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// [Adorable Intensifies] 
// Story: My Little Pony: The Next Generation 
// by MedicHorse 
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My Little Pony: The Next Generation
[Adorable Intensifies]

Upon arriving in the Crystal Empire, the ponies noticed a small group waiting on the platform. No sooner had they gained their footing than they were approached. “Cadence!” Twilight called, and launched into the little dance from long ago. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” There were chuckles from the crowd as the spectacle before them played out, as this was surprisingly common. Shining Armor and Shining Amor both approached as Twilight and Cadence finished.
“Twily!” Armor said, and wrapped her in a big hug. “It’s about time you visit your BBBFF.”
“We wouldn’t be visiting now if not for the kids,” she replied. “Speaking of kids, how have you been, Prince Junior?” Shining Amor had earned this nickname through shear lack of planning on his parents’ part, as having two Shinys quickly got confusing. Shining Armor attempted to fix this by simply calling him Junior. When he learned to speak, however, he demanded to be addressed as a prince, and Prince Junior was born.
“Fine. Summer break is the best time of the year, after all,” he answered with a smirk. “Plenty of time to hang out with my marefriend.” This comment was met with a chorus of “Ohhs” and ponies demanding details. After some defiance, Prince Junior finally gave in. According to him, she was a beautiful mare, the likes of which exist only in legend. A pegasus pony named Amber Sunrise. While some eyes were rolled at the vivid description of Amber’s limitless allure, she did sound like a sweet, friendly pony. As the conversation wrapped up, Spike, Rarity, Claire, and T turned their attention to the fourth face waiting for them.
“Well, hello Roxy.” Said Rarity as the diamond dog hugged each of the family members. “You simply must visit Ponyville sometime. It has been dreadfully long since we saw you last.”
“Not all of us have jobs that let us tromp around the country.” She was referring to her job as a mineral analysis specialist for one of the Empire’s largest construction firms. “Besides, you don’t write as often as you should.”
“You know as well as anyone how busy I can get. But, as usual, you are correct. Come on kids, we’re taking Auntie Roxy to dinner. Let’s handle these bags, quickly.” The group then began moving their bags towards the castle, where they were staying. Candy broke away from the group to give Ebony the details of their rendezvous.

Candy and Ebony met just outside the castle. As Ebony was nervous throughout the entirety of the planning process, Candy had made just about every decision of the evening’s activities. First, they would get dinner at the quaint little café Candy had heard Cadence talk about. After that, they would pay a visit to the Crystal Empire Art Museum. Candy didn’t care much for art, but she figured having somepony there who knew what he was talking about might open her eyes. Finally, they would watch the world famous beauty of the sun setting over the Empire. With schedule in mind, Candy set out to have an awesome date.
Ebony was nervous. He hadn’t ever been on a real date. He hoped his bowtie was fancy enough, but was afraid he was being too fancy since Candy wasn’t wearing anything. The conversation on the way to dinner was sparse, as Ebony couldn’t think much other than “I’m on a date with a pretty mare.” As they took their seats for the meal, Ebony was almost sweating. He tried to push the nervousness out of his mind, and was able to by the time the drinks arrived.
Candy, for the first time in her life, was at a loss for words. She had seen her share of dates in action, including the one she helped with, and had memorized the advice Claire gave her. Try as she might, though, she could not shake the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She could tell by the look in his eye Ebony wasn’t faring much better. Once he began speaking, however, she found herself replying in a rhythm that helped calm her down. 
By the time dinner was wrapped up, the two were talking and giggling like old friends. Ebony paid the check as the pair walked out of the restaurant and towards the museum. On the way there, Candy made an interesting discovery. One that she just had to tell Ebony about.
“You’re shorter than me,” she stated with a smile, hoping to get a laugh out of him. She instead noticed a small blush form on his cheek as he tried to walk taller. “Aww, don’t be embarrassed. I think it’s kinda cute.”
“Well, the guys at school don’t seem to think so. Being one of the smallest changelings around is a bit of a challenge.”
“Come on, don’t get down. You know how boring it can get when everyone is the same. Being different is awesome. It makes you unique. And that makes you special.”
“Thanks. Now, let’s get down to the artsy-fartsy, shall we?” With a chuckle, they waked into the building, and were immediately taken aback by the sheer number of pieces. The halls were absolutely stuffed with paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Ebony was quickly drawn to the stone art.
“Wow,” he thought out loud, “this always blows me away. Even back then when just living was such a challenge, artists still took the time to make stuff like this. And they don’t even get to see how much they are respected.”
Candy had never really thought of art as anything but expression, but hearing Ebony’s rather objective view made her think. Had she been appreciating it wrong? She hadn’t ever considered the pony behind the painting, but she now realized that she was looking at the memory of some long gone artist. This was the closest that a pony could come to immortal. She shuddered at the thought, but soon found herself walking the halls with Ebony.
“I think we’ve seen everything,” Ebony said as the two walked towards the exit. “We need to get a move on if we want a good spot to see the sunset.” The new couple walked towards the edge of the downtown district and soon found a hill that offered a great view of the sun. As the sun dipped past the horizon, the last few beams of light danced off the crystalline buildings of the Empire. Seeing how awestruck Candy was by the display, Ebony decided to make his move.
Before Candy could react, Ebony had leaned over and planted a quick peck on her cheek. She looked back at him and noticed his adorable blush. She leaned in and gave him a kiss of her own, her lips meeting his. They broke apart after a moment and watched the last of the day’s light dance over the hills.