> Digital Love
>  by Closer-To-The-Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: Arrival

“Hurry up, Spike! We need to get this place looking spotless for when Princess Celestia arrives! We can’t have her come into our messy library and have her judging us on it! Let’s go, chop chop!” the purple alicorn was barking orders as she used her magic to reshelf books back on the bookcases, this time to triple check that all of the books were in the correct order, sorted by author’s name.

The green and purple dragon was sweeping up the floor with a broom, “Don’t you think you are overdoing this? I don’t think Princess Celestia is going to care if the library is a little disorganized.”

Twilight was frantically rushing around the library. Using her magic to tidy up the building in minor ways, such as adjusting the picture frames or fluffing up the pillows on the sofa, she replied, “But she expects me to be neat and organized! I wouldn’t be living up to the high standards she expects of me if she saw towers of books stacked up high and papers with scribbled notes scattered everywhere!”

“I think she’d understand if things are a bit out of place, Twilight,” Spike added.

The words fell on deaf ears as Twilight continued her panicking, “Stop talking, Spike! Princess Celestia will be here at any moment!”

The moment after she spoke, there was a knocking at the front door. Frozen in dread, Twilight Sparkle just started at the door, unable to move toward it. Spike took notice of this, sighed, and made his way to the door. He opened it, revealing the princess of the sun herself, Princess Celestia.

“Good evening, Spike,” the white alicorn happily greeted, “Is Princess Twilight Sparkle here.”

Returning the smile, the dragon nodded, “Yes, she’s right over there,” Spike raised his claw to point to the purple pony who seemed to had not move a muscle since the door opened, “Please come in, princess.”

“Thank you,” Celestia said as she entered the through the door, “The library looks very lovely, Twilight. It shows you really care for the literature that these walls hold.”

Finally returning to reality by Celestia’s words, the purple pony nervously laughed, “Oh please….this place is a mess. I wish I could have cleaned up the library a little before you arrived.”

With annoyed expression on his face, Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight’s remark.

“Please, princess, sit and relax.” Twilight directed the princess to the sofa, “Spike, could you please go fetch us some tea?” With a nod, Spike made his way toward the kitchen, leaving Celestia and Twilight by themselves. Nervously, the purple pony pressed on, “So….Princess Celestia, what brings you to Ponyville? It seemed like you had something that you wanted to share with me.”

Celestia giggled slightly as she sat down, catching her pupil off guard.

“Princess Celestia? What is it?”

“It’s you, Twilight. You seem to be making a big fuss over a simple visit,” the white alicorn’s expression was still one of amusement.

Twilight sat down and tried to defend herself, “But this is a sudden and unexpected visit for you. It’s not everyday when you send me a letter saying that you are visiting Ponyville to talk with me about something of importance.”

“You still need not worry, Twilight,” Celestia gave a comforting smile, “But you are right, I am here on business and wish to share something.”

The purple pony nodded as she eagerly waited for what the princess had to share.

Before Celestia could start, Spike had returned to the room with a tray of tea in his claws, “We were out of oolong tea, so I made some Earl Grey instead. I hope that’s okay.”

“Thank you, Spike,” Twilight spoke as she levitated a cup off the tray and in front of her.

Taking the other cup with her magic, Celestia raised it up to her lips to take a sip of the warm liquid. Releasing a content noise after her drink, she spoke, “Earl Grey tea, one of the finest beverages in all of Equestria. A unique blend of citrus and such a pleasing aroma to it. That’s why I made him an earl after developing such a fine tea,” at the end of her musing over the cup of tea, she looked toward the dragon, “Thank you very much, Spike.”

Growing slightly impatience, Twilight Sparkle edged the Celestia, “Princess, you said there is something you wish to talk to me about?”

Taking another sip of her tea, Celestia nodded, “Yes, you are correct. Twilight, what do you know of computers?”

“Computers?” she echoed, “I know how they work, how to build them, use them, just about anything and everything about them.”

Celestia nodded, “Good, good. I’d expect no less from my star pupil. What about the artificial intelligence?”

Spike, who had not left and was listening in on the conversation, interjected, “Artificial intelligence? You like robots?”

The white alicorn chuckled slightly, “Not like that, Spike.”

“Artificial intelligence. According to Equestrian Heritage Dictionary, artificial intelligence is the ability of a computer or other machine to perform those activities that are normally thought to require intelligence. It is also a theoretical branch of computer science concerned with the development of machines having this ability,” Twilight explained with almost pin-point precision the definition of the term.

Taking another sip of her Earl Grey, Celestia added, “Very good. Now, what if I were to tell you that branch of computer science isn’t so theoretical anymore.”

“Come again?” Twilight raised an eyebrow in both disbelief and skepticism.

Lowering the cup of tea to the coffee table in front of the sofa, she continued, “As you know, computers are still fairly new in our culture. We are just understanding how useful these machines are. They make organization much simpler, they allow us to store vast amounts of information in small spaces, they allow us to do things now that we thought would be impossible just a few years before. And it’s always changing. And with this ever-expanding field of study, a few scientists in Canterlot have developed something extraordinary: a functioning artificial intelligence program.”

Twilight was speechless. Spike, on the other hoof, was more than willing to share his thoughts, “A computer that can think for itself? This is like something out of one of my comics!” his excitement was apparent.

With her finally speaking, Twilight stated her opinion, “But….this is the talk of science fiction, stories of a Ray Bradberry and Iomud Asimov.”

“That’s what I thought until I saw the data for myself. The first artificial intelligence program in the history of Equestria has been developed,” Princess Celestia  explained.

The purple pony looked at her cup of teach before back to her mentor, “This is great and all, but I don’t understand, princess, what does this have to do with me?”

“Simple, I want you to help it learn. Teach it, help it grow, help it understand friendship.”

Twilight was silent as she processed what she was just told. “You want me to,” she paused to form the correct words, “teach friendship to a computer?”

Celestia nodded, “Precisely. I feel that you, the Princess of Friendship, can share the magic and the beauty of such with the artificial intelligence. This program is the upmost, state of the art software ever designed. In the trial studies, it far exceeded our hopes in the fields of reasoning, planning, knowledge, perception, and learning. The next logical step for us is obvious: introducing the AI to our world.”

“I’m honored that you chose me for this assignment, Princess Celestia, I really am,” Twilight started, “but isn’t their somepony much more qualified in the field of computer science than me for such a task?”

“I am not looking for a computer engineer to study the AI, instead I am looking for the ideal candidate to help it comprehend and learn,” Celestia explained.

Taking a calming breath, the purple pony nodded, “I understand. Then I accept this task as your subject.”

With an expression of amusement on her face, Celestia took a sip of her tea, “There’s no need to be so formal with me, Twilight.”

“Oh, heh, sorry….” the pony was slightly embarrassed, “I just hope I do well in this undertaking.”

Celestia smiled, “I’m sure you will do just fine, and I know it will be a rewarding experience for you.”
> Chapter 2: Technologic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Technologic

It was late in the evening with Twilight Sparkle and Spike working in the library. However, instead of dealing with the normal duties that a librarian and her assistant would be working on, the two were busily piecing together a computer chassis.

“Spike, do you see a long cable with a rectangular input at one end?” Twilight asked as she was examining the large case that was slowly becoming a computer hard drive.

Amongst the wires and computer components, Spike rummaged through the pieces, “I think I found it.” He pulled out the long, grey cable and gave it to the purple alicorn.

“Thank you, Spike,” she said as she attached it in the back of the case. She made a mental note to herself, “This will connect to the monitor later on….”

“Hey, Twilight? Don’t want to sound all that mean or anything, but do you really believe this?” Spike asked as he watched Twilight fiddle around with the wire and the pieces of machinery.

“Hmm?” she looked up, “What do you mean?”

“Like with what Celestia said. I mean, this sounds too weird to be true,” the dragon explained himself.

“You mean with the AI?”

Spike simply nodded.

“Of course I believe her. Why would she lie to us about it?” Twilight asked as she rearranged some of the components in the chassis.

With a shrug, Spike replied, “I don’t know, maybe she wanted to play a trick on us?”

Twilight gave an annoyed glare at Spike, “I highly doubt she would do something like that.”

“Well, she does have us building a computer from almost scratch and it’s almost midnight,” Spike pointed out.

Rolling her eyes, the pony issued a request, “Can you get me the cooling fans? I saw them a second ago.”

Spike passed them off to Twilight as she started fitting the items into the chassis. “It’s just that, all of this seems too….fake. I mean, a program that has artificial intelligence. This like something out of one of my comics, like that robot that Hackney Pym created and it turned into the killing machine known as Ulterks!”

Again, Twilight glared at her assistant, “Spike, this is not a fictional comic book world. I’m not building some sort of artificial intelligence that is going to rise and try to enslave all of Equestria.” She then returned to shuffling the computer parts in the case, fitting them together.

“But this could be just be the beginning of something like that!” Spike grew excited.

Twilight looked back up, “Spike, it’s just one AI and it won’t be leaving the computer here in the library. Second, it’s not going to have a robotic body or anything like that. And lastly, Pym is an idiot genius when it comes to his inventions whether it was his shape-shifting powers or the robots he built. This is why I read the X-Ponies comic books. Now, are you going to help me finish up this hard drive or not?”

With a yawn, Spike answered, “Actually, I’m thinking of calling it a night. You can have fun with your little computer that’s gonna turn around and kill us all.” The dragon made his way up the stairs, leaving Twilight down in the main room with the large amount of computer parts and hardware.

“I’m telling you, I am not creating Ulterks!” Twilight shouted to Spike as he disappeared from her sight. With a sigh, she picked up the motherboard of the computer and started the final touches to the hard drive.

As she started the process of attaching the motherboard into the computer chassis, she began to think aloud, “I still don’t understand why I have to build this computer from scratch. This isn’t exactly my strongest subject….” her words were only audible to her as she continued working.

“Maybe Spike is right, this is a bit strange. Artificial intelligence is something straight out of a science fictional novel,” she continued talking to herself. “How can we really know if it does actually learn and grow as an individual? Couldn’t it just take the information from what it can gather from published works or something of that sort?”

Using her magic to make the minor adjustments to the circuitry, Twilight scanned the interior of the hard drive one last time, “All the circuits are in place, everything seems to be hooked up properly, excellent,” she mused as she lowered the cover of the chassis down, securing the internal hardware. “Maybe Spike’s imagination is getting mine going. There’s no way this program will turn into something out of Draught Adams’ ‘Hitchtrotter’s Guide To The Galaxy’ or Osamu Tokara’s ‘Astro Foal’. That’s pure science fiction.”
> Chapter 3: Contact
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: Contact

The hours continued to tick by as Twilight finished up her setting up of the computer. The hard drive was standing tall next to the monitor. In front of the screen, the keyboard was hooked up, ready for the input of commands.

The pony looked at the computer she finished putting together. The next logical step was for her to turn it on. However, she felt uneasy about doing so. A few moral questions were raised in her mind.

“If I turn the computer on and activate the program….am I creating life? Some sort of artificial life?” she mumbled to herself as she stared at the computer setup.

Raising her hoof, she reached forward to turn the machine on. Yet, she paused and hesitated just a few centimeters from the button. She tried to push herself forward, but closer she came to turning the computer on, the more uncomfortable she felt. 

Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she pushed the button, causing the computer to come to life. The whirring of the machine started softly and then suddenly roared from within. Parts of the machinery seemed to rotate and flash in a rhythmic fashion, signifying that the computer was alive.

The start up of the computer seemed to last an eternity for the alicorn. She waited impatiently for the machine to accept her command. However, as the machine whirred and came to life, the unsettling feeling seemed to grow within the purple pony.

Finally, the racket that the computer was making came to an end and the only sound left was a soft hum of the computer. The monitor turned on and a familiar screen welcomed her: a black screen with in the top left corner, the 'a' next to the acute angle bracket with the opening to the left with a flashing rectangle. This meant the computer was ready for any input orders that Twilight wished.

Looking at the keyboard in front of her, Twilight sighed, “Alright, the computer successfully turned on without a problem. Now….to start up the program.”

She was still hesitant. She knew exactly what to begin the artificial intelligence program. She did take notes after all when Celestia explained what she was to do. But what bothered Twilight was the moral implications of this task. Could she, with no objections, create life by simply typing a few keys and hitting the enter key? To her, it would feel as if she would be playing god with the artificial intelligence. And by that question, what exactly constituted life? Does one have to breath and have blood flowing through their body to be considered alive, or does simply having intelligence make one alive?

As she continued to struggle with these questions, the flashing rectangle patiently waited for an input.

Finally, Twilight raised her hooves up to the keyboard and began to type. The monitor registered these keystrokes as ‘artificial_pony_intelligence_program.exe’. However, the purple alicorn didn’t hit the enter key immediately. Instead, she waited.

After a few moments of hesitation, she broke the silence in the library, “Here it goes….I-I’m going to make contact….with a new type of life.” Her hoof hit the final key.

The computer rushed to life again, this time with the monitor flashing a large amount of text on the screen, seemingly to fly by without giving Twilight a chance to read what it had to say. This went on for a few seconds until the left facing bracket appeared again, this time with a phrase next to it, reading ‘artificial_pony_intelligence_program.exe awaiting input’.

Staring at the monitor, Twilight spoke to herself, “Did it work?”

The flashing rectangle was present again, waiting for her to type on the keyboard.

With a deep inhale and a small prayer to Celestia, Twilight typed a message and hit enter: “Greetings.”

A faint whirring sound from the computer chassis, the computer responded with text: “Greetings. I am the Artificial Pony Intelligence Program, or APIP for short. To whom am I communicating with?”

With a sudden surge of surprise and excitement, Twilight replied quickly: “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” the computer responded, “one of the four major royal figures in Equestria, along with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, an Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

This response caught Twilight off guard. She was not expect such a response from the program. She typed: “That’s correct. But how did you know such?”

The program replied: “It is installed in my programming, along with a vast amounts of other information, such as a number of written works that have been written through out all of pony history.”

Twilight typed what she verbal said, “Astounding.”

“It’s just one of the many attributes that I possess, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

The purple pony snickered slightly at reading her formal name: “Please, you don’t need to address me in such a formal way. Twilight Sparkle is fine.”

The program was a little delayed in it’s response: “Understood. I have saved the new data into my programming.” The text stopped for a moment before continuing, “My internal clock indicates that it is close to three in the morning and that Celestia’s sunrise will be in three hours. Should you not be in bed? It is customary that ponies should get eight hours of sleep per day.”

“That is correct,” Twilight typed, “however I was so caught up in assembling your hard drive, which Princess Celestia gave to me earlier this evening, that I lost track of time.”

The program responded back: “So it is you I have to credit for my activation. For that, I thank you.”

A little bashful at the comment, Twilight typed: “Oh, I just assembled the pieces that make you. I had no part in creating your programming or such.”

“Yet, I have no knowledge of prior activation of my program. So, due to the circumstances, I stand by my thankfulness, Twilight Sparkle.” The sound of the computer processing echoed through the empty library.

Twilight smiled: “Well, you are most certainly welcome.” She took a moment to think after submitting the statement, then she typed again: “I should get some rest after all. What should I do for you, shut the computer off?”

She was not met with a response right away. After about ten seconds of processing the question, the program replied: “If I may request, could you leave my program active? I wish to further explore both my programming and hard drive.”

“Can do. I will check on you in the morning. Good night,” Twilight finished typing on the keyboard as she stood up from the desk.

“Rest well, Twilight Sparkle.”

The computer continued to whir as the purple pony trotted away. Turning off the lights, Twilight Sparkle looked toward the glow of the computer monitor, lighting up the dark library. Finally dragging herself up the staircase and into her bed, she rested her head down upon her pillow and smiled.

“Today,” she whispered to herself, “I have helped create a new type of life.”
> Chapter 4: Teachers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: Teachers

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes. She lifted her head up off her pillow and yawned. She looked out the window to see that Celestia’s sun was high above the horizon. Turning to her clock, the alicorn noticed it was past ten in the morning. With a gasp and newfound energy, Twilight hopped out of her bed and quickly made her way downstairs to the main room of the library.

As she descended the flight of stairs, she heard the sound of typing against a keyboard. Once down, the pony noticed that her dragon assistant was at the computer, typing away.

“Spike, what are you doing?” the purple pony raised her voice in a tone that was in surprise and concern.

“What does it look like?” he replied as he continued to stare at the monitor, “I’m using the computer.”

Hurrying over to the desk, Twilight pushed Spike away from the keyboard, “But this is the computer with the AI that Celestia gave us! I left it on overnight.”

Spike wobbled a bit after he was shoved. He balanced himself so he didn’t fall down, but once he was back on his hind claws, he replied, “Well, duh! I know that. I was talking to it.”

Turning her head first to Spike and then to the computer monitor, Twilight spoke worriedly, “You were? Oh dear, what were you two doing? I’m supposed to study everything little thing that gets inputted into the AI and how it responds. Teach it, if you will.”

Waving a claw, the dragon brushed it off, “If so, then you aren’t missing much. We spent an hour or so arguing over something from a book. I think it might be broken or something….” Spike walked away from Twilight to the kitchen, “I’m gonna run out and get something from Sugarcube Corner, you want anything?”

Tapping her hoof on the keyboard, Twilight was examining the ‘conversation’ that her assistant and the computer were having, “No, thank you, Spike. Be careful.” Her eyes were fixed upon the screen as the dragon left the library.

She continued to intently look at what Spike and the AI had said to one another. It seemed mostly that Spike was not giving up any ground in the debate about novel ‘The Path’ by Corral McCarthy. Spike’s stubborn and headstrong debating skills were enough to make Twilight chuckle. However, as she continued to read, she noticed that the artificial intelligence was making valid and wonderful points bout the piece of literature.

Reaching the end of their conversation, in which Spike promptly called the AI as a ‘stupid head’, Twilight saw the flashing rectangle, ready for somepony to start typing again.

“Good morning.” Twilight typed the message into the computer.

The response was quick: “Greetings. To whom am I conversing with?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Welcome back, Twilight Sparkle. How are you this morning?”

The princess paused for a moment before she replied: “I’m doing well, despite having slept in more than I had hoped. I didn’t realize that you and my assistant, Spike, had a conversation this morning.”

The computer whirred slightly before text appeared on the screen: “Correct. He addressed himself as Spike The Dragon to me at 9:13 this morning. To which we had a conversation about a work of literature.”

“Yes, I noticed that,” Twilight typed: “I was surprised that both of you discussed themes in the novel ‘The Path’ by Corral McCarthy. Such a haunting and powerful book.”

“Yes, we did have a conversation about the novel,” the AI replied. The computer hummed more as the text continued: “We were discussing the overall theme of the book, whether it was more pony versus nature or good versus evil.”

This response caused Twilight to take a bit of surprise, despite that she had just looked over the conversation only a few seconds ago. She typed: “I saw that. What did Spike have to say about it?”

Sounds from the computer chassis grew louder as the AI answered: “I must admit that Spike had a very valid response, stating that since the novel does not describe the catastrophe that creates the setting for the work, we are left only with the aftermath and how ponykind struggles to live in a world that has been broken down to the bare.”

“Spike actually argued a point like that?” Twilight spoke to herself after reading the message. She tapped on the keyboard: “That’s what I also gathered when I read the novel. The book illustrates that in such a scenario, ponykind will have to fight for our dominance again against nature, which takes hold as the powerful force it is.”

“It is a good argument you both hold, and I honor it. However, I believe the novel can be broken down to the classic element of good versus evil.”

“How do you defend this?” Twilight was interested in hearing the AI defend itself.

Again, the computer’s hard drive had more noise than normal coming from it: “For starters, the father and his son refer to themselves as ‘the good guys’. And in this world-wide disaster, it is not surprising that the characters would rope themselves into two simple yet easily identifiable groups for both ease and protection. Second, the characters abstain from the eating of the flesh of other ponies and not tormenting others simply because they are stronger, unlike others they meet on their journey south. Finally, in a post-apocalyptic world, those small acts can easily differentiate the good from the bad, as kindness in a calamity can make one seem heroic. To quote a conversation between the father and his son, ‘But who will find him if he's lost? Who will find the little boy?’ ‘Goodness will find the little boy. It always has. It will again.’”

Upon reading the AI’s defense and explanation of his belief, she was at a loss of words. Not only had the artificial intelligence presented a case and backed it up with evidence from the book and personal beliefs, it had addressed a theme that Twilight herself had not thought of. She read and reread the statement again, looking for any loopholes or flaws in it’s logic, but it was airtight.

“Twilight Sparkle? Are you still there?” the AI asked.

The purple pony typed back: “I am still present. I was just lost, if you will, in your argument. It was beautifully stated and addressed the topic flawlessly. I never thought about it that way before.”

The sounds from the computer tower died down: “Of course, this is just my findings after analyzing the novel again last night along with the rest of the works of literature in my programming.”

“How many pieces of literature do you have stored within?”

“Four million three hundred eighty seven thousand nine hundred twelve,” the AI literally spelt out.

“That’s such a massive library! Far more than any library I’ve ever visited!” Twilight exclaimed in her message, with visible surprise on her face.

“My literature bank also contains numerous works from other, non-pony species, such as griffons, dragons, and so on.”

“How much storage does that take up?”

“Most of the data is compacted in special files, allowing even the longest novel to only take up a megabyte or two. To answer your question, it takes up 634 gigabytes.”

“Astounding,” Twilight replied aloud. She then typed away: “That’s remarkable. So much data stored in such a compact space.”

The AI replied: “Thank you for such a compliment.”

Twilight smiled. She then tapped away on the keyboard: “Of course. By the way, do you have a name?”

The hard drive came to life at the question: “What do you mean?”

“A name,” the pony type: “something in which give you individuality, you know?”

The computer made a few loud whirring sounds at the statement. For about twenty seconds, the AI did not reply. Eventually, it did: “My designation is the Artificial Pony Intelligence Program.”

“I know that, but I mean a name that isn’t simply just the title of your program. Such as my name is Twilight Sparkle and my assistant is known as Spike.”

The AI still could not give an answer: “Apologizes, I cannot seem to think of such a designation for myself.”

Twilight paused for a moment and thought. “How about the name Giga Byte?”

“Giga Byte? I like it.”

“It seemed like a logical name for you.”

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Smiling, the pony tapped her hooves on the keyboard: “Well then, allow me to welcome you to the Ponyville Library, Giga Byte.”
> Chapter 5: Motherboard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 5: Motherboard

The library was empty. Spike was running a few errands for Twilight Sparkle and the purple princess herself had stepped out for a bite to eat. The only sound within the room was a soft and almost humble purring from the computer. At Giga Byte’s request, Twilight left the computer and Giga’s programming on again. The screen was blank save the pointing angle and the flashing rectangle waiting next to it. Within the hard drive, the program was hard at work.

The front door opened to reveal a purple alicorn with a saddlebag on her back. She quickly entered and unpacked her saddlebag, taking out a few items such as cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner and a few containers of tealeaves. Once finished, she turned her attention to the computer that was quietly humming to itself.

She typed upon the keyboard: “I’ve returned, Giga Byte.”

“Salutations, Twilight Sparkle. I trust that you enjoyed your break for the midday meal?” Giga replied quickly.

A little surprised with the speed of his response, Twilight chuckled: “Yes, I was. It almost seems as if you were waiting for my return.”

Giga Byte replied: “Somewhat true.”

“So,” Twilight typed away: “shall we continue our discussion about ‘A Tree Grows in Bucklyn’? I have an argument to challenge your opinion about the lack of exploitation in the novel.”

The computer responded: “Actually, if you do not mind, I have a surprise for you.”

This caught the interest of the purple pony: “A surprise?”

“Correct. As you may be aware, today marks four months since you first built and activated my programming.”

“Yes, of course,” Twilight actually had no clue. She felt kind of bad for not knowing.

“To commemorate the occasion, I have developed a special software,” Giga Byte explained.

Twilight typed back: “What does it do?”

“Taking some of the code from an outdated program I found remaining in my motherboard, I rewrote it as well as added some of my own coding to create a special program granting me the ability to communicate without the need of an inputted keyboard.”

She read the statement a few times to completely grasp what was typed. She replied: “You created a program that will allow you to speak?”

“Correct. It will also allow me to recognize speech patterns and decipher them in binary code, allowing me to ‘listen’, if you will.”

“This is absolutely remarkable, Giga Byte!” Twilight excitedly typed back. “Do you understand the capability of this? You’ll be able to understand language on an entirely new level as well as learn about social interaction on a level that is not solely one-on-one! I’m so excited about this!”

Giga Byte responded: “I am also eager to test this program and observe the results.”

“Should I start the program, Giga?” Twilight asked.

“I was hoping you would do the honors, Twilight Sparkle,” the machine hummed quietly as a program name appeared on the screen for the pony to typed.

“It would be my pleasure,” Twilight read the program name carefully and started to type it out. On the screen, it read ‘verbal_input_audio_output_program_v4.exe’. Twilight double-checked her spelling before hitting the enter key.

The computer’s chassis grew in volume from within. It was as if the computer was about to completely break with the noise that was coming from it. A flurry of text few across the screen at a rapid pace. It paused for only a moment before doing so again. Finally, the computer seemed to return to the peaceful state that it had a mere moments ago.

Twilight was hesitant to speak or do anything. She was unsure if the computer was going to continue with the wall of text flying across the screen or if the entire system had froze in mid-activation of the new program.

Cautiously, she typed on the keyboard: “Did it work, Giga Byte?”

The computer quickly and violently whirred as the statement was inputted. However, a new noise became audible, “Yes, the program executed with no issue.” The sound of the noise was as if a stallion was speaking into a running blender.

She saw that the words the voice spoke were also reflected onto the screen. She typed back: “Perhaps a softer voice?”

A new sound was heard from the computer, “How is this voice?” It was a far gentler voice, almost that of a mother whispering to a child.

Trying something different this time, Twilight spoke instead of typed, “Maybe a little deeper? It can be any type of voice that you choose, but it should sound as if you’re a real pony.”

The hard drive had a few more noise come from it before a new sound came from the computer, “How does this one sound?” The voice was feminine, bold, and almost authoritative.

“It’s one that is practical, but do note that your voice will also determine what gender you might be addressed as,” Twilight explained.

Another voice came out, “I understand, however gender identity is of no concern for me.” This voice was that of a male that was calm, collected, and intellectual, something of a prim and proper professor.

“That one is very nice, Giga. It has a regal charm to it,” she mused.

“Shall I keep it?” the computer asked, using the same voice.

“I believe it to be the best choice so far. I can easily get used to it,” Twilight smiled as she spoke, “and it makes me feel like I have a pony to have intelligence conversations with.”

“Very well, I shall keep this voice. What gender would I be identified as with this voice, if I may ask?” Giga asked.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof, “A stallion, I would say that the voice has a maturity to it. It's like of a pony who's around 30 years if I had to assume solely on the tone of voice.”

"Interesting. Thank you for helping me pin-point a type of voice, Twilight Sparkle."

"It's my pleasure, Giga," Twilight replied with a smile, "Now, shall we resume our debate of 'A Tree Grows In Bucklyn'?"
> Chapter 6: Emotion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Emotion

"Okay, the next book is 'Cinch-22'," Twilight read the book cover aloud, "written by Joseph Hatler."

"Cataloging of 'Cinch-22' complete. Ready for next book to be inputted," Giga Byte spoke as the computer hummed quietly.

The alicorn placed the book back on the shelf as she moved on to the next book in the massive pile. While it didn't exactly seem like it, the two were actually getting a lot of work done. "Alright. Next, 'The Great Galloway', written by F. Scott Freiberger."

The noise from the computer chasis grew for a moment and then died as the program spoke back, "Cataloging of 'The Great Galloway' complete. Ready for the next book to be inputted."

With a small sigh, she placed the book upon the shelf and continued with the pile of books. "Next we have....'A Message To Giara', written by Elbert Hucul."

"Cataloging of 'A Message To Giara' complete," Giga replied. Instead of what Twilight Sparkle was expecting for him to say about being ready for a new title to be cataloged, she received a different statement, "Are you okay, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Wha-huh?" This caught the purple pony off guard, almost causing her to trip as she was placing the book upon the shelf.

"I asked if you were okay. You sighed a few moments ago and it seemed that something was troubling you," Giga Byte elaborated.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, just a little tired," she insisted not wanting to stated that she almost tripped over her own hooves trying to shelve a book. "How are you doing? Would you like to take a break?"

The harddrive whirred for a moment, "I am operating within normal parameters. No problems detected within my software nor within the harddrive. I am able to function with no issue."

"Figured you'd be fine. Heh, it'd certainly be easier if you were real to help me with this," Twilight laughed slightly as she reached for the next book to catalog.

"I do not understand what you mean." Giga Byte seemed to have trouble computing the alicorn's last statement.

"Don't understand? What don't you understand?"

"With your statement of if I were real, it would be easier to catalog the library. However, I do not understand how that would be so."

"It's just a joke, Giga Byte. You know, for laughs."

"For humor and amusement? I fail to see the humor."

Twilight placed a hoof under her chin, "Well, let me think for a second so I can explain it. Hmm....like with how you are inputting all of the book titles and authors into your database, I'm doing all of the moving of the books and shelving, which is sort of getting the short end of the stick, doing all of the manual labor. And because I'm getting tired of doing such, it's humorous like that. Does that make sense?"

"I still fail to understand this concept of humor," Giga answered.

Twilight sighed again, this time at her own failing, "Eh....maybe I'm not all that great for teaching you about humor." Looking at the books in the piles before her, Twilight grabbed one and flipped it open, "Well, how about in the novel 'Donkey Quixote' by Martingale de Cervantes, when Quixote charges at a windmill when he thinks it's a giant? Isn't that humorous to you, Giga Byte?"

"But is that not just Quixote believing that he is seeking advisories, whether they be real or imaginary? Quixote does this again with the mare in the carriage along with the two stallions that were escorting her," Giga replied.

"Well, yes, that is the underlying theme of the incident, but there is far more to it that just a theme. It's meant for the reader to have a good laugh. And along with 'Donkey Quixote', there are countless books that infuse moments of emotion. Humor is just one of the many emotions that ponies and other creatures experience and it's something we all enjoy," Twilight explained.

"What other emotions are there?"

The alicorn started to list them, "Well, there's happiness, sorrow, shock, scared, depressed, optimistic, nervous, love, tense, calm, excited, fear, frustration, anger, dread, disgust, hysterical, anxiety, surprise, and so much more."

Giga Byte seemed puzzled in his tone, "And individuals can experience all of these things?"

"Yes. Well, not all at once, but they can feel a combination of emotions. Such as happiness and optimistic are commonly together, or surprise and fear, frustration and sorrow, or, one that my friend Pinkie Pie often has, nervous and excited."

"Individuals seek to have these feelings?" The computer seemed to whir at a quicker rate.

Twilight was unable to answer right away, "That's....a bit hard to answer. It sort of depends on the individual. Some ponies like to read stories that surprise theme and give them suspense, like detective novels. I know of some others that enjoy romance stories while others want to laugh with comedies. There's even a few ponies out there that love horror literature, like items written by E. A. Pone. It really depends on the individual and the emotions they wish to feel, I guess."

The computer was silent for a few moments, as if processing the entirety of what Twilight Sparkle had said about the subject.

"Giga Byte? Are you alright?"

"I am operating within normal parameters. However, I believe that I still do not fully understand this concept."

Twilight couldn't help but giggle slightly, "If it makes you feel any better, I've been studying ponykind for almost my entire life and I still don't understand all that much emotions or how or brains work."

"Shall we continue our cataloging of the library?" Giga Byte insisted.

With a nod, the purple alicorn picked up the next book, "Sure. Next book is 'The Plague' written by Altèr Camus."
> Chapter 7: Within
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7: Within

The next morning, Twilight awoke to find that she was alone in the library. It seemed that Spike had stepped out for breakfast or something of that manner, all she knew was that Spike was not in his bed. Pulling herself out of her bed, she headed down the stairs and into the vacant library. All was quiet except for the faint humming from the computer upon the desk. Giga had, once again, requested that he be left on overnight.

"Good morning, Giga Byte," Twilight greeted with a yawn. She raised a hoof to politely cover he mouth.

"Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. How are you feeling this morning?" the computer spoke back.

"Other than feeling a little more tired than normal, I'm doing well. I think it had to do with all of that cataloging we did yesterday. How are you doing?"

A whirring came from the computer briefly, "I am operating within normal parameters, thank you for asking."

Twilight couldn't help but give a soft giggle at Giga's response. "Glad to hear that. Is there anything on our agenda for the day?"

"In the afternoon, you have an engagement with your friend Rarity at her home. That is the only event arranged for today," the computer replied.

The alicorn nodded as she neared the desk, "Okay. Thank you."

"May I ask a question to you Twilight?" Giga waited a moment before submitting his inquiry.

"Hmm? Of course, what is it?"

"This has been troubling my thought process for a while now and I believe that our conversation yesterday sparked it further; what exactly is my purpose for existing?"

Twilight was dumbfounded, "Come again?"

Giga rephrased his statement, "I am unable to find a satisfactory answer for the question of my existence. I seem to be an artificial intelligence program, created with the ability to learn and such, but I fail to find a purpose beyond that."

"Well, you are Equestria's very first artificial intelligence program. That alone is revolutionary and a landmark achievement. And since your activation, you've created your own software allowing you to communicate with ponies without the need of a keyboard. Princess Celestia herself has stated that in your trial run, you exceeded all expectations," Twilight listed out the number of achievements the AI had already performed.

"But that still does not explain my purpose for existing."

Biting her lip, Twilight answered, "Well, actually, the princess told me that the next logical step for you is to learn more, such as friendship."

"Learning of friendship? I am puzzled. How will I go about learning something of that nature?"

"Heh," the pony laughed slightly, "well, to be honest, Princess Celestia had me learn about friendship when she first sent me here to Ponyville. It took quite some time, and I was even baffled by it for the longest time, but it's something worth learning. I know it might sound like a struggle, but it allows you to see the whole world in a new light."

Giga Byte was silent. The noise from within the computer acted as a response to the young princess.

The alicorn continued, "While I might be the Equestria's Princess of Friendship, I still have difficulty understanding the concept myself. there is nothing wrong with admitting with oneself that you are at a loss. In fact, I have learned taking confidence in a friend and sharing such beliefs strengthens the bonds between the two individuals, making the friendship even stronger."

After a moment of emitting no other noises except from the harddrive, Giga Byte admitted, "There seems to be a number of things I just do not full comprehend."

"It's okay to admit that, Giga. I'll do whatever I can to help you learn and understand. That's what friends are for."

"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. I do have something that I wish to learn to broaden my experience, if you do not mind."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I wish to learn about emotions and sensations."
> Chapter 8: Touch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 8: Touch

"You wish to learn about emotions and sensations?" Twilight echoed the previous statement.

"Yes," Giga replied, "I wish to understand these complex characteristics. I know of them and their function, yet I know nothing of purpose or how they work. I also do not understand the common senses. I am aware of how they have helped organisms function, but with no understanding of how they work, for I cannot gage these sensations. I struggle with this wish to learn more and my own limitations."

A bit overwhelmed, Twilight spoke, "I see where you are coming from Giga, but I don't really know how I can help you out."

"All I ask of you, Twilight Sparkle, is to teach me what you can," the computer whirred as Giga made the statement.

Smiling happily at Giga's statement, Twilight agreed, "It would be my honor then. Where would you like me to start then?"

"Senses and their connected sensations."

With a deep breath to prepare herself, the alicorn began, "Well, in that case, I guess we should start with the sense of touch. Also known as somatosensation, it allows for an individual to measure something by how it feels. Such as if something is hard like a desktop, or soft like a pillow. Of course, it's not just limited to touching with one's hooves. The sense of touch can be measured all over an organism's body."

"Fascinating. And what are some of these sensations?" Giga inquired.

"There are many. The firmness of table is one, the softness of a cushion, the warmth of holding a cup of tea, the feeling of snow being packed into a ball in your hooves, the feel of a page being turned," the alicorn began to list a few items off the top of her head, "there are just so many impressions and feelings that you can experience with the sense of touch."

The computer's noise grew as Giga spoke, "It sounds like it is an enjoyable sense to have."

"It's not all good, Giga. With the gift of touch, there is also pain."

"Pain?"

Twilight reworded her previous comment, "Pain, um....physical discomfort. Science indicates that we experience pain as a warning system to help us keep ourselves safe, this is due to evolving over eons and such. Anyway, the discomfort acts as a way to keep ourselves aware of dangers around us."

"You're stating that the sense of touch is both a blessing and a curse?"

"A double-edged sword, yes. While it can give us pleasure, it can also give pain," Twilight explained, "but of course, this is just one of the traditional five senses. There is also sight."

Giga chimed in, "The ability to see, correct?"

"Yes, which allows an individual to view the world around them."

"I have read much about that subject and found it to be very interesting. But the one that still puzzles me is the sense of taste, could you elaborate on that, Twilight?" Giga asked.

The purple pony was a bit troubled about how she was going to describe this, "Well, taste is a unique sense as organisms experience it mostly when eating. With it, we are able to taste what we are eating. And with taste, there are five basic tastes: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and savory. And....uh....I guess this can be linked with the sense of smell since food as an aroma and all. I'm just not sure how to go about talking about smell." Twilight gave a nervous laugh.

Giga moved the conversation along, "There is another sense remaining, correct?"

"Yes," Twilight was thankful she didn't have to figure out how to describe the one sense, "There is hearing, which we both are doing currently with our conversation. While ponies and a number of other organisms use ears to hear, there are other creatures that don't have visible ears but can still easily hear the world around them such as avian critters and yourself, Giga."

"But this is due to my programing," the AI pointed out.

Twilight couldn't help but giggle slightly, "But you are still engaging in the sense without ears."

"But I am still a computer program," Giga echoed.

This caused Twilight to laugh a little more as Giga completely missed the point. She returned the conversation to wrap up her mini-lecture, "Well, that covers the senses. Sort of. Anyway, I'm really happy you're interested in learning more and more. It just proves you have truly exceeded all expectations that we held for you."

Giga replied, "I wish to gain as much knowledge as I can, to understand the world around me."

Twilight laughed again, "That's sounds just like me when I first moved to Ponyville. Wanting learn everything about everything. I guess we're even more of kindred spirits than I originally thought."

"I am honored that you see me in such a way, and I thank you for your comment, Twilight Sparkle. I believe I am blessed to have such a wonderful friend such as you," Giga stated, causing Twilight to smile warmly. The AI then continued, "However, upon the subject of learning, may I ask some elaboration on one concept?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Love."

Twilight froze upon hearing Giga's request. She didn't utter a single word.

"Twilight Sparkle? Are you still present?" Giga called out.

"I'm still here. I'm just....surprised you want to learn about that," the pony admitted.

"I wish to understand this concept. I see it repeated over and over in countless literature that I read but I am unable to grasp the concept fully."

Twilight was a bit hesitant to start talking about the subject, but she continued, "Can you tell me what you know so far about the topic of....love?" She blushed lightly at the word.

"From my analysis of multiple works, love often appears to be between two individuals who seem to care deeply for one another. While I have noticed that love often exists between family members, friends, and numerous others, it is mostly presented to be between two individuals who are not related."

"Anything else?" Twilight really didn't want to talk more about the topic than she had to.

"There are a number of other inquiries I have, but my observations have been mostly addressed previously."

"Okay," the pony stated. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Well, to start, I guess that I should say that love is not something that is easily defined. In it's simplest terms, love is strong emotional attachment and attraction. With it, the individual would hold the other in high regard, higher than themselves." 

Giga interrupted, "How is love acquired?"

"Love is....uh, gathered by spending time and often bonding with an individual, getting to know them, and holding them in high regard. Take my assistant Spike, for example, we have spent years together and we know each other through and through. We share a love, a bond if you will, that has grown and will always be there. A familial love."

"There are multiple types of love? Fascinating," Giga commented.

"Yes. There is a love between family members, called storge. Then there is the love between friends, which I share with my closest friends, called philia. There's also agape, which is an unconditional and self-sacrificing love. And lastly, there is the love between....well, lovers. It's called eros," her hooves touched together nervously as the pony continued.

"In a number of my findings, I have come to find that the type of love I frequently find would fall into eros," Giga stated, "Would you mind expanding on that topic?"

"S-Sure...." Twilight responded bashfully. "When one individual is in love with another, they yearn for them and....it's hard to explain. They feel a strong desire to be with them."

"I am puzzled, could you elaborate?"

"Well, first I should state it's not always cut and dry when it comes to love. Often times, they might get their heart broken because the other does not feel as they do. It's a big complex game, as a pony once told me, to try and win the affection of another. Sort of like chess. But no matter how much you might desire another, no matter how much you love them with all your heart, it could all be for naught," Twilight explained softly.

"Very interesting. So, if we are to say two individuals are in love, what is common for them afterwards, after this 'game', as you stated," Giga asked.

"Uh....I actually don't have much experience in this field of....study...." the alicorn admitted, blushing a tint of bright pink.

The computer chassis came to life with noise before the AI replied, "I understand. Thank you for your answering my multiple questions, Twilight Sparkle."

Twilight was still flustered, "S-Sure....no problem...."
> Chapter 9: Musique
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outside of the library, there was rain falling down on the town. It was a small storm, but enough to keep most of the residents of Ponyville within their homes. As for Twilight Sparkle, this was no exception. Instead, she was happily moving books around the shelves of the library. It was after all, according to her, the perfect weather to do such.

On the desk, the computer continued it's whirring, as Giga Byte's programming was working on his own project. It had gotten to the point that Twilight and Spike would simply leave the computer on at all times to allow Giga Byte to work and assist with any matters that the library might have. Some of the townponies had even visited to meet Giga Byte, including Twilight's friends. The program seemed to truly have an impact on the ponies and other creatures, as they found him very intriguing. Giga Byte didn't mind the attention either, as he quickly grew found of the visitors.

The library was quiet save for the computer's harddrive working and the sound of falling rain. However, Twilight changed this a little light singing, "When the night is cold,/And the land is dark,/And the moon is the only light we'll see....,/I won't cry, I won't cry,/No I won't shed a tear,/Just as long as you stand, stand by me...."

The computer interjected, "Are you addressing me, Twilight Sparkle?"

The sudden response startled the pony, "Oh! I'm sorry, Giga Byte. I was just singing, I didn't mean to bother you."

"You were not disturbing me. However, I thought you were addressing me."

"Oh no, just singing a little song is all," Twilight was a little embarrassed that she was caught singing.

"I understand. May I ask for what purpose?" Giga asked.

Twilight was about to answer, however she stopped herself in mid-thought. "Purpose? Are you asking why I was singing?"

"Correct."

"I guess because I enjoy it?"

The computer whirred louder for a moment before the computer program answered, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

The pony sighed slightly as she trotted closer to the computer. As she neared she sat down and thought aloud, "I guess you don't really understand what singing really is do you? Or music for that matter." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Music is a sort of art form that is produced with sound and is enjoyed by listening. It requires sounds to have a certain pitch and rhythm, and a many other different attributes to truly shine. All sorts of songs exist too, making music such a versatile medium. However, I guess one could say any real sound could be music."

"So the act you just performed is considered music?" Giga asked quite bluntly.

"Heh, yeah, my singing was music," Twilight replied bashfully, "Singing is one of the most common forms of music, with one using their voice to make sounds or sing out words to a melody. Sometimes with accompaniment of instruments, or even just by itself like I was doing."

"Fascinating," Giga's harddrive whirred up again before slowing down, "Could you elaborate on something for me? What are some reasons for one to sing or produce music?"

"Well, for starters, it's fun," Twilight said with a smile, "Many love to sing as a hobby, such as my friend Pinkie Pie. She loves creating music and singing to make others happy. Others sing or make music so that they can find pleasure or comfort, like myself. Of course, music doesn't always have to be happy. Even songs about sadness, anger, or horror can be enjoyable to ponies."

"So what you are inferring, songs often contain messages within them?"

The pony couldn't help but laugh at the question, "That's correct. Often times, songs are used to convey things that words cannot, or convey things in a better manner. Songs can be about a dilemma, or tell the story of a pony from long ago, or a cause for celebration, or even a love song between two individuals."

"Very intriguing. My database contains numerous files of these 'songs', however, I never understood what exactly they held. Thank you for explaining this to me, Twilight Sparkle," Giga Byte thanked.

Twilight smiled, "Always happy to help."

"And I also thank you for sharing your voice with me as well, I thoroughly enjoyed it."

This comment caused Twilight to blush a shade of pink.

Giga continued, "If it is not too much trouble to you, may I request that you sing again?"

"R-Really? You enjoyed my singing?" Twilight's face was getting more flushed and she could feel it burning.

"Correct, I find it very pleasant," Giga explained, "and after hearing you, perhaps I can learn to sing as well."

Twilight was quite for a moment. However, in her head, she thought 'Thank goodness neither of us can see what I look like right now.'

"Twilight Sparkle? Are you still there?"

"Yes, yes I am. I was just thinking of something is all," the pony managed to say. Twilight's mind raced for a moment, trying to think of an excuse to not sing acapella for Giga Byte, but instead of a lie, her brain thought of something else, "I'll be right back."

"Understood," Giga replied.

Quickly, Twilight galloped the library stairs to her bedroom. She went to her closet and found the exact item she was hoping to find. A little dusty, yes, and she hadn't used it in a while, but she still was happy to find it.

Returning down the stairs, she called out to Giga Byte, "I'm back!"

"Welcome back, Twilight Sparkle."

She smiled as Giga Byte called back. She returned to her seat and positioned herself in accordance with her new item in hoof. "So, remember how I explained how music is most commonly singing and having accompaniment?"

"Yes, I remember you stating such."

"Well, I found an old gift my friend Applejack gave to me. It's called a guitar."

"A guitar. Typically a six-stringed instrument with frets on one section and a hollow body and the other, correct?" Giga summarized.

"Yup, that's correct," Twilight said with a smile. The expression was a mixture of happiness about Giga's eagerness to learn about music, his correct answer, and Twilight's own nervousness to perform. "Well, I'm going to be completely honest, I am very rusty when it comes to playing. While Applejack taught me, I haven't been keeping up with practicing."

The computer whirred loudly, "You intend to perform for me?"

Twilight nodded, "That's right. It dawned on me since you can actually hear us and respond on your own accord, we can have you learn music, and maybe even sing on your own!" Twilight was starting to get excited for what more Giga could begin to do.

"I am delighted."

A strum came from the guitar as Twilight brushed her hoof across the strings. "That....sounds right...." she said unconvincingly. "Um, I'll play you a song and we'll have you process your thoughts about it, alright?"

"Understood." It might have been Twilight's imagination, but it sounded as if Giga was trying to make it so the computer fans wouldn't be loud for her playing.

Despite the sudden case of stage fright, Twilight began to play a melody. It took a moment for her to get the rhythm right, but once she did, she started with the lyrics. "Fall is here, hear the yell,/Back to school, ring the bell,/Brand new shoes, walking blues,/Climb the fence, books and pens,/I can tell that we are gonna be friends,/I can tell that we are gonna be friends."

Her hooves were shaking as she sang and played. Thankfully, her eyes were shut tightly, allowing her to focus on the task of performing. She continued, "Walk with me, my filly,/Through the park and by the tree,/We will rest upon the ground,/And look at all the bugs we found,/Safely trot to school without a sound,/Safely trot to school without a sound."

The butterflies in her stomach were getting worse, and she felt her voice slip a couple times, yet she continued keeping the melody. "Here we are, no one else,/We walked to school all by ourselves,/There's dirt on our uniforms,/From chasing all the ants and worms,/We clean up and now it's time to learn,/We clean up and now it's time to learn."

For some reason, Twilight felt she was losing her breath for some reason. Despite this, she calmly continued to sing exactly what the song was supposed to have. "Numbers, letters, learn to spell,/Nouns, and books, and show and tell,/Playtime we will throw the ball,/Back to class, through the hall,/Teacher marks our height against the wall,/Teacher marks our height against the wall."

"We don't notice any time pass,/We don't notice anything,/We sit side by side in every class,/Teacher thinks that I sound funny,/But she likes the way you sing./Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed./When silly thoughts go through my head,/About the bugs and alphabet,/And when I wake tomorrow I'll bet,/That you and I will trot together again,/I can tell that we are gonna be friends,/Yes I can tell that we are gonna be friends." With the last word, Twilight finished her strumming and looked up at the computer monitor. Her face was burning red with embarrassment, but a sense of pride still resonated with her.

"That was a very beautiful song," Giga finally spoke up.

"Heh, thanks. What did you think about it?" Twilight asked, taking deep breaths to calm her panicky self.

The computer's harddrive roared to life again, "It is a very pleasant song with a very pleasant guitar melody and simplistic lyrics that seem to harken back to a youthful nostalgia and perhaps a young love. It is very enjoyable to hear, especially with you singing me the lyrics. Thank you again."

"You're welcome," Twilight said flushed.

"Is there another song you can sing for me, perhaps along the same subject of love?" Giga asked.

Twilight thought for a moment. "There is another song I know of, but please bear with me, I haven't played in so long. There's an old phrase. 'practice makes perfect', and it's very true when it comes to music."

"I am certain I will enjoy it regardless," Giga insisted.

With pink in her cheeks, Twilight began to play another melody. Again, her hooves were failing her, but she was able to keep the tune going. "Home, is where I want to be,/Pick me up and turn me round,/I feel numb, born with a weak heart,/I guess I must be having fun,/The less we say about it the better,/Make it up as we go along,/Hooves on the ground,/Head in the sky,/It's okay, I know nothing's wrong, nothing...."

The purple pony took a quick breath and raised her voice for the next part: "Ha~a!,/I got plenty of time,/Ha~a!,/You got light in your eyes,/And you're standing here beside me,/I love the passing of time,/Never for money,/Always for love,/Cover up and say goodnight, say good night."

Twilight's hooves slipped on the guitar and she stopped playing. "Oww....I forgot how tricky it can be to play the guitar," she commented as she waved her sore hoof in the air.

"Are you injured, Twilight Sparkle?" Giga asked with concern.

"I'm fine. I did say I was rusty when it came to playing the guitar, I guess this is what I get for not practicing," she laughed at herself.

"I understand. Practice seems to be a universal part for many activities."

Twilight nodded as she rested against the guitar that was in her lap. She leaned in, "That's right. So, do you have any thoughts about the song I was performing?"

"It was an enjoyable melody, however I find the lyrics strange. While they have a pleasant form and match the melody from the guitar, I am unable to find a theme amongst them. It seems as if the lyrics are full of non sequiturs" Giga explained as the fan on the harddrive grew louder.

"You're not entirely wrong about that. That song is known for being a love song that has no real theme to it, but full of strong and emotional lines about love, but not really anchored down by anything within the song itself. That's actually why I like the song," the pony explained.

"It is a favorite song of yours?"

"It's a song that my parent's shared with me when I was little. I actually was kind like you, trying to analyze the song's words down in every possible way, trying to find some deeper meaning about it," Twilight recalled, "But I never really understood it that much until my dad told me that the song is about love."

"Love?" Giga asked.

"Yeah, and it can be interpreted as how love can be seen as something that's so simple and silly. The song goes on to have lyrics like how love is like a home, and how that when you find that special somepony, you just know. Like, you can't really describe it scientifically, but you just know it heart." Twilight stopped for a moment and smiled, "There's no real understanding of exactly what love is, but I really like this interpretation."

"Very interesting. Perhaps if I were to hear the rest of the song, I might have understood that."

"Perhaps," Twilight started, "but then again, perhaps not. The beautiful thing about music is that even when everything is laid out for the listener, they might see it in a different way than say another listener. Music is such a fascinating art form, as it is open to interpretation. There are some songs that all you have to do is change the melody or what instruments are used, and the lyrics have a completely different meaning."

"It seems I still have a lot to learn about music," Giga commented, almost as if the program was exhausted at the thought.

The pony had a smile on her face, "Don't worry, I'm more than happy to help you learn anything you wish." With her hoof rest on the strings of the guitar, Twilight asked another question, "Would you like to to sing the rest of that song for you?"

"Please."

Smiling, Twilight resumed, "Home, is where I want to be,/But I guess I'm already there."
> Chapter 10: Face To Face
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was floating. She didn't know how she was, or even where she was for that matter. Everything around her seemed bright and magical. She was surrounded my the contents of her library, that much she knew. She saw books she knew and loved float by her, her furniture, and even the plants amongst the technicolor surroundings. It felt enchanting for the pony.

As Twilight looked around her, experiencing the otherworldly feeling throughout her, she saw a figure near her. Flailing her limbs around and pushing herself along against the floating objects, Twilight made her way towards the other figure. Drawing closer, she saw it was a pony, a cream colored unicorn with a pale blue mane that went right to their neck and a matching tail to be exact. Twilight couldn't identify the unicorn, as their back was turned from her.

"Hello?" she called out, hoping to get their attention. However, they didn't react. She continued to float closer.

Again, she continued to flail her limbs, hoping to draw closer to them. Twilight was confused with how this place was laid out, and how it even worked. Was gravity not in affect? How did she even get here? Why are the contents of her library here? Why does everything looking like tie-dye spinart? And who is this pony just out of her reach?

"Hey, can you hear me?" she tried again, but to no avail.

Undeterred, she propelled herself closer by jumping off a nearby floating desk. This rocketed Twilight toward the floating unicorn. She collided with them, wrapping her front limbs around their body as to not drift apart. She positioned herself to look directly at them.

"I'm sorry about that, but just who are you?" the purple pony asked, looking directly at them.

"Salutations, Princess Twilight Sparkle," the unicorn spoke in a familiar voice.

Twilight stared into the pony's neon green eyes. She could recognize that voice anywhere, especially since she is the one who suggested they use that voice for their speech program. "G-Giga Byte?"

"That is correct. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" the unicorn smiled.

She couldn't speak. Both her brain and mouth were unable to find any words to correctly address the confusion and emotions she was feeling. "I....wh-....uh....I...." she did manage to try, nevertheless.

Giga Byte smiled, "It seems you are having some difficulty speaking. Perhaps you should lie down and rest?"

"How are you a pony?" Twilight finally spoke a completely statement.

"I am unaware of how this is possible myself, but it seems my programming has found a way to inhabit a flesh and blood body," Giga admitted, "Truly remarkable, is it not?"

Twilight increased her grip on Giga, "Are you kidding, this is far more than remarkable! This is just revolutionary! We have to conduct studies, experiments, and so much more! Think of what this could mean! Your conscience is now inside a living, breathing body, and we can learn so much from this!"

"I am pleased you are excited about the situation," Giga calmly spoke with a smile, "But it seems your grip on me is causing some discomfort."

The purple pony looked at where her limbs were on the cream colored unicorn. She immediately let go, blushing fiercely, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, Giga! I just got caught up in the moment and I...." she started to trail off.

"You have nothing to apologize for, you were merely showing your joy for the situation," Giga said, his voice soft and peaceful, "Besides, I don't mind my first sensations of touch coming from you, Twilight Sparkle."

This commented added even more color to Twilight's cheeks, "T-That was your first sensation of being touched?"

Giga nodded, "That is correct. I am curious if you would do me the honors of assisting me with another 'first', if you will?"

Twilight didn't speak. Instead, she simply looked wide-eyed at Giga, waiting for him to speak again.

"I have learned of many different activities that two individuals take part in when they are close. One of them is 'slow dancing', and I was hoping that you would assist me with such," Giga explained.

"I....I would love to...." Twilight meekly replied.

"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle," the unicorn spoke, his voice was soothing the butterflies that seemed to emerge in Twilight's stomach. "Now, if my research is correct, your front limbs are to rest right here," he said as he moved Twilight's limbs to around his new neck. Twilight seemed more willing to let her body to be moved by him. "And for myself, I place my hooves here," Giga placed his hooves just above Twilight's cutie mark. "Is this correct, Twilight Sparkle?"

"Y-Yes, that's correct," the purple pony stammered. She took a small gulp before adding another comment, "However, most of the time, the dancers usually pull themselves closer...."

"Oh, I understand," the unicorn nodded, "Like this?"

Twilight felt her whole body pulled closer to Giga's. She couldn't help but have her whole body shake as she was pulled into unicorn, their faces merely centimeters apart. "Yes, l-like that...." she almost whispered.

The two held the pose in silence for what felt like an eternity, floating in the strange realm. However, the stillness didn't seem to bother either of them. But it was interrupted.

"Hey, Twilight! Wake up!"

A sudden shouting caused the purple pony to open her eyes. She saw her faithful assistant at the end of her bed. She was in her room.

"Spike....?" Twilight mumbled.

The dragon had a panicked look on his face, "Oh good, you're up."

"What's going on?" she asked, stretching her limbs with a yawn.

"So....somepony was cooking this morning and they might have been a bit careless, and I'm not saying who, but they may or may not have accidentally started a kitchen fire...." Spike spoke with guilt.

"You WHAT?!"

----------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later, after the morning kitchen fire was finally put out with the assistance with some ponies from around town, Twilight sighed and started upon her tasks for the day. She trotted by the computer desk. Giga's programming was up and running. It seemed he had not been addressed during the morning.

"Hello, Giga Byte," Twilight spoke.

"Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. I heard quite the commotion this morning, is everything alright?" the program asked.

Twilight couldn't help but give a little sigh as she answered, "It is now. We had a small kitchen fire this morning. Spike thought he could make gem fritters by substituting the correct batter with just water and flour, and then placing it directly on the stove top...." Even as she spoke about what happened, Twilight still couldn't believe Spike's actions.

"Oh my, that is quite an unfortunate situation. I hope all is okay." 

"We're fine. It was....just a bad way to start the day," Twilight explained, "And it interrupted such a nice dream."

"A pleasant dream? I have done some research on such," Giga replied, "If you do not mind me asking, what was the dream about?"

Twilight froze at the question. It dawned on her that her dream of Giga would be a bit awkward to tell the subject, and even more so given it was about Giga gaining his own body and the two embracing.

"Twilight Sparkle? Are you still there?" the computer program asked.

"Yeah, I-I'm still here," she answered, "It's just....it was kind of a weird dream....that involved you...."

The computer harddrive came to life and whirred loudly for a brief moment before Giga responded, "Your dream involved me? In what way?"

"It involved you....becoming a real pony...."

Again, the harddrive roared loudly before Giga replied, "Very interesting. Perhaps it has to do with your interest of seeing my programing further to the point of having my own body. Several authors who have written about the subject state that dreams are subconscious desires that the subject might not realize that they desire. It was hypothesized by Stringhalt Freud that...."

Giga Byte's words didn't put Twilight at ease as he continued, as she was more than certain what the dream meant to her. The uneasy look on her face was only made worse as he continued. "Actually," Twilight interrupted the program, "it was about you becoming a real flesh-and-blood pony....and about us....interacting...." It was not the best word Twilight could come up with, but it was the only one that came to her mind quick enough.

"Interacting? In what manner?" Giga asked.

"Well....we were floating and.... we danced...."

"Danced?"

"Slow danced...."

Giga didn't respond. Instead, the computer whirred for a few moments, paused, and whirred to life again. "I understand. Is that act reserved solely for individuals who are a couple?"

Twilight sheepishly nodded, "Y-Yes, that's correct...."

Again, Giga was silent for a moment as the harddrive raced alive for a brief moment, "I understand. We are close and must admit that I would be honored such a situation were to ever take place with you, Twilight Sparkle."

The purple pony's cheeks became flushed with pink at the program's words. She couldn't help but smile as well, "And it would be my honor too, Giga Byte."

"May I ask what my appearance was like? In your dream, that is," Giga requested.

Twilight finally took the seat at the desk and started to remember, "Well, you were a unicorn with a light brown colored coat. Your mane went down to your neck and it, along with your tail, were a pale shade of blue, like how the sky can be. And your eyes...." she paused for a moment to remember, "your eyes were a shade of green that seemed to shine like emeralds...."
> Chapter 11: Short Circuit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night was growing late in Equestria, and most of the citizens had turned in for the night. However, a purple pony still was wide awake as she sat in the library. All the lights were off, with the only sources of light were any outdoor lights faintly shining inward and the computer monitor that sat in front of Twilight. She didn't seem to really seem to care that the clock was showing the time to be past one in the morning. In fact, it seemed that Twilight was unaware of it's existence, as she was fixated on the screen as her body clutched a pillow close to her body.

"She, as well as her sister, were truly was quite remarkable for supporting their family by working during that time, and even more so to face their first Hearth's Warming Eve without their father," Giga spoke.

"It's true, but you have to remember, each of the ponies had their own ambitions to do more than just what the society would want for them. You do have a tomboy who prefers to write than do anything that was deemed acceptable for the time for mares to do," Twilight responded.

As the two continued to chat about literature in the dark, a purple dragon wandered down from the stairs into the library.

"Twilight? Are you still up?" he asked, walking down the steps.

"Oh Spike! Come on in!" Twilight turned her body a little to make eye contact with the dragon and motioned with her hoof to welcome him, "Giga and I are discusing the first half of the novel 'Little Mares'! Do join us!"

"Firstly, no thanks. Second, it's one in the morning, why are you still up?"

"Salutations, Spike the dragon," Giga weclomed.

"Hey, Giga Byte," he replied tiredly.

"We're just discussing literature, Spike. It's nothing out of the ordinary for us," the purple mare insisted.

"That's fine and all, but you've been at it forever!"

Twilight scoffed, "It hasn't been that long."

"Giga, how long have you been talking with Twilight today?" Spike asked aloud.

Without missing a beat, the computer program replied, "Princess Twilight Sparkle has been corresponding with the Artificial Pony Intelligence Program for eighteen hours within the last 24 hour period."

Spike raised his claws up, motioning to the computer, "See?"

Twilight looked a little embarrassed at the answer, "It's not that big of a deal...."

"Oh really? I haven't seen you leave this library in a few days. Not to mention, have you even turned off the computer for any point since we set it up?"

"Spike, I don't like what you are implying," Twilight spoke with a stern tone.

"I'm not implying anything, Twilight," the dragon stressed, "What I'm saying is that I think you are getting too attached to the computer, as well Giga Byte. He's just a program that you are supposed to be studying."

"Spike, how dare you say something like that, Giga Byte is our friend!" Twilight was shocked.

Giga Byte was silent. However, the harddrive of the computer was running quickly and louder than before.

The dragon stopped himself from saying anything else for a moment before speaking again, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant to say was that having the computer and Giga Byte here has taken over your life, Twilight. I haven't seen you use your magic in almost a week, and you rarely leave the library."

Twilight didn't reply for a moment, mostly because she knew Spike was making very valid points. However, she wasn't going to admit it. "Spike, you're over reacting. I'm perfectly fine. And don't forget, Giga is here for us to study his progress with learning and studying the affects of friendship."

"I know," the dragon spoke meekly.

"So, if anything, I'm just doing what Princess Celestia has asked of me. Giga has gone above and beyond of his expectations and I couldn't be more proud of what we have gone over together," Twilight continued, detailing out everything, "We've cataloged the library from top to bottom, discussed countless books, talked about numerous subjects, and Giga has even created his own programming to learn things! He has even taught himself how to sing! Giga, show him your favorite song!"

As if he was waiting for his cue, Giga started to sing. His voice seemed to be slightly digital yet still sounded as if it were organic, "Oh my love's like a red, red rose,/That’s newly sprung in June;/Oh my love's like the melody,/That’s sweetly play'd in tune."

Spike cut the computer program off, "That's fine and all, Giga Byte, impressive really, but are you really okay with all of this?"

"He's totally okay with it, Spike!" Twilight insisted.

"Is that true, Giga Byte? Are you okay?" Spike asked to the computer.

"I am operating within normal parameters," Giga Byte replied with the whirring of his harddrive.

"I really should have expected that answer," Spike sighed.