Chapter Text
Rainbow waited alone in her room. It was fifteen minutes before five, and she was waiting for her friends. She'd already unlocked the front door for them, having finished her preparations some time before. Listening calmly to the sounds of the heater, she closed her eyes, allowing her body to be engulfed by its warmth. Weather reports mentioned a hard freeze scheduled for the evening. She hoped the others would arrive before then.
---
Legosi parked in front of Rainbow's house. Twilight unbuckled her seatbelt using her magic. It was nice not having to expend too much energy for a change. The rest of the group exited from behind, stretching as it was a bit of a drive. Sonic, Amy, Blaze, and Silver caught up with them quickly. Given Sonic's extreme speed, there wasn't much need to rush. They were going to be there on time anyway.
"Yo," Sonic greeted jovially, "is everyone here already?"
"Almost," Legosi explained, "We're just waiting for Luna now. Probably caught up in a match of her own."
"Ah, well. Wouldn't put it past her to lose track of time."
"Is that so," a familiar voice echoed from above. The princess descended with a graceful dive, mane flowing majestically as ever, "Though I suppose to be fair, you were almost correct."
"Hey, Lulu! We were startin' to get worried!"
"Do not reference that abomination. Just thinking about it triggers my nightmares."
"Whatever you say, Lulu."
"I will send you to the moon, rodent. Do not test my patience."
"You'll have to catch me first!"
"Well," Legosi interrupted, "I guess since everyone's here, we can head inside. Let's get moving. It's starting to get colder."
The others agreed. Since Rainbow was closest to Twilight's group, they went in first, followed by Legosi, Sonic, and the others. Upon Rainbow's request, they locked the door behind them.
---
It was mostly dark inside, the hall only lit from the kitchen. Twilight listened intently. Once she heard metal music, she knew her companion was ready. Igniting her horn, she cast illumination, leading the others forward. Pushing into the bedroom, she found the Pegasus resting peacefully. Rainbow opened her eyes, lifting herself off the mattress.
"Hey there, slowpokes. Glad to see you could make it."
"Hey," Sonic protested, "Who are you callin' slow!? I'll lap circles around you any day!"
"Yeah, yeah. Rub it in, why dontcha?"
"So you finally found a copy?" Twilight inquired.
"Yeah," Rainbow confirmed, "Turned out there was one floatin' around in town. It's one of the only original copies."
Rainbow lifted a plastic case, revealing its contents to those present. It contained a rare RPG based on a novel written in 2017. In jagged bold letters, the title read Dragon of Grace. Five human characters were painted across its surface, each sporting their own distinct pose and weapons. In the lower left corner, they could see it was rated mature. The Japanese influence was clear, having mixed detailed art with a distinctly American flair.
"Mind if we take a look," Amy asked, "I read the novel when it first came out, but I never knew there was a game."
"It was originally supposed to be turn-based, but ended up turning into an action game with more traditional RPG elements. The author wanted it to be as jam-packed with content as possible while staying true to the original story."
Amy looked over the back. The features included boasted extensive combat, customization, and a soundtrack composed entirely of metal. The powers and abilities were a return to form from the early 2000s.
"Hard to believe this stemmed from one person..."
"The author grew up on various forms of pop culture. He had a strong idea what he wanted going into it."
"Makes sense. I guess if you're gonna do somethin', ya gotta have a clear vision."
"Well? What are we waitin' for," Sonic questioned rhetorically, "Let's pop this sucker in! If the story's anywhere near as good as I've heard, this should be one for the ages!"