//------------------------------// // Chapter 3- Adagio // Story: A Dazzling Tale // by Darkmetroidz //------------------------------// Adagio groaned as she pushed through the door of the third-story apartment. Her arms were filled with groceries, and her legs were exhausted from a long day's work at the coffee shop. She had not sat down in nearly twelve hours, and was on the verge of collapse. She looked around the living room. Weird. Sonata and Aria are usually home by now. The clock read eight. Sonata's shift ended at five, and Aria's at seven. She smelled dinner, which was, as per usual, ramen. Adagio poked her head into the kitchen. Instead of what she usually saw, Sonata slaving over a large pot of noodles, adding bits of meat or vegetables trying to make the food edible, there was just a pot sitting on a very low flame. There was a note stuck to the pot. Adagio read it with annoyance. Dear Gi-gi Adagio groaned. She hated that nickname and Sonata knew it. Had to run out for a little while. Dinner is on the stove, just turn off the burner and it should be ready to go! Love, Sonata Dusk PS: I'm totally not with a boy tonight. Adagio raised an eyebrow. Having Sonata out of the house for the night was a mixed blessing. On one hand, it was one headache she would not have to endure, but on the other, Sonata had a tendency to get herself into trouble. Adagio had long ago discovered her tendency to say the most idiotic things at the worst possible times. One slip up eight hundred years prior had almost gotten her burned at the stake in France. And of course, more recently she had nearly directly told that bitch Sunset Shimmer that they used their songs to control people. Fortunately, it seems that Sunset was almost as imperceptive as Sonata herself, and hadn't immediately clued in on what they were planning. Adagio carefully handled the pot. Sonata had at least been smart enough to leave a couple potholders and a rubber mat out for her. Adagio ladled herself out a bowlful, and sat down on the dingy old couch in their living room to tinker with a Rubik's cube. She had bought the thing out of curiosity nearly thirty years ago and still couldn't figure the damn thing out. She had given one to Aria and Sonata for Christmas that year. Aria had solved hers (by rearranging the stickers) and Sonata had, somehow, managed to finish the puzzle. Adagio had a relatively short list of life goals right now. They were, in order, 1) Keep a roof over her head, 2) Regain her Siren powers, 3) Find a better home, and 4) finish the cube. Items two and three were unlikely to happen anytime soon, which left Adagio with a lot of spare time to work on number four. For the better part of two hours, she was bouncing between her dinner, the puzzle, and reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which she had taken from the school library. They couldn't afford a TV, but free access to books helped keep Adagio kill time. She closed the book as Aria walked inside. Adagio immediately noticed something strange with her friend. She carried herself nervously, trying to make herself as small as possible, and avoided making eye contact. "Sonata's out, but she left us some food. Want some?" Adagio casually offered. Aria shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Thanks though." Adagio raised an eyebrow. Aria was always hungry after work. She usually went half the day without eating, which left her ravenous by the time she got home. If she didn't want food, something was amiss. "What's going on?" Adagio asked. Her tone was not accusing, not yet. But it was certainly suspicious. "Nothing's wrong. I've got some homework to do." Now Adagio knew something was up. Aria actually doing her schoolwork on a weekend was on the same level of strangeness as her saying something nice to Sonata. Now Adagio went into interrogation mode. "Where have you been?" She demanded, putting herself between Aria and her bedroom. Aria glared at her angrily, "Nowhere. Get out of my way." She pushed Adagio aside, but not before Adagio could make out a ketchup stain on her T-shirt. "You ate out!" Adagio accused, "I can't believe you!" Aria assumed a defensive posture, "So what if I did?" She indignantly asked. "I don't know if it's occurred to you, but we don't exactly have a lot of money," Adagio growled. "Getting food at restaurants is a luxury that we can't afford." "I don't need to listen to this shit." Aria shoved her way past Adagio and went into the bedroom she and Sonata shared. She slammed the door in Adagio's face, leaving her screaming at the door. "What the fuck is your problem?" She shouted. "You're acting like a bigger shit than usual!" As Adagio banged on the door, Sonata casually strolled in. She looked at the spectacle before her, and realized it probably would have been a good idea to take Shining up on his offer to go on a moonlight drive. She went into the kitchen and ladled herself a bowl of noodles. She had filled herself up on homemade burgers and cornbread at the party, but Sonata never turned up food, even when she was still a Siren, and eating was a luxury, not a necessity. She sat down on the couch, and dug through her backpack until she found the book she was reading. It was her favorite, The Lorax. Adagio gave up a few minutes later and returned to her dinner. Sonata waved to her, but Adagio just ignored her. She opened up her book again, and sighed, "I don't have any time to care about what you were doing right now. Just try to let me know beforehand, and try not to get yourself knocked up while you're out there." Sonata choked a little on her noodles. Sonata finished eating and tried to get into the bedroom. Aria had locked the door. "Um, Ari, can you let me in?" Sonata peeped, "I need to get my pajamas." All Aria said in reply was, "Fuck off." Adagio stood up again. "Do NOT talk to her that way," She roared. "Open this door, damn it, and let her in!" Aria said nothing in response. Furious, Adagio reached up to the top of the doorframe. She kept a key to the door up there, and was going to get Sonata into her room and give Aria a piece of her mind, and possibly a piece of her fist. She jimmied the lock until she felt it unlock, and pushed. The door still wouldn't open. Aria had barricaded the door. How old was she, nine? Adagio had reached her limit. "Aria, you let Sonata in right this minute or I swear I will beat you senseless!" Still nothing in reply. "Where am I supposed to sleep?" Sonata whimpered. Adagio looked at her with concern. Sonata looked like a sad puppy that had been kicked one time too many. "You can sleep on the couch, or with me, whatever you prefer." Adagio softly offered. "I know my bed is tiny, but I can make room." Sonata hugged her gleefully, and Adagio hesitantly hugged back. Aria would be getting hell in the morning. She would have to come out eventually. And when she did, Adagio had some choice words picked out for her, including but not limited to: Brat, shithead, cunt, bitch, and twat. For the meantime though, she just wanted to read. She sighed. When she had started reading The Hunchback, Claude Frollo's character stood out to her immediately. In a way, he reminded her of herself. Frollo had stepped up to take care of his younger brother Jehan when their parents died, and later to raise Quasimodo. Similarly, Adagio saw herself as a motherly figure to Aria and Sonata, after their banishment left them stranded on Earth, alone. They're my family. I have to protect them. She vowed, as tears began welling up in her eyes. She was no stranger to fighting with her friends; she considered it to be something of a hobby of theirs. But the spats they were having were getting worse and worse lately, and ending with no resolution and a lot of bad feelings. She blamed Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It was their fault for taking their powers away. Those amulets kept the Sirens together. As long as they had eternal life, they needed each other. They kept each other safe, and gave each other a sense of belonging. Everything around them would grow old and die one day, but they would remain forever. Adagio went into her room. Under her mattress, she had a little box she had bought a few days after they moved to America that she used to keep the few precious things she still had. She opened the dusty wooden lid. Inside she had a photograph that had been taken right after they stepped off the boat in New York Harbor. The three of them looked so much happier. They had plain but elegant fur coats and modest haircuts, but stood together, arm in arm, ready to take on the strange new country. Those were the girls Adagio saw as a family, almost like her sisters. She looked out the window. To the east, beneath the moon, she could see Canterlot High School. She clenched her fist in rage. I will make them pay for what they did to us. Adagio began formulating a plan. She didn't know how, but she was going to make them miserable for ruining their lives. Maybe she could tear apart their friendship, and see how they liked it. Or crush their ambitions, one by one, until they have nothing to live for. Either way, they would soon be feeling the wrath of Adagio Dazzle.