//------------------------------//
// Young Love 
// Story: Daienu 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

Yaazi came running into her father's lab, her face as pale as chitin could get, her mane rustling like crazy as she scampered across the floor, her hooves flailing.  Her saddlebags were poorly packed, and her school things were flying out as she ran.  "Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad Dad!" she screamed, racing into Twow and pouncing him, clinging to his chest as she shook.

Twow turned around, away from his lab table, as he cradled his shivering daughter.  "Easy there, Yaazi, easy.  What's wrong?"

Yaazi stared into his eyes, shivering.  "I don't know what to do!  Something really crazy happened and it could be bad but I'm scared and I need help and-"

"Easy there, Yaazi, calm down," Twow interrupted.  "You're sounding like Pinkie on a sugar high, but with less joy."

Yaazi started trying to take deep breaths, but it quickly became apparent that she was hyperventilating.  Falling back as she shook, Twow bumped against his latest invention on the table, which fired off a yellow beam that struck Yaazi full in the face.

"Yaazi!" Twow screamed.  "Are you okay?"

Yaazi blinked a few times, then looked up at him.  "I'm just fine, Daddy."  She blinked.  "Which is somewhat odd, considering I was just in the middle of a panic attack.  I would theorize that the energy beam had something to do with it.  It would appear that it temporarily altered my mental balance towards the logical side while weakening the emotional."

Twow smirked.  "Wow, I invented a Vulcan beam."  He chuckled.  "Well, as long as you're okay."

"There does not appear to be anything wrong with me," she replied.  Then she shivered as yellow energy dissipated off of her.  "It...it doesn't last that long, though," she whispered, once more shivering but now in more control of herself.

He hugged his daughter.  "Well, it's alright.  I'm glad it wore off so fast.  And if I want I can fix that later."  He held her out.  "Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong.  Sounds like it's pretty bad."

Yaazi looked up at her father.  "A...a colt told me he liked me," she whimpered.

Twow blinked.  "Well, that's no surprise.  You're a very likeable little filly, and I'm glad you're making friends-"

"Not like that, Dad!" Yaazi growled, frowning.  "Like like.  Like how you like Mom.  Only without the icky grown up stuff you think I don't know about."

"Oh, well- Wait, what do you mean I think you don't know about?"  Twow gave his daughter a rather direct look.

"Can we forget about that for now and focus on the monumental event in my social life, please?" Yaazi begged, widening her eyes as she stared into her father's gaze.

He couldn't last long against that.  "Alright," he relented.  "So, a colt told you he had a crush on you?"

"No, Dad.  He wants to date me, not crush me."  She giggled, then blinked.  "A colt wants to date me..."  It was plain she was going back towards a panic attack.

"So who is he?" Twow asked quickly, trying to use words to hold of screams.

"Hi-...his name's Elusive," Yaazi admitted.

"Oh, Rarity and Drak's kid," Twow affirmed, recognizing the name.  "Cute kid.  Not as cute as you, of course."  He cuddled Yaazi tightly.  "So...he told you he liked you?"

Yaazi nodded.  "He...he asked me to be his special somepony this Hearts and Hooves day."

Twow smiled.  "And what did you say?"

"Nothing."

Twow blinked.  "Okay...what did you do?"

"I...froze up, started hyperventilating, and ran all the way back home to you."  Yaazi hung her head, her mane rustling in embarrassment.

Twow winced.  Short of shooting him down or giving the 'friends' speech, that was probably the worst thing she could have done to the poor colt.  "Well...that could have gone better."

Yaazi looked up at him sadly.  "I really screwed up, didn't I?  He probably hates me now."

"I doubt that," Twow hurried to reassure her.  "Admittedly, not the best of responses.  If anything, he probably thinks you hate him."

"That's even worse!" Yaazi wailed, starting to cry.

Twow winced, realizing he'd really stepped in it this time.  "No it's not," he said quickly, struggling to recover.  "You just need to gather your thoughts, figure out how you feel about him, and then go and tell him."

Yaazi looked up at her father sadly.  "You make it sound so easy," she pouted.

Twow shrugged.  "It could be.  Do you know how you feel about him?"  She shook her head.  "Okay...what do you think about him?"

Yaazi blinked.  "He's...nice.  He doesn't talk much, but I've never felt any hostility from him.  He was never judging me.  And...he's kinda cute."  Her mane rustled violently at this admission.

Twow smiled at how adorable she was right now.  "Well, sounds like you might like him in return."

Yaazi looked up at her father, looking a little scared.  "But...but he's got cooties!"

Twow managed to lock a smile on his face as his body spasmed.  "Yaazi, there's no such thing as cooties."

Yaazi blinked.  "R...really?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded affirmatively.  "Really.  Trust me, no such thing.  Now, does spending the day with him on Hearts and Hooves Day sound so bad?"

Yaazi blinked thoughtfully, looking down.  "No.  It actually sounds...kinda fun."

Twow smiled.  "In that case, go find him, apologize for running off, and say you'd be happy to be his special somepony this Hearts and Hooves Day.  I'm sure things will go just fine."

Yaazi smiled and threw her forelegs around her father's neck.  "Thanks Daddy!  I love you!"  She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off to find Elusive.

Twow watched her go for a time.  Then, once he was sure she was out of hearing range, he clutched at his chest as he groped for the medicine cabinet.  "Where's the f***ing Bayer?" he hissed out as his body spasmed again.