//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Clair de Lune // by SPark //------------------------------// Twilight paced back and forth in the waiting room. It had been over two hours. Hadn't Celestia said it would take about two hours? Had something gone wrong? She paced a little faster, worry gnawing at her heart. She knew how dangerous messing around with morphic fields was. "Settle down, sugarcube," said Applejack. "Sorry." Twilight sat down next to her friends, who had all come along to be there when Lune was finally fully himself. "I just can't help but worry. It's taking so long, what if..." The door swung open and Celestia stepped out into the waiting room. Twilight shot to her feet. "How did it go? How is he? He's all right?" Celestia smiled. "It went well. Lune is fine. The doctors are doing a final scan for their records, but nothing went wrong." "Thank heavens! Can we see him?" "Yes, he'll be out in just a moment. Although..." Celestia's smile broadened just a little, in an expression Twilight knew well. Her usually well-hidden prankster side was amused at something. "There was one very small complication that I hadn't foreseen." Twilight swallowed. Complication? But surely Celestia wouldn't be smiling like that if it was anything bad? Just then, the door opened again to reveal Lune, standing in the doorway. He stepped into the room and for a moment, Twilight and her friends just stared. "Oh my," said Fluttershy. "Wowie Zowie!" said Pinkie Pie. "Woah!" said Spike. "He is huge!" said Rainbow Dash, actually saying what every other pony in the room was thinking. Lune chuckled. His voice was noticeably deeper than it had been, even with his illusion. "Indeed." He stood almost exactly as tall as Celestia, but with a stallion’s heavy build, which made him seem twice as broad. He was absolutely enormous. Twilight found herself feeling very strange as she looked up, and up, and up at him. "It seems we both had forgotten about the size of alicorn stallions," said Celestia with a smile. "Ah don't get it," said Applejack. "He was being a colt with magic before. How come he was normal colt sized then, but not now?" "Because before, Lune and I shaped his illusion with our will, simply picturing how he should look. The permanent spell, however, remade him as he would have been if he'd been born a colt. Alicorn stallions are quite large. Indeed Luna was on the small side for an alicorn mare of her age and Lune is actually still rather on the small side for an alicorn stallion of his age." "Oh my," said Rarity, looking up at Lune. Twilight couldn't help but agree with that sentiment. It was hard to imagine him as being any bigger than he was now! Lune chuckled. "To proceed to more important matters, I believe I was promised a celebratory donut, sister? Perhaps you should buy me two now." "She should buy you a whole dozen," said Spike. Celestia inclined her head graciously. "I would be thrilled to buy you two. Or even a dozen. Shall we?" "Let us." The little group proceeded out the clinic doors, into a lovely Canterlot afternoon. As they walked towards Donut Joe's, Twilight fell in beside Lune. He spread a wing over her and gave her a brief hug. His wings were enormous too, even larger than Celestia's. "Does it feel very different, now that it's not just an illusion?" asked Twilight as they walked. "In truth the strangeness of towering over all others hath rather distracted me from considering aught else." "I'm not surprised, you are sooooooooooooo huge!" Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up between Twilight and Lune. "Uh. Hi Pinkie," said Twilight. "So now that Lune really is a colt, are you two going to go test out the equipment?" Pinkie grinned and elbowed Twilight in the ribs. "I bet it's huge too!" Twilight blushed brightly. Lune blushed too. "Pinkie... ah..." "If you aren't, Twi, I'd be happy to volunteer!" Pinkie winked at Lune. "No thank you, Pinkie," said Twilight with sudden firmness. She picked up Pinkie in her magic and gently set the earth pony down next to Applejack. Pinkie giggled, but made no move to step back between the two of them. Thankfully, the rest of her friends seemed to recognize that she and Lune might want a little space to be alone together. For a long moment there was an embarrassed silence as they walked. Then Lune cleared his throat. "So... Twilight, hast thou made any plans for this evening?" "No, not really." She could feel that she was still blushing. "Pinkie is somewhat... over direct. But 'tis true that I have a certain, ah, curiosity about the 'equipment' as she hath put it. And 'tis no pony I would wish to perform such experiments with save thee." "Experiments, hmm? Well, thou knowest how much I adore science." Twilight was still blushing, but a smile was also tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Indeed. After the donuts, then, shall we retire to my chambers and perform this science that thou dost so adore?" "I would be delighted to." She paused, then added, "Though Lune... It's not really the science I adore. It's mostly thee. I love thee, as I hope thou knowest." "I do know. And I love thee too."