Together Again and Forever

by Wahtiff

Chapter 3.5: The Night

Celestia didn’t know what woke her up, or how long she had been asleep, but when she awoke she winced at the slight pain of her shoulders, having forgotten to remove her chestpiece earlier, but her pain was quickly forgotten by the gentle knock at the door.

Thinking it was one of her guards, Celestia huffed in annoyance. Didn’t she ask for privacy, in and out, that night? Sighing, she got up, fixed her mane, and walked to the door. Without a second thought, she cracked the door open and peered outside.

Celestia’s heart leaped when she saw Twilight, of all ponies, standing outside. Celestia stared at her for a moment, still flustered from her personal breakdown over the mare before her not too long ago, yet that turned to concern when she saw the look in Twilight’s eyes.
She sighed, for she knew that look all too well, still seeing sometimes despite Twilight’s age, though she still found it necessary to ask so Twilight would not feel too embarrassed.

“Twilight? What’s the matter?” She finally asked.

“I, uh,” Twilight’s wings and hooves were fidgeting nervously, “I had a bad dream.”

“About what?” Celestia knew her heart might not take it in the near future, knowing where the conversation might be headed, but she knew that Twilight’s problem came before her own issues.

“I dreamt that…that they all died. You know, not just my adoptive family but my real one too. Well, maybe not died, but they,” Twilight sniffed, “disappeared.”

No, they didn’t. I’m right here, Twilight. Celestia bit her tongue, before her thoughts could even THINK about expressing themselves verbally.

Celestia looked at her with understanding, “You felt alone?”

“Yes, and, well,” Twilight’s hooves fidgeted again, “after that, I just couldn’t get back to sleep. I know a princess shouldn’t act like this, but, if it’s not too much trouble…”

Say it. No, wait, DON’T say it! No, wait…

Twilight met her eyes, her hooves still but her wings still fidgeting “Can I sleep with you? Just for tonight, Princess?”

Yes! Wait, no! I mean…

Celestia couldn’t tell if her own thoughts were staging a mutiny, or if Luna was using that anxiety spell on her again. Either way, it was a surprise that she kept a calm face and a level tone as she answered.

“Of course, Twilight.” She opened the door further, to allow the younger alicorn in, “Trust me, I believe we both could use each other’s company.”

Believe it or not, despite how tempting it was for her to reveal all right then and there, Celestia was actually being honest in the fact that despite Twilight being the unknowing subject of her stress, her company was truly the only thing that the princess knew could calm her nerves if not for a moment.

“You had a nightmare, too?” Twilight asked, concerned for her mentor, obviously in the dark as to what the older princess’s inner thoughts were.

Celestia shrugged, “You could say that.”

Don’t tell her. Not yet. Wait for juuust the right time.

Celestia paused. That last thought was NOT in her own voice, like most of them were…

Luna, I swear…

Not wanting to finish that sentence, Celestia turned to Twilight, surprised to see that she had already fallen asleep, curled up in ball on her bed. Smiling, Celestia walked over and climbed in with her, laying on her side and drawing the blankets over them. But the real warmth came when Twilight, almost immediately yet subconsciously, scooted over and pressed her body against Celestia’s. Turning over in her sleep, Twilight snuggled up and buried her face in Celestia’s white chest fur, wrapping her forelegs around her barrel. Celestia, momentarily surprised by an action that Twilight would’ve rarely ever done if conscious, gradually relaxed into the embrace, wrapping her forelegs around Twilight and drawing the sleeping lavender alicorn closer to her. When Twilight shivered slightly, Celestia wrapped one of her majestic white wings around her, and was pleased when, in her sleep, Twilight cooed in satisfaction.

Twilight had asked to sleep with Celestia only once or twice before, and before the current issue at hand, Celestia had simply smiled with understanding and had embraced her in a similar fashion, warming her on cold winter nights and Twilight being there when, at the time, she was alone without her sister.

Behind the understanding, she admitted that she loved these moments, and hated to have seen them end when they did, right when she had sent Twilight to Ponyville. It had been necessary for her student, but it had robbed her of those nights, as few as they had been, which she cherished for many reasons.

She knew Twilight was a heavy sleeper, and if she embraced Celestia, it was subconsciously, or when she asked Celestia’s permission to snuggle up against her on colder nights. Most of the time, Celestia was the one who initiated an embrace, Twilight doing so only subconsciously, while awake she would do everything she could to respect her mentor’s personal space, which Celestia was displeased with, because these were the only moments where she could show at least some of her affection, even if Twilight couldn’t know. Affection, which constantly built up inside her.

As Celestia nuzzled Twilight lovingly, even going so far as to risk a gentle kiss on her forehead, Celestia once again realized that somehow, someway, she had been given a momentary relief from her problems, as she embraced the young mare in her arms with that very same, hidden affection. As she drifted off into a peaceful slumber, she thought of the only two ponies she had seen in her millennia-long lifetime, amongst her subjects, who could even show and share this type of affection.

A mother and her daughter.

Author's Note:

Seeing that A LOT of Twilestia and Momlestia fics involve them spending this sort of time together, I thought I'd include it in this one. Because I liked where Chapter 3 ended and I didn't want to ruin the start I had going for Chapter 4, this shorter mini-chapter was the result. I hope you enjoy.