//------------------------------// // Sign of the Times // Story: 20-04 // by MellowSoul //------------------------------// Twilight placed the last box on the floor of her new living room. She and her younger brother, Spike, had just finished moving north of the continent for a fresh start. The city was a fairly lively one. It went under the name "Kirsebaer Grove", and was apparently known for its high-quality cherries. The pair had decided they would move close by, primarily for the sake of convenience. They could travel wherever they wanted with relative ease, and they were determined to take full advantage of that ability. "Looks like that's everything." Spike stated. "Yep. You know what that means." "Fuckin' food!" "If mom were here, she'd be chasing you around with a bottle of soap right about now. Lucky for you, I'm not her." "Even that sounds good right about now." "You're just a walking garbage disposal, aren't you?" "I'm a growing boy." "Yep. You're pudgy because of science. That's the reason." "Meh. Bite me." "Remind me again; which one of us is the blood-drinker here?" "Hey, if it wasn't for me, that little following of yours wouldn't be nearly as huge." "Can't argue there. Anyway, how does Pizza sound?" "You know I'm not gonna turn that down." "Let me grab a shower real quick." "Cool." Twilight disappeared from view. Spike took a moment to look around the place. Despite being close to the city, it had a distinctly homey feel. The carpet was a dull tan color. He could smell the air freshener Twilight had sprayed earlier in the day. It was a soft, soothing aroma without too much tang. He'd have to ask her what brand it was later. To pass the time, Spike listened to music in he and Twilight's room. Their collection consisted almost entirely of metalcore with a few nu metal tracks thrown in. He chose his favorite of the bunch: a record released the previous year under the title "This is Love, This is Murderous". Over the years, Twilight's obsession with gothic and hardcore culture had rubbed off on him. For hours, they would sit around listening to music, pondering how surreal the world seemed. Time began to pass as he reminisced... Twilight changed into a fresh set of dark clothes. She shaded her mouth with black lipstick, coating her eyes in a blend of mascara, liner, and shadow. Once she was ready, she retrieved Spike from their room. "Let's go." "Finally. I'm starving." "Same here." The siblings headed into the hall. They exited the front door. Twilight locked the door and put her keys away. A cold chill caused her to retreat into her mind. Most of the time, she and Spike were joking around and having fun, but there were times when the world would pull them back to reality. They had a pretty good idea of what their lives held from this point on, but what then...? Spike wrapped an arm around his sister, breaking her concentration. "It's all right...I'm here..." Twilight nuzzled her brother. The Alicorn realized long ago they were closer than the rest of their family. She could be vulnerable around him, and so could he around her. That was why he chose to live with her, after all. They released each other to continue on. Their breaths crystalized with each step... It didn't take long to reach the restaurant. Despite the weather, Twilight remained in an optimistic frame of mind. It was a day of celebration. She was at a point where she could live comfortably for the remainder of her days, and Spike was here to help keep her spirits up. She was grateful for how things were going. So long as she held on to that gratitude, she knew everything would work itself out. *smack* Not realizing the door was open, Spike bumped into the glass, hitting his snout in the process. "Are you okay?" Twilight asked out of concern for her brother's well-being. "Yeah. Gonna feel that one in the morning, though." "Sorry about that, little dude." A feminine voice apologized. Twilight and Spike gazed up to see a blue Pegasus before them. Her mane displayed an amalgamation of colors. Twilight recognized them as the colors of the Rainbow. Not only that, but they were in the exact same order. Behind her were four other mares. Not wanting to cause a scene, Spike played the incident off. "No worries. Not the first time I've slammed into something. Twilight always tells me I have a hard head." The Pegasus suddenly yelled in excitement. "HOLY SHIT!" The siblings were startled by her sudden outburst. "It's you! You're Terra-Freeze Twilight!" "You're fans?" Twilight questioned curiously. "Me and my friends worship you guys! You're fuckin' legends in the cyber world!" "I wouldn't say 'legends'." "Are you kidding!? A million followers over a decade speaks for itself!" "I guess you could say I have some degree of recognition." "I was one of your early followers back in '95 when you were starting out!" "I didn't even realize I'd been doing it for so long." "Back then, there weren't a lot of places dedicated to the alternative scene. I saw your music collection and went to check it out. It melted my face off! I'd never heard anything so heavy before!" "Sorry I don't remember you. It's been a while." "Hey, don't sweat it! I didn't really interact much with you back then. I was too intimidated! You were the voice of angsty suburban teens all over the country!" Twilight gave a pleased smirk. In a weird way, it felt refreshing to hear praise from a stranger. "Come to think of it, I was there when everyone jumped on the mystery wagon. I dunno if you remember, but when your dragon buddy showed up, people started saying he was your familiar. They thought you were a witch or vampire: somethin' from the old days." "Spike's not just my friend. He's my brother." "No way! That's badass!" "My mother found him when he was still in his egg. We assumed he'd been abandoned." "Guess there's something to all those theories then, huh?" "What's your name?" "Sorry. I probably sound like a total dweeb right now." "Nothing wrong with that. Truth be told, I haven't spoken to many people outside the web." "I'm Rainbow: Rainbow Dash! These are my friends: Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy." "I kind of see the resemblance to my fashion catalog now." "That was one of the things that set you apart back in the day. Your style was diverse with a common theme." "Yeah. I suppose my popularity's dwindled a bit since then." "Not even close! Everyone who copied your aesthetic mentions you in their bios!" "They do?" "Just last year, everybody went nuts when you picked up Bleeding Through's album on release day!" "I didn't have much time to check. I was finishing up my senior year of college at the time." "What did you major in?" "Computer science with a minor in math." "Makes sense." "Hey, Twilight," Spike cut in, "We should let them sit with us for dinner." "Good Idea, Spike. It's on us tonight." "For real!?" Rainbow squealed in delight. Twilight nodded. The newly-formed party headed inside. On their way in, Spike noticed the white Unicorn, Rarity, spare him a flirtatious glance. He concealed his claws, turning away to mask his embarrassment. A flattered smile crossed his features.