‘As if I'd accompany you anywhere.’
Isn’t that what she’d said to herself just a week ago? Adagio settled into a half-smile as she followed her usual route, Sunset Shimmer walking to the left beside her. She glanced sideways at Sunset and saw her admiring the colorful view of autumn leaves on the low foothills nearby.
Hmph. Who would have thought?
She shook her head, and her smile broadened. A light breeze rustled the girls' hair now and then as the midday sun did its best to hold back the chill in the air.
“Hmm.” Sunset broke the silence with the first words spoken since leaving the house. “What’s on your mind?”
“Contrasting,” Adagio replied after a few moments. “Here I am now, walking with you. Feeling thankful and, for the first time in my very long memory, genuinely happy… I think.” She sighed briefly. “Yet just a week ago today I was walking this same path while Aria and Sonata were out with you and the others. Feeling… empty, and angry, and tired. And just so done with everything.”
She closed her eyes and added, “And so alone.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she shrugged. “But then, that was how I wanted it. Even after all our years together, I still had no respect for those two. And then after what happened at the school, the thought of even standing this close to any of you, let alone talking about your rainbow-friendship bullshit was just… No.”
Adagio's expression hardened as she gripped her arms tighter. “I had to maintain my resolve. I wouldn’t let any of you have the satisfaction of seeing me break. No one deserved to get close to me.” She shook her head with a mocking laugh. “That all seems so ridiculous now,” she said softly. “What had any of it accomplished?”
“Believe it or not, I know the feeling.” Sunset looked down at the sidewalk passing by under their feet. “During my years back in Equestria, I was the greatest magical prodigy the realm had seen in generations,” she said with a flourish. “Or at least… in my own mind I was. Maybe in reality even. I mean, of all unicorns, the princess had chosen me. Course we can see now how irrelevant that was—” she gestured toward herself and then spread her arms “—considering where I ended up.”
Adagio smiled at her with a chuckle.
Looking forward again, Sunset continued. “But it also meant I was no stranger to pride. For as long as I could remember, I felt like I owed it to myself to accomplish everything on my own. No one was good enough to stand next to me… let alone support me.” Her eyes went unfocused and she added, “No one except her. Except Celestia.”
She took a breath and closed her eyes. “She was my everything. I saw her as my mother, my teacher, my only friend. Yet with all my ambition, I also saw her as my greatest rival.”
Sunset turned to look up at the sky. “And all along, I was blind to the most important lesson she'd been trying to teach me. That I couldn’t do everything on my own, that I was never meant to.” She met Adagio’s eyes. “No one is ever meant to.”
Adagio looked forward again and ran both hands along her scarf. “I think I know what you mean now. I really do.”
Sunset crossed her arms and let out a long breath. “It wasn’t until I saw how quickly Twilight reunited the others, and then being struck by that light, that I finally realized what Celestia wanted me so badly to learn.” She lowered her eyes with a sigh. “But by then it was too late to fix the damage I’d done. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to, where she’s concerned.”
“I suppose that doesn’t surprise me, the pride thing,” Adagio said, nudging a twig off the sidewalk with her boot mid-step. “It occurred to me earlier this morning that… even with all our differences in age and experience, we seem to have a lot in common.”
After a few moments’ pause, she went on, “Yet one thing puzzles me. At the table earlier, and again just now, you mentioned that ‘light’. You seemed to imply just now that it… healed you somehow, as if instantly.”
Sunset nodded. “Before I even climbed out of the crater it left me in, I had this flood of clarity. It was so many different things all at once that I just broke down. Shame. Humiliation. This heavy regret. But also this feeling of release and freedom. It took me almost an hour to make sense of it all.”
Adagio shook her head. “It wasn’t like that for us. Not at all.” The memory of that instant and the sharp anguish that accompanied it flooded through her again. She held herself tightly and shivered.
“It broke us. It shattered us. After our attempt to keep going and being run off the stage, all we had left was this empty… hopelessness. Like everything we were was ripped away, with nothing to fill that hole. And then all the yelling and the arguing and the blame. That week that followed was probably the lowest point in my memory.”
“Yeah, I don’t get it,” Sunset said, narrowing her eyes with a shake of her head. “From my talks with Twilight, it was my understanding that the magic is supposed bring good things, not this emptiness you’ve all described. I mean, Aria told me once that she’d even thought about…”
“Yeah.” Adagio lowered her head, feeling her jaw tense at the memory. “She wasn’t alone.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sunset lift a hand, as if to offer a touch of comfort. But then, biting her lower lip, she pulled it back and let out the breath she was holding. Adagio found herself surprised at the thought that she’d have welcomed the touch and frowned slightly.
Am I really so intimidating still?
Sunset ran the hand through her hair and then lightly bit her thumb, her expression twisted in thought. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”
The two walked in silence for a few minutes before Sunset stopped suddenly with an “Oh!”
“Hm?” Adagio turned to see the wide-eyed look on Sunset’s face.
“Discord.”
“Ugh…” Adagio shivered slightly and gripped her arms tighter. “What about him?” Why did you have to go and dig that up? Refusing to let the memory take hold, she buried it again quickly.
“That’s right,” Sunset pondered. “Maybe it was after you were sent here. You three had it bad when the Elements struck you, sure. But they went even further with Discord back then. When Celestia and Luna confronted him, the Elements turned him to stone on the spot.”
“So it’s not all happy rainbow magic after all.”
“No. Well… maybe yes, actually. This has me thinking about how it actually works. Being the Elements of Harmony, it would follow that their magic is the opposite of chaos and discord. So in a case like mine, the ‘yuck’ that the magic stripped off was just all the baggage I’d put onto myself. Under all that was still the real me.” She closed her eyes and rubbed the back of one hand with her other. “The part of me that sort of knew I was making a big mistake. And maybe there was still a bit of that light Celestia saw in me when I was little… before I lost sight of what was really important.”
Huh… Adagio recalled her experience in the hallway the night before. Even after everything the magic had stripped away, that small spark of warmth still remained. Had it really been there all along, just waiting to be discovered? She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. I think she’s actually… onto something here. “But in our case, our old magic was rooted in causing chaos and strife. It wasn’t just some vice we’d picked up. It had been everything we were over all those hundreds of years.”
“Right. The Elements saw no way to purge Discord of, well, discord. So the whole stone thing was a last resort.” Bringing a hand to her chin, Sunset went on, “But with you guys, the magic must have realized there was something in you worth saving.”
“I guess that'd explain the difference in how it’s been for us. Like you said, in your case, it was right there waiting for you. But it took us—” she lowered her head “—me especially—such a long time to find it, since I never even noticed it, let alone gave it any chance to grow. And something you said earlier is important too, I think.” Adagio looked back up at Sunset. “You talked about ‘clarity’, and ‘regret’ and ‘release’. I did end up feeling all of those things, and in the same sudden way you did.
"But it wasn’t until just last night. And there was something buried there. The best way I can describe it is this tiny spark of light. But it was only with Aria’s and Sonata’s help that I even realized it was there. And then, what they shared with me… It was able to grow and help me find my voice.”
“Friendship,” Sunset stated with a knowing smile. “That’s what they did for you.”
“Hmm. I suppose they did.” Adagio gave a soft hmph, and a feeling of warmth began to take hold. “This is what it feels like. And I’m only here now because they had it in their hearts to forgive me… and open my eyes to what I was missing.”
“Just like the girls and I did for them,” Sunset said softly. “And like the five of them did for me last year.”
Adagio returned Sunset’s smile and then looked around for a while at the autumn landscape, holding on as best she could to that warmth. Perhaps this was all worth it, even with everything they’d lost.
After strolling in silence for a minute, she said, “That puts something into perspective, actually. Your darkness may have only been skin-deep, but you had them. And they were already in that better place and ready to help you. But the three of us were all stuck in our hole without anyone to pull us out. Not until Sonata got up the courage to go and take that first step.”
“So in the end, maybe the magic did do you good after all…” With no hesitation this time, Sunset rubbed gently on Adagio’s shoulder. “I’m just sorry you had to go through everything you did to finally get here.”
There it was, Adagio noted. That touch. It was such a simple thing, but for some reason it meant so much. A gesture of genuine caring affection from one friend to another. That Sunset was concerned and comfortable enough to extend that to her felt like a big step forward. She closed her eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath.
But then, Ugh. Why am I making such a big deal out of this?
Perhaps because not even with Aria and Sonata had she shared anything like this until just last night. The three of them had been inseparable for centuries, but it was little more than an arrangement of necessity. But then that light from the Elements—it really did change everything. Without really understanding why, Adagio had begun to experience feelings of hurt and abandonment whenever Sonata and Aria chose the others’ company over hers. She kept telling herself that she was so much stronger and more intelligent than them—that they were the ones who needed her.
She hadn’t realized it at the time, but it was becoming clearer now. Some deep part of her truly valued and needed their companionship. And lately, it was more like that part of her needed their friendship. And now, here was someone outside of their circle who was willing to share that with her as well.
Sunset’s voice brought Adagio back from her thoughts. “It may be too soon, so you don’t have to answer this, but… After everything that’s happened, do you… miss what you used to be? I mean, compared to you I’ve only lived a short time. But this seems like such a sudden change after so long that it’d be hard for you to just… flip a switch, so to speak.”
After a long sigh, Adagio answered, “I don’t know yet.” She turned away from Sunset. “I want to say I don’t miss it. This feels good. But I can’t imagine from here on it’ll just be everyone holding hands and hugging. It’s going to be hard to forget. And should I want to forget?”
She folded her arms and looked back to Sunset. “Should I feel wrong just abandoning everything I’ve been for hundreds of years?”
Sunset bit her lip and was quiet for a moment. “Well… is there anything left from that old life you’d want to hold on to?”
Well, the power, of course. It had made life so easy with everyone around her being under her complete control. Though in the end, it was the adoration that Adagio craved, and the power was mostly just a means to that end. But then, what was the point? None of it was ever true adoration. She frowned at the reminder of her visions from the bedroom mirror.
Now that you’re under our spell.
Indeed.
And then there was the minor detail of losing their immortality, she recalled sharply. But as with earlier, she pushed that worry aside for now. Today was about focusing on this new brighter outlook. Adagio let out a breath and her shoulders slumped.
“No, I suppose not. Not after last night.”
She crossed her arms again. “After the magic broke us, I was resentful, sure. Actually, that’s not even the half of it.” She came to a stop and closed her eyes. “I hated you. With every part of me, I hated all of you. All that rage and bitterness. And then the despair…”
Adagio could feel the cold of the last few months beginning to seep back into her emotions, threatening to snuff out her struggling flame of contentment. No. I’m stronger than this. I’ve put all of that behind me. I really want to be happy now.
She turned her thoughts to Sunset, standing right there beside her. And I’m not alone any more.
“I feel good today. I really do. This still isn't easy, but… it’s getting better.”
Sunset smiled warmly. “I’m happy to hear—” The ringtone on her phone interrupted her. “Oh…” She quickly checked the number. “Sorry. You don’t mind?”
Adagio returned the smile and shook her head. Sunset took to pacing in a small area as she answered the call.
“Hi, Rarity. What’s up?”
Adagio heard a few of the elevated bits of Rarity’s exasperated speech. “Sunset! … MUST … others wouldn’t understand.”
“Shhh, it’s alright. Just breathe. Now who is this? Trend-who?”
“WHAT!? How could you not…” The buzz on the phone went on for about half a minute, but Adagio couldn’t make out much. She wasn’t really trying to though, as she was much more interested in simply watching Sunset, and how she was handling the situation.
“Sorry… I guess I’m just not caught up that stuff. Still learning about all your interests and such. Just take a deep breath. What can I do to help?”
The muffled voice continued for a few sentences before Sunset squinted her eyes and flinched at “—Applejack! APPLEJACK!” Lowering again to a bearable level, the voice hummed for another minute or two.
“I see…” Sunset stood biting her thumb again for a few moments before answering. “Look… Rarity. You’re a strong and talented person. I only wish I had the same kind of style and inspiration you carry around with you. It sounds like he means a lot to you, but think about a few months from now—or a few years from now. How happy would you be forcing yourself to live like something you’re not for all that time?”
There was some brief chatter in response, followed by a loud sniffle.
“I just know there are so many guys out there who would worship the thought of having someone as classy and talented as you in their life. Don’t change yourself. It’s not fair to you, and it wouldn’t be fair to him, either. You just have so much to offer. And I wouldn’t want to see you throw that away.”
After another half-minute of listening, Sunset responded, “You’re welcome. If you want get something to eat tonight, we can hit that place you mentioned earlier this week. … Yeah. … Sure, I’ll call you later. But please, talk to Applejack. It’s not worth letting this interfere with your friendship either. … You too, take care.”
Sunset pressed the button and turned back to Adagio with a quick, “Sorry, I—” but then stopped, likely due to the big half-grin Adagio was giving her. With a warm laugh she asked, “What?”
“You, just now,” Adagio replied. “And I can’t believe this word’s about to come out of my mouth, but that was… heartwarming to see. You did a good thing for her.”
“Oh I dunno, it’s just… that’s what friends do.” Sunset shrugged. Setting off walking again, she went on, “She was having a hard time, and I guess I just knew what to say. Though you noticed something I suppose I do take for granted now—something that was actually a really big deal to me all those months ago.”
She nudged Adagio gently with her shoulder. “Friends support each other. Over time it just becomes second nature, I guess.” After a brief pause, she added, “And then hearing the change in her voice and feelings between when she called and when we hung up really made me feel good. I guess it’s that… giving, or helping someone without expecting anything in return. It’s almost like the way it makes you feel afterward is what you get in return.”
Adagio gave a short laugh and shook her head. “Again, something that’s never even crossed my mind. But seeing it now, I think I understand what you mean.” The feeling of warmth again began to sprout, and she resolved to do something nice for Sonata and Aria later in the week. Exactly what, she wasn’t sure yet, as it would take some thought to really make it special. They deserved that.
The two of them had been walking for some time now, and the main street strip of shops downtown was only a few blocks away. Sunset asked, “Wanna get some coffee? We’ve walked this far. Might as well, right?”
A sudden heaviness settled into Adagio’s stomach. She recalled the nature of the trips she’d made into town over the last few months. All had been simple missions of necessity. Get to the store. Get what was needed. Get home. She’d made certain to avoid the social hangouts after everything that had happened.
So when her thoughts returned to Sunset's question, they brought with them a measure of that old worry. But then... Oh well. One step at a time, right? She forced a smile and in a soft tone replied, “Sounds great, sure.”
Another minute brought them to the door of the local coffeehouse, and Sunset opened it for Adagio to step through.
“Actually…” Adagio said. “Do you mind if I wait out here? I wanted to try. But I’m just not ready to face everyone in there yet.” Sunset nodded in reply. And in that moment, the look she shared with Adagio spoke volumes. On the surface, it was as simple as, ‘I understand.’ But layered within, Adagio saw strained memories of the very things she herself was feeling right then and there. You… get it, don’t you? You really do. She blinked twice and lowered her head, that revelation still spinning in her mind as she forced a breath. “Just a… small mocha. And… thanks.”
She felt a soft hand rest on her shoulder, followed by the gentle brush of a thumb. The door then whisked shut with hardly a sound as Sunset stepped inside. Adagio leaned her back against the wall between the doorway and the large front window, crossed her arms and closed her eyes. She wanted so badly to avoid conflict today. Not out of wounded pride or depression as in prior months but simply to hold on to this warmth that was beginning to take root.
So… Aria and Sonata, she thought. What could she do for them as a gesture of gratitude? Money was no object, of course. But at this point, Adagio realized that the cost or size of the gesture wasn’t important; it was the heart and meaning behind it. And while nothing could match what they did for her last night and this morning, it brightened her spirit and brought a smile to her face to think that—
“Well you’ve got a lot of nerve.” A female voice to her right startled her, and she turned to see a trio who appeared to be roughly her same physical age. Adagio didn’t recognize any of them but could wager exactly where they’d seen her before.
“Hiding out for a few months isn’t gonna make everyone forget what you did to us.”
Lowering her eyes again, her spirit sinking, Adagio said softly, “I know, I… wouldn’t expect it to. But these last few months have given me a lot of time to think. Look, I’m not here to cause trouble. I really am sorry.”
“Yeah, well I’m not.”
Adagio could only watch numbly as her assailant flicked the lid off her drink. As it spun end-over-end toward the sidewalk, she caught a glimpse of the steaming brown liquid inside the cup.
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.
She pressed her eyes closed and slunk further into the wall, bracing for the scald and mourning the loss of one of her favorite outfits.
But then—nothing.
She heard the sound of footsteps shuffling off and opened one eye to see the three of them walking away. She then turned to her left and was taken aback at the sight of a shockingly intimidating Sunset Shimmer.
Sunset’s stance and expression softened as she continued to watch them leave. “I saw what was going down through the window. I know them. That one with the drink thinks she’s tough. So I had to dedicate some ‘special attention’ to keeping her in line a few years ago.”
She offered Adagio her coffee with a smug grin. “Looks like she still hasn’t forgotten.”
Adagio responded with a sly smile of her own. My, my. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you? She’d heard the stories, but witnessing it firsthand was another thing entirely—and without even a spoken word. And defending her. After everything at the school.
“You really were quite the alpha-bitch back then, weren’t you?” she nudged playfully.
“Yeah.” Sunset laughed. She took a sip of her own coffee. “Something else I guess you’re no stranger to.”
“Hmm, quite.” Adagio chuckled in return and gestured toward the path back home. “Shall we?” Pausing, she bit her lip with a half-sided smile and observed Sunset from behind for a moment before joining her. You’re an intriguing one indeed.