“just got out of school, ill wait out by the statue”

Trixie sent the text and watched as the read receipt and typing dots danced about.

“I’m just a few blocks away, be there in a few min.”

She smiled at the reply and sent another text.

“see u when u get here Dagi!! <3”

Even after so many lessons and a whole week of dating and texting, Trixie's heart still pounded like a kickdrum! She could feel the canyons that her giddy smile carved into her cheeks!

“Hey, Trixie!” Lavender Lace called out. “Can you help us with something?”

Trixie turned to smile at her friends. “Sure thing, what’s up?

“I lost my earring in the drama room, and Fuschia and I can’t find it anywhere!”

“Uhh… Sure thing! One sec let me send a text!” Trixie typed frantically to update her girlfriend.

“my friend lavender lost an earring, helping her look in the drama room in CHS. BRB”

Trixie followed her friends back into the school's hallways. Entering the drama room expecting it to be empty, Trixie was instead greeted by an old enemy who burned with the colors of fire. “Hey Trixie. How nice of you to join us.” Sunset Shimmer said with an impassive face. Fluttershy stood next to her, looking as timid as she was at the aquarium.

“Sunset Shimmer! What are you--?” But in an instant, it clicked. Trixie looked back at her friends in the doorway, scowling as Fuschia Blush handed Lavender her ‘missing’ earring. Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer had both dragged her friends into setting this up. This was all about getting her alone to confront her about Adagio, and her friends were complicit in it. It seems fitting that they were having this meeting in the drama room, of all places.

“Got a minute? We need to talk.” Sunset's tone was level, which was refreshing after years of her aggression, bullying, and two-faced manipulation.

Trixie still folded her arms across her chest as she huffed at Sunset, “What would I need to talk about with you?”

“It has been brought to my attention that you’ve been hanging out with the leader of the Dazzlings.”

Trixie pointedly glanced over to Fluttershy, and then stared daggers at Lavender and Fuschia as she rhetorically asked, “Oh has it now? And why exactly has it been ‘brought to your attention’? Why are Trixie’s best friends so concerned about who she’s been hanging out with?”

Fuschia spoke up, “Trixie, she brainwashed the whole school and had to be blasted by friendship lasers!”

Looking away from Fuschia, her eyes fell back on the mastermind of this meeting. “I seem to recall someone else pulled that stunt once, Sunset! What’s that one saying about glass houses?”

Sunset glared into Trixie’s eyes. “I changed, Trixie! The leader of the Dazzlings--!”

“Adagio! Her name is Adagio! And how would you know what she’s like, Sunset? Or you, Fluttershy? How would any of you know her better than I do?”

Sunset took a calming breath before explaining, “You know that other world that Princess Twilight came from? Well, in her world, there were three Sirens, who would spread negativity with their magic singing voices. They were banished to our world, and they showed up for the Musical Showcase, using their magic to turn everyone here against each other!”

Trixie’s mind replayed that day when Adagio showed up, sang to everyone at lunch. She had said that Trixie was a star, shining brighter than anyone else. Or at least, she felt like Adagio had said that to her directly…

Sunset continued, “They manipulated the school every step of the way! She even hypnotized Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna! And when we defeated her with the Magic of Friendship, they lost their magic voices and the spell was broken!

Shaking her head, Trixie refuted, “Okay, let’s say I believe you: Adagio’s some evil siren who manipulated the whole school. Ignoring how you cheated to steal the show and robbed me of my victory, what difference does it make? If she did lose her magic when you blasted her with rainbow lasers, then why do you all care if I’ve been seeing her?”

Fluttershy peeked out from behind the pink curtain, anxiously wringing her hands. “You, um, seemed kinda wrapped around her finger when I saw you together. M-maybe she’s gotten into your head?”

Growing ever more frustrated with the girls cornering her, Trixie growled and stepped towards Fluttershy, levying a finger at her. “And what would you know about it? You’ve never even had a girlfriend– or a boyfriend, for that matter!”

The aggression made Fluttershy sink back into her hair, mumbling some correction, but Sunset stepped between them, matching Trixie’s anger. “Lay the hell off! Don’t you get that we’re looking out for you?!”

Trixie crossed her arms and scoffed, snarling at Sunset. “Trixie doesn’t need your ‘protection’, Miss She-Demon.”

Sunset was fuming now, brows clenched tight above her burning green eyes. Trixie saw her hands curl into fists, briefly worrying she might have pushed her too far.

“You don’t know what you’re messing around with. She’s not even Human! She’s a monster from another world!”

“Takes one to know one.”

Sunset growled in frustration at the pithy remark, taking another step towards Trixie. When she spoke again her tone was low and dangerous, the tilt of her head causing shadows to surround her piercing eyes. “She already played you once, like a fucking fiddle! Do you want that to happen again?”

Trixie stood her ground, but inside she was beginning to shrink, her voice losing some of its bravado. “What do you mean?”

Seemingly realizing that the situation was escalating, Fluttershy stepped forward, placing a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunset, you should sit down. Let me talk to her. Please?”

“But– Ngh, fine…” Sunset took a deep breath and let Fluttershy lead her to one of the chairs, where she sat with her legs and arms crossed.

Clearing her throat, Fluttershy turned back to Trixie, speaking softly but clearly. “Think back to the contest, Trixie, and ask yourself… Did you really trap us to keep us out of the finals on your own? Or did Adagio say something to give you that idea?”

Trixie looked at the ground. “Well…”

Fluttershy went on, offering a little self deprecating laugh. “And remember the semis? We did really badly… And yet, we still went to the finals. How do you think that happened?”

The more she talked, the more she made sense. Fluttershy was dragging Trixie's neatly-tucked-away cognitive dissonance into the light and forcing her to confront it.

“She cheated you out of your spot in the finals, Trixie. So she could use you to get us out of the picture.” Fluttershy gestured back to Sunset who was nodding along. The mirth in Fluttershy’s voice was gone, replaced once more with gentle concern. “You were just a pawn in her plan. Do you want that to happen again?”

Trixie took a quick glance back at Fluttershy before looking back down, chewing on her lip. The only words that left her mouth were, “But… She has changed, and I love her!”

Sunset looked shocked as she softly asked, “Wait, what?” Fluttershy, Fuschia, and Lavender were also struck with disbelief.

Trixie turned and pushed past her dumbstruck friends to walk out of the Drama Room and into the halls. She couldn't stand to be there for another second! She ignored all of their calls out to her, because she didn't want to talk to anyone before she talked to Adagio! She had to get her side of the story so she could get rid of this nagging feeling in her gut.

Exiting CHS as fast as she could, Trixie hurriedly walked towards the statue out front, where Adagio leaned against the side. As soon as Adagio's eyes met hers, Trixie gave her a weak smile and waved. Sunset had planted seeds of doubt in her mind, and even seeing her beautiful girlfriend’s face couldn't stop them from growing!

Adagio's smile was warm and patient as she greeted, “Hey, Trix!” She leaned in for a kiss when Trixie came close.

“Hey, Dagi!” Matching her tone, Trixie returned the kiss, although bereft of passion and not nearly for as long as she normally would. “Let’s get out of here.” Trixie took Adagio’s hand and hastily started pulling her along, away from the school.

Adagio let out a surprised chuckle as she tried to stay balanced and keep pace! “In a hurry, are we?”

“A bit... Something kinda happened. It’s dumb, I’ll tell you on the way.” Adagio gave her a curious look, but Trixie waited until they were a bit further, checking over her shoulder to make sure Sunset or her friends weren't following them.

As they walked, Trixie mulled over what Sunset had told her a bit further, recontextualizing the events of The Battle of the Bands and the past week. Adagio and her sisters, the absence of parents, how she spoke about magic, her unfamiliarity with intimacy-- despite how freely she touched! But the aquarium… The aquarium was the real kicker, as it just made too much sense when she connected all the pieces!

‘She had a really deep connection with those fish, especially that orange seahorse!’ Trixie thought, biting her bottom lip. ‘She even said the smell of saltwater was making her homesick!’

After a sufficient amount of walking in silence, Trixie tried to think of the best way to broach the topic at hand. “So… Guess who Trixie was chatting with before she came outside?”

Adagio glanced over and tilted her head. “Hm? Who?”

“Sunset Shimmer. Well, less chatting, more locked in a room with her while we hashed some things out.”

Adagio seemed a little surprised, scared even, at the thought of Sunset talking to Trixie. “Really?”

“Yeah! Got my friends to lie to me so I’d go in there, then ganged up on me with Fluttershy. Ugh, can you believe her audacity?” Trixie scoffed. “That’s not even the best part; Wanna guess what she had the nerve to say?”

Adagio and Trixie had made their way to a park, taking a seat as they continued. “What?” Adagio asked, voice replete with concern.

“She told me-- tried to convince Trixie-- that you were some kind of… Monster, from wherever Sunset and Twilight came from. That you were using magic to manipulate me, all of us.” Trixie was getting a little heated by that point, talking with one hand while the other gripped Adagio’s even tighter. “I swear, it’s like she never really changed. Still trying to drive people apart…”

Adagio got very quiet at that, looking at the ground with a sullen, somber look. “Trixie… I… I need to tell you something, and I don't want you to get mad at me for not telling you sooner.”

Trixie nearly choked on the creeping doubt in her mind. “Dagi? What's wrong?”

“I…” It seemed like Adagio was struggling to find the words, but after a deep breath, she stated, “She was telling the truth. I am from Equestria, I am a siren; My sisters and I were banished to this world and became human. But in both worlds, we had magical voices and fed on the negativity and conflict of others. We… I did, in fact, turn everyone against each other for the Battle of the Bands.”

All of Trixie’s fears were being confirmed. Trixie stared in shock, eyes wide. “And… The magic mind control?”

Adagio grew frantic, taking Trixie’s hand in both of hers, nearly pleading now. “Yes, but– I never used it on you! Only the judges, I swear!”

"Oh really? You never used magic on me? Never used that magic voice to manipulate me into trapping the Rainbooms? Be honest!"

"I..." With a heavy sigh, Adagio admitted, "I didn't need to. You hated the Rainbooms so much, all I had to do was feed into that, and you disposed of them on your own.”

“You... You used me.” Trixie was tearing up now, pulling her hand away. “You used Trixie! How do I know you’re not doing it now!?”

“Trix, I was different then! I was predatory and after the Rainbooms’ magic, but what we have--!”

Trixie vocalized a horrible epiphany as it came to her, “When we met up, you were only interested in me for my magic!”

Adagio froze, her terrified face becoming pale, like a marble statue. “A-at first, y-yes, but…”

“And the touching and flirting… Was that part of your game? To get close to me?! To get me to share my secrets?!”

Adagio slumped as if resigned to her fate, visibly on the verge of tears herself.

Trixie stared her down, wanting desperately to run away or for any of Sunset's words to be untrue. But as Adagio confirmed her every fear, Trixie sat transfixed as she felt her life falling apart! With a shaky voice and trembling hands, Trixie whimpered, “Was any of it real? What I felt for you… Did you love Trixie how she loved you?”

Adagio began to tear up too, her mouth sounding dry as she croaked, “It became real for me! You became my everything, Trix!”

Trixie cast her eyes to the ground, if only to look away from the siren. Shaking her head to keep the tears back, her raw voice softly issuing her decree, “Trixie needs some time to think. Don’t follow her, don't call her.” She stood and quickly walked away.

“Trixie, wait!”

“Adagio… Don't! Please…”

And with that, it was over. Trixie turned away, walking home without a second glance, and no footsteps behind her. Her eyes flooded with tears and her heart pounded, trying to break out of her chest! But only after turning a corner did Trixie allow herself to break down into sobbing openly, running home with all of her might!

Author's Note

We're in the home stretch... Final chapter coming soon.