Like You
The glossy black front door, like the white brick house it sat in, was no bigger or more intimidating than those of the houses up and down the street to either side. Not in reality, at least. To Sweetie Belle, it might have been a hundred feet tall.
The shaking of her tiny, pale arm matched the thudding in her chest as she raised a fist to knock. But knock she did, a moment of stubbornness overcoming the timidness with which she’d been planning to knock, and balancing out into a rap of knuckles on wood at a fairly normal volume. One she then almost flinched away from when she imagined it echoing down the street. Probably imagined, anyway.
But it was done, and she couldn’t take it back. Even if I ran, I wouldn’t make it out of sight in time. All she could do was wait, and dwell on how this had seemed such a good idea at the time and really didn’t right now.
Colourful flowers bloomed up and down the street, and the lawns shone in the morning sunlight. Bees and butterflies flitted about. She could practically smell next door’s hyacinths from where she stood. All of which she tried to distract herself with as she cast her eyes about, but only really served to remind her that it was June, so the Battle of the Bands had been just three months ago.
And here she was, on the doorstep of someone who, if her demeanour in the school corridors was anything to go by, really had not forgotten it.
Despite Sweetie Belle keeping her ears peeled for the faintest sound of someone in the house making their way to the door, she heard nothing until the instant the handle turned, the sudden noise of which hit her like thunder and made her jump. Then the door swung open, and…
Even in a rose strap top and dark jeans, Adagio Dazzle, framed by her doorway and looking dispassionately down at her unexpected caller, froze Sweetie Belle to the spot. It brought to mind some old movie of a monster between two skyscrapers, towering over a city’s doomed inhabitants.
“Hi, um,” Sweetie Belle began, drawing on all the courage she could find, as well as the knowledge that, however scary starting the conversation might be, answering a demand to know who she was and what she was doing there would be much worse, “you’re Adagio, right?”
No sign of a response, or any acknowledgement at all, so she quickly pressed on, “Sorry, my name’s Sweetie Belle, and…” she blushed, knowing she was about to be laughed out of town, but that she had to try nonetheless, “and I want to be a singer.” She closed her eyes, remembering her own performances during the Battle, compared with those of the siren before her. “I wish I had a voice like yours.”
For a couple more seconds, Adagio continued to stare down at Sweetie Belle, not giving any hint she’d heard a word. Sweetie Belle tried not to hold her breath, and also fought the urge to explain more. The sensible part of her mind told her she’d said enough, one way or the other.
Then, at last, Adagio gave a flat response. “Me too, kid.”
“I’m really sorry what they did to you,” Sweetie Belle jumped in as fast as she could, in case Adagio recognised her from school and lumped her in with those who took her voice away, “and it must be horrible if you can’t sing anymore.” There really wasn’t much else Sweetie Belle, or anyone else really, could say as consolation. “But I can pay you, if you’ll teach me?”
Even that wasn’t enough to bring out much reaction in Adagio right away. Only after a few more moments of emotionless staring, during which Sweetie Belle felt she was very much being weighed up, did Adagio drop her eyes to the floor, smiling wistfully. “You know, once, I would have had you incinerated for insinuating that talent like mine was something that could be bought.” She arched an eyebrow, one finely-sculpted enough to make Rarity jealous. “...Now, I could use the money.”
Sweetie Belle’s heart leapt, and also tried to ignore the implied threat.
“But you’re right,” Adagio continued, shifting her weight to one leg and leaning against the doorframe, “I can’t sing anymore. I don’t know how I could teach you.”
Luckily, Sweetie Belle had an answer to hand for that, because she’d hit that problem, too, after the initial five minutes of excitement from coming up with the idea. “My friend Scootaloo said that most sports coaches are too old to play anymore, so they turn to coaching others instead.”
Adagio’s eyebrow rose again, and, like it was a shark fin appearing in the water, Sweetie Belle realised the danger she’d put herself in. “Not that I’m saying you’re old!” she said, hurriedly holding her hands up in front of her. “But perhaps if they can still teach, you could too?”
Inside, Sweetie Belle was crossing every finger and toe she had.
“Perhaps.” Adagio pursed her lips. “If you can learn without practical demonstrations, then perhaps.” Before Sweetie Belle had the chance to respond with more than a big smile, Adagio folded her arms in front of her. “Sing me a note. Let’s see if you’re worthy.”
Just like that, Sweetie Belle felt her smile falter, casting her eyes to either side. “...Right here?”
“Are you kidding?” Adagio snorted. “Half of performance is just confidence.” Then she turned stern. “Yes, right here, or not at all.”
Not feeling she could afford a moment to lose, Sweetie Belle opened her mouth, only remembering at the last second to take a deep breath first. Then she aimed for a note she felt she could belt comfortably, and went for it before she had a chance to doubt it further. “Laaaaaaaaa!”
Adagio nodded once Sweetie Belle had finished, and her brow furrowed. “Hmmm. Projection and depth better than I expected, but focus needs work. Less nose, more chest.”
Blushing again, more heavily than before, Sweetie Belle looked at her shoes, taking in the view of her body as she did so. She wasn’t quite sure what Adagio meant about focus, but, regarding the other thing… “Um… I’m only twelve… my sister said they’d grow when I was a bit older.” Not that she was sure why that was relevant?
“You’re funny,” Adagio said, with an expression that might have been amused or maybe just quizzical, and left Sweetie Belle more confused than ever. “Ok, and a phrase?”
“La la la la laaaaa!”
“Pitching’s not bad at all.”
Sweetie Belle tried not to be too visibly elated – she had to maintain some semblance of cool around someone who seemed to ooze it as effortlessly as Adagio – but she did breathe easier.
“Which is good,” Adagio continued, “as regularly correcting that would require me to provide examples to follow, which I can’t.” Then she grimaced. “Also, because I don’t know how I’d have phrased it if I had to tell you you were flat.”
Though Sweetie Belle blushed again, she thought she got the joke?
Adagio’s expression had become tight, almost a manic grin. “...I’ve never spoken to a child before, can you tell?”
Laughing nervously was the best response Sweetie Belle could come up with, so that would have to do.
“Anyway,” Adagio frowned, not aggressively, but just like she’d hit the next problem in line, “how can you afford to pay me, at your age? Aren’t there labour laws or something?”
Even more than before, Sweetie Belle was glad she’d taken the time to plan it out and think it through before she’d brought her suggestion to Adagio, because that issue was one it had taken her a while to figure out, and she’d hate to have to answer it on the spot unprepared.
“My sister, Rarity, said I could work in her shop after school to earn some money.” And if Adagio hadn’t already realised Sweetie Belle was related to one of the girls responsible for destroying her voice, she’d certainly know now. Quick, keep talking, move the conversation on! “I just feel like…” she faltered, speaking from the heart in the absence of any other plan, “I love to sing, but everyone in my school’s a great singer, so it’s not like I stand out for it.” She probably wouldn’t have admitted that if not for spontaneous desperation, but it was true. “No one really did, until you. You held every eye and ear in the school when you sang. If I could learn to do that…?”
Adagio smiled. There was a pained kind of look to it, but the joy, as far as Sweetie Belle could tell, seemed genuine. Then a gleam appeared in Adagio’s eye, giving the smile a very different cast. “Let me see if I’ve got this right.” She began ticking off points on her fingers as she spoke. “A member of the band who destroyed my amulet, on the grounds that I was an evil, corruptive influence… is happy to embrace statutory child slavery – in her own business – so that I can be paid to take her little sister under my wing… and teach her to be more like me?”
Biting her lip, Sweetie Belle had to agree Rarity probably hadn’t thought of it in quite those terms. She had okayed it though! Would she go back on it, later? “W-well, when you put it like that–”
“–Then how could I possibly refuse?” Adagio’s eyes lit up. “Come in.”
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This was quite cute and amusing :) Gotta ask though where'd Aria and Sonata?
10262703 Thanks! Aria is asleep, and Sonata is sunbathing out back
Are you going to do something like this with the rest of the CMC and Dazzlings?
Short, but i love this
Sweet, I need more of this.
Sweet story!
Damn now I want more
But Adagio uses auto-tune now! :D
10262776 Thanks for the interest, but almost certainly not. Some pairings there could be interesting, but, if I were to write anything else along those lines, I think I'd prefer to write a follow-up chapter here, to see how Adagio and Sweetie Belle get on.
But realistically, this one took three years to get written. And that's after I'd already written all the dialogue, and it just needed the prose filling in. Which only took me a day, and it still took me three years to get around to it. So no, I really doubt there'll be anything more, there's a huge list of other stories I'm meant to be working on instead
10262899
10263176
Thanks, but very, very unlikely to happen!
All I can really do is point you in the direction of the other things I've written with unusual siren pairings, if you're interested. Fairy Gothmother is closest to this one in tone, Haunted Wasteland is the one with someone Sweetie Belle's age (Sonata Dusk and Diamond Tiara), and Mine for the Taking is the best one.
None of them are quite like this one, but I'm afraid that's the best I can offer
As soon as I saw the pairing, I was reminded of my own stories "Bellesitter" and "An Opal's Dazzling Bell."
I don't know when I got so narcissistic, either.
Still, a pretty neat concept. Keep up the good work.
Delightful bit of interaction. (Though it's hardly slavery if Sweetie's getting paid. Then it is child labor.
) Very fun read; it makes sense that, given Sweetie's age and passions, she'd be wowed by the Dazzlings even without mind control. Thank you for a delightful little tale. Best of luck in the judging. 
10263588
You had me at Diamon Tiara. I'm weird, I love bratty characters
Well she would need a teacher. And what better one? And we do know now that Adagio and her sisters eventually learn to sing again so maybe by Sweetie Belle showing up they relearned how?
I would totally be interested in more if you have any plans for it. Good job on this btw👍
I forgot how well you write Adagio, it's been a while. I guess I should catch up on the rest of your stories :P
I'd be really interested to see another chapter or two of how the two of them interact beyond this first encounter. Sweetie is easily my favourite of the CMC, and I don't really recall any other fics I've read where she interacts with the Sirens.
The headcanon is strong here.
You have my fav and like
10263400 I am... puzzled... that you can like Adagio enough to write about her yet would make such a statement with a smiley face
Personally I really can't think of anything that Sunset's Backstage Pass added that improved on, or even failed to take away from, what had gone before. It made Pinkie annoying, it made Sunset annoying and quick to condemn, it introduced two bratty starlets who couldn't handle the pressure of being rock stars, it furthered the modern Equestria Girls trend of total vapid wish-fulfilment, where Sunset can't even go to a music festival without being invited up on stage to play with the headline act, since having superpowers, winning dance contests and being famous enough to go to movie premieres just isn't enough. Both the songs shown were utterly mediocre (the first in the franchise, I think, not written by Daniel Ingram, and it shows), to the point that Rarity actually criticised them in-character in the movie itself. And then the sirens, hyped up and brought back for all of five minutes. Given no expansion, just enough confirmation of what they've been doing since Rainbow Rocks to close doors and make them seem smaller. Pure fanservice, and completely missing the point of why they were so liked in the first place. I'm not even going to start on Sonata's dress.
The sirens, the other characters, and the franchise as a whole, I think, would be better if we just quietly forgot the existence of Sunset's Backstage Pass.
10264101 Those two are top of the Similar stories column, too, though now Also Liked has taken its place.
10264273 Thanks! That's a fair point regarding labour vs slavery - my thinking was that Sweetie Belle, as a child, is too young to legally consent. Whether that's medical procedures, sexual activity or joining a workforce. So just as that would make any sexual activity statutory rape by default, the same applied to labour would make it statutory child slavery, as she's not legally able to consent to providing her labour, financially compensated or otherwise.
I agree, legally they're probably treated very differently. How else would we be able to exploit child labour?
I'm going to bring in 10264815 here as well as 10264273 regarding why Sweetie Belle would need a singing teacher, and why specifically she'd want Adagio:
So, how many examples of bad singing are there in FIM and EG? The only ones I can think of are the CMCs' song in The Show Stoppers, and Bad Counterspell in Rainbow Rocks. In both cases, it's shown that the singing sounds bad because the singers' hearts aren't really in what they're singing. This is much clearer in Bad Counterspell, but in The Show Stoppers it's more like they're throwing themselves into the song to broadcast their determination to the world rather than because it's something they're truly committed to at that point.
Whereas every other example of singing in the franchise sounds lovely. Equestria is filled by ponies with the voices of professional singers. This makes it quite strange when professional singers actually turn up. The ones I can think of are Coloratura, Songbird Serenade, and the Dazzlings. I don't think we ever hear Sapphire Shores actually sing anything? And, while Coloratura's Razzle Dazzle song is clearly bigger than something we normally see a solo singer tackle in MLP, her one at the end - I Am Just a Pony/The Magic Inside - is, um, nice? I like it, it's one of my favourites to sing, but it's not, like, wow, she's such a phenomenal singer, I can see how she sells out arenas! As a singer, Coloratura has nothing on Chrysalis.
So Sweetie Belle wants to be a singer. She wants to excel at the thing ponies can do really well anyway. That's not to say she wants to be famous or even wants to make a career of it (though let's say EG Sweetie Belle does - it's not like humans have cutie marks the CMCs can make careers advising them on), but it's something she enjoys, and, since we see her reading music while singing rather than just singing for the fun of it, I think we can say she's probably interested in getting better at it.
So yeah, that needs a teacher. Adagio, I think, is the best the show has done with a singer who stands out for being a singer. She kicks in the door, and her very first sung line is more dripping with innuendo than anything else in the whole show. Her lyrics are much more wrapped up in double-meanings with dark edges than the one-dimensional 'believe in yourself, love everyone else' FIM songs, so we pay closer attention to them. Her delivery, likewise, has a sultriness that sets her apart from any other singers in the franchise. She literally mesmerises the whole room with her performance.
Coloratura, Songbird Serenade, Chrysalis, Twilight etc, they sing. But Adagio is a singer. That's who I'd want to learn from!
10264377 Ah, better make sure I don't oversell it then
- it's about the three sirens and their relationships, which they've settled down into since world domination is off the menu. Diamond Tiara and her dad don't actually appear, but the life they've built with Sonata is discussed and proves key to getting her to open up a little 
10266119 Thanks!
10265076 Likewise, thanks! Though I think some of my other incomplete stories might pick up some more downvotes if I got distracted writing more of this instead
10265874 If I could only be good at one Pony thing, I'd like it to be writing Adagio
Sweetie Belle is my favourite of the three, too, and one of the dynamics with her I really like that didn't really come up much here is when she's involved a little in the comings and goings of her sister's life. I think I got the idea for this after a scene involving those three in Tethered-Angel's story Neighbours, in which Adagio calls at Rarity's house but it's Sweetie Belle who answers the door and they chat briefly. I know Draxonos135 wrote a couple of stories about this pairing in response to a prompt I made in the siren shipping group, but I think those four are the extent of stories involving Adagio and Sweetie Belle 
10267490
Wow, was it that bad? Good thing I missed it XD
10267537
They are?! I feel astonished.
10267581 Yep, not much to see here!
As I think I said back when we did the Child Friendly prompt, the sirens, more than most characters, aren't the sort to really inspire people to write them interacting with children. They never talk with any in canon, and most of their character struggles, or aspects that might make you want to write about them, are more of the grown-up kind. Something I always wanted to see, though, which I suggested in the prompt, was the CMCs helping the Dazzlings to deal with the fact that their very natures, cutie marks and all, involve them hurting others.
10267609
Sounds like it could make an epic story, actually.
It's okay, I guess. I feel like this needs a follow-up chapter to really stand out, because there's just not a lot to it. Though Adagio saying she would've incinerated Sweetie made me laugh.
10267490
Well one it was mainly just a joke. I play fast and loose with the canon plenty. :D
And second I've never found her singing to be an integral part of her character's personality. It's a big part of her character, but it doesn't change her personality if she can sing or not.
Fun pair! Though I have to agree, it leaves me hungry for more.
I love this. That little "Summary" statement of Adagio was wonderful:
This made this story. And as much as I'd like to see more, I can fully understand the "can't get story words out" problem.
10322924 Thanks! That all came together pretty spontaneously, years and years ago, and has been sitting at the back of my head/notes document since. It would be nice if there were more, but if the story had looked like it'd take more than the day it did to whip into shape, it wouldn't have happened at all
That was pretty good!
Lots of nicely written subtleties with Adagio here.
Either Adagio is trying to be nice, or she's found a more subtle revenge.
10354952 Thanks! Past a certain point it's hard not to write Adagio as being complex and layered however light the story is, because she's a complex and layered character
10367485 My guess is that she hasn't decided yet! I don't think this was a call she expected to get. So, if I were her, I'd be keeping my options open until I'd decided what I wanted to do most with the situation.
This makes me wonder, is sweetie belle the key to reforming adagio?
10414656 Probably not. But much more likely her than Sunset.
I think rather than reforming her, Sweetie Belle might offer a way for her to become part of the world as who she is, rather than having to change to fit it. I guess that'd be rehabilitation rather than reformation.
10414678
I guess, but a guy could dream.
Oh man, I felt for Sweetie Belle here. I'd be self conscience as hell. But I agree with Adagio. Confidence is very important.
I really liked this fic. I love the idea of a Dazzling teaching Rarity's sister.
Howdy, hi!
A review from the mansion to you~!
This is very detailed and well-written. I love Sweetie Belle and Adagio's interactions here. Keep up the great work!
11351062
Thanks!
11351488
You're welcome.