//------------------------------// // Refuse to Admit Defeat // Story: Live Up To Myself // by HazelGems //------------------------------// A few days passed since the whole shopping spectacle, yet Moondancer still had trouble coming out of her room save for meals. Each time she barely said much to her roommates. At the very least they were respecting her privacy and not prying. By Friday afternoon she was finally starting to feel stir crazy, and got herself made up to go out. Perhaps some time relaxing in the local coffee shop can set her at ease. If she got a chair by the corner, maybe nobody will try to talk to her too. As she was getting ready, she heard some giggling from the living room. It definitely sounded like more than 2 people out there, but she tried not to let that bother her. Of course, it did regardless. Was Rainbow Dash having another of her damn sleepovers with that quiet girl? It was about to be 4pm, so it was probably early for that shit to be starting. Then again, it’s not like she’s currently worried about being kept up, since she still had trouble sleeping. Now that she put herself together, she once again dread leaving the room and seeing the state of the dorm outside. Stepping out of the hall, she noticed Rainbow Dash, Sonata Dusk and that pink haired girl, Fluttershy, talking to each other while holding books. The last one was the first to notice her. “Hello there Moondancer. How have you been doing?” The kind girl asked. “Horribly.” Dancer answered truthfully. “What book is that?” “Only the best book series of all time,” Dash interjected, holding it up. “Daring Do!” Moondancer snorted. “You know those books are practically for kids, right? At most you’d need the reading comprehension of a 12-year-old.” “Pssh, as if that matters.” She said a little defensively. “Besides the best art transcends age.” Dancer couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “And these books helped me overcome my dyslexia, so I thought maybe we could use these to teach Sonata how to read.” Rainbow continued to explain. “Wait, you don’t know how to read!?” Dancer exclaimed. “N-nobody really ever took the time to teach me…” Sonata squeaked out from being singled out so suddenly. She sort of felt bad for this girl. What went on in Sonata’s past that brought her to this point? “Well… maybe I could help too?” Moondancer suggested. There was literally no reason for her to help, but knowing Rainbow Dash, she’d fuck it up somehow for this poor girl. Oh, we would love for you to help, wouldn’t we Dashie?” Fluttershy directed at her friend. Rainbow tilted her head in a concerned look. “S-sure?” Was her answer. At least she had some semblance of approval. There was a stack of about a dozen more books on the coffee table to choose from, and despite her criticisms they were all lengthy. Definitely not for someone who has never read. “Hey, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for her to start off with these. Why not get some books for toddlers to start with?” Moondancer suggested. “Whaddya mean? She’s read several pages already.” Rainbow said. “Wait what in the hell?” “Us sirens are natural fast learners,” Sonata popped in with. “It’s an evolution thingy so that we could easily integrate ourselves into any society to hunt for prey.” Dancer was utterly dumbfounded. All along this girl had an incredible gift. “But wait, if you could do that, then it’s practically intentional that you don’t know a single thing!” “It was intentional, but not on her part,” Fluttershy said. “Her sisters made an effort to not teach her much, probably so she could stay obedient.” Fluttershy was patting Sonata’s back while she was looking to the side. It looks like any mention of her sisters gets a negative reaction. “That’s shitty…” Was all Moondancer could think of saying. She wouldn’t be surprised that Sonata may be harboring some form of trauma over the abandonment. “So… um… what book are you reading there?” she asked. “Oh, this one is called ‘Daring Do and the Mausoleum of Misery’. Rainbow said this was the best one to start off with.” “And it totally is!” Rainbow said jumping on the couch. “Even though it’s the third book in the series it’s still considered the best so far for bringing a more serious tone for later stories! Especially the movie adaptation, which everyone loved FYI” “I like it so far, even though I don’t know what every word means. But that’s what my friends are for.” Sonata said, looking at Dash and Flutters, then back to her. Moondancer’s heart genuinely felt touched with being included. Then the door swung open. “’Sup guys I’m back with the snacks.” Said a certain red head with dreads. “Piiiizzzzaaaaaa!” Exclaimed Sonata like an overexcited child. Treehugger was in the same room as her, setting boxes of pizza on the counter. The stoner looked back and realized there was a new person in the room. “Hey dude, you’re Dash’s roommate, right?” She asked nonchalantly. Moondancer didn’t reply, scowling instead. “Oof, I can feel those intense feelings. No worries, ‘cuz pizza can fix that.” Treehugger cheerily said, bringing in a pair of chairs from the kitchen. “Wanna take a seat?” Moondancer begrudgingly sat down near the coffee table as Rainbow gathered a handful of plates to hand to the girls. “So, why are you even here?” She asked matter-of-factly. “Dancer, come on.” Rainbow snapped at her. “It’s okay guys, chill.” Treehugger said assuredly. “Flutters told me about how Sonata wants to learn about things and I volunteered to help since yesterday.” “Tree was named valedictorian earlier this week too. Even she didn’t know she was qualified for the title. I thought if anyone was best at teaching, it’d be her.” Fluttershy chimed in with. This was literally the last thing Moondancer wanted to hear. How can this druggie possibly be a better teacher than her? She probably hasn’t crafted a perfectly curated curriculum! “Well, that isn’t necessary now that I’m here. With my help, Sonata will be a fully functioning member of society in no time.” Dancer stated. “That’s the plan man.” Treehugger said, grabbing a slice. “Ideally we were going to study for a GED so that this lady can grab one and hopefully apply here.” “Seriously? The next semester is 4 months from now. Even I couldn’t cram 12 years’ worth of education in that amount of time. You would practically deserve a reward for doing something like th---“ Wait a minute. “What time is it?” Moondancer blurted out. “It’s 4:45. Why does that matter?” Rainbow asked. “Oh crap its almost closing!” She shouted, grabbing Sonata by the arm. “Come on, we gotta hurry!” “But I didn’t get pizza yeeeeeee--!” was all Sonata let out before being forced out of the dorm. “W-wait what are you doing?!” Rainbow shouted, rushing out as well. The only ones left in the dorm were Fluttershy and Treehugger. “Um, do you think we should go follow them too?” Flutters asked. “Nah, it’s a problem that needs to be settled between them only, and I’m pretty sure they’ll get back soon enough. We can just watch the place for them and chill.” Treehugger said, laid-back. “Alright then… Can you hand me a slice?” Moondancer was dragging Sonata behind her at the beginning, but thankfully she stopped resisting when they left the building, instead jogging alongside her. “Where are we going?” Sonata eventually asked. “The dean’s office. I have an idea that could help the both of us.” The two of them barely made it out of the parking lot when Rainbow Dash went past them and blocked their path. “Where the hell are you taking her?” Rainbow directed at Dancer. “The dean’s office!” Sonata said in a helpful tone. “You son of a— “ “Wait wait wait it’s not like that!” Moondancer interrupted with. “I need you to trust me on this but I have a plan that’ll be mutually beneficial for all of us.” “What is it then?” She asked, arms crossed. “Okay, I need to be honest, I’m still forming it as we speak.” Dash took a step forward. “B-b-b-but it’s going to be a good one! You need to believe in me.” Rainbow paused for a second, thinking for a bit. “Sonata, are you okay with this? She asked. The siren looked back and forth between them, then nodded. “I believe in her.” “Good enough for me, but I’m coming along, got it?” “Of course! But we need to hurry, the office hours are almost up!” Dancer said, breaking into a run once again. As the three of them hurried themselves to the office, Moondancer knew what was waiting for them would help get her life back on track.