//------------------------------// // 8. Wild Turkey // Story: Back to the Good Life // by Sammy-Jack //------------------------------// ‘Finally, a moment to relax,’ Adagio thought to herself. She had set herself on the couch, with a bit of food to snack on. Watching some soap opera, Adagio wanted a bit of a wind down before she went to bed. It was still early in the night, and her sisters had retreated to their rooms, so she saw no reason not to. After everything that had happened as of late, she felt like she deserved it. Running into the Rainbooms as the mall the other day really shook her up, but she was holding together rather well afterwards. Adagio actually felt a little better after crying it all out, and thought maybe all she needed was a bit of stress relief. Soon after, Adagio looked to find that they had spent over $4000 in that last month, counting rent. Their lax hold on their funds from their previous lifestyle was now a major threat to their future. Even though Adagio was being more strict on their expenditures, it was apparent that was still insufficient, and required a bit of mending to form a budget. She told her sisters to cut back on all of their purchases until she worked something out. She then had them start looking for jobs, because a budget can not work without a source of income, at the least. Sonata seemed to be having luck with three interviews already, but all of them apparently turned her down. Adagio could only imagine why, but her sister never said the reason. Aria, on the other hand, never managed to get past a phone call. With her attitude and comments she left on her resume, it was no wonder that employers were less than delighted in meeting her in real life. Adagio knew that she would probably be the most likely candidate for getting a job, what with her way with words and level head. Still, they wouldn’t last very long if she was puling all the weight. After dozens of phone calls and e-mails over the past week, she finally set up an appointment to meet the owner of a bar, the Wild Turkey. Pubs weren’t usually her favorite place, but when times are hard... “Oh, Debra, promise me you’ll never leave me again!” “You’re the only true man for me, John.” ‘Oh, she forgave him after all,’ she mused to herself. ‘The series' ending would have had a bigger impact if they strayed away from the “Happily Ever After.” Those don’t happen in real life.’ Adagio was about to stand up, aiming the remote at the TV, when she heard a familiar scuttle sound. Sighing, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. “Hey, Adagio.” It was Sonata, in her pajamas. “Did you want to sleep out here again?” she asked bluntly. “Well, kinda, but I see you’re going to bed, so...” She trailed off, holding her arms behind her back in a nervous fashion. Adagio didn’t want to sleep out here again, her back would be ruined tomorrow, but Sonata’s little guilt trips made it hard for her to say no at times. Still, she was going to persevere. “Alright. Goodnight, Sonata.” As she stood up, the screen shutting off, Sonata seemed to pout a little, but then smile. “So, I have another interview tomorrow,” she said cheerily. “Another one?” Adagio asked. “That makes what, four now? How in the world are you getting so much attention?” “I dunno,” she replied nonchalantly. “I’m just following Pinkie’s advice.” She felt her eye twitch, not sure if she heard right. “Say again?” Sonata paused for a moment, before slowly putting her hands in front of her mouth, clearly saying something she shouldn’t have. “Sonata,” she pressed, placing a firm hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Say that name again.” Not wanting to disobey her sister, Sonata gulped loudly. “P-Pinkie Pie?” She visibly recoiled, as if expecting Adagio to strike her, shutting her eyes. “What did I tell you about talking to them?” she scolded, her voice starting to increase in volume. “Well, we aren’t talking,” she explained. “It’s texting. And we’re only texting about silly stuff, nothing serious.” “Bring me your phone,” she said, quiet, but with authority, and held out her hand. Sonata tried to stammer a defense, but failed. She quickly grabbed her cell phone from her room before placing it in Adagio’s waiting hand. “I just want to see what kinds of things you are sending her,” she assured. Sonata nodded, but looked at the phone in fear, as if it was hiding some dark secret. Navigating the screen menus to find her message box, Adagio opened a conversation titled “P.P.” It was obvious who this was, but the abbreviation made her roll her eyes. The messages were rather basic, and some were just plain ridiculous. She skimmed through them quickly until she found her most recent ones. “Hey Sonata, any luck with the dentist office position? :D” “No. Turns out they won't let you work there if you set their sinks on fire. -_-” “Oh, I have an idea! How about asking the Cakes at Sugar Cube Corner?!!! They said I can start working there after summer starts, maybe they will let you too!!” “That would be awesome! I didn’t even think about that :O” Turning the screen off, Adagio handed it back to Sonata, who grabbed it quickly with both hands, and flinched again, as if expecting some backlash. She wanted to lash out, after being disobeyed like that, but her messages were merely small talk. Knowing Sonata, having someone to talk to would be nice for her, especially since it would probably cure a bit of her boredom. There was nothing in there that Adagio could reasonably be upset about, but she wasn’t going to be soft on Sonata this time. “You know that I told you not to talk to them,” she reminded her sister again. “So because you went against what I said, you have to do the dishes for the next week.” “What!?” Sonata nearly shouted, getting a slicing motion from Adagio to be quiet. “But I hate dishes so much!” “Well I hate when you do things behind my back," she argued. "Now, apologize. I don;t want to hear any more excuses." Sonata didn’t seem to have a response for that. She instead pouted, looked down with a small glare, and walked back to her room. “Sorry,” she mumbled, before closing herself off again. Adagio made a quiet groan. She knew she upset Sonata, but ignoring her orders was something she couldn’t just brush aside. Adagio needed to maintain a form of authority over those two, and she liked to think it was fair for the most part. but there were times she needed to put her foot down. Sonata always made her work for her conviction, though, with her puppy dog eyes and innocent demeanor. Adagio wasn’t swayed by it very often, but it always left a feeling of guilt. It was late, and Adagio decided that she had brooded enough for the night. ~~~ Adagio stretched herself along the beach, feeling the warm sand against her body. Taking a deep breath, the salty air helped her relax a bit more. All that could be heard around her was the sound of the seagulls screaming, and the waves as they crashed along the beach front. She periodically felt the water rise up against her, and the sudden chill would surprise, but was not uncomfortable. Opening her eyes, she looked to the sky, taking a moment to enjoy the beauty of the light blue, and the clouds that were laid out in patches along it. After stretching her hooves in front of her, she decided to roll over, allowing her belly to lay on the beach so she could look farther inland. She saw nothing but the short cliff that cut off the beach from the grassland. The sand stretched on as far as she could see in either direction to her sides, and it helped solidify her feeling of isolation. She was alone, if only for a few precious moments. No doubt her sisters would soon find where she had snuck off to, and come to ruin her peace. Adagio liked her sisters, but there were many times where she could barely tolerate them, and wondered how they even tolerated each other, with their constant bickering. Until then, though: peace. Adagio rolled about a bit in the sand some more, feeling as giddy as a child, until something caught her eye. She leaned forward, looking to the ocean, where she could have sworn she saw a gleam of light. After scanning a bit, she saw it again, a light green glimmer on the ocean surface. It looked familiar, but she couldn’t tell what it was from here. She grunted a bit, pulling around to drag herself into the water. Adagio could have flown, but she was going to be in the water soon, anyway. She submerged herself, embracing the sudden change to cold water, and began swishing her tail and fins to propel herself forward at high speed. As she swam closer, she noticed that the gleaming was coming from the bottom of the sea floor, stopping when an unsettling current brushed her. Staring at the red light, she began to see a whirlpool forming from it, stretching all the way to the surface. She was not being pulled in to it, but stared at it in awe. Adagio had not seen a whirlpool of this size before, and the light at the base must have signified something. ‘Adagio,’ a smooth voice called out to her. It was faint, but she heard it clearly calling to her. ‘ADAGIO,' it called again, now shaking the water near her with it’s booming voice. ~~~ “ADAGIO!!!” A scream woke her from her slumber, along with the feeling of being violently shaken. Returning a scream of shock, Adagio stirred from her sleep to backhand her assailant. She didn’t connect, but tried to physically prepare in case she needed to defend herself again. Squinting from the lack of light in her room, she made out a figure standing beside her bed, and after thinking for a few seconds, Adagio realized that it was just her sister. “Um Gottes willen, Sonata,” she whined. “You’ll wake the whole building. What do you want?” “Oh, sorry. I just wanted to let you know I was leaving, since you said to let you know from now on.” She looked over at her clock, which read 6:18. She turned to the window, seeing it was still dark outside. “Where are you going so early?” “To see the bakers at the Sugar Cube Corner, remember?” She giggled a bit, continuing. “Pink-, I mean, that girl got me a chance to see if I can work there part time. Maybe if I’m good, they’ll keep me!” “Well,” Adagio grumbled, “just don’t burn down the shop.” She snuggled herself back into the covers of her bed, ready to go back to sleep. “Okay,” she whispered, noticing her sister was sleeping again. “Bye,” she added, and proceeded to tiptoe away. For the next few seconds, Adagio would hear silence, followed by a slight creak, then silence, and creak. Sonata was cautiously leaving her room, and the slow creaking was starting to drive her insane. One more creak, and she suddenly sprang up from her covers, and shouted at her. “Just go, already!” Speeding away, Sonata closed the door behind her and was gone in a moment. Satisfied, Adagio flopped back onto her bed like a fish. Now that her mind was moving a bit more, she took a moment to reflect on her dream. What did it all mean? She hadn’t dreamed of being in her old body in quite a while, and none of those involved whirlpools. “Ugh, too tired right now,” she said aloud, and resumed her sleep. Later in the afternoon, Adagio had made her way out into town to find the Wild Turkey. Sonata still hadn’t come home, so she assumed that the trial was going well for her. Aria had barely come out of her room, as usual lately, so she didn’t have to worry about her getting into trouble. She had dressed herself warm, for the cold wind that blew through the city, and carried a small map that led to her destination. Adagio stood outside of a brown building mixed in with the blue and white wall of shops that lined the city streets. It was not dirty, but was certainly aged. The “Wild Turkey” was a bar that had stood in Canterlot for quite a few years, and had the reputation for making the now famous style of bourbon. Nowadays, it was treated just like any old pub. It was a place to get hammered, maybe start some fights, and do the same thing tomorrow. She once liked these places, being such easy targets for two reasons: One, they were full of people ready to turn on each other, making a great after-dinner show. Two, there was free alcohol involved. Adagio didn’t drink often, but when she did, she prefer it be free. Adagio looked at the advertisement on the window, listing the same information the newspaper ad showed. “It looks like this is the place,” she muttered to no one in particular. Looking down the street, she noticed that there were only a minute amount of people walking, nothing compared to the traffic of downtown. She started to wonder the security of this place, but decided to walk in. The Wild Turkey had an older theme to it than most bars Adagio had visited recently. The style reflected that of what she remembered back from the “Wild West” era, and the wood surfaces looked to be rather well kept for their age. She noted a few bar patrons who had arrived early for the night, already starting on a drink or two, but scanned around until she saw the bartender. He was a big man, well built and toned for his age. Adagio could tell this man was in his later years, around 60, by the wrinkles on his face and the white of his hair. He had been rubbing a glass with a towel, the stereotypical barkeep pose, and chatting with another customer until he noticed her approach. His expression shifted from curious, to interest, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly. She resisted rolling her eyes, knowing that he was clearly observing her. Adagio was not unaware of how she looked, but she didn’t like the idea of some mortal gawking over her unless she permitted it. “Well, howdy miss,” he greeted politely, his voice a little gravely. “What can I do to help a fine lady like yourself?” Remembering she needed to act politely, Adagio leaned her arms on the counter between them, smiling softly. “Well, I heard you had an opening for an entertainer,” she spoke with a subtle suggestion. His smile turned to a small grin for a moment, before he corrected himself. “Ah, so you're the girl who called yesterday. I wasn’t expecting someone as nice as you to take up my ad. What was your name again?” He set his cup down to listen intently. She brushed a hand through her hair. “Adagio Dazzle is my full name.” “What’s your story?” “I’ve come down with a bit of hard times, and need to make a little extra cash.” “Living alone?” “No, I live with my sisters.” He hummed at that, putting a finger to his chin. “That’s pretty nice. You supporting them well?” “I do my best to keep the place in order,” she jested. Adagio was unsure why he was asking such questions, but figured she would roll with it. She had not ever applied for a job before, after all. He laughed a little at that comment. “I feel ya there, sister.” He made a gesture to the rest of the bar. “Late at night, it doesn’t take much for this place to fall into chaos.” She nodded, easily picturing a familiar scene of a dozen drunken men piling on top of each other. “So, what exactly do you need from me as an ... entertainer?” she asked, bringing the subject back on course. Adagio was still unsure what her job was going to be, though she assumed the worst, seeing as the ad was not very specific. The man blinked a couple of times, as if unsure what she meant, then his eyes went wide. “Oh! Right, the job.” He waved her over to follow him to the back wall of the pub. He introduced himself as High Rye, the owner. Apparently, his grandfather, Wild Turkey, had opened the bar, and it was a family business since. He made sure to keep his history lesson short, finishing by the time they reached a small stage with a grand piano on it. “You want me to play music?” Adagio asked, walking over and running a hand along the sleek black piano. That made High Rye laugh again. “Well, yeah! What did you think I meant by ‘entertainment’? You thought I’d make you hop around for these drunk bozos like some kinda exotic dancer?” ‘Well, that was one thought,’ she thought to herself. Relieved of that possibility, she let out a sigh. “The advertisement wasn’t very specific, so I wasn’t exactly sure what you needed.” “Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess that would confuse you,” he pondered aloud, rubbing a hand against his chin. “But anyway, the last guy I had moved on a few days ago, got himself a studio job. He always played the piano, and the boys loved that, so I’m looking for someone to fill that spot.” He turned to raise an eyebrow at her. “Think you can play well enough to keep the bar lively?” Adagio smiled, feeling a bit excited from being challenged. “It’s been a while, but I think I can pick up my old skills.” High Rye asked her to get a feel for it, warm up a bit. If she played to his satisfaction, he’d give her the job. It was simple enough, but she hadn’t actually touched the piano in years. Adagio had lately leaned onto her voice for her musical practice, but remembered that she had played a piano for hundreds of years before. It was certainly a wonder of human creation, and made beautiful music, as well as an inconspicuous intro to their hypnotic spells. She thought back to her practice scales, playing lightly at first to keep the volume down, and stretching her fingers. Finishing those, she broke out into one of her favorite pieces, one that required her to flutter her right hand along the keys, while holding the long chords on her left. Adagio felt herself melding into the music as she kept playing, finding a bit of peace in the notes. As she continued on, she was able to bring the song to it's original speed, which was much faster than she had started playing, and closed her eyes so she could feel the music. She finished her song, finding herself smiling, proud that her muscle memory still did not fail her. Pulling the cover over the keys, she looked back up to see High Rye, as well as another dozen men who weren’t in the bar before, staring at her in awe. Fluffing her hair as a bit of show, she gave a confident grin. “I hope that was satisfactory.” High Rye, collecting himself faster than the others, just chuckled a bit. “I like it. When can you start?” It was nearly two in the morning by the time Adagio trudged her way through the front door. The lights were still on, which irked her. If the girls were going to bed, they knew better than to leave the lights on. High Rye was so impressed with her playing earlier that day, that he let her start working right away. So, despite still being new, she was playing her piano just a few hours later, and did so until around 1AM, when he closed it down. He gave her her earnings for the night, in cash, as well as nearly $50 in what he called “tips” that the patrons gave her. Apparently, by being entertaining enough, people give you extra money, that you get to keep outside of the payroll. If she made the amount of money she did tonight, every night, four nights a week, Adagio alone could cover the rent. Despite the uncomfortable atmosphere with all of the drunk men and women, Adagio mused she could enjoy herself. Going into the kitchen to turn off the lights, she saw there was someone slumped over the kitchen table, snoring away. Sonata had her head resting on the table, arms draped and hanging down the side, and a puddle of drool was near her mouth. Ignoring the gross mess, she looked to the center of the table to see a box labeled “For Aria and Adagio”. Curious, Adagio opened the top of the box to reveal a... She thought it was a pastry, but couldn’t tell. It was certainly covered in frosting, but the shape was jagged, uneven, and wasn’t very big. After close inspection, she assumed it was a cake, seeing the inside from a missing piece Aria must have taken. ‘Must be her first attempt at real cooking,’ she guessed, trying to hold back a laugh. She found herself smiling, and closed the box back up before turning back to Sonata. With how she was sleeping, she was going to be freezing in the morning. Adagio walked over to the couch to remove a blanket she had stretched along the top, and brought it over to lay on her sister. “I’m not in the mood, Aria,” Sonata muttered in her sleep, flinching from the feeling of the blanket on her. She couldn’t resist after that. Adagio snorted, smacking a hand over her mouth to stop herself from further outbursts. She could only imagine what was going on in her head, but any thought that came to mind was humorous. Leaving the kitchen, she turned the lights off in the living room and made her way to her room to retire. As she walked through the dark hallway though, a voice caught her ears. She froze outside Aria’s room, and realized it was Aria who she heard. Adagio pressed her ear gently against the door, hoping to catch what she just heard again. She waited until Aria spoke, and it took a moment for Adagio to realize that she was singing. Gasping, she cupped a hand over her ear, hoping to hear better. It wasn’t her old voice, not nearly as beautiful, but Aria was definitely singing. Adagio listened in earnest as her sister tried to keep in tune, but gave up after a few lines. “Still doesn’t work,” she heard Aria grumble. “I don’t know why I keep trying.” Pulling back from the door, Adagio found herself a little shocked. She had assumed that Aria gave up her singing weeks ago, but here she was, still trying. This must have been a pattern for her for a while now. Adagio had done the same thing, finding times to practice her voice in secret, and nearly every day. She could understand why Aria would be secretive about this. The door suddenly opened, causing Adagio to jump back a bit, but she quickly shrugged it off, and acted like she was just now walking down the hall as Aria stepped outside. Her hair was down, she had a green sweatshirt with sweatpants, and she looked like she was pretty tired. Aria’s eyes widened a bit after seeing Adagio, akin to how she would react after getting caught with her hand in a cookie jar. “Hey Adagio,” she said casually. “Where were you all day?” Not wanting to bring up an awkward conversation just yet, Adagio just smiled. “I got myself a job, and they keep me a little late.” She continued walking past her, acting casual. Aria huffed. “I didn’t picture you getting along with someone trying to tell you what to do.” “I get a lenient position, so I’m bearing with it.” “Did you...” She paused, about to say something, but then shifted her tone. “see the cake Sonata made?” Adagio looked back. “Yeah. How did her job go?” “Well, she said they liked her enthusiasm, but she ended up trashing their kitchen, and spent half the time she was there cleaning it.” “That sounds like Sonata, all right,” she groaned. “Hopefully she can stick to something long enough to make money.” Both were quiet for a few moments, before Adagio slipped her coat off. “Well, I had a long night, so I’m going to bed.” Aria moved her eyes around, scrunching her face for a moment. “Kay. Night.” “Hopefully I’ll see you sometime tomorrow?” Adagio asked, getting a curious expression from Aria. “I haven’t seen much of you for almost a week now. You aren’t upset at me, are you?” Scoffing, Aria crossed her arms. “No, I’ve just been in my room a little more often lately. That’s not a problem, I hope?” “No,” she assured. “But I do remember you going out a lot more often than sitting in your room. Just remember you can talk to me if something’s bugging you.” Adagio turned to open her door. Aria didn’t give an answer, just an eye roll, her typical expression of “Yeah, whatever.” She found it hard to believe she was already getting back in her bed. The day had passed by much more quickly than the last few, and that was a bit of relief for her. Hopefully her sleep wouldn’t be interrupted so rudely this time. Before resting her head against the pillow, Adagio found her eyes scanning to her night stand, which only held a small lamp, and a clear box containing the shattered remains of her amulet. She was the only one who still had her shards, the other two leaving them on that stage back at Canterlot High, and she held those as the most sacred things in her possession. Adagio sometimes got emotional just by staring at them, and a part of her longed to see the jewel restored again. She knew it was beyond repair though, and nothing would return her magic to her. Having already cried out all of her worries, Adagio now felt a surge of resolve whenever she looked at them, and promised to not let that dread take her. She had the responsibility to get Aria and Sonata somewhere better, and swore on the fragments of her red gemstone to do so.