Home
Made it. Adagio rapped on the door no harder than would be expected, of course. And when she looked around while waiting for it to be answered, it was with the appearance of boredom, rather than keeping a lookout. But she did allow herself the indulgence of a deeper-than-average breath, drawn slowly enough to be concealed, to try to collect herself. She was almost certain her reception wouldn’t be a terrible one. Almost.
She’d know for sure soon enough. The first few seconds would make it abundantly clear, just as soon as the door opened. Did it always take people this long to answer a knock? She wasn’t off-balance enough to interpret the wait as an indicator either way, but it didn’t help her nerves.
Her fretting, of which she knew there was still no outward sign, was interrupted at last by the sound of a lock turning, and then the door before her cracked open inwards.
Aria’s face appeared around the door, deep purple eyes Adagio had known her whole life. They, far more than the house Adagio stood outside, were the sign she was home. Aria stepped back behind the door, opening it wider in front of her, and Adagio channeled the reassurance of those familiar surroundings into crossing the threshold as a vessel of confidence, rather than something scurrying.
The living room was just as she’d left it the afternoon before, misinformed in its casual impression that nothing worthy of note had transpired during the hours in between, but nonetheless offering a welcome shelter from the outside world. Spinning to face Aria as the door clicked shut took more courage than Adagio would care to admit to herself. If betrayal was coming – not likely, she still thought, but right now even the tiny odds were terrifying – then she wouldn’t stand a fighting chance either way. But she’d face it, and with dignity.
Standing just a few inches from her, only one detail about Aria mattered at that moment: the red gem hanging around her neck. It shone, a beacon of raw power before which Adagio and her own bare neck were miniscule.
So captivated was Adagio that she barely noticed Aria’s hands flying up towards her. A moment later they were around behind her neck, and Adagio’s own gem touched her chest and she felt whole again, like the colour was flooding back into the world.
Adagio took a long, unsteady breath, as Aria tied the black silk ribbon behind her neck. It was ok. It was all ok.
The air inside was refreshingly cool after the scorching walk home in the midday sun, now she could relax enough to notice it. And for the first time since leaving the hotel, it crossed her mind that she was wearing the same dress as the night before, only now a little more creased and sweaty.
“So, how’d the undress rehearsal go?” Aria asked, stepping back.
Perhaps a couple of seconds too slow, Adagio heard herself snort, though it seemed distant. Aria had no doubt spent the last twelve hours thinking of the joke, to look clever and superior. She hadn’t had to leave the key to her power with someone else while on a mission out into the world alone.
Not trusting herself to give a steady answer quite yet from the relief and euphoria seeping through her, Adagio lowered herself to a white leather armchair and sank back into it. The air smelled of something being cooked. Sausages, maybe? Aria stuffed her hands in her pockets, but stayed on her feet. Adagio might have made something of the body language of that: having to look up at Aria from closer to the floor, as though submitting to the other’s dominance. Like snarling, that was one of those behaviours they hadn’t had to study to mimic, already being common to sirens, humans, and many other species.
Another day, Adagio might have acted to counter it. But right now, she didn’t care. She had her gem back, and therefore all the power she needed.
“Better than even I had expected,” she said. ‘It sounds like a buzzkill we’re better off chasing away’ played through her head again, a moment she knew would stay with her. A human she’d actually been able to relate to? Perhaps even to respect? None of them had seen that coming.
After pursing her lips, she continued, “I don’t think she ever doubted I was born human, in this world. The conversation, the non-verbal cues, the knowledge of worldly things, it all passed the test.” The human behaviours were becoming more automatic by the day, in fact, like how that lip-pursing had been an unprompted response.
“There was one unfamiliar term,” she frowned, “a ‘Wonderbolt’ – I’m still not sure exactly what they do, but I figured out enough from context clues to get by.”
“We can look it up later,” Aria dismissed with a casual shrug – an encouraging sign; she was finding human gestures more ingrained, too. “Ok, part one’s good then: we can pass. And part two? None of it’s much use if we can’t actually achieve anything with it.”
Crossing one leg over the other where she sat, Adagio allowed herself a smirk. “Part two’s good. The human expression would be that I had her eating from the palm of my hand. We can emulate them well enough to manipulate them.”
For a couple of seconds, Aria just gave a weighing look, like she could somehow assess that judgement herself from only Adagio’s three sentences. “Good. I’d hate for all our researching – six months solid, day and night – to have been for nothing.”
Such doubt, as ever. Couldn’t just trust that maybe Adagio knew what she was doing. “I was able to try a few different approaches over the evening, and evaluate their success. Intimidation, comradeship, pushing buttons,” – Adagio ticked them off in order on her fingers – “self-depreciation, active listening, hot-blooded eagerness, even vulnerability.” She’d certainly never planned to reveal the details of her nightmare to her target, but the opportunity had been too perfect to pass up.
And it had also felt… freeing, in a way? She wouldn’t burden Aria or Sonata with talk of her dreams, not when they had their own trauma from the event to deal with. But she was glad she’d been able to be truthful with Spitfire about it. To connect with her honestly on that level, for just a moment.
“What did you learn?” Aria asked in a neutral voice, leaning back against the wall.
That not every human was as far from siren sensibilities as the three of them had previously thought? Quite the revolutionary idea. And it led to an even greater one: that being stuck on this miserable planet might not have to mean being stuck with only each other for meaningful company.
It was a stretch, of course. One human, amongst all those they’d encountered or studied. One who she’d most likely never see again, no less. The rest of the humans were probably just as bad as they’d believed.
But if it had happened once, it could happen again. ‘You’ve opened up possibilities I didn’t realise I had,’ Spitfire had said. Hmmmm.
“Blushing is harder to force than you might expect,” Adagio said, leaving her musings on humanity maybe not being entirely inadequate to be voiced another time. What next? “Even expensive whiskey tastes revolting, and its effects take concentration to counter.” That one probably wouldn’t be so useful. “People will tell you all about themselves if you show you’re listening.”
For infiltration, that might be the most vital lesson of them all. She’d hardly had to prompt Spitfire at all on the way back to the hotel, and still received a whole family history. And Adagio hadn’t had to reveal anything of herself in the process.
The walk back, though, reminded her…
“Walking through a city park late at night with no amulet is petrifying.” She didn’t ever want to go through that again, and couldn’t help but shudder. So powerless, so reliant on numbers for safety. Only her quick thinking had cut through that horror and let her pass it off as reluctance to face the rain.
An added bonus to that, supplied by even quicker thinking, was suggesting she could laugh at herself, because Spitfire had opened up more the more companionable Adagio had become. “Physical desire gets you in, but it doesn’t so much bind people to you. Laughter bonds, as do shared frustrations and weaknesses.”
At last Aria lifted her head from her position of listening while staring at the floor. “Just how bonded are we talking?”
Leaning right back in her chair, Adagio gazed up at the ceiling. “Buying drinks,” she said softly, “jeopardising careers,” because Spitfire hadn’t been wrong about reputations in the press, “breaking the law,” she’d considered stealing the car for a minute, Adagio was sure, “sharing a bed,” and being trusted alone in the hotel suite the morning after, “falling in love.”
“In one night?” Aria crossed her arms across her chest, but she also raised an eyebrow. “Not bad.”
“You should see what I could do given a week.”
Before Aria had a chance to respond, Sonata’s voice chirped from the kitchen doorway. “What was her name?”
A glance showed Sonata hovering there in an apron, casting furtive looks back into the kitchen, where, the sizzling sounds suggested, something was being fried. Yes, sausages, Adagio confirmed to herself.
Now she thought about it, she realised she was famished, having foregone breakfast to get home. Time for that soon enough.
“Spitfire.” It wasn’t often a human’s name was worth remembering after Adagio had got whatever she wanted from them. She didn’t think she’d be forgetting Spitfire’s in a hurry, though.
“Ooh, she sounds hot!”
It wasn’t like Adagio picking someone who wasn’t beautiful had ever been a realistic option, but… “She definitely was.” Enough to be stared at on public transport, apparently. What blind monster would have been rude enough not to stare?
Sonata bounced happily on the spot, even clapping her hands a few times in front of her. That she had connected with some human media enough to learn from it was a relief, but slight distaste remained Adagio’s reaction to it being those strange Nipponese cartoons. “And did you like her?”
Seeing humans as people wasn’t in their interest for the immediate future, and Sonata wasn’t one suited to understanding the subtleties of when such things were wise and when not. But Adagio preferred not to outright lie to the other two, because the fallout if the truth emerged wasn’t worth it unless absolutely necessary.
Still though, giving Sonata an honest answer was a risk. “I won’t say I didn’t.” And if both their circumstances had been wildly, unfathomably different, then seeing Spitfire again would have been interesting to pursue.
Sonata gave her a smile with sparkling eyes, rocking on her heels before dashing off into the kitchen again without another word.
With a final irritated glance in that direction, Aria turned back to Adagio. “How did it end, after last night?”
“She left Canterlot. I woke this morning to find a letter.” Engineering exit strategies in one’s sleep? Truly the height of efficiency. Adagio buffed her nails on her dress, though actually the dress probably needed it more.
Aria’s eyes narrowed, calculating. That one was definitely a native siren expression. “You came on too strong, and drove her away?” It was barely a question.
“I pitched it just right,” Adagio scoffed, “and she fell for me.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s what drove her away.”
Interestingly, it was vulnerability that had tipped the balance, Adagio was mostly convinced. It made sense: all the other activities of the evening had been Spitfire in her usual role, fitting with how she saw herself, even if being pulled in new directions. Whereas bringing out a protective instinct had put her in a new role, one she saw as incompatible and retreated from. It did make sense. But still, showing vulnerability had been the overstep that broke it. Adagio would not forget that.
“So,” she concluded, “providing our targets aren’t so successful being single that they’re living their dream, we should be fine.” Spitfire being unique in that respect was improbable, but, from everything they’d previously observed of humans, she was at least rare.
Aria was keeping her eyes on the floor, smirking. “If you say so.”
After giving Aria a glare, Adagio continued. “And it’s better all round this way. She thinks she ended it, so there are no hanging threads.” According to most of their research, the spurner moved on with their life while the spurned dwelled on the past and often sought to rekindle the relationship. In this instance, that meant Spitfire focused elsewhere, leaving Adagio free to move forwards unencumbered by the need to continually check over her shoulder.
And parting ways in the manner they had was no doubt better for Spitfire’s self-esteem, too, which wasn’t an unpleasant thought. Adagio had no wish to hurt someone whose company she’d enjoyed, someone she hoped would go on to succeed with those values they shared. So Spitfire would live her life thinking she’d been in control of their parting, finishing things on her terms, and would never know it was an outcome she’d been pushed into, or how Adagio would have kept pushing until something else made Spitfire snap even if this hadn’t. Winning had been important to Spitfire, and Adagio had no issue with letting her go on believing she’d won.
A deep satisfaction, the kind that only achieving the most successful and complete level of manipulation could bring, coursed through Adagio as she sighed. “I don’t think she ever realised she was in a narrative that wasn’t her own.” Many celebrities wouldn’t, perhaps, being used to every conversation being about themselves.
It probably wasn’t so flattering to learn that you were the could-have-been-anyone experimental subject of a ‘first attempt at seduction’ test for a new body.
A dark, throaty cackle emerged from Aria’s mouth, reminding Adagio that, for all their disagreements, Aria was just as much of a siren as she. Even Sonata would have laughed gleefully at that deft and undetected a twisting of people and events.
“Ok,” Aria said once her mirth had died down, though it still lit her eyes. “That’s it then? We’re good to go?”
Six months of planning, research and training. All coming down to this question. Adagio drew a deep breath, not due to nerves, but to savour the moment. “We are. We move on Canterlot High School in three days.”
At once, the room relaxed. Aria slouched towards the nearest couch and collapsed onto it, as if tension alone had been holding her upright. Adagio remembered her conversation the night before about magic words and their real-world effects, marvelling at the effect on herself, too. For the first time since being home, she noticed the bright colours of the flowers blooming outside the front window, and felt the coolness of the leather against her skin. And while that openness also let in how she and her dress both still smelled of sweat, she could hardly make it out over the thick scent of sausages filling the air.
All the same, if that business was concluded, then it was high time she went upstairs and got changed. Lunch would serve as an impromptu celebration of them being ready to embark on the next step of their plan for capturing Equestrian magic, and Adagio was going to look presentable for it.
She dragged herself to her feet, pausing after standing to stretch her arms above her head. She even let herself yawn openly, since Aria would hardly care. Then she wandered over towards the staircase in the corner of the room, boots silent on the fluffy white carpet. Only when she reached the stairs did she hear Aria’s voice from behind her.
“When did you know?”
One hand already on the ornate bannister, Adagio turned back to Aria. “Hm?”
It was hard to tell if the look on Aria’s face was thoughtful or merely idly curious. Her sprawl across the couch suggested the latter, but her tone the former. “The girl last night. Without magic, you couldn’t have checked your hold on her, so, when did you know? That she was,” Aria rolled her eyes, “you know…”
“Mine for the taking?”
Aria nodded.
Adagio grinned.
“When I walked in the room.”
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- Ze1a7in · 4.6k words · 56 4 · 1.9k views
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Well now, that was unexpected, but now a lot of what happened makes so much more sense.
Well done.
I like what it says about Adagio that the one time we get to actually see what's going on in her head is what turns the whole story inside-out
And this is such a wonderful picture of the sirens and their respective dynamics and stuff. I remember saying that I found the last chapter much more satisfying a conclusion to the story--and to a degree, I think I still do, just because Spitfire's side of things ends on such an evocative note--but this is nothing to sneeze at.
Congratulations yet again on getting this all done and published!
Same old Adagio, I guess. Well done.
Well damn, that was fucking cold. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this ending, though I should have, knowing you
But I thought you liked Spitfire.
I admit I was surprised to learn that the story takes place before Rainbow Rocks, especially with the misdirection of Adagio not having her necklace.
Spooky.
The whole story, I was wondering something. Spitfire was conflicted and Adagio was mysterious and that was it. Events happened, and I thought, “So what?” What was the purpose?
And this ending answered that in the best way. It was a total surprise, and a satisfying one too. The whole story was a great look into a celebrity’s psyche, and this ending flipped everything on its head. And I like that a whole lot.
Several weeks later they run into each other again and Adagio has changed. Now it's Spitfires turn to lead the dance and show Adagio how to pick herself back up after being knocked down.
okay but
i'd still be on board with more cheeto gfs
9848818 Thanks!
Not that I disagree, but can I ask what it was you found wasn't making as much sense before?
Thanks for reading and leaving thoughtful comments
9886329
Well, less that things weren't making sense in the "this has no logic" to "oh, so now with this context, her actions have a new meaning and have a clearer purpose."
9886339 Thanks, that's good to know
I like that it kind of works as two stories in one, with Spitfire's tale being very different to Adagio's
9849486
That is, to the letter, what I was going for
With their dynamic, I really like the idea of Aria as the second-in-command, rather than she and Sonata being equals. It's certainly Aria who Adagio bounces ideas off, and I think that, while Adagio has the bigger-picture vision, it's Aria who sometimes has the technical expertise to get specific bits of it done.
...Which doesn't fit entirely with canon, where Adagio can do everything. But I remember learning about team dynamics within the workplace, and Adagio basically fills every role. So, extrapolating from Aria's expert singing work, I extrapolated a bit that she might be the technical focus in some areas.
9849706 I'd hoped there were enough hints here that Adagio was moved a lot more by the encounter than she expected to be
9849758 Sorry, I'm only just getting around to replying to this, after we talked about it on Discord a few days later.
I think my answer would be that it turned out a lot less cold than Adagio expected. I don't think she'd be one to turn down enjoying herself, unless it posed a security risk for her, but still, I imagine she expected to remain more detached than she did as it played out. Spitfire thinks about how she's been on the back foot all evening, and how it's opened doors she didn't realise were there, but the same is a little true in reverse, too. Adagio just hides it better, and rolls it into her plan. But the first chapter ends when it does for good reason, because that's the first moment when Adagio realises that, hang on, the world isn't quite how she'd assumed, and she may need to recalculate her belief that no one else could relate to what she's going through.
I read shipping stories far more than any other kind, and I love happy endings for the couples involved. But I hate when either of the characters sell out/change/compromise who they are, and I just don't think there's any possible ending here where they stay together after their encounter. To me, this is a happy ending, because both characters achieve their goals, and both remain true to themselves in the process.
It does make a nice added bonus, I will admit, to have written one of the rare romance stories with an ending people didn't see coming
Embedding this link doesn't work because only the end couple of seconds of the clip are relevant and embedding it skips it back to the beginning.
I so do. According to my stats, 34% of my written output is Spitfire internal narration. The next-highest is Adagio, on less than half that number. And this was my first time writing her, too; the opening two or three chapters of this were written nine months before I started on Best Pegasus, so this is my default view of her. But I think, of the two, she's the one to come out of this much more ok. The story sets her up to potentially have a bright future ahead of her in her dream job, leaving behind a legacy to be remembered for generations, after which she retires with Soarin and Fleet, maybe starts dating, maybe ends up with one or both of those two, but either way, spends the rest of her days loved.
Adagio, too, comes out of this story having achieved even more than she'd intended to. The problem is what happens next, and whatever comes after that
This whole comment was exactly what I was hoping to hear!
I was just hoping no one would outright ask when it was set, and I'd have to give a 'Well, Adagio has no gem here, so you figure it out' answer 
9855509 Thanks very much!
I'm really glad that worked!
I like the idea of the ending revealing that actually a whole different story has been going on, but the danger of that is that both stories have to be satisfying in their own right. If the first isn't, then the audience won't sit through the first 90% of it just for a more enjoyable ending. And if the second isn't, then the ending will ruin something otherwise good. I am really glad to hear they both worked for you 
I'm not quite sure if you mean just the revelations of Adagio's POV, or the song too - I think, regarding events through the plot, the song explains a lot more than Adagio's POV
I think I'd have written 95% of it exactly the same even without Adagio's ulterior motives, as I think that's what a first date meeting of sorts would look like between them whatever the reasons. Maybe Adagio wouldn't have been in the club at all if not for her plan, and she might not have said the thing about stealing the car, or spent so long asking about Spitfire's family on the walk to the hotel. Perhaps opened up about herself a little more, too, though I'm not sure; I think she'd be naturally guarded, and would also know how alluring mystery can be 
Thanks for reading and leaving such lovely comments
9865156 I... hmmm. I'm not sure Spitfire would be the best person for the role? She's always referred to (here and in canon) as team captain rather than coach, because she's more about leadership than support. I think maybe someone like Fluttershy would be better for helping Adagio get back on her feet, if Rainbow Rocks does go the way of the movie?
I did something like that in another story, with it being Spitfire who falls from grace (after Rainbow Falls), but I think that in that situation maybe someone just like her (or like she was before) could only really tell her things she already knows, kind of just repeating them until she believes them? Whereas someone very different (in the case of that story, Derpy) can offer her a new perspective to help her come to terms with it.
Also, I worry that suggested story outline misses a lot of the appeal of this ship? For me, the thing that really makes this ship stand out, is that, in a world where people are casually rated 1-10, this ship is a tale of what happens when two 11s meet. And I think a lot of that spark would be gone if Adagio lost her charisma?
9875674 We do totally need more! Once a story can get over the problem of these characters existing in two different worlds, then the ship has lots of opportunities for great interactions. It just needs to get over that initial hurdle. That's the end for these versions of this world's characters, but there's another Spitfire through a mirror somewhere. Spitfire interacting with the sirens is the plot of my story Haunted Wasteland, if that's something you'd like to see, but the final act for that one has yet to be published, so Adagio hasn't shown up yet, and even when she does, there's nothing saying those two will be shipped.
Ooh, and my friend Ambient-Nightfall wrote this one, which was the only DagiFire story on the site for many years! It's M-rated, but there are only a couple of NSFW chapters.
[Unpublished stories cannot be embedded]
9930667
Fair enough. If you do go to making a sequel that follows the Rainbow rocks aftermath then it would be an interesting aside point to have them run into each other, like Adagio has somewhat recovered from what she had done and she's got some of her confidence back and while she's not who she was when they met it still holds that spark you're referring to when they run into each other again. Maybe have Adagio and whomever you choose to pick Adagio back up (out of the dirt) go into a club and then in a moment where said other goes to get drinks Spitfire comes back and for a moment tries to lower Adagio away like when they last met and then have a flicker of understanding happen between them when the other party comes back with the drinks. Like say, even though the spark was there they both understand that the moment they had can't be recaptured. it would be a good way to keep the spark between them from the previous story and yet not make it feel like one was truly cheated out of something. While this story is good I am not that big of a fan of the idea that a chance that love is lost the way it was between these two, so some sort of closure would work in a sequel if you plan one.
Hey hey Bloody!! I'm so glad to see you posting our OTP!! <3 Much love to you!
9941365 There she is!
Great to see you back on pony-filled DagiFire shores. Excited to know what you think of the story when you have a chance to get through it!
Well that was incredible. Such a masterclass of atmospheric writing that kept up the tone and the intensity throughout. And then the final reveal, putting everything in a brand new context. Simply marvellous.
You can has review!
Man this ending was just...breathtaking. Because it was so grounded in a sense of realism.
Adagio is, at the end of the day, still a manipulative, detached enchantress who seeks power. Letting someone down gently is the extent of her compassion, but she won't tie herself down with a member of a magicless species.
This story deserves more views.
10219739 Thanks very much! I'm really glad it came across as well as I'd intended
I remember saying before in one of the comments around here that part of what throws Spitfire, I think, is that meeting Adagio, and the potential future together she represents, is so sudden. Spitfire's been aiming at her Wonderbolt career since she was old enough to think, and has been absolutely dedicated to that lifestyle for ten years or something, by the time the story rolls around. Whereas Adagio just pops up, and suddenly presents all these new possibilities for what Spitfire's life could be. And so weighing the two, Spitfire's planned life against these new options, is very difficult, when one has been ingrained in her for so much longer.
And I think, regarding Adagio's detachment here and focus on her goals, that that's true for her as well, to a lesser extent. We see here that this is a plan she's been working towards for six months. That's, like, 200 nights of focusing on her goal, vs one night of actually knowing Spitfire. And I think that she, like Spitfire, has had a lifetime of having to clamp down on distractions, whims, flights of fancy and other indulgences, and remaining absolutely dedicated to the task at hand. So even though this perfect romance is dropped into their laps, it's against either of their natures to divert course and pursue it, at least without serious evaluation first over a longer period than this story covers.
Thanks! I think that this is the best thing I've written. It's definitely the thing I've put the most care and attention into. And I think it's a bit different to most other stories out there. So I do too!
But ultimately, if it's not a pairing that grabs people the same way it grabbed me, then there isn't much to be done about it.
10267439
Yeah, but in all honesty, their romance is a road best not traveled. They've lived their respective lives too long to change course, and a romance could create many complications. One of them being that Adagio is a siren with little interest in putting down roots in a magicless world.
10267593 I completely agree, and I'm glad the story makes that approach convincing
At this stage in their lives, that is. In twenty years time, it might be interesting to revisit if they bumped into each other, depending on what's going on with Adagio by then. That's one possible future I could see stemming from this story, but there are many others.
Wow! Didn’t expect that ending but enjoyed the story nonetheless. Showed Spitfire in a whole knew light. Nice work!
10599925 Whoa, you got through the whole thing already! I am flattered it was worth that urgent a look
I think the ending being something you don't see coming but nonetheless still enjoy the story with is the best case scenario for it, yeah. Thanks, this is my favourite view of Spitfire out of how I write her. Other times I've been like, 'this is Spitfire being reflective,' or 'this is Spitfire trying to appear professional' etc. But this is just Spitfire being herself, and I really like her that way 
Thanks for reading and commenting!
10600035
Lol I’m a quick reader XD Good fic! Keep it up