//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - Last Days // Story: By Her Side // by Lady Froey //------------------------------// “Hey, get up.” Adagio nudged Sunset, as she turned over on her side and grumbled. “What time is it?” Sunset mumbled. “Past nine,” Adagio replied, taking a quick glance at her phone. “Didn’t we go to bed past twelve? How are you up so early?” Adagio wrapped her arms around Sunset, resting against her as she whispered into her ear. “I had a good rest with you next to me.” “Mmm, certainly did,” Sunset cooed, welcoming Adagio’s embrace. After sticking close to one another a few more minutes, Sunset released herself from Adagio and got off the air mattress, exiting the tent. Outside, the sky was not as bright as the previous morning, due to clouds covering the sun’s rays. Sunset and Adagio walked from their tent and entered the cabin nearby. Inside, they were greeted by the smell of breakfast being prepared. Almost everyone was there. Rainbow and Rarity sat in the living area while Pinkie and Fluttershy scurried around the kitchen making breakfast. “Morning, you two!” Pinkie yelled, holding up a mixing bowl, furiously whisking back and forth with a wooden spoon. “Fluttershy and I were about to finish up these pancakes! Just sit anywhere in the living room!” “Sounds delicious.” Adagio smiled as she walked over to the coffee pot on the counter, filling up two mugs of coffee. Sunset meanwhile sat on the empty sofa opposite Rainbow and Rarity. She rubbed her eyes to clear her vision and took a quick glance around. It took no time to notice that not everyone was there. “Where’s Applejack and Twilight?” she asked. “Applejack said that she needed some supplies before we head back tomorrow, not sure what.” Rainbow shrugged. “But she said she can get breakfast while she's out. Twilight decided to tag along.” As Adagio listened in on the conversation, she thought back to yesterday with Twilight. She hadn’t talked to her since their initial conversation the morning before. Even after saving Rainbow she didn’t say much other than an initial thank you. Is she avoiding me? is all Adagio could think. “Adagio,” Rarity said, cutting Adagio away from her thoughts. “Are you going to join us?” “I think she just wants first dibs on the pancakes; she’s a big girl after all.” Rainbow chuckled. Adagio wanted to snap back at Rainbow for pointing out her weight, instead of disappointing Sunset however, she grinned. “It’s going to take all the pancakes in this camp to give me the energy to teach you how to stay up in the water.” “Yeah, whatever.” Rainbow waved her off. Adagio kept her grin and sat down next to Sunset. Pinkie came around to the living area with a plate stacked high with pancakes, with Fluttershy next to her, holding a small stack of plates. They placed them onto the coffee table and sat along the floor. “Let’s dig in!” Pinkie yelled. They all began partaking of the pancakes; there were more than enough for everyone. No one really said anything, enjoying their breakfast which was nothing short of top notch. Before they were finished, the door to the cabin opened and Applejack and Twilight walked in. In each hand Applejack, held a plastic bag filled with various items. She went over to the counter in the kitchen and placed them up top. “Hey you two!” Rainbow waved. “You two are missing out, these pancakes are the best!” “I’m stuffed.” Applejack patted her stomach, looking over at Twilight. “Twilight hasn’t really eaten much of anything though.” “Well, there’s plenty here,” Adagio said, pointing to stack on the coffee table. “You’re more than welcome to join us, Twilight.” “That sounds—” Twilight stopped mid-sentence, looking at Adagio. “Actually, sorry. I am not that hungry. Maybe later.” She quickly bolted out of the cabin. Everyone remained silent, except for Rainbow who shrugged and took another pancake off the the main platter. “I’m gonna be honest,” Applejack said. “She’s been silent with me throughout the morning. It looked like she wanted to talk about something, but didn’t want to make a mention.” Adagio put her plate down and got up from the sofa. “I’m going to talk to her,” she said. “Is that really the best idea?” Sunset asked. “It’s better than sitting on our asses guessing what’s wrong with her,” Adagio said, already walking out. Outside, Twilight was walking out of the camp towards one of the trails. Adagio ran after her before she was out of sight. “Hey, Twilight, wait!” Adagio stopped to catch her breath. “What’s going on?” Twilight stopped and turned around. She kept her eyes away from Adagio’s. “I’m sorry, Adagio. I just some time by myself.” She said. “Yet you just went out with Applejack, and you knew everyone was having pancakes at the camp.” Adagio stepped closer to Twilight. “Are you avoiding me? Since I asked about that research yesterday?” “Yes.” Twilight turned to look at Adagio, “And I know you won’t stop asking about it until I tell you.” Adagio was ready to say something, but stopped before she could say anything, she would be lying if she said she wouldn’t. She wanted to know about her past, and Twilight knew it all! Why is she holding it back? “I do,” Adagio muttered. “What is it you are hiding from me Twilight?” Twilight sighed. “Things that Sunset and I would find… disturbing.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I do my best not to judge you Adagio. That was your past self and not you now… but…” “But what?” “I can see why Princess Celestia has kept you forever banished from our world.” Twilight turned her head away from Adagio. “Try not to think about it. You’ll find out the truth when I finalize everything.” Adagio felt her chest tremble. How was she supposed not to think about it? Especially after what Twilight said. “I can’t wait any longer, Twilight.” Adagio formed her hands into fists, stomping her foot along the ground. “You keep hinting that I’ve done something horrible in the past, yet you won’t tell me anything.” Twilight turned away from Adagio. “I’m sorry. Just leave me alone, please.” Twilight said, treading away from Adagio. Adagio’s heart began to beat rapidly; it felt like it was ready to burst. She fell onto her knees, and placed her hand over her chest to help mitigate the pain. She then heard a familiar voice. “Twilight!” She turned her head to see Sunset calling out for Twilight, only to be ignored. Sunset then looked over at Adagio to see she was on the ground, her hand still grasped over her chest. “Adagio?” Sunset knelt down beside her, placing her hands along her shoulders. “Are you okay?” Adagio looked at Sunset, her chest pain began to die down when she was next to her. She wanted to tell her girlfriend the truth about Twilight’s findings, but she didn’t want to disappoint her, nor Twilight. “I’m fine,” she said, getting up and dusting off her pants “Are you sure? Maybe you need some rest.” “I said I’ll be fine.” Adagio reiterated. Sunset sighed. “If you say so… I’m just concerned about you is all.” Sunset looked over to where Twilight was before she disappeared from sight. “Do you know what’s up with Twilight?” Adagio remained silent for a moment, thinking of something to say. “She’s under stress from princess duties in pony land. She just needs some alone time.” “Should we go after her?” Sunset pointed over to the exit of the camp. “We could still catch up with her.” Adagio shook her head. “No, she’ll come back when she has had enough time to herself.” “If you say so.” Adagio wrapped her arm along Sunset, and they went back to the cabin, where they were ready to continue the rest of their day. With everyone going their separate ways after breakfast, Adagio kept her promise to Rainbow and gave her swimming lessons throughout the afternoon. By the time they were done, the sun was going down and everyone was preparing for dinner. It felt like the day had passed in an instant. Soon after it was well into the evening again, and everyone had gone to sleep. Tomorrow, everyone would have to get up early to help pack and leave the camp. Unlike the previous night, the moon was hardly present, and the camp was littered in darkness. Adagio and Sunset, rather than sleeping, were out on the dock again. “She was so scared, but after a few mistakes and retries, she finally managed to learn to swim decently. She told me she would practice more throughout the summer.” “That’s great, I’m still surprised someone like Dash doesn’t know how to swim though.” Adagio shrugged. “Past trauma can keep a person from doing anything. Moving forward can be a challenge.” “Yeah, I’ve been there all right,” Sunset sighed. “Is that why you took up swimming?” Adagio nodded. “It was one of the few things that still felt familiar when I lost my power, almost natural if anything.” She shook her head. “Regardless, it was very therapeutic for me when I thought I had lost everything.” “I’m happy you had something to provide you comfort.” Sunset smiled. Adagio only nodded in response and looked back at the camp. All of the lights throughout were shut off, and by now everyone except her and Sunset were asleep. “So, why are we out here this late?” Sunset asked. “We have to pack up tomorrow before—” “Shh,” Adagio hissed, grinning behind a single raised finger. She strutted to the water’s edge, placing herself between Sunset and the shimmering water. The moon framed her head like an ironic halo. “Adagio? What are you—“ Adagio reached out and silenced Sunset with a caress of her cheek. “I said shush, didn’t I? Or do you not want that surprise I promised you?” Adagio winked, and Sunset couldn’t help but smile, pleasantly confused. “Just enjoy this.” Adagio crossed her arms and reached down, fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt. Her hands slipped underneath it and she caressed her hips, swaying back and forth before slowly lifting her shirt and exposing her belly to the cool night air. She paused for a moment to mock-flash Sunset with her bra and a giggle, then pulled the shirt off over her head, tossing it aside. Gradually, her fingers made their way around her body to her bra clasp. With a tug, she undid the hooks and let the straps fall from her shoulders. Adagio tossed her bra at Sunset, whapping her harmlessly in the face. She undid the button of her pants and let them fall to her ankles before stepping out of them. Turning to face the water, she shook her hips and gave her rear a smack. Looking over her shoulder to watch Sunset’s blush deepen, she hooked her thumbs through her panties and tugged them down an inch at a time, one side then the other. Eventually, her panties fell to her ankles and she kicked them off to the side as well. Fully nude, Adagio sauntered up to Sunset slowly. She stopped a foot away, leaning forward slowly. She purred as her lips inched closer and closer to Sunset’s. She closed her eyes and leaned forward to meet them, but Adagio stopped her with a warm hand on her cheek. She made Sunset wait for it as she closed the distance herself. Sunset could feel her girlfriend’s breath on her face. Instead of the kiss Sunset expected, she felt Adagio’s tongue lick her nose wetly, and with a laugh her girlfriend sprinted back to the water’s edge and cannonballed into the lake. Sunset was taken by surprise, seeing Adagio emerge from the water. “Hop in, it feels great!” she called. “Is this the surprise you were talking about the day before?” Sunset asked. “Actually that was me stripping in front of you.” Adagio lifted her arms and brought them down, making a small splash. “This is a bonus.” Sunset could’ve rolled her eyes at Adagio’s usual antics, but instead cracked a small smile. “Are you coming in or not?” Adagio asked. “It’s boring in here by myself.” “It’s kind of late,” Sunset murmured, rubbing her arm. “That, or you are scared of breaking the rules.” Adagio smirked. “Still a goody two shoes like when I first met you?” “N-no!” Sunset stomped her foot. “I’m just, well… What if someone catches us?” “That’s what makes it fun.” Adagio smiled, then lifted her hand and threw some water up at Sunset “Come on!” Sunset pushed back the blush on her cheeks, and began stripping herself down as well. She occasionally took a quick glance around her to make sure no one happened by, then she placed all of her garments in a pile next to Adagio’s before jumping in. When she emerged from the surface, Adagio couldn’t resist looking at Sunset’s swimming form. Unlike Rainbow, she swam just fine. It was quite impressive to her considering Sunset wasn’t always human. “You swim pretty well for a pony gal,” Adagio said. “I learned the basics in high school.” Sunset swam up right next to Adagio. “Was in the swim team for a year as well.” Adagio nodded, still focusing on Sunset’s body. To both of them, these were not the bodies they had since birth, yet after a few adjustments, it felt like any other aspect of themselves. At the same time however, she always felt like she was missing a part of herself. “It’s nice to know you like me, but my eyes are up here Adagio,” Sunset said. “Sorry.” Adagio looked back up. “I was just thinking, wondering actually… How did you adjust to being, you know, human?” Sunset opened her mouth ready to answer, but then kept quiet, visibly thoughtful. “I was confused, really. The biggest thing being that I didn’t have my horn anymore.” Sunset lifted her hand, touching her forehead. “A part of me still misses having my magic; a unicorn’s horn is really what makes them what they are. Without it, I do feel disconnected at times.” “I feel the same sometimes, but I’m not sure why.” Adagio sighed. “I know I was some kind of sea creature, but when I lost most of my memory, I honestly forgot what it was like to be a Siren.” She looked over at Sunset. “Even after living in this body for I don’t even know how long, it still affects me once in a while, ya know?” Sunset gave her a small nod. “You feel okay in your current form though, right?” she asked. “I do,” Adagio replied. “That’s good.” Sunset wrapped her arms around Adagio, and placed her lips onto her girlfriend’s. The two still kept above the surface of the water as they exchanged kisses with one another. The next morning, everyone had awoken early, beginning to pack up their belongings and equipment throughout the camp. Sunset and Adagio had already finished packing and were taking down their tent. As they were working together, Twilight emerged from the cabin and walked up to Adagio and Sunset, giving a small wave. “H-hey you two,” she said. “Hey, Twilight.” Sunset waved. While Adagio continued to put the tent away, Sunset and Twilight began to have a small talk between each other. From her encounter yesterday, Adagio figured it would be best not to talk to her. “Adagio,” Twilight said, looking over at her. “Can we talk real quick? About yesterday.” Adagio sighed, looking over at Twilight. She held her hands together, as if she were almost begging. “Sure, though, I prefer we talk in private.” Adagio looked over at Sunset, her face showed concern. “Is there something I should be concerned about?” Sunset said. “It’s nothing,” Adagio said. “Adagio, I love you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be worried about you.” Sunset walked up to Adagio. “Especially if you are holding secrets from me.” “I’m sorry, Sunset.” Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “We just got into a small argument yesterday, and I rather we leave here on a more positive note.” “What happened?” she asked. “We just had a minor disagreement is all,” Adagio answered. “Look, I promise I am not keeping any more big secrets, okay?” Sunset sighed. “Fine.” She crossed her arms. “You two settle your differences, I’ll just wait here.” “Thank you Sunset,” Twilight made a small bow. “It won’t take long.” “C'mon Princess,” Adagio said, walking over to the lake. Twilight quickly followed behind her. Once they were a distance away from Sunset and by themselves, Adagio turned over to Twilight, standing over her. “Make it quick,” Adagio sneered. Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I made a promise to not judge you any differently, and I broke it yesterday. It was wrong of me.” Adagio raised her eyebrow, she still wanted to know what Twilight found out about her, but there was no use to keep bugging her. She didn’t want to ruin the final moments of this camp trip for Sunset and herself. “Well, thank you.” Adagio shrugged, “I guess.” “Is that all?” Twilight asked. “You don’t want to hear anything about your past?” “I do, but I think what you told me yesterday was enough for now. Just promise me you won’t take forever getting it to me.” “I won’t.” Twilight dragged her foot along the ground. “I am just concerned over how Sunset will take it; I wasn’t lying yesterday about what I found.” Surely what Twilight found couldn’t be that bad, could it? Adagio looked over at Sunset, she was standing over the flattened tent, waving at Adagio in the distance. “I think she’ll accept it, whatever we find,” Adagio said. Twilight took a quick glance at Sunset and looked back at Adagio. “You two have come a long way.” Twilight crossed her arms, looking down. “I just hope I do nothing to disrupt that.” “If something bad does happen, can you promise to help back me up? Whatever it is we find out.” Adagio asked. “Of course.” “That’s all I need to hear, then.” Adagio placed her hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Thank you.” Twilight looked up, nodding. “You’re welcome.” Adagio placed her hand in her pockets and walked back over to Sunset. “Everything settled?” Sunset asked. “Yeah.” Adagio wrapped her arm around Sunset. “Twilight also agreed to help us pack away the tent.” Twilight gave a sour face to Adagio, with her winking in response. By the time Adagio and Sunset finished up, everyone was done packing up and had gathered at the front entrance to camp. A majority of the camping equipment was placed into a large cart where Applejack looked over a checklist, making sure nothing went missing. “All right, everything’s here,” she said, putting away her notepad. “Y’all ready to leave?” She was met with nods and yes’s. “Well, time to say goodbye then.” Everyone looked back at the camp. Compared to other years, this one was a bit more confrontational with Adagio around, but in the end everyone did have a good time in one way or another. Applejack began pulling the cart from the handle while Rainbow Dash walked next to her, ready to take over in case she got tired. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all conversed with one another, with Sunset, Adagio, and Twilight doing the same. After nearly half an hour of walking, they arrived at the parking lot. Everyone began packing their items into either Applejack’s truck or Rarity’s car. Sunset and Adagio simply tossed their bags into the truck and grabbed their helmets from where they left them a few days ago. “Well,” Sunset said, putting on her jacket and helmet, adjusting them accordingly. “I think Adagio and I are ready to go.” “Already?” Twilight said. Adagio smirked. “I’m all Sunny needs,” she said. Everyone gave a small chuckle and exchanged hugs with Sunset, with Adagio next to her shaking their hands instead. Once they were done, Sunset stood over her bike with Adagio standing behind her, wrapping her arms around Sunset’s stomach. She lifted up her keys, and inserted them into the ignition. Starting up the bike, its exhaust screamed across the parking lot. She throttled a few revs before they took off out of the parking lot. Adagio gave one last wave to everyone with her back facing them. They soon disappeared into the distance. Sunset and Adagio rode along the highway for well over an hour, skipping any rest stop they encountered along the way. While they did save time, Sunset began to feel low on energy. “Hey, do you want to stop anywhere soon?” she asked over their comm system. Adagio’s stomach rumbled. “Yeah,” she replied. “I could use something.” “All right.” Sunset looked ahead, seeing a restaurant's sign ahead of them. “Our next exit has some places to eat. Let me know which one you want.” Adagio nodded and looked at the passing sign. Most of the restaurants were popular fast food joints. One particular franchise immediately caught her eye. “Pimiento!” she yelled. “Ow!” Sunset yelped from Adagio yelling into the comm system. She made a small jerk motion with her bike, keeping it from falling over. “You told me earlier not to be so loud with these things, and now you’re yelling random words through it.” “Sorry,” Adagio shook her head. “I wasn’t yelling gibberish, though. Pimiento is a popular burrito place.” “Say no more.” Turning onto the next exit, Sunset rode into an unfamiliar town. It wasn’t huge like Canterlot, but at the same time wasn’t a middle-of-nowhere like where their camp was. They drove past a few gas stations and restaurants until they found their destination. Riding into the parking lot, Sunset parked in front of the restaurant. She killed the engine and they both removed their helmets. They stepped off and held each other’s hand walking to the front entrance. Inside, they were introduced to the sound of loud music blaring across the establishment, with a small line at the front counter ordering their food. After waiting several minutes and ordering, they both sat at a small table next to one of the large windows with Sunset’s bike in view. They both had large chunky burritos, wasting no time, Adagio immediately picked hers up and began tearing into it. Sunset stared at Adagio before looking down at her burrito. “I know you said they had good burritos here.” She poked her burrito with her fork. “However, I didn’t know they would be this big.” Adagio gave a quick nod, finishing her first bite. “I like em big.” She grinned, before resuming her meal. Sunset rolled her eyes and picked hers up, taking a small bite. She was able to taste all of the separate ingredients while the spice hit her taste buds as she began chewing. “Good?” Adagio asked. Sunset nodded, quickly swallowing her first bite and taking in another. They both remained quiet, only focusing on their burritos. When Adagio was past halfway done with hers, she turned her attention to Sunset. “So,” she said. “I was wondering about something while we were riding back to Canterlot.” “Mmm?” Sunset quickly swallowed her food. “What is it?” “I’ve been thinking.” Adagio picked up a fork she had to the side, holding it in her left hand, tapping the blunt end along the table. “Since we were at the camp and along the ride home, I just wanted to say… I love you.” “I love you too.” Sunset smiled, placing her hand onto Adagio’s. “I’m guessing you have something else to add?” “Yeah.” Adagio nodded, putting the fork down to stop distracting herself. “After this school semester, I’m only going to take two courses online this summer and will have plenty of free time.” She stopped briefly, biting her lip. Nervous as to how Sunset would take her question. “Throughout that time, I was wondering if you wanted to move in with me.” Sunset’s mouth dropped. “Y-you’re serious?” Sunset shook her head, “You want me to move in with you? Not as roommates, but like a… couple? “I guess.” Adagio shrugged. “I didn’t think of it like that, but yeah. My apartment isn’t as big as your current place, but I know you like being around me. So why not be with each other as much as we can, right?” Sunset couldn’t help but grin. “Are you sure it isn’t you wanting to be closer to me?” she asked. “I’d be lying if I said no,” Adagio smirked. “I do want to be closer to you, and I would love it if you moved in with me.” “Just one question,” Sunset said, raising her finger. “Um,” Adagio scratched the back of her head. “Shoot?” Sunset made her hand into a gun and pantomimed shooting her the question. “Can you endure my cooking every night?” “You’ve seen my lack of cooking skills; I think you know by now I love your cooking.” “Then it’s settled.” Sunset clapped her hands. “I’ll move in with you once we are done with the semester, and… Thank you, Adagio.” She smiled again. “It may take some time for the both of us to adjust, but I think it will be a decision neither of us will regret.” Adagio gave an affirming wink and went back to her burrito, with Sunset doing the same before their food got cold. Once they were finished, they were holding hands again. They left the restaurant and took off onto the road.