Mysterious and Metaphorical Meanings of Marks
This is The Thoughtful Titular Tale
As if by magic, a multitude of masses materialized moving into the chambers of the contemporary crystal castle.
All of the official observances overjoyously observed, Ponyville ponies pondered the peculiar palace pending the post-party-party. Toppling the throne, Tirek’s terror had traveled tremendous tracts of territory, so still ponies partied now that Twilight had triumphantly trounced Tirek.
Pinkie Pie was cheerfully cooking chocolate cakes for consumption, while Rarity shortly started socializing with pleasantly presentable ponies. Rainbow Dash soundly showed off several stupendous stunts skimming the stratosphere. As for Tank, Fluttershy timidly tended to the treasured but temperamental turtle by the trellis. Applejack amazed anypony in attendance who appreciated authentic apple appetizers.
But as the dwindling daylight diminished into darkness, a particular pony party passed privately, privy primarily to powerful princesses ponies. Still unwell from the unrest, Cadence was unfortunately unable to undergo the uproar while upright.
Luna, Twilight, and Celestia especially, were still having a great time through.
“So tell to us, Twilight, your thoughts on supervising the solar sun?” asked Celestia.
Twilight tittered. “Maybe if it hadn’t been so stressful it might have been more fun. I’m glad I had a chance to see what it was like though. It was even harder than I thought it would be, which was pretty hard. I guess it’s a good thing your special talent is controlling the sun.”
Celestia smiled at her smart and steadfast student. “My special skill isn’t shepherding the sun.”
“What? But your cutie mark?”
“Ponies are many a moment making that mistake.” Celestia checked her cup, then consumed the potent potable.
“Your cutie mark IS the sun.”
“Yes, but like many marks it is metaphorical.”
Celestia took in Twilight looking at Loony Luna whose hooves hid her muzzle while mumbling and muttering in a muted muffled murmur.
“Metaphorical for what?”
“I always see with sanguine spectacles.”
“What?”
“Don’t say it,” her shy sister shouted from under heavy hooves.
“Why Twilight-”
“Don’t say it.”
“-Haven’t you ever noticed-”
“Don’t say it.”
“-My sunny personality.”
Loudly, Luna miserably moaned.
“So let me get this straight. Your special talent is that you have a positive outlook.”
“Yes. It may not seem like something so special, but I swear to you, it’s incredible for an immortal whose identity is indomitable, over eons especially. When a certain curious and callow filly destroyed my magic academy, I could have been blue, that, just weeks after redoing the roof rafters, a doubtlessly dangerous dragon simply smashed thoroughly through them. However, instead I fancied to focus on the auspicious apprentice I aquired..”
“But if your special talent has nothing to do with the sun, how do you make it look so easy?”
“Many, many months of monotony, my Twilight.”
“So if your cutie mark is metaphorical then-”
Low Luna boldly bolted upright, uninterested in continuing the conversation. “Well I am glad we are done talking about special talents. So Twilight, Celestia told me you don’t know what to do with your new palace after you are done hosting this party.”
“Oh, um… No I don’t, but I did have another question about cutie marks.”
“No you don’t!”
Sparkle scooched to the side in surprise.
“Oh Luna, let her learn. It would best behoove you to bare your enigmatic enigma. I don’t know why you habitually hate it .”
“Hate what?”
“Nothing! Let’s talk about your palace.”
Sparkle still silent, the steward of the sun smiled at her surreptitious student to spur her on.
“Does Luna’s cutie mark not mean her special talent is controlling the moon and the stars.”
“That is exactly what my special talent is!”
“My little Luna is a strikingly superb sleeper.”
Twilight sat stunned in silence with naught to say. Lively Luna buried her fierce face underneath her haughty hooves again.
“Yes. My sister is a stunning and superlative sleeper”
“That’s a special talent?”
“Oh yes, most certainly. Luna can sleep through anything. When Discord destroyed his dank dungeon, if you can deal with that description? The palace practically pitched itself to the ground. Luna? She just kept sleeping like a certifiable champion. When Queen Chrysalis confined me? Luna powered through that pandemonium. Myself, I awake at a drop of a dime. Plus, I snore like a rumbling rocky ridge, I am ashamed to admit. If you ever get to watch Luna sleep, you would think she is dead.”
“How is that helpful.”
“It’s not,” came woeful words hidden by hooves.
“Oh it is very valuable. Think about that. What would have transpired, if Shinning Armor and Cadence had been unable to crush cruel Chrysalis? We would have readily required rescuing, and whenever weepy Luna finally lumbered awake, well I am sure she would have done something once she realized reality rudely ruined the rites.”
“That’s enough. I am no longer part of this conversation.”
“Just ignore her Twilight. Luna is ever embarrassed when I exhort about her exceptional expertise.”
“But, wouldn’t it have been better if she woke up during the attack?”
“That contingency certainly would have converted the calamity into a catastrophe or even a cataclysm. Chrysalis crushed me at the ceremony with the concentration of care from Cadance’s companion. In the case of corrupted comfort one will collapse or end comatose. Awaking ahead of when the anticipated amount of anima has accrued will annihilate one’s acuteness. When Luna woke, Chrysalis would cease her celebration as her conspiracy would collapse with the changing circumstance challenged by a completely courageous champion. The crisis would come to a close. A case for celebration, no?”
“Luna, please tell me Celestia is joking… Luna?”
Twilight loomed, leaning over lovely Luna trying to shake or stir the slumbering sovereign but still saw no satisfaction.
“Is she… Is she asleep?”
“That’s my levelheaded Luna. See, she was surely smart to use her special skill to sidestep from a stressful situation.”
“Why… Why are you alliterating so much?”
“Would you prefer I adopt allusions to allegories or an analogy in anaphora? After you victoriously vanquished the villain I have judged that I am justified to be joyful, joyous, and jubilant, especially after those juicy jars of jaunty jam.”
“Just how many of those did you have anyway?”
Celestia cracked a sizable smile.
Author's Note
Yea... I'm done with that. Some of those alliterations were kinda forced.
So the joke was originally that Luna's talent was that she was good at sleeping and ends up sleeping to avoid the conversation. Then I decided that Celestia's talent should be something else as well. Then I realized there was a lot of alliteration and decided to dial it up to 11 because I didn't think the joke was enough to stand on its own.
