The Worst

by SquiggelSquirrel

Adagishy

“I just wish they could be normal, you know?” Adagio stood at the window, looking down on the street below. “I mean, not human normal, not boring normal. I don't really mean normal at all, just… normal for them, whatever that is.”

Fluttershy nodded, waiting to see if Adagio had more to say.

“Eighteen centuries… You know what? Screw them — I don't care. They've only ever held me back anyway, and now it's not as if I need their voices or their magic any more. I'll do just fine on my own, and I'm sure they'll survive somehow. I'll just… I'll…” Adagio's voice trailed off, and she stood, motionless, at the window, until Fluttershy stepped up beside her.

Adagio turned to face Fluttershy, and breathed, barely more than a whisper, “I don't know what to do.”

Fluttershy took Adagio's hand, their fingers entwined. Even as she searched for the right words, Fluttershy smiled, and the soft light from the outside lit her face. She hesitated, uncertain, when Adagio's other hand stroked her cheek.

Then Adagio closed the gap between them, and their lips met. Fluttershy gave a muffled exclamation as Adagio pressed forwards, hands slipping from Fluttershy's hold, and wrapping around her. Adagio felt Fluttershy tense, hands gripping her upper arms more firmly, but still so soft. To Adagio, Fluttershy felt awkward, clumsy even, no doubt lacking experience, but Adagio knew she had enough experience for both of them.

Moans and muffled words rose from Fluttershy's chest as Adagio held her, confidently. Adagio's hand slid down Fluttershy's spine and gripped her buttocks, Adagio's tongue stroked her barely parted lips. Fluttershy stumbled back, against the wall, as Adagio brought her other hand around on to the girl's chest.

Adagio pulled her head back, pulling their mouths apart to look on Fluttershy's face.

“S-stop. Please stop.”

Fluttershy looked terrified. Her eyes were tightly shut. Her lips were trembling. It seemed she might be about to cry.

Adagio froze, too stunned to react. The two girls stood, Fluttershy shaking while Adagio just stared.

Eventually, Adagio took a small step back, her arms dropping to her sides. Fluttershy immediately slipped away, stumbling towards the door. Adagio just stared after her, blankly, as Fluttershy pulled the door open and stepped out…

Fluttershy stopped on the threshold, and turned to look back at Adagio. They stood, staring at each other. When Adagio took a small step forward, almost on instinct, raising one hand towards her, Fluttershy stumbled two steps back onto the landing.

Adagio's arm fell, and she stepped back. Fluttershy remained in place.

Adagio stood motionless, watching Fluttershy hesitate, glancing back between Adagio and the stairs. She trembled as Fluttershy turned away, apparently finding the resolve to leave.

“I'm sorry.”

Fluttershy froze, and turned back to face Adagio. It slowly dawned on Adagio that the words had come from her own mouth.

“I… I didn't… Fluttershy…” Adagio's words came out chocked, and stumbling. “I'm sorry.”

Fluttershy just stood there, fear mixed with uncertainty on her face, as she watched Adagio slowly fall apart.

“I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, believe me, I wouldn't… not like that. I didn't think… I didn't know. I thought…”

Adagio slumped back against the wall, and closed her eyes, slowly sinking to the floor without another word. She sat there in silence, unmoving until she heard Fluttershy's quiet voice fill the emptiness of the room.

“Adagio?”

Adagio opened her eyes, and looked up. Fluttershy was back inside the room, leaning against the desk by the door, rubbing her elbow uncertainly.

“I — I'm not mad at you.” Fluttershy paused, struggling to find the right words. “You made a mistake. I understand, and…” Fluttershy took a deep breath before continuing, looking Adagio straight in the eyes, “… I forgive you. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, but you really should know it's not okay to do that to someone, without asking.”

“No-one's complained before,” said Adagio, her eyes widening as she thought about what she'd just said. “I mean, they could have complained, if they wanted to, but they didn't. Lots of people have told me they like it when I'm aggressive, but I'd never try to force anyone to…”

Fluttershy nodded. “I believe you, but I'm guessing those other people weren't quite like me.”

“No. None of them were anything like you.”

“Um, but maybe in future you should ask first, just to be safe.”

Adagio nodded, her gaze drifting off to one corner of the room. Then a thought struck her, and her eyes snapped back to the girl standing opposite her. Before she could voice her question, Fluttershy continued.

“I also think that, well, that, isn't what you need right now. I know you don't want to talk about what happened downstairs, but I really think you need to let it out.”

Adagio moaned, her head flopping back as her gaze rolled up to the ceiling.

“Let what out? My sisters are freaks, my life has fallen apart, and I don't have a clue what I'm doing any more. I just end up hurting everyone around me, but I don't even enjoy that any more either.” Adagio paused in thought, not noticing the way Fluttershy cringed slightly at this statement. “I also hate my job.” She sighed, and looked back down at Fluttershy, with a gloomy expression on her face. “…and now, ” she continued “I've been reduced to some snivelling charity case, taking pity from you and your friends, because I don't even have enough pride left to walk away. I've fallen just about as far as I can, or else I wouldn't even be talking to you.

“Heh,” she chuckled, “you probably wouldn't be talking to me, either, if I wasn't so pathetic. I guess you just can't help but pity me, huh?”

Adagio sighed, and went back to staring at the ceiling, until Fluttershy spoke up.

“Well, I don't think 'pity' is the right word; I'm concerned about you. I think I still would be, if I knew you were hurt like this, even if you didn't ask for my help.”

“I didn't ask for your help,” Adagio said. “Not as such, anyway,” she conceded. “So, are you concerned for my sisters, too?”

“Yes, ” Fluttershy admitted, “but I'm more concerned about you.” Fluttershy stepped a little closer, sitting on the edge of the bed about half-way between Adagio and the door. “Do you really want to push them away like that?”

Adagio glared a little at Fluttershy, but then her expression softened. “I don't know,” she admitted. “I guess it's too late now.”

“It doesn't have to be.”

“I'm not going to go crawling back to them, like I did something wrong.”

“Well, they were still downstairs when I came up here. Maybe they haven't left yet.”

“I don't know.” Adagio squirmed. “Just the thought of them… together, makes my skin crawl. I don't think I'll ever be okay with it.”

“Do you want to be?”

“Maybe. It would make things easier, I guess.”

“Well, you won't know until you try.”

The two girls sat in silence, listening to the voices drifting up from downstairs.

Eventually, Adagio climbed to her feet, and began her slow walk towards the door.

Comments

[Misago]

Okay, what the hell. I just saw that this updated, saw the chapter title... so I had to take another look. And now it looks like the prelude to a sweet romance story.

I don't know what to think now...

[Eyeswirl the Weirded]

Wow. I'm not exactly surprised that she'd reach for whatever comfort she could get at this point, but that tried that with Fluttershy tells me she really is losing it. Here's hoping Aria and Sonata can control themselves long enough to not make things marginally worse.

[Seether00]

Dagi needs help

Time to go back to Equestria.

[SquiggelSquirrel]

7144201 Well I'm glad your feelings aren't totally negative, at least.

[Misago]

7144317 My feelings weren't totaly negative before, either. Just, as we discussed, a difference in headcanon/taste.

Just, does this mean there will be romantic Adagishy? Because as much as I do not get along with the stuff Aria and Sonata talk about, I really do love the way you wrote Adagio's and Fluttershy's interactions, ever since the beginning. Hell, if you wrote an Adagishy only story, friendshipping or otherwise, I'd be all over it.

But if this is just kinda teasing and the kiss was just to set up sexual tension between them (and show Adagio's own not-quite-human-normal approach to sexuality), and you will keep the relationship platonic with some slight hints at the end...

[SquiggelSquirrel]

7144370 Well, if you insist on me spoiling the ending:
Yeah, I pretty much planned to end this with Adagio finally admitting/realising that she had become "friends" with Fluttershy, and the rest of the gang. I don't plan on ruling out a possible future romance, but I don't really plan to develop it further, at least not in this story.

[Doughnot_followmoi]

Oh man.
Oh man.
OOOH Man

[BenRG]

One of the things that you have to remember when dealing with a woman like Adagio is the degree to which her pride is completely tied up in her self-identity. Remove that pride and she has little left so support her self-image and will. Oddly enough, Fluttershy (yes, Fluttershy) seemed to understand that and reach her in a way that let Adagio find a way to get her pride back.

[Venlinelle]

Someone needs to point out to Adagio that, if she wishes to call people “freaks,” it might help to not be nearly a thousand years old and (until recently) possess mind control powers.