//------------------------------// // A Welcome Interruption // Story: Leap of Faith // by J3sterking //------------------------------// "Do you ever feel that sometimes, you should leave well enough alone?" Fluttershy paused, turning back to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was staring back at the school, one hand on her backpack straps, after all the other students had gone. All of them but one. "Um, sometimes," Fluttershy agreed. "Yeah, sometimes," Rainbow said in an odd tone. "Sometimes it's time to just mind your own business, and walk the other way, and don't ever, eeeever look back." Fluttershy stared at her for a long minute of silence. Rainbow sighed. "See you tomorrow," she told Fluttershy in a resigned tone, before heading back into the school. It wasn't too hard to duck around the faculty, or even sneak to the back of the school, where a doorway to the roof was located. A doorway that was supposed to be locked. Rainbow climbed a few steps, knowing full well that she could get into serious trouble for being up here. Not that the other girl on the roof seemed to mind. She was, in fact, standing at the very edge, one foot on the railing, with her arms folded across that knee. She was swaying just ever so slightly, backwards, then forwards, backwards... "I don't think that's a good idea," Rainbow intoned. Sunset Shimmer jumped, nearly lost her balance, but caught herself, planting both feet firmly on the ground. She sucked in a deep breath, then turned and shot a furious look at Rainbow Dash. "What the hell were you thinking?" "I was thinking that getting introduced to the sidewalk at high velocity is a wonderfully stupid idea," Rainbow said slowly, "and Fluttershy's right there." Sunset scoffed, turning back to the edge. She froze, for a second or so, then took a few steps away from it. Rainbow was content to let the matter sit for a moment—luckily, it didn't seem that Sunset wanted to die, at least, not fully. That made Rainbow's job a lot easier. "You know," Sunset said, "a lot of the students would be mad about what you just did." "To hell with them. I don't exactly like you, but you'd have to be a helluva lot worse than you are now for me to want to see you dead," Rainbow said with a shrug. "Besides, you could always get better." "It doesn't matter now, anyway. You've missed your chance," Sunset replied haughtily. She turned away from the edge, then strode past Rainbow Dash, and down the stairwell. Rainbow rolled her eyes, then closed the door behind herself on her way down. "Yeah, you're welcome," she muttered. Just outside the stairwell, Sunset paused. "Thanks," she said quietly. Rainbow flinched, catching up to her, but couldn't really think of anything to say. Instead, she elected to follow Sunset's leave and head towards the school's exit. Neither of them had gotten more than a few feet when they heard an casual voice say, "You should really be heading home at this point." Both of them turned to see Vice Principal Luna standing there, a mug of coffee in one hand that she swished around half-heartedly, staring at it in a bored fashion "Oh! Uh—yeah, guess I just...lost track of time," Rainbow chuckled. The worst part was, she wouldn't even be able to say that Sunset had gotten her into trouble this time—she'd brought it all on herself. Luna paused at a light creaking sound, slowly flicking her eyes to the door that lead up the stairwell that Rainbow had just come down from, as Rainbow realized she'd only closed the top door behind herself. Luna's eyes flickered with surprise, staring at the door, as Sunset shot a glare at Rainbow Dash that could have set paper on fire, before Luna turned towards them with a glare even worse. "Oh, there you are!" The tension suddenly snapped as Fluttershy bounded over, to Rainbow Dash and Sunset, holding up the brooch that normally sat in her hair. "Hey, Rainbow, Sunset, thanks for helping me look for my brooch, but I found it, so we can go now!" "Oh," Sunset said quickly. "That's great. I was kinda devolving into that thing where you check the same three places over and over again, you know?" "Yeah, I was also checking the same three," Rainbow said lamely. She cringed at it, while Sunset closed her eyes and waited for Luna to stack a million years of detention on the two of them. Luna stepped calmly over, and closed the door. "Did either of you see who went up there, as you've apparently been marching past this door for the past ten minutes?" "Uh, no? Maybe one of the other faculty?" Sunset asked. "I'm guessing they were up there earlier today, and just didn't shut it properly." "And the door swung open on its own?" Sunset thumbed to Rainbow Dash. "This girl lumbers like a giant. Her footsteps could shake squirrels from their trees." "And have," Fluttershy put in. Rainbow glared at them. Luna stopped to lock the door, then nodded to them. "Well, then, you'd best be off." Sunset, Fluttershy, and Rainbow began a quick march before Luna could change her mind. "Oh, and by the way?" They froze, turning to look at Luna with fear in their eyes. "Coincidences seldom happen twice," Luna said sternly, before turning around and walking off. Sunset let out a sigh of relief. "The one time I'm not trying to land anyone in detention, too," she muttered angrily. "Hey, we're both free and clear," Rainbow replied, giving her a sharp elbow. "Thanks to Fluttershy. Good job, girl!" "Oh, it was nothing," Fluttershy said, putting her butterfly brooch back in her hair. "I was so nervous there..." "You ever considered taking acting lessons?" Sunset asked. "You were a little nervous, but otherwise, I think you nailed it." As they stepped out the front doors, Fluttershy considered it. "Well, I mean, I'm not exactly the best person to be on a stage..." Sunset chuckled. "In a way, is it really 'you' on the stage? No one sees 'Fluttershy', the meek, the timid, but, rather, they see the role you are playing." She twirled ahead of them, turning to face them while thrusting her arms wide, raising them partly to the sky. She smiled. "That's how I view it, anyway." She let her arms fall to her side as she stopped to lean against the Wondercolt statue, eyes closing and her normal, confident smirk appearing on her face. It faded, though, and she opened her eyes and looked sadly to one side. "Hey...Rainbow...you went to help me. What...you said...did you mean it?" "Yeah," Rainbow said without hesitation. "You're kind of a jerk, but otherwise, you're not so bad." "Do you...think..." She hesitated. "Do you think it's too late for me to change?" she whispered. Rainbow did have a reply for that, but Sunset continued before she could say anything. "I...all my life, I've been struggling to be this image of 'the best'. The perfect. This image of...of royalty." She blinked, then wiped away the tear off her cheek with an annoyed grimace. "I believed it was my destiny, but...everything I've done...it's not put me any higher. It...hell, it almost made me jump from a roof. Have...have I been going about this wrong?" "I don't think it's too late for you to change, so long as you want to," Rainbow said with a shrug. She stepped over, putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "And so we're clear...yes. If 'perfection' is what you're after, then you've sure as hell been going about it wrong." Sunset chuckled. "Yeah, I figured that out when Flash dumped me," she said quietly. Fluttershy reached into her backpack, then pulled out a fluffy bunny rabbit. She stepped over close to Sunset, holding out the bunny. "Hold this," she ordered. Sunset blinked in surprise, taking the bunny before she could really even think about it. The bunny's nose wiggled. Sunset chuckled. "Um, what am I doing here?" she asked awkwardly. "Feeling better, hopefully," Fluttershy said. "Is it working?" "Um—yes? Somehow?" She shrugged. "I normally don't even like small, fuzzy animals," she muttered. The bunny curled up her hands, blinking up at her with its wide eyes. "Aw," Sunset cooed. A car pulled to a stop by the curb, causing all three of them to look up. The window rolled down. Luna sat with one hand on the steering wheel, saying, "Hop in, I'll give you a ride home." Rainbow looked at the sun—getting quite low in the sky—then back to the vice principal. "Sure, thanks," she said. "Oh, that would be wonderful," Fluttershy agreed. "I'll just walk," Sunset said, before Rainbow seized her arm. "Come on," she said. Sunset begrudgingly let herself be shoved into the backseat of Luna's car, between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Luna began the drive, staying silent. Sunset stayed silent, as well, and Rainbow Dash could only take so much. "So," she said. "Sunset. You play any games?" "A few. Not many for very long, though." "We could hang out at my place," Rainbow offered tentatively. Sunset remained quiet for a long moment. A small part of Rainbow Dash feared that even after their conversation, Sunset would say no. Another part hoped she would. "Sure," Sunset said. "You wanna come to, Fluttershy?" Rainbow offered. "Oh, I don't know," Flutteshy answered. "I have animals to feed, work to do..." "That's cool," Sunset said. "Everyone has things they need to do sometimes." "Then here we are," Luna said, pulling to a stop. "Your home, Miss Shy." "Oh, thank you Luna," Fluttershy said, opening the door. Sunset handed the bunny back, and Fluttershy opened the backpack up. The bunny hopped into it, curling up with several other animals, and Fluttershy zipped it back up. "Wait!" Fluttershy paused as, face red, Sunset dug through her purse. "I, uh, feel like I should give this back." She handed Fluttershy a small collection of loose change. Fluttershy stared at it, then smiled. She took half of it, but then pushed the rest firmly into Sunset's hand. She shook her head, wordlessly, and shut the door, marching off to the very large house her parents owned. "Huh?" Sunset said with a dumbfounded expression. "Don't question it," Rainbow said. "When Fluttershy decides she is going to do something, no one can stop her." Luna chuckled, starting the car moving again. "Though don't think that the gesture was unappreciated, Sunset. I'm certain she was very glad for it." "Ugh," Sunset groaned, leaning back against the sofa. "If you say so." The car bounced along in silence for a minute. "So," Rainbow said. "Nice weather?" "Er, yeah," Sunset said. Another moment of awkward silence passed before the car slowly rolled to a stop. Rainbow had her hand on the door handle before she noticed that it wasn't her house. "You could always invite Miss Dash over to your house, Sunset," Luna suggested. "Is that your house?" Rainbow looked at it, then let out a whistle. "Houses that big are never gonna get old for me." Sunset stared at Luna in a mix of abject horror, confusion, and betrayal. "Are...are you okay?" Rainbow asked. "Wait, why are you taking people's lunch money if you're frikkin' loaded? What's the point?" "Power, Rainbow," Sunset said with a sigh. "It was because I could." "Oh. Yikes." Bad thing to ask. "Just come along," Sunset said, sliding out her door. Rainbow slipped out her door, and as she passed Luna, said, "Thanks for the ride, Miss Luna." Luna opened her door as she slipped out of the driver's seat. "'Twas my pleasure," she said simply. Rainbow blinked as Luna walked past where Sunset had stopped, boldly up to the door of Sunset's house. "Um," Rainbow said. "I feel like I'm missing something here. Care to fill me in?" "You'll see in just a minute," Sunset said with a sigh. She marched along behind Luna, leaving Rainbow to catch up. The path up to the front door was lined on either side with bushes. Sunflowers lined one sides of the path, and thick, thorned rosebushes lined the other. The house itself looked to be on the small side for a large mansion, decorated with a sun motif on one side and a moon on the other, with the walls painted in such a way to vaguely resemble...what was it called? 'Yin-yang'? "So, uh," Rainbow said. "Flowers look nice." "Glad you like them. They were hard to grow like that," Luna said, pulling out a set of keys as she pushed on the door. It opened before she unlocked it, and she grimaced. "No matter how many times I tell her not to leave the door unlocked for me," she muttered. Rainbow didn't catch the rest as she stormed inside. "Sunset?" "Please don't say anything." "Is your mom the principal?" Sunset let out a sigh. "Yup," she said. Rainbow stared up at the door. "Cool," she said.