//------------------------------// // Maternus // Story: Libero // by Discombobulated Soul //------------------------------// Dark. The room was dark. The house was dark. The world was dark. So...Dark. Dark was his name. The Idiot's name. The traitor's name. He was Darkest. He was the darkest one of all. The ironic one. He's bad! BAD! He's stupid! STUPID! He's not me. I'm Knight. He was Knight. Not Darkest. Knight. It was dark. Dark was bad, like Darkest was bad. SO BAD! Darkest was, but is no longer. NOT BAD?! No, he was bad, but now he's gone. GONE! Yes, Darkest is gone. Gone is good. Bad things should go. Correct. YEAH! Dark is bad, so dark should go! Yes indeed, we should speedily turn on the lights. NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Quiver, shake, hide. Back to the wall. Rump to the wall. Tail where it goes. So...Dark! Too dark, need light. Lights! NO! NO LIGHTS! THEY'LL WAKE! That is a good point and one we would do well to pay due heed to. Small light. Horn light. Light your horn. Horn? An acceptable proposition. You're much less stupid than Darkest was. HORN! HORN! LIGHT! Light. No more dark. No more Darkest. No more HIM. No more HER. pressyourtailharderit'stheonlywaytostopHERpleasepleasepleaseSTOPHERSTOPHERIT'STHEONLYWAYTIGHTERYOURTAILSTOPHERFROMHERTHINGSEVILTHINGEVILBADTHINGSEVILMUTILATINGBADHORRIBLEAWFULBADBADBAD Whimper, cry, scream, Sound the alarm, It's no use. Please...help me! This is a highly troubling conundrum we're in and if anypony would be so magnanimous as to offer assistance- MOM! ...what? Beg pardon? MOMMY HELPS! SHE MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER! YES! Take steps toward the door. I'm utterly flabbergasted at your ludicrous proposal. Cry out for safety. Actually, I'm torn between being confused or being absolutely repulsed. For love. What part of your ridiculous mind actually believes you deserve either of those things? Stop! WHY!? Because, you animalistic retard, this course of action is plainly unconscionable and we are absolutely not going to follow it. Stop in the doorway. Feel tears run down your cheeks. Return to your lonely slumber. ...No... What did you say? YES! Listen, you insufferable wretch. Walk out to the hall. YES! YES! I don't know what on Equus it is you think you're doing Open Mommy's bedroom door. YES! YES! YES! And just what is your plan, exactly? Approach her side. Now you stop right where you are. STOP! WHY?! Because, you imbecile, she's on a- BED! Sheets, Blankets, Pillows. The deadly combination. WARMTH! Crush your scream of terror. Crawl back to the wall in vain hopes of some semblance of safety. Cry as the memories rush back. A cascade of torment. BIG PONY! Now you see, you blundering invalid. NO! You simply cannot just waltz in here and expect everything to be fine. BUT MOMMY FIXES EVERYTHING! I have won. You have no hope. You never had hope. I LOVE MOMMY! I love mommy too. THERE'S TWO WARMTHS! ...? Now what? THERE'S BAD WARM- WARM! Cower, shrink, hide. Bite your tongue. Silence your screams of desperation. Just like you did for all the nights before. ...AND THERE'S MOMMY WARM! Are you speaking in jest or are you genuinely serious? ...mommy...warm...? RIGHT! Because I honestly don't know what's more offensive. Remember how you felt before? Held by Lyra? Kept safe by Lyra? Was it not entirely pleasant? Cease your incessant yammering, Darkest. You're gone. I made sure of it. What about all the times before? Fluttershy, Bon Bon, Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer. Would you not love to feel that again? I know I would. Shut. Your. Stupid. Pie hole. Of course, sir. Right away, sir. My apologies. YEAH! LISTEN TO DARKEST! I...like...Mommy...warm. No. Stop it. Stop it you dimwit! WAIT! Take those final steps forward. NO! Tremblingly rear up. BED! Make your choice. The graceful sounds of birdsong echoed across the grassy hills, causing Lyra's attentive ears to give a slight twitch. She beamed up at the world from her spot next to a tree's trunk, delighting in the beauty that surrounded her. Magically lifting her lyre, the mare joined in the music, harmonizing to the gorgeous singing as lyrics began to take shape in her mind. Let's see...perhaps I'll rejoice about the life and wonder of the daytime? Sing a refrain about how much goes on beneath our hooves? "Life is like daytime, it sweeps and it swoons~" The melody was already there, conjured by her years of musical practice. Still, something about it didn't feel right, and Lyra was sure she knew exactly why. It's too hurried. Too fast for a lullaby. Come to think of it, so is the day. But what about... Suddenly, the scenery changed as the sun dipped speedily down the horizon, soon disappearing from view altogether. Lyra smiled absently, glad for the power lucid dreams gave her as the moon rose, revealing the equally beauteous night sky. The world was softer, now. Calmer, too, which fit her goals quite nicely. The mint-colored mare's attention was drawn to an approaching figure, who moved hesitantly and with no small amount of caution. Lyra stood, cantering down the side of the small hill with a cheery spring in her step. The cloudless sky--courtesy of Lyra's commands--left ample moonlight to shine down, illuminating the regal face that the unicorn came to a stop in front of. "Princess Luna!" She piped, lowering her upper body in a brief bow as the alicorn came to an abrupt halt. The night princess' form was kept expertly in a regal mask, such that Lyra doubted anypony save her could have read the storm of emotions swirling through her crowned head. Lyra could still detect, however, the moderate trepidation felt by her visitor, as well as the shimmer of hope, even in the relatively poor lighting. "Greetings, Lyra Heartstrings. You...don't seem very surprised at my presence. Might I enquire why?" The mint-colored mare giggled easily and sat down on the cool grass in response, gesturing the alicorn to do the same. Luna acquiesced, thankfully, and Lyra pushed aside the niggling worry that she was being a bit too forward in her demeanor. It's only Luna, and this is my dream, after all. There's no reason to walk on eggshells right now. "I figured it was only a matter of time before you checked up on one of us. I imagine you tried Knight first, but found his mind inaccessible?" Luna nodded in a decidedly subdued manner, and the unicorn's grin softened upon seeing just how distraught she was over the situation. It was subtle, likely meant to be imperceptible, but Lyra could still see the alicorn shrinking into herself in a display of shame, or perhaps disappointment. "...Yes. It seems that, despite my best efforts, I am still unable to help in any capacity. All I've been able to detect is that his nightmares have become significantly worse since the foalnapping." Seeing an opening, Lyra leapt at the chance to restore some amount of levity to the thoroughly killed mood. "How did the trial go? For Colza?" This brought the slightest hint of a satisfied smile to the alicorn's visage, and Lyra even thought she caught the ghost of a mirthful, vengeful chuckle. "Swiftly and decidedly. I proposed sending her and her cohorts to the moon, but sister had an even better idea. Let us simply say that they will not be bothering Equestria ever again, and the Saddle Arabian Freedom Fighters were happy to gain possession of such valuable prisoners." Luna shook her head after the pronouncement, though, and what little mirth she'd had was suddenly staunched entirely under her world-renowned stoicism. "That is not why I'm here, though. Will you please tell me, Lyra, how the colt has been? Is he faring well?" And there it was: Anxiety, plain and simple. Except that it was neither plain or simple, and in fact was coming in all kinds of shapes and flavors. She wants to help. That much is as plain as anything. She's probably wishing I'd tell her to come over and assist directly. With how much she's known for helping with foals, I wouldn't be surprised. Lyra heaved out a sigh, her honey-colored eyes roving the surroundings in search of inspiration. Wait, I have just the thing! "Princess, I could actually use your help with something, if you don't mind." Luna shot to her hooves, immediately brightening as she leaned forward, nodding with intense earnest. "Of course!" The alicorn practically shouted with ecstasy, nearly causing Lyra to fall over backwards at the sudden proximity. "What dost thou require?! We shall do our utmost to aid thee!" Lyra couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm, one that grew in intensity as the princess blushed, likely from realizing her mistake. The blue mare coughed awkwardly, returning to her spot of flattened grass as both ponies collected themselves. "Well, Knight really likes music, so I've been trying to write up a lullaby for him. I think he'd love having his own song, but I'm having trouble coming up with the right opening." Luna nodded in understanding, seeming about as attentive as she could possibly be with her ears facing forward and her eyes dead set on the unicorn's as she continued. "He really likes the night sky, though. I think it ties into his original name-" -and what his cutie mark was supposed to look like, but Lyra didn't want to tell anypony that particular theory just yet- "-and I was wondering if you have any inspiration to offer?" Lyra saw it: Pure, unadulterated gratitude flooded the princess upon hearing her words, and it brought a smile to the unicorn's face. Luna has definitely been wanting to help out for a while, now. I can't imagine the guilt both Sisters must be feeling from the mistakes they made. The alicorn briefly bowed her head, and Lyra waited patiently as she attempted to stop herself from bursting into tears of joy. She can't help directly, of course. Neither of them can. But there's no harm in offering some advice and brainstorming ideas. "Thank you, Lyra Heartstrings." Luna stated before they stood as one. The alicorn gestured up with a wing, drawing Lyra's gaze to the stars that were beginning to shift and change. "Now, I shall give you a lesson on the finer points of sky arrangement. Perhaps, after learning about the heavens for a while, you shall have all the inspiration you need." Much time passed, though exactly how much was impossible to know, due to the nature of dreams and all that. Luna taught, and Lyra learned things she could never have imagined. The night princess was as much an artist as herself, and the true volume of work that went into the sky was simply breathtaking. Luna carefully placed every star. Painstakingly designed each constellation. Each night, she chose exactly what path the moon would follow to best complement the rest of the picture. The most amazing part, though? It was constantly being improved. Always being changed, shifted for the better. Luna was eternally experimenting with the sky, never wholly satisfied with the results and always finding things to enhance. By the end of it, Lyra had the opening of her lullaby. "It's perfect!" She shouted to the heavens with glee, but her companion--dare she say friend?--shook her head reproachfully in response. "No, Lyra. Nothing is perfect. Have you learned nothing?" And the mint-colored mare laughed right along with the princess, the mood decidedly much lighter than it'd been to start with. Suddenly, though, the ground shook with a cacophonous rumbling sound, and the unicorn gasped in surprise. "I'm waking up?" The feeling was familiar enough to recognize, helped by nature of how many lucid dreams she experienced on a weekly basis. Luna nodded, seeming moderately disappointed at the revelation as cracks appeared in the space around them. "It would seem so. It is still rather early in the night, though. Perhaps somepony is rousing you?" Lyra blinked in confusion, quirking an eyebrow as she pondered over just who would do such a thing. "What? But Bonnie always sleeps way later than I do! Who on Equus wou__" Darkness. After staring at various sources of light for so long, the utter black that laid before Lyra was the first thing she noticed. Except, that wasn't exactly right: The room had one source of light, distinctly grey and vaguely familiar, but nonetheless fairly weak in intensity. The mint-colored unicorn blinked rapidly in attempts to clear the sand from her eyes, moving her gaze about the room while not lifting her head from the comfort of her pillow. Weird. Nothing seems wrong. Did I just randomly wake up? From where she laid on her side, facing Bon Bon, the only thing that seemed amiss was the strange, inexplicable grey glow bouncing around the room. It looks like it's coming from...behind me...? Lyra's eyes bulged and her breathing hitched when her mind suddenly processed the feeling of a small, cold hoof against her withers. It shook her, gently but insistently. Tentatively, but needily. The hoof itself shook, likely from the abject terror its owner was feeling, but it stayed attached to her back all the same. Is Knight...what? ... ...what?? Lyra's heart pounded in her chest as she tried desperately to control her breathing, her mind racing with thoughts and overcome with indecision. The freezing hoof remained in contact with her, and her ears twitched wildly as they detected the slightest sniffle. That sound then grew into a quiet whine, and the mint-colored mare's brows furrowed as she made up her mind. Alright. I'll be slow. I'll be careful. I'll just...get a read on what he's thinking! And why on Equus he'd ever go near our bed! With one preparatory inhale, Lyra shifted in place, moving her lower body beneath her and consequentially rolling away from the edge of the bed, still in the process of waking up. Knight's hoof fell away as a result of her actions, and she heard him let out a soft whimper before she sluggishly turned her head to face him, still laying down. Her assumptions had been correct: A foal-sized horn glowed glumly, the only source of illumination for the rest of her charge. He had shivering, shrinking posture, looking ready to dash out at the first sign of...something Lyra didn't really want to think about. And his eyes: Wide, watery, and pleading, they told her all she needed to know. Just from the way they flicked frantically between her and the mattress she laid on, she knew her next course of action. I need to get off of this thing. Lyra felt no shred of remorse from leaving the warm comfort of her bed. Not this time. Now, there was somepony who needed warm comfort of his own, and the blankets would certainly not help in that endeavor. They tried to keep the house as warm as they could, but considering Ponyville's high elevation and the late season, indoor heating could only go so far. Without blankets, Knight was forced into feeling the chill the second the sun set, but considering how his original bed hadn't had sheets of any kind, they'd figured he'd be okay with that. Still feeling no small amount of hesitation, the mare rose to a crouch before slinking off the cushy material, dropping to the carpeted floor and being watched the whole while. She charged her own horn with mana, preferring to have her own light source yet not wanting to rouse her wife just yet. Lyra's magic was a much brighter hue and thus illuminated much more of the room, but she was still nevertheless entirely focused on only one thing within it. Knight stood before her, shivering in place as he maintained shaky eye contact. With her own light not blocked somewhat my his mane, Lyra was able to piece out more of the thoughts running through his head. I sure wish I had my lyre right about now. "Yes, Knight?" She asked, whispering as gently and passively as she possibly could. "What do you need?" The foal gasped at first and took a step away, but she remained standing with her head bowed to his level, tilted slightly while wearing a demure, friendly smile. It was several painful moments before Knight collected himself enough to respond, shamefully rubbing his foreleg with a hoof. "I...I...c-can't sleep?" His voice was tremulous, unsure, and so quiet that the mare had to strain to hear it even in the practically-silent room. The utter turmoil taking place within the colt's head was as impressive as it was mind-boggling, especially when compared to the way Lyra's mental activity came to a screeching halt. The only thing she found herself able to do was observe the voices argue through her charge's eyes. YES! MOMMY! HUGS! NOW! That's Button. She recognized dully, still shell-shocked by Knight's statement and his unspoken request. I maintain the factual statement that you are all idiots. What do you expect to gain from this? Your utter lack of brain cells is astounding. How is any of this helpful? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. And that one's definitely Posh. Thought Lyra, squinting imperceptibly in displeasure at its continued rudeness. The voice had grown stronger recently, enough that she was able to parse out some of its words as they repeated in an unhelpful mantra. Luckily, though, Knight didn't seem to be paying Posh much mind, preferring instead to return her searching gaze with a distraught one of his own. Her mind made up, the mare took a few steps toward the open door, nodding towards it with her yellow-tinted head. "Well, Knight, would you like to come downstairs with me? We can sleep on the couch, or even the floor if you'd prefer." The colt nodded his acquiescence rather energetically and took hurried steps toward her, but froze in his tracks when a loud groan emanated from the bed. Lyra winced, eyeing the earth pony-shaped lump as it shifted in place. Bonnie's a light sleeper, I really hope she didn't-! "Whuh? What's happening? Lyra?" Too late. In one swift heave, Bon Bon tumbled out of bed with all the grace of a decapitated chicken, soon rising to her hooves as her head whipped every which way, searching for danger of any kind. The earth pony had become decidedly more paranoid ever since the incident with Stormy Night. While Knight had snoozed away in Lyra's forelegs, Bon Bon had been busy taking advantage of their royally-appointed allowance, heading out to purchase all manner of security measures and home-invader-deterrents. The three now lived within a building whose defenses rivalled that of Tartarus itself, all thanks to the Agent's knowledge of how best to protect structures of high value. Booby traps, razor-tipped fences, magical laser turrets, anti-mana enchantments, what have you. Lyra had tried to convince her wife that it was a little overkill, but Bonnie hadn't had any of it. The best/worst part was that Princess Twilight Sparkle herself had arrived to help set up the various systems, playing a huge part in rigging them to whitelist the mana signatures of the home's residents. And now, that same mare, the very same overly-cautious earth pony that Lyra loved so much had been awoken in the middle of the night to find her partner missing and a strange light bouncing around the room. Well, horseapples. "Wait, Bon Bon. It's okay, we're fine!" Lyra urged, trying not to raise her voice too much or dwell on the way Knight ducked under her body, shivering in fright. Thankfully, the cream-coated mare listened and took measured steps toward her wife, whose earnest smile was lit nicely by her glowing horn. "Lyra? What's wrong? Why're you out of..." And Bon Bon's gaze lowered to the other source of light in the room, her jaw dropping as recognition entered her eyes. Lyra took a deep breath, shifting in place stiffly in an expression of unease while Knight slowly stood from under her, the tip of his horn brushing the bottom of her barrel. "Knight can't sleep." The elder unicorn stated with deliberate gentleness, jerking her head once more toward the open door. "We're going to go downstairs and try there. Now, if you could just go back to bed--" But Knight suddenly launched out from under her to cling onto Bon Bon's front leg, with the owner staring down at him in intense surprise. "You too? Please?" The earth pony's jaw hung open, and Lyra would have giggled at her expression were she not equally as shocked herself. Silence reigned in the room as the mares tried desperately to comprehend the sudden neediness of their adoptive son. The only thing either of them found themselves able to do was stare disbelievingly into each other's eyes. A soft sniffle from the shaking foal was what finally broke the spell, with both mares' hearts following suit at the soft plea which followed: "P-please?" Bon Bon let out a choked noise of suppressed emotion in response, to which Knight squeezed harder around her foreleg as his horn's light winked out. Had this happened during the daytime, when all three ponies were awake and aware, things would have played out much differently. As things were, the mares found themselves barely able to hold together, and the motherly urge to forcefully cuddle the stress out of their foal's body was getting stronger with every passing second. "O-okay, Knight. Okay." Stated Bon Bon before she tapped into her earth pony magic to lift her foreleg up and over her shoulders, passing the teary colt onto her back. Knight shifted his stranglehold to the base of her neck after the fact, allowing the adults to begin their trip down to the couches. Said journey went smoothly enough, and all too soon the trio were standing atop the soft-yet-firm cushions of their well-loved sofa. The furniture gave a familiar creak from under them, and Lyra smiled as she remembered just how often this particular one was chosen for snuggle sessions. It's definitely served us well. Knight proved reluctant to hop down from Bonnie's withers, but his mothers' slow movements and gentle patting soon coaxed him away. The separation didn't last long, though, as he dove straight into her side when she laid herself down, burrowing in with a satisfied sigh. Lyra found herself reluctant to join, wary of interrupting such a peaceful scene with her uninvited presence. This hesitance lasted up until the moment her foal twisted his neck to look back at her with the most pining, pleading, pitiful expression she'd ever witnessed. The elder unicorn's knees gave out in time with her will, sending the side of her barrel in contact with her son's. And there the three laid on their treasured sofa, tails entwined and heads clinking together. The two larger ponies kept careful notice of the third's gradual relaxing, noting that all tension and coldness left his body not five minutes after they arranged in that position. Knight's fearful whimpering faded even quicker, and the last sound to leave his muzzle before he slipped into a peaceful rest was a soft, pleased coo. They also belatedly noticed that he'd timed his breathing in between theirs, which had instinctively become synchronized. The colt breathed in when they exhaled, which maximized constant pressure between their sides. "Lyra? Lyra, what the heck is happening? How did this even--" But the mint-colored mare interrupted her partner with a chastising hush, playfully poking her forehead with her horn. "Shh. Don't worry about it, Bonnie. Just sleep. Embrace the cuteness." The earth pony sighed her acceptance, and her slowed breathing mere moments later announced Lyra as the only one left awake. Sometimes I envy how fast she can go to sleep. But the unicorn mare found herself unable to rest so readily; her thoughts swirled wildly in attempts to process all the newfound information. With a sliver of concentration she relit her horn, keeping the light dim yet needing the chance to observe her charge all the same. In studying his face, half hidden under the fuzzy surface of a tan leg, Lyra's worries all but slipped away, replaced by a wide grin. Who am I kidding, this is great! Look at how peaceful he is! Almost unconsciously she dipped her head down to give his cheek a soft peck, and she could have sworn that his slight smile grew by an inch or two in response. The musician decided then and there to leave all cares for later, and once again cut the flow of mana to her horn before laying her head back down to settle in for a good night's rest. Together, the family slept. And it was a more serene sleep than any of them had had in weeks.