A short drive and a quick shower later, I was being pulled into Vinyl's car for yet another adventure. She drove us to the nearest mall, discussing gift ideas the whole way. I restrained myself from clawing at the door and bashing my head against the window. Instead, I focused on Vinyl, and all the time we were getting to spend together. That's what I always did when she dragged me into something I'd rather avoid. I do so much just to be with her.
After we pulled into a space and parked, I unbuckled hesitantly, and waited for Vinyl to direct me to the correct entrance. I had no idea where she would want to start. She shrugged on her jacket, and opened her door. I opened mine as well, and unfolded myself from the seat. Shivering a little at the sudden chill, I zipped up my hoodie and followed Vinyl into the main entrance. She turned around and waited for me to catch up with her once inside, because I had lagged behind a little. I don't walk very fast when it's cold, because I'm too busy trying to keep warm. I bounced up and down a couple of times as I made my way quickly through the glass doors.
I stood next to her as she checked out the directory. Some new stores had moved in since we had been there last month. She pointed excitedly at the bookstores and alternative shops. I smiled at the display, it wasn't often that she found something that excited her that much. She reached back and took my hand, rubbing her thumb over my cold fingers. I smiled at her, and we set off for the closest store, MusiCabana. We took our time, doing the whole couple-walks-around-holding-hands thing. Vinyl smiled every time we ended up awkwardly bumping into each other. I guess we still needed practice at walking like that.
Vinyl seemed more at ease with showing our relationship now. We even saw a few of our friends wandering around, and stopped to say hello. She didn't try to run away, she actually seemed pretty relaxed. It was a relief to be able to talk to people without being worried about her feelings on the matter. I really didn't want to have to hide in an alley again.
However, it was kind of awkward for me when I saw Twi. I cringed a little, and squeezed Vinyl's hand in preparation for the encounter. She looked at me curiously, and I explained the situation very quickly. Twi waved at us, and strode quickly over, changing course from the bookstore. I smiled, and inside I hoped that it wouldn't be as awkward as I feared.
We met up and stood beside the potted fake trees they had littered around for apparently no reason. I let go of Vinyl's hand to return Twilight's hug, and then stepped back, analyzing the situation. So, apparently she felt comfortable enough to give me a hug. That means I could probably relax. And I did, recapturing Vinyl's hand, and sticking my left one in my pocket. Twi smiled when I did that, and nodded to herself. She said hello to Vinyl, and began the conversation.
"So, I see you've been busy, Dash. You've gotten a girlfriend now, and it's Vinyl, no less. I could say that I saw that coming, but I won't, because I'm not Celestia, and therefore cannot predict things. Still, she's quite a catch, and I'm surprised that she finally settled down. What happened?" Vinyl blushed and looked down, remembering her days as a player. I laughed, feeling more comfortable with Twilight now.
"Very funny, Twi. You should be a comedian. Seriously, though, she asked me out. I had nothing to do with it. Well, other than my incredible good looks and amazing personality." I flipped my hair as I said that, and Vinyl punched me in the arm.
"Don't forget humility, Rainbow Brain. You're so modest, I would almost mistake you for Fluttershy." Twilight laughed at that, and I glared at Vinyl. She smiled at me, and stuck her tongue out. So, naturally, I flicked her in the nose. Payback is great.
She rubbed her nose, and gave me a dirty look. I laughed, and looked back over at Twi. She looked like she wasn't sure whether to laugh, or be concerned. "It's alright, this happens all the time. I'm not really mad at her, I'm just playing." Twi nodded, accepting my explanation as her socially awkward brain caught up with us. I smiled, and Vinyl bumped her hip into mine. I wasn't sure if that was forgiveness, or telling me that I would get it later.
We talked to Twi for a few more minutes, catching up on what we had been up to. Finally we said goodbye, and we set off on our shopping adventure. We stopped in MusiCabana for a little bit, and picked up a couple of Skrillex and Deadmau5 cds for Vinyl. I found a new pair of headphones that glow in the dark. That's seriously cool. They have little T. Rex's on them; it's so adorable!
We spent a few more hours in a clothing store, looking for a gift for Vinyl's sister, Quillan. We found a few cute shirts, and some jeans. After that, we walked to News & Novels. I wandered the aisles, just enjoying the smell of books. There's just something about the smell of ink and paper. Don't ever tell anyone I said that. I picked up the new Daring Doo book, and decided to get a space encyclopedia as well. I've always been kinda interested in the stars, but I've never done anything about it until now. I guess the Egghead was right about reading.
We stopped by The Banshee, my favorite alternative store. I made Vinyl wait outside while I got her a present. I found a pair of music note earrings and a couple of shirts. Her favorite shows were Doctor Who and Adventure Time, so that's what shirts I looked for. I really hope she'll like them.
When I finished and walked outside, Vinyl tried to peek in the bag. I stopped her by holding it out of her reach. She pouted, but continued on to our next destination, Gamer's Paradise. The massive store had everything. It was so large, that it had entrances on all three levels of the mall. They had gotten special permission to connect the floors with an escalator. They carried everything you could wish for. It really was a gamer's paradise.
Walking inside, Vinyl and I split up. She went to go look for presents, and I went my own way. I took a deep breath of the cool air, and set off for my favorite place, the Gamer Grotto. It was where they had all of the newest games set up to play. I always liked to test them out and decide which ones to buy. And the beanbag chairs were good for a nap. The employees here were friends, so they didn't mind when I spent several hours there. It was a good way to waste an afternoon, especially if I had a blue Icee and some pizza.
As I reached the carpet-covered haven, I spotted something incredible. A certain lunar princess was sitting in a red beanbag chair, playing Final Fantasy. She had her headset on, and was tapping furiously at the buttons on her handheld. I chose the black chair sitting next to her, and I waited for her to end the mission. A few seconds later, she pulled up the pause screen and sat the handheld down next to her. She took a swig from a Mountain Dew Voltage, slid her headset down around her neck, and looked at me expectantly.
"Yes, Dash? Did you want something? Or are you just sitting there so you can watch me play?" She leaned back in the chair and stretched her legs out in front of her. She was wearing her favorite black Halo hoodie, some deep violet skinny jeans, and a pair of gray Converse with purple laces. I noted the crescent moon earrings she had, and the silver ring on her right hand with an aquamarine gem in the center.
"I didn't really want anything in particular." She nodded, and began to pick up her game. I swiped it from her, and held it in my hands. She glared at me, and crossed her arms over her chest as she slumped back in her chair.
"Obviously you did want something, or else you wouldn't be stopping me from defeating Golbez. What's up?" I smiled and handed her the handheld. Settling back into my chair, I prepared to ask her my question.
"Can you guess why I'm here?" I gestured to the store around us, and waited for her answer. She sighed, and ran a hand over her face.
"Not another one of these guessing games. It's getting a little old, and you end up telling me in the end, anyway." I laughed, and crossed my arms over my chest. She slumped in her chair, sensing that I wasn't about to let go of my little game.
"Fine, Dash, I'll play. Let's hope it doesn't take too long." She shifted around in her chair, trying to find a more comfortable spot. She knew all about how difficult it was to lean back when you had back problems, having recently had surgery to fix her scoliosis. "Is it something to do with a game?" I shook my head, and she nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you here with somebody else?" I thought for a minute, and then nodded my head. She looked at me, and tapped her fingers on her leg. "Is that somebody shopping for a game?"
"Yes, I think she is, at any rate." Luna stared pointedly at me, as if she were trying to figure something out.
"I assume that you're here bothering me for another reason, though. This person may have brought you here, but you're here for an altogether different cause." She looked off at the ground for a second, contemplating my motive.
" You're here in the Grotto to play, that much is obvious. What I can't quite understand is why you're talking to me instead of doing that. You must have something important to tell me. "
"Yes, I do, and I know you probably won't guess it. But I'm still going to make you work for it." At this, she frowned, and pulled her knees up to her chin, resting her head on them.
"Is it something to do with me?" I shook my head.
"Is it a problem?" She glanced at my face, searching for hints.
"Nope." Sensing that she was getting close to defeat, I began smiling. She never won these games, I was too good at hiding my secrets.
"It's a good thing, then. Did you get that puppy?" She was referring to the last time we went shopping together. I had seen a wolf puppy in a shop window, and had planned on getting it when I had time. She was the cutest little gray furball. I had asked Tim, the shop manager, to hold her for me.
"Not yet, but I will. I hope Tank reacts well." I could tell that I was frustrating her, mostly because she puffed at the hair in her face, and scowled. She closed her eyes in concentration, wondering what could possibly be so good that I would be excited.
She opened her cerulean orbs, and blinked, almost as if in surprise. "I can only think of one thing. That's actually quite surprising, because you're, well, you. Is it a guy, or a girl?" I smiled at her, genuinely happy that she had won for once. I shook her hand, and she grinned lopsidedly back.
"Well, it is a girl. She's actually someone you know quite well. Does the name Vinyl Scratch ring a bell?" She hid her face as a blush spread across it. I figured it would. She had often admired Vinyl from afar. I had tried to get her to talk to Vinyl, after all, she was a princess, I was pretty sure she could sweep anybody off their feet. Too bad for her that she's just so awkward and shy.
"Yes, indeed. I see you have finally discovered your feelings for her. Good for you both." I cocked my head to the left, and stared quizzically at her. She pointed at Vinyl, who was looking at a display case across the room. She was leaning in close, with a hand on her chin, deciding something. I decided to point out a very obvious thing.
"What do you mean, discovered my feelings? I've never felt this way about Vinyl before. I always knew her as a best friend, or a sister." Luna chuckled, a quiet, deep sound. She had a huge grin plastered on her face.
"You intend to tell me that you never thought of her as more than a friend? I could clearly see the attraction between you two. You would never leave her side, which shows slightly more devotion than a best friend normally portrays. She couldn't stop staring at you. Even I could see this, blinded by love for her as I was. That's why I never took action on my feelings. I knew that she would at least consider my offer, and I didn't want to mess up your chances with her. You may not have realized it, but you two were made for each other. I can always find someone else, but I'm not so sure that she isn't your perfect match. I knew that if I dated her first, you would never end up starting a relationship with her, because you're not the type to date your friends' exes." I stared at her, eyebrows raised, as I digested this new information. Luna cared about me enough to give up her own happiness? That's pretty special.
"So, what you're telling me is that you never went after her, because you wanted me to have a shot with her? Wow. You are a good friend, Luna. I never expected anyone to do that for me. I don't think you know how special you are." I leaned over and gave her a tight hug, remaining that way for several seconds. "You won't need to worry about getting a special someone, because you're the kind of girl everybody dreams of. In fact, if I wasn't already with Vinyl, you could count on me getting some flowers to bring to your door. Of course, I'd have to get past the guards first. Then I'd have to convince your sister." Luna laughed at that, attracting the attention of a few people around us.
"Thanks, Dash. That means a lot. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" I thought for a minute, and then shook my head. "Well, then go on and enjoy Vinyl's company, and leave me to my game. You know where to find me if you need anything else." I smirked, and stood up to leave.
"Yeah, you'll be right here. And then you'll be in jail for resisting the employees' attempts to get you to leave at closing time." I jumped out of the way as she tried to kick my shins, and then headed in the direction I had seen Vinyl going earlier.
When I got to the game display cases, she was nowhere to be found. So I decided to browse until she came to find me. I looked through the games, looking for new releases, and maybe to find a game to give to Sunny and Moony. All of my family were big gamers, aside from Mom, but the twins beat even me. They took it seriously, the way only a thirteen year old could. They actually had time to devote to the art, whereas I only had a couple of hours a week. They were still in eighth grade, but I was starting junior year, and had to spend my time working and studying.
I found a couple that looked promising. I think they would like Assassin's Creed and Halo. It would show them what gaming was like when I was their age. I just hope Mom doesn't kill me. I don't quite remember her policy on game content, but it's my duty as an older sister to teach my little sibs to be as awesome as me. Cloud did the same for me, and I can't thank him enough for teaching me the ways of cool. I'm now at least twenty percent cooler than I was when he just ignored me.
I walked to the counter and retrieved a cashier to unlock the case and get me the games. I took them back to the counter, and paid for them, picking up a game cheats guide on the way. I figured somebody would get use out of it when they needed some help with a game.
Vinyl found me about twenty minutes later, and made me wait ten feet away while she bought some games. I assume some of them were for me, since she decided to hide them. It's not like I would tell our friends what she got them. I can't wait to find out what she picked, though. I'll love it no matter what, because she got it, but I still bet it's something really awesome.
We decided that we were done shopping for the day, and we headed out to the parking lot under the cover of dusk. The stars twinkled in the night sky, but were almost invisible above the bright city lights. I took Vinyl's keys and unlocked the trunk. I took the bags from her hands, and put them in the trunk. She leaned up and gave me a peck on the lips, and I hugged her, reminded of what Luna had revealed earlier. I headed around to my side of the car, and compressed myself back inside. Vinyl climbed into the driver's seat, and put the keys in the ignition. Before she turned the engine over, she turned to look at me.
"So, shopping wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. I expected you to complain the whole time." I relaxed into my seat, buckling in.
"No, it wasn't. But only because you were there. I think if it were anyone else, I would've tried to escape." She leaned over on my shoulder, and nuzzled against my neck.
"Aw, that was sweet. But you still were bored, weren't you?" I laid my head on top of hers, and closed my eyes.
"No, I actually wasn't. Talking to Twi was nice, and I spent a good amount of time talking with Luna. She made for a good waste of time while you were shopping for videogames." She sat up and turned to look at me.
"What did you two talk about that was so entertaining?" I looked back at her, and decided to omit part of the truth.
"She just asked me what I had been doing. We talked about gaming a little bit, and she asked me about you. I told her that we were together. That's alright with you, I hope?" She nodded, and then set about to buckling in and turning on the car. I was glad that I hadn't told her the most important bit of the day. I don't think she would've reacted well to that. Luna was an old friend of mine, and Vinyl would have wanted to know about her crush. It wouldn't have ended well for Luna and I.
The car's engine rumbled to life, and Vinyl drove us home. I slept for the duration of the ride, and twenty minutes later, we were back at my apartment. I carried my purchases into the dimly lit hallway, and set them inside the living room. I ran back outside to Vinyl's car, and said goodbye. She stood by the car, waiting for me in the cold night air. I wrapped her in a tight hug, and kissed her goodnight for the third time. It was a new experience, and one that I loved. I could tell that she liked it, too, from the way her cheeks burned when we pulled apart. She nearly tripped getting back to her car door, and hit her head as she ducked inside. I waved as she pulled out of the driveway, and watched her until her taillights faded into the distance.
Humming to myself, I jogged back to my door, and went inside to collapse on my empty bed. I fell asleep thinking of my two wonderful blue haired girls. One was my whole world, and the other was the best friend that made it possible. I couldn't live without either of them.