Chapter 12 - Blurred Lines
Light.
Adagio could see it through the lids of her eyes and feel its warmth on her skin. But she wasn’t ready for the light, not yet willing to face the trials of the waking world, so she turned away, finding in the darkness something else entirely. Adagio opened her eyes and there she was:
Twilight Sparkle.
She was close, so close that their noses were practically touching and, with each rhythmic rise and fall of Twilight’s chest, Adagio could feel the girl’s hot breath on her face. Her eyes were closed, Adagio’s own shadow keeping the sun from her eyes and allowing her to remain blissfully asleep.
Had Adagio ever let anyone get this close to her? Clingy as Sonata was, Adagio was always able to keep her at arm’s length, and Aria… well, if there was one thing they could agree on, it was the importance of personal space. But Twilight was different. Close as they were, Adagio felt no urge to push her away. In fact…
Twilight stirred.
She scrunched up her face, letting out a cute little groan as she stretched her arms, stopping abruptly as one of her hands brushed against Adagio’s own. She opened her eyes, blinked, and regarded Adagio which a look of confusion that quickly morphed into a smile.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” replied Adagio.
It was good to see her smile. There hadn’t been any smiles the night before, only tears. Lots and lots of tears—so many that Adagio could still feel a damp spot on her shoulder from where Twilight had rested her head. Adagio had felt so helpless watching her cry, unable to offer anything more than her shoulder and some consoling words that had sounded empty when she’d said them aloud. But now Twilight was smiling, so maybe those small things had been enough.
She doubted it, but she couldn’t help but hope.
They stayed like that for a while, until their comfortable silence was disturbed by the creaking of wood and the squeak of a door hinge. Both girls reluctantly sat up, spotting Spike’s nose poking through the space left by the slightly ajar door. It took him a few seconds, but he eventually managed to squeeze the rest of the way through and look triumphantly up at their amused expressions.
“Hey, you’re awake!”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself. She frowned, smacked her lips, and half-turned away from Adagio before sending a pair of probing fingers into her mouth. When she withdrew them they held a long, golden hair, and when it was fully extracted in her mouth it sprang up with an obvious curl. Twilight stared at it, wearing a mortified expression on her face, before glancing at Adagio who immediately turned away, her cheeks hot with embarrassment.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Spike snorted with laughter, his mirth met by two baleful glares to which he appeared unphased.
“Well, when you’re ready, Pinkie Pie is making pancakes in the kitchen. They should be done any minute now.”
“Thanks, Spike,” said Twilight. She reached down and gave him a scratch behind the ears.
“Twilight?”
“Yeah?”
“How are you feeling?”
Twilight sighed. “Better,” she said, but from the tone of her voice it was clear that ‘better’ didn’t mean ‘good’.
There was that helplessness again.
The look on Spike’s face indicated that he felt the same way. “I was going to head back out there, but I can stay here, if you want.”
Twilight shook her head. “It’s alright. You go on ahead, we’ll be right behind you.”
Spike nodded, lingering in the door for a moment before disappearing into the hall.
Silence fell over the room once again, though this time it felt a lot heavier than it had before. Adagio stood up and extended a hand Twilight.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Twilight—who had been wringing her own hands nervously since Spike had left—paused and, after a moment of hesitation, took Adagio’s hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Adagio held open the door and allowed Twilight to shuffle through, before closing it behind them.
From the hallway Adagio could hear the muffled sounds of conversation coming from the kitchen. The voices confirmed what she had assumed, that while most of the partygoers had left last night, the Rainbooms had slept over. She wondered how the girls would feel about their breakfast being crashed by a Siren.
Well, there’s no helping it now, she thought as she and Twilight rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen.
As they entered, Adagio too stock of the room’s occupants. Rarity and Applejack stood on either side of kitchen’s island, while Pinkie Pie faced the stove, a quick flick of her wrist sending a fluffy pancake tumbling through the air, before catching it in a pan with a satisfying sizzle.
“Morning, you two,” said Applejack with a nod and a tip of her hat. “We didn’t disturb you, did we?”
Twilight blinked. “I’m sorry?”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Applejack was just worried that I’d woken you when I poked my head into Pinkie Pie’s room to retrieve something.”
Applejack snorted. “Retrieve something, huh?”
“Yes, retrieve something! Not that I have to explain myself, but I left one of my makeup bags on her nightstand.”
“Whatever you say, Rares.”
Rarity let out an indignant huff and made a point to look anywhere but at Applejack, whose freckled face wore an exceedingly smug look.
“You, uh, didn’t wake us up,” said Twilight. Now it was Rarity’s turn to look smug.
“Well, anyway, I’m glad to see you up and around,” said Applejack. She rubbed her neck and turned her gaze to the floor. “Spike told us about what happened last night. With Timber.”
“Applejack!” hissed Rarity, but Twilight raised a hand to stop her.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m kind of glad he told you. I’ve never been part of a break-up before, so I wasn’t sure how to—”
Twilight’s voice hitched.
“How to—”
But she couldn’t finish. The first of a fresh onslaught of tears rolled down Twilight’s cheek, and she shuddered as she tried unsuccessfully to hold back a sob. Acting on pure instinct, reached out and took one of Twilight’s hands in her own, while on her other side Rarity put a reassuring hand on Twilight's shoulder.
“It’s alright, dear, let it out,” said Rarity. She stopped Twilight as she went to wipe her face on her sleeve, instead pressing a tissue into her hand.
Twilight sniffed. “Thanks, Rarity,” she said, dabbing at her face with the tissue with one hand while tightly squeezing Adagio’s hand with the other.
Applejack watched the display sheepishly from across the kitchen. Adagio felt the urge to chastise her—to defend Twilight from any more pain—but suppressed it. She knew Applejack hadn’t meant to make Twilight cry again, and it was clear that she already felt bad for bringing it up, so what would be the point?
Pinkie Pie sent another pancake into the air, though this time instead of landing back in the pan, it flipped over her head before touching down at the top of a neat (although precariously tall) stack of pancakes sitting on a plate in the middle of the island.
Adagio couldn’t help but be a little impressed.
“Pancakes are ready!”
Pinkie Pie followed her declaration by scooping up the plate of pancakes and steering them over to the kitchen table. With each bouncy step the pile swayed dangerously, drawing everyone’s attention away from Twilight until, finally, the plate found its home at the center of the table. The room let out a collective sigh of relief.
If it had been anyone else, Adagio might have thought the display was an intentional distraction to offset the gloom that had overtaken the room. But there was no way Pinkie Pie of all people was capable of such a calculated move… was there?
Intentional or not, it actually seemed to have worked. Rarity began setting out plates and cutlery as Applejack retrieved a pair of extra chairs from the living room, and all the while Pinkie Pie crowded the table with a vast assortment of condiments—most of which Adagio was fairly certain did not traditionally belong on pancakes, but all of them undoubtedly filled with sugar.
“We’re back!”
Rainbow Dash’s announcement was followed by the mighty crash of a slamming door. The sound drew a wince from everyone but Pinkie Pie and Applejack, the former appearing unphased while the latter made no attempt to hide her irritation.
“She’s going to break the hinges off the darn thing...” muttered Applejack as she set down the last chair around the table. There were now six traditional chairs with stiff wooden backs, a rocking chair, and a padded recliner. Adagio was contemplating whether to take the recliner for herself or save it for Twilight when Rainbow Dash waltzed into the kitchen before practically throwing herself into the cushioned seat.
Adagio growled under her breath.
Rainbow wore a tank top, running shoes, and a pair of tight athletic shorts. Her skin glistened with sweat and stray strands of her hair—which was even more unkempt than usual—were plastered to her face and neck. She wasn’t so much sitting in the recliner as she was lounging across it, her arms folded behind her head and her legs draped over the armrest on the opposite side.
Sunset Shimmer entered the kitchen next, followed by Fluttershy. Like Rainbow Dash, they were dressed for running, though their faces (Fluttershy’s especially) appeared far more flushed from the effort.
“Welcome back!” said Rarity. She sniffed the air, her expression souring for just a moment before returning to her cheerful grin (after taking a step away from the slightly pungent trio). “How was your run?”
“It was good,” said Sunset. She tugged the hair tie that had kept her hair neatly in a ponytail free, shaking her head to allow a cascade of fiery locks to escape their confinement. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sight. “We took the path off Maple Street, you know the one.”
Adagio didn’t, but everyone else seemed to.
“I lapped them,” interjected Rainbow Dash, smugly. “Twice.”
“Only because Sunset slowed down to run with me,” said Fluttershy.
“I didn’t have to slow down for you, Fluttershy, I’m pretty sure we were running at the same pace.” Adagio searched for a tell that might indicate whether Sunset was lying for Fluttershy’s benefit, but couldn’t find one. “...But it was her idea to take the detour to the dog park.”
Fluttershy smiled guiltily.
“The dog park?” asked Twilight. “I wish I’d known you were going, I’d have let you take Spike with you.”
“We offered,” said Fluttershy, “but, umm...”
She trailed off, but Spike finished the thought for her. “...I told them I’d stay here. In case you needed me here when you woke up.”
There was a pregnant pause as the entire kitchen wondered how Twilight would react. Fortunately, their worries were unfounded. Twilight smiled and reached down, lifting Spike off the floor and cradling him in her arms.
“Thanks, Spike. You’re the best.”
Best dog, maybe, thought Adagio, before mentally chastising herself for being so petty.
Without further ado, breakfast was underway. Whether by a happy coincidence or an unspoken understanding between the Rainbooms, Adagio found herself sitting next to Twilight. Rarity was on her other side, which Adagio found that she didn’t mind, though she was somewhat less enthused about the girl sitting across from her.
Rainbow Dash.
Their eyes locked almost immediately, but instead of the sneering suspicion that Adagio had come to expect of her, she found Rainbow Dash watching her intently, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Even more surprising was the fact that, after a few long seconds, Rainbow Dash broke their impromptu staring contest with a short nod.
Adagio blinked. That was… unexpected.
She had little time to ponder Rainbow Dash’s peculiar behavior before the meal began in earnest. One by one, each girl took a pancake—or, in the case of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, three pancakes—from the top of the stack and placed them onto their plates. Then began the bartering.
“Sugarcube, could you pass the apple butter?”
Adagio wasn’t sure who sugarcube was meant to be, but Fluttershy smiled and handed her a jar of a strange brownish substance.
It was Rainbow Dash’s turn next. “Rarity, trade you the regular butter for that syrup?”
“No thank you, darling, but I will pass it to you,” said Rarity. She touched the bottle and grimaced. “Pinkie Pie, honestly, do you ever wipe these things off?” With the syrup bottle dangling between her thumb and index finger, she quickly delivered it to Rainbow Dash’s waiting hands (Rainbow was not at all concerned about the stickiness of the bottle) before scrubbing her defiled fingers with a napkin.
“I’ll have that when you’re done, if you don’t mind,” said Twilight. She glanced at Adagio sheepishly. “I guess you could say I’m a pancake traditionalist.”
Adagio shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, I haven’t had them before.”
The table shook as a pair of fists slammed into it, and Adagio imagined she heard a record scratch.
“What?”
Pinkie Pie stared at her from down the table, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“You’ve never had pancakes?”
Adagio shook her head. It wasn’t as if she’d never heard of pancakes, she’d even seen them in diners and the occasional fast food restaurant. Those pancakes had been thin, rubbery looking discs, and had never appealed to Adagio’s rather limited appetite for human food. The pancakes before her, however, were a different beast (or, rather, pastry) altogether. They were thick, fluffy, and—though Adagio didn’t want to admit it—smelled divine.
“You don’t have pancakes in Equestria?” Pinkie Pie’s look of shock and horror was now directed at Sunset.
“We do. She probably wouldn’t have eaten them, though.”
“Why not?”
Sunset bit her lip. “Because she’s… you know.”
Pinkie Pie wasn’t catching the hint. “Because she’s…?”
“A Siren,” said Adagio.
The rest of the table fell silent, but Pinkie Pie either didn’t notice or didn’t care.
“Sirens don’t eat pancakes?”
“Sirens don’t eat in the same way ponies or humans do. Even in this world feeding has been more than enough to sustain us… until recently, anyway.”
“Ooh. Because we broke your magic pendant thingies?”
“Pinkie!” hissed Sunset.
“What?” Pinkie whispered back.
“Yes,” said Adagio, eager to put this conversation behind her as quickly as possible. “Because of that.”
“So you’ve never had pancakes?” confirmed Pinkie Pie.
“That’s why we’re having this entire conversation,” muttered Rainbow Dash.
“Nope.”
“Then you’ve got to try them!”
Adagio glanced down at the pancake on her plate, then back up at Pinkie Pie. She picked up her fork.
“Not like that!” cried Pinkie Pie. “You have to put something on them! Like whipped cream, or fruit, or sprinkles!” Her hand reached out towards a colorful can of sprinkles, only to stop mere inches away Applejack grabbed her wrist reflexively and shook her head.
“Okay, maybe not sprinkles, but you get the idea. A naked pancake is a sad pancake, and you don’t want your pancake to be sad, do you?”
“I think I’d prefer my pancake not to have any emotions, considering I’m about to eat it.”
Across the table Rainbow Dash snorted.
“Maybe just start with syrup,” said Twilight, nudging the bottle towards her.
The bottle was, as Rarity had earlier lamented, unpleasantly sticky. Copying Twilight, Adagio drizzled the viscous brown liquid over her pancake and was about to carve out her first bite when she felt seven pairs of eyes upon her.
She lowered her fork. “Can we not watch me eat, please?”
It took a few minutes, but eventually conversation that was not about Adagio or her eating habits picked up enough that Adagio felt comfortable enough to actually eat her pancake. She cut off a small piece and tentatively brought it to her lips.
It was incredible.
The pancake itself was warm, soft, and buttery, and on its own might have been too dry, but when paired with the syrup (which itself had a rich maple flavor) it became, without a doubt, the single greatest thing Adagio had ever eaten in the human world. The look on her face must have given her away, as no sooner had she swallowed that first bite did she hear a squeal from down the table.
“I think she likes it!” Pinkie Pie said, her grin stretching from ear to ear. Applejack gave her a withering look.
“For goodness’ sake, Pinkie Pie, let the poor girl eat her breakfast!”
The meal had been a long, loud affair, with lots of chatting, laughing, and just a little commiserating about the upcoming exams. Though it had been something of a rocky start, Adagio found that eating breakfast with the Rainbooms had been somewhat less of an ordeal than she’d originally expected. She hadn’t enjoyed it, of course—one does not simply enjoy dining with their sworn enemies—but she was willing the admit to herself that the experience had at least not been a negative one.
While most of the other girls cleaned up in the kitchen (Rainbow Dash had called dibs on the first shower and fled before anyone could ask her to do anything) Adagio found herself alone once again with Twilight.
“Adagio?”
Twilight was sitting next to her on the couch in Pinkie Pie’s living room. Adagio had only briefly been in the room during the party, but all around her there were little details—a stray plastic cup, an empty plate with a smattering of crumbs—that acted as little reminders of the night before.
“Yeah?”
Twilight had her hands in her lap, her fingers drumming restlessly on her legs.
“I just wanted to say thanks. For being there last night.”
Adagio hung her head. It might have been true that she’d done her best to console Twilight, but wasn’t it also true that it had been her avoiding Twilight that had put her in that situation in the first place? If what Timber said was true, it had been the time Twilight had been spending with Adagio that had sowed the doubts in his mind that eventually led to the confrontation at the party. To the break up.
And now Twilight Sparkle was thanking her.
Directly or not, it had been her influence that had, once again, caused Twilight to suffer. She felt like a parasite that had latched itself onto Twilight’s life, bleeding her dry while at the same time making her believe that this was all somehow for the best. A little over a week ago Adagio would have wondered why she cared so much (if, at that time, she’d even been capable of such a feat), but now things were different. She knew she hated hurting Twilight, but she seemed destined to do it anyway.
“You’re welcome, Twilight Sparkle,” said Adagio. You’re welcome for all the pain I’ve caused you, and all that pain that’s yet to come.
Adagio’s dark thoughts were pierced as Twilight scooched closer on the couch before resting her head on Adagio’s shoulder and closing her eyes. Adagio felt her heart rate rising but fought to keep it under control, knowing that, at this distance, Twilight could almost certainly hear the war raging in her chest.
Twilight sighed. “Why is love so… complicated?”
Adagio leaned her head back and gazed up at the ceiling.
“I don’t know.”
Eventually the distant clattering of dishes and steady hiss of running water ceased, and the solitude of Adagio Dazzle and Twilight Sparkle drew, once again, to a close. Rarity entered first, staring at her fingers and making a clicking noise with her tongue, probably searching for any sign of pruning. She stopped when she noticed them on the couch, placing her hands on her hips and allowing a coy smile to grace her lips.
“Oh dear, I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
Adagio felt herself stiffen, but Twilight didn’t even open her eyes. “Just tired,” she groaned.
“Adagio, darling, are you warm? You’re looking a little red.”
If Adagio hadn’t been blushing before, she certainly was now. Below her she caught Twilight with one eye open, sneaking a peak at her. She did her best to look irritated.
“And what are you looking at?”
Twilight giggled.
“Oh, I’m only teasing,” said Rarity with a wave of her hand. “Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind a little shuteye myself, but I should probably be getting home. I still have a lot to review before Monday.”
The mention of studying caught Twilight’s attention. She sat up straight (leaving Adagio’s shoulder cold) and stretched.
“We should probably do some studying, too,” she said, looking at Adagio. “What do you say? Library?”
Adagio frowned. “Weren’t we going to the library tomorrow?”
“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go today as well, does it?” Twilight paused. “But if you don’t want to—”
“I didn’t say that!” said Adagio cutting her off. “I was just, you know, making sure. I’d have to go back to Crystal Prep first and have a shower and get my books… but yeah, let’s do it.”
More time studying meant a higher likelihood that she wouldn’t fail her midterms, which meant she was still on track to getting her magic back, and if that meant spending even more time with Twilight…
Well, Adagio was willing to accept those terms.
“Alright!” said Twilight, standing up and straightening her skirt. “I’ll call Shiney and see if he can pick us up.”
As Twilight retrieved her phone and darted out into the hallway to make the call, Adagio was surprised when Rarity took her place on the couch.
“Spike told us what you did last night.”
“W-what?” stammered Adagio. “He did?”
Rarity nodded. “It was very kind of you to be there for Twilight like that.”
Adagio felt her heart dislodge from her throat. For a split second she thought Spike might have told Rarity about their semi-involuntary eavesdropping from the other room. “Oh,” she said, “that. Right.”
“Of course, dear, what else?” She batted her eyelashes. “Anyway, I knew things weren’t going perfectly between them, though I scarcely imagined that things would end quite so… abruptly. I don’t suppose you have any insight into the matter, do you?”
Rarity was fishing for something, Adagio knew it. Just how much had Spike told her and the other Rainbooms while she and Twilight slept? As Adagio did her best to unpack Rarity’s words and come up with a response that wouldn’t tip her hand one way or the other, Applejack entered the living room from the kitchen.
“Again, Rarity, really?”
Rarity drew an offended hand to her chest. “I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t give me none of that,” said Applejack, folding her arms. “You’ve got that scheming look on your face.”
“I’m not scheming!” pouted Rarity, but Applejack wasn’t buying it.
“Uh-huh,” she said, taking a seat in the newly replaced recliner and giving Rarity a skeptical look. “Then by all means, continue.”
Rarity huffed and looked away. “Well, after your terribly rude interruption, I don’t even remember what we were talking about!”
That didn’t bother Adagio in the slightest. Whatever game Rarity may or may not have been playing, Applejack’s arrival had given Adagio a convenient out.
The three girls lapsed into a silence that lasted until Twilight returned from the hall.
“Good news,” she said, “Shiney is in the area and says he can pick us up. He’ll be here in a couple minutes.”
She approached the couch, prompting Adagio and Rarity to adjust their positions to make room for her between them.
“Thanks,” said Twilight, sitting down. “And thank you, Rarity, for letting Shiney know that we were staying the night. With everything that happened at the party...”
“Think nothing of it, dear,” said Rarity.
“She’s a real saint,” said Applejack. Rarity merely smiled in response.
“Though I am curious, why did you have my brother’s cell number?”
“Nothing scandalous, I assure you,” said Rarity. “He gave it to me when he dropped you off at my house the first time you slept over—slipped it into my hand when you weren’t looking, the whole thing struck me as rather noir.”
“Same here,” said Applejack.
Twilight looked at Adagio, who reached a hand into her pocket and produced the scrap of paper with Shining Armor’s phone number scrawled upon it.
“Of course,” said Twilight, followed by a sigh. “I don’t know whether I should be glad that he cares so much, or frustrated that he doesn’t trust me.”
“It ain’t you he doesn’t trust, Twilight,” said Applejack.
“Who don’t we trust?”
Rainbow Dash had entered the living room from the hall. She’d changed out of her athletic wear and into her regular clothes (slightly-less-athletic wear) and her hair was still wet from the shower.
“Not us, Dash, Twilight just thinks her brother is being a little overprotective, is all.”
“Huh.” Rainbow Dash ignored the various unoccupied chairs around the room, instead opting to sit on the armrest of Applejack’s recliner. “I figured we were talking about Adagio.”
The grin she shot Adagio didn’t appear to have any malice behind it (or not much, anyway). Was it possible that Rainbow Dash was… messing with her? Either way, Applejack wasn’t having any of it.
“Cut it out, Dash, and you’re dripping all over me! Haven’t you ever heard of a towel?”
“Or a hairdryer?” asked Rarity.
“Nope,” said Rainbow Dash. She lowered her head, and before anyone had time to react, began to shake it like a wet dog. Drops of water flew everywhere as the other girls, Adagio included, tried in vain to avoid the spray.
“Rainbow Dash stop that this instant!” shrieked Rarity, which caused Rainbow Dash to laugh so hard she was forced to stop the assault, her hair falling into its usual messiness.
“Not funny!” If looks could kill, Rarity was in the process of murdering Rainbow Dash. “Are you proud of yourself? Look at what you did to my hair!”
Rainbow Dash’s laugher was joined by snickering from Applejack, who quickly found herself subject to the same baleful glare.
“Oh, you two are going to get it!”
“Two?” asked Applejack, trying her best to suppress her giggles. “But I didn’t—”
The argument continued, but Adagio’s attention was pulled away by a tap on her shoulder. Twilight, who had used her body as a shield to protect her phone from the water, now held it up for Adagio to see.
‘I’m outside,’ said the text. The sender was listed as ‘Shiney’.
Adagio nodded and stood up.
“Taking off?” asked Applejack.
“Yeah,” confirmed Twilight. “Our ride is waiting for us.”
“Good,” said Rarity, “better to have less witnesses if I am forced to strangle Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash barked a laugh. “I’d like to see you try!”
As Adagio and Twilight prepared to make their exit, the remainder of the Rainbooms gathered around to say their goodbyes. Once again, Adagio found them to be rather excessive with most of them offering Twilight a hug (Pinkie Pie had also tried to hug Adagio but, like before, was rebuffed) before finally they managed to get out the door.
Shining Armor’s car waited for them at the end of the driveway. Twilight climbed in the front seat, while Adagio opened the back door, allowed Spike to hop in, before getting in herself.
“Hey, Shiney,” said Twilight, meekly, once they were all inside.
Shining Armor responded by leaning over and pulling her into a big hug. Twilight held up admirably, and by the time the pair broke apart there were only a few tears shed into her big brother’s shoulder.
“You okay?” he asked.
Twilight sniffed and wiped her face on her sleeve. “I’m getting there.”
Shining Armor glanced into the back seat only briefly, but the look he gave Adagio was… confusing. He was smiling, but there was a searching look to his eyes, an uncertainty that Adagio’s guilt-ridden mind could only interpret as blame. Perhaps Shining Armor saw what Twilight couldn’t: that not only had Adagio failed to protect Twilight, she was the one who’d caused the pain in the first place.
Whatever it was that Shining Armor saw when he peered into Adagio’s heart, he kept it to himself.
The next morning Adagio Dazzle woke up alone.
It was Sunday, the final day before midterm exams would finally be upon the students of Crystal Prep academy. For many of them this was just another hurdle as they raced towards graduation and to the world beyond, but for Adagio it was different. There would be no more stumbling, to fail here would be to lose everything. Her entire future rested upon her successful completion of these exams, so logic would dictate that she should spend every waking minute going over what she’d learned, ensuring it was etched permanently into her mind to be recalled without hesitation when the time came.
And yet, Adagio lay in her bed.
Her mattress wasn’t as fluffy as Pinkie Pie’s, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There was something luxurious about a fluffy mattress, of course, but there was something to be said for firmness, too. Adagio might not have missed her mattress, but there was another thing that Pinkie Pie’s bed had had that Adagio could quite literally feel the absence of.
She groaned and wipe the sleep out of her eyes. What was it about Twilight Sparkle that made her so easy to think about? It was as if she was hiding within Adagio’s subconscious, ready to leap out at even the slightest provocation. It would have been unbearably annoying if the thought of her wasn’t so damnably pleasant.
By all accounts she should be sick of Twilight Sparkle by now. In the last day alone there were maybe three hours that Twilight wasn’t at her side—the two of them having stayed late at the library—and they were going to meet today, too. The only people she’d ever spent so much time in such close proximity with were Aria and Sonata, and she’d only survived that ordeal by imagining the terrible things she wanted to inflict upon them. Not at all like the things she wanted to do with Twilight.
Adagio felt heat rush to her cheeks and threw off her covers, forcing a barrage of unwanted and unwelcome thoughts from her mind.
“What is wrong with me?”
The clock on her phone told her it was almost noon, and despite her body’s protests, she forced herself up into a sitting position. From there it was simply a matter of crawling over to the ladder and climbing down. With that done, Adagio was almost ready to face the day.
There was a knock at the door.
A quick glance through the peephole showed that was Aria who awaited her on the other side. Adagio suppressed the urge to ignore her (old habits, and all that), as she was more curious to see what it was Aria wanted. Had she finally come around on worrying about her midterms, and was only now coming to Adagio for help?
Adagio smirked. A little late, but it could be fun to see her panic. She opened the door.
“Where have you been?”
The question put Adagio immediately on the defensive. “Excuse me?”
“Where have you been?” repeated Aria. Her eyes bore into Adagio with an intensity Adagio hadn’t seen since their fight back in their first week at Crystal Prep.
“You’re going to have to be more specific,” said Adagio, her eyes narrowing. Did Aria know something?
“Friday night,” said Aria, “where were you?”
“The library,” said Adagio. She had been at the library on Friday night, so it wasn’t technically a lie.
“What about Saturday?”
“Also, the library.” Again, not tech—
“Really?” asked Aria, though it sounded more like a statement than a question. “I didn’t realize they had beds in the library.”
“What did you just say?”
Aria didn’t respond. Instead, she reached into her pocket and withdrew a cellphone, holding it out before her so that Adagio could see what was on the screen.
What she saw made her heart freeze in place. It was a picture of Adagio, a fluffy mattress…
...and Twilight Sparkle.
“Where did you get that?” asked Adagio. She tried to snatch the phone away from Aria to get a better look, but the other girl kept it from her reach.
“That’s all you have to say?” asked Aria, her veneer of calm giving way to fury as her face twisted into a snarl. “I show you a picture of you sleeping with the enemy and all you can ask is where I got it?”
Adagio was taken off guard by Aria’s wording. “That’s not what that—”
Aria’s hand snapped forward with the phone, stopping a mere inches from Adagio’s face. “Literally! You were literally sleeping with the enemy!”
Adagio pushed Aria’s arm out of her face and glared at her. Aria continued.
“We were worried about you, you know. Not that it’s unusual for you to disappear these days, but after Sonata tried calling you a dozen times, we thought something might have happened.”
That was impossible, Adagio hadn’t received a single call from Sonata, and she’d had her phone on her all night! Realization hit her like a fully charged beam of Friendship Magic—she’d muted all incoming messages from Sonata, and that must have included phone calls.
“So we went to your room Saturday morning, even got up early enough to catch your roommate before she disappeared. She told us you didn’t come back that night. We checked the lab, you weren’t there, either—obviously—so we checked the rest of the school. Nothing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sonata so scared—not even when we first got banished to this wretched world.”
Aria looked down at the phone in her hand. “That’s when we got this.”
Adagio had to get this back under control. “You don’t understand, Aria, this is just part of—”
“—your plan?” asked Aria, cutting her off. “You’re right, I don’t understand. If this was part of your plan, then why hide it? Why not talk to us about it?”
“Because I knew you’d react like this!”
Aria laughed, but here was no mirth in the act. “You think that’s what this is about? Adagio, you lied to my face! I asked you where you were on Friday and you lied to me!”
“I didn’t lie!” snapped Adagio. “I was at the library, I just...”
Aria waited for her to finish.
“...left,” finished Adagio, lamely.
“Is that how little you think of us?” asked Aria. “That might work on humans, but I know you too well. Do you think we would have cared that your plan involved manipulating a Rainboom, or do you think we would have trusted that you knew what you were doing?
“No, of course not. What do you know about trust? This is all just one big game to you, and the rest of us are just the pieces that will get Adagio Dazzle to where she wants to go. You might be a Siren, but if I didn’t know any better I’d think you were a snake.”
“Watch it,” growled Adagio, but Aria didn’t stop.
“But you’re so good at playing this game, aren’t you, Adagio? I was ready to walk away last week, but you suckered me back in, didn’t you? Is that why you came to my basketball game? Not because you cared about me—let’s not be ridiculous!—but so you could use me as part of your plan?”
Adagio had had enough. “The only reason I went to your stupid game was because Sonata practically begged me. Does that make you feel better? I didn’t do it for you, and I didn’t do it for my plan. I did it to shut. Her. Up.”
The look Aria was giving her was beyond fury. No, this was a look one reserved only for only the most loathsome of enemies. This was pure hatred.
“I’m done with you.”
Aria turned around.
“We’ll see,” spat Adagio. “When I get our magic back—”
“Keep it,” said Aria. “You can have all the magic in the world—in both worlds—but it won’t be enough. You’re broken, Adagio, and if getting your magic back is what it takes to show you how empty you are inside, then I hope you drown in it.”
Aria turned her back on Adagio and walked away. The door swung shut behind her.
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Ouch. What's going on with you, Adagio? What DO you want?
Pinkie being (for lack of better words) offended at the very idea of people not having tasted certain kinds of sweets fits well, somehow.
Aaaand possible bonding agent detected! There may even an opening for the Rainbow Route!
If Twilight, Sugarcoat, Fleur, and Cadence don't work out, I mean.
It looks like she might even be able to get along with Applejack, if only through trading tips in dealing with rambunctious friends/allies and administering dope-slaps.
I'm a little surprised Aria is acting hurt, considering the way she acted... pretty much the entire way through this story. Even at their closest, "level-headed and trustworthy" weren't words I'd have used to describe her.
If now there is not some existential crisis in Adagio ... but what am I saying? Surely an existential crisis will come to Adagio! And also beautiful heavy! Excellent chapter as always, I am also excited to read the next chapters!
8766369
I suspect Adagio herself is in the dark about her own emotions, or what’s going on with her.
I think through most of the story, we’ve seen a clear lack of understanding between Adagio and her own emotions, e.g. during the party, barring actively negative ones like anger or irritation. Coupled with a subconscious inability to empathise with other characters,– see her observations of RD’s or Rarity’s behaviour,– it’s quite clear the Adagio is struggling to deal with herself, let alone with other people. Hence the frequent moments of mental-emotional disconnect when we see her talk about feeling empty, hollow, or numb, and why she can only conceive of the unhappiness resulting from events around her in terms of her own guilt and shame.
This does make sense plot-wise, considering the Adagio we’ve seen in canon is goal-oriented, calculating and emotionally manipulative. Being reduced from a de facto leader to one of the masses is a stressful, traumatic, and, in many cases, unbearable pill to swallow in classic and Romantic-era literature, which could explain her own inability to reconcile/acknowledge her own emotional state. Being an emotion-eater also probably numbs one’s desire to exercise empathy as well – not many people want to make friends with their dinner after all.
From the face-off with Aria and Adagio’s continued insistence on the ‘plan’,– pointless as it’s become,– it’s clear that the conflict inside Adagio,– between the commanding, almost careless manipulator she was and the emotional, yet emotionally-blind girl she’s become,– is probably going to come to a head.
Hopefully she talks it out with Twilight before then. Dramatic convention of course means she’ll be too proud to do so and will probably be exposed to the ones she cares about the most when and where it will do the most damage, leading to further conflict and then, at length, some form of reconciliation. I’m still hoping it all goes better than that.
Lovely story though. Can’t wait to read more!
8766768
I want to frame this comment and put it on my wall.
Yeah lying to her friends- and let's be honest here, the sirens are friends here (if ones who have a history of not being very nice to each other), was a dick move, but it's not as if it was an unprecedented act made with malicious intent. Sonata and Aria have both made friends outside of their trio, so flying off the handle when they discover that she has secretly befriended SciTwi without at least hearing her out is a both unfair and a little baffling. Their collective lack of communication does not rest solely on Adagio's shoulders,
so they're all broken in that regard. Anyway, nice chapter.
Its getting intense wow, and thanks for the breakup, i dont like timber, toó cheary.
You like pancakes, don't you Adagio?
Damn That ended rough...i was enjoying rainboom times. :(
you tease! Don't keep me waiting too long
8767746
Ditto.
I've had a few days to think about it, but let me just say this: as much as I love everything about this last chapter, I adore what it's done for Aria. At first, she almost seems like as much of an antagonist as Cinch is, and you've certainly made it really easy to hate her. But what you've done in this chapter is show that this hatred is very much from Adagio's perspective, and that Aria's supposed "power trips" aren't as megalomaniacal as Adagio makes them out to be. Through this twist, you've shown that Aria is someone who cares about her fellow Sirens and doesn't just want power--she wants vindication for what Adagio's plots have done to their group. I'm still on Adagio's side here, but I like how you don't make this a clear-cut right vs. wrong debate--both have a very clear point on this issue.
And, on another note, I'm surprised to hear that Aria's backing out on the scheme. Not in a bad way, of course, but now I can't help but speculate about what pushed her that way. Is it really all because she's grown tired of Adagio's scheming, or is she genuinely starting to enjoy this world? From what Sonata's said earlier, I doubt she's given up on her Siren life, but from the way Aria's gotten into a sport/hobby and seems to be enjoying herself at Crystal Prep, I can't help but wonder if it really is the latter.
Gah! Someone stole my next button!
8802802
Don't worry, I'll return it to you as soon as I am able.
Ok, this is a really good story and I'm fully eager for more now!
8864002
Well, be ready to wait a while. It takes a bit for an update to come out. If only we had a time machine...
8871883
I view it like wine....age enriches the final results.
8875579
The better it is, the longer you’re willing to wait for it!
Daaaayum. That's cold Aria. Whatever are you gonna do Dagi?
Okay so this story reminds me why I like adagio so much. she is adorably bitchy and so devious. Of all the rainbooms if I had to put her with any of them Twilight is I'd say 3rd on the list. First being Sunset and Second being Rarity. I can't wait to see where this story goes and how it'll finish and if you need help writing sex scenes-
Naughty boy <3
I'm your man. Great story. Keep up the good work