2.4

Twilight anxiously waited by the door in anticipation for Cadance. It was the first official night that she would foal-sit Twilight and she had talked about it non-stop since that fateful night. Twilight’s parents were still skeptical of the princess’s promise, it was strange to them that royalty wanted to foal-sit their daughter, but they weren’t about to object. Twilight had also taken a sudden interest in magic and begged them for books on magic and enlistment in a magical school.

Initially they thought she it was just a passing phase, but after they got her an elementary spell book she showed potential. She was able to cast a spark the first day she had it. They promised that they’d look into a magic school if she was good for the princess. It was nerve-wracking to have the newly crowned princess in their home and they spent the last few days cleaning it up to look presentable. Any stain or mess could be bad for appearances sake. They tried to look at the plus side, at least they would have a night to do what they wanted.

Finally a knock came to the door. Twilight jumped up and bounced about excitedly. She went to answer the door. Before she was the mare she sought and Twilight looked up at her with bliss.

“Cadance! Look mom! It’s the princess! ” Twilight shouted out.

“What? No way,” said a colt, walking to the door.

“I told you! Didn’t I?” Twilight replied to the colt.

Cadance and the colt awkwardly caught each other’s gaze and smiled before he spotted one of his friends outside and dashed through the door.

“Hey guys, wait up! See ya, Twilly. Princess…” he said, racing out, taking a short moment for a little bow to Cadance

“See ya Shining!” Twilight called out waving.

“Your highness,” said Twilight’s mother as she came from the other room, “Thank you ever so much for your infinite kindness.”

“Oh it’s no trouble at all! I’ve looked forward to it all week,” Cadance replied gleaming.

“Well, if she’s any trouble or you need us to come back, you can just shoot us a letter,” her dad explained, giving Twilight a quaint glare, “We’ll be back by nine.”

“Nine? Go on and stay out a little later! I think you two should go on a long romantic walk,” Cadance suggested. She lit her horn and cast her signature love spell on the two.

Two broken halves of a heart left her horn and came between Twilight’s parents, forming into one. Instantly the tension they felt by the princess vanished from their faces and they looked lovingly at each other.

“Perhaps you’re right. It’s been awhile since we had any real time to ourselves,” her mom agreed.

They walked out the door together into the setting sun.

“Good night sweetie, be good for Cadance!” they called back.

After they left Cadance turned her attention to the filly. Cadance playfully levitated Twilight upside down and brought her up to her face.

“So what do you want to do first?” Cadance asked, nuzzling Twilight’s stomach.

Twilight giggled and flailed around.

“Ooh! Can you teach me how to pick things up with magic?” she replied enthusiastically.

“Oh Twilight, you ready to learn?!” Cadanced asked. Twilight nodded her head so hard it almost looked painful, “Alrighty, pay close attention!”

Over the next few hours Twilight asked Cadance question after question about magic and spell casting. Twilight showed a great affinity for it, grasping its concepts adeptly. She had actually grabbed an apple with magic, but was unable to lift it. Still, Cadance was impressed by the filly.

“Look at you Twilight! I can’t say I’ve ever seen such a young filly with so much natural talent,” Cadance commented as Twilight shot a decently sized spark out of her horn, “How do you know so much already? You’re clearly no beginner.”

Twilight focused hard on the apple in front of her. A bead of sweat fell down her face as she gritted her teeth. Cadance watched with interest. She didn’t think it was possible, but she knew Twilight was special and wouldn’t be surprised if she did move it. The apple glowed faintly before rolling over and then paused before rolling even farther along the floor. Cadance smiled to herself.

Twilight opened her eyes and after seeing the apple’s new position, was ecstatic.

“Did you see that Cadance?! Did ya did ya did ya?!” Twilight cried out.

“I did! You’re going to be a great and powerful sorceress someday,” Cadance proclaimed, “You’ve been working so hard. I think you deserve a treat. What do you want?”

“Ice cream!” Twilight piped.

“Alright let’s go,” Cadance said motioning to the door.

It was a full moon out and Twilight and Cadance walked down the lamp-lit streets to the local ice cream shop. On the way Cadance was recognized by two ponies that immediately stopped her. Two mares, rather well dressed.

“Oh your highness! What are you doing out here?” asked a baby blue mare with a white and blue mane.

“Good evening dear citizens, I’m on official royal duty,” Cadance replied, winking at Twilight, “How may your princess serve you?”

“Oh uhh, it’s nothing we were just surprised to see you,” the blue mare responded, flustered by the attention.

The green mare with the white mane made a claim though.

“Actually Princess, if it wouldn’t be too much to ask, I was wondering if I could have some advice.”

“Of course!”

“There is this stallion and he is my best friend. We’ve known each other for years now and I’m starting to have feelings for him. What should I do? I’d thought I’d ask you since you are sort of the expert on this thing.”

Cadance thought for a second. Her horn lit up and from the tip came her love spell. The two halves of the heart floated around the mare, invisible to her. She had delayed the effect of it so that it would take cast itself at the right time.

“My best advice is to confess your feelings in a slow, digestible way. Even if he seems to reject your first more, subtle advances, keep trying. He may just be thinking about what he wants. Even if rejects you if he’s truly your best friend, the friendship will persist and you will be able to find love elsewhere, it will just be awkward for a while,” Cadance explained. “Professing your love to him can even validate the friendship further is you have the right approach.”

“How very insightful,” thought the mare quietly.

“I have a feeling that it will go well for you though, call it Princess’s intuition,” Cadance said smiling. Her confidence was an impossibly powerful mark of approval. Princesses had a strange nature of controlling the kingdom with unseen force; merely speaking could bring events into existence.

They looked at each other excitedly.

“Thank you so much princess!” she replied.

“My pleasure…” Cadance started, but they had already dashed off.

Continuing on they finally reached the ice cream shop where they met a familiar face.

“Shining Armor! Ooh what kind of ice cream did you get?” Twilight said jumping up onto the table. His friends laughed a little at the filly before seeing the princess walk up.

“Hey Twilight, just the usual mint chocolate chip, want some?” Shining Armor responded. He saw the princess and quickly changed his tone, “Oh uhh, good evening your highness.”

Cadance rolled her eyes.

“No need for formalities Shining, we’ll get to know each other well enough I’m sure. Just call me Cadance.”

“Look what I can do!” Twilight shouted jumping up on the table and pointing her horn at to Cadance. She said bracing herself as her horn began to glow. She squinted and focused hard on her. Cadance gave her a confused but sentimental look. Twilight opened her eyes to look at Cadance who had not moved, but closed them again and focused harder.

She began to yell a concentrated, exasperated tone, quiet at first but building quickly. Cadance began to glow slightly with magic. Enraptured in the small unicorn’s ability they watched without interruption.

Something snapped inside of Twilight as she cracked her head back and began shimmering with magic light. She screamed at the top of her lungs, unleashing an aura of light around her. Her hooves twitching and barely able to control the magic she fired a bolt at Cadance. She screamed and before he could even think, Shining Armor flung himself in front the princess, taking the bolt square to the chest. It hit him hard and knocked the air out of him. The force of the blast tossed him through the air several feet before landing and sliding a little bit. When Cadance opened her eyes she looked around and saw the colt lying on the ground, magical mist from the dissipating spell around him.

“Shining Armor!” Cadance called out as Twilight fell back on the table exhausted. She ran over to him and cast a healing spell, soothing his chest.

“You just saved me…” Cadance thanked, nuzzling him.

“Oh man, Twilight is gonna get it,” he coughed out, the wind still knocked out of him.

“Yeah just hope she doesn’t learn how to do that again. But you are very brave and you’re my hero,” she said giving him a peck on the cheek. Next Chapter: 2.5 Estimated time remaining: 50 Minutes