Neoniie

I haven't got any Stalliongrad-based characters, but I'm still definately going to enter this!

When Colton mentioned this professor and produced his journal, Flux's mind flipped into analysis mode, automatically pulling out her notebook to write down as much of the reseacrh page as she could. Managing to avoid any obstacles in the road, Flux spoke as she copied down the inked words. "Ah yes, this reminds me of the Universal Magical theory. Many have theorized that pegasi's ability to walk on the clouds is a form of magic, generally evidenced by unicorn replication of the same ability. Some have even said that the earth pony affinity for growing and nature ventures into the territory of magic. Unicorns are just able to focus their magical powers and possibly have more magical development for that reason. Therefore, given the right tools and practice, it is possible that earth ponies and pegasi could use magic in a similar way." Flux went silent again as she continued to write. Narrowly avoiding an inconveniently placed stick, Flux jotted down the last few words of the research paper. "Thank you Colton, this may be just the thing to help me in furthering my own research. That professor sounds like an interesting fellow, perhaps I may meet him one day."

"They do, though the advantage of unicorn magic is the ability to make nearly flawless repairs to any structural damage caused by time or other cirumstances. The outside may be the same, but many of the supporting beams and such have been replaced for safety reasons." Flux said, mentally double-checking quickly after to ensure the accuracy of her words. "I do agree. It has been quite a novel day," Flux agreed, nodding her head slightly. She checked her surroundings briefly and took a dusted, unpaved road to their immediate left. "We're beginning to reach a point where you can see the very top of the tower," Flux informed Colton. The area around the was filled with a park-like environment, with shrubery placed uniformly in rows and a few small trees who retained the last vesitges of their leaves. Flux didn't usually take the time to admire the city either, as she was either rushing around performing errands or working in the clock tower, but she had the time today and throughly enjoyed an interested audience for her odd facts and figures.

"It's certainly not a problem. I'm merely assisting a pony in need," Flux said playfully. It was the white unicorn's first proper break in quite a while and she was enjoying the slight nip that had entered the air, much preferring cool to warm. The changing of the seasons was always a quick affair in Canterlot, but to make the transition less jarring, the ponies allowed the seasons time to show signs of their departure. She noticed Colton watching the constructs of Canterlot as they towered over head. "You know, several of these buildings, the Castle in particular, have been standing since the banishment of Nightmare Moon. For example, this bakery here has been in buisness since Equestrian year 1009. And-" Flux stopped herself. "I'm rambling again, I doubt that the history of architecture is particularly interesting to other ponies."

I'm probably going to pop on and poke around, even though I'm not added to the list yet. (That's allowed, right? )

[ PEGASUS ] Mirage // Pegasus // Female // Young Mare // Profile Threads - Homesick on the Homefront - Finished Threads - A Mirage in the Desert - (Thread Existence Failure) Firefly // Pegasus // Female // Mare // Profile Threads - Eyes Trained Northward - Finished Threads - Team Meeting - (Thread Existence Failure) - Friends in the Clouds - (Exited)

[ EARTH PONY ] Celia "Wrong Note" Andantino // Earth Pony // Female // Young Mare // Profile Threads - Business in the Off-Season - Finished Threads - Hook, Line, and Sinker - (Thread Existence Failure) - Ponywalk Luau: A Quiet Beach - (Thread Ended) - A Book for Anypony - (Exited) Neon "Lights" Stargazer (a.k.a. Nighthoof) // Earth Pony // Male // Older Colt // Profile Threads - Nighthoof in the Shining City - - A Hero's Work - Finished Threads - PonyCon - (Thread Existence Failure) - Shattered Dreams - (Thread Existence Failure) - Writer's Block - (On Hiatus) - The First Apperance of Nighthoof - (Thread Existence Failure)

Wrong Note trotted calmly through the familiar streets of her adopted town of Hoofington. The sun was just beginning to peak out from behind the crystal layer of water, casting it's glow over the streets. She loved early morning for both their beauty and their silent calm. Taking a few minutes to stand still on the docks, Wrong Note let the light ocean breeze toss her mane about. For several minutes, she merely stood, watching the sun rise. It was only when the port bell began to ring to announce the arrival of the morning shipments that Wrong Note continued on her way. The Hook, Line, and Sinker lay just around the corner. It was a small shop, just the right size to make it cozy but not claustrophobic. It was made of simple wood, with varnish to protect it from the frequent rain that occurred in the waterside town. Wrong Note smiled at the familiar shape. Everything she had come to recognize was a far cry from her old, glamourous life, but she felt just as much privilege for her lifestyle. The purple earth pony entered the shop slowly, a soft ding emanating from the bell near the door frame. Realizing that she was the first pony to arrive, Wrong Note quickly opened up the shop. Setting out the new items for sale and organizing the counter, the earth pony dashed around the store until she was certain that everything was in order. With a flick of the hoof, she changed the sign in the store window to display the word “OPEN” and quickly made her way behind the counter, awaiting her first customer of the day.

(I agree. A separate thread is definately the way to go.)

"That's quite generous of you, Cross-Stitch," Flux said, bowing her head in kind. "As Colton said, we're happy to help." Tesla dooked insistantly, looking much more lively as the day continued. "Tesla's more of a nocturnal creature, so he's probably getting ready to go out soon," Flux explained. "Oh, there's nothing to repay, don't worry about it," Flux insisted. She gave a quick smile at Colton, "Well, we've managed to survive quite few such events, so I'm certain the clock tower can take one or two more incendiary complications. In fact, perhaps we should leave Cross-Stitch to his work and I can show you around the tower."

"Indeed, I definately do not mind the wait at all," Flux assured Cross-Stitch. "The more time something is worked on, the better it will be, as my father used to say." She dug around in her bag for a moment, trying to find her notebook. With a small shout of triumph, Flux produced her tattered book. Flicking through it quickly, eyes darting from page to page, searching for a specific note. Stopping suddenly, the unicorn tore out a half section of the page, leviating it over toward Cross-Stitch. "These are the latest measurements I have," Flux explained. "I believe they should be more or less the same. It's a bit of an odd habit, measuring myself at the end of each month. It must be leftover from my foalhood." Shaking herself out of reminiscing, Flux turned to Sparks, admiring Cross-Stitch's work. "This is quite remarkable. I have never seen such fine craftmanship for such a tiny outfit. I have the utmost confidence that if you can produce such results for a small item such as this, a larger scale production will be breathtaking." Flux, who was not one for fashion, was surprised to find such words so readily available to her. My mother must be rubbing off on me since that recent visit, she thought.

"Fair enough, I suppose you do tend to exit explosively," Flux said, smiling again. Flux felt a strange anticipation, true excitement that for once was not directed towards a new breakthrough in her studies or experiments. It was an odd occurrance for the unicorn, but she decided that it was definately a good new experience. "Well, they do say that life is full of surprises," Flux echoed Colton's sentiments. Turning her head from Colton, she glanced in the direction of the upstairs level of The Perfect Fit. "I wonder if Cross-Stitch is almost finished with our Gala attire," she pondered. Flux didn't want to rush the tailor, but merely expressed her curiousity, as she was prone to do without thinking much about that possible interpretations. Catching this, she ammended her statement. "Not that I wish to leave or the like, I just tend to question things instinctively. I like to know what is occuring around me."

"Torvus? He won't mind. Half of the time he's up in the higher levels of the tower, ensuring that everything is ruuning correctly, so it isn't as though you would be bothersome to him. Besides, he'd probably appreciate it. I'd finally be making some friends and he'll figure that your presence may keep the number of explosions that I cause to a minimum," Flux said with a laugh. "In short, we'd love to have you," Flux smiled, thinking of all the progress that had occured in one day. Torvus had always been insistant that she branch out and meet new ponies. While bringing home a guest may not have been quite what he expected, Flux determined that he would almost certainly react favourably to the presence of another pony.

"Well, I suppose there are very few options," Flux said, thinking about the possibilities as she paced back and forth. "The way I see it, there are only two options. The first is that you try one of Canterlot's hotel's and hope that they have an unbooked room. However, due to Canterlot's popularity with tourists almost constantly throughout the year, that may prove difficult." "The other option is that you could stay at the clock tower with Torvus and I. There is a spare room for visitors; it's not particularly large or flashy, but it's yours if you want it."

Flux nodded, in agreement with his conclusion. "Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. Unfortunately, I haven't a clue who could have taken it, especially since nopony seemed to have seen anypony leaving my room and I hadn't seened anypony around when I investigated the tunnel. It is quite a mystery, one that I would like to solve." Flux chuckled at Colton's joke. "I suppose they could, but the point of such a spell escapes me. Not many ponies study booklore, anyhow, and I've never encountered such a charm before in regular studies of magic." "I agree, it would probably be a good idea to have a second pair of eyes on the scene. Somepony may spot or thinking of something that you alone could not. In that case, I will certainly give you that tour before you leave on your travels again."

"It's not a problem, I love listening to long stories," Flux said. "That particular employer sounds quite eccentric, though I can't help but wonder who this competing alchemist was." "Anyway, that story I told you about earlier. It was the night before an important test in magical history class. I had tracked down an omnibus book to a small corner of the University library. After searching for a few minutes, I had located the book: The Historical Historian's Handbook for Historic Happenings. I happened to rest my weight against a slightly shaky stone as I leafed through the tome and I felt the stone move into the rest of the wall. Suddenly, I felt a strange lurch and next thing I knew, I had fallen through an entrance in the wall." "It was extremely dark, but I managed to recall a quick spell that created a light source from my horn. With this limited light, I took a cursory check of my surroundings. I found myself in a small alcove that was adjacent to a narrow tunnel. Filled with curiosity, I started down the tunnel. It was linear, so luckily, I did not need to fret about becoming lost. The end of the tunnel contained a desk with several papers on it. There was also several ancient looking artifacts and a large text. Though the light was not very powerful, I could make out a small imprinting on the book. It was two alicorns, not dissimilar to those near the doors of Canterlot Castle." "Deciding to look into it in the morning, I took the book and the papers with me and retraced my steps through the tunnel. I took the items back to my dorm room and proceeded to get a bit of rest after studying for the test. When I had awoken, the book and the papers had disappeared. I manage to recollect only one page, which was wedged between the door and the frame. I still have it, I believe." Flux searched through her bag, eventually producing an worn looking piece of parchment. "The writing is quite faded, but parts of it remain legible," Flux said, splaying the document out so Colton could get a look at it.

"I think that you would enjoy it. I could give you a little tour, if you manage to find the time. It is a very compelling place. Perhaps you will be able to catch a glimpse of some of the stranger events at the University," Flux commented. Flux nodded at Colton's final question. "Of course. I can't do all the talking after all." Flux smiled, waiting with interest for Colton's story to unfold.

"Not at all, no offense was taken or given," Flux said, quick to abolish any such notions that Colton carried. "Canterlot University, ahh yes. It is quite an extraordinary place, wonderful architecture, centuries old knowledge, new innovations. It is indeed a grand place. The University was very versatile, ensuring the pursuit of knowledge but also allowing time for social pursuits. My time there was rather solitary, but I knew several ponies who were the 'life of the party'." Flux paused, considering something before continuing. "Not that I minded. I much preferred to focus on my studies and leave social gatherings to other ponies. It was definately a productive time academically for me. I learned more in those couple years than I had learned in all my years before. The Great Library of Canterlot became somewhat of a second home for me. I actually considering working there, for a time," Flux mused. "As for good stories, there are several. The time when a particularly zealous young practitioner of the magical arts managed to conjure a full-blown snowstorm in the middle of the spring. The teachers were still transporting penguins back to Northern Equestria in the fall. Penguins are particularly fond of hiding in cupboards for many weeks, apparently," Flux laughed, recalling the strange incident. "Also, there was an interesting mishap with a giant ball of string and the western half of the astronomy tower. The cats in residence must have appreciated it, but Starstruck - the astronomy teacher at the time - did not enjoy finding pieces of yarn all throughout her classroom. A school of magic is very prone to strange occurances, I suppose." "I had very few misadventures myself, aside from one night in the old section of the small campus library," Flux recalled. "It is quite a long story, so I do understand if you would rather skip it."

Well, it's definately working and it looks great, so I don't think any changes are needed. Thanks YINNY!

"It was mostly intellectual curiosity, at first. I do not enjoy a gap in my knowledge, and as experimentation is an important part of understanding, going to the Gala seemed to be the best option." Flux pawed at the ground softly, choosing her next words carefully. "However, I suppose that I wanted to go. I never had much reason to interact with others as a foal and therefore no reason to go to social events. Even recently, I had little motivation. But, meeting you and some other ponies recently reminded me why ponies travel in herds. We are social creatures and some part of me wishes to be a part of that." Flux blushed slightly, more than a little bit embarassed about what she had admitted. "So, when you offered, I accepted. Perhaps I can prove my theory correct: everypony needs to have social connections, not matter how infrequently tended too. It's not as though I would have to sideline my enthusiasm for science by becoming more social, in fact, it is possible that the two may compliment one another. Everypony has different ideas and being around others is likely to open my mind to those possibilities," Flux stated, sounding more as though she was justifying her actions to her insistantly scientific mind than answering Colton.

I may not be on much, but I'll join in. Forums: Neoniie Minecraft: NeonAlpha Also, I seem to have the same problem as Chonico does with my Quantum Flux skin, so I'd appreciate if you could make a skin for me too, YINNY. To save ya that trouble, here's the (heavily simplified) cutie mark gave her:

Flux could almost see the surroundings changing as Colton told his story. She wasn't always the best at imagining visuals, but Colton told the story in a way that made the events seem vivid and truly vibrant. When he finished, she began to tell her tale. "Well, it was very soon after I'd first left Canterlot University and become Torvus' apprentice. I had little experience, so Torvus suggested that I start with something simple. I decided to expand upon the trails that had earned my cutie mark: colour changing by mixing certain materials and chemicals. I wondered whether, when combined with the natural chemicals of a living beings coat of fur, a different sort of reaction would occur. A mixing of the natural and synthetic, as it were." Flux let out a small, self-directed scoff, remembering the next part of her story with clarity. "Unfortunately, I decided that my first test subject would be myself. Being inexperienced, you can probably imagine how well the results turned out. My coat ended but being half orange and half burnt. When Torvus had finished laughing, he enlisted the help of a pony who specialized in hair repairing spells to repair the damage." Flux laughed slightly, recalling how truly ridiculous she had appeared. "I'm quite a bit more careful now. I generally procure samples before trying anything on a larger scale. As they say, experience is the most vivid of teachers," Flux remarked.

"Well, if you're interested, I could tell you the story of how I go my cutie mark." Flux paused for a moment, recalling the tale. "I had one night left before our final project was due and I still had no idea what to write. I was supposed to be writing about “a topic that interests” me; the only problem was that I had no idea what I was interested in! Being one of the few ponies without a cutie mark remaining in my class, I was still attempting to find my talents and specific interests. My observation of the differences in the potency of magic between unicorns had provided me with some interest in magic's inner workings, but I knew I could never finish such a study in one night. Just when all seemed lost, a spark of inspiration came to me. That's it! Now if I can just find some of those glass things that my dad had lying around... With renewed vigour, I dashed around her house, gathering all the necessary materials. As I poured some liquids into a strangely shaped glass, I went over the steps in my head. Magic without magic! Genius! Changing the colours of liquids using this chemical should be unique enough. Now, pour the lemon juice into the chemical and stir slightly... I worked through the night, not stopping until my essay had been completed. Grabbing some extra supplies for my live performance, I dashed out the door and arrived just in time for the beginning of classes. Unfortunately, I had grabbed a rather volatile chemical rather than the one I had meant to use in my haste. The result was a minor explosion that managed to turn the blackboard even blacker and resulted in the singeing of my mane. However, when the dust and soot cleared, I saw that my very own cutie mark had appeared. This sign of my talent, combined with the energy that experimenting had filled me with, set my hooves on my current path." Flux stopped at the conclusion of her tale. "I suppose I could tell you about a particularly interesting experiment of mine, but first, a question. How did you obtain your cutie mark, Colton?"

Flux couldn't help but smile at his story. "That sounds like quite an adventure. Sparks seems like a slightly troublesome bird, but a faithful companion." She wondered whether such a jewel truly existed, as it sounded like a mere fabrication by Colton's employer. "I wonder what his true motives were, since he seems to be a rather shady fellow. Though perhaps it was a simple misunderstanding." "In fact, that reminds me of a story that Torvus once recounted to me. It was many years ago, when Torvus was still a colt, and the clock tower was newly built. A building contractor requested that he find a rare material that he called 'Adminium'. Apparently, it was immensely strong and useful in construction. Torvus went out in search of the material, but his efforts were fruitless. He even visited the Griffin homeland of Aquellia to enquire about Adminium. When he returned, the mysterious contrator had disappeared. Torvus attempted to contact those who were involved with project, but they had disappeared as well. No one had heard of the contractor nor even seen him. It was quite a peculier event." Flux reflected more closely on the story as she told it, noticing implications that she hadn't when the story was first told. "It sounds rather like a ghost story to me. I am loathe to believe concepts without some sort of proof, but I do not deny their existance until evidence to the contrary is provided. What is your opinion on the matter, Colton?"

"Actually, that gives me much more information. In fact, I provides several new options to look into," Flux assured Colton, sensing his dissatisfaction with his explanation. A Griffin artifact in Applelossa? Quite odd. Perhaps the Griffin's had a civilization there at some point. I should research it once I'm done here. Flux could tell that she had lots of time to spare, so she sat down and began to write. "Do excuse me, Colton. Perhaps you can tell me some tales to pass the time? I would quite like to know about more of your life." Flux made sure to keep an ear out for Colton's response, not wanting to get too engulfed in her work.