I felt a gentle pressure around my chest as wakefulness did come battering at the slowly stirring parts of my mind that still held tightly to sleep. I cracked an eye open and was greeted by the warm and welcome sight of a new day. As my mind caught up with what I was looking at, I was able to put together the positions of the girls around me, and who was clinging to my chest. With as much gentleness as I could manage, I pried myself from Rarity’s grasp, and soon I was free from the bed, and making my way towards the bathroom. With only a paltry amount of elegance, I made myself ready for the day, and I slipped into some clothing shortly after finishing in the bathroom. As I put my watch on around my wrist, I noted with a frown that it was far earlier than I had thought it was. I walked over to my desk, quickly, and grabbed a few things before exiting the room.

As I made my way down the hall, I looked into each of the unoccupied rooms for a moment, marvelling at just how much has changed in so short a time. When I finally reached the living room, I pulled a page from my notebook, and I wrote a quick note to the girls, whoever woke up first, explaining where I was going, and when I’d be back. I looked it over twice, before folding it up, and placing it on the counter in the kitchen, knowing that it’d be found quickly, there. With that taken care of, I turned, and headed out the front door, making sure to close and lock it behind myself.

My walk to the beach was short and thoroughly uneventful, and soon I was leaning up against a tree, watching as the waves lapped against the shore in an eternal dance. For several minutes I enjoyed the view of the ocean, and then my gaze turned to the notebook in my hands, and I opened it up to the page that I had been looking at for much of last night. With only a few moments to catch up to where I was mentally, I dove back into my designing with relative ease. It didn’t take all that long to get through the theoretical mathematics, and soon it was all rote equations, allowing my mind to wander, and flit about from topic to topic.

A recurring topic were my actions the night before, and I found that I was divided on the subject. I was doing what I wanted to do, and put distance between myself and the girls, but at the same time I knew that what I did was mean to the them, making them all worry unnecessarily. I shook my head, quickly, and looked down at my work, noting with a frown that I had stopped working several minutes ago, while I had been lost in thought. I let out an explosive sigh as I flipped the page over, and sought out a blank page where I could write and work without potentially ruining my work.

Soon my pencil was moving across the page, and I was free to allow my mind to wander once again. This time, however, the topic was not the girls, but the royalty with whom I had spent much of the previous day with.

They were so... Normal. Nothing like my father had said. But, then again, I met them under totally different circumstances.

I looked up from my work towards the ocean, and I faintly made out a sound that was different from the lapping waves that had been all I could hear for the past half hour. The sound grew louder, gradually, until it stopped beside me. The figure soon sat beside me, and after a moment I felt a hand grab my own, and squeeze for just a moment. “Good morning, Rarity.”

“How did you know?”

“The way you carry yourself. I’ve known you romantically for only a very short time, but I’ve known you personally for a far greater amount of time.” I looked at her for a moment, and I gave her a warm smile. “You have a very distinct stride. It’s not as easy to make out when you’re not wearing high heels, but I could still pick up on it.”

“Can you identify all of us without seeing us?”

I offered a small shrug as I looked back to the sea. “Pretty much. Pinkie is easy, but it’s sometimes a bit harder with Applejack and Rainbow if they’re both walking. Fluttershy is also easy, I just have to pay attention to a place that is quieter than all the others.”

“And Twilight?”

“She’s the one who walks without anything special in her stride. She is calm and confident with her walk, but not overly so.” Silence followed, and I felt Rarity shift her position, and then her arms wrapped around my body as she leaned into me. “And you, Rarity, walk as though you are eternally in the spotlight. You carry yourself with grace and dignity. At times, though, it could seem like arrogance, but I know you well enough to know that you’re not arrogant, just certain in who you are.”

Rarity said nothing following that, and I shortly returned to my artwork, knowing that Rarity would speak when she was ready. We sat together for some time before I felt Rarity shift against me, and I lowered my pencil, knowing that she was ready to speak.

“Who am I, then, to you?”

I dropped my hand down to the sand beside me, and it landed on a box that I had known was there for the past few minutes. I lifted it slightly, before placing it back in the sand. “You’re an amazing woman, who I’m glad to have met. You’re the kind of person who thinks nothing of doing whatever it takes to make other happy. You are selfless, and it makes you even more beautiful.” I looked at her for a moment. “Anyone can be attractive, Rarity. Just look at people like Fleur, or Ditzy. They’re both incredibly attractive, but I can’t say that they’re beautiful.”

“Fleur is a model, though. How... And what makes Ditzy so attractive?”

“Sure, Fleur is a model. But that’s all she’s got. I met her, once, before she really got into the big time for her career. She was so... Shallow. When we started talking, she only wanted to talk about how she looked. And Ditzy? Well, she’s not attractive in the physical sense, to me, but the mental sense. She and her daughters. I’ve never seen a woman so determined to make sure that her children are happy. Of the two, I’d say that Ditzy is closer to beautiful than Fleur.”

“So, it’s not about how I look?”

“Not entirely, Rarity. It’s the entire Rarity. Who you are and what you look like are both important, but I think that who you are is more important.” I lifted the box beside me once again, this time pressing the small button with a finger, opening the container. “You’ll have to forgive the cliche, but I thought it would work.”

Rarity started to ask a question, but when she saw the box, her words died on her lips. She reached out a hand, slowly, as if she was afraid that it would run away if she moved too quickly. After several moments she finally took the box, and her other hand came up to her mouth. “It’s not what a pegasus normally does, but I --” I was quickly silenced as Rarity threw herself into me, her arms wrapping tightly around my body as she planted a kiss on my lips.

“I love it.” She pulled back for a moment, and looked at the amulet again, before pulling herself into another hug with me. When she finally broke the hug, she pulled the amulet from the box, and held it out so she could see the thin silver chain hanging from it. “It’s beautiful.”

I took the amulet from her hands, and put it around her neck, quickly fastening it. “Not nearly so beautiful as the woman who wears it.”

“If we weren’t on the beach, and it wasn’t still this early, I’d take you here and now.” I raised an eyebrow, and Rarity looked back at me with a sultry look. “I do think that we’ll be having some good fun tonight.”

“Twilight’s rubbing off on you, isn’t she? Making plans this far in advance.”

Silence was all that came from the unicorn, and then she quickly stood up, and started walking away. “You are the king of mood killing, Icarus.”

“Hey, if you’re not doing anything with me, tonight, maybe you could get Twi to rub off on you in a different way!”

Rarity whirled in place for a moment, and I could see the crimson flush of her cheeks. “That’s not funny, Icarus. Not even a little bit.”

“Well, maybe it is a little bit.” I stood up, and gathered my few things, and quickly caught up to Rarity, wrapping an arm around her waist. “It’s okay, Rarity. It was just a joke.”

“Yes, well, let’s avoid those kinds of jokes, for now. We’re still so new into our relationship that there shouldn’t even be other girls, yet.”

“I know, Rarity. Not exactly my idea of traditional dating.” We started back towards the house, Rarity close to my side. “I wouldn’t trade it away, though. Not for anyone.”

“Not for anyone, or anything?”

I thought for a heartbeat, and then pecked Rarity on the cheek. “Not for anyone, or anything. I can’t think of a single thing that I’d rather have than you girls.”

“You’ve already killed the mood, Icarus, sweet talk, now, is a waste of your time.”

I let out a chuckle, and looked out towards the sea. “It’s not about the result, it’s about trying. And, really, I think that it is getting me somewhere. In the long run, at least.”

There was no response as we reached the house, and I opened the door, allowing Rarity to enter before me. I closed the door behind myself as I walked, in, and I quickly made my way to the kitchen, a smile on my face. Rarity watched me for a moment, and then joined me in my breakfast preparation, quickly falling into a rhythm with me, allowing the two of us to work together perfectly.

While no words flew, and the magic of Harmony never manifested itself, I could feel the emotions swirling in the room as we worked, and it was only when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my body that I realized Pinkie had arrived. She merged flawlessly into the routine that Rarity and I were in, and her addition only made things more fun for all of us. It all came to a crashing halt, though, when a half dozen eggs found their way onto my head, a direct result of Pinkie’s over enthusiasm for baking.

There was silence for a moment, and then I reached onto the counter, and grabbed an egg of my own. “You, Pinkie, have just started a food fight that you can’t hope to win. I’ve got Rarity on my side. Right, love?”

Rarity looked first at Pinkie, and then at me. Her horn glowed for a moment, and an egg carton began floating beside her. “You would ask me, Icarus, to take a side against either you, or Pinkie?”

I looked at her, and then to Pinkie, and back again. “Aw, come on. Don’t make it sound like that. I mean... She’s Pinkie! No one can win against her in a food fight, I just wanted to stand a chance.”

“I’m not that good, Icarus.” Pinkie looked at the egg in her hand, giving a small shrug. “I just have amazing aim, as well as a nearly precognitive ability to detect incoming projectiles.”

I let out a small sigh. “That’s all it takes in a food fight...” Silence followed, and I adjusted my hold on the egg in my hand before I lunged sideways, throwing my egg at Pinkie. She dodged it effortlessly, and threw one of her own at me in response, nearly hitting me.

The following three minutes were chaos, and a massive mess, filled with as much laughter as it was flying eggs and shattering shells. By the time the last ovarian missile flew, not a single surface was clean. I, alone, stood in the room, both Pinkie and Rarity were sitting on the floor, both still laughing. I looked at the two of them for a moment, and then at the pan that I’d originally gotten out to cook. Sitting there, in the pan, was an apparently perfect mixture. Slowly, I walked to it, and I couldn’t hold back my laughter as I brought it to the girls.

“Well, you know what they say... You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.” Pinkie’s laughter only grew in volume, while Rarity glared at me for a moment before joining Pinkie. I followed quickly, and just a few minutes later I had the lone omelette cooked, and I was helping Pinkie and Rarity with the cleaning while the rest of the girls looked on in amazement. I took a momentary break to address the metaphorical elephant in the room. “Well, ladies, I imagine that you’re all a bit curious about how the once pristine kitchen came to be as it is now.”

“Yeah, Icarus, we were all wondering.” Applejack leaned to the side to look past me for a moment before refocusing her gaze on me. “And I bet this will be one heck of an explanation.”

“Well, there is no explanation. I came down here, and found it looking like this.” Applejack merely shook her head, and I shrugged. “Not buying it? No? Fine. We had a bit of an extended, intentional accident involving more than a few eggs. Don’t worry, though, no chickens were harmed in the making of this good time.”

“You are a strange man, Icarus. I swear, sometimes I feel like you’re a genius, and other times I wonder how you made it out of kindergarten.”

I smiled. “I never did, really. I just went right from preschool to third grade. Bothered a lot of the older students to no end. So, yeah, I never made it out of kindergarten.” I shot a glance at Twilight. “And don’t even get me started on magic kindergarten.”

“Ha. Wow. Funny.”

“I try, Twi, I certainly try.” I paused for a moment. “Remind me never to use baby talk with you, Twi. It wouldn’t work.”

“And I wouldn’t like it.” She shook her head, and moved around the counter and into the kitchen, where she used her magic to quickly begin cleaning wide swathes of the kitchen with ease. “Now, since you three have so effortlessly wasted our breakfast materials, what do you suggest we do for the aforementioned meal.”

“Well, I did manage to make one omelette.” All I got in response was a glare from the girls who hadn’t been involved in the earlier fun. Save for Fluttershy, who merely gave me a tiny shake of her head. “Okay, yeah, not quite my best performance. Not my worst morning, that’s for sure, but not my best.”

“How could a morning be worse?” Dash gestured at the quickly shrinking mess in the kitchen. “There’s nothing to eat for breakfast!”

“Well, for instance, you could wake up in a hospital without wi--”

“Icarus.” I turned to look at Rarity, whose expression spoke volumes. “Don’t.”

I pointed at Rainbow, whose face broadcast the emotions she clearly felt in response to what I was going to say. “She started it!”

“And I think it’s quite clear that she regrets starting it. Now, how about you leave it be, and we figure out something to do for breakfast?”

“I guess.”

“That’s the spirit, Icarus.” Twilight wrapped up the last of the cleaning, and did a quick turn to make sure that the kitchen was as pristine as it started, if not more so. “Now, clearly we don’t have quite enough here to make something, so, perhaps, we could take a trip into town for something to eat?”

“I did visit this nice place during the rain storm.” I made sure not to mention who I saw there, knowing that only one person present would be even moderately pleased about the news. “I’m not totally sure about their breakfast, but it seemed like a pleasant enough place. And, I know this will only sell one of you, but there’s a really nice bookstore not far away. Lulamoon’s Tomes, the place was called.” All six pairs of eyes in the room that weren’t mine focused on me, and I gave a sheepish grin. “It’s not Trixie, it’s her dad.”

“I’m not sold on the bookstore, but I wouldn’t have a problem going to this place you went to for breakfast.” Applejack looked at each of us. “Any objections?” None were forthcoming, so she smiled. “Good. It’s settled, then. I suggest we all get ready, and come back down here in fifteen minutes.” Rarity let out a gasp, and opened her mouth to speak, but Applejack beat her to it. “No excuses, Rares. You got yourself in a mess, now you get to get yourself out of it. I’m just glad that I don’t take two hours every morning to do my hair and makeup.”

“It’s only eighty three minutes, Applejack! Seventy one if I skip a few steps!”

I had to stifle a laugh, and all I got for that was a sharp glare from Rarity as she rushed upstairs. “Well, on that note, I’m going to get ready too. I don’t think I look my best with egg splattered on me.”

I slipped into my clean clothing quickly, and gave myself a quick once over in the mirror before I decided that I looked presentable enough. As I stepped out of my room, and into the hall, I noticed that the door to Rarity’s room was still closed. I stepped up to it, and gave a gentle knock. No answer was forthcoming, so I knocked again, a bit louder this time. Still no answer, so I reached for the knob, and was surprised to find it unlocked. I turned it slowly, and once it was open enough, I stuck my head in. “Rarity?” She wasn’t in the bedroom, so I looked at the bathroom, and I saw that there was some light coming out of it, so I entered her bedroom, and started for the bathroom. Once I reached it, I saw Rarity wrapped in a bath towel, with her horn aglow as she worked at her hair with both hands, and a levitating comb. “Rarity?”

She looked at me, and it seemed that for several moments she didn’t realize what she was looking at, since she failed to respond. “Icarus?” Her eyes widened, and the comb floating beside her dropped as her magic ceased. “Haven’t you heard of knocking?”

“I did. Twice.”

“Well, I’ve no time for interruptions! I still have to finish the pre-styling so that I can get it styled right when I start --” I interrupted her with a hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at me. The comb, which she had picked up, dropped once again, this time, into my hand.

“You look beautiful no matter what. You don’t have to do up your hair so perfectly to impress anyone.”

“But what if I meet a future client? If I don’t look my best...”

“Rarity, I’ll be perfectly honest with you. I think you look dead sexy no matter how your hair looks. Really, when you just get out of the water, and your hair lies along your back... Trust me, you could seduce anyone when you look like that.” Rarity looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, and then back at me. “Seriously, you look fine. Now, how about you get some clothes on, and we head downstairs. Much as it’d be great to see you without anything in the way, I don’t think the guards of the town would take kindly to it.”

Rarity flushed hotly, and she pulled me into a quick embrace before she pushed me from her room, as much with her hands as gentle magical nudges. Once I was out of her room she shut the door, and I let out a satisfied sigh. I stood there for a moment longer, and then turned and made my way down the rest of the hallway, my smile as wide as my face allowed.

Not even noon and I’ve already done several things right. A few wrong, sure, but mostly right. Maybe today will be a nice day, unlike yesterday.

When I made it downstairs I discovered that I was the second to last to come down, with only Rarity not yet present. I joined the rest of the girls on the couches in the living room, and when I took my seat beside Rainbow Dash she leaned into me a bit, her hand quickly taking mine in her own. I glanced over at her, noting the blush on her cheeks as she made a point of looking away from me. I looked at the other girls, and they all gave me small smiles, clearly aware of what Dash was doing, despite her best efforts.

Rarity came down just a few minutes later, and mere moments after her arrival we were out the door, and heading for the town. Idle conversation passed between us as we walked, but eventually it died down, and I decided that I’d break it with a rather loaded question. “So, after breakfast, do we have any plans? Or are we just going to wing it? No pun intended.” No answer came, so I shrugged, and decided to simply enjoy the walk into town, admiring the view offered by the ocean, and the women around me.

It didn’t take us too long to make it to the breakfast place, and then it only took them a few minutes to prepare a table for us. Once we were seated, and all with a menu, I quickly picked out what I wanted, and waited for the girls to make their choices as well. They were all relatively quick to decide, and after we placed our order, I decided that our relative silence had gone on long enough. “Well, if none of you are going to say anything, I will. All of you have shared your great stories of how you got your cutie marks, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you how I got mine. So, I think now is as good a time as any. Objections?”

“No. I was actually hoping that you’d volunteer to tell us something about yourself.” Twilight gave me a smile. “Until just recently, you’ve been buttoned up. Now, though, you’re more vocal, and I, at least, have been curious about how you got your cutie mark.” The other girls agreed with her, and I felt my cheeks grow a bit warmer at the sudden surge of attention.

“Okay. Well, it’s a fairly boring story. And I’m a lot younger in it than I am now, too. I think I was fifteen.”

Applejack looked at me, and raised an eyebrow. “Fifteen? That’s a bit late, isn’t it?”

“I was second to last in my class. But that’s not really the point. I mean, the Crusaders didn’t get theirs until they were that age. Anyway, my story starts with a rather simple request...

“Icarus, I’m heading out for a bit. I need to take care of some errands. Do you think that you could take care of some things around here, for me?” I nodded at my father, stepping off of the stool that I’d been atop. “I just need you to take a few things over to Doctor Pendulum, and then look over a few things. I left the blueprints on the second table.”

“You want me to look over your work, dad?”

“I do, yes. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes to see things in a whole new way. Just remember, that sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones.” My father pulled on a light coat as he spoke, and he gave me a small wave as he stepped out of the lab, leaving me to fend for myself. I walked over to the table he mentioned, and I looked at the plans he had laid out. The device was something I’d never seen before, but I could make sense of a few parts. The whole thing seemed to go together, in some way, but I couldn’t quite see how it would all wind up coming together.

I looked at each page, in order, but it still didn’t quite click in my head what I was trying to solve, so I tossed aside the sheets, groaning. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked me to look over his work, and it wasn’t even close to the first time that I’d failed to understand, at all, what he wanted me to find. His advice, if it could be called that, was as cryptic and useless as ever. If anything, it made things worse.

With a sigh of disappointment, I trudged over to the table that bore the items I was to take to Pendulum. The thought of going to see the often erratic scientist brought a smile to my face. With a newfound spring in my step, I headed out the door, making sure to lock it behind myself. It was only a few flights of steps to reach Pendulum’s floor, and I knocked several times upon his door, waiting patiently for him to come and answer it.

The unicorn threw the door open, and he shined a flashlight in my face, his magical eye glowing brightly alongside the flashlight. “Pupil reaction is normal, and reactions seem in keeping with norms.” The flashlight shut off, and the scientist leaned forward. “Looks like Icarus. Tell me, boy, what’s the Merlin constant, and what’s the first application thereof?”

“The Merlin constant is equal to seven point three three thaums per meter cubed. It’s used to determine the magical saturation point below which life, as we know it, cannot exist.”

The man gave a slow nod, and then a smile came to his face, and he pulled me into a hug. “Icarus, my boy, always a pleasure. Come in, come in! I’ve got so much to do, I can’t stand out here to talk to you.” I followed him in, and his horn flared to shut the door. “My latest batch of potions are reaching the critical point, and I can’t afford to miss it.”

“What’s brewing today?”

“Detoxification potions! Imagine, Icarus, being able to rid yourself of a hangover instantly! Without the need for a unicorn’s spell, or those Creator damned pill sets. Just a single drink, and the whole body is purged of any toxins.”

“What if that person is taking some medication? Wouldn’t the potion cleanse that as well?”

Dr. Pendulum scurried over to the large cauldron, and began stirring. “That’s just it, Icarus. This potion can be keyed to the drinker. A simple incantation, spoken while holding the bottle, forms the effects to the drinker. Someone taking medicine for root rot wouldn’t have to worry about the medicine being purged, as the potion identifies the medicine, and doesn’t purge that.”

“All this without needing a unicorn?”

The scientist ladled a small amount of the liquid into a beaker, and moved further into the lab, prompting me to follow. “Yes. You see, the drink itself carries much of the magic. This gives it much more power when it comes to cleansing the body. But, really, that’s not why you’re here, is it?”

“Um, no. No, I came here to give you some things from my father.” I held out the packages, and Pendulum took them, quickly looking them over before placing them on the table behind him. Silence followed, and Icarus looked around the lab for a few minutes before he came back to the man working at the cauldron. “Why did you shine a flashlight in my eyes at the door?”

The question, despite seeming to come from nowhere, didn’t phase the stirring unicorn. “Checking for infiltrators.” Upon asking for clarification, the unicorn let out a scoff. “The invasion, Icarus! Surely you see the signs, right?”

“Yeah, but can you tell me what you think of the signs? I want an expert’s opinion.”

“I’m not daft, boy. Don’t humor me.” The unicorn added a few drops into the cauldron, and after stirring for a few more moments he stepped back, and placed a plate of metal atop the cauldron. “That can stew, now, without my monitoring. Follow me, and I’ll show you what I’ve learned.” I followed slowly, peering at the various experiments the unicorn had working in the background of his laboratory. After passing through a few rooms, we came to a room with a wall covered in dozens of pictures, along with newspaper clippings and strings connecting various items. “My magnum opus! More than a thousand hours have been poured into this wall, and the countless papers I’ve written.”

I stepped closer, and started looking at some headlines, and following the strings that connected seemingly random items. “An invasion of what? I don’t see anything...”

“The Changelings. Creatures that take our form, and steal from us our emotions. They use us like batteries, draining our positive emotions to fuel their magic.” Pendulum stepped closer, and pointed along several lines. “They’re remarkably adept at hiding amongst our kind, but they make mistakes. I don’t know when they’ll attack, but it will be within twenty years. Sooner, if certain other events come to pass.”

“Wait... If we’re like batteries... Batteries die, Pendulum. If they were to openly attack us --”

“That’s exactly it. They can’t openly attack us. Even if they did, and won, they’d only be able to last for so long before they’d exhaust all living beings. Our kind would die out, and so would theirs, not long after.”

“Then why would they invade?”

“Blind ambition.”

“Who --”

“Queen Chrysalis. That name, alone, is all I know. Beyond that, she is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. I could tell you nothing beyond that that I do not know for certain.” The doctor looked at the wall for several more moments, and then he ushered me out of the room, closing the door behind himself. “But I’m not ready, yet, to reveal it to the Princess. A certain missing person must first return, and then I can tell them both.”

“Wait, Icarus, are you telling me that someone else knew that Nightmare Moon would be returning? And that he knew well before I did? And that he knew about the changeling invasion?” There was a look on Twilight’s face that I couldn’t quite place. There was a certain amount of admiration present, but there was also a measure of jealousy.

“Yeah, Twi. He was a lunatic, most of the time, but he had occasional moments of lucidity that could make a person reevaluate their life.”

“And what about that prediction for the invasion?” I looked at Applejack. “If he knew about that ahead of time, why did the attack still come as such a surprise?”

“If you know someone is going to throw a water balloon at you, but you don’t know when, can you really prepare for it?”

The farmer sank into thought for a moment. “I guess not.”

“That’s exactly the problem that Celestia and Luna faced. Pendulum did tell them. But there was nothing that they could do about it, other than worry needlessly. The day was saved in the end, after all of it.”

“Yeah, thanks to my awesomeness.” Dash received a few stares, and she landed in her seat her cheeks flushing. “And, I guess, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence helped.”

“Anyway, shall I continue? Great.”

Pendulum led me through many of the other rooms in his lab until we reached my favorite room within his living space. Countless abandoned ideas, partially built in most cases, littered the room, each one a testament to some once great idea had by the unicorn. Most of them were smaller objects, easily held in a hand or two, but some of them were much larger, and one took up nearly an entire corner. “I’ve added some new ones since you were last here, Icarus. Over on that wall.” He gestured, and I rushed over, eager to see what new toys and doodads he had for me to look at. Invariably, when I visited, I’d walk out with a few of his failures clutched in my arms, treasures that I could look at, tinker with, and eventually turn into finished products.

I found myself entranced by the intricacies of one of the objects, and before long I was alone in the room, wrapped up in the world contained within the small device. I was thoroughly stumped by the device, its purpose lost to me, but it was a collection of gears, magnets, and tiny golden chains that fascinated me. Spurred on, I found myself seated in the center of the room, all the pieces of the device laid out around me, organized by size, material, and complexity. As I rebuilt the device, its purpose grew clearer, and after nearly an hour I found myself holding Equestria’s first polar magnetic clock.

Eager to share my revelation, I rushed into the main lab, and I found both Pendulum and my father looking over some pages, their voices too soft for me to make out all the way across the room. I approached with no small measure of pride, and once I reached them I held out the device, my smile as wide as it could get. “It’s a clock!”

“Daedalus, you really need to do something more with Icarus. I spent almost a month working on that thing before I gave up, and in just an hour your son has turned a collection of useless gears and magnets into a working clock.” Pendulum reached out and took the device from me, turning it over in his hands as he admired the intricate clockwork.

My father looked at the clock for a few moments as well, before he turned to look at me. “Did you get anything done with my blueprints?”

“No. I can see some of what it’s supposed to be, but without the parts in my hands...” I trailed off, suddenly feeling like a child much younger. “I need to be able to see the parts in my hands. To be able to turn them and see how they fit together.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you have to take something apart to figure out how to fix it, or how to make it work. I’ve done it many times, myself.”

“I’ve got things in hand, here, Daedalus. Take Icarus back to your lab, and see if you can’t work out that engine of yours.”

“It’s not mine, Pendulum, just partially mine. I’m one of four people making it.”

“Modest to a fault. What is it called, again?”

“The internal combustion engine. Entirely free of magical operation, it’s powered solely by a distilled natural gas, and electricity.”

The two inventors exchanged a few more pleasantries before we headed back home, and my father and I took to building some of the parts of the engine. As we worked, we both grew covered in dust, grease, and small bruises and cuts, but we were having an amazing time. After several hours, we stopped for some dinner, and then kept right on going until the great clock in our home struck midnight. We were both shocked at the time, and after cleaning the lab we both headed for bed, promising to finish tomorrow.

With the morning sun came wakefulness, and breakfast shortly after. And, with that done, we dove right back into our work, laughing, talking, and discussing the ways to make the final stages of the engine work. At last, just after our lunch break, we finished making the parts that my father was responsible for, and he laid them out for me, explaining what each one was for. And it was then that I spotted the changes that had to be made. My explanation was short and to the point, but as I spoke my piece my father’s eyes went wide, and he began scribbling down everything I was saying, and then some.

As I finished speaking, I felt a tingle on my arm, and then there appeared a sheet of blue paper, with a set of interlocking gears laid atop it.

“To say that I was excited was to put it mildly.” The girls all looked at me, and I gave a small shrug. “I told you it was boring. Not nearly on the same level as yours.”

“It fits who you are. And it seems quite familiar.” Applejack gave me a smile. “I knew you were trying to help Applebloom, but only now do I see how similar the situation was.”

“Everyone knows what they’re good at. It’s just a matter of seeing what they like to do, and what they’re good at. I just happen to have similar interests.”

“She looks up to you.” I slowly lowered my glass back to the table as I looked at Applejack. “You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t.” I looked at the girls, and found all of them with disbelief written plainly on their faces. “Really, I didn’t know that she looked up to me. I mean, she never comes by, or does anything differently when I’m around.” I paused for a moment. “Does she act differently?”

“Totally.” Pinkie bounced in her seat a bit. “Normally she’s not all that interested in talking about machines, or stuff like that. But when you’re around she’ll try to get the topic on that kind of thing. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she has a crush on you, the way she tries to talk with you.”

“I never... Really?” I got an affirmation from each of them, and then I sank back in my seat. “AJ, does she want to do something with it? Like, a job?”

“You making an offer?”

I shrugged, and gave the farmer a small smile. “Pay will be lousy, hours sporadic at best, and there’s a rather high chance for injury.” I paused for a moment. “Then again, it’s the best kind of experience, and I do still carry some of my older blueprints if she’d like to really learn the trade.”

“I’ll let AB know when we get back to Ponyville. You want her in for an interview?”

I chuckled as I lifted my glass. “Of course. Unlike some bakers who will remain anonymous, I like to know the capabilities of the people I’ll be working with, no matter how good a friend they are.”

“Hey! At least I don’t let certain people try to organize an entire library without --”

Twilight shuddered and brought her hands up to her face. “Don’t even bring that up! I still have nightmares. They were mixing genres, and... They were going alphabetically by first name.”

I made to speak, but paused for a moment. After thinking for a few seconds I finally voiced my query. “Was that the day that the weather was all wonky?”

Dash snorted, and then looked at the librarian. “Oh, yeah. The day Twi’s magic decided that my well laid out weather plans weren’t good enough.”

“I’ve already apologized for that.”

“Still, that was a bit excessive. I mean, you started a tornado over it.”

Twilight crossed her arms, and let out an adorable huff. “If my library is going to look that way, so is the town.”

I put my head in my hands. “It took us three days to sort things out.” When I looked up at her she was just blushing. “Three days, Twi. Gave me lots of business, but that’s not quite the way I want to get business.”

Twilight muttered something about how long it took her to fix the damage done by the ex-crusaders, but none of us took her seriously. After that we, who hadn’t already, finished the last of our meals, and then we arranged for the check. The meal wasn’t too expensive, and we had enough money between all of us to cover it, and a rather hefty tip for the waitress. Then, with our bill settled, we headed out, and stood on the street, wondering what was next.

“So, who wants to do what? I’m probably going to the bookstore, again, but I only think one of you will be interested.”

“I’m going to go do some shopping.” Unsurprisingly Rarity said that. “One can never have too much clothing.”

“I’ll go make sure that Rarity doesn’t go overboard again.”

“What do you mean, again? I’ve never gone too far, Applejack.” The farmer shot Rarity a glare, and she flushed hotly. “Not this trip, at least.”

“Well, I’ll tag along with them, I guess.” Dash offered a small shrug. “I may like some Daring Doo, but the rest of it... Nah. Though if you see something I might like?”

“If I see something like that, I’ll buy it for you. Don’t worry.” I looked at Pinkie and Fluttershy. “And what about the two of you? Anything you’d like to do?”

Fluttershy shook her head, and Pinkie did the same. “The two of us are just going to wander the town, and see what there is to see. Maybe find something we could do tomorrow, or something like that.”

I nodded, and then let out a quick puff of air. “Well, that’s settled. Shall we go, then? I can already see that Rarity is going through shopping withdrawal.” The purple haired fashionista shot me a glare as she turned in place, quickly making her way down the street. Applejack and Rainbow just gave me waves, and then they made to catch up with Rarity. A few moments later, Pinkie and Fluttershy began walking away as well, their goal less concrete. I counted on my fingers for just a few seconds before Pinkie let out a gasp, and started running away, her interest piqued by something out of sight. “Seven seconds. I’m impressed.”

“Better than usual. I was expecting five.” We both looked on in amusement as Fluttershy took to the skies, more so to look after Pinkie than to actually keep up.

“I was thinking three. I guess you’ve got more confidence in her ability to remain calm than I.” I waited another minute, when Fluttershy disappeared from sight, to turn to Twilight. “So, shall we go to the bookstore?” The unicorn beside me nodded, and I took her hand in my own, leading her down the road.

“What’s he like?”

I raised an eyebrow, and after a moment I got her meaning. “Nothing like Trixie. Although he did mention her, and when she came to Ponyville. To hear him say it, I think that whole fiasco hit her harder than we thought.”

“I didn’t want to show her up...”

“And I didn’t want you to either. She’d have messed up eventually, and that would’ve been the end of her show.”

“You know what they say about hindsight...” She trailed off, and silence fell down upon us. The bookstore came into sight, and when I pointed it out to the unicorn, she was suddenly taking the lead, pulling me along as we approached.

The door opened on well oiled hinges, and I could hear Twilight gasp as she took in the expanse of the store. Before I could say a word she dashed off, her energy and excitement nearly infectious. I made my way to the counter, and spotted Stratos seated in a chair, clearly asleep. I looked at the book in his lap, and noted that it was a cookbook. One that I had opted not to take. “Hey, Mr. Lulamoon. How are you?”

I spoke loudly enough to rouse him, and he quickly took stock of the situation, and he gave me a smile as he recognized who I was. “Getting old, boy. Don’t recall your name, by the way.”

“Oh, sorry. I don’t think I introduced myself. Icarus Phaethon. Son of Daedalus Phaethon.”

“Huh.” He looked at me a bit longer, and then nodded. “Tell your father to keep up the good work. I like what he does. And you, too. I may not be the most up to date when it comes to technology, but I know a thing or two.” He pulled himself from his seat, and he approached the counter. “So, what brings you by? More shopping?”

“No, actually. Or, well, not for me. I’m here with one of my ladies. She’s a real bibliophile.” I heard a cry of excitement from deep within the store, and I motioned my head towards where the sound came from. “She’s quite the fan of written works.”

“Nothing wrong with that. Not a damn thing. It’s a real shame that not as many people read as used to. I remember back when my friends and I would wait outside of bookstores for them to release the latest book we were all dying for.”

I offered a small smile. “But, now, they’re nothing like that?”

“Not as much. They just... They’re not as passionate.”

“Differently passionate. No more or less, just different.”

Stratos was about to reply when a feminine voice cut across the store. “Icarus, he has the entire collection of Greenhoof’s prophecies! And not the abridged version!” The mare emerged from the stacks, her eyes wide with excitement. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for that set?”

I waved a hand in the air for a moment, before I settled on a length of time that seemed long enough. “Nine months?”

Before the unicorn could respond to my clearly incorrect answer, Stratos spoke up. “Hello, young lady. Welcome to my store.” Stratos emerged from behind the counter, and he walked up to Twilight, who was suddenly blushing violently. “My daughter didn’t quite do you justice in her description. You’re not nearly as underendowed as she made you out to be.” I saw Twilight’s face grow a bit of a crimson tint, and I felt my own cheeks warm up at that comment, but I didn’t say anything. “She got the rest right, though.” The man stopped just before Twilight, and he gave a small bow. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Twilight Sparkle. I never expected to play host to an Element of Harmony. Especially not after what happened with Trixie.”

“Oh. Well, I wouldn’t hold your daughter’s actions against you, Mr. Lulamoon. You had nothing to do with how she acted.”

“Yes, but Trixie told me, in a letter, that she never apologized. Not in any real way, at least. And I want to set things right, even if she doesn’t.” The owner offered a small smile, and then started moving back to the counter. “I suspect that she’ll come around eventually. She’s hot headed, and impulsive, but she’s far from a bad person.” The owner let out a small sigh as he lowered himself back into his seat. “Now, on to the matter at hand. You, Miss Sparkle, are interested in my copies of Greenhoof? They’re not exactly common, you know?”

“Oh, yes. Only a hundred copies were printed, and almost half of them were destroyed in a large accident involving a fire. The others are almost all held by collectors, or are simply missing.”

“Print number seven is the one in this shop. I know that the Princesses have copies one and two in their own collections, and number three is in the royal archives.” He offered a smile. “I’m surprised, honestly, that you’ve never seen a copy.”

Twilight approached the counter, and returned the smile. “I have, actually. Several times. But I’ve never had a chance to read all the books, or own a copy of my own.”

I leaned on the counter a bit, and my gaze flicked to Twilight for a moment before I looked back at Stratos. “So, how much does the set cost? Quite a small fortune, I’d wager.”

“Not quite so much, actually. Well, it’s a bit of a conditional thing.” Stratos stood, and he started through the store, both Twilight and myself following him. “I hate to see knowledge sequestered away, kept from the public so that only those with power or wealth can see it. It’s one of the reasons that my store also acts as a library. And why I have free selections. Information is made to be shared.” He paused as we reached the set of tomes, their green covers standing out from the other books on the shelving. “Were you just a collector, hoping to seem learned and influential, I’d likely charge you no less than a thousand bits for these. However...” He trailed off, and reached for the books, pulling one out. “Were you to put them up for viewing by the public, as a part of your library...”

“I would read them myself, and then do that. I have some books that I keep for myself, but these are too rare. Too well known for that.”

Stratos looked at Twilight for several long moments before he held the book out to the unicorn. “Let the public share in Greenhoof’s words, Twilight Sparkle, and the set is yours.”

“Just like that?” Twilight hesitantly reached for the book, her hand stopping just short of the tome. “Why?”

“Firefly Island isn’t the place for it. While there are plenty of tourists, this shop rarely sees visitors. Everyone who wanted to see the prophecies has, already, and so those books sit on my shelf, unread for months at a time.” He pulled another of the books from the shelf. “But at your library, so close to Canterlot, you surely have far more visitors than I.”

“Actually, I don’t recall ever seeing any visitors to the library.” Twilight shot a glare at me, and I offered a sheepish smile and a shrug. “Hey, maybe it’s just me.”

“There are plenty of people who come to the library. You just happen to never be there at the same time.”

“Like I said, probably just me.” I let out a small snort of air. “I bet I’m not the only one, though.” Twilight failed to hear my soft spoken words, and I ambled off into the bookstore while Twilight and Stratos started talking about the books, and the fact that Twilight would keep them out for display to the public. I wasn’t looking for any specific books, and I soon found myself looking at older history books, some of which looked old enough to make my dead great grandfather look young.

None of the titles grabbed my attention, though, and I wandered aimlessly, occasionally stopping to leaf through some of the pages of tomes that caught my eye. After walking down a few aisles, and stopping countless times, I found myself at a dead end, and I turned around, making my way back to the front of the store, and, hopefully, Twilight and Stratos.

Luckily, the two were present, and seemed to be finishing up their transaction. As I approached, Twilight looked at me and blushed wildly before she stuffed a few books into one of the bags she already had in her hand. I stopped as she fumbled for a moment, and I gave her a smile. One that she returned after a moment.

“So, Twi, we’re done here?” She gave me a quick nod after looking at the store owner for a moment. “Great. Shall we get going, then?” She started for the door, and I let her get a head start. As I passed Stratos he gave me a smile, and held out a hand. I took it, giving him a firm handshake, and just before I let go he brought up his other hand, a small object resting in his palm.

“Don’t open it just yet, Icarus. It won’t do you any good yet.” I took the object, and was surprised at just how heavy it was, despite its size. “You’ll know when. Probably not for some time, but you’ll know.”

I let out a laugh as I slipped it into my pocket. “First I get useless advice from a god, and now I’m getting useless trinkets from a store owner. Could this trip be any more cryptic?”

“Don’t tempt fate, boy. Those prophecies carry no small measure of weight. Answers abound, but the key is knowing the right question to ask.”

“Yes. Yes, clearly, this trip could be more cryptic.” Stratos smiled, and ushered me out the door. “Thanks, I guess.” As I stepped out onto the street I saw that Twilight was waiting for me just down the road, and she gave me a wave when I looked her way. I glanced at the watch on my wrist and I was surprised at just how much time had passed since we started our shopping trip. I walked over to the unicorn, and she looked at her bags nervously before letting out a quick breath. “If you don’t want me to know what you got, Twi, just say so. I’m not going to take them from you just to see what you bought.”

“That’s reassuring, but I wasn’t worried you’d try to take them. Although if you’d help me to carry them, I would be grateful.” I did as she asked, taking the heavier bags, and soon we were walking down the street, loaded down with knowledge. “So, how much do you think Rarity spent? More or less than a thousand bits?”

I chuckled as we turned onto the main road, which was also home to quite a few shops. “Depends. How much did she take with her?”

“Oh, yes, you’re just so funny, Icarus.” Twilight and I turned to see Rarity approaching, her arms unburdened. “I’ll have you know that I only spent half of what I brought. And of that, only three quarters was spent on myself.”

“Yeah, but you’re not carrying even a little bit of it.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash finally arrived, and they were both carrying impressively large stacks of boxes and bags. The farmer adjusted her load before she looked at me. “Her total, so far, is just a few bits under thirteen hundred. Although if she had any sense she’d call it done, now, since the two people who are helping her are growing a bit tired.”

Rarity just looked over the two stacks before she let out a small sigh. “I suppose you’re right. And we do still have time left before we head back to Ponyville.”

“Oh, right, and then you can do more shopping there, and take another trip to Canterlot and Manehattan.” Dash offered a cheeky smile, and Rarity seemed thoroughly unamused. Her horn glowed for a moment, and then a significant portion of Applejack’s pile floated atop Dash’s. She let out a grunt, and staggered under the weight. “Not cool, Rares.”

“Surely it shouldn’t be a problem for our ultimate athlete. You spend all that time training, and working out, and practicing. Surely you don’t need to do it more, in order to keep on top of the game, right?” I put a hand on Rarity’s shoulder, and she nodded, quickly moving the excess from Dash’s pile into my surprised arms. “Fashion, my dear, is just as much a challenge as your own chosen form of expression. Except my rules are never stated plainly, but need to be interpreted.”

“Why do I need to carry even more stuff?” All the ladies looked at me for a moment, before they resumed their conversation.

“I suppose. Still, don’t you think this is just a bit much?” Dash used her wings to lift up a box. “I mean, you spent how much on this? And it only covers such a small amount.”

“That’s the point. Besides, it’s more something that’s meant to be taken off. Slowly. In the right setting.”

“Well, you’ve got my attention, Rarity.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Icarus. It’s not for you, it’s for Twilight and I. Seeing as how we’re going to be rubbing --”

“Really? It’s been half a day since I said that!”

“What about us?”

“It’s just a joke.” She batted her eyes a few times, and I grumbled out an apology. “One more time, darling. I didn’t quite catch that.”

“No, really, what about you and I, Rarity?”

“I said I’m sorry. And that I get it.” I shifted my arms a bit, trying to get things more comfortably settled. “No more relationship jokes.” Rarity smiled, and darted in for a quick peck on the cheek before she started heading back to the house, Dash, Applejack, and myself following.

Twilight just stood in place, her cheeks flushed. “What are we going to be rubbing? Rarity?” Twilight ran to catch up to the fashionista. “What needs rubbing?”

Pinkie and Fluttershy beat us back to the house, and they were already preparing dinner when we walked into the house, our trip long due to our burdens. The sun was just barely above the horizon when dinner was served, and the meal was simple, but delicious. I expected no less from the duo. Pinkie’s natural talent for cooking, combined with Fluttershy’s surprisingly good sense for food created a nearly perfect meal.

I handled the cleaning process, and as I put away the last of the dishes I sat down on one of the stools, pulling the small object from my pocket. I turned it over several times, looking at it from different angles, but I didn’t remove it from the cloth it was wrapped in, certain that now wasn’t the moment. After a few moments I slipped it back into my pocket, and I got up from the stool. The walk up to my room was short, and I soon found myself seated at my desk, looking down at the blank pages of my notebook. Unwilling to sit and look at it, I moved to the balcony and watched as the last few rays of sunlight made it over the horizon.

As the sky shifted from red, to purple, and then to dark blue I lowered myself into one of the chairs on the balcony. A faint sound came from within my room, and I felt a smile come to my face. “Come on, Dash. No need to linger in my room.” I looked over my shoulder just as Dash stepped out onto the balcony, her attire radically changed from earlier. She had on a cropped tank top, and a pair of yoga pants.

She looked at the open chair for a moment before she sat down in my lap, her arms wrapping around my neck. “Tell anyone I’m acting this mushy and I’ll make sure you don’t have a dry day for as long as you live.” I gave her a quick kiss, but no answer, and she only hugged me tighter in response. We sat in silence for quite some time, when a streak of light flew across the sky. Dash let out a gasp as another lanced across the sky a heartbeat later. Seconds later, and several more flew across the sky. “Girls! Meteor shower!”

Moments later and I had all six girls crowded onto my balcony, looking up at the sky as countless hundreds of meteors blazed across the sky. As the show progressed Twilight wormed her way onto my lap as well, sharing the limited space with Dash. The two of them managed to cuddle up next to me as we watched the meteors, and I just held them close. After a couple minutes the meteors finally began to slow, before finally stopping. Although there were no further shooting stars we all continued looking up at the night sky, simply enjoying the wondrous display made available by Princess Luna.

I finally broke the silence. “Twi, can you send a letter to Canterlot?” She looked at me for a moment, and then nodded. I smiled, and the seven of us headed into my room, and I pulled a sheaf of parchment from my bag of supplies. With care I wrote a simple letter of thanks to Princess Luna, and then I signed it. The girls all did as well, and I sealed it with a few drops of wax before I handed it to Twilight. With a simple act of magic she sent the scroll on its way, and we all watched as the cloud of magical smoke flew through the door.

Through some unspoken understanding Fluttershy and Applejack both left the room, and the other four all made their way onto my bed. After a few moments I joined them, and soon they were all latched onto various parts of my body, their sighs of contentment music to my ears.

“Sleep tight, ladies. Tomorrow’s another day.”

“You’re right, Icarus.” I looked down at Pinkie, but she didn’t look up at me, her eyes closed as she began drifting off to sleep. “It is a magical world.”

Author's Notes:

My apologies for the delay. Real life, lack of motivation, and countless other less significant barriers are responsible for the lateness of this chapter.

As always, let me know what you think, and let me know if there are any egregious errors.

Totally unedited, and finished less than an hour before posting. Because I wanted to.