Neoniie

Flux's gaze turned from the window at the sound of the stallion's voice. "Here you go Miss, have you found something that you like on the menu?" As the stallion spoke, he placed a glass of cold wtaer topped with a lemon before her.

"Yes, I believe I have. I would like an order of pancake, if you please." Flux took a sip of the water after her request, enjoying the slight chill of the beverage brought. She thought about the approaching holiday, wondering what sort of events the city would exhibit for both locals and tourists alike. She had heard that the pageant this year would feature 6 untrained actors who were personally invited by Princess Celestia herslef. The mare had no idea what had brought those ponies such renown by the royalty of Equestria, but she assumed anypony chosen by the Princess must be special in some manner.

The unicorn sighed under her breath, slighty disappointed that her family would be unable to spend the seasonal celebration with her. It had become a tradition of the small family, but this year roved to be far too busy for any of the three ponies to find time for the festivities. Flux supposed that she would have to attend the pageant alone, despite the discovery of her new pegasus friend. She continued to muse upon the situation in silence, sipping the drink occasionally.

Most of what I know about magic is self taught. Books can only take you so far when it comes to actually casting a spell. Take the spell Illuminating Light for example. It is supposed to allow a unicorn to create light so that they can see in the dark. I can cast it correctly on some tries and have it fizzle out into a spark on others. A unicorn really wouldn't do them much good if he can't master a simple spell like that."

Flux could certainly sympathize with the stallion's situation. Her own magic was rather weak as well. Her proficiency was in telekinesis and a tiny bit of pyromancy, only her rigourous practise sessions with her father had developed an aptitude for medicinal spells as well. At the time, her father had been training her to follow in his hoofsteps as a doctor, but she had eventually turned to the sciences. Her weakened magic had still been comfortably sorted into the Gamma Class, however, and this unicorn's seemed much more shakily in that category.

"That is why I really want to go to a university. Medical school in Trottingham. Celestia's academy here. Anywhere where I can learn to use my telekinesis to the best of my abilities."

"Well, I'm certain that practical application would serve you well in your learning. It was of tremendous assistance in the building of my own magical powers." The white unicorn ate her food slowly, with the perfect ettiquite expected of a Canterlot pony. She wasn't exactly attempting it for the benefit of her company, it was more of an automatic reaction to any such situation. As she look a quick look around the room, Flux noticed that many of the ponies who had earlier been in the banquet hall had disappeared. Merely assuming that they had departed for another public area of the castle or their own homes, Flux took another bit of her celery stick.

Flux couldn't help but blush at Colton's words. She wasn't at all used to such compliments, but the unicorn couldn't deny that she found it quite endearing. "Well, I can certainly think of something more wonderous," she said, that same implying tone in her voice.

She leaned slightly into Colton's soft coat, sighing in contentment. Every moment around Colton seemed to be a wonderful one that she didn't want to end. The two were still for a time, just enjoying the beauty of the scenery before them and each other's company. However, Flux remembered that they had a whole garden of fantastic things before them. "Is there any place in particular that you would like to view first? There is the statue section, the Canterlot Hedge Maze, more sculpted shrubery. It's up to you." Flux wanted Colton to enjoy as much of his time in Canterlot as he could.

However, that though brought to mind a less happy one. Colton would eventually have to continue on his travels and leave Canterlot. Flux didn't want to prevent him from persuing his dreams and his nomadic way of life, but she didn't want him to leave either. The unicorn would offer to go with the pegasus, but that would both slow him down and prevent her from her studies. Flux decided that now was not the time to dwell on such dilemmas and pushed such thoughts away for later.

"I believe so. That's the method I used, at any rate," Flux responded. She wasn't usually called upon for advice-giving and she wasn't exactly a pony of great social knowledge, so Flux had gone with the answer she knew best. Her own attempts at earning a cutie mark combined with the formal education on what little was know about the mysterious symbols can driven her to the conclusion that she had presented to Harmony. The unicorn merely hoped that her advice had been sound and would help the young filly in some way.

Flux was suddenly at a loss for a topic of conversation. She didn't want to draw too much attention to the clearly uncomfortable Sketch, but she didn't want to shun him from the conversation. She decided on a relatively safe topic, addressed mostly at Harmony, but that could be expanded to encompass all four of the ponies. "So, any career ideas yet, Harmony?" Flux was fairly certain of the answer she would get, but the unicorn asked regardless.

As soon as Colton's eyes were closed, she guided him forward slowly. Their final destination was not very far from their current path, but Flux wanted to build up the suspense. It continued to baffle the mare that Colton brought out such a carefree attitude in her. Flux was used to being more of a stick in the mud in the opinion of most ponies, but she felt almost lighter around the pegasus. Perhaps it was his own nature rubbing off on her, but the snow-coated unicorn could not conclude anything with certainty.

The two soon stood before the arch-shaped entrance to the first stop on their tour. With a silent count to four in her head, Flux announced, "Alright, we have arrived." Before them stood the famed Canterlot Hedge Garden. The arch was made of perfectly shaped greenery with roses peaking out at systematic intervals. The land before the two ponies was flat, but as green as the hoof of the ponies who tended to the Hedge Garden. Several impressive hedges in the shapes of important figures from Equestria's past stood proudly in the sunlight.

Flux waited for Colton's inevitable with a casual smile on her muzzle. She hoped that the sight would be as awe-inspiring for him as it had been upon Flux's first sight of it.

"This way," Flux answered, a playful tone filling her voice. She didn't usually hold back information in an effort to create a surprise, but Flux decided there was a first time for everything. She trotted down the streets of Canterlot, which were mostly empty in the early morning light. Buisiness ponies rushed through the streets and university students travelled toward their classes, but otherwise most ponies were only just beginning to open their windows.

She turned her head toward Colton once he had asked his question. His expression was difficult for the white unicorn to read, which made her slightly apprehensive. "I didn't have much of a window of opportunity. My father seemed quite busy and I didn't want to heap extra thoughts upon him. I was planning to inform him later today." She hoped that the answer was not distressing to the pegasus in any manner. She lapsed into silence, allowing Colton time to form a response and herself a time to ensure that she was headed in the correct direction.

Seeing the approach of their destination, Flux picked up her speed. She had only visited the location twice before and was eager to see it in the soft dusting of snow brought by the winter. "Alright, I believe that this part of a surprise involves shielding one's eyes."

Flux listened quietly to Holly, glad to hear that the damage done hadn't been too devastating. "I'd certainly be ecstatic if some oranges did end up growing in the Wood. It's difficult to find good orange sellers in Canterlot." Flux had an odd taste for most citrus, enjoying such fruits much more than their less acidic brethren.

Before she could continue, Colton and Gladwin returned, bringing a light conversation with them. Flux knew that such casual discussion could not have been their original topic, but decided to allow the subject to go unanswered for the moment. Both the pegasus and the griffin seemed to be anxious to begin their day, nearly bouncing with excitement. Even the slightly more stoic Flux couldn't help feeling excited about the day ahead. Upon Colton's question of a destination, she paused. "We could visit the Canterlot Central Park, or perhaps we could window-shop?" In truth, the unicorn did not know what to suggest. Her Hearth's Warming Eves were usually spent indoors, with the exception of the pageant at the Royal Castle.

Flux responded automatically at the sound of her name. An ear twitched toward the direction of the voice and she turned away from her conversation with Colton. To her surprise, Holly Dash was the one calling out to her. Holly Dash is the pony who Colton meant by 'Holly'? Flux was quite surprised, but it was certainly a pleasant surprise. "Holly, fancy seeing you here. I wasn't aware that you had met Gladwin previously. That is quite a coincidence. I suppose we can skip the introductions, then." The white unicorn couldn't help but smile as she finished her statement.

Recalling the events that occured at Holly's Whitetail Wood garden, she continued on that line of thought. "How has your garden been doing? I assume the woods have started to recover." From the corner of her eye, the unicorn could see the pegasus and griffin conversing in hushed tones. She couldn't guess what they were talking about, but their distance from the two mares made their secrecy clear.

The doctor and his daughter turn the corner sharply, nearly walking into none other than the subject of their travel. Dr. Scalpel chuckled slightly, backing up from the pegasus to allow him some personal space. In response to his question, the doctor looked the pegasus up and down once before responding. "Well, we'll have to see. Though, by your ease of movement, I'd have to say it's almost certain that you've healed significantly."

He lifted the brace from Colton's shoulder blade, allowing it freedom of movement. He inspected the healing tissue with a passive expression, not allowing his diagnosis to show on his features. "Colton, I pronounce you officially healed enough to allow discharge from the Centre." With a magic-propelled swish of a nearby quill, he signed his named upon the release document in long, flowing script. The parachment rolled up and hovered to a position nearby the doctor's ears. The stallion smiled at Colton and Flux, then turning tail and trotting back toward his office.

Flux stood beside Colton, quite pleased that he had healed so well. "Shall we?" asked Flux, her trip plan already coming to mind. "Our first destination is quite an interesting one. I believe you will find it satisfactory."

Flux trotted through the mostly empty halls of the hostipal. Her hooves made a distinct clacking sound against the polished marble floor that echoed throughout the deserted hallways. The unicorn passed a nurse ocassionally, giving the staff member a curt nod before continuing on. She determined that her father's office was not far from her current position in the intersection of the 'Intensive Care' and 'Short Term Care' wards. Her memory led her to a corridor that seemed familiar and sure enough, a plaque reading 'Dr. Scalpel Flux, MD' was inlaid in a wooden door. With a quick knock and an acknowledgement form the unicorn within, Flux opened the door and entered the office.

The contents of the office ensured that Flux's memroy had served her correctly. Her father sat behind the piles of paperwork seen yesterday, a pair of reading glasses hung low on his muzzle. He looked immensely tired, as though he had been up all night sorting through and approving certain procedures and filling in forms. Flux spotted a series of papers marked with the name 'Colton Cloudkicker'. So as not to disturb her father's work, Flux extracted the release form with a levitation spell. "I'll give that a sign once I check Colton over quickly," said Dr. Scalpel, raising his head from a lengthy form.

Flux nodded, leading the doctor back towards the room where she and Colton had spent the night. She hadn't seen any discomfort on the pegasus' features when she had woken, leading her to assume that his injury was likely healed and Colton would be cleared for admission quickly. Though the hour was early, Flux was eager to begin showing Colton around the city. She had been mapping out the key destinations as she had travelled through the halls of the hospital, ensuring that all the important locations would be covered in their journey.

The bright light of the morning was a sharp contrast to the blanket of night that had covered Canterlot the following night. Just as the moon and its fellows in the night sky had been quite spectacular, the intense and warming rays of Celestia's sun was also a sight to behold, especially during the darker winter months.

The rays slowly awakened the sleeping unicorn, bringing her from pleasant dreams into the new day. With a quiet grumble, Flux raised her head from the pillow below. Quite strangely, she found herself face-to-face with an owl that perched itself upon the window. Taking the letter from the owl with her magic, Flux reoriented herself in order to better read the messy script upon the parchment.

Got your letter, don't worry about me. I've been looking out for m'self before you came around. Have a good time on that tour and give my best to Colton.

- Torvus

With a light smile, Flux folded the letter and placed it inside her bag. She left the window open, allowing a soft winter breeze to enter the room. As quietly as possible, Flux got out of the bed and put all four hooves into contact with the ground once more. Deciding to take care of the procedurals for Colton's release from the Medical Centre, Flux invoked a quick spell to tidy up her appearance and then set out in search of her father.

"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?"

Hi there - I just figured I'd ask if there was anything you wanted to add to the cutie mark story...what you have there is a fairly minimal amount, and I feel that perhaps there's a little room for expansion there. It doesn't really need to be a huge tale, but I feel that perhaps giving it a paragraph of it's own will help expand upon what's there, and give others an idea as to how she achieved/earnt her place in life.

Just my two cents on it, though - I don't think it's a HUGE problem, but it might help give a little added detail for others to consider!

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.

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.