//------------------------------// // Archimedes Wright // Story: The Elements of Salvation // by Slick Dash //------------------------------// “GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENLTECOLTS! Aaaand it’s the usual morning announcements before the music keeps playing here on ‘Radio Equestria!’ Yet another wonderful day outside, the sun is shining the, breeze is refreshing, and trust me, it’s just a wonderful day to be out...” Twilight got up out of bed and stretched, her neck ached from last night’s study session and now gave a full force complaint as the magenta pony began to wake up. She hopped out of bed and headed to her mirror and drawers, leaving the radio playing as ‘Copper Tone’ the radio announcer for Radio Equestria blasted out with his usual boisterous voice as her alarm radio kept going. “Now I promise you one thing, five oclock tonight you better be inside because Rainbow Dash is bringing in one heck of a rain storm to tide over those last few apples that haven’t finished growing yet. So make sure you’re inside –unless you like getting caught in the rain!” Twilight found the morning radio show quite fun, Vinyl Scratches brother was a rather entertaining host to wake up to in the morning. She reached out with her magic and took up her brush and began to take it to her hair as she happily listened. “Now... a shout out to a certain special pony from a certain special stallion!” Twilight smiled at her reflection, nawwww how sweet! “Now I’d normally just say the names involved and give the message, but I have to explain this everypony! This is such a sweet and loving statement I just had to say that I was touched when it was sent in!” Twilight’s interest was dwindling, there was obviously not going to be much music on for a while, so she decided she’d had enough for today. Getting up she travelled over to the radio and reached out to hit the off switch. “Without further ado, here it is!” Her hoof brushed the top of the button as she gave one final yawn as she woke up. Her eyes closed a minute, leaving the room in darkness and stopping her from seeing the little button. “TWILIGHT SPARKLE! This song is for you from a certain special somepony! Here’s what he had to say!” Twilight’s eyes shot open. What? “Twilight, I care about you beyond all belief, I hope that one day you can understand how much you mean to me. I believe that you are the greatest, kindest and most talented pony in all of Equestria –let alone Ponyville- I feel special whenever I’m near you, and those wonderful gems of when I hear your beautiful voice just set my heart aflutter! Now I hope you can figure out who I am, and hopefully realize you feel the same way about me!” Twilight stood there, staring at the little speaker incredulously! That, was all meant for her? “Now that ladies and gentlecolts, is a beautiful sentiment and I hope you all appreciated it as much as I did when I first read it. SO this goes out to Twilight Sparkle! The stallion who made that message asked to remain anonamous, but I’m sure he won’t mind me giving you a little hint! He’s from Ponyville, aaaaand he’s a unicorn with very similar interests as you!” Then, slowly, the music began to fade in replacing Copper Tone’s voice. The magenta pony began to listen in amazement, her favourite song! “Say you, say me” By Equinal Richie! She stood there listening to the music, how could anypony know? She hadn’t even told her friends! Wracking her brains, Twilight began to move over to the main room of the library. As she sat down, still listening to the muffled music from the open door upstairs. When suddenly a knock came to the door. Twilight stood, could it be this mysterious admirer? She came to the door and opened it. “Oh, hi Noteworthy!” she smiled, relaxing slightly at the sight of the slate blue stallion. “Hey Twilight!” he smiled back, looking straight at her with his deep brown eyes. “You ok?” “Yeah, just a little frazzled is all! So how can I help you?” Twilight asked as she turned and retreated back into the library. Noteworthy frowned and followed slowly unsure if his plan had worked. “So how can I help you?” Twilight asked trotting over to the music related books. “I still don’t have that book on classic opera for you, don’t know where that disappeared to.” “Ummm that’s ok...” the stallion murmured, standing awkwardly in the centre of the room. His ear twitched as he heard the radio upstairs. So she definitely had heard it! Wonderful! But...how was he meant to show her it had been him to make the request? He’d worked for months, plucking up the courage to introduce himself to the unicorn, getting on good terms with her, visiting the library as much as possible! She’d even begun to have meaningful convocations with him about his love of music and her love of magic! That’s how he found out her love for Equinal Richie! Now he was back at square one, needing the courage to talk to her about his feelings for her! Stupid crushes! Why were they always so nerve wrecking?! “Ummm, I suppose this could be a good book for you...” Twilight said, more to herself than the stallion behind her. She made her way up the ladder and looked for the book she had spotted from the ground. As he watched her stretch for the book just out of reach, Noteworthy swore he caught a glimpse of her plot! Blushing scarlet in shame and embarrassment and shame, he looked away towards the origin of the music. He could just see into the room, a glimpse of purple wallpaper and an ok table with a mirror could just be seen from this vantage point. But the image of the room wasn’t what he was focusing on. It was the song. He closed his eyes and let the sound wash over him, the beautiful piano, the subtle violin, all music had this effect on the stallion, it absorbed him, letting him feel the mood of every note. Slowly he opened his eyes, relaxed, smiled, and began to hum along. Twilight heard the noise and stopped searching for her book. She turned to investigate, and saw Noteworthy humming happily while sniffing a few of the flowers in a vase on the table. “You know this song?” Twilight asked, forgetting about their convocation the other week, leaving her in a sense of amazement somepony else liked the singer. “Mmhmm.” He nodded to the magenta pony. Opening his mouth, he put his special talent to good use. “As we go down life’s lonesome skyway seems the hardest thing to do is to find a friend or two a helping hoof - somepony who understands...” Twilight smiled warmly at the singing stallion, his voice was magnificent! She’d noticed that immediately after he’d introduced himself to her a few months ago! “Come on Twi, come down. I didn’t come here for a book, I came to see you!” The blue stallion looked straight into the unicorn’s deep purple eyes, and as they met, Twilight was sure she felt something. ‘Surely it wasn’t him?’ questioned her inner self, ‘Not Noteworthy!’ She slowly descended the ladder. And came a few feet away from the stallion rocking side to side. She watched him contentedly as he smiled back at her. His lips parted, and he spoke softly. “Come here.” Twilight felt a shiver run up her spine. What was with this sudden change in atmosphere? She obeyed, though slightly blushing and unable to look him in the eye. “I’d say it’s time I thought you how to dance!” He explained, taking his hoof to hers, and guiding it to his shoulder. “Teach me... to dance?” Twilight frowned, she thought she was quite a good dancer! “Yeah...” the cool stallion’s stomach clenched as inside, he dreaded what would come of his next two words “...slow dance.” “O-oh...” the inner voice in her head was now screaming at her. ‘It was him! He put the song on the radio! IT WAS HIM!’ She kept her thoughts to herself, allowing the stallion to slowly guide her body to the gentle music. Twilight couldn’t bring himself to look at him, only at her hooves, determined not to step on his! Slowly as the second half of the song began to draw to a close, Twilight found her lips moving to the pace of the words. And slowly, the occasional note began to escape. “That’s the way it should be...” Noteworthy gave a nervous breath as he felt Twilight’s head lean forward and rest against his chest. As she sang the next line sweatly, he felt her head vibrate softly as the words escaped her lips. “Say you, say me; say it together...” “Naturally.” Noteworthy finished with her. Twilight’s head rose to look at him, as they looked at each other and brown and purple began to meat. Twilight began to close her eyes and crane her neck towards him. Noteworthy closed his eyes and brought his own head down to Twilight’s waiting lips, and as the final quavering note of the piano faded on the radio, the two’s faces finally met. “And that ladies and gentlecolts was Equinal Richie’s song ‘Say you, say me’ played for Twilight Sparkle from a certain special admirer! I really hope you’re listening Twilight and appreciated this gift from whoever sent it in!” Copper Tone’s voice seemed to fade, leaving the two in complete silence as they stood there embracing each other loosely. ..... “Archy! You up yet?” Seed called from below the balcony of the library. There was no response from behind the window pane. “Darn it!” muttered Seed, giving his head a slight shake in annoyance. “Hehehh, I’ve got this don’t worry.” chuckled Thor as he pushed off into the air. “Thor! Wait a second, what if you get caught?!” Seed pleaded furiously as he glanced to the front door mere feet away. “Ha! Caught? And if I am, then what?” The young colt said proudly. “I’m not afraid!” Seed blushed in embarrassment, muttering under his breath his posture somewhat deflated. “I’m not... afraid.” Thor powered his way up to the balcony, flew over the top of the balustrade and straight to the glass paned door. He pushed his muzzle up to the glass, it fogged his vision immediately. With a huff of annoyance, Thor rubbed away the forming water droplets and gazed in. All on the inside of the house seemed still, Thor’s gaze dropped just beneath his vantage point and saw a bed only a small distance away. Inside it slept a young unicorn. It was male, and had a coat of deep purplish blue, his mane was short spiky and highlighted with streaks of indigo. Thor smirked with devilish delight as a dreadfully fun idea came to mind. He quickly rocketed away into the sky, leaving the on looking Apple Seed completely bewildered. When the Colt returned from above the layer of cloud, he carried with him a dark grey coloured clump of the stratosphere. Seed realised what was coming, and stuffed a hoof in his mouth to stop himself from laughing and giving his stealthy friend away. Thor pushed the little cloud as close to the window as he could without pushing it up to the actual glass itself. He hopped off and hung in the air, angling his hind legs ready for a kick to the little gray puffball. With an explosion of thunder, Thor’s hoof made contact, and cause the little ball of cloud shudder at his touch. Better than any alarm clock, it woke up the sleeping colt. He flailed in fear, reeling from his window. His hoofs became tangled in his sheets and he end with unceremonious THUMP on the wooden floor below him. The colt looked around terrified, trying to discern the source of the noise. His eyes fell to his glass window door. Thor’s eyes could just be seen peeking from behind the little cloud. He stuck his neck out further showing his entire laughing face and gave his friend a friendly and over the top wave. Trying not to laugh, the little colt got up, he concentrated, allowing his horn to glow with a magic of pure white. The magic enveloped his sheets, pulling them tort over the mattress, and then tucking its corners in underneath it. He looked at his handy work and smiled. Tap, tap, tap. Archimedes looked up to see Thor tapping the glass, upon eye contact, the Pegasus held his forelegs to the sides as if to say. “Come on!” Archimedes gave a curt nod, and shouted to the flying friend. “I’ll be there in a second!” he took one more glance at his bed, still unbelievably inviting after such a rude awakening. With a little frown, his horn glowed yet again, softer and subtler than before. The pillow then proceeded to fluff itself, and then fall lightly back on top of the sheets. Perfect! “You wake me up like that again and I’ll make you pay!” laughed Arhy as he opened the door, and trudged onto the balcony. Thor landed on the ground with a satisfied chuckle; he kicked the cloud again, this time on its underbelly, making it soar back towards the sky without another explosion of thunder. “Well then wake up when we shout you!” He laughed as he bounded off of the overhanging ledge and towards the ground below and back to Apple Seed’s side. To the two colt’s utter shock and terror, Archimedes did the same. He bounded off of the second floor tier and sailed through the air towards the grassy ground. Both his friends called out in fear, but it was unnecessary. A foot from the ground, Archimedes’s hoofs were enveloped by his unique colour of silver magic, as they floated gently to the ground resulting in him landing with no harm whatsoever. Apple Seed and Thor sighed with relief. Archy just laughed and let out an amused “Got you back didn’t I?!” The two laughed and began to head away into town. The three of them were unsure of what to do, the unicorn, Pegasus, and earth pony carried on however, knowing they could find anything to do when the three were together. They just had to look hard enough.