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// Night 70: Magic 
// Story: 1001 Cuddly Nights 
// by CategoricalGrant 
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  	 “...You think that magic can make our cuddling more fun?”
   	 “I sure do,” Princess Luna calmly asserts, nudging your chin twice with her muzzle. “C’mon, at least let me try it!”
   	 “I don’t know...from your stories it seems that a lot can go wrong when magic is involved. Equestria seems like it’s always in danger.”
    	“We are in a controlled environment! It’s just me here,” she pouts, pushing you gently back against the couch cushions and climbing to hover over you.
    	“That is what concerns me,” you mumble skeptically.
    	“What?” she spits quickly back at you.
    	“What?” you reply just as quickly.
    	“Did you just insinuate that our magical faculties were lacking!?” Princess Luna half asks, half accuses, glowering down at you.
    	“Uh…” you fumble, searching desperately for a verbal escape as Luna’s piercing eyes slowly narrow. “...You look very pretty today.”
   	 “It is too late for that!” she pouts, sitting down on your lap and scowling angrily at you.
   	 “N-no, I’m serious! Did you do something new with your makeup?”
   	 Luna’s features soften momentarily. “I did, actually! I can’t believe you noticed; my new eyeliner is a few shades darker and-” Suddenly, Luna’s scowl returns, and she shakes her head, growling. “You crafty wretch! You almost had me there!”
  	  Weakly, you smile up at her. “Can’t blame me for trying.”
   	 “No, but I can certainly punish you,” Princess Luna teases, smiling devilishly as she brings a hoof up to boop you on the nose. Her horn is surrounded by an indigo glow as her wicked grin grows wider.
    	You try to wiggle out of her grasp, but she has you pinned firmly enough down that only a burst of effort could free you. Unwilling to potentially hurt your pony cuddle buddy, you settle for pleading. “Princess, l-let’s be reasonable about this. Can we at least talk it out?”
    	“This is a slight variation on a relatively simple piece of magic,” she pontificates. It was unclear if she was ignoring or obliging you. “It has a complicated name, but foals in Equestria often call it ‘Want it, Need it’.”
    	You cringe in expectation of being hit with magic, but are surprised to see the tendrils of color flow downward and surround Luna. After a moment of undulation, the aura dissipates and Princess Luna’s smile becomes more genuine. She looks gently at you, as if expecting something.
    	You look her up and down. “Woah, Princess, when did you become so...fluffy?” You feel your heart begin to race as you stare at the floofy blue barrel in front of you. 
   	 “I’ve always been fluffy,” she winks. “Isn’t that why I’m such a good cuddler?”
    	You snake your arms around her barrel and pull your face into her fluff. Inhaling gently, you let out a quiet, muffled groan of approval. “Since when are you like, this aromatic?” You squeeze her tightly against you, inhaling deeply again.
    	Snickering, Luna nuzzles the top of your head. “Let go of me for a moment, won’t you?”
   	 Your breath catches in your throat and you look up immediately to meet Luna’s gaze, heartbreak shooting from your eyes. “B-b-but…”
Luna leans backward, straining your grip. You lean forward quickly in a desperate attempt to halt her movement.
"NO, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME LUNA!" 
    	Luna falls forward against your torso, laughing heartily. A flash emanates from her horn and you suddenly feel slightly less enamored with holding her. After a few more moments, Luna’s breath begins to catch. “I-I-I’m sorry,” she groans, wiping an eye. “I couldn’t keep it up, it was too weird.”
    	You blink a few times and slowly retract your hug. “What did you just do to me?”
    	“Nothing,” she grinned. “I just made me the most wantable, needable object you’ve ever come across. Things could’ve gotten a lot more embarrassing for you, so I called it early.” Wiggling back to lie lengthwise along the couch, she yawns. “Come snuggle me.”
    	Still feeling a bit weird about everything that transpired, you crawl over to rest your torso against her back. You wrap your arms around her midsection and bury your nose into her mane in a ritual that you had become very familiar with.
    	Sighing, Princess Luna tilts her head back to deepen your contact. “Is...is it okay if I try one last spell?”
    	You groan audibly. “Luna…”
    	“Please!? I promise you’ll like this one!”
    	You make a noise that sounds like a cross between a growl and a choke. “Okay, fine. But just one, and it better not be anything wacky.”
   	 You hear her magic warm up again, and a flash signals the development of a new situation. “All done. Take a look!”
    	Luna’s voice sounded far away. Curious, you peek out from behind Luna’s mane to find, standing on your carpet five feet from the couch, Princess Luna.
    	Fear grips your heart and you lurch upward, looking down at the form next to you on the couch. Unexpectedly, it too is Princess Luna. You look back and forth between the Lunas rapidly. “You cloned yourself?”
    	“Goodness no!” the further away Luna tells you. “Cloning magic only ever leads to defective copies and serious instances of identity theft and financial fraud. This is more of a...splitting of the essence and mind.”
    	“I can only really control one of me at once,” couch Luna explains. “I have to concentrate on one form at a time, switching back and forth as I so please. It’s a little mentally arduous, but can be useful...sometimes.”
    	You furrow your brow as you ponder the philosophical implications of such a scenario. Quickly giving up, you stare dumbly at a blank space on the carpet between the ponies.
   	 “Well?” the carpet Luna asks impatiently. Are you going to snuggle me, or not?”
    	You look down to the couch Luna, who looks back with a cocked brow. “You should listen to me, you know. I am a good cuddler.”
    	“I...I’m already cuddling you?” you meekly offer to the distant Luna, reclining again to tightly hold couch Luna against you.
    	“You just don’t get it,” Luna says as she trots over to the couch, shaking her head. “I thought you were more creative!" She clambers over you, wiggling roughly against you and inserting herself in the space between you and the couch. Her wings wrap around your back and onto the other Luna that you are holding. Slowly, her hoof dances over your shoulder, arm, and neck.
   	 “A cuddle sandwich, with only me!” little spoon Luna comments. “I don’t have to share you! How does it feel?”
   	 You close your eyes and smile, burying your face into little spoon Luna’s mane. “Really nice. Really, really nice.”
   	 Big spoon Luna pulls you even tighter against her as little spoon Luna pushes back gently against you, effectively squeezing you in a two-pony cuddle hug.
  	  “You were right,” you sigh softly. “I do like this. Thanks, Luna.”
    	Another magical pop is heard, and a third Luna clambers on top of the pile to kiss your exposed cheek. “You’re welcome!”
    	You blush vividly red at the action, squirming slightly in surprise as the scent of three Lunas overpowers you. Surrounded now on all sides, a comfortable warmth swirls around your limbs.
    	The new Luna laughs, nuzzling into the crook of your neck. “Embarrassed?”
    	“Y-you got me by surprise, that’s all! I’m totally not embarrassed!”
    	The Lunas coordinate their next statement.
    	“Uh!”
    	“Huh!”
    	“Suuuuuuuuure!”