The main hall of the Golden Oaks Library was quiet, except for a quaint purple unicorn, a bold cyan pegasus, and a peculiar baby dragon.
The pegasus laid back on a bean-bag, and held the latest issue of Daring Do up to the sky with her two front hoofs. Her eyes, went left to right, left to right. Then her eyes stopped. She pressed her snout against the second page, and pushed it left. She began to read the next page.
The dragon; who sat on the other side of the library, rested his purple scaled back against the wall of the library. The drake’s tail held itself in front of it’s owner’s face. A book seated itself on top of two green spikes; these spikes going from the tip of his tail to the top of his head. Ironic enough, this was the dragon’s name.
The last occupant, the lavender coated unicorn. Sat on a wooden chair with her eyes blankly staring at the many papers that laid on her desk. Her eyes trailed to a white cup, which held coffee that had gone cold. She looked at it for a moment. And, with her magic, that she can summon through the horn the rested on her forehead: she levitated the cup to her lips, and drank the coffee. Once she finished the cup, she closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Made a “Yuck” sound, and put the cup where she found it. She looked to her pens, levitated one, and returned to her reading of the new laws waiting to be implemented.
The soothing rain banged against the window of the library, threatening to put all to sleep.
“I can’t take it anymore!” shouted the pegasus, accidentally dropping the book onto her face. The sudden noise also caused the drake to flinch and drop his book as well.
“What's wrong, Rainbow Dash?” asked Spike the dragon, as he picked up his book.
Rainbow Dash looked to Spike from under the pages. “Everything! From the never-ending rain, to Twilight groaning every time she see’s a new paper. And this new issue of Daring Do is soo boring! I know she’s going to make the jump, so it’s not exciting anymore!”
Spike looked at Dash with a raised brow. “You’re still reading Daring do?”
“Of course I am! Why wouldn't I?
Spike scrunched his nose at her response. He decided against making a snarky remark. “Didn't Daring do get boring after the fifth book?”
“I wouldn't say it got boring. Just a little less awesome is all.”
Spike sighed as he looked to the book in his claws; he smiled at the cover of the book.
“If you want to read something really awesome, then you should check out what I’m reading.” He held out the book to her; the front cover reading ‘The adventures of Calliope!’
“Calliope?” she said. Dash rose from the ground, and neared the drake. “That’s one weird name.” Spike glared at her for a moment. “It’s not a weird name!” Spike whined, as his tone became defensive. “It’s an awesome name.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as Spike handed her the book. She ignored the title and looked at the cover art: It was a Grey pony standing on two legs, wearing a trench coat that fell to his hooves. Attached to his back was a big sword (much to big for the pony to wield). Rainbow pointed a hoof to her mouth and gagged. Spike failed to notice as he went on about his book.
“So Calliope is an odd jobs man. If you have the money, he’s willing to take anything on! And it’s cool, because he looks like a mean character, but then he’ll do good jobs, and ask for nothing in return!” Rainbow dash stopped listening half-way in of the summary. But watched the drake as he went on and on about the story. The way he was telling it; she gently smiled and laughed as he told the tale.
'It’s not often you find ponies so... excited, to just talk about a book.' Thought Rainbow Dash, as Spike went on.
“Like one time, in chapter nine. He faces off against five different swordsmen, and defeats them all in one attack! But one of the other swordsmen manage to strike a blow on him. He also falls to the ground. Calliope is about to die, when he remebers--” Spike took a deep breath in, as he spoke in a deep voice, “I must save the village!” Spike breaths out. And returned to his original voice. “And get’s up, even though he’s nearing death! I wish I could be that cool! I mean, if I had that much courage, then I could help you girls out more often! I would be able to save the day as well.”
'Ha. Just like Spike to get off topic so easily. I should say something like “You’ll never be as awesome as us!” Nah. He’s so happy right now. No harm in letting him go on.' Dash smiled as his his excitement was contagious.
“Oh, almost forgot about Calliope. So anyway, he get’s up, and returns to the village! And even on the brink of death, he challenges the enemy leader, and beats him. He saves the village, but is unable to save himself. And like a true hero, he mutters to everyone. ‘Allow my payment to be just one strawberry milkshake.” Dash shook her head and stirred from her thoughts.
“Wait, he dies? Talk about spoilers, Spike!” she playfully hit him on the arm with the book, and handed it back to him.
“It’s not really spoilers though, because in the next book, he wakes up in Tarturus, and has a fight with the devil to regain his life!”
“That’s even more spoilers!” she hit again once more.
“Ow! You’re right! I’m sorry!” he quickly raise his claws to an x over his chest; to defend from any more attacks. Dash only smirked.
'He's gotten so big. Yet he's still scared of me. How awesome must you be to scare a dragon?'
Spike dropped his hands and head and sighed. He looked up to her with defeated eyes. “So, what do you think?”
“What do I think?” Dash smiled and surprisingly giggled as she turned back to Spike. “I think it’s the most cliche piece of work I've ever heard!”
Spike sat against the wall. His shoulders were lowered, his mouth agape, and his eyes threaten to tear up at any moment. Dash couldn't help it, she fell on the floor and erupted with laughter. Tears of happiness fell from her eyes. And Spike’s head was set to explode from the amount of steam the came from his nostrils.
Twilight for the first time from sitting down, spoke up. “That wasn't a nice thing to do, Rainbow Dash.”
Dash lowered her laughter to a giggle, as she got up from the floor and wiped away the tears. “I know. But it was so worth it.” She let out a breath as her giggles ended.
“You just don’t know what you’re talking about Dash. This book is awesome!” said Spike.
“I’m afraid Rainbow Dash is right, Spike,” said Twilight. “That book really has been done a thousand times!”
“See, even Twilight agrees!” laughed Dash.
Spike huffed. “You two just don’t have good taste.”
Twilight became wary as Spike looked at his book with a new eye. He had done this before. When he was little, Spike liked a different brand of toys then other ponies. They made fun of him for this, so he decided to stop playing with the toys, even though he liked them. Twilight feared the same thing might occur.
'If I don’t do something quick, Spike will quit reading those books because others called him stupid. But what can I do to redeem him?' Twilight sighed for her brother's. 'All this, because Dash is disappointed with Daring Do… Wait. That’s it!
Twilight stood up from her chair and addressed the two. “Dash, you’re disappointed in Daring Do lately, right?!”
Dash took a moment to answer. “Yeah, I guess. Why?” Twilight ignored that last part, and looked to her dragon brother. “Spike, you’re tired of people calling your stories cliche, and instead want to think those type of stories are awesome, right?!”
“They’re not cliche. They’re--” Twilight fully opened her bloodshot eyes,and stared at Spike down. He gulped. And answered, “yeah. What you said.” Twilight smiled.
“So, why don’t you guys write your own stories?”
Dash and Spike looked at one another, and then at Twilight with dumbfounded expressions. It was Dash who spoke up, “I don’t get what you mean, Twi.”
Twilight placed her head on her hoof as she thought of a better to phrase what she was saying.
“What I mean to say, is if both your own geners are lacking, then why not create something new to prove that it’s still exciting?” Their exprisons didn’t change, and Twilight was ready to yell.
Think, Twilight! What’s something that would movtaite both of them-- Wait, I’m a idiot.
“So Dash,” said Twilight, “you could write your own Daring do book and--”
“Isn’t that stealing?” said Dash.
“Then you can write a fanfiction of--”
“I don’t do fanfiction.”
“Fine,” Twilights voice began to grow, “you can write a book inspired by Daring do, but it’s your own book.”
“I guess I can work with that.” Dash tilted her head as she thought. “But I still don’t get why we’re doing this?” Twilight ignored her, and moved onto her brother.
“Spike,”
“Yes!” piped Spike.
'Twilight is scariest when she's tired and mad' Spike thought.
Twilight sighed at her brother anxiety, and calmed herself down. “You’re tired of everyone mocking your dumb books, right?”
“Yeah, but there not--”
“They are dumb, Spike. But now you have the chance to make them less dumb; or even good!”
Spike tilted his head as well.
"I guess writing my own book about a cool swordsman would be awesome. Plus I could be a writer, and show everyone that those types of books are good."
Twilight smiled as both the pegasus and dragon had their head tilted in thought. If their heads were any closer, they might of been able to combine their minds.
'Strange,' began to think Twilight. 'How I haven’t noticed this before, but they are really alike. Maybe I can get Spike closer to Dash -- or heck, the entire gang by doing this. He might be able to fit in after this. Good job, Twilight! You deserve another tea for such a genius idea.
“I am still not so set on this whole idea; it’s kinda of a spurt of the moment deal,” said Rainbow Dash.
“C’mon Dash. What else can we do on a day like today?” said Spike, really liking the idea of writing a book.
“Yeah Dash,” piped in Twilight, “you could show each other your own work and see who’s genre is truly the best. I can be the judge. This could be like a challenge against the two of you.” The word ‘challenge’ had sent Dash's ears high, and her grin higher. She stood up and approached Spike.
“Well, Spike, it looks like you’re going down. What should the loser have to do?”
“I think admitting that their story sucks should be more than enough.”
“Okay,” said Dash, “you’re on!” She spit on her hoof, and brought it forward. “It looks like you’re going down.”
Spike spit on his claw, and met Dash in the middle. “What are you talking about; you can’t even write with your hooves. Whereas I, have handwriting.”
“Everyone knows that mouthwriting is way better than handwriting.”
“Hey!” angrily shouted Spike. “You take that back! Everyone knows that handwriting is better then mouth writing.” Spike turned to Twilight. “Right, Twi?” Twilight banged her head against her wooden door.
"Ahh! This means that mouth writing is better than handwriting. I’m done for!" Spike slammed his claw against the wood floor. Rainbow Dash left the library with that much more confidence in her stride. Twilight raised her head from the desk.
“You’re going to get ahead of the game, aren't you Dash?”
“You know it, Twi"
As Dash went to leave the library, Spike noticed that also on the floor along him, was Dash's book. "Hey, Dash!" he called from the floor. "You're forgetting Daring Do. Aren't you going to use it for reference?"
Dash looked to Spike as she made her next comment. “It won’t be much use reading a book that I’m going to be better than anyway. But feel free to do so, Spike.” Dash playfully stuck out her tongue as she soared out the library.
Twilight turned to Spike. “Don’t take her serious, Spike. She’s only caught up in--”
“I’m going to beat her! Even if she has the better writing style; my story is going to be so awesome, she won’t be able to close her mouth to write her story!” And with that, Spike rushed upstairs to write his book. As Dash flew home to do the same.
Twilight head became wobbly, and her head fell to the desk once more.
What have I done?
And Twilight drifted asleep. As the paperwork remained on her desk, unfinished.
Dash had reached her home in the clouds,and used her back hooves to kick open the door. A Toritse raised his neck and eyes, and smiled once he saw his roommate and owner had returned. The two rubbed their cheeks together.
“Hey’a, Tank!” said Rainbow playfully, “Did ‘cha miss me?” Tank made some kind of growl; Dash took it as an approval. “As did I, buddy.” Dash looked to the clock on her wall, and frowned at the late time. Tank noticed his owner’s worried expression, and tilted his head in concern. Seeing tank’s face brought Dash out of her trance.
“Oh, nothing wrong Tank. It’s just, me and Spike,” Tank tilted his head once more, except this time in confusion. “Oh, c’mon. Spike! The small purple baby dragon-” A mental image of taller Spike looping on the wooden floor came to her mind. She giggled at the image. “I guess he’s not so small now.” Tank kept his head tilted and his eyes staring blindly at Dash. “You know Spike, I talk about him all the time.” That comment managed to confused Dash.
Huh. I guess I really don’t talk about Spike that much. Actually, I didn't start talking to him until recently. Rainbow stood in thought. Maybe I've been letting work interfere with my life too much. Well. When's the last time I actually saw him outside?
Dash shook her head as she have her attention the Tank. “I guess you may not remember Spike, but he was the dragon that used to watch over you -- along with all the other animals.” Tank blinked, still oblivious to the Rainbow’s futile attempts of explaining Spike. After a few moments, however, he smiled and groaned once more.
“There you go!” exclaimed Dash. “Well, me and him are having an awesome challenge--” Dash went on to tell Tank the story of what happened, and how she now needed to write a book. Once she finished, Dash grabbed nearby stack of papers with her mouth, and laid it on her desk. She took a seat, and stared at the empty page.
“Now, to write something awesome, I need a cool plot.” Dash looked to Tank. “Got any ideas?” Tank only growled and flew off to bed.
“Well fine! I didn't need your help anyways.” Rainbow sat down at her desk, quill in mouth. “Now, what kind of adventure should Daring Do go on? Should it be a battle with Mary, where she has to save the day by rescuing her partner, Cole, who has the key to saving the lives of millions!”
Rainbow shook her head, unpleased with the idea. “Nah, that’s been done before.” She plopped her head against the desk, still thinking.
“I could have an adventure where Daring Do has to go undercover in Manehattan, trying to foil an underground crime ring, intent on controlling the city and the millions of ponies living within!” Again, Dash sighed. “No, that idea isn't good either.”
Rainbow fell back into her chair, rubbing her head with her forehooves.
“Who knew writing a story would be so hard?” Dash sat back up. “I need to write something down at least. Something to jog my mind.” Rainbow Dash stared out the window, looking for something, anything that could spark some creativity. After what seemed like an eternity, which was truly just five minutes, Rainbow found what she was looking for.
“Ah ha! I know what I’m going to write!” Rainbow furiously picked up her quill, and the long night that followed became a fury of groans, scribbles, crumbled paper, and a really, really loud snoring turtle.