The bleeps and bloops of Twilight's private lab in Canterlot High was exactly the kind of image that one would imagine when picturing the lair of some sort of mad scientist. But, while Twilight herself would have undoubtedly been told this several times over by now, she just took it all in stride. After all, this sort of place was like a home away from home for her. A place to be and retreated to when she wanted some solitude. Oh sure, she loved her friends more than she could ever say, but some days, there were times when she just wanted to be by herself, to indulge in the scientific impulses that came to her so very, very often. And today was just such a day, as the spectacled girl smiled to herself while rapidly typing on the keyboard of her computer. Text and numbers scrolled in front of her, all too complicated for most to understand. But for her? It was art. Unfortunately, her alone time did not last as long as she would have liked, as there was a sudden and abrupt knocking on her door. Though a little irritated at this intrusion, she remembered her manners, turning to the door in question.
"Come in."
The door of the lab slowly creaked open, and after it had finished doing so, Twilight's eyes widened slightly.
"Aria?"
Closing the door behind her, the middle Siren sister glanced about the place, taking in all the weird and wonderful gadgets she could see. Naturally, she didn't look like she understood any of it, but even so, she continued to walk further into the room, eventually turning to face Twilight.
"Hey...I was wondering if I could ask you something?"
Though Twilight was understandably taken aback at the presence of the Equestrian here, she gave a nod in response, prompting Aria to speak up again.
"Well, Wiz and me got to talking the other day, and we were getting into stuff we like doing on our days off."
Twilight nodded.
"Okay..."
Her tone made it clear that she had no idea where this was going, and that was a sentiment Aria had no trouble picking up on. So, after letting out a long sigh, she got straight to the point.
"So, turns out, he likes sci-fi stuff. Books mostly. And I wanted to maybe have a look-in on the stuff myself."
Hearing that, Twilight clasped her hands together, looking to Aria with a genuinely happy smile.
"Awww! That's so sweet! You want to share in your boyfriend's interests?"
Folding her arms, Aria rolled her eyes.
"Don't get too doe-eyed here, Twilight. I'd just like to know what it is he's talking about when he's talking about it."
Getting up from her chair, Twilight began to move off to the side of the room.
"Well, you're in luck. He and I are both part of the CHS sci-fi club."
Aria slapped her forehead.
"Of course you are!"
She then looked over to the young scientist, and began to notice that there was a small bookshelf over there, completely stuffed with old books whose titles and authors Aria had no recognition of. Slowly, she too made her way over, glancing at the books while Twilight traced her finger against them.
"So...I'm guessing you know what books he likes?"
Still smiling, Twilight nodded.
"I do! In fact..."
She pulled out one in particular, handing it to Aria.
"...this is one our club was talking about at the last get-together."
Looking to the book, Aria spoke the title aloud.
"Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?"
Again, Twilight nodded.
"Yep. Always good to appreciate the classics."
Opening the book up, Aria flipped through its pages in a rapid manner, and when she closed it again, she let out a groan.
"Well...better get to reading, I guess."
Hearing that rather disinterested tone, Twilight placed her hands upon her hips, looking to Aria with some measure of disapproval.
"You know...science fiction is more worthwhile than many give it credit for."
Aria chuckled.
"I'm sure you think so, Sparkle. But to me? To me, it's all just flashy lights and lasers and robots."
Twilight shook her head.
"You're wrong. True, the genre may have the trappings of the fantastic, but through that aesthetic, it's been able to get across some truly wonderful and thought-provoking stories. Stories that can make people think, or take them to imaginative worlds the likes of which even fantasy can't match!"
Aria looked to her, seeming just a touch more intrigued than before.
"You...sure do sound like you love this stuff."
Twilight put on a softer smile.
"I do. I've been reading books in that genre for most of my life. I can even claim that my all-time favourite story is science fiction."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Another nod from Twilight was followed by her walking back to that book shelf, and after looking to it for a short while, she picked out yet another story. Carefully, she handed it to Aria, who accepted it and, after placing the first book down, read the title.
"...The Belonging Kind?"
Putting her hands together in front of her skirt, Twilight looked down to the book in the Siren's hands.
"It's a story about a Professor who comes across strange creatures. Creatures who can become exactly the type of appearance and personality they need to have in order to fit in perfectly in whatever place they're in."
Slowly, Aria too glanced down to the book.
"Huh, that...sounds pretty creepy."
Twilight giggled a little.
"Yeah...but at the end, the Professor eventually becomes one of them, terrifying though it may be to do so. The story...it basically shows us just how powerful the need to belong is. Just how much people might be willing to give up just...just to fit in."
Looking back up to her, Aria's own expression softened.
"I'm guessing...that's something you felt a few times?"
Twilight looked away.
"Until I found Sunset and the girls...being a part of groups was always hard for me. I never really fit in anywhere, even though I wanted to. I would look at my classmates, or the children playing in the park...and every once in a while I wished...that I could be part of that...even if I had to stop being...like me."
Aria watched her, unsure of how to respond to a confession like that, and so, she simply said the first thing that came to mind.
"Well...you definitely fit it now, right?"
Twilight turned to face her again, smiling once more.
"I do. But that story is still special to me."
She paced a hand upon that book.
"And that's what's always drawn me to science fiction. For all the reputation it has for spectacle and technical jargon, they can, when done right...be so much more than that."
Stepping back, she turned to the bookshelf again, picking out two books in particular and then glancing back to Aria.
"Science fiction may excite, it may be imaginative, but the great ones, the truly great ones...will always be those who have something deeper, something more meaningful to say. Those are the ones that always stand the test of time. After all..."
Her smile widened a little as she handed the first book to her Siren companion.
"...most might not ever think of A Princess of Mars..."
The smile widened further, and the second book was offered.
"...but everyone will have heard of War of the Worlds."
Aria, now with all these old and beloved stories in her hands, looked to each and every one of them, before slowly looking back up to Twilight. The spectacled girl looked to her, awaiting some kind of response, and after a long while of just silence between them, the middle Siren sister eventually let out a sigh.
"You know...maybe...they're not just robots and lasers."
Twilight giggled again to that.
"I'm glad you think so."
Giving a dry chuckle, Aria went over to the bookshelf herself, carefully placing back all the books Twilight had given her. All, that is, except for the first, Twenty Thousand Leagues. That one she picked up again from the desk, looking to it briefly before giving Twilight an appreciative nod. Twilight returned it, and watched as Aria began to make her way towards the door, no doubt ready to leave and get down to reading the story her boyfriend liked. However, just as she reached the knob of the door, she paused. Then, after a few further moments, she turned, once more looking back to that bookshelf.
"You know...when I'm done with this one...I might come back. I mean..."
She turned again, looking straight at Twilight.
"...there's no reason I can't have a favourite sci-fi story of my own, right?"
Hearing that, Twilight regained her earlier smile.
"No, Aria...no there isn’t."
