//------------------------------// // A Singular Act of Compassion // Story: Homesick // by SkycatcherEQ //------------------------------// “Awe…some.” Rainbow Dash squealed as she and the others dropped their luggage in the spacious main room of an ocean-front villa. She fished a set of workout clothes from her duffel bag and bounded toward the bathroom, shoes echoing across the hardwood floor. “Dibs!” Rarity stood motionless, and speechless, her hands still hanging at her sides. At Sonata's mention of her own private bedroom, she shook her head slowly and blinked. “Y-yes. ‘Right this way,’ you say?” Following Aria and Sonata down the hall, she craned her neck for one last, longing glance at the full-length windows and vaulted ceiling. “I… shall be back in a moment.” Adagio crossed her arms and grinned widely to herself. Just as expected. She turned toward the front door as Sunset brought in the last of their bags and set them down. Sunset’s jaw dropped just as Rarity’s had. “Holy damn, Dagi, this is amaz—” She was mmph’d to a soft moan by a long, forceful kiss. “I know...” Adagio winked as she drew away, trailing a finger under her dazed lover’s chin. In a sultry tone, she whispered, “Now, get changed. I can’t wait to see.” Adagio picked up a small bag from the pile and then with her other hand smacked Sunset across the ass, evoking a yelp. She chuckled to herself as she strutted down the hall to the master bedroom. So worth it. *** Light from the rising sun filtered through the vertical blinds of the master suite, casting thin shafts across the king-sized bed. The soft light, and the observation that nothing in the room had changed since she'd last rented this villa, afforded Adagio a feeling of tranquility. Setting her bag on the bed, she took a relaxed breath and pulled out her purple swimsuit. While a one-piece, the suit had long been her favorite. It had been custom fitted to stroke around her figure in a way that both revealed and accented her personal, individual shape. As Adagio undressed, Sunset huffed through the door and heaved her suitcase onto the foot of the bed. She looked around the room and then peeked out through the blinds. “Man, this place really is sweet.” Adagio hip-bumped Sunset and flicked the purple one-piece against her chest with a raised eyebrow. “Just wait until you see the view from the patio.” “Right, heh.” Sunset returned to the bed and pitched an assortment of clothing out of her suitcase before locating her two-piece suit. She kicked off both boots, dropped her jacket to the floor and lifted her shirt. Adagio laughed softly and shook her head with a sigh. Oh, I have so much work to do. “Sunset, dearest. Moments like this are meant to be savored.” Sunset stopped mid-motion and looked at her. “Hmm?” Adagio gathered up the jacket and bikini, pressed both to Sunset’s chest, and shuffled her off toward the attached bathroom. Pushing her inside, she closed the door behind her and called, “Get changed in there, let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll do this right.” There was a laugh from the other side of the door. “I think someone’s been spending a bit too much time with Rarity.” Adagio chuckled as she finished removing her clothes and then folded them neatly on the bed. She slipped into her suit, and while fitting it around her curves, Sunset announced that she was ready for the reveal. Adagio sat down on the edge of the bed facing the bathroom door and crossed her legs. “Alright then, let’s see it.” The door opened slowly, and Sunset stepped out, sporting a dark grey suit with teal accents—and a light blush. Adagio placed one hand to her chin. With an appraising look, she lifted the other and twirled her wrist. Sunset’s blush deepened. She looked down at the floor and did a full turn. “I like this very much.” Adagio stood and traced two fingers down both sides of Sunset’s waistline. “Sporty… yet subtle enough to compliment your figure without drawing too much attention from it.” She brushed her hands against Sunset's arms and kissed her lightly on the cheek, bringing out goosebumps and a quiet 'mmm'. “Suits you well.” Sunset nuzzled Adagio's ear. “Thank you.” She wrapped her in slow hug, and with a half-lidded look whispered, “You look nice, too.” “Mmm-hmm.” “However…” Adagio said after a few moments, pulling away and breaking the tender silence. “The sun is shining, and I promised you that view. Now let’s go.” Sunset stepped back. Grinning with a flash in her eyes, she bowed and motioned toward the door. “After you.” Adagio swayed past with a sideways glance and—as expected—watched Sunset’s hand swing low to repay the gesture from earlier. Evading with a deft sidestep, she winked over her shoulder before rounding the corner into the hall. “Better luck next time.” She heard Sunset’s laugh from inside the room. “Oh, I will…” *** Stepping through the sliding door, Adagio held up a hand as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight and caught a glimpse of Sunset doing the same. “You two sure were gone for a while,” snickered Rainbow. Rarity cleared her throat with a warning glare. “What have we learned?” Dash tossed her frisbee up in the air and caught it. “Right, right… Sorry.” “Oh, it’s quite alright,” said Adagio, waving her hand dismissively. “But, ‘no.’” She glanced at Sunset with a wink. “Not yet.” Sunset brushed her fingers on the small of Adagio's back with a look that said the others weren't meant to notice. She then walked up and placed both hands on the balcony ledge. Taking in a deep breath, she ahhh’d as her shoulders fell. “You really were right, Adagio. This view doesn’t disappoint.” “I’m happy to hear.” Adagio stepped up next to Sunset and looked out over the waves. Below, on the beach, Sonata rested face-down on a towel with her top undone while Aria walked down the shoreline ankle-deep in the water. She watched as the water splashed around Aria's feet with each step. Her feet… Adagio looked back toward the horizon and closed her eyes with a slow exhale. Not fins. Not a tail. But feet. ‘We are creatures of savage beauty and majesty…’ Those words from her bitter months following their shattering flooded in as a wave rolled across the shore below, and Adagio shivered despite the warmth of the sun. I know we’re in a better place now. She glanced over at Sunset. I know I don’t want to go back to the way things were. But oh, to feel that majesty again… Turning to the waves once more, Adagio longed for the sensation of coursing through the depths, of the water parting as she glided along. The unfettered freedom. The sparkling beauty of the undersea landscape. All of that, now lost to them. Lost. She stepped back and walked over to the side ledge, leaning on her elbows with a steadying breath. She heard a flustered yell from Sonata below, but trained her focus on the rocky cliffside farther up the beach. A rising-tone debate between Rainbow and Rarity was swallowed by the sound of the surf. She closed her eyes and made an attempt to recall that feeling of freedom, to imagine herself—fins and all—gliding through the water as its vibrancy shimmered all around her. But the images in her mind were all shrouded in fog. Every memory of the ocean that drifted in was of looking out over the surface of this world’s oceans—their waters devoid of any mystical life or magic. Adagio lowered her head as her thoughts, and her eyes, began to quiver. She felt Sunset’s hands rest over her own. “Hey… What’s wrong?” “Noth—It’s nothing.” Adagio turned away and let out a breath, attempting to dry her eyes without Sunset noticing. “Nice try. What happened to miss full-of-herself from earlier?” Sunset turned Adagio by the chin, lowering her own head to look her in the eyes. “Please? What’s wrong?” Adagio closed her eyes as she grasped her upper arms. Where do I even start? I just don’t… She breathed in deeply and exhaled. “I don’t know why.” She stood up and took a step away, again wiping her eyes with a palm. “Why now? I’ve been to the ocean so many times. Looked out from this balcony so many times.” Turning back toward Sunset, she crossed her arms and looked down at the deck between them. “And then our two weeks on that cruise… Why is this just now hitting me?” “I… don’t understand.” “I can’t remember, Sunset!” Adagio stepped forward and struck the bottom of her fists against Sunset’s chest as she blinked back tears. “Equestria. Its oceans. Our home! It’s been so long…” Letting out a heavy breath, she opened her palms over Sunset’s shoulders and leaned into her. “I can’t remember.” For a few moments, the two stood together. Sunset’s arms encircled her. The shoulder Adagio was leaning on rose and fell with a deep breath. “I don’t… Adagio.” Sunset tightened her hug. “I’m sorry.” There was a startled, “Rainbow Dash! I said I am not—” followed by the shuffling of feet as the patio door slid open and then closed again. Adagio looked over toward the now-empty chair where Dash and Rarity had been. Her spirit brightened a little at Rainbow's gesture. Thank you… Drying her eyes again, she led Sunset by the hand over to sit side by side. She turned to face the water but let her eyes go unfocused. “They’re just… gone. There’s nothing left but this fog where my memories used to be. I suppose they’ve been drifting away for some years now. With our drive to get back to Equestria, my focus was always on the future, and those memories just weren’t as important. But now, without that future…” Adagio looked down at her hand holding Sunset’s. “They were all I had left of home. Why am I just now noticing that they’re gone?” Sunset leaned her forehead against Adagio's. “I wish I had the answers. Or even knew what to say.” “I wouldn’t expect you to. But this is helping… Thank you. I just have to accept that they’re gone. I know there’s no going back now. And really—” she lifted Sunset’s hand to her lips and closed her eyes. “—that’s alright.” Sunset took both of Adagio’s hands in her own and squeezed gently. She remained silent while looking down at them. “So much for our wonderful weekend, huh?” Adagio sniffed and laughed halfheartedly. “It’s alright. Maybe it was just time for you to work through all of this. And I am here for you, whatever it takes.” Adagio nodded and sat up straight. “But now, we have the whole day ahead of us. Care to go for a swim?” Sunset smiled and squeezed her hands again. “Lead the way.” *** Aria swatted Sonata’s hand with a pair of chopsticks as it reached for the last unopened take-out box. “Ow! Meanie…” “That’s Sunset’s, porky. Leave it.” With a pout, Sonata crossed her arms and grumbled something about “uneaten” and “statute of limitations.” Rarity employed a napkin as a makeshift glove and began collecting the empty cartons. “Is she still in the shower?” “Was wondering the same,” Adagio replied. “She should have been out half an hour ago. I’ll go check on her.” She walked down the hall and then slowly opened the door to find Sunset at the writing desk in her bathrobe, hunched over an open book with her hair up in a ponytail. Mmmmh. You're so beautiful when you get like this… “Hey,” Adagio said softly, closing the door. “Everything alright? You missed dinner.” Sunset raised her index finger in a ‘just a moment’ gesture as she pored over a script that was glowing onto the page letter by letter. As Sunset penned her visibly excited response, a pang of jealously fluttered in Adagio’s stomach. The feeling was quickly pushed aside by guilt, and she mentally shook herself. That’s ridiculous. Stop being stupid. “Alright.” Sunset closed the book and held it to her chest as she stood up. “Sorry I missed dinner, but…” With a broad smile and a light wiggle of her shoulders, she hopped onto the bed and then sat on her ankles, knees together, still clutching the book. “Come up here.” Adagio raised an eyebrow, but then did as requested. She faced toward Sunset and mirrored her pose. “Okay. So…” Sunset pursed her lips and looked down to the side, appearing to weigh her options for how to proceed. “You would probably say that things like this should be explained slowly. But I kinda want to just put it right out there… but then maybe I should ease into it. Or—” “Sunset,” Adagio interrupted with a touch on her forearm. “Deep breath. Whatever you think is best; just take your time. You know, I might have thought to be worried, but… this does appear to be good news?” Sunset nodded as she took the prescribed breath, the smile never leaving her face. “Alright. What you said earlier really got me thinking. That stuff about missing home, and wishing you could remember that feeling… just one more time?” Adagio’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes fell to the book clutched in Sunset’s arms. She can’t mean… That’d be absurd… Impossible. She looked up again at the glowing smile on Sunset’s face. Could it? Sunset uncrossed her arms and held the book between both hands, all the while looking into Adagio’s eyes. “Well… What if I told you I could make that happen? Like a… vacation of sorts. Just for a few days. To renew some of those memories, just you and me?” Adagio nearly choked on the breath she’d been holding as she fell forward on one hand. "Wh-whoa!" Sunset dropped the book and caught her by the shoulders. “Hey.” “I-I just need a moment.” Adagio turned and slid her legs off the side of the bed, sitting up and taking a number of steadying breaths. “Y-You’re serious about this,” she whispered hoarsely, shaking her head. After all this time… Could this really happen? Sunset crawled over to sit next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yes. That’s why I’ve been in here so long. I guess I lost track of time. I’ve been discussing the logistics with Twilight, and we both think that it could actually work.” “Sunset, I…” Adagio placed both palms on her knees. She stared down at the floor as strained tears rolled down each cheek. In a soft voice, she whispered, “For hundreds and… hundreds of years we’ve tried to… And now. You’re just…” She lowered her face to her hands and focused on her breathing. “Yes. If you think it’d help.” Adagio again shook her head, scarcely able to believe this was real. And here, my first thought at seeing you so absorbed in that journal was… She cupped her hands around her face even tighter. Gah. Just what was happening here? Over all the years, the centuries. Two goals—adoration, and home. The path may have strayed, but it had never deviated. But then in the end, the magic and the manipulation—had failed. Spectacularly. And now this girl sitting next to her. This young, brilliant, marvelous girl—the very one who had shattered her, even. Fulfilling both of those longings. Aspirations that hundreds of years of scheming had failed to realize, now offered freely as a singular act of compassion. What in the stars did I do to deserve you? Adagio sat up again and rubbed her eyes, and then the sides of her face. She straightened her shoulders and placed both hands in her lap as she let out a long breath. Looking down at the floor, she said quietly, “Sunset… I love you. You have no idea what this means to me.” “I hope to, though… Soon.” Sunset wrapped both arms around Adagio and leaned her head on her shoulder. “And I love you, too.” She laughed softly. “So it sounds like we have some planning to do, hm?” Adagio closed her eyes, leaned her head against Sunset’s and nodded. Home.