> Bathtime Daydream > by Klopparberg > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Hot Sun, cold bath > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Equestria was experiencing an unusually hot summer, the kind that only rolled around once every so often, but would be spoken of in hushed tones for decades to come. The ground had turned hard under the baking heat, covered in a thin, gritty dust that hung in the still air whenever somepony’s hooves disturbed it. Lakes and ponds retreated from their banks, their waters disappearing under the merciless barrage of heat from the sun. Even Equestria’s mighty rivers were running shallow, leaving behind a thick, sticky mud that had dried and cracked within hours of the water’s withdrawal. The country’s various animal inhabitants were suffering in the heat, with critters great and small staying in the shelter of their marginally cooler dens and burrows. Those that couldn’t, sought relief in the shade of trees and the rapidly shrinking bodies of water. These coveted spots were a sight to behold, with creatures of all shapes and sizes cohabiting in an attempt to cool off. The ponies of Equestria weren’t faring much better, either. Most stayed indoors in an attempt to avoid the sticky heat and dead air, opting to try and ward them both off with magic, or in the case of the bigger and more modern cities, air conditioning. Those that couldn’t were stuck with traditional fans, or flocked to the nearest beach or bath-house where they could cool off in the water. Princess Celestia, of course, had her own private bath, such were the trappings of royalty. Attached to her chambers, the bathroom was easily as large as the floor plan of most ponies’ entire houses. The gift of a long-ago architect suitor, the floors, ceiling and pillars were done in veined white marble and gold trim. The walls were adorned with frescos of ponies enjoying languid summers in fields and bath-houses, not dissimilar to the one Celestia now stood in, featuring equal parts frolicking and love-making; harkening back to a more artistically liberal time in Equestria’s history. A balcony at one end lead to the outside wall of the castle, and a glass dome in the ceiling allowed light in, creating dappled patterns on every surface as the water scattered the light across the room. Celestia had always thought her bathroom a touch ostentatious, but had never had the heart to ask somepony to tone it down after the architect passed on. Besides, now wasn’t really the time, what with this cursed heat. She would not have her only source of relief--besides strenuous magic--compromised right now. Positioned in the centre of the room and shaped like a plus sign, the bath itself, which was done up in the same marble and gold as the rest of the room, took up most of the available space. The steps leading into it were situated in the corner between two of the arms, allowing bathers easy access, while all four arms each contained an underwater ledge that served as a seating area for the bath’s occupants as they cleaned themselves. This left the large and deep centre to serve as an area for swimming and relaxation. At least, that’s how it had been designed, at any rate. The fact that Celestia hardly ever had anypony else in her private bath had rendered the design a rather moot point. Not that she cared much about that at this particular moment. All she cared about as she cast off her regalia--the bits of her coat underneath them dark and sticky with sweat--was the sweet sensation of cold mountain water cooling her off in this miserable heat. Walking swiftly down the steps, Celestia cooed as she slipped into the cool waters, the relief from the heat overriding her usual sense of decorum. When it rose high enough to cover her teats and the sensitive flesh between her hind legs, the sensation made her gasp and involuntarily tense up, but she kept going. As her voluminous, yet oddly immaterial mane and tail hit the water, they quieted their constant movement; contact with the water quelling whatever otherworldly breeze caused them to billow, and darkening their pastel hues. Once she reached the centre of the bath, Celestia sat on her haunches, shivering as the cool water crept up her back. Opening her wings to the water, she sighed in relief as she settled into the bath, only her head and part of her neck above the surface. Her wings gently moved back and forth, augmenting the weak current from the magical pumping system, and helping to cleanse the day’s gathered dirt from her feathers. The princess sat gazing out at the blue sky beyond the balcony, waiting for the feeling of a hoofmaiden beginning to wash her, but no such occurrence came to pass. Looking around herself at the otherwise empty room, Celestia quickly realised that in her eagerness to get into the relative comfort of the water, she had utterly neglected to summon any of her personal attendants to assist her. Scoffing at her own impatience, she drew upon her magic to form a magical mass and began rubbing down her back, her horn’s golden glow somewhat subdued by the sunlight coming from above. Oh well, it would be nice to do something for herself for once. Splashing cool water on her face with a hoof, Celestia wiped away the sweat with the magic scrubber and continued on down her neck and chest. A sigh escaped her, unbidden, a mix of relief and satisfaction as the chill of the water sank deep into her skin and banished the dead heat of the afternoon. Reaching back slightly with her magic, she cleaned under her wings and moved on to her legs, then finally her stomach. It was there, spell poised slightly above the dark skin of her lower regions, that she hesitated. She desperately needed to clean her more… intimate areas, but there was another, deep-seated urge lurking just under the superficial need for cleanliness. One that always arrived around this time of the year, and one that would override her normally composed disposition were it to be… awakened. But then, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it? It’s not like she had company, or that she was needed desperately anywhere else. Sure, it was still mid-afternoon, and there were things that needed her attention, but it wasn’t like they couldn’t wait. Taking care of herself would leave her relaxed and in a better frame of mind to tackle the rest of this cursedly hot day. Besides, there wasn’t anything written anywhere that said a princess couldn’t take time out of her day to take care of her more… personal needs once in a while. That settled it, then. With a small surge in power, Celestia started the scrubbing spell moving downwards once more. A small hum of pleasure emanated from her throat as she felt the tingle of magic caress the sensitive skin on her teats. While not strictly an erogenous zone, she had always found a great thrill in kneading and playing with the soft mounds, and today was no exception. Celestia felt her pulse quicken along with her breathing as she toyed with herself, caressing and kneading her teats slowly and firmly, allowing her nipples to harden and stand out. With a slight alteration to her spell, she grabbed one in her magic and pulled firmly, eliciting a sharp gasp. In tandem, she felt her wings becoming rigid, though they weren’t yet at full mast. Further down, between her legs, she felt the first real stirrings of her desire. A feeling of warmth, a pulsating as she started to become engorged, and a slight stickiness. A familiar dull ache strived for her attention, calling her ministrations downwards. The alicorn did not leave it wanting. Eager in her arousal, Celestia guided her magic downwards to her lowermost regions. A loud, involuntary moan sprang forth from deep in her throat as it made contact, the tingling from her magic magnified a thousand-fold on the sensitive nerves in her marehood. Surprised at her own volume, Celestia glanced around herself guiltily, but the room remained empty and the ponies painted on the walls offered no judgement. With a snort that was both amused and irritated at her skittishness, she turned her attentions back to herself. As if anypony would even have the right to complain about catching her fooling around in the privacy of her own bathroom. If anything, it would be the other way around! And she would be most unforgiving in her punishments. Oh yes, the things she would do to the poor soul who might catch her masturbating… Unable to hold herself back any longer, Celestia pressed a hoof against her marehood, eliciting yet another moan from her lips and an involuntary buck of her hips. She’d definitely underestimated her need for release, she realised, as she felt her pussy wink against her hoof. Her breathing came quicker and quicker, and she felt her wings reach their fullest with an audible “flump”. However, she knew from experience she was far from the orgasm she sought. Pressing her hoof more firmly against herself, she stopped grinding her still hooded clitoris against it and moved further down, until she was cupping her entrance. Slipping the edge of her hoof between her labia, she collected the gathering wetness there and slowly drew her hoof back up, spreading over her marehood what fluids the water didn’t whisk away, stopping once she found her clit again. Rubbing a few circles around it, she repeated the act; down then up, circling, then down and back up once more, until her her whole body was gyrating to the rhythmic motion. Soon, Celestia felt her hind legs opening of their own accord, trying to allow room for a sexual partner that wasn’t there. With a gentle push and a single, slow swish of her wings in the water, she set herself to floating on the surface. With her wings and back legs spread wide, Celestia was a sight to behold for anypony that might happen upon her; her reclined pose leaving no part of her to the imagination, and her quiet moans and lewd movements making it clear as to exactly what she was doing. Drifting slowly on the surface, the princess closed her eyes and readjusted her magic to permeate itself through her most intimate of spots, setting her whole marehood afire with sensation. She moaned gutterally as the magical vibrations sent sparks flying up her spine, resisting the urge to arch her back and send her head ducking under the water. As it was, she could hear the slight spitting and popping from her horn--like oil in a hot pan--as her magical aura interacted with the water, causing her ears to twitch involuntarily. As her magic did its work inside and out of her pussy, Celestia’s hoof focussed on a more specific area. Rubbing slow circles around her clit, she teased it out into the open, the winking of her vulva allowing her to briefly graze it and send lightning bolts to accompany the sparks already dancing in her brain. Each time she did, another little moan or gasp would find its way from her, accompanying the sounds of the water lapping at the edges of the bath. She was getting closer to her goal now, she knew, but Celestia could only just feel the beginnings of the first waves of orgasm. The feeling spurred her motions on, however, and her hoof began to circle her little button of pleasure faster. This drove the already libidinous alicorn to even greater heights of lust, the pace of her breathing as if she was sprinting now, her pulse roaring in her ears to match. Inside her imagination, the princess found herself caught in the memories of her many previous lovers. A pegasus here, a unicorn there, an earth pony displacing both. Mares and stallions of every shape and size… and their appropriate equipment. Memories surfaced one after the other. A stallion licking cream from her horn as she licked honey from the one between his legs. A mare in ropes and lace, begging her for more, please mistress, more pain! Another mare, but this one fancied herself a stallion, rutting her with a polished wooden cock. The feel of velvet around her eyes, the smell of sex, and the ache in her rear from being used by two brothers far too close for the approval of polite society. The burning of welts on her back, and the sting of the crop as it left new ones, its dark and winged owner barking commands and insults in equal measure. The sound of a mare’s lustful giggling as she bathed in her princess’ golden shower. The look in the eye of a young stallion, barely out of colthood, as she took his virginity. The taste of milk fresh from the teat, warm and rich, mixed with the smell of arousal and the breath of the mare’s grown daughter suckling alongside her. The feeling of laying on her back and the scent of a stallion’s musk, thick and cloying, as he deposited his essence down her throat, his balls twitching against her nose. The adoration for each other on the faces of a mother and son, as they created a bastard whilst she watched. A pair of cyan eyes framed by a sapphire blue mane, looking up at her innocently from between her legs, their owner’s tongue buried deep insi- That last memory exploded in Celestia’s mind as the sudden tidal wave of her orgasm broke on her body’s shores, rocking her repeatedly with waves of ecstasy. Her whole body felt like it was electrified, from the tip of her horn, out over her wings and down to her hooves, every hair of her coat standing on end. Her hoof was a blur, sending splashes of water and mare fluids alike into the air. She moaned long and loud, her pleasure echoing off the walls, and her entire body doubled up, simultaneously trying to express her joy and avoid accidentally drowning herself. Her legs drew in to trap her non-existent lover, her wings stretched and spread out to their fullest extent, and her horn fizzed; spurts of magical conductive fluid flying from the tip to land in the water and boil away to nothing. A final, lone dribble of the white substance ran down her horn, sizzling where it touched the water. After what seemed an eternity, but was merely moments, the princess’ orgasm subsided--albeit with one or two aftershocks--and she gently floated down from the high, slowly relaxing and laying back in the water once more. Her ragged breathing slowed, and her heartbeat faded from her ears. Regaining her composure, she sighed contentedly as she felt every muscle in her body loosen; tension and stress washing away along with the evidence of her salacious behaviour. She still worked her hoof slowly up and down her marehood, but it was as much to clean herself of her emissions as it was for titillation. Tingling pleasantly all over, Celestia basked in her afterglow, a foolish grin on her face. Her orgasm had been far more powerful than she’d anticipated, she hadn’t felt this good in a long while. Obviously, she had needed this more than she thought. Giggling softly, she made a mental note to make more time to play with herself. Once or twice a week would probably do her a world of good, maybe just before bed… A yawn escaped her, unbidden. The heat and her recent activities both combined to conspire against her, making her drowsy. With a lethargic stroke of her wings, she sent herself floating across the bath, content to lounge in the cool water for now. Perhaps a quick doze was in order. Not for very long, maybe just ten or fifteen minutes, then she would get back to her day. Celestia closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the counterplay of the sun’s warmth shining through the dome above, and the coolness of the water surrounding her. Both were augmented by the small buzz of pleasure from her nethers as she continued to lazily stroke herself. The three sensations accentuated her sleepiness, and she found herself drifting closer and closer to the realm of sleep. If she had been more awake, she might have been surprised, she didn’t usually fall asleep during the day. As she rested, poised on that strange precipice between wakefulness and sleep, her mind began to wander once again, the images this time more akin to actual dreams than her previous erotic imaginings. Scenes and ponies came at her, all jumbled together in that nonsensical manner that dreams had, yet she did not feel fully asleep. Her body rested, but Celestia’s mind ticked over, barely awake, still conjuring up indecent and sometimes embarrassing images. Such as the time her flight instructor had caught her exploring herself as a filly, and had kindly taken it upon herself to teach her about her body. But that wasn’t right… hadn’t that been her mother? Her mother, who had first chastised her for exposing herself in the castle gardens? Then there was the incident when she had been screwing one of her guards, the two of them going at it like it was their last day in Equestria, only for her personal assistant to walk in on them and join in… except it hadn’t been her PA, it had been her second wife, and she’d tossed her wedding band at Celestia’s hooves. Or the time she’d obviously and spontaneously orgasmed during estrus in front of a full royal court of ponies from across the country… but in reality it had been her family at the time, and only during dinner, though still no less embarrassing. An embarrassment eased by a loving husband later that evening. The disorderly scenes failed to faze Celestia in any meaningful way. They were all from long ago, and she’d had plenty of time to move on from them. More semi-dreams streamed through her half-asleep consciousness, faster and faster, some more jumbled than others, but all equally of the same subject matter. Without warning, her mind’s eye brought her back to the here and now. Her laying in the bath, hoof in her crotch and all, the door to the chamber repeatedly and suddenly opening to reveal a different pony there each time. Each one reacting differently. A hoofmaiden apologising profusely and running off was replaced by her old magic teacher she’d had a crush on as a filly, offering to assist her. He was replaced by a mare she’d once spent a long weekend with in Baltimare, her expression one of simple, smouldering lust. The mare suddenly vanished and in her place stood her old protégé, Twilight Sparkle, the now-fellow alicorn rooted to the spot in shock, her cheeks burning a bright crimson. As quickly as they had started appearing, the ponies she knew ceased their endless parade through her door to witness her impropriety, and she was alone once more. Only… she wasn’t. Somehow, without her seeing or hearing them, somepony was in the bath with her. She looked up at the dark figure looming over her with a glowing horn, but slowly, as if her head were filled with the very water she floated in. She struggled to focus at first, but quickly recognised who was with her. Those luminous cyan eyes and starry mane were unmistakable anywhere. Unsure whether she was still dreaming, Celestia felt a small spike of alarm in her chest. How much had Luna seen? How long had she been in here? Why was she standing over her? Hurriedly, she withdrew her hoof from her marehood and was about to question her sister, but before she could utter a single syllable, she was stopped by a dark blue hoof over her mouth and a gentle shush. Luna simply smiled and, horn still glowing, leaned down; brushing her lips softly against Celestia’s own in invitation. The day princess’ eyes briefly went wide with surprise, but she returned the kiss after a moment’s hesitation. Though they were certainly guilty of engaging in what Equestrian law might call “obscene practices” in the past, since her return, Luna had been very withdrawn around Celestia in that regard, which had led to her initial alarm on seeing her. Of course, Celestia didn’t really blame her sister for her hesitance to return to the playful relationship they once had, what with everything that had happened. She just hoped that Luna would forgive her one day. Until then, the occasional lewd dream such as this would have to suffice. Though her movements still felt lethargic, Celestia reached up to caress her sister’s neck, running her hoof through the starry mane as it blew around in the ethereal fields of magic that surrounded both alicorns. She ran her hoof up and down Luna’s neck and across her shoulder, massaging both the skin and the muscle underneath, something she knew Luna liked. As if on cue, her younger sister hummed her appreciation, leaning more aggressively into their kiss, but didn’t take things any further… not yet, anyway. Continuing her gentle caressing, Celestia lifted her other hoof to Luna’s cheek, prompting the other mare to break off the kiss and nuzzle into it, her eyes looking deep into Celestia’s own. Catching her breath, Celestia nudged her sister’s shoulder, wordlessly prompting her to shift her stance closer. As the night princess did so, stepping carefully over her, Celestia realised that her younger, and more to the point smaller, sister was actually standing over her. This meant her hooves were touching the bottom of the bath, which should have been impossible if Celestia were still in the middle. Glancing around, she realised that they were somehow at the end of one of the bath’s arms, her head mere inches from the edge. Luna gave her a quizzical look, but said nothing. Celestia merely shook her head in answer, smiling, and hoisted herself onto the ledge, resting on her elbows. It was a strange agency she seemed to have in this dream, unlike any previous dream she’d experienced--even lucid ones--though Luna left her with little time for her drowsy consciousness to ponder it, as she moved to match the older pony’s new pose. As she did, Celestia was reminded of her younger sister’s sexual cunning. Rather than simply trying to move up her body as most ponies might, Luna instead positioned herself over one of Celestia’s hind legs, allowing her to gently lean her own thigh into her sister’s still sensitive marehood. Celestia voiced a slight gasp at the unexpected contact, but was unable to do anything as the younger mare pressed her advantage. Luna laid herself down along Celestia’s body, and began gyrating her hips in such a fashion that her leg slowly ground up and down, reigniting the fire in her older sister’s loins that had been smouldering since her last orgasm. Celestia felt her breathing quicken once again… felt her pussy getting wet for the second time that day… felt her wings stiffen again… heard her pulse in her ears once more… And it was so much better. Luna’s mere presence was enough to enhance the experience, never mind her actually being the cause of the sensations travelling through her. And all the while she was grinding, she was assaulting Celestia’s mouth and face with kisses, peppering her all over with short, fleeting pecks that drove Celestia mad with love. She’d always been a flirty pony, and loved nothing more than to be adored in such a manner, something Luna had been an expert in before her absence. Her sister didn’t stop there, however, and briefly stopped her grinding to reach even further up Celestia’s head, leaving a trail of those butterfly kisses as she went. As she did so, Celestia buried her muzzle into Luna’s mane and breathed deep, inhaling the scents of her skin, shampoo and perfume as deep inside of her as she could; a mix of dainty and heady floral aromas. Goddess above… she even smelled like she remembered! How could a dream be this rea- Her train of thought was lewdly interrupted by the sensation of a soft, wet tongue dragging up her horn in an achingly slow fashion. The involuntary moan it drew from Celestia’s throat was so long and deep, she might have mistaken it for a stallion’s climax if she herself hadn’t uttered it. Just over the sound of her own pleasure, she could make out the telltale fizz of magical discharge meeting saliva. As Luna’s tongue slipped off the tip of her horn, a shiver of pleasure ran through Celestia’s whole body, adding to the excitement in her loins. But before she could recover, Luna’s mouth was at her own. This time, though, there was no gentle brushing of lips, nor any smattering of tiny, loving kisses. There was only the firm, undeniable pressure of Luna’s lips against her own, joined by her tongue. This was not an invitation or a request, but a demand. Let me in. Celestia didn’t deny her. As soon as she opened her mouth, Celestia could taste the metallic twang of the magical discharge Luna had licked off her horn. It was not a taste she had ever really liked, which made encountering it in a dream all the more surprising, but she was too far gone to care. She took the fizzing mass from Luna’s tongue, feeling it spread across her own, and greedily gulped it down. It burned pleasantly all the way down to her stomach, where the heat promptly exploded like a fine whiskey on a cold winter’s day. A moment later, Celestia felt every sensation multiply tenfold, from her sister’s scent, to the steadily growing waves of pleasure in her nethers, as Luna kept up her slow grinding. The sudden rush caused her to grin like a filly finally getting her cutie-mark. The whole time, she’d maintained eye contact with Luna, who was watching her with a knowing and sultry smile on her face. Once it was obvious the magic had done its job, she began grinding her leg against Celestia faster and harder. Her reawakened libido, in turn with the magical “high”, meant Celestia was helpless to do anything against her sister’s rubbing than buck her hips against the younger mare’s thigh, sending water splashing against them both. Staring into Luna’s eyes, their faces so close they were nearly touching, Celestia felt herself racing towards the very same peak she’d crested earlier; her breathing coming in harsh, ragged gasps as her body did what came naturally. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so turned on, in a dream or otherwise. Closing her eyes, she felt her climax approaching, those familiar waves of pleasure getting bigger and faster. She felt the tension build in her pussy, sparking up her spine to… to… Nothing. Opening her eyes, Celestia saw that Luna had stood upright, bringing her leg away from her marehood. The sun princess could just see herself winking, her clit trying to seek out the source of pleasure so cruelly snatched away from it. Whining in frustration, she looked up at her sister, only to be met with a devious smirk on Luna’s face. She opened her mouth to protest, but was met with the same response as before; a hoof on her mouth and a quiet shush. With that, Luna promptly turned around, stepping carefully over Celestia’s body. As she brought her firm, slightly muscular behind level with her sister’s face, her tail dragged in the water the same way Celestia’s own had earlier. With a quick flick, however, she shifted her waterlogged tail out of the way and revealed a sight that nearly stopped Celestia’s racing heart. It had been over a thousand years since Celestia had seen her sister’s marehood, yet this dream, if that’s what it was, recalled it perfectly. Every line, every wrinkle was just as she remembered it. From its soft but firm classical teardrop appearance, to the stark contrast between her dark outer skin and her pink inner folds every time she winked. What really captured her attention, though, wasn’t any of that. Not the soft squishing of her winks, nor the powerful smell of her arousal, not even her fully engorged clit. No, it was the large, pink crystal perfectly covering Luna’s asshole that enraptured Celestia. She knew what a butt plug was, of course, she owned several herself, but the crystal on this one looked to be master crafted. Multi-faceted, each of them perfectly cut, it caught the sunlight streaming into the bathroom and seemed to trap it, reflecting it within itself and twinkling mesmerisingly whenever Celestia moved her head. Or indeed, whenever Luna wiggled her hips, as she did now, obviously impatient at her sister’s dawdling. With a curt thrust of her hips that sent a dollop of her arousal falling to Celestia’s chest, she brought her own muzzle low enough that the older alicorn could feel her hot breath on her marehood. The message was clear; do me and I’ll do you. Stirred from her trance by the sensation of her sister’s exhalations, Celestia obeyed. Grabbing Luna’s hind legs, she pulled her sister’s marehood close and dove into her pussy muzzle first. A surprised yelp followed by a throaty growl was her reward as she ran her nose and lips up and down, coating them in Luna’s juices. The smell this close was utterly intoxicating, and Celestia breathed deep, trying to force the scent of her sister into every fibre of her being. Luna, for her part, pushed back, grinding herself against Celestia’s face as she went to work on her big sister’s marehood. Though Celestia moaned loud and deep at the feeling of Luna’s tongue running between her lips, she didn’t let up, keeping her muzzle against the smaller alicorn’s pussy so she would feel every bit of the vibration from her moans. Sticking her own tongue out, Celestia lapped hungrily at the lascivious treat in front of her, a total contrast to the slow measured licks she was receiving, as she sought to drink every last drop of the sweet nectar pouring from her sister’s honeypot. Every so often, she would slip her tongue inside Luna’s hole, slurping loudly as she devoured the secretions within. After a few minutes, though, it became evident that despite her earlier excitedness, Celestia was winning the battle of wills. Luna’s hind legs began to shake, her fully extended wings were trembling, and she’d abandoned her ministrations between Celestia’s legs to utter high-pitched squeals of ecstasy as she bucked against the other mare’s face. Grinning in triumph, Celestia doubled up on her efforts as she heard her sister’s squeals become squeaks, before they finally stopped altogether as every muscle in her body tensed up. Recognising her cue, Celestia opened her mouth wide and jammed her tongue against Luna’s quivering love button. Two things happened then. The first, Celestia expected. Luna’s dam burst, and spurt after spurt of thick, hot marecum flooded into Celestia’s mouth. She swallowed greedily, gulping down as much of the salty-sweet treat as she could, the taste and aroma overwhelming her senses. Try as she might, however, some inevitably spilled out and ran down her chin to land on her chest. The thing Celestia did not expect, however, was for Luna to suddenly bury her muzzle back into her pussy and unleash the full vocality of her orgasm, all with her clit trapped between her lips. What would have been a scream of pleasure into the room, was now focussed entirely on the most sensitive spot of Celestia’s whole body. The effect was immediate. With her last little trick, Luna had successfully tapped the well of euphoria that she had been steadily building in Celestia, and now the older mare was powerless to stop it while her loins sent not lightning bolts, but massive explosions of pure orgasmic bliss to her brain. Celestia’s eyes rolled back as her whole body convulsed like she’d received an electric shock, bucking against Luna’s face and spraying her with her own sticky fluids. Arching her back, the only thing she could do was scream Luna’s name as she held onto her sister’s legs for dear life, her vision turning white. Every cell in her body felt like it was blissfully burning out of existence, her mind going numb along with them as the whiteness claimed her. Just before she was completely overcome, however, the realisation hit Celestia that this might not be a dream. Then that, too, was gone. Slowly, consciousness returned to Celestia, creeping back to her like an unfaithful lover. Faintly, she was aware that she’d slipped back into the water, and that Luna was now cradling her, keeping her head above the water; softly cooing to her and stroking her mane. As sensation returned to Celestia’s limbs, she felt like she’d both run a marathon and had the most relaxing massage in the world. Her breathing came in rough gasps, though it gradually smoothed out to a normal cadance. Once her breathing came back under control, Celestia tried to sit up, but her legs wouldn’t co-operate, buckling and slipping out from under her. Falling back into the water, she landed on Luna’s chest again, her sister’s coos and hums reverberating against her cheek pleasantly. Nuzzling instinctively into the feeling, she tried to speak, to profess her feelings of love and contentment in that moment, but could only manage an incoherent mumble. Luna’s only reply was a soft kiss on her cheek before imparting the same gentle shush she’d given her earlier, her hoof continuing its stroking of her mane. It was the last thing Celestia heard before she slipped into the welcome embrace of sleep, a contented smile on her face.