Daring's Deeds

Picking up on a joke Rarity had pulled earlier, Rainbow Dash had joined Ponyville's book club for adventure books.

Maybe not as much "joined" as "agreed to watch the colts and fillies that were holding it while their usual authority was busy".

At least, that's what she told everypony. Possibly, there was more behind it. She never said anything either way.

Just as she was about to start, Twilight came in, muttering something along the lines of "Glimmer" and "something very important, must be alone". She dropped off Spike to enjoy himself during the day while his mistress was away.

"Alright, colts and fillies. And dragon. The plan says you were reading Daring Do, volume five. You should have it finished by now, it also says. I assume you all did?"

The ponies gave various signs of affimation, Spike spoke up. "I did, but it was some time ago, and since you have the library's copy, I couldn't refresh my knowledge."

There was something in that statement that should have sparked Dash's interest, but she had other things on her mind in that moment. "That's okay, I'm sure it will all come back to you. Who can summarise what happens?"

A pegasus filly with a gray, slightly purple, coat took the challenge. "Daring notices that she didn't kick Mr Bad Guy's butt hard enough in the last book, so she comes back and does it again when he does evil again."

"Good. What happens then?"

A unicorn filly with white coat, who Rainbow only then recognised to be Sweetie Belle, continued. "After she safely chains him somewhere..." *Wow. The foals' version sure is censored.* Dash thought.

"A truly baleful abomination, which was what Mr Bad Guy was trying to keep in its banishment below the earth, comes and Daring has to stop that, too!"

A short pause followed, where even Rainbow had to think about the meanings of the complicated words Sweetie had used. "Erm... Yes. Yes, I think you could say it like that. Quite a little dictionary, aren't you."

Sweetie Belle moved away a bit shily to avoid the compliment.

"What scene did you like best?" The book discussion was going on viscid. Rainbow Dash just didn't grasp the trick behind it. What was so hard about making those foalies talk about a book they liked?

"When she's all tied up with her own leather whip and the Bad Guy wants to torture her, but she just swaps their positions with her awesomeness."

"Whip? It's just a regular piece of rope." An unicorn filly with bright green eyes corrected. Rainbow tried to remember her name. Blurry? Berry? Somewhere there.

"I'm pretty sure my copy says it's her whip."

Dash intervened before the argument, even if so banal, could heat up. "Let's look it up, I brought mine." It wasn't hers, of course. She wasn't sure she really wanted to spend money on books yet, so she just got them from the library for now.

She hastily flipped through the pages, with a vague idea of where the part she looked for was. "Hm, hm, hm... There! 'With his minions holding her down, Mr Bad Guy took Daring's whip and used it to bind all of her legs together with the altar.'

The unicorn flinched a bit. "Ok, if that's what stands there. Sounds just like when I walked in on mom one night..." The second sentence was filled with emotional pain and said so quietly that seemingly nopony but Dash picked it up.

She inspected the book's backside closer. "Author: Flying Quill. Produced at: Canterlot Lecture for Young Ponies. Heh, if they knew. But seriously, ask Twilight a few questions about this. There's some things that don't add up." Rainbow Dash thought.

"Twilight, can we talk?"

"Sure, I... Think? You know I always have time for my friends." Twilight stepped back from the library's door, inviting Rainbow to come inside.

"Thanks. I'm probably overthinking things, but there's something I need to know."

"I thought you'd never ask!"

"Yeah yeah, it took me some time to figure out. But really. Whenever somebody talks about Daring Do, there's always some conflict. It's like every book has different text. Can you tell me something about that?"

"Uh, there's different versions of it, we already discovered that, didn't we?" Twilight tried to mask her disappointment in that Rainbow had not actually brought up the topic she'd hoped for.

"How many? Two foalies that'd have the same one had clearly different text. And... Spike mentioned he has to read the library versions, so he couldn't possibly HAVE a different one than I do. What's going on?"

"Oh colt. Look, there's a small secret that as few ponies as possible should know, but occasionally somepony finds out. As a matter of fact, there's only one version."

"But how are there so many differences?"

"Magic. I know, it sounds like a general excuse, but those books are printed at Canterlot, right? There's a little spell that they can be imbued with to make the viewer like it more."

"So you're - sorry, they're - messing with ponies' heads just to sell their books better?"

"No no. The text literally changes to fit the reader better. Not much, just slight things like censoring a violent scene if the reader couldn't handle it."

"Interesting." Dash thought about the preceding conversation to make sure she understood it. Something that had previously slipped by struck her. "Erm, you didn't think I was going to..."

"I do, Dash. Do you?" Twilight suddenly blushed, perfectly understanding what Rainbow meant.

"... Let's talk about that."