The world is full of pathological liars. It’s embedded within mankind’s DNA, it seems. No matter how hard you try to get away from it, it is always there. People wanting to live a happy and honest life are always screwed out of the good that can come from life, all because they’re too kind to step on others as well. Despite the fact that the world is filled with people who would sooner kill your pet than show you a decent day’s kindness, there are some who still find a way to be happy with this odd and terrible life. I mean, given, who am I to judge? If these people decide they want to be screwed out of the good things, let them have it, right? Maybe it’s my own viewpoint that causes me to say this, but the do-gooders of the world sort of deserve what’s coming to them. After all, I am one of those liars…
I was always striving for success when I was younger. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was the best of them all and I got to do just that. Almost… In the culture I grew up in, we were taught to be dominating in nature, but I took that a step further. I never showed mercy. I never showed compassion or empathy. I was made to rule the world and I will show the gods if I have to. Hell, I would be one of those gods if it was the last thing I do… Funny thing is that it was one of the last things I did. I got to taste true power one more time after being banished and just as soon as I got it, it was taken away from me. The world did me wrong and if I had just some better circumstances, I would have done it.
I guess I keep… hating on myself. Calling myself evil and… Either way, I can’t help but view the ‘good’ people in life as a bunch of suck ups… As much as their lives are tortured, they still find the good in it, despite everything, whereas I’m stuck in a hole. Ever since I lost my magic, life has just seemed depressing and tiring… Nothing seems to fill the void in my life where power used to be. Not my sisters, not any sort of hobby… Almost nothing fills that void…
It's odd, thinking about it… Just a few months ago, my enemy contacted me again, asking to have a chat over some coffee. Why would I ever accept that proposal? I mean, here I am, the leader of the sirens and she expected me to stoop so low as to have coffee with her? The worst part about it is that her offer intrigued me… I spent so much time in this hole of hatred and loathing for the world that when she offered to give me a new point of view of the world, my mind was intrigued. If I knew it would lead to this messy situation, maybe I wouldn’t have accepted it so easily. Sunset Shimmer… She always has a way with words and some… unique charm about her. Maybe that’s why I agreed to have coffee with her that day… What awaited me wasn’t something I expected, though. She ended up treating me with... kindness. She treated me like I did matter, despite what I did at Canterlot High. She gave me the benefit of a doubt and told me that I deserved happiness too. I mean, what the hell is happiness? It had been so long that I didn’t believe I could be happy anymore. I still remember what we had… She had a black coffee with a sundae as her dessert. She even bought me a coffee with a dessert as well. I hadn’t tried anything they offered at the shop before, but I ended up settling on a cherry cheesecake. I know I like cherries, so I figured it would be a safe bet.
Turns out that I was right. It was the best food I had since… ever? At least since Equestria. That damn coffee shop. That’s where Sunset treated me like a person, something I appreciated, even if I didn’t show it. I guess that’s where our friendship began… My rivalry with this girl turned into a friendship… One I never expected to like at all. It almost made me hate her even more, being able to cater such feelings inside my heart.
Sunset was able to… inspire feelings inside me. She was able to let me believe that life had a ton of surprises in store, whether we could see them coming or not. Becoming her friend was one of the best things I have done since losing my magic, since it gave me a sense of purpose. Finding some way to make her smile each weekend. Those overnight calls and emotional conversations… I suppose it means the world to me. Once again, I’m trying to prepare for one of our weekend times together, but it feels… different today. No, it’s felt different for multiple weeks now, hasn’t it? Overthinking each choice I make around her… Or about her. I mean, would Sunset actually enjoy seeing me in the same damn jean jacket or would she prefer seeing something different? Sighing to myself, I press my palms down on the sink edge, trying my best to calm my nerves. It’s hard to calm yourself down when you feel frustrated about each choice you make… “Think, Adagio,” I whisper quietly, finally looking up into the mirror of the bathroom. “What would Sunset like…?” Standing in front of the mirror, I quietly admire the red dress I have on, but a feeling of dread still holds onto me, unsure if I should wear my black jacket or the jean coat over it… I’m already overdressing as it is, but… I suppose it’s needed today…
A loud knocking noise emanates from the bathroom door, disturbing me from my thought process. What the hell is so important…? It’s needless to say that it’s annoying to be interrupted for what feels like the fifth time. “Dagi, are you done yet?” Aria’s voice asks from the other side of the door, clearly annoyed with me. “You’ve been in there for thirty minutes already.”
“Fuck off, Aria,” I tell her in an equally annoyed tone, yet I don’t raise the pitch of my voice once. Usually, I would yell at her for the interruption, but more important matters are on my mind for now.
“Are you hanging out with Sunset again? God, Dagi… You always spend so long preparing for your time together that it’s a little suspicious at this point.” Even though the door clearly muffles her sounds, I can still hear Aria giggle to herself from here. “Why don’t you admit it already? You love spending time with that bitch~” Aria laughs to herself, instantly making me look towards the door with that flame of anger in my eyes. What did she just say…?
Opening the door quickly, I stare point blank at Aria in the middle of her laugh, feeling the urge to yell at her once again. “She’s my friend,” I am barely able to say calmly, trying to compose myself. “And she should be treated with more respect, Aria.”
Aria’s eyes go wide, looking at the dress on my body as a mischievous smile comes across her face. “Sure. Friends totally dress up like this for each other,” she laughs again, pointing at my outfit as if she was directing someone’s attention to it. “I feel like vomiting when I see this, god. You’re seriously going out to hang out with Sunset Shimmer like this?” Aria’s hand quickly comes up to her gut as she laughs a bit more, a blue-haired girl’s head coming into view from around the corner. Sonata, with a pop tart in her hand, looks at the both of us, trying to discern what is going on.
“Hmm? What’s the problem with Adagio’s outfit?” she asks in her usual cheerful voice, making me feel… a little better about my choice in attire.
“The problem is that she looks ridiculous.” Once again, Aria’s comment comes off in an annoyed manner, her eyes looking at Sonata as she crosses her arms.
“But I think she looks nice~” Sonata coos, her head tilting as she looks at the dress. “I think it would look cute on you too~” Sonata’s smile turns to Aria momentarily, making Aria physically cringe to herself upon hearing those words.
“Ugh. I wouldn’t be caught dead in those clothes.”
“Even for me?” Sonata asks in her cute voice again, pouting her lip slightly before taking another bite of her pop tart. I can’t help but feel like this is sweet revenge for what Aria just teased me for, making it feel even better when I see Aria’s cheeks flush. “Also, why are you going out in such a fancy outfit?” Sonata asks, turning her attention to me.
“Hmm? I um…” A small sigh exits my lips, trying to clear my thoughts. “I am going to-“
“Isn’t it obvious? Dagi is going to hang around Sunset again!” Aria, chips in, never wasting an opportunity to try and tease me.
“Again~?” Sonata asks with a small giggle, her gaze looking like she’s imagining some cute thing. Oh great… Don’t tell me Aria turned Sonata to the damn dark side. “That’s so cute~” she states, taking yet another bite of her pop tart.
“I know, right?! I- Wait, what? It’s not cute! It’s ridiculous.” Aria crosses her arms again, glaring at Sonata and preparing to argue with her again, a big sigh falling from my lips.
“Will you two shut up?” I finally say, pushing past them and walking into the living room of our apartment. I grab my heels quickly, slipping them on and ignoring the two girls following me.
“Aw~ Have a great time with Sunset! You know, K-I-S-S-I-N-G~” Sonata’s voice teases me, causing me to feel that anger inside me burn a little more. Aria laughs loudly again, about to say something before I slam the door shut behind me. God damn it… Will they ever shut up?
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Walking down the sidewalk, I bite my lip slightly, hating the cooler temperature it feels at night. Thanks to Sonata and Aria, I forgot my damned jacket, so I look FAR too formal for this. A red dress and high heels… I look like I’m trying to star in a musical. If those two would just… ugh… If they could just shut up about my friendship with Sunset, then maybe we could have a bit more peace. What infuriates me even is the fact that… they’re right… All those stupid teases and comments they make are mostly true, but I can’t say that…
I realized recently that the way Sunset and I talk to each other and the way I feel about her presence isn’t… normal. Every day, I find myself wanting to see her again and I end up counting the days until the weekend. Sunset has spent so much time helping me and legitimately trying to make me laugh that its… its hard to ignore. The way she makes me feel like I’m worth a damn, even after all the shit I did to hurt others. Its so hard to not let it affect me. I tried, but here I am, finding myself thinking about her most of the day, each week. Her confidence and demeanor are so admirable that it just makes me watch her even more. How can’t I? Her hair shimmers like fire and her eyes are so warm, despite their ocean-like color. The thing that kicks down all of my walls? Her caring and helping nature, always willing to drop everything just to make sure I feel alright. Believe me, it’s made me feel guilty on more than one occasion. Who am I to try and govern what she does with her time by bringing my problems to her? Then again, Sunset does the same to me… On more than one occasion, she’s called me because of her own insecurities and depressing thoughts. Of course, I was there for her… At first, I didn’t quite know what to do, but I figured I owed her for it. Now, I do it simply because… I…
Shaking my head, I walk a little faster, trying to distract myself even if it’s just a little bit. Why is it so hard to say that word…? Care… It’s such a difficult word to even think about. Maybe it’s because then I would be admitting to myself that it applies to this situation with Sunset… The final wall I have built up tries to prohibit me from saying that word in relation to her, all because it’s hard to imagine that… it’s the truth… It’s hard to imagine that I’ve come to this reality after such a devastating defeat at the battle of the bands. She’s the one who defeated my sisters and I, yet here I am, worried for her and looking forward to the days we get to hang out with each other…
I call those two dopes sisters, but they’re not actually related to me at all. I don’t know why we’re still together in general, but no matter where we go, we’re together. I guess it’s easy for them since the two of them are clearly two idiots in love, despite the constant bullying Aria gives Sonata. I never imagined that I would feel like a third wheel to those two, but life is full of surprises. Just like Sunset said…
Bringing my hand to my head, I slowly rub to try and get rid of the oncoming headache. I don’t know what I’m hoping to achieve. What am I hoping will happen today? Sunset wanted to eat at some restaurant together and I’ve been looking forward to it, but a feeling of dread has also been haunting me for the past week or more… What do I want to happen tonight? Am I just hoping for things to go normally again? Ideally, that would be the best outcome, but it’s also the… more depressing reality… There’s so much damn tension in my mind regarding us, but I’m unsure what I’m supposed to do about it. I would be lying if I said that I haven’t been thinking about this every day, yet a solution still hasn’t presented itself to me. I can’t just walk in there and tell her that I care about her, can I? That would be really… embarrassing for her. A siren caring about her previous enemy. Aria’s right when she says it sounds ridiculous…
Regardless, I know that… I don’t want to just leave things how they are. This stupid heart of mine keeps thinking about different futures where she and I could be… even closer. Bringing my hand away from my forehead, I sigh quietly to myself, crossing the street quickly. It’s so stupid… But whether I like it or not, I have to make some sort of decision tonight. The restaurant is only a minute away and then Sunset and I will be face-to-face again… Biting my lip again, I quickly walk down the sidewalk, seeing the building of interest close to a block away. Perhaps… I want tonight to go down a different path. Just once. This friend of mine that I’ve grown so close to is always there for me. Is it wrong of my siren heart to want her to be there forever…?
Walking up to the building’s entrance, I look at the time on my phone and taking a moment to compose myself. The restaurant in question is some expensive Italian place that Sunset found a couple weeks prior to tonight, but I don’t necessarily mind. I suppose as long as I can be with her in general, it makes the night worth living. Grabbing the door’s handle, I slowly open it, walking inside the establishment and instantly being hit by the smell of pasta and the sounds of patrons. Not the cheap supermarket pasta smell either. It smells… really good. Sunset has some good taste. Walking further inside, I see the architecture inside has a dim yellow color inside due to candles around the interior. It definitely makes the atmosphere more intimate, so I congratulate whoever designed this place.
Before I can try to make my way to the counter, my vision goes black as something covers my eyes, surprising me instantly. “Guess who~?” A cheerful voice whispers right into my ear, my mind instantly recognizing the voice as the person I’ve been thinking about constantly for weeks.
“Sunset?” I tease her, playing along with the game she decided to play. A light giggle escapes her lips before her hands uncover my eyes, opting to hug me from behind instead.
“The one and only~” she hums slightly, enjoying this embrace we get to share for a moment. In my opinion it ends entirely too quickly… Turning around to look at Sunset, my eyes widen slowly, seeing the outfit she chose to wear today. Standing in front of me, Sunset smiles at me as I look at the black dress she has on, wearing the same black jacket she usually has with her to compliment the dress a little more. Despite the fact that her jacket tries to make her look more casual, she still looks amazing to me. “I see I’m not the only one who overdressed for the occasion~” Sunset teases me, looking at my own attire. Instantly, a blush comes to my cheeks, but I try to avoid it as soon as it comes up, clearing my throat.
“You um… You look nice, Sunset~” I try to say as normally as I can. “Who are you trying to impress? Is there some guy you’re meeting here as well?” My tease seems to hit its target, Sunset giggling to my remark.
“Oh, please. I only scheduled tonight for us~ It’s been a while since we have spent time together, so I didn’t want someone else to ruin that~” Her hand slowly comes up to my shoulder, her warm smile ever present as she inspects me. “Though, seriously. You look beautiful, Adagio~” Instantly, I can feel my barriers collapse again as my cheeks fail me, making me blush in Sunset’s gaze. For a second, I could have sworn I saw Sunset blush as well, her eyes averting me for a moment.
“You’re always beautiful,” I slowly state, trying to keep my composure as I say it. Once again, I see Sunset’s cheeks turn a bright red, making me smile a little to myself. I didn’t lie when I said that statement… Sunset is always beautiful in one way or another, finding a way to portray her confidence and determination in such an inspiring way. In a way, I’m still in disbelief I actually said that to her, considering I have a hard time even admitting that I care about…
“You always find a way to make me feel better, Adagio~ Even if I didn’t say I was feeling self-conscious or such,” Sunset quietly states, her smile showing a genuine feeling of gratitude and happiness in her. “That’s why I’m really glad we get to spend time together tonight~” Slowly, Sunset grabs my hand and walks towards the reception desk, her smile not leaving her face. “Come on~ Let’s enjoy ourselves~”
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The sounds of dinner plates and wine glasses can be heard from the other tables around us. Despite my initial awkwardness, the both of us were able to find interesting things to talk about during our meal. Sunset ordered chicken alfredo and I went with normal spaghetti, even though there was an impressive menu to order from. I suppose I’m not quite in the mood to order something completely new when tonight is… a special night. I mean, I hope it is? Even I’m not sure what’s technically happening… All I know is that I’ve been completely entrapped by the sight of Sunset’s laugh, knowing it’s pointless to care about the time. Whereas some people may worry about what their family may say about them going out and not returning until late, I don’t personally share the same worry. Sonata and Aria will find a way to get along without me. For now, my only worry is when this will end. No matter how great something feels, it always ends at some point, so I’m trying to make the most of our time together.
“The other two are still giving you a hard time, huh?” Sunset asks me with a small laugh, leaning her head on her hand as her other reaches over the table to gently hold mine. Trying to hide my flustered emotions, I look away from Sunset’s eyes, thinking of what to say.
“Yeah, but that’s just usual for those two morons,” I state in a faux annoyed tone, waving my hand in the air momentarily. “Despite how hard they can be to live with, I still care about them. I have to look after the idiots most of the time due to their ability to catch something on fire.” Sunset laughs to my joke quickly after my statement is finished, making me smile a little more. For a moment, I try to think of what else to say to keep the conversation going, my mind coming up with a blank. Looking back to Sunset, I see a thoughtful expression on her face, looking down towards the table. Even though her face looks like she’s busy with her thought process, her thumb still rubs the back of my hand gently.
Suddenly, Sunset’s eyes gaze upward and look into mine, an idea seemingly coming to her as she leans in. “Hey, do you want to do something different tonight~?” she asks me, intriguing me, nonetheless.
“Different?” My confusion is ever present, Sunset nodding to my question with a bright smile on her face.
“Yeah! I was sort of thinking that… maybe we could order each other’s desserts tonight~ It would be an interesting change of pace, especially to see if we can remember what our favorite desserts are~” My eyes widen to the peculiar request, unsure of what to think about it. I admit that it does sound interesting. What could it hurt?
“Sure, why not?” I say quietly, smiling to her before she signals a waiter to come over to the table.
“One rule though~” Sunset’s cheeky and mischievous demeanor once again worries me, her smile trying to reassure me at the same time. Slowly, Sunset pulls out a piece of paper from her purse, instantly writing something down on it with a pen she takes from the waiter’s pocket. “It has to be a surprise~”
“A surprise…?” I quietly ask, unsure if I like this idea. It’s true that it could be fun, but if I order out loud, then I can tell if Sunset likes the choice from her facial expressions. It’s a worrying turn of events, but… then again, this could be the moment I’ve been waiting for… I’ve been agonizing all night what I would do since I know that these feelings I have for her aren’t normal. They aren’t like friends and I’ve already confronted myself of that fact. I… care for her… Maybe this would give me the chance to finally say something, to cleanse my heart of the lie I’ve been keeping up all night. I… think Sunset enjoys my company a lot too. She wouldn’t just abandon our friendship, right? “Alright, we can keep it a surprise.” Sunset’s smile widens as she hands me a piece of paper too, giving me the pen to write down the selection I have for her. Instantly, I know what I’m going to order for her. A chocolate sundae with a slight twist. I try to keep my composure and not smile to the idea I write down, but it still makes me wonder what sunset will think of this.
Once I indicate that I’m done, the waiter takes the pieces of paper with a slightly confused expression, but he walks off with them, nonetheless. Sunset’s expression clearly shows the happiness she feels from this little activity of ours, her hand reaching over to grab mine again. A blush comes to my face, slightly embarrassed by the action and flustered by the thought of what I put down on the note. A piece of chocolate pie with the chocolate shavings aligned in a heart on the slice~ I know it’s not subtle and maybe Sunset won’t like it, but… I really hope she will.
“So, what did you put down for me~?” Sunset asks me with a cheerful wink, her voice lingering on a teasing tone. For a moment, my voice stammers, unsure of what to say before Sunset quietly laughs. “It’s just a joke, Adagio~ It was supposed to be a surprise, right?” Yeah, it was. A surprise that I hope is a pleasant one for her, rather than one that will ruin our night.
Nodding my head slowly, I try my best to give a genuine smile, resisting the urge to let everything out once again. It’s so easy to let go with her, to tell her my problems and be able to talk about what’s on my mind, but I will have to wait until the desserts come out this time… My eyes connect with hers and I can’t help but admire her once more. “Tonight has meant… a lot to me, Sunset~” My statement seems to catch Sunset off-guard as her expression turns into a flustered one. She’s always so cute.
“Thank you, Adagio~ This night has meant… a lot to me too~” Sunset’s mouth opens, in preparation to say something, but she stops herself after seeing the waiter walking back to our table. That was… certainly fast. As curious as I am to see what Sunset ordered me, I am more curious to see what she reacts to the dessert I got for her. No matter what happens, I just know that I want to be a part of her life in some capacity. As long as she allows me that, then I’ll be happy.
The waiter walks up to us, a happy smile written across his smile before he finally grabs a plate, setting it in front of Sunset. Sunset’s eyes widen when she looks at the piece of pie, a big smile appearing on her face instantly. The pure love for what I decided to get for her is expressed in her eyes, making me feel so much better. I’m… really glad she likes it~ It means the world to me that she loves the surprise. She… means the world to me…
My thought process is instantly interrupted as the waiter sets down my dessert in front of me, making it my turn to see what she got for me. I… What? She really got me… this? Instantly, I can feel myself have the urge to cry, looking at the perfect dessert. Not only did she buy me a cherry cheesecake, but Sunset ordered it to be cut in a heart shape, making it all the more special. Looking up to Sunset with a tear in my eyes, I see Sunset with the same watery eyes and warm smile, her hands reaching over and grabbing mine slowly. What should I even say…? What does this mean? What happens from here?
“It looks like we had similar ideas~” Sunset says without losing her smile, her tear sliding down her cheek slowly and making me want to lose control of my own emotions. “Tell me, Adagio. Tell me what I mean to you please,” Sunset asks me, her eyes pleading for an answer. Does she… already know?
“I… You mean the world to me, Sunset…” My words come out slow and instinctual, not realizing what I had said until after it had already come out. This is… what I wanted, right…? To finally tell her?
Sunset’s face emanates a happy glow as she stands up from the table, moving over to my side and hugging me slowly. “I’ve been waiting all night for this~” she’s barely able to say, holding me tightly without daring to let me go. “I love you, Adagio~”
Did she… really just say that? S-she loves me? I can’t help but feel… so damn happy… Instantly, I wrap my arms around Sunset as well, letting the tears flow as well. Let the people around us be damned. I don’t care who sees, as long as I have her in my life. She means so much to me… “I love you too, Sunset~”
