Hell was full of underlings that would do the bidding of demons more potent than themselves. If one who was lucky enough not to be a mere mindless husk wished to gain power, their greatest chance was to attach themselves to a demon of greater potential or merit in the hopes that they could be protected long enough to thrive on their own.

Such a demon scurried his way across the obsidian landscape to find his way back to his master. He tripped and stumbled over his skinny feet, but managed to get himself upright as he cleared the distance and finally made it to the feet of his master. He knelt down and groveled as the armored boot on his master’s foot stomped on the ground, shaking everything around them.

Several other demons served at his side while his lowly henchman groveled at his feet. The master’s face was hidden under a sturdy horned helmet, black in color with flames emitting from it. His body was adorned with similar spiked armor, bones protruding from it, it had a fierce look to it, which matched the master himself. He was a ruthless demon, capable of much.

Sitting on his throne made of bone and blade, he looked down at the servant at his foot before kicking him backward. The servant demon toppled over before getting himself oriented and bowing once more.

“Who said that you were permitted in my chamber? Weaklings such as yourself should stick to the duties that I assign, and not bother me… Perhaps you wish to see what happens when a demon dies?” He placed a claw atop a massive claymore that sat beside his massive throne. The hilt of which shined interestingly. It was as black as onyx but had a certain sheen to it. Bones came out of the glassy-looking hilt, giving it a very sinister look. The blade itself was almost as large as the master who sat next to it; a weapon worthy of a king, for sure.

The servant bowed repeatedly as he begged forgiveness. “Forgive me, my lord, I rushed her because there is something that urgently needs your attention!”

“What could be so urgent that you come to bother me with your presence? Bringing your stink into this chamber…” The master barked.

“Someone is heading this way, a demon that is facing the trials, they will surely come to face the contender for the demon lord, yourself….” His minion explained.

The master merely laughed. “So what? Many attempt the trials, but the vast majority fail. Why should I concern myself with a creature that will likely die at the hands of my minions?”

“They have already completed the first trial…” His servant stated.

The master waved his claw dismissively as a female demon placed her arms around him, fawning over his physique. “Who cares? Stronger than the average demon, but they won’t last long, and if they do make it here, I can slice them in half…”

“Sir, with all due respect, I think you should take this girl more seriously…” His servant pleaded.

The master laughed heartily at the information. “A girl!? All the more reason why I should pay no mind to this. Why should I concern myself over some little girl?”

“Sir, that girl is the former contender for the title of demon lord… Serenade Dazzle…” His servant stated.

This information made the master pause. He pushed the female away from himself and leaned in with a serious tone to him. “Are you absolutely certain that it is her?”

His servant nodded. “At first, I did not recognize her because her body has changed, but after some scouting and overhearing her, I am completely confident that it is indeed her.”

Leaning back in his throne, the master nodded. “So… Serenade Dazzle returns then… I shall take great pleasure in crushing her…”

His servant looked up at him with confused eyes. “Sir?”

He gestured with his claw to his servant. “Put every demon under my wing in her path. She is not to be underestimated. I want her weakened as much as possible before she reaches this chamber…”

“Sir, that would just be throwing them into a slaughter, you know what she’s capable of…” His servant frowned.

“Do as I say! You are to serve your lord, not question. Any, who can not defend their king deserve to die on the battlefield. Now go!” The master gestured.

Nodding, his servant left to go inform their army of their master’s new orders. After he departed, the female at the master’s side leaned in with intrigue as she caressed him. “Master, you don’t believe those weaklings will actually kill her do you?”

He shook his head. “No, I merely wish to see if she’s gotten stronger or weaker. They are cannon fodder. I intend to enjoy the killing of Serenade Dazzle myself… She will not leave this throne room once she enters…”

“She can’t defeat you, that’s for sure…” His mistress purred in his ear.

He stared forward in thought as he remembered the name Serenade Dazzle. All she had done to him, and he knew that he would have his moment when she arrived. He would be able to enact the revenge he had waited so long for. When all was said and done, he would get to feel the moment of her death by his claws.

“Serenade Dazzle will die today, that much is certain…” He said quietly.

Serenade now had the spine of the beast in hand, and without much effort, she knew she would be able to forge a weapon worthy of a demon lord. Her confidence in her abilities was unrivaled, and she knew that hell had no challenges she couldn’t overcome. She wondered why she was concerned in the first place. With her abilities, she was more than a match for any foe.

The girl had been trained by some of the best masters in the art of combat, and then she had bested her own masters. Her anger was a force that would demolish anything in front of her; nothing would stop her on her quest to be at the top, to make mortals pay for all they had done to her, to make them pay for all they had done to her entire kind, and to the world itself. Mortals were a disease, and she was the cure in her mind.

With pride, she marched onward on the path set for her, as Sven appeared next to her once more in his shadowy form. “Truly, it is remarkable to see the amazing Serenade Dazzle in combat, your triumphs were not exaggerated. Had we met in Dragon Scar, I would have found you worthy to be my queen even if you are not traditionally my type…”

Serenade scoffed at the thought. “Why would I want to be second to someone who is as weak as you?”

He laughed. “Feisty, I like that. I think that in life, I would have gotten along well with you…”

“Then you don’t know me at all…” Serenade scowled.

“I think I’m slowly starting to understand though…” Sven commented.

“You understand nothing, I promise you that…” Serenade hissed.

Changing the subject, Sven coughed. “So, are you sure that you’re prepared to take on the contender for demon lord? He is quite a formidable foe.”

“What do you know about him?” Serenade stopped and asked, her hand resting on her hip.

“I know not of his name, but I hear stories echoed of him…” Sven stated.

“Go on…” Serenade gestured with her hand.

“I hear that in life he was a warrior of amazing prowess, but in death, he is a demon of ruthlessness. He has spent centuries perfecting his ability, aiming to reach the top, and he has killed many demons that have challenged him. There isn’t a fight he hasn’t won, and I hear that he is fearless in battle…” Sven explained.

Serenade shrugged and yawned. “Sounds like a pussy that is compensating for something. Stick around and watch, Sven. I will show you the true power of Serenade Dazzle, you have yet to see anything. I will be standing atop of his corpse in a matter of hours, you’ll see.”

He grinned at her confidence. “I have little doubt, now. Surely, you will be triumphant. The true demon lord stands before me…” Sven bowed in honor of her.

“The demon lord, and the next ruler of Equestria and even the world…” Serenade corrected with a finger raised.

“Pray tell, what drives a creature such as yourself?” Sven tilted his head in curiosity.

“I doubt you would understand my motives, Sven. My hatred for mortals stems back farther than you have been alive. I want nothing more than their complete and total destruction. I want them all to pay for everything they have done. There can be no calmness in this world until all of them and their sympathizers are wiped out…” Serenade was trying her best not to grind her teeth as she spoke. Just the thought of how much she hated them was enough to make her blood boil.

“I suppose there is more to you than I will ever understand, but although I do not understand your motivation, I stand behind your plight. I gain nothing, yet I wish to see you succeed if not only out of spite for my own slaying…” Sven replied.

A small smile came to the siren’s face from his words. “Now you’re starting to understand if not just a little bit. Maybe by the time this is over you will truly comprehend what I am all about…”

He bowed at her. “I shall follow in your shadow and observe. Consider it a student learning from the master.”

“I think I can finally start to enjoy your company now…” Serenade chuckled.

Sven grinned back at her. “I look forward to your conquests, Serenade.”

“Watch and learn, Sven.” She laughed.

With her brother by her side, Cinder sat atop of a rock as the two polished their blades. The craftsmanship of their fine swords meant they would never dull, thanks to ancient forging secrets passed down by their clan for generations. There wasn’t a finer sword in Dragon Scar than those carried by her clan, and there were none who could rival their ability to craft them. Forged by a dragon’s fire along with other special techniques, they were the blades of masters, and Cinder had finally earned the right to call herself one.

Her training was behind her, and she now was more than a mere hatchling at the age of fifteen. She had practiced hard and learned much from her brother and her parents. While she was still very different in her way of thinking, she took her family's traditions seriously. There was no doubt in her brother’s mind as he looked at her that she was dedicated to the sword, but he feared her free mind would lead her astray even if unintentionally. Cinder was an inquisitive creature, but there was strength in her heart.

Ash finished polishing his sword and lowered it as he spoke to his sister. “Sister, do you remember where a warrior’s strength comes from?”

She nodded as she kept polishing her fine blade. “Of course, the spirit of a warrior never dies, it returns to us when we are in need of it most. If you call upon the spirits of our fallen brethren, they will come to our aid.”

Ash nodded. “Yes, but don’t forget that they only appear to a warrior worthy of aid. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Blinking Cinder ceased polishing her sword and looked over at him with confusion. “What’s on your mind, brother?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Forget it… We’re running really late anyway, our parents will be displeased if we don’t return soon.”

Coming a stand, Cinder nodded in agreement. As she stood, Ash could see she had grown so much. No longer did she have to carry her sword in both claws, now she could wield it in one. She had come a long way in a short time, Ash wondered if she would even surpass him one day, only time would tell.

“We best get this hunt on the way then, right?” Cinder suggested.

Sheathing his sword, Ash agreed. “Yes, remember this type of beast is not one that will fall easily, you need to stay sharp and not get distracted. We will need to use every resource we have appropriately…”

Cinder patted her side where a belt was wrapped around her waist. On the belt were various pouches and a flask that she knew they would need for their hunt.

“Good, stay focused, and let’s get on with it…” Ash gestured for her to lead.

Nodding, Cinder sprinted forward with Ash behind her. The two traveled a good distance on foot before reaching a plateau above them. While flying was a possibility, Cinder knew that if they started the beast they hunted it would be considerably harder to take down. The speed at which it could fly vastly outmatched a dragon after all.

She signaled with her claw for Ash to stay quiet as she gripped the side of the plateau and began to scale it. Ash followed silently.

With a grip as mighty as theirs, scaling a cliffside was child’s play, even with the equipment they carried with them.

Once they reached the top, Cinder looked at their prey resting atop the plateau. A gorgeous creature it was, shining multiple colors, a metallic sheen to its entire long snake-like body. It was absolutely magnificent, an apex predator, an ethereal sky serpent. A creature with a mighty magical essence, capable of phasing its entire body between two different planes of existence, rendering it impervious to damage when done. Fortunately, Ash and Cinder were more than prepared for this, but they would have to be careful as to not make a single mistake.

Ash quickly circled around the beast and positioned himself on the left side of the creature while Cinder positioned herself on the right side. The size of the beast put them a considerable distance apart from each other, at an impressive 14 meters long.

With her claw reaching into one of her bags, she gripped a glowing chalky orb in her right claw as she aimed her throw. Hurling it through the air, the ball impacted with the creature, and its entire body became solid, parasprite essence mixed with enchanted salt created a unique orb that when it impacts with ethereal creatures gave pause to their ability to turn into ethereal form. It was an old trick for hunting them passed down for generations.

Once the creature was vulnerable it began to wake with a mighty screech, but both the dragons crouched and covered their ears. The screech of the beast could paralyze any attackers for several minutes, but Cinder and Ash were privy to this.

As it attempted to lift off of the ground, both of the dragons acted quickly, retrieving large Hooks from their belts, attached to long chains with metal anchors on the other end.

Twirling the hook in her claw for a second, Cinder hurled it at the beast, striking its side as Ash hit its other side with his own hook. The both of them quickly anchored the other ends of the chains into the ground before drawing their swords.

“Don’t get cocky, the hardest part is about to come!” Ash warned as he readied his blade.

With a nod, Cinder prepared for an attack as the creature took to the air, but was stopped quickly by the chains holding it down. It jerked a few times to try and free itself, but the anchors that the two dragons had put into place were far too strong for it to break. They were specially crafted to withstand thousands of pounds of pressure.

With no way to escape, the creature quickly switched from a mentality of fleeing to a mentality of offense. It looked down at its captors and charged an electric attack from its claws, launching several orbs of lightning in all directions.

Cinder and Ash both reached into their pounces and coated the hilts of their blades in an herbal paste that they had crafted to block electric conduction. Both held their blades up and caught a bolt of lightning with their katanas.

The unique properties of their blades allowed them to store the energy of the lightning within the blade, and as a result, their swords both sparked with electric energy.

When it hurled more energy blasts at them, the two simply swiped their blades at them, sending them back where they came from. Upon impact, the creature fell from the sky, causing the two dragons to roll out of the way as its massive body hit the ground with a thunderous quake that shook everything around them.

Though it was down, it was far from giving up on the fight. With its slithering body, it moved its head at Ash and snapped at him with its massive maw.

Cinder quickly slashed at its midsection to get its attention away from Ash, which worked quite well. The creature screeched and turned around to snap at her, but Cinder leaped toward its mouth when it tried to bite her and found herself inside of its mouth. Quickly, she slashed repeatedly at the roof of its mouth. After eight slashes the creature lifted its head in pain, trying to swallow her.

Thinking quickly, Cinder grabbed one of its fangs from inside its mouth and held on as it tried to swallow her. Putting her blade away, Cinder balled her claw into a fist and began to punch the fang next to the one she held onto repeatedly. After a few hits, the tooth cracked and then shattered, causing the creature to open its mouth and scream in pain. Cinder took the opportunity and jumped out of its mouth, took flight, and landed back on the ground next to her brother.

The dragon drew her sword once more, and she and Ash stood side by side, ready to fight the now incredibly angered beast.

It dived at them with its jaw and the two of them rolled out of the way on opposite sides. Once it locked it’s teeth into the earth, they both hopped atop of its head and impaled both of its eyes with their swords.

It screeched in agony, but Ash responded by hopping in front of it, and stabbing his sword through its bottom jaw, pinning its mouth to the ground. Once the beast was unable to move, he nodded at his sister.

Taking the cue, Cinder slid down the beast’s body, and when she came to its upper mid-section, she slashed twice with her sword, opening it up.

With her free claw, the dug it into the open wound and felt around until she could feel her prize in her claw. With a few tugs, she ripped out her prize, the glowing heart of the beast. It shined with a rainbow sheen, as it beat still in her claw.

Wasting no time, she retrieved the special jar for preserving it and stuffed it inside the resin that would keep it. She sealed the jar and jumped down from its body. Ash retrieved his sword and approached to get a good look at the heart.

He leaned in to see it up close and nodded in approval. “It’s a good one too… hold onto it, you never know when it’ll be useful. It’s power can be extracted for various things…”

Cinder looked at the heart and blinked. “Is it really that powerful?”

He nodded. “A rare resource, but one that has nearly unlimited potential. That thing you’re holding could save your life one day, Cinder. Don’t underestimate it’s potential.”

Looking at the glowing heart longingly, Cinder wondered what would be realized with the potential she held in her claw. She had no idea how important it would truly be though.

Serenade had made considerable distance on her path to opening a hell portal, and now the only thing that stood between her and her goal was a massive palace, forged of obsidian and shale, a castle worthy of a demon lord, such as herself. She contemplated if she fancied ruling from it one day, but kept her mind on the task at hand.

The siren looked up at the massive front door as Sven appeared beside her from her shadow and commented. “It seems the would-be demon lord has made himself quite a home here…”

“He better not make himself too comfortable then, because he won’t be staying here for very long…” Serenade threatened.

Sven grinned maliciously. “Today will be the death of the false idol who calls himself the demon lord. Then the blood of Equestria shall rain from the sky.”

“One step at a time, first I have to off this cocksucker…” Serenade hushed him with a raised hand.

“Of course, lead on demon lord.” Sven bowed before vanishing into her shadow once more.

With the distraction of Sven out of the way, Serenade focused on the door that would grant her entry and began to push with all of her might. For a mortal, this task would be nearly impossible, but for a demon of her power, it was child’s play. The door began to creek and grind as she pushed it open slowly.

When the fire from inside the castle illuminated the way forward, she could see hundreds of demons waiting for her on the other side. She blinked as Sven appeared once more.

“Looks like someone was expecting you…” Said Sven.

Serenade readied her claws as she watched the demons that clearly hungered for a fight with her, their maws open with threatening teeth displayed. Demons of every size stood between her and the way forward. She guessed there was likely over a thousand of them, maybe even more beyond what the naked eye could see.

“Good, I can wipe him out and all of his followers at the same time, that’ll save me a lot of work for later…” Serenade grinned.

With glee in her eyes, Serenade charged forward with her claws at the ready. Two demons came at her first which she made quick work of. A single slash with both of them was enough to slice them in half. Serenade could grow to love the armor she was given and this new more human form.

A couple more came close to her vicinity which would be a grave mistake on their part as she impaled one with her right claw and severed their head with the right one. Gripping the skull in her hand, she hurled it at the other, hitting them with such force in the head, that it snapped their neck with the impact of the severed head hitting their own head. “My aim is still incredible…” Serenade complimented herself as another group of demons approached.

The siren jumped and kicked one in the skull, snapping their neck and then used their body as a shield while one of the others launched some kind of fire projectiles at her. Once he was spent, Serenade tossed the body aside and slashed one of the others stomach open. He frantically tried to keep his entrails in to no avail before Serenade slashed up the remainder.

With the last one of the group of eight, she ripped his spine out from his back and held it up triumphantly before tossing it to the ground as she stared down the hundreds of other demons ready for her.

“Who else wants some!? Come get a taste of my power!” Serenade threatened.

Her words only encouraged the demons around her who all charged at the siren at full speed. Unfortunately for them, Serenade was more than prepared to handle them. Without much effort she sliced and diced every demon that came her way. Sven watched from her shadow in marvel. This woman would definitely sit on the throne of the demon lord, he had backed the proper horse in this race, and he was sure of that. Her fighting style combined with her unwillingness to give in would make her the perfect ally to ensure his revenge on Equestria would be certain.

Serenade’s rage was a force that would not be satisfied so long as there stood those in her way, which gave Sven glee as he watched her continue to cut down demon after demon. He stopped counting somewhere after eight hundred demons that fell before the mighty woman.

It was clear by looking at her that he was indeed looking at the future demon lord. Her fury was a storm that would devour all in its way. No one or anything would stand in her way. Setbacks only seemed to drive her to desire victory more. She would cut down any in her path. A part of him was curious how such a creature became this way. He knew nothing of her story, but he imagined it had to really be something to turn her into what she now was. Every demon had a story, but it was clear that none would compare to Serenade’s story.

Without much effort, Serenade had severely crippled the enemy’s numbers. Before long only a handful remained which she made light work of. After hours of fighting, she would stand atop of the corpses that lined the path between her and the only remaining obstacle.

Dropping a severed arm that she had recently ripped off, she laughed as she called out as loudly as her lungs would permit. “YOU CALL YOURSELF A DEMON LORD, YET YOU CAN NOT FACE ME YOURSELF!?”

There was no answer, but she knew that he could hear her.

“IS THIS THE WAY OF A DEMON LORD!? TO LET YOUR REJECT UNDERLINGS DO YOUR FIGHTING FOR YOU!? FACE ME YOURSELF, COWARD!” Serenade challenged.

As she said those words, a large door in the distance began to open as if inviting her inside.

“About time…” Serenade grinned.

The master of the castle had watched the prowess of Serenade Dazzle eagerly from a crystal ball in his throne room. Her combat abilities were certainly what he expected and without much effort, she had wasted the majority of his followers, however, he cared not, followers could be easily replaced.

Her power was vast, but she underestimated him. He still had many tricks up his sleeve and she was about to see one of them.

“Our meeting is destined, and I shall be the one who ends your life, Serenade Dazzle. I have not forgotten what you have done, the evils you have unleashed, and the scars you left behind in your wake…” He spoke to himself.

Tapping his throne with his talon he smirked, revealing his razor-sharp fangs. “I have waited so long for this day…”

Waving his claw in the air, before him his own shadow began to take a different shape before coming to a stand and taking a physical form. A black shadow version of himself stood before him. He gestured for the shadow to leave. “Go fight with our friend, let’s see her abilities up close…”

The shadow took a knee and bowed to its master before standing and marching toward its target.

The master of the throne leaned forward as he contemplated the situation. With Serenade at his doorstep, he could finally exact the revenge he had been craving for so long, his desire to see her die in front of him would finally be realized. It was almost too good to be true, she would deliver herself right to his feet and he would savor every last moment.

“Scourge of the world… Serenade Dazzle… Your name is one I have never forgotten, but today you shall finally be undone by me… I shall have my revenge and you shall beg for mercy before I am done…” He thought out loud.

He knew his shadow would likely only slow the woman down, but he was thankful for that, as he wanted the pleasure of killing her to be his alone.

Adagio Dazzle had been beaten, she had lost everything, and after a humiliating defeat at the hands of Sunset Shimmer, she was now a prisoner on her way back to Equestria to stand trial for all she had done. She laughed to herself as she thought of how ponies had considered themselves no longer barbarians because they had trials before they killed their enemies. The justice system was still insanely biased against non-pony kind, it was merely a facade to give the illusion of killing for “the right reasons”.

Though admittedly, she knew that few had been put to death in Equestria in over a century, most of the time they were thrown in prisons with unbearable conditions, which was equally as bad as death in most cases depending on the individual.

Adagio had been put into prisons before, and at most, she had spent a good eight years at one before. Given that in the past whenever she was captured for something, her nature as a siren was never revealed, she was often treated as a normal pony, she considered that luck on her part, but it seemed like her luck had finally run out.

When she had arrived in Equestria, she was escorted originally to a primary holding center where criminals awaiting trial were taken. Once Shining Armor had arrived there with her and his eight guards, she was placed inside. It was standard procedure to put magic dampening rings around a unicorn’s horn, but in Adagio’s case, they didn’t want to take any chances so her shackles on her hooves were left in place, this would make it impossible for her to run even if she did escape.

As a final precaution, a magic based shock collar was placed around her neck. It had been explained to her that if she managed to get out of the jail cell, that it would administer a magic shock the moment she stepped eighty feet away from the facility. This would immobilize her, and thus make her re-capture easy.

It was clear to Adagio that there was no escaping this time around, she would have to wait for her trial and see about how she would get away once her sentence was given, as she was fully aware there was no way she would be found innocent, the trial was merely a formality.

“Welcome to your temporary home, don’t get too comfortable,” Shining said as he gestured into the cell.

Nodding, Adagio stepped inside and looked back at him with a gentle smile. “You know, for law enforcement you’re not a total asshole…”

“Might want to save your banter for later, I have a feeling you’ll need every bit of your wit focused on your upcoming trial…” Shining shook his head as he locked the cage.

Adagio sighed and shook her head. “Figures you don’t have a sense of humor… Guess you are a total asshole after all…”

Shining just rolled his eye while he left her with her new cellmates.

A nearby griffon nodded toward Adagio as she sat down on a nearby bench. As he sat across from her, he looked her up and down with a confused expression. “Not that often a cutie like you ends up in here… Judging by all the extra getup they put on you, you must really be something…”

Adagio gave a raised brow and an annoyed scowl. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“What’re you in for?” He questioned.

“Murder,” Adagio answered plainly.

The griffon blinked in disbelief. “Murder? A little thing like you?”

“Surprises come in all sizes…” Adagio answered.

He nodded in response. “I suppose so… Why’d you do it, if I may ask?”

Adagio sighed and looked away. “I hardly expect an idiot like you to understand…”

“Try me…” The griffon asked.

Adagio looked away and spoke quietly. “I fell in love…”

“Say what?” He blinked.

“Again, I don’t expect you to understand…” Adagio replied.

Adagio frantically dialed Sunset’s number once more for the eighth time, with all previous times ending in being hung up on before she could even get a word in. This time however, there was no dial tone, instead it went right to voice mail. “I can’t come to the phone right now, but please-“

Adagio screamed in annoyance and tossed her phone across the room, shattering the screen. She sat down on her bed and placed her hands on her knees, her expensive gold bangles on her wrists clattering as she did.

She was a wreck, her eyeliner had ran down her face from all the crying, and her white blouse had a few stains on it from her makeup.

Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she whimpered. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried about something before, but she now understood one thing: love was painful. She wanted to return to a time before she knew what it was, but the other part of her just wanted to be with Sunset again like nothing had changed. That teenage girl who at first was only an acquaintance that bought weed off of her who eventually got close enough to lure Adagio into her snare was all the siren could think about.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, they had talked about their future together and for the first time in her life, Adagio could see a simpler future without magic, without her powers. They would move in together, and Sunset would become a housewife, while Adagio pursued a real career that didn’t involve being a criminal. For the first time ever, that actually sounded like a good way to spend the rest of her days.

She was already imagining what a wedding between the two of them would have been like, but now that was all gone. Everything she had hoped for was now out of her reach. She originally thought that Sunset would calm down and eventually come to her senses but it was now obvious that wasn’t going to happen.

The woman sobbed until her phone rang. She cursed under her breath and walked over to pick up the phone which now sported a shattered screen. “Hello?” She managed to get out.

“God damn, Dagi, you sound like a mess… Still hung up on that girl?” The voice on the other end said.

“I’m not in the mood, Striker…” She muttered.

“Dagi, people break up, it’s called life. I broke up with like eight hoes just this year, you gotta get over it…” Striker said.

“Like I’m gonna take advice from a drug dealer…” Adagio replied while wiping her tears away. The girl retrieved a cigarette from her end table and quickly sparked it up.

“Hey, you’re a drug dealer too, you know?” Striker replied.

Adagio took a long drag. “Not anymore I’m not…”

“What’re you saying, Dagi? You’re just going to quit now? You’re one of the best sellers I have, you could go to the top!” Striker explained.

“I don’t care, I’m out…” Adagio said sternly.

“Dagi…”

“Don’t call me that…” Adagio hissed.

“Alright, Adagio… Listen, things got a little fucked up for a minute there but that’s the nature of the business, you’ll get used to it…” Striker said calmly.

“I don’t give a fuck about that!” Adagio screeched.

“What then, that red-headed piece of ass? There’ll be others, with the kind of paper you’ll be bringing in, you can have your pick.” Striker laughed.

“She’s not a piece of ass…” Adagio hissed.

“Alright look, all I’m saying is don’t throw away all you have over some chick. You have a whole future to think about,” Striker said.

Adagio shook her head before taking a long drag and then answered him. “There is no future without her…”

“Jesus Christ, Adagio, listen to yourself. This isn’t you, you’re a fucking beast, nothing stands in your way, why are you giving up on everything so easily?” Striker asked.

She blinked and lowered the cigarette in her hand. He was right, Adagio Dazzle didn’t give up that easily, there was still time to make things right.

“I have to go,” Adagio said.

“Where are you going?” Striker asked.

“Don’t worry about it, and don’t contact me anymore…” Adagio hung up with those words.

Finishing her cigarette she tossed the butt aside. There was work to do, and she knew she’d have to be patient and focused.

Adagio had focused her time on getting out of the drug dealing business and instead, she found a talent in working with computers. At first, she didn’t quite get them, but with all the time she had on her hands, she eventually became quite a competent programmer.

She had made a new career as a freelance software engineer after fabricating some documents to legitimize her existence in the human world. A good year had passed since her break up, but she had picked up the pieces and focused on winning the girl she loved back.

When she felt competent enough, she had begun the process of hacking her ex’s computer servers to siphon any information about magic she had. She originally was only connecting in to try and see what she was up to, but when it became obvious that the girl had been doing research on magic itself, she knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. With magic by her side, she would be able to show the girl she was the one for her.

Adagio planned on using magic to further push herself forward. With the ability to manipulate those around her again, she could rise to a higher status and prove to Sunset that she had gone straight, no more dirty work, at least partially. After the girl was in love with her once more, she could finally reveal what she truly was, they could live together forever. Adagio believed with Sunset’s genius, they could find a way to share the life force that kept sirens alive and the two of them could be together for eternity.

What she had never expected though, was Sunset would figure out someone was meddling with her server. Initially, it had caused a panic with Adagio, but luck would work in her favor once more, and it would lead to her ex-girlfriend contacting her directly claiming she suspected someone was tampering with the server trying to hijack her research.

Naturally, the manipulative nature of the siren caused her to play along and act like she had no idea who would do such a thing. Lie after lie would work in her favor as eventually, Sunset would ask for her assistance in tracking down the culprit.

It was the perfect scenario, she would gain access to the teen’s research, all under the guise of trying to catch the person stealing it, when it was her all along. It was a bit slimier than Adagio wanted, but it provided her an in to open communication up again. She had to play it safe though, and keep the conversation strictly business until the time was right.

She had chosen the name “Ghost” for her alter-ego, as she was indeed sending Sunset on a hunt for a phantom that would disappear when it wasn’t needed any longer. Adagio would keep her ruse up for weeks until she felt it time to move into action.

Adagio got into the car she had managed to get for herself and slipped a pair of Oakley sunglasses onto her eyes. She looked in her mirror at herself and admired her own face. She had chosen to wear some peach-colored lipstick this time around, to make herself look just a bit more feminine, but making sure to keep that neutral touch that she knew Sunset loved.

She made a few puckering faces in the mirror before she was satisfied and started her engine.

A short drive later would take her to a familiar mansion where her plan was to wait outside the gate.

Coincidentally, she could see Sunset’s car pull out from the front gate and stop as it met another car. Adagio sat in her car and observed as she rolled the window down slightly to get a listen to what was being said.

Sunset stepped out, her long ponytail cascading behind her as she adjusted her glasses. She was just as beautiful as ever. On the other side of the car, however, someone else stepped out, a girl. This girl was an absolute mess. Brilliant amaranth hair with purple and gray violet streaks was upon her head, but it was an absolute mess.

The girl’s face was sporting a pair of glasses that were held together by tape, and her sweater was several sizes too large as it wouldn’t even stay up on her shoulders. She was the textbook definition of a geek, or a loser as Adagio would describe her.

From the other car, an older woman stepped out to greet the two girls, as Sunset spoke to them.

“Thank you so much, for spending so much time with Moondancer, Ms. Shimmer, I greatly appreciate it, she doesn’t get out much.” The older woman smiled.

“Mom!” Moondancer blushed.

Sunset giggled and shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all, and please call me Shimmer.”

“Of course, well, shall we get going, Moondancer?” Her mother questioned.

Moondancer turned around to face Shimmer with a frown upon her face. “Well, I’ll call you later?” Moondancer asked.

“Not if I call you first.” Shimmer giggled before leaning forward to kiss the girl’s cheek.

Moondancer’s face turned red as she nodded and stepped into her mother’s car. The two waved at Shimmer who stood by her own car and watched them drive away.

Adagio waited a good eight seconds after they were out of sight before she pulled up next to Shimmer’s car and parked.

Glancing at Adagio’s car from the corner of her eye, Shimmer didn’t seem all too surprised, if anything, it seemed like she knew that the woman was there the entire time.

Opening her door, Adagio stepped out and approached Shimmer as casually as she could muster, but said nothing, allowing the redhead to make the first move.

Shimmer grinned. “Spying on me, are you?”

“Maybe I was just being polite…” Adagio suggested.

“That’s not like you, spying is more your thing…” Shimmer said.

Adagio shrugged. “Okay, I was spying… I wasn’t intending to, but I got curious…”

“Why’re you here Adagio? Our arrangement doesn’t require us to meet in person…” Shimmer sighed.

Adagio tried to remain calm, she drew a cigarette from her pocket and lit it. She offered one to Shimmer who declined. After taking a drag, Adagio released the smoke and spoke. “So, you go by Shimmer now?”

“It’s to avoid confusion with my older sister… It’s a long story…” Shimmer sighed.

“I think I don’t need to be told the details… I’m sure I can piece it together myself…” Adagio said.

That is an understatement. Adagio thought to herself. She was already well aware that the other Sunset had made contact with Shimmer and the two were now on a more familiar relationship.

“I am hoping you’re here solely due to our arrangement?” Shimmer asked.

Adagio couldn’t control herself any longer, the curiosity got the better of her. “Who’s the putz?” She gestured toward where the other car had driven away.

“Her name is Moondancer… She’s not a putz…” Shimmer’s tone became more stern.

Adagio scoffed and laughed. “Seems like a real loser to me. Ugly bookworm bitch, what’re you doing hanging out with her?”

“You know nothing about her…” Shimmer rolled her eyes.

“I know she can’t possibly do it for you… That loser? She’s nothing…” Adagio stated.

“What do you want, Adagio?” Shimmer sighed.

“Come on, I’ve changed so much since you last saw me, I’ve gone legit, I swear. No more dealing, I got a real job now.” Adagio said.

Shimmer shook her head. “So what? It’s too late, Adagio. We were over back then, and we’re still over now.”

Adagio tossed her cigarette onto the ground and stamped it out with her expensive shoes. “You don’t mean that…”

Shimmer turned to face her, her expression stern and serious. “I have never meant anything more in my life. I’ve moved on, Adagio, why haven’t you?”

Adagio stepped forward and placed her hand upon Shimmer’s chin, forcing the girl to look up at her as she snaked her other arm around Shimmer’s waist. “You know that no one can make you feel sparks the way I do. We were made for each other, I need you… Without you, I’m nothing…”

Shimmer pushed her away and broke free of her grasp. “You were nothing even when we were together, Adagio Dazzle.”

“So what, you’d rather be with that piece of trash?” Adagio growled in annoyance.

“It’s over, Adagio. It has been for a while now… It’s time to move on…” Shimmer said.

“I know I didn’t say it enough, but I love you… I can’t live without you… Please… Just say that you love me back and things can go back to making sense…” Adagio was trying to hold back tears as she began to realize none of this was going the way she planned.

Shimmer sighed as she stepped forward and placed a hand on Adagio’s cheek. Her voice grew soft and surreal as she spoke the words that would break Adagio even more. “I can’t… Because I don’t even know who you are… And I think a part of you doesn’t either. You can’t figure out who you want to be, and I can’t help you with that… What we had… It was so wonderful while it lasted, but all it was was a dream… And now…” She paused before removing her hand. “Now, we both have to wake up…”

Adagio placed her own hand on her cheek where Shimmer’s had just touched. “Please… Don’t do this…”

“There are so many faces to Adagio Dazzle… But I don’t know which one is the real one, and until you figure that out, you’re always going to be unhappy… In the end, you’ll have to make a decision on who you want to be, maybe then you can find someone to be happy with you…” Shimmer spoke quietly.

“Sunset… Please… I’ll do anything, just name it…” Adagio’s face was now being stained by the tears she could no longer hold in.

Shimmer shook her head as she turned away toward her car. “I’m sorry, Adagio… I can’t fix you…”

With those words, Shimmer entered her own car and started the engine. As the car drove away and the gate closed behind her, Adagio fell to her knees and slumped next to her own car as tears came out. All that time putting herself back together, and just like that, she felt more shattered than she was before.

She knew now she would have to find another way to convince Shimmer to take her back. It was a way, she had hoped to avoid, but now there was no other choice.

Adagio went through every bit of research notes she could find to see if there was anything to restore her magic. Her new plan now was to get her magic back and then she could gain her ex’s love once more. If she couldn’t win it back, she could use her magic to force her to love her. After enough time she would see that Adagio was the only logical choice.

While a part of her felt dirty for using her powers on Shimmer, she knew that it would only be temporary. All she needed was for Shimmer to see that Adagio was the one meant for her, then they could be together again.

Everything she found though was meaningless, all the information she found in Shimmer’s research on magic was not helping.

Growling in annoyance, Adagio leaned back in her chair with a cigarette in her mouth. She cursed when she realized there was only one option now. She had assembled the shards of her amulet, and she knew only one way to recharge a siren’s amulet without access to Equestria, she would need the magic of another being.

Looking at the amulet in her possession, she knew it still had a tiny bit of power left in it after she had pieced it back together so she wouldn’t need a full reforge, if that were the case her only option would be to go back to Equestria and have the aid of another siren sacrificing a portion of their power to reforge it.

That meant she had one option at her disposal, she would have to kill another that had magic, if she focused herself after, the escaped magic from their body would go into her amulet. It wouldn’t be a tremendous amount of magic but it would be a start. From there she could use her magic on Shimmer and eventually everything would fall into order.

There was only one person she knew she was willing to kill, the Equestrian Sunset Shimmer. She was the one who had defeated her in the first place, and why she had no magic to begin with. Now she hung around the girl that Adagio coveted, just to add insult to injury.

If she took her out, it would kill two birds with one stone, but that meant she had to do it in a way that Shimmer would never know.

Thinking it over, Adagio realized she would need to make a phone call that she didn’t want.

Sighing, the girl picked up her cracked phone and dialed Striker’s number.

After only eight rings, he picked up. “Dagi? Well it’s been a while since I’ve heard from you, I was wondering if you’d ever return my calls.”

Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose as she spoke. “Listen, I’m not trying to get back into the game.”

“So legit life treating you well then?” Striker laughed. “You can’t possibly say that you’re making as much as you did for me.”

“I’m not interested in money right now, but I need a favor, a big one,” Adagio spoke.

“A favor? Why should I? You bailed on me,” Striker said.

“I also took care of that little incident we had before I left, and I made you a shit load of money, all I’m asking for is this one favor and we’re square after that.” Adagio groaned.

A sigh escaped Striker before he responded. “Alright, against my better judgment I’ll help you, so what is it that you need?”

Adagio pulled up to the agreed upon location to meet with Striker. He chose one of the old abandoned buildings they used to do meetings in, probably to try and fill Adagio with a sense of nostalgia in the hopes she’d reconsider and come back to him.

Once she stepped out of her car, she saw Striker pull up in front of her. The woman nonchalantly lit a cigarette and puffed it while he stepped out to greet her. “Dagi! I thought I’d never see you again!”

“I’ve told you a million times, stop calling me that…” Adagio rolled her eyes.

“I remember that hot little redhead would call you Dagi all the time…” He smirked at her.

She looked away with a shade of crimson covering her face. “That’s different…”

“Yeah, yeah, anyway I got exactly what you’re looking for in the trunk.” He gestures behind himself.

Adagio threw her cigarette onto the ground and nodded as she stamped it out. “Let’s see then.”

He laughed and the two circled around to the back of his car where Striker popped open the trunk to show a rather large case. “I swear this is about the last thing I thought you’d ask for after what happened before…”

“I have a very specific need this time…” Adagio said quietly.

“Hey, I don’t ask questions, and as always you know the drill, this entire meeting never happened, I never gave this to you, and I know nothing.” He smirked.

“You don’t know anything anyhow…” Adagio joked.

“Right you are, still full of whit as always.” He laughed as he opened the latches on the case.

“You even know how to use this?” He raised a brow.

“I’ll figure it out…” She said.

“I suppose that’s a good attitude to have, anyway, there she is.” He gestures toward the case.

Inside was a very sophisticated weapon, a rifle with an impressive scope. The rifle was clearly lifted from someone who was quite the gun enthusiast, as Adagio noted that the serial number had been carefully removed, not only scratched off but smoothed down to ensure there was no chance of tracking the weapon.

“And you’re positive it can’t be tracked?” Adagio asked.

Striker held out his hands. “Adagio, come on, who do you think you’re talking to? I wouldn’t give you a piece of faulty equipment. We go too far back, and despite you bailing, you never fucked me over. Consider this a token of gratitude for you to remember if you ever decide to come back to us.”

“Alright, so eight hundred then?” She asked as she reached for her money in her back pocket.

He nodded. “Normally, it’d be more but I gave you a discount.”

She nodded back and handed him a wad of bills which he quickly pocketed. “Pleasure doing business with you, and as I said before, I ain’t gonna ask what you’re gonna use it for, but try not to get yourself killed or something. I’d hate to see you on the news with your brains splattered or something…”

Adagio took the case from the car after closing it and walked it back to her own car as she shook her head. “No, I should be fine, I’m not the one who has to worry…”

He laughed. “Knowing you, whoever is the one who has to worry… They should be shitting their pants if you’re after them.”

“Let’s just say I’m killing two birds with one stone…” Adagio smirked.

Hey, sorry for taking so long with updates! I am trying to get back into writing a little every week, but life is very hectic. I'm sure some of you remember I was going through a divorce, but that has been finalized and I'm now focusing a lot of my time on work and improving my life situation. My current girlfriend has been a big help, and we've been dating for close to 2 years now, but that does eat up a lot of my time. I intend to eventually have kids in my life, so I want to get this done long before then, because I know I'll be super busy from then on.

Also, here is some HUGE news, the story has broken 1 million words! Wow, that's a ton, I never thought I'd actually write this much, but this is definitely the longest thing I've ever written, it's sad to think it'll be over soonish. Maybe when it's done, I'll get some book versions printed to put on my shelf to remind myself of all the work I did.