//------------------------------//
// Major Problems 
// Story: Happy Adventuring, Twilight! 
// by Pennington Inkwell 
//------------------------------//

	Over their final day in the New Lunar Republic, Twilight's nervousness began to mount. She could see the final destination, the changeling hive, as more and more real and more and more deadly. It's never been revealed whether or not they can feed by force. Could they just suck us dry and leave us for dead? Would they keep us prisoners to feed on over and over for the rest of our lives? No matter how she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about it. When she looked outside and saw the sun setting, her panic peaked. "We're leaving in the morning... and I am going to die."

Finally, when she sat down for dinner and couldn't eat, Twilight decided to go to the one pony who was remaining calm about this: Pennington.

She felt silly walking up to the door of Pennington's room. She hadn't actually been inside, but she had seen it when he had been showing her to her own room.

If you need me, Twilight, you can find me right here, getting ready to leave. Or come over if you don't need me, I'm not too picky! The stallion's joke had been the cherry on top of his good mood sundae since the two of them had opened up to one another. Now, Twilight was turning to him for help.

She knocked on the door, praying that she wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Who is it?" Pennington's voice called out, grating slightly and sounding as if he were exerting himself.

"It's me, Twilight!" She was now completely sure that she was interrupting something and began to shrink back from the door. "Are you busy? I can come back-"

"Come in! Come in, Twilight! You're not interrupting anything!" Pennington interrupted her, and the door swung itself open with a sapphire glow. As Twilight stepped inside, she discovered what it was that Pennington had been doing.

"It's just a little ritual of mine..." Pennington was hanging from the ceiling fan, slowly spinning in circles. "I work myself as hard as I can in the surroundings that I have. It's both physical exercise and an exercise in adaptability!"

"Well, would you mind coming down? I need to talk to you."

"Certainly!" With a sudden release, Pennington fell, turned in the air, and landed securely on his hooves. With a grimace, he lifted his injured leg closer to his body. "Ugh! I keep forgetting about that. It's all healed up, but still hurts..."

"Let me see it." Twilight didn't wait for permission, stepping closer and leaning down to inspect his leg. She didn't see anything that betrayed an actual injury, but there was a large bruise in the shape of her hoof. "I need to fix that..."

"No, I've had enough of that." Pennington smiled and stepped back, getting his leg away from her horn. As he moved back, he leaned down, putting himself at eye level with her. "So... What do you need to talk about?"

"Okay, well..." Completely open... Just like we promised. "I'm getting really scared. I don't want to turn back, but I'm really starting to not want to move ahead. What about the fact that we don't know much about the changelings? What if we get captured! Would they kill us? Would they feed off of us by force? Would they just kill us? What if-"

"Stop right there, Twilight." Pennington walked over to the bed, sitting in the middle with all of his legs folded beneath him. He motioned for her to sit next to him, and she quickly followed suit. "I had the same problem when I went on my first 'real' adventure... And I've learned something over the years: never worry about the danger until you're staring it in the face. You can prepare for it as much as you like, plan as much as you can, but you mustn't begin to worry until it's a problem of the moment. Immediate danger should be the only type to worry about."

Twilight pondered the words for a moment. Penny never did worry until the problem was there, did he? He didn't even think that the dune worm was worth mentioning until it attacked! He's obviously known the danger he's walking into, but he acts like it's just another day at the office. As she looked around, though, it became clear that he had been preparing himself for the journey ahead. All of the equipment that he had bought in Canterlot, from the camouflage suit to the new packages of ramen noodles, was laid out on the floor in what Twilight could only imagine as his own personal order-out-of-chaos mentality. He had been working on preparing himself physically when she had come in, but seemed relaxed enough to take a break for her to talk to him.

"Your first 'real' adventure?" Twilight asked, taking note of the detail that she had nearly overlooked. "What was that?"

Pennington let out a sigh and settled his chin on his front hooves. "It's a long story..." He glanced at her playfully out of the corner of his eye. "Actually, it's my cutie mark story, too."

"Well, now I have to hear it!" Twilight laughed as she mimicked him, setting her chin on her hooves, as well. "A master storyteller like you must have quite the tale to tell!"

"It's really not all that great..." Pennington grinned, not even believing himself. "But, if you really want to hear it, you'll have to do something for me!"

"And what's that?" Twilight couldn't help but buy into his light-hearted playfulness.

"Well, I never really figure out my prices until after I finish the product, so you'll have to wait and see!" Pennington winked, and she could see that he wasn't going to give any hints.

An unnamed favor can be very dangerous... in the wrong hooves. But I'm sure Penny won't abuse it. "I'm not going back to Ponyville, if that's what you want."

"Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Pennington laughed. "Just a small, simple favor, nothing too drastic."

She thought for another moment, then shrugged. "Well, okay! Now tell me the story!"

Pennington stood up on the bed, tossing Twilight side to side as he walked around the edge. After a few clumsy steps, he had turned around and once again laid down, this time face-to-face and only inches apart. "Alrighty, then. Cutie mark and my first adventure... Hold on tight, Twilight."




"Well, everypony, this week, you'll only have one assignment!" Cheerilee grinned as her class erupted into a chorus of cheers. "Now, hold on! You don't know what the assignment is, yet!"

I didn't care. Sure Shot and I gave each other a hi-hoof as we both snickered. We had both done well at keeping up with our assignments, but a week off was something that no foal could resist. All that we needed to do was to finish this assignment, and the week would be ours to seize!

"To wrap up our latest unit on how a story is written and constructed, every one of you is going to be assigned an animal. You need to write a story involving that animal! Everything else is up to you! The setting, the plot, the conflict, and the conclusion! All up to you!" She picked up a small bag and began pulling out note cards at random and setting them on her students' desks. After a few minutes, she finally reached Sure Shot and I.

"Aw, man! I got bullfrog!" Sure Shot groaned as he opened his slip of paper. "There's nothing cool about bullfrogs!"

I laughed, but was cut off as Cheerilee placed my own assignment on my desk. To my surprise, she leaned in close and whispered to me.

"I gave you a more difficult assignment, Pennington, because you've been showing a lot of potential during this unit! I think that, if you challenge yourself, you may just have a cutie mark in writing waiting for you!"

"Umm, thank you?" I said as she winked and walked on to the next student. Curious, I opened my note card.


Ursa Major


"No way!" Sure Shot cried as he looked over my shoulder. "You get to write about an Ursa Major? That's so cool!"

"But... I don't know anything about Ursa Majors..." I muttered. "All I know is that they're big and dangerous..."

Cheerliee seemed to hear me, turning around again. "Well, if you don't know much about your animal, you'll just have to go to the library!"





Pennnington paused for a moment, eyeing Twilight with curiosity. "Twilight, did you know the librarian before you came here?"

"Well, no... The library was empty when I got here." Twilight was surprised at herself for never having thought about it, but her first day had been so hectic, she had never questioned the fact that the library had been empty.

"She was an old pegasus named 'Silver Page,' a really sweet lady with BIG glasses." Pennington smiled again, albeit with a more melancholy air. "She passed away only two years before you first came."

"You mean, she died?" Twilight raised her eyebrows, a bit shocked that she had never learned about this.

"Well, of old age. She lived to be 97 years old!" Pennington did his best to resume a cheery mannerism.

"Well, that would certainly feed Spike's paranoia about ghosts!" Twilight laughed, glad that there hadn't been any kind of foul play that had happened in the library. "Perhaps we should just keep this our little secret. Anyway, so you went to the library?"

"Yes, I went and asked Silver Page if they had any books on Ursa Majors..."





"I'm sorry, Pennington, but a little filly just came in here and checked out every book we had on Ursa Majors!" Silver looked over the thick rim of her glasses with an aged smile. "I think that her name was 'Ticksy' or something... It's funny, her cutie mark didn't look like it had anything to do with clocks..."

"Well, now how am I supposed to find out about Ursa Majors?" I asked, looking around at the other useless books. When my eyes returned to the librarian, there was a familiar glint in her eyes. I had seen the same glint once before when Sure Shot had tried shooting an apple off of his own head, but it seemed to bring the old face alive again.

"Well, It just so happens... I have another book here that might be able to help you." She looked around, then fluttered up to a bookshelf and pulled off a particular volume, which she then handed to me.

"Animal Study: Adventures in the Field of Observation." I read out loud. "I don't understand."

"Well, if you can't find a book on Ursa Majors, maybe you should go and find one yourself!" The old mare grinned as she reached under her desk and pulled out a pair of binoculars, which she promptly handed down to me. "These should make it easier to get a good look at it!"

"Wait... Are you telling me to go into the Everfree Forest, on my own, to study one of the most dangerous animals in the world? Are you serious?"

"Well, most ponies give the forest too much credit, and it's not nearly so bad during the day as it is at night!" Silver Page waved away my concerns with an easygoing hoof. "As long as you're back by nightfall, you should be just fine!"






"Wait, she sent you into the Everfree Forest? That's crazy!" Twilight shook her head. "I can't believe it! You could have been killed!" Her jaw dropped as Pennington snickered, then began to laugh. If she hadn't been reluctant to do so on the bed, she would have jumped up on her hooves in indignation. For the moment, she simply pressed herself up on her front hooves to look taller. "Are you even taking me seriously?"

"Twilight, Twilight! Calm down! I was perfectly safe!" Pennington placed a gentle hoof on the back of her neck and gently pressed down, laying her down on the bed again. "Most the the dangerous animals in Everfree are nocturnal. Zecora actually lives out there, and she's just fine! She's even taught me a few tricks since then."

"Well, what about the other dangerous things? The quicksand? The poison joke? For pony's sake, I nearly died twice when I went in there once!" Pennington seemed shocked at her words, raising a curious eyebrow.

"You nearly died? Twice?" He seemed to be holding back another group of snickers. "What was so dangerous?"

"I nearly fell off of two cliffs!" The moment Twilight gave her heated explanation, she realized just how silly it must have sounded.

"That sounds like a case of just not using your eyes, Twilight..." Pennington placed a sarcastically reassuring hoof on her shoulder, then rolled over in another fit of laughter. "Ha ha ha!"

"Oh, go ahead, laugh it up. We'll just see what happens when you're dangling from a cliff and need my help..." Twilight muttered, trying not to let herself crack a smile. In retrospect, it did seem rather funny that she didn't notice the gaping chasms on her first adventure or even think to simply levitate herself out of them. "Anyway, this really isn't making me feel any better. I'm still scared."

"Well, so was I!" Pennington rolled back over onto his stomach, somehow winding up closer to Twilight than he had been before, his side pressing against her. As the physical contact continued, making it obvious that he wasn't going to move away, Twilight felt something akin to electricity run through her. She didn't know why it seemed like such a big deal for him to be in such close proximity, she had never had problems with personal space before, but she found herself strangely enjoying the closeness of the stallion. "I had never been so scared in my life as I was when I stepped into the trees of Everfree!"




The trees were close and the vegetation was dense, forcing me to stay on the path that had been made the few other ponies that had come before me. Every sound, even the groaning of the trees in the breeze, made me nearly jump out of my skin. Alright... If anything attacks me, I drop my saddlebag and run for my life. I thought. For some reason, the cowardly plan made me feel better enough to continue walking. At the same time, though, the fact that I could die was easily put aside by the fact that I was there! I was in Everfree, alone! I was standing in a place most ponies never dared to go! The adrenaline was beginning to give me a heady feeling, as if I could simply float away if I let go of that fact of reality.

I had been walking for a while before I opened up the book again, reviewing what I had already read to be extra sure.


Step One: Identify your target's habitat.

Step Two: Find the place of residence.

Step Three: Find a place to observe from a distance.

Step Four: If possible, draw as close as possible for detailed study.


Well, I know that Ursas live in the Everfree forest, so here I am... I thought, glancing around at the trees to double-check my safety. And Silver Page told me that they're nocturnal and live in caves, so if there's one around here, I'll need to find a cave, and a big one! But, I can't see anything through these trees! I thought for a moment, once again checking my surroundings to find a solution. When the idea came to me, I slapped my hoof against my forehead, but it was too late. It was stuck to my brain like pine sap. "I know I'm going to regret this..."

Without giving myself time to debate it, I found the nearest tree with a branch that I could reach (Ironically, a tall pine tree.), and began to climb. It was hard work to pull myself up after the first few branches, but I kept going, occasionally moving from tree to tree to find a higher level. After about fifteen minutes of climbing, my head finally broke through the top of the canopy, allowing me a near-perfect view of the forest.

"Wow... It's beautiful!" I whispered. Emerald treetops seemed to stretch on forever like a huge carpet. Though I know that it held many darker secrets, it seemed like there was nothing but life there! Gone were the familiar houses and shops of Ponyville, and gone were the paved roads and designated places for things! There was nothing hoof-made, it was all wild beauty and splendor! Now that I could see it, the beauty and mystery of what I didn't know about this place seemed to grab me and pull me inside, making me want to go deeper and deeper and discover things that I had never seen before! Perhaps even things that no pony had seen in the entire world!

After a few minutes of staring out into the beauty, I finally remembered my first reason for climbing up to begin with. Just about a half-mile away, I could see a large cave rising up out of a hillside like the mouth of the earth itself, ready to swallow up anything that came inside. I couldn't help but feel attracted to the mystery of what could be inside, but I chose to first investigate in the way that the book had told me: from a distance.

I held onto the tree with one hoof and reached into my bag with the other, pulling out the binoculars that Silver Page had given me. Pointing myself in the direction of the cave, I raised them to my eyes, allowing myself to see into the mysterious cave. Inside, there was only darkness at first, but as my eyes grew used to it, I began to make out a faintly glowing shape. I watched with growing excitement as my first glimpse of an Ursa Major came into view.

It was huge: bigger than anything that I had ever seen! It must have been as tall as ten houses! It looked very different from any kind of bear that I had ever seen, with huge fangs sticking out from the bottom of its mouth and a pale coat that made it look as if it were made from starlight. It gave me shivers just to imagine what it could do if it became angry. The view, however, was snatched away in an instant as a strong gust of wind came out of nowhere, and I was forced to grab on to the tree with both hooves to stop from falling. I watched in horror as the binoculars slipped back down beneath the leaves of the trees. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of shattering glass, and I knew that the binoculars were gone.

And that's when a new idea came to me: one crazier than any that I'd had yet.






"No. Penny, tell me you didn't..." Twilight buried her face in her front legs again, refusing to believe what she knew she was about to hear.

"Well, I can't lie to you, Twilight." Pennington only grinned mischievously at her reaction. "I was pretty reckless as a colt. If I had an idea, it wouldn't let me rest until I had at least tried it..."

"Well, what if you had idea to see what poison tastes like? Or what breaking a bone feels like? What if you had an idea to try juggling chainsaws and puppies?" Twilight looked up at him with exasperation, obviously concerned for him, despite the fact that the ending of the story was sitting right next to her. "Pennington Inkwell, you need to promise me that you're going to learn where to draw the line with these crazy ideas!"

"Well, juggling is a lost art that I won't be uncovering any time soon, I've broken more than a few bones in my travels, and I have dabbled in developing an immunity to certain venoms and poisons before..." Pennington cringed as Twilight punched him on his front leg. "But I think that I understand your meaning. Twilight, I've never taken a risk that I knew wasn't worth it! The odds are always in my favor, I make sure of that."

His words, however, seemed to have no effect. Twilight couldn't explain why she felt so scared, but the thought of the unicorn that she had known for such a short time suddenly throwing away his life made her shiver and brought tears to her eyes. "And what if you find a risk worth dying for, Pennington? What then?"

"Well, if I found a risk that I thought was worth dying for..." Pennington seemed to become more somber, but continued to smile as he brushed a stray hair out of her face and ran his hoof around her ear and down her chin, finally lifting her head up to stare him in the eyes. "...then I would throw myself in front of the dune worm and save her."

Twilight could see something in his eyes that was different from before. Rather than a questioning search or some kind of desire, Pennington's lavender eyes seemed to be filled from within. She couldn't help but look down again, feeling slightly ashamed. "I told that I'm not worth dying for, Pennington."

"Twilight, I make up stories for a living, and that's a bad one." Pennington lifted her chin again, forcing her to look up. "You're definitely worth dying for. You're worth more than any pony in the world."

As Twilight looked into his eyes, she almost believed him. A feeling of peace settled over her, and she settled her head on his shoulder, her eyes drooping. "Well, you may be wrong, but you're believable. Go on, tell me the rest." As he chuckled, she could feel his voice reverberating through his chest and humming against her ear. For a moment, her mind flashed back to her days as a filly, when she would ask Shining Armor and her dad to read her stories before bed. She would sit in the same position, feeling her father's voice rumbling through his chest and into her head, as if the story were flowing straight into her brain from his heart.

"Well, I don't know... It's pretty reckless." Pennington teased, making Twilight grin as his voice tickled against her ear.

"I won't panic again, okay?" Twilight looked up at him with a childish grin. "No more interruptions! Please?"

"Well, if you really want to hear it..." Pennington pulled her closer against him, making her body tingle with unexplained excitement. "It's just getting to the really good part."






The cave was even bigger up close, and so was the Ursa. The entire cave was filled with the sound of the Ursa's snoring, making it sound as if there were a thunderstorm raging inside. It didn't seem to notice when I walked into the cave, edging my way around the corners of the cavern. As the massive creature moved up and down with each breath, I felt as if at any moment, it would wake up and just swallow me in one bite. The light-headed rush seemed to be bringing me to the brink of dizziness, now, and every detail around me stood out in stark contrast to find any sort of threat or noise. It felt as if sheer adrenaline were pumping through my veins as I edged my way around it, and I could smell its stinking breath with ease. It smelled like a dog's breath mixed with the sickly-sweet smell of rotting meat. I tried not to gag as I walked past its mouth, barely avoiding one of its massive teeth by pressing myself against the wall on my back legs. The hair of its fur was long and matted, and had obviously been treated to nothing but tongue-baths for years. The entire gargantuan creature was soundly asleep, and didn't move as I made my last few steps past it and into the cave.

"Woah..." I whispered as I looked around at the massive cavern. I wasn't worried about making noise, there was no way I could make myself heard over the Ursa's snoring. The cave was worth making some noise over, though. It looked as if the cave had once been occupied by a dragon. There were scorch marks and scratches on the walls, as if there had been a fight, but most of all, there was a huge pile of treasure in the back of the room, obviously untouched for several years. In spite of this, though, the entire mountain of gold and gems still glittered, casting dancing shadows on the back wall. The sight of the hoard was almost too much to believe, but it only became more real as I walked towards it. At the base of the pile, I picked up an object that had caught my eye: an arabian scimitar. The sword's blade was wide at the end and tapered as it neared the hilt. It was almost as long as I was tall, but after a few tries and a bit of straining, I had picked it up with my horn and levitated it into the air. As I watched it rise in the light, the blade shimmered and glistened, revealing a detailed engraving that covered the entire surface. Long and complex spirals and currents revealed themselves in the low light, boggling the mind that tried to follow them. The swriling patterns and mesmerizing etchings followed the flow and the curves of what appeared to be two separate metals that comprised the saber. One metal was a awe-inspiring silver: the color of moonlight. The other: a golden bronze that shone like the sun. The etchings ran through both colors with the grace of the wind and the flow of a river, not changing in the least that the metals transitioned from one to another. Each end was weighted differently, and the balance of the weapon required varying force along the edge to keep it aloft. As I toyed with it, though, and rocked it back and forth, it felt strangely comfortable. I began to swing it from side to side with growing confidence, and the sound of the still-razor-sharp edge cutting through the air brought images to my mind of epic battles and far-away lands where to fight was to live. The blade moved faster and faster from side to side as I pictured the champions of olden days, of civilizations loved and lost, and the battles that decided the fate of the world. The ideas that began to race through my mind as that sword raced through the air were so intriguing, so enchanting... I fell in love.

In that defining moment, I realized what I needed to do. I knew what my project would be.

And I had a lot of work to do.




"And so, with a final heaving lunge, the Ursa Major leapt through the fire and onto the dragon, crushing it with her sheer weight and both shattering bone and extinguishing flame! The dragon, battered and broken, begrudingly aknowledged its defeat and slunk out of the cave on all fours, dragging what was left of its tail behind it and abandoning its hoard. The Ursa had won the battle for a home, and she and her cub would finally grow together in peace. The only treasure that she had cared about was her own home, but she had won so much more: a treasure trove that would grow old with them, resting at the back of the cave until their dying days. The end!" I cheerfully looked out on the class as my story wound to a close. To my surprise, there were several mixed reactions. Several of the colts, such as Sure Shot, were leaned forward in their seats, drinking in every bit of imagery and violence like a pony in the middle of the desert. Some of the fillies, on the other hand, were recoiled in shock at the violence. The remainder of the fillies in the room seemed only to be thinking of the mother and cub, happily together in their new and hard-won home.

"And now, may I present, the proof! A priceless artifact, taken from the dragon's horde itself!" I looked up at Miss Cheerilee, who gave me a wink and a nod. With a single great exertion, I reached for the item beneath her desk with my magic and hefted the scimitar into the air, where it gleamed and filled the entire classroom with light. The patterns on the blade reflected onto the walls and the ceiling, creating a river of midday stars over the walls and ceiling. All of the ponies fell into awe, finally agreeing on one thing: the beauty of the sword. A chorus of "ooh!" and "Ahh!" rose up from the classmate, as if they were watching fireworks.

"Well, let's all thank Pennington for his entertaining story and wonderful illustration!" Cheerilee smiled as she picked up the sword out of the air and set it on top of her desk. "He has graciously agreed to let you all view his sword after class right here at my desk!"

Sure Shot gave me an enthusiastic hi-hoof as I returned to my desk. "That was amazing! How did you come up with that story, and where did you get that sick sword?"

"Well, I think that the story really happened..." I whispered, leaning in close to my friend. "I saw scorch marks and scratches in the cave where I found the sword out in the Everfree Forest."

"WHERE?" Sure Shot's jaw dropped. "You were really out there?"

"Well, where else do you think that I could get this?" My smile grew into a full-blown grin as I angled my flank towards him, revealing something new: a pair of scrolls unraveling behind an unmarked compass.

"No way! You got your cutie mark, too! Way to go!" Sure Shot gave me another hi-hoof, and the two of us refused to stop grinning through the rest of the class. 





"And that, Twilight Sparkle, is how I got my cutie mark. I never thought about the danger, only the reward. I didn't think about what could happen as muc has what I wanted to happen. That is how I stood face-to-face with an Ursa Major, and that is how we are going to stand together in the changeling hive." Pennington reached down and ran his hoof through Twilight's hair, sending shivers down her spine and into her tail.

"So... I'm scared for my life, and your best advice is not to think about it?" Twilight looked up and chuckled. "You're a strange pony, Penny."

"Tell me something I don't know, Twilight." Pennington nuzzled the top of her head with his cheek.

"Whatever happened to the sword?"

"I keep it mounted on the wall in my study, where I can look at it while I work. It lights up the room every day when the sun and the moon rise." He leaned away, forcing Twilight to take her head off of his shoulder and sit up. "Now, about that favor..."

Twilight knew that she ought to be just a little scared, but she felt more playful as she wondered that the unpredictable pony would imagine up for her.

"First of all, I need a promise. This is my condition for you coming with me to the hive. If I tell you to run, you run. You run as far and as fast as you can." He grew solemn, staring her straight in the eyes and speaking with unfamiliar force and harshness. "If you don't promise me this, you're not coming. Victory or no victory."

Twilight rolled her eyes again, but nodded so that he would move on from the subject. It's not like I'm actually going to leave him behind. He's the whole reason I'm here!

"And for the favor..." His eyes and tone had softened again, forcing Twilight through another double-take. "Close your eyes, and don't panic."

Twilight nearly balked at the request, especially as she saw a childish glint in his eyes and smile, but she decided to trust the stallion. The world fell into darkness as she closed her eyes, and her other senses perked to a higher level as she tried to understand what the stallion was doing. She felt the weight on the bed shift as Pennington moved forward, forcing her to lean back to keep her balance. A moment later, she felt a strong hoof on her shoulder holding her still.

"If what happened in the arena meant anything..." Pennington's voice whispered in her ear, his breath gently tickling her. "Then allow me to prove it..."

What happened next took Twilight by complete surprise. She felt a light pressure on her lips and a burning warmth against them. There was only the lightest traces of moisture in the embrace, as if somepony had licked dry lips with a nervous dry mouth. It was easy for her to recognize the sensation, though. Pennington was kissing her. For a split second, she didn't know what to do. The kiss in the arena had been an accident, but this was deliberate.

And she liked it.

Finally, she took Pennington's advice to heart: she stopped thinking and began to act on what she wanted to happen, turning her head and leaning into the kiss, as well. It felt like an eternity as every one of her senses seemed to overload with the closeness that the two of them were sharing, but it was only a few seconds before she felt Pennington pull away. For a moment, she began to lean forward, trying to pursue what was ending.

As she finally caught herself and opened her eyes, Twilight looked at the pony in front of her. He was blushing intensely now, turning his face a deep lavender. Twilight felt her own face begin to burn, and she looked down as her normal composure returned. After a few seconds, Pennington finally cleared his throat and spoke.

"You know... Falling in love has the be the absolute worst thing that you could do before entering the changeling hive..." He silently pawed at the bed, as if unsure of what to do.

"Or, it could be the best. You never know what good having a partner can do for you when emotions are your greatest asset." Twilight's logic seemed somewhat sound, but it was an automatic response as her mind drifted elsewhere. Falling in love. He said "love." It seems like it's the only word that fits this feeling... But "love" is serious... Really serious.

"Well, we should probably get to bed before it gets too late..." Pennington seemed to be trying to put on a smile, but Twilight noticed his leg shivering as he stepped off of the bed. The pony took only small, hesitant steps as he walked to the door and reached for the handle. "We're off to an early start tomorrow..."

"Right! Right." Twilight nodded in agreement as she jumped off of the bed, doing her best not to let him see that she was shaking, too. She strode to the door in what she could only imagine as an awkward-looking walk somewhere between fake confidence and true hesitation. She stopped at the door, turning to face him again. She could still see that he was blushing, to he point of his face looking more like the color of her coat than her own. "I guess I'll see you in the morning, then... Goodnight, Penny."

"Good night, Twilight Sparkle." Pennington gave a shaky but polite bow as Twilight left the room, gently swinging the door shut behind her. She only walked a few steps before she began to hear Pennington again. He was laughing, slowly at first, then quickly escalating into whoops of joy.

"I did it! I- I can't believe that just happened! Woo-hoo!"

Pennington's celebrations made Twilight erupt into her own fit of giddy laughter that lasted until she had reached her room.

Dear Princess Celestia,

You will never believe what happened to me tonight...








[Author's note: PHEW! Finally got this done! I kept thinking that I had reached the ending, but Twilight just kept wanting to draw it out... Anyway, I hope that this makes up for my lack of updates, my loyal readers! I'm taking four concurrent classes in high school and I'm heavily involved in my extracurriculars, so that's why I've been lacking on the updates!

Regarding "Daughter of Chaos" : I'm going to finish it. BY CELESTIA'S BEARD,  I SWEAR I AM GOING TO FINISH IT!!! (See, I'm so serious, I'm even using the Royal Canterlot Voice!) I'm just stuck with a bad case of writer's block.

So, that's all for now! (And at over 6,000 words in this chapter, that's a LOT!) Thank you for reading, and happy adventuring!

-Pennington Inkwell]