It was foolish, and she knew it. After everything they'd agreed to, all saying they'd never get involved in everyday crimes, here she was all the same. Sunset Shimmer, running down the main street of the town, following a pair of crooks who'd just taken the belongings of an old woman just a few blocks away. It had been quick, just snatching her purse, but they were off before anyone could react. Well, anyone except her of course. Others had called the police, but, fearing that they'd get away with it, the Equestrian had decided, despite what she'd promised to do, to chase after them. No magic yet, at least for now, but she would follow all the same. On and on she ran, but there came a time when, sadly, they'd given her the slip. Frustration took hold of her, and she began to look all over, hoping to catch some sight, some glimpse of where they'd gone, though her hope of finding them dwindled with every passing moment.

However, it appeared as though fate was smiling upon her today, for just a few minutes later, she heard the distinct sound of fighting not far away. She made her way over, and after turning one corner in particular, she found, to her surprise, that it was the robbers. They had just stumbled out of an alleyway, and were, to her confusion, fighting each other. Why they were doing this, she could not say, only that she had no time to react to it. For just then, she heard the clear call of police sirens behind her, and she turned to see several cars pull up. The officers leapt out, and within moments, the criminals were apprehended, taken into the cars and separated from their stolen goods. Sunset watched, happy that this had been dealt with, but still confused as to exactly what had transpired between them two of them.

"Well, that was certainly fun, wasn't it?"

The familiar voice caused Sunset to turn, and she looked on with wide eyes to find that it was none other than her fellow Equestrian, Adagio. Flipping aside some of her hair, the elder Siren smirked to her ex-unicorn colleague, walking towards her in that confident way of hers.

"Sunset, my dear, what a pleasant surprise."

Sunset, blinking a few times, eventually started to put the puzzle pieces together, looking over to the now-departing police cars before turning yet again to face Adagio.

"Did...did you cause those two to fight?"

Adagio, trying to look as innocent as she possibly could, which wasn't very much, shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, I simply happened to be in the right place at the right time."

Folding her arms, Sunset took on a look of confusion.

"So...what did happen?"

Leaning against the wall of the nearest building, Adagio began to explain.

"Well, I was walking home from a quick stop at the milkshake bar, when I decided to take a shortcut through this alleyway here. When I walked through, however, I found those two miscreants."

A chuckle escaped her.

"They were going on about how easy it had been to take that sweet old lady's purse, and how they'd apparently given some rather relentless girl the slip."

Amusement came to her expression.

"I take it you were who they were referring to?"

Sunset didn't answer, just blushing slightly and looking away, much to Adagio's delight.

"In any case, it didn't take me long to figure out what was going on, so I decided maybe it would be worth having a little bit of fun with them."

Sunset, upon hearing that, arched an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

A knowing smirk came to the Siren.

"Well, I strode over there, catching their attention, and I just so happened to mention how impressive the two of them seemed."

She turned, looking back towards the alley.

"Eventually, I may or may not have planted in their heads tiny little seeds of just how impressed I would be with whoever had been the mastermind of that little heist of theirs."

Again, she shrugged her shoulders.

"A few smiles, the right words in the right place, and before you knew it, they were at each others' throats, both trying to prove which was the boss in that situation."

A darker look came to her.

"Of course...I think we all know who was really in charge by the end of it."

Sunset, having heard all of that, blinked in disbelief, shocked that Adagio could have done all of that in such a short amount of time. Then, a thought came to her, and her eyes drifted down to the reconstructed gem dangling off Adagio's necklace. Adagio herself, seeing this look, rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Sunset, I assure you, this old trinket of mine is just as devoid of magic now as it was when you and your friends defeated my sisters and I. What I did here today..."

Triumph crept into her expression.

"...that was all me."

Though Sunset was still taken aback by this, she nevertheless started to relax a little.

"Well...I'm glad this was resolved. The crooks are taken care of, and the old woman gets her purse back."

Stepping forward from where she was leaning, Adagio gave a firm nod to that.

"Indeed, and what's more, I got a little fun out of it."

A chuckle escaped her.

"I tell you, Sunset...it felt good, being able to do that sort of thing again."

Sunset smiled.

"Yeah, helping others is pretty rewarding, isn't it?"

Her companion shook her head.

"I'm not talking about that. I meant what I did with the thieves. Just being able to sway them that way. A few words, and bam, they were tearing each other apart. They might have known each other their whole lives, but as soon as I entered the picture, it was all over for them."

Slowly, Sunset frowned.

"It's not good to be that happy about tearing people apart, Adagio, criminal or otherwise."

The Siren rolled her eyes.

"You might not think so, but don't forget who it is you're talking to. I am Adagio Dazzle. I am the Siren. And few things in life have given me greater joy than to know that I can simply do what I've done. Take allies and just turn them upon each other, even without my magic."

Sunset looked horrified at those words.

"But...but you've changed. You're better than you were before...right?"

Adagio matched the frown she'd been given earlier.

"Oh, I've changed alright. Now, when I do this sort of thing, it's been in the service of people like you, rather than being used against you. Trust me...there was a day when that would never have happened. But now? Well...you saw for yourself."

Sunset paused for a while, trying to get her words together.

"But...but...it's still not right, being so amused at turning people into enemies."

As before, Adagio leaned against the building.

"Does it matter? If it results in something good for you, or perhaps that old woman whose honour you were defending, if it helps...does it truly matter if I get a kick out of, shall we say, less-than-honourable means to do it?"

Sunset hesitated. She wanted to argue against that point, as every positive instinct in her body was telling her to do so, but Adagio, seeing this struggle in her, let out a long sigh. She stepped forward, reaching out and giving her a quick pat on the shoulder.

"Sunset...you're a good person. But the truth of the matter is...this is who I am."

The former unicorn watched as her friend took on a more serious look to her.

"I am a Siren, and my nature is manipulation. Ours is conflict, and subversion...it is what makes us what we are. We may no longer have the means to rule the world, but that does not mean we no longer take pleasure in the things you and those like you find distasteful."

Sunset listened to every word, and while she wanted to simply frown, wag her finger and lecture her colleague over what she'd said, she knew, in her heart, that it would do her little good, if any. So, realising that she had been given truth, she let out a long sigh, and instead, looked to Adagio with equal parts fear and curiosity.

"Adagio...tell me...do you consider me your friend? truly your friend? And the others too?"

Slowly, the eldest Siren sister fixed her with a look that was nothing short of steely.

"Would I have ever told you the story of my son...if we were not?"

A silence passed between them, and after looking into that ancient Siren's eyes, Sunset knew she had her answer. Slowly, she gave a nod, avoiding Adagio's gaze, if only for a few moments.

"Okay, I...I suppose if that's how things are for you, then...I can accept that."

Adagio, in a move far faster than Sunset's, smiled back to her, giving her another pat on her shoulder.

"Cheer up, Sunset. It's not many who get to claim that they have a friend like me."

In spite of her earlier mood, Sunset couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah...can't really argue with that."

Walking past her, Adagio maintained her victorious smirk, and Sunset, after showing just a moment of hesitation, started to follow.

"So...how about we go back to my place for some tea?" Adagio offered.

Sunset looked over to her, raising an eyebrow, which prompted her companion to continue.

"I don't know about you, but turning people into enemies does leave a lady rather thirsty."

Sunset smiled back to her.

"Yeah...for what it's worth...I know the feeling."