The Vanishings

I walk home, the late evening sun setting, casting the sky a beautiful red and orange. Tears stream down my face, but I quickly wipe them away, holding them back and burying my emotions. I've cried enough tears over them. Tears aren't going to bring them back. Action will.

I walk through Canterlot City, the wind blowing through my hair. The city's so quiet now that every teenager's gone. It doesn't feel right. Nothing does. I'm not sure if this blasted curse has spread to adults or if it's just children. It's impossible to tell. And frankly, I don't care anymore. I've had enough heartache and fear when it was just the kids. I'm not about to add adults to the mix.

A part of me just wants to give up. To not even try anymore. To just sit on my couch in the dark and wait to disappear. Just like everyone else. I mean, it's going to happen to me anyway right? Why even try when I've gotten nowhere? I'm surprised I'm still here anyway. Seven months since the first disappearance, longer than any other teen, and I'm still here. I don't know why. I don't know what's so special about me. I'm just a former student of Celestia's that's gone rogue and tried to rule the world, only to be shown the Light of Friendship, and then screw up royally at it but then became a valuable member of the team.

So why me? What's so special about me that I'm still here. Or…maybe I'm asking myself the wrong questions. Maybe I should be asking what's so wrong with me, that I was left behind. Maybe this is my punishment. Maybe I died in my sleep and this is the afterlife. Maybe…maybe this is how it's supposed to be for all eternity.

I arrive at my apartment building, where the landlord is sitting in a lawn chair on the front porch, staring out at the street, as though on guard for any teenagers that were missed. He barely spares me a glance, which I've grown used to. By the time it was just Rainbow Dash and me, adults hardly paid any attention to us. Now I'm lucky if an adult even looks me in the eye.

"Umm…hey…Mr. Doodle?" I ask hesitantly, but I'm not even sure I have his attention. He doesn't even move. Cranky Doodle was the former math teacher at Canterlot High, though, of course, he had to get a new job seeing as the school no longer exists. So, he became my new landlord. I'm not sure where the old one went, and frankly, I don't care.

I pause, and when it's clear I'm waiting for a response, he huffs heavily and snaps, "Whaddya want?"

I swallow nervously. Back at school, while he was known to be incredibly cranky over the smallest thing, hence his name, I'm not so sure about now. Sure, he's still as grumpy as ever, but he hardly even cares about anything I tell him. And believe me, when I still cared, I tried using everything I knew would piss him off during class. Barely even got a glance in my direction. Oh yeah, and him asking if I was done.

"Umm…I'm…I'm just gonna be…a couple of days late with the rent. I get paid Friday, but umm…well…the rent's due Wednesday and…I'll pay it Friday I promise but…"

"It's fine. Whatever. You know about the fifty-dollar late fee." He said dismissively, waving his hand.

"W-well, umm…I was kinda hoping you could wave it? Just because my pay period just happens to fall right after the rent is due this month and…"

"No can do, kid. You know the rules."

"B-but–" I start, only for him to hold up a hand. I shut my mouth, knowing this conversation is over and he'll tune out anything else I have to say.

I sigh. Another month of a tight budget I guess.

I use my key to enter the building, climbing up the three flights of stairs it takes to get to my apartment. The elevator has been broken for two years. The old landlord hadn't gotten around to it. Who knows? Maybe once Cranky Doodle gets bored of sitting outside and staring at the street, he'll call the maintenance guy or electrician or whoever fixes elevators.

Once I'm in front of the door with my number, the number twelve, I use my key to unlock the door, slowly opening it. Despite the… run-down condition of the building, the apartments themselves are surprisingly nice. The rent is also cheap, so that's a plus, I guess.

Sighing heavily, I make my way to the kitchen. I've hardly eaten since Fluttershy vanished, spending all of my free time trying to find out what happened and how to bring them back.

I throw my backpack on the floor under my second-story bed, right next to my desk. I turn to put my keys in the bowl I keep on my small table by the door, since Doodle made it very clear I get two sets of keys, and if I happen to lose them both, well I should just hope I know how to jimmy a lock. I pause, my heart stopping.

It's empty. It's never empty. I always keep my spare in there. Always.

I clench my jaw, grabbing the baseball bat I keep by my front door. What can I say? It's not the safest of neighborhoods and with teens vanishing left and right, I like to be prepared.

I slowly creep through my apartment, holding the baseball bat in a ready-to-strike position. I hear the sound of my fridge opening and the sounds of someone going through it. Not that they're going to find much.

I hear the fridge close, and I pause, quickly backing against the wall, right before the corner that rounded into my tiny kitchen that should really just be called a closet. I hear scoffing and a whole bunch of sighing. I practically hear them rolling their eyes. Then I hear the sound of footsteps getting closer and I raise the bat, ready to strike.

I count in my head. I know exactly how long it takes to get from the fridge to here. I've lived here for four years, I know this place like the back of my hand.

One. Two. Thr–

I pause, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. No. This isn't…this can't… "A-Adagio?"

Adagio turns to look at me, giving a quick glance at the bat in my hand, giving it a bored look before looking back at me. In her own hand is an apple that I know she just got out of my fridge. She looks…exactly the same since the last time I saw her at the Starswirled Music Festival. Same jacket, the same sparkly purple shorts.

I just stare at her, open-mouthed. She just raises an eyebrow at me. "A baseball bat? Really? Don't you think that's just a tad bit excessive?"

I look at the bat and then I look at her. Excessive? What's excessive is her breaking into my house and waiting for me in the dark rather than knocking on the front door like a normal person.

"How…how did you…how did you get into my apartment?" I ask, completely dumbfounded that Adagio, the girl who turned my whole school into a music battlefield, the one who hates me and my friends' guts, is here, in my apartment, as though we've been lifelong friends.

Adagio rolls her eyes as though it's obvious, and perhaps it is, but I'm too speechless to think straight. "I jimmied the lock…duh."

I glance at the bowl on my table before looking back at the orange-haired girl. "Where's my spare?"

Adagio holds up my spare key in her hand, finger through the ring. "Took the liberty of grabbing it, if you don't mind. Since, you know, I'll be crashing here for a bit."

I widen my eyes. This…this girl is so presumptuous. Where the hell is she getting these damn ideas? "I very much do mind. Give them back!" I hold out my hand, my other still holding the bat. She tosses it at me, and I grapple to catch it, luckily doing so before it falls to the floor. I look back at her. "And what makes you think I'm gonna let you couch surf at my apartment? We are not friends. You hate me."

Adagio ignores my question, looking around my apartment as though she's inspecting it. "Sweet digs you got here."

I blink, stuffing my spare key into my jacket pocket. Did she just compliment me?

"It's so…you." She says, giving me a sly look.

And there it is. She walks past me, dropping her half-eaten apple on the floor. I'm tempted to leave it there, like hell I'm picking it up, but this place is already a mess as it is. Papers are scattered everywhere and books lay open on the table, floor, and couch, notes and notebooks not far with a pencil, all evidence of my research for an answer I have yet to find. So, reluctantly, I pick it up and toss it in the trash, turning to face my enemy with the bat in my hand, who's already made herself comfortable on the couch, feet on the armrest, shoes and all.

I roll my eyes. 'What do you want Adagio?"

"Well, first I need you to answer me one question," She says, inspecting her fingers and nails, before looking me in the eye. "Do the names Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze mean anything to you?"

I roll my eyes. "You mean your little sidekicks, Grumpy and Dopey? How could I forget?" I mentally cross my fingers. Of course I could've forgotten. But the fact that Adagio actually remembers them means they're still here.

I feel I imagined it, but I thought I saw her flinch when I said the word 'forget'. Which is odd. Unless…no. Just no. Not Adagio of all people. I mean…she's…she's Adagio. I doubt that needs any more explanation.

That's when it hits me. Adagio is still here. She hasn't vanished. My eyes widen so much, that they practically bug out. I shake my head, refusing to let myself hope. She'll probably be gone by tomorrow.

"Of course you'd be the one to remember." She mutters under her breath. "Nonetheless, we'll be of use to each other."

"What do you want?" I repeat, though instead of irritation, dread begins to build deep in my gut.

"Well, originally I was going to tell your whole possy at once, but seeing as you're all that's left, I suppose you'll have to do. What I–"

"You remember them?!" I ask, shock filling my voice. I was starting to think I had gone mad. That maybe, just maybe, I had imagined all this. But having someone else remember reminds me this is real. Even if that someone is Adagio.

Adagio just rolls her eyes, her irritation growing, but there's something else about it. I can't put my finger on it, but it lacks its usual flare. "You mean Snow White and her six little dwarfs? The puny teenagers who ruined our lives? How could I forget?"

"Snow White? Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "You can't insult me with the same insult I used for your friends. It's a cheap shot."

"I know. It’s called ‘a cruel irony.’ Like my dependence on you.”

"Seriously though. What are you doing here?"

"I need you to do something for me. I need you to find my girls. They've vanished without a trace and I want them back."

I blink again. What is going through this girl's head? Did she just think I have them in my back pocket and I can just pull them out and just give them to her? Has she lost her mind?

At my dumbfounded expression, she rolls her eyes again. "You know, because you're you with connections to magic? Surely you have some sort of clue or something?"

I'm stunned silent for a moment before my mouth can finally form words. "Even if I did, which, newsflash, I don't, what makes you think I'd give it to you?"

"Because, Red, we need each other. Despite you being Celestia's top pupil, I have more magic experience than you could ever hope to gain. I was alive before your great-grandparents were even an idea. And besides, where my girls are, your…possey probably is too."

"How…how old are you? And how…"

"It was those gems you broke when you ruined our lives. They kept us immortal. Now that they're gone, we're just normal teenage girls. So, here's the deal I'm proposing: we work together to find Sonata and Aria, as well as the rest of the teens, and after that, we go our separate ways and we can go back to hating each other."

I'm silent for a moment before I continue. "Why do you want to find them so badly? All you three do is fight."

"Because…it's none of your business. So, we got ourselves a deal or what?"

I'm silent for a moment, biting my lip in thought. All of my instincts are telling me not to fall for this crap, that Adagio's just playing me. That she just wants to hear whatever information I might have just so she can ditch me when I least expect it. I mean, who knows? She could be behind this whole thing. It's just a coincidence that she just happens to be the only one who remembers the teenagers that went missing? Out of everybody? Am I really to believe that?

But, I look into her eyes and I realize I don't really have a choice. My friends and I are more like family than friends, after everything we've been through together. It's been killing me not having them here to help me through this, even if it's just one of them. I'd do anything to find them, even if it means teaming up with the worst girl out there.

But this is going to bite me in the ass, I just know it.

I groan audibly, just so she knows how much I don't want to make this deal too. "Fine. On one condition."

Adagio raises an eyebrow, telling me she's listening.

"You pay this month's rent. I'll pay you back half of it Friday when I get paid."

"Half?!" Adagio exclaimed, sitting up from the couch.

I cross my arms over my chest. "If you're gonna be staying here, you need to pay half of the rent. You can't just crash here for free. So…do we got a deal?" I walk closer to the couch, holding out a hand.

Adagio grumbles under her breath, twisting her lips in frustration before finally grabbing my hand and shaking it once. "Yeah yeah, sure, whatever. Deal."