Weakly, Twilight pushed the heavy wooden door back into its place in the wall, finally closing the entrance to her house after the last of her friends had departed. It had taken a lot of coaxing, bribing, pinkie promising and headache to convince her friends to leave, because, while they accepted the fact that Twilight would tell them everything eventually once she deemed the time right, it didn't stop them from snooping around for any other inconspicuous signs that the sneaky mare had left behind.
“So now that everypony else is gone....Can you tell me the secret now?” Spike asked casually, making the best begging face possible, enlarging his eyes and collecting just enough tears to garner sympathy and bypass Twilight's usual defenses.
“No,” Twilight deadpanned immediately, causing Spike to fall back in surprise. Usually, the begging face always worked!
“But...” the baby dragon began to protest, only to be cut off by the pointedly unamused face of his caretaker. He quieted and shuffled away nervously to prepare himself for bed.
“Well, I think that went as smoothly as possible. Don't you think?” Nightmare declared airily, only hardening her mistress' already souring mood.
“Yeah...just peachy,” the lavender unicorn answered icily. She hadn't even had Nightmare for an entire twenty-four hours, and she was already causing her all sorts of trouble. “Now my friends are going to be watching my every move, placing me in awkward romances at the drop of a feather whenever I talk to a pony.”
“Oh c'mon Mistress. It won't be that bad,” the dark alicorn attempted to soothe, deciding not to push her upset host any further, “I'm sure that they could be of some help actually. Perhaps they know some mare that would suit you perfectly?”
“Oh yeah, because broaching that topic would go so swimmingly. Hey guys, I actually don't like stallions at all and would much rather dig into some hot mare flank. Did I forget to mention that there's an immortal, nymphomaniac, alicorn goddess living inside of my head that likes to make lewd comments about all of my friends?” the stressed out mare bit out spitefully, hanging her head as she slumped to the ground.
Everything had been fine just yesterday. She had been living her life in bliss, writing letters to her favorite and glorious mentor on the Magic of Friendship, hanging out with her friends, saving Equestria every now and then, and enjoying her life in Ponyville in general.
Nightmare grimaced internally, able to feel the waves of despair her mistress was giving off. What was she supposed to do now? All of her past hosts had been on top of the world, sometimes literally, within a day of her inception into their lives, but this one seemed genuinely unhappy, even regretful. But what could she do? Nightmare had no idea how to console a pony, much less cheer them up in a gentle manner. Her usual tactic revolved around making a dirty joke and shocking her host out of their stupor. However, her gut told her that it wouldn't work this time. Nonetheless, she had to try something.
“Um..Twilight?” Nightmare ventured uncertainly, using her mistress' name in a completely normal fashion for the first time, “Uh..look..Don't feel so sad okay?” The dark alicorn was pretty sure that she hadn't done it completely right, but no pony would be able to say she hadn't tried.
“How can I not? Now only do I not know what to do about you and myself, but I can't tell anypony else that I don't know what to do either!” the purple mare lamented, “I thought I could handle this...that I would just take this whole issue in stride and everything would work out somehow. But...I'm completely lost.”
Nightmare shuddered at how defeated Twilight's voice sounded and, even for her, it was heartbreaking. This wasn't the Twilight she knew, the one that had run at her straight on without fear or hesitation, willing to do whatever it took to defeat her, even if it meant risking her life. For some reason, it made her angry to see Twilight so down.
“Hey! You had better not be giving up on me Twilight Sparkle! I promised that I would fulfill your dream, and by my own name I swear that I will. But I can't do that if you give up! I'm supposed to be making you happy! So get off of your flank and off of the ground. You're stronger than this, and both of us know it!” Nightmare yelled angrily, jolting Twilight out of her brief depression. “So, you don't know what you're doing. So what? That's why I'm here in the first place! Stop moping around and let's start thinking about ways to fix this!” the dream goddess finished with a huff.
Twilight sat there for a second, replaying what the irritated alicorn had told her in her mind. It stung, the truth and conviction behind those words, but for some reason, they also made her happy.
“You have a weird way of cheering up ponies...” Twilight muttered, standing up with a light smile dancing on the bottom of her muzzle. “Most ponies don't shout to snap others out of their sadness.”
“You were annoying me with that defeated attitude,” Nightmare responded, feeling a little embarrassed for her passionate outburst, and she could only ask herself why she had responded so violently. This time, however, it was Twilight who giggled in response, only intensifying the blush on Nightmare's mental face in a strange role reversal.
“Well thanks anyways,” the purple mare said, “For some reason, it made me feel better.”
“Yeah...sure..” Nightmare murmured, feeling more self-conscious with each passing second. She wasn't good at this kind of mushy feeling stuff.
Now, Twilight did smile, amused that Nightmare was acting bashful. “And you're right. It's best to not dwell on what could have been. I should be thinking about what can be and what I can do about it.” Nightmare smirked, proud of herself and glad that her mistress had returned to normal.
“Yeah well, I think that acting should wait until tomorrow. It's getting late. Although...if you can find somepony willing, I'm sure they could keep you busy for a few late hours,” Nightmare answered with a snicker, reverting to her normal, perverted self.
“Hardly,” the lavender mare answered with a small blush, “You keep me plenty busy anyway.” Instantly, Nightmare froze, reviewing what her unicorn mistress had just uttered in response to her baiting, and likewise, Twilight had halted her steps, face-hoofing spectacularly for using all the wrong words.
“Let's just forget I said that...”
Unfortunately, Nightmare had no intention of ever forgetting it and instead began laughing all over again at the expense of her flustered mistress who hastily and emphatically declared that she was going to bed...alone.
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In the middle of the celestial seas, laden with the light of stars and planets, Twilight and the Night pushed onward, undeterred by the endless expanse before them that promised no recourse or hidden paradise of milk and honey, but they knew it was out there, waiting for them to claim it as their own.
Somewhere, that isle of heaven waited in the cloud covered mists, unclaimed, unblemished. There the fruit of their love would grow together in the virgin soil under their watchful eyes until it bloomed and flourished.
Twilight knew not what direction they headed, nor how far they had gone, but she knew that with her love, the Night, they would find it. In the small, softly swaying boat, the Night sat beside her, sharing her warmth and happiness with the vigilant unicorn.
It was quiet, the soft ripples of their vessel gliding through the heavenly waters like a cloud floating through the tranquil night sky, the wake of their little ship marking their fateful path through the starlit seas.
While the beautiful, celestial waters flowed past them, Twilight only stared at her lovely Night, knowing nothing in this world or the next would ever compare to the jewel of perfection before her. Her eyes were the brightest stars Twilight would ever see, and her form was the most resplendent miracle to grace her existence. And unknown to her, the Night thought of her in the same way.
The purple unicorn sighed happily, leaning up against the warm body of her lover, enjoying the long journey they were taking together under the eyes of the moon above.
Suddenly, everything went black, the stars in the sky snuffed out of existence and the moon's figure suddenly covered in a velvet shroud of black. She could see nothing, her hoof, the boat...her Night. All were gone as she tossed and turned in the void wrapping around her. The creeping darkness cast an eerie fog of despair upon the panicking unicorn, fearful for not knowing where they were going and afraid of not being able to see.
Her stance wavered as the swaying and sloshing of the small boat rose to become violent rocking motions that threatened to throw her into the swallowing sea. The air became thick and heavy, almost as if the waters of the celestial world had already engulfed her. Her lungs struggled for breath, silently wailing into the sky.
Suddenly, in the impenetrable darkness, the Night's soft voice rescued her from drowning in sorrowful fear and assured her that everything would be alright, reaching out with her tender hooves to steady the unicorn in place. She promised to take care of her and lead them onward, and the Night's form suddenly lit up to serve as the new light, casting her otherworldly glow up and out in all directions, brighter than all of the stars in the sky put together and easily overshadowing the dim light of the graceful moon. Everything was clear once again.
Twilight sat there in awe, the warm rays of guidance hitting her cheek like the soft feathery kisses of her beloved. She snuggled closer to her, letting her guide them forward through the dark, her love forging a path towards that promised isle of bliss that awaited them in the dark mists ahead.
The Night would not waver and would not fail because it was for Twilight, that wonderful unicorn that lay sleeping at her side, the first to accept her fully, her face the epitome of serenity while her head lay in the ethereal mane of stars and light. The Night smiled and looked ahead, knowing it was only a matter of time until the land and true bliss came. Truly now, they were moving forward.
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Just like that, it was over. Slowly, Twilight propped herself up in her bed, able to feel the vivid and powerful feelings that had leaked from her dream scape, the warmth and security it offered. Idly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the glittering surface of her mirror sitting near the covered window that barely held back the deluge of morning sunlight, wondering how much Nightmare had seen.
She mentally prodded the entity in her mind, earning no response in turn from the usually present goddess. The lavender mare wondered if mental entities needed sleep too. Shrugging, she hopped out of bed, deciding to let her charge sleep in for a few more minutes as she walked into the bathroom to prepare herself for the day.
She paused as she passed the mirror hanging in her bathroom, her plain reflection staring back. This is where it had all began, and Twilight was surprised that it was only yesterday. So much had already happened in such a short span of time.
Humming to herself, she allowed the pleasant sensations of her morning shower wash away her sleepiness, and soon, Twilight stepped out, drying herself and moving to the sink to brush her teeth.
With her oral hygiene complete, Twilight glanced up into her reflection to admire herself, only to meet the yawning form of Nightmare Moon, causing her to yipe in surprise.
“Morning,” Nightmare said softly, wiping the sand out of her eyes while ruffling her stiff wings apart for a healthy morning stretch.
“Um...Morning?” Twilight answered hesitantly, “Did you sleep well?”
Nightmare chuckled softly, her form still absolutely pristine in the mirror. “Well, if your dreams are anything to go by, then yes. They really do make sleeping so much more enjoyable.”
Twilight blushed but kept herself steady. “So what's today's plan?”
The dark alicorn stood there as if in thought for a moment. “Operation 'Get Twilight bucked and eventually hitched' is a go?” she answered with a little giggle, drawing more blood to her mistress' face.
“Can you at least name it something more eloquent and not so blatantly embarrassing?” Twilight muttered as she shook her head and walked out of the bathroom.
“Well what do you want me to call it? 'Marefriend Acquisition and Relational Erotica Studies'?” Nightmare joked, finding the ridiculously scientific name to really downplay the true goal and potency of their cause. Twilight chuckled in response.
“Actually...yes. I'd be much more comfortable with that...” she answered bashfully and truthfully. It was much easier for the usually pure unicorn to deal with if it wasn't so forward. Plus, when it was labeled like that, it sounded like they had a plan, and plans always made the lavender unicorn more comfortable, especially if it sounded science-y.
“You're a weird pony mistress...” the dark alicorn mused after a moment of pause, a light smile on her muzzle, “But...if it makes you happy sure. Science can be sexy too.”