//------------------------------// // Leading up to the Spectacle // Story: Sonic and EQG: The Main Attraction // by SonicAKG //------------------------------// Leading up to the Spectacle It was now the evening in Canterlot. In one alleyway, the shadows began to move around before they concentrated on one area on the floor and made a puddle. A few moments later, Adagio emerged from it as she got down on her knees, gasping and panting for air. "*cough * *wheeze* That is the worst way to travel!"She exclaimed with extreme distaste as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Behind her, two red eyes appeared on the puddle of shadows. They belonged to Naugus. "Shadow-Melding is meant to be stealthy. You defeat its purpose with that reaction of yours." His voice said in an echo as he spoke through the shadows. "You cannot let our plan be interrupted by something as trivial as this." Adagio finally managed to get her breathing under control as she stood up straight and cleared her throat. She then looked back at Naugus with a glare. "I know what I'm doing. I'll do my part just fine without any of your meddling." Adagio dismissed. Hearing this caused Naugus's eyes to glow red with anger. "Don't you lecture me, girl!" He snapped in a venomous tone. "No, don't you underestimate me!" Adagio retorted as she pointed a stern finger towards the shadows. "I have this under control! You better keep your end of the deal unless you want Sonic getting in the way again." The glow from Naugus's eyes vanished but he still glowered towards Adagio. "Feh! Just report back to me once you've gotten the Chaos Emerald. Take this." Naugus said as a golden ring with a green jewel in the center emerged from the puddle and into Adagio's hands, causing her to examine it. "This will allow you to contact me when your mission is finished." "You won't have to wait long." Adagio answered as she put away the ring in her pocket. "Good. I await your return." Naugus said as his eyes disappeared, causing the shadows to return to their normal spot before he had arrived. After this, Adagio emerged from the alleyway and began to traverse down the sidewalk. She walked for a few minutes before she came in front of the apartment building she shared with her two fellow sirens. Adagio then entered it and climbed up the stairs to the second floor, where her room was. Once she was there, Adagio turned to her right to see a door. She took out a key from her pocket and used it to enter the room. When she did, she noticed Sonata was on the couch in the living room while Aria was by the counter. The two of them heard the sound of the door clicking and turned to see their leader in front of them. "Hi, Adagio!" Sonata happily waved as she got up from the couch. Aria, on the other hand, stood straight and crossed her arms as she gave Adagio a look, who noticed this. "What?" Adagio asked her. "Just where were you?" Aria demanded. "You said you were coming straight home but when Sonata and I got here, you were gone." Adagio cursed slightly in her head. Her time with Naugus must have taken her longer than she had anticipated, putting her in a somewhat difficult situation. Should she tell Aria and Sonata about the plan which could regain their magic back? "(No, it's too risky. Sonata's been hanging around that group for too often, so there's a chance she might tell them about the plan. Aria might go for it, but I feel like she might try to one-up me and seize the power all for herself.)'" Adagio decided. "(Sorry girls, better if I'm just a solo act this time.)" "I just decided to go around and explore the city more. Turns out I was feeling a lot better than I thought, that's all." Adagio told Aria before she marched up to her and gave her an authoritative look. "Besides, I don't have to tell you where I go anyway." She added in a haughty manner, causing Aria to give her a small glare before she just turned away from her. "Whatever." Aria said with disinterest. Adagio then turned her sights towards Sonata. "Sonata, while I was on my walk, I started to think that maybe this concert isn't such a bad thing."She said, surprising both Sonata and Aria. "For realsies?" Sonata said in a tone of slight disbelief. "Yes, really. Going to it might be nostalgic, wouldn't you say?" Adagio continued. "I don't know what that means, but if it's something good, then I guess it is." Sonata agreed. "It does. Anyway, did you hear Sonic or anyone else mention when they are planning to be with their pop star friends?" Adagio asked. "I'd like to see if I could tag along maybe. Get me in the right mood." "Well, Sonic, Manic, and AppleJack promised to take their friends for a tour of the city pretty early in the morning so that they don't attract too much attention. Around 6...I think." Sonata told her. "6? Perfect." Adagio said as she formed smile, which her two fellow sires found odd. "Well, now I'm quite tired because of my walk, so I'll just head to bed." Adagio walked past the two of them as she headed towards the back and entered a room on the right before she closed it. After she did, both Sonata and Aria exchanged looks. "Does Adagio seem....off to you?" Aria asked. "Hmmm, I guess she was being kind of weird but a lot of our friends are weird, so she must be fine!" Sonata answered, causing Aria to roll her eyes. The next day around 6 in the morning, the sun was just rising as,Sonic, Manic and AppleJack were waiting around the entrance to CHS. Manic and AppleJack stood up straight while Sonic was pacing around back and forth. "It sure is nice that we get to show our friends around." AppleJack stated. "Rara and I have so much catching up to do." "I get you." Manic agreed. "I know Mina's going to want to learn about all of our adventures we've done around here. You gonna tell Rara about your magic?" Before AppleJack could answer, she was cutoff by the someone answering for her. "Well, I think you should. Wouldn't be a delight to share?" Adagio's voice suddenly said, catching the attention of all 3 soon to be tour guides. Sonic stopped moving in order to turn and see Adagio was heading towards them with a friendly face. "Adagio?" He asked with a confused expression as he rose an eyebrow. "Hello, Sonic." She greeted before she looked at Manic and AppleJack. "Manic, AppleJack, how're you guys?" The three of them wore stumped expressions on their faces as they all faced each other, with Manic scratching the back of his head. "Uh, we're doin' alright?" AppleJack replied. "So......why are you here?" Manic bluntly asked. "Oh, Sonata told me that the three of you were going to show around Mina and Countess Coltra." Adagio began. "Coloratura." AppleJack corrected. "That's what I said." Adagio replied. "Anyway, Sonata told me what you guys were up to, so I decided I'd like to tag along." Hearing this caused the trio to become even more confused. This was the last thing they were expecting to hear from Adagio of all people. "But didn't you say earlier you didn't care about this concert stuff?" Sonic brought up. "Why the sudden interest?" Adagio wore a smile but on the inside, she was starting to get annoyed already. "(Ugghhhh....what's with all the questions?!) She thought to herself in an irritated manner. "What, a girl can't change her mind?" Adagio said as she walked up to Sonic and rested her hand on his shoulder, making his eyes dart back and forth. "I did some thinking and realized that this is actually pretty cool. I mean, meeting two world-renowned singers in the same place, how often does that happen?" She went on. "And besides, seeing those two reminds me of when I used to sing. It's nostalgic, having all the atten- I mean fun when you're up on stage. So I thought, why not let me tag along with your little tour? Adagio gave Sonic a smile as Manic and AppleJack exchanged looks one more.. Sonic put his head down for a bit before he lifted it up and returned Adagio's smile. "Sure, why not?" Sonic answered. "It's good to hear you've change your mind. You're going to have a good time." "Awww, thanks, Blue." Adagio said as she gave Sonic a wink, making him rub his nose a little. "So, where are the two guest of honor?" "They should be here soon." AppleJack said as she started to look around before her eyes lit up. "I see Rara's limo." Countess Coloratura's limousine from before then began to pull up in the CHS driveway before it stopped in front of Sonic and the others. The door then opened to reveal Coloratura, shortly followed by an unhappy looking Svengallop. "AJ!" Coloratura exclaimed as she and AppleJack hugged. "I'm so glad I could make time for this!" "Me too." AppleJack said before she turned to the rest of her friends. "Rara, these are some of my friends. This is Sonic, Manic, and Adagio." Adagio gave Coloratura a smile while Manic gave the peace sign and Sonic the thumbs up. "Yo." Manic greeted. "Nice to finally meet you, Coloratura." Sonic said. "I'm pretty pumped to hear you play with Mina." "Wow, thanks." Coloratura answered. "I'm looking forward to meeting Mina herself too." As AppleJack and Coloratura got closer to meet the others, Svengallop suddenly blocked off their path. He gazed down at Adagio with a dismissive look before he looked at Sonic and Manic with distaste. "All right, listen up. You need to remember, who you're dealing with. She's not just anybody. She's Countess Coloratura, managed by me. You hear that? Me!" Svengallop started. "So when you're around her, you're going to have to keep her image good. If she looks bad, then it means I look bad. I have a reputation to keep and I don't need it to be ruined by a couple of punks." Sonic and Manic both frowned while Adagio simply raised an eyebrow. Before any of them could retaliate, Coloratura quickly interjected. "Svengallop, it's ok. They're AJ's friends, so they're fine with me." She told him as Svengallop whipped his back and snorted. "Hmph." He said as he turned around, causing AppleJack to give him a glare he didn't notice. "Suit yourself. You can be with these commoners. I'm off for a luxurious day by the hotel pool." Svengallop said in a snooty manner as he got in the car. It's engine started and he drove off, leaving the group behind. "What's with that tool?" Manic said in an annoyed tone. "Just who in tarnation does that Svengallop think he is?" AppleJack expressed with disapproval as she put her foot down. "Yes...Svengallop can be...difficult at times.." Coloratura said with a displeased look as she lowered her eyebrows. "But I owe a lot to his managing. Anyway, I can't wait to start this tour. Do you know when Mina should here?" Just as Coloratura asked that, Mina's tour bus parked in the entrance of Canterlot. The door then swung open to reveal an eager Mina, with Ash lagging not too far behind as everyone turned to see her. "What's up guys?!" Mina said as she came in front of the group. "Hey, Mina, glad to see you're full of energy already." Sonic said, making Mina beam. Ash just stood there as he was silent. "Howdy." AppleJack said as Mina turned to see her. "Oh, you were from the other day. Nice to see you again, AppleJack, right?" Mina responded, as AppleJack nodded and adjusted her hat slightly. Mina then looked and her eyes landed on Coloratura. When the two singers saw each other, their eyes widened with slight awe. "Oh my gosh, it's so cool to finally meet you!" They said in unison as they exchanged greeting hugs. "Mina, I've heard some of your work and it's an so cool to get to perform with you." Coloratura said as the hug ended. "I'm really looking forward to it. I know the two of us will rock this concert. I've been working my butt off in order to match your style." Mina responded. "I know it's going to sound sweet." Manic added in a wishful tone. "Yeah, with the band you're not in. The one you got kicked out of." Ash scoffed, earning him a dirty look from Manic. "One, I left. And second, I'm glad I'm not in the band seeing as I don't have to be managed by you!" Manic shot back, causing Ash to return Manic's look. "Ash, hon, please shut up." Mina requested as she came and put her arm him, making him stand down. "Coloratura, this is Ash, my manager, and boyfriend." "Oh, nice to meet you." Coloratura said as Ash just waved half-heartedly. "Wow, isn't this just amazing? I'm standing in front of two idols." Adagio gushed, earning her everyone's attention as they looked back to see her. She walked up and took Mina's hand. "I was there the other day and I'd like to apologize if I didn't seem too interested," Adagio stated. "I wasn't thinking it was a big deal at first, but now that I actually see you two, I've changed my mind. I'm really looking forward to it." "Oh, well, I hope to see you there." Mina responded as Adagio smiled in a sly manner. "Now that everyone's here, let's get this tour started." AppleJack announced. "Sure thing." Mina agreed. "Ash, are you coming?" "Nah, I gotta finish setting up the band. I'll leave you to it, later." Ash said as he began to walk back to his bus. "Bye, sweetie!" Mina called back. "Oh, good, I don't need his baggage." Sonic muttered under his breath with belief. Manic, Mina, AppleJack and Coloratura started to walk ahead to begin the tour. Adagio was just about to join them before she was stopped Sonic as he placed his hand on her shoulder, making her a little confused as she turned to face him. "Hey, Adagio. The other day, I couldn't help but notice you seem pretty bothered about something the entire time and when you left early." Sonic said to her with concern. "I mean, I guess you're better now, but I was wondering, if it still bothers you, do you want to talk about it maybe?" "Oh, Sonic, I appreciate the concern, but you don't need to worry you little blue head." Adagio said as she affectionally poked his nose. "As I said before, I'm perfectly fine. Now, we have a tour going on and we can't keep the others waiting." Adagio then walked on ahead to join the others, leaving Sonic behind as he placed his fingers to his chin. And so the tour of the city began. The group first started downtown in the city as they showed the two pop-stars around, letting them see a number of businesses such as Rarity's boutique, the Music Center, the Animal Shelter where Fluttershy worked, and even the Flim Flam Brother's Emporium (which was closed thankfully). They passed by where their friends lived as well as they displayed their houses. They then arrived at the location of the Canterlot Mall, which still hadn't opened yet, but they at least got to know where it was in case they wanted to come back later on, though Mina was a little disappointed that she couldn't go on and take a look. During their tour, they passed by Crystal Prep, which they hurried past, not too keen on dwelling on their rival school. As they continued to walk by, they moved by the outskirts of the forest and were able to admire the surrounding nature, particularly the large streams. However, what was the most noticeable aspect of the tour was the way Adagio was acting. Instead of being grumpy like she was the day before, she was extremely pleasant and friendly. She started up a chat with Mina and Coloratura as she praised their singing and success, showed admiration for all the things AppleJack was able to identify and even laughed at Sonic's jokes. Manic and AppleJack weren't expecting this attitude from Adagio while Sonic himself was especially taken back due to the fact that he had never seen Adagio like this before. It was quite strange. As they continued to explore Canterlot, the group suddenly came across a giant saddle-shaped amphitheater on their left. It caught Coloratura's attention as she turned to see it. "Hey, AJ, what's that amphitheater for?" She asked, causing the others to look towards it as well. "Oh, well I'll be. It's been a while since we came here." AppleJack started as she recognized the theatre. "It was the final stage for our school's musical showcase. Woo-wee, the finale was-. AppleJack then suddenly stopped what she was saying as she realized what she had said as Sonic and Manic eyes widened. She had mentioned the musical showcase, as in the one where she and her friends had defeated Adagio, who was now with them. She formed a sheepish look as she turned to siren, who wore a smile on her face while Coloratura and Mina looked confused. The situation now seemed kind of awkward. "Oh, Ah'm sorry, Adagio." AppleJack went on. "It's been a while and I forgot this could remind you of.... "What? You can say it. It reminds me of the time when I used to sing." Adagio replied in a casual manner, much to the others surprise. 'And you're ok with that?" Manic slowly asked as Adagio nodded. "Of course, why wouldn't I be. The past is the past. I can't dwell on it forever. It's time to look ahead for the future." Adagio said with optimism. Manic and AppleJack faced each other as Sonic simply raised an eyebrow while Coloratura and Mina still looked lost. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, why'd you stop singing in the first place?" Mina asked, as AppleJack put her hat down slightly over her face. After all, she was one of the reasons why Adagio didn't sing anymore. "Let's just say it's a long story." Adagio dismissed. "Anyway, why waste your time telling it when we could get a better look at the city? Come on, let's go!" Adagio strutted along ahead with Coloratura and Mina following, leaving Sonic, Manic and AppleJack to look on as they wondered what just happened. "Ok, what's with her? She's just been so nice which was already weird and when we mention her past defeat, nothing." Manic wondered outloud. "Maybe bein' with Sonata's just rubbed off on her." AppleJack suggested with a shrug. "Maybe..." Sonic said to himself as he crossed his arms. As the tour continued to go on, the group found themselves back in downtown and this time, they stopped at the Sugar Cube Corner. It was still relatively early, so they were the first customers of the day. When they entered, Mrs. Cake was astonished to see two famous singers entering her store and tried to keep herself calm as she introduced herself. She ended up giving everyone free Pumpkin Spice latte's as she tried to make a good first impression. Inside the group sat down as Sonic, Manic and AppleJack began to catch up further with Mina and Coloratura while they waited for their drinks. Adagio excused herself to go outside as she needed some fresh air. She took a few steps from the store and stood by the sidewalk. When she did, she let out a loud and irritated sigh. "This is ludicrous! How can they stand being so happy all the time?!" She said in a spiteful tone. "I was going crazy, especially when they brought me back to the place of my defeat!" Suddenly, Adagio noticed a green glow coming from her pocket. She reached inside it to pull out the magic ring Naugus had given her. She held it up to her face and when she did, the glow vanished and Naugus's face was on the gem. "Adagio, can you hear me?" Naugus asked, causing Adagio to look around to make sure no one could see. She then faced the ring. "Yeah, I can. Just what are you doing exactly?" She asked. "I'm asking how goes your mission. I need to prepare this spell." Naugus said, causing her to frown. "And you will. I'm doing my part, so you just need to have some patience. I said I'll get you an emerald, so you're going to get an emerald." Adagio firmly told him as Naugus growled slightly. "Watch your tone, girl." He hissed, making Adagio rolled her eyes. "You watch it. I told you, I'm not some lackey." She said. Naugus wanted to say more but he managed to control himself as this time his growl was subtle. "Just contact me when you're done." Naugus said the ring flashed green again. This time, Naugus's face had vanished from it. Just shortly after, the door of the Sugar Cube Corner opened, revealing Sonic as he held two drinks in his hand. Adagio turned and quickly put the ring in her hand as she forced herself to smile. "Oh, Sonic. What brings you out here?" She asked 'sweetly.' "Well first, I came to hand you your drink. They just came to our table." He said as he handed Adagio one cup of coffee, which she took. "Aww, thanks, Blue." She responded. "And second." Sonic began as stood next to Adagio before he gave her a serious look, which puzzled her. "I was hoping the two of us could chat." "What do you mean?" Adagio replied. "Well, I wanted to chat about the way you've been acting." He started as Adagio's eyes widened and darted around, which Sonic didn't notice. "What's wrong with the way I'm acting? I mean, I'm being all nice and friendly. Isn't that normal?" Adagio said in a nervous tone. "Let's be honest. For you, not exactly. No offense." Sonic answered. "Like I said earlier, I noticed something seemed to bother you the other day and now that all of your sudden you're acting so happy, I can't help but feel something is still on your mind. Hiding your real emotions isn't a good thing for your head. So if you've got any baggage, it's best to just let it all out." Adagio was honestly surprised at hearing this coming from Sonic. She usually figured he was just a happy-go-lucky guy going with the flow, but here, he was showing some insight. She had to admit, she found it a little impressive. She then let out a small sigh. "So I guess I didn't have you fooled then?" She admitted as she crouched down on the sidewalk alongside him. "Sonic, I'm going to say it. You were right, there is something that's been bothering me for quite a while. Sometimes how much is small or big, but with everything that's happening now, I just can't ignore it anymore. I miss the magic I once had. When I had the power to be the center of attention and command everyone to adore me. I know to you, it sounds bad but as a Siren...it's kind of who I am. I loved being on the stage and having so many people look at you with awe. It's been that way for me so long that when I all of a sudden lost it, I just wasn't sure what to do. I've tried to adjust to this 'normal life, I really have, but sometimes I feel like it's not for me or like I'm living a lie. Seeing Mina and Coloratura come here and do what I used to do just brought up all those feelings of how much I missed what my magic got me. Through having everyone under my voice, it was how I could actually feel...like I was worth something I guess and without it...." Adagio suddenly stopped herself as she let out another sigh, slightly astonished at all she had just said. Honestly, she wasn't expecting to reveal that much of how she felt. She then turned to see Sonic looking up in the sky as he seemed to be in thought over what she had just said. "Well, being a magical siren, your situation is certainly unique. So it sounds like you feel like you need your magic in order to feel like you mean something. But when you look at it, it was...fake." He began as Adagio turned to him, not understanding what he meant. "Fake?" She repeated. "Yeah. You said before you're not sure if you're living a lie, but when you think about, when you had your magic, you were. Sure you talked about people loving you, but they didn't mean it. They only did it because you messed with their heads. Now, you may not be able to command people just like that, but the way I see it, it's for the better. Now you actually have the chance to be yourself and earn and prove your worth. Yeah, Mina and Coloratura have a lot of fans, but it's because their fans actually like them for what they've done on their own, which is sing." Sonic said as Adagio just looked at him. She had never actually looked at it that way before as she looked down with some uncertainty. "......I.....I'm not sure if that would work for me. I've never actually had to something like that before..." She confessed with some unease in her voice before Sonic put his hand on her shoulder and gave her the thumbs up. "Don't sweat it. You've got a bunch of friends now, so that's a start. And we're here to back you up." He promised in a reassuring manner. Now, Adagio didn't know what to say. She had never opened up like this before, even Aria and Sonata. But now that she did, she found herself.....feeling somewhat relieved. As she took in Sonic's words, she looked out at the nearby shops. While looking around, her eyes landed on a necklace that was displayed on a mannequin in front of a store and noticed there was a blue gem in the center. Upon seeing this, Adagio suddenly remembered why she was even there in the first place. She hadn't come here to chat with Sonic on her feelings. She was here to find a way to get an emerald. Right? ("What have I been doing? I.....I...I've been wasting time, that's what. I need to get his emerald. That's my mission, focus on that Adagio!)" She thought. She then pondered over what had happened. "(Hmm, maybe this wasn't just a complete waste of time. After all that, he must trust me now. I can use this to my advantage)." Adagio realized in her head. She looked back at the gem on the necklace, which reminded her of her own broken pendant. This gave her an idea. Adagio then noticeably placed her hand on where her old pendant used to be and clenched that area tightly as she looked on at the jewelry shop. She made sure Sonic noticed. "That necklace over there got your eye?" He asked. "Not exactly. It's just that seeing it over there reminded me of my pendant which I used to have when I had magic. Now I heard your talk on how maybe no magic is for the better, but with the pendant, it meant more to me than just magic." Adagio explained. "It's always been with me and it was part of who I am. Even if it didn't return my magic, I would still like to have it as a memento. "That's rough." Sonic agreed. "Sorry about that you had to lose it." "I wish I could've found a way to keep it safe." Adagio continued on as she made direct eye contact with Sonic. "Like how you do with those Emeralds of yours. I know that Shadow carries one with them but I've heard there are more. When you have them, what's your secret to keeping them safe?" "You see, the Chaos Emeralds scatter each time they're used, so we have to go on a scavenger hunt for them most times. But whichever ones we manage to get our hands on, Tails keep it at his workshop, like the one we have now." He explained. That was all Adagio needed to here. She now had a location where the to get the emerald. The rest was going to be easy. "Really? That is rather smart of you to take such precautions." Adagio praised with a smile. Before the two of them could continue their conversation, they heard the sounds of what appeared to be coming from a large mob, which caught their interest. The two of them stood up from where they were sitting and turned to see that in front of Sugar Cube Corner, was a huge crowd of people who were desperately trying to get in. "What could that be?" Sonic wondered as he and Adagio approached for a better look. The two of them squeezed themselves through the mob of people to see what exactly had them so riled up. As they did, they entered the shop to see Mrs. Cake hiding behind her counter while on the left, Mina, Manic, Coloratura and AppleJack were pressed against their seats due to having so many people swarm around them. The two singers looked uncomfortable while Manic and AppleJack seemed annoyed. "I can't believe Mina is where I get my coffee every day!" One person shouted. "And she's with Countess Coloratura!" Another yelled. "Sign my stomach!' A person screamed. The crowd of adoring fans got closer and closer as the singers were swarmed as Manic and AppleJack tried to push them back. "Hey, back off, you guys! Haven't you heard of personal space?!" Manic yelled. "Mina and Rara are here to just have a nice drink! They can sign your...whatever later!" AppleJack added. Unfortunately, what they said fell on deaf ears as the crowd got even closer, much to their dismay. Sonic put his hand on his face while Adagio raised an eyebrow. "Yeesh. This does not look good." Sonic observed. "So, any ideas, Blue?" Adagio asked as Sonic gave her a quick smirk. "As a matter of fact, yeah." Suddenly, a large gust of wind was blown throughout the shop as blue bur passed through it, much to the mob's shock. When the wind died down, Coloratura and Mina had vanished along with Sonic, Manic, AppleJack, and Adagio as the crowd was stumped as they blinked and began looking around frantically. Mrs.Cake slowly rose up from her counter to see some money placed on it. Back at CHS, a blue blur appeared in front of it, revealing the entire group and Sonic shortly after. Coloratura seemed astonished over what just happened as she stared out with her jaw open while Mina seemed giddy. Adagio's hair was now slightly frizzy as AppleJack adjusted her hat and Manic rolled his eyes. Sonic then turned to face them as he dusted his hands. "There, problem solved." He said. "Show off. I could've done that." Manic grumbled. "So why didn't you?" Sonic teased as Manic grumbled even more. "Oh my gosh, I forgot how much I missed that!" Mina gushed. "Sonic, again, please let us know when yer goin' to do that." AppleJack said before she turned to Coloratura, who still had the same look of disbelief. "How you holdin' up, Rara?" Coloratura shook her head and fixed her hair. "Wow...we were just there and now we're here...so quickly...what just..." She said in a small voice as Mina gripped her hands. "Don't worry about it. It was just Sonic. He's the fastest thing alive." Mina explained as Coloratura turned to Sonic, who nodded to confirm this. "He's...fast." Is all she could say before she regained her composure and sighed. "Though I guess that means its the end of our tour then." "Sorry about that. I guess we lost track of time." AppleJack said. "It's ok. We more or less saw the whole city and it was great to catch up with you guys and get to know others." Mina said as she turned to Adagio, who smiled after she got her hair back to normal. "At this time now, we should head back to our hotels to get ready for the concert. I'm so pumped and hope to see you guys there." Coloratura expressed. "Oh, but not as much as we are." Adagio stated in a cryptic tone. "After today, I can't wait for it to start." "Since you two are still out in the open, Manic and I will take you back to get ready." Sonic offered as Coloratura looked a little uneasy though Mina gave her a reassuring look. "You get used to it." She said. "Ah guess Adagio and I will tell the others get ready and meet us up at the concert." AppleJack said. "That sounds great. But I'll head home first, need a little rest after being out for so long. I'll catch up, don't worry. Adagio replied. "Then it's settled. We'll see you guys later then." Sonic answered as he took Coloratura's hand as Manic took Mina's. Before he could dash off, Adagio spoke up. "Oh and Sonic. Thanks." She told him, causing him to chuckle slightly. "Don't mention it." He answered before he and Manic dashed off with the two singers. "Well, Ah'll see ya around Adagio." AppleJack told the siren before she headed off in her own direction, leaving Adagio alone. Due to this, she didn't notice the ambitious grin Adagio made after she was gone. Later, it was early in the evening. By this time, most of the city's citizens were leaving their homes as they went off to the concert, which was supposed to be starting in around one hour as they filled the streets. Meanwhile, as this was happening, Adagio was discretely walking through the streets in the heart of the city, trying not to be seen. While everyone else appeared to be heading towards the main spectacle, it seemed she was headed in the opposite direction. "That tour was useful. It let me remember where I need to go." She said to herself as she continued to walk along her path. After walking for a few blocks, Adagio then found herself in front of Tails' house, a medium sized yellow building. The lights were off, indicating that no one was home. She smirked as she saw this. "Perfect." She said as she walked ahead. "Looks like he's already left for the concert." Adagio got closer to the house before she walked past it. Behind, she noticed Tails' workshop in front of her. "Bingo." Adagio muttered under breath as she began to approach it. As she did, she noticed the large garage door with the two fox tails symbol was in her way. She looked up at it with indifference. "It's a good thing I anticipated this." Adagio stated as she took out a long wire from her pocket which had a small hook attached to it. Adagio went up to the garage door with the hook in her hand. She then stood on her tiptoes in order to reach the top as she slid the hook underneath, putting it on the other side. She then gripped the wire and moved it around a bit, trying to catch on to something. She did this for a bit before she felt she had snagged something as her eyes widened. "Got it!" She exclaimed. "Let's hope this works." Adagio then pulled the wire. As she did, she heard a latching sound and then some creaking. After this, the garage door then slowly began to open, much to her delight before the entrance was wide in front of her. "I can't believe that actually worked. Sometimes what Aria watches isn't so useless after all." She commented as she entered the workshop. Adagio took a look around Tail's place, which was mostly clean with a few mechanical inventions around. She then put her hand on her chin. "Now then, if I was a super-powerful gem, where would I be?" She thought loud. She then looked at the shelf in the back, which caught her interest. Adagio moved to the back of the room and started to examine the shelf, which appeared to be empty as she tapped her chin. Then, she noticed something that stood out to her. She saw the middle platform seemed to be leaning a bit more downwards than the others. Adagio placed her hand and then moved it all the way down. Doing this caused her to hear a mechanical noise and the shelf started to slide out of the way to the side. When it was done, she saw a large safe right in front of her as she grinned. "That was easier than I thought." She said as she knelt down in front of it. She then formed a mildly annoyed look as she saw that the case had a blank digital bar and to the right of it, a keypad full of letters. "A password. That's just great." She groaned. "How am I supposed to guess what that is?" Adagio then turned around at the lab to see if there was anything that could give her a clue on what a password might be. She examined the room on the left first before she moved her way to the right. So far, she didn't have much luck. As she continued to look on, her eyes landed on the computer at Tails's desk. She noticed written underneath it was 'property of Miles Prower.' Adagio then looked back at the blank label on the safe. It seemed as if though it needed 3 letters. "Miles Prower...."The cunning siren pondered for a bit before she put two and two together as her eyes widened. She then walked towards the safe and knelt down once more. On the keypad, she pressed the letters M, P and H in that order. After she did, she heard a beeping sound as the safe door slightly opened. "I gotta give the kids prop, that's a little clever. But it's not clever enough to outwit me." Adagio boasted before she reached and opened the door fully. After she did, Adagio saw a bright light emerge from the safe as she began to look on in awe. In front of her was a purple Chaos Emerald. It shone brightly as the glimmer was reflected in her eyes. The sight was breathtaking. "Oh my....this jewel might be even more beautiful than my pendant." She said as she took the emerald in her hand and examined it further. "Well, my job is done. I better inform Naugus."She said as she used her other hand to reach into her pocket to pull out her magic ring. "Naugus, come in, Naugus." Adagio called, though there was no response, causing her to put her hands on her hips. "Come on!" She yelled in an exasperated manner. "You sure sound impatient." Sonic's voice said, startling Adagio as she gasped.