'...yes..."

Twilight really needed to get a new type of wood for her flooring. After about three hours Spike had already worn a groove a few inches deep. Whatever wood she had now was about as structurally sound as Fluttershy’s occasionally explosive excretions mixed with yeast and baked for ten minutes too short.

Spike had overheard the fateful exchange between Twilight and Trixie. Initially he was jealous of Trixie for her somewhat successful impasse with his fabulous crush, but it turned to protective anger soon enough.

Of any other being in Ponyville besides the alliterate couple, Spike knew the most about the depth of their relationship, or lack thereof. After enough other grooves had been worked into her now, very arousing, floor, it was clear what glue held them together.

Or at least what glue held Twilight in.

Trixie on the other hoof, while clearly enjoying herself too, had something of a guilty conscience. During their pillow talk, that Spike couldn’t help but eavesdrop on, Trixie would regularly tell Twilight how terrible of a unicorn she was and how she’d never make any friends.

At first this just looked like Trixie shallowly fishing for compliments, but at time went on, the pity had overstayed it’s welcome and hinted at a deeper conflict within the unicorn. Spike never talked with Twilight about the depths of the relationship, but he assumed that Twilight’s confidence is what held her in.

The most recent development shocked him at first, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Trixie had found another lover, rubbing it in Twilight’s face would be her first step to the recollection of her self-esteem. She had crawled her way up from the lowest low to befriend an old rival and finally assert herself over her. Twilight was the lowest common denominator in the small rise and fall of Trixie they had observed.

The part about Rarity threw him for a loop though. Regardless if Twilight didn’t get back soon, he’d be forced to go out and look for her.

“Come on Twi, the suspense is killin’ me.”

Twilight conveniently walked in right as he said that, looking like a complete mess. She had a dazed look in her eye, her mane and tail were messy, she had obviously been crying a lot and she smelled like the rest of the library.

From what he saw, he had no idea if she had a good or bad night.

“Twi! Oh man, have I been worried about you! How’d it go? Didya let Rarity have it?”

Twilight slowly scanned the library for her mare. “Trixie didn’t drop by, did she?” Her tone was exhausted and sad.

“Hmph, Trixie. Why’d ya want to talk to her after the way she yelled at you?”

“I just need to talk to her...” she took a moment to think before turning back to the door, “I’m gonna go look for her. W-watch the library f-for me...”  Twilight choked up and gritted her as she tried to fight the memories flooding back to her and the tears that came with them.

Seeing the library only reminded Twilight of all her favourite moments of Trixie, their first kiss, their first time waking up together, their first time making a groove in the floor. For some strange reason, each and every memory seemed stronger than the last for no apparent reason.

Twilight tried to fight them but didn’t even make it out the door before collapsing in a fit of heart-wrenching sobs.

“Twi! Hey you alright?” Spike said softly to his best friend, running over to her. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and cried into his pudgy little belly. “Aww come on Twi, Trixie isn’t worth the trouble anyways...”

“B-b-ut I-i l-lo--” was all she got out.

“No way Twi, you deserve way better than her. Man the next time I see her, I’ll burn every hair off her body... No one treats you like that, ya hear me?” Spike said compassionately. He meant it too. It broke his heart to see his favourite pony cry.

Twilight took it the wrong way though. She scurried away hysterically and yelled out, “N-naah my T-twwixie!” running off towards the door, her eyes sealed from anguish. Unfortunately she missed the door and ran head first into the wall which, unlike the floor was, actually hard.

She smacked into with a heavy thud that shook the tree house before falling back down. In the few seconds of shock before the pain set in, she stopped crying and glared innocently at the wall as if it, itself was trying to stop her. As soon as the her head started hurting she just kept crying again, slowly crawling back over to Spike using just her rear legs.

It was excessively pathetic.

She cried a primal, uncontrollable maelstrom of tears and all Spike could do was sit there and be the belly she cried into.

*

“So my hoof’s stuck in there right? I’m freaking out, Scootaloo was having a seizure and I still have half a pie left,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed dramatically.

Rarity barely heard her sister. To say she was distant was an understatement. She wouldn’t have even known that there was food on her plate if she didn’t make it herself and even then it sort of looked funny. She pushed it away for no apparent reason.

The spa had brought her mind back to her, only to send it off into the distance again. Lately she had only worried about her own role in all the madness but taking some time to think about all it’s players brought her one conclusion. Luna notwithstanding, she was the single cornerstone of this mess.

She had broken two relationships, started three, and no other pony came close to her in influence. It disgusted her but in a way brought her a sense of control and power that she jokingly fancied. The only ponies missing were Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. If she pulled them into it, she’d have her core group. She mused at ways to somehow involve them, perhaps they’d involve themselves and she’d find Trixie spending the night at Sweet Apple Acres.

From the direction of Sweet Apple Acres a sonic rainboom exploded. It was shortly followed by another sonic rainboom.

Perhaps not...

Whatever, still she had single hoofedly created a love pentagon, who could blame her for being distracted in her own thoughts. She had felt so helpless earlier, but pretending she was the director of this play helped her cope with the heartache she still felt.

“So how did your date go?” Sweetie Belle asked half-heartedly noticing that Rarity wasn’t listening to her story.

“Oh umm... It was canceled last moment.”

“Aww how come?”

“I’d rather not say.”

Sweetie Belle read the subtle sadness in her sister but decided against fishing for further information. Her sister was the kind of pony who’d talk when she was ready. Her sister was also the kind of pony who’d make sure everypony knew after she decided she was ready.

“Well there are always more fish in the sea.” Sweetie Belle’s encouraged, but Rarity only sighed. The same distant, glum look was flat on her sister’s face. She thought for a moment before coming up with a questionable idea. “Well if you’re having a really hard time finding a special somepony, maybe you could ask Twilight’s sister-in-law for help. She’s really good at lovey dovey stuff.”

Sister-in-law...?

Oh my stars...

Cadance...

Rarity took a moment to seriously consider the idea of bringing in Cadance for support. Something as powerful as Cadance’s magic would be a trump card since she could mend anypony’s heart and incite love where ever she saw fit. If Rarity could make this work, then she might have a chance at redemption and maybe even love.

Things were about to get a whole lot weirder.

*

A few hours after Rarity had furiously scribbled a letter off to the Princess, another Princess was walking her date home after a beautiful evening.

“So um... when will I get to see you next...?” asked the pegasus as she reluctantly reached her front door. She wouldn’t have minded staying out a bit longer, but the night had been perfect that she didn’t want to ruin it by letting exhaustion will her into something they weren’t ready for.

“I can not say dear Fluttershy. This time was my only recess from royal duty and it may be for some time to come.”

The words resonated between them. Even though she didn’t look like it right now, Luna was still a princess and with that, responsible for much of Canterlot and Equestria as a whole. She had to take time away from the needs of a kingdom to be with Fluttershy. That was what initially scared Fluttershy, and it still did, but now it scared her for different reasons.

“It’s ok Luna... I had a wonderful time...” Fluttershy said bittersweetly. “If you’re ever in Ponyville on official business and you require ummm...” she flushed crimson and spoke in almost a whisper, “... your royal concubine... I’ll make time for my royal duty...”

Luna smiled weakly.

“Of course... But I shall release thou from thine concubinage. Tis the unfairest decree to ask that thou stayest only mine. Thou shalt be free.”

Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide with heartbreak.

“Oh it isn’t any trouble at all! I don’t mind, really!” Fluttershy’s emotions had gotten the best of her. “You’re a really nice pony... And I kind of like you...” The Princess looked almost estranged.

“Tis it true...?”

Fluttershy just let out reserved, high pitched, “Mmmhmm...” She had startled herself with her forceful reaction.

“You are the most wonderful of ponies... Thank you Fluttershy.” Luna bowed deeply leaving the timid pony speechless.

Fluttershy took her eyes off Luna for just a moment to open her door when she heard her whisper gently in her ear. It heavied her eyelids and relaxed her to a sleepy daze like a lullaby.

“Sweet dreams...” it said.

When she turned around Luna was gone. All that was left was final breeze of the lunar wind that lapped her heart to remind her that she had even been there at all.

She quietly entered her dark house and dragged herself upstairs. She didn’t bother turning the light on, instead just falling through the darkness into her bed. There was a warmness in her empty bed, the warmness imprinted by another body. It would have bothered her but sleep took her instantly.

Unbeknownst to Fluttershy, Luna had laced her words with a tiredness spell. She was already waiting for Fluttershy when she entered the Princess of the Night’s realm.

Here they could continue to grow where the world would have stopped them.

*

The lavender unicorn carefully surveyed the board. All the pieces were in place and the time to strike was soon. Her scaly opponent would soon be defeated. She moved her piece.

“Check...” she muttered quietly. No look of satisfaction came over her, only pure, unyielding concentration.

“Oh wow...” he admired. “Uhh... let’s...” He moved his queen backwards to defend the king, a move she didn’t anticipate. It ended up being a free piece and Twilight greedily took it. Unfortunately it opened up her back row and Spike sent his rook out after the castled king, promptly ending the game.

“Checkmate,” he announced.

Spike had been in one chess club or another for five years now and despite Twilight’s natural aptitude for learning and intricate theory, he proved an exceptional opponent. He was five to her four.

He folded his arms in satisfaction of winning an extremely close game. “You know Twi, you should enter a tournament or something. You’re really good at this.”

She cracked a smile. “Yeah? You think we’d win?”

“I’ve played enough tournaments to know it’d be you and me in the finals.”

Twilight blushed. She knew he was just flattering her, but his extra attention did a lot to make her feel better in the wake of Trixie. He wasn’t pampering her, but just took extra time to make sure she was never alone for too long.

Spike had convinced her to stay in for the past few days and withhold herself from going out and looking for Trixie. It took three hours of heart-to-heart talking and two dramatic slaps in the face to stop her from getting hysterical, but in the end she calmed down.

Spike explained that if Trixie loved Twilight, she’d realize it and come back, if she didn’t, she’d leave town and avoid her. Trixie had no other real ties to Ponyville besides Twilight so looking around Ponyville for her would be pointless and by now she could be halfway across Equestria. She understood this, but it didn’t stop every knock on the door from being a hopeful chance of reuniting with her beloved. She soon noticed this and added an artificial slowness each time she had a visitor in introspective retroaction.

As time went on, a sad truth was starting to emerge. The chance of Trixie returning shrinked with each day and every knock on the door would end up being just another let down that suffocated her heart.

Of course, a fateful tap on wood sounded.

Twilight jumped initially but kept her eyes glued to the board as if studying the game like a book. Her hopeful apprehension was completely shameless.

“Oh Spike, would you mind getting that?”

Spike got up and waddled over to the door. Twilight stole a glance to see who it was. Against all her expectations it was Princess Cadance.

“Oh, good afternoon Spike, is Twilight here?” she asked warmly, her tone, cheerful and optimistic as always.

“Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed.

Cadance spotted the unicorn and then ran up to each other excitedly.

Sunshine, sunshine

Ladybugs awake

Clap your hooves and

Do a little shake!

The both giggled a bit more than they should have.

“Cadance what are you doing here? I mean it’s great to see you again, but if I knew you were coming I would have cleaned up a little bit.” Twilight admitted, surveying her incredibly suggestive floor. The lack of description for Spike’s more recent groove suggested what could have only been a marathon.

“Oh I decided to take a few days off to come visit. Shining is busy with some guard thing for the week, so I thought why not come down and see Twilight?” she explained. “Anyways, have you eaten? I was thinking we could go get some lunch.”

Twilight felt bad being skeptical, so she let it go. If Cadance decides to show up and ask to hang out completely out of the blue, then she wasn’t going to send her home. It would be nice to get to know her sister-in-law again. A lot had changed since she stopped foalsitting Twilight and they didn’t have much of a chance to catch up during the wedding. A massive filly-like grin came over her face.

“Ok!” Twilight replied brightly.

“Awesome. Do you think Trixie would like to come with us? I’ve been dying to meet her. Shining tells me she’s been treating you well and by the looks of I’d assume that’s a pretty safe assumption.” She gave Twilight a wink.

“Oh umm... no... I don’t think she’d like to come...” Twilight replied sadly, her face falling into a frown.

“What why not?” Cadance analyzed her in less than a second and gasped. “Twilight, what’s wrong?! Don’t tell me...” She didn’t want to hear what she already knew.

Twilight sad face only confirmed Cadance’s suspicion. Twilight hadn’t told any other pony about her broken heart except Spike. Rarity and she had been comfortably avoiding each other while they took time to figure themselves out, so even she didn’t know the whole story after Twilight left. Twilight wasn’t sure if she was ready to confide in another pony yet, but Cadance’s caring and loving persona made her ready. Cadance was the best pony, if any, to talk with about this sort of thing.

“I’ll tell you about it over lunch.”

*

They had settled on the CherryCobbler Factory for lunch. Cadance had decided to treat her sister to something appropriately nice. Upon entering the hum and buzz of conversation died immediately and a vinyl scratch was heard somewhere in the distance. The staff was had again frozen in terror before throwing themselves at the pair.

The manager had come to greet them. “Welcome to the CherryCobbler factory your Majesty, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Crown Empress of the Crystal Empire and Lady Twilight Sparkle of Canterlot. Table for two I presume?”

“Yes, table for two please.”

They were hurried off to a familiar table, this time, not surrounded by candles. An extremely nervous looking stallion approached them. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a few days.

“My most graceful Majesty and royal lady--”

Cadance interrupted him sweetly. “Please, call me Cadance and my friend Twilight.”

The earth coloured stallion twitched and convulsed, accidentally snapping his pencil in half. The three of them looked at the broken pencil, confused and horrified. His nerves had gotten the best of him. His last impasse with a princess had put in him on this ice and now he just screwed up his last chance. His lips trembled and he began tearing up.

“I’m sorry Derpy...” he muttered before running through the restaurant and out the door crying.

The manager was by their side before they even realized the stallion had left. “Esteemed guest, Cadance and Twilight. It is my honour to personally welcome you to our humble establishment. My name is Fancy Smancy and I will be taking care of you this afternoon. Can I start you off with a glass?” He looked to Cadance.

She whipped her head and chose to ignore what she just saw.

“Doux Hyros on rocks.” Cadance answered regally, shooting Twilight a playful smirk,

“Aspira’s Distilled Peppermint, neat.”

“Cadance my dear, such a fine taste and Twilight, tis the season,” he played. “Please relax and enjoy yourselves.”

He bustled off. Once he was clear of the table, Cadance leveled with Twilight. “Alright Twilight, now what’s been going on between you and Trixie. I’m getting mixed signals here. Shining says you guys are happy, but I get here and your face is telling me otherwise.” Cadance’s tone was both welcoming and reasonably concerned.

“Oh Cadance... I don’t even know, I thought things were going good... We were so in love and then I leave for five minutes and she tells me she doesn’t need me anymore and runs off.” Twilight admitted. Cadance just nodded her head and thought.

She didn’t expect something so sudden. Relationships can swing in a heartbeat, but even she found something off about this.

“Just get’s up and leaves? You guys weren’t fighting or anything?”

Twilight just shook her head innocently.

“That doesn’t seem right at all... How long ago was this?”

“Umm...” Twilight had to think, so much had happened in the last few days that she sort of lost track of time. “Last time I saw her was Wednesday night and today is Monday. So five days?”

That was a long time and it ruled out quite a few explanations Cadance had in mind. It was nothing hormonal, it wasn’t spur of the moment emotions, considering that Trixie had been staying with Twilight, there was the need for lodging that would have brought her back. That alone denoted an unnerving level of seriousness.

Cadance knew Twilight must have already thought about all this and redirected the conversation.

“Do you miss her?”

“Mmmhm...” she squeaked out. Her eyes were watery.

The waiter brought them their drinks. Twilight levitated it, stirred it around and downed the entire shot in one motion before handing it back to the waiter. He nervously took it and against her better judgment Cadance did them same in empathy to Twilight. He eyed the two skeptically and carried the glasses away.

“You know what Twilight? I don’t know what happened to her, but if she’s willing to toss your entire relationship away without even the respect to talk to you about it, she’s not worth it.”

Twilight’s eyes were hurt and borderlining tears.

Her words were a bit harsh for the vulnerable mare, but she knew she was right and sometimes being direct is what a pony needed to see the truth.

“That’s what Spike said...”

Cadance didn’t know very much about the situation, but she already didn’t like Trixie. She broke her little filly’s heart for what couldn’t have been a good reason. Twilight was far too pure to really do anything too wrong. All Cadance pictured was some worthless, stuck-up mare pushing her little Twilight in a puddle of mud and laughing at her.

“And you know what? Spike loves you and values your happiness as do the rest of your friends...”

Twilight’s mind flickered back to Rarity as she said that.

“...You’re important to us Twilight, we care about you and we want you to be happy. I know Trixie was your first and that she’ll always be in your heart. You gave her that place and she’s damn lucky to be there, but it doesn’t mean you can’t move on. Like I love your brother. I love him more than anypony else and I love him more each day, but I still remember my first love and the memories we share. I couldn’t forget them no matter how much I want to.”

Twilight smiled weakly. Cadance was on getting on the exact same level as her.

“If Trixie comes back, then you have every right to be with her and take her back. But you better believe that you’re going to get some answers before you do. Me and Spike will see to that,” she gave her a keen wink, “I’d say, don’t hold your breath though. Take the time you need, but don’t wait on her and get back out there. You’re going to make some pony the luckiest pony in the world some day.”

Twilight just blushed. Even though Spike had effectively said all those things just a few days ago, hearing it from Cadance had a certain magic to it. It was like she truly knew after only a short exchange. Every word had mended and warmed her heart.

Yet in all her perceptiveness, Cadance still mistook Twilight’s silence for something else.

“Ohmigosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to rant so much. I just got carried away. Seeing Trixie treat you so poorly just riled me up and--” Cadance frantically apologized.

“Thank you Cadance...” Twilight sobbed. Cadance smiled softly and blushed.

“Hey, just looking out for my little filly.”

Twilight had hit the lowest low just a few days before. Her first love had brutally abandoned her and she had broken her own friend’s heart. Now she felt a hundred times better because of the best sister in the whole world.

“So what else is new?” Cadance asked noticing the tears and deciding a change of subject should be in order.

Twilight’s mind flickered to Rarity again. Before she could answer, the waiter brought out the second round of drinks. The mare and the Princess smiled at each other and downed their drinks again. Surprised he took them on his tray and proceeded on with the afternoon.

“Thirsty today are we? Oh well, it’s none of my business, we all need a day off,” he joked, “Normally I’d like one too, but today I get the honour of serve a Princess and a lady of the court. So what can I get for you two today?”

*

Five drinks and a half an entree later.

*

Cadance giggled hysterically, a light and attractive red painting her guiltly cheeks. They had attracted some attention from curious onlookers, but to them it appeared like nothing more than a tipsy Princess and her royal guest.

Traces of laughter peppered Twilight’s words. “Yeah and that’s why Rarity won’t let me around sewing machines anymore!”

Cadance was cracking up harder and harder. “W-whelll I c-can see why!”

“Hey! Applejack needed to get home and I still couldn’t tell Rarity about the rash!”

After laughing a bit longer, they both let out a warm, hearty sigh.

“Your friend Rarity sounds like a blast, you should invite her along next time,” Cadance suggested.

“Oh you have no idea... She has a way, no, a gift, in the way of making mares happy...” she replied openly with a big dumb grin on her face.

Twilight was about to become a lot more tipsy.

Cadance raised a curious eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I should know, I spent the night in her boutique finding out.” Twilight popped her hooves on her mouth as soon as she said it.

Cadance smirked at her and let out an exasperated gasp.

“Twilight Sparkle! Have you been a naughty filly?” she teased.

“Maybe...” she replied coyly.

“Do you like Rarity?” Cadance smirked

“Maybe...” Twilight felt herself becoming more honest.

“Do you love Rarity...?”

“...maybe...”

*

In the darkness two forms had moved in peak rhythm to perfect pleasure. They entered the epitome of euphoria as ecstasy enticed them to ever expanding emotion.  Back and forth they traded feeling and intimacy, the newer mare following the lead of the older.

Each of Twilight’s movements pumped her fuller with love. Rarity felt helpless in the passion of her lover, yet somehow Twilight moans ecstatically pierced the night. Rarity gave no thought into throwing herself completely at the task of bringing Twilight the greatest feeling she could. She had entered the night nervous as to what was expected of her but now she felt nothing of the sort. They expected nothing from each other, but knew that only through each other would they find the most perfect bliss.

Over and over again the end seemed to come, their panting and echoing cries waking in the climactic release. Yet one or both of them would decide that enough wasn’t enough and they’d revitalize their efforts, finding some way to push themselves further and further. After her first release, Rarity saw the end of love though, the height of all feeling far in the distance. In the beginning she was afraid that it would rip her apart, but before she knew it she had already been torn apart and put back together by her lover. Now she was approaching the finale.

Twilight went forward with fury and relentlessly in her pursuit. Rarity couldn’t fathom greater feeling, but the heat fused them together and Rarity lost herself in Twilight, allowing her to share her tolerance. Diluting the feeling gave meaning and depth to it and elongated it, allowing it to mature. It also helped to dull it into something tolerable for a time, but passion never behaves so.

Sharing the feeling ended up compounding it and pushed them an eternity over the edge. The thinnest line came to separate them from release and from each other. In order to cross that line there could was no longer ‘her’ or ‘she’ or ‘I’. It would have to be ‘their’, ‘we’ and ‘us’. Together they had created this beauty and together they would release it.

Rarity’s face had been stained a deep scarlet. She looked into the eyes of her lover as they pushed past the edge.

“Twilight... Please end it! Please for the love of the heavens end it!” Rarity cried out into the night. “Oh darling... I... can’t...” she writhed and grimaced. She was starting to cry.

Twilight kissed her ending the thought and giving them the last few seconds they’d have. A tear in her eye, Rarity knew what Twilight was about to do. She was going to to say the one thing that would push them into infinity. It scared Rarity, she wasn’t sure if she was ready to say it, if she’d mean it and what it’d do to her. Yet, it needed to be said and Rarity needed to answer her.

”I love you Rarity...” she whispered.

Rarity’s body surged. Through every pore and every orifice she exploded in what felt like a searing white light. It starting deep inside her forced it’s way out, an unstoppable force that wiped her mind clean. Tears streamed her eyes.

There was only one thing left to say.

”I love you too Twilight!” Rarity cried out throwing her head back as it crawled up her spine.

With that they screamed and released. In a flash their vision went white and nothing else mattered.

*

“...yes...”

Cadance smiled thoughtfully, but the moment only lasted a few seconds. A flurry of screams shattered Twilight's reverie. The patrons stood up, shocked, searching for the source of the commotion. A panicked mare came rushing to the side of the Princess.

"Princess, we need you outside." Next Chapter: What Draws Them Together Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes