The two walked side by side for a time, sharing an occasional smile and enjoying the warmth of their coffee. A light breeze rustled the leaves on the nearby trees, whose shadows had begun to stretch as the sun passed its apex and started its descent.
Adagio smiled softly, feeling the warmth of the cup between her hands. “Thank you, by the way. For what you did back there. That was an odd place for me to be in—just watching and letting something like that happen. The last few months have been hard, sure, but I’ve still never had any trouble putting people like that in their place. Today, though, it’s… different. I’m just so sick of fighting.”
She turned to look at Sunset. “I think part of me is afraid of slipping back to where I was and… losing this feeling.”
Sunset touched a hand to Adagio’s forearm. “I know. I’ve been there. Oh, have I been there.” After a brief sigh and then a laugh, she said, “You’ll probably hear me saying that a lot over the next few weeks.”
‘The next few weeks.’ Adagio smiled to herself at the way Sunset had so nonchalantly made that statement. Hearing confirmation that she shared an awareness of their similarities brought a measure of comfort.
“Hmm. What was it like for you?” Adagio asked with a devious grin. “Even without magic, word is you held quite the iron grip over your little empire there on campus. Impressive, to say the least. And with what I saw back there, the reports undersold your capabilities.”
“Well… Being cut off from my magic didn’t diminish my drive,” Sunset replied. “It only made it stronger. I suppose it’s like someone who loses their eyesight. It strengthens your other senses and forces you to think about other ways of doing things. And along the way, I found this world’s technology has capabilities that can rival magic, if a person is savvy enough.”
She took a long drink of her coffee. “And it was a savvy that came natural to me. Maybe because of my approach to learning and research back in Equestria.” She began gesturing with one hand as if moving chess pieces. “And then a bit of gossip here, planting a seed there. Some investigation and misdirection. ‘Social engineering’, you might call it.”
Folding the hand to a fist in front of her, she grinned. “And then, of course, backing all of that up with a bit of force and intimidation where necessary.”
Adagio shook her head and chuckled at just how acutely Sunset’s account matched her own approach over the years. In a way, it was unsurprising, but amazing all the same. “From the sound of it, you controlled people much the same as we did, just with a different sort of ‘magic’.”
“Yeah…” Sunset lowered her eyes and relaxed the fist. “But then in the end, the stuff I was pushing so hard to achieve wasn’t worth fighting for in the first place. And from what you told me today, I guess we both ended up at that same realization, huh?”
“We did, didn’t we.” Adagio enjoyed another warm sip of her drink and then closed her eyes with a contented sigh. No matter what else happens, I really don’t want to go back to that place. You were right, Aria. Thank you.
Following another drink of her own, Sunset’s shoulders tensed with a shiver. She took a breath and let it out heavily. “Back then, I strutted around like a queen while some glared, some cowered, and others begged for even a lick of favorable attention… And I reveled in every minute of it. I had them all exactly where I wanted them.”
She placed both hands on her cup and stared down at it. “But then, when I was at home by myself, I'd wake up in the middle of the night with these feelings of… loneliness and emptiness.” Gripping her upper arm with one hand, she turned away from Adagio and took another slow breath. “Even with all that control, I still felt so hollow. It hurt. And what was worse, I couldn’t figure out why.” With what sounded like a choked-up laugh, she brushed a palm across both eyes, and her voice began to crack. “No one would have imagined the sight of me huddled in a dark corner at three a.m. sobbing my heart out. Yet there I was.”
“Huh…”
“Hmm?” Sunset sniffled beside her.
“One thing after another.” Adagio shook her head. “I just can’t believe how much we have in common.” When Sunset looked back at her with moistened eyes, she added, “It’s that hollow feeling you mentioned. Aria said something last night that got me thinking back to my old memories. After the magic shattered our pendants, all those memories had taken on this… emptiness—this lack of fulfillment.
"And it’s the strangest thing—because those feelings were never there before. So I’ve been wondering if the magic of the pendant had somehow hidden them. And so when it was broken…” Adagio shrugged.
“Hmm, I dunno. Might be a question for Twilight.” With a thumb and finger, Sunset finished drying the edges of her eyes. “But I can tell you in my case, it was only after I’d been struck by the Elements that I understood the cause of that feeling. It sounds so obvious now—but it was a lack of real friendship, and having no… purpose in life beyond my selfish goals. And now that I have realized what’s really important, I’m happy with the way things turned out—even if I decide to stay here for good without my magic. So maybe it was the Elements that brought out those feelings in you too?”
They walked past a bus-stop trash bin, and Adagio pitched her empty cup in. “Hmm, perhaps. I suppose it’s neither here nor there what caused it, just that I’m happy to be working through all of this. And talking with you today is helping with that, so… thank you.”
Sunset smiled at Adagio and put an arm around her shoulder briefly. “You’re welcome.”
The two continued to stroll along, Sunset sipping her drink and Adagio closing her eyes every so often to feel the breeze on her face and inhale the serenity of the early afternoon.
Though after a few minutes of walking, she was reminded yet again of the mirror earlier and felt the pit in her stomach return. She glanced over at Sunset, who wore a content smile while taking in the autumn colors. Adagio didn’t want to trouble her with this. Sunset had done so much for her already today.
But then… That’s what friends do, right? She took a deep breath in and then let it out raggedly.
“So many things have changed since that day,” Adagio began. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bring this up, but I feel I can share it with you now after everything.” She met eyes with an inquisitive Sunset and then looked forward again. “There’s this fear that’s been nagging at me for a few weeks now. And after a close look in the mirror this morning, I think it’s all but confirmed.”
She came to a stop and stated matter-of-factly, “We’re dying, Sunset.”
“What?!” Sunset spun around, her eyes moving back and forth between Adagio, the ground, and her own hands.
“Sorry…” Adagio winced and then lowered her head. Damn it. “I didn’t mean to startle you like that. It’s just… I suppose having been all but immortal for so long, this just feels so sudden.” She forced a halfhearted laugh and added, “I guess I should have found a better way to phrase that, huh?”
Sunset’s cup fell to the ground and spilled out as she put both hands firmly on Adagio’s shoulders. “What are you talking about?” she pressed.
“The magic. Our gems. They were also the source of our immortality. And now with that magic broken, we don’t have the hunger any more—which is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But it also means we’ve started to age now, just like you and all the others here.”
Turning away again, Adagio broke the contact and wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know how to process this yet. Everything from today feels so wonderful, and I really don’t want to lose it, or go back to the way things were. But I’m scared, Sunset… I don’t know what to expect.”
Adagio looked back to the wide-eyed silence on Sunset’s face before lowering her own eyes and sighing. “I’m sorry. I know this must sound so selfish, since it’s just a natural thing for you and everyone else.”
Sunset retrieved her cup and looked around for a moment with a tight-lipped expression. “Come here.”
She grabbed Adagio’s hand and led her swiftly back to the bus-stop bench they’d passed a moment ago, tossing the cup into the same bin Adagio had.
Sunset sat Adagio down and was silent for a few moments, focusing on the space between them. When at last she spoke, she looked up into Adagio’s eyes. “I can’t say I know what it’s like to live for so long without any end in sight. But I can speak for myself and tell you that, while this feeling of… inevitability is always present, it’s not something I think about often. It rarely ever crosses my mind. And I know you’ll get there too. You will.”
She placed a hand over one of Adagio’s, adding, “But this sense of finality does make me value every day that I’m here and alive—especially now that I’ve had my eyes opened to what real friendship is, and the happiness it can bring.”
Adagio considered all of the thoughts that had run through her mind since the mirror this morning—all the fear and uncertainty, but also these new feelings of happiness and contentment. And it surprised her to think that just this one day had meant more to her, and brought her more joy, than any year of her immortal life.
“I suppose that does make some sense,” she said, feeling a large part of her worry flow out with a deep breath. “It really does.” She pressed her knees together and crossed her arms in front of her. “All these years, it had just been one day blending into the next. One conquest leading to the next. We existed, and did what we did… just to keep existing.”
She leaned forward and looked at the ground between her feet for a moment before closing her eyes. “And thinking back now, there’s nothing that I’m proud of. Not one thing that I would want anyone to think back on and say, ‘That was Adagio Dazzle.’”
“That’s an important realization,” Sunset noted. “I feel that with humans, and ponies in Equestria too, we’re defined by this drive to leave something memorable behind when our lives come to an end. It’s sort of like… knowing our time here is limited gives this sense of purpose, and a desire to leave a lasting legacy.
“And for me, it really is this sense of life-purpose, and sharing experiences with my friends, that keeps me going and keeps me hopeful for the future.”
Legacy. That was the key word here, wasn’t it? Adagio thought back to Aria and Sonata last night and this morning, and now Sunset this afternoon. Everything they had shared with her was leading her to believe that this really was worth it, and that she now had so much to look forward to.
Her long life may have entered its final chapter, but in front of her now was the opportunity to at last put something worth reading on its pages.
“Sunset Shimmer, you continue to amaze me.”
Adagio opened her eyes again. Did she really just say that? Did she really mean it? This girl now sitting next to her—comforting her. The very one on whom she had expended so much bitterness and blind hatred. And yet, now, when I look in her eyes… She sniffled as her vision began to water. Why did it take so long for me to see? She took in a shaking breath and then let it out slowly while collecting her thoughts. “At first, I couldn’t understand how you showed so much resilience during our week at the school. You stood up for your friends. And then destroyed everything we thought we knew. But today, the three of you helped me realize that we really are in a better place.”
She looked up at Sunset, and her voice began to choke up. “And now… you've actually given me hope looking forward.” As her tears continued to swell, Adagio closed her eyes. She turned away to hide her face, but then, You know what? I don’t care.
She turned back to Sunset and embraced her in a hug. “Thank you.” Sunset went stiff for a moment at the sudden gesture, but then softened and warmly returned the embrace. “This has been hard, but… after everything… I really do feel like you’ve set us free.”
Before long, Adagio felt tears on the back of her own neck as well.
“I’m so happy for the three of you,” Sunset said softly. “And I think a big part of that is because I’ve been there myself. But I was especially worried about you, Adagio. You seemed to be having the hardest time with all of this, so it’s such a relief to hear you say that.” She tightened her hug for a moment before they both let go.
They each dried their eyes and exchanged a light laugh. Noticing that the shadows around them had lengthened further, Adagio said, “We should be getting back. Those two really wanted to do something together, and I’d like you to be able to join us before you get on your way to meet Rarity.
“Well, maybe we could make the restaurant a group thing?” Sunset suggested with a grin. “I’m sure the others would love to see you now and hear how you’re doing.”
“Hmm, we’ll see. One step at a time.” Adagio returned Sunset’s grin with a small laugh. “I’ll think about it while we’re out with Aria and Sonata.”
The two of them resumed walking while the sun crept slowly to the west. They simply enjoyed each other’s company for a bit longer as the conversation turned to their various talents, interests, and a bit of gossip on current events.
***
“Yaaay! Fuzzies!” Sonata bounced up and down with her hands clasped in front of her.
Aria whispered sideways into Adagio’s ear, “I can’t believe you agreed to this.”
Adagio smiled warmly, as the contentment that had settled within her began to overflow. “I know you wanted this to be about me, but really… seeing her this excited right now is making me happier than anything else I could think of doing today.” She put an arm around Aria and held her close for a moment. “I think she really deserves it, after everything.”
Aria leaned her head on Adagio’s shoulder. “She does, doesn’t she.” She lowered her eyes with a broad smile and a ‘hmph’, before walking over to grab Sonata’s coat off the rack. Placing it and both hands on Sonata’s shoulders to stop the bouncing, she helped her don the jacket. “Let’s go, silly.”
Sunset finished loading the last of the bottled water into a borrowed backpack and hooked elbows with Adagio as she walked up next to her. “So, the zoo, huh?”
Adagio laughed and tightened her arm. “Yeah. It’s smelly and gross, but this is important to me. I just want to see her smile.”
“You really are a warm person, Adagio. And a good friend.”
“Only because of her. And you and Aria.” Adagio met Sunset’s eyes and was again drawn in by that pull of mutual understanding. You really have been through all of this before, haven’t you? There’s still so much I want to know. And I’m sure we’ll get there… She let out a contented breath. “Thank you, Sunset.”
Sunset returned Adagio’s hug from earlier and joined the other two outside.
Adagio took another deep breath and looked around for a moment. She nodded with a peaceful smile before turning to follow the others out, closing the door behind her on what was, this time, a truly empty room.