On most days, Sugar Cube Corner was one of the most pleasant places to be in the town of Canterlot. The kind of place where you'd hang out with your friends or just generally have fun. A large part of why that is was, of course, its owners, the Cakes. Both of them always had a smile on their faces as they tended to their customers, making sure they always had everything they needed, all while loving their work. It was the kind of place that gave Sugar Cube Corner the atmosphere it was so loved for. And yet, today, that atmosphere was somewhat dimmed, as the one at the counter, Mr Cakes today, was feeling just the tiniest bit wary. Now, he would normally not feel this way about any of his customers, but today, he did not have his regular customers. Instead, he looked over to one of the girls sitting in the corner booth; Adagio Dazzle.

For whatever reason, this girl always gave him and his wife a deep chill down their spine. Perhaps it was the way she looked at people, or the way she moved, or maybe it was that whole "trying to take over the world thing" from some time ago. Regardless, the two Cakes always felt unnerved having her around. Fortunately for the both of them, this feeling was greatly tempered by the fact that Adagio was currently sitting beside a customer that they did have a fondness for; Sunset Shimmer. Letting out a sigh, Mr Cakes got back to his work, instead choosing to let the girls just get on with their business. As for the girls in question, Sunset was looking to Adagio with a smile, casually sipping her milkshake, until finally, she spoke to her.

"I've gotta say, Adagio, I'm happy with how you've all been adjusting lately."

Putting down her own drink, Adagio nodded at that.

"Indeed? I must confess, I do find myself enjoying this world far more than when...well..."

Sunset turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"Than when you were constantly trying to take it over?"

Adagio looked to her with a somewhat annoyed look, before then letting out a sigh and nodding, acknowledging her point. Giggling slightly, Sunset placed a hand upon the elder Siren's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. It's all in the past now. Besides, I still remember how difficult it was for me when I tried giving up all those take over plans."

The Siren turned to her with that distinct smirk of hers.

"Yes. I must say that I'm always fascinated to hear of you when you were like that, Sunset. Back when my sisters and I first came to the school, we kept on hearing about how much of a "bad girl" you were. But aside from that little confrontation in the hallway we had, all I ever saw was this meek little girl trying to make friends."

Although somewhat irritated by those words, Sunset soon found herself letting out a sigh of her own.

"Well...believe me, I was a far different person than I used to be. Like you, all I could think about was power and getting to the top. I didn't care about who I stepped on to get what I wanted."

Looking away from Adagio, a look of slight shame crossed Sunset's face.

"Who knows what I might have done if I'd actually won against Twilight and the others back then?"

A silence fell between the two girls, during which, Adagio considered her companion. After a few moments, a small smile crept onto her face as she cleared her throat, gaining Sunset's attention.

"Have you ever, you know...considered how things might have been if you had won?"

Sunset turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"I try not to think about it."

But Adagio merely chuckled at that.

"Oh come now! It might be fun to speculate."

The look on Sunset's face made it clear that she did not approve of that kind of thinking, which simply led to Adagio being even more amused than before.

"You're such a downer at times, Sunset, you do know that?"

Looking away from her, the Siren put on a somewhat ponderous look.

"As for me, I know exactly what my sisters and I would have done. We'd have completely reshaped this world in our own image. Statues of us would be erected everywhere, and wherever we were we'd have thousands of our adoring public calling out our name."

Holding onto herself, Adagio put on an expression that could not be described as anything but aroused.

"Just thinking about all the love that would have come our way...it makes me feel...ooh...tingly."

Looking away with some discomfort, Sunset nervously coughed a little at that.

"Well...it certainly sounds like you would have enjoyed yourselves."

Letting go of herself, Adagio turned to her with another smirk.

"Oh, you know it. As for my sisters, I'm sure they would have amused themselves in their own ways. Aria would probably just bask in everyone's attention. And as for Sonata, she would probably go around with her own personal harem of the best-looking boys of CHS. I swear that girl was never satisfied unless she had at least a dozen boyfriends back in the day. Hearing her giggle when they showered praise on her was always the cutest sound you could ever hear."

Sunset looked to her with some incredulity, after which, she started to look more thoughtful.

"Well...I wouldn't have been concerned with all that. I'd have just usurped my surrogate mother, taken her throne, made everyone bow down to me."

Immediately, shame returned to her expression.

"I really was a terrible person."

Adagio turned to her, seeing the genuine look of sadness upon Sunset's face, and soon afterwards, her own expression began to soften. A pang of guilt was felt in the Siren in this moment, and she let out a sigh, now regretting having brought up this subject in the first place. However, soon afterwards, she looked down at her milkshake, and immediately, a smile returned to her. Reaching down, she picked the glass up, holding it in front of Sunset, gaining her attention.

"Well then...here's to a pair of failed take over plans...and the more peaceful lives they led to."

Sunset was somewhat taken aback by those words, but, one look at Adagio's face made it clear that this was no mockery on her part. After a few moments of silence, Sunset finally broke out into a smile of her own, albeit a small one, and she picked up her own class, carefully clinking it against Adagio's

"Cheers."

With that, the two girls downed their milkshakes, letting out a joint sigh as they finished, before placing their glasses down upon the table once more. With that done, Sunset turned to her companion, and for a moment, looked hesitant. It was the look of someone who clearly had something important to say, but did not actually want to say it. But, as is so often the case in times like these, she did.

"Adagio...I have a confession to make."

The Siren turned to her, her interest piqued by those words as Sunset continued.

"As you know, I'm in regular correspondence with Princess Twilight back in Equestria. Normally it's just her and me telling each other about how well things are going here and there. But..."

A look of slight shame crossed Sunset’s face for a moment, before she looked back to Adagio.

"...recently...I've been letting her know about...well...you three."

Adagio was taken aback by that, but, rather than looking insulted or concerned by those words, as Sunset feared, she instead let out a hearty chuckle.

"Oh my, Sunset! Sending spy reports on us? How naughty!"

But Sunset was not amused by that, as evidenced by the frown on her face.

"I think you should take this more seriously, Adagio. I’ve been letting Twilight know about how well you girls have been getting on here, how well you've been mingling with the rest of us. Most of the time, Twilight's responses have been fairly accepting of everything I've told her. But her last message was...different."

At that, Adagio stopped smiling, looking to Sunset with a raised eyebrow.

"Different how exactly?"

Sunset looked away before continuing.

"Well...she said...she was going to come here...in person...to speak with all of you. She wouldn't say why, only that it was important."

Looking to her, Adagio started to frown.

"So...it's finally happening."

Sunset turned to Adagio with confusion, prompting the latter to start explaining herself.

"Isn't it obvious? Your precious Twilight has been reading your reports and deciding what she wants to do with us. Now she's coming to make her judgment known."

But Sunset shook her head at that, looking aghast at the idea.

"What?! No! I'm sure that's not what's happening!"

Adagio rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, Sunset! Think about it! My sisters committed grave crimes, not only in this world, but in Equestria's distant past! We may have been doing our best to fit in here, but, as a princess, Twilight will be duty-bound to...deal with us."

Sunset looked away, still shaking her head.

"No...that can't be the reason. I kept telling her than everything's fine with you. She wouldn't try and...and punish you! Not after everything's been going to well! I mean…she let me have a second chance in this world, so why not you three?"

Adagio let out a sigh.

"Well...we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? When is she coming?"

Sunset turned to her and gave a quick shrug of her shoulders.

"A few days. A week at most. She has other stuff in Equestria to deal with...but once she's free...she'll be coming."

Hearing that, Adagio nodded grimly.

"I see. Well...I guess my sisters and I have that long to enjoy our time in this world."

Sunset looked to her companion, and was now saddened that the pleasant mood this meeting had started out with was now well and truly dashed. Adagio, sitting in silence for a few moments, looked down at her empty milkshake glass, before then picking it up and standing up from her chair. Looking to her, Sunset watched as the elder Siren began to make her way towards the front desk. But, before she even got halfway there, she stopped, turning to Sunset and pausing for a few moments. After a while, she spoke, in a tone and expression far softer than she was usually known for having.

"For what it's worth...the time my sisters and I have spent with you...it's been...good."

Taken aback by that, Sunset, for the first time since interacting with these three ancient girls, had nothing to say in response.