//------------------------------// // CH11: Making Headway. // Story: Mutual Interests // by Spirit Shift //------------------------------// —and with shaking legs, Daring Do brought herself over to a nearby stream to rest. By the sounds of the moans behind her, Daring assumed that Spirit was also regaining consciousness. First and foremost however, she was thirsty. Being thrown around by the power of an ancient deity would do that to a girl. However, when she made it to the river, her face twisted into an expression of confusion and horror when she found that her worst fear had come true. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me!” the adventurer screamed. Spirit bolted upright and threw his head back and forth in a panic. “What? Who? What’s… wrong…? Sweet,” he chuckled. Eventually, his head panned down to look at his chest. Where a blue jacket should have been, there was a brown cargo jacket. And where his flat but still manly chest should have been, there were currently two smallish hills. It was just three short seconds before he felt himself being dragged up by his collar and forced to face what used to be his face. Daring Do had somehow managed to twist it into something that he himself had never really managed to make; an expression of blind fury. “This is your fault! I knew this would happen. I knew it!” she screamed. Spirit almost chuckled when he heard his own voice yelling at him. Then full out laughed when he realized that Daring’s normal voice didn't sound all that different. Unfortunately, a sudden choking sensation cut his laughter off. Still smiling brightly despite being held at metaphorical gunpoint, he wiggled a finger and tutted, “Technically, it’s Benivelzhe’s fault.” Daring shook him back and forth in a rage. “It’s your amulet! You idiot!” “Our amulet,” Spirit teased. “Half belongs to you, ya know.” Suddenly, his smile turned slightly awkward. “By the way, can you let me down? You’re hurting my delicate bosoms,” he pouted. “Rainbow Dash!” Sunset hissed. “Huh, what?” Snapping out of her reading fantasy, Dash realized that firstly, Sunset was glaring at her, and secondly, Cheerilee was also glaring at her from where she stood by the corner. “Are you trying to get me kicked out of here?” Sunset hissed quietly. “What? What was I doing?” she asked, a small chuckle escaping as she talked. Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re laughing too loudly. Plus, why are you still here?” Dash’s smile dropped and was replaced by a look of confusion as she wordlessly wondered why she would leave. Sunset read her face and answered. “You have the book, you can go now. Why are you still reading it here when you could go home or something?” she asked. Her tone was something between mock apathy and genuine curiosity. “Wait, you actually trust me to give this back to you?” Rainbow asked, surprised. “No, you can have it,” she replied snidely. “I have two other copies including this one.” She held up the one in her hand before going back to her reading. “No way! I don’t take handouts. I… Hold on a second.” Rainbow stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Were you the one who bought the last three copies yesterday?” Sunset absentmindedly answered while turning a page in her book. “Probably. One of my old habits was to get the last of something and lord it over the ones who missed… out.” Her eyes went wide when she realized what she was saying. Hesitantly, she glanced up at Rainbow’s hurt face. Then immediately, she lowered it and shrunk back in her seat. “Sorry…” she mumbled. She had expected Rainbow to simply take the book and leave. Such a thing wouldn't have hurt her feelings though, because she knew that she deserved it. For a while now, Sunset had been trying to make it a habit to break all of her old mean girl habits. One of which was teasing others about what they didn’t have. Obviously, she still had some work to do. What she didn't expect was for Rainbow Dash to lean back in her seat with a hushed chuckle. “Nah, it’s fine,” she said. “At least you’re sorry about it. I’d be more mad if you didn't apologize. Plus, I do the same thing sometimes.” Sunset raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Tease people with things they don’t have?” “No,” she answered. “I buy three copies of the books. You know why, right?” Sunset crossed her arms. “Of course. One to read at home, one to read outside, and a back-up to hold onto in case something happens to one of the others.” Now it was Rainbow’s turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow. “Sunset, I think you missed one. It’s ‘one to read, one to hold onto, and one to let others borrow or trade.'” Sunset thought about it for a second before groaning into her palm. “Oh… right. I’m sorry. You're right. I’ve never let anyone borrow anything before, so I must have changed the rule.” Rainbow was about to open her mouth when Cheerilee came by their table. Rainbow looked up at her with a panicked expression while Sunset averted her gaze shamefully. “We weren't being loud, I swear!” Rainbow said loudly. Cheerilee rolled her eyes and shook her head before pointing towards the clock on the far wall. Rainbow and Sunset glanced over and realized that it was just past five o’clock. They then noticed that the library was empty. Finally, they noticed that Cheerilee had on a jacket and was carrying her bag. It didn't take them long to connect the dots. Sunset quickly got to packing her backpack, but when Rainbow tried to hand the book back to her, she refused and pushed it back. “Keep it. Like I said, I have two others,” she urged, walking back towards the entrance. Dash gave her a sullen look. Irritated, she caught up to her and stuffed the book back into Sunset’s bag. “Like I said, I don’t take hand outs. You’re gonna be here tomorrow, right. I’ll just meet you here and read it again.” “But don’t you wanna take it home with you? Why do you have to read it here?” Sunset asked, her face a deep shade of confusion. Rainbow Dash groaned. “Ugh, do I have to spell it out for you? Look, just hold onto it. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, Dash speed out of the library. Still confused, Sunset went the other way. Unbeknownst to both of them, once everyone was gone, Rarity stuck her head out from behind one of the bookcases. With a bright knowing smile she sang, “Idea~” Grabbing her own bag, she happily skipped out the library humming a light tune. This time her plan would be foolproof. ~~~ The next day after school, Rainbow Dash found herself standing in front of Sunset, who was once again sitting at that same out of the way table. “Sup,” she greeted. Sunset Shimmer tore her eyes away from her book just long enough to give her visitor a surprised look. “Oh… that’s right. I forgot you said that you were coming.” Reaching to her side, she pulled out her second copy and handed it over. Rainbow Dash greedily grabbed it and held it close while she sat down. “Sweet!” she cheered. Opening it, she hurriedly tried to find out where she left off. Unfortunately, her mind went back to something that her nosy friend had said earlier. ~~~ The first thing that Rainbow Dash did after speeding out of her classroom was to head straight to the library to read Sunset Shimmer’s latest copy of Daring Do. Something she was absolutely bursting with excitement about. Unfortunately, her stride was soon interrupted by Rarity showing up and wrapping her up in a tight hug. Rarity nearly spun her around in glee. “Rainbow Dash, you are a miracle worker!” “I’m a what?” Already recovered from the sudden attack, she was already struggling to escape Rarity’s Pinkie Pie-like grip. Rarity did let her go but still held her at face level by her shoulders. “I saw the whole thing!” she gushed. “Of course I didn't understand half of it, but I know the look on a person’s face when they talk about what they love!” Rainbow leaned back awkwardly. “Umm, thanks?” “And making her hold onto the book was a stroke of pure genius!” Rarity suddenly pulled her close and gave her a serious look. “Whatever you do, you must continue doing what you’re doing!” Still semi-speechless, Rainbow nodded as Rarity finally released her. “Though, one piece of advice, darling. I couldn't help but notice that for the majority of the time your were around her you weren't engaged in any sort of conversation. You must try to remedy that this time around.” Rainbow Dash reeled back in disbelief. “I can’t hold a conversation and read at the same time!” “Yes, you can.” Rarity folded her arms skeptically. “You do it with the rest of us all the time.” “Yeah, but I’m usually not paying attention. I kinda just block everything else out,” she admitted, not looking the least bit sorry. Rarity gave her a deadpan glare but decided to shrug that particular issue off until later. “No matter. Talk to her more often. You got her to respond in a way I’ve never seen before. Listen, I have a plan, but it may take a few days. Just stay with her.” ~~~ Yeah, easier said than done. I wanna read this book so badly! Rainbow sighed mentally. Despite the object of her affection being right in her arms, she knew that she didn't want to deal with Rarity later. Reluctantly, she began reading over parts that she had already read, assuming that she wouldn't be as immersed this way, but still getting her fix. Here goes nothing. Rainbow glanced up at Sunset before simply deciding to ask the first thing that came to her mind: “So... what’s your favorite arc in the series?” Sunset glanced up at her lazily. “I’m partial to the Tenochtitlan arc. I love the fact that even when it was over, the effects still lingered throughout the other books.” “Really?” Dash asked, surprised. She lowered her book completely to look directly at Sunset, who was still reading hers. “I kinda liked Tenochtitlan but I never understood why it was so important. Like, I know it’s the cornerstone to gaining control over the valley, but the Rings of Scorchero just seemed like too much trouble to collect after the Radiant Shield of Razdan went up.” Sunset lowered her book and gave Rainbow a serious look. “No, you don’t get it. If Ahuizotl was successful in succumbing the valley to heat, he would have reactivated the enchantment of the Ketztwctl Empress, and you know what that means. He would have been unstoppable.” “Yeah, I get that part,” Rainbow replied, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms behind her head. “But you’d think that after being defeated twice, Ahuizotl would just give up on it.” “Well, he wouldn't be a good villain if he did that,” Sunset snarked. A teasing smile slowly spread across Rainbow’s face as she leaned in close to Sunset. “Oh, I guess you like the villains, then?” Blushing, Sunset threw her head down behind her books. “No! I… uh... I just think that they’re interesting. Their motivations and why they do what they do, I mean.” Behind her book, Sunset muttered softly, “I guess I can relate somewhat.” “Huh, you say something?” Sunset shook off her melancholy and brought her head back. “No,” she sighed, “It’s nothing. I just like the villains, alright?” Rainbow reeled back and raised her hands in defense. “It’s fine. Villains are cool sometimes. I guess that means that your favorite character is Ahuizotl?” Sunset thought about it for a few seconds before shrugging. “I guess so. I know that he isn't really an Ahuizotl in real life, but it still sounds like something that would be real back in Equestria.” “Personally, my favorite character is Spirit,” Rainbow smirked. “He’s just so laid back, it’s like he’s awesome without even trying.” Sunset shrugged. “I guess. He seems a bit… odd to me. It’s not like I don’t like him per se, but he just does some really weird things sometimes. Actually, hold on.” Sunset quickly turned a few pages back through her book until she found what she was looking for. Turning the book around to face Rainbow, she pointed to a particular paragraph. “See! Check this out. In this chapter he—” Rainbow instantly threw her hands on her ears and started blathering nonsense. “Lalala! Nope! Nope! No spoilers!” she finished. “It’s not a spoiler! Just look,” Sunset urged. Unfortunately it was no use, Rainbow was drowning her out with the sound of her own voice. Rolling her eyes, Sunset gave up and sat back in her seat. If anything, she wasn't going to press the issue and get kicked out over this. Sunset turned to glance over to the clock to see what time it was, but instead saw a familiar short-haired girl. Coco Pommel gave a small smile and waved, saying, “Hi, Sunset.” “Coco?!” Sunset blurted, surprised. “What are you doing here?” Her surprise didn't last long as she quickly turned her head away. Her tone was low and sorrowful. “Look, if Rarity sent you here to talk about the dress, tell her—” Coco hurriedly waved off the topic with a slight gesture. “No, it’s fine. Rarity isn't mad at you, she understands why you did what you did.” Sunset stared back up at her with wide eyes. “She… she isn't mad at me?”  Coco shook her head, and Sunset turned back to Rainbow Dash, who was back to reading her book. Realization showed in her eyes as she calmly sighed. “Why do you guys keep trying?” Rainbow Dash lazily tore her eyes away from her book to look at Shimmer. “What?” “You guys are trying to act like my friends by using what I like. Is Applejack gonna show up next?” Coco gave Rainbow a panicked look, to which she shrugged. Coco quickly dug through her bag and brought out a Daring Do book. “No, that’s not true. Remember, you told me that I should read it sometime. I went out and found a copy yesterday. But I think I got the wrong one because I can’t follow the storyline. I came to ask you two for advice.” While Sunset still gave her a suspicious look, Rainbow leaned over and grabbed the book from Coco’s hands and took a look at the title cover. “No wonder you can’t follow the story. You went and got the third book. That’s right in the middle of the Tenochtitlan arc.” “Really?” she asked incredulously. Rainbow beckoned her over. Once Coco stood next to her, Rainbow pointed out something on the back of the book. “See right here. if you read the back of the book it tells you where it’s at in the story.” While they started up a conversation over how to tell which book in the series it was, Sunset sighed wearily and closed her own book. It was like Rarity’s place all over again. Although a small part of Sunset was still bothered by this, the rest of her was relieved that their attention was off of her. Then, Sunset thought about the conversations that she and Rainbow had recently, and found that she was actually having fun. Then she began to wonder if being around them was a bad thing after all. “Sunset, tell her!” She immediately snapped out of her thoughts and focused back on Rainbow, who was holding out Coco’s book in front of her, and Coco who only looked more confused than before. “What? Sorry, I was… distracted.” Sunset began to reach for her backpack. “I think I’m gonna—” “Hold on,” Dash interrupted. She had a frustrated look. “Can you please explain to Coco how to tell the order of the books? I know there’s a list on one of these pages, but I can’t remember where it is.” Curious, Sunset took the book and looked through the first pages. “Oh, I see what’s wrong. The list doesn't show up in this book. Coco, come here.” Coco made her way over to Sunset’s side, while Sunset opened up the newest book and pointed out the list of titles. Unbeknownst to them, peeking out of the corner were two girls. They watched as all three of their targets engaged in an energetic conversation over Daring Do, as well as Sunset’s rapidly brightening attitude. Rarity looked on with a bright smile. “You see?” she whispered. “Look how much of a fan she is.” Pulling her head back, Rarity turned to her companion. A cheery-looking blond haired girl stood next to her wearing a baby blue shirt with a curious bright yellow tie. Her eyes were the most curious part about her, though. As they were skewed in two different directions. “I know that you don’t have any ill will against her, so will you please help me?” Rarity pleaded. The blond girl thought about it for a second before raising a thumbs-up and nodding vigorously. Rarity immediately drew the girl into a hug, similar to the one she gave Rainbow earlier. “Oh, thank you. Thank you!” she cheered. “You have no idea how much this means to me. It’s wonderful to know that there are still people like you around who are willing to give her a second chance.” After letting her down, the girl’s smile turned into a sly smirk as she held out a palm expectantly. Rarity looked at it curiously before rolling her eyes good naturedly. “I know. My friend Pinkie is making your muffins as we speak. I had a feeling that you’d ask for them.” At the mention of her payment, the blond girl eagerly bounced in place, squealing quietly. “Shush!” Both girls turned around to see Cheerilee glaring down at them with a finger over her lips. “If you’re going to spy on them, be silent about it!” she huffed. As she walked away, Rarity and her companion looked at one another curiously.