<<< FROM: Sugarcube Corner

The day was bright and beautiful, with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees around the path Widget made his way on. He hummed softly as he trotted toward Twilight's special place she had shown him earlier, where they had agreed to meet, and imagined that the wind and birdsong echoed the happy tone he whistled. It was one of the many songs Pinkie Pie had broken out into, and one that just stuck in his head, especially when he had a good reason to smile, which was coming more and more often these days.

The sound of a swush! from above caught his attention, and he looked up to see the streak of something dark and vaguely pony-shaped head toward Ponyville. He blinked, confused. Had there been other ponies besides Twilight and Starcrasher here? He wasn't concerned - if there had been some sort of threat, he was pretty sure the forest would be burned to cinders by now. Twilight was not a pony to trifle with.

At last, he ventured from the beaten path, and came to the circle of trees and stones Twilight had forged for herself within the forest. And at last, his eyes behind his black square spectacles fell upon her. It was weird how it felt as if he had not seen her in years when it had only been a few days, but nonetheless, his stomach tightened and heart soared as his mouth spread into an uncontainable grin of happiness. "Fancy meeting you here," he greeted as he approached, hoping it sounded smooth and not overly cheesy.

Twilight Sparkle sat back on her haunches as the group took to the skies, watching them soar out over the trees and out of sight.  So there was one member of the Night Watch shadowing the Unicorn suspect, another protecting Luna and Starcrasher, and naturally Luna herself.  That was plenty, right?  Twilight honestly couldn't think of anything that the Everfree Forest could throw at the Princess she wouldn't be able to handle... it wasn't as dangerous as it was in olden times, and back then Luna had lived in those woods.

Of course, then there was the emotional connection to those ruins... but Luna wouldn't have volunteered herself to go were she not confident she could face such things.  At least, Twilight hoped that was the case...

"Fancy meeting you here."

The Unicorn looked up from her internalization at that familiar voice and couldn't help but smile.  She was worrying about nothing... they'd all be able to handle what was little more than an errand no problem.  If she couldn't trust the Princess and a Royal Guard, who could she trust?  Twilight tried to put such things out of her mind as she rose up to her hooves and cantered over to Widget, greeting him with a fond nuzzle neck-to-neck.

"Says you.  This place has been busier than Canterlot Grand Station this morning." she replied with a soft laugh.  "How have you been?"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:58, Tue 16 Oct 2012.

Widget returned the affectionate nuzzle Twilight gave him, magicking the picnic basket to the ground to keep it out of trouble's way. "Oh? It seems quiet now. Though I thought I saw somepony flying back to Ponyville a few seconds ago on my way here." He smiled. "I've been well. Trying to keep myself busy," he said, indicating the new set of clockwork wings on his back, still folded tight. "How about you? I've heard that you've been keeping Starcrasher extra busy. Not that I disagree - that filly needed somewhere positive to focus her energies."

He walked beside her to the more level area in the center of the clearing near the large stone dais in the center that served as Twilight's sundial, removing the blanket from within the basket to spread it carefully over the grass. "I don't know about you, but I'm famished. It feels much latter than just afternoon."

"That was just Princess Luna and a pair of ninja soldiers rushing off to investigate a possible Poacher smuggling dangerous monsters out of the Everfree Forest." Twilight explained flatly with a shrug. "So... you know.  Tuesday."

Adventure and misadventures sure seemed to have a knack for finding Twilight and her friends, that was for sure.  While she did feel bad about not contributing more to the investigation, part of her was inwardly happy to not have to rush off to put out another fire for once.  There were other capable Ponies around who could handle things.  She could just sit this one out on the side lines and enjoy an afternoon with her coltfriend.

...eeeee~!  She had a coltfriend~!

"Starcrasher... actually, Star Dasher, has been doing really well so far.  We finally managed to get a grasp on what was causing her to short out magic all over the place.  She's got a natural knack for Disenchantment and has been casting it all this time without realizing it." she explained as she watched Widget lay out the blanket.  He hadn't told her exactly what he had in mind for that afternoon, so she was eager to find out.  She joined him on the blanket once it was all set, getting comfy close at his side.  "It turns out that her parents have been putting a huge amount of pressure on her to succeed as a magician.  I really think I need to talk to them about it, but I'm sort of worried about butting into something half-informed."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:49, Thu 18 Oct 2012.

"Never a dull moment around Ponyville, is there?" Widget commented jovially as he began to set out the spread for lunch. Misadventure and excitement did tend to follow Twilight around, and as consequence (or benefit depending on who you ask), made the everyday citizen of Ponyville have a lot to write home about. Widget didnt mind at all though. He liked the mystery and excitement.

"Disenchantment, huh? Thats a rare and powerful ability to have. Poor girl, no wonder mishaps seem to follow her around. Im glad you were able to find out what was going on so soon. Star Dasher? Havent heard that one... Why does she go by Crasher, then?" he inquired curioisly. "I knew about her family's pressure on her. I had asked her before I introduced you two if she wanted to be a magician, or if she wanted to please her family. She seemed sincere when she said she wanted it for herself. Otherwise I would have discussed it with you further. Im a pretty big advocate in doing what you want and not what others want you to do. If she didnt want to be a magician, she will never get her cutie mark practicing it." He looked back at his own cutie mark with a smile, remembering how he had recieved it.

"Well, I think you should talk to her parents regardless. As her teacher, it's important to keep them abreast of their daughter's progress. It isnt butting in - its being a responsible teacher. You dont have to go in horn blazing and all accusatory like... Just sit down with them and gauge the situation for yourself." He set out the sandwiches he had brought for lunch as well as the tea kettle, fishing around for the water bottle and packet of lemongrass tea leaves mix. He raised hishead as Twilight snuggled in cozy close and couldnt help but to smile in pleasure at her proximity. Yes, this was perfect... an afternoon alone with each other to relax, play chess, eat good food, and just talk. A perfect Tuesday date.s

"I asked the Cakes to make these for you," he said as he withdrew the box of sugared flowers and set it gently on the blanket before them. "Ive seen them in Canterlot sweet shops and thought you might like them." Setting the box down, he opened it to reveal the glittering gem like flowers within.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:49, Thu 18 Oct 2012.

"I'm not sure I've got the whole story, but from what she told me..." Twilight mumbled in concern.  "Remember how Rainbow Dash used to have that nickname: Rainbow Crash?  It's sort of like that.  Except that apparently her parents said she can't have her real name until she learns magic.  She's descended from Star Swirl the Bearded and her entire line have been magicians so far... capable ones, at that.  When I asked her if she ever tried being anything but a student, she looked at me like I'd grown a second horn.  It had never occurred to her that doing anything else was even an option.  She told me that all of her family have been pressured to be honor students and magicians, so that it's normal for her... but it just doesn't feel right."

Twilight was obviously concerned over the whole matter and was distracted to the point that she barely noticed Widget setting everything up around them. "So you can see why I'm worried?  If this sort of thing is habit for the family, then they're not going to take kindly to somepony second-guessing them.  I understand having to live up to expectations, but your family should support and encourage you, not weigh you down with that sort of pressure." she sighed and gave a shake of her head.  "To be fair, I need to speak with her family first and get both sides of the story before I go making any other sort of decisions.  For now, I just hope I can ease the stress on Star Dasher by helping her improve."

Part of Twilight wished she didn't know about the situation in the first place.  Knowing that Starcrasher had been essentially forced into such a lifestyle because of her parents' choices cast a bit of a pallor on their lessons.  She didn't want to facilitate an abusive situation, after all.  But at the same time, it was obvious Starcrasher did have a genuine interest in spellcraft and absolutely had talent as well.  If nothing else, Twilight could supply her with a gentle learning environment where she wouldn't have to feel such needless pressure to succeed.  She knew from personal experience just how heavily things could weigh on a young Pony, after all.

"But these are problems for another time.  As of right now, I just want to relax a little and enjoy lunch.  I've cleared my schedule, so I'm all yours until further notice." the Unicorn set aside her worries as best she could in lieu of giving Widget some proper attention.  When he presented her with the sparkling flower sweets, she gave an excited 'Oooo~!' that sent her eyes gleaming like Rarity's would over a fashionable bit of jewelery.  "Merriweather's cooking, The Cakes' baking... you're gonna spoil me rotten at this rate, Widget.  I haven't had candied flowers since I was a filly." she giggled as she leaned in and took one of the blooms' petals in her teeth to lift the treat.  Rather than eat it herself, she offered it up to her beau instead.  "Say 'Aaah~'."

"They're holding her name as ransom?" he asked, obviously surprised by this bit of news, and more than a little disgusting. "That's... that's terrible! You're quite right, that doesn't feel right at all..." He nodded softly, understanding now why she was so hesitant. It sounded like a bad situation inside and out. He understood family pressure and having to live up to family expectations, though his case was of course somewhat different than Star Dasher's, but he also believed you should do what you want and not what your family wants. At the same time, this seemed to be normal for Star's family... perpetuated for generations. Could it be said that this mentality, this pressure, is what made them the great magicians that they were? Could they be looking too deeply into it because they cared for Star, but didn't see the big picture? Like Twilight, the last thing he wanted was to perpetuate an abusive situation. He had taken Star under his wing, so to speak, and was beginning to care for her as a big brother might. But could that personal connection be putting blinders on?

Thinking on it too much made his head ache a little, and he made a slightly disgruntled noise as he tried to stop, at least for now. Twilight was quite right. This was not the time to dwell on outside matters. Star was safe and sound now, and no impulsive decision would aid her, and they needed to talk to the family before anything was done. They, not just Twilight. Twilight may be her teacher, but Widget was her psudo-caretaker, making sure she had a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and went to class. He saw Star as his responsibility, one he was glad for (though he'd never tell Quill that, the dragon would never stop bringing home strays if he did!). For now, though, it was time for them to relax and enjoy each others company.

His face brightened when she said she had cleared her schedule and the entire afternoon was theirs. Maybe to some it may seem clinical, but for Twilight, it was a great compliment indeed for her to clear her entire schedule just for him. He blushed slightly when she said he was spoiling her, grinning as he leaned in to kiss her cheek in affection. "Worth every bit of effort just to see you smile," he assured her with sincerity. The more he saw it, the more he was sure that Twilight being happy was the most lovely thing in the world.

He complied with her request, opening his mouth as he leaned down, still grinning. "Ahh~," he let ring softly in his throat as he leaned in, gripped the petal in his teeth, and kissed her around it, finding that far more sweet than the candy she offered.

Twilight was a very busy Pony by her own hoof.  She had been planning on taking care of at least two dozen other things once she was finished with Starcrasher's lessons for the day, but Widget's invitation to lunch had quite firmly persuaded her to do otherwise.  She wasn't keen on procrastinating, but a quick run-down of the priority level showed that none of them were immediately pressing anyway.  At the moment, the most important thing on her plate was lunch.

~Now let's see... if my hypothesis holds true based on previous research, then an effective way of instigating affectionate gestures is to make an invitation for intimacy, as opposed to directly seeking it.  That risks progressing into the 'clingy' status.~ Twilight's mind was never inactive.  She smiled into the warm kiss Widget laid on her around the sugar treat and pressed up to meet it as well before letting go and allowing him to crunch on the candy.  ~Success!~ the validation of a correct theory was almost as nice as the kiss.  Though, naturally, it would only be sound to repeat the experiment to ensure that it wasn't just a fluke.

For science, of course.

"The only thing that comes to mind is Rainbow Dash's competition.  That's supposed to be today and I wanted to be able to show support.  I know she'd be happy if we could be there for her." Twilight mentioned as she lit her horn and conjured a small hot stone to set the tea kettle on.  She let Widget take care of handling the food while she got their tea brewing away.

"That'd be fun to go see. I'd like to go when it starts," Widget said as he spread out their sandwiches for them - daisy on wry for her, wheatgerm and buckwheat on multi-grain for him. The apple tarts from the same restaurant box taunted him, bit he resisted. It wouldn't be very becoming to eat desert before lunch, even if it was delicious apple tart, which he had already proven to have a weakness for... Sweet, flaky tarts, with plenty of cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg, syrupy sweet apples, with fresh whipped cream... No! Had to stay strong...

He forced his eyes away at last, drawn once more to Twilight. Even apple tart faded when he saw her looking so pleased. The smell of lemongrass tea beginning to seep was also taking his mind off the very fragrant apple tarts in the bottom of the picnic basket, and to be honest, his sandwich was looking pretty tasty, too. It felt like weeks since breakfast!

"Until then, however, we have all this time to ourselves." He sighed slightly with a distinctly happy echo. "I brought this with me... I've been working on it for a while, I thought it'd be nice to have a little music with lunch." He magically pulled from the basket the tiny machine he had packed in it earlier and set it off to the side. "I had to build it. A size reduction spell, from me, anyway, isn't permanent, and it was too difficult to get all the pieces and gears to reduce at the proper percentages anyway. The records, though, those are easy." He pulled out tiny black disks no bigger than a pony's pupil, and carefully set it into place in the mini music player. "I call it the Music Portable Pony Party, or MP3 for short." A quick jolt of blue magic, and the gentle warbling sounds of classical music gently began to fill the immediate area.

"Until then, however, we have all this time to ourselves." Widget sighed happily.

Twilight gave a pleased tone in the back of her throat at that and shifted over a bit, nestling herself in warmly against Widget's side with an affectionate lift of her cheek against his neck.  For about the umpteenth time, she looked back on how badly she'd reacted to the idea of dating and felt absolutely ridiculous over it.  She and Widget had only been a couple for a short while, but she could already understand why so many Ponies were keen on romance.  It used to be that she thought Rarity and Aloe a little silly for how much they pressed on the company of stallions, or even how her big brother and Cadence acted around each other.  But now she felt she was starting to understand the draw.  Not only was there the emotional satisfaction, but the physical intimacy was also a major point of interest.  Twilight was never so cuddly with anypony -- even her best friends only got the occasional hug.  But there was something deeply gratifying about just being with him, even just relaxing there together.

Widget's invention drew Twilight's interest and she peered at is closely as he set it up.  When it began to play, she gave a cheery laugh.  "Wow, that's clever~!  I've seen portable phonographs before, but never a miniaturized version.  Does it have a magic cell to retain battery power, or is it entirely run on your own magic?  Have you considered any different frame shapes?  Or maybe a mechanism to hold a variety of vinyls and swap them out automatically rather than carrying them around individually?" she went on quite readily -- Twilight was always interested in new technology, after all.  However, she paused after a second as she recognized the music playing and gave a little roll of her eyes.  "Octavia..."  she perked her brow with a playfully suspicious glance up at him.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:20, Thu 25 Oct 2012.

The inventor pony couldn't help but to nuzzle in when Twilight snuggled up beside him. As she had not considered the continual physical aspect of a romantic relationship, neither had he. He hadn't considered much beyond having someone to talk to all the time, to share his dreams and aspirations with, and perhaps eventually, his life. The idea of physical contact had, of course, occured to him, but he hadn't been prepared for how it would affect him and his feelings for Twilight. Every cuddle, every hug and nuzzle, and of course, every kiss she offered him made warmth blossom in his heart anew. Just when he thought he'd gotten used to them and to her, she staggered him, shoved him off his hooves, and made him swoon for her all over again. The only thing that had really changed was that, thankfully, he could actually be with her without jumbling up his words or acting like a complete foal.

"Thanks," he responded to her praise with a beaming smile. "It can be fitted with a magic cell, but I didn't have time to install one, so for now, a quick jolt of personal magic sets it for a good few hours. I'm not sure if a mechanism like that would work on a unit this small... I'd have to do quite a bit of tinkering to make it operable on a level this small. Good idea, though."

The last comment, quiet and quick, brought a little flush to his cheeks as he smiled at his fillyfriend sheepishly. "What can I say? Cello music helps me concentrate. And no ones better than Octavia," he said, sounding half amused and half embarrassed. "Ah... Ahem. That reminds me. I was able to get tickets to that charity concert at the Canterlot Gardens next month. I expect them in the mail today or tomorrow at the latest..."

As the official deadpan snarker of her group of friends, Twilight could rarely pass up the chance to take a little prod at such things.  While she had felt a surprising rush of jealousy toward Octavia earlier that week, she'd since cooled and come to understand just how silly she'd been.  All the romance stuff was new to her, after all.  But when Widget came along with another of the cellist's works, she couldn't pass up the chance to tease him just a little bit~.

At the mention of the concert tickets, Twilight perked again. "Really?  That's great~!" she beamed at the prospect.  In the meantime, the tea had finished steeping and she set about pouring the both of them a cup full.  All that practice with Starcrasher had worked up an appetite and she was looking forward to their lunch. "I haven't been back to Canterlot in quite a while, actually.  I keep meaning to go back and visit with my parents one of these weekends, but I'm always so busy."

"I haven't been back to Canterlot in several years now," he said as he laid out their sandwiches and muffins, nodding appreciatively as he took his cup of tea. "I'd like to take an early train, if that's okay with you. I'd like to meet your family before the concert. Maybe we'll all do lunch, if your brother doesn't have me arrested on the spot, of course." He smirked slightly, obviously not particularly concerned about being thrown into the dungeons. "I don't have any family to visit, but there is an old family friend I'd like to see. My Mare Appointed was a friend of my dad's mom. She and my mom got really close before I was born, and she was kinda like a Grandma growing up. Only... Well, she reminds me a lot of Rainbow Dash, actually. She always got into more mischief than me. It made things interesting, that's for sure. Her name's Golden Laurels. Used to be a Wonderbolt more than thirty years ago."

He hovered his own buckwheat sandwich to his mouth and took a healthy bite, chewing in a savoring fashion before swallowing with a sip of tea. There was a pause, and he glanced at her. He looked nervous. "Do you think your family would like me...?" he asked in a slightly hesitant tone. Her brother was one thing - big brothers protect their little sisters. But her mother and father, not to mention Princess Celestia... Would they approve of him? Of them?

Twilight had tucked into her sandwich as well, on top of sneaking another candied flower too, when Widget voiced his concern about meeting her family.  The Unicorn paused and swallowed hard, then gave her beau a sheepish smile.  "Well... the thing is, they're actually pretty eager to meet you.  I may have sorta kinda sent them a letter already." It occurred to her a bit too late that she probably should have told Widget she'd mailed home about her new relationship before she actually sent the letter just to be fair.  But she was in such a habit of sending messages off that it never crossed her mind until after the fact.  "I sent a letter to Princess Celestia too, but I haven't heard back from her at all lately.  But I hear there's some bothersome things going on in Canterlot like a cave-in at one the train route's main tunnel and some kind of bug making the rounds, so she must be too busy."

Frankly, Twilight was concerned about introducing Widget nonetheless.  The letter she'd gotten back from her family was very encouraging.  Perhaps a little too much from her mother, but that was beside the point.  The mare had been pestering Shining Armor for grand children since the moment she'd heard about his engagement and wasn't yet satisfied now that Twilight was also in a relationship.  Of course, then there was the prospect of her meeting Widget's family... or at least, his godmare as mentioned.  She felt a familiar tingling of stress building up at the base of her spine as she began to think about making a good impression and what all could go wrong (so, so many things...), but forced herself to quell such thoughts.

"Well, either way, I think we'll both do just fine meeting each others' families.  We'll just have to make sure we keep tabs on each other to avoid any freakouts." she was honestly hoping more for her own sake that Widget would keep an eye on her.  A powerful magician with poor coping skills and an reflexive habit to 'fix' problems?  Yeah, she'd need someone to spot her...

Widget smiled and nodded in agreement to Twilight's sentiment about helping each other avoid freak outs. It didn't bother him when she admitted that she had told her family about him. On the contrary, he felt rather flattered that she had been so eager to tell her family that they were dating. He hadn't told Golden Laurels that he had found a filly friend, but... well, that was mostly for personal reasons. She was the closest thing Widget had to family, but she was... unique. Tact was not her forte, and that was one reason he didn't write letters very often to her.

"Yeah, you're right. We'll both be fine," he said more confidently. So long as they watched each others backs and took care of each other, Widget had a feeling they would be alright no matte what came their way. "It's settled then. We'll leave first thing in the morning and spend the night there. That way we have plenty of time to meet family and get ready."

He quickly polished off his sandwich and cup of tea, filling his cup again as he sighed in satisfaction of a no longer empty belly. He offered her a refill before going for what he was really waiting for - one of those delicious apple tarts he had been so eager for. "Ah, right," he said, pulling out the small blue box as he fished around for his apple tart. "I brought my chess set. Interest you in a relaxing game?" he offered.

Twilight contented herself to the idea of the two keeping tabs on one another during their visits.  But as she thought about it, something occurred to her.  It was very much like the pleasant feeling that she had when she became aware of the concern her friends showed for her, or herself for they.  The comfort and reassurance of knowing somepony was watching out for you... but with Widget, it was somehow more warm.  It took that normally bubbly feeling in her chest and spread it out through the rest of her body in a way that made her feel happier than she'd expected.  She felt it prudent to share that happiness too -- when Widget refilled her tea cup, she gestured for him to lean closer and indulged in another kiss; slow, sweet, and deeply affectionate.

"Chess?  Well, I haven't really played since I was a filly.  Princess Celestia taught me a little when I was living with her in the castle.  Just go easy on me, okay?" she asked when the topic turned to board games.  It stood to reason; Twilight spent so much of her time in study that she didn't really give herself the chance to enjoy games or distractions.  Even an intellectual diversion like chess was still a diversion.

---> from Ponyville~!

Rainbow Dash didn't slow down one iota from when she departed Ponyville, wanting to get to the woods to find Twilight as soon as possible. It was a fairly lengthy trip, however, and as she finally got over the trees, she was getting quite tired. She paused and hovered above them, finishing the last of her breakfast. She chewed on the last bite of her waffle sandwich before licking the sticky syrup off of her hoof.

"Phew! That was a good workout!" she told herself. "Now, where would Twilight be down there...?"

She resumed her flying, going slower now though so she could scan the terrain below, looking for any sign of the purple unicorn. Or books. Or whatever else nerds liked to have with them.

It took her a few more minutes of flying before she came to a clearing in the woods. She nearly flew right over it in her haste, but she caught sight of them out the corner of her eye. Ah, she's on a date, huh? Didn't Spike say she was out with Starcrasher practicing magic? Wait, did she lie to her assistant to cover the date up? Huh. Didn't think she had it in her.

Circling around a few times, she decided to head down there. "Twilight!" she called out as she slowly spiraled down into the clearing. She landed rather gracefully for somepony nicknamed Rainbow Crash and trotted up to the adorkable couple. "Twilight! Boy, are you a hard pony to find! I've been looking for you for hours!"

When Rainbow Dash called out all a sudden, Twilight internally resolved to put a glamor on her training grounds to prevent it from being found so easily in the future.  She loved Dash like a sister, but she'd gone and even turned away Princess Luna herself to be able to spend time with her date... she was not going to let interruptions keep happening!

"Excuse me just a second, Widget..." she smiled warmly as she got up to her hooves, leaving him to tend to the chess board in the meantime.  The Unicorn hurried over to Rainbow Dash and hooked a foreleg about hers, pulling her off to the side a ways out of earshot.  "What is it, Rainbow?  I'm a little busy right now..." she asked.  While she was naturally concerned about why her friend had gone to so much trouble to find her, she also didn't want to leave Widget hanging for long.

Rainbow Dash peeked over her shoulder and saw Widget, sitting there at the chess board. "Heh. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your date... or whatever it is you're doing..." she smiled sheepishly.

As they moved away, she sighed. "I'm just... I don't know... stressed? Confused, I guess? The contest... I'm doing it this afternoon. I want to go through with it no matter what, but I'm just..." she sighed again in frustration and growled, scratching the side of her head hard as she tried to think. "I can't really put it into words nicely. I have questions, I guess?" She was kicking herself for sounding like such a dork, but when it came to things such as romance, she really had no clue.

Given the topic, Twilight instantly regretted her haste.  Gah... she was being selfish.  It was the second time she'd acted thoughtlessly with Rainbow Dash and she didn't want to make another mistake when the Pegasus' feelings were at stake.  Instead Twilight quickly softened her approach and continued along, leading her friend further out from the clearing amid the trees where they could have some real privacy.  She trusted Widget, sure, but also wanted to give Rainbow the breathing room so that she wouldn't have to worry about her image.

"About that; I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash.  I was really thoughtless toward you before and made a knee-jerk reaction when you first mentioned the whole contest idea.  I should have been a lot more considerate of your feelings." Twilight apologized for her previous rudeness.  It had been a real surprise when Rainbow Dash had set up the contest in the first place, after all.  She'd been too quick to judge.  "I'm still not entirely convinced about how well this is going to turn out, but I want you to know that I'm behind you.  Ask me anything.  I promise I won't judge at all."

"A good strategy game like chess is good to keep your mind sharp. I'll go easy on you, but you'll probably have me by the tail after just a game or two," Widget countered with a laugh as he began to magic the pieces into place. However, there wasn't much time to do much else, as they were happened upon, or found, or whatever, by one of Twilight's friends, Rainbow Dash. He smiled in a friendly manner, but quickly settled back down when Rainbow's intent upon Twilight became obvious.

"Sure, Twilight. Take your time," he said when she asked him to excuse her for a moment. He busied himself with setting up the board, but was otherwise quiet and as unobtrusive as possible. He wasn't upset - girls just needed to talk sometime and would wait for nothing. He got that. It just meant he could get the board just right (with the white side for Twilight, of course) and hum along softly to the song that had just begun on his MP3.

Dash smiled softly, kicking at the ground a little and shrugged. "Ahhh, don't worry about it. I know how it seems to a lot of ponies. They think it's some kind of stunt. It's their loss for not coming to compete or watch though. You're going to compete, right, Twilight?" She asked suddenly, leaving it a moment to let that hit Twilight before laughing. "Just kidding, just kidding. I know you got a coltfriend now and all." She chuckled, the joke making her relax a little even if it was cruel to poor Twilight.

"It's not some harebrained stunt though. I'm serious about this." she looked up, meeting Twilight's gaze again. "I have too many questions... and, well... you're the only one I know of with experience."

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
You're the expert that I seek
Even though you're what I'd call an egghead and a geek
I need to comprehend
What these feelings mean, I don't aim to condescend.

Love really is confusing
I'd rather forget and go back to snoozing
Though I'm not proud of
I really need help with love!
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

Dash plunked her flank on the ground unceremoniously, looking as dejected and pitiful as she possibly could. "Seriously, I really really do..."

Twilight was frankly surprised to have such a thing confessed to her, but did her best to keep along with it.  She wasn't sure she was really an ideal person to come to on such a matter though.  Surely Rarity would have been better?  Or even Applejack?  "I am not an egghead.  I'm not really sure I'm the best Pony to be asking about this sort of thing, to be honest.  I barely understand it myself... but... well;

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
I can't forget about that time.
The way it felt when I looked into his eyes.
I admit; I was terrified.
But now I'm glad that I gave it a try.

That first date, I was so anxious.
Curious...
Excited...
And yeah, I felt kinda sick...
But now I can't get enough.
Here's what I know about love:

Twilight couldn't help but feel light on her hooves as she discussed the matter.  What had initially been blind panic had turned into something a lot more comfortable between her and Widget.  She chanced a look over her shoulder to see him waiting in the distance before she continued.

Love's a strange concept.
Varied from one Pony to the next.
But there is a median:
Take notes --
the lesson will begin!

Love's all about devotion.
Chemistry.
Affinity.
Such odd emotions.
And yes, even mushy stuff.
They're all parts of love.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

"Stop making faces.  This is important and, I'll have you know, kissing is awesome.  Surely you have a type?  Some kind of personality or look you're attracted to?"

Rainbow Dash quickly snapped into a relaxed pose, looking somewhat puzzled at how Twilight could think she was being immature. "I'm not making faces! I'm just stretching my face muscles!" Even as Twilight turned, she resumed making ill faces at the mention of 'mushy stuff'. "And... I don't really... hmmm... a type? I haven't really thought about it before I guess."

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
They'd have to be cool and cute
Awesome, amazing and athletic to boot
Honesty is key
She'd be strong just like an apple tree
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

One of Twilight's brows perked at that. "She?"

They cyan pegasus' fuchsia eyes went wide as she realized what she had just blurted out. "Uh, he! He!"

"You know Rainbow, there's nothing wrong with being into mares as well.  Plus you didn't specify gender on your poster, so there's sure to be some girls in the contest today too." she added knowingly.  She'd heard that Pinkie Pie intended on joining, after all.

Rainbow Dash seemed to consider the words of the unicorn for a few moments before continuing on.

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
Whether its a mare or stallion
It won't be one or two, maybe a batallion
You will see the proof
They will travel far to win my hoof

I've thought on this through and through
A contest like this is long over-due
Poster's up, can't turn back now!
Now I just have to think about how...
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
The contest should to do the task,
of weeding the good ones from the chaff.
As far as athletics is concerned.
But the rest?
You still risk getting burned.

It won't be easy to fit that bill.
Those are some big horseshoes to fill.
It's hard to find love,
when you rely on luck.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
I'm really quite demanding
I want a smooth flight not a crash landing
I don't wanna date whoever
I'm gonna be alone forever!
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

"Well it sure sounds like you've already got somepony in mind..." the Unicorn said with an idle roll of her eyes.

Rainbow Dash blushed and fidgeted a little, looking shyly to the side. "Well...There is somepony I had been sorta thinking of..."

Twilight led in almost teasingly.  "Who is she?"

Rainbow shot her a little bit of a stern look. "He, remember? He!  A... stallion.  Yeah." She rubbed her forehooves together as she began to ramble.  "Named Jack.  Jack... Apple... Appleton!  Jack Appleton." She smiled rather dorkily.

That sort of reply earned Rainbow Dash the exact sort of flat deadpan look that had gotten the two of them into the whole mess in the first place. "...are you for real?" Twilight had to genuinely fight the urge to face hoof and continued with more care in her tone.  "Look, Rainbow Dash..."

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
You can't rely on just your wings.
Your heart is better suited
for these kind of things.

However things turn out,
your heart will guide you
without a single doubt.

I may have balked the first time,
But dive straight in and
you'll be just fine.
I know you'll find out
all you'll know about love~~.
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

Rainbow Dash nodded quickly with a smile, seemingly finally starting to get it.

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫
Love is kinda like flying
At first its tricky
Butterflies, spinning, death defying

This is really something new
It's rather scary, but I
Need to be strong and see it through

I know what I need to do
I need to let my heart guide
I'm wiser now, thank you
I know I'll find out
All I'll know about love~~

We know we'll find out
All we'll know about love~~<3!

Twilight took a moment to draw in a quiet sigh.  It had been a while since she'd indulged in a musical interlude, to be honest.  She'd forgotten how refreshing those could be.  Along with helping Rainbow Dash settle her own feelings, it also allowed Twilight herself to get some extra clarity as well.

"So, is your Jack Apple going to be in the competition for certain?" she asked, playing along with her friend's sheepishness on the matter for her sake.

Rainbow Dash, likewise, felt very relaxed now from the song and the getting a lot of it off her chest.

"Jack Appleton." she corrected. "And... I'm not sure to be honest. He might be..." she seemed to sigh over it. "And I'm not sure of his reasons either. But anyway, whether he's in it or not, I'm still going through with it."

She smacked her hoof with her other front one as she remembered something. "That reminds me. I want my competition to be more than about athletics. Do you think you could come judge some sort of contest on smarts?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:28, Thu 08 Nov 2012.

"I'd be happy to help.  Widget and I were going to show up anyway to show our support, so that works out really well."  Twilight nodded.  Such a request was the moment to put her money where her mouth was.  If she was going to back Rainbow Dash in her romantic endeavors, she couldn't turn down such a request.  Besides, it might have been fun in its own way.  She'd just need to make sure not to make any sort of trivia or questions she might give the contestants too difficult...