• Published 30th Nov 2022
  • 880 Views, 178 Comments

A Dazzling Trio - Spyder27



Now that Adagio is engaged to the love of her life, she only has one more thing she wants to do before they make it official. She wants to find the other sirens she lost years ago and try to make things right. Will she be able to?

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A Silly Day

Chapter VI: A Silly Day

Walking out of the music studio, I reach inside my bag and pull out an alligator-themed hoodie. It was one of the presents that Sunset gave me for our first anniversary and I haven’t had a lot of chances to wear it. In fact, I’m also wearing the purple boots she gave me for that anniversary. I didn’t mean for that coincidence to happen, but it’s fun nonetheless. My outfit surely looks weird to the other people on the sidewalk. I’m wearing an alligator hoodie, stylish purple boots and a soft scarf, despite the fact that it’s summer. I don’t particularly care what other people think though… Pinkie Pie asked me to wear something that’s brighter and more fun than my usual black leather coat. Again, that was another present from Sunset.

Even though I haven’t spent as much time with Pinkie as compared to everyone else, I still consider her a friend. She and I have hung out on a couple of occasions, but I do wish I could spend more time with her. She’s genuinely fun to be around, despite the randomness she embodies. There was one time I helped her bake a cake. Though, help is a strong word. All I did was ask questions on what we should do next. She is the master of parties and sweets, so I don’t really question her when she tells me to do something differently. Regardless, it’s always interesting to spend time with her, hearing her opinions on life.

Most of the time, her opinions are strictly regulated towards fun things. Not the serious parts about life. I don’t know what she thinks about politics or topics such as death. She usually just talks about balloons or parties. Sometimes, I wonder what she really thinks about life behind the mask of smiles and jokes. Is it even a mask? Or is that her actual personality?

Shaking my head, I quickly walk down the sidewalk, rehearsing the way to Sugarcube Corner in my mind. That’s where Pinkie wanted to meet me. I have only been there a couple of times before. The first time I went there, I found out it was run by Mr. and Mrs. Cake and thankfully, Mr. Cake let me call Pinkie on his phone. That didn’t turn out for the best, but still. The treats offered at the shop are pretty nice overall. I even went there with Sunset a few months ago just to have a fun little date. Although, I still sometimes wonder why Pinkie works at Sugarcube Corner if she manages her own party planning business. She works two jobs, both of which she’s incredibly good at.

Turning the corner, I see the brightly decorated storefront that represents Sugarcube Corner. Remembering the first time I went there almost makes me stop in my tracks. Of course, my relationship with Pinkie has improved a lot since then, but those memories still make me… anxious. I’m just glad that Pinkie sees me in a better light now.

Making my way inside the bakery, the scents of sugary treats instantly hits me, being more overwhelming than the sounds of the patrons. It almost smells too sweet in a sense… I’ve always had a sensitive sense of smell… I hate strong smelling perfumes, foods or even people. Maybe that’s why I love Sunset so much. She smells so… nice. Gentle. Subtle. Damn it. Everything reminds me of her. No matter what it is, I can’t help but think of Sunset and her kind eyes. Even if the only reason I’m here is to meet Pinkie, I still think of her. I suppose that happens when you love someone with all your heart.

When you’re engaged to them…

Walking up to the counter, I only have to wait a couple seconds before one of the waitresses walks to the end I’m standing at, giving me a smile. “Hello, Miss~ How may I help you?” she asks me in the socially acceptable kind tone, yet still feeling hollow.

“I’m waiting for one of your coworkers to get off the clock. Her name is-” before I can finish my statement, a pink blur causes all the loose paper around me to fly around, making the waitress jump slightly.

“Hi, Adagio!” Pinkie Pie exclaims before reaching over the counter, hugging me as quickly as she can. The hat and apron that Pinkie Pie has on reflect the colors of Sugarcube Corner with a couple of additional stains on it. Presumably, they were made by some sweets that Pinkie probably manhandled. Regardless, I make sure to keep myself and my clothes away from the stains as much as possible just in case they were made today. “I’m just clocking out now! Nice hoodie, by the way! I love the alligator print! Also, hold on.” Taking off her hat and apron, Pinkie Pie hands them over to the other waitress with a happy nod. “Do you mind taking these to the back? I’ll owe ya one~” Without much protest, her coworker just nods, quickly retreating to the back of the store.

With one quick motion, Pinkie Pie slides over the counter, hugging me again with a happy smile on her face. I can’t quite complain about her hugs. At least they’re not as tight as Apple Bloom’s. Maybe I’m saying that simply because I’m used to being crushed to death by the teenager… I shouldn’t be used to that. “Are you alway this silly? I mean, this is your place of work, yet you carelessly slide over the counter,” I tell her with a slight roll of my eyes, finding her action humorous. Pinkie, however, looks confused about my statement.

“What do you mean? I think it’s always nice to be a little silly~ Unless the situation forbids it.” Pinkie Pie simply smiles before grabbing my hand and happily walking towards the door. “I mean, being silly makes life so much better! Don’t you think?” Her statement makes me feel a little weird. What qualifies as being silly? And honestly, it’s surprising to hear that she knows some situations call for her silliness to be dialed down. I kind of thought she was oblivious to that.

“I suppose so. What would qualify as a situation where you can’t be silly?” I ask her quietly as she walks us through the exit, the sun hitting my skin once more. Again, the sound of cars reminds me just how busy this time of day is. I just got off work and now I’m going to go track down another member of Canterlot High with Pinkie Pie. Let’s just hope that we don’t get in any trouble on the way. I would prefer to be inside during this time of day, but it can’t be helped.

“Well, when someone’s sad, they don’t usually like random events. So, I tone it down. I try to tell some small jokes, but the best thing you can do when someone is in a bad place is be there for them.” Pinkie Pie nods slowly, but her smile doesn’t disappear from her face. “Whether it’s just listening to them or letting them cry on your shoulder. People need people. That’s life in a nutshell, really~” Pinkie gives me a smile as we walk down the sidewalk, seemingly not noticing just how wise her statement sounds. Especially coming from her of all people.

“Does that include all situations?” I ask her with a raised eyebrow, finding her statement sort of… questionable. As wise as it sounds, it does raise a few questions. One question that persistently picks at my mind is the reason why I feel comfortable alone. Especially when something drastic happens. My mind likes to corner itself off to think about what’s happened rather than to open up to others. In that case, does Pinkie’s logic still apply? If so, how?

“Not necessarily. Some people don’t need someone else in any circumstance. Some people would rather be alone when they’re sad,” Pinkie Pie tells me with a slight shrug, starting to walk backwards to keep eye contact with me. “You just have to know the individual. I mean, I don’t want anyone as a romantic life partner. I see all my friends as life partners and friends to the end~” Just as casually as she said this statement, Pinkie Pie ducks her head as soon as a low hanging sign comes up. Honestly, it makes me wonder just how much she knows about this city. I mean, we are pretty close to Sugarcube Corner, so I guess it makes sense that she would know the layout.

“You don’t have any romantic feelings at all?” I don’t know why her statement makes me feel confused. At one point, I was the exact same as her. I had no desire to form bonds much past friendship. My only real desire was my lust for power. I was in the same boat. The only one who I finally had feelings for was Sunset. Maybe my confusion is because it seems like everyone in this world props up love to be the best thing ever. It’s the number one thing many people strive for. It’s almost overrated. Almost… Sunset is the love of my life and if it wasn’t for my feelings for her, I would say it is overrated.

“Nope. I tried dating before, but… It’s just not for me. I love everyone. All my friends, acquaintances and family. It’s hard for me to not befriend someone and I don’t get the whole idea of loving one person above all else.” Once more, Pinkie shrugs her shoulders and gives me a small giggle. In one swift motion, Pinkie Pie pulls out a piece of gum from her pocket and throws it into her mouth before offering me one. All it takes is a small shake of my head for her to place the wrapped piece back in her pocket. “But I do see why others love people in that way~ I mean, take Rarity for example! Rarity is uptight, wound up by stress all the time, and a drama queen! But she craves having someone to be her anchor and give her affection when she needs it.”

Pinkie Pie motions her arms as if she’s hugging someone, despite the fact that no one is there besides thin air. Even though Pinkie Pie often makes fun of their displays of affection, her gestures seem surprisingly accurate and understanding. Her fingers gently stroke the air as if she was petting someone’s hair, a look of empathy in her eyes. Deep down, Pinkie does understand the desire to want someone else. The urge to be intimate with someone else, but she doesn’t want that for herself. Understanding and wanting are two different things.

“Now take Applejack,” Pinkie Pie talks once again, breaking the moment of silence as we walk. “Applejack was raised in a family dynamic that strives for love and compassion above all else, right? Even though she does enjoy profits and such, she wouldn’t push Rarity to keep stressing herself out just to finish a job. She would drop everything just to make sure she’s alright. That kind of relationship sounds nice and it benefits them.” Pinkie Pie giggles again, pulling a cowboy hat out of her hair to mimic her friend. I still can’t fathom how she does that, but she’s able to somehow. I learned to quit questioning it. “Sometimes, the best thing you can do to help someone is stop being silly and get them in touch with the ones they love the most. For Rarity, that’s Applejack and her sister. For me? I love all my friends. Even you. Not a singular person.”

Taking a deep breath, I can’t help but admire the amount of work Pinkie put into explaining her feelings to me. She goes to extraordinary lengths to make people laugh, but I didn’t realize how much thought she puts into other emotions like sadness. “That is understandable. Though, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you explain it in such detail? It sounded like you were trying to sell an idea,” I tell her with a slight chuckle, shaking my head. Pinkie doesn’t need to talk to me like that since I’m her friend. A simple few words can do.

“Oh? Well, um…” For the first time in a long time, I see a nervous look dawn on Pinkie Pie’s face, her eyes averting from my own in favor of looking at the ground. What about my question made her nervous? Did I insult her? The possibility of my curiosity upsetting Pinkie was not something I had thought of before I opened my mouth… “See, a lot of people say that I’m tone deaf. They think that I can’t tell when someone is sad or angry and accuse me of being stupid in that way. But I do see those things. It’s just that my plans to resolve them sometimes don't go the right way.” For a slight moment, I can almost swear that Pinkie’s curly hair shrinks and straightens, but as soon as I blink, it’s back to normal. “I am trying. I try to do my best with tense moments. It just sucks when people say that you’re less than them because you try to be happy as much as possible.”

“Pinkie, you’re not less than others. Don’t think that,” I quickly tell my friend in an attempt to reassure her, finding the fact that those words instinctually came out of my mouth surprising. Honestly, her statement instantly makes me feel… guilty. I kind of see her like that as well. In difficult situations, I’m usually the first to want her out of the room, worrying she will try to throw a party. Is that an assumption on my part due to her personality? I never really took the time to think that maybe Pinkie might realize it’s a difficult situation as well. Hell, maybe her solutions would be better than my own.

“Don’t worry! I don’t think I’m stupid or anything. I just try to prove that I can read emotions as well, despite my bubbly personality.” A thumbs up. That’s all Pinkie Pie gives me after her spoken words. Even though she’s walking backwards, her eye contact never wavers from mine. A sense of understanding is in her gaze and she smiles at me before once again pulling out a piece of gum. Offering it to me again, she simply throws it into her mouth after I shake my head once more. “But I guess my viewpoint on happiness and love is weird, huh? What about you? How do you see happiness, Adagio?” Pinkie asks me with an eager look in her eyes, seemingly curious to hear my opinion.

My view on happiness… Huh. That is one question I was not prepared to hear today. I’m usually not prepared for that type of question. When people ask me things like that, I can’t help but freeze. I can excuse it as being taken aback, but my real answer is that I don’t know. Being asked something like that in the moment makes me forget how I would define happiness or life’s goals. If I remember correctly, Fancy Pants asked me some pretty personal questions when he interviewed me as well.

“I guess I would define it as… a symphony.” Taking a deep breath, I can’t help but shake my head. “Defining it as a melody happens all the time, but that is pretty basic. A melody implies a harmonious tone, despite what makes it. It doesn’t even require much of a source. A single instrument can make a melody. A symphony implies that a lot of work goes into the music from many different people. Happiness and life are like that. It takes a lot of work to make it beautiful.” Looking up at the sky, I can’t help but hear the mass sounds of violins and horns that accompany a stunning performance. The music of life itself. “All it takes is a single note to disappear for the whole experience to change. Emotions. Life. It’s like that. So simple, yet complicated to actually pull off in a reassuring way.” When I finally look back at Pinkie Pie, I see that her curiosity is still as apparent as ever. “Sorry. I guess I’m saying that no matter how messy it gets, the notes can be put back in order and be called a masterpiece, despite the numerous times it got screwed up in the middle.”

A moment of silence passes between the two of us, letting my words sink in the air, permeating their presence on our minds. At least, it affects me like that. I have to believe that it can be turned into music. Even if something sounds like nothing but noise, you can infer it as an artistic expression as long as it turns into some kind of music. As ugly as jumbled notes sound, I have to believe that life can be fixed into a beautiful song. If it can’t, then how can my life end happily? Especially with all the screw ups that have happened…

“I like that~ Music as a metaphor. It’s nice,” Pinkie Pie tells me with a nod, turning back around to face the right way. Pinkie Pie opens her mouth to say something else, but she stops in her tracks and her eyes widen. From what I can see, the only thing I notice that could capture her attention is a park in front of us, a block ahead. “Ooh! We’re here!” Pinkie audibly gasps before grabbing my arm, pulling me along. Why do all of the people around Sunset disregard personal space? Even Rarity does it to an extent. I’m used to the feeling of being pulled along, but it isn’t fun.

Walking towards the park, I see Pinkie look inside excitedly. She sure seems to be taking this seriously. Honestly, I was surprised that the girls wanted to help me with this goal of mine. Apologizing to every member of Canterlot High is certainly not a reasonable goal, but all of my friends are taking it so seriously. It makes me feel pretty grateful. I don’t even know who we’re meeting here, but Pinkie Pie’s energy makes me feel a little more confident that this will be alright. I can’t help but wonder who we’re meeting though…

As soon as we walk inside the park, Pinkie’s eyes look over to a woman in the distance, tending to a box. The blonde-haired woman has dark gray clothes and a brown satchel over her shoulder, not really contrasting with her light gray skin. Almost instantly, I can feel myself be hit with a feeling of recognition as soon as I see her yellow eyes. They are aiming in different directions… I know I’ve seen her before. I don’t know from where, but… I know I have.

“Hey, Derpy!” Pinkie yells with an excited wave, prompting the woman to raise her hand and offer a wave in return. Pinkie quickly pulls me along, closing the distance between us in record time. My friend hugs the woman with a smile and I finally realize where I’ve seen her before. Derpy was the name of a girl who served Sunset and me snow cones. Apparently, she also attended Canterlot High while I was there. That was years ago at this point, but the scars of my actions still exist in some parts.

“Hiya, Pinkie! It was nice to hear from you,” Derpy tells her in an almost too innocent tone, but the smile on her face tells me it’s genuine. Upon further inspection, I can tell her outfit now resembles a mail carrier’s uniform. The last time I saw her, she was working at a snow cone stand, but now she delivers mail. “Hello~ My name’s Derpy. It’s nice to meet you,” she says gently while extending her hand to me, seemingly not recognizing me at all. I shouldn’t be surprised. I already had Vinyl forget me as well. Even though they can forget what I’ve done, I can’t. Ever…

“I’m Adagio Dazzle. We’ve actually met before, but I’m glad this is under better circumstances.” My words seem to confuse her, making her nervously scratch her head.

“Oh? I’m sorry. I’m pretty forgetful and I don’t remember faces that well. Where did we meet?” Derpy asks me cautiously, a worried expression on her face from my statement. Maybe she’s worried that she upset me before… “Did I fumble one of your packages? I’m really sorry if I did,” she apologizes in the same innocent tone, clearly thinking through every possibility that she can.

“No, silly~! You met her at Canterlot High!” Pinkie Pie interjects with a smile, giggling at Derpy’s forgetfulness. “She was-”

“I think I can handle this, Pinkie,” I quickly cut her off, clearing my throat. The last thing I want to happen is for someone else to explain my mistakes and apologize on my behalf… “We did meet at Canterlot High. I… I was part of the Dazzlings. The band that took over the Battle of the Bands.” Taking a deep breath, I find it hard to look Derpy in the eyes. Not because of her predicament with her opposite facing pupils, but because of my own guilt. “Do you remember that?”

A thoughtful expression comes to Derpy’s mind before her eyes widen, a look of realization appearing within a second. “Oh! Yeah, I remember that! You had some really good songs.” I feel caught off guard… Did she just… compliment me? If she remembers me, then why would she compliment me instead of focusing on my mind control or the other magic I used?

“That’s actually the reason why Pinkie called you here. I… I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for subjecting you to my ploys for power back then. I’ve tried my best to change and-”

“It’s alright,” Derpy interrupts me with a smile patting my shoulder as a friendly gesture. Again, I feel surprised at this change of events. Why would she instantly accept my apology? “You were a bully, but you weren’t the worst bully I had. In fact, you were one of the better ones. You actually complimented me and made me feel like I could take on the world, despite this whole situation,” Derpy tells me slowly, waving her fingers around her eyes to draw attention to it. “Yeah, you were manipulating me, but a lot of my other bullies focused on my appearance and broke me down. Instead, you built me up, so if anything, I wanna thank you.” Gently, the gray woman takes my hand in hers, a genuine smile appearing on her lips.

“You want to thank me…?” I ask her in disbelief, still wondering what the hell is going on. Why would she want to thank me? Even she admitted that I took advantage of her and manipulated her. Why would you want to thank someone like that? For a brief moment, I can almost swear I see a tear in her eye as she enthusiastically nods.

“Uh huh! See, a lot of people picked on me. I never really had the confidence to participate in competitions because of my eyes and my ditzy personality. I kind of thought no one liked me…” Derpy looks away slowly, taking a moment to collect her thoughts and leaving silence in between us. “But then you came along and convinced me to try! I had never wanted to try, but you told me I could do it. My mom always said that too before she died, so it was nice to hear that again~ Even if you were just using magic on me and all, I still appreciate your help in giving me the confidence I needed. I learned that it’s always best to give it a try.” Derpy shakes my hand before wiping away a tear, the biggest smile on her face. “I even won a science competition with my biology project, despite my poor grades in chemistry. So, thank you for making me believe in myself again~”

I helped her believe in herself again…? Despite how evil I was, my bad deed actually helped her gain some much needed confidence… How…? I never thought that would be the reaction I would get from her. If anything, I was expecting everyone from Canterlot High to hate my very existence, but I suppose I actually helped some feel a little confident. Even if it was only for a little while… “You’re welcome,” I tell her quietly, still in disbelief at her statement. This whole situation is so… bizarre. I can’t believe that she actually wanted to thank me. Throughout this whole interaction, Pinkie Pie has been surprisingly quiet. Looking over at her, I try to get some reassurance that this is actually happening. Fortunately, Pinkie Pie gives me a small nod with a smile, showing me that this is real.

“It’s good that you’re trying to change~ Sunset was in a really similar situation for a while,” Derpy tells me with a happy tone, comparing me to my lover. “Have you also apologized to her? I think she was more affected than me by a longshot~”

Chuckling to Derpy’s words, I can’t help but find her question humorous. “Yeah, about that… Sunset is my girlfriend.”

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The seconds tick away on the clock. No matter how much I try to ignore it, the noise grinds on my mind. I honestly never listen to it whenever I am actually doing some work or texting with someone, but just waiting in my office makes me count the seconds that pass by. I technically don’t have any more lessons for the day, so I could go home. That is if I didn’t have one person to meet with. This meeting isn’t exactly going to be an easy one.

Just an hour ago, I asked Apple Bloom to come see me so that we could hang out for a bit. That is… not the truth. The real reason I want her here is to talk to her about the future. To hold up my end of a bargain… Filthy Rich wants me to talk to her about applying to the same college as Diamond Tiara. While I said I couldn’t make any guarantees, I do have to talk to her at the very least. This leaves a sour taste in my mouth since I hate the thought of Apple Bloom being used by Rich as a pair of eyes on his daughter, but at least it’s not worse. And she always has the opportunity to say no. Although, I don’t think that’s going to happen… Apple Bloom, being the chivalrous heart she is, would accept it regardless of her personal feelings on the matter. As long as it’s for a friend…

A loud knock on my door makes me look up from my desk, startling me for a moment. “Come in,” I state loudly before the door opens, revealing a familiar girl in the doorway. Her magenta bow is just as bright as ever, her eyes causing the atmosphere of the room to change almost instantly.

“Hi, Adagio! How are you feeling?” the teenager asks me before running towards me with her arms outstretched. Before she gets to me, she stops halfway with a sudden look of realization on her face, looking down at the ground to make sure she wasn’t too close. “Um… Sorry. I can’t hug ya just yet,” Apple Bloom mumbles under her mask, clearly annoyed. I don’t protest however. She’s keeping her mask on and staying away from others to try and keep herself healthy for her friend. All because Diamond Tiara needs a smile in her life.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll make up for it once you can hug me. God knows how much you like to squeeze the life out of me,” I tease Apple Bloom with a chuckle before she sits down in front of my desk. “I’m doing pretty well actually. I memorized some more of the history flashcards, so I’m doing my best to study~” I conveniently leave out the part that Sunset was helping me study, but that’s besides the point. The main thing to focus on is that I’m trying, which is more than I can say of my past self a few years ago. “I apologized to another ex Canterlot High student. She actually thanked me for helping her gain some confidence.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widen as soon as the words leave my mouth, her mask moving in a way to make it seem like she’s smiling underneath it. “Oh my gosh! That’s nice! I can actually sort of understand her viewpoint, now that I think about it,” Apple Bloom tells me with a nod, bringing her hand to her chin slowly. “I mean, yeah, you were evil, but you didn’t actually insult anyone other than Sunset and her friends. You actually built people up and used your charisma to make people do your bidding. If anything, you’d probably be able to start a cult, even without your magic.”

Raising my eyebrow, I lean back in my seat and smirk at her statement, shaking my head slowly. “You think I could start a cult without magic?” I ask her in a rhetorical tone, chuckling to myself. The idea of that is comical to me. I don’t think so highly of myself, but I’ve had two people today tell me that I would have been able to turn people to my side even as a normal human.

“I know that’s a scary thought, but think about it. Life beats most people down with so much negativity and insults, but if someone like you comes around and says ‘you can do it’, then some people will find it refreshing. That’s how some cults actually start. You didn’t actually bully people for their appearance, their likes or dislikes. You just convinced them to fight for your benefit.” Apple Bloom shrugs her shoulders, giving a plausibility that she could be wrong. Despite this, the tone in her voice told me that she legitimately believed I could do that. Whether she was afraid of that outcome or not is unknown to me. “Regardless, you were a breath of fresh air for some students. You gave them hope, despite the mind control.” Apple Bloom brings her finger up to her head, swirling it around to refer to the mental screws my magic messed with.

Chuckling at Apple Bloom’s words, I find the whole idea funny. Sardonically humorous. Being able to persuade others with just my charm. I doubt it at this point. “I’m glad you think that I could do that, but let’s move the conversation away from that. It brings back some bad memories. What about school? Is anything going on?” I ask her as innocently as possible, trying to circle the conversation back around to school. That’s where it needs to go anyway…

“It’s going alright! We were assigned a lot of homework for history, but I will be working with Diamond Tiara on it~ Although, she’s missed a lot of material, so I will probably be teaching her more of it.” Apple Bloom nervously giggles, seemingly worried about the upcoming study session. Regardless, she leans back in her seat and relaxes pretty quickly, despite the previous nervousness. “But school is going alright~ I’m doing better than last year, that’s for sure!” Apple Bloom’s giggles do little to reassure me… I’m not sure if I’m prepared to have this conversation with her, but it needs to be done either way. So, I might as well do it now…

“Speaking about Diamond Tiara,” I bring up quietly, clasping my hands together in an attempt to gather my thoughts, “I was wondering something. Has she mentioned that she’s going to college?” Apple Bloom raises an eyebrow at my question, a look of confusion dawning on her poor naive face. I wouldn’t expect her to understand why I’m asking this now after all.

“Well, she said that she would like to if her health permits it… Which I’m sure it will! I mean, one of us has to be optimistic, right? Why do you ask?” Leaning forward in her seat, a slightly concerned stare comes from Apple Bloom. She knows something is up and I can’t prolong it much longer.

“I know you’ve also told me you’ve thought about going to college and I was thinking…” My mouth stops talking before I can finish my sentence. I can’t lie to her… That’s not what I was thinking. It was Rich’s thought, not my own. God, she would know if I was lying. “Actually… That’s not the truth. Rich was thinking that maybe you could go to the same college as his daughter. You know, to make sure she stays on track.” I can’t help but regret saying those words in general. Now, she knows I didn’t call her here for a simple fun meeting. Instead, I decided to lure her here just to talk to her about her friend’s future. Apple Bloom’s eyes tell me just as much.

“So… Rich asked you to talk to me about this? I…” Apple Bloom’s mouth hangs open for a moment, trying to say something else, but unable to come up with it. “He doesn’t want me to tutor her. He just wants me to make sure she’s alright,” she tells me with a hurt look in her eyes, shaking her head with a sigh. “Diamond said that her father doesn’t trust her to go places alone. I thought that might change in college! But that’s not the case! Ugh, what does she have to do-” Apple Bloom stands up from her seat in anger, stopping mid sentence to bring her hands to her head. For a few moments, Apple Bloom tries to think of something to say while she seethes in anger. That is until she stops, taking a deep breath and sighing with a defeated breath. “Although… I do agree she isn’t the healthiest… I would probably try to protect her too.” Placing her hands on my desk, Apple Bloom looks down at the wood surface with a thoughtful expression, letting a couple of seconds pass by without a single sound. “I… Let me think about it, okay?”

Apple Bloom looks up at me with a gaze that almost asks for permission, conflict inside her eyes telling me just how difficult this situation is for her. Leaning back in my seat, I give her a kind smile and nod. “Of course, Apple Bloom. Do whatever you feel is right. That’s all we can do.”

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“Apple Bloom even agreed with Derpy’s viewpoint. Honestly, this whole day has been pretty surprising for me,” I state with a wave of my hand before bringing the spoon back down to the pot, stirring the pasta. Two arms around my waist prevent much movement from me, a pair of lips gently kissing the nape of my neck. Each delicate kiss is a gift that sends shocks down my spine, but I try my best to stay composed throughout.

“I can see why~ But that’s normal. People have different opinions about your actions and you have to be prepared for that, honey,” Sunset whispers into my ear, gently kissing my cheek. Her arms gently rock me from side to side, humming as she rests her chin on my shoulder. Despite the fact that I act unaffected while I cook, every part of me enjoys this embrace that we’re in, wishing for it to last a bit longer. Every time our embrace could end, my mind begs for reality to let it last a few seconds longer. Just as long as I can hold onto her presence for a little longer.

“I love you,” I whisper, completely disregarding the past topic. “I love you for accepting me as I am. I love you for making me see the magic in life and I love you for persuading me to do all these things that have changed my life. You’re so… so…”

“Perfect?” Sunset asks me, interrupting my statement with a small chuckle. “You’re perfect for me too, Alligator~ You’re all that I want in this world,” Sunset whispers as quietly as she can, acting as if someone else could hear us. It doesn’t take her long to kiss my cheek again, sending flutters down my spine and making me blush from her words. Turning my head slowly, I lock my lips with hers as a thank you for her words of affirmation. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what I would be doing with my life… I don’t know where I would be. I don’t think I want to be anywhere else besides inside her arms.

A loud rhythm plays just as our kiss ends, alerting us to the doorbell. Rolling my eyes, I can’t help but feel annoyed that someone would interrupt us here and now. Regardless, I move away from the stove, giving Sunset the spoon. “Deal with the pasta and I’ll go see who is at the door,” I tell Sunset with a final parting kiss, Sunset’s hand not letting go of mine until I walk out of arm span.

“Hurry back,” Sunset whispers in response. Usually, she would tease me with words like that, but her tone tells me she’s unusually serious about those words. Walking past the couch, I can’t help but notice the white shreds of my t-shirt from the night before. Blushing, I quickly scoop up the pieces and throw them into the trash before approaching the front door, trying my best to avoid scenarios about someone else seeing those scraps. That would be really embarrassing… What would someone even think? That I ripped it by accident? Or would they connect the dots?

Taking a deep breath, I unlock the front door and open it, looking out to our front porch. Before I can even process what is happening, a person’s body falls onto mine, holding onto me. “What the-” I cut myself off, noticing the purple woman attached to me. She stains my shirt with tears, crying as she hugs me. What…? “Twilight?” I ask quietly, no response coming my way as Twilight wildly cries into me. Looking over to the kitchen, I see Sunset turn her gaze to us, her smile changing instantly to a look of concern as she sees our friend holding onto me as if her life depended on it.

“Twilight?” Sunset repeats me, quickly rushing over to me and placing her hand on her shoulder. Twilight cries even harder than before, making me hug her back as much as I can. At this point, her glasses had already fallen to the floor, but she didn’t seem to care at this point. Her hair is a mess and she’s only wearing her pajamas. Whatever is upsetting her must be really bad…

“Twilight, what’s wrong?” I ask her quietly, closing the door to hide her cries from the outside world. Twilight’s body shakes with each cry, but she’s able to stop herself from crying just long enough to choke out a single sentence.

“T-Timber broke up with m-me…”