Author'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…

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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~”

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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.”