“Hey. Leader.”
Coming from Aria’s mouth, the word had been a phrase of scorn since the Battle of the Bands. Ten months of moving to ever-cheaper apartments, colds and flus they were once immune to, and dealing with human bodies which needed more than ice cream to live. “All Adagio’s fault,” or so the other two said whenever things got rough. The endless hunger would have remained if they ignored the lure of Equestrian magic, but everything else would still be fine. Wine, shelter, and the highest fashions from hypnotized dupes.
The tone today didn’t carry quite so much contempt. Still, Adagio leaned back from her lunch tray and adopted a bored expression. “What is it, Aria?”
“When are you going to tell us what the plan is?”
Opposite of her leader, Aria leaned forward with conspiratorial interest. She flicked her head to and away from the Rainbooms’ table. “You know. With her.”
As if on cue, a text chimed on Adagio’s phone. A swipe of her finger revealed words beneath an apple-shaped avatar. “They’re talking video games again. How are you?”
A glance showed Applejack giving a bored, distant smile as her friends chattered around her. Adagio gave a lip-twitch smile in return, her fingers tapping out the response. “Talk later, Sweetness.”
“We’re not idiots,” Aria said. “You were seeing her for weeks on the sly before coming out. Why don’t you tell us what you’re thinking?”
“Why don’t I not?” Adagio’s voice rolled out lazily. A glance to their third showed no support – Sonata stared levelly back at her, the ditzy facade lost to calculated silence.
“Come on, leader...”
There it was again. The ten-month insult that suddenly wasn’t put like an insult.
“...We can help.” Aria leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a sly whisper. “Seducing the Rainbooms so they’ll break the lock on our powers? That’s not just genius, that’s the best kind of cruel irony.”
Her glowering smirk turned to a frown as Adagio laughed out loud. “Seduce the Rainbooms? Aria, they hate me, and I’m fine with that.”
“Except for Applejack.” Their expressions switched again, and now Aria grinned. “Good play. Start with the dumb, trusting one who’s already the odd one out. Feed her all the beautiful, lovey-dovey lines we used on kings and sultans, then sing her a heartbreaker about how much you miss being a siren. How she shouldn’t worry, because you’ll love her more than ever after changing back. At that point, you can probably just sit down and watch the lovestruck hick hammer the others to go along with it. Then – bam. We’re sirens, baby.”
“And then comes the payback,” Sonata chimed in with wicked cheer.
“Okay, wait.” Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose, squinting at the pair. “First thing’s first: You two have made far more progress in ‘human-ing’ than me. Aria, you play in Trixie’s band, and Sonata, you go with groups to goth poetry nights and arcades.”
And never invited me, she mentally added, but went on. “Meanwhile, I have...”
Applejack. Another part that went unsaid, and a queasiness entered her stomach as she passed the chance. “...Pretty much nothing. Except a job flipping burgers so we don’t turn homeless. You’re welcome. If any of us is hung up on getting our powers back, it should be me.”
“A lame band and a bunch of dorks?” Sonata gave a dry smile. “If you have a way out, we’ll take it.”
“It’s not that lame,” Aria grumbled.
Adagio cut in before an argument could start. Not that she loved the topic, but she had her own barbs to make. “Second, where are you getting that they can flip a switch and restore our powers?”
Aria grunted. “You tell us. Can they?”
“No!” Adagio snapped, then caught herself. “Maybe? I have no idea, but this is all wishful thinking on your part.”
“So why are you dating her?” Aria asked. “Planning some mundane revenge? Incriminating pictures? Join their group and hope you get magic powers?”
“Nothing like that,” Adagio sighed. “It’s...”
Again, silent words. The unfashionable, unfeminine, freckle-covered hillbilly. The type of girl we’d never bother with, even as we are now. One who helped end our lives as glorious, immortal sirens.
...She cares for me. I like her.
Her nose raised. The voice was flippant. “Just a relationship. Bit of sex on the side. Good cook. Buys me things. That she’s a Rainboom adds delicious icing to the cake, especially with her wrapped around my finger.”
The others deflated. “Some plan,” Sonata sighed, returning to her lunch.
Adagio shook her head. “Your fault for getting your hopes up.”
“Eh. You were right, wishful thinking.” Aria gave what passed for a companionable smile. She relaxed from the conspiratorial leaning, cracking her neck. “I can see where you’re coming from. Turning an old enemy into a lovestruck sugar bitch, heh. Can’t say much for taste, but you still got it, leader.”
No inflection of the word this time. Just an appreciated fact. It sent a grin across Adagio’s face, though the queasiness grew worse.
Worth it. These two are the closest thing I have to family.
The phone chimed again. Adagio swiped the phone-lock and held it close to her chest, shielding the view from her now-disinterested comrades. The apple avatar returned, asking “Everything okay?”
Adagio’s fingers moved. “Yeah.”
A moment’s pause. Then, “Sorry for not being there for you.”
The response was fast. A glance showed Applejack’s eyes on her phone. “I just get bored when Rainbow starts yammering about video games. No need for apologies.”
“I wasn’t talking about...”
Adagio caught herself before sending. Erased it all. Pocketed the phone.
No harm, no foul.
...Her stomach hurt.