//------------------------------// // The Letter // Story: Now You've Been Told // by stealthcam //------------------------------// I sat in the throne room listening to Filthy Rich blather on about how a new tax on gems affects his business. He voted for it, it was part of yet another bill he failed to read. “Mr. Rich, the gem tax protects dragons living under my rule from being bared from a vital part of their diet. I will not repeal something, you, voted in favor of because it poorly affects your bottom line.” “But prin-” He was cut off by Raven, “Celestia an urgent matter has arisen that needs your attention.” I slowly stepped off my throne addressing the petitioners, “I will return to you shortly, Mr.Rich I do not believe that your case requires any further attention.” Raven waved for me to follow surprisingly frantically for somepony usually so composed, I moved off the dias quickly following her into the small sound-proofed emergency discussion room. I entered to see Luna looking far more awake and concerned than I would expect, given it’s 6 hours past her bedtime. She tossed a letter at me and said, “It’s addressed to me but I feel like you should see it.” The tear-stained and ink-smudged page read. Deer Primnsess luma I knw we don’t talke mutch and Im alittle dunk but I gotta get tis off my chest. I’m wrryied about me and Celetias relationshit if thee blu blood thing is anyting to go off of Its going to be a ship show. I don;t want to hurt anone i did enugh of that on erth. ‘Ve put on a brave fase so long it pains me to tell the truth, its funy Ithought the violenc would stop here… Did I tel you aboot the two fuks back home that broke into my hose. It did nt go well, like smashed tomates. Anywhey they tryed to hurt my Sara and Destiny I don’t want to relive that night. Anyways. Celly scared me I don’t wan her to hav to hurt somepomy because of me. I bunred my self wen I hugged her. Si that a reguler thing for her Its tericy terrifffing terrifying. I think I got tat rigt. I don know how tats going to work Im a litTle squishy for tht. How do i adress ths It scaes me to think to hard abuot it. I knw you are goin to share this with her “Hi” but I am to pussy to take directly to her. Anton, Primnes conort now Iguess. We were all silent, the only sound in the room the patter of my tears on the crystal floor. I couldn’t stop myself from reading the letter repeatedly, my fears given life on the page, “Luna I…” “Sister it’s not over, you will need to make this right but there is only so much you can do right now. First I recommend keeping your temper in check.” I stood stock still, did I burn Nightshade? Did he just assume it came with the territory, what have I done? “I didn’t learn a dam thing from my time on the sun did I!?” Luna spoke softly, “Mother taught you your lesson then, sometimes ponies need reminders. No? I required a sterner touch, you need reminders, the ponies may see us as perfect but we are all fallible.” I bolted, the only place I felt safe. The halls disappeared in a blur of blue and flashes of white, the guards almost blown from their hooves at my passing. The gardens flew by the fence blocking the royal cemetery twelve feet tall jumped a mere inconvenience. The vain stones and tombs of long-passed royals' gold and silver inlays glinted brightly in the high noon light. I slid to a stop my shoes screeched and threw sparks on cobblestones infrequently visited. There it was Nightshade’s stone, he told me back then, “I want something simple in a quiet place no frills or lace just like me.” I sat there for who knows how long, the sobbing didn’t stop I don’t think it will ever get easier. Is it worth it, is the suffering worth the good times, the lovely moments where nothing but the one in front of me matters? Time moves slower like this but it’s gone so fast. I lowered the sun, the dim light splaying a rainbow over the front of the stone. The only concession Nightshade was willing to make, every color of my light on the stone every evening. An inkwell and writing pad gently levitated their way into my blurry field of view, their light taps on the cobblestone stirring me from my self-imposed despair. I barely choked out a soft, “thank you” Picking up the pad, tears dripped the letter I wrote. My Dear Anon. I’m sorry, I. I. I don’t know what I can say, I can’t unburn you. I hope we can talk about this and make things work. I’m sorry I scared you, Lunas’ moon is quiet, reclusive even, the sun is not it’s passionate and boisterous. I try to contain it and relegate it its own moments to, flare, as it were. I never realised you had a lover back home and a daughter, there is so much to this and only so much can be conveyed in text. I understand if you don’t wish to continue pursuing a relationship with me. If you want to talk again before you make any decisions I would love to. I would love to put a pet name here but that’s probably tactless, but so is this does it really matter? You know who sent this ‘pthpht’ Ps, tag your it. I laughed, there is only one thing I can do now, hope. Nightshade and I would always end our letters, like that. Maybe I can start that up again? The walk back to my room was long, fixing all of the things I broke along the way in my haste, tilting paintings, righting chairs, and returning doors to their hinges. It gave me some time to think, a dangerous thing for someone like me. Maybe he will tell me, no, I probably deserve it. It has been a while since someone could. There is nothing that can be done about it now, but that does not stop the thoughts spinning, whirling even, around my brain. The crack fizz of teleportation pulled me violently out of my idle work and quickly darkening thoughts. “Sister go to bed, I will handle the rest of the cleanup you have had a long day” “Ha! A long day. I put the sun down at its usual time.” “Go to bed, it’s midnight” “Fine.”