//------------------------------// // Chapter 70: You and I // Story: The Reader // by GnollReader //------------------------------// Purple Haze could hear the rain falling softly, the prattling of the water drops like a soft murmur. She was being held, soft fur with hard muscle underneath cradling her form and giving her warmth. She opened her eyes slightly, and looked up at the gnoll. He was holding her in his arms, his chest and head above her as the rain prattled on his back. Every time he would breath out a small cloud of steam escaped his nose as he stared at the horizon. To her side she could see the castle garden, and beyond the castle itself, lights shining like stars in the night. From inside she could hear music play softly. Was she dreaming again? Had everything been a dream? The gala, her promotion... was this just one more lonely night spent in her bed in solitude? Still, Scar was there watching over her. She knew he would always be there to watch over her. The thought made her feel a warmth she had not felt for a long time, she felt loved. She gave a happy sigh as she closed her eyes again and drew herself closer into his arms. If this was a dream she might as well enjoy it. Something carefully nuzzled her face, a wet nose poking her ear and making her twitch involuntarily as it sniffed at her. "Purple Haze is awake?" Scar's voice asked with concern. "Don't wake me up..." Purple Haze murmured as she returned the nudge, "This is such a nice dream." Somewhere to her other side somepony coughed and a whisper could be heard, "Should we withdraw ourselves? I feel our presence here may be... inadequate." "Scar does not know that word, Lulu. Celestia, what does 'withdraw' mean?" the gnoll replied. Purple Haze's eyes shot open as she scrambled frantically to get out of the gnoll's arms and onto the ground again, "I'm awake! I'm awake!" Scar watched her with a puzzled expression as she got on the ground. Purple Haze quickly saluted before the two princesses as they watched her with slight amusement, "Captain Purple Haze, reporting for duty." "Shouldn't it be Marshall Purple Haze?" Luna corrected her with a small smile. "That wasn't a dream?" "It wasn't." Celestia replied, "We suggested that Scar should take you outside to get some fresh air after you fainted. Would you like us to give the two of you some time before returning to the gala?" Purple Haze's face felt like it was on fire, "NO! No, I mean I'm fine, thank you very much. We probably shouldn't keep the nobles waiting...heh..." she pulled Scar along, "Come on Scar, let's go back." "Purple Haze really feels well again? Looks really red... Scar could carry Purple Haze again..." She remembered how it had felt to be held in his strong arms, his soft and warm fur holding her softly... she felt her blush deepen. "Nope, nope, nope..." she continued to chant as she dragged him along. --- Two days later Scar found himself involved in a curious game with Twilight. "You..." "You..." Scar replied. "I..." "I..." he repeated with a serious tone. How much longer would she insist on doing this? "Alright, that covers the personal pronouns... again." Twilight said with a tired voice. She held up an apple in a hoof, "Now, what am I doing?" Scar watched her for a moment before replying with a casual voice, "Twilight is holding an apple." "ARGH! No! This is the fifth time!" she passed him the apple with a frenzied look, "Now, hold it. What are YOU doing now?" Scar looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Scar is holding an apple?" She gave another wail of despair, "No!" she took the apple from his grasp and held it before herself like a weapon, "I am holding an apple!" she shoved it back into his paw, "YOU are holding in apple! YOU ARE HOLDING AN APPLE!" --- Above the two arguing figures, seated at the top of the stairs sat Spike and Purple Haze. They were having a hard time not to burst out into laughter. Twilight had been attempting to teach the gnoll the use of personal pronouns the whole morning now, but he simply refused to use them. Purple Haze was certain he knew how to use them but for some reason he was not willing to do so. This fact seemed to go unnoticed by Twilight though, who was slowly starting to sound like she was about to go insane. --- Scar looked at the apple with wonder, then back at Twilight. "Scar is confused. Scar thought purple pony's name was Twilight? Is real name you or I? Scar doesn't understand." Twilight gave a groan, "You and I aren't names, they're personal pronouns! They denote an entity of a specific grammatical person: first person, as in the case of I and me, or second person, as in the case of you, or third..." she was interrupted by a crunching sound, "You just ate the apple, didn't you?" "Name is Scar, not you..." the gnoll corrected her while chewing happily, "And Scar just ate the apple." She squinted her eyes at him, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" He was careful to answer, she was already glaring daggers at him. He considered his answer thoroughly as he munched on his apple. After he swallowed the last bits of the apple he checked on Twilight again, still angry. This probably wouldn't end well. When he was about to give an answer that most likely would have caused her to throw a fit though, a belch and a yelp could be heard from above. "Watch it! You almost set my mane on fire!" "Sorry... heh, always comes without warning." Spike tried to apologize. There was a short pause, "I think it's for you." Scar and Twilight waited at the bottom of the stairs as Purple Haze walked down while reading the scroll. When she reached the bottom she gave a short sigh before closing it again, "Just when I thought we'd get some peace and quiet... Scar, pack your things, grab Tag. We're going to Manehatten with the next train."