Adagio Dazzle was not one accustomed to butterflies in her stomach before a performance. Perhaps a cool sweat, itchy palms, or some restless jitters now that she was without the magic amplifying gem that used to be her constant companion. But butterflies was precisely what she was experiencing as she skimmed the lyrics print out for the hundredth time. The tune played through her mind, the words drifting by with the ease of literally thousands of performances for crowds of all sizes.
That was the real issue. The audience. She had sung in front of kings and queens, moguls and mongols, even the odd army in all her history. But this was the first time in all those years she had done so without the other sirens for backup and the audience of one was also her girlfriend.
Shouldn’t that make it easier? Adagio scowled and looked up from the lyric sheet to where Sunset Shimmer was standing. The other girl had her arms crossed and a patient, supportive smile on her face. There were standing near the Canterlot High statue, the front area of the school all but deserted on an early Saturday morning.
“Whenever you’re ready.” Sunset leaned her shoulder against the statue of the Canterlot Wondercolt mascot.
“Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you’re casually supportive like that?” Adagio narrowed her brows, looking back at the lyric sheet as if she could burn holes in it. “It pisses me off.”
“Why do you think I’m doing it?” Sunset smirked. “I am honestly curious to hear this cover. You’ve been practicing so much recently, we haven’t gotten to spend much time together. I figure if I irritate you enough, you’ll blow off more practice this afternoon and come over to put me in my place.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Adagio knew she was being manipulated by the former pony. It did irk her somewhat, but she didn’t mind so much. They hadn’t spent more than twenty or so minutes together in the last week due to all the time she’d piled on to her practice regimen to get her voice back in shape.
She growled low in her throat, stuffing the page into her pocket. “Let’s get this over with. I want to get some lunch soon.”
“Then back to my place?” Sunset’s smirk grew another notch. She knew she’d won from the sound of her Dagi grinding her teeth.
“Yeah…” Adagio lowered her voice to a whisper, “then back to your place.”
She drew a deep, calming breath, letting it out slowly to still the butterflies that continued to stir her insides. She was a consummate professional and by golly, she was going to act like it. Adagio put on her stage face like a warrior slips into a personalized set of armor, her trademark sly smile and suggestively smoldering eyes sliding on with ease. Her heart sped up when Sunset stood up straighter, her girlfriend’s eyes locked on Adagio’s own.
She was just opening her mouth to belt out a New Orleans jazz style rendition of ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ when the statue, or more specifically, the square pedestal on which it sat started to glow. Adagio raised a hand to shield her eyes, the glow intensifying quickly, and called out to Sunset. The redhead stumbled away from the statue, Adagio rushing forward to reach her when the glow turned into a wave of magic that washed over them like an explosion.