In The Comfort Of Darkness
Princess Celestia stood on her balcony, staring up at the vast sky and taking in every inch of her sister's beautiful night. She rarely did so, but the stress of her morning duties had become so overwhelming that she felt this was necessary. She cast her eyes to the moon, and began to think about Luna. Her sister, her family, her fellow Ruler of Equestria and a part of her that she felt she would be lost without. She was asleep now, and Celestia found it disheartening that she was here alone and that her sister was not here to view it with her, as she had done her duty of raising the moon only to head off to bed for the night. Her night truly was a sight to behold. And the stars that dotted its endless black surface made it all the more wonderful.
She lowered her gaze to the darkness that spread out before her. As she did so, she closed her eyes. And that is when it began. The darkness behind her eyelids grew more pronounced the longer her eyes were closed. It went from a simple blanket of black, to a vast inky void that stretched out before her and spread through her mind like a tidal wave, washing away all thought and cleansing her of all her troubles and worries.
She took a breath, inhaling more of the strangely familiar scent. It invaded her nose and spread throughout her mouth, settling upon her tongue and lingering there.
She could taste the darkness as it found its way down her throat and deeper into her body. It filled her with a sense of true ineer peace that lingered there in her mind and made her smile with glee.
The darkness settled behind her eyelids, forming a sort of cloud cover over her consciousness that gave her a strange feeling of comfort.
Surprisingly, through the calm that seemed to have fallen down upon her, covering her like a sheet and settling silently in the atmosphere around her, she felt alert and startlingly aware of everything. She could feel the chill of the wind on her wings, which she had unknowingly unfurled while she was in her revelry. She could feel the cold as it spread through her body. She could smell the distinct scent of blueberries in the air.
The darkness was not done with her. It spread further down her body, all the way to her hooves, where it began to seep into her fur, past her skin, and deep into her body where it remained, cool and refreshing in its attempts to soothe her.
She heard its voice, far off in the deepest recesses of her mind. It called out to her, beckoned her forward, and as if it was commanding her every action, she flapped her wings and took flight, her eyes still shut.
She could not get lost, for the darkness was leading her on her pathless journey. As she considered this fact, she found that she trusted the darkness to lead her. Trusted it to help her. Trusted it to make sure all was well within her and without her.
She flapped her wings more fiercely now. bursting through the cloud of fatigue that had only a moment ago seemed so intent on dragging her down, that it felt like she had had chains on her hooves.
Well now those chains were broken, and she was herself once again. No agonizingly long meetings, no ignorant Canterlot nobles, no threats to Equestria that she had to contend with.
No more wearing a mask, no more having to hide who she truly was. She was simply Celestia once again, if only for just one night.
And it was all because of the darkness. A darkness that seemed to have been following her this whole time. She could feel it chasing her, trying to grab hold of her again. She teased it, moving inches out of the way as it tried to get her, to hold her in its gentle, loving embrace.
She felt like a filly, the way she flew around in circles, playfully zig-zagging around to avoid her pursuer. A pursuer who, she realized, was gaining on her. She poured on a last bit of speed, but the darkness had finally caught up with her.
It grabbed her, covering her entire body in a cool, soothing feeling that now reverberated through her, causing her to involuntarily relax. Her body went limp in its grip, and she found that she still felt just as lively and happy as before, despite the energy she was sure she had just spent.
It was then that she noticed that the darkness had gained form. It's body was pressing against her own as she remained pressed against its chest. It nuzzled her, and spoke, this time in a very familiar voice.
"Do you feel better now, sister?"
Celestia's eyes snapped open. She flailed and struggled and kicked her hooves in surprise, slipping out of her younger sister's grip and turning to face her.
"Luna?! What are you doing up?!"
"I have more duties than just the raising and lowering of the moon, sister. Did you forget that I roam the dreamscape?" She answered.
"Oh yes, that's right. But...what are you doing here?"
"I was dream-walking, when I saw you dreaming a rather nice dream. But you were sleep flying again, so I had to help."
"Wait. I was asleep the whole time?"
"Yes, dear sister. Well, at least until the end."
"So you were the darkness I saw, sister?"
"Yes, dear tia. I was. I knew you were weary, and so I tried to help however I could."
A comfortable silence fell over the both of them, in which Luna took Celestia back to the castle and laid her down in bed.
"Sleep tight, tia." Luna said as she nuzzled her sister and turned to leave. "Sweet dreams."
