//-------------------------------------------------------// Twenty Years Later -by VoltageHero- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Twenty Years Later //-------------------------------------------------------// Twenty Years Later Think about twenty years in the future. You’re older, but not by a terrible amount. You met new people, said goodbye to old friends. Technology advanced more than it did in the early 2000s. Space exploration had advanced, as did computers, video games, weapons, and countries. On one specific day, you decided to go out for a walk. You don’t spend as much as your time on technology, as you did before. That isn’t to say you don’t play games or such, you just found more things to do. Such as having a relationship, or handling your job. You walked down the busy sidewalk, normally less crowded this time of year. You glanced down at your phone, ignoring the honking of cars. A man stumbles into you, and mutters and apology. You glance up, and your eyes grow wide. His shirt is revealed from under his jacket for a second, which was just enough time for you to notice his shirt. The shirt had a group of six familiar characters, that you couldn’t place your finger on. You opened your mouth to ask him, but he was lost in the crowd. Sighing, you put your phone away and continued on your path. You notice a display window of televisions. The normal news was being played. A war over a newfound land was taking place, and everybody could feel it’s effects. You shook your head and trudged down, and sighed. Your mind couldn’t get off of the man’s shirt. It just seemed so familiar to you. Like you had memories attached to it, but you just couldn’t figure it out. You walk past a building. One of the most run-down in the town. The high-tech lights from the other buildings outshined the old building. It was a children’s store, and it still managed to stay open. The lights were on inside. A man, in his early forties sat behind a counter. You stepped inside. Most of the shelves were empty. The man behind the desk raised his eyes at your entrance, and dropped them. A small plushie you couldn’t make out rested on the counter. You trailed across the shelves. You glanced at the children toys you remember being advertised many years ago, that nobody purchased. You came across a single row. Your eyes were caught on the title of the box. ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’. You could feel your stomach clench. Memories began to flood in. You picked up the six boxes there, and set them all back down. All of the main six were there, and even with the show gone you could still remember their personalities. Rainbow’s adventurous spirit, Fluttershy’s animals and her quiet behavior, Twilight’s paranoia and her skills, Pinkie’s parties, Rarity’s clothes and her behavior to filth, and Applejack’s southern style, while remaining one of the most level headed. Tears creep past your eyes, and you sit on the ground. The man behind the counter notices and falls over to you,     “Hey, are you alright man?” he asks, and you stand to your feet. You check your wallet. You only have $50 on you. You frown, but you didn’t want to forget your memories again. You scooped up the boxes and shuffled over to the counter. The man’s eyes grew wide as you put them down. You managed to see the plushie on his counter at this range. It was a plushie of Pinkie Pie. Her mane was dirtied from time, it seemed like. Parts of it were ripped as well, for unusual accidents. You opened your wallet and looked over at the man,     “How much do I owe you?” you asked, without glancing up. The man didn’t respond for quite some time. You glanced up at the man. A large smile was on the man’s face. He shook his head and answered you,     “Take them. You seem to know what they meant to people. Just don’t forget what you learned from the show, alright?” he nodded towards you, and bagged the boxes for you. You insisted to pay at least a small sum, which the man finally decided to take. You thanked him, and hurried out. You exited the store, and the memories again flooded you as you returned home. You remembered the sites the fandom had created, the games that were produced by it. You recalled the huge amount of songs, the influence the fandom had on the show. You remembered the show ending, and the huge outcry that came due from it. The fandom slowly died, as many people forgot. You hurried home, and you laid the bag down carefully. You opened your computer, and typed in the “new” video viewer site. You slowly went to the search bar, and typed in the word; ‘Friendship is Magic Season One Episode One, and clicked on the first link. The video began to play. I used to wonder what friendship could be, until you shared it’s magic with me Your eyes began to tear up again, as you leaned closer into the computer, trying to go back, years ago. Big adventure, tons of fun You tried to tell yourself not to cry, as you felt yourself mouthing the words. A beautiful heart, faithful and strong, sharing kindness is an easy feat You felt the tears fall onto your keyboard, as you couldn’t stop yourself anymore. And magic makes it all complete, My Little Pony, did you know you are my very best friends... The video ended, and you could feel your face drying from the tears, and you scrolled down to the comments. They were full of people who had felt the same you did. You smiled as you read people’s confessions about the show. Maybe the show was over, but the fandom wasn’t dead. You typed in one more search. ‘Friendship is Magic Season One Episode One’ was entered onto the search bar, and you clicked the first video. You smiled, as the episode started, and your memories came back from these shows.