//------------------------------// // III: Luna is in the Hospital (Twilight's Book) // Story: They Know You're Reading Them // by Aureane //------------------------------// Luna is moaning and groaning about in a full body cast, making whimpering noises and crying. Celestia is at the side of her bed, sitting on a chair and reading this week's Equestrian newspaper, levitating it with her horn, of course. After about a minute, Luna works up the heart to say something. Her 'pain' texts float about in the air. "Big ow... sis?" "Yes, Luna?" "I don't like non-secrets anymore. sniff. It gives me ouchies." "Aw, I'm sorry. Would you like your super-special big sis hug now?" "Ooh! Ooh! squee! Yes! I wouldn't miss it for the world! It's been too long since you've hugged me!" Instantly, Luna's frown shifts into a very elated grin, and there are still some dried-out sobs on her face from the pain. Celestia drops the newspaper and levitates a tissue from across the room, wiping her sister's face off with a warm smile. "Really? But, you've just been hugged by everypony, hmn... only about," Celestia lets the tear-soaked tissue drop to the floor, and she counts her hoof to make sure, tapping on it with her other hoof as she rocks about in the chair. Her sister waits patiently, with another wave of eeps and eeks roaming about the room as she remembers her prior condition. Twenty seconds passes. She confirms her numbers, carries the zero-- presses enter, and nods to herself, but then shakes her head and grunts. Some nurses pass by the room, hearing a symphony of frustrated noises and adorable, uncomfortable sounds-- and immediately, having put their ears curiously against the door, they blush furiously and rush on by, giggling to themselves. Celestia finally has the right calculation. "...five-hundred fifty-four million, nine-hundred sixty-five thousand, two-hundred seventy-eight times. An average of sixteen times per pony." Luna blinks, looking about her sister's hoof curiously and straining her neck in the cast to see if anything's there. "Sis, how can you count that many numbers with just your hooves?" "Hehe! It's a secret." Celestia has an invisible, magic calculator on her hoof, and she snickers. The calculator poofs away. "Aww...! Well, at least it's not a non-secret." "Never mind that, Luna. Did you still want that hug?" Luna's face goes back to a smile. "Oh, yes yes yess! Pleeeaase. After so many hugs, I still want your hug, big sis!" She bounces around in her body cast. "ouchie... eee..." "My hug, huh? But, what about..." "Wha?" "Oh, I'm not sure. Let's just say, a certain pony?" Luna gets triggered all of a sudden, unable to contain her chill. "You mean, her? Hmf! If she had just hugged me, none if this would have happened!" Celestia raises her fore hooves in the air. "AHA! So... you DO like her! Weeeddding time!" She says, pulling out a red and yellow dress. "How's this look?" The moon pony, realizing what she just said aloud, can't cover her enormous embarrassment this time. "S--s--s-SIS!! That's not who I'm talking about!" She tries to get out of the cast, only resulting in more pain and gasps of horse cuteness. "Oh, silly. I saw the color in your text. It's obvious." Celestia turns to wink at you. "Text? What text?" "Nothing, nothing!" The sun pony brushes her question off, and she leans in closely, once again tickling her sister's ear with her enticing, flowing voice. "But... I can get her to hug you," she whispers. Luna's whole body tingles as she feels a satisfying chill run across her spine. Oh, sis, I kind of like it when you do this, actually... Luna thinks. "You want Twilight to whisper in your ear like this... don't you?" U-um, no, that's not what I was thinking! "And you want her to hug you, don't you?" Yes, please! I mean, no... why is it as if you can hear my every single thought? I think I should stop thinking now. "Ssh..." Celestia covers her sibling's mouth with a hoof. "Let big sis handle this." In an instant, Celestia has teleported to Twilight's castle. "TWILIGHT! It's an emergency, come quick! Somepony is in trouble!" The bookworm is in the middle of a chapter. "After this, Celestia. The stallion and the mare are about to..." "There's no time for that! You need to go now--" Unfortunately, the sun princess sees the title of the book, and her eyes widen out of surprise. "Oh my gosh, you're reading Rose on the Window Sill, Part Five?!" "Yes, why?" "Scoot over, let's talk." "C-Celestia..?" My dear student, you've just gotten-- well, as Rainbow Dash would put it-- 20% cooler. She sits down next to the purple pony. "So, where are you? Tell me all about it! What part are you liking the most? Have you read the other four parts? Have you met the pony who wrote it?" She can barely contain herself around Twilight. The mentor had become the child. "U-um..." Twilight looks uncomfortable, blushing just as fast as Celestia had sat down. She attempts to brush her off. "Who did you say was in danger, again? Eh heh..." ...Meanwhile, Luna is sitting in the hospital room-- unable to move- and is completely lonely. She looks at you, catching that you are an all-seeing being that can be anywhere at once. "Just so we're clear... I don't like Twilight. B-big sis is just fetching her b-because... well-- she owes me a hug!" She turns away from you; an obvious, subtle flush on her face. Thirty seconds passes. "This is why hugs are scary... ouch.. sniff..."