Title:           Cold [Princess Celestia]
Author:          Woofr
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/u3Yj80Q0
First Edit:      Tuesday 29th of March 2016 03:09:09 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Wednesday 30th of March 2016 03:34:42 PM CDT

>The night sky above Canterlot is a wonder, being so close to Princess Luna after all.
>She always loved adding especially fantastic details here, you'd seen her do it, painting the heavens with a smile.
>Stars blazed on, forming wonderful and legendary shapes of mythical heroes and beasts of days past.
>Here, the Grand Eastern Star made up the head of the great dragon Nero, and beside it was a string of stars called the Swift River, which also formed the wings of Nero's companion Izazi.
>The two dragons made for an especially wonderful sight tonight with the roving red star Hazum in Nero's eye.
>An event that took place once every six years, according to the scrolls you'd been poring over last night.
>But tonight you were watching the sun.
>You take a sip of the hot cocoa in your dog head shaped mug.
>It's hot, but not scalding.
>Gives you that great soft warm feeling that flows down your throat, into your chest, wrapping itself gently around your heart and spreading out to your extremities.
>You yawn, your breath coming out in the wintry air as a quiet fog, a testament to the life you breathe.
>And then you turn to look at Princess Celestia.
"Pleasant evening."
>Celestia smiles, shifting a little on the bench the both of you are seated on, her eyes still locked on the sky.
>"Luna has particulary outdone herself tonight. I haven't seen a night like this in years."
>She looks away from the sky and instead turns to you with an accusatory glare.
>Celestia's still smiling though.
>You chuckle and raise your hands in defense.
“I may have mentioned that we were going to spend the evening in the gardens.”
>Slurping a little angrily at the last dregs of hot cocoa in her own mug, Princess Celestia scans the hedges and snow banks before her.
>You follow her gaze, but take in the finer details, like the bright winter chrysanthemums.
>A flower entirely unique to Equestria, they blossom only in the colder months, glowing a cold blue at night.
>”I’d rather keep our dates private. Especially from Luna.”
>You roll your eyes.
 
“Oh come on. I know Luna loves her little spying games, but just look!”
>You fling your free arm out and gesture at the vast garden around the both of you.
“No one here.”
>Celestia stares you down, brow perked as she refills her mug with the thermos you’d brought along.
>”Have you forgotten whom you’re speaking of? I’d bet you fifty bits that she’s tucked herself inside a night shadow somewhere here, watching it all and trying her best not to giggle.”
>Visions of all those times you’d seen Princess Luna just flit straight out of shadows like a whisper of darkness came to mind.
“I suppose you’re right.”
>Quiet.
>The both of you sit apart from each other, emotions running a little cold.
>You start to catch a chill from it, and from the air around you.
>Shivering, you take a big gulp of your hot cocoa along with a good look at Princess Celestia to warm yourself again.
>She sits perfect as always, here now without regal attire.
>Celestia sports an earthy brown wool scarf around her slender neck, a woolen tuque of the same brown on her head.
>The tips of her ears poke out just past the tuque, all red and rosy like her cheeks in the cold.
>Her fur…
>It sets the snow about the both of you to shame, how it glimmers like fresh powder snow at sunrise.
>And her mane, you’d always adored the way her mane and tail acted in the cold.
>Their flowing was fair slower at these temperatures, it would be more accurate to describe it as ‘pulsating’.
>A rainbow, frozen and yet free, oozing its way through the air.
>Every reaction was delayed, every movement.
>Princess Celestia was always a little sluggish in the cold, despite her great inner warmth.
>She was perfect.
>You shook your head and smiled, reaching over Celestia’s withers to grasp her shoulder and pull her close.
>Celestia sighed, but she acquiesced, nuzzling into you.
“You’re so warm.”
 
>The princess giggled softly and her delicate brow rose as she locked eyes with you.
>”I’m the princess of the sun.”
>Chuckling, you drew your arm back a bit, giving Celestia more room as your eyes wandered over the gardens again
>It was good to get that warmth again, warmth was becoming a rarer and rarer commodity, always getting snuffed by winter’s soldiers.
>The assassins named frost, snow and ice.
>”Thank you Anonymous. Sincerely.”
>You looked back at Celestia, somewhat surprised.
>She was smiling warmly at you, taking a quick sip of her hot cocoa.
>”I know you told Luna because you wanted to please me, and you have. This is a beautiful night, I should be enjoying it, not wasting it by searching shadows for friends.”
>Gentle, you leaned forward and planted a little kiss on Celestia’s fore head.
“And I’m certain you won’t find any friends there.”
>Celestia rolled her eyes, but she nodded nonetheless.
>You smiled and stood up, setting your mug down on the bench.
“Well, I’ll be right back, got to use the little colts room I’m afraid.”
>Princess Celestia lay lax on the bench, covering the whole surface with herself.
>She smiled coyly at you.
>”I’ll keep your seat warm.”
“Thanks.”
>You walked at a brisk pace through the gardens, around bushes, passing plinths and statues.
>Relief, ahhh it was finally coming to fruition.
>You’d done it, you’d gotten to Princess Celestia’s heart.
>A laugh came unbidden to you, stepping out of the cold and back into the marble halls of the palace.
>Here it was not cold so much as it was chilly, with the marble frosted over in places.
>You brushed aside a patch of the frost, revealing a little magical rune.
>Nothing huge, about the size of the tip of your thumb, but complex and shimmering with magic as your hand brushed against it.
>Without hesitation, you pressed your thumb against the rune.
 
>Immediately it crackled to life, sending off a faint pulse of light before disappearing completely.
>You breathed deep and backed away from the wall, leaning on the opposite wall beside the shadowy staircase.
>Your smile faded as you reached into your pocket for a smoke.
>Using a scrap of paper writ with a flame rune, you lit your cigarette.
>One deliberate, slow drag, filling your lungs with smoke.
>Then out.
>Two.
>Then out.
>Three.
>A scream pierced the night, twisted.
>Beautiful, almost.
>Then just as quick, it was stifled, snapped up by the wintry air as though it had never been.
>As though warmth had never been.
“Warmth is becoming a rarer and rarer commodity after all.”
>”So it is done. The whore of the sun went quickly. You were right about the cold, it slowed her just enough.”
>You turned to look up the stairs beside you.
>A pair of turquoise eyes gleamed at the top, staring back at you.
>In no rush, you puffed on your cigarette again before starting up the stair.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t there.”
>The eyes squinted, frustration roiled out of the shadows and the terrible voice of the speaker.
>”You heard the scream, just then. Are you not my ally?”
>You shook your head and chuckled, stopping just before the landing, just before the eyes.
>The shadows around them were near impenetrable.
>Near.
>Vaguely you could espy the shape of a mare, tall and cruel.
>Cold.
>A night mare.
>Your brows shot up in false surprise.
 
“I thought you died, all those years ago.”
>That roiling frustration ceased, making way for the heart stopping chill of a laugh that the owner of those eyes let loose.
>”I would say the same. Lucifer.”
>Now it was your turn to laugh, you nearly coughed and choked on your cigarette doing it.
>But eventually you gathered yourself up, and puffed calmly on your cigarette.
>Then you tossed it away, down and down the stair, back into the moonlight.
>You stuck your hand out to the shadows, to the staring, piercing turquoise eyes.
“I’m no Lucifer.”
>The shadows shifted, pressing out to meet your hand as a single black furred hoof with a blue, steel horseshoe.
>You grasped the cold hoof and shook, firm, smiling back with your pale green eyes all a splendour in hellfire.
“I’m the man who sold the world.”
 
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSH--SJKVQQ