The glow from the nearest street lamps grew faint, leaving only the light from the moon to illuminate the cobblestones beneath the hazy presence of the fog that shrouded the city of Canterlot.
A feminine figure, cloaked in black robes walked down the desolate street of an abandoned sector of the city. It had been planned that the city was going to build a mall on the lots surrounding the abandoned area, but the funding had been cut and people had already moved away, so they never bothered to repair the small area. The figure clutched the hood tighter in her slim, almost bony hands as she took in the sight before her.
Houses that once stood elegant and unique in design, now lay in disrepair. Thick, inky black vines clenched the sides of these estates in a vice-like grip. This was the farthest away from the center of the city she had been and the figure visibly shuddered at the grim sight, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as if seeking to escape.
She stood frozen in place, trembling slightly. The night was cold, but that wasn’t the only reason for her shivers.
Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking shattered her inert state; a feeling of nausea forming in the pit of her stomach.
Shit!
The figure shook her head and clutched her robes tightly. She shivered when a breeze of cool air passed by her and hastened her stride. The figure looked around swiftly and caught the glimpse of a building in the distance.
Snap… Splash...
She wasn’t sure what it was, but as the figure got closer to the building the noises became clearer, causing her to cringe and put on a burst of speed. She couldn’t let it catch up to her. The figure shuddered at the thought of what ill fate lay behind if she stopped.
Thud!
When she heard the thud, she contemplated the possible idea of moving back towards whatever was chasing her, with an object to defend herself, of course. In the end the figure decided against it, and as she came to the front of the building her hands grasped the door handle. The figure twisted the knob and tried to yank it open only to find it was rusted in place. She looked around for another way in when a sudden gush of air blew past them forcefully, and the hood covering the figure’s face fell to her back. Deep crimson locks mixed with golden strands cascaded down her back. Teal eyes widened in shock as they turned towards a shard of glass still intact in the window’s frame. The figure was Sunset Shimmer, former student of Canterlot High, having graduated from it a year ago.
I wish they were here. The girls might have known what to do, but they're all in college. Sunset’s mind raced as she tried to think of anything that could help her. Maybe if I had the journal everything could be ok, but even then Twilight would never be able to get to me in time. She tightly closed her eyes, and she grit her teeth at the feeling of tears running down her cheek. Sunset opened her eyes and looked up at her reflection. Her face was slightly red and puffy but she still looked on defiantly. She was unshakable even with all the tears she’d shed.
Sunset froze when she heard a low, ominous chuckle emanate from the shadows behind her. She stared into the glass shard and focused on the two glowing, rose-colored eyes emerging from the darkness; their gaze taunting her. She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise, her breathing hitched.
This can't be happening… Sunset felt her heart beat faster. If it was who she thought it was then she was in trouble. This can’t be how I die.
However, the chuckle did not last long and soon the area grew quiet except for the chirps of crickets in the distance. Sunset wasn't sure why this was, but what she did know was to stay on guard. They could strike at any moment and Sunset knew what they were feeling for she too once felt the same way. Even now glimpses of her past haunted her and she felt those familiar feelings reveal themselves again.
Sunset shook her head and confidently turned around, her mind racing with thoughts of what could be in the shadows. I have to stay strong. What she saw next was shocking enough that her jaw almost dropped. In front of her was a tired and emaciated siren, Adagio Dazzle to be exact. What had happened to the siren queen she had once fought against? Adagio was a proud siren always seeming overconfident and scheming something but now she just looked tired. Where were Sonata and Aria and why weren’t they with their friend...or was it sister? Sunset shook her head, one day she would remember which it was. She turned her gaze to the siren’s face. Sunset heard her chuckle again, but this time the laughing was plagued with a hoarse cough. She opened her mouth to ask what happened when Adagio interrupted, “Scared you, didn’t I?”
Fear was the only thing that was on her mind at the time so she kept her mouth shut. She kept her guard up knowing it was possible that this could be some trick. Though at the same time it didn't feel like one, it felt as if there was almost nothing of Adagio’s personality actually there.“What happened to you Adagio?” Sunset asked with a slight frown on her face.
Adagio grit her teeth and clenched her fists at that statement. She turned her gaze away from Sunset as she spoke roughly, “What happened to me… Is none of your concern.”
Sunset looked at her thoroughly with a deep frown set in her face. She watched as Adagio walked over to her slowly and she could see the little differences in Adagio’s stance; the limp in her leg as she moved, head slightly hung, and shoulders slumped. “Adagio…” Sunset whispered her gaze softening.
“You think you can talk to me after what you did… Because of you I lost everything!” Adagio growled out and poked her weakly in the chest.
Sunset was confused and slightly worried. What did Adagio mean by everything and she still hadn't seen Aria and Sonata so where were they?
“Everything?” She asked confused. “And also another question, where are Aria and Sonata?” Sunset questioned her after a few minutes of silence.
Adagio stood there silently fuming before she let out a sigh of irritation. She had no way out of this now. A loud growl startled both of the girls which caused Adagio to look down and Sunset to start frowning. An idea hit Sunset and she fished her hand into her pocket, finding the not yet opened twix bar inside it. She smiled and glanced at Adagio before slipping the candy bar into Adagio’s hand. This startled Adagio and she looked down at it then she looked at Sunset. Her eyes widened for a second and she nodded lightly motioning to the least decrepit looking building in the whole area. Sunset glanced at the slightly nicer looking building and was shocked to see the condition of the building Adagio lived in.. “T-this is where you live? How did you manage to keep it up when the rest of this...?”
“Before I tell you that I should probably tell you what happened after the battle of the bands eh?” Adagio asked and looked at her with a weak smirk, “Don’t want you getting all confused and shit.”
They reached the building in silence and Sunset glanced at Adagio before she asked the siren softly, “So do you, Sonata, and Aria all live here?”
Adagio let out a sigh, and shook her head. She stood there quietly in light of the moon and when she looked at Sunset a tear escaped down her face. She had never felt more fragile than she had at that moment.
“Sonata and Aria... don’t live with me.”
“They don’t?” Sunset was surprised at this. She could see Adagio was struggling with the fact that they weren’t there. This caused Sunset to see her in a new light, that Adagio was just as human as the rest of them were.
“They don’t.. live with me nor do they know about how I am right now...I didn't want to worry Sonata.”
Sunset looked up at Adagio curiously, and nodded softly. She took her time looking at her surroundings as she walked up the steps. She saw on one side there was a built in porch swing made of white oak. Laying on the bench was a plush purple pillow though it looked worn and faded from weather and Sunset could see that some of the seams were loose. Adagio noticed that she stared at the pillow a couple seconds and answered the unheard question, “I couldn't get rid of it… it was my only other remembrance of the Equestria past the portal.”
There was something in Adagio’s facial expression that Sunset couldn’t place, maybe a hint of regret. She stepped up to the door, hesitant at first, before crossing the threshold. The first thing she saw was the walls were painted a light violet in the center room and few pictures hung on them. One particularly stood out to Sunset. The photo was that of a younger Adagio with her arm behind Sonata, both of them smiling brightly. Sunset almost chuckled at the visible hand giving Sonata bunny ears. She looked back at Adagio and saw that she was sitting on a faded leather couch. She panicked internally unsure if she should sit right beside Adagio. Finally, she settled herself down beside Adagio against her minds warning.” So I should probably start out with where Aria and Sonata are shouldn’t I?” Adagio pondered out loud looking at her.
“I’ll start with Aria… She’s off somewhere trying to become famous with the money she stole from me and Sonata,”
“She stole money from you?” Sunset asked with wide eyes.
Adagio nodded silently with a frown on her face, and whispered, “Foolish me, we put her on our accounts thinking she'd never do that to us, but she cleaned us dry…”
Sunset felt as if she couldn't speak after what she heard so she let Adagio continue without a comment. “This was except for the money I stashed in a safe though that mostly went to fixing this place and when that was done the rest went to paying for Sonata’s schooling the first year- though don’t tell Sonata that she thinks she got a grant.”
“You didn’t save any money for yourself?”
Adagio shook her head lightly, and looked down. Her voice almost a mumble as she spoke, “You may have thought I was a power crazy bitch, but in all honesty I do care about Sonata, even if we aren’t blood related...she’s still my little sister.”
“But enough to let yourself go?” Sunset questioned with concern laced between her words.
“I do what I have to, but I've digressed from what we were originally talking about. In the end I’ve still kept in contact with Sonata and I hear she has gotten into a music program,” Adagio smiles brightly as she tells Sunset the last part, feeling pride in Sonata’s accomplishments.
The room was bathed in silence soon after and Sunset looked at Adagio.That’s it I have to help her. I can’t just sit back and let her waste away.
Author's Note
Thank you so much to Drgnwolf for editing my first chapter of The Reason is You I cant wait to get this puppy off the ground and have more chapters out for you.
Sunset sat in the silence, unsure how to break it. She noticed Adagio glance between different pictures on the wall with a lamenting stare. Each frame held photos of the sirens looking happier than ever before, even Aria had smiled in some of them. Sunset then examined the former siren quickly, noticing Adagio’s ribs were evident under the thin shirt she wore.
How could she let herself get to this point? Sunset knew she had to do something, but how? Getting Adagio to accept her help was a whole different dilemma. Suddenly a loud growl broke the silence, followed by a loud cough to try and cover the growl which Sunset had unhappily noticed.
Alright, guess it’s going to be a bit of a challenge to earn her trust.
“Adagio?”
Adagio turned her head to Sunset, before responding, “Yes, Sunset?”
Sunset pursed her lips, and looked at Adagio. “Maybe we should get some dinner, my treat?”
“I’m not that hungry so I am going to decline.” She looked down and sighed. “But thanks for offering.”
“That growl I heard says otherwise,” Sunset stated simply.
“It’s just a stomach, it can be wrong once in a while.”
She’s so prideful she’ll starve before accepting help. I need a different approach.
“Look, Adagio, you’re a strong girl, there’s no doubting that, but even the strongest of us still need to eat.”
“I’m eating fine.”
She’s soooooo in denial.
“Your body would beg to differ. I can already see your ribs.”
Adagio didn't respond immediately, but soon turned around with a smirk.
“Oh? So you like looking at my chest, do you?”
“Wha—I—bu—” Sunset stammered, a blush threatening to light up her face. ”Tha—no! That’s not it at all!”
Sunset went quiet and pursed her lips. She looked down, away from Adagio.
“Hey it was just a joke.” Adagio let her smirk fade and placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Alright I’ll go with you to dinner.”
Sunset silently stood up and held her hand out to Adagio. This was met with Adagio shaking her head and standing up on her own. Sunset noticed Adagio tremble as she stood. She starts to reach out to catch Adagio if she falls but puts her hand back down in apprehension. What if me interfering causes Adagio to push me away?
But what if not interfering causes her more harm?
Sunset looked at Adagio and sighed quietly. She stayed close enough to Adagio yet still at a distance so she wouldn't catch on to Sunset’s worry. “So where would you go like to eat?”
“Anywhere but a Seafood joint.”
Adagio’s face looked as if she was violently ill. Sunset was quick to respond when she heard this. “Alright, no seafood.”
“And definitely not Sugarcube Corner,” Adagio stated quietly, “Sonata might find out about my situation through her friends from college that still go there.”
Sunset silently nodded at Adagio before she spoke again, “Alright I have an idea.”
Adagio looked at her with one of her hands on her hip. “Oh, and what is this idea you have?”
“There’s a pizza place not far from here.” Sunset grinned and moved towards the door.
Adagio looked down, trying not to show the limp in her step or the pain on her face as she trudged along after Sunset. What she didn't know was that Sunset noticed everything. Sunset smiled softly and held the door open for Adagio.
They were soon out of the house, and the door closed with a creak followed by a click of the lock.
Adagio and Sunset strode down the decrepit street in a silence broken only by their steady steps. The full moon overhead managed to break through the fog, providing a slight, but welcome illumination among the dark ruins. Sunset would regularly cast a glance at them, but Adagio seemed completely indifferent about the hollow homes. She must be used to them by now.
How long has she lived in this abandoned neighborhood?
She looked to her side, about to voice her question, but she paused when she saw Adagio holding her gut with a slightly pained expression.
“Are you okay?” Sunset asked before she placed a hand on Adagio’s shoulder, only to have it brushed off.
“I’m fine.”
Sunset didnt press the issue but she kept watch on Adagio out of the corner of her eye.
“Sooo… how long have you been out here in no man’s land?”
Adagio looked up at the moon before she let out a sigh. “Before even the battle of the bands. To be honest, I saw it and it was… quaint and not to mention they gave it to me for a cheap price when I still had my powers.”
“We didn’t care for it much at first. It was nothing like our home back in Equestria, but it was the best we could get around here. It only stood out from the rest of these ruins by having a roof with no holes and mostly intact windows. It took weeks of playing the hearts and minds of the natives enough to fix it up properly. We grew to like it with time, despite the sea being leagues away. “
Sunset listened intently as Adagio spoke of her home, a smile lighting up her face. However, she could see another wave of pain had washed over Adagio. Sunset didn’t want to pressure Adagio into telling her what was wrong, but she was becoming increasingly worried. Though this didn't stop Adagio from continuing.
“You remember when that carnival came to town a while back?” Sunset nods in response. “Well, Sonata dragged us to that one day. She just kept yapping about how fun it looked. Eventually we decided to humor her, if only for our ears’ sake. When we got there I wanted to take advantage of the crowds to feed our magic, and Aria was with me. But Sonata… she was adamant about having fun, and didn’t want us to ruin it with our feeding. It was the first time she stood up to us. I was impressed, if peeved. But it was that pleading look she gave us that sealed it. It’s impossible to say no to a sad Sonata. Aria still wanted to go through with the feeding, but I sided with Sonata, and even let her lead our little foray into fun, sans magic.”
Adagio smiled as she paused for a moment before continuing her nostalgic ramble. “She took us all around the place, stopping whenever something loud or colorful caught her eye. We played games to win little cheap prizes, like tossing a ring onto a bottle, or using a hammer to hit a lever to send a metal cylinder to fly up a pole to ring a bell. Heh, they sound a bit silly to say out loud. But it was actually fun, and it turned out Aria was the strongest of us, and she only got the cylinder half way up the pole.”
“There was lots of food around too. I knew it was bad for us, but I still couldn’t resist. Although it was rather foolish to go onto the rides right after, since most of them involved a lot of spinning. We were lucky we kept our junk food down. I still think the highlight of the visit came after a few minutes rest to get rid of our green faces.”
“I suppose it was inevitable that Sonata would find the fun house, it was too big and colorful for her to miss.”
Sunset smiled lightly as she quipped, “She does seem like a blue copy of Pinkie Pie.”
“She is kind of. Just not as extreme,” Adagio responded, chuckling lightly. “Now… where was I? Oh yes the Fun House.”
“My favorite part was the distorted mirror maze, although with the random jets of air going up my skirt it was kind of uncomfortable.” Adagio shivered lightly, though Sunset wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or if it was from the memory.
“Though when we got to the ball pit…” Adagio’s eyes go misty as her voice cracks. “that was the most fun we had, throwing balls at each other, pretending like we were back in the waters of Equestria…”
“I… I miss them.” Her voice quiets down fading into the memories. “I miss my sisters...”
Suddenly, Adagio goes quiet and her eyes close. “Adagio-” Sunset begins to speak only to stop abruptly at the sight of Adagio starting to stumble.
oh crap! I knew something was very wrong.
This didn't last long because a moment later Adagio was on the ground unresponsive to Sunset’s voice calling out her name.
Oh shit what do I do?!
“A-Adagio!”
Author's Note
Thank you ocean stardust for editing this chapter on a sudden notice
