//------------------------------// // The Aftermath // Story: Purple Prose, or A Night at the Clopera // by Bradel //------------------------------// + 98:27:00 / – 00:04:00 Dear Princess Celestia, How are you? I'm kind of worried about Twilight. She refused to sleep for a copl few days. She kept muttering about Princess Luna, and she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. So I sent you're sister a letter and asked her to snoop on Twilight and find out what was bothering her. Well, the problem got resalv fixed. Twilight's sleeping again now. But she's still acting weird, and when ever she goes to sleep, she makes weird noises and keeps moaning about Luna. I can't tell if she's still upset, but now she's keeping me awake at night. It's really frsturat. I don't like it. Can you check up on her or something? Luna won't answer my letters, so I don't know if she did something or not. Your loyal dragon, Spike Lying on the rug in her bedroom, Celestia read the letter again. She didn't know what to make of it. The door to the colonnaded balcony opened, admitting both Luna and the light of the morning sun. Celestia's sister looked very well rested, despite having just finished her stewardship of the night. "Tia! Thy sunrise was most beautiful this morning." Luna pranced across the room to greet Celestia with a friendly nuzzle. "You're awfully cheerful this morning," Celestia chuckled. "What, did the schoolfoals start offering you candy early this year?" "Nn-nnn." Luna shook her head and gave her sister a secretive smile, but she didn't offer any further explanation. She began humming to herself and dancing idly about the bedroom, and Celestia turned back to Spike's missive. "Oh, Lulu, since you're here... Do you remember getting a letter from Spike a few days ago?" The sound of scrabbling hooves and a dull thump brought Celestia's attention back to the room. "A letter from... um... Spike?" Luna's voice was muffled by the fact that she'd somehow tripped and fallen into a stack of pillows atop Celestia's bed. Celestia's eyes narrowed and she rose from the carpet, levitating the scrap of parchment. A suspicion started to take hold in her mind. Luna was awfully happy this morning, and she sounded awfully cagey about that simple question. There was something going on here, and Celestia meant to find out what it was. "You should be more careful, Lulu. It doesn't do, getting snared in your own schemes." Luna gave an affronted snort, struggling to extricate herself from the pillows. "I have no idea what you mean, sister. It's just that my... knees are a little wobbly this morning." Yes, the younger princess was definitely nervous: she'd slipped into common speech. "Lulu," Celestia intoned warningly. "You did receive a letter from Spike, didn't you? And you didn't see fit to tell me?" She advanced on her sister. "I... yes... but it was nothing, Tia!" Luna scrambled off the bed and began backing away, her eyes darting around the room and looking for an escape route. "He just wanted me to watch her dreams. He said she was upset about something. I did, I watched them, and... and she's fine now!" Luna seemed to notice the door to the balcony and began to turn toward it. Celestia's horn glowed, and the balcony doors slammed shut. "That's not what Spike says, Lulu. He says Twilight – my faithful student – is still acting out of sorts. Are you two planning something? Something I should know about?" "It's not like that, Tia," the other princess wailed. "I swear, none of it was my idea! I just went to look at her dreams, and she... and she..." A malevolent smile formed on Celestia's lips. Oh, now this is fun. When was the last time I got to pry a secret out of Luna? Last year, when she tried to steal one of the entries for the National Dessert Competition before it could be judged? Celestia's grin widened. "Tell me now, Lulu, what exactly did my precious student do?" "I didn't mean to, Tia!" Luna was whimpering now, and she sank to the floor under Celestia's dagger-like stare. "But she dreamed us into my bedroom, and she started kissing me, and... and she begged me to do it! I swear!" Celestia felt the expression drain from her face. "She asked you to... You mean... You and Twilight...?" Luna gave a small nod, refusing to meet Celestia's eyes. "Luna!" Sudden anger filled Celestia's voice. "How could you? I mean... Twilight Sparkle! She's my student!" "I'm sorry, Tia. I never meant to... It was all... And she's just so... so... adorable! What would you do, if she showed up and started kissing you and begging you to... well... y'know." "That changes nothing! I mean, Twilight isn't the sort of pony who..." Celestia's voice trailed off into dazed silence, as Luna's words started to echo in her head. What would you do, if she showed up and started kissing you and begging you to, well, y'know. Celestia's own knees wobbled as she felt a slow warmth wash through her. A warmth she hadn't felt in close to six hundre— "Oh no," she muttered. "This is not good."