by Misago
***
Celestia awoke.
The fact that the sun's rays had been responsible for rousing her from sleep instead of her natural instincts was her first sign that this was not a normal awakening.
It was also noticeably cold even in her bed, which had not happened in a while. Now with a rising sense of worry, Celestia reached out with a hoof to touch the mattress next to her.
Empty. Maybe Twilight had woken up in the middle of the night with an inspiration again, and Celestia would find her once again asleep at her desk, on a messy pile of paper, trying to figure out the secret behind some obscure magic. Like alicorn conception.
But the cold was not normal. Something strange was going on.
Even in winter, her bedroom never got that cold at any time. It took no effort to draw upon her connection with the sun to counteract the low temperature, but Celestia was seriously worried now.
She left the bed carefully and quietly, ignoring her regalia on the vanity and went straight for the door. She stopped in front of it, listening for the usual sounds of the castle. Even at night, there usually was some audible activity, whether from the cleaning staff or from the patrolling guards.
But this time, it was dead silent. Not even the breeze could be heard.
Celestia decided that it would be useless to wait for anything further. She would not get any more information without venturing out, so she steeled herself, lit up her horn and opened the the door to the... roof garden?
There was no mistaking it. Behind the door, Celestia stepped out into the crisp air between the trees and hedges of the roof garden. The leaves did not move, there was no sound from the birds and other animals populating the garden around the clock.
Celestia frowned. It had been so long that she had almost forgotten. Almost.
But with this, she knew where she had to go.
The roof gazebo had been a present by a ancient artisan, who had decided to honor the royal sisters by building a lavishly decorated resting place from black and white marble. It stood on the Canterlot-facing edge of the roof, surrounded by trees on three sides to provide a measure of privacy, and it offered a marvelous view of the city below. Celestia loved the place, and had spent many hours here with Twilight, both as mentor and student and later, after their relationship developed, as a couple.
The instant she climbed the few steps to the platform where the cushions and the tea table were situated, she came face to face with a black mist, billowing back and forth even in the absence of any breeze. It seemed almost solid close to the center.
With a soft breath for relaxation, Celestia stepped to the pillow opposite the black mist, and gently lowered herself on it.
"It has been a while", Celestia said. "Long enough that I had nearly forgotten how unsettling this place is", she added, turning her head to look at the cold, motionless world around them. Somehow, she was glad the Nightmare was blocking the view on the city.
The billowing stopped.
"Is that so?", the Nightmare's voice asked. She seemed almost amused. "Should I have visited more often, do you think?"
Celestia chuckled darkly. "Don't exert yourself for my sake." She liked her dreams warm and cozy, preferably with Twilight at her side.
The mist started to move again, and from how the dimensions of the cloud changed, the Nightmare had apparently lifted herself into a sitting position.
"I am here to congratulate your on your marriage to Twilight Sparkle. And, of course, the more recent birth of your daughter," she said. After a while, she added thoughtfully "Weiße Nacht, Princess of the Everfree. A very good name for a foal. I do not know why you would call her Bianca."
"Her full name is a bit long", Celestia offered. "If she wants to play with the other foals, they need to be able to pronounce her..."
"I wish to bless her." The words came sudden, but with iron determination. There was no question, no bid for permission. The Nightmare had an agenda, and she would see it fulfilled.
Celestia took a deep breath. The thought of Nightmare using her magic on her daughter was... unsettling.
Still, she knew her own Nightmare. They'd talked often after Luna's banishment. The Nightmare had visited her for the first time not long after that fateful night, introducing herself, asking how Celestia was doing... before casually mentioning that if Celestia fell to her own emotions like her sister did, she, or rather they, would bring harmony into the world.
And if the world did not like the idea of harmony being enforced by any means necessary?
Well, that was too bad for the world, wasn't it?
And when Celestia laughed at the very idea that someone could take over her role, corrupt her and use her to enforce her will upon the world, Nightmare let her sense her power, just for a moment.
Celestia had not felt such fear in a long while.
"Celestia, you may be misjudging me," the Nightmare said, shaking Celestia from her thoughts. "I do not wish to influence your daughter. In your fear, you forget one very basic fact."
The black mist surged forward, towards her, and suddenly, Celestia found herself staring into a pair of cold, silvery eyes.
"I am you, Celestia. I protect what you protect. I fight what you fight. But most of all..." The Nightmare lowered her voice to a whisper. "I love what you love."
Celestia shivered, and not because of the temperature.
"But why would you prevent your own escape?", she asked in disbelief.
As sudden as it had appeared next to her, the mist returned to its former place. All that remained was the memory of the silvery eyes.
"Because I am giving you a chance," the Nightmare replied evenly. "And I promise that I will never let any harm come to our daughter -- or our wife."
For a moment, Celestia could only stare at the mist in front of her.
She always tried to be righteous in her role as princess. She cared for her little ponies, and she often needed to convince them of things they would not accept easily. So over the years, she had gotten quite good at spotting lies and deception, even coming from beings that were well-versed in this art themselves.
It was not flawless, as the case of the changelings so aptly demonstrated, but it worked more often than not. In other cases, the only thing that had helped her was to throw all experience to the wind, and just rely on her instinct.
And if her daughter really had the protection of the Nightmare, if there was no need for guards escorting the young filly throughout her entire childhood...
The decision was not hard after that.
"Very well", she said. "I will convey your blessing. What do I need to do?"
"The next time you will use your magic after waking, you will touch your daughter's forehead with your horn. That is all."
Celestia nodded. "Will she feel anything?"
"She might feel a slight chill for a moment. If she is asleep, she may not notice it."
"I see." Celestia lifted herself up from the pillow. "I am grateful for your help, Nightmare. I... admit that I was, and still am, worried about you influencing my daughter, but I believe that your offer of protection is sincere. At the very least, I am grateful for that."
She turned around and trotted towards the steps of the gazebo. "Thank you for your hospitality. I believe it is time for me to return."
The Nightmare offered no answer. The mist kept swirling, so Celestia continued her way, relieved that the conversation was over.
But as she cleared the last step, the sound of her name made her turn her head again.
"I know something that can get your wife to stay away from the nightly research," the Nightmare said.
Celestia found herself facing the silvery eyes.
"Tell me," the Nightmare asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, "do you know why your daughter is Ainkhürn?"
Celestia lifted her brow at the uncommon choice of word. It was an ancient unicornian word for her kind, spoken during the time they were still revered as goddesses. She remembered telling Twilight about it years ago, while discussing the legends...
Her eyes widened in sudden understanding. She spun around to fully face the Nightmare.
It should have been impossible for a cloud of black mist to smile when the only recognizable feature it had where eyes.
"You...you...!"
"Wake up, Celestia."
Before she could get a word in edgewise, Celestia felt herself fall into blackness.