"Couldn't you've made these any bigger?" Rainbow griped as she tried to get comfortable in the tiny pod she shared with Apple Jack.

"Hey, I'm still gettin' used t' my powers ok? Besides how big do ya want it to be? Five bedroom sized? Somethin' that they can see a mile off?" Apple retorted irritated by Rainbows' complaining. She had been through too much and had too much to think about to put up with her nonsense.

"Yeah, well, just hope neither of us has to go to the bathroom really fast." Rainbow found a position that didn't cause every part of her body to hurt and decided to call it a win. She laid there in silence for a few moments before saying, "I can't wait `till they get here."

"What are you talkin' about?" Apple asked in confusion, surprise, and a bit of anger.

"Them. Chrysalis and her followers. I can't wait. I want to kill them; all of them. I want to slice them to pieces with my sword; hear them scream in pain, beg for mercy, I want them all dead." Rainbows' reply was filled with pent up rage and a genuine exhilaration at the idea of being able to kill Chrysalis and the cultist.

"Are you nuts?" Apple was more than angry now. She was angry, shocked, saddened, and frightened at what her friend said.

"What? You're not looking forward to killing them; making them pay?" Now Rainbow was shocked and angered by Apple. How could she not want to kill all of them after everyone they had taken from her?

"No! I don't want to kill nobody! I just want ta get this over with. I do'n' want any more people ta suffer or die."

"Well guess what buttercup; killing is the only way you're going to get that done. You think Chrysalis will stop as long as she's alive? Besides, look at all the horrible things those scum bags did even before she crossed over. You can't tell me they don't deserve to die for that."

"You know what, I aint hearin' this Rainbow. I'm outta here." With that Apple crawled out of the pod.

"Fine! Just remember who's side your fighting for and why!" Rainbow called after her angrily.

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

Adagio sat on a rock in the cold night, her breath forming light clouds as she exhaled. This was fine. She had spent plenty a cold night here on Earth. Nights so cold that she and her fellows would huddle up together in bed, shivering beneath blankets that were never warm enough.

Adagio was struck by the contrast with modern times. Today people walk around half naked half the time, hamburgers are sold by showing two bikini clad women engaging in pseudo-lesbian activities, and shampoo is (or at least was in the 90s) sold by the promise of producing tremendous orgasms; yet holding hands or even walking too close together is seen as some form of physical intimacy. Back then everyone was rugged up all the time yet saw no issue with walking arm in arm with another person regardless of sex and in winter, everyone shared a bed (well outside of religious institutions that was). Very strange these creatures.

Adagio scanned the horizon and looked down, her lower jaw chattering away. Yes she had spent many a cold night here on Earth but over sixty years of (good) central heating had taken much of her immunity away. Still, she would get it back. She was getting it back. What was sixty years compared to the nine hundred, forty plus years without it?

Suddenly she heard something, like a snapping of a twig. She grabbed at a sack she had something wrapped up in. She looked around and saw someone coming. She was just about ready to prepare to fight when she saw it was only Apple Jack. She was relieved but also confused.

"Hey," Apple said as soon as she got close enough to not have to yell.

"Hey. Can't sleep?"

"Naw. Well, me an' Rainbow Dash had a bit of fight so I left to calm down." She then looked at the rock Adagio had been sitting on. It looked big enough to hold told. She looked back at Adagio and asked, "Ya mind?"

"No, go ahead. Two sets of eyes are better than one." Adagio motioned for Apple to sit. Once she did, Adagio sat beside her.

"Thanks." Apple sat for a bit and rubbed her arms. The rock hurt but it was better than standing she supposed. She doubted if the ground would be much better. She looked over at Adagio then to the sack she had. "What's in that?" she asked.

"This?" Adagio asked, looking at the sack herself. She reached in and pulled out a sword. "This. Shortly after we got here, well maybe a year, who knows; the village we were staying in was attacked by barbarians. We knew we could control people by singing but given all the screaming and yelling, we doubted if we'd be heard so we decided to flee. A few of the barbarians tried to stop us. Whether it was to rape us on the spot, kill us, take us back as plunder, or some combination of all the above; I don't know but I wasn't willing to find out.

"We fought back as best we could. We were stronger than we were when we first got here but still no match for the men, at least not with these bodies. Still I was able to get close enough to the one's ear that I could sing in to it. It was enough to get him to turn on his friends. They fought, he killed one, the other killed him; but in that time I was able to take this - the sword of the guy he killed. I was able kill the third guy and we made our escape. Ever since then, I've always kept this in case of emergencies. Hiding it got harder and harder but I've never left it behind. Even when swords were replaced by guns; I still held on to it. In some ways it's my good luck charm. It hasn't been too lucky lately but hopefully it will be again."

As she spoke, Adagio held the sword up in front of her, looking it up and down like a believe might look at some holy relic. There was genuine love in her eyes and an affection in her voice Apple Jack had never seen or heard before.

"How many people have you killed?" Apple asked hesitantly.

Adagio put the sword back in her sack. "I don't know. Hundreds I guess. Possibly thousands, maybe." She spoke as dispassionately as someone reading off a grocery list.

"How can you not know?" Apple ask horrified by Adagios' lack of emotion.

"Tell me, do you keep track of how many mosquitos you've killed?" Again, there was no passion, no emotion in Adagios' voice.

"Human beings are not mosquitos!" Apple was now getting furious and was wondering if Adagio really was an ally.

"To me they were." Adagio paused for a second to think; then she went on. "Apple Jack, I've seen new born babies die of old age. Empires have risen and fell over my lifetime. I'm older than most countries and many languages. I existed out of time, an immortal. Can you at least see how that might have affected my point of view?"

"I . . . I . . . guess. But didn' you love anybody in all that time? Have anyone make you question that world view?"

"No," Adagio said matter of fact. "Why would I fall in love with someone that would whither and die before my eyes?"

"I guess you're right," Apple said reluctantly. She sat for a bit and then asked, "Do you ever think about them?"

Adagio looked down at the ground, not able to make eye contact, not even wanting her face to be seen. "I do now."

"So how do you, how do you live it?"

Adagio took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "Barely," she answered flatly. She then turned to Apple Jack. "This is about you isn't it?"

"I, I killed two people. Me. I caused plants to grow around and smother two people. Two people who had parents, friends, possibly brothers and sisters. They's gone now an' it's all my fault. Y'all can say they was bad people; but that aint gonna change how much their mammas and papas gonna miss `em. It won't change their pain and I caused it like Aria and Chrysalis caused mine. Now how's I'm gonna deal with all that?" Apple Jack was starting to cry as she finished. The weight of guilt slowly crushing down on her.

Adagio looked at her with pity and sympathy. "You start by realizing that they have more blood on their hands than you ever will. Then you don't think about it at all. You're a good person Apple Jack. A wonderful person in fact. Good people make horrible warriors. A warrior, even one that's in the right, fighting for a just reason, still has to do horrible things. Yes you killed two people, tomorrow or the next day or the day after, or the day after that, you'll have to kill again. You will. That said; if you don't, everyone and everything will die. It might not take your guilt away, but at least it might help you from going crazy."

Apple looked down at the ground. "Rainbow is wantin' to kill, she's looking forward to it. I can't."

"That's why she's The Warrior and not The Earth Mother," Adagio said, placing her hand on Apple's knee. "It's also why you're the better person."

Apple looked over and smiled at Adagio. "Thanks Adagio. I don't know if it helps but I appreciate the effort."

"Hey, us farm girls have to look out for each other."

"You were a farm girl?" Apple asked surprise.

"Oh yeah. Born and mostly raised. I hated it though and ran off when I was young. I met Aria on the road. Later we both ended up in Sonata's village. Funny to think back on all that. Another lifetime ago. So many lifetimes ago. Now, now it's all coming to an end. Of I know I have about another seventy to eighty years ahead of me if I survive this," Adagio pressed her lips together and shook her head, "but how long is that really compared to the fourteen hundred I've already lived? It's nothing. A blink of an eye. Not even a blink of an eye. Seventy, eighty years? - I might as well already be casket shopping.

"Time moves so fast. It flashes by before you can even see it. You think you have forever but then you don't. I don't want to die. Not now, not ever. I can't imagine not being here. Not getting up everyday, not being in the world, seeing how everything turns out. Being here one minute and gone the next? No more me? Everything I've done and seen, everything I am, just gone, poof, another forgotten name on a neglected headstone.

"I guess it's fair though. I mean, everything dies right? And look at all the pain and suffering I've cause in my life. If anyone deserved to die for their actions, it's me. Still, I don't want to. Fair or not, deserving or not, I don't want to die."

"You might become an angel like Valhalen." Apple offered trying to cheer Adagio up.

Adagio laughed. "Sunset does seem to have that power," she said.

"Mind if I ask you; if you're gay, how come you never hooked up with Sonata or Aria? They was like you."

"Those two? God no! Heck it was all I could do not to kill them in their sleep sometimes. Besides I'm not gay. Up until Sunset I would have said I was asexual at least, demi-sexual at most. I used sex as a weapon.; sometimes with men, sometimes with women. Sometimes I enjoyed it, sometimes I didn't. I never sought it out though for it's own sake; I just used it as a tool for control and causing pain.

"After Sunset- I guess I would say I'm bisexual. I love Sunset. She's my first true love. I also realize now if we weren't to work out, I'm open to loving anyone. Male or female. I can look back now without hate or ego and realize I actually did enjoy being with both."

"Do you have a preference though. An' sorry if I'm pryin' too much."

"Not at all. Those things don't embarrass me. Comparing men and women is like comparing the cathedral at Notre Dame and the Sydney Harbor Opera House. Both are beautiful in their own right and since they're both going for two completely separate things; you really can't compare them fairly. Women, women tend to solid B's . Men?- they run the gambit from A plus to F. I've never been with a woman as good as the best man I've been with but the worst woman I've been with was far better than the worst man. Even so, it's a case by case basis. So, are you straight or bi?"

"Plain ole vanilla straight. I like guys and that's it."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"Adagio?" Apple asked sheepishly.

Before she could ask her question, she heard Twilight yell " What!" Both Apple and Adagio looked up at the trees.

"They must be talking about something," Adagio said absently. "They all are probably. No one sleeps before a battle." Then she turned back to Apple. "What is it?"

"Nuthin'. I should get back. Rainbow might be worrin' about me and I need to apologize anyhow. Thank you though Adagio. I can see why Sunset likes you. I'm glad you're on our side."

Adagio knew better. She knew Apple had something she wanted to tell her but that moment of distraction had caused her to change her mind. She wanted to know but also knew if she tried to make her talk she would shut down even more. She would just have to wait.

"Thank you Apple Jack. Take care."