//------------------------------// // Chapter 89: Morning after // Story: The Reader // by GnollReader //------------------------------// Twilight watched Scar across the breakfast table with fascination. If it wasn't the fact the he had been the stallion she had 'seen' yesterday evening that amazed her, it was the way he was looking. He looked... spent. His coat was an unkempt mess and his mane wildly tangled. There was a strange twitch to his eye, and he shuddered from time to time, mumbling to himself as he simply stared at the plate before him. It seemed he had not gotten much sleep last night. No wonder, she thought, they had still been at it when she and Spike had returned to the library. "Scar?" she spoke up carefully, making Scar's head snap up and stare at her with a distant look, "Are you... are you alright?" "Scar..." he replied with a strange look, "Did things... many things..." he shuddered, "And couldn't get out... tiny key much too small for hooves..." "Oh dear..." Twilight eyed him with worry. "Wasn't all bad." he chuckled lightly, "It had fun, lots of fun... just didn't think Purple Haze could be so... wild." he mumbled, "Really is like gnoll in pony skin..." As if on cue, Purple Haze entered the kitchen. Unlike him, she looked absolutely lively. She was wearing a bathroom robe and her mane was still wet. Every step she made seemed happy and full of strive as she walked up to the table with a huge and satisfied smile. "Good morning, Scar..." she snuggled up to his side. Twilight watched in wonder as Scar first flinched at her touch, but then literally melted all over the breakfast table as she started to caress one of his ears, making him shudder with utter abandonment under her ministrations. "Yesterday..." she cooed into his ear, "Was beautiful..." Scar's mumbled something under heavy breaths as one of his legs started to twitch involuntary. "Wow..." was all that Twilight could muster up as she watched the two. "Yuck." Spike complained from his seat, "Some of us are trying to eat, thank you very much!" "So..." Twilight started, "What are you two planning for today?" she silently prayed they weren't going to spend more time in Purple Haze's room. She seriously doubted the walls of the library would survive another night like that. "Well..." Purple Haze started, "Since I already had my Heart and Hooves Day present..." Scar gave off another unintelligible mumble as she continued her work on his ear, "I think it's time Scar got his..." Twilight could actually see Scar tremble slightly. Purple Haze pulled out a little box and set it down before Scar, "Happy Heart and Hooves Day!" Scar picked his head off the table and looked at the little box in wonder, "Is for Scar?" he tried to pick it up with his hooves, but only managed to shuffle it around a bit, "Silly hooves..." he mumbled, slightly frustrated. "Here, let me give you a hoof." she opened the lid of the box and turned it towards him, letting Scar look at the contents. Scar nearly held his breath as he observed the little thing inside the box with fascination. "So? What do you think?" Purple Haze asked anxiously. "Is beautiful..." he whispered. Inside the little box, a custom-made eye clap rested on a small pillow. It was shaped to look like a pegasus from the side, made from a deep-black material and lined with gold to give the shape a realistic effect. The pegasus folded almost naturally to take a form appropriate for its function. It looked so delicate and pretty Scar barely dared to breathe on it. He carefully reached out with his hoof, but found himself unable to take it from the box. An angry snarl escaped his lips as he tried again, "Stupid hooves..." he muttered, "Can't pick up anything!" he silently wished for his claws to return a bit earlier. "Let me help you." Purple Haze offered and picked up the eye clap, "Now, let's remove the old one first..." she carefully reached up and slowly removed the piece of cloth he had used to cover his blind eye lately. "Ewww..." Twilight cringed as she saw the scarred remains of his eye, suddenly feeling a bit queasy at the prospect of continuing her breakfast. Spike however, was staring at it in complete wonder, "That looks so awesome! Why didn't I get one of those?!" Twilight shot him an annoyed glare, "Because baby dragons aren't supposed to lose an eye battling evil unicorn kings?" "There!" Purple Haze finished her work on his new eye clap. "How does it look?" Scar asked with excitement. "Totally wicked!" Spike gave his approval. "Just perfect." Purple Haze replied with a smile that grew dreamily when he embraced her for a hug. "Is perfect present for it." he told her with a big smile, "Now Scar can..." he was interrupted by a knock from the door, "Scar will get it!" he jumped up happily and ran for the door, eager to see which pony would be the first to see his new look. It wouldn't occur to him he still had to figure out how to open doors with hooves until he had actually reached the front door. "I just hope it's not my sister..." Purple Haze chuckled, "She'd be all over him in a second..." she stalled, "Is it normal for me to worry about something like this?" "Well he does look pretty good..." Twilight replied before thinking, a bright blush appeared on her cheeks as Purple Haze gave her a smirk and Spike looked up in confusion from his plate, "I just said that out loud... didn't I?" "He does look pretty cool..." Spike scratched his chin, "Why is your face red?" he gave Twilight a questioning look. "Spike... why don't you go see what Scar is up to? Maybe he'll need you help." Spike shrugged, "Sure... I guess... I wonder if he can still lift Tag..." he mumbled to himself as he walked out of the kitchen. Twilight turned to the still grinning Purple Haze, "Please don't tell anyone I said that..." Purple Haze chuckled, "Can't blame you for it... and I certainly can't wait what Dash and Rarity are going to say when they see him like that." she smiled, "The potion will last for another twelve hours and I intend to make full use of that time..." she gave Twilight a thoughtful look, "You may have to buy a new bed though, I'm afraid we... kinda broke it." Twilight cringed as she remembered the scene she had observed through the keyhole.