Neoniie

"My wish?" Flux repeated, having been too caught up in the moment to fully register Colton's words. "Oh yes, I must have missed it. However, I don't believe it shall be necessary now." The unicorn closed her eyes, wanting to remember this point in time with a much accuracy as possible. She took in all the feelings and scents of the moment, feeling completely at ease with the world. The smell of the candlelight was quite pleasant, only adding to the wonderful atmosphere that Flux was memorizing. Opening her eyes halfway, Flux gave a tiny yawn. The quiet sound was magnified in the comfortable silence held between the two ponies, filling much more of the empty space than the involuntary sound would have otherwise. Flux didn't change her contended smile as she spoke quietly to Colton. "I suppose we should get some sleep now. That injury will not heal itself without some modicum of rest. We do still have the entire city to explore tomorrow." The white unicorn's horn glowed with a faint green aura, summoning one of the blankets left on the nurse's trolley towards the two. Flux lay it across herself and Colton, surprised by the warmth and comfort that the standard issue blanket provided. Taking a final view of the awe-inspiring night, Flux drew the curtains with her magic. The action left the room in near complete darkness, only lifted by the faint candle that still burned on the sidetable. "Sleep well, Colton," she whispered, extinguishing the candle with a smoke-less spell.

Flux felt only a light gust of wind of Colton opened the door, a much less potent version of the snowy force that had pounced upon the unsuspecting pegasus. Flux stifled her laugh in her newly rediscovered scarf, trying to contain the bubbles of amusement. Colton wiped this glistening snow from his face and gave a faint outline of the day's activities. Wait one moment, she thought, did Colton say 'Holly'? That's odd, I wonder if this pony has any relation to Holly Dash. Sparks preceeded the unicorn in their exit from the tower, twittering off with a robin who habitually made her nest in the trees of the surrounding area. With an easygoing amusement in her voice, Flux noted the interesting parallels. "It seems that Sparks is quite the ladiesman. I do hope he isn't picking up any habits from you." Flux stepped through the re-opened door, breathing in the crisp morning air. Flux was more of a night owl, but she loved the feel of a wintery morning. I may even make on exception for my hatred of early mornings for days such as these. Taking in the snow-covered sights of the tower, Flux heard Torvus call down to the two ponies. "I'll try, but no guarantees!" The old earth pony had a clear joking tone in his words, enjoying the absence of stiff Canterlotian tendancies in Colton. Flux wrapped the scarf around herself with one more loop, preventing the approaching chill from bothering the white mare much. She took a quick look back towards the tower and the pegasus pony who still stood in the doorway. "Shall we be off, then?"

Flux's eyes widened at the close contact between the two ponies. She was completely unprepared for Colton's actions and was not exactly well-versed in the art of kissing. However, she certainly could not say that it was not a pleasant surprise. Once the pure shock wore off, Flux's eyes closed again and she kissed the pegasus in return. It was a very different experience for the unicorn, as until that very day she had found no interest in the subject. It had been touched upon in several of the biological texts that Flux had read, but she never had found it to be a matter of great importance. The kiss was warm, though that mental description made some part of Flux face-hoof. It felt rather liberating as well, which brought to mind the wonder of whether flying felt the same way. She allowed herself to just think, not worried at all about the world around her. In the unicorn's opinion, Equestria itself could vanish and such an event would pale in comparison with this one. She didn't know how much time had passed, as it simultaneously felt like an eternity and barely a moment. Unfortunately, all good things did come to an end and Flux broke away from the kiss. She guessed that the shade of red she wore would be comparable to that of a ripe tomato. "Wow," she breathed, echoing her earlier thoughts of the luminous arc that had finished crossing the sky.

Flux nearly cantered through the basement room of the tower, using her magic to turn the place upside down in every way except the literal one. The unicorn had somehow managed to transform the workspace/bedroom into an even messier state. "Where in Equestria did it go?" She flung aside another pair of galoshes and a spring hat. Several pieces of fabric had draped themselves across the sleeping form of Tesla. With an annoyed hiss, the ferret reluctantly gained a standing position and pulled a light blue scarf from the back of Flux's closet. The unicorn turned at the sound of Tesla, seeing his rather annoyed expression and the scarf between his teeth. With an embarassed look from the pile of seasonal clothes behind her, Flux levitated the scarf from Tesla's jaw and wrapped it around her neck. "Thank you Tesla," she said, replacing the clothing in the closet with an uncerimonious dumping sound. "I will certainly have to rearrange that upon our return." Tesla rolled his eyes, curling up into a sleeping position once more. Flux also placed a matching winter hat atop her head; the headgear was adorned with white snowflakes. "I am aware that this seems rather strange for me, but this is an exteremely important event. Extremely important events require special observation of certain social customs," Flux explained, reposition the hat. Tesla only sighed, trying to regain his peaceful sleep. On hearing Colton calling, Flux trotted up the stairs quickly. "I am indeed prepared. I apologize for the wait, there was an...inconvenience. Is there a set plan for our destination?"

I actually put in that little sentance when I realized I had left out her cutie mark story all together. I've expanded on it now, making her talent a bit clearer in the process. Thanks for the input!

Flux felt quite flattered, if surprised, that Colton was indeed interested in her tales of the past. It wasn't a subject that she shared lightly and so she was glad to know that it was appreciated. She sighed contentedly, not bothered at all by the lateness of the hour. Flux merely savoured the moment, enjoying Colton's company and the wonders of the night. Upon his declaration, Flux couldn't help but share his chuckle. "I suppose we balance each other out then. It's refreshing to have someone so open about their feelings, even if they are a bit cliched on occasion. After all, cliches would not be so unless they did in fact occur." Flux reflected upon her words after she spoke, not feeling pressed by the flow of time. She wasn't a bleeding heart, but she was discovering more of the benefits of at least some romanticism through the events of this one day. It amazed the unicorn that so much could occur and cause change in a pony during the events of a mere 24 hours. Suddenly, a trail of light streaked across the sky. The tail of the shooting star lingered behind it, arching across the sky. Flux formed a silent 'wow' with her lips, as it was not every day that a comet appeared. "Some ponies have thought that comets are not actually stars at all, but luminous chunks of old energy from some mysertious source. My mother could never really answer whether that was the case. She always wanted to be sure what she said was correct and supported by-" Flux stopped herself. "That's not very romantic, is it? Perhaps we should just make a wish instead."

"I doubt much has changed since you left. The college campus has expanded a lot in the last couple of years.I am sure that you heard about the parasprite infestation that occurred a while back. Disgusting little things. It was so severe that we required assistance from Canterlot and Manehattan to deal with it." Flux nodded, remembering that the parasprite event had made the papers. The only way Flux learned about any sort of outside events was through the news editiorials. She didn't travel much and was generally too busy with her work to gain information through social channels. "I heard that Princess Celestia herself travelled to Fillydelphia to evict the creatures. It must have been quite the infestation, if the Princess took action to eradicate it." Despite seeing the Princesses at social events, which she rarely attended, actually holding ones gaze upon the Royals for more than a few moments was quite the rare experience. Flux had always view them as regal enigmas and the unicorn loved solving such enigmas. Before continuing the conversation, Flux noticed Ember Heart glance toward a white colt who hovered by the banquet table. Privately, she wondered if the colt was an acquaintance of Ember Heart's. "Which of these schools do you attend? I would imagine that Canterlot has much to offer." "The University of Canterlot," she answered. "Though at the moment, I am under the tutelage of Torvus. I took it as an oppurtunity to learn more about my craft. Canterlot University does not have the highest selection of texts on science. It is more of an art to be learned from master to teacher, though Torvus is more of an engineer than a scientist." Flux loved to speak of her work, it being one of the subjects with which we was the most familiar. "My parents were set upon my entrance into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but unfortunately, my magic is not exactly gifted." Flux paused before enquiring on Ember Heart's life. "I suppose a stallion such as yourself would have a full fledged profession." It was more of a statement than a question, but Flux left the words open nonetheless.

Flux smiled at Colton's rather cliched words, but she could tell that they expressed a completely pure sentiment. Flux couldn't seem to find a way for their relationship to work, between Colton's travelling and her own research, but she was certain that both of them together could figure it out. She blushed slightly at Colton's hoof over her own, but the lack of a strong light source in the room mostly hid her reaction. "I certain we shall,' she agreed. From her sitting position, Flux could once again see the multitude of stars that filled the night sky. She spoke absentmindedly to Colton, resting her head on his shoulder. "When I was younger, my mother and I would travel out to the Whitetail Woods on nightssuch as these. By the time we reached the edge of the treeline, it would be well into the nighttime. She would always find a specific spot to stargaze, approximately in the middle of the woods. There was just enough luminence from the surrounding town of Solstice Heights that the use a lantern was only necessary for fine motions, but not enough to ruin the view of the stars. My mother would point out all of the constellions, Ursa Minor and Major were her favourite. While she recorded the stars' locations on her charts, I would peek through the telescope to look at them as well. Eventually, I would fall asleep and wake up the next morning back in Canterlot." Finishing her nostalgic tale, Flux lifted her head a small amount. "I hope I am not boring you with tales from my foalhood. I have a tendancy for nostalgia on starry nights." Flux's talk of her mother reminded her of a possible complication. I am going to find it necessary to inform my parents about this development. Flux wondered how her father would react, already knowing that her mother would merely tease her good naturedly about her turn around on the subject of relationships.

"Pleased to meet you, Quantum Flux. I am Ember Heart." Flux returned his bow, as her canterlot upbringing had deemed fit. "I am visiting from Fillydelphia with my friends. We had heard many wonderful things about the pageant that they have here each year and we just had to see it. It is one of my favorite events of the season!" Flux nodded, both in agreement and in interest, pleasantly surprised to find a pony from Fillydelphia. "You are from Fillydelphia? How interesting, I spent some of my foalhood living there. I'm suprised you decided to attend, due to the distance between Canterlot and Fillydelphia." Flux remembered the annual Fillydelphian pageant very faintly, only remembering that year's Clover the Clever had been an Earth Pony. Flux had found that to be an odd casting choice, but at her young age, she could only just keep the story straight in her mind. Those were the years before she'd found her special talent and delved into studying. She had known some obscure things before, but they had been more along the lines of facts that would impress other foals than truly interesting information. As she spoke, Flux realized that she was already halfway to answering Ember Heart's other question, "Are you visiting the capital as well?" "Actually, I live in Canterlot. The city is quite nice around Hearth's Warming Eve, especially since our pageant tends to be well put together. Though, I can guess that the reason for such a professional pageant is that there is always a chance of one of the Royal Sisters attending." Flux's face had a slightly confused crease to it when she continued. "In fact, this was the first year that I have not seen Princess Celestia attending. Perhaps they decided to be more descrete about it. If I am correct, it would be Princess Luna's first Hearth's Warming Eve since her return." Flux let that line of thought drop, it wasn't really her place to question the choices of the Princesses. "How is Fillydelphia, then? I have not returned there since I left." Flux had only been reminded of such a fact by Ember Heart's appearance. She noted it, deciding that a trip there would have to be in order soon.

Cutie marks were always a difficult subject to discuss, as there was really very little study into them. As far as Flux was aware, nopony knew why the symbol appeared when one's special talent was realized and the only research had been to conclude what they already knew about them. She listened to the advice given by the other ponies before answering. "I agree with Colton, that things such as discovering your true talent takes time and patience. It is very much a waiting game, but action is required as well. Trying new things or practising those that you already enjoy may help you to realize your talent." "What Sketch said is valid as well, to an extent. The mark itself is not the importance of earning your cutie mark, the important part is knowing who you are and what your talents are. Such things are the product of maturity and self-knowledge." Flux paused, thinking that her explaination may be a bit too complex. "I suggest strengthening your currrent talents and interests. It can help you learn what exactly you enjoy in each activity and, if that is not what your cutie mark is for, help you discover other areas that may be the one that earns you your mark." Flux knew that her advice was not the typical 'good things come to those who wait' philosophy that older ponies often suggested. However, she was a firm believer that change and discovery can only come through action. Patience and time are necessary, but without initiative, oppourtunity will slip away.

[ CROSSOVER ] Daring-Do // Pegasus // Female // Mare // Profile Threads - Daring-Do & Friends in the Quest at Harmony Castle -

As Colton sat down, he requested her to do the same. Having intended to do so even without Colton's request, Flux quickly took a seat beside the pegasus. The light of the candle flickered slightly as she sat, the natural air disturbance created by her movement passing over the fire. Colton looked intently at Flux, a rather serious look on his face. Then, with only a few sentences, Colton managed to say the one thing that Flux found the hardest to answer. Immediately, her mind exploded with thoughts. Wait, what? Did I hear him correctly? Of course I did, he was very deliberate in his wording. What on Equestria can I say to that? The truth sounds like a good option. But, I've only known him for so long and this is so...confusing. Though she had suspected Colton's feelings, having them actually presented to her were something that Flux hadn't been completely ready for. All of that earlier inner turmoil come rushing back, not even allowing her to focus on her earlier thoughts. Alright, just calm down, she commanded, silencing all the conflicting voices in her mind. This is extremely against the norm for you, both situationally and emotionally. A rather cynical part of her quickly cut across her rationale. Well, there's certainly an answer to your earlier question isn't it. However, the key question was whether or not those strange feelings she had felt throughout the day were similar to those Colton had expressed. Flux wasn't a romantic by any standard. She had never held much interest in tales about love as a child, but she had felt...something...with Colton. The scientist pony had always considered herself married to her work, so to speak, but her recent forays into friendship had started to dispel those ideas. Though science would alway be one of her primary focuses, Flux felt that having relationships of any degree with other ponies was an important factor as well. She decided on the best answer she could give: the truth. "I honestly have found myself at a loss for words. I'm extremely flattered, Colton, and I believe I can return the sentiment. However, I'm not very certain on how such relationships would function. Especially since I do have to dedicate much of my time to my work. I am certain the situation will sort itself out, but I think we both need to be aware of what exactly we would be getting into."

1) How old are you and on what continent do you live? 15, North America 2) What does it mean, to you personally, to be a brony? Like many others have mentioned, being a fan of the show constitutes bronydom in my book. The only exception in my opinion are those who only watch the show in order to jump on the bandwagon and be with the latest craze. If they end up genuinely enjoying it through their bandwagon-ness, that's a different story. But basically, anyone who genuinely loves the show (and community, I suppose) for the show itself, not just someone who watches it to be in on the new craze. 3) Are you a brony? if so, for how long? Yes. I've been one since about June of this year. 4) How do you personally express being a brony? (through art, roleplaying, give your car rainbow stripes, socializing with other bronies, etz) I generally express it through roleplay on Canterlot, but I also try my hand at fanfic once in a while. I also buy pony merch (when I'm not broke ) and discuss the show with my fellow bronies. 5) Are there any aspects of brony culture/communities/expression that you do not agree with/like? (something you don't like, or dont feel match the way you understand it is to be a brony) I'm not a big fan of the more grimdark or heavier shipping content created by the fans, mostly because it feels strange to me for something as innocent as My Little Pony getting a more adult-like treatment, but that's just my opinion, and as long as it doesn't hurt anyone I won't condemn those who enjoy it. I'm not a big fan of shipping canon characters in general, though that's just an odd quirk of mine in most fandoms.

"Farewell Gladwin, I too look forward to rejoining with you at some point," Flux capped off her goodbye with a friendly wave as Gladwin walked down the hallway leading to the main exit of the Medical Centre. After Gladwin had said his goodbyes, Flux considered Colton's rushed statement. Interesting, it seemed as though Colton wished to continue on that line of thinking. Perhaps I was correct in my supposition. Why is this so difficult for me to decipher? Flux let those thoughts hang in her mind, answering her question only half-heartedly. It is good to know that he does in fact enjoy me company, however. The two unicorns and one pegasus trotted one after the other down the hallway opposite to the hall Gladwin had taken, with Dr. Scalpel in the lead. He guided the two younger ponies through the Centre's layout, taking seemingly random turns through its corridors. Flux had never travlled through this part of the Medical Centre before, so even he usually good instinct for navigating the hospital were of no use. Her father once again stopped suddenly, backpedalling slightly to reach a door labelled 'Short Term Care Ward'. With a nudge of the door, Dr. Scalpel led the two into the area where they would be spending the night. It had a very sterile feel to it and the persistant medical smell wafted through this ward as well. The beds looked comfortable enough and it wasn't particularly crowded, so it had its positives to counter the less enjoyable factors. The unicorn doctor led them over to a bed that was layed against the south wall, giving a dazzling view of the night sky. Just the sight of so many stars made Flux think of her nightly astronomic ventures with her mother in the Whitetail Wood. Dr. Scalpel placed a clipboard at the end of the bed and placed a bell on the nightstand. "Make yourself comfortable, Colton. If you need anything, just ring the bell and one of the night nurse will arrive as soon as they can. I'll come to check on you in the morning." With those words of parting, the doctor left the ward, leaving Colton and Flux in the artificial candlelight of the ward.

As she ate, Quantum Flux had been contemplating the past in silence. It wasn't often that she became so sentimental, but the generally atmosphere of Hearth's Warming Eve made her think back to her foalhood. She remembered going carolling with her mother and father back in her birthplace of Fillydelphia. She had always managed to sing the last note of one particular carol and it had frustrated the foal version of Flux to no end. Her mother had promised, with a slight laugh, to sing that last part with her so that her out-of-tune note would not be spotted. She also remembered the quiet Hearth's Warming Eves spent alone at Canterlot University, studiously practising for the upcoming examinations. Returned to the present with in a flash, Flux flicked her ear towards the sound of an unfamiliar voice. "That was quite a wonderful performance don't you think?" It took her a moment to realise that the voice was addressing her. With that knowledge, Flux turned from her position on the cushion to face the black unicorn who had spoken. "Why yes," she answered, returning his smile. "I am no theatre aficionado, but it was very well produced, in my opinion. I was quite surprised to learn that several of the ponies filling the starring toles were not actors by trade, and still, their performance was excellent." She was surprised to see another unicorn here alone. Flux had assume that most ponies had attended with family or friends, though it was possible that this stallion's friends had left the premises already. After a few seconds of silence, Flux became aware that she had not introduced herself. "How forgetful of me, I did not even introduce myself. I am Quantum Flux."

Roleplay Type: Mane RP Name: Mirage Sex: Female Age: Mare (19) Species: Pegasus Eye Color: Soft amber (#FFBF00); she occasionally wears aviation-style googles when dealing with particularly harsh desert weather. Coat Color: Sand yellow (#E1A95F) Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Both her mane and tail are a subdued silver colour (#C1CDCD). Her mane is naturally styled in a windswept manner from her flying. Her tail is medium length and left in a natural state. Physique: Fit and athletic Cutie Mark: Three red arrows rising from a patch of sand Origin/Residence: Cloudsdale/Appleloosa Occupation: Weatherpony Motivation: Mirage wants to become as strong a flier and weatherpony as she can. Likes: Flying, making friends, holidays Dislikes: Harsh environments, uninteresting activities, being earthbound Character Summary: Mirage was born in Cloudsdale to Thuderclap and Diamond Dust. Named for her ability to leave behind a static afterimage when flying at her top speeds, Mirage was an average flier as a foal, not as strong as many who dreamed of Wonderbolt candidacy, but athletic enough to be competent. Just after graudating flight school, Mirage was taken to a Wonderbolts show by her parents. Like many pegasi her age, Mirage was awed and inspired by the athletics team, but not in the same way as those others. Rather than training to be a Wonderbolt, Mirage decided that she wanted to become as strong and graceful as the aerial team had been. Mirage also earned her cutie mark around this time. During one of the mock weather exercises, the flying instructor had decided to have a surprise examination. he said that it would test their ability to adapt to new situations and 'think outside the stable'. He flew them out to the edges of pony territory, by the border of what would become Appleloosa and the Badlands. He wanted the class to whip up some extreme desert conditions with only their surroundings. Everypony sat in silence, puzzling out exactly how they would create desert conditions, having never been in a desert before. But Mirage had an idea. She remembered what she had heard in one of the weather books her parents had provided her with. She took to the air, doing several laps in the sky to build up her momentum. With the wind howling by her ears, Mirage plumetted down toward the sand below. Pulling up with all her might just above the ground, Mirage managed to level herself with the sand dunes, picking up a fine stream of sand behind her. repeating the process until she had a thick gathering of sand, Mirage twirled them around in a whirlwind. The surrounding sand was whiped into the cyclone and both her peers and instructor looked on, impressed. Her talent for desert weather was clear; her cutie mark appearing as she completed the exercise. She practised throughout her years of fillyhood, learning the ins and outs of flying from a private flight instructor hired by her parents. Near the end of this time, she also attended Cloudsdale College. She learned much about the science of weather-making, from the environmental conditions to the technicalities of the process. Mirage found herself captivated by the workings of weather, but she was not an academic pony at heart. Who wanted to sit all day and learn when there was flying to be done? So, rather than becoming a weather researcher, Mirage became a weatherpony. She dedicates herself strongly to her daily weather endeavours and still tries to improve her flight as well. Recently, she was assigned to the Appleloosa Weather Team, forcing her to move from her beloved home in Cloudsdale to the harsher, alomst desert-like Appleloosa. Despite her proficiency with desert weather, Mirage has no love for the wild west town and makes it quite clear in her general attitude toward the place. However, she still works diligently to regulate and schedule the weather. Personality-wise, Mirage is very much a free spirit. She is quite impulsive and does things on a whim often. She doesn't at all believe in second guessing oneself and carries her motto of 'Go with your gut' proudly. However, this impulsive attitude can get her into trouble occasionally and she tends to say things without thinking them through first. Mirage is a loyal friend who will always try to get to the root of a problem that troubles her friends. She acts very much as a morale support for anypony whom she meets. Her 'get to the bottom of things' approach can sometimes lead to problems or misunderstandings, but more often than not, good things come of it. Mirage values friendship and family above all else and will fight for those things fiercely.

Quantum Flux trotted out of the theatre hall and into the outer hall. The pageant had wrapped up only a few moments ago and the playgoers were slowly pouring out of their seats and into the cozy afterchamber. The white unicorn had never before entered the Royal Castle and felt quite overwhelmed with the noble atomsphere. Despite being raised in Canterlot, her parents were not particularly set on acting like high-class citizens. She had been exposed to such an atmosphere by her peers, but Flux had never quite personally ajdusted to it. She followed the emptying crowd into the afterchamber, not wanting to leave immediately after the pageant. Though the unicorn had seen the annual Hearth's Warming Eve pageant many times before and knew the story from her university classes, it had become somewhat of a tradition for her family to attend the event. However, this year, her father and mother were otherwise engaged and Flux had attended alone. She wondered if anypony she knew had frequented the event as well and to that end, she entered the fireplace-lit chamber. In the chamber, several cushions surrounded a roaring fireplace. The falling snow was visible outside the large decorated windows that lined with stone bricks that made up the castle. A long line of ponies had already begun to lineup near the back of the chamber, where a banquent table held all varieties of seasonal delicacies. Deciding that the table at the back should be her first destination, Flux picked her way to the back and leviatated a silver plate toward herself. She piled the plate with several fruits and vegatables, topping it off with a slice of a seasonally decorated cake. As she trotted over to a nearby cushion, the unicorn observed that the ponies trickling into the chamber had severely decreased, leading her to believe that most of the ponies who were entering the afterchamber had already done so. Flux didn't recognize anypony among the throng, so she took her seat and began to eat her food in silence, assuming that somepony would see her better this way.

Wrong Note was quite relieved when the zebra replaced the rod upon the shelf. Now that her wares were no longer in danger, she could focus upon the zebra's words without other distractions. She was slightly bemused by his melodic tone, unsure whether he was poking fun at her odd acoustics or just coincidentally feeling in a musical mood. Whatever the case, the creme coloured zebra introduced himself as Monty. According to his introduction, Monty was also the keeper of a shop himself. Wrong Note was reassured by this, as it ensured that they would have common ground to base discussion. With an amused look, she took the buisness card in hoof, reading the information on it. Monty owned a supply shop as well, a coincidence that seemed pecuiliar to the mare. How odd. Another of my profession is the first I meet in this new town. He seemed to note her relative novelty in Hoofington. She had only moved to the seaside town the week before, spending the money she had earned on her travels to erect this shop. With a bow and a question, the zebra ended his words. Wrong Note took a breath before responding, attempting to harmonize her melody. "Well met, Monty, a pleasure indeed, I am called Wrong Note, my name does not mislead, my cutie mark may contradict my profession, but my shop still serves its function. I am new, it is true, but for a week I have resided here, and a lovely community has been quite clear. Your welcome is appreciated, and any help you need, quickly chanted." Wrong Note looked embarassed once again. Her attempt to clear up her lack of harmony had in fact made her singing more discordant. She quickly placed the buisiness card upon a nearby chair, making note of its position so she could properly place it later. Monty had taken her first musically answer rather well, but his responce to an encore was quite uncertain in the mare's eyes. She tried to keep her nervous embarassment from her expression, placing a cool, collected persona in its place.

Flux had just finished writing out the letter when Colton returned to his seat. She had to admit to being confused by his sudden desire to stretch his legs, but she had been more occupied with letter-writing. As she signed the letter, she quietly excused herself from the seat trotting off down the hallway to the left. As she travelled toward the area where the transport owls landed once their deliveries, she had that elusive time to consider Colton's actions. He seemed pre-occupied, nervous even, when he was around her. His strange excuse only contributed to a pattern of behaviour that flummoxed the unicorn. Does he not enjoy my company? Such a sentiment would make his actions clearer, but based on past indications, that cannot be correct. Perhaps he merely needed some time to think and collect his thoughts. I can certain sympathize with that intention. Mulling over the possibilites, Flux managed to walk straight into the open window that owls flew through at their leisure. After extracting herself from her position halway outside of the windowpane, she search the room for any off-duty owls. Spotting a golden feathered horned owl perched on the opposing window, Flux trotted over to the bird. "Please deliver this correspondance to Torvus at the old clock tower in Canterlot," she said, telekinectically holding out the letter for the bird to take. The owl did so with a glint of understanding in its eyes and took off through the window and out into the darkened skies. Flux trotted back toward the seats outside her father's office, reclaiming her position beside Colton. --------- "Oh, bits? That's right," Dr. Scalpel said with a chuckle, reminded by Gladwin's words. "Well, since you're a friend of my daughter's, don't worry about the cost. Its not all that much anyway." He dismissed the notion with his hoof absentmindedly, filling in the patient treatment charts for the secretary to file into the Medical Centre's archives. "Since you aren't staying the night and you now have a clean bill of health, you're free to go at any time." With those words, he trotted back out the door and addressed Colton. "You, on the other hand, are staying here. So, I'll direct you to the overnight ward."

Dr. Scalpel took the talon carefully in his hooves, eyeing it in a practiced manner. He had swapped his charts quickly, summoning on that detailed griffin physiology. The chart he had used while mending Colton's injury had not been strictly necessary, as it was there more as a reassuance for the patient than a guide for the doctor. In this case however, he did need to consult the information there. He did work on griffins very occasionally and even in medical school, they were only given a cursory glance. Focusing intently on his diagnosis, he stood statue-still for a few moments. With the suddeness of an awakening dragon, the doctor released the talon and turned back to his supply cabinet, talking all the while. "You are quite lucky Gladwin. It is still a sprain, but it is an severe one. I believe it may have torn some tendons, which is likely why the team that found you recommended a hospital. Luckily, I am a unicorn and can just mend the tearing without performing any operations. The talon itself should be realigned as well. Besides that, any other damage will heal naturally." He swirled back to face the griffin, several linen wrappings and medical clips hovering above his head. "This may hurt a bit," he warned, placing the medical tools on a nearby tray and beginning his focus on Gladwin's talon. He could almost see the tears as he sent forth his magic, almost feeling the healing process that was initiated and accelerated by the magic. He withdrew his concentration from the internal injury once he sensed that his magic had done its work and began to wrap up the talon in the thick linen. Adding the clips to hold the wrapping tight, Dr. Scalpel declared his work completed. "Now, it is not strictly necessary for you to stay the night, but considering the circumstances, it may be best so that we can monitor your healing. It is up to you, really." -------- Flux only partially recognized Colton sitting down beside her, as she was still engulfed in concentrated thought. However, when the pegasus spoke, Flux snapped back to attention. She pushed away her inner turmoil and listened closely to Colton's words. She had hoped that they could return to the clock tower once the bone had been reset, but it seemed that was not longer the case. She wondered what Torvus must be thinking, supposing that he must be rather worried. Flux felt that she couldn't just leave her friend here alone and thus decided on a course of action. "If you are staying the night, I shall accompany you. It would not be fitting of a good hostess to abandon you here. However, Torvus should be informed. To that end, I shall seek out one of the owls employed by the Centre and send a letter to Torvus." When she completed her answer, Flux pulled out a piece of paper from her saddlebags and begun to scribble down the information that Torvus would need to know.

Flux nodded upon hearing Colton's answer. She had never heard of 'A Little Slice of Heaven', but by its name alone she could surmize that it was likely a pegasus establishment. She was slightly bemused by exactly what Colton meant by 'pony-friend'. However, after a moment, it hit her. Ah, I see. Quite interesting indeed. I wonder who exactly this 'pony-friend' could be. Despite that stray thought, the abrupt stop in Colton's voice made her wonder what it was that he had intended to voice. Had it been something along the lines of his previous information? Or was it pertaining to something else entirely? Deciding to focus on facts rather than supposition, she answered, "It's good to know that he is faring well in Canterlot. You two sound as though you have become excellent friends." When she noticed the cleaning that Harmony had begun to attempt, Flux started to clear up the flattened remains of her own food. She didn't want to leave all the work to the others. She also saw that Sketch Navy had regained his normal state. Glad that her advice had proved to be at least semi-correct, she made sure to assist him somewhat with the cleaning he had begun. "Harmony," Flux said, wanting to bring up a subject that the foal could discuss as well. "Since you are newly arrived in Canterlot, I suppose you"ll be going to school soon. I believe there is a more pegasus-centred school near the edges of Canterlot. I haven't been their myself, so I can't be more specific. You may want to look into it."

The doctor nodded at Colton's answer, trotting over to the examination table. "Alright, this shouldn't take very long. I'll just finetune this brace here and give you some medicine to make the healing go a bit faster. You'll have to stay here for the night, but you'll be right as rain in the morning." Levitating over a sketelal chart, he started to remove the brace at the same time. At regular invervals, he checked the chart to ensure that he replaced the bone as accurately as possible. He worked slowly, moving the misplaced bone barely a milimetre each time, but soon the unicorn had it in the correct position. With a small scrape against the ligament that connected the two bones, he finalized the bone's position. With a satisfied nod, he retrieved some more professional materials to recreate the brace. Holding the brace against the injury with several clips, Dr. Scalpel backed away from Colton to examine his work. "Perfect. I must admit, this would have taken much longer if it hadn't already been mostly realigned by Flux, I'll be sure to thank her later." Trotting over to on of the cabinets, he pulled out a round container and emptied out two small green pills. He placed them on a tray along with a glass of water and set them before Colton. "That should help with both the healing and reducing any swelling that may occur." Opening up the doors, he called out to Gladwin, "Gladwin, could you step inside?" -------------- Flux was still mentally warring over her realization, trying to determine what exactly should - or should not - be done. She didn't want to assume anything however, therefore the unicorn opted to wait for a time when Colton actually declared any feelings to her before worrying about her answer. Bringing herself out of a reverie, she noticed Gladwin seemed to be in deep contemplation as well. She wondered if griffin's encountered problems such as these before answering her own, rather obvious question. Of course they do. She looked up as her father poked her head around the newly opened glass doors. Upon hearing his message, she gave Gladwin a reassuring smile in an attempt to assuage any nervousness that the griffin might have.

Wrong Note had been hummng a tune under her breath and straightening up the shop as she waited for customers to arrive. The Hook, Line, and Sinker had only been open for a week, but it had attracted a few visitors so far. Most of the ponies who passed by the wooden store merely stopped a few moment to window shop and then moved on to their destination. The purple mare had resumed her position behind the counter and continued her humming. She loved to hum, if only enjoy one of the only forms of music she could produce that was not twisted by the curse. Celestia's bright sunrise had only just completed when a customer entered the shop. Wrong Note was lost in thoughts of how early it truly much have been when she opened the shop if sunrise had only just occurred. The bell that she had installed to signal new arrivals brought her mind back to the topic at hand. She quickly turned to face the customer, seeing a brown striped zebra. She was rather surprised by his appearance, as a pony raised in Manehatten was unlikely to see much other than high class earth ponies. In fact, Wrong Note had only read about zebrakind in books supplied by her private tutor. The earth pony kept a pleasant smile on her face, not wanting to rush forward and cause an awkard situation between the two. Alright Celia, you just need to stay calm and remember what you learned about shopkeeping. Don't obstruct their shopping experience unless they need assistance. Wrong Note breathed out deeply, remembering her unfortunate circumstances once more. The curse had harshly curbed her only midly talkative tendancies, limiting her interaction with others quite abruptly all the same. Even if, back in those days, her interaction was either vapid polite dicussion with older ponies or the stuck-up sneer of importance she used when addressing the lower class. Wrong Note still missed being able to be a pony who could speak normally to others. However, the bizzare actions of the zebra quickly insigated interaction between them. He had lifted a fly rod from the shelves, which in itself was not out-of-the-ordinary. When he began to swing it around his head, that was another story entirely. Wrong Note stepped out from her place behind the counter tentatively, trotting over to the zebra. Ensuring that she was a safe distance from the circular arc of the rod, she spoke - or rather sang - to the zebra. "Sir, are you quite sure you know how to use that? Rods are not usually used for swinging around, like a cat with a fruit bat. Also, I think you'll find, that your movement may shatter something behind." Her tune and vocals were off-tune and shaky, as the curse had made the norm. Wrong Note turned her head away quickly, attempting to hide the embarassment on her face. She understood that the curse had made her appreciate the kindness and uniqueness of others, effectively dragging her away from her selfish ways. However, the strange looks and occasionally jeering it brought were things she'd rather not have to endure. Those negative things were what motivated her nightly excursions to the docks in an attempt to break the curse. Wrong Note was unsure how this zebra would react to her odd burst into song and kept her face veiled by her mane as she awaited his no doubt confused answer.

Flux remembered cases such as this from her time spent with her father at the Canterlot Medical Centre. Lots of ponies didn't deal very well with the hospital environment and would enter a state similar to Sketch's current one. Unfortunately, that was one of the times that Flux was generally shafted to the side and unable to observe what exactly her father did to calm the anxious party. Taking her best guess, she spoke authoratatively to Colton and Harmony. "We should give him some space. I have seen symptoms such as this before - very extreme reaction can be rather conplicative to ones health. If we give him space and time to calm down, he should return to normal. If that does not occur within about 2 minutes, we should take some sort of medical action." Flux felt quite akward giving medical advice like this. She was hardly an expert, but it was the best guess that she had. Hoping that she was right, she trotted away from the terrified blue unicorn. "That reminds me, I haven't seen Gladwin since the Centre. How is he doing?" Not wanting to leave Harmony out of the metaphorical loop, she expanded. "Gladwin is a griffin whom I met a few days ago, around the time I met Colton, in fact."

Suddenly, the unicorn doctor stopped in his tracks. "Here we are, my office," he proclaimed proudly. He pulled open the glass doors with his magic, revealing the doctor's office within. A heightened examination table stood in the middle of the room, flankedon each side by cabinets filled with complex instruments and medical charts. A modest wooden desk sat in the corner of the room with papers stacked high upon its edge and several empty coffee mugs by arms of the accompanying chair. Seemingly forgetting about his earlier enquiry, Dr. Scalpel turned back toward the three with him. "So, who wants to go first?" Flux took a seat in one of the chairs that lined the back part of the room. Her father kept them around for the family or friends of a patient to occupy if they wished. She was still puzzling over her possible realization and therefore had a faroff look in her eye. As she stared into empty space, she wondered and wondered. Is that what is happening here? Have I developed a...crush? The level-headed -and sometimes rather maniacal - scientific side of Flux was rejecting this idea as quickly as it had been suggested, not willing to admit the possibility. However, another softer and much less heeded part of her was encouraging her to discover whether that was, in fact, the case with Colton. Frustrated with this warring of her self, Flux opted to put it out of her mind and instead focus on her father's work.