//------------------------------// // Beauty and a Brain // Story: Elements of Heroism Interlude: Vacation // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Nightfall Silver couldn't help but sigh as he woke up. As he got out of bed, Nightfall took a moment to remember the current events as he headed for the kitchen. In specific, the destruction of the Golden Oaks Library. It had been his home for only a short while, but he'd grown to love the place. Especially since meeting Twilight Sparkle. The Princess of Friendship. But it wasn't the fact that the library was destroyed that saddened Nightfall. No. What truly saddened him was Twilight constantly looking out from the balcony and gazing down at where her library once stood. 'That was her home for as long as she's lived here.' Nightfall thought as he approached Twilight. "Morning Twilight." Nightfall said with a smile as he offered the coffee he'd made. "Gotcha something." Twilight snapped out of her sad reflections, and managed a small smile. "Oh. Thank you Night." 'She smiled at me. Making progress.' Nightfall thought to himself. "So....whole lotta room for more books, right?" Twilight's smile still held. "Well, I was always running out of shelf space back at..." Twilight's smile then faded. 'ACK! She's back into her recent bad memories!' Nightfall mentally panicked! 'Recovery! Recovery!' "I'm sorry. That was insensitive of me." Nightfall said as he looked to the floor in shame. "I..shouldn't have brought it up. Especially since the memories are still fresh in your head." Nightfall then turned to leave. "I...better go." "Wait." Twilight then grabbed onto Nightfall's hand. "You didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories." She then sighed. "It's true that some of my best memories come from my old library." Twilight then held herself, and wrapped her wings around herself as well. "It's where I first met my friends. And from there, so many memories were made. And now..." Twilight gazed down at the remains of the Golden Oaks Library. "The place where those memories were born is dead." Twilight then felt Nightfall wrap his arms around her. Nightfall closed his eyes as he held Twilight close. "I know how much it hurts. Seeing a part of your past be destroyed. Especially one that holds so many memories for you." Nightfall tightened his embrace. "For me, it was when my dad died in a lab accident." Twilight's head perked at hearing this as Nightfall continued. "I was crushed. He was my hero. My idol. He got me to be such a techno-geek in the first place. But then, I remembered some words of wisdom he left to me when I was just a little kid. He told me that memories live forever. Even when the item they're tied to is long gone. And by keeping the memory alive in our hearts, we can move forward." Nightfall then opened his eyes, and saw Twilight staring into his eyes. His grey eyes peering right into her violet ones. "I know it's probably too soon for you to move on, but it's just something I thought you should know. Because I'm here to help you move on when you're ready. Every step of the way." "Night..." Twilight said as she turned around to face Nightfall before wrapping him in a tight hug. "Thank you. It means a lot to know you care about me so much." Nightfall slowly smiled as he returned the hug. "No problem Twilight. I'm always here. Night falls after Twilight, doesn't it?" Twilight giggled. "That your best line?" "Is it good?" Nightfall asked nervously. Twilight smiled as she put her forehead to Nightfall's. "It's sweet. But I think we could both do with a little time away from Ponyville. Especially after the topic of our conversation." "Might I suggest filling our stomachs?" Nightfall asked with a chuckle. "Why not take a trip to Canterlot? I know this great donut place." Twilight giggled. "Actually, I know the exact place you're talking about. I should know. I've made countless trips to it." Twilight then spread her wings. "Care to fly with me?" "I'd love to." Nightfall said with a smile as he and Twilight flew off to Donut Joe's. And not five minutes later, Nightfall and Twilight were enjoying a plate of donuts. "No matter how many times I finish one of these donuts, I just want more." Twilight giggled. "Yeah. They are that good. Which is why I make it a point to get a carry-out box whenever I make a trip back to Canterlot." "Sweet! Literally and figuratively!" Nightfall said with a grin. "So where would you like to head after this?" Twilight blinked and smirked. "Nightfall Silver...are you trying to turn this into a date?" "Well...I was planning on asking you out. Eventually." Nightfall said as his face turned red! "It's just...a good opportunity came about after our talk this morning. And it was just too good to pass up." Twilight put her hand on Nightfall's. "To be honest? I couldn't think of a better time either. Besides, my parents were nagging me to find a special someone ever since Shining and Cadence got married. Now I can get them off my back on that area." "You can always count on me to be your hero." Nightfall said with a smile. "I've got the heart for it!" The pair shared a laugh before grabbing a carry-out box. "So, you never did tell me where you'd like to go to next." Twilight smiled. "I think a good book or two could help our stomachs settle." "The library it is." Nightfall said as he took hold of Twilight's hand before giving a small bow. "It'd be a pretty big honor for the cyber knight to escort the princess of friendship." Twilight blushed and smiled. "Then lead the way Sir Silver." A few minutes later, the couple was at the library. They had found a nice, cozy spot for themselves and their huge stack of books. The two sitting right next to each other, and sharing a glance when they took a break from the words on the pages to read each other's faces. Their smiles said more than enough to each other. Sure enough, Twilight decided to get more comfortable with Nightfall. Resting her head against his shoulder. Nightfall noticed, and smiled as put one of his arms around Twilight. The library's silence allowing so much to be said without a single word. After leaving the library, the two headed back to Twilight's new castle. "Night?" "Yeah?" "Thanks for a good first date." Twilight said with a smile. She then put a wing around Nightfall. "You know? I think this castle's starting to feel a lot less lonely." Nightfall smiled as he nuzzled against Twilight's cheek. "A knight's gotta stay by his princess, right?" "True enough." Twilight said with a giggle. "Hey. I was just about to head off to bed for a nap. Care to join me?" Nightfall smiled lovingly. "No problem." Nightfall and Twilight were soon in each other's arms. "You know? This day's been had a whole lot of firsts for you. But I think you're ready for the best first of all." Nightfall then caressed Twilight's face. "I find you enchanting. And...I love you Twilight." "I love you too Night." Twilight said with a fond sigh as she held onto Nightfall tightly. The two falling asleep in each other's arms.