//------------------------------// // CH13: If this works we're in the clear! // Story: Mutual Interests // by Spirit Shift //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash goaned and let her head fall onto the table. Across from her sat a pokerfaced Sunset Shimmer and a nervous looking Coco Pommel. “Alright,” she sighed, her words muffled by the wood of the table. “Let’s try this in a different way. Will you please—” Sunset answered before she could even finish. “No.” Rainbow threw her head up and looked Sunset right in the eye. “Why not!” she nearly yelled. Coco immediately glanced behind her but let out a breath of relief when she remembered that Cheerilee was currently in another classroom substituting for another teacher. Aside from Coco, Sunset, and herself, only a few other students were wasting their time in the library today. None of them seemed to be interested in their conversation. Sunset continued to stare at her blankly as she held up two fingers. “One: Nightmare Night is for children…” Coco raised a finger to correct her. “I think you mean Halloween.” This had been the third time so far and she still had no idea why Sunset referred to Halloween as “Nightmare Night.” The closest answer she could come to from context clues alone was that it was simply another name that people use to describe the holiday. “Yeah, thanks,” Sunset continued. “Two: even in costume I’m still not going out in public where people can hate me.” Rainbow ruffled her own hair in frustration, a habit that Rarity had been trying to get her to break for years since it always made her unruly hair even more wild. “But you have to go out in public at some point. People won’t even recognize you, I swear. You could even make a joke out of it and dress up like a demon.” Sunset’s face contorted into one of shock and disgust at the mere thought of even dressing up as what she once was. Joke or not, that was a point in her life that she never wanted to revisit. “Are you out of your mind?!” Sunset stood up and shook her head fervently. “No. No. No. There’s no way in Tartarus I’m ever going to do that!” Rainbow backed up slightly and held her arms up in submission. If the look in Sunset’s eyes was any indication she really didn’t want to press the issue. “Alright. Calm down. It was just a suggestion.” Coco looked up at her with a concerned look. “It doesn't have to be a demon. You could be an angel or a fairy. Something good.” Sunset glanced back down at Coco who flinched at her angered glare. Noticing this, Sunset’s expression softened and she at back down with a weary sigh. “I’m sorry guys, but no. I’m not dressing up as anything and I’m not going trick-or-treating with you. Plus, those three kids are going with you right? I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t want me around.” Sunset thought back to her rather… interesting encounter with Apple Bloom. “The Crusaders?” Truthfully, Rainbow had completely forgotten about them until today which is why she had brought the idea up. Granny Smith seemed pretty determined to be in bed well before the time everyone would be out and about. Unfortunately, last Halloween Rainbow had spent too much time pranking and lost the bet she had made with Applejack to decide who would be the chaperone this year. “Well this could be a good chance to show them that you’re not as bad as they think you are?” Sunset crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair with a raised eyebrow. Rainbow’s stretched attempt at an optimistic response was not lost on her. “Nice try, but no.” Rainbow slumped back in her chair and groaned once again. Sunset rolled her eyes and decided that it was time to clear up some things. “Look,” she hissed, looking between Rainbow and Coco’s eyes, “I get that you guys still have some insane notion that you need to be my friends, but listen. I don’t need any. I don’t want any. Right now you guys are just two people who follow me here everyday. I don’t have any interest in getting anyone to like me. All I care about is not being hated any more than I already am untill I get back to Equestria. Got it?” “And what about afterward?” Coco asked instantly, leaning closer to Sunset.  “Are you going to make some friends when you get back there? Or at least make up with your mentor?” Her eyes and tone were those of someone who cared deeply about the wellbeing of another, no matter who they were. Sunset, as usual couldn’t meet get gaze directly. The sheer optimism and innocence that radiated off of her only served to remind Sunset of what she had done to similar people. People like her used to challenge her rule back when she was mean and Sunset had taken steps to break their spirits. Fluttershy was a good example. “I don’t know,” she answered, mumbling her words slightly more than she intended. “I’ll try to talk with her, but I won’t be surprised if she doesn't want anything to do with me. She’s got a new student anyway.” Several stolen scrolls, incapacitated and injured guards and the theft of a millennia old ultra powerful artifact of magic weren't easy things to forgive. Or so Sunset believed. Coco detected the hint of sadness in Sunset’s voice and quickly latched onto it. “Then what will you do when you get back? Do you know where your family is? Where are you going to continue school? But most importantly, are you still going to be as lonely as you are now if you go back?” Sunset reeled back from the questions thrust upon her. She had plans for when she returned, obviously. But something in how she asked her last question seemed to trigger something deep within Sunset. “That’s none of your business!” she finally answered. Tired of being questioned, Sunset grabbed her bags and got up from the table in a huff. Making her way towards the door she turned back and leveled a glare at the two girls behind her and said, “I’m not lonely.” Watching her leave, Coco’s expression fell and she turned to Rainbow with a distraught look. “D-do you think I went too far?” Rainbow shook her head and leaned on her hand. “Nah, she’s just got some issues that she’s gotta work through. Denial or something.” *Slam* Coco and Rainbow Dash both turned to face the front door of the library after it was slammed back open. Rarity stood glancing back and forth frantically before making her way over to the girls. “Oh dear… am I too late? Where’s Sunset?” Coco and Rainbow shared a confused glance at one another before Rainbow answered her question. “She just left. What’s up?” Rarity internally cursed herself for her horrendous sense of timing. “I had hoped that all three of you would be here, but I suppose I should tell you now anyway.” Her face lit up in excitement. The kind of excitement where one just wants to see their recipient freak out over what they got them. Reaching into her pocket, Rarity pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it over to Rainbow. “Open it.” Rainbow took the paper and examined it suspiciously before opening it up. As she read the contents her face gradually morphed from suspicion to jaw dropping shock and awe. Rarity’s face made a similar gradual transition to from silent excitement to smug tittering as she watched Rainbow’s face change. Coco just looked between the two with a constant confused expression. Rainbow looked back to Rarity and opened her mouth, only for Rarity to hold up a hand to silence her. “Don’t ask questions. Just make sure that Sunset goes with you.” With that she wordlessly left the room. Coco scooted her chair closer to Rainbow and looked down at the paper that Rainbow was holding. “What is it?” ~~~ “Sunset!” Rainbow yelled, running down the hallway to catch up with Sunset. Sunset turned away from her locker to see who was yelling her name. As usual no one even tried to make any sort of eye contact with Sunset, not that she wasn’t used to it. Stopping in front of Sunset, Rainbow gave her a huge excited smile and said, “Daring Do is coming here!” Sunset turned back to her with the most skeptical look possible. “You’re lying, and stop yelling,” she hissed, glancing around at the other students. Closing her locker, Sunset turned and began walking towards her next class. She didn’t get two steps before Rainbow moved directly in her path. “I would never lie about Daring Do. Look!” She pulled out the flyer that Rarity handed her yesterday. Still skeptical, Sunset snatched the paper and looked down to read it. It specified the date and time that Daring would be signing in the local book store. “Why would A.K. Yearling be coming here of all places?” Sunset carefully read the paper and glanced up at Rainbow’s smiling face. Then she reread it with a more neutral expression. “Yeah, I don’t believe it. A.K. Yearling doesn’t do book signings. She just doesn’t. Especially not on Halloween day!” “No, I’m serious!” Rainbow moved next to her and pointed at the bottom. “Once in a lifetime event. See?” Sunset continued to give her a neutral expression. It would be one of disbelief, but she was already having a tough time hiding her own excitement. “But out of all the places she could hold a once in a lifetime book signing, why would it be here?” Rainbow shrugged. It didn’t matter to her one way or the other why one of her favorite people in existence was coming to her town. She was just excited that it was happening. “So are you coming or not? Coco is.” The edges of Sunset’s lips twitched and formed the first hints of a smile. “Of course I’m going,” she scoffed as if it were obvious. “And you’re going to dress up right?” Rainbow teased, trying to take the opportunity to further her argument from the previous day. “No!” Sunset answered, all hints of a smile disappearing. Even if it was as her favorite adventurer, Sunset was intent not to dress up like an idiot. “Why not?” asked Coco having finally caught up to Rainbow’s dash through the hall. She glanced toward Sunset but immediately turneds away when she met her eyes. “Also, sorry if I was too intrusive yesterday.” “It’s fine,” Sunset muttered. “Anyway, I just don’t want to, alright?” Rainbow smirked, a brilliant thought popping into her head. “So you admit it then?” Sunset saw the look on her face and took a hesitant step back. “Admit what?” Rainbow held her head high and gestured proudly to herself. “That I’m a bigger fan of Daring Do than you.” “What?” Before Sunset could say anything further the bell rang, signalling the start of first period. Everyone who was still in the hall and those who stuck around to watch quickly dropped what they were doing and made their way to their classes. Nobody wanted to be in the hall when Cranky Doodle began his sweep. Sunset sent a final glare at Rainbow. “You're not a bigger fan than me. I’ll leave it at that.” Rainbow continued to smile at her even as she began backing up toward her class. “Hey, you’re the one who doesn't want to dress up. At this point even Coco is better than you.” Laughing, Rainbow turned down a corner, and out of sight. Meanwhile, Sunset was left to fume in frustration. “You are not a bigger fan than me!” She turned to Coco, who was still next to her. “She is not a bigger fan than me,” she hissed pointing at the girl who wasn’t there anymore. Coco tried to contain her chuckles as she shrugged. “Well they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Sunset gave her a deadpan stare. “You’re dressing up too, aren’t you?” Coco blushed and looked away. “I thought that it’d be fun. Plus you never know, something good could happen.” Sitting a palm on her face Sunset groaned and turned around to head to her class. “I can’t believe this...” Since Coco's class was right next to Sunset's she turned and followed her as she continued to complain. Over by their own lockers, three girls continued to glare at Sunset and Coco’s retreating forms. Rose scoffed at the entire scene before turning to her friends. “Like, can you believe this?” “I know right?” Lily Valley answered. “Seriously? Who does she think she is?” Daisy looked back down the hallway, focusing on the smaller of the two girls. “Who is that girl she’s with? I don’t recognize her.” Lily turned to see what she was talking about. “Pfft. I don’t know. Some weird transfer student or something. Probably a middle schooler,” Lily answered, referring to the fact that Canterlot High included a middle school. Though she seemed to forget the fact that only high schoolers attended classes in this section of the school. “You think she’s actually, egh, friends with her?” Lily asked, gagging at the word. Rose joined her friends in staring at the new girl. “She obviously doesn't know who she’s hanging with, that’s for sure.” “Well we need to fix that then don’t we?” Lily smirked. “It’s obviously too late for that Rainbow Dash and her friends though.” Rose chuckled and crossed her arms. “Totally. We need to tell her about who she’s really hanging with. Right, Daisy?” Daisy tore her gaze off of Sunset and Coco and turned back to her own friends. “Ye-yeah! Of course! She started walking down the hall opposite of Sunset. “We should get to class though before the second bell rings.” Lily and Rose shrugged and followed Daisy.