• Published 12th Jan 2012
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Tales from the Staff Canteen - Midnightshadow



Behind the scenes at Equestria Daily, where all is professional and above board...

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Crime and Punishment - by Siraj

There were times it was worth it to get up early to say hello to Princess Luna, even if she had to take a sleep hit to do it. Then there were times it just didn’t pay to get out of bed. Today was, unfortunately, the latter. Luna was... annoyed, one could say. If one could call laying waste to a quarter of the Everfree Forest with a black flame of rage ‘annoyed’. Somepony had approved a Celestia/Luna near-clopfic without looking at it. Unfortunately, that pony happened to be her. Strangulation by shadows was a new way of being punished, she had to admit.

“WHAT exactly possessed you to not pay attention?!” came the hiss somewhere behind her. She squeaked, vision dimming a little. The grip was relaxed, minutely, and she gasped for air.

“It was 3 in the morning... Insomnia... Work in three hours... Urk!” she choked out. Luna’s green eyes meeting her own blue-gray. Slowly, very slowly, she was let down. Siraj panted for breath, shivering.

“I suppose that’s a valid enough reason. However, you still deserve to be punished” she said, looking down at the mare thoughtfully, then looked around, with a devious smirk. Siraj gulped in fear. “I knoooooow...” the princess hummed, and chuckled a little nastily.

“It was YOUR fault all this damage was done... I want you to clean it up. All of it. Every leaf, every twig” she declared.

“That’ll take a couple weeks, at least! What about my duties?” the white and bronze mare asked.

“Temporarily suspended. With pay, and you’re lucky to have that. Get cleaning.”

Siraj’s horn lit, and Luna tsk’ed. Her magic died off and she looked up at the princess worriedly.

“Didn’t I mention? No magic. You get to clean it up by hoof.” she said, and vanished in a swirl of darkness.

“...Well... manure.” Siraj sighed, and set to work miserably.