It's a Deal, Darling
Chapter XXIII: It’s a Deal, Darling
“You look tense.” The significant lack of color makes the bathroom feel even darker. It doesn’t help that the mirror reflects nothing but her. A black void is behind her.
“Why wouldn’t I be? You’re here,” I remark with a stare. “Every time you appear, I can’t help but ask myself what I did to be cursed with your presence.” All she does is shrug with a confused look to respond, making me a little more irritated. “Why are you here?” I admit it. My tone is a bit rushed and impatient, but who wouldn’t be? I can’t tell what she wants and the last thing we did together, she nearly killed a man.
“Calm your jets. I don’t know why you have to get so mad every time I am here,” she responds while rolling her eyes. “I’m here because I just woke up. How much time has passed?” I can’t help but stand there in shock as she simply stretches. Is she serious?
“Aren’t you supposed to be awake at the same time as me? You’re my literal subconscious…”
“That’s usually the case,” she responds to me with a chuckle. “But after your friends knocked me out, it made me take control for a couple days. Then I blacked out.” Her eyes look towards me with a confused expression. “Relax. I’m not going to do anything. You look as mad as that one princess when she sent her wizard after us.”
Taking a deep breath, I look away from the mirror, finding it hard to believe she has been asleep this whole time. “You’re seriously telling me you don’t want to do anything when you tried to kill that man? And that you haven’t been awake these past few DAYS?” The look on her face is one of confusion and wonder, bringing her hand to her chin.
“Huh. So I was in control for a few days and then you’ve been in control for a few days. Interesting.” Chuckling to herself, Umbra shakes her head, bringing her fingers to her forehead. “Also, bold of you to act like I was the only one doing something bad there. I admit that I was going too far by trying to kill him and I apologize for that. We agreed to do things your way, but don’t act for a SECOND that you didn’t enjoy it too. I know you enjoyed using your magic on him.” Her hand raises in the air to point at me, directly challenging my stance on the issue. I would oppose her if I could, but she’s right. I did enjoy some of it…
“Still… Listening to you that day was one of my worst mistakes.” Honestly, I can’t believe she admitted she went too far. If she really is being affected by the magic, that’s great. But a little too late…
Sighing, Umbra looks down at the floor. “Listen. I apologize. We agreed to do this your way. I just got… out of control.” Despite the fact that I shouldn’t believe her, the tone of her voice sounds genuine. Not to mention that she and I have the same goal now. Get our magic back. Even if she would like me to use it for myself again.
“I can’t exactly blame you. It did feel… nice,” I whisper before rolling my eyes. Looking back up at her, I find it genuinely surprising that she isn’t taking control. She has the opportunity, but she is letting me stay in control. “You really don’t remember the last few days at all, Umbra?” I ask her with a slight shake of my head, raising my eyebrow.
“Wha…? Oh. That name. Isn’t that the shitty title Twilight gave me?” Umbra laughs to herself, seemingly finding it hilarious.
“I’ve gotten used to referring to you by that in the last few days. Don’t blame me.” Crossing my arms, I lean against the bathroom wall, the shower behind me gives me intrusive thoughts to fall in. Umbra looks at me with a confused stare before sighing to herself.
“Whatever. What happened in the last few days anyway?” At first, I was convinced that she was acting, but now? It is clear that she is telling the truth. I thought she would have seen everything. We must have been hit pretty hard when we were knocked out to make both of us go unconscious for a period of time.
“Where do I start?” A small breath exits my lips. Despite how neutral the hotel usually feels, I can’t help but shiver a little. It feels cold in this bathroom. However, I can’t exactly blame it on the room. This usually happens when Umbra shows up. “Could you stop with all this first? I hate it. Bring some color back. And the heat.”
“What? Don’t like my environment?” She laughs at my request before shaking her head, the black void still behind her. “I would, but I can only really change this if I go away for a while and come back. So, you’re stuck with it for now.”
“God, you’re such a bitch,” I mutter with a roll of my eyes. Though, I guess I’m insulting myself with that one. She’s literally my broken subconscious presenting as a manifestation of my past self. “Firstly, my friends are all disappointed with me now as a result of what we did. And… Sunset broke up with me…” The way she looks at me after this can’t be described with anything short of elated.
“Oh? Really now? That is great to hear! Now she won’t be in the way anymore.” Glaring at her, Umbra scoffs at me. “She’s the major pain when it comes to getting your magic back. Now you can get it back and go on your merry way, once you stop fighting for her.” Her eyes meet mine once again and I can’t help but question what she means by that.
“I… haven’t been fighting for her.” For once, Umbra looks at me with a disappointed stare. I don’t know why she would be upset by that. She’s the one who wants me to stop being with her.
“So, you’re telling me that after these years of telling me she makes you a better person that you’re not fighting for this relationship? That’s surprising… You should have some hope. But this does make our job easier, so I’m not complaining.” Bringing her hand to her chin, she looks at me thoughtfully. “So, have you used Sonata’s number yet or what?”
A lot has happened in the past few days… It seems like forever ago that I have called her. “Yeah, I have. We’ve met twice.”
“Twice?” Her eyes widen almost instantly upon hearing that. However, despite her sudden interest, a long silence follows. Her expression now looks hesitant and she breaks our eye contact. A conflicted frown is painted across her lips, making it hard for me to tell what she is thinking. “How is she?” she asks me slowly, her arms crossed.
“She’s alright,” I whisper in response. In a way, I can’t help but find it ironic. She has been a demon tormenting my mind for years, but now she seems to care for Sonata and Aria. Coincidentally right after we’ve absorbed some magic… “She’s happy. She was happy to see me and she really appreciated the apology. She wants to be a part of my life again.”
Umbra doesn’t look back at me. Her eyes stare off into the black void, simply nodding. “That’s nice.” I can’t quite tell what emotion she’s feeling, but something tells me it is not hate or anger. “Is she still needlessly optimistic?” Umbra asks me in an almost nostalgic tone. Her eyes are glossed over as if she is remembering something.
“You care about them,” I whisper with a smile, causing her to look towards me.
“No, I don’t. They were just helpers. I just wanted to know how she was, that’s all.” That’s a lie. I can tell within a heartbeat. Every part of her behavior betrays herself. Funny. I don’t remember being that predictable. “Whatever. Let’s just focus on getting your magic back as quickly as possible.” Before I can say anything, the color in my vision begins to return.
“Wait, we’re not done ta-”
“What’s that? Can’t hear you.” Opening my eyes, everything is back to normal. The stupid tan bathroom walls as well as the egg-colored shower. Of course she runs away at the first sign of me teasing her. She can dish it out, but can’t take it. Typical.
Sighing to myself, I open the bathroom door. Taking a step out, I can’t help but feel grateful that I’m still in control. Usually, episodes like that end in me blacking out and hearing that Umbra was doing something without my knowledge. However, the overly fake smell of the hotel reminds me that I’m seeing reality rather than some illusion. Seriously… Hotels need to stop using such nauseating cleaning materials.
“Done?”
Nearly jumping right back into the bathroom, my eyes shoot to the left. Leaning against the wall next to the bathroom, Rainbow Dash simply scrolls her phone, her foot leisurely propped against the wall behind her. Her eyes break away from the screen to look at me, seemingly wanting an answer to her question.
“Why are you just standing there?” I ask in an accusatory manner, still trying to calm myself down from the surprise.
“It’s kind of my job to keep an eye on you. You took a while in there, so I let myself in.” Dash shrugs her shoulders, bringing her eyes back to the device in her hand. “Are you done with Umbra?” she asks me with a bored tone.
“How much did you hear…?” I would be surprised, but considering how long she’s been here, I can assume she probably heard me talking to her. No point in hiding it.
“Half of it. Considering I can’t hear her. I can only hear you.” Finally turning off her phone, Dash turns to me with an expectant look. Raising her hand, she gently grabs my shoulder and gives me a smile. The smile of a friend. “So, you good? Any frustrations with Umbra you need to air out?” The sympathy and care Dash shows me is really nice. I do appreciate it, but I am fine.
“No. Umbra apologized actually. And we’re still doing things my way. If everything goes according to plan, she should be changed to resemble more of me by the time I get my magic back. She’s showing some signs of that already.” Putting my hands in my pockets, I can’t help but look away from Dash. It’s not exactly confirmed that Umbra will see my viewpoint… That she will be less evil with the more magic I get back. All I can do is hope.
“So, you think she’ll come around?” Dash asks me with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Let’s hope so. Twi says the best way to fix your mind is using the magic that broke it. So, we’re kind of stuck here. Speaking of which, we have to go.” Rainbow Dash walks towards the door, motioning for me to follow her. “Oh, and for the record…” Her eyes look at me with a slightly raised eyebrow, seemingly expecting something of me. “I’m putting a lot of trust in you after what happened. So, I expect you to fight for this. If I haven’t made it clear, that is. That includes your relationship with Sunset.” Her stare gives me the feeling that she is deadly serious about this. At this point, I’ve had Dash and Umbra try to tell me I should have more hope. Given, Umbra doesn’t care either way, she was just telling me that since it was jarring to see me like this. Hopeless. Let’s face it. My confidence has been in the drain the past few days.
Rolling my eyes, I chuckle at Dash’s words. “I will try. That is all I can promise.”
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A blue glow envelopes Dash’s necklace as green magic lingers around us. A surge of power goes up my spine. Twilight holds my gem together and Rarity focuses on complimenting Dash for going through this. I can’t say that I am happy about doing this in a cramped hotel room, but I don’t exactly get to choose. The soft yellow light from the lamps is almost overpowered by Dash’s necklace at this point. I can’t wait to get done with this so I can get some fresh air instead of the stagnant air in this room.
She must really care about your friendship to believe you so much.
The siren stands by my side, looking at Dash with a raised eyebrow. I refuse to respond simply because of the people near us, but I have a feeling she already knows what I would say. However, Dash moves her head slightly, her eyes still closed.
“Who said that?” she asks us with a confused tone, still focusing on the magical exchange between her and I. Moving my eyes to Umbra, I can’t help but look at her with a dozen questions. No one had said anything other than her. Umbra looks down at me with the same level of confusion, shaking her head to tell me she has no idea what happened.
“What do you mean, darling? Everyone was quiet?” Rarity asks Dash, still coaching her to focus on staying conscious while I take a portion of her magic.
“No no. Someone said something. Dagi said something about our friendship, I think?” That… That wasn’t me. That was her. My subconscious. How in tartarus could she hear that…?
Turning my gaze to Umbra, I mouth the word ‘how’.
You expect me to know? I have no idea what just happened. Again, Dash moves her head to try and hear her better, confirming my fear that she is perceiving this interaction.
“What do you even mean, Dagi?” Dash asks in confusion. She almost opens her eyes before Twilight puts her hand on Dash’s shoulder.
“Dash, you have to concentrate or you might fall unconscious. It must be a side effect of the magic being drained from you. An illusion.” It’s almost humorous how Twilight tries to reassure Rainbow Dash. I tried to convince myself for years that she was an illusion, but that simply is not the case.
An illusion? That’s trivial. Of course she would use that excuse for me. And there she goes again… I would tell her to shut up, but everyone else would notice.
“That is NOT an illusion,” Dash tells us with a shake of her head. Disregarding Twilight’s advice, Dash opens her eyes and looks at me. Within a second, her eyes dart over to the figure standing next to me, a look of panic coming over her. “WHO THE FUCK IS THAT?!” Dash yells as she jumps back in her seat. Honestly, I don’t blame her reaction. Umbra appears with a crimson red dress that drips blood half of the time. Combined with the crown and glowing red eyes, she makes for a terrifying sight that I am all too used to at this point. Rarity and Twilight look over to where Dash is pointing, but they don’t seem surprised at all.
“What do you mean, Dash? There isn’t anyone-”
“Like hell there isn’t!” Dash interrupts Twilight, staring at Umbra the whole time.
If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have bothered showing up, she leans over to tell me under her breath, trying to act like Dash can’t hear her. I simply nod to her words, which makes Dash turn her gaze to me.
“Dagi? What the fuck is going on?” Dash asks me with heavy breaths, her necklace still glowing from the magic transfer. I can only assume that Dash can see and hear what I do. This is possibly a side effect of us having a magical link right now. Umbra didn’t show up during any of the other times I drained magic. Well, she was in control when we took the magic from Applejack, but she was across the store. Honestly, it’s a little fascinating that she can see what is in my mind.
Yes, ‘Dagi’. Do tell your friend about this situation. What would be your excuse this time? Hallucination? She’s dreaming? Once more, Umbra teases me, waving her hand at me. However, her jokes are harmless now. She and I are working together for now.
“Dash, meet Umbra,” I mention blandly, making my subconscious look at me with a shocked expression.
No excuses this time? Just straight into it? How mature of you.
“Umbra, meet Dash,” I state with a nod, trying to get Umbra to greet her. Might as well, right? They can see each other.
“Wait. What do you mean? Can Rainbow Dash see… her? Is she here with us?” Rarity asks with a confused expression, her hand on Dash’s shoulder.
Does your friend always objectify me like that? And I thought she was the sophisticated one. Turning her gaze to Dash, she forces a smile before giving a small wave. Hello. I’m Adagio’s subconscious. Umbra keeps her introduction short before turning back to me, seemingly not comfortable with the fact that Dash can see her.
“Um, hi. I’m Rainbow Dash,” she responds with more calm breaths, still clearly surprised by what is happening. “Why are you so… creepy?” Dash asks blatantly, her hand outstretched to refer to Umbra’s apparel.
I don’t ask why you look so plain, Umbra instantly fires back. Despite Dash’s attempts to talk to her, she shuts them down. Clearly, she only wants to talk to me.
“Don’t mind her, Dash. I’m sorry you had to witness this. It’ll end shortly,” I try to reassure her, rolling my eyes at Umbra.
“But you see this on a daily basis? If I had any remaining doubt about your broken mind, I’m sure as hell convinced now.” Dash takes a deep breath before sitting forward. “I mean, she… it…? What do you go by?” Dash asks my subconscious, making Umbra turn towards her with an irritated look.
How about your superior? That sounds splendid. Umbra’s aggressive comment only makes my friend grimace, seemingly seeking answers from me.
“Why does she have to be such a bitch?” I honestly have no answer for my friend. I could just tell her how my mind is broken or such, but that only partly explains why Umbra is so mean.
“You’re just preaching to the choir, Dashie.” I can’t help but laugh when I see Umbra’s reaction to my words, her stare telling me she wants to strangle me.
You’re more like me than you admit. It takes one to know one.
“Yeah, but she’s a good bitch!” Dash interjects in my defense. “She can be sassy and cocky, but at least she respects her friends.”
That is the difference between Adagio and I. I do not have friends. There’s no point. Umbra’s words make Dash and I go quiet, a deadly silence falling on the room. I can’t help but look at Rarity, noticing just how confused she is. Her eyes look between me and Dash, seemingly wanting some more context to this situation. However, Rarity doesn’t ask for it just yet. Twilight, on the other hand, seems fascinated, holding my gem together with her magic as she writes down notes.
“Is this a good time to ask what she looks like?” Twilight asks us, specifically looking at Dash for a description.
“Oh, I think you’ll get your description soon enough…” Dash shrugs her shoulders, sitting back in her seat. Dash’s words remind me that we decided we would drain some of Sunset’s magic today as well. The thought of having two friends see Umbra isn’t exactly appealing… Dash’s gaze is still glued to my subconscious, seemingly making Umbra more uncomfortable.
Didn’t your mother teach you to not stare? Or was she busy having heart attacks back then as well?
…
What the fuck did she just say? That is way too far.
“What did you just say about my mom?” Dash exclaims, instantly standing up from her seat. However, the drained magic takes a toll on her and makes Dash struggle to stay on her feet. Rarity waves her hand in the air, making blue diamonds encase Rainbow Dash’s legs.
“Rainbow Dash, please. Sit down. Trust me, this process is… rather draining.” Rarity tries to talk our friend into sitting back down on the hotel bed, but her eyes are trained directly onto Umbra.
If you wouldn’t stare like a mutt, then maybe I wouldn’t make such comments, Umbra snaps back, clearly stressed with the amount of attention.
“That’s enough. She is my friend and you will respect her,” I state in a loud tone, no longer caring how Twilight and Rarity will react. Umbra looks at me with disdain, seemingly hating the idea that I would give her an order. However, she holds her tongue for the moment. Dash is almost fuming at this point, but I nod to her. “I’m so sorry, Dash. Please don’t take that seriously. She’s just… uncomfortable being stared at. That doesn’t excuse what she said at all, but still.” I try my best to reassure her, to make Dash sit down. “You won’t see her anymore in just a second.”
After a minute of breath in and out, Dash finally listens to us, sitting back down next to Rarity. Her eyes look away from Umbra, telling me she’s empathetic for me from her eyes alone. Taking a deep breath, I hum a small note. The green magic lingering around Dash disappears within an instant, making her necklace’s glowing cease. I can tell that the gravity of the magic transfer has finally hit Dash as she gasps for air, her eyes wide. She tries her best to keep her eyes open as Rarity holds onto Dash.
“That’s it, Rainbow Dash. It’s a… difficult process,” Rarity mentions with a sympathetic tone. Finally, Twilight lets my gem break into pieces once more. Again, it seems like one of the pieces is missing, but that is because the magic is healing it. With a small nod, Rarity’s diamonds disappear.
“You have to tell me what she looked like. This is incredible! This means you two had a brief mental link to each other. This kind of stuff is purely theoretical at this point in time.” Twilight stops herself when she notices Dash shake her head. Rainbow Dash looks over to where Umbra is standing, but her gaze searches the area fruitlessly. At least she can’t see Umbra anymore… “Well, maybe that can wait… We should probably focus on getting you back to yourself,” Twilight tells Dash before grabbing her by the shoulder. Rarity makes more diamonds appear to help Twilight lay Dash down on the bed. I don’t exactly blame Dash for being more exhausted going through this procedure than everyone else. Her heart rate spiked with that comment Umbra made. It makes me feel even more anxious that I’m going to be draining some of Sunset’s magic after this…
“I will be with you and Sunset in an hour. For now, I have to make sure Dash is alright,” Twilight tells me with a small nod before checking Dash’s forehead for her temperature. By now, Rainbow Dash has fallen asleep already. Rarity stands up from her seat, looking towards me.
“How about we leave them to it? I think we would only be getting in the way after all.” Rarity offers for me to follow her. Standing up from my chair, I look to my side, no longer seeing Umbra. She left pretty quickly… I thought she would stick around for a bit longer. Maybe she got bored as usual.
Following Rarity out of the room, I close the door behind us. I can’t lie. A part of me really hopes that Dash or the others won’t see Umbra anymore. I guess I don’t have to worry, considering Rarity couldn’t see her. I’ve already taken a bit of the fashionista’s magic.
“Well, um… I hope you have a good rest of your day,” Rarity tells me quietly, an awkward expression on her face. As she turns to walk away, I can’t help but feel an urge to keep her from leaving.
“Rarity, wait,” I state with a pleading tone, making her stop in her tracks. Her head slowly turns to look at me once more. Despite the fact that she has a neutral emotion on her face, her eyes tell me just how nervous she is about this. “Could we talk?” Taking a deep breath, Rarity turns her body towards me, briefly brushing her hair away from her face.
“I… I apologize, but I don’t know if that would be for the best. I-”
“Please, Rarity… From a siren to a lady.” Looking into her eyes, I can’t help but remember the times she and I went to the spa together. Or those times where she asked for my opinion on a design. I remember every time she and I vented to each other about our fears for our relationships, her insecurities when it comes to the future with Applejack… I truly wish I didn’t ruin everything… That is what I want to fix.
“Alright. We can talk,” Rarity replies quietly. Her demeanor still seems rigid and frozen, but I’m glad she’s willing to listen.
“Rarity, I want you to know that I am still grateful for all you’ve done for me. You made me a new dress for my anniversary with Sunset… And you always lent an ear to my plights, even if you were busy.” Bringing my hand up to the scarf around my neck, I feel the fabric as I try to collect my thoughts. Even now, remnants of Sunset still calm me down, despite the fact that she wants nothing to do with me… “Rarity, I want you to understand that I always valued our friendship. I didn’t… I didn’t want to hurt you or the others.”
Rarity’s eyes break away from mine, a small breath escaping her lips. “The truth of the matter is that you did. The problem is that I could learn to forgive any lie told to me. But the fact is that you and your… other half. You two hurt Applejack.” I wish I could put the whole blame on Umbra. She is the one who caused it to happen… However, she’s a part of my mind. One I need to take responsibility for. To try and fix the mistakes that we have made.
“I’m sorry, Rarity… For all of it.” Taking a breath, I try to formulate the right words in my head, but that seems near impossible. What are the right words to say here? “I’m sorry for betraying your trust. And I am so sorry for hurting Applejack.” Making eye contact with her again, I try my best to seem as sincere as possible. “Applejack means a lot to me, just like you do. You all mean a lot to me. I didn’t want to hurt her. That is the last thing I wanted to do…” No matter what I say, it doesn’t change the fact that I did it. And that is what I need to own up to. “But I still did it and I am sorry… I just wanted you to know that I still care about you. And everyone else…” As the seconds pass, I can see Rarity think about my words. I can’t exactly blame her… It is one thing to apologize, but it is another to actually mean it.
“I would like to believe you,” Rarity whispers with a shake of her head. “It’s not exactly easy for your life to be turned into a madhouse. Conflicting emotions surround you around every step. You can see why I am hesitant, right?” she asks me, looking into my eyes for some kind of answer. Nodding my head, I reassure her that I understand. Of course I can see her point of view. I would probably feel the same way.
“I under-”
“Don’t interrupt, darling.” Rarity holds her hand out, stopping me from saying anything more. “However, with that little display in there, it does make me… a little more sympathetic.” Her eyes briefly look back to the door we just came from. “I remember those times as well. Your friendship meant a lot to me as well. I must admit that I was intrigued when Rainbow Dash’s opinion about you changed on a dime, but I suppose I can see why.” Rarity looks at me, seemingly intrigued. Her hand reaches outward, creating a diamond with two main sides. It floats an inch above her hand and she nods towards it. “Spin it,” she gestures to me, offering me the chance to touch the diamond.
Raising my eyebrow, I can’t help but feel confused by her offer. However, I reach my hand out, tapping the side with enough force to make it spin. Her eyes are glued to the spinning gem. At this point, the speed of the diamond is far faster than it should be. I didn’t hit it with enough force to make it spin this much. After a few seconds of this gem spinning faster enough to make a particle accelerator feel jealous, the diamond finally stops, turning to a gold color. What exactly is Rarity doing?
A small smile spreads across her lips as she looks down at the gem. Before I can do anything, Rarity makes the diamond disappear, locking her eyes with mine once more.
“Alright, Adagio. I appreciate your apology and I will consider it heavily. However, for us to be friends again and for me to help you any further with this Umbra situation, I expect an apology given to Applejack by tonight.” Rarity offers me her hand, her smile grows a little bigger. Taking her hand in my own, I can’t really bring myself to believe that she’s actually considering my apology this quickly.
“Why tonight?” I ask her quietly. “I could apologize to her as soon as I am done with Sunset in the next two hours.”
“I think you’ll be pretty busy for the rest of the day,” Rarity mentions with an apprehensive smile, shaking her head. As confusing as her statement is, I try to pull away my hand, but Rarity doesn’t let go. Instead, she pulls me closer, bringing her lips close to my ear. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but considering your apology, I think you should know. Sunset is going to dinner with a previous… friend.” Bringing my head away, I can’t quite believe what I just heard. What friend does Sunset have in Las Vegas? And… why would she be going to dinner with them? Why not just hang out with them?
“Who is she going out with?” I can barely ask, not sure if I want to know the answer. Rarity gives me a cautious look, telling me to not do anything drastic with her eyes alone. Her hand holds onto me tighter, as if she is trying to avoid me doing something like what I almost did to that man…
“Flash Sentry.”
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The sound of the door opening fills my ears. Twilight walks into my hotel room with a smile, waving to me. Slowly, Sunset follows our friend inside, not even giving me a greeting smile. I can’t blame her… Twilight closes the door to my room, making sure to lock it behind her. I can tell Sunset is anxious to get this done already from the way she sits down.
“Sorry for the wait,” Twilight tells me with an apologetic tone. “I was still monitoring Rainbow Dash until about five minutes ago. Just wanted to make sure she was alright after our little scare.” Looking towards Sunset, I can’t see any indicators of surprise coming from her.
“I suppose you told Sunset about-”
“I know,” Sunset interrupts me without looking at me, simply leaning her chin onto her palm. Her eyes look towards the wall with a blank stare, making her seem bored out of her mind.
Does she really have to ignore you so much? An all too familiar voice echoes in my mind, only being heard by myself. I can tell she’s standing beside me from my peripheral vision. As much as it hurts to be ignored by Sunset, I can understand why she does it. However, my heart aches and begs for her gaze. Just a moment of her attention… I guess her disappointed gaze is worse than her pretending I don’t exist…
Twilight sits down on the second chair, leaving Sunset alone on the bed. It’s a similar situation as what happened before with Rainbow Dash and Rarity. However, Sunset’s cold demeanor makes it all the more… unbearable.
“So, with all the risks in mind, do we still want to go forward with this?” Twilight asks Sunset, pressing her glasses back up her nose. Sunset turns her gaze to me for a moment, looking at me without any emotion. After a few seconds, Sunset simply nods her head. Her necklace hangs around her neck. Besides the few times she has used it to tell if Umbra was in control, she hasn’t utilized her magic that much this trip. “Great. Then let’s make this as painless and fast as possible.” Twilight pours out the content of the glass container, using her magic to piece my red gem back together.
As soon as the last piece is in place, I can feel that same surge of magic ripple throughout my body, being the most powerful in my spine. It was almost overwhelming the first time I had felt this again, but now? I’m starting to handle it… The green mist surrounds me. Umbra reaches out to touch it, almost… smiling. Taking a deep breath, I let out a low hum. In no time at all, the magic reacts, touching Sunset’s necklace. I can’t help but wish that maybe Sunset will experience something different than what Rainbow Dash went through. I don’t want her to see Umbra, but there’s not much I can do.
“Adagio,” Sunset asks for my attention, making me look up from her necklace. “Don’t hide her. I want to see her.” I wish I could hide her like she thinks. I’ve wanted to control her appearances ever since the start, but I don’t have that ability. Only Umbra decides when she appears. Sunset opens her eyes, immediately noticing the figure standing next to me. Her eyes widen considerably, but she maintains her composure. Umbra locks eyes with my ex.
I’m assuming that she can hear me now, considering she’s looking directly at me? Umbra asks me with an inquisitive tone. Her words seem to catch Sunset’s attention, confirming our suspicion. Sunset’s eyes look up and down along Umbra’s frame, but this time, my subconscious doesn’t get angry. I guess she’s already braced herself for the attention. I can already notice Twilight is looking at Sunset with a great deal of interest, intrigued by this phenomenon.
“Hello,” Sunset says quietly, her attention fully fixed on the siren beside me. Umbra simply chuckles.
Hello yourself, Shimmer… Sunset’s eyes look back and forth between me and her for a few moments.
“You’re different than I thought you would be,” Sunset mentions with a neutral, but polite tone. “I thought you would be wearing the outfit from the Battle of the Bands.” It’s kind of ironic that I saw Umbra wearing that exact outfit in my mind. However, she appears now in a crimson red dress with a crown.
Just shows how little you know me. Umbra’s attempt to taunt Sunset seems to have little effect on her. Umbra’s smile dims, seemingly unhappy about this.
“I won’t disagree with you on that.” Sunset takes a moment to collect her thoughts, never breaking her gaze from Umbra. The two of them stare at each other, a tense atmosphere resulting from it. Twilight looks confused from only getting half of the conversation. “Let me make this clear,” Sunset states, getting the attention of my other half. “I will not call you the name my friends gave you. I understand why they created it. They wanted to differentiate the two of you. However, your name is not Umbra. You’re not some ghost in her mind. You’re one half of the same mind.” Sunset’s eyes narrow, her resolve seemingly stronger. “Your name is Adagio.”
Umbra’s expression changes from solemn to surprised. In a way, she almost seems… glad…
Thank you, Shimmer. For the first time, she shows sincere gratitude to Sunset of all people, the person she seemed to hate the most. I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth. To think I would thank the person who caused this. Umbra brings her hand to her forehead, shaking her head with disbelief. Sunset watches her closely… As much as I want to say something, this is a conversation between the two of them. This is something Sunset wants.
“You hate me,” Sunset observes. “I just fail to understand why.”
Why? she asks Sunset in disbelief. Shimmer, you have no idea what I’ve been through. Because of you, my mind was torn in half with this freak. Her hand motions to me, making me raise my eyebrow. Is it really a surprise I hate you?
“I didn’t mean for our magic to have this effect on you,” Sunset responds with a quiet tone, nodding her head to Umbra’s words. “For that, I am sorry, Adagio.” Sunset’s apology makes Umbra’s face contort with anger, but her mouth remains shut. Sunset waits patiently for a response, which seems to make her even angrier.
You’re sorry? Umbra’s question is filled with sarcasm and disbelief. We used to be ONE person, but because of YOUR magic, you sent us into a hell we haven’t been able to fix. I come to find out my “other half” is redeeming herself and falling in love with the very person who got us in this mess to begin with. A thousand apologies can’t fix that. Umbra clenches her fist as the colors around me drain. It almost feels like the world itself is shaking from Umbra’s anger alone. From Sunset’s eyes glancing around us, I can tell I’m not the only one who is experiencing this. I tried to fix things. When I saw the perverted course this other me took, I tried to get us back on track. Get us back to the way of life that I knew, but I’m the bad guy? I’m in the wrong for wanting to fix what is fucking broken?
Umbra’s words lash out in anger, but Sunset doesn’t seem to be hurt by them at all. If anything, she seems… remorseful. Umbra opens her mouth to spew more venom, but Sunset holds up her hand, stopping her.
“You’re not wrong.” Sunset speaks with a level of compassion, making both Umbra and me confused. “Anyone else would react the same way. You’ve only known a strict way of life and you tried to fix it when your mind was broken. I would probably do the same thing too if I was you, Adagio.” For the first time in nearly a week, Sunset looks at me with a sympathetic tone in her eyes. However, it doesn’t last long, her eyes diverting back to Umbra “While I feel sorry for you and I hope we can fix your mind, I don’t forgive you.”
Ha! I’m not the one looking for forgiveness, Shimmer. Umbra laughs at Sunset’s statement, shaking her head. That would be my “consciousness” here. That and I still don’t believe this life you lead is best for me.
“You’re entitled to that opinion.” Unlike Rainbow Dash earlier in the day, Sunset offers her hand to my subconscious. Her gracious gesture and her respect seemingly make Umbra look the most surprised she has all day. “There’s nothing I can say to convince you, so I won’t waste my breath. However, it was nice to finally talk to you. Even if it only confirmed my fears.” Umbra hesitantly looks at Sunset’s hand before taking her gesture. The two of them can’t actually touch each other, but they both pretend the contact is real. “I hope your mind can be fixed.”
And I hope- Umbra stops herself mid sentence, adjusting her snarky tone to something more appropriate. Whatever you say, Shimmer. Umbra looks away from Sunset, unable to come up with the right words. Honestly, I’m surprised how this turned out. I was worried this would be a lot worse. Tell me something. Why in the world are you trying to understand me right now? I hate you and you’re trying to validate my viewpoints out of everything.
“Because you aren’t the bad guy in all this.” For a brief moment, Sunset gives Umbra a small smile. It’s a small token of appreciation, but it is one I’ve been craving for a while now… “Both of you lied to me over and over again, but when it comes to your mind being broken, you’re not wrong for wanting to fix it. I don’t hate you. I may not be comfortable with you, but everyone deserves to be happy. Even you.”
I…
She… just said we can be happy?
Happiness is a weakness, but… I appreciate the words. Sunset’s eyes finally look back towards me, nodding for me to stop this. Twilight can’t stop this process or she would risk something going wrong. Only I can end it…
With another hum, the green mist disappears. Sunset’s necklace stops glowing, making her eyes widen. Sunset weakly lets her arm back down, feeling the drain all at once.
“I have… so many questions,” Twilight finally speaks up, but her tone sounds like she is holding back. “That can wait though… Try to rest, okay? I will get you some water.” Twilight lets go of my gem, letting the pieces rest on the table. She stands up, patting Sunset’s shoulder. “I’m sure that was exhausting. Good job.” Twilight opens her mouth to say something else, but it seems the words escape her. Giving me a small smile, Twilight walks towards the door. Umbra simply looks at Sunset while leaning over to me.
That was… exhausting. God, why does she have to be so… so…
“Confusing?” I whisper in response. Sunset opens her eyes to my words.
Exactly.
“Yeah, it was,” Sunset responds to me, unaware I wasn’t talking to her. Sunset stretches her shoulders, looking away from me. A silence follows her words, one that even Umbra doesn’t dare interrupt. Actually, her presence as a whole seems to be missing… Why do you always disappear at these moments? Do you want to leave me alone during awkward situations? Can’t believe I am wanting her presence…
“Did it… hurt?” I slowly ask her, hoping the process didn’t harm her.
“Physically? No,” Sunset responds calmly. “Mentally, it was like a blast from the past. My magic saw your subconscious’ memories and all of them are associated with the Battle of the Bands. It seems your mind never had a chance to fully adapt to the present.” Sunset brings her hand up to her necklace, trying to make her statement more understandable. Out of everyone, her magic is the most confusing, yet… fascinating.
“Isn’t that what you said you were afraid of? Being able to read the memories of others without even touching them?” I remember the times she vented to me about her magic, especially back in the music studio. She was afraid of letting it get out of control. However, I pushed her to try and master it. Who else knows more about the magic in this world than her?
“Yeah, I was afraid of it, but I’m giving it another chance.” Making eye contact with me, a nostalgic feeling is shared between both of us. At least, I think she feels it too… “Someone wise told me that if there was anyone who has a chance of understanding the magic in this world, it is me.” Sunset doesn’t break our eye contact as she recites the words I told her. That strange silence accompanies us once more, but now it feels… less awkward. There’s still a clear tension between us, but Sunset doesn’t seem angry anymore.
A part of me can’t help but wonder if that is due to her dinner with Flash later today…
“Rarity told me you’re going to dinner with an old friend,” I try to mention casually. The words almost burn my tongue on the way out… Friend. Sure, they were friends at one point. I probably wouldn’t have been jealous under different circumstances. Here she is, going to dinner to catch up with her ex as if it is just two friends talking. Conveniently right after she called it off with me… She could have met with him before I gave in to the urge to take Sonata’s number by force.
“Yeah, I am. Do you remember Flash Sentry?” Sunset asks me with no hesitation. In a way, she almost seems… happy. “I used to date him, but I was kind of using him for popularity back then,” she explains with a slightly embarrassed look. “But he and I remained friends before he moved here after he graduated from Canterlot High. It’s been a while since we’ve talked.” She talks about her relationship with him with a sense of nostalgic pride, looking forward to her time with him. If… If things were different, I would be happy for her. I would be encouraging her to meet with her friend, but now? I just feel a deep ache in my heart… Just when I thought my heart was getting numb…
“Don’t you think that may be… risky? Meeting with him?” Words come out of my mouth before I can stop them. I feel embarrassed by it, but honestly? A part of me feels angry… Sad. Numb? God, I don’t know what I feel anymore. I just want answers. Does this mean I… really want us back?
“Why?” Sunset asks me blankly, raising her eyebrow. “We’re not together anymore, Adagio. Besides, I’ve never been his type and vice versa. We’re just friends.” Like a knife, my heart feels like it is ripped in half. It… It hurts so much… No matter how many times she says it, the pain doesn’t lessen.
“I know… But I still care about you,” I mention quietly. I don’t have the strength to keep looking at her… My eyes drift downward. Even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to reconnect our gaze.
“I won’t be hurt, Adagio. I’ll be fine,” Sunset tries to reassure me. Although, her tone clearly tells me she’s not exactly happy with this conversation. Sunset stands up slowly, making sure she’s able to walk first. She looks down at me one more time before walking towards the door. The room’s door isn’t exactly quiet as it closes behind. However, the loneliness left inside here is as quiet as death itself…
A tear slides down my cheek, but not a single sound escapes my lips. I can’t even feel the seat I’m sitting in. It just… hurts…
Why does it hurt so much? I’m supposed to be a siren, yet… She’s the one who can hurt me the most…
“But I still… love you…”
============================================================
Why am I doing this?
Why am I doing this?
This is stupid…
Then why am I doing it?
Without fail, my screwdriver unfastens the vent cover, screw by screw. It’s so stupid. Alas, here I am, trying to take this cover off while keeping my balance. Twilight’s arms have a horrible habit of swinging me side to side just when I need her to stay still. Although, I can’t exactly blame her. It is a dark alleyway after all.
“Adagio? Why are we doing this?” Twilight asks me through a strained breath, focusing on keeping me above her head.
“I’m asking myself the same thing,” I respond under my breath, ashamed I haven’t stopped this five seconds ago.
“I get that you want to make sure Sunset is alright, but couldn’t we have gone in through the front door?” In most scenarios, Twilight’s question would be seen as the best way to go about this. However, this situation is not most scenarios.
“This restaurant is for reservations only. They wouldn’t let us in even if we asked nicely.” My hand doesn’t fail to take out one more screw, making the cover looser by the second.
“Then we could use your magic. I could put your gem back together and it would be easy to get in,” Twilight offers with a strained voice.
That would be helpful.
“The last time I used my magic, I lost my engagement to the only woman I have ever loved.” My eyes focus on the vent cover, trying to ignore the deeply personal words I just muttered. I wouldn’t have said that in normal circumstances, but… I need to do this. “This is the most logical option here.”
More logical than using your magic?
“Adagio, you’re wanting us to sneak inside a restaurant through their vent system. Aside from breaking a few laws, I’m pretty sure this is not the most logical way to go about this.” Twilight is right, of course. Out of everyone in our merry little band of assholes, she is the most reasonable one, but here I am, dedicated to this delusion. I even dressed up in one of Rarity’s spare dresses for the occasion. Out of Rarity’s twenty dresses, it wasn’t exactly hard to find one that would be inconspicuous. She even had a matching hat that can cover up the top half of my face at the right angles.
“I only needed help to get to this vent. You can leave after this if you want,” I remind Twilight, trying to reassure her she won’t need to come with me. I know what I’m doing isn’t logical. I know it’s wrong in some ways and I know I should probably go home, but… I can’t. God, I can’t. My heart dies by the minute and I just want to make sure she’s alrigh-
You’re turning the screwdriver the wrong way. Opening my eyes, I notice I’ve been tightening this screw for the past minute. The most logical option in my eyes is to go take a nap, but I have a feeling you won’t listen to that. So, how about we make our entry easier instead of harder? She reaches out and gestures for me to turn the screwdriver the right way.
“We shouldn’t, but… how can I help?” Twilight asks me reluctantly, wanting to assist me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, trying to show my gratitude to both my friend and my subconscious. “I was thinking you could pretend to be an employee. Then you could lead me to a table and cover for us.”
So, breaking and entering, property damage, possibly theft of a uniform, and now we’re falsely impersonating people we are not. Any more charges we want to add? I love it~ Umbra almost laughs at how mischievous this plan is, but that wasn’t my intention from the start. It’s a stupid plan and I admit that. I just need to do this… How about battery? We could add that to the list! Oh, wait. We came close to killing someone last time… We can still threaten a police officer though. I try my best to ignore the suggestions Umbra throws out there. However, some of them are funny…
“Okay. But we never tell anyone else about this. Not for a while at least…” Twilight looks up at me to see if I am close to removing the vent cover, trying to avoid looking up my dress. Finally taking the cover off the vent, I take a deep breath before pulling myself up, trying my best to avoid getting the dress dirty.
“I’ll unlock the back door. Wait here.”
==========================================================
“Here is your table, ma’am,” Twilight tells me in a professional tone, trying her best to pretend she doesn’t know me. I have to admit that she looks exactly like any other staff member in this fancy restaurant. Given, I had to go through a lot to get her in here. I had to hide inside a box at one point… The suit she is wearing isn’t even hers, but we will make sure to leave it here once we leave. Now, Twilight’s job is to keep our covers and turn others away if they ask any questions about my presence. Specifically, she will try to pretend I have a reservation. She definitely has the harder job here…
Sitting down at the table, I look around the restaurant, noticing just how nice the restaurant is designed. On the other side of this massive room, Sunset sits at a table for two, wearing a red dress. She looks… stunning…
“I will come check up on you in a bit,” Twilight whispers to warn me not to let go of the act that I’m simply another customer. I nod to her, letting her know it is alright to go.
It seems Flash hasn’t arrived yet… Although, Sunset is here, looking at the menu. I would usually be lovestruck by seeing her right now, but I know she’s not here for me…
Well, you made sure she’s alright. Although, I think we both know that isn’t your real mission here. Sitting across from me, Umbra looks over at Sunset, chuckling to herself. You’re jealous that you're not the one sitting over there.
“For all I know, Flash could flirt with her. She said she just wanted to meet a friend, so that wouldn’t be a welcome advance.” Even to me, my excuse sounds hollow.
I think Sunset is able to handle herself. She doesn’t need “protection”. Before I can respond, I can’t help but notice that man walk over to her. He’s dressed in a wrinkled dress shirt and jeans. That smile of his looks so smug… There’s the man himself. God, is he always so annoying?
“Tell me about it…” I can notice Flash greets Sunset. They both laugh as he sits down. It doesn’t take long for a waiter to come towards them.
What are they saying? Looking towards Umbra, I can’t help but raise my eyebrow, wondering what she means.
“How should I know?”
Oh, come on. Twilight literally told you that your senses are heightened compared to others. You’re a siren. That’s why you can’t stand some strong perfumes.
“Heightened senses. Yeah, but just barely. I’m not some mutant. I can just experience a little more than others. Such as a better sense of smell, taste-”
And hearing. How else would you be so great with music? Just try it. Umbra nods her head towards Sunset and Flash, making me wonder just how dense she is. However, there aren’t too many people between our tables… Maybe…
“And she will have a… vanilla cake? That was your favorite, right?” It strains my ears, but I can just barely hear him from here. Sunset simply nods to his words, despite the fact that his choice is NOT her favorite at all.
Huh. Isn’t her favorite chocolate cake?
“Yes,” I quietly respond, feeling my blood boil. First, he comes to his date with an uninspiring attire, then he gets her favorite dessert wrong? Clearly, he didn’t put much effort into this…
Why are they having dessert first? Looking towards her, I can’t help but wonder what is going on inside her head.
“Let me ask you this. Why are you even here? Don’t you hate Sunset?”
Yes, but we can’t just let her do this without some supervision. Like you said, she might be hurt. Her eyes turn away from me to look at Sunset, almost conflicted. Besides, she’s not the… worst… I can’t really believe what she’s saying…
“You’re the same person who wanted her to go jump off a cliff a few weeks ago. You kept telling me that she was making me weak. You are also the same person who-”
Are we going to fix his mistake or not? We have a golden opportunity to help Sunset get the cake she wants.
I… I can’t believe she is actively trying to help me here. Especially when it comes to Sunset. Is this because I absorbed a lot of magic today…? Is that why she’s kind of more… compassionate?
Looking behind me, I try to get Twilight’s attention. It only takes her a second to walk over to me.
“Are you ready to order, ma’am?” she asks me in a louder tone before leaning in. “What’s going on, Adagio?” Nodding towards Sunset, I point her attention in that direction.
“Flash just ordered a vanilla cake for Sunset. Pretty careless on his part… Anyway, could you switch it out with a chocolate cake? Without actually being the one to give it to them, of course.” Twilight turns her attention back to me, a little hesitant.
“I’m sure he just forgot. Flash isn’t a bad guy like that, but sure. I can do that.”
Not a bad guy… Sure. I’ll keep that in mind.
“Thank you, Twi,” I whisper, keeping my eyes on Flash and Sunset.
=============================================================
Sunset happily laughs at one of Flash’s jokes once again. Despite Umbra’s repeated suggestions to go over there and humiliate Flash, I know that isn’t the mature thing to do. Though I would be lying if I said the thought isn’t appealing to me. Their dinner is almost over, so the idea of going over there and pointing out every one of Flash’s flaws is so tempting. However, Sunset seems to be having fun here. Every second of it, she has enjoyed. And my heart has hated every second…
Taking a sip of my glass, I can’t help but sigh. At least their whiskey isn’t that bad. However, it isn’t my favorite brand. I guess I shouldn’t have expected a restaurant like this to have a large selection of whiskey. Wine is plentiful, but other alcoholic beverages? Not so much.
What am I even doing here? Other than fixing her cake, she seems relatively happy without my influence.
Why does she have to be so happy here?
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” Taking another sip, I can’t help but feel my heart get heavy.
Eh… Umbra shrugs her shoulders, trying to tell me it doesn’t hurt for her. I have no idea if she is lying about that or not. I honestly don’t care right now. I just can’t get Sunset’s smile off of my mind. Throughout this whole dinner, I have barely been able to hear them, but I could see her smile as clearly as the day.
Sunset and Flash stand up from their seats, giving each other a hug. The simple act alone makes me want to break the glass in my hand. Flash says something about wanting to catch up again soon. As much as I want to hate him, it’s clear that this wasn’t a date for either of them… I wanted to convince myself of that so much, but they are just two friends spending some time together. All the while, I forced myself to watch… This was a huge mistake on my part…
Flash walks away from the table, giving Sunset one last wave. She reciprocates the gesture without moving from her spot. Instead, she stands there for a moment, smiling to herself. As the seconds pass, I keep watching her, wondering when she will leave. She should be going back to the hotel now, right? Sunset takes out her phone, typing something in before slipping it back into her purse. Due to how it only took a few seconds, she was probably texting someone.
Sunset turns her body in my direction, making me turn my gaze away. My hat should block my face from view… Why is she walking in this direction? The exit isn’t over here… Did she see me? No… I was careful. The restroom is in this direction. That’s probably why.
As I take a sip of my glass, I can see orange legs stop at my table, a red dress complimenting her figure. After a second, she sits down on the opposite side of my table, finally making me look up. Umbra has disappeared at this point. Instead, the person looking back at me is the one I’ve been spying on all night. Her beautiful cyan eyes look into my own, a mixture of emotions staring into my soul. A part of me questions how she noticed, but… I guess I shouldn’t question her natural observation skills.
“We should go,” she tells me simply without much emotion in her voice. She lays down a few bills, paying for my drink. “I already texted Twilight that she can leave. However, I’m guessing it will take her a bit longer since she had to borrow a suit.” So that’s who she texted… “Thank you for not interrupting. It was nice to catch up with him without drama.” Sunset’s hand briefly touches my shoulder, prompting me to stand up from my seat. In a way, I’m still kind of ashamed that I came here in the first place, but… it did help reassure me that Flash wasn’t going to try anything.
“You deserved a good time.” Even though I wanted to, I wouldn’t interrupt something like that…
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An interesting chapter than went in a way i didn’t think it would. Well worth the wait, kudos.
It also helps knowing one apart from the other.
Wait, did Dash hear Umbra!!!
Ngl, I'd like to see fan art of that.
diamonds to encase*
Prior to this chapter I saw Umbra in the outfit Adagio wore for much of RR.
I remember reading a fimfiction story on that topic. As good as if us, it does have some dark and sad moments in it.
Why am I not surprised Rarity brought that many.
I got a bad feeling about this!!
At least she admits it.
Should've have done it!
11773767
Well, I'd love to see any fanart of my series, but that's neither here nor there.
Ngl, I would love to see fanart of that as well~