//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Tension // Story: By Her Side // by Lady Froey //------------------------------// Adagio grumbled, tossing and turning in bed. It felt foreign, nothing like hers at the apartment. She soon opened her eyes to find light pouring in through the upper windows of the garage; it wasn’t pitch black like her apartment. What was very different, however, was Sunset resting next to her, still underneath the covers peacefully resting. Adagio was still confused as to what had happened last night, or whether her song has any part in it. That night however was definitely something she wouldn’t forget anytime soon. Sitting up in bed, she blinked her eyes a few times to get things into focus. Then came several loud bangs from the door, making Adagio nearly jump out of the bed. “Hey, Sunset! You home? I wanted to bring back your sledge,” a woman yelled from the other side of the door in a heavy southern accent. Adagio caught her breath again, resting a hand over her chest. Her heart thumped in her chest and slowly returned to its normal resting pace. Well, that’s one way to wake up. She looked down at Sunset to see she was still asleep. She was curled up in a fetal position half-buried by the covers, snoozing peacefully as though there wasn’t someone just outside the door banging on it and yelling. Adagio thought back to the gunshots last night. I guess she sleeps through worse on a regular basis. She decided it would be best to wake Sunset up. “Sunny, hey,” Adagio said, placing her hand on Sunset’s shoulder shaking her a few times. “I think one of your friends is at the door.” Sunset opened her eyes and made an audible yawn, looking up at Adagio. “W-what?” she said. “Friend. At the door.” Adagio pointed to the front door. “Wanted to return a sledge I think.” “Sledge?” Sunset only took a second to process the information and her expression immediately changed. “Oh shit!” she immediately got out of bed naked and grabbed the nearest garments off the ground, hastily throwing them on. “Uhh… are you okay?” Adagio asked without getting up. “I don’t think they were in a hurry or anything.” “Lay down, and stay hidden!” Sunset hissed, throwing the covers over Adagio. “Hey, what the fu—” Adagio then began to muffle underneath the covers, trying to finish her sentence. “Ssshhh!” Sunset said, placing a finger over her lips. “Just be quiet for—” Sunset was cut off when she heard the locks to the door click open. A blonde young woman sporting a stylish cowboy hat stepped into the garage. “Uhhh…” she said, staring at Sunset standing in front of her. Her hair was a tangled mess, her shirt was wrinkled and hanging off one side of her shoulder. Her legs were bare, her decency kept only by a pair of rainbow panties. “Thought you were away, sorry.” “H-hey Applejack! Um, morning!” Sunset said, blushing and rubbing the back of her head. “It’s actually past noon, Sunset,” Applejack said. She closed the door behind her and held the large hammer in her right hand, resting it against her shoulder. “Has studying at that college already make you stay up this late?” “Oh yeah, definitely. You’d be surprised how much work they give you in the first week.” Sunset inched herself closer to Applejack, wanting to take her attention off the bed behind herself. “Uh-huh. Anyways, where do you want me to set this thing?” Applejack asked, motioning the hammer a bit. “Oh, just place it anywhere, I need to get back to doing, um…” Sunset said. “Mrrpph!” The covers behind Sunset audibly murmured, and ruffled. “…studying?” Sunset finished sheepishly, folding her hands behind her back. Applejack immediately noticed the sound from the bed, raising an eyebrow. “I can definitely see you were studying something Sunset,” she said, with a small smirk. “Already making new friends? Close friends?” “M-maybe.” Sunset nervously laughed. “They’re totally shy though. I can introduce my new friend once—” Adagio then suddenly burst out from underneath the covers, taking a loud gasp of fresh air. Applejack immediately saw Adagio emerge from the covers: the woman who almost ruined her friendships several years back. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape. She lost her grip on the hammer; it fell out of her hand and slammed onto the ground beside her. Adagio stayed on the bed and sat up against the wall and waved to Applejack. “Morning,” she said. “W-what is she doing here? Much less in your bed!?” Applejack yelled, pointing at Adagio. “We’re umm…” Sunset twiddled with her fingers, not sure how to say it before Adagio talked over her. “Like you said, Applejack was it? We were doing…” Adagio made a small laugh before grinning. “Stuff.” “Sunset,” Applejack focused her attention on her. “S-surely you can’t be…?” “Look here, Jackie.” Adagio said lowering her gaze. “I don’t know which backwoods you came from, but Sunset likes me. Whether or not you are able to accept she likes the ladies, she isn’t going to change for you anytime soon.” “Uhhh,” Applejack tilted her head. “I already knew she liked girls since high school. But that’s not the point!” She crossed her arms. “What I am asking is of all the girls in Canterlot, why would it be a rotten-to-the-core… temptress like you?” “Hmm… you know, jealousy really isn’t your color.” Adagio smirked, running her hand over her chest down to her stomach. “Maybe she’s just not into freckles.” “I’m not jealous! I’m not interested like that in Sunset. No, uh, offense,” Applejack said, pausing and fidgeting with her hat. “None… taken?” Sunset stood frozen, watching the staredown between Adagio and Applejack and biting her lip. “But that don’t mean I’m not going to try and stop her from making a bad decision!” She turned her head away from Adagio and back to Sunset. “What do you see in someone like her? She obviously hasn’t changed since Battle of the Bands.” “Oh, I’ve changed plenty, no thanks to you all,” Adagio said with narrowed eyes, tapping the fake stone on her choker. “You neutered me, remember?” “Neutered animals are supposed to be calmer,” Applejack mumbled. “You lot were willing to welcome Sunset with open arms after she’d made mistakes, but you left me to rot.” Adagio snorted. “That doesn’t sound like something a good friend would do, now does it? Who’s to say you’re not the villain this time and we’re not two misunderstood loners who’ve finally found each other?” “Who’s to say you’re not the same conniving bitch you were who’ll say anything to get in Sunset’s pants!” Applejack shouted, her teeth clenched. “I already have.” Adagio grinned. “Will you two just stop!” Sunset said stomping her foot down in-between the two. “You’re right, you got yourself into this mess, and I don’t want to be a part of it.” Applejack turned to the door and opened it, looking back at Sunset. “Don’t be surprised if this messes up our friendship. Not just with me, but the other girls too. I’ll let you figure out how to tell them. You have some hard decisions to make; I just hope you make the right ones.” She walked out, waving her hand. “At the very least, I won’t have it affect your job, have a good one.” She then pulled the door in, slamming it shut, making both Sunset and Adagio jump. “And put a damn shirt on!” Applejack yelled from outside. Sunset turned around again only now to realize Adagio was still naked, not having bothered to yank any covers up over herself. Sunset could only place her palm over her head. “Well, that happened.” Adagio shrugged. Sunset wrapped her arms around herself. She was visibly shaking, rapidly murmuring to herself “this is not happening,” repeatedly. “Hey,” Adagio said to Sunset, noticing she was keeping to herself. “You all right?” “Am I all right?” Sunset joylessly laughed, and turned around to Adagio. “What do you think Adagio! What in Tartarus were you thinking acting like that in front of my friend!?” She yelled. “Tartar? What?” Adagio titled her head, confused. “You know what, just… Ughh!!!” Sunset had a few tears in her eyes before storming into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. “She… she started it,” Adagio said to herself. Even in her own ears, it sounded like an excuse. Well… shit, real smooth Adagio. She sighed. Let’s just be cool and not make this worse. Adagio grabbed her garments off the ground and put them on, tip-toeing to the bathroom door. She made a small audible knock on the bathroom door. “Look, um… I know you probably want a few minutes to yourself,” she stumbled on her words. On the other end of the door, Sunset was curled up, crying. “I’ll, uh… just make some coffee for us and wait until you are ready to come out,” Adagio said, walking away from the bathroom door. She went over to the kitchen and picked up a bag of coffee, preparing the coffee pot that sat on the counter. Sitting up against the counter, she pondered what to say to Sunset. The coffee was finished brewing and she poured a cup for herself, and sat down at the kitchen table, taking a few sips from her cup while she waited. Soon the bathroom door opened with Sunset coming out. She walked into the kitchen wiping the rest of the tears from her face. Adagio looked up at her. Sunset’s face was red, her eyes were puffy. “I left a mug for you next to the pot,” she said. “…Okay,” Sunset replied with a flicker of a smile, shuffling over to the coffee pot and pouring herself a mug. then sat across from Adagio at the kitchen table. She blew the steam away and took a few careful sips, staring into the darkness as it swirled in the mug. “Look, I’m…” Adagio paused, never having had to say this before. “I’m sorry. You know how I am as a person, and I could have approached that situation better.” “Yeah.” Sunset took another sip of her coffee. “Adagio, what are we going to do?” “You’re asking the woman who had no more than two friends throughout her lifetime, three if I count you, but you are more than just that to me.” Sunset smiled at the comment. “Adagio, I know you like to be a bit of a, um…” Sunset stopped. “A bitch?” Adagio said. “Yes, that.” Sunset took a sip from her mug. “I don’t expect you and my friends to become buddies easily, but at the same time you can’t just tell them off like you did with Applejack.” Adagio sighed. “She’s the one with the problem. I’m just trying to put the pieces of my broken life back together here, and that’s hard enough without some holier-than-thou bitch going on about how awful I am.” Adagio was now visibly shaken; her hands were clenched into fists. “They’re just as responsible as you for everything that I’ve been going through, but unlike you they don’t understand what it’s like. The thrill of coming so close to having it all, and having to live with regret after realizing that you weren’t the hero of your own story after all. I can’t stand judgment from people like that with perfect lives who think that being just and righteous is just so easy!” She slammed her fists down on the table. “It pisses me off!” Sunset jumped back from Adagio’s burst of rage. She frowned and brought her hands to Adagio’s, bringing them up. “I understand. I was there too. Losing all that you built up, and those who brought you down only wanting to keep you there. It’s frustrating, and it feels almost impossible to overcome.” “I’m just all so new to this.” A few tears fell down Adagio’s cheeks. “I-I don’t know where to start.” “I’ll guide you.” Sunset held Adagio’s hands tight. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me, and I am not going to leave you behind like the others have.” “T-thanks.” Adagio began to settle down. “Like you said, as long as we are together, we can get through anything.” “Exactly,” Sunset smiled. “I love you.” “I know.” Adagio said, returning a smile. After a shower and getting fully dressed, Sunset packed her backpack with a spare set of clothes, a few essential items, and a large book. She also had her acoustic guitar to the side, packed away in a soft case. “You sure you want to stay with me? You know how small my place is,” Adagio said. “Small, but relaxing. After this morning I just want a few days off if anything. I don’t want to miss any classes though and your place being near the college is pretty convenient.” Adagio nodded. Soon after, Adagio and Sunset left the garage and were riding along the road on the bike again, still remaining in the industrial part of town. They were stopped at a red light, and Adagio decided to strike up a small conversation as they waited for the light to turn green. “So where are we going? I thought you liked to cook,” she asked. “After this morning, I’d rather have something a bit junkier.” “Finally. I could use some comfort food,” Adagio paused before adding, “…not to say your cooking is bad of course.” “It’s fine.” Sunset smiled through her helmet. “I need junk food once in a while as well, and I saw how much your liked my dish from last night.” The light turned green, and they were finally moving again. They drove past a few factories and warehouses. Compared to where they were earlier, this part of town had a bit more activity along the road, mostly workers getting to and from work. They entered a diner parking lot and Sunset parked up at the front and killed the engine. Adagio stepped off the bike and took off her helmet, looking at the large red sign at the front of the business. “Goldy’s? What kind of name is that?” Adagio scoffed. “Just a diner franchise, apparently they are popular.” Sunset replied, removing her helmet and getting off the bike. Sunset took Adagio’s hand, and she smiled at the small gesture. Adagio’s senses tingled as soon as they walked through the door at the permeating smell of bacon. She was surprised Sunset could visit a place like this, but living in this part of town, it looks like she could take what she could get. Standing at the front of the diner, a waitress came around. “Hey ladies, just the two of y’all?” “Mmhm.” Sunset nodded. The waitress grabbed two menus. “Follow me, please.” They followed her past a few patrons; a majority of them sat at the lunch counter while the booths remained largely empty. One old man sitting at a booth gave both Adagio and Sunset a mean look before going back to his meal. The waitress stopped next to an empty booth in the corner of the diner. Adagio and Sunset sat across from each other. The waitress placed the menus in front of them. “What drinks would y’all like to start off with?” “Orange juice, please,” Sunset said. “Lots of coffee, black,” Adagio replied. “Alrighty, be back soon.” The waitress walked away. Adagio pulled up her menu. It was a bit sticky from the past thousands of patrons that had mishandled it. She looked at the options and saw a sampler platter of various meats, hash browns, eggs and pancakes. She immediately set her menu down. “That was fast,” Sunset said. “Bacon and pancakes wins by default.” Adagio grinned. “What does a veggie girl like you order at a place like this?” “I have a few options,” Sunset said, skimming through the menu. The waitress soon came back with their drinks and placed them on the table. “Are y’all ready to order?” she said, pulling out a pen and notepad. “I’ll have the meaty slam,” said Adagio. Sunset’s eyes widened, wondering how Adagio could eat so much food. But then placed her focus back on the waitress. “I’ll just have the vegetable omelette,” she said. “Coming right up!” The waitress took back the menus and walked to the back of the kitchen. Sunset picked up her orange juice and took down a sizeable gulp before bringing the cup down. Adagio only took a sip of her coffee before breaking the silence. “So, I never had the chance to ask last night,” Adagio said. “Since when did you like girls? Better yet, how does Applejack know about it?” Sunset raised an eyebrow at the very personal question. “Not that I’m complaining,” Adagio said with a wink. “Just curious.” She rested her elbows on the table and set her head on top of her hands. “Well,” Sunset took another sip of her orange juice. “I knew since I was a filly. Unlike here, sexuality isn’t that big a deal back home. A majority of pony couples date the opposite sex, but you will find a good chunk of ponies that only like the same sex, or both. “To be honest, I am surprised you found an attraction to me as human. Seeing how you used to be a, well…” Adagio paused, still confused by the concept of talking horses. “Pony.” “While we do know a fair bit about the portal, there are still plenty of unknowns. When I turned into a human, being attracted to girls just felt natural, kind of like how I was attracted to mares. I’m not sure how it did it.” “Hmm, interesting.” Adagio scratched her chin. “So, back to yourself. How did Applejack know about you liking the ladies?” “I dated a girl after the Friendship Games at CHS.” “Do tell…” Adagio smirked. “Just some background, are you aware that there may be two of us in this world? Like, there is me from the pony world residing here, but there is a possibility that there is another me that was born into this world as well.” “Oh, I know.” Adagio said casually, not showing a least bit of surprise. “You do? How?” Sunset asked. “There was another Adagio Dazzle here, thousands of years ago. I only knew about her through an archive of family trees from ancient times.” “If it was thousands of years ago, is she…?” “She’s long dead. Unlike myself from pony land, she lived like any other average human being.” “Huh.” Sunset shrugged. “You learn something new every day.” “So, that girlfriend?” Adagio said, wanting to get back on topic. “Well, long story short, I met the Twilight Sparkle of this world. We dated only for a short time.” “Who broke it off?” “Her, turns out she was ‘experimenting,’” Sunset motioned her fingers in mocking quotations. “She liked being around me, and enjoyed my affection.” She sighed. “Once we were in bed, however, she came to the conclusion she was not into girls, and called it off immediately afterwards.” “Wow.” Adagio had a blank expression, not even wanting to imagine the situation. “Awkward.” “You’re telling me.” Sunset took another sip of her juice. “Afterwards we still talked and hanged out. Once we graduated she moved away and is probably at some major university outside of town by now.” “And your other friends?” Adagio asked. “Other than Applejack, everyone is out of town doing their own thing. We still keep in contact over social media and we meet every spring break for a camping trip.” “Camping, huh? Sounds fun.” Adagio smiled. “…I was hoping I could take you with me this year. But with all of this…” Sunset paused, running her hand through her hair. “I am not sure if they will even talk to me after what happened this morning.” she frowned. “As I said, we’ll get through it.” Adagio turned around from her seat, and looked throughout the restaurant. “Before that however, where is that food?” The earlier waitress soon came out from the kitchen holding multiple plates. She walked up to Sunset and Adagio’s table placing the individual plates in front of the two. Adagio had a large plate with two fried eggs, hash browns, and a sampling of meat including sausage, ham and most importantly… Bacon. Beside the large platter of food was a small plate with a small stack of pancakes. Sunset’s meal in comparison was small, with only a large omelette sitting on her single plate. “Let me know if y’all need anything else. Enjoy!” She walked off again. “Oh man, I don’t know where to start.” Adagio said, pulling up a fork and knife and cutting up her fried eggs, allowing the juices to spread all over her plate. Sunset could only stare at Adagio’s plate as she began digging into her food, mixing her hash browns and meats together in the egg yolk and taking large bites. Before it would make her sick, but she built up a tolerance over time. Adagio noticed Sunset looking at her eating habits and raised an eyebrow. “Something up?” “Oh, nothing.” Sunset shook her head, going back to her meal. “It’s just, you know, those used to be… alive.” “Yes, and now they’re tasty,” Adagio corrected with a smirk. Adagio continued devouring her meal, finishing before Sunset. She took her time, focusing on one item at a time, enjoying every part of her meal rather than finishing it as fast as possible. Once Adagio cleaned her plates, she set her utensils down. “So, I’m gonna be up front. I don’t know how we are going to deal with Applejack,” she said. “S-seriously?” Sunset said. “I said I was new to the friendship thing,” Adagio huffed. “Surely you have someone else that can help us out?” “Someone else?” Sunset scratched her chin. “That’s it!” “What is it?” Adagio asked. “I’ll tell you when we get back to your place, let me finish my omelette,” Sunset said, digging into what remained of her breakfast. “…Can I have some?” Adagio asked sheepishly. “You had ALL of that food and you are still hungry?” “I may have eaten a bit fast.” She scratched the back of her head. Sunset smiled and finished the rest of her late breakfast. Adagio paid the bill and they soon left. Opening the door to the apartment, Sunset walked in first with Adagio closing the door behind her. It was still the mid-afternoon on a weekend and they still had plenty of time to do whatever they wished. Sunset sat on the sofa in the living area while Adagio walked to the kitchen in the back of the apartment. “You want anything to drink?” Adagio asked. “Just a glass of water,” Sunset replied. “Coming up.” Adagio grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and began making the beverages. “So, now that we are here. What are we going to do about Applejack?” “Come here.” Sunset picked up her backpack and shuffled around the materials inside, pulling out the large book she’d packed earlier and a pen. Adagio placed the two glasses of water on the table and sat next to Sunset, who opened up the book. Adagio noticed the first few pages had been torn out, but the remaining pages looked like letters between two people. “What’s this?” Adagio asked. “This is a book passed down to me by Celestia. It contains some Equestrian magic, so whatever is written in here…” Sunset pointed her pen to the book, before pointing it in the air. “…is sent to another exact book elsewhere. Neat, huh?” “So it’s like texting.” “No, it’s a highly complicated magical algorithm that allows you to—” “Text?” Sunset glowered at Adagio, who stuck out her tongue in turn. They both laughed. “So, who do you write to? Surely it’s not Celestia.” “It’s not, it’s my friend Twilight.” “The ex?” “No, no.” Sunset waved her hands. “The other Twilight.” “Makes sense.” Adagio shrugged. “Where does she live?” “Ponyville,” Sunset replied. “Seriously?” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “There is a town called Ponyville?” “Well, it’s a village full of ponies, so I guess the name fits?” Sunset could only shrug at Adagio’s comment, and turned the book to a blank page. “Anyways, Twilight is a good friend to both Applejack and me, and she specializes in solving friendship problems,” Sunset said. “All right. Write her a letter, I guess.” “Well, it’s not that simple. I actually haven’t talked to her in a few months, and she obviously doesn’t know I’m dating you. Seeing how Applejack reacted earlier, how should I tell her about us?” “Don’t go into details, then; we can tell her about me when she gets here. Just tell her you are doing well and that you are having a…” Adagio raised her fingers into quotations. “Friendship problem.” “All right, give me a moment…” Sunset thought to herself for a moment, before striking the pen onto the page and began writing a small letter. Dear Twilight, Hope you are doing well. I’m sorry for not sending you any messages throughout the past few weeks. Taking a break from Applejack’s farm and attending college has been a sort of new experience for me in this world, but I am adjusting to the change. Recently on my campus I met this girl. She is a bit older than me—Adagio punched Sunset’s arm—but I really like her and we’ve officially begun dating. Unfortunately, I am in need of your help with a friendship problem involving her. Recently, we ran into Applejack and got into an argument, and now I am worried my entire circle of friends may hate us. I can’t explain it in full detail, but I hope you can take some time to visit here and help us out. Be sure to write back ASAP, hope to see you soon. —Your friend, Sunset Shimmer Sunset closed the book and placed it on the coffee table. “Hopefully she can visit us soon. I’m not sure how long this can go on.” “Are you sure we can trust her?” Adagio asked. “Of course; she’s my friend.” Sunset replied. “So was Applejack, and unlike Applejack I am sure Twilight knows even more than any of your friends here about my past crimes. Possibly even more than I do,” she admitted sheepishly. “How do you think she is going to feel about you dating me?” “She’ll probably be on guard at first, but she’s made friends with past bad individuals before.” “Excuse me.” Adagio raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying I am a bad woman?” “The worst. But it’s okay though.” Sunset sat herself up against Adagio, whispering into her ear. “I like bad girls.” Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset and gave her a kiss. “Fair enough.” They both remained on the sofa, close to one another. “Can you hum me that song from the park yesterday?” Adagio stared at Sunset. Should I tell her? What if my song does have an influence over her? She sat there not saying anything, only deep in thought. “Adagio?” Sunset said. “Oh, sorry.” Adagio shook her head, focusing back on Sunset. “Are you okay? Is there something you need to tell me?” She asked. “No, everything’s fine,” Adagio picked up her glass of water from the table and took a sip. “Any reason why you want me to sing?” “It makes me feel at ease, and it sounds beautiful, like you.” Sunset smiled. “You are just trying to please me now.” “Maybe, but I wasn’t lying.” Adagio cleared her throat. “If I hum my tune, you have to play me a song on that guitar you brought along.” “Deal.” Adagio begun to hum the song from yesterday. The tune resonated throughout the room. Sunset sat her head along Adagio’s shoulder as she continued, until she was interrupted by the book on the table. It vibrated repeatedly, similar to a phone, surrounded by a purple glow. Adagio stared blankly at the book. “Well, at least it doesn’t have an annoying ringtone.” “That didn’t take too long,” Sunset said, opening the book back to the page where she left off. Below her handwriting was a small reply from Twilight. Dear Sunset, It’s good to hear from you, and sure! My schedule is pretty open at the moment, can I perhaps visit tomorrow at the start of the afternoon? We can have lunch while we catch up, then I can help you with Applejack. —Princess Twilight Sparkle Sunset immediately grabbed her pen and wrote: Twilight, Sure! We’ll see you at noon tomorrow, I know a good place near the school! Thanks, Twilight. —Sunset Sunset then slammed the book shut and placed it back in her bag. “All right, your turn.” Adagio said. Sunset got up off the sofa and retrieved her guitar case, unzipping it and pulling out a well worn acoustic guitar. She sat back down next to Adagio, positioning herself and the guitar. “What do you want me to play?” Sunset asked. “Whatever song you like,” Adagio said. “Okay.” Sunset strummed a few chords, making sure the guitar was still in tune. She then began to play a slow melody. Her fingers flew across the frets. Despite the song’s apparent simplicity, Sunset was incredibly dextrous. Not only was she hitting every note perfectly, but there was a peaceful look on her face as though she could do this while half-asleep. Adagio felt her eyelids getting a bit heavy as she lost herself in the maze of notes. The magical book, their problems with Applejack, the pony village with a name so stupid it demanded destruction… all of these problems grew further from her mind. She rested her head on Sunset’s lap and was at peace.