Twilight led Harmonic to the science section of the store. Their siblings followed close behind.
"Hey," Shining uttered, "Your bro's been pretty quiet. He okay?"
"He's probably thinkin' 'bout his girlfriend right now."
Shining raised a brow.
"Girlfriend?"
"He might not look it, but he's incredibly intelligent. Some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth sounds like something from a dude in their sixties."
"Old soul, huh?"
"You have no idea. He's already written several stories about angels looking after mortal lovers."
"You're kidding!"
"Nope. Proof's back home."
"Color me impressed. How 'bout you? Any luck with the ladies?"
"I've had my share of success. You?"
"I may have attracted the attention of a certain high-ranking political figure's niece."
"I hate to say it, but I think my bro's got us both beat."
"What makes you say that?"
"My family's a bit more open-minded to the supernatural. What we think of as magic seems more like transformative physics, don't you think?"
"That's...Actually a pretty good point. Now I know why Twilight reads those kind of books."
"Guess it's my turn to be impressed."
"What can I say? She's a prodigal spawn."
"Philosophy and science are often looked at as separate fields. It was probably fate we ran into each other today."
"Anything's possible. Anyway, tell me more about this girl your bro's so smitten with."
"She's the total opposite. She's outgoing and lively."
"They say opposites attract. What's her name?"
"Atmospheric. She usually chills out at our place on weekends."
"From the sound of it, things are a bit more serious than the usual cutsie stuff."
"He looks out for her. That's all I'll say about it."
"Guess I need to start following by his example."
"Don't think too hard about it. His general demeanor's more of an exception than a rule. That's probably for the best."
"Fair enough."
Twilight levitated a botany book in front of Harmonic. Her expression was one of unmitigated joy.
"Do you like science?" she questioned curiously.
"From time to time," Harmonic admitted, "I'm not very good at math, though."
"I can teach you!"
"Really?"
"I love math! It's one of my favorite subjects!"
Harmonic accepted the filly's offer without hesitation.
"Okay. Let's give it a go."
Harmonic fared fairly well on basic arithmetic. It wasn't until they got into algebra Twilight noticed him begin to struggle. Rather than rush him or scold him like he was used to at school, she guided him through the steps to solve complex problems. It was a breath of fresh air for an educator to be so understanding.
"Keep practicing when you get home," Twilight encouraged, "I can tell you're getting better the more we go over the steps."
"Thanks. I will."
Twilight giggled.
"You talk funny!"
Harmonic chuckled in reply.
"Yeah. Guess I do, huh?"
Ian and Shining watched from a distance as Harmonic and Twilight read in silence.
"It's kinda scary how fast kids are learning to adapt these days." Shining commented.
"Knowledge is power, right? Innovation and resourcefulness are necessary to keep up in an ever-changing world."
"I guess. Just kinda bums me out, ya know?"
"I feel ya."
"Let's change the subject. I'm startin' to get depressed. I'd rather not go down that road if I can help it."
"You ever hear of Shadow Hearts?"
"That a game?"
"It's kinda like Final Fantasy with a lot more blood and swearing."
"Sounds cool. Is it on PS2?"
"Yep. System exclusive."
"Nice."
Shining thought for a moment.
"Hey, we have to get going soon. What do you say we meet up next weekend? We can get everybody together and chill out."
"Heck yeah, dude. Sounds like a plan."
The pair exchanged numbers and email addresses.
"We live outside town," Ian revealed, "It might take us a bit longer to get here. We'll leave early and get a head start."
"Cool. I'm gonna see what book Twilight wants before we go to lunch with our parents."
"Later."
At the food court, Shining told his parents about their encounter and their plans the following Saturday. Neither Night Light nor Velvet held any objections.
"Try to be home before dinner." the matriarch reminded.
"We will."