• Published 18th Mar 2015
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Love Beats Stupid - chillbook1

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LBS BONUS CHAPTER: Adagio's Initiation

Adagio pulled up to the now familiar pink house, stopping her car just in front of Pinkie’s hot pink one. She put her vehicle in park and stepped out, then walked across the driveway and to Pinkie’s front door. She knocked sharply twice, the door opening almost before she could finish.

“Hello, Adagio Dazzle,” said Sunset Shimmer flatly, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her tough leather jacket. “You are alone, correct?”

“Um… Yes? Is Pinkie here?” asked Adagio confusedly. “We were supposed to order take-out and play Halo…”

“Pinkie had to step out for a while, so I let myself in,” said Sunset casually. “Please, do come in.”

“I don’t feel very comfortable going into her house when she’s not here,” said Adagio. She scratched at her neck nervously. “I’ll wait.”

“There’s no need for that. I promise, Pinkie Pie won’t mind. Come in and have a seat,” said Sunset, this time a little more firmly.

“I really shouldn’t. I just became friends with her, and I really don’t want to betray her trust like this. I don’t see her being okay with-”

“Come in, and sit down,” said Sunset slowly. The way she said it wasn’t a request. It was a demand.

“Well, if you say she won’t be upset…” said Adagio nervously. She stepped into the house, leaving her better judgement on the doormat. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the home, she knew she had made a terrible mistake. She heard the door close and lock behind her, trapping her in the semi-darkness. From what Adagio could tell, the Pie family had forgotten to pay their light bill. The only source of light came from the lit candles that rested on almost every flat surface.

“Um… Is she having a séance or something?” asked Adagio, chuckling to try to alleviate the tension. Sunset didn’t react, which had the exact opposite effect.

“So, you finally came around and apologized,” noted Sunset Shimmer. “I gotta say, I expected it to take a little longer. We knew Sonata would be the first, and nobody doubted that Aria would just treat us as nothings at best. But you… You turned from Heel to Face way sooner than we thought.”

“I do hope you meant that as a compliment, because that’s how I’m going to take it,” said Adagio. “Look, Sunset, I would like to officially give you my apology.” Sunset Shimmer cut Adagio off with a shake of the head.

“That’s why you’re here. To prove yourself,” said Sunset Shimmer. “There are six rooms in this house with your name on the door. Behind each door, you will face a trial. Complete all six trials, and we will officially forgive you, Sonata, and Aria.”

“Is my apology not enough?” asked Adagio, raising an eyebrow.

“Honestly? No. It’s super easy to be apologetic when your method of evil is broken,” said Sunset. “There’s a difference between ‘I’m sorry for what I’ve done and I’d like to repent’ and ‘I can’t do anything to hurt you people, so I may as well simmer down’. I had to do the same thing when I turned.”

“Okay, okay. What sort of trials?” asked Adagio.

“No clue. I was only responsible for mine. What the others do is up to them,” said Sunset, keeping her same, calm demeanor. “You can go through them in any order you choose, except you have to do mine last. You can go whenever you’re ready. I’ll be in Pinkie’s room, when you’ve completed the other five.”

And, with that, Sunset Shimmer disappeared into the depths of the house. Adagio heard the faint click of Sunset closing the door behind her. Adagio sighed deeply to try and collect her thoughts.

“Alright, Adagio. You can do this,” she said to herself. “Honestly, the only one to worry about is Sunset Shimmer. The others don’t have the ability to do anything horrible.”

When Adagio was done psyching herself up for the coming events, she set off through the house. She found the first door rather easily; A few steps past the kitchen and to her right, a pink slip of paper with her name on it was taped to the door. Adagio opened the door, and descended down the dark stairway.

When Adagio reached the bottom, she was met with a desolate basement, empty with the exception of a wooden table holding a plate of six cupcakes, and a very odd looking Pinkie Pie. She was dressed in all black, and her hair fell flat down her head.

“Hello, Adagio Dazzle,” said Pinkie, any trace of her usual excitement gone. “I have a little game for you.”

“I did come for games,” said Adagio nervously. “But, somehow, I have a feeling you don’t have an Xbox under that table.

“Six cupcakes. I baked them myself,” said Pinkie, ignoring Adagio’s attempt at a joke. “One is dark chocolate. One is red velvet. Another is salted caramel.”

According to Sunset Shimmer, who spoke to her after the fact, the sound of Adagio’s stomach grumbling could be heard from all the way upstairs.

“What’s the catch?” asked Adagio, trying to hide the monstrous, lion-shaming growl she emitted.

“The other three are… not so tasty,” said Pinkie, smirking evilly. “You pick three. Whichever ones you don’t pick go to me. You taste your cupcakes, and then I taste mine. If you manage to eat all three of your cupcakes without barfing, in their entirety, you pass the trial.”

“And what’s the deal with the hair?” asked Adagio curiously.

“To throw you off. Did it work?”

“A little. So, do I get any hints?” tried Adagio. Pinkie stared blankly forward, which said to Adagio that, no, she absolutely did not get any hints.

Every cupcake looked exactly the same; The same blood-red frosting, the same pitch-black wrappers. It was, Adagio realized, entirely up to chance. She decided that she could take anything fate had to throw at her, and selected her three cupcakes at random. Pinkie slid the remaining cupcakes to the side for her own consumption.

“Are there peanuts in any of these?” asked Adagio. “I’m deathly allergic.”

“I did my research. And I have Epi-Pens ready, just in case,” said Pinkie. Before Adagio could even voice her question, Pinkie added “Maud has peanut allergies, too.”

“Well… Let’s get this over with, then,” said Adagio nervously. She picked up her first cupcake and peeled down the wrapper. The cake itself was red, which seemed like a good sign to Adagio. But, knowing Pinkie Pie, she had made all of the cupcakes look like red velvet, in an attempt to further confuse and disorient her poor, unsuspecting victim.

Adagio sank her teeth into the cake which, to her delight, was actually the red velvet she hoped it was. Forgetting her diet, Adagio quickly devoured the entire cupcake in a few large bites, then picked up the second. Confident, she ripped off the wrapper without a care and bit into it. The smell of fish assaulted her nose, the scent alone enough to make Adagio want to vomit. She spat it onto the table, raking her tongue and gagging.

“Pinkie! Did you put fish in this?!” demanded Adagio.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” taunted Pinkie.

“Pinkie! This is not a game! Is this fish?!”

“Calm down, Dag. It’s just seaweed and snail juice,” said Pinkie. She grinned sadistically. “Enjoy.”

Relief passed through Adagio, followed by disgust and shock, mingled with a little dash of respect. It was with a heavy heart and a refusing stomach did Adagio consume the sour, rancid, near-inedible “cupcake”, and that was a very giving term.

“Lookin a little green there, Dagi,” noted Pinkie. She kicked an orange bucket from beneath the table. “Just in case you need it.”

“You think that’ll be enough to make me throw up?” scoffed Adagio. “Please! I’ve lived in the U.K., pre-Gordon Ramsay. I’ve tasted the worst of the worst. Now, give me that last cupcake.”

Adagio took the last cupcake defiantly and shed it of its wrapper. Nothing could stop her now, least of all a bad cupcake. She quickly took a big bite, and instantly felt as if her tongue had been doused in kerosene and she ate a lit match. She began coughing furiously, trying to eject the heat.

“Awww! I was hoping I’d get that one!” complained Pinkie. “I spent a long time perfecting that one! Ghost Pepper cake with Chocolate Habanero frosting and a Scotch Bonnet filling!”

“Are you insane?!” gasped Adagio, though Pinkie Pie’s maniacal laughter more or less answered her question. Pinkie expected Adagio to cop out, so she was curiously delighted to see Adagio finish off her treat. By the time she was finished, sweat was consistently pouring down her face, and her tongue was in the most pain she had ever experienced.

“Gah! I’m gonna die,” panted Adagio. “Water! Give me water! Now!”

“Sorry, Dagi. If you take water, you lose the challenge,” said Pinkie.

“You psychopath!”

“Joking, joking! Water won’t help you, anyway,” giggled Pinkie. She reached to the top of her head, her hair exploding into it’s usual wilde puff. After digging around her hair for a while, Pinkie pulled out a tall glass of ice cold milk. Adagio grabbed it up and drained it as quickly as she could. The fire in her mouth was extinguished, slowly but surely, and Adagio was ready to recommence.

“Okay. I win. Now have your… just desserts,” said Adagio, cackling madly at her own terrible pun. Pinkie just shrugged her shoulders and grabbed up the cupcakes. She tossed the first into her mouth.

“Mmmm! Dark chocolate!” Pinkie squealed. She ate the next one in one big bite. “Salted caramel… So the last one is…” Pinkie swallowed the last cupcake. “Right. I thought so. Wheat grass and sawdust. Well, you passed! Go on to the next trial!”

Adagio raised her fist triumphantly, marching up out of the depths of the basement. She ripped the sign from the door and went in search of the next. If that was the first trial, the next could only be easier. That had to be the worst they had to offer, right?

Wrong.

Adagio found the next sign on the back door, leading to the Pie family’s yard. Another sign, identical to the last with the exception of color; This one was orange with emerald trimming. Adagio boldly opened the door and stepped out into the backyard. Sitting outside on the grass was a great big cauldron filled with water. It sat upon a makeshift campfire, keeping the contents of the pot on full-boil.

“Howdy, Adagio,” A strong voice that scared Adagio out of her skin. Applejack walked around and wrapped an arm around the back of Adagio’s neck. “Y’all ready for this?”

“Depends on what ‘this’ is,” said Adagio. “Can’t be worse than what Pinkie did.”

“Alright. There’s a lock box sittin on the kitchen counter. The key’s at the bottom of this here cauldron,” explained Applejack. “Go on ahead.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“To pass this trial, y’all need to grab that there key at the bottom of the boiling cauldron. Plain and simple, really,” said Applejack nonchalantly.

“You expect me to dig my hand into a pot of boiling water to grab a scalding hot key to open a lockbox so that you’ll forgive me?” asked Adagio. Applejack just nodded her head.
Adagio took a moment to think about just how worth it their friendship was. With an audible gulp, Adagio rolled up her sleeve and reached for the pot. She slowly lowered her hand towards the water, her hand hovering just above the surface. Just as she was about to plunge her hand into the cauldron’s depths, Applejack grasped her wrist.

“Whoah, nelly, Ah was just jimmy-rustlin,” said Applejack. “Ya don’t need to boil yer hand, okay?”

“But how am I supposed to pass this trial?” asked Adagio. Later, she would come to ask herself why she would try to convince someone to let her shove her own hand into boiling water.

“Tha fact that you were willin to do it is nuff fer me,” said Applejack. “Go on ahead to the next trial. Good luck, Adagio.”

Adagio, extremely grateful for such a twist of fate, ran back inside, slamming the door behind her. She ripped the sign from the door and half-galloped through the house, searching for the next door. Adagio reasoned that she had to head upstairs and she was rewarded for her thinking; There were six doors upstairs, four of which with her name taped on. She picked one, the note yellow with pink trim, and turned the knob. To her surprise, it didn’t budge.

“Um… Hello?” said a quiet voice on the other side. “Adagio?”

“Yes. I’m confused,” said Adagio, turning the knob again. “There must be a mistake. I’m supposed to come in here for a trial.”

“Oh, I know. I had to keep the door locked so Maud would know that I’m using her room,” said the voice. The door clicked. “It’s open now.”

Adagio opened the door, stepped in, and closed it behind her. She barely noticed Fluttershy, and spent most of her attention on the pit bull attached to the leash that was in Fluttershy’s hand. It seemed very, very angry, foaming at the mouth, even. That was enough to convince Adagio that she would either walk out of that room with rabies or a new friend.

“Pet the puppy,” said Fluttershy softly, using all of her strength to keep the dog in her grasp. “Pet him, and you pass.”

“A rabid dog?! Is everyone in this house a lunatic?!” demanded Adagio. Still, she slowly lurched forward, extending her hand gently. The dog barked and snapped at her hand, which would normally be enough for Adagio to withdraw her hand and leave the area. But, today, there were more important things at stake.

Adagio’s hand crept ever closer to the obviously angry mutt, sliding dangerously close to its mouth. With a deep breath, she reached forward and scratched the rabid canine under the chin. Instantly, the angry, aggressive dog devolved into a calm, demure puppy. Soon, Adagio was scratching it behind it’s ears, rubbing its tummy and speaking to it in baby-talk.

“Awen’t you just the cutest little hellhound, yes you are! Yes you are!” babbled Adagio.

“Congratulations. You pass.” said Fluttershy. “Achilles really seems to like you.”

“Oh my god, your name is Achiwes? You must make somebody sooooo happy!” squealed Adagio.

“Not really. I just borrowed Achilles from the shelter,” said Fluttershy sadly. “Nobody seems to want him,” Fluttershy seemed to think for a moment. “I have an idea! When you pass all the trials, and I can prove that you’re trustworthy, you can adopt him! Don’t worry, he’s not really rabid. It’s just whipped cream.”

“That sounds like a marvelous idea! I’d better get these last three trials down, then,” said Adagio boldly. She sprinted from the room, grabbed the sign from the door, and went into the next. On the other side of the door was another bedroom, this one with Rainbow Dash sitting on the bed. As soon as Adagio crossed the doorframe, Rainbow Dash was up and grasping Adagio’s left hand in her own.

“Your trial is to beat me in a game of Chicken,” said Rainbow.

“What in the world is Chicken?” asked Adagio. Without warning, Rainbow Dash flipped their clasped hands so that Adagio’s was facing upward and slapped it as hard as she could.

SMACK!

“Ow! What was that for?!” demanded Adagio.

“That’s the game. We slap each other until one of us says ‘Chicken’,” said RD, grinning mischievously. She flipped their hands again, this time offering her own hand to Adagio.

SMACK!

She flipped their hands.

SMACK!

“This is the dumbest, most barbaric game I’ve ever participated in,” growled Adagio. She flipped their hands.

SMACK!

“Could be worse. I used to play games like this with Gilda all the time, back in the day,” said RD, trading another slap with Adagio. “We played this, Mercy, Bloody Knuckles, Ro Sham Bo. You should be counting your lucky stars that you got off so easy.”

SMACK!

“Am I allowed to scream?” asked Adagio rhetorically. She felt her hand turn and the loud, angry smack of Rainbow’s hand against her flesh.

“Nope. Screaming is as good as copping out,” said Dash, offering her hand almost lazily to her opponent.

“Fine,” grumbled Adagio. She licked her palm, liberally coating it in saliva. She grinned evilly and slapped Rainbow’s hand.

SMACK!!

“Ah! Crap!” squealed Rainbow, yanking her hand away. “Chicken! Geez, that hurt!” Adagio didn’t hear her, because she was already pulling the rainbow-colored note from the door and pulling open the next, this door holding up a white note accented with purple.

It was a full bathroom, with Rarity sitting on the toilet lid, waiting. Adagio practically slammed the door behind her, ready to get this over with.

“Someone’s excited,” noted Rarity.

“Next trial. I’m on a roll,” said Adagio. “What do I have to do?”

“Let me pierce you,” said Rarity. “If you allow me to pierce you in any place of your choosing, with a few exceptions, I will take you to Sunset Shimmer for the last trial.”

“Is this your first piercing?” asked Adagio.

“My first on a real person, yes. Don’t worry, I’ve read plenty of books on the matter,” promised Rarity. “I assure you, I can most likely do it properly. I think. Well, we shall soon find out.”

Adagio raised her shirt slightly, just enough to show her belly button. She pinched her eyes shut and clenched her teeth in anticipation. Adagio felt Rarity’s poke, followed by a few scratches, a wipe of a wet swab, and finally, a little pinch. Adagio opened her eyes and looked down at the little orange stud now sticking in her navel.

“There. Are we done here?” asked Adagio impatiently. “I’d like to finish this last trial, if you don’t mind terribly.”

“Not at all, darling,” said Rarity, dropping her tools. “I take it you’ve completed all five you need to see Sunset Shimmer, yes?”

“Yes, yes, I’ve done them all. Some were better than others,” sighed Adagio. She followed Rarity out of the room, pulling the sign from the door on the way out. Not much was said as Rarity led Adagio through the dark hallway, finally stopping in front of Pinkie’s bedroom, the final note taped to the door. Adagio grabbed down the last sign, scribbled on a piece of paper with colors that resembled a bonfire. Adagio gripped the door handle, her resolve faltering for the first time that day. She was truly terrified to think about Sunset Shimmer’s idea of a trial. If the five that were always good were able to scare her like that, what could the former demon have up her sleeve?

“You can do it, Adagio,” said Rarity. “Whatever Sunset has planned, I know you can overcome it.” That seemed to restore at least some of Adagio’s confidence, and she pushed open the door.

Sunset Shimmer was sitting on Pinkie’s bed with a black box on her lap, about the shape and dimensions of a shoebox. Standing beside the bed were the other five girls, standing like sentinels protecting Sunset. Rarity slid into position at the end, completing the line of drones that had assembled.

“Adagio Dazzle. You’ve managed to pass all of the trials, save for one,” said Sunset Shimmer, resting the box on the bed and standing to her full height. “Color me impressed, although I guess Applejack’s trial wasn’t really a challenge.”

“Y’all said Ah could do what Ah thought would be best,” huffed Applejack. “An’ that’s exactly what Ah did.”

“Fair enough. But now, it’s my turn,” said Sunset. “If you pass this trial, Adagio, you will pass initiation and become a proper member of our group. Be warned, my trial is more difficult than the other five, combined. Do you still wish to continue?”

“Today, I’ve been nauseous, scared, scared again, slapped, then pierced,” said Adagio. “And I will not let that be for naught. Bring it on, Sunset.”

“You sure? This is your last chance to bail,” said Sunset Shimmer. Adagio planted her feet firmly into the ground, fire burning in her eyes.

“I’ve come too far. I am ready for the last trial,” said Adagio boldly. There was no space in her gut for fear, only courage. Sunset Shimmer nodded and flipped open the box. And out of it’s depths, buzzing, trembling, nearly growling in Sunset Shimmer’s hand, emerged an electric hair razor.

“Congrats, Adagio,” said Sunset Shimmer. “Welcome to the family.”


Sonata had long since fallen asleep on Aria’s chest, the litter from their dinner landing on the floor just out of her hand, dangling lazily off of the couch. The television was on, but Aria paid it little attention. She was far more concerned with Sonata’s ponytail, running her hand down her slick, shiny locks. The door swung open, and Aria never even looked up to see who had entered.

“Sup, Dag,” said Aria lazily. “Where’ve you been? Sony had to record Empire for you.”

“Splendid,” she heard Adagio say, her voice dripping liberal amounts of sarcasm. “Absolutely spectacular.”

“What has your panties in a bunch?” asked Aria. She finally looked up, and nothing in her thousand-plus year life could have prepared her for what she saw.

The least shocking factor of the situation was the pitbull that was now walking small circles around Adagio’s legs. Moving on from the sudden animal was Adagio herself. Her long, poofy, nuclear-explosion of hair was gone. Her head wasn’t just shaved, it was completely bald, her yellow dome shining slightly

“Uh… So… What’s up?” asked Aria, choking back her giggles. Barely.

“I got a dog. We have a dog now,” said Adagio flatly. “He’s called Achilles.”

“So… You’re back from your chemo, then?”

“Shut up. Just… Shut up. In three weeks, Princess Twilight will come back from Equestria with a hair-regrowing potion,” said Adagio. “Until then, you’ll be doing the grocery runs. I will not leave the house like this.”

“Some guys like the shaved head thing,” snickered Aria.

“Achilles! Go get her!”

Achilles ran and leapt onto Sonata, pushed off of her head, and began furiously lapping at Aria’s face. Adagio stomped up the stairs, calling for her dog to follow. Hearing his mistress’ call, Achilles left with a departing lick and bounded up the stairs with the a brooding Adagio. Soon enough, the Siren leader was grinning. It was good to make new friends.

Author's Note:

And a bit of a longer chapter this time. I swear, I didn't make this chapter longer to make up for the last, but it happened to work out like that. Hope you enjoyed, cause this will probably be the last Adagio chapter.

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