Relaxing at the Dam

"It's all about the angle, so I've been told," Intel said, "20 degrees, or something like that. Skipping stones in a circle is actually a good way to practice telekinesis, and enchanting the pebble is a good way to practice, well, enchantment. I was just making sure I still got it, after..."

Intel paused. "Well, I won't be drinking again anytime soon, at least."

Icarus nodded, sighing. "T-That's t-true..."

"So, how's..." A single drop fell onto Intel's horn. It was followed by a steady increase of droplets, a lot of which made droplets in the river forming many patterns. Intel sighed.

"...how are the others? How's Shala? Is she alright, despite my stupidity?"

Icarus nodded, frowning slightly. "S-Something s-seems t-to be b-bothering her... b-but only s-she c-can d-decide t-to s-share it." He said, nodding. "A-And E-Everypony d-does s-stupid t-things..." He added, smiling. "L-Like s-stand out i-in the rain. W-Who are w-we, s-some E-Emo C-Colt-band?" He joked, heading to town.

"Yeah, no." Intel laughed. So the mechanic had a sense of humour. Throwing the pebble in the river (splash), he also started to head to town.

Water flows through the turbines, causing the cold iron to move in the conventional magic field, creating 'tame lightning' or electrical energy. Not very efficient at all, and requires a river. Cold iron, though, that might be useful. Pity that the rain... Wait.

"Icarus, you said that atmosphere magic was primarily to do with clouds and stuff like that, right?"

Icarus nods. "M-More along t-the lines of m-making c-clouds f-feel s-solid, w-which c-can be done b-by m-magic on a p-pony, y-yes."

The gears in Intel's head started turning as he formulated. "I saw a strange rainbow-maned pony flying about with a cloud, making it rain or strike lightning. Does that come under the heading of atmosphere magic, or is it something else entirely?"

Icarus nods. "I-If a p-pegasus does it, It p-probably does f-fall under it." He said, nodding.

"...And ponies can be enchanted to fly, or walk on clouds..." Intel muttered, a smile creeping across his face, "And what are clouds made mostly out of? Water. Yet they can also form lightning, the same result as cold iron moving in a unicorn magic field. What makes lightning clouds different to normal rain clouds?"

He was definitely going to the library after this.

Icarus nodded, thinking. "Y-You're o-on to s-something h-here..." He stated, grinning.

"Yes, yes I am," Intel said, his voice getting excited, "I just need more information. Icarus, are you currently busy at the moment?"

Icarus shrugged. "I-I w-was gonna h-head home..."

Intel smiled. "Have you ever been to the Ponyville library?"

Icarus shook his head. "N-Not yet... W-Wanted t-to get s-situated f-first..." He admitted, brushing his mane out of his eyes.

"Well, this is your...uh, fourth day here? I think it's time you saw it," Intel decided.

"Lucky for us, it's close, so we can wait there till the rain passes. And the librarian is a wonderful mare. When she isn't angry at you. Or experiencing an OCD induced breakdown. Or both." Intel shivered again, and not because of the rain.

"I need to do some reseach on clouds. Then maybe talk to a pegasus pony about weather controlling. Do you know any pegasi around here that well, Icarus?"

Icarus smiled weakly. "J-Just one, a-and s-she didn't s-seem much t-the weather t-type..." He admitted, smiling weakly.

Whether it was because of a repressed memory, alcohol, or simply plain forgetting, Intel completely failed to connect 'pegasus that Icarus knows' to 'pegasus he complete blew up in the face of'.

"Well, maybe she knows others who do," he said, blissfully ignorant, "Who is this lady pegasus?"

Icarus coughed. "... N-Night F-Flare." He said, looking embarrassed.

"Night Flare, good! So we can talk to Ni..."

Intel's brain finally caught up with his mouth. His eyes widened. "Wasn't that the mare that went drinking with us on that night, and I got mad at her, and it kind of went downhill from there?"

Icarus nodded. "K-Kinda... S-She's a-appologizing, t-though!" He said, remembering the conversation he had at the spa.

"Well, okay, I guess," Intel mumbled.

Though if she decides to go all preachy and use her fancy philosophy in her apology, I don't know how I'll take it...

"Oh, look!" Intel said with much more excitement. "We're here!"

(Move to the Library)