Sunset’s life always seemed to be a blur these days. The ever changing moments that defined college life so starkly contrasted by the dull monotony of class. Then, for a week, beautiful serene peace, Sunset sighed as she considered if the return to class meant a return to constant fast paced monotony.

“Sunny dear you really must learn to hide your exasperation better,” Adagio said, throwing her arm over the shoulder of her flaming haired girlfriend. Adagio seemed to sparkle, despite the return to the grind of daily classes. She had chosen to go sporty for the day, opting into black leggings and a red plaid schoolgirl skirt with a very low cut, tight fitting V-neck T-shirt, all complementing her naturally curvy nature, and drawing many eyes as per usual.

“Easy for you to say, Luna’s not going to make you hurt this afternoon. She sent out a message about interval training, and getting ready for a fight… I’m doomed,” Sunset slumped, already hearing the hellish wails of pain she was sure to hear from her fellow Iron Hooves.

“Oh Sunset, you’ll see,” Adagio whispered mysteriously before turning to her building, “For now we must part I fear, I have a stage to rule over, and my kingdom will not wait,” Adagio gave a wave with flourish and walked to the lab. Sunset couldn’t help but notice just how tight the skirt fit her lover, nor how well her plentiful ass bounced as she stomped away in those heels of hers.

“And now I’m horny going into class… Great, gonna be a fun day,” Sunset said with a sigh. Noticing a few of the guys around her raising their eyebrows at what she’d just said, Sunset put on the face Pinkie had deemed ‘Meanest of the evil meany bitch face, and growled. Three men ran, one fainted. “Huh, maybe today will be ok…”

************************

Sunset hadn’t been completely wrong, the day had been fairly typical, her class on effective business management was interesting, and her course on micromanagement was boring, but the professor was tenured and promised to end class an hour early each day. Not necessarily great for her education, but fantastic for running to grab lunch.

“Hey Sunny!” Sonata yelled from the window of PuffleChrys food truck. Sunset smiled, waving to her girlfriend and stepping into the, blessedly, short line. In semesters past, when the campus food truck brigade pulled in the students would create human tidal waves, and the lines would just stretch on forever, leading Sunset to hit a vending machine or have a protein bar from the bookstore, but getting out a full hour early was going to enable her to get to Sonata’s truck much more effectively.

“Hey Sonata, what’s on the menu today?” Sunset asked as she neared the ordering window, smiling at the frizzy haired pink woman at the register, who simply stuck her tongue out.

“Back to class special is our secret tacos, in regular and inferno,” Sonata explained, and looking about Sunset saw several other early arrivals enjoying the tacos. It did smell good, Sonata had a way with south of the border food, and clearly she put her all into today’s batch judging strictly by the smell.

“Well I’m brave, let’s go with spicy,” Sunset said with a shrug fishing in her pockets for her wallet.

“I think you may wish to reconsider, little girl,” a voice from the front of the truck rang, as a tall dark clad figured approached the pink woman from behind. “For today’s recipe I took some creative liberties with the amount of spice we typically use, I expect the outcome to be hellish,” the woman finished by shaking a small black vial in her hands.

Sunset opened her mouth to retort, but before she could Sonata butted in, “Oh Chryssi, don’t be mean to Sunny, she likes heat.” Sonata placed a small plate of tacos in front of Sunset. “She’s dating me after all,” Sonata favored Sunset with a cheeky wink and returned to making the tacos en masse.

“Er, right… Well,” Chryssi stammered after the slight revelation. Sunset took little heed of this, as the fluffy pink woman, whose name was apparently Fluffle if her nametag’s crayon signature was to be believed, was holding a clipboard and pen. Sunset nodded, and took the official looking documentation, finding a fairly simple release waiver to sign. “Yes, of course sign there and you relieve us of all possible… complications, which may arise from consuming those, and otherwise enjoy!” Chryssi said, returning to her place at the front of the van.

“‘In the event of sudden bowel implosion PuffleChrys LLC assumes no responsibility for collateral damages incurred along with harm to the person…’ What the hell are these made of?!” Sunset questioned, only to get a shrug from the puffy pink woman as she took the next order. Sunset sighed, taking a drink from the cooler set beside the window, and grabbing a bag of tortilla chips to accompany the plate of tacos Sunset found an empty table, and contemplated her life.

“Well, why not start a night of pain out right?” Sunset questioned aloud, grabbing one of the tortillas and taking a generous bite of the evil tacos. “Oh wow thish is re-” It was at that moment that the spice hit Sunset’s brain. The tacos were delicious, of that there was no doubt, but the spice factor? Well…

“Hey sugar tits I- Whoa holy shit is your head actually on fucking fire?!” Aria asked, looking worriedly at Sunset as she approached. Sunset remained totally still, chewing the bite of taco as the pure hateful fire of capsaicin consumed her, flooding her mind with warnings that at this very moment she was being poisoned. She became unresponsive, her flesh reddening, her brow now damp with sweat, and her gaze now thoroughly transfixed in the middle distance.

”Well this is how I die,” Sunset thought, finally swallowing the delicious and torturous taco. Aria’s words were lost on her as she devoured the rest of the taco, then another, and in no time at all the plate was clean, and Sunset’s fugue state was complete. Aria could only stare in horror at her large pupiled catatonic girlfriend, cursing the day Sonata had learned how to cook spicy food.

“Sunny? Babe? Can you hear me in there?” Aria asked, waving her hand in front of Sunset’s face. After getting no response Aria’s worry began to intensify. While she was sure that Sunset would survive, she knew what it was to brave the trail of hell that was Sonata’s hot cooking. Sunset would likely never be the same, and that was something Aria simply wasn’t prepared for.

“Ah two of my favorite women in the entire world, I do hope you sprang for mama's lunch as we-” Adagio stopped mid sentence, quickly surveying her catatonic and terrified looking girlfriends. “Oh gods no! Aria tell me today isn’t spicy taco day!” Adagio near yelled, now running to Sunset’s side, and grasping the reddening flesh of her hand. Aria simply nodded a silent affirmative, as Adagio patted Sunset’s soaked brow with a nearby napkin. “DAMMIT SONATA!” Adagio roared, whipping her head to the food truck, her eyes nearly as terrifying as the night of the costume party.

Inside the truck Sonata sighed, “I’m in trouble… Again.” She returned to making the tacos for the waiting students, hiding the jar of glowing orange and yellow peppers, which actually shook slightly by some hellish means.

Inside Sunset’s mind a war was raging, a conflict between the overworked pain receptors, the tidal waves of adrenaline, and the entirety of her consciousness as the secrets of the universe were revealed to her in a technicolor stream of chaos and beauty. As it all coalesced Sunset found clarity, her vision now a blinding white as her mind expanded beyond the borders of reality, as the myriad deeds of all beings splay out before her, in a moment she’d neither remember, nor experience ever again. Slowly, the unceasing gale of information overloading her senses began to ebb, and the roiling world of her near broken mind faded, giving her sight of the physical world back.

“Witness me,” Sunset’s voice was barely a choked breath, but it immediately gained the attention of both her girlfriends, and a number of bystanders, all curious and horrified as to what might happen next.

“S-Sunny? Dearest have you ret-” Adagio didn’t get to finish her question as Sunset jumped, by some impossible show of pure agility and terrifying strength. She tumbled back through the air, performing a single flip, and landing upon her feet.

“WITNESS ME!” Sunset bellowed at the top of her lungs, tearing her jacket off, revealing her well toned, now fully flexed muscles under her tight fitting top. Her hair, perhaps by trick of the autumn sun, seemed to be ablaze, she nearly glowed as her mad eyes remained nearly black to the sclera with her expanded pupils. “I LIVE, I DIE, I LIVE AGAIN,” Sunset roared, taking off at full sprint, faster than even some of the fastest sprinters at Canterlot U, tearing into the woods where she’d first taken the Dazzlings, and the last any student saw of her was an impossible standing vertical leap, onto the mid branches of a tree.

“FUCK,” Adagio and Aria said in stereo as they chased after their, now feral, girlfriend. Running into the forest Adagio could only contemplate the madness that Sunset could be wreaking on the forest as they chased.

*********************

Sunset had experienced a great many things in her life, both magical and normal, but little compared to what she had just experienced, and the headache that accompanied it. Coming back to consciousness she found herself on the cold forest ground. “Ok, that was insane.... Never trust Sonata about hot food again,” Sunset raised herself from her laying position, and sighed, taking an inventory of her body she noted a few subtle differences in how she normally liked to present herself.

“Well I’m naked, so that’s a thing, and apparently I tried to make a bikini out of leaves, awesome,” Sunset said to no one in particular. Indeed her entire body was exposed to the chill of November, admittedly she’d always had a bit of a kink for public displays, but this was just a touch ridiculous.

Sunset decided to chance standing, praying her frenzied run hadn’t left any injuries, cracked her back, and picked the twigs from her hair. Shaking her head she worked the leaf-kini to the most modest position she could manage, and attempted to see if she’d left her clothes anywhere nearby. It took a few moments of walking, and far too much shivering, before Sunset found her boots. “Well no socks, but I’ll take it,” Sunset said shrugging as she put her boots on, and continued slightly more comfortably.

It took another 15 minutes for Sunset to abandon any semblance of hope for finding her clothing, clearly the madness of tacos had taken them, and instead she now sat on a log, focusing on how she might evade the wandering eyes of CU’s many students, and get back to the house to change into her training gear.

“SUNSET,” came the yell of Adagio Dazzle, only slightly muted by the distance she must be in the forest. Sunset smiled to herself, taking off in the direction she had heard the shout from. Adagio may not have been the master of plans, but she’d certainly be able to help devise something to get out of her sticky, slightly chafing, situation.

“DAGI,” Sunset yelled, praying her voice carried as well as her lover’s.

“Quiet all this screaming you, the noise makes Zecora blue!” A voice responded from directly behind Sunset. Sunset instantly froze, knowing too well now that her leaf-kini left her entire backside, more or less, exposed. “You know a walk in nature can be fun, but you really should cover your buns,” Zecora chided lightly, walking over to the ever reddening Sunset.

“H-hey Professor Z, um… I got lost?” Sunset tried pathetically, turning to the University’s resident botanical doctorate. She stood arms folded, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“That I understand indeed, but why is it of pants you are in need?” Zecora rhymed coyly, flashing a knowing grin at Sunset.

With a sudden burst from the direction Sunset had been facing moments ago, “Sun... Butt, well this ended better than expected,” Adagio said with her typical husky tone. Despite her embarrassment Sunset felt her knees go a touch weak, and her nethers perk up slightly, Adagio’s gaze seemed to have that effect on her.

“I’ll quit rhyming if you both resist pouncing on one and other while I’m gathering samples,” Zecora said, abandoning her typical persona for her more standard professor guise. Seeing a nod from Sunset Zecora continued “Now, please explain why you’re violating dozens of school rules out here? I feel that this is more than some Amazon roleplay,” taking a glance at Adagio, whose eyes were trained heavily on Sunset’s bum, Zecora continued “At least I suspect this is the case, but can’t be sure judging by her face.”

Sunset sighed, and shrugged, regaling Zecora with the tale of how this crazy situation came to be. “So yeah, crazy hot food, plus my insane chef girlfriend, equals me naked in the woods, now seriously does anyone have my pants? Adagio’s gaze is starting to make my ass warm,” Sunset finished, desperately hoping that this would all end soon.

“Ahh, indeed, well as a professor it is my duty to help students in need, but I don’t have any spare clothes soooo,” Zecora deadpanned, lowering her head. Sunset sighed, and began walking to the entrance of the forest.

“Screw it let’s just get to the rec center, and I’ll borrow some of Luna’s gear, I really don’t care much any m-uph,” Sunset was stopped suddenly as an entire gym bag was thrown from her immediate left, crashing into her and leaving her spread eagle on the ground. Adagio seemed delighted, Zecora exasperated, and Aria, who had tossed the bag, smiled with absolute evil.

“Howdy hot stuff, lookin’ good. Dagi musta forgotten to mention I rode back to get your clothes after the first five of searching. We found your bra, so we figured Sonata made ya go native,” Aria explained, her cellphone clicking as numerous photographs of Sunset’s bare crotch were taken, and possibly distributed to trusted parties.

“I both hate and love you Aria, and I swear my revenge on you both,” Sunset’s voice was low, and the plants beside her slowly wilted from the sheer cold rage of the fiery woman.

“Worth it,” Adagio and Aria chimed, slapping a high five before heading off to the entrance.

“Hey not gonna wait for me?!” Sunset yelled to her lovers, as she struggled to pull on her pants and finally save her dignity.

“Oh you’ll see lover,” Adagio said, mysteriously cackling as she walked away. Sunset felt something stir inside of her, shivering slightly in fear and arousal she stood, and turned to Zecora. Smiling nervously at her teacher she had to admire her, much like the exotic counterpart Twilight had described to her. Hair streaked black and white, sitting neatly under a sun hat leading to her flawless dark skin, and down to the collar of her khaki shirt and pants. Sensible, and effective, the bio professor to a T.

“Alright Sunset, let’s you and I walk, I have something to discuss with you,” Zecora said motioning to the edge of the forest, to a very particular spot that Sunset had hoped not even the researcher had yet made it to.

“What of it? I’m a business major, not a botanist,” Sunset said, giving a shrug to the professor as she attempted to play off the secret that none of the staff needed to know about.

“You’re a more capable scientist than you give yourself credit for, and more than that you seemed to posses an intriguing knowledge of organisms that my advanced students had trouble defining. I have had many a question for you since that little general education lab we had together,” Zecora explained, leading the way in the opposite direction of the hill, much to Sunset’s relief.

“I admit, science is an interesting subject, but I wanted to pursue my other passions, so I doubt I can help a doctor understand something about her own forest,” Sunset explained trailing behind Zecora, hoping against hope that a ploy at ignorance might dissuade further inquiries as to the Equestrian magic in the area.

“A doctor I may be, but these flowers were not in study for my degree,” Zecora said, passing Sunset a photograph of the lake, during a full moon…

“Fuck,” Sunset whispered looking at the evidence of actual magic in the human world. Racking her brain, Sunset considered all possible explanation, from bio-luminescence to new mutation of standard moon lilies that pollinate from lightning bugs, but nothing came properly to mind. Nothing that would fool a botanist anyway so… “Huh maybe it’s magic from some alternate universe, ruled by sentient pastel horse creatures... “ Sunset paused, looking hopefully at her now halted professor’s back.

“You are perhaps one of the strangest ladies I’ve ever met, I like that,” Zecora said, turning and smiling. She seemed to have an evil glint in her eyes that was oh so common among the faculty. Sunset found herself somewhat perturbed by the enthusiasm that Zecora displayed in, either, accepting or wholly ignoring the suggestion that magic might be the culprit.Like the moon lilies themselves, the notion of magical botany were gone. The walk back was pleasant enough, Sunset managing to keep the conversation completely free of the phenomena that surrounded the forest, right up to the point where the exit loomed a few meters before her.

“I know you’re less than willing to help with what we talked about before, but Zecora will know more, in time. I’ll be seeing you Sunset Shimmer.” With a cheeky wink, Zecora darted off into the wooded path along the wall, leaving Sunset to hopelessly ponder what Zecora may have in store for her in the coming months.

“Well at least flower season is at an end,” Sunset said with a sigh, checking her phone. “And so am I, practice time.” With that Sunset took off running to the gym for the next fate that awaited her.

**********************

Sunset could only stand with her mouth hanging wide open, “There is positively no gods-damned way I am seeing this,” Sunset thought, watching the spectacle before her. The gym was much the same, Luna standing at the center of the mats in her typical fighting gear, students seated before her as she spoke of the horrifying exercises to come in preparation for a contest. There was, however, one major different from the standard lineup…

“Now you all know very well that my training regiments are extreme, but to be ready for our bout with those competitors at Bull-Ring Gym I’ve enlisted some very competent help to sharpen our routines, this will require a greater commitment from all of you as it dedicates an extra half hour per session, and I’m going to be holding nightly sparring for those fighters we’ve elected to compete,” Luna announced, her firm voice authoritative as ever. “That being said, our three new instructors will rotate through each of you, improving your routines as we go,” Luna moved an arm to her side, indicating the three women standing beside her, none other than Rarity, Aria, and Adagio.

Thie obviously got the attention of numerous students as three women in very different uniforms stood before them. Rarity, looking not herself at all, wore simple loose fitting clothes, not at all suitable for fighting, but functional for her chosen sport of dance, as far as Sunset could tell. Aria looked fairly normal, wearing what she often called her “butch gear” of dark BDU combat pants, top, and hat, the major difference being the numerous weapons that she had stacked in front of her. It seemed she had a collection of every knife and sword in wood or metal from the known world, and still more scattered about in the form different length sticks and other bludgeoning implements. Then came Adagio, simply wearing a baggy set of sweats and hooded sweatshirt, but Sunset could plainly see what looked like a trash bag under the clothes of her impossibly evil lover.

“Introduce yourselves for those who may, by some impossible miracle, be unfamiliar with you,” Luna commanded, pointing to Rarity first.

“I’m Rarity, as most of you know, I’ll be teaching you all to be a bit more flexible, and to have better body control when you find yourselves, ahem, tied up,” Rarity explained, falling into the splits and bending to each leg to touch it. “In time you’ll all be just as flexible as I am,” Rarity further explained, causing a large contingent of male students to visibly sweat, and eye the exit.

“Name’s Aria Blaze, I’m here because Moon butt said you kids need to learn how to stick fight and knife spar, and as far as that shit goes I’m as good as they come,” Aria said plainly, taking a very long, curved knife from a sheath on her side, and fluidly moving it in her hand. “By the time we get through you guys are gonna know some real shit for self defense when you’re out of the ring, so get ready for a quick lesson in humility,” Aria threatened dangerously, never once breaking eye contact with the students, some who now visibly inched to the exit.

“I am Adagio Dazzle, I happen to know a few details about fitness, and I’m an insane sadomasochist, so I’ll be torturing you, ALL of you,” Adagio said, looking dangerously at Luna, who stood staunch, but was clearly herself somewhat distressed by the totally unconcealed threat. “I’ll break you all, and build you into proper fighters specimens,” Adagio whispered, now looking at the poor fools before her, one of whom actually looked ready to pass out just from the promise of torture to come.

“Ahem, yes well, while none of these women are fighters in our sense, they have all impressed me, and as such are clearly able to give us the extra push we need. Now warm up, you’re all going to need it.” Sunset snapped out of her trance, and went immediately into warm up mode.

What followed was pure torture, Rarity began with ballistic stretches, transitioning to very light yoga, before the whistle was blown and instruction in fighting began. Luna reviewed a number of more basic principles with the group, then broke them into groups to work to their separate levels of advancement. This meant Sunset was alone with her master, and this was the portion of the night Sunset had learned to dread. Sparring with Luna had never been horrifying as the no holds barred match they’d had so many nights ago, but Luna had a way of instruction through pain.

“Sunset, tonight we will be practicing the hip and shoulder locks, sweeps, and perform the elbow hardening drill till time comes for practical instruction,” Luna explained sternly, cracking her knuckles. Sunset tried to remain stoic, but the word ‘hardening’ was always immensely painful for Sunset, and as such she knew tomorrow might be a limp to classes.

“Lu, when did you decide to get extra help? I mean I knew about this stuff, but what happened?” Sunset questioned before taking a stance. Luna smiled mischievously and gave a wink, before rushing Sunset and locking her right arm at the shoulder with incredible speed. Sunset found her face inches from Luna’s knee, but she recognized the pressure, and exactly where Luna was positioned.

“That is my little secret for now Sunset, now the proper form for this lock is thus, notice the torque,” Luna punctuated the last word by digging pressure into Sunset’s shoulder, and causing her to rest her forehead on Luna’s knee, before releasing her, “allows one great manipulation of the body, as the clavicle is depressed by my fingers, or for now your elbow, it causes the waist to buckle slightly, from there the move is a standard arm bar lock, but if delivered effectively it allows one to approach a strike coming to the side, and counter with devastating efficiency.” Luna had always been forthcoming with Sunset, never masking her training behind mystical bullshit, but this kind of brutal technique entered into what Luna had called dangerous before. It made Sunset feel rather proud, her master was now sharing techniques that a student had to be trusted to learn.

Sunset felt less proud and more pain as the lesson continued, Luna instructing her on the upper and lower body locks, starting with basic strikes, and touching on how a master might capitalize on an opponent's nerve endings with enough practice. Then for twenty straight minutes the two women smacked the elbows, shins, forearms, and fists together. It hurt, by the end of the rounds Sunset had bruises everywhere, and limping was the least of her worries, as Aria’s segment was next to come.

All were regrouped for a rigorous explanation of each weapon, and brutal descriptions of what it was capable of in even untrained hands. “See a master knife fighter can kill you from 20 feet away before you can shoot ‘em,” Aria explained, moving to the poor student she had dubbed ‘training dummy’ and demonstrating a lightning fast throat cut with a smooth wooden knife.

“Yeah yeah, 21 foot rule for shooting a guy, but the fuck makes a person a knife master?” Rainbow butted in, clearly more than ready to actually start working with the weapons as opposed to talking about them.

Aria smiled and looked directly at Rainbow, “Can he do this?” she thrust the knife forward in the air and nodded, “Then he or she’s a master with a knife, because your flesh and bones don't require a knife guru to get cut. That’s why none of you are so much as touching a weapon till I know you’re not gonna use what I teach you like cocky dicks,” Aria explained, making a knife hand with her hand. “Next time we meet I’m gonna teach you to thrust, slash, and parry, from there I’ll decide who gets to train in weapons, and until then you’ll use your hand like this, don’t like it? Go back and spar, got me?” All nodded in agreement at a very well armed Aria. “Good, dismissed!” She said simply, moving to clean her weapons up, leaving some slightly disappointed.

“Ah lovely, my turn,” Adagio said from behind the students, seemingly appearing from nowhere, eyes alight with evil fury. Her brow was soaked with sweat from the suit she was wearing, and her hood was synched such that her hair wasn’t visible, for once, giving her an even more sinister appearance than was the norm. “Everyone, will, from this day forward, bring a separate pair of sweat clothes with them, they are not to smell if they do I will have Aria hurt you,” Adagio commanded, looking to Aria as she slammed a hanging bag with a stick, in such a way that the pad split, spilling cotton all over the floor.

“Oops,” Aria whispered, her voice dripping with evil, no one would wear dirty clothes, this much was certain.

“Now our regiments have been tailored to the fighter’s optimal condition. You will work with me three days a week, unless told, once you’re working with me five days a week you will be forced to eat as I tell you, and hopefully by the time we’re fighting we’ll all be in shape such that we all look like warriors,” Adagio paced as a general might before commanding his troops. Her shoulders were arched high as she explained the 45 minute routine, consisting of a terrible array of exercises, all to be done till time ended, further explaining that if anyone was truly dedicated that they would run every morning they could.

“The idea is to burn fat while creating vascular muscle, this process is painful, difficult, and will require us to train, eat, and rest properly. Those who do exactly as I command will find themselves at a level of fitness I can scarcely explain, those that half ass it will still cut their body fat in half, yes even you Bulk,” Adagio continued, now cracking her neck. “Let’s get to it, I’ve been secretly practicing this for a while, so I will likely be as advanced as you all are, but I assure you I’ll build myself alongside you, we will all grow together properly. Begin!” Adagio shouted, signaling the warm-up round.

By the halfway point even Luna struggled, Adagio had heavily modified her exercises to compensate, but the promise that soon they’d all be doing pull ups instead of arm hangs, one-handed pushup instead of two-handed, and running on the short pauses between exercises was frightening. Some only made it to the mid point, but Sunset and Rainbow persevered until even Adagio had collapsed.

“Hey, bacon head,” Rainbow gasped, between the fifteenth pushup. Sunset only grunted in reply. “Betcha, grr, I can, fuck, finish better,” Rainbow managed between each rep to twenty. Sunset growled angrily. She was bruised, battered, and now her muscles and lungs were screaming at her to stop, but she wasn’t going to be beaten, not in her gym.

“Those who can continue, last set, sprint to the pull up bars, rep to failure if you can, then sprint to the wall, and back, three minutes GO DAMMIT,” Adagio yelled, leaving no time for break between sets. Sunset needed no other provocation, she was up before Luna or Rainbow, and in seconds made it to the end of the gym where the pull up stations were. She immediately performed two, incredibly sloppy, chin ups. Rainbow and Luna had done the same, both able to complete a few reps till failure, though it was clear Luna relied more on skill in her fights than raw fitness as she immediately collapsed.

This left two, Sunset and Rainbow, with Bulk barely able to complete his last pushup to join them. Bulk proved simply too heavy, as his attempt to pull himself only resulted in a hang, but hang he did, while the two women sprinted. From end to end, as fast and hard as they could. Sunset could feel herself wobbling, her speed was halved at best, and Rainbow fared no better. By minute two they were near walking, but as Adagio screamed to go faster Sunset felt something stir within her. Perking up Sunset finished her fifteenth sprint, now lapping Rainbow as she made it to the bar. There she cranked out five full pull ups, and all went dark.

*************

“And that is what dedication looks like, even your master couldn’t finish, I certainly couldn’t, but if you want a true benchmark, aim to beat Sunset,” a voice which could only belong to her lover sounded, as Sunset felt herself stir.

Then, pain, as she woke every tensed nerve, every hammered in bruise, her entire body lit her mind up with signals to tell her just how much this fucking hurt. “Ugh fuck me… Anybody get the number on that bus?” Sunset asked weakly. Adagio immediately snapped her head down to Sunset and smiled softly.

“Welcome back dear, you were out for a full minute,” Adagio whispered softly, patting her head. Sunset realized that she was currently resting her head in her lover’s lap. It was lovely to be certain, but raising herself to a seated position Sunset took in the scene of the gym. Everyone was on the floor, some lay on their back unable to move, others had managed to recover to a seated position. What surprised Sunset the most was that Luna had even taken a seat, something Sunset had almost never seen in the gym apart from when stretches called for it.

“Yes Miss Dazzle, we all have a long road ahead of us, but I fear I must take the reins back, before you kill us. Class, we’re in good shape, I saw excellent work out there, but the competition is coming to us quickly, and by the time we go I intend to win. Those of you that can’t keep up, feel free to attend, but tonight was only a taste of what’s to come. Eat a good meal this evening and get plenty of rest.” With that Luna stood, and walked to the ladies locker room.

It took some time to get moving properly, but Sunset soon found herself cooling down with light yoga from Rarity. She was stunned that her teacher had left, but knew it was likely to do her own cool-down elsewhere. Tonight had been a major step, but as the stretches ended, and Sunset found herself preparing to leave, she felt proud. She’d managed to survive a night of pure torture, and the students that could still form words all congratulated her.

“You kicked butt tonight Sunny, I wouldn’t have been able to move after those shin things Lu did to you,” Rainbow said as she finished packing her gym bag.

“Thanks R.D., but we all have a long way to go. I didn’t even know I could hurt this much,” Sunset said weakly, taking a long drink of water from her bottle.

“Worry not my love, I intend to get you where you need to be,” Adagio whispered, wrapping a soaked arm around Sunset’s shoulder. Adagio looked terrible, beautiful, but simply awful. Her hair was a soaked mess, her face was still slightly flushed from all the work, and it looked like she’d managed to fall and give herself a shiner under one eye. Sunset just smiled weakly, and nodded.

“Alright ya crazy asses, I have a date with a shower and a pink haired beauty, see ya tomorrow, if I can walk,” Rainbow said, turning and leaving the gym. Now only Sunset and Adagio remained, Aria and Rarity having taken off shortly after the stretches ended.

“Ok spill what did you do to Luna to get this going on?” Sunset asked flatly, looking at Adagio with a mix of exhaustion and annoyance.

“Honestly Sunset, we simply indicated we could be of service, and gave some backstory about how I wanted to be a physical trainer, and Aria had taken a bunch of weapons lessons, it wasn’t hard,” Adagio huffed, leaning on Sunset as they limped out of the gym together.

“Ok but ya could have warned a girl! I swear I’ve never been this sore,” Sunset pouted, thanking every god she could think of for the cool air of night. Everything seemed a bit less tense, and after a moment Sunset found herself better able to walk. “So was this the surprise you kept hinting at?” Sunset asked, now picking her lover up to help expedite the trip to her car.

“In part dear,” Adagio whispered, nuzzling into Sunset’s chest as she relaxed. Truth be told Sunset had known Adagio worked out, but she had no idea just how intense the eldest Siren could be.

“Part huh? well what’s part-THE FUCK?!” Sunset yelled nearly dropping her lover, as Adagio’s car suddenly started, and began rolling towards them. Sunset thought carefully, knowing that this might be dangerous, and just as she was about to act and throw herself out of the way, the car’s driver’s side window rolled down, and a figure hung her head outside of it.

“Hi Sunset!” Princess Twilight Sparkle said, waving happily at her friend.

“Surprise,” Adagio said with an evil smile, as Sunset choked on her words.