Twilight was engrossed in a book, an unusual state for her to be in. Her attention was drawn away from her heaven of literary treasures towards Spike as he belched out a crackling package of energy that condensed into a scroll.
Soft raised a brow, "That's the strangest way to get messages around."
Spike caught the letter and unfurled it, eyes scanning as he read it out loud.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
We are sorry to hear about your recent dilemma. Luna and I are both with you, in spirit, and Cadance sends her warmest regards. You are still a wonderful pony. There was a time in Equestria's darker past when others had to make similarly difficult decisions. While I would rather you had been spared such things, you should look to what you can learn from it, rather than hide from it. We are all certain you are working towards the greater good, and trust in your heart to hold true to your convictions.
Cadance reports that her people have taken well to Soft Mane's religion. It has been quite some time since ponykind has looked to 'higher' powers, but it is working out for the Crystal Empire. On a more personal level for Cadance, she has never looked quite as satisfied, and finds acting as high priestess quite in role with being princess. I admit some uncertainty to the idea, but she and her ponies are happy, so we'll let them do as they please. In possibly related news, Cadance has announced she is with foal, and she and Shining Armor will soon be proud parents.
"Cadance is pregnant?!" exclaimed Twilight.
Spike raised a brow, then furrowed it, "When a male and a female get together..." He looked all too-satisfied to be giving the lesson he had only recently learned himself.
Twilight thrust up a hoof, "I know the biology!" She crashed to her haunches, "It's... just hard to imagine Cadance, or Shining... like that."
Soft offered a shrug, "Well, she is literally your world's patron figure for a love and fertility god. I'd say she's right on schedule."
Twilight looked at Soft with a quirked brow, then shook her head, "Enough. Continue, please."
Equestria proper is well on the mend from our encounter with the other worlds. Your kingdom awaits you. I feel confident enough that I could bring you back, and strongly recommend you take the offer. Your time in Everglow has been educational, but you do have duties, as a princess. You also deserve a rest from all the trials that this other world has imposed on you. When you are ready, gather everypony that will travel with you and send a reply.
Your Friend and Peer,
Princess Celestia
Twilight smiled, "Good! We've taken care of what we have to take care of. I'm ready to go home, and there's so much to do..." She eyed the books around herself. "I have a whole generation of magic students to wrangle, and most of them won't even be unicorns!"
Spike rubbed behind his neck nervously, and looked to Soft.
Soft gave a gentle shrug, "I'm going where you go. Lashtada is on her own, besides, she's doing pretty well in Equestria. I can be her spokesperson in, where was that, Ponyville?"
Spike's nervousness turned into a smile, "Yeah." He suddenly grabbed one of Soft's hands, "You don't have to, you know, follow me. Your mom's here, with the rest of your life."
Soft snorted softly, "Mom chose a strange male to marry and I'll not tarnish that proud tradition. Besides Mom, there's not a lot waiting for me. I'd ask her to come along, but I think she'd explode if I suggested she leave her farm." She hiked a thumb at Twilight, "Besides, I bet she could figure out how to visit eventually."
Twilight shook her head, "You should ask anyway. She may surprise you, and it'll bother you forever if you don't." Twilight tapped a hoof on the ground, "Everypony should get their affairs in order. As Celestia said, my kingdom awaits."
Spike saluted, "I'll tell the others." And off he went, fleeing from the room.
Entering from the other direction came Lex, and Twilight inserted her face into a hoof. "I almost forgot! Is now a good time for that date? I'll be super swamped when we return to Equestria. Oh! We're returning to Equestria!"
Lex gave his usual thin-lipped smile, though it was unclear whether it was at the thought of their impending date or at the prospect of returning to his native world. "Now works fine for me. I was going to do some research first, but if you already have a plan in mind...?" Things had gone well enough with Sonata when she had led their date, so it made more sense for that to be the case with Twilight as well.
Twilight produced a scroll of her own, unfurling a portion of it in her magic, "Checklist has been triple-checked! We will have the best date ever!" She looked positively giddy, "Now let's see here..." She scanned over the parchment, "Step one, ensure that you are compatible with the datee." She raised a brow at Lex, looking uncertain, "Well we're biologically compatible, so check!" She scratched out the box, even as Spike groaned behind her and Soft snickered.
Lex tilted his head. "You've tabulated the components of our date? That's...very efficient." Coming from anypony else, that would have been a veiled insult. But there was a note of genuine admiration in Lex's voice, and his features relaxed some as he trotted over to her to glance at her list. "May I?"
Twilight had little problem sharing her checklist, "I've compiled the list from several sources, combined to ensure the ideal evening." She tapped the paper with a hoof, "As you can see, the next step is greeting your prospective date in a friendly and caring manner, expressing interest in their day and listening for talking points to use later." Twilight cleared her throat, "Ahem, hello Lex. What a fine day we are having! You're looking especially well, have you been trying a new mane soap?" She bobbed her head, seeming pleased with herself and looking to Lex for reply.
Glancing between Twilight and her list, Lex couldn't help but feel his respect for the lavender alicorn go up. While not all of the items on her list made their reasons for being there completely self-evident, enough did that he felt confident that the remainder should probably be given the benefit of the doubt. He'd need to ask her for those sources that she'd used after their date had concluded. He quickly composed a reply in his head, "You're very kind for saying so. I trust that I'm not inconveniencing you too much by asking you out? I'm certain that you must have many interesting projects that you're working on."
Check! Twilight took a simple glee in marking off the item, "Nothing that can't be put aside until later. Did you know that an Equestrian royal foal is expected?" She moved around Lex, glancing back at her list, "Next step, a relaxing walk for two through the city towards the destination of choice." She perked an ear, "Do you like opera? I found a short story being performed that I think would be lovely, coupled with a light dinner to discuss our views of the piece." Twilight was clearly in her element, with the evening planned out and ready to be conquered.
"I've never been to the opera before," replied Lex honestly. He could feel himself relaxing as he followed Twilight out the door, ignoring the disbelieving looks that Spike and Soft Mane shared. This was much more in line with what he'd thought a date would be like than his time with Sonata had been. That had been, like her, completely unpredictable...but not unpleasant. Shaking the memory off, he caught up to Twilight as she led him through the city. So long as there was an item on there about sharing more of their personal histories, then this might just be the best night ever!
They strode through the city as Twilight talked, "It's like a play, but they sing the lines instead of saying them. I'm curious to see what they do with it here in Everglow." She levitated two tickets out, "And we have front-seat tickets! They were good for a whole week, can you believe that?" She scrolled her parchment faintly, "Ask prospective date how he feels about the chosen activity. So, Lex? Do you like plays? Have you seen one before?"
"Only the ones we did in school. I remember the Hearth's Warming Eve play was interesting for its glimpse into pre-Celestial history." That play had been one of the catalysts for his interest in the science of governance, with all of its wonderfully myriad sub-disciplines. "What about you, Twilight?"
Twilight flushed lightly, "I played in that once" She waved a hoof, walking along on her other three, "Hearth's Warming Eve that is. I thought I'd just die in front of all those ponies, but we pulled it off, the girls and I." She went a bit quiet, apparently focusing on arriving at the opera as she abruptly ran out of things to talk about. Stick to the checklist! She checked off another item with satisfaction, "Let's get ourselves a seat." She surrendered her tickets to the pony at the door and waved for Lex to go first.
He nodded cordially as he stepped past her, following an usher to their seats. The theater was still half-full; they had apparently arrived with a bit of time to spare. "I'd like to hear more about that, later. In fact, I'd like to know more about all of your adventures. It seems only fair, since you were asking about this," he raised a foreleg, indicating his horn, "before."
Twilight unfurled her scroll, scanning it over quickly for something before she gave a nod, "Certainly. That sounds like an excellent dinner topic!" She made a tiny sub-check on a box before scrolling it all back up. Everything is under control... She settled into a seat beside Lex, the chairs made so ponies could easily lay on their bellies and enjoy the show.
The show began a little early, to Twilight's annoyance. The singing was heartfelt and the dancing well choreographed as both four and two-legged actors moved about the stage. They were apparently re-enacting some great griffon battle in the mountains. There was violence, betrayal, prayer, and battle. Loves were made and lost, and the temple was lost to invading purrsians and their human allies. The opera ended with a pony dressed up like a griffon shaking a hoof, "We will have our temple back, in the name of the Sun King!"
Twilight looked a little frazzled, the expression only having grown worse with each depiction of gore, done with a dramatic flair of fake blood being strewn across the stage. The play certainly left... an impact on her.
Lex seemed less affected, his brow furrowing as he watched the story play out. When the curtain finally fell, he clapped his hooves politely before turning to regard his date. "What did you think?" If he recalled correctly, the next step was to politely inquire as to her opinion of the show. "Personally, I found the entire premise a bit extreme. The griffons should simply have granted the purrsians the right to mine out that mountain in exchange for royalties, instead of declaring the entire thing off-limits as a holy place. They could have avoided the entire war and made a profit."
"Not yet!" squeaked Twilight before she took a few slow breaths, moving a hoof in and out in the way Cadence had shown her long ago. "OK..." She made a quick check, "Let's go to the appointed eating establishment, where we will enjoy a light dinner and discuss our thoughts." She slipped down onto shaking legs, gathering her wits back up from where they had fallen.
Normally Lex would have taken no notice of anypony else's state of mind, but her calming gesture was obtrusive enough to draw his attention. Frowning as he noticed her trembling slightly, he wondered what was wrong. Had he erred that badly by asking about her thoughts too early? Resolving not to make that mistake again, he was quiet on the way to the restaurant.
Recovered, Twilight smoothed her mane back down and headed for the exit, "Right this way. I selected a dining choice that is close, so we don't have to walk far." Close proved to be understated as she guided Lex just next door. The eating was outdoors with ponies gathered around wooden tables. Twilight gestured to an available table and made for it, "They offer grilled kabobs here. I have heard good things about their vegetable skewer and want to try that." She made a check on her list, triumphant.
Nodding in deference to her reasoning, Lex sat across from her. He'd come to the conclusion that his error had been to try and move things along too fast - Sonata had been most comfortable when she'd set the pace of the evening, and Twilight seemed to be that way also. Clearly that was a point of commonality that was worth noting.
Mentally reminding himself to review that later, Lex turned his gaze to his partner, staring at her as he studied her in silence. It hadn't been very long, but he'd seen Twilight in every phase of mood during their time together, and he'd never met any pony that vacillated so wildly between ease of comprehension and total mystery. Sometimes she was so easy to understand, but other times she was as inscrutable as Sonata.
He blinked, a surprised expression crossing his face as he finally understood why he'd gotten ahead of himself earlier - he was actually anticipating talking to her more. Not just to conduct his research, but to learn about her, about Twilight, specifically. That realization was enough to rock him back on his hooves.
Twilight proved to be a hospitable hostess of the evening, if a little pushy when it came time to get to the next part of the list. She guided him along on an evening walk, then a star viewing, and finally a return to their inn, where she realized she had made one final error. They shared residence at the moment, making the advice of who should go where entirely meaningless, as well as throwing off her tempo about whether she should permit, or even seek, a parting kiss. Before Twilight could get too worked up about it Spike appeared at her side, congratulating her on following the checklist so well, and seeing her off to bed. As he tucked her in, she spoke as if noone else was in the room, "He wasn't that bad, once you get to know him." And then she was out.