//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: The First Move // Story: Knight of Equestria - On Distant Shores // by SupraMacPringles //------------------------------// After a few days of particularly fulfilling sleep, Matt Nabal had a realization; he was beginning to smell. He hadn't bathed since he arrived in Equestria. He knew Twilight had a bathtub, but for some reason he hadn't thought to make use of it. After having his Alicorn friend show him where she kept the soaps, towels, etcetera, he filled up the bath. When everything looked ready, he began removing his long sleeved shirt when he noticed Twilight Sparkle hadn't yet left the room. She was more-or-less staring at him. "Uh, Twilight?" he asked. "Yes?" she responded, not breaking her gaze. "… Privacy?" Her face turned red as she realized exactly what she was doing. "Oh! Um, right… sorry!" she said before turning and leaving the room. He sighed as he continued undressing. Twilight had been acting strangely recently. While he didn't claim to know her better than anyone else, she seemed to be out of it most of the time. She was always reading that small red book he'd brought back from Rarity's or staring out into space or at him. He'd catch her every now and then, but she would quickly turn away. He slid into the hot bath and exhaled a sigh of satisfaction. The hot water felt amazing in contrast to the bitter winter air. Warm enough to melt away his troubles. Naturally, the tub was significantly smaller than any he had seen back home, but it was relatively easy to get comfortable. He pushed his shoulder-length hair back and leaned against the edge of the tub, facing upwards. He hadn't noticed how long his hair had grown in the past six months. He assumed it looked pretty bad. He hadn't much of a reason to care about his appearance recently and still didn't, it's not like he was trying to impress anyone. On the side of the bath sat numerous jars and bottles, almost all of which smelled like vanilla and lavender. He hadn't noticed the scent on Twilight, probably because he hadn't ever intentionally smelled her. He let out another sigh. This was becoming a problem. For some reason or another, Twilight Sparkle kept constantly crossing his mind. It made sense to him, as he saw her every single day since arriving. She was a constant; something he had grown accustomed to and was one of his closest friends. He couldn't imagine life in Equestria without her. He decided just to clear his mind and proceed with his bath. Spike had told him he once used up all the hot water in Ponyville with a single bubble bath. He didn't want to be responsible for something like that, especially in winter. Meanwhile, in another part of the massive tree, Twilight Sparkle was frantically pacing about, small red book floating nearby. Today was important, the day she'd finally make a move. Spike watched her pace in amusement. "What're you doing, Twi?" he asked. She stopped suddenly. "I… it's nothing, Spike. Nothing at all." She said quietly. She opened the book again to review its contents as Spike raised brow. He decided just to stay out of it and began dusting another section of books. The book was called 'Object of Your Affection', which was essentially a filly's guide to approaching colts. She had read it numerous times, but she kept returning to it, making sure she knew all of its contents. Today was the day she'd use the knowledge within to make her starting move. She heard a door open and lowered her book. Standing in the doorway was the very target of all her planning, drying his mid-length dark hair. "I really needed that…" Matt said, taking his usual seat in the main chamber. A smile crept across his lips as he opened a book. She'd only seen him smile a few times before this, and it took some getting used to. He looked different to her without his stoic expression. He seemed… content. Twilight glanced at the book again, then back to him, and once more before closing the small tome and setting it down. She walked forward and cleared her throat, raising a hoof to cover her mouth. "Excuse me, Matt?" she said to get his attention. He peered up from his book, smile slipping away. This shook her confidence a little, but she pressed on. "W-what do you think of… me?" His brown eyes refocused to the book as he replied. "You're an invaluable friend and a credit to your species." he answered in his usual tone. The way his expression changed the moment she talked didn't perturb her too much. She too hated being disturbed while reading. She didn't quite expect his answer to be so blunt, either. Though her question wasn't completely answered yet. "… Matt?" he heard a second time. His eyes traced back up to his Alicorn associate. "Yes?" he said again, annoyance withstanding. "H-how do I look?" asked Twilight in a sheepish tone. He took a moment to study her, scanning her up and down. She shuffled a bit and looked away as he did, her face a light pink. "Adorable." He replied in his usual monotone voice. Twilight's face went from pink to red in a near instant. "Oh… you think so…?" she questioned, bashfully rubbing a foreleg. He sighed and closed his book. Twilight was still acting strangely with seemingly no explanation. He decided to give her some space. "You know, I think I'm going to go for a walk." He said as he stood. The blush drained from her face as she turned toward him again. "Huh? Why?" she asked frantically. "I've been thinking about what Rainbow Dash said the other day, and I think I can stand some more 'adventure' in my life." He said. "Oh… like what?" she inquired. "I don't know. I'm sure if I wander the streets long enough someone will bump into me, and ask me to do something insane. Like go berry hunting in a dangerous forest, or something." He said. He approached the door, ready to leave. "Wait!" Twilight exclaimed, drawing both his and Spike's attentions. "Don't you want to… finish reading?" "The books aren't going anywhere, Twilight. Ponies barely rent them out." He stated, noting the lack of visitors. "But, I… uh…" He slowly opened the door, only to watch it glow purple and close again. He looked back to see Twilight's horn glowing, too. "But, we could… uh… play board games?" she pleaded, smiling sheepishly. "I'll pass." He stated, reaching for the door again, only to have his hand blocked once again by magic. Another sigh as he turns to face her. "Alright, what's going on?" "What? N-nothing, why?" she stammered. "This isn't like you, Twilight. Is something troubling you?" "N-no… I just… wanted to spend some time… with you… I mean, can't adventure wait until tomorrow?" she asked, her face once again flushed crimson. "Maybe you should lie down. Take it easy for awhile. I'll be back in a few hours…" Though his concern was real, he still seemed entirely oblivious to any sort of emotion being displayed. He was always like that. He turned again to face the door. This was her last chance. She recalled a passage from the red book; 'Always play hard to get, unless they're getting away.' He felt himself be levitated off the ground. His body felt stiff, and he could see he was covered in purple aura. She was using her magic on him. She spun him around to face her again. "Oh, come on, one game of Monopony?" she asked. It was a strange experience, being levitated. He felt so confined, yet free of gravity. He didn't like it. He began to try to move his limbs; first the arms, then the legs. In a few seconds, a cracking sound was heard as the magic dispersed, and Matt landed on his rear. Twilight recoiled a bit, whether in shock or pain he didn't know. "Holy guacamole…" he heard Spike say from across the room. "How did you…?" questioned an exasperated Twilight. It seemed his little breakout had caused her some kind of exhaustion. "I'm… not exactly sure what just happened." He said. "You just kinda…busted out! That was awesome!" Spike shouted in approval. "I thought you said humans couldn't use magic?" Twilight asked. "We can't. At least, not that I'm aware of." He stated as he stood. He saw a scientific glimmer in Twilight's eyes. "Do you mind if I… try again?" He thought it over for a moment. Twilight looked pained when it happened. He certainly didn't want to see that again. But she looked very excited to try again. "Just… not off the ground this time." He said. She nodded in agreement as Spike looked on anxiously In a second, his body was stiff again, encased in a prison of violet. Instead of struggling like last time, he slowly began to walk forward, slipping right out of the magical grip. This method didn't seem to bother Twilight at all. Good. He didn't enjoy whatever happened to her last time. "Amazing!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly. "Your body just seems to reject magical energy! You've got to let me try more spells on you!" She looked happy. She also seemed to have forgotten about the 'board game' scenario. He sighed and smiled. "Alright, alright. What kind of spells?" They tried spell after spell for what seemed like hours, discovering that almost none of them could affect Matt what-so-ever. Even spells that effect other objects. Whenever the object came into contact with Matt, all outside magic left it immediately. Eventually they decided to take a break. "Whoa… forty-two spells, and none of them worked!" said Spike, who had been keeping track the whole time. "Your ability to deflect magic seems to be directly tied to your will power. If you want it not to work, it won't work!" added Twilight. He could see the happiness in her eyes as she continued explaining. Even Spike was having a good time. It made him feel warm inside, seeing them like this. "I guess you were right, Twilight… Adventure can wait until tomorrow."