Fixing a hole...

Intel was shocked on two fronts. On the less offensive front, there was the fact that Icarus knew of their 'date'. On the more offensive front, there was the now infinitely annoying hypocrite mare. So Intel did what he usually did with nonsense. Ignored it.

"...pretty well? I guess? You must have seen us," he said as normally as he could to his workmate, "Shala seemed happy, and that's what I was most concerned with."

Please be kind, Icarus. Don't make this more embarrassing than it should be?

Icarus Experienced another Mood Swing. "T-That's good! Y-You t-two look g-good t-together... a-and that r-reminds me." He started Unbolting one side. "Y-You want t-to go t-to m-my Hearth's W-Warming p-party? I-It'd j-just be a f-few p-ponies... I-I s-still need t-to ask Indigo a-and Night... S-So far, It's M-Me, A n-new Mare in t-town, M-Minty, a-and S-Shala." He asked, Removing the cover to start Enchanting the Boiler.

"Sure Icarus." She said. "I will leave for you. You seem like a nice pony. Just tell you friend to try to get to know Reel a little. He never ever wants to hurt anypony and I don't like yelling. I'm sorry if I have inconvenienced you Icarus. I don't usually get this angry."

The path to the moon is paved with good intent.

The thought came unbidden into Intel's mind, but he silenced it. He didn't need to prove himself to a pony closed minded enough to stereotype him after he tried to give honest advice. He continued ignoring the mare.

"A new mare?" he asked instead, genuinely curious, "Well, well, well. What's she like?"

His anger from previous had almost disappeared completely. He was genuinely happy about things again. Shala was enjoying herself without the numbness of alcohol, Icarus was meeting mares, there was a party that he was definitely going to attend.

Things were looking up.

Icarus blushed, shuffling his hooves. "S-She w-was R-Really n-nice, a-and..."

Now Intel started actually using his magic to work, all the while smiling at Icarus' position. "I would love to go to your party, Icarus. Don't really feel like going to Canterlot anyway."

Assisting in the enchantment, he continued, "And I've seen enough pageants in my life to have gotten tired of them, so I won't miss anything."

Icarus smiled. "A-At least it's n-not the k-kind Sugar C-Coat t-tried one year... I-Imagine, T-The s-story, E-Except U-Ultra C-Cutesy." He said, Adding a Final Touch.

Intel tried to imagine the tale super cutesy, but failed. All the ones he watched were a bit dark and serious. "...How did that turn out?" he asked, stepping back from the engine.

Icarus gave the Inner Boiler a pat before starting to re-Attach the Plate. "H-Halfway t-through T-There was a R-Riot." He answered, chuckling.

"Seriously? That bad?" Intel asked, trying not to grin inappropriately, "Well, my favourite version would have to be the one done by the Prench acrobats. Have you seen that one?"

Icarus shook his head sadly. "U-Unfortunately, N-No. I-I wanted t-to, but T-Tickets w-were a bit spendy t-that year." He said, Re-attaching the rivets.

"Ah-hah..." Intel said sheepishly. Of course. Cost never really came to Intel's mind, and of course they would be expensive to watch. "Well, it was a bargain, really. That's how good it was. So! What else is there to do?"

Icarus patted the engine. "T-That's about it, r-really." He admitted, smiling.

"Another job well done, then," Intel commented, "I, uh, sorry I didn't do much this time. I was a bit distracted."

Icarus shook his head. "I-I'd b-be Distracted t-too." He said, grinning. "F-Figure 200 f-for the job?"

Intel shrugged, "That works."

He suddenly frowned as a question resurfaced in his mind. "Say, Icarus. When you gave me the text by Hurdlus...did you read it at all? Did you read the introduction?"

Icarus shook his head. "T-The Pony I g-got it from told m-me never t-to read t-the i-introduction. I-I've been c-curious, b-but I've n-never l-looked."

"Ah..." Intel said sheepishly, "Did they say why?"

Icarus shook his head yet again. "O-Only t-that I was t-too young t-to understand it a-at that point... I-I had t-that book f-for a l-long t-time now."

Intel looked at Icarus strangely. "That excuse would make me want to read it even more, but I suppose it's just me." He got out the text. "You see, the intro isn't written by Hurdlus," he explained as he flipped to the section of the text, "It was written by his assistant, who was a bit of dramatic pony. It explains what exactly happened to Hurdlus the Hardworking." He showed it to the inventor pony. "Here."

Icarus' eyes widened. "... G-Great C-Celestia a-and Luna..." He said quietly, quite Shocked.

A very small part of him regretted showing this to Icarus, but Intel didn't like the idea of comfortable lies. There were far too much of them.

"This was from a time before even them," he said softly, "Hurdlus was still bound by the kind of thinking that didn't allow change, but when his current reality didn't work with his past teachings...well."

Icarus nodded, Still Balking somewhat. "I-I see..."

"Uh..." Intel attempted, not quite knowing what to say next.

Icarus smiled a little Shakily, scratching the back of his head. "M-Makes S-Sense now..."