Author's Note

Get to know me long enough, you'll notice my taste in music, while limited mainly to metal, is extremely diverse within the genre. It ranges from high-tuned blackened doom to guttural melodic death and dissonant Drop D metalcore. I even dabble in progressive metal from time to time. All these styles line up to influence my storytelling as I discover more nuance between each genre. Metalcore from the '90s and metalcore today are two vastly different worlds. Same goes for the others.

Motion (Interlude 2)

Rainbow hovered home on the east side of the city, inspecting the cover of the novel. The cover had been drawn by hoof for a more authentic feel, portraying the matrimony of two separate realms. It almost seemed like the author himself was in love with the seraph, which Rainbow suspected he was. Knowing Twilight, there was more to the story than met the eye. The Pegasus glanced toward the title, reading it over in her mind.

"Lilies of Day..."

She bumped into a pole, smacking her forehead against the wood.

"Ah, damn! Really gotta watch where I'm goin'. That's like the first rule."

She rubbed the point of contact, shaking it off.

"It'll start snowing soon..."

She looked toward the sky. It was cold, gray, and dreary.

"The world's true face..."

Inside, Rainbow shut the door. Now that she thought about it, she was a bit hungrier than usual. The magic took more of a toll than she thought, but that would be rectified with a quick snack. She headed toward the fridge.

"Let's see what we got here...Apples...Carrots...Bananas...Aha!"

She extracted a tupper container divided into sections for quick serving. Inside, there were green beans, a tray of broccoli, and some leftover barbecue chicken.

"Perfect!"

While her food cooked, the Pegasus began reading. The author opened with a note informing readers about his views on life, the alienation he felt as a result of political and personal turmoil, his struggle against suicidal ideation, and how he hoped to reach out to those afflicted by the same ailments. For most, the self-indulgent spiel would have turned them away, though that was likely intentional. Only those who could relate would look beyond the surface.

"He'd fit right in with us."

After dinner, Rainbow retreated to her room, opening her playlist to unwind while she read. The warmth from the heater combined with a feeling of safety sent her into a trance-like state, breezing through the story at an uncharacteristic speed. She drifted between the border of hypnagogia, yawning to keep herself awake. She was so invested she barely heard her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rainbow!"

"Hey, squirt. How's it hangin'?"

"I just wanted to call to make sure you were still coming over for Christmas. I haven't seen you around lately."

"I've been busy. I started a new training program with Twi. It's been takin' up my extra time, but yeah. I'll be there."

"Awesome! Can you take me sometime?"

"I'll see. It's a bit more intense than usual. Might be too much for kids."

"Oh...Okay..."

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yeah. It's a promise."

"Pinkie promise?"

"Yeah. Pinkie promise."

"Cool. Bye."

"Bye..."

Rainbow hung up, going back to the book. She was already far in. She'd finish it another day.

"May as well play some games before I go to sleep..."

The Pegasus opened her emulator, grabbing her gamepad and a bottle of water. To immerse herself fully in seclusion, she cut her internet for the night.