The Worst

It’s not the worst thing ever, Aria told herself. It’s just… close to that.

The truly worst thing ever they’d managed to avoid. It was midday Friday--half of the Dazzlings classes were behind them and not one knowing glance, snicker, or taunt had been fired their way. Sunset had kept her end of their bargain.

And they were keeping theirs. Though, every now and again Aria would slip her phone out when she had a private moment. It was relentlessly fun just to skim through all the photos she’d snapped of Sunset padded, embarrassed and attempting to hide her shame. But she wasn’t going to spill the beans on that.

Of course, now she was being strong-armed into a pretty unfair arrangement. After all the work she’d put into avoiding Rainbow Dash lately, now she couldn’t side step it. Adagio had been pretty clear about that.

“What, we’re just supposed to follow Sunset’s orders now?” Aria had whined that morning in between Sonata’s diaper checks.

“She’s not ordering us around,” Adagio had snapped back. She was too proud to admit they were under the wannabe human’s thumb now, blackmail or not. So she’d taken great pains to defend their debasement. “You needed to work with Rainbow Dash eventually anyway. So stop complaining and rip off that band-aid today.”

“But--”

“Today!”

And there’d been no arguing with her after that. Mostly because Sonata’s wandering hands had found the brown lump in the seat of her diaper, putting Adagio into an even worse mood.

“And don’t forget that your history projects are due Monday!” Mr. Sombra said as the bell rang.

Aria blew bangs out of her eyes with a huff of contemptment. She waited for the rest of the class to stand before she did, having learned little things like that really helped drown out the noise of her crinkly underwear.

As she did she caught a glance from Sunset, who nudged her head toward Aria’s partner. Rainbow Dash had slapped her textbooks away and was already moving for the door. Forcing Aria to call after her.

“Hey!”

Rainbow turned. “Ugh.” Her eyes rolled to the ceiling and beyond. Aria’s jaw clenched. She was just as disgusted to be talking to a Rainboom. Where did this loser get off thinking she could vocalize it, though?

“Gimme a minute, Shy,” Rainbow said to her friend. The yellow girl to her right inched out of Aria’s line of sight. “What do you want?”

“Guess we better start working on that project,” Aria muttered. Sunset had said to work with Rainbow Dash. She never said anything about having a good attitude for it.

Rainbow groaned. “Really? C’mon, we’ve been doing such a good job at ducking each other.”

“Well it’s not exactly something I want to do either!” Aria hissed out. Screw this, if her so-called ‘partner’ couldn’t even be bothered, why should she reach her hand across the aisle?

“So we’re in agreement then.” Rainbow slung her backpack over her shoulder. “You mind not bugging me again, sea witch?”

Aria glowered at her.

“Ah, Rainbow.” Sunset torpedoed their chances of ending the conversation. She slid in next to her friend. “Finally about to get started on your project, right?”

“I--” Rainbow sighed. “Do I have to?”

“Rainbow, you know if you fail history you can’t be on the soccer team anymore.” Aria’s eyes flickered with understanding. So there was Sunset’s motivation for all this. She wanted to help her friend.

How sickenly sweet. If only Aria didn’t need to pass just as badly.

Rainbow ground her teeth. They were in the same boat; it was time to plug the leaks. “Fine.”

“Fine!” Aria fired back.

“Fine!” Rainbow growled through her teeth.

“Great!” Sunset clapped their attention her way. “You should join me and Adagio afterschool then. We’ll be in the library.”

The padding around Aria’s waist tightened. The two Sirens alone with a pair of Rainbooms? That spelled disaster to her. What, did Sunset plan on exposing their secret to Rainbow Dash? She wouldn’t be dumb enough to do that, right? Even though it would give her an ally to try and get those pictures back.

Both phones would be there at the library. And if Sunset could get her friend’s help in deleting them, then Aria and Adagio would lose their only bargaining chip.

Dammit. Aria kicked herself for not backing them up on her computer last night. Maybe Adagio had…

“Whatever, I’ll be there.” Rainbow turned to leave, but not before sending one last look Aria’s way. “You better be too.”

“Uh-huh…” Aria managed, still reeling from the possibilities of Sunset’s plot against them. She had a bad feeling about this.

Aria sulked her way through the rest of the day, through detention, and through the trek to the library. It didn’t help that Sonata insisted on holding her hand and leading her there herself.

Everything was bad enough already. Why did she have to join them?

Because someone had to change their diapers if the worst happened, that’s why.

“I know where it is already,” Aria grumbled, wrenching her hand away. Sonata just paused, reached back, and grabbed her by the wrist with a smile. Aria groaned. The world’s dumbest Siren was on the fast track to becoming the world’s handsiest Siren too. Between stuff like this, and the diaper checks, Aria was convinced Sonata wanted to make herself as annoying as possible to the two of them.

Adagio was only able to avoid Sonata’s other hand by walking far ahead of them. That sure didn’t stop Sonata from trying though, as every now and again she’d pick up the pace to try and catch up. Only Aria dragging her feet kept that plan from working. She refused to move fast enough to be forced into a waddle by her diaper.

The library was almost deserted.

All the better for them, as far as Aria was concerned. Aside from the librarian picking at her nails near the front desk, there was no one in sight. It wasn’t until Adagio led them through a few rows of bookshelves to her usual study spot that they even saw anyone else.

Sunset, with Rainbow Dash sitting opposite of her. One had her eyes in her book, head resting against hand. The other had her arms crossed, indignant that she even had to be here.

Aria ripped her hand away from Sonata’s once more now that they were close. But her true embarrassment, the padding, was not so easily discarded.

She’d been worried about this part all day. If Rainbow Dash found out, their lives were basically over. They’d managed to contain the damage with the principals, rear ends paying dearly for that. They’d managed to trap Sunset in a catch twenty-two… of sorts. But Rainbow Dash? If she got one whiff of the padding the Sirens wore, she’d run her mouth about it to the entire school.

Thankfully, Adagio had stashed her phone in her locker. Her photos weren’t backed up either, but at least this way Sunset wouldn’t be able to get Dash to team up on them and delete all their blackmail. That meant if the worse came to pass, she’d be on the hook for their downfall as well. She may even try to convince Rainbow not to go through with revealing everything.

But even in that scenario, it meant one more person learned about the diapers. Aria was determined to avoid that at all costs.

“Hey,” Adagio grumbled as she slung her bookbag off and plopped in the seat beside Sunset.

“Right on time.” Sunset smiled, and got frowns in response.

Aria plopped down beside her partner. She grunted. Rainbow Dash grunted.

The room descended into silence.

Then, the slow dragging of a chair against carpet. Everyone looked over, watching as Sonata pulled a chair of her own up to join their table of four, hopping into it with a noticeable crinkle.

“So,” Adagio said, clearly hoping to cover her fellow Siren’s faux pas. “What are you two going to write your report on?”

Neither seemed all that interested in answering her. Arms crossed, they each looked the other way.

“Ooh, what about the Yakyakistan Wars?” Sonata jumped in excitedly. “Remember Aria? It was soooo funny when you hypnotized King Rutherford the Fourth to--”

“Whatever,” Aria cut her off. “Sure, fine.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. She was clearly aware of their age, without how minimal her surprise was. But this must’ve been the first time she put much thought into just how old the Sirens were. Ditto for their impact on history. And Aria wasn’t keen on letting two members of the Goody-Two-Shoes Gang in on the fact that she’d started the Yakistani Succession Feud.

It was, at least, a part of history she knew well. If for no other reason than the fact that they’d eaten like queens for years during it. But she tried not to think about it, knowing that particular train of thought would just make her depressed about being stuck in diapers.

“I didn’t say it was fine,” Rainbow finally grumbled.

“Yeah? Well I’d just love to hear your idea then,” Aria fired back. Surprising no one, Rainbow didn’t use this as an opportunity to flex her history buff knowledge, almost certainly because she didn’t have any.

So they broke away to find a few textbooks and get started. Adagio and Sunset were nearing the end of their own paper, which fueling a deep envy in Aria. It didn’t make her wish she’d started work with Dash any earlier; it just gave her a deep seated desire to be almost done with this nonsense too.

Though, she really did hope they could wrap this crap up today. Aria did not want to have to continue their study session over the weekend. Talk about living your worst nightmare.

Sonata with naught to do started playing a game on her phone, leaning side to side in her chair and humming upon occasion.

When they returned with their books, Aria was pleased to find they easily slipped into a cold silence. She started filling out a piece of paper with notes as she went, with Rainbow Dash contributing a line or two while she trudged through her book.

Her noisy paper flipping and dissatisfied grumbling finally got under Aria’s skin, and she couldn’t resist a “can you read any slower?”

Sunset looked up from her studying, eyes delivering a concerned warning to Rainbow Dash, who promptly ignored it.

“Least I don’t write like a kindergartner.” Rainbow pointed to Aria’s chicken scratch. “Seriously, how can anyone decipher that?”

The kindergartner remark flared Aria’s cheeks a little. If only because the diaper around her waist added to her insecurity. “You’re telling me you can’t figure out what that says?” Aria slammed her hand on the paper. “I get it. You’re not a slow reader. You’re just an idiot.”

Now Dash’s insecurities were tapped into. “Oh yeah?”

“Rainbow,” Sunset’s voice didn’t take a sharp enough tone, because her friend ignored it.

She stood up out of her chair. “You only think you’re smarter because you lived through all this, old lady. Don’t go thinking you’re better than me.”

Aria slammed her book shut. Sunset nudged Adagio’s shoulder, who still hadn’t looked up. “Do something!”

“Aria.” Adagio’s voice didn’t have any magic behind it any more, but it still commanded the room in an instant. And she still didn’t need to look up.

It was enough to cut through the argument. Aria received the message: if she got up too, it could easily be a one way trip to her diaper being discovered.

With a grunt, Aria just crossed her arms and sank back in her seat. “Fine.”

Rainbow returned to her seat, every bit as calmed down as Aria. Which is to say, barely.

Sunset picked up on both their attitudes, and tried to get things smoothed over. To Aria she said: “Do you want to try apologizing?”

“What?” she growled back through clenched teeth. Adagio glanced up. Just her eyes, not even her head, with a look that reminded Aria how little wiggle room they had with Sunset. “Fine!” She threw up her hands and looked in Rainbow’s vague direction. “Sorry.”

“Better be,” Rainbow grumbled to herself.

Pride wounded, Aria didn’t even rise to the challenge. But Sunset did. “Rainbow, you too.”

“Wha--” Rainbow looked in shock to her friend. “But she started it!”

“And now you’re going to finish it,” Sunset said, forcefully.

Rainbow’s head flumped back against the back of the chair. She groaned long and loud, ignoring the rules of the library completely. Then she angled her face ever so slightly towards Aria. “Sorry.”

Satisfied knowing that was the best she’d get from either of them, Sunset returned to her own studying. The mood had definitely changed from indignation to aggression, but there wasn’t much she could do about it now.

Aria fumed. Not only at the fact that things were basically unresolved after that, but even more so at Adagio’s role. She’d outright taken Sunset’s side on that! Screw protecting their secret, she’d barely needed convincing. It didn’t matter what Adagio tried to say to her now; it was obvious that Sunset had her, and by extension the Dazzlings, wrapped around her finger.

Maybe she needs a little reminder that we have a gun to her head too. Aria slipped her fingers into her pocket, touching her phone. Maybe one or two of her photos should ‘accidentally’ leak online. Not anywhere public for the kids at school to see them, but enough to give Sunset a good scare. That should show her.

But Aria’s plot would have to wait, because she felt something in her gut drop.

No… Her face went white. By the seven seas, NO!

She started to poop herself.

Biting deeply into the insides of her cheek, Aria tried desperately to hold it back. Sadly, she still didn’t know what ‘holding it’ entail, and so mostly wrapped her arms around her belly, as if that would do any good.

By the smallest of mercies, it was silent. No gurgling of the stomach or air-splitting farts to signal it. Just the deeply uncomfortable look on Aria’s face.

It started to come out.

It was too late to get up and try to run for the bathroom now. And even if it wasn’t, Aria feared she’d break whatever silent spell was over her if she dared move too much. She just had to let the slimy mess pour into the seat of her diaper, and try not to shriek in disgust.

The first messy log smushed against her flattened diaper, given very little room to move while she was sitting down. Warm goo seeped around her cheeks, and Aria practically drew blood from biting down so hard.

Her hands lurched down, and gripped the sides of her chair. She tried to pull herself down with all of her might, hoping that maybe it would give her butt so little room it would decide to stop this accident before it got worse.

It didn’t work.

The next log came ramming into the first, which was now basically a pancake in her diaper. It had nowhere to go yet had to go somewhere. So it squished and slipped in ways Aria had never experienced before.

Her face burned red, partly from her failed attempts to hold back the mudslide, but mostly because of the embarrassment. Adagio had picked up on what was happening, her eyes darting from the mid-mess Siren to Rainbow. Meanwhile Sonata was holding back a gasp, hand over her mouth.

Rainbow Dash mercifully wasn’t looking her way, but Sunset Shimmer did. And she seemed to realize what was happening in an instant.

“Hey Rainbow!” Sunset’s voice came out probably louder than she meant for it to be. “Can you go ask Ms. Inkwell if it’s okay if we stay a little late today?”

Rainbow jumped at the chance to get away from the Dazzlings for a bit. “Sure.” She got up to find the librarian. She didn’t even spare Aria a glance as she left, but the stink from Aria’s mushy diaper must’ve reached her nose. “Ugh,” she said as she walked away. “I think something died of boredom in one of those shelves.”

Aria had her whole bottom lip in her mouth, biting down as the mess continued to squish out of her and into her diaper. When Rainbow was finally out of sight, Sonata bounded over.

“Upsie daisy.” Hands under Aria’s armpits, she scooped her fellow Siren out of the seat. The last of Aria’s accident spilled into her diaper, and the whole mess shifted and sagged now that it had room to do so.

Aria was shaking, needing a few seconds before she could recover and push Sonata away. Then she shot a fierce look of anger Sunset’s way.

How dare she help her! They were sworn enemies for crying out loud. She was blackmailing them to be here in the first place!

What was she even thinking? Was it pity? Did she want Aria to owe her a favor? Or was she just too good-natured to be smart about this? She could’ve literally done nothing and the Dazzlings would’ve been exposed to Rainbow.

Aria ground her teeth as Sonata led her away for a diaper change. Her squishy waddle only added to her fury.

She wouldn’t have even needed Sunset’s help if not for her stupid insistence that she work with Rainbow. She got her into this situation in the first place!

Pride wounded on top of everything else, Aria began plotting her revenge immediately. Sunset might think she had the Dazzlings wrapped around her little finger, but she would prove otherwise. That little deal Adagio had negotiated was just between her and Sunset after all. Aria wasn’t a part of it as far as she was concerned.

So she’d find her own way to bring Sunset down.