Twilight burst out into cheery laughter at the predicament Widget had gotten himself stuck in, flopping back onto the cloud and kicking her legs up in the air at the sight of him with his head stuck in the fluff.  "It might be a good idea to practice landing up here in the clouds then.  That wouldn't be so funny had it been a hillside." she giggled as she rolled over onto her side, gazing up at Widget as he settled down beside her.  With a bit of cloud scooped up beneath her head like a pillow she cozied in and just relaxed, enjoying the warmth of the sun shining down on them as they laid over the overcast atmosphere.  Up in the sky it was so quiet and peaceful as their cloud swayed idly about on the breeze.

It wasn't so easy for Twilight to relax like she was just then.  Her entire life had been dedicated to study and the acquisition (though not always implementation) of knowledge.  She made sure everything was tightly scheduled, precisely planned out, and charted down to the most insignificant of details to be triple-checked twice over.  Sometimes it paid off in her favor.  But it had also given her a lot of grief too.  Being with her friends and the rest of Ponyville had taught her to slow down a bit and take in more of life... and, frankly, she couldn't think of a better way to be spending her time at the moment than what she was already up to.  For as grateful as Widget was to have been given the opportunity to experience true flight, Twilight was likely grateful for being able to share such moments with somepony special to her.

That thought caught her attention.  Was he special to her?  As a friend, certainly.  As more?  Yet to be seen, but things had been going well so far.  She felt happy spending time with him and being able to make him smile as well.  "Hey Widget?" Twilight asked softly to get his attention.  Once she had it, the mare scooted closer and leaned in, safe in the privacy of their high perch so far above the rest of the world as she gave him a kiss.  It was gentle... chaste, even, right at the edge of his lips rather than a full lip lock as they'd shared at the Library balcony.

It was remarkable how easy it was to relax in the quiet of the afternoon sunshine that surrounded them on that cloud. The blue tone of his coat, so often mistaken for white, was obvious against the pure white fluff the pair lounged upon. The stresses of work and every day drained away so effortlessly by the utter calm of the atmosphere the two had set with their comfort with each other and their adoration of the activity they had chosen. Widget had rolled onto his back to look lazily up at thecrisp blueness above them, idly watching the few fluffy bits of cloud that drifted pass on the gentle breeze that rocked their cloud like a hammock.

The wind tugging gently at his mane and the featgers of his wings, Widget became aware that he could not remember ever being this happy before. He had not exactly been unhappy with his parents as a youngster, but up until he had earned his Cutie mark, he had been overworked and under appreciated. Even after, he had still had to work a lot to try and learn what he could from his mother and her associates,.leaving very little time for leisure. And since the accident, it had been very difficult to even relax, much less feel actually happy about anything at all. Thrown head first knto his work, he had survived by keeping as busy as he could with his inventing. Now, though, around Twilight, he felt a warm happiness that was alien and so lovely in his heart. He kept many friends, but as Twilight appreciated his intellect in comparison to her other friends, he in turn appreciated hers. Not to say either of their friends werent smart, but there was just something about talking to another academic in comfortable terms without having to dumb it down.

The gentle calling of his name pulled him from his thoughts to look at Twilight. He smiled lazily at her approach, letting her lean in of her own accord. His eyes closed at the contact, that chast, gentle kiss that made him melt, finding it somehow more powerful than the full on one the night before. One hoof rose and very gently brushed her dark purple hair from her brow, the small kiss ending soon after it had begun. He didnt move away, looking into her pretty face, his thoughts filling with nothing but her. Even the flight somehow seemed less important right now as he leaned in to kiss her again, gentle and soft as the one she had given him.

Yes, there wasn't much Twilight could think of that would be better than the current moment.

Mulling back on the night before, she once more found herself feeling silly over how much she'd over-reacted.  Gah, was she ever going to be able to think about that and not blush over her spaz attack?  She really needed to do something special for Applejack to show her appreciation for all the help.  She felt comfortable with Widget now, though in a different manner than when it had just been a 'friends and fellow intellectuals' sort of thing between them.  It was difficult for her to put her hoof on though.  She was new to the whole romance thing after all.  Identifying emotional states and her feelings was going to take some time... ooh!  And it'd make a great checklist to fill~!

For a time the two could just lay there in each other's company.  Twlight was eager to share more kisses as the two now had their privacy and emotions weren't running so high as to leave her flushed and breathless after just one.  She was curious and wanted to explore the small affectionate gestures, though it was very difficult for her not to approach it in an analytical manner.  While Widget no doubt would have been initially amused if she went at kissing with a protractor to figure out an optimal angle of attack, she felt it might have spoiled the mood a bit.  Instead she just took her time becoming accustomed to the little things, the feel of him nestled against her as she cuddled on up to his side, and figuring out easy ways to lay her head so that she wouldn't accidentally stab him in the face with her horn.  Again, mood spoiler.

Twilight bringing out a protractor and an angle to calculate kissing angles might have ruined the mood somewhat, but only because Widget likely would have laughed his way right through the cloud. It was lucky, then, that he couldnt read her thoughts, and instead let his own thoughts drift in and out of focus. He, as a more creative mind, liked to learn through experimentation than any real study, and therefore just let his lips and own feelings lead him. Eventually, it became easier for both of them to keep track of their horns, as they brushed against each other when they had become more comfortably cuddled up together. Each kiss he gave her, he gave a gentle nuzzle against her muzzle, the gesture clearly affectionate.

The longer they spent like that, cuddled up on the cloud sharing tentative and gentle kisses, the more relaxed Widget felt. He was lank, almost limp, except for his head and the gentle stroking that seemed almost absentminded of his front hoof adgainst her shoulder, where he had laid it after brushing her hair from her brow. His body was growing warmer, slightly flushed, likely from being in the sun like this while cuddled up, and vaguely wondered if the heat made Twilight uncomfortable. Widget was used to a hot workshop full of welding sparks - this heat was easy to handle by comparison.

With a low and happy sigh, all manner of time lost to the both of them, their latest and by now most well practiced kiss ended, and Widget nuzzled down and beneath her, his muzzle slightly below her own. There, he did not stay idle, but instead planted a soft kiss upon her neck just below the jawline. For the first time, then, he understood words he had read long ago... Wheresoever she was, there was Eden...

Twilight had indeed begun to feel quite warm herself though hardly from the sun overhead.  When Widget's kisses moved further along her jaw and down her neck she first smiled at the sensation, but gently pushed at him all the same.  The look on her face was hesitant, unsure, and perhaps a bit apologetic... but she'd barely gotten a handle on the whole basic premise of kissing and wasn't comfortable beyond that just yet.  A soft peck explained that she hadn't rebuffed him or been spooked.

"C'mon, we should get back to the ground soon.  I didn't cast a particularly enduring version of the spell, so it'll wear off before long.  Better we have our hooves on the dirt when that happens." she said.  Twilight didn't particularly want to end their moment together just yet, but having the two of them suddenly go plummeting to the earth wasn't the most romantic of ideas either.

When Twilight gently pushed him back, it slightly surprised him, his head pulling back to look up curiously. He looked as if he had had a few too many hard apple ciders, his cheeks flush and eyes unfocused. That didn't last long thought; after only a few blinks, he realized what exactly he had done, and he smiled a little sheepishly. He was glad she hadn't gotten upset at him being lost in the moment. Sliding back to lay on his stomach, he flexed his wings outward as he arched his back, stretching to get more comfortable. "Yes... Right..." he said, still getting his mind back on more immediately important things, like not dying to the sudden lack of wings. He grinned as he stood up, shaking bits of fluff from his coat. "You still have to teach me how to land properly. The last thing I want to do is end up in the ground like I did in this cloud."

A few moments of stretching and flexing was necessary for both ponies.  Twilight found herself pleasantly lethargic from the warmth and companionship, so it made getting up and moving again a bit of a chore.  When Widget reminded her of needing landing lessons she nodded in reply and, without a word, tipped sideways right off the cloud like a fainting goat.  A beat later she came shooting back up from the other side, having twisted about in her drop and used the momentum to carry herself through overhead once again.

"Incidentally, landing is the hardest part.  It takes a lot of practice to be able to pull it off well as opposed to just passable." Twilight explained as she flapped her wings about, hovering in place overhead.  With a quick turn she winged out into the open air a second time, wheeling around in a broad circle about the cloud they'd been lounging on.  "You really don't need to worry about swooping in for a perfect landing or anything.  All you have to do is get close enough to the ground to be safe, stall your momentum, and land on your hooves.  If you feel you're coming in too fast, just take a few easy banking turns to kill your speed."

Twilight demonstrated just that as she aimed herself for the cloud.  She picked up speed and took a fly-by, pulling out into a broad turn with plenty of drag to swiftly cut away at her forward speed.  On the second approach she dipped down to a bit beyond jumping height from the surface, reared back with a wheel of her legs and flare of her wings to stall completely mid-air, and lightly landed down on the cloud with a puff of fluff about herself.

"And if all else fails, aim for something relatively soft and shock-absorbent." she smiled brightly.  "...not hay bales, by the way.  Those are way more firm than they look." it sounded like that was a statement made from experience.

Widget watched the movements of Twilight's wings as she demonstrated how to land. She did it with practiced ease, and his own wings slightly twitched to mimic the movements as best he could without actually doing them in flight. He smirked when she mentioned finding something soft, but winced slightly at the idea of running into hay bails. Owch... "I'll remember that," he said. He pulled up and flapped, rising up above the cloud a few feet, not feeling quite confident enough to just roll off the edge like she had, though privately he sincerely hoped he would one day.

Concentrating on his landing, he spotted a small meadow in the woods below them, as good a spot as any to learn. It was at least full of soft grass if worst came to worst. Staying confident, he descended from the cloud to the clearing below, the colored spots that were flowers coming into sharper image as he approached it. "Bank low... Stall momentum..." he mumbled as he calculated as good an entry angle as he could, coming in from the narrowest angle of the meadow. He was lucky. There was very little wind to push off his angle, and he moved smoothly through the air almost exactly as he had calculated.

He couldn't help but hold his breath as he passed the tree line, his wings pulling back as he noted he was coming in too fast, though thankfully not as shallow as he had on the cloud, and he had to force his knees not to lock up, less he break them on impact. As he swooped in, his hooves scrambled slightly, and though he technically did land on his feet, the momentum of his flight pushed him over, and he tumbled. Thankfully, though, it was just that - a tumble into a patch of soft grass - and not a crash.

"I think I'm getting better already," he said with a jovial smile, making his way back up to his hooves and brushing grass off of his vest, his mane somewhat tousled from the breeze and the tumble landing.

As Widget flew down through the sky for a landing, Twilight went with him.  She remained nearby in the air a ways behind him, watching and measuring his approach to make sure she could give advice if he needed it.  Also, her horn was already glowing and ready to throw up a shield around his body if it looked like he was going to wipe out, but she kept that particular fact hidden out of his line of sight for the sake of his pride.  She didn't want him to think she didn't believe in him, but it was better safe than sorry... let him do it on his own, but be there in case something went out of hoof.

Thankfully the worst of it was just a little tumble and he was back on his hooves in the blink of an eye, joking and shaking it off unharmed.  Twilight let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and landed as well, fluttering to the earth with far better form than her date had shown.  As she trotted along to his side both of their wings began to shimmer and emit little globules of light that drifted up off them like flower spores on the breeze.  She'd become accustomed to the feeling of pins-and-needles going through her wings and into her shoulders as the spell waned, numbing the muscles entirely until those feathery appendages disintegrated away into nothing.  Once more bound to gravity's rules, Twilight rolled her shoulders to work some feeling back into them.

"All in all, I'd say that was a successful first flight.  You got the hang of basic maneuvering a lot faster than I would have thought... but you've been studying pony flight a lot more in-depth than I had when I first started, so it stands to reason.  We'll have to do it again soon." Twilight shrugged.  She felt rather... emboldened... and cast a smile Widget's way as she stepped up and rose to her hooftips, stealing a more direct kiss from her date's lips.  "Besides... wings suit you.  You looked really good like that~."

If there was anything Widget was used to, it was tumbles from attempting to fly. He found it easy to brush off. It wasn't even the worst fall the inventor had had that week, or even in the past two days. What he wasn't used to was the wings suddenly disappearing and the sensations that came with it. Widget was momentarily distracted by the unexpected and unpleasant sensation of pins and needles prickling within the appendages he still wasn't at all used to having, and he grimace in surprise and discomfort. He was distracted from the distraction, however, by something much more pleasurable, the pain and numbness instantly fading from his consciousness as Twilight kissed him so directly.

His eyes were slightly wide behind his glasses from that surprise, but it quickly melted into a sheepish grin, a flush rising in his cheeks when his date professed that he had looked good in such a state. "Well then," he said, trying to sound smooth despite the grin and blush, "I'll just have to let you put me in such a state more often. I have to say, you look amazing with those wings on... I would have sworn you were one of the Princess' Alicorn nieces, you looked so natural in them."

Loathing the idea of actually going home when he was having such a good time with Twilight, Widget did not immediately start to move, but instead lingered on the ground, the actual scientific information he had been able to garner from the flight experience finally making its way into his conscious mind. "That was quite enlightening, truth be told. I learned a lot from that flight that I'll be able to put toward my future research and development." Already he was thinking of changes he would make to the blueprints of the clockwork design Pinkie Pie gave him to make them feel more like natural flight, now that he actually knew what natural flight, sort of, felt like from a first pony perspective.

"I am one of the Princess' nieces, remember?  Well, niece-in-law, but still." Twilight giggled as she stepped past Widget and started to head off back for the main path that rain through the middle of the woods.  She was enjoying the date as well and certainly had no desire to see it end any sooner than it had to... so why should it?  Her schedule for the day was clear, after all.

"So... what do you want to do next?  I've been dragging you around so far." she asked as she gave him a look over her shoulder and beckoned him along.

"Oh yes, you've had to just tug be along by the tail all day," Widget said with a playful smirk and a roll of the eyes as he cantered up after her and came to a walk at her side. He pondered a moment, but in truth, there was really only one thing he did during his days off or when he had time in the evenings. He wasn't exactly the outdoors-ey type, obviously, preferring to spend a lot of time doing what he did best - being creative. "Have you ever been to Games and Tables? I spend a lot of time there when I'm not working with Rook White and his brother, Quick Buck. I actually did want to go there in the next few days..."

Twilight giggled softly over the comment and playfully bumped Widget in the haunch with a sway of her own, then settled back into pace alongside him.  "The board game shop?  Yeah, I visited there once before.  Pinkie Pie dragged the whole group there when they first opened up, both to welcome the brothers to town and to see if there were any good party games available.  I haven't really made it a habit of visiting though." she explained as they went, curious to see what Widget had in mind.

Widget visibly brightened when Twilight confessed that she hadn't made a habit of going into the shop. It made it all that much more exciting to show her what the quaint little shop really held within it. "Oh, there's much, much more than simple board games in that shop," he said in a mysterious tone, grinning wider. "They have a huge variety of games, including a few that I consider myself quite good at. My favorite is a role playing game called Ponies and Perils. Essentially, the basis of a role playing game is taking on the persona of a character you invent, and play that character out with a bunch of your friends in an ever-evolving story. One person is the PM, or Pony Master, and acts as the narrator to our story, controlling events and situations, while the rest of us tell how our characters would react to the situations. The outcomes of our actions are decided by fate and chance, portrayed by rolls of the dice. There's a load of different rule books spelling out different scenarios and examples, spells and abilities, everything we need to run a game fairly and properly." He smirked slightly, imagining Twilight playing a game with so many books required for proper play. It would certainly be her kind of game, if anything was.

"They also have several different collectible card games. My very favorite is called Magic: The Galloping. I used to play it a lot in school, we even had an after school club for it."

Twilight listened with interest, though it was apparent from her expression that she didn't quite get it.  Of course, she and her friends went off on major world-changing adventures more times than most ponies went out to eat.  She had actually fought of monsters, so imagining fighting off monsters didn't quite carry the same impact with her as it would others of less exciting and life-threatening careers.

"Well, that absolutely sounds right up Pinkie Pie's alley.  I'm surprised she hasn't tried to put together a game yet... sounds like the perfect excuse for a party." the Unicorn shrugged.  Like Pinkie ever needed an excuse to throw a bash?  The mention of the card game perked her interest though.  "That sounds familiar, actually... I think my big brother used to play that at the soldier's academy when he was younger.  I didn't realize they were still making that game after all these years."

"Probably because it requires sitting still and quiet for a few hours at a time. Somehow, Pinkie strikes me as the type that likes to keep moving and making some kind of sound, at all times." Widget snickered fondly at the thought of Pinkie Pie playing Ponies and Perils, wondering what sort of wild character concept she might come up with. It would be most amusing to see Pinkie trying to properly play a lawful good cleric...

"Oh my, yes. Magic: The Galloping has been around for almost twenty years now. New kids get interested watching their friends and family members play. There's even professional leagues that compete in tournaments. I havent played professionally before, but it looks too tough for me. Ill stick with games with my friends on the weekends." He looked to her. "Would you care to come to the shop with me? I need to pick up a few things, and ask Rook White about our next game session. I could show you the game room in the back, if you like."

"Yeah, that would be a feat.  She got into a staring contest with Fluttershy once.  Standard rules are that you can't talk or making any sudden movements to startle the opponent.  I thought her head was going to explode into confetti after two minutes.  Same goes for The Quiet Game.  Fluttershy is still reigning champion." Twilight giggled.  She'd actually challenged for the title on The Quiet Game herself in the past... it turned out that the demure Pegasus was not so easy a foe to topple.  Twilight's habit of thinking out loud had been her undoing.

At the invitation to the game shop, the Unicorn smiled and nodded her horned head.  "Sure~!  It should be interesting to see what sort of new stock they have anyway... I still need to replace my chess set since the last time Spike had a cold.  Maybe you could teach me how to play that card game too?" she asked.  She wasn't so sure she'd actually be interested in such a game, but it never hurt to try new things.  Plus if she did enjoy it, then it'd be one more thing the two of them could do together~!

Widget smiled brightly as Twilight agreed to go with him to the game shop, and his smile became a positive grin when she suggested he teach her how to play Magic: The Galloping. "I would love to teach you," he said happily. "I bet you'll love it. Lots of strategy to be had. And even if you don't like Magic in the end, we can still play chess some time." He winked at her playfully, now excited that they had a destination in mind. Widget couldn't help but think that today had been almost too much to handle... First, his first real flight with real wings with Twilight, lounging on a cloud and cuddling with his girlfriend, now heading to the game store to teach her how to play his favorite card game? This was quickly shaping into a contender for the best day ever.

He leaned down and stole a kiss from her, deep and firm but brief, before he pulled back and grinned playfully at her. He felt so full of energy... He'd start giggling if he didn't get it out. "Up to a race?" he asked challengingly.

As with anything, practice made perfect.  Twilight felt she was getting a hang of the whole dating thing now and was eager to try more aspects of it.  Kissing, as it turned out, wasn't so bad at all and she certainly didn't mind practicing that one bit.  Why had she ever been so worked up in the first place?  Widget's stolen kiss left her lips tingling and curved into a smile, though her expression perked as he offered a challenge to her.

"Up to a race?" he asked.

Rather than give a reply, Twilight fixed her date with a serious look.  It wasn't often she took such an expression and it almost seemed to feel as though something were the matter, or that she had something of great importance to tell him.  The Unicorn stepped about in front of him and raised a hoof to have him halt, pressing it to his shoulder as she held his gaze in her own.  Twilight leaned in and took a kiss of her own -- firm as the one he'd given her but lingering into passing seconds.  It was the sort of gentle, affectionate kiss one would hope to part ways with at the end of a first date or perhaps share later on down the road after a long, happy time spent together... the sort that swept away thought and made one feel like floating even without wings.

The kiss slowly broke as Twilight drew back just enough to rest her cheek against Widget's, cant her head upward to his ear, and then finally speak out with a soft breath:

"Yes."

And just like that she was gone, off like a shot as she turned and dashed off down the wooded path for town with devious laughter echoing out behind her.

--> Twilight exits to Ponyville Town Square
This message was last edited by the player at 05:02, Mon 16 July 2012.

Widget might have worried that his wings had re-sprouted with some surge of his own magic with the strange floating sensation he got in his stomach as Twilight laid that deep and unexpected kiss on him, if he had any logical thought left in him. The absent minded pony had in the past, despite his absentmindedness, always been so level headed and straight thinking, even when he had gotten creative with his inventing. When the young stallion was with Twilight Sparkle, however, it became so difficult to keep a grasp of anything else but her, and especially when she was kissing him like that.

When she broke it at long last, the flushed and lightheaded unicorn's eyes were hardly open, and he leaned softly into her when she leaned rested her cheek against his own. For a moment when she leaned up as if to tell him something, he thought he might topple over, or float away - he wasn't quite sure which.

But suddenly, she had accepted his challenge of a race, and off she was like a shot across the woods. He blinked in surprise, stepping back to catch his footing before he toppled over, her laughter echoing back to his ears helping to snap him out of his trance. He shook his head as his hooves danced slightly, blinking rapidly and staring at her retreating form. "Wait, wha-- Hey! That was cheating!" he called after her, his own laughter bubbling as he took off after her down the path, the sound of their hooves cantering down the cobblestone and rustling through the leaves the only other sound over the sound of laughter. He followed her, for the gangly pony couldn't quite catch up with her (having never read Racing for Eggheads), into Ponyville, and eventually into the square on their way to the game store.

>>> TO: Ponyville Time Square

After Time Skip

Scootaloo had spent the last six days hiding and crying, trying to think of a plan and crying, crying, making an effort at running away and crying, crying, and trying to think of some way to avoid Merriweather for the rest of her life while still remaining in Ponyville. Also crying.

She had barely been able to eat, her stomach was constantly upset and she didn't feel like she would be able to keep anything down but had forced herself to eat in case she needed the strength to get away quickly. Today, she had finally decided to go visit the one place that was sure to help her. So it was that she struck out from the CMC Club House and into the White Tail Wood. It took her some time to make her way to where she needed to go but eventually after much checking to make sure she wasn't seen or followed she came to the small clearing only she knew about. It was a fairly nondescript clearing, measuring only about five feet across before being swallowed up once more by the woods. In the middle of the clearing sat a rather unremarkable stone, the only thing noteworthy about it being the two words carved into it.

                                                              COPPER BOLT

Scoots walked slowly up to the stone, slowly sitting down in front of it and simply looking at it for a good ten minutes before she let out a heavy sigh and reached up to touch the words with a hoof. It had taken her nearly three days to carve the name deep enough into the stone to make it permanent. Leaning forward she gently kissed the words and rested her forehead against it. "Hello Mommy, it's been awhile hasn't it? I'm sorry I haven't visited as often as I should. It's been a busy and not so good time for me this last week. I-I kind of attacked a pony to keep my secret. I know it was wrong, but she was trying to talk to you and I knew that if I brought her here she would have just shipped me off to some orphanage and I'd rather be with you than face that. The only problem is that now she's probably angry at me for attacking her and I won't be able to slip away again and once she catches me I'll face that fate anyways." She said, her lips trembling as she talked and voiced her fears. She could feel her pain lessen just a bit and she could almost feel the comforting weight of her mother's wing wrapping her up.

"I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave my friends behind, but I don't want to go to an orphanage either. Why couldn't she just mind her own business? Then none of this would have happened." She slumped down against the rock, curling up against it and letting out a little sob. She knew that she had school and that if she didn't show up questions would be asked but she just couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She'd avoided her friends and knew that they were probably worried about her but again couldn't bring herself to care. She'd figure something out, everything was always clearer after she'd visited here.

As Scoots lay there, her breathing evened out and her chest eased out of the painful tightness that had consumed her for the past six days. She could feel her worries and fears seeping out of her as she basked in the calming presence of her mother's spirit. She didn't have to worry about Merriweather turning her in. She'd apologize if she saw her and if the elder mare pressed matters she would simply say that her mother was not available to talk. Or she would simply ignore any questions about her parents, where she lived and other such topics. It's not like she was Merriweather's foal and she didn't have to listen to her if she didn't want to. Yeah, yeah that's true!

Her head perked up at this thought. She wasn't Merriweather's foal! She didn't have to answer or obey her! Sure, she might be seen as a little rude but better that than the alternative! A smile bloomed on her face, the first one in six long days as she clambered to her hooves. "She can't tell me what to do. She's not my Mommy! I'm saved!" She let out a joyous whoop, hopping a bit in glee. "Thanks for helping me Mommy!" She threw her forelegs around the stone, giving it a thankful squeeze. "I promise I'll come back soon and visit more often. But I should probably get going, though I don't think I'll go to school. Yes, I know. School is important but I didn't do the work that was assigned and I'd rather not go and be sad again after I just started feeling happy again. I know you understand!" She said, giving the marker one last squeeze and a parting kiss. "See ya soon Mommy, I love you!"

Thus, feeling so much better now than before, Scoots trotted out of the clearing and started following a random path that would make it impossible for anypony to follow her tracks back to the glade. Now then, what to do with her free day?

To Unknown Adventures!--->

<-- Twilight enters from Books and Branches Library

Taking the 'long way' to the woods by walking instead of teleporting gave the two Unicorns time to chat.  Dating and romance were tricky topics even for experienced Ponies and Twilight made sure to make it very clear that she was still learning the whole mess herself.  She didn't want to give Starcrasher any false impressions, after all.  She explained that, fundamentally, it wasn't much different than hanging out with friends except for the emotional context involved, though it was difficult for her to elaborate on.  Being out in the bright forest on that cleared path helped clear her thoughts and concentration though.

"The basic principles are the same -- companionship, understanding, a sense of belonging, equal exchange of personal value..." she went on with her head canted aside in thought.  "But there's more to it.  There's this... closeness... that isn't quite the same as the sort friends have.  You can see it every time Mr. and Mrs. Cake look at each other and trade pet names.  It was there between my big brother and Cadence at their wedding when they exchanged vows." she realized she was speaking more about love though and decided to rope it in a little.  "I suppose dating is the progression toward finding somepony you can love like that.  Someone to spend your life with, who wants to be with you as much as you want to be with them.  There's a level of intimacy and trust involved that's on a different level than the sort you share with a friend.  There's also the physical aspect too, of course."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Mon 10 Sept 2012.

--> From: Ponyville Residential District - Books and Branches Library -->

Starcrasher listened to Twilight's explanation, a bit concerned to hear it was something she hadn't quite figured out yet either. With all she knew, and living in a library at that, it had to be a real difficult topic as well.

- "Physical aspect? So you mean, it's kind of like being friends, only with kisses? So if we were close friends and i'd kiss you, then that would make this a date?"

From the look on her face it was clear Starcrasher had no intention of putting that question to practice, she was still trying to figure this whole thing out. And with all the recent studying crammed into her skull, it took a bit to find a place for more to fit in.

Surprisingly, Twilight took that sort of remark in stride and just laughed gently.  "Well, there is a term for that... but it's not quite what I'm talking about.  The key part behind a date is that both parties involved are interested in seeking the other as a potential romantic interest.  Dates are a way of figuring out if you have things in common or are compatible with each other." she continued as the path diverged off the main road and further into the woods itself.  "That's why it's so common for Ponies who are already friends to begin dating.  Friendship can sometimes evolve from a platonic love into a romantic love."

As the two continued along, Twilight told Starcrasher about her big brother and Princess Cadence.  The two had known each other their entire adolescences; they were about Starcrasher's age when they first met.  Twilight's family was closely involved with the castle thanks to her tutelage under Celestia and Shining Armor's squireship in the royal guard, and he met Cadence when she became Twilight's foal-sitter.  They started out as friends, though Twilight herself had no idea their relationship had grown so close after she'd become an adult and moved along into her own independence.  She'd gotten the story herself well after the fact, but found it sweet that the two had begun as friends and let their feelings for one another grow into something more.