Sunset Shimmer felt very much like a deer in the headlights of Rainbow Dash's gaze. All the ways she'd rehearsed explaining her relationship with Adagio to her friends evaporated from her mind, and all she could process was I've been caught over and over again.

Surging towards them, Rainbow Dash broke the silence: “What the hell is going on, Sunset?”

Sunset looked to Adagio, who looked entirely unruffled, then back to Rainbow. “I, uh …”

“What are you doing out here with her?”

Adagio put her arm round Sunset's shoulder's. “What does it look like?”

Rainbow glared at her.

“We were just … out for a walk?” said Sunset.

Rainbow wrinkled her nose, and she looked Sunset up and down: hair still messy, clothes a state. Then her eyes widened in realisation. “Oh, god,” she said. “You've …”

“Energetic walk,” put in Adagio in a carefree, almost mischievous tone.

“Ugh!” Rainbow turned and strode away from them.

“That went well,” said Adagio once Rainbow had gone through the exit.

Sunset swallowed. “Come on! We've got to go after her.”

“'We'? She's your friend, not mine.”

Sunset said nothing. She just stared at Adagio, then pulled away from her and ran out through the park exit and down the street. Adagio didn't follow.

She caught up with Rainbow at the bottom of the street.

Rainbow sighed and turned to face her, then glanced over her shoulder down the way they'd come. “At least she's not following …” She put her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose and sighed again. “Just … lemme get this straight. Not only are you hanging out with Adagio Dazzle, but you've just … screwed her? In public?”

Sunset nodded, eyes downturned. An overwhelming feeling of shame was creeping up on her.

“What the hell is wrong with you? After everything she's done.”

A twinge of anger. Sunset looked up. “Oh, come on. You were all for befriending Aria and Sonata!”

“Not the same,” said Rainbow. “One: We all chose to make friends with them together. I didn't run off and screw them in secret. Two: Aria and Sonata apologised. Adagio …” She grimaced and looked back towards the park exit again. “You remember the things she said. Fluttershy was almost in tears.”

“So you can forgive her trying to take over the world with mind control but not being a bitch?”

They glared at each other in silence before Rainbow relaxed and gave a small grin. “At least you admit she's a bitch.”

“Oh yeah. She really is.” Sunset couldn't help but smile back. “But she can be tender.”

“So …”

“She's proud, Rainbow. Incredibly proud. Don't lie to me – you know what's that like.”

Rainbow responded with a little yeah, okay gesture. “Fine, redemption. That's totally awesome if you can do it. But where does having sex with her come in?”

Sunset smiled sheepishly and looked down again. “I just … I like her,” she admitted. “Even after what she's done.”

“I'm not gonna ask. But why didn't you tell us what was going on?”

“It's my relationship. My business.”

“Not when it's with a girl who tried to take over the school and still swears we enemies!” Rainbow snapped. “What if … what if she's trying to corrupt you, huh? Get the old Sunset Shimmer back so she can …”

“What?” said Sunset. “Take over the world with her cruel wit? Her powers are gone.”

“I bet there's something she could do. There's always something. And if you decided to help her –”

“I'm not going to help her! For fuck's sake, Rainbow Dash, I thought we'd finished with all that.”

“Yeah, well I thought we had too, before I saw you and her.” Rainbow closed her eyes and shook her head. “I'm not gonna get into this. You've gotta tell the others.”

“But –”

“This Monday. And if you don't, I will.”

Sunset said nothing. She just stared at Rainbow, who turned and walked off. She returned to the park, muttering under her breath.

Adagio was sitting on the grass, looking at the clouds. She waved when she noticed Sunset. “Looks like things went well,” she said with a smirk.

“Not now. I'm not in the mood.”

“What happened?” Adagio's smile dropped away. She gestured for Sunset to sit beside her.

Sunset did so, and Adagio took her hand. “She doesn't like you.”

“You think?”

“And,” said Sunset, “I have to tell the rest my friends about us. Or she'll do it for me.” She kicked at the ground with her heel. “Fuck.”

Adagio stiffened. “Huh. And you really don't want them to know we're together?”

“Oh, don't take it like that. I didn't mean –”

Relaxed again, Adagio smiled at Sunset and held up a palm. “It's not an issue for me. I know I'm not something you'd want to show off to your friends, and I don't care.” She looked ahead again. “Anyway, let me get this straight: Rainbow Dash, who calls herself your friend, has insisted that you tell your friends about your private life? And if you don't, she'll tell them whatever she thinks she's figured out?”

“Pretty much.”

“Speaking as a former demon here: That's really unpleasant behaviour. Especially coming from one of the self-appointed heroes of Canterlot High. I'm almost impressed.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. It really is.”

“Hypocrites.”

“Hold on.” Sunset felt a chill go through her. She pulled away from Adagio.

Adagio responded with a bemused look. “What?”

“What is this? Are you trying to drive a wedge between me and my friends? Are you trying to corrupt me?” She grimaced. “Rainbow Dash said …”

Adagio stared at her for several seconds, then broke out laughing. “Fuck me, she's really done a number on you, hasn't she?” She shook her head and took Sunset's hand. “You know I don't like your friends. I don't like their self-righteousness, their presumption, their sugary optimism. 'Oh, we all have to be friends and love puppies and go prancing through fields throwing daisies about in front of some pink-filtered lens.' And I'm not gonna pretend I do like them. But you're smart enough and strong enough to decide who your friends are. I don't care, and it's not my business anyway. Alright?”

Sunset hesitated, then squeezed Adagio's hand. “Alright.”

With a small smile, Adagio reached out with her free hand and brushed a stray strand of Sunset's hair back. “But I don't want to see them hurt you.” She stretched. “I think we've been here long enough. Let's get going.”

“Just one more thing,” said Sunset. She grabbed Adagio's collar and pulled her in for a kiss.

On Monday lunchtime, Sunset Shimmer stood clutching a tray and watching her friends sat around a table. Sour anticipation clawed at her throat.

No matter how much you redeem yourself, no matter how final the proof, your past always stays with you, she thought. It's a stain that never washes out. Both outside, in the expectations of the people around you, and inside, in the part of you that you have to keep on a leash because you know you're still capable of behaving so viciously.

She took a deep breath and began to walk over to them. You can do this, she told herself. You're smart enough and strong enough.

Just like she said.

At least Aria and Sonata weren't there. She doubted she could have admitted it if they' been listening too. The former sirens sometimes joined her friends for lunch, but today they'd gone to eat off campus.

“There she is! Hi Sunset Shimmer! We're over here!”

“Uh, she's walking towards us Pinkie. I think she knows where we are.”

Sunset put her tray down and gave the group a little wave. “Hey, girls,” she said, settling opposite Rarity.

“Hello, dear,” said Rarity. “We were just talking about how Aria and Sonata are getting along.”

“Anything I should know?”

“Sonata's been having fun!” announced Pinkie from the far end of the table.

“You always say that,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Because she's always having fun, silly. Anyway, sometimes she starts talking about how she wants to be all mind-controlly but THIS –” Pinkie produced a small pig toy and put in on the table. “is my secret weapon.” She pressed its tummy, and the pig responded by making a noise that sounded vaguely like “Oink”.

“Y'what?” Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“It's simple! Sonata has a very short attention span, so whenever she – Hey! Sunset, your jelly is green! But everyone else's is red!”

“Uh, yeah. I think it's lime You want it?” Sunset offed her tub of jelly to Pinkie, who nodded and eagerly took it.

“Anyway,” said Applejack. “Short version is, we don't have to wonder about Sonata. What about Aria?”

“Aria's been having fun!”

“Pinkie!”

“No really, she came to hang out with Sonata and me yesterday and we had fun.”

“And I had a lo-o-ong talk with her about how to make one's ensemble sexy without being classless,” added Rarity. “I feel we both learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves a great deal. And Pinkie Pie is quite right. In fact, I think she gets along with Sonata better now than she ever did before. It's just … ” She frowned.

“The inconsistency?” offered Sunset.

“Yes! That's it precisely.”

Aria, though she had apologised and did seem to enjoy hanging out, was prone to intermittent periods of sullen silence, sometimes for several days in a row, and according to Sonata, spent the time outside of school alone in her room playing music.

“I wish she'd have more fun,” said Pinkie.

“Give her time,” said Applejack. “She's just taking a while to adapt is all.”

Silence reigned. Sunset twiddled her fork.

“So!” Rarity said. “Rainbow Dash said you have something to tell us.”

Silence again, this time with all eyes on her. “Right,” said Sunset. “Yeah. It's … it's about Adagio.” A murmur; a set of expectant expressions. She looked down at her lunch, fiddled with her fork again, then deliberately put it down. “Adagio and I … We're … together.”

“And when you say 'together',” said Rarity in a slightly-too-friendly tone, “you mean …”

Sunset closed her eyes. “In a relationship. A proper relationship.”

“Ah.”

“So, yeah.” Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “That's my news.”

Rarity gave her a strained smile.

“Forgive for being a mite confused here, but how in the world did that happen? And when?”

“And why?” added Fluttershy.

“And where? And …” said Pinkie Pie. Then in response to a glare from Rainbow Dash, “What?”

“A couple of weeks ago,” said Sunset. “I ran into her in a club …”

“She didn't insult you?” Applejack frowned.

“No. So we got talking … and I guess I found I really liked her.” Sunset finished with an apologetic shrug.

“You liked her?” said Fluttershy.

“Yeah, I reckon that's the bit we're all kinda stuck on,” said Applejack.

“Sweetheart, you know we all support you. But Adagio acted so abominably even when we offered her our full support, so it's a bit of a struggle to understand how she has not only earned your friendship, but your affection too.”

“I know.” Sunset put her head in her hands. “It's hard to believe. And I know she has problems. But I do like her. Adagio is … is …” She shook her head, struggling to encompass everything that attracted her.

“Hot? Good in bed?

“Rainbow Dash!” said Rarity.

Applejack gave Sunset a penetrating look, then turned to Rainbow Dash. “Do you have somethin' to tell us, Rainbow?”

“Uhh, I don't think so?”

“It strikes me that Sunset here seems might uncomfortable talking about this, almost to the point that she doesn't want to tell us. And since you were to one goin' around this morning sayin' that she had some important news for us. So again – do you have something to tell us?”

“Yeah, okay. I saw them together at the weekend. I told her she had to let everyone know.” Rainbow Dash looked at Sunset, then back to Applejack. “And I totally stand by it. If it were someone else, then yeah, I'd be out of line, but this Adagio we're talking about!”

Applejack shook her head. “No, that doesn't change anythin'.”

“Of course it does!”

“Girls!” snapped Rarity. Then to Sunset, more softly: “Were you planning on telling us?”

“Of course!”

“When?”

Sunset looked down at the table. “I don't know. When it felt right?” But she knew as she said it how flimsy that sounded. She held up a hand to forestall reactions while she tried to be more honest. “I didn't want to hide it from you, but I was scared you wouldn't trust me. I mean, nobody's saying, not even Rainbow Dash, but it comes down to a relationship between the two girls who tried to turn the whole world into an army of mind-controlled slaves.” She gave them a weak smile. “I know that would concern me if I were in your place.”

She looked around the table to see unsure faces and no replies. That was it, then.

“Um ...” Fluttershy raised her hand.

Sunset braced herself for more criticism.

“I support you,” said Fluttershy.

“You support her?” said Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy nodded. She looked around the table. “I don't want to upset you by disagreeing, but, um, since everyone is saying how terrible Adagio because of what she said to me, I thought I should give my opinion too.”

Sunset smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “That means a lot to me. But ...” She ran a her fingers nerviously across the tabletop. “ … why?”

“I don't know if Adagio is really really mean or if she only said awful things because she was lonely and hurt. But if she is hurt then we'll make things worse by pushing her away, and I don't want to risk that.”

“Fluttershy needs a wisdom crown!” announced Pinkie Pie. She produced a crepe paper crown from her bag and placed in on Fluttershy's head.

Fluttershy made a little squeak, but left it on.

“I'm guessin' that means you agree?” said Applejack.

“Yuhuh! It would make Sonata and Aria so happy if they were friends with Adagio again.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, then slowly raised her hands. “Alright,” she said. “I support you too. I trust you, Sunset Shimmer. Don't let me down.”

“Well, I think that settles it,” said Rarity. “I know you don't need it, but you have out blessing anyway.”

Sunset looked around that table. “Thank you. All of you.”

“It's what friends do,” said Rarity with a smile.

With that, the mood lightened, and they talked of other things. It wasn't until after lunch that Sunset truly realised she had been bestowed with the position of Adagio's reformer.

Author's Notes:

What's this? Drama? I didn't sign up for this.

Don't worry, my Sundagio droogs. Next chapter will be all porn. And guess what?

It's coming in just a couple of days.