The Better Angels of Her Nature
You open the door to Princess Celestia’s chambers and close it gingerly, hoping not to disturb her. You see her sitting on a big bed of pillows and cushions near the doors to her balcony and you sneak over quietly. You can tell that she hears you enter, since her ears perk up, but her eyes refuse to leave the book in front of her and she continues to read anyway. Knowing her, she’s probably going to pretend to be surprised when you sit down next to her. How cute!
You sit yourself down right next to her, and she gives a faux start of surprise before craning her neck toward you and shooting you a smile. “Hi!”
“Hey there,” you beam back.
She leans into you and looks at you with a wide, expectant smile.
You give her a playful grin back. “What?”
She brings down her muzzle and nudges your neck lovingly...multiple times.
You stare forward stoically. “Looks like somepony is feeling very affectionate.”
She whines and places her muzzle in your hand, rubbing it up and down. “Stop teasing me!”
“Teasing you how?” you bite your lip mischievously as she leans into your with all of her weight, wiggling in anticipation.
“Snuggle me!” she whines in a high voice, looking at you with puppy dog eyes.
“Ohhhhh!” you respond in mock comprehension, placing an arm around her and rubbing her wing. “You should have just said so, my radiance.”
She smiles and shifts so that her head lays on your lap, and you stroke her mane gently.
“Did Luna act...okay last night?” she asks. It sounds like she was a little worried.
“Yeah, she was fine!” you reply quickly.
She looks up at you curiously.
“Well, okay, she forcibly cuddled me and choked me half to death while making herself look like Nightmare Moon.”
She frowns. “Oh, dear. Do I need to talk with her?”
Your eyes grow and you hold up a reassuring hand. “Oh no! No! She and I have an understanding. She told me that I could snuggle whoever I wanted to, and I agreed that she could snuggle me forcefully and against my will whenever I’m in Canterlot in return.” You shrug as if it’s no big deal. “All is fine.”
She frowns and studies your face for a moment with her big, rose eyes. “Well...okay. But you come to me if you need any help, okay?”
You smile and stroke her ear with a hand. “I promise.”
The both of you spend the next several minutes cuddling together quietly. You particularly enjoy the feeling of her sparkling mane running between your fingers.
Eventually, she lets out a happy sigh and adjusts her head on your lap. “I really enjoy our time together,” she reveals, her eyes closed blissfully. “It’s so rare that I get to relax and just hug or lie on somepony.”
“I do too, Princess!” you chipperly reply, smiling at her even though she couldn’t see you.
She opens her eyes and stares into yours softly for a moment. Then, she sits up. “I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Whatever you need, Celestia,” you reply immediately. You were always in a helpful mood when you got to cuddle a pony, after all.
“Could you brush me?” she asks, floating over a tiny brush and shaking it gently, as if for emphasis. “I...I really like to be brushed.”
“Well of course!” you answer, snatching the brush from her. “Just lay down flat on your tummy and I’ll get started.”
She complies, and you begin by running the brush through her multicolored pastel mane. Celestia simply sat there stoically, with closed eyes and a gentle smile, as you work out what few imperfections were present.
The gentle rhythm of her mane’s undulations was so hypnotizing, and Celestia’s posture so elegant, that eventually you just slump to the ground and lean on her as you continue brushing beyond what is necessary.
Eventually though, you think it wise to move on, and turn to face her tail (although you still reclined sideways on her comfortably). You move the brush outward gently from the base of her tail, smoothing it tenderly. After a few strokes, she leans her weight against you as an affectionate counterbalance.
Then, you move on to her body. You start by gently running the brush over her flanks and Cutie Mark on each side and down her back legs.
You move and brush down her lower back, from the bottom of her wings to the base of her tail.
Here, Celestia begins to hum happily and wiggle with satisfaction.
You move on to her wings, taking great care not to disturb the delicate feathers that were responsible for flight efficacy.
Celestia lets out a gentle happy moan as you work. “That feels so nice...You’re quite skilled.”
When you were finished there, you work on her upper back and front hooves before you find yourself sitting in front of her, looking up at her blissful face.
She cracks open an eye to look at you. “Go on,” she urges, floating her royal regalia off of her and placing them nearby. “The job won’t finish itself.”
You move the brush forward and brush down her oh-so-fluffy chest with the brush. She just smiles and hums as you work, slowly inching herself toward you until the brush can no longer reach its target...Since your chest is pressed up tight against hers.
She wraps her front legs around you and rests her muzzle on top of your head. Letting out a sigh, she praises you: “Thank you so much, snugglebuns, and expertly done.”
“You’re quite welcome, Princess,” you respond. “I’d be happy to do it for you again, anytime.”
“Really?” she asks with sparkling eyes and a bright smile. “Oh, thank you!” She wraps her wings around you as a reward. She lets out another gentle sigh before speaking again. “I’ve always loved being brushed. It just doesn’t feel the same when you brush yourself.” She makes eye contact with you, and her face twists into a bittersweet mask of thought, as if she was remembering something that had happened to her. “I used to have the guards brush me, back many, many years ago,” she explained, a playful smirk on her face. “But then my advisors recommended that I stop. They were worried it could be seen as scandalous.”
“Well, it does involve somepony touching you all over,” you comment. While you hate to admit it, it does indeed seem like a thing as simple as cuddling became much more serious when applied to Celestia.
“I suppose you’re right, my interdimensional cuddlebug.”
“Why of course I am, my radiance! I’m always right.”
She giggled and stood up. “Now is the moment of truth: how do I look?” she asks, turning around slowly and showing off her mane and coat.
You stare helplessly as the rays from the setting sun filter through the windows and reflect softly off Celestia. Your brushing and given her coat an almost shiny quality, while her mane and tail appeared to have slowed their movement and taken on a more passive aesthetic.
Then, of course, there was her elegant, graceful form and that kind smile. And her eyes! How could anypony ever forget seeing those eyes? They were the embodiment of gentleness and natural beauty. Often, you found yourself staring into them awkwardly.
Just as you were right now.
Celestia tilts her head and looks at you shyly. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong?” she places a hoof on her mane nervously.
You shake your head and stand up, walking over to her. Placing a hand on the side of her face and looking into those pretty eyes, you say, “No, not at all, Princess. I just...Have I told you what a great ruler you are?”
Her eyes grow a little bit. “N-no, I don’t think you have.”
“Well, you are. In all my time here, I’ve never seen you be unkind to anypony, at all, ever! At the same time, though, you remain strong, and elegant, and project unfettered power and authority. Not to mention, you’re so beautiful and soft spoken, and you care about everypony, almost as if…”
“As if I’m a Mom?” she asks gently, a little confused.
“Well, no, I was going to say...as if you were an angel.”
She takes a moment to process this information before her eyes appear to get a little wet.
Realizing what you just said, you take a step back. “...an angel, or...or something, you know? Anyway, the brushing makes you look great.” You turn away and look out the window at the sunset over Canterlot.
You hear hoofsteps behind you, and Celestia’s muzzle nudges your side. “Do...do you really mean it? I’m like an angel?”
You look to your right apprehensively, expecting to get a verbal evisceration from the most powerful pony princess in the land. Instead, you are met with some mildly tear-stained cheeks and a quivering smile that suggests Celestia is really trying to keep it together.
“Well, of course I do,” you reply almost without thinking. “You’re so beautiful and kind...and you’ve even got the whole ‘white with wings’ theme going on, you know?”
She looks out of the window silently with you for a few seconds.
You sigh. What you told her wasn’t the whole truth. “Well...You know how angels are. They serve the Most High, protecting the weak, just like you protect your subjects. They also deliver prophecies and stuff, so I guess they’re leaders like you too. Their purity also makes them untouchable.” You cast a glance at Celestia, who looks a little melancholic as she stares out the window. “I...That might be part of the reason you like cuddling so much, isn’t it?”
A genuine smile graces her otherwise pained face. “You’re quite a wise little interdimensional traveler, do you know that?”
You lean over and plant a kiss on her cheek, the setting sun casting a warm glow on you.
“You might be an angel too,” she comments. “They can appear in many different forms, you know.”
You send a beaming smile her way. “Little old me? Well, if you think so.”
“Will you keep me company the rest of the evening?”
“Sure I will. I don’t have to be back in Ponyville until tomorrow. But shouldn’t you be finishing up the sunset right about now?”
“I should be, yes. But, the sun can stay up a little while longer.”