//------------------------------// // 9. Invention redux // Story: Twilight's Sun, Celestia's Stars // by JKinsley //------------------------------// The language of flowers, more formally known as floriography, took root during the Victorian era as a result of their obsession with covert communication. The specific colors, arrangements, and species selected were designed to send a detailed but subtle message. For instance, white roses alone could mean virtue, purity, or innocence; red roses mean true love. Yet a combination of white and red roses mean unity or reconciliation. Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin. “Luna’s return,” she muttered, returning to her reading. Most symbolic meanings of flowers relate to love of some sort. Roses are the most common flowers associated with the practice, but other flowers associated with a form of love include honeysuckle (devoted affection), tulips (various meanings depending on color), daisies (loyal love), daffodils (unrequited love), chrysanthemums, carnations (various meanings depending on color), cloves (undying love), primrose (eternal love), morning glory (love in vain), moonflowers (dreaming of love), aster (symbol of love), magnolia (love of nature), lilacs (purple: first emotion of love; white has a separate, unrelated meaning), and rainflowers (I love you back). “Celestia clearly knowns flower language, too. I wonder...” “Special delivery for Princess Celestia,” said a unicorn stallion as he approached her chambers with a brown package held aloft in his magic. “From whom?” inquired one of the guards stationed at her door. “A ‘PTS’ apparently.” The other guard mumbled something under his breath and beckoned the courier forth. “Leave it with us, we’ll take it in to Her Majesty.” The courier nodded and set the package down and trotted back to his other deliveries. Once he was out of sight, the two guards faced each other and broke out laughing. Celestia poked her head out of the door of her chambers and the guards snapped back to attention. “Ma’am!’ they said in unison. “Something amusing, gentlecolts?” Celestia raised an eyebrow and cast a meaningful glance down to the package sitting between them. “No, ma’am. A package arrived from a ‘PTS’ just moments ago. We were about to inform you.” “Very good. See to it that I’m not disturbed for the next few hours. I have... private matters to attend to.” Celestia carefully shut the door behind her and gently unwrapped the package. It contained a vase and one of the most beautiful arrangements of flowers Celestia had seen. A little note was tied to the stem of one of the roses. Tia, I got a new book and wanted to try my hoof at something new. Let me know what you think. xoxo Your little lavender lover Celestia chuckled at the note and leaned in to smell the delightful arrangement. Blue, red, coral, and lavender roses, all thornless, stood with purple lilacs. As Celestia sniffed, her smile became more and more blissful. Passionate first love at first sight. Twilight, you charmer. A trip the gardens is order, I think. A sharp rap on her balcony window roused Twilight from her book. She set a silk bookmark on the page and drew the blinds to see who would be coming to her balcony and not the front door. Her eyes shot wide and she flung the doors open as she flung herself at Celestia. “Oof!” Celestia said mockingly as she rubbed Twilight’s back with her hoof. “You got my flowers, then?” Twilight asked as she looked up. Her eyes glimmered and her ears perked forward; she eagerly awaited an affirmative answer. “Indeed, and might I say, well done. So well done, in fact, I have a little something for you, too.” Celestia’s magical grip brought a dozen rainflowers to Twilight’s face. She lit up and hugged her Princess tightly. “Celestia... thank you. Maybe we should get those inside and in water?” Her grin turned salacious. “And maybe we could get ourselves a little, well...”