A Sparkling Romance

The midday sun shone through the mirror of the massive library, illuminating the dark living room in accompaniment with the light emanating from the soft crackling fire. Twilight slowly awoke to the afternoon sun glare on her eyes, prompting her to slowly wiggle from Aqua's unconscious grasp on her, and as she rose from her slumber to stretch her relaxed muscles, she heard the rattle of a chain above her. Looking up in surprise, the unicorn saw Spike now waking from his nap, now dawning a sarcastic smirk.

"About time you woke up." Spike said, fiddling with one of the cage's steel bars. Twilight stood in abject shock at the sight of her assistant held captive in the cage above.

"Spike, how the hay did you get up there?" Twilight asked.

"Our pets went treason on me." Spike said before the cage was set to the ground and opened with a cast of magic from Twilight's horn. Twilight angrily levitated the three pets into the corner for a time-out. Spike climbed back into his bed with an annoyed scowl on his face.

"I am gonna have have a very straightforward talk with our pets tonight." Twilight said with a huff, sympathetically wrapping Spike in his blanket, then proceeding to trot over to the pets. Levitating the two into their cages, she eyed Goliath with distain.

"How dare you imprison my faithful assistant? I have a good mind to inform Aqua when he wakes up." Twilight scolded. The sound of Twilight's distraught managed to cause Aqua to slowly awaken from his nap on the pillow. The blue stallion let out a soft yawn as he trotted over to the unicorn.

"Good afternoon, sweetie," Aqua greeted, kissing Twilight on the cheek, "Is something wrong? Your displeasure woke me up."

"Your little griffon over there imprisoned Spike like a caged animal." Twilight said in an upset tone, gesturing to the steel cage hanging over them. Eyeing the baby griffon in disapproval, Aqua scooped the hybrid by its hind legs.

"Hey hey, we do not imprison friends, Goliath. Bad girl," Aqua scolded, placing her in her cage, "I should've known this would happen, I'm sorry Twily."

"It's fine I guess, I mean we have had crazier days, trust me." Twilight said with a nuzzle. Aqua smiled faintly as he returned the gesture. Breaking from the nuzzle, Twilight gazed on Aqua's shoulderblade, no longer baring the mark of the Manticore attack. She eyed Aqua's discarded Jedi robe near the coat-hanger with curiousity.

"Hey Aqua? You know your lightsaber that you use?" Twilight asked.

Duh, of course he knows he has a lightsaber, that's so stupid!

"Yes, what about it?" Aqua answered.

"Well...I was kinda wondering if you wanted to show me it. I only saw it that one time at your house, and never saw you use it." Twilight said. With a smile, Aqua reached out with his forearm to his robe, and his lightsaber flew to his hoof almost instantaneously. Twilight stared in awe at the hilt of his saber he held dearly in his hoof.

"This is the lightsaber I wielded in my mission to Appleloosa, after my promotion to Jedi Master." Aqua explained, showing the handle to Twilight.

"Is that...alloy metal?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, it's the material the hilt is made from." Aqua answered. The saber's emitter was separated from the body by a bronze cut-back, the black center being almost of a skeletal style.

"So, what exactly powers it?" Twilight asked.

"A blue Adegan crystal, I was able to find it in the crystal caves outside Ponyville, in the Diamond Dog fields." Aqua said.

"So...what exactly does it do?" Twilight asked, to which Aqua ignited the lightsaber at a distance from her, causing her to jump back a bit in shock.

"A lightsaber is able to clash against other lightsabers, which is the Jedi trade of lightsaber combat when needed. It can slice through almost any material, be it wood, metal, marble, you name it. Only certain metals or irons, cloths, and water is resistant. The energy blade of a saber instantly cauterizes the wound, preventing any blood loss." Aqua lectured.

"Fascinating! I never known they were so powerful! Why doesn't everypony have these, they'd make great protection!" Twilight said in amazement.

"Now Twilight, a lightsaber is mainly a Jedi's weapon, it requires an ample amount of skill and focus, or one could slip up and hack off anything important they need." Aqua said.

"Ok, continue." Twilight said.

"Now then, while a saber can cut through things, it also serves as a reflector against projectiles such as blaster bolts. It's actually a very complex thing, but I do believe I saved a construction manual on it." Aqua said, swinging the lightsaber gently. Twilight stuck her tounge out in focus as she examined the saber.

"Hang on, I wanna try something." Twilight said, flaring her horn. A lavendar aura engulfed the lightsaber before it flew out of Aqua's hoof. Twilight twirled the lightsaber easily with her magic, almost causing Aqua to wince in protection. Reaching out, the lightsaber was quickly yanked from Twilight's magic grip, back into his hoof. Twilight stared at the lightsaber before she flared her horn to prepare a concussive blast, giving Aqua enough time to ready himself. As the blast was fired, Aqua easily lowered his lightsaber at the bolt, deflecting it into a stray chair. Aqua smiled at the experiment.

"Interesting concept you wanted to test, Twilight. The Force is the polar opposite of magic, coexisting together." Aqua said as Twilight stood, mouth agape, trying to comprehend the scene.

"Magic and the Force go together? Or are they like harmony and chaos?" Twilight asked.

"It's hard to explain, but I see by the looks of your magical ability, if you were a Jedi, you could possibly surpass even my abilities." Aqua said in genuine amazement. Twilight blushed at his statement before the lightsaber floated towards her through Aqua's manipulation.

"You see, the Force can easily be counteracted by any act of magic, as can magic be neutralized by the Force." Aqua said as he and Twilight pulled the saber back and forth with their powers, almost making a game of it. After a few minutes of this cycle, Aqua finally put the lightsaber back in his Jedi robe, when Twilight began giggling to herself. Aqua arched an eyebrow in amusement at the mare's enjoyment. She pulled Aqua into a passionate kiss and stroked his mane in the process. After several seconds, the two pulled away from each other and stared into each other's eyes, before they once again pressed their lips together.

In the royal castle of Canterlot, Princess Celestia sat by her throne in the empty room, accompanied only by her sister Princess Luna. Conjuring up a manuscript with a golden yellow glow, Celestia read through the book at a steadfast pace.

"Dearest Luna, can you honestly believe how suddenly Aqua Blue came into Twilight's life, and how close they are now? It's simply wonderful, I couldn't be prouder of my faithful student. I might just send a letter of congrats to Twilight just for the hay of it." Celestia said gleefully.

"I agree, sister. Young Twilight Sparkle is learning the old trade of love. And what better stallion be than one of the most divine and most powerful Jedi of all time?" Luna responded in similar glee.

"Powerful, yes. Him and Twilight make such a great pair. Together, they could be the most unstoppable force in Equestria. No enemy would dare attempt an attack on them." Celestia stated.

"Ah, the good old days, a thousand years ago, when the Jedi were plentiful and thriving." Luna suddenly mourned, bowing her head in sadness.

"Do not despair, my sister. The Jedi Order will survive the aftermath of that dreadful purge, and with Aqua as it's leader, they will return as the guardians of peace." Celestia reassured her sister.

"You have great plans for his future, do you not, sister?" Luna asked.

"He will do great things, sister. Much great things." Celestia said with a smile, finishing her manuscript. Using her magic, Celestia effortlessly raised the Sun to it's highest point, bringing forth a ray of sunshine to bathe Equestria in.

May the Force be with you, Aqua Blue...always.

The two ponies finally broke from their kissing session, panting heavily in sync with each other. Twilight's face was flushed as she glanced over to Aqua.

"You're as good a kisser as you are a Force-user." Twilight remarked playfully.

"You certainly take my breath away, sweetie." Aqua said. Twilight blushed as Aqua stroked Twilight's purple mane with his hoof.

"Twilight, I love you so much." Aqua said, putting his hoof to Twilight's chin.

"And I love you too." Twilight replied.

"I think you're the most beautiful mare ever." Aqua said.

"And you're the most handsome stallion ever." Twilight said lovingly. Aqua shuffled his forehooves as Twilight glanced around.

"Twilight, I think I can spend the rest of my life with you. We have such a perfect bond. I mean, we're almost identical to each other." Aqua said. Twilight was somewhat taken aback, but she managed to speak.

"Yeah...I remember how I could hear your voice weeks ago, when I was reading that book. We're so in sync together." Twilight said.

"So...what would you say if I asked?" Aqua asked softly. Twilight smiled at the stallion before she kissed him.

"I'd say of course." Twilight said, much to Aqua's joy. The two hugged each other for an entire minute before letting go.

"But if it's not too much of a problem, I still have some assignments to finish for Princess Celestia." Twilight began.

"And I haven't seen my cloud house in so long, oh and I should probably take Goliath home so she doesn't cause any problems." Aqua said.

"Let's meet up in about an hour, ok?" Twilight asked.

"It's a date." Aqua said before Twilight kissed him once more. She began levitating a book to her table as the two waved goodbye, and Aqua began flying home, with his caged griffon in tow. Twilight gazed out the window at Aqua's shrinking form, and she let out a lovestruck sigh.

"Oh Aqua, you are the perfect stallion." Twilight said to herself, before opening the book.

When Aqua finally arrived at his manor in the sky, the blue stallion sat Goliath's cage down in her usual spot.

"Do not behave so rudely with your friends next time." Aqua said in his calm voice as he slowly walked to his cloudbed. Stretching down on it, he felt the soft plush vapor seize his back in relaxation. Closing his eyes, Aqua was greeted by numerous thoughts, most of which were flooded with images of Twilight.

In our time together, I wonder...would the next step be appropriate? I often assume that the choice is indeed up to the woman of the relationship, but I shouldn't push her decisions. A few more thoughts crossed his mind. Aqua saw himself, snuggled up with Twilight in his hot tub, flashing foward to him and Twilight sleeping together during her slumber party, then to him and her holding hooves together at their movie. A stern look crossed Aqua's face as he continued meditating.

Ohh, I wonder what's going to happen in an hour. I hope I'm too pushy or anything when he arrives, and I certainly wouldn't want to try too hard. Twilight thought to herself as she lost her gaze in her book.

It should be a surprise...but what would she expect? Aqua thought to himself as he levitated a book to his hooves. Wiping off the dust encoded on it, he read the manuscript.

"Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide." Aqua read as he opened the page.

"I know I've heard of these elements of harmony, but never thought they truly existed. Apparently, only those whose heart's are purest and most noble can wield one of these elements." Aqua said before skipping to the Table of Contents. Reading off the label, he skimmed to the nearest page. Flipping to that page, he saw a massive picture baring 6 mares with necklaces around their necks, one baring a tiara atop her head. Aqua looked up in surprise as he now experienced a Force Vision.

"You see Aqua Blue, this mural depicts the redemption of Nightmare Moon, and the defeat, and reform of Discord, the God of Chaos, both instances being 6 mares responsible for these occurances." Celestia spoke, leading Aqua towards the massive murals of the Throne room.

"Fascinating. I do believe that one there is Twilight?" Aqua asked.

"You're correct. Twilight Sparkle, my most brilliant, talented, and powerful student. The Element of Magic is bond to her as you are as well." Celestia said.

"Those necklaces...everyone of them has one...except Twilight." Aqua said quietly to himself. He put a hoof to his chin to think before an idea slowly grew in his mind, "Maybe Rarity has one I could have." Aqua then closed his book and returned it to the bookshelf before he donned his saddlebag again. After letting Goliath roam free in her pen, the stallion left his Cloud Manor and set off for Carousel Boutique. Minutes soon passed while Aqua became lost in his thoughts, avoiding stray buildings in the process. Glancing over to Golden Oaks Library, Aqua was too distracted to notice himself being the metaphorical 'fly on the windshield', the windshield being the window of Rarity's Boutique. The white unicorn was startled so badly from her sewing that she nearly jabbed her hoof with a needle. Trotting over to the window, the mare carefully opened the window and pried Aqua off the window.

"Dear Celestia, Aqua, don't startle me like that! I was just in the middle of starting my latest creation!" Rarity hollered. Aqua shook his head gently before apologizing.

"Terribly sorry, Rarity, but I was too distracted to notice where I was going. I was actually on my way here." Aqua explained.

"Well that's fine, but what can I help you with?" Rarity asked. Aqua skimmed his forearm along the ground before he spoke.

"You must not tell this to Twilight. I intend for it to be a surprise," Aqua started, to which Rarity nodded her head, "The Elements of Harmony, I noticed she, out of everypony, doesn't have a necklace..."

"Oh but she has the most fabulous tiara. It's a suitable stand-in." Rarity said.

"Perhaps, but I was thinking of making a necklace that looks like one of the Elements, Cutie Mark and all." Aqua explained. Rarity put a hoof to her chin before her eyes lit up.

"Ohh, I know why. Aqua, you charming gentlecolt! I do believe I may have something like one. Let me check." Rarity said before disappearing to the storage of the Boutique. Aqua turned to a piece of scrap paper and began sketching a necklace. Moments after, Rarity had returned from the back, a bit of a glum expression on her face.

"Unfortunately, I hate to disappoint you, but I have nothing that looks like a necklace as regal as the Elements of Harmony. I'm sorry, Aqua." Rarity said sadly as Aqua bowed his head.

"Granted, the Elements are the most powerful weapons in ponykind, so a facsimile would be impossible to make." Aqua said softly, to which Rarity grew another idea.

"I do however have connections to the jewelery store, though. They might have a necklace that at least resembles it. I'll tell them I sent you, you might get a discount." Rarity offered.

"Thank you Rarity." Aqua said with a smile.

"Oh but I could however provide a gem for the necklace, if you want." Rarity said.

"I was planning on going to the Diamond Dog fields, it has something else I need." Aqua replied.

"Ugh, those flea-bitten mutts?" Rarity asked with total disgust.

"If that's what they look like, then yes. But I've handled worse, so I shall be off. Goodbye." Aqua said as he closed the door. Now soaring through the sky, Aqua was within Diamond Dog range in minutes. Serveying the area briefly, Aqua found a massive hole boarded up with wood and 'Stay away' signs. With a roll of his eyes, Aqua blasted the wood to bits with a powerful Force Push. A Diamond Dog guard immediately noticed the wreckage and armed himself with a spear.

"Hello there." Aqua said, feigning a pleasant greeting before telekinetically disarming the guard, before blasting him to the side of the wall. The guard let out a bark that alerted the fellow dogs of Aqua's presence. Soon, Aqua found himself crowded by several guards, and three most notable dogs.

"Look here Fido, we have a house guest." one of the dogs said. The others cringed at the sight of Aqua.

"Probably a friend of that dreadful whiny mule." Fido said.

"Take care of him, boys." Spot said, to which the guards all raised their spears. Aqua grew an annoyed scowl.

"Ugh, your voices are like rubbing syrofoam together." Aqua said, irritated, igniting his lightsaber to fight. His first move was severing the guards' spears in two in a blur, then pushing the guards away from all directions with a Force Wave. With all their forces taken out so quickly, the Diamond Dogs stared at Aqua in pure fear.

"Now, I suggest you let me by." Aqua said calmly, before the three dogs stood aside in shock. Aqua retracted his saber peacefully and walked past them, with the dogs breathing in relief. Aqua began trotting through the caves, using only the Force to venture through the dark caves. He glanced to the sides of the walls, seeing nothing but diamonds of various colors, ranging from red, blue, green, yellow, black, the spectra of the rainbow. Aqua stopped in his tracks to press his hoof against a hard rock wall, producing a clinking sound that indicated a source of gems inside. Staring intensely at the wall, Aqua slowly sensed the Shatterpoint of the rock. Gazing past red rubies, blue sapphires, green emeralds, and yellow quartz, the search became increasingly difficult.

No...it must be in here. I must find it. For Twilight.

Concentrating even harder, his connection to the Force flowing quicker, Aqua brought his eyes closer to the rock, when he finally saw bright purple crystals lodged inside. Drawing his lightsaber, Aqua swung for the rock, producing an earsplitting crackle as he slowly carved the rock in half. Hacking away at the stone column, fragment by fragment, Aqua finally destroyed the rock with another Force Push, sending bits of rock across the mine for meters. Silence ensued as Aqua stood before the former wall, the rock erratically cracked and severed, before he saw a giant crystal lodged in the direct middle of the structure. Aqua smiled in satisfaction at his prize. Using his mind, the crystal removed itself from it's rock prison, before floating into his possession.

"Mmm. Amethyst...pure Hurrikaine crystal. A perfect match for Twilight." Aqua said, closely examining the crystal before storing it in his saddlebag. His business complete, Aqua effortlessly flew to the very end of the mines, with Diamond dog guards still laying unconcious from his arrival. With a flap of his wings, he began the flight to the jewelery store.

The library was quiet, with the only sound being the sketching of Twilight's quill upon the parchment. The mare effortlessly breezed through the questions on the paper.

"What is the square root of 546?" Twilight read with a laugh, "Too easy, 23.36664289109. Moving on. How much potassium is in a medium banana. Fillie's play, 422 milligrams." The assignment was obviously below Twilight's level of studying, with her practically undermining each question with a rebuttal of it's simplicity to her.

"Ok, now that easy mode's over, let's move onto normal. Question 47...explain the existance of the midi-chlorians, and their connection to the Force? Wha...? Princess Celestia expects me to know this?" Twilight asked in confusion as she levitated the Force Book to her eyes. Searching through the pages, Twilight found no such mention of a midi-chlorian, proceeding to drop her face onto the table in frustration. The unicorn then folded the corner of the page and put away her homework assignment when she lazily flopped down onto her bed and covered her head with her pilllow in annoyance.

"Ugh! Of all the questions Princess Celestia puts on my studies, she puts the one about the midi-whatevers, which isn't mentioned in Aqua's book!" Twilight groaned before she heard an audible crash from the ground floor, preceeded by a window being shattered. Before she could speak, she heard a familar mare shout to her.

"Twilight!" Rainbow yelled on top of the unicorn, obviously in a frenzied panic, sweating intensely, "We have a big problem!"

"What what, what is it?!" Twilight hollered back. Before the rainbow mare could reply, the two were deafened by a beastial cry that nearly shattered what was left of the undamaged windows in the library.

"That's what it is!" Rainbow yelled, rushing to the side of the door, looking at the massive beast as it let out another roar, lumbering about on all fours, coated head to claw in scales, crown ridges atop it's head, and a spike-studded tail. It looked much similar to the type of dragon the Mane 6 was used to seeing, but it was distinctly smaller and leaner and possessed no wings.

"Holy mother of Faust." Twilight said in shock, completely paralyzed in fear as the krayt dragon began rampaging towards Golden Oaks. Before she could flinch, the dragon was suddenly stopped, mere inches away from her head with its outstretched maw. Teleporting out of harms ways, Twilight soon saw Aqua, holding back the dragon with the Force.

"Twilight, find cover. This thing's far too dangerous." Aqua ordered.

"No, I'm not leaving you with that monster!" Twilight pleaded.

"Trust me." Aqua said, brandishing his lightsaber. Twilight begrudgedly winked out of the scene to higher ground. Aqua faced the 30 meter long monstrousity with determination in his eyes. Charging towards the stallion, the krayt dragon attempted a few swipes at his shoulder before Aqua preempted it's attacks with a slash of his saber to it's side, throwing the creature off balance and hurling into the nearby river. Executing a well-timed saber-throw, Aqua impaled the dragon's back with his blue blade, making it writh in agony. Jumping onto the krayt's back, Aqua pulled his saber from the wound and climbed up the creature as it attempted to shake him off, snarling and floundering in the water. It was only until the krayt tried to grab Aqua with it's claw did he make it draw blood mist, hacking off the opposing claw with his saber, watching the massive appendage sink into the water.

"You're one tough fighter, aren't you?" Aqua asked as he held on for dear life. This only had further enraged the krayt, and it's attempts to throw Aqua off grew even more frenzied. Twilight watched in horror as she attempted to fire concussive shots at the dragon, to no avail due to it's thick plated scales. With one final leap, Aqua held onto the krayt's head and quickly stabbed his lightsaber through the top of it's head, instantly killing the massive beast. Aqua then jumped off the dragon as it's lifeless corpse dropped into the river and slowly floated away from Ponyville. An awed silence ensued until it was broken by the many joyous cheers of the citizens, running towards their blue savior. Aqua causiously flew over the fans as he practically leapt into Twilight's arms and kissed her.

"Twilight, thank Celestia you're alright!" Aqua said.

"Me?! I'm more concerned about you! You just went up against one of those krayt dragon things!" Twilight stared in disbelief.

"What? That old thing? Eh, it was probably lost from Appleloosa, then started attacking the town. Sad I had to kill it, but it was a danger." Aqua answered before Twilight gave him a bone-crushing hug.

"You saved my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Twilight said, increasing the strength of her hug with each praise.

"Ok, I got it! You're grateful! You're welcome! You're crushing my lungs, Twily!" Aqua said in a now hoarse voice, prompting Twilight to break from the hug quickly.

"Oops, sorry. Got a little carried away." Twilight said, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, before hearing a massive clank from Aqua's saddlebag as he stumbled from the hug.

"Something important in there?" Twilight inquired, with a look of confusion.

"Oh, that? That's just a surprise I have." Aqua said. Twilight cocked her head before looking at the scratches and marks denting Aqua's robe from his fight.

"Umm, Aqua. If it's no trouble, can I ask you a question? It's something from an assignment from Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked.

"Of course, Twilight," Aqua replied, "ask away." The two began walking into Twilight's room as she levitated her paper to the desk, reading it off.

"I'm having problems with this question. 'Question 47: Explain the existance of the midi-chlorians and their connection to the Force'," Twilight began, growing a confused face, "I'm totally stumped on that. I've been wondering, since there's no mention of them in your book...what are midi-chlorians?" The blue stallion grew a little smirk at Twilight's interest to the question.

"Midi-chlorians are a life form that take place in all cells of the body." Aqua said.

"They live inside us?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They help build the bridge between the mystics of the Force and the biological. It's more of a receptor in a way." Aqua said. Twilight nodded as she began scribbling on her paper, listening to Aqua like he was Celestia. Watching as Twilight rolled up her scroll to send to Canterlot, Aqua quickly glanced down at his saddlebag, and opened it to see the purple crystal covered with a cloth, closing it before Twilight spun around to hug him.

"Thank you, I really needed to answer that question." Twilight said, squeezing Aqua.

"It's no problem, Twilight. I'm always happy to teach others." Aqua said.

"So do you wanna hang out, or do you have something to do?" Twilight asked.

"Well actually, I was planning on going to the market." Aqua answered.

"Go ahead, I'll see you soon, alright?" Twilight said, pecking Aqua on the lips. The stallion hugged Twilight as he put on his saddlebag to exit the library. Minutes passed as Aqua flew through the busy crowds of ponies acknowledging his recent act of justice, but hurriedly paid them no more than a passing glance.

"That marketplace must be around here somewhere." Aqua murmured to himself, getting himself lost in the crowd, before seeing a building in the distance resembling the one Rarity mentioned.

"Of course, Twilight showed me the store." Aqua said to himself with a hoof to his forehead before opening the door with an ensuing clank of chimes. The stallion glanced to several display cases, one being the pearl from the very throat of the krayt dragon he had recently slain. Paying it no mind, he cautionly tapped the desk of the storeowner, and a grayed stallion emerged from the back of the store. Aqua took a moment to memorize the stallion's face as he spoke.

"What can I get you, huh?" the stallion asked in a gruff voice. Aqua instantly fished out a card from his saddlebag, presenting it to the storeowner.

"Miss Rarity of Carousel Boutique sent you here, eh?" the stallion responded to the card.

"Yes. She said you might know what I'm looking for," Aqua answered as he showed the owner a sketch of his desired. The owner gave a raised eyebrow to his claim before his face wrinkled with a sudden tap of his chin.

"Ah, that old necklace? Yeah, I may have something." the owner said as he walked into the back of the store. Aqua skimmed his hoof across the dusty desk, staring at the valuable jewels and artifacts carefully placed under glass covers. The storeowner soon returned with a heavy glass capsule before placing it on the table. The glass contained the very thing Aqua desired, a golden necklace with a hole in the middle in the shape of Twilight's Cutie Mark.

"Do you have a price for it?" Aqua asked, to which the stallion pondered for a moment. A memory of a similar hooded blue mare throwing a bag filled with bits to him for the Alicorn Necklace appeared in his mind, and a smile crept upon his face.

"Last necklace I sold was over 500 bits, the mare said it was her savings from some rock farm. I give you this for...450 bits." the storeowner offered.

"For a normal necklace. You think that's rather steep?" Aqua inferred, waving a hoof at the stallion. The stallion drew a blank before responding.

"I do think that's too steep a price. What say...200?" the stallion asked. Aqua snuck a glance at his bag, only containing less than 200.

"175." Aqua negotiated. The stallion put a hoof to his chin before an idea hit him.

"How about we decide this over chance?" the stallion offered a small cube to Aqua, who eyed it suspiciously.

"A chance cube?" Aqua asked.

"I land on the blue, necklace is 100. Lands on red, 450." the storeowner said as Aqua nodded his head. With a chuckle, the owner tossed the cube to the ground. Aqua glanced down at the cube before waving his hoof downwards, then proceeded to tug at his robe innocently. The cube landed with 5 red spaces with one blue space facing on top. The owner gave a small sneer before Aqua emptied 100 bits from his bag, and carefully removed the necklace from it's glass cover. With a nod of his head, Aqua departed the thrifty store before exchanging last words with the owner.

"Next time, don't gamble. You're going to lose." Aqua said before heading out as the stallion threw his chance cube to the wall in anger. With a satified smirk, Aqua took his belongings atop his back and trotted back towards the Boutique.

"Oh why hello, Aqua darling. I trust your trip was a success?" Rarity asked. Aqua grew a bit of a smirk as he looked down at his bag.

"After some negotiations, I was able to lower the price down to 100." Aqua answered, pulling the necklace from his saddlebag. Rarity glimpsed at it's beauty before getting lost in the golden shine.

"It's so beautiful," Rarity said, seeing her reflection in the gold, "What shall I help you with?"

"I need to chisel this crystal down into Twilight's Cutie Mark. But make sure not to crack it, I need the rest of it for something else for Twilight." Aqua said.

"My my, you're going through such lengths for her. Anypony as selfless as Twilight can appreciate that. Anywho, I will do my best," Rarity said, levitating the nearly head-sized amethyst onto her table, "Although I admit, I'm not much of a chisler as I am a sewer."

"Duly noted, but can I expect this to be done within the next half hour? Twilight and I have a date." Aqua asked.

"Well resizing a crystal like this shouldn't be too hard," Rarity said, already beginning to fracture away at the crystal, starting to expose a star shape, "Tell me though, what's your intention of going through all this effort?"

"Well, Twilight's...very special. She's...one of a kind. The way she snuggles up to me when we're reading by the fireplace. The way her eyes and coat resonate with that hime cut manestyle of hers is truly beautiful, she's very kind, caring, and mature. Her magic skills are quite impressive, to say the least. I feel that she deserves it." Aqua answered from his heart. Rarity shook her head in amazement as she finished chiseling a fraction of the crystal into Twilight's Cutie Mark.

"That was certainly a beautiful thing you said, darling." Rarity said, levitating the star-shaped jewel into Aqua's hoof. With a raise of his hoof, Aqua levitated the jewel carefully into the golden necklace, fitting the small purple sparkles around the center as he gently embedded the jewels permanently into the necklace.

Twilight was busy reading Aqua's book as Spike fiddled around with a collection of jewels. The unicorn was eagerly studying a certain page from the book as she called Spike over.

"Spike, can I ask you something?" Twilight asked.

"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked.

"I wanna get something for Aqua, you know, show him I like him alot." Twilight said with a bit of a blush. Spike looked at the book before pointing a claw to a picture.

"What about that?" Spike asked.

"A rock? Don't you think that has no value?" Twilight asked with a look of confusion.

"Well it says something about a birthday ritual on that page, smarty." Spike answered. Twilight glanced at the description.

"River stone, a Force-Sensitive rock found in the Ponyville rivers. The stone has the ability to connect with the Force-Adept through the Jedi's mind. That's it. That's it!" Twilight said happily.

"Oh boy, somepony's gonna get a rock for her boyfriend." Spike teased.

"Spike, get your river boots. We're heading to the rivers." Twilight announced, levitating Aqua's scarf around her neck, before setting out. Spike followed suit with a bucket and a raincoat.

As Aqua finished putting his necklace in his saddlebag, he excused Rarity from her desk and sat down to chisel the rest of the crystal.

"If you want, I can help with that, too." Rarity offered.

"Thank you, but sizing down a lightsaber crystal must be exactly perfect. For if any crystal is improperly sized, the blade of the saber would be sloppy and unbalanced." Aqua said, cutting the crystal into small diamond fragments. Rarity watched in amazement as several black and white metals and electrums levitated in front of the stallion. Focusing intently, the lightsaber hilt was slowly forming together. Shortly, Aqua wiped sweat from his forehead as he marveled at his creation. Grasping the handle of the saber, Aqua stared down at the electrum finish as light reflected off the shine. With a firm grip, Aqua ignited it, producing a long, violet blade. Nodding in satifaction, Aqua retracted the present before hiding it in his saddlebag.

Twilight looked through her googles as she swam through the clear blue water of the river, searching for the rock in her book. With a gasp, she quickly spotted something.

"Spike! Spike, I think I got something!" Twilight shouted before fishing out the object, in turn revealing itself to be an actual fish. Twilight stared in confusion as the fish then pressed its lips against Twilight's, causing her to flinch and throw the fish away. She spat in disgust as she wiped her mouth and sat down at the shore. Twilight then felt something pinching at her flank, and with a surprised yelp, she shot up, revealing a small, angry crab with a blue shell, snapping it's pincer at her threateningly. The unicorn ran from the hermit crab in fright as she sat a few 10 feet away, slumping down in sorrow as Spike ran to her side.

"Aw, don't worry, Twilight. You'll find that rock eventually." Spike said as he waddled through the riverwater. Twilight began to sniffle as she looked down at her reflection, only seeing a gloomy mare with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"What if I don't? What if I don't find Aqua anything?" Twilight said with a hic in her throat, "Aqua could get me the Moon wrapped up in a cute little vacuum pack, and all I would have to give him is air. Nothing but air, Spike!" Spike put an arm around Twilight's shoulder as he nervously tried to sooth her.

"Twilight, you're much more stronger than this. Aqua knows you love him for him, and he loves you for you. Even if you don't find anything, I'm sure Aqua will respect your honesty." Spike said, rubbing a tear from Twilight's eye. Unbeknownst to the unicorn, her horn began glowing a lavender blur. With her hooves dragging against the ground, Twilight felt magnetically pulled towards something.

"Umm, S-Spike...? A little help?" Twilight asked as Spike was soon being dragged in conjuction. The unicorn then grew an annoyed face as she simply let the feeling continue, dragging her underwater, under a rock bridge, and finally into an underwater seawall, smack dab into a rock. Twilight pried her face off the rock and swam to the surface as she took a second look at the rock, her horn glowing as she felt herself being pulled to the stone. Resisting the pull, Twilight was yanked to the opposite side of the seawall, with the rock being forced from the wall and into Twilight's hooves. Moments passed as Twilight finally crept out of the riverside with a rock in her hooves. She then shook herself dry as she felt the ominous rock start to pulsate in her hooves. It felt smooth to her, and the black stone revealed red veins when Twilight shone her horn's light on it. She felt an odd energy inside her, nearly identical to the same energy she felt on her way to Aqua's house that faithful day.

"Spike, call me silly, but I think this is the rock from the book." Twilight said in astonishment. Spike grew a smirk as he patted Twilight's back.

"Told ya all that worrying was just sparkle stuff." Spike said, to which Twilight levitated the dragon onto her saddle.

"Yeah yeah, I know. C'mon, we have a present to give to Aqua." Twilight said, beginning the walk back to Golden Oaks. On the way back, the unicorn was met by Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Twi. Cool rock." Rainbow said with a poke at the rock. Twilight gave a passing glance and nod as she opened the door to the treehouse. To her surprise, the lights were off, which was odd as she had left them on when she left. She then flinched back at the sight of Aqua's blue lightsaber blade illuminating the room, before he turned the lights back on with a grin on his face.

"Hello, Twilight!" Aqua said as he hugged the purple mare.

"What is this, a surprise?" Twilight asked.

"Well, that depends. You said our date began in an hour, and low and behold, an hour has officially passed!" Aqua said happily, checking the wall clock.

"Oh right. Well, before we do anything, there's something I want to give you." Twilight said, levitating the stone from her bag.

"Oh Twilight, you didn't have to get me anything. I would've been fine with just air." Aqua said, to which Spike gestured towards Twilight with a smirk on his face.

"Oh no, no, no, no, and nooo. I wanted to get you something, so I did. So there's no changing this!" Twilight said playfully as she handed Aqua the black stone. Aqua's cheery smile turned to utter surprise at the marvel.

"T-Twilight, you did not." Aqua said, gazing at the red veined rock.

"Oh yes I did. I found a picture of it in your book, and I decided to get you it. I got it from the river, but strangely I felt the same energy as when I felt the energy blast from your house a few weeks ago." Aqua gazed off into space at his recollection of that memory, before he put the stone to his chest, a tear falling from his face.

"It's from the birthday ritual section and-- oh no. Are you ok?" Twilight asked.

"No, no, it's fine. It's just...I've never really had a birthday celebration...before." Aqua admitted, tears welling in his eyes. He had remembered the faithful day his master Utopia Prism was slain by Darth Wrath, that day being one day short before Aqua's birthday. Twilight suddenly rushed Aqua in a hug as she squeezed him happily, tears falling upon her shoulder.

"I-I love it, Twilight. Thank you. I love you." Aqua said, kissing Twilight slowly on the lips, to which the unicorn let out a soft giggle. Regaining his composure, Aqua set down his saddlebag.

"Now, I have some things for you, I thought you might want," Aqua said, pulling out his two presents for her. Twilight felt her jaw drop to it's fullest length as she saw the gifts. Aqua slowly walked over to her and presented the necklace bearing the purple cutie mark jewel within.

"Oh my Celestia...it's so beautiful." Twilight said in pure shock.

"I was able to get the necklace from a storeowner in the jewelry store, and I managed to get the purple crystals from the Diamond Dog fields, which leads me to my next gift." Aqua said before returning to his saddlebag. Twilight stared at the golden necklace as she watched Aqua pull out a hilt from his bag, and place it in her hoof.

"I-Is t-that," Twilight asked, "a lightsaber?"

"Of my own design, made for you, and you only." Aqua said. Twilight carefully ignited the saber slowly, holding the handle firmly as the violet blade shot out of the hilt, making her jump in surprise. Inspecting the lightsaber, Twilight began tilting the saber back and forth, listening to the hum of the saber as Aqua brought out his own. In pure happiness, Twilight smiled at Aqua, and at Aqua's ready, the two slowly locked blades together, producing a small clanging sound and an indigo blur of color. As Aqua then retracted his saber, he watched in amusement as Twilight began twirling her saber with excitement.

"This is so awesome!" Twilight shouted gleefully, before a careless twirl resulted in the bisection of a nearby curtain. Twilight then retracted her saber and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Okaayy, maybe a little too awesome." Twilight said with a chuckle.

"That was actually better than a Youngling's first day of training, and you're not even a Jedi, so that must stand on it's own merits." Aqua said before wrapping the golden necklace across Twilight's neck. An idea formed in Aqua's mind as he reached into the drawer of the cabinet, pulling out the Element of Magic, in tiara form.

"How'd you know that was in there?" Twilight asked.

"I know many things, such as you kept a Smarty Pants doll...which...I happened to recover from Big Macintosh." Aqua said before pulling out the raggy old gray doll Twilight idolized as a filly. Twilight's heart melted instantly as Aqua bestowed Twilight's tiara atop her head, her purple lightsaber in one hoof, Smarty Pants in the other, and a golden necklace around her neck. Twilight felt waterfalls of tears building up in her eyes, and she stood before the very stallion that had gifted her a necklace, a lightsaber, the recovery of her fillyhood toy, and the most important: the gift of him entering Twilight's life. Truly this was one of her happiest moments in her life, as was it of the young Jedi Master's life as well. With a few tears forming in his own eyes, Aqua slowly walked to his marefriend, clad in mock Princess attire, bent down on one knee, kissed her front hoof, took it in his own, and looked her dead in the eye.

"I love you...my dear sweet Princess. Twilight Sparkle." Aqua said softly. Twilight smiled down on Aqua, and kissed his hoof as well.

"I love you, my Jedi Master of the Force. Aqua Blue." Twilight answered back.

"Will you...be mine...forever, from this day on? To the end of our lives? In love and hope, and cherish." Aqua asked.

"Yes. I will, forever." Twilight said, to the utter joy of her coltfriend. The two then kissed passionately for the longest time, and hugged each other for even longer. The circle was now complete. Two lives, for had never experienced true love, had discovered it between the bond they share. Jedi Master Aqua Blue, and High Level Unicorn Twilight Sparkle, were now enveloped in true blissful, inseparable love.

Conclusion.