//------------------------------// // Secret Soft Sides // Story: Our New Life // by Arcane Archer //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash raced down the corridors, forcing Aria to run after her in order to keep up. She wasn't hyperactive like Pinkie Pie, but she still liked to run at every opportunity. "Come on! If you don't keep up you won't be able to find the classroom," Rainbow called out, over her shoulder. "More like you need to slow down, Skittles." Aria sped up trying hard not to lose sight of Rainbow. "we don't have sports until last lesson." "Then just think of this as a warm up," Rainbow said back, smiling, "It's on the next corridor." Rainbow suddenly stopped in front of a door on a long corridor, decorated with posters for new books and writing competition handouts. Aria, who had been trying hard to keep up with her classmate, didn't stop in time and slammed into the back of Rainbow causing them both to fall over. The two quickly tried to get up, causing them to fall over on to each other again, just as another student walked around the corner. The student laughed and did a wolf whistle when he saw the two on the corridor floor. Rainbow and Aria blushed at the awkward scene they had created and tried to get up again, that time successfully. "Well that was awkward," said Rainbow still blushing a bit. "You think?" Aria sarcastically asked, "Next time, tell me when you're gonna suddenly stop! And what was with that stupid kid? He saw that we only fell over." "If you were paying any attention to where you were going you wouldn't have knocked us both over and that stupid kid wouldn't have tried to be funny," Rainbow yelled in annoyance. "You shouldn't have been running in the first place." Rainbow and Aria turned around to see Miss Cheerilee, she had a disapproving look on her face. "As you're the first ones here, I want you both to set up for the lesson. Rainbow, you hand out the books and...Aria is it? I want you to put a copy of Rodeo and Jeweliette on each desk." The two girls groaned in annoyance, causing Cheerilee to glare at them. Aria followed Rainbow around the room, placing a copy of Shake Spear's play on each space as she did so. Rainbow's own book was at the bottom of the pile, so she went to her own desk last. There was a vacant desk next to her own, so she placed a new book for Aria on it, before sitting down at her own desk. "Nobody sits at that desk, so it's as good as yours." Rainbow gave a small smile as she looked at Aria. "I could use the company anyway. The guy who sits on my right, Bulk Biceps, he isn't really one for conversation." "Thanks," Was all Aria said in reply. The school bell rang and Cheerilee called for the rest of her pupils to enter her classroom. Aria didn't recognize anyone in the class, other than Rainbow. "Hey, Aria?" Called Rainbow. "Yeah?" "I just wanted to ask why you're in the second lowest literacy class," Said Rainbow, "It's just that you've been around for two thousand years, and you and your friends wrote your own songs, which were admittedly pretty good. I thought you'd be in Sunset's class or something." "I don't like all the analysing we have to do," Said Aria "I was alive at the time of all the poets we have to write about, and out of all the theorys teachers come up with about what the poets really meant, I'd say at least half of them are wrong." "I didn't know you liked poems so much," Rainbow said. "I've always thought of songs as a type of poem, some poems even inspired me to write songs," Replied Aria. "You always seemed to me like the tough one out of the Dazzlings, never knew you'd be such a sucker for poetry," Rainbow chuckled. "Everyone has their hobbies and interests, Skittles. Why don't you tell me yours? And don't say sports! What do you do in the rest of your spare time, your secret is safe with me, I've never been one for gossip." Aria sat and waited for Rainbow to respond. "I like Wonderbolt magazi-" Rainbow started, only to be cut off by Aria. "I said no sports!" "Alright." Rainbow glanced around to make sure no one was listening, they weren't. "I'm Daring Doo's biggest fan." Rainbow leaned over to her left and whispered it in Aria's ear, just to make sure no body else could hear her. "That's a book, right?" Asked Aria, "Not really my kind of story." "What!? How can you not LOVE Daring Doo?!" Rainbow screamed. The whole class turned around and Rainbow started to turn red with embarrassment. "Rainbow Dash and Aria Blaze, go and wait outside until the bell, you're disturbing my lesson." Ordered Cheerilee. "Well done, Skittles." "I said out, you two!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow and Aria continued to argue about what the best book was all the way to music. "Hey Ari!" Sonata ran up to hug Aria. "School is soooo much fun, Sunset's friends are the best!" Rainbow giggled a bit. "How are finding school, Ari?" "Shut up, Skittles, you make this school the worst. And Sonata, I told you never to call me that, remember?" Asked Aria. "I know, but I'm just so, so happy today!" Sonata then ran past Aria to Sunset Shimmer, who was just coming up the stairs. "Sunny! You're in time!" "I'm almost always on time for my lessons, why wouldn't I be?" Sunset asked. Pinkie jumped out from behind a door. "Maybe you could of got eaten by alligators or you could have got lost in the desert on the way to class and you would be drying up, all dehydrated and alone, so you'd see mirages of us all and think that it was really us but in reality you'd just be slipping into insanity." "I don't think that can happen." Said Sunset. "Oh yeah? How do you know you're not in the desert right now? We could all just be in your mind as you're slowly dying of thirst and lonelyness," Pinkie said. "Ughh, how lnog until the lesson starts?" Aria moaned. "Now." An older teacher with a snow-white mane looked at Aria, before steping into the classroom. "Everyone in, we have two new students joining us today and as you know all new students must perform a song, so that I can get a good idea of their musical abilitys." "Can't I just play an instrument?" Asked Aria. "Certainly not, all the students have to sing in music lessons, you can't just play instruments," Replied the teacher. "Since your name comes before Sonata's you will be performing first, Aria." Sonata and the Rainbooms looked at Aria expectantly. Fluttershy tried not to stare, but Pinkie held up a banner with Aria's name on it and the others tried to give reassuring smiles. She wasn't afraid to sing in front of people, but she knew that her voice would sound awful, even without singing it sounded like she had a frog in her throat. That's it! I'll just tell the music teacher that me and Sonata have bad throats, it's believable, thought Aria. "The reason I don't want to sing is that me and Sonata have both caught a cough, and our throats are a little sore." Aria lied. "They are?" Sonata looked at Aria quizzically. "Mine feels alright to me." Aria facepalmed. "It's obvious that our throats are bad, just listen to our voices! In fact, I think it would be a good idea for me to go to the nurse's office, I think it needs checking out." Aria rushed out the room before the teacher could reply. "Sorry, Mr Horseshoepin, but Principal Celestia asked me to keep an eye on her. Gotta go." Rainbow ran out the classroom after Aria. Rainbow saw Aria run round the corner, just as she got onto the corridor. Good job I'm so fast, She's gonna get lost running around the school like that, thought Rainbow. "Hey, Aria," Rainbow called, "Nurse's office is this way!" "Why can't you and your friends just leave me alone!?" Asked Aria. "Because I'm the element of loyalty, so I stick with my friends no matter what," Rainbow replied. "You'd consider me your friend?" Aria's tone became less harsh as she turned to look at Rainbow. "After everything I've done?" "I'm not one to hold grudges, I'm too forgetful, always forget what I'm holding them for." Rainbow gestured for Aria to follow her. "Now let's get that throat of yours looked at, it may not be a common cold, but I'm sure there must be something we can do to get it sounding almost normal." Aria followed Rainbow to the Nurse's office, Rainbow was kind enough to walk there, so Aria didn't have to chase after her. When they got there the office looked empty, except for Nurse Redheart, of course. The two girls walked in, but as Rainbow stepped through the door she was tackled to the ground by Scootaloo, who was covered in cuts and bruises. "Woah, watch it, Squirt," Rainbow said lightheartedly. She knew the kid well and was sort of like a big sister to her, so she often talked to her in a joking manner. "What happened to you?" "I crashed my scooter into the school trophy cabinet-but don't worry-all your awards are fine!" Scootaloo said quickly. "Hey, I doesn't matter as long as you're okay, Kiddo. Although it is good knowing that my awards can still be seen by everyone, just to let them know how awesome I am!" Said Rainbow. Aria looked over to Scootaloo and Rainbow, smiling to herself. "Ohhh, looks like someone's got a secret soft side." "Hey, you'd better not breathe a word about this to anyone, or my reputation is ruined!" Rainbow said. "As I said before, I don't partake in gossip, although it is kinda cute that you're really just a big softy," chuckled Aria. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aria and Rainbow had spent the whole of second lesson talking about themselves. Rainbow felt like she could be herself around Aria, as she knew half her secrets anyway, and for some strange reason she felt like she could trust the Siren who had tried to take over the world only a few days ago. Nurse Redheart had taken a long time to get a look at Aria's throat, because she was busy sorting out Scootaloo, mostly trying to get the young girl away from Rainbow Dash long enough to get a good look at her injurys. The Nurse couldn't see any thing wrong with Aria's throat, but since it was almost break time, she let the two girls stay in the office anyway. "Ohmigosh! Ari! How's your throat?" Sonata burst through the door, followed closely by Sunset Shimmer and eventually the rest of the girls. "Sonata, get...off, can't...breathe." Aria tried to push her hyperactive friend off her. "You were gone all lesson, Ari! Is it bad?" Asked Sonata. "Don't call me that, Sonata! My throat's fine." Aria said. "Hey, do you remember that time I was really sick and you got me that super cuddly pony plushie?" Sonata asked, smiling. Aria glanced around, hoping no one had heard and Rainbow burst out laughing. "Looks like someone else has a secret soft side!" "Shut up, Skittles!"