It's Just Us

by Spyder27

Unfinished Business

Water is the essence of life. In a way, it’s what makes the world turn. We all operate on a simple molecule, all held together in a liquid form. I guess that’s the reason why it feels so nice to have its normally cool temperature wash over my body, serving as a nice break from reality. I could always use the breaks, especially during the night. In fact, the night seems to be the only time I can get a break. The quiet stillness of the hours passing by makes it almost a shame to go to sleep. I’d rather keep my eyes open and my mind free than to fall asleep to those same old dreams. I guess even that would be lonely at some point. A quiet night without the fire to keep some light inside.

Shaking my head, I quickly rub my hands over my face from under the water. I was thinking about it again. Fire. And who it relates to… It never seems to leave my mind, like a burn on my memories. It leaves a nasty scar that can never hide from sight, huh? Damn it. It’s funny though. My therapist says that I should try to confront these memories. Or feelings. It’s easier to just hide away from them, to take my time in the shower or even getting up from bed. My therapist also says that I should try to get out and meet new people. That idea has never really excited me though… I work as a manager at a fucking music studio, so I already have to meet a lot of clients every day. What would be the point of getting to know others? Sirens aren’t supposed to have friends, aren’t they? Or…

Suddenly, the water stops flowing, leaving my wet body with some soap suds still left on me. What the hell happened this time…? I swear, if Aria forgot to pay the stupid water bill again, I will kill her. Turning to my left, I slide open the shower door quickly and grab the pink towel on top of the clothes hamper, throwing it around myself. “Aria!” I yell as I open the bathroom door, looking right and down the hallway with a clenched fist.

“What?” I hear Aria respond in an annoyed manner, not bothering to come make eye contact with me.

“Did you forget to pay the water bill again?” I ask her in an angry tone, holding onto the door as if it was her throat.

“I turned off the water because you’re taking too long again!” Aria yells back snarkily with a laugh following after.

“Damn it, Aria! I was almost done!”

“Then learn to take faster showers like Sonata and I!” she yells at me with a chuckle to herself, finally walking into the hallway to look back at me. Of course, she has another lollipop in her mouth, looking at me in a smug manner.

“Just turn the fucking water back on or I will throw your mattress out of this apartment!” Aria acts surprised as she hears my statement, placing both of her hands on her cheeks.

“Oh no! Don’t do that! But seriously, Adagio. What would you do? Push it out the window?” With that, Aria laughs while holding her stomach, gently leaning against the hallway wall.

“Aria, I swear-”

“Alright, alright. Cool it,” she states, holding her hand up. “I’ll turn your ‘fucking water’ back on.” Once again, Aria laughs as she walks back into the kitchen area of our apartment, flipping me off as she does so. Why does she have to be such a prick? And why do I deal with it? I could kick her out, right?

“Hi, Dagi~” a chipper voice greets me from behind me, making me jump back into the bathroom. To the left of the bathroom door, Sonata stands in the empty hallway with a smile on her face, her work clothes in her hand. “When you’re done, could you come get me? I need a shower before I go to work~” Sonata asks me with a kind expression on her face.

“As long as you get your girlfriend back in line,” I state in a tired voice, pointing down the hallway to the door Aria walked back inside. “She’s being a bitch again.”

“Oh! I’m sorry! It’s probably a side effect of the new insomnia medication~ I thought you would remember that. The doctor made a big deal about how this medicine could make her argumentative and all.” Nevermind the fact that Aria has always been argumentative… But I will admit that it’s been worse lately.

“Yeah, I’m sorry… I forgot. Just… Try to keep her in line. I’m having a hard time with her,” I state in an even more exhausted tone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll try to~ Oh! Isn’t today your work convention?” she asks me randomly, pulling out that question as if it was news to her.

“Um… Yeah. It is.” Honestly, the idea of my work convention doesn’t really bring a smile to my face. Even though it’s supposed to be this fun outing for the whole office and other branches of the business to bring awareness to what we offer, it just ends up making me even more anxious. The location of this convention is the primary factor though… Of course they had to book it at Canterlot City…

“When will you be back?” Sonata asks with the same smile never leaving her face.

“It’ll be a week-long convention, but I should be able to get back within five days. It’ll be in Canterlot City too, so you should be able to contact me fairly easily. I think reception is fine there…”

A concerned expression comes over Sonata’s face as soon as she hears the words come out of my mouth, a small frown appearing on her lips. “Oh…? Canterlot City? That sucks… Are you sure you won’t run into-”

“Don’t… Just… Don’t talk about that,” I whisper, holding my hand out to Sonata and closing my eyes. I’d rather not think about… that time in my life. “I’ll be fine. I’ll text you two when I get there,” I state in a monotone voice, turning my head away from her and closing the door. A couple muffled words come from Sonata before I close the door fully, but I can’t really make them out that well… Walking back towards the shower, I can’t help but sigh, bringing my hand to my face out of pure annoyance. This week is going to be hell on Earth, isn’t it?

Chapter I: Unfinished Business

Flights are always sort of annoying… It’s not like having wings and flying like a bird since it’s more of a propelled piece of metal, bringing you along for the ride and hoping you don’t die. Needless to say, I’m always sort of nauseous and tired after a flight due to the altitude changes and the fact I can never fall asleep while on a plane. There’s always a crying baby, a snoring person or the whole passenger lounge stinks of dozens of people. Reading a book doesn’t help either since it inevitably just makes me feel even more sick, so I often listen to music on flights. Thankfully, I’ve never had to be in an airplane with Aria before. If she was with me, then she would complain relentlessly about every small inconvenience. Hell, she’d probably be mad that there is a shortage of peanuts.

Now that I think about it, most of her anger is probably due to her constant lack of sleep… She’s been suffering from insomnia ever since we came to this world and we’ve tried a couple different medications to help her, but this newest one seems to make her even angrier even though she’s getting sleep. Sonata has helped her get some sleep, but that’s probably because of the fact that they’re dating each other… Now that is a weird concept. It used to be something that would make me want to barf as well, but now, it’s just a normal part of our lives. Sonata and Aria. And Adagio… Honestly, I’m probably just an add on at this point. I’m permanently the third wheel and maybe the two of them would be happier without me.

Walking into the lobby area of the airport, I look at the conveyer belt in anticipation of my luggage. No, I have to remind myself that they love me too, just in a different way. I guess I just feel like I’ve lost my purpose in life ever since… our magic was lost. I guess that I didn’t feel that way for a bit of time with… her. Shaking my head, I grab a black suitcase and sigh, walking towards the exit. I never expected to be back in Canterlot City, but here I am due to a company’s request to have forty of its regional store employees attend a convention that is supposed to be a big boost to our sales… It’s all a bunch of required bullshit that makes my eyes roll every time I think of it in more detail.

At least the company is paying for the hotel rooms that we’re going to use, so that’s nice. It means I can spend virtually all of my time in my room when I’m not attending the damn convention. If I can remember correctly, there’s also going to be free food, so I can just smuggle some to my room and avoid going out into the city. Maybe this trip won’t be as hellish as I thought it would be, but I’ll have to wait and see.

Walking outside of the airport, I struggle to work through the crowd, looking for the bus that’s supposed to go to the city center. If I remember correctly, it should be bus forty-eight, but every one I can see from here has numbers in the thirties or twenties. How many people use this airport? God damn it. Of course we couldn’t go to some town or city that doesn’t get a lot of air travel. No, I have to go to Canterlot City of all places. Still, I suppose everything will be fine as long as I stick to myself. No one I used to know should recognize me if I just stay by myself in my room and all. Speaking of which, I can’t wait to actually get to my hotel room simply because riding an airplane for three hours in a suit is really annoying… I just want to change into my pajamas and possibly take a nap before I have to go to the convention.

Where is that damned bus…? I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss it since it should be arriving right about now. A small feeling of doubt begins to build up in me, looking around for the transport I’m supposed to board. Looking in my bag, I pull out the schedule I printed out before the flight, making sure the time stamps I have in my head are correct. Just like I had expected, the bus should be here any minute now at Exit E. Wait. Exit E? My eyes widen as I look around myself, trying to find out what exit I’m at, considering this airport seems to label them. The only thing I can see around me is the damn letter C on each pillar near this entrance. C… Does that mean I’m at Exit C?

Looking at the map again, I feel my heart drop to my stomach, seeing the differently labeled exits and finally locating Exit E… Almost all the way across the airport from me… “Holy fucking shit…” Instantly stuffing the map into my bag, I hurry to take off my heels before doing a full-on sprint down the sidewalk in the direction of Exit E. Of course I get things messed up… My mind has been a jumbled mess for a while now, but I just hope I can get to that damn bus in time.

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The bus finally comes to a halt at the city center, a lot of muffled commotion being heard at full blast once the doors open. A small headache already begins to form, ready to leave this vehicle… The smell of the bus the whole ride over here was almost unbearable, due to the dusty seats and the sheer amount of people inside. Standing up as quickly as I can, I hurry off the bus just to get a breath of fresh air rather than being stuck in that cramped space for another second longer.

Taking a deep breath, I can’t help but enjoy finally being out of the bus, officially ending my trip. Well, at least until I have to go to the hotel… The sight of the buildings around me seem familiar instantly, reminding me of times I had passed them in the past. The memories of this city seem so foreign, distant yet close at the same time… None of this excites me. All this does is bring back visions of the past. One I hoped to have left back there…

Shaking my head, I begin walking swiftly away from the bus stop, pulling my phone out. I don’t need a map to find the hotel I’m booked at. It’s all in my head by now. Right now, my only priority is to keep up my promise and tell the girls that I made it here safely. Tapping the group chat icon, I quickly type into the message box, sighing as I do so. “Hey, girls. I made it safe and sound, so you don’t need to worry about me.” Usually, they’re pretty good at messaging back soon after they receive the notification, making it useless to put my phone away for less than a second just to open it again. Just like I predicted, I see the typing icon appear moments after my message is sent.

“Sonata is asleep right now. She wanted to take a nap after her shift,” Aria responds in a quick and short message. “Stay safe.” It’s not like this is exactly unusual for Aria… She never says much. Especially to me. Maybe some of that is my fault for how I stepped all over her when I was younger, due to what my therapist says. I realized that after a while and I’ve been trying to work at it, but our relationship has remained the same to this day… I suppose it makes me sad that Aria and I still have so little to say to each other despite mean comments or small talk. Maybe someday…

Shaking my head, I push my phone deep inside my purse, looking ahead of myself towards the buildings, one of which being the stupid hotel that I’m booked at. The hotel itself is actually quite nice, being an expensive and popular establishment to stay at when it comes to this city. So, I guess I’m kind of happy that my employers are willing to pay for my stay and expenses at such a place. As much as I have wanted It, I am not used to the luxury life. I had to work hard for mostly everything that I had, even my magic. I suppose I was naturally gifted, but training helps…

This trip, however, gives the employees a chance to live out a more luxurious lifestyle for a week, since all of our expenses are paid for. Honestly, it’s a bit too generous… It makes me suspicious about how much this company is actually making when they’re still paying me the same salary I had when I first signed on. You’d think that they would be willing to give someone like me a raise once in a while, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Regardless, the hotel itself looks pretty nice… Even though I hate this city with a fiery passion, a part of me wonders whether or not I will be getting a room with a view. All I know is the room number, not the type of room nor what story it’s on… Considering this hotel is combined with a casino, there are about twelve different floors to choose from and vastly different rooms. The outside of the hotel has neon lights on it with a mix of tan and brown walls, perfectly shining the lights off of them.

Walking closer to the hotel, I notice the vast number of people inside and out of the establishment, some of them being familiar coworkers from my office. Hopefully, I don’t have to talk to them much during this trip… The sound of chatter between dozens of people is just the beginning course from the people outside, making me feel like the sound inside is definitely going to be a whole chorus, one I will not enjoy at all. To be honest, now I’m fearful of how well I’m going to sleep in my room… Maneuvering past the group of people at the entrance, I carry the couple of bags through the door, pleasantly surprised to see that it’s actually quieter inside than it is outside. There’s still the sound of chatter, but there’s a mostly quiet lobby area at the front of this building before you can walk deeper inside, presumably to the casino area. The lobby is actually quite big… Red carpets, nice leather seats, and golden tan walls.

“Hot damn,” I slowly whisper to myself, looking up at the ceiling. Big chandeliers hang overhead with carved out shapes in the ceiling. I’ve never been in a place like this before, but a part of me wishes I had. Hesitantly, I walk toward the counter, still trying to take in the room around me. The man behind the counter looks like he’s still in high school with a bit of acne on his face and the timid posture of his body.

“H-hello, Miss. Can I help you?” he asks me as politely as he can as soon as I come close enough to the counter, clearly trying to do the best job he can.

“Hi, I’m supposed to have a reservation here for room 416?” I respond in a respectful tone as I look inside my purse, trying to find that damned instruction sheet I was given. Apparently, the music studio expects its employees to follow the schedule marked out in this instruction sheet. The only good thing about this sheet is that it gives you the necessary information to actually get checked in.

Instantly, the young man clicks something into a monitor, presumably checking for my reservation. “What’s the name on this?” he asks me slowly, looking back up with a smile.

“Adagio Dazzle.” Looking at the sheet, I can’t help but raise my eyebrow at the plans for this week… Apparently, everything is going to be held within this building, even the convention. Technically, this should make it even easier to avoid going outside, but the idea that I may have to run into coworkers every corner I turn is anxiety inducing, simply because I’m not exactly… fans of them.

“Ah, I see~ I have your reservation right here, but it’s protocol to ask for some form of identification,” the young man says slowly, his eyes still looking at the screen. I assume he also has a set of instructions for how things are supposed to go. Rules… They’re everywhere. Quickly handing him my ID, I can’t help but sigh, wondering what other things will be an inconvenience during this trip. “You’re good to go, Miss~ If you want, we can deliver your bags to your room?” he peacefully offers, gesturing to one of the bag carriers that most hotels have.

“No thanks. I’ll carry them myself,” I state with a nod, grabbing the room key he offers me before walking away from the counter. As much as I kind of want to explore the building, my first thought is to get settled in my room so I can finally take a nap before tonight’s big convention opening. If I’m lucky, I can maybe get a four hour rest, but that mainly depends on if I can actually fall asleep fast enough.

Closing the distance between me and the elevator, I look at a glowing panel that shows the layout of the current story I’m on as well as labeling which rooms are on which floors. Huh. It looks like my room is on the tenth floor. Ten floors up… If my room has a window, then it should be a pretty good view, at least I think so… Honestly, I shouldn’t be so picky about the view of a hotel room, but I guess I just like watching the horizon… Something that can reflect upon the landscape, giving it various moods depending on perspective. Clicking the button with an up arrow, I take a deep breath, thinking about the rest of this trip. There’s a lot left to be done… Let’s just hope I can survive all this.

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A loud ringing buzzes in my ear, distorting my thoughts. The only thing I can see is darkness and my muscles feel stiff, a large yawn instantly coming to me. The one thing that illuminates the darkness is the bright screen of my phone on the nightstand beside me, making me rub my eyes before daring to look at it. Is it really time to wake up already…?

A heavy sigh exits my lips before I reach over and grab my phone, squinting at the screen. The ringing finally stops, my hand lazily putting the device back to its resting place with another heavy breath. Let’s be honest, Adagio. I haven’t had a great sleep in… at least a couple years. I always wake up tired and wanting another couple hours, even when it’s a day off. It’s ironic that I don’t have insomnia, but I still feel like this. Aria’s the one with crippling insomnia…

Stretching again, I can’t help but rub my eyes and yawn, already hating the fact that I have to get up. Luckily, the curtains in the hotel are pretty thick, so they blocked out any light outside when I took my nap. Although, I doubt there’s any light out there any more. It’s eight at night, so the only embers of light should be dying out by now. The last moments of a slow sunset. A…

No. I can’t afford to lose my head again. Thoughts of her can’t enter my mind or else I’ll end up sticking in my room all week… I can’t think of her again. It’s awfully convenient that everything still seems to remind me of… God damn it. Slapping my cheek, I bite my tongue slightly, looking up to the ceiling. “It’s time to get ready,” I whisper to myself, sighing quietly in the dark room. The limited light only adds to the cold sensation I feel all across my body, rubbing my hand up and down my arm. The warm embrace of the bed betrays my responsibility to show up to the event, inviting me closer for yet another nice rest. Hesitantly though, I throw off the blanket, the cool air instantly rushing in and welcoming my legs outside of the warm nest I had made for myself. Reaching over to the lamp next to the bed, I turn it on and stretch one more time before standing up, shaking my head at my own wish to ignore this requirement. It’s funny. I could have technically avoided this whole trip if I had some sort of accident, but I suppose I wouldn’t stage something like that myself, but Aria probably would. We don’t get out that often now. Maybe that’s because we’re all tired or it’s because we just don’t have a lot to share.

Walking over to my suitcase on the floor next to the bathroom, I open it and grab a fresh pair of underwear as well as the dark black dress I had packed specifically for these kinds of dates. To avoid getting the dress wrinkly or dirty, I hang it from a hanger on the door, taking off the tank top I slept in. One last yawn escapes my mouth as I look in the mirror, seeing my hair going every which direction. I guess that was expected, but it’s still annoying to fix my hair… With a small sigh, I shake my head, closing and locking the door behind me. Tonight is going to be a long night, whether or not I want it to be. Turning the knob of the faucet, water begins to flow easily. I’ll be home soon, girls…

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The neon lights of the casino’s machines illuminate everything in sight, sounds of coins spilling and jazz music can be heard from far away. The black dress I have on doesn’t reflect the lights well, thankfully. I would hate to be wearing one of those sequin dresses that reflect every source of light, making it hard to even look at the person. I may love flashy fashion, but it would have to compliment my own character, rather than try and make up for a lack of looks. This dress does that well by showing off my curves in a decent manner and it doesn’t contrast with my face horribly. Modest enough, yet revealing. Usually, I would wear some sort of accessory with this like spiked bracelets or some sort of jacket, but since this is a formal event, I decided to just wear this dress, tights and black heels. Technically, nothing of this is flashy, so I have to make up with my own actions. Or my red lipstick, being the only thing I purposefully made to be noticeable. Thankfully, I am still allowed to have something to hold my hair up, so my spiked headband was still an option.

Even though I thought I would like this sort of environment, I don’t enjoy the constant clattering of machines, the heavy air of smoke and the constant cat-calling from people around. If the convention was held here, I would probably die, but it seems whatever gods there are were smiling down on me since they blessed me with the fact that the convention is held in a large auditorium near the casino. Nearby is not the best, but it’s way better than having to deal with half-drunk patrons and smoke. The only bad side? This room technically doesn’t open until the whole event is ready, making me and a ton of other formally dressed people wait outside. Some of them are my coworkers, but they seem too busy talking to their dates to actually strike up a conversation with me, someone they barely know.

To pass the time, I bought myself a pink lemonade from the bar, sipping on it occasionally. Well, I didn’t actually buy it… I put it on my tab, all of which would be paid for by my dear employers… I’m still suspicious by the fact that literally everything is going to be paid for other than purchases from outside the hotel. I mean, seriously everything. My plane ticket, bus fair, hotel room, food, drink, pool and gym access and even room cleaning. Hell, there’s probably other services that this hotel offers that I’m not even aware of just yet, but those will be revealed to me later. I oh so love to find loopholes in rules.

Now that I think about it, the girls would have an absolute field day here. Maybe we’re all just different sides of mischief… Aria would probably be raging about how the machines are unfair and rigged right about now. I mean, they are, but still. She’d also probably try to scam drunk guys out of their money by gambling, something she has a real talent for. Sonata, on the other hand, would be geeking out about the free access to the pool and food. She’d probably show up in a one-piece swimsuit, a duck floaty, flippers and goggles, just to have some fun in the sun. Aria would question the actual amount of fun you can have in the sun and Sonata would reply with ‘LOTS!’ When it comes to the actual convention, I don’t think the two of them would have that much fun at all. If anything, they would probably get themselves kicked out immediately with Aria trying to pickpocket someone or something else… Ironically, Sonata is more skilled at picking pockets, even if she hardly does it. In the end, maybe it’s for the best that I came here alone. I can just bide my time without getting into trouble and return home after a few days.

My eyes shoot open as I hear the doors next to me finally open, everyone around me noticing the same crucial detail. Taking the last sip from my glass, I hand it to the man holding the door open. I don’t know why I even handed it to him since he’s not a waiter, but it’s better to act like I meant to do it than for both of us to be confused… Besides, he works here, so he probably knows where to put it. Right? Without looking back, I walk inside the doors, seeing the absolutely massive room with dozens of tables set up with white tablecloths, plates, silverware and glasses. Towards the far end of the room, there’s a big stage with red curtains which is presumably where they will hold some kind of announcement once everyone is settled.

Sitting down at one of the tables in the middle of the auditorium, I can’t help but notice the sheer amount of guests coming in. I can almost swear some of these people don’t work for the music studio. Normally, I would attribute this to people’s dates for this event, but it’s a bit much… What exactly is going on here? What’s the fucking point of this convention? Whatever it is, it’s supposed to help profits somehow. I’m not sure exactly how that will be achieved, but it better be something good.

Due to the massive size of the auditorium, it takes a bit for everyone to finally funnel into the room and take their seats. My suspicion is that they’re going to try and fill our stomachs with good food before announcing one of the worst options this company could have taken… As long as they have a Four Roses Single Barrel, I should be fine… Should. Unless some other assholes take it for themselves. Then, it’s time to start a war.

As soon as everyone seems to be settled in, waiters come around to the tables, taking orders from the dozens of people here. Honestly, I won’t be surprised if I catch a cold because someone thought it was a totally good idea to come here with an infectious disease. That’s how people seem to be… Unnaturally cruel, uncaring and inconsiderate. Almost every person I’ve met seems to care for themselves and their wants over everyone else. Almost everyone… Except her…

Shaking my head, I focus my eyes down to my hands in my lap, trying to keep myself in the moment rather than lose the battle to memories. I shouldn’t lose my motivation to get through this stressful requirement… “Ma’am?” a masculine voice addresses me before I look up, trying to compose myself in the process.

“Hmm? What is it?” I ask in a slightly flustered tone, noticing the man is yet another waiter.

“May I know your order?”

“I wasn’t given a menu, so I’m not sure what to-” before I can finish my statement, the waiter points to the small stack of menus at the center of the table, undisturbed due to the fact that I’m alone at this table… It’s surprising that there’s even empty tables here, but I suppose they tried to make sure there were more than enough seats to accommodate their large crowd. “Oh, um…” Grabbing one of the menus, my eyes quickly scan the items, coming across one meal that caught my attention. “I’ll have the sixth special.”

Nodding, the waiter takes the stack of menus in his hand as he writes something down on his notepad. “Do you have anything specific you’d like to drink with that?”

“Do you have a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel? I’d like a glass of that,” I state with a smile, feeling relieved to see a small nod come from him. If everything is going to be paid for, why shouldn’t I spoil myself a little? It’s been so long since I’ve… well, since I’ve actually gave myself a break. The last time I did was… a couple years ago. Back when she used to inhabit my days. And my nights… Back when I still had that level of confidence my therapist wants me to get back. Back when…

Stop it, Adagio. It’s alright. You’re in a new time of your life, so it’s alright to spoil yourself. Biologically speaking, I’m almost thirty, so someone my age deserves a little break after nonstop work. I know I’m technically a lot older than that, but ever since my magic was taken away, it’s easier to feel tired. Just try to take deep breaths and have a good time. Worst comes to worst, they might mass fire employees, but they’re still paying for your hotel stay and trip back, so yeah. Besides, it would be an awfully weird way to fire everyone. If anything, it’s some mandated shitshow that the company thinks is “exciting”, but it’s actually something that everyone would have rather been told about via email. Still, it’s nice to live a week in luxury if you will.

Spoiling myself. That’s exactly what their sixth special was made for. It seems like it’s exactly designed after my interests. Technically, there were a lot of specials and orders to choose from, but this specific special seems so heavenly. You’re given a main dish of medium rare steak with a side of a baked potato. The best part about the meal? It gives you a dessert to eat with it. A slice of cherry cheesecake~ It seems that whatever gods there are, they really are smiling down on me. My favorite dessert ever just so happens to be offered today. Even if the meal had things I didn’t like, I still would have enjoyed the dessert that is given with it. Combining this meal with a glass of my favorite whiskey just sounds like the perfect deal. All of it paid for too~ I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but whatever it is, I hope I can do it again. I guess I could call it my way of appeasing whatever deities there are.

To top it all off, I’m alone at my table, which means I don’t have to actually make small talk or try to pay attention to some conversation. I can just eat in peace and think to myself. God, now I wish there was a view of the horizon from here… It would be the ultimate feeling of happiness in the world to me. I guess the only person I wouldn’t mind being there is some soulmate or whatever… But let’s be honest, Adagio. Romance is overrated. All it does is rip your heart out when you could have just been happy alone. As romantic as this meal may be, it can be just as nice alone.

Just as I look up, I see the waiter walking back towards my table with a couple plates in hand and a decently sized glass. I can already feel my taste buds salivating at the thought of the taste. Very few things in the world get me excited like a cherry cheesecake or my favorite whiskey, so it’s nice to have both once in a while~ The smell of the steak fills my nose as he sets the plates down on the table. It’s a pleasant smell, considering I’ve only had a good steak a couple times in my life. I didn’t need to eat when I had my magic, but I suppose the added benefit of turning into a human is the new set of taste buds. When we were in Equestria, the girls and I didn’t think about eating meat, but now? Sonata can’t take her hands off of tacos or burritos and Aria eats chicken every now and then. I personally don’t like turkey or chicken, but pigs and cows? Let’s just say that it’s a guilty pleasure of mine.

“If you need anything, just ask,” the waiter states in a respectful tone before he walks away from the table, allowing me to eat in peace. A small smile comes to me slowly, looking down at the plates. Taking a fork into my hand, I can’t help but chuckle to myself. What was I worried about? I’ll be able to enjoy myself here~

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The large lights above the auditorium are only turned off once everyone is done with their food and the dishes are taken away, leaving only the tablecloths. Unsurprisingly, the lights that are directed towards the stage are turned on now, directing everyone’s attention to that specific spot. Even though I had finished before most of the other people around me, I still kind of wish I could have another glass of whiskey, but I know it would be foolish of me to try and get drunk here of all places. One glass isn’t enough to even make me stagger, so I wouldn’t think my judgment is impaired. I don’t have to drive, but I would still like to be lucid when I hear about whatever this announcement is. I know some people ordered 3 or more glasses of alcohol, so I’m not sure if they will even remember what happened tonight by tomorrow. That’s something I don’t want to happen to me. Besides, spending my morning over a toilet isn’t something I’m particularly fond of.

Just as I had expected, a large roar of applause can instantly be heard as a couple of older people walk onto stage, waving to the crowd with their fake smiles. One of which I recognize as the CEO of the music studio. To be honest, I only recognize him due to a stock photo on the pamphlets given out at the location I work at, but I suppose it’s best if I don’t reveal that. The man in question moves towards the podium set up at the center of the stage, his hand still waving to us all until the applause finally settles. More than a modicum of flair is put into his actions, clearly trying to put on a show of his appearance. I couldn’t be less interested, but I keep my eyes on stage nonetheless.

“Hello, everyone! I am so pleased that you could all make it to our first ever company convention for Stars Music Foundation~ We tried to make sure all of our important employees could make it here since we’re all a family here~” Ugh. He pulled the family card… There’s not much that puts me off more than the stupid lie that a company is a family, especially when they try to get away with treating you horribly or underpaying you due to that statement. I don’t necessarily hate my job, but damn. I should have gotten a raise by now for the amount of work I do.

“And a big thank you to all of the employees of Mane Pictures who could make it today~” the older woman on stage pitches in, waving to the crowd. “We know it was very last minute, but we promise that this convention will be worth it for employees of both entities~” she adds, clasping her hands together and faking an excited look. So, I wasn’t wrong. There is an exceptionally large amount of people here due to the fact that there are employees from another company… Why? What the fuck is going on exactly? “We’re here to make an announcement tonight that will change the future of both Mane Pictures and Stars Music Foundation forever and we wanted to give it in a peaceful environment to our most treasured employees~ So, it was our idea to hold a convention to settle into the idea~ Just so everyone knows, no one is losing their jobs and their will be plenty of fun activities for the rest of the week~” When declared by the head of a company, fun activities usually translates to boring and mundane things to do to try and mingle with everyone else. The real question is still not answered though. Why are two companies holding a convention together? And why am I, a manager of one outlet, a ‘treasured employee?’

“I’m sure you’re all anticipating the reason why we called for this convention at the last minute, especially after that excellent meal~” the old man states with a toothy grin. Anticipation is an understatement, but I must admit that they did offer a good meal. “Without wasting any more of your valued time, we are happy to announce the merger of Stars Music Foundation and Mane Pictures~ This deal will mean lots of new outcomes for all of us and we know this is going to be a stressful process, so we will now be holding a Q&A for this venture.” Immediately, I can hear lots of whispers, the sudden news hitting everyone differently. For me, I couldn’t care less about this merger as long as I get to keep my job. Hell, a merger may mean I will finally get that fucking raise I deserve.

Though, it makes me wonder why exactly Mane Pictures would want to buy this music studio… Mane Pictures is certainly more wealthy, so I guess the only reason would be because they want to have a whole music department. This means that we’ll all be working under Mane Pictures from now on instead of Stars Music Foundation… I suppose contracts will have to be reworked, but it doesn’t matter much unless they run things horribly. Then I may have to quit… The older people on stage keep talking into the microphone, but a part of me doesn’t really care anymore. I’ve heard the reason this convention was even made for, so now I don’t really find it necessary to listen to all the legal speech they make for this portion of the night. Literally all of this could have been covered in an email. As nice as it is of them to bring us all to a luxury hotel, it isn’t enjoyable to fly for three hours back and forth to a city I’ve deliberately tried to avoid for a couple years now.

Honestly, now I just want to sneak out of here. I’ve had my cake and now the rest of the night is going to consist of a legal speech and probably some planned mingling session to get employees familiar with each other. What makes it worse is that everyone here is technically a high ranking employee of one of the companies or the date of one. I still don’t know why I was valued enough to be here. Just because I’m a manager? If anything I would feel even more embarrassed being here with such a meager title. It couldn’t have been an accident either since they made a reservation specifically under my name.

Maybe other managers were invited here too. Then I won’t feel so bad about it. I can see it now. The rest of this event is probably going to consist of mingling opportunities like dancing, fancy dinners or conversations through games. The games are probably not going to be over board games or such, but over things like pool or something else to stake money over. Of course, unofficially. The type of games that ‘sophisticated’ people would play. Funny. I don’t know how to play poker or games that require some sort of monetary pitch, so I won’t probably take part in those.

The sound of music playing breaks my train of thought, causing me to look up. The older people were now walking off stage as tables near the center of the room were being moved away towards the sides. A couple of waiters walk towards my table, making me stand up from my chair. Now I wish I didn’t pick a table near the center… The music itself sounds like a romantic jazz song, using plenty of horns and piano notes to form a pleasant melody. So, this is their mingling strategy. Try to make people dance and talk to each other before whatever Q&A they will hold. What makes it even funnier is that they change the lighting to a more dim purple and blue color, giving a certain mood to the room. Honestly, I can’t help but wonder whether or not I can duck out of here and sleep for the rest of the night rather than stand awkwardly here or try to strike up a conversation with some person.

It would be easier that way. I don’t think I’m required to be here during this part of the convention. Technically, it would be more enjoyable to go back to my room with another glass of whiskey, reading some book before I sleep for the rest of the night. Hell, the whiskey may actually help me go to sleep and ignore any sounds from neighboring rooms. It’s not like the doors to this room are locked or anything. I guess the only thing stopping me is myself.

Turning around, I walk between multiple people, towards the exit. As much as it feels scummy of me to skip out on this planned event, I would much rather lounge around in my room in pajamas and messy hair rather than a tight bra and dress. Besides, there’s always more opportunities to mingle in the rest of the week, but I can go ahead and catch up on some more sleep after the plane ride now~ It would definitely help me feel-

My body instantly stops in my tracks, the sound of the music being so loud that I can barely hear anything else. Even the music fades out as I widen my eyes, unsure of what I’m exactly seeing. My heart beats faster and my nerves all go haywire. Despite the color of the lights, the color of the horizon is right in front of me… The red and yellow colors most commonly attributed to fire waves so easily through the air… All in the form of hair. The color of orange cementing itself into my mind as my breathing goes out of control. Am I just imagining things again…? Why would I imagine something to make me panic? On today of all days? Fiery hair attached to the form of a slim woman with orange skin… If this is a vision, it’s way too real… it can’t be real, right? This is my fucking job convention. She wouldn’t be here, right? This is the whole reason I wanted to avoid this city. She can’t afford this hotel, right?

Instantly, every sense of doubt in my mind is thrown completely out the window as this woman turns her gaze towards me, our eyes meeting… She can’t be here… Not now… Why would she be here…? Why would… Sunset Shimmer be here of all places…?

Comments

[Dazzle Razzle]

I loved the first chapter, I like a lot how you write adagio's character!, also love that the cherry cheesecake is a recurring thing for dagi in yours fics <3

[Spyder27]

11290188
Thanks! I put a lot of effort into making these chapters as good as possible since this is a birthday gift for my friend~ And I'm glad you like the way I write Adagio! There's a lot more to come in the future~ I wasn't aware that you read my other stories, but yes~ Cherry cheesecake and whiskey is a reoccurring trend in my Sundagio stories~

[Snowdrifter]

Came for the Sundagio - stayed for the cherry cheesecake.

[Spyder27]

11301902
A good reason to stay, to be honest~

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Now that I think about it, most of her anger is probably due to her constant lack of sleep… She’s been suffering from insomnia ever since we came to this world and we’ve tried a couple different medications to help her, but this newest one seems to make her even angrier even though she’s getting sleep. Sonata has helped her get some sleep, but that’s probably because of the fact that they’re dating each other… Now that is a weird concept. It used to be something that would make me want to barf as well, but now, it’s just a normal part of our lives. Sonata and Aria. And Adagio… Honestly, I’m probably just an add on at this point. I’m permanently the third wheel and maybe the two of them would be happier without me.

Question answered about the girlfriend mention earlier.
Though, aren't they technically sisters?
And the insomnia part sure could be a good reason for Aria's behavior.

“I’m sure you’re all anticipating the reason why we called for this convention at the last minute, especially after that excellent meal~” the old man states with a toothy grin. Anticipation is an understatement, but I must admit that they did offer a good meal. “Without wasting any more of your valued time, we are happy to announce the merger of Stars Music Foundation and Mane Pictures~ This deal will mean lots of new outcomes for all of us and we know this is going to be a stressful process, so we will now be holding a Q&A for this venture.” Immediately, I can hear lots of whispers, the sudden news hitting everyone differently. For me, I couldn’t care less about this merger as long as I get to keep my job. Hell, a merger may mean I will finally get that fucking raise I deserve.

Ngl, the hints were a clever sign a merger was gonna be mentioned.

Instantly, every sense of doubt in my mind is thrown completely out the window as this woman turns her gaze towards me, our eyes meeting… She can’t be here… Not now… Why would she be here…? Why would… Sunset Shimmer be here of all places…?

Earlier I was wondering where Sunset was, and seeing how she appears at the end really takes the cake by shock.