//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: A Dazzling Sunset // by Fuzzyfurvert //------------------------------// A Dazzling Sunset Chapter 8 Sunset closed the door behind her. Adagio was already over by her dresser, opening the drawers one by one, picking through her clothing. The invasion of privacy rankled, but only vaguely. She’d just had her hands all over the siren and was topless herself, so being upset at Adagio for looking through her clothes seemed hypocritical at best. Plus, at this angle, Adagio couldn’t see the hard stare she was directing at Adagio’s ass and thighs. Goddess...I can see everything! Huh… Sunset tilted her head, focusing on a spot toward the inside of Adagio’s right thigh. I knew I landed that kick...she’s gonna have a bruise for sure. Sunset let her eyes linger there for a moment more, then started to trace the lines Adagio’s muscles up to where the legs met. The blonde moved her hips, wiggling her backside while she foraged though one of the bottom drawers, making Sunset wonder if Adagio could feel the attention she was getting. Considering how inconsistent magic is in this world...she might be able to feel it. Or it’s that weird sensation humans get when they’re being watched? She leaned back against the door, watching Adagio straighten up with one of her jogging sweatshirts and hold it up to examine it. Sunset bit her lip, thinking about how not creepy she felt getting an eyeful of the other girl. I’m supposed to be hyperventilating...blushing so hard I pass out...right? That’s how it happens in the movies. The two teenagers catch each other naked and they stammer apologies at each other and try to cover up until one of them falls down the stairs, or out a window. Because they’re good people. Only the skeevy guy keeps watching well past the point of politeness. Her arms wrapped around her middle, her eyes flashing just pass Adagio to the top drawer of her dresser. To where the journal was laughably hidden. To her connection to Princess Twilight and the secrets of Friendship. Then again, we aren’t the ‘good people’ in this story, are we? Or actually teenagers for that matter. What would you think of me, Twilight, if you saw me now? What would you do in this situation? What would someone that is friends with a controlling, manipulative...gorgeous...inhuman siren do in my place? Adagio was apparently satisfied with the oversized sweatshirt and its CHS logo, and started to slip it on. Sunset tilted her head the other way, letting her lip go from between her teeth. Princess Twilight couldn’t help her here. She was the one that was friends—sort of—with a giant sea monster in beautiful girl’s clothing. She was going to have to figure this one out by herself. “Hey, second drawer from the top.” “What?” Adagio tugged the coarse fabric of the shirt’s collar down around her neck, reaching back to pull the mass of her curls out as well. Once she did, the shirt settled onto her frame, the hem hanging just to the top of her thighs. It wasn’t the best quality material, but it was clean and would do. For now. “Second drawer from the top. It’s where my sport bras are located. You might be fine going commando, but after five years of wearing clothes, I feel like I need to cover up.” Sunset smirked at the cool bravado in her voice. Maybe this friends with Adagio thing would be easier than she thought. Adagio opened the drawer and scanned the nylon and cotton contents. A light pink colored one that would compliment the pony’s skin tone sat near the top, so she grabbed that one. She looked back over her shoulder at the redhead and smirked wickedly. “What, no silly quip about how neither of us used to wear clothes back home? You keep surprising me, Sunset. But you really should just be honest with me. We’re friends now.” She added an exaggerated eye roll for emphasis. “You need the support!” She chuckled and tossed the sports bra at Sunset as the other girl started to sputter a retort. “You know, sometimes I feel for girls like you and Sonata. The human body can be so strange under the best circumstances, and you two had the unfortunate luck to get saddled with the top heavy versions.” The former unicorn snatched the flying piece of cloth out of the air with a sharp move, raising one eyebrow. “Oh? And those wide hips of yours are better somehow?” She made a show of eyeing Adagio up and down, shaking out the sports bra in her hands. “I happen to think I wear this human form well, thank you very much.” Adagio’s smirk widened and she rotated her hips like she had an invisible hula hoop, running one hand suggestively from her chest to just above her groin where it played peekaboo with the sweatshirt’s hem. “These have their uses, don’t they? I’m sure you’ve noticed that these monkeys really like the narrow waist and wide lower body this decade? What I’ve got up top might not be much, but online it’s described as…delicous.” The siren stepped forward, her hips swaying in such perfect time that would make a professional bellydancer stand up and take notice. Adagio’s voice dropped with each step until she was right in front of Sunset, speaking in a husky whisper. “I’m the ideal, Shimmer, don’t even try to say otherwise. I’ve got ‘it’ and that’s all that matters these days. Plus, I will always have ‘it.’ Meanwhile, you need worry about silly things like gravity and back pain. But...I suppose, you do wear them well. I bet they’re sensitive too, aren’t they?” “What?” Sunset blinked, trying to press herself harder against the door at her back, bringing up her hand in front of herself. “Look at them.” Adagio glanced down, hands on her hips and leaned forward. “They’re already reacting to the cold air in here. Oh. Wait...it’s not cold in here, is it?” Sunset swallowed, silently cursing her own body for the umpteenth time. She pushed away from the door, sliding around Adagio and pulling on the nylon bra all in the same move. Sheesh, she is flirting with me. Does nothing get through to her? Is teasing the way she interacts with the world in general, or is it just me that gets this treatment? Sunset looked back over her shoulder, unsurprised that the siren was following her with those purple eyes, that smug look still plastered on her face. Leave it to her to take my peace offer as a sign of weakness and tease me just because I like fillies. Well, Adagio, two can play at this game. Let’s see how the straight girl likes it when I flirt back. She narrowed her brow and sneered before arching her back and throwing her arms back to ‘stretch,’ and pushed her chest forward languidly before turning back on Adagio. “Since we’re being chummy and honest, Dazzle, there’s no need for you to project like that. That whole...look...you’ve got going on is popular right now, but what’s been popular, no matter the century, hmm?” Sunset took a wide stance and dipped forward to show off her plunging cleavage in the comfortable top. “I’d bet money that Sonata’s have done just as much charming over the years as your voice. More than one way to make a lonely sailor jump ship or steer into the rocks.” “For the record, we only did that once.” Adagio raised one hand, pointing at Sunset accusingly. “The rest was just poor piloting on the humans’ part. We’ve been here a while, but the stories about human mermaids and sirens predate our arrival by a long shot.” Sunset chuckled darkly, a fist on her hip. “I’m not hearing a denial in there, Dagi. Or are you willing to admit your cousin is more attractive than you? From everything I’ve heard of Equestrian and human sirens, attraction is like...your thing. Your modus operandi.” “My voice has lured men and mares equally astray! Unlike those funbags of yours, it won’t sag its way into my lap in another twenty years and will still be doing its job.” Adagio spat that last word out, sneering. Sunset cut the distance between them, stepping right up to Adagio, her cleavage effectively right under the siren’s nose. “Except it did fail you, huh? Bet you wish you had a pair of these to fall back on, hmm?” She inhaled deeply, smiling as her bra gently brushed up against Adagio’s sweatshirt. “Or maybe you wish you had these to fall into? You know I like girls...it could just be our little secret, okay?” Sunset chuckled again, watching Adagio’s face go slack as the girl looked down at what was touching her. Gotcha. You’re not so high and mighty when you’re off balance like this. Her grin widened at the hint of flush that she could see across the bridge of the other girl’s nose. Cute though...it’s almost too bad you’re not— She froze when the world suddenly went orange, the scent of her own floral shampoo flooding her nose. Sunset squinted through Adagio’s curls, blinking the hair out of her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak when she felt Adagio simultaneously grab her sides and blow a wet raspberry against her chest. Instead of well reasoned speech, Sunset squawked awkwardly and made high pitched screeching noises as the blonde ground her face against Sunset’s breasts. The redhead jerked back, Adagio following with her for a step before letting go with a laugh. Adagio grinned savagely and wiped the back of one sleeve over her face, her stance a mocking copy of the former pony’s from a minute ago. “Well, don’t shove them in my face unless you want me to bite, Sunny!” She laughed again, clasping her hands behind her back coyly. “I like this game. A little slap here, a little kiss there. What’s next, you kick and I try to take off your pants with my teeth?” Adagio’s eyes flashed and she snapped her jaw closed with a loud ‘clack’ of enamel. “Show me what you got, filly!” “Eww...you slobbered on me!” Sunset looked up and down, trying to focus her glare on both her own chest and her house guest. “You weren’t supposed to...to mo-motorboat me!” “Sorry, toots, next time I’ll use more tongue.” “Excuse me?” Sunset stopped looking down, her gaze locked on Adagio’s smug face. “I only did that to get back at you for teasing me.” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “Teasing you? When? I thought we called a truce in the garage.” Sunset stared at Adagio. The girl seemed genuinely confused. “The support comment! The-the ass shaking you did from there to here and when you noticed me watching you!” She straightened up and squared her shoulders. If the siren wanted another match, she’d deliver. “I get that is how you do things, but using your knowledge about my sexuality for that is just low.” She balled her fists, narrowing her brows. “So I threw it back at you. Let’s see you squirm when the gay girl comes on to you.” Adagio scowled, shifting her weight to one foot and scratching the back of her ankle with the other. The support comment had been a jab, but the rest? She wasn’t teasing...at least she didn’t think she was. Not consciously at least. I liked having her watch me. Was that for her benefit? Gods, it’s been too long since I’ve even been in a vaguely friendly situation like this. Am I sending signals I’m totally missing? Sunset was still glaring at her, itching for a fight and ready to go. I’ve had enough for one night though. I really don’t want to push her away either. She said she’d help, and damn me but I believe her. Adagio scowled harder. I guess that means I need to apologize, damnit “Look, Sunset,” Adagio sighed, “I didn’t really mean anything by...all of that. I’m out of practice in the ‘having friends’ department, okay? But I guess I can try and hold it back for now. You said you had some ideas...about dealing with Aria?” Sunset dropped her fists limply at her sides, the fire in her going out like a candle in the wind. “Uh, yeah, I did. I mean, I do. You...uh...want to talk about it?” “Sure.” Adagio nodded, turning to grab the chair she’d used when they’d shared tea earlier in the evening. She pulled it out from the little table and looked at their cups where they sat in a drying rack next to Sunset’s sink. “I...um…” “Want more tea?” Adagio nodded mutely and took her seat while Sunset passed her and went into the little nook that masqueraded as a kitchen. She watched the girl start a new pot of tea, dropping bags of it into a stainless steel sauce pan. From behind, she could see claw marks that her nails had left down Sunset’s back. The marks were a lighter shade of that creamy pale hay color the rest of Sunset’s skin was. They led her eyes down from one tan line to another that peeked out just above those capris. Hmm...she’s got more going on for her than just what’s up front. That made her smirk. Maybe I need to tell her? If I don’t, I get the feeling we’re going to bounce from one ‘comical’ misunderstanding to the next. “Sunset.” The pony acknowledged her from the kitchen stove, but didn’t turn around from putting the pan of water on to heat. Adagio sighed, leaning back as far as the chair would allow her before tipping over on the linoleum. “There is something I need to talk to you about. Before we do anything about Aria.” “What is it?” Sunset braced herself on the edge of her countertop, the edge biting into her palms. She wanted to turn around, but part of her was certain if she did, she’d inadvertently experience a real life version of that famous movie scene of the police interrogating a woman suspected of murder by ice pick. Only things missing would be the lie detector and cigarette. Instead she kept her eyes on the water in the pot and bit her lip to distract her imagination. “About that thing you said. About making me squirm ‘cuz the gay girl is coming on to me.” “Yeah.” Sunset scoffed, throwing her hands up. “That really worked didn’t it? I’m sorry, okay? It was hypocritical of me to do that just because I thought you did it to me first! We’re both horrible people. Yay.” “No, it’s not that.” Adagio snorted, a smile playing at the edges of her lips. “I mean, yeah, we are horrible people, but that’s not the point I’m trying to make.” Adagio let the smile that was forming spread, tilting her head back to stare up at the ceiling. “What I’m getting at is...we’re in the same boat, you and me. This world has some pretty funky views on stuff like that. Always pushing one kind of love and relationship over another.” Sunset shifted at the counter, grabbing the edge again and she spared the siren a quick glance over her shoulder. “People like us get pushed to the edges of society. Back in Equestria...no one would even bat an eye at it. But here?” Adagio shook her head sadly and shrugged. “‘People like us?’” Sunset turned a little. “You mean you…?” Adagio smirked, pantomiming her mind being blown. “For how long?” Sunset turned fully, her mouth hanging open a little in naked incredulity. “Since the first time I broke the waves back home. Since the first mare I laid eyes on and fell in love!” This time Adagio threw up her hands. “Since forever ago, you dunce! A lot like you, it’s not something I like advertising. Aria and Sonata aren’t like that, and they’ve taken every opportunity to remind me I’m freak! Aria has...at least.” Lightning split the sky outside, drawing both girls’ attention to the tiny window over Sunset’s sink. Thunder crashed a moment later, loud enough to feel it in the floorboards. Sunset frowned. In the last few minutes of revelations and wrestling, she’d completely forgotten about the rainstorm outside. She shook her head, crossing her arms in front of herself, and leaned back against her kitchen counter. “So...you’re a lesbian.” Adagio nodded, her eyes still on the window where the rain was making quiet ‘plinking’ sounds. Sunset’s frown twisted as she tried to process that piece of information. She...she likes girls. Like me. Does that mean that the flirting was serious? Or...was she still teasing me? And if it was serious, how do I feel about that? Next to her, the pot of tea was starting to hiss, the first stream of steam lifting up toward the ceiling. Sunset shared it a glance. I don’t know...am I supposed to feel anything? Should I be flattered? Angry? Both? “You look like you’re thinking pretty hard about something.” Adagio rested her head on her wrist, elbow bracing against the table. “Penny for your thoughts?” “I...I’m trying to figure out how to feel.” Sunset’s voice was flat, her gaze distant. “I mean, just so I’m clear, you were flirting with me earlier right? The fight, the walking around naked...all that stuff about me looking good?” Adagio pursed her lips. “I think I was.” “You think?” “Yeah,” the siren shot Sunset an annoyed look, “I think. So what if I was?” “Well…” Sunset faded out. She wasn’t sure what to say to that anymore than she was sure what to think about Adagio’s actions. She opened her mouth for more, but she couldn’t quite articulate her feelings. Finally she gave up and turned back to the stove and the heavily steaming pot of tea. Sunset turned it off and started going through the motions of fixing two cups of tea mechanically. The thinking parts of her mind felt like a skipping record, coming back to the thought that Adagio liked girls over and over without being able to get past it. All too soon, she had the two mugs filled and lightly sweetened for them both. She carried them to the table, Adagio watching her, and set them there. She grabbed the little office chair and spun it around to flop into it hard. “You know, I always thought that when I got the chance to be alone and mostly naked with another girl, it’d be different than this.” “Welcome to being an adult. Life never works out like our fantasies. I never thought something like this would happen either.” “I am an adult!” Sunset snapped, scowling at Adagio. “I’m well versed in reality’s shortcomings, thank you.” She growled and blew on her tea to cool it. The action calmed her, just like it had earlier and she breathed in the sharp, spiced scent. “But really, this is not what I had in mind.” Adagio sat forward in her seat, grabbing her own tea. “Have you had girlfriend since you came to this world?” The redhead sighed, drawing up and trying to hide behind her cup. “Not in so many words...a few crushes here and there. It’s taken me a while to get over the physical differences.” Adagio smirked, leaning forward a bit more, until the slowly rising steam from her tea split, framing her face. “Sure you didn’t start going to that horse park to look for romance?” She flashed teeth when Sunset recoiled, but her follow up comment died on her lips when she noticed the hurt look on Sunset’s face. Adagio reached out with one hand toward Sunset, her fingers flexing and unsure. She wasn’t sure what to do, her mind at sudden war with itself. Part of her wanted to hit Sunset with another insult insinuating an attraction to this world’s horses, while another part of her remembered what similar barbs from Aria in their first years in the human world had felt like. Habit dictated that she attack the weakness she sensed in Sunset. That she assert her dominance, her superiority. But her heart knew how much that would hurt. Knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of those kinds of barbs and slings. She let her hand drop, her fist hitting the table top hard. “Damn it...sorry. I didn’t mean...well, actually I did mean that, but I’m sorry. That was...uncool of me.” “You think?” Sunset glared at Adagio. “I don’t blame you though. This friendship stuff is hard, huh?” “It messes you up in the head.” The blonde sighed, mimicking Sunset with her cup of tea and taking a sip. “Does it get easier?” “Yeah. Practice and all that.” Sunset grimaced, reaching out to put her hand on Adagio’s fist. “I promise it does. And that I’m here for you.” “If I need to talk?” Adagio couldn’t keep the sneer out of her voice, but she didn’t pull her hand away from Sunset’s. “Or if you need to throw a punch.” Adagio looked up at that, into Sunset’s blue eyes. She let her hand relax under the other girl’s warm touch. This time, she couldn’t keep the hope and wonder out of her voice. “You promise?” Sunset nodded, a smile touching her lips again. “Speaking of violence: Aria. I have an idea, something that should put you back in control, and keep Aria down for a while hopefully.” The siren grinned sharkishly around the rim of her mug. “I’m liking you more and more by the minute. What’s the plan?” She snorted, imaging the bruises her usurping lackey would soon be collecting. “I want this to hurt.” Sunset put down her cup and ran her fingers through her hair, shaking it all loose before scooting her office chair closer to the table. She pointed back toward her dresser over Adagio’s shoulder. “I’ve been studying magic in this world for a while now, and I’ve made little headway in all honesty. It doesn’t work like magic in Equestria...at least not entirely like magic back home. But there are similarities! Objects from Equestria that are enchanted, or otherwise infused with mana still function here, though at a much reduced capacity.” She pointed at the hollow of Adagio’s neck, where it flowed gracefully into her chest. “And I think that’s why you originally retained some of your powers when you were sent here by Starswirl.” “My gem.” Adagio reached up to where the stone had sat for the better part of human age, just at the top of her breast bone. “Yeah. From Princess Twilight’s research on it—and please correct me if we’re wrong—from what Starswirl himself observed, siren gems are naturally crystallized magic, rather than enchanted items like ponies make. But the principle is the same: it is a self contained unit of magic that is in constant flux and always renewing itself.” “Technically,” Adagio interjected, “our gems aren’t that self sustaining. They required near constant resupply of energy or they become very fragile. That’s why we were always feeding off the humans.” “Huh. Neat.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I’ll need to make some notes about that. Maybe your gems are unbalanced matrices? Too much upkeep to feed the system and keep up with output. Princess Twilight is going to have a field day with this!” Adagio shook her head, rolling her eyes for good measure. “Hell if I know. I just sing.” “Well, we can go over the details in detail later!” Sunset’s smile grew brighter and she bounced a little in her seat, her voice speeding up a little. “They still appear to work mostly the same way as my journal, just not as efficiently, and most likely, they generate a magic positive field around them, which in turn allowed you to keep feeding stolen energies into them since you had it sitting right on your throat!” “Ok…” Adagio leaned away slightly. “What does this have to do with anything? I don’t have my gem anymore thanks to you.” “What I’m getting at here, is the strong magical field that surrounds the school!” Sunset stood suddenly, throwing her arms wide. “If I’m right, then that gives me a new basis to look at how this world’s physical laws interact with Equestrian magic. That magic forced into this universe's system will eventually erode and dissipate without constant recharging—which enchanted objects do by design! That’s why your gems worked, why my journal still works, and why we were both able to pull off bigger and more powerful magic at the school! The portal is a magical object and it bridges the multiverse divide, allowing even more magic to leak into the local reality and heightening magical effects!” Sunset whooped and sprinted over to her dresser, pulling out the drawer with the journal and fishing it out. Underwear and socks galore spilled unnoticed to the floor until Sunset had the book free. She whirled around and held her prize up. “I’ve noticed that there is lag when I send notes to Princess Twilight from here. But when I’m at the school, unless Twilight is doing something that keeps her from writing back, there is virtually no lag at all. The greater amount of magic there makes the journal work better.” Adagio stared at the former pony, eyes narrowed as she tried to follow all that she was being told. “So...that’s where the giant magical laser alicorn came from?” “Yeah.” “Wait.” Adagio held up a hand, her tea forgotten. “What’s this ‘portal’ you’re talking about?” “There is an active portal to Equestria at the high school.” Sunset blinked. “I forgot you didn’t know. Sorry about that.” “What!?” The siren shot to her feet, eyes wide and her pupils shrank to pin points. “There’s been a portal there this whole time!?” “Uh...yeah. Or, at least there has been one since I activated the mirror on Equestria’s side of the multiverse divide a few years ago.” Sunset shrugged sheepishly. “So...now there is a lot of magic at the school and it seems to be getting stronger due to the constant leakage.” Adagio groaned and rubbed her temples. “Start making sense please. How does this help with Aria? Hitting her with the laser light show again seems kinda dumb and counter productive.” “No no no!” Sunset thumped her journal with her palm. “Not that. I think we can get you your gem back.” Adagio froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her gem. Her power. Her voice. Can I really get it back? She opened her mouth, but it was a long pause before she could make sounds again. “H-how? I-I-I can have my gem back?” “I think so.” Sunset opened the journal and flipped through the pages quickly, her eyes scanning back and forth rapidly as she looked through the past week’s note exchange. “You form your gem through a natural process, right? I think Starswirl said something about it. That sirens can create them by mixing their own sonic powers with the natural mana around them in Equestria, and it’s that pervasive magic field in Equestria that keeps them from shattering. That you fed there to increase the power output, not to just maintain them.” Her fingers stopped on one page and she grinned. “Here it is. Yeah...Starswirl did say something along those lines. He must have thought that sealing you away here would ensure that your gems would shatter since there wasn’t a natural magical field. Of course, he seems to have miscalculated.” “You mean...I could just recreate my gem at the school?” Adagio held her head in both hands, her heart pounding in her ears. If she could get her powers back, Aria would stand no chance against her. She’d be the undisputed leader again. She’d be able to take over the world by herself. Adagio shook her head again. She wasn’t going to get ahead of herself again. No more failures. “Just like that?” Sunset looked up at the shell shocked Adagio. “Um...no.” Adagio blinked, some of her old growl and glare coming back to her. “Why would you even mention it then?” “Because, I’m not suggesting we try to reform your gem at the school. I’m suggesting we go to the school and use the portal to go back to Equestria and reform it there.” *** “What?” “You heard me.” Sunset rolled her eyes, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel. “What do you want, Adagio, dubstep? I thought classic rock would be a good compromise!” Adagio Dazzle sneered and pressed another button on the radio, changing the sound of fast paced drums to a laugh track playing over some morning DJ’s corny joke. “Just because it’s old pop, doesn’t mean it’s classic, just that it’s old.” Sunset groaned and hit the next button, cutting off some ‘whacky’ sound effect from the morning show in favor of screeching guitar and a wailing lead singer. That seemed to pacify the siren, Adagio sitting back in the passenger seat, but she pushed the gas just a bit harder to speed their trip back into Canterlot City. Thankfully, traffic was light in the early saturday morning hours and the city center soon came into view. “How sure are you this is going to work?” Adagio slumped against the door, looking out at the passing homes and shopping centers that dominated the edge of the city. “What if nothing happens?” “We’ll know pretty quick, right?” Sunset spared Adagio a glance, the turn signal ticking steadily as she pulled on to the main thoroughfare. “You said last night that making the gems is simple.” “Admittedly, I had help last time.” Adagio shrugged, her usual scowl firmly in place on her face. “But yeah, should be easy and pretty quick. So long as I’m not interrupted.” “Which should be taken care of.” Sunset patted her journal where it sat nestled awkwardly into the cup holders between their seats. “Princess Twilight and her assistant, Spike—” “The dragon?” “—the baby dragon, are going to be chasing more of Starswirl’s notes. Unless there have been some major changes in Equestria, she’ll have to go to Canterlot to access the Starswirl Archive at the castle.” “Isn’t Canterlot where you said you opened the portal from in the first place?” Adagio raised an eyebrow, turning that scowl on the unicorn in the leather jacket next to her. “We’ll want to avoid that place.” “Yeah...originally, I triggered the mirror that holds the portal in Canterlot. But at some point after that, Princess Celestia had it relocated to the Crystal Empire.” Adagio snorted. “The Crystal Empire? What to some old ice cave then? That place got nuked centuries ago!” “It’s back. Apparently.” “What do you mean, ‘back?’” Sunset shrugged. “It came back from wherever magical nuking sends you to. Princess Cadance runs the place now. It’s where I stole Twilight’s crown from last year.” “Princess Cadance?” The siren rubbed her face with her hands, pinching the skin between her eyes for a moment as Sunset pulled onto another side street. Around them, the buildings spaced out, becoming a more upscale neighborhood. “How many of these damn princesses are there? Before the battle of the bands, all I ever knew about was Celestia. Rumor had it she had a sister though. Is that Cadance?” “Nope.” Sunset smiled ruefully. “Cadance is Celestia’s niece. I met her a few times before I left. Nice enough, I guess...if you like tall pink mares. Princess Luna is Celestia’s sister, just like at the high school.” “That’s creepy.” “Oh you have no idea!” Sunset laughed. “Vice Principal Luna scared the hay out of me when I first came here. I thought she was mythical. I never would have guessed the Mare in the Moon was real, but Twilight says Nightmare Moon returned and was defeated...so now Luna is back and policing dreams or some sort of nonsense like that.” “Correction,” Adagio shuddered, “very creepy.” “The VP is pretty chill though. So who knows, maybe her pony counterpart is great at parties?” Sunset slowed her car as they entered the school zone. “Either way, that makes four of them, counting Twilight. Which, before you ask, she isn’t related to any of them. She finished Starswirl’s incomplete masterpiece spell and mastered friendship magic. So...she’s an alicorn now.” “Equestrian politics must be screwed up right now because of that.” “Believe me, I’m glad I’m not a part of that anymore.” Sunset turned into Canterlot High’s student parking lot and took a spot right at the front. There were only a handful of other vehicles parked nearby and all of them had the ‘faculty’ sticker on their tags. “Man, this school turns into a ghost town on the weekends. Back in Canterlot, there would be dozens of students doing research and spellcraft all over the campus.” “Hurray for small miracles then that this portal doesn’t lead back there anymore.” Adagio sat up, looking out through the front windshield at the school’s main building. “Crystal Empire, right?” “No.” Sunset unclipped her seat belt and grabbed the journal. “Princess Twilight had it moved to her castle after I used this to contact her. She set it up so that it’s in Ponyville now, and inside her castle. I figure since she’s the Bearer of the Element of Magic, the local magical field there should be even more dense than normal.” The redhead climbed out of her car, beckoning Adagio to follow her, and locked it behind them both. The early morning sun reflected off the school’s windows, making it look like they were walking directly into the dawn. The statue that housed the portal was only just visible against the glare. She took a deep breath and slipped her book into the satchel she’d brought with her, one of her original saddlebags from back in Equestria. Her heart was going a mile a minute, but she forced her face to remain coolly neutral while Adagio was looking. The prospect of using the portal again thrilled her, but she wasn’t about to let the other girl see her more flustered than she had already. She started toward the statue, hanging the satchel over her shoulder so that it pressed against her side. The journal was going to be her early warning system. The message she’d sent Twilight earlier stressed taking its twin along to the Starswirl Archive so she could be updated immediately on Twilight’s findings. Knowing what she did of the mare, Twilight would let her know everything, including when she was heading back to her castle. If things went well, they’d already be back on the human side, with nopony the wiser about the quick visit. She looked sideways at Adagio. The siren looked stunning in the bright morning light, her hair put up and her clothes clean and fresh. But she wasn’t paying much attention back to Sunset other than following along. Showing the portal to Adagio was a calculated risk. Once Adagio had her powers back, she could only hope that the siren’s thirst for vengeance would be strong enough to keep her from just running off. Once they were back, that power would really put Adagio into a superior position. Hopefully, friendship...mutual trust between us...will be enough to hold her back. She wants to change...I can feel it. But am I enough to keep her from going right back to the world domination plans? Sunset squeezed her satchel and hoped she was right. The statue of the school’s equine mascot rose before them, its bulk providing a little shade against the sunlight. Sunset breathed in deeply, the tips of her ears tingling in the presence of this world’s most powerful magical artifact. “This is the portal?” Adagio looked up at those rearing marble hooves. “Tacky.” “Don’t look at me, I didn’t pick it.” Sunset gestured at the side that faced the school. “It’s that panel.” “So...how do you work this thing? And don’t say ‘click your heels three times’ or there will be blood.” “Heels?” Sunset smirked, putting on a pair of sunglasses pulled from her jacket pocket. “Where we’re going, we don’t need heels.”