give her a hug. “Hey, cousin~ I was just doing some face-painting with some friends of yours.” “Ah, I take it you met Adagio, then?” Apple Bloom says with a smile, looking down at me with a slight wink. “Met? She told me you called me a ‘bitch,’” I tell the cowgirl with a smirk, raising my eyebrow in anticipation of a response. Without a moment of latency, Apple Bloom’s eyes widen and a bright blush comes to her cheeks, seemingly frozen for a few seconds. “B-Babs! I told you to keep that a secret!” Apple Bloom angrily tells her cousin, spinning around to lock their eyes. “Sorry. It was just too funny to not share~” Babs says with a slight chuckle, holding her hands up to avoid getting a beating. “What’s so funny about that? You know I don’t usually curse and all!” “Hey, it’s alright, Apple Bloom,” I say quietly, leaning forward and grabbing her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone else. I just find it funny that you used the word, that’s all.” Apple Bloom’s eyes turn back to me, pouting slightly at the fact that her cousin shared something like this. “Fine… Either way, I was just wanting to ask if you two maybe wanted to participate in the scavenger hunt?” Apple Bloom asks us while her expression turns back to the normal smile she usually has on. “Sorry, cousin. I kinda wanted to do some arts and crafts before noon. But maybe we could do the maze together~” Babs tells Apple Bloom with a big smile. “Oh? I see… What about you two?” Apple Bloom asks us with a hopeful smile, looking at Twilight and I. A part of me can tell that Apple Bloom really wants to do this with someone else, making me feel a little sad for her. “I plan on doing one more thing with Twilight, but I could do it with you afterward?” I tell the young cowgirl, making her smile excitedly and hugging me with all her might. “Thank you, Adagio! It really means a lot to me!” she tells me without letting me go, pushing all the air out of my lungs easily. There are only three situations I’ve found myself out of breath in the past twenty-four hours. One was last night, one was during the race, and now it’s due to a freaking hug. Did I really expect anything else from her? Finally letting me go, Apple Bloom smiles and stirs up my hair with her hand, chuckling to herself. “I count that as a pinkie promise?” she says, offering her pinkie to me with a wink. I can’t help but let out an amused breath, wrapping my finger around hers with a nod. “You know it is~ I’ll find you after I’m done with Sparkles here,” I say with my thumb pointing at the purple girl, making Twilight’s expression twist from amused to confused. “Alright! I’ll talk to you later, Babs~ Have fun, Twilight~” Apple Bloom states before turning away from us, running away with a slight wave of her hand. Shaking my head, I look back at Babs, seeing her prepare her paints once more. “Okay. What would you like to get?” she asks me, referring to whatever I would want to get painted on my face. What would I want…? I mean, I don’t really know what would be a good idea… The last time I had face paint on was when I was still friends with Sonata and Aria. Back then… “Could you maybe make a star with a heart inside of it…?” I ask hesitantly, looking at the girl and expecting a negative answer. “Sure~ Is there anything else you want added to it?” Nodding slowly, I pull out a small notebook from my bag, quickly sketching two designs that almost hurt to see once more. It’s been years since I’ve seen these designs and the people they represent… The shades of purple, blue and black remind me so much of a time long past. One where I was a lot meaner, but… maybe I can see them again someday… Maybe I can tell them I’m sorry someday and deserve one last conversation with them. Pushing the piece of paper over to Babs, I can’t help but take a deep breath, smiling at her. “Something like this. A combination of both of these with the musical symbols behind the heart and star.” Taking a look at the designs I sketched, Babs’ eyebrow raises, nodding slowly. I marked the different regions of the design with points describing what color they’re supposed to be, possibly contributing to the confusion of the young girl. “Yeah, I can do that. They’re interesting designs. Are they important to you?” she asks me curiously, mixing a couple of her paints to come up with one of the shades. “They were.” ======================================================== The baseball hits the multi-colored wall, completely missing the target that Twilight was aiming for. It’s actually quite surprising how many games this reunion has, but I suppose that comes with the territory of a large family gathering. This game is one of the typical ‘dunk em’ games where one person sits on a pulley activated platform, dropping them in the water if the target is hit square in the middle. If you hit the edge of the target, however, a light spray of water hits the person on the chair, making it kind of funny all around. “Try again!” Braeburn yells from his seat in the water tank, making me chuckle slightly. It seems like this guy gets all around the reunion, not only facilitating the race and being involved with this game, but he also almost burned down the barn at the last reunion. How much does this guy love these outings? He clearly wants to take part and do what he can to make sure everyone has fun. Picking up another ball, Twilight sticks her tongue out slightly in concentration, locking her eye with the target. With another hard toss, the ball hits the wall again, making Twilight sigh quietly to herself. That was the last ball she had access to, but she could always go again if she wished. However, her eyes look towards me and offers her place to me. “Want to have a shot at it?” she asks me with a smile, clearly wanting to see what I can do with this game. Normally, I’d find a game like this boring, not even giving it the time of day, but the point of this day is to have fun, no matter where it comes from. I’m trying to have fun with everyone and enjoy myself while fixing things, so it wouldn’t hurt to give this a try, now would it? Stepping up to where Twilight was, baseballs come sliding down a ramp, stopping at a table in front of me. Picking one up, I look at the target and aim my shot, throwing the ball without much force and hitting the edge of the plate. Some light water falls on Braeburn and he gives me a big thumbs up. “Nice try!” he yells out to us with a big smile, still sitting high on his throne. “Hmm… Were you actually trying with that throw?” Twilight asks me hesitantly, making me notice her stares from my side. Her eyes look up and down my arm, focusing on my hand with a weird intensity. “Um… No. Not really,” I say with a shrug, trying to ignore her as I pick up another ball and focusing my eyes on the target. “Why not? What could hurt from trying as much as you can?” Twilight asks me, getting a little closer to me. “Okay. Think about it like this. If you actually try, you can go ahead and dunk smug Braeburn into the water. Doesn’t that sound a little funny?” “I guess…?” I awkwardly state, not really caring about whether or not I get him into the water. Tossing the second ball with a little more force, I once again hit the edge of the target, causing more water to be sprinkled on his head. “You don’t want to see what you can do if you actually try?” Twilight asks me skeptically, her eyes not leaving me with an odd questioning look. “I know what I can do if I actually try. Why would I? It’s just a game and I have to save my energy for this scavenger hunt.” Throwing another ball, it hits the wall right beside the target, making a disappointed look come to Twilight’s face. “Would it really cost that much energy to put a little more effort into this?” Twilight asks me with a tone that tries to convince me to do what she says. “I mean, it’s just one target. Just one game, so why not put your all into it?” she asks me again, causing me to feel a little annoyed. “What is your obsession with seeing my best, Twilight?” I ask her bluntly, trying to still sound polite as I throw the fourth ball, hitting the edge of the plate again. An awkward look comes to Twilight as she tries to think of the right words to say, a nervous look coming to her when she sees my hand pick up the last ball. “Just humor me, please? I… I’ve heard you can throw pretty well from uh… Sunset and all. I wanted to see if you can do better than me.” Normally, I would give Twilight the benefit of a doubt, but the way she says that just screams that it’s a lie… Besides, I’ve never thrown something with my full effort around Sunset. Slamming the ball in the middle of the target plate, Braeburn’s body falls into the water with a surprised yell coming from the man. Stepping away from the game, I walk away from Twilight towards any other game I can think of. “There’s your shot, Twilight. Why in the hell were you so interested in seeing that?” I ask her with an annoyed tone, looking back to see her scribbling something in a notebook. “Are you listening to me…?” I ask with confusion, slightly surprised that she would seemingly ignore me. “W-well, I already told you why I wanted to. See? I knew you could do it~” Twilight states nervously, her hand giving me a thumbs up. “I can tell when you’re lying, Twilight… For two reasons. You get extremely nervous when you lie and I have never thrown things around Sunset, so your ‘reason’ isn’t justified at all,” I tell her while using air quotes, rolling my eyes slightly. “I do admit that there’s no reason for me to not use more effort in those throws, but why were you so interested in that? I want to know the real reason.” A nervous expression comes to Twilight as she takes a small step back from me, holding her pen close to her notebook. “Um… Say, have you experienced anger issues lately or such?” Twilight slowly asks, preparing to write something with an awkward smile. “What is with all these questions, Twilight? Did I do something wrong?” I ask her, slightly irritated at whatever this stunt is. “U-uh…” Twilight seems to find it hard to speak, her hand tightly gripping onto her notebook. “I-I… I can’t tell you,” she says quietly, readjusting her glasses as she looks at the paper again. “Have you maybe experienced-” Before she can finish her question, I pull the notebook from her grasp, angrily looking at her. “Why can’t you tell me?” Looking at the notebook with an annoyed glare, my eyes widen as I notice all the notes. They go from normal little notes about our time together to sentences sounding like she’s studying some animal. “Subject seems to have excellent motor skills?” I ask her quietly, scanning over the page with a questioning look. What are all these…? “Please give it back,” Twilight asks me as she tries to reach for the notebook, prompting me to pull away and step back, looking at the notes in further detail. My name is on this page over and over. There are multiple questions that she has answered while others are left blank. Things like ‘does the subject experience unusual anger issues?’ and ‘how severe are the subject’s hallucinations?’ “What the hell is this, Twilight…?” I ask quietly, closing the notebook without reconnecting our eyes. “Is this another part of your stupid study of Equestrian creatures? Or is it something else?” “Eh? Um…” Looking back up at the purple girl, a nervous expression is written all over her face, clearly unsure of what she should say. “I… was simply observing your mental state. That’s all,” she says as if it isn’t that big of a deal, trying to deescalate the situation. “Damn it, Twilight,” I say in a heavy sigh, walking over to her and pushing her notebook to her chest. “Why in the hell would you do this without my consent? God, I probably would have even given you permission if you had asked nicely! I gave you my blood. What makes you think you had to do this without asking me?” “I-it wasn’t my idea,” Twilight weakly lets out, her eyes looking into mine with a hint of fear in them… My own reflection stares back at me, showing my clearly angry face… Stepping away from Twilight, I take a deep breath, rubbing my face slowly. “Who gave you this idea then? Some science friend of yours or-” “Sunset…” Twilight interrupts me quietly, her eyes looking to the floor slowly as she rubs her arm with her other hand. “I… She asked me to not tell you and all. She was just worried about your hallucinations and your previous head injury, so she… texted me and asked if I could maybe observe you while we hang out.” That’s why Sunset wanted me to hang out with Twilight this early in the day… Not to help Twilight get familiar with this reunion, but to help her get information about my hallucinations. That’s why she was so eager to go talk to Fluttershy for me. So that I could have this time with Twilight. God damn it… I was planning on hanging out with everyone, so it’s not like I would have left Twilight out… Why did they have to do this without my permission…? “I have to go talk to Sunset,” I say quietly, turning away from the purple girl and walking towards the farmhouse. “A-Adagio, wai-” I stop her mid sentence with a glare, looking at her with anger in my eyes. “Later, Twilight. We will talk later,” I say in a quiet whisper before turning away for the second time, clenching my fist slowly. I told Sunset those secrets in confidence… If she was worried, she could have talked to me about getting Twilight to study me more. It’s ironic that she was upset with me going behind her back when she did the exact same thing to me… Afternoon SurprisesAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: After writing a couple of new oneshots centered around Adagio, I've finally gotten around to finishing this newest chapter of A Shimmering Heartbreak~ Right before my semester starts too~ Can't wait to write the next chapter! Afternoon Surprises Chapter XVIII: Afternoon Surprises My mind searches for any excuse that Sunset may have for keeping it from me… I lied to Sunset to keep her happy and I realize that it was the wrong thing to do. Now I find out that she goes behind my back and asks Twilight to freaking study me because she’s worried about my health. I understand her worry, but why couldn’t she talk to me about it beforehand? God, I could have gone to see a doctor about my hallucinations, but she didn’t even consult me. She just decided for me, thinking she knew what was best. Maybe this was all spurred on from my lying, thinking that I’m not in the right headspace to make a decision like that, but I don’t think that’s the case. Other than hallucinations and some migraines, I don’t have any side effects from that stupid injury… Even Twilight’s notebook said I had fine motor skills and that nothing seemed to be impaired. Nothing seems to be wrong other than that stupid shadow. Other than her… Bringing my hand to my forehead, I can’t help but sigh, trying to stabilize myself before I find Sunset. Not only did I treat Twilight like shit for this, but I can’t help but feel the urge to scream. We just made up last night and now she’s doing this? Why? I usually agree with her on things and I would be a lot more open to listening to her suggestion if she didn’t do this. Walking forward, I look around the crowds, trying my best to take deep breaths and think rationally. I don’t want to yell at Sunset or cause a scene… That would just cause an even bigger problem than I already have. Talking like adults to try and solve the situation is the best course of action… “Then again, she didn’t talk to you like an adult,” a whisper stabs at the back of my mind, making me look around my surroundings. Not her again… Why aren’t any of the colors dulled out? And… My eyes widen as I see her sparkling red dress, her eyes staring at me until a few people walk in front of my line of sight, disappearing almost instantly. Not only are the colors still here, she’s not a shadow. Where the fuck did she go? “Your problem shouldn’t be focused on finding me,” she whispers inside my head, feeling a hand grab my shoulder. Looking behind me, no one is there other than the crowd of people I don’t know. “You should be focusing on the fact that the worm you call a lover lied to you,” she states with a menacing tone, feeling something sharp drag along my cheek. God damn it… I can’t afford to do this right now. Quickly walking past as many people as I can, her chuckle poisons my mind, being practically the only thing I can hear. “Everything I’ve predicted has come true. Sunset’s friends still haven’t forgiven each other, the one you love turned out to backstab you and now you’re wondering exactly what to do. Don’t you wish you would have listened to me?” Her quiet whisper forces my mind to listen to nothing but her, even the sound of my footsteps alluding me. “Being quiet, huh? Why so? People talk to themselves all the time, you know~” The unsettling nature of her smooth voice is what causes me the most distress of all, making me wish she would just leave me alone. “Then again, you might be labeled as more crazy than before. Something I’m sure Sunset would love to exploit just to put you away in a hospital.” “Will you shut up?” I whisper, looking towards the ground as I walk. “She wouldn’t do that to me. She didn’t lie, she just… didn’t tell me this.” “Oh, so now you’re defending her? Just a moment ago, you were as rageful as a wasp, ready to attack anything that moved. Don’t you think a little anger is justified in this blatant forgery of the truth?” her voice asks in a striking tone, distracting me even further. “Tell me, Adagio. What is more important to you? Self-respect or letting her walk all over you? This should be an easy question.” Once again, her cackle bounces around my mind, making me grimace. Without fail, my eyes notice her feet walking next to mine, causing me to look up at her eyes. That evil stare is present once more, sending a chill up my spine. “I will talk to her. She wasn’t trying to be malicious, so I’m sure she’ll take my words seriously.” “You’re telling me that you’re not the least bit mad anymore? As soon as I show up, you are suddenly fine with what she did?” The red liquid falls off of her dress towards the ground, her red gem glowing brightly. “Of course I’m mad,” I whisper, looking back towards my feet with a shake of my head. “But I don’t need your help to decide what I will do.” “You needed my help to realize that Sunset’s dear friends haven’t necessarily made amends with each other. And this day is going just wonderfully, by the way,” she whispers before laughing at the situation, reappearing on my other side with ease. “The way you handled Twilight is exactly what I have wanted to see~ I never thought I’d see you cause fear in someone again, given the path you’re trying to go down.” “That wasn’t intentional… I didn’t mean to do that.” At this point, I’m given little choice about listening to her words, leaving me with ignoring her as my only option. “Whether it was intentional or not, it still serves to show you have what it takes to bring out those old siren tendencies in you. Maybe you have potential yet.” Her chuckle stabs at my mind, making me shake my head out of frustration. “You want your chance to talk to Sunset and ‘try to make things right’? Here she is now.” Looking up, I see that all too familiar hair, the sun reflecting off of the red leather jacket I bought for her. Her eyes scan the crowd around her before connecting with mine, waving to me with a big smile on her face. She quickly closes the distance between us, running up to me and giving me a big hug, one I return slightly. Despite what usually happens, she doesn’t disappear… “Hey, Adagio~ how did things go with Twilight?” Sunset asks me after letting go of our embrace, the shadow of myself crossing her arms with a smirk. “They went fine…” The siren queen laughs to herself, drawing amusement from my response as she floats above the ground. “If you call that scene fine, then sure,” her striking whisper ensnares my mind again, forcing her words to be heard. “Did something happen…?” Sunset slowly asks me, noticing the clear lack of motivation I have in our small interaction. “Yeah, actually,” I say quietly, crossing my own arms as I keep my eye contact with Sunset, trying to desperately ignore the siren queen. Taking a deep breath, I sigh, rubbing my forehead slowly. “I found out that Twilight was studying me.” My tone comes across as more annoyed than I had meant it to, but there’s nothing I can do to take it back. Sunset’s eyes open wider as she hears my statement, a nervous expression coming to her slowly. “Oh…? Did she tell you why she was…?” Sunset asks me slowly, tightly gripping her bag’s strap out of nervousness. Without saying a word, the evil demon just floats there, watching everything happening with an amused stare. “Yeah, she did,” I say quietly, looking away from Sunset. Words fly through my mind, forming incoherent thoughts and forcing me to try and think harder of what words I want to say. “I… I’m sorry, Ada-” before Sunset can finish her apology, I hold my hand out in front of me, stopping her sentence. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try my best to compose the thoughts in my head, holding onto my scarf. That monumental task isn’t exactly helped by the presence of her, the shine of her red dress still distracting me. “Sunset. I lied to you for a while and that hurt you. I just want you to know that you hurt me too… You could have talked with me rationally, but you went behind my back and…” My words trail off into nothingness, trying to think of exactly what to say rather than spouting off whatever words I can because I’m angry… “We made up last night and I thought that would be the end of it, but you asked Twilight to treat me like some study animal rather than a person. I would have considered it if you had talked to me, but it was sprung on me, making me feel like you lied to me too.” A long silence follows my words as a void fills the space between us, the only sound left being the horrible chuckle of that siren. Gently, Sunset’s hand grabs my shoulder only for me to push it away quickly, seeing Sunset’s pained expression. “I… I’m sorry. I should have talked with you about it,” Sunset quietly states, her eyes averting my gaze and looking towards the ground. “I am just… worried about you, Adagio. You mean the world to me and I… was scared to let this go any further. The hallucinations, I mean.” “Don’t tell me you’re going to forgive her already,” an evil whisper penetrates my mind, causing me to look over at the siren queen, her eyes gazing downward at me. “I know you ‘love’ her, but she legitimately hurt you. Shouldn’t you give out a bit of the cold shoulder?” Her tone quickly turns into a laugh, her finger twirling slightly as more magical sparks fly, making a picture of a broken heart. “Unless you’re just too weak to actually stand up for yourself. Maybe you’ll be lucky and she won’t step all over you again. I wouldn’t count on it.” “Adagio…?” Sunset quietly asks me, drawing my attention to her. Her worried expression makes me realize where her concern lies. Her eyes look behind her right at the siren queen, returning to me slowly. “What are you looking at…?” “Go ahead. Tell her what you see. It’ll only cement her worries and make her go behind your back again,” she hisses in my ear, despite the distance. “Is it… her again?” Sunset asks me as carefully as she can, the tones of the two people in front of me conflicting with each other. “By her, she means you, right? Don’t tell me she actually believes I’m just a hallucination,” the siren queen laughs, holding her chest as shadows envelope her. “I am you. There’s no going around that fact.” “Adagio. Talk to me, please.” “Go ahead, Adagio. Tell her YOUR darker thoughts. I am no hallucination after all~” “Adagio…?” “Adagio~” Closing my eyes and taking a step back, my hands instinctively grab my head, sighing heavily. “Please stop it. Both of you,” I let out weakly, falling to my knees. Get out of my head… Her voice won’t leave me alone, even in the moments I need her absence the most. Conflicting tones of kindness and hate all intertwined in my head. Why can’t it be any less confusing? It feels like the world is spinning around me and I can’t do a thing to stop it. Even my own feelings keep conflicting with each other. Am I mad at Sunset? Do I forgive her? What do I even feel right now…? Why do I have to ruin everything I touch? I never want to be like I was a couple years ago, but I got mad at Twilight and made her scared earlier today… Is all of my progress worth it in the end when I just end up undoing something so easily? Tears easily flow from my eyes, refusing to look at the world around me in fear of whatever stares I may be receiving. Why can’t I just redo today…? I wish I could just be back in bed and avoid all of this… “She is here, huh…?” Sunset quietly whispers, kneeling down in front of me as she places her hands on my legs, reaffirming me that she’s here. “What is she saying?” I don’t want Sunset to embarrass herself as well… I don’t want her to make a scene with me, bringing everyone’s eyes to us. I usually don’t give any thought to others looking at us, but now? The thought is petrifying… This migraine won’t leave me, just amplifying the sound of her chuckle in my thoughts. Without even thinking about it, my hands wipe away my tears, pushing Sunset’s hands off of me. Standing up, my eyes open and looking down at Sunset, my face somehow composed itself. All Sunset is trying to do is help me, but… it still hurts in the way she approached the issue. “I forgive you, Sunset. I just need some time. It still hurts…” My words fly out of my mouth without my control… Her evil chuckle is finally gone, leaving a quiet abyss of sound only filled by some idle chatter of the people around us. Standing up with me, Sunset solemnly nods to my words, trying her best to keep her eye contact with me. “I… understand. I really am sorry and I… I will be here for you,” Sunset whispers, finally looking away towards the ground. “For anything. Including these hallucinations,” she continues, seemingly dropping the scene I just made to avoid any more fighting. Without saying another word, my body turns around, quickly walking away from her. Again, my mind makes my eyes try to cry once more, barely being kept at bay. It would be hypocritical of me to not forgive her for something I did wrong as well, but I still need time to think about it… Until then, I won’t let her into these hallucinations. Not until I can think to myself just a little more. ========================================================= Walking into a dense crowd, everyone is eagerly trying to get something to eat just as it hits noon. The food they offer has a good variety, giving guests a large number of options for things they can fuel up on before doing some more activities. The strong smell of apples fills the air, temporarily masking any scent of dirt and jeans. Another big reason that everyone is swarming this part of the farm is for the cider, apparently being a good treat that the whole Apple Family enjoys. Hence why I’m here. I know that as soon as the cider is being given out, Rainbow Dash will be there, possibly having a confrontation with Applejack. I don’t know if they talked after our race, but a part of me doubts it. Regardless, if they are here, then I need to make sure they can at least try to make up. At least, I’ll try to help everyone make up… Before the day is over, I hope everyone can be on good terms once more. Maybe then it will be like Valentine’s Day didn’t happen at all. Sunset can be friends with everyone again and we can move on with our life. The sound of the crowds around me is almost overwhelming, making it hard to concentrate on my goal of finding the two hard-headed women. Walking closer to the house, a prevalent line comes into view, everyone waiting for their chance to get something… My eyes quickly scan the surrounding area, seeing the line end up at multiple tables handing out cider. Despite the fact that I thought Rainbow Dash would be in the line, I actually see her rainbow hair away from the line, seemingly talking with a familiar girl in a cowboy hat. Bingo… Unfortunately, their ‘talk’ seems to be less friendly, leaning towards hostile as Rainbow Dash throws her arms in the air. “This isn’t even a situation about the cider anymore, AJ! The fact of the matter is that you still seem to have a grudge against me for some reason. I’m not even sure what I did!” Rainbow states loudly as I walk closer, seeing Applejack’s expression turn to one of surprise. “Some reason? Sugarcube, you never even bothered to call or answer my texts after Valentine’s. I tried talking to ya and making up, but you seemed to drop off the face of this Earth,” Applejack responds with an equal amount of spite in her voice. Dash told me that they haven’t talked in a while, but she never told me that she failed to answer Applejack’s attempts to talk. I had always assumed that both of them were too prideful to even reach out, but now it seems that the cowgirl was actually trying… “Why would I have answered your texts? You kept insisting that you were right to ‘have your doubts’ about Dagi. Heck. Even after you two got on better terms, you didn’t admit you were wrong or apologize to me.” Just as the two of them are about to break out into a full screaming match, their eyes finally seem to notice my presence. At this point, I had managed to get within arm’s length of them, raising my eyebrow slightly at their argument. Even though both of them have resolved their differences with me, it still seems I’m in the middle of their situation. “Oh! Um… Hey, Dagi. Sorry. AJ and I were just having a talk and all,” Rainbow Dash states slowly, an angry glare being given to the cowgirl within moments of her words leaving her mouth. “I can see that,” I say with a quiet tone, my eyes switching from both of them before taking a deep breath. “Hey, Adagio. I um… I don’t think you would like the contents of our little conversation and all,” Applejack admits, averting her gaze from my own nervously. “I’ve already heard quite a bit. I think I can handle it, but thank you for your concern,” I tell the cowgirl with a smile, nodding slowly. A part of me feels genuinely glad that she and I have become good enough friends that she actually looks out for my feelings, especially since our situation just a week ago wasn’t favorable at all. “You two haven’t talked in a few months, huh?” Rainbow Dash nervously looks away from the both of us, her eyes trying to find something else to focus on. The cowgirl, on the other hand, crosses her arms and keeps her gaze on Dash. “Not for a lack of trying,” she states in a bland tone, despite her southern accent. Dash’s eyes dart back at the cowgirl, seemingly upset from the words that come out of Applejack’s mouth. “The reason why we haven’t talked is simply because she refuses to acknowledge she was wrong. Even I admit when I get something wrong and everyone knows I’m kind of stubborn.” “Pigheaded more like it,” Applejack interjects, causing Rainbow’s mouth to form into a grimace. Bringing my hand to my forehead, I can’t help but take a deep breath, the right words to rectify this situation escaping me for the time being. “Dash. Applejack already apologized to me and told me she didn’t give me a fair chance,” I say quietly, reconnecting our gaze with a smile. “We’re friends now, so as much as I admire your goal of trying to be loyal and protect your friends, there’s no need to antagonize Applejack in my defense.” The proceeding moment is filled with hesitation from the rainbow-haired girl, a conflicted look gripping hold of her face as her gaze switches back and forth between Applejack and I. “You’re really sorry, AJ?” Rainbow Dash slowly asks the cowgirl with a hesitant look in her eyes. A part of her question feels like she’s asking if Applejack is not only sorry to me, but sorry to Rainbow Dash, making the moment feel solemn. Without wasting a moment, Applejack nods looking straight into Dash’s eyes. “That’s why I tried so hard to contact you in the last week. Not just to invite you here, but to say… I’m sorry for treating you and Sunset so harshly the last time we talked.” The previously harsh stare that was once shared between the two of them is now broken by an understanding gaze from Applejack, her hand slowly reaching out to Rainbow Dash. “Do ya want to finally put this stuff behind us and we can be friends again…?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes look towards Applejack’s hand before returning their locked gaze, hesitantly reaching out and grabbing her hand with a small nod. Before the athlete can even respond, Applejack turns the handshake into a hug, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I missed hanging out with you. And everyone else,” Rainbow barely mutters, trying to play it off as embarrassment, but a part of me can’t help but remember the talk we had a couple nights ago. Rainbow has been kind of alone for a few months now. Maybe it was so lonely that it was deafening… “I missed ya too. It’s been way too long,” the cowgirl states in as kind of a voice as she can, breaking their embrace while placing her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “And now that we’re all friends, we can do things together, I reckon~” Applejack tells Dash referring to all three of us. “Although, I’m still not quite sure what you like to do, Adagio.” Letting out a small chuckle, I can’t help but find a bit of humor from Applejack’s clear confusion, realizing the both of us haven’t done a lot as of yet. “You two probably wouldn’t like the main things I do for fun. But hey, you were both pretty good at that race back there~” I tease them with a wink, gently punching Dash’s other shoulder. “Too bad you were too slow.” “Hey! Scoots and I were totally going to win if she didn’t fall into a hedge!” Dash defends herself, causing both of us to laugh. “Sure, you were, sugarcube. You know my brother and I were right behind your team. All it would have taken is one more slip up~” Looking away from Rainbow Dash, Applejack locks her eyes with mine, giving me a big smirk. “And don’t act like you were so mighty for winning now. You only got the win because my little sis was faster than my brother.” “No kidding! How fast is that kid anyway?” Rainbow asks Applejack with a confused expression. “I mean, I saw Adagio tag her and she just went zooming off into the orchard. She would have made one hell of a soccer player.” Rainbow Dash brings her hand to her chin, seemingly thinking about something for a few moments before opening her mouth again. “Actually, who would win in a race? You or your little sister?” Applejack simply shakes her head with an amused roll of her eyes, patting Dash’s shoulder. “That’s a question that can be answered at a later time. Especially since Apple Bloom would swear up and down that she would win, but either way. Would both of you like to maybe have a glass of cider with me? I would say it’s on me, but I kinda think everything about today is on me,” Applejack states with a hearty laugh, all three of us smiling at the clear pun. “Well, I could try some~ But like I told you before, I prefer other beverages to the cider I’ve tasted before.” Rainbow Dash’s stare instantly centers on me when she hears my words. “Oh yeah! You’ve never tasted the Apple Family cider, huh? Well, it’s-” Despite her clear excitement to tell me about this drink, she stops herself mid sentence, bringing her hand to her mouth momentarily. “I-I mean, it’s really bad. Like you shouldn’t even try it. I would choke it down for you to spare you from tasting it, if you want,” Rainbow says in such an exaggerated tone that even Sonata would be able to tell she was lying. That, in of itself, is a feat. I have to applaud Rainbow Dash’s bravery to try and steal the cider though. “Rainbow, you scoundrel,” Applejack laughs while slapping the back of Dash’s head, causing the athlete to pout. “What?! She gave me the opportunity! If you should be slapping anyone’s head, it would be hers!” Rainbow Dash’s antics never fail to make me chuckle, even on some depressing days. It seems this sentiment is shared between Applejack and I, the cowgirl letting out a giggle at her words. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t hit my head,” I say with a smile and a slight roll of my eyes, pointing at the back of my skull for emphasis. “Oh, yeah. Nevermind about that. You can hit Dagi’s stomach though!” Dash says with a snicker, bringing her hand to her stomach from laughter. “I… don’t get it. Is something wrong with your head or something?” Applejack lets out, clearly confused about the small interaction Dash and I had. Rainbow Dash’s eyes stare at the cowgirl with bewilderment at how she didn’t know what we were referring to before turning her head towards me. “You didn’t tell her about your accident?” Dash asks me with a slight nod of her head towards my own. The rainbow-haired athlete crosses her arms and looks at me as if it was a shame I didn’t tell Applejack about hitting my head on the concrete a few months back. “Well?” she asks me before I can even form a response, aiming her arm towards the cowgirl in an expectant manner. “I’ll tell you what. I can talk about it over cider, okay? Let’s just get in line already,” I tell the both of them in a teasing tone, walking towards the end of the line with the other two right behind me. “Or you could tell her while we wait!” “Shut up, Dashie.” ======================================================== “So, you were able to convince her to talk to me…? How?” I ask in a cautious tone, wondering how the shy woman was able to accomplish something like this. Someone like Pinkie Pie hardly seems like the kind of person to listen to Fluttershy of all people… It just seems like a miracle that Pinkie is actually agreeing to see me again, especially after what happened the last time we talked. With everything going on, I’m not even sure what to do… I’m not done thinking about what happened with Sunset, so I’m a bit worried my feelings about that experience will bleed over into this. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to affect my meeting with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but that’s kind of different. They both sorta like me. Pinkie Pie… does not… “Oh, well, I told her my experiences with you~” Fluttershy says with a big smile, rubbing my shoulder as we walk. “Sunset asked if I could talk to her and I did just that. Talked with her~ She came around to the idea of giving you another chance when she heard how hard you’ve been trying to make things up to Rarity and I~” “I haven’t really tried that hard…” My head drops a little, thoughts of the past few months I could have been trying to get in touch coming to the forefront of my mind. One main reason I waited so long was to see if Sunset and I would last… I think we will, right…? “Don’t be so hard on yourself~ You apologized and showed us you genuinely love our friend and you’re trying. In my book, that’s a success~” Fluttershy tells me softly, her smile never fading for a second. I never thought that I would be friends with Fluttershy, but now that I am, it feels really nice… To have friends you can rely on. I used to technically have that with Aria and Sonata, but I never treated them with respect. On complicated days like this, I still wish I could talk to them again. Just one chance to apologize for how I treated them… But that will never happen. “Thanks, Fluttershy. For all of this. It means a lot to me that you would help a… previous siren.” Then again, it’s still a real possibility I’m part siren after all. That demon’s words have gotten in my head, but she’s right… I could still be a siren… “It doesn’t matter to me what you are, as long as you treat others with kindness, I believe you deserve the same in return~” For some reason, Fluttershy’s smile makes me believe that maybe everything will turn out alright. Not only with Pinkie Pie, but also Sunset and Twilight. Maybe everything will be alright. If I just do my best… As the two of us walk towards the tables set up outside the farmhouse, my eyes recognize a pink girl sitting down at one of them alone, her eyes focused on her drink with her puffy hair blowing in the wind. Despite her colorful attire and bouncy hair, Pinkie Pie’s face is solemn, her eyes retaining her stare for quite a while before the two of us get close enough to the table. As soon as she looks up at us, her hair falls into straight strands with her mouth forming a frown. I try to give her a smile to lighten the mood, but even I can tell it barely works. “Hey, Pinkie.” The girl simply waves at me before we sit down, Fluttershy sitting beside me to make sure I don’t feel so alone in this. “Hello,” Pinkie mutters, moving her eyes to her drink. Even though she talked with Fluttershy before, she still seems resistant to talk to me… I suppose it’s understandable after all, but I wish it wasn’t this complicated. “How about we start with ice breakers? I always like doing something fun when I’m trying to get to know someone~” Fluttershy states in a louder and more confident tone than usual, making me wonder why. I suppose it’s because we’re both friends of hers…? “No,” Pinkie lets out, looking at the both of us with a serious tone in her eye. “I just… want to talk.” Stirring her water with her finger, Pinkie’s eyes lock with my own, slowly raising her eyebrow. “Fluttershy says you’re really sorry for what happened back… then. And that you helped her in multiple situations. Is that true?” she asks me with an investigative look, causing me to feel slightly nervous. Don’t back down now, Adagio… You’re okay. It’s just talking. Get a back bone. “‘Help’ is an exaggerated word,” I say slowly, placing my hand on the table. “All I did was wash a couple dogs and all. And I had a spa day with her and Rarity, but that’s about it.” “Adagio! Don’t downplay it. You helped me out of that bad neighborhood when I was trying to visit a sick friend and your help with those dogs was seriously appreciated~” Fluttershy interjects, once again rubbing my shoulder to my annoyance. I don’t want her to fight on my behalf. “You helped her out of a bad part of town…?” Pinkie asks me in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. It seems this is something Fluttershy didn’t tell her… “I was just in the area and Fluttershy was being harassed by some guy. I didn’t want her to get hurt, so I stepped in and helped escort her to and from her friend’s house. That’s it,” I tell Pinkie point blank, trying to skip over that day as fast as possible. To be honest, that day in particular just brings back memories of talking to Rich. The reason why I talked to Rich is because of the robbery and… that isn’t something I like looking back on. Hopefully, Rich can find our stuff… “We also talked to my friend Tree Hugger and Adagio was thinking about buying the motorcycle that she inherited,” Fluttershy once again steps in, talking about it as if it was a fond memory of hers. I suppose it would be pretty important to her, considering she’s grateful for my intervention. “Either way, I do want to say that I’m serious about being sorry. For everything I did…” Reaching into my pocket, I slowly take out my phone, pulling up the gallery. My action seems to pique Fluttershy’s curiosity as her eyes watch me set the phone down on the table, all of us looking at the screen. “Just a few months ago, I was exactly how you remembered me. I was bitter, angry, vengeful and power hungry. But Sunset came to me and told me I could be happy too. I didn’t believe it at first, but…” Pulling up a picture of the blanket I bought Sunset for Christmas, I can’t help but smile a little bit, remembering the day fondly. “I ended up trying to find happiness. It took a while, but I ended up getting this for Sunset for Christmas.” Swiping my finger across the screen, Pinkie’s eyes widen again upon seeing a picture of Apple Bloom and I, something the young cowgirl begged me to take. “If it wasn’t for the kindness of some of my close friends,” Flipping to pictures of Rainbow and Sunset, my smile widens. “I wouldn’t have this second chance. It’s due to their kindness that I was able to find happiness in life and that they were there to help me when I got hurt. I owe them a lot.” Pinkie’s eyes avert from the phone for a second to look at me, confused. “When you got hurt…?” Even though Pinkie has been distant the whole conversation, the tone in her eyes tells me she’s curious about what I mean by those words. Fortunately, I don’t have a picture for this, so I don’t have to exactly relive the… injury. “Well, I got a new job and I ended up… falling down some icy stairs. I hit the back of my head pretty hard and… Well, I was in the hospital.” Flipping through a bunch of pictures, my hand stops at a picture that never fails to warm my heart, bringing a smile to my face whenever I see it. It’s one I have saved in my phone and even printed into a physical photo that I keep in my bag. The blue light of the television illuminates her face ever so softly, the fire in her hair barely ablaze as she sleeps. We were sharing a blanket that day. Her head rested on my shoulder and I couldn’t resist taking it. We were only friends, yet this picture is one of the things that made me so attached to her. Sunset Shimmer… She… was only trying to help me earlier, right…? I know she didn’t ask for my permission, but… she only wants me to be happy and healthy. She forgave me pretty soon after I lied to her and gave me a chance to make up for it. I really need to talk to her after this… “Sunset was the one who nursed me back to health.” Looking up at Pinkie Pie with a smile, I put my phone back in my purse, bringing my hand to my scarf. “She even gave me this. I wear it almost every day I can because of that.” Holding my hand out and extending my pinkie finger, I lock my eyes with hers, feeling the urge to tear up build in me, but I force it down as best as I can. Apple Bloom was the one who told me how much a pinkie promise means. It’s something that I don’t take lightly anymore because of her influence. “I promise that I mean it when I say this, Pinkie. I am truly sorry for everything I did to you. I would never want to relive that and I wish I could take it all back.” Surprise washes over Pinkie’s face as she watches me extend my finger, not knowing exactly what to do with the unexpected outcome. “You pinkie promise?” Pinkie Pie asks me sincerely, her eyes no longer displaying anger or sadness, instead being replaced with a simple look of wishful wonder. It looks like she wants to believe me, but there’s just the smallest bit of her still holding back. “I pinkie promise~” Wrapping my finger around her own, the first genuine smile I’ve seen comes to Pinkie’s lips, the poof coming back to her hair gradually. “Alright. I forgive you,” Pinkie whispers before her bright blue eyes look up at me, happy about this outcome. I’m still unsure how her hair works like that… “Can we do ice breakers then?” Fluttershy asks in her usual shy tone, her hands patting our shoulders slightly. Both Pinkie and I look at each other briefly before nodding at the yellow girl. “Do you like pastries? I love them~” Pinkie Pie quickly jumps in without giving Fluttershy a chance to give us a prompt. I can’t help but chuckle at her action, slowly seeing Pinkie’s energy return to her. “Well, I do like a slice of cherry cheesecake every now and then~” ===================================================== The area in front of the barn is absolutely packed with people around this time for some music and dancing, making it the ideal place to try and find her. My hair is still a little soggy from a water balloon fight I had with Pinkie and Fluttershy. It was the party girl’s idea, so I wasn’t exactly to blame for it. Thankfully, I still had the change of clothes from before, so only my hoodie and my jeans got wet. Not my good clothes. This area is almost daunting to enter, considering the sheer amount of people I don’t know. The music in the air is composed of high strung notes from guitars and tambourines, making the music sound Western in nature. Personally, the whine of the guitars in most Western songs doesn’t appeal to me. If anything, it sometimes grinds on my ear drums, making me feel kind of sick. Of course, it has to be popular with some people or else it wouldn’t exist. Unless every Western person just has a torture pact with each other to relish in the pain together. Regardless, the people around me dance to the music with gleeful excitement, leaving me in an awkward state of not knowing what to do. Walking through the people dancing on the dirt ground, I make my way to the edge of the crowd, trying to look for her. My mind still tells me I should feel a little mad, but… with everything that’s happened, it feels petty to keep this cycle going. Sunset’s always there for me and I’m always here for her. This was just one big fight, so I’m sure we can get through it if we try. Especially since I’m trying to repair her social circle with her friends. I love her… More than anything. I know she loves me too, so… I just want to fix things before the end of the day. Bringing my hand to the soft scarf around my neck, I sigh out of anticipation for the upcoming interaction, the words I should say avoiding me for the time being. Despite the music all around me, I can’t seem to hear it. My mind focuses on the wind gently brushing past my face and the smell of the dirt. It’s almost… peaceful in a way. Maybe that’s why the Apples love this way of life. Before I can think any more about it, a small tap presses against my shoulder, causing me to turn my head around. “Hey, alligator,” her voice is practically the only thing I willingly listen to, hearing her kind tone. Her eyes connect with mine and for a moment, everything feels alright. She tries her best to give me a smile, but it fades away a little too quickly for my liking. “Do you maybe want to talk again…?” Her question is hesitant, even though she’s usually pretty confident and determined. I guess she sometimes gets nervous in my presence like I do in hers. “Yeah. I-” Sunset quickly brings her hand up, stopping me in my tracks as she shakes her head. “I have something I need to say, alligator. Please. Let me talk first…” Her chest heaves a little as she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes before she lets herself open her mouth. “I know I was kind of… acting like a hypocrite earlier. I got so mad at you for lying to me to try and keep me happy, but I ended up doing something similar to you.” Her eyes open slowly to look into my own, a dejected smile still on her face as if she thought it was already too late. “For that, I’m sorry. I really am and I didn’t want to let another second of the day to go by without me saying that.” Without wasting a moment, Sunset’s hand comes up to my cheek with a singular tear forming in her eye, her expression remaining the same. “I just end up worrying so much about you that I sometimes forget that you can take care of yourself… Maybe I just feel protective, I’m not sure,” Sunset says in a solemn tone, her eyes looking away from me with guilt. Sunset has done so much to take care of me already… She’s always here for me and I love that about her. She’s loved me more genuinely than any creature has before and I can never repay what she’s done for me. It’s like she feels like she has to nurse me back to health whenever I fall, but I suppose that’s really… nice in a way. “I already said I forgive you, Sunset,” I whisper to her, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her in for a hug. The woman in my arms takes a hesitant breath in response to my action, gingerly wrapping her own arms around me. “I love you too, Sunset. I… I know today has been really hard for us, but… how about we both promise to not lie to each other anymore, okay? Not just me or you.” Her eyes look into my own with her guilt slowly being replaced with happiness, her smile showing how she feels entirely. Pressing her forehead against my own, she slowly nods, sighing in relief at the situation. “You really don’t have to forgive me, you know… You’re allowed to still be mad,” she whispers to me, her fingers gingerly playing with my hair as we listen to the music. “We’ve had enough strife this week as it is. I just want today to end off peacefully and for us to be given a break, you know?” As soon as everything seems alright, it all goes to hell again later… Why can’t we just have a day to be happy? A week without too many hardships to struggle over? Is it penance for my past actions? Holding her in my arms right now makes me worried for the future… What if something else happens to separate us…? “You’re so thoughtful and caring, Adagio. Despite what you like to think of yourself,” Sunset slowly whispers, her embrace becoming tighter. I can’t help but feel surprised by Sunset’s words, a blush coming to my face even though I try to resist it. “You always think about how you can make someone’s day better, even if it causes more trouble for you. I’m… so glad I came to know you.” Her hand slowly reaches up to my cheek, moving her head back to lock our eyes once more. Her warm smile comes back to her face as a tear slides down her face. “I love you, Adagio. So much. I promise to not lie to you as well.” I can almost feel my own eyes tear up as I take her hand in mine, thankful that we can try our best to avoid any more trouble. If anything, this night needs to end off on the right note. Without giving me a chance to respond, both of us notice the drastic change in sounds around us. The music changes from a Western square dance song into a more romantic tune, seeing multiple people pair up for a dance. Even though the sun is still out, they’re playing a song like this which makes it feel a little contradictory. Usually, romantic songs are played to end a night, but I suppose it’s a nice change of pace. Actually, Sunset and I have never really… danced before… Not that I know how to dance, but the thought sounds… nice. If it’s with her… “Would you… maybe like to dance?” I ask her in a quiet tone without reconnecting my eyes, my body feeling a little ashamed of the request for some reason. “We haven’t danced yet, have we?” Sunset asks me in the same quiet tone, a small chuckle coming from her lips. “Have you ever danced with someone?” Other than what we did last night, I can’t quite say I’ve ever danced. Even in a playful sense. Sonata sometimes danced to pop songs that we would hear, but I never dared to make a fool of myself in that way. If you dull down the definition of dancing to the most bare minimum state, one could squint and say that I possibly danced when I was working at the nightclub, but all I did was move my hips a little. “I’ve never danced at all,” I whisper to her, my blush coming back to my face upon revealing that truth. Unsurprisingly, Sunset giggles at my words, making me frown slightly. It’s not supposed to be a joke. “That’s actually kind of cute~” Her hand gently presses against my cheek as she stares into my eyes with the same kind look she always gives me. “Would you like to learn~?” Her question, as gentle as it is, strikes my heart and makes me hold my breath slightly, despite her action posing no harm to me. I played that dancing game at the arcade with her, but I lost tremendously and I wouldn’t even call that dancing. Why is it so nerve-wracking to dance with her? Maybe it’s because I’m afraid of looking stupid… Another explanation is that I’m not quite sure whether I will be good enough. Regardless, I’m nervous about it. Gently, she holds my hand and brings it to her shoulder, smiling at me with a small nod. “Don’t worry~ I can lead, alright?” Her hand moves to my waist, sending another nervous charge through my body, our hands intertwined. “Just follow me and you’ll do fine, okay~?” Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I would be able to resist, simply nodding with the blush still present on my cheeks. I can’t help but smile with a nervous and embarrassed tone as Sunset slowly drags us a step to the side in tune with the music. From here, I can feel the phone in my bag vibrate, but my hands are busy holding onto Sunset, relying on her to keep me safe in these unsafe waters. This is something I’m not accustomed to, yet I feel completely okay in her arms, our eyes connected as the music fills my ears. I should really check that text… It could be something important. “Trust me,” Sunset whispers before letting go of my waist, spinning me around while still holding my hand, our fingers twisting around each other. Without giving me a warning, she gently pushes me over, my eyes widening as my body falls. Her arm wraps around my lower back, catching me without letting go of my hand. A smirk comes to her lips as she raises her eyebrow to me, seemingly confident in this dance of ours. Standing up, I let her take full control of the dance, following every action she takes blindly and fully embracing the music. I can always answer the phone later. Just… let me have this moment with her. Troubles Amid the StarsAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Now you know why I couldn't wait to write the next chapter~ I hope everyone enjoys this shorter upload~ We only have a few more chapters before the end, so I can't wait to write those too! Stay special, everyone~! Troubles Amid the Stars Chapter XIX: Troubles Amid the Stars Taking a deep breath, I stumble towards a table serving multiple drinks with a slight chuckle, grabbing a couple cups. Without hesitating, I pour punch into the two cups, taking a sip with a smile, looking towards the dancing people in front of me. The light of the day has all but disappeared, beautiful hues of blue and pink strewn across the sky. In a way, it’s beautiful. But not as beautiful as the woman in front of me, dancing to the upbeat music being played. Clearly, she’s enjoying herself a lot, even though today has already been filled with its fair share of strife. Rarity and Applejack even danced with each other for a bit before the two of them went to finish some chore. It must be difficult for Rarity. She’s dating the person who’s organized this whole event, so her girlfriend has to leave her side multiple times throughout the day just to make sure everything is going according to plan… It’s nice though. Finally being friends with them and being able to share our common experiences. The only music Rainbow Dash dared to dance to is the upbeat music, avoiding romantic songs like the plague. Sometimes, I wonder if love is even in the cards for her, but then I remember that one confession she told me all those months ago. She did love someone… But she waited too long, prompting her to convince me to not waste my own chance. I almost did waste my chance with Sunset, but thankfully, she loved me too. I guess I just wonder who it was that Rainbow loved… Fluttershy is an interesting case. After we hung out with Pinkie, she spent a lot of time on her phone, playing some game. She tried to hide what it was from me, but she didn't know I saw the game for a couple seconds. I’m not accustomed to mobile games, but from what Dash has told me, I could deduce that she was playing a dating simulator. I suppose that isn’t that surprising, considering the fact that she’s so shy that the thought of actually asking someone out probably terrifies her. The only thing that made me raise my eyebrow is that the guy she was trying to date was kind of disheveled and weird-looking. He had a white goatee and clothes that didn’t match each other at all. All I know is that he wasn’t attractive to me, but I suppose Fluttershy could like the character’s personality. “Adagio?” a young voice catches me off guard, breaking me from my imagination. Looking to my left, I see Apple Bloom looking up at me, but her typically happy expression is now replaced with a solemn look as her eyes lock with my own. “Hey, Apple Bloom~ How are you doing?” I ask her as kindly as I can, offering the second cup to her. I can always get another cup for Sunset, but the bigger problem for me is that expression on Apple Bloom’s face… Without even looking at the cup, Apple Bloom’s frown increases, her eyes seemingly pained. “Where were you…?” she asks me quietly, clenching her fist slowly. “What do you mean?” I ask her, turning my body towards the girl to give her my full attention. “I was here, dancing with Sunset. Is something wrong…?” “Dancing…? But… you promised…” Her eyes look away from me and aim at the ground, a world of hurt displayed in her expression to my surprise. “You promised to help me with that scavenger hunt, Adagio… But you just decided to dance instead?” Her eyes look up at me with a sense of betrayal in them, instantly making me remember what she’s talking about. I… completely forgot. I was so caught up with Sunset lying to me and how I would fix that. It completely slipped my mind that I had promised to help Apple Bloom with her scavenger hunt. “I texted ya like five times and I waited for a good few hours…” “I… I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom. I completely forgot. I promise, I-” “No, I understand… Ya love Sunset and all. I guess she takes priority, huh?” Apple Bloom asks me with a hurt expression, a couple of tears sliding down her face. I didn’t mean to… Please don’t cry. “I just thought that a p-promise still meant something between friends and all.” Wiping the tears from her cheek, she looks out at the makeshift dance floor that is the dirt in front of the barn. “I came to try to find ya because maybe you got lost or something. But it doesn’t matter. Enjoy your time with Sunset, yeah?” Apple Bloom weakly states, her eyes still full of tears as she turns away from me. “Apple Bloom? Wait, I really-” Grabbing her shoulder, Apple Bloom quickly brushes me off of her full on running into the dark orchard. “Come back!” I call out for her, quickly placing the cups back on the table before running in the direction Apple Bloom took off in. Running into the trees, I can instantly tell just how dark it is outside, making it increasingly difficult for me to tell what’s under my feet. Already, her normally bright hair is out of sight, making me look all around me. “Apple Bloom? Please don’t do this! I really am sorry!” I say loudly, trying to make my way deeper into the treeline, but no response comes my way. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Why, Adagio?! Why did you have to forget your promise to her? I probably could have had that one dance with Sunset and still made time for Apple Bloom, but I decided to keep dancing with her. I just shrugged off those text messages like they meant nothing. Why did I have to be so stupid?! I let my love blind me and hurt my first real friend in a long time… “Apple Bloom?” I call out for her one more time, my voice trailing off as my feet stop moving. Only the dark void of the trees presents itself in front of me, causing me to sigh heavily… If I had just checked my phone right after our first dance, this wouldn’t have happened… Thumping my fist against the nearest tree, I can’t help but bring my hand to my face. Damn it… Of course I messed up again. This day is just full of mistakes, even if I try to avoid them. Every one I fix, a new problem arises. I really am sorry… I don’t know how I can make it up to you, Apple Bloom, but I promise I will. Somehow… ======================================================== The fire burns brightly, illuminating the night while giving us a bit of warmth. Pretty much all of the guests left after the hayride except for a couple of old ladies. Fortunately they stayed inside the house to talk to Applejack’s grandmother. I knew I had recognized her from somewhere. It turns out the first place I saw her was at the Hooves Homeless Shelter. That was… a long time ago. A time I would rather forget… Sunset, her friends and I sit around the fire, only the crackling of the fire filling in the silence between everyone. This is the first time everyone has met since Valentine’s Day. Every other instance was more one-on-one with others, apparently. Even though everyone has technically made peace with each other, I suppose it’s still awkward for them due to the fight they had the last time everyone was in the same place. Not to mention that I’m here… Am I making it even more awkward…? “Well, I’d like to say thank you to everyone here,” Applejack says, breaking the silence before standing up. “It really means a lot that you all decided to come here and take up my offer~ Especially with what happened last time.” A frown comes to her face momentarily before she holds her glass of cider up in the air. “It’s been too long since we’ve all been together as friends, so I want to make a toast. To all my friends.” Her statement rings loud and clear, bringing a smile to Fluttershy’s face and making others surprised. “Even Adagio, who I’ve come to befriend over the past week.” She really didn’t have to mention me… It just makes me feel more called out. Regardless, the cowgirl takes a sip from her glass and smiles at me. “I’m happy to admit that I was wrong about you and I’m glad to call you a friend~” “Here here~” Rarity chips in with a smile, raising her own glass. I never expected Rarity to like cider, but she does like wine, so I suppose it makes a little sense. Her hand gently grabs Applejack’s before standing up to look at everyone. “I would also like to add that I’ve… missed you girls. Despite how often I try to make myself seem independent and such, I do find myself longing for our older adventures, no matter where I am. Even if I’m lounging at work.” “You can just say you missed us, you know~ You don’t have to be so dramatic,” Dash chuckles, interrupting the fashionista with a small laugh. Dash’s feet are kicked up on a stump in front of her log, taking a sip from a plastic cup. “Um… I thought it was nice, Rarity~” Fluttershy states in her same quiet tone, giving the kindest smile she can before lifting her own cup momentarily. “What has everyone been doing for the past few months?” Pinkie Pie chips in before Rarity can respond to Fluttershy’s words. “I’ve been working and visiting my family a lot~ Oh! Maud is coming here next month!” Pinkie Pie’s excited grin and expectant eyes makes me feel like everyone is supposed to have a reaction to that name, but I have no idea who this mystery person is. “Oh yeah! But wasn’t Maud living with you instead of your family?” Applejack asks the pink woman with a confused expression, pushing her hat a little higher. “She is! But Maud had to leave for something called an ‘expedition’ to find rocks or whatever.” Pinkie Pie briefly waves her hands in the air, trying to help her formulate the words to explain her situation. “When she told me about it, I was half-asleep, but I usually listen to her more closely!” “Pinkie. I think what you mean is an ‘excavation.’ It’s the act of picking a site to excavate in the attempt to find items of importance. These are usually historical relics or bones of ancient creatures~” Twilight happily explains before a sheepish grin comes over her face, noticing herself rambling again. “J-just a fun fact and all.” Her gaze connects with mine before hanging her head, looking towards the grass under her feet. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is Maud…?” I ask slowly, looking at the girls around the fire. “Oh? You don’t know my sister, Maud?” Pinkie asks me excitedly, a big grin coming to her face. “She’s only the most awesomest and funnest person to ever be around! She’s the best sister I could ever ask for, besides Marble and Limestone of course~ Maud is super interested in rocks and she always makes great jokes about them!” “Believe it or not, Maud is actually harder to understand than Pinkie and Rarity are,” Rainbow Dash interrupts the pink woman with a slight laugh. Is Maud also hyperactive like Pinkie…? I suppose that could be why she would be hard to understand… Even though I’ve already heard quite a bit about her, I still don’t know what Maud is like. Rarity’s eyebrow raises slightly at Rainbow’s statement, crossing her arms slowly. “And what is that supposed to-” “I do admit that Maud was a peculiar gal, but we were all able to understand her a little more after we got to know her,” Applejack interjects, a thoughtful look on her face. “I remember one of the first times I met her was a few years ago~” Sunset says with a smile, looking up to the sky momentarily. “It was back when we were trying to defeat-” she suddenly stops herself before making eye contact with me, clearing her throat quickly. “I mean, um… We were having a sleepover at Pinkie’s and I got a snack in the middle of the night, but I got scared when I saw her after I closed the fridge door. Apparently, she said that Boulder was hungry.” “Boulder does that a lot~” Pinkie tells us with a smile, taking a big gulp of her drink. “So does Gummy, my pet alligator!” Pinkie Pie has a pet alligator…? Why did I never know about this…? Now I’m even more grateful that I was able to make up with her today before she could get the idea of introducing me to ‘Gummy.’ Leaning in closer, Sunset kisses my cheek and grabs a hold of my hand, that same warm smile coming to her lips. “It’s not a real alligator, just so you know. It’s a stuffed animal she calls her pet,” Sunset whispers in my ear, apparently knowing my thoughts without me saying a word. “I’m still wondering what dear Rainbow Dash meant by her previous statement,” Rarity speaks up, her arms still crossed as her gaze sends daggers into Dash’s head. “I mean, wasn’t it kind of self-explanatory?” Dash asks as her eyes look around at the rest of us, searching for some sort of support for her argument. “You’re sometimes hard to… well, understand.” Without a care, Rainbow Dash grabs a marshmallow from Fluttershy’s backpack, putting it on her stick and holds it above the fire. “That makes two things you should apologize for, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity states before flipping her hair over her shoulder, her eyes staring intently at the rainbow-haired athlete. “Two things? What else did I do?” she responds in a clueless manner, taking a bite of her partially melted marshmallow. “Oh, come off it, Rainbow Dash! You know you were the main reason the fight we had on Valentine’s Day lasted as long as it did.” Rarity’s angry statement shows that she still holds some sort of grudge from that day, surprising me. I thought the two of them had made up? “Sugarcube, don’t you think-” “Darling, don’t get in the middle of this,” Rarity interrupts Applejack with a harsh stare before looking back at Rainbow Dash. “Don’t you remember you practically insinuated I am Applejack’s pet?” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrow quickly raises as she looks around at all of us. “That’s not fair, Rarity! I said that you only made your decision due to Applejack’s influence! I never said that you were a pet or whatever.” “Telling me that I only follow my girlfriend’s lead is removing my individuality as a lady AND it makes it sound like you’re saying my reasons were not just.” Her own grimace grows, Rarity’s eyes narrowing slightly. “Am I not my own person with a right to my own opinion?” “W-well, I… don’t think she was trying to say that,” Fluttershy whispers, standing up from her seated position to try and deescalate the situation. “You too, Fluttershy? Are you telling me you don’t think she was de-valuing me as a woman by saying I’m like a lapdog for AJ?” Rarity aims her hand at Rainbow Dash with a surprised expression. “If anything, you’re seeming like a psycho right now,” Rainbow Dash remarks, giving the fashionista her own stare. “Rainbow. I would suggest you don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.” “Darling, stop defending me! It just makes me look worse if I can’t stand up for myself,” Rarity lets out with an exasperated breath, clearly tired of Applejack’s influence. “I mean, Rarity kind of has a point, Rainbow,” Sunset states from beside me. “That was really rude of you and you still haven’t apologized. “Apologized? I should apologize? What happened to them admitting they were wrong about Dagi?” Rainbow Dash stands up with an outraged look on her face, spreading her arms out as if to say she doesn’t know why she’s in trouble. “I stood by you back then and I chose to be fair, but I’m the bad guy?” “No one said you’re the bad guy, Dash. Though, I admit it was a stressful situation, so I can understand lashing out,” I finally interject, finding my own words to put into the conversation. “You would know a lot about lashing out, huh?” Twilight remarks in an uncharacteristically confident tone, her eyes staring at me with a small frown. Her hand slowly rubs her arm, showing that she’s still affected by my outburst with her earlier. Sunset’s eyes look to me with a sense of confusion, opening her mouth slightly. “Adagio… Are you saying it was okay for Rainbow to lash out at Rarity?” “No, but I was saying that I could… well, understand her point-of-view.” I try my best to shake my head and appease Sunset, seeing her clear discomfort with what she thought I was saying. “I still don’t see why I should apologize to someone who’s acting like a stuck up brat,” Rainbow Dash lets out angrily, her eyes staring into Rarity’s. “You even accepted you were wrong, so leave it at that.” “Why I-” Rarity stops herself mid-yell, holding her mouth before she takes a deep breath. Without wasting another moment, she quickly grabs her purse and brushes off her shorts. “I’m not going to stay here with someone who won’t acknowledge her own misdeeds. At least I had the decency to say ‘I’m sorry.’” “Oh? You’re acting all high and mighty again, huh? Fine! Maybe it was too soon to see you again!” Rainbow exclaims before flipping the fashionista off, a singular tear coming to Rainbow’s eye. “Dash, Rarity, stop. I’m sure we ca-” before I can finish my words, both girls shoot me a deadly glare, Rarity quickly stomping away from the fire. “Dagi! Just stop!” Rainbow yells in anger, gripping her head before walking in an opposite direction of the fire, Applejack looking between the two girls. “Rainbow! Rarity! Um… Just… stay here, y’all. Please. I’ll be back,” Applejack pleads with us before running in the direction Rarity had stomped off in, leaving all of us with a surprised expression. “I think I should go too,” Twilight says in a quiet and monotone voice, picking up her own bag with Spike inside. Spike’s eyes widen as he looks up at her, surprised by this turn of events. “Huh? Twilight? Why are we leaving?” he asks her, only for her to zip up the bag, her eyes avoiding him. Before leaving, Twilight stares at me one more time, quickly walking away from the fire. “Wait,” Sunset weakly lets out beside me, looking all around her for the people who left the fire. “It… wasn’t supposed to go like this. I…” Tears start to form in Sunset’s eyes as she stares into the darkness. Every time I see her cry, it never gets better. It always hurts my heart and I can’t help but try to help her feel better. Before I can even try to hold her hand, Sunset stands up from the log, quickly walking away from us. “Twilight! Wait, please! We can still talk this out!” Her fiery-hair quickly gets farther away from the fire, tears streaming down her face the whole time. “Sunset?” Without wasting a second, Sunset stops me from following her by holding out her hand, shaking her head with her watery eyes connecting with mine, running completely into the darkness after Twilight. Once again, the only sound to be heard is the sizzling fire that we were all sitting around, but now only three of us are left… Why did Rarity and Rainbow Dash have to argue? We were having a good time and then… Everything went to shit. There always have to be problems… Sitting back down on the log, I can’t help but sigh, looking towards Fluttershy and Pinkie to see if they would leave me too. Pinkie Pie’s hair straightens out once more, her eyes becoming dull as she stares into the fire. “Well… that was fun…” Still More Work to DoAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Once again, a short upload~ Only a couple more chapters to go until the end, so I hope everyone enjoys~ Stay special, everybody! Still More Work to Do Chapter XX: Still More Work to Do The air around us is cold, adding to the gray sky of the morning. Thankfully, I’m already wearing a scarf and leather jacket, but my legs only have shorts and leggings on, making them pretty cold. Combine that with the fact that none of us got sleep last night, it just makes me feel worse. I really wanted last night to end off in a good way, but it seems that wasn’t going to happen. I assumed Rarity and Rainbow Dash had already made up, but I was just blind… “Okay. We’ve already established that Rarity and Rainbow are mad at each other,” I say quietly, pacing back and forth in front of the bench Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sit on. During the night, we eventually decided to leave the Apple Family farm and go to Garden Hooves Park. “The main reason is because Rainbow Dash won’t apologize for her treatment of Rarity. Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t there for the full fight, I don’t have the full details.” “Oh, well, um… Not a lot happened other than what you saw. Rainbow Dash and Rarity insulted each other a little more, but the main reason is the fact that Dash sorta invalidated her as a person,” Fluttershy tells me with a nod, her hands placed on her knees as we think about the situation. “And then there’s something going on with you and Twilight,” Pinkie states in a depressed tone, her straight hair partially covering one of her eyes. “Which you still haven’t told us about.” Bringing my hand to my face, I sigh quietly, biting my lip at the memory. “I… kinda had an outburst with Twilight and scared her. I didn’t mean the words I said, but it happened nonetheless.” Searching my bag for my phone, I flip it open to look for any new notifications. “You still have a flip phone?” Fluttershy asks me quietly, her eyes seemingly showing her surprise with that fact. “Well, I can’t exactly afford a new one at this time.” Looking at my phone’s screen, I can’t help but frown as I see multiple texts from Apple Bloom, all of them from yesterday afternoon. Other than that, I have a couple of notifications from Rainbow Dash. “It seems that Dash texted me last night. She seems pretty pissed from the texts, so I would assume both her and Rarity are mad about last night.” “Then what are we going to do? It’s not a great idea to push them together when emotions are still high,” Pinkie says in an uncharacteristically wise statement, flipping her hair away from her eyes. Before I can answer the party girl, my phone begins to vibrate, a ringtone being heard by all three of us. “Sorry. Just give me a minute,” I tell the girls before walking away from the two of them towards the park playground. Looking at the phone’s screen, my eyes widen slightly at the contact name listed. Huh… You finally called. Clicking the accept call button, I quickly bring it to my ear with a deep breath. “Hello, Rich. Please tell me this is important. I’m kind of busy right now.” A deep chuckle comes from the other end of the line, making me roll my eyes at his reaction. “Too busy to hear some good news?” His laugh lasts for a few moments after his sentence, finally clearing his throat. “This is important, Dazzle. Those items you lost? I fulfilled my end of the bargain and found them.” He actually found them…? I was a bit reluctant to trust him, especially when it took him multiple days without any update, but… I’m glad he pulled through. “Thank you, Rich. This… really means a lot to me,” I say quietly in the most genuine tone I’ve used around him before. It really is a big deal that he was able to help me with this. I wouldn’t have been able to find our stuff by myself. Not to mention the fact that I was so angry that day I probably would have hurt the person who stole our stuff. “It will arrive at my house tomorrow morning. You can come collect it and see if any of your items are missing.” Rich seemingly stops himself mid sentence, leaving a long pause in the air. “Just don’t forget your end of the bargain, Dazzle~” “You know I won’t,” I whisper into the microphone, trying to make sure none of my words are heard by the two girls behind me. Within a moment, the call ends with a tone indicating he hung up. He doesn’t have to remind me every single time we talk… It’s like he expects me to forget the deal we made when I’ve clearly shown I hold up my promises. I just hope he legitimately got everything back… If one thing is missing, I’ll have to talk to him… Turning around, I look at Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie with a smile, approaching them quickly. “I agree with what you said, Pinkie. It’ll be a bit difficult to make things right again without waiting for some of the emotions to die down. Fortunately, I was just given an opportunity that I think will help me get through to Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie’s eyebrow raises, leaning forward to hear me better. “Okay? What is it?” “I can’t quite tell you that just yet… But trust me. I can talk to Dash tomorrow. I will just need the help of Applejack.” Fluttershy perks up after hearing my words, bringing a finger to her chin. “And I can try to talk to Rarity while you do that~ Maybe we can get the two of them to talk to each other tomorrow as well~” “I wouldn’t advise it,” I say quietly, looking away from the two. “Rainbow Dash will only believe that I’m actually trying to make things right instead of just ganging up on her if I give her a bit of space. Which means we will have to wait until the day after tomorrow to introduce the two of them again.” “I can go with Fluttershy…” Pinkie Pie slowly pulls a purple balloon out of her pocket, blowing it up within a few seconds. Using a sharpie she pulls out of her hair, she draws a face on the balloon, resembling Twilight. How did she hide that sharpie in her hair…? Especially when it’s flat like this? “But that still leaves the question about Twily and all. What will we do about her?” That… is a valid question. “Sunset looked like she was going to talk to her, right?” Fluttershy asks the two of us, her eyes switching between us. “Yes, but knowing how hard it’s been for her, I’m not sure if she got through to Twilight,” I whisper in response, rubbing my arm slowly. “Let’s just say Sunset and I have had… a couple fights recently. She’s also been having a really hard time at work and she was counting on this reunion to make things right between everyone. But now that things have kinda gotten worse, I’m afraid she might be closing herself off.” “Sunset? Closing herself off?” Fluttershy’s eyes widen in surprise, staring into my own eyes with concern. “What makes you think she will do that?” A nervous grin comes to my face, bringing my hand to my scarf to feel its soft fabric. The truth is that I’m scared for her… Ever since I saw her try to hurt herself, I can’t help but worry about her every time something bad happens. With everything going to shit like this, I don’t know how she’s going to handle it. If she ends up hurting herself again, I don’t know if I will be able to forgive myself… Especially since it feels like most of this is my fault. I should have paid more attention to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I shouldn’t have blown up at Twilight and I should have helped Apple Bloom. It’s like all of this is my fault, but I know that technically isn’t true. I just need to remember that I’m doing my best. Right…? “Well, combined with all the stress of her internship, school, the lack of her friends in her life, the couple of arguments we’ve had and the recent break-in, I can’t help but think she’s going to close herself off from mostly everyone. That’s my first priority. I’m going to try to talk to Sunset when I get home today and we can work on everyone else in the following days.” I can’t help but feel a little awkward, seeing both of them stare at me with a confused tone. “A break-in…?” Fluttershy whispers, clearly worried about what that entails. “Some of our stuff was stolen a few days ago. But it will be okay. Just don’t worry about us. I’ll probably need Sunset’s help to get on Twilight’s good side, but if I can’t get her to help, I’ll need you two.” The wind blows harder against me, reminding me how cold it is outside. “Go home and get some sleep… We’re going to need the rest, especially if we’re going to try and fix things before Sunset’s birthday.” Fluttershy squeaks in a high-pitched tone, causing both of us to look at her with confusion. “I forgot about her birthday! Isn’t it in a week?” Giving her a simple nod, Fluttershy’s expression turns to a nervous one, looking down at the floor. “How are we going to do this in one week?” “We can do it. I apologized to everyone within a week and became friends with you girls. We’ll just need to work together. Speaking of which, do you have my phone number yet, Pinkie?” Pinkie Pie shakes her head, pulling out her phone, but before I can speak, Fluttershy simply shows her screen to Pinkie. Without waiting, Pinkie inputs something into her phone, probably adding me as a contact. Even though I have a flip phone and Pinkie has a phone that's at least five years old, Fluttershy’s device looks like it’s one of the most recent models in the market. How does she have the money to afford that…? “Good luck with Sunset,” Fluttershy tells me with a kind smile, standing up from her seated position. Pinkie quickly follows suit, stretching her legs slightly. Bringing her hands to her hair, she poofs it back up to its previous state, her eyes looking at the two of us with a smile. “We’ll all need luck, silly. We have a party to plan with a bunch of sour guests~” ========================================================= Closing the door quietly, I look around our dark apartment, despite the light outside from the morning sun. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s dark inside since it’s still early in the morning, but a part of me can’t help but worry that’s a bad sign. Quickly taking off my scarf and jacket, I kick off my boots as quietly as possible, pulling off my shorts and tights as I do so. Last night went horribly… I should have expected such, but I was blind with my own emotions. Now we have to try and fix things within a week. I don’t want to let Sunset have a horrible birthday due to my stupidity and everyone else’s arrogance… Things can be fixed. Right? I mean, Rich got our stuff back and it looks like we’ll be able to organize everything with Sunset’s friends. Our friends… Everything keeps going downhill, but I refuse to let it happen any more. Not when I’ve realized just how much she means to me and how much our life has affected me. I can’t just sit idly by and give up because things failed this time. I need to be strong. For her. For us. I know we can make it past this. If we were able to make it past my attempts to avoid her and everyone else, we can fix this. It will just take a bit of work, that’s all. She picked me up at my lowest. I owe her the same courtesy. I love her more than anything in the world and I can’t imagine just letting her drown in despair. Walking down the hallway, I quietly grab the doorknob, opening the door to look inside. Sunset’s colorful hair barely peaks out of the top of the blanket as the lump in the blanket lays still, the light of the sun barely coming inside our window. I… Oh… My smile is immediately wiped away though as I look at my side of the bed… There, laying on top of the sheets, is a bright and shining blade… The same damn thing I can’t seem to get out of my memories. Please don’t tell me… Quietly making my way inside the room, I grab the knife from my side of the bed, inspecting it immediately. There’s no stain on it, so… maybe she didn’t use it…? “Don’t worry. I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” her voice quietly states without turning around, causing me to look at the lump in the bed with surprise. The sadness in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed, making me all the more grateful she didn’t actually use it. Putting the knife down on the bedside table, I slowly sit down on the bed, bringing my hand to her shoulder with no response. Sunset… Please, talk to me. “Are you okay?” I whisper, sliding the blanket over me as I get closer to her, bringing the fiery-haired woman into my embrace. This spooning position isn’t ideal since it gives me very little idea how Sunset is actually feeling, but this is all I can do for now. “No,” she whispers back as a response, not moving an inch. “But I couldn’t bring myself to use that knife because I remembered what you’ve told me. That you love me and such.” I do love you… with all my heart. In a way, it should warm my heart that she didn’t end up hurting herself because she remembered how much I care about her, but the worrying thoughts in my mind still persist. Wrapping my arm around her, I slowly reach for her lower stomach, feeling for any wet sensation… “Even though I just told you I didn’t cut myself, you’re still checking, huh? I guess that just goes to show how thoughtful you are.” Despite her kind and loving words, her tone doesn’t change from how depressed it was when she first spoke. “At least you’re still here.” “Your friends are still here too, Sunset,” I whisper, getting closer to her to share my warmth with her. “Let’s not lie to each other, Alligator. Last night was the final straw. We could have fixed things, but it all got messed up. I’m…” Sunset’s tone cracks slightly, causing her to stop her sentence. Her hand comes up to her face, wiping away whatever tears formed with ease. “I’m losing my friends… And now it can’t be stopped.” “Sunset. You’re not-” “Adagio. Please,” she says with tears in her eyes, finally looking back at me and trying to hold back her cracked voice. “Just… don’t lie to me. Please just stay with me and let me try to sleep, okay?” she pleads with me, trying desperately to hold everything together. I can finally see Sunset’s bedside table, but the sight I see only makes me feel worse. It’s absolutely covered in tissues, presumably meaning she’s been crying all night. Has she not gotten any sleep either…? “Alright,” I whisper, holding her as close to my body as I can. As a thank you, Sunset lays her lips against my cheek before putting her head back down on the pillow. Despite the intent behind her kiss, it felt weak and out of energy. Sunset really thinks that it’s all over… I promise that I won’t let that happen. I love you… ============================================================ “I don’t know if I can, sugarcube,” the orange cowgirl tells me from her front door, a solemn expression on her face. Just like yesterday, the day is cold and more or less gray, making me wear jeans with my attire. It’s almost like the world knows exactly how we feel, making the atmosphere align with our emotions. It’s depressing… “Applejack, I know that you’re busy trying to reason with your girlfriend, but I could really use some help to get through to Rainbow Dash. It will probably only take a couple of hours. Tops.” The cowgirl raises her eyebrow at me suspiciously, only to shake her head slowly. “I’m real sorry. I wouldn’t do a lick of good. It’s not like Rainbow would listen to me. With Rarity, I at least have a chance.” “Oh come off it, Applejack. Stop acting like you don’t matter all that much when you and Dash have been friends for years now. You’re clearly her best friend and she misses you. Well, she misses everyone, but especially hanging out with you.” Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself a bit, not wanting another fiasco like what happened with Twilight. Clasping my hands together, I can’t help but feel surprised that I’m about to do this. I’ve never had to do this before, but… desperate times call for desperate measures. “Please, Applejack. I need help. Not for my sake, but for Sunset’s.” Applejack’s expression turns to a worried one as her eyes open wider, slowly walking out on the porch and closing the door behind her. “Is something wrong, sugar…? I know we haven’t been friends for long, but I hope ya know you can talk to me if you need to.” To be honest, I already know that… But it’s hard for me to rely on someone in general. It’s hard to open up about my problems since I’m used to being the strong boss girl rather than relying on someone to help me through something. Even when things get hard like this, my mind would rather deal with it myself than let someone else in on the pain I’m going through. But this time…? It’s not just me. This involves the love of my life and I… I’m worried… “It’s Sunset,” I say quietly with a couple tears forming in my eyes, trying my damned best to keep myself from breaking down. Keep those walls up, Adagio… “I’m… worried that she’s closing herself off completely. She’s so depressed and she’s convinced that… she’s losing her friends and her life.” Damn it, Adagio… Why do you have to let these tears out…? I just… don’t want to lose her to this. She can beat this, right…? Bringing my hand to my face, I try my best to hide my tears, only feeling my walls crack a little more. “Please, AJ. You know w-what it’s like to love someone… with all your heart… I need to fix this. F-for her sake.” A strike of pain goes through my heart… I can’t think like that. It’ll be fine… She means the world to me. I don’t want her to close herself off… I can’t do this alone. Gently, Applejack’s hand grabs my shoulder, causing me to look at her, trying to not cry anymore. It’s a futile attempt at this point… When it comes to Sunset, I can’t help but feel so emotional for her… She’s my everything. “That won’t happen. She ain’t losing her friends. It’s just… a little bump in the road, that’s all,” Applejack tries to reassure me, giving me the kindest smile she can. “I tried telling her that, but she didn’t listen. I just… I don’t know what I can do other than try to fix this…” Sniffling just a little more, I try my best to take deep breaths, looking away from Applejack. “F-Fluttershy and Pinkie are helping me, but they are going to try to talk to Rarity. I can’t talk to Dash alone… I need help, Applejack.” A conflicted look comes to the cowgirl’s face, her eyes looking towards the ground before giving me a slow nod. “Alright. I can come talk with Rainbow. Just give me a few minutes to change into something worthy of going out and I’ll be ready.” I can’t help but feel a happy feeling come to me upon hearing her words. I will need all the help I can get if I want to fix all of this before Sunset’s birthday. She won’t lose her friends after all. I promised that wouldn’t happen. Instantly, I wrap my arms around the cowgirl, hugging her as tightly as I can with a smile on my face. “Thank you, Applejack~” ================================================== The walk to Rainbow Dash’s home is usually a long one, but it only took five minutes this time around. The main reason for the faster time is due to the fact that Applejack drove me there in her family truck, making the trip much less tiresome. I’m used to walking everywhere, but a part of me wishes I could take a car everywhere rather than tire my legs out all the time. Honestly, the thought of owning that motorcycle is even more enticing now. Not only would it give my legs a break, but it would help Sunset get back and forth to places. Alright, Adagio. Stop it. You need to focus. Hopping out of the truck, I close the door to the vehicle, walking down the sidewalk towards the house. Applejack quickly catches up to me, putting her hat back on as she does so. The cowgirl is the first one to knock on the door, a determined expression coming to her. “We can do this, Adagio. I promise,” she reassures me, patting my shoulder slowly. I really hope so… If this doesn’t go well, I’m not sure what we will do. I need this to go alright. I need everything to be fixed because if it doesn’t… I’m afraid Sunset will close herself off. If she does that, she will be losing a part of herself. Sunset is always so happy and outgoing, finding the will to be confident and determined in even the darkest situations. To see that smile, even when the odds are stacked against you? It’s like heaven… If she loses that hopeful attitude and the courage she’s always carried with her, I don’t know what I will do. The sound of the front door’s lock snaps me back to reality, making me pay attention. Within a moment, Rainbow Dash peaks outside the door, surprise washing over her before she fully opens the door. “Oh, hey, guys,” is all she says for a moment, scratching her head. Stepping out on the porch, she makes eye contact with both of us, all of us seemingly unsure what to say. “How are you both doing?” “Not great after the day before yesterday,” Applejack slowly responds, leaning against one of the pillars holding a roof over the porch. She was able to come up with something to say a lot quicker than I would have… I’m grateful she’s here. I’m honestly a mess. “Yeah…” Rainbow Dash scraps her shoe against the porch, laying her back on the wall of the house. “I assume this visit is about that…?” “Yup,” the cowgirl responds in a short manner, sounding like her brother. “Dash. I… I don’t want to make it seem like we’re against you or anything. You’re a good friend of mine,” I quietly let out, making eye contact with the rainbow-haired girl. “But you want me to apologize, right?” Her question takes the words right out of my mouth, her eyes averting mine and opting to look down at the porch with a solemn expression. Applejack looks at me with confusion, her face telling me she’s not sure what to say now. Other than a simple ‘yes,’ what is there to be said? “I know. I thought a lot about it yesterday. I was kinda being an ass to Rarity…” Without wasting another moment, Rainbow Dash’s eyes look up at mine, her sad gaze somehow full of determination. “I especially thought about what you said. How I was being loyal to my friends, but that made me pick sides way too easily.” “I mean, that is one of the main issues,” Applejack pitches in, tilting her hat upward. “Sugarcube, I know Valentine’s Day was a long time ago and it doesn’t seem like it should matter, but-” “Yeah, yeah. I know. It affected Rarity and all… I’m not blind.” Rainbow Dash’s solemn expression remains as she chuckles to herself in a quiet tone. “I kinda screwed everything up two nights ago, huh? I already know I need to apologize.” Dash’s eyes look up at us, slowly raising an eyebrow. “What’s with the funny looks…?” Looking over at Applejack, a surprised emotion is written all across her face, making her seemingly speechless for a few moments. “Well, I… It was just easier than we thought it would be, that’s all.” “What? Did you think I was going to be stubborn and pig-headed about it? I know I was wrong,” Rainbow Dash admits, her eyes showing skepticism at our reactions. I wasn’t expecting Rainbow Dash to want to apologize so quickly afterward. Even if it has been two days, it still surprises me. It’s a good turn of events, finally… “Eh, you don’t want to know the answer to that,” I slowly remark, causing Applejack to laugh a little. “I’m glad though. That you want to apologize and all.” “Of course I do. It’s been way too long since everyone has been together and I screwed it up by not acknowledging Rarity’s feelings. I’m not always stubborn,” Dash states while crossing her arms, her eyes looking towards me. “When do you guys want me to talk to her…?” “Not until tomorrow. Rarity’s still pretty upset and Fluttershy is talking with her with the assistance of Pinkie Pie. We’re kind of hoping that both of y’all can make up tomorrow morning,” the cowgirl informs the athlete with a gesture of her hand, seemingly trying to convey the complexity of it all. “In time for Sunset’s birthday. She’s… not doing well.” Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack look towards me, Applejack’s eyes filled with understanding whereas Dash looks confused. “This has affected Sunset too…?” Rainbow asks me nervously, guilt coming over her face. “I… I’m sorry. Yeah. I can try my best to make it up with Rarity tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do in the meantime?” Upon hearing Rainbow Dash’s words, Applejack’s face lights up as if an idea came to her. “Well, ya could ride along with us. We’re going to be moving a couple boxes of Sunset and Adagio’s belongings.” Rainbow Dash simply raises her eyebrow to Applejack’s request, stepping away from the wall. “Huh…? Are they moving or something?” “Do you remember when Sunset and I’s apartment got robbed? Well, I… found our stuff again.” I didn’t find any of it. Rich did. He actually held up his end of the bargain in a seemingly losing situation and I can’t thank him enough for it. I am surprised he was able to find our items a few days after they were stolen. Each day makes it less likely they will be recovered, but he was able to do it. “Huh. You know what? Yeah. I can help you guys out. If it helps Sunset a bit, then it will be a step in the right direction of making things right.” Rainbow Dash gives us both a thumbs up, trying to smile in the most genuine way she can. “Last one to the truck is a rotten egg?” Applejack’s brow furrows slightly, crossing her arms. “You. Wouldn’t. Dare.” A Step ForwardAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Only one more chapter to go~ I hope everyone enjoys this~ A Step Forward Chapter XXI: A Step Forward The gate opens automatically for Applejack’s truck, letting us into Filthy Rich’s property with relative ease. I was expecting we would have to press the button to call for someone to open it, but I suppose Rich was already expecting us. Especially since I called him earlier to say I was going to be here. One thing that surprises me is the clear lack of enthusiasm on Applejack’s face that has been present since she saw the exact address we’re going to. “Is something wrong…?” I ask her curiously, Applejack concentrating on the driveway. “I didn’t know you had help from Filthy Rich…” The cowgirl grumbles her words, seemingly unenthused about the whole situation. Her hands seem to have a death grip on the steering wheel, making me a little curious as to what she has against the man. I mean, sure. He’s arrogant, stubborn, hard to deal with and has a huge ego, but he’s kept every one of his promises to me. I don’t particularly enjoy talking to him or dealing with his bullshit, but it makes me wonder what her history is with him. “Oh yeah! Didn’t that guy try to buy your farm? Man, he was a prick,” Rainbow Dash states from the back seat, placing a lollipop in her mouth. “Four times,” Applejack whispers with gritted teeth, her eyes seemingly ablaze with anger. “He had the nerve to try four bucking times. And each time, he said it would be the smart thing to do as a ‘business woman.’” Huh. Rainbow Dash wasn’t kidding. Applejack does use bucking as an alternative for a curse word. Regardless, Applejack’s near growls show just how pissed she feels about the proposals the man gave her. In front of the mansion, there’s a large white van with a couple of boxes left inside and some on the ground, making me raise my eyebrow slowly. Without me telling her, Applejack slowly pulls in beside the van, leaving the vehicle in park and hopping out, knocking on Rainbow’s window for her to get out. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming,” Dash states, both of us getting out of our seats at the same time. Walking around the side of the van, I see the front door open, revealing the same man who helped me with this task. “Dazzle~ It’s nice to see you brought some friends to get your things off my property.” Turning his head to the other two, his eyes narrow slightly, a grin coming to his face. “Why, Ms. Applejack~ I wasn’t expecting to see you today. When was the last time we met?” he asks her, extending his hand for a handshake, an offer Applejack reluctantly accepts to avoid being rude. “The last time you offered to buy my farm,” she says in a monotone voice, her frown remaining on her face. “Ah, yes. Do tell me if you ever change your mind, alright?” Rich smiles at Applejack before stepping back, looking at the boxes from the white van. “If anything is missing, I suppose I could try to find that as well. It’s the least I can do.” Rich can’t help but smile at me specifically when saying those words. Probably another attempt to remind me of what I have to do for him. I don’t forget my obligations, Rich… After Rich walks back up to his door, I grab one of the lighter boxes, bringing it to Applejack’s truck and subsequently opening it to look inside. A small jewelry box sits on top of a set of romance movies, some silverware scattered along the side. I remember that night pretty clearly… The way Sunset cried at our misfortune. Even though Sunset isn’t a big jewelry person, she had a few pieces that she liked or she was given over the years. So, in a way, they hold sentimental value to her. Grabbing the small wooden box, I open it to look for any of the items Sunset lost. She gave me pretty clear descriptions of everything she had lost and I put it down on the same piece of paper I marked what I had lost. The first thing that pops out to me is an orange necklace with a red circle, an orange symbol of the sun encrusted in the center. The symbol itself seems… familiar to me. Picking up the necklace, a part of me can’t help but find the piece beautiful. It almost feels… different from the other items in the box. I’m not sure why though. “Adagio, what kind of business do you have with Rich?” Applejack asks me as she places another box on the truck bed, breaking me from my thoughts. Placing the necklace back in the box, I pick up another piece of jewelry, inspecting it closely. “He used to be my boss. I just asked him for a favor, that’s all,” I tell her without taking my eyes away from my box. “But why would you ask him to help find your stuff…? I mean, how did you know that he had that capability?” she asks me again, almost using an interrogative manner. Taking a deep breath, I put the jewelry down, looking into Applejack’s eyes as seriously as I can. “I can’t really talk about that, Applejack. But I can assure you that I’m not doing anything that will get me in trouble.” Taking a couple steps away from the truck, I pull out the list of stolen items from my bag, using my pen to mark off the things accounted for. “Hey, girls. This is the complete list of everything Sunset and I lost. Make sure to mark off what you find as we go along, okay?” I tell them before placing the paper and pen on the truck bed, going to grab another box. Rainbow Dash walks over to the list, taking a good look at it before nodding. “Whatever you say, Dagi~” ====================================================== I can’t help but feel a little anxious… The seconds tick away as it gets closer to night, making me feel a little more antsy. Applejack and Rainbow Dash spent quite a lot of time helping me bring everything back inside, including setting up the TV and buying a new glass top for our coffee table. Now all that’s left to do is wait for Sunset… I just hope her reaction is a good one and that this can maybe cheer her up a bit. It should, right…? I promised her I would get our stuff back, so she should be happy to see that, especially after the past couple of days. Perhaps it will even give her some of her hope back. Maybe… I haven’t seen her much since the reunion… Other than when it’s time to sleep. Even then, I can tell she’s seriously depressed from the way she leaves things around the apartment. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk about her friends, making me stop whenever I try to bring them up. She is trying so desperately to smile around me, but it’s clear that she doesn’t feel good at all. I just wish I could take away the pain from her soul… I am trying my best to fix things with her friends, but the problem is that she’s closed herself off from hearing about it. She doesn’t talk much and shows little interest in recreational activities, opting to sleep instead. I’m scared for her… The last time I saw this behavior, it was from… me… Back when life was so hard and dreadful, feeling like living in of itself was torture. I wanted to die back then… I didn’t want to live another day, but I was too cowardly to do it myself. My mind practically prayed for something to end me. Anything… I mean, there was no point, right? That’s what I believed. Everything ceased to give me a point to continue this existence. That was a feeling I never thought a siren could feel… But I felt it. Then she came into my life… Still as an enemy, she reached her hand out to give me a chance at life, to find the finer aspects of existence. I practically spit at her offer… I didn’t believe she was trustworthy. I think another aspect of it was my mind’s disbelief that my life could be better… That disbelief is what made me pull that trigger the first time. Out of pure desperation, I did whatever I could to find happiness, and… I found love. Friendship… I just hope that Sunset doesn’t get to that hopeless stage. I’m here for her. I want her to remember that. That she still has a reason to smile and that there are still people who want her here. I’d do anything to make sure she knows that… Metal sliding against metal can be heard, making me look towards the door. Slowly, it opens, Sunset’s fiery-hair being the first thing to be seen. As her body fully enters the apartment, I can’t help but notice her dull eyes, her gaze looking over at me with a small smile before she notices something. Her eyes widen upon seeing the television set up and the new glass top to our coffee table. I can almost swear to see the spark in her eyes return, a small gasp emanating from her. “A-Adagio…?” she asks for me weakly, her eyes looking around the room and checking for more of our belongings. One such thing her eyes linger on is her romance movie collection, a bright smile coming to her lips before looking at me with tears forming easily. “D-did you… get our stuff back? All of it?” Her question, as happy as it is, has a tone of disbelief as if Sunset doesn’t know if she should believe this. Standing up quietly, I trace my eyes around the room, smirking slightly at her hesitancy to believe that this is actually happening. “I promised you I would get it all back, didn’t I?” Upon hearing my question, Sunset drops her back to the floor, running into my arms and hugging me tightly, tears fully streaming from her face. “I-I… How? H-how were you able to… Where is the rest of it?” A thousand questions seemingly run through her mind every second, but I quickly soothe her by rubbing my fingers through her hair, holding her close to me. “All over the place~ Everything is back in its original place. As if nothing happened at all.” Sunset looks up at me, still crying at this happy turn of events. Letting go of me, she tries desperately to wipe the tears from her eyes, looking around our apartment with a big smile. For a brief moment, she tries to decide whether to go to the kitchen or our bedroom first, but that hesitancy doesn’t last long. Quickly, she makes her way to our room, presumably to check up on her jewelry and her guitar, making me smile a bit. I made sure everything is here. Every single thing. She may not be willing to talk about her friends, but I can at least try to make her day better with this. I already have a movie prepared in the DVD player and I’m ready to pop a bag of popcorn for us. Hopefully, she can feel better just from this. Maybe she will be willing to hear about her friends after this. Just as long as she doesn’t sink any deeper, it will be worth it in the end. I never thought I’d go to such extremes for someone before, but the reason why I do such for you is simple, Sunset. I… love you. ======================================================= Walking inside the fence of the Apple Family farm, I can’t help but frown, remembering the last time I was here. That whole day, as fun as it was, proved to be one of the most troublesome days I’ve ever had. I kept making mistakes, even though I tried to fix certain relationships. Then I kept seeing her throughout the day, which only proved to make me more stressed as time went on. I’m actually quite surprised I haven’t seen her since then… It’s been rather quiet on the hallucination front… Maybe it’s because I’ve been a lot more concentrated lately? I’m not sure… What I do know is that I’m happy to have this break from her hissing whisper. As for today’s events, Rarity actually agreed to meet with Rainbow Dash, despite still being hurt by the whole fiasco at the Apple Family reunion. It’s a good thing that she’s willing to hear Dash out since this is a step in the right direction. If she is able to find it within herself to forgive her, then I will only have one thing left to do. That being the talk with Twilight… Is it wrong of me to feel anxious about that talk…? I still feel ashamed that I blew up at her, but I can’t use that as an excuse to avoid talking to her. I need to apologize for my outburst and… hopefully she and I can become friends. Her and Pinkie are the two people I’ve hung out with the least, so I’m still quite insecure about our friendships. For now though, the main focus is getting this whole mess resolved so that Sunset can have her friends back. I can focus on becoming better friends with them later… Further down the driveway, I notice three girls standing outside the house, one of them wearing a familiar cowgirl hat. The other two are noticeably pastel yellow and pink, making me recognize all three of them with ease. Doing a quick scan of the area, I can’t find any sign of Rarity or Rainbow Dash. I guess they’re not here yet…? Either that or we’re supposed to meet somewhere else. I highly doubt it since Applejack texted me to come here and she seems like a very organized person. I mean, she runs a farm for god’s sake. Given, she has help from her family, but the sheer amount of work that is required of her is nothing short of impressive. Pinkie Pie is surprisingly bubbly today. Her hair is poofy and she keeps hopping around and expressing herself with body movements. At least that’s a good sign. I don’t know how Pinkie Pie manages to deflate her hair when she’s depressed, but I’ve learned one thing in the short amount of time I’ve known her. Don’t question Pinkie Pie. She’s able to seemingly pull things out of thin air and she always knows a little too much. To the point it makes you question how she knows these sorts of things… Fluttershy says she has a basement full of files based on the people in her life, but I had always assumed that was a joke. Maybe it’s not…? Regardless, it’s a little scary. The pink woman’s eyes spot me as I walk down the hill, excitedly pointing to me and directing the gaze of the other two women. Fluttershy waves to me and Applejack signals for me to come over, despite the fact I’m already walking in their direction. I know it’s supposed to be a friendly gesture, but all it does is prompt me to hurry up my already quick walk. “Hiya, Adagio!” Pinkie exclaims with a big wave, seemingly excited. Then again, should I be surprised? Pinkie Pie always seems excited. “You’re just in time!” “In time?” I ask the three of them just as I make it within talking distance, feeling a confused expression come over me. “I don’t see them here. What do you mean?” Without getting an answer, Applejack chuckles to herself, pointing at the open garage. There are no cars inside the indoor parking spot, leaving a couple chairs in their absence. The familiar fashionista sits in one of the chairs, waiting for the other person to show up. I guess Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet. “Rainbow is on her way here. Rarity wanted a little privacy to talk to Rainbow, so she demanded for us to stand out here. She didn’t want us to hear everything that’s said,” Applejack tells me with a smile on her face, her eyes still on her girlfriend. “That was after Rarity gave her a big kiss after all~” Pinkie Pie chips in, causing the cowgirl to heavily blush. “Um… Pinkie. We don’t hafta tell her every detail.” Pulling her hat down a little, Applejack attempts to hide her embarrassment, receiving a pat on the shoulder from Fluttershy. “You don’t have to feel shy about your love life~ I mean, you have been official for a couple years now,” Fluttershy explains, trying to console the cowgirl in a way. It’s pretty ironic though. From someone whose name literally has the word ‘shy’ in it, you wouldn’t expect to hear advice about being confident in your relationship. Especially since Fluttershy seems like the kind of person to be embarrassed about a relationship if she ever got in one. Hell. The girl would probably curl up in a ball even if someone talked about the fact that she plays dating sims. “When is Dash supposed to get here?” I ask them before looking at the time on my phone. It’s already noon… I didn’t think I would stay at work that long. Maybe I can still squeeze in my talk with Twilight later before I go to bed. “She said she would be here in a few minutes, but that was about ten minutes ago. I’d say any second now.” Applejack looks back up the driveway before shrugging her shoulders. “You don’t think she changed her mind, do you…?” I ask the three of them, bringing up Dash’s contact in my phone. “Rainbow ain’t like that. She’s as loyal as a good dog. She’ll stick by her friends and when she says she’s sorry, she means it.” The cowgirl shows a lot of trust for Rainbow Dash, revealing just why the two of them are friends in the first place. I suppose I should trust her a bit more… My nerves are all over the place from everything that has happened recently, so my mind can’t help but worry things will go wrong again. I guess that’s why Applejack’s honesty about the situation helps to calm me down a little bit. A siren needing to be calmed… Sounds a little pathetic, but it’s the truth. I get stressed sometimes and it feels like heaven when Sunset is there to help me. That’s why I need to be here for her now… “Yeah~ In all the time I’ve known Dash, she’s always been reliable~ She and I have been friends since we were ten,” Fluttershy confidently states, seemingly not an ounce of doubt in her mind that Rainbow Dash would miss this. Considering they’re in their mid twenties, that’s one long friendship. “Hey, look~” Fluttershy tells us softly, pointing at the top of the driveway. I see Rainbow Dash riding a bike down the cement driveway, quickly making it down the hill. Even though the bike is going really fast by the time it gets to us, Dash expertly stops the bike, stepping off of the vehicle without so much as flinching. “Wow! That was so cool, Dash!” Pinkie Pie exclaims with two big thumbs up, a big smile across her face. However, the athlete doesn’t seem to react to her statement, simply taking her helmet off and walking towards the garage door. Her mouth forms a frown, yet a determined expression remains on her face. I understand she has to talk to Rarity, but I didn’t expect her to be this focused on it. Perhaps Rainbow Dash feels pretty guilty about the whole ordeal, not bothering to waste another second before she can apologize. That or she just didn’t hear Pinkie. “Good luck,” Fluttershy whispers, clearly saying it more to comfort herself than Rainbow Dash. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened when Pinkie and Fluttershy talked to Rarity. For all I know, she could still be pretty pissed at Dash, but I really hope it does go well. In that sense, I think we’ll need all the luck we can get. Within a moment, Dash makes it to the garage, walking inside and opening her lips, saying something to Rarity before she sits down. I’ve never really mastered the ability to lipread someone… That was something Aria was good at, but I didn’t really learn that. In a way, I kind of used her gift to spy on these same girls back when we were at Canterlot High. I don’t know how she was so accurate at telling what someone was saying just from visual cues. I usually get things wrong… Which means I can't trust myself with what I see from this conversation. For a couple minutes, the both of them keep their mouths shut, simply staring at each other for this period of time. Dash is the first one to talk to the fashionista, saying something I can’t quite comprehend. Rarity’s arms cross slowly, her lips saying something like ‘go don?’ No, that can’t be it… Regardless, the emotions on Rarity’s face show her anger and the uncomfortable feelings she has. This is going off to a great start. “Uh oh,” Pinkie whispers, all of us watching their conversation unfold in front of us. “Now hold on, sugarcube. I’m sure it can be fixed. This is just the beginning of their talk,” Applejack explains to the party girl, giving her a small hand gesture to wait. I hope so… After a moment, Rainbow Dash extends her arms outward, seemingly explaining something to the fashionista. Oh. Dash is going into one of those elaborating conversations… Just don’t go overboard, Dash. Please. We need this to go alright. I need this to go alright… Rarity turns her head away from Rainbow Dash in a dramatic way, saying something as if it’s some remark. As a response, Rainbow Dash stands up from her seat, seemingly about to exclaim something before she stops herself. Even from here, I can see Rainbow Dash take a deep breath, composing herself before daring to speak again. “What is she saying?” I ask the three women beside me, curious about the context of her current statement. “It… looks like she’s saying ‘I know I’m kinda an a-hole,’” Applejack responds to me, abbreviating the bad word to try and avoid cursing. In one way, I’m a little skeptical of Applejack’s lipreading, but I can also believe Rainbow Dash would say something like that… Looking back at the garage, I see the rainbow-haired girl pace back and forth with her hand to her chin, clearly exhaling the large amount of air through her mouth. Opening her mouth again, Rainbow Dash brings her hands inward as she talks, eventually clasping her hands together. Even though this conversation is supposed to be private for the two of them, I can’t help but wonder what’s being said, my eyes trying my best to trace their lips. Wait… What? For some reason, Rarity stands up from her seat, making eye contact with Rainbow Dash. Is it something she said? Please don’t walk away… We’re so close, please… Walking towards Rainbow Dash, Rarity puts her hand on the athlete’s shoulder, but her lips don’t move at all. Instead, the fashionista pulls Rainbow Dash into a hug, one Dash quickly returns. She… is hugging Dash…? That’s… a great sign actually. That’s wonderful. Looking at the girls, Fluttershy smiles and places her hands up to her chest, the other two having similar expressions on their own faces. We did it… Right? We’re one step closer to fixing this whole situation. Thank you for finally giving me a break. ===================================================== Knocking on the purple door, I can’t help but take a deep breath, thoughts of how this could go wrong swirling inside my head. If I hadn’t treated her so harshly, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Then again, apologizing has kind of become second nature to me at this point. I’ve had to apologize to a lot of people and I have no one to blame but myself. It’s my fault that I have to say sorry for these things. If I could just learn to be a better person by now, I wouldn’t be ruining everything… No. Don’t think like that, Adagio. Sunset tried so hard to make you believe that you’re not a waste and that you don’t ruin everything you touch. Just… remember what she said. I’m still worth something, I just make mistakes. Right…? I feel like that’s what Sunset would want me to remember. I can’t afford to get overly pessimistic during this time, especially when Sunset needs help. That’s the main reason I’m here. To put Sunset’s friend group back together. The secondary reason is to apologize to a friend of mine… I still don’t even know if Twilight and I are friends, but… I’d like to be… Opening the door slowly, Twilight’s eyes look through the chain lock on the door, making eye contact with me. “Oh. Um… Hey,” she says quietly through the lock, undoing the chain a moment later. “Hey, Twilight,” I respond hesitantly, looking towards the floor. I guess it’s due to nerves that I find it hard to look Twilight in the eye at this time. “How are you doing?” “Fine. Well, less than fine…” Her words sound truthful, despite her awkward tone. The part that worries me is the ‘less than’ part of her sentence, making me feel even guiltier for what I did. “But I’ve been able to study some of your blood sample some more, so at least that’s some progress.” The fact that Twilight is still doing her research even after the big fight everyone had at the reunion makes me a little hopeful that she’s doing better than I assumed. “That’s nice,” is all I say for a few minutes, my mind inhibiting my ability to speak. Finding the right words is always a tricky task, making my social interactions often awkward. My past self had little problems finding the words, often having a certain level of charisma to let me get away with things. “I hope now isn’t a bad time to talk…?” Twilight’s eyes look at me with a skeptical tone, slowly shaking her head to my question. “No. It’s not…” Without waiting another moment, the purple scientist steps out onto her porch, closing the door behind her. I was hoping to be invited in so that no one would see my desperate attempt to apologize, but that hope is killed as soon as the door shuts. I suppose it doesn’t matter much considering there are barely any people on the sidewalks, so it’s not like anyone will hear our conversation… Taking a deep breath, I step back from Twilight, trying to give her the personal space she deserves. Please don’t say something wrong… “I… just wanted to come over to talk to you. I wanted to… say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for blowing up on you for something you were asked to do and I take full responsibility for my actions.” My mind still finds it hard to look at Twilight, keeping my eyes on the environment around us instead. “Please. Don’t punish the others for my mistake. Especially Sunset. She really needs her friends right now and I… sincerely mean it when I say I’m sorry and just want her to be happy.” Finally plucking up enough courage, I look up at Twilight’s face, seeing a hesitant expression in her eyes. “No, no. I understand,” she whispers to me, shaking her head at my statement. “If I found out someone was treating me like a lab rat without my permission, I’d be pretty angry too. I thought a lot about that yesterday…” Locking our eyes, her gaze tells me she also feels guilty, but I’m not sure why… “I should have conducted proper procedure when it comes to testing individuals. So, I’m also sorry. For how I reacted and… well, how I handled things.” To be honest, I feel like I’m more at fault than Twilight in the situation… At the same time, I’m happy that she accepts my apology… Other than Pinkie Pie, Twilight is the one I know the least about, so I was worried she wouldn’t accept my apology. It seriously means a lot that she’s willing to give me another chance, especially so soon after the reunion. “Though, you said for Sunset’s sake…? Is everything alright?” Concern and worry are clearly written all across her face as she asks me this, wondering exactly what I meant. “It’s… a lot to explain. If you could maybe come meet with everyone else, I could explain it to you on the way…?” Twilight raises her eyebrow at my request, taking her phone out of her pocket to look at the time. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she opens the door quietly, taking a deep breath. “I can spare two hours.” ======================================================= “What are we going to do exactly?” Rarity asks the group, looking around at all of us curiously. “From what Adagio tells us, Sunset is a complete wreck. She’s closed herself off from even hearing any more news about us because she’s convinced our friendship has ended.” The walls of Applejack’s barn give a slight echo to Rarity’s voice, something that she clearly plays into due to her flashy personality. The temperature inside this barn is actually pretty warm even though it feels pretty roomy. The main reason is probably because of the massive amounts of hay in here, but I’m not sure. “If she’s that bad, then how about we all just drop by their apartment and reassure her we’re still friends?” Rainbow Dash suggests with her hand raised, sitting on top of a wooden railing. “That’s a no go. Sunset is booked for the next couple days. She has practically no time other than sleep and to go to her internship,” I tell everyone with crossed arms, trying desperately to think of a resolution. “I would tell her all of this myself, but she doesn’t want to hear about it. I’m also afraid of how she may react when she’s tired. She may think we’re just acting.” “What about her birthday?” Pinkie asks me with a curious stare, once again blowing up a balloon with the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ written on it to illustrate her point. “It would be pretty sad if she has to work on her birthday.” “That’s the only day she has free for the next two weeks… She and I originally planned to celebrate it together after I get off work, so I assume I can still get her out of the house then.” That’s assuming she won’t be too depressed to go out with me… “Okay, that sounds like a plan. Well, it’s our only plan, but at least it’s something. I only have one question. Where are we going to celebrate Sunset’s birthday?” Twilight asks us, looking for any answer that may be thrown out there. It doesn’t take her long to look at our signature party planner, making Pinkie Pie smile excitedly. “Well, Sunset really likes spending time outdoors in a more private setting! She’s told me that it makes her feel happy and like nothing can hurt her~” Pinkie adds to the conversation, rocking back and forth from her seated position. “Maybe we could go to one of the fields nearby? I know a lot of cute bunnies who live there and all,” Fluttershy quietly tells us with a reminiscent smile on her face, seemingly remembering the animals in question. “I would offer my orchard, but I kinda think Sunset would be reluctant to that idea. Especially before she sees we’re still friends.” Applejack leans against a pillar quietly, tilting her hat downward with a thoughtful look. “What about the beach? Sunset and I have been there on more than one occasion and she seems to love each time we go. I could bring her there and then we could celebrate her birthday together.” The times we have been to the beach, Sunset always seemed to enjoy every second we were there. She was the one who introduced me to a shortcut to the beach, making it all the more emotional of a place to go to. “The beach, huh? Well, it’s not my favorite, but I suppose it will do. It’s Sunset’s day, after all,” Rainbow Dash pitches in, hopping off the wooden surface she was sitting on. “Is this our plan then?” As Dash looks around at all of us, we’re not given a second to respond before we hear a gasp. Instantly, my gaze turns to face the shy girl of the group, her hand covering her mouth. “I have the perfect gift idea too~” Fluttershy tells us with one of the most excited smiles I’ve ever seen on her before. “I um… I’ll just need everyone to pitch in a bit.” The Light of LifeAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes are at the end of the chapter~ The Light of Life Chapter XXII: The Light of Life The sound of tools scraping against metal can be heard all throughout the Apple Family garage. Every high-pitched note makes my eyes squint, my eardrums begging for some kind of mercy. I can’t exactly complain either since this gift wouldn’t be possible without the help of Sunset’s friends. Our friends… We all chipped in a decent amount of the price. I ended up paying the least due to my other expenses throughout the month, but Fluttershy paid the most. I’m surprised, honestly. How could she end up paying more than someone like Rarity? Then again, didn’t she live in a more expensive part of town…? “Hey, Dash. Try not to break it any more than it already is,” I say loudly to try and be heard over the noises, looking over my shoulder. At the other end of the garage away from me and the other girls, Applejack and Rainbow Dash look at the heavy gift we bought, Applejack screwing down a couple bolts. “Why do you think AJ is not going to break it? I mean, why am I the only problem here?” Rainbow Dash asks me with a small laugh, standing up slowly to look at the progress. “I mean, you do have a history of being clumsy at times, darling,” Rarity admits, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly. Rarity turns her gaze to Fluttershy, giving her a thumbs up. “Also, this was a great idea, Fluttershy~ I didn’t really think of something like this, but it will help Adagio and Sunset with their day-to-day lives~” “Plus! It really fits Sunset!” Pinkie excitedly adds, all of us looking at the motorcycle and a smile coming to my face. Honestly, Fluttershy got the idea from me, I presume. She probably saw how interested I was in the vehicle and then suggested it. I wouldn’t be able to get it without their help. Hell, I still can’t drive it. I don’t have my driver’s license, after all. But Sunset does. The main problem that stops me from getting one is that I never really needed a vehicle before. Well, that and the fact I don’t have a lot of… legal papers. In terms of courts, I technically don’t exist. The only documentation I have is that I attended Canterlot High for a little while, but that’s it. I’ve never asked Sunset how she got that situation arranged… If I want a license, I’ll need to. “Well, I just figured that it would help them and all. Adagio told me how much Sunset has to go through to get to school and her internship, so…” Fluttershy extends her hand in the direction of the motorcycle, a shy smile coming to her face. “This should help~ E-even if I think motorcycles are dangerous, she handled one during the Friendship Games, so I think it will be okay~” Not to mention that this particular motorcycle was cheaper than most other vehicles we could have bought. Even used cars are usually more expensive, so I’m sure we’ll get used to this before we think about buying a new vehicle. “Okay then! Rainbow? Try starting it,” Applejack tells her friend with a thumbs up, taking a step back in case something goes wrong. “Alright!” Rainbow Dash gets on the bike carefully, turning the key after taking a deep breath. Within moments, the motorcycle’s ignition starts up, a nice pur being heard. It’s a nice contrast from what a broken engine sounds like. Everyone seemingly is excited about the job well done, but no one seems as happy as Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Finally~” Applejack states with a happy and exhausted sigh, giving the rainbow-haired woman a high five before sitting down on the ground for a deserved break. “Thank you, girls. This really means a lot to me,” I tell them with a big smile, walking over to the two of them to try and give them a hug, but Rainbow Dash stops me with her hand in the air. “Trust me. You do NOT want to hug us right now. That was hard work and we’re all dirty from it,” Rainbow Dash explains in a tired yet amused tone, prompting both of them to laugh at the situation. “Just to make sure, no one has anything they’re still holding back, right? Because if you have anything you’d like to talk about it, now would probably be the best time.” My statement is filled with worry and concern for good reason… At least, it’s a good reason for me. I don’t want Sunset’s birthday tomorrow to be like the family reunion we went to. If anyone is holding anything back, this whole thing could topple over… “Adagio, you asked us this five times already. We’re fine, darling~” Before she can give me a chance to reply, Rarity looks at Rainbow Dash with a confident expression. “Isn’t that right, Rainbow Dash?” “You’ve got it!” Rainbow Dash gives all of us a thumbs up, barely smiling from how tired she is from fixing the motorcycle. “Now that the bike is fixed, what are we going to do tomorrow?” Twilight asks all of us, prompting me to look in her direction. “I mean, like what’s the plan? We’ve already chosen the beach to celebrate Sunset’s birthday, but how will tomorrow go?” It’s a good question honestly… Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, so the only time we can celebrate her birthday is after I get home. “I was thinking Sunset and I could take the bike to the beach after I get off work. Then we would meet all of you there and we’d be able to celebrate Sunset’s birthday together. Though, if anyone else has a suggestion, I’m willing to hear it.” No one seems to think of something off the top of their head except for a certain pink woman, her hand extended high above her head. “Oh! Me! Me!” she excitedly calls out, hoping for someone to ask her for her opinion. All Rainbow does is simply point at Pinkie Pie before she takes a deep breath. “So, I’m not going to change the location or anything, but a good party always needs good activities! And I think we need to talk about that before leaving today. I mean, Sunset’s birthday is tomorrow, people!” Activities… That is something I didn’t plan. I just sort of figured we would all improvise when we got there, but it’s a good idea to have something planned. Especially something that Sunset will enjoy. “Before y’all throw out suggestions, mind if I wash up first? I’m pretty dirty and I don’t want to feel icky the whole time we talk,” the cowgirl asks us before standing up from the ground, stretching her presumably tired muscles. “Go ahead, darling~ We’ll wait for you. Call me if you need anything~” Rarity reassures Applejack with a kind smile, blowing a kiss to her lover and simultaneously making her blush. “Uh… Y-yup,” she simply states, quickly walking inside with Rainbow Dash following after. “I’m going to wash my face and arms real quick. Be right back.” The athlete gives us a big thumbs up before making her way inside as well, her shorthand lingo showing just how tired she is. The bigger problem of the day is coming up with a plan. One that Sunset will hopefully like… ====================================================== The cooler air of the night sometimes makes me shiver, despite the jacket I have on. Work was typical, but I couldn’t stop worrying about tonight every second I was working. Today is Sunset’s birthday and I just barely got her to agree to come out with me. It’s still pretty clear how the reunion has affected her… Her depressed smile and attitude shows how her life is at this point. That’s something I promised to fix, no matter what. Sunset doesn’t deserve to feel like the world is against her. That life itself is torturing her and forcing her to live just to endure it all. I had to live through that and it was like hell on Earth… Tonight will be okay. It has to go alright. Everyone agreed that there was nothing they were still mad about and we even made a plan for how the night is supposed to go. Now all I have to do is wait for Sunset to get ready… I texted her to message me when she’s ready so that I can reveal the motorcycle to her as a surprise. Thankfully, this bike has a big enough seat that two people can sit on it. I know since Rainbow Dash drove me over here on it. Hopefully Sunset will like it… It’s the only thing I could technically afford, even with the help of everyone else. This should help give her legs a break and help her get to places faster, so I would hope she will like it. “You actually did it… You brought everyone back together within a week and even managed to come up with a plan for today,” a dark whisper states with an almost prideful tone, the feeling of something scratching along my back being one of the only things I can concentrate on. “I would be impressed, but the reason why you did this is for her… So, I suppose I’m just neutral about it at this point.” Neutral is a funny response when she just loves to torment my life and pick apart all of my decisions… Normally, I’d get pretty pissed upon hearing her voice again, but I can’t let myself do that tonight. Everything needs to be alright. “You just don’t understand love, so I wouldn’t expect you to be proud,” I respond with a slight smile, memories of Sunset replaying in my mind. Within a few moments, I notice something move from the darkness, looking to my left only to be greeted by her sinister red eyes again. No laugh comes from her, just a simple stare. “What I don’t understand is your complete lack of inspiration to take power for yourself. I can’t understand why such a promising siren such as yourself would take love as an alternative.” Her eyes narrow after her words are said, sounding like a distant whisper in the wind. Without making a sound, the shadow walks into the moonlight, fully displaying herself in the blue light of the night. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to taunt me from the shadows tonight?” I ask her with a raised eyebrow, looking at the practically black dress she has on. I know the true color of it is a dark red, but the lighting effects its hue. “I just want you to remember what you gave up for her. That you threw away everything that makes you a siren just for a temporary life with her.” Her whispers hiss at my mind, but I refuse to let them affect me… Especially tonight of all nights. “The one thing I will applaud you for is taking my advice. For using those raw emotions of yours and taking my predictions at face value. It would be so easy for you to disregard whatever I say, now wouldn’t it?” She’s right in a way… I have been taking her advice. I’ve been following examples from Sunset’s friends and I’ve become more confident as a result. It would be easier if I just ignored her, but I didn’t for some reason. I can’t help but be grateful to everyone for helping me relearn the confidence I used to have. “You’re right. And thank you for that advice. I won’t be using it for power, but I will use it nonetheless.” The siren queen rolls her eyes for a moment, seemingly annoyed by my gratitude. “It wouldn’t be so bad if your life wasn’t pathetic like it is. All I’m trying to do is make you remember what you used to be. Maybe someday…” Her whisper stops as soon as my phone buzzes, making me reach inside my bag and grab it with a deep breath. “You better take that… Good luck having a ‘good’ birthday party with her. You’ll probably need it.” Looking back in her direction, the siren queen is nowhere to be seen, leaving just as quickly as she appeared. Shaking my head, I open my phone and look for my notification, seeing a text message from the love of my life. “I’m ready. Do you want me to come out now?” Her messages are usually longer than this… Her short and to-the-point message doesn’t help my confidence for the night, but I try my best to smile and keep my motivation high. “Yeah, you can come out now~ Just make sure to bring your purse, alright?” I don’t want Sunset to forget her driver’s license since she will be the one driving this. We’ll go to the beach and it’ll all work out from there… It has to. In response to my text, Sunset simply sends a question mark, probably confused about my request. The front door is about twenty feet from the parking space I’m sitting in, so there’s no way she could miss this. Unless she was blind. Within a few moments, the door to our apartment slowly opens, Sunset stepping out with her eyes aimed at the ground at first. Thankfully, she’s wearing the red leather jacket that I was going to give her today. Maybe it was a good purchase after all~ After locking the door behind her, Sunset looks around herself, finally noticing me sitting on the bike with flame prints. Her eyes instantly widen, but she seems to calm herself down pretty quickly, walking towards me. “Adagio? I knew you were waiting outside, but why are you sitting on someone’s bike…? You could have waited inside.” Sunset’s confusion only increases as I laugh at her statement, patting the vehicle slowly. Looking back up at Sunset’s ocean-like eyes, I can’t help but smile at how adorable she can be at times. “This isn’t just ‘someone’s’ bike, Sunset,” I whisper quietly, grabbing her hand with my own. “It’s your bike~ If you want it.” Sunset’s expression immediately changes to surprise and confusion, the depressed attitude she has had for the past few days disappearing for the time being. “W-wait. What? What do you mean? I-” Bringing her hand to the bike’s polished surface, I smile up at her with a small chuckle, finding her confusion cute. If it wasn’t for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, this thing wouldn’t work and the surfaces wouldn’t feel smooth at all. I was sure they would chip the paint given how hard Rainbow Dash seemingly hit her tools on this thing, but nothing seems damaged at all. Maybe it just goes to show how little I know about fixing machines. “I… How…?” Sunset asks me quietly, her eyes tracing the vehicle with a beautiful smile on her lips. Tears quickly come to her eyes, gazing at me with wonder, being one of the few times she’s been happy this week. “H-how did you do this? Did you actually buy it?” Before she can ask me another question, I bring her hand to my lips, pressing them softly against the back of her hand. “It’s in your name~ I’ll explain everything later, but for now, do you want to take a ride?” Without giving me any warning, Sunset embraces me in a tight hug, her tears staining my shoulder. For a moment, we stay like this without any movement or sound between us. My arms wrap around her as gently as possible, holding her close to me. I’m here, Sunset. I’m here. “T-thank you, Adagio. I… Thank you.” Her mind is probably still running with questions, but she thankfully places them aside for now, pressing her lips against my cheek. I promise, Sunset. All your questions will be answered soon. ===================================================== The bike’s ignition cuts after Sunset takes the key out of it, leaving only the beautiful sound of the ocean. Sunset decided to park it in the nearest parking lot to the beach so that we wouldn’t have to walk far back and forth. Riding a vehicle like that is honestly a new experience. I wasn’t used to wearing a helmet nor holding onto Sunset just to safely stay on. Regardless, Fluttershy wasn’t wrong. Sunset does have experience handling a motorcycle. It almost seemed like second nature to her, making me feel a lot safer than if I was riding with someone else. The parking lot is also visible from the beach, so we can always see if the bike is okay. It’s kind of hard to miss it with the flame patterns all over it. Stepping off the vehicle, my legs feel shaky and my nerves are on high alert, taking off my helmet and taking a deep breath. “How did it feel? To drive that thing, I mean,” I ask Sunset with a hesitant breath, shaking my head to try and get my bearings. Sunset slowly gets off the bike, sliding her hand across the vehicle’s paint job. “It was great,” she tells me quietly, carrying her helmet in her other hand. Despite me talking to her, she keeps her eyes on the bike for a while, still admiring the vehicle. “Are you going to tell me how you got it now? I mean, I’m grateful, but I didn’t expect this for my birthday. You already got me a gift.” Her questioning gaze looks over at me, curious as to what sort of witchcraft I may have done to get her such an expensive present. “Just wait another few moments, alright? I promise I will tell you, just be patient~” Grabbing her hand and carrying my helmet with my other arm, I quickly lead Sunset towards the beach, smiling to her as genuinely as possible. The sound of the waves fills my ears and reminds me of the other times I’ve set foot on this beach. Some of those situations were bad, but most of the memories are good. Sunset was the one who brought me here the first time… Every time I think of this place, I can’t help but think of her and the times we’ve shared together. “Do you remember the last time we were here?” I ask her softly, both of us finally walking on the sand. “Yeah. I do,” Sunset replies almost as softly as me, her eyes looking up at the bright night sky above us. “We confessed our love to each other here. You were trying to avoid me because you thought you just made my life worse, but I managed to convince you that you really did mean a lot to me.” For a moment, the hopeful smile I’ve come to love returns to her face, her eyes sparkling from the light shining down on us. “And the time before that, we walked on this beach and talked about what love meant to us. The day before I realized I loved you.” Walking along the beach, my eyes trace the ocean with a small nod, my hand holding hers a bit tighter. “That’s correct. I’m glad you remember all that~ It’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about…” Stopping us in our tracks, I turn my back to the ocean, setting my helmet down on the ground. Grabbing both of her hands, I connect our eyes and try to smile as best as I can. “Sunset, I just want to say… that I love you. You mean the world to me and I can’t help but be thankful each day I wake up by your side.” My smile slowly gets smaller, my hands holding hers tighter. “That night in December… the night you came to talk to me about happiness and all. Whether you realize it or not, I was… pretty depressed. The world kept beating me down, I had no one left in my life and I was angry and vengeful. It felt like nothing could be fixed and it would only keep getting worse. I misinterpreted your message as some action to take mercy on me because you pitied my situation.” Looking to the ground, I try my best to take a deep breath, forcing myself to relive these memories. “I was robbed that night. After everything that happened, I felt like I didn’t have anything left to lose. It felt like torture to live and… I tried to take my life…” Sunset’s eyes immediately widen to my statement, her smile turning to a concerned expression. “I know what it feels like… To be lost and feel like the world is punishing you. To have no hope and all. I just want you to know the same thing that you told me back then. You can be happy and it’s not too late. Things can be fixed.” Bringing her hands together, I bring my smile back to my face, looking deep into her eyes. “We have good jobs and a good relationship. You’re always there for me and I want you to know that I’m here for you now. I won’t let you drown in that abyss.” That same abyss that almost took me… If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Sunset, it’s that it’s never too late to recover and be happy again. Life has its ups and downs. She just needs to be reminded of that. Her eyes look away from my own, a frown coming to her face as she takes a deep breath. Her hands hold onto my own as tightly as they can, holding onto me for some form of comfort. “Do you… really think so? That I won’t lose my friends…?” Her teary eyes look to me for some form of hope. Something to hold onto and to think it’s all worth it in the end. “I don’t think so. I know it~” I tell her with a wink, hugging her as tightly as possible. Before she can respond, I let go of her and take a couple steps back, bending my finger as if telling someone to come closer. “Hey, girls?” I call out, causing Sunset to look behind her quickly. Every one of Sunset’s friends stand at the edge of the beach with birthday hats on, a small pile of gifts off to the side of them. My monologue was supposed to serve two purposes. To reassure Sunset that things can be fixed… AND to give the girls enough time to get here and be ready to welcome their friend with open arms. Out of everything we’ve planned for the night, this was one of the few things I came up with. Everyone gives her a wave and a smile, all of them excited to see their friend once more. Sunset’s helmet immediately drops from under her arm, frozen with shock from what she sees. “G-girls…?” she slowly asks, seemingly unsure whether or not she should believe this. Maybe she’s afraid another fight will break out. “Hey, Sunset~” Twilight speaks up, opening her arms out wide to Sunset, making the fiery-haired woman of my dreams run towards her friends, hugging them as quickly as she can. Everyone seemingly giggles at the situation, smiles on every face as they have a big group hug with Sunset in the center. “I… Did you all really make up?” my love is barely able to ask, still holding onto her friends. “Of course~ Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy helped quite a bit,” Rarity responds, causing Pinkie Pie to smile excitedly. “Applejack and Adagio talked to me about it and all, so they’re also pretty responsible~” Rainbow Dash pitches in, making Sunset’s gaze turn back to me. Seeing her so happy and full of life makes every fiber of my being feel complete. Nothing in the whole world could make me as happy as helping her to see the light in life, just like how she helped me months ago. Just to see her beautiful face full of happiness is heaven itself. I don’t quite know why I fell so deeply in love with her, but I would never change it. She means the world to me and I never want to be without her. Sunset’s hand gestures for me to come join them, making me blush slightly. “No thanks. It’s not my place,” I try to explain, trying to gesture for them to continue without me, only for an angry glare to come over Rainbow Dash. “Dagi, you’re one of us now~! Come on!” Rainbow Dash gestures for me as well, causing Applejack to raise her eyebrow at me. “Sugarcube. If ya don’t get in her right now, I’m gonna kick your ass up and down this beach,” the cowgirl says so calmly that you would think she’s serious about it. At least, I think it’s a joke. Sighing, I quietly walk forward with a small smile on my lips, everyone cheering when I finally join the group hug. It’s been a long two weeks. Life is full of its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I’ve come to love the best woman in my life and I have lots of friends now~ This is better than any power I could have ever obtained. Just being happy in my life with my newfound friends and the love of my life~ “Are we finally going to get this party started?!” Pinkie yells after letting all of us go, disappearing and returning with a table and cake faster than I can see her move. “U-um… Remember~ We have one gift we have to give her before we cut the cake,” Fluttershy tells the excited pink woman, making me remember exactly what she’s talking about. “Seriously, this is too much~” Sunset comments, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes as we all let go of the group hug. “You girls don’t have to buy me gifts~ Just spending this day with everyone is a gift in of itself~” “Nonsense~ I’d rather be dead than let my friend’s birthday pass without so much as a celebration and a gift~” Applejack tells her while crossing her heart. “Plus, you’ll love this one~” Holding out her hand, Pinkie Pie once again sprints off faster than I can see her, returning with a guitar and giving it to the cowgirl. Quietly, Applejack walks behind me, sitting in a chair Pinkie Pie had brought as well. I can’t help but feel nervous, knowing what’s coming up. This is the other thing I planned for the night… Pinkie Pie quickly gives me a fake microphone, making me step back beside Applejack. Ever since I quit the nightclub job, I’ve felt afraid to sing… The last time I sang with all my heart, I lost my only two friends and the only life I’ve ever known. I’ve been so afraid to sing again just in case the world would punish me once more. But when I saw how depressed Sunset was, I decided that maybe… just maybe… it would be worth it. To sing one more time. Not for power or control, but for love. To sing a tribute to the woman I love and to show her just how much she’s changed my life. Holding out my hand, I smile at Sunset, staring into her warm eyes. I love her more than anything in the entire universe. “This one is for you~” Epilogue The lovely sounds of birds singing makes the household chores feel a little less tiresome. Wind gently blows on the chimes hanging from the porch and cool air is brought inside the house from the windows. The music I set on the radio rings a pop song through the air gently, giving the day a brighter mood. Cleaning isn’t necessarily fun, but it can be made better with all the little things. This is coming from a person who doesn’t like cleaning, but it has to be done nonetheless. Besides, Sunset promised me a movie night full of cuddles if I help her out with this. What siren in their right mind would refuse that? The funny thing is that I may actually be out of my mind. Most sirens aren’t like how I am now. Maybe I’m just a siren crazy in love with a mortal woman. Or a pony… I mean, she did come from Equestria as well. Maybe that’s where her eternal hopefulness comes from. Regardless, it’s a deal I can’t refuse. Hell, I get to pick the movie we watch tonight. I’m not sure what it will be yet, but I’m sure an idea will come to my mind by the time night falls. Picking up another plate, I gently scrub the glass with a sponge, washing each dish as carefully as I can. Normally, something like this is hot and tiring, but the cool wind from outside makes it tolerable. Just as I finish the plate and put it inside the dishwasher, a couple of arms wrap around me, hugging me from behind. “Guess who~” a familiar and all too lovely voice coos into my ear, pressing her lips against my cheek. Without fail, another blush comes to my face, making me embarrassed that I still blush at these small yet nice details. You’d think after a couple years, I’d get used to Sunset’s kiss or her kind words. Or her straight up flirtatious advances. “Is it the fiery-haired goofball of my dreams?” I tease her with a roll of my eyes, a smile still present on my face as always. “Bold of you to call me a goofball when you were moaning my name last night~” she teases me right back, pinching my ear slightly before she hoists herself up on the counter, looking down at me washing the dishes. “But was I wrong?” My question gets another giggle out of the woman, making her lean back and smile at me. “You’re really sassy, you know that? What does it look like to other people when two sassy women are in a relationship?” “First off…” I turn off the sink slowly, moving over and grabbing Sunset’s hips. “It doesn’t matter what others think. And secondly…” Moving my head upward, I connect both of our lips for a second, feeling as happy as I can be. “It looks awesome~” “Speaking of which, I was wondering~” Sunset quickly responds to me, playing with a strand of my hair. “Have you done everything you need to do before our special day~? I’d still be willing to help if you have anything else you need to do~” Sighing heavily, I can’t help but feel like I’m burdening her with all of this… I hate to keep saying no to her and add yet another thing to the list, but I’m sure this is the last thing… “Actually… there is one last thing I want to do.” Sunset raises her eyebrow at my question, but her smile still remains. “There are two people I need to talk to one more time…” The End … for now~ Author’s notes: Hello, everyone! Thank you all for reading this far into my story! I’m actually really emotional while writing this, so please excuse any typos I may have. This story is finally complete and I can’t help but cry from happiness since I feel so accomplished, fulfilling such a large story. It really means a lot to me that all of you have read this far and all the kind words that commenters would tell me~ Every like went a long way to keep my motivation for this project up and I can’t help but feel so happy that this story is finally finished~ I feel like I’ve actually accomplished something and as long as I gave somebody a smile, it’s all worth it~ Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has read up to this point and I hope to continue offering stories that make you smile! There are a couple things I want to address before I leave this note off. For everyone reading this, you probably noticed I had an epilogue that left off on a cliffhanger. That epilogue is a scene from the next big sequel to this story and it will be titled A Dazzling Trio~ I’m sure everyone can probably take a guess where the story is going from there~ In the epilogue, I also pointed out that it’s happening a couple years after the events of A Shimmering Heartbreak. This is because I want to take a short break from writing long stories and write short stories that are still in continuity with this story~ One such short story I’ve had on my mind for a while now is going to be called Siren Days and it will feature both Adagio and Apple Bloom~ Some of you might have noticed I haven’t shown how Adagio and Apple Bloom make up. This short story will show that. Some readers are also probably wondering about the bargain Adagio made with Filthy Rich and what her end of the deal is. There will be another short story to fill in those details~ I’m not sure what the title will be yet, but I will tell you by the end of Siren Days~ These short stories are not required to read for you to enjoy the full story, so you can just wait for A Dazzling Trio to come out to pick this back up. These stories are only really made to flesh out the story a little more and let me explore things I want to explore without putting it in the confines of a large story~ I hope everyone has enjoyed this story so far and it really means a lot to me to see continued support for a passion project of mine I’ve been doing for close to a year~ I love you all and I hope you all have a good day~ Sincerely, Spyder27 New BeginningsAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story is a sequel to A Dazzling World, which had mentions of some triggering things. This story may deal upon those things, but so far, this chapter doesn't have any trigger warnings I think I need to address other than profanity. This chapter is not fully edited, so yeah! Please enjoy this new sequel to one of my favorite stories I have ever written~ Also, this chapter was beta read by Mon668 on AO3! She's a good friend of mine, so shout out to her for helping make this story the best it can be! New Beginnings The sound of music has always been a part of me, ever since I was young. Hearing the melodic notes of a song always tends to turn my head. It always makes me stop and think about how well the lyrics match the tones or what intervals they're played on. Once upon a time, I had a gift for song, but as time drifted by, that gift is now gone. I suppose that's a good thing at this point. The last time I sang from the bottom of my heart, I used it for bad purposes and ended up losing the things I held closest to me. Now, I have a new life with new people in it, so I don't want to jeopardize my future with them by letting my voice out once more. Singing, for all it is worth, scares me… I only ever used my voice to help myself, so my mind feels worried that if I let it out again, it may throw everything into chaos. I don’t want to lose her… Ever… Music can be a wonderful gift and something that can bond people together. No matter where you go, there is almost always some sort of music being played and shared with others. One person will often share their favorite type of music with their friends, letting them bond over their love for certain songs and bands. Overall, music is a lovely thing depending on who plays it and when it is presented. This is not one of those situations… Sitting on the hard wood bench, I can't help but sigh to myself as I hear the disorganized instruments try to play a symphony, only making me cringe slightly. The other adults sitting around at this band performance are mostly parents, cheering their young teenage children onward, but in the case of the woman sitting next to me, she is the older sister of one of the children. The orange woman simply has her arms crossed, not really moving much since the beginning of this performance. Her cowboy hat did compliment her nicely, but I don't really have the nerve to say such out loud. I still don't know why I had to sit by her. After Apple Bloom begged me to come watch her performance, she told me that the only seat left was on the third row. Coincidentally, this seat happens to be right next to Applejack. I admit, the two of us have talked since Valentine's Day, but things are still shaky between the two of us. Looking over to the cowgirl, a small glance is shared between us for a moment. Putting my hand out, I say, "Hey. I'm Adagio Dazzle. I hope we can get to know each other." Chapter I: New Beginnings The orange cowgirl sitting to my right averts my gaze slightly, but returns my handshake with a solid grip. Despite her clear distrust of me, she seems willing to talk to me at least. "I know who you are," she states quietly so as to not interrupt the performance. "Well, I suppose I don't… not anymore." Her tone carries a guilty feeling with it, but her face doesn't change in the slightest. If anything, it's hard to tell exactly what she's thinking at a given time. Her stoic figure almost feels intimidating at times. I mean, she is intimidating simply because she's part of the Apple Family, but I suppose I also feel nervous due to her predisposition to me. "I'm… different than before," I slowly state, looking towards the stage for a moment. "Sunset tells me," Applejack explains in her thick country accent, not daring to look away from her little sister. "I'm… sorry that I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to know you again. I know Sunset tells the truth, it's just that-" "You still think of me as the manipulative siren?" I ask, interrupting her mid sentence. A shameful look comes across her face for a moment, trying to hide under her cowboy hat slightly. "I'm sorry, sugarcube. I don't mean to be mean or nothing, but I don't know the new you. Sunset told me ya overheard what I said and what it did to ya. And well… I'm real sorry." A guilty frown forms on her mouth before looking at me, an apologetic look caught in her eyes. "Listen. I'm willing to hear ya out and get to know you, but it has to be on my terms," she states with a serious tone in her voice. With a simple nod, I return her gaze, smiling as best as I can. "Of course. I wouldn't make you do anything that you don't want to do." We both nod for a moment, our shared gaze broken momentarily before Applejack sighs to herself. Seemingly thinking of what to say, Applejack brings her hand to her chin, closing her eyes slowly. "Have you ever been to a family gathering? Like a big one where there are activities and memorable experiences?" Her question confuses me at first, not really being able to recall ever going to a family gathering before. "No, I don't think so. I haven't had a lot of family, so I never really went to one of those before." My answer, as short as it is, seems to please the cowgirl as she nods to herself. A part of me feels slightly worried about what she may be thinking about, but at this point, I've learned to just go with the flow. "Alright," she states in a slow manner, looking me in my eyes as she does so. "The Apple Family is having a big family reunion in a week, so if you make it to that, you and I can get to know each other. No past sins considered," Applejack says, holding her hand out to me, locking our eyes together. Before I can even take her hand in mine, she pulls away slightly. "Only shake if you're serious. About changing yourself and loving one of my best friends." Again, her statement comes off as defensive, but I don't really blame her for it at this point. It's understandable to still hold a grudge against a siren after all… even if I'm not a siren anymore. Shaking her hand as genuinely as I can, I give the cowgirl a smile, nodding to her inquiry. "I'm serious." ================================= Opening the door as quietly as I can, I look inside the apartment carefully, smiling to myself when I don't see anyone. Sunset, as determined as she always is, usually passes out when she gets home from her internship. This, in turn, gives me an opportunity to cuddle her when I get home, but today is slightly different. It's a very special time of the year, getting ever closer to the end of July. A big smile comes across my face as I think about the occasion, holding the gift wrapped box, quickly locking the door behind me. This is the first time that I can actively be a part of Sunset's birthday, so I want to make this as special as I can. Walking over to the kitchen cabinets, I slowly open the bottom one, looking at the many boxes of cleaning supplies and vacuum materials, most of which are never really moved. Chuckling, I gently put the present behind everything else, making sure it can't be seen, even if some of the boxes are removed. It especially means a lot that I can be a part of her birthday since she doesn't really celebrate it that often. I'm here to change that~ Why wouldn't I celebrate the birth of my loving girlfriend~? The person who saved my life… Sighing happily to myself, my eyes widen as I hear our bedroom door open. Sunset is already awake, huh? Closing the cabinet door, I turn towards the fridge quickly, opening it and looking for the chocolate ice cream. A small chuckle comes from my lips as I see the final piece of cherry cheesecake resting on the first shelf, tempting me to eat it right here and now. It would be a waste to eat it now, especially since I am saving it for Sunset's birthday. Feeling her arms wrap around me slowly, a cute giggle comes from behind me, Sunset resting her head on my shoulder. "What are you looking for, my cute alligator~?" she asks in a groggy voice, clearly still tired from her nap. "Just trying to look for the chocolate ice cream~" I softly explain, turning my head to kiss her cheek slowly. "You're looking in the fridge, sweetheart~ It's in the freezer," Sunset says as she opens the top portion of the refrigerator for me. A deep pink blush comes to my cheeks, clearly seeing the ice cream right in front of me. "I um… I-I knew that," I lie, knowing damn well that I did not know that. In fact, a lot of these human devices are still… confusing to me. It's only due to pure luck that I, a dense alligator, was able to find out how to use a phone and its many functions. "Sure you did~" Sunset teases me as she lets go, walking over to the cupboards over the oven, grabbing a couple bowls and putting them down on the counter. "Don't forget the cherry ice cream too~ Unless you would rather have that slice of cheesecake now?" "Ugh, don't tempt me," I say in an exaggerated tone of exhaustion. "It's the last slice, so I'm saving it for later." A cute giggle escapes my Shimmer's lips, her hand reaching over and cupping my cheek gently. "Adagio~ You know we can always get more, right?" Her question, as innocent as it is, surprises me at first, catching me off guard. I suppose we can… I'm not rich by any means, but I could afford more if I saved my money. I guess I'm just all too used to the familiar diet of poverty. By that, I mostly mean going without food more times than not. The biggest thing that caught me off guard was Sunset saying "we". A solemn expression takes hold of my face for a moment, thinking silently to myself. It's true that Sunset and I… have been dating for a couple months now, but I didn't really expect us to help finance things for each other yet. Nor be that close that we could steadily rely on each other like married couples do. I mean, we do share an apartment now, so it shouldn't be a big deal, right…? We haven't done anything more than sleep in the same bed together and I still second guess whether she loves me all the time… "Adagio?" Sunset asks me to grab my attention, my eyes looking at her almost instantly after her question. "Are you alright?" Her eyes lock with mine, her hand never leaving my cheek. Again, her warm smile melts its way into my heart and her fiery hair stays on my mind. No matter how many times I look into her eyes, it never seems to bore me, letting me drown in her beauty. It's funny that I still have a hard time saying those words. My mind still believes I don't deserve this life, this happy end. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," I slowly say, looking away and grabbing the ice cream cartons. Setting them on the counter, Sunset's hand gently turns my head back to her, a concerned expression now dawning on her. "Are you overthinking again? You know I'm always here for you, right?" she asks me with a small smile, unsure of whether she should be worried or not. Looking away from her once more, I grab an ice cream scooper, unsure of what to say. A part of me wishes to indulge in her comfort, but another part of me tells me not to. "Yeah…" I nod silently, Sunset pulling me into her warm embrace slowly. Clearly, the softer side of me won this time. "Hey, hey. It's alright~ How about you go sit down and I'll bring the ice cream and you can talk with me about it, okay?" she softly expresses, cupping my cheek once more. With a silent nod, I walk past Sunset into the living room, sitting down on the couch softly. Normally, I would object to this, but I know Sunset would only accept yes as an answer. When it comes to my problems, she's eager to help me in any way she can. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed the same pleasure most of the time… Walking into the room, Sunset carries two bowls of ice cream, a warm smile once again on her face. It’s only now that I realize she’s only wearing a large t-shirt and some small shorts. Appropriate for someone who just woke up from a nap. The shirt has a large cartoonish cat on it, the caption “Have a purr-fect day!” written in comic sans. Gently sitting beside me, Sunset hands me the bowl of cherry ice cream, looking towards me with her friendly gaze lit up by the light coming through the blinds. Despite the darker interior, it still feels… magical to be with Sunset… No matter how often I see her smile or feel her hug, it always makes me trip up on my words, caught in the magic of these wonderful feelings I have for her. I love being with her and I can never get used to it, honestly. Slowly taking a bite, Sunset’s lips are covered in chocolate ice cream, licking it away in an instant. Even if she’s messy, she’s always cute to me. Bringing her hand to my cheek, Sunset’s eyes convey a message of worry, always wanting to help me in any way she can. “How did today go?” she asks slowly, referring to my visit with Apple Bloom. Honestly, it was the first time I’ve seen her in a few months, Applejack finally letting her see me again after agreeing to give me a chance. It took a lot of convincing from Sunset, but I don’t blame Applejack. She’s quite scared for her family… “It felt really nice to see Apple Bloom again. She practically begged me to come to the clubhouse again, but overall, she was just super excited to finally talk to me without sending me letters.” With a nod, I look away, taking a bite of my own ice cream slowly. “I see~ Did you talk with Applejack?” Sunset asks me cautiously, knowing that it could be a sensitive subject. A solemn nod of my head is the only answer I give to her question at first, looking away as I take another bite of my treat. “Yeah, I did. She… invited me to the Apple Family reunion or such. I think that’s what she called it.” Looking back to Sunset, I see a big smile on her face and her eyes are wider than usual. Her hand grabs my hand and she locks her eyes with mine, a proud expression gripping hold of her beautiful face. “That’s great, Adagio! Does that mean you two are on good terms or…?” Her previous happy expression changes to one of curiosity, eagerly awaiting my response. “Not yet. She still doesn’t trust me nor do I expect her to. She said that this would help us get to know each other more and she’s willing to give me a chance. I suppose it’s due to all your convincing, huh?” I ask with a giggle, closing my eyes as I eat a bit more of my ice cream. The cherry flavor lingers on my tongue slightly, reminding me of Sunset. Well, it reminds me of times with Sunset. Like the bowling alley or one of our movie nights during that fateful week. With a smile, I simply shake my head and look back up at Sunset. “Well, it’s still a good turn of events! At least she’s willing to give you a chance~ Especially since I love you so much.” Without a moment of hesitation, Sunset puts down her bowl of ice cream on the coffee table and hugs me quickly, sighing happily to herself. “You mean the world to me, Adagio~” Slowly, I wrap my arms around her as well, resting my head on her shoulder and closing my eyes slowly. “I… I love you too, Sunset. You really do mean everything to me,” I whisper quietly, still not used to saying those words nor hearing them back. “I still… feel bad that you haven’t talked to your friends much over the past few months because of me. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to make up with them and-” Before I can say another word, Sunset’s finger presses against my lips slowly, our embrace ending so that she could look into my eyes. Her warm smile and friendly eyes display her feelings of love way too easily, entrapping my heart every time I see that expression. “Shh. It’s alright~ We’re all talking again and we’re still friends. Applejack even agreed to give you a chance and I’m sure we won’t stop being friends. It’s alright, Adagio~ I’m talking with them again and we’re all still friends. You didn’t do anything wrong~” Hugging me again, I feel that all too familiar urge to display my sadness once again, but I am able to hold it back, holding Sunset close to me as well. Feeling her hair with my hand, I can’t help but enjoy the softness of it and the warmth of this hug. All of her is soft and warm. “Promise me that everything will be alright…?” I slowly ask, letting my insecurity out in the open. “I pinkie promise~” she simply states, not letting go of my body and retaining our loving embrace. “Everything will be alright~ You’re mine and I’m yours, Adagio. You mean everything to me and someday, my friends will accept that too.” Bringing her head off my shoulder, her hands move their position to my cheeks, warming my face quickly, but that could just be my blush as always. Bringing herself closer to me, she gently presses her lips against mine, kissing me with as much love as she can muster. My cheeks flush even harder than before as my mind races with thoughts of her and not much else. This girl means everything to me and I would do everything I could to keep her. To think that she was my enemy about half a year ago is hard to imagine, knowing how much she means to me now. How has my life changed so much…? Leaning into our kiss as well, I hold Sunset’s body close to mine with a smile, enjoying as much of this moment as I can. I remember exactly what caused this rapid spiral of change. That one night in December… Everything had come to a head and then… you appeared. You told me that I was worth it and I could be happy too. If only you knew how happy you truly make me, Sunset Shimmer… ========================================= Walking down the hard sidewalk, I feel the warm breeze of summer brush past my face, the sun providing heat to everyone around. Despite the weather conditions, I still wear my scarf with me at all times as well as my jeans and boots. I decided to wear one of Sunset’s t-shirts after leaving our apartment, since most of my clothes are dirty. Given, I don’t have much other than a couple different outfits… I should really buy myself more clothes when I get my next paycheck. Regardless of my clothes situation, Sunset’s shirt feels quite comfortable, though it could be that I only feel like that since it belongs to my girlfriend. It even has her scent on it, so I suppose that makes me happier than I would be in a normal shirt. The piece of clothing is blue in color with a simple logo for the Rainbooms, Sunset and her friends’ band back in high school. I wonder if they still play together… Dodging between the people in the streets, I can’t help but notice how many more people are out during this time of year as compared to December. I suppose it is the summer, but it still felt a bit odd to me. Especially with the alarming amount of people dressed as clowns. Okay, what the hell is happening? Is it some sort of holiday? There’s even sounds of music and… confetti on the ground? Walking around the corner, my eyes widen at the sheer amount of people on the sidewalks. This is what Rainbow wanted me to see…? Looking down the surprisingly empty road, I see oddly decorated cars and moving stands coming slowly down the street. What the fuck is this exactly…? Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turn around quickly and lock eyes with a certain rainbow-haired girl. The perky individual hands me a caramel apple with a smile and grabs me in a hug. “Hey, Dagi! How are you doing?” she asks me with a laugh, holding me way too tightly. Despite the happiness I feel at seeing Rainbow, my eyes are drawn to the person she brought with her, locking my attention on them. The purple hair and white skin are unforgettable at this point, always trying to draw the attention of those around her. The fashionista wears star-shaped sunglasses as well as a frown. “Um, good,” I say slowly, returning Rainbow’s hug with a small smile, but ending it quickly thereafter. “You know Rarity and all,” Rainbow Dash says with a smirk, introducing her friend. The fashionista simply nods, taking a sip of her drink as she looks me up and down. “Adagio. It’s um… a pleasure,” she says slowly, holding her hand out to me as a sign of kindness. Despite my urge to ignore her gesture, I know that I want to get to know every one of Sunset’s friends and resolve my differences with them. Taking her hand in my own, I shake slightly, a smile coming to my face. “It’s nice to meet you again, Rarity~” I say as kindly as I can, hopeful that maybe I can get Rarity to meet the new me. Maybe we could even become friends… “I brought Rarity along because I thought it would be nice for us to hang out together~” Rainbow cheerfully says, giving me a thumbs up. “Well, that and she wanted to see you again.” “Oh? Really?” I ask slowly, my eyes looking at Rarity as a small blush comes over the fashionista. “W-well, of course. Sunset keeps telling me of… your new side and I figured I could be more inviting to Sunset’s girlfriend, despite past occurrences.” Rarity, bringing a hand to her face, takes a deep breath in and looks around herself. “Besides, it is quite hypocritical of me if I don’t at least try, right?” she asks me, locking her eyes with mine with a small smile coming to her lips. Nodding slightly, I return the smile and chuckle to myself, covering my mouth with my hand. “Thanks~ I hope I can impress,” I say happily, taking a bite of my caramel apple. Rarity nods to my statement and chuckles slightly to herself. “I’m sure you will, darling~” “Come on! The parade is about to start!” Rainbow states as she grabs both of our hands, surely tired of the reunion. She does seem to love more fun things than emotional moments. Wait. What the hell is a parade…? White Lies and Solemn TruthsAuthor's Note Spending time with Twilight isn't as easy as it first seemed. Even though making her first impression with the science whiz is one of her top priorities, Adagio has a lot on her mind. The Apple Family reunion is only a couple days away and her mind is still making her doubt herself. How will a siren deal with the stress of it all? Maybe with the help of a friend and some manicures~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: I told you all that the last chapter was only a small update before my next big chapter~ And here it is! This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written so far, clocking in at 22 and a half pages with 14.3k words~ Please excuse any typos or weird sentences since this was all made in the span of four days without my beta reader, but I will go back and revise when possible~ I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter and I hope you all stay safe and special! Goodnight, everyone~ White Lies and Solemn Truths Chapter XIV: White Lies and Solemn Truths An awkward silence follows my exclamation with all eyes locked on me, including the dog’s. My confused expression stays locked on my face for far too long as I try and process what just happened. We’re not in Equestria… Animals shouldn’t be able to talk here, right? I mean, some magic leaked through, but a whole talking dog? “Um… Is something wrong?” Words can easily be heard once again as the dog’s mouth moves, making me question whether or not I’m dreaming… If I am dreaming, why would I dream of this place…? I usually imagine Sunset and I cuddling on the couch as we watch a movie, nothing else being important in the moment. “Did… that dog just talk?” I ask slowly without taking my eyes away from the dog, both Twilight and Sunset looking to each other to assess the situation. “Please tell me I’m not hallucinating again.” For a moment, everyone stays quiet in an awkward staring contest, but then Sunset laughs out loud to herself, sitting down on a chair nearby to prevent herself from falling down. “Wait, you didn’t know that Spike could talk?” Sunset barely asks through her laughs, struggling to breathe. Even though I find Sunset’s laughs adorable, I can’t help but feel a little irritated that knowledge like this is apparently so well known yet I wasn’t in the loop of it. “I thought you kept tabs on all of us back when we were in school. Especially since you seemed to do an eerie amount of research on me,” Sunset states after coming down from her laugh, still giggling slightly while she wipes a tear from her eye. “I did research and kept my eye on you, but I was never aware Twilight’s dog could talk! And are you telling me the other Twilight had a talking dog too?” “I do have a name, you know,” the dog states with a slight roll of his eyes before looking up at me. “I couldn’t always talk, but Fluttershy helped me learn how to,” Spike tells me with a happy look on his face, seemingly proud of his ability over other dogs. “How… in the hell did Fluttershy help you learn how to talk?” My question is now aimed at Spike himself, the first time I’m actually willingly talking to him or any dog for that matter. “That’s a… long story,” Twilight says with a sheepish look coming across her face, picking up Spike afterward. “No, it’s not. I simply jumped through five portals chasing that rabbit thing and here we are,” Spike once again states with a proud look, causing Twilight to look at him with an annoyed glare and giving me a hundred more questions to ask… Before I can open my mouth, however, Sunset stands up and walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder and making me look into her ocean eyes. Her finger gently presses against my cheek and a small smile appears on her face, a slight shadow is cast upon her face since the light is behind her, yet her eyes remain as vibrant as ever. It’s still hard to not get lost in them… “Long story short, Twilight from Equestria had a talking dog since Spike was a dragon in Equestria. Spike the dog encountered magic and he can talk too. Somehow,” Sunset tells me quietly, explaining the situation as briefly as she can. For a moment, even she looks like she doesn’t completely understand the logistics behind it, making her seem even cuter. A small urge in my mind tells me to keep our eye contact for a while longer, my mind wanting to hug her once more, but I direct my attention to Twilight quickly. Right now isn’t the time to get romantic. “If Spike can talk, why haven’t you taken his blood?” I ask the scientist with a raised eyebrow, feeling conned into this blood donation. “Well, I actually did… His DNA has been altered slightly, but it’s not nearly to the extent of Sunset’s blood. It’s so miniscule that it’s hard to even determine if he’s an accurate portrayal of how Equestrian creatures would be here. Since Sunset is only one specimen as well, it makes it difficult to come to any conclusion about the entire Equestrian populace when it could just be unique to her.” Twilight’s expression switches to a nervous one as she looks at the file on the table next to her, confirming the results she just relayed to me. “Anyway, sorry Spike gave you a little scare, but I hope you two can get comfortable around each other over time~” Putting the dog back on the ground, Twilight reaches back for the syringe and inspects it for a moment before coming closer to me. “It’ll just be a little prick, so any pain you feel will be gone within a second or two~” As Twilight tells me this, Spike mouths the exact same words, seemingly giggling quietly to himself. I guess he’s come to expect what nerdy Twilight will say after a while of being around her. “Don’t worry, I experienced it myself and it’s not that bad,” Spike tells me after he gets done giggling at Twilight, walking back over to his bed. Sunset, on the other hand, remains in front of me, grabbing my hand and crouching down, making me look down at her instead. “What are you doing…?” I ask in a quiet voice, raising my eyebrow at the orange girl who always finds a way to be random yet lovable at the same time. “Keeping you calm~” Sunset whispers without removing her eyes from mine, her smile getting a little bigger. “You think I’m worried about a small syringe?” I ask her with a small laugh. I have to admit it though. It’s hard to look away from her… “No, but I usually get nervous at needles, so I just want to be here for you~” A bit of irony can be found from her statement… A few days ago, I found her in our room with a… knife… but here she is telling me she’s nervous about needles. I guess that it doesn’t make sense in a way. Overall, I just hope that she… doesn’t feel like that again. Rubbing my thumb across her hand, I feel her soft skin and adopt a smile of my own, bringing my lips down to her forehead slowly. Even though Twilight is still here, I don’t seem to care… I’m able to withhold myself from saying some pretty… embarrassing things, but a kiss shouldn’t hurt. “Relax, Shimmer~ I’ve handled worse things than a needle. I think this siren can deal with something as miniscule as-” “Done~” Twilight interrupts me with a happy expression, looking at the syringe intently before she directs her attention to me. “Thank you so much for the sample~ I believe it’ll really help with my research,” she tells me before quickly bringing the syringe to a freezer located in the very back of the room. Huh… I didn’t even feel a prick. I guess it does help to direct my attention to the summer mist known as my girlfriend. “What were you saying, darling?” Sunset asks me with curious eyes, her hand not letting go of my own. Darling… It almost feels weird for her to say that since she usually calls me an alligator at this point. It’s not that I dislike it, but I guess pet names in general are sorta new to me. Especially with Sunset. “Forget about it,” I whisper with my own chuckle, standing up from my seated position with Sunset. I was trying to be cocky and boast about myself for a moment, but I suppose it can wait until later. “Anyway, is this all we’re going to be doing today? Doing science stuff? I’m feeling a little bored personally,” I state in a teasing tone, stretching my arms with a pretend yawn. “Do you like running around? We could chase squirrels together or go find buried treasure~” Spike pitches in with an excited look, wagging his tail slightly. “Spike, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to do those sorts of things,” Twilight tells him with a slightly embarrassed look to her face, walking back over to us. “Besides, I only run around in very specific instances, so I would rather relax.” Those instances being if it’s something really important or if it’s for Sunset. Although, Sunset can probably be categorized as something really important too, so I guess there’s only one reason I run. Whereas some people may not think running around in an alligator maze for a certain fiery girl is important, it is to me. “We could watch a movie! Do you two like The Fifth Element or The Sixth Sense?” Twilight excitedly asks us, seemingly hoping for our answer to be yes. “Is that your preferred genre? Science fiction?” I ask in a teasing tone, responding to her question with another. “W-well, yeah, but I also love horror or legal dramas~ If you would rather watch one of those, I’d be fine with that.” Sunset giggles to herself before leaning her head on my shoulder, nudging me a little. “We’ll be okay with The Sixth Sense, won’t we?” Sunset responds to Twilight while also addressing me, urging me to say yes. “Besides, we’ll have time to do multiple things, so we can watch that first~” Even though I don’t know much about either one of those films, I know that the main reason we’re here is for Sunset. She’s been feeling so stressed lately and hanging out with one of her friends has been something she’s wanted to do for a while, so it wouldn’t hurt to do a couple activities they prefer. Of course, it’s also good for me to get to know another one of Sunset’s friends, but the main goal is to help her feel better. “Sure, we can do that~” I tell Twilight with a smile, holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter. “Great! Although, I don’t really have anything to snack on here,” she responds with a look of embarrassment, motioning for us to walk back up the stairs. “I could go get some snacks at the local dollar store if you want? It really won’t take that long.” As Twilight says this, she looks at Spike and gestures for him to follow her, a slightly annoyed sigh coming from the dog. “Fine, but only if we get some dog treats while we’re there,” Spike seemingly responds to Twilight's unspoken request to accompany her to the dollar store, a slight roll of his eyes. “I swear if I have to help carry things again… I only have this small body after all,” Spike grumbles as he follows us up the stairs, Sunset chuckling to his remarks. “Then I suppose Adagio and I will set the movie up while you’re gone~ Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?” Sunset’s question causes Twilight to turn her gaze back to us, a thoughtful expression coming to her. “No, I don’t mind. Just don’t use the dog soap on the left side of the tub~” By the time we make it to the top of the stairs, Twilight grabs a pair of keys hanging from a rack near the front door and gives them to Spike. “Hold these, will you? Just make sure I don’t forget them by the time I come back~” With that, Twilight quickly walks past us and through the living room, presumably going to change from her pajamas into street wear. Sunset’s hand grips my own before she turns her body towards mine, placing her other hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to go take that shower~ Do you mind if you get the movie ready? I should be out soon~” Sunset whispers quietly, looking deep into my eyes. Despite all the time I’ve been with her, it’s hard to object to her when I’d much rather keep seeing those happy smiles. “Sure, I can do that,” I whisper back, winking at her before she starts to walk away from me, giving me a small nod. She mouths the words ‘thank you’ without taking her eyes off of me, walking down a hallway connected to the living room. Spike and I are left standing there, making me feel a little ridiculous for awkwardly keeping this position. The movie… Okay, I can start it up. I just have to find the movie storage. The only problem is that this is the first time I’ve ever been in Twilight’s house. How should I know where her movies would be? Shaking my head, I slowly walk into the center of the living room, looking at the fairly large television that Twilight has set up on the wall with a wooden table with multiple shelves. On these shelves are multiple… electronic devices, but no movie cases nor anything similar to a container for movies. A heavy sigh exits my lips, walking over to the entertainment center and looking around the different devices. Despite my efforts though, nothing seems to be here other than electronics and… dog toys. “Is there a problem?” Spike says through a muffled voice, walking over to me with the keys in his mouth. “Yeah, actually. Where does Twilight keep her movies?” I ask the dog, feeling a little weird talking to an animal in this world… It was common in Equestria for all sorts of creatures to have the ability to talk, but in this world? Not so much… “Movies?” Spike asks in confusion, looking at the entertainment center with a raised eyebrow. Briefly putting the keys down, Spike walks towards the couch, subsequently jumping on it to retrieve a remote. “Twilight doesn’t own a lot of physical copies of movies.” She doesn’t own physical copies…? “Then how does she watch anything?” My question seems to confuse Spike for a moment, bringing the remote over to me with a questioning look in his eyes. “Um… She brings it up on Equestria+. You just click it and navigate to the title,” Spike states as if it’s an obvious concept, putting the remote on the ground and pressing the power button. Within a moment, the TV turns on and a bunch of icons show up on screen as well as the time. Right… Streaming services. What did Sunset call those? Digital libraries? “Uh huh,” I slowly agree with Spike, taking the remote in my hand and trying out some of the buttons, seeing how the icons become highlighted depending on how you press the buttons of the remote. “Is this your first time operating a TV?” Spike asks me with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused at my experimentation. “No, but… every other TV I’ve watched only really had channels. Not streaming services or something like the time.” “Oh, it’s really simple~ Trust me! All you have to do is move around the screen with the arrow buttons and click the icon you’re looking for with the ‘OK’ button. Then you do the same thing until you find the movie you’re looking for~” Spike smiles eagerly and watches me try to do what he tells me, looking for any icon that says Equestria+. “Is it the one with a bunch of rainbows and sparkles?” I ask hesitantly, pointing to the one on the top right of the screen, receiving a big nod as a response. Okay, that’s solved… All I need to do is click on it apparently. Slowly moving the cursor over to the icon, a loud startup noise plays as soon as I select it, making my eyes widen. “It’s a bit loud, huh?” Spike sighs as he shakes his head, seemingly more affected by the noise than I am. “Yeah. But I guess it’s even louder for you. I mean, you’re a dog and all.” Spike laughs out loud to my statement, shaking his head even more to my amusement. “You know what’s funny? Most people don’t really think about it from a dog’s perspective, so we kinda just have to deal with everything you guys do.” Raising his paw towards the TV, Spike’s eyes connect with mine again, a smirk on his muzzle. “Such as loud noises~” Both of us share a small chuckle before looking at the TV again, seeing the loading icon turn around and around. “Although, dogs don’t have to worry about things like bills. Or loading icons in this instance.” “Not necessarily! Most dogs don’t watch TV, but I do~ Whenever Twilight is gone, I usually spend my time watching my favorite shows.” A prideful look comes across his face, seemingly happy that he seems so advanced as compared to his brethren. “What’s a dog’s favorite show then?” I ask with my own smirk, still waiting for the damn loading icon to leave the screen. In an instant, the once prideful dog now dawns an embarrassed expression, looking to the floor. “Um… Uh…” His eyes look around the room for a moment before a heavy breath comes from him, his sigh gently blowing the hairs of his paws. “Promise to not tell this to another soul?” he asks with a serious stare, looking directly into my eyes. “As long as you promise to not tell anyone I didn’t know how to work the TV,” I tease him with a smirk and a small chuckle, prompting Spike to laugh a little bit. “Fine, it’s a deal. I… really like watching Korean dramas in my spare time,” Spike states quietly, his embarrassed look only worsening after this confession. Despite my best efforts, I can’t help but let out a small chuckle to this, Spike’s eyes instantly looking at me again. “Hey! It’s just a guilty pleasure. It’s not like they’re that bad or anything.” “No, no. I wasn’t laughing at that. I just find it funny you found it so embarrassing that you made me promise to not tell anyone.” Trying my best to give him a smile, I slowly stand up and walk over to the couch, sitting down in it. “It’s not that bad~ If anything, it’s one of the tamer things to be embarrassed about. I mean, everyone has some secret things they like.” My statement seems to pique Spike’s interest, causing him to walk over in front of me. “What’s something you like then?” he asks me point blank, staring at me for an answer. Something secret that I like… Most things I like aren’t that secretive and they’re mostly well known by the people who are friends with me. I guess the only thing I can think of are books since they’re usually the thing that keeps me entertained when I have time off. Other than watching television shows, I read books just because they prevent me from getting bored. Besides, there are some really great stories out there… “Books. I guess one embarrassing thing I like is the mystery genre, as cheesy as it can be at times.” Spike nods slowly, a thoughtful look coming to him. “I can’t say I’ve ever read any of those novels, so I don’t know how cheesy they can be, but I will take you at your word~” Spike responds with a smile on his face, but before either of us can say anything more, the sound of a door shutting catches our attention. Twilight swiftly walks into the room, causing Spike to go pick up the keys he had previously left on the floor. “Well, Adagio, I’ll be back soon~ Make yourself at home and feel free to take your shoes off if that would help you feel more comfortable.” Twilight smiles at me with a small nod before walking towards the front door, her faithful canine companion following right behind her. The room brightens a little more as soon as she opens the door, showing how dim she usually keeps her interiors, but this only lasts a few seconds until she closes it right behind her. Stretching out slowly, I grab the remote again and try to locate one of the movies Twilight suggested. Thankfully the loading icon has now disappeared and everything seems to be going correctly. “That was a shit show, now wasn’t it?” a familiar voice whispers in my ear… Each and every word that comes out is said with a condescending tone, making my hairs stand slightly on edge… Even though the light of the TV is enough to light the whole room, a nervous feeling crawls over me once again, despite my blank face. Why do I keep seeing her…? Or hearing her in this case… “Meeting yet another person close to your love… Finding a talking dog and even giving your blood out to this person you’ve never talked to before. You know, you’ve just made it easier to look down on you.” “As I said before, this is my life,” I whisper in response, trying to block my internal feelings and stay calm. “You even helped that shy bitch earlier today. Seriously, what is wrong with you? Wanting to help everyone? Has she rubbed off on you too much?” Her striking voice penetrates my mind further, every whisper feeling like a jab. “What do you do? Watch my every move?” “It’s like you expect me to not watch. Face it, Adagio. I see everything you do and I can’t help but laugh at it.” Looking to my left, the room is much darker than before, but the same red aura surrounds two eyes in the corner as well as a big gem hanging around her neck. It’s tempting to freeze in her presence once more, but I somehow manage to keep my composure, looking directly into her taunting gaze. Surprisingly, her shadow walks towards me without breaking our eye contact once. “What are you doing, Adagio? Seriously. You’re trying to mend relationships with people, keep the love of your life happy all while working on yourself. Why even try?” she asks in a threatening tone, her eyes aimed downward at me for what feels like ages. “Do you expect that everyone will suddenly like you? Maybe you can settle down and have a ‘happy little life?’ Sirens aren’t supposed to live such quiet lives, especially one who had as much potential as you did.” Her eyes carry more hate in them than usual, her stare seemingly looking directly into my mind. “Whether you like it or not, I’ve chosen happiness over power. At least it makes my life feel meaningful at the end of the day.” Looking away from her, I move the cursor on the screen to The Sixth Sense, selecting it easily. “And power didn’t? Can you truly tell me that power didn’t fuel you? Didn't your life feel a little bit good back then?” Stepping in front of me, her shadow puts one of her feet on the coffee table in front of the couch, still looking down at me. For a moment, I contemplate retorting her statement, but the saddest fact is that she’s technically right… “Didn’t think so,” she slowly whispers, walking over to the television and slowly carving her nails into the screen, sparks subsequently jumping off the device. “Also, it seems I was right, huh?” she chuckles in my ear, despite the distance between the two of us. Her laugh always sounds so dreadful, taunting… “What do you mean?” “Don’t act like you don’t know~ That bitch who dared to take our blood said that your dear love wasn’t completely human, even after passing through the portal.” Her eyes look over her shoulder as she engraves lines into the TV, a smile full of mal intent appearing on her face. “She still has a tiny bit of Equestrian DNA to her~ Meaning that you, Adagio Dazzle, the most powerful siren of them all, still have some of your siren genes in you too~” she taunts me in a quiet whisper, her evil tone never fading from her voice. “We don’t know that just yet.” “Oh, come on, Adagio. Don’t tell me ‘Oh, we don’t know that I’m still a siren! There’s still a chance!’” She mocks me, turning around and laughing at the portrayal. “Face it. If your precious girlfriend is still part Equestrian and she was a simple pony on the other side, then there’s hardly any chance you don’t have a tiny bit of siren still left in you~” For a moment, her face goes dull, thinking about her next words by bringing her hand to her chin. “Although, I will admit… You actually took my advice last night and let your emotions fuel your actions.” “Only when it came to finding the stuff that was stolen from Sunset and I,” I whisper, looking away from the shadow, towards my legs. “Untrue. You let your feelings guide you when you could have just left that girl in the wrong part of town.” A small laugh escapes her lips as she looks towards the ceiling, shaking her head in amusement. “Even though you’ve taken my advice, you’re still harboring so much doubt and insecurity. You’re still a long way from being as glorious as you once were.” “In your eyes, the only way I will be good enough is if I return to my former place of power…” Connecting my gaze with hers, I can’t help but sigh, not finding the energy to make some snarky remark or form some angry face. “Maybe, Adagio. Still, the possibility of you being part siren proposes another one~” Leaning down to level our gaze, her evil smirk becomes even more apparent. “It’s possible… that maybe I’m not just some vision in that mind of yours. If your DNA is truly part siren, maybe I’m real, unlike what you’ve been trying to tell yourself. Maybe. Just maybe… your bloodlust isn’t gone, Adagio.” Opening my eyes to look at her again, her shadow is no longer present, the television being the only thing in front of me. Now, I can clearly see the markings she made on the device actually spell out a word… One simple word that has seemed to define my life at this point… Of course she’s trying to make a point. It’s always that way. How can I expect much different? I was cunning, charismatic and calculating… Intelligent… I still am, but I guess my motive has changed at this point. “Power,” I whisper, reading the engraved word easily with a heavy sigh landing on my lips. Every time I’ve imagined her, it’s always to try and get me to grab power by the throat once more, but I’m still not sure why I see her to begin with… Why did she just now start showing up? With another blink of my eyes, the room brightens up again and the word is no longer visible on the TV screen, only showing me the cover of the movie I selected. Honestly, all I can find the will to do is chuckle, unsure what to make of this or what to do about it… That vision only appeared a few days ago, but the reason why is eluding me for now… She was right though. I do desire a ‘happy little life’ with Sunset and her friends. Our friends? Is it too much for me to want to see Sunset’s smile for the rest of my life? Or to be with her and experience life to the fullest? I would hope not. A small smirk comes to my lips as I stand up from the couch, hearing the sound of running water. I know one thing that can help me feel better from that shadow and she just so happens to be the cause of that sound. Twilight shouldn’t take too long, but… she would surely be home after a quick shower, right? Not before or during. I mean, she has a talkative dog that occupies her time and she’s quite a nervous wreck, so we should have some time~ Just enough time, right? Walking away from the couch, I can’t help but smile to myself. I mean, an idea as mischievous as this shouldn’t make me smile, but it’s not like we haven’t done anything like this before. It is just a different shower and all. It would be nice to see Sunset~ Though, I can already imagine the nervous expression on her face. She has a habit of switching from being adventurous and too shy on a dime, so it’s a little funny to me to think of how she would handle something like this~ Walking down the hallway, I slowly open the door with the sounds of water coming from behind it, looking inside carefully. The inside of Twilight’s bathroom is pretty barren, looking like a typical restroom inside anyone’s house, but there were a couple of particular soap containers for both humans and dogs scattered around the sink. Twilight’s shower has a curtain that provides a bit of modesty for the person in there, unlike some bathrooms that have shower doors. The curtain shows me the faint outline of a body, her clothes resting on the hamper next to the sink. A purple towel with twilight’s favorite symbol on it rests near the clothes, which makes me giggle slightly to myself. Walking in slowly, I close the door behind me and smile to myself. “Hey, Sunset?” I call out her name slowly, walking closer to the shower. Instantly, Sunset’s body jumps slightly, her outline seemingly turning towards the curtain. “A-Adagio? What are you doing?” she asks nervously, even though I would think it’s obvious what I’m doing here. Walking closer to the curtain with a slight chuckle, I slowly kick off my shoes and reach for my shorts. “Isn’t it obvious?” I respond with a question of my own, using a teasing tone in my voice. Despite how much she teases me, she’s never ready for me to do the same to her, always dawning a flustered look rather than her usually confident appearance. I wouldn’t doubt it if she’s flustered right now~ “I figured I could use a shower myself. Besides the fact that I miss you~” I state quietly beside the curtain, just loud enough to be heard. “U-um… Wouldn’t it be awkward for both of us to s-shower together in Twilight’s house?” Sunset asks hesitantly, her body’s outline showing her nervousness. “And she will be back soon too, s-so…” “We have more than enough time~” Slowly taking off my jacket, my hands grab the tights I’ve had on for a while, sliding them off my legs with ease. “What would Twilight care that two soulmates take a shower together?” “S-soulmates?” Sunset slowly states, seemingly flustered with my words. Is this the first time I’ve openly said that to her? I could have sworn I said it before. After trying to compose herself, Sunset takes a deep breath right as I pull my shirt off my body. “I-I miss you a lot too, Adagio, but you didn’t think you could wait until we go home or such?” A light chuckle escapes my lips, taking off the last items of clothing I still have on me, briefly inspecting myself in the mirror. “Since we’re going back to Dashie’s home tonight, it doesn’t make much of a difference, now does it? Twilight’s gone and I miss you, so what’s wrong with one small shower together~?” I ask the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, slowly approaching the curtains and gripping the edge with my fingers. “Unless… you really don’t want me to join you,” I say quietly once more, teasing her as best as I can. For a moment, nothing but the sound of water hitting the surface of the tub can be heard, but this silence is only momentary as Sunset’s fingers gently grab my own. “I… Fine, you can come in, you pushy alligator,” Sunset slowly relents, pulling my hand slightly. A big smile appears on my face as I step inside the tub, slipping past the curtain and feeling the much warmer interior of the shower. Instantly, my eyes trace Sunset’s body up and down, reminding me how little I’ve actually seen her like this, but every time I do, her beauty is always unparalleled. If anything, she might be more beautiful as time goes on~ “What?” Sunset asks me with a raised eyebrow, seeing where my attention lies. “Just admiring you~ Is that a crime, Sunset?” I ask in a teasing tone, smirking slightly and closing the distance between us by placing my hands on her hips. A short giggle comes from Sunset as she places her hand on my cheek, shaking her head to my statement. “Well, you’re just as beautiful as ever too, alligator~” Despite the fact I’ve heard all these things from her before, they still make me blush a little too much, even when I’m trying to be the one flirting with her. She has such a way with me that I can’t really resist it. A starry look comes to her eyes, both of us maintaining our gaze into each other’s eyes for as long as we can. Holding her close to me, my body slowly pushes us against the shower wall, acting without my involvement. Her eyes never leave my own for a second, both of us seemingly blushing to this act, but the action itself doesn’t stop… Warm water hits both of our shoulders, but a part of me finds it hard to care as I look deeper into her eyes. The distance between our lips is closed in a second without me even thinking of it, our embrace turning into a passionate one with ease. I feel Sunset’s fingers reach the back of my head, pulling me even further into our embrace than I initially meant to. In moments like these, I can’t help but love every single second of it, wishing these intimate times together could last much longer than they really do. The calm yet passionate way we hold onto each other always makes me feel so much lighter, as if I am living in a dream. The only difference is that this is reality, making me curious as to how I could feel like this… The one feeling I searched for so long is now the one thing flooding my senses. Happiness… Just being this close to such a perfect person and being able to show her my love for her makes me feel so happy. As much as I try to resist it, my hands move on their own, gently sliding over her stomach and reaching her back with ease. Each kiss heightens my own feelings, yet I can’t help but lose the environment to my mind. Why is it so easy to lose myself to her? Everything that makes up my being is given to her and only her. She’s the only person to know me so well and to unlock this cold interior of mine. Maybe it’s because she so easily causes a fire in my heart, making me act uncharacteristically and on impulse. These impulses just so happen to push me so close to her that I can feel her heartbeat through her chest, each exchange of our lips giving us another moment of bliss. Our tongues take turns exchanging the passionate embrace, making me feel so high off the moment. I could never tire of her taste or her scent, the feel of her soft skin permeating itself in my mind. I can’t help but love her, the person who helped me realize what life can really be. Every part of her is perfect, no matter what she may think of herself. Kissing her as passionately as I can, I slowly move my hands past her hips on impulse, feeling her skin on the way down. Suddenly, Sunset’s hands grab my wrists, breaking away from our kiss with a heavy breath. After what felt like forever, we finally connect our gaze again, her eyes full of love and conflict at the same time. Even though the water is hitting most of our skin, I can’t help but notice the amount of sweat that’s appeared on both of us. Despite this, I can’t help but wish for the moment to continue for a little while longer, wishing for just one more kiss. “We should really f-finish our shower~” Sunset whispers with a wink, pulling my hands off her body slowly. “Twilight will be home any second, so we should be ready to hang out with her, don’t you think?” I can’t help but dawn an expression of guilt, realizing just how far we got into the moment because of my own greed. Although, it did feel… really nice. I… hope she felt all of that too. She had to, right? Gently, her finger presses against my chin with a smirk coming to her face. “Thanks for that, though~ It felt really nice, getting a reminder~” Gently, her lips press against mine one more time, a final kiss before our time with Twilight. “It felt really nice for me too,” I whisper to her, slowly grabbing the soap. She’s right. We do need to hurry up. Just spending time with her in general is lovely, but a part of me hopes that we can do that again soon~ =========================================================== “Wait! That’s how the movie ends?!” I exclaim, looking towards the TV screen. My shocked expression seems to give Twilight and Sunset a bit of amusement as their giggles fill the air. Looking to Sunset, I aim my hand at the screen with a bit of confusion in my expression. “Did you two already see this or am I weird for being surprised?” Once again, the girl who has brought so many warm smiles to my life bursts out into laughter, slowly getting up from the couch to hug me and struggling to hold any of her giggles in. “Your surprise is so cute, Adagio~ And yes, we have seen the movie before, but it’s still fun to see your reaction,” Sunset barely mumbles through her laughs, holding onto me to avoid falling over. Twilight also giggles a little harder, but not nearly to the state that Sunset has. Reactions can be… amusing. Especially if they belong to Sunset, giving me the cutest exclamations whenever she sees something for the first time, so I guess I can somewhat understand the point of view the two of them share. Shaking my head slightly, I sit back down on the couch and roll my eyes, despite the smile on my face. “I’ll admit that it was a good movie,” I slowly state, reaching my hand into a bowl of chips that Twilight had left on the coffee table. Unsurprisingly, this bowl is almost empty due to all of us eating from it throughout the movie. Before I can think of anything else to say about the piece of media, Twilight stands up from her seat and walks over to the entertainment center, slightly humming to herself. “I’m really glad you two came over~ It’s nice to smile with some good company every now and again,” she tells us without looking back, still messing with something. Sunset giggles slightly to Twilight’s statement, holding my hand and leaning her head against my shoulder. “I’m surprised you could even have us over to begin with~ The last time we talked extensively, you and Timber were inseparable.” Who is Timber? And when was the last time the two of them caught up with each other…? “Oh, yeah…” A nervous chuckle comes from the dark-haired girl, adjusting her glasses while she still concentrates on some device. “Timber and I are… taking a break for now. Just a small one,” she whispers in response, seemingly feeling awkward about the ordeal as a whole. Since Sunset is the first person I’ve ever dated, I can’t say I’ve ever had a break from someone before, but I can somewhat understand how something like that may hurt or cause some form of heartache. “Oh?” Sunset hesitantly lets out, letting go of my hand and walking over to Twilight quickly. Putting her hand on the purple girl, Sunset crouches down next to her and gives her a kind smile, trying to comfort her. “Did something happen…?” “Nothing particularly bad,” Twilight lets out, not returning Sunset’s gaze for a long while. “Timber just said that he felt we needed a little more space for the foreseeable future… Which is understandable. I kinda asked to hang out with him whenever I could, so I guess he just got a little tired.” Twilight’s head tilts downward for a second, but she refuses to let herself droop any longer than necessary, refocusing her attention back to the entertainment center. Without a moment of hesitation, Sunset hugs her friend in an attempt to make the both of them feel slightly better about the situation. Honestly, I’m unsure what to say or do since I’ve never dealt with something like this before personally… I mean, wouldn’t it be a little weird to go up to her and say that I feel sorry for her predicament? Standing up slowly, I watch Twilight mess around with one of the devices, despite her conversation with Sunset. “Hey, at least it’s just a break. There’s no guarantee something will go wrong or he doesn’t want to talk to you again,” I somehow say even though I am finding it extremely hard to find the right words. Both of them look towards me as I walk to Twilight’s other side, sitting down on the ground with a slow sigh. “I mean, Sunny and I here have already taken a couple breaks ourselves. Mostly because of work stress and busy schedules, but you’ve seen how much this unicorn loves me.” That was a bold-faced lie. Sunset and I haven’t taken a break yet at all. We’ve been going slow with our relationship and I think we both enjoy the pace we’ve set, but I suppose I lied because I wanted to give Twilight some sort of hope… Me, a siren, wanting to give hope to someone. It’s a weird world I live in. Despite the initial confusion on Sunset’s face, Twilight’s eyes lock on me and a hopeful smile comes to her. “Really?” she slowly asks, looking between the two of us to confirm my story. “I never suspected that you two would have relationship trouble since it seems like your relationship is so… nice~” Even though I lied about Sunset and I having breaks in our relationship, we have had our fair share of trouble, so it’s not exactly a lie to say we can understand the amount of work it takes to keep things going. “Yeah, you wouldn’t realize how much this alligator and I struggled during some of my finals in April~” Sunset pitches in, adding to my story with a slight wink while the purple girl wasn’t looking. Something already tells me that Twilight is the type of girl to strive for perfection, not even realizing how she’s allowed to mess up or have troubles within her social life. Hell, Sunset’s social life with her friends has practically been nothing but troubles ever since Valentine’s Day. Well, that’s more of my fault… “Thanks, gals~ It… really does make me feel better.” A smile appears on her face as she sighs quietly, seemingly feeling a little relieved. “Maybe… Maybe Timber and I can make it~” Before Sunset and I can say anything more, Twilight finally presses a power switch to the device she’s been setting up, an audible beep being heard for a moment. Prompting us to stand up, she hands both of us a controller with a smile. “But let’s forget about that for now~ Want to play a game?” A game…? Looking down at the video game controller in my hand, it suddenly dawns on me what the device she was working on was, making me feel a little stupid for a moment. For that and the fact that I’ve never really played video games before… The most experience I have is in the form of arcade games… “Sure~ What type of games do you have?” Sunset cheerfully agrees, an excited look coming to her. I knew Sunset liked playing games, but I didn’t know she was experienced with video games. And did my summer mist just agree on my behalf to play on a device I know nothing about…? I might as well be a bug waiting to be stomped by the two of them… “You can look through my game collection on the console and pick something out~ I have to go get Spike. He loves watching video games and even trying to play some~ Though he’s not very good at it,” Twilight tells us with a slight chuckle, quickly changing the TV’s screen to show the console’s home menu. Something tells me that I’m about to get my ass beat… ====================================================== Perhaps I let my experience at the arcade tint my viewpoint. I thought when we picked a racing game that it would be just as easy as the arcade game, but the truth of the matter is that it posed a harder challenge than almost any other game I’ve played. Well, other than the game of love… Sure, the bots were a driving force of my failure, but the biggest problem was the other two girls with controllers. Turns out, they were pretty good, but they loved shunting my car whenever they had the chance. They also hurt each other’s cars, but it sure seemed like they I kept getting beat up on. Bots and players alike… We also played other titles like fighting games and platformers, but most of the time I had a controller, I ended up falling off a high surface and dying from fall damage. Spike usually tried to take over for me, but since he lacked thumbs or fingers, he played at a relatively same level as me. All in all, I still think that we all had a good time, especially since Sunset smiled so much in our small amount of time with Twilight. I’m glad that she can have a good time~ Hopefully, she can have a good time with all of her friends at the Apple Family reunion. From time to time, it still… makes me feel sad that I caused all of this. Being her friend caused all of them to argue and they still haven’t all talked as friends again. A small sigh leaves my lips before I take a sip from my cup of water, closing my eyes. I’ve made some progress apologizing to all of Sunset’s friends, but I still have a few I need to ‘become friends with.’ One of them I haven’t even met yet… I would have gone to see Pinkie Pie earlier in the week, but with everything that’s happened recently, I didn’t have the time. Well, I guess I also dread the meeting since I’m… not sure how she will react… “Is everything alright?” Twilight asks me with a curious tone to her voice, finishing her task of washing the dishes. It’s almost a shame. The sound of running water facilitated a lot of my deeper thoughts easily. Sunset herself isn’t anywhere to be seen… She just told us that she would be right back and ran out the front door, leaving us to the quiet abode that Twilight calls home. “It’s nothing. Just thoughts,” I tell her in a quiet voice, drinking from my water again. To be honest, a part of my mind still feels insecure and not confident in my choice of dating Sunset. If I wasn’t here, her whole social circle wouldn’t be a mess right now, but I guess that means I have to try and fix it. Wiping her hands on a hand towel next to the sink, Twilight walks over to the table and smiles at me before sitting down. Fiddling around with her own hands, the purple girl seems like she’s trying to think of what to say, unsure what may be appropriate. She seems like an awkward girl, but I know she means the best at this point. “Are these thoughts of yours dealing with something embarrassing? Or something you would rather forget?” she asks me, locking her gaze with mine easily. “I suppose… It’s something like that.” Looking down at the tablecloth, I can’t help but sigh once more, letting myself think for just a second. “Do you remember Valentine’s Day? Earlier this year?” My question causes Twilight to look at me curiously, nodding slowly as a response. “Yeah, I do. It was… Well, it wasn’t great. What about it?” she asks me with a cautious tone to her voice, wondering what I’m thinking. “When you and your friends were at Garden Hooves Park, I was nearby and I heard most of what happened.” Instantly, Twilight’s eyes widen and a nervous expression comes to her, the right words avoiding her thoughts. “I’m grateful you wanted to give me the benefit of a doubt, so don’t think I’m mad or anything. I just sometimes… regret getting involved in Sunset’s life. It seems like I caused it all to happen.” “Don’t try to think like that~ You’ve meant a great deal to Sunset’s life so far~ She told me about her feelings for you on Valentine’s Day, actually~” Grabbing my hand slowly, Twilight smiles as sincerely as she can, seemingly thinking of what to say. “It’s just… some of us have too much pride to apologize, but everyone is invited to the Apple Family reunion, so I guess that’s Applejack’s attempt to make things right~” “Yeah, but I suppose we just have to wait and see how it goes… Especially since I’ll be there and all.” It’s hard for me to not expect another fight over me. I tend to cause bad things to happen, but I do hope it goes alright… “Either way, I was just saying that I sometimes can’t help but think that. Sunset means a lot to me too, so I’m still glad I’m in her life, but things would be a lot simpler if I wasn’t here. Or if my past wasn’t so… well, bad.” Both of us go silent for a moment, nothing but the sound of a clock ticking away the seconds fills the air between us. “Yeah…” Twilight takes a deep breath and looks down at her lap with a small sigh, shaking her head. “Things would be a lot simpler if the past was different. Sunset told you how I turned into a she-demon at the Friendship Games, right?” she asks me slowly, connecting our eyes once again. “She told me bits and pieces, yeah. Though, Sunset also told me everyone forgave you a lot faster than her. Or me…” A nervous expression comes to Twilight, her finger slowly twirling a strand of her hair. “Maybe it’s because the school had experience with you two before?” A small laugh exits my lips, prompting Twilight to chuckle along nervously, unsure of why her statement is funny to me. “Yeah, I suppose that could be the cause. The past can really mess things up, can’t it?” Twilight nods with a small chuckle, both of us looking at each other for a moment. Twilight’s mouth opens to say something, but before the words leave her mouth, the sound of the front door opening can be heard. Both of us look towards the opening of the kitchen in curiosity, a small smile coming to my face. Quickly walking through the doorway with a pant, Sunset places a plastic bag on the counter, smiling when she sees us. “I’m back~” she says with a happy tone to her voice, humming as she reaches inside the bag. “As a thank you for the nice evening…” Pulling out a plastic container from the bag, her eyes light up as she shows us the thing she had so eagerly bought. “I got some cupcakes~” A quizzical look comes to Twilight’s face, her eyes staring at the cupcakes in Sunset’s hands. “Oh, you really didn’t have to~ It was fun for me too.” “Well, I did~ Besides, I don’t know which pocket I stuffed the receipt in, so we’re going to have to eat this~” Sunset happily hums, her warm smile ever present on her face. Her kindness and determination always makes a room feel so much brighter, even if she isn’t meaning it. It’s impossible for me to not love her at this point. Why does she have to be so cute? ======================================================= The last lights of the day color the horizon and the sky above us, showing just how long we had stayed at Twilight’s house. I don’t think it was either of our intentions to be there for so long, but as long as Sunset had fun, I’m okay with it. The usually crowded sidewalks of the city are now much quieter, leaving the sound of the wind and some birds to accompany our walk home. Well, our walk back to Rainbow Dash’s house, that is… I don’t like relying on Rainbow’s hospitality, but I’m glad she’s willing to help us. Her parents are pretty nice too, but they do seem to idolize their daughter a lot, evident by the hundreds of pictures of her everywhere. I didn’t tell Apple Bloom about the break-in simply because she had other things to talk about… Besides, it would only make her worry about me and she doesn’t need to do that. Sunset sighs happily, holding my hand a bit tighter as she rests her head on my shoulder. It seems that she enjoys our walk as much as I do, despite the distance we have to travel. “What’s on your mind, alligator?” she asks me quietly, both of us keeping our pace at a constant speed. Due to the lack of people on the streets at this point of the day, it almost feels like the two of us have some form of privacy, as small as it is. “I was just thinking about today, honestly. And Apple Bloom.” A melancholy breath leaves my lips as I try to smile, thinking about the upcoming few days. “Oh? Is there something wrong with Apple Bloom?” Her expression turns from confusion to worry, her eyes connecting with mine to try and get some sort of answer. “No, I don’t think so. I was just thinking about the stories she tells me. And the fact that she made me promise to spend some time with her during the reunion.” A light laugh comes from the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, finding amusement in my words and removing any worry from her face. Raising my eyebrow, I can’t help but find her giggles cute. “What’s so funny?” “Well, isn’t that obvious~? You decided to become friends with her, so I think spending time with her is unavoidable~” “First, I didn’t decide to become friends with her. She just sorta… stuck around. And second, I wouldn’t actually try to avoid spending time with her, but I am sorta wondering how I will be dividing up my time during that day.” Sunset easily chuckles to my statement again, holding onto me tighter. “Oh, Adagio~ It wasn’t so long ago that you didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings, but now, you’re struggling to think about being fair with your time~” My heart flutters slightly to the sensation of Sunset’s lips pressed against my cheek, making me flustered far too easily for my own good. I thought I would be used to a simple kiss by now, but even holding hands with Sunset never fails to make me really happy. “You could avoid spending time with me if that would help you solve your dilemma?” “Hell no,” I quietly respond to her question, shaking my head for added effect. “I’ll find some way to spend time with everyone. Even you, my summer mist~” Whispering right next to her ear, I slowly lay my lips on her cheek, giving her a nervous giggle. Her cute blush returns, playfully punching my shoulder with a shake of your head. “You know, you were really bold back there~” Sunset whispers, winking to me as she refers to our little shower together. “What? Is it wrong to be bold with the woman I love?” “No, not at all~ I actually liked it, but you couldn’t have waited until later?” Sunset laughs to her own words, letting go of my hand to walk a few steps in front of me. “Maybe you still are a siren, huh~?” Sunset whispers with a giggle, seemingly having fun with the idea that I may still be able to use magic to attract others… As much as I sometimes miss my magic, the thought of still being… her… is scary to me. Lustful for power itself without regard to the individuals I step on to get it. I mean, I’ve tried so hard to change, so the thought I’m still her deep down is terrifying… Her dark eyes, that evil smile… I already lost two of the closest people to me from that drive for power. The thought of losing Sunset to that as well is… depressing… I guess that’s why I’m afraid to sing again… I lost what was closest to me when I sang my heart out last time. If I sing again… “Alligator?” Sunset’s voice asks hesitantly, finally noticing her eyes looking at me with a worried tone in them. “Are you alright?” “Sorry. I just sorta blanked out again. I’m alright though~” I lie to her, taking her hand in mine with a smile and keeping our walk down the sidewalk at a nice pace. The light of the sky is leaving fast, so I’d rather get to bed soon. “If you say so,” Sunset states with a chuckle, leaning her head on my shoulder once more. Her happy sigh once again makes my heart flutter. If I ever lost her, I wouldn’t know what to do… “It was a really nice thing though~ What you did back there for Twilight.” “What do you mean exactly?” My mind searches through the various activities that the three of us did today, trying to find what was the nice thing Sunset is referring to. “When you told her that we had our own breaks~ It was a lie clearly, but sometimes, a white lie can help more than the truth.” I don’t know Twilight that well, but I suppose I just felt like I should try to help her, even if it’s about a relationship problem… I’m not too experienced with relationships, but still. “I just felt like it was the right thing to do, that’s all,” I whisper in response, holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter. “Though, who is this Timber guy?” A small chuckle comes from Sunset as she takes her head off my shoulder, clearing her throat for what sounds like a story. “Well, a while ago, my friends and I went to a place called Camp Everfree…” ============================================================= It’s always a pain when you wake up due to nightmares, rather than the alarm you had specifically set so that you could get the full eight hours of sleep. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern with me the past couple of days… The nightmare I had yesterday was about Sonata and Aria, but tonight’s nightmare was just an endless number of corridors, running from something chasing me. Those kinds of dreams are the ones I hate the most… Not only do they have no rhyme or reason as to why you imagine these scenarios, but you always feel this sense of dread that makes you wake up in a cold sweat, either physically or mentally. Either way, I suppose it’s a gift as well… Sunset doesn’t have to wake up to the alarm I set and she gets to sleep in. Whereas I have to go to work early and miss out on all the comfort I could have if I could just sleep in with her. Though, the thing that breaks my heart the most about early mornings is seeing Sunset’s sleeping body clinging to mine, clearly comfortable with the current situation with a smile on her face. Even though we take turns cuddling in this position, it’s always nice to see Sunset’s smile, no matter how we fall asleep together. Today, Sunset’s head rests on my chest as her arms wrap around my lower torso with one of her legs peacefully resting on top of my thighs. It’s always so cute to see her smiles in her sleep. I’m glad that she can even get sleep recently, given everything that’s happened. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m here next to her that helps her sleep. I don’t know how I would be a sleeping aid, but I know Sunset’s presence has definitely helped me calm down in the past. Even when we were just friends… Hell, there was that one instance where we both slept in the same bed while we were still friends, but I suppose we both were denying the truth at that point. The truth that we both loved each other, despite the fact that we were supposed to just be friends… She loves me… Sometimes, it’s still surprising to think that. Or even wake up to her. Back in Equestria, I didn’t know that loving someone this much was possible unless it was yourself. Now, I wouldn’t wish to wake up anywhere else than her arms. Grabbing my phone slowly, I try to not disturb Sunset before turning off the preset alarm, sighing at the fact that I had five minutes left until it would go off. Almost every part of me tells me to stay in bed and keep cuddling the fiery-haired angel right next to me, but I know I have to go to work… I used almost all of my sick days when I was avoiding Sunset and everyone else after Valentine’s Day, so I can’t really afford to use more of them… Leaning down slowly, I kiss Sunset’s forehead with a smile, trying to be gentle enough that I don’t stir her. “Have a good day, beautiful,” I whisper before slowly pulling away from Sunset’s embrace, already missing the warmth that she provided. Her peaceful smile slowly fades once I leave the bed, making my heart ache slightly… When was the last time I had a long weekend to myself? It’d be nice to surprise Sunset with some days inside, just to take time for ourselves and avoid work and school. But life still goes on… At least I’ll be able to see her tonight. “I love you,” I mouth the words with a hesitant smile before I fully grab my pajama pants, walking towards the guest room door. A part of me is still surprised that Sunset and I are actually in this situation. That we actually love each other and such… It’s like a dream. Shutting the door as quietly as I can, I walk outside into the kitchen, seeing Rainbow Dash sitting at the dining room table. The dim lights of dawn barely illuminate the curtains behind her, yet it’s still visible that her eyes seem bloodshot. Did she get any sleep last night…? More importantly, her eyes are trained on a small antibiotic bottle on the table. It’s not the kind that holds pills though. Instead, it looks like one of the medicines that is in a liquid form, making me raise my eyebrow. Turning on the light to the kitchen, Rainbow’s attention instantly diverts from the bottle to me, a worried expression on her face. “Oh! Hi, Dagi… Sorry, did I wake you?” she asks in her usual raspy voice, though it sounds more tired than usual. Walking over to the fridge and getting a bottle of water, I shake my head before opening the cap, taking a deep sip of the ice cold liquid. “No, you didn’t. My alarm didn’t wake me either. My dreams did a good enough job at that already.” Rainbow Dash chuckles slightly to my statement, shaking her head before she drags her hands across her face. “You can say that again. Dreams often do that to you.” Before I can respond, Dash’s expression turns to one of nervousness as if she didn’t mean to say that. Looking back to me, Rainbow Dash notices my skeptical look and smiles sheepishly. Walking over to the table, the normally excited athlete pulls the medicine bottle towards her, locking her eyes with me after I sit down. “Are you up because of dreams or because you need to take some medicine? I wasn’t aware you needed prescriptions,” I say quietly, taking another sip of my water. Honestly, I don’t know what Rainbow could need medicine for, but the bottle keeps my interest for some strange reason. “Oh no! It’s not a prescription. It’s a um… an anti-cold medicine. I…” Dash’s anxious and nervous behavior puts me off edge for a moment, causing me to raise my eyebrow again. Her demeanor instantly turns to one of frustration as she hits the table with the bottom of her fist, grimacing at whatever thoughts are going on inside her head. “Damn it… I can’t keep doing this…” she whispers under her breath, shaking her head before pressing it against the table. “I’m sorry. I… It’s not a prescription.” Reaching over and grabbing her shoulder slowly, I rub in circles and sigh slowly. “Are you alright, Dash? You can talk to me if something is bothering you.” A slow nod comes from her, sighing out of frustration and exhaustion. “Dagi, have you… ever been pressured to do something? Like so much that it makes you feel like you have no choice?” Pressured? Well, maybe by life when I felt like the only choice I had was to give Sunset a gift to find happiness… But that was a good outcome, so I suppose it’s not necessarily something that fits here. “I suppose it depends… Is this something that is negative in nature?” I ask with a curious tone, looking at Rainbow’s tired expression. “You can say that…” Another tired sigh exits her lips before she connects her eyes with mine again. “It’s just… When you have a certain expectation put on you to win by people you expected were friends of yours, it feels weird when the way you can win is… not great.” Her gaze breaks away from mine, looking at the curtains with a melancholy expression. I had that expectation to win, but the only one who put it there was me… “They keep pestering you to try it and to do it. You keep trying to deny and keep strong to your ideals, but… sooner or later, you break and do what they say. I mean, what other future do you have, right?” A singular tear starts to form in her eyes before she shakes her head, sniffing slightly. “One day, you’re viewed as the best, but the next? You realize you’re just getting older and maybe the path you’ve chosen is not the best fit for you. So, you feel like those ‘friends’ who told you to keep winning have a point.” Getting up from the table, Rainbow Dash paces back and forth, gripping her forehead in an attempt to think. “Does this scenario have anything to do with that?” I ask, pointing to the bottle she left on the table. Without even looking at me, a slow nod comes from her with a couple tears coming out from under her hand. “It’s not a fucking prescription, Dagi… It’s not even legal. It’s something that’s supposed to make you better than any of the competition and… it works.” Her eyes look towards mine with sorrow in them, her face desperately trying to remain composed. “I used to be a top player back at Canterlot High. But now? My teammates keep telling me that I’m not doing well enough and they gave me that… They pressured me so much and told me that I’d be replaced if I didn’t take it.” Walking back towards the table, Rainbow looks down at the bottle with a look of contempt. “So, I did… God, it worked, but it made it so much harder to keep myself from getting annoyed or irritated. It practically forces you to stay awake, even if you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep.” Sniffing quietly, she sits back down and rubs her eyes silently, sighing from the truth she’s letting off her chest. “Worst part is… I don’t even know if I want to keep being an athlete… I picked this because I was so good back in the day and now? I can’t keep it up without using this stupid thing. This thing that makes me depressed and tired, but unable to sleep…” Picking up the bottle, her grimace only increases, a hateful stare coming from her eyes. “These teammates of yours… They don’t sound like real friends if they are making you think things like this.” I can’t help but feel sad for Dash, the friend of mine who is clearly exhausted with her current situation, but there seems to be no escape… Not so long ago, I experienced something similar… “You… haven’t been relying on this, have you? Outside of sports, I mean.” “Hell no!” Rainbow states with a surprised look, locking her eyes with me. “I would have stopped taking it a long time ago, but… I’m just so unsure of my future at this point that it feels like I’ll lose the one path I chose if I do stop…” Putting the bottle back on the table, a hesitant breath is drawn in, sounding like she is about to cry before she pulls herself together once more. “Can I ask you a question, Dash?” I quietly ask, looking straight into her eyes. One thing won’t leave my mind, despite how much I’ve listened to her. After a moment of consideration, the girl in front of me nods, keeping our eye contact for as long as possible. “You know that these teammates aren’t friends. You know this… drug isn’t good for you. You’re clearly miserable and you want some form of help, but you also want to succeed in life and keep going down the path you’ve chosen… Is this the way you want your life to go, Rainbow?” Her magenta eyes widen upon hearing my words, her hands fidgeting quietly. “You strive to impress and appease those around you with your ability to win, but you have to ask yourself whether or not it’s more important for you to stay loyal to yourself and your ideals rather than clearly harming yourself just for one more medal. Just for the praise of fake friends and people who don’t care about you.” Her gaze breaks from mine as a solemn expression crawls across her face, looking down at the bottle right in front of her. “I do want to stop… It’s just… I don’t know what I’m going to do. My grades in high school weren’t the best and I haven’t been accepted to any of the colleges I applied to… The only shot I seem to have is a scholarship in sports.” A frustrated smile appears on her face, looking at me with tearful eyes. “I would pour this bottle in the sink right now, but I don’t know what to do…” “College isn’t everything, Rainbow. Your life isn’t ruined because of a couple bad grades in high school either. I mean, look at me. I have a job without a high school diploma or college education. I’m happy with my girlfriend and I’ve even gotten a couple raises.” Grabbing Rainbow’s hand with a caring smile, I grab the bottle from the table and shake it slightly. “This… is just poisoning your life. You can always change your course. Friends and family can help you apply for different colleges and even boost your resume. You’re not stuck, Dash. You can get out, you just need a little help to be the same awesome girl you were in high school.” Rainbow grabs onto my hand, finally letting her wall break down as tears stream down her face. Pressing her face down on the table, her shoulders shake with each sob she lets out, still trying desperately to stop herself, but that sentiment is broken with every moment I run my thumb across the back of her hand. Even though the morning is quickly approaching, the moment seems to last for much longer than it probably is. Every part of me feels sad for Rainbow Dash, making it hard to see her cry… She’s one of my best friends, despite any of the fights we may have had. Seeing her like this is hard, but I know that the only reason Rainbow Dash stayed out here was because she needed someone. She needed something to hold onto and someone to tell her she’s strong enough to keep going. “Y-you really think I can…? That I-I can still be good enough if I… don’t end up being an athlete?” she’s barely able to mutter through the sniffling and the attempts to choke down her cries. Gently, I hold onto her hand tighter, letting her know I’m still here. “I-I want to still be… awesome…” Being awesome may seem like such a mediocre goal to most people, but that ideal has always been something that has been important to Rainbow Dash. Even when I was her enemy, I could tell she used it to express herself and her self worth. It’s important for her and the very idea of not being awesome in some way makes her feel like she has no worth. It’s something to hold onto. Something to keep her grounded. “Of course, Dash. You can still be awesome if you decide to do something completely different and abandon this path. It’s not too late to find something else you want to do and trust me when I say that you are still awesome. In every way possible. You don’t even need to leave athletics altogether, you just need to find what works for you. All you need to do is take that first step to get away from these toxic influences and it will become easier to decide where to go from there.” Bringing my hand to Rainbow Dash’s chin, I slowly bring her head to my eye level, connecting our gaze with the kindest smile I can make. Slowly, I shake the bottle, attracting her attention. “Want to guess what that first step is?” Bringing her hands to her face, Rainbow Dash’s sobs slowly recede, trying to regain her composure by wiping away the tears and taking deep breaths. Taking the bottle in her own hand, she stands up from the table, walking into the kitchen before connecting her eyes with mine again. “Dumping this out. That’s the first step.” Nodding to her, she quickly takes the cap off and pours the container’s contents into the sink, watching it all go down the drain. She tries so hard to appease others that it leads to conflict within herself. I think the reason why she was sitting out here was because she wanted someone to see her. She didn’t want to lie anymore… That’s the first step. Taking back control and realizing who she is. The awesome Rainbow Dash. =========================================================== Teaching kids isn’t exactly a cake walk. It’s especially hard when some kids are more resistant to learning than others. No matter how many times you try to get them to focus on a certain subject, they just won’t. Teaching a child how to sing is even more frustrating. Not only do I have to make sure they’re paying attention, I also have to critique their singing skills. If I don’t do it carefully, I could kill any drive they have for music to begin with. I also don’t want to make them have a huge ego either. That’s only setting them up for failure if they believe they’re really great when they’re actually just mediocre. So, teaching children how to sing is almost an art of itself. I have to be super careful, strict, yet open enough to adapt to each child’s way of learning, whether it be using analogies about their favorite things or just going off of textbook material. Today, I had to make music notes into analogies with space ships from some sci fi television show so that the kid would actually listen. That’s why it’s especially nice to get off work somedays. I guess I do like teaching sometimes. I get to see potential and how it is transformed as time goes on, but it’s also tiring on days like today. In a way, I suppose my spa day with Rarity and Fluttershy is supposed to get rid of some of my stress, but since I’ve never really been to a spa, it’s a little hard for me to relax. I mean, trusting someone else with my body isn’t really something I would prefer to do, but maybe it will be a worthwhile experience. I’m just not sure what exactly Rarity will want to do. Is this Fluttershy’s idea…? Shaking my head, I grab my phone out of my pocket, finally being able to have time to myself. Instantly, my fingers navigate to the contacts section to find Rarity’s phone number, but I can only seem to hesitate to click on her number… A part of me knows exactly who I should call… The contact is right there. It wouldn’t hurt to call and see how things are going, right? Then I can call Rarity right after. A small sigh leaves my mouth before I click on the phone number right under Rarity’s, bringing the phone to my ear. The ringing can be heard for what feels like forever, causing me to roll my eyes as I walk. Come on… How long does it really take for you to pick up a phone call? The annoying tone finally comes to a stop as a masculine voice clears his throat before speaking into the phone. “Filthy Rich speaking. May I ask who it is I am speaking to?” he says in an all too formal tone, causing me to chuckle slightly to myself. “Seriously? You don’t have my number marked down by now? I gave you it yesterday so that you could contact me,” I say with a slight annoyance in my voice. “Dazzle. How did I know it would be you?” His question is fueled with a bit of frustration, but he keeps his composure nonetheless. “What do you need now?” “You act like all I do is need things from you, Rich. You should know me better than that,” I remark with a chuckle, bringing my hand up to my chest as if he could see me. “I also know that you don’t just want to chat with me. What do you want? I’m quite busy today.” Even though it’s sometimes fun to mess with Rich, I am also relying on him at this point, so I don’t really feel like pushing his buttons too much. “I had some free time today and I wanted to see if you have had any leads on my stolen possessions. You know, the list I gave you?” A slight groan can be heard from the other side of the call, giving me the answer without saying any words. “I said I would help you find them, but you can’t expect me to do this in just one day. Looking throughout the city is harder than you might think.” “Come on, Rich. Cut the bullshit. We both know that the longer those items are out there, the more likely it will be that we can’t get them back. Some of that stuff is replaceable, but some of it isn’t.” My tone that was once humorous is now replaced with one of anger, still feeling that all too familiar rage… I don’t want to let these possessions go. For her sake… “And that’s why you came to me instead of the police. You know that I’m the only man who can do this. Have some faith, Dazzle.” A slight chuckle comes from his end of the call, despite his busy tone just a few moments before. Before I can respond, the sound of a door closing can be heard, a heavy breath coming to Rich. “I know I can rely on you, Dazzle. Do the same for me. As long as you complete your end of the bargain, I will find your possessions. You can count that as a promise.” His voice sounds taunting and teasing at the same time, clearly his way of trying to toy with me, but he does have a point… “You know I will.” =============================================================== The spa is a lot different than I thought it would be. The smell of scented soaps fills the air and it feels… clean. Inviting and warm. Maybe that’s why so many people love going here. Though, the thought of Fluttershy enjoying this environment is both strange and fitting at the same time. On one hand, Fluttershy deals with animals all the time and doesn’t see anything wrong with them or how often they can stink. On the other hand, I can totally see someone as shy and introverted as her enjoying a relaxing environment like this. Looking at all the services the spa offers, a part of me feels a bit intimidated at the vast amount of options one can choose. There are so many specials, combos, and deals that partner up different treatments that it makes you feel a bit odd when it comes to actually deciding what to buy. Such a daunting task would usually make me study the options a bit more carefully to make an intelligent choice, but Rarity knows this place a lot better than I do, so I figure she will decide what to buy. Since I’m treating them, I’m just going along for the ride… Which is actually pretty embarrassing since I’m not using my own money to buy this… I had to borrow some from Sunset simply because of the expenses I’ve already made within this month. I’ll pay her back when I can, but it’s still embarrassing nonetheless… One thing that caught my eye on the list of deals is something with a very peculiar title. “The Rarity Treat,” I whisper to myself, shaking my head with a smile on my face. It seems that Rarity is not just a regular here. Either that or the spa has a very coincidental title. Before I can ponder any longer on the title, a girl with blue skin and pink hair walks up to me with a clipboard. “Are we still waiting for others?” she asks me with a small accent, one I can’t seem to place. Looking at the clock on the wall, I can’t help but sigh, wondering where they are… “Yeah. They should be here any mi-” “Hello~!” A loud and happy voice exclaims throughout the lobby, causing both of us to look in that direction. The woman with skin as pale as snow walks closer to us with her arms outstretched, wearing a big hat with round, bedazzled sunglasses. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, Rarity gently hugs the spa worker with a big smile on her face. Right behind Rarity is the shy girl I’ve gotten to know over the past couple of days, giving me a small wave. “How are you, Blossom dearie?” Rarity asks the blue girl with a happy tone to her voice as if she was greeting a friend she hadn’t seen in a long time. “Ms. Rarity~ It’s so nice to see you and Fluttershy here again. It’s been so long that we were starting to worry~” The spa worker responds with an almost equal level of enthusiasm. “Oh, don’t lie to me, Blossom~” Rarity states before she laughs, sharing a chuckle with the girl before she looks at me. “Oh! Blossom, meet my friend, Adagio Dazzle~ She will be joining us this evening~” “Ah, so you two were the ones she was waiting on~ Should I assume she will be joining the rest of your treatments?” she asks in a teasing way, looking at me with a smile. Despite using pronouns to refer to me in the third person, the question feels like it’s more directed at me, making me feel a bit awkward. “Well, that will depend on… how this goes,” I tell her as I shake her hand, trying to get rid of any embarrassment I may have left. Gently, a hand from behind me rubs my shoulder. “Oh, um… Don’t worry~ It’ll be great~” Fluttershy reassures me with her soft spoken voice, smiling at me as kindly as she can. Even though this is technically a relaxing atmosphere and I’ve been given comforting words, a small part of me is still worried about letting someone else do things to my body… I’m sure it will be fine. Probably…
Starting OverAuthor's Note The day isn't over yet for Adagio Dazzle, but little does she know this new adventure is just beginning. Hopefully, she can befriend a familiar fashionista and save face in front of others. Luckily, a burrito can always lighten the mood. Disclaimer: This story is a sequel to A Dazzling World which was a story that touched upon some heavy topics. These topics may be mentioned in future chapters, but I will warn you ahead of time when those chapters come out. There isn't really anything in this chapter to worry about yet though~ Also, this chapter was beta read by Mon668 on AO3! She's a good friend of mine, so shout out to her for helping make this story the best it can be! Starting Over Chapter II: Starting Over Apparently, Rainbow Dash’s plan to hang out with both of us is to watch colorful moving platforms of cardboard and confetti. I can’t complain, though. They do have some nice treats and even music, so it made me wish Sunset was here, but she needed more sleep today. I’ll have to remember to save some of the candy they threw out for her, especially the chocolate mermaids. It’s funny that Sunset likes mermaids, considering Sirens have a somewhat aquatic origin, but I don’t know if she knows that. Taking a bite out of the cotton candy Rainbow gave me, I nod slightly to myself, enjoying the taste. “Fine, you’re right. It is pretty good, but you didn’t have to force me to try it,” I say with a small chuckle escaping my lips. “Oh, darling. She does that to everyone. Just go with the flow,” Rarity giggles to herself, taking a dainty little bite out of her cotton candy. Rainbow Dash’s jaw drops slightly after hearing Rarity’s statement, but she wipes it away with a big grin. “Well, cotton candy is one of the best treats in the world! Pinkie Pie introduced it to me back in the day. It’s almost as awesome as me! Almost though,” Rainbow says with a snicker, striking a pose and pretending like she’s the best person in the world. “Sure, Rainbow,” I say with the same humorous tone that Sunset would have if she was here. “If you’re so awesome, then prove it~” My taunt seems to intrigue Rainbow Dash as she instantly looks at me with confusion in her eyes. A smirk comes across her face as she laughs loudly. “Oh, yeah! What do you want me to do? It better be a challenge because I hate sissy proposals,” Rainbow says as she pokes me with her index finger. For a second, multiple thoughts pass through my mind about possibly hard challenges, but nothing seems hard enough for Rainbow Dash… Unless… “You know how these wrappers can be collected and traded?” I ask Rainbow Dash, showing her one of the cotton candy wrappers. It’s funny that most people haven’t really paid attention to it, but as a measure to try and avoid more littering, the parade made the wrappers worth 25 cents. The best part about it? You could collect as many as you want and exchange them for the money they’re worth, and since most people don’t think to cash in the reward, there’s a surprising amount of them on the sidewalks and around the food trucks and parade floats. Rainbow’s eyes look at the wrapper in my hand and smirks at me. “Oh? You want me to get us some of our money back, huh? That’s child’s play!” she states in a confident tone. “Not exactly,” I say with my own smirk, narrowing my eyes as I look into hers. “See, there are two things I want a lot right now. The first being Sunset, but since she isn’t here, I’ll happily take a burrito from Taco Pony. If you can collect enough tickets and get me that burrito within, say, ten minutes? Then you’ll officially be the ‘awesomest’ person in the whole world,” I tease Rainbow, holding out my wrapper with a wink. “Think you can handle that, Dashie?” Confidently grabbing my wrapper, she chuckles to herself, looking around the crowded street. “Oh, yeah. I can do that in five minutes~” Rainbow states, instantly running around the crowd, picking up different wrappers on the ground or in other people’s hands. A laugh is shared between Rarity and I for a second, both of us finding it humorous to see Rainbow take on such a silly challenge just to prove herself. The loud music seems to be the only thing shared between the two of us for a few moments, Rarity just watching Rainbow dart in and out of the crowd, taking small bites as she waits. Rarity still wears those sunglasses despite the sky being close to dark, streetlights already ablaze and the pastel colored sky being the only light offered otherwise. Slowly, Rarity pulls off a piece of her pink treat and hands it to me, smiling as she does so. “So, Adagio. It seems we have a moment alone now,” Rarity sighs, still maintaining her smile and kind look. Despite her clear awkward feelings, the fashionista wants to bridge the gap seemingly. Grabbing the piece from Rarity, I slowly put it in my mouth and nod to her statement. “Tell me, dear. Judging off of your clothing choices a couple years back, I would assume you like fashion?” Rarity questions me, looking at the clothes I have on right now. “I do actually. Well, I did. I… had to get rid of the more fancy clothes I owned a while back, but I still have some things that look decent on me. I guess I just have to gather up the confidence to wear them.” Looking up at the early rising moon, I lean against the building we decided to stand beside. The white girl leans back with me and sighs to herself, pushing her sunglasses back up to her eyes. “I understand that feeling all too well. There are many times I don’t feel confident enough to go out, but AJ has a way of always convincing me that I’m… worth it, if you will.” “Yeah, Sunset has the same effect on me… It’s like no matter how broken I feel, she knows exactly what to say or what to do.” A simple nod comes from Rarity as a response, looking down at her feet with a frown. “AJ can always tell when I’m lying about my feelings and she’s always there to lift me up again like the darling she is.” Nodding, I smile for a moment, closing my eyes as I imagine her happy expression once more. “It’s like no matter what trouble you’re going through, Sunset can always tell and she’s always willing to drop everything to be there for you. It’s like she-” “Can read your mind…” Rarity sighs to herself, her hand gently clutching a locket around her neck, gently smiling at the feeling. “You really love Sunset, don’t you?” Rarity asks me as she looks at me again, our eyes locking once more. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to say to the question at first, feeling my words get caught in my throat. Of course I love Sunset, but I suppose it’s hard to say that to someone else other than her. Hell, it’s hard to say it to Sunset herself… “Yeah, I do,” I slowly let out, nodding to her query. No matter what happens, that fact has been cemented in my mind ever since January… “It’s funny… I fell in love with her so fast and… it felt like I couldn’t control it.” Rarity’s head nods up and down slowly, her eyes looking at the locket around her neck for a moment. “It does feel like that sometimes… When AJ asked me out that first time, I… I froze. I wasn’t sure what to do, especially since I had pined over her for a year at that point. I even remember exactly what the rugged cowgirl said to me. ‘Rarity. I um… You’re really kind and I always have thought you’re pretty and all, so um… Would you like to maybe go out sometime?’” For a moment, both of us laugh at her impersonation of the cowgirl, Rarity’s smile genuine and innocent. “Despite her simple nature, she means the world to me and I’m not sure what I would do without her,” she states slowly, looking at me with a giggle. A silent moment is shared between the two of us as we look into each other’s eyes, eventually giggling at the awkward lack of words. “Tell me, Adagio. Why do you keep touching that scarf of yours?” she asks me with an inquisitive look, looking at my hand. For a moment, I feel surprised, realizing that my hand had been feeling my scarf the entire time we’ve been talking, the action happening without me knowing it. A sheepish grin comes to my face as a blush overtakes me, my hand instantly moving away from my scarf. “I um… It’s a gift. Sunset gave it to me for Christmas and all. Back when I… Well, let’s just say I wasn’t the best person last Christmas.” Averting my eyes, I look around at the crowd around us, biting my lip. I really wish Sunset was here… If I could, I would hold her hand just to calm down my beating heart and to avoid my embarrassment from growing anymore than it already has. I guess I do feel the scarf a lot just to… facilitate some sort of connection with her, even when we’re apart. “I suppose this locket is similar to your scarf in a way. When my darling gave me this locket, I couldn’t stop feeling it, wishing she was nearer to me. I even do it now, as foolish as it may seem,” Rarity chuckles to herself, smiling to me. “But I suppose we would both be fools in that case, huh?” With a shared giggle, I nod, rubbing Rarity’s shoulder slightly. “Only fools for the ones we love, Rarity.” ============================================== “Really, that is quite a romantic sounding gesture~” Rarity lovingly sighs, thinking to herself. Rainbow, who is sitting next to Rarity with her own burrito, has a frown written across her face, taking a bite of her food. “That’s it? You two walked on a beach after watching a weird love movie?” she asks with a weird look, glancing past Rarity at me. Despite the size of the park bench, it easily fit all three of us, with Rarity insisting on sitting in the middle due to the cool feeling of the night breeze. A small chuckle comes from my lips, taking a bite out of my burrito as I look up at the moon. “You’d be surprised at the power simple things have over you, Dashie. Like a Ferris wheel.” Before I can say anything more, Rarity’s hand quickly grabs onto my arm, her eyes staring at me with fantasy in them. Being the hopeless romantic she is, Rarity always seems to gravitate to any term I say that has any semblance with love. “Did you… say a Ferris wheel? Darling, please… please tell me something happened on a Ferris wheel…” Her eyes plead for me to spill any details I have behind this story, wanting to know if one of her own romantic fantasies were fulfilled by someone else. A small chuckle escapes my lips as I pat her shoulder, nodding slowly to her inquiry. “Something did happen on a Ferris wheel, though it was back in February.” “Are we only going to talk about love stuff?” Rainbow asks, standing up and walking a few steps away from the bench. Even if Rainbow’s usual attitude is daring, humorous and challenging, her tone now displays a more irritated and exhausted feeling. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rainbow,” Rarity says quietly. “I know what… happened and all. We could talk about something else if you would like?” Rainbow Dash, thinking for a moment, nods slowly and sits back down with us, taking a bite out of her burrito. “Fine. Could we talk about Sunset’s birthday? I assume we all know it’s coming up, right?” Rainbow states, looking at the both of us with an inquisitive tone in her voice. A proud smile comes across my lips as we both nod, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I do. I even got her a gift and such. It’s something I’ve saved up for weeks to buy for her.” Rarity’s eyes turn from Rainbow and stare at me with an eager expression, her smile telling me her thoughts easily. “Ooh~! What did you get? Is it something expensive?” Rarity excitedly asks me, aiming her body towards mine. “Well, not necessarily. It is expensive given my pay, but I suppose it wouldn’t be for others. It’s just a leather jacket I saw at the store and all. It’s red with flames on it and it even has matching gloves, so I figured Sunset would like it to keep her warm and all.” Rainbow’s eyes widen quickly upon hearing my explanation, staring at me for a bit. “Wait, really? Dagi, you need to show me this jacket! It sounds freaking awesome!” she states excitedly, practically jumping in her seat. “To think I only got her a pair of roller skates. Your gift sounds way cooler.” “Well, I can’t really show you it. It’s kinda wrapped. And hidden in our apartment…” Nervously, I scratch my head and chuckle, feeling quite awkward that I can’t show the gift to the two girls. “Rainbow, I’m sure Sunset will still enjoy your gift~” Rarity reassures her with a smile, patting Rainbow Dash’s shoulder lightly. “And your gift sounds lovely, Adagio~ I’m sure she will love it too~ Sunset loves most gifts she gets after all~” Nodding to Rarity, a memory comes to my mind easily, making me think of the gift I made for her all that time ago. It didn’t necessarily scream Sunset’s personality, but she still loved the blanket and gloves I got for her nonetheless. Sunset is never really picky about what she receives, loving whatever she gets and she tries to make sure everyone feels special. “Hey, what do you gals think of throwing Sunset a birthday party?” Rainbow asks us with a big bite of her burrito, looking excited at the prospect she suggested. “Ooh~! That’s a terrific idea!” Rarity exclaims, instantly bringing her hand to her chin. “I could design the decorations too! Of course, Pinkie would need to be consulted.” Despite the girls’ excited conversation, a confused expression comes across me as I look at the both of them, feeling a little left out due to my lack of knowledge. “Um… what exactly is a birthday party…?”
You're Still DesiredAuthor's Note Adagio Dazzle has a new day ahead of her, full of exciting and interesting turns. Despite the rocky relationship between them, Adagio and Applejack are able to talk to each other. Maybe things get better from here~ After helping Apple Bloom prepare for the family reunion, Adagio returns home for one last surprise. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Thank you all for reading my story this far~ I know this sequel seems like a jumbled mess so far, but trust me, the story will soon be apparent~ Again, big thanks to Mon668 for beta reading this story~ You're Still Desired Chapter III: You’re Still Desired Maybe it’s just the warm summer air pushing down on me, but I feel… sort of incomplete… I suppose it’s all due to the stress of life, causing Sunset and I to spend less and less time with each other. It’s a lonely feeling… One I can recall all too well from just a few months back. It’s funny to think that I didn’t really have anyone back then, but I can proudly call a few individuals my friends. Though, it sometimes still makes me think whether or not they deserve someone better… Either way, my confidence has been an issue for a while now, so I suppose I should try to work on that while Sunset and I are busy, right? A small sigh exits my lips as I bring my hand to my head, blocking the sun from my view and allowing me to look further ahead down the dirt road. It would be really nice if I could talk with Sunset at least, but with our varying schedules, the only times we can really see each other are when we wake up or go to sleep. It’s still a nice feeling though… Don’t get me wrong. I love Sunset with all my heart. I wouldn’t want to live without her, but even I can feel lonely at times. I didn’t know that until I lost my two best friends over a year and a half ago. Whatever happens, Sunset is still the one I love, but I just wish I could… grasp more time with her. Maybe she could come with me to the Apple Family Reunion later this week…? It would definitely be a welcome break from the busy lives we lead. Bringing my hand to my scarf, I smile slowly, looking around at the bright green woods around me. Perhaps it’s for the best right now. Once we get some time to ourselves again, we can have one of those movie nights again. Or maybe we could go to the beach again. Shaking my head, I try to clear my mind of the lovely thoughts for a moment, focusing on what’s important. I’m not here to have a fun thought process. I’m here to help Apple Bloom… Though, it is weird finding the front entrance of the farm. Applejack insisted that I stop sneaking around her orchard and walk through the farm in general. I must have been following this fence for a good ten minutes now. I don’t walk quickly anymore, since I don’t usually have places to be in a hurry, but it still felt like a long time to be walking. Stopping in my tracks, my eyes catch a glimpse of red past some of the trees, the shine of paint glinting from the sun. The smell of apples is all too present, masking the scent of mud. Walking another few meters in front of me, I can finally see a clearing a good distance away from the fence with a barn in the center of it. There are a few more smaller farm buildings scattered around, all of them probably have their own purpose, but the centerpiece of the whole art piece was the house, standing at around two and a half stories tall. It is a beautiful farm, I’ll admit, but the thought of entering it still ends up scaring me slightly. Perhaps it’s because of Applejack’s inevitable games, testing my new character, but a part of me knows the real reason why I don’t want to set a toe inside the property. Someone like me doesn’t really deserve friends… Especially after all I’ve done. Shaking my head, I sigh to myself, reaching the driveway at the fence and walking into the farm. It’s still a good distance from the fence to the farmhouse, making the walk all the more dreadful. I’m incredibly lucky to have friends like Apple Bloom… I mean, when I look back, I didn’t deserve an ounce of the kindness she showed me back then, but here I am, looking forward to spending time with the little daredevil. I know I don’t deserve her friendship, but regardless, she gives it to me despite my past. Now I just have to convince her sister as well… A feat that sounds easier said than done. Who knows? Maybe that kindness runs in the family… Walking further down the driveway, I see Applejack working on a wheelbarrow with a whole host of tools, seemingly struggling with something. Even though I feel anxious about talking with the cowgirl again, she’s willing to give me a shot and I should be willing to be friendly with her too. If things go well enough, maybe we will become good friends. If she wants of course… Smiling to myself, I gently brush the hair out of my face, closing the distance between Applejack and I slowly. At first, Applejack doesn’t look up from her work, clearly frustrated by the problem at hand. Looking down at the wheelbarrow, I can’t help but smile at the irony of the broken wheel, considering how often that trope is shown in media like cartoons. “Broken wheel?” I ask, squatting down slowly to take a better look at the mess. “Yep, I’ve been working on it for an hour now,” Applejack slowly states, acknowledging my presence with her gaze and a small smile. “It’s damn frustrating, that’s what it is. I swear I would have replaced it by now, but…” The cowgirl’s sentence is forcibly cut short, her thought process seemingly telling her to keep whatever she was about to say a secret. “Sorry, I ain’t trying to bother you with my own problems.” Slowly, her hand extends out to me, gesturing for aid, one I accept by pulling her up to her feet. “Don’t apologize. It’s a bigger problem than the ones Apple Bloom talks to me about, so I’m used to it~ Besides, I don’t mind talking about troubles.” My mouth forms into a smile as Applejack nods to my statement, sheepishly avoiding my gaze for a moment, before shaking my hand slightly. Her usual confident and honest behavior is shed when we lock eyes, both of us understanding one another for a short time. Applejack is a kind and hardworking woman, one who worries about her family, but now, she seems oddly at peace with the current situation. “I don’t suppose you wanted to see me, huh?” Applejack says with a small chuckle, walking a few steps away from me to pick up one of her tools. “Apple Bloom isn’t here yet. School isn’t done,” she states plainly, despite her chuckle from before. “Ah, I see,” is all I can seem to let out, walking around to the other side of the broken wheelbarrow. “She asked me to help with the decorations for this family reunion~” For some reason, Applejack giggles slightly at my explanation, bringing a hand to her face to cover her exhausted yet humorous expression. “Figures. That girl is always asking for help and getting into trouble. When I was her age I…” Again, Applejack stops herself, looking down at her tools with a disturbed expression. “Sorry, sugarcube. I’m not really myself today. I didn’t get a full night’s sleep and everything seems to be getting on my nerves,” the cowgirl states, a vulnerable look coming across her face for a few moments. Even though Applejack and I are not on the best terms, I still feel sad that she’s clearly struggling, wanting to help this girl that is… admirable I suppose. “What’s been bothering you?” I ask calmly, reaching over and holding the wheelbarrow in place, seemingly surprising Applejack. “Well, everything really… This reunion has me up the walls, trying to make it perfect, you know?” Applejack slowly shakes her head, taking her wrench and positioning it on one of the bolts holding the broken wheel on the piece of equipment. “Apple Bloom is growing up so fast and it all sort of seems to be going out of control. Even Granny is starting to go downhill, so I need to help her in my spare time as well.” The cowgirl’s brow furrows slightly as she finally loosens the bolt, pulling it away from the wheelbarrow. “I suppose it’s not all bad though… At least I get to know you again. Well, the real you, instead of my perceived image of you,” she sighs quietly, trying to loosen another bolt. For a moment, I feel a bit happy, hearing her statement… I suppose it makes me feel happy that she’s accepted, at some level, that I am a different person now. “I’m glad I get to know you too,” I slowly let out, directing my eyes away from us and towards some of the trees in the orchard. No matter what may have been exchanged between the two of us, we could both understand the sentiment behind Applejack’s statement, not meant to be hostile or to wound me in some way while laying the groundwork for a possible friendship. Smiling, I shake my head slightly to myself, looking back to the rugged cowgirl. “So, is everyone invited to this family reunion or am I a special case?” I tease slightly, both of us sharing a short laugh. “Well, not everyone. Family and friends are invited and well… I figured you were close enough to Apple Bloom that she would beg for me to invite ya.” A shameful expression comes across her face as she averts my gaze, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. Taking off her hat for a moment, she stumbles with her words, bringing her hand to her forehead. “Besides, I’m… sorry. I really do want to get to know ya, it’s just… all my instincts tell me not to, so take this invitation as both my apology and my way of starting over,” Applejack slowly states, holding her hand out to me with the most humble smile she can muster, a small tear welling up in her eye. Being the proud cowgirl she is, she wouldn’t let herself cry obviously, but it still reflects a sense of honesty deep down. Taking her hand in mine, I smile and nod, locking my eyes with hers. “Don’t be sorry. Actions speak louder than words, right? So, let’s both act better~ Besides, I have a lot more to prove.” Patting her shoulder lightly, Applejack chuckles to my statement, nodding and letting go of my hand to pick up her tools. “How about you stay around for a while until Apple Bloom comes back? You could help me ignore the dang wheelbarrow and focus on making the cider,” she teases me before laughing to herself. “And god knows we will need a lot of that apple cider.” ===================================================== “So, wait a minute, sugarcube.” Applejack, downing the last of her water bottle, pauses to collect her thoughts as she wipes the sweat from her forehead. Sitting beside the front door, I sigh a little to the cool breeze, finally relaxing from fixing this porch. It’s funny that we were supposed to work on the apple cider preparation, but Applejack’s grandmother asked her to fix the porch halfway through, so now we’re tempted with the smell of apple pie the whole time we work here. I’m not necessarily new to making home repairs, considering my past shitty apartment, but I never really fixed a porch before. “You’re telling me that you had an accident at work and then you went to watch movies with Sunset?” Applejack’s confused eyes express the emotion she feels towards my probably odd wording of my story. “No no no, Applejack. I’m sorry, let me clarify. I went to watch Romeo and Juliet with Sunset and then we walked on the beach. After all of that is when I had my accident. Though, we did have a movie night later when I stayed at her apartment and all.” “Ah, I see,” Applejack says with a relaxed tone, resting against one of the porch beams and bathing in the cool breeze under the shade. “Of course you two watched Romeo and Juliet. Sunset picked, right?” A short chuckle comes from her lips as she closes her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath to herself. “Sunset has always liked romantic movies. Did she ever tell you how she forced all of us to watch The Beauty and the Beast?” Shortly, the cowgirl begins to laugh to herself, recalling some sort of memory presumably as she holds her belly slightly. “No, I don’t think she ever told me about that story~” I say in a quiet yet cheerful voice, taking a long sip of water afterward. “Good golly, it was a good time~ Rainbow was none too pleased about it and even threatened to jump out the window until Fluttershy asked her to please stay. Rarity was so excited that she gripped onto my arm the whole movie. I swear she must have made my arm go numb at one point,” the cowgirl states slowly, thinking about the past situation. “Either way, Pinkie also made some sort of surprise popcorn which turned out to be a random assortment of candy and chocolate syrup. There was hardly any popcorn in it now that I think about it.” Her laugh starts to subside as she takes a deep breath in and out, nodding sleepily to the cool air that brushes past both of us. “That sort of reminds me of a certain chaotic visit to the amusement park,” I chuckle slightly, thinking about a time that seems like a lifetime ago at this point. Applejack, seemingly curious about my statement, opens her mouth to ask me a question, but she’s stopped by the sound of a loud kitchen timer just inside the house. Standing up quickly, she opens the door to the house, walking inside and opening the oven. Just as I stand up to help Applejack, I look towards the long driveway and see an all too familiar sight. Running towards the house with a wagon right behind her, Apple Bloom’s bright yellow skin reflects the sun easily as her bow bounces to each movement she makes. Smiling to myself, I look inside the window into the house and see Applejack setting out a couple more pies. “Hey, Applejack?” I nervously say, catching her attention as she looks towards the window. “I’m sorry to say this, but Apple Bloom is back home now and I promised her I would help with her own preparations for the reunion. Do you think you can fix the porch without me?” I ask cautiously, not wanting to seem like I’m just ditching her for a new chore. “I don’t think I can,” Applejack says, slowly, tilting her hat slightly as she walks to the window, locking her gaze with mine. “I know I can. I’ve been fixing this dang porch every summer for ten years now.” With a slight chuckle, she puts her hand on my shoulder, nodding slightly. “Thanks. For helping out around here and talking with me. I… I hope we can learn to be great friends, sugarcube,” Applejack slowly says, another guilty expression taking hold of her face. Both of us laugh slightly, sharing a singular moment. “I hope so too, Applejack~” ====================================================== Walking into Apple Bloom’s room, I can’t help but feel like I’m being invasive, looking around at all of Apple Bloom’s closest belongings. To the right of the door, there’s a big dresser, presumably full of clothes, and to the left, there is a huge toy chest, overflowing with an assortment of pretty things and more rugged toys that you would expect a cowgirl to play with. I have to admit, it’s odd to see a doll right next to a toy revolver. Apple Bloom, seeing where my attention is directed, grabs her toy revolver and pulls the trigger, making a clack sound ring through the small room’s walls. “Do you like this?” she asks, handing me the toy innocently enough. Despite the kind smile on her face, I can’t bring myself to accept the offer, just looking blankly down at the toy slightly. Even though it’s a toy, the shape of it reminds me of times that I would… rather forget. The click of the trigger is all too familiar… “Not really. I’ve always been more of a doll person if you will.” Especially since Sonata often shared her toys with me back when we were children… “Oh? Okay~ Well, just make yourself at home, alright? I don’t mind if ya touch my dolls or such~” Apple Bloom, just as caring as ever, walks over to her bed in the middle of the room, patting it slightly to signal me to sit. Just as I comply with this request, Apple Bloom walks over to her dresser and opens it, looking through it intensely. The bed also had a couple of small bedside dressers next to it, one with a lamp and the other with an alarm clock and a framed picture of her family. Opposite of the door to her room, there’s a small white desk with a mirror, pictures of the CMC surrounding the edges of the frame. Apple Bloom’s room, as small and limited as it is, has a lot of character, expertly displaying the type of person Apple Bloom is. Reserved when she needs to be, but passion pours out of every action she takes. “How was school?” I ask slowly, lying back on the bed with a small sigh to myself. Apple Bloom simply shrugs to my question, content on her search for something in the dresser. “It was fine I suppose… It’s just Diamond Tiara again. She keeps teasing Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and I.” Slowly, Apple Bloom carries a big box of craft supplies over to the bed, setting it down beside her when she sits down next to me. “Again? Have you tried talking to her like I said?” I ask, sitting up and remembering the small conversation Apple Bloom and I had over this in our letters. “Yeah, I did, but she can’t seem to stop it. She doesn’t even seem to regret it. It’s just like she’s taking her anger out on us for some reason.” Setting the glue, scissors and colorful paper on the bed, Apple Bloom grabs some string and starts to cut it into five inch intervals. “Not only that, but her dad, Filthy Rich, brings her out of school every Tuesday, so she gets a day off from everyone else. I mean, how hard can her life be?” The small cowgirl’s anger makes her fingers shake slightly, sighing to herself. “I mean, I work on a farm every day and she can’t bring herself to lift a dang backpack. She needs to gain some muscle, that’s all.” “Wait, her dad is Filthy Rich?” I ask cautiously, still registering the words she said before. Apple Bloom’s eyes lock with mine for a moment as her eyebrow raises, a slow nod coming from her. “Uh, yeah. What about it?” she asks me, curious of my response. “And you say that she… can’t even lift a backpack?” “I would say she acts more like it. She’s always had her butlers carry things for her, but recently, she’s even started acting sick to avoid teach’s questions.” Apple Bloom’s eyes drift down to her craft again, mumbling off to herself slowly. If I had known Apple Bloom’s bully was the daughter of Filthy Rich, I would have given her different advice… I probably forgot the girl’s name since I never really listened to Rich back then, but now… I can’t seem to forget the words he told me the last time we talked on that beach… God damn it, the dots are finally connecting… “Apple Bloom? I… Maybe you should take it easier on Diamond Tiara,” I slowly sigh, looking away from the craft materials momentarily, staring outside her window. “Tiara may not be… acting…” =============================================== Slowly, I close the door, trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. Even though it’s already night, it’s strange that the blinds are already closed, making me question whether I closed them myself earlier in the morning. Even though today has been a stressful mess of social relationships, my mind is already eager to hop into bed, thinking about the feeling of Sunset’s warmth. It’s always the best thing to put me to sleep after all~ Shaking my head slightly, I breathe in and out before I start taking off my boots. Even though it wasn’t necessarily a lot of work to make apple decorations with Apple Bloom, the day itself has still taken a toll on me, making my body weary and tired. I yawn gently, bringing my hand to my mouth after unraveling the scarf from my neck and gently hanging it on the rack next to the door. It wasn’t the apple decorations that made us truly tired though. It was the conversation we shared at that time… Apparently, Diamond Tiara has been missing more and more school days, insisting that she can’t carry things mundane because they hurt her. This wasn’t out of the ordinary in Apple Bloom’s eyes, but now that she looks back on it, she told me that the statements had eerily serious tones to them. The information I gave Apple Bloom about Tiara’s father was… quite shocking to her. Normally, I would avoid telling the secrets of another, but in this case, I believe that maybe it was needed… Apple Bloom agreed to take it easier on the girl and look for anything she considers a true sign of weakness. Given the amount of medical equipment Filthy Rich had asked for, it’s not really hard to imagine what is going on in that household… Rubbing my forehead slightly, I fully slip off my socks and jeans, leaving myself in a t-shirt. Yawning, I close my eyes, listening to see if Sunset is awake. Walking into the hallway, I smile slightly. Hopefully, Tiara will be okay. For now, I need to have some time to breathe and finally rest from all the physical and… emotional work I’ve done today. Imagining Sunset’s cute breathing as she sleeps is almost enough to make me burst through that door and jump into bed with her, but I would prefer to not wake her if she is asleep. Smiling a little more, I grab the door knob slowly and nod to myself. Despite how stressful things can get, I am so glad I can always rely on Sunset. She’s always here for me, no matter what happens. I try to be there for her as well, but she never seems to complain about life, always smiling to herself. Turning the door knob slowly, I peek inside to see if she is asleep and… S-S… What…? Instantly, I let go of the door, freezing in my tracks as my eyes are glued to the figure on the bed, illuminated by the moon from the window… The woman I thought was asleep is instead sitting straight up, her shirtless body reflecting the light… But not as well as the object in her hand… The sharp and metallic object, gently held in her hand as tears stream down her face… Sunset…? What is… Please don’t tell me… Don’t tell me… Her hand slowly brings that object closer to the bottom of her belly, her tears staining her face even more… Every part of me can’t move as I see that damned object press against her skin, her eyes closing slightly as she winces… Why is this happening…? Through the sniffling, I hear Sunset make a singular whisper to herself, watching her action take place… “I deserve this…”
Escalating CircumstancesAuthor's Note Confrontation always leads to unforeseeable consequences. It's an awkward feeling that Adagio is about to understand all too well as she tries to help the love of her life. Will they both come out with hope in the end? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this newest installment of the series! Again, sorry for the slow burn, but that's just how I write~ Anyway! I am posting this with chapter 5, so I hope you all enjoy the double upload~ Thanks to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading these chapters, this story wouldn't be what it is without her valuable input on my story decisions! So, everyone feel free to shoot her a PM to thank her on Fimfiction under the profile Mon668! https://www.fimfiction.net/user/473432/Mon668 Escalating Circumstances Chapter IV: Escalating Circumstances “A-Adagio…? H-how long have you been there?” her lips instantly move in sync with her words, her eyes show a feeling of surprise as she covers herself up with the damned blanket… Tears instantly wiped away… The object isn’t in sight anymore, but it’s shape is still imprinted in my mind… “A-are you doing alright? I um… I missed you~” her voice let out the statement confidently, faking cheer and happiness as her fingers twitched on the blanket around herself… Her smile comes back to her face, hiding the nervousness she clearly feels. My hands feel numb… A wobbly feeling spikes through my legs and my head is spinning… Despite my attempts to stabilize my breathing, my thoughts race through my mind, making me drop my phone to the floor. Why would… Why would she do this…? Someone so confident… Someone so determined and happy. Someone so… perfect… “Where is it…?” I ask weakly, finally locking my eyes with her again, slowly entering the room and walking towards the bed. “Hmm? Where is what?” she asks innocently, shifting slightly in the bed as she rubs her arm slowly, the cool air lowering the temperature of the sweat on my forehead… “Don’t fucking do that,” I say harshly, looking away for a moment. “Where… is the damn knife?” I ask slowly, looking into her eyes as I clench my fists. Why would she do this…? Am I not good enough…? Can I not help her…? “A-a knife? I don’t-” “Sunset, I know when you’re lying.” Interrupting her mid sentence, I walk the last stretch towards the bed, grabbing the blanket and pulling it away from her in my moment of anger and confusion. There it was… shining in our bed… That fucking object… It only takes a moment for Sunset to grab it, holding it close to her body, seemingly thinking of what to say as we lock our eyes. Why is it here, Sunset…? Why is there a knife in our bedroom…? “I-I can explain!” she states quickly, looking down at herself and the knife for an idea. “Why, Sunset…?” My question, as weak as it is, hits her ears as her head aims away from me, tears welling up in her eyes. “Someone so happy… so confident… Determined, caring, kind… Why would someone like that be in this situation?” My voice cracks slightly, feeling my own tears starting to well up in my eyes as she shifts uncomfortably, closing her eyes. The horrible feeling of silence is present as I stare at her, waiting for some sort of answer. To be honest, we both probably don’t know what to say… I never thought in a million years that I would… ever come across a scene like this… “I-it’s not like that…” “Then what is it, Sunset?” I ask instantly, walking towards the window and closing the blinds. No one else should ever see Sunset in these circumstances… I don’t even know why I am being subjected to this torture… What form of humor does god take from harming her…? Taking a deep breath, I look to Sunset once more and see her shivering body, her fingers quivering and the sound of sniffling fills my ears… “I’m… I’m sorry. Please, Sunset… What’s going on here?” I slowly ask her, walking towards the bed and sitting down next to her legs. “Let me in…” “No, I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to let you see me like this, Adagio… I didn’t want you to…” Covering her face with her hand, a few more quiet sobs fall into the air, her other hand dropping the knife back onto the bed. “Please don’t hate me… I can explain…” Her voice weakly lets out each word, pleading for me to stay rather than leave her in this hole of darkness. Gently, my hand rests on her leg, her eyes finally peeking through her hands… Both of our eyes filled with tears, not a sound escaping our lips. “I would never hate you, Sunset… Never. You made that impossible by being so kind to me… By being so friendly with me and giving me another chance. By being you…” Slowly, I move closer to Sunset, bringing my arms around her as gently as I can, rocking us both slightly. “I love you with all my heart… You’re the light to my life and I never want to see you hurt…” Bringing my lips to her cheek, I press them against her as softly as I can, trying to avoid the urge to cry into her. “That’s why I’m worried, Sunset… I love you…” Sunset’s arms gently return the embrace as her walls crumble down, finally crying and staining my chest with her sorrow. “Y-you really mean that?” Sunset’s voice cracks as she speaks, barely able to let out the few words through her cries. “I-I know that I… I always tell you that a-and all… It’s just that…” “You don’t think you deserve love?” I slowly interrupt, still rocking her in my arms slowly. Without saying another word, Sunset simply nods, crying a little harder into me as she holds us tightly together. “I promise, Sunset. I always mean that. Just like how you mean it when you say it to me.” Holding her close to me, I slowly hum as I rock her. “What would cause you to do this, Sunset? What hurt you this badly?” I ask as carefully as I can, using my most soothing tone. Sunset’s sniffling slows down a bit, burying her face into me slightly and breathing in deeply. “I did…” “You did…?” With a small nod, Sunset slowly lets go of me, wiping her tears from her face even though I’m still holding onto her. “Y-you… remember how I was evil a long time ago?” her voice lets out in a quiet whisper, taking a deep breath in afterward. Nodding to her question, I rub her head quietly and close my eyes, listening to her scattered breathing. “I-I… I have already forgiven myself for it… I know I’m not the same person anymore, but… every time my friends and I use magic anymore, I can’t help but feel… afraid that maybe she will come back…” A deep sigh comes from her as her tears slow down and her breathing becomes a little more controlled. “Magic is the thing that turned me into that… It also turned me into better things, but… I don’t know.” Her arms wrap around me as she rests her voice for a moment, calming herself. “It doesn’t happen often… Maybe once every couple of months… I even make sure to cut in the same spot to avoid… too many scars…” Gently scratching her scalp and feeling her soft strands in my hand, I take deep and slow breaths, rocking us both back and forth. “I understand… You do deserve love though, Sunset. Someone so pure and good… I love you so much. I don’t think I deserve love at all…” As soon as I say this, Sunset pushes away from me, locking her eyes with mine. “What? No! No no no, you do deserve love, Adagio. You deserve so much and I… I only want to give you the world, not my problems…” Once again, her eyes avert mine, thinking of what to say, but before she can let out another word, my hand cups her cheek slowly. A smile comes across my face, tears slowly sliding down my cheeks as I nod. “You do give me the world, Sunset~ You are my world~ I want to know about your problems and be there for you,” I slowly whisper, trying my best to hold back any urge I have to cry. Sunset’s eyes meet mine once more, her own smile coming back to her as we share a few tears. “Please… Try to rely on me more~ I will always be here for you, no matter what. Just like how you’re… here for me~” Sunset, now taking the initiative, grabs me in a hug and nods slowly, holding me as tight as she can. “I-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be like this or-” “You can’t be perfect, Sunset~” For a moment, silence passes between us, nothing bothering our moment except for the sounds of our occasional movements. “You always tell me that. You’re human, Sunset~ And I love you just how you are~” Kissing her cheek once more, a sigh escapes my lips as I close my eyes. “Please, tell me when you feel like doing this again… I want to be here for you.” “If… if you promise me you’ll try to get your confidence back…” Letting go of our embrace, Sunset cups my cheek and smiles, looking into my eyes. “Then… I’ll promise to rely on you more… I’ll try. Just promise me, okay?” she asks me with a pleading look in her eyes, her warm smile once again eating at my heart. It seems that we still have a long way to go before we’re an ideal couple, getting along as best as we can. “I promise~” Pressing my forehead against hers, I gently rub my nose with hers, closing my eyes as I do so. “I never want anyone other than you, Sunset~” A small chuckle comes from Sunset, the final of her tears streaming down her face as she holds onto me. “I don’t want anyone other than you as well, Adagio~” We still have a long way to go… But I look forward to every step of the way with you, Sunset…
A New AdventureAuthor's Note The world may seem dark at times, but at the end of darkness, there is always going to be a light. At least, this is what Adagio Dazzle has to tell herself now. As she tries to fix things with the one she loves, she realizes that life is about to become a whole new adventure~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I hope everyone enjoys this newest installment of the series! Again, sorry for the slow burn, but that's just how I write~ Anyway! I am posting this with chapter 4, so I hope you all enjoy the double upload~ Thanks to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading these chapters, this story wouldn't be what it is without her valuable input on my story decisions! So, everyone feel free to shoot her a PM to thank her on Fimfiction under the profile Mon668! https://www.fimfiction.net/user/473432/Mon668 A New Adventure Chapter V: A New Adventure Waking up early isn’t necessarily my favorite thing in the world. After all, I had a schedule that required me to go to work in the afternoon and go home way past dark at the nightclub… Now I work different times under Fancy Pants, but I never usually have to wake up before eleven. I’m not sure if I was ever really a morning creature… The only people who can answer that are Sonata and Aria. That is if they remember more than I do. I only really remember the big details about our lives back then… Like how Sonata shared her toys with Aria and I and how Aria would make all of us treats whenever we needed one. It was definitely a fun time, even if we did try to crush everyone under us. We never had a care in the world other than our own needs. After all, we didn’t need anyone else nor did we want someone else. It’s funny that my days are filled with worries now… I always worry about how they’re doing, even if I know I can’t find that answer. I don’t know where they are anymore and it’s far too late to find them now… I also worry about Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash and… Sunset… That’s why I woke up early today… I wanted to talk with Sunset before her damn internship. Maybe we can straighten some things out and… find out how we can make things better. At least good enough where she can rely on me… Pulling out the blueberry container from the fridge, I give them a slight shake to hear the oddly appealing sound of the berries rolling around inside the box. Opening it slowly, I take a small handful of the berries and gently drop them onto the waffles I prepared just a few minutes ago. Instead of dropping more berries on the second plate, I close the container and smile to myself, sliding it back into the fridge in exchange for a cherry container. Despite how busy things have been, I know that Sunset and I need some time together desperately. It’s especially been stressful since we haven’t really been able to talk a lot recently, but I know that Sunset would really enjoy some more time with me, even if I am a boring person. Maybe we can have a movie night soon~ Maybe… with her friends? For now, my main thought of getting to spend some time together is the Apple Family reunion, since I will be free and I’m already making a commitment to hang out with the others. I still… feel bad that Sunset hasn’t been relying on me, but I have to tell myself that things will be better soon… It’s just been a stressful period for both of us. Besides, I’m trying to build my confidence up, right? Putting a singular cherry in the middle of my waffle, I sigh to myself, closing the container and returning it to the icy domain it came from. It isn’t much of a breakfast, but I’m not much of a cook. I’ve been trying to learn more recipes, but compared to Applejack, I’m still a novice. Taking the plates in my hands, I walk into the living room slowly, setting them down on the coffee table with a small smile appearing on my face. I already made both of our drinks beforehand, a cup of orange juice for Sunset and some water for me. Personally, I’ve never tried orange juice, but given Aria’s reaction to it a long time ago, I feel hesitant to give the beverage a try. Then again, Aria didn’t like most foods and thought of it as a petty thing to do when we could just siphon off power with our magic. I wonder what she eats now that we don’t have magic… Walking out of the living room, I slowly approach the door to our bedroom, listening for any activity inside before putting my hand on the knob. I gently turn the knob after I’m satisfied with the sound of nothing, peering inside our white room. The lump in the blanket indicates the shape of a sleeping person, causing me to smile a little to myself. Personally, I feel a little responsible for her… actions last night, but Sunset wouldn’t want me to feel that way. No matter what I try to think, it feels like there is something I could have done to make things better between us… Maybe I wasn’t caring enough… I’m going to fix that, no matter what it takes… Gently walking inside on the tips of my toes, I slowly approach her side of the bed, seeing her peaceful sleeping face. Even after everything she’s gone through in life, she still has the sweetest smile and finds the determination to show it each and every day. Bringing my lips to her forehead, I can’t help but lay a small kiss on her as I pull the blanket off of her, my arms gently sliding under her. Honestly, I’m surprised that Sunset hasn’t woken up from this, but regardless, I slowly pull upward, carrying her body up in the air. I suppose my eyes can’t help but linger on Sunset’s cute smile in her sleep as she leans against me, the urge to kiss her building up in me once more. “You’re so beautiful, Sunset,” my lips mouth quietly to myself, smiling as I begin to walk away from the bed. As I walk slowly, the motion seems to stir Sunset, causing her to move slightly and yawn. Her hand lazily comes up to her eyes, rubbing gently to wake herself up a bit more. By now, I’ve stopped moving to try and coerce her back to sleep, not wanting this moment to end already, but it seems Sunset has different plans. Slowly, her eyes open to look around, probably to find the source of the motion. As she sees me, a big smile comes across her face, seemingly surprised by this current predicament we’re in. “Adagio…? What are you doing~?” she asks with a tired tone to her face, looking down to realize the source of the movement. “You’re carrying me? I thought I was supposed to be the romantic one in this relationship~” Sunset teases me slightly, leaning into me with a smile. Taking a few steps towards the door, I gently kiss her forehead once more, smiling to myself. “Well, I just wanted to take the initiative for once~ Besides, I figured it would be nice if we could talk before you go to work~” “Don’t you think you should at least let me get dressed first?” Sunset giggles slightly in both a humorous and nervous tone as she covers her chest. Despite the fact that last night was the first time I’ve seen her shirtless body, I don’t quite care due to the current circumstances. The more pressing matter is making sure Sunset feels loved and comfortable. “I’ll get you a shirt and some pants in a moment~ Just relax and let me take care of things,” I whisper slowly to her, kissing her cheek and nuzzling her slightly. “I love you so much~” Walking through the doorway, Sunset giggles slightly, resting her head against my chest with a sigh. “I hope this isn’t because of… what happened last night. I don’t want to make you treat me any differently.” A small sigh escapes her lips as I carry her down the hall. “It’s true that we need to talk about that a bit more, but the main reason I’m doing this is because I’ve missed talking with you for a week now~” A small giggle is shared between the two of us as we enter the living room, Sunset’s eyes widening to the sight of the waffles on the coffee table. “Adagio? Did you do all of this for me?” Sunset’s voice catches in her throat slightly, making her embarrassed and flustered features seem even cuter than before. Giving her a nod as my only response, I set her down on the couch with a chuckle. Turning around, Sunset’s hand grabs my arm gently, causing me to look at her, wondering what she needs. “Could you also get my socks? My feet are a bit cold and all,” Sunset sheepishly says, averting her gaze slowly. “Of course, my summer mist~” I slowly state, kissing her forehead before taking a few steps away again. A bright blush appears on Sunset’s face as I leave, her shocked expression still imprinted on her face. A smile comes across my lips, bringing my hand to my cheek slightly as I walk back inside of our room. Slowly opening the first drawer of the dresser, my eyes widen and I stop breathing for a second, quickly closing the drawer again. How many times will I forget that the first drawer is her underwear drawer…? Shaking my head, I open the second drawer and pull out a white shirt. It doesn’t have any real designs on it except for Canterlot High’s logo on the shoulder of the shirt. It was probably something Sunset had to wear during school events like the Friendship Games. Even though I wasn’t really there long enough to see what the Friendship Games are about, Sunset told me the basic details of what happened the last time she was a part of it. Apparently, that’s where they met Twilight. Well, the new Twilight. I guess there are two versions of her now, huh? It’s always confusing to think about that, I just hope there isn’t some other version of me in this world… Pulling out a pair of jeans from the third drawer, I can’t help but feel a little jealous of Sunset since she has more than two pairs of pants. I really need to save up for some new attire… Brushing my fingers through my hair, I open the fourth drawer and pull out a pair of black socks. Hopefully, Sunset will enjoy the articles of clothing I’ve picked out for her. Walking out of our room, I can see Sunset from the hall, enjoying the blueberry waffle I made for her while trying to keep herself modest with one arm covering herself. Honestly, I don’t mind if Sunset is exposed or not since I still love her all the same. I guess I wouldn’t want her to feel embarrassed around me. No matter what happens to the two of us, I will always love her with all my heart… That fact was proven with how much my heart hurt when I forced myself to stay away from her. It’s ironic since I’ve thought this heart of mine has been dead for a long time, so the sensation of pain was odd. Walking into the living room, I give Sunset the articles of clothing with a smile, sitting down next to her as she takes a drink of her orange juice. Her happy smile once again returns to her as she hugs me, gently laying her lips on my cheek as she does so. “Thank you for all of this, Adagio~ It’s really nice of you~” she states before standing up to pull on the shirt I gave her. Sunset, pulling her jeans up her legs, slowly takes one of the blueberries and pops it into her mouth with a giggle. After she gets done with her socks, Sunset grabs a blanket from the side of the couch and sits right beside me, draping the blanket across both of our laps. For a few moments, nothing but the sound of our forks cutting into our waffles is heard, both of us unsure of what to say at the moment. I suppose it’s understandable in this case, but I try my best to shake my head, taking one of my last bites of my waffle. Unsurprisingly, my cherry is still left on the plate. “I… kind of have a question.” My statement seems to come across perfectly, Sunset’s eyes look towards me slowly. A sense of dread overcomes me for a few moments, but I try to avoid the nerves, clearing my throat slowly. “You say you… don’t do that very often. What caused you to feel like you needed to last night…?” I ask her slowly, locking my gaze with hers. For a moment, Sunset has a guilty expression take hold of her face, her hands fidgeting with themselves as she nervously giggles to the question to think of an answer. “To be honest…” Her words trail off, looking away from me as she thinks of the right words to say. “I… My friends and I have been… kind of distant with each other. Ever since Valentine’s Day and all. I told you about that and I am sure things will get better, but last night… it just felt like I didn’t have time for you or my friends…” Her ocean eyes turn back towards mine, a shameful look caught inside them. “Again… I’m really sorry about-” Gently wrapping my arms around the person I love, I hug her as softly as I can and close my eyes. “It’s alright, don’t be sorry. I just… want to be there for you,” I whisper into her ear, slowly rocking us both back and forth. “I know, and I will try to rely on you more. I promise that. I just… wish everything wasn’t so difficult with our lives recently… You know?” Her statement, as simple as it is, carries a lot of weight for the both of us, a sense of melancholy surrounds us both for what feels like an hour. “I know what you mean… But I um… I was actually wondering if… maybe you would like to go to the Apple Family reunion too? It would be really nice to hang out again.” Before I can explain any more, Sunset nods happily and hugs me even tighter than before, both of us feeling the warmth of each other’s embrace. “I would love that~ I… I would love to spend time with my friends and I… would love to spend time with you…” A happy sigh exits Sunset’s lips as she probably thinks about the upcoming events. That same melancholy feeling lingers on my mind though, keeping me from smiling as much as she does. I suppose being separated from her friends boils down to my fault in the end… It’s due to my existence in Sunset’s life that this all happened. It’s due to my hubris that I fell so far… that Sunset had to save me from that dark hole I called life. It’s inevitably my existence that caused the distance between the seven friends… It is my fault… And… It’s my responsibility to fix it… ======================================== Looking at the map in my hands, I can’t help but sigh to myself, trying to figure out which house I am supposed to go to. Due to the messy handwriting on the note, the address is almost illegible except for the neighborhood title. I haven’t quite been in this part of the city before, but I hear it’s where most of the richer people live. Although, I believe that fact is evident when one sees all the fountains, clean grass, nice outdoor parks and even sprinkler systems. These kinds of things would be wrecked or stolen within minutes in the same neighborhood of my old apartment… That’s partially why I’m glad Sunset suggested that we move in together. It got me out of the hell hole I called home and allowed me to be closer to her. Still, Sunset and I don’t nearly have the same amount of money as the people who live in this district. If I remember correctly, Fancy Pants also owns a house somewhere around here, but that’s not the reason why I’m here. Walking past a park area, I see kids in clean clothes playing games with each other and laughing the whole time. Honestly, their attire is probably worth three times the amount of the clothes I have on… Then again, that’s not saying much, considering the fact that I only really have jeans, boots, a jacket and a scarf on. The kids are probably friends with one another, since they all come from around the same area. Though, I suppose it depends on if there are bullies within this environment. I guess there are bullies in every environment now that I think about it… I was one of them… Friendship is actually the reason why I’m here… not to look at the nice architecture or to admire the scenery of the parks. If I remember correctly, one of Sunset’s friends lives in this area, which is honestly surprising, given the fact that none of her friends strike me as the rich type. Other than Rarity, but I sense that’s more of her personality rather than actual income. A small sigh exits my lips as I look around my surroundings, seeing the same house being pasted every few yards on the same street. Not wanting to knock on every door until I find the right one, I take another look at the note, trying to decipher what the handwriting says. Sunset said that this was Rainbow Dash’s handwriting, but even she forgot what house it is specifically directing me to. Why am I not surprised that Rainbow Dash would be the one to write an incomprehensible address? With a sigh, I rub my forehead slightly, taking a right on the next street to sweep the houses for any indicators of a house that may belong to one of the girls. It’s my responsibility to fix this mess they’re in, so the faster I make amends, the better. Then, everyone can attend Sunset’s birthday party and she will be… a lot happier. Stopping in my tracks, a peculiar sight surprises me and makes me do a double take on my surroundings. Despite every house being virtually the same next to this one, this house was painted in a brown hue with vines growing on the outside. Dog obstacle courses are set up in the front yard and even bird feeders are hanging from the porch’s beams. A pit in my stomach gets even bigger as I finally realize who this house belongs to… I just hope everything goes alright…
Six to ConvinceAuthor's Note After thinking to herself for a long time, Adagio finally decides that she needs to try and fix things between her and Sunset's friends. At least before Sunset's birthday. But when she finds herself at a particular house, will she have the courage to push through this mission of hers or will she fail to deliver? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! I just wanted to make a new chapter upload since the last time I uploaded was more than a week ago. I really hope everyone enjoys this story! My beta reader loved reading it and I had a lot of fun writing it~ I haven't proofread it myself yet, but I will at some point~ Sorry for grammar mistakes. Again, a big thank you to Mon668 for helping me make this story what it is today! Six to Convince Chapter VI: Six to Convince I suppose it’s my legs that prevent me from getting closer to the house… They won’t move an inch, no matter how hard I try. Or maybe it’s the overwhelming smell of pets. I suppose it’s not necessarily a bad smell… if you like animals. Either way, the sense of dread I feel right now is equivalent to the urge to walk away. I suppose it’s always easier to run away from my problems, rather than approach them head on. I’ve always been like that, no matter what I do to fix it. Same old Adagio, huh? Running from those dark shadows in the deep corridors you call a mind. Trying to escape the inevitable and avoid any sort of loss… Those same old shadows chase me still, reaching out to me and trying to reign me in to the consequences of my own actions… Taking my first step closer to the house, a heavy feeling surrounds my heart. I still remember the words this girl said during Valentine’s Day… I never meant to cause such pain, but I did. I can never take it back, so the best I can do is to try and give more happiness now than the pain I dealt out back then. I had a deck to screw everyone else over in this card game of life, but sometimes you have to be fair to find happiness in this game… I’ve won far too many times. It’s about time I lose some… Walking closer to the house, I can’t help but notice the dog bowls with multiple names written across them. One surprisingly small bowl catches my eye though as I notice the few carrots left inside it. What dog eats carrots? Well, what kind of dog likes carrots that much? A dog named Angel at that… Shaking my head, I try to ignore all the different kinds of pet care tools on the porch and birds zipping around me, knocking on the door slowly. At first, I hear a few dogs start to bark and other animals begin to rile themselves up at the sound of my knock, but they are quickly soothed down before the door’s locks begin to jingle slightly. A knot forms in my throat instantly, realizing I don’t know what to say to the girl behind the door. No matter what I think of, it all sounds bland and uninspired. Hey, I’m sorry for ruining your life? Nothing sounds… sincere enough, I suppose… No matter what way I spin this story, it all comes down to me in the end. I caused all of this to go in this direction and I can’t undo it. Trying my best to smile and stand in a non threatening way, I brush my hair back quickly before the door opens to a pale yellow girl, pink hair running down her face and along her slim shoulders. Her eyes remind me of a gentle stream from a creek and her gentle frame reminds me of a deer caught in headlights. In fact, that’s exactly how she looks, standing right in front of me, her eyes glued onto me as her mouth gapes open for a moment. I can’t quite say the reason for her shock and fear is unknown to me, but I suppose it still proves how far I have to go as a person. Stepping back from the front door to give her some space, I smile as best as I can and bow slightly to the girl. I suppose I just want to give her the respect she deserves, despite my past… “Hello, I’m Adagio Dazzle~” I try to say kindly, even if these are the only words that seem to come from my lips. What else is there to be said…? Looking up and locking my eyes with the girl once more, her expression has changed from one of shock to an expression of confusion, looking at me from head to toe. Holding my hand out to her slowly, I nod, biting my lip at my own silent behavior. “I was wondering if we could talk~” A small breath seems to escape her lips as she tries to compose herself, bringing her hand to her shoulder and looking away from me for a moment. Now that I see her, it’s no surprise I never thought of the girl as a threat when compared to Sunset back then. Unless her friends are hurt or if she is motivated by them, she doesn’t really have a backbone. She mostly just tries to go with the flow… As understandable as that feeling is, it can lead to her being hurt… “I um… Hi…” Her small voice is barely able to say the statement as one of her hands tightly grips the door. She’s probably uncomfortable seeing me in the first place, but something like that is understandable when it comes to me. Not many people are exactly jumping up and down to see me… Regardless of her clear uncomfortable feelings towards me, the shy girl gently reaches her hand out to shake my hand in return, her grip almost nonexistent. I suppose a bit of me feels… sad that I still have such an impact on the girl. It feels like no matter how many hoops I jump through to try and be a better person, it’s never enough. Still, I enjoy the fact that Fluttershy is willing to at least say hi to me. “W-what do you want to talk about…?” her voice lets out directly with her eyes staring towards the ground instead. Honestly, she’s so quiet that I wouldn’t be surprised if I mishear her at some point in this conversation. “I was wanting to um…” Once again, the words escape me, still having a hard time believing I got this far in general, due to how much my legs wanted me to turn back. There’s still a long way to go, so I hope I say the right things… “I wanted to apologize.” For a moment, my words seem to have an impact on the small girl as her eyes widen slightly, still looking toward the ground as she thinks of what to say. “I know that… it’s hard to believe me. Especially with how much I’ve hurt everyone. I manipulated everything into a dark reality, one that only really benefited me.” Closing my eyes for a second, I find it a little hard to breathe, thinking about my own life and how long this past year and a half has felt. Deep down, my thoughts keep battering me with the same damned message. I know that I shouldn’t be forgiven, but… Sunset tells me otherwise… “I’m sorry that I hurt you. I’m sorry for hurting your friends and I’m really sorry for causing any of the hurt you may feel.” Despite my urge to keep my eyes closed and shut this reality out, I look towards Fluttershy once more, trying to keep my composure as I do so. No matter how much it may hurt to confront these feelings and mistakes, they’re mine to bear. Sunset once told me the first step to being a better person is by taking responsibility for your actions. That’s what I intend to do… For a few moments, nothing but silence is shared between Fluttershy and I, her eyes still avoiding mine as her hair droops over her face. Maybe my apology wasn’t enough… It doesn’t matter if she forgives me at this point. As long as I apologize and Sunset gets to reconnect with her friends, I will be happy. I would do anything just to make sure she has the best life she can… And I would do anything to try to make up for what I’ve done. Despite the awkward circumstances of the meeting, Fluttershy finally looks towards me from the corner of her eye, her hair still obscuring some of her face. “Did Sunset tell you to say that…?” is all her small voice whispers in an unusually straightforward tone. Not one stutter occurred during the statement… “No, she didn’t. She didn’t even tell me to come here,” I say quietly as well, the urge to feel my scarf once more envelopes my hand, causing my index finger to twitch slightly. I rely too much on this scarf… “That’s… really mature of you,” Fluttershy states in a shy tone, bringing her hand to her face and brushing the hair away. “I… really appreciate it… thank you.” Both of our eyes connect again, a small summer breeze brushing past the both of us on the porch. The sound of Fluttershy’s wind chimes accompany the breeze and the swaying branches of trees around us. Fluttershy’s house really is peaceful. I suppose I understand why she lives here, but how she can afford it is an entirely different question. “Don’t thank me just yet,” I state with a smile, trying my best to be as friendly as possible. I suppose I want Sunset’s friends to like me someday… Maybe then I will feel worthy of her. And maybe I could have more friends myself… “I still have a lot to prove, but I’m really glad you listened to me. Thank you for sparing me your time~” With a smile and another slight bow, I turn around slowly and look around at the world in front of me. All the bright colors and soothing noises fill my senses as my hand finally reaches up to my scarf to feel the material slightly. Taking my first step off the porch, I take a deep breath and try to smile to myself. This was good progress… wasn’t it…? “Wait…” Fluttershy’s voice quietly calls out to me from behind, my gaze turning around to meet hers. My mind tells me to heed her request, making me smile at her as best as I can. Gently, Fluttershy’s hand reaches inside her doorway and pulls out a towel slowly, her eyes meeting with mine. Again, silence ensues for a little while, Fluttershy seemingly thinking of what to say as our eyes lock with each other. “Have you… ever washed a dog before?” ============================================= Soap. Soap gets everywhere. It’s slippery and usually wet, causing it to be easily spread, which definitely helps with hard to reach areas. Although, when it comes to trying to see, the soap suds don’t necessarily help you with your overall quality of life. I suppose it’s just my own opinion, but I never thought this much soap would be needed to wash anything smaller than a fucking fighter jet. But here I am, in an old t-shirt and shorts, barefoot in knee high soap suds, water spraying everywhere around me and hyperactive dogs running through the soap and sprinklers. At this point, I’m afraid to move anywhere, due to the possibility of stepping on a smaller dog or tripping on one of the bigger ones. The soap suds are all around me and I’m at every disadvantage if these hairballs decide to gang up on me. It would be like freaking ninjas jumping out of the shadows… A small giggle comes from Fluttershy as she sees the situation I’m in, gently washing a small white rabbit. This rabbit in particular has kicked me five times and has tried to make me trip in the soap more than once. It’s almost like the little ball of riled up cocaine is the ringleader of the animals here, not only running with the dogs, but deliberately riling up the cats that I had worked so hard to calm down. Never before have I wanted to commit homicide on an animal, but I suppose today is a day of firsts. Can you be arrested on a murder charge for what is essentially a white demon made of fluff…? Regardless, the rabbit seems to be Fluttershy’s favorite pet, so I’ve been trying to be nice so far. Looking away from the two of them, I look down at the soap suds that envelope my legs, four or five dogs keep zipping right past me. My balance is thrown off practically second, but I have a mission to complete… Wash Snowy… Snowy is a particularly small white dog who also seems to have the energy of a kangaroo on steroids. His coat color makes it even harder to spot him whenever he zooms past me and that’s not accounting for the fact there are at least four other dogs mixed in as well. Holding a bar of soap in one hand, I instinctively reach down into the suds right as a blur runs into the soap toward my legs. For a moment, I feel the shape of a pitbull and realize that this isn’t the right dog before a big tongue licks right across my face from the suds. “Buster likes loving on people~ Sorry about that,” Fluttershy states with another giggle, brushing the hair of the rabbit as he ate another carrot. The pitbull runs away just as quickly as he came, starting me back at square one. I suppose the only thing I can do is keep trying the same method until I get Snowy… Or move out of the suds, but I almost fall every time I try. A small breath exits my lips as I catch a particularly active dog. Pulling up the little guy from the suds, I do my best to hold him as a smirk spreads across my lips. “Snowy, you rascal. It’s time to have your bath,” I slowly state, trying to keep the dog calm in my arms. “Hey, Fluttershy, I got him-” My sentence is abruptly cut short as I see the same white ball from hell come sprinting at me, right from Fluttershy’s lap. Before I can react to the sight, the rabbit runs into the suds right before something hits my leg, causing me to trip. Thankfully, hitting soapy grass is a lot less painful than hitting concrete, but now Snowy has once again gotten out of my grasp. I swear this rabbit is making me think of things that are… less than ideal. Rubbing the dirt from my face, the soap suds around me are brushed away as Fluttershy looks down at me, offering me a hand up from the ground with a smile. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s gotten into Angel. He usually doesn’t play this rough with others.” I would love to ‘play’ with him too… Shaking my head, I take Fluttershy’s hand and bring myself to my feet, nodding slightly. “It’s alright, I understand. I’m just curious as to how you handle these rascals now,” I say with a nervous chuckle to myself, wiping the dirt from my legs as I look at the dogs running all around the backyard. Of course, the rabbit runs back to Fluttershy, instantly being carried up to her shoulder by her hand. “It just takes practice, that’s all~” Fluttershy states with a smile, petting her rabbit companion slowly. “If you want, I could help you clean Snowy,” she offers quietly with a polite tone to her voice, but I shake my head slowly, looking toward the grass in front of me. Fluttershy helped clean the other dogs before Snowy, but I want to clean the little guy myself… At least then I can say I was of some use. “No, no. Go back to resting, I can handle Snowy. Especially now that I am out of those soap suds,” I joke with a small laugh, looking down at my feet. This dog thinks he can beat a siren? He has another thing coming to him real soon. “Now, back to Snowy~” =============================================== Walking back down the sidewalk, I give Fluttershy one last wave as she closes her front door, the light of the setting sun bathing the world in a darker orange hue. A small sigh exits my lips as a smile forms, thinking about the day’s events. Honestly, I’m really glad I got to help her a little bit. Despite Fluttershy’s kind words, it was still obvious that she felt awkward around me, but hopefully this can help us close that gap. Given, I didn’t help her a lot. I kept needing her help or my productivity was being countered by the rabbit named Angel every five seconds. Still, it’s a nice thought that maybe things can start to get better now. I just need to make an effort to keep that cycle up. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I notice a notification bubble lights up on my screen, showing me that I’ve received a message since the last time I opened my phone. A small part of me feels oddly guilty since I didn’t actually open the message until now, but I don’t think I could have checked it before, due to the mischief that happened at Fluttershy’s house. Turning my phone on, a big smile comes across my lips involuntarily as I see my background, unchanged from the sleeping picture of Sunset I took a few months ago. It still makes me smile like a small child being given a new toy, but I suppose that just shows how much the fiery-haired girl means to me now. I wish I could hug her or hold her hand right now~ It would be so nice to feel her soft touch and see her beautiful face smile for me once more~ Shaking my head, I bite my lip as I open the message notification, seeing it’s from Sunset. “What could my Summer Mist want~?” I mouth to myself, feeling my scarf with my other hand. It will only be a few more hours until I can hold her again~ 1 NEW MESSAGE FROM: Shimm Shimm Hey, Adagio~ I know you’re probably busy right now, but I was wondering if you could maybe pick up some groceries on your way home? I only really need a couple things, but you can also get anything you need as well~ Just remember that I love you SO much and you mean the world to me~ Even if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe in you~ I miss you~ <3 Instantly, my cheeks flush once more, unsure of what to say in response as my eyes reread the message multiple times. Even though she does this daily, I still never get used to the loving messages. A small smirk comes across my lips as I type my response into my phone’s keyboard, thinking about Sunset’s warm smile. “Sure~ But only if we can watch a movie tonight again~” For a moment, my finger hesitates to type in any more words, but I force myself to type in the last sentence, despite my bright blush. “I love you more~”
An Awesome MeetingAuthor's Note The day's coming to a close on Adagio, meaning it's one more day closer to the Apple Family reunion. Adagio thinks about the day so far until she bumps into an old friend, inspiring a conversation that gives her a bit of hope for the future. Things seem to be looking up for the siren. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Yeah! It's another double upload! I hope everyone is enjoying their spring breaks! Yes, I used mine to write Sundagio trash, but hey! I love the ship and it makes me happy to write this stuff~ I really enjoyed writing these chapters, but as always, criticism is always welcome! Negative and positive. I'm always willing to hear what people have to say. Once again, I want to give a HUGE thank you to my good friend Mon668 for helping me make this story the best it can be~ An Awesome Meeting Chapter VII: An Awesome Meeting I don’t set foot in supermarkets that often. The last time I walked in here was to buy the jacket I planned on giving Sunset for her birthday. Hell, the time before that was months ago to actually buy Sunset a gift for Christmas. Back when we weren’t friends… If groceries can qualify as a gift, I suppose the only three times I’ve gone to a supermarket in the past three years were to buy Sunset a present. This time, the present is a whole host of foods from a list she sent me by text. Apparently, she wants to try cooking a new recipe for us tonight once she gets home. But honestly? What the hell kind of recipe requires this much cheese? I’ve already gotten four packs of lasagne noodles, two jars of tomato sauce, three peppers and two seasonings. Now I’m supposed to get “as much as your arms can carry” worth of cheese. As much as I love the orange girl with a fiery passion, sometimes her antics confuse me. But, then again, her antics are the things that inspire such nice adventures between the two of us. It’s what keeps me guessing and allows her to think of innovative ways to approach a problem. I suppose it’s another reason I love her honestly. “What is that? Reason number 56?” I ask myself as I close my eyes, putting my phone back into my pocket to pick up some cheese containers. If I wrote down the whole list of reasons to love her, I’m sure it would beat one million without getting half way. She’s just too… perfect not to love. Smiling to myself, I think about the day’s events. Today has been pretty good, honestly. I got to apologize to Fluttershy and start our way towards what can possibly be a friendship. Slowly, I put another one of the cheese containers into my cart, humming slightly to myself. The best part of it all is that I get to go home and have a nice meal with my favorite person in the whole world~ Although, I’m not trying to put down Rainbow or Apple Bloom. They’re still great people and my best friends, but it’s normal to feel this way towards your girlfriend, right? Girlfriend… It’s such an odd word. Sunset told me it’s what people call the person they’re in a relationship with. If I remember correctly, sirens didn’t really have a lot of relationships. We had ceremonies equivalent to weddings, sure, but relationships? I never really felt attraction for someone before, but even if I did, I was determined to prove my worth as the best siren out there. Not only did I want to satisfy my own ego, I wanted to prove I was better than everyone else. Honestly, there wasn’t much to prove since there weren’t many sirens left anyway. If there’s not a lot of competition, then you’re not fighting so hard. So, I moved onto Equestria to try and get a bigger challenge. At first, it worked out, but later down the line, not so much. It’s funny that only now, in a different world, do I find someone I love. Someone who’s from the same world I’m from, so it’s twice as confusing. Love in of itself is confusing. You spend so much time wanting to make them happy and wanting to be a part of their life. There are so many times that I think about her for no reason at all, just to try and remember her fiery hair and warm smile. Hell, I never thought I would say ‘I love you’ to someone before, but here I am, awkwardly thinking about the girl who has captured my thoughts for so long now. “Woah, woah, woah! You can’t tell me you’re seriously about to buy those!” a familiar voice exclaims beside me, startling me awake from my daydream. Instantly turning my gaze, I see the welcoming sight of a blue girl with rainbow hair, her jaw agape at my choice of cheese. “Dagi, may I ask you something? Are you out of your bucking mind!?” she asks me with an expression of shock as she instantly grabs a different kind of cheese, handing it to me as quickly as she can. “Trust me, you’ll thank me later!” “Did you just say… bucking?” I ask slowly, still trying to comprehend the situation I’ve been tossed into. For a moment, the rainbow-haired girl blushes at her own words, bringing her palm to her face and sighing profusely. “Damn it, AJ… Sorry, Applejack uses bucking as an alternative for the actual swear. She and I hang out a lot and I guess she’s starting to rub off on me. Ugh… Please, if you ever see me in cowboy boots, just shoot me.” Rainbow slowly chuckles at her statement looking up slightly. “But seriously though, don’t pick that cheese. It made me hurl for like weeks.” “Weeks, huh?” I ask with a look of skepticism to my eyes, adding to my smirk. We both share a light chuckle before Rainbow shrugs her shoulders. “Well, okay. Maybe that was an exaggeration. It was more like two or three days.” Without warning, Rainbow Dash immediately wraps her arms around me, tightly squeezing me in her embrace. It’s nowhere as strong as Apple Bloom’s hugs, but there’s possibly no way anyone could be as strong as that little steam engine. I swear that girl could pop the eyes out of Bigfoot itself. It only takes a few seconds for Rainbow to let go of me, a confident expression seizing hold of her face once more. “It’s really nice to see you, Dagi~ How are you doing? I didn’t expect to find you here~” A small giggle escapes my lips as I start to grab the cheese Rainbow recommended. Sunset wasn’t specific about which brand of this cheese, so I suppose any kind should work. “Well, Sunset wanted me to get some groceries for her. Apparently, she wants to try a new recipe for dinner tonight~” My cheerful expression lingers on my face longer than I mean it to. Honestly, I’m really proud of Sunset for always pushing herself to try new things and to get better at the things she’s already a part of. “Huh? I see~ Do you mind if I see what you have there?” she asks me before looking into my grocery cart anyway. I would have been a little irritated at someone for asking for my permission and doing it anyway, but this is Rainbow Dash. Oblivious comes as a second nature to her. “So, she didn’t say what it was she was cooking?” Rainbow asks me a bit suspiciously, a weird look caught in her eye. “No, she didn’t. But I’m sure she made a good choice~ She usually does.” Once again putting a cheese container into the cart, Rainbow Dash giggles to herself, seemingly recognizing the materials in the cart. “What? Do you know what she’s making?” “It looks like she’s planning to make lasagna to me~” Rainbow chuckles to herself, nodding at the idea. “It’s pretty good~ If you haven’t had it before, you’re about to be amazed! Well, unless Sunset uses a shitty recipe, but I feel like she can manage. I mean, she can make good toast~ That’s pretty much all I know of Sunset’s culinary skills.” “And you can only make cereal, Dashie,” I tease her with a giggle of my own, patting her shoulder slightly. “That’s not true, actually! I know how to make sandwiches. And I have recently acquired the skill of using a can opener!” Rainbow proudly says with a big smile. Despite my urge to tease her for the skill that is usually learned a lot sooner, I can’t really judge her since I am still learning how to use mundane things. Given, I’m from another world and she was born here. “But hey! What have you been doing recently? We haven’t really talked for like four days now other than you asking me what the address meant. Seriously, girl. Not cool. You could have at least had a small chat with me.” A silly smile comes across my face momentarily, remembering the things I’ve done this past week. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I’ve been really busy lately, but I did go to the Apple Farm. Applejack and I did chores together as I waited for Apple Bloom, so we got a chance to talk.” “Oh? Really? Are things going better between you two?” Dash asks me with a smile, leaning against the shelves of food. Again, she forgets her irritation almost instantly after being given an interesting conversation topic. “I would like to think so~ Though, there’s still a lot to do before we can call each other friends, if you understand what I mean.” A sympathetic smile comes from Rainbow as she nods slowly, brushing the strands of rainbow hair out of her face before it falls right back into place. “Yeah, AJ can be hard to become friends with. I suppose it’s even harder for someone we had beef with, huh?” A small laugh comes from the athlete as she holds her stomach, walking past me and pulling her own cart along behind her. “Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll like ya soon enough~” Despite her kind words, my eyes are filled with confusion as I watch her walk away from me, slowly throwing a piece of gum into her mouth before locking eyes with me. “Come on~ You can tell me more as we shop~” Stopping in her tracks, our eyes stay locked for a while. I suppose talking with Rainbow for a bit as I find some more of the items on my list wouldn’t hurt… Redirecting my cart towards Rainbow, my feet take a few short steps, a smile appearing on my lips. “Yeah, I’m coming~” ============================================= “Huh? So, you went to Fluttershy’s house?” Rainbow states with a chuckle to herself, leaning on her shopping cart as I look at the selection of bread available. “Yeah, I did. It was definitely nerve wracking, but I did it. Though, it made me wonder why you forgot whose house the note was directing me to,” I say with a tone of suspicion, not meeting eyes with her as I inspect the expiration dates on the loaves of bread. A small, nervous chuckle escapes Rainbow’s lips, scratching her head gently. One of her feet rests on the bottom part of the shopping cart as she slowly blows a bubble with her gum. Clearly, the sporty woman had a lot of practice with gum, given the fact that she pops the bubble easily without making a mess on her face. “Yeah, I… kinda lied,” she admits with an embarrassed tone to her voice. “I just thought if I admitted it was Fluttershy’s house, then maybe you would be too scared to go.” The fact that she’s probably right is what scares me the most. Rainbow Dash being right about me. Well, it’s not the first time, but it means she knows me way too well. “Maybe it was for the best anyway. At least she and I got to wash the dogs together.” “Wait, Fluttershy wanted you to help wash the dogs?” Rainbow asks me with wide eyes, gently popping a cherry into her mouth from a container in her cart. Again, a surprised expression grips hold of my face, watching her chew the treat and wondering why she would do so with gum in her mouth. It seems my stare lasted for a little too long though, since Rainbow’s expression also turns to confusion. “What? I’m going to pay for it.” “I have no idea why, but my first thought was to doubt that,” I state quietly as I return my gaze to the bread, trying to ignore the thought of that damned thing… Cherries are great, but cherry cheesecake is even better… “Yeah, Fluttershy asked me to help clean the dogs. Why?” A nervous laugh escapes her lips before she pops another cherry into her mouth, giggling to the pain I went through. “Oh! Oh oh! Let me guess! You had soap suds everywhere and the dogs were running all around you, right?” Rainbow chokes out through her heavy laughter, irritating me slightly that she was right. “What, you went through it too?” “Of course! Practically every one of Fluttershy’s friends have helped her with it at one point. But damn. I almost feel bad that Flutters runs a daycare for pets. She probably loses sleep all the time.” A small giggle escapes her again, chewing on the berries slowly. “Though, I am glad you two got to spend time together, Dagi. Do you think things will get better between you gals?” Her question, as innocent as it is, inspires another ten questions inside my mind, despite my best efforts to keep the insecure thoughts down. Or at least keep them quiet… Of course, there’s the worry that things won’t get better… Maybe it will all get worse… “I think so,” I try to lie as best as I can, a stone cold expression on my face as I finally pick the loaf of bread that I want. Rainbow Dash, looking at me in a curious way, nods slowly and shrugs her shoulders. “Hey, Dagi. Let me tell you something…” Without explanation, the athlete grabs a container of peanut butter and a jar of jelly from her cart, holding one in each hand. “Being friends with someone like me is like spreading peanut butter. It’s easy depending on the circumstance, but you’re usually able to spread it with one swipe of the knife. But Flutters…? She’s more like the thick and hard to deal with jelly.” Should I be amused that her analogy actually makes sense…? “So, I’m sure things will get better between the two of you~ I’m rooting for you guys, you know?” Rainbow’s hopeful eyes stare into mine and despite my insecure thoughts flooding my mind, it still makes me feel better to hear those words said out loud. For a moment, the urge to thank her takes hold of me, but all that comes out of my mouth is a chuckle, nodding slowly to her words. “Hey, Dashie? Can I have one of those cherries~?” ======================================== Opening the door to our apartment, I rush inside quickly, my body shaking slightly from the cold outside the walls. Even though it was still summer technically, the night’s temperature still drops significantly, whether I want it to or not. Gently dropping the sacks on the carpet, I sigh to myself, feeling the warmth of our apartment hit my skin. A small smile spreads across my lips instantly when the thought of hugging Sunset comes to my mind. I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ve been thinking about her all day, so it’s a little hard to not want to hug her. Especially if it means we can cuddle each other to sleep~ Although, I suppose we do have to have dinner… Still, the thought of it is nice after the long day. Quickly taking my boots and socks off, I slide my jacket off my body, hanging it on the rack close to the door with my scarf. A small lingering scent of dog shampoo is still faintly in the air, probably due to how soaked my t-shirt got earlier in the day. At least it will offer a good story to talk about during dinner. While we eat lasagna and all. Honestly, Rainbow’s statement about lasagna has intrigued me ever since she said it… Shaking my head slightly, I instantly walk into the hallway from the living room, a giant smile spread across my face. “Hey, Sunset? I’m home~” I say a little too cheerfully, thinking about holding her in my arms just once more tonight. Perhaps I’m excited due to the fact that we can finally have a movie night together again. Or maybe it’s the thought of Sunset falling asleep on me like she does all too often~ The experience never gets old though. If anything, these small little experiences help remind me how much she means to me and how much I want to be her friend for the rest of our lives~ To be her… one and only for the rest of our lives… Opening the door knob to our room, my eyes peer inside and instantly locate Sunset sitting on our bed with a smile spread across her face, her eyes turning to me instantly. Her hands are preoccupied with feeling a pink towel in her lap. “Hi, Alligator~” Sunset says with a happy tone to her voice, her warm smile invading my mind again as she opens her arms toward me. “I’ve been waiting for you~” Instantly walking toward her, I practically sink into her embrace as both of us feel the warmth of our bodies. Sunset’s smell fills the air and my mind equally, that all too familiar feeling of happiness encompassing my thoughts once more. “I missed you~” I tease her with a soft sigh, resting my head on her chest as we hold onto each other. The moments pass by easily enough, nothing breaking the peaceful silence other than the sounds of our own breathing. The occasional whispers of ‘I love you’ are shared between us and the love of my life plants a few kisses on my forehead during our embrace. This is… pure heaven~ I’m sure she feels like it too, since her grip hasn’t loosened at all, still holding me tightly against her own body with peaceful sighs exiting her lips. Slowly, her hand brushes the hair out of my face, pressing her lips against my forehead once more. “I was planning on taking a shower before dinner and all, but now you’re home and it smells like maybe you need one more than me~” Sunset teases quietly with a loving tone to her voice. “Unless you’d like to join me, my sweet alligator~?” …. Wait. What?
The One I LoveAuthor's Note The end of a day brings about many things. Some people will say that the end of a day is the best part, finally being able to relax before the storm of tomorrow. In this case, Adagio believes in that, finally being able to spend the night with the love of her life before worrying about what tomorrow will bring~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! Here's the fluffy chapter I've worked so hard on and I hope you all enjoy! I know I left off on a kind of big cliffhanger last time, so here is the resolution to it~ Anyway, enjoy the show and feel free to tell me what you think~ Once again, a HUGE thank you to my good friend Mon668 for beta reading this chapter and providing her feedback for the story~ The One I Love Chapter VIII: The One I Love My body isn’t technically something to be admired… When I still had my magic and ego, that wasn’t really the case. I believed the world was made to grovel and worship my every breathing moment. Perhaps I would have been right if I had just made a few less mistakes and actually won. But ever since I lost my powers, my body isn’t that great of a sight. At least, I don’t think so… I suppose one could think that I’m attractive, but every time I look in the god forsaken mirror, I sort of freeze up… What once was a powerful siren is now just a mortal woman, every last shred of dignity gone. The least I can do is try to hide myself more from everyone else. I suppose that’s why I wear jeans and hoodies all the time. My body isn’t beautiful… A small part of me still believes my only value as a person was my power and beauty, but now both are gone from my own eyes. Looking into the mirror, it almost feels shameful to look at my bare body. I was once worth something… No, don’t think that… I am still worth something, right? Just not in the same way I was back then… I’m worthy of love. I’m worthy of happiness. Right? I’ve tried so hard these past few months to turn it all around… And maybe it will all be worth it in the end. If I can just make things right with all of Sunset’s friends, then Sunset can have a happy birthday… The bigger problem, though, is the fact that Sunset is about to see this body for the first time… Why the hell did I agree to this? Just because Sunset loves me doesn’t mean she will love this physical form of mine… Hell, she deserves a lot better. Something… nice to look at rather than something plain, boring and ugly. It all comes down to me. Why would she fall in love with someone like me, who can’t give her what she deserves… The sound of running water fills my ears, imitating the running thoughts throughout my mind. Steam clouds the mirror I look into easily, my gaze diverting to my body instead. I was confident in this skin before… Recently, it just feels gross to look at myself. Sunset deserves someone who can make her happy. Someone who is… pretty… “Adagio? Are you coming?” Sunset’s voice happily calls out to me from the shower, the falling water obscuring her sentence ever so slightly. “Yeah…” My mouth can only really mouth the statement, slowly grabbing my clothes from the ground and putting them inside the hamper, a frown growing on my mouth. A thousand little thoughts chip at my mind, all of them related to the perception of my form. Sunset is a surprising person, so maybe she would actually like this… But my mind somehow doubts that. Bringing my hand to my eyes for a moment, I sigh to myself, thinking once more about what crazy thoughts convinced me to accept this offer. I wasn’t ready to share my own body, yet here I am, wanting Sunset to be completely comfortable around me? What is the good of becoming a hypocrite…? If I want Sunset to completely rely on me, I should be willing to completely rely on her… God, why can’t I trust that she’ll love me how I am? I’m always doubting our whole relationship as well… The reality I live in seems far more like a dream than an actual truth. Hell, I dreamt of this exact life multiple times when I tried to stay away from Sunset. I believed she deserved better, but in my effort to explain my own actions so that she wouldn’t blame herself, I ended up making this life a reality. Somehow, Sunset fell in love with me too. I’m not sure why… Or how… But here we are, in a bathroom where we both intend to bathe together. Both of us love each other more each and every day, yet we still find ways to be nervous around each other. Perhaps it’s because I admire her so much… Or the fact that she means so much to me that I instinctively want to impress her in any situation. A small sigh exits my lips, knowing damn well that I’ve prolonged this for too long. I just have to hope that I’m wrong about my assumption of what Sunset will feel, seeing this body of mine. Bringing my hand to my forehead, I slowly rub away the migraine and place my hand on the shower door handle. “I’m coming in,” I quietly say, just loud enough to be heard over the water. Pulling on the door’s handle, I slowly step inside the shower, looking towards the floor instead of watching the person in front of me. Closing my eyes, I gently bite my lip, waiting to hear any sort of reaction out of the person I love. Honestly, I’m not sure how I’m able to avoid the urge to let my eyes tear up, but I try to concentrate on my composure above all else. The feel of Sunset’s hand on my shoulder scares me at first, but I can once again feel the thoughts swarming my mind begin to fall away as she rubs gently, bringing me into her arms slowly. Despite the wet feeling of her skin, it’s still warm nonetheless. All of this just increases the urge to cry even more, unsure of how I should feel. “It’s alright~ You can open your eyes~” Sunset’s soothing voice whispers into my ear as she holds me close to her, gently laying a kiss upon my cheek. Following her advice, my eyes slowly open, still not sure if I am ready to see Sunset’s own reaction. Stepping back from our embrace, I slowly turn my gaze to the woman I love… Again, her eyes filled with the kindness she’s shown me ever since we met. That warm smile is still present, always forcing its way into my thoughts. Her shoulders still look soft, yet firm, ready and able to carry something if she has to. In fact, that could be applied to all of her… Just like her personality and actions, her body is… perfect. Beautiful is an understatement. This is the body Sunset is embarrassed about…? Honestly, it’s ironic how much her personality reflects her appearance. Never wanting to take away the spotlight, yet she radiates the beauty of the world in her actions, never letting go of my attention. Looking back up at her eyes, I feel a bit embarrassed as I notice where her own attention is directed. Despite my depressing thoughts, a smile is present on Sunset’s face, her eyes locking with mine once more. “Do you… like what you see…?” I am barely able to say, instantly averting my gaze towards the ground in an attempt to keep my composure intact. Slowly, Sunset’s hand reaches out and grabs mine, forcing my gaze to return to hers. “Why wouldn’t I~?” she teases slightly, bringing me in for another hug. “You’re perfect, Adagio~ In and out~ I will always mean that,” she whispers slowly into my ear, kissing my cheek as gently as she can. “You’re my everything, Adagio~ I will always love you. It’s just a bonus that you’re perfect on the outside as well~” Returning the embrace, I sigh happily, breathing into Sunset’s neck with a big smile on my face. “You’re perfect too, Sunset~ I really mean it~” Bringing my hand to Sunset’s cheek, I force her eyes to connect with mine once more, nothing but the sound of water being shared between us. “I… really love you, Sunset…” Without waiting for her response, my hand slowly brings her face closer to mine, shutting my eyes before our lips press together once more. Sunset pushes against me just as equally, bringing her hand to the back of my head, feeling my hair gently. Everything seems… right in the world. Whenever I kiss her, the world is suddenly okay… No matter what bad news may be keeping hold of my thoughts, being with Sunset always fixes my reality. I can’t help but love this person who has always been there for me… This person who loves me unconditionally for no reason other than she wants to. What did I ever do to deserve her? Sunset, breaking our embrace entirely too early, forces our eyes to meet once more, a giant smile written across her face from the kiss I initiated. “I really love you too, Adagio~” Gently, her hand reaches up and cups my cheek as her eyes become slightly more dreamy. “I can’t wait to spend forever with you…” Instantly, my cheeks flush to her statement, causing both of us to look away in a flustered state. I can never get used to our lovey statements, even if I initiate them. “Anyway, mind if I wash your back, Alligator~?” =============================================== The smell of pasta fills the air, bringing a smile to my lips. One could define it as the smell of our success, since we both made this together, but I probably caused it to take a lot longer with my questions. Sunset was able to find us both aprons for making this peculiar dish, but mine was just a plain checker pattern. Sunset’s, on the other hand, had the phrase ‘Kiss the Chef’ written across it with a couple hearts dotted around her chest. Normally, I would just giggle at the statement, but tonight, I took advantage of it every few moments, causing a big blush to appear on Sunset’s face when I did kiss her. Sunset has always been cute when she blushes~ Even when I didn’t realize it… “Hey, Adagio~ Look at this~” Sunset states to get my attention, my eyes turning to her as I wash out one of the measuring cups we used. Sunset, standing in front of the oven, giggles to herself as she carefully balances a spoon on her upper lip and beneath her nose, amused with her own action. The metal spoon looks similar to a mustache if it was metallic and reflective, causing me to laugh at the sight as well. “Am I a real chef now~?” Sunset tries to ask with a straight face through her own giggles, barely holding the spoon in place. Before I can try to answer her inquiry, the spoon falls from her lip, barely being caught by her hand before it has the chance of hitting the floor. “Well, you’re always making us the best food you can~” I state quietly with a smile, turning my attention back to the dish, scrubbing it gently. “So, I’d say you’re the real chef here~ But preferably without the mustache.” My response makes Sunset giggle to herself, walking over and hugging me from behind with a happy sigh exiting her lips. “What? Are you saying I wouldn’t look good with a mustache~?” Sunset teases me with a kiss on my cheek, holding me tightly as she giggles to herself. “Well, let’s just say I prefer you as you are now~” I slowly state, both of us sharing a small laugh ending in a content sigh, Sunset not letting go of me by even an inch. Even when I turn off the water from washing the measuring cup, Sunset doesn’t loosen her grip, just happily sighing to herself. “Sunset? I’m done washing this thing now, so-” “Just… a few more moments~” Sunset interrupts me, holding onto me as carefully as she can. A smile forms on my lips, closing my eyes to enjoy the moment as well, only the sounds of our breathing interrupting the silence in the warm room. That is until the damned oven starts beeping, making me jump slightly to the sound. Sunset sighs quietly, letting go of me to walk back towards the oven. Pulling some oven mitts on, she opens the cooking device quickly, grabbing the pan of lasagna as gently as she can and setting it on top of the oven with a smile. “It smells good~ I think we did a good job~” she quietly states with a wink before she gestures for me to grab a couple of plates. If you call a good job having to explain every step of the way to a dumb siren, then sure, we did a great job. It embarrasses me that I have such little experience cooking, but I am trying to learn as much as I can. Besides, it would be nice if I could make dinner for the both of us one of these days~ Grabbing the plates slowly, I place them on the counter next to the oven, looking at Sunset carefully cutting out a portion of the pasta. Even now, Sunset looks just as elegant as the day I met her… Given, I didn’t realize it back then, but Sunset hasn’t changed since then. At least, not a lot. She still tackles every situation head on and with full confidence that if she tries her best, things will work out in the end. The cute smiles she gives always inspire me to do my best, just for her. Those eyes penetrate my soul no matter the circumstance, forcing their way through my tough layer. Her hand is always able to calm me down just by holding mine, being able to feel her warmth again and being reassured that she’s always here for me. Even after dating the girl for a few months now, I can’t answer why she is always so inspiring. I figured I would know everything there is to know about the girl by now, but I clearly haven’t learned everything. Maybe it will always be a mystery why she’s so kind to people. By all accounts, she has the right to be bitter and angry at the world, but instead, she takes her falls and incorporates them into her future, making sure she won’t make the same mistake again and even being there for others when she can. Reason 57: her undying kindness and caring nature… Sunset slowly sets the piece of lasagna onto the plate, smiling at me as she pulls off a piece with a fork and brings it closer to my mouth. “Would you like to be the taste tester~?” is all she says, her all too pure eyes reaching inside my soul once more. How in the hell can she stay this cute…? How can I say no when she does this to me…? Slowly, I open my mouth and take the bite. ================================================ Our plates have long since been emptied, resting on the coffee table for the time being. The dark interior of our apartment is only lit up by the images on the screen of our TV, displaying the current movie Sunset chose for us to watch. Normally, a scene like this would be portrayed as cold in shows, but it’s actually quite warm under the fuzzy blanket both Sunset and I share. Once again, her head rests on my shoulder with a happy sigh exiting her lips, both of us smiling at today’s events. Things go up and down, but I know I will always have her~ She’s always here for me, no matter how I do her wrong or what I screw up. I try to be here for her whenever she needs me as well, but sometimes it feels like I can’t adequately do that. No matter what happens, she’s always strong enough to carry my problems. She promised to rely on me more as well, so hopefully I can return the favor soon. Whenever I think of her, it’s hard to not smile. Even now, being able to sit with her and hold her hand, I still can’t help but wish this moment never ends. She makes me feel like I’m living in a dream, reality be damned. None of the problems of the real world are allowed in our space during times like this. None of the stress or the insecure thoughts should be allowed here. Just us. Just our embrace and the love I feel for this one woman, not a single desire for anyone else in the world. The love I feel for her was once mistaken for friendship. I didn’t know how love felt, but it was clear once I realized just how much she means to me. Friendship isn’t the desire to hold her hand for hours upon hours nor is friendship the fantasy of spending every second of my life with the summer mist who gave me a second chance at life. She deserves the whole world. Opening my eyes again, I try to concentrate on the show, feeling Sunset’s hand grip mine a little tighter as the two main characters begin to kiss each other. Slowly, a small sigh exits Sunset’s lips as she rubs her face against my shoulder slightly, the feeling of her breath warming my arm. “You know, I never thought I would fall in love like this,” Sunset whispers, scooting herself a little closer to me. “When I was a filly in Equestria, my parents always raised me to believe there was somepony out there for me, usually with the assumption it would be some lucky colt.” A small chuckle escapes her, prompting me to laugh a little as well, resting my head on hers gently. “Well, anyone would be lucky to have you~” I tease her slightly, rubbing my thumb against her hand as gently as I can. “You smooth alligator~” Sunset giggles to her own statement, taking her head off my shoulder to look at me, prompting my own gaze to lock with hers. “But… seriously. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would… fall this hopelessly in love. In a different world and with a siren of all situations.” Her hand lets go of mine and moves to my cheek, a dreamy smile appearing on her face. Again, I fluster way too easily, yet my eyes are able to maintain the gaze shared between us. “You… complete me, Adagio~ You mean so much to me and…” Bringing her other hand to the other side of my face, a small tear forms in her eye, our eyes still connected. “What did I ever do to deserve you?” For a moment, a sense of confidence spikes through me, bringing my own hands to Sunset’s back, gently leaning back and pulling her with me. The movie is nothing but background noise at this point, both of us hopelessly lost in each other’s eyes. Sunset props herself up without fully laying on me with both of her hands by my sides, a cute smile appearing on her face as I bring my hand to her hair, gently feeling the strands. “I should be asking you the same thing~” Once more, that final wall crumbles as our lips connect, a passionate kiss being shared between us. Nothing more matters in the world other than us, Sunset’s hands gently reminding me of that by holding my back and head, refusing to let me go. I never want to let her go either… This moment is just too perfect to simply let go and go about life. Life is far too colorful with Sunset to simply be content with a mere moment with her. Each and every second being filled with vibrant colors and each sense being fulfilled. By the time our embrace ends, both of us don’t want it to stop, pulling each other back into the same loving position. Each kiss fills my mind with her, thinking about every one of those smiles I treasure. Every time one of us pulls away, the other pulls us back in, both of us equally passionate in our approach. How could I not be…? Every single moment with Sunset is a blessing, one I don’t deserve, but I still have it nonetheless. I treasure every day I spend with this woman I call the love of my life. I treasure her so much… Each kiss feels like it’s never enough, just wanting to show her how much my heart beats for her. “I’m forever yours,” I’m barely able to let out through Sunset’s lips, forcing more kisses upon me, every one of them making me smile even more. Every time our lips press together, my mind can’t help but think of every reason why I adore the woman with fiery hair and ocean eyes. “You’re my…” Sunset lets out in between a couple of kisses, still holding onto me just as tightly. “everything~” Both of our arms wrap around each other, our lips passionately pressed against each other as we ignore the movie that desperately tries to capture attention. At this point, I doubt anything could bring my attention away from the person I love, not even if the world was ending around us. As long as we have each other, I’m okay~ Sunset is the one to pull away from our embrace, opting to hug me as she lays on me instead, her arms tightening their grip around me. Both of us sigh into each other’s necks with a giant smile appearing on my face, both of us finally whispering those three words in unison. “I love you~”
New ThreadsAuthor's Note Sunset and Adagio are getting to spend more time together and it causes Adagio to feel a lot happier~ But what goes up must come down. Life is a rollercoaster for Adagio Dazzle and the ride is just starting. What happens in a skate park stays at the skate park, but should this also apply to the mall? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, everyone! Happy April! Sorry for the late upload, but school has really been stressing me out lately. I originally had five more scenes planned for this chapter, but don't worry! I will include them in the next chapter! I hope everyone enjoys this especially long chapter that I have spent a lot of time on~ I'd like to give a big thank you to my friend, Mon668, who helped me with the writing process and beta read the story~ She's genuinely an awesome person, so give her a follow sometime~ New Threads Chapter IX: New Threads Walking down the sidewalk, I sigh quietly to myself, feeling a little overwhelmed with the day’s events. There’s a lot to do and it’s almost unbelievable that I can do it in a 24 hour time span. The first thing I have on my schedule for my day off is hanging out with Rainbow Dash… I still find it hard to believe I’m spending my day off running around the whole town rather than resting at home, but I suppose that’s what happens when I need to connect with Sunset’s friends more. There’s still a long way to go to make everything alright between everyone, so I need to put in the work… As long as Sunset has that happy birthday, I’ll be happy. Technically, I suppose hanging out with Rainbow Dash isn’t as big of a priority as making connections with the others since she and I are already friends, but it’s still a good idea to keep Rainbow close without making her feel like I’m rejecting her in favor of everyone else. Besides, it’s not every day we get to see each other, since the two of us were put on different shifts at the music studio. So, it would be nice to catch up a bit more before Sunset’s birthday. If I remember correctly, Rainbow wanted to meet at some skate park in the city that is all but abandoned at this point. It makes me think why would the city keep it up if barely anyone still goes there? Then again, a lot of things the city should have torn down are still standing… Like my old apartment complex. Full of mold and decaying infrastructures, it shouldn’t have been allowed to stand. But it was the only place I could afford… Bringing my hand to my forehead, I feel that all too familiar migraine come back, pounding on my head as I walk down the sidewalk. Walking past a lamp post, I stop for a moment, looking back at the wooden pole in the ground and seeing the multiple posters stamped on it. Huh… I must be close to Halo Bakery then… Once upon a time, I practically ran to this post to find one of the posters. The one advertising Hooves Homeless Shelter… Shaking my head slightly, I keep walking down the sidewalk, an eager thought entering my mind. It would be nice if I could get a slice of cherry cheesecake while I’m here, since it’s not often I still walk past here. Although, I’m not exactly flush with cash… Given, my job doesn’t pay much, but I also spent most of this month’s wage on the jacket I bought for Sunset… Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be at a point of my life where I’m not counting the pennies, especially since my experience having nothing was pretty impactful on me. Walking up beside Halo Bakery, the sound of patrons talking from inside is briefly heard as the door opens for another person to enter, quickly shutting behind them. The smell of freshly baked goods is almost too much to bear, looking into that same window at the cherry cheesecake slice. I used to look at this in anger, wishing for a better life, but now that a better future has come, I look at the window in nostalgia and happiness. It feels like I’m actually making it, even if I don’t have a lot of money. At least I have people who care about me now. Friends. Someone to love. Life is… better now. Taking my eyes off the window, I keep walking, smiling to myself at how much things have changed in the span of half a year. Despite my own mistakes, I’ve done better for myself. At one point, I believed life was only a punishment for the mistakes I’ve made. Now, I’m standing at a much better place, but there’s still work to be done. Like fixing my relationships with Sunset’s friends. It’s easier said than done, but… I can do it. ================================================== “Are you really telling me you’ve never tried skating before?” Rainbow Dash laughs a bit to herself, already in her full skate gear with knee and elbow pads to match. She even has a bright neon colored helmet atop her head, looking more silly than she thinks she does. Her eyes look down at me from my sitting place on the bench, putting on a spare set of skates Rainbow brought for me. “You, miss badass. I mean, come on! You were rocking the whole bad girl vibes at school, so I guess it makes me suspicious that you haven’t even touched skates before.” Rainbow, again putting a piece of gum in her mouth, stretches her arms in the air before doing a couple of squats to get her legs prepared. “I have experience with high heels, but not skates,” I say quietly, concentrating on the damned laces on these shoes. Should I call them shoes…? Regardless, it is like putting on boots with wheels that threaten to drag you off to the fourth dimension if you’re not careful. “Believe it or not, my balance is something I prefer to have while I try to move.” “Huh? Balance is overrated!” Rainbow laughs again, holding her stomach slightly as she leans against the beam of the overhead ceiling, covering some of the outdoor tables. “Well, okay, I understand that, but you seriously need to try this. It’s fun once you get the hang of it!” That’s the part that scares me. Getting the hang of it… “Do you have a helmet and pads for me?” I ask, finally tying the last laces up on my boots, trying to stand up slowly, but promptly falling back down on the seat. This… is going to hurt like hell. Oh well. I’ve dealt with the big sister of Apple Bloom, Sunset’s insecurities, and a homicidal bunny. All in one week. I think I can deal with this. “Yeah, I do!” Rainbow says with a smile, skating to the other side of the table where her duffle bag is. Surprisingly, Rainbow has a giant bag full of sports supplies whenever she needs them, though it’s surprising that she carried it here. “You prefer diamond prints, right?” she asks, searching through the bag with her tongue sticking part way out of her mouth, seemingly concentrated on her search. “Hmm? Um… Yeah, I do. But how do you know that-” My question is cut short as Rainbow tosses a helmet towards me, hitting my stomach like an excited Apple Bloom. I didn’t expect this thing to be heavy… or to hit like a freaking rock. True to Rainbow’s word though, it had diamonds printed all over it with a purple background color. Even though skating isn’t necessarily my favorite activity, the helmet does look pretty. “You wore a big diamond on your belt buckle at school. Besides, Sunset told me~” Rainbow states, handing me the pads I’ll need for my elbows and knees. “You’re still talking to Sunset…?” I slowly ask her, my eyes connecting with hers under the shade as the cool summer breeze brushes her hair. “Yeah. Sci Twi and I are still talking to her and all. I guess all of us are still talking to each other, but there’s still that tension, you know?” An awkward face appears on Rainbow, her eyes averting mine and opting to stare at the skate park behind her. “That’s why I brought Rarity along at the parade. I figured we could try to ease some of the tension, but I suppose the reason we’re all sort of tense is because we haven’t really apologized for what happened on Valentine’s Day, you know?” A small sigh exits Rainbow’s lips, her hand coming up to her eyes to rub gently. “I know I kinda went over the line with some of my comments, but I didn’t want them insulting you without giving you the benefit of a doubt, you know?” “Dash, you don’t need to fight so hard on my behalf. We’re just friends. Besides, it’s understandable how they feel about me. It’s my job to fix the relationships I have with them-” “Don’t do that.” Rainbow interrupts me with her gaze instantly returning to me. “You’re my friend now, Dagi. I can’t just stand idly by as someone insults you and doesn’t even give you a chance. You know what I call that?” Rainbow’s eyes are locked with mine at this point, her body turning back to me as her hand comes up to her chest, a heavy breath exiting her lips. “I call it loyalty. I believe it’s important to stay loyal to those you love and the people who are your friends. So, don’t ask me to pick a side. I will always fight for my friends, got it?” A fiery passion is now ablaze inside Rainbow's magenta eyes, her gaze not disconnecting from mine for a second. “It’s equally our fault that things got messed up. I think we’ll fix it soon, but just know that you’re one of my friends now too. It doesn’t matter if it’s you or AJ, I’ll still be there for the people who are close to me.” For a moment, a part of me wants to tell her to stop. I don’t want her to feel like she’s responsible for protecting my own image, but it’s clear Rainbow wouldn’t take that as an answer. “Thanks, Rainbow. For being who you are~” A bright blush appears on Rainbow Dash’s cheeks before she turns away from me, slowly skating towards the concrete structures. “Yeah yeah. Don’t make it mushy. Just prove to me you can learn how to do this, okay?” A big smile appears on my face as I finally strap the helmet on my head, standing up very carefully. Wobbling very carefully towards the wooden beam, I look at the scene where I would either die or end up making a fun story to tell. I’ll try my best~ =================================================== “I don’t know, Dash…” Looking down at the pretty steep incline Rainbow wants me to skate down, a pit in my stomach begins to form, fearing the possibility of injury. It’s funny… I didn’t fear injury back when I had my powers. I was one of the most powerful creatures to exist. Why would I fear a little height? “Aw, come on! You’ve been doing well so far! Especially since we switched you to the skateboard~” Rainbow tries to reassure me from below, looking up at me on the top of the incline. Honestly, I’m not exactly sure how that is supposed to cheer me up, especially since I have only been doing well by going along flat surfaces. “Are you freaking kidding me, Dash?! I’ve been skating along flat surfaces the whole time we’ve been here!” I state a little harsher than I meant it to come out, positioning the skateboard near the edge. “What? You skated down the smaller ramps and stayed on the board!” Rainbow exclaims, pointing at some of the smaller inclines around us. Holding my hand out to her, I signal that I get the picture, taking one last look at the steep edge that I’m supposed to skate down. “Fine, I’ll do it,” I state just loud enough to be heard. Rainbow claps me on, stepping back to avoid getting hurt should something bad happen. Looking towards the sky, I sigh to myself, bringing my hand to my scarf gently. It probably looks odd, having a t-shirt on with a scarf, but I suppose that’s because people don’t usually have a scarf as a comfort item. Sighing to myself, I put both feet on the board, balancing on the edge of the incline like what Rainbow showed me. For a moment, my body hesitates, but with a big breath, I finally lean down, zipping down the ramp on my board. At first, everything feels alright, until the board starts shaking halfway down the incline. Please don’t break on me now… My board brings me down the incline in less than a second, launching me along the flat portion of the ramp and up halfway up the second incline. Instantly, I feel my feet lose balance as my eyes widen, my body falling backward. My arms instinctively spread outward to try and stop my fall, but it’s no use as my body hits the concrete and slides downward, my breath is punched out of me as my head harshly hits the ground. “Dagi!” ………. God damn it… My head is ringing again… I shouldn’t have tried this stupid trick, but hey, I did… It’s a damn good thing I was wearing a helmet. Taking in a deep breath, I let out a grunt of pain, opening my eyes to see Dash reach my side, falling to her knees and using her hands to touch my stomach lightly. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?” Dash asks me with a scared look in her eyes. Bringing my own hand to my head, a heavy sigh escapes me as I close my eyes again. I knew I shouldn’t have tried this. Now my head is going to be spinning for who knows how long. “Yeah, I can hear you,” I slowly state, rolling over onto my side. My hand still holds onto my head, but other than the dizzy feeling, it seems everything is alright. I’m just glad I was wearing protective gear. The ringing in my ears only starts to subside after a few moments, allowing me to finally hear the world around me without the sound of being stuck underwater or such. Bringing my hand to the concrete below me, I get on my knees and groan slightly, opening my eyes and looking at the ramp I just slid down. I’m going to make Rainbow buy me a smoothie or something to compensate for this pain in my head and the scrapes on my arms. I’m… My eyes widen as I see the ramp, purple streaks lining the path I just fell down. Purple fabric, torn apart by the rugged concrete… A big purple clump lays beside me, torn to hell and back with a single fall… My hand instantly leaves my head and grabs the material, trying desperately to convince myself that it isn’t real by feeling the fabric… But of course… it is real… This soft and beautiful scarf I’ve cherished for months now is… I shouldn’t have been wearing it… This scarf that has been here for me through thick and thin… it’s all but a pile of scrap now… why…? “Uh, Dagi?” Rainbow asks me, scooting closer to me and inspecting my body slowly. “Are you okay…?” she asks, clearly not paying enough attention to where my own gaze lies. “No…” The only word that falls from my mouth as I gently cradle the fabric close to my chest is no. I can feel tears start to form in my eyes, closing them and biting my lip to avoid the urge to break down. This scarf has always been with me when I needed it the most… It helped remind me that there’s a better life out there and let me feel close to Sunset even when something bad happens… It’s handled so much abuse from tree branches and other things. I shouldn’t have been wearing it… It was my fault… I’m sorry, Sunset… I’m sorry I ruined your perfect gift… “Dagi?” Rainbow asks for my attention hesitantly. “Hey, if you’re not hurt and it’s just about the scarf, we can always buy a new one, yeah? I know some really nice soft ones in Rarity’s shop~” “We can’t just buy a new one,” is all that I can say before I have to bite my lip again. “Okay…? What’s going on here, Dagi? It’s just a scarf, yet you’re more concerned about it than your own health?” Instantly, I turn my gaze at Rainbow, feeling that all too familiar flame of anger inside of me. “Just a scarf…?” Unbuckling my helmet from my chin, I toss it on the ground, standing up to look her in the eye. “Just like how your Daring Do comics are just pages? Or your trophies are just hunks of metal?” I ask Rainbow with a grimace, holding the scarf close to me with tears streaming down my face. “When will you learn that others have the ability to place value in something you don’t care about?” I lash out at her, looking away instantly towards the torn material in my hand. Why did this have to happen today of all days…? ============================================= A lump forms in my throat as I walk inside the huge building, an imposing feeling lingering on my mind. The mall is not necessarily a place I ever expected to go to again, especially since the last time I was here, Sonata and Aria were with me. We bought the flashiest clothes we could, wanting to stand out compared to everyone else. But now, almost two years later, I’m back again to once again buy myself a new wardrobe. Though, I would say my style is much more reserved now… In general, it’s odd to be back here, especially given the standing of my bank account… Given the prices in the mall, it’s hardly a surprise that no one other than people who are rich come here… Well, they’re not rich, just… more wealthy than me. It makes me feel bad, coming here right after arguing with Rainbow… We both said some pretty… mean things. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with her… Of course she wouldn’t understand the value I put in a fucking scarf of all things. I mean, it’s understandable to love that scarf, right…? It was the first gift I was given in a long time by someone who actually cared, that person being Sunset… I mean, just because I see little to no value in Rainbow’s athletic trophies doesn’t mean that they are seen the same by her… I don’t know, I guess I just feel awful for yelling at her, even though it hurt that she would just so casually disregard my feelings. For a moment, I feel an urge to grab my phone to text Rainbow, wanting to apologize for my own actions. Shaking my head, I sigh to myself, looking towards the floor as I walk further into the mall. I should give us both time to clear our heads… Apologizing right after the fact often sounds insincere. I just hate fighting with one of my few friends… Rainbow is my friend after all… I wish she didn’t make it sound like I was being petty for feeling sad about my scarf… The loud sounds of people talking throughout the wide open mall fills my ears, the smells of different stores and the bright colors of signs fill my senses as I look around, trying to ignore the thoughts of Rainbow. Customers go from store to store, eagerly looking around at the products that are being sold, talking amongst themselves as they do so. It’s almost too much for me to handle all at once, closing my eyes for a moment. Since when did I become such a weak person…? Taking a deep breath, I push forward, walking past an escalator and a sunglasses stand, my eyes scanning the environment around me. Once again, the pounding in my head makes it hard to concentrate, feeling like a hammer is smacking the back of my skull. Actually, it’s not that bad, considering I know how it feels to be… hit back there… Walking towards a bigger open area surrounded by the food court, multiple stores, a small kid play area and benches, I sigh to myself quietly, bringing my hand to my eyes. It’s almost too hard to find Sunset in the crowd of people just from the pain in my head alone. Sunset wanted to shop with me and help me pick out some of the clothes we would buy. Well, it’s actually her money we’re spending… I already used all of my month’s pay to buy her birthday present, so my wardrobe will be entirely thanks to her. Still, it makes me feel bad that I’m spending her money so carelessly… Walking over to one of the nearby benches, I sit down and close my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath of the mall air and sighing to myself. I suppose this is as good of an area to wait in, considering it’s close to the entrance and it’s easy to spot someone else from here. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I gently click on Sunset’s contact, typing a message in quickly. Given how big the mall is, I’m not sure if she’s here or not, considering it would take at least an hour to look through every store and area of the establishment. I mean, this place even has three floors… Its almost enough to make you feel overwhelmed with the big open interior and the echoes of dozens of people throughout the building. Turning off my phone, the device’s screen goes black, instantly reflecting my face back to me, causing me to freeze for a moment. The dark reflection staring back at me strikes a tone in my heart that hasn’t been felt in a while, deafening the world around me. That image being the only thing I can look at, my eyes not daring to look away for a moment. Why… do I have to see this…? Those eyes… That smile and crown… Everything in me wants to look away, but… how can I? Nothing but evil lies behind those eyes of red. The beautiful face is nothing but a facade to draw others to their doom. Her whole being composed of nothing but evil intentions… A creature of darkness stares back at me, paralyzing me with confusion and fear, seeing this apparition. The siren behind me smiles, her wings displayed behind her… My breathing instantly increases its pace, my heart beating faster than before as my wide eyes find it hard to blink. Why is she here…? That all too familiar dress dripping with the same red liquid, her eyes staring into my soul as her mouth opens to let out a demonic laugh. “Hello, Adagio~” her seductive voice lets out before her hand grips my shoulder. Instantly, I stand up from my seat, throwing the reflection away from me. I… I… Where is the sound of everyone…? Where is everyone…? Why is it dark in this mall…? I… The only thing I hear is the same damned laugh from behind me, a chill going up my spine as my body seems to freeze in place. The darkened interior of the building is only lit up by the moon from the glass roof above the opening, casting upon me with ease… My body tells me not to move, but I force myself to turn, looking at the bench and the subsequent darkness behind it. That same laugh still emanates from the darkness as a yellow hand with red liquid staining it moves from the darkness to grab onto the bench. The only thing indicating her full presence from inside the shadows is the faint red glow of a gem. “So weak…” a voice echoes as the bench is tossed to the left, her frame slowly stepping into the light of the moon. Her dress beautifully designed in red, occasionally dripping down to her feet, the necklace around her neck glows even more from the light. The leader of sirens in all her glory stands before me, her eyes trained on me as her echoing chuckle comes from every corner of the building. “Trembling at the mere sight of something better than you,” her voice whispers into my ear, despite the distance between us. “You… you can’t be real…” Despite the overwhelming urge to look away or to back up, my body remains frozen, completely paralyzed by her. Another chuckle comes from her red lips, her hand moving to her hip easily. “Alas, here I am~” her lips state in an all too soothing voice, causing a chill to spread across my back and arms. “Playing the part of a good girl, learning the trade of these ape creatures just to fit in. I would say it’s a smart cover, Adagio, but you’re not using it as a cover, are you?” Each and every word she utters sinks into me, only cementing her presence into my mind as she walks towards me. “You’re actually trying to be one of them. How far the promising siren has fallen,” she whispers with a smirk, her yellow hand coming up to my face and dragging her nails across my cheek. “You’re completely frozen and I haven’t even let out one melodic note. You’ve fallen from grace into a pathetic shriveling rodent. You don’t even have the backbone to fight back, do you?” With one push, she forces me to the ground, looking down at me with an evil smile, the moon behind her. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper, moving myself back with my hands slightly. “Don’t play coy with me, Adagio,” she states as her wings flare up into the air, her eyes staring into my own. “Trying to build yourself back up by finding confidence. It’s all so predictable and sad to watch.” Her foot presses against my stomach as her hand comes up to her face, caressing her chin with a smile. “Perhaps you forget what true power can bring you, because all it took was one smile from that worm you call a lover to make you wag your tail for friendship.” “S-she has a name!” I exclaim, looking up at her with a grimace as she cackles, her face tilting upward to the sky for a moment. “We shouldn’t care for names, Adagio. They’re all either food or pawns under us, but that’s something you’ve forgotten, isn’t it?” Her hand points at me, her glare still trained on me. “But you went soft, following the way of a coward.” Pushing myself out from under her foot, I stand up to look her in the eyes, my nerves on the fritz. “Friendship isn’t cowardly. It saved my life and let me know I’m still worth something,” I quietly say, backing away from her. “You’re worth something? No no no. You’re worthless, Adagio. You’re nothing and you always will be now that you’ve forsaken power.” Slowly, she begins to float into the air, looking down at me. “You’re wrong! I hurt so many people and Sunset helped me see that. She helped me see the good in life,” I state, my eyes maintaining my gaze at the siren floating above me. “Good in life? The only good in life is power! But of course, now you want everyone’s forgiveness, struggling to keep everything intact while the world makes you choose.” The red gem around her neck glows even more, her eyes narrowing as her body casts a big shadow upon the ground. “They will never forgive you. For once in your new life, be strong and pull that trigger,” her venomous words hiss, embedding themselves in my mind. “I’m no longer that person. I’m better,” I slowly whisper, looking up at the demonic form in front of me. “Better? I WAS the better version of you!” she states in a loud voice, my own face staring back into my own. “But maybe you need to be reminded of your true potential.” Flapping her wings, her body instantly lunges forward at me as the light of the moon disappears, enveloping us both in complete darkness. “Adagio~?” a voice calls out to me, a hand gripping my shoulder and shaking me. Instantly, I jump to the sensation, my eyes opening and trying to take in the world around me. So much light enters my eyes, but I still can’t help but feel a smile as I see the person who touched me, a warm sense of relief hitting me. Once again, I can hear the sounds of the crowds throughout the mall and the smells of the food court, but my attention doesn’t deviate from her warm smile. “Sunset? Hi, I um…” My cheeks instantly flush as I look around at the bench I am once again sitting on, realizing the situation I’ve been caught in. “I-I was just waiting for you,” I stutter, looking back up to her with a nervous chuckle, Sunset giggling at my awkward reaction. “I’m sure you were~ Putting in a couple z’s while you were at it too, right?” Sunset teases me before petting my head. Slowly, Sunset sits down on the bench next to me, putting her arm around me and resting her head on my shoulder. “We don’t have to do this today if you’re too tired, you know~” she states in a whisper, a happy hum ending off her sentence. “I’m always willing to carry you home for a nap~” “I’m not that tired,” I slowly say, finally calming my nerves and smiling at the embrace Sunset shares with me. “We can shop for clothes if you’re still up to it~” Moving my legs slightly, I prepare to stand up, but Sunset’s hand holds me down, her fingers slightly shaking. Is… she alright…? The quiver of her hand worries me as I look at her with concern. “Is something wrong…?” If anything happened to her today, I… don’t know what I would do… Please just be okay. “I just like this embrace, Alligator~” she whispers with a peaceful tone, gently leaning into my neck and kissing me slowly. “You know, it’s… I guess it’s surprising being here with you. It wasn’t even a year ago that you still hated me and I didn’t really want you in my life. I just wanted to reach my hand out because that’s the morally right thing to do.” Sunset sighs quietly, her arm letting go of me and holding my hand gently, her fingers intertwined with mine. “You reflect a lot on the past,” I tease her with a small kiss on the top of her head, smiling to myself. “It’s funny. I actively try to avoid memories of the past, but you embrace them. It’s not your responsibility to help everyone, but you still try nonetheless.” “Hey, are you criticizing me?” Sunset asks with a slight chuckle to her tone, raising her head to look into my eyes. “I’ll have you know that I’m trying to be more selfish, just like I said I would. I’m thinking about taking an art class~” A bright and cheerful smile appears on her face before she quickly presses her lips against mine, my cheeks instantly flushing to the embrace. “No, I’m not criticizing you~” I slowly whisper, still trying to process the kiss Sunset surprised me with. “But an art class, huh? I didn’t know you were interested in art~” A cheeky smile comes across Sunset’s lips as she giggles to herself, looking away from me and towards the children’s play area. “Well, seeing you makes me know that some of the best art in the world is right in front of my eyes~” Sunset says with a genuine tone to her voice, her smile turning into a solemn one. Honestly, seeing her like this makes me feel happy, knowing that no matter how hard life may be pushing her down, she’s always willing to jump back and find something worth living for. The sun’s light coming from the roof almost makes Sunset look like she glows in the light of the world. It’s so admirable… It’s hard to look away from someone who is so… beautiful. “Can I ask you something though?” Sunset says as her eyes turn back to me, cutting me from my peaceful daydream. “Hmm? What is it?” Sunset’s hand holds mine tightly, looking at me with a smile before nodding to herself. “What were you dreaming about? It looked like it wasn’t a pleasant dream from your expressions and all.” What…? She watched me sleep…? Here of all places? I… I mean, I watch her sleep whenever I can as well, but she’s never fallen asleep in public like an idiot. An idiot like me… Averting my gaze from Sunset’s eyes momentarily, I think to myself, unsure of what to say. Should I even say what I was dreaming about…? Is it even important enough for her to worry about…? No, it isn’t. She shouldn’t have to worry about this of all things. Especially with so much on her mind about her friends… I’ll tell her later, she just… needs to worry about herself for now… “I was dreaming about my life, I suppose,” I say as calmly as I can, sitting back and smiling to myself. “You woke me up right as I was about to ask you to be my friend~” My tease gets a reaction out of Sunset, her giggle warming my heart even more. “Aw~ I think back to those days a lot too~ I suppose it’s because I never expected our lives to go down this path. I mean, falling in love with a siren? Who would have thought about that?” Instantly, a nervous look grips hold of Sunset’s face, scratching her head slowly. “No offense of course~ There’s nothing wrong with you being a siren, my sweet alligator~” Still, Sunset is always trying to make sure I feel okay, being careful with her words to avoid hurting my feelings. She is always so selfless and even when she tries to be selfish, she still drops everything to be there for me. I guess it’s yet another reason why I love her. Reason 58. “None taken~” Kissing Sunset’s cheek slowly, a blush instantly comes to her face, her nervous exterior now being replaced with a flustered one. “Anyway, where’s your scarf, Adagio~? You usually never leave home without it~” Sunset says in the most tender and sweet voice that she possibly can, but it still spawns a series of depressing thoughts throughout my mind. Instantly, I want to lose my composure, but I simply smile at the fiery-haired girl, her ocean eyes looking straight into my soul. “I left it at home~ I felt like it was pretty hot today and we already agreed on buying more clothes today, so I didn’t want to dress in a lot of layers.” Every word flows from my mouth as smoothly as possible, making my lie sound more like the truth and subsequently bringing a smile to Sunset’s face. “Oh, good~ I was a little worried that maybe you were feeling depressed~” Instantly, Sunset hugs me tightly, sighing happily to herself before she stands up to stretch her muscles. Even though she is just stretching, Sunset is still the cutest person alive. I don’t care who disagrees with me, they’re wrong. “Anyway, I’m sorry for prolonging this so long, Adagio~” Her hand slowly reaches down to me, offering to help me up from my seated position. “Would you like to shop now, Alligator?” =============================================== Shopping for clothes is… an interesting process. At first, it’s sort of fun to look at the different designs and make outfits with different articles of clothing, but then you actually have to try them on. I’ve always had an eye for fashion. I know what looks good and what deserves to be thrown away, but that’s all from my own point of view. I’ve never really had a problem deciding what I like and I loved certain styles back in the day. Hell, I can still admire a good pair of heels when I see them, but now… it’s hard to try on clothes like the ones I used to wear. Tight-fitting, attractive and more dominant clothing… I was used to that at the nightclub when I was on shift, but now it just feels… wrong. Like it’s wrong for me to wear something so fashionable. Something so flashy and nice. I’ve been used to boots, jeans, and hoodies for a while now as it is… Bringing my hand up to my head, I sigh quietly to myself, standing up in the changing room to slide my jeans down. “Come on, Adagio… It’s alright for you to wear this,” I whisper to myself, trying desperately to believe that it would be okay to wear this type of clothing once more. Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to take myself seriously. All of my confidence is gone at this point, leaving me a shell of my former self. The cocky, sassy and confident Adagio Dazzle could handle anything she wanted. The big problem with her…? She didn’t have an ounce of empathy in her… Slowly pulling my shirt off my body, I look at the stack of clothes Sunset and I picked that fit my older fashion style, Sunset believing it would do me some good to dress more confidently. She thinks it will help me gain that confidence back and help me get myself out there, but now, I’m honestly trying to decide if this was a mistake. Of course the clothes themselves look… nice… but will they still fit on me…? Will I be able to bring back my older self in a good way…? Will that confidence bring back that lust for power and that evil behind those eyes… A light sound emanates from my jeans falling to the floor, gently pulling my socks off and looking into the mirror for a moment. My loose hair is strung across my shoulders until I slowly bring it up with my hand. There she is. There… I am… Every curve on display within this small room, and my hair as soft as ever. Sighing to myself, I look at the first article of clothing we picked out, an anxious feeling overcoming me slightly. I suppose it makes me think. Do the clothes make the siren or does the siren make herself…? Those purple fingerless gloves with a matching pair of tights. I haven’t worn tights since the nightclub, and even then, they weren’t that flashy. Not like my old self… I loved flashy clothes. They were like a calling card and it… still looks good today. Slowly bringing my hands to the gloves, I slip them on before grabbing the tights, biting my lips slightly. “Here goes nothing,” I whisper to myself, my eyes closing before I pull the soft fabric over my skin. For a moment, I actually… enjoy the sensation. The soft fabric over my own skin feels pretty nice compared to the jeans I have been wearing for a while now. Even though I will be wearing jean shorts over these tights, it still feels nice. I have practically forgotten what it’s like to wear colorful clothes without trying to gain the lustful eyes of others. That is what I had to do for the nightclub, but now… now I can wear these for myself. For my own enjoyment. I get to decide what to wear, if it’s revealing or not. Damn it, am I actually enjoying myself? Trying on clothes that I haven’t worn in a long time and I’m enjoying it? At this rate, I’ll end up singing again and loving it too… I… actually never want to sing again… That’s what scares me about trying on these clothes once more. The last time I dared to wear these things or anything in this style, I sang at the battle of the bands… I sang so hard and I… I was so angry and hell bent on winning. The last time I sang, the universe punished me for it by taking away my power… And my only two friends… Pulling up my jean shorts and pulling out a pair of shoes from a box, I sigh slightly, sitting down and looking at myself in the mirror. Now I have so much more… I have friends, people to care about, a girlfriend… I finally have a good and stable job, an apartment where the heater doesn’t break down and a better life overall. Everything is finally getting better and it’s… all so fragile. With a single mistake, it could all crash down once more, right? One wrong move and I’ll be alone again… I don’t want that. I don’t want to lose them… Looking back to the floor, I slowly bite my lip, a small sigh exiting my lips. That’s the reason why I can’t let myself sing again… I can’t tempt fate again… No matter how much I miss it, it’s better… to just keep my lips shut… A loud knocking sound breaks me from my thoughts as I look up to the door. “Y-yes?” I ask, still a little surprised at the interruption from the other side of the door. I hear a familiar chuckle from the other side of the door as Sunset’s hand reaches over it, placing another shirt on the top of the door. “I just found something else that I thought you would maybe like~ Are you almost done changing? I can’t wait to see some of these things on you,” Sunset says with a cheerful and teasing tone at the same time, the only thing suggesting her presence on the other side of the door being the shadow at the bottom. “Yeah, I’m almost done. It’s just the first outfit is… Interesting to try on,” I slowly reply to her, my eyes looking down at the pair of heeled boots in my hands. The boots didn’t technically have big heels on them, but they did look quite… interesting… There’s a lack of spikes on the heel itself, but I suppose I picked them due to the fact that they would serve to replace my older boots while still being somewhat fashionable. That is, if I can get the nerve to wear these in public again since the last time I wore these types of clothes. Besides, my old boots are all but broken at this point, so it would be nice to get a new pair of boots just meant for normal everyday use, right? A small giggle comes from the other side of the door, Sunset undoubtedly displaying the cutest smile just out of sight. “Alright, Alligator~ Take your time~ I’ll be here when you’re done changing~” With that, Sunset’s shadow leaves the bottom of the door as she walks off, presumably to sit down on one of the chairs nearby. I shake my head slightly, smiling at Sunset’s cheerfulness and her total patience with someone like me. Slipping on the boots, I finally grab one of the shirts Sunset picked out for me. Unsurprisingly, it was a t-shirt that was mostly white with the exception of a purple diamond print on the front, the design being the thing that made Sunset fall for it, telling me that it really fit my style. To be honest, sometimes it scares me to think how much Sunset knows about me. I’m just waiting for the day when I wake up from a nightmare and she can tell me exactly what I dreamt about before I can let out a single word. Given, Sunset already knows I have nightmares fairly regularly… The final piece of clothing that Sunset picked out for this outfit is a black jacket. It doesn’t necessarily have any special prints on it or even colors, it’s just a black jacket to wear over my t-shirt and to compliment the boots I have on. The only noticeable design element of the jacket were silver metal beads on the collar, shining every so often whenever the light would hit them just right. Honestly, it feels kind of worn, like it’s been used. Is that the new aesthetic of clothes these days? If it is, what do corporations use to make it feel like it’s been used? If not, then how much has this particular article of clothing been tried on? I guess the other customers even ripped the tag off, since I can’t seem to find it. I would hate for Sunset to buy a coat that is worth ten times the amount of my salary. I suppose it does have that… charming effect, but seriously, who rips tags off of the products just to put them back? Slowly, I push my arms through the sleeves and smile to myself slightly, feeling how warm it makes me feel. Despite the fact that it doesn’t have a tag, it still feels pretty good, honestly. I shouldn’t doubt Sunset’s choices. She knows me pretty well. I… I know her pretty well too, but I never really seem to get her great gifts… Well, at least things that are higher quality than a damn alligator themed shirt I won from that maze. Sighing slowly, I look into the mirror and pull my hair up slowly, reaching into my purse to grab a headband. Unfortunately, this headband doesn’t have spikes on it, so it doesn’t fully capture my old fashion sense, but it will do for now. The last spiked headband I wore… I kind of stuffed it into a box and never really wanted to see it again… But I suppose I will have to fish that out of the closet to get the full effect. Looking into the mirror, I try my best to smirk at myself, putting my hand on my hip and bending slightly forward. It’s… honestly surprising how little I’ve changed in appearance since then. Especially considering how much I’ve worked to change on the inside. Yet here I am, looking like a badass boss just like I was back then. Hell, I can sell the act even further if I strike poses. Is this what I was like when I was confident in myself…? When I didn’t have many fears or insecurities and felt like I could take on the world. I suppose I… did look better with confidence as compared to my more recent appearance of being overly modest and hiding myself under as many layers as I could. Both physical and mental… Grabbing the door knob, I take a deep breath before opening the changing room door. At first, my mind still feels insecure about this, wondering whether or not I will be judged for wearing these things once again. I just have to remember that… it's all about my confidence. Sunset thinks I would benefit from wearing these things once again and… she even thought I would look cute. Shaking my head slowly, I walk down the hallway of changing rooms into a small room with chairs to sit on if you’re waiting for someone. Across from the hallway, Sunset sits on one of the larger seats, looking down at her phone as she presumably waits for me. A small part of me wishes that I could hug her from behind to surprise her instead, but I simply shake my head, putting my hand on my hip as I do the best smirk I can. Sunset wants to see me try to be confident again? Then let’s make a show out of it. “Shimmer~” Instantly, Sunset’s eyes look up from her phone and go wide when she sees me in this new outfit, a bright smile appearing on her face. Putting her phone back in her pocket, she stands up and walks up to me, smiling as she looks me up and down. “Adagio~ You look really nice~ Do you like the clothes?” Sunset’s hand lingers on the coat sleeve before grabbing my hands with a cute giggle. My fake confident smirk disappears as I look away from her, thinking about the experience as a whole. “Honestly, yeah. I do. Though, it’s still hard for me to believe I am allowed to wear these due to…” Shaking my head slightly, I look back into Sunset’s eyes with a smile of my own, my hand coming up to her cheek before I slowly plant a kiss upon her lips. Every time we share an embrace, it’s like a slice of heaven in my life~ “Thank you for… doing this. For trying to help me feel more confident. It’s really nice~ Though, can I ask you something?” Looking back down at the black jacket, I hold my arm out to her, showing her the lack of a tag or sticker, indicating the price of the item. “Why did you pick out a jacket that doesn’t have a price…? I don’t want to settle on something like this when we don’t even know the price of it.” To my surprise, Sunset giggles to my question, gently bringing her hand to mine and shaking her head lightly. To say that I’m a little confused is an understatement. “You’re so cute, Adagio~ We won’t have to pay for it~” Slowly, her left hand runs up and down my arm, her smile only getting bigger as she sees how it fits me. “I was wondering how this would fit on you~” she states before gazing into my eyes once more, a slight blush coming to my face out of my flustered feelings and confusion. “What do you mean exactly…? Sunset simply giggles again to my attempt to clarify what she means, her hand coming up to my cheek slowly. “You really don’t realize it, huh~?” she teases me slowly, leaning in and pressing her lips against my cheek. The moment doesn’t last as long as I would like it to, but it still makes my heart beat faster, our hands still holding onto each other. Slowly, Sunset looks at me with her warm smile once more before she opens her mouth. “This is my old jacket, Adagio~”
Last Minute ShenanigansAuthor's Note Whoever said that it was a crime to have fun~? Why can't we just spend a little more time enjoying the empty seconds with the ones we love? Who would it hurt? The answer is no one~ Adagio has come to this conclusion after realizing how much fun the day has been with her girlfriend, Sunset. What will a couple more hours hurt? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes: Hey, guys! I'm really sorry for the late upload. It's been a minute, right? I've been really busy lately due to university and my relationships with different people. But I think I've more than made it up with this LONG chapter of mine~ Be warned, this chapter is not fully edited and it may not be the best due to the stress I've been feeling recently, but I will try to edit it later~ A big thank you to Mon668 for beta reading this chapter since her reactions show that my story still has an impact~ Have fun~! Last Minute Shenanigans Chapter X: Last Minute Shenanigans My eyes widen, looking back down at the jacket I have on and instantly realizing where I had seen something like it before. Back when music and power were the biggest things in my life, instead of love and friendship. The reason there is no price tag… is because it’s already been bought. A long time ago. It has been worn ever since then by a very special person. Someone who meant nothing more than dirt to me a long time ago, but clearly, that definition has changed. She means the world and more to me now and I would do anything for her. “This is… your jacket…?” I ask slowly, my eyes still looking at the sleeves. Her head nods with a smile pasted on her lips, her hands still holding my own and refusing to let go. “Yeah~ I used to wear it all the time, but it’s been sitting in the closet for a while now. I thought that maybe it would be just the right thing to get you to feel a little more confident~ Especially since you loved this type of clothing back then~” Sunset’s smile doesn’t fade as she kisses me slowly, bringing her hand to the back of my head. No matter how many times I feel her soft lips, I can never get used to the sensation, becoming addicted to it each and every time it happens. I’m always left wanting more, wanting to love her even more than I am now. To spend an eternity in her embrace and a minute more. I know heaven has to exist, if not in another life, right here in her arms. Paradise is being able to spend each and every second with the one you love and not get bored of it. Each moment is a new adventure. The soft texture of her lips and the warm feeling all make me feel even happier. Perhaps it’s because she’s so wonderful. Or because she makes my life feel so nice. She’s always there to pick me back up no matter what happens, even if I’m the one who hurts her. All I ever wanted was the world and here I am, with my whole world in my embrace~ Pulling away slowly and reluctantly, a smile comes across my lips, looking into her eyes once more. “Does this mean you’re giving me this jacket…?” I ask hesitantly, unsure how I feel about the situation. I don’t want to take something that has clearly been with her for a long time, but it’s also… a really nice gift. Something that is so personal to Sunset, connecting me with her even more. I kind of wish I had something to give her as well… “Of course~ Why else would I want you to try it on?” Sunset asks me with a small wink before her hands slowly grab the collar of the jacket, fidgeting with it slightly. Despite the fact that this jacket was hers, Sunset seems to really like the sight of it on me for some reason unknown to me. A cheeky smile spreads across her face before her hands pull the collar towards her, bringing me with it. Instantly, a blush comes to me as Sunset forces me to lean on her slightly, our eyes locked with each other. “And I have to say that it looks really nice on you~” Sunset’s voice whispers in a sharp and teasing tone right into my ear, her warm breath gently lingering on my earlobe. Chills go up and down my spine as Sunset holds me close to her, her hands not releasing their grasp on the coat. What is… this feeling…? Why do I feel hot and cold at the same time…? Why do I not know what to do? This nervous and anxious feeling mixed with some sort of… expectation? What am I even expecting? The smell of her hair invades my mind as one of Sunset’s arms moves around my lower back, pulling me in even more. A small giggle escapes her lips as I feel a tingling sensation around my earlobe, Sunset’s teeth just barely biting at the area. Why does this feel… nice…? What the fuck am I doing right now? It’s like my body can’t move… No, I… don’t want to move… Each and every urge I feel tells me to stay in this embrace, no matter what may happen in the world around us. The sound of Sunset’s breathing can still be heard as she lets go of my ear, her lips slowly kissing my cheek and moving down to my neck, laying multiple small and warm kisses upon my skin. I-I… Why does my mouth feel dry…? Why does my body shiver to each sensual touch and loving embrace…? I… Slowly, Sunset bites my neck before leaving a final kiss on my skin, bringing her eyes back up to meet mine again, her face conveying a look of confidence unlike her previous confident expressions. Slowly, Sunset’s hand comes up to my cheek, a giggle escaping her lips as we stare into each other’s eyes. “That is one way you can act confidently~” Sunset teases me in her normal tone of voice, her warm smile returning to her. “Let’s try to focus on finding and building up your own confidence~” Acting as if nothing had happened, Sunset let’s go of the jacket, ruffling my hair slightly before playfully pointing behind me towards the changing rooms. “Now, let’s see how those other outfits work on you, okay~?” ===================================================== The interior of the mall is kept at a colder temperature than I would like, but I suppose that’s because it’s in the middle of summer. Well, technically, it’s getting closer to the end than the middle, but the point still stands. I suppose most stores keep their temperatures pretty cool during this time of year to accompany the vast majority of people. It’s not necessarily uncomfortable, but it’s chilly enough to occasionally shiver at. That’s why I chose to go ahead and keep Sunset’s coat on while I wait. Actually, it’s not Sunset’s coat anymore… It’s mine, right? Sunset gave it to me to keep and wear, so, I suppose there’s no reason to keep thinking of it as hers. Shaking my head, I look at the jacket’s sleeves, remembering the times Sunset wore this. Back then, she and I were enemies because of my own selfish ambition. Now I get to wear it myself under entirely different circumstances. When I was told that time changes everything I didn’t necessarily believe it, but my own journey since last Christmas should prove that message all too true. Excluding the jacket, Sunset bought me three to four new outfits to wear, all of them having the same general feel, but with different colors and articles of clothing. The funniest part of the whole checking out process is that Sunset insisted we needed to get me some headbands to complete the look. As much as I would do anything to make her happy, there weren’t any of those headbands in this clothing store, so Sunset got a little angry. In the end, she decided to find some online, but I’m not quite sure how that works. How does online shopping work? It confuses me to no end, but that could just be from my lack of experience with the online world. The most I’ve ever done on the internet is using my phone to make calls or text others. Oh, wait. I did once have to help Apple Bloom with some homework paper, but she spent more time helping me learn how to use the keyboard than I actually did to help her. Why am I even debating online shopping…? It’s not like I would be able to comprehend it and do it myself… I mean, it sounds interesting, finding things that you may not necessarily find in normal stores, but I suppose I would have to have money to even consider the idea. Even if I didn’t buy Sunset’s jacket this month, I wouldn’t have a lot to necessarily spend on. Though… a part of me feels guilty for spending Sunset’s money on my new attire… I kind of wish I did have the money to spend, just so I could pay her back for the countless times she’s covered the bill. Even now, I would be able to help out if I just had a little more money since Sunset decided she wanted to buy some new clothes for herself too. I don’t know. Maybe it’s enough that I got to contribute and help her decide on some articles of clothing. I think she liked some of my choices, but I’m not entirely sure. I tried to pick cheaper things, so I hope she didn’t notice the trend. Every now and then, a couple more people would walk in or out of the changing rooms, looking disappointed or content with their choices in wardrobe. Some of the people who passed by me were people I recognized from Canterlot High, former students who are presumably making their way in the world. Just like Sunset and I now. Sometimes, people would wait out here as well, obviously waiting on someone they’re close with to get done changing. For now, it’s only me and an older man in the waiting space, a magazine being held in one hand while a plastic bag of purchased items is in his other hand. A small part of me is curious as to what he bought before, but I try to not pry, looking at my own plastic bag filled with clothing items. Before I can look through my items once again like a child interested in new toys, my phone buzzes in my pocket, prompting me to pull it out to check what the notification is. Opening my phone, I see a text pop up from Sunset, instantly feeling confused at the sight. “I’ve changed~ Can you come back now?” is all she typed, making me reread it a couple more times. The last couple of times she changed, Sunset came out here for me to look at her, but now she wants me to come back to her changing room? Closing my phone slowly, I pick up my bag and smile to myself. Maybe Sunset just feels a little self-conscious about her appearance. If I can help in any way, I would obviously do it in an instant, so this is the least I can do. Standing up from my seated position, I slowly walk down the hallway of changing rooms, my mind a little unsure of which room she picked. Sighing quietly to myself, I look at the different doors and realize they don’t have differentiating numbers. “Movie,” I say loud enough to be heard while trying to not be a nuisance to anyone else in other rooms. “Night~” Sunset’s voice cheerfully pitches in from a door two rooms down the hall, her hand reaching over the door and waving slightly. As embarrassing as it may be to say something like that, it’s always cute to see Sunset’s reactions. It was her idea to turn the phrase ‘movie night’ into something we use when we’re trying to find each other. Maybe because Marco Polo was used too much or such. Walking down to the door Sunset’s hand was above just seconds ago, I slowly turn the doorknob, looking inside carefully. Inside the small room, Sunset’s back is turned to me, facing the mirror parallel to the door. From here, I can see the tan coat I picked out reach her thighs, black jeans covering her legs all the way down to her plain black boots, despite their soft material. Sunset seems to be adjusting something quickly, before brushing the hair out of her face, turning to me and smiling as best as she can. Despite the smile, I can tell Sunset is clearly nervous about what I think. Under her tan coat, she has a dark gray turtleneck shirt on, surprisingly making her even cuter than before. With this type of outfit, she looks quite… casual and professional at the same time. She looks… really beautiful~ “So, what do you think?” Sunset asks me slowly, turning her body and making different poses, trying to see what specifically appeals to me. Slowly, I reach my hand out and grab her shoulder, a big smile already present on my face as I look at her body. “Honestly? You look amazing~” I say quietly, unsure of what else to say. “This outfit looks really nice on you~” “You really think so?” Sunset asks as she turns back around to the mirror, inspecting her appearance a little more. “I… I like how I look as well, I was just worried that maybe… Maybe it doesn’t fit someone like me, you know?” For a moment, Sunset’s eyes connect with mine from the mirror, her hand slowly reaching behind her and grabbing onto my own. “Thanks for the feedback~ I’m glad to know I was wrong~” In one swift motion, Sunset turns around and pulls me in for a hug, tightly holding me against herself. Wrapping my own arms around her, I smile to myself, simply enjoying the fact that I get to live this life with Sunset. “It’s not a problem~” I slowly whisper, leaving a small kiss on her cheek before our embrace ends. Sunset’s eyes speak a thousand words of gratitude and appreciation, her smile indicating some happy thought inside that head of hers, but before I can try to guess what it is, Sunset pats my shoulder and nods to the door behind me. “Thank you for being so patient with me changing and all. I only have one more outfit and then we can get out of here~'' Nodding to her statement, I slowly back out of the room, exaggerating my sigh for comedic effect. “Okay, I get the memo~ I’ll be back when you’re done changing yet again,” I tease her slightly, swaying my hips to her words with a chuckle. “Just text me when you’re done, alright~?” With that, she waves to me as I close the door behind me, walking away with a small lingering grin left on my face, chuckling at how cute Sunset can be at times. Despite our purpose being here to help me feel more confident, I’m actually enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. That’s how every situation with Sunset has gone. Even when we were enemies, I enjoyed teasing her more than I thought I would, often looking forward to our next confrontation. Can I help that Sunset is that fun to tease? Or just be around in general…? Maybe it’s just my own viewpoint since not everyone is in love with Sunset, but no matter what happens, I always think of Sunset as an… interesting person. To be able to keep that confidence while dealing with so many self-esteem issues is nothing short of impressive. I guess that’s why she’s trying to help me so much to get my own confidence back. I went through similar circumstances as her and she had people there for her, supporting her reformation. I didn’t… I had no one, not even my sisters… They left shortly after our defeat and I don’t blame them. I didn’t have those people for me until Sunset appeared and tried to convince me of happiness. I only repaid her by laughing in her face and criticizing her personality. I guess, in that sense, I had a different path than Sunset, but either way, our paths lead us into each other’s arms and I wouldn’t change a thing. This reality I live in is the best it’s ever been. Almost perfect… As much as the constant fights annoyed me, they were still a big part of my life… I saw them as family and I never thought it would go down like this… Life that is. The only thing that could make this life better is if… I could apologize to them. To tell them one time that they actually did mean something to me, despite my belittling nature combined with my anger issues. To tell them that I… loved them… Shaking my head slightly, I walk back inside the waiting area, quickly taking my seat to avoid looking like an idiot. By now, the elderly gentleman was nowhere to be seen, the waiting room being mostly empty except for a younger man, dressed up in a high school suit with a flower in his pocket near his heart and a corsage in his hands. It looks like he’s sweating bullets, clearly nervous about something. If I had to guess, he is probably waiting for his high school sweetheart to get done changing into a dress, one that’s probably way too expensive for my taste. Well, at least my taste now. All of this effort and time wasted on a single night out during their young years in life. Given, I’ve never been to a dance, so why should I criticize something I haven’t experienced myself yet? Yet…? It’s not like I’m going to a dance any time soon, so using that word isn’t quite accurate. Personally, I would be happier spending some time alone with Sunset inside and under a blanket while we watch a movie, when it comes to romantic time together at least. Or walking along the beach… There are so many more peaceful and beautiful alternatives to a dance where you wouldn’t be bullied for your choice in outfits. Then again, I’ve never danced with Sunset… I… I mean, it would be fun, wouldn’t it? How would it feel to dance with her…? Hands intertwined while holding her hip… Or her shoulder? Who would lead? It’s awfully funny that I’m sitting here, contemplating the logistics of a dance with Sunset when we probably won’t have the chance to for a while… Unless the Apple Family reunion has a dance…? My phone buzzes again, bringing me out of my train of thought as I grab my phone. I expect to see Sunset’s icon once again, but surprisingly, it’s not displayed. Instead, it’s Fancy Pants’ icon with a message detailing… Wait. What? He’s changing what…? Why would he… I got used to how things were, but now he wants to change things around…? Why would he change my schedule…? Why now of all weeks? The reunion is in five days and he’s wanting to change it around…? Instantly, my fingers start typing in a response to his message, but before I can finish my reply, a new buzz alerts me to a message, this one being from Sunset. God… Now I’m going to have to wake up before Sunset… I don’t know how she will react to this awful schedule change, but I’ll try to convince Fancy to change it back in the office tomorrow… Sighing heavily, I slide the phone back into my pocket, standing up once again to walk towards Sunset’s changing room. Today just has to be full of ups and downs, right…? Shaking my head a little, I try to get rid of the migraine in my skull before I see Sunset again, rubbing my forehead slightly. Once again, I walk to Sunset’s door, knocking on it slowly to make sure she has time to fully settle. “Come in~” Sunset’s voice cheerfully rings out, the door unlocking at the same time. Accepting Sunset’s request, I slowly turn the doorknob, taking a couple steps inside, but before I can even see what she has on, my eyes are instantly covered by her hand. “Don’t look yet~” she slowly states, guiding me into the changing room and closing the door behind me. Already, I feel confused about this new situation, but I try to accept it as Sunset makes me sit down. Why is she making us do this…? Is this some surprise outfit she tried on…? Honestly, I don’t remember all the clothes we picked out so even trying to think of what she’s wearing right now is nearly impossible. It all just confuses me even more, bringing my hands up to hers, gently trying to remove her grasp from my eyes. “Sunset? What is this about…?” I ask slowly, unsure of what to say in general. I’ve never really been surprised like this and it only really makes me realize how much I rely on my eyes. Especially to fully appreciate Sunset’s beauty, inside and out… If I couldn’t see, how would I be able to enjoy her warm smiles and cute faces? It’s… a depressing thought actually. I suppose what’s reassuring about this is the fact that Sunset is the one forbidding me from seeing her. I know it won’t last, but it still makes me wonder… “Shh~ It’s alright~ I just wanted to do something different~” Without taking her hand away from my eyes, Sunset presses her lips against my forehead gently, a slight giggle escaping her shortly after. “I was thinking that maybe you could guess what I have on~” she states in a slow and teasing tone, probably with a big smirk written across her face. “Hmm? How can I guess…? I forgot nearly a third of the stuff we picked out.” Finally, I let go of her hand, content to play her game until she’s satisfied with teasing me. With every fun tease she pulls off, another cute smile follows. Besides, I can usually use it as leverage to get another movie night that we can spend together~ Not that I need it, since Sunset loves them too. “Well, you can feel me~ I’ll only let you see after you make a guess of course~” A small laugh escapes her, trying to not disturb anyone else who might hear her if she is too loud. A part of me feels worried about this idea, thinking about feeling somewhere that she might not be comfortable with forces a nervous smile on my face. Feeling her body to discern what she’s wearing… As worrying as it may be, the thought still makes me curious… What could be so mysterious that she needs me to guess what she has on before I see her? “Alright,” is all that can leave my mouth, the only thing I really know what to say. Taking a deep breath, I slowly reach my hands out to try and feel her only for Sunset’s hand to guide mine to her legs. Instantly, I feel the soft sensation of her skin, recognizing the feel of her legs. So, she isn’t wearing tights or long pants, huh? That’s a pretty interesting fact since every other outfit she’s had on included one of the two. From what I can feel, it seems like I’m touching her shins, so I guess it wouldn’t be that odd to not feel something. She has worn skirts before. And shorts now that I think about it. Breathing in gently, I finally slide my hands up her legs slowly, getting to her knees with a smile coming to my face. Despite how skinny Sunset can look to normal eyes, she certainly has a good amount of muscle on her. Maybe it’s due to the fact that she was a pony before coming here. Though, I find it easier to believe that she just works hard to keep herself in shape. Sunset works really hard to get through her college classes and her internship, so it probably takes a toll on her body. Does she… ever come home in a lot of pain…? Does she just hide it to spend those countless movie nights with me…? I should try to make her welcome home more inviting… I mean, I can’t cook that well at all, but I could try, right? Her thighs are so soft, yet firm, feeling like she could probably carry me with no problem at all. She deserves to rest when she comes home. Maybe a massage could help? Then again, I have very limited experience with that. The last time I tried was to help Sonata with a backache due to pulling a muscle. Moving my hands up Sunset’s thighs, I hear her chuckle to herself, the reason unknown to me. I really do have to admire how perfect Sunset’s thighs feel. Even though I would love her no matter what shape she’s in, Sunset clearly maintains her body. She’s… really soft too… Why don’t I feel anything yet…? No skirt or shorts, despite my hands being halfway up her thighs. Just what in the world is Sunset wearing…? I… I mean, I’m supposed to find out what she’s wearing and I haven’t felt anything but her yet. Just her… Before I can move my hands up towards her hips, Sunset stops my hands and I hear a small hum escape her lips. Opening my mouth, I prepare to ask her why she stopped me, but my words get caught in my throat as I feel Sunset’s leg slide up next to mine, slowly sitting down in my lap. The weight of her body pressing down on my legs only reaffirms the fact in my mind that she’s still here, the nerves along my back being lit on fire. “You can feel me again~” her voice whispers in the sweetest tone right in my ear. Her voice is sometimes addicting, no matter what she says. It’s so nice to hear those words simply because Sunset is the star in my life, but for some reason, her voice stirs my nerves more, making me feel warmer. I swear the temperature went up… Didn’t it…? Regardless, I hesitantly move my hands back to her thighs, feeling Sunset’s hand rest on my shoulder as her other hand is busy keeping me blindfolded. Moving my hands upward, I finally feel some fabric around her thighs. It’s a really soft and sleek material, feeling like a waterproof shirt or something made from similar fabric. Is… is this…? Tracing my fingers along the fabric, I feel her skin once more right above her hips, making me feel all the more nervous. Is she wearing… a swimsuit…? This piece of clothing she has on is only covering such a small area not unlike a person’s underwear, but it feels like a strange material to be made out of if it is just that. Slowly, I lick my dry lips to try and keep them from sticking together as I take my hands off the person I love. “I… think I can guess now,” I state in a nervous whisper, Sunset simply chuckling as a response. “No, no~ You can’t guess yet~ You haven’t felt the rest of me,” her warm words reassure me as she guides my hand back to her hip. Without hesitation, Sunset’s lips press against my forehead again, telling me it’s alright. Honestly, I feel a little worried what may happen if I feel more of her, considering how nervous my body feels right now. My back feels like it’s on fire and my neck tingles from the sensations. I can’t stop my lips from drying up every few seconds and I'm not sure why. Nonetheless, I slowly move my hands up, feeling her soft sides and her firm stomach. All of her body feels soft and soothing to the touch. I don’t know how she can be so perfect, both in and out… She’s so perfect and I love her more than anything in this world… What is this desire I feel to just hug her and never let go? To tell her how much I love her and to kiss those perfect lips once more… Even her ribs feel perfectly formed… Once again, there’s that same fabric, right below where her chest is, snapping me out of my thought process. Tracing the fabric, I feel it go all the way around her back. This piece of clothing has a zipper in the back and it feels like it goes all the way up to her neck, while covering most of her shoulder blades. Hesitantly, I take my hands off of Sunset, licking my lips again and trying to compose myself. “Are you… wearing a swimsuit?” I ask slowly, unsure of what her reaction is to my question. Slowly, Sunset’s body shifts off of mine, her mouth coming close to my ear and whispering, “Correct~” Finally, Sunset takes her hand away from my eyes, letting me see once more. And… she looks even better than I expected. ======================================================= Strawberries are odd foods. In some ways, they taste sweet, but at other points, they can taste kind of tart. I suppose it all depends on how they’re prepared. For instance, strawberry milkshakes are pretty sweet and taste pretty nice. I haven’t actually tried many strawberry flavored things in my life, but that’s mostly because I haven’t tried most foods in general. I didn’t really need to when I had my powers, but now I sort of need to eat. The most ironic part is that as soon as I needed to eat food to survive, I didn’t have the money to buy the best foods of the world. Hell, I still don’t have a lot of money. I only get a little money each month that’s spare from the expenses of food and bills. I agreed to pay half of the bills for our apartment when I moved in with Sunset, so I usually need to save for a few weeks if I want to buy something nice. Unfortunately, I needed to save for a month and a half to get enough money to buy that jacket for Sunset. Then again, I would say it’s worth it. Just to see the smile Sunset will have on her face will be… priceless. Taking another sip of my strawberry milkshake, I savor the taste in my mouth, enjoying this time I get to spend with Sunset. She and I decided to get ourselves a treat before we leave the mall, but surprisingly, Sunset picked a mint chocolate chip milkshake. I always thought she preferred straight chocolate, rather than having it mixed with something else. Given how many times she’s had chocolate syrup with her ice cream, I was under that impression for a while now, but I suppose I still have new things to learn about Sunset. Looking over to her, I see her sip the straw from her cup with a smile, the light slightly reflecting off her hair. She looks just as priceless as ever and I can’t adequately describe just how much she means to me. Even now, I feel so close to her and I’m just glad to have her in my life. Actually, I don’t feel close enough to her… Wrapping my arm around her, I pull our bodies closer together, leaning my head on her shoulder with a happy sigh leaving my lips. Sunset giggles in surprise, almost choking on her milkshake in the process. “Playful, are we?” she asks after composing herself, clearing her throat in a moment. “Well, you’re either playful or clingy~” “What’s wrong with both?~” I ask her in a coy tone. A small chuckle is all Sunset lets out in response, holding me close as well. A small part of me feels bad that we have to leave the mall, given how fun it’s been shopping with her here. I suppose it would be nice to just be able to take in this moment longer. To be with her for just- Sunset’s hand lets go of me quickly as she walks ahead of us, a gasp leaving her lips as she looks into a store. The store in question is an arcade with a more modernized style, bright lights, sounds and games, but there are still some classics towards the back of the store, like Pac-Pony or Diamond Dogs. The more surprising fact is that Sunset herself is focused on something in the store, though I’m not sure what. “What are you looking at?” I ask her with a puzzled expression, walking up beside her to try and discern what game has caught her attention. “I didn’t know they had Equestrian Dance Party~” Sunset says fondly, looking at a dancing game that is closer to the front of the arcade, a couple of middle school children trying to press the buttons on the floor as fast as they can. “What’s Equestrian Dance Party…?” I ask like a complete idiot, unaware of what arcade games are ‘good’ and which are ‘bad.’ Given, this idiot needs to know this piece of information, so I guess it’s okay to ask, right? “It’s this really fun game that Pinkie Pie introduced me to a long time ago~ My friends and I used to play it a lot, but then we got busy and the store we went to play it removed the game. I’m not sure why.” Sunset’s face reflects a melancholy feeling, a sad smile displayed for what feels like an eternity. It isn’t nice to see Sunset hurt or feeling some sort of discomfort like sadness… I love making her happy instead of seeing this. Pressing my shoulder against hers, I take a sip of my frozen drink, putting my other hand on my hip. “That doesn’t explain to me why those kids are stomping the buttons on the ground,” I say in a slightly interested tone while feigning ignorance. Truth is, I can already piece together why the kids were doing this, but I figure Sunset would enjoy teaching me this game while playing it. Slowly, I wrap my arm around her waist and walk toward the arcade, pulling her along. Instantly, a flustered expression comes across Sunset, a blush making her already orange skin turn into a lighter tone of orange with tints of pink. “W-well, they’re pressing the buttons to dance in rhythm with the game. If you press them accurately and on time, you gain points. The person with the most points wins,” Sunset lets out, trying to hide her blush. Walking up to the game, I put us right in front of the game’s dance pads, clearly being next in line to play while I search my bag for some change. “W-what are we doing here?” Sunset asks quietly, looking around the arcade. “We’re going to play and you’re going to teach me,” I state in a teasing tone, finally finding ten dollars from my bag. “B-but um… Adagio, we’re kind of old to be in an arcade… I mean, maybe if we were in high school, but now? I’m in college and all,” she states apprehensively, clearly conflicted on the idea. “Shimmer. Are you scared I might beat you~?” I tease her as a response. “My, I didn’t know THE Sunset Shimmer backs down from challenges. I had a different impression of you~ I suppose I could just learn from someone else.” Sunset’s expression turns into one of surprise as she reacts to my statement, unsure of what to say next. “Do you… really want to play with me?” Sunset asks in a hesitant tone again. Her cute flustered face clearly tells me of her unsure feelings, wanting to play the game, but not wanting to be seen as weird. Every time she’s like this, it makes me want to kiss her even more, just to reassure her that I’m here. Putting my hand on my hip, I lean in close to her ear, kissing her cheek in the process and letting it linger for a couple moments. “Oh, I definitely want to~” My tease causes Sunset to blush even more before I hand her my milkshake, patting her shoulder. “Hold this for me~ I’ll be back~” Sunset’s mouth opens to object, but I quickly stop her by putting my finger on her lips, shaking my head. I don’t attempt to say another word before walking away from Sunset, chuckling to myself. Hopefully, ten dollars is enough to be able to play that game, even if I end up losing. Walking towards the counter, I see tons of prizes that kids could earn with enough tickets, but most of them are the cheap toys that would break in two minutes. Though, some of them are actually some nice quality items, requiring a lot of tickets. One such thing that catches my eye is a pair of wristbands with spikes on them. Honestly, it reminds me of something Aria would wear… Shaking my head, I look up to the cashier at the counter. The girl in the arcade uniform is leaning over in her chair with her feet kicked up on the counter and her ball cap pulled over her eyes, seemingly asleep from a lack of business. “Um…” Honestly, I’m unsure of what to do exactly in this situation… I don’t want to be rude to the girl, but I would also like to get the transaction over with, regardless of who she is. Though, I definitely understand the need for a power nap during work. I especially needed those in-between performances back at the nightclub… “Trixie! Get back to work!” an intercom voice states within the arcade, instantly surprising both the girl behind the counter and me. Her body jumps slightly, pushing herself back from the counter before catching her hat from falling off her head. “Um! Welcome to Cosmos Arcade! I’m Trixie and we can sell you hours of fun!” she instantly states as if it is rehearsed before straightening her hat, a worried expression written across her face. Honestly, the blue girl seems a bit familiar to me, but I’m unable to place exactly where I’ve met her before. “What can the great and powerful Trixie do for you tod-” Her voice unceremoniously cuts off as her eyes connect with mine, her smile disappearing with a look of recognition replacing it. I guess we have met before… Probably back at that damned school. I guess I can’t help but feel the urge to vomit when I think about how evil I was… And how many people I hurt. “A-Adagio Dazzle?” she asks in surprise, stepping back slightly to the sight of me. “What are you of all people doing here?” For a moment, her snarky tone annoys me a bit, but I can’t really blame her for any hostility that she shows. It’s understandable after everything I’ve done. Sighing quietly, I look back up to her and place the ten dollars on the counter. “I’m here to play a game, that’s all,” I state quietly with as much of a peaceful tone as I can muster. Trixie surprises me quickly with a loud scoff leaving her lips, her hands moving to her hips. “You expect me to believe that? You took me for a fool back at Canterlot High. I deserved more respect since I am the greatest and powerfulest of all time.” Once again a smirk comes across her face, seemingly happy in her own title before looking back at me. “What scheme do you have this time? Because I will not be a part of it. Besides, I probably have a better one anyway,” Trixie states, feigning an indifferent tone as she tries to pretend she’s the most powerful of all, yet I doubt she can throw an adequately good punch. Honestly, a part of me wants to strike her myself for the comment, but another part of me knows that what she said isn’t necessarily a lie… I was always known to lie due to… yeah. Still, I guess it hurts to have that past haunt my every action. Damn it… Regardless, I have to keep going through each day I can, no matter what others think. Right…? “What’s wrong? You look like someone killed your pet dog,” Trixie says in a slightly annoyed tone as she crosses her arms. Has she always been like this or did I ignore it back then? “I mean, I’m the one who’s supposed to be laughing at the fact you’re even here, but you’re making that difficult.” “Just tell me the prices already,” I state in an equally annoyed tone, trying to avoid eye contact from the blue girl. “I can’t believe you of all people would want to play a game,” she mutters under her breath, finally typing something up on the monitor. “Seriously though, where is that bully attitude you had?” Her tease is clearly meant to get on my nerves even more, grinding on my mind. I could try to justify it by saying I deserve this hostility, but it still gets on my nerves… I was horrible before, but the only way to change that image is to show I’ve changed… It’s just my damn anger issues that make it so hard to do that. “Okay, so you can either buy individual game passes or a day pass,” Trixie speaks up in a more tired tone than before. She was probably hoping for some reaction out of me… As long as I can be better than I was before, then I can maybe deserve better treatment in the future. From everybody. Just be the best person you can be, Adagio… “What does the day pass entail?” I ask as politely as I can, finally making eye contact with her once more. Trixie looks surprised for a moment, but she instantly types something into the monitor with a sigh. “It’s by far the most popular option, allowing you to have access to unlimited tries on any of the games in the arcade, but it costs twice as much as that,” the blue girl states as she points down at the ten dollar bill with a smirk written across her face. “Twice as much?” That is… pretty steep… I don’t have twenty dollars on me for just one day pass… But I suppose I could put it on my credit card? It wouldn’t take that long to pay back if I use my paycheck well. Looking over at Sunset, I can’t help but feel myself smile, seeing her happy nature as she watches the different arcade games around her, despite the fact that she was worried about being too old just a moment ago. Would it really be that bad to indulge in this moment a while longer…? Just a couple more hours. Just a few more hours of seeing that bright smile and wonder in her eyes. I won’t go into debt over this as long as I make sure to pay it back by Friday. Just a while longer wouldn’t hurt. Taking my card out of my bag, I slide it across the counter with a smile, nodding slightly. “Yeah, I’d like two of the day pass.” Trixie’s eyes widen slightly to my statement, but no snarky remark seems to come from her. Slowly, she swipes my card and confirms with the monitor before reaching behind her to a rack of lanyards. Plastic cards were attached to the lanyards with big letters spelling out ‘day pass’ in big electric letters, making it seem appealing due to its colorful format. Her hand slowly hands over two of the lanyards and my card before giving me a thumbs up. “Have fun,” is all she says in a quiet voice as she sits down again, pulling her hat down to avoid the light. I’ll try to. Well, no… I will have fun. As long as Sunset is genuinely enjoying the experience, it will make the whole experience that much better. I just have to try and get the taste of this sour meeting out of my mouth for a bit… Thankfully, a strawberry milkshake should help with that a lot actually. Shaking my head lightly, I quickly walk away from the counter, looking towards the dance arcade game where Sunset is still patiently waiting, but now her eyes are trained on me with a frown written across her face. Seeing her frown makes my own feelings of anxiety and sadness hit against the walls of my mind. I don’t want her to frown today. I want her to smile. I just want a little more time with that smile of hers. “Hey, is everything alright? You didn’t seem to have a good time at the counter,” Sunset slowly says, her concerned eyes trying to pierce my soul again. She’s always pretty good at determining when I feel bad, yet another quality I admire about her. But today is going to be a good day for us. It’s been way too long since we've had a fulfilling day like today. Taking the strawberry milkshake from her hand, I simply smirk before laying a kiss upon her cheek. “Of course I’m alright~ I was just thinking about how else I can spoil you today~” I tease her in a defiant voice, taking her hand in mine. “Just make sure you wear this.” Handing her the lanyard, I smile a bit, raising my eyebrow a little. Honestly, a part of me thinks about teasing her even more with some joke about having my name around her neck instead, but I decide against it as I notice the kids who were using the game finally leave the dance pads. “Oh, looks like it’s our turn, Summer Mist~” I state with a wink, pulling her with me towards the game. Sunset’s cheeks instantly flush a pink color, her sheepish smile controlling her face. “You’re sure you want to do this…?” Sunset asks as she steps up on the pad, looking at the game’s monitor before locking our eyes once more. “Where’s that confidence you had just an hour ago?” I ask her before playfully pushing her shoulder, setting my milkshake on a cupholder off to the side of the game. “Come on~ Show me those moves, Shimmer~” ====================================== “Aw, what’s wrong, Adagio~?” Sunset asks me as I look at this infuriating game. Slamming the mallet down on the hole in the surface in front of me, I can’t help but growl under my breath. “Who’s idea was it to make these fucking moles so damn hard to hit?!” My statement just makes Sunset giggle more as she sips on her shake, watching me try to hit the damn robotic moles. They could have at least made it on a curve, making the first few easy to hit rather than this. As soon as you start up the game, the little bastards tease you just enough and then disappear into the darkness once more. The brown moles just keep peeking out enough to imprint their stupid cheeky grins in your mind before they’re gone again, making you look stupid as you hit an empty hole. The game’s buzzer rings, interrupting my thought process. “God damn it… How much did I get?” I ask out loud, even though I’m talking to myself more than Sunset. Looking up at the scoreboard, my mouth drops open almost as quick as Sunset giggles to the score. “Zero?! I swear I hit at least ONE of those little shits!” I almost yell, feeling my anger build up inside my mind. I could have sworn I hit one. They must be cheating me, right? “Aw, chill out, Adagio~ It’s just a game~” Sunset tries to reassure me by hugging me from the side, a grimace still written on my face becoming a little less strict. “Just a game? Those stupid things embarrassed me…” Shaking my head, a sigh leaves my mouth slowly, my eyes connecting with the mallet. “I could do it. I can hit them with one more try.” “You said that the last two times~” Sunset laughs, pulling me away from the machine. “Come on, we can find some game you’re good at~ Just because you lost at the dance game and Whack-A-Mole doesn’t mean you will suck at the rest of these games.” “It doesn’t mean I’ll suck. It means I’ll fail so miserably that even my ancestors will be embarrassed.” Then again… I don’t think my ancestors matter much anymore. I never really cared about who they were or what they would say about the choices I make. For all I care, they were weak sirens. Sonata, Aria and I were the only strong ones. Strong enough to have it all. But we were too weak to avoid being banished here. “But I won’t be embarrassed of you~” Sunset cheekily teases me, kissing my cheek with her soft lips again. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll win at something. You just have to believe in yourself~” A thoughtful expression comes to her, locking her eyes with something ahead of us, but the exact thing that’s caught her attention is still unknown to me since there are dozens of games in this arcade. “What about a racing game?” she cheerfully hums, looking back to me with her usual warm smile, never failing to bring me a bit of happiness. “Racing…?” Looking ahead of us, my curiosity is piqued, seeing a game with a singular motorcycle ride with a monitor right in front of it. “I’ve never… ridden a motorcycle before,” the words slowly fall from my lips, thinking about the possible defeat I’d suffer again, despite the fact that it seems to be a one player game. “Aw, come on~ I’m sure you’ll do great~” Sunset’s enthusiasm isn’t shared by me but seeing that smile of hers always has a way to convince me to do anything. “Besides, if you win, I’ll let you be the little spoon tonight~” Sunset states with a cheeky smile and raised eyebrow, challenging me to make my move. Now that’s just playing dirty… I mean, I enjoy being both the little and big spoon, so it’s not that big of a deal, but cuddling as a reward for winning a game? Why does she have to be so beautiful, yet sadistic? “Okay, you’re on~” =============================================== The air outside is much colder than the air that I’ve been accustomed to during the summer days. It always causes me to shiver ever so slightly, sometimes making the long walks home depressing. Although, on this occasion, it’s different. This time, I get to hold Sunset’s hand all the way there, despite the long and often dull paths through the city I’ve taken dozens of times. Now, every second is just another peaceful moment with her, another second that I get to smile with Sunset by my side. It’s all thanks to her that I get to have this peaceful and happy life. It’s thanks to her kindness that I’ve gotten friends in the first place. I really do owe her a big deal~ Even if we’re not talking, just spending time with her is enough to make me feel better from all the troubles in my life. “As promised, you get to be the little spoon tonight~” Sunset states in that same teasing tone, slightly sticking her tongue out at me. “I mean, I told you that you could be the little spoon if you won, but you didn’t have to win that hard~ The bots in that game must have felt really bad~” A laugh comes from her mouth before she rests her head on my shoulder, squeezing my hand a little tighter. Her happy sigh warms my heart a little more, “You said I would find a game I would be good at and now you’re telling me I shouldn’t have flexed my stuff~?” I laugh, nudging her with my hip. “I even found a second game I’m good at with that game called air tackey~” “Honey, it’s called air hockey~” Sunset barely states through her laugh. “You’re so cute~” Once again, my cheeks flush, embarrassed by my stupid mistake. “Eh, it’s not so cute when you’re the one who made the mistake,” I groan, trying to hide my face behind my scarf. My… scarf… Yeah… “Well, it’s still cute~” Sunset’s hand reaches up to my cheek and rubs slightly with her thumb, her warm expression still there as always. “You’re… beautiful, Adagio~” Sunset’s words slowly flow out of her mouth, a longing look still in her eyes. Why does she always have to fluster me so easily? She’s so good at making me smile uncontrollably, despite my mind expecting this by now. I mean, every kiss of hers still lights my heart ablaze and makes me wish for it to last an eternity more. But before I can reply to her statement, something catches my eye. Nearing our apartment, something looks… different… What the… “Sunset… did you leave our window open…?”
A Safe PlaceAuthor's Note Life is full of complications... But can they be fixed? DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a good day today! I just finished chapter 11 of this story and I figured I would go ahead and upload it now! I have a lot of ideas and originally, this was only going to be half of the chapter, but I felt bad for the almost month long break~ I'm almost done with finals now! Yay~! So, hopefully I can push out more updates on a fairly regular basis~ This chapter was a hard one to write with all the finals happening recently, but I definitely had a good time writing this~ Hopefully, you will have a good time reading this too! Maybe you will save it for a bedtime story or such~ Who knows? Before I sign off, I just want to say that you're always welcome to comment your thoughts of the story so far and I always appreciate hearing peoples' criticisms or kind comments~ I want to give a BIG thank you to my friend, Mon668, for reviewing this chapter and helping me make this story as great as it can be~ Have a good day, everyone~! A Safe Place Chapter XI: A Safe Place The sound of the door slamming open is all I can hear as Sunset runs ahead of me, right inside of our apartment. The dark night outside almost seems brighter than the pitch black room Sunset just ran into. My hand instantly reaches inside to flick the light switch, but no light emits from the room, my heart racing. “Sunset?” I call out for her, slowly walking into the living room. My body jumps slightly as the sound of glass being crushed under my foot echoes in the room. “Sunset? Come here now,” I state as loudly as I can, still unsure where I am exactly in the living room. Why the fuck is there broken glass on the floor…? The only way I can move through the room is slowly shifting my feet, not wanting to run straight into a wall or piece of furniture. Without realizing it, my hand had already grabbed the revolver from my bag, holding it close to my thigh. It’s scary to think that I’ve become so used to this damned weapon that I instinctively pull it out now, but the real thing causing my heart to pound was not knowing where Sunset is. For a moment, I hear movement from down the hall, careful footsteps walking towards me. The hall’s light came on as Sunset stood next to the closet, her hand still on the light switch. Her tear-stained eyes widen at the sight of the revolver in my hand, but it doesn’t last long as she looks around the living room. My eyes are finally able to see the environment around me, looking at the shining shards of glass all across the carpet from a smashed coffee table. The TV that we had wasn’t anywhere to be seen as well as the box filled with Sunset’s movie collection. I finally realize just how many tears of my own have been shed, wiping them away instantly to try and stay concentrated. Everything feels so surreal. This can’t be happening… Not to us. Not here. Not now. We had such a wonderful day and this happens…? What did I do to deserve this…? The kitchen is still shrouded in darkness, so I’m not even sure what is destroyed or missing in there. I haven’t gone inside our bedroom, but judging from Sunset’s own reaction, I’m not sure I want to know… “It’s gone…” A faint whisper comes from Sunset’s lips as she looks towards the ground. “The small amount of jewelry I owned is gone… My guitar is gone… Even my textbooks are gone.” A quiet sob is all I can hear after her statement, Sunset leaning against the wall of the hallway with no will to open her eyes. Why did this have to happen…? I don’t fucking care what is robbed from me. Take my own stuff, I wouldn’t give a damn… What hurts the most is when someone robs Sunset of her smile, especially when I worked so hard to put it there in the first place. Sunset and I haven’t had a lot of time together in general, so today was special… And all it took was one act of cruelty to take everything away… Slowly, Sunset’s hand moves up to her eyes to hide her tears, walking across the carpet towards me. She desperately tries to hold back her tears and remain strong like she always does, but her walls are too thin this time. Within a moment, Sunset embraces me in a hug, crying on my shoulder as she lets herself go, only for me to hold her tightly against me. Not a sound can be heard other than us… Sunset’s body shakes with every sob she lets out, breaking my heart even more… Why does this have to happen to her of all people…? She’s the least deserving person to be hurt in such a way. I can feel my grip tighten around the revolver’s handle, but it’s hard to care when someone close to you is hurting so much… “How long have you had that guitar?” Sunset’s cries become a little stronger for a moment, her arms tightly holding onto me for some sort of support. Her fingers grip onto the jacket I have on and she tries to force each cry down, only making it choke her or come out stronger than before. “Ever since the battle of the bands or before, right?” Slowly, my hand reaches up and gently rubs the back of her head. “It must have meant a lot…” Once again, I can feel that all too familiar fire inside me. Not the heat of love, but one I haven’t felt in a while. At least, with this intensity… The roaring flame of anger within me that I haven’t felt ever since Sunset and I became friends… This anger inside me once again rears its ugly head, despite how hard I’ve tried to hide it. It doesn’t matter if they screw me over… But if they hurt my summer mist, someone will have hell to pay. She doesn’t deserve this… This scorching hate that I promised to never let out again is freed once more. Tightening my grip around my revolver, I kiss Sunset’s cheek as gently as I can. “It’s alright though. I promise. I know a thing or two about how these sorts of people operate and I can get our stuff back.” As soon as my statement hits her ears, Sunset’s crying halts slightly, her body holding onto mine even tighter. For a moment, nothing but our breathing is shared between the two of us. “I promise, Sunset. I’ll protect you. We will change the locks and I’ll even put some cameras up. And I can get our stuff back.” Running my fingers through her hair, I kiss her cheek once more, rocking our bodies ever so slightly. How many bullets do I have in this gun again…? Two? “I’m supposed to protect you as well,” Sunset’s weak voice lets out, slowly breathing in and out to try and clear her system of her previous sobs. “You mean everything to me… And I let this happen to us…” “No, you didn’t let this happen. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I interrupt her, bringing her face in front of mine to make eye contact with her. “You’re amazing and strong and so determined to do what’s right~ You mean the world to me~ Please don’t blame yourself~” That pain in her eyes finally seems to be lifted a bit as she tries to wipe her face of her tears, nodding a little to my statement. “Y-you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just… I can’t believe this happened today…” For a moment, she looks away from me, towards the broken glass on the floor. “You’re so strong too, Adagio. I just hope I am here for you as much as you’re here for me.” “Of course you are~ You’re always helping me feel better, Sunset~” Bringing my lips to hers, I kiss her as gently as if she was a puppy or something else fragile. All the while, that fire of anger still resides inside me. “Hold on for a moment. I need to check something,” I tell her with a smile as I let her go, walking to my left towards the pitch black kitchen. My hand reaches over to the light switch momentarily, hesitating in fear of what mess I might see… Or the lack of certain items. Nonetheless, I turn on the lights instantly, my eyes widening at the sight of the microwave’s door broken off, glass dishes left in shards on the floor with only the expensive ones being missing. I hear Sunset’s footsteps walk up behind me, but the only thing I can think about is the present… The one I had spent so long wishing I could buy for her… Quickly, I walk over to the lower cabinet beside the fridge, looking inside and feeling behind the damned cleaning supplies. All the while, Sunset’s face dropped even more upon seeing the inside of the kitchen. “What are you doing?” Sunset asks in a quiet voice, a melancholy look to her as she inspects the counter. My fingers touch something sleek and my eyes widen, quickly reaching in and grabbing the box. I know I hid it well, but I can’t believe it’s still here. Pulling out the wrapped gift, I can’t help but hug it with a slight smile on my lips. At least this is still here… When I open my eyes, I see that Sunset is looking down at me with confusion, sadness still written across her face. “Sorry, um…” Standing up slowly, I look into Sunset’s eyes and back down to the box again, unsure of what I should say. “We should call the police soon, but I just wanted to make sure this was still here.” Handing her the box, Sunset takes it with a surprised look on her face, her eyes looking back up to me. “It’s supposed to be a gift for your birthday, but I think it would be better if you opened it now. Maybe it will help you feel better until we can get our stuff back.” Sunset’s hand slowly traces the edges of the box, admiring the wrapping paper before a small sigh leaves her lips. “You’re pretty confident you can get our stuff back… Why is that?” Bringing my hand to Sunset’s cheek, I try my best to smile, knowing I can’t admit the real reason why I feel confident. In all my experience, I know how these people operate… I know what happens to the stuff that isn’t that valuable but still worth a pretty buck. I was so tempted to slip into this lifestyle not so long ago… The fact of the matter is that I have personal ties with the person who’s usually behind all of this. That’s why I know I can get our things back… “I just have experience with these people. The people who steal from others. So, I’m pretty sure I know where I can find your movies, your guitar and everything else.” Sunset’s eyes show concern in them for a moment, her mouth opening to say something to me, but she holds it back and opts to just look down at the gift again. Her finger pokes a hole in the wrapping paper and pulls it back, ripping it across the top. The cardboard box I had lazily thrown the coat in is finally revealed, small pieces of tape holding the box closed. Expertly, Sunset’s finger flicks each piece of tape and undoes the packaging, the top popping open a little. Placing the box on the counter, Sunset places the wrapping paper in the trash can that was thankfully left standing. Her hands gently open the box further, her eyes peering inside. Her expression instantly turns to one of surprise as she pulls out the red jacket, inspecting the flames on it in detail. Her hand runs over the soft and sleek surface and feels the warm interior of it. Her eyes close with a smile on her face as she brings the coat closer to her, hugging the material. My mind begins to worry again as I see tears start to stream down her face, her sniffles becoming audible again. Once again, Sunset turns to me, placing the coat on the counter and hugging me quickly, holding onto me as tightly as she can. “T-thank you, Adagio…” Her voice becomes weak, gently letting her tears fall on my shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her, I can’t help but wish that I could take all this pain away from her. I swear I’ll make this right somehow… ============================================ The sound of a doorbell can be heard faintly from outside among the sounds of crickets and the wind. Despite the kiss of cold air on my cheek, I didn’t feel that uncomfortable. If anything, I’ve been keeping myself warm with my own thoughts… Either about Sunset or the anger in my soul. I already have a lot on my plate this week, trying to make amends with every one of Sunset’s friends while preparing for the Apple Family reunion. Now, I have to find our stuff… And resist the urge to hunt down whoever hurt Sunset like this. The first order of business is to get a place to sleep first… Even though we’re going to replace the locks in our apartment, Sunset and I still feel unsafe sleeping in our apartment tonight… In fact, the cops told us it would be a good idea to find a different place to stay for a couple nights. I just wish I didn’t have to come here… Everything’s sorta been awkward since yesterday between her and I, so it is weird to contact her and ask if Sunset and I could crash at her place… Although, I’m surprised that she lives in a house. The house Sunset and I find ourselves in front of is a modest little home with a fence surrounding the backyard and a decent-sized porch. It is the spitting image of a middle-class household, everything from a garden to a mailbox still present. These sorts of luxuries wouldn’t have been around in the neighborhood my old apartment complex was near… A surprising part of the house is the decor on the porch beams and even the mailbox. Rainbows were overly present, making it look like someone is really proud of their sexuality. I mean, they’re probably not here to show someone’s pride, given the person who lives here, but still. It was a little… inspiring. A fun little showcase of colors despite the night’s horrible events… Rainbow Dash has a nice way of decorating I suppose. Sunset’s head turns to me, breaking me from my thoughts. “Do you think she’s still awake…?” Sunset asks me with a look of worry in her eyes, her gaze returning to the front door momentarily. “She should be. She said she would wait for us when we talked on the phone,” I say in a gentle tone, trying to not worry her further. The truth is that there’s still a clear tension between Rainbow and I… She was hesitant to accept my calls and the tone in her voice wasn’t that excited to hear from me. I just hope she is willing to talk to me… As much as our conversation hurt yesterday, I do value Rainbow Dash as a friend. Slowly, the door opens and reveals a rainbow-haired girl as the light spills out onto the front porch. Rainbow Dash has her pajamas on, which are decorated with cute little Daring Do characters and doodles on them. “Hey, guys,” Rainbow’s familiar raspy voice lets out quietly, ushering us inside with her hand. “Try to be quiet, okay? My parents are still asleep.” From here, we’re faced with a small hallway that leads into a living room with two doors to the sides. One of the rooms is an office space and the other seems to be a storage closet. Sunset quietly walks down the hallway, carrying a small bag of things she gathered from our apartment. Mostly, she just grabbed essentials that we would need if we were staying somewhere else. Thankfully, everything I would need can fit inside my own bag, just being the few spare outfits we bought today and a small box of my possessions. There’s not much inside other than a few old postcards, a hair band and… that… “Thank you for taking us in, Rainbow. It really means a lot,” I quietly say, locking my eyes with hers for the first time in what feels like forever. Rainbow’s eyes roll slightly to my statement, briefly brushing past me and walking into the living room. “The guest bedroom is by the kitchen. You also have your own bathroom, so be nice and share,” Rainbow states as she points to the left of the living room, leading down a hallway with an entrance to the kitchen on one side and a closed door to the left. “My room is upstairs, two doors down on the right side. If you need anything, tell me and I’ll be here,” Rainbow says quietly, still avoiding eye contact with me. “And for the love of god, please don’t buck on the bed. I don’t want to have to clean that up.” Instantly, a blush comes across all three of our faces, Rainbow’s probably caused by her mix up with the swear rather than the content of her actual sentence. “Damn it, Applejack,” Rainbow Dash mutters under her breath. “U-um… Don’t worry. We won’t ‘buck’ in your guest bed,” Sunset is barely able to reply, her blush making her cheeks a bright red, her eyes darting around the room for something to look at. I don’t quite know what to say either, unsure whether I should comment about her mispronounced swear or the insinuated time Sunset and I would share together in her guest bedroom. Sunset and I haven’t slept together yet actually… And I highly doubt we would do that here of all places. I’m not even sure when we will. If we will…? I… don’t know what to do in that situation… It sounds fucking pathetic of me, the leader of the sirens who used seduction and power over others to climb my way to the top. Isn’t it expected of someone like me to be… experienced? No, Adagio… You’re being self-destructive again, just calm down. It’s alright… Taking a deep breath, I nod, walking down the hallway and towards the doorway opposite of the kitchen. Sunset briefly exchanges a thank you with Rainbow Dash and a hug before she walks up behind me just as I open the door. The guest bedroom isn’t technically that big, but it’s spacious enough to give us some space to stretch our legs if we need to. There aren’t many decorations on the blue walls, the room mainly consisting of a bed, a couple dressers and chairs. One of the chairs has a foot rest with it and a small table next to it with a lamp resting on top. Honestly, the corner looks like a cute little resting place, warm and cozy despite the colder air outside the house. Sunset slowly closes the door behind us, a sigh exiting her mouth as she sits down on the chair and props her feet up. A small chuckle is all she lets out for a bit, dropping her bag to the floor. “Well, I’m glad we got a place to sleep~” Sunset tries to say with a smile even though her cheerful demeanor wasn’t convincing at all. “Although, I’m not sure I will be able to sleep after tonight…” Her expression instantly changes to one of doubt, her eyes avoiding mine and opting to look at her boots instead. With a groan, she slowly leans forward and pulls off her boots, finally letting herself rest afterward. “I’m sure we can find some way to sleep. Or at least rest, as long as we’re with each other.” Resting my bag on the floor next to the bed, I walk over to the second chair and pull it over next to Sunset, facing her. Even though tonight has been a bad one, I don’t plan to end it off without trying to help the love of my life feel a little bit better. “It’s been a scary night. It doesn’t help that we’ve had a stressful life recently.” Sunset’s eyes connect with mine for a moment, a giggle escaping her as she slumps in her seat. “You could say that again~” Her lips purse and a pouty look overcomes her, noticing my more glum look. “I don’t mean to be so busy with my internship, you know… I want to spend time with you and my friends. I guess that’s why I tried so hard to make today meaningful, you know?” Her eyes avert mine and opt to look at the lamp shade, resting her head on her hand. “I tried to make today a good one too. But… I think we were still able to have some special moments together, you know?” Despite the silence between us, it still feels like both of us could share an understanding, knowing how we both feel. Body language is sometimes enough to tell someone what you’re feeling and in this moment, I can tell Sunset feels conflicted. “Do you want to talk about it?” “Hmm? Talk about what?” she asks me, returning her eyes to my own. “Don’t play dumb with me, Shimmer,” I try to reply in a soft and caring voice, despite my use of her formal name. Gently, I lean over and pull Sunset’s socks off her feet with a questioning look coming from her. “Um… What are you-” “Answer my question,” I state quietly, grabbing one of her feet as gently as I can and pressing my fingers down. “Do you want to talk about it?” Sunset has been working so hard recently, not giving herself a second to sit and rest unless she’s with me. Even in those instances, she doesn’t complain about her studies or about any pain she may be in. Not once. Honestly, it’s not surprising that Sunset’s feet are really tense. I would bet her shoulders are also pretty tense too, but I can only focus on one thing at a time. The troubles with mortality. Slowly, I press my fingers down and start to rub, keeping my eye contact with Sunset. “Adagio. You don’t have to do this. It’s nice and all, but I will be alright, really.” “Did I say I ‘have’ to? What if I want to?” A smile comes to my face when I see a look of relaxation come to Sunset’s face clearly enjoying the sensation of her tension being evaporated. I guess it naturally makes me happy to be able to take away some of the pain Sunset has been dealing with, which is ironic coming from a siren… Well, former siren. Sunset was my enemy. I would have hated the thought of doing this back then, but now, it’s nice to be here for her when she needs me. “It… does feel nice,” Sunset replies as if she was talking to herself more than me. Her eyes connect with mine once more, a guilty expression taking over her for letting herself take advantage of my offer. “Thank you, Adagio. It… really does help with the pain.” “You don’t have to thank me, Summer Mist~” Winking to her, I scoot closer in my seat to get a better grip, Sunset smiling at the feeling. “It’s just… I don’t know,” Sunset states quietly, once again averting her gaze. “You can talk to me, Sunset. I promise.” Pressing my fingers against her sole slowly, Sunset relaxes her brow and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I want to be here for you, Adagio… But I also feel like I’m failing you by taking so much time to prioritize my internship and my studies. You know?” Her face shows just how much guilt she’s been feeling recently due to the stress. “Go on~” I whisper with a smile, nodding to her statement. “It’s just been… a lot. I love you so much, Adagio. I just have a hard time showing it these days. I’m sorry.” A part of me stings when I hear that. I don’t want her to be stressing over these small details. I mean, it’s true that it’s been hard, not being around her as often as I would like, but I know that we’re both trying our best. Sunset will have more free time soon, so I suppose it’s just a waiting game. “I know how that sounds, but I usually try to show you how I feel. It’s just been a lot lately and all I wanted was for us to have a good day together again. Then maybe we could try to talk to my friends more and all.” Her eyes slowly connect with mine again to see my reaction to her baring her soul. “Well, for what it matters, I think we had a good day, despite what happened tonight~” Rubbing a little harder, I break our eye contact to make sure I won’t hurt her. “It all depends on… perspective. I mean, look at it from my shoes.” Taking a deep breath, I look back into Sunset’s eyes, reminding me of the ocean ever so slightly. “Just half a year ago, I was hell bent on finding power in this ‘useless’ world again. I couldn’t see past the agony that life was and centered my focus on every bad thing that happened to me.” A sigh escapes my lips as I can’t help but frown at the memories from that time. Despite how much life has changed, the memory of that… night… It still shakes me. I don’t even know why I still have that damn gun… “Being robbed was unfortunate, yeah, but let’s look at it from a different angle. No one got hurt and we’re both safe together~ Comparatively, I would rather have you safe here than for something worse to happen. You’re… my everything.” By the time I look at Sunset again, the tears on her cheeks come into focus and I instantly feel my heart sink again. Why is she crying…? Did I say something wrong…? “That is… so sweet, Adagio~” she weakly states, trying to withhold her emotions as much as she can. Sunset is always so emotional, but I can’t quite blame her. It’s cute that she gets this way. It allows me to see her beautiful smile a second more and I will always treasure that opportunity. Before I can say anything, Sunset slowly wipes the tears from her eyes, giggling to herself and smiling widely at what I had said, despite the fact that I don’t think it was that sweet. “You’re right. It’s much better to have my Alligator with me, safe and sound, rather than the alternative~ And even though it’s been hard recently, at least we’re trying to fix things.” A bright smile takes the place of her once sad expression, her cheeks blushing ever so slightly. “How about we visit one of my friends tomorrow afternoon? Then we can both finally get somewhere in fixing things~” A sense of confidence seems to appear in her, making us both giggle at each other. “Is my massage so good that it’s making you feel like you can take on the world?” I tease her with a wink, another small laugh escaping our lips. “W-well, no, it’s not that. It’s just that I need to remind myself that good days are ahead~ No matter how much hurt we go through~” Honestly, I wish I had that mindset months ago… It’s so easy to give up and feel like each day is worse than the last. Hell, I still have a hard time thinking about how things can get better. The only reason I can sometimes is because of Sunset. Her presence in my life proves that things can change. If two people who hated each other’s guts just a couple years ago can come to love each other like there’s no tomorrow, then life can change, no matter the circumstance. “Very cute, Shimmer, but I believe it’s past your bedtime~” My statement makes Sunset blush even harder, her eyes wide with surprise at the teasing. “My bedtime? Since when were you this playful? I’m usually the one teasing you~” Sunset giggles to herself, her eyes locking with mine. Her confident look disappears as soon as she hears my mischievous chuckle, being replaced with confusion. “Ever since you bit my ear~” “What? Do you want me to do it again~?” Sunset remarks with the perfect comeback, reversing our situation and making me the one with blushing cheeks. “N-no, I was just stating um…” “Besides, if you want me to sleep, you’ll have to rub my shoulders as well~” Sunset giggles, pulling her feet from my grasp as she stands up from her seated position. “Eh? I don’t recall offering that treatment?” “Well, too bad~ You offered to massage my feet, so now you have to follow through with my shoulders too~” Sunset gently sticks her tongue out at me before walking over to the bed, landing on the plush mattress with a soft thud. A sigh of relaxation escapes her before she looks over to me. “You’re lucky that you’re cute,” I slowly sigh, getting up from my seat and taking off the black leather jacket. Sliding my feet out of my boots effortlessly, I walk towards the bed and chuckle at Sunset’s demand a little more. “And you’re lucky that I can take care of injured alligators~” Straddling her back as gently as I can, I place my hands on her shoulders, rubbing in small circles with minimal force at first. “Are you talking about our week-long sleepover?” I ask her with a curious tone in my voice. “What else would I be talking about~? I mean, that is when I first started calling you my alligator~” A small laugh comes from Sunset as she seems to remember the days in question. “Do you even remember why I call you that?” Honestly, the reason why she calls me that nickname escapes me. I know the reason made sense back then and I eventually accepted the nickname, but a lot of the memories surrounding the day I left the hospital are sort of… vague. It was like my mind was on a static television the whole time. I know it made sense back then… “No, I don’t actually. I used to, but… I guess I’ve just accepted it over time?” My statement brings a sad expression to Sunset’s face, seemingly thinking about something. “Oh? Would you prefer it if I stop calling you that…?” “Of course not,” my mouth instantly responds before my mind can even register what is said. “I mean, I love the nickname now. It sorta makes me feel… loved? I wouldn’t want anyone else to call me it actually.” A relieved look appears in Sunset’s eyes, her gaze pointed towards the wall to our left. Rubbing a little harder, Sunset’s eyes close in pleasure to the feeling of my hands rubbing her sore muscles. “It would be nice if you could remind me the reason you started using that name though~” “Oh, yeah~ It was because you were being particularly snappy, argumentative and uncooperative during that time when I was trying to take care of you. Honestly… I think my feelings for you started when I was told you got hurt. I just didn’t realize it for a bit. I didn’t realize that friends don’t really cuddle as long as we did. Friends don’t linger on each touch and want to see each other every day.” Her statement instantly brings up a memory… The time on the Ferris wheel… It was such a nice day and the sun’s light caught in her hair… Everything made my heart beat out of control back then, bringing this dead heart back to life, full of love for another person. A love I never thought possible. “Friends don’t think about each other’s smiles every second they’re apart…” Sunset’s eyes open to my statement and she briefly tenses her shoulders before relaxing them as she smiles. “Friends don’t have movie nights every couple of days, holding each other’s hands throughout the night~” Closing my eyes, I try my best to remember exactly how I felt during that moment, visualizing how beautiful Sunset looked. “Friends don’t… think about how perfect the other is every single day.” Sunset chuckles lightly, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. “When did you realize that you loved me~?” Rubbing her back as firm and gentle as I can, I take a deep breath and smile to myself. “The day we went to Equestria World. Though, I technically only admitted it to myself that I had feelings for you on the Ferris wheel.” “I knew you were acting differently after that day~” Sunset giggles, a thoughtful look coming to her. After a moment of giggling to the memory, a content sigh escapes her as she closes her eyes, a big smile pasted on her lips. “I really love you, Adagio~” Leaning over as slowly as I can, I press my lips against Sunset’s cheek tenderly and whisper in her ear, “I love you more, Sunset~” ================================================== The dark atmosphere surrounding the night is comforting in certain circumstances, but terrifying in others… Creatures that prey on others revel in the darkness. Once upon a time, I had no reason to fear the dark. I was the one who hunted others. Now, I’m more or less stuck as prey myself, being subjected to a weak body at one of the lowest places in society. All because of those girls… My plan should have worked. We successfully turned them against each other and we had the audience under our spell. If anything, we should have come out on top… Somehow, they were able to overlook their differences and come together to defeat us. To take away our magic… Bringing my hand to my bare neck, I can’t help but grimace, still feeling pain from where the gem used to be. It was a part of me back in Equestria. It was MY magic and they took it away from me… Why did this happen? I should have won! Not them! It should have been my turn in the spotlight. To take the world by the throat and subject it to my will. Then we would move onto Equestria, but now, all I can think about is her… Sunset Shimmer. If she wasn’t there, we would have won. If only I could choke all specks of life out of her body right now… “So, what are we going to do now…?” Sonata asks me in a scared voice, her back leaning against the brick wall of the alley way. Forced to run away like rats… This is NOT the life I wanted for myself. “Can you shut the fuck up for once in your life, Sonata?!” Aria yells at her as she slams her fist against the wall with a heavy sigh, her dress wet from the light rain falling on us. “All you ever do is act innocent and go with the flow, huh?! Just shut up!” “Like you’re any better,” I scoff at Aria, my back turned to the other two as the occasional car passes by the damn alley. “You’re always complaining and never taking my advice seriously. If you would just stick to plan once in your life, maybe we would already be ruling over Equestria, Aria!” “You never take our advice either, Dagi!” Sonata states in an angry tone, her normally kind eyes displaying hurt in them now. “What did you just say…?” I ask in disbelief, surprised Sonata of all people would speak out against me. Does she know her place any more? “Since when did weak little Sonata grow a spine?” Sonata’s eyes glare at me with anger as she clenches her fists, unsure of what to do. “All you are is a bully, Dagi! You bully everyone under you and stomp on those who are supposed to care about you. I… I used to be your friend, but I’m tired of being bullied.” Her eyes avert mine for a moment, Sonata throwing her hands to her hair and undoing her ponytail. “I… I wish I never shared my toys with you at all!” Sonata stomps past Aria, walking towards the entrance of the alley way. “Are you serious?! Like you didn’t want to conquer as well!” Aria laughs out loud at Sonata’s statement before the blue girl quickly turns around, slapping Aria’s face. “I didn’t! I just wanted to be with you two! I didn’t care where we were or what we did. I cared about both of you!” Sonata yells at both of us, her eyes switching between Aria and I. Aria, bringing her hand to her face, growls slightly at Sonata, clearly angry about the assault to her face. “You’re a siren, Sonata! Sirens aren’t supposed to have mushy feelings like that!” Aria almost screams in Sonata’s face, ready to fight her if the situation calls for it. “You’re wrong! Both of you only see power and domination as life’s purpose! I just wish we could have actually been friends.” “Zip it, both of you!” I snap at them, looking away as I try to think of what we’re going to do. “We can get back at those damned Rainbooms if we just think of a plan.” I instantly hear a scoff from behind me, Aria laughing slightly to herself. “You know what? There WON’T be a next time, Adagio. I’m done with this shit,” Aria states in a satisfied tone, turning her back to me. “I’ll get my power back on my own, no matter what it takes. I don’t need you two.” With that, Aria walks past Sonata and steps onto the sidewalk. “I never want to see you guys again,” Sonata quietly lets out, her fists still clenched from anger, quickly running out of the alley way as Aria stands right outside, looking in at me before she walks away as well in the opposite direction. “Fine. Good riddance,” I slowly state, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I can finally rest from their damn arguing. They’ll be back. They need me. They just need to learn their place, talking to me like that. ===================================================== Taking a deep breath, my eyes shoot open as I feel the cold sweat that’s formed on my face. The air itself smells slightly of dust mixed with clean sheets, reminding me instantly where we are. Over time, I’ve been able to stop myself from freaking out after nightmares, especially since they happen often. Of course I dreamt about them again… It’s hard not to think about them. The last time we talked, we left on bad terms. Honestly, I’m not even sure if I could talk to them again. Though, that’s posing the question if we see each other again… I don’t even know where they are. The few postcards they sent felt more like an obligation than an actual sincere greeting. Looking down, I see Sunset’s peaceful expression as she rests her head on my chest, holding onto me tightly. Apparently, she didn’t have nightmares~ Leaning down, I kiss her forehead as gently as I can, making sure to not wake her if possible. It was my fault that Sonata, Aria and I went our separate ways… But I will make sure to not let that happen with us. Or with Sunset’s friends. Sliding out from under Sunset’s embrace, I place a pillow under Sunset’s head and smile at her image, wanting to kiss her again. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what will wake her, but it’s not hard to imagine that she needs sleep after the last few days. Hell, maybe my massage skills helped her feel sleepy, even though I probably gave one of the worst massages out there. With a small breath, I turn around and walk towards the door, making sure to grab a pair of pajama pants on my way out. The pair I grabbed are white with pink hearts thrown all over them. Apparently, Sunset got this from Rarity, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me borrowing it. Opening the door, I take one last look back at Sunset’s sleeping frame before taking a step out into the dimly lit hallway. I make sure to close the door behind me before walking into the kitchen, neglecting to turn the light on. Honestly, I don’t plan on raiding Rainbow Dash’s fridge, but a cup of water should help me calm down. I wouldn’t want to eat her food after our fight… In the kitchen, a small island is erected in the center with a stove. To the right of the doorway, there’s a large oven and microwave built into the wall, flush with the cabinets beside it. There’s also a large fridge on the far left, with a small dining area at the opposite side of the room, seemingly opening back up to the living room which can also be accessed from the hallway. Honestly, it’s an interesting design, but what makes the kitchen stand out even more are the countless pictures of Rainbow Dash on the walls, from a baby to now, all of them displaying some big achievement of hers. Honestly, as proud as Rainbow Dash is, she isn’t the type of person to boast to this extreme. Sure, she would show off, but literally plastering her walls with just her face isn’t her style, which makes me think this is her parents’ doing. They must be really proud of her. Walking over to the sink next to the fridge, I grab a plastic red cup from a stack and pour myself some tap water to drink. Living with almost nothing before has made me less picky with the food and water I put in my body. At least it can satiate me for the time being. Taking a sip of the water, I can’t help but savor the feeling of the cold liquid against my tongue. I guess I didn’t realize how dry my mouth was… “Tastes good, right?” a sinister voice whispers in my ear, the muscles in my back tensing up as a response. Instantly, I look to my right towards the dining room table and that all too familiar sense of dread crawls down my back as I see her shadow… The red eyes and gem being the only things illuminating her figure. Why is she here again…? “What do you want?” I ask in an annoyed tone, feigning my confidence and taking another sip of my water. “Don’t try to trick me, Adagio~ I know when cowards lie,” she states in an eerily soothing tone, her nails gently coming down to the table and scratching the surface. “How about you don’t try to trick me, alright?” I let out in an exasperated sigh, holding my hip with one hand. “The last time you appeared in my dreams, you had some message to give me. Now, you’re sitting in the shadows, trying to intimidate me again. So, answer the damn question already.” Defiantly, I take another sip of my drink, keeping eye contact with the shadow. To my surprise, she gently starts to clap, a chuckle emanating from her. “Well done~ Thinking you’re so smart like an obedient dog~ Wow, Sunset really has wrapped you around her finger, huh? Pathetic.” Her hand comes up to her face, crossing her legs as if she was royalty sitting upon a throne. “Truth is that I just love seeing how far you’ve come. Thinking you’re becoming a better person while you’re actually falling further and further. I thought you had reached the bottom of the barrel when you decided to give the bitch a gift, but here you are~ You never cease to disappoint. Oh, wait. That’s all you are~ A disappointment of a siren~” Standing up from her seated position, the shadow’s eyes stare into my soul with only evil hidden behind them. Walking over to the table, I sit down on the chair opposite of her shadow, still trying to ignore the nerves telling me to run. “Well, maybe I don’t want to be a siren anymore,” I state quietly, drinking my water and avoiding her evil gaze looking down at me. For a moment, nothing but silence is heard before she puts her hand down on the table. “Well, that’s too bad. You’ll always be a siren. The worst of them all.” As she sits down, I make eye contact with her again, seeing those eyes filled with hate staring into me. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you still have siren genes in you, since you keep hurting those around you.” “What the hell is your problem?” I snap at her, holding my head in my hand with a heavy sigh. “First you ridicule me for not grabbing power by the damn throat and now you’re here to taunt me for not being good enough. What is your damned point?” “What if I said that it’s just fun, watching you suffer? Every little day, watching you fail brings another smile to my lips~” her voice whispers in a taunting voice, leaning back in her chair. Word after word effortlessly leaving her mouth, no care for what effect that they may have. “The only thing that I’ve found admirable about you is that rage in your heart.” Looking up to her instantly, I feel my words catch in my mouth, unsure of what I should respond with. “Yes, I know all about that. In fact, it’s spiked up again recently, hasn’t it?” Her sinister chuckle echoing in this house, surrounding me in its sound. “Wanting to hurt whoever caused so much pain to that summer mist of yours~ How sweet and ridiculous at the same time~ Though, I will admit it’s intriguing to see you slip back into your old ways.” “I am not slipping back! I’m just… angry. That’s all.” “Anger is the harbinger of chaos, Adagio. It allows someone to show their true self, letting out they’re most volatile emotions without a care for the world.” Her fingers claw into the table, letting out a shredding sound. “But you know that already, don’t you?” “Will you just get to a point or leave already?” I can’t help but snap in an annoyed tone, reminding me of how I used to treat Sonata and Aria before… Once again, her hands clap as she stands up from the table, looking down at me as a smile can barely be seen from her dark frame. “There’s the siren we love to see~” Walking around the table, she places her hand on my shoulder chuckling to herself. “I’ll leave you be for now. You’re making it boring to ridicule you. But listen to me now, Dazzle.” Her words stop for a moment after she hisses her statement, leaning in slowly. “Those strong feelings of yours, whether they be hate, anger, or even love. Don’t try to kill them. Use them to fuel you. Maybe then you can actually be confident instead of faking it like a coward.” Her hand lets go of my shoulder, walking behind me with her sinister whisper still lingering in my ears. “Who knows? Maybe someday you will come back to your senses and take back power for yourself.” Taking a deep breath, I turn around and glance behind me to see nothing but a hallway, her dark figure gone from sight. Fortunately, her evil chuckle is gone too, finally making her atmosphere dissipate from around me. I don’t know why she must show up to give me a hard time. Why am I dreaming about her…? About me… I’m trying to be a better person and all I can seem to think about is that worse version of myself… I can never seem to just be happy with life because something comes up… Finishing off my cup of water, I bring my hands to my face, sighing to myself. I suppose she’s right about one thing though. I’ve been trying to hold off my emotions as much as I can since they tend to be my downfall… Maybe… Maybe my emotions can be of use… A light sound interrupts my train of thought, coming from the hallway at the opposite side of the kitchen. Slowly, a figure walks into the doorway of the kitchen, turning on the light I chose to keep off to avoid disturbing anyone. The colorful hair is unmistakable, making me feel a bit scared of being here. Rainbow Dash, as tired as she looks, seems to notice me right away, giving me a small wave. “Hey,” is all she says in a monotone voice, seemingly not ecstatic to see me. I give her a wave of my own in return before she walks over to the fridge, opening it quickly. For a moment, I notice the Wonderbolts magnets on the fridge, yet again reflecting Rainbow Dash’s personality. What confuses me the most is the fact that Rainbow Dash only seemed to sleep in is a loose crop top and some shorts, despite the cooler temperature that the AC is set on. I mean, it doesn’t surprise me that the shorts have the Daring Do logo on them, but it does make me question why she wouldn’t sleep with more warm clothes. Maybe she’s just used to the cooler air… In a moment, Rainbow Dash closes the fridge door, holding an orange and grape soda. She seems to take a deep breath before approaching the table, setting the grape soda down in front of me. “I just had some water, I’m fine,” I state quietly, trying to politely refuse her offer. “Dagi. Just… accept the damn drink,” Rainbow says in an irritated voice, clearly holding back a little. A part of me still wants to reject the offer since I didn’t feel like taking advantage of Rainbow’s hospitality, especially due to the way I acted earlier. Eventually, I take the soda in my hand, Rainbow sitting down in the seat opposite of me. After taking a big swig of her orange soda, Rainbow sets her drink down on the table, burping slightly. She really doesn’t have any shame, but I suppose that’s part of her charm. After she notices my stare, both of us giggle slightly, looking away from each other. “I suppose you want to talk?” I ask in a hesitant voice, finally opening my own soda in the process. “You could say that…” Her voice sounds distant, seemingly thinking about whether or not she does want to talk. “I… couldn’t sleep honestly. Let’s just say that I’m not necessarily… happy where we left things off.” Honestly, I’m not happy about it either… I’m kind of ashamed of how I acted. I treated her harshly and she treated me with the same energy in return. In a way, I think both of us feel that way… “Me neither,” I nod in agreement, lowering my gaze to the purple liquid inside my bottle. “I’m… I’m sorry. For all the things I said earlier today. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way and I… I didn’t want to alienate one of my only friends.” Sighing, I take a big drink of the grape soda into my mouth, savoring the taste for a long moment before I decide to swallow. Remembering our fight alone makes me feel sad at how angry we got, especially me. I could have done so many other things to resolve that situation, but I guess it just hurt… Seeing both my scarf torn and Rainbow shrugging off my feelings like they didn’t matter. “I’m sorry too, Dagi… I thought long and hard about what we said and…” Rainbow’s eyes look away from me, looking towards her lap in hesitancy. “I admit it, Dagi. I have a hard time placing value in things that other people like. I often have a big ego and like to think that situations revolve around me, which made me not even try to stop and think why you would be sad about… well, that.” Her eyes finally lock with mine again, both of us sharing this moment together. “I was wondering if we could maybe agree to put it behind us? I will try to be better at reading other people’s emotions and all. I just don’t want us to stay awkward with each other, you know?” Looking into Rainbow’s eyes, I can tell she is genuinely sorry for what happened, just like me. It’s hard to say no to her when she bares her soul like this. “As long as you promise me we can watch the new Daring Do movie together,” I state in a teasing way, both of us finally laughing at a joke together again. Rainbow Dash raises her drink, tapping it against mine with a smile, nodding slightly. “Yeah, we can~” ============================================================ “I don’t get it,” I state quietly, looking at the papers Fancy Pants set on his desk. I wasn’t exactly happy to wake up pretty damn early to get to the studio on time for my new work schedule, but that’s why I’m here to talk to him. “Isn’t there any way we could just change it back to the previous schedule? My girlfriend and I have been having a really hard time since our apartment just got robbed and all.” Fancy Pant’s expression looks conflicted, clearly sad for my misfortune, but he was probably going to say he can’t change it back. “I must apologize, Ms. Dazzle, but I can’t change it back. The studio has been losing money and I can’t afford to keep it open into the afternoons like I have been.” His hand reaches over his desk and pulls the papers back towards him, a small sigh leaving his lips. “I don’t wish to cause you even more misfortune, but this is how things must be done for now. Once school starts back up in the fall, maybe I can afford to keep the studio open longer.” The end of the summer is quickly approaching… The idea of waking up earlier to go to work isn’t exciting for me at all, but maybe I can tough it out for now. It can even give me more hours during the day to connect with Sunset’s friends, which is definitely needed since the Apple Family Reunion is almost here. As much as I hate the idea, I guess I can wait until the fall. “Does this mean I have to decrease my student size?” I ask hesitantly, knowing damn well that I am a one-on-one teacher. I would feel sad for the kids I teach if I have to stop teaching some of them. One I need to make time for is Apple Bloom. No matter how much crap we’ve been through, Apple Bloom is always there for me. I should talk to her again soon, especially since she probably needs more help with the reunion… “Not at all. Though, your students may not be able to attend the new times, so you may have to find some new students, but your workload will remain the same overall,” Fancy reassures me as politely as he can, giving me a small nod. “Okay. Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Pants,” I say with a bow of my head, standing up from my seat. “Before I go, I wanted to request the day off, even though I had a day off yesterday. As I stated before, my apartment was robbed and it’s an emotional time for my partner and I, so I wish to settle some matters before tomorrow.” Fancy simply nods and looks down at some paperwork, using a pen to mark off a box. “I figured you would need the day off. Don’t worry, I’ll find a stand-in for you, Ms. Dazzle.” I bow my head again as a thank you before walking towards the door, bringing my hand to my hair and brushing it out of my face. “Have a good day,” I state before walking out of his office, Fancy simply giving me a thumbs up as a response. Closing his door, I swiftly walk past the receptionist’s counter and through the front door. It’s true that I need to talk with Sunset a bit more, but the first order of business is finding our stuff again… Which means I’ll have to talk to him again. He’s the king of organized crime in Canterlot City, meaning that he will probably know what happened to our apartment. If he ordered this hit, I will be VERY pissed… Especially after all the favors I’ve done for the bastard over the years. Sighing to myself, I walk down the metal stairs, not anticipating the direction I will have to go. I didn’t want to have to return to the nightclub, but it seems that is my only choice. “I hope you’re ready to talk to an angry siren, Rich.”
Back to the CaveAuthor's Note When tragedy falls upon Adagio's happy little life, she struggles to find what was stolen from her partner and herself, but her search leads to unexpected meetings. New facts are learned and some things are a bit clearer. Are things looking up for Adagio? Let's hope so. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes at the end of the chapter~ Back to the Cave Chapter XII: Back to the Cave Normally, my long walks across the city would be accompanied by a few pit stops to help me rest my legs and think about my situation, but this isn’t the case today. The nightclub is halfway across the city from the music studio and I sure as hell don’t want to get there late. I never expected myself to even approach that place again, much less have business there, but desperate times call for those kinds of extreme measures. Either way, I am just dying to hear what Rich has to say about what happened last night… Even though he clearly loves his family and keeps his promises like an honorable person, Filthy Rich is still the king of organized crime in this city. Hell, he’s even been trying to get into office as the mayor, which would surely give his profits an even bigger boost. If there’s anyone in this city who knows what happened to Sunset and I’s apartment, it would be him. On the off chance that he isn’t the one responsible for the act, then he can still help me find our lost belongings, given the network he’s in charge of. It’s unlikely though… Rich always had these sorts of operations to make things look like a simple break-in when it’s really a cash in. That was the sort of ship he ran, even when I agreed to do certain deals for him. Just thinking about his ugly mug makes me want to vomit, the feeling of anger raging inside me. If he was the one who hurt Sunset, I’m not sure what I would do… I guess the only reason I’m willing to talk to him now is because I owe the man the benefit of a doubt. Let’s just say that he and I have both kept our promises to each other… Maybe there’s a mutual sense of respect… I just wish we could meet somewhere safer. Somewhere better… This part of town always has that stench of alcohol, stained streets, run down buildings and pawn shops on practically every corner. To kick it all off, trash litters the sidewalks, despite the trash cans beside public benches. I wouldn’t want Sunset to touch this place, even with a fifty-foot pole. Fortunately, I still know how this part of town works… Keep your head down, avoid the holes in the walls and only start fights you know you can finish. Keeping my head down doesn’t necessarily mean letting myself get picked on… Even though I let Trixie do that at the arcade, this is a different story. You need to look like you know where you’re going and like nothing is going to stop you from getting there. If someone looks confident and has a face that screams ‘Don’t fuck with me’, then they look less like a target and they may give you a challenge instead. As much as I’m trying to be a better person now, this is not the time to let people walk all over me. “Come on, you have to have something on ya.” The sound of a groggy and dazed voice hits my ears as I look up from the sidewalk, surprised at what I see. It’s not abnormal for local drunkards or addicts to harass the passersby for some cash, but the person this guy is bothering instantly causes me to feel uneasy. The woman in front of the disheveled man has a bright green dress that contrasts nicely with her yellow skin, her pink hair flowing down her shoulders. “I-I’m sorry, but I really don’t have anything on me,” the all-too-caring woman states, trying to de-escalate the situation. Nervously, she backs up and tries to keep eye contact with the man, despite her clear feeling of fear. Normally, I would just walk away from an interaction like this since it’s less likely for something to happen to you if you just turn a blind eye, but I can’t do that this time… Even if this was happening to a different woman, the man seems too irrational for his own good, making it dangerous to argue. What makes this situation even worse is that it’s happening to Fluttershy of all people, a person who wants to avoid conflict like the plague, even if it means letting herself be walked over. Sighing to myself, I reach into my bag and feel inside for a dollar bill, making sure my revolver is still inside in the process. What is she even doing in this part of town? Wearing an expensive dress as well? Her weak posture, shy appearance, and nice attire practically beg for her to be mugged. Shaking my head, I take a deep breath and clench my fist, preparing for whatever may happen. I really wasn’t looking to do this today, but here goes nothing… Walking up to Fluttershy as quickly as I can, I grab her arm just above her elbow, causing her to jump and let out a high-pitched squeal, looking at me in surprise. “Here’s a little something. Treat yourself,” I try to say in the least hostile tone I can as I hand the inhibited man a five dollar bill. I was hoping for him to just take the bill and be satisfied with this outcome, but the man looks at me with a confused expression, eyeing the bill in my hand. “Is that all?” he practically scoffs, inching closer to try and intimidate us into handing over any more that we may have. “Take it or leave it, pal. I don’t have any more and I’m feeling generous today,” I state in a deadpan way, raising my eyebrow at him. Fluttershy responds to his approach by moving back a little, but I hold my ground, still offering the dollar. After a moment of consideration, the guy mumbles, taking the bill and stumbling away from us, only to sit on a nearby bench. Without waiting another moment, I pull Fluttershy along, walking down the sidewalk as quickly as I can. Why did she have to be here? Fluttershy stumbles to try and keep up with my pace, trying to talk to me as she does so. “A-Adagio? Why are you here?” she finally asks, the feeling of shock and fear seemingly fading away just to be replaced by confusion. “I could ask you the same thing,” I state in an irritated tone. I didn’t mean to sound rude to her or to show my fangs in a sense, but right now really isn’t the best time to swoop in and save someone else. “What are you doing in this part of town, Fluttershy? Worst of all, with that dress on?” Bringing my hand up to my forehead, I rub slightly and sigh at my current situation. “You h-helped me…?” she states weakly, her confused expression still pasted on her face. “Of course… That’s what friends do, right?” I ask hesitantly. Honestly, I’m still unsure what it completely means to be someone’s friend… I don’t know what’s appropriate to say or do, despite my experience with Rainbow and Apple Bloom. Let’s be honest, though. Rainbow isn’t the best example since she’s… quite a unique person. Apple Bloom, on the other hand, is the textbook definition of a friend. Almost way too caring and helpful at times… Fluttershy’s expression turns into one of sadness and anxiety, her eyes looking away from me as she tries to catch her breath. “Yeah. That’s w-what friends do…” Her eyes slowly return to me, smiling as well as she can. “Thank you, Adagio~” Her smile and nod cause me to look away, trying to avoid looking stupid again since I don’t know what to say. “Anyway, why are you here?” Trying to get back on topic, I drag Fluttershy along with me into an open donut shop. I really need to get to the nightclub soon, so I hope she can make this quick… The smell of the shop is almost enough to distract me from the pending stress of the morning, the sweet scent of glazed bread and sugar filling my nostrils. Walking over to one of the tables, I motion for Fluttershy to sit on one of the chairs opposite of me. Fluttershy’s anxious expression remains as she sits down, her hands fidgeting with each other for a while. “I um… I’m sorry for getting you involved in this. It’s just a personal issue,” Fluttershy is barely able to say, whispering under her breath to avoid being heard by anyone else in the shop. Honestly, Fluttershy and I are not that close, so I shouldn’t really care what business she has here, but… I suppose Sunset is rubbing off on me. Her inquisitive nature and how she always wants to help when she can. Besides, I… want to be friends with Fluttershy, it’s just hard to think about what to say. She could easily be hurt if she doesn’t know how to handle herself in this part of town, so it’s my responsibility to help in any way I can, right…? “Look, Fluttershy. You almost got robbed just a minute ago. Your personal issue that you have to deal with here could get you hurt.” A heavy breath leaves my mouth as I try to think of the right words, my eyes connecting with hers once again just for her to look away with a nervous feeling in her gaze. “If you tell me what you are doing here, maybe I could help you. No judgment involved.” For a moment, Fluttershy brings her hand to her chest and looks down at the table, her lips twitching slightly in her nervous state. Despite her awkward and shy emotions, Fluttershy finally grabs her purse, sighing slightly to herself. “The truth is… I’m here to help a friend,” she barely mumbles before pulling out a Tupperware container from her purse, seemingly filled with some kind of soup. “Her father just… passed on… and she fell sick as well, so I was wanting to help her in some way.” Even though Fluttershy is normally pretty reserved, her statement this time is said in a more direct way with sorrow in her voice, making it sound genuine. “I admit that she doesn’t live in the best neighborhood, but I couldn’t really stand by and not help her, you know?” A strike of pain goes through my heart for a moment, memories of the past being opened from Fluttershy’s words. That day I got injured was… definitely traumatic. If I didn’t have Sunset there to help me, I’m not sure what would have happened. She confidently stepped up to the plate to help me, not bearing to see me in pain or without some sort of support. That helpful spirit of hers has definitely rubbed off on me and… I think it’s the reason I fell so madly in love with her in such a quick amount of time. “Yeah, I can understand that sentiment,” I slowly respond, bringing my hand to the back of my head with a sigh. “You should still bring someone with you when you come here. It’s better to travel in a group rather than being targeted by muggers.” Looking up to Fluttershy, I can’t help but feel surprised as I see her raised eyebrow and confused gaze, seemingly puzzled about my response. “You seem… to know a lot about staying out of trouble,” Fluttershy whispers, her finger gingerly playing with her hair. I wasn’t aware she could catch onto that fact from the few things I’ve said so far, but I guess it can be obvious from how I handled the recent situation. “Well, I used to live in this part of town…” I mean, it’s normal to gain experience from these sorts of situations if you live around them for long enough… It’s hard for me to not watch my back, even during the day. At one point, Rainbow Dash told me that it was ‘too freaking hard’ to surprise or scare me, to which I only replied with a chuckle. Now, there’s only an awkward silence that passes between us, my eyes glancing back down to the table. “Um, hey?” Fluttershy states in a louder tone, surprisingly more direct than her naturally held back dialogue. Looking back up at her, I see her raising her hand, her attention focused on a young man in work attire for the donut shop we’re currently sitting in. When he finally walks over, Fluttershy takes out her bank card from her purse, handing it to him in a reserved manner. “Um… I’d like a light roast coffee, if you have it. And…” Fluttershy’s gaze now rests on me as she expects for me to order something of my own from the shop. “Oh, no. You don’t have to, Fluttershy. I had a breakfast earlier and-” “It’s the least I can do to repay you for your kindness today~” the pink-haired girl states in a happier tone, giving me a genuine smile. Shaking my head, I can’t help but smile slightly, rubbing my eyes. I guess Sunset isn’t the only person with that pushy attitude to help someone else. “A black coffee will be nice~” After my words are said, Fluttershy nods to the man before he walks back towards the counter of the shop. Even though I need to meet Rich relatively soon, I guess I can spare enough time to get Fluttershy to her friend’s house and such. My conscience wouldn’t let me just walk away now, especially after she went through the trouble to buy me a coffee. “So, how far away is your friend’s house from here?” I ask slowly, pulling out my phone and typing in a message. “O-oh? You still want to… help?” she asks weakly, putting the soup container back into her bag. “Of course. And who is this friend, by the way? Is it someone I know?” I ask cautiously, afraid that the answer might be yes. I just saw Sunset and Rainbow before I left the house today, so they should be fine. I haven’t talked to Apple Bloom or Applejack in a few days, but I would think Apple Bloom would tell me if one of them isn’t feeling well. Besides, their parents have already… yeah. Rarity might be the person Fluttershy is talking about, but I’m not sure if she lives in this part of the city. The other Twilight could be another option… What the hell should I even call her? Every time I think of her, I can’t help but confuse her with the Twilight I met almost two years ago. The Twilight I met had straight hair with bangs, but this new Twilight seems to keep her hair tied up and she has glasses now. You’d think that the same person from two universes would have relatively the same eyesights, but I suppose not. Other than glasses Twilight, there’s always Pinkie Pie. “Oh, um… No, you don’t know her. Her name is Tree Hugger and she lives about half a mile away from here if I remember correctly,” she states nervously, once again playing with her hair as she talks. “You see… Tree Hugger and her dad didn’t really agree on a lot of things, but she still feels awful about what happened. I’m sure most people with parents they love would feel the same way.” Fluttershy’s eyes break from me, looking out the window with a solemn smile on her face. “What are your parents like?” she abruptly asks me, surprisingly without a stutter. Shaking my head slowly, I look out the same window towards the sky, taking a deep breath as I try to come up with the words. “I didn’t have parents. If I did, they left before I could remember. So, I sorta grew up by myself with Sonata and Aria.” Looking back at Fluttershy, I see a pitiful expression across her face, seemingly sad about my statement. Honestly, it looks like she’s staring at an injured puppy. “What? It’s fine. I still learned from other sirens and strived to be the best I could. I think I turned out mostly fine without them.” After hearing my words, Fluttershy tries to wipe the pitiful look from her face, but the glances still come out every now and again. “How about you? Did you have parents?” I ask in response, trying to still gauge the conversation so that we can avoid another awkward silence. “Oh yes! I do~ They’re the best parents I could ever ask for~ Although, they sometimes lack the confidence to speak their mind or stand up for themselves.” Honestly, I have to hold back the urge to laugh at Fluttershy’s words just from the sheer irony of them. The fact that Fluttershy of all people thinks someone else lacks a spine is pretty hilarious, but it also makes me think about how shy her parents must be if she’s technically more confident than they are. “That’s nice to hear~ The only family I have had were Sonata and Aria~ Well, we were close enough to be sisters practically.” As soon as I finish talking, the young man walks back to our table with the coffees in hand, resting them down on the table as well as the card and a receipt. Honestly, I’m surprised this donut shop has this level of service. Most stores like this don’t have people who come up and help with ordering. “I don’t have sisters, but I do have a brother~” Fluttershy says with a soft smile, bringing her coffee up to her lips. A brother, huh? That’s interesting. “What’s that like?” I ask quietly, sipping my own drink slowly to not burn my tongue. Instantly, I can feel myself relax as I try to savor the drink. God, I really needed some stress relief today. I guess a good drink or snack can always do that to a person, huh? Sorta like magic sometimes. “Well, he’s… a character. He always gets in trouble and debt by his own bad choices. Almost as soon as he gets his own place, he loses it by not paying rent and he ends up moving back with my parents. Though, he’s been trying to work harder recently. When I talked to him and all.” A sorrowful gaze envelops her eyes as she stares down at the table, looking into the distance of reality itself. Honestly, I can’t tell what she’s thinking behind those eyes, but I can understand that this topic is quite a touchy subject for her. “Hopefully, it’s the truth,” I respond, nodding my head slightly. “But hey, we should probably go now,” I tell Fluttershy before standing up from the table, slightly concerned about the ticking down clock. “Oh? U-um, okay,” Fluttershy awkwardly responds, picking up her bag and drink to follow me. “You said Tree Hugger’s house is half a mile away, huh? Then how about you lead?” Gesturing my hand towards the door, I try to smile as best as I can, nodding to her. Knowing how slow she walks, something tells me this will be a long walk. ================================================= The convenient thing about our conversation at the donut shop is that Fluttershy forgot to mention how… unique Tree Hugger is. After we got to her house, I got to understand pretty quickly what Tree Hugger believed in. First of all, she didn’t have many electronic devices or things that ran on electricity besides the essentials. The heater, air conditioner and lights were still operational, but even these might be replaced in Tree Hugger’s words. She also didn’t have running water since she thought the city water was tampered with too much. How she takes baths is something I don’t know. I’m not even sure I want to know. All the food she bought claimed to be organically grown with no preservatives or chemicals added to them, but I still somewhat doubt that. The weirdest thing about her though is that she owns a motorcycle with flame prints on it. Conveniently, there was a ‘for sale’ sign on the vehicle, so I suppose it still fits with her ideals. It’s just surprising that it’s here to begin with. A loud sneeze wakes me from my thoughts as Tree Hugger sips on some of the soup in her spoon, smiling at the taste. “Like, Flutters~ This really helps, you know?” Tree Hugger slowly responds in a laid back tone, her eyes half opened. Turns out that this is normal for her since she always speaks this way and looks tired, despite it being mid morning. “I really hoped it would~ I tried my mom’s recipe~” Fluttershy says with the kindest smile that she could make. Even though Sunset’s smile is the best one in my book, Fluttershy’s is definitely close to the top of the list. I can see why she can befriend so many animals easily. Does that speak to my character…? Do I seem mean or ugly to animals? Because they sure as hell don’t listen to me… All the bruises I got from falling down at Fluttershy’s house should prove that. Conveniently, most of them are from that white ball of fluff, sporting a name that is the opposite of his true nature. Angel… A small breath escapes Tree Hugger’s lips as she tries to shake away the chills she’s been feeling. She still refuses to take any medicine since she wants her body to heal in a natural way rather than relying on drugs made by ‘big pharma’. Honestly, if I got sick, I would probably say “Screw that,” and down a headache relief instantly. Even though I’ve remained quiet for most of the conversation, Tree Hugger’s eyes look toward me with a curious stare, making me feel a little uncomfortable. Honestly, the only reason I’m still here is to make sure Fluttershy gets back home safely. Or out of this neighborhood at least. “What are you thinking about, Flutter friend?” she asks me in that laid back voice again, making me question whether or not she is fully here or not. Flutter friend? I guess it means friend of Fluttershy’s? “Not much,” I say quietly, nodding to her with an awkward smile on my lips. The only thing I’ve actually been thinking about in depth is the motorcycle she has for sale… I don’t have a driver’s license but… the thought that it could maybe help Sunset and I eats away at the back of my mind. Especially since Sunset often has to take a bus ride and be on her feet practically all day. Maybe it would help her a bit to have a ride directly from our apartment to her school… Looking back at Tree Hugger and Fluttershy, I see both of their expectant eyes for me to say something more, to contribute to the conversation that was mostly existing without me not so long ago. “Um… If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have a motorcycle?” I blurt out, saying the first thing I could think of to try and avoid an awkward silence. Fluttershy’s eyes widen to my question, but before she can say anything, Tree Hugger simply chuckles lightly, trying to avoid another coughing fit. “It was my dad’s. My old man and I have had a lot of disagreements about things like it, but I still cared about him, you know? So, I guess that’s why he left it to me instead of Mom.” Her eyes slowly turn to peer at the vehicle, a heavy sigh leaving her lips. “I want to sell it, but I don’t have any buyers just yet. I guess it’s because of the problems with it.” Problems? It looks just fine to me… Maybe it’s some mechanical issue. “What are the problems?” I ask with a raised eyebrow, taking a drink of the tea Fluttershy prepared for us. I have to admit, she’s pretty good at making tea. I should never reject a tea party with Flutters here. “Well, the engine won’t start and it’s out of oil. I think he also said the clutch was broken, so those fixes would need to be made.” Once again, Tree Hugger’s eyes meet with mine with a curious tone, a small smile appearing on her lips. “Are you interested?” It could help Sunset and I… Especially since we don’t have a vehicle of our own. The biggest problem is the price. “Maybe. How much are you looking for?” I ask slowly. Looking at the motorcycle. Honestly, I may not be able to afford it, but hey, it’s worth a shot, right? After looking at Fluttershy, Tree Hugger shrugs her shoulders and takes another bite of her soup. “I was originally looking for eight-hundred, but since you’re friends with Fluttershy, I would be willing to take seven-hundred on it.” Seven-hundred dollars. I guess friendship has its benefits every now and again. I think I could maybe make that in a couple weeks… But would she still have this here by the time I have the money? How much would the repairs cost…? “I will have to think about it. Would that be okay?” Before finishing my tea, I stand up and take my phone out, taking a picture of the bike for later reference. Tree Hugger nods and gives me a thumbs up. “That’ll be fine, gal~ Thanks for bringing Flutters here to see me~” “Oh, it’s really not that big of a deal,” Fluttershy awkwardly says, finally speaking up after seeing that our conversation about the bike is over. “I just wanted to make you feel better~” The two friends hug each other, Fluttershy completely disregarding the fact that Tree Hugger is sick. Since I have to walk her out of this part of town, I’m now kind of scared of getting sick myself. Ironic, considering that you would usually be more scared of getting robbed here. After a moment, Fluttershy stands up and smiles at Tree Hugger before walking off her porch. Tree Hugger gives us a small wave and returns the smile, still holding the bowl of soup in her lap. “Take care, okay?” she tells us before either of us start to walk away. It’s nice of her to tell us that, but honestly? I’m not looking forward to the rest of my day. Stay positive, Adagio. Stay positive. ================================================ By the time Fluttershy and I parted ways, the nightclub was closed, leaving me a little more than angry. Of course, I wouldn’t have left Fluttershy where she was, but the nightclub was one of the best ways to get a hold of Rich. He doesn’t have an office there, but I could have found a way to talk to him at least. Now the best choice is to walk across town again… All the way to his house. Hell, I shouldn’t even say house. He has a mansion for him and his family, unsurprisingly. I don’t think I’ve ever had to go to him personally, but I guess I have to now. I just hope the bastard has an answer for what happened to Sunset’s apartment. Our apartment… Losing her most treasured items was probably more impactful on Shimmer than she admitted… She always tries to put on a brave face and only tells me the things that are hurting her the most, leaving out the smaller details. At times, it’s infuriating when I try to help her, but I suppose it’s a way for her to try and avoid the reality of what happened. I understand that as well, since I usually try to hide from reality under a blanket or something like my scarf. Bringing my hand to my neck, I feel my skin slowly, sighing at the empty air that used to be occupied by a soft purple material. Even if I hadn’t torn it, I wouldn’t have been able to bring it with me today, considering how warm it is today. Honestly, it’s just bearable enough to wear the leather jacket Sunset gave me as well as some of the clothes we bought at the mall. It just sucks that in order to gain something new, we had to lose some things. I’ll try to get our stuff back though… I even promised Sunset that I would. My only lead is Filthy Rich and I’m not even sure if he will talk or if he was even behind it… I mean, it only makes sense for him to be behind it all. Shaking my head, I sigh quietly, looking down the road and noticing the sheer amount of cars. It’s normal for cars to be on the road, but it seems even busier than usual… Maybe one of the main streets is closed down for construction again. Whatever it is, it forces me to be more aware of my surroundings than usual. I wouldn’t want to be run over by some rogue driver. Especially for Sunset’s sake… The last time I got hurt, she said that she cried pretty extensively, so I would rather avoid causing her that pain again. Walking past a few people, I turn a corner and smile to myself, happy that I’m getting close to my destination. I’ve only really been to Rich’s mansion once, and that was to tell him about one of the deals we conducted. I didn’t go inside though, so this should be interesting, no matter how this conversation goes. Even if things don’t go super well here, at least I can look forward to hanging out with Sunset later today. Now that I think about it, I haven’t actually met Rich’s family before either… I’ve heard of his daughter before from Apple Bloom and former students of mine, but I’ve never met her or Rich’s wife. The only frame of reference I have for the both of them is a picture I saw briefly in his wallet. I guess that could make someone feel nervous, but I feel more scared than anything. If my suspicions are correct, Rich’s daughter is pretty sick, so I’m not exactly sure how I will handle seeing that. A sigh exits my lips as I close my eyes, feeling the collar of my jacket with a shake of my head. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle it. I’ll have to since the mansion is within eyesight now. Besides, I’ll probably only talk to her father during the duration of my visit. The sight of the mansion is technically impressive. All of the walls are either white or a sandstone tan with carved pillars, extending all the way to the roof. The roof itself can’t quite be seen, but its flat appearance makes it look like one could easily make their way to the roof. What you would do on top of a three story mansion is an entirely different question. From here, I can see a large black fence around the property, made primarily of metal with spikes at the top. Knowing Rich, he probably has some stupid automated system at the gate to monitor which people are allowed on the property. Honestly, I’m glad Fancy gave me the day off to let me sort out my affairs. If I didn’t have today off, I probably wouldn’t have been able to have this talk with Rich, which means that our stuff would be ten times more likely to be lost. Thankfully, Sunset helped me make a list of everything that should be stolen instead of broken. Quickly crossing the street, the gate to Rich’s mansion is finally in front of me, making me shake my head slightly. This better have been worth it. Taking a moment to brush my hair with my hand, I walk to the side of the gate, seeing a big button and a speaker. Okay, so the system isn’t actually automated, but it still fits his standards. Sighing to myself, I quickly press the button, a loud beep emanating from the speaker. The last time I was here, he didn’t have this whole system in place, but that was over a year ago. I guess a lot happens in a year… I mean, I should know that by now, given my current situation with the love of my life. I… can’t imagine being without her anymore. Another loud beep rings out only seconds later with a static following after. Quickly, a man clearing his throat can be heard from the other end. “My, I wasn’t expecting to see someone like you here,” the man chuckles loudly. “Normally, I’d be more hospitable with the people who come to visit, but you’ve caught me at a busy time, Dazzle.” Rich’s voice is still the same as always, condescending half the time and loud. Needless to say, I didn’t miss it. “Too bad, Rich. I need to talk to you today. And no, it can’t be postponed,” I state in a slightly annoyed tone, pushing my hands into the pockets of my shorts. Honestly, it’s surprising that Rich could see me, but I suppose that means he has some camera around here. “Still haven’t changed one bit, have you?” Rich says in a teasing jab, taking a deep breath. After a moment of silence, Rich sighs to himself, presumably annoyed by my last minute drop in. “Alright, Dazzle. I’m feeling quite generous today, so I’ll give you some of my time. But make it quick. I have an election to prepare for.” Before I can respond, the speaker buzzes again, making the gate open in front of me. That was… easier than I thought it would be. And what election? Quickly walking inside the property, the gate closes behind me, making me feel a little trapped. Regardless, the driveway I’m on leads right to the mansion’s front entrance, small lights aligned on both sides of the cement. The grass is freshly cut with automated sprinklers watering the yard, making me sigh slightly to myself. Sometimes, I wonder what it’s like to have a yard. I mean, it’s just a bunch of grass, true, but it could also offer a nice day outdoors instead of having to go all the way to a park. Then again, it also requires a lot of work, especially with bigger yards. Regardless, I walk down the driveway, my hands still in my pockets. Surprisingly, there are a few people close to the front door, standing around tables of supplies. As I get closer, I can hear old music being played on a radio as people put things together. They look like… signs? Honestly, with the whole host of things they’re trying to put together, it’s hard to actually make out what this is for. Some of the people here look at me with a bit of confusion, but that’s probably because Filthy Rich is selective about who he lets near his house. Shaking my head, I walk past all the tables and walk up the tile stairs, putting my hand on the front door. As soon as I open the door, the sound of people talking becomes even louder, walking into the foyer to see two big rooms to my left and right filled with people. Every now and then, people would walk by to go to the other room with supplies in their hands. Hell, I wouldn’t doubt it if it wasn’t just these two rooms since I can see other people moving around down the hall. In this foyer area, there are two sets of staircases going to the second floor on each side of the main hallway, a big chandelier right above anyone who walks in the front door. The walls are white as always, but the floor is made out of gray marble tiles. Honestly, all of this is a little intimidating, just walking in on it. “Ah, Dazzle~ I’ll be with you in a moment~” Rich’s voice echoes from the top of the stairwell, prompting me to look up. My eyes open wider and I can’t help but freeze at the sight. Wait… Why is she here…? Why would… I mean, I’ve known her before, but I never really wanted to see her again, just so I could avoid the embarrassment of my actions… Why would Celestia of all people be here? As if it wasn’t enough to screw with me yesterday, the universe thought it was appropriate to make Celestia be here of all days. Her eyes look down the stairwell and make contact with mine, a look of surprise appearing on her face. Her white skin is still as recognizable as ever, contrasting with her multi-colored hair well. Just from this alone, it makes me want to have a hoodie on again, just to try and avoid recognition. Clearly she’s surprised to see me here too, but… it’s for all the wrong reasons. Not for embarrassment or anxiety, but for recollections of my actions before… Celestia’s eyes move back to Rich as they talk to each other at the top of the staircase, her hand resting on the railing as if she’s about to leave. Her eyes move back to me in small intervals, but she maintains her professional demeanor, smiling at Rich. “Thank you for the proposal, Mr. Rich, but like I said before, I will have to decline your offer.” After that, Celestia takes a couple steps down the staircase, her eyes making contact with mine once more. Honestly, it’s hard for me to even be here, but I… have to remember I’ve changed. At least, I think so… There’s no reason to be afraid of her recognizing me… “At least think about it a little more before the election, alright?” Rich asks her from the top of the stairs, prompting Celestia to wave a little as an affirmation that she heard him. Rich looks surprisingly annoyed by this, making a part of me feel amused. I didn’t know someone like her could so easily annoy Filthy Rich. Before I can think any more about it, Rich signs for me to come up the stairs just as Celestia makes it to the bottom. “Dazzle,” Celestia says in a quiet and respectful voice, nodding afterward. “Celestia,” I try to respond with an equal amount of respect, unsure how I should talk to her. Despite my past actions, the woman advocated for me when it came to getting the job at Fancy Pants’ music studio. That’s something I can’t ignore, so at least she doesn’t fully hate me. I guess she lives up to a principal’s goal of trying to help people, at least in this universe. As she passes me, I can’t help but keep my eyes on her, trying to think if I should say anything more or if I should just leave it be. “Hey, Celestia,” I barely say, catching her attention before she leaves, her eyes returning my gaze. “I just wanted to say… thanks. By recommending me.” For a moment, a look of confusion is painted across her face, unsure of what I’m talking about until she simply smiles. A nod comes from her, clearly remembering the event in question. “I believe everyone deserves a second chance, Dazzle,” is all she says in a quiet voice before turning around again, walking towards the front door. A small part of me feels like I owe more of a conversation to her, but I just have to shake my head, walking up the stairs slowly. The whole reason I came here is to talk to Rich, so it would be better to get that out of the way now. Besides, what more is there to be said? We never knew each other that well and honestly? It would probably just be awkward for the both of us. I guess the most I can do is carry around a mutual respect for the woman, despite how I felt in the past. Reaching the top of the stairs, Filthy Rich simply smiles at me offering his hand for a handshake, an offer I don’t accept. Rich pulls his hand back, straightening his jacket and tie. “I must apologize for the… unstately position of my home. I’m coordinating my campaign to run as the new mayor of Canterlot City, so a lot of work needs to be put in.” Rich states in a proud manner, smiling to himself at the thought. “Sounds ambitious. Moving up the ladder again, huh?” I ask in a monotone voice, looking down at his tie for a moment. “Ah, but being mayor requires a lot of responsibility, Dazzle. Something you should understand,” he states with a wink before walking away from the stairway. Surprisingly, there’s a big lobby area right in front of the stairs, luxurious couches and glass tables to act as a resting area. Rich starts walking through the area, making me follow behind him. “So, what do I owe this visit to? You said you needed to talk to me today,” Rich asserts with a small smile, looking back at me as we walk through this lounge. “Could we address that topic in more private quarters? I’d rather keep this between us,” I ask in the same monotone voice I used from before, looking around the rooms and hallways that are positioned around the lounge. Multiple people walk back and forth to presumably help with preparations. “I thought you’d be more trustful of others after a while, but I assume that hasn’t happened yet,” Rich laughs quietly to himself before we walk into a hallway. “Then how about we talk about something different? What is between you and Ms. Celestia?” Rich asks in a curious tone, looking at me with a snarky look. “We used to be acquaintances. That’s it.” “Come on, Dazzle. I know that from what I’ve seen, but how did you two become acquaintances? Was she your principal?” Rich’s tone of voice changes to a teasing one, chuckling to himself as we walk along. Honestly, I don’t know why he’s so interested, but it probably has something to do with whatever proposal he was trying to offer Celestia… “She was. A long time ago. But we never talked other than a couple times,” I slowly explain, closing my eyes. To be honest, it’s hard to remember whatever I said to Celestia before I controlled her. I’m not even sure if I did say anything. That makes it even more surprising that she would think I’m deserving of a second chance. “Ah. Then I suppose that means you can’t help me convince her,” Rich mumbles under his breath. Before I can say anything in response, I notice one of the doors to my left is actually open, despite all the other doors remaining closed. Rich himself also seems to notice this as he approaches the door with an expressionless face, possibly being the first time I’ve seen him like this. Before he grabs the door knob, I can see the dimly lit room has multiple medical equipment devices and even a hospital bed inside, a small lump in the blanket still visible. Filthy Rich closes the door as quietly as he can before looking at me with a worried glance, trying to keep his composure. “Disregard what you just saw…” Without another word, he simply keeps walking, expecting me to follow after him. “Sure. Don’t worry about it,” I barely say, looking towards the floor as I follow him. Within a few moments, both of us walk towards another set of stairs that lead to the third floor. Unlike the first set of stairs, these were smaller with red carpet, only allowing one person to walk up or down it rather than two or three. “Hey, Rich?” I ask quietly, walking up the stairs behind him. Even though he may have been involved with… that, I somehow doubt it by now. Hell, I shouldn’t doubt it. I’m talking about Filthy Rich here. Of course he would do anything to make a quick buck, but… a part of me hopes he wouldn’t strike me or anyone else he remotely knows. Maybe that’s just Sunset’s attitude rubbing off on me… Having hope for even the most hopeless, huh? That’s something she would always do. “What is it?” Rich asks after clearing his throat, not bothering to look at me. “You know you’re not alone, right?” This time, I use a more caring tone than before… I’m not even sure why, but I guess it felt right. This isn’t my problem, so I don’t know why I’m even inserting myself into it. “There are a lot of people with… ill family members.” As soon as I say this, Rich’s eyes look behind himself and at me with an angry tone in them. “What is your point, Dazzle?” he asks, stopping in the middle of the stairway. “I was just… observing. There are people out there who you can talk to. Maybe it’s-” “Maybe you should stop observing situations that are none of your business, Dazzle.” Rich looks away in an instant, taking a deep breath as he straightens his tie. “This is not your concern, Dazzle… You know nothing of what’s going on and I would prefer it if you keep out,” he states in a calmer voice, turning around again to walk up the stairs. A small sigh exits my lips, following after and looking towards the ground. The first room to our right is the one Rich decides to walk into, opening the door for both of us quickly. “What we can talk about is whatever you needed to see me so urgently for.” The click of his door closing can be heard before he walks around to the other side of his desk, his eyes looking into my own curiously. “What is it you want from me, Dazzle?” ================================================== The dirt road never fails to make you feel like you’re alone. Dirt roads are usually less traveled by definition, but I suppose it really depends on where you live. Regardless, it provides an atmosphere that promotes thoughts, even if you don’t have much to think about. Even if you’re just walking to do some mundane errand, you don’t usually have a shortage of entertaining things to think about. Today is not much different since the long road to the Apple Family farm is quite boring. I suppose you could bring a book with you, but other than that, you’re pretty much left to yourself. Unless you bring someone with you. Today, I don’t have anyone with me other than the constant buzzing of my phone. A smirk comes across my face, opening my phone again to answer a text message, sent by a particularly colorful girl. “You should have seen it! We scored like 12-2 on those losers! I did offer some of the sports drinks we had in our cooler though,” the text message details in the same old excitement that Rainbow carries with her in almost every facet of life. “How is offering the opposing team sports drinks supposed to help?” I type in with a short laugh to myself, shaking my head at Rainbow’s bizarre message. “It’s obvious! God, you’re hopeless, aren’t you? It’s supposed to be a sign of sportsmanship and to say ‘good game’ to the other team~” Rainbow texts back quickly after, using a smiling emoji at the end of her statement. Despite the intent of the emoji, it still sorta creeps me out. “Given, I don’t play a sport, Dashie,” I text her back with another chuckle. Honestly, I debate using the laughing emoji, but I decide against it since I’ve never used them before. “Says the girl who can bowl like there’s no tomorrow!” her text comes in immediately after I sent my own, Dash applauding our last match together. “Seriously, we need to bowl again sometime.” “I’ll think about it~ But I was wondering something. Do you know anything about motorcycles?” I ask her with a curious smile, despite the fact that she can’t see me. It doesn’t take long for me to see the same old symbol to show the other person is typing, making me think Dash has nothing better to do than to text with me. Either that or she is texting while doing something else. If that something else is driving, then I may not talk to Dash much longer. “Yeah, why do you ask? Do you want to know something?” her message asks me in just a few seconds, promptly being followed by a moving image of a confused duck. What the fuck, Dash? “Actually, yeah. I was wondering what you think is a good price for a motorcycle like this.” Right after I send my message, I attach the photo of the motorcycle I had taken earlier, sending it to her as well. “Apparently, there are a couple problems with it as well, so take that into account.” For a few seconds, nothing pops up onto the screen, but this radio silence doesn’t last long. The texting icon finally shows up and disappears multiple times over. “Huh, a Royal Enfield Classic 500, huh? Nice~ Do you know what year it is?” Rainbow asks with a confused emoji. “Um… Dash, if you don’t know the current year, I think you should see a doctor. And possibly stop playing soccer.” “No no no! Not like that! I mean, do you know what year the motorcycle was made?” Rainbow almost instantly responds, making me feel a little stupid due to my confusion. “No, I don’t. But that doesn’t really matter unless you’re trying to sell it, right? I’m trying to buy it.” Even though I feel confused about the whole process, I’m still glad that Rainbow can at least try to help me. “Well, the year kinda does matter if you want to know a good price. I could do some research for you if you want?” Research, huh? This is possibly the first time I’ve ever heard of Rainbow Dash voluntarily doing research instead of having to do it against her will. “That would be nice, Dash. Though, I do have to go now. I’ll talk to you more later, okay?” I text into my phone, closing it right after sending the message. Despite the buzz of a response, I ignore it and look out in front of me, finally seeing the farm house in the distance. It’s been a couple of days since I’ve seen Apple Bloom and her sister, so I want my visit with them to be uninterrupted before I meet Sunset. Walking faster along the dirt road, I can’t help but smile at the thought of Apple Bloom. Even though it’s only been a couple days, we haven’t seen each other all that much in the last few months, so it’s nice to imagine seeing her. Even if she has some weird story to share with me, it’s fun to see her enthusiasm and her clear belief that everything will be alright. I suppose that belief also extends to me, huh? She believed without a doubt that I had changed and she wanted to help me with that process all that time ago… For that, I can’t really repay her, no matter what I do. Her sister, on the other hand, is still a bit awkward around me, but I think we’re getting to a point where we can honestly say that we have fun hanging around each other. I’m really glad about that too since it means I have another friend and I get to see Apple Bloom more often. Walking through the opening in the fence and down the driveway, I notice a big wagon in front of their big barn with one of its wheels on the ground. Unlike the one Apple Bloom drags along with her everywhere she goes, this one is big enough to be attached to a truck, looking like it can hold at least fifteen people on it. Even though I have limited knowledge of how families like Apple Bloom’s do things, I can take a couple wild guesses as to what the wagon would be used for. Upon closer inspection, I can see Applejack inspecting the wheel on the ground while Apple Bloom sits on top of the wagon. It doesn’t take long for Apple Bloom’s eyes to look around towards Applejack, only to notice me walking down the driveway, a big smile appearing on her face. Instantly, the young girl jumps off the wagon and starts running towards me, prompting her big sister to look up. “Adagio!” Apple Bloom yells before colliding right into me, punching the air out of my lungs. It doesn’t help that her head reaches the upper portion of my stomach and that her head is as tough as a pile of bricks. “H-hey, Apple Bloom,” I weakly let out, petting her head and returning the hug. Given, my hug wasn’t nearly as tight as hers. Good lord. “How are ya doing? You doing alright? Ooh, what’s with the new outfit? Are you trying out a new style?” Apple Bloom asks a billion questions all in the span of a few seconds, her hands quickly feeling the leather jacket I have on and observing the jean shorts and tights I have on. What seems to catch her eye the most, however, is the fact that I have my hair up, something I haven’t really done since Sonata and Aria left. “Well, I guess it ain’t technically new, but it’s certainly a nice change!” “I’m glad you like it. Sunset wanted me to try something new out to help with my confidence since it’s been an issue lately.” To humor the excited girl, I do a quick little twirl to show her the outfit in its entirety. It seems the desired effect is easily achieved as Apple Bloom looks awe struck by my appearance. “It looks really good on you, Adagio~! I’m glad you’re trying it out~ Do you like it though?” A concerned look comes over her face being quickly replaced by confusion after I let out a small laugh. “Of course I like it, Apple Bloom~ I wouldn’t wear it otherwise.” “I don’t know. You do have a history of doing whatever Sunset wants ya to~” Apple Bloom quickly responds with a wink, jabbing me with her elbow. I can’t help but raise my eyebrow at Apple Bloom’s statement, but before I can say anything, Apple Bloom quickly grabs my hand and drags me towards the wagon. It’s nice to see that Apple Bloom never changes~ Despite how much someone may dread being dragged around by her, she does it out of the best of intentions and her happy smile just makes you deal with it rather than complain. “Also, why are ya here? I wasn’t expecting to see you for a while~” Apple Bloom asks excitedly, walking past some apple decorations set up along the driveway. Honestly, these apples remind me pretty quickly that the Apple Family reunion is only a few days away, making me smile at the thought. “Well, I have some free time today, so I figured I would visit you. Is that such a bad idea?” I ask her in my own tease, both of us laughing slightly. “Of course not! In fact, I was kinda missing you.” Another happy expression comes across Apple Bloom’s face, a nice contrast to the annoyed look I saw the last time we met. “Oh! We have another science project coming up in my class, so would you maybe like to help my big sis and me make something?” Apple Bloom quickly asks me with a childish excitement that doesn’t fit her age, but her personality. “Apple Bloom, don’t bother her with that sorta thing,” Applejack states as we get close enough to the wagon, wiping her hands of grease and oil with a rag. Standing up, Applejack walks closer to us, extending her hand out to me with a nod. “It’s nice to see you again, Adagio~” Taking her hand in my own, I nod at her statement and return a smile, bringing her in for a hug. From the way Applejack reacts to the action tells me she wasn’t expecting to be hugged by me or get that sort of affection in this way, but nonetheless, she returns the gesture in a tight hug as well. “It’s nice seeing you too, Applejack~ But I really wouldn’t mind helping you two with Apple Bloom’s science project,” I state after our hug, looking down at Apple Bloom. Without warning either of us, Apple Bloom grabs us in a hug and giggles to herself. “Well, if ya don’t mind, then I suppose you can. Apple Bloom and I don’t really have an idea of what we’re going to do as of yet,” Applejack confesses with a nervous grin, taking off her hat and scratching the back of her head. Judging from the sweat on her head, I can see that the two sisters have been working for a while. “Don’t worry about it~ But if you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong with the wagon?” I ask, nodding to the wheel that Applejack had been working on until recently. “Oh, that damn-” Applejack stops mid-sentence after looking at Apple Bloom, only to compose herself by clearing her throat. “I mean, that dang wagon had a rotten wheel, so Apple Bloom and I needed to buy a new one. And then make adjustments because it’s apparently too big.” Applejack quickly brings her hand to her face, sighing at the hard repair. “We could always use the extra hands~” “I could help~ I have a couple hours before I have to go, so it wouldn’t be a problem,” I tell Applejack with a friendly smile before giving her a thumbs up. Surprisingly, Apple Bloom grabs a hold of my arm tightly with her hand, an excited expression coming to her quickly. “Oh! Big sis! Could I maybe show Adagio the pictures of the water park trip the girls and I went on yesterday? Please? We’ll be right back~” Apple Bloom pleads with her sister with the same puppy eyes I’ve seen all too much. I think I can understand why Applejack gets annoyed by it at times, but it’s hard to say no to her. “Alright, fine. But come back in fifteen minutes, okay? I ain’t going to fix this by myself,” Applejack states with a small hand gesture, promptly getting a big hug from her little sister. “Thank you, big sis!” Apple Bloom quickly responds before grabbing a hold of my arm again, full on sprinting to the front door and dragging me along. If there’s one thing I don’t miss, it’s the dangerous trips at mach one speed that Apple Bloom drags me along on. I guess this is what I got myself into, daring to be friends with the small titan. God, have mercy on my soul. ==================================================== Despite how most modern appearances look these days, Rarity’s shop gives off a warm feeling while also sporting the newer models of how shops should look. I suppose it’s a combination of tiles with colorful drapes and even artwork on the walls. Regardless, the warm aura of the shop almost makes it feel intimidating to enter, feeling like a place I probably shouldn’t visit, especially just to ask her a favor. Honestly, it feels greedy to come to Rarity in such circumstances without visiting her just for fun beforehand. I mean, I’m trying to be her friend, right? How would it look to have someone trying to be your friend while also saying ‘hey, I need to buy something from you’. Taking a deep breath, I slowly open the door to Rarity’s shop for the first time. This isn’t the only time I’ve seen her store, but I haven’t actually entered the establishment before, the only time I’ve ever been this close was when I had to pass it to go have coffee with Sunset. In fact, that was the first time Sunset and I ever hung out together as friends, wasn’t it? I don’t think Rarity even knew I was going to meet up with Sunset. A ring of a bell signals my entrance prompting the familiar purple-haired girl to look up from her magazine at the counter, red glasses on her face. Before she can even say anything, Rarity’s eyes widen as she takes the glasses off, seemingly surprised to see me. “Adagio? Um, how are you doing?” she asks with a smile, quickly rushing around the counter to take my hand in hers, rubbing my shoulder. “Been a while, hasn’t it?” Quietly, I nod to her statement, looking down to the floor. “Yeah, it has been. I have been wanting to see you again,” I respond with as kind of a voice as I can, returning the handshake. For a moment, I look around her shop, impressed at all the decorations around the main room, complimenting the clothes for sale. “Oh, darling, it’s quite alright. I know you have the best of intentions~” Rarity reassures me, leading me over to a small dressing room area to the left of the store with chairs beside it. “Would you like some tea and a conversation~?” Rarity asks with a smile on her face, trying to offer a welcoming environment. “That sounds really tempting, honestly, but I can’t… I have to go soon to meet with Sunset.” A guilty expression comes across my face, unable to hide my feelings for just dropping by without so much as a decent visit before I have to go again. “Of course, I’d love to stick around and talk tomorrow if you can, but I can’t really afford to do that today.” Rarity’s eyebrow raises slowly, her mouth slightly opening in confusion. “If you can’t stay, then why are you here, Adagio? Do you need something?” she asks me with a concerned look, her body now aimed at me once more. Her statement just makes me feel even worse for dropping by with a request of all things, rather than genuinely trying to have a good day with her… “The truth is… I was wondering if you could fix something for me? It’s very special to me and it was kind of ripped recently.” Once again, my eyes avoid hers as I look towards the floor, feeling guilty for asking this of her. “Well, it really depends on how badly its ripped and what item it is. Could I see this damaged piece?” Rarity requests, urging me to show her whatever I wished for her to repair. Honestly, I feel bad for asking her to fix something so badly damaged, but I didn’t really know anyone else I could go to… Pulling out a lump of purple fabric from my purse, I set it in Rarity’s hand. Almost instantly, a horrified and confused face comes over her, inspecting the fabric. “Oh my god… Is this your scarf?! It’s unrecognizable! What did you do to damage it this badly?” I’m pretty surprised Rarity remembered the fact that I had a scarf. ‘Had’ being the optimal word… “A skateboard accident… It wasn’t my idea. Rainbow Dash brought me along and I was… stupid enough to not take it off before we skated.” Before I can say anything else, Rarity rolls her eyes, bringing the fabric to the counter and promptly putting her glasses back on. “Of course it was her fault. Rainbow Dash is kind of a… brute.” Clearly, Rarity’s frown is caused by her thoughts of Rainbow, but what those thoughts are remain a mystery to me. “If you had torn this any more than you did, then I probably couldn’t have fixed it, but I can probably work with this.” Turning to face me with a smirk, Rarity taps her finger on the counter with a thoughtful expression. “My services aren’t free, so how about you treat Fluttershy and I to a spa day tomorrow?” Spa days aren’t my specialty… I don’t know any good spa places to go to nor what treatments are worth buying. For some reason, I think Rarity’s already got that part of the trip figured out, but I’m still not sure if I can necessarily afford it… “Can I take Sunset with me?” I ask her hesitantly, but my worries are quickly relieved when I see her nod to my question. “Okay, I’ll try my best to do that~” Let’s just hope I can hold up my end of the deal… ====================================================== “Apple Bloom was excited to see you, I take it?” Sunset happily asks me, taking a bite of a snow cone she got for herself. Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised when Sunset buys me a treat as well, but each time she does, it’s still a happy little surprise, something I can smile at besides Sunset herself. Every time I look at her, I still see that beautiful face and fiery hair, filled with such passion for life itself~ “Yeah, she was happy that I went to visit her~ Apparently, she went to a water park with her friends yesterday, so she really wanted to show me the pictures they took together.” Sunset giggles at my response, almost spitting out the piece of her snow cone in her mouth. “Apple Bloom shows you a lot of things, huh? She trusts you a lot~” Sunset smiles in almost a dreamy way, looking at me in an affectionate way. “What? I don’t know why she trusts me. She just decided to talk to me one day and now we’re here.” My cheeks flush to Sunset’s intimate stare, looking towards the concrete we walk on, shaking my head slightly. “Still, it makes you even cuter~ Such a trustworthy and kind person~ I guess you could say I caught the best fish in the sea~” Sunset coos with a smile, leaning her head against my shoulder as we walk. “I-I’m not the best fi-” “I love you, Adagio~” Sunset interrupts me with a small whisper, grabbing a hold of my hand. “You’re the best in my eyes~” Instantly, my cheeks flush again, my face feeling hot from the embarrassment or intimate feeling in my soul. Honestly, I can’t help but lean my head against hers, liking the feeling of us being so close to one another. “I-I… I love you too, Sunset~” It doesn’t matter who sees us in the world today. It doesn’t matter what people think of us or our past. Honestly, I just wish I could watch a movie with her right now, inevitably falling asleep in her arms with nothing else in the world mattering anymore~ I can’t wait until we can do that again~ Unfortunately, it seems we probably won’t be able to do that until we fix the locks on our apartment, so we can only really focus on today. “By the way, you never told me who we’re going to see today. If you don’t mind me asking, who is it?” I ask quietly, not moving my head from hers. Suddenly, Sunset giggles quietly to herself, squeezing my hand gently. “Sorry, I forgot to tell you, huh? I figured we could spend some time with Twilight today~” The words flow out of Sunset’s mouth in a soothing tone, but the content of her words does the opposite effect. We’re going to be spending time with Twilight, huh? I’ve never met the girl before… How should I act? What should her first impression be? “I just hope everything will go alright…” Author’s notes: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the really late upload! I hate to keep everyone waiting to read the next chapter of my story, but honestly, it’s been a really hectic time in my life recently. Dealing with finals, breaking up with my significant other and a falling out between my two best friends has been pretty hard for me mentally, so I’ve kinda been on and off writing for the past month. Due to everything that has happened to me recently, I have been less motivated and inspired to write anything, not just this story, but in the past couple of days, I finally decided I would write some more~ It’s been a hard time for me, but in no way am I stopping this story. There may be long breaks, but I still love this story with all my heart and I have every intention to finish this story~ I hope everyone still loves this story as well and that this chapter holds up to your standards of quality~ I especially tried to make this chapter have an extra bit of oomph to it since I wanted to give a bigger reading, so I think I accomplished that due to this chapter being the longest chapter I’ve ever written. I can’t wait to write the next chapter as well~ If you have anything you want to say about the story, make sure to comment and I want to give a big thanks to my friend, Mon668, for being my friend throughout this hard time and for being my beta reader for this story~ As with everything, though, stay special, everybody! I’ll talk to you all again later~
Testing Your HypothesisAuthor's Note What is supposed to be a short trip turns into an awfully hilarious conversation~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. This chapter is a short little update before my next big chapter for this story~ This is not part of the birthday surprise for my friend, Mon668, but if you want to see those, check out It's Just Us and the two bonus chapters on A Dazzling World~ Testing Your Hypothesis Chapter XIII: Testing Your Hypothesis “What are you talking about? Of course everything will be alright~” Sunset reassures me, nudging me with her hip. Despite the kind intentions of Sunset’s words, a part of me still feels unsure as I think about the friend we’re going to see… Twilight Sparkle is… predictable, kind and anxious. She has a tendency to overthink things and she lacks the charisma I used to have, but she has the ability to bring people together. At least, all of these attributes can be traced back to Princess Twilight. She’s the one I met a long time ago… This new version of her, on the other hand, is someone I’ve never met and no matter what Sunset says, it’s still nerve wracking to think of the ways she could be different. I have no idea what would qualify as a good impression to her, especially after what she’s probably heard about me from her friends… “Adagio…?” Shaking my head slightly, I grip Sunset’s hand a little tighter and sigh to myself, closing my eyes as we walk. “I’m just nervous about what she may think of me, that’s all.” Surprisingly, a cool wind passes by us, providing us a nice change of pace from the usual hot air during this time of the year. Though, I suppose the winter will return sooner or later… “Don’t worry, Adagio~ I’m sure she will like you~ She’s one of my best friends and she knows what it’s like to try and change someone’s perception of you, just like you and me.” Sunset moves her head from my shoulder to look at me, the same warm smile that I fell in love with presenting itself as she presses the cup of her snow cone to my cheek, making me raise my eyebrow. “Um. Sunset? Why are you holding your snow cone against my face?” I ask, trying to hold back a confused giggle. “Well, I would hold my hand against your cheek~ But you have my only free hand in a death grip and I can’t just drop my snow cone, so this is the best I can do~” In unison, both of us laugh at Sunset’s cheeky joke, making my heart feel warmer at the sight of Sunset’s amusement. Before I can say anything, however, Sunset brings her face closer to mine, pressing her nose against mine and closing her eyes. It doesn’t take long for Sunset to close the distance, finally connecting our lips only to make me feel that warm and fuzzy feeling deep in my soul. I guess you could call that feeling love~ After all, Sunset is… really perfect. No matter the situation, she finds a way to make me feel happy~ “Why are you so random?” I mutter after our far too short kiss, my lips craving more. “It made you less worried, didn’t it~?” Sunset asks me in a cheeky tone, still rubbing her nose against my own. “That’s cheating and you know it~” I try to say with a straight face. This, in fact, fails horribly since I can’t help but giggle at Sunset's remark, feeling my cheeks flush once more. She always has this effect on me, even though I’ve been trying to get used to it for the past few months. Then again, why would I ever want to get used to this? Wouldn’t that mean the magic of these moments be lost? Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Sunset looks back at me with a curious expression, still as cute as ever. “Alligator? Is something wrong?” she asks me as gently as ever, making me feel so… so lucky. I’m so lucky to have her in my life. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull Sunset into my embrace, resting my head on her shoulder with a happy breath exiting my lips. I guess I’m just a sucker for her in general. Being near her and being able to talk to her brings me a smile most days, even if I don’t expect it. “Just… let me have this moment. Please,” I tell her quietly, hiding my face in her neck. Even though we’re about to meet Sunset’s friend today, it doesn’t change the fact that I wish she and I could just hold each other for eternity and more. “Hey, you don’t have to feel so anxious about meeting Twilight~ It’ll be alright, really~” Sunset tries to reassure me, scratching the back of my head gently. “No, no. That’s not it. I’m sure things will turn out okay, I just… As random and silly as our adventures are, I just want you to know that I love you so much,” I state quietly, hugging her tighter. “I don’t think I tell you enough to adequately show just how much you truly mean to me.” “Aw, Alligator~ You tell me almost every day that you love me with all your heart, so I think I understand~” Sunset whispers in my ear, holding me closer to her. The cool breeze blows past us again and the surprisingly quiet city offers some sense of privacy, but I don’t think I could care if someone did see us. It’s not their problem. Once again, Sunset’s fingers run through my hair, gently tracing along my scalp as she hums to me. “You don’t have to go today if you don’t feel like it~ It’s alright~ We can just go back and hold each other if that’s what you need? It seems like you’re carrying around a lot~” Sunset always has a way to find the core issue in my mind, reading me like a book she’s memorized ten fold. As tempting as that offer is, I know how important this meeting with Twilight is to her. “No, we can still go~” I whisper, kissing Sunset’s cheek before grabbing her hand again. “I just needed a moment~” Pulling her along, I walk down the sidewalk with a big smile on my face, almost every problem fading away easily. “Okay then, my sweet Alligator~” Sunset coos with a wink, resting her head on my shoulder once again. “And just so you know, I love you so much too~” ========================================================= To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting Twilight to live in a place like this… If anything, I kind of assumed she would be living in a cramped apartment like Sunset and I, but here we are, standing in front of a house. Given, the house isn’t that big, but it’s a house nonetheless with a front yard and mail box. There are even some dog toys laid out on the front porch, being the only things in the front yard except for the bare house. Surprisingly, the house has wood panels on the outdoor walls in a dark purple color, but to be honest, I think the color looks kind of hideous for house decor… What would help with the outside appearance is some sort of garden, but the garden bed has long since been overrun by weeds and grass. Any semblance of flowers long since destroyed. It seems Twilight spends most of her time inside… Despite my initial reluctance, Sunset walks ahead of me and up the porch’s steps, knocking on the door as loudly as she can. “Sometimes, Twilight sleeps in and all~” Sunset explains to me before I walk up behind her, still nervous about what sort of impression I should try and portray. “How is it exactly? Being friends with two different versions of the same person?” I ask quietly, looking at Sunset’s cheerful expression. From what I remember, Sunset keeps in contact with Princess Twilight with some magical book fairly often and texts glasses Twilight at the same rate. I really need to come up with a better name than glasses Twilight to differentiate them… I can’t just call them Twilight 1 and Twilight 2, right? God, why does it have to be so difficult? Just thinking about doppelgangers is confusing by itself since it implies there might be another version of Sunset out there. Or even me… Would she be a bitch or what? Given, I kind of… like being a bitch. It’s fun to tease people and be annoying half the time, but now I mean it in a more joking way than anything else. A doppelganger of mine might not… “It’s confusing sometimes when talking about Twilight to someone else. But overall? Not that much different from having normal friends. The Twilight from Equestria is more obsessed with magic and friendship than the Twilight from this world. She’s more into science and knowledge, but friendship is also a big part of her life too.” “Don’t forget their physical differences,” I tease Sunset, laughing slightly. “Seriously, I can’t understand why one version of her has such drastically different vision and all.” A quizzical look comes over Sunset, seemingly thinking about the words I just said. “Actually, I never thought about that. Maybe it’s because of Equestria’s magic? But some ponies needed glasses too…” Sunset pouts slightly, looking off into space as she ponders the question for a moment further. “what the fuck…?” she slowly whispers to herself. “I know, right? It’s a weird question,” I tease her with a chuckle pushing my shoulder against hers for a moment. “Thanks, now I won’t be able to stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. Maybe forever,” Sunset sighs in annoyance, resting her head on my shoulder. “Though, I guess it just shows how smart you are. So, I’ll let you off the hook.” “I was on the hook for posing a legitimate question?” I am barely able to ask before laughing out loud at the absurdity of her statement. “Well, you made me think about a question I don’t have the means of finding the answer to, so it’s kind of unfair.” Sunset’s response loses its humorous tone by the end of it, being overtaken by a thoughtful look on her face. “I suppose it would be like… asking why you’re so beautiful,” she whispers, her gaze looking at me slowly. Instantly, my cheeks flush to the compliment, being embarrassed but unable to avert my gaze from Sunset’s eyes. “You were born like this and there’s no real rhyme or reason as to why you look so beautiful. You just are~” Sunset whispers in my ear, kissing my cheek as slowly as she can. Why does she always take every opportunity to fluster me by the throat? It’s like my blush is her reward and her kiss is mine… Before I can respond, the sound of the door’s lock turning alerts us both, making our gaze turn to the door. Every time I’m about to respond to one of Sunset’s antics, something gets in the way… Though, I can’t really blame it this time since Sunset did knock on the door. Opening it slowly, a purple girl with messy hair and squinting eyes looks at us in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. Bringing her glasses to her face, her gaze is instantly directed at me, her eyes widening at the sight. “Hello…?” she whispers, still looking at me. “Twilight~” Sunset greets her with a smile. “This is-” “Adagio Dazzle,” Twilight interrupts her in a monotone voice, her surprised expression still aimed at me. Okay, this is… a little awkward… “You’re a siren, right?” she asks quietly, her eyes glued onto mine. A nervous expression comes over me before I finally nod to her question, her gaze lighting up. “Come with me~” Without giving me a warning, this nerdy version of Twilight grabs my arm and drags me into her home, instantly walking past the entrance hallway and living room. Sunset tries to say something to us as she follows behind, but Twilight pulls me down the stairs to her basement faster than I can hear her. What the fuck is she doing? Where are we going? Did Sunset bring me here to die…? “Don’t hurt her, Twilight~” Sunset is barely able to say through her laughter of the situation. Hurt me? What the fuck does she have in this basement?! Torture devices? What did you just get me into, Sunset? What is… down here…? Okay, now I feel confused… Entering the basement’s entrance, I see a bunch of lab equipment like beakers, microscopes and tools, but nothing necessarily to torture someone like me. Unless she has scalpels somewhere here… There aren’t technically restraints, so I could just run from her if she does try something. Though, I think a good punch would be the better option. Looking to the right of the room, there’s a purple and green dog stretching in the bed, yawning slowly. “Can I take a sample of your blood?” nerd Twilight asks me excited, her eyes sparkling at me with a big grin plastered on her face. “What the fuck? No!” I exclaim, ripping my arm from Twilight’s grasp with a confused expression. Why would she need my blood? So far as I’m concerned, she would do unspeakable things with it… “Relax, Honey~” Sunset whispers in my ear, catching me from my quick retreat. “Twilight is just… very excited about science. She’s particularly interested in studying-” “The difference between Equestrian individuals and Earthly individuals~” Twilight interjects, quickly walking over to a blackboard in the back of the room. Who has a blackboard in their house…? Much less their basement… On the board, there’s a crude drawing of Sunset as a pony and a human version of Twilight Sparkle, scribbled in notes beside each of the drawings. Of course, the drawing of Twilight has glasses on as well, likely basing it off herself instead of the… pony one. “When Sunset told me about you, I was excited to meet you since I’m not sure how siren DNA is manipulated by this world and the interdimensional travel between universes!” Suddenly, a confused look comes across Twilight’s face, her eyes being directed at the board once more. “Although, I’m still not fully sure if the pony world is actually a different universe since our two worlds seem connected in more ways than one. But that’s besides the point.” Walking over to one of her file cabinets set up next to a table, she eagerly pulls out a file and flips through the pages, her wide eyes not matching her tired appearance. “Apparently, our DNA isn’t fully human,” Sunset whispers to me to try and explain Twilight’s rant. “Exactly~” Twilight interjects again, pulling out a specific page from the file in her hands, smiling at the contents. “From my research of Sunset’s blood, there’s one line of genetic code that’s different between her and I. The full extent of this difference is unknown to me yet, but from what I can tell, it doesn’t affect much. If I had to take a guess, it’s left over magical code inherent to almost every creature that comes from Equestria.” Twilight, reconnecting her eyes with mine, smiles a little wider. “Something that backs up this theory is that DNA taken from Rainbow Dash when she was fully transformed due to magic has a very similar trace, but it only lasts as long as she’s transformed. Problem is, I only have a sample from Sunset here and I’m not sure if this is inherent to just ponies or if each creature from Equestria has similar strains of code.” “You’re talking about my blood… as if it’s a computer,” I state quietly, a little annoyed at the use of ‘code.’ “Well, our DNA is what programs us~ It tells our body how we should look like, how we should heal, what certain cells are destined to do and a bunch of other stuff.” Raising my eyebrow, I can’t help but find this whole situation a little… humorous. I was pretty worried how my first impression would be with the purple girl, but here she is, practically begging to have a sample of my blood just for the sake of scientific discovery. In a way, I suppose it’s cute and makes our whole interaction easier on me. Chuckling slightly, I brush my hair off my shoulder and look at Twilight with a smirk. “You really want to know what makes this siren tick, huh?” I ask her in a teasing tone, but the nerd doesn’t seem to pick up on my tone. “Yeah? I mean, it’s important to try and understand the reason why this world is connected with your world and why you change. I mean, I’m still trying to understand the whole logistics of why you two changed into humans upon coming here.” For a moment, a quizzical look comes over Twilight’s face, seemingly pondering the question she brought up, but it quickly goes away as her smile comes back. “Does that mean I can have a sample~?” “Depends. You’re not going to try and clone me, are you?” I ask with a short laugh, placing my hand on my chest. “I think this world can only handle one of me~” My confident statement makes Twilight raise her eyebrow quickly, her hand coming to her chin. “Well, I wouldn’t clone you or anything, but there is a distinct possibility there’s another version of you in this world,” Twilight responds to me, looking for a reaction to her theory. “I already thought of that, but it’s not that likely they are exactly like me, Sparkle,” I state with another short laugh. To be honest, there’s no way another version of me would be like me, right? I’ve gone through thousands of years of turmoil and I’ve traveled to another world. Surely, a version of me from this world wouldn’t turn out exactly the same or have the same thought process I would… Right? I mean, if anything, she would probably be less patient than me due to… well, a limited life span. “I mean, you are clearly different from your pony counterpart, with your lack of vision and different fashion sense.” Sunset shoots me a glare that tells me to behave, but Twilight has a completely different reaction to this. “Actually, you’re right about that. Hmm… I didn’t even think about physical differences between individuals… Maybe the different code Sunset has alters her physical traits from her counterpart? Of course, we don’t know the other version of Sunset, so this has yet to be tested.” Taking a deep breath to collect herself, Twilight looks back at me, seemingly concentrating. “Anyway, I promise I won’t clone you or anything serious like that~ Although, I wish I had that sort of technology.” Raising her hand out to me, Twilight’s eyes look hopeful that I will take her deal, letting her see just a little more into Equestrian biology. Knowing that Sunset would not stop pestering me if I refused, I take Twilight’s hand in my own and shake gently. “Fine. You can have a… sample. But just one. I’m not quite a fan of needles.” “Oh, it won’t hurt~ I promise~” Twilight states with a big grin, walking me over to a chair right next to the dog bed before she takes out a syringe. Looking down at the dog next to me, I see the collar has the name Spike engraved into it. Spike’s eyes slowly open right as I sit down next to him, his head looking around the room at us before yawning again. Stretching and scratching his ear, he walks off his bed and looks up at the purple girl preparing my arm. “Are you done talking about the science stuff yet, Twilight? I couldn’t help but fall asleep to all that talking,” a male voice comes from thin air right as the dog opens his mouth… Did the dog just talk…? “What the fuck?!”
Balloons are Meant to PopAuthor's Note :) DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: I didn't think I would finish another chapter in such a short time span, but here I am once again~ Maybe it's because I've been sleep deprived, but hey~ At least I'm making some serious progress on my story~ This chapter has not been edited simply because I am so tired right now, but I will edit it in the upcoming days~ Balloons are Meant to Pop Chapter XV: Balloons are Meant to Pop Unsurprisingly, the thing Rarity and Fluttershy ended up settling on is the Rarity Treat from the menu, the purple-haired woman seemingly proud that she has an option named after herself. We also got a hefty discount due to Rarity’s reputation around the spa, being one of their ‘favorite customers.’ What’s even more surprising is that Fluttershy has been here almost as long as Rarity, but she doesn’ have her own menu item or something dedicated to her. I suppose that could be due to Fluttershy’s nature and maybe she denied such a privilege, but it still strikes me as odd. Walking into the back of the spa, a large open room with multiple lounging areas, a hot tub and steam chamber is in front of us, making it feel a little daunting at first. There are also private rooms off to the sides of the main area, but those seem to be reserved for more private treatments like massages. The Rarity Treat actually covers five different things, two of which I have already forgotten. The three I do remember are a lower back massage, a pedicure and a manicure. I’ve never had any of those except for the massage and that was given to me by Sunset a while ago… “You go on ahead, darling~ We’ll catch up~” Rarity tells Fluttershy with a small wave, one of her hands grabbing my shoulder. With a small nod, Fluttershy follows the spa worker towards the steam room, apparently being one of the things we’re doing today. I guess that is one of the two things I forgot about… Locking my eyes with Rarity’s gaze, she smiles at me as best as she can, looking me up and down. “So, Sunset didn’t want to show, huh?” she asks me slowly. “Unfortunately, she had an extra long shift at her internship today, so she couldn’t make it. I’d be surprised if I can even get a word in before she falls asleep tonight~” Rarity laughs at my joke, clearly amused. “I know what you mean, darling~ AJ is quite the same way. She works herself way too hard most days.” Before I can say anything, Rarity’s face momentarily shows a melancholy expression as her eyes look to the floor, but she simply locks her eyes with mine again, presenting a smile. “Applejack didn’t want to come?” I ask her, cutting her off from whatever she was about to say. The usually composed fashionista dawns a sad smile before she lets go of my shoulder, sighing quietly to herself. “Oh, you know how she is. Her family reunion is coming up soon and she doesn’t really like the spa. It’s been hard to talk to her at all recently, but I’m sure she’s just busy.” Her sad smile doesn’t disappear by the time she turns away from me, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Quickly, Rarity rummages through her purse, looking for something. “Although, that is not the reason I stopped you here.” Taking out a small bag with some purple material sticking out of the top, Rarity hands me the bag, an accomplished look coming to her. “It wasn’t easy, mind you, but I stayed up all night and managed to fix it as well as I could~ You may notice some stitch marks, but I think it should be as good as new~” Upon hearing Rarity’s words, I quickly grab the bag and look inside. Even the thought of her managing to fix it makes me so excited for some unknown reason. That feeling only increases in my chest when I see the fully intact scarf, as beautiful as it was the day I got it~ My heart beats faster, grabbing the soft material and feeling it once more. Even though it’s only been a few days, my hands have missed this feeling for what feels like ages. The scarf Sunset gave me so long ago… It’s back together and with me~ The luster of the fabric brings back so many memories automatically, my eyes involuntarily making tears form. It was so long ago that I was given this gift… The person I love gave it to me herself and I can’t help but love it with all my heart. Just having it back makes me feel so nice, having this constant reminder of Sunset and her meaning in my life~ It is the first gift she ever gave me~ Bringing the scarf closer, I can’t help but rub my cheek against it for old time’s sake, a couple of my tears sliding down my face despite the biggest smile I could have written across my face. The thought of how ridiculous I may look crosses my mind for only a second, but I don’t let my mind dwell on it. I don’t care who may see. It’s just… really nice to have it back and for it to be in one piece. “Darling?” Rarity speaks quietly, trying to get my attention. “Are you alright?” “Sorry. I just… Thank you so much, Rarity. You don’t know how much this means to me~” Instinctively, my arms wrap around the purple-haired woman without my smile leaving my face. A part of me is still shocked she could have fixed what was left of my scarf, but she really did it~ Something so special to me that was torn to shreds is practically just like I left it, except for a couple stitch marks. They’re barely visible due to the similarly colored fabric that Rarity used to fix the material. “I would say it was no problem, but the truth is that it was quite difficult to fix it. From now on, don’t go skating with pieces of clothing you don’t mind ripping. I swear that scarf was begging to be put down before you came to me.” Rarity hugs me back gently, patting my back with one of her hands. “I would also suggest not bringing it into the steam room with us. I swear if I have to bring that poor thing’s life back from death’s door again, you’ll have hell to pay.” Ending our embrace, Rarity smiles at me and gently slides her finger across the scarf, turning away from me to walk in the direction Fluttershy went. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” I tell her with a happy sigh, looking down at the scarf once more. I don’t intend on letting it get destroyed again. ========================================================= I didn’t expect for the visit to the spa to last that long… We stayed there for hours just to get everything done with the treatments I bought. If I had known it would have taken that long, I probably would have left halfway through. I suppose it did help with a bit of my stress, though… Not much… There’s still so much to do and I’m not even sure how I will be able to do half of it. Rarity wasn’t joking when she said a spa day since the only light out now is the moon, shining down on the world around me… I guess the day hasn’t been wasted, but… a part of me feels a bit guilty that it’s already over. Hell. I thought I would be home sooner than Sunset, but she is probably already back in bed. I was hoping to have at least one small conversation with her before tomorrow, but I guess that was wishful thinking. Walking further down the sidewalk, a small buzz catches my attention, searching my pocket for my phone. Once again, it’s a text, alerting me to someone’s attempt to contact me. That’s practically the only notification I do get other than alarms. “Huh, Rainbow,” I whisper to myself, seeing the icon on my screen. The picture I set her contact to is simply a photo of her eating a hot dog back when I first started working for Fancy Pants. I think it was the first time she and I ever had lunch on that roof together actually… Shaking my head, I slowly tap the notification, bringing me to our text conversation instantly. Despite her usually small text patterns, I’m greeted by a big message this time, taking up half of the screen easily. “Hey, Dagi. Thanks again for the pep talk we had earlier today. I was feeling really lost and I’m glad you were there to help me see straight. I just wanted to let you know two things before I hit the sack. First, I went ahead and quit my team, but I still want to be somewhat active in sports, so I’m going to look at different things. My mom agreed to help me with that. Secondly, I had some free time today, so I thought I’d do ya a solid like you did for me. I went over to your apartment today and I changed most of the locks with Sunset’s permission.” She… changed our locks…? She really didn’t have to do that, especially with everything she’s dealt with recently. Before I can even react to her previous message, Rainbow starts typing to me again. “If you tell anyone else this, I will deny it, but I did sorta need my dad’s help to learn how to change a lock. Turns out, it’s a lot more complicated than I thought. Especially when you’re only changing the lock and not the whole doorknob.” Rainbow’s text ends with a smiling emoji followed by a thumbs up, making me feel slightly confused… “Sunset already took all your stuff back to your place when she got off work, so I suppose I won’t be saying goodnight to you in person. Have a good night, Dagi~” Stopping in my tracks, I can’t help but reread Rainbow’s messages, making sure I got everything correct. Rainbow Dash… She does so much to appease people or make them happy, despite her own interests. No matter what, she sticks by you till the very end, making you feel a little guilty for putting her through so much trouble. She really didn’t have to do that, but if you try to argue with her, she’ll just refute it by saying she wanted to. I guess I do that to Sunset as well, but still. Turning around, I walk in the opposite direction of Rainbow’s house, smiling to myself. Instantly, my fingers type in a response, shaking my head slightly. “Thank you, Dash~ Get some rest.” ======================================================== Knocking on the door of our apartment, I can’t help but smile. The first time I knocked on this door was to drop off a gift I wasn’t even sure would help me find happiness. Turns out, it made my life so much better, despite every setback. Just knocking on this door made my life so much happier and gave me a friend that I could never replace. A person I’d never want to lose. I mean, she’s the reason I look forward to the end of the day, just to see her warm smiles and to hold her one more time. Now that our locks are changed, maybe she and I can just lounge around on the couch until we fall asleep~ If it wasn’t for that one night, it could be a movie night… It’s fine, Adagio. At least you can still hold her tonight. Everything will be alright… I have to keep believing that. For her sake. She needs to know that… Why does it sound like an excuse…? Within a few moments, the door is unlocked and opened, the light of our apartment spilling out into the world outside. Looking up, I smile at the woman in front of me, but it quickly fades as soon as our eyes connect… Inside those eyes is a cold and melancholic tone, her mouth morphed into a slight frown instead of her usual warm smile. Why is she… looking at me like this…? “Hey, Adagio,” she whispers, gesturing for me to come inside. What is going on here…? Did I disturb her? Carefully walking inside the living room, I can’t help but notice all the glass from before is cleaned up, nowhere to be seen. Maybe that’s why…? “I’m sorry I couldn’t help clean up,” I say as kindly as I can, slowly taking off my jacket. Without saying another word, Sunset walks towards the couch and sits down, leaning on one of the arms before picking up a plastic cup. Every moment, her calm yet downtrodden demeanor makes me feel more worried… “Did I wake you…?” “No,” Sunset responds without looking at me, taking a small sip from her drink. Sunset is wearing pajamas, but due to her drink, it looks like she’s been in here for a while… “How did your day go?” Her quiet words can barely be heard, worrying me more than anything else. Did something happen while I was gone…? “It went alright. Rarity, Fluttershy and I spent all our time in the spa,” I say without taking my eyes off of her, sitting on the other side of the couch. Pressing my hand on the cushion between both of us, I can’t help but feel… disconnected from her. What could she possibly be thinking about? Did I do something…? Her eyes say so much yet so little at the same time… She’s usually so open with me about what’s bothering her, but she’s sitting here trying to act like casual conversation will hide anything that’s behind those eyes. She was so happy last night, and now she’s distant…? What happened…? “Rarity told me about that,” Sunset says in the same quiet voice that she’s had ever since I walked in. A long pause in our conversation fills the space between us, making her feel so far away… A heavy breath exits her lips before she turns to me, her eyes displaying some form of hurt in them… Sunset… What’s wrong? “Rarity also told me something else. Something that I think we should… talk about.” Raising my eyebrow, I lean forward slightly, reaching over to Sunset’s hand, only for her to pull away. What did I do…? What caused Sunset to feel like this…? Just seeing the hurt in her eyes pains me in a way I’d rather not bear… “What do you want to talk about…?” Even though I tried to ask my question in the kindest way I could, Sunset still looks uncomfortable, breaking our eye contact momentarily to think to herself. Her hand slowly rests her cup on a small table next to the couch, shaking her head slightly as if she is rejecting a certain thought. “She told me that she fixed your scarf. She assumed I had known about such an incident, but she was surprised to hear my confusion.” Instantly, my eyes widen upon hearing her statement, looking down at the scarf around my neck for a moment. “It was one of the first times I had talked to Rarity in a long time, which made it even harder when I heard about this whole ordeal.” I didn’t expect Rarity to talk about this with her… Maybe because I assumed she would keep it a secret, knowing how much the scarf meant to both me and Sunset. Maybe I should have told her to keep it to herself… “I… I would have told you-” “And normally, Adagio… I wouldn’t be mad or sad about something small like your scarf being torn. Even if I was the one who gave it to you. But the reason why I bring it up now is because of what you said in the mall.” An almost shaky breath leaves Sunset’s mouth before she reconnects her gaze with my own, ready to speak once more. “You told me that you didn’t wear your scarf because you left it here. Which means that… you lied to me.” Leaning forward, Sunset’s sad expression now shows a slight annoyance, her hands resting in her lap. “I like to think that I am here for you whenever you need me to be, which kind of made it hurt to hear from Rarity that you lied about the scarf I gave you… I can even overlook small lies like that as well, but…” Standing up from her seated position, Sunset walks to the opposite side of the room before looking at me again, crossing her arms slowly. “That’s not the only small thing, is it?” I can’t help but feel my throat become dry, trying to think of what I should say… What is there to be said? Another excuse or apology? “What do you mean…?” I ask her, trying to understand the question she just asked me. “There are other small lies, aren’t there? Like your hallucinations you conveniently never brought up…” My eyes widen once more, my breathing becoming disjointed and hard to do with accuracy. My hallucinations…? How…? “How do you know about that…?” I’m barely able to ask, my dry mouth making it hard to form the right words without losing my composure. “While we were at Twilight’s house, Spike talked. You asked for us to tell you that you weren’t hallucinating again. What really worries me is the ‘again’ part of it,” Sunset whispers, her eyes not leaving mine in this worrying dance of words. Why did I have to say that…? I don’t even remember saying it, considering I was more concerned about the dog, rather than what was leaving my mouth. “I didn’t think they were that important…” “Damn it, Adagio… You had a serious head injury half a year ago and the doctors told both you AND me to look out for anything wrong. You didn’t think that was important? Or did you just not trust me with that information?” Sunset asks harshly, her words flying out of her mouth before she tries to calm herself down. Her hands rub her face up and down in irritation, sighing at her own thoughts. “How many hallucinations have you had? What were they about?” she asks in a more demanding tone, clearly wanting the true answer. “It’s only happened a few times… It started recently. They’re about…” My mouth hesitates to finish my statement, my mind instantly flashing images of her to the forefront of my thoughts. Just the thought of her evil eyes staring back at me is enough to make me shiver, but am I really going to share this with Sunset…? Do I really have a choice? “They’re about me… The evil version of me, back when I was a siren. Well, when I was a powerful siren anyway…” I break our gaze, finding it hard to look Sunset in the eye and tell her this… Something so personal and oddly… terrifying. I don't even know why she’s been appearing, so how am I supposed to explain it to her? “She talks to me… Tells me things like how pathetic it is to want friends and happiness instead of power…” “Do you really believe that?” Sunset quietly asks me, not moving from her spot leaning against the wall. Looking back at Sunset’s eyes, her gaze is now filled with worry and hurt, an expression of concern on her face. “Of course not. I love this life I have now. I’m not sure why I started hallucinating her… She just appears and tries to taunt me, that’s all…” A long painful silence follows my words, both of us staying still with the sound of some wind outside being the only thing we can hear. Our eyes don’t move from each other as I try to find the words that would be appropriate to say… Every time I come close to forming the right sentence, my thought fractures into a million pieces. Just seeing Sunset like this is enough to make me want to cry, yet I’m frozen in my place… It would be so easy to blame something else for this, but I know that it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. I caused this… After a long pause, Sunset clears her throat and closes her eyes, her expression still full of conflicting tones. “Tell me honestly, Adagio. Have you also lied about your feelings? How you have felt within the past few days?” Instantly, a lump in my throat forms when I hear her question. I’ve lied more times than I can count this week… When it comes to my feelings at least. But it was just so that she could stay happy. I didn’t want to burden her with any of the things I’ve been feeling, especially since she’s been having such a hard time… It wasn’t out of malice or to deliberately hurt her. I just wanted to keep her smile on her face as long as possible just in case something ruined her day… “I thought so,” she whispers, taking my silence as an answer itself. “I had a feeling that you were hiding some of your feelings away… But I didn’t say anything because I figured it couldn’t have been that big, right? She would trust me, right?” Sunset states with a couple tears sliding down her cheeks, her frustration being clear from her words. “I’m sorr-” “No. You’re not. You catch me cutting myself ONE time and you withhold every negative part of your life from me. You think you’re protecting me when I fucking told you that you could trust me,” she quickly lets out, her glare full of hurt and anger. “I want to be a part of your life too, Adagio! I don’t want you to just go with whatever I say or do just to keep me happy. You do so much to keep me happy, but I’m not allowed the same courtesy when it comes to the woman I love?” Getting off her spot on the wall, Sunset’s tears fall faster, finally unable to keep herself from crying. “You know what? Forget it. Keep your life a secret,” she’s barely able to state in a whisper, quickly walking down the hallway. A loud slam accompanies the bedroom door shutting, silence following the aftermath… Why did it have to go like this…? ============================================================== I would be lying if I said I didn’t look like crap… Getting barely any sleep on a couch isn’t the best way to look great in the morning, especially due to… last night… Sunset never came out of our room as far as I know of. Every second that passes by, I can’t help but feel even worse, the words shared last night being the only things passing through my mind. I could hear her cries for a couple hours after our fight… My mind keeps trying to think of some good reason why I kept lying, but all of them just sound like more excuses to keep me from owning up to my actions… The truth is that I lied over and over to try and keep her happy without giving her a choice in the matter. Of course she would feel upset… Combing my hair down, I try my best to smile in the mirror, but it almost feels pointless. Trying to act like everything is okay is technically what got me in this mess to begin with. It’s going to be hell to try and go about my day when all I can think about is the image of her crying face, storming off to our room… Why did I have to be such an asshole…? I caused all of it… Great way to try and prove you’re worthy of her, Adagio… Every time I think I’m actually a good fit for her, another ten reasons prove why I shouldn’t have confessed my love to her to begin with. She would have been happier otherwise, right…? None of this friendship drama would have happened and now this situation wouldn’t happen. Who knows? Maybe I’m responsible for the break-in too… All it takes is one person who doesn’t like me to do something like that to our home and let’s face it. I am on a lot of bad sides… A heavy sigh leaves my lips as I walk outside the bathroom, my eyes briefly lingering on the bedroom door. I don’t know how I can make it up to her… or if I can. I hope so? Maybe she and I can try to talk more tonight and I can apologize… Sunset isn’t the type of person to not listen to someone after she’s had the chance to cool down. Just the thought of something like us ending over my own stupidity is… too hard to bear. No. I’m sure we can… Just don’t think about that possibility. Pulling on one of my t-shirts with ease, my hand reaches for my coat, trying desperately to not let my walls break. It’s just the beginning of the day… It wouldn’t look great if I end up crying right now. I just have to bottle these feelings up until later… Slipping my feet into my boots, my hand grabs a pencil and a small notebook from my purse. Usually, I use this to take notes on students of mine to see what they need to work on, but now? I think I need to use it for a better reason… Quickly, my hand scribbles in words on the blank piece of paper, trying my best to smile while tears fight to form in my eyes. “Hey, Sunset. I hope you got some sleep last night? I have to go to work now and then I’ll be meeting someone for the rest of the day, but I should be back by seven.” My fingers hesitate for a moment, my breathing halting as I try to think of the right words… “I’m really sorry about last night. I know I didn’t give you much choice and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I wasn’t trying to hurt you, but I realize that my actions inevitably did that either way… I really do mean it when I say I love you, Sunset. You mean the whole world to me and that feeling has only grown stronger as time has gone on. I really hope we can talk more tonight. I’m sorry, Sunset. You deserve to be treated fairly.” A tear slowly falls down my cheek as my fingers scribble in the last few words. For some reason, my lips mouth the words that I write instinctually. I can’t quite help it… “I’ll miss you. With love, Adagio.” Ripping the piece of paper from the notebook, I quickly walk over to the bedroom door down the hallway, quietly slipping it underneath the door with a solemn smile on my face. If she is still asleep, I hope she gets enough of it… Tomorrow is the Apple Family reunion, so I just hope she can get enough rest. And I hope we can try to fix things before tomorrow… ========================================================= Looking at my map with a raised eyebrow, a part of me just gets more confused as I try to find my way to the shop. In no way do I feel in the mood to do this today, but this is the last day I have available before the reunion tomorrow. My mind can’t stop thinking about Sunset and how she must be feeling today… In a way, I think that sort of affected my work since there were numerous mistakes I didn’t catch onto right away. Technically I know a lot of this city already, but the exact store names don’t stick out to me. I’ve never heard of a Sugarcube Corner before, but I’ve probably seen it. I’ve always stuck to myself and didn’t really pay much attention to each store, just the landmarks that would help me get home. This bakery should be close to this part of town, since the map says it’s only a couple blocks away from the coffee shop Sunset and I went to all that time ago. That coffee shop… I really hope Sunset and I can go back there soon… Shaking my head, I trace my finger along the map with a small frown, analyzing exactly where I’ve gone before. I’ve already gone past the Museum of Astrology shop and the fortune teller place, so I guess it should be somewhere around here. Putting the map back into my back, I quicken my pace down the sidewalk, looking around my environment with no luck. I mean, I know it’s not going to stick out to me like a sore thumb, but I thought it would be more recognizable with a name like that. Maybe with frosting decorations or something, but I guess I’m just wishing for this to be easier than it will be. Honestly, this will probably go… horribly… I haven’t seen Pinkie Pie ever since Valentine’s Day, but she didn’t see me there, so the last time we formally met was the Battle of the Bands. Back when I was… her… I know how she sees me. She’s scared of me and was clear with her wishes that she didn’t want to talk to me. Now here I am, trying to find the bakery she works at just to talk to her. I guess I’m breaking her wish in that way, but I promised myself that I would try to make things right between me and all of Sunset’s friends… It’s hard to imagine that anything will go well today, especially since I royally fucked up with Sunset last night… I thought that things would go horribly with Fluttershy, but I was pleasantly surprised, so maybe there’s just a little bit of hope there…? A part of me wants to believe that everything will be alright, but my luck isn’t exactly the best. What will I even do to try and get in Pinkie’s good graces? Of course I will apologize, but will that be enough…? I don’t think so… Shaking my head, I look around the intersection I come up to, trying to find the store that I’m supposed to go to. I only have one shot to get a good impression before the reunion, so I have to make this count. Quickly, a building across the street with pink canopies catches my eye. Looking closer at the building’s windows, the logo for Sugarcube Corner is faintly painted on them so that people can look through them easily. Fucking finally. I either have an outdated map or I’m just really bad at directions. Then again, I’ve been pretty bad at a lot of things in my life… Taking a deep breath, I quickly cross the road, looking inside the window carefully. Lots of patrons inside eat their treats while talking to people they know, some customers even play on a laptop while they enjoy whatever they bought. I guess this place has free WiFi, but that doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t use the internet all that often… Brushing any wild hairs out of my face, I quietly walk over to the doors, pushing them open and being greeted with the sound of people talking and a cash register. Despite the store’s small size, it makes up for it with a welcoming atmosphere and quite a few open tables to sit people at. This wouldn’t be the best design for a pandemic, but it works in pretty much any other instance. Walking past the many tables, I make my way to the counter, seeing a familiar face behind the register. “Mr. Cake? You work here?” I ask in surprise, finally stopping right in front of the man. His eyes move from the register up to me and a look of surprise comes over him too. “Adagio! My, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you~ How are things? Is the music studio still up and running?” he asks me excitedly, seemingly happy to catch up with me even though we only worked together for a short while. He only volunteered at the studio for a short time whereas I worked directly for Fancy Pants. “Yeah, but we’ve had to shut down our afternoon classes since it wasn’t profitable,” I respond with a smile, nodding slowly. “Though, I’m just surprised to see you here in general. Some of the kids miss your lessons,” I lie with a straight face, trying to keep our conversation up for a little while longer before I have to meet Pinkie. “That sure is flattering! I will have to think about volunteering again~ Also, my wife and I own this establishment! It’s our own little bakery that we’ve run for close to fifteen years now~ Do you like it?” Fifteen years of running a bakery, huh? Impressive. I guess I should have known he owns an establishment like this. His name is Mr. Cake for God’s sake. If that isn’t the biggest case of fate, I don’t know what is. “It has a certain flair. You must be proud of it.” “Oh, me and the missus are very proud of it~ We worked hard to make it a reality and all.” A prideful smile comes to his face as he looks around his bakery before his eyes return to me. “Anyway, what brings you in today? Want to try our Pumpkin Pound Cake Surprise?” he asks me, pointing to the special of the week on the menu board above him. “I’m going to have to pass, unfortunately. I came here to meet a… past acquaintance.” For a moment, I hesitate to say the actual name of the woman I’m looking for, but I take a deep breath and compose myself quickly so as to avoid any awkward interaction. “Does Pinkie Pie work here?” “Oh? You know Pinkie?” The surprise on his face tells me that Pinkie Pie never really talked to him about Adagio Dazzle. That means he might point me in her direction, not knowing how much she probably doesn’t want to see me. Still, a promise is a promise… “Yeah, she works here, but she left to see her family a couple days ago and she won’t be back until tomorrow. How urgent is this?” “It’s pretty urgent… I kinda needed to talk to her before tomorrow. She and I are going to the same event and I wanted to… straighten out some details before then.” A conflicted look comes over Mr. Cake, his eyes breaking away from me as he looks down at the counter and the register. Pulling out his phone, he looks at the time and sighs quietly before directing his gaze to the door behind him, presumably to the kitchen area of the bakery. “I suppose I could help you out here and let you video call Pinkie, but I need to tell my wife to man the register if you will.” Nervously scratching his head, he holds his hand out as a gesture to wait before he walks into the door behind him, presumably going to talk to his wife. This is going to be… a very awkward call… ========================================================== Mr. Cake and I decided to go to a park to call Pinkie so that I would have some form of privacy with her, while still being close enough to give him his phone back once we’re done. A part of me is still questioning why he decided to let me call her on his phone instead of just giving me her contact details, but I’m also a little glad about this turn of events. Pinkie is less likely to hang up my call or just ignore it if it’s from a random number or if she knows it’s from me, but since it’s from her employer, maybe she’ll feel a little compelled to stick around and hear me out. I never thought having a past with a volunteer of the music studio would actually help me try to reach out to Pinkie Pie, but here I am. Walking over to a bench in the middle of the park, I can’t help but feel blessed that we’re the only ones here. If there were a bunch of people here, I would feel worried about what may ensue, given I don’t know how Pinkie will react to this surprise call. It’s unfortunate that she and I couldn’t meet in person since she can just hang up at any time on a call, but I suppose I’ll just have to make due with what I have. If everything goes well here, then the only thing I will have left to worry about is tonight… and whatever may result from a talk with Sunset. After I sit down on the bench, Mr. Cake pulls out his phone again, a nervous expression dawning on his face. He looks conflicted, almost like he’s not sure if he should be doing this, but he’s already decided to help me. Maybe him letting me use his phone rather than give me Pinkie’s contact details is his way of making sure nothing will go wrong just in case Pinkie doesn’t want to talk to me. If so, that’s a smart move on his part. I probably would have planned something similar myself, so I can’t help but admire the intelligence it takes to come up with something like this. Of course, if it isn’t a plan, then I’m more of applauding something that is merely coincidental. Either way, there’s no reason to actually voice any of this to him. “I’ll call her and tell her that someone wanted to talk to her first before I hand you the phone,” he timidly states, his finger hitting a button on the phone before trying to compose himself, brushing his hair to the side. His eyes look at the screen without any change for a while before the ringing finally stops. “Hiya, Pinkie Pie~” Mr. Cake says in his cheerful voice, giving a small wave to the phone’s camera. “Oh! Hi, Mr. Cake! I didn’t expect to get a call from you today~” an excited woman’s voice responds to the man with the energy of a blown up balloon. “Did you get my postcards yet?” I don’t know why, but a part of me finds it a little odd to hear that Pinkie had sent postcards to her employer. Nonetheless from a trip that only lasted a few days, but I suppose that fits Pinkie Pie’s style. Back when I observed Sunset and her friends in Canterlot High, I knew Pinkie was random and unpredictable, but I didn’t deem her a major threat since she usually needed the organization of her friends to keep her contained and focused on a single goal. Maybe that’s why I saw Sunset and Twilight as the biggest obstacles. And why I blamed Sunset for my downfall… “No, not yet unfortunately. Still checking the mail everyday~” Mr. Cake’s genuine smile turns into a nervous one as he scratches the back of his head, still looking at the camera. “The reason why I called was because I have someone here who wants to talk to you and all.She said that you two needed to talk before tomorrow and that it was urgent.” “Ooh! Who is it? Is it Rainbow Dash? Or Twilight? Oh! Wait! Don’t tell me! I want to be surprised~” the excited voice once again replies to Mr. Cake’s statement, clearly anticipating whoever might want to talk to her. Something tells me that excitement will die as soon as she finds out it’s me. Mr. Cake’s smile fades for a moment, chuckling slightly at Pinkie’s words. “Okay then, well, she’s right here~ She asked for you to stay on the line as long as you can since she really wants to talk to you and all.” Without giving the pink woman a chance to respond, he slowly hands me the phone, making me take a deep breath. This is it. She’s the last of Sunset’s main friend group that I have yet to make amends with. If there is any god in this world, please let this go alright… Grabbing the phone gently, I aim the camera at my own face, surprised to see the pink woman’s face on the screen. I’ve never video called someone before, so this is a new experience for me. Instantly, the happy expression on Pinkie’s face deflates as her once curly hair goes flat, her eyes never straying from the screen. It seems I still have the same effect on the girl, but I can’t quite blame her for that… “Hey, Pinkie,” I say as kindly as I can, giving a wave like Mr. Cake did before. Pinkie’s mouth opens for a moment, but it promptly closes again as she fidgets with her hands. From the camera angle, it looks like Pinkie’s calling from a computer screen, rather than a phone. “Hi,” is all the pink woman brings herself to say, her eyes finally looking away from the screen to focus on the room around her. The room she’s in is primarily gray and dark with multiple rocks on shelves in the background which raises more questions than answers. “I know you probably didn’t expect me to call you today,” I state quietly, still trying to come up with the right words to say. “I just wanted to talk to you today to… try and clear up some things. Especially since we’re both going to the Apple Family reunion tomorrow.” As kind as I try to make my words, I also make sure to say them as honestly as I can to let her know I only want a talk rather than a fight. My past self would have loved to pick fights… “I would understand if you don’t want to, but do you think we could talk? Just person-to-person?” Pinkie’s eyes widen as if she is surprised by my request, trying to not look at the screen, but she eventually nods her head. “I suppose so,” she whispers, her sad tone not leaving her voice. A silence follows after her statement, both of us seemingly unsure of what to say next. Technically, I know what I need to say, but I’m not quite sure how I will phrase it… “Before we say anything else, I just want to tell you that… I’m sorry. For all of it.” Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, finding myself unable to look at Pinkie as the words come out of my mouth. “I know that I hurt you and your friends two years ago. That’s one of my biggest regrets and I wish I could take it back. Especially since I love Sunset with all of my heart and I’ve become good friends with her other friends.” Opening my eyes, I instantly notice Pinkie Pie’s surprised expression with one of her eyebrows raised, confusion being painted all across her face. “You’re… dating Sunset?” she quietly asks, seemingly hearing this news for the first time. When was the last time she talked with her friends…? “Yeah. I’ve been dating her for a few months now, actually.” I can’t help but pause to collect my words, taking in another deep breath. “I guess you haven’t been in touch with your friends recently?” I ask as kindly as I can, seeing her flinch slightly to the question. “No,” Pinkie simply whispers, looking away from the screen once more to try and keep her composure. I can’t help but widen my eyes once I hear a chuckle come from the pink woman on the other side of the call… “But… that’s kind of your fault, huh?” Pinkie says after her chuckle, her eyes reconnecting with mine through our virtual communication. My fault… I always blame myself, but to hear someone else validate that… hurts. “We were all fine before you and Sunset became friends and all,” Pinkie says in a hurt and depressed tone, her body language showing just how uncomfortable she feels with this conversation. “It’s… nice of you to apologize. Thank you for that. But I can’t just immediately turn around and throw a party for you just because you said sorry. Why didn’t you try to talk to me before?” Pinkie’s eyes are full of hurt with a slight bit of anger coming to the surface through her words. “I… I’m sorry. I haven’t had a lot of time due to work and I owed my time to other people recently. I didn’t really have the chance to say sorry until now.” “Or you just didn’t wanna,” the pink woman callously responds in an uncharacteristic way. Even she seemed to notice how weird her response was, stopping herself from saying something else. “I’m sorry. I just…” Her eyes carry a deflated tone, pausing her sentence to take a breath. “I don’t really… believe you. I don’t know why you waited so long and all, but yeah… If you do mean it, I guess it’ll be proven soon, but this just seems like some desperate attempt in my opinion…” Pinkie hesitates momentarily, but her hand finally reaches for the mouse, making me widen my eyes. “Pinkie! Please, wai-” Before the rest of my words can leave my mouth, the call is cut short with a loud beep, returning the phone back to the set background. She hung up on me… I was trying to expect that but… why do things have to go wrong…? Instantly, tears start to flow from my eyes, causing me to close them and sigh quietly. She’s right… It’s all my fault…
Always TogetherAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Always Together Chapter XVI: Always Together AN: HEY! STOP! Before you read any further in this chapter, I need to warn you about something. Normally, I would leave these types of warnings to my disclaimer section at the beginning, but a part of me just knows that people will probably skip that section in favor of reading the chapter quicker. I would also usually want to keep this secret, but I don’t want to spring something like this on someone as a surprise. This chapter includes references and depictions of sexual activity, making this story now marked as mature. The sexual activity in this chapter isn’t fetish or kink related, but it’s still worthy to make a warning for. I don't think this needs to be said due to the setting of my story so far, but all characters in this chapter are eighteen years-old or older. This chapter will be the only one with sexual activity in this story, so if you do not feel comfortable reading this, feel free to either quit the fic or wait until the next chapter uploads. I will give a brief SFW summary of this chapter in the next installment for the people who don’t want to read about sexual activity. As always, thank you for the continued support of my story since it means the world to me and keeps my motivation high to continue this story. I hope everyone has a good day and I will see you when the next chapter uploads~ Enjoy~ ============================================================ The walk home is especially slow today… I didn’t expect Pinkie to hang up on me so soon, but I suppose I should have. I knew she wasn’t going to be happy to see or hear from me, but that reaction wasn’t something I prepared for at all. She does have a point though… I did wait especially long to talk to Pinkie Pie because I wasn’t sure how to approach the unpredictable woman. That wasn’t any excuse… I should have made the time to accurately apologize and make it seem more genuine. The cool breeze of the twilight of the day presses against my skin, reminding me just what I have to return home to. I don’t even know if Sunset will be willing to talk to me… She should have gotten my note by now, but I’m unsure if it did anything to actually help. Thankfully, the streets seem mostly empty at this time, giving me some time to think of what I will say to her. Then again, that could be just because I’m taking mostly back streets to get to our apartment. Maybe that’s because I’m not exactly looking forward to going home… I have no idea how tonight is going to go and I would hate it if things got even worse. Bringing my hand to my scarf, I feel the material as gently as I can, taking a deep breath in and out. It’s hard to have hope when everything seems to be going wrong in the world, but Sunset always tries to, despite whatever odds she’s against. She’s so inspiring, teaching me multiple lessons I wouldn’t have learned any other way. I just hope she and I can talk it out. I don’t know if I will be able to accurately apologize, but… Walking through the cold air, I can’t help but feel nostalgic, the long distance I have to travel with a cool temperature nipping at my nose. I remember when I used to walk this same path to Sunset’s apartment all the time to hang out with her. Back then, I would always think about how I don’t deserve her on this specific walk, a thought that Sunset has tried so hard to dispel from my mind as of late. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, I look down at the coat and scarf I have on, my mind instantly bringing the memories of our adventures together to the forefront of my thoughts. I know that Sunset loves me. She clearly enjoys our relationship, I just… hurt her. Pretty badly. There’s no reason for us to not be able to fix this, right? Everything that’s happened just proves how much Sunset and I can go through together. We’ve gotten through so much and I… love her… with all my heart. We can fix this. I just have to have a little faith, right? Walking forward quickly, I try to put a smile on my face, trying to keep my hopes up. All I have to do is have a little hope, like Sunset always does. Things will be fine between Pinkie Pie and I. And I will be able to apologize to Sunset. All I need is a little faith… What’s wrong with having a little bit of hope, right? The last time I had no hope when it came to Sunset and I, she reached out to me and we both found out our mutual feelings for one another. So, there is some precedent for being hopeful, right? I need her in my life. I need her in general. Just to see her smile and spend all of my moments with her. Quickly, my walk turns into a run, rain starting to fall down to the ground. I… want to spend the rest of my life with her. It’s such a weird feeling for someone like me. I’ve lived for thousands of years, but now? I don’t quite care if my life is short now, as long as I get to spend it with her. I never wanted to be tied to someone before because I always saw it as a form of bondage, but that tie to Sunset has turned out to be one of the most freeing things I’ve ever experienced. She’s helped me overcome my past and I… want my future to be entangled with hers~ Can I really be blamed for loving her this much? Raindrops fall on my hair and my jacket, but a part of me finds it hard to care. My mind can only focus on getting back home to the one I love so I can try to make things up to her. She deserves the whole world, but I still should have given her the choice to be here for me too. Running around a corner, I see the apartment complex just ahead of me, my heart racing. I have to make things right between us. I love her too much to let something like this go. The rain starts to pick up its pace just as I finally make it to our porch, ducking under the overhead cover and knocking on the door. Brushing my hair back, I take a deep breath and try to think of what I will say. She’s so important to me. I can’t afford to let another thing go wrong with us~ Hearing the door’s locks, I smile as best as I can, seeing the door slowly open. My smile fades slightly as I see her face once more, her eyes carrying the same sad feeling in them from last night, but she tries to smile at me as well, gesturing for me to come inside. “Come in, Adagio,” she whispers, trying her best to smile just a little bit more. Walking inside slowly, I start to take my coat off before Sunset grabs the shoulders of the coat, helping me out of it. Her hand gently pats my shoulder as if she’s telling me to make myself comfortable as she hangs my coat on a hanger. “Did you get enough sleep?” I hesitantly ask, sitting down on the couch with our eyes connecting for a moment. Briefly, she nods before she walks over to the other side of the couch, sitting down with her body aimed at me. Hesitantly, Sunset looks at me and smiles, still thinking of what she should say. “Yeah, I did. Don’t worry about my rest and all.” Despite how she’s trying to act, something is still on her mind, obviously taking up the majority of her thoughts. “How did your day go…?” Sunset’s gaze still locked with mine, her curious glance makes me feel a little nervous… I can’t help but wonder whether or not she got my note earlier today. Or if this is maybe a test. I don’t know, maybe she wants to see if I will tell her the truth about what happened. “It went well, technically… My work wasn’t any different than usual.” My mind instantly tells me to keep the actual aftermath of Pinkie and I’s meeting a secret, but Sunset’s locked gaze with mine only serves to remind me what happened last night. I didn’t give her a choice with the other times I had a bad day… “I also went to talk to Pinkie Pie, but… she wasn’t exactly welcoming.” Sunset’s eyes widen slightly upon hearing my news, frowning at what happened. “I’m sorry, Adagio. That Pinkie didn’t accept your attempt to make peace with her. But I’m sure you’ll get to her sometime.” Leaning forward slightly, Sunset places her hand on mine, rubbing gently and making me feel surprised in the process. She keeps sending me mixed signals… Half the time, her eyes tell me she’s still sad about last night, but she’s also trying to smile and console me for something that happened when she should still be mad at me. I can’t help but feel a little confused at each turn, making me wonder exactly what she’s feeling. “I’m… also sorry for storming out last night. I didn’t exactly give you the best chance to talk and all.” A guilty expression comes to Sunset, causing us to break our eye contact. I didn’t exactly want her to apologize to me… Sunset usually finds a way to blame herself, even for situations where she wasn’t at fault at all. Yeah, she did storm out last night, but I don’t think it was unwarranted, given what we were arguing about… “Yeah… But I understand why you did that. Really.” Our eyes quickly break away from each other, looking separate ways as silence fills the air. To say that both of us seem unsure of what to say or do next would be an understatement. Is it really that unfair for me to wish I could easily look her in the eyes in situations like this? Her gaze has a way to make me feel nervous, even when we’re not fighting. I love looking in her eyes so it’s ironic that I often feel like I’m at her mercy whenever we lock eyes. If only it could be easy to look in her eyes and apologize… “I got your note,” Sunset whispers, both of us still looking in different directions. “You really hurt me, Adagio… I just want you to know that.” Instantly, my heart feels like a spike of pain goes through it, making me close my eyes quickly. I know I hurt her… In no way would I ever want to do that, but I still did nonetheless. I keep trying to convince myself we can still fix this, but the other side of my mind tells me this mistake of mine is too much. Is it…? “I’m really sorry, Sunset… You mean the world to me and I never meant to hurt you. I just… thought it’d be easier to avoid my issues when we’ve already been so stressed as it is.” Despite how much I try, my mind still doesn’t let me look at her, keeping my eyes firmly shut as if trying to shut out reality itself. I realize now that what I did was wrong, but it still doesn’t make it easier, knowing how I hurt the one person I love. The person who loves me… Feeling a soft touch on my cheek, my eyes open slowly, seeing Sunset’s hand gently hold onto my face, finally allowing me to look back at the woman right next to me. Her eyes show a feeling of understanding and her smile warms my heart, despite the circumstances. “Adagio. Your issues, they… They’re a part of your life. They affect you, just like how my issues affect me. It’s never a problem to want to see the love of your life happy. The problem is when you actively try so hard to keep a smile on my face, keeping your life away from me to do that.” For the first time in over twenty-four hours, Sunset’s warm smile comes back to her, a genuine look in her eyes as we share this moment. Easily, tears begin to form in my eyes, noticing just how much she cares for me. I’ve been so selfish, trying to look out for her. I failed to notice that she wants to look out for me too, despite her countless attempts to portray that to me. Grabbing Sunset’s hand gently, the tears slowly fall down my cheeks, a small smile barely coming to me. “I… I’m really sorry. I love you, Sunset,” my voice lets out weakly, my eyes still connected with hers as the sound of rain starts to ramp up. Sunset slowly nods to my statement, pressing her forehead against mine as thunder roars in the distance. Only the warm light of the lamps in the living room illuminate our bodies, making the moment feel even slower. “Do you promise to not hide everything from me again? We’re a team, after all,” Sunset whispers to me, one of her hands slowly rubbing my shoulder to give me comfort I surely don’t deserve. My throat finds it hard to speak, forming lumps all too easily and feeling dry, even though I just got rained on earlier. “I-I pinkie promise,” my voice cracks, my arms slowly reaching out to Sunset, and holding onto her. Our new hug is accepted by Sunset, her own arms holding me tightly against her own body, both of us leaning back into the couch. “Then I forgive you, alligator~ I love you too~” Sunset whispers again, kissing my forehead as we lay here, my tears flowing all too easily. I hurt her so much and I probably don’t deserve her forgiveness, but here we are. I don’t ever like hurting her. Her hand quietly runs her fingers through my hair, a quiet moment existing between the two of us even though my tears can’t seem to stop flowing, no matter what I do. Kissing my forehead once again, Sunset gently rests her chin on my head, holding me as close as she can. “It’s alright, alligator~ Really. I’ll tell you what. We can watch a movie before we go to bed if you want? To help us both feel better?” Looking up at the woman who has warmed my life, I can’t help but feel a little confused, her hand wiping away some of my tears. “I know that we don’t have a TV, but…” Reaching into her pocket slowly, Sunset pulls out her phone, showing it to me with her same smile. “We could watch something on this~” ====================================================== My body feels stiff and frozen… Opening my eyes does little good since the whole room seems to be dark, but I still feel really warm. A small groan leaves my mouth as I rub my head against the soft fabric supporting me, the heat making it feel like heaven on Earth. I love moments like these, as rare as they are. No matter the troubles plaguing my mind, this warmth scares away all the monsters and negative thoughts, making me smile widely. This heat isn’t produced by simple sheets or pillows. Instead, it’s the feeling of being held by a loving embrace, one that doesn’t disappear by the time you wake from your slumber. A smile comes across my mouth as I hold onto her tighter, breathing in her scent. Despite the darkness, her presence is reaffirmed in my mind as I feel her fingers gently rub the back of my head, my hair being played with every now and again. Her chest rises and falls with every breath, nothing but the sound of our breathing filling the air. It’s a peaceful harmony. She has a way to make me feel safe and loved no matter what. Even though this apartment has been broken into before, that possibility almost feels impossible when she holds me in her arms. Maybe it’s just a love high again, but if that’s the case, I’d rather not be sober. If I could, I’d want to be in this heaven on Earth for the rest of my life. The rest of my life… I don’t think I’m immortal anymore without my magic, so the possibility of death is almost certain now, right? But what is the point of life if it’s eternal and without happiness? Just power and nothing else… I guess that’s what gives this meaning, right? It’s not forever. It’s limited, making it all the more precious to me. Looking up slowly, I see Sunset looking at her phone as if she’s reading something, resting her head on the arm of the couch. Her eyes connect with mine and a smile appears on her face, the blue light of her phone illuminating her face. “Did you have a good rest, sweetheart?” Sunset whispers, still running her fingers through my hair as gently as she can. The sound of far off thunder reminds me of the rain outside, making me increasingly aware of the cool air around us. Actually… when did I fall asleep…? “What happened? Well, I mean, did I fall asleep during the movie?” I ask with a small groan, yawning to breathe in as much air as possible. A small giggle comes from the light of my life, her hand gently patting the back of my head. “Yeah, you did~ You never let go of me, actually. So, we stayed here~” she whispers to me before bringing her lips to my forehead, turning off her phone with a quick press of the power button. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to fall asleep or um… well, keep you captive here,” I tell her with a nervous smile, trying to make a joke of the situation. Luckily, it seems that Sunset liked it, giggling at my words easily. “If I’m captive in your arms, then it’s the best trap I can think of. One I would willingly get trapped in~” Hugging me tighter, Sunset sighs happily, both of us have a big smile on our faces. “The power was cut off while you were sleeping, so that’s why it’s so dark in here. I hope I was warm enough for you, though~” Sunset says in a teasing tone, prompting me to chuckle. “My little Sunny not warm enough? Impossible.” Both of us share a small laugh, my arms not letting go of Sunset for a second. It almost feels like I shouldn’t have this. This happiness and peaceful feeling fills my heart, despite how much I hurt Sunset yesterday. It feels so nice to have her with me… A slow sigh leaves my mouth, resting my head back on her chest and taking in the warmth. “I… really am sorry. About lying to you and all,” I whisper as I hold onto the love of my life, gently rubbing my face into her shirt. Her smell still lingers on my mind, erasing almost every worry that usually persists in my thoughts. I really can’t believe how lucky I’ve been to have her influence in my life. Even though Pinkie and I are still not on good terms, she makes me believe that everything will work out somehow. Maybe it’s because of her hopeful attitude, despite how little she sees in herself. “Shh… I told you that it’s alright, alligator~” Sunset whispers, holding me tightly as her fingers caress my head. I really didn’t deserve her forgiveness, but I still feel incredibly happy to have it. To still be in her arms and be able to enjoy the night, regardless of any thunder outside. It’s hard to believe how narrow-minded I was before I lost my magic. I focused so much on the power that was possible, but now? I can’t stop thinking about the fiery-haired girl that penetrates my dreams whenever I sleep. Her magical touch makes me feel safe and alright, even in the most nerve-wracking situations. I constantly wish to see her smile for the rest of my life, even though smiles aren’t worth much. Hers is worth the whole world to me. Looking up slowly, my eyes connect with hers, the dark room giving an atmosphere of privacy. Tomorrow is a big day, but… is it really that wrong to revel in this night? To enjoy every moment I get to feel her embrace around me… Gently placing my hands on Sunset’s cheeks, I can’t help but feel my nerves spike, wanting to feel even more of this feeling, no matter how late it may be. “Please. I need this,” I whisper, bringing my face closer to hers and placing my lips upon hers. Even today, every kiss we share electrifies me, making my mind race and disregard the world around us. Her hand on the back of my head pulls me deeper into our embrace, shooting another shock down my spine in an instant. Her skin feels as soft as flowers and her embrace never fails to remind me of heaven. Even though nothing lasts forever, I wish this one feeling could. I wish this paradise on Earth with her would last as long as possible, stretching every possible second. Every little kiss amps up in passion, feeling Sunset’s love just as much as I try to portray my love for her. Her hands gently feel my waist and back, my heart racing with thoughts about her and us. Thoughts of the future. About how much I love her… My hands move towards her stomach, gently slipping under her shirt to feel her skin once more like I did at the mall. Her teeth bite my bottom lip for a second, making me fall deeper under her spell. Once upon a time, I never cared for this girl, but the thought of living without her now hurts me at my core. I need her. I need more of her and this feeling… My hands instantly move on their own, slowly pulling up Sunset’s shirt as her lips clearly hold me captive. Suddenly, Sunset’s hand presses against my chest, pulling us away from our embrace abruptly. I can’t help but open my eyes in surprise, still wanting more as my gaze locks with Sunset’s. Her eyes have a dreamy look to them as her hand quivers on my chest, but she shakes her head slowly, trying to regain any composure she has left. “Adagio…” A bit of desire is reflected in her voice, thinking of whatever words she wants to say, but she clearly wants more of this as well. Both of our breaths sound heavy, my mind just now realizing how hot I suddenly feel. “Do you… want to take that next step?” she asks in a slow and hesitant tone, her eyes not breaking from my own. Even though I easily get confused by Sunset, her meaning this time is crystal clear. My heart races at her words, trying to justify any reason that would let us indulge even further in this heaven. I know that we probably shouldn’t… In my mind, I know we should go to bed and get some rest for the upcoming day, but in my heart? My heart wants to ignore rational thoughts and take what I want. Greed may be one of the biggest sins, but even Sunset herself acknowledged it’s alright to be selfish every now and again. Just to feel more of this emotion and her love would be… priceless… Nodding quickly, I press down on Sunset’s hand, our lips reconnecting in the embrace that vanished all too soon moments ago. Sunset pushes up, bringing herself to a sitting position, keeping me in her lap as her hands feel my waist. Grabbing the edge of my shirt, Sunset pulls up across my body, only breaking our kiss momentarily to take the garment off. The nerves in my skin get set on fire as her hands feel my stomach, running up along my back. At this point, I don’t even know what my body is doing, running off of instinct alone. My hands gently unbutton Sunset’s pants, feeling her waist with an internal smile. Every movement and embrace sends another shock throughout my body, unable to think of the world outside of this room. Feeling her soft touch makes me feel so free and loved, even when the world is cold. Sunset bites my lips again before moving her teeth down to my neck, her hands holding me close to her own body. Whereas I was once surprised by her bite, now my body begs for it. Her hand gently feels my chest, feeling me with desire and care. Every one of her actions clearly displays how she would never want to hurt me, making sure to keep me as happy and healthy as possible. She loves me so much, just like how I love her… Pulling her shirt off her body, I can’t resist the urge to feel her skin once more, my hands covering every inch of her back. Her lips press against my neck over and over, never making me tired of the sensation. “Let’s take this…” her hand grabs my chest as she holds my back, kissing my shoulder slowly, “to another room, alright?” she’s barely able to say, finally breaking her lips off of me. Standing off of my lover, I grab her hands and pull her up, both of us kissing each other a little more as we make our way to our room, closing the door behind us for some sense of privacy. Without wasting a second, Sunset’s hands push down the jean shorts I had on, bringing down her own pants in the process. My hands cup her cheeks as we fall down onto the bed, both of us still fighting to keep up this moment as long as possible. Every second I’m with her makes my legs feel weak, enjoying this loving feeling as much as I can. Her touch never fails to remind me of her love, every kiss feeling like a drug in my mind. Despite how I’ve acted in the past, I’ve never done something like this before… I never saw someone worthy enough to be with me, much less any reason to have offspring of my own. I was the greatest siren in my opinion, seeing no advantage to giving my body away to anyone else but myself. But now? Feeling her touch on my skin feels so great simply because it’s her. No one else could have this astounding effect on me nor could they erase all my insecurities about my body in one fell swoop. Despite how much I look at my own appearance with disdain in the mirror, Sunset’s hands gently feel my figure, showing how much she appreciates my body. She clearly doesn’t share my viewpoint about it, but the opposite is true as well. I can’t stop myself from bringing my hands across her stomach, feeling down her waist and touching her thighs as gently as I can. Sunset shivers at my touch, our lips battling for control even though there’s no winner or loser in this case. My fingers play with the edge of her underwear easily as Sunset pulls my leggings off of me, our eyes connecting with each other once again. Her gaze spells out desire just as mine does, our bodies freezing momentarily to keep our eyes on one another. Her hands grab my own underwear slowly, her eyes almost asking if I was sure I wanted to do this. With a single nod from me, Sunset pulls the last piece of clothing off of me, her eyes seemingly admiring whatever beauty she sees in me. Sunset is the one who is truly beautiful. Inside or out, she always looks her best. She has such a strong mind, a warm smile, beautiful curves and her kind attitude, making her the best in my eyes. I don’t even know why I am attracted to her form. I wasn’t a human originally, but here I am, tracing her body with my eyes, wishing to feel her just a little more. “I suppose… I’m not being quite fair here, huh?” Sunset whispers as if someone could hear us, her hands reaching for her own underwear and pulling them off slowly. She sits right in front of me, looking down at me as I lay on the bed. Both of us look at each other a little more before Sunset crawls on top of me, her eyes connecting with mine with a smile. Without even thinking about it, my hands move up to Sunset’s cheeks, unable to stop myself from smiling. “You are… so beautiful, Sunset,” I respond in my own whisper, my hands sliding down to Sunset’s chest, feeling her body slowly. Her head moves downward, passionately pressing her lips against my own. Moving my hands down to her hips, she gently presses herself down on my thigh, sharing our body heat with one another. Every kiss brings another wave of ecstasy through my mind as Sunset slowly grinds herself against me. In between every kiss, a heavy breath exits both of our lungs, instantly feeling shocks of electricity going up my spine as Sunset places her hand on the lower part of my stomach, tracing down to my thighs and lingering. Her other hand grabs my chest a little more than before, clearly communicating her feelings without saying a single word. I can feel my nerves go on edge throughout my body, making goosebumps appear easily as her hand moves from my thigh, touching one of my most sensitive spots as gently as she can. Instantly, the nerves along my spine are set on fire, my heart thumping in my chest. Our heavy breaths are almost in unison, both of us enjoying every second of the sensations we have given each other. Without saying a word to her, I grab Sunset’s hands, pulling her off of me and moving her to the bed. My body had moved on its own again, my eyes looking down at her as she looks surprised, both of us still breathing through our mouths heavily. All I know is that I love her so much. She means the world to me and I just want her to enjoy this as much as I am. “I… don’t quite know what I’m doing,” I tell her the honest truth for the first time in what feels like forever, baring my soul to her. Bringing my hand to the area between her legs, smiling to the best of my abilities. Sunset smiles back at me, closing her eyes quickly in response to my touch. Without wasting a moment, Sunset grabs my hand with her own, trying to desperately keep her eye contact with me. “I-I can help you. Don’t worry,” she whispers, guiding my hand in a slow rotation. I can’t help but enjoy every expression Sunset makes, enjoying this feeling of being with the one I love. Moving to her side, I use my other arm to hold her close to me, gently biting Sunset’s neck as revenge, her hand still guiding me. In a way, she’s teaching me what she likes while the rest of her body is subject to my control, my lips kissing away at her neck and chest, wrapping my leg around hers. Her heavy breathing turns into soft moans, barely able to be heard. Of course, her eyes refuse to open now, feeling her body be explored by my hands and lips. Every moment that passes by just gives me more of a blissful feeling, the absolute love I feel for Sunset having no limits inside me. I love her with all my heart and I can’t seem to find the right words to express that. Maybe it’s impossible to do that, but I can try my best to show that tonight. The sparkle in her eyes whenever she opens them fills my heart with a fluttering feeling, kissing her cheek as tenderly as I can. After a bit, I gently push Sunset’s hand away, trying my best to help her myself. Her skin feels just as soft down here, every pattern she guided me through ingrained in my mind. A slight chuckle comes to me, biting her neck once more before I sit up, looking down at her with a smirk. Her hands cover her face in embarrassment, still allowing me to give her this certain situation. Even though I’ve never done this with someone before, I can’t help but feel the biggest sense of pride and happiness run through me. Seeing her enjoy herself is so… nice. I used to only care for my own joy and how people could service me, but now I can see the value in giving someone else the smile they deserve. It’s so cute~ Her hands quiver quite a bit as she tries to hide her expression, her legs tensing up slightly as the moment goes on. Her moans start to get louder, despite her attempts to hold them in. “Don’t hide from me, Sunset~” I whisper with a teasing tone, feeling myself get more bold by the second. Even though I haven’t done this, I feel my confidence rise in me, my hand rubbing Sunset’s sensitive area just a little faster. “You wouldn’t want to miss out, would you?” Moving myself to sit in front of Sunset, her eyes peek out from her fingers for a moment, a heavy blush seemingly on her face. “I-it’s… embarrassing… I-I didn’t expect you t-to take control like this,” Sunset barely lets out in her weak voice, her moans still music to my ears. A high-pitched gasp comes from Sunset’s mouth just as one of my fingers explores her body a little deeper. I smile at her, inspecting her expression to see if she’s okay with it before going on. She looks so cute, enjoying the moment to the fullest that she can, making my heart beat with a rhythmic thump. I can’t help but love every moment I have with her. She’s so perfect~ “You wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing this, would you?” I tease the love of my life, gently leaning down and blowing on her, bringing my mouth close enough to her body to feel the heat from my face. She’s taught me so much and made me so happy in this questionable life of mine. Just having the chance to give back in even a small way makes me so happy, my mind once again racing with thoughts about us. “Please don’t hide?” I ask her in my most sincere tone, carefully bringing my lips to her thighs. Her legs instinctually try to close, surprised by the sensation that she seems to enjoy. A part of me feels even happier when Sunset finally removes her hands, her blush and shimmering eyes on full display, looking down at me despite her heavy breaths and moans. Mouthing the words ‘thank you,’ I bring my lips slowly closer to the region my hand has felt for so long now, her legs quivering at each small kiss. Her hands grip at the sheets in anticipation, biting her lip to try and diminish the sounds of her breaths. I’m not even sure if this new experience will feel good for her, but both of us seem eager to try. Bringing my lips as close to her soft skin as possible, I look up at her, biting my lip slowly. “Tell me if anything feels bad. Otherwise…” Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, a part of me is still shocked that I’m about to do this, unsure if this is technically the right time. “Let go whenever you feel like it.” Pressing my lips against Sunset’s soft vulva, a gasp comes from her again, smiling at the fact that her anticipation wasn’t prolonged even longer. My embrace is soft and passionate, giving her body teasing kisses with a small smile appearing on my own face. Every moan and gasp coming from her is my reward, feeling a sense of ecstasy at the experience. Even though I’m not pleasuring my own body, it’s still the best experience in the world. Sunset’s hand gently moves to the back of my head, once again caressing my scalp with her fingers. The feeling is heaven itself for me. Gifting such an experience to Sunset while she tries her best to show her gratitude in any way possible is such a perfect outcome of the night. Her moans get progressively louder and her fingers hesitantly move across my scalp every time I press my lips against her. A thought comes to my mind, causing me to hesitate for a moment. Pressing my tongue against her, Sunset’s surprised breath makes my heart skip a beat. I can’t help but enjoy every single sound she makes while I move my tongue gently across her skin. Her taste permeates my mind, undoubtedly becoming something I will never forget no matter how hard I may try. Why would I want to forget this? These heavenly moments with the one I love, the pure look of ecstasy written across her face as I do this to her. I don’t know how I should move my tongue to give the best feeling, but it makes me happy to see that she seems to be enjoying it nonetheless. She means the whole world to me. I don’t know how her smile easily engraved itself in my mind back then, but every time I get to see her happy gives me another reason to wake up in the morning. To push and do my best so that we can both be happy together. My hand reaches up and holds her own, Sunset’s legs tensing up even more with each second that passes by. I can tell her desperate attempts to hold back, grasping at the sheets with her extra hand and biting her lip, but I gently rub her hand with my thumb. In a way, it was my way to comfort her and tell her it’s okay without words. “O-oh my god,” she barely whispers, her moans getting louder as her back arches slightly. Her legs quiver much more than before, tensing up without release multiple times. My heart skips a beat once more as Sunset’s back fully arches, a loud gasp of air coming from her. The muscles in her thighs spasm, her hand pressing down on my head weakly, but with force to try and prolong this feeling as long as possible. Her closed eyes and expression of pleasure send electricity throughout my nerves while the love of my life loses herself to the sensation my mouth gives her. Loud and heavy breaths come from my summer mist, her body refusing to cease the energetic reaction to pleasure. All the while, the sweat on Sunset’s body glimmers in the small amount of light from outside. Every action she’s made permanently marks itself in my mind, increasingly surprised at how beautiful she is. Even in something that’s seen as taboo by others, her beauty never leaves her, making me smile even wider. Her fingers grip onto my hand as tightly as she can, finally coming down from the overwhelming amounts of pleasure that just coursed through her body. Her heavy breaths persist, being one of the only sounds in this room before I lick my lips, sitting up in front of her without letting go of her hand. An overwhelming sense of pride comes over me, happy that I was able to do this with her and bring this much joy to her. She makes my first conquest. And hopefully my last~ “I assume you enjoyed yourself?” I ask her in a teasing tone, brushing my hair back before looking at her again. Her eyes remain closed, biting her lip between her breaths. Reconnecting our eyes, Sunset slowly shivers and sighs, holding my hand tighter. “T-thank you, Adagio~ That was… really nice~” Sunset whispers in the same confident tone she uses throughout our day-to-day life. Quietly, she pushes herself up to a sitting position, locking her gaze with mine before pulling me into the same kiss that started this. From here, it’s easy to feel just how heated Sunset’s body is from our activity, her forehead pressing against my own for a few seconds. The images of her cute reaction flash throughout my mind, grateful that we got to do this. “But… we’re not done quite yet,” Sunset states with a chuckle, a mischievous smirk coming to her before placing her hand on my shoulder. Instantly, my eyes widen to Sunset’s advance, making me nervous about what’s going to happen. Even though tomorrow is the Apple Family reunion, a part of me wants to keep going, waging a war from both sides of my brain. It’s alright to be selfish sometimes, so… why not indulge in it just for a few more minutes? Returning the smirk to Sunset, I pull her into a passionate kiss as she pushes me down onto the bed, disregarding the world around us for a little longer. “Bring it, Shimmer~”
Morning DelightsAuthor's Note Adagio finally attends the Apple Family reunion, leading to more chaos then she signed up for. As fun activities rage on, Adagio realizes something new that could make or break this reunion. Things can still be fixed with hard work, right? The day is still young, giving Adagio plenty of time to do what she has to do. DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Morning Delights Chapter XVII: Morning Delights AN: If you remember, I stated that last chapter had depictions of sexual activity and I promised to offer as much of a SFW summary in this chapter for the readers who skipped it. The summary of the last chapter is that Adagio and Sunset had a talk about their fight the day before and they made up. They end up getting really romantic with each other and end up making love in the middle of the night. That’s all you need to know~ As always, I love all the comments and support I get for this story and I appreciate all of you~ Have a good day and enjoy the show! ======================================================= The daylight barely peeks through the window, piercing the small abode that Sunset and I call our home. Both of us didn’t get a wink of sleep, but I don’t think we cared much about that. I know I will regret the lack of sleep later, but right now? My mind can’t think of a single thing I’d take back from last night. A small chuckle leaves my mouth, Sunset’s arm wrapped around my shoulder as we both look up at the ceiling. The cool air in the room is a welcome addition from the rather heated night. I suppose both of us could have gone to sleep if we really tried, but a part of me tells me that we didn’t want to. I… didn’t want to. “Hey, Sunny?” I whisper, not taking my eyes off the spot in the ceiling I chose to stare at. “Hmm?” Sunset hums in a curious tone, her hand gently rubbing my shoulder. “What we did last night. It wasn’t a mistake. Was it…?” I quietly ask her, trying to make sense of the conflict in my mind. Making your nest is supposed to be… magical. Planned. Not on the fly, right? It was magical, but hardly planned. It’s supposed to be “a joining of two spirits by fate itself.” At least, that’s what other sirens believed. I never bought into it back then, but that was simply because I never saw someone as worthy of my body or soul. Was last night the right time or should I have avoided my desires…? “Well, that question can be answered with another. Do you love me~?” Sunset teases me, kissing my cheek as we lay there. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have done this otherwise,” I whisper as a response. My eyebrow raises to Sunset’s question, wondering if I hadn’t displayed that fact enough last night. “Then it’s not a mistake~ Well, unless you didn’t want to do it and all.” A nervous expression comes to Sunset, both of us looking at each other once more. “That’s what I’m trying to think about, honestly. Making a nest is supposed to be something like a ritual. They kept saying there’s a right time and place and only you will know what it is when it comes to you.” Raising my hand to the ceiling, I sigh slowly, shaking my head. “But that’s the thing. It’s not as simple as any other siren said it would be. Maybe that’s because I didn’t listen a lot, but still.” Looking back at Shimmer, I can’t help but feel confused at Sunset’s bewildered face. “What…?” “What does ‘making a nest’ mean?” Sunset asks hesitantly, her wide eyes making her a little cuter. Even when she’s confused, she finds a way to be adorably innocent. “It is- I mean, it was a saying. It was basically a kind way of saying two sirens had sex without making one seem less elegant for saying the word.” Shrugging slightly, I can’t help but chuckle at a distant memory, resting my head on her shoulder. “Of course, there were also slang terms when one was referring to someone they didn’t like or wanted to make the act sound dirty. Like ‘steal the gem’ and ‘sliding scales.’ But those were not used as often, mostly out of respect.” Sunset’s expression looks curious and full of wonder, seemingly interested in the words I said. “So, it’s like a version of ‘making love’ and all? Even when I studied under Celestia, I never knew that~” I’m not quite sure why, but a part of me feels amused to see Sunset’s clear curiosity in this new facet of knowledge she never learned about. The other part of me feels a little guilty for even bringing up the terms, considering they were used back when there were sirens. Now… Well, we might as well be myths. “Yeah. The point is that I’m not sure if I technically did everything right. Or if it was the right time. Of course I wanted to do it with you, but I guess I feel slightly conflicted.” A small silence follows after my words, both of us simply resting there in our bed. “Honestly, I think that’s normal. I think a lot of people are unsure whether or not they regret it after their first time and all,” Sunset says with an honest tone to her voice, making her sound like she speaks from experience. “Have you… done this before?” Sunset’s eyes break from my own, looking to the ceiling with a thoughtful look coming to her. “Yeah, I did it once. It was with this guy I used to date in high school, but I ended up regretting it because I didn’t really do it because I loved him. I did it for popularity and all.” Her expression briefly turns into a solemn one before smiling to herself, looking back at me with her kind eyes. A part of me can’t help but feel the same old insecurities come back to me once more, no matter how hard I try to remain positive. “Do you think you’ll regret this…?” I ask with a quiet tone, telling her my honest feelings in the form of a question rather than hiding them. It would be so much easier to keep everything to myself, but… Sunset wants to be here for me. She deserves to know what bothers me. “No! Not at all!” Sunset quickly responds, her hand cupping my cheek with the kindest smile she can possibly give me. “I love you so much, Adagio~ You mean everything to me. I won’t regret this at all~ If anything, I will treasure this memory~” Without a single moment of hesitation, Sunset brings her lips to my own, sharing her love and succeeding to bring a smile to my face. My cheeks flush easily to Sunset’s action, shaking my head slightly. “W-well… I’m glad~” I say with a wink, pinching Sunset’s cheek. In response, she raises her eyebrow and sticks her tongue out at me, both of us giggling for a few moments. “We should probably get ready now though. Applejack will kill me if we’re late.” “She’ll kill you?” Sunset asks through a giggle after I pull the blanket off of us, bringing myself to a sitting position. “Why wouldn’t she kill both of us?” “Because I technically promised Apple Bloom I’d be there as soon as they started the reunion. Applejack wouldn’t like it if I broke a promise to her little sister after all.” Even though I have broken promises to her before, Applejack doesn’t know that. Most of those situations were times I couldn’t uphold my end of the promise, so Apple Bloom altered the terms of our agreement. She’s like a small entrepreneur… Stretching slowly, I stand up from the bed, shivering slightly as I realize how cool it is in our room. “You’re free to join me in the shower, Sunny~” I tease the woman of my dreams who hasn’t left our bed yet. Her eyes roll slightly, chuckling to my words before she sits up, brushing the hair from her face. “You should know I’ll always take that offer~” ======================================================== The sound of hundreds of people talking is all that fills the air as we walk down the driveway towards the farm. So many people walk around the front of the farm, seemingly catching up with family members they haven’t seen in a long time. It’s almost overwhelming, thinking about navigating through the crowd and perhaps talking to other people. On top of that, I also need to try and find Pinkie so that I can talk to her, but that is considering she didn’t cancel her plans to be here. Regardless, I have to be here. It’s hard to imagine that I was invited here by Applejack just about a week ago, making my progress with Sunset’s friends seem pretty… impressive? In one week, I was able to get on the good sides of practically everyone except for Pinkie Pie. If that’s the case, maybe I can rely on the help of everyone else to apologize to her. Holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter, I gulp down a breath of air, looking at her for some level of comfort. “You’ve been to this reunion before, right?” I nervously ask her, still trying to think of what I would do and in what order. There are quite a few people I’ve promised to hang out with during the day, so I need to manage my time wisely… “Of course I have~ I think I’ve already told you that. Don’t worry though~ It’s not going to be as stressful as you think.” The grasp of her hand and the smile I fell in love with both help to convince me that everything will be okay, despite the massive day ahead of the both of us. Slowly nodding, I look towards the crowd, both of us walking into the horde of people. A part of me feels like we’re blindly guessing our direction towards the house, given just the sheer amount of people around us just standing around, greeting each other. Some of the people around us look at me with a confused expression, possibly because I’ve never been here before. How the hell does Apple Bloom have such a huge family…? Almost everyone here is an Apple Family member, making it seem gigantic compared to other families. Apple Bloom told me she has a big family, but this isn’t just big. Now I can kind of understand the massive amounts of preparation they needed to do for this… Suddenly, a large amount of pain hits my stomach as I fall over onto the ground. “Aah!” I groan, gripping the back of my head as a huge migraine starts to take hold of my brain. Even though the ground around us is stupid dirt, it doesn’t make it hurt any less… It’s hard to hear for a few moments, the stinging sensation finally subsiding as I open my eyes, seeing Sunset and a familiar person looking down at me. “Oh! I’m dreadfully sorry, Adagio!” a young voice says loud enough for me to hear as the ringing dulls down. Her big magenta bow on her head bounces slightly as she offers me her hand to pull me up, an apologetic look in her eyes. “I didn’t think you would fall down like that,” she nervously states with a chuckle, helping me up off the ground. A heavy sigh leaves my mouth as I shake my head, trying to desperately get rid of the headache I have. “Well, a surprise attack won’t exactly help me keep my balance,” I tell the young girl, looking at her with a confused stare. “What the hell prompted that anyway?” A sheepish grin comes across Apple Bloom, rubbing her boot into the ground slowly. “W-well, I was um… just excited to see you!” she said in an anxious tone. Normally, she is pretty excited to see me, but something tells me that isn’t the only reason. Raising my eyebrow, I put my hands on my hips, smirking at her. “And?” “E-eh? Well…” Apple Bloom’s face turns from surprise to an anxious expression, her eyes looking around us quickly. “I um… kinda need help.” A giggle comes from Sunset when we hear Apple Bloom’s words, Sunset’s hand holding onto my own before the little bulldozer rammed into me. “What kind of help do you need?” she asks before I can, both of us seemingly curious as to what Apple Bloom will need now. “Um… I really need an excuse or somewhere you could hide me. Like quick,” Apple Bloom states with her eyes still scanning the environment around us. “My aunt’s just arrived and she’s really big into physical affection and I can’t stand it! Could I borrow your girlfriend till my big sis makes the announcement?” she asks Sunset with pleading eyes, seemingly asking for me to do something with her as an excuse until further notice without asking me directly. Also, I find it ironic that Apple Bloom can’t stand her aunt’s physical affection when she’s a big hugger herself. Is it wrong of me to think that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…? Jeez, when did I start making cheesy jokes like that? Without missing a beat, Sunset’s eyes turn to me, seemingly asking me with just a glance if I was okay to help Apple Bloom with her plight. Bringing a hand to my face, I can’t believe that I’m about to help her try and avoid family at a freaking family reunion. “How can I help?” I ask slowly, reconnecting my gaze with Apple Bloom to see her happily smile. “I’ll bring her back soon!” Apple Bloom quickly tells Sunset before grabbing my arm, subsequently dragging me through the crowd. The young girl barely gives me enough time to look back at Sunset, seeing her kind smile still present with a small wave. Bobbing and weaving past dozens of people, Apple Bloom quickly brings us past a bunch of tables with snacks and drinks, making me wish I could get something to quench my thirst. Alas, her grip is too strong, instantly running into the orchard and through the trees. A part of me can already guess where we’re going, remembering the rigid terrain leading up to Apple Bloom’s desired location. All the while, her bow bounces up and down on her head as she runs. I, on the other hand, am left stumbling behind her, desperately trying to succumb to gravity itself. Reaching to my neck, I grab my scarf quickly, pushing it inside my bag with one hand. “What kind of excuse could you make with me?” I ask behind her, still not used to moving this fast. How the hell is she always so fast and strong…? “We can say that we’re practicing for the race!” Apple Bloom exclaims in a loud tone, trying to make sure I can hear her from behind me. “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are already practicing with their partners and all, so it would make sense!” A race…? Partners? What? “There’s going to be a race?” I hesitantly ask her, trying to not trip on the various fallen branches as we get further and further away from the farmhouse. “And what do you mean partners? Also, you do know you’ll have to face your aunt eventually, right?” At this point, a hundred questions pass through my mind a moment, making me wonder what exactly is happening during this reunion. Do they have a freaking outline for this thing…? If so, why wasn’t I given a handout when I visited three days ago? “I know, but if I can prolong it, she will be more tired, meaning less of the overwhelming hugs and all!” Apple Bloom describes in a confident tone as if it is the greatest plan someone could come up with. In reality, it sounds kind of mediocre and I would rather just get over with it sooner, but I suppose that is not my decision to make. “There’s going to be a race pretty soon after everyone gets here and my big sis makes the announcement! It will take place from one end of our farm to the other. Isn’t that exciting!” Apple Bloom exclaims with a gleam in her eye, smiling widely at the idea. Remembering how absolutely massive their farm is, that sounds like an exhausting idea rather than exciting. “Every person who’s going to race will need a teammate since each person will run half of the track. You basically pass off the baton to your teammate and they run the rest of the way~” Jumping over a small creek, Apple Bloom acts like all of this is completely normal whereas I would classify running through an orchard with dozens of things to make you trip is risky as crap. Not to mention that she wants me to run a race in this orchard with her. “Why didn’t you ask your big sister to do this with you?” I ask her, watching the ground ahead of us just in case another jump comes up. “Surely she would be a better fit for this. You’re both super strong and you both live here.” “I thought about that!” Apple Bloom says in a ‘fun fact’ sort of voice, looking back at me as we sprint. That seems like a bad idea, but I guess she has every inch of this place memorized. “First off. My big sis is busy preparing for the announcement right now and she already agreed to run the race with Big Mac. Usually, she runs with me, but this is the first time my brother wants to participate, so I guess she wants to support him.” Apple Bloom quickly reaches into her pocket, pulling out a package of wrapped crackers and giving them to me. “Also, you may wanna eat these to get your energy up. You look exhausted.” No shit I’m exhausted. You’ve pulled me in a full sprint rather than a leisurely walk or a light run. Hesitantly taking the crackers from her hand, I try to open the package while we run, thinking about what Apple Bloom’s said. “That still doesn’t answer why you thought I’m a good fit for this,” I state before taking a bite of the crackers, immediately noticing that they taste a little stale. And bland… “Well, remember how you told me you ran in that alligator maze at Equestria World?” Her eyes are full of curiosity, trying to see if I can recall such a conversation. A sudden realization comes to my mind, making me sigh heavily at the idea. “So, your idea is to use Sunset against me by saying I can ‘impress her again’ by running this race with you,” I state in a slight annoyance, realizing just how mischievous the girl can be. This is my punishment for becoming friends with her, I suppose. “Well, ya can! I mean, you told me how Sunset hugged you and was really excited when you won and how it meant the world to ya~” Apple Bloom’s eyebrow raises with a smirk coming to her face. “Wouldn’t you want to do this to see how happy she would be? You do practically everything for her after all~” she teases me with a chuckle, manipulating the fact that I melt at the sight of Sunset’s smile and her adoration. “You’re a very mean girl, Apple Bloom,” I say defeatedly, shaking my head. “So, you do agree?” she asks me excitedly, her eyes full of that same hope I’ve come to expect from her. “Throw in a grape soda before the race and it’s a deal.” Apple Bloom nods at my request, bringing her gaze back to the ground in front of us. To be honest, it’s a little surprising for me to hear that Big Mac wants to join the race. I’ve only met him a couple times and he didn’t say that much, but he seems to have more strength than speed. Maybe it’s something to boost his ego or he just wants to join the activities for fun. Either way, I’m not particularly looking forward to ‘facing off’ against everyone. Just because I ran in that alligator maze doesn’t mean I’m that fast. At least, I don’t think so. Jumping over the big ditch I have memorized at this point, I can’t help but try to peek through the trees to see the clubhouse, knowing it’s nearby. With how dense the orchard is, though, that is quite difficult. The young girl gripping onto my arm pulls me through the trees with an energetic boost, backing up my idea that the treehouse is close. The sound of talking can be heard as we run into one of the only clearings in the orchard that I can think of. The young girl finally lets go of my arm, instantly falling down to the ground to sit down. Is it really necessary to sprint everywhere…? Taking a deep breath, my eyes connect with the other people in the clearing, seeing Rainbow Dash talking to Scootaloo while Sweetie Belle shakes her head at her big sister. “Rarity! You can’t wear high heels in this!” Sweetie Belle exclaims as Rarity tries to organize her attire. “Seriously, darling. Do you really want to do this… race? You’ll get dirty,” Rarity whines, looking at Sweetie Belle’s shirt. “At least you didn’t take one of your nice shirts, but still. I already know AJ wants to do this, but why would you?” “Because my friends are doing this and I want to participate too. Are you going to change your shoes or not?” the purple and pink haired girl asks her older sister, crossing her arms with a pout. “Fine… I will,” Rarity says with a clear distaste for the tennis shoes in front of her, shaking her head. “Would you be okay with coming in seventh, Sweetie? I don’t want to get myself dirty in this… race.” Every time the fashionista uses the word race, she sounds like she doesn’t really believe that’s what it’s called, despite the fact that it’s as clear cut a race that I can imagine. “Ugh! You’re impossible!” Sweetie Belle exclaims, walking away from her sister with a huff. “Could you guys keep it down? Scoots and I are trying to form a plan here,” Rainbow Dash tells the two sisters, rolling her eyes slightly before spotting me at the edge of the clearing. “Oh, hey, Dagi! What are you doing here?” Rarity instantly turns her eyes to Rainbow Dash, clearly making her the focus of her angry glare. “Oh, Dash! I thought you wanted us to hush because you were ‘strategizing,’ but you suddenly want to make conversation with Adagio?” Rarity asks with air quotes, angry at the athletic woman. It seems that Sweetie Belle and Rarity have really been getting on each other’s nerves. “Chill, Rarity. All I asked was for you two to keep it down. And besides, Dagi just got here,” Rainbow says with another eye roll, looking back at me with a small wave. In response, Rarity just turns away from her, walking towards the table with the tennis shoes in her hand. “She’s here to race with me~” Apple Bloom answers for me, cheerfully smiling with a thumbs up. The girl with the bow turns back to me, nervously smiling and scratching her head as the wind begins to blow against us. “I’ll be right back, okay? I have to go see how Sweetie Belle is doing.” Before I can say anything to Apple Bloom, she quickly runs past me in the direction her friend stomped off in. A small part of me can’t help but worry that this is going to go poorly, but maybe I’m just looking too into things… Trying my best to smile, I stand up from my seated position, stretching my legs slightly. I can’t believe I’m going to do this. It’s that situation at Equestria World all over again. Maybe I just like performing in front of Sunset. Either way, today is going to be a long day, isn’t it? ============================================================ Quickly walking through the crowd, I take a big sip of my grape soda, looking at the people around me. Everyone’s gathering around a wooden stage built in front of the farmhouse, making it easier on me that no one is technically moving around. All I have to do is find her before the race. What sucks about this crowd is that a lot of people have skin that is close to orange, making me rely on hair color to try and find Sunset. Normally, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to ask someone else if they have seen someone like her, but in this huge crowd, it feels a little too overwhelming to try and talk to everyone. Especially since all of these people are relatives to Apple Bloom. Then again, that could be due to the fact that I’ve been more introverted lately because of my lack of confidence. Bringing my hand to my face, I honestly feel embarrassed for not being able to find her. I’m usually able to pinpoint her pretty easily, but now, she could be anywhere in this crowd. A sigh quickly leaves my mouth before I bring my hands to my lips, feeling stupid for doing this. “Movie!” I yell out with complete confidence, despite the embarrassment I can feel. Instantly, multiple people around me look at me with shock and confusion, wondering what the hell I am doing. “Night!” a familiar voice calls out to my right, making me walk as fast as I can towards the sound of her voice. If I had a hoodie on, I would definitely be hiding under the hood from everyone’s stares, but for now, I just have to keep acting composed and like I don’t care what they think. Within a moment, I can finally see her fiery hair in front of me, her eyes looking around herself to try and find me. I can’t help but feel relief, walking towards her without a single moment of hesitation. My feet feel light and weightless despite the practice I just did with Apple Bloom, a big smile coming over my face as I finally hug Sunset from behind. A surprised giggle comes from her, grabbing onto my arms lightly. “There you are~” I whisper, kissing her cheek with a smile on both of our faces. I don’t doubt that there are probably some people still looking at us, but I don’t quite care. It doesn’t matter, does it? “You were gone for a while~” Sunset responds to me, turning herself around and wrapping her arms around my neck. Her eyes sparkle from the sun and her smile makes me melt even more, just happy to see her happy. The wind gently plays with her hair as she stares into my eyes, seemingly at peace to see me again. “I couldn’t really help it. Apple Bloom made me do the Cutie Mark Crusaders swear to do my best during the race.” Bringing my hand to her cheek, I smile at the feeling of her skin. It’s not every day I get to just stare into her eyes like this, completely forgetting the moment and the sounds around us. I can’t afford to do that now though… Sunset’s puzzled expression shows her confusion, tilting her head slightly. Why does she always have to be so cute…? “A race? What do you mean?” Her questions hit my ears, but my ability to respond is cut short by a loud applause from everyone around us. Both of our eyes look towards the stage to see two women walk on stage. One of them is an old woman with green skin and white hair and the other is Applejack. The older woman seems oddly familiar to me, but I can’t quite place where I’ve seen her before… Slowly, the elderly woman reaches the microphone and smiles at the crowd, Applejack waving at everyone. “Hello, everyone~ It’s so nice to see y’all again. Especially since the last Apple Family reunion was so long ago,” the woman says in a kind voice to a roaring applause. “What happened last time again? I can’t remember… Didn’t my grandson, Braeburn, almost burn down the barn?” she asks the crowd with a light chuckle, getting a response of some laughs. “Sorry about that!” a masculine voice calls out from somewhere in the crowd, making even more people laugh. “It’s alright, kiddo. Don’t you worry about it~” The old woman waves at whoever apologizes, smiling to herself. “Now where was I? Oh! It’s so nice to see that everyone could make it this time around and I’m proud to say that my granddaughter, Applejack, planned all of this herself~” Raising her hand out towards Applejack, another applause starts, prompting the cowgirl to walk towards the microphone with a sheepish grin. “Thank ya kindly, everyone, but it really wasn’t that much work. I am really happy to say that this looks like it is going to be one of the best reunions we’ve ever had!” Everyone around us clap at Applejack’s statement, making the cowgirl bow slightly. “We have a lot planned for today with tons of fun games, leisure activities and even sports to help everyone have a fun day while catching up with family! Before we officially begin this reunion, I’d like to give a big thanks to my friends and my siblings for helping me put all of this together~ With that being said, feel free to participate in whatever you want to do and take whatever food we lay out! And before anyone asks…” Applejack’s gaze is directed at a certain part of the crowd, clearly looking at someone with a small shake of her head. “The cider won’t be handed out until noon. Now go on and enjoy yourselves, everybody!” Applejack exclaims in her Southern accent to the acclaim of everyone around us, cheering at her as she raises her hat in the air. Looks like Sunset is about to find out what race I mean for herself. =========================================================== Slipping on my older boots, I’m kind of surprised to be back in this attire. It was only a few days ago that I bought new clothes with Sunset, but I’ve already started to get used to having my hair up and wearing more flashy clothing. Maybe it’s because it legitimately did help with my confidence, but for this race, I need something that can get dirty. I suppose that’s why I chose to wear this hoodie, jeans and my old boots. I don’t think I will personally care if these rip or get dirt on them. Thankfully, Sunset agreed to hold onto my bag while I race so that none of my belongings get lost. It’s a bit weird to have my hair down in public again, but it will only last for a little bit. Opening the door to the bathroom, I quickly walk through the farmhouse which is surprisingly empty. Jogging outside the house, I make my way towards the beginning of the track, seeing multiple activities along the way that other people were involved in. One such game was horseshoes, making me chuckle at the irony of it all. Sunset and I both came from a world of talking creatures like ponies. It almost makes me feel weird when I think about it. I’ve gotten so used to this body that my original body seems… foreign. Either way, it just seems ironic that we both used to have hooves, but those days are long gone. The crowd around the small fence posts with string tied between them show just how excited some people are to see this race. There are even a couple of trucks to transport people from one end to the other to see how the race goes and which team wins. That’s not surprising, given the sheer size of the farm, but it does make the task of the runners seem a little more daunting. Every team needs to decide a member that will start the race and give the other member the task of finishing the race. Thankfully, Apple Bloom and I decided it would be a better idea for me to start so that she can make up for any ground I may lose by the time I get to her. Even if I come in close to last, Apple Bloom is as fast as a fly, so I don’t doubt she would be able to recover our losses. Jogging past the crowd, I quickly make my way over the fence towards the beginning line. There are quite a few participants in this race other than the teams I already know of, but the people I do recognize at the front are Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle. Already, I begin to question why Sweetie Belle is starting the race instead of her sister since it seems like everyone picked the adults to start. Well, except for Big Mac and Applejack. In that sense, they’re both adults. Regardless, I shake my head and run over to the line, standing beside Applejack and Sweetie Belle. “Hey, sugarcube~ I heard Apple Bloom wrangled you into this,” Applejack says with a chuckle, stretching her arms and legs before the race. “Yeah, she said you promised to be in a team with your brother,” I say with my own smile, stepping back to take a deep breath. “Well, he wanted to participate this year and all~ Although, I’m not sure if we’ll win, but we’ll try our best.” The cowgirl gives me a big thumbs up before stretching her back. “I can’t help but notice you changed into some of your older attire. Good choice~ There’s probably going to be some mud on the track from last night’s rain and all~” “Thanks. I don’t quite care about these things, so it doesn’t matter if they get ruined honestly,” I tell the cowgirl with a small laugh, both of us finding amusement in the moment. “Although, I am a little curious why Sweetie Belle here is starting the race,” I talk about the young girl in the third person, nodding to her with a slight chuckle. “That’s because Rarity is pretty slow,” Sweetie Belle responds in a completely honest and blank tone, focusing on tying her shoe laces. Applejack laughs out loud at Sweetie Belle’s comment, bringing her hand to her face quickly. “Sugar, don’t tell your big sis, but I agree with that fully~ If she knew I said that, I would be in the dog house for sure,” Applejack tells Rarity’s younger sister, making me chuckle slightly. “Oh? Should I use that as blackmail material?” I tease her with a smirk, causing the cowgirl to look at me with a look that tells me to ‘watch where I step.’ “You do that and I’ll personally make sure you don’t get a drop of the cider.” “Eh, I’m more of a whiskey person myself,” I tell her with a chuckle, looking towards the opposite end of the starting line where Rainbow Dash decided to start. “Although, I think Dash wouldn’t mind having my share of it.” “Oh, yeah…” Applejack’s expression instantly turns into an annoyed one as she looks toward Rainbow Dash, shaking her head slowly. What does that mean…? Why does she look… pissed off? Before I can ask her what was up with her reaction, a man walks along the starting line with a smirk, looking at all of us before turning his head to the audience. His yellow skin and tan hair reflect the sun pretty easily, making him easy to spot. Unsurprisingly, the man has a bunch of sunscreen on, probably because his skin would burn easily. I mean, mine burned faster than Sonata and Aria, but I usually don’t have to wear heavy sunscreen. “Hello, everyone! I’m Braeburn and I can see everyone is excited to get this show on the road!” Everyone yells in excitement at his words, making me scan the audience. Where is she? Sunset said she would watch as much of the race as she can and I know she’s usually pretty excited about watching me participate in things like this. A big smile comes to me as my eyes connect with the one person looking towards me, her ocean eyes full of happiness. My heart skips a beat as she makes the shape of a heart with her hands and mouths those three words we tell each other every day. Those three words should be normalized in my mind at this point, but every little reminder refuses to leave my mind, bringing a blush to my cheeks. She is the best magic I could ever think of. I love you too~ “Before I let our faithful racers run away from us, I need to establish some rules. In no circumstances is hitting and kicking allowed, but pushing another racer is okay. You are not allowed to stray too far from the track and deliberately putting obstacles in front of others isn’t allowed. Your teammate is allowed to pick up where you leave off at any point if you get injured. Other than that, everything else should be a-okay~” With that, Braeburn walks back to the opposite side of the track, grabbing a green flag. “Good luck, racers!” he yells out, waving the flag high in the air. Instantly, everyone takes off running, despite a couple of stumbles from people behind me. As I run past the audience, I can’t help but notice Sunset’s wave, motivating me to do my best. My heart beats quickly, feeling the adrenaline rush throughout my body. It won’t be long before everyone starts to disperse… Applejack is the first one to go sprinting past me, unsurprisingly leaving me a few feet behind. Some people get ahead of me and some fall behind like Sweetie Belle, despite how fast she tries to run. I truly don’t know how I’m going to retain enough energy to run half the length of the orchard, especially since I will probably fall behind some of these people by a good bit. We finally run into the dense trees, trying to make my way around them as smoothly as possible. Of course, Applejack gets even further ahead than all of us. It’s not surprising since this is her home turf. She literally grew up here, making every nook and cranny probably something she memorized. I can’t help but take deep breaths, every step reminding me why I’m doing this. Flashes of that damned alligator maze come back to my mind, drawing parallels to both situations. Both times, I ended up agreeing simply because it would make Sunset smile. I mean, that’s the whole point of this reunion right? To have fun? Sunset has been so busy with her internship that this is the first time she’s been able to see all of her friends in the same place in months. It should be a fun day for her. Well, as fun as I can make it. Jumping over a log, I shake my head quickly, looking at the environment around me. Surprisingly, quite a few people fell behind me, even though I don’t think I’m that fast. If I am this close to the front, maybe Apple Bloom and I can make it in the top three. At least, that’s what she’s hoping for. I just don’t want to come dead last… “Sorry! Coming through!” a familiar voice yells behind me right before a strong force hits my back, throwing me forward towards the ground. Colliding with the ground causes pain to strike through my arms, protecting my face from the fall. What the hell… Looking up at the people running past me, I see rainbow hair sprinting away. I knew she would try to win, but pushing me down…? What the fuck, Dash? Why would I deserve that? Hell, how were you behind me? Were you just slowed down by the trees or what? My eyes widen as I notice everyone starts to slow down, running as if they were stuck at less than half of normal speed. Even the leaves falling to the ground linger in the air a lot longer than they should, losing their color slowly. Everything is… losing its color… Did I hit my head? Why is this happening? Everything slowly turns black and white, even my own skin. I can’t even get up… I can look around, but why can’t I get up? Am I… alright? I’m less concerned with the fact that Rainbow pushed me now… The thing that matters the most is the change of scenery. “It’s quite interesting,” a dark whisper enters my mind, crawling down my back in an unsettling way. That’s why everything’s changed… Of course it had to be this again. “After all the turmoil leading up to this day, you decide the best way to start it off is to repeat something you did months ago. How… unique.” Quiet footsteps can be heard walking around me, approaching the area in front of me. Despite my own intentions to keep my composure, I can’t bring myself to look up at her, only seeing her feet walk in front of me as red liquid drops to the ground. It’s surprising that she’s not a shadow right now… Hell, it’s more surprising that she’s here with other people around. Why did this have to happen now…? “It seems that the simple thought of seeing the love of your life smile brings you to do whatever she wants. Or, in this case, complying with a brat to run a pointless race. All this does is exhaust your muscles for a simple smile from her.” Getting down on one knee, her finger comes to my chin with her sharp nail poking at my skin. Her grip forces me to look up at her, my own evil grin facing right at me. “Why are you appearing so often…?” I ask her slowly, pulling my chin from her grasp with a grimace. Every couple of days, it seems she appears again. What is the point…? “That doesn’t matter, now does it? The important issue is the situation you’re in right now.” Standing up slowly, her red dress glistens in the light, her wings casting a shadow on the ground. “I told you to handle your situations with your anger and emotions. To let them fuel you. Instead, you resisted your emotions and waited to apologize to that girl, making it sound insincere at best.” Despite her normally quiet and piercing voice, a laugh comes from her, penetrating my thoughts. “Though, it’s not like you need the approval of Pinkie Pie. She is worthless after all.” “Don’t talk about her like that,” I strike back, still unable to move from my spot on the ground. I’m usually able to move… Right? I feel so powerless right now… “This is why power was the better option, but no. You wanted love and friends.” Again, she chuckles, walking away from me. Her hand grabs Rainbow Dash’s hair slowly, inspecting the colors with a shrug. “What’s even more pathetic is that you, Adagio Dazzle, finally made a nest. How cute~ It must feel great to give away your body to some mortal when you’re supposed to be queen of the sirens.” Clenching my fist, I can’t help but grimace at her words, staring into her red eyes. “It was fucking worth it… And I don’t care if you say otherwise. Now leave. You have no business here.” “And you do?” she instantly remarks, her usually evil smile gone and replaced by a threatening stare. “Think about it, Adagio. You don’t belong in the dirt. You agreed to come to this pig sty of a homestead just to have fun with friends. That sounds so pathetic. The worst part about this whole day is that you let that girl you’re infatuated with taint your body last night. For that, I would personally want the death penalty, but you’re too weak to realize that.” Flying up to a tree branch above me, she sits down, casting her body in shadows once more. The red liquid drips down to the ground, slowly forming a puddle. “All of this and you’re still not even sure if everyone will get along in the end.” My eyes widen at her statement, making me quickly look back up at her. “What do you mean?” Not getting along…? I know Applejack seemed a little pissed at Rainbow and Rarity was clearly on edge earlier, but that’s no reason to worry, is it? “Adagio… Don’t tell me you haven’t thought of the possibility that today won’t end well. Think about it rationally. What happened on Valentine’s Day?” she asks in a striking tone, her eyes still locked with my own. Her glare almost demands for an answer, feeling like she can look directly into my soul. “Everyone got mad at each other at Garden Hooves Park. Because of me…” “Good~ Glad to see your memory is still intact after all the shit you did to your head…” She claps her hands a few times before her hand waves slightly, sparks flying from her fingers. Instantly, a small diagram of me and everyone else is drawn in midair, illustrating the event in question. “You’ve been trying so hard to apologize to everyone and make things right…” The illustration turns into multiple, showing all of my attempts with Sunset’s friends. The last one with Pinkie Pie is conveniently marked out with a ‘X.’ “Rainbow Dash herself even said that they were not all talking to each other. Did you really think that you making things right with them would suddenly make them all forgive each other for what happened last time?” Her diagram then shows a solid line between me and everyone else except Pinkie Pie. “You’ve been so focused on your own relationships with others than actually looking at the relationships between them. Don’t you think that will lead to a disastrous outcome by sundown?” “That can’t happen… I… How can I stop this?” I talk to myself, thinking about the upcoming day frantically. “Now you panic because you realize that I am right. You should know that I’m always right.” Pushing herself off the branch, she slowly falls to the ground with that evil smile returning to her. “Just give up. Grasp power by the throat and leave before everything falls down before you.” “Can you shut up about power just once!” my voice lets out without me even thinking about it, my yell seemingly reaching her. My angry stare makes a surprised expression come to her, bringing her hand to her chest. “Did you just… feel anything?” she asks more cautiously than anything else she’s ever said to me, stepping towards me with a curious look in her eye. “Why the fuck would I feel anything? Everything’s frozen thanks to you… Now I need to think of how I’m going to help everyone, so just leave.” Looking towards the ground, I can’t help but sigh heavily, overwhelmed by my thoughts. Who is on good terms? Which of them need to forgive each other…? “Interesting. I thought I just saw your eyes flash green, but I could be wrong.” Slowly walking towards me, the drops of red liquid get closer, tainting the dirt. “You truly are pathetic. Wanting to hold all of these people together, failing time and time again. Giving your body away and betraying who you are.” Her hand quickly grabs my own, her nails digging into my skin. “This is the path you’ve chosen. All you can do is reap what you sow. But… perhaps the stitches can be changed.” Looking up at her, my mind tells me to not listen… “What exactly do you mean?” “If you act fast enough, maybe… your friends can forgive each other before this godforsaken reunion is over.” A quiet chuckle comes from her mouth, letting go of my hand. “I would expect letting Rainbow Dash or Applejack win this race would cause an even bigger rift between them. But… they both forgave you by this point. If you win, they will both lose, giving you the happy smile you want and a commonality between them. Perhaps, they can even congratulate each other for a good competition.” “You really think I could win this race?” I ask with a slight scoff, shaking my head. “You could do anything you wanted. In some way, I believe you still can. Now if you don’t want to be completely worthless, I’d suggest you get up and win. Or just stay in the dirt and prove to me that you are nothing.” An evil chuckle penetrates my mind as I close my eyes, trying to keep her words out of my head. “Maybe… that trigger should have been pulled one more time.” Opening my eyes, the pool of blood in front of me is gone. The sound of running feet fills my ears as I notice all the colors, seeing people run past my body on the ground. She has to appear at the worst times… But she was right. God. Why didn’t I think about the possibility of everyone else not forgiving each other? I was so naive and stupid… I should have at least thought about it before coming here. I only thought about making them forgive me and not each other. I have so much more work than I expected… Pushing myself off the ground as quickly as I can, I sprint towards everyone else, trying desperately to regain the ground I’ve lost. I need to help them too… I need to try. Why was I so stupid? Getting closer to everyone else, I can’t help but grimace, thoughts racing through my mind. Maybe… Maybe her advice will help. I don’t even know why she appears, but maybe winning this race will at least help Applejack and Rainbow Dash talk to each other. Maybe it could even help Rarity? Then I can move onto everyone else. My first priority? Winning this god damn race… ======================================================= “Adagio! We won! We won!” Apple Bloom yells at me after jumping off the truck, instantly running over to me to grab me in a hug. I was barely able to make it to the halfway point right behind Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but thankfully, Apple Bloom was able to pick up the slack and sprint past her big brother and Scootaloo. All of the secondary runners were brought back to the main clearing in front of the house, despite the fact that there are activities all over the farm. Apple Bloom holds a blue ribbon in her hand, but my eyes are more focused on everyone else getting off the truck. Big Mac just hops off the truck with a proud smile on his face, an orange ribbon with the number three plastered on it stuck to his chest. Scootaloo zooms off the truck towards Rainbow Dash with a silver ribbon, presumably representing second place. Rarity, of course, daintily steps down off the truck, trying to get the least dirty as possible. Unsurprisingly, no such ribbon can be found on her or near her. Still, it’s nice of her to actually try for her little sister. “That’s great! You worked pretty hard there,” I tell Apple Bloom with a chuckle, playfully rubbing her head. “You did good too! I was surprised you were so close behind Rainbow and my big sis! How did you do that?” Her curious eyes stare up at me, making me nervously smile down at her. “Pure luck…? Either that or because you slammed me through those trees on more than one occasion.” A small pout comes to her as she lets go of me, crossing her arms. “You’re acting like I abused ya or something. All I did was pull you along cause you were too slow.” Too slow my ass. It’s more like she’s way too damn fast, but I guess that turned out to be a good thing today. It helped us win the race~ “Whatever you say, small fry~ What are you going to do with that ribbon?” I ask her with a smile, looking down at the bright blue award in her hand. “Well, that’s the thing,” Apple Bloom says quietly, her eyes looking away from me. “I already won one of these in a past reunion and all. So, I was kinda thinking… maybe you could have it~ Ya know. Since you helped me and all?” Apple Bloom holds out the ribbon slowly, her eyes looking up at me to see if I will accept it from her. She’s always been so kind to me, no matter what happens. Even when I ghosted her, Sunset and Rainbow Dash, she still treated me with kindness in her letter. I really don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like her. Taking the award from her hands, I feel a smile come to my face due to this sign of friendship. From my first friend after I lost my magic… “Thank you, Apple Bloom~ I’ll keep it on my fridge~” Wrapping my arms around Apple Bloom, I hug her as tight as I can again, happy that I got to do this with her today. “I should show this to Sunset, huh?” “Well, duh! I mean, the whole reason you decided to help me was so that you could impress her again,” Apple Bloom teases me with a wink. “Where is she by the way?” “She went to get some snacks for the two of us right before you and everyone else got back. Although, I don’t know what snacks are available.” An excited look comes across her face, grabbing my arm once more. “Oh! You’ll love it! We have apples, apple pie, apple fritters, caramel apples, apple cookies-” “Apple Bloom? Do you have anything that’s not apple related?” I ask her with a laugh, shaking my head as she leads us to where the snacks are. “Oh, sure! We have lots actually! We have some pear related foods and we have some things that aren’t even fruit oriented~” A smirk comes to Apple Bloom’s lips, raising her eyebrow slowly. “Let me guess. You want to know if we have anything with cherries, right?” Both of us share a light laugh as we walk, the muscles in my legs still aching from my portion of the race. I’m honestly still surprised that she knows so much about me. I mean, she’s just a kid. Usually, they don’t memorize everything about their friends, especially since those friendships don’t last longer than a couple years on average. “You know me too well, you know that, kid?” I ask her with another head rub, scruffing up her hair slightly. Once again, her bow bounces up and down, contrasting with the pout on her face. “Call me a kid again and I will ‘slam’ you through those trees again,” Apple Bloom remarks, sticking her tongue out at me. I guess threats run in the family. “But I know you well because you’re… a good friend, Adagio. I’m really glad you decided to keep being my friend.” Apple Bloom smiles up at me, clearly being genuine with her gratitude to have me in her life. It doesn’t quite feel like I deserve this due to everything I’ve done before, but I know that most of that is probably just my insecurities talking again. “I’m glad to have you in my life too, Apple Bloom,” I say in a slightly teasing tone, both of us giggling at the situation. Walking into the dense crowd, Apple Bloom expertly guides us past different activities, being focused on a certain destination. I suppose she’s used to these reunions being absurdly large. “By the way, how big is your family?” “Including all of our extended family, about two-hundred-forty-two strong~” Apple Bloom proudly states with a big smile on her face, dragging me along. “It can be a bit daunting, but you’ll get used to it~” Daunting doesn’t even describe the feeling. I didn’t have any family in my life other than Sonata and Aria. We were best friends and looked out for each other. Probably because all of us didn’t have anyone else. Still. I didn’t really admit that back then. “I think I’ll manage,” I tell the young cowgirl, ducking past the crowd as we walk towards where all the food is being served. That is until we see a familiar woman walk towards us, her fiery hair blowing in the wind. Her head nods as a substitute for a wave since her hands are full. Waving at her, I can’t help but smile like an idiot, seeing her quickly make her way towards us. “Hey, Sunset! I told ya we would win~” Apple Bloom says with excitement, pointing at the blue ribbon in my hand with a big grin. “Oh, here’s your girlfriend back, by the way.” Holding my arm out towards her, Apple Bloom sheepishly smiles as if she is offering back a borrowed item and not a living person. “Why thank you, Apple Bloom~” Sunset expresses gratefully, giving me a plate with an apple fritter on it, grabbing me slowly with her now freed hand. “Congratulations, you two~ I knew you girls could do it!” Sunset tells us before kissing my cheek, pressing her shoulder against my own. “How did your friends do?” “Well, Scoots got second place with Rainbow Dash. My big sis and brother got third place and Sweetie Belle… Well, let’s just say Rarity came in fifth.” Huh. I didn’t know exactly where they placed, but at least they came above seventh. I don't know how the hell they made it in fifth, but maybe Rarity got lucky with the least amount of obstacles. I had at least three logs and multiple holes in the ground that I had to avoid. Regardless, Apple Bloom’s eyes look away from us with a conflicted expression. “Speaking of which, I should probably go see if Sweetie Belle is mad or happy with the outcome. Do y’all think you can fend for yourselves?” “Don’t worry. I have a couple things to do as well before we can do something else together~” I tell her with a wink, prompting a giggle out of Apple Bloom. “Okay! Great~ I’ll see you both later, okay?” Without even waiting for us to respond, Apple Bloom runs away in the direction Rarity and Sweetie Belle were, leaving Sunset and I alone. Well, surrounded by people we don’t know, but still. Sunset’s hand still holds onto mine tightly, her smile not ceasing for a moment. “So, what do you say we find a table to eat this somewhere?” Sunset asks me, tugging on my hand a little bit. When I don’t follow her and hold back, a confused expression comes to her, looking at me with a curious tone in her eyes. “Unless you don’t want to…?” “No, I want to. I just need to let you know something,” I say quietly, breaking our eye contact momentarily. “You wanted me to let you know things about my life and I… just wanted to tell you that I hallucinated again. During the race.” A concerned look washes over Sunset’s face, making her smile disappear quickly… That’s not what I wanted, but nonetheless, Sunset gets closer to me to try and see if I’m alright. “What happened…? Did she appear again?” Sunset asks cautiously, insinuating the pronoun to try and reference my hallucination accurately. That shadow’s eyes always cause a chill to go up my spine, even if I’m just thinking about her… “Yeah… She did. She was mostly just taunting me again and told me that today will turn out horribly.” Despite the plate in her hand, Sunset wraps her arms around me in a hug, placing her lips on my cheek slowly. “Don’t worry, alligator. Everything’s going to be alright~ If we just do our best, I’m sure it will,” she states with the same optimistic attitude that she’s had ever since I met her. That same level of confidence that never fails to inspire me… “I know. But I think I will need a bit of help with Pinkie Pie to resolve things there before today ends,” I whisper to her, hugging her tightly as well. “I think I can talk to her again, but making her open to that…? I think someone else will have to do that.” I know I have to apologize to her again… I can muster up enough strength to do that, but without Pinkie being willing to talk to me, she will just avoid me at all costs for the whole day. That’s something I can’t afford to do. “I see. I could ask Fluttershy to talk to her since they had similar…” A nervous look comes to Sunset, clearing her throat quietly. “Viewpoints when it came to you and all. Maybe Fluttershy can get through to her.” Slowly guiding me out of the crowd, we both walk towards an empty table, placing our plates down on the surface and sitting right beside each other. Fluttershy did think of me in the same way Pinkie did back on Valentine's Day. The only difference between the two of them is that I prioritized talking to Fluttershy and left my apology to Pinkie until the last moment. “Yeah, I think that could work. I can ask her right after-” “I can talk to her~ It’s been a while since Fluttershy and I have talked, so I think it would be good for us to catch up during this reunion,” Sunset tells me with a smile. Taking a bite of her apple fritter, she happily chews the food with an expression that tells me it tastes great. “Okay. Then I could see how Applejack and Rainbow Dash are doing while you do that, I suppose,” I respond to her with a curious tone, half wondering why Sunset is so willing to talk to Fluttershy on my behalf. The two of them both lost to Apple Bloom and I, but it’s still impressive that they came in the top three. Honestly, if it was a race just between the three of us, I am pretty sure I would come in last, but it was thankfully a team race. “Actually, could you maybe hang out with Twilight before you catch up with them…? Twilight should be here any moment and this is technically the first reunion she’s been able to attend. The last few times they were held, she was busy. So, you two have that in common~” Sunset states with the cutest smile known to man on her lips. Her request isn’t necessarily out of the ordinary, but I don’t know what goes on at these reunions either, so my companionship isn’t exactly going to help. Instead, I think I’m probably going to make Twilight even more confused about the ordeal. “I suppose I could,” I respond to the summer mist beside me, looking down at my own treat. I did plan on spending time with everyone during this reunion, but I still don’t have an idea of what Twilight and I will do. Or what I will do with everyone else as a matter of fact. I guess I’m just going with the flow unintentionally. If the Apple Family had a schedule of events, I would definitely take a peek at that to decide what to do, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. “Thank you, Adagio~ You’re doing a big favor for both me and Twilight~” Sunset says in a hum, hugging me quickly. I just hope I don’t fuck it up… =================================================== “So, what’s this activity exactly?” Twilight asks me as we walk past one of the many different games that are scattered around the Apple Family farm, Spike firmly in her arms. Looking over at the game, I quickly scan it with a bit of disinterest, raising my eyebrow slowly. Sitting at a table, a young girl with orange skin and magenta hair prepares a paint kit, looking at a couple of her brushes before she locks eyes with us, giving us a smile. “I may be wrong but I’m going to guess and say that it has something to do with paint,” I say in a teasing tone, sounding like a smartass as I do so. I didn’t necessarily intend to do that, but there’s no way to take it back now. Walking closer to the table, Twilight bends slightly with her own smile. “Hey there~ What exactly is this? I was just curious in your supplies and all,” Twilight asks as politely as she can, looking at the girl with genuine curiosity in her eyes. “Oh, this?” the girl asks in a New York accent, pointing to her paint set. “Well, I can paint on your face or arms if you would like~ I was asked to do this until noon since a lot of the kids seem to enjoy it~” It’s ironic that she says kids since she looks like she’s Apple Bloom’s age. Of course, she could be referring to kids even younger than her, which wouldn’t be surprising due to the sheer size of this family. If someone told me this family doesn’t believe in birth control, I wouldn’t doubt them. “Really?” Twilight asks with enthusiasm, widening her eyes a bit to the girl’s explanation only to be replaced with a sheepish look within a few moments. “So, this is for the kids and all…? None of the adults here want face paint or such?” “Well, none so far. But it’s quite early, so that may change. Anyone of any age can get face paint if they want it~ Unless you’re an infant. Then it might get in a baby’s eyes or mouth.” A conflicted look comes over Twilight’s face before she sets Spike down on the ground, slowly sitting down in front of the girl. Due to her actions so far, it’s not that hard to tell what her conflict is about… Sunset also felt conflicted about being ‘too old’ when we played arcade games at the mall, but from my standpoint, why the fuck do humans worry so much about what is traditional for their age? They only live once, so they should do what they want. Even my life is limited now due to the loss of my magic, so I have to take priority in what I want to do rather than social perceptions of me. “Um… Can you maybe paint a symbol on my cheek? I have a picture of it right here,” Twilight says as she pulls out her phone, showing a sparkle emblem on her phone case. “Sure~ Does your friend want one as well?” she asks Twilight, looking to me slowly. This question prompts Twilight to turn her gaze towards me, a curious tone in her stare. “I’d rather not, thanks,” I tell the two of them, taking a step back from the stand. “Aw, come on, Adagio~ Just one? It’ll be fun, I promise!” Twilight pleads with me, gesturing for me to get closer to the stand. The problem with face paint is that it is often messy. If it’s especially hot out, it can smear on your face rather than stay as a cute little symbol, possibly messing up your shirt. I mean, I don’t care about this hoodie, but still. The girls and I tried face paint as a possible attire choice for the Battle of the Bands finale, but we ultimately ditched the choice when it would run down our faces after a song. The other reason we inevitably decided against the paint was because it turns out Sonata was allergic to it. Maybe it was just the brand, but she couldn’t stop itching until she took an anti-allergen pill and a cold shower. Even though I liked how it looked, it just wasn’t feasible for a live performance. Looking back at Twilight’s eyes, I see her begging look, not wanting to be the only one with face paint. Possibly it is due to a fear of being judged by everyone else around us. Or it could be that she just wants to share this activity. Regardless, I slowly sigh, walking towards the empty seat and sitting down next to Twilight. “Fine. But only a small one.” Twilight smiles excitedly, nodding to my acceptance before turning to the girl. The high school kid opens her paint set, looking at the emblem one more time before mixing variations of red and blue together to create a vibrant magenta hue. The color she makes matches the primary color of the symbol on the back of Twilight’s phone, making me slightly impressed that she could do that so easily. “How are you two liking the reunion so far? I can tell you are guest invites since I’ve never met you gals before~” the young girl says again in her New York accent, making me raise my eyebrow. Honestly, how in the hell would she be able to recognize every member of this family? From her statement, it confirms she’s a part of the family as well, instead of a guest. Even if she is related to everyone, you’d think that her memory would only be able to go so far. Then again, I remember thousands of years of my life as a siren, but that’s simply because I’ve lived that long with the assistance of magic. “Actually, I just got here~” Twilight mentions, looking around at the area we’re in before bringing her face closer. Dabbing the brush in the paint, the orange girl slowly drags her brush across Twilight’s cheek, putting the magenta color on Twilight’s previously purple skin. “This is the first thing I’ve decided to try out and all. Applejack didn’t really tell us what would happen throughout the day, so we’re really just walking around.” “Oh? You’re friends with Applejack, huh?” The girl asks us as she concentrates on the picture she paints on Twilight’s face. “Apple Bloom did tell me some of her big sister’s friends would be here. Though, I’ve already met some of them at previous reunions. Are you new friends?” This girl knows and talks with Apple Bloom, so she’s close enough in the family tree to have regular contact with. “Oh, no. I just haven’t really made the time before,” Twilight sheepishly says, her hands fidgeting with each other. “I’ve been quite busy with studies for the past couple years… But I finally made the time today~” Without moving her face, Twilight’s eyes turn to me, looking for me to contribute something to the conversation. “I… am a new friend,” I say quietly, memories of Canterlot High resurfacing easily in my mind. Friend is a term I’m still not one-hundred percent certain applies to me, due to everything I’ve done to these poor girls. “I actually became friends with Apple Bloom first, though.” The young girl’s eyes widen slightly, halting the strokes of her brush to look at me. “Wait. You’re friends with Apple Bloom?” she asks in surprise, seemingly inspecting me. “I didn’t know Apple Bloom had friends outside of high school other than her big sister. I’m her cousin, Babs Seed~ Nice to meet you,” she tells me while offering a handshake. “Adagio Dazzle,” I respond, taking her hand in mine with a firm shake. Moving her hand back to the brush, Babs starts to paint Twilight’s cheek again, concentrating on the colors. “Adagio, huh? I think I’ve heard about you in Apple Bloom’s letters.” She writes letters to Babs Seed? Kinda old-fashioned, but I suppose it works. The thing that intrigues me more is the fact that she’s written about me. What exactly about me did she tell her cousin…? “What did she tell you?” I ask her cautiously, wondering if Apple Bloom revealed things I wasn’t comfortable sharing with other people or if she just said the general details about me. Did she share the fact that I was a siren…? Was… “She told me that you had a complicated past and seemed really beat up and tired when she found you. Though, I always thought she meant someone closer to our age when she talked about you.” Dabbing her brush in the white paint, Babs moves onto the next step of painting Twilight’s requested symbol. “She also said that you’re sassy and kind of a bitch. But not in a bad way. More of a good way. I don’t know what she meant by that, but that’s what she told me.” Apple Bloom said that…? I admit that I’m a bitch, but ‘innocent’ Apple Bloom curses in her letters? There have been a couple times she has cursed in front of me and automatically corrects herself, so it’s a little hard to believe the young cowgirl said something like that intentionally. “You’re telling me that Apple Bloom, the girl who says ‘horse apples’ as an alternative to ‘shit,’ is the one who called me that?” I ask the girl with a couple of giggles escaping my mouth, trying to not burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. “Well, that’s what she wrote. Believe me, it surprised me too,” Babs says with a short chuckle of her own, prompting me to laugh out loud at this new turn of events. Oh, I can’t wait to tease the ever living hell out of Apple Bloom~ “What about you, though? What’s your name?” Babs asks the girl she is painting, causing Twilight to blush slightly. “Oh! Sorry. Um. Usually I introduce myself before something like this and-” the purple woman stops herself mid-sentence, realizing that she’s rambling. “My name is Twilight. Nice to meet you, Babs~” “Oh! Twi, huh? Applejack mentioned you at the last reunion,” the young girl says with enthusiasm, clearly happy to finally meet the person that has missed out on these reunions so far. “She said you were quite the science whiz. Now it makes sense that you said you were busy with studies. What kind of studies have you been working on?” Honestly, it surprises me that Babs would be interested in the details of Twilight’s studies, considering they can be pretty boring, but I suppose it’s just something I don’t have an interest in. “My professors and I have mostly been researching the differences between frog species from different environments and how similar they are to each other. We then take educated guesses as to how the food sources from each environment would affect the frog species from a different area~” Twilight explains happily, a big smile coming to her face. “We were also studying beavers last year~ They’re so cute, aren’t they?” “Eh, I suppose so,” Babs says with a shrug of her shoulders. “I live in the big city, so I don’t personally have a problem with them, but apparently Applejack has a hard time dealing with beavers here.” With a small breath, Babs puts the finishing touches on Twilight’s cheek, handing her a mirror. “But this should make you cuter than a beaver for the rest of the reunion~ Unless you get water on it. Then it may smear,” Babs warns Twilight as she looks in the mirror, a big smile coming to her face. “It looks perfect! Hey, Spike, do you think this is cute?” Twilight turns around to ask the dog sitting behind us, his eyes just staring at us weirdly before scratching his ear. Once again, an embarrassed look comes to her face before turning back to Babs, sheepishly scratching her head. Huh. Spike knows when to stay quiet and act like a normal dog. Funny he didn’t do that around me, but it’s still impressive. “Sorry. I sometimes… talk to my dog,” Twilight embarrassedly states, her cheek shining a bright pink. “No worries~ I sometimes talk to my hair supplies when I’m bored or lonely,” Babs reassures Twilight with a thumbs up before turning to me. “Do you have something in mind or do you want me to suggest something?” Without a moment to try and respond, something grabs my shoulder gently, making me look behind me. Instantly, my eyes recognize the yellow person standing behind me, her bright red hair blowing in the wind slightly. “Hey, Babs! How are you doing?” Apple Bloom greets her cousin, prompting Babs to stand up and give her a hug. “Hey, cousin~ I was just doing some face-painting with some friends of yours.” “Ah, I take it you met Adagio, then?” Apple Bloom says with a smile, looking down at me with a slight wink. “Met? She told me you called me a ‘bitch,’” I tell the cowgirl with a smirk, raising my eyebrow in anticipation of a response. Without a moment of latency, Apple Bloom’s eyes widen and a bright blush comes to her cheeks, seemingly frozen for a few seconds. “B-Babs! I told you to keep that a secret!” Apple Bloom angrily tells her cousin, spinning around to lock their eyes. “Sorry. It was just too funny to not share~” Babs says with a slight chuckle, holding her hands up to avoid getting a beating. “What’s so funny about that? You know I don’t usually curse and all!” “Hey, it’s alright, Apple Bloom,” I say quietly, leaning forward and grabbing her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone else. I just find it funny that you used the word, that’s all.” Apple Bloom’s eyes turn back to me, pouting slightly at the fact that her cousin shared something like this. “Fine… Either way, I was just wanting to ask if you two maybe wanted to participate in the scavenger hunt?” Apple Bloom asks us while her expression turns back to the normal smile she usually has on. “Sorry, cousin. I kinda wanted to do some arts and crafts before noon. But maybe we could do the maze together~” Babs tells Apple Bloom with a big smile. “Oh? I see… What about you two?” Apple Bloom asks us with a hopeful smile, looking at Twilight and I. A part of me can tell that Apple Bloom really wants to do this with someone else, making me feel a little sad for her. “I plan on doing one more thing with Twilight, but I could do it with you afterward?” I tell the young cowgirl, making her smile excitedly and hugging me with all her might. “Thank you, Adagio! It really means a lot to me!” she tells me without letting me go, pushing all the air out of my lungs easily. There are only three situations I’ve found myself out of breath in the past twenty-four hours. One was last night, one was during the race, and now it’s due to a freaking hug. Did I really expect anything else from her? Finally letting me go, Apple Bloom smiles and stirs up my hair with her hand, chuckling to herself. “I count that as a pinkie promise?” she says, offering her pinkie to me with a wink. I can’t help but let out an amused breath, wrapping my finger around hers with a nod. “You know it is~ I’ll find you after I’m done with Sparkles here,” I say with my thumb pointing at the purple girl, making Twilight’s expression twist from amused to confused. “Alright! I’ll talk to you later, Babs~ Have fun, Twilight~” Apple Bloom states before turning away from us, running away with a slight wave of her hand. Shaking my head, I look back at Babs, seeing her prepare her paints once more. “Okay. What would you like to get?” she asks me, referring to whatever I would want to get painted on my face. What would I want…? I mean, I don’t really know what would be a good idea… The last time I had face paint on was when I was still friends with Sonata and Aria. Back then… “Could you maybe make a star with a heart inside of it…?” I ask hesitantly, looking at the girl and expecting a negative answer. “Sure~ Is there anything else you want added to it?” Nodding slowly, I pull out a small notebook from my bag, quickly sketching two designs that almost hurt to see once more. It’s been years since I’ve seen these designs and the people they represent… The shades of purple, blue and black remind me so much of a time long past. One where I was a lot meaner, but… maybe I can see them again someday… Maybe I can tell them I’m sorry someday and deserve one last conversation with them. Pushing the piece of paper over to Babs, I can’t help but take a deep breath, smiling at her. “Something like this. A combination of both of these with the musical symbols behind the heart and star.” Taking a look at the designs I sketched, Babs’ eyebrow raises, nodding slowly. I marked the different regions of the design with points describing what color they’re supposed to be, possibly contributing to the confusion of the young girl. “Yeah, I can do that. They’re interesting designs. Are they important to you?” she asks me curiously, mixing a couple of her paints to come up with one of the shades. “They were.” ======================================================== The baseball hits the multi-colored wall, completely missing the target that Twilight was aiming for. It’s actually quite surprising how many games this reunion has, but I suppose that comes with the territory of a large family gathering. This game is one of the typical ‘dunk em’ games where one person sits on a pulley activated platform, dropping them in the water if the target is hit square in the middle. If you hit the edge of the target, however, a light spray of water hits the person on the chair, making it kind of funny all around. “Try again!” Braeburn yells from his seat in the water tank, making me chuckle slightly. It seems like this guy gets all around the reunion, not only facilitating the race and being involved with this game, but he also almost burned down the barn at the last reunion. How much does this guy love these outings? He clearly wants to take part and do what he can to make sure everyone has fun. Picking up another ball, Twilight sticks her tongue out slightly in concentration, locking her eye with the target. With another hard toss, the ball hits the wall again, making Twilight sigh quietly to herself. That was the last ball she had access to, but she could always go again if she wished. However, her eyes look towards me and offers her place to me. “Want to have a shot at it?” she asks me with a smile, clearly wanting to see what I can do with this game. Normally, I’d find a game like this boring, not even giving it the time of day, but the point of this day is to have fun, no matter where it comes from. I’m trying to have fun with everyone and enjoy myself while fixing things, so it wouldn’t hurt to give this a try, now would it? Stepping up to where Twilight was, baseballs come sliding down a ramp, stopping at a table in front of me. Picking one up, I look at the target and aim my shot, throwing the ball without much force and hitting the edge of the plate. Some light water falls on Braeburn and he gives me a big thumbs up. “Nice try!” he yells out to us with a big smile, still sitting high on his throne. “Hmm… Were you actually trying with that throw?” Twilight asks me hesitantly, making me notice her stares from my side. Her eyes look up and down my arm, focusing on my hand with a weird intensity. “Um… No. Not really,” I say with a shrug, trying to ignore her as I pick up another ball and focusing my eyes on the target. “Why not? What could hurt from trying as much as you can?” Twilight asks me, getting a little closer to me. “Okay. Think about it like this. If you actually try, you can go ahead and dunk smug Braeburn into the water. Doesn’t that sound a little funny?” “I guess…?” I awkwardly state, not really caring about whether or not I get him into the water. Tossing the second ball with a little more force, I once again hit the edge of the target, causing more water to be sprinkled on his head. “You don’t want to see what you can do if you actually try?” Twilight asks me skeptically, her eyes not leaving me with an odd questioning look. “I know what I can do if I actually try. Why would I? It’s just a game and I have to save my energy for this scavenger hunt.” Throwing another ball, it hits the wall right beside the target, making a disappointed look come to Twilight’s face. “Would it really cost that much energy to put a little more effort into this?” Twilight asks me with a tone that tries to convince me to do what she says. “I mean, it’s just one target. Just one game, so why not put your all into it?” she asks me again, causing me to feel a little annoyed. “What is your obsession with seeing my best, Twilight?” I ask her bluntly, trying to still sound polite as I throw the fourth ball, hitting the edge of the plate again. An awkward look comes to Twilight as she tries to think of the right words to say, a nervous look coming to her when she sees my hand pick up the last ball. “Just humor me, please? I… I’ve heard you can throw pretty well from uh… Sunset and all. I wanted to see if you can do better than me.” Normally, I would give Twilight the benefit of a doubt, but the way she says that just screams that it’s a lie… Besides, I’ve never thrown something with my full effort around Sunset. Slamming the ball in the middle of the target plate, Braeburn’s body falls into the water with a surprised yell coming from the man. Stepping away from the game, I walk away from Twilight towards any other game I can think of. “There’s your shot, Twilight. Why in the hell were you so interested in seeing that?” I ask her with an annoyed tone, looking back to see her scribbling something in a notebook. “Are you listening to me…?” I ask with confusion, slightly surprised that she would seemingly ignore me. “W-well, I already told you why I wanted to. See? I knew you could do it~” Twilight states nervously, her hand giving me a thumbs up. “I can tell when you’re lying, Twilight… For two reasons. You get extremely nervous when you lie and I have never thrown things around Sunset, so your ‘reason’ isn’t justified at all,” I tell her while using air quotes, rolling my eyes slightly. “I do admit that there’s no reason for me to not use more effort in those throws, but why were you so interested in that? I want to know the real reason.” A nervous expression comes to Twilight as she takes a small step back from me, holding her pen close to her notebook. “Um… Say, have you experienced anger issues lately or such?” Twilight slowly asks, preparing to write something with an awkward smile. “What is with all these questions, Twilight? Did I do something wrong?” I ask her, slightly irritated at whatever this stunt is. “U-uh…” Twilight seems to find it hard to speak, her hand tightly gripping onto her notebook. “I-I… I can’t tell you,” she says quietly, readjusting her glasses as she looks at the paper again. “Have you maybe experienced-” Before she can finish her question, I pull the notebook from her grasp, angrily looking at her. “Why can’t you tell me?” Looking at the notebook with an annoyed glare, my eyes widen as I notice all the notes. They go from normal little notes about our time together to sentences sounding like she’s studying some animal. “Subject seems to have excellent motor skills?” I ask her quietly, scanning over the page with a questioning look. What are all these…? “Please give it back,” Twilight asks me as she tries to reach for the notebook, prompting me to pull away and step back, looking at the notes in further detail. My name is on this page over and over. There are multiple questions that she has answered while others are left blank. Things like ‘does the subject experience unusual anger issues?’ and ‘how severe are the subject’s hallucinations?’ “What the hell is this, Twilight…?” I ask quietly, closing the notebook without reconnecting our eyes. “Is this another part of your stupid study of Equestrian creatures? Or is it something else?” “Eh? Um…” Looking back up at the purple girl, a nervous expression is written all over her face, clearly unsure of what she should say. “I… was simply observing your mental state. That’s all,” she says as if it isn’t that big of a deal, trying to deescalate the situation. “Damn it, Twilight,” I say in a heavy sigh, walking over to her and pushing her notebook to her chest. “Why in the hell would you do this without my consent? God, I probably would have even given you permission if you had asked nicely! I gave you my blood. What makes you think you had to do this without asking me?” “I-it wasn’t my idea,” Twilight weakly lets out, her eyes looking into mine with a hint of fear in them… My own reflection stares back at me, showing my clearly angry face… Stepping away from Twilight, I take a deep breath, rubbing my face slowly. “Who gave you this idea then? Some science friend of yours or-” “Sunset…” Twilight interrupts me quietly, her eyes looking to the floor slowly as she rubs her arm with her other hand. “I… She asked me to not tell you and all. She was just worried about your hallucinations and your previous head injury, so she… texted me and asked if I could maybe observe you while we hang out.” That’s why Sunset wanted me to hang out with Twilight this early in the day… Not to help Twilight get familiar with this reunion, but to help her get information about my hallucinations. That’s why she was so eager to go talk to Fluttershy for me. So that I could have this time with Twilight. God damn it… I was planning on hanging out with everyone, so it’s not like I would have left Twilight out… Why did they have to do this without my permission…? “I have to go talk to Sunset,” I say quietly, turning away from the purple girl and walking towards the farmhouse. “A-Adagio, wai-” I stop her mid sentence with a glare, looking at her with anger in my eyes. “Later, Twilight. We will talk later,” I say in a quiet whisper before turning away for the second time, clenching my fist slowly. I told Sunset those secrets in confidence… If she was worried, she could have talked to me about getting Twilight to study me more. It’s ironic that she was upset with me going behind her back when she did the exact same thing to me…
Afternoon SurprisesAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: After writing a couple of new oneshots centered around Adagio, I've finally gotten around to finishing this newest chapter of A Shimmering Heartbreak~ Right before my semester starts too~ Can't wait to write the next chapter! Afternoon Surprises Chapter XVIII: Afternoon Surprises My mind searches for any excuse that Sunset may have for keeping it from me… I lied to Sunset to keep her happy and I realize that it was the wrong thing to do. Now I find out that she goes behind my back and asks Twilight to freaking study me because she’s worried about my health. I understand her worry, but why couldn’t she talk to me about it beforehand? God, I could have gone to see a doctor about my hallucinations, but she didn’t even consult me. She just decided for me, thinking she knew what was best. Maybe this was all spurred on from my lying, thinking that I’m not in the right headspace to make a decision like that, but I don’t think that’s the case. Other than hallucinations and some migraines, I don’t have any side effects from that stupid injury… Even Twilight’s notebook said I had fine motor skills and that nothing seemed to be impaired. Nothing seems to be wrong other than that stupid shadow. Other than her… Bringing my hand to my forehead, I can’t help but sigh, trying to stabilize myself before I find Sunset. Not only did I treat Twilight like shit for this, but I can’t help but feel the urge to scream. We just made up last night and now she’s doing this? Why? I usually agree with her on things and I would be a lot more open to listening to her suggestion if she didn’t do this. Walking forward, I look around the crowds, trying my best to take deep breaths and think rationally. I don’t want to yell at Sunset or cause a scene… That would just cause an even bigger problem than I already have. Talking like adults to try and solve the situation is the best course of action… “Then again, she didn’t talk to you like an adult,” a whisper stabs at the back of my mind, making me look around my surroundings. Not her again… Why aren’t any of the colors dulled out? And… My eyes widen as I see her sparkling red dress, her eyes staring at me until a few people walk in front of my line of sight, disappearing almost instantly. Not only are the colors still here, she’s not a shadow. Where the fuck did she go? “Your problem shouldn’t be focused on finding me,” she whispers inside my head, feeling a hand grab my shoulder. Looking behind me, no one is there other than the crowd of people I don’t know. “You should be focusing on the fact that the worm you call a lover lied to you,” she states with a menacing tone, feeling something sharp drag along my cheek. God damn it… I can’t afford to do this right now. Quickly walking past as many people as I can, her chuckle poisons my mind, being practically the only thing I can hear. “Everything I’ve predicted has come true. Sunset’s friends still haven’t forgiven each other, the one you love turned out to backstab you and now you’re wondering exactly what to do. Don’t you wish you would have listened to me?” Her quiet whisper forces my mind to listen to nothing but her, even the sound of my footsteps alluding me. “Being quiet, huh? Why so? People talk to themselves all the time, you know~” The unsettling nature of her smooth voice is what causes me the most distress of all, making me wish she would just leave me alone. “Then again, you might be labeled as more crazy than before. Something I’m sure Sunset would love to exploit just to put you away in a hospital.” “Will you shut up?” I whisper, looking towards the ground as I walk. “She wouldn’t do that to me. She didn’t lie, she just… didn’t tell me this.” “Oh, so now you’re defending her? Just a moment ago, you were as rageful as a wasp, ready to attack anything that moved. Don’t you think a little anger is justified in this blatant forgery of the truth?” her voice asks in a striking tone, distracting me even further. “Tell me, Adagio. What is more important to you? Self-respect or letting her walk all over you? This should be an easy question.” Once again, her cackle bounces around my mind, making me grimace. Without fail, my eyes notice her feet walking next to mine, causing me to look up at her eyes. That evil stare is present once more, sending a chill up my spine. “I will talk to her. She wasn’t trying to be malicious, so I’m sure she’ll take my words seriously.” “You’re telling me that you’re not the least bit mad anymore? As soon as I show up, you are suddenly fine with what she did?” The red liquid falls off of her dress towards the ground, her red gem glowing brightly. “Of course I’m mad,” I whisper, looking back towards my feet with a shake of my head. “But I don’t need your help to decide what I will do.” “You needed my help to realize that Sunset’s dear friends haven’t necessarily made amends with each other. And this day is going just wonderfully, by the way,” she whispers before laughing at the situation, reappearing on my other side with ease. “The way you handled Twilight is exactly what I have wanted to see~ I never thought I’d see you cause fear in someone again, given the path you’re trying to go down.” “That wasn’t intentional… I didn’t mean to do that.” At this point, I’m given little choice about listening to her words, leaving me with ignoring her as my only option. “Whether it was intentional or not, it still serves to show you have what it takes to bring out those old siren tendencies in you. Maybe you have potential yet.” Her chuckle stabs at my mind, making me shake my head out of frustration. “You want your chance to talk to Sunset and ‘try to make things right’? Here she is now.” Looking up, I see that all too familiar hair, the sun reflecting off of the red leather jacket I bought for her. Her eyes scan the crowd around her before connecting with mine, waving to me with a big smile on her face. She quickly closes the distance between us, running up to me and giving me a big hug, one I return slightly. Despite what usually happens, she doesn’t disappear… “Hey, Adagio~ how did things go with Twilight?” Sunset asks me after letting go of our embrace, the shadow of myself crossing her arms with a smirk. “They went fine…” The siren queen laughs to herself, drawing amusement from my response as she floats above the ground. “If you call that scene fine, then sure,” her striking whisper ensnares my mind again, forcing her words to be heard. “Did something happen…?” Sunset slowly asks me, noticing the clear lack of motivation I have in our small interaction. “Yeah, actually,” I say quietly, crossing my own arms as I keep my eye contact with Sunset, trying to desperately ignore the siren queen. Taking a deep breath, I sigh, rubbing my forehead slowly. “I found out that Twilight was studying me.” My tone comes across as more annoyed than I had meant it to, but there’s nothing I can do to take it back. Sunset’s eyes open wider as she hears my statement, a nervous expression coming to her slowly. “Oh…? Did she tell you why she was…?” Sunset asks me slowly, tightly gripping her bag’s strap out of nervousness. Without saying a word, the evil demon just floats there, watching everything happening with an amused stare. “Yeah, she did,” I say quietly, looking away from Sunset. Words fly through my mind, forming incoherent thoughts and forcing me to try and think harder of what words I want to say. “I… I’m sorry, Ada-” before Sunset can finish her apology, I hold my hand out in front of me, stopping her sentence. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try my best to compose the thoughts in my head, holding onto my scarf. That monumental task isn’t exactly helped by the presence of her, the shine of her red dress still distracting me. “Sunset. I lied to you for a while and that hurt you. I just want you to know that you hurt me too… You could have talked with me rationally, but you went behind my back and…” My words trail off into nothingness, trying to think of exactly what to say rather than spouting off whatever words I can because I’m angry… “We made up last night and I thought that would be the end of it, but you asked Twilight to treat me like some study animal rather than a person. I would have considered it if you had talked to me, but it was sprung on me, making me feel like you lied to me too.” A long silence follows my words as a void fills the space between us, the only sound left being the horrible chuckle of that siren. Gently, Sunset’s hand grabs my shoulder only for me to push it away quickly, seeing Sunset’s pained expression. “I… I’m sorry. I should have talked with you about it,” Sunset quietly states, her eyes averting my gaze and looking towards the ground. “I am just… worried about you, Adagio. You mean the world to me and I… was scared to let this go any further. The hallucinations, I mean.” “Don’t tell me you’re going to forgive her already,” an evil whisper penetrates my mind, causing me to look over at the siren queen, her eyes gazing downward at me. “I know you ‘love’ her, but she legitimately hurt you. Shouldn’t you give out a bit of the cold shoulder?” Her tone quickly turns into a laugh, her finger twirling slightly as more magical sparks fly, making a picture of a broken heart. “Unless you’re just too weak to actually stand up for yourself. Maybe you’ll be lucky and she won’t step all over you again. I wouldn’t count on it.” “Adagio…?” Sunset quietly asks me, drawing my attention to her. Her worried expression makes me realize where her concern lies. Her eyes look behind her right at the siren queen, returning to me slowly. “What are you looking at…?” “Go ahead. Tell her what you see. It’ll only cement her worries and make her go behind your back again,” she hisses in my ear, despite the distance. “Is it… her again?” Sunset asks me as carefully as she can, the tones of the two people in front of me conflicting with each other. “By her, she means you, right? Don’t tell me she actually believes I’m just a hallucination,” the siren queen laughs, holding her chest as shadows envelope her. “I am you. There’s no going around that fact.” “Adagio. Talk to me, please.” “Go ahead, Adagio. Tell her YOUR darker thoughts. I am no hallucination after all~” “Adagio…?” “Adagio~” Closing my eyes and taking a step back, my hands instinctively grab my head, sighing heavily. “Please stop it. Both of you,” I let out weakly, falling to my knees. Get out of my head… Her voice won’t leave me alone, even in the moments I need her absence the most. Conflicting tones of kindness and hate all intertwined in my head. Why can’t it be any less confusing? It feels like the world is spinning around me and I can’t do a thing to stop it. Even my own feelings keep conflicting with each other. Am I mad at Sunset? Do I forgive her? What do I even feel right now…? Why do I have to ruin everything I touch? I never want to be like I was a couple years ago, but I got mad at Twilight and made her scared earlier today… Is all of my progress worth it in the end when I just end up undoing something so easily? Tears easily flow from my eyes, refusing to look at the world around me in fear of whatever stares I may be receiving. Why can’t I just redo today…? I wish I could just be back in bed and avoid all of this… “She is here, huh…?” Sunset quietly whispers, kneeling down in front of me as she places her hands on my legs, reaffirming me that she’s here. “What is she saying?” I don’t want Sunset to embarrass herself as well… I don’t want her to make a scene with me, bringing everyone’s eyes to us. I usually don’t give any thought to others looking at us, but now? The thought is petrifying… This migraine won’t leave me, just amplifying the sound of her chuckle in my thoughts. Without even thinking about it, my hands wipe away my tears, pushing Sunset’s hands off of me. Standing up, my eyes open and looking down at Sunset, my face somehow composed itself. All Sunset is trying to do is help me, but… it still hurts in the way she approached the issue. “I forgive you, Sunset. I just need some time. It still hurts…” My words fly out of my mouth without my control… Her evil chuckle is finally gone, leaving a quiet abyss of sound only filled by some idle chatter of the people around us. Standing up with me, Sunset solemnly nods to my words, trying her best to keep her eye contact with me. “I… understand. I really am sorry and I… I will be here for you,” Sunset whispers, finally looking away towards the ground. “For anything. Including these hallucinations,” she continues, seemingly dropping the scene I just made to avoid any more fighting. Without saying another word, my body turns around, quickly walking away from her. Again, my mind makes my eyes try to cry once more, barely being kept at bay. It would be hypocritical of me to not forgive her for something I did wrong as well, but I still need time to think about it… Until then, I won’t let her into these hallucinations. Not until I can think to myself just a little more. ========================================================= Walking into a dense crowd, everyone is eagerly trying to get something to eat just as it hits noon. The food they offer has a good variety, giving guests a large number of options for things they can fuel up on before doing some more activities. The strong smell of apples fills the air, temporarily masking any scent of dirt and jeans. Another big reason that everyone is swarming this part of the farm is for the cider, apparently being a good treat that the whole Apple Family enjoys. Hence why I’m here. I know that as soon as the cider is being given out, Rainbow Dash will be there, possibly having a confrontation with Applejack. I don’t know if they talked after our race, but a part of me doubts it. Regardless, if they are here, then I need to make sure they can at least try to make up. At least, I’ll try to help everyone make up… Before the day is over, I hope everyone can be on good terms once more. Maybe then it will be like Valentine’s Day didn’t happen at all. Sunset can be friends with everyone again and we can move on with our life. The sound of the crowds around me is almost overwhelming, making it hard to concentrate on my goal of finding the two hard-headed women. Walking closer to the house, a prevalent line comes into view, everyone waiting for their chance to get something… My eyes quickly scan the surrounding area, seeing the line end up at multiple tables handing out cider. Despite the fact that I thought Rainbow Dash would be in the line, I actually see her rainbow hair away from the line, seemingly talking with a familiar girl in a cowboy hat. Bingo… Unfortunately, their ‘talk’ seems to be less friendly, leaning towards hostile as Rainbow Dash throws her arms in the air. “This isn’t even a situation about the cider anymore, AJ! The fact of the matter is that you still seem to have a grudge against me for some reason. I’m not even sure what I did!” Rainbow states loudly as I walk closer, seeing Applejack’s expression turn to one of surprise. “Some reason? Sugarcube, you never even bothered to call or answer my texts after Valentine’s. I tried talking to ya and making up, but you seemed to drop off the face of this Earth,” Applejack responds with an equal amount of spite in her voice. Dash told me that they haven’t talked in a while, but she never told me that she failed to answer Applejack’s attempts to talk. I had always assumed that both of them were too prideful to even reach out, but now it seems that the cowgirl was actually trying… “Why would I have answered your texts? You kept insisting that you were right to ‘have your doubts’ about Dagi. Heck. Even after you two got on better terms, you didn’t admit you were wrong or apologize to me.” Just as the two of them are about to break out into a full screaming match, their eyes finally seem to notice my presence. At this point, I had managed to get within arm’s length of them, raising my eyebrow slightly at their argument. Even though both of them have resolved their differences with me, it still seems I’m in the middle of their situation. “Oh! Um… Hey, Dagi. Sorry. AJ and I were just having a talk and all,” Rainbow Dash states slowly, an angry glare being given to the cowgirl within moments of her words leaving her mouth. “I can see that,” I say with a quiet tone, my eyes switching from both of them before taking a deep breath. “Hey, Adagio. I um… I don’t think you would like the contents of our little conversation and all,” Applejack admits, averting her gaze from my own nervously. “I’ve already heard quite a bit. I think I can handle it, but thank you for your concern,” I tell the cowgirl with a smile, nodding slowly. A part of me feels genuinely glad that she and I have become good enough friends that she actually looks out for my feelings, especially since our situation just a week ago wasn’t favorable at all. “You two haven’t talked in a few months, huh?” Rainbow Dash nervously looks away from the both of us, her eyes trying to find something else to focus on. The cowgirl, on the other hand, crosses her arms and keeps her gaze on Dash. “Not for a lack of trying,” she states in a bland tone, despite her southern accent. Dash’s eyes dart back at the cowgirl, seemingly upset from the words that come out of Applejack’s mouth. “The reason why we haven’t talked is simply because she refuses to acknowledge she was wrong. Even I admit when I get something wrong and everyone knows I’m kind of stubborn.” “Pigheaded more like it,” Applejack interjects, causing Rainbow’s mouth to form into a grimace. Bringing my hand to my forehead, I can’t help but take a deep breath, the right words to rectify this situation escaping me for the time being. “Dash. Applejack already apologized to me and told me she didn’t give me a fair chance,” I say quietly, reconnecting our gaze with a smile. “We’re friends now, so as much as I admire your goal of trying to be loyal and protect your friends, there’s no need to antagonize Applejack in my defense.” The proceeding moment is filled with hesitation from the rainbow-haired girl, a conflicted look gripping hold of her face as her gaze switches back and forth between Applejack and I. “You’re really sorry, AJ?” Rainbow Dash slowly asks the cowgirl with a hesitant look in her eyes. A part of her question feels like she’s asking if Applejack is not only sorry to me, but sorry to Rainbow Dash, making the moment feel solemn. Without wasting a moment, Applejack nods looking straight into Dash’s eyes. “That’s why I tried so hard to contact you in the last week. Not just to invite you here, but to say… I’m sorry for treating you and Sunset so harshly the last time we talked.” The previously harsh stare that was once shared between the two of them is now broken by an understanding gaze from Applejack, her hand slowly reaching out to Rainbow Dash. “Do ya want to finally put this stuff behind us and we can be friends again…?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes look towards Applejack’s hand before returning their locked gaze, hesitantly reaching out and grabbing her hand with a small nod. Before the athlete can even respond, Applejack turns the handshake into a hug, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I missed hanging out with you. And everyone else,” Rainbow barely mutters, trying to play it off as embarrassment, but a part of me can’t help but remember the talk we had a couple nights ago. Rainbow has been kind of alone for a few months now. Maybe it was so lonely that it was deafening… “I missed ya too. It’s been way too long,” the cowgirl states in as kind of a voice as she can, breaking their embrace while placing her hand on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “And now that we’re all friends, we can do things together, I reckon~” Applejack tells Dash referring to all three of us. “Although, I’m still not quite sure what you like to do, Adagio.” Letting out a small chuckle, I can’t help but find a bit of humor from Applejack’s clear confusion, realizing the both of us haven’t done a lot as of yet. “You two probably wouldn’t like the main things I do for fun. But hey, you were both pretty good at that race back there~” I tease them with a wink, gently punching Dash’s other shoulder. “Too bad you were too slow.” “Hey! Scoots and I were totally going to win if she didn’t fall into a hedge!” Dash defends herself, causing both of us to laugh. “Sure, you were, sugarcube. You know my brother and I were right behind your team. All it would have taken is one more slip up~” Looking away from Rainbow Dash, Applejack locks her eyes with mine, giving me a big smirk. “And don’t act like you were so mighty for winning now. You only got the win because my little sis was faster than my brother.” “No kidding! How fast is that kid anyway?” Rainbow asks Applejack with a confused expression. “I mean, I saw Adagio tag her and she just went zooming off into the orchard. She would have made one hell of a soccer player.” Rainbow Dash brings her hand to her chin, seemingly thinking about something for a few moments before opening her mouth again. “Actually, who would win in a race? You or your little sister?” Applejack simply shakes her head with an amused roll of her eyes, patting Dash’s shoulder. “That’s a question that can be answered at a later time. Especially since Apple Bloom would swear up and down that she would win, but either way. Would both of you like to maybe have a glass of cider with me? I would say it’s on me, but I kinda think everything about today is on me,” Applejack states with a hearty laugh, all three of us smiling at the clear pun. “Well, I could try some~ But like I told you before, I prefer other beverages to the cider I’ve tasted before.” Rainbow Dash’s stare instantly centers on me when she hears my words. “Oh yeah! You’ve never tasted the Apple Family cider, huh? Well, it’s-” Despite her clear excitement to tell me about this drink, she stops herself mid sentence, bringing her hand to her mouth momentarily. “I-I mean, it’s really bad. Like you shouldn’t even try it. I would choke it down for you to spare you from tasting it, if you want,” Rainbow says in such an exaggerated tone that even Sonata would be able to tell she was lying. That, in of itself, is a feat. I have to applaud Rainbow Dash’s bravery to try and steal the cider though. “Rainbow, you scoundrel,” Applejack laughs while slapping the back of Dash’s head, causing the athlete to pout. “What?! She gave me the opportunity! If you should be slapping anyone’s head, it would be hers!” Rainbow Dash’s antics never fail to make me chuckle, even on some depressing days. It seems this sentiment is shared between Applejack and I, the cowgirl letting out a giggle at her words. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t hit my head,” I say with a smile and a slight roll of my eyes, pointing at the back of my skull for emphasis. “Oh, yeah. Nevermind about that. You can hit Dagi’s stomach though!” Dash says with a snicker, bringing her hand to her stomach from laughter. “I… don’t get it. Is something wrong with your head or something?” Applejack lets out, clearly confused about the small interaction Dash and I had. Rainbow Dash’s eyes stare at the cowgirl with bewilderment at how she didn’t know what we were referring to before turning her head towards me. “You didn’t tell her about your accident?” Dash asks me with a slight nod of her head towards my own. The rainbow-haired athlete crosses her arms and looks at me as if it was a shame I didn’t tell Applejack about hitting my head on the concrete a few months back. “Well?” she asks me before I can even form a response, aiming her arm towards the cowgirl in an expectant manner. “I’ll tell you what. I can talk about it over cider, okay? Let’s just get in line already,” I tell the both of them in a teasing tone, walking towards the end of the line with the other two right behind me. “Or you could tell her while we wait!” “Shut up, Dashie.” ======================================================== “So, you were able to convince her to talk to me…? How?” I ask in a cautious tone, wondering how the shy woman was able to accomplish something like this. Someone like Pinkie Pie hardly seems like the kind of person to listen to Fluttershy of all people… It just seems like a miracle that Pinkie is actually agreeing to see me again, especially after what happened the last time we talked. With everything going on, I’m not even sure what to do… I’m not done thinking about what happened with Sunset, so I’m a bit worried my feelings about that experience will bleed over into this. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to affect my meeting with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but that’s kind of different. They both sorta like me. Pinkie Pie… does not… “Oh, well, I told her my experiences with you~” Fluttershy says with a big smile, rubbing my shoulder as we walk. “Sunset asked if I could talk to her and I did just that. Talked with her~ She came around to the idea of giving you another chance when she heard how hard you’ve been trying to make things up to Rarity and I~” “I haven’t really tried that hard…” My head drops a little, thoughts of the past few months I could have been trying to get in touch coming to the forefront of my mind. One main reason I waited so long was to see if Sunset and I would last… I think we will, right…? “Don’t be so hard on yourself~ You apologized and showed us you genuinely love our friend and you’re trying. In my book, that’s a success~” Fluttershy tells me softly, her smile never fading for a second. I never thought that I would be friends with Fluttershy, but now that I am, it feels really nice… To have friends you can rely on. I used to technically have that with Aria and Sonata, but I never treated them with respect. On complicated days like this, I still wish I could talk to them again. Just one chance to apologize for how I treated them… But that will never happen. “Thanks, Fluttershy. For all of this. It means a lot to me that you would help a… previous siren.” Then again, it’s still a real possibility I’m part siren after all. That demon’s words have gotten in my head, but she’s right… I could still be a siren… “It doesn’t matter to me what you are, as long as you treat others with kindness, I believe you deserve the same in return~” For some reason, Fluttershy’s smile makes me believe that maybe everything will turn out alright. Not only with Pinkie Pie, but also Sunset and Twilight. Maybe everything will be alright. If I just do my best… As the two of us walk towards the tables set up outside the farmhouse, my eyes recognize a pink girl sitting down at one of them alone, her eyes focused on her drink with her puffy hair blowing in the wind. Despite her colorful attire and bouncy hair, Pinkie Pie’s face is solemn, her eyes retaining her stare for quite a while before the two of us get close enough to the table. As soon as she looks up at us, her hair falls into straight strands with her mouth forming a frown. I try to give her a smile to lighten the mood, but even I can tell it barely works. “Hey, Pinkie.” The girl simply waves at me before we sit down, Fluttershy sitting beside me to make sure I don’t feel so alone in this. “Hello,” Pinkie mutters, moving her eyes to her drink. Even though she talked with Fluttershy before, she still seems resistant to talk to me… I suppose it’s understandable after all, but I wish it wasn’t this complicated. “How about we start with ice breakers? I always like doing something fun when I’m trying to get to know someone~” Fluttershy states in a louder and more confident tone than usual, making me wonder why. I suppose it’s because we’re both friends of hers…? “No,” Pinkie lets out, looking at the both of us with a serious tone in her eye. “I just… want to talk.” Stirring her water with her finger, Pinkie’s eyes lock with my own, slowly raising her eyebrow. “Fluttershy says you’re really sorry for what happened back… then. And that you helped her in multiple situations. Is that true?” she asks me with an investigative look, causing me to feel slightly nervous. Don’t back down now, Adagio… You’re okay. It’s just talking. Get a back bone. “‘Help’ is an exaggerated word,” I say slowly, placing my hand on the table. “All I did was wash a couple dogs and all. And I had a spa day with her and Rarity, but that’s about it.” “Adagio! Don’t downplay it. You helped me out of that bad neighborhood when I was trying to visit a sick friend and your help with those dogs was seriously appreciated~” Fluttershy interjects, once again rubbing my shoulder to my annoyance. I don’t want her to fight on my behalf. “You helped her out of a bad part of town…?” Pinkie asks me in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. It seems this is something Fluttershy didn’t tell her… “I was just in the area and Fluttershy was being harassed by some guy. I didn’t want her to get hurt, so I stepped in and helped escort her to and from her friend’s house. That’s it,” I tell Pinkie point blank, trying to skip over that day as fast as possible. To be honest, that day in particular just brings back memories of talking to Rich. The reason why I talked to Rich is because of the robbery and… that isn’t something I like looking back on. Hopefully, Rich can find our stuff… “We also talked to my friend Tree Hugger and Adagio was thinking about buying the motorcycle that she inherited,” Fluttershy once again steps in, talking about it as if it was a fond memory of hers. I suppose it would be pretty important to her, considering she’s grateful for my intervention. “Either way, I do want to say that I’m serious about being sorry. For everything I did…” Reaching into my pocket, I slowly take out my phone, pulling up the gallery. My action seems to pique Fluttershy’s curiosity as her eyes watch me set the phone down on the table, all of us looking at the screen. “Just a few months ago, I was exactly how you remembered me. I was bitter, angry, vengeful and power hungry. But Sunset came to me and told me I could be happy too. I didn’t believe it at first, but…” Pulling up a picture of the blanket I bought Sunset for Christmas, I can’t help but smile a little bit, remembering the day fondly. “I ended up trying to find happiness. It took a while, but I ended up getting this for Sunset for Christmas.” Swiping my finger across the screen, Pinkie’s eyes widen again upon seeing a picture of Apple Bloom and I, something the young cowgirl begged me to take. “If it wasn’t for the kindness of some of my close friends,” Flipping to pictures of Rainbow and Sunset, my smile widens. “I wouldn’t have this second chance. It’s due to their kindness that I was able to find happiness in life and that they were there to help me when I got hurt. I owe them a lot.” Pinkie’s eyes avert from the phone for a second to look at me, confused. “When you got hurt…?” Even though Pinkie has been distant the whole conversation, the tone in her eyes tells me she’s curious about what I mean by those words. Fortunately, I don’t have a picture for this, so I don’t have to exactly relive the… injury. “Well, I got a new job and I ended up… falling down some icy stairs. I hit the back of my head pretty hard and… Well, I was in the hospital.” Flipping through a bunch of pictures, my hand stops at a picture that never fails to warm my heart, bringing a smile to my face whenever I see it. It’s one I have saved in my phone and even printed into a physical photo that I keep in my bag. The blue light of the television illuminates her face ever so softly, the fire in her hair barely ablaze as she sleeps. We were sharing a blanket that day. Her head rested on my shoulder and I couldn’t resist taking it. We were only friends, yet this picture is one of the things that made me so attached to her. Sunset Shimmer… She… was only trying to help me earlier, right…? I know she didn’t ask for my permission, but… she only wants me to be happy and healthy. She forgave me pretty soon after I lied to her and gave me a chance to make up for it. I really need to talk to her after this… “Sunset was the one who nursed me back to health.” Looking up at Pinkie Pie with a smile, I put my phone back in my purse, bringing my hand to my scarf. “She even gave me this. I wear it almost every day I can because of that.” Holding my hand out and extending my pinkie finger, I lock my eyes with hers, feeling the urge to tear up build in me, but I force it down as best as I can. Apple Bloom was the one who told me how much a pinkie promise means. It’s something that I don’t take lightly anymore because of her influence. “I promise that I mean it when I say this, Pinkie. I am truly sorry for everything I did to you. I would never want to relive that and I wish I could take it all back.” Surprise washes over Pinkie’s face as she watches me extend my finger, not knowing exactly what to do with the unexpected outcome. “You pinkie promise?” Pinkie Pie asks me sincerely, her eyes no longer displaying anger or sadness, instead being replaced with a simple look of wishful wonder. It looks like she wants to believe me, but there’s just the smallest bit of her still holding back. “I pinkie promise~” Wrapping my finger around her own, the first genuine smile I’ve seen comes to Pinkie’s lips, the poof coming back to her hair gradually. “Alright. I forgive you,” Pinkie whispers before her bright blue eyes look up at me, happy about this outcome. I’m still unsure how her hair works like that… “Can we do ice breakers then?” Fluttershy asks in her usual shy tone, her hands patting our shoulders slightly. Both Pinkie and I look at each other briefly before nodding at the yellow girl. “Do you like pastries? I love them~” Pinkie Pie quickly jumps in without giving Fluttershy a chance to give us a prompt. I can’t help but chuckle at her action, slowly seeing Pinkie’s energy return to her. “Well, I do like a slice of cherry cheesecake every now and then~” ===================================================== The area in front of the barn is absolutely packed with people around this time for some music and dancing, making it the ideal place to try and find her. My hair is still a little soggy from a water balloon fight I had with Pinkie and Fluttershy. It was the party girl’s idea, so I wasn’t exactly to blame for it. Thankfully, I still had the change of clothes from before, so only my hoodie and my jeans got wet. Not my good clothes. This area is almost daunting to enter, considering the sheer amount of people I don’t know. The music in the air is composed of high strung notes from guitars and tambourines, making the music sound Western in nature. Personally, the whine of the guitars in most Western songs doesn’t appeal to me. If anything, it sometimes grinds on my ear drums, making me feel kind of sick. Of course, it has to be popular with some people or else it wouldn’t exist. Unless every Western person just has a torture pact with each other to relish in the pain together. Regardless, the people around me dance to the music with gleeful excitement, leaving me in an awkward state of not knowing what to do. Walking through the people dancing on the dirt ground, I make my way to the edge of the crowd, trying to look for her. My mind still tells me I should feel a little mad, but… with everything that’s happened, it feels petty to keep this cycle going. Sunset’s always there for me and I’m always here for her. This was just one big fight, so I’m sure we can get through it if we try. Especially since I’m trying to repair her social circle with her friends. I love her… More than anything. I know she loves me too, so… I just want to fix things before the end of the day. Bringing my hand to the soft scarf around my neck, I sigh out of anticipation for the upcoming interaction, the words I should say avoiding me for the time being. Despite the music all around me, I can’t seem to hear it. My mind focuses on the wind gently brushing past my face and the smell of the dirt. It’s almost… peaceful in a way. Maybe that’s why the Apples love this way of life. Before I can think any more about it, a small tap presses against my shoulder, causing me to turn my head around. “Hey, alligator,” her voice is practically the only thing I willingly listen to, hearing her kind tone. Her eyes connect with mine and for a moment, everything feels alright. She tries her best to give me a smile, but it fades away a little too quickly for my liking. “Do you maybe want to talk again…?” Her question is hesitant, even though she’s usually pretty confident and determined. I guess she sometimes gets nervous in my presence like I do in hers. “Yeah. I-” Sunset quickly brings her hand up, stopping me in my tracks as she shakes her head. “I have something I need to say, alligator. Please. Let me talk first…” Her chest heaves a little as she takes a deep breath, closing her eyes before she lets herself open her mouth. “I know I was kind of… acting like a hypocrite earlier. I got so mad at you for lying to me to try and keep me happy, but I ended up doing something similar to you.” Her eyes open slowly to look into my own, a dejected smile still on her face as if she thought it was already too late. “For that, I’m sorry. I really am and I didn’t want to let another second of the day to go by without me saying that.” Without wasting a moment, Sunset’s hand comes up to my cheek with a singular tear forming in her eye, her expression remaining the same. “I just end up worrying so much about you that I sometimes forget that you can take care of yourself… Maybe I just feel protective, I’m not sure,” Sunset says in a solemn tone, her eyes looking away from me with guilt. Sunset has done so much to take care of me already… She’s always here for me and I love that about her. She’s loved me more genuinely than any creature has before and I can never repay what she’s done for me. It’s like she feels like she has to nurse me back to health whenever I fall, but I suppose that’s really… nice in a way. “I already said I forgive you, Sunset,” I whisper to her, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her in for a hug. The woman in my arms takes a hesitant breath in response to my action, gingerly wrapping her own arms around me. “I love you too, Sunset. I… I know today has been really hard for us, but… how about we both promise to not lie to each other anymore, okay? Not just me or you.” Her eyes look into my own with her guilt slowly being replaced with happiness, her smile showing how she feels entirely. Pressing her forehead against my own, she slowly nods, sighing in relief at the situation. “You really don’t have to forgive me, you know… You’re allowed to still be mad,” she whispers to me, her fingers gingerly playing with my hair as we listen to the music. “We’ve had enough strife this week as it is. I just want today to end off peacefully and for us to be given a break, you know?” As soon as everything seems alright, it all goes to hell again later… Why can’t we just have a day to be happy? A week without too many hardships to struggle over? Is it penance for my past actions? Holding her in my arms right now makes me worried for the future… What if something else happens to separate us…? “You’re so thoughtful and caring, Adagio. Despite what you like to think of yourself,” Sunset slowly whispers, her embrace becoming tighter. I can’t help but feel surprised by Sunset’s words, a blush coming to my face even though I try to resist it. “You always think about how you can make someone’s day better, even if it causes more trouble for you. I’m… so glad I came to know you.” Her hand slowly reaches up to my cheek, moving her head back to lock our eyes once more. Her warm smile comes back to her face as a tear slides down her face. “I love you, Adagio. So much. I promise to not lie to you as well.” I can almost feel my own eyes tear up as I take her hand in mine, thankful that we can try our best to avoid any more trouble. If anything, this night needs to end off on the right note. Without giving me a chance to respond, both of us notice the drastic change in sounds around us. The music changes from a Western square dance song into a more romantic tune, seeing multiple people pair up for a dance. Even though the sun is still out, they’re playing a song like this which makes it feel a little contradictory. Usually, romantic songs are played to end a night, but I suppose it’s a nice change of pace. Actually, Sunset and I have never really… danced before… Not that I know how to dance, but the thought sounds… nice. If it’s with her… “Would you… maybe like to dance?” I ask her in a quiet tone without reconnecting my eyes, my body feeling a little ashamed of the request for some reason. “We haven’t danced yet, have we?” Sunset asks me in the same quiet tone, a small chuckle coming from her lips. “Have you ever danced with someone?” Other than what we did last night, I can’t quite say I’ve ever danced. Even in a playful sense. Sonata sometimes danced to pop songs that we would hear, but I never dared to make a fool of myself in that way. If you dull down the definition of dancing to the most bare minimum state, one could squint and say that I possibly danced when I was working at the nightclub, but all I did was move my hips a little. “I’ve never danced at all,” I whisper to her, my blush coming back to my face upon revealing that truth. Unsurprisingly, Sunset giggles at my words, making me frown slightly. It’s not supposed to be a joke. “That’s actually kind of cute~” Her hand gently presses against my cheek as she stares into my eyes with the same kind look she always gives me. “Would you like to learn~?” Her question, as gentle as it is, strikes my heart and makes me hold my breath slightly, despite her action posing no harm to me. I played that dancing game at the arcade with her, but I lost tremendously and I wouldn’t even call that dancing. Why is it so nerve-wracking to dance with her? Maybe it’s because I’m afraid of looking stupid… Another explanation is that I’m not quite sure whether I will be good enough. Regardless, I’m nervous about it. Gently, she holds my hand and brings it to her shoulder, smiling at me with a small nod. “Don’t worry~ I can lead, alright?” Her hand moves to my waist, sending another nervous charge through my body, our hands intertwined. “Just follow me and you’ll do fine, okay~?” Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I would be able to resist, simply nodding with the blush still present on my cheeks. I can’t help but smile with a nervous and embarrassed tone as Sunset slowly drags us a step to the side in tune with the music. From here, I can feel the phone in my bag vibrate, but my hands are busy holding onto Sunset, relying on her to keep me safe in these unsafe waters. This is something I’m not accustomed to, yet I feel completely okay in her arms, our eyes connected as the music fills my ears. I should really check that text… It could be something important. “Trust me,” Sunset whispers before letting go of my waist, spinning me around while still holding my hand, our fingers twisting around each other. Without giving me a warning, she gently pushes me over, my eyes widening as my body falls. Her arm wraps around my lower back, catching me without letting go of my hand. A smirk comes to her lips as she raises her eyebrow to me, seemingly confident in this dance of ours. Standing up, I let her take full control of the dance, following every action she takes blindly and fully embracing the music. I can always answer the phone later. Just… let me have this moment with her.
Troubles Amid the StarsAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Now you know why I couldn't wait to write the next chapter~ I hope everyone enjoys this shorter upload~ We only have a few more chapters before the end, so I can't wait to write those too! Stay special, everyone~! Troubles Amid the Stars Chapter XIX: Troubles Amid the Stars Taking a deep breath, I stumble towards a table serving multiple drinks with a slight chuckle, grabbing a couple cups. Without hesitating, I pour punch into the two cups, taking a sip with a smile, looking towards the dancing people in front of me. The light of the day has all but disappeared, beautiful hues of blue and pink strewn across the sky. In a way, it’s beautiful. But not as beautiful as the woman in front of me, dancing to the upbeat music being played. Clearly, she’s enjoying herself a lot, even though today has already been filled with its fair share of strife. Rarity and Applejack even danced with each other for a bit before the two of them went to finish some chore. It must be difficult for Rarity. She’s dating the person who’s organized this whole event, so her girlfriend has to leave her side multiple times throughout the day just to make sure everything is going according to plan… It’s nice though. Finally being friends with them and being able to share our common experiences. The only music Rainbow Dash dared to dance to is the upbeat music, avoiding romantic songs like the plague. Sometimes, I wonder if love is even in the cards for her, but then I remember that one confession she told me all those months ago. She did love someone… But she waited too long, prompting her to convince me to not waste my own chance. I almost did waste my chance with Sunset, but thankfully, she loved me too. I guess I just wonder who it was that Rainbow loved… Fluttershy is an interesting case. After we hung out with Pinkie, she spent a lot of time on her phone, playing some game. She tried to hide what it was from me, but she didn't know I saw the game for a couple seconds. I’m not accustomed to mobile games, but from what Dash has told me, I could deduce that she was playing a dating simulator. I suppose that isn’t that surprising, considering the fact that she’s so shy that the thought of actually asking someone out probably terrifies her. The only thing that made me raise my eyebrow is that the guy she was trying to date was kind of disheveled and weird-looking. He had a white goatee and clothes that didn’t match each other at all. All I know is that he wasn’t attractive to me, but I suppose Fluttershy could like the character’s personality. “Adagio?” a young voice catches me off guard, breaking me from my imagination. Looking to my left, I see Apple Bloom looking up at me, but her typically happy expression is now replaced with a solemn look as her eyes lock with my own. “Hey, Apple Bloom~ How are you doing?” I ask her as kindly as I can, offering the second cup to her. I can always get another cup for Sunset, but the bigger problem for me is that expression on Apple Bloom’s face… Without even looking at the cup, Apple Bloom’s frown increases, her eyes seemingly pained. “Where were you…?” she asks me quietly, clenching her fist slowly. “What do you mean?” I ask her, turning my body towards the girl to give her my full attention. “I was here, dancing with Sunset. Is something wrong…?” “Dancing…? But… you promised…” Her eyes look away from me and aim at the ground, a world of hurt displayed in her expression to my surprise. “You promised to help me with that scavenger hunt, Adagio… But you just decided to dance instead?” Her eyes look up at me with a sense of betrayal in them, instantly making me remember what she’s talking about. I… completely forgot. I was so caught up with Sunset lying to me and how I would fix that. It completely slipped my mind that I had promised to help Apple Bloom with her scavenger hunt. “I texted ya like five times and I waited for a good few hours…” “I… I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom. I completely forgot. I promise, I-” “No, I understand… Ya love Sunset and all. I guess she takes priority, huh?” Apple Bloom asks me with a hurt expression, a couple of tears sliding down her face. I didn’t mean to… Please don’t cry. “I just thought that a p-promise still meant something between friends and all.” Wiping the tears from her cheek, she looks out at the makeshift dance floor that is the dirt in front of the barn. “I came to try to find ya because maybe you got lost or something. But it doesn’t matter. Enjoy your time with Sunset, yeah?” Apple Bloom weakly states, her eyes still full of tears as she turns away from me. “Apple Bloom? Wait, I really-” Grabbing her shoulder, Apple Bloom quickly brushes me off of her full on running into the dark orchard. “Come back!” I call out for her, quickly placing the cups back on the table before running in the direction Apple Bloom took off in. Running into the trees, I can instantly tell just how dark it is outside, making it increasingly difficult for me to tell what’s under my feet. Already, her normally bright hair is out of sight, making me look all around me. “Apple Bloom? Please don’t do this! I really am sorry!” I say loudly, trying to make my way deeper into the treeline, but no response comes my way. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Why, Adagio?! Why did you have to forget your promise to her? I probably could have had that one dance with Sunset and still made time for Apple Bloom, but I decided to keep dancing with her. I just shrugged off those text messages like they meant nothing. Why did I have to be so stupid?! I let my love blind me and hurt my first real friend in a long time… “Apple Bloom?” I call out for her one more time, my voice trailing off as my feet stop moving. Only the dark void of the trees presents itself in front of me, causing me to sigh heavily… If I had just checked my phone right after our first dance, this wouldn’t have happened… Thumping my fist against the nearest tree, I can’t help but bring my hand to my face. Damn it… Of course I messed up again. This day is just full of mistakes, even if I try to avoid them. Every one I fix, a new problem arises. I really am sorry… I don’t know how I can make it up to you, Apple Bloom, but I promise I will. Somehow… ======================================================== The fire burns brightly, illuminating the night while giving us a bit of warmth. Pretty much all of the guests left after the hayride except for a couple of old ladies. Fortunately they stayed inside the house to talk to Applejack’s grandmother. I knew I had recognized her from somewhere. It turns out the first place I saw her was at the Hooves Homeless Shelter. That was… a long time ago. A time I would rather forget… Sunset, her friends and I sit around the fire, only the crackling of the fire filling in the silence between everyone. This is the first time everyone has met since Valentine’s Day. Every other instance was more one-on-one with others, apparently. Even though everyone has technically made peace with each other, I suppose it’s still awkward for them due to the fight they had the last time everyone was in the same place. Not to mention that I’m here… Am I making it even more awkward…? “Well, I’d like to say thank you to everyone here,” Applejack says, breaking the silence before standing up. “It really means a lot that you all decided to come here and take up my offer~ Especially with what happened last time.” A frown comes to her face momentarily before she holds her glass of cider up in the air. “It’s been too long since we’ve all been together as friends, so I want to make a toast. To all my friends.” Her statement rings loud and clear, bringing a smile to Fluttershy’s face and making others surprised. “Even Adagio, who I’ve come to befriend over the past week.” She really didn’t have to mention me… It just makes me feel more called out. Regardless, the cowgirl takes a sip from her glass and smiles at me. “I’m happy to admit that I was wrong about you and I’m glad to call you a friend~” “Here here~” Rarity chips in with a smile, raising her own glass. I never expected Rarity to like cider, but she does like wine, so I suppose it makes a little sense. Her hand gently grabs Applejack’s before standing up to look at everyone. “I would also like to add that I’ve… missed you girls. Despite how often I try to make myself seem independent and such, I do find myself longing for our older adventures, no matter where I am. Even if I’m lounging at work.” “You can just say you missed us, you know~ You don’t have to be so dramatic,” Dash chuckles, interrupting the fashionista with a small laugh. Dash’s feet are kicked up on a stump in front of her log, taking a sip from a plastic cup. “Um… I thought it was nice, Rarity~” Fluttershy states in her same quiet tone, giving the kindest smile she can before lifting her own cup momentarily. “What has everyone been doing for the past few months?” Pinkie Pie chips in before Rarity can respond to Fluttershy’s words. “I’ve been working and visiting my family a lot~ Oh! Maud is coming here next month!” Pinkie Pie’s excited grin and expectant eyes makes me feel like everyone is supposed to have a reaction to that name, but I have no idea who this mystery person is. “Oh yeah! But wasn’t Maud living with you instead of your family?” Applejack asks the pink woman with a confused expression, pushing her hat a little higher. “She is! But Maud had to leave for something called an ‘expedition’ to find rocks or whatever.” Pinkie Pie briefly waves her hands in the air, trying to help her formulate the words to explain her situation. “When she told me about it, I was half-asleep, but I usually listen to her more closely!” “Pinkie. I think what you mean is an ‘excavation.’ It’s the act of picking a site to excavate in the attempt to find items of importance. These are usually historical relics or bones of ancient creatures~” Twilight happily explains before a sheepish grin comes over her face, noticing herself rambling again. “J-just a fun fact and all.” Her gaze connects with mine before hanging her head, looking towards the grass under her feet. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is Maud…?” I ask slowly, looking at the girls around the fire. “Oh? You don’t know my sister, Maud?” Pinkie asks me excitedly, a big grin coming to her face. “She’s only the most awesomest and funnest person to ever be around! She’s the best sister I could ever ask for, besides Marble and Limestone of course~ Maud is super interested in rocks and she always makes great jokes about them!” “Believe it or not, Maud is actually harder to understand than Pinkie and Rarity are,” Rainbow Dash interrupts the pink woman with a slight laugh. Is Maud also hyperactive like Pinkie…? I suppose that could be why she would be hard to understand… Even though I’ve already heard quite a bit about her, I still don’t know what Maud is like. Rarity’s eyebrow raises slightly at Rainbow’s statement, crossing her arms slowly. “And what is that supposed to-” “I do admit that Maud was a peculiar gal, but we were all able to understand her a little more after we got to know her,” Applejack interjects, a thoughtful look on her face. “I remember one of the first times I met her was a few years ago~” Sunset says with a smile, looking up to the sky momentarily. “It was back when we were trying to defeat-” she suddenly stops herself before making eye contact with me, clearing her throat quickly. “I mean, um… We were having a sleepover at Pinkie’s and I got a snack in the middle of the night, but I got scared when I saw her after I closed the fridge door. Apparently, she said that Boulder was hungry.” “Boulder does that a lot~” Pinkie tells us with a smile, taking a big gulp of her drink. “So does Gummy, my pet alligator!” Pinkie Pie has a pet alligator…? Why did I never know about this…? Now I’m even more grateful that I was able to make up with her today before she could get the idea of introducing me to ‘Gummy.’ Leaning in closer, Sunset kisses my cheek and grabs a hold of my hand, that same warm smile coming to her lips. “It’s not a real alligator, just so you know. It’s a stuffed animal she calls her pet,” Sunset whispers in my ear, apparently knowing my thoughts without me saying a word. “I’m still wondering what dear Rainbow Dash meant by her previous statement,” Rarity speaks up, her arms still crossed as her gaze sends daggers into Dash’s head. “I mean, wasn’t it kind of self-explanatory?” Dash asks as her eyes look around at the rest of us, searching for some sort of support for her argument. “You’re sometimes hard to… well, understand.” Without a care, Rainbow Dash grabs a marshmallow from Fluttershy’s backpack, putting it on her stick and holds it above the fire. “That makes two things you should apologize for, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity states before flipping her hair over her shoulder, her eyes staring intently at the rainbow-haired athlete. “Two things? What else did I do?” she responds in a clueless manner, taking a bite of her partially melted marshmallow. “Oh, come off it, Rainbow Dash! You know you were the main reason the fight we had on Valentine’s Day lasted as long as it did.” Rarity’s angry statement shows that she still holds some sort of grudge from that day, surprising me. I thought the two of them had made up? “Sugarcube, don’t you think-” “Darling, don’t get in the middle of this,” Rarity interrupts Applejack with a harsh stare before looking back at Rainbow Dash. “Don’t you remember you practically insinuated I am Applejack’s pet?” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrow quickly raises as she looks around at all of us. “That’s not fair, Rarity! I said that you only made your decision due to Applejack’s influence! I never said that you were a pet or whatever.” “Telling me that I only follow my girlfriend’s lead is removing my individuality as a lady AND it makes it sound like you’re saying my reasons were not just.” Her own grimace grows, Rarity’s eyes narrowing slightly. “Am I not my own person with a right to my own opinion?” “W-well, I… don’t think she was trying to say that,” Fluttershy whispers, standing up from her seated position to try and deescalate the situation. “You too, Fluttershy? Are you telling me you don’t think she was de-valuing me as a woman by saying I’m like a lapdog for AJ?” Rarity aims her hand at Rainbow Dash with a surprised expression. “If anything, you’re seeming like a psycho right now,” Rainbow Dash remarks, giving the fashionista her own stare. “Rainbow. I would suggest you don’t talk about my girlfriend like that.” “Darling, stop defending me! It just makes me look worse if I can’t stand up for myself,” Rarity lets out with an exasperated breath, clearly tired of Applejack’s influence. “I mean, Rarity kind of has a point, Rainbow,” Sunset states from beside me. “That was really rude of you and you still haven’t apologized. “Apologized? I should apologize? What happened to them admitting they were wrong about Dagi?” Rainbow Dash stands up with an outraged look on her face, spreading her arms out as if to say she doesn’t know why she’s in trouble. “I stood by you back then and I chose to be fair, but I’m the bad guy?” “No one said you’re the bad guy, Dash. Though, I admit it was a stressful situation, so I can understand lashing out,” I finally interject, finding my own words to put into the conversation. “You would know a lot about lashing out, huh?” Twilight remarks in an uncharacteristically confident tone, her eyes staring at me with a small frown. Her hand slowly rubs her arm, showing that she’s still affected by my outburst with her earlier. Sunset’s eyes look to me with a sense of confusion, opening her mouth slightly. “Adagio… Are you saying it was okay for Rainbow to lash out at Rarity?” “No, but I was saying that I could… well, understand her point-of-view.” I try my best to shake my head and appease Sunset, seeing her clear discomfort with what she thought I was saying. “I still don’t see why I should apologize to someone who’s acting like a stuck up brat,” Rainbow Dash lets out angrily, her eyes staring into Rarity’s. “You even accepted you were wrong, so leave it at that.” “Why I-” Rarity stops herself mid-yell, holding her mouth before she takes a deep breath. Without wasting another moment, she quickly grabs her purse and brushes off her shorts. “I’m not going to stay here with someone who won’t acknowledge her own misdeeds. At least I had the decency to say ‘I’m sorry.’” “Oh? You’re acting all high and mighty again, huh? Fine! Maybe it was too soon to see you again!” Rainbow exclaims before flipping the fashionista off, a singular tear coming to Rainbow’s eye. “Dash, Rarity, stop. I’m sure we ca-” before I can finish my words, both girls shoot me a deadly glare, Rarity quickly stomping away from the fire. “Dagi! Just stop!” Rainbow yells in anger, gripping her head before walking in an opposite direction of the fire, Applejack looking between the two girls. “Rainbow! Rarity! Um… Just… stay here, y’all. Please. I’ll be back,” Applejack pleads with us before running in the direction Rarity had stomped off in, leaving all of us with a surprised expression. “I think I should go too,” Twilight says in a quiet and monotone voice, picking up her own bag with Spike inside. Spike’s eyes widen as he looks up at her, surprised by this turn of events. “Huh? Twilight? Why are we leaving?” he asks her, only for her to zip up the bag, her eyes avoiding him. Before leaving, Twilight stares at me one more time, quickly walking away from the fire. “Wait,” Sunset weakly lets out beside me, looking all around her for the people who left the fire. “It… wasn’t supposed to go like this. I…” Tears start to form in Sunset’s eyes as she stares into the darkness. Every time I see her cry, it never gets better. It always hurts my heart and I can’t help but try to help her feel better. Before I can even try to hold her hand, Sunset stands up from the log, quickly walking away from us. “Twilight! Wait, please! We can still talk this out!” Her fiery-hair quickly gets farther away from the fire, tears streaming down her face the whole time. “Sunset?” Without wasting a second, Sunset stops me from following her by holding out her hand, shaking her head with her watery eyes connecting with mine, running completely into the darkness after Twilight. Once again, the only sound to be heard is the sizzling fire that we were all sitting around, but now only three of us are left… Why did Rarity and Rainbow Dash have to argue? We were having a good time and then… Everything went to shit. There always have to be problems… Sitting back down on the log, I can’t help but sigh, looking towards Fluttershy and Pinkie to see if they would leave me too. Pinkie Pie’s hair straightens out once more, her eyes becoming dull as she stares into the fire. “Well… that was fun…”
Still More Work to DoAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Once again, a short upload~ Only a couple more chapters to go until the end, so I hope everyone enjoys~ Stay special, everybody! Still More Work to Do Chapter XX: Still More Work to Do The air around us is cold, adding to the gray sky of the morning. Thankfully, I’m already wearing a scarf and leather jacket, but my legs only have shorts and leggings on, making them pretty cold. Combine that with the fact that none of us got sleep last night, it just makes me feel worse. I really wanted last night to end off in a good way, but it seems that wasn’t going to happen. I assumed Rarity and Rainbow Dash had already made up, but I was just blind… “Okay. We’ve already established that Rarity and Rainbow are mad at each other,” I say quietly, pacing back and forth in front of the bench Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sit on. During the night, we eventually decided to leave the Apple Family farm and go to Garden Hooves Park. “The main reason is because Rainbow Dash won’t apologize for her treatment of Rarity. Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t there for the full fight, I don’t have the full details.” “Oh, well, um… Not a lot happened other than what you saw. Rainbow Dash and Rarity insulted each other a little more, but the main reason is the fact that Dash sorta invalidated her as a person,” Fluttershy tells me with a nod, her hands placed on her knees as we think about the situation. “And then there’s something going on with you and Twilight,” Pinkie states in a depressed tone, her straight hair partially covering one of her eyes. “Which you still haven’t told us about.” Bringing my hand to my face, I sigh quietly, biting my lip at the memory. “I… kinda had an outburst with Twilight and scared her. I didn’t mean the words I said, but it happened nonetheless.” Searching my bag for my phone, I flip it open to look for any new notifications. “You still have a flip phone?” Fluttershy asks me quietly, her eyes seemingly showing her surprise with that fact. “Well, I can’t exactly afford a new one at this time.” Looking at my phone’s screen, I can’t help but frown as I see multiple texts from Apple Bloom, all of them from yesterday afternoon. Other than that, I have a couple of notifications from Rainbow Dash. “It seems that Dash texted me last night. She seems pretty pissed from the texts, so I would assume both her and Rarity are mad about last night.” “Then what are we going to do? It’s not a great idea to push them together when emotions are still high,” Pinkie says in an uncharacteristically wise statement, flipping her hair away from her eyes. Before I can answer the party girl, my phone begins to vibrate, a ringtone being heard by all three of us. “Sorry. Just give me a minute,” I tell the girls before walking away from the two of them towards the park playground. Looking at the phone’s screen, my eyes widen slightly at the contact name listed. Huh… You finally called. Clicking the accept call button, I quickly bring it to my ear with a deep breath. “Hello, Rich. Please tell me this is important. I’m kind of busy right now.” A deep chuckle comes from the other end of the line, making me roll my eyes at his reaction. “Too busy to hear some good news?” His laugh lasts for a few moments after his sentence, finally clearing his throat. “This is important, Dazzle. Those items you lost? I fulfilled my end of the bargain and found them.” He actually found them…? I was a bit reluctant to trust him, especially when it took him multiple days without any update, but… I’m glad he pulled through. “Thank you, Rich. This… really means a lot to me,” I say quietly in the most genuine tone I’ve used around him before. It really is a big deal that he was able to help me with this. I wouldn’t have been able to find our stuff by myself. Not to mention the fact that I was so angry that day I probably would have hurt the person who stole our stuff. “It will arrive at my house tomorrow morning. You can come collect it and see if any of your items are missing.” Rich seemingly stops himself mid sentence, leaving a long pause in the air. “Just don’t forget your end of the bargain, Dazzle~” “You know I won’t,” I whisper into the microphone, trying to make sure none of my words are heard by the two girls behind me. Within a moment, the call ends with a tone indicating he hung up. He doesn’t have to remind me every single time we talk… It’s like he expects me to forget the deal we made when I’ve clearly shown I hold up my promises. I just hope he legitimately got everything back… If one thing is missing, I’ll have to talk to him… Turning around, I look at Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie with a smile, approaching them quickly. “I agree with what you said, Pinkie. It’ll be a bit difficult to make things right again without waiting for some of the emotions to die down. Fortunately, I was just given an opportunity that I think will help me get through to Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie Pie’s eyebrow raises, leaning forward to hear me better. “Okay? What is it?” “I can’t quite tell you that just yet… But trust me. I can talk to Dash tomorrow. I will just need the help of Applejack.” Fluttershy perks up after hearing my words, bringing a finger to her chin. “And I can try to talk to Rarity while you do that~ Maybe we can get the two of them to talk to each other tomorrow as well~” “I wouldn’t advise it,” I say quietly, looking away from the two. “Rainbow Dash will only believe that I’m actually trying to make things right instead of just ganging up on her if I give her a bit of space. Which means we will have to wait until the day after tomorrow to introduce the two of them again.” “I can go with Fluttershy…” Pinkie Pie slowly pulls a purple balloon out of her pocket, blowing it up within a few seconds. Using a sharpie she pulls out of her hair, she draws a face on the balloon, resembling Twilight. How did she hide that sharpie in her hair…? Especially when it’s flat like this? “But that still leaves the question about Twily and all. What will we do about her?” That… is a valid question. “Sunset looked like she was going to talk to her, right?” Fluttershy asks the two of us, her eyes switching between us. “Yes, but knowing how hard it’s been for her, I’m not sure if she got through to Twilight,” I whisper in response, rubbing my arm slowly. “Let’s just say Sunset and I have had… a couple fights recently. She’s also been having a really hard time at work and she was counting on this reunion to make things right between everyone. But now that things have kinda gotten worse, I’m afraid she might be closing herself off.” “Sunset? Closing herself off?” Fluttershy’s eyes widen in surprise, staring into my own eyes with concern. “What makes you think she will do that?” A nervous grin comes to my face, bringing my hand to my scarf to feel its soft fabric. The truth is that I’m scared for her… Ever since I saw her try to hurt herself, I can’t help but worry about her every time something bad happens. With everything going to shit like this, I don’t know how she’s going to handle it. If she ends up hurting herself again, I don’t know if I will be able to forgive myself… Especially since it feels like most of this is my fault. I should have paid more attention to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I shouldn’t have blown up at Twilight and I should have helped Apple Bloom. It’s like all of this is my fault, but I know that technically isn’t true. I just need to remember that I’m doing my best. Right…? “Well, combined with all the stress of her internship, school, the lack of her friends in her life, the couple of arguments we’ve had and the recent break-in, I can’t help but think she’s going to close herself off from mostly everyone. That’s my first priority. I’m going to try to talk to Sunset when I get home today and we can work on everyone else in the following days.” I can’t help but feel a little awkward, seeing both of them stare at me with a confused tone. “A break-in…?” Fluttershy whispers, clearly worried about what that entails. “Some of our stuff was stolen a few days ago. But it will be okay. Just don’t worry about us. I’ll probably need Sunset’s help to get on Twilight’s good side, but if I can’t get her to help, I’ll need you two.” The wind blows harder against me, reminding me how cold it is outside. “Go home and get some sleep… We’re going to need the rest, especially if we’re going to try and fix things before Sunset’s birthday.” Fluttershy squeaks in a high-pitched tone, causing both of us to look at her with confusion. “I forgot about her birthday! Isn’t it in a week?” Giving her a simple nod, Fluttershy’s expression turns to a nervous one, looking down at the floor. “How are we going to do this in one week?” “We can do it. I apologized to everyone within a week and became friends with you girls. We’ll just need to work together. Speaking of which, do you have my phone number yet, Pinkie?” Pinkie Pie shakes her head, pulling out her phone, but before I can speak, Fluttershy simply shows her screen to Pinkie. Without waiting, Pinkie inputs something into her phone, probably adding me as a contact. Even though I have a flip phone and Pinkie has a phone that's at least five years old, Fluttershy’s device looks like it’s one of the most recent models in the market. How does she have the money to afford that…? “Good luck with Sunset,” Fluttershy tells me with a kind smile, standing up from her seated position. Pinkie quickly follows suit, stretching her legs slightly. Bringing her hands to her hair, she poofs it back up to its previous state, her eyes looking at the two of us with a smile. “We’ll all need luck, silly. We have a party to plan with a bunch of sour guests~” ========================================================= Closing the door quietly, I look around our dark apartment, despite the light outside from the morning sun. It shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s dark inside since it’s still early in the morning, but a part of me can’t help but worry that’s a bad sign. Quickly taking off my scarf and jacket, I kick off my boots as quietly as possible, pulling off my shorts and tights as I do so. Last night went horribly… I should have expected such, but I was blind with my own emotions. Now we have to try and fix things within a week. I don’t want to let Sunset have a horrible birthday due to my stupidity and everyone else’s arrogance… Things can be fixed. Right? I mean, Rich got our stuff back and it looks like we’ll be able to organize everything with Sunset’s friends. Our friends… Everything keeps going downhill, but I refuse to let it happen any more. Not when I’ve realized just how much she means to me and how much our life has affected me. I can’t just sit idly by and give up because things failed this time. I need to be strong. For her. For us. I know we can make it past this. If we were able to make it past my attempts to avoid her and everyone else, we can fix this. It will just take a bit of work, that’s all. She picked me up at my lowest. I owe her the same courtesy. I love her more than anything in the world and I can’t imagine just letting her drown in despair. Walking down the hallway, I quietly grab the doorknob, opening the door to look inside. Sunset’s colorful hair barely peaks out of the top of the blanket as the lump in the blanket lays still, the light of the sun barely coming inside our window. I… Oh… My smile is immediately wiped away though as I look at my side of the bed… There, laying on top of the sheets, is a bright and shining blade… The same damn thing I can’t seem to get out of my memories. Please don’t tell me… Quietly making my way inside the room, I grab the knife from my side of the bed, inspecting it immediately. There’s no stain on it, so… maybe she didn’t use it…? “Don’t worry. I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” her voice quietly states without turning around, causing me to look at the lump in the bed with surprise. The sadness in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed, making me all the more grateful she didn’t actually use it. Putting the knife down on the bedside table, I slowly sit down on the bed, bringing my hand to her shoulder with no response. Sunset… Please, talk to me. “Are you okay?” I whisper, sliding the blanket over me as I get closer to her, bringing the fiery-haired woman into my embrace. This spooning position isn’t ideal since it gives me very little idea how Sunset is actually feeling, but this is all I can do for now. “No,” she whispers back as a response, not moving an inch. “But I couldn’t bring myself to use that knife because I remembered what you’ve told me. That you love me and such.” I do love you… with all my heart. In a way, it should warm my heart that she didn’t end up hurting herself because she remembered how much I care about her, but the worrying thoughts in my mind still persist. Wrapping my arm around her, I slowly reach for her lower stomach, feeling for any wet sensation… “Even though I just told you I didn’t cut myself, you’re still checking, huh? I guess that just goes to show how thoughtful you are.” Despite her kind and loving words, her tone doesn’t change from how depressed it was when she first spoke. “At least you’re still here.” “Your friends are still here too, Sunset,” I whisper, getting closer to her to share my warmth with her. “Let’s not lie to each other, Alligator. Last night was the final straw. We could have fixed things, but it all got messed up. I’m…” Sunset’s tone cracks slightly, causing her to stop her sentence. Her hand comes up to her face, wiping away whatever tears formed with ease. “I’m losing my friends… And now it can’t be stopped.” “Sunset. You’re not-” “Adagio. Please,” she says with tears in her eyes, finally looking back at me and trying to hold back her cracked voice. “Just… don’t lie to me. Please just stay with me and let me try to sleep, okay?” she pleads with me, trying desperately to hold everything together. I can finally see Sunset’s bedside table, but the sight I see only makes me feel worse. It’s absolutely covered in tissues, presumably meaning she’s been crying all night. Has she not gotten any sleep either…? “Alright,” I whisper, holding her as close to my body as I can. As a thank you, Sunset lays her lips against my cheek before putting her head back down on the pillow. Despite the intent behind her kiss, it felt weak and out of energy. Sunset really thinks that it’s all over… I promise that I won’t let that happen. I love you… ============================================================ “I don’t know if I can, sugarcube,” the orange cowgirl tells me from her front door, a solemn expression on her face. Just like yesterday, the day is cold and more or less gray, making me wear jeans with my attire. It’s almost like the world knows exactly how we feel, making the atmosphere align with our emotions. It’s depressing… “Applejack, I know that you’re busy trying to reason with your girlfriend, but I could really use some help to get through to Rainbow Dash. It will probably only take a couple of hours. Tops.” The cowgirl raises her eyebrow at me suspiciously, only to shake her head slowly. “I’m real sorry. I wouldn’t do a lick of good. It’s not like Rainbow would listen to me. With Rarity, I at least have a chance.” “Oh come off it, Applejack. Stop acting like you don’t matter all that much when you and Dash have been friends for years now. You’re clearly her best friend and she misses you. Well, she misses everyone, but especially hanging out with you.” Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself a bit, not wanting another fiasco like what happened with Twilight. Clasping my hands together, I can’t help but feel surprised that I’m about to do this. I’ve never had to do this before, but… desperate times call for desperate measures. “Please, Applejack. I need help. Not for my sake, but for Sunset’s.” Applejack’s expression turns to a worried one as her eyes open wider, slowly walking out on the porch and closing the door behind her. “Is something wrong, sugar…? I know we haven’t been friends for long, but I hope ya know you can talk to me if you need to.” To be honest, I already know that… But it’s hard for me to rely on someone in general. It’s hard to open up about my problems since I’m used to being the strong boss girl rather than relying on someone to help me through something. Even when things get hard like this, my mind would rather deal with it myself than let someone else in on the pain I’m going through. But this time…? It’s not just me. This involves the love of my life and I… I’m worried… “It’s Sunset,” I say quietly with a couple tears forming in my eyes, trying my damned best to keep myself from breaking down. Keep those walls up, Adagio… “I’m… worried that she’s closing herself off completely. She’s so depressed and she’s convinced that… she’s losing her friends and her life.” Damn it, Adagio… Why do you have to let these tears out…? I just… don’t want to lose her to this. She can beat this, right…? Bringing my hand to my face, I try my best to hide my tears, only feeling my walls crack a little more. “Please, AJ. You know w-what it’s like to love someone… with all your heart… I need to fix this. F-for her sake.” A strike of pain goes through my heart… I can’t think like that. It’ll be fine… She means the world to me. I don’t want her to close herself off… I can’t do this alone. Gently, Applejack’s hand grabs my shoulder, causing me to look at her, trying to not cry anymore. It’s a futile attempt at this point… When it comes to Sunset, I can’t help but feel so emotional for her… She’s my everything. “That won’t happen. She ain’t losing her friends. It’s just… a little bump in the road, that’s all,” Applejack tries to reassure me, giving me the kindest smile she can. “I tried telling her that, but she didn’t listen. I just… I don’t know what I can do other than try to fix this…” Sniffling just a little more, I try my best to take deep breaths, looking away from Applejack. “F-Fluttershy and Pinkie are helping me, but they are going to try to talk to Rarity. I can’t talk to Dash alone… I need help, Applejack.” A conflicted look comes to the cowgirl’s face, her eyes looking towards the ground before giving me a slow nod. “Alright. I can come talk with Rainbow. Just give me a few minutes to change into something worthy of going out and I’ll be ready.” I can’t help but feel a happy feeling come to me upon hearing her words. I will need all the help I can get if I want to fix all of this before Sunset’s birthday. She won’t lose her friends after all. I promised that wouldn’t happen. Instantly, I wrap my arms around the cowgirl, hugging her as tightly as I can with a smile on my face. “Thank you, Applejack~” ================================================== The walk to Rainbow Dash’s home is usually a long one, but it only took five minutes this time around. The main reason for the faster time is due to the fact that Applejack drove me there in her family truck, making the trip much less tiresome. I’m used to walking everywhere, but a part of me wishes I could take a car everywhere rather than tire my legs out all the time. Honestly, the thought of owning that motorcycle is even more enticing now. Not only would it give my legs a break, but it would help Sunset get back and forth to places. Alright, Adagio. Stop it. You need to focus. Hopping out of the truck, I close the door to the vehicle, walking down the sidewalk towards the house. Applejack quickly catches up to me, putting her hat back on as she does so. The cowgirl is the first one to knock on the door, a determined expression coming to her. “We can do this, Adagio. I promise,” she reassures me, patting my shoulder slowly. I really hope so… If this doesn’t go well, I’m not sure what we will do. I need this to go alright. I need everything to be fixed because if it doesn’t… I’m afraid Sunset will close herself off. If she does that, she will be losing a part of herself. Sunset is always so happy and outgoing, finding the will to be confident and determined in even the darkest situations. To see that smile, even when the odds are stacked against you? It’s like heaven… If she loses that hopeful attitude and the courage she’s always carried with her, I don’t know what I will do. The sound of the front door’s lock snaps me back to reality, making me pay attention. Within a moment, Rainbow Dash peaks outside the door, surprise washing over her before she fully opens the door. “Oh, hey, guys,” is all she says for a moment, scratching her head. Stepping out on the porch, she makes eye contact with both of us, all of us seemingly unsure what to say. “How are you both doing?” “Not great after the day before yesterday,” Applejack slowly responds, leaning against one of the pillars holding a roof over the porch. She was able to come up with something to say a lot quicker than I would have… I’m grateful she’s here. I’m honestly a mess. “Yeah…” Rainbow Dash scraps her shoe against the porch, laying her back on the wall of the house. “I assume this visit is about that…?” “Yup,” the cowgirl responds in a short manner, sounding like her brother. “Dash. I… I don’t want to make it seem like we’re against you or anything. You’re a good friend of mine,” I quietly let out, making eye contact with the rainbow-haired girl. “But you want me to apologize, right?” Her question takes the words right out of my mouth, her eyes averting mine and opting to look down at the porch with a solemn expression. Applejack looks at me with confusion, her face telling me she’s not sure what to say now. Other than a simple ‘yes,’ what is there to be said? “I know. I thought a lot about it yesterday. I was kinda being an ass to Rarity…” Without wasting another moment, Rainbow Dash’s eyes look up at mine, her sad gaze somehow full of determination. “I especially thought about what you said. How I was being loyal to my friends, but that made me pick sides way too easily.” “I mean, that is one of the main issues,” Applejack pitches in, tilting her hat upward. “Sugarcube, I know Valentine’s Day was a long time ago and it doesn’t seem like it should matter, but-” “Yeah, yeah. I know. It affected Rarity and all… I’m not blind.” Rainbow Dash’s solemn expression remains as she chuckles to herself in a quiet tone. “I kinda screwed everything up two nights ago, huh? I already know I need to apologize.” Dash’s eyes look up at us, slowly raising an eyebrow. “What’s with the funny looks…?” Looking over at Applejack, a surprised emotion is written all across her face, making her seemingly speechless for a few moments. “Well, I… It was just easier than we thought it would be, that’s all.” “What? Did you think I was going to be stubborn and pig-headed about it? I know I was wrong,” Rainbow Dash admits, her eyes showing skepticism at our reactions. I wasn’t expecting Rainbow Dash to want to apologize so quickly afterward. Even if it has been two days, it still surprises me. It’s a good turn of events, finally… “Eh, you don’t want to know the answer to that,” I slowly remark, causing Applejack to laugh a little. “I’m glad though. That you want to apologize and all.” “Of course I do. It’s been way too long since everyone has been together and I screwed it up by not acknowledging Rarity’s feelings. I’m not always stubborn,” Dash states while crossing her arms, her eyes looking towards me. “When do you guys want me to talk to her…?” “Not until tomorrow. Rarity’s still pretty upset and Fluttershy is talking with her with the assistance of Pinkie Pie. We’re kind of hoping that both of y’all can make up tomorrow morning,” the cowgirl informs the athlete with a gesture of her hand, seemingly trying to convey the complexity of it all. “In time for Sunset’s birthday. She’s… not doing well.” Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack look towards me, Applejack’s eyes filled with understanding whereas Dash looks confused. “This has affected Sunset too…?” Rainbow asks me nervously, guilt coming over her face. “I… I’m sorry. Yeah. I can try my best to make it up with Rarity tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do in the meantime?” Upon hearing Rainbow Dash’s words, Applejack’s face lights up as if an idea came to her. “Well, ya could ride along with us. We’re going to be moving a couple boxes of Sunset and Adagio’s belongings.” Rainbow Dash simply raises her eyebrow to Applejack’s request, stepping away from the wall. “Huh…? Are they moving or something?” “Do you remember when Sunset and I’s apartment got robbed? Well, I… found our stuff again.” I didn’t find any of it. Rich did. He actually held up his end of the bargain in a seemingly losing situation and I can’t thank him enough for it. I am surprised he was able to find our items a few days after they were stolen. Each day makes it less likely they will be recovered, but he was able to do it. “Huh. You know what? Yeah. I can help you guys out. If it helps Sunset a bit, then it will be a step in the right direction of making things right.” Rainbow Dash gives us both a thumbs up, trying to smile in the most genuine way she can. “Last one to the truck is a rotten egg?” Applejack’s brow furrows slightly, crossing her arms. “You. Wouldn’t. Dare.”
A Step ForwardAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: Only one more chapter to go~ I hope everyone enjoys this~ A Step Forward Chapter XXI: A Step Forward The gate opens automatically for Applejack’s truck, letting us into Filthy Rich’s property with relative ease. I was expecting we would have to press the button to call for someone to open it, but I suppose Rich was already expecting us. Especially since I called him earlier to say I was going to be here. One thing that surprises me is the clear lack of enthusiasm on Applejack’s face that has been present since she saw the exact address we’re going to. “Is something wrong…?” I ask her curiously, Applejack concentrating on the driveway. “I didn’t know you had help from Filthy Rich…” The cowgirl grumbles her words, seemingly unenthused about the whole situation. Her hands seem to have a death grip on the steering wheel, making me a little curious as to what she has against the man. I mean, sure. He’s arrogant, stubborn, hard to deal with and has a huge ego, but he’s kept every one of his promises to me. I don’t particularly enjoy talking to him or dealing with his bullshit, but it makes me wonder what her history is with him. “Oh yeah! Didn’t that guy try to buy your farm? Man, he was a prick,” Rainbow Dash states from the back seat, placing a lollipop in her mouth. “Four times,” Applejack whispers with gritted teeth, her eyes seemingly ablaze with anger. “He had the nerve to try four bucking times. And each time, he said it would be the smart thing to do as a ‘business woman.’” Huh. Rainbow Dash wasn’t kidding. Applejack does use bucking as an alternative for a curse word. Regardless, Applejack’s near growls show just how pissed she feels about the proposals the man gave her. In front of the mansion, there’s a large white van with a couple of boxes left inside and some on the ground, making me raise my eyebrow slowly. Without me telling her, Applejack slowly pulls in beside the van, leaving the vehicle in park and hopping out, knocking on Rainbow’s window for her to get out. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming,” Dash states, both of us getting out of our seats at the same time. Walking around the side of the van, I see the front door open, revealing the same man who helped me with this task. “Dazzle~ It’s nice to see you brought some friends to get your things off my property.” Turning his head to the other two, his eyes narrow slightly, a grin coming to his face. “Why, Ms. Applejack~ I wasn’t expecting to see you today. When was the last time we met?” he asks her, extending his hand for a handshake, an offer Applejack reluctantly accepts to avoid being rude. “The last time you offered to buy my farm,” she says in a monotone voice, her frown remaining on her face. “Ah, yes. Do tell me if you ever change your mind, alright?” Rich smiles at Applejack before stepping back, looking at the boxes from the white van. “If anything is missing, I suppose I could try to find that as well. It’s the least I can do.” Rich can’t help but smile at me specifically when saying those words. Probably another attempt to remind me of what I have to do for him. I don’t forget my obligations, Rich… After Rich walks back up to his door, I grab one of the lighter boxes, bringing it to Applejack’s truck and subsequently opening it to look inside. A small jewelry box sits on top of a set of romance movies, some silverware scattered along the side. I remember that night pretty clearly… The way Sunset cried at our misfortune. Even though Sunset isn’t a big jewelry person, she had a few pieces that she liked or she was given over the years. So, in a way, they hold sentimental value to her. Grabbing the small wooden box, I open it to look for any of the items Sunset lost. She gave me pretty clear descriptions of everything she had lost and I put it down on the same piece of paper I marked what I had lost. The first thing that pops out to me is an orange necklace with a red circle, an orange symbol of the sun encrusted in the center. The symbol itself seems… familiar to me. Picking up the necklace, a part of me can’t help but find the piece beautiful. It almost feels… different from the other items in the box. I’m not sure why though. “Adagio, what kind of business do you have with Rich?” Applejack asks me as she places another box on the truck bed, breaking me from my thoughts. Placing the necklace back in the box, I pick up another piece of jewelry, inspecting it closely. “He used to be my boss. I just asked him for a favor, that’s all,” I tell her without taking my eyes away from my box. “But why would you ask him to help find your stuff…? I mean, how did you know that he had that capability?” she asks me again, almost using an interrogative manner. Taking a deep breath, I put the jewelry down, looking into Applejack’s eyes as seriously as I can. “I can’t really talk about that, Applejack. But I can assure you that I’m not doing anything that will get me in trouble.” Taking a couple steps away from the truck, I pull out the list of stolen items from my bag, using my pen to mark off the things accounted for. “Hey, girls. This is the complete list of everything Sunset and I lost. Make sure to mark off what you find as we go along, okay?” I tell them before placing the paper and pen on the truck bed, going to grab another box. Rainbow Dash walks over to the list, taking a good look at it before nodding. “Whatever you say, Dagi~” ====================================================== I can’t help but feel a little anxious… The seconds tick away as it gets closer to night, making me feel a little more antsy. Applejack and Rainbow Dash spent quite a lot of time helping me bring everything back inside, including setting up the TV and buying a new glass top for our coffee table. Now all that’s left to do is wait for Sunset… I just hope her reaction is a good one and that this can maybe cheer her up a bit. It should, right…? I promised her I would get our stuff back, so she should be happy to see that, especially after the past couple of days. Perhaps it will even give her some of her hope back. Maybe… I haven’t seen her much since the reunion… Other than when it’s time to sleep. Even then, I can tell she’s seriously depressed from the way she leaves things around the apartment. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk about her friends, making me stop whenever I try to bring them up. She is trying so desperately to smile around me, but it’s clear that she doesn’t feel good at all. I just wish I could take away the pain from her soul… I am trying my best to fix things with her friends, but the problem is that she’s closed herself off from hearing about it. She doesn’t talk much and shows little interest in recreational activities, opting to sleep instead. I’m scared for her… The last time I saw this behavior, it was from… me… Back when life was so hard and dreadful, feeling like living in of itself was torture. I wanted to die back then… I didn’t want to live another day, but I was too cowardly to do it myself. My mind practically prayed for something to end me. Anything… I mean, there was no point, right? That’s what I believed. Everything ceased to give me a point to continue this existence. That was a feeling I never thought a siren could feel… But I felt it. Then she came into my life… Still as an enemy, she reached her hand out to give me a chance at life, to find the finer aspects of existence. I practically spit at her offer… I didn’t believe she was trustworthy. I think another aspect of it was my mind’s disbelief that my life could be better… That disbelief is what made me pull that trigger the first time. Out of pure desperation, I did whatever I could to find happiness, and… I found love. Friendship… I just hope that Sunset doesn’t get to that hopeless stage. I’m here for her. I want her to remember that. That she still has a reason to smile and that there are still people who want her here. I’d do anything to make sure she knows that… Metal sliding against metal can be heard, making me look towards the door. Slowly, it opens, Sunset’s fiery-hair being the first thing to be seen. As her body fully enters the apartment, I can’t help but notice her dull eyes, her gaze looking over at me with a small smile before she notices something. Her eyes widen upon seeing the television set up and the new glass top to our coffee table. I can almost swear to see the spark in her eyes return, a small gasp emanating from her. “A-Adagio…?” she asks for me weakly, her eyes looking around the room and checking for more of our belongings. One such thing her eyes linger on is her romance movie collection, a bright smile coming to her lips before looking at me with tears forming easily. “D-did you… get our stuff back? All of it?” Her question, as happy as it is, has a tone of disbelief as if Sunset doesn’t know if she should believe this. Standing up quietly, I trace my eyes around the room, smirking slightly at her hesitancy to believe that this is actually happening. “I promised you I would get it all back, didn’t I?” Upon hearing my question, Sunset drops her back to the floor, running into my arms and hugging me tightly, tears fully streaming from her face. “I-I… How? H-how were you able to… Where is the rest of it?” A thousand questions seemingly run through her mind every second, but I quickly soothe her by rubbing my fingers through her hair, holding her close to me. “All over the place~ Everything is back in its original place. As if nothing happened at all.” Sunset looks up at me, still crying at this happy turn of events. Letting go of me, she tries desperately to wipe the tears from her eyes, looking around our apartment with a big smile. For a brief moment, she tries to decide whether to go to the kitchen or our bedroom first, but that hesitancy doesn’t last long. Quickly, she makes her way to our room, presumably to check up on her jewelry and her guitar, making me smile a bit. I made sure everything is here. Every single thing. She may not be willing to talk about her friends, but I can at least try to make her day better with this. I already have a movie prepared in the DVD player and I’m ready to pop a bag of popcorn for us. Hopefully, she can feel better just from this. Maybe she will be willing to hear about her friends after this. Just as long as she doesn’t sink any deeper, it will be worth it in the end. I never thought I’d go to such extremes for someone before, but the reason why I do such for you is simple, Sunset. I… love you. ======================================================= Walking inside the fence of the Apple Family farm, I can’t help but frown, remembering the last time I was here. That whole day, as fun as it was, proved to be one of the most troublesome days I’ve ever had. I kept making mistakes, even though I tried to fix certain relationships. Then I kept seeing her throughout the day, which only proved to make me more stressed as time went on. I’m actually quite surprised I haven’t seen her since then… It’s been rather quiet on the hallucination front… Maybe it’s because I’ve been a lot more concentrated lately? I’m not sure… What I do know is that I’m happy to have this break from her hissing whisper. As for today’s events, Rarity actually agreed to meet with Rainbow Dash, despite still being hurt by the whole fiasco at the Apple Family reunion. It’s a good thing that she’s willing to hear Dash out since this is a step in the right direction. If she is able to find it within herself to forgive her, then I will only have one thing left to do. That being the talk with Twilight… Is it wrong of me to feel anxious about that talk…? I still feel ashamed that I blew up at her, but I can’t use that as an excuse to avoid talking to her. I need to apologize for my outburst and… hopefully she and I can become friends. Her and Pinkie are the two people I’ve hung out with the least, so I’m still quite insecure about our friendships. For now though, the main focus is getting this whole mess resolved so that Sunset can have her friends back. I can focus on becoming better friends with them later… Further down the driveway, I notice three girls standing outside the house, one of them wearing a familiar cowgirl hat. The other two are noticeably pastel yellow and pink, making me recognize all three of them with ease. Doing a quick scan of the area, I can’t find any sign of Rarity or Rainbow Dash. I guess they’re not here yet…? Either that or we’re supposed to meet somewhere else. I highly doubt it since Applejack texted me to come here and she seems like a very organized person. I mean, she runs a farm for god’s sake. Given, she has help from her family, but the sheer amount of work that is required of her is nothing short of impressive. Pinkie Pie is surprisingly bubbly today. Her hair is poofy and she keeps hopping around and expressing herself with body movements. At least that’s a good sign. I don’t know how Pinkie Pie manages to deflate her hair when she’s depressed, but I’ve learned one thing in the short amount of time I’ve known her. Don’t question Pinkie Pie. She’s able to seemingly pull things out of thin air and she always knows a little too much. To the point it makes you question how she knows these sorts of things… Fluttershy says she has a basement full of files based on the people in her life, but I had always assumed that was a joke. Maybe it’s not…? Regardless, it’s a little scary. The pink woman’s eyes spot me as I walk down the hill, excitedly pointing to me and directing the gaze of the other two women. Fluttershy waves to me and Applejack signals for me to come over, despite the fact I’m already walking in their direction. I know it’s supposed to be a friendly gesture, but all it does is prompt me to hurry up my already quick walk. “Hiya, Adagio!” Pinkie exclaims with a big wave, seemingly excited. Then again, should I be surprised? Pinkie Pie always seems excited. “You’re just in time!” “In time?” I ask the three of them just as I make it within talking distance, feeling a confused expression come over me. “I don’t see them here. What do you mean?” Without getting an answer, Applejack chuckles to herself, pointing at the open garage. There are no cars inside the indoor parking spot, leaving a couple chairs in their absence. The familiar fashionista sits in one of the chairs, waiting for the other person to show up. I guess Rainbow Dash isn’t here yet. “Rainbow is on her way here. Rarity wanted a little privacy to talk to Rainbow, so she demanded for us to stand out here. She didn’t want us to hear everything that’s said,” Applejack tells me with a smile on her face, her eyes still on her girlfriend. “That was after Rarity gave her a big kiss after all~” Pinkie Pie chips in, causing the cowgirl to heavily blush. “Um… Pinkie. We don’t hafta tell her every detail.” Pulling her hat down a little, Applejack attempts to hide her embarrassment, receiving a pat on the shoulder from Fluttershy. “You don’t have to feel shy about your love life~ I mean, you have been official for a couple years now,” Fluttershy explains, trying to console the cowgirl in a way. It’s pretty ironic though. From someone whose name literally has the word ‘shy’ in it, you wouldn’t expect to hear advice about being confident in your relationship. Especially since Fluttershy seems like the kind of person to be embarrassed about a relationship if she ever got in one. Hell. The girl would probably curl up in a ball even if someone talked about the fact that she plays dating sims. “When is Dash supposed to get here?” I ask them before looking at the time on my phone. It’s already noon… I didn’t think I would stay at work that long. Maybe I can still squeeze in my talk with Twilight later before I go to bed. “She said she would be here in a few minutes, but that was about ten minutes ago. I’d say any second now.” Applejack looks back up the driveway before shrugging her shoulders. “You don’t think she changed her mind, do you…?” I ask the three of them, bringing up Dash’s contact in my phone. “Rainbow ain’t like that. She’s as loyal as a good dog. She’ll stick by her friends and when she says she’s sorry, she means it.” The cowgirl shows a lot of trust for Rainbow Dash, revealing just why the two of them are friends in the first place. I suppose I should trust her a bit more… My nerves are all over the place from everything that has happened recently, so my mind can’t help but worry things will go wrong again. I guess that’s why Applejack’s honesty about the situation helps to calm me down a little bit. A siren needing to be calmed… Sounds a little pathetic, but it’s the truth. I get stressed sometimes and it feels like heaven when Sunset is there to help me. That’s why I need to be here for her now… “Yeah~ In all the time I’ve known Dash, she’s always been reliable~ She and I have been friends since we were ten,” Fluttershy confidently states, seemingly not an ounce of doubt in her mind that Rainbow Dash would miss this. Considering they’re in their mid twenties, that’s one long friendship. “Hey, look~” Fluttershy tells us softly, pointing at the top of the driveway. I see Rainbow Dash riding a bike down the cement driveway, quickly making it down the hill. Even though the bike is going really fast by the time it gets to us, Dash expertly stops the bike, stepping off of the vehicle without so much as flinching. “Wow! That was so cool, Dash!” Pinkie Pie exclaims with two big thumbs up, a big smile across her face. However, the athlete doesn’t seem to react to her statement, simply taking her helmet off and walking towards the garage door. Her mouth forms a frown, yet a determined expression remains on her face. I understand she has to talk to Rarity, but I didn’t expect her to be this focused on it. Perhaps Rainbow Dash feels pretty guilty about the whole ordeal, not bothering to waste another second before she can apologize. That or she just didn’t hear Pinkie. “Good luck,” Fluttershy whispers, clearly saying it more to comfort herself than Rainbow Dash. Honestly, I’m not sure what happened when Pinkie and Fluttershy talked to Rarity. For all I know, she could still be pretty pissed at Dash, but I really hope it does go well. In that sense, I think we’ll need all the luck we can get. Within a moment, Dash makes it to the garage, walking inside and opening her lips, saying something to Rarity before she sits down. I’ve never really mastered the ability to lipread someone… That was something Aria was good at, but I didn’t really learn that. In a way, I kind of used her gift to spy on these same girls back when we were at Canterlot High. I don’t know how she was so accurate at telling what someone was saying just from visual cues. I usually get things wrong… Which means I can't trust myself with what I see from this conversation. For a couple minutes, the both of them keep their mouths shut, simply staring at each other for this period of time. Dash is the first one to talk to the fashionista, saying something I can’t quite comprehend. Rarity’s arms cross slowly, her lips saying something like ‘go don?’ No, that can’t be it… Regardless, the emotions on Rarity’s face show her anger and the uncomfortable feelings she has. This is going off to a great start. “Uh oh,” Pinkie whispers, all of us watching their conversation unfold in front of us. “Now hold on, sugarcube. I’m sure it can be fixed. This is just the beginning of their talk,” Applejack explains to the party girl, giving her a small hand gesture to wait. I hope so… After a moment, Rainbow Dash extends her arms outward, seemingly explaining something to the fashionista. Oh. Dash is going into one of those elaborating conversations… Just don’t go overboard, Dash. Please. We need this to go alright. I need this to go alright… Rarity turns her head away from Rainbow Dash in a dramatic way, saying something as if it’s some remark. As a response, Rainbow Dash stands up from her seat, seemingly about to exclaim something before she stops herself. Even from here, I can see Rainbow Dash take a deep breath, composing herself before daring to speak again. “What is she saying?” I ask the three women beside me, curious about the context of her current statement. “It… looks like she’s saying ‘I know I’m kinda an a-hole,’” Applejack responds to me, abbreviating the bad word to try and avoid cursing. In one way, I’m a little skeptical of Applejack’s lipreading, but I can also believe Rainbow Dash would say something like that… Looking back at the garage, I see the rainbow-haired girl pace back and forth with her hand to her chin, clearly exhaling the large amount of air through her mouth. Opening her mouth again, Rainbow Dash brings her hands inward as she talks, eventually clasping her hands together. Even though this conversation is supposed to be private for the two of them, I can’t help but wonder what’s being said, my eyes trying my best to trace their lips. Wait… What? For some reason, Rarity stands up from her seat, making eye contact with Rainbow Dash. Is it something she said? Please don’t walk away… We’re so close, please… Walking towards Rainbow Dash, Rarity puts her hand on the athlete’s shoulder, but her lips don’t move at all. Instead, the fashionista pulls Rainbow Dash into a hug, one Dash quickly returns. She… is hugging Dash…? That’s… a great sign actually. That’s wonderful. Looking at the girls, Fluttershy smiles and places her hands up to her chest, the other two having similar expressions on their own faces. We did it… Right? We’re one step closer to fixing this whole situation. Thank you for finally giving me a break. ===================================================== Knocking on the purple door, I can’t help but take a deep breath, thoughts of how this could go wrong swirling inside my head. If I hadn’t treated her so harshly, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Then again, apologizing has kind of become second nature to me at this point. I’ve had to apologize to a lot of people and I have no one to blame but myself. It’s my fault that I have to say sorry for these things. If I could just learn to be a better person by now, I wouldn’t be ruining everything… No. Don’t think like that, Adagio. Sunset tried so hard to make you believe that you’re not a waste and that you don’t ruin everything you touch. Just… remember what she said. I’m still worth something, I just make mistakes. Right…? I feel like that’s what Sunset would want me to remember. I can’t afford to get overly pessimistic during this time, especially when Sunset needs help. That’s the main reason I’m here. To put Sunset’s friend group back together. The secondary reason is to apologize to a friend of mine… I still don’t even know if Twilight and I are friends, but… I’d like to be… Opening the door slowly, Twilight’s eyes look through the chain lock on the door, making eye contact with me. “Oh. Um… Hey,” she says quietly through the lock, undoing the chain a moment later. “Hey, Twilight,” I respond hesitantly, looking towards the floor. I guess it’s due to nerves that I find it hard to look Twilight in the eye at this time. “How are you doing?” “Fine. Well, less than fine…” Her words sound truthful, despite her awkward tone. The part that worries me is the ‘less than’ part of her sentence, making me feel even guiltier for what I did. “But I’ve been able to study some of your blood sample some more, so at least that’s some progress.” The fact that Twilight is still doing her research even after the big fight everyone had at the reunion makes me a little hopeful that she’s doing better than I assumed. “That’s nice,” is all I say for a few minutes, my mind inhibiting my ability to speak. Finding the right words is always a tricky task, making my social interactions often awkward. My past self had little problems finding the words, often having a certain level of charisma to let me get away with things. “I hope now isn’t a bad time to talk…?” Twilight’s eyes look at me with a skeptical tone, slowly shaking her head to my question. “No. It’s not…” Without waiting another moment, the purple scientist steps out onto her porch, closing the door behind her. I was hoping to be invited in so that no one would see my desperate attempt to apologize, but that hope is killed as soon as the door shuts. I suppose it doesn’t matter much considering there are barely any people on the sidewalks, so it’s not like anyone will hear our conversation… Taking a deep breath, I step back from Twilight, trying to give her the personal space she deserves. Please don’t say something wrong… “I… just wanted to come over to talk to you. I wanted to… say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for blowing up on you for something you were asked to do and I take full responsibility for my actions.” My mind still finds it hard to look at Twilight, keeping my eyes on the environment around us instead. “Please. Don’t punish the others for my mistake. Especially Sunset. She really needs her friends right now and I… sincerely mean it when I say I’m sorry and just want her to be happy.” Finally plucking up enough courage, I look up at Twilight’s face, seeing a hesitant expression in her eyes. “No, no. I understand,” she whispers to me, shaking her head at my statement. “If I found out someone was treating me like a lab rat without my permission, I’d be pretty angry too. I thought a lot about that yesterday…” Locking our eyes, her gaze tells me she also feels guilty, but I’m not sure why… “I should have conducted proper procedure when it comes to testing individuals. So, I’m also sorry. For how I reacted and… well, how I handled things.” To be honest, I feel like I’m more at fault than Twilight in the situation… At the same time, I’m happy that she accepts my apology… Other than Pinkie Pie, Twilight is the one I know the least about, so I was worried she wouldn’t accept my apology. It seriously means a lot that she’s willing to give me another chance, especially so soon after the reunion. “Though, you said for Sunset’s sake…? Is everything alright?” Concern and worry are clearly written all across her face as she asks me this, wondering exactly what I meant. “It’s… a lot to explain. If you could maybe come meet with everyone else, I could explain it to you on the way…?” Twilight raises her eyebrow at my request, taking her phone out of her pocket to look at the time. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she opens the door quietly, taking a deep breath. “I can spare two hours.” ======================================================= “What are we going to do exactly?” Rarity asks the group, looking around at all of us curiously. “From what Adagio tells us, Sunset is a complete wreck. She’s closed herself off from even hearing any more news about us because she’s convinced our friendship has ended.” The walls of Applejack’s barn give a slight echo to Rarity’s voice, something that she clearly plays into due to her flashy personality. The temperature inside this barn is actually pretty warm even though it feels pretty roomy. The main reason is probably because of the massive amounts of hay in here, but I’m not sure. “If she’s that bad, then how about we all just drop by their apartment and reassure her we’re still friends?” Rainbow Dash suggests with her hand raised, sitting on top of a wooden railing. “That’s a no go. Sunset is booked for the next couple days. She has practically no time other than sleep and to go to her internship,” I tell everyone with crossed arms, trying desperately to think of a resolution. “I would tell her all of this myself, but she doesn’t want to hear about it. I’m also afraid of how she may react when she’s tired. She may think we’re just acting.” “What about her birthday?” Pinkie asks me with a curious stare, once again blowing up a balloon with the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ written on it to illustrate her point. “It would be pretty sad if she has to work on her birthday.” “That’s the only day she has free for the next two weeks… She and I originally planned to celebrate it together after I get off work, so I assume I can still get her out of the house then.” That’s assuming she won’t be too depressed to go out with me… “Okay, that sounds like a plan. Well, it’s our only plan, but at least it’s something. I only have one question. Where are we going to celebrate Sunset’s birthday?” Twilight asks us, looking for any answer that may be thrown out there. It doesn’t take her long to look at our signature party planner, making Pinkie Pie smile excitedly. “Well, Sunset really likes spending time outdoors in a more private setting! She’s told me that it makes her feel happy and like nothing can hurt her~” Pinkie adds to the conversation, rocking back and forth from her seated position. “Maybe we could go to one of the fields nearby? I know a lot of cute bunnies who live there and all,” Fluttershy quietly tells us with a reminiscent smile on her face, seemingly remembering the animals in question. “I would offer my orchard, but I kinda think Sunset would be reluctant to that idea. Especially before she sees we’re still friends.” Applejack leans against a pillar quietly, tilting her hat downward with a thoughtful look. “What about the beach? Sunset and I have been there on more than one occasion and she seems to love each time we go. I could bring her there and then we could celebrate her birthday together.” The times we have been to the beach, Sunset always seemed to enjoy every second we were there. She was the one who introduced me to a shortcut to the beach, making it all the more emotional of a place to go to. “The beach, huh? Well, it’s not my favorite, but I suppose it will do. It’s Sunset’s day, after all,” Rainbow Dash pitches in, hopping off the wooden surface she was sitting on. “Is this our plan then?” As Dash looks around at all of us, we’re not given a second to respond before we hear a gasp. Instantly, my gaze turns to face the shy girl of the group, her hand covering her mouth. “I have the perfect gift idea too~” Fluttershy tells us with one of the most excited smiles I’ve ever seen on her before. “I um… I’ll just need everyone to pitch in a bit.”
The Light of LifeAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, depictions or references to sexual activity and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. Author's notes are at the end of the chapter~ The Light of Life Chapter XXII: The Light of Life The sound of tools scraping against metal can be heard all throughout the Apple Family garage. Every high-pitched note makes my eyes squint, my eardrums begging for some kind of mercy. I can’t exactly complain either since this gift wouldn’t be possible without the help of Sunset’s friends. Our friends… We all chipped in a decent amount of the price. I ended up paying the least due to my other expenses throughout the month, but Fluttershy paid the most. I’m surprised, honestly. How could she end up paying more than someone like Rarity? Then again, didn’t she live in a more expensive part of town…? “Hey, Dash. Try not to break it any more than it already is,” I say loudly to try and be heard over the noises, looking over my shoulder. At the other end of the garage away from me and the other girls, Applejack and Rainbow Dash look at the heavy gift we bought, Applejack screwing down a couple bolts. “Why do you think AJ is not going to break it? I mean, why am I the only problem here?” Rainbow Dash asks me with a small laugh, standing up slowly to look at the progress. “I mean, you do have a history of being clumsy at times, darling,” Rarity admits, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly. Rarity turns her gaze to Fluttershy, giving her a thumbs up. “Also, this was a great idea, Fluttershy~ I didn’t really think of something like this, but it will help Adagio and Sunset with their day-to-day lives~” “Plus! It really fits Sunset!” Pinkie excitedly adds, all of us looking at the motorcycle and a smile coming to my face. Honestly, Fluttershy got the idea from me, I presume. She probably saw how interested I was in the vehicle and then suggested it. I wouldn’t be able to get it without their help. Hell, I still can’t drive it. I don’t have my driver’s license, after all. But Sunset does. The main problem that stops me from getting one is that I never really needed a vehicle before. Well, that and the fact I don’t have a lot of… legal papers. In terms of courts, I technically don’t exist. The only documentation I have is that I attended Canterlot High for a little while, but that’s it. I’ve never asked Sunset how she got that situation arranged… If I want a license, I’ll need to. “Well, I just figured that it would help them and all. Adagio told me how much Sunset has to go through to get to school and her internship, so…” Fluttershy extends her hand in the direction of the motorcycle, a shy smile coming to her face. “This should help~ E-even if I think motorcycles are dangerous, she handled one during the Friendship Games, so I think it will be okay~” Not to mention that this particular motorcycle was cheaper than most other vehicles we could have bought. Even used cars are usually more expensive, so I’m sure we’ll get used to this before we think about buying a new vehicle. “Okay then! Rainbow? Try starting it,” Applejack tells her friend with a thumbs up, taking a step back in case something goes wrong. “Alright!” Rainbow Dash gets on the bike carefully, turning the key after taking a deep breath. Within moments, the motorcycle’s ignition starts up, a nice pur being heard. It’s a nice contrast from what a broken engine sounds like. Everyone seemingly is excited about the job well done, but no one seems as happy as Rainbow Dash and Applejack. “Finally~” Applejack states with a happy and exhausted sigh, giving the rainbow-haired woman a high five before sitting down on the ground for a deserved break. “Thank you, girls. This really means a lot to me,” I tell them with a big smile, walking over to the two of them to try and give them a hug, but Rainbow Dash stops me with her hand in the air. “Trust me. You do NOT want to hug us right now. That was hard work and we’re all dirty from it,” Rainbow Dash explains in a tired yet amused tone, prompting both of them to laugh at the situation. “Just to make sure, no one has anything they’re still holding back, right? Because if you have anything you’d like to talk about it, now would probably be the best time.” My statement is filled with worry and concern for good reason… At least, it’s a good reason for me. I don’t want Sunset’s birthday tomorrow to be like the family reunion we went to. If anyone is holding anything back, this whole thing could topple over… “Adagio, you asked us this five times already. We’re fine, darling~” Before she can give me a chance to reply, Rarity looks at Rainbow Dash with a confident expression. “Isn’t that right, Rainbow Dash?” “You’ve got it!” Rainbow Dash gives all of us a thumbs up, barely smiling from how tired she is from fixing the motorcycle. “Now that the bike is fixed, what are we going to do tomorrow?” Twilight asks all of us, prompting me to look in her direction. “I mean, like what’s the plan? We’ve already chosen the beach to celebrate Sunset’s birthday, but how will tomorrow go?” It’s a good question honestly… Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, so the only time we can celebrate her birthday is after I get home. “I was thinking Sunset and I could take the bike to the beach after I get off work. Then we would meet all of you there and we’d be able to celebrate Sunset’s birthday together. Though, if anyone else has a suggestion, I’m willing to hear it.” No one seems to think of something off the top of their head except for a certain pink woman, her hand extended high above her head. “Oh! Me! Me!” she excitedly calls out, hoping for someone to ask her for her opinion. All Rainbow does is simply point at Pinkie Pie before she takes a deep breath. “So, I’m not going to change the location or anything, but a good party always needs good activities! And I think we need to talk about that before leaving today. I mean, Sunset’s birthday is tomorrow, people!” Activities… That is something I didn’t plan. I just sort of figured we would all improvise when we got there, but it’s a good idea to have something planned. Especially something that Sunset will enjoy. “Before y’all throw out suggestions, mind if I wash up first? I’m pretty dirty and I don’t want to feel icky the whole time we talk,” the cowgirl asks us before standing up from the ground, stretching her presumably tired muscles. “Go ahead, darling~ We’ll wait for you. Call me if you need anything~” Rarity reassures Applejack with a kind smile, blowing a kiss to her lover and simultaneously making her blush. “Uh… Y-yup,” she simply states, quickly walking inside with Rainbow Dash following after. “I’m going to wash my face and arms real quick. Be right back.” The athlete gives us a big thumbs up before making her way inside as well, her shorthand lingo showing just how tired she is. The bigger problem of the day is coming up with a plan. One that Sunset will hopefully like… ====================================================== The cooler air of the night sometimes makes me shiver, despite the jacket I have on. Work was typical, but I couldn’t stop worrying about tonight every second I was working. Today is Sunset’s birthday and I just barely got her to agree to come out with me. It’s still pretty clear how the reunion has affected her… Her depressed smile and attitude shows how her life is at this point. That’s something I promised to fix, no matter what. Sunset doesn’t deserve to feel like the world is against her. That life itself is torturing her and forcing her to live just to endure it all. I had to live through that and it was like hell on Earth… Tonight will be okay. It has to go alright. Everyone agreed that there was nothing they were still mad about and we even made a plan for how the night is supposed to go. Now all I have to do is wait for Sunset to get ready… I texted her to message me when she’s ready so that I can reveal the motorcycle to her as a surprise. Thankfully, this bike has a big enough seat that two people can sit on it. I know since Rainbow Dash drove me over here on it. Hopefully Sunset will like it… It’s the only thing I could technically afford, even with the help of everyone else. This should help give her legs a break and help her get to places faster, so I would hope she will like it. “You actually did it… You brought everyone back together within a week and even managed to come up with a plan for today,” a dark whisper states with an almost prideful tone, the feeling of something scratching along my back being one of the only things I can concentrate on. “I would be impressed, but the reason why you did this is for her… So, I suppose I’m just neutral about it at this point.” Neutral is a funny response when she just loves to torment my life and pick apart all of my decisions… Normally, I’d get pretty pissed upon hearing her voice again, but I can’t let myself do that tonight. Everything needs to be alright. “You just don’t understand love, so I wouldn’t expect you to be proud,” I respond with a slight smile, memories of Sunset replaying in my mind. Within a few moments, I notice something move from the darkness, looking to my left only to be greeted by her sinister red eyes again. No laugh comes from her, just a simple stare. “What I don’t understand is your complete lack of inspiration to take power for yourself. I can’t understand why such a promising siren such as yourself would take love as an alternative.” Her eyes narrow after her words are said, sounding like a distant whisper in the wind. Without making a sound, the shadow walks into the moonlight, fully displaying herself in the blue light of the night. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to taunt me from the shadows tonight?” I ask her with a raised eyebrow, looking at the practically black dress she has on. I know the true color of it is a dark red, but the lighting effects its hue. “I just want you to remember what you gave up for her. That you threw away everything that makes you a siren just for a temporary life with her.” Her whispers hiss at my mind, but I refuse to let them affect me… Especially tonight of all nights. “The one thing I will applaud you for is taking my advice. For using those raw emotions of yours and taking my predictions at face value. It would be so easy for you to disregard whatever I say, now wouldn’t it?” She’s right in a way… I have been taking her advice. I’ve been following examples from Sunset’s friends and I’ve become more confident as a result. It would be easier if I just ignored her, but I didn’t for some reason. I can’t help but be grateful to everyone for helping me relearn the confidence I used to have. “You’re right. And thank you for that advice. I won’t be using it for power, but I will use it nonetheless.” The siren queen rolls her eyes for a moment, seemingly annoyed by my gratitude. “It wouldn’t be so bad if your life wasn’t pathetic like it is. All I’m trying to do is make you remember what you used to be. Maybe someday…” Her whisper stops as soon as my phone buzzes, making me reach inside my bag and grab it with a deep breath. “You better take that… Good luck having a ‘good’ birthday party with her. You’ll probably need it.” Looking back in her direction, the siren queen is nowhere to be seen, leaving just as quickly as she appeared. Shaking my head, I open my phone and look for my notification, seeing a text message from the love of my life. “I’m ready. Do you want me to come out now?” Her messages are usually longer than this… Her short and to-the-point message doesn’t help my confidence for the night, but I try my best to smile and keep my motivation high. “Yeah, you can come out now~ Just make sure to bring your purse, alright?” I don’t want Sunset to forget her driver’s license since she will be the one driving this. We’ll go to the beach and it’ll all work out from there… It has to. In response to my text, Sunset simply sends a question mark, probably confused about my request. The front door is about twenty feet from the parking space I’m sitting in, so there’s no way she could miss this. Unless she was blind. Within a few moments, the door to our apartment slowly opens, Sunset stepping out with her eyes aimed at the ground at first. Thankfully, she’s wearing the red leather jacket that I was going to give her today. Maybe it was a good purchase after all~ After locking the door behind her, Sunset looks around herself, finally noticing me sitting on the bike with flame prints. Her eyes instantly widen, but she seems to calm herself down pretty quickly, walking towards me. “Adagio? I knew you were waiting outside, but why are you sitting on someone’s bike…? You could have waited inside.” Sunset’s confusion only increases as I laugh at her statement, patting the vehicle slowly. Looking back up at Sunset’s ocean-like eyes, I can’t help but smile at how adorable she can be at times. “This isn’t just ‘someone’s’ bike, Sunset,” I whisper quietly, grabbing her hand with my own. “It’s your bike~ If you want it.” Sunset’s expression immediately changes to surprise and confusion, the depressed attitude she has had for the past few days disappearing for the time being. “W-wait. What? What do you mean? I-” Bringing her hand to the bike’s polished surface, I smile up at her with a small chuckle, finding her confusion cute. If it wasn’t for Applejack and Rainbow Dash, this thing wouldn’t work and the surfaces wouldn’t feel smooth at all. I was sure they would chip the paint given how hard Rainbow Dash seemingly hit her tools on this thing, but nothing seems damaged at all. Maybe it just goes to show how little I know about fixing machines. “I… How…?” Sunset asks me quietly, her eyes tracing the vehicle with a beautiful smile on her lips. Tears quickly come to her eyes, gazing at me with wonder, being one of the few times she’s been happy this week. “H-how did you do this? Did you actually buy it?” Before she can ask me another question, I bring her hand to my lips, pressing them softly against the back of her hand. “It’s in your name~ I’ll explain everything later, but for now, do you want to take a ride?” Without giving me any warning, Sunset embraces me in a tight hug, her tears staining my shoulder. For a moment, we stay like this without any movement or sound between us. My arms wrap around her as gently as possible, holding her close to me. I’m here, Sunset. I’m here. “T-thank you, Adagio. I… Thank you.” Her mind is probably still running with questions, but she thankfully places them aside for now, pressing her lips against my cheek. I promise, Sunset. All your questions will be answered soon. ===================================================== The bike’s ignition cuts after Sunset takes the key out of it, leaving only the beautiful sound of the ocean. Sunset decided to park it in the nearest parking lot to the beach so that we wouldn’t have to walk far back and forth. Riding a vehicle like that is honestly a new experience. I wasn’t used to wearing a helmet nor holding onto Sunset just to safely stay on. Regardless, Fluttershy wasn’t wrong. Sunset does have experience handling a motorcycle. It almost seemed like second nature to her, making me feel a lot safer than if I was riding with someone else. The parking lot is also visible from the beach, so we can always see if the bike is okay. It’s kind of hard to miss it with the flame patterns all over it. Stepping off the vehicle, my legs feel shaky and my nerves are on high alert, taking off my helmet and taking a deep breath. “How did it feel? To drive that thing, I mean,” I ask Sunset with a hesitant breath, shaking my head to try and get my bearings. Sunset slowly gets off the bike, sliding her hand across the vehicle’s paint job. “It was great,” she tells me quietly, carrying her helmet in her other hand. Despite me talking to her, she keeps her eyes on the bike for a while, still admiring the vehicle. “Are you going to tell me how you got it now? I mean, I’m grateful, but I didn’t expect this for my birthday. You already got me a gift.” Her questioning gaze looks over at me, curious as to what sort of witchcraft I may have done to get her such an expensive present. “Just wait another few moments, alright? I promise I will tell you, just be patient~” Grabbing her hand and carrying my helmet with my other arm, I quickly lead Sunset towards the beach, smiling to her as genuinely as possible. The sound of the waves fills my ears and reminds me of the other times I’ve set foot on this beach. Some of those situations were bad, but most of the memories are good. Sunset was the one who brought me here the first time… Every time I think of this place, I can’t help but think of her and the times we’ve shared together. “Do you remember the last time we were here?” I ask her softly, both of us finally walking on the sand. “Yeah. I do,” Sunset replies almost as softly as me, her eyes looking up at the bright night sky above us. “We confessed our love to each other here. You were trying to avoid me because you thought you just made my life worse, but I managed to convince you that you really did mean a lot to me.” For a moment, the hopeful smile I’ve come to love returns to her face, her eyes sparkling from the light shining down on us. “And the time before that, we walked on this beach and talked about what love meant to us. The day before I realized I loved you.” Walking along the beach, my eyes trace the ocean with a small nod, my hand holding hers a bit tighter. “That’s correct. I’m glad you remember all that~ It’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about…” Stopping us in our tracks, I turn my back to the ocean, setting my helmet down on the ground. Grabbing both of her hands, I connect our eyes and try to smile as best as I can. “Sunset, I just want to say… that I love you. You mean the world to me and I can’t help but be thankful each day I wake up by your side.” My smile slowly gets smaller, my hands holding hers tighter. “That night in December… the night you came to talk to me about happiness and all. Whether you realize it or not, I was… pretty depressed. The world kept beating me down, I had no one left in my life and I was angry and vengeful. It felt like nothing could be fixed and it would only keep getting worse. I misinterpreted your message as some action to take mercy on me because you pitied my situation.” Looking to the ground, I try my best to take a deep breath, forcing myself to relive these memories. “I was robbed that night. After everything that happened, I felt like I didn’t have anything left to lose. It felt like torture to live and… I tried to take my life…” Sunset’s eyes immediately widen to my statement, her smile turning to a concerned expression. “I know what it feels like… To be lost and feel like the world is punishing you. To have no hope and all. I just want you to know the same thing that you told me back then. You can be happy and it’s not too late. Things can be fixed.” Bringing her hands together, I bring my smile back to my face, looking deep into her eyes. “We have good jobs and a good relationship. You’re always there for me and I want you to know that I’m here for you now. I won’t let you drown in that abyss.” That same abyss that almost took me… If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Sunset, it’s that it’s never too late to recover and be happy again. Life has its ups and downs. She just needs to be reminded of that. Her eyes look away from my own, a frown coming to her face as she takes a deep breath. Her hands hold onto my own as tightly as they can, holding onto me for some form of comfort. “Do you… really think so? That I won’t lose my friends…?” Her teary eyes look to me for some form of hope. Something to hold onto and to think it’s all worth it in the end. “I don’t think so. I know it~” I tell her with a wink, hugging her as tightly as possible. Before she can respond, I let go of her and take a couple steps back, bending my finger as if telling someone to come closer. “Hey, girls?” I call out, causing Sunset to look behind her quickly. Every one of Sunset’s friends stand at the edge of the beach with birthday hats on, a small pile of gifts off to the side of them. My monologue was supposed to serve two purposes. To reassure Sunset that things can be fixed… AND to give the girls enough time to get here and be ready to welcome their friend with open arms. Out of everything we’ve planned for the night, this was one of the few things I came up with. Everyone gives her a wave and a smile, all of them excited to see their friend once more. Sunset’s helmet immediately drops from under her arm, frozen with shock from what she sees. “G-girls…?” she slowly asks, seemingly unsure whether or not she should believe this. Maybe she’s afraid another fight will break out. “Hey, Sunset~” Twilight speaks up, opening her arms out wide to Sunset, making the fiery-haired woman of my dreams run towards her friends, hugging them as quickly as she can. Everyone seemingly giggles at the situation, smiles on every face as they have a big group hug with Sunset in the center. “I… Did you all really make up?” my love is barely able to ask, still holding onto her friends. “Of course~ Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy helped quite a bit,” Rarity responds, causing Pinkie Pie to smile excitedly. “Applejack and Adagio talked to me about it and all, so they’re also pretty responsible~” Rainbow Dash pitches in, making Sunset’s gaze turn back to me. Seeing her so happy and full of life makes every fiber of my being feel complete. Nothing in the whole world could make me as happy as helping her to see the light in life, just like how she helped me months ago. Just to see her beautiful face full of happiness is heaven itself. I don’t quite know why I fell so deeply in love with her, but I would never change it. She means the world to me and I never want to be without her. Sunset’s hand gestures for me to come join them, making me blush slightly. “No thanks. It’s not my place,” I try to explain, trying to gesture for them to continue without me, only for an angry glare to come over Rainbow Dash. “Dagi, you’re one of us now~! Come on!” Rainbow Dash gestures for me as well, causing Applejack to raise her eyebrow at me. “Sugarcube. If ya don’t get in her right now, I’m gonna kick your ass up and down this beach,” the cowgirl says so calmly that you would think she’s serious about it. At least, I think it’s a joke. Sighing, I quietly walk forward with a small smile on my lips, everyone cheering when I finally join the group hug. It’s been a long two weeks. Life is full of its ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I’ve come to love the best woman in my life and I have lots of friends now~ This is better than any power I could have ever obtained. Just being happy in my life with my newfound friends and the love of my life~ “Are we finally going to get this party started?!” Pinkie yells after letting all of us go, disappearing and returning with a table and cake faster than I can see her move. “U-um… Remember~ We have one gift we have to give her before we cut the cake,” Fluttershy tells the excited pink woman, making me remember exactly what she’s talking about. “Seriously, this is too much~” Sunset comments, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes as we all let go of the group hug. “You girls don’t have to buy me gifts~ Just spending this day with everyone is a gift in of itself~” “Nonsense~ I’d rather be dead than let my friend’s birthday pass without so much as a celebration and a gift~” Applejack tells her while crossing her heart. “Plus, you’ll love this one~” Holding out her hand, Pinkie Pie once again sprints off faster than I can see her, returning with a guitar and giving it to the cowgirl. Quietly, Applejack walks behind me, sitting in a chair Pinkie Pie had brought as well. I can’t help but feel nervous, knowing what’s coming up. This is the other thing I planned for the night… Pinkie Pie quickly gives me a fake microphone, making me step back beside Applejack. Ever since I quit the nightclub job, I’ve felt afraid to sing… The last time I sang with all my heart, I lost my only two friends and the only life I’ve ever known. I’ve been so afraid to sing again just in case the world would punish me once more. But when I saw how depressed Sunset was, I decided that maybe… just maybe… it would be worth it. To sing one more time. Not for power or control, but for love. To sing a tribute to the woman I love and to show her just how much she’s changed my life. Holding out my hand, I smile at Sunset, staring into her warm eyes. I love her more than anything in the entire universe. “This one is for you~” Epilogue The lovely sounds of birds singing makes the household chores feel a little less tiresome. Wind gently blows on the chimes hanging from the porch and cool air is brought inside the house from the windows. The music I set on the radio rings a pop song through the air gently, giving the day a brighter mood. Cleaning isn’t necessarily fun, but it can be made better with all the little things. This is coming from a person who doesn’t like cleaning, but it has to be done nonetheless. Besides, Sunset promised me a movie night full of cuddles if I help her out with this. What siren in their right mind would refuse that? The funny thing is that I may actually be out of my mind. Most sirens aren’t like how I am now. Maybe I’m just a siren crazy in love with a mortal woman. Or a pony… I mean, she did come from Equestria as well. Maybe that’s where her eternal hopefulness comes from. Regardless, it’s a deal I can’t refuse. Hell, I get to pick the movie we watch tonight. I’m not sure what it will be yet, but I’m sure an idea will come to my mind by the time night falls. Picking up another plate, I gently scrub the glass with a sponge, washing each dish as carefully as I can. Normally, something like this is hot and tiring, but the cool wind from outside makes it tolerable. Just as I finish the plate and put it inside the dishwasher, a couple of arms wrap around me, hugging me from behind. “Guess who~” a familiar and all too lovely voice coos into my ear, pressing her lips against my cheek. Without fail, another blush comes to my face, making me embarrassed that I still blush at these small yet nice details. You’d think after a couple years, I’d get used to Sunset’s kiss or her kind words. Or her straight up flirtatious advances. “Is it the fiery-haired goofball of my dreams?” I tease her with a roll of my eyes, a smile still present on my face as always. “Bold of you to call me a goofball when you were moaning my name last night~” she teases me right back, pinching my ear slightly before she hoists herself up on the counter, looking down at me washing the dishes. “But was I wrong?” My question gets another giggle out of the woman, making her lean back and smile at me. “You’re really sassy, you know that? What does it look like to other people when two sassy women are in a relationship?” “First off…” I turn off the sink slowly, moving over and grabbing Sunset’s hips. “It doesn’t matter what others think. And secondly…” Moving my head upward, I connect both of our lips for a second, feeling as happy as I can be. “It looks awesome~” “Speaking of which, I was wondering~” Sunset quickly responds to me, playing with a strand of my hair. “Have you done everything you need to do before our special day~? I’d still be willing to help if you have anything else you need to do~” Sighing heavily, I can’t help but feel like I’m burdening her with all of this… I hate to keep saying no to her and add yet another thing to the list, but I’m sure this is the last thing… “Actually… there is one last thing I want to do.” Sunset raises her eyebrow at my question, but her smile still remains. “There are two people I need to talk to one more time…” The End … for now~ Author’s notes: Hello, everyone! Thank you all for reading this far into my story! I’m actually really emotional while writing this, so please excuse any typos I may have. This story is finally complete and I can’t help but cry from happiness since I feel so accomplished, fulfilling such a large story. It really means a lot to me that all of you have read this far and all the kind words that commenters would tell me~ Every like went a long way to keep my motivation for this project up and I can’t help but feel so happy that this story is finally finished~ I feel like I’ve actually accomplished something and as long as I gave somebody a smile, it’s all worth it~ Once again, a big thank you to everyone who has read up to this point and I hope to continue offering stories that make you smile! There are a couple things I want to address before I leave this note off. For everyone reading this, you probably noticed I had an epilogue that left off on a cliffhanger. That epilogue is a scene from the next big sequel to this story and it will be titled A Dazzling Trio~ I’m sure everyone can probably take a guess where the story is going from there~ In the epilogue, I also pointed out that it’s happening a couple years after the events of A Shimmering Heartbreak. This is because I want to take a short break from writing long stories and write short stories that are still in continuity with this story~ One such short story I’ve had on my mind for a while now is going to be called Siren Days and it will feature both Adagio and Apple Bloom~ Some of you might have noticed I haven’t shown how Adagio and Apple Bloom make up. This short story will show that. Some readers are also probably wondering about the bargain Adagio made with Filthy Rich and what her end of the deal is. There will be another short story to fill in those details~ I’m not sure what the title will be yet, but I will tell you by the end of Siren Days~ These short stories are not required to read for you to enjoy the full story, so you can just wait for A Dazzling Trio to come out to pick this back up. These stories are only really made to flesh out the story a little more and let me explore things I want to explore without putting it in the confines of a large story~ I hope everyone has enjoyed this story so far and it really means a lot to me to see continued support for a passion project of mine I’ve been doing for close to a year~ I love you all and I hope you all have a good day~ Sincerely, Spyder27
New BeginningsAuthor's Note DISCLAIMER: This story is a sequel to A Dazzling World, which had mentions of some triggering things. This story may deal upon those things, but so far, this chapter doesn't have any trigger warnings I think I need to address other than profanity. This chapter is not fully edited, so yeah! Please enjoy this new sequel to one of my favorite stories I have ever written~ Also, this chapter was beta read by Mon668 on AO3! She's a good friend of mine, so shout out to her for helping make this story the best it can be! New Beginnings The sound of music has always been a part of me, ever since I was young. Hearing the melodic notes of a song always tends to turn my head. It always makes me stop and think about how well the lyrics match the tones or what intervals they're played on. Once upon a time, I had a gift for song, but as time drifted by, that gift is now gone. I suppose that's a good thing at this point. The last time I sang from the bottom of my heart, I used it for bad purposes and ended up losing the things I held closest to me. Now, I have a new life with new people in it, so I don't want to jeopardize my future with them by letting my voice out once more. Singing, for all it is worth, scares me… I only ever used my voice to help myself, so my mind feels worried that if I let it out again, it may throw everything into chaos. I don’t want to lose her… Ever… Music can be a wonderful gift and something that can bond people together. No matter where you go, there is almost always some sort of music being played and shared with others. One person will often share their favorite type of music with their friends, letting them bond over their love for certain songs and bands. Overall, music is a lovely thing depending on who plays it and when it is presented. This is not one of those situations… Sitting on the hard wood bench, I can't help but sigh to myself as I hear the disorganized instruments try to play a symphony, only making me cringe slightly. The other adults sitting around at this band performance are mostly parents, cheering their young teenage children onward, but in the case of the woman sitting next to me, she is the older sister of one of the children. The orange woman simply has her arms crossed, not really moving much since the beginning of this performance. Her cowboy hat did compliment her nicely, but I don't really have the nerve to say such out loud. I still don't know why I had to sit by her. After Apple Bloom begged me to come watch her performance, she told me that the only seat left was on the third row. Coincidentally, this seat happens to be right next to Applejack. I admit, the two of us have talked since Valentine's Day, but things are still shaky between the two of us. Looking over to the cowgirl, a small glance is shared between us for a moment. Putting my hand out, I say, "Hey. I'm Adagio Dazzle. I hope we can get to know each other." Chapter I: New Beginnings The orange cowgirl sitting to my right averts my gaze slightly, but returns my handshake with a solid grip. Despite her clear distrust of me, she seems willing to talk to me at least. "I know who you are," she states quietly so as to not interrupt the performance. "Well, I suppose I don't… not anymore." Her tone carries a guilty feeling with it, but her face doesn't change in the slightest. If anything, it's hard to tell exactly what she's thinking at a given time. Her stoic figure almost feels intimidating at times. I mean, she is intimidating simply because she's part of the Apple Family, but I suppose I also feel nervous due to her predisposition to me. "I'm… different than before," I slowly state, looking towards the stage for a moment. "Sunset tells me," Applejack explains in her thick country accent, not daring to look away from her little sister. "I'm… sorry that I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to know you again. I know Sunset tells the truth, it's just that-" "You still think of me as the manipulative siren?" I ask, interrupting her mid sentence. A shameful look comes across her face for a moment, trying to hide under her cowboy hat slightly. "I'm sorry, sugarcube. I don't mean to be mean or nothing, but I don't know the new you. Sunset told me ya overheard what I said and what it did to ya. And well… I'm real sorry." A guilty frown forms on her mouth before looking at me, an apologetic look caught in her eyes. "Listen. I'm willing to hear ya out and get to know you, but it has to be on my terms," she states with a serious tone in her voice. With a simple nod, I return her gaze, smiling as best as I can. "Of course. I wouldn't make you do anything that you don't want to do." We both nod for a moment, our shared gaze broken momentarily before Applejack sighs to herself. Seemingly thinking of what to say, Applejack brings her hand to her chin, closing her eyes slowly. "Have you ever been to a family gathering? Like a big one where there are activities and memorable experiences?" Her question confuses me at first, not really being able to recall ever going to a family gathering before. "No, I don't think so. I haven't had a lot of family, so I never really went to one of those before." My answer, as short as it is, seems to please the cowgirl as she nods to herself. A part of me feels slightly worried about what she may be thinking about, but at this point, I've learned to just go with the flow. "Alright," she states in a slow manner, looking me in my eyes as she does so. "The Apple Family is having a big family reunion in a week, so if you make it to that, you and I can get to know each other. No past sins considered," Applejack says, holding her hand out to me, locking our eyes together. Before I can even take her hand in mine, she pulls away slightly. "Only shake if you're serious. About changing yourself and loving one of my best friends." Again, her statement comes off as defensive, but I don't really blame her for it at this point. It's understandable to still hold a grudge against a siren after all… even if I'm not a siren anymore. Shaking her hand as genuinely as I can, I give the cowgirl a smile, nodding to her inquiry. "I'm serious." ================================= Opening the door as quietly as I can, I look inside the apartment carefully, smiling to myself when I don't see anyone. Sunset, as determined as she always is, usually passes out when she gets home from her internship. This, in turn, gives me an opportunity to cuddle her when I get home, but today is slightly different. It's a very special time of the year, getting ever closer to the end of July. A big smile comes across my face as I think about the occasion, holding the gift wrapped box, quickly locking the door behind me. This is the first time that I can actively be a part of Sunset's birthday, so I want to make this as special as I can. Walking over to the kitchen cabinets, I slowly open the bottom one, looking at the many boxes of cleaning supplies and vacuum materials, most of which are never really moved. Chuckling, I gently put the present behind everything else, making sure it can't be seen, even if some of the boxes are removed. It especially means a lot that I can be a part of her birthday since she doesn't really celebrate it that often. I'm here to change that~ Why wouldn't I celebrate the birth of my loving girlfriend~? The person who saved my life… Sighing happily to myself, my eyes widen as I hear our bedroom door open. Sunset is already awake, huh? Closing the cabinet door, I turn towards the fridge quickly, opening it and looking for the chocolate ice cream. A small chuckle comes from my lips as I see the final piece of cherry cheesecake resting on the first shelf, tempting me to eat it right here and now. It would be a waste to eat it now, especially since I am saving it for Sunset's birthday. Feeling her arms wrap around me slowly, a cute giggle comes from behind me, Sunset resting her head on my shoulder. "What are you looking for, my cute alligator~?" she asks in a groggy voice, clearly still tired from her nap. "Just trying to look for the chocolate ice cream~" I softly explain, turning my head to kiss her cheek slowly. "You're looking in the fridge, sweetheart~ It's in the freezer," Sunset says as she opens the top portion of the refrigerator for me. A deep pink blush comes to my cheeks, clearly seeing the ice cream right in front of me. "I um… I-I knew that," I lie, knowing damn well that I did not know that. In fact, a lot of these human devices are still… confusing to me. It's only due to pure luck that I, a dense alligator, was able to find out how to use a phone and its many functions. "Sure you did~" Sunset teases me as she lets go, walking over to the cupboards over the oven, grabbing a couple bowls and putting them down on the counter. "Don't forget the cherry ice cream too~ Unless you would rather have that slice of cheesecake now?" "Ugh, don't tempt me," I say in an exaggerated tone of exhaustion. "It's the last slice, so I'm saving it for later." A cute giggle escapes my Shimmer's lips, her hand reaching over and cupping my cheek gently. "Adagio~ You know we can always get more, right?" Her question, as innocent as it is, surprises me at first, catching me off guard. I suppose we can… I'm not rich by any means, but I could afford more if I saved my money. I guess I'm just all too used to the familiar diet of poverty. By that, I mostly mean going without food more times than not. The biggest thing that caught me off guard was Sunset saying "we". A solemn expression takes hold of my face for a moment, thinking silently to myself. It's true that Sunset and I… have been dating for a couple months now, but I didn't really expect us to help finance things for each other yet. Nor be that close that we could steadily rely on each other like married couples do. I mean, we do share an apartment now, so it shouldn't be a big deal, right…? We haven't done anything more than sleep in the same bed together and I still second guess whether she loves me all the time… "Adagio?" Sunset asks me to grab my attention, my eyes looking at her almost instantly after her question. "Are you alright?" Her eyes lock with mine, her hand never leaving my cheek. Again, her warm smile melts its way into my heart and her fiery hair stays on my mind. No matter how many times I look into her eyes, it never seems to bore me, letting me drown in her beauty. It's funny that I still have a hard time saying those words. My mind still believes I don't deserve this life, this happy end. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," I slowly say, looking away and grabbing the ice cream cartons. Setting them on the counter, Sunset's hand gently turns my head back to her, a concerned expression now dawning on her. "Are you overthinking again? You know I'm always here for you, right?" she asks me with a small smile, unsure of whether she should be worried or not. Looking away from her once more, I grab an ice cream scooper, unsure of what to say. A part of me wishes to indulge in her comfort, but another part of me tells me not to. "Yeah…" I nod silently, Sunset pulling me into her warm embrace slowly. Clearly, the softer side of me won this time. "Hey, hey. It's alright~ How about you go sit down and I'll bring the ice cream and you can talk with me about it, okay?" she softly expresses, cupping my cheek once more. With a silent nod, I walk past Sunset into the living room, sitting down on the couch softly. Normally, I would object to this, but I know Sunset would only accept yes as an answer. When it comes to my problems, she's eager to help me in any way she can. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed the same pleasure most of the time… Walking into the room, Sunset carries two bowls of ice cream, a warm smile once again on her face. It’s only now that I realize she’s only wearing a large t-shirt and some small shorts. Appropriate for someone who just woke up from a nap. The shirt has a large cartoonish cat on it, the caption “Have a purr-fect day!” written in comic sans. Gently sitting beside me, Sunset hands me the bowl of cherry ice cream, looking towards me with her friendly gaze lit up by the light coming through the blinds. Despite the darker interior, it still feels… magical to be with Sunset… No matter how often I see her smile or feel her hug, it always makes me trip up on my words, caught in the magic of these wonderful feelings I have for her. I love being with her and I can never get used to it, honestly. Slowly taking a bite, Sunset’s lips are covered in chocolate ice cream, licking it away in an instant. Even if she’s messy, she’s always cute to me. Bringing her hand to my cheek, Sunset’s eyes convey a message of worry, always wanting to help me in any way she can. “How did today go?” she asks slowly, referring to my visit with Apple Bloom. Honestly, it was the first time I’ve seen her in a few months, Applejack finally letting her see me again after agreeing to give me a chance. It took a lot of convincing from Sunset, but I don’t blame Applejack. She’s quite scared for her family… “It felt really nice to see Apple Bloom again. She practically begged me to come to the clubhouse again, but overall, she was just super excited to finally talk to me without sending me letters.” With a nod, I look away, taking a bite of my own ice cream slowly. “I see~ Did you talk with Applejack?” Sunset asks me cautiously, knowing that it could be a sensitive subject. A solemn nod of my head is the only answer I give to her question at first, looking away as I take another bite of my treat. “Yeah, I did. She… invited me to the Apple Family reunion or such. I think that’s what she called it.” Looking back to Sunset, I see a big smile on her face and her eyes are wider than usual. Her hand grabs my hand and she locks her eyes with mine, a proud expression gripping hold of her beautiful face. “That’s great, Adagio! Does that mean you two are on good terms or…?” Her previous happy expression changes to one of curiosity, eagerly awaiting my response. “Not yet. She still doesn’t trust me nor do I expect her to. She said that this would help us get to know each other more and she’s willing to give me a chance. I suppose it’s due to all your convincing, huh?” I ask with a giggle, closing my eyes as I eat a bit more of my ice cream. The cherry flavor lingers on my tongue slightly, reminding me of Sunset. Well, it reminds me of times with Sunset. Like the bowling alley or one of our movie nights during that fateful week. With a smile, I simply shake my head and look back up at Sunset. “Well, it’s still a good turn of events! At least she’s willing to give you a chance~ Especially since I love you so much.” Without a moment of hesitation, Sunset puts down her bowl of ice cream on the coffee table and hugs me quickly, sighing happily to herself. “You mean the world to me, Adagio~” Slowly, I wrap my arms around her as well, resting my head on her shoulder and closing my eyes slowly. “I… I love you too, Sunset. You really do mean everything to me,” I whisper quietly, still not used to saying those words nor hearing them back. “I still… feel bad that you haven’t talked to your friends much over the past few months because of me. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have had to make up with them and-” Before I can say another word, Sunset’s finger presses against my lips slowly, our embrace ending so that she could look into my eyes. Her warm smile and friendly eyes display her feelings of love way too easily, entrapping my heart every time I see that expression. “Shh. It’s alright~ We’re all talking again and we’re still friends. Applejack even agreed to give you a chance and I’m sure we won’t stop being friends. It’s alright, Adagio~ I’m talking with them again and we’re all still friends. You didn’t do anything wrong~” Hugging me again, I feel that all too familiar urge to display my sadness once again, but I am able to hold it back, holding Sunset close to me as well. Feeling her hair with my hand, I can’t help but enjoy the softness of it and the warmth of this hug. All of her is soft and warm. “Promise me that everything will be alright…?” I slowly ask, letting my insecurity out in the open. “I pinkie promise~” she simply states, not letting go of my body and retaining our loving embrace. “Everything will be alright~ You’re mine and I’m yours, Adagio. You mean everything to me and someday, my friends will accept that too.” Bringing her head off my shoulder, her hands move their position to my cheeks, warming my face quickly, but that could just be my blush as always. Bringing herself closer to me, she gently presses her lips against mine, kissing me with as much love as she can muster. My cheeks flush even harder than before as my mind races with thoughts of her and not much else. This girl means everything to me and I would do everything I could to keep her. To think that she was my enemy about half a year ago is hard to imagine, knowing how much she means to me now. How has my life changed so much…? Leaning into our kiss as well, I hold Sunset’s body close to mine with a smile, enjoying as much of this moment as I can. I remember exactly what caused this rapid spiral of change. That one night in December… Everything had come to a head and then… you appeared. You told me that I was worth it and I could be happy too. If only you knew how happy you truly make me, Sunset Shimmer… ========================================= Walking down the hard sidewalk, I feel the warm breeze of summer brush past my face, the sun providing heat to everyone around. Despite the weather conditions, I still wear my scarf with me at all times as well as my jeans and boots. I decided to wear one of Sunset’s t-shirts after leaving our apartment, since most of my clothes are dirty. Given, I don’t have much other than a couple different outfits… I should really buy myself more clothes when I get my next paycheck. Regardless of my clothes situation, Sunset’s shirt feels quite comfortable, though it could be that I only feel like that since it belongs to my girlfriend. It even has her scent on it, so I suppose that makes me happier than I would be in a normal shirt. The piece of clothing is blue in color with a simple logo for the Rainbooms, Sunset and her friends’ band back in high school. I wonder if they still play together… Dodging between the people in the streets, I can’t help but notice how many more people are out during this time of year as compared to December. I suppose it is the summer, but it still felt a bit odd to me. Especially with the alarming amount of people dressed as clowns. Okay, what the hell is happening? Is it some sort of holiday? There’s even sounds of music and… confetti on the ground? Walking around the corner, my eyes widen at the sheer amount of people on the sidewalks. This is what Rainbow wanted me to see…? Looking down the surprisingly empty road, I see oddly decorated cars and moving stands coming slowly down the street. What the fuck is this exactly…? Feeling a tap on my shoulder, I turn around quickly and lock eyes with a certain rainbow-haired girl. The perky individual hands me a caramel apple with a smile and grabs me in a hug. “Hey, Dagi! How are you doing?” she asks me with a laugh, holding me way too tightly. Despite the happiness I feel at seeing Rainbow, my eyes are drawn to the person she brought with her, locking my attention on them. The purple hair and white skin are unforgettable at this point, always trying to draw the attention of those around her. The fashionista wears star-shaped sunglasses as well as a frown. “Um, good,” I say slowly, returning Rainbow’s hug with a small smile, but ending it quickly thereafter. “You know Rarity and all,” Rainbow Dash says with a smirk, introducing her friend. The fashionista simply nods, taking a sip of her drink as she looks me up and down. “Adagio. It’s um… a pleasure,” she says slowly, holding her hand out to me as a sign of kindness. Despite my urge to ignore her gesture, I know that I want to get to know every one of Sunset’s friends and resolve my differences with them. Taking her hand in my own, I shake slightly, a smile coming to my face. “It’s nice to meet you again, Rarity~” I say as kindly as I can, hopeful that maybe I can get Rarity to meet the new me. Maybe we could even become friends… “I brought Rarity along because I thought it would be nice for us to hang out together~” Rainbow cheerfully says, giving me a thumbs up. “Well, that and she wanted to see you again.” “Oh? Really?” I ask slowly, my eyes looking at Rarity as a small blush comes over the fashionista. “W-well, of course. Sunset keeps telling me of… your new side and I figured I could be more inviting to Sunset’s girlfriend, despite past occurrences.” Rarity, bringing a hand to her face, takes a deep breath in and looks around herself. “Besides, it is quite hypocritical of me if I don’t at least try, right?” she asks me, locking her eyes with mine with a small smile coming to her lips. Nodding slightly, I return the smile and chuckle to myself, covering my mouth with my hand. “Thanks~ I hope I can impress,” I say happily, taking a bite of my caramel apple. Rarity nods to my statement and chuckles slightly to herself. “I’m sure you will, darling~” “Come on! The parade is about to start!” Rainbow states as she grabs both of our hands, surely tired of the reunion. She does seem to love more fun things than emotional moments. Wait. What the hell is a parade…?
White Lies and Solemn TruthsAuthor's Note Spending time with Twilight isn't as easy as it first seemed. Even though making her first impression with the science whiz is one of her top priorities, Adagio has a lot on her mind. The Apple Family reunion is only a couple days away and her mind is still making her doubt herself. How will a siren deal with the stress of it all? Maybe with the help of a friend and some manicures~ DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off. AN: I told you all that the last chapter was only a small update before my next big chapter~ And here it is! This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written so far, clocking in at 22 and a half pages with 14.3k words~ Please excuse any typos or weird sentences since this was all made in the span of four days without my beta reader, but I will go back and revise when possible~ I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter and I hope you all stay safe and special! Goodnight, everyone~ White Lies and Solemn Truths Chapter XIV: White Lies and Solemn Truths An awkward silence follows my exclamation with all eyes locked on me, including the dog’s. My confused expression stays locked on my face for far too long as I try and process what just happened. We’re not in Equestria… Animals shouldn’t be able to talk here, right? I mean, some magic leaked through, but a whole talking dog? “Um… Is something wrong?” Words can easily be heard once again as the dog’s mouth moves, making me question whether or not I’m dreaming… If I am dreaming, why would I dream of this place…? I usually imagine Sunset and I cuddling on the couch as we watch a movie, nothing else being important in the moment. “Did… that dog just talk?” I ask slowly without taking my eyes away from the dog, both Twilight and Sunset looking to each other to assess the situation. “Please tell me I’m not hallucinating again.” For a moment, everyone stays quiet in an awkward staring contest, but then Sunset laughs out loud to herself, sitting down on a chair nearby to prevent herself from falling down. “Wait, you didn’t know that Spike could talk?” Sunset barely asks through her laughs, struggling to breathe. Even though I find Sunset’s laughs adorable, I can’t help but feel a little irritated that knowledge like this is apparently so well known yet I wasn’t in the loop of it. “I thought you kept tabs on all of us back when we were in school. Especially since you seemed to do an eerie amount of research on me,” Sunset states after coming down from her laugh, still giggling slightly while she wipes a tear from her eye. “I did research and kept my eye on you, but I was never aware Twilight’s dog could talk! And are you telling me the other Twilight had a talking dog too?” “I do have a name, you know,” the dog states with a slight roll of his eyes before looking up at me. “I couldn’t always talk, but Fluttershy helped me learn how to,” Spike tells me with a happy look on his face, seemingly proud of his ability over other dogs. “How… in the hell did Fluttershy help you learn how to talk?” My question is now aimed at Spike himself, the first time I’m actually willingly talking to him or any dog for that matter. “That’s a… long story,” Twilight says with a sheepish look coming across her face, picking up Spike afterward. “No, it’s not. I simply jumped through five portals chasing that rabbit thing and here we are,” Spike once again states with a proud look, causing Twilight to look at him with an annoyed glare and giving me a hundred more questions to ask… Before I can open my mouth, however, Sunset stands up and walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder and making me look into her ocean eyes. Her finger gently presses against my cheek and a small smile appears on her face, a slight shadow is cast upon her face since the light is behind her, yet her eyes remain as vibrant as ever. It’s still hard to not get lost in them… “Long story short, Twilight from Equestria had a talking dog since Spike was a dragon in Equestria. Spike the dog encountered magic and he can talk too. Somehow,” Sunset tells me quietly, explaining the situation as briefly as she can. For a moment, even she looks like she doesn’t completely understand the logistics behind it, making her seem even cuter. A small urge in my mind tells me to keep our eye contact for a while longer, my mind wanting to hug her once more, but I direct my attention to Twilight quickly. Right now isn’t the time to get romantic. “If Spike can talk, why haven’t you taken his blood?” I ask the scientist with a raised eyebrow, feeling conned into this blood donation. “Well, I actually did… His DNA has been altered slightly, but it’s not nearly to the extent of Sunset’s blood. It’s so miniscule that it’s hard to even determine if he’s an accurate portrayal of how Equestrian creatures would be here. Since Sunset is only one specimen as well, it makes it difficult to come to any conclusion about the entire Equestrian populace when it could just be unique to her.” Twilight’s expression switches to a nervous one as she looks at the file on the table next to her, confirming the results she just relayed to me. “Anyway, sorry Spike gave you a little scare, but I hope you two can get comfortable around each other over time~” Putting the dog back on the ground, Twilight reaches back for the syringe and inspects it for a moment before coming closer to me. “It’ll just be a little prick, so any pain you feel will be gone within a second or two~” As Twilight tells me this, Spike mouths the exact same words, seemingly giggling quietly to himself. I guess he’s come to expect what nerdy Twilight will say after a while of being around her. “Don’t worry, I experienced it myself and it’s not that bad,” Spike tells me after he gets done giggling at Twilight, walking back over to his bed. Sunset, on the other hand, remains in front of me, grabbing my hand and crouching down, making me look down at her instead. “What are you doing…?” I ask in a quiet voice, raising my eyebrow at the orange girl who always finds a way to be random yet lovable at the same time. “Keeping you calm~” Sunset whispers without removing her eyes from mine, her smile getting a little bigger. “You think I’m worried about a small syringe?” I ask her with a small laugh. I have to admit it though. It’s hard to look away from her… “No, but I usually get nervous at needles, so I just want to be here for you~” A bit of irony can be found from her statement… A few days ago, I found her in our room with a… knife… but here she is telling me she’s nervous about needles. I guess that it doesn’t make sense in a way. Overall, I just hope that she… doesn’t feel like that again. Rubbing my thumb across her hand, I feel her soft skin and adopt a smile of my own, bringing my lips down to her forehead slowly. Even though Twilight is still here, I don’t seem to care… I’m able to withhold myself from saying some pretty… embarrassing things, but a kiss shouldn’t hurt. “Relax, Shimmer~ I’ve handled worse things than a needle. I think this siren can deal with something as miniscule as-” “Done~” Twilight interrupts me with a happy expression, looking at the syringe intently before she directs her attention to me. “Thank you so much for the sample~ I believe it’ll really help with my research,” she tells me before quickly bringing the syringe to a freezer located in the very back of the room. Huh… I didn’t even feel a prick. I guess it does help to direct my attention to the summer mist known as my girlfriend. “What were you saying, darling?” Sunset asks me with curious eyes, her hand not letting go of my own. Darling… It almost feels weird for her to say that since she usually calls me an alligator at this point. It’s not that I dislike it, but I guess pet names in general are sorta new to me. Especially with Sunset. “Forget about it,” I whisper with my own chuckle, standing up from my seated position with Sunset. I was trying to be cocky and boast about myself for a moment, but I suppose it can wait until later. “Anyway, is this all we’re going to be doing today? Doing science stuff? I’m feeling a little bored personally,” I state in a teasing tone, stretching my arms with a pretend yawn. “Do you like running around? We could chase squirrels together or go find buried treasure~” Spike pitches in with an excited look, wagging his tail slightly. “Spike, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to do those sorts of things,” Twilight tells him with a slightly embarrassed look to her face, walking back over to us. “Besides, I only run around in very specific instances, so I would rather relax.” Those instances being if it’s something really important or if it’s for Sunset. Although, Sunset can probably be categorized as something really important too, so I guess there’s only one reason I run. Whereas some people may not think running around in an alligator maze for a certain fiery girl is important, it is to me. “We could watch a movie! Do you two like The Fifth Element or The Sixth Sense?” Twilight excitedly asks us, seemingly hoping for our answer to be yes. “Is that your preferred genre? Science fiction?” I ask in a teasing tone, responding to her question with another. “W-well, yeah, but I also love horror or legal dramas~ If you would rather watch one of those, I’d be fine with that.” Sunset giggles to herself before leaning her head on my shoulder, nudging me a little. “We’ll be okay with The Sixth Sense, won’t we?” Sunset responds to Twilight while also addressing me, urging me to say yes. “Besides, we’ll have time to do multiple things, so we can watch that first~” Even though I don’t know much about either one of those films, I know that the main reason we’re here is for Sunset. She’s been feeling so stressed lately and hanging out with one of her friends has been something she’s wanted to do for a while, so it wouldn’t hurt to do a couple activities they prefer. Of course, it’s also good for me to get to know another one of Sunset’s friends, but the main goal is to help her feel better. “Sure, we can do that~” I tell Twilight with a smile, holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter. “Great! Although, I don’t really have anything to snack on here,” she responds with a look of embarrassment, motioning for us to walk back up the stairs. “I could go get some snacks at the local dollar store if you want? It really won’t take that long.” As Twilight says this, she looks at Spike and gestures for him to follow her, a slightly annoyed sigh coming from the dog. “Fine, but only if we get some dog treats while we’re there,” Spike seemingly responds to Twilight's unspoken request to accompany her to the dollar store, a slight roll of his eyes. “I swear if I have to help carry things again… I only have this small body after all,” Spike grumbles as he follows us up the stairs, Sunset chuckling to his remarks. “Then I suppose Adagio and I will set the movie up while you’re gone~ Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?” Sunset’s question causes Twilight to turn her gaze back to us, a thoughtful expression coming to her. “No, I don’t mind. Just don’t use the dog soap on the left side of the tub~” By the time we make it to the top of the stairs, Twilight grabs a pair of keys hanging from a rack near the front door and gives them to Spike. “Hold these, will you? Just make sure I don’t forget them by the time I come back~” With that, Twilight quickly walks past us and through the living room, presumably going to change from her pajamas into street wear. Sunset’s hand grips my own before she turns her body towards mine, placing her other hand on my shoulder. “I’m going to go take that shower~ Do you mind if you get the movie ready? I should be out soon~” Sunset whispers quietly, looking deep into my eyes. Despite all the time I’ve been with her, it’s hard to object to her when I’d much rather keep seeing those happy smiles. “Sure, I can do that,” I whisper back, winking at her before she starts to walk away from me, giving me a small nod. She mouths the words ‘thank you’ without taking her eyes off of me, walking down a hallway connected to the living room. Spike and I are left standing there, making me feel a little ridiculous for awkwardly keeping this position. The movie… Okay, I can start it up. I just have to find the movie storage. The only problem is that this is the first time I’ve ever been in Twilight’s house. How should I know where her movies would be? Shaking my head, I slowly walk into the center of the living room, looking at the fairly large television that Twilight has set up on the wall with a wooden table with multiple shelves. On these shelves are multiple… electronic devices, but no movie cases nor anything similar to a container for movies. A heavy sigh exits my lips, walking over to the entertainment center and looking around the different devices. Despite my efforts though, nothing seems to be here other than electronics and… dog toys. “Is there a problem?” Spike says through a muffled voice, walking over to me with the keys in his mouth. “Yeah, actually. Where does Twilight keep her movies?” I ask the dog, feeling a little weird talking to an animal in this world… It was common in Equestria for all sorts of creatures to have the ability to talk, but in this world? Not so much… “Movies?” Spike asks in confusion, looking at the entertainment center with a raised eyebrow. Briefly putting the keys down, Spike walks towards the couch, subsequently jumping on it to retrieve a remote. “Twilight doesn’t own a lot of physical copies of movies.” She doesn’t own physical copies…? “Then how does she watch anything?” My question seems to confuse Spike for a moment, bringing the remote over to me with a questioning look in his eyes. “Um… She brings it up on Equestria+. You just click it and navigate to the title,” Spike states as if it’s an obvious concept, putting the remote on the ground and pressing the power button. Within a moment, the TV turns on and a bunch of icons show up on screen as well as the time. Right… Streaming services. What did Sunset call those? Digital libraries? “Uh huh,” I slowly agree with Spike, taking the remote in my hand and trying out some of the buttons, seeing how the icons become highlighted depending on how you press the buttons of the remote. “Is this your first time operating a TV?” Spike asks me with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused at my experimentation. “No, but… every other TV I’ve watched only really had channels. Not streaming services or something like the time.” “Oh, it’s really simple~ Trust me! All you have to do is move around the screen with the arrow buttons and click the icon you’re looking for with the ‘OK’ button. Then you do the same thing until you find the movie you’re looking for~” Spike smiles eagerly and watches me try to do what he tells me, looking for any icon that says Equestria+. “Is it the one with a bunch of rainbows and sparkles?” I ask hesitantly, pointing to the one on the top right of the screen, receiving a big nod as a response. Okay, that’s solved… All I need to do is click on it apparently. Slowly moving the cursor over to the icon, a loud startup noise plays as soon as I select it, making my eyes widen. “It’s a bit loud, huh?” Spike sighs as he shakes his head, seemingly more affected by the noise than I am. “Yeah. But I guess it’s even louder for you. I mean, you’re a dog and all.” Spike laughs out loud to my statement, shaking his head even more to my amusement. “You know what’s funny? Most people don’t really think about it from a dog’s perspective, so we kinda just have to deal with everything you guys do.” Raising his paw towards the TV, Spike’s eyes connect with mine again, a smirk on his muzzle. “Such as loud noises~” Both of us share a small chuckle before looking at the TV again, seeing the loading icon turn around and around. “Although, dogs don’t have to worry about things like bills. Or loading icons in this instance.” “Not necessarily! Most dogs don’t watch TV, but I do~ Whenever Twilight is gone, I usually spend my time watching my favorite shows.” A prideful look comes across his face, seemingly happy that he seems so advanced as compared to his brethren. “What’s a dog’s favorite show then?” I ask with my own smirk, still waiting for the damn loading icon to leave the screen. In an instant, the once prideful dog now dawns an embarrassed expression, looking to the floor. “Um… Uh…” His eyes look around the room for a moment before a heavy breath comes from him, his sigh gently blowing the hairs of his paws. “Promise to not tell this to another soul?” he asks with a serious stare, looking directly into my eyes. “As long as you promise to not tell anyone I didn’t know how to work the TV,” I tease him with a smirk and a small chuckle, prompting Spike to laugh a little bit. “Fine, it’s a deal. I… really like watching Korean dramas in my spare time,” Spike states quietly, his embarrassed look only worsening after this confession. Despite my best efforts, I can’t help but let out a small chuckle to this, Spike’s eyes instantly looking at me again. “Hey! It’s just a guilty pleasure. It’s not like they’re that bad or anything.” “No, no. I wasn’t laughing at that. I just find it funny you found it so embarrassing that you made me promise to not tell anyone.” Trying my best to give him a smile, I slowly stand up and walk over to the couch, sitting down in it. “It’s not that bad~ If anything, it’s one of the tamer things to be embarrassed about. I mean, everyone has some secret things they like.” My statement seems to pique Spike’s interest, causing him to walk over in front of me. “What’s something you like then?” he asks me point blank, staring at me for an answer. Something secret that I like… Most things I like aren’t that secretive and they’re mostly well known by the people who are friends with me. I guess the only thing I can think of are books since they’re usually the thing that keeps me entertained when I have time off. Other than watching television shows, I read books just because they prevent me from getting bored. Besides, there are some really great stories out there… “Books. I guess one embarrassing thing I like is the mystery genre, as cheesy as it can be at times.” Spike nods slowly, a thoughtful look coming to him. “I can’t say I’ve ever read any of those novels, so I don’t know how cheesy they can be, but I will take you at your word~” Spike responds with a smile on his face, but before either of us can say anything more, the sound of a door shutting catches our attention. Twilight swiftly walks into the room, causing Spike to go pick up the keys he had previously left on the floor. “Well, Adagio, I’ll be back soon~ Make yourself at home and feel free to take your shoes off if that would help you feel more comfortable.” Twilight smiles at me with a small nod before walking towards the front door, her faithful canine companion following right behind her. The room brightens a little more as soon as she opens the door, showing how dim she usually keeps her interiors, but this only lasts a few seconds until she closes it right behind her. Stretching out slowly, I grab the remote again and try to locate one of the movies Twilight suggested. Thankfully the loading icon has now disappeared and everything seems to be going correctly. “That was a shit show, now wasn’t it?” a familiar voice whispers in my ear… Each and every word that comes out is said with a condescending tone, making my hairs stand slightly on edge… Even though the light of the TV is enough to light the whole room, a nervous feeling crawls over me once again, despite my blank face. Why do I keep seeing her…? Or hearing her in this case… “Meeting yet another person close to your love… Finding a talking dog and even giving your blood out to this person you’ve never talked to before. You know, you’ve just made it easier to look down on you.” “As I said before, this is my life,” I whisper in response, trying to block my internal feelings and stay calm. “You even helped that shy bitch earlier today. Seriously, what is wrong with you? Wanting to help everyone? Has she rubbed off on you too much?” Her striking voice penetrates my mind further, every whisper feeling like a jab. “What do you do? Watch my every move?” “It’s like you expect me to not watch. Face it, Adagio. I see everything you do and I can’t help but laugh at it.” Looking to my left, the room is much darker than before, but the same red aura surrounds two eyes in the corner as well as a big gem hanging around her neck. It’s tempting to freeze in her presence once more, but I somehow manage to keep my composure, looking directly into her taunting gaze. Surprisingly, her shadow walks towards me without breaking our eye contact once. “What are you doing, Adagio? Seriously. You’re trying to mend relationships with people, keep the love of your life happy all while working on yourself. Why even try?” she asks in a threatening tone, her eyes aimed downward at me for what feels like ages. “Do you expect that everyone will suddenly like you? Maybe you can settle down and have a ‘happy little life?’ Sirens aren’t supposed to live such quiet lives, especially one who had as much potential as you did.” Her eyes carry more hate in them than usual, her stare seemingly looking directly into my mind. “Whether you like it or not, I’ve chosen happiness over power. At least it makes my life feel meaningful at the end of the day.” Looking away from her, I move the cursor on the screen to The Sixth Sense, selecting it easily. “And power didn’t? Can you truly tell me that power didn’t fuel you? Didn't your life feel a little bit good back then?” Stepping in front of me, her shadow puts one of her feet on the coffee table in front of the couch, still looking down at me. For a moment, I contemplate retorting her statement, but the saddest fact is that she’s technically right… “Didn’t think so,” she slowly whispers, walking over to the television and slowly carving her nails into the screen, sparks subsequently jumping off the device. “Also, it seems I was right, huh?” she chuckles in my ear, despite the distance between the two of us. Her laugh always sounds so dreadful, taunting… “What do you mean?” “Don’t act like you don’t know~ That bitch who dared to take our blood said that your dear love wasn’t completely human, even after passing through the portal.” Her eyes look over her shoulder as she engraves lines into the TV, a smile full of mal intent appearing on her face. “She still has a tiny bit of Equestrian DNA to her~ Meaning that you, Adagio Dazzle, the most powerful siren of them all, still have some of your siren genes in you too~” she taunts me in a quiet whisper, her evil tone never fading from her voice. “We don’t know that just yet.” “Oh, come on, Adagio. Don’t tell me ‘Oh, we don’t know that I’m still a siren! There’s still a chance!’” She mocks me, turning around and laughing at the portrayal. “Face it. If your precious girlfriend is still part Equestrian and she was a simple pony on the other side, then there’s hardly any chance you don’t have a tiny bit of siren still left in you~” For a moment, her face goes dull, thinking about her next words by bringing her hand to her chin. “Although, I will admit… You actually took my advice last night and let your emotions fuel your actions.” “Only when it came to finding the stuff that was stolen from Sunset and I,” I whisper, looking away from the shadow, towards my legs. “Untrue. You let your feelings guide you when you could have just left that girl in the wrong part of town.” A small laugh escapes her lips as she looks towards the ceiling, shaking her head in amusement. “Even though you’ve taken my advice, you’re still harboring so much doubt and insecurity. You’re still a long way from being as glorious as you once were.” “In your eyes, the only way I will be good enough is if I return to my former place of power…” Connecting my gaze with hers, I can’t help but sigh, not finding the energy to make some snarky remark or form some angry face. “Maybe, Adagio. Still, the possibility of you being part siren proposes another one~” Leaning down to level our gaze, her evil smirk becomes even more apparent. “It’s possible… that maybe I’m not just some vision in that mind of yours. If your DNA is truly part siren, maybe I’m real, unlike what you’ve been trying to tell yourself. Maybe. Just maybe… your bloodlust isn’t gone, Adagio.” Opening my eyes to look at her again, her shadow is no longer present, the television being the only thing in front of me. Now, I can clearly see the markings she made on the device actually spell out a word… One simple word that has seemed to define my life at this point… Of course she’s trying to make a point. It’s always that way. How can I expect much different? I was cunning, charismatic and calculating… Intelligent… I still am, but I guess my motive has changed at this point. “Power,” I whisper, reading the engraved word easily with a heavy sigh landing on my lips. Every time I’ve imagined her, it’s always to try and get me to grab power by the throat once more, but I’m still not sure why I see her to begin with… Why did she just now start showing up? With another blink of my eyes, the room brightens up again and the word is no longer visible on the TV screen, only showing me the cover of the movie I selected. Honestly, all I can find the will to do is chuckle, unsure what to make of this or what to do about it… That vision only appeared a few days ago, but the reason why is eluding me for now… She was right though. I do desire a ‘happy little life’ with Sunset and her friends. Our friends? Is it too much for me to want to see Sunset’s smile for the rest of my life? Or to be with her and experience life to the fullest? I would hope not. A small smirk comes to my lips as I stand up from the couch, hearing the sound of running water. I know one thing that can help me feel better from that shadow and she just so happens to be the cause of that sound. Twilight shouldn’t take too long, but… she would surely be home after a quick shower, right? Not before or during. I mean, she has a talkative dog that occupies her time and she’s quite a nervous wreck, so we should have some time~ Just enough time, right? Walking away from the couch, I can’t help but smile to myself. I mean, an idea as mischievous as this shouldn’t make me smile, but it’s not like we haven’t done anything like this before. It is just a different shower and all. It would be nice to see Sunset~ Though, I can already imagine the nervous expression on her face. She has a habit of switching from being adventurous and too shy on a dime, so it’s a little funny to me to think of how she would handle something like this~ Walking down the hallway, I slowly open the door with the sounds of water coming from behind it, looking inside carefully. The inside of Twilight’s bathroom is pretty barren, looking like a typical restroom inside anyone’s house, but there were a couple of particular soap containers for both humans and dogs scattered around the sink. Twilight’s shower has a curtain that provides a bit of modesty for the person in there, unlike some bathrooms that have shower doors. The curtain shows me the faint outline of a body, her clothes resting on the hamper next to the sink. A purple towel with twilight’s favorite symbol on it rests near the clothes, which makes me giggle slightly to myself. Walking in slowly, I close the door behind me and smile to myself. “Hey, Sunset?” I call out her name slowly, walking closer to the shower. Instantly, Sunset’s body jumps slightly, her outline seemingly turning towards the curtain. “A-Adagio? What are you doing?” she asks nervously, even though I would think it’s obvious what I’m doing here. Walking closer to the curtain with a slight chuckle, I slowly kick off my shoes and reach for my shorts. “Isn’t it obvious?” I respond with a question of my own, using a teasing tone in my voice. Despite how much she teases me, she’s never ready for me to do the same to her, always dawning a flustered look rather than her usually confident appearance. I wouldn’t doubt it if she’s flustered right now~ “I figured I could use a shower myself. Besides the fact that I miss you~” I state quietly beside the curtain, just loud enough to be heard. “U-um… Wouldn’t it be awkward for both of us to s-shower together in Twilight’s house?” Sunset asks hesitantly, her body’s outline showing her nervousness. “And she will be back soon too, s-so…” “We have more than enough time~” Slowly taking off my jacket, my hands grab the tights I’ve had on for a while, sliding them off my legs with ease. “What would Twilight care that two soulmates take a shower together?” “S-soulmates?” Sunset slowly states, seemingly flustered with my words. Is this the first time I’ve openly said that to her? I could have sworn I said it before. After trying to compose herself, Sunset takes a deep breath right as I pull my shirt off my body. “I-I miss you a lot too, Adagio, but you didn’t think you could wait until we go home or such?” A light chuckle escapes my lips, taking off the last items of clothing I still have on me, briefly inspecting myself in the mirror. “Since we’re going back to Dashie’s home tonight, it doesn’t make much of a difference, now does it? Twilight’s gone and I miss you, so what’s wrong with one small shower together~?” I ask the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, slowly approaching the curtains and gripping the edge with my fingers. “Unless… you really don’t want me to join you,” I say quietly once more, teasing her as best as I can. For a moment, nothing but the sound of water hitting the surface of the tub can be heard, but this silence is only momentary as Sunset’s fingers gently grab my own. “I… Fine, you can come in, you pushy alligator,” Sunset slowly relents, pulling my hand slightly. A big smile appears on my face as I step inside the tub, slipping past the curtain and feeling the much warmer interior of the shower. Instantly, my eyes trace Sunset’s body up and down, reminding me how little I’ve actually seen her like this, but every time I do, her beauty is always unparalleled. If anything, she might be more beautiful as time goes on~ “What?” Sunset asks me with a raised eyebrow, seeing where my attention lies. “Just admiring you~ Is that a crime, Sunset?” I ask in a teasing tone, smirking slightly and closing the distance between us by placing my hands on her hips. A short giggle comes from Sunset as she places her hand on my cheek, shaking her head to my statement. “Well, you’re just as beautiful as ever too, alligator~” Despite the fact I’ve heard all these things from her before, they still make me blush a little too much, even when I’m trying to be the one flirting with her. She has such a way with me that I can’t really resist it. A starry look comes to her eyes, both of us maintaining our gaze into each other’s eyes for as long as we can. Holding her close to me, my body slowly pushes us against the shower wall, acting without my involvement. Her eyes never leave my own for a second, both of us seemingly blushing to this act, but the action itself doesn’t stop… Warm water hits both of our shoulders, but a part of me finds it hard to care as I look deeper into her eyes. The distance between our lips is closed in a second without me even thinking of it, our embrace turning into a passionate one with ease. I feel Sunset’s fingers reach the back of my head, pulling me even further into our embrace than I initially meant to. In moments like these, I can’t help but love every single second of it, wishing these intimate times together could last much longer than they really do. The calm yet passionate way we hold onto each other always makes me feel so much lighter, as if I am living in a dream. The only difference is that this is reality, making me curious as to how I could feel like this… The one feeling I searched for so long is now the one thing flooding my senses. Happiness… Just being this close to such a perfect person and being able to show her my love for her makes me feel so happy. As much as I try to resist it, my hands move on their own, gently sliding over her stomach and reaching her back with ease. Each kiss heightens my own feelings, yet I can’t help but lose the environment to my mind. Why is it so easy to lose myself to her? Everything that makes up my being is given to her and only her. She’s the only person to know me so well and to unlock this cold interior of mine. Maybe it’s because she so easily causes a fire in my heart, making me act uncharacteristically and on impulse. These impulses just so happen to push me so close to her that I can feel her heartbeat through her chest, each exchange of our lips giving us another moment of bliss. Our tongues take turns exchanging the passionate embrace, making me feel so high off the moment. I could never tire of her taste or her scent, the feel of her soft skin permeating itself in my mind. I can’t help but love her, the person who helped me realize what life can really be. Every part of her is perfect, no matter what she may think of herself. Kissing her as passionately as I can, I slowly move my hands past her hips on impulse, feeling her skin on the way down. Suddenly, Sunset’s hands grab my wrists, breaking away from our kiss with a heavy breath. After what felt like forever, we finally connect our gaze again, her eyes full of love and conflict at the same time. Even though the water is hitting most of our skin, I can’t help but notice the amount of sweat that’s appeared on both of us. Despite this, I can’t help but wish for the moment to continue for a little while longer, wishing for just one more kiss. “We should really f-finish our shower~” Sunset whispers with a wink, pulling my hands off her body slowly. “Twilight will be home any second, so we should be ready to hang out with her, don’t you think?” I can’t help but dawn an expression of guilt, realizing just how far we got into the moment because of my own greed. Although, it did feel… really nice. I… hope she felt all of that too. She had to, right? Gently, her finger presses against my chin with a smirk coming to her face. “Thanks for that, though~ It felt really nice, getting a reminder~” Gently, her lips press against mine one more time, a final kiss before our time with Twilight. “It felt really nice for me too,” I whisper to her, slowly grabbing the soap. She’s right. We do need to hurry up. Just spending time with her in general is lovely, but a part of me hopes that we can do that again soon~ =========================================================== “Wait! That’s how the movie ends?!” I exclaim, looking towards the TV screen. My shocked expression seems to give Twilight and Sunset a bit of amusement as their giggles fill the air. Looking to Sunset, I aim my hand at the screen with a bit of confusion in my expression. “Did you two already see this or am I weird for being surprised?” Once again, the girl who has brought so many warm smiles to my life bursts out into laughter, slowly getting up from the couch to hug me and struggling to hold any of her giggles in. “Your surprise is so cute, Adagio~ And yes, we have seen the movie before, but it’s still fun to see your reaction,” Sunset barely mumbles through her laughs, holding onto me to avoid falling over. Twilight also giggles a little harder, but not nearly to the state that Sunset has. Reactions can be… amusing. Especially if they belong to Sunset, giving me the cutest exclamations whenever she sees something for the first time, so I guess I can somewhat understand the point of view the two of them share. Shaking my head slightly, I sit back down on the couch and roll my eyes, despite the smile on my face. “I’ll admit that it was a good movie,” I slowly state, reaching my hand into a bowl of chips that Twilight had left on the coffee table. Unsurprisingly, this bowl is almost empty due to all of us eating from it throughout the movie. Before I can think of anything else to say about the piece of media, Twilight stands up from her seat and walks over to the entertainment center, slightly humming to herself. “I’m really glad you two came over~ It’s nice to smile with some good company every now and again,” she tells us without looking back, still messing with something. Sunset giggles slightly to Twilight’s statement, holding my hand and leaning her head against my shoulder. “I’m surprised you could even have us over to begin with~ The last time we talked extensively, you and Timber were inseparable.” Who is Timber? And when was the last time the two of them caught up with each other…? “Oh, yeah…” A nervous chuckle comes from the dark-haired girl, adjusting her glasses while she still concentrates on some device. “Timber and I are… taking a break for now. Just a small one,” she whispers in response, seemingly feeling awkward about the ordeal as a whole. Since Sunset is the first person I’ve ever dated, I can’t say I’ve ever had a break from someone before, but I can somewhat understand how something like that may hurt or cause some form of heartache. “Oh?” Sunset hesitantly lets out, letting go of my hand and walking over to Twilight quickly. Putting her hand on the purple girl, Sunset crouches down next to her and gives her a kind smile, trying to comfort her. “Did something happen…?” “Nothing particularly bad,” Twilight lets out, not returning Sunset’s gaze for a long while. “Timber just said that he felt we needed a little more space for the foreseeable future… Which is understandable. I kinda asked to hang out with him whenever I could, so I guess he just got a little tired.” Twilight’s head tilts downward for a second, but she refuses to let herself droop any longer than necessary, refocusing her attention back to the entertainment center. Without a moment of hesitation, Sunset hugs her friend in an attempt to make the both of them feel slightly better about the situation. Honestly, I’m unsure what to say or do since I’ve never dealt with something like this before personally… I mean, wouldn’t it be a little weird to go up to her and say that I feel sorry for her predicament? Standing up slowly, I watch Twilight mess around with one of the devices, despite her conversation with Sunset. “Hey, at least it’s just a break. There’s no guarantee something will go wrong or he doesn’t want to talk to you again,” I somehow say even though I am finding it extremely hard to find the right words. Both of them look towards me as I walk to Twilight’s other side, sitting down on the ground with a slow sigh. “I mean, Sunny and I here have already taken a couple breaks ourselves. Mostly because of work stress and busy schedules, but you’ve seen how much this unicorn loves me.” That was a bold-faced lie. Sunset and I haven’t taken a break yet at all. We’ve been going slow with our relationship and I think we both enjoy the pace we’ve set, but I suppose I lied because I wanted to give Twilight some sort of hope… Me, a siren, wanting to give hope to someone. It’s a weird world I live in. Despite the initial confusion on Sunset’s face, Twilight’s eyes lock on me and a hopeful smile comes to her. “Really?” she slowly asks, looking between the two of us to confirm my story. “I never suspected that you two would have relationship trouble since it seems like your relationship is so… nice~” Even though I lied about Sunset and I having breaks in our relationship, we have had our fair share of trouble, so it’s not exactly a lie to say we can understand the amount of work it takes to keep things going. “Yeah, you wouldn’t realize how much this alligator and I struggled during some of my finals in April~” Sunset pitches in, adding to my story with a slight wink while the purple girl wasn’t looking. Something already tells me that Twilight is the type of girl to strive for perfection, not even realizing how she’s allowed to mess up or have troubles within her social life. Hell, Sunset’s social life with her friends has practically been nothing but troubles ever since Valentine’s Day. Well, that’s more of my fault… “Thanks, gals~ It… really does make me feel better.” A smile appears on her face as she sighs quietly, seemingly feeling a little relieved. “Maybe… Maybe Timber and I can make it~” Before Sunset and I can say anything more, Twilight finally presses a power switch to the device she’s been setting up, an audible beep being heard for a moment. Prompting us to stand up, she hands both of us a controller with a smile. “But let’s forget about that for now~ Want to play a game?” A game…? Looking down at the video game controller in my hand, it suddenly dawns on me what the device she was working on was, making me feel a little stupid for a moment. For that and the fact that I’ve never really played video games before… The most experience I have is in the form of arcade games… “Sure~ What type of games do you have?” Sunset cheerfully agrees, an excited look coming to her. I knew Sunset liked playing games, but I didn’t know she was experienced with video games. And did my summer mist just agree on my behalf to play on a device I know nothing about…? I might as well be a bug waiting to be stomped by the two of them… “You can look through my game collection on the console and pick something out~ I have to go get Spike. He loves watching video games and even trying to play some~ Though he’s not very good at it,” Twilight tells us with a slight chuckle, quickly changing the TV’s screen to show the console’s home menu. Something tells me that I’m about to get my ass beat… ====================================================== Perhaps I let my experience at the arcade tint my viewpoint. I thought when we picked a racing game that it would be just as easy as the arcade game, but the truth of the matter is that it posed a harder challenge than almost any other game I’ve played. Well, other than the game of love… Sure, the bots were a driving force of my failure, but the biggest problem was the other two girls with controllers. Turns out, they were pretty good, but they loved shunting my car whenever they had the chance. They also hurt each other’s cars, but it sure seemed like they I kept getting beat up on. Bots and players alike… We also played other titles like fighting games and platformers, but most of the time I had a controller, I ended up falling off a high surface and dying from fall damage. Spike usually tried to take over for me, but since he lacked thumbs or fingers, he played at a relatively same level as me. All in all, I still think that we all had a good time, especially since Sunset smiled so much in our small amount of time with Twilight. I’m glad that she can have a good time~ Hopefully, she can have a good time with all of her friends at the Apple Family reunion. From time to time, it still… makes me feel sad that I caused all of this. Being her friend caused all of them to argue and they still haven’t all talked as friends again. A small sigh leaves my lips before I take a sip from my cup of water, closing my eyes. I’ve made some progress apologizing to all of Sunset’s friends, but I still have a few I need to ‘become friends with.’ One of them I haven’t even met yet… I would have gone to see Pinkie Pie earlier in the week, but with everything that’s happened recently, I didn’t have the time. Well, I guess I also dread the meeting since I’m… not sure how she will react… “Is everything alright?” Twilight asks me with a curious tone to her voice, finishing her task of washing the dishes. It’s almost a shame. The sound of running water facilitated a lot of my deeper thoughts easily. Sunset herself isn’t anywhere to be seen… She just told us that she would be right back and ran out the front door, leaving us to the quiet abode that Twilight calls home. “It’s nothing. Just thoughts,” I tell her in a quiet voice, drinking from my water again. To be honest, a part of my mind still feels insecure and not confident in my choice of dating Sunset. If I wasn’t here, her whole social circle wouldn’t be a mess right now, but I guess that means I have to try and fix it. Wiping her hands on a hand towel next to the sink, Twilight walks over to the table and smiles at me before sitting down. Fiddling around with her own hands, the purple girl seems like she’s trying to think of what to say, unsure what may be appropriate. She seems like an awkward girl, but I know she means the best at this point. “Are these thoughts of yours dealing with something embarrassing? Or something you would rather forget?” she asks me, locking her gaze with mine easily. “I suppose… It’s something like that.” Looking down at the tablecloth, I can’t help but sigh once more, letting myself think for just a second. “Do you remember Valentine’s Day? Earlier this year?” My question causes Twilight to look at me curiously, nodding slowly as a response. “Yeah, I do. It was… Well, it wasn’t great. What about it?” she asks me with a cautious tone to her voice, wondering what I’m thinking. “When you and your friends were at Garden Hooves Park, I was nearby and I heard most of what happened.” Instantly, Twilight’s eyes widen and a nervous expression comes to her, the right words avoiding her thoughts. “I’m grateful you wanted to give me the benefit of a doubt, so don’t think I’m mad or anything. I just sometimes… regret getting involved in Sunset’s life. It seems like I caused it all to happen.” “Don’t try to think like that~ You’ve meant a great deal to Sunset’s life so far~ She told me about her feelings for you on Valentine’s Day, actually~” Grabbing my hand slowly, Twilight smiles as sincerely as she can, seemingly thinking of what to say. “It’s just… some of us have too much pride to apologize, but everyone is invited to the Apple Family reunion, so I guess that’s Applejack’s attempt to make things right~” “Yeah, but I suppose we just have to wait and see how it goes… Especially since I’ll be there and all.” It’s hard for me to not expect another fight over me. I tend to cause bad things to happen, but I do hope it goes alright… “Either way, I was just saying that I sometimes can’t help but think that. Sunset means a lot to me too, so I’m still glad I’m in her life, but things would be a lot simpler if I wasn’t here. Or if my past wasn’t so… well, bad.” Both of us go silent for a moment, nothing but the sound of a clock ticking away the seconds fills the air between us. “Yeah…” Twilight takes a deep breath and looks down at her lap with a small sigh, shaking her head. “Things would be a lot simpler if the past was different. Sunset told you how I turned into a she-demon at the Friendship Games, right?” she asks me slowly, connecting our eyes once again. “She told me bits and pieces, yeah. Though, Sunset also told me everyone forgave you a lot faster than her. Or me…” A nervous expression comes to Twilight, her finger slowly twirling a strand of her hair. “Maybe it’s because the school had experience with you two before?” A small laugh exits my lips, prompting Twilight to chuckle along nervously, unsure of why her statement is funny to me. “Yeah, I suppose that could be the cause. The past can really mess things up, can’t it?” Twilight nods with a small chuckle, both of us looking at each other for a moment. Twilight’s mouth opens to say something, but before the words leave her mouth, the sound of the front door opening can be heard. Both of us look towards the opening of the kitchen in curiosity, a small smile coming to my face. Quickly walking through the doorway with a pant, Sunset places a plastic bag on the counter, smiling when she sees us. “I’m back~” she says with a happy tone to her voice, humming as she reaches inside the bag. “As a thank you for the nice evening…” Pulling out a plastic container from the bag, her eyes light up as she shows us the thing she had so eagerly bought. “I got some cupcakes~” A quizzical look comes to Twilight’s face, her eyes staring at the cupcakes in Sunset’s hands. “Oh, you really didn’t have to~ It was fun for me too.” “Well, I did~ Besides, I don’t know which pocket I stuffed the receipt in, so we’re going to have to eat this~” Sunset happily hums, her warm smile ever present on her face. Her kindness and determination always makes a room feel so much brighter, even if she isn’t meaning it. It’s impossible for me to not love her at this point. Why does she have to be so cute? ======================================================= The last lights of the day color the horizon and the sky above us, showing just how long we had stayed at Twilight’s house. I don’t think it was either of our intentions to be there for so long, but as long as Sunset had fun, I’m okay with it. The usually crowded sidewalks of the city are now much quieter, leaving the sound of the wind and some birds to accompany our walk home. Well, our walk back to Rainbow Dash’s house, that is… I don’t like relying on Rainbow’s hospitality, but I’m glad she’s willing to help us. Her parents are pretty nice too, but they do seem to idolize their daughter a lot, evident by the hundreds of pictures of her everywhere. I didn’t tell Apple Bloom about the break-in simply because she had other things to talk about… Besides, it would only make her worry about me and she doesn’t need to do that. Sunset sighs happily, holding my hand a bit tighter as she rests her head on my shoulder. It seems that she enjoys our walk as much as I do, despite the distance we have to travel. “What’s on your mind, alligator?” she asks me quietly, both of us keeping our pace at a constant speed. Due to the lack of people on the streets at this point of the day, it almost feels like the two of us have some form of privacy, as small as it is. “I was just thinking about today, honestly. And Apple Bloom.” A melancholy breath leaves my lips as I try to smile, thinking about the upcoming few days. “Oh? Is there something wrong with Apple Bloom?” Her expression turns from confusion to worry, her eyes connecting with mine to try and get some sort of answer. “No, I don’t think so. I was just thinking about the stories she tells me. And the fact that she made me promise to spend some time with her during the reunion.” A light laugh comes from the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, finding amusement in my words and removing any worry from her face. Raising my eyebrow, I can’t help but find her giggles cute. “What’s so funny?” “Well, isn’t that obvious~? You decided to become friends with her, so I think spending time with her is unavoidable~” “First, I didn’t decide to become friends with her. She just sorta… stuck around. And second, I wouldn’t actually try to avoid spending time with her, but I am sorta wondering how I will be dividing up my time during that day.” Sunset easily chuckles to my statement again, holding onto me tighter. “Oh, Adagio~ It wasn’t so long ago that you didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings, but now, you’re struggling to think about being fair with your time~” My heart flutters slightly to the sensation of Sunset’s lips pressed against my cheek, making me flustered far too easily for my own good. I thought I would be used to a simple kiss by now, but even holding hands with Sunset never fails to make me really happy. “You could avoid spending time with me if that would help you solve your dilemma?” “Hell no,” I quietly respond to her question, shaking my head for added effect. “I’ll find some way to spend time with everyone. Even you, my summer mist~” Whispering right next to her ear, I slowly lay my lips on her cheek, giving her a nervous giggle. Her cute blush returns, playfully punching my shoulder with a shake of your head. “You know, you were really bold back there~” Sunset whispers, winking to me as she refers to our little shower together. “What? Is it wrong to be bold with the woman I love?” “No, not at all~ I actually liked it, but you couldn’t have waited until later?” Sunset laughs to her own words, letting go of my hand to walk a few steps in front of me. “Maybe you still are a siren, huh~?” Sunset whispers with a giggle, seemingly having fun with the idea that I may still be able to use magic to attract others… As much as I sometimes miss my magic, the thought of still being… her… is scary to me. Lustful for power itself without regard to the individuals I step on to get it. I mean, I’ve tried so hard to change, so the thought I’m still her deep down is terrifying… Her dark eyes, that evil smile… I already lost two of the closest people to me from that drive for power. The thought of losing Sunset to that as well is… depressing… I guess that’s why I’m afraid to sing again… I lost what was closest to me when I sang my heart out last time. If I sing again… “Alligator?” Sunset’s voice asks hesitantly, finally noticing her eyes looking at me with a worried tone in them. “Are you alright?” “Sorry. I just sorta blanked out again. I’m alright though~” I lie to her, taking her hand in mine with a smile and keeping our walk down the sidewalk at a nice pace. The light of the sky is leaving fast, so I’d rather get to bed soon. “If you say so,” Sunset states with a chuckle, leaning her head on my shoulder once more. Her happy sigh once again makes my heart flutter. If I ever lost her, I wouldn’t know what to do… “It was a really nice thing though~ What you did back there for Twilight.” “What do you mean exactly?” My mind searches through the various activities that the three of us did today, trying to find what was the nice thing Sunset is referring to. “When you told her that we had our own breaks~ It was a lie clearly, but sometimes, a white lie can help more than the truth.” I don’t know Twilight that well, but I suppose I just felt like I should try to help her, even if it’s about a relationship problem… I’m not too experienced with relationships, but still. “I just felt like it was the right thing to do, that’s all,” I whisper in response, holding Sunset’s hand a little tighter. “Though, who is this Timber guy?” A small chuckle comes from Sunset as she takes her head off my shoulder, clearing her throat for what sounds like a story. “Well, a while ago, my friends and I went to a place called Camp Everfree…” ============================================================= It’s always a pain when you wake up due to nightmares, rather than the alarm you had specifically set so that you could get the full eight hours of sleep. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern with me the past couple of days… The nightmare I had yesterday was about Sonata and Aria, but tonight’s nightmare was just an endless number of corridors, running from something chasing me. Those kinds of dreams are the ones I hate the most… Not only do they have no rhyme or reason as to why you imagine these scenarios, but you always feel this sense of dread that makes you wake up in a cold sweat, either physically or mentally. Either way, I suppose it’s a gift as well… Sunset doesn’t have to wake up to the alarm I set and she gets to sleep in. Whereas I have to go to work early and miss out on all the comfort I could have if I could just sleep in with her. Though, the thing that breaks my heart the most about early mornings is seeing Sunset’s sleeping body clinging to mine, clearly comfortable with the current situation with a smile on her face. Even though we take turns cuddling in this position, it’s always nice to see Sunset’s smile, no matter how we fall asleep together. Today, Sunset’s head rests on my chest as her arms wrap around my lower torso with one of her legs peacefully resting on top of my thighs. It’s always so cute to see her smiles in her sleep. I’m glad that she can even get sleep recently, given everything that’s happened. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m here next to her that helps her sleep. I don’t know how I would be a sleeping aid, but I know Sunset’s presence has definitely helped me calm down in the past. Even when we were just friends… Hell, there was that one instance where we both slept in the same bed while we were still friends, but I suppose we both were denying the truth at that point. The truth that we both loved each other, despite the fact that we were supposed to just be friends… She loves me… Sometimes, it’s still surprising to think that. Or even wake up to her. Back in Equestria, I didn’t know that loving someone this much was possible unless it was yourself. Now, I wouldn’t wish to wake up anywhere else than her arms. Grabbing my phone slowly, I try to not disturb Sunset before turning off the preset alarm, sighing at the fact that I had five minutes left until it would go off. Almost every part of me tells me to stay in bed and keep cuddling the fiery-haired angel right next to me, but I know I have to go to work… I used almost all of my sick days when I was avoiding Sunset and everyone else after Valentine’s Day, so I can’t really afford to use more of them… Leaning down slowly, I kiss Sunset’s forehead with a smile, trying to be gentle enough that I don’t stir her. “Have a good day, beautiful,” I whisper before slowly pulling away from Sunset’s embrace, already missing the warmth that she provided. Her peaceful smile slowly fades once I leave the bed, making my heart ache slightly… When was the last time I had a long weekend to myself? It’d be nice to surprise Sunset with some days inside, just to take time for ourselves and avoid work and school. But life still goes on… At least I’ll be able to see her tonight. “I love you,” I mouth the words with a hesitant smile before I fully grab my pajama pants, walking towards the guest room door. A part of me is still surprised that Sunset and I are actually in this situation. That we actually love each other and such… It’s like a dream. Shutting the door as quietly as I can, I walk outside into the kitchen, seeing Rainbow Dash sitting at the dining room table. The dim lights of dawn barely illuminate the curtains behind her, yet it’s still visible that her eyes seem bloodshot. Did she get any sleep last night…? More importantly, her eyes are trained on a small antibiotic bottle on the table. It’s not the kind that holds pills though. Instead, it looks like one of the medicines that is in a liquid form, making me raise my eyebrow. Turning on the light to the kitchen, Rainbow’s attention instantly diverts from the bottle to me, a worried expression on her face. “Oh! Hi, Dagi… Sorry, did I wake you?” she asks in her usual raspy voice, though it sounds more tired than usual. Walking over to the fridge and getting a bottle of water, I shake my head before opening the cap, taking a deep sip of the ice cold liquid. “No, you didn’t. My alarm didn’t wake me either. My dreams did a good enough job at that already.” Rainbow Dash chuckles slightly to my statement, shaking her head before she drags her hands across her face. “You can say that again. Dreams often do that to you.” Before I can respond, Dash’s expression turns to one of nervousness as if she didn’t mean to say that. Looking back to me, Rainbow Dash notices my skeptical look and smiles sheepishly. Walking over to the table, the normally excited athlete pulls the medicine bottle towards her, locking her eyes with me after I sit down. “Are you up because of dreams or because you need to take some medicine? I wasn’t aware you needed prescriptions,” I say quietly, taking another sip of my water. Honestly, I don’t know what Rainbow could need medicine for, but the bottle keeps my interest for some strange reason. “Oh no! It’s not a prescription. It’s a um… an anti-cold medicine. I…” Dash’s anxious and nervous behavior puts me off edge for a moment, causing me to raise my eyebrow again. Her demeanor instantly turns to one of frustration as she hits the table with the bottom of her fist, grimacing at whatever thoughts are going on inside her head. “Damn it… I can’t keep doing this…” she whispers under her breath, shaking her head before pressing it against the table. “I’m sorry. I… It’s not a prescription.” Reaching over and grabbing her shoulder slowly, I rub in circles and sigh slowly. “Are you alright, Dash? You can talk to me if something is bothering you.” A slow nod comes from her, sighing out of frustration and exhaustion. “Dagi, have you… ever been pressured to do something? Like so much that it makes you feel like you have no choice?” Pressured? Well, maybe by life when I felt like the only choice I had was to give Sunset a gift to find happiness… But that was a good outcome, so I suppose it’s not necessarily something that fits here. “I suppose it depends… Is this something that is negative in nature?” I ask with a curious tone, looking at Rainbow’s tired expression. “You can say that…” Another tired sigh exits her lips before she connects her eyes with mine again. “It’s just… When you have a certain expectation put on you to win by people you expected were friends of yours, it feels weird when the way you can win is… not great.” Her gaze breaks away from mine, looking at the curtains with a melancholy expression. I had that expectation to win, but the only one who put it there was me… “They keep pestering you to try it and to do it. You keep trying to deny and keep strong to your ideals, but… sooner or later, you break and do what they say. I mean, what other future do you have, right?” A singular tear starts to form in her eyes before she shakes her head, sniffing slightly. “One day, you’re viewed as the best, but the next? You realize you’re just getting older and maybe the path you’ve chosen is not the best fit for you. So, you feel like those ‘friends’ who told you to keep winning have a point.” Getting up from the table, Rainbow Dash paces back and forth, gripping her forehead in an attempt to think. “Does this scenario have anything to do with that?” I ask, pointing to the bottle she left on the table. Without even looking at me, a slow nod comes from her with a couple tears coming out from under her hand. “It’s not a fucking prescription, Dagi… It’s not even legal. It’s something that’s supposed to make you better than any of the competition and… it works.” Her eyes look towards mine with sorrow in them, her face desperately trying to remain composed. “I used to be a top player back at Canterlot High. But now? My teammates keep telling me that I’m not doing well enough and they gave me that… They pressured me so much and told me that I’d be replaced if I didn’t take it.” Walking back towards the table, Rainbow looks down at the bottle with a look of contempt. “So, I did… God, it worked, but it made it so much harder to keep myself from getting annoyed or irritated. It practically forces you to stay awake, even if you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep.” Sniffing quietly, she sits back down and rubs her eyes silently, sighing from the truth she’s letting off her chest. “Worst part is… I don’t even know if I want to keep being an athlete… I picked this because I was so good back in the day and now? I can’t keep it up without using this stupid thing. This thing that makes me depressed and tired, but unable to sleep…” Picking up the bottle, her grimace only increases, a hateful stare coming from her eyes. “These teammates of yours… They don’t sound like real friends if they are making you think things like this.” I can’t help but feel sad for Dash, the friend of mine who is clearly exhausted with her current situation, but there seems to be no escape… Not so long ago, I experienced something similar… “You… haven’t been relying on this, have you? Outside of sports, I mean.” “Hell no!” Rainbow states with a surprised look, locking her eyes with me. “I would have stopped taking it a long time ago, but… I’m just so unsure of my future at this point that it feels like I’ll lose the one path I chose if I do stop…” Putting the bottle back on the table, a hesitant breath is drawn in, sounding like she is about to cry before she pulls herself together once more. “Can I ask you a question, Dash?” I quietly ask, looking straight into her eyes. One thing won’t leave my mind, despite how much I’ve listened to her. After a moment of consideration, the girl in front of me nods, keeping our eye contact for as long as possible. “You know that these teammates aren’t friends. You know this… drug isn’t good for you. You’re clearly miserable and you want some form of help, but you also want to succeed in life and keep going down the path you’ve chosen… Is this the way you want your life to go, Rainbow?” Her magenta eyes widen upon hearing my words, her hands fidgeting quietly. “You strive to impress and appease those around you with your ability to win, but you have to ask yourself whether or not it’s more important for you to stay loyal to yourself and your ideals rather than clearly harming yourself just for one more medal. Just for the praise of fake friends and people who don’t care about you.” Her gaze breaks from mine as a solemn expression crawls across her face, looking down at the bottle right in front of her. “I do want to stop… It’s just… I don’t know what I’m going to do. My grades in high school weren’t the best and I haven’t been accepted to any of the colleges I applied to… The only shot I seem to have is a scholarship in sports.” A frustrated smile appears on her face, looking at me with tearful eyes. “I would pour this bottle in the sink right now, but I don’t know what to do…” “College isn’t everything, Rainbow. Your life isn’t ruined because of a couple bad grades in high school either. I mean, look at me. I have a job without a high school diploma or college education. I’m happy with my girlfriend and I’ve even gotten a couple raises.” Grabbing Rainbow’s hand with a caring smile, I grab the bottle from the table and shake it slightly. “This… is just poisoning your life. You can always change your course. Friends and family can help you apply for different colleges and even boost your resume. You’re not stuck, Dash. You can get out, you just need a little help to be the same awesome girl you were in high school.” Rainbow grabs onto my hand, finally letting her wall break down as tears stream down her face. Pressing her face down on the table, her shoulders shake with each sob she lets out, still trying desperately to stop herself, but that sentiment is broken with every moment I run my thumb across the back of her hand. Even though the morning is quickly approaching, the moment seems to last for much longer than it probably is. Every part of me feels sad for Rainbow Dash, making it hard to see her cry… She’s one of my best friends, despite any of the fights we may have had. Seeing her like this is hard, but I know that the only reason Rainbow Dash stayed out here was because she needed someone. She needed something to hold onto and someone to tell her she’s strong enough to keep going. “Y-you really think I can…? That I-I can still be good enough if I… don’t end up being an athlete?” she’s barely able to mutter through the sniffling and the attempts to choke down her cries. Gently, I hold onto her hand tighter, letting her know I’m still here. “I-I want to still be… awesome…” Being awesome may seem like such a mediocre goal to most people, but that ideal has always been something that has been important to Rainbow Dash. Even when I was her enemy, I could tell she used it to express herself and her self worth. It’s important for her and the very idea of not being awesome in some way makes her feel like she has no worth. It’s something to hold onto. Something to keep her grounded. “Of course, Dash. You can still be awesome if you decide to do something completely different and abandon this path. It’s not too late to find something else you want to do and trust me when I say that you are still awesome. In every way possible. You don’t even need to leave athletics altogether, you just need to find what works for you. All you need to do is take that first step to get away from these toxic influences and it will become easier to decide where to go from there.” Bringing my hand to Rainbow Dash’s chin, I slowly bring her head to my eye level, connecting our gaze with the kindest smile I can make. Slowly, I shake the bottle, attracting her attention. “Want to guess what that first step is?” Bringing her hands to her face, Rainbow Dash’s sobs slowly recede, trying to regain her composure by wiping away the tears and taking deep breaths. Taking the bottle in her own hand, she stands up from the table, walking into the kitchen before connecting her eyes with mine again. “Dumping this out. That’s the first step.” Nodding to her, she quickly takes the cap off and pours the container’s contents into the sink, watching it all go down the drain. She tries so hard to appease others that it leads to conflict within herself. I think the reason why she was sitting out here was because she wanted someone to see her. She didn’t want to lie anymore… That’s the first step. Taking back control and realizing who she is. The awesome Rainbow Dash. =========================================================== Teaching kids isn’t exactly a cake walk. It’s especially hard when some kids are more resistant to learning than others. No matter how many times you try to get them to focus on a certain subject, they just won’t. Teaching a child how to sing is even more frustrating. Not only do I have to make sure they’re paying attention, I also have to critique their singing skills. If I don’t do it carefully, I could kill any drive they have for music to begin with. I also don’t want to make them have a huge ego either. That’s only setting them up for failure if they believe they’re really great when they’re actually just mediocre. So, teaching children how to sing is almost an art of itself. I have to be super careful, strict, yet open enough to adapt to each child’s way of learning, whether it be using analogies about their favorite things or just going off of textbook material. Today, I had to make music notes into analogies with space ships from some sci fi television show so that the kid would actually listen. That’s why it’s especially nice to get off work somedays. I guess I do like teaching sometimes. I get to see potential and how it is transformed as time goes on, but it’s also tiring on days like today. In a way, I suppose my spa day with Rarity and Fluttershy is supposed to get rid of some of my stress, but since I’ve never really been to a spa, it’s a little hard for me to relax. I mean, trusting someone else with my body isn’t really something I would prefer to do, but maybe it will be a worthwhile experience. I’m just not sure what exactly Rarity will want to do. Is this Fluttershy’s idea…? Shaking my head, I grab my phone out of my pocket, finally being able to have time to myself. Instantly, my fingers navigate to the contacts section to find Rarity’s phone number, but I can only seem to hesitate to click on her number… A part of me knows exactly who I should call… The contact is right there. It wouldn’t hurt to call and see how things are going, right? Then I can call Rarity right after. A small sigh leaves my mouth before I click on the phone number right under Rarity’s, bringing the phone to my ear. The ringing can be heard for what feels like forever, causing me to roll my eyes as I walk. Come on… How long does it really take for you to pick up a phone call? The annoying tone finally comes to a stop as a masculine voice clears his throat before speaking into the phone. “Filthy Rich speaking. May I ask who it is I am speaking to?” he says in an all too formal tone, causing me to chuckle slightly to myself. “Seriously? You don’t have my number marked down by now? I gave you it yesterday so that you could contact me,” I say with a slight annoyance in my voice. “Dazzle. How did I know it would be you?” His question is fueled with a bit of frustration, but he keeps his composure nonetheless. “What do you need now?” “You act like all I do is need things from you, Rich. You should know me better than that,” I remark with a chuckle, bringing my hand up to my chest as if he could see me. “I also know that you don’t just want to chat with me. What do you want? I’m quite busy today.” Even though it’s sometimes fun to mess with Rich, I am also relying on him at this point, so I don’t really feel like pushing his buttons too much. “I had some free time today and I wanted to see if you have had any leads on my stolen possessions. You know, the list I gave you?” A slight groan can be heard from the other side of the call, giving me the answer without saying any words. “I said I would help you find them, but you can’t expect me to do this in just one day. Looking throughout the city is harder than you might think.” “Come on, Rich. Cut the bullshit. We both know that the longer those items are out there, the more likely it will be that we can’t get them back. Some of that stuff is replaceable, but some of it isn’t.” My tone that was once humorous is now replaced with one of anger, still feeling that all too familiar rage… I don’t want to let these possessions go. For her sake… “And that’s why you came to me instead of the police. You know that I’m the only man who can do this. Have some faith, Dazzle.” A slight chuckle comes from his end of the call, despite his busy tone just a few moments before. Before I can respond, the sound of a door closing can be heard, a heavy breath coming to Rich. “I know I can rely on you, Dazzle. Do the same for me. As long as you complete your end of the bargain, I will find your possessions. You can count that as a promise.” His voice sounds taunting and teasing at the same time, clearly his way of trying to toy with me, but he does have a point… “You know I will.” =============================================================== The spa is a lot different than I thought it would be. The smell of scented soaps fills the air and it feels… clean. Inviting and warm. Maybe that’s why so many people love going here. Though, the thought of Fluttershy enjoying this environment is both strange and fitting at the same time. On one hand, Fluttershy deals with animals all the time and doesn’t see anything wrong with them or how often they can stink. On the other hand, I can totally see someone as shy and introverted as her enjoying a relaxing environment like this. Looking at all the services the spa offers, a part of me feels a bit intimidated at the vast amount of options one can choose. There are so many specials, combos, and deals that partner up different treatments that it makes you feel a bit odd when it comes to actually deciding what to buy. Such a daunting task would usually make me study the options a bit more carefully to make an intelligent choice, but Rarity knows this place a lot better than I do, so I figure she will decide what to buy. Since I’m treating them, I’m just going along for the ride… Which is actually pretty embarrassing since I’m not using my own money to buy this… I had to borrow some from Sunset simply because of the expenses I’ve already made within this month. I’ll pay her back when I can, but it’s still embarrassing nonetheless… One thing that caught my eye on the list of deals is something with a very peculiar title. “The Rarity Treat,” I whisper to myself, shaking my head with a smile on my face. It seems that Rarity is not just a regular here. Either that or the spa has a very coincidental title. Before I can ponder any longer on the title, a girl with blue skin and pink hair walks up to me with a clipboard. “Are we still waiting for others?” she asks me with a small accent, one I can’t seem to place. Looking at the clock on the wall, I can’t help but sigh, wondering where they are… “Yeah. They should be here any mi-” “Hello~!” A loud and happy voice exclaims throughout the lobby, causing both of us to look in that direction. The woman with skin as pale as snow walks closer to us with her arms outstretched, wearing a big hat with round, bedazzled sunglasses. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, Rarity gently hugs the spa worker with a big smile on her face. Right behind Rarity is the shy girl I’ve gotten to know over the past couple of days, giving me a small wave. “How are you, Blossom dearie?” Rarity asks the blue girl with a happy tone to her voice as if she was greeting a friend she hadn’t seen in a long time. “Ms. Rarity~ It’s so nice to see you and Fluttershy here again. It’s been so long that we were starting to worry~” The spa worker responds with an almost equal level of enthusiasm. “Oh, don’t lie to me, Blossom~” Rarity states before she laughs, sharing a chuckle with the girl before she looks at me. “Oh! Blossom, meet my friend, Adagio Dazzle~ She will be joining us this evening~” “Ah, so you two were the ones she was waiting on~ Should I assume she will be joining the rest of your treatments?” she asks in a teasing way, looking at me with a smile. Despite using pronouns to refer to me in the third person, the question feels like it’s more directed at me, making me feel a bit awkward. “Well, that will depend on… how this goes,” I tell her as I shake her hand, trying to get rid of any embarrassment I may have left. Gently, a hand from behind me rubs my shoulder. “Oh, um… Don’t worry~ It’ll be great~” Fluttershy reassures me with her soft spoken voice, smiling at me as kindly as she can. Even though this is technically a relaxing atmosphere and I’ve been given comforting words, a small part of me is still worried about letting someone else do things to my body… I’m sure it will be fine. Probably…
