Luna Discovers A Joke Book

She sat on the bed, looking at me intently with her beautiful cerulean eyes. Her face wore an expression of tension, as if she was gravely concerned about something.

"Luna, are you okay?" I asked, slightly worried.

"Oh," she replied with a smile, "I'm just fine, Twily. You just look so adorable when you read."

"You seem a little tense," I said as I rose from my book, trotting over to her and joining her on the bed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Well, to be truthful, I have discerned it a bit hard to relax as of late." She glanced away from me shyly, as if she didn't want to admit her feelings.

"Aw, it's alright. In fact, I may have something to help you." I brought a book from its spot on the shelf to the bed in my aura, placing it in front of my marefriend.

"What is this?" Luna asked as she levitated the book in her teal aura. "101 Terrible Jokes? Pray tell, what purpose does this serve?"

"It's a joke book, Luna," I replied. "Perhaps you should read it. I think you'll enjoy it!"

"Hmm. Perhaps I shall, dearest Twilight." She took the item of interest in her hooves, leaning back and beginning to peruse its contents as I returned to my reading pillow on the floor. It wasn't long before I heard her snort with amusement, presumably at a joke she had read. I glanced over at her, seeing that she was already muzzle deep in the pages, devouring every word with laughter and delight. I smiled, directing my attention back to the book I was reading.

"Twilight?" Luna asked, glancing up from her book with a tilt of her head. "Do tell, what should one do if they find themselves locked out of their abode?"

"Uh, well," I replied, slightly taken aback by the question. "Call a locksmith or check your saddlebags for the key, I would guess. And if that didn't work, maybe climb through a window."

"Incorrect! They should talk to the lock, for communication is key!" With this, she exploded in laughter. In all honesty, it was rather adorable to see her in such a state of happiness. I myself laughed a bit at the joke. She needed a bit of humour in her life; patrolling dreams could be rather emotionally taxing.

"Also, did you know that Saturday and Sunday are the strongest days of the week?"

"No, I didn't. Why might that be, Lulu?"

"Because the rest are week days! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Her laughter suddenly stopped. "Oh dear, look at the time! I best attend to my royal duties. Farewell, love!"

"Okay, see you later!"

It wasn't long until, while walking to the castle library, I overheard her telling a joke to one of the castle staff. I sighed. Was it a mistake to let her read the joke book that Pinkie Pie gave me? I sure hoped that was not the case.

After perusing a few books in the library, I realised that my fear was true after I heard a pair of guards laughing, no doubt having repeated what they heard from Luna. I immediately put a hoof to my face. Why did I do that? I could be so stupid sometimes! I berated myself all the way to the main dining room, sitting down and ordering a glass of cider to ease my mind.

"Why?" I asked myself. "Why did I let her read that book?!" I looked desperately into the bottom of my glass, wishing that I hadn't consumed it all already. It helped blur the lines between reality and the horrors I had unwittingly unleashed upon the mortal realms of Equestria.

"Twilight, this is rather unlike you," Celestia said calmly. "What's eating you?"

"I let my marefriend read that blasted joke book," I replied with a groan.

"That doesn't seem so bad."

"Believe me, it is. Do you have any idea what she told the guards this afternoon while she was walking down the corridor? She said, 'Lieutenant, do you know the difference between a piano, a tuna, and a bottle of glue?' The lieutenant replied, 'Uh, no, Your Highness.' She proceeded to say, 'You can tune a piano but you cannot piano a tuna.'"

"And this is bad because?" my mentor continued as one of the castle staff refilled my glass of hard cider.

"Oh, I'm not done yet. The guard asked, 'What about the glue?' And she replied, 'I knew you'd get stuck there!'"

I saw Celestia resist a laugh. "Oh, Twilight," she drawled, "You really should lighten up sometimes. I think it's good that Luna has discovered jokes."

"But, but..." I sighed. "She needs to stop punning. I know it's helping her relax, but it's getting rather annoying. And what's worse, how can I tell her to stop? I don't want her to get upset at me or anything!"

"Have you ever considered countering some jokes of hers with jokes of yours?" Celestia asked.

"Uh, no, I haven't," I replied with an accidental hiccup. I closed my eyes and reopened them, finding that my vision had gone slightly askew. Maybe I had a glass too many.

"Are you drunk, Twilight?" she asked once more upon seeing me in this state.

"No," I slurred.

"Really? By this point I think you may have drunken Lieutenant Colonel Tempest Shadow under the table!"

"Fine. You know, maybe I will go talk to her. Thanks."

I stumbled into the room Luna and I shared, definitely inebriated if only slightly. I found Luna laughing on the bed about another joke. "Twilight!" she exclaimed between bouts of laughter. "Did you hear about the boiling water that - A-are you drunk?"

"Luna," I slurred as I shut the door with my magic and stumbled over to the bed, "Are you made of copper and tellurium?"

"Uh, what?"

"Because you're CuTe..." I sat on the bed next to her, laughing quietly for some reason.

She blushed in reply. "Thank you, Twilight. You know, I was going to tell a joke about sodium, but Na." She shut the book and set it on the nightstand on her side of the bed, protectively wrapping a wing around me. I snickered a little at her joke when a thought crossed my mind. Maybe I was overreacting. Perhaps her actions of just wanting to stir up a bit of fun didn't warrant the reaction I had.

"Luna, I'm sorry," I said, returning her gesture and wrapping my own wing around her, leaning on her for support. "I kind of overreacted to your jokes."

She smiled at me. "It's okay, Twilight dear. You just need to lighten up a little sometimes." She then tilted my face up to meet hers. "In fact, there's one more I wish to tell you."

"And what might that be?" I asked, nuzzling her affectionately.

"Roses are red, bromothymol is blue, and there is no endpoint to my love for you."