Aria and Adagio left the apartment and headed for the car.

“I’ll drive,” said Adagio, “I don’t want to deal with your road rage today.”

Aria rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. You're the one with the license anyway,” Aria replied indifferently as she walked around to the passenger seat.

“Right, and since we can't mind control the cops anymore, I'm not taking any chances. We're keeping a low profile until we're back from Equestria with new pendants.”

Adagio fired up the engine and drove out to the street. They were headed to downtown Canterlot; that’s where Sunset Shimmer’s apartment, which Blood Hound had found for them, was located.

“Speaking of which, can we make the amulets a different color this time?” Aria asked. “I never really liked the red ones. I could really go for a green one this time around. A nice bright green would look really good with my wardrobe.”

Adagio considered Aria’s request as she drove. As she came to stop at a traffic light, she finally turned to her sister and responded.

“It’s been a long time since we made our pendants, and I don’t remember the specifics of the spell anymore… I’m not sure if it only works with rubies or if other types of gemstones would work just as well,” Adagio said thoughtfully. “I do remember that it took a lot of preparation, though, and even then it was no easy feat to cast it. We'll be sticking with rubies. They worked for us once before, and I don't want to risk having the spell fail and being forced to start over just because you wanted a different color pendant.”

Aria just folded her arms in front of her chest and let out a discontented grunt.

“Hey, it’s not like they’re pink or something. Red is powerful. It’s the color of blood… or fire. And you never want to turn your back on somepony whose magical aura is red,” Adagio said, a sudden grin on her face.

Back in Equestria, the Siren sisters had all had bright red auras.

“Sometimes, though, I also get sick of the color red…” Adagio continued after a few moments of silence, “… especially these FUCKING RED LIGHTS!”

Her mind wandered as she waited for the light to turn. Thinking about the color of their magic had brought back old memories… memories from ages long past, when the Sirens were still just fillies… happy times, back when life was simple…

They were on a school trip for a music competition. The three sisters were all psyched up – this was their first time ever visiting the Crystal Empire! This was back before King Sombra had subjugated it, so it was still a pleasant, beautiful, happy place.

As the Dazzlings stepped down from the stage to thunderous applause, Adagio felt a strange sensation on her flank. Before she could even process what was going on, she was bombarded by the excited shouts of her sisters.

“Look! Look! You just got your cutie mark, Adagio! Adagio!”

“ADAGIO!”

“Huh? What?” asked Adagio, broken from her reverie but still in a daze.

“Adagio, it’s green!” shouted Aria, waving a hand in front of her sister’s face.

“Shit!”

Their car lurched forward as she stepped heavily on the gas. One of the drivers behind them crossed into the other lane and sped past, giving them the finger as he overtook them.

“Yeah you too, buddy! Go fuck yourself!” Adagio yelled as she and Aria both flipped him off.

After giving Adagio a minute to collect herself, Aria spoke up again.

“Hey space cadet, don’t forget we need to stop at–”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not Sonata, you don’t have to keep reminding me,” Adagio said curtly.

“Don’t be so touchy, it’s only the second time I mentioned it! Anyway, your little daydream just now didn’t exactly fill me with confidence,” Aria snapped back.

Adagio didn’t feel like arguing the point, so she just let it go at that. A few minutes later, she spotted a hardware store and parked in front of it. Aria got out.

“I’ll just be a few minutes. All I need is a new tension wrench,” Aria explained.

Adagio just nodded slightly and grunted in response. Back in their days of running heists, Aria had been their designated burglar. Adagio didn’t really know anything about lockpicking, and she didn’t care to learn, either. She just trusted that her sister knew what she was doing. As she waited, her thoughts returned to the past…

Adagio grinned from ear to ear.

“Ohmigosh-ohmigosh-ohmigosh- ohmigosh! Wait a sec, though... I understand the clef, but what’s with the gem? What does a gem have to do with music?” Adagio wondered aloud.

“I dunno,” said Aria, “but it’s really cute! I wish I could get mine already…”

“Aria! Aria! You too!” Sonata shouted excitedly.

Aria looked at her flank in wonderment.

“My cutie mark! My cutie mark! Woohoo!” she cried, bouncing around in excitement.

Adagio took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said a little prayer to Celestia before looking at Sonata’s flank. Would they be three for three? When she opened her eyes, she saw a jagged eighth note superimposed over a heart on her sister’s flank.

“Sonata, look! You got yours too!” she exclaimed.

The three ecstatic fillies, drunk with happiness, all came together for a group hug.

Aria opened the car door and sat down.

“All set. So are you positive that Blood Hound asshole gave us the right address?” she asked.

Adagio nodded.

“Maybe if you’d been a bit more polite, he wouldn’t have been a dick to you. Anyway, I’ve never know him to make a mistake about something like this,” said Adagio.

“He’d better not have,” replied Aria.

“By the way, I almost forgot… could you run over to the drugstore and get a box of latex gloves? I’m gonna call Sonata to remind her that it’s her turn to cook,” said Adagio.

Thank god she actually enjoys cooking, Adagio thought to herself. I'd have gone insane by now if I had to argue with both of them about that every week...

While she contemplated what she was going to say to Sonata, Adagio was vaguely aware of Aria giving her lip about having to go to the drugstore. Defiant as she was, Aria did as she was told, which was all Adagio cared about at the moment.

A few minutes and a surprisingly argument-free call to Sonata later, Adagio spotted Aria returning to the car with a box of gloves.

“That's all we should need. According to Blood Hound, Sunset always leaves in the late afternoon to hang out with her pathetic friends,” Adagio said, lighting up a cigarette.

“Hey, give me a light?” Aria requested. “And don’t even get me started on those stupid bitches. The pink one is even more annoying than Sonata, and has she ever heard of a fucking comb? Seriously, I’ve seen hobos with better-looking hair!”

“How about that stupid hick they hang out with?” added Adagio. “Her brother goes to CHS too. I’d bet anything those hillbillies are doing it with each other!”

“Eeyup!” Aria mockingly imitated.

“And I wouldn’t blame you if you completely forgot about the yellow one… how boring can you get? The dictionary entry for ‘wallflower’ should just be a picture of her!” Adagio sneered.

“That rainbow cunt is the worst of the bunch, though,” said Aria. “She has such an undeserved sense of accomplishment! She’s pretty good at soccer and a decent guitarist, and she thinks that makes her hot shit!”

Adagio just laughed as Aria continued her rant.

“And can you believe that song of hers? ‘Awesome As I Wanna Be,’ was it? Puh-lease!”

“Yeah, I agree. But be patient, we'll get back at them soon enough. When we’re done with them, they’re gonna wish they were never born!” Adagio replied.

She restarted the car and they continued on their way to Sunset Shimmer’s apartment. It was still early, so they’d have a while to stake out the place while they waited for her to leave.

“I called Sonata while you were at the drugstore,” Adagio said. “She said she’s gonna make chop suey and rice tonight. That cool with you?”

“Whatever… as long as it's not tacos again,” responded Aria.

They passed the rest of the trip in silence. Adagio parked where they had a clear view of the entrance to Sunset’s apartment complex, but not so close that they’d seem suspicious. As they hunkered down to watch and wait, Adagio began once more to reminisce – and for once, she was able to do so uninterrupted.

The three sisters had just finished singing an encore. They were all smiles in light of their recently-earned cutie marks, and they curtsied elegantly before the adoring crowd. As they stepped down from the stage, however, a group of young crystal ponies surrounded them.

“Would you look at that, the Equestrian hornfaces aren't blank flanks anymore!” one particularly muscle-bound colt chortled.

“Ugh. What in Tartarus do you want, plothole?” Adagio asked.

“Oh, nothing much, stupid ‘Questrie!” he said, pushing Sonata to the ground.

“Ow! Why are you so mean to us? We didn't do anything to you!” Sonata said, tears in her eyes.

“HEY! Leave her alone!” Aria cried, shoving the bully back.

“WHAT! Why, you little...”

Aria and the colt began to scuffle. Fed up with the melee, Adagio fired her horn instinctively… it was a simple levitation spell, but any earth pony – crystal or not – was defenseless against it. Surrounded by a red aura, the crystal colt floated into the air against his will.

“Now listen very carefully…” Adagio hissed, looking up at him, “… if you ever bother us again, I'm gonna lift you a thousand hoofs into the air and then...”

“She's evil! EVIL! GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!” he yelled in a panic.

There was no help for him, though – his cronies were already scattering as he spoke. Scared out of his wits and with no backup, he fled the scene as soon as Adagio dropped him – which she did as soon as she realized what she had done, her concentration broken by sheer amazement. She and the bullies weren’t the only ones who were surprised, though…

“A... A... Adagio...” Sonata stuttered, “Your eyes... why were they glowing?”

“Huh? Glowing? What do you mean?”

A few hours later, Aria and Adagio were still waiting for Sunset to leave her apartment. Adagio was idly fiddling with an unlit cigarette when Aria suddenly pushed her head down.

“Shit! Duck! She's leaving!”

The two of them stayed down for a couple minutes, then hesitantly raised their heads again. The two of them anxiously looked around for Sunset Shimmer, but she was nowhere to be found.

“Phew! Finally! It’s about goddamn time!” Adagio exclaimed.

“No shit, I thought that bitch was never gonna fuckin’ leave,” Aria agreed.

Adagio and Aria looked around. The street was deserted. Aria got out of the car and examined the front entrance to the complex for a few minutes, then came back.

“They’ve got a decent lock, but just wait a few minutes,” said Aria. “It’s still fairly early in the day, so someone else is sure to come out. Then I’ll just turn on the charm and pretend to be a forgetful resident who got locked out.”

Aria feigned distress and started pacing outside the door. Soon enough, a man walked out of the complex. Adagio watched her sister flirt with him, playing the part of a new resident who had forgotten her key. The stupid sap took the bait; hook, line, and sinker. Sure enough, he held the door for Aria, and she walked right into the apartment complex.

Adagio grinned and got out of the car. She sauntered up to the door, and Aria let her in.

“Nice job, sis. Now all we have to do is find her door...” Adagio said, trailing off as she read the apartment directory.

“Got it,” said Aria, “She’s on the third floor.”

The elevator was out of order, so the two of them took the stairs up. Five minutes later, they were standing in front of Sunset Shimmer’s door – room 324. Aria scrutinized the lock on the door, sizing up the challenge before her.

“Piece of cake. Same shit as the front door, but up here on the third floor I should have a decent mount of time to work on it without any interruptions,” Aria whispered and started picking.

Adagio was tense with anticipation. Five minutes passed as Aria worked diligently on the lock, and Adagio could barely contain herself.

“Hurry up already! I don't wanna get caught. That’d fuck up the whole plan!” she hissed.

“Shhhh! I fucking know! You can’t rush genius, now just give me a minute...”

A couple minutes later, Aria finally engaged the lock’s last tumbler and opened the door.

“Told ya it was no problem!” Aria exclaimed proudly.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get cocky!” Adagio said.

Adagio shoved her sister into the room, then swiftly followed her inside. She gently closed the door behind them so as not to upset or alert the neighbors.

“So far, so good,” she said. “Now let’s find that book.”

They began to ransack Sunset's apartment. Aria was the first to find something of interest.

“How interesting! I'll be taking this!” said Aria, stuffing Sunset’s diary into her pack.

“Nice find!” said Adagio. “I bet there are some pretty juicy entries in there.”

“Yeah, this is gonna be a fun read,” Aria agreed.

The sisters shared a wicked grin, then returned to the task at hand. Between the two of them, they turned the apartment upside down. About a half hour later, Adagio finally found what she was looking for.

“Aha! Got it!” she exclaimed triumphantly, holding the thick leather-bound book over her head.

“Awesome! I was starting to think it wasn’t even here!” Aria replied.

“No shit, who’d have thought she’d shove something this important into some random drawer? This should be enlightening, at any rate,” Adagio said, stuffing the book into their backpack.

“I know, right? Anyway, let's get going. If she comes back, things could get ugly… I hear she's a black belt,” Aria said.

“Yeah, you’re right. From what I’ve heard, that's how she used to strong-arm everyone at CHS into doing what she wanted. Pity we didn't get to know her earlier...” Adagio trailed off.

Adagio and Aria left the apartment, got in their car, and drove home without saying a word, too intoxicated with their success to even lock the door on their way out.

“Sonata! We're home!” Adagio called out.

There was no answer… their apartment was deserted. Worried, Adagio rushed into the kitchen. No Sonata… no chop suey.

“What the hell…” Adagio wondered aloud.

She checked Sonata's room next. It still looked like a war zone.

“Oh, that lying little shit!” Adagio said to herself, grinding her teeth.

“Ummm... Adagio? You might wanna come here…” Aria said nervously.

Adagio went to find out what her sister was talking about. Her jaw dropped at what she saw.

“What the fuck! What the hell happened to my room?” she asked, dropping the car keys in shock.

Aria picked them up and hung them up on the key rack before continuing.

“Oh, and by the way… the keys to the other car are gone.”

“WHAT!” Adagio screamed.

She pulled out her phone and furiously punched in Sonata’s number. When she picked up, Adagio didn’t even wait for her to say anything.

“Sonata Dusk! What the fuck did you do to my room? And where the hell are you, anyway? Just wait until you get home, you’re gonna WISH you got off as light as Aria did last week!” she hissed.

Aria flinched at the mention of her punishment.

“Sonata!” Adagio hissed once more.

She heard a clatter, then what sounded like gunfire, then silence. Adagio waited a few more moments without receiving a response, then hung up. She stormed into her room to survey the mess.

“Oh, sweet Celestia, she didn’t...” she said, dropping to her knees and anxiously biting her nails.

“Something wrong?” asked Aria.

“My gun! My fucking gun is gone… and some of the JHP rounds, too!” she yelled.

“Bring me some trash bags! I dunno exactly what that sneaky little bitch’s punishment is gonna be, but I sure know where I’m gonna start!”

Aria quickly did as she was asked. Adagio ripped the box out of her hands, took out a bag, and started to toss most of Sonata’s belongings in – pretty much everything except for her clothes.

You lying, stealing little bitch! Just wait until I get my hands on you!

As she filled up each bag, she tossed it into the closet. She wasn't going to trash Sonata's stuff, but she was sure as hell going to make her believe that she had. She wasn’t gentle, either… if any of Sonata’s things broke, that’d be her own problem, not Adagio’s.

Finishing her rampage, Adagio went back upstairs and spotted Aria brewing coffee.

“Urgh. Good idea. I need a pick-me-up before I can deal with my room,” Adagio said.

She plopped down at the kitchen table, her thoughts still racing. A few minutes later, Aria joined her. She pulled out Sunset’s diary and magic book and slid them across the table toward Adagio.

Adagio slowly sipped her coffee and began to flip through the magic book. Taking her cue, Aria began to look through the diary. Aria was the first to speak up.

“Hey, listen to this. It's from May two years ago,” Aria said.

“Dear Diary. Today that asshole Flash Sentry broke up with me, and not five minutes later Snips was already trying to ask me out! Can you believe the nerve of that idiot? I made sure he'll never try that again… a kick in the balls and a few good slaps set him straight. As if I’d ever get with someone like him! Those two retards are my minions, nothing more! On the bright side, kicking his ass just felt SO good... maybe I should start beating them regularly. If only I could do the same to that jerk Flash…”

Adagio sighed.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – it's a real shame we didn't meet Sunset Shimmer a couple years earlier...”

“Maybe once we have our powers back, we can pull her away from those ‘friends’ of hers,” said Aria. “I bet she’s still got that ambition somewhere deep down… that kind of drive doesn't just vanish into thin air. We just need to reignite that spark somehow…” Aria speculated.

Adagio nodded, finished her coffee, and put out her cigarette.

“It’s worth a try, at least. I can’t believe she bought into that ‘magic of friendship’ nonsense… we're gonna show them the TRUE meaning of power!” Adagio said.

Adagio stood up, but instead of going back to her bedroom she flopped down on the couch.

“Y’know, I’m not gonna clean up my room… that’ll be Sonata’s job. One of her jobs, anyway...” Next Chapter: Plans Estimated time remaining: 11 Minutes