Adagio woke to a strange sound. One she knew but had never heard for so very long. Silence. No shouting about breakfast burritos! No shattering breakables! No overly vocal arguments! It felt like heaven to the former siren. Unfortunately, she would have to tempt this by walking out. She hopped out of bed and walked out and toward the kitchen in her pajamas. She peaked through the entryway, finding out why there was no yelling. Sonata and Aria were nowhere to be found. She looked up toward the clock on the wall to find it was still early morning. A cursory look toward a calendar showed today was one of the rare, non-holiday specific days off from school. It was a day to help the teachers get themselves and their work in order and gave the students a three-day weekend.
Regardless, Adagio knew the other two should still be awake. She walked back down the hall and knocked on both of their doors, getting no answer from either. She raised an eyebrow at that and walked out to the living room. There, she found a pair of notes. Both were written in a very rushed style.
The first read:
[Adagio, decided to do something with my weekend instead of sticking around here. -Aria.]
Adagio looked over to the second note:
[Dagi…] Adagio felt her eye twitch reading that part, [… I wanted to leave a note to tell you that I volunteered to help Pinkie Pie and Applejack with a party at Sweet Apple Acres. It’s a weekend long event and they needed help covering everything they had planned. I’ll likely be back late on Sunday. See you then~ -Sonata.]
Adagio had the house to herself for the weekend. To anyone else, this would mean a weekend full of possibilities. Most teens in Adagio’s position would throw a party with their roommates out of the house. With three very different personalities under one roof, it was almost impossible to coordinate something like that without stepping on each other’s toes constantly. But Adagio didn’t want to throw a party. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted to do.
Contrary to popular belief, Adagio wasn’t necessarily outgoing. Don’t make the mistake thinking that she was secretly shy or something. She loved being the center of attention! The spotlight was practically her home as far as she was concerned. She wanted nothing more than to be adored by everyone around her. And there in lies the issue. She wanted adoration. She wanted people to look toward her like she was the most amazing person they’d ever known. But with her powers gone and their plans in ruins, the people at the school all despised the sirens. Adagio, especially, received quite a bit of ire being the lead of the trio of sirens.
She sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, thinking back to the days following their defeat at the hands of the Rainbooms. They were stuck at the school, unable to leave the premises due to various rules and layers of paperwork. The three were targeted by any number of tricks and pranks at the school, but they never pushed as far as she had expected. Adagio speculated this was because Sunset Shimmer, the former evil queen of Canterlot High, had just saved all of them with the power of friendship. After a few weeks, everything died down again, and they started to feel less like targets and more like normal high school students.
Adagio chuckled to herself. The idea of a ‘normal CHS student’ seemed ridiculous to her at this point. All the magic and crazy events made the idea of normal seem foreign to the school. Adagio sipped from her mug and sighed. She was bored being by herself but didn’t have any feeling to go out. She also didn’t have a large list of friends to call in. It started and ended with Aria and Sonata.
Adagio slumped down onto her folded arms on the table. She stayed that way for a few minutes before sighing and standing. She wasn’t going to just sit there all day and do nothing. She walked back to her room and got dressed in one of her best outfits: a golden tank top paired with a pair of purple pants and a studded, purple jacket. She put on a pair of high(er) heeled boots (not quite ‘high,’ but still a bit taller than normal boots) and stretched her back and arms. She grabbed her keys and walked out of the house, locking the door, and walked off to find something to do.
As she walked, she thought about what to do. There was a new music shop in town, but it still felt too early for her to try to get back into music after losing to the Rainbooms. There was… Adagio stopped on the sidewalk, a realization hitting her like a truck. Do I really not have a hobby other than music? She thought to herself for a moment. She couldn’t seem to come up with anything else! Nothing! She had spent so much time using her songs to get whatever she wanted, usually power… That fueled her singing… For more power… She shook her head and decided to stop that thought before it began. She didn’t have the patience to bother with the circular logic that held.
She took a deep breath to right herself and started to walk again. She found herself walking by the school. There was no tent in the front court to indicate the multi-dimensional visitor was on site. If nothing else, he was at least a way to alleviate her boredom. She sighed to herself and prepared to walk on when a tune on the air perked her ears. A guitar strumming in the distance drew her attention. It was close, and sounded familiar…
Adagio made her way around the school building. Sitting on the stairway on the side of the school was Canterlot High School’s resident quote-unquote ‘rock star,’ if the general population of the school is concerned. The common consensus from the school’s single female population, and some males, is that Flash is either the rock star to desire or the knight in shining, leather-jacketed armor. Adagio had to admit, she could certainly why.
On the most basic level, Flash was conventionally handsome. That coupled with his kind personality made him a desirable catch for a good chunk of the school’s student body. To Adagio, though… Yeah. He was alright. The goody-two-shoes stuff was annoying. If he could get passed that, then she might be able to tolerate him. She shook her head and was about to leave before she suddenly stopped. There was something familiar in his music that just kept her attention, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
And then she started to quietly sing, almost on instinct, “let’s have a battle… Battle of the Bands…” Once that was out there, she couldn’t stop herself from hearing it as he played. He was literally playing her song! Technically, she had to share the honor with the other two, but she was the primary Siren and effectively wrote all of their songs. Granted, they actually kind of wrote themselves through the pendants based on what they needed, but Adagio was the lead in those situations. So, they’re her songs! This could be a sign in a way. If nothing else, it was an excuse to mess with someone and kill some time.
Adagio smirked to herself and made her way around his field of view to sneak up behind him. Once she was in position, she waited. Waited for the song to end. She felt a little pride in the idea that someone was playing her song. Why stop something so beautiful? Hang on…
The tune changed. Flash used a cord in the song to transition into a new song. In fact, he was doing that a lot. It was weird, but the weirdest part was something in the tunes. The tunes had no emotion. Adagio knew music well, and she could tell that his guitar was emotionally dead. She could tell he had a lot on his mind to the point that it was affecting his music. This would make him an even better target to mess with him, using his emotional state against him. But Adagio had enough time to think to herself as the songs cycled.
Sonata and Aria both moved on and made friends at CHS, but Adagio didn’t bother. She kept up her appearances as the unapproachable siren. She didn’t want to bother with the high school students unless she absolutely had to, often as a way to get what she wanted. And right now, she wanted to alleviate her boredom.
Flash’s medley came to an end with a sharp snapping sound, pulling Adagio out of her planning. One of Flash’s guitar strings had snapped. He seemed to take it well enough when he reached over to his case. Whatever he was looking for wasn’t there, so he turned his head to make sure it hadn’t just moved. This placed Adagio in his peripheral vison. The moment he saw her, Flash jumped off the school’s steps and spinning toward her in one motion.
“What the hell?!”
Not what she had planned, but Adagio decided to roll with it. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand and elbow on her knee, and smiled. “What’s wrong? Not used to an audience?”
Flash took a deep breath to calm his nerves, patting his chest just over his heart. When he had calmed down again, he looked back to Adagio. “What do you want?”
Adagio feigned a look of hurt, “What? I’m not allowed to just enjoy the music?” Her face turned back into a knowing smirk, “Especially when I wrote a chunk of your medley?”
Flash glared at her, suspicious, “Not when it includes sneaking up behind me without saying a word like a creep.”
Adagio tilted her head and placed her index finger on her chin, exaggerating a thinking position, “I suppose you make a point.”
“Then get to yours.” Flash put his guitar back into its case and picked it up it the side handle. “You’re clearly after something.”
Adagio crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, “That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?”
“That, or I just know who I’m talking to.”
“Hey now, what happened to Canterlot High’s reputation for second chances? You have to admit, it’s been happening a lot lately.”
“Second chances are for people who honestly want them.” Flash shifted his case to his other hand, “You haven’t given the impression that you want a second chance to start over, so I’m treating you as I should based on past experiences.”
Adagio was about to speak when Flash raised his hand to stop her.
“Keep in mind, I’m the oldest of a set of triplets and I used to date Sunset. I’ve seen and been part of every manipulative trick in the book.”
Adagio was about to huff off, realizing her fun was ruined, when she paused for a moment. “Wait… ‘been part of’?”
Flash took a moment of silence before turning around. “I’m done here.” Then he started to walk away.
Adagio grumbled a moment. Her fun was over, but she’d be left to herself otherwise, right? If nothing else, this could be a way to kill time… “Alright fine!”
Flash stopped and turned his head back toward her.
“I’m bored as hell. Sonata and Aria went off for the weekend to do who-knows-what and I’m on my own. I decided to use you as a victim for my amusement.”
Flash paused for a moment, blinking, “That was… more forthcoming than I expected…” Flash seemed to think to himself for a while before he sighed. “Alright, come on.”
Adagio raised a brow, “Pardon?”
“Come on. You’re out to annoy me because you’re bored right?”
Adagio blinked, “That was the plan, yes.”
“If you’re that bored, nothing I say is going to stop you from following to pester me. Figured I’d beat you to the idea.”
Adagio thought for a moment. That kind of put a damper on her fun. But it was either that or go back to being bored and alone at home… “Alright.” She walked up behind him.
Flash was quiet a moment before starting to walk. “You must really be bored then.”
“What gave it away?” She asked, snarky sarcasm dripping from her words.
“The fact that you actually decided to follow me. Most people that want to mess with someone give up once the victim, your words, are in on the game. Thus, I’m to believe you really are just that bored.”
Adagio huffed as a joke, “I’ll have you know I’ve never told a lie in my life.”
“No? Let me guess, just a bunch of half-truths?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. All I’ve ever said was that competition is a good thing.”
“Sure…”
After a while, Adagio looked around as they approached the city area. “So… where are we going anyway?”
Flash smirked and half glanced toward her, “We?” He returned his attention forward as they walked, “I am going to a local music shop to replace my extra guitar strings. Whether you stick around or not is up to you.”
Adagio interpreted that as a challenge of sorts. Eh… Why not? It’s something to do at least…
As they entered the music store, Adagio found herself looking around. She always had a fascination with music, even before she met Sonata and Aria. Part of being a Siren made music an important factor in her life, but she felt more like it was a passion than a need. At least… until she met the other two and they started to use their voices to gain notoriety and power. She watched as Flash moved through the store almost automatically. He never looked around, just got the strings and started to wait in the checkout line. It was two people, granted, but it was there.
It also gave Adagio enough time to look around for a while. She found a few things interesting in the store, but, mostly being instruments, she didn’t have the motivation to get them. She started to look through some CDs the store had on hand. There were a few big names in pop music, some rock bands, a few lesser known bands, and a few other soundtracks. One caught her eye in particular. Three young women in blazer jackets (from left to right: green blazer with brown hair, red blazer with blonde hair, and yellow blazer with red hair) stood front of a green background, all brandishing croquet mallets. “Feathers, huh?” She decided to pick it up. Musicals were interesting enough to her and this seemed like something she might enjoy.
One purchase later, the two were back out on the sidewalks. Adagio was able to convince Flash to hold her CD in his case until they parted ways, after making it clear she was going to continue trying to mess with him. After a while, she found herself back at the school. Flash turned back to her and handed her the CD, making it clear they were done.
Adagio smirked, hiding any surprise she felt, “Seriously? One stop to a store where I had to buy my own CD? You certainly know how to show a girl a good time.” Sarcasm in the most obvious form she could muster.
Flash rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, “Maybe if you get that superiority complex in check…”
Despite his attempt to keep his voice low, Adagio heard him. She paused for a moment. “Superiority complex, huh?”
This actually made Flash pause. He hadn’t intended for her to hear that, so the fact that she had caught him off guard. He took a deep breath and decided to go all in. “Yes. Superiority complex. You keep using the other students to get what you want because you think your above us all. That or you just like to watch people squirm.”
Adagio smirked, “Mostly the second one.”
“Then let me offer some advice, cut that out. It will come back to bite you.”
“I don’t see how.”
“It already has. If you stopped your quote-unquote ‘fun’ sooner and treated people like people and not victims, you’d probably have friends to spend time with when your alone. Instead, you followed me around because I’m the first person you saw that you could use.”
“Seriously? That’s the best argument you have? That I’d have friends?”
“And how’s being a friendless loner doing for you?”
Adagio clenched her fist. She thought about striking him for that, but she decided against it. She turned away from him and stormed off back home. After a while, she started to slow down a bit as she walked. Technically, he wasn’t wrong, and today was proof of that. Sonata and Aria were both off doing whatever they wanted with friends they had made. At least, she figured Aria made friends… And here she was doing nothing! Adagio Dazzle, leader of the Sirens, was alone. She sighed and made her way to her door.
Once inside, she changed back into her more comfortable home-attire and sat down on the couch. As boredom set in again, she decided to play her new CD. Being a musical’s soundtrack, she didn’t have all the context, but she followed the story well enough. After hearing the whole song, she was determined to never let anyone else in the house near this thing. None of the three were what one would call ‘innocent’ so that wasn’t the issue. Let’s just say the three title characters hit a little close to home.
Adagio groaned and remained silent in her boredom. She hated the silence. She needed someone to play off of or some commotion in the background. Surely, she wouldn’t have to deal with it long. Aria would get bored with whatever she was planning and be back soon enough. It always happened. That was when her phone alerted her to a received text. Opening the phone, she was met with a message from Aria.
[Adagio, decided to go camping with friends from school. Be back around Sunday.]
Adagio’s eye twitched. There goes that plan. She groaned and flipped herself to bury her face into the couch cushions. Looking upward again, she found the small booklet of phone numbers. While the sirens kept most important phone numbers in their personal contact lists, but Adagio practically demanded that they compile the numbers into a communal book, should someone need a number and the siren with said number was nowhere to be found. Something in the back of Adagio’s mind told her to just lie back down or go out to karaoke or something. Occupy her time on her own. She looked over to the clock. It was ten. TEN AM! She sighed, let her head fall back downward, and shut the voice in her head up. A part of Adagio broke that day.
She looked through the book to find the section for previous school projects. Finding the number, she dialed it into her cell and waited for the person to pick up. After four rings, she was connected.
The voice on the other line opened with, “Hello?”
Adagio took a deep breath, “I’d like to take that second chance…”
The person on the other line took a moment to figure out who they were talking to, since she didn’t say her name, but was able to figure out who it was by what she said. “You really want to take the second chance then?”
“Yeah…”
“Boredom finally get to you?”
“Yes… No…” Adagio groaned a little. “Look, you were right, okay?”
“Right about what exactly?”
“Sentry!”
She could practically hear his grin, “Not so fun on the other end, is it?”
Adagio paused and took a deep breath. “No… It’s not.”
After a minute of silence, Flash continued, “You really want to try to bury the hatchet?”
“That’s the plan, yes.”
Flash sighed on the other end of the phone. “Alright. If you honestly want to start over at the school and if you earnestly stop treating people like your pawns, then I think you should be fine. But, now I have to ask you something.”
“And that is?”
“Why call me about this? Why not get in touch with Sunset or one of her friends?”
Adagio took a moment to think of the why. She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. “I don’t know. I don’t know why. My guess would be that you were there today and what you said got to me.”
“Makes sense.”
“So… what happens now?”
“In theory, you’d make a friend by going out and finding someone you can talk to. Usually with similar interests, but its not always necessary. Start with your hobbies and go from there.”
Adagio was quiet for a while. “There’s just…”
“Just what?”
“My only hobby is music…”
“Okay. Then, start from there. Go out and find someone with an interest in music.”
“Pretty sure that’s most of the school at this point.”
“And who’s fault is that?”
Adagio couldn’t help but smirk. Yes. In a way, it was her fault thanks to the Battle of the Bands. “Fair enough.” Her phone beeped at her. Pulling it away, she found that she had forgotten to charge the device. “Damn it. Look, can we discuss this in person?”
“Seriously?”
“My phone is almost dead…”
“Okay. I guess. Where do you want to talk?”
“I’d rather not go back to the city for this…”
“Still holding on to that reputation, huh?”
“Let me learn to walk first. I’ll run later.”
“Alright. So, what? Should I stop by?”
“Nah. I’ll kill time and walk to your place…”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I know. Just… surprised.” He sighed and continued, “Alright. I’ll send the address.”
“Thanks. I’ll head out soon.”
“Alright. See you then.”
Soon after the phone call ended, Flash sent over the address. Adagio wasn’t sure why she bothered to take him up on the offer of the second chance, but she was this far into it. Why not give it a try?
\/
When Adagio arrived and finally saw the house, a part of her wasn’t sure how to take it. The building was a giant, three story, old-time mansion! She looked down at the address directions, which she wrote down on a sticky note, and back up to the house number. This was the place. “No way…”
She walked up and knocked on the door. There was no answer for a good while. Looking up to the roof, she figured it might be best to try the doorbell instead. Letting the bell ring, an intercom beside the door switched to life, “Who’s there?”
She pressed the button to talk, “Adagio Dazzle.”
“Right… Flash was expecting you. He’s unavailable at the moment, though… Give me a moment, I’ll let you in.”
Adagio waited for around a minute before the door opened. On the other side was a young man who looked extremely similar to Flash, save for his hair having a set of blonde streaks in his hair and his black and gold attire. He motioned for her to enter. He gave her a once over, “So, is Flash helping you with a project of something?”
Adagio smirked, “Something like that.”
His face and tone instantly became cold and hostile, “Wrong answer.”
His tone made her freeze up, “Pardon?”
“I know your type. Attention seekers and the kind of person that likes to watch others squirm. The last time my brother had to deal with someone like you, he ended up used and tossed aside. So, let me make this clear, if you ever do the same thing to him, if he gets hurt because of you, I will rain down hell upon you with all my resources.” He grinned and leaned in a bit, but it was not a kind smile. It was a serpent’s grin, “And I can do so while staying 100% legal. Do I make myself clear?”
Adagio felt a shiver go up her spine. When she had her powers, she’d twist this back on him. She’d twist his own words to force him to cower or adore her. But without her powers… It was clear he meant every word and she was in no position to argue. “Yeah… I got it.”
His grin became more genuine, but still skeptical, “Let’s hope so.” He started to walk off before pausing, “Flash should be in the weight room; left side, first floor, fourth door on the right. If you’re not in a hurry, you can wait in the room just over there to the left.” With that, he left Adagio alone.
Adagio thought for a moment in the silence. Okay… protective brother. She took a deep breath and started to walk through the hallway. Finding the room in question, she knocked, receiving a “Come in!” from the other side. Entering the room, she found herself in… okay, it wasn’t what she was expecting from a ‘weight room.’ Flash was standing in the center of the room with a set of weights on each arm. He was dressed in a white tank top and his jeans, with his shoes removed and off to the side. He was balancing on a beam in the center of the room. He was concentrating with eyes closed.
He didn’t know who entered, only that they had, “What’s up?”
Adagio chuckled a little, “Not much it seems.” She expected this to take him off guard.
But Flash kept composed, “Oh! Hey Adagio. I’ll be with you a second.”
Adagio just had to know at this point, “What are you doing anyway?”
“Endurance and strength training.” After a while, an alarm went off and Flash stepped off the beam and placing the weights back down. His toned form showed a certain athleticism in his life, though she’d never seen him play any sports. He turned around to Adagio, “Alright. Second chances then?”
Adagio nodded, “Yeah…” A song from her new disk played out in her mind. …His folks got a water bed! Come upstairs and ‘rest your head’~… She shook her head to stop that thought before it continued.
Adagio was led to the meeting room near the entrance again. It was a nice room: some bookshelves, chess board nearby, a pair of couches (one red the other blue) on either side of the coffee table. Adagio had taken seat on the red couch while Flash sat opposite on the blue couch. One of Flash’s brothers, the one that opened the door for Adagio, set a pair of cups in front of them.
As he walked away, Flash took a deep breath. “Didn’t ask for anything, but he always leaves us something…”
Adagio didn’t mind. She took a sip from the cup and sighed. “This is good stuff. What is it?”
Flash took a sip and tasted the drink for a moment, “Earl grey.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
After a moment of silence, Adagio nodded, “Okay, so… How do I go about the second chance thing, anyway?”
Flash sipped from his drink before answering, “You’re basically done.”
“What?”
“Are you going to make a conscious effort to be a better person?”
Adagio was caught off guard a moment, but she nodded, “Yeah.”
“Then you’re done with the second chance. Being a better person is something you can do alone.” He took a sip from his drink.
“That’s it?”
“Were you expecting some kind of rainbow laser?”
Adagio smirked, “Maybe. Isn’t that how CHS does anything anymore?”
“Then you’ll need to go to Sunset and her friends. Closest thing you’ll get here is a cup of tea.”
Adagio smirked, “Aw… not even rainbow tea?”
Flash chuckled, “Tell you what, you get a recipe for rainbow tea and we can make it next time you visit.”
Adagio let out an exaggerated scoff, “You sound like you’re certain I’ll come back.”
“If you want that rainbow tea…”
“Fair enough~” Adagio was actually having fun in her own way. It was… interesting having someone able to keep up with her teasing and shooting it back at her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on the wooden doorframe to the room. The young man standing there looked similar to Flash, just with lighter hair and a trimmed goatee. “Come on, Flash. We’ve got to head out if we’re going to make it in time for First Base’s game. Send your girlfriend home.”
Flash didn’t fluster, just rolled his eyes. He turned toward Adagio as his brother walked to the exit. “Despite his wording, he is right that we have to head out now.”
Adagio thought for a moment, “Hey, before I go, I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“You have any plans tomorrow?”
This caught Flash off guard. “Not that I’m aware of.”
Adagio nodded. “Mind if we hang out? I’d prefer not to spend the whole day in silent annoyance.”
Flash smirked, “What about that reputation of yours?”
Adagio placed her hands on her hips and leaned her form to one side, accenting her… physical appeal. “Maybe it’s time to start running now that I can walk.”
The brother with lighter hair poked his head back inside, “If you can walk, walk out the door! Let’s move!”
“Alright, Grey! We get it.” Flash made to leave, “Text me the plan whatever we’re doing tomorrow.”
Adagio followed him out the door as Grey locked the door behind them. “See you then.” Left alone again, Adagio made her way back to her silent home. As she sat down on her couch, she thought about the day ahead. It was refreshing, actually. She used to do everything in the moment, never planning farther than how to get what she wants. That’s not to say she couldn’t think long term. Difference is that there was always a final goal at the end of the line. Now? It was nice to sit back and think of having fun rather than how to force people to her scheme. No larger goal of popularity or power. Just planning her fun.
“Let’s see how tomorrow goes~”