Spending time with Twilight isn't as easy as it first seemed. Even though making her first impression with the science whiz is one of her top priorities, Adagio has a lot on her mind. The Apple Family reunion is only a couple days away and her mind is still making her doubt herself. How will a siren deal with the stress of it all? Maybe with the help of a friend and some manicures~
DISCLAIMER: This story includes references to depression, depressing thoughts, insecurities, anxiety, self-harm, blood, and thoughts based around all of these concepts. If you do not want to read a story with slight references to these, I would urge you to click off.
AN: I told you all that the last chapter was only a small update before my next big chapter~ And here it is! This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written so far, clocking in at 22 and a half pages with 14.3k words~ Please excuse any typos or weird sentences since this was all made in the span of four days without my beta reader, but I will go back and revise when possible~ I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of this chapter and I hope you all stay safe and special! Goodnight, everyone~
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Chapter XIV: White Lies and Solemn Truths
An awkward silence follows my exclamation with all eyes locked on me, including the dog's. My confused expression stays locked on my face for far too long as I try and process what just happened. We're not in Equestria... Animals shouldn't be able to talk here, right? I mean, some magic leaked through, but a whole talking dog? "Um... Is something wrong?" Words can easily be heard once again as the dog's mouth moves, making me question whether or not I'm dreaming... If I am dreaming, why would I dream of this place...? I usually imagine Sunset and I cuddling on the couch as we watch a movie, nothing else being important in the moment.
"Did... that dog just talk?" I ask slowly without taking my eyes away from the dog, both Twilight and Sunset looking to each other to assess the situation. "Please tell me I'm not hallucinating again." For a moment, everyone stays quiet in an awkward staring contest, but then Sunset laughs out loud to herself, sitting down on a chair nearby to prevent herself from falling down.
"Wait, you didn't know that Spike could talk?" Sunset barely asks through her laughs, struggling to breathe. Even though I find Sunset's laughs adorable, I can't help but feel a little irritated that knowledge like this is apparently so well known yet I wasn't in the loop of it. "I thought you kept tabs on all of us back when we were in school. Especially since you seemed to do an eerie amount of research on me," Sunset states after coming down from her laugh, still giggling slightly while she wipes a tear from her eye.
"I did research and kept my eye on you, but I was never aware Twilight's dog could talk! And are you telling me the other Twilight had a talking dog too?"
"I do have a name, you know," the dog states with a slight roll of his eyes before looking up at me. "I couldn't always talk, but Fluttershy helped me learn how to," Spike tells me with a happy look on his face, seemingly proud of his ability over other dogs.
"How... in the hell did Fluttershy help you learn how to talk?" My question is now aimed at Spike himself, the first time I'm actually willingly talking to him or any dog for that matter.
"That's a... long story," Twilight says with a sheepish look coming across her face, picking up Spike afterward.
"No, it's not. I simply jumped through five portals chasing that rabbit thing and here we are," Spike once again states with a proud look, causing Twilight to look at him with an annoyed glare and giving me a hundred more questions to ask... Before I can open my mouth, however, Sunset stands up and walks over to me, placing her hand on my shoulder and making me look into her ocean eyes. Her finger gently presses against my cheek and a small smile appears on her face, a slight shadow is cast upon her face since the light is behind her, yet her eyes remain as vibrant as ever. It's still hard to not get lost in them...
"Long story short, Twilight from Equestria had a talking dog since Spike was a dragon in Equestria. Spike the dog encountered magic and he can talk too. Somehow," Sunset tells me quietly, explaining the situation as briefly as she can. For a moment, even she looks like she doesn't completely understand the logistics behind it, making her seem even cuter. A small urge in my mind tells me to keep our eye contact for a while longer, my mind wanting to hug her once more, but I direct my attention to Twilight quickly. Right now isn't the time to get romantic.
"If Spike can talk, why haven't you taken his blood?" I ask the scientist with a raised eyebrow, feeling conned into this blood donation.
"Well, I actually did... His DNA has been altered slightly, but it's not nearly to the extent of Sunset's blood. It's so miniscule that it's hard to even determine if he's an accurate portrayal of how Equestrian creatures would be here. Since Sunset is only one specimen as well, it makes it difficult to come to any conclusion about the entire Equestrian populace when it could just be unique to her." Twilight's expression switches to a nervous one as she looks at the file on the table next to her, confirming the results she just relayed to me. "Anyway, sorry Spike gave you a little scare, but I hope you two can get comfortable around each other over time~" Putting the dog back on the ground, Twilight reaches back for the syringe and inspects it for a moment before coming closer to me. "It'll just be a little prick, so any pain you feel will be gone within a second or two~" As Twilight tells me this, Spike mouths the exact same words, seemingly giggling quietly to himself. I guess he's come to expect what nerdy Twilight will say after a while of being around her.
"Don't worry, I experienced it myself and it's not that bad," Spike tells me after he gets done giggling at Twilight, walking back over to his bed. Sunset, on the other hand, remains in front of me, grabbing my hand and crouching down, making me look down at her instead.
"What are you doing...?" I ask in a quiet voice, raising my eyebrow at the orange girl who always finds a way to be random yet lovable at the same time.
"Keeping you calm~" Sunset whispers without removing her eyes from mine, her smile getting a little bigger.
"You think I'm worried about a small syringe?" I ask her with a small laugh. I have to admit it though. It's hard to look away from her...
"No, but I usually get nervous at needles, so I just want to be here for you~" A bit of irony can be found from her statement... A few days ago, I found her in our room with a... knife... but here she is telling me she's nervous about needles. I guess that it doesn't make sense in a way. Overall, I just hope that she... doesn't feel like that again. Rubbing my thumb across her hand, I feel her soft skin and adopt a smile of my own, bringing my lips down to her forehead slowly. Even though Twilight is still here, I don't seem to care... I'm able to withhold myself from saying some pretty... embarrassing things, but a kiss shouldn't hurt.
"Relax, Shimmer~ I've handled worse things than a needle. I think this siren can deal with something as miniscule as-"
"Done~" Twilight interrupts me with a happy expression, looking at the syringe intently before she directs her attention to me. "Thank you so much for the sample~ I believe it'll really help with my research," she tells me before quickly bringing the syringe to a freezer located in the very back of the room. Huh... I didn't even feel a prick. I guess it does help to direct my attention to the summer mist known as my girlfriend.
"What were you saying, darling?" Sunset asks me with curious eyes, her hand not letting go of my own. Darling... It almost feels weird for her to say that since she usually calls me an alligator at this point. It's not that I dislike it, but I guess pet names in general are sorta new to me. Especially with Sunset.
"Forget about it," I whisper with my own chuckle, standing up from my seated position with Sunset. I was trying to be cocky and boast about myself for a moment, but I suppose it can wait until later. "Anyway, is this all we're going to be doing today? Doing science stuff? I'm feeling a little bored personally," I state in a teasing tone, stretching my arms with a pretend yawn.
"Do you like running around? We could chase squirrels together or go find buried treasure~" Spike pitches in with an excited look, wagging his tail slightly.
"Spike, I'm sure she wouldn't want to do those sorts of things," Twilight tells him with a slightly embarrassed look to her face, walking back over to us.
"Besides, I only run around in very specific instances, so I would rather relax." Those instances being if it's something really important or if it's for Sunset. Although, Sunset can probably be categorized as something really important too, so I guess there's only one reason I run. Whereas some people may not think running around in an alligator maze for a certain fiery girl is important, it is to me.
"We could watch a movie! Do you two like The Fifth Element or The Sixth Sense?" Twilight excitedly asks us, seemingly hoping for our answer to be yes.
"Is that your preferred genre? Science fiction?" I ask in a teasing tone, responding to her question with another.
"W-well, yeah, but I also love horror or legal dramas~ If you would rather watch one of those, I'd be fine with that."
Sunset giggles to herself before leaning her head on my shoulder, nudging me a little. "We'll be okay with The Sixth Sense, won't we?" Sunset responds to Twilight while also addressing me, urging me to say yes. "Besides, we'll have time to do multiple things, so we can watch that first~" Even though I don't know much about either one of those films, I know that the main reason we're here is for Sunset. She's been feeling so stressed lately and hanging out with one of her friends has been something she's wanted to do for a while, so it wouldn't hurt to do a couple activities they prefer. Of course, it's also good for me to get to know another one of Sunset's friends, but the main goal is to help her feel better.
"Sure, we can do that~" I tell Twilight with a smile, holding Sunset's hand a little tighter.
"Great! Although, I don't really have anything to snack on here," she responds with a look of embarrassment, motioning for us to walk back up the stairs. "I could go get some snacks at the local dollar store if you want? It really won't take that long." As Twilight says this, she looks at Spike and gestures for him to follow her, a slightly annoyed sigh coming from the dog.
"Fine, but only if we get some dog treats while we're there," Spike seemingly responds to Twilight's unspoken request to accompany her to the dollar store, a slight roll of his eyes. "I swear if I have to help carry things again... I only have this small body after all," Spike grumbles as he follows us up the stairs, Sunset chuckling to his remarks.
"Then I suppose Adagio and I will set the movie up while you're gone~ Do you mind if I take a quick shower first?" Sunset's question causes Twilight to turn her gaze back to us, a thoughtful expression coming to her.
"No, I don't mind. Just don't use the dog soap on the left side of the tub~" By the time we make it to the top of the stairs, Twilight grabs a pair of keys hanging from a rack near the front door and gives them to Spike. "Hold these, will you? Just make sure I don't forget them by the time I come back~" With that, Twilight quickly walks past us and through the living room, presumably going to change from her pajamas into street wear. Sunset's hand grips my own before she turns her body towards mine, placing her other hand on my shoulder.
"I'm going to go take that shower~ Do you mind if you get the movie ready? I should be out soon~" Sunset whispers quietly, looking deep into my eyes. Despite all the time I've been with her, it's hard to object to her when I'd much rather keep seeing those happy smiles.
"Sure, I can do that," I whisper back, winking at her before she starts to walk away from me, giving me a small nod. She mouths the words 'thank you' without taking her eyes off of me, walking down a hallway connected to the living room. Spike and I are left standing there, making me feel a little ridiculous for awkwardly keeping this position. The movie... Okay, I can start it up. I just have to find the movie storage. The only problem is that this is the first time I've ever been in Twilight's house. How should I know where her movies would be?
Shaking my head, I slowly walk into the center of the living room, looking at the fairly large television that Twilight has set up on the wall with a wooden table with multiple shelves. On these shelves are multiple... electronic devices, but no movie cases nor anything similar to a container for movies. A heavy sigh exits my lips, walking over to the entertainment center and looking around the different devices. Despite my efforts though, nothing seems to be here other than electronics and... dog toys. "Is there a problem?" Spike says through a muffled voice, walking over to me with the keys in his mouth.
"Yeah, actually. Where does Twilight keep her movies?" I ask the dog, feeling a little weird talking to an animal in this world... It was common in Equestria for all sorts of creatures to have the ability to talk, but in this world? Not so much...
"Movies?" Spike asks in confusion, looking at the entertainment center with a raised eyebrow. Briefly putting the keys down, Spike walks towards the couch, subsequently jumping on it to retrieve a remote. "Twilight doesn't own a lot of physical copies of movies." She doesn't own physical copies...?
"Then how does she watch anything?" My question seems to confuse Spike for a moment, bringing the remote over to me with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Um... She brings it up on Equestria+. You just click it and navigate to the title," Spike states as if it's an obvious concept, putting the remote on the ground and pressing the power button. Within a moment, the TV turns on and a bunch of icons show up on screen as well as the time. Right... Streaming services. What did Sunset call those? Digital libraries?
"Uh huh," I slowly agree with Spike, taking the remote in my hand and trying out some of the buttons, seeing how the icons become highlighted depending on how you press the buttons of the remote.
"Is this your first time operating a TV?" Spike asks me with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused at my experimentation.
"No, but... every other TV I've watched only really had channels. Not streaming services or something like the time."
"Oh, it's really simple~ Trust me! All you have to do is move around the screen with the arrow buttons and click the icon you're looking for with the 'OK' button. Then you do the same thing until you find the movie you're looking for~" Spike smiles eagerly and watches me try to do what he tells me, looking for any icon that says Equestria+.
"Is it the one with a bunch of rainbows and sparkles?" I ask hesitantly, pointing to the one on the top right of the screen, receiving a big nod as a response. Okay, that's solved... All I need to do is click on it apparently. Slowly moving the cursor over to the icon, a loud startup noise plays as soon as I select it, making my eyes widen.
"It's a bit loud, huh?" Spike sighs as he shakes his head, seemingly more affected by the noise than I am.
"Yeah. But I guess it's even louder for you. I mean, you're a dog and all." Spike laughs out loud to my statement, shaking his head even more to my amusement.
"You know what's funny? Most people don't really think about it from a dog's perspective, so we kinda just have to deal with everything you guys do." Raising his paw towards the TV, Spike's eyes connect with mine again, a smirk on his muzzle. "Such as loud noises~" Both of us share a small chuckle before looking at the TV again, seeing the loading icon turn around and around.
"Although, dogs don't have to worry about things like bills. Or loading icons in this instance."
"Not necessarily! Most dogs don't watch TV, but I do~ Whenever Twilight is gone, I usually spend my time watching my favorite shows." A prideful look comes across his face, seemingly happy that he seems so advanced as compared to his brethren.
"What's a dog's favorite show then?" I ask with my own smirk, still waiting for the damn loading icon to leave the screen. In an instant, the once prideful dog now dawns an embarrassed expression, looking to the floor.
"Um... Uh..." His eyes look around the room for a moment before a heavy breath comes from him, his sigh gently blowing the hairs of his paws. "Promise to not tell this to another soul?" he asks with a serious stare, looking directly into my eyes.
"As long as you promise to not tell anyone I didn't know how to work the TV," I tease him with a smirk and a small chuckle, prompting Spike to laugh a little bit.
"Fine, it's a deal. I... really like watching Korean dramas in my spare time," Spike states quietly, his embarrassed look only worsening after this confession. Despite my best efforts, I can't help but let out a small chuckle to this, Spike's eyes instantly looking at me again. "Hey! It's just a guilty pleasure. It's not like they're that bad or anything."
"No, no. I wasn't laughing at that. I just find it funny you found it so embarrassing that you made me promise to not tell anyone." Trying my best to give him a smile, I slowly stand up and walk over to the couch, sitting down in it. "It's not that bad~ If anything, it's one of the tamer things to be embarrassed about. I mean, everyone has some secret things they like." My statement seems to pique Spike's interest, causing him to walk over in front of me.
"What's something you like then?" he asks me point blank, staring at me for an answer. Something secret that I like... Most things I like aren't that secretive and they're mostly well known by the people who are friends with me. I guess the only thing I can think of are books since they're usually the thing that keeps me entertained when I have time off. Other than watching television shows, I read books just because they prevent me from getting bored. Besides, there are some really great stories out there...
"Books. I guess one embarrassing thing I like is the mystery genre, as cheesy as it can be at times." Spike nods slowly, a thoughtful look coming to him.
"I can't say I've ever read any of those novels, so I don't know how cheesy they can be, but I will take you at your word~" Spike responds with a smile on his face, but before either of us can say anything more, the sound of a door shutting catches our attention. Twilight swiftly walks into the room, causing Spike to go pick up the keys he had previously left on the floor.
"Well, Adagio, I'll be back soon~ Make yourself at home and feel free to take your shoes off if that would help you feel more comfortable." Twilight smiles at me with a small nod before walking towards the front door, her faithful canine companion following right behind her. The room brightens a little more as soon as she opens the door, showing how dim she usually keeps her interiors, but this only lasts a few seconds until she closes it right behind her. Stretching out slowly, I grab the remote again and try to locate one of the movies Twilight suggested. Thankfully the loading icon has now disappeared and everything seems to be going correctly.
"That was a shit show, now wasn't it?" a familiar voice whispers in my ear... Each and every word that comes out is said with a condescending tone, making my hairs stand slightly on edge... Even though the light of the TV is enough to light the whole room, a nervous feeling crawls over me once again, despite my blank face. Why do I keep seeing her...? Or hearing her in this case... "Meeting yet another person close to your love... Finding a talking dog and even giving your blood out to this person you've never talked to before. You know, you've just made it easier to look down on you."
"As I said before, this is my life," I whisper in response, trying to block my internal feelings and stay calm.
"You even helped that shy bitch earlier today. Seriously, what is wrong with you? Wanting to help everyone? Has she rubbed off on you too much?" Her striking voice penetrates my mind further, every whisper feeling like a jab.
"What do you do? Watch my every move?"
"It's like you expect me to not watch. Face it, Adagio. I see everything you do and I can't help but laugh at it." Looking to my left, the room is much darker than before, but the same red aura surrounds two eyes in the corner as well as a big gem hanging around her neck. It's tempting to freeze in her presence once more, but I somehow manage to keep my composure, looking directly into her taunting gaze. Surprisingly, her shadow walks towards me without breaking our eye contact once. "What are you doing, Adagio? Seriously. You're trying to mend relationships with people, keep the love of your life happy all while working on yourself. Why even try?" she asks in a threatening tone, her eyes aimed downward at me for what feels like ages. "Do you expect that everyone will suddenly like you? Maybe you can settle down and have a 'happy little life?' Sirens aren't supposed to live such quiet lives, especially one who had as much potential as you did." Her eyes carry more hate in them than usual, her stare seemingly looking directly into my mind.
"Whether you like it or not, I've chosen happiness over power. At least it makes my life feel meaningful at the end of the day." Looking away from her, I move the cursor on the screen to The Sixth Sense, selecting it easily.
"And power didn't? Can you truly tell me that power didn't fuel you? Didn't your life feel a little bit good back then?" Stepping in front of me, her shadow puts one of her feet on the coffee table in front of the couch, still looking down at me. For a moment, I contemplate retorting her statement, but the saddest fact is that she's technically right... "Didn't think so," she slowly whispers, walking over to the television and slowly carving her nails into the screen, sparks subsequently jumping off the device. "Also, it seems I was right, huh?" she chuckles in my ear, despite the distance between the two of us. Her laugh always sounds so dreadful, taunting...
"What do you mean?"
"Don't act like you don't know~ That bitch who dared to take our blood said that your dear love wasn't completely human, even after passing through the portal." Her eyes look over her shoulder as she engraves lines into the TV, a smile full of mal intent appearing on her face. "She still has a tiny bit of Equestrian DNA to her~ Meaning that you, Adagio Dazzle, the most powerful siren of them all, still have some of your siren genes in you too~" she taunts me in a quiet whisper, her evil tone never fading from her voice.
"We don't know that just yet."
"Oh, come on, Adagio. Don't tell me 'Oh, we don't know that I'm still a siren! There's still a chance!'" She mocks me, turning around and laughing at the portrayal. "Face it. If your precious girlfriend is still part Equestrian and she was a simple pony on the other side, then there's hardly any chance you don't have a tiny bit of siren still left in you~" For a moment, her face goes dull, thinking about her next words by bringing her hand to her chin. "Although, I will admit... You actually took my advice last night and let your emotions fuel your actions."
"Only when it came to finding the stuff that was stolen from Sunset and I," I whisper, looking away from the shadow, towards my legs.
"Untrue. You let your feelings guide you when you could have just left that girl in the wrong part of town." A small laugh escapes her lips as she looks towards the ceiling, shaking her head in amusement. "Even though you've taken my advice, you're still harboring so much doubt and insecurity. You're still a long way from being as glorious as you once were."
"In your eyes, the only way I will be good enough is if I return to my former place of power..." Connecting my gaze with hers, I can't help but sigh, not finding the energy to make some snarky remark or form some angry face.
"Maybe, Adagio. Still, the possibility of you being part siren proposes another one~" Leaning down to level our gaze, her evil smirk becomes even more apparent. "It's possible... that maybe I'm not just some vision in that mind of yours. If your DNA is truly part siren, maybe I'm real, unlike what you've been trying to tell yourself. Maybe. Just maybe... your bloodlust isn't gone, Adagio."
Opening my eyes to look at her again, her shadow is no longer present, the television being the only thing in front of me. Now, I can clearly see the markings she made on the device actually spell out a word... One simple word that has seemed to define my life at this point... Of course she's trying to make a point. It's always that way. How can I expect much different? I was cunning, charismatic and calculating... Intelligent... I still am, but I guess my motive has changed at this point. "Power," I whisper, reading the engraved word easily with a heavy sigh landing on my lips. Every time I've imagined her, it's always to try and get me to grab power by the throat once more, but I'm still not sure why I see her to begin with... Why did she just now start showing up?
With another blink of my eyes, the room brightens up again and the word is no longer visible on the TV screen, only showing me the cover of the movie I selected. Honestly, all I can find the will to do is chuckle, unsure what to make of this or what to do about it... That vision only appeared a few days ago, but the reason why is eluding me for now... She was right though. I do desire a 'happy little life' with Sunset and her friends. Our friends? Is it too much for me to want to see Sunset's smile for the rest of my life? Or to be with her and experience life to the fullest? I would hope not.
A small smirk comes to my lips as I stand up from the couch, hearing the sound of running water. I know one thing that can help me feel better from that shadow and she just so happens to be the cause of that sound. Twilight shouldn't take too long, but... she would surely be home after a quick shower, right? Not before or during. I mean, she has a talkative dog that occupies her time and she's quite a nervous wreck, so we should have some time~ Just enough time, right? Walking away from the couch, I can't help but smile to myself. I mean, an idea as mischievous as this shouldn't make me smile, but it's not like we haven't done anything like this before. It is just a different shower and all. It would be nice to see Sunset~ Though, I can already imagine the nervous expression on her face. She has a habit of switching from being adventurous and too shy on a dime, so it's a little funny to me to think of how she would handle something like this~
Walking down the hallway, I slowly open the door with the sounds of water coming from behind it, looking inside carefully. The inside of Twilight's bathroom is pretty barren, looking like a typical restroom inside anyone's house, but there were a couple of particular soap containers for both humans and dogs scattered around the sink. Twilight's shower has a curtain that provides a bit of modesty for the person in there, unlike some bathrooms that have shower doors. The curtain shows me the faint outline of a body, her clothes resting on the hamper next to the sink. A purple towel with twilight's favorite symbol on it rests near the clothes, which makes me giggle slightly to myself. Walking in slowly, I close the door behind me and smile to myself. "Hey, Sunset?" I call out her name slowly, walking closer to the shower. Instantly, Sunset's body jumps slightly, her outline seemingly turning towards the curtain.
"A-Adagio? What are you doing?" she asks nervously, even though I would think it's obvious what I'm doing here. Walking closer to the curtain with a slight chuckle, I slowly kick off my shoes and reach for my shorts.
"Isn't it obvious?" I respond with a question of my own, using a teasing tone in my voice. Despite how much she teases me, she's never ready for me to do the same to her, always dawning a flustered look rather than her usually confident appearance. I wouldn't doubt it if she's flustered right now~ "I figured I could use a shower myself. Besides the fact that I miss you~" I state quietly beside the curtain, just loud enough to be heard.
"U-um... Wouldn't it be awkward for both of us to s-shower together in Twilight's house?" Sunset asks hesitantly, her body's outline showing her nervousness. "And she will be back soon too, s-so..."
"We have more than enough time~" Slowly taking off my jacket, my hands grab the tights I've had on for a while, sliding them off my legs with ease. "What would Twilight care that two soulmates take a shower together?"
"S-soulmates?" Sunset slowly states, seemingly flustered with my words. Is this the first time I've openly said that to her? I could have sworn I said it before. After trying to compose herself, Sunset takes a deep breath right as I pull my shirt off my body. "I-I miss you a lot too, Adagio, but you didn't think you could wait until we go home or such?" A light chuckle escapes my lips, taking off the last items of clothing I still have on me, briefly inspecting myself in the mirror.
"Since we're going back to Dashie's home tonight, it doesn't make much of a difference, now does it? Twilight's gone and I miss you, so what's wrong with one small shower together~?" I ask the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, slowly approaching the curtains and gripping the edge with my fingers. "Unless... you really don't want me to join you," I say quietly once more, teasing her as best as I can.
For a moment, nothing but the sound of water hitting the surface of the tub can be heard, but this silence is only momentary as Sunset's fingers gently grab my own. "I... Fine, you can come in, you pushy alligator," Sunset slowly relents, pulling my hand slightly. A big smile appears on my face as I step inside the tub, slipping past the curtain and feeling the much warmer interior of the shower. Instantly, my eyes trace Sunset's body up and down, reminding me how little I've actually seen her like this, but every time I do, her beauty is always unparalleled. If anything, she might be more beautiful as time goes on~ "What?" Sunset asks me with a raised eyebrow, seeing where my attention lies.
"Just admiring you~ Is that a crime, Sunset?" I ask in a teasing tone, smirking slightly and closing the distance between us by placing my hands on her hips.
A short giggle comes from Sunset as she places her hand on my cheek, shaking her head to my statement. "Well, you're just as beautiful as ever too, alligator~" Despite the fact I've heard all these things from her before, they still make me blush a little too much, even when I'm trying to be the one flirting with her. She has such a way with me that I can't really resist it. A starry look comes to her eyes, both of us maintaining our gaze into each other's eyes for as long as we can. Holding her close to me, my body slowly pushes us against the shower wall, acting without my involvement. Her eyes never leave my own for a second, both of us seemingly blushing to this act, but the action itself doesn't stop... Warm water hits both of our shoulders, but a part of me finds it hard to care as I look deeper into her eyes. The distance between our lips is closed in a second without me even thinking of it, our embrace turning into a passionate one with ease. I feel Sunset's fingers reach the back of my head, pulling me even further into our embrace than I initially meant to. In moments like these, I can't help but love every single second of it, wishing these intimate times together could last much longer than they really do. The calm yet passionate way we hold onto each other always makes me feel so much lighter, as if I am living in a dream.
The only difference is that this is reality, making me curious as to how I could feel like this... The one feeling I searched for so long is now the one thing flooding my senses. Happiness... Just being this close to such a perfect person and being able to show her my love for her makes me feel so happy. As much as I try to resist it, my hands move on their own, gently sliding over her stomach and reaching her back with ease. Each kiss heightens my own feelings, yet I can't help but lose the environment to my mind. Why is it so easy to lose myself to her? Everything that makes up my being is given to her and only her. She's the only person to know me so well and to unlock this cold interior of mine. Maybe it's because she so easily causes a fire in my heart, making me act uncharacteristically and on impulse. These impulses just so happen to push me so close to her that I can feel her heartbeat through her chest, each exchange of our lips giving us another moment of bliss. Our tongues take turns exchanging the passionate embrace, making me feel so high off the moment. I could never tire of her taste or her scent, the feel of her soft skin permeating itself in my mind. I can't help but love her, the person who helped me realize what life can really be. Every part of her is perfect, no matter what she may think of herself. Kissing her as passionately as I can, I slowly move my hands past her hips on impulse, feeling her skin on the way down.
Suddenly, Sunset's hands grab my wrists, breaking away from our kiss with a heavy breath. After what felt like forever, we finally connect our gaze again, her eyes full of love and conflict at the same time. Even though the water is hitting most of our skin, I can't help but notice the amount of sweat that's appeared on both of us. Despite this, I can't help but wish for the moment to continue for a little while longer, wishing for just one more kiss. "We should really f-finish our shower~" Sunset whispers with a wink, pulling my hands off her body slowly. "Twilight will be home any second, so we should be ready to hang out with her, don't you think?" I can't help but dawn an expression of guilt, realizing just how far we got into the moment because of my own greed. Although, it did feel... really nice. I... hope she felt all of that too. She had to, right? Gently, her finger presses against my chin with a smirk coming to her face. "Thanks for that, though~ It felt really nice, getting a reminder~" Gently, her lips press against mine one more time, a final kiss before our time with Twilight.
"It felt really nice for me too," I whisper to her, slowly grabbing the soap. She's right. We do need to hurry up. Just spending time with her in general is lovely, but a part of me hopes that we can do that again soon~
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"Wait! That's how the movie ends?!" I exclaim, looking towards the TV screen. My shocked expression seems to give Twilight and Sunset a bit of amusement as their giggles fill the air. Looking to Sunset, I aim my hand at the screen with a bit of confusion in my expression. "Did you two already see this or am I weird for being surprised?" Once again, the girl who has brought so many warm smiles to my life bursts out into laughter, slowly getting up from the couch to hug me and struggling to hold any of her giggles in.
"Your surprise is so cute, Adagio~ And yes, we have seen the movie before, but it's still fun to see your reaction," Sunset barely mumbles through her laughs, holding onto me to avoid falling over. Twilight also giggles a little harder, but not nearly to the state that Sunset has. Reactions can be... amusing. Especially if they belong to Sunset, giving me the cutest exclamations whenever she sees something for the first time, so I guess I can somewhat understand the point of view the two of them share. Shaking my head slightly, I sit back down on the couch and roll my eyes, despite the smile on my face.
"I'll admit that it was a good movie," I slowly state, reaching my hand into a bowl of chips that Twilight had left on the coffee table. Unsurprisingly, this bowl is almost empty due to all of us eating from it throughout the movie. Before I can think of anything else to say about the piece of media, Twilight stands up from her seat and walks over to the entertainment center, slightly humming to herself.
"I'm really glad you two came over~ It's nice to smile with some good company every now and again," she tells us without looking back, still messing with something. Sunset giggles slightly to Twilight's statement, holding my hand and leaning her head against my shoulder.
"I'm surprised you could even have us over to begin with~ The last time we talked extensively, you and Timber were inseparable." Who is Timber? And when was the last time the two of them caught up with each other...?
"Oh, yeah..." A nervous chuckle comes from the dark-haired girl, adjusting her glasses while she still concentrates on some device. "Timber and I are... taking a break for now. Just a small one," she whispers in response, seemingly feeling awkward about the ordeal as a whole. Since Sunset is the first person I've ever dated, I can't say I've ever had a break from someone before, but I can somewhat understand how something like that may hurt or cause some form of heartache.
"Oh?" Sunset hesitantly lets out, letting go of my hand and walking over to Twilight quickly. Putting her hand on the purple girl, Sunset crouches down next to her and gives her a kind smile, trying to comfort her. "Did something happen...?"
"Nothing particularly bad," Twilight lets out, not returning Sunset's gaze for a long while. "Timber just said that he felt we needed a little more space for the foreseeable future... Which is understandable. I kinda asked to hang out with him whenever I could, so I guess he just got a little tired." Twilight's head tilts downward for a second, but she refuses to let herself droop any longer than necessary, refocusing her attention back to the entertainment center. Without a moment of hesitation, Sunset hugs her friend in an attempt to make the both of them feel slightly better about the situation. Honestly, I'm unsure what to say or do since I've never dealt with something like this before personally... I mean, wouldn't it be a little weird to go up to her and say that I feel sorry for her predicament?
Standing up slowly, I watch Twilight mess around with one of the devices, despite her conversation with Sunset. "Hey, at least it's just a break. There's no guarantee something will go wrong or he doesn't want to talk to you again," I somehow say even though I am finding it extremely hard to find the right words. Both of them look towards me as I walk to Twilight's other side, sitting down on the ground with a slow sigh. "I mean, Sunny and I here have already taken a couple breaks ourselves. Mostly because of work stress and busy schedules, but you've seen how much this unicorn loves me." That was a bold-faced lie. Sunset and I haven't taken a break yet at all. We've been going slow with our relationship and I think we both enjoy the pace we've set, but I suppose I lied because I wanted to give Twilight some sort of hope... Me, a siren, wanting to give hope to someone. It's a weird world I live in.
Despite the initial confusion on Sunset's face, Twilight's eyes lock on me and a hopeful smile comes to her. "Really?" she slowly asks, looking between the two of us to confirm my story. "I never suspected that you two would have relationship trouble since it seems like your relationship is so... nice~" Even though I lied about Sunset and I having breaks in our relationship, we have had our fair share of trouble, so it's not exactly a lie to say we can understand the amount of work it takes to keep things going.
"Yeah, you wouldn't realize how much this alligator and I struggled during some of my finals in April~" Sunset pitches in, adding to my story with a slight wink while the purple girl wasn't looking. Something already tells me that Twilight is the type of girl to strive for perfection, not even realizing how she's allowed to mess up or have troubles within her social life. Hell, Sunset's social life with her friends has practically been nothing but troubles ever since Valentine's Day. Well, that's more of my fault...
"Thanks, gals~ It... really does make me feel better." A smile appears on her face as she sighs quietly, seemingly feeling a little relieved. "Maybe... Maybe Timber and I can make it~" Before Sunset and I can say anything more, Twilight finally presses a power switch to the device she's been setting up, an audible beep being heard for a moment. Prompting us to stand up, she hands both of us a controller with a smile. "But let's forget about that for now~ Want to play a game?" A game...? Looking down at the video game controller in my hand, it suddenly dawns on me what the device she was working on was, making me feel a little stupid for a moment. For that and the fact that I've never really played video games before... The most experience I have is in the form of arcade games...
"Sure~ What type of games do you have?" Sunset cheerfully agrees, an excited look coming to her. I knew Sunset liked playing games, but I didn't know she was experienced with video games. And did my summer mist just agree on my behalf to play on a device I know nothing about...? I might as well be a bug waiting to be stomped by the two of them...
"You can look through my game collection on the console and pick something out~ I have to go get Spike. He loves watching video games and even trying to play some~ Though he's not very good at it," Twilight tells us with a slight chuckle, quickly changing the TV's screen to show the console's home menu. Something tells me that I'm about to get my ass beat...
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Perhaps I let my experience at the arcade tint my viewpoint. I thought when we picked a racing game that it would be just as easy as the arcade game, but the truth of the matter is that it posed a harder challenge than almost any other game I've played. Well, other than the game of love... Sure, the bots were a driving force of my failure, but the biggest problem was the other two girls with controllers. Turns out, they were pretty good, but they loved shunting my car whenever they had the chance. They also hurt each other's cars, but it sure seemed like they I kept getting beat up on. Bots and players alike...
We also played other titles like fighting games and platformers, but most of the time I had a controller, I ended up falling off a high surface and dying from fall damage. Spike usually tried to take over for me, but since he lacked thumbs or fingers, he played at a relatively same level as me. All in all, I still think that we all had a good time, especially since Sunset smiled so much in our small amount of time with Twilight. I'm glad that she can have a good time~ Hopefully, she can have a good time with all of her friends at the Apple Family reunion. From time to time, it still... makes me feel sad that I caused all of this. Being her friend caused all of them to argue and they still haven't all talked as friends again.
A small sigh leaves my lips before I take a sip from my cup of water, closing my eyes. I've made some progress apologizing to all of Sunset's friends, but I still have a few I need to 'become friends with.' One of them I haven't even met yet... I would have gone to see Pinkie Pie earlier in the week, but with everything that's happened recently, I didn't have the time. Well, I guess I also dread the meeting since I'm... not sure how she will react...
"Is everything alright?" Twilight asks me with a curious tone to her voice, finishing her task of washing the dishes. It's almost a shame. The sound of running water facilitated a lot of my deeper thoughts easily. Sunset herself isn't anywhere to be seen... She just told us that she would be right back and ran out the front door, leaving us to the quiet abode that Twilight calls home.
"It's nothing. Just thoughts," I tell her in a quiet voice, drinking from my water again. To be honest, a part of my mind still feels insecure and not confident in my choice of dating Sunset. If I wasn't here, her whole social circle wouldn't be a mess right now, but I guess that means I have to try and fix it.
Wiping her hands on a hand towel next to the sink, Twilight walks over to the table and smiles at me before sitting down. Fiddling around with her own hands, the purple girl seems like she's trying to think of what to say, unsure what may be appropriate. She seems like an awkward girl, but I know she means the best at this point. "Are these thoughts of yours dealing with something embarrassing? Or something you would rather forget?" she asks me, locking her gaze with mine easily.
"I suppose... It's something like that." Looking down at the tablecloth, I can't help but sigh once more, letting myself think for just a second. "Do you remember Valentine's Day? Earlier this year?" My question causes Twilight to look at me curiously, nodding slowly as a response.
"Yeah, I do. It was... Well, it wasn't great. What about it?" she asks me with a cautious tone to her voice, wondering what I'm thinking.
"When you and your friends were at Garden Hooves Park, I was nearby and I heard most of what happened." Instantly, Twilight's eyes widen and a nervous expression comes to her, the right words avoiding her thoughts. "I'm grateful you wanted to give me the benefit of a doubt, so don't think I'm mad or anything. I just sometimes... regret getting involved in Sunset's life. It seems like I caused it all to happen."
"Don't try to think like that~ You've meant a great deal to Sunset's life so far~ She told me about her feelings for you on Valentine's Day, actually~" Grabbing my hand slowly, Twilight smiles as sincerely as she can, seemingly thinking of what to say. "It's just... some of us have too much pride to apologize, but everyone is invited to the Apple Family reunion, so I guess that's Applejack's attempt to make things right~"
"Yeah, but I suppose we just have to wait and see how it goes... Especially since I'll be there and all." It's hard for me to not expect another fight over me. I tend to cause bad things to happen, but I do hope it goes alright... "Either way, I was just saying that I sometimes can't help but think that. Sunset means a lot to me too, so I'm still glad I'm in her life, but things would be a lot simpler if I wasn't here. Or if my past wasn't so... well, bad." Both of us go silent for a moment, nothing but the sound of a clock ticking away the seconds fills the air between us.
"Yeah..." Twilight takes a deep breath and looks down at her lap with a small sigh, shaking her head. "Things would be a lot simpler if the past was different. Sunset told you how I turned into a she-demon at the Friendship Games, right?" she asks me slowly, connecting our eyes once again.
"She told me bits and pieces, yeah. Though, Sunset also told me everyone forgave you a lot faster than her. Or me..." A nervous expression comes to Twilight, her finger slowly twirling a strand of her hair.
"Maybe it's because the school had experience with you two before?" A small laugh exits my lips, prompting Twilight to chuckle along nervously, unsure of why her statement is funny to me.
"Yeah, I suppose that could be the cause. The past can really mess things up, can't it?" Twilight nods with a small chuckle, both of us looking at each other for a moment. Twilight's mouth opens to say something, but before the words leave her mouth, the sound of the front door opening can be heard. Both of us look towards the opening of the kitchen in curiosity, a small smile coming to my face. Quickly walking through the doorway with a pant, Sunset places a plastic bag on the counter, smiling when she sees us.
"I'm back~" she says with a happy tone to her voice, humming as she reaches inside the bag. "As a thank you for the nice evening..." Pulling out a plastic container from the bag, her eyes light up as she shows us the thing she had so eagerly bought. "I got some cupcakes~" A quizzical look comes to Twilight's face, her eyes staring at the cupcakes in Sunset's hands.
"Oh, you really didn't have to~ It was fun for me too."
"Well, I did~ Besides, I don't know which pocket I stuffed the receipt in, so we're going to have to eat this~" Sunset happily hums, her warm smile ever present on her face. Her kindness and determination always makes a room feel so much brighter, even if she isn't meaning it. It's impossible for me to not love her at this point. Why does she have to be so cute?
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The last lights of the day color the horizon and the sky above us, showing just how long we had stayed at Twilight's house. I don't think it was either of our intentions to be there for so long, but as long as Sunset had fun, I'm okay with it. The usually crowded sidewalks of the city are now much quieter, leaving the sound of the wind and some birds to accompany our walk home. Well, our walk back to Rainbow Dash's house, that is... I don't like relying on Rainbow's hospitality, but I'm glad she's willing to help us. Her parents are pretty nice too, but they do seem to idolize their daughter a lot, evident by the hundreds of pictures of her everywhere. I didn't tell Apple Bloom about the break-in simply because she had other things to talk about... Besides, it would only make her worry about me and she doesn't need to do that.
Sunset sighs happily, holding my hand a bit tighter as she rests her head on my shoulder. It seems that she enjoys our walk as much as I do, despite the distance we have to travel. "What's on your mind, alligator?" she asks me quietly, both of us keeping our pace at a constant speed. Due to the lack of people on the streets at this point of the day, it almost feels like the two of us have some form of privacy, as small as it is.
"I was just thinking about today, honestly. And Apple Bloom." A melancholy breath leaves my lips as I try to smile, thinking about the upcoming few days.
"Oh? Is there something wrong with Apple Bloom?" Her expression turns from confusion to worry, her eyes connecting with mine to try and get some sort of answer.
"No, I don't think so. I was just thinking about the stories she tells me. And the fact that she made me promise to spend some time with her during the reunion." A light laugh comes from the fiery-haired girl of my dreams, finding amusement in my words and removing any worry from her face. Raising my eyebrow, I can't help but find her giggles cute. "What's so funny?"
"Well, isn't that obvious~? You decided to become friends with her, so I think spending time with her is unavoidable~"
"First, I didn't decide to become friends with her. She just sorta... stuck around. And second, I wouldn't actually try to avoid spending time with her, but I am sorta wondering how I will be dividing up my time during that day." Sunset easily chuckles to my statement again, holding onto me tighter.
"Oh, Adagio~ It wasn't so long ago that you didn't care about anyone else's feelings, but now, you're struggling to think about being fair with your time~" My heart flutters slightly to the sensation of Sunset's lips pressed against my cheek, making me flustered far too easily for my own good. I thought I would be used to a simple kiss by now, but even holding hands with Sunset never fails to make me really happy. "You could avoid spending time with me if that would help you solve your dilemma?"
"Hell no," I quietly respond to her question, shaking my head for added effect. "I'll find some way to spend time with everyone. Even you, my summer mist~" Whispering right next to her ear, I slowly lay my lips on her cheek, giving her a nervous giggle. Her cute blush returns, playfully punching my shoulder with a shake of your head.
"You know, you were really bold back there~" Sunset whispers, winking to me as she refers to our little shower together.
"What? Is it wrong to be bold with the woman I love?"
"No, not at all~ I actually liked it, but you couldn't have waited until later?" Sunset laughs to her own words, letting go of my hand to walk a few steps in front of me. "Maybe you still are a siren, huh~?" Sunset whispers with a giggle, seemingly having fun with the idea that I may still be able to use magic to attract others... As much as I sometimes miss my magic, the thought of still being... her... is scary to me. Lustful for power itself without regard to the individuals I step on to get it. I mean, I've tried so hard to change, so the thought I'm still her deep down is terrifying... Her dark eyes, that evil smile... I already lost two of the closest people to me from that drive for power. The thought of losing Sunset to that as well is... depressing... I guess that's why I'm afraid to sing again... I lost what was closest to me when I sang my heart out last time. If I sing again... "Alligator?" Sunset's voice asks hesitantly, finally noticing her eyes looking at me with a worried tone in them. "Are you alright?"
"Sorry. I just sorta blanked out again. I'm alright though~" I lie to her, taking her hand in mine with a smile and keeping our walk down the sidewalk at a nice pace. The light of the sky is leaving fast, so I'd rather get to bed soon.
"If you say so," Sunset states with a chuckle, leaning her head on my shoulder once more. Her happy sigh once again makes my heart flutter. If I ever lost her, I wouldn't know what to do... "It was a really nice thing though~ What you did back there for Twilight."
"What do you mean exactly?" My mind searches through the various activities that the three of us did today, trying to find what was the nice thing Sunset is referring to.
"When you told her that we had our own breaks~ It was a lie clearly, but sometimes, a white lie can help more than the truth." I don't know Twilight that well, but I suppose I just felt like I should try to help her, even if it's about a relationship problem... I'm not too experienced with relationships, but still.
"I just felt like it was the right thing to do, that's all," I whisper in response, holding Sunset's hand a little tighter. "Though, who is this Timber guy?"
A small chuckle comes from Sunset as she takes her head off my shoulder, clearing her throat for what sounds like a story. "Well, a while ago, my friends and I went to a place called Camp Everfree..."
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It's always a pain when you wake up due to nightmares, rather than the alarm you had specifically set so that you could get the full eight hours of sleep. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pattern with me the past couple of days... The nightmare I had yesterday was about Sonata and Aria, but tonight's nightmare was just an endless number of corridors, running from something chasing me. Those kinds of dreams are the ones I hate the most... Not only do they have no rhyme or reason as to why you imagine these scenarios, but you always feel this sense of dread that makes you wake up in a cold sweat, either physically or mentally. Either way, I suppose it's a gift as well... Sunset doesn't have to wake up to the alarm I set and she gets to sleep in. Whereas I have to go to work early and miss out on all the comfort I could have if I could just sleep in with her. Though, the thing that breaks my heart the most about early mornings is seeing Sunset's sleeping body clinging to mine, clearly comfortable with the current situation with a smile on her face. Even though we take turns cuddling in this position, it's always nice to see Sunset's smile, no matter how we fall asleep together. Today, Sunset's head rests on my chest as her arms wrap around my lower torso with one of her legs peacefully resting on top of my thighs.
It's always so cute to see her smiles in her sleep. I'm glad that she can even get sleep recently, given everything that's happened. Maybe it's the fact that I'm here next to her that helps her sleep. I don't know how I would be a sleeping aid, but I know Sunset's presence has definitely helped me calm down in the past. Even when we were just friends... Hell, there was that one instance where we both slept in the same bed while we were still friends, but I suppose we both were denying the truth at that point. The truth that we both loved each other, despite the fact that we were supposed to just be friends... She loves me... Sometimes, it's still surprising to think that. Or even wake up to her. Back in Equestria, I didn't know that loving someone this much was possible unless it was yourself. Now, I wouldn't wish to wake up anywhere else than her arms.
Grabbing my phone slowly, I try to not disturb Sunset before turning off the preset alarm, sighing at the fact that I had five minutes left until it would go off. Almost every part of me tells me to stay in bed and keep cuddling the fiery-haired angel right next to me, but I know I have to go to work... I used almost all of my sick days when I was avoiding Sunset and everyone else after Valentine's Day, so I can't really afford to use more of them... Leaning down slowly, I kiss Sunset's forehead with a smile, trying to be gentle enough that I don't stir her. "Have a good day, beautiful," I whisper before slowly pulling away from Sunset's embrace, already missing the warmth that she provided. Her peaceful smile slowly fades once I leave the bed, making my heart ache slightly... When was the last time I had a long weekend to myself? It'd be nice to surprise Sunset with some days inside, just to take time for ourselves and avoid work and school. But life still goes on... At least I'll be able to see her tonight. "I love you," I mouth the words with a hesitant smile before I fully grab my pajama pants, walking towards the guest room door. A part of me is still surprised that Sunset and I are actually in this situation. That we actually love each other and such... It's like a dream.
Shutting the door as quietly as I can, I walk outside into the kitchen, seeing Rainbow Dash sitting at the dining room table. The dim lights of dawn barely illuminate the curtains behind her, yet it's still visible that her eyes seem bloodshot. Did she get any sleep last night...? More importantly, her eyes are trained on a small antibiotic bottle on the table. It's not the kind that holds pills though. Instead, it looks like one of the medicines that is in a liquid form, making me raise my eyebrow. Turning on the light to the kitchen, Rainbow's attention instantly diverts from the bottle to me, a worried expression on her face. "Oh! Hi, Dagi... Sorry, did I wake you?" she asks in her usual raspy voice, though it sounds more tired than usual.
Walking over to the fridge and getting a bottle of water, I shake my head before opening the cap, taking a deep sip of the ice cold liquid. "No, you didn't. My alarm didn't wake me either. My dreams did a good enough job at that already." Rainbow Dash chuckles slightly to my statement, shaking her head before she drags her hands across her face.
"You can say that again. Dreams often do that to you." Before I can respond, Dash's expression turns to one of nervousness as if she didn't mean to say that. Looking back to me, Rainbow Dash notices my skeptical look and smiles sheepishly. Walking over to the table, the normally excited athlete pulls the medicine bottle towards her, locking her eyes with me after I sit down.
"Are you up because of dreams or because you need to take some medicine? I wasn't aware you needed prescriptions," I say quietly, taking another sip of my water. Honestly, I don't know what Rainbow could need medicine for, but the bottle keeps my interest for some strange reason.
"Oh no! It's not a prescription. It's a um... an anti-cold medicine. I..." Dash's anxious and nervous behavior puts me off edge for a moment, causing me to raise my eyebrow again. Her demeanor instantly turns to one of frustration as she hits the table with the bottom of her fist, grimacing at whatever thoughts are going on inside her head. "Damn it... I can't keep doing this..." she whispers under her breath, shaking her head before pressing it against the table. "I'm sorry. I... It's not a prescription."
Reaching over and grabbing her shoulder slowly, I rub in circles and sigh slowly. "Are you alright, Dash? You can talk to me if something is bothering you."
A slow nod comes from her, sighing out of frustration and exhaustion. "Dagi, have you... ever been pressured to do something? Like so much that it makes you feel like you have no choice?" Pressured? Well, maybe by life when I felt like the only choice I had was to give Sunset a gift to find happiness... But that was a good outcome, so I suppose it's not necessarily something that fits here.
"I suppose it depends... Is this something that is negative in nature?" I ask with a curious tone, looking at Rainbow's tired expression.
"You can say that..." Another tired sigh exits her lips before she connects her eyes with mine again. "It's just... When you have a certain expectation put on you to win by people you expected were friends of yours, it feels weird when the way you can win is... not great." Her gaze breaks away from mine, looking at the curtains with a melancholy expression. I had that expectation to win, but the only one who put it there was me... "They keep pestering you to try it and to do it. You keep trying to deny and keep strong to your ideals, but... sooner or later, you break and do what they say. I mean, what other future do you have, right?" A singular tear starts to form in her eyes before she shakes her head, sniffing slightly. "One day, you're viewed as the best, but the next? You realize you're just getting older and maybe the path you've chosen is not the best fit for you. So, you feel like those 'friends' who told you to keep winning have a point." Getting up from the table, Rainbow Dash paces back and forth, gripping her forehead in an attempt to think.
"Does this scenario have anything to do with that?" I ask, pointing to the bottle she left on the table. Without even looking at me, a slow nod comes from her with a couple tears coming out from under her hand.
"It's not a fucking prescription, Dagi... It's not even legal. It's something that's supposed to make you better than any of the competition and... it works." Her eyes look towards mine with sorrow in them, her face desperately trying to remain composed. "I used to be a top player back at Canterlot High. But now? My teammates keep telling me that I'm not doing well enough and they gave me that... They pressured me so much and told me that I'd be replaced if I didn't take it." Walking back towards the table, Rainbow looks down at the bottle with a look of contempt. "So, I did... God, it worked, but it made it so much harder to keep myself from getting annoyed or irritated. It practically forces you to stay awake, even if you're trying to get a good night's sleep." Sniffing quietly, she sits back down and rubs her eyes silently, sighing from the truth she's letting off her chest. "Worst part is... I don't even know if I want to keep being an athlete... I picked this because I was so good back in the day and now? I can't keep it up without using this stupid thing. This thing that makes me depressed and tired, but unable to sleep..." Picking up the bottle, her grimace only increases, a hateful stare coming from her eyes.
"These teammates of yours... They don't sound like real friends if they are making you think things like this." I can't help but feel sad for Dash, the friend of mine who is clearly exhausted with her current situation, but there seems to be no escape... Not so long ago, I experienced something similar... "You... haven't been relying on this, have you? Outside of sports, I mean."
"Hell no!" Rainbow states with a surprised look, locking her eyes with me. "I would have stopped taking it a long time ago, but... I'm just so unsure of my future at this point that it feels like I'll lose the one path I chose if I do stop..." Putting the bottle back on the table, a hesitant breath is drawn in, sounding like she is about to cry before she pulls herself together once more.
"Can I ask you a question, Dash?" I quietly ask, looking straight into her eyes. One thing won't leave my mind, despite how much I've listened to her. After a moment of consideration, the girl in front of me nods, keeping our eye contact for as long as possible. "You know that these teammates aren't friends. You know this... drug isn't good for you. You're clearly miserable and you want some form of help, but you also want to succeed in life and keep going down the path you've chosen... Is this the way you want your life to go, Rainbow?" Her magenta eyes widen upon hearing my words, her hands fidgeting quietly. "You strive to impress and appease those around you with your ability to win, but you have to ask yourself whether or not it's more important for you to stay loyal to yourself and your ideals rather than clearly harming yourself just for one more medal. Just for the praise of fake friends and people who don't care about you." Her gaze breaks from mine as a solemn expression crawls across her face, looking down at the bottle right in front of her.
"I do want to stop... It's just... I don't know what I'm going to do. My grades in high school weren't the best and I haven't been accepted to any of the colleges I applied to... The only shot I seem to have is a scholarship in sports." A frustrated smile appears on her face, looking at me with tearful eyes. "I would pour this bottle in the sink right now, but I don't know what to do..."
"College isn't everything, Rainbow. Your life isn't ruined because of a couple bad grades in high school either. I mean, look at me. I have a job without a high school diploma or college education. I'm happy with my girlfriend and I've even gotten a couple raises." Grabbing Rainbow's hand with a caring smile, I grab the bottle from the table and shake it slightly. "This... is just poisoning your life. You can always change your course. Friends and family can help you apply for different colleges and even boost your resume. You're not stuck, Dash. You can get out, you just need a little help to be the same awesome girl you were in high school." Rainbow grabs onto my hand, finally letting her wall break down as tears stream down her face. Pressing her face down on the table, her shoulders shake with each sob she lets out, still trying desperately to stop herself, but that sentiment is broken with every moment I run my thumb across the back of her hand. Even though the morning is quickly approaching, the moment seems to last for much longer than it probably is. Every part of me feels sad for Rainbow Dash, making it hard to see her cry... She's one of my best friends, despite any of the fights we may have had. Seeing her like this is hard, but I know that the only reason Rainbow Dash stayed out here was because she needed someone. She needed something to hold onto and someone to tell her she's strong enough to keep going.
"Y-you really think I can...? That I-I can still be good enough if I... don't end up being an athlete?" she's barely able to mutter through the sniffling and the attempts to choke down her cries. Gently, I hold onto her hand tighter, letting her know I'm still here. "I-I want to still be... awesome..." Being awesome may seem like such a mediocre goal to most people, but that ideal has always been something that has been important to Rainbow Dash. Even when I was her enemy, I could tell she used it to express herself and her self worth. It's important for her and the very idea of not being awesome in some way makes her feel like she has no worth. It's something to hold onto. Something to keep her grounded.
"Of course, Dash. You can still be awesome if you decide to do something completely different and abandon this path. It's not too late to find something else you want to do and trust me when I say that you are still awesome. In every way possible. You don't even need to leave athletics altogether, you just need to find what works for you. All you need to do is take that first step to get away from these toxic influences and it will become easier to decide where to go from there." Bringing my hand to Rainbow Dash's chin, I slowly bring her head to my eye level, connecting our gaze with the kindest smile I can make. Slowly, I shake the bottle, attracting her attention. "Want to guess what that first step is?"
Bringing her hands to her face, Rainbow Dash's sobs slowly recede, trying to regain her composure by wiping away the tears and taking deep breaths. Taking the bottle in her own hand, she stands up from the table, walking into the kitchen before connecting her eyes with mine again. "Dumping this out. That's the first step." Nodding to her, she quickly takes the cap off and pours the container's contents into the sink, watching it all go down the drain. She tries so hard to appease others that it leads to conflict within herself. I think the reason why she was sitting out here was because she wanted someone to see her. She didn't want to lie anymore... That's the first step. Taking back control and realizing who she is. The awesome Rainbow Dash.
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Teaching kids isn't exactly a cake walk. It's especially hard when some kids are more resistant to learning than others. No matter how many times you try to get them to focus on a certain subject, they just won't. Teaching a child how to sing is even more frustrating. Not only do I have to make sure they're paying attention, I also have to critique their singing skills. If I don't do it carefully, I could kill any drive they have for music to begin with. I also don't want to make them have a huge ego either. That's only setting them up for failure if they believe they're really great when they're actually just mediocre. So, teaching children how to sing is almost an art of itself. I have to be super careful, strict, yet open enough to adapt to each child's way of learning, whether it be using analogies about their favorite things or just going off of textbook material. Today, I had to make music notes into analogies with space ships from some sci fi television show so that the kid would actually listen.
That's why it's especially nice to get off work somedays. I guess I do like teaching sometimes. I get to see potential and how it is transformed as time goes on, but it's also tiring on days like today. In a way, I suppose my spa day with Rarity and Fluttershy is supposed to get rid of some of my stress, but since I've never really been to a spa, it's a little hard for me to relax. I mean, trusting someone else with my body isn't really something I would prefer to do, but maybe it will be a worthwhile experience. I'm just not sure what exactly Rarity will want to do. Is this Fluttershy's idea...?
Shaking my head, I grab my phone out of my pocket, finally being able to have time to myself. Instantly, my fingers navigate to the contacts section to find Rarity's phone number, but I can only seem to hesitate to click on her number... A part of me knows exactly who I should call... The contact is right there. It wouldn't hurt to call and see how things are going, right? Then I can call Rarity right after. A small sigh leaves my mouth before I click on the phone number right under Rarity's, bringing the phone to my ear. The ringing can be heard for what feels like forever, causing me to roll my eyes as I walk. Come on... How long does it really take for you to pick up a phone call? The annoying tone finally comes to a stop as a masculine voice clears his throat before speaking into the phone. "Filthy Rich speaking. May I ask who it is I am speaking to?" he says in an all too formal tone, causing me to chuckle slightly to myself.
"Seriously? You don't have my number marked down by now? I gave you it yesterday so that you could contact me," I say with a slight annoyance in my voice.
"Dazzle. How did I know it would be you?" His question is fueled with a bit of frustration, but he keeps his composure nonetheless. "What do you need now?"
"You act like all I do is need things from you, Rich. You should know me better than that," I remark with a chuckle, bringing my hand up to my chest as if he could see me.
"I also know that you don't just want to chat with me. What do you want? I'm quite busy today." Even though it's sometimes fun to mess with Rich, I am also relying on him at this point, so I don't really feel like pushing his buttons too much.
"I had some free time today and I wanted to see if you have had any leads on my stolen possessions. You know, the list I gave you?" A slight groan can be heard from the other side of the call, giving me the answer without saying any words.
"I said I would help you find them, but you can't expect me to do this in just one day. Looking throughout the city is harder than you might think."
"Come on, Rich. Cut the bullshit. We both know that the longer those items are out there, the more likely it will be that we can't get them back. Some of that stuff is replaceable, but some of it isn't." My tone that was once humorous is now replaced with one of anger, still feeling that all too familiar rage... I don't want to let these possessions go. For her sake...
"And that's why you came to me instead of the police. You know that I'm the only man who can do this. Have some faith, Dazzle." A slight chuckle comes from his end of the call, despite his busy tone just a few moments before. Before I can respond, the sound of a door closing can be heard, a heavy breath coming to Rich. "I know I can rely on you, Dazzle. Do the same for me. As long as you complete your end of the bargain, I will find your possessions. You can count that as a promise." His voice sounds taunting and teasing at the same time, clearly his way of trying to toy with me, but he does have a point...
"You know I will."
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The spa is a lot different than I thought it would be. The smell of scented soaps fills the air and it feels... clean. Inviting and warm. Maybe that's why so many people love going here. Though, the thought of Fluttershy enjoying this environment is both strange and fitting at the same time. On one hand, Fluttershy deals with animals all the time and doesn't see anything wrong with them or how often they can stink. On the other hand, I can totally see someone as shy and introverted as her enjoying a relaxing environment like this.
Looking at all the services the spa offers, a part of me feels a bit intimidated at the vast amount of options one can choose. There are so many specials, combos, and deals that partner up different treatments that it makes you feel a bit odd when it comes to actually deciding what to buy. Such a daunting task would usually make me study the options a bit more carefully to make an intelligent choice, but Rarity knows this place a lot better than I do, so I figure she will decide what to buy. Since I'm treating them, I'm just going along for the ride... Which is actually pretty embarrassing since I'm not using my own money to buy this... I had to borrow some from Sunset simply because of the expenses I've already made within this month. I'll pay her back when I can, but it's still embarrassing nonetheless...
One thing that caught my eye on the list of deals is something with a very peculiar title. "The Rarity Treat," I whisper to myself, shaking my head with a smile on my face. It seems that Rarity is not just a regular here. Either that or the spa has a very coincidental title. Before I can ponder any longer on the title, a girl with blue skin and pink hair walks up to me with a clipboard.
"Are we still waiting for others?" she asks me with a small accent, one I can't seem to place. Looking at the clock on the wall, I can't help but sigh, wondering where they are...
"Yeah. They should be here any mi-"
"Hello~!" A loud and happy voice exclaims throughout the lobby, causing both of us to look in that direction. The woman with skin as pale as snow walks closer to us with her arms outstretched, wearing a big hat with round, bedazzled sunglasses. Flipping her hair off her shoulder, Rarity gently hugs the spa worker with a big smile on her face. Right behind Rarity is the shy girl I've gotten to know over the past couple of days, giving me a small wave. "How are you, Blossom dearie?" Rarity asks the blue girl with a happy tone to her voice as if she was greeting a friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Ms. Rarity~ It's so nice to see you and Fluttershy here again. It's been so long that we were starting to worry~" The spa worker responds with an almost equal level of enthusiasm.
"Oh, don't lie to me, Blossom~" Rarity states before she laughs, sharing a chuckle with the girl before she looks at me. "Oh! Blossom, meet my friend, Adagio Dazzle~ She will be joining us this evening~"
"Ah, so you two were the ones she was waiting on~ Should I assume she will be joining the rest of your treatments?" she asks in a teasing way, looking at me with a smile. Despite using pronouns to refer to me in the third person, the question feels like it's more directed at me, making me feel a bit awkward.
"Well, that will depend on... how this goes," I tell her as I shake her hand, trying to get rid of any embarrassment I may have left. Gently, a hand from behind me rubs my shoulder.
"Oh, um... Don't worry~ It'll be great~" Fluttershy reassures me with her soft spoken voice, smiling at me as kindly as she can. Even though this is technically a relaxing atmosphere and I've been given comforting words, a small part of me is still worried about letting someone else do things to my body... I'm sure it will be fine. Probably...