Welcome

The three sisters walked into school, giving each other a nod before going their separate ways. There was a saying around town that they could walk into a cemetery and make the dead seem lively. They weren't far off the mark about Adagio, even around her family the girl never had much to say. Some think it was because Sunset bullied her over her unusually deep voice, others believe she was as nasty as Sunset but was smart enough to stay in the good graces of the elders. There were very few who even thought that deep down, Adagio was just really shy and happened to have a mean face, they were halfway correct at least. Adagio was near-sighted, but wasn't exactly shy. Those few soon found out as she quietly glared at them while being polite, but dismissive during chats. No one really wanted to be Adagio's friend, but no one wanted to upset the older folks either, so the general rule of thumb was to leave her be. The truth was that Adagio was following a very simple rule her Grandpa told the three of them all the time when they were growing up.

"If it's something nice, say it twice! If it's something rude, change your attitude."

Adagio was never out to get anyone, but isolation and Sunset made her life hard, so she never had anything nice to say to anyone. Her Grandfather told her say the truth in love, so with all honesty, Adagio never talked to anyone because all she had to say were insults. Instead, she meditated and try to have a positive outlook on things. She clung on the belief that eventually things would get better. She had her whole life ahead of her after all.

Aria Blaze's situation was similar to Adagio, although much simpler. Aria did not have a positive attitude in general. Even around her family she didn't smile much. Even as a little girl she seemed to look at everything with contempt, puberty only made it much worse. She seemed to hate everyone and everything and she more than happy not to have any friends. But she loved her family, she treasured them more than anything, and she knew how much Adagio and Sonata tried to be good girls. She didn't want to give her sisters any more grief than they already had, and more than that, she didn't want them to be disappointed in her. So she quietly fumed and tolerated all the bullying coming her way, staying perfectly silent, not letting anyone know how much she hated this town and everyone who lived in it.

Sonata Dusk was definitely the most cheery of the three. Around the dinner table she would babble on about trivial things: cool things she saw, a new song she came up with, something funny that happened in school, jokes she came up with... Grandfather loved hearing Sonata talk and encourage all thee of them to share how their day went. One time when Grandpa was absent and Sonata was feeling down, she snuck in how one of the girls at school gave her a bloody nose by tripping her, thinking the girls weren't really paying attention. The two jumped up from their seats and interrogated her while checking to see if she was okay. Dinner time wasn't just the highlight of Starswirl's day, but Adagio and Aria's too. All of them loved to hear Sonata talked and paid close attention to everything she said. On that day she learned that both of her older sisters could get very scary when she got hurt, and Adagio was not as cool headed as she came off.

Although Sonata loved to babble around her family, in front of others she was terribly shy. She was a very emotionally sensitive girl, and being Adagio and Aria's sister caused others to bully her by association too, although not as much. Even the small amount was too much for her, and because of that Sonata became very withdrawn from others. On good days in group events Sonata could get along with others, but since she spent most of her free time outside of class with her sisters she was ostracized as much of the other two.

And this is what Adagio fully believed about herself and her sisters, but any well grounded adult could recognize what was wrong with them.

They're just teenagers.

Adagio did have moments where she thought positively of others, even when they weren't being nice, but she so locked up in her own thoughts and feeding her own troubles she never jumped on the chances to socialize that were presented to her. For a teenager, she was handling them wonderfully, but that didn't change the fact the reason she was so crabby around anyone besides her family is because she was a hormonal kid who thought she was different from the rest, just like all hormonal kids who think they were different from the rest. Since she was a bit coddling towards her younger siblings, she had a slight subconscious bias that they can do no wrong, and they're innocent, lovable children. In truth, all three of them would encourage other students to give them trouble occasionally by sneering at them or giving them the stink eye.

That's simply how life goes.

Adagio walked into her classroom. It was a small class with about 17 kids around her age. Pollyville was small enough that everyone went to the same school, instead of there being a elementary, middle, and high. Classes were separated by grades instead of students, and seven teachers managed to handle 12 classes. She saw Sunset near the back row, giving her a look of contempt. Making sure not to make eye contact, Adagio sat down in her seat and pulled out her books.

Flipping open to the correct page, Adagio started to jot down notes right as the teacher began to lecture. Math wasn't Adagio's best subject, she frequently would have to ask the teacher or Aria for help after class. Squinting extra hard to make out what the teacher was writing on the board, Adagio diligently went about her tasks of taking notes, let letting anything distract her.

Not even the spitballs getting shot into the back of her hair.

Adagio didn't know who was shooting them, but it wasn't hard to guess. Suppressing a sigh, she tried her hardest to focus on note taking and ignored the wet impacts hitting the back of her head. She knew it was a bad idea to try and ask the teacher to get Sunset to stop. Her family was one of the most wealthy in Pollyville and have subtly used the threat of stopping donations to various places to get others to overlook Sunset's behavior. Adagio gave a gentle scoff, for a town named Pollyanna Village, this place wasn't very happy; or at least, didn't bring her much joy.

With the three hours over, the class was dismissed for lunch. Adagio gathered her belongings and hurried out of the classroom, she didn't want to get harassed anymore than she had today. She gave a sigh of relief when she made it through the lunch line with no problems. She saw Sonata sitting with the little kids. Her youngest sister was making jokes and goofy faces at the kids while eating, much to their delight. Adagio gave a tiny smile, Sonata was always good with children.

Seeing Aria sitting by herself, Adagio sat down next to the middle sibling and nodded her head at her. Aria nodded back and the two started to quietly eat their lunch.

"Report." Adagio quietly said before taking a bite of her burger.

"I didn't punch out anyone's teeth today." Aria said in a slightly bitter tone.

"Proud of you." Adagio praised her.

Adagio calmly grabbed the back of Aria's hand with her own and gave a gentle squeeze. She gently stroked Aria's hand with her thumb while eating her burger. It was the same thing Aria said everyday, but it wasn't a joke, Adagio knew that. Grandpa always told her to never hesitate to show when you appreciate something, so Adagio made sure Aria knew she appreciated how hard she tried. The two silently enjoyed each others company before Adagio got up. Aria gave her hand another squeeze before letting go and Adagio headed back to class.

The rest of school went how it usually does, Sunset bothering Adagio to some degree, Adagio taking notes, and then Adagio staying after class for an hour to get help with everything she didn't understand, which was usually a little over half the material. Aria and Sonata informed her that they would be home late. Sonata was asked to babysit Button Mash, and Aria had to go grocery shopping. Adagio hurried home to try and get a head start on the farm work.

She entered her home and dropped off her backpack in her home. Adagio frowned. Her grandpa would've already greeted her loudly with cheer by now.

"Grandpa?" Adagio called out, "I'm home."

No response.

"Grandpa?" Adagio called out louder. She walked over to his bedroom and opened the door. "Gran..."

Starswirl was on the ground coughing up blood, he grasped his throat and collapsed to the floor.

Adagio gasped and ran over to his side. She hesitated touching him. What if moving him hurt him? What was hurting him? A face doesn't normally turn that red, even when sick, does it? Should she try to get him into bed? She wished her sisters were here. They would probably be freaking out like her but at least her sisters would be here.

"Grandpa, speak to me!" Adagio commanded.

Starswirl groaned in pain and managed to wiggle a little bit before curling deeper into a ball. Adagio put both of her hands under him and braced herself. Taking a deep breath and using her abs, Adagio quickly lifted her grandfather and gently put him down in the bed. She calmly left the room and then sprinted downstairs once the room was out of sight. Grabbing the phone, she nervously jammed 911 into the keypad.

"Hello, this is 911, what is your emergency?" The professional voice on the other side answered.

"My grandfather's sick," Adagio forced herself to say calmly. "He can't move or speak, he looks terrible. His face is red and he coughed up blood." Adagio stopped to think for a second. "I think he's having trouble breathing."

"What is your address?"

"56 Whacker Drive. The second turn off on the left takes you to a farm that's about 7 miles out, the road is a bit bumpy and-"

"Calm down dear, it'll be fine. I'm sending an ambulance right now."

"Thank you." Adagio released a breath she didn't know she was holding."

"Just monitor your grandfather and let us know if his condition changes."

"Alright."

Adagio jumped a little when the phone line cut off. Adagio hurried back upstairs, and then ran back downstairs and grabbed a washrag and ran it under cold water. Grabbing a couple extra pillows, Adagio ran back upstairs, almost slipping on the steps, and stopped herself in front of her grandfather's room. Calmly walking in she readjusted him and put a cold rag on his head.

"Take deep breaths Grandpa, an ambulance is on the way."

fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Adagio stopped pacing back and forth, not even realizing she was pacing, and dashed downstairs. Forcing herself to not yank open the door, she saw two paramedics.

"We're here because you-"

"He's upstairs, hurry!" She barked out, turning around and heading back upstairs.

She rushed back to her Grandpa's room to make sure he was still breathing. After readjusting his washrag she turned around to see no one followed her. With a spike of panic in her heart she charged out of the room and almost body rammed a paramedic carrying a stretcher.

"Is this the room?" The paramedic asked.

"Yes, he's in here!" Adagio squeaked.

The two men put Starswirl onto the stretcher and started carrying him out.

"Is he going to be okay?" Adagio asked, trying to hide the dread in her voice.

"Don't worry, we're taking him to the hospital now." The larger man of the two answered.

Adagio almost screamed that he didn't answer her question. burying her hands into her face, she took a deep breath, held it, released it, and tried to calm down. Regaining a smidgeon of her nerve, she followed the two into the ambulance.

The vehicle hurried down the road, bouncing from the bumpy terrain, as Adagio stared at her grandfather. He looked like he was being tortured. It tore Adagio's heart apart and made her feel helpless. More than anything she wanted her grandfather to look and her say that everything was going to be alright. Unable to watch him suffer any longer, Adagio forced herself to look out the window. She needed to keep herself calm.

She saw her sisters as the ambulance passed by them, they had a look of horror on their face.

Adagio screamed.

"Are you alright?!?" The smaller of the two paramedics called out.

"I'm fine!" Adagio halfway shouted in a shrill voice. Taking a deep breath, she repeated herself. "I'm fine," she said much more calmly.

"Please try to stay calm, we're almost to the hospital." The larger one said in a much more comforting tone.

"Yes, I'm sorry..." Adagio murmured.

The ambulance pulled into the hospital and hurried Starswirl in. Adagio jolted when an arm stopped her from going any further.

"Ma'am, please take a seat in the waiting room." A nurse gently, but firmly said.

"But!.." Adagio stopped herself, "...yes ma'am."

Adagio sat down on a bench. She didn't know if it had been a minute or an hour but she almost jumped again when she felt an hand lay on her shoulder. Both of her sisters were staring at her with a look of fear and confusion. Adagio took a deep breath and put on a mask of neutrality.

"Grandpa's in the emergency room. I found him on the floor of his room, coughing up blood." She stated.

"Is he going to be alright," Sonata croaked, starting to cry.

"Yes." Adagio said.

Aria bit her lip in frustration, "You don't know that!"

"Grandpa is going to be alright," Adagio insisted with a bit more force.

"But-"

"Grandpa!" Adagio cut Aria off, "... is going to be alright," she said with authority.

The two looked down at the floor in concern, unable to stop worrying. Adagio pulled them into a group hug.

"Grandpa is going to be alright, okay? I promise. I'll make sure everything is going to turn alright."

"Promise?.." Sonata whimpered.

"I promise." Adagio said in a soothing tone.

Adagio held her two younger sisters close to her chest for the next ten minutes as they cried. After a while, their cries turned into sniffs and they both took a seat next to Adagio.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Adagio stated.

Walking into the restroom, Adagio quietly walked into a stall and locked the door.

She fell to her knees and broke into tears.