A Rare Gem

Chapter 3 – At First Sight

“Spike, time to get up,” a familiar voice said to you in the darkness of your sleep. You ignored the sound as if it were just some random noise like a dog barking or a siren outside the apartment.

“Come on sleepy head, wake up,” the female voice urged on, one that you clearly could tell was Twilight’s, “It’s already nine.” You groaned and rolled to other side, desperately trying to bury yourself deeper in the sheets and pillows in a vain attempt to capture the last few minutes of happiness. You heard your older sister sigh and her footsteps leaving your bedroom, thinking that you had won the battle. You were about to settle in when suddenly you heard a loud slam.

“Whaaa!” you screamed as you sat bolt upright at the sound. Your eyes then met Twilight’s face who looked a little annoyed at you with her arms crossed, “What was that? Did something fall?”

“Well good morning to you too. I was wondering when you’d wake up, so I had to take drastic measures.”

With that a large dictionary levitated from the floor right next to your bed and into her arms.

“Now are you getting up or do I have to wait for you?”

“Sheesh,” you said in a grumble as you got out of bed slowly, “Ok fine I’m up. You’re starting to sound like mom.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said, “but this is the first full day that I get to spend with you Spike, and I want to show you as much as I can. But I can’t do that if you’re sleeping.”

“I know. It’s just that last night took a lot out of me moving in and unpacking that’s all. I’m glad it’s almost done though. But how exactly are you so perky when I’m so tired?”

“Oh that’s because of coffee.”

“Coffee?”

“Yeah, I never really liked it at first but then I tried some and it’s amazing how much I can get done in a day! And don’t get me started about late night study sessions.”

“And how many cups do you drink a day?”

“Oh about six cups. Why?”

“I think you need to not drink so many. You’re starting to sound like some kind of hyperactive cartoon character.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now get dressed and I’ll wait for you for breakfast.”

As you got ready and sat down to breakfast, you conversation with Twilight was just like you picked up from where you left last time you met which for some reason felt like ages ago. It was a dance of idle conversation between the two of you, focusing on everything and nothing at the same time. Topics moved in rapid succession from things watched on TV to movies watched, to personal favorite topic of books. Yet the more that you and your sister talked, the stronger your bonds became.

“Oh my gosh Spike, we have to get going. It’s almost noon and I want to show you as much as I can today.”

“Lead the way sis,” you said giving her a smart salute whenever she went into full on leader mode. This was something that you always loved about your sister when she seemed to take control of situations, especially those that seemed out of control. You followed her out of the apartment down those familiar stairs as you start on your journey through the maze like city that is now your home.

“So here is where I work and spend my time at,” Twilight said as she pointed to the bookstore that sat conveniently below her apartment. You couldn’t help but snicker at the fact of mentioning this ironic twist of fate.

“What’s so funny?”

“Only an egghead would have the luck of living above a bookstore.”

“What’s with you calling me an egghead again? And as for living a bookstore, why did you think I chose this place in the first place?”

“Egghead,” you said while faking a cough to which Twilight flashed you a glare. You knew that living with her was wonderful and yet there was the consequence of her knowing exactly where you would return to when the day was over, making her possibility of exacting and revenge she saw fit from being teased certain. The fact that now your sister had a firm grasp on magic made matters even more severe, and you knew when to back off when getting the glare of doom from her.

You began to walk in the direction that you thought Twilight was taking you, until you realized that something was off, like you were missing something. You turned to see that Twilight had gone missing! Although you had a momentary feeling of panic, you knew that Twilight wouldn’t just abandon you in an unfamiliar city like that and that she couldn’t have gone far if she did leave. You had a hunch that she didn’t return to the apartment without letting you know, so you had an idea of one other place she could be. Entering the bookstore, you couldn’t help but chuckle seeing Twilight searching a shelf of books with an unwavering sense of focus while balancing a small stack already in her hands. The fact that she had left you or that you were now standing there mattered little to the dark blue haired girl.

“Ahem,” you said hoping to get her attention to which she looked up to see you standing there.

“Oh Spike, I realized that there is a new book I’ve been waiting for here and I guess I lost track of time.

“You also lost me,” you said folding your arms, “I turn around and you ducked into the store. Sheesh, are you that obsessed with books that you can’t even pass by a store and not go inside? Wasn’t today supposed to be you showing me around the city instead of shopping?”

“You’re right,” Twilight said realizing her error, “I’m sorry. Guess I got carried away. Let me pay for these and I promise we’ll get going, ok?”

“Alright, but I’m watching you,” you said to her as she proceeded to the checkout. True to her word she didn’t spend any more time looking at books even though you knew that she could spend a whole day in a store like this. With a bag full of books you and her exited the store returning to what your first attended to doing. You followed by her closely as she acted as the impromptu tour guide, pointing things that were nearby where the apartment you shared with her lay. At first you wondered if where Twilight was would be somewhere you wouldn’t be caught dead walking through at night. The more you journeyed through the urban landscape the more you realized that this place was actually very nice, containing a mix of big businesses, apartments, and quaint shops.

Twilight pointed out the choice places that would peak your interest, most of them restaurants but some shops as well. Naturally the dark blue haired companion had an innate ability to find every bookstore within a several block radius around the apartment, but luckily she reserved the desire to go into them knowing that there was more to see.

“So what do you think about the city?” Twilight asked you as you paused to relax.

“I never knew there was so much here. I guess you know your way around here.”

“Was there any doubt?”

“Well, I don’t know. I guess that you…”

“Stayed home the whole time and read books?” she said looking a little perturbed at you.

“Yeah, I guess,” you said sheepishly.

“Oh Spike, you know I have a life beyond books. I’m not that much of a hermit.”

Before you could reply you happened to look around the sea of people moving from one place to the next. It was then that amongst the sea of faces that you saw… her. It was like a spotlight shown upon her as you watched her pass by. She was a living breathing goddess, the perfect example of beauty and grace. Her body was lees like that you have seen from normal girls and more from a super model or a girl from a clothing commercial that graced the TV in between a show you would watch. Her form was complimented by those big blue eyes and that even bigger hair that cascaded down her form like a purple drape. The purple skirt studded by three blue gems and white dress only added to her beauty, although she could have worn anything and could have had just as much of an impact on you.

While some did not know about the full potential of their talents, physically or otherwise, the girl before you seemed to have a firm grasp on what she had. She carried herself like a queen with poise and grace, showing off every part of her while still keeping classy. Although you didn’t know why, there was something about her that you never felt the same way about to other, not even towards your family. It was different and beautiful.

The mysterious girl passed by you, her eyes meeting yours for only a brief moment that seemed to last forever. As you gazed into each other’s vision, it was like the two of you were saying much without really saying anything, your souls doing all the talking. Around you the world seemed to slow down, like a scene from a movie as both of you passed by each other.

“Spike,” a voice suddenly said returning you to reality as fast as slamming into a wall.

“Huh?” you said looking for the source of the voice and seeing Twilight standing there with a worried look, “Did you see her?”

“Who?”

“Her,” you said as you turned back thinking the mysterious girl was there, only to find a void where she had been. The memory though still lingered despite her absence.

“What are you talking about?” your sister asked.

“Um… never mind,” you said feeling silly reacting to a total stranger that for all you know you’d never see again in such big of a city, “So want to get lunch somewhere?”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Twilight said before giving another of her quizzical looks, “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little hungry.”

“Well, I have a place not far away from here that you’d like. Follow me.”

You continue your journey as the memory of the beautiful and mysterious girl in your mind, giving hope of perhaps seeing her again and forcing you to not forget the chance encounter.