//------------------------------//
// Sky and Lily: The Date 
// Story: Ice and Shadow 
// by ChronicleStone 
//------------------------------//

Location: Confidential
Time: 5:23 PM, March 24

The following is a reproduction of the transcripts of a meeting between the unicorn Lily Pond (LP) and the pegasus Sky Streak (SS) one afternoon outside the town of ---------.  The names have not been changed for the furtherance of potentially embarrassing rumors about said ponies.

SS and LP approach a secluded location in a small grove of trees.  The sky is beginning to redden as the sun falls towards the horizon.

SS: Feeling better?
LP: Better?
SS: Well…less tired, at least?
LP: Oh, yes.  (pause)  So, this is the spot.
SS: Pretty.  Come here often?
LP: No, not really.  It’s just a place that I’ve seen from the edge of town before, and I thought it looked kinda secluded and lonely, but still pretty.
SS: That it is.
LP: And sorta romantic.
SS: (laughs)
LP: What’s so funny?
SS: You.  You make me laugh. It’s nice to be the one laughing instead of being the one trying to make others do it.
LP: Oh, well, alright.  (sets down a basket and begins to rummage through it) Feel like eating something?
SS: Heh.  I wouldn’t mind an apple. Or whatever you have.
LP: Good, I brought a few. (gives an apple to SS, who begins to eat it immediately) They’re the freshest I had, considering we haven’t gotten any new shipments since the storm started.
SS: It’s fine.  It’s not moldy or rotten, so that makes it fine by me.
LP: (bites into her own apple and swallows) You know, I’ve never actually been on a date with anypony before.
SS: Really? Me neither, actually.
LP: So this the first time for both of us? (takes another bite)
SS: Seems like it.  So I guess if we’re doing it wrong, nopony will know, huh?
LP: (coughs as she laughs and swallows at the same time) I guess not.
SS: Well, let’s just talk, then.  When you’re not saving Equestria, what do you like to do?
LP: What?  I didn’t save Equestria.
SS: Oh, you’re right.  Well, it sounded good in my head.
LP: (chuckles. Takes another bite of her apple)
SS: So, what do you like to do normally?  Like, what did you do before you moved to Polarmino?
LP: You mean back in Fillydelphia?  Well, I helped my parents run their business.
SS: Which was? (takes a large bite of his apple)
LP: They owned a jewelry store there in town.  I remember that most of the items they made had a gemstone right in the middle of them.  I seem to recall seeing a lot of emeralds.  It was nice.
SS: How did you help?
LP: Oh, just in little ways.  I would run errands for them, hold things steady while they worked on them…you know, stuff like that.
SS: OK, I gotcha.
LP: What about you?  What did you do before you joined the Service?
SS: Well, I did a lot of different things.  But usually I helped out with delivery services. Ones that had a certain requirement for speedy work.
LP: Is that your special talent?  Being fast?
SS: Well, I’ve been told that I’m quick.  And the special abilities I got from fighting the Chimera the first time haven’t hurt that at all.
LP: I should say not.  I’ve never seen any pony move as fast as you did back in the battle.  Wings or no.
SS: Thanks.
LP: And asking a mare out on a date after knowing her for only two days indicates speed of another kind.
SS: (snorts) See, that’s not fair.
LP: Oh?  You just told me that this is the first date that you’ve ever been on.  So I have nothing else to work off of.
SS: OK, now you’re just being hard to live with.
LP: Consider it payback for all the teasing you did to me.
SS: Whatever.
LP: You know, you’re pretty fun to tease, too.
SS: Har har. (takes another big bite of apple and places the rind on the ground)
LP: No sarcastic comebacks tonight?  You must be tired.
SS: (releases a long sigh) Sorry.  Got a lot on my mind right now, you know?
LP: …Still thinking about the Clocks and Grains?
SS: Yeah.  I just can’t help thinking that I could have done more.  That I failed to do everything that I could.
LP: Sky, it’s like this is the one thing that you just can’t bring yourself to understand.  No pony can do everything all by themselves.  It’s just not possible.  You can’t be so hard on yourself.
SS: My head says that it agrees, but my heart just can’t accept that.
LP: I think that the sooner you come to grips with that, the sooner you can put an end to the Chimera.
SS: I just wish it was that easy.  But I tend to be pretty thick-headed.
LP: I thought you just told me that it was your heart that was the problem.
SS: (sighs and smiles) You know, I wondered why I found myself so attracted to you after such a short time.  And I think I know why now.
LP: (smiles softly) Why’s that?
SS: Because you make up for my weaknesses.  Like my temper and hot-headedness.  And I don’t mean just your magic.  You always look for a peaceful way to resolve things.  And you don’t let circumstances determine your outlook on life.  You’re really good at rising above your surroundings to maintain that steady nature of yours.  And I really, really like that about you.
LP: Sky, everypony has weaknesses.  You do.  I do.  Even Princess Celestia has weaknesses.  That’s why cherish friendships so much.  Our friends fill those parts of our lives that we just can’t do on our own.
SS: But you know, there are some ponies that don’t merely help fill areas of your life.  There are the ponies that make you feel more complete.  And you make me feel that way.  Like I’m more complete with you.
LP: (blushes and is visibly embarrassed) Oh, um…
SS: Oh…too soon?
LP: That’s one thing about you, Sky.  You just tell it like it is.  No mincing of words with you.
SS: Straight and to the point.  Guess I really am fast in more ways than one, huh?
LP: Told you. (gives SS a gentle nudge)
SS: That you did.
LP: So, what was it you were going to tell me later?
SS: Hm?
LP: At the meeting earlier, when you were talking and suddenly stopped.  You told me that you’d tell me what it was later.  And it’s later.
SS: Oh, that.  Right. (momentary pause) Well, it just struck me that when I was talking about the destruction the Chimera was trying to achieve.  When I was talking to it before we fought, it told me that it might have been able to get other kingdoms and realms involved in the war it had tried to start.  Which made me curious.
LP: How so?
SS: Well, mainly because I wonder if it has a specific reason to get other lands into a war.  Is it just because it wants that much chaos and devastation, or is it something personal?  It’s just something that’s bugging me a bit now.
LP: I can’t help you there, Sky.  I guess you’ll have to ask the Council when you see them.
SS: I guess I will.
(A long pause ensues. For several minutes, they sit in silence and look into the distance as the sky continues to redden.  The sun sinks steadily towards the horizon.  The only sound that can be heard is the soft chewing of carrots and apples.  LP leans over and places her head against SS.)
LP: They sent the right pony.
SS: I’m glad you think so.  But he’ll need to be sent to more places than just Polarmino in the future.
LP: Oh, I know.  But if he hadn’t come at all, none of this would have happened.  And I would have missed out on so much.
SS: So would he.
(They look at each other.  LP begins to lean in closer, but SS raises a hoof to her mouth.)
SS: Not on the first date.  Not even I’m that fast.
LP: (leans back and smiles) Fine.  But you need to promise to come back, then.  It’s not polite to keep a mare waiting.
SS: I promise. (winks)
(A sudden, soft noise arises from a nearby patch of bushes.  LP and SS turn their heads toward the sound.)
LP: What was that?
SS: (smiles smugly) I don’t know.  I sure hope there’s nopony around here.  That might be embarrassing.
LP: Sky…
SS: (stands and begins walking over to the bushes) You know, that sounded a lot like a cough or sneeze.
LP: Or a snort.
SS: Could be.  And somehow, I don’t think it would be very much like the windigoes to be spying on us so close to town.
LP: (seemingly understanding SS’s thoughts) Then what do you think it is?
SS: (slowly checking the bushes) I wonder if it’s a pony that followed us out here.  Maybe they were curious.  Or maybe... (lowers voice) …it was three of them.
LP: (with mock surprise) Three of them?  Oh my…
SS: I’d bet it’s a trio of little unicorn fillies that were just too curious to let the two of us go off alone without an explanation.  And I’d be willing to bet that they followed us out of town.  And that they’re hiding right… (pauses) HERE!
(His head plunges into the bush.  Squeals of surprise and laughter are heard as three small unicorns escape from the bush and run off.  SS and LP can be heard laughing.)

---End of Transcripts---