Adagio's hair took quite a while to dry, even with the help of a hair dryer. She didn't like doing this, but her hairstyle was worth it. It was a real eye catcher and Adagio liked people, male and female alike looking at her in astonishment. It made her feel good. It made her feel superior. Which she was.

With that taken care of, she got herself dressed in a rather fancy outfit that made her look like a mean lawyer. She admired herself and the tight skirt which made her hips look even better.

'Well then, I hope that little brat Aria and Sonata are finished too, or else...!' she thought and left for Arias room. She tried to enter it, but of course her wayward daughter locked the door. Adagio rolled her eyes and knocked at the door.

“Open up, or you're in for it when we're back again. I mean it!” she said calmly and a couple of seconds later Aria opened up.

“What?” she asked in an annoyed tone and her mother forced her way into Arias room.

“Well, at least you did as I asked. But how many times do I have to tell you to open your damn window? It smells in here like in some backwater bar. Are you stupid or something?” Adagio asked and Aria gritted her teeth, said nothing and opened up her window.

“Good, now grab your things and move your skinny butt into the car. And don't get any ideas again. No smoking in the car, is that clear?” Adagio asked.

“Yes, mother” Aria answered while filling her handbag with some necessities.

Adagio left and Sonata was ready for the appointment as well, she waited in the kitchen and drank orange juice.

“Mom, can we eat some tacos in the city when we're finished at this crystally school?”

Adagio rolled her eyes. Again. Sonata annoyed her with her love for tacos.

“Tacos? We're eating that at least three or four times a week. Even if Aria had the wrong approach with her words, she nevertheless does have a point. We're taking a break from Taco Bell for now... I want something else. I'll decide what we'll get...” she said matter-of-factly and Sonata wanted to protest.

“But mom...!”

“No! My decision is final. Get in the car!” she commanded and pointed towards the door which led to the garage. Sonata did as Adagio ordered, but mumbled some insults directed at her sister under her breath.

“What was that, Ms. Dusk?”

“Nothing! I was just thinking aloud!” Sonata defended herself. She certainly didn't also want to get punished by her mother like Aria.

“Thought so. What's taking Aria so long anyway!?” she asked herself and went back to Arias room. She found her sitting at her desk, texting someone and smoking.

“Aria! What did I tell you! The car! Now!” she yelled and really wanted to slap her, but didn't because it wouldn't look so good if Aria showed up at CPA with a slap mark across her cheek.

“Okok! No need to yell at me, Jesus!” Aria said and put out her half smoked cigarette.

“Apparently there is a need to” Adagio said while Aria walked past her and her mother gave her a slap on the butt.

“Ow! What was that for again?” Aria asked and finally started to move faster.

“Faster! We're already late if we don't hurry! Now move it!” she said and entered the car. It was a quite expensive Mercedes imported from Germany, black in color and with quite some horsepower under its hood.
Adagio paid a small fortune for it, but to her it was worth it.
She loved German cars with all her heart and soul. It put almost every American car model to shame in terms of raw power and design. Adagio opened the garage gate with a remote and started the engine.

She loved the sound. She loved how it felt. And she loved speeding so much even though she got pulled over a couple of times but never received at ticket back when she had her charming powers. She just sang a short tune to the police officers and that was it. No tickets, no questions asked.

But now she couldn't do that anymore. But that wouldn't stop her from speeding every now and then. The tickets were ridiculous compared to the vast fortune she and her daughters collected from some bank hundreds of miles away.

Adagio “rented” a car, which means that she and her daughters charmed the guy who was renting cars and he gave it away for free.
Then they drove in some distant city and pulled off their one and only heist.

To say that it was worth it, would be the understatement of the century. After they got their loot safely home, Adagio drove the van alone far out of Canterlot and set it alight. Aria later picked her up and after they got home, Sonata already got all the cash into the living room and took a bath in it like Scrooge McDuck.

Even though Adagio found tacos rather annoying, she smiled nevertheless when she remembered Sonata asking herself how much tacos they could get with roughly $200,000,000.

She snapped out of her thoughts and drove the car out onto the streets and she couldn't resist making a fast and loud getaway from their neighborhood just to annoy their nosy neighbors. Adagio was certain of it that they were jealous of her expensive German car.

It didn't take them long to reach Crystal Prep Academy and when they got out of the car, Adagio didn't bother to take off her sunglasses.
She closed her car with the remote and it made that peculiar beeping sound.

Adagio took a closer look at the building of Crystal Prep Academy and it immediately reminded her of the Crystal Empire before King Sombra took over it. She wondered if he still was in power. If the Solar Empress still tolerated his reign over the crystal ponies or rather, his slaves. If they were at war with each other. She shrugged it off and focused at the task at hand.

“I hope that I don't need to remind you that I'm not your mother while we're here. And let me do the talking, is that understood?” she asked her daughters.

“Yes, we're not that stupid” they answered in unison and it made Adagio smile on the inside. Her beloved daughters were so different and yet, so alike at the same time. Adagio nodded in approval and they got on their way.

Adagio and her daughters walked over the front yard like a boss. Like they were going to be the new leaders of this school. Like they owned the place. They got peculiar looks from the students and they whispered. Adagio put on a wicked smile and they made a big entrance into the CPA building. Adagio looked around and an adult woman with pink skin and a kind looking face were approaching them.

“Ah, I was expecting you. You must be the new students” she said and stretched out her right hand. Adagio took it and finally took off her sunglasses.

“We are” she said in the exact same tone back at CHS when Sunset Shimmer was greeting them.

“Pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean Cadence. I will take you to Principal Cinch and when you three are finished with her, I'll show you around the school” she said and Adagio nodded.

“Of course. We're looking forward to it, Mrs. Cadence” Adagio answered and it made Dean Cadence laugh rather uncomfortably.

“Oh, I'm not married yet, Miss Dazzle” she said and tried to hide her reddening cheeks, but Adagio noticed them nevertheless and grinned.

“Is that so? Would've thought so because such a good looking woman like yourself sure must be already married. The men must be preying on you all the time” she pressed on and it made the Deans cheeks even redder.

“Oh no, not at all. You see, I am already engaged to someone very special” she answered and it was obvious to Adagio that this woman had something to hide.

'Probably with someone of her older students. I wonder who it is...' she thought and the awkward silence she caused didn't bother her in the slightest. In fact, it amused her.

After all, she was at least twenty years older than this Cadence even though she looked far from being over fifty years old.
Dean Cadence knocked on the door of the principals office and after a couple of seconds, a voice from a clearly middle-aged woman allowed them to enter.

“Mrs. Cinch, these girls are the new students. Or at least, so I think” she said and the former sirens approached the desk of the principal of Crystal Prep.

“Thank you, Cadence. Before you leave, I have a little favor to ask” she said without looking up from her paperwork.

“Of course, Mrs. Cinch” Cadence answered.

“Please check upon Ms. Sparkle. I'm actually a bit worried about her. She refuses to tell me in detail why she's researching this... Canterlot High. Not that I mind a bit of useful espionage that will help us win the Friendship Games” she said, always looking on her paperwork and Adagio panicked a little on the inside. Was it because the Battle of the Bands and the fight with these insufferable Rainbooms?
In any case, Adagio was quite good at hiding her emotions.

“Yes, Mrs. Cinch” Cadence said and left.

“Please, take a seat” she said and the little family sat down, with Adagio in the middle.

The principal continued for a few minutes her paperwork and took then a look at the applications Adagio sent her.

“You were at CHS? Why did you leave this school after not even two weeks, if I may ask?” Principal Cinch asked nobody in particular while she continued reviewing the applications.

“Well, we didn't like it there and that's all you need to know” Adagio said and started to get annoyed. She hated such interviews, especially if there were questions involved that could lead to an unpleasant situation. She opened up her handbag and pulled out an envelope she prepared in advance for the Principal to avoid a long and tiring interview. She threw it rather disrespectfully onto the desk of Abacus Cinch.
She raised an eyebrow and took a look into the envelope.

“What is this?”

“$25,000 in cash for you and you alone if you grant us a place at this fine school of yours” Adagio answered.

“I just want to skip these... pleasantries and I'd like to get straight to the point. You get this money, we enroll at your school. End of story. What happened at CHS is of no concern to you. And you'll get tomorrow an additional $25,000 if we can stay out of the Friendship Games” Adagio concluded and looked at Mrs. Cinch like someone who knew she'd already won. Mrs. Cinch took the envelope and put it into a drawer of her desk.

“Of course, Ms. Dazzle. You and your sisters may enroll at my reputable school. You'll get your school uniforms from the Dean. You may leave” she said and continued on her paperwork.

The Dazzlings left and Adagio was relieved that this was over so quick. Even though they lost their siren powers, they were far from being powerless. Money indeed was power and in some cases a lot more useful than their magic powers.

Dean Cadence apparently was finished checking upon some girl named Sparkle and was waiting for them in the hallway.

“Finished so soon?” she asked in genuine surprise.

“Yes, so soon. Now, show us around first please and when we're finished, we'd like to receive the fine school uniforms of your school” Adagio almost said like it was an order.

“Uhm... Of course. This way, please” the Dean answered and Adagio noticed that she made this woman uncomfortable. She grinned wickedly and was looking forward to some fun times at this school. Dean Cadence showed them around and it was obvious to Adagio from the very beginning that the Crystal Prep Academy had a lot more to offer than Canterlot High. Because its students had wealthy parents.

Adagio and her daughters then received their new uniforms in fancy bags that looked like they were from some expensive boutique.

“Thank you, Ms. Cadence. We're really looking forward to be students of your school” Adagio said while she took on her sunglasses which made her look like a pilot if she wouldn't wear some fancy lawyers outfit.

The three Dazzlings left the school exactly like they entered it and Adagio looked like she just bought the whole damn place. Students were starting to point at them and some girl with blue hair cut off their way.

“Who do you think you are?” she asked and she reminded Adagio immediately of that annoying Rainbow Crash or whatever her name was back at CHS.

“We're your worst nightmare” Adagio answered nonchalantly and shoved the blue haired pain in the ass aside and continued walking towards her Mercedes. But the girl decided she'd take Adagio right on and cut off their way once again.

“Oh yeah? Well, obviously you have no idea who I am, or else you wouldn't...” she began and didn't get any further, because Adagio lost her patience and punched the girl right into the solar plexus. She immediately lost all her strength, fell onto the ground and tried to remember how to breathe.

“Listen up, you little brat. You obviously have no idea of who I am, or else you wouldn't be stupid enough to get in my way. You better keep your head low from now on so the bullets don't hit you, is that understood?” Adagio said and unlocked her car.

“Indigo!” some green haired girl with headphones yelled and ran to her friend to look if she'd survive Adagios punch. Adagio and her daughters laughed and entered her black Mercedes. She lowered the window, started the engine and let it roar up for three times.

“Next time I won't let your dumb friend get away so easily!” Adagio yelled over to her and laughed again. Her daughters laughed as well and Adagio drove away with squealing tires.

“Gotta say, that was really awesome, mom! No one will dare to bother us there!” Sonata gleamed.

“I know. But thanks anyway...” Adagio said and lit up a cigarette.

“Hey! I thought no smoking in the car!?” Aria protested and pulled out a cigarette as well.

“That does not count for me. After all, it's MY car. And don't even think about it to smoke in here!” Adagio said and glared at her oldest daughter via the mirror. Aria put the cigarette back in the package and looked annoyed, while Sonata giggled.

“Anyway, I think I want something Italian to eat, how does that sound, girls?” she asked Aria and Sonata.

“Whatever” Aria answered and Sonata just shrugged.

“I want tacos” she said while staring at her smartphone.

“I already told you, no tacos for the next weeks. If you want some, go get them yourself” Adagio said in annoyance and put her cigarette in the ashtray.

“Sonata, would you please look for a decent Italian restaurant? I'm want something fancy and expensive.

Sonata sighed and opened up Google Maps.

“Yes, mom...”