Author's Notes:

I'd like to thank Solemn Vigil for suggesting this idea for a short.

Hope you enjoy it!

Canterlot State Penitentiary. The only prison to exist in the Canterlot district. But the reality was it wasn't any different from any other prison. It was full of criminals that ranged from small petty crimes to big despicable crimes against humanity. From simple pickpockets to wanted fugitives. They were all rounded up in this giant prison. Granted there were still some criminals existing and still on the run out there, but a good majority of them were rounded up.

Many guards and staff were posted almost everywhere, and they were some of the best in the business. They made sure none of the prisoners got out of hand, tried to escape, or do even worse in their time here.

Adagio Dazzle opened up the front door of the building, walking inside to the main waiting room. Approaching the front desk, she looked at the man sitting behind the counter.

"Hello sir. I am here to visit one of the prisoners."

"We usually get a lot of visitors. Who are you visiting today?" The man asked.

"I wish to speak to Miss Sunset Shimmer."

"Oooh... her. I'm not sure you should do that ma'am."

Adagio tilted her head. "Why do you say that?"

"She's not really someone who's looking to have a conversation."

Adagio frowned. "But I really need to talk to her. Please?"

The man at the desk sighed and tapped his hand. "Alright, look, we'll allow you to talk to her. But we're giving you a limited time so make the most of it. A small time limit is what keeps us from having to try and, well, detain her."

Adagio gulped. "Oh. I... I understand."

"Okay, well if you're gonna go through, you need to sign this."

The man handed her a sheet to sign on. Without hesitation, she signed the paper.

"Now you need to take whatever items you have on you off, and go put them in a storage locker over there." The man opened up a cabinet near his desk and handed her a key with a number tag on the side.

"Yes sir."

Taking the key, she stepped over to one of the lockers, opening up one of the cabinets. She took out her cellphone, her media player, and her headset, setting them all within. Once they were in, she sat down in a chair in the waiting room. Now all she would have to do was wait.

And so, Adagio waited...

10 Minutes Later

"Alright, Miss Dazzle?"

Adagio looked to the man who caught her attention.

"We just need you to pass through security, and you will be allowed to visit."

Adagio got up out of her chair and walked towards the security scanner. Setting her bag in one of the plastic bins, and taking whatever items out, she made sure everything was out and prepared for her to pass through.

"Oh, Miss Adagio? We need you to remove your shoes as well."

"Oh, really?" Adagio looked down at her heels, and back up her thighs. "Should I take my pants off as well?"

The guard blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Kidding. My shoes are not part of my pants."

She removed her heels and set them into another bin. Once they were off, she was about to pass through.

"Uh, ma'am?"

"Yes?" Adagio asked.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to remove your necklace."

"What, this?" Adagio gestured to the red pendent around her neck.

"Yes."

Adagio frowned, and her shoulders slunk.

"Oh... okay."

She carefully removed it from her neck and she set it down on the bin.

"Please promise me you'll be careful with it. It means an awful lot to me."

"Ma'am, your belongings are not going to be touched by anyone. We promise. Now, do you have anything else on you?"

Adagio felt the sides of her ears; nothing. What about her naval area? No, she wouldn't have any piercings or jewelry down there. And she certainly didn't have jewelry anywhere else. Nope. She was all clean!

Once she made sure all items were off, she stepped through the metal detector, thankfully making it through without any issues whatsoever. Once she was through, she was allowed to grab her items from off the bins and put them back on her body.

"Alright ma'am, I need you to follow me. I'll take you down to the visitation area."

"Yes sir."

Adagio walked behind the guard, following him directly down the hallway. Now it would be time to finally meet the little terrorist who terrorized all her classmates and friends.

Another set of doors opened up, and Adagio walked inside. Within she could see some of the prisoners out in the open talking with one another, or talking to the people who were visiting. She made a few educated guesses for some of them, probably talking with their families, and or close friends. While they were making conversation with prisoners, it was rather touching that some of them were to reunite and talk to each other again.

Adagio sat down at a table, and all she could do now is wait. Looking around, she watched as more and more people and prisoners talked. For the most part there didn't seem to be much hostility, thank goodness. She heard many tales of what prisons were like, though to be honest, she only knew that information for having actually experienced it. She herself, along with her sisters had been in prison before.

As she glanced around some more, her eyes stopped to one of the people in the prison visitation room. A prisoner she could see, leaning against one of the benches, all by their lonesome. No way to tell who, for this individual wore a single black mask that covered their entire head.

The mask itself didn't have much features, just two glass eye holes with no way to see within, and a single black piece to breathe and speak through. Not wanting to draw attention to her, she quickly looked away and tried to keep her eyes to anything but that stranger stretched across that bench like a spider.

She was about to move to another seat, but she didn't. Looking up, she could see two prison guards moving towards her, with a prisoner walking in front of them. In an orange jumpsuit, short sleeves, and a generally mad look was Sunset Shimmer.

She plopped her behind down on the seat in front of her, still not moving that angry, bitter, face. Adagio could only guess why she still had this look. But she also noticed Sunset didn't have any physical changes to her overall look. She still looked like her same old self; angry and unpleasant.

"Hello." Adagio said, trying to break the awkward silence.

Sunset still scowled, not saying a thing.

"So... how's prison?" Adagio asked. "You know, me and my sisters have actually served time in a place like this. Though, not as nice as this one. And from what I hear, this prison does offer some good accommodations."

Still nothing.

"I uh... I brought you some snacks?" Adagio asked, opening up a box with some junk food.

After 20 more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Sunset finally spoke.

"Why are you here?"

"Hmm?"

"Why. Are. You. Here?" Sunset scowled. "You come to rub in my face how you're free and I'm here in this prison?"

Adagio frowned. "You know I would never do that Sunset. I wanted to come talk to you. I know you probably don't get a lot of visitors here, and I thought maybe I could visit you."

Sunset still didn't change her permanent scowl of anger.

"You know Sunset, I could have just not come and see you. You know why I chose to see you?"

Sunset's brow raised up.

"Because I always believe that everyone has a chance of redemption. And that includes you."

Sunset scoffed and she leaned back in her chair. "You know something, Adagio? You're naive. That's what you are. You always want to believe the best in people when deep down you know that they'll never change."

Adagio rolled her eyes. "I am not naive."

"Oh really? Think about this. You're talking to one of the most dangerous and smartest students who ever attended Canterlot High. I am a former protege of Princess Luna, and you think you can still change my mind around and make me like your goody-two shoe friends?"

"Well, I--"

"Really think about it, Adagio. You can try all you want, you can beg all you want, you can offer as many open hands as you can... but in the end, you know you can't help everyone. Especially those who never wanted your help to begin with."

Adagio just sat back in her chair. She couldn't think of anything to say right now. She so desperately wanted her to change, she knew she could. But it didn't seem to be any use in trying. Sunset Shimmer was locked up like an iron gate, not willing to open up to let people in. And if she couldn't try and get Sunset to loosen up... then it just seemed hopeless.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore. And you can go tell those friends of yours that any attempt you had made to try and change me... it never worked."

Adagio sighed and she lowered her head.

"If that's how you feel Sunset... then I will leave you alone."

"Good. I'm tired of seeing your faces. Guards, I want to go back to my cell."

She got herself back up and the two guards moved close by, keeping her in their optical view. But before leaving, Sunset turned around one last time. She had one last thing to say to Adagio.

"One more thing. As much as I don't like to help, I think you should keep this into consideration. Those documents and history pieces that have you and your sisters in them?"

Adagio nodded.

"It only took a simple click into a search engine and that's how I found you. And now that you're back in the public eye again, and at a school where almost everyone has social media...", Sunset leaned in closer, moving right up into Adagio's face with the most wicked smile on her face, "Keep a look out. I don't know about everyone, but I know there are some people out there who are very interested in you and your sisters. So if you're living out in public... be careful. You may never know when someone or something has a lock on you..."

With a small but audible chuckle, the guards took her away. Adagio was left alone in her seat, her head hanging in defeat. All she wanted was to give Sunset that chance to redeem herself, to be a better person than that soulless monster that she looked at.

With nothing else to do, she got out of her seat, and the guard escorted her out of the prison. No reason to stay any more. She had failed. Sunset wasn't going to open up any time soon... and it seemed as if it was going to be that way, forever.