//------------------------------// // Mother's Perfume // Story: The Beloved of Princess Nightmare Moon // by Aegis Shield //------------------------------// The Beloved of Princess Nightmare Moon Chapter 2 Court Vizier Twilight Sparkle sat confidently upon the throne of Canterlot, the seat of power in Equestria. With her golden circlet, divine-given authority and a small scepter hooked into her grasp, she held court over the masses in the absence of her adoptive mother Celestia. “And with that, the declaration passes the department of health, the department of safety, and the department of correctional facilities!” she smiled gaily, tapping her scepter in the place where Celestia usually tapped her massive hoof to make things official. The three national department heads bowed to her, then shook hooves, then bowed to her again and turned to go. Twilight sighed long and loud, wiping her brow and looking rather pleased with herself. Thanks to Celestia’s suggestions, Nightmare Moon’s bookings, and some political creativity of her own, she’d just made headway on something great! “Quick Quill?” she asked the royal scribe, who snapped to attention. “Mark that from our schedule for me? I’m sure Princess Celestia will be pleased to see that missive pass those three departments in the short time she was gone.” “It’s a good idea!” Quick Quill said, her pen dancing on the page. “Ponies sitting in jail able to volunteer for public service to shorten their sentences? I’m sure they’ll love to get up and stretch their legs and muscles.” “Better contributing to society than sitting miserable in a concrete box for years at a time,” Court Vizier Sparkle nodded officially. “If we’re lucky, we’ll have that stone road Princess Celestia wants from Canterlot to Apploosia in just a few years!” she allowed herself a little tippy-tap-hoofy-dance, giggling. “Just think of the economic stresses that’ll be relieved with such a secure route!” She shuffled busily through her papers, having accomplished something rather large. “If prisoners build it, not only will the country save money on wages, but they’ll emerge from prison with work experience and hit the ground running to get jobs when they’re freed!” She couldn’t stop smiling. Reaching up, she touched her golden circlet to make sure it was still on straight. She coughed twice to draw attention to herself. “And with that I will declare the Noon Day Court complete for today, good job everypony!” Guards nodded, servants and states-ponies filed out while chattering amongst each other. “Quick Quill, would you come with me?” she stepped off the throne and down the dais. “Yes, Vizier Sparkle,” Quick Quill trotted happily after her, paper and scrolls hovering along after her. “I’m sure you already know Princess Celestia was delayed for a few days, so I’m going to be sorting the court for a few more days than we thought,” Twilight said conversationally. “I’d like to see representatives from the royal guardpost distribution department tomorrow.” “Oh?” “Yes. The word of a local guard petition is that the work can be boring if they stay in one spot for too many shifts,” Twilight set her scepter on a pillow a waiting servant was holding. She thanked and smiled at him. “I’d like to entertain the idea of a cylindrical guardpost wheel, so that everypony can see different places every pay cycle or so.” “Cylindrical?” Quick Quill wondered aloud as she wrote the proper notes for scheduling. “Yes, that’s to include our armored pegasi,” Twilight said. “Different stages of elevation, and such.” “Oh yes, of course,” Quick Quill didn’t quite understand. “It… sounds like a lot of paperwork.” “I will help devise a name calendar and post distribution system,” Twilight said, nodding officially. “We only have to do it once, and then it will run itself as long as you feed it names.” “Like a… lottery system?” Quick Quill wondered. “Oh yes, that’s a good comparison!” Twilight said, nodding in agreement. “It might be exciting to draw one’s name, then reach out and take a ball from a huge vat that told you where your post around the palace is for the next two-to-four weeks.” “Sounds silly,” Quick Quill smiled wryly, wondering if she was joking. “Silly, but if it makes them all happy to be shuffled around,” Twilight gave a patient shrug. “It’s better than mountains of paperwork.” They turned a corner towards the royal apartments and the adjoining corridors. “The morale of my little ponies is important to me,” she said with a giggly smile. “Now, that’s all for today. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She stopped at the threshold of the royal corridor. Only royalty and a very select few were allowed down that hall. Quick Quill dutifully stopped behind the line, bowing and smiling before bidding Twilight goodbye. She watched the purple mare head towards her private chambers, shaking her head with a silent smile. Like a fish to water, Twilight had taken the authority of the crown when Celestia had to go to Alpacastan. Oh yes, there were about twelve hours of panicking, a long session of stroking her own tail, a steaming bath to drain her stresses, plenty of wine to give her courage and a sordid masturbation session or two to get the endorphins going… but eventually the purple prodigy worked up the courage to sit upon the throne her adoptive mother did every day. Court Vizier Twilight wouldn’t let her country down. Once she stopped worrying, she actually did quite well! Quick Quill pushed away all her papers into her saddlebags and went about her own evening. Twilight trotted along, turning a corner into privacy and shutting the double doors behind her with magic. They shut with a satisfying little boom of weight, and the guards nodded dutifully to her. She glanced left, towards the ivory hall. That was where Celestia’s private apartments were. She looked right, down the dark and jagged hallway of the onyx hall, where Princess Nightmare Moon took her residence. Straight ahead were the royal apartments for ponies such as she. Looking about she stopped for a moment, then turned left. Celestia wasn’t home but… but she missed her mother. Adoptive mother. She-raised-me mother. It made no difference to Twilight. She loved her mother and sun goddess more than any of her other little ponies. The guards saluted and snapped to attention as she passed. “At ease boys,” she said pleasantly, passing under a massive crystalline chandelier. “It’s just me.” They favored her with affectionate smiles, and she returned in kind. Twilight reached the end of the hall at last, touching a hoof to the door. Five or six spells looked at her, tasted her aura, checked her identity, measured her weight, inspected the color of her fur and eyes—then the door opened easily for her. She slipped inside and shut it. The scent of fire and smoke instantly invaded her nose. “What the—?!” Celestia lay on her bed pillow like an entranced swan, watching something burn wildly in the center of the room. A wide magic circle contained the heat and light, but the scent of smoke was thick in the room. “Twilight?!” she looked up, startled. “I… I…” Twilight was red in the face, caught sneaking into her mother’s room. “Wh-what’s going on?!” she blurted. “I am… I am…” Celestia was a little flustered, flapping her wings a few times before quickly refolding them. “Th-this is private,” was all she could think to say. Twilight’s gaze slid over to the burning object. A painting? She could see a face from across the room, but it was half-charred away and she couldn’t see who it was. “I erm… I erm…!” Twilight stuttered, backing up and starting to panic just a little. Celestia coughed twice, then gave her head a toss. The fire snuffed itself instantly, and the remains smoldered as the magic circle glowed hot… then vanished. “I wasn’t expecting company, I was taking care of something private.” She rose from her bed with some strength. “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean any harm!” Twilight’s butt hit the door. She felt small, so small all of a sudden, as Celestia swept across the room with her wings authoritatively open. “It’s alright,” Celestia said as her shadow cast itself over Twilight. “Breathe, daughter… breathe.” She coaxed with a mother’s smile. Twilight took a cleansing breath. Then another. Then a third. A white wing started at the top of her head, then stroked down her withers, past her back and to the base of her tail. Then a second time. The motion seemed to soothe her. “You’re alright.” “I-I didn’t mean to intrude,” Twilight said, hopelessly embarrassed. “I think you did, not many can get into this room other than you and I,” Celestia smiled a little coyly. “Will you tell me why you thought to come to my room when you thought I wasn’t home yet?” Twilight knew better than to lie. “I… I…” She stared at her hooves and mumbled something really humiliating. One hoof crossed over another, and her ears burned. Celestia looked at the tiny bottle of perfume on her vanity, a little surprised. “Really?” she said curiously, levitating it to them by magic. “I missed you, and it smells like you and… erm…” Twilight was red in the face, staring at the carpet and not her mother figure. “I wasn’t gonna take any! I just… y’know… smell it… it’s comforting.” She wished she could melt into a puddle and not be blurting all this out like a ten year old caught with her hoof in the cookie jar. “Oh sweetheart,” Celestia came to her knees so they were eye to eye, deeply touched. Her ethereal mane waved about before resettling. She lifted Twilight’s chin with her hoof so she could see her smiling. “I’ve only been gone a fortnight,” she paused at Twilight’s hurt look. “But I understand. Here.” She opened the bottle and touched it to Twilight’s neck. Just a single drop. It smelled of simple vanilla, with a touch of feather oil to give it weight. Twilight’s heart fluttered, humbled by the gesture. “One on the neck, one on the nose. So only ponies very close to you know,” Celestia whispered with motherly intimacy. The bottle floated, touching Twilight’s muzzle behind her nostrils and between her eyes. She stoppered the perfume, putting it back in its resting place. “M’sorry for barging in,” Twilight said, still a little embarrassed. “It’s very sweet of you to do something like that,” Celestia smiled despite herself. “I ah… suppose you’ll want to know what I was doing?” she gently moved the subject so Twilight would stop squirming so much where she stood. The purple mare looked up, nodding quickly. “Well, you see…” It took her a little while to explain, and Twilight tilted her head as she took in the situation. “I see…” Twilight said slowly, cocking her head. “You’ll keep it to yourself, though,” Celestia said gently. Twilight quickly agreed, but then something else bothered her. “How did you get all the way here without anypony seeing you?” “I sun-stepped,” Celestia smiled coyly, winking at her. “Ahhh,” Twilight had almost forgotten Celestia could move at the speed of sunlight when she pleased. It was almost like teleporting, really. One burst of speed to a window, then a quick teleport beyond the window, she must’ve arrived in her private chambers almost instantly when the train stopped. The sun goddess didn’t often use the ability, as she often lectured Twilight that life was about the journey, not the destination. But popping out of the train and into her own room wasn’t too much, so she thought. “Well, is there anything you’d like me to do about… this…?” she gestured to the half-burnt painting. Celestia coughed twice, re-igniting the fire while they spoke. “Try not to make fun of me?” Celestia said with a drop of earnesty. “I know you and Blueblood have been rather steady for a long time now, try not to laugh as I go looking?” “I would never!” Twilight swore. “Yes well, it’s been a few hundred years, so I will no doubt be rusty. Cadance is helping me, though, so perhaps not too many disasters await.” Celestia pondered with a hoof to her chin. They conversed for a time as Mountain Blood’s face slowly vanished into the ashes. Celestia didn’t want to admit to herself that she was using her daughter as a distraction as the last image of the love of her life curled into smoke and nothing. It would keep her from staring at him in longing too much. When the flames died down she rose at last, pulling what looked like an urn or lidded-jar from a corner of the room. Using magic she swept up every speck of ash and dust, grinding the remains of the wood into nothing and cleaning the carpet over. It all dashed into the jar rather neatly, and she gently placed the lid on top. A simple hold spell kept the lid from coming off so she wouldn’t spill it. The last of the smoke left her window with a phantom breeze, clearing the air. (How nopony saw smoke coming out of Princess Celestia’s private window was anypony’s guess…) “I’m proud of you, Mom.” Twilight said after working up her courage to say it. Celestia had the decency to blush and thank her. “Does this mean Cadance will be visiting? Staying here for a while?” “I imagine so,” Celestia said thoughtfully. “I’ll have to ask the palace staff to make up a room for her, and-!” the white alicorn startled when suddenly her hearth spat a scroll with a belch of green flame. “Dragon hearth mail?” she said, slowly standing and getting the parchment. She found the seal and paused a moment. Dark green wax. An insect. “Chrysalis,” she whispered, eyes widening. Twilight’s muzzle wrinkled. “Uh oh.” “Now now,” Celestia said, half-scolding and half-curious. She popped the seal and unfurled it. “Oh? It’s addressed to Nightmare. I shouldn’t…” It took only a small discrepancy to send dragon hearth mail to the wrong fireplace in the same building. She glanced at Twilight, who was giving her a frowny look. “W-well, maybe a little peek.” She cleared her throat a moment. Nightie, I’ll be visiting two weeks hence, as we discussed. Tell the great white bitch I’m coming to talk and not to make war. Make up a room for me in your deepest, darkest dungeon and do try to remember to leave a pillow or two this time! I hate neck cramps. Chryssi P.S. What does Celestia want for Hearthswarming? Stop stalling and ask her for me! I want more bags of grass seed this year, don’t skimp on me! Celestia slowly lowered the parchment, looking into the fire for a long silence. Four of the Children of Faust under one roof, all at once? She hrrm’d in mild disapproval. Being gone for a fortnight had left her rather decidedly out of the loop, if Nightmare and Chrysalis were talking again. It had been over a year since they’d heard from their estranged sibling to the south, what was going on? Why now? **** Princess Nightmare Moon crooned over her dear Nurse Bandaid in her private chambers in the onyx halls of the palace in Canterlot. She only knew the most basic of healing magic, but she’d soothed his bruises and carefully bandaged him with tender hooves. She gave him milk with honey, stroked his aches, and cooed over his hurts until the poor stallion settled down. The golden contract of the five gods lay unfurled on her desk, still binding all of Nightmare’s siblings not to physically touch Bandaid without his permission. Chrysalis’ signature still glittered like the rest. It would only go dark if she ever mare-handled him away once more. So it was true. Neither Princess of the Night nor Changeling Queen knew how Bandaid had ended up in the Badlands capital palace. Bandaid turned and lay on his back, stirring a little from his restful cat-napping. Her massive hoof draped over him and stroked the velvet of his soft brown belly. Brown body, brown mane, he really was a plain thing by pony standards, but… her heart was his. She nuzzled his barrel a little, always moving slow as not to startle him from his dozing reverie. Waking after fainting he’d been panicked, but Nightmare had assured him he was home safe. A quick glance about the onyx chambers told him it was true, and he’d slumped to rest. Princess Nightmare lifted her head when a knock came to her door. “Come,” she said as loudly as she could without disturbing her resting lover. A servant entered, bowing low, with a food cart. “Thank thee, leave it there,” she nodded twice. She saw the mare’s eyes linger on dear Bandaid. “He is resting,” she whispered. “He’ll be okay soon.” A slight tone sounded from her adjoining bathroom after the servant had gone, and Nightmare’s ears perked. Lifting him with magic, she levitated him easily along until they’d come to the other room. She lowered him gingerly into the bath, propping his chin on the edge of the tub. It steamed all about him and he gave an audible, happy moan. He shifted, splashing the water over the edge a bit. She smiled softly. Poor delicate thing. Letting him lay there to soak, she went back to check the food cart. Looking about like a foal sneaking a cake, she leaned to the lower level that was behind the table-cloth covering the whole thing. She smiled with all her fangs. Piping hot ham and a tiny addition of honey. Salted, not over-cooked, and dripping with juices. Checking once more than Bandaid was not splashing out to watch her eat, she attacked the tray with all her hunger. Snarfing wildly at the ham slices, she stopped only to make sure she got honey on some of it. It had been a wonderful thing, adding a griffin chef to the palace staff, just for her. Well, her and any visiting foreign dignitaries that shared her pallet for meats. She closed her eyes to moan, savoring the salt and meat flavors until her tummy was bulging. Flying for hours, dive-bombing a palace, and rescuing Bandaid all in a few days’ time was hungry work! But it often made her little ponies ill to see her eat thus, so she took to her meats in the privacy of her own chambers. Even Royal Vizier Twilight Sparkle seemed to look ill at the sight of some of her dinners. She took another slab of ham, putting it between two dark brown wheat bread slices. Pausing, she remembered her health and put a bit of cheese with it as well. Then she snarfed that down as well. Placated, she went to go check on Bandaid. She paused, stopping to check her breath. Well that simply wouldn’t do. She went back to the food cart— ah! Mint. There. That was better. One did not croon over one’s lover with meat on one’s breath. She found him curled up in the massive tub, eyes closed, chin still resting on the edge. She got a gentle brush and soap. She marveled, not for the first time, about the number of potions and elixirs that modern ponies kept in their bathrooms. Lavender would be best, that promoted healthy and deep sleep. She scrubbed him quietly, humming a little lullaby to sooth his poor stressed body. “I see the moon and the moon sees me. Shining through the branches of the old oak tree. And if that moon should shine on me, let it shine on the one I love…” she whispered melodically. Bandaid gave a quiet purr, his eyelids too heavy to lift. She scrubbed gently between his ears and atop his head. His tail tossed a couple of times so she scrubbed that too. It was intimate, really. Glancing over, she flicked a scented candle with her magic to light it and dimmed the overhead lights. When it was time for him to get out she pulled the plug and let the water drain. She toweled him dry and lifted him again with magic to a softer place to lay in front of the hearth. It was late fall, almost winter, and staying warm was important. When he was dry and only a little bit damp, she at last settled down next to him. The merry, crackling fire would help him dry and sleep easier. To her surprise, the brown stallion turned all the way over on his back and looked up at her. “Hi,” he whispered. She smiled softly at him. “You saved me… again,” he hooked his long legs about her neck, pulling her down to nuzzle him. “Thank you,” he husked quietly. “I don’t remember any… anything… what happened to me? Who took me?” “We don’t know yet, my love,” Nightmare whispered, a little ashamed she had no answers for him. “Twas not Chrysalis, though. We do not know who would dare grab you up and place you thus,” she gestured vaguely southward, then leaned down to nuzzle him more. “Please rest? I fret for your health and… tummy,” she suddenly remembered the food cart again, taking the small plate from the upper tier of the wheeled table. She fed him strawberries in wafer-thin slices, then kiwi, then a few lettuce leaves to soothe his grumbling belly. When he would take no more, they rested there before the fire, neither speaking. She stroked his belly, over and over, and they looked at each other’s faces. Hers was of black velvet, a long muzzle and a noble brow. The slits of her pupils, once scary to him, carried an air of delight and sensual mystery to them. His was simply shaped, handsome and well-groomed. A handsome thing that deserved to be kissed and fawned over. After a time, she looked southward on his body. He drew his knees together, shy but smiling. “I think I’ve a way to help you sleep better,” she smiled coyly, kissing his cheek. “W-w-well,” he fretted shyly as she laid slow kisses down his barrel, past his tummy and towards his groin. The tiny honeypot joined them by her magic there on the carpet and she drew a single line on his growing flesh for fun and flavor. Bandaid gasped, red-faced and staring at the ceiling, only occasionally daring to look down at her bobbing head. After a long time, his long and unchained moan of her name was music to her ears. He curled towards her to pant, exhausted. Settling next to him at last, she laid a long midnight wing protectively over his body to let him sleep. And sleep he did. Healing, bath, food, orgasm, sleep. She was quite good at taking care of her stallion, if she did say so herself. ***** Nightmare emerged into the royal dining halls without Bandaid, having left him to sleep as long as he could. It was her habit to see if Celestia was having dinner and to at least keep her company. Celestia sat with a tea set, newspaper and a small spread of fruits and vegetables. The dark wine said something was off, though. “Good to see you’ve returned, sister,” the black mare offered a little cautiously. “How was Alpacastan? I was told you even stopped to visit Cadance in the Crystal Empire.” Celestia lowered her paper, offering a smile, “I heard you went on a rescue mission, alone, a few days ago. Did Chrysalis go back on her deal and snatch Nurse Bandaid again?” “Neigh,” Nightmare said with a troubled frown, seating herself. She took tea but nothing else, as her belly was still full of ham and… well… other things. “Some unknown thing snatched him from his bed in Ponyville and dropped him in the Badlands Capital Palace, in the highest room of the tallest tower. But Chrysalis’ signature still glitters on the golden contract you all signed. She had nothing to do with it.” “I got some of your mail on accident,” Celestia said, rolling the scroll across the table to her. “Perhaps we should fill each other in on this past few weeks?” “Yes, of course,” Nightmare read the letter, then curled it up and vanished it. “But first, tell me how our sister in the north is faring. Did you say sorry?” she gave a sisterly smirk. “Yes…” Celestia said slowly, looking to one side with a scrunched muzzle. “Good!” Nightmare piped. “But more importantly…” Celestia lowered her voice to continue. End of Part 2