Free Fall Into Happenstance

"No. NO NO NO NO NO!!! Where IS IT?!?!?!" Rory searched frantically through her closet for some lost trinket or another, flinging clothing and all manner of apparel throughout the room. One small shoe managed to make it out the window, plummeting from the second story onto whatever unfortunate thing lie on the ground below.

Humming quietly to himself, Light took a different route home today from work. As usual, he chose to walk rather than fly, enjoying the sights and sounds of the town. Walking down a small street, he chose today's route in order to get to the market faster, needing a few fresh vegetables for dinner tonight. As he ran through the checklist in his head, the oddest thing happened; hearing some shouting above, he looked up, only to have a shoe land directly on his snout, a near perfect fit. The force of the impact wedged it on to him, making him unable to talk. "MRjfkdsjfdsfs" he mumbled rather loudly, bringing his hooves up to forcibly remove the object.

After a few moments more of rummaging, the white unicorn bellowed in triumph "AHA! You rotten little thing!" She grinned, straightening her long brown mane as she used her magic to wrap a scarf around her neck. She quickly grabbed a light saddlebag and slung it over her back and leapt from her room and downstairs in moments. Quickly checking that all was in order, she flung the door open and exited, quickly locking it behind her. Rory turned to head down the street, but suddenly found herself face to face with a stranger... with what appeared to be…

"My shoe??? How did you end up-" The light bulb clicked and she looked up. Her window, directly above the front door, was hanging wide open.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry! I must have thrown this out the window in my frenzy."

The minute the unicorn opened her mouth, Light successfully worked the shoe off his muzzle, giving it a cautionary wipe with a hoof to make sure all was in place. As annoyed as he should have been, he couldn't help but smile as all seemed in order with his facial features. "I must say, your aim was impeccable. Are you sure you didn't intentionally just hurl that at me as I walked by?" he replied, his head slightly cocked to the side "I know I am quite the sight, and maybe quite a catch, but your method was certainly the most unique I have seen...." he chuckled, hoping she had a sense of humor at least.

She blushed, slightly embarrassed as she took the shoe from him with her magic. "You know, I've been perfecting my aim for weeks, now! I'm glad I finally made a suitable catch, and so MODEST!" She laughed. "My name is Aurora Heartnote, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Light laughed, annoyance gone as he bowed his head slightly "Light Heart, but Light is fine." Shaking his head, he continued "And I assure you that I am quite modest, but sometimes my sense of humor gets a mind of its own and I can't seem to rein it in." Remembering something, his head rotated the other direction. "As lovely as it is to meet my new assailant, you seemed to be in a hurry. I don't want to keep you from...whatever it is you're rushing off to."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, I was running VERY late for class, and at this rate, I don't think there's much point in me trying to rush over. By the time I make it back to the campus, there will most likely only be a few minutes left in the lecture. To be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't just make the choice to skip class sooner..." She pondered out loud. "Anyway, I am truly sorry about pelting you with my shoe." She said, stuffing the offending accessory in her saddlebag.

"Well I normally work at the Ponyville ER as a nurse, but I just happen to be here for a conference. I was one of the lucky ones selected from the hospital to attend." He rolled his own eyes at the mentioning of the word. "But today was the last day, so I was going to hit up the market and fetch some local produce before I made the trip back to Ponyville." His hoof dug at the ground lightly "So what are you studying?"

Aurora seemed disheartened, but immediately perked up when he inquired of her field of study. "Oh! I'm finishing my degree in fine arts! I'm already working full time as a freelance illustrator though." She scratched at the back of her head a moment, wondering what to say next. "I should probably get some groceries myself while I'm out of the house. It's been ages since my sister last did any shopping, and even when she does shop she brings home more junk food and sweets than produce." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

Light looked appalled "Hey, I love sweets! That's blasphemy!" He said the mock look of surprise wavering into a smile. "If you would like to join me, I am certainly not in a hurry to head home..." That was for sure, his life was in chaos enough right now that this trip was actually a relief. He started to walk slowly back down the street, making sure she fell into step with him. "Fine arts eh? Definitely not my strong suit. But then again, it was better suited for unicorns anyway. I think being a Pegasus makes me too...jittery?"

She laughed, "Well it's easier for unicorns to hold quills and brushes, and our magic allows us maximum accuracy with each stroke. It's much harder to do without magic, but we are all taught to learn the traditional way before starting advanced studies. It really does make you appreciate the art more, and you really gain a new respect for non-unicorn artists."

Light Heart shrugged "We each have our talents I suppose. Far be it from me to question them. But I do enjoy many hobbies that I am not ‘super’ talented in, yet still bring me joy. For instance, I love working with wood. The smell, feel, and simple exertion of the whole process is just relaxing to me. That and when I am done, I have something I built with my own hooves, beautiful or not!" he chuckled at the last bit, knowing that a lot of his projects were not exactly perfect, but in fact, were far from it.

"Well there's nothing wrong with enjoying something like that as a hobby! I like to make jewelry and clothing in my spare time, though I'm not the best at the last bit. I'm good at drawing the designs, but sewing is a struggle." She laughed. "So what got you into woodworking?"

"I have always been fascinated with building things. Even as a foal, construction toys were my favorite. I have always been a bit of a busy-body, and I try a lot of things to keep me busy or pass the time. Woodworking was one of them, among a dozen others." he smiled, rolling his eyes at the stupid amount of hobbies he’d dabbled in.

The unicorn gave a knowing smile. "I too have tried my hoof at many different hobbies. I guess I really just like to try new things for the sake of doing them." They walked in silence for a few moments, and Rory took a deep breath. "So, how long have you been a nurse? Do you like living in Ponyville? I've only ever been a few times for various art shows, but it was never for an extended period of time. It seems nice."

"For a few years now. I moved to Ponyville to escape Cloudsdale really...." he quieted a bit, an ear dropping some. "I don't mind Ponyville, but I am not sure if it's the place for me or not. The ponies are nice and my job is quite lucrative." He was quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Friends are a bit on the lacking side I suppose. I have met a lot of friends in other towns, but other than my-" He was going to say marefriend, but with everything going on lately, he decided not to mention her "-well, my coworkers, there isn't much there for me."

Rory frowned "That's a shame. It's never fun to feel alone, especially when you are surrounded by countless others. Have you been considering branching out or leaving? I'm sure with your field you could find a job anywhere you wanted!" She replied, trying to cheer him up a little.

Light Heart sighed as they continued the walk, getting nearer to the market. "I have, and I love travelling. Just makes me wonder if the problem lies more in me than the place I live. I try to be friendly and social, but I tend to meet friends, fix problems, and move on. But if I was going to leave, soon would be the time..." he said a bit quieter. "How is Hoofington? Seems like a lovely place. This is my first time here." he changed the subject, not wanting to seem like a depressive on his first meeting with her.

The tall mare raised an eyebrow, but decided not to press the matter. "Hoofington is nice. It's pretty big, if you hadn't noticed. It's all the benefits of living in a city, but it's still peaceful like you're out in the country. The only thing I don't like is how far it is to get to any other towns in Equestria, but overall? It’s... well it’s home. More so than my home town, you know? Maybe you should come back for an extended visit? Get to see how well you like it out here?" She smiled once more to her new friend as her nose caught wind of something delicious. "Oh my, I'm suddenly quite hungry, and that smells amazing. I love it when the bakers bring out fresh loaves to the market."

Light Heart 's nose picked up the scent and he too started drooling on the inside slightly "Yeah, that does smell great. Think we should make a detour and devour whatever lovely smell that happens to be?" he said, his ears picking up as he put his present woes behind him for the time being.

Rory grinned "I'm all for it! I haven't eaten since breakfast!" She led him slightly to the left, down a road away from the main one that led to the market. There were various little boutiques and cafes, but she was headed for one in particular. At the far end of the alley was a tiny mom-and-pop looking place with an old weathered sign above the door. Most of the paint had long since faded, but one could barely make out the image of a portly stallion with a mustache and a tall toque atop his head. "This is my favorite place in town, and I can't pass up an opportunity to get Cavatelli's fresh garlic rolls!"

Light's mouth was watering at the smells coming from this place. Garlic was on the top of his list when it came to seasonings. "This all seems like a dream...." he whispered outloud, probably louder than he should have. "Can't say we have any place like this back in Ponyville. I would have had to go to Canterlot or something. But since you were nice enough to take me here and treat me to your company, allow me to take care of this." Once inside, Light ordered a few of the rolls for the pair of them, and found a comfortable table near a window. "Sorry if I came off a bit....down back there. I can assure you I am normally quite upbeat. Life has been a bit, well, screwy lately."

Rory shook a hoof in front of her as if to negate his apology. "There's no need for that, life gets that way for all of us, and when it does, we need cheering up." She smiled, then nodded her thanks to a server who placed two cups of water at the table for them, and poured olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh pepper into a small dish for dipping the rolls. "If you don't mind my asking, screwy in what way?"

Light idly started to swirl one a piece of his roll in the mixture "I suppose talking about it would be a good thing...." He let out a quick sigh. "Alright, here goes. A few months ago, I took pity on an old friend. She was alone and pregnant, essentially abandoned by her husband. I took her in, not wanting her to be alone as she went through the pains of pregnancy and being a new mother. Not too long into this, she developed feelings for me and I suppose from the closeness of our relationship, I thought I had them in return. Turns out...I was very, very wrong." He stopped for a bit to take a bite of the delicacy, and his eyes rolled back into his head briefly as a tiny moan of pleasure escaped his lips.

The unicorn sat contently, a small smirk across her face at his reactions. "I told you, these are the best. Can't go wrong with garlic. You really ought to try their pasta dishes sometime. Some of the best homemade sauces I've ever tasted." She took a sip of water and nibbled at her own roll before speaking once more. "It's quite nice of you to take in a friend in such dire need. It speaks a lot of your character... though I am sorry to hear things have come to the point they have." She frowned, looking away from him. "It can be all too easy to think you love someone, or to think you really know them..." She seemed to snap out of a daze after a few minutes. "In any case, continue."

Light Heart smiled "Then I suppose I may just have to come back in the future and meet the matching shoe that introduced us, maybe take it out for some pasta?" he chuckled before taking a drink.

She grinned. "They might like that quite a bit, actually. These shoes haven't left the house in almost a year. I never have much reason to dress up anymore."

"Anyways, I talked to her about it, told her how I felt. She kinda went a bit nutty. 'I'll change, be the mare you want me to be'...blah blah blah. She really didn't understand. But her guilt trip worked, for a time at least. I am at the end of my rope. She had the foal recently, cute little booger, but I don't want to be its daddy. It's not mine and I don't love her. It wouldn't be fair."

He paused for a second, and looked her in the eyes "Aurora, I need a way out. And I am too nice to just...leave..."

The smile leaving her face, she thought a moment before replying. “ You're right, it'd only be living out a lie and eventually, it'd end up hurting you all more than if you were to just leave this all behind you. But I'm wondering if perhaps her heightened emotions have put up this false sense of love for you, because you took her in? Either way, I don't imagine this will be an easy thing to face. But again, better to do it now before the foal grows attached to you."

Light nodded silently as he took another bite. "I already wrote a letter....assuming that I left in the middle of the night, leaving her almost everything she would need to survive; house, food, and a lot of money. I told her I was running off for somepony else, to give her a reason that I left that 'makes sense' to her. Apparently not loving her isn't one, tried that route. I am not worried about finding a job, but I have nowhere to go really, except Cloudsdale. And I am NOT going back to Cloudsdale.”

Rory looked up suddenly at this, nearly losing magical grip of her snack. "If you've left her already... why are you returning to Ponyville? Wouldn't that just cause more heartache and confusion?"

The Pegasus shook his head quickly, waving a hoof. "No no, I just WROTE the letter. I haven't actually ...well....left it yet. As I said, I haven't found the courage yet to do it."

The slender mare frowned. "This really is eating you up. And what is it that /you/ want most? If you were to leave her with this letter and all your assets, what would you chase after?"

"Other than my job and one or two friends, I don't have much else there. What would I chase after? I have no idea really, maybe just, a third start I suppose. Already had two, and they always say the third time's the charm..." He let out a nervous chuckle as he finished the roll. "However, if I have another one of these, I might just have to move into the cellar here or something..."

Aurora let out a hearty laugh, so loud it attracted the attention of the other patrons in the restaurant. "Well if you ever find yourself in Hoofington, I'd be glad to help you get off on the right hoof with getting set up. I know a lot of folks in this town who'd be more than willing to rent out a room while you get situated. And Cavatelli's is always looking for extra help in the kitchen. You just have to promise not to eat all the goods!"

Light smiled graciously in return "I appreciate that, I really do. I might look around here and see if the local hospitals or clinics need any help. I would feel much better securing a job before just...randomly leaving." He looked out the window, quiet for a while as he silently just took it all in. "It is a lovely place here, certainly a change of scenery....." His mind started to wander off, his emotions starting to take hold as a tear formed in his eye. Realizing what was happening, he shook his head briefly and turned his attention back to Aurora. "I have no idea why I am venting all this on you....I am so sorry."

The smile that had graced her face since the beginning of this outing appeared once more. "No need to apologize, Light. I'd like to think we could be friends, if you'd approve. And this is simply something friends do for one another. And besides, I got a free meal out of it." She winked, hoping it would lighten the mood.

Light Heart felt a warm feeling inside, something he hadn't felt in a while. Relief was it? Friendship? Buck if he knew, he just went with it. Raising his glass of water, he held it out to her "I would love nothing more than if we could be friends, and I certainly hope that one day maybe I could provide a return service for you. In terms of...babbling of words." He winked back "Never said this was free though, I'll come collecting for it later."

She raised her glass to his with a resounding 'clink' and replied "Please do." She took a long sip of water before devouring her final roll.

Light finished both his water and roll as well, taking in a deep breath, before exhaling, politely away from his conversation partner, and smiled "This was not exactly the afternoon I had in mind, but I must say that it was not only enjoyable, but much needed." He chuckled as he made eye contact with her. "Glad this wasn't a date either, garlic and dates are not a very good combination, unless you are into garlic breath."

"I say if a stallion can't handle garlic breath, he has no business dating me. I might as well brush my teeth with the stuff." She chortled.

Light Heart smiled "Well you would love my cooking then. Remember one of those hobbies I mentioned? Add that to the list. Never thought I would meet a mare who could meet my match in that area though...." he laughed out loud, as the imagery swirled in his head "I guess if two ponies ate enough separately, could they even tell when they kissed? I suppose it would just cancel out...."

"HAH! Are you kidding? My whole family is just a bunch of foodies, myself included. My father is a renowned chef in Maretta, and he owns a handful of restaurants in various places like Manehattan, Baltimare, and Las Pegasus! If there is one thing he passed to me and my sisters, it's a good sense of taste, and skills in the kitchen." She took the last sip of her water, wiping any excess away from her muzzle with a napkin.

The stallion raised in eyebrow in reply "Well then, I stand corrected. To me it's just a hobby I love, with no formal training. Just years of living alone and testing it out myself; and maybe if I am lucky a date or two." His smiled fathered a bit "I would have offered to repay your amazing listening and comforting skills with a home-cooked meal, but now I am intimidated!"

She frowned "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you! I've had my share of flubs in the kitchen, and I am by no means a professional." She hoped he was joking again, but she really was worried she'd upset him.

Light tossed a few bits on the table in tip, and his smiled returned in full. "Oh no, it's quite alright. Just a little surprised at meeting somepony who has a lot of similar interests as me. It's, well, rare. At least for me. That's all."

Relieved, she let out a sigh. "Well, maybe it's not as rare as you think? Maybe you've just been looking in the wrong

places."

Light nodded emphatically "Of course. But then again, I never really actively went out seeking friends. And spending nights alone reading by the fire, it's hard to be social." He nodded to the door. "Still need to head to the market?"

Aurora nodded and stood, stretching her long legs. "Well then, perhaps I should get you out more. At the very least, you could come have dinner here every so often. It'd give you an excuse to leave Ponyville for a while." She grinned

Light Heart beamed. "That would be wonderful, but I don't think I'll be needing to get out of Ponyville, as in, I don't think I'll be there much longer regardless. Go figure it takes the comfort of a new friend to help give one the courage to do something they should have done a long time ago." He motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

"We shall." The unicorn murmured as she trotted out of the shop and down the busy street.

Light Heart hesitated for a second, still trying to process the conversation they just had. It'd been a while since he had a real friend to open up to, and even more important, one that actually gave some meaningful consideration and insight into his situation. As his mind pondered this, he glanced up to see her trotting away without him. He gave a tiny snort and rushed to catch up to her. "Sorry..." he muttered, falling into step with her.” Don't mind me; I get spacey from time to time. If it happens again, just give my brain, via a knock on the skull, a kickstart."

Aurora laughed. "It's not a problem, but I'll remember you gave me permission to assault you if you're zoned out." She led him down the cobblestone alleyway back to the main road. The sun was starting to set, but the market wouldn't close for another hour or so, so they had plenty of time. It was also a pretty sight once the string lights came to life. “So, you're still going to make the trip back to Ponyville tonight?" She asked sincerely. It'd be a late train ride if he did.

He glanced up, noticing how low the sun dropped. In all honesty, he probably wouldn't make the last train anyway. He could fly, but considering the distance, he would be useless by the time he got home anyway. He sighed, and shook his head "No, I suppose going back tonight is not an option now. I guess I lost track of time venting to you and devouring those delicious garlic rolls." As if on cue, he tried his best to suppress a burp, but failed as a faint noise escaped his lips. "Heh, sorry..." he said, blushing a bit. For some reason though, the thought of not going home immediately didn't bother him.

It would be a lie if Rory said she didn't feel at least a little bad about dragging him on their little side quest, but she was very excited to spend a bit more time with him. "No worries, you don't have to be shy around me with that kind of stuff." She laughed at his little spurt. "So would you mind it terribly if I showed you around town a little bit since you'll be taking an extended stay?"

Light smiled, probably the brightest he had in a while, and certainly today. "I can't think of anything I would enjoy more right now. Just keep me away from more delicious food, I have a figure to watch you know!" he chuckled a bit, glancing up again as he watched the sun set ever so slowly "And it's not that I am shy, I just try to watch my manners a bit in front of lovely mares. I have to give the impression of being chivalrous at least"

She grinned "I'm glad to know you're up for it. Now, where to start?" She put a hoof to her muzzle in thought, tilting her head and rolling her eyes every now and then. "Ah yes! Once we go to the market, we can drop all the produce off back at my house, and we could visit my sister's observatory! It's after hours, so no one will be there, but I have key! I'm sure Dusty won't mind. Sound good?"

"An observatory? Wow, I have always wanted visit one but, well, never had the opportunity. Most of my stargazing is done with just my own two eyes, but I do have quite an amazing vantage point that not many know of." He smiled as his gaze wandered around and took in the sites, sun just about setting below the cusp of the horizon. "Ponyville and Canterlot are a bit too bright to observe the cosmos, so I had to find my own place, undisturbed, and untouched by the distracting lights of the cities."

"Ah yes! She runs the place and lives up in the loft. She's actually out testing some new equipment at the University of Equestria, so she won't be home until sometime tomorrow night. We could always raid the kitchen too, she always keeps extra stock for company." The unicorn continued walking, her long strides would have been silent if not for her hooves clacking on the cobblestone. She was extremley light on her hooves. "So, I assume you live on the outskirts of town then? I suppose that's the only way to properly stargaze." Then she looked at his side a moment. "Unless you have wings. Then you could just pick any cloud you wanted and look from an even better vantage point. Sometimes I wish I could walk around up there."

"Well, I actually live in the middle of town but..." he shuffled his wing a bit "While you can just pick any cloud as a pegasus, there are better places, if you have a little bit of creativity and ingenuity." He lifted an eyebrow to her and eyed her horn for a second. "Know any spells of self-levitation or something to make you a bit lighter?" he said with a sly grin.

Her brow furrowed in thought. "I've never really studied advanced magic like that... and to be honest... the thought hadn't occurred to me. I suppose I could check out a spell book from the library, see what I can find. Should we head there instead, and go to the market first thing in the morning?"

Light put a hoof to his chin. "Since I am not exactly inclined in magical arts, if you think such a spell wouldn't be...too difficult to do...I have something pretty amazing I would like to show you, in exchange for your kindness of listening to my problems earlier. However, I would like to see this observatory first." He put his hoof down, his interest in vegetables suddenly an afterthought. "I think the market could wait, if that’s OK with you."

Rory turned tail and started to head in the opposite direction. "Well, standard levitation is the most basic spell Unicorns learn. I might not be able to completely lift all my weight, or lift myself for a very long period of time..." She thought for a few minutes. "I could try to rent a hot air balloon, if all else fails. And if that fails... then the observatory for the rest of the night!" She laughed.

Light chuckled and matched pace with her again, their new adventure infinitely more exciting than cucumbers and squash. "If you could just make yourself a bit lighter, I can do the rest of the work. Not being boastful, but I am pretty stout. I just need to be able to well...carry you...if you don't mind the thought of a little flying of course. And don't worry, the destination is perfectly safe for you to rest on your own four hooves, or flank if you so choose."

It was just a quick walk to the library, and thankfully they still had half an hour before they closed for the night. "Okay, I'll look for a spell to make me lighter. If you could help me search for a spell book; either one about levitation spells or weight adjustment maybe? If you see anything, just let me know!" She trotted towards one end of the aisle of spell books, leaving Light at the other.

The stallion nodded and set about his task, searching amongst the titles for something useful. He mumbled the titles out loud as he ran a hoof down the shelf "Magically enhanced produce, 101 homegrown spells for hiccups, Magical bird calls..." the list went on and on. Nothing seemed to fit what he was looking for. "Any luck over there yet?" He called out, not worried about disturbing anypony as the library is pretty much empty.

Rory climbed the nearby ladder up to one of the top shelves in the 'T' section. Casting a small purple-ish blue glow from her horn she scoured through tomes until she found what she was looking for. Levitating a large and heavy book titled Transmutation for Beginners, she slowly let herself down from the ladder. Still holding the book in front of her with magic, she flipped through the pages until one spell caught her eye. "Hey Light, I think I found something I can pull off!" She grinned, motioning with her hoof for him to join her.

Putting back a potential candidate, he looked over and saw her hanging off a ladder, engrossed in a book. He took flight, and carefully made his way up and over to her. Coming up beside her, he took a gander at what she was reading. He was enthralled by magic, and has read texts before, despite not having any ability. It was always a dream of his as a foal to be a magician, but as he grew older, he came to appreciate the science and theory behind it. "What is it?" he said quietly, not wanting to disturb her.

She pointed with the hoof not clinging to the ladder. "This spell here: Featherwieght. It only lasts for about an hour, and I can probably only cast it once or twice... but it should do the trick!" She pulled parchment and a quill from her saddlebag and jotted down some notes, returned the book to its rightful place and bagged her supplies once again. "Alright, let's get close to where this place is, and I'll cast it there. That way, we don't waste any precious time."

Light was excited, and quickly began to do some calculations in his head. Having to think three dimensionally, he looked up for a bit as he mumbled to himself quietly. Finally, he nodded "Ok, I think i know the perfect spot we can leave from. It's a bit of ways out of town though; maybe an hour’s trot from here, if that's OK with you?" He smiled as he landed, folding his wings back in. "You seem a bit excited about this; I hope it's not a disappointment."

"Oh not at all! I packed some art supplies; maybe I'll be inspired by something I see?" She grinned. "So lead the way, esteemed guide. Our journey awaits us!" She was just being silly now, but at this rate she didn't care. She was genuinely having fun, more fun than she'd had in a while. School had really bogged her down.

"Right! Well, let's go then!" He said, heading out of the library and out of town. He kept a brisk pace. Being used to trotting rather than flying almost on a daily basis, his legs were toned and while not a /natural/ runner, he was more comfortable than the average pegasi on the ground. He kept pace with his new friend, making small talk about little tid-bits of his job and the conference. Boring stuff really. After a while, they ended up in a clearing, outside the edge of a tiny wooded area the road disappeared into. "Ok, if I am right, we should be about a 50 minute flight from here. The angle to our destination, combined with your spell, should be perfect." He smiled as he unfolded his wings and stretched them a bit "Ever flown before?"

She smiled, taking the scroll from her bag. "I've flown once in a hot air balloon, so this'll be my second go around. First time with a set of wings though." She winked. After a moment she cleared her throat, concentrating on the scroll. She stared at it for some time while mumbling to herself, and suddenly her horn came to life. It fizzled and popped, and her brow was wet with sweat. Her hair began to whir around her and she was encapsulated in a soft glow. Then just as suddenly as the spell began, it was finished and the light flickered out.

She reached up to wipe her forehead, and landed a smack in the face. "Ow..." she slowly lifted her hoof up to try again. “Well, I think it worked. My foreleg is a lot lighter than it should be..." her face flushed in embarrassment.

Approaching her, Light couldn't really tell there was much different with her, but he was so enthralled with the process of the spell that he didn't really study the before and after effects. There was, however, one way to test it out. "Do you mind?" He asked, and upon receiving her acknowledgement, he carefully placed his forehooves under her belly and lifted her up...and up she went! Not really thinking about the spell, he used all his strength to lift her, and ended up flinging her in the air about 12 ft.

Rory let out a yelp as she went careening across the field, landing -oh- so gracefully on her back. "AH! GENTLY PLEASE?!?" She yelled, sitting up and rubbing her sore rump. "I really hope I don't regret this." Shaking her head and standing on all fours (carefully) she began walking back to Light. She stopped a moment, before crouching and leaping into the air and landing with the same poise as her earlier fall.

Face flushed, Light scooped her up in his forelegs as he leaped into the air."I know this may be a bit, well, /intimate/, for just meeting, but if you wrap your hooves around my neck, this shouldn't be a problem at all. That spell has literally made you about as heavy as a sack of potatoes." His wings worked gracefully through the night as he turned upward about 45 degrees, and heading back toward the direction of Ponyville. After a while, helped Rory shift around so that she was riding piggy-back, making it a little easier for him to navigate (though he still held her forelegs for extra security). He turned his head down slightly to catch her eye, an ear dropped as he quietly said "Sorry about that, forgot about the spell I suppose. Are you OK?"

Still clinging for dear life around his neck, Rory sighed, burying her face in his long mane. She stayed like that for a moment before working up the courage to look down again. "It's alright. I might be a little sore tomorrow, but nothing serious." She couldn't put her finger on his scent, but it was relaxing. Peering over his shoulder to the ground below, she could see tiny lights as they made their way up to the clouds. Eyes wide with wonder, she carefully let one hoof go for a moment, touching the soft white bodies flying past them. "Wow...." she felt a slight jolt and quickly jerked her leg back around his neck.

Light Heart smiled as he could sense her wonder at the sensation she was probably feeling. Even though he preferred to walk around everywhere in towns, he truly loved flying, and can only imagine what it must have felt like for her. He slowed his ascent slightly as he took a small detour to skim the cloud tops, letting the poofy balls of fluff hover just below them. He tightened his grip on her, feeling that she wouldn't mind the extra security despite how intimate the contact was. He said softly to her. "Let a hoof down, and drop it into the cloud. Let it meander, using the tip of your hoof to carve into the cloud tops. You are an artist, let's see what you can do...just tell me when and where to turn..."

Her face flushed a bit, but she did as she was instructed. She gently dipped a hoof in, squealing in delight, and her smile was so wide it almost hurt. Instructing him to take a few slight curves and dips, she got a little more adventurous as she was immersed in her work. She shaped and 'carved' her way round and finally when she thought she was done, she wrapped her hoof back around him. "Fly straight down, I want you to see it."

He nodded and changed direction once more and once they were well below her creation, he stopped. Looking up, Rory had created a crude image of Princess Luna in the clouds, her mane flowing organically as the white fluffy masses, with stars overhead twinkling in various patches, just as if it were her real mane. Satisfied, Rory smiled. "I wish I had a camera for this... I don't know that I'll ever get to make anything like this again."

"Just do what I do when I see beautiful things up here in the night sky. Take a nice, long, look. Pull in everything: The design you created, the stars above it, and the moonlight cascading down around it. Take it all in. Then close your eyes. Remember it. Burn it into your brain, but don't open your eyes again. Then, you just leave..." He watched her carefully, and saw that she was complying with him as he softly spoke the instructions. As her eyes closed, he resumed his original flight path, cutting through her amazing creation straight through Luna’s eye.

He didn't know this however, as he too, followed his instructions. It was nothing short of stunning, and he knew that he would probably never again see anything quite like it. But he wouldn't let this scene be forgotten. And part of that scene, in the corner of /his/ image, was her face, beaming in delight.

With her eyes closed, all her other senses heightened. The cool rush of wind blowing past them as Light picked up speed, and their manes flicking around and tickling her nose... the fresh, damp smell and soft texture of the clouds touching her coat, the near-silence and peace that came with the absolute solitude. She finally opened her eyes again at all the twinkling town lights below them, the rivers and streams all looked like a toy model. And above her there was a view of the stars the likes of which she'd never seen before. Breathtaking was an understatement. Her heart raced in her chest, her ears perked and her eyes were wide.

"Thank you..." She whispered, unsure if he'd even hear her.

A tingle ran up his spine at her words, before settling into a small smile. He chose not to respond, but rather jus gave her the smallest of squeezes against his neck as he continued the journey. Onward, and upward, they traveled. Far above the cloud layer, the night sky turned from purple to a a deeper black. In the distance, he could start to make out what he was looking for, a faint glow, close to his projected path. He picked up the pace a bit, eager to arrive.

But the detour was pushing things. He was about to ask her to cast the spell again as his head counted off the time. He figured he could manage her weight for a short time, but would it be enough? Could she cast the spell again in this state? As he thought about all this, the weight around his neck subtlety grew heavier, his forelegs buckled just a bit as he realized something; the spell was wearing off. Not wanting to panic her, he sucked in his breath, flapped his wings harder,and pressed on.

"Just a few...more....feet" he said quietly. "Almost ....there-" and he lost her. She fell, all of 5 feet onto a fluffy white cloud, dangling all by its lonesome in the night sky.She landed softly in it, and to her probably astonishment, supported her weight. "Welcome to my spot..." he said, collapsing at her side on it.

Above them, the stars were almost indescribable; a curtain of twinkling whites in with a hint of color here and there. This was as high as any pony can survive and far, far above the cloud layer of the atmosphere.

Rory looked around her in slight shock and amazement. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to fall or not. "A-are the clouds up here denser?" She asked, voice quavering slightly. She had to gather her wits a moment, letting everything sink in. Her heart still raced faster by the minute it seemed.

He laughed, and patted the fluffy cloud below "Look closely, you'll notice something is different about it." He dug a little bit, and on the bottom side of the cloud, it glowed a feint blue. "Magic. Pretty powerful from what I am told. A friend of mine back in Ponyville helped me with this. It was originally created for a friend of mine, to do what we are doing today. But....she disappeared on me. She created the cloud, I parked it here. The magic keeps it anchored, and more importantly, allows non-pegasi to, well, use it!"

Her eyes lit up once more, then she frowned. "I don't know what I should do! The artist in me is screaming to paint... but I just want to take it all in, enjoy the scenery. I've never seen anything so amazing..." She warily sat up, inching her way towards where Light was sitting. Sensing the friend who created this was a touchy subject, she let it be for the time being. "So what's your favorite thing about this place?" She asked.

"This..." he said, laying down, wedging his body into the cloud. Reaching out, he gently took hold of her and guided her down beside him "Lay like this, look up...and you can do what you said. Paint. But paint with your eyes, or maybe your hoof if you’re feeling like a foal." He put one hoof behind his head, and the other he extended "I paint my own constellations. Up here, you have a much bigger palette to work with. Stars much farther away can be seen up here, as you can probably tell." He smiled as his hoof weaved in and out in front of him. He wasn't an artist, but if he had a reference image, he wasn't too shabby. He saw the image as his hoof traced it; neck, cheeks, ears, horn, mane......she came to life in front of him; well, in his mind at least. He chuckled as he dropped his hoof, pretty sure his companion had no idea that he was tracing her. "Give it a try, but don't tell me what you are creating. There is fun in guessing I suppose."

Her hair flopped about her as she nestled into the softly glowing cloud, using it as a pillow of sorts. She took her hoof and began tracing a circular pattern in the stars, a much simpler and faster one that Light's. Laughing, she said "Alright, try to guess what I just drew." She grinned. "I bet you'll never get it."

"A donut?" He chuckled, and maybe a bit of craving lingering in his brain for a sweet treat.

"NOPE!" She cried. "It was a garlic roll, just for you captain breath. Your turn!" She took his free hoof in hers and slung it up towards the great black beyond. Reluctantly, she released it, letting her own hoof fall back to her side.

Her touch was soft, and his heart raced a bit as she help his hoof up in hers. He didn't even feel her let go at first, having to clear his throat before smiling once again. "Alright, let’s see here...." He drew one continuous shape, full of curls and swirls. He ended the shape in a tight curl, before drawing three separate, small geometric shapes on the left side of it. "Alright, what is it?"

She tilted her head to the side, then turned it so she'd be facing him. "Was... was that my cutie mark?" She asked.

Light turned and looked into her eyes, a sly smile on his face. "Perceptive. But you are a student of the fine arts. I hope I did it justice."

Her lips curled into a smile to match Light's. "Indeed you did. The first thing an artist must learn is that all art is subjective to the audience. There is no 'good' or 'bad' art. Only art." She smiled, raising her hoof and gazed once more to the stars. She lifted her hoof to ‘draw’ something, starting low left, arcing up slightly and then coming down and around in a slew of odd shapes, then ending at her start point. Then she repeated the steps to her right, but in the opposite direction, adding an extra peak before coming out and around, then down again and to the right, ending the second shape.

"Alright then, tell me what I just drew."

Light studied the drawing closely, but at the same time, his peripheral vision was distracted by her. He glanced down, and saw the concentration in her eyes as she worked, a smile gracing her face. He could see the starlight twinkling gently in her eyes...."OH!" he said, having her voice interrupt him. He looked up quickly, and knew that he stood no chance this round. "Sorry, I guess I got lost on that one...."

She laughed, the kind of laugh the feels as if it comes from one's soul. "It's okay, I figured it might be a bit too ambitious..." The white mare turned her gaze back to her companion. "It was a drawing of us."

He turned his head, back to her, this time her gaze was directed at him. He locked eyes with her, and fought back a hint of blush in his white coat. "Really? I think I could see the horn....but I guess the rest was a blur." As he spoke, his hoof found hers, involuntarily. He really didn't know why, it was just comforting to him for some reason. He missed that sensation before. "Can you show me again?"

Rory's body tensed when she felt his hoof take hers once more, and she took a slow, deep breath. "Alright." She turned away again, mimicking the same hoof movements as before, but a little slower in hopes that Light might keep track this time. She came at last to the peak of her horn, then curving around her muzzle and then down her long neck, then closed the shape. Oddly enough, there was one VERY bright star right between the two silhouettes she 'drew'. She wondered if he'd see it too.

Lifting the hoof that was joined with hers, he pointed at the star. "I bet you that is another planet." he said quietly, his voice shaking a bit " I wonder, if there is a pair of ponies, or something else, there right now, looking up, and seeing what we are seeing..." his thoughts drifted as his heart raced a bit. He wondered if she intentionally centered the drawing on the star, but couldn't get the courage to ask.

She smiled. "Dusty would know, she knows everything about the wide unknown, it seems. But that's an interesting thought..." She pondered a moment, before taking her hoof from his and turning her body on its side so that she was facing him. "To think I was excited about showing you around the lab." She shook her head. "This is far more special."

His heart raced a bit as he mimicked her, turning to face her. He didn't really think about what he was doing anymore, and for some reason, simple words just didn't seem like the right answer. He knew he just met her, but like that star, or planet, between them, there was something here. Bold, or stupid, the heart knows what the heart wants. He gently reached a hoof, out, stroking her cheek as he lifted a bit of her mane from her face. He leaned forward, and gently put his lips to hers, his hoof shaking slightly. He kissed her, slowly, but gently, before leaning back once again and smiling "I hope that made it a bit more special...." he said, realizing a bit too late that his cheesy comment may have killed the mood.

Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest at his touch, and she found herself leaning a little into the kiss, closing her eyes. They remained shut, even after he moved away and she took another deep breath. Her ears were ringing as he spoke to her then, her eyes shooting open to meet his gaze. Despite the amount of Velveeta layered into his statement, she grinned and pressed her nose to his for a moment and then withdrew. There was sincerity in his statement, she sensed, and chose to embrace it. "Indeed, it might have... just a wee bit." She grinned. She opened her mouth again as if to speak, but no sound could escape her lips. Words had failed her; this was one of few times in her life that had ever happened.

Light chuckled very lightly, gently took his hoof, and closed her mouth by gently raising up on her chin. "Sometimes there isn't a need for words...." he said softly before lying on his back, sliding a hoof behind her head, and pulling her gently to cuddle up next to him. "Or sometimes words just don't exist to describe something...." he said, holding her hoof up in his to point at a shooting star slowly moving by, leaving behind a sparkling trail in its wake.

He was warm, and she felt comfortable as she nestled her head on his shoulder. She only turned her head briefly to watch the passing comet, then drew her attention back to Light. She brought her hoof down and gingerly laid it across the stallion's chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. She began softly humming; swishing her long, brown tail from side to side.

For some reason, the nerves of before vanished the instant her hoof touched his chest, The feel of her coat against his was unbelievably comforting, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and smile in the pure peace of it all. Reaching up with his other hoof, he laid it gently over hers, letting the vibrations of her humming, touch of her hoof, and gentle tickle of her tail all sink in. As before he had with her cloud carving, he took a moment to let this settle in. After a little bit of this, he finally spoke "Why do you put me at ease so easily? I have dated plenty of mares, had my share of first kisses with them, first touches, and first confessions like this....but none of them have ever felt like this. I have no fears, no nerves, no reservations. I just feel, peaceful."

Her ear twitched and she stopped humming to look up at him. "I'll admit, I really don't know. But I'm comfortable around you. I feel like I've known you my whole life somehow." She sighed. "I suppose the shoe just, fit." She snickered, giving him a quick bump of her muzzle against his own. "The question is, what do we do now?" There was no fear in her voice; in fact, it rang with a curiosity, much like a child's.

He sighed. Not one of despair, frustration, or any other feeling of negativity, but simply out of ideas. "I really don't know myself. Right now, I just want to stay up here as long as I can, enjoying this feeling and your warmth. But I know tonight will end eventually." He lifted a hoof and gently started stroking her mane. "Leaving Ponyville shouldn't be a problem now. Everything is already prepared, I just need to notify the hospital." Continuing to stroke her mane, he leaned down ever so slightly and kissed her forehead, then smiled "Then I suppose I'll see what kind of work I can find here. I guess it takes a rogue shoe to the face for somepony to realize a town might be more special than it first appears." Nuzzling her a bit more closely than before, he said softly, near her ear "I have no idea what the future holds for us, but I'll be dammed if I don't see where it goes. Not after having one of the most amazing nights of my life."

"I certainly won't argue with that." She grinned. She let the silence fill her hears, the quiet calm of night surrounded them. "I'm... finding that I'm suddenly overwhelmed with inspiration to paint, draw, dance, and even sing all at once. I don't know that happiness has ever taken such a firm hold of me before." She propped herself up with one arm and looked Light in the eye. "Dance with me." She asked, though she fully expected him to laugh at her, considering there was no music, and such a small space in which to do so.

All he could do was smile, stand, and take her into his arms. "Can't say I have ever danced to no music, nor on Equestria's smallest dance floor..." he said with a hint of laughter in his voice, which died down as he rested his nose on hers. "But I have come to quickly discover that when those eyes of yours lock upon me..." he chuckled "Just be careful what you tell me to do, I just might do it without much thought." He accented his statement, giving her a twirl and a dip, minding his steps on the small space.

She didn't need a spell to be lithe and light on her feet. Her every movement was as if it were water flowing in mid-air. "If it helps, I could always just sing, though I kind of like the silence for once." It was mostly because of how intimate everything seemed. They were at the highest altitude they could reach, far from prying eyes. "Do you have a favorite song?"

Light Heart made light use of his wings to keep one step ahead of her. Since there was no music, there was no rhythm to time to, so he just let her lead and go with what was fueling her passion at the time. "I would love to hear your voice sometime, but I think the quiet is serene. And it's much nicer up here with beautiful company than it is by myself." he said as slowly waltzed his way around the cloud. "Favorite song? Probably Runaway Train from Soul Asylym. But I really don't have a "die-hard" favorite because my tastes are so varied. I know this might make me sound old, but I am a sucker for the orchestral music and classic rock." He dipped her down slightly, the glint of starlight twinkling once more in her eyes. He wanted to kiss her again, to feel those lips upon his again, but for the moment he resisted. "You?"

She smiled. "There is a reason my cutie mark includes a Treble Clef. Music is what fuels my artwork. Without music... I don't know if I could paint or sculpt. And to say that I appreciate classical and instrumental music is an understatement. While I do enjoy electronic and other genres, I always come back to Classical. There's something so soothing, so... magical about it." She moved her back hooves effortlessly to her own beat. "I don't know that I have any one favorite over another. I suppose I just have a favorite of the week or of the month. I always change things, move them around, and revisit other things. It just depends on my moods and what my work calls for."

"Working in a hospital, music is a luxury that is hard to find. However, when I go home, there is nothing I enjoy more than curling up by the fire with Bach or Mendeleev and reading a good book." he followed her, as best as he good, letting her internal metronome do the work as he gently fluttered his wings. "But I suppose it's also why I don't get out much, or why others consider me a hermit. While in fact I am quite friendly and outgoing, I just find that I prefer the company of good friends, rather the company of a bunch of strangers." His ears dropped a bit "And good friends are hard to come by."

She pulled him in closer to her, placing her forehooves around his neck. "Does that not make them more valuable? I'd rather have only one kindred soul than a thousand others endlessly doting on me as they saw fit." Her gaze bore into him as they made eye contact once more. "Can you not say the same? There's no sense in pursuing endless relationships if they are hollow and draining. We only get one chance at life, why not fill it with those who make it that much brighter on a dark day?"

The temptation now was almost overbearing; the feel of her hooves around his neck, the warmth of her body, the sound of her voice, and those eyes....those amazing, magnificent eyes. "It took me a long time in life to finally realize that, and I suppose it is why I would rather live for a few that know me inside and out, than die with many who barely know more than my name." He leaned forward, gently touching his nose to hers "But I think I may have found somepony that I wouldn't mind having by my fire, to share my cocoa, tea, and blanket with, as we listen to the beautiful sounds of violin and piano, and just enjoying the presence of one another."

She smiled, blinking once to look away before looking back at him. Her movements gradually slowed almost to a halt as she slowly and softly pressed her lips against his, eyes closing once more. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion around them, time holding itself back just for them to enjoy each other's company.

His heart nearly burst from the anticipation, but the moment the connection was made, it almost stopped. He could feel nothing, hear nothing, see nothing, smell nothing; nothing but her. In this, the one tiny sliver in time, high upon the world, there was nothing in Equestria but them. Her lips were as soft as velvet and the soft touch of her mane on his face and shoulders made his coat tingle. There are no words to describe the kiss as it was driven purely by emotion; not lust or carnal desires. He completely gave himself to the moment, pulling her tight against him as he continued the embrace.

Her back left hoof lifted slightly behind her as she leaned into him, her heart pounding, the wind blowing her hair all around them. It was like a scene stripped from a story book, too perfect for words. After a moment, she gently pulled away from the kiss to look at him once more. This time, she didn't try to speak, she simply smiled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

It wasn't that the world came crashing back, it was more like he came crashing back to the world. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was her smile, those stunning eyes, and a..tear? He pulled one of his hooves back and wiped it away gently. He didn't need to ask if she was OK. This tear was no different than the ones he was holding back, and the sight of hers caused one of his own. "As perfect as this place is now, we probably shouldn't be up here too long. We didn't bring a blanket, and it does get quite cold. While I can provide the seat, mother nature still controls the thermostat."

She frowned a little, though the corners of her mouth remained upturned. "It's a shame. We'll have to return soon with more provisions." She stayed there a moment longer, reluctant to let go of him. "I suppose I'll need to cast my spell once more."

Light Heart thought for a moment. "If you want to really draw something while we are here, I think i can keep you warm enough. I'll leave that choice up to you though."

Rory shook her head. "No. My memory of this place will always be more beautiful than anything I could put to parchment or canvas." She finally let go, standing slightly back and using her magic to lift her scroll. After a moment or two, as before, she was enveloped in a soft glow as the spell weaved around her. When she finished, she hoisted her bag onto her back, and smiled. "Ready when you are, captain. Where to next?"

Light chuckled, slipping Rory onto his back once more. As he literally dove off the cloud, his wings extended and they entered into a gentle glide down "Not tired yet?" he asked as he leaned back and gently nuzzled into her neck.

She shook her head. "No, I'm wired. I feel like I could run a marathon." She smiled, burying her face in his mane once more, then kissing the side of his neck. "I haven't worn you out, have I?"

“Worn me out? You got a lot to learn about me dear...." he said with a playful nudge from his foreleg. "We could still try the observatory, if you want of course. I think you mentioned something about food there...." he said with a sly grin that she couldn't see....or at least he thought.

"Oh yes! We could still go! There's a full kitchen and a guest room upstairs in the loft if you need a place to stay. She'll sometimes board a foreign exchange student." More confident than the flight up, she let a hoof free to skim the clouds whisking by them and they tickled her foreleg. "Would you like to try cooking? Or would you rather munch on snacks and tea?"

"Cooking eh? That could be fun; it's been awhile since I had somepony I would enjoy cooking with, or for. Tell you what, we make a tag-team effort out of it, you have a deal." He lingered again a bit in the clouds, quickly picking up the impression that she enjoys this part of the flight. "And a place to stay would be great, as long as she doesn't mind of course."

"Tag team it is, then. And it's not a problem. If I trust you, she will. So long as we don't trash the place, it's completely fine." She jolted a little as she felt a change of pace and they leveled out a bit. They glided in silence for a few minutes, as Rory simply closed her eyes feeling the moisture and softness flit past her.

"This sensation..." she said finally.” I can see why you build cities in the clouds. It'd be so difficult to leave... then again I suppose this is commonplace for you." She laughed. "I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them I flew so high."

"I spent so much time on the ground that it makes me relish nights like this. And while it may be commonplace, it's still an amazing feeling honestly." He chuckled as he nuzzled back into her again "I'll share a secret with you about me later, don't let me forget before the night is done, OK?"

Nearing the ground, he flared his wings back and gently touched down, helping her gently to the ground. He was able to get them nearer back to the city, but it was still a little bit of a walk.

Rory headed north, the observatory was on the other edge of Hoofington. "We have to walk right through the center of town. Is there anything you need or would like to stop for before we make the trek to the observatory? It's on the northern edge of town." The spell was wearing off, making her steps a little awkward. She leaned into the pegasus, in part to stay warm, but also because she felt drawn to him like a magnet. It was strange that she felt like she didn't want to be apart from him, considering she'd only met him mere hours ago.

Unfurling a wing, he wrapped it comfortably around Rory, pulling her tight against him for support and warmth, well, the closeness he couldn’t seem to resist. "I'm with you, I think I got all I need." He smiled and turned his head to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Unless you want more cheese than I can provide, of course. Otherwise, just tell me where to point my snout."

She smirked. "Just stay this course through town square, Captain Kraft. The main road leads right to it." Rory nuzzled under his chin, casting a small glow from her horn to make the path easier to see until they got to town.

The pair made their way back to town, and under the guidance of Rory, her light, and the sure-footed body of Captain Kraft, they made their way through town and closed near the observatory.

"....and that is how I saved a family with 5 foals from a horrible bout of gastrointestinal destress!"

The unicorn erupted with laughter as she fumbled with the keys from the bottom of her saddle bags. She slipped out from under his wing and unlocked the giant steel door, swinging it outwards revealing a pathway lit with led lights. She motioned for him to enter first, then followed behind, shutting the door with her magic. "Flip the switch on the wall next to you, please?" She asked.

Light Heart did as requested and turned on the light. "Must admit, we don't have anything quite like this in Ponyville, or even in Cloudsale for that matter. Not many ponies there really care about what is out there beyond the air we can fly through."

"It's sad really. Hoofington didn't have an Observatory until a few years ago. When my sister graduated, she was granted funding to build one and run it, doing work for various institutions around Equestria. This is a really good spot, apparently, because the board didn't drag their hooves or really debate the issue."

Rory placed her belongings on the table then sauntered down one of the offshoot hallways. "So, shall we start with the grand tour?" She grinned

Light smiled as he made his way over to her. "Lead on, mi ‘lady."

She led him past several large areas, explaining various uses of the rooms. The building was circular, the center housing the main telescope and the other rooms forming a large circle surrounding it. There was an image gallery and museum for public use that was nearest the main entrance, and a slew of locked or closed conference rooms and labs. She led him then to the second floor, which housed a full kitchen, the guest room, and two restrooms. Finally, she led him up to the loft where Dusty stayed, revealing a large open window with a perfect view of the clear night sky. There was a door leading to a rooftop patio, where a small charcoal grill, a few stacked chairs and a hammock were situated.

"Alright, now that you're familiar with where everything is, would you like to start cooking? I'm not particularly hungry right now, but you seem like you're itching to have a decent meal." She smiled.

The stallion took it all in with rapt attention. The subject has always been fascinating to him, and this was his first time visiting a place like this. He is pretty sure his jaw dropped a few times along the tour, and this was a tour he would never had without meeting her.

"Truth be told, I am kind of in the mood to bake something sweet. How about helping me out with something? Baking is my least creative form of cooking, and I would love to try something new and fun with you."

Her eyes lit up like the stars overhead. "OH! Baking is my specialty in the kitchen! I picked up the knack from my

mom, I guess." She laughed. "Come one, let's go down to the second level and see what Dusty's got stocked. I can bake cupcakes, cookies, cakes, tarts, pies... you name it! What have you got the itch for?" She took him by the hoof and excitedly rushed out of the room, scurrying down the stairs and to the left back to the kitchen.

He almost fell being halfway pulled by the excited mare. He couldn't help but laugh as he caught his footing finally and fell in step with her. "I think a cake would be fun, it's been awhile since I have done something like that."

"Alrighty then! Let's see..." Rory mumbled and as she flung open the pantry, she rummaged around for flour, spices, and extracts. She then danced her way across to the other side of the kitchen to the refrigerator and found lemons and fresh blackberries. Once verifying they'd have enough eggs, milk, and whipping cream, she gathered the rest of the supplies and placed them on the island in the center of the room. "Alright, how do you feel about Lemon-Blackberry cake?" She asked, though she really didn't leave much room for debate with the slew of produce and other goods sitting before them.

Light 's mouth dropped and almost drooled at the prospect. "Never had it, but that sure sounds really damn good. Let's do this! He made his way over to the island next to her and started to mix the basics into a large mixing bowl. "Flour, sugar, eggs, and milk to get things going. "I don't think I've ever had somepony else to cook with before. Normally it's me working solo in the kitchen...this is a nice change of pace." he said, while meanwhile loading up a hoof with a bit of flour when he back was turned. As she turned to reply to him, he lightly tossed it at her, hitting her squarely in the muzzle.

She coughed in response, sending what didn't stick to her flying out into the air in front of the pegasus. She coughed a few moments more, in tears half from her inability to breathe because she was laughing so hard. "Oh, you want to play around?" She chortled after a while. "How do you like this?" She smashed a hoof full of blackberries into his muzzle.

Light Heart was a bit taken aback at first, not expecting something so sticky mashed in his face. But he started it, and deserved it. He licked just a little bit of the blackberries, and admired the tart taste for a second. "Oh now that is just LOW!" he said with a grin, slowly advancing on her. "I suppose I just need to sink myself down to your level...” he said slyly before leaping and tackling her as gently as he could to the ground. "Or maybe we should kiss and make up?" he chortled out, before burying his muzzle into hers, giving her a mixture of blackberry nuzzles and slobbery kisses.

She had tried to escape his grasp at first, attempting to keep his fruit-filled kisses away from her, laughing all the while. Eventually she succumbed and kissed him back a few times, but found it increasingly difficult because of how hard she was laughing. "S-stahha HAHHaa- stop stop STOP!" She screamed, snorting loudly and causing her to laugh harder. A few tears came from her eyes and she desperately fought the laughter in favor of breathing.

Satisfied he got the upper hoof on her, he sat up slightly, folding his forelegs in front of his chest as he smiled down at her with an incredible moist, blackberry stained muzzle. "Had enough I see? What I thought!" he said matter of factly, standing abruptly but immediately hitting his head on the table above him. As he sprawled out on the ground below, the container of flour was apparently resting precariously on the edge, and toppled over, emptying itself on his mane, face, and pretty much his entire upper body.

Rory was also showered in powdery white, coughing and laughing, flailing her legs wildly. After a moment or two, she propped herself up to look at her guest, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "You alright Captain Kraft?" She chortled.

Light smacked his lips together a few times. "Blackberries don't taste good with flour mixed in." he said with a tiny laugh, before snorting heavily up into his mane. Clouds of white, floury smoke billowed in the air from his forced exhale. "I am pretty sure it's in my ears...."

A small smile still on her face, she forced her way up off the ground and brushed some of the bigger clumps of flour from her and Light's coat. "Come on, let's get most of this off the floor. We'll beat as much flour out as we can and you can use the shower upstairs while I mop the floor." She gingerly lifted a hoof up and tapped Light's ears down, a few sprinkles of flour falling out as she did.

Light genuinely looked embarrassed as he took his own hoof and carefully shook out some of the larger clumps from her own mane "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to cause such a mess. I wouldn't be a proper gentlecolt if I didn't offer you the chance to clean yourself up first. I can handle the mop; just point me in the right direction."

She laughed at him. "Oh it's not a problem." She pointed to her horn. "I can multitask and have this place cleaned in a jiffy. I didn't get much of it in my coat, you go ahead, I insist." She placed a hoof on his shoulder to gesture that it was alright.

Light nodded in acknowledgement and planted a kiss on her floury forehead "I shouldn't be loing, try not to miss me too much." he said quietly with a grin as he trotted out of the room and upstairs, a fog of white smoke trailing lightly behind him.

She shook her head, using her magic to retrieve cleaning supplies from the pantry. She dampened a few rags to get most of the bigger areas clean, wiping the counters and chairs. After dumping the rags in the sink to rinse and ring out, she quickly mopped the remaining mess from the floor and put whatever supplies weren't drying away. There was still a good bit of flour left, probably enough for actually baking. Rory used a clean rag to wipe her face and dab at the few spots of her coat that were mussed. When she was finished, she headed upstairs to find a towel for Light to use.

Light spent the time in the shower thinking. He bounced around from thoughts of his exit of Ponyville, to quitting his job, to what he will do her, and the most prevalent thought in his mind right now; Aurora. Tonight just felt too surreal and he expected to wake up any minute from the shower in a pool of sweat or something. As he worked the flour out of his mane, scrubbing it down within something flowery that most likely belongs to Dusty, he couldn't help but put on a warm smile as he replayed that adorable snort she made when she couldn't control her laughter. To him, it was the simple things that made impressions in his memories. Shutting off the water, he shook himself a bit before opening the curtain to see her standing in front of him. "I told you not to miss me! I was only gone 10 minutes you know." He said warmly, shaking a bit of water out of his ear.

She smiled, "I realized I forgot to give you a towel, so I figured I'd try to make your life a little easier, and save Dusty's bathroom from a huge mess of water by not making you search all over for one." She tossed it at him with her magic. "The kitchen floor is drying, but I left some of the ingredients out. Do you still want to bake? Or are you sworn off that for a while?" She held a hoof to her muzzle, muffling her laughter.

Light scrubbed himself dry with the towel while talking "Darn I love scavenger hunts. And I would have cleaned up behind me!" he retorted with a chuckle and a smile. "How about you take care of that cake, while I find something interesting for us to gaze upon in the telescope? I am pretty sure I can figure this stuff out given enough time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Promise not to knock anything else over?" She teased, turning around and flicking her tail gently at his face as she trotted away.

Light's nose twitched as her tail brushed against it. Try as hard as he could, this grin has been almost impossible to wipe off his face the entire evening. "I'll try my best, just don't come batting those eyelashes at me or anything else to distract me." He chuckled as he folded the towel and left it neatly on the counter before following her back downstairs.

He made his way to the large area with the main telescopes, slowly walking around to get his bearings and understanding of what h was dealing with. Finally, he made his way over to a set of charts, organized by moon phase. "I really need to meet Dusty someday, I have so many questions for her..."

Rory, in the meantime, headed back to the kitchen to do her work. She finished the cake batter and decided to make the icing while the cake was baking. After about twenty-five minutes, Rory removed the cakes, and set them on wire racks to cool. Once the cakes were cool enough to ice, Rory placed the bottom layer on a platter, and piped a ring of the Lemon Buttercream on top of it. Inside, she spread Blackberry-Cassis Jam, and then placed the second layer carefully atop it. She then iced with remaining buttercream and topped with whatever blackberries they hadn't destroyed and some lemon zest. Satisfied with her work, she levitated the cake, two small plates, a knife and some forks with her to the main lab where Light had preoccupied himself.

"Fancy a taste?" She smiled.

Looking up from a particular chart that matched this moon phase, Light's eager smile matched the eager rumbling of his tummy. "Wow Rory, that looks incredible. And I see you had some blackberries left after that incident." He made himself comfortable, and made sure she had someone to sit with him as well. "I think I found something for us to look at, I just have to align the telescope to the right location."

She gingerly set the cake down on the workbench, slicing two generous pieces of cake for the two of them, and handing one to Light with her magic. "Sounds interesting. Have you ever used a telescope before?"

Taking a bite of the cake, Light closed his eyes and let the taste savor in his mouth, rolling it around on his tongue before finally swallowing. "Tastes as amazing as it smells. You are quite the baker my dear." He took another bite before answering her question. "Simple telescopes, yes. Taking a look at these, it seems tha they operate the same in principle, but just have more calibrated ways of being aligned. I simple need to input the proper azimuth and elevation of the general area of what I am looking for, and then use fine-adjustments to seek out my prey."

She smiled. "Thanks, most of this comes from years of baking with my mom. You should see the kinds of things she comes up with." Nibbling a bit at her own cake, for some reason, she decided she wasn't very hungry. After only getting through half her slice, she set the plate aside and began looking over the charts Light had out. "So what did you have in mind?" She asked, yawning.

Taking a few moments to scarf down his cake in as most polite of way as possible, he slides the chart away from her with a grin. "It's a surprise...come with me!" He said, locking his hoof around hers and guiding her over to one of the telescopes with the largest lens. She seemed to be growing tired, and was mindful not to pull her along. "Alright, let me just make these adjustments here....31 azimuth, 42 elevation...." he said to himself as he turned the coarse knobs, whisking the large telescope around on its mount. As he got closer to the number, he would turn the fine adjustment knobs. Laying down on the ground, he adjusted the viewfinder to a comfortable angle for them both. "Come down here, and take a look through here....tell me what you see." He extended his wing again to her, offering her more of his warmth on the slightly colder floor.

She snuggled in close under his wing, peering into the viewfinder. She could see a familiar purple light right in the center of the picture. Or rather, the 'picture' she 'drew' earlier of her and Light Together. There wasn't much she could see, but it emitted that same strange glow as the planet from earlier... that /had/ to be it.

She didn't say anything, she instead nuzzled under his chin and smiled.

"Your lack of response tells me you recognize it." He smiled widely as he took a look himself, playing with the focus to make it a bit more clear. "Shall we name it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I recognize it. I don't see why we can't name it; or at least give it a nickname. I'm sure Dusty could tell us it's real name and all of it's quirks if she were here." She laughed. "What would you suggest we call it?" She wrapped her tail around his, looking once more into the viewfinder.

Light thought for a second, and then almost jumped with excitement as he squeezed her tight to him. "What about 'Alpha Cognatio'? Do you recognize the words and what they mean?"

She tilted her head as she looked back at him. "I know what Alpha means, but I'm not familiar with Cognatio. What is its significance?"

"Relationship. Not quite love, but not quite friends. I find it very applicable."

"Fair enough, Alpha Cognatio it is." Rory leaned against him for a while, not speaking. She almost wished they were able to stay up on his cloud for the night, but perhaps it was best if they saved that for some other time.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked him, for the second time tonight. She wasn't sure if she meant in terms of tonight, or further into the future than that.

Light took a hoof to again stroke her mane. "I know you are tired Aurora. And what you asked is a bit of a loaded question. We got nothing but time now. I won't lie to you, spending the night away from you tonight given everything I am feeling right now and considering what we experienced, it's going to be hard. But I don't want to presume, or more importantly, push anything. We got nothing but time."

She sighed, nodding in reluctant agreement. "Storm will probably worry if I don't head back soon anyway. She was always protective of us."

Light smiled, and helped her to her feet. "I presume I won't be chased out of the upstairs bed by somepony with a broom or worse tonight or tomorrow morning?"

"No, just so long as you use the guest room on the second floor, and not Dusty's room on the third floor." She smiled, wrapping a hoof around him in an embrace. "I'll show myself to the door. Make yourself at home, and feel free to take any cake with you that you want back to Ponyville. There should be some tupperware in the cabinets. I'll replace whatever you take."

Light Heart held her tight, and it took a serious amount of willpower to eventually let her go, giving her a sweet, soft kiss on her nose. "Goodnight Aurora, and thank you for what has been nothing short of an amazing evening. I'll find a way for us to stay in touch, until I get things squared away back home." He pulled back slightly, smiled wide, and bopped her on her nose "And don't go letting any other pegasi whisk you away, now the you know how to make yourself lighter."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "No, thank you for catching my shoe. If you hadn't, I'm sure of exactly where I'd be right now, and it's nothing that even comes close to the things you've shown me tonight." With one last caress of his face with her hoof, she turned to walk down the main corridor to retrieve her things. "I'll come by sometime tomorrow after you've left to lock up before Dusty returns. And please, do keep in touch, Light Heart."

Light called out after her, he wasn't sure if she heard or not before she left the building "Nothing short of Celestia herself will keep me from coming back here to you...."

Leaving the observatory, Light made sure to clean up after himself, leaving the appearance he was never there. He gathered his single travelling saddle bag and slung it around his back. Inside of it, was one item that he did not come here with. He was unsure or not if she would notice right away it was missing, but he would feign ignorance to the fact of having it, for the time being at least. He took the letter he wrote, tucked it under the strap of the saddlebag, and made his way to the alley in which he was "assaulted". Finding the door she emerged from earlier, he took the note and stuffed it under the door, before departing to the train station.

During the ride, his mind wandered to the night before. He mentally flipped through all the images in his mind; the meeting, the restaurant, the cloud carving, the painting, cooking, and the goodbye. It all felt surreal, and his heart sank a bit as he knew it would be weeks before he saw her again. But he would see her again...that is all that mattered to him.

My Dearest Aurora,

Words cannot easily express the magical evening we shared last night. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that when I met you, that what has happened, would happen. I feel as if I have known you for an eternity, yet, I yearn to see you again to learn everything about you. Your hopes, your dreams, your fears, and your desires. After you left, I tried to sleep, but my thoughts kept coming back to Alpha Cognatio, and what it signifies to us. I thought upon it, and maybe it is not a planet, but a small dwarf star. Small, but burning bright, with a long future ahead of it. A future that will provide an eternity of warmth for those who choose to live under it.

I depart tomorrow back to a temporary life. My direction before was unclear, but over dinner, you helped me come to realize I needed to make my change now. And under the stars, you made me realize that my change is most likely centered around you.

Sleep well sweet Rory, and know that in a few weeks, I will have you in my embrace once more, and we will return to our special place, this time, prepared.

Love,

-Light

Rory slept through her alarm that morning, missing her only class of the day. She lazily made her way downstairs to see that her sister had already left for work, and had left something in her designated mail slot. It was a folded letter with no envelope. *Storm must need me to run some errands for her...* she thought, but when she unfolded the parchment, she was given a pleasant surprise.

She felt a small pang when she read that it'd be a few weeks before they'd meet again, but she had no doubt that Captain Kraft would keep his word. The unicorn sighed, closing the letter and taking it up to her room, where she tucked it safely into a jewelry box on her dresser.