The Worst

“But you proooomised!” Sonata whined. Her high pitched voice caught the attention of students around them, forcing Adagio to pull her behind some lockers.

“I said you could buy a new one,” Adagio hissed, lowly. “I didn’t say I’d come with you!”

“But you still have the credit card,” Sonata pouted. “How am I supposed to buy a new paci without it?”

Adagio clenched her jaw at the word. “Paci”. Because Sonata couldn’t have the dignity to use it’s actual name.

She almost couldn’t believe it. This was the Siren who had terrorized the Celestia Sea in Equestria a mere one thousand years ago? Begging for a new pacifier like a toddler?

What have we become?

Adagio’s existential crises aside, she had a more pressing problem to solve. If Sonata kept whining this loudly, someone would hear her asking about baby toys. The diaper around her waist felt suffocating when she thought about one of the students overhearing them and discovering… well, everything, based on this one terminally stupid conversation.

But she couldn’t let Sonata have her credit card back.

“After the spending spree you went on? You’re damn right I’m not letting you have it back.” It scared her to think of the money Sonata would waste on baby food, or childish clothes given the chance.

“Then how am I supposed to by a new one?”” Sonata reiterated, more discretion in her choice of words. Was she trying to get on Adagio’s nerves a little less?

“Next time I go to the bank, I withdraw a little extra so you can buy something.” That had to satisfy her. “Okay?”

Sonata stamped her foot. Adagio stepped back in shock. A temper tantrum? Here?

“Noooo!” Sonata whined. “The bank’s closed by the time you finish studying with Sunset, and it’s like, double closed on weekends! I’m not waiting until your history project is done!”

Foresight? First grade level logic? Who are you and what have you done with Sonata? Adagio groaned. “I can’t believe you.”

“The store is open tonight until late,” Sonata continued. “Just come with me and—”

“I’m not setting one foot in that place.”

“—You could wait in the car and—”

“You are not shopping unsupervised.”

“—Aria can make sure I only buy the—”

“HAH!” Adagio covered her mouth. “You’re gonna have less luck convincing her than me!”

Sonata pouted. “You’re the one who threw it away! Why can’t you just do this one thing for me?”

Adagio rolled her eyes. A guilt trip? That sounded like the stupid kinda thing Sonata would try. Her bubble of critical thinking had popped already. What a shame. “I’ll give you the money eventually, okay?”

She took a step out back into the main hall, ready to leave the conversation then and there. Only she froze, biting back a swear.

Sunset.

The orange menace was rounding a corner, and the two made eye contact. Adagio immediately ducked back to where Sonata was. She did not need Detective Shimmer on her tail right now.

Unfortunately, ducking out of sight must’ve seemed suspicious. Brow furrowed, Sunset started their way. She must’ve wanted to expose whatever it was the Siren leader was up to now. But the only thing Adagio was worried about was being exposed.

“Dagi, if you don’t take me to buy a new paci then I’m never ever changing your diapers ever again,” Sonata huffed.

“What?!” Adagio’s brain only registered “paci” and “diapers” at first. She slammed her hand over Sonata’s mouth before Sunset could get within earshot. Then the message processed. “Wait, what?!”

“Mmhmm!’ Sonata nodded with a furious glare. Oh she meant it alright. And Adagio’s gut dropped like a rock.

Sunset was a step or two away before the noise of the hall wouldn’t overshadow their conversation. Maybe less, given that she’d noticed Sonata by now. She was straining to try and hear them by the looks of it.

She had a split second to choose her fate. And clean diapers were the better option.

“Fine, you win! But shut up!” She took her hand from Sonata’s mouth. The beaming idiot had stars in her eyes.

“Hey girls,” Sunset strode in with faux-sweetness. Her eyes locked onto Adagio with suspicion. “Whatcha talking about back here?”

“Just about how much you suck,” Adagio fired.

“Ohhhhh!” Sonata cried. She had no love for Sunset in her heart. “You just got, like, burned!”

Adagio groaned. Her hype-man wasn’t exactly making the impromptu retort any better.

Sunset just frowned. “Uh-huh…”

Adagio brushed past her to end their non-existent conversation. But they had history next, and Sunset stuck to her side like glue to keep an eye on her, class the only excuse she needed.

“Oh!” Sonata cried out, gaining both girl’s attention one last time. “Tonight?”

Adagio growled, noticing Sunset’s eyebrow climb her forehead. “Yeah, sure.” She stomped away.

But Sunset was at her heels. “What’s tonight?” She asked, her voice skeptical of any Siren plans.

“None of your business.” Adagio glowered at her. An eye-full of doubt was her only response.

Sighing internally, Adagio couldn’t believe she had to put up with this amateur sleuth. She didn’t even know what she should be trying to uncover about them! It was almost infuriating, but definitely worrisome.

And now I’m going with Sonata to an adult baby store. Hooray.

She wanted to scream. At least she could force Sonata to be quick. After all, how bad could it be?

It could be very bad.

When they first pulled up in front of it, Adagio wasn’t that worried. It looked just like a normal building, after all. Wedged into the corner of a dying outlet mall, with a pretty banal name above the doors that she forgot the second she stopped looking at. The threat of pink from the illuminated windows wasn’t her favorite, but as she unbuckled her seatbelt Adagio could at least pretend this would be painless.

She looked over at Sonata, who was bouncing in her seat, already overly giddy. Her big grin bit back her lower lip, as if she was trying to stifle a squeal.

“Stop that!” Adagio told her.

“I’m just so excited!” Sonata unclipped her own seatbelt, going for the door handle. “I get to show you around and everything! Oh, I can’t believe it’s already your first time here.”

“Hold it.” Sonata’s hand froze, the door half open. Adagio wanted to groan. “We’re going to be in and out. Don’t get any stupid ideas in your head.” If that’s possible.

She nodded. “Right. In and out.”

“And just a stupid pacifier.”

“Just one paci.”

Adagio ground her teeth. Why did she insist on saying it like that? She groaned. “Alright, let’s go.”

Sonata’s squeal could be contained no longer.

And unfortunately for Adagio, the night just kept getting worse. Once she stepped inside the store, it was like she’d been transported to a bizarro world. One where people actually did wear diapers regularly, or even outright pretended to be brainless, worthless babies.

No wonder Sonata loved it here.

There was an assault of baby supplies ambushing her eyes. Aisles with tubs of wipes, rash cream, and powder. Another that sported and endless supply of diapers, in all sizes and patterns. And still more that contained what Adagio hesitated to call… accessories.

“Alright, let’s— huh?” Sonata turned back as Adagio grabbed her arm.

“Just the pacifier.” She suddenly felt the need to stress that again.

Sonata actually rolled her eyes. “Gosh, I get it already. Boy, you sure are a sourpuss tonight.”

A long, measured sigh preludes Sonata’s release. The ditz skipped ahead, sticking true to her word at least and going right for the appropriate shelf. Adagio followed after a little while. She didn’t want to dawdle alone by the cash registers.

Her diaper seemed to crinkle louder than before. She could hear it despite the obnoxious music being pumped throughout the room. It was so sickeningly upbeat, naming off whole hosts of characters, that Adagio knew it must’ve come from a cartoon for toddlers. She ground her teeth, eventually deciding she preferred to focus on it than her noisy padding.

“Hmmm…” Sonata bent over a rainbow of options. “Dagi, which do you think is cuter?” She held up two options that her fellow Siren refused to look at.

“Whichever gets us out of here faster,” Adagio said, studying the ceiling.

“Aww, don’t be like that.” Sonata jiggled the options before her. “What do you think? This one has a clip so I can’t lose it, but this one has a removable bulb.”

Adagio huffed, and wrenched one from Sonata’s grasp. A yellow pacifier with an orange, smiling sun on the guard. It made her scowl. “This one. Now let’s pay already.”

Sonata clapped with joy. “Hooray! Clip it is.”

“End me.”

They waddled back to the front of the store. Sonata fawned over more than a few baby toys along the way. No matter how many stern glares it earned her, she refused to stop.

To make matters worse, the idiot struck up a conversation with their cashier. Apparently they were on a first name basis.

Adagio’s eyes could only roll so far back in her head as the two chatted about diaper brands. Even grumbling out a “C’mon already,” was met with a dismissive wave from Sonata.

Eventually Adagio had to distract herself. She looked to the ceiling, the floor, and then out the window. She jolted, blood freezing.

Someone was watching her.

A figure on a motorbike. A girl, no older than her (or at least, how old her body was supposed to be) by the look of it.

She sat on a motorbike, face obscured by the helmet she wore. But tell-tale red hair poked out from underneath.

No. Adagio’s diaper seemed to grow tighter around her waist.

She flew forward in a burst of movement. Out the door, into the parking lot. “Hey!”

The girl grabbed the bike’s handlebars. The engine revved, and she sped away before the Siren could even get halfway to her. Adagio watched as the taillight disappeared down the road. She could feel her stomach turn inside out.

There was only one girl at school who rode a motorbike like that.

Sunset. Just thinking the name tasted bitter.

She’d followed them. Worried about what they’d meant earlier in the hallway, she’d tailed their car all the way to an ABDL store. She saw Adagio go inside.

She saw Adagio bring a pacifier up to the register.

Denial surged in her, but Adagio knew it had to be the truth. The roof had just been blown off their secret. The cat was out of the bag. She couldn’t have been more obvious if she filled her diaper two inches from Sunset’s nose.

Her arms swung limply by her sides. Adagio hissed out a curse she’d learned at the bottom of the sea centuries ago.

“Alright, I’m coming.” Sonata’s footsteps appeared behind her. Adagio turned, raging mounting. “Geeze, Dagi. You didn’t have to be so impatient. I was almost done!”

Dragon smoke billowed out of Adagio’s nose. But she at least attempted to contain her rage when she spoke.

“We have a problem.”