A Rare Gem

Chapter 4 – Accidental Meeting

You sat at the booth in the little café that your sister took you to, but your mind to be somewhere else. It was as if there was some disconnect from reality, that the world was moving around you but you were standing still. Twilight talked on about some book she recently read, a topic you were all too familiar with, as you vainly faked being interested by a nod or a brief “yes” or “no.” It wasn’t that what your sister said was uninteresting especially considering that having a smart magical girl as one made life far from boring. It was like though that what she spoke of was not registering with your mind.

“Spike!” Twilight suddenly said loudly, snapping you out of your mental fog and causing a few patrons even to turn their heads before going back to their respective lunches and conversations.

“Huh?” You said looking to see who called your name before seeing Twilight’s concerned look on her face across from you, “Oh hi Twilight. Err… are you enjoying your lunch?”

“You didn’t hear a single thing I said about my research into chakra alignment, did you?”

“Um… sure I did.”

“Ok then, prove it. Where color did I say does the third eye chakra represent?”

“Um… brown?”

“No, it’s indigo Spike. What’s going on with you? One minute you were talking to me like normal and the next you are acting like a zombie. You’re not feeling sick or anything, are you?”

“No, I’m not sick. I guess my mind is on something else.”

“What?”

“I guess it’s you know, the big move into your apartment and getting a job. Big changes like that.”

In reality you only half told the truth as to your strange behavior. The main reason was her, that beauty that you saw in the streets that passed by you. Even though you thought it was insane thinking so much about a girl you didn’t even say hello to, and yet every time you tried to think of something else that memory kept playing back like a video on repeat. Every detail of the way she looked and moved was captured in the finest of detail. Her smile though was the one that really caught your eye as that moment when she turned and for a brief second looked at you was always slowed down like those love sequences in a movie where everything slows down. But this wasn’t love at first sight. That was something only found in sappy romance novels, right?

“I know how you feel brother,” Twilight said, “I felt the same way myself when I moved out after college, and I’m sure Shining Armor felt the same way when he moved out. But you are not alone in this as I’m here for you if you need any help. Siblings have to stick together, right?”

“Right,” you said as you finished your soda, “So what’s next on your tour of the city?”

“Well, there are a few more places that we can see on our way back.”

“Are they something other than bookstores?’ you said slyly.

“Now we didn’t go to every bookstore did we?”

“Almost every one. I counted at least half a dozen.”

“Well you didn’t hear me complaining when you wanted to go into that comic shop. I even bought you that new Power Pals comic remember?”

“Fine, you win.”

“Well, next we’re going to go to one of my favorite shops, and it’s not a bookstore. It’s a magic shop.”

“As long as you don’t turn me into a newt while we’re there. A dragon would be cool as I can breathe fire and fly.”

“Spike the dragon,” Twilight said thoughtfully as she pulled out the money for both lunches, “Has a nice ring to it.”

After paying the two of you made your way down the sidewalk, past the other people making their way around town, as you headed to your next destination. The two of you were about to turn the corner when you suddenly heard a buzzing sound.

“Coming through,” a voice suddenly shouted from behind you. Both of you turned in time to see a girl with short rainbow hair suddenly barreling through the crowd on a bike, headed straight towards you! Instinctively, you pushed Twilight out of the way of the speeding bicyclist. Unfortunately your brave effort caused the two of you to fall off the curb and into a large puddle with a splash.

“Ugh, what happened?’ Twilight said, “And why am I all wet and muddy?”

“Oops sorry about that,” the rainbow haired girl said as she skidded to a stop, “I was kind of in a rush. Here, let me help you up.”

She quickly grabbed Twilight by the hand and pulled the confused girl up to her feet as you got up.

“Twilight, are you ok?” you said as you quickly rose to your feet.

“Yeah I’m fine,” she said as she then glared at the girl, “Rainbow Dash, why are you riding your bike on the sidewalk? You could have got someone or yourself hurt!”

“Sorry Twilight, I have a really important package to deliver and it’s way too slow driving in the street around those cars. Ugh, sometimes I wish I had wings so I can fly where I’m going. I’d get these packages to customers in ten seconds flat!”

She then glanced Twilight who was now soaking wet and dirt with her normally straight hair a tangled mess.

“Bwahaha!” Rainbow Dash said looking at her messed form.

“Rainbow, that’s not funny.”

“Relax Twilight. It’s not that bad… well it kind kind of. Oh who is this guy with you? Is he your boyfriend or something?”

“Eew, Rainbow, that’s my younger brother Spike. Spike this is Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh… oops, guess I didn’t know you had a younger brother Twilight,” she said before shaking your hand, “Nice to meet you though. Anyone who’s a friend, or in your case a brother to Twilight, is cool with me, and I never leave them hanging.”

Rainbow Dash then glanced at her watch with a surprise saying, “Oh my gosh! I have to be at the other side of the city in fifteen minutes! Sorry to cut things short Twilight, but I have to get going. Nice to meet you Spike. Maybe we can hang out sometime later. Until then catch you around.”

With that Rainbow Dash got back on her bike and sped away in a rainbow blur, leaving both you and Twilight’s heads spinning.

“So that was your friend Twilight?”

“Yeah, I met her when she was delivering something at the bookstore I worked. I got her hooked on the Daring Do series and we’ve been friends ever since. She can be a little…”

“Fast and reckless?”

“Yeah, but she’s really nice once you get to know her,” she said looking down at her muddy shirt and shorts, “Oh, but I’m a mess now! Do I look as bad as I think I do?”

“Do you want to go home and get cleaned up and changed?”

“No, I want to continue showing you around the city. Besides, I don’t look that bad, do I?”

“Um… I guess you’re ok?”

“Then let’s go,” you sister said as she made her way down the street, sacrificing her dignity for your fun. You could only hope that she didn’t feel too bad with the way she looked. If only there was someplace where you could treat her, a place to make her look and feel better. Little did you know you would soon find that place and a familiar face in your travels.