> Adagio Dazzle Tries to Make Friends > by Daemon McRae > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Sunset and Twilight > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1: Sunset and Twilight Sunset’s weekends were actually nowhere near as busy as most people would think. Honestly, all of the magical disasters and friendship lessons and school activities so overwhelmed her daily life, that if she didn’t set aside at least a couple of days to decompress she was going to cold stab a bitch. And CHS had a LOT of bitches that needed cold stabbing. So, so many bitches. So she did herself, the world, and the criminal justice system a favor by staying inside and playing video games. At least, that’s what she wanted to do. With all her heart, she wanted nothing more than to dunk some scrubs, maybe get a pentakill or two, hell, just spend some time grinding a new character would have been fine. But then came the knocking. *KNOCK KNOCK* It had started mere moments ago, but to Sunset, it felt like an eternity. An eternity of disrupted consciousness, from which the only escape was to face her mortal enemy: other people. *KNOCK KNOCK* And yet it wouldn’t stop. It couldn’t stop. It- *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG* “Holy rocket manger CHRIST hold your fucking tits on!” Sunset screamed as she stormed down the stairs. Nevermind that she was in her pajamas. Nevermind that her hair looks like a solar wind with a hard-on. Nevermind that she was trying to do exactly NOT THIS the entire day. Somebody just HAD to show up and need something. “...Pinkie Pie I swear to Celestia if that’s you I’m gonna crunch your taco so hard...” *BANGBANGBANGBANGBA-* She threw the door open just in time to disrupt her wannabe intruders incessant assault on her front door. Ready to scream her lungs out, she took a deep breath to fuel her emotional tirade- And stopped, wide-eyed, as Adagio Dazzle raised an eyebrow and cocked a hip at her. “Bout time you answered the door, Shimmy. I don’t think that poor would could have taken much more pounding.” Sunset deflated, almost audibly. Of all the people she expected to scream at, Adagio was not one of them. “What the actual fuck are you doing here, Dazzle?” The former siren ignored her long enough to brush past and take a look at the interior of Sunset’s home. “Not bad. Of course, I seriously doubt you obtained this place by any legal means, only having lived here for a few years, but who am I to judge?” The reformed school tyrant massaged her temples with her fingertips. “Yes, yes, we both broke like a bajillion laws, what do you WANT?” Again, Adagio appraised the yellow girl with a raised eyebrow. “Well, I’d say something about a warm welcome, but that seems more and more like a pipe dream. So I’ll get right to it. I needed out of the house before Sonata and Aria drove me crazy, but then I realized not having someone to talk to, let alone fawn over me, was driving me crazy. Everywhere I go in this town people either ignore me or glare daggers. Yes, much like that,” she mused, noting the expression on Sunset’s face. “And that’s when I realized I don’t have any friends. Can you imagine? Me?! I’ve been around for centuries, emotionally manipulating people into adoring me since before this country was new. And now my entire social life boils down to my idiot sisters and Amarezon Prime. So I decided to go out and make friends. And I decided on you! Congratulations!” Shimmer banged her head against the door frame. A few times. “Adagio, that’s not how friends work. You don’t just go up to people and say ‘We’re friends now’. That’s-” “Exactly what Twilight did for you to keep you from becoming a depressed, emotional trainwreck after she kicked your ass in front of the whole school? Or did I miss something?” Adagio grinned. *BANG* Oh doorframe. Please save me. Save me with blood and maybe a concussion or nine. “Look, even if I did want to be friends with you, I haven’t even dressed or showered, and I’m really not in the mood to deal with other living things right now.” “...is that why you don’t have any pets?” Adagio asked. “YES.” The bushy haired girl’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh. Wow. I was being facetious. Maybe Aria should be here instead, you two would get along famously. But, instead, I’m here, so now we’re friends. What do you want to do first?” How about scramble your eggs with a power drill? “I don’t, Adagio. I want you to leave so I can go back to-” “What? Playing video games? Taking a shower? Rubbing one out? Cause let me tell you, all of those can be group activities,” Adagio smiled seductively. “...Adagio I’m going to pick you up by your toenails and throw you out a three-story window,” Shimmer growled. “… your house is only two stories tall,” Adagio noted. “I KNOW. There will be a lot of dragging involved.” “Is it wrong that I’m kind of turned on right now?” “OUT!” ----------------------------- Adagio grumbled as she walked down the street. “Stupid sexy Sunset and her violence. What’s wrong with making friends?” She kicked a rock as she went, thinking of all the other people from CHS she knew. “Hmmm, who else could I talk into being friends with me? Pinkie Pie would be the easiest, but god help me if she ever came over and spent any time with Sonata. The yellow one? Mmm… I do love a submissive, but her house probably smells like every animal. Ever. Too bad that Twilight girl left for Equestria, she was quite the...” *DING* Adagio jumped as the bell to a nearby convenience store rang out. She watched as a somewhat familiar-looking blue girl with pigtails and glasses walked in. “God… wait. Twilight Sparkle. Now there’s an idea.” ------------------------- Twilight’s weekends had been so busy lately, she’d almost fallen behind on her research. Sure, she’d made Spike that robot dog girlfriend last month, but between her boyfriend, her friends, and magical disasters, she hadn’t really had any time to devote to her true passion. “Science!” she shouted. Looking around to make sure there was nobody nearby, she smiled to herself. Spike was upstairs with… huh, she should really have thought of a name for the robot dog. She had the whole lab to herself. “Science,” she said, quieter. “Now I have a whole two days to work on why measurements collapse quantum wavefunctions! I should have something by midnight if I start no-” *BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG* Knocked out of her thought process by the loud banging, Twilight looked around in panic. “H-hello?” she said quietly. She tried again, with more force. “Hello?” After a moment, Spike’s voice came down the stairs. “Twilight, there’s someone at the door for you. She looks… weird.” Twilight’s alarm downgraded to piqued interest as she walked upstairs, strode down the hall, and opened the door. She was met by someone she’d never seen before. And given her… unique appearance, Twilight was sure she’d remember if she had. “Hello!” The stranger greeted, waving amicably. “My name is Adagio Dazzle. I’m your new friend!” Wires crossed in Sparkle’s head as she processed this load of information. “Um… hi? Do I know you?” ‘Adagio’, as she called herself, shook her head. Her rather impressive mane of curly hair swayed with it. “No, not yet. But I know other you. Well, kind of. She and her friends basically rainbow lasered my sisters and I into next week, which from what I’ve heard also happened to you! It must be destiny.” Twilight sighed heavily. “You know, I miss the days when that would have made absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. Come on in, I’m downstairs.” Dazzle beamed widely as she strolled after the scientist, following her into a rather impressive-looking basement laboratory. Her eyes widened at the array of technology, and she whistled appreciatively. “Wow, girl. Impressive setup. No wonder you’re top of your classes.” Twilight turned around, a thought occurring to her. A rather alarming one. “How do you know that? For that matter, how do you know where I live?!” Adagio waived a hand dismissively. “Sunset told me. We’re old friends,” she lied. “She said you and I might have something in common, and she was hoping to help pull you out of your bubble a little more.” “Oh really? And what… exactly did she say we had in common?” Adagio froze, just for a second. Not even that. You’d have to be an expert in social cues to catch it, which Twilight was not. Thinking as fast as she could, she said the first thing that came to mind. “Science.” Twilight’s reaction told her immediately she’d made a mistake. The purple girl’s expression went from accusingly suspicious to maniacal glee so quickly Adagio thought for a moment she had two faces, and they’d just swapped out. “Science?! You’re a scientist too?! That’s wonderful! I was just about to start on some experimentation for the observational waveform collapse theory when you knocked! Or, would you rather help me build my dark matter converter?” “Uh...” Adagio’s face filled with regret instantly, but Sparkle was on a roll, and didn’t notice. At all. She began rushing around the room, gathering all kinds of rather intimidating scientific instruments. “Or we could work on some sleep theory! I might have to knock you unconscious, but you won’t feel a thing! Or I’ve got some really interesting work done already on the parallel worlds problem, all thanks to the portal! Hey, how much radiation exposure have you had in your life? ...Adagio?”n Twilight asked, turning around to find her basement once again empty. “...Science?” -------------------------------- The bell over the convenience store door rang out again, as a particular blue-skinned girl stepped out with a bag in each hand. “……..aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…………...” The scream came and went as an orange girl with an impressive amount of hair ran down the sidewalk, creating a slight breeze as she passed, knocking the girl’s glasses askew. Taking a moment to adjust them, and to correct a pigtail that had fallen out of place, she mused out loud, “She’s gonna run right into something. Maybe die.” Pulling a candy bar out of her bag, Sugarcoat unwrapped it, and took a small bite. “Oh well.” > Appledash and Rainbow Jack > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Appledash and Rainbow Jack Applejack’s weekend was a rare sight this time around. She’d done all of her chores with time to spare this morning, and it had been a light week for homework. With everyone else taking days to themselves or going off and doing their own thing, Applejack took the golden opportunity for once in her life and did nothing. Then the knocking started. *KNOCK KNOCK* It was a sharp, intent knock, yet not without a hint of politeness in that it was brief and well-spaced. The farm girl, ever the gracious host, was quick to answer. She was not, however, prepared for her guest. “Adagio? The heck are you doin’ here?” she drawled, giving the somewhat frazzled redhead a curious look. “Hello, Applejack! I’m here to be your friend!” Adagio Dazzle exclaimed, beaming proudly. Now, Applejack had been raised with proper manners. She was courteous to her guests, and a generally friendly person. Yet it was without a moment’s hesitation that she closed the door with such force as to consider it ‘slammed.’ A high-pitched voice made itself heard from down the hall. “Who was that, AJ?” “Never you mind, Applebloom. Just somebody needs to mind their own-” *SLAM* The front door opened with near as much force as it was closed. “Ex-cuuuuse me?! No one slams a door in my face! I came all this way, walked miles, literal miles to come by and try to be friendly and nice and all those other… things that you and your fellow Rainbooms consider to be so important, and you shut me out like some average door-to-door salesman?!” Applejack sighed, knowing full well that Applebloom wouldn’t let her live it down if she turned away such a convincing argument out of spite. In fact, she could see the beginnings of a frown form on her little sister’s face. It took all of her effort to turn around, and force a smile. Which still somehow looked as natural as her real smile. “Hello, Dagi. Would you like to come in?” Adagio, having little to no interaction with Applejack up to this point, would never have known to pick up on the blonde’s lack of accent, a sure sign she was on edge. Applebloom, however, noticed immediately, and took it as a cue to return from whnce she came. Which was anywhere other than where she was right now. Dazzle, to her credit, returned toe forced smile with a genuine one. “Of course, dear Applejack!” AJ led her ‘former’ foe through the house to the living room, where they both sat on the couch , though the hostess sat as far away as she could from her guest. “So, Adagio, you said you came here to make friends. What, exactly, do you mean?” The suspicion in her voice was both easily detectable and expected. “Well, Applejack, it occurred to me that, besides m sisters, I have no one in this world to spend time with. I thought it might become me to seek out other people to spend time with, maybe talk, find some common ground, that sort of thing.” “So yer’ bored,” Applejack guessed, her voice regaining some of it’s drawl. A small smile crept it’s way across Dazzle’s features. “A bit. But it sounded like a much better idea than most of the other things I could be doing to kill time.” “I suppose,” AJ said with a nod. “So… what do you wanna talk about?” Adagio shrugged. “Well, I understand you have a rather prosperous apple orchard in your care? I myself used to work in an orchard.” Blonde eyebrows met blonde hair in surprise. “No foolin’?” “Of course not. About a hundred years ago, my sisters and I had set ourselves up on a rather profitable fruit farm near the middle of the country. Of course, I can’t say I understand the value of a day’s hard work ‘quite’ as well as you do, but I’m no stranger to getting my hands dirty.” She paused for a moment rethinking. “Literally, I should add.” Applejack seemed to warm up to this revelation. “So, what kinda fruit did y’all grow?” The siren smiled warmly, finally having made some headway in her ‘friend quest’. “Oh, apples, of course. Oranges. Berries of various kinds. Pears...” Applejack straightened. “Pears?” she interjected. “Oh yes. I love a good, ripe pear. SO sweet. Nowhere as diverse as an apple, mind you, but tasty nonetheless.” The farmer leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. “So, would you say you… liked pears more than apples?” Dazzle waved a hand dismissively. “Of course not. Pears are fine every once in a while, but I couldn’t eat them anywhere near as often as apples.” Applejack felt a tension in her shoulders leave her. She wasn’t even aware it was there until it was gone. “Well, that’s-” “Now pineapples on the other hand-” “GET OUT.” --------------------------- The siren found herself, once again, walking by herself along the city sidewalks. How many miles had she walked today? No bother. She was used to walking everywhere. A habit from a time long passed when cars, nor even buggies, were available, she had found it a great useful talent to be able to walk any distance without issue. Of course, her issue now was figuring out her next destination. “Stupid elitist apple farmer with her stupid demonic voice and stupid hedge clippers,” Adagio grumbled, taking large, angry strides down the street. “Why can’t I find someone who’s capable of a normal conversation? Like movies, or books, or even… sports...” she trailed off, as a light went on above her head. “That’s the crosswalk sign,” said a droll voice from behind her. Adagio turned to see a familiar-looking blue skinned girl with pigtails addressing her. Only for a moment, however, as the well-dressed girl started crossing the street. Taking her cue to follow, Adagio began to cross as well, until an idea popped into her head. “Of course! Rainbow Dash loves to talk about herself. I could make friends with her just by asking about her day!” With that, Adagio took off, passing the blue stranger with ease as she sprinted down the sidewalk. ---------------------------------- Rainbow Dash’s weekend was awesome. Nothing to do, no homework, so she got to sit around and watch movies and eat all weekend! She was currently in the middle of Die Hard, she couldn’t remember which one, the one with the airport. Either way, people were getting shot at and it was super cool. *KNOCK KNOCK* She paused the movie as someone knocked on her door. “I’ll get it!” she shouted, jumping up from the couch and sprinting to the door. She threw it open with reckless abandon, her excitement overwritten by confusion as Adagio Dazzle waved at her. “Hello, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow looked around, even going so far as to poke her head out the door and investigate the lawn, just to make sure she wasn’t being pranked. “Um… hi? What are you doing here?” “Well, I thought maybe we could be friends!” “...uh-huh. Why would I do that?” Dash asked, not just hesitantly, but with outright opposition. “Oh please, like you could ever have enough people to brag to,” Dazzle deadpanned, yet still smiling. Her smile disappeared as she heaved a long sigh. “Look, I’m trying here. Trying to actually make friends. And I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would be excitable and outgoing enough to be on board with this, especially if it meant getting to talk about yourself more. I mean, I haven’t hear any stories of your athletic triumphs. Ever.” Damn you Adagio Dazzle and your perfect logic. No one ever accused Rainbow Dash of being a brilliant debater. A master, maybe. “Ok, fine. I guess I could tell you all about the game against Appeloosa last weekend,” she said, feigning exasperation. Poorly. Adagio could easily see the smile forming on the athlete’s face. Rainbow led her new guest back to the living room, where she had been watching her movie. They sat down just as Mr. and Mrs. Rainbow walked into the room. “Oh, Rainbow, who’s your new friend?” Dash waved a hand in Adagio’s general direction. “This is Ada… Adagi...” The siren rolled her eyes. “Adagio Dazzle,” she said sweetly, holding out a hand to Rainbow’s parents. They each shook it in turn. “Oh, you must be one of the sirens Rainbow and her friends defeated in the Battle of the Bands last year!” Rainbowshine exclaimed, as if endearing herself to the newcomer. Dazzle felt an eyelid twitch. “Y-yes, that would be me and my sisters.” “Well sit down, please! We love meeting Dash’s friends!” said Rainbow Blaze. Adagio did as she was told, smiling brilliantly. “Yes, she was just about to tell me about her game last weekend.” Rainbow’s mother beamed. “Oh, absolutely! Our little Rainbow is the best soccer player at Canterlot High!” Her father chipped in, “Maybe even the whole world!” “No, I don’t think so,” Adagio mused. Both the parent’s expressions froze, as if processing the sentence they’d just heard. “Um… excuse me?” Mrs. Rainbow asked politely. Adagio thought for a moment. “I’m a much bigger fan of Mia Hamm. Such a fantastic athlete.” “Is that so,” said Mr. Rainbow, his expression darkening. Rainbow turned to Adagio with sheer terror on her face. “RUN.” -------------------------------------- Sugarcoat strolled down the sidewalk at her typical, patient pace, when a sound caught her attention. “…………..aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…….” She raised an eyebrow as Adagio ran past her in the opposite direction, which she considered strange as she’d just benn passed by the same girl not half an hour before. “...traffic, walls, other people, lamp posts...” Sugarcoat mused to herself all of the things the bushy-haired girl could easily run into with such reckless abandon, stopping only as two adults sopped in front of her, manic looks on their faces, each wielding a trophy like a flanged mace. “Did you see where she went?!” barked the male. Not wanting to be an accomplice to murder, Sugarcoat pointed to her left, in the direction of a rather large shopping mall. “Thanks!” yelled the female as they took off across the street, pausing for traffic, of course. Because they were responsible adults. “...murderous psychopaths, cops, park benches...” > Marshmallow and Yellowquiet > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3: Marshmallow and Yellowquiet Rarity’s weekend was busy in all of the best ways. She had deigned to spend the entire two days working on her newest design. One just for her. There was no formal gathering, no special event. Just her and a dress she had designed all for herself. She smiled radiantly at the fabric in her hands, lovingly following the pattern with gentle snips from her scissors. A few moments later, she held up the perfect measure of white satin in front of her, admiring it lovingly. *KNOCK KNOCK* A polite knock at her boutique door interrupted her thoughts. She looked to the front room with curiosity. “Now, who could that be?” she mused aloud. Reaching the front door in only a few strides, she opened it to see quite the surprise. “Why hello, Adagio? What on earth brings you here?” The siren, for her part, looked like she had seen better days. Her normally well-managed hair had started to fray, her clothes sat oh-so-slightly askew, and she seemed out of breath. However, she took a moment to compose herself, and greeted the fashionista with a smile. “Hello, Rarity! It’s good to see you. I know this seems a bit sudden, in fact it IS a bit sudden, but I was wondering if you had any time to spare for a… potential friend.” She stressed the word carefully, as if making herself remember to say it. Rarity was slightly confused, but was nothing if not a good host. “O-of course, please, come in. My, you look simply dog-tired, my dear!” Adagio welcomed the invitation, placing herself in the nearest seat she could reach: an armchair near the window usually reserved for waiting customers. “It has been… a rather eventful day. I have been making an attempt to… make friends. It hasn’t been going very well.” Rarity took a seat in a matching chair next to Adagio’s. “Whatever do you mean? I thought you had friends. The other sirens-” “Are sisters of mine,” Adagio explained. “I would very much like to have people I can socialize with that I don’t see every hour of the day.” The designer nodded her head knowingly. “Oh, belive me, I understand. I have a sister of my own, you know. I love her dearly, but if she was the only person I could talk to day in and day out? Why, I would-” “-lose my mind,” they finished together. They shared a friendly laugh, then Adagio inquired, “What are you doing today? I’ve heard you’re quite the fashion expert, and if this room is any indication, that was more than mere rumor.” The siren examined the room with great interest, making note of the wonderful displays and variety of color and design. Rarity feigned humility. “Oh, pshaw. I simply do what I love, darling. I believe any girl should take pride in her appearance. Speaking of which, and no offense, but you seem like you could do with some freshening up,” Rarity noted, catching the slightest of whiffs from Adagio’s direction. The girl had made the first minute steps towards her transformation into a raging dumpster fire. The bushy haired girl noted Rarity’s nostrils flaring, and the carefully controlled expression of displeasure. Taking a moment to sniff her clothes, she realized she rather smelled of sweat, light dirt, tacos (still?!), and something from Applejack’s farm. “Well, like I said, it has been a very eventful day.” “Well then,” Rarity exclaimed, standing up quickly. “This calls for only one thing. You need some cleaning up, and I have been working all day. I think we both deserve a little spa time. And what better way to get better aquainted, anyways?” Adagio mulled over the idea, for a bout two seconds. “Absolutely,” and they set off. ------------------------------------ “-and then they chased me down five city blocks, swinging trophies!” Adagio explained, sinking deeper into the mud bath. She kept her gaze straight ahead, ensuring the cucumber stayed in its proper place atop her eyelids. “Oh, my, yes, Rainbow’s parents are rather… distressingly exuberant about their daughter,” Rarity conceded, mimicking Adagio’s actions and posture. “They really should be more courteous towards their guests.” “They really should come with warning labels,” Adagio grumbled. They both shared a giggle at that. “Well, Adagio, I commend you on your dedication to turning over a new leaf, and expanding your circles. Goodness knows my friends aren’t always the easiest people to get to know, especially with our… mixed history. But I must say I certainly am glad you came around to see me. With the exception of dear Fluttershy, I practically have to drag any of them here,” the designer gave a relaxed sigh as she took a drink of iced tea. “Oh, I love a good spa. They’ve come such a long way since the first… attempts at beauty in this world. I don’t know what they were thinking when they started the corset.” Rarity lifted a cucumber off her eye and glanced sideways at Adagion. “Do you… have something against corsets?” Adagio chuckled mirthlessly. “Stylistically? No. But when they were first introduced, it was less of a fashion statement and more of a way to crush your internal organs to give your body the proper curves. I have nothing against looking good, but I do enjoy breathing, every once in a while. “Of course, I do forget how… long you’ve been around,” Rarity conceded. Again, Adagio laughed. “Oh, please, Rarity. You can call me old. I’ve been around for centuries. Age means very little to me. Of course, now that I’m… mortal, I imagine that will change over time, but I still have quite a few decades under my brassier.” Rarity scoffed. “I would never call you ‘old’! And besides, youth is all in the mind, my dear. And you seem just as young and vibrant as any of us. You sure do seem to know how to enjoy the small things in life. Although, I must say I’m surprised. I’d heard rumors that you were… more of a flirt than you seem.” Her statement was greeted with a loud, appreciative laugh. “Oh Rarity, you heard correctly. But given my interaction with Sunset earlier, I thought just maybe I should hold on on hitting on anyone I was actively trying to make friends with. Unless, of course, you want me to flirt with you,” Adagio added, waggling her eyebrows. Rarity chuckled lightly herself. “One step at a time, dear.” ---------------------- Rarity and Adagio, both distinctly refreshed, stepped out of the front doors of the spa. “Well, Adagio, I simply had a wonderful time. I think I would rather enjoy spending more time with you, if you don’t mind.” “Of course not. I’m elated to have found at least one kindred spirit in all of this… adventure today,” Adagio said, shaking her great mane of hair. It shined wonderfully. “Well, I imagine you’d rather get back to work.” Rarity smiled, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh, Adagio, we can certainly spend some more time together, if you wish!” The siren shook her head. “No, I appreciate it, but I wouldn’t want to keep you from your exciting weekend. You sounded so enthusiastic I can’t imagine tearing you away from it. And besides, I still want to visit, what were their names. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie?” Rarity flinched slightly. “...what?” “Oh, nothing, darling. It’s just. Well, Fluttershy is a sweetheart. I don’t imagine you to have any problem endearing yourself to her. But Pinkie Pie? Well, it takes a special kind of person to just go up to her and make friends. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wonderful friend, full of live, laughter, and energy, but...” “She’s a handful and a half?” Adagio concluded, raising an eyebrow. The designer nodded, sighing heavily. “Yes, yes she is. I suggest saving her for last. You might not have time for anything else afterward. Or energy… or consciousness.” “That’s… a rather alarming consideration,” Adagio said, eyes wide. “Yes, well. Oh, look at the time! I really should get back to work. Oh, tell Fluttershy I said hello! Or rather, I should call her and tell her your coming! She isn’t one for surprises,” Rarity explained, walking away as she spoke. Adagio waved her new friend away, taking off in the direction of Fluttershy’s house. “Well, one out of five isn’t bad. Two out of six should be, either.” As she strolled away, a familiar blue-skinned girl stepped out of the spa, her skin shining and her hair soft and voluminous. She raised an eyebrow at the siren as she walked away, mildly intrigued at the frequency of which she had seen her today. ------------------------------- Fluttershy’s weekend was full of gentleness and fur. Lots of fur. She had spent the entire day thus far with her beloved animals, up until Rarity had called her just a few minutes ago. Explaining in great detail the fun they had had at the spa, and the misadventures Adagio had endured thus far, her friend was rather enthusiastic about Fluttershy meeting and engaging the apparently reformed villainess. The animal lover had received a few calls today, one from Sunset, in frustration, one from Applejack, warning her about that ‘pineapple lovin’ varmint’, one from Twilight asking if she knew whether or not the sirens could teleport, and one from Rainbow Dash. Who, alarmingly enough, had asked Fluttershy not to tell her parents where the siren was, should she be asked, on the off chance that she would actually know the answer. Apparently, Adagio had been making the rounds, and Shy was surprised that Pinkie Pie hadn’t called her also. However, Fluttershy wasn’t particularly keen on meeting the siren. Between the upsetting calls from Applejack and Sunset, and her conversation with Rarity, in which her friend described in great detail how she had gone to the spa, without her, and how much fun she had, the normally shy girl had decided she was not even going to entertain the thought of making friends with Adagio Dazzle. It helped that Fluttershy hadn’t quite forgiven the sirens for making all of her friends yell at her. A LOT. So, she had prepared a present for Adagio. One that sat in a large cardboard box next to the front door. And moved. *KNOCK KNOCK* Fluttershy sighed, getting up from her warm, soft spot on the couch, surrounded by fuzzy animals, and made her way to the front door. She picked up the box, tucked it under one arm, and opened the door, to see, surprise surprise, Adagio Dazzle. “Why hello, Flutershy, I was wondering if-” “Box of snakes,” Fluttershy said simply, flinging the box carelessly at her. “Wha-” Adagio had no time to respond as the box full of harmless, non-venomous, gardener snakes fell upon her with lots of hissing, and writhing, and anger. Adagio Dazzle froze in place for exactly 1.7 seconds before she screamed and ran off, her hair now full of slithery rage. Fluttershy turned on her heel, and closed the door behind her. She grumbled all the way back to her seat. “Take my friend to she spa without inviting me make my friends mad harass Sunset Shimmer the spa is our thing you homewrecker...” she trailed off, sitting back down amongst her animal companions, and sighed contentedly. All was right with the world. ----------------------------- Sugarcoat stepped out of the froyo shop, gently licking her frozen treat, as an all-too familiar sound filled the air. “…………...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa………………...” She took a step back into the archway of the shop as Adagio Dazzle ran past her. She didn’t even bother to raise an eyebrow this time. Licking her dessert, she walked away from the receding noise. > Party All Day (Or Night Depending on Your Level of Maturity) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4: Party All Day (Or Night Depending on Your Level of Maturity) Pinkie Pie’s weekend was like almost any other weekend. It was full of fun party-oriented activities for someone in particular, whether they liked it or not. Today, she was planning a very special party for her guest who should be here any second. That is if all of the calls she’d been receiving all day warning her about Adagio Dazzle’s “Friendship Adventure” were to be believed. It was getting late in the day, and the sun had begun to set already. But Pinkie Pie wasn’t concerned. Adagio would come. They always did. ALWAYS. *KNOCK KNO- “HI ADAGIO!” Dazzle flailed wildly backwards as her knock was interrupted by so much good cheer she thought she’d stepped on a Christmas mine. She was saved by the indignity of falling on her behind, however, as Pinkie Pie grabbed one of her flailing arms and dragged her into the house, only to be encountered by another, far worse indignity. Giant party hats. Pinkie’s sisters had all gathered around a table in their kitchen, which looked to be decorated with any and all kind of sugary treat. Each of them was wearing some form of party hat or another: Limestone and Marble sported the classic conehead look, while Maud had somehow found a plastic glittery tophat that matched her steel-blue dress. Pinkie, naturall, was wearing a party cone ON TOP of a bright pink tophat. Before Adagio could react, protest, or otherwise acknowledge her situation, she had bestowed upon her a much smaller cone hat that sat daintily off to the side of her now snake-free but rather frazzled hair. “Uh-oof!” Adagio declared, as a chair was pushed into the back of her legs. She fell into it as Pinkie pushed her up to the table. “Um… hello?” The other, significantly more stoic girls just waved politely, though Marble offered a small smile. Party girl, on the other hand, was all about the greeting. “Ohmigosh Adagio I’m so glad you came by I heard you were trying to make friends so I thought maybe we could ALL be friends and I made cake and cookies and stuff but I didn’t know if you were allergic to anything I mean I don’t even know if sirens can have sugar or human food or are you even still a siren now I mean-” “Pinkie?” Adagio tried to interrupt, to no avail. “-we did kind of take all your magic away but I don’t know really what else happened cause you girls were all like ‘La LA la La lA’ with your bad singing-” Adagio’s eyebrow twitched. “Pinkie.” “-and I thought maybe a musical theme to your party but I didn’t know if you still even liked music or if that would make you sad or whatever and I totally didn’t want my new friend to be sad-” Adagio softened up a little. “Oh, Pinkie,” she tried, but the pink girl was on a roll with no signs of stopping. “-so I thought maybe we could have like a sexy party cause you’re all about being sexy-” to which Adagio just shrugged and smiled, garnering a few eye rolls from the other sisters “-but then I thought my parents would get SUPER mad if we did that cause they can be kind of strict or whatever but mostly they’re just not as big into parties as I am so I thought maybe just like sugar and party hats cause you’ve been doing a lot of running and you need your energy and so I threw a sugar party and I called it ‘Adagio’s Excellent Friendship Adventure Party’!” Adagio waited for a moment to see if Pinkie was going to start talking again, then noticed everyone was looking at her for a response. She coughed, and straightened herself in her chair. “Well, Pinkie Pie, I must admit you did surprise me. I do have to ask, though, why are your sisters here? I MEAN I KNOW THEY LIVE HERE,” Adagio added, with a little more force than necessary, before Pinkie could give some kind of sarcastic answer. Maud, to Adagio’s surprise, spoke up first. “I like it when Pinkie throws parties. It makes her happy, and I like seeing her happy.” The siren was sure it was supposed to be a heartfelt statement, but Maud’s delivery was so deadpan and dry it might as well have been automated. Marble raised her hand politely, and squeaked out, “Well, Pinkie Pie says you and Rarity made friends, and Rarity’s always nice to me, so I thought maybe you weren’t… all bad?” “I just wanted cake for dinner,” Limestone chipped in, reaching slowly for the cake knife. Pinkie swatted her hand. “Nuh-uh! You know the rules, guests get the first slice!” She cut a large swath of what Adagio noticed to be some kind of yellow cake with orange frosting, the same color as her hair. There were even frosting balloons on the cake, in the same shade of purple as her regular outfit. Given their minimal contact with each other, The siren was impressed to see how well Pinkie had remembered. Flattered, even. A large slice of the two-layer cake was put in front of her with a typical plastic fork, and Dazzle noticed none of the other girls had taken a bite. It appeared as though they were waiting for their guest to try it first. Now, Adagio had heard rumors of Pinkie Pie’s culinary expertise. Stories of the Mona Lisa cake had circulated wildly through the school after the Friendship Games, and any time she threw a party the next Monday was all about how much fun they’d had and how good the food was. But nothing could have prepared her for the sugary lemon daydream that was the first bite. As if a heavenly orchard had bloomed in her head, all of her senses were inundated with a soft yellow haze as the buttery confection melted on her tongue. “So? DO you like it? Huh? Huh?” “Mrrmmmblgrgblrmmmmm…..” Adagio muttered, taking another bite almost on autopilot. “I think that means ‘yes’ Pinkie,” quipped Limestone as she cut herself a slice. The next couple of hours floated by in a sugary daydream. --------------------------------------------- “Oh, my god….” Adagio grumbled, holding her poor stomach as she walked home. “I ate too many everything. Why did it all taste so goooood…. Even the hot sauce cupcakes were fantastic.” Trailing along at a snail’s pace, she walked under the light of the streetlamps, it being well past sunset now. In her current overstuffed condition, she figured she’d make it home in about half an hour or so, provided she didn’t stop to rest. Which of course she did, at the first bench she could find. Throwing herself onto the public seat, she closed her eyes and relaxed for a moment, giving herself time to digest. She found, however, that the bench was partially occupied. “Hello,” said a dry voice. If she didn’t know better, Adagio would have sworn one of the Pie sisters had followed her. She opened an eye and rolled it in her socket to see a familiar girl: the blue-skinned, pigtailed student she’d been crossing paths with all day. She was sitting on the bench, reading a book by streetlight. “Oh, hello. Not bothering you, am I?” Dazzle grumbled, half-sarcastic. “No. Good to see you aren’t running screaming. Also your hair looks less disastrous now.” Adagio ran a hand through her copious curls. One of the girls had taken to brushing her hair and helping her clean up a bit while they “partied”. Or, more accurately, ate way too much sugar and talked a lot. “Well, thank you. Who are, you, anyway? I’ve seen you around town almost all day. And why are you out here reading a book at this hour, anyway?” Sugarcoat closed her novel and set it on the bench beside her. “My house is kind of rowdy right now. I’ve been spending all day trying to get away from the noise while my parents are renovating. It’s hard to read while your dad tries to install a pool by himself.” Dazzle flinched. “Now that sounds disastrous.” “It is,” Sugar agreed. “Although I must admit I’m more curious as to what you’ve been doing all day. Besides the running and screaming and snakes, that is.” Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Adagio mused, “That’s actually most of it, unfortunately. I’ve been… trying to make friends. Dealing with the same two people over and over got much too old, and I thought It would be easier than it’s worked out to be.” “And you’ve been at this all day? When did you plan on calling it quits?” Adagio puffed up proudly, just for a second. “It became something of a challenge for me, partway through. Trying to see how many people I could get along with in one day.” Sugarcoat smiled slightly. “And your results?” Her answer at first was a rather impressive sigh. “Well, first I found out hitting on people doesn’t work. Then I found out I don’t like science. After that I got run out by a bunch of fruit elitists. Then chased down the road by a couple of homicidal parents. I did seem to connect with Rarity pretty well, and had a much needed spa day. Which of course was instantly offset by having a bunch of snakes thrown at me. Gardener snakes, of course, nothing dangerous, but mighty scary. Then I ate way too much sugar. And now I’m just trying to get home without passing out from rapid-onset diabetes.” “I think I would have cut my losses after the first time I ran down the street screaming my head off,” Sugar mused. Dazzle shook her head, embarrassed. “Today was not one of my finer moments. I’m still not sure if I want to go home yet or not, though, given what’s probable waiting for me there. Speaking of which, what about you? I don’t think they allow people to perform construction at this hour, so maybe your house has quieted down by now?” The eye roll she received in response was rather impressive. “You have not met my father.” “That bad?” “Worse.” The siren cringed. “Wow. I’d invite you over to my place, but I don’t suspect you’d get any sleep their, either. Sugarcoat shrugged. “That’s ok. I have a friend coming to pick me up in a few minutes. I’m spending the night at her place-” her sentence was cut off by a car horn not too far away. She looked up and saw a familiar face sticking out of a car window. “Hey, come on, Sugar! The movie’s gonna start soon!” Yelled the boisterous blue-haired girl. Adagio raised an eyebrow at the newcomer. “That’s your friend? I thought you wanted some piece and quiet.” Sugar stood up, picking up her novel. “She’s not as bad as she sounds. Plus she tends to pass out relatively early. Well, it was nice meeting you.” Dazzle nodded with a smile. “Agreed. Hopefully I don’t have to run the gauntlet like I did today to see you again.” “Hey Sugar! If you’re gonna lez it up with Goldilocks over there just bring her with!” The begoggled girl yelled from the car, honking the horn again. “Still not a lesbian, Indigo,” Sugar called back. Then she turned to Adagio. “Well, it appears you have an open invitation. And I believe you said something about not wanting to go home?” “Oh my GOD yes,” Adagio all but cheered, standing up a little too quick. Sugar watched with amusement as the bushy-haired girl gained her balance with little grace. “What movie are we watching, anyway?” the siren asked, eager both to avoid the long walk home, and her chaotic sisters for a whole night. “Knowing Indigo, probably something horror,” Sugar guessed, as they piled into the car. Adagio had just buckled her seatbelt when Indigo tore out of the lot. “Hold onto your tits, girls!” “……..aaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH………” Sugarcoat raised an eyebrow as Adagio experienced Indigo’s driving for the first time. “Yeah, that’s par for the course.”