The SoT

by QuietTime

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Thriller, Equestria Girls, Aria Blaze, Adagio Dazzle, Main 7 (EqG), Sonata Dusk
Length: 16861

As their new school year starts, the Mane Seven crosses paths with a new type of adversary. One that is so different and yet so familiar to them.

As their new school year starts, the Mane Seven crosses paths with a new type of adversary. One that is so different and yet so familiar to them. What is this new threat's purpose? Can they overcome this new challenge? Or will they be consumed by it? What does it want with them?

Published 2021-09-10 22:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-09-10 22:50:01 UTC

Serendipity

A/N: The story you are about to read is the result of a having an inspiration high over the course of two days. I hope you all enjoy it.

Ch. 1: Serendipity

The city of Canterlot was knee deep in the depths of a summer’s night. One of the few remaining summer nights. The season was just about to end. It was ending just as quick as it started, especially amongst the local youth. Before they knew it their academics were going to start again, much to their dismay. It would be the same old, same old for the faculty. They would see the bright faces of their students both old and new. The adults would just see it as another work day and reminisce about how they too did not like it when fall arrives. Like the youthful spite of the young made the adults feel nostalgic.

But even as summer was coming to an end that still did not stir or lag the nightly activities of the residents of Canterlot. No, most of the locals were up and about, especially the younger ones. Hanging out with friends, touring the city, playing a game of cards at a slumber party, partying in general, and just having a good time. Making memories for themselves.

This would continue throughout this particular night up until the major spots to hang out started to close. Clubs, restaurants, and arcades. They all had to close at some point.

Still, that didn’t stop the more diehard people who wanted to keep making memories. But as diehard as they were they were also fewer in number compared to the masses. Streets became emptier and lights went out in homes.

People were having the time of their lives or going to bed. Either way, there were few people not having a good time in Canterlot.

Or rather three.

The night was not young, but they were. They were just not able to enjoy their youth.

Down one particular alleyway were three girls, triplets no less. Despite being triplets, one could easily tell who was who.

One was light blue skinned with dark cotton candy blue hair lined with an even darker royal navy stripes fashioned into a ponytail. Sonata Dusk was her name and she was the youngest.

Next was the middle triplet, Aria Blaze. Her skin was a pale fuchsia and her hair was a very moderate purple with strips of aquamarine in twintails.

Finally, there was Adagio Dazzle, the eldest of the triplets. Her flesh was of a very light gold with her massive fluff of luminous, vivid orange with brilliant sashes of yellow.

The three of them were in their teenage years. On the surface, they seemed harmless. However, all three of them kept a secret from everyone. They were not of this world.

Despite appearances, they may seem like perfectly innocent young girls. But in reality this was a farce. A farce not set upon by them. In this world they were powerless girls. But back in their world of magic, monsters, and intelligent equines they were known as three of the most infamous creatures in their history.

Sirens. Magical sirens that would lure, manipulate, and feed off the negativity of helpless lower creatures. To them every creature that wasn’t them was lower.

However, that was before they were banished to this world and given more mortal forms. To add insult to injury magic was scarce in this world. In this world things hurt.

They almost had a smorgasbord of real magic. Almost! They were so close they literally could taste it! But that’s all they got, a taste. No thanks to the efforts of seven magical high schoolers their plan was foiled. Now they find themselves scavenging.

Ever since Sunset Shimmer destroyed their gems, the sirens could not suffice their appetites with the magic of negative emotions. Now they were reduced to relying on consuming physical food, alone. They wouldn’t mind so much, if food did not have such big price tags.

That’s where their real issue stemmed from.

Turns out when you try to enslave and harvest the emotions of the local youth, word spreads. Even more so, word spreads quicker in the town of Canterlot. So when they applied for Crystal Prep Academy their application was instantaneously revoked. Not that it mattered too much to them. School was not an item of importance to the girls. What really concerned them was their miniscule budget for food.

This concern became more apparent when they applied for jobs and were rejected in this town of scuttlebutts, cellular phones, and background checks. So when joining the masses did not work, they sought payment through the track of their singing.

It seemed obvious in hindsight, but sometimes hindsight is not 20/20, and as talented as they were the sirens were still competing in a competitive market of talent. Yeah, their voices were special, but so were the voices of hundreds of other girls.

They could not make it through fame nor did they have the time or money for it. Desperate, they went everywhere and anywhere they could find work. But, still most of the places were either not hiring or refusing to hire them. At best they could get the occasional open mic night, where the baristas or barkeepers would pay a trivial amount for their time. They charge by the song, they only wish they got the chance to sing more than one or two. Was it too much to ask for an encore from their audience? A couple times they booked a concert. A couple times. They had a big turn out and could afford their own tour van. They thought they were climbing the ladder of fame and could be more generous with their money. But alas, a few good concerts can only get you so far. Especially since Sonata acquired a taste for tacos and went through their food budget like copy paper.

Before they knew it, they were living on the streets. They even had to sell their van for food. They couldn’t afford the gas mileage and were getting hungry. They’ve been hungry for some time now.

The remainder of their belongings were the clothes they wore, jeans, shirts, socks and hoes, and hoodies. That’s all they had, clothes and each other. The most valuable items in their possession and they kept getting dirtier with each passing day.

Now they were living down a dark alleyway, warming up a cup of ramen noodles. That’s all they could afford because their methods of acquiring money became so strained. Throughout the week all three would scout around town in search of pocket change. With whatever change they could find, they would pool their worth together and buy one single cup of cheap, instant ramen. That would be their meal every other day of the week. Three days a week they would eat, in between those days they would mettle themselves and fight their hunger, and everyday they would search for money. That’s all they could do. It’s what they had to do. Survive.

From being one of the most feared creatures of their world to being hungry, helpless, homeless teenagers. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

That night was one of their meal nights. Meal nights were the only thing they had to look forward to. But even meal nights had their drawbacks.

Getting the cup of ramen was the easy part, the real challenge came when making it. The girls were able to get plastic bottles to put water in. They were beyond thankful for public water fountains. Just as they could fill up the cup of ramen, they had to warm it up, as they were right now.

Aria held the paper cup of ramen over the naked flame of the lighter held by Adagio while Sonata watched in anticipation and hunger. It was a system they developed early on. Which would always involve monitoring the cup. They normally did not use the lighter, they wanted to save it for winter when things would get cold. It was not like the sirens had any real need for a lighter, anyway; and it was not that they smoked or anything. That would damage their precious vocal chords. No, they found the lighter on the street. However, they would normally use the heat radiating off an outdoor air conditioning unit from the back of a nearby diner.

Early on, they learned not to leave the cup on the unit because as it turns out hot metal eats through paper cups like….well like how fire eats through paper. That burned the bottom of the cup and would spill the contents all over the unit. So they would just hold the hold over the oh so hot metal for the longest time until they were sure it was edible.

That’s where they normally heated up their meals. All their meals. Only that night, the diner closed early and in consequence the A/C unit was turned off and cold to the touch. So they resorted to heating the paper cup dangerously close to the flickering flame of the lighter. The entire process would put a lot of strain on both the arm of whoever was holding the cup and whoever had to keep their thumb pressed down on the button that released the butane. It was a long and tedious process, but they made themselves bare it for their food.

“Mmmmm…,” Sonata whined, feeling her poor tummy ache. “Is it ready, yet?”

“You know it’s not,” Aria scorned, steadying her grip on the paper cup.

“Awww, why isn’t it warming up faster?”

“Because,” Adagio hissed, “we can’t afford ‘faster!’”

“But I’m so hungry…,” Sonata whined.

“And we’re not?!” Aria rebuked.

“Hey!” Adagio interjected. “Watch it, you nearly made the cup touch the flame.”

“You’re one who’s holding the lighter, genius.”

“You worry about the food being cooked, I'll worry about it not getting burned!”

“Is it ready now?” Sonata asked.

“No!” both Adagio and Aria snapped to Sonata.

Such bickering had become so common for the sisters. Every other night they’d have their banters. Not that they would say it, but it helped make the time pass faster. If only their trivial arguments would make being homeless easier.

Adjusting to their new lives was much more difficult than they had anticipated. It turns out that Canterlot had a real fix on their homeless population. Which made it that much harder for them to become accustomed to it.

Arches and extra armrests in the middle of public benches to prevent anyone from resting on them, slanted benches that you can only lean against, barred corners of buildings, spiked walkways, spikes on the underside of freeways, gated communities with a neighborhood watch, padlocked dumpsters that were just brimming with perfectly edible food, and fenced grates. They’d seen it all. Which made it harder for them to find a place where they could rest.

Canterlot did not have a lot of homeless people. Truth be told they were few in number, but so were places where they could rest. Off the street of nearby grocery stores they’d sleep near trash bins. Nearby bridges you could hide under to protect yourself from the rain. All around the rims of parks were homeless camps lined with tents.

The sirens did not even understand how any of them could get tents. A tent sounded like a real luxury to them. Making it nothing short of a miracle for them when they found their little alleyway.

The alleyway was located right between an acupuncturist’s office and a laundromat which was really insulting, like some higher force was playing a cruel joke on them. It wasn’t that big, per say. But it was big enough for the three of them. They’d sleep at the very end of the alleyway, resting their tired little bodies against the smooth bricked walls. Adagio would sleep in one corner while Aria and Sonata would sleep in the adjacent one. There wasn’t enough space for all three of them with all the trash bins taking up space. That was the only fringe benefit Adagio found in the alleyway. She liked her space.

Their alleyway was a place where they put trash. The sirens had to live amongst the trash. And nothing of value was ever placed in the trash. As grateful as they were for their alleyway, they just wished those who passed by did not look down their way. It was so embarrassing, strangers looking down at them.

Luckily no one ever passes by when it's dark out.

“Okay,” Aria said. “I think it’s ready.”

As her sister put away the lighter, Aria confirmed her suspicion by lifting the lid of the cup and judging the contents. It looked as ready as it ever was going to be for them, which wasn’t saying much.

Sonata then brought out a small cardboard box. It served as their dining table. They often kept it unfolded behind the trash cans to make sure it didn’t crease or shrivel exposure to the elements. That was the only way for them to eat their food. The trash bin lids had uneven, concave surfaces, and not to mention stank. They couldn’t risk placing their cup on the more uneven and filthier ground of the alleyway either. There was no way they would let their only good thing in their lives get ruined.

As Sonata folded the flaps of the cardboard box and placed it in the middle of the three of them, Aria, using every scintilla of her careful energy, placed it right in the center of the box. The triplets then sat on their own sides of the box and looked at the cup of somewhat warm noodles with anticipation. Just the faint smell of the broth was enough to make Sonata’s stomach growl. Her sisters did not have the energy to mock her for it, and truth be told their own bellies were but a pulse away from growling as well.

The trio then drew their utensils they managed to acquire during their struggle. Adagio had a pair of wooden chopsticks she found in a wrapper many months ago. They were showing their age despite not being with her for that long as they started to splinter and the tips were stained from the many times she dipped them in ramen broth. For Aria she had a rusty butter knife she found missing its handle and was tied to a small stick with shoelace and twine. The tip of the knife was bent in a way that it could be used as a sort of spoon-like apparatus. Sonata had half the head of a plastic spork she found in a paper bowl on the street that had remnants of dried up rice and mashed pinto beans. She told herself that the faint flavor of the beans on the spoon reminded her of tacos. Sonata liked her utensil, when she found it; but when she accidentally sat on it and lost half of her precious taco-flavored eating apparatus it taught her to be more careful of her stuff. What little stuff she and her sisters had left.

“Alright,” Adagio started. “Remember: equal portions.” It was a mantra she would repeat to her sisters right before every meal they had.

“Equal portions,” Sonata and Aria repeated in unison.

The girls then dunked their ad hoc utensils into the somewhat warm broth. Just the steam warming their fingers alone was enough to make their mouths water, especially Sonata’s. The sirens then twirled their tools once then twice in liquid. The utensils were slowly raised out of the flavored water with thin, light brown tinted noodles tangled around the ends. There were a few other things attached to the noodles. Some had minced parsley, others had carrot flakes, and on occasion one would snag a corn kernel.

They slowly brought their entanglements of noodle to their dried lips. This was to prevent any noodles from coming undone and falling to the ground. They had to savor every smidgen of food. Their lips parted and noodles were gently placed onto their tongues.

“Mmmm,” Sonata meekly moaned. Just the initial contact was enough to make her mouth flood with salivation. Adagio and Aria would have done the same, and they used to in the beginning of their struggle, but as it turns out even the less fortunates’ taste palate becomes null when you eat the same thing over and over again.

The sirens took their sweet time chewing their small piece of chicken flavored ramen, going out of their way to savor each bite. They chewed so slow and made sure to coat every single taste bud with flavor. When one of them eventually swallowed their small mouthful they had to wait for everyone to finish chewing before they could dunk their utensils back in the broth. It was a lengthy system, but an effective one. Like Adagio said, equal portions. But at the same time there came a small sense of guilt to whoever swallowed their chewed mound of noodles first. Like that person was not making their meal last long enough compared to the others. This mostly happened to Sonata, but Aria and Adagio had their moments as well.

When all three of them were noticeably done with their first bite the utensils were raised up again and plunged back in the cup. The utensils were spun around a couple times and slowly retracted back out of the both and placed carefully into their maws.

They never spoke during meal time, ever. They knew talking would get them nowhere and it would just waste time as the broth would get cold. They also figured that they would eventually argue about something and what they did not need was anyone to spoil the sanctity that was meal time.

Once again, they took their time savoring their small portion of ramen. Each one doing their best to discreetly watch the other two’s mouths. Making sure everyone had their share and that they were not the first one to finish their own.

When it was time again for another bite, the utensils were raised up and slowly descended towards the now lukewarm broth.

VrrrrROOOOOOOOOM!

The sirens jumped in unison, startled at the sudden blast of a speeding car’s roaring engine. Unfortunately, their movements stirred the box and made the small cup jump with them.

Sonata gasped at the airborne cup.

“No!” Aria cried out reaching out for the cup as it surrendered to gravity.

“Don’t let it-!” Adagio yelled.

But alas, what goes up must come down.

The cup landed with a wet splat and spilt all its remaining contents all over the filthy alley floor.

The sirens stared slack jawed at the sight of their dinner decorating the already disgusting ground. Aria then stretched her arms at the fallen cup, picked it up, and placed it smack dab in the center of the tray. The girls craned their necks over the cup. The tops of their heads pressed together as they looked into the cup.

Their worst fear was realized.

It was empty. Save for a small puddle of broth, a dissolved piece of parsley, and a very tiny part of a minced carrot sticking to the side. Nothing was left for them to eat.

All three sirens reeled themselves back. At first there was nothing but silence and blank, emotionless faces. Then Sonata’s bottom lip twitched, followed by her chin wrinkling up. A couple quick sniffles came from her tiny nose. She started to make a soft, quiet whimper as her entire face scrunched up. That whimper then grew into a very loud cry, as the young girl furiously sobbed, mourning her poor innocent dinner.

It was so young!

Aria, through her sister’s loud wailing, narrowed her eyes at both Sonata and Adagio.

“Now look at what you two did! Are you happy?! Our dinner’s all over the floor! I hope you're proud of yourselves, cause now we have nothing to eat! Did you two forget how long it takes for us just to afford one stupid cup of noodles?!”

Aria’s chastising only seemed to upset Sonata even more so, thus making her crying that much louder. However, the louder Sonata cried the louder Aria made her voice. Adagio was not enjoying any part of it.

Between Sonata’s banshee-like wailing through the waterworks and Aria’s incessant nagging, Adagio couldn’t think. It was literally impossible to form so much as a thought. As much as she’d love to join in on the ruckus and start screaming her head off, that night the siren just did not have it in her.

Adagio’s vision was still set on the empty cup. She scowled at it intently before slowly raising her face up and looked forward into the open air. Adagio then turned to her right and found Sonata with tears poured down her face. Turning left was Aria running her mouth off at both Adagio and Sonata.

Adagio then returned to gazing straight forward. With tweedle dum's bawling and tweedle dee’s lecturing, Adagio’s scowl became more intense by the second. She squeezed her brows so tightly that they almost touched. With a sigh, Adagio clapped both hands on either side of her head, pressing her palms into her ears.

Nope, she could still hear them.

The hands pressed more into her head, to the point where it felt like she was crushing her skull. But that didn’t work either and the noise just kept on getting louder and louder by the second.

With a groan, Adagio shoved her little fingers into either ear canal. That didn’t help either, so she pressed her small fingers deeper into her ears. The noise just kept on getting louder.

Letting out a small growl, Adagio then shoved her index fingers deep into her ears. It seemed to work, for about a moment, but Sonata and Aria just kept on getting louder and louder. Just when Adagio thought her sisters couldn’t possibly get any louder, they proved her wrong.

Adagio kept on skewering her fingers into her ears. She jammed and twisted them deep like putting a cork on a bottle. Her fingers dug and drilled so much that it was a wonder they didn’t bleed. Still the noise kept on breaking through the barrier.

Adagio then closed her eyes. She figured that she would try the old saying. “Out of sight out of mind.” Only it turns out it’s one thing to keep it out of sight, it’s another to keep it out of mind when it’s at point-blank range and in stereo. Still, Adagio kept on hoping that she could make the noise disappear.

The young siren tightened her eyes shut as hard as she could. Adagio felt something tickle the tips of her fingers. Was it her eardrums? She didn’t care. She just wanted the noise to go away.

Adagio flared her nostrils and growled in annoyance. She prayed that the noise would go away. As she bared her teeth and lowered her head, her sister’s kept on defiling her prayers.

“WAAAAAAAAAHH!” Sonata yowled, through her tears.

“Will you stop crying and act your age, Sonata?” Aria pressed.

“WA-WA-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

“Ugh! You’re literally crying over spilled food! Adagio, can’t you at least try to help?”

“WAAAAAAAH! I-I…,” Sonata choked on her sobs. “I wanna-.... I wanna-.”

“What?! What could you possibly want?”

“I wanna…. Wanna…” Sonata coughed. “I… wanna… t-t-t-t-...mm… t-taaAAACOOOO!” The waterworks returned with a vengeance, as poor little Sonata helplessing cried for her lack of her beloved snack.

“Tacos?! That’s where your concern is? Get your priorities straight, for goodness sake!”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“Ugh! You’re so hopeless!” Aria then noticed Adagio. “And what are you doing? Can’t you see we are on the verge of starving?”

“WAAAAAAAAAAH! I DON'T’ WANNA STARVE!”

“Well you should’ve thought of that before you spilled our food!”

“WaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!”

“Ugh! You’re impossible! Adagio, would it kill you to get out of lala land and help think of how we’re going to get food? We need to eat!”

Adagio clenched her teeth so hard that they felt as though they were on the verge of shattering. Her face started to redden with her growing fury.

“WAAAH! WAH! WAH! WAAAAAAAH!”

“Adagio! For the love of-! Don’t just sit there, do something!”

“WAAAAAH!”

“Could you please help, Adagio?!”

“WAAAAH!”

“Adagio?!”

“WAAAH!”

“ADAGIO!”

“WAAAAAAH!”

“ADAG-!”

“UUUGGGGHHHHH! I can’t take it anymore!” Adagio shrieked, muting Sonata’s tetanus inducing whines and Aria’s bickering. The lead singer of the Dazzlings then shot herself up and marched away into the dark streets.

“Where the hell are you going?!” Aria called out.

“Away from you two idiots!”

“You’re just abandoning us?”

“Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!” Adagio yelled back. “I need some peace and quiet.”

“Yeah, that’s right, leave us behind! You really are one heck of a leader!” Aria said, catching up to her sister.

Adagio then turned on her heel and shouted, “Don’t you dare test me, Aria!” Adagio warned. “You. Do. NOT! Want to get up in my business right now.”

Aria stopped by the cold gaze of Adagio. She knew that look all too well. Adagio was dead serious. But Aria was not in the mood for her sister’s attitude.

“Or else wha-?”

“SHUT UUUUUP!” Adagio bellowed, making her precious vocal chords sting. Her voice echoed through the night and silenced her sister. “I’ll be back… whenever!” Adagio then turned her back to Aria and threw over her hoodie, stuffing her massive thicket of hair. She then holstered her hands into her hoodie pocket and stormed off in a sulk.

Aria was left in a stump. She watched Adagio turn the corner, vanishing into the streets.

She then sighed before throwing her arms up in defeat. Whatever, she mouthed before turning back to walk down the alleyway. She passed a teary Sonata, not even bothering to give the little crybaby so much as a look, and went all the way to the end of the alley and firmly planted herself on her little corner. She sat with a stiff grimace on her face, with her legs hugged to her chest. She made a “Hmph!” sound hugging her calves closer to her body.

Sonata was still weeping, though not as much or as loud as before. The tears just kept running down her face as she stared at the empty cup. She turned in the direction where Adagio left and then down the alley where Aria sat. Aria was not looking at her, she was just glaring at the opposite wall, but Sonata did not need to look her sister in the eye to know what she was thinking.

The pale blue skinned girl lowered her head in shame. She rubbed her nose on the back of her sleeve, leaving a snail trail of shiny snot. With a sniffle, Sonata rubbed all the streaks of tears off her face and slowly dragged her feet down the alley. She sat right next to Aria, who refused to even give Sonata a quick glance. Aria just sat there with a flared expression at the opposite wall.

Sonata, saddened even more by her sister’s expression, lowered her face and hugged herself into a little sad ball. She was about to say something to Aria, but before she could even let out a syllable Aria threw her hoodie over her head and went back to hugging her knees, all without breaking eye contact with the wall.

Sonata made a sad noise at Aria’s reaction. She then tucked her ponytail down her sweatshirt before throwing her own hoodie over her head. Sonata hugged herself more and hung her head low. Her eyes were bloodshot and itchy from crying so much. Exhausted, she then tilted her head towards her sister until the side of her head was resting on Aria’s shoulder.

Aria did not make a sound or any reaction. She had no energy or will to deal with Sonata anymore that night.

Sonata then started whimpering again. Before either one of them realized it, she was crying again.

Aria silently begged her sister not to say it, but she knew it was inevitable.

“I… I… wanna… taco,” Sonata weeped through her sobs.

Aria silently groaned. She lightly bounced the back of her head against the brick wall supporting her back out of frustration. Aria hoped that her right ear would not become deaf that night.

Adagio was, for lack of a better phrase, officially done that night. She was done with everything. Done with her lack of a goodnight sleep, surviving on cheap snacks for dinner, not bathing for so long, disgusting clothes she never takes off, the smell of rotting garbage where she sleeps, losing her powers, and most of all, she was done with Aria and Sonata. Those two stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid idiots!

She cringed to herself, still hearing Sonata’s crying and Aria’s nagging echoing in her head. It was horrifying how long something so awful could last even when it’s done. No, that wasn’t the horrifying part. The real terror was that she could hear both of their voices in the accompanying ear they were making noise into. She didn’t even know that was possible!

Adagio hissed at the haunting voices, as she continued her walk. She needed to get as far away from those two as possible. She needed to clear her mind. As such, she traversed through the streets of Canterlot, hoping to find some peace of mind.

Canterlot was not that big of a town, but it sure was lively like one when it wanted to be. That night, it showed. Not as big, but just as lively.

The big city streets were chocked full of people. Loud people. Obnoxiously loud people. Obnoxiously loud people who didn’t know how to mind their own damn business. As Adagio stormed past every single one of them with that menacing scowl on her face, she couldn’t help but overhear all the passing comments regarding her.

A few parents with kids attached to their calves said she was having a “hissy fit.”

A group of nosy, giggling girls around her age figured Adagio was having “man troubles.”

A pair of pre-teen boys who crossed paths with her at a crosswalk had the audacity to sneer that it was her “time of the month.”

One old man with a cane said she was “acting out for attention.”

They could call it whatever they wanted, but Adagio had her own special name for it. “Back off!” Though she wouldn’t say it out loud. She couldn’t. Heck, she couldn’t do much of anything anymore. That’s what bothered her the most about this. The helplessness.

She hated being so powerless and feeble. So helpless. To add insult to injury, if she weren’t so held down by her lack of magic Adagio knew that she could make everyone bend to her will. They wouldn’t be so mouthy if they knew who and what she really was. But alas, they didn’t. Now she feels like a toothless wolf amongst sheep. She can’t go back to being a wolf and is reduced to learning how to live as a sheep. It was so frustrating.

Stupid sheep... Adagio silently cursed at more passing sheep as they kept bleating their unwanted judgements at her.

She asked herself why the heck she thought going through the city was a smart idea in her quest silence? Oh yeah, because she wanted to put as much distance between herself and her sisters and wanted to take a shortcut across the town. Well, she succeeded, but now she just wanted to put as much distance between herself, her sisters, and everyone else.

She eventually got out of the city. Though to her it was not soon enough. With everything that had happened to her that night, from ruined meals, to having her hearing tortured, to walking through a city with intrusive people and bright lights, Adagio was starting to feel a tiny headache coming on. Adagio groaned to herself. She could only hope that it would go away before it grew into an unbearable pain. It’s not like she could just buy some ibuprofen anyway.

Weary of her tiny headache, Adagio pressed on getting out of the city and away from those crowds of people and flashing lights. She then walked into a less urban area full of small shops, diners, and homes. There were much fewer people in that part of town. She never realized how much of a blessing empty streets were. But then she had to make a detour.

Adagio knew where she was and where she was coming up. The one place where she and her siblings refused to return to, much less go near.

Canterlot High School.

The sirens treated the school area like the plague. To be avoided at all costs. The sirens, especially Adagio, did not like to be reminded of their failures. The only problem with that is she was reminded of her biggest failure every waking moment, in that human body of hers.

With Canterlot High School, however, it was a different kind of failure she was reminded of. The kind where she was so close to victory only to have it ripped right from her fingers. And it was a victory that Adagio and her sisters needed after scavenging on small groups of people for negativity for so long.

They wanted a win. She needed a win. Now she, and her sisters, have less than what they started when they first entered this accursed world.

Adagio, not wanting to dwell on the past any longer, kept on moving. She power walked away from that awful school and the memories it brought back.

The young siren was bent on avoiding any more awkward places and encounters. The teen then found herself nearing a neighborhood. She decided to explore it, thinking new sights would make her mind wander from her issues. Adagio did not even care if some late night neighborhood watch suspected her of trespassing. What’s the worst they could do? Ask her to leave?

Turning the corner, Adagio kept on the path of sidewalks and wandered into the neighborhood. Turns out the place was a varying degree of houses. Both one-story and two-story homes lined the streets. All varied in design but still kept a common architecture. Adagio couldn’t help but imagine herself living in a house. Not that she hasn’t already been doing that for sometime now. However, when your dreams were right in front of you it was hard not to get lost in your fantasies.

She imagined waking up in a big, nice comfy bed lined with the warmest of sheets. Just the thought of such fabrics gave her goosebumps. She would sleep in every single day and snuggle in the comfort. When she did leave her bed she would take a warm shower. No, wait! A bath. Yeah, a nice hot bath would do wonders for her. Or maybe she’d just mix it up and have a shower fill up her tub. That way she could use as much shampoo and conditioner as she wanted for her thick hair and then take a bubble bath to soak in that warmth. After she washed herself, a big hearty breakfast would greet her.

“Mmm…,” Adagio moaned, feeling her mouth water just imagining all the hot flavorful food she would eat.

Oh, what a wonderful thing that would be. For Adagio, it sounded like the best thing in the world at that moment. But as the moment passed so did her imagination.

Adagio would keep snapping back to reality with each passing house. The bigger the house, the more vivid her imagination became and the more severe the fall was when she returned to reality. It was depressing every time her dreams ended, but reality hurt even more.

Speaking of which, Adagio’s body started to catch up with her mind as her legs ached from walking for so long. She had to slow her pace as her feet burned more with each step.

Her teeth gritted as the aching got more intense. She had to rest. Then she saw something in the distance.

Powering through her burning calves, Adagio’s suspicion was confirmed. A bench. An ergonomic one no less. It looked so nice to sit in. She couldn’t wait to try it out.

Then as she closed the distance between her and the bench, Adagio noticed something else about this particular bench.

“Oh joy,” she snarked, “three armrests. Lucky me.”

Why can’t she just get away from her problems? Why must they follow her everywhere she goes?

With a low sigh, Adagio decided not to care and sat on the bench.

Planting herself down on, she let out a raspy groan as she finally found relief for her aching feet. She also made sure to take advantage of the ergonomic design and pressed her back into the curved backrest. Her spine formed into a relaxing bend with the shape of the backrest. It felt nice. She just had to wait out this thundering pain in her legs so that she could move again.

Adagio lifted her calves up to her core and started rubbing her sore flesh. She felt as though in the past few hours she had walked at least eight miles, when in reality it was more like three-and-a-half. Like her sisters, Adagio was talented but not athletically talented. No, she wasn’t like a certain blue skinned guitarist who had the entire color spectrum on her head.

She grumbled thinking about that girl and the rest of her pestering friends.

“Ugh…,” she groaned in disgust.

Everywhere. Her problems just keep on finding new ways to follow her everywhere.

While on the bench Adagio realized that it was quiet and there was no one in sight to take that away from her. She let out a sigh of relief, craning her neck back into the bench and let her tired little head rest atop the backrest. Adagio still refused to sleep. As much as she’d like to, she doubted the residents of the neighborhood would be understanding if they saw a girl they had never seen before in their abode sleeping on a bench.

Knowing her luck, they’d probably accuse her of being inebriated.

Getting back to her other issue, food, Adagio’s mind couldn’t keep a coherent thought. She decided that she hadn’t the energy nor the mental capacity to think straight. So she just decided to take her time on the bench as her tired little body came down from the soreness.

She must have been on that bench for well over an hour, and did not need a watch to tell her it was well past midnight.

With a groan, Adagio slowly got up from the bench. Her legs were still a little sore, but she realized that was as good as they were going to get until she got some sleep. Yeah, what little sleep she can get after a night like this.

Adagio had to pace herself with her steps. She took her time putting one foot in front of the other and let them heal in their own time. Adagio also noticed her mouth was a little dry. Looking ahead, she saw a playground structure. A park.

Score.

When there were parks, there were always fountains. She looked around and saw a raised faucet head with a large knob attached to it. Adagio made her way towards the fountain in a sort of hobble. It was at the halfway point that she realized something that made her kick herself.

She forgot her water bottle.

Adagio let out a long, dreary sigh. She just couldn’t win that night, could she? Adagio, lightly stomped her aching foot in frustration. She blinked at the fountain before shrugging at it.

Oh well. She can fill up her bottle whenever she wants, anyway. She was thirsty now. Continuing her awkward shuffle to the fountain, Adagio looked around her. It was a habit she picked up whenever she filled her bottle. She didn’t know why she did that, it wasn’t like she was breaking any laws or looking suspicious. She guessed it came with life as a scavenger. Always on the look out for predators whenever getting a drink so as not to be ambushed.

Well, the coast was clear. Adagio turned the knob on the fountain and saw a reasonably sized arch of water spout from the faucet head. It sure was bigger than the ones she and her sisters found in town, which made it kind of hard to fill their bottles up when they had to angle with the height of the small curve of liquid. Why can’t every fountain be like this one? Big enough to drink from and fill up bottles.

Adagio brought her puckered lips to the watery bend. Kissing the running water, it tasted lukewarm, making the siren recoil her lips. She gave it a moment, and soon the water temperature went from a bland lukewarm to a refreshing cool. It wasn’t cold like ice water, but it was just enough for it to make her feel hydrated and rejuvenated. The water also tasted nicer too, almost like the coolness was giving it flavor. Adagio decided to treat herself to as much cool fountain water as she’d like.

Before she knew it, Adagio started to feel bloated with water. Not that she minded so much, it was probably the first time she felt bloated in a while.

“Aah..,” she went, satisfied from her drink. She wiped her wet mouth with the back of her hand and smacked her lips with the wetness. That felt nice.

Adagio almost didn’t want to leave the fountain, it was so good to her. It was the only good thing she encountered that night. But she pressed on her way, only to feel something else arise within her.

She shouldn’t have drank so much water.

“Mmph,” she fussed, clenching in her core. Great, just great. She narrowed her eyes at the fountain. Yet, again something that was supposed to be good betrayed her.

Why does she even bother?

Adagio fussed again. She decided it was time to leave the stupid park. Only she would have if not for her ever observant vision spotting something else.

It turned out that neighborhood, the neighborhood’s park in particular, had it all. Nice comfy looking homes, benches to rest your weary body from walking, water fountains to refresh yourself, parks, and the crème de la crème. A public restroom.

Adagio couldn’t believe her luck. She couldn’t believe this neighborhood. What’s next, a pool?

That restroom looked so nice and it had no locked doors for entry. Just two bifurcating directions with a white silhouette of a man and a woman with arrows pointed on either side. There were even yellow lights hanging above the open air ceiling. Truly Adagio found a sanctuary. Or she would if it was not the dead of night.

It was an unspoken rule, not just to the homeless but to everyone, to avoid public restrooms at night at all costs. It wasn’t because they were disgusting, public restrooms were that at every hour of the day year round. It was because of the risk of encountering another homeless person, or worse an unstable one.

Those were the people that made Adagio and her siblings really uneasy. The demented ones. While the lucid and stable of mind outnumbered the deranged, they were still prevalent. Adagio still remembers her first encounter with one.

It was early in the day and the sirens were scouting the area for pocket change. It was a typical day for them, nothing too out of the ordinary happened. Then they walked through a crosswalk. From the other side of that crosswalk came another homeless man. He was much older than they were, late twenties, if not early thirties. He had the scruffiest of beards, was dressed in a large teal jacket with holes in it, and was hugging a large red blanket to his chest. He seemed stable enough, and he didn’t look like he was a violent man either. Sonata even waved to him, though Adagio and Aria already told her not to draw attention to themselves. But that was what led to the big reveal of the guy.

He waved back to Sonata, but in doing so loosened his grip on the blanket and let fall its content onto the ground. A large kitchen knife from the blanket and clattered onto the pavement.

Needless to say, the sirens were alarmed by the sight of the knife alone. They quickly moved past the man while he was picking up the knife, and none of them dared to look back as they put as much distance between them and him. Truth be told they were not sure what would have happened had Sonata not waved to the man. Was he just friendly and that knife was more for his protection, and was going to let them pass without a second thought? Or was he secretly hiding his darker intentions after many years of practice? Either way, they decided it was better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the other homeless.

There were also the homeless who were unstable and more vocal. The sirens discovered how vocal they could be during the first week without shelter. They were huddled together near an underpass in a somewhat busy street. Or rather it was more busy during the day where people kept coming and going to shop at the nearby outlet mall. But it was the middle of the night and the sirens were sound asleep. That is until, out of nowhere, they were jolted awake to the cries of an oddly large woman clutching onto a shopping cart full of old torn up clothes and empty cans and bottles. She was screaming countless obscenities at the top of her lungs. At first the sirens thought the woman was screaming at them, but they quickly realized she was screaming at everything, mostly the open air. With her weird drunken-like swaying of her head and then randomly would scream more obscenities. Aria said, the woman was the worst jack-in-the-box, except no one could hear the tune when she popped. Needless to say, the sirens quickly realized that if they were going to get some sleep it had to be as far away from that woman as possible. Then they encountered a different type of extreme of people like that woman.

After a couple days of searching for a new place to sleep, the girls found a burger joint just off the corner of town with a gas station next to a little stationary store across the street. There wasn’t much traffic or people that frequented that particular area, but just enough to keep business afloat. Which was quite alright for the triplets. They hid behind the hedges of the burger joint, away from prying eyes. After a night of somewhat blissful slumber, it seemed all was well. Then came the next night and they were awoken by another screamer. Aria wondered if Mrs. Jack-in-the-box followed them, but no, this was a different person but had a similar brand of insane. It was an old man dressed in heavy rags all wrapped up in a disgusting trench coat. He was standing right in the middle of the road, blocking the rare car that would be driving around that area at that time of night, waving his arms around whilst keeping a firm grip on a small bible. He would bellow at everyone how they were all going to be judged and burned in the next life. The man kept on preaching his beliefs and how his holy book was the one true only righteous piece of text that everyone should follow. He would also point indiscriminately at any onlookers saying that their souls were damned and they would suffer for all eternity for their sins. As peeved as the sirens were that the man wouldn’t keep his trap shut, they were also kind of amazed at how long a person would scream without losing their voice. However, that didn’t make this place any less inhospitable. They left the hedges and wandered away as they were called heathenous wenches and that they too would suffer for their sins. Little did that man know, they already were.

They’ve seen an entire spectrum of homeless in their travels. The ones that muttered incoherent nonsense and would twitch their hands at random. Ones that held up signs scribbled in near illegible writing as drivers kept passing them without a second thought. Homeless that somehow kept pets under their care, mostly dogs which excited Sonata, but Adagio and Aria made sure that their sister would not even attempt to pet the animals. There were even homeless people who had phones and phone chargers, which stumped the sirens.

How did they pay for the bills? Do they have jobs? If so, why don’t they have a roof over their heads? It just made zero sense to the siblings. But of all the encounters they’ve had, that first one stuck with them the most. Then came the cautionary tales of public restrooms.

They heard the many rumors and stories from passing city goers and fellow homeless folk. How they or a friend of a friend encountered a homeless person whilst trying to use a public restroom. How it was only them and a homeless person who looked rather off putting. One minute they were going to the restroom, the next they were being chased out by a crazed person with a sharp object.

Both were mostly vocal and active in the dead of night, mostly because in the daytime there were hardly any homeless near places where the masses would gather and if there was an unstable person hiding in a restroom they just had to call the authorities to remove that person from the restroom. But at night no one was using the toilets, no one to call the cops on them in the dead of night. Which was exactly the time it was for Adagio.

So now Adagio Dazzle was at an impasse. Should she hold it in and find a safer place to relieve herself? Or take the chance and risk her life just to use a toilet?

“Hmmm,” she went, wondering which option to take. Her eyes teetered from the restroom to the sidewalk that led out of the neighborhood.

Restroom?

Sidewalk?

Adagio fidgeted with her fingers as she thought more about what she should do. She held out an open palm in the direction of the restrooms. On one hand, toilets. Then she opened another towards the sidewalk. On the other hand, the way out.

Risk her life?

Risk ruining her already unwashed and filthy clothes and garments?

Best case, she goes to the bathroom. Worst case, she gets attacked or worse.

Best case, she gets to leave this neighborhood unscathed. Worst case, she starts to smell like all the other bums and her sisters never let her live it down.

Put her life on the line for a toilet?

Guaranteed safety?

What a difficult decision.

Adagio looked at the sidewalk then back to the restroom. Then she saw some bushes at the rim of the park and noticeably far from the homes.

No! No way! She refused to stoop that low. She may be a siren, but she’s not some feral animal that needs to be housebroken.

Adagio focused her attention back to the restroom. Taking in a breath, she took her first step. Slowly she made her way to the toilet, she could already hear the humming of the lights. Suddenly Adagio stopped, her hearing focusing on the humming. With a sigh she turned away.

Then again, it was a nice neighborhood.

Adagio turned back to the restrooms, and felt a pit grow in her chest as she neared it.

Then again, looks can be deceiving, case and point herself. Looks like a teenager, really a siren.

Adagio slowed her walk, noticing the round camera hanging from atop the street light.

Then again, they do have a neighborhood watch.

A watch that wasn’t operational during this hour.

Adagio continued her way to the sidewalk and felt her bladder get more intense.

Then again, she still needs to use the toilet.

Adagio walked back to the restroom, only to feel that pit swell in her chest again the closer she got.

Then again, she could always hold it.

Her core got more irritated as she turned away.

Then again, she always had a small bladder.

Then again, there was a chance there was nobody in the restroom.

Then again, there was a chance there was somebody.

Then again, she could…

No wait, maybe if she was really careful or…

She could...

Maybe…

Just…

Adagio froze in her place. That pit in her chest branched and expanded to the back of her throat. She tried to swallow the mass, but it was lodged in place. Her eyes darted from the sidewalk to the restroom before she started shuddering.

Adagio’s face scrunched up as she hugged herself, rubbing her arms trying to calm herself down. The siren then inhaled a shaky breath, buried her face in the palms of her hands as she muffled a screechy groan before her legs gave away and crouched down in a ball. She fought with every cell in her body. She refused to stoop to Sonata’s level.

She just couldn’t take it anymore. All she wanted was to go to the restroom. Why was that so hard? Was it really asking for too much just to relieve herself? Why must she go through such a trial just to pee? Why is everything so impossible for her now? Can’t she just have one thing go right for her?

First she starves herself to survive, then she loses sleep, and then she couldn’t rest her legs on a bench. Now she can’t have peace of mind just to pee?

Adagio winced and trembled in place. It was all just too much for her. Still she fought tooth and nail not to cry. Instead she just sat there and was at the mercy of her burdens.

Everything got bleaker for her. Even things that she thought couldn’t get anymore bleak became bleaker. First she lost her hope of returning to Equestria, her home. Then she lost hope of using magic, her livelihood. Then she lost hope of having a successful career with her talent. Now she has lost hope of ever escaping this life.

Adagio buried her face more into her sweaty palms. She let out another groan. Her body just would not stop shaking.

It was then and there Adagio Dazzle had found herself at her lowest point in her life.

She had no joy, no plan, and no hope. She had nothing; and was realizing that was the reality of her situation.

Nothing.

Reality was crushing her with all the weight it piled on her back. She swore she could feel a literal weight pressing down on her lumbar region. It just kept pushing her face lower and lower into the dirt. Which made her time on the ground that much longer.

It was quite a while before Adagio’s body stopped shaking. Slowly, she tilted her face back up and her sweaty palms slid down her cheeks. She saw the restroom again, with that light humming. Almost as if it was beckoning to her.

She flared her nostrils at the lights. Adagio sluggishly stood up, which was a greater task than she expected with her legs still sore from walking. When she did stand up right again, Adagio was about to turn to the sidewalk but stopped herself and focused all her attention at the restroom.

With a steadfast huff of air, Adagio marched her way up to the restroom. If the worst happens, she could probably just flee. She was sure she could outrun a homeless person living in the stalls even if her legs were sore.

Coming up to the sign, Adagio’s eyes followed the direction the arrow pointed to. She saw a corner blocking the view of the stalls. Adagio quietly sighed and shuffled down the turn.

As she turned the corner, Adagio's expectations were realized.

Public restrooms were still disgusting at every hour of the day.

There was no one else in the stalls beside her, and she made sure of that by kneeling down and checking the unopened stalls. She was the only occupant.

The restroom itself wasn’t anything special, as far as public restrooms went. There were two sinks with rustic and rusty faucet heads with knobs. Mirrors were above the sinks and were stained with a few, small, but very illegible graffiti marked in what Adagio figured was felt pen ink. To the side of the mirrors hovered hand soap pump dispensers that looked like they were nearly due for a refill. Four stalls were lined up next to each other with doors fitted with privacy latches. Three of them were made for common folk and the stall at the very end had extra room and handlebars for those with impairments.

Adagio chose the second stall. Its neighbors were too disgusting anyway, especially the big stall. There she finally relieved herself and labeled the expulsion of her bodily fluids a win. Then she saw her stall was out of toilet paper. After Adagio gave herself the biggest roll of her eyes she borrowed the remaining rolls from a neighboring stall and flushed away one less weight off her back.

Adagio then moved to the sink, where she took a long glare into her reflection. Her face was lined with sweat and streaks of dirt, that she assumed she gave herself when she pressed her palms to her face. It was hard to make out more of her features with her hoodie on and in such dim light. Out of morbid curiosity, Adagio pulled back her hoodie and let loose her large thicket of hair. She saw everything.

Her face looked positively exhausted. There were rows of dark, heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes. Her lips, despite just having drank so much water, still looked dry. Those streaks of dirt across her cheeks were more noticeable in the light as well. Loose strands of hair were sticking to her face from it being so sweaty. Her hair had many split ends and felt just as it looked coarse and dry. She pulled back her bangs and noticed the flakes decorated across her hairline. The sight made Adagio scratch her head causing more flakes to snow from her hair and land on her clothes.

“Eugh…,” she repulsed at the sight.

Dusting off the dried scalp flakes from her shoulders, Adagio pressed on the soap pump and found that it was empty. Groaning in frustration, she tried the next sink’s pump which secreted a lukewarm slimy substance on her palm. She had the idea of maybe using this soap as a makeshift shampoo, but stopped herself figuring that with her huge fluff of hair the soap would hardly touch the surface of her scalp. The most it would do is make her hair wet. Adagio then went back to washing her hands. When she turned the knob of the neighboring sink no water came out. She fumed again, and went back to her original sink and found that it had working water. She scrubbed and soaked her hands in the running liquid. After she was done washing her hands, Adagio looked around but found no paper towel dispenser or even a hand dryer. The siren was tempted to bang her head against the mirror in her frustration from her never ending lose streak. Instead, she just gave up and whipped her hands at the mirror, sending droplets flying and slamming the reflective surface. She wiped her hands on the surface of her jeans and dipped her hands back in the running water. Cupped a handful of water then splashed it all over her face. She pressed and rubbed her hands on her face, making sure to clear away any more streaks or smudges of dirt. Adagio repeated this process several more times before she came to a stop and locked eyes with her reflection again.

Her face was drenched from water and saw no more dirt smudges. Still she could see all the other flaws that person had. Still present even after cleaning herself up. Adagio kept staring at herself, almost as if in a mesmerized trance. Both Adagio and her reflection could not break away from each other's gaze. It was the most intense staring contest ever.

After a long moment of staring, Adagio huffed at her reflection, blurring up a small part of the mirror from her hot breath. The siren then began to turn away and make for the exit.

Adagio then saw something in her reflection. Something that she would never forget.

The siren froze at the horrifying sight. She had to lean in just to confirm her suspicions and that her eyes were not tricking her.

“Do-? Do my eyebrows have dandruff?!”

Adagio did not know why but she still found herself walking, even after leaving that neighborhood. She wasn’t walking back to her sisters, she was still just walking aimlessly.

The siren could not put it into words, but for some reason the second she left that neighborhood she did not have the will to return to Aria and Sonata, yet. So, instead she decided to do what she’s been doing the past several hours. Walk, walk, and walk.

With her hoodie over her head and her hands tucked in her hoodie pocket, Adagio Dazzle kept on moving in spite of the lingering soreness in her feet. She made sure to move at a leisurely pace to not agitate the soreness. It made the walk feel extra long. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Whatever the answer was didn’t even concern her. Adagio was still a little peeved by her discovery of eyebrows being susceptible to dandruff. Which is why she made sure to wipe her brows clean of any remnant of dead flakes of skin. She did not want anyone seeing how filthy she was, least of all Aria and Sonata. There was no way those two idiots were going to give her any flack for something she did not know of. At least now she can use this knowledge as leverage when Adagio first sees their facial flakes.

Adagio made the tiniest smug grin at that. It was the only thing she had to look forward to. Talking down to her sisters.

Eyebrow flakes or no eyebrow flakes, Adagio still kept on walking. She went past several entries to neighborhoods. She’s had enough of neighborhoods for one night. Adagio kept on walking through the street after street without a destination or a care in the world.

Before she knew it she was in another part of town she had never been to. This part was a mix of urban and rural buildings. There were rows of various shops and restaurants. From a dance studio for ballet lessons to a small sandwich bistro then a post office followed by a jiu jitsu dojo then a bakery. There seemed to be no end to variety in this part of town.

What really took Adagio by surprise was the astounding shortage of homeless in this area. It’s not that this part of town had no homeless, it was just that they were so few in number. Adagio would spot them sleeping near the buildings, away from the street spikes and barred corners, of course. The siren would just pass by them, making sure not to disturb their slumber. Though she doubted any of them were really asleep anyway. That’s what happens when you sleep in a place like this. There was always noise. Not just from cars and people, but from the sounds of everything else. All natural industrial noise. Gears, fans, vibrating panels, stators, they were everywhere. Which was another reason the sirens were thankful for their alleyway. The walls acted as a sort of sound barrier from all that noise. Sure some of it seeped through, but it wasn’t as loud; and they seldom were woken up in the middle of the night.

Before she knew it, Adagio was walking along a long path of small homes with decently sized front yards. They were just out of the shopping district of town, which Adagio figured had more cons than it did pros. What with traffic and the constant noise. Adagio did not see why anyone would want to live so close to the fray. Then again, who was she to judge?

Adagio kept walking down the street. There were fewer homes and the distance between the homes kept increasing with each new house. There was still the occasional stop sign intersection. Had it been anyone else, they would’ve figured that they never felt so far away from home (in terms of walking distance, anyway), but Adagio was not like everyone else. She has felt that way since the first day she arrived in this world. How further away could she possibly get?

The siren could see an overpass in the furthest distance down the road. She wondered if that would be the spot where she’d turn around and go back to her little alleyway. She wasn’t sure, maybe she’d make her choice when she got there.

Adagio kept on walking. The street had gotten narrower and the street lights were also further apart from one another. There were even fewer stop sign intersections. Adagio looked down one of the intersections and saw nothing but a long endless road of more spaced homes.

Adagio clenched her teeth. It suddenly got chilly. She passed a church looking building and kept on walking down the dark road. She could see another stop sign up ahead, this one had a walled corner that Adagio figured was someone’s property.

Coming up to the corner Adagio paid no mind to her surroundings. With her hood up and her mind wandering away, it should have come as no surprise that her vision and spatial awareness had become limited.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Adagio heard the rhythmic tapping of feet. As she passed the corner, she encountered a very high speed runner that whisked right past her.

“GAH!” Adagio yelped, falling to her side. She narrowly missed collision with the runner by the skin of her teeth. Her reflexes went into overdrive as she flung her hand out of her hoodie pocket and latched it onto the chilling cold steel of the stop sign pole. Adagio’s body swung to a stop just before her little frame made contact with the sidewalk.

Adagio did not give herself any time to process what had just happened and decided to convert all her attention onto the short-sighted runner.

“What the hell is wrong wi-?!” To her surprise the runner was nowhere in her proximity. Adagio then looked back in the direction she just came and spotted the guy who made her life flash before her eyes. He was still running, as if he didn’t even notice or cared what had just happened.

Adagio was furious. She pulled herself up and looked down the road of Mr. Near Death Experience with clenched fists and barred teeth.

“Asshole!” she yelled.

Again, her voice echoed through the empty night streets. Then to her surprise, the runner came to a sharp stop.

Got your attention now, huh? Yeah, bring it on. Adagio was ready to get in a screaming match with this guy. She didn’t care how upset she made him. It was his fault for nearly crashing into her. And yet, the guy was not moving, at all.

The man just stood there, motionless. Adagio saw his bare back, he was shirtless. He wore black sweatpants and white sneakers.

The runner then slowly pivoted the side of his face to his shoulder.

Adagio squinted her eyes to get a better look at his face, but the runner stopped turning before she could even see his cheek. Then he just stood there, unmoving and unbreathing. That was when Adagio noticed something.

Why wasn’t he catching his breath?

She saw how fast he was moving. He wasn’t just running, he was sprinting. At least, that’s what it looked like to Adagio based on how fast he was going. But no, he looked rather well-rested. He wasn’t even heaving. The whole thing made Adagio uneasy.

Then the runner turned his face forward and went back to running, as noted by that familiar rhythm of his steps.

Adagio flared her nostrils at the back of the runner.

“Creep,” she hissed before turning around and continued stomping away in anger. She pinched her brows together and kept moving in the opposite direction of that annoying rhythm from the runner’s steps. They were loud and annoying. The very thing Adagio was trying to get away from. She huffed out an annoyed breath and began rubbing her temples hoping in vain that she could prevent an oncoming headache. Oh, how she wished that stupid runner would have been blessed with lighter feet.

Then Adagio noticed something. The rhythm was gone.

She stopped in her steps and turned to find the runner had disappeared.

“Wha-? Huh?” She was beyond stumped. The siren peered down the road and looked around her surroundings, but found no runner in sight.

It was rather strange, even for the siren. It almost–no–exactly as if the guy had just disappeared into thin air. He was there and then he wasn’t.

Adagio was a little put off by this sudden disappearance. How can anyone just disappear like that? It’s not like the guy was a unicorn or anything.

The siren then shrugged her shoulders and continued down the path. She had too much to deal with to concern herself over a rude night runner. Still, out of the sake of curiosity, Adagio peered over her shoulder one more time just to be sure.

Nope, still nothing but empty roads.

Good. At least that was one thing that’s out of sight and out of mind.

With no runner in sight or patter of footsteps in earshot, Adagio went back to her sulking. Her eyes lowered to her feet and watched as kept putting down step after step, almost like she was trying to mesmerize herself with the movements. She started to unconsciously step over any cracks or divots between the slabs of concrete. When she realized what she was doing, Adagio gave no mind or care to it. At least it was something to occupy her mind.

The siren really wanted to let go of everything at that moment. To just escape in her own little world. Or better yet, escape back to Equestria, magic and all.

That’d be nice. That’d be a dream come true.

Adagio then saw a small rock on the sidewalk. She kicked at it, only to miss. The thick haired teen did not even make a reaction. Why didn’t I expect any different? Was her only thought as she left the tiny stone in her trail.

She tried not to dwell on her problems that were dragging her down, or maybe that was her sore feet. However, despite the fallen siren’s best efforts, her problems just kept tickling the back of her mind. They tickled a lot. So much that the metaphorical sensation started to feel real. Too real.

Adagio stopped walking and rubbed the back of her head. It felt as though… how should she put it? Like someone was boring holes in the back of her skull. Like someone was watching her.

She turned around and monitored her surroundings. There was still nothing and no one in sight. Rubbing the back of her head again, the sensation had disappeared. Adagio turned her back to the road in an attempt to recreate that sensation, but it did not return. Returning back around Adagio gave her surroundings one more hard look to clarify that it was just her on these long open roads. And with no one else in sight it seemed that no one was watching her.

With a quiet sigh, Adagio turned back around and continued walking. The soreness in her legs became relatively manageable. It wasn’t like she was limping per se, but her feet were dragging a bit with every step. Her right foot was noticeably more sore than her left one, which made it drag a little bit more. Adagio wondered if that was because she was right handed. Adagio didn’t even realize she was right handed until she and her sisters arrived in this world. She remembers that day all too well.

The confusion and the panic from turning into humans. How strange and terrifying it was when they first saw their hooves had been replaced with hands and that their tail fins split in two and sprouted feet where their fins should be. It was even stranger having to adjust to socializing amongst the humans. The human scum. The stupid sheep scum.

Adagio swore that if she and her sisters ever, somehow or someway, get their magic back that the first thing she was going to do was reduce the humans to the level of sheep. No, better yet, make them lower than sheep.

If Sonata was there with Adagio and heard her thoughts, Adagio guaranteed that the first thing Sonata would ask in response to Adagio’s decree was if she felt that way because she could relate to sheep.

Because of her hair.

Adagio rolled her eyes at her wondering thoughts. She never related to anything or anyone, least of all sheep. The sirens had no clue why their hair came out the way they did in this world. It made zero sense to them. Especially since they had dorsal fins, not manes. You can’t style fins. Plus, they were triplets too. Wouldn’t it make more sense for their hair to be more similar to each other? Then again, they did always assume they were more like fraternal triplets. Still, shouldn’t their hair be more fin-like? Like a mohawk or something?

Adagio cringed at the very thought. Though in all honesty, she likes how her hair turned out. They all did. Still, it didn’t make the process any less confusing.

It was one of the many questions Adagio did not have the answer to. Like how come magic is so limited and rare in this world? Or how come mere humans can put a man on the moon, but an all powerful alicorn can’t seem to magically return Equestria? How and why do fruit flies reproduce so quickly? Seriously, it’s like you have one fruit fly and if you blink too fast you’ll have hundreds. Why do they call it a flea market if they don’t sell fleas? Why don’t ponies in this world talk too? What’s with that weird rhythmic noise she keeps hearing?

Adagio halted and peeked back.

Nothing, again, still.

Adagio blinked at the empty roads. The noise was gone. She could’ve sworn she heard something. This time she gave the road behind her a long, hard stare. Still, nothing appeared and there was nothing for her to see or hear.

“Uhh… nah,” Adagio mumbled, and went on her way. She chalked up the sound she heard to be her mind playing tricks on her. Adagio fussed at that thought.

Great, now she’s becoming paranoid. What’s next is she going to start swearing at the top of her lungs? Adagio shook her head at that thought.

That’s the one thing Adagio and her sisters were afraid of the most. Becoming like them. The very idea made their tiny hairs stand. How far away were they from losing their minds? Will they lose their minds? When will they start seeing the signs? What are the signs?

Will they too start pulling out their hair? Will they get used to being out in the sun for so long that they stop feeling sunburnt, even when their flesh is more crimson than fire? Eat moldy food out of trash cans without a care in the world? Drink filthy rain and gutter water from puddles? Fashion a sharp object out of sticks or their utensils? Bark back at yapping dogs? Let drool dribble down their maws and soak their shirts while muttering nonsense? Go to the bathroom where they sit? Will they get used to the smell of urine and feces staining their clothes? Are they going to start hitting themselves and each other uncontrollably? Will they forgo all decencies and walk around with minimal clothing or even completely exposing themselves? Smear their crazed thoughts in illegible writing using their own excrement? Will they chew on cardboard like a teething ring for their toothaches? Will they start banging their heads against the wall whenever they can’t control their thoughts? Will they start hearing things that are not there?

How far off were they from descending into the point of no return for their sanity? They honestly did not know, and they were not sure if they wanted to know.

It was enough to keep them up at night. They always thought about such things, but despite being sisters the sirens never shared their feelings with one another. That’s just how sirens did things. Speak their mind with no filter, but never show emotion.

Adagio almost stepped on a crack, her mind was so lost in thought. She almost didn't hear the rhythmic beat.

The siren spun around with saucered eyes. Her vision darted around the area. There was still nothing in sight, but that did not stop her from furiously swinging her face from side-to-side in search of what or whoever was making that noise.

Adagio’s mind went on edge, trying to find the source of the noise. She heaved short breaths as her heart raced. Her eyes focused on everything they could. Be it far off corners, street lights, fences, and tree branches shaking from a light breeze. Something, anything that will give away what’s following her.

Adagio then noticed something off about one of the trees in the distance. The tree was across the other side of the road and had a thick trunk. Thick enough to hide behind. Adagio craned her neck at the trunk, watching and waiting for anything to happen.

Just then Adagio thought she saw something move on the side of the tree trunk. It was hard to make out anything with the entire tree being covered in pitch black darkness, so she squinted her eyes at the spot where she believed she saw movement. Adagio locked her eyes on that spot and waited.

Adagio looked at the tree for so long that her eyes started playing tricks on her. It began to look as though parts of the trunk started to move or bend on their own, but Adagio knew it was just an illusion when she moved her eyes or blinked. However, it was when one part of the moving trunk that did not bend back in place that Adagio stopped blinking.

Her body tensed up as she watched with wide eyes at the shifting shadow bending away from the tree. Just when she thought it couldn’t move anymore, it did so anyway. Then the shadow jumped.

Adagio, startled, jumped away from the shadow and let out a small yelp as she watched it scurry across the road to the other side of the street.

A squirrel.

Adagio’s body untensed in a stupor.

A squirrel?

A stupid squirrel?!

Adagio’s cheeks flushed. She stomped her foot feeling so defeated by the night. A loud groan escaped her lips as she lowered her face and began rubbing her temples.

The teen just couldn’t believe what had just happened. She freaked out over a measly rodent of all things. It was the restroom all over again. It’s official, she’s gone paranoid.

Adagio groaned into her palms. She’s been getting good at that. The siren heaved the heaviest of sighs before continuing down the road. She couldn’t believe her luck, or lack thereof. Between being too afraid to use the restroom over nothing and being stalked by squirrels, Adagio did not know how much more she could take. Maybe tonight was the night she started pulling her hair out.

As Adagio kept on walking away she pulled extra hard on her hoodie strings. Her head was snug in her scrunched hood; just as well, she could feel an oncoming chill. What’s with this stupid road? This stupid part of town? It has obnoxious runners with tunnel vision, stalking rodents, streets that just go on and on, and random chill spots. How does a place have random chill spots?

Adagio decided that she hated Canterlot, and everything it stood for. She had a sneaking suspicion that the city was secretly sentient and was taking all its negative energy out on her, with a vengeance.

Seriously? What more could this city throw at her that she has not already dealt?

The rhythm returned. Adagio didn’t even give the noise the satisfaction of turning around. It was probably just another dumb squirrel anyway. Yeah, another squirrel. Oh, who was she kidding? Knowing her luck it was probably a possum. That’s right, a possum. And every time she turned around it would stop making that obnoxious rhythm and play dead. There was no way she was going to let a possum get the better of her. Like that squirrel did when it ran across the road, scampering away.

Adagio froze in place upon a horrifying realization.

That squirrel scampered across the road. It wasn’t making a sound at all. Then if it wasn’t the squirrel making that noise, then what?

Adagio could hear the rhythm again. She tried to turn her head, but it seemed that her neck became stiff from fear. Adagio took in a shaky breath, feeling her heart skip a beat. All the tiny hairs on her person rose up. Then the rhythm disappeared again.

The siren seized the opportunity to move on. All the while, Adagio kept telling herself there were no footsteps, just her mind playing tricks on her. Yeah, that’s it, she’s going paranoid. It’s all just in her head. There were no footsteps, and they sure were not getting closer to her.

Adagio started power walking. She kept telling herself that she did not know why, after all why is she trying to outrun her imagination? Her creeping imagination, that was keeping up with her.

No, no, no! Nothing was creeping up on her. It didn’t creep up on her when she checked for it.

Adagio stopped again, as another horrifying epiphany became of her. The rhythm was gone, just like it always was whenever she stopped. Almost as if something was keeping in pace with her.

She had to test this theory.

Adagio waited for the rhythm to return whilst standing still. After several moments of dead silence, Adagio enacted part two of her experiment. She started off at a slow pace. Everything remained quiet, eerily quiet. Adagio transitioned, as smoothly as she could, into a steady walk. There was still no rhythm of feet. Adagio then began walking at a normal pace. The night air remained silent. She decided to keep her pace. Silence still remained.

As Adagio kept on moving, she focused her vision ahead. That overpass was still quite a distance away. All the more reason to keep moving on.

Eyes locked on the overpass, Adagio was steadfast in her steps. That overpass became her top priority. She even allowed herself to step on cracks.

Tap tap tap…

The rhythm returned. Adagio dared not to look back. She was too afraid of what she might see.

Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.

Still hellbent on getting as far away from that rhythm as soon as possible, Adagio’s speed kicked up. She shifted into a power walk, moving heel-toe with every step.

Tap tap tap.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Adagio had to check, she just had to. Slowly turning her chin to her shoulder, Adagio prepared for the worst.

The worst was realized. Still nothing.

Adagio kept on moving, even faster this time.

Tap tap tap!

Adagio’s fight or flight instincts kicked in and she chose flight. The siren began jogging as sweat began to drizzle down her face and her heart raced.

Tap tap tap tap tap!

Adagio began running, for her dear life. Looking back she still saw nothing. She looked ahead and saw she was nearing the overpass.

Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!

Adagio’s final nerve had broken. Adagio Dazzle submitted to her fears and began sprinting. The pain in her legs was forgotten, as she was fueled by adrenaline and fear. She moved so fast that the resistance from the wind began to pull on her hood and nearly let loose her hair.

Tap tap tap tap tap!

The siren took another look back. Still no one was in sight. Looking ahead she could see the overpass just within her reach.

The tapping had disappeared again.

Adagio looked over her shoulder again.

Still no sight of anyone.

Then, just as Adagio was about to cross onto the overpass she turned her face forward and saw the shadowy silhouette of a topless man, dressed in black sweat pants and white sneakers.

“Shit!” Adagio tried to halt herself to a stop, but she ran to fast to slow down and bumped
right into the man’s bare chest. Adagio bounced off the exposed flesh and began falling backwards. Out of instinct, Adagio reached out for something to grab onto. Something, anything. Only instead something, or rather someone, reached out to grab her.

The man thrusted his arm out and grabbed Adagio’s wrist. What followed happened so quickly that Adagio’s frantic mindset could barely process what happened. In one fluid motion, the man yanked on Adagio’s arm, pulled her up then immediately clamped his free hand over Adagio’s mouth before she could scream, and then used the momentum from pulling Adagio back up to spin her around and pinned her against a wall using only his hand covering her mouth, with her feet dangling in the air.

Adagio was someone who was seldom afraid in her entire lifetime. Sure she had her moments of fears, be it public restrooms at night or the moment when she lost her magic. But she never experienced anything like she was right then and there. For the first time in her life, Adagio Dazzle was terrified for her life.

“Mmmph! Mm-mmmmph!” she screamed, her cries muffled through the man’s large hand. Adagio grasped onto the man’s hand and tried to pry it off her face to no avail. She still couldn’t see his face under so much darkness, all she could make out was that he slightly tilted his head at her in the midst of her struggle.

Adagio, desperate, decided that the man’s hand wasn’t going anywhere. It was then she noticed the stench of sweat and nicotine. It made her nostrils flare from disgust. Still, stink or no stink, Adagio refused to go down without a fight.

“Mmm-mm-mmmmph!”

Adagio started slamming her fists at the man’s arm and tried opening her mouth to try and bite the man’s hand. Alas, in her mortal human form, her blows were merely gentle swats like being tickled by laced curtains and the man’s hand kept too much pressure on her mouth for her to even part her lips. Desperate she started kicking her feet at him but made no more difference than her punches.

The man let out a noise that was part sigh and part soft growl, at Adagio, like he was annoyed at her resistance. He then pressed more onto Adagio’s face.

“Mmmm!” she tensed feeling the increase of pressure. In retaliation, Adagio kept on thrashing herself at the man. Her tiny fists gently slammed onto his thick arms and her slender legs kept kicking at him.

This feeble resistance prompted the man to apply more pressure to Adagio’s face.

“Mmm-mmmmm!” she kept on swinging her limbs.

More pressure.

“MMMM! Mmm-mm-mmmmmm!”

More pressure.

“MMMM! Mm-mmm-MMMMMM!”

More pressure.

“MMMM! MMMM-MMMMMM! Mmmm-MMMMMMMM!”

Adagio’s head felt as though it was on the verge of caving in. She was beyond frightened for herself.

Out of a last ditch effort, the muzzled siren swung her foot right at the man’s crotch.

Without even looking, the man caught the foot right between his thighs. Adagio’s eyes widened more so from the man’s reflexes. The man then gave her another low growl and pressed even more so into her skull.

“Mmm-mmmMMMMMMMMMMM! MMMMMMMM! MMMMMM! MMMM-MMMMMMM!” Adagio screeched through the palm. The pain was so intense. Tiny beads of tears formed at the corners of her eyes as Adagio shook with the terror that she was about to die.

The man then craned his neck at the helpless girl, studying her expression. He then inhaled a small breath.

“Mmm?” he went.

Suddenly the pressure on Adagio’s face eased up. “Mmm! Mmph… Hmm?”

The man began sniffing at Adagio. Adagio sunk herself back into the wall as his face closed in on hers. The man took in tiny whiffs of her air before taking in a deep snort, inches from her face.

The man tilted his head at Adagio, while she darted her eyes in a confused panic. The next thing the siren knew the man eased his grip off her some more until she slowly slid down the wall and her foot was freed from his thighs until both her feet were planted firmly on the ground. Adagio was then dragged under a nearby street light while the man kept a firm grip on her face.

Under the light, Adagio’s hooded face was lit up.

Then Adagio saw him.

There stood a guy with the most hypnotic of features. His thick obsidian hair was styled smooth with his bangs parting open, relieving his forehead. His face had the sharpest of features including a very defined jawline, sharp cheekbones, and the most hypnotic of eyes. Oh, his eyes. It was like they said, how some people had eyes that stared into your soul. But this guy’s eyes were more than just staring into Adagio’s soul, they were skewering them with blades as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel. He stood topless with his light maroon skin glossed with sweat, and Adagio could see everything. His physique was one that was lean and very toned. So toned that Adagio could swear she was able to see the individual strands of muscle fibers bulging through his sweat polished flesh, wrapped up in varicose veins. It was almost as if his muscles were pressing what little body fat he had with so much pressure that they were formed into solid muscular flesh. Like coal into diamonds.

Just the sight of him made her breathless.

The siren couldn’t help but stare at the man. She did not know why she was staring or even realized that she was. Never has Adagio Dazzle been so fascinated with the human form.

Adagio was lost in thought that she almost didn’t realize that the man had pulled her hood down and revealed her bulk of hair. He leaned in again and studied her features, to which Adagio went back to sinking her head back into the wall. The man sniffed her again before bringing his face closer to Adagio’s. Adagio locked eyes with him for what felt like the longest moment of her life before the man slowly lowered his hand from her face.

Suddenly Adagio’s lips were free, yet she could not find her voice. She could not scream, she was too frozen with fear. Adagio could feel her voice in the far back reach of her throat but every time she tried to move it, her voice just kept still, refusing to leave the safety of her throat.

Adagio felt the man’s hand cup her chin. He slowly titled her face to the left and then slowly tilted it to the right before bringing it back to its original position. The man kept studying Adagio’s features, and little did he know she was doing the same to him.

Suddenly the man’s face got dangerously close to Adagio’s. He zeroed his face in and pressed his forehead against hers. Then out of nowhere the man rolled his face against Adagio’s and made a small gentle, raspy noise from his throat. Adagio couldn’t help but compare it to a purr.

The man then retraced his face from Adagio’s and released his gentle grip on her chin. He then stepped to the side and went off into a jog across the overpass before suddenly moving into a sprint and went off, and did he ever go off.

Adagio stared vacantly as the man just bolted away into the night. Almost instantly disappearing, he moved so fast. The siren just stood there and eyed the far distance where the man disappeared. Then everything caught up with her.

Adagio clamped her hand over her chest as it rapidly beat like a wardrum. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid down until her rear gently made contact with the ground.

On the ground, she was short of breath and of words.

Speechless was a word that did not belong in a siren’s vocabulary. Siren culture developed so that they always trained their voices to better lure and enrapture their prey. As such, sirens when by themselves or amongst other sirens, had a custom of speaking their mind. But lo and behold, Adagio Dazzle, one of the most infamous sirens found herself without voice or even thought.

She was having such difficulty in processing what had just happened to her. It was beyond surreal, even for her. There were no words for what she had just experienced. Adagio just sat there on the sidewalk, looking down that long road where the man had just run down.

It took several long, motionless minutes, but Adagio eventually snapped back to reality. The siren placed an open palm over her chest and found her heart beating alarmingly fast. She made herself calm down and hugged herself feeling another weird chill tickle her clothed shoulders. Adagio rubbed her arms and stuffed her hair back into her hoodie. She decided it was time to make the long journey back to her alleyway.

Adagio turned in the direction of where she just came and placed one foot in front of another, moving down the dimly lit street. Adagio would occasionally look back to make sure the man was not there. He wasn’t, nor did she hear any rhythmic running. Adagio kept on moving with caution, nonetheless.

She managed to leave that particular part of town without uttering so much as a word or a loud thought at what she had just experienced. Adagio then made her way back to the neighborhood near the city. Only this time she decided to take the long way back. For some reason, a large city full of people before the crack of dawn seemed like the last thing she needed. Still, Adagio was fast in her steps. She wanted nothing more than to return back to her alleyway. All the while she got more anxious to return back with every step, as another feeling arose from her core.

It has been a long night for everyone in Canterlot. Especially for a certain pair of sisters.

Aria and Sonata were fast asleep with the latter resting her pretty little head on the shoulder of the former. They had fallen asleep some time ago in the midst of Sonata’s weeping. Sonata seemed to have tired herself out from crying so much in one night and after she was down Aria was not far behind to follow in her sister’s footsteps.

The sirens cherished their sleep ever since they started living on the streets. It was the one time where they could drift off into their own little world and forget about their harsh reality. It was a time they could just be carefree in their thoughts and do whatever they want, whenever they want. They could be sirens again. So naturally when Aria was awoken by that strange shuffling noise she was rather peeved.

"Mmm... Huh?" Aria mumbled, catching Adagio passing her and Sonata by the corner of her eye. “Back already?” Aria snarked, as Adagio walked past her without a word. “What, still don't have a plan, oh great leader?"

Adagio said nothing and just moved to her little corner of the alleyway where she rested on her side, curled into a ball, facing away from her sisters.

"Yeah, big surprise there," Aria said to the unresponsive Adagio. "....Fine be that way." Aria wished she was as heavy of a sleeper as Sonata. Aria then relaxed herself and let her head hang low as her eyes slowly drooped closed.

How long did she make herself wait? Ten minutes? Twenty? It didn't matter because each passing minute felt like an eternity. Adagio waited for her sister to fall back asleep before. Oh, how the passing time just made her more anxious and impatient especially with such a feeling aflame within her.

Slowly, Adagio turned her head over her shoulder to check on her siblings.

Her sisters were huddled together, in a deep slumber. However, Adagio kept a keen eye on them for a good few minutes to make sure they were truly sound asleep. Each passing second felt slower than the last as Adagio mettled herself.

Once she was positive that Aria and Sonata had gone to sleep, Adagio looked down the alleyway to see if anyone was watching.

The coast was clear, but she still knew that she was taking a risk for what she was about to do.

Adagio then turned back into her tiny corner as she felt a warmth arise in her chest. Said warmth branched outward and upward, arising to her collarbone and then traveling up her neck and warmed her cheeks into a hot pink before it came out as a warm sigh. Though she would never ever admit it to another soul, it felt rather nice. Not that she could help herself, though. It was hard to contain something so… radiant.

She let out another warm sigh and took in a deep breath from her nose. She caught the scent of something. Adagio followed her nose, it led her to her hoodie collar. Adagio lifted the collar from her neck and held it right under her nostrils.

It smelled of cigarettes and sweat.

It smelled like him.

Adagio immediately released her grasp on her hoodie and covered her mouth to muffle the shaky breath she inhaled.

Oh, dear Zacherle! It smells like him.

Adagio could not take it anymore. She slowly removed her hand from her face and rubbed her lips together. They were so dry and chapped. Adagio licked her lips wet and pressed them to press down the coarseness. The siren let out the tiniest of whimpers as she rubbed her thighs together.

The young singer took another whiff of her hoodie. It made her entire body tense up. She felt her cheeks become noticeably hot. Out of curiosity, she pressed her hand to her face. Her soft flesh was so warm, almost like a fever. Adagio then pressed her fingers against her warm, wet lips, giving them a small kiss. Then the hand made its perilous journey downwards.

It snaked down her lips, passed her small throat, but made a stop over her chest. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was trying to punch its way out of her ribcage. Adagio didn’t know her heart could beat so fast. How can anyone’s heart beat so fast? The beating was so loud that if she opened her mouth she swore she could actually hear the beating echoing through the caverns of her throat.

Adagio’s palm continued, moving down her thundering chest and slid on her smooth stomach.

Finally, her digits found the finish line. Her waistline.

Oh, so smoothly did her fingers slip under her jeans. Oh, how she squirmed when she felt her warmth.

Adagio submitted to her urges and rode them out into the dead of night.

Author's Note

Please feel free to review and critique as much as you wish. I'm not sure when I'll make the following chapter. I'm more excited for your feedback in the meantime. Also I feel as though I could have been more descriptive with the man's appearance. For reference I based his appearance on this guy. Johan Liebert: