"Ooooohhhh, is that all?" Pinkie said out loud; causing everyone to look at her. "I hope it was as good as mine and Sonapie's first time."

Everyone else looked confused until the looked back to Twilight and Flash who had both turned bright red with horrified embarrassment. Then it all made sense. Some laughed, some gasped, some face palmed.

"It's ok Twilight," Sunset said walking over to Twilight, laughing and gave her a hug.

"I guess that leaves you as the only virgin left Rarity," Rainbow teased.

"And I plan to be that way for a while Rainbow Dash. Joys of the flesh are nice, but I have goals to accomplish, dreams to fulfill, a career to make; and none of that leaves time for 'romance'," Rarity responded.

"I'm so embarrassed," Twilight moaned, nearly in tears.

"Twilight, it's ok," Sunset again reassured her. "You and Flash love each other. It was bound to happen eventually. Just so long as you guys were safe."

"We were," Flash added trying to let everyone know that they hadn't been irresponsible.

"Alright, alright," Apple spoke up. "Now that we got our laughs in, can we get down to business. We do have a monster on the loose remember. Plus the fellas gotta be out by nine and it six thirty now."

"What's the rush for Applejack?" Pinkie asked. "It's a party as well. Let's have some fun!"

"I second that!" Sonata was quick to say.

"Considering this is the first we've all been together; I think that sounds like a great idea," Sunset added.

Pretty soon everyone started to just mingle and talk. Rarity turned the radio on and a couple people began to dance. Adagio just stood off to the side watching with a glass of fruit punch in her hand. Sunset saw that she was hanging back and walked over to her.

"I know you're not shy Dag. Come over and mingle." Before Adagio could protest, Sunset dragged back over with the others.

It was hard to relate to humans. Adagio had seen and been through so much, the gatherings of these creatures and their small talk bored her to no end. Still, Sunset was here, and so was Sonata, who was ancient like her. After a time though, she found she was actually enjoying herself. The others asked her questions about the past (both human and Equestrian), she and Sonata shared stories; both adventurous and funny. She could feel herself starting to fit in.

"Hey, Rarity," Rainbow said in sudden and enthusiastic voice. "Why don't ya pop a movie in huh? A good chick flick. All girl power and stuff."

"Uh really?" Soarin said dismayed.

"Hey we're the ones with the magical powers not you guys," Rainbow teased. "We should get the call. Besides, it'll pump us up."

"Oh, I have the perfect film," Rarity said inspired. "I'll ask my mother where it's it." Rarity ran up stairs to where her parents were. About ten minutes later she returned with a DVD. "'Thelma and Louise. The ultimate chick flick," she said holding it above her head like some sort of prize.

The guys groaned in soft protest but to no avail. Rarity put it in the machine and they all started watching it. Things were going well. One of the guys would make a snide comment here and there but everyone seemed to be enjoying it. That was until it got to the parking lot scene.

As it started playing out, Adagio went pale and ram rod straight. At first she couldn't say anything. Then she softly said, "Turn it off."

"What was that Dag?" Sunset asked.

"Turn it off." Adagio voice was louder and there was a fierce urgency in her voice.

"Oh sweetie, it'll be ok," Rarity tried to comfort.

"I SAID TURN IT OFF!" Adagio screamed at the top of lungs and ran off.

The others all looked at each other confused, not knowing what just happened. They asked if Sonata knew but even she was at a loss. Everyone got up then and started looking to see where she had went. Eventually the found her, sitting in a bedroom closet, hugging her knees and crying.

Sunset and Sonata walked in while the rest stood outside and watched.

"Dag, are you ok?" Sunset asked concerned and confused.

Adagio slowly looked up at Sunset, her eyes red and puffy. "I was raped," she just said.

Everyone gasped in shock. Sonata came closer and asked, "When Dagi?"

Adagio kept looking at Sunset as she answered. "Shortly after we first got here. Remember that old farm we stayed at; the one with the rickety old shacks that travelers could stay at? It was there. I woke up with the farmer on me. He had his hand over my mouth so I couldn't sing and use my magic. He had a knife. He held it to my throat. I was powerless and at his mercy, just like when I was a filly and Discord ruled. He stuck himself inside me and grunted like a pig while he violated me. The sound he made when he completed and ejaculated in me, I hear it still sometimes."

"Oh my god Adagio," Sunset said horrified. "What did you do?"

"I killed him." Adagio said frankly. "Then I came and got you and Aria."

"That's why you made us leave in such a hurry!" Sonata gasped as she remembered that night.

"It's also why I made it a rule that we were never to sleep alone again."

"Dagi, why didn't you tell us?" Sonata asked hurt.

"I am 'The Mighty Adagio', things like that don't happen to me." A bitter smile grew across Adagio's face.

Both Sonata and Sunset kneeled down and hugged Adagio who started crying again.

"Hey everyone," Sunset said, "will you let Adagio and I have some private time?"

Everyone agreed, even Sonata (although very reluctantly), and left. Sunset then sat down beside Adagio who had stopped crying. Her face was pointed at her knees but her gaze was a thousand years in the past.

"It never leaves you," she said softly, distantly. "It's not there all the time, not every waking second at least. But it's there; lurking, waiting to reawaken in your nightmares."

Sunset put her arm around Adagio but continued to say nothing.

"I grew up under the Chaos Bringer. We had no control. All of us were at his mercy. Part of why I loved being a siren was because it gave me control. Control over others. The power to get them to do whatever I wanted. That night, I was back to being a frightened little girl; weak and powerless. I killed him. In fact, I got him to kill himself. Once he got off me, I sang. Oh the things I made him do to himself. I even pissed on him while he was dying. It didn't matter though. It doesn't matter. He's still there, in my dreams, in my fears. And I can't stop him."

"When I first got here, I had the body of a thirteen year old." Sunset said. "I couldn't rent an apartment, not looking like that. I had asked Discord if one of his goons could pose as my dad so I could get the place. I mean I already had paid him a small fortune at that point. He agreed.

"It turns out this guy he sent liked little girls. Girls around the age I looked. When I met him he said he wouldn't help me unless I slept with him. So I agreed. Heck I didn't care. I was consumed by hatred for Celestia and my desire for revenge. Besides, I didn't know that wasn't normal for this species."

"No," Adagio interrupted, "it's very normal for humans. They only claim it's not."

"Later on, when I actually understood what he was and what he got out of it, I couldn't sleep. I just kept thinking how vile he was. I later used that to further fuel my hatred of not only Celestia but of humanity. It's much easier to plan on using people as cannon fodder when you think they're absolute filth."

Adagio gave a small chuckle. "That it is." She then turned to Sunset. "You can go back with the others. I'll be ok."

Sunset smiled and shook her head. "I told you I'm not leaving your side. You're stuck with me."

Adagio looked back at her knees and started crying softly again. Sunset tried to comfort her but Adagio cut her off.

"It's not that, not this time. Sunset," Adagio paused, a million thoughts buzzed and debated inside her head for a few seconds before she eventually decided to continue, "I love you."

"Aw, Dag, I love you too," Sunset said sweetly.

"No, you don't get it. I don't love you as a friend. I'm in love with you, as in a romantic partner. That's why I started hanging out with the human Sunset. I was pretending she was you."

Sunset felt all the air and energy leave her body. She was frozen physically and mentally. She had no idea how to respond.

"That's not all. I didn't come back here looking for redemption. I came back because I was forced to. I was forced by the thing that killed those people. I know who it is."

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

Everyone sat around quietly. No one felt the urge to say anything; the heaviness of what Adagio had gone through had silenced everyone. Suddenly Sunset came into the room holding Adagio's hand. There was excitement and fear all across Sunset's face.

"I now who it is," Sunset said in an almost manic state. "Adagio told me. It's Queen Chrysalis!"

Everyone else murmured in a confused manner except for Twilight who gasped in horror.

"Chrysalis? Are you sure?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. Tell them Dag."

"When we were on the run, after you'd defeated us and we lost our magic, she contacted me in a vision. Because I'm Equestrian, she said she had a special link to me. She told I was to get back here and corrupt Sunset. I refused simply because I am no one's servant. That's when she tortured me. She can get inside my mind and cause me to have excruciating seizures. So I relented. It's why I came back.

"Apparently both Sunset, and you Twilight, have a special power that makes you immune to her and out of her reach. Also it seems to be a power that transcends even death since I was told specifically not to kill Sunset; but corrupt her; which she said was simply causing Sunset to do something that was against her nature.

"Whenever I'm with Sunset, she can't touch me. I'm also guessing the same would be true for Twilight as well. As soon as I'm alone, she can enter my mind and torture me. I was going to betray you, betray her because I couldn't take the pain; but I don't care anymore. I love Sunset. I do. I never thought I could love anyone but I love her. And after tonight; I realize I could never betray her. I'd rather endure the torture."

"This changes everything," Twilight said as she got up and started pacing.

"You know who this Chrysalis is?" asked Flash.

"Yes. I fought her before. She's a shape shifter and a love stealer. She drains all the love out of ponies, I mean people, around her. She almost conquered Equestria but my brother, sister in law, and I were able to stop her, barely."

Twilight then turned and walked up to Adagio. Adagio prepared herself to be yelled at, even hit; but Twilight gave her a hug. "I'm sorry she put you through that Adagio," Twilight said as she pulled away. "But thank you for telling us."

"You're not mad?" Adagio asked confused.

"At Chrysalis, yes. At you? - No. You were tortured. Anyone would have gave up and did as she asked. You've told us the truth now, risking your safety, you life. That means everything. You may not have wanted redemption; but you got it."

"Also," Sunset said putting her arm around Adagio's shoulder, "there's no way she's getting to you. If she feared me before, wait until she see's me now that I know what she's put you through."

Adagio looked at Sunset and smiled. There would be much to talk about later, but for now she was happy knowing Sunset had her back.

"Do you know where she is?" Twilight asked hopefully.

Adagio shook her head. "No, she never said. She entered my mind, I could never enter hers."

That's when Fluttershy got up. "Maybe we can change that," she said with a smile.

Author's Notes:

Just remember, this and last weeks chapter were supposed to be one long chapter (plus the next chapter as well). So know you know why I split it up.