Bonus Chapter III: Holding Your Hand
Author’s Notes: Hello, everyone! Everybody might be a little confused to see that this story is being updated once again. As you all can see, this is the third bonus chapter to Adagio’s original journey~ What is the reason this time? The last time I made bonus chapters, they were specifically made for Mon’s birthday. There has to be a special occasion this time, right? Well, as a matter of fact, it is a special day today~ Today makes it a full year since I started writing this story! I know I only uploaded the first few chapters in December of 2021, but I started writing this back during October 15th of 2021. So, to celebrate this special day, I decided to make one last bonus chapter for this story~! Yes, this is seriously the last chapter I will upload for A Dazzling World. It’s seriously emotional for me to be celebrating this anniversary of mine and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! With the sequels to this story quickly approaching, it’s hard for me to believe I’m still writing this Sundagio fluff~ But hey, I love every second of it~ Anyway, this bonus chapter takes place shortly after the final chapter titled Show Your True Colors! Basically, think of this chapter as an extension to the epilogue, adding a little more detail to what happens exactly afterward. It will primarily deal with Sunset and Adagio after our siren forced herself to stay away from Sunset and what that entails as well as truly setting up A Shimmering Heartbreak, since I kind of feel like I jumped straight into that story without much setup. Once again, a giant thank you to everyone who has supported this story along the way and I couldn’t have done this without you~ I still have lots of stories I want to tell and the fact that I still get all this support for a relatively small Equestria Girls narrative makes me really happy~ Have a great day, everyone! I hope to see y’all again sometime soon~
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Slowly, I bring the fork to my mouth, almost hesitant to actually eat the bite of cherry cheesecake. It’s been so long since I’ve had this treat… A part of me almost feels like I don’t deserve it. Just like the woman in front of me… Sunset’s eyes are just as beautiful as ever, her gaze locking with mine and once again sharing a warm smile. To think that the two of us were just on the beach a little bit ago makes me feel butterflies in my stomach. She actually said that she loves me too… I isolated myself to try and give her a better time without me, but… the whole time, she missed me too. Taking the bite into my mouth, I savor the taste as much as I can. I don’t know when I will have the chance to eat this again, so might as well enjoy it as long as possible. The sweet taste of the cherries mixing with the cream makes it feel like a piece of heaven. I’m not even sure if heaven exists, but if it does, then it surely can’t get better than this. Eating my favorite treat and being with her.
“You act like you haven’t eaten that in years,” Sunset teases me with a small giggle, her eyes still holding the same dreamy look she’s had ever since we left the beach.
“Well, the last time I ate this was a year and a half ago. I haven’t exactly… had the money to spend on something like this.” Sunset’s eyes widen upon hearing my words, her smile disappearing for a moment. I don’t want that smile to go away…
“Oh? I’m sorry. If I had known, I would have treated you a while ago,” Sunset whispers with a guilty expression, making me reach my hand over to hers.
“It wasn’t your obligation, really. Besides, this is really nice. Spending time with you again.” Looking down at our hands, my cheeks instantly flush, realizing I had grabbed her hand once again. It’s… alright. Isn’t it? I mean, the two of us just confessed to each other, and that’s what couples do. Right…? Are we a couple…? Bringing my hand away from hers, I try my best to get rid of this damn blush, but it fails when I see her smile once again. “I-I um… Sunset? Can I… ask you a question?” I say slowly, keeping my eyes on the cherry cheesecake in front of me.
“Of course, Alligator~” she whispers, making electricity race down my spine. She… just called me Alligator? I… know she used that as a teasing nickname before, but… now it almost feels affectionate. If I was called some animal name by anyone else, I would promptly snap at them, but with her? It’s alright. I like it…
“What… are we? At this point, I mean.” After my stunt trying to avoid Sunset and everyone else in my life, I’m not exactly sure if I can necessarily make it up to her. If anything, my question is asking her where we go from here. It would honestly hurt my heart if she doesn’t want us to pursue whatever this is, but I would understand… I just… I don't want to miss out on the moments we can have together. The times her genuine smile shines through everything else and makes my heart flutter even more. I’m tired of asking why reality made me fall in love with someone so perfect. At this point, I just want to know where we go next. Is there a “we?”
“To be honest, I was thinking the exact same thing,” Sunset whispers, looking out the window with a complicated expression. “We can’t really go back to being friends. That much is obvious.” A big part of me instantly feels a wave of guilt wash over me after she says that. I’m mostly to blame for this situation, aren’t I? I don’t know… Did I cause her to fall in love with me? I’m not even sure where we go from here, so if I ended up damaging our relationship beyond repair, I… don’t know what I will do. I just… don’t want to lose her again. Without fail, she always brightens my day and makes me feel like I’m worth something. Her smile makes me feel so much better and her touch always leaves me paralyzed with a smile stuck on my face.
“I’m sorry… For avoiding you for so long.” Sunset’s eyes look towards me again with a concerned expression.
“No, Adagio. Really, it’s fine. As long as you don’t do that to me again, it’s fine. I just don’t want to miss out on your life again, you know?” she asks me with a slight tilt of her head, trying to reassure me. “Do you… want to be with me? I… I wouldn’t mind starting a relationship with you if you don’t mind?” My heart flutters once more, my cheeks instantly flushing to her question. She wants… to be with me? To be in a relationship with a previous siren?
“I would love that,” I whisper in response, barely finding the strength to speak from the knot in my throat. The thought of being in a relationship with the person who makes me smile every day is like heaven itself… Every day we spend together is a special memory and I can’t help but feel attached to her. The woman who used to be my enemy is now the person I don’t want to live without. Is it… really alright for me to feel this happy? To be with her and deserve it? Have I really made up for the actions I’ve done in the past? Looking into her eyes, it feels like I have. It feels like… I’m truly a different person. Someone worthy of her love.
“I would love that too~” Sunset tells me with a dreamy smile, seemingly just as happy as me. Taking a bite of her chocolate mousse, Sunset giggles slightly, bringing her hand to my cheek slowly. “So, I guess that makes us girlfriends~ Sorry not sorry, Adagio~ You’re stuck with me~” I wonder if I will ever get used to her teasing. No matter what, she always finds a way to make me blush or smile uncontrollably. Trying to hide my embarrassment by eating my cheesecake, I can’t help but miss her touch already, wishing we could be watching a movie once more. Those nights were… the best. Hopefully, this means we can have a lot more movie nights in the future.
“Sunset?” I slowly ask, feeling the urge to touch her one more time… The first time we kissed was just a few hours ago on the beach… Ever since then, I haven’t felt her lips against mine and… I want to. Is it wrong of me to want to kiss her again? I love you, Sunset… “Can I… kiss you?” For one of the first times ever, Sunset has a genuine blush come over her face, shocked to hear my question with embarrassment washing over her. Her hand comes up to her lips slowly, trying to think of an answer before leaning in slowly.
“You… don’t have to ask, Alligator,” she whispers in response, putting her hands on the table to lean far enough forward. Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes and close the distance between us, feeling her soft lips against mine. My heart beats so fast and I feel dizzy. It’s like the world is spinning around us, just from this one kiss. I… I’m so happy. I get to be with her and she loves me too. Everything may be a mess, but… I’m sure we can figure it out. Please. Never let this feeling end.
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Tapping my finger on my desk, I look at the clock with a raised eyebrow. Whenever it comes to late appointments, I can’t help but feel annoyed. Today is no exception. All I want to do is get done with work and see Sunset again, but unfortunately, time won’t move forward just for me. So, I’m left counting the seconds. The worst part is that I never know when a late appointment will come in, meaning I probably shouldn’t use my phone to alleviate some of my boredom. The optimal word here is “probably.”
Pulling my phone out of my pocket slowly, I look at my background, a smile coming to my face immediately. I changed it back to the picture of Sunset sleeping on my shoulder. How could I not…? It’s one of my most treasured memories and keeping it as my background is pretty fitting. Tapping the text icon, I navigate to Sunset’s contact easily, rereading some of our most recent messages. “Hey, Sunset,” I type into the message box, briefly thinking about calling her my girlfriend. It’s surprising that I can actually say that… Sunset and I are in a relationship… No matter how much I think about that, it never gets any less surprising. “Are you doing alright?” Even after getting together, my mind still can’t seem to stop being clingy. It’s not necessarily weird for me to text her since we do it on a daily basis, but my insecurities keep telling me that I’m doing way too much. That I’m moving too fast…
My phone buzzes in my hand, revealing a text. How does she text me back so fast…? She can’t always be on her phone or taking a lunch break, right? “Just missing you~ Are we still on to go to the golf course later today?” Sunset’s text asks me with a couple of heart emojis. Clearly, Sunset is more used to relationships than I am, but I’m trying to get in the hang of it. I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to say half the time. Should I just act like I have been with her? Or should I act differently? I suppose I just have to act like myself. That’s the problem though. When I’m with her, I often get tongue-tied and forget what I would say or do normally.
“Yeah, we are. It’s minigolf, right? Where is it exactly?” I ask her curiously, trying to keep her attention for as long as possible. I don’t want to be left alone with this boring day again.
“It’s over by the water park. Trust me, you will like it~ There are a lot of prizes you can win too! I just wish we could play with my friends and all.” Without fail, her text makes my smile disappear, my insecurities latching onto the words just as soon as I read them. It’s my fault that Sunset isn’t really talking to her friends right now. Why does life have to be so confusing? One moment, I’m so happy that I get to be with someone I love so much and the next? I’m regretting getting involved in her life due to my impact on her and her friends. Apple Bloom isn’t able to talk to me due to her sister’s views of me… But… Everything will be alright. It has to, right? “We can get some cheesecake afterward too if you want? I’ve been saving up some money just to treat us~” Sunset texts me, seemingly excited to hang out with me.
“Why do you want to treat us?” I ask her hesitantly, curious about my Summer Mist’s motives.
“Well~” Sunset texts as a response, waiting a moment before typing again. “I wanted to celebrate~ You know, that we’re in a relationship now~” Raising my eyebrow slightly, I can’t help but chuckle at Sunset’s message, typing in my own response.
“Well, I… am really happy that we’re together. I assume this means you’re glad too?” What am I even saying? Of course this means she’s happy too. Right? Why wasn’t I told that the first few weeks of a relationship are rattling like this? I second guess everything I do. Then again, siren culture was a lot more individualistic in terms of relationships. They focused on what a relationship could gain them rather than love. I… I’m happy that I get to be with the one I love.
“Of course I’m happy! I admit that I never really thought I would fall in love with you, but life is full of surprises~ I’m really excited for tonight~” I’ve never played minigolf before, but honestly, I’m excited too. At least I get to spend time with Sunset and find out the rules of a new game.
“I can’t wait~”
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Even though minigolf is a supposedly family-friendly game, I’ve already seen multiple dads get mad at each other for “cheating.” I’m not even sure what qualifies as cheating in this game, but some people swear up and down that someone cheated, even if they were going by the official course. The moms of these groups often looked embarrassed about these outbursts and tried to distract the children. In this instance, I’m glad it’s just Sunset and I playing together. She wouldn’t really classify something as cheating as long as no one gets hurt.
I’m also pretty surprised just how colorful everything is. Bright blues, greens, and reds litter the minigolf property. Sugary treats and drinks are offered at every corner and prizes are everywhere. There are even minigames that don’t involve golf. It’s almost like an amusement park, but the main theme is minigolf. Is it wrong of me to feel a bit confused? This place even offered clubs and balls with different color options. It didn’t take us long to pick our golf clubs, but the balls? That is a different story. I chose a red ball after Sunset’s hair, but she has been taking her sweet time picking what ball she wants. Every single one she picks up, she presses it against my cheek. I don’t know why she does it, but it’s sorta… cute? Annoying, but cute.
“What are you doing?” I finally ask her, feeling another cold ball pressed against my cheek. One of her eyes close, sticking her tongue out slowly. Her expression tells me she’s really concentrating on the ball.
“Well, I want to be accurate~” she tells me with a whisper, handing me one of the balls. “Possible. Hold this for me, will you?” Within a second, Sunset picks up another yellow ball, pressing it against my cheek.
“Accurate? What do you mean?” I ask her with a raised eyebrow. Honestly, Sunset’s antics sometimes never make sense, but the fact that she usually does them out of love and consideration makes it worth it. Usually… My new girlfriend has taken so long to pick her ball that multiple groups of people have come in later than us and have already made their way to the courses. Hell, one group actually came back and left in the time she has taken. Then again, that could be because they don’t like this particular place, but still.
“Accurate to my alligator,” she tells me in a calm voice as if it’s completely normal. Her normally warm smile and bubbly demeanor aren’t anywhere to be seen as her eyes concentrate on each ball and my cheek. To see such a determined glance glued to me makes me feel… nervous. But it’s not necessarily a bad feeling either. Do I… like it?
“Accurate to me? You’re trying to get a ball with my exact skin tone?” I say with a chuckle, partly due to my nervousness, but mostly because I found the idea a little insane. It really depends on the lighting. Yet she still persists. She always does. Never afraid to be herself and do what she wants to do. I suppose, in a way, she’s done letting people persuade her attitude. She told me that’s what happened when she came here… Afraid of not fitting in, she became a bully, complimenting her need to belong and her want for power. She left that behind though… Now, she’s a shining star in my life, doing whatever she wishes and still being as beautiful as ever.
Pressing a ball against my cheek, a smile appears on her face, nodding excitedly. “Yep~ This is the one!” she says before grabbing the ball from my hand and putting it back on the counter. The clerk who gave her all these balls looks just as confused as me, but Sunset grabs my arm and drags me out towards the courses. The newly spring weather feels great, making me enjoy Sunset’s decision to come here. Of course, Sunset had to pay, but I promised to pay her back once I get the money. “Do you want to go first?” Sunset asks me with a wide smile, my cheeks once again betraying me. I know absolutely nothing about minigolf, so the idea of going first is mortifying. I would prefer to not embarrass myself in front of the love of my life.
“I don’t really think so,” I whisper, looking away from Sunset as we make it to the first hole. This course isn’t really that special. It’s just a five foot long grass path with a hole at the end, making it an easy beginner course.
“Aw, come on~ I think you can do it!” Sunset encourages me, looking at the hole. “It’s pretty easy. If you want, I could show you what stance to use?” What stance to use? What does she mean? You just hit the ball with your club. Right? God, Adagio. You don’t know anything… Great way to impress Sunset.
Then again, I don’t need to impress her anymore, right? I mean, we’re in a relationship now, but… it feels nice to look good in her eyes. “Sure, I wouldn’t mind,” I momentarily let go of my pride, accepting her offer to help me. Putting my ball down on the tee, Sunset guides me to stand on the side of it with my shoulder aiming the hole.
“Now grab the club with both hands, one in front of the other.” After trying to do what she said, a small frown appears, causing her to shake her head. “Not like that. Put your left hand a little farther down and widen your stance.” What in the hell does “widen my stance” mean? Put my hand further down the club? Down meaning towards the club’s head, right? Why does this have to be so confusing? I’ve never played minigolf before, but it shouldn’t be that difficult. It’s just a game where you hit a ball into a hole. “Here, let me show you.” Standing up, I prepare to leave my position so that Sunset can give me a demonstration, but she stops me in my tracks, stepping behind me. “Okay, you should spread your knees a little more first,” Sunset tells me, pressing her body against mine to guide me in my stance. Once again, I can feel my cheeks betray me. It’s not new to me to be this close to Sunset. We’ve cuddled before, but it’s not like I’m used to it by now. Forcing me to bend slightly, Sunset moves her hands from my hips to my arms, moving to my hands to show me where I should grip the club. “That’s it~ This is the pose you should try to achieve whenever you play golf, alright?” she tells me in her sweetest voice, her soft hands holding my own. Even though my body remains steady, I can’t help but feel nervous at her touch, my mind wanting to hug her or cuddle. This… isn’t so bad. “And… gently raise the club to the right,” she instructs me by helping me move the club in the air, a breeze blowing through my hair. “And move it back to the ball~” Sliding the club through the air, both of us hit the ball with a medium amount of force, causing it to roll down the fake grass. The ball quickly makes it down the pathway, running into no resistance. Gradually, it slows down as it gets close to the hole, stopping right on the edge of the hole.
“So close,” I whisper, stepping away from the tee to give Sunset a turn.
“Don’t give up hope so soon~” Sunset tells me with a wink, putting her ball down on the tee. Within a moment, Sunset gets into the position she just taught me, showing that she’s clearly played this game before. Looking at the hole with a critical eye, Sunset moves her club to the right before hitting her ball with a little more power than my stroke. With ease, the ball moves down the pathway, colliding with my ball and subsequently pushing both balls into the hole. She can do that…? That isn’t some rule breaker? Locking her eyes with mine once more, she simply sticks her tongue out before walking up to me, rubbing my shoulder. “The game’s not over as soon as you think it is~” This game… is pretty fun. I don’t remember how many holes there are, but… I’m sure it’ll be fun as long as we do them together~
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Opening the door to Sunset’s apartment, both of us quickly make our way inside, turning the light on. Despite the fact that it’s now spring, the nights are still pretty chilly. “What do you mean you won?” Sunset giggles, continuing our conversation with ease. “I scored less than you!”
“True, but today’s opposite day, so I win by having the most points~” I tease Sunset with a smile, causing her to make a confused face.
“Eh? Very funny, Adagio,” she tells me while rolling her eyes, amused with my joke. Turning around, Sunset takes off her shoes, yawning slightly. Walking up behind her, I help her take off her jacket, hanging it on the rack.
“Besides. I got to have my first golfing experience with you,” I whisper, feeling her jacket gently. It’s true. I feel like I’ve won simply because I got to have fun with her. I got to spend this time with her and learn more of what it’s like to be in a relationship. To call her… mine. Looking back at Sunset, I see a bright blush come over her face, nervously covering one of her cheeks.
“It really meant that much to you?” she asks me with a surprised expression. Considering that the two of us are pretty early in our relationship, yeah, it did mean a lot. It showed me that we were actually compatible. That these feelings of love weren’t just some false expectation of my mind. They’re real… I really love her and she… really loves me~ Walking over to Sunset, I nod slowly, her hand cupping my cheek.
“I was… scared. Whether we would work out in a relationship and all.” As hard as I may try, I can’t keep eye contact with her, looking towards the floor as a blush comes to my cheeks again. “When I confessed to you, I wasn’t sure if we would work out. If we should take it to this level since… we had such a good thing as friends, you know?” I was scared of ruining our friendship… Even though I had already forced myself to stay away from her, it was still scary to actually commit to a relationship. Is that normal? To feel scared that it might ruin anything good you once had? Sunset’s soft touch reminds me how she’s here for me. I never want to lose that… Today was a confirmation that we can work as a couple. Nothing’s been lost. If anything, we’ve gained something, right? If we can still have this much fun as a couple, then nothing is lost.
“To be honest, I was thinking the same thing, but spending time with you today proved that I still love every second with you,” Sunset tells me as gently as possible, a dreamy look in her eyes. Rubbing my cheek with her thumb, she simply smiles at me, communicating her feelings easily. “It’s… so easy these days. To ruin good things with miscommunications and experimentation. Sometimes, you have to ask, ‘why bother?’” Bringing her face closer to mine, I can feel her soft breath on my lips, causing a shock of electricity to travel down my spine. “I’m glad to say that we work~ That every second is still just as fun as the last~” she whispers, pulling me towards her passionately. Within a second, the distance between us is closed, feeling my lips pressed against hers. Every time she had kissed my forehead or cheek in the past, it felt like pure magic that was even more powerful than the kind I used to chase after. When our lips lock, it feels like… heaven. A heaven I should have no right to access. I’ve terrorized so many people in my long life. What makes me deserve this heaven on Earth? Sunset clearly sees some good in me. I’m… really glad. I’m happy that I get to have these moments with her. I love her so much… She doesn’t judge me for my past, even when I hurt her. She takes me for who I am now, rather than holding a grudge. It’s more than I deserve, yet I don’t want to live without her.
Breaking our embrace, Sunset locks her eyes with me once more, wrapping her arms around me. In the couple weeks we’ve been in a relationship, I’ve constantly worried whether or not I would do something to make her think this was a mistake. Dating a previous siren can’t be easy, right? But after today, I feel… confident? Confident that Sunset and I can make it together. If we just try hard enough, we can have a happy relationship, right? All I want to do is make her happy. “Sunset, I… really love you,” I whisper as if someone else can hear us, despite the lack of an audience. Sunset giggles slightly to my statement, rubbing her nose against mine before sighing happily.
“I really love you too, Adagio~” she tells me quietly, giving me another kiss slowly. The two of us stand in silence for a while, letting my emotions wash over me. I never believed actual love could be achievable for a siren. It seemed more like a ruse to get away from my true purpose. Power. Spending time in this world, losing Aria and Sonata, my magic and even my happiness… It’s all proven to me that love can exist in my life. That I can be happy. She proved that to me. Along with the help of a couple friends. Sunset’s hands cup my cheeks again, her dreamy look still persisting. “I’m pretty tired, Adagio~” she tells me quietly, sounding like she doesn’t want to see me go.
“If you’re tired, I should probably let you sleep then~” I whisper, kissing her forehead in return for the multiple times she’s done it to me. Letting her go, I feel surprised when Sunset won’t let me go, holding me just as tightly against her as normal. I hate saying goodbye too… It’s probably my least favorite time whenever I get to see Sunset. Her eyes look into mine with a pleading tone in them. It’s so hard to refuse her when she looks like this… It’s something she used against me a lot when I was injured and she convinced me to let her take care of me.
“Please. Stay,” Sunset whispers, not breaking eye contact with me. “It’s cold outside. And dark. I don’t want you to go,” she explains to me quietly, making me melt under her warm smile. For some reason, I don’t believe the main reason she wants me to stay is because of the cold. I… want to spend more time with her too.
“Okay,” I respond, feeling her hand grab mine as gently as she can. Pulling me towards her bedroom, I can already tell what’s going to play out. We’ve only slept in the same bed once before… Cuddling is not new to us, but this pretty much is. The nights can get pretty lonely and I think both of us know that. Just wishing to be beside her… Opening her door in front of us, she makes sure to close it once we get inside. Taking off my boots, another yawn comes to Sunset, making me admire just how cute she is once more.
“What?” she asks me quietly, rubbing her eyes a little bit before walking towards the bed.
“You’re just cute,” I respond, taking my jacket off. Sunset looks at me with a raised eyebrow, chuckling slightly.
“You’re the cute one~ You didn’t even know how to play minigolf until I helped you~” she teases me, still looking pretty tired.
“And you’re a great teacher~ But you’re a better girlfriend~” I wink at Sunset, walking over to the opposite side of the bed. Sunset simply giggles at my response, getting under the covers before me. Once she gets settled, Sunset looks towards me with the same warm smile I fell in love with.
“Well? Are we going to cuddle or not?” she asks me with another heavy yawn, blinking a couple times to try and stay awake from it. Giggling, I slip under the covers beside her, sighing from the heat. Taking a deep breath, it takes me a moment to actually get the courage to get closer to her. Even though we’ve done this before, it’s still not “normal” to me. Getting closer to her, I hesitantly wrap my arm around Sunset’s body, feeling her warmth. Wrapping my leg around her, I slowly rest my head on her chest. For some reason, hearing her breaths calms me down quite a bit. It feels really nice to cuddle her like this. It feels reassuring, calming… and loving. The warmth of her body and her love is enough to make me stay here forever. Wrapping her arms around me, Sunset sighs happily, seemingly enjoying this just as much as I do. “Thank you for staying, Adagio~ I… really love this. Being near you and all,” she whispers, sharing her feelings. Honestly, not having her on the other side of the bed is lonely… I love this too. Being able to wake up to her, not being alone while I sleep. It’s… really nice. I wouldn’t give it up for anything else.
“I love you so much, Sunset,” I whisper back to her, enjoying the warmth I can feel. Even though I wasn’t as tired as she was, my eyes already feel heavy. Maybe this is my body’s way of telling me that I want to sleep here just as much as she does. That I want to hold onto her until I can finally fall asleep. This… is my new home. Not Equestria. She is my new home. The one I love.
“I love you so much too, Adagio,” she tells me before kissing my forehead, holding me close to her body. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and try to enjoy this for as long as I can. “Goodnight~”