Sunset was talking to Adagio when she was interrupted by a young, shabbily-dressed man. He ignored her and spoke directly to Adagio.

It had been just over a week since what Sunset thought of as The Disaster, and she was just starting to feel like things were getting back to normal. When they made plans to spend the day together, Adagio had insisted they hang out for a while in the park.

And then along came this man. Evidently Adagio was expecting him: When he offered a small package – maybe She held out her hand and took a small object he was offering. Then with her free hand she extracted a bundle of notes from her pocket and offered them in return, all the while looking at the object rather than the messenger. Sunset couldn't see what it was. The messenger riffled through the notes, counting them with practiced ease – it looked like a good sum of money – then left.

Like that, the transaction was over.

A grin flickered across Adagio's face – one which was less wolfish than outright malicious.

Sunset leaned forward. “What was all that about?”

Adagio tucked the package away in her bag. “Nothing important,” she said.

“Really.”

“Just some personal entertainment.”

“Adagio …”

Adagio stared at her, then sighed. “Fine.” She pulled the object back out and waved it at Sunset. It was a small, black phone. “See? Not weed, not coke, not fucking … anthrax or anything. Nothing you need to worry about.”

Sunset half considered letting it drop, because the memory of Adagio's smile came back to her. “You already have a phone,” she said.

“Yeah, I do,” said Adagio. She moved to put the it back in her bag.

Sunset reached forward and snatched the phone from her grasp. Adagio didn't bother to try and get it back; she just sat back and shrugged. It occurred to Sunset that a month back, she wouldn't have done such a thing; Adagio's lack of respect for boundaries was rubbing off on her … or, rather, reigniting her own.

She pressed the screen and found it unlocked. A full list of contacts, many of whom she knew of from Canterlot High.

“Can I have my phone back now?” said Adagio.

Sunset looked up. “It's not your phone.”

“You just saw me pay for it.” Adagio reached forward and opened her hand. “Any time you're ready.”

“Who does it belong to?”

Adagio said nothing.

Sunset opened the contacts list again and turned the phone towards Adagio, holding it just out of reach. “Look at all these people I could ask.”

“Fine,” said Adagio. “I should've know you'd ruin it. Vervain. It belongs to Vervain.”

Sunset was faintly familiar with the name; Vervain was a student at Canterlot High in the year below her. “And why did you take his phone?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“I really am.”

A faint echo of that malicious smile crossed Adagio's face. “You know he has a sister? Graduated last year.”

“No …”

“Well, he does. And back when she was at Canterlot high, she accumulated a few pictures of herself in compromising positions. Kept them too, and without much security.” Adagio nodded at the phone. “So once I'd got my hands on them, I just needed a distribution method.”

For a few moments, Sunset struggled to speak. “Why?”

Adagio's voice had slipped back into its dominant and unrepentant tone. “Because I wanted to see what would happen. Because it's fun. Because I felt like it. Because … why not?”

“But … how could you even consider such a thing? I mean –”

“Yeah, yeah. Get offended as you like. It's not going to happen. And you're the one who insisted on knowing.”

“That's not the point!”

“Then what is? That I'm still not oh-so-lovely-and-sweet?” Adagio leaned forward. “We've already been over this, I think. And that whole discussion about power? I don't recall you winning.”

“This isn't the same as pushing some elevator buttons because you felt bad. What you were planning to do, it's horrible!”

“Oh, stop pretending it's so incomprehensible. You would've done the same, once.”

Sunset closed her eyes, shook her head, then sighed. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Honestly, if it had helped me get ahead, I would have. But not any more.”

“Of course not, because you've changed. You're miss goody-two-shoes now.” Adagio rose from the bench to look down at her. “But I'm not, and I've never pretended to be.”

“There's a huge difference between not being nice and screwing with innocent people for the sake of it.”

“Sure – ”

“I'm not finished.” Sunset stood, and turned face to face with Adagio. “You know what? All that stuff you told me about power, I don't think it's the full story. We never resolved that either way. I think there's more going on here.”

Adagio responded with a short bark of a laugh. “Go on then, Miss Shimmer. Tell me.”

“You're lashing out. You're nowhere near as in control as you say you are, or as you want to be. You're scared. But instead of doing the hard thing and admitting it, you're being cruel for the sake of it.” Sunset realised her fists were clenched, she was on the verge of shouting. She knew she should pull back. She didn't.

“Oh yeah,” said Adagio. “Well, all our problems are solved. That must be it!”

“After our first night together, when you said you wanted to see me again, you told me you had more self-respect than to lie about you felt. I admired you so much for that. Honestly, I did. But now … now you're hiding. You're scared, and you're hiding from it. You've thrown away self-respect so you can scrabble after meaningless power. You were magnificent once. Now you're just pathetic.”

“Well, fuck you too!” said Adagio.

For a moment they glared at each other. Then Adagio grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and kissed her. Sunset, after a bewildered moment, pushed her off, hard enough to make Adagio stumble back, and slapped her.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” said Sunset.

Adagio stared back at her. “We … We argued. That's how we make up.”

Sunset shook her head. “No. It isn't. I can't let this lie. I'm sorry Adagio … I can't do this anymore.”

Adagio said nothing. Sunset chewed her lip, and eventually turned and began to leave

“Fine,” said Adagio behind her. “Go ahead. Leave. Go back to being … Just go!”

Sunset knew she'd start crying if she turned back to Adagio, so she just kept walking.

Adagio didn't follow.

Author's Notes:

Damn.

(Next update coming within 48 hours.)