True to Luna’s warning, Princess Celestia did not linger after bringing her twin to the ground. Her slow glide and warm whispers recovered the woman’s frayed nerves, and upon landing she produced a mug of hot tea from some aether. Principal Celestia sipped it slowly, with a downy wing embracing her shoulder. They landed next to a rural highway – grass was cold beneath her toes, yet the alicorn’s presence made all else pleasantly warm.
The drink was good, too. Some Equestrian blend, the taste of which worked wonders to set Celestia at ease.
Princess Celestia waited until the first contended sigh left the human’s lips before speaking. “I am sorry, but I must go aid the others and you are not in any condition to fight. What do you need before I leave?”
Sane thinking had returned, although Principal Celestia remained jittery and spent. She looked around, lips tightening around another sip of the lovely brew. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s dark, I don’t know how to get home, and I can’t hike it without shoes. I need a ride.”
Distant lights and engines announced the presence of vehicles. The princess beamed, sliding her wing from the shoulder and using the movement to dotingly tickle Celestia’s chin. “Of course. One moment.”
Smiling pleasantly, Princess Celestia strode out onto the asphalt road. She turned to the approaching lights, and as her twin screamed a warning her horn glowed yellow.
Upright and with the tea now flung to the ground, it took Principal Celestia a few seconds for her mind to outpace her panic. She blinked three times, and with the third, saw two motorcycles and riders encased with magic, held perfectly still before the princess.
Silence and stillness reigned, broken only by the faint wobble of Celestia’s spell. She spread wings, looming regally despite her friendly tone. “Greetings, humans. I am Princess Celestia, from the magical land of Equestria. I go now to battle evil which threatens your world, and I humbly beseech you to use your motorized scooters to take this woman to her home.”
Both riders wore tinted biking helmets, hiding their expressions as they looked up to the mighty alicorn. Hesitantly, still encased in her aura, one slowly raised the arm of his spiked black jacket in a wave. “S...sure?”
“Excellent, thank you so much.” Celestia released her hold, sending the bikers wobbling for balance. She turned to her twin and gave a rapid nod. “Then it is settled. We shall meet again soon, I promise.”
“But...” four different ideas tried to claw from Principal Celestia’s mouth at once, leaving her stammering as the princess swiftly winged away. She finished lamely, “How do you know I can trust them?”
She shivered. Even colder than before out here. In the bikini, at night. Alone with two bikers.
Celestia tensed as they dismounted their rides. One was slim and short, and she could see in the moonlight their jacket was blue instead of black. The other stood nearly a full two meters tall, and seemed half as broad. Beefy arms thicker than Celestia’s thighs reached up to pull off his helmet.
The smaller one had already done so, revealing a sky-blue young woman with a shock of purple hair, smirking broadly. “Yeah, Dad. How does she know she can trust you?”
The huge man slung his helmet under one arm, revealing a square, dark blue face with slate-gray sideburns and hair. He too wore a cheeky grin, though aimed it as his daughter. “Because you, my little sugar lump fairy, will keep me in line.”
A growling blush overtook the girl’s smile. “This is why I can’t make friends with other bikers.” She chuckled grumpily, turning orange eyes to Celestia. “I go to a race or contest, and this doofus comes and shows off my baby pictures.”
“It’s because I’m so proud of you, Care Bear.”
“He isn’t nearly as bad in private.” The girl jerked a thumb to herself, then the other. “Anyway, I’m Ember, and this is–”
“Torch!” the giant declared, coming to attention as Celestia’s eyes fell on him.
“And I guess we’re your chauffeurs today,” Ember finished without a missed beat.
A trained smile emerged, shuddering in the cold. “I’m Celestia.”
She hesitated, but relief at the seeming good intentions of the pair made the truth flow easily. “And I’m sorry about this. She doesn’t know much about our world. She just came over for the fight.”
“Oh yeah, we saw you guys!” Torch took an enthused stomp forwards, but Celestia shied back and he retracted it. “Shame that big guy didn’t show up on our cameras, would’ve made a cool screensaver. Stupid demi-gods. Wait, speaking of which...”
He turned and began fussing with his bike, leaving Ember to continue. “Lucky for you and the white horse lady, We’re kind of in ‘the business’ part-time. Couple undead biker gangs and literal speed demons sometimes come by, needing a trip to Crashtown.”
Celestia gave a light chuckle. “That would explain why you’re not screaming.”
“Yeah, and it’s about to get extra important right now.”
A gunshot boomed before Celestia could ask, sending her into a jump. She saw Torch looking past her with a smoking sawed-off in hand, then turned to find a shredded zombie twitching on the ground.
“Figured this might happen.” Torch stowed the weapon – pistol-sized to his massive frame – and went on as though nothing happened. “Rise of a great evil puts all sorts of bad vibes in the air. Doesn’t look like anything major, but we’re gonna be policing graveyards for weeks.”
“I suppose we will too,” Celestia said. “I, um, have what I guess you could call a full-time group. Same with...”
She paused, quietly marveling at how easily the admission came. “Same with my daughter, Sunshine.”
Another laugh emerged as she caught herself and explained. “Her name’s Sunset Shimmer. Sunshine is just… you know.”
Torch chortled. His grin caught Celestia, and she offered a bright one in return.
Ember rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes. We know.”
She glanced to her father, then looked Celestia up and down. “You’re a bit out of season, there. We should get you a coat.”
Celestia nodded. Torch nodded, too. Ember groaned and jabbed an elbow in his ribs. “You. Should. Get her a coat.”
Celestia hid her laugh with one polite hand as Torch trundled up to her, slipping out of his leather jacket. The sleeveless black shirt beneath wasn’t great for the weather, but he had plenty of muscle to make up the difference.
She stole a look as he handed off the jacket. Fair was fair – so did he. It fit her like an overcoat, draping to her knees and well past her hands. But it was plenty warm, and smelled of oil and gunpowder.
Mounting the bike behind Torch, Celestia pondered. There was a… little factoid to note, certainly. The wrong, but natural assumption a mother would be romantically unavailable surely confused things, and the same went for a father. How could she discreetly let drop that she was single?
Torch called out awkwardly as she wrapped arms around his broad chest. “I’m single.”
A laugh came from behind. “Real smooth, Dad.”
“Me too,” Celestia said quietly. Then, “My sister lives with me. That won’t change.”
“Baby Boo over there still hasn’t moved out.”
“Dad!”
Celestia went on. The right thing to do. “I have… a history. I’m a little crazy.”
“Same with everyone in the business.” Torch’s heavy shoulders gave a shrug. “We can talk later, but uh… wanna tour the graveyards tomorrow? Blast some zombies, stop for lunch, then play it by ear?”
“I broke some ribs back there. I’ll be laid up.”
Celestia bit hard on a lip, hating that it sounded like an excuse. “But… I’ll give you my number when we get home. Call me.”
A nod came in response. Ember waggled her eyebrows at Celestia before donning her helmet. The bikers twisted keys, gunning their engines to life, and took off down the darkened road.
The hunters waited at the stage for Princess Celestia’s arrival. When that came, and with all danger neutralized, they headed for the school to see the alicorns home. Sunset’s crew piled into their van, while the ponies magically seized their siren adversaries and held them to the air.
Applejack bristled as a blue glow fell around Adagio. “She ain’t no prisoner!”
“Let it go,” the yellow siren grumbled. “I have to make sure the idiot patrol doesn’t try any last-minute stunts. I’ll see you at the statue.”
The princesses took off, wards in tow. Sunset accepted Wallflower’s meek request for her to take the wheel, and they began to follow.
Somehow, the air of celebration did not last. The van was quieter than it should have been.
Sunset was tired. The quiet suited her, but she was the leader. “How are you guys?”
Wallflower spoke quickly, as though having waited for such a chance. “She put a knife to my throat. I know it all worked out, and I know it was just part of her scheme. It still hurts.”
Applejack reached back from the shotgun seat and gripped her shoulder. “Sleep on it. Heck, we all need to sleep on it. I don’t think the band battle, or Hailgrogar ghouls, or anything else we’ve been through went as rough as today.”
Twilight fiddled with her glasses. “I can’t remember what happened very well, but I remember enough. Discord somehow hypnotized me into summoning the second creature.”
“You okay?” Sunset ventured.
“Hm? Oh, yes.” Twilight waved her down. “It’s a problem that I can be affected like that. Problems beget solutions. I shall find a preventative or curative measure, and we will be that much stronger for it.”
She interrupted herself with an uproarious, undignified yawn. “Applejack is right. It’s been a long day, and sleep will help restore mental and physical fortitude. However, after that, I think a party is in order. We did just help stop the apocalypse.”
“Ha! You’re strumming my tune, girl.” Applejack grinned and pushed her jokingly, drawing cheers of approval from Sunset and even Wallflower. Silence returned, but a more companionable kind. Wallflower snuggled close to Twilight, half-dozing in the nighttime hour, while Applejack and Sunset exchanged glances and smiles that neither of them quite understood.
Sunset even turned on the radio…
“Mayor Ma’am issued a statement after consultation with the police chief, clarifying the events which occurred this evening. According to her sources, the Neo Dazzling concert degenerated into a riot at roughly the same time that light from Venus ignited swamp gas in the Everfree, causing difficulties in cell phone use and possible hallucinations for those exposed. She also clarified that all events have good, natural reasons behind them, and that monsters do not exist. These facts were verified in an emergency city council meeting, which agreed in a 14-0 vote that absolutely nothing outside of a minor civil disturbance occurred this evening. This radio host would like to thank the Canterlot Police Force for their quick response, preventing any serious–”
...And slapped it off. Applejack chuckled, sliding her hat down over her eyes.
It wasn’t until they reached Canterlot High that words came again, broached nervously by Wallflower. “What’s gonna happen to Adagio’s sisters?”
“Man, I dunno,” Sunset said. “We don’t usually have to deal with prisoners.”
Twilight shrugged unhappily. “Objectively, they did terrible things. Objectively, no court would convict them.”
She wheezed a sigh as the van pulled into a parking space. “Objectively, we have no idea if they’re actually sorry; objectively, they’re monsters who tried to kill or enslave us, and objectively, I am not okay with us doing anything lethal.”
“Then stow the gab,” Applejack said, pulling at her seat-belt. “Let’s gather ‘round and see what’s what.”
They piled out to find the Equestrians already present. Aria and Sonata stood passively by the center statue’s mirror, eyes and arms down. Adagio lingered a little further out, talking lowly with the princesses.
Princess Celestia smiled gently to the hunters, speaking with regal grace. “Greetings. In saving the sirens from the windigos, you stymied Tirek’s power and played a great part in his defeat. You, Sunset, went further by joining us in the final battle. I thank you all for taking these brave actions in the defense of your world.”
As if already knowing their fears, she gestured to the duo at the statue’s base. “Your friend Adagio gave a suggestion for their fates, and we accept it willingly. Equestria has a place for people such as them, made safe by the attention of vigilant and powerful ponies. Not a prison, but a school. They shall be placed there and tutored with the hope that they shall learn not just what they did wrong, but why. We, in turn, shall try to understand them. If all are willing to embrace these lessons of friendship, then I believe there will fast come a day when they may live among ponies in peace and freedom.”
Sonata rolled her eyes. Aria gave an irate huff.
There was work to do. Under Luna’s stern shepherding, the pair moved without a word and passed through the mirror.
They turned back on the other side – ponies, yet not. Fish-like gills were visible on their necks, while instead of hair, they had nigh-invisible scales from head to hoof.
Luna had passed in before them, and Celestia approached after. Yet the white princess paused as she drew near the portal.
A soft pink gaze cast itself backwards, and found its mark. “Coming, Adagio?”
“Yep.” Adagio walked forwards, but got no further than a step.
“Wait!” Four throats shouted the word, each girl tearing forwards to cluster around.
The siren avoided their eyes and snarled a groan. “And this is why I wanted to leave before you got here.”
“Adagio, what the hay!?” Sunset half-shrieked, releasing an Equestrian curse from some old instinct. “We got the key, stupid! We know you’re one of the good guys. Heck, we might not have won without you!”
Adagio shrunk from the praise, pain replacing annoyance on her face. She stepped back into Twilight – the girl tried to hug her, and she frantically shoved the arms aside. Another few steps of retreat carried her from the group, letting her face them all.
They waited, arrested by the strange desperation on her face. Adagio swiped quickly at her eyes and took a steadying breath, forcing herself into calm. “Stop, just stop. You don’t understand.”
She fixed her eyes on Wallflower, who quailed under the sudden attention. “It should be obvious. Wallflower, did you think at all about why I didn’t just ‘forget’ you by the elevator? If I was so great, I would’ve let you escape and sound the alarm. Or I could’ve come clean and set my sisters up for an ambush. No muss, no fuss, no Tirek.”
Another deep breath. Adagio continued with her eyes closed. “I betrayed you. I absolutely did. All of what happened there was the real me. I didn’t decide to… ‘stay good’ until the last minute. Seeing all of you tied up like that pushed me over the edge. I pussied out. I couldn’t let it end like that.”
She gave a shaky laugh, looking to them again while meeting no one’s gaze. “I was on the fence all week. But isn’t that terrible, to be ‘on the fence’ about betraying you? I’m a shit friend, and Equestria has a place where maybe I can learn to be a better one. If I stay…”
A second laugh came, closer to a gasp. “Let’s be real. And we can even forget all the siren stuff for a minute. I want to play good music, and I can do well with that in Equestria. But who on Earth hires violinists these days? If I stay I’ll just be a debt-drowned loser, pulling you down.”
“Hey, now. None of that.” Moisture hovered in Applejack’s crystal green eyes, though she kept it from her twang. “If all else fails, we got us a nice little guest room at the farm, and a guest bathroom to boot. Y’all can count on us for anything.”
“I know.” But Adagio’s voice was glum. “You guys are the best friends a dumb, greedy siren could ever have. Now it’s time for me to start being half as good to you.”
Shielding her eyes with her bangs, she made to walk through them. To the mirror. To Equestria.
They didn’t budge.
“You, uh...” strong peach hands closed around Adagio’s shoulders. She looked up to find Applejack smiling weakly at her. “You sure you’re done thinking about it? Ain’t nothing I can do to change your mind?”
Adagio blinked, eyes wide, before adopting a cooing leer. She moved her fingertips gently along the muscular arms. “Why AJ… are you offering to be my girlfriend if I stay?”
Applejack froze. Adagio made a disgusted noise and slunk backwards. “See? See how flippin’ instinctively I try to manipulate my own friends to get what I want?”
“Now wait a dag-nab minute,” Applejack snapped. “That ain’t nothing, Daj. It ain’t nothing at all. If you being a shameless flirt was a deal-breaker, don’t you think I would have said something somewhere around the two-hundredth time you were a shameless flirt? That’s who you are, and there ain’t nothing wrong with it. You’re sneaky and conniving and you ain’t much for personal space, but I’d rather keep all that with the package than lose you.”
“EXCUSE ME!”
They both startled and turned to the source. Wallflower blushed. “Sorry. That was, um, the fourth time I tried to get your attention.”
She cleared her throat, only managing to look to Adagio’s shoes. “I don’t want my last memory of you to be holding a knife at my neck. I want to make some new memories to let that fade.”
“Okay, time-out.” Adagio crossed her hands to form a ‘T,’ with some fragile snark returning to her voice. “It’s not like I’m dying or anything. I can come back for visits. And besides...”
She pointed past them, miming a finger-shot to her sisters. “Those idiots would be lost without me. Clearly.”
“You don’t have to share their mistakes.” Twilight folded her arms, glasses shining impassively in the moonlight. “Even if you go with them now, they’ll eventually need to function without you. The best time to learn is in a controlled setting.”
She hesitated, lowering her head a fraction of an inch. The lens flare ended, showing her eyes to be tired and careworn.
Twilight stepped out of the way, breaking the human blockade. “But… it’s your decision. We have to respect that, or it’s we who are the terrible friends.” She sniffed wetly, betraying her stoic expression. “For what it’s worth: we love you. And loving someone means loving their flaws, too.”
Adagio smirked. “You stole that from Mister Rodgers’ Neighborhood.”
“Correct,” Twilight said. “You made the right decision. You might have made it earlier. You might have been completely immune to temptation, which no human ever was. Whatever. You did well by us in the end, and to see you share the fate of the losers puts me in a lot of pain.”
“It’s not a jail!” Adagio cried, but Twilight was done. The girl remained standing to the side, hands clasped tightly behind her.
Adagio’s gaze bounced from the hole formed by Twilight’s retreat to the eyes of her friends.
She gave a small, weeping little smile, and said, “Thank you.”
She stepped through the breach. The others turned to watch, but none moved to stop her. Slushy snow marked her steps as she advanced to the mirror, now halfway between Princess Celestia and her friends.
A voice came from behind. “Adagio!”
Adagio did not grow frustrated or annoyed. This was too predictable for all that. Of course Sunset had something to say.
“Comes with being a leader,” Adagio mused as she turned back. Sunset approached, fumbling with her words before settling on a simple fact.
“You know my history.”
Not a question, and so Adagio remained silent as the girl went on. “I was bad. Real bad. ‘Conquer Equestria and kill my enemies’ bad. That’s sure as heck worse than what you did now.”
She gave a breathless chuckle. “If you ask me, you fit right in with us. Because Twilight and Wallflower did some really questionable stuff, too, and now we’re heroes. We didn’t shed our past by going to Equestria. We didn’t become better people because ponies told us to. We did it because we wanted to be better, and we met people willing to help show us the way.”
Sunset extended her hand. There was meaning in the gesture – an invitation for Adagio to take it and stay.
“I guess what I’m saying is, maybe you don’t need friendship lessons. You need friends.”