Pale morning sunlight lancing through a crack in the curtains. Warm behind her. Slow, soft breathing.

Sunset woke slowly and lay for some time, just listening to Adagio breathing behind her. She was overcome with a wish to stretch this moment out – just her and Adagio, comfortable, together, satisfied.

But reality, being reality, intruded. Time crawled onwards. A tiny twinge of restlessness intruded, and Sunset soon found the need for motion.

Adagio stirred, her arms wrapping around Sunset. Her greeting came as a gently kiss between Sunset's shoulderblades, and a series of further kisses tracing a little way down her spine.

Sunset took her hand, holding it close to her chest. “Hello,” she said.

“Mm,” said Adagio sleepily. Sunset heard her yawn. Then she murmured something in a language Sunset didn't recognise.

Sunset rolled over. “What?”

Adagio nuzzled at her neck before responding. “I never used to understand what it meant. An old language. Older than I am, even.” Eyes closed, she offered a translation:

"The bitter longing and the keen desire,
The sweet companionship through quiet days
In the slow ample beauty of the world,
And the unutterable glad release
Within the temple of the holy night."

She smiled to herself. “Something like that, anyway.”

Sunset stroked her hair in silence. For a while Adagio seemed to be going back to sleep, until she rolled on to her back and said, “It's okay if you want to get up. Dressing gown's in the wardrobe. Coffee's in my cupboard in the kitchen. Take whatever you want. You'll see it.”

Sunset held her for a little while more before slinking out of bed, getting Adagio's dressing gown, and heading out into the kitchen.

Three cupboards were labeled, from left to right: “Adagio”; a smiley face drawn with a blue gel pen; and “Keep the fuck OUT, Sonata!!!” with a small frowning face, also drawn with a blue gel pen, immediately below it.

From Adagio's cupboard, she made some buttered toast and black coffee, and sat at the table. Intermittently she pulled the gown tighter around her and caught a hint of Adagio from the caress of the fabric.

It was, she thought to herself, just so pleasant to be sitting here. The last few weeks, up to last night, had taken on an unreal quality for all the intensity of emotion they's contained. Now, she was just sitting and eating toast, and everything was going to be okay. She played her fingers against the table, imagining she was running them through Adagio's curls.

Behind her the door opened, and someone padded across the kitchen floor. Sonata. She was singing to herself, in a voice as untrained as Adagio's, “dance, magic dance”, and she was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

She didn't look at Sunset, and she continued so unselfconsciously that Sunset wasn't sure whether she'd noticed her or not. She cleared her throat.

“Hi Adagio!” said Sonata. “Like the new hair!” She opened the rightmost cupboard, rifled around, and took out a biscuit. Quickly cramming it in her mouth, she opened up the middle cupboard and took out a box of cereal.

Then she turned around a saw Sunset. She blinked a couple of times. “Hi Sunset Shimmer! I thought you were Adagio.”

Sunset smiled and greeted her.

Sonata finished making her cereal and sat opposite Sunset with her bowl. “You and Adagio have made up then?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Yay!” Sonata knocked her bowl and sent some milk over the edge. While she was mopping at the table with a napkin she continued: “She got so sad when you weren't around. And she was so excited yesterday. She didn't want to let anybody know, but it was obvious.” She rolled the damp napkin into a ball and fiddled with it, staring into the distance. “I hope I can make Aria happy like that too. But she still keeps hiding away in her room.”

“Oh, Sonata …”

“It's okay though, 'cause I've got a special present I'm going to give her next week which should cheer her up. Then we'll all be happy and everything will be okay.”

Sunset couldn't help but smile. “I hope she enjoys it.”

“Me too.” Sonata jumped up as if stung and ran across to the kitchen door. “Aria!” she shouted. “Adagio and Sunset Shimmer are back together!”

And now the neighbours on both sides would know the good news too, thought Sunset.

Aria's voice came back more controlled: “Have you stolen any of my food?”

“Nuh-uh!” Sonata turned to Sunset Shimmer. “I actually have,” she whispered.

“Alright,” called Aria back.

Sonata returned to her place and grinned while she was eating her cereal.

Author's Notes:

Sonata has in fact watched Labyrinth every year since it came out.

Final chapter tomorrow. Then a bonus chapter. Then nothing.