"I wish there could be a place like this in the real world."
On slower nights, Luna liked to pop into Celestia's dreams to visit. Tonight, she had taken the liberty of transforming Celestia's dream into an endless landscape of fluffy clouds painted rosy by a perpetual sunset.
"I wish so too, sister," Luna remarked with a thoughtful smile, admiring her work before moving to sit beside her sister.
The two sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's presence and the beautiful scenery around them. The younger princess's skill with the realm had developed greatly, and everything from the intricate details of the cloudscape to the gentle, warm breeze adding even more movement to their manes and tails, was perfect.
"How have you been holding up?" Celestia gently nudged her sister out of her reverie.
"Okay, I guess," Luna replied with a shrug. "Still, I would have rather not have been reminded of..."
She trailed off, swallowing the lump that had suddenly risen to her throat.
"Deep breaths, Lulu. Deep breaths." Celestia scooted closer to her sister, offering a single comforting wing, which Luna gratefully snuggled under, trying not to cry.
"It's been three weeks since Cozy's imprisonment," Luna mumbled into her sister's soft coat, shaking. "I should have moved past this by now."
"You spent a good few hours during those weeks holding me while I bawled my eyes out." Celestia gave a small, sad chuckle before nuzzling her sister and pulling her in even closer. Luna wrapped her own wings and hooves around Celestia, and the favor was returned fully. Ivory and deep koamaru intertwined, and all was calm.
For a few minutes.
Luna stiffened, then untangled herself from her sister.
"Nightmare?" Celestia asked.
"Nightmare," Luna replied. "Later, Tia." She left Celestia's dream to find the pony in need, taking great care not to disturb her atmospheric masterpiece. It had taken a lot of time and energy practicing the ability to sense a troubled dream while within another's, and it still wasn't perfected yet, but it was still helpful.
She arrived at the dream giving off the distress signal, and entered it, to find Starlight Glimmer in what seemed to be her guidance counselor's office. Only, everything was darker, more clouded, and voices echoed from every corner of the room. Starlight herself was hiding under her desk, covering her ears. But in mere seconds, the desk she had hidden under was cleared away, as were the rest of the surroundings.
Starlight, opened one eye slowly, then the other, before noticing the princess. "Oh, Luna! I'm so glad you're here!"
"Of course, my dear subject. Now, what seems to be the problem?"
Starlight opened her mouth, before closing it again without speaking.
"Go on," Luna prompted gently.
"It... it might sound weird, but..." Starlight fidgeted nervously.
"I have heard many weird things, trust me," Luna reassured. "Go on."
Starlight froze for about five more seconds, before blurting out "Is Cozy okay?" She froze again after the outburst, clamping her mouth shut.
Luna looked surprised at first, then a look of understanding spread through her face. "You shouldn't be ashamed that you worry about her. You and I are former villains ourselves." Starlight relaxed a bit at this but still looked up at the princess with wide, nervous eyes.
"Between calming the citizens of Equestria after their loss of magic, working with Chancellor Neighsay to rewrite the EEA codes, and aiding in research to make sure that there were no severe permanent effects of Cozy's scheme, my sister and I haven't had much time to think about Cozy herself. But once we have time, rest assured, we will figure something out. She won't be left in Tartarus her whole life; you have my word."
Starlight breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear it. She's only a filly. Fillies don't deserve to be imprisoned. Ever." She paused, noting an odd look on the princess's face that she couldn't read. "Um, Luna?"
Luna gave a slight jerk. "Oh, sorry," she shook her head slightly. "Anyway, yes. We will find a better solution."
"I can help, if you want," Starlight offered.
Luna thought it over for a moment. "Yes, if you could assist, that would be wonderful."
"All right," Starlight smiled. "So, I guess this means you're leaving then?"
"I guess so. Usually, I spend more times in ponies' dreams, but I guess we cleared this up pretty quickly." Lighting her horn, Luna left Starlight's dream and made her way back to Celestia's. Entering once more into the realm of clouds, she alighted once more next to her sister.
"That was fast," Celestia remarked. Luna retold the events of Starlight's dream to Celestia.
The two smiled, settling once more into a hug, this time sitting side by side with one wing each around the other, staring off into the plane of clouds.
"As long as we continue to have ponies who stand against child imprisonment, everything shall be quite alright, methinks," Luna said quietly.
"Oh, Lulu." Celestia laughed softly at her sister's rumination and the resulting sentence that still carried notes of the old royal Canterlot way of speaking.
Their silence was held for just a bit more before Celestia spoke again.
"Do you think he'll ask about it?"
Luna was confused, until the magic of sisterhood translated her message. "I hope not. I wouldn't have to explain it."
Celestia nodded in agreement. "If nopony else has to experience what we did at her hooves, I will be happy."
They shuddered together, before finally coming to rest in complete silence and stillness, until it was time to bring the dawn.