Chapter 30
Lunch With Luna
Heartbreak’s wide eyed face turned over her shoulder and looked at the Princess behind. She quickly jumped one hundred and eighty degrees right next to Spike who was making a gracious bow in respect.
“P-p-p-princess Luna!” Heartbreak squeaked out backing away, only to bump into Spike.
Spike grimaced. “She isn’t the best when it comes to first impressions, is she? Huh, Pinkie was right, Heartbreak is blushing pretty hard... Usually that means that one pony likes the other, but they’re both mares! And H.B. has been fervent about not being interested in any creature here in Equestria. I bet she’s just really surprised to see her.” Just then he noticed that she was standing in a frozen manner, mouth agape. “Sigh... ” He lightly elbowed Her.
Heartbreak jumped and looked at Spike. “What?! Uhm... oh... uhm... right...” She replied, her voice trailing off to a quiet mutter as she took an awkward looking bow, the whole time her eyes keenly on the Princess.
“Greetings Heartbreak-” Luna began but was cut off the moment she saw the pony before her cringe at the mention of her name. “Or H.B. if you so prefer.”
“Uhm... H-h-hello, P-p-princess Luna,” Heartbreak replied, her head turned away as she took more to cowering rather than actually bowing. “Uhm... f-f-fancy meeting you here... Uhm,” She looked around at the sky above her. “In broad daylight...”
“Tis’ early evening.” Luna quirked an eye at Heartbreak’s nervousness. “The circumstances of my arrival are indeed quite unusual, however you are an unusual p-” The Princess stopped herself momentarily. “Individual. Spike, can you relay the message to Rarity that I will be having a conversation with H.B. here and that we may be late for the auction that is about to take place?”
“It would be my pleasure your Highness!” Spike replied, saluting the co-ruler of Equestria.
Heartbreak watched Spike leave back for the party, and for a moment, she almost looked like she was about to bolt upside him. She very well may have, had it not been for the dark sapphire feathers that obscured her vision. Looking to her side she saw Luna refolding her wings and looking down at her with a quiet, serious sadness, before smiling.
Heartbreak rubbed her hoof against her ankle nervously. “S-s-so... uhm.. What’s... uhm... How are... uhm...” She began to fumble.
“I see that you have been caught off guard by our arrival, but please, there is no need for worry or fear,” Luna said looking Heartbreak in the eye. “I merely wish to talk and see how you are progressing. Shall we cross the street? There is an eatery that I have prepared just for this occasion.”
Heartbreak coughed and tried her best to straighten up. “Y-you didn’t have to do that, Princess...”
Luna began to walk towards the crosswalk. “Wouldst thou rather that we had our conversation out in the open, for all to hear?”
“Uhm... No... That would most likely be a bad idea...” Heartbreak replied suddenly jumping up and following Luna’s lead.
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I. Feel. Like. A. ...uhm... Something! An Awkward teen! A stumbling idiot! “So how are you doing, Princess Luna? What brings you to the Twin Cities, Princess Luna? Why the Fet are you here Princess Luna? A forewarning that you were coming would be nice Princess Luna!” No! Shut up brain! Seriously, you are walking right next to Princess Luna here! So close that you can practically smell her! ... No, we are not going to smell the Princess. We just scolded a drunk rich pony for sniffing us and that would make us a fucking hypocrite!
As we are crossing the street, I feel my left hoof hit a small pothole in the road and I tumble right against the Princess and get a face full of feathers. I quickly jump back and right myself. “I’m so s-s-!”
“There is no need to apologize, H.B. Are you alright?” Luna frowns for but a moment and puts a wing on my back, either to stabilize me or comfort me. I’m not sure which. Ffffffuck! Luna is putting a wing on my back! If I didn’t want to smell her before, I’m smelling her now! It’s like the cool breeze before the night begins, ionized air that hits your nose just right to make it tingle, the powerful- STOP SMELLING THE PRINCESS WITH YOUR NOSE! I quickly cover my nose with a hoof.
“Is there something wrong?” She asks with concern. “Does my presence offend your senses?”
“N-n-no! I just have an itch o-on my nose! I do apologize. It needed scratching right away.” I reply as we make it to the other side of the street. “Hey, why did the human turned mare cross the road? To make an utter idiot of themselves in front of the Princess of course!” Shut. Up. Brain.
Staring down at the street I don't see the speculative look she gives me, or the way it changes to a smile when I look up. We approach what appears to be a corner restaurant with an open dining area. Round tables with umbrellas and throw pillows for chairs. They are all oddly vacant. Wait, no, that shouldn’t be odd at all. She said that she had prepared things for this occasion. Fuck, does that mean she rented out the whole fucking place?! Gah, that feeling of being a, ‘Mary Sue,’ or a, ‘special snowflake,’ is creeping back into my mind...
Looking at the entrance to this establishment, I see an archway with grape vines intertwining it. Above that is the name, ‘Bella Vite.’ She opens the door and we both enter at the same time.
The restaurant is set up like how I would expect a, ‘Perkins,’ or ‘Applebees,’ to be. Rows of tables with booths and a bar area in the middle. In the far back there are tables with throw pillows for the chairs. I’m not sure if it is intentional or if this place is attempting to be classy. But it still has that, ‘Italian-french’ theme to it. Hardwood everywhere and hanging glass light fixtures above the tables. Vases with odd looking flowers sit in the middle of each table. The grape vine theme continues as well, with carved vines curling up different archways and the like.
A service pony dressed in a slightly generic restaurant uniform that has a few buttons tacked onto it. “Welcome to Bella Vite, Princess and,” She looks over at me questionably. I quietly shy back.
“VIP Guest,” Princess Luna states. “We would like to be seated in the table in the far corner. It shall be I who alerts you to when we are ready for our meals. Do you understand?”
The waitress nods curtly. “Of course, right this way please.”
After we are seated the waitress asks if we want anything to drink. I reply that I want a lemon-lime soft drink. Luna wants an espresso and a plate of the house special grass.
“So, is there anything else you’d like?” The waitress asks after returning with the drinks and plate of grass. Bleh...
“No, we will let you know if we wish to order anything else, thank you.” she politely replies. “Now if you would not mind,” Luna gives her a stern look.
“Oh, right, of course. We’ll be in back if ya need anything,” she says cowering back to the kitchen.
“And then there were the two of them alone together once again...” I think to myself in slight narration. I look at her across the table and she looks back at me. “Soooo...”
Before speaking, her horn glows slightly and she flicks it in the air. There is a small snap in the air following all this. “There. Much better. So,” she leans forward slightly. “How are you doing?”
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Heartbreak bit her lip and looked thoughtful before looking off to the side. “With all things considered, pretty well I suppose. But that is a rather loaded question that varies with every passing day and often depends on who I’m with.”
“Perhaps then I should rephrase that,” Luna said looking into the mare’s eyes. “Twilight doth speak the truth. Those eyes are quite striking. They are almost as if some being took the glitter from the stars...” “How are you adapting to our land and your situation?”
“O-o-ok I guess,” Heartbreak replied sipping on her drink. “There are a few basic things I have down. Walking, eating... sleeping.” she paused trying to think of what to say next. “Drawing! I like to draw. Would you like to see some of my drawings?”
The Princess nodded and smiled as Heartbreak pulled her sketchbook from out of her saddlebags. Luna floated the book over to her side of the table and began to look through the sketches. “These are rather good,”
“They’re not that great... or at least not as great as I used to be able to draw...” She looked at her hooves and then dropped them. “And I also tell stories apparently.” Heartbreak interjected nervously.
“Yes, Twilight has made mention of that in her letters to us,” Luna replied looking through the last of the pages before setting it back down on the table.
“Letters? Wait, of course, this is Twilight we’re talking about,” Heartbreak tapped her head and rolled her eyes. “I should have known that she was sending more than just one letter... Wait... Us? You don’t mean that she has been reporting to both you and Celestia... Has she?”
Luna paused. “There is no need for alarm, H.B. These letters have been addressed directly to myself and have been seen by my eyes and my eyes alone. The contents of which aren’t all worrisome, though there are issues that I am certain need resolving.”
“Like my need to get out more, or be more open, or more trusting?” Heartbreak asked with a sarcastic lit to her voice.
“Among a few other things, yes.” Luna tilted her head. “Are you alright? You sound irritated.”
“It’s nothing,” Heartbreak replied. The princess gave her a questionable look. “Right, it’s just right before you arrived? The party that I was at, a party that I would have rather not been attending, there was a group of stallions who were acting rather... Ugh... they were talking about... ” Heartbreak shook her head. “I’m not sure I should even bring this up...”
“Why not?”
“Because it feels superfluous! Because... because...” Heartbreak sighed and her head drooped down.
Luna looked at her drink. “Is there something wrong?”
Heartbreak held up a tentative hoof. “Yes... no.. maybe... I... just... don’t know...” She took a deep breath. “Do you mind if I am honest about something with you, Princess?”
“I would presume that you would not be dishonest with us at all,” Luna replied, frowning a bit.
Heartbreak’s hoof tapped against her forehead. “I don’t mean that I was being dishonest with you, Princess. I mean that I want to be a bit open with you about something.”
“Oh,” Luna’s ears perked forward. “Please, by all means proceed.”
“This... isn’t quite what I expected,” Heartbreak replied, pushing a hoof against the side of her mane causing her hat to shift slightly.
“What do you mean?” Luna asked her wings fluffing up a bit.
“What I mean is that... well...” Heartbreak looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’ve kind of have been expecting something like this happening sooner or later in my head, and as such, I kind of imagined what it would be like. What would be said, what would be done, and uhm... the like... Aaand now that the moment is here?”
“It does not meet your expectations?” Luna said frowning.
“Yes! Wait! NO! I mean...” Heartbreak sighed. “What I mean is, I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know that you are wanting to talk to me and I know that it is important that we talk, but the moment that I try to think of something to talk about? It’s like nothing comes. It’s like being presented with all the legos in the world and being told that you can build anything you want! But then not knowing what to build!”
The Princess tapped her chin. “I do believe I understand what you mean. You are... overwhelmed at the possibilities of what you could say.”
“In so many words yes. I mean, I’ve wanted to have your ear and talk about things... but now that I can talk about things, I’m not sure what I should talk about! What I should say, what I shouldn’t say, worried about if I say the wrong thing, if I end up offending you, or if I say something that... that,” Heartbreak’s hooves started to reach up to hug herself.
“That?” Luna asked patiently. The tan mare was quiet for a moment. “Please, do not feel that you must censor yourself, H.B.”
Heartbreak began to whimper a bit. “That’ll make you’ll see me as a lost case and g-g-give up on me...”
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F-f-fuck, why the fuck did I even just say that? What the fuck was I thinking!? Why the fuck am I crashing like this?! Great, just like all the other ponies I’ve talked to, most likely she’s going to think I’m a spazz or- I feel a light touch on my shoulder. It’s her hoof, she is smiling at me with nothing but sympathy.
“Y-you’ll have to forgive me, Princess... It’s just every so often dark thoughts like that creep into my mind... They didn’t always, particularly before... coming here, but as of late...”
“It’s alright, such doubts and fears are natural. In many ways, when I look upon you, I am seeing a great deal of what I had to work through upon my return,” Luna’s hoof massages a bit on my shoulder and I relax some. It feels... nice. “Tell me, what do you know of the first year after my return?”
Ooooh boy, got to be careful here. “N-next to nothing. Y-you won’t be mad at me for bringing up old scars will you?” Fuck, I am not sure why I am asking permission seeing that I’ve brought them up with Twilight and her friends so freely before.
“All of Equestria knows of my past sins, so much so that they have become the things of myth and legend. Even to the point where an entire night is dedicated to the event,” she speaks with a bit of shame and guilt in her voice, but at the same time there is an unshakable quality to it. “I have long since made peace with these things. After all, time heals all scars. No matter how deep they run. So if you must bring up something of my past, do not feel hindered, after all these things are but words.” A lot of what she said sounds like it could be plucked out of a Hallmark card. Meaning to be comforting but at the same time, so cliche.
Of course, with her hoof still on my shoulder? It actually feels like it is a lot more meaning to it. The cosmic irony is that Tabitha St. Germain voiced both Rarity and Luna. One has nearly brought me to tears in frustration, and the other is bringing me to tears ‘cause I don’t want to fail her.
“You’d be surprised at what mere words can do, Princess,” I try to think about what I am going to say next. “However, to answer your question? No, I don’t know anything about your first year back. All I know about is when you were... uhm... defeated as Nightmare Moon,” I watch her expressions, her ears aren’t drooping but they do twitch at the mention of that name. I have to be careful with what I say next, I don’t want to appear to be a know-it-all-sue. “Then you disappeared for a year and returned looking a bit older and on Nightmare Night.”
“I would like to address that Nightmare Moon and I are separate beings, separate entities. She is more a parasite of sorts than an aspect of my being.” Luna’s words carry a pain with them. But she is right. I mean that was covered in the comics. I think…
“My... apologies... I didn’t mean to omit that information, I just didn’t want to come off as a know-it-all,” I reply, draining more of my glass. I swear with as much as I have drank, a trip to the bathroom might be in order.
“I see,” she pulls her hoof back and looks at me.
Geez, I know that this is a serious conversation, but I can’t help but study the creature before me. Alright, the show never really captured the quality of detail that I am seeing about ponies. Everything here has a touch more realism than anything that could be pushed in flash. I mean, I know where my fetlocks are! I can see individual strands of my mane and tail, my muzzle sticks out a bit farther than a cute cartoon horse would have it be! There is still a bit of cartoonish-ness to everything, yes, but the details. The Princesses’ mane is a translucent field of stars, her eyes are pools of cyan. Is that cyan? I mean, that’s what the Friendship is Magic Wiki always said. Her coat- brain, you’re getting distracted again. Stop it. I shake myself from just staring at her.
“But during that year, I had many of the difficulties that you faced. Many of the struggles and hardships, the shames and self-doubts.” She takes a long drink of her espresso, I’m surprised that there is anything left in that cup. “Being locked away in the moon for a thousand years, time had passed and Equestria had changed a great deal for me. Those who I had called friend and who I loved were gone. Like you, I had to rebuild myself, and my world.”
I raise my hoof. “Uhm, not to interrupt you, Princess... but I’m a bit curious about something...”
“Do you need some food or drink? Perhaps relief?” Luna asks. Wait, did she just ask if I needed to go to the bathroom?
“Uhm, no. I was just wondering, being sealed away in the moon. What was that like? Was it a state of stasis or was it something different?”
“Ah,” Luna pauses and smiles at me. I’m not sure why. “The experience of being trapped in the moon was not like, as you put it, ‘stasis.’ It t’was more like an internal world unto itself. I was left alone with the entity of Nightmare Moon. I chased her around the corners of my mind, running into allies and challenges. These would help me defeat Nightmare Moon, had she not taken over the night of her escape... What happened within my own mind is but a distant memory now.”
I blink in confusion. As vague as that was, it almost sounds like the comic, ‘Moonstuck,’ could have a canon foothold? I roll my eyes. We’re getting off track of what the Princess is trying to talk about. “Maybe you should be paying attention to all that, after all, some of it could be actually useful.”
“So more like trapped in a dream of sorts... Interesting. But back to your first year...”
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“Twas interesting that she asked such a question. There are few who inquire what we meant when we said that we were in the moon. Most assume that we were upon the face of the celestial body.” Luna pondered. “Yes, back to my return. In the months of my return, I felt distant from things. There were times where I felt dismayed and frustrated. We attempted many things, there was failure and trials. But with the help of our sister and even my guards I was able to pull myself through my dilemmas, my inner demons and struggles.”
Heartbreak frowned. “Kind of ironic that with your situation your sis-” She cut herself off and looked down. “Wait, nevermind.”
“Do not feel that you must cut yourself off from speaking ill of my sister, fair H.B.,” Luna said, tilting the cup back as far as she could to get the last bitter drops of her drink. Looking around her cup, Heartbreak’s expression twisted and changed to something rather awkward as the blush that had persisted on her face nearly turned crimson. “Have I said something wrong? Please, do not be embarrassed to share with me your thoughts regarding my sister.”
Heartbreak shook her head. “Uhm, no, you didn’t say anything wrong. Right, what I was going to say is that it is ironic that your sister was instrumental in assisting you in your recovery, yet she was rather...”
“Rather?”
The tan mare’s ears drooped and her head bent down allowing the hat to tumble off. “She was rather adamant that the only solution to my problem was to obliterate my memories...”
Luna took a full breath of the different conflicting emotions Heartbreak was presenting to her. “Yes, this too confuses me as well.”
“H-how is your sister doing?” As Heartbreak asked the question, Luna’s ears drooped and she turned slightly. “Not good, I take it?”
“Our situations have switched and the tables seemed to have been turned for my sister and myself,” Luna explained. Heartbreak eyed her with concern. “My sister’s actions were...” She paused. “Inexcusable on the surface. Her intentions were noble to some degree, however her actions, if taken by any other citizen of our land would warrant a great deal of investigation and charges would be brought unto them. But as she is Royalty and the primary ruler of Equestria, such a position of power is difficult to question.”
“I’m sure some very complicated and convoluted politics that would go clear over my head...” Heartbreak replied shaking her head. “Gah, hathead..”
“Tis true, there are layers upon layers of rules and guidelines within the politics of our politics. I would have thought that in my absence, things would have improved-”
“But they have only been reinforced with more red-tape, which in turn is reinforced by your sister’s ruling. Not to mention the amount of power that she wields,” Heartbreak paused as she saw that Luna was staring at her. “What? I-I’m only making assumptions here.”
“Do not put yourself down, you are correct in assuming that powers is part of the reason that my sister hasn’t been brought to court. But there is more than just that... As you made note, it is ironic that my sister helped in my rehabilitation, but was more fervent in your obliteration. I fear that my sister has grown... distant.”
Heartbreak looked down. “Fetlocks... I didn’t want to cause a rift between you two,”
Luna shook her head. “It twas not you that caused this rift. You are a victim of the circumstances before us. The rift is more caused by a power struggle between us. After all, not only did her subjects challenge her authority but l did as well. I do not wish to put any pressure upon you. However, all of our reputations, including my own are riding upon your success.”
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I don’t like the implications of that last sentence she just uttered. I know she’s saying that there’s no pressure, but really? Implying that, ‘if you fail, then we too shall suffer,’ is a lot of pressure.
“S-s-so,” I swallow really hard and try not to appear like I have had a brick dropped on my head. “Do you have any advice?” Please don’t say, ‘go with the flow, open up more,’ or any of the countless dozens little snippets of advice that have been constantly parroted at me...
“Tell me, what have you been telling others that you are?” She asks.
“A foreign exchange student from a very distant part of Equestria called Minneighsota.” Gawds, I have repeated that statement so many times that I feel like a fucking broken record.
“Ah yes, speaking of that, my sister asks that you refrain from creating anymore, ‘lost colonies.’ We have had to send out a secret expedition up the far cold north expanse just to settle such a place.”
I quirk a brow. I can’t tell if she is kidding or not! “Wait, what? She really did that?”
“Yes,” She gives me a dead panned look. Holy shit... I think she’s being serious here! “And apparently any other attempts to, ‘create new places,’ will cause the contract between us to be null and void.”
I try to let out a nervous laugh. I am not given any laughter back. “Uhm... You aren’t serious are you?”
“With the current mental state of my sister being as it is? I am not sure, however, it’s best not to tempt the fates.” She replies rather sadly.
“Duly noted,” Way to keep the masquerade going Celestia... “I can only assume that everything else that involves me has been covered up?” My question is met with a nod. “I’ll keep my imaginary places to the realm of fiction...”
Luna smiles a bit. I hope that’s a good sign... “However, you asked my advice on how you can better adapt. Do you feel that this advice will have a more profound impact if it were to come from me?”
“That’s what I’m hoping. I mean it shouldn’t matter where it comes from, but lately I’ve been a bit more paranoid and less apt to take advice from particular individuals that will remain nameless at this... uhm... meal-meeting-talk-thingy.”
She nods. “My advice most likely will be in line with what others have told you. Open up more, allow yourself to experience new things and give more trust to those who are attempting to help you.”
“That is much easier said than done, Princess.” I roll my eyes. Even Princess Luna is telling me the things that I have already been told. I mentally sigh. At least she isn’t begging me to tell anything about humanity...
“That it is. Though, after my return, I did have some experience with being a, ‘foreign exchange student,’ in my visit to the region of Prance.” She replies smiling at me. “If you are going to appear to be a, ‘foreign exchange student,’ then best way to work to fill that role better is not to be afraid to make mistakes, ask the meaning behind phrases and most importantly,” Her grin widens as she sides the plate of grass that has been sitting on the table to me. “Try the food.”
Fuck. Grass. Of all the ponies in all of Equestria, Twilight and Luna are the two who are insisting that I eat the stuff. “Princess, no offense to you, but I don’t eat grass.”
“Would it help if I partook in some of it? I give you my word that it is quite delicious. In fact this variety is one of my favorites.” Fuck, she’s attempting to do the same thing Rarity was doing with the spa. No! I am not going to equate Rarity and Princess Luna as being the same! I don’t care if their voice actress was the same! They are different ponies!
“I’m quite sure that all grass tastes pretty much the same, Princess.”
The Princess gives a rather sly almost playful looking grin. “I assure your prejudice against graminoids to be unfounded.”
“I’m sure that grass is just grass, Princess.” I assert dryly.
The playfulness that the Princess was displaying dissipates and she takes on a more concerned appearance. “Is there any reason as to why won’t you eat grass?”
“... I think I explained to Twilight once, but I was sort of buzzed out on Creativi-tea at the time. I think that my explanation involved the idea that, ‘to eat grass,’ meant that you were being bullied and being shoved to the ground or beaten up-”
Luna’s eyes are locked on my ears. Fuck, I just remembered that my hat fell off. “As harsh as that seems, I am picking up that there is more to this reluctance than merely the negative feelings that come with being bullied, am I incorrect in my assumptions?”
“You wouldn’t be totally incorrect... As you know, in Minneighsota, ponies well..” Great, here comes the whole racism issue again. The, ‘my species thinks that they are better than every species on the face of their planet ‘cause they have out bred everything, and managed to make more dangerous exploding rocks and sticks!’ issue that I just don’t want to bring up. Right, so it is a lot more complicated than just that and that alone. But I still don’t want to bring it up in what I hope is my first of many talks with Princess Luna!
“From the letters that Twilight has sent me, I have gathered there are few if any other animals that are like, ‘Minneighsotains?’” She asks. I nod. “Yes, Minneighsotains.”
“Animals don’t talk,” I reply bluntly.
“Or they do not speak in a language that you and your fellow Minneighsotains understand.”
“Either way, grass like the kind that is on this plate isn’t something that is part of a Minneighsotains regular diet. Grass is used for other things and the last time I ate anything grass like? It was Twilight shoving it into my mouth. Plus there is the fact that I don’t... I don’t want to lose myself.” Good Gaia! That sounds so... stupid when I say it out loud!
She looks thoughtful about what message I am trying to convey. I really hope she understands. “You feel that consumption of grass would make you... less than what you are now?”
“It’s a stupid thing, I know. It doesn’t make any real sense. After all, food is food! But...” I trail off covering my face.
“You wish to hold onto those things that make you feel as you think you should be.”
I snort and roll my eyes. “Either that or I’m just stupidly stubborn and will fight tooth and nail against the status quo. And can’t help but go against what’s being presented to me as the only available option. I guess I’m an idiot like that.”
“Do not speak such things.” She floats my sketchbook up. “You are far from any sort of fool. Stubborn, yes. However that in and of itself is not a negative thing. It shows that you are willing never to give up. That you will never surrender. Thus far you have shown my sister wrong and have earned two marbles. Even with what little you have been willing to show me, I believe that you can and will earn the rest. You have a creative mind and are a rather talented artist, H.B.”
The warm flush that has been going on and off in my cheeks returns and I wave my hoof at the Princess dismissively. “Please, you’re going to make me blush, Princess.”
“I believe that you were doing that long before I was giving you praise for your artwork.” She replies, that impish smirk returning to her face.
“Uhm... well... that’s just... because... You’re kind of a hero... to me... I mean you did save my life and all. And I never did thank you for that. So thank you.” I really hope that didn’t sound like hero worship. It was bad enough that I was criticizing Twilight for her thing with Celestia. Last thing I need to do is the same thing with Luna.
“It should be Twilight that you should be thanking for your rescue and not I. It was she who alerted me to your fears about my sister. Which in turn, made me aware that there was a situation to begin with.”
Speaking of Twilight... “I am grateful to her Princess. It’s just... there’s some tension between us. Most of it coming from every one of them pushing me into doing things that I don’t really want to do...” I eye the Princess quietly begging that she doesn’t force me to do this. “Like eating grass?”
Luna gives me a somewhat disappointed look. “I see, very well. You do not have to eat this grass and there are no consequences if you do not.” I sigh in relief. “Though, I would like that you did, not for any contrived or convoluted reason, just for me.” Fuck... just... fuck.
I pause and start to weigh my options. She said that I didn’t have to eat the green shit in front of me. And that there aren’t any consequences if I don’t. But...
“For you, and only for you, Princess. I ask you that don’t tell any other p-pony or any other being that I did this? Otherwise? I won’t hear the last of it.”
Her face brightens up with a, ‘This outcome is most pleasing to me,’ smile. “What has been spoken here shall be kept the greatest of secrets between us,”
I lower head down and reluctantly stick tongue out, cautiously letting a small cluster of blades stick to my tongue before pulling tongue in mouth and tentatively chewing. Suddenly, I pause with my eyes going wide and my mouth nearly gaping open. “This... grass...”
“Yes?” Luna asks with a trill of delight in voice.
“It tastes like,” I chew it some more. “It tastes like honey.”
“Yes, which is why it is one of my favorites. It has many names: Sweet grass, honey grass, or even more commonly known in this part of Equestria, ‘honey blade.’” Luna uses her magic to levitate a small cluster off her plate and into her open mouth. She chews it along side me and then licks her lips after swallowing.
A moment of panic hits me. This stuff tastes way too good to just be ordinary grass! “There isn’t anything magical about it, is there?”
“Only the ambient magic of the land. Nothing more or less.” She stops a green blob of the honey blade from entering her mouth before asking a question. “Is there something wrong?”
“You made grass... taste good.” Holy crap. If there is any pony in this strange magical land of talking horses that could get me to eat grass and make it taste good... Well played, Luna. Well played. “Is there nothing you can’t do?”
“You put us on too high of a pedestal. Twas not us who created this breed of grass. But the hard working farmers of Equestria over the course of many generations.” She chews some more and then swallows before using a napkin to wipe her mouth. “They do have agriculture where you are from, yes?”
“Of course... you created an ultra-sweet tasting grass through selective breeding.” It's not so farfetched. I mean the wild banana is practically inedible. It's chocked full of hard seeds and only sorta resembles the modern dessert banana! I pause again. It’s most likely the, ‘yuck factor,’ that’s getting in the way of me just unleashing my inner wolf and just devouring everything here. I close my eyes and take a bigger bite of this stuff than before, and after chewing the honey flavored grass, what do I do? You guessed it, I go and take another bite. I open my eyes and look up at the Princess. “This is going to remain between the two of us, right?”
Her smile is as sweet as this grass. “If that is where you feel this secret is best kept, then yes.”