Reading Her Book

She may be a dork, but you've got to admit something to yourself. Moondancer is totally attractive, but your feelings towards moving in with her are still mixed. She can be hard to get along with sometimes, but financially, this was the best decision the two of you could've made. She's headed out again, but this time, Moondancer neglects to tell you where she's gone off to. It's not that difficult to deduce that she's probably going back to the library again for the third time this week.

"So," you tell yourself. "It's just me... and the television... Great."

She walks down the sidewalk with a half-smile, and rounds a corner. Moondancer is fairly content with her surroundings that day. Everything about the city that she and you are currently living in is much more preferable. It may not be Canterlot, but particularly to Moondancer's joy, there's a library only a few trots away. She sighs happily, and enters. There's a wide and towering selection, but she only chooses one book, checks it out, and she then leaves promptly.

She's still wearing her sweater around nearly wherever she goes, but things between her and Twilight right now are pretty great. On her way back to the apartment, she makes one last stop, and visits a friend that lives downstairs. You watch her do this from the third story above, and then she heads back up. Coming through the door, she says to you, "I'm back."

You turn off the television since there's nothing good to watch anyways, and say, "Cool. So, what did you get?"

She scoffs in your direction, and says while hiding the book behind her flank, "That's none of your concern!" She gives you the eye while strategically moving, and making sure that it's impossible for you to see what the title is. "I hate that you're always in my business."

You roll your eyes. "I'm not always in your business. I've just never seen you act this way before. It's just a book. Why can't I read it?"

She then rolls her eyes back at you. "You said it yourself. It's just a book. Why do you have to read it at all? For all you know, it might be my diary."

You ask stupidly, "Why were you picking up your diary from the library?"

Moondancer is just about to swiftly, and cunningly answer your question when she realizes just what it is that you're actually asking her. She stops, and pauses for a long couple of seconds, and then asks, "You followed me?!" It's not like she's all that necessarily angry with you, but more stunned, and amused by this revelation.

"No..."

Your lies fail you this time, and Moondancer isn't pleased. She gestures, and says, "I can't believe you followed me! What did you think I was going to do? Rob a bank?"

You shake your head, and say honestly, "I just... wanted to make sure you'd be safe." You shrug, and finish, "Once I saw you were headed there, I backed off..."

She keeps looking at you smugly for a while, but then, she drops the attitude, and voices, "Oh... You're serious."

You just tell her, "You didn't inform me of where you were going, so I was just checking."

"Mmmh," she groans in defeat. "Alright... but you still can't read the book." She's still got the hardcover pressing firmly up against her rump. You don't want to say anything that might upset her, but in that moment, you can plainly see both of her twinkly cutie marks. "I'll be in my room... reading. Try not to disturb me."

You scratch the back of your head. "Even though you disturb me all the time?"

She smirks at your joke, but that's all you're getting. As she closes the door, you also hear a distinct locking noise, and you growl where you sit. You're just an earth pony, so that's just another advantage that Moondancer has over you. The television is turned on for only a split second, and it's then promptly turned back off since there's still nothing on.

No, stop reaching for that remote. It won't work. You know there's nothing on so why should you keep trying? Just give it up. The television has won. You'll never be entertained ever again.

"I'm hungry," you say. "I wonder if there might be any hay tacos left in the fridge. I love tacos..."

An hour goes by. You're passed out on the couch, there's an open bag of chips lying out, and your hoof is dangling from the edge. You accidentally buck the table, and awaken with a startle in your voice.

"Huh?" You look at the crumply bag, and then you see the rubber band that's sitting right next to it, but you're still too lazy to even bother. You get up yawning, and look to your right only to come to the stark realization that Moondancer's bedroom door has been left completely wide open for whatever reason.

You're standing perfectly still now, and your eyes analyze what little you can see. Because of the lack of lighting, there's not much that you manage to make out, but the second you advance, you start to see the frog of Moondancer's hoof hanging off the edge of the frame.

Next, you hear her snoring, and this only helps to entice you that much more. You enter sleepily, but silently, and you make a beeline towards the book that's sitting in the middle of the bed. The three of her other hooves are covered by the blanket and sheets, and you can still hear her peacefully slumbering away, so you take a chance, and grab the book up rather hastily, and nervously. Timidly, you find yourself squinting your eyes just in order to figure out what the cover says.

"How to... read a book?" You blink, but soon enough, you continue whispering, "By... book reader...?"

It doesn't make much sense to you, but what happens next is unpredictable. The book shines brightly, and you're unavoidably caught in its radiant enchantment. You try to move your hooves, but they don't respond. You're currently unable to move your head as well, and slowly, you begin to understand what Moondancer has done.

Should've just left that book alone, but curiosity got the better of you. Now you have to face the consequences of your actions. From where you're standing it must seem like a thick hardcover of bad luck. It seems highly unlikely to happen, but all you can do is hope that Moondancer will go easy on your miserable soul.

Truth is... your story was rigged from the start.