Valuable Studies
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Pink Ponies ~ Purple Dragons ~ Studying Alone
“Twilight, what are you doing up so early?” a confused Spike asked. The baby dragon was trailing his blankie and rubbing sleep from his eyes. “I usually get you up.” He yawned and looked at the clock. “Did you sleep at the desk again? That always gives you neck ache!”
Twilight chuckled at the cross dragon. “Yes, again and yes I have a stiff neck now.” She gave him a gentle tap on the nose. “I was studying and keeping Rainbow company but I fell asleep. The sun on my back woke me up.” She sheepishly rubbed her still irritating neck. “I let you sleep in and we had breakfast together. Come on, I think somedragon deserves a little treat for breakfast.”
*
Spike sat at the table in the kitchen as Twilight magiced and moved around preparing his special surprise. “Here you are Spike.” Twilight smiled fondly and placed a loaded bowl in front of her excited number one assistant. “The Spikey Special. Green Malachite and purple Amethyst with a light sprinkling of diamond dust. Bon appetite!” Spike beamed happily before grabbing his spoon and savouring his first bite.
“Oh wow Twilight! Thanks, this is great! Sweet diamond dust goes with the coppery tang and all this filling silicate. This is the best breakfast ever!” his tongue snaked out to grab up a bubbly chunk of malachite and gather the crumbs from around his cheeks. Twilight gave him an affectionate nuzzle before preparing her next surprise.
“So...*crunch munch* What are we doing today Twilight? *munch munch crunch*” Spike was eating his breakfast merrily.
“Well Spike, I have a lot of reading and studying to do today and you already ran the most important errands yesterday so I thought, maybe you’d like the whole day off?” she smiled at his reaction of wide eyed joy.
“Really Twilight? Really! I can get the whole day off?”
“Yep. Feel free to do what you want, just let me know where you’ll be.” She left him to finish off his meal and chuckled at the muttering coming from the kitchen.
“Hiiiiiii Twilight!” a pink blur greeted her as it rushed by.
“Waugh! Pinkie?” the shock had caused her to teleport to the top floor over the library. She looked down to find her pink friend hopping around “How did you get here?!”
“Weeelll, my mother and father loved each other very much…” Twilight teleported down and put her hoof over the pony’s mouth
“No! I mean just now!” she gave the party pony a warning look and removed her hoof.
“I came from Sugarcube Corner silly!” Twilight facehooved again, she had walked into that one.
“Well, why are you here then?” she said through gritted teeth.
“Well, the plot can only get to the nitty gritty if Spike is out of the way so somepony has to come and take him off your hands!” Twilight’s chin hit the floor, the oblivious pony carried on, “So as it happens I am taking the Cutie Mark Crusaders swimming in the lake and we would just looooove for Spike to come along.” She paused for a breath and Twilight started to speak only to be bulldozed over. “So you can read your book and I won’t bring him back until suppertime!” She merrily danced from the room and soon reappeared with a bemused Spike on her back, somehow he had acquired a towel, shades and a large rubber ring shaped like a ducky.
“Uh, see you Twilight, I guess I’m going to the lake?” and with that the peculiar pony and the press ganged dragon left. Twilight sat on the floor. Many visits from Pinkie left her like this.
*
Sometime later, after recovering with a nice cup of tea, Twilight had opened the Library and settled behind her desk. The slim book nesting once more inside the dusty tax volume and her notes hidden in its lee. “Let’s see, I got to making a list of lusts…” She blushed at that and felt the briefest resurgence of her earlier thoughts. “No! Naughty Twilight! Studying! I. Am. Studying!” she stamped a hoof to punctuate the herding of emotions back to their places. Finally settled she re-opened her book and turned to the page bookmarked.
Love, a many Splendored thing
While Lust is simply the desire to commit the most intimate act with a fellow pony, Love has many facets and many layers. This is the more complex of the heart’s directions. Lust is red hot and wide with a straight path from desire to execution. Love is a labyrinth with many twists and turns and different routes to take. While your Lust list was simple to create the complexities of Love demand stricter definitions.
Twilight dipped the quill in a fresh ink pot and gathered some papers. If this required deeper study she’d be ready!
We will be beginning with the ancient Equestrian definitions of Love. These wise ponies split the concept of Love into four. Agápe, Éros, Philia and Storge. We shall now explore these four in detail.
Agápe unconditional love it often refers to a general affection or deeper sense of "true love" rather than the attraction suggested by "eros".
Éros is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing.
Philia means friendship or affectionate love. It is a dispassionate virtuous love. It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community. It requires virtue, equality and familiarity.
Storge is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring.
Many relationships are founded on one or more of these concepts of Love. While some are uncomplicated, like that between parent and foal others are a heady mix of all four. At this stage you are not expected to extract from your own feelings which types of love apply to your situation but listing your relationships and the types you believe apply to them may be a helpful exercise.
Twilight began making her notes, ever efficient she graphed the four types and began writing the names of those she was closest too.
“Well, for I feel both Philia and Storge for Spike and Princess Celestia, my mother and father too of course. Mom and Dad are a given and the Princess, well she is very important to me. Spike is like my little brother I count all of them as family and dearest friends. Agápe and Philia for my friends, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. They are dear to my heart and I would stick with them no matter what and love them always…” She misted up at those warm thoughts, so much calmer than the roiling ones that rose when she thought of her other pegasus friend… Her introspection was cut short by a knock on the door.
“Mail Call!” came a voice followed by a leafy crash. “I’m ok! Bye!” and the mail mare flew off. Twilight smiled to herself and continued studying, it seemed some more books were in order...