Sunset Shimmer ran across the halls holding her tears in, the last thing she wanted was to give the other students at Canterlot High the satisfaction that they made her cry. Sunset ran until she reached a big door, assuming this door was to the library (where no one would be) she barged in and let the tears pour out. “Trouble in paradise Sunset Shimmer?” called a voice, Sunset looked up and found herself in the cafeteria which was empty save for Adagio Dazzle.
“Go away!” Sunset screamed.
Adagio simply smirked. “I don’t think so.”
“Get out, before I throw you out!” Sunset threatened.
Adagio grinned, “that’s right, destroy whatever little of the 'reformed' reputation you’ve created.”
“Fine, I’ll leave!” Sunset replied reaching for the door.
“And I’m sure you would love for all of them to see you now,” Adagio countered, Sunset lost her grip on the doorknob.
Sunset finally admitted defeat; she headed to a table away from Adagio before she spoke. “Fine, we’re both in here, but we don’t have to talk, pretend I’m not here!”
“Whatever you say," Adagio declared. "Well if you’re not here I must be alone and when I’m alone I like to whistle.” Adagio began to whistle the same song she and the other sirens sang on their first day at Canterlot High. Adagio’s whistling echoed off the cafeteria walls making it near impossible for Sunset Shimmer to ignore.
Sunset felt her hands tighten into a fist and eventually her left eye twitch “will you stop that?” she demanded.
“Hmmm, I thought you weren’t here,” countered Adagio.
“Well, I am in here, so knock it off!” Sunset shouted.
“It’s funny isn’t it?” asked Adagio.
“What the Tart (Tartarus) are you talking about?” demanded Sunset Shimmer.
“Do they tell the history of my girls and I back in Equestria?”
“Only that Starswirl defeated you,” responded Sunset Shimmer.
Adagio let out a loud laugh “defeated us?” she demanded amused. “Please, that old unicorn sent us here after we beat him! There we were in
the capital of Equestria, we were ready to go big, we were ready for a feast of emotion but after an, shall we say experience, we had some work to do.”
“What happened?” asked Sunset Shimmer.
Adagio returned to her story. “I still remember it all, there we were, hot off feast after glorious feast. Finally, we decided to hit the big time; Canterlot. We tried a musical competition but our old music just wasn’t cutting it, it was I who decided we needed to try something new but still play to our strengths, we needed to invent a whole new kind of music. We went back to the contest with our new music and shall we say some new abilities,” at this point Adagio’s pendant flashed a red glow. “Our new music was a hit, and soon everypony in the theater was fighting over us, and all that glorious energy from conflict came right back to us. However, one member of the audience was immune to our spell because of his great magic.”
“Starswirl,” Sunset commented.
“Exactly, the girls and I were to appear at an upcoming nightclub. That was where we officially met Starswirl for the first time. There he was singing on stage just as we were about to start our performance. Starswirl was attempting to do what your so called friends are doing now, launch a musical counter-spell.”
“You know about that?” Sunset demanded.
“Of course we know, but back to my story. Night after night that old fool competed against us for ponies’ ears and through these battles, new instruments, styles, and musical groups were founded he tried everything he could think of and yet when the dust settled it was we who won the crowd. Now we come to our so-called defeat. There we were in the biggest stadium in all of Canterlot about to sing a sold out concert for thousands of ponies, I still remember it, the feeling of being only steps away from victory. I knew that with this one last big score all of Equestria soon be doing our bidding and that even the princesses would soon be bowing to me! Then it happened, one moment we had all of Canterlot eating out of our hooves and the next thing I know we’re in this prison of a dimension! Starswirl didn’t defeat us he found a loophole and hoped we’d never be able to feed again!”
“Well that sure isn’t the story I read back in Equestria,” Sunset commented.
Adagio removed a quarter from her pocket “every coin has two sides Sunset Shimmer as does every story, Starswirl spread what he wanted to happen and what he wanted to believe. But the truth is he failed. We moved through this dimension for what felt like an eternity, moving from town to town and barely surviving on the emotions of these humans. I felt like this was how we were going to spend the rest of our lives and then it happened. I didn’t want to hope to believe it at first, but sure enough, it happened. First I saw it and then I ran outside of the restaurant wondering if it could be true and then I felt it, the others didn’t but I did, and I knew what it meant, it was Equestrian magic and it meant a second chance! That Sunset Shimmer was the night of the fall formal.”
“So you’re saying it’s my fault you’re here?” questioned Sunset Shimmer shocked.
“Yes and I can’t thank you enough!” responded Adagio.
“Tart!” shouted Sunset “if that got out I’d probably have to transfer schools. How did you know about the musical counter-spell?”
“Do you know how the other students describe you Sunset Shimmer? Most of them describe you as the evil queen bee who tried to turn
everyone into zombies.”
“Evil?” Sunset repeated.
“That was the word most students used among other things of which "evil" may be the nicest. Would you like to hear their version of the story?” Adagio asked. Sunset nodded “well it is a rather short story, they tell of how you started at Canterlot High like anyone else but soon rose to popularity when your fellow students crowned princess of the fall formal, soon you were ruling the school with an iron fist, separating people….”
“I did not!” Sunset declared Adagio looked at her hiding a smirk “well it’s true!” Sunset defended. “I never separated anyone except for my friends and that was because Rarity got in my way, I won’t mince words I was a royal bitch and a bully, but I had nothing to do with the fact that everyone stuck to their kind. That was not my fault!”
“Like I said every story has two sides” responded Adagio. “Now then, you ruled over the school with an iron fist and just when things were at their worst a new girl arrived, they say she was just there by coincidence, but you and I know better. She quickly united and won everyone over, and she was voted to overthrow you. Finally, you couldn’t win your crown fair and square, and so you tried to get Twilight disqualified. However, Twilight cleared her name and undid the damage you did so finally since you couldn’t win or cheat your way to the crown you decided to steal it and that got you the crown and caused a transformation. You know the most intelligent students say that the crown just took what was on the inside and brought it out for all to see. In any matter with your new found dark magic, you crowned yourself a princess and put everyone under your spell but met your end in Twilight Sparkle again when she and the others destroyed your power and broke your spell!”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much how it happened,” Sunset admitted.
“Is it now?” questioned Adagio. “I told you Sunset every story has two sides, you’ve heard Starswirl’s side of our story, and now you’ve heard my side. Now I’ve heard their side of the story but what’s yours?”
“I was a Royal, class-A, top bitch!” Sunset declared “but I never separated anyone, and I have worked hard repairing all the damage!”
“All the damage?” Adagio questioned. “Because from what I saw I’d say not everyone is as willing to put the fall formal behind them as you are.”
“That was… hey, you’re trying to distract me how did you know about the counter-spell?” Sunset demanded.
“Am I distracting you Sunset or are you just dodging my question because you don’t like the answer?” Adagio asked Sunset’s glare and demanding stance seemed to falter for a moment, but she quickly regained herself. “Fine, let me ask you something, do you think we’re stupid? Remember we’ve heard all about you and the fall formal and that means we’ve also heard about Twilight Sparkle. We show up and cast our spell and suddenly you girls have a new band member? At the kickoff party, I noticed you girls were immune to our music. I knew their magic protects your friends, and so I figured this new girl must have that power as well. Once I figured that out, it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”
“Well, then why did you let us continue in the competition?” Sunset inquired.
“Your friends have a great magical force Sunset Shimmer, and we sought to make it our own. Of course, your friends are completely immune to our spells so getting to their magic hasn’t been easy. But thankfully with a little help from the other bands, it seems we’re making progress” responded Adagio.
“What am I even doing?” Sunset demanded getting up from her seat. “Why am I even talking to you? Everything is your fault! You and those other two flunkies of yours! You put a spell on everyone, and that’s why they said what they did when I was on that stage! The stress from your band competition is what stressed my friends out and started breaking them up! And the finals of your stupid competition are why my friends didn’t come after me when I ran away!” Sunset was yelling at the top of her voice and turning a slight shade of red, and when she finished she had to take a few deep breaths and sit down.
“So everything’s my fault?” Adagio inquired “tell me Sunset is that what you believe or what you want to believe? Let me ask you Sunset were your friends so nice to each other in the band before we came?”
“Hey!” Sunset interrupted “you don’t know anything about my friends!”
“Wanna bet?” Asked Adagio smugly “your friend with the rainbow hair she’s an athlete right?” Sunset nodded. “Okay so have you been to her house?” again Sunset nodded. “When you open the door to her bedroom all of her trophies are on a shelf on the wall you’re facing right?” this time Sunset didn’t nod, but the way she suddenly became interested in the floor was more than enough confirmation for Adagio. “Ha, I knew it!” she declared. “Now let me clarify a few things Sunset. First of all, don’t blame our spell for how everyone’s acting you’re just seeing them for who they are deep down.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Sunset demanded.
Sunset expected Adagio to narrow her eyes before demanding the present she gave back and then running off in a huff. What Sunset wasn’t expecting was for Adagio to start laughing like a hyena. “Sunset we haven’t forced anyone to do anything nor did we have the power to do so, we will soon, but when we first arrived here we didn’t have nearly enough power to mind control anyone all we did was plant one seed.”
"Seed?” Sunset inquired.
“A seed of want, I’ll admit almost need. A desire to win the battle of the bands and while it is true we gave them enough of want to win that they’d fight to get it how they fight is their choice!” declared Adagio. “Furthermore” she added with a grin “though it is true we planted a seed in all of them our seed was only to give them a desire to win the battle of the bands, their feelings of you have absolutely nothing to do with wanting to win! What you heard on that stage has absolutely nothing to do with my sisters and me.”
“Sisters?” inquired Sunset.
“We may as well be,” responded Adagio. “We've been together so long, we’ve shared our wins, our defeats, our feedings, and our music. As much as I hate to admit it” she stopped quickly adding, “and if you ever tell them I said this I’ll be forced to kill you! But without those two I couldn’t spread nearly enough distrust, and they… complete me. I don’t exactly like when Aria rebels my leadership, but it gives me a reason to keep my guard up and to remind them why I’m their leader. As for Sonata well she has an air of kindness that lures people into a false sense of security making it so much easier to blend into a crowd and spread our magic not to mention that most of my best ideas come from her in a way, you could say her stupidity inspires my genius.”
“When I was giving you the tour of the school you called them idiots,” Sunset pointed out.
“Yeah, but they’re my idiots,” responded Adagio. “But remember if you tell them I said that I'd be forced to kill you.”
A chuckle escaped Sunset’s mouth, “that was an accident” she insisted.
“Right” responded Adagio knowingly.
Sunset spoke, “Alright, no more beating around the bush, what is up with this?” she pushed forward the tiny box Adagio gave her.
Adagio smiled, “tell me Sunset Shimmer are you happy with how things are for you now?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Sunset demanded.
“Do you think The Rainbooms consider you a friend?” Adagio inquired.
“Of course!” responded Sunset.
“Really? They may have let you into their little group but have they ever really included you? Have they ever suggested a club or sport for you to try? Have they ever asked your opinion on anything?”
Sunset groaned because the truth was they didn’t, they usually let her tag along with them and though they were always there to remind her that she’d turned herself around they also reminded her of what she did, albeit not on purpose. And sometimes she did feel like they didn’t include her, like when they didn’t tell her they were going to the mall or needed help at the animal shelter and when Rainbow Dash needed a drummer she didn’t even ask Sunset her opinion. And it was one thing that they didn’t tell random students to give her a chance but the fact that they hadn’t made an attempt with their little sisters bothered her.
Adagio smiled wickedly “have you enjoyed being treated like a pet and paraded around like a trophy?”
“What are you talking about?” demanded Sunset.
“Do you honestly think they let you into their little circle because they think you changed? Please, you’re a trophy. They parade you, the former queen bee of the school turned she-demon, around to remind everyone that they stopped you!” Adagio declared.
“You're lying, they… would, never” Sunset stammered.
“Really?” inquired Adagio “they let you cling to hope like a pet! Have they ever asked you a single personal question? Do they care, because the way they attacked you after you tried to help them looked a lot like a man scolding his dog for going too far off the leash!”
“They care about me, they help me, and they opened their arms when no one…” Sunset began.
Adagio suddenly began barking, “here Sunset” she mocked, “here girl, good girl (whistle, whistle)! Face it all you are to them is a stray dog they decided to take pity on.”
“What do you know?” demanded Sunset.
“I know you have the potential to be so much more than a trophy pet!” responded Adagio. “And that,” she added picking up the box “is why I gave you this.” She opened the box to reveal a pendant just like her own, and as the light fell upon the pendant, it began to shimmer with magic.