A stoic girl with orange hair and yellow skin was currently using a power sander on the back door of a home. The door was about one fourth of an inch too big for the door frame, giving it issues when someone tried to shut it. Quietly and carefully the girl worked, polishing off just a little bit at a time along the side of the door, making sure to check each time if the door fit. Polish off too much and the door would let in cold or hot air over time. Eventually, the girl was satisfied when she open and closed the door slowly, determining the door was just the right size. She quickly cleaned off the sander and put it away in the shed nearby. making her way to the front of the home, the girl knocked harshly on the front door; About ten seconds later, an old woman with a bright smile answered.

"Oh, did you fix the door sweetheart?" The old woman smiled.

"Yes ma'am." The girl quietly responded.

"Would you like to come in? You look like you could use a rest dear. I just finished making some pancakes if you want some."

"No thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The old woman sighed, "Well, you don't work yourself too hard now. Tell your grandfather I said hi."

"Yes ma'am, you have a nice day."

"You too dear."

The girl promptly turned and left once the women closed the door. She had to hurry home, she was suppose to be back to work in the fields ten minutes ago. It wasn't terrible that she was late but it definitely wasn't something she wanted to make a common occurrence.

Pollyville, short for Pollyanna Village, was a small town across the mountain from Canterlot City. Canterlot was capital city, and appropriately enough, it sat right in the middle of the country. All cities could reach Canterlot with little trouble, assuming they had proper transportation, but the cities to the south-west were just far enough that it was annoying to drive to Canterlot, but taking an airplane was a waste. Pollyville was the answer to that. It was a nice, quiet little town just a short distance from Canterlot that gave travelers the opportunity to either refresh themselves before they made last stretch, or stop for the night and continue in the morning.

Despite the steady flow of tourist, Pollyville was a very backwater, podunk town. It itself had nothing to offer you couldn't get in Canterlot, and most of the people living in it were farmers. Only half of the townsfolk had phones, the only computer was in the general store. Everyone who had a slight spark of ambition or intellect usually left the town and headed towards Canterlot right as soon as they graduated high school. The girl walking home was actually an ace student herself, one who frequently dreamed of becoming a singer or voice actor; She wanted to stay though and look after the farm. She felt her sisters were equally talented and smart, even if they didn't get the best grades, and someone had to look after the farm and their grandfather.

Even if she couldn't pursue her dreams, she lived a happy life. Honest work had a way of keeping your thoughts simple. She loved her grandfather and didn't mind taking care of him up to his final moments, it also helped she was generally fond of the other town folks. She went out of her way to help them on principal due to the beliefs her grandfather taught her, but she couldn't deny the warm feeling seeing someone happy after fixing a problem. Sadly, the only villager who had an issue with the girl just started walking up to her.

"Hey Adagio!" Sunset put hand on the girl in a false, friendly manner. "Late getting home are you? I feel bad for your POOR younger sisters!"

Adagio quietly continued to walk as she ignored her.

"Hey!" Sunset shoved Adagio back, putting her face up against hers "I was talking to you."

Adagio tried to walk around her, but Sunset just pushed her back again.

"What, am I not worth your time, miss too cool for all the other students? Because you get the top grades in class, that means no one is worth your time huh? It's not like it matters, everyone knows you cheat anyway!"

Sunset shoved Adagio onto the ground and sneered. "For someone who's so great apparently, you could at least try not to be such an eyesore. Can you really call that rat's nest on your head hair? Are those rags suppose to be dirt brown, or do you never wash them? And really, would it kill you to put on a little deodorant? This is why you've never gotten a boyfriend before, you know, everyone always talks about how disgusting you are when your back is turned.

Adagio calmly rose back up, and starting walking away.

"There's a reason only the old timers like you, you ugly bitch!" Sunset yelled after her.

Adagio didn't think her fellow classmates hate her that much. She didn't really talk to any of the other classmates, but that's only because she had to hurry home after school and tend to the farm. Because of that, she never really cared much for maintaining her image. Sunset always messed with her the most, but sometimes the other students got in on it too if her sisters weren't around. Grandpa told her that all the kids around that age acted like that because of puberty. It wasn't her, it was just high school, things will get better once everyone's a little older. She knew she was a good kid, and that's all that mattered.

Adagio wiped a tear away and sighed in frustration. She couldn't go home and let her sisters see her like this, that would cause drama and waste even more precious daylight that could be spent on the fields. she sat down on the grass nearby and tried to meditate for a couple minutes while staring at the general store's sign.

PENS AND COUCHES.

If anyone passed by and looked at Adagio, they would think she was trying to burn a hole into the store's sign with her eyes. She was always scowling to some degree. It's not that she was mad, or always in deep thought or suffering some deep turmoil, the answer was actually quite simple.

Adagio was near-sighted.

She was always squinting, or rather, scowling to try and read anything remotely far away. To everyone else, they thought that meant she was always pissed off. The reason Adagio never got glasses or contacts was also rather simple, along with a bit sad. She was unaware she was near-sighted. She thought that everything was suppose to be a bit blurry looking at that distance, and everyone else was just much better at adapting to the distance than she was.

Feeling better, Adagio rose back up and continued walking home. She grimaced at the position of the sun, she probably only had two hours at most left in the field. reaching her home, she hurried in to drop off her backpack and drink a quick glass of water. The sound of coughing made her freeze.

"Hello?" She called out.

"Welcome home Addy! You were out late today, secretly partying while grandpa's out?" An old man teased.

He was smiling.

Before her stood a man who moved around and acted one-fourth of his age. While most people recognize and remembered her grandfather for his impressive beard, the first detail Adagio always notice was his gentle smile. It was a rare occasion of Starswirl to frown, and it was usually in jest. There wasn't a man she respect more than her grandfather. Normally, the first thing she would've done was hug him, but right now, he was the last person she wanted to see.

"Welcome back, I didn't expect you to be back from your trip so soon," Adagio replied.

"I get homesick easily!" He cheered. "Where were you today? Out playing with a friend?"

"No." she calmly said, not looking him in the eye.

"Oh, what were you out doing?" Starswirl questioned.

"Miss Matilda needed her door fixed." Adagio quickly replied.

"Oh! Well good on you to help her!" Starswirl laughed, while rustling her hair. "Now what's eating you up?"

Adagio suppressed a sigh. "Nothing, I didn't want to get home late."

"That expression isn't 'I got home late,' that's a 'my feelings were hurt' face. What happened Adagio?"

Adagio knew her grandpa would find out in a heartbeat, sometimes she didn't even know why she tried. "I was teased a bit."

"Who?"

"Sunset."

Starswirl wrapped her granddaughter in a hug. Both of them knew logically why Adagio shouldn't take it to heart. They've had that talk before. But emotions don't listen to reason. Adagio quietly sobbed into her loving grandpa's shoulder for a few minutes before breaking the hug.

"Feel better?" He said.

"Yes." she whispered.

"Anytime Addy, I love you." he gently responded, stroking her shoulder.

"I love you too grandpa." she sniffed.

Wiping away her tears, she give him a very brief smile before walking into the bathroom and washing her face. Having her sisters see her cry would never do. She nodded to her grandfather as she headed to the front door, but stopped when she heard him cough again. She turned around and looked at him closer.

"Are you feeling alright?" Adagio asked.

"Of course, why do you ask?" He smiled.

"You look tired, and a bit skinnier than you used to be."

"Looks like that exercise regimen has been working then." Starswirl stated in a serious tone.

"You haven't been exercising." Adagio narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"There's nothing to worry about, I just got a small cough. You're worrying me too Addy. Don't push yourself too hard, alright?" Starswirl warned.

"I'll be fine." She quickly dismissed him and hurried outside before he badger her further.

She winced again as she heard her grandfather sigh as she passed out the front door.

Adagio grabbed a hoe out from the tool shed and headed towards the fields. It was getting close to fall so it was time to plant new vegetables. Beets, cabbages, carrots, broccoli, collards... The girls had finished up gathering the summer harvest a week ago and had been preparing the fields once more.

Falling in line with her sisters, the other two stopped and looked at her expectantly. Making sure her face showed no sign of her previous distress, Adagio calmly spoke up.

"Miss Matilda needed her door fixed," she explained.

The other two nodded their heads and went back to work. The three silently went about their task, now going faster since there were three working in harmony rather than two trying to compensate for their missing worker. An half hour went by before one of them cleared their throat.

Adagio's ears perked up as Sonata quietly started to sing, a gentle tone that had no melody that gave the impression of relief. Aria smiled, but didn't join in just yet. Adagio on the other hand, started to slightly panic. She could hide her emotions from her sisters just fine with words, but nothing was hidden between their songs. She knew it would be suspicious if she didn't join in.

Aria added her voice to Sonata's, adding a slightly teasing tone to it, one that was good natured and full of warmth. Sonata's turned playful too and the song was a lighthearted one full of mischief.

Adagio gulped and cleared her throat. Raising her voice a sorrowful tone joined the other two, clashing against it. Her sisters stopped and looked at Adagio in concern, they would question her later, no doubt, the farm work waited for no one.

The other two joined, now singing a soothing melody, one full of compassion and love, trying to heal their sister with their voices. The three combined in harmony, singing a sad melody that slowly bled away the pain, purifying the pain in Adagio's heart.

The song went on for about ten minutes before all three stopped for a group hug. Brushing away a tear, Adagio went back to work on the field.