Just a Kiss

by Mayhem Darkshadow

Rating: teen
Tags: Princess Cadance, Romance, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6758

Cadence and Twilight decided to take a trip to the Hoofwian Islands together. The vacation is suppose to be about fun in the sun, but what if one of them deep down has a bit more than that planned. How will the other pony respond to this?

The life of a Princess of Equestria is always a stressful one, whether you are an experienced one or not. Sometimes you need to get away from it all. That is exactly what Twilight and Cadence thought when they decided to take a trip to the Hoofwian Islands just the two of them. The vacation is suppose to be about having fun, but deep down one of them wants a bit more than that. Their only concern, though, is how the other will react to this.

**********
(19/10/2013)
Holy sweet mother of Celestia!!! Featured...I honestly didn't expect that. Thanks everyone who supported the fic

Edited by: Avatar of Shadow, TimeLord_Whooves, Elric of Melnipony, and The Abyss

Published 2013-10-19 17:10:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-19 17:10:03 UTC

Just a Kiss

Written by: Mayhem Darkshadow
Edited by: Avatar of Shadow and TimeLord_Whooves

Just a Kiss

Twilight and Cadence stood at the front of the bow of the ship, the wind whipping through their manes. The ship was currently about twenty minutes from reaching its destination, the wonderful Hoofwian Islands. A few weeks ago, after a few back and forth letters, the two of them had decided that it was high time they had some relaxation time. It had been a long time since the two of them had done anything together. Normally, they were so busy that the only thing they had time for was a catch-up letter every so often. Twilight and Cadence were both happy that it was just them, and nopony else. There was just one certain pony who was not too happy about this, though.

Shining Armor had said that he felt left out and tried his very hardest to make it a "siblings" getaway. Eventually, though, through much convincing from his wife, he gave in and let them go on their own. The other pony that was not too happy was Princess Celestia. Not because they were going on vacation, but because they had initially refused to have accompaniment in the form of a small platoon of Solar Guards. Through much talking, complaining, and even a little bit of whining, Twilight and Cadence had convinced the elder alicorn to let them get away with having just two guards. Those guards were, of course, members of Celestia's elite troops. The only reason Twilight and Cadence allowed them to come was the promise that they would not interfere unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Oh, I can see the islands!" Cadence squealed in absolute joy as they slowly came into view.

"This is going to be so much fun Cadence! I tell you, this whole ‘being a Princess’ thing has been a lot more work than I initially thought," Twilight told her former foalsitter.

Cadence ruffled her sister-in-law’s mane playfully. "You'll get used to it. Be happy you are just involved in more friendship research and not running an entire empire."

Twilight smiled and bumped her rump against Cadence's playfully, and the two of them fell into a fit of joyful laughter. As they enjoyed themselves, an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

"Ah folks, this is your captain speaking. We are about fifteen minutes out from port. Docking and unloading should take no more than thirty minutes. I do hope you all enjoy your stay, and welcome to the Hoofwian Islands."

Twilight and Cadence turned to each other and giggled.

"Vacation time, here we come," Cadence cheered.

**********

"Oh Celestia, this is beautiful," Twilight gasped at the surroundings. There were palm trees everywhere, the sun was shining bright, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The air was warm and humid, but it wasn't unbearable. Twilight turned to Cadence and gave her a smile before unfolding her wings.

"I'll race you to the hotel," Twilight said playfully.

Cadence's eyebrows fell and she smiled back. "Well, since the guards said they'd handle the luggage, you’re on," she replied.

"Alright then," Twilight said, "Three Two One GO!!!"

The two Princesses shot into the air like bullets. For once, Twilight was glad that her flying teacher was Rainbow Dash, though the speeds they were traveling was nothing compared to what her friend could do. Twilight struggled and tried to work her way ahead of Cadence. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't pull ahead. They landed in front of the Sunset View Resort with Twilight out of breath.

"I guess...I'm still...getting used to this," Twilight panted.

Cadence giggled and patted Twilight on the head. "Better luck next time, Twilie. Come on, let's go check in, I want to hit the beach."

Twilight took a few deep breaths and then they walked inside to the front desk. They were immediately greeted with a rather exuberant resort staff. In fact, it almost looked like all the staff had come to the front to welcome them.

"Princess Cadence, Princess Twilight, we've been expecting the both of you," the manager called at them.

Twilight and Cadence waded their way through the small sea of ponies to the front desk. They were greeted by an overly peppy Earth Pony.

"Oh, Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence, we have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. The Royal Suite has been set up and is all ready for you. Now, you are staying with us for ten days, right?"

"Yes ma'am, we are," Cadence replied cheerfully.

The manager smiled and continued to talk. Twilight couldn't help but giggle. Her overly peppy attitude reminded her of Pinkie Pie.

"So, do you wish to know anything about the area?" the manager asked.

Twilight and Cadence looked at each other. In the week that led up to this trip, Twilight had spent a lot of time becoming an expert on the Islands and everything they had to offer.

"I suppose the only thing we really need is a list of the best restaurants in the area," Twilight told her.

"Oh, well, that's quite easy, I'll have a list sent up to your room along with your complimentary gift bags," the Resort Manager replied.

"Why, thank you," Cadence and Twilight said together.

The manager smiled and gave them their room keys. "It's not a problem. If you need anything, don't hesitate at all to ask."

Twilight and Cadence left the desk and went straight for the elevator. Their room was apparently on the top floor and had an ocean view. Neither of them realized how amazing it was until they got to the room.

"Oh, wow," Twilight gasped in amazement, "Look at that view, Cadence."

Cadence wasn't paying attention, though, because she had just flopped onto the massive bed. "Oh, wow, Twilight you need to feel this bed. It's more comfortable than lying on a cloud."

Twilight jumped onto the bed and decided to engage Cadence in a friendly tickle fight.

"Oh...Twilight, don't...please, you know I'm...I'm ticklish," Cadence laughed as Twilight tickled her soft under belly. Cadence worked herself around and got on the offensive. Now it was Twilight's turn to laugh hysterically.

"Ah...Cadence, please...please don't...I give...I give."

Cadence, satisfied that she had won the battle, slid off Twilight and made her way out the double doors onto the balcony that overlooked the beach below. Twilight took a brief moment to catch her breath and then joined her favorite foalsitter in enjoying the marvelous view before them.

"I say we go down and enjoy some beach time before dinner," Cadence told Twilight as she looked off at the horizon.

"I'd be down with that. The water looks amazing."

**********

Twilight and Cadence had to wait for their bags to arrive so they could get their beach gear. Once they did, though, they had gone down to the beach, relaxing in the warm sand. Cadence was soaking up the rays and Twilight was reading a Daring Doo novel. As she read, Twilight glanced over to some stallions that were roughhousing in the water. They were all quite gorgeous. Twilight was especially fond of one of them: he had chocolate colored fur and a black mane. His cutie mark intrigued Twilight more than his looks though; she was fascinated by it. A telescope surrounded by five stars. When the stallions happened to glance over at Twilight, she immediately looked back at her book.

"Eyeing some stallions, Twilight?" Cadence snickered.

Twilight’s cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "Um...no. I was j-just assessing their cutie marks."

Cadence flipped on her side so she could look Twilight in the eyes. "You know you can't lie to me, Twilight. I was your foalsitter after all."

Twilight's cheeks went pink and she looked away from the pink alicorn. This only caused Cadence to snicker even more.

"Oh Twilight, you need to lighten up. Why don't you put the book down and enjoy the warmth of the sun?"

Twilight read the last sentence she was on and shut her book. "Fine, I'll do that, I guess.” Twilight put on her sun hat and sunglasses and laid back on her towel. The warmth of the sun felt fantastic and soon she began to doze off. The small snooze didn't last long. The stallions that Twilight had been eyeing started cat-calling at her and Cadence.

"Woo! Looking good, ladies!!!”

Twilight sat up and glared at them. Cadence put a hoof on her chest.

"Don't do anything stupid, they're just being boys, Twilight," she said calmly.

Twilight pushed her sunglasses down off her eyes and continued to glare. "It's rather annoying, Cadence."

"Relax, Twilight," Cadence replied with a giggle.

The stallions continued to call at them and Twilight started to get annoyed.

"Can you please get rid of them?" she pleaded.

Cadence let out a sigh and shook her head. "Oh, you're no fun, which is the point of this vacation by the way, just to remind you."

Cadence turned away from Twilight and addressed the wooing stallions.

"Sorry, boys, I'm happily married and my sister in-law doesn't know how to have fun," Cadence called back to them.

The stallions all burst into laughter and left the beach. Twilight was fuming and rounded on Cadence when they left.

"Thanks for embarrassing me," Twilight snapped.

Cadence could only laugh. "Seriously, lighten up, Twilight; I'm just poking fun at you. Why don't we go enjoy the water?"

Twilight crossed her forearms and didn't answer. Cadence reached over and gave Twilight a nuzzle.

"Oh come on, Twilie, I know you want to," she whispered.

Twilight eyeballed Cadence and gave her a small smile.

"I suppose we can do that. I'm starting to get a little hot anyway."

**********

The two of them spent the next couple of hours playing in the water and on the beach. Twilight couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. They had water fights, sculpted what could have been an award-winning sand castle, and they even had a nice fruity drink while relaxing in the hot sand. Eventually, though, the two of them started to get hungry and decided to go back to the room and clean up.

"So where in the world are we going to eat tonight?" Twilight asked as they walked to the room, "I took a glance at that list they sent us before we went down to the ocean, and to be honest, every single place looked great."

Cadence giggled and gave Twilight a bump with her flank. "Relax, silly, we'll worry about it later."

Twilight eyeballed Cadence, trying to figure out what was going on, but tossed the thought aside. It wasn't anything important. Cadence was just being her playful self.

"So I'll assume you want the bathroom first then, since you take a solid two hours to bathe," Twilight retorted.

"We need to work on your sense of humor while we're here, Twilight," Cadence shot back playfully, "And let's just take a bath together. Save some time."

"Um...okay, I guess," Twilight said awkwardly.

"Oh come on, Twilight, we're family, it's not a big deal," Cadence told her as she pulled Twilight into the bathroom. Cadence got the bath water ready while Twilight just stood there.

Cadence seems to be acting a little strange. I think she might be a bit loopy from that drink she had, Twilight thought to herself. Shaking her head a little snapped her back into reality. Cadence had already climbed into the tub and was staring at Twilight.

"You coming in, or what? Water’s not getting any warmer," she said with a giggle. Twilight smiled nervously and climbed into the water. It felt amazing. Twilight decided to keep her distance from Cadence, though. She was acting really weird and Twilight didn't like it.

"Hey, Twilight," Cadence said, breaking the silence in the room, "Can you get my back for me? I can't reach it that well."

"Oh yeah, I can do that I guess, Cadence," Twilight said with a jump. Grabbing the bar of soap, Twilight rubbed it down Cadence's spine. This caused her to shiver, but Twilight didn't notice. Twilight then continued by lathering up the soap.

"Ooo, Twilight, that feels so good." Cadence closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation shooting through her body.

"What was that, Cadence?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself is all," Cadence responded while trying not to sound panicked. She waited for Twilight to say something but Twilight didn't.

Dear Celestia, she's an oblivious one.

**********

For dinner, they decided to go to an outdoor restaurant that was centered on an inland oasis. It was a ways away but it gave them time to talk. The two ponies hadn't seen each other in a while. They were just so busy.

"So how's the princess life, Twilight?" Cadence asked as they walked along the street.

"Oh, not bad. As you already know, Princess Celestia has me doing further research on the magic of friendship. She's also encouraging me to take on a student of my own. I keep telling her I'm not ready for that responsibility yet, but she keeps insisting I am," Twilight explained.

"Sounds like fun. I'd rather be doing that than running a whole empire. The Crystal Pony government is a bit outdated and we're trying to straighten all that up. It's been an absolute nightmare," Cadence replied with a humph.

"Hmm, maybe after this vacation, I could take a trip to the empire and I could help you out," Twilight told her.

Cadence thought about the idea. It would be nice to have the most organized pony in Equestria helping her out. "We can figure that out later. Remember, this vacation is all about fun and relaxation."

Twilight rolled her eyes playfully, which earned her a small smack from Cadence. The two of them decided to race the rest of the way to the restaurant. Twilight was still getting used to her wings but she still managed to give Cadence a run for her money.

"I totally won that race, Cadence," Twilight panted as they finished landing in front of the restaurant.

"Dream on, sweet cheeks, I won by a mile," Cadence replied, not even out of breath in the slightest. The two of them argued back and forth until they were finally up at the hostess’ stand.

"Hi, could we get a table for two?" Cadence asked politely. The hostess did not look up at them.

"Do you have a reservation?"

"Um, no, we don't," Cadence replied.

"Well then, it's going to be a two to three hour wait," the hostess told her.

"Could you maybe make an exception?" Cadence asked her. Twilight then realized where this was probably going. It was a rather mean prank.

"I'm sorry, but unless you are a Princess of Equestria…" The hostess looked up from the stand and saw who was standing before her.

"P-P-Princess Cadence? P-P-Princess Twilight?" she stuttered. The hostess immediately grabbed two menus and took them to a table before running off to the kitchen, shouting something about royalty arriving.

"That was really mean, Cadence," Twilight said as she tried to suppress her laughter. Cadence, however, was cackling like a madpony.

"You know I can’t pass up the opportunity to pull off a prank," she laughed. Twilight shook her head slowly. Cadence would never change. Once Cadence got all her laughter out, she regained her composure. Just in time too, because their waiter had arrived.

"Hello, ladies," he said, rather smoothly, "Sorry for the wait. Can I get you started with some drinks?"

"Sure, I'll have a Mai Tai," Cadence told him.

"I think I'll just stick to water," Twilight added. This didn't seem to go over well with the older alicorn.

"I don't think so. We never got to celebrate your twenty-first birthday together. You are going to have something other than water if it's the last thing I do. Bring my sister-in-law a Long Island Iced Tea."

The waiter wrote down the order and was away before Twilight could say anything. Twilight turned to Cadence and gave her a very cross look. "I don't like drinking, Cadence. Not since I got drunk at my birthday party and did some things I'm not proud of," she told Cadence.

"Oh?" Cadence questioned, "Tell me more."

Twilight shook her head rather roughly. "No, it's too embarrassing to talk about."

Cadence reached across the table and patted Twilight on the cheek. "I'm just messing, honey. You are going to drink that tea, though. It'll loosen you up a bit. Don't worry; I won't let you drink too much."

Twilight wasn't sure if she trusted Cadence but decided she didn't have much of a choice since the drinks had arrived. She was too polite to send it back anyway.

"Alright, ladies, here are your drinks. Would you like any appetizers or should we just go straight to dinner?" the waiter asked.

"Why don't we get the fruit kabobs with the honey drizzle," Twilight told him. He scratched it down on his pad and then went back to the kitchen. Twilight wasn't quite sure what to do with the tall drink sitting in front of her.

"Just drink it, Twilight," Cadence said as she sipped her own drink. Twilight let out a sigh and took a small sip from her drink. It was strong but delicious. Twilight slowly started to drain the glass.

"Slow down, Twilight, that has a lot of alcohol in it," Cadence said with some concern in her voice. This didn't work, as Twilight quickly drained her glass.

"So how's Shining been?" Twilight asked Cadence after she swallowed the drink in her mouth and smacked her lips, "He doesn't write me much."

"Trudging along," Cadence told her. "Trying to get the Crystal Empire Military straightened up and functioning like a well-oiled machine. He's really stressed because every time he makes any progress, some high-ranking officer that feels they know better than Shining goes and reverts what he did. He's already dismissed three ponies for going behind his back and doing things without permission."

Twilight sucked the remains of her drink through her straw and then spoke. "That's just terrible. Why would they think they know better? Shining is a military pony and technically he does outrank anypony by a mile."

"Yes, that’s true, but a lot of ponies feel like he shouldn't have that authority. It's complicated. He spends most of his time in his office, working on paper work and chewing out ponies. I've hardly seen him in the past few months."

"I can see why he wanted to come with us," Twilight responded.

"Yes, but this was supposed to be about you and me. And he knows that he can't be away for more than a day or two at a time without chaos ensuing. Eventually, we'll all take a vacation together," Cadence replied. Twilight nodded and tried to get more out of her bone-dry cup. Luckily, the waiter had showed up with their appetizers.

"Here you are, ladies," he said as he set the plate down on the table. "I'll assume we're ready to order, then?"

"Yes, I'll get the tropical salad with a side order of spring rolls," Cadence told him.

"I'll have the grilled vegetable platter and the rainbow fruit salad," Twilight added.

The waiter scratched down the order and then took their menus. "I'll get that order in, ladies. Also, would you like me to refill your drink, Princess Twilight?"

Twilight gave him a nod and he took the empty glass away from the table. Twilight licked her lips with the thought of another one of those delicious drinks.

"So you tell me that you don't want to drink, and yet you are already on drink two. I'm not even halfway through my own drink, Twilight," Cadence said with a serious tone.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cadence, this is going to be my last drink," Twilight said.

**********

An hour and a half later, Cadence was slowly dragging Twilight along to their room. Twilight, despite how hard Cadence had tried, had just a few too many drinks. Cadence was also concerned that her sister-in-law was a lightweight. She was at least happy that Twilight was a happy drunk. She had spent the entire walk back giggling and swooning.

"Come on, Twilight," Cadence grumbled as she dragged Twilight through the door and into the room. "It would be great if you could use your own hooves."

Twilight didn't say anything. She just swayed back and forth and let her head bob up and down. Cadence face-hoofed but she did feel some sympathy. Letting out a sigh, Cadence pulled Twilight into the bathroom and helped her brush her teeth. Despite the fact that Twilight was really drunk, she was still holding her alcohol well.

"Okay, my little Twinkle, let's get to bed," Cadence snickered as she helped Twilight into the main room.

"But I don’ wanna go ta bed, *hic* Cadence," Twilight stuttered. Cadence shook her head and put Twilight down on the bed. Twilight giggled and rolled around on her back. This caused Cadence to laugh quietly.

"Oh, Twilight, you are just the silliest little filly."

Cadence crawled into bed with the drunken princess and wrapped her hooves around Twilight. Twilight let out another hiccup and then noticed Cadence was looking directly into her eyes. Cadence gave Twilight a smile and ran a hoof through her mane.

"I love you, Twilight," Cadence whispered.

"I *hic* love *hic* you too, Cadence," Twilight replied.

**********

The night was uneventful. Twilight did not get sick despite how much she had drank the night before. Cadence had been worried that they weren't going to get any sleep because she'd have to help Twilight get to and from the bathroom. She was glad she didn't. There had been nothing but pure, uninterrupted snoozing. As the warmth of the sun slowly filled the room, Twilight slowly opened her eyes. She found Cadence staring at her. The older alicorn also had her legs wrapped around her.

"Morning, silly filly," Cadence said sweetly. Twilight yawned and immediately grabbed her head.

"You had a bit too much to drink last night, sweetheart. You've probably got one heck of a hangover," Cadence explained. Twilight closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pain. As she struggled, Twilight felt Cadence give her a nuzzle and rub her back.

"I was thinking that we could go snorkeling today, but if you don't feel good, we could stay in the room today," Cadence whispered to Twilight.

"No, no, that's okay, once I get some food I'll feel better," Twilight replied, "By the way, do you think you can let me go, Cadence? I really need to pee."

Cadence's cheeks went red in embarrassment. "Oh...sure, Twilight."

The older alicorn released her hold on Twilight and flipped around on the bed. Twilight, once she was free, bolted right for the bathroom. The alone time gave Cadence some time to think.

I wonder why this isn't working. It normally does, Cadence thought, I guess I'll just have to keep working on it.

**********

It had taken a fair bit of time for Twilight to get ready. She kept pausing every five seconds to grab her head and groan. Cadence kept asking if she wanted to skip the plans for the day and stay at the resort. Twilight assured her that she would be okay but Cadence was still uncertain. By the time they managed to get downstairs for breakfast, Twilight was starting to wonder if they should just stay in for the day. She shook these thoughts off, though, and still believed she would be okay once she had some breakfast. Luckily it was a buffet, though compared to anything else it was a five-star meal. There was plenty of fresh fruit, hot waffles and pancakes, warm oatmeal, and all kinds of pastries. The two princesses loaded up on food and then found a table outside. The air was cool and there was a breeze blowing through. Once Twilight had gotten some food in her belly and some coffee in her veins, she felt a million times better. Cadence noticed this change in attitude and took the moment to mess with Twilight.

"So are you feeling better, Twilight Drunkle?"

Twilight furrowed her brow and rolled her eyes. "Really, that's the most creative thing you could come up with?"

"Give me some time and I'll come up with something better," Cadence giggled. Twilight shook her head and levitated a slice of fruit towards her mouth. Sitting on top of the fruit was a dollop of whipped cream. Despite how hard she tried, though, she still managed to get some of it on her muzzle. She grabbed a napkin but that became unnecessary because Cadence had taken an apple slice and scooped the whipped cream off Twilight's muzzle. She then plopped the fruit into her mouth.

"Eww, Cadence, that's disgusting." Twilight gagged a little but Cadence didn't seem to be bothered.

"Well, I could have licked it off, but I figured that way would be better," Cadence said calmly.

"Wa....huh?" was all Twilight could get out in response. Cadence just smiled and went back to her meal. Twilight could feel the gears grinding away in her head.

I think Cadence has lost it, she thought to herself.

**********

There was no other mentioning of what happened at breakfast. Twilight, just like with every other weird thing that had happened so far, pushed the thought out her mind. Cadence didn't seem to be at all bothered. She just acted like her normal self. Once they finished, they went back up to their room and grabbed everything they needed for the day.

"Ready to go snorkeling then, Twilight?" Cadence asked as they walked downstairs. The nearest bay perfect for snorkeling was five miles away.

"Mmmhmm," Twilight replied with a smile, "From what I read, the bay we’re going to is known for its amazing inshore reefs."

Cadence gave Twilight a bump with her rear. Twilight, who had not been ready, lost her balance and toppled over. This caused Cadence to burst into hysterics.

"Sure you're not still drunk, Twilight?" she asked as she helped Twilight up off the ground.

"Oh, hahahaha, very funny, Cadence," Twilight said sarcastically as she dusted herself off. Cadence continued to snort as they walked outside.

"So, you wanna race to the bay?" Cadence asked in a more serious tone.

"Um, I think in light of last night’s events, I'm going to have to politely decline." Twilight grabbed her head. The hangover still hadn't worn off completely.

"Okie-dokie then, Twilight. We'll take our time."

**********

True to what Cadence had said, they flew nice and slow to their destination, much to Twilight's relief. However, to their slight annoyance, they found the snorkeling area was rather busy with other tourists. They struggled but eventually found a nice spot with not too many other ponies around them. Cadence decided to set up camp while Twilight went and rented snorkel gear. This gave Candence more time to think.

Boy, I think I may have bitten more than I could chew with Twilight. Maybe I should just give up on my little pursuit and enjoy the vacation.

Cadence sighed and laid out their towels. The sun was warm and Cadence collapsed into the sand. The grit was annoying but the warmth was soothing.

"Are we going to go snorkeling, or what?"

Cadence opened her eyes and saw Twilight levitating an assortment of items next to her. Twilight threw a pair of flippers, a mask, and a snorkel at Cadence.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. I was just enjoying the warmth of the sand." Cadence grabbed her gear and the two of them walked over to the water and put everything on.

"The rental shop owner said from our position, if we head out straight from where we are, we'll hit the reef," Twilight explained. Cadence nodded and dove under the water. Twilight followed and the two of them slowly worked their way towards their destination. Cadence looked back and saw Twilight a few feet behind her. Twilight noticed Cadence looking at her and wondered what was up. Cadence immediately flipped around so she could hide her cheeks turning pink.

Why am I getting embarrassed? I'm the pony that's trying to make something happen.

Cadence dropped that thought and turned her attention to the sight before her. They had finally arrived at the reef, and boy, was it beautiful. Both Twilight and Cadence stopped and just floated where they were. When Twilight was close enough, Cadence put a leg around her.

"Something up, Cadence?" Twilight asked, "Because you're making it hard for me to swim."

Cadence immediately removed her hoof and tried to think up a lie. "Sorry, that swim wore me out a bit. I'm okay, though."

"Okay, well, I'm going to dive down and get a better look at the fish," Twilight told Cadence. The younger alicorn dived under the water and left Cadence alone. Cadence decided to stick her head under the water and see what Twilight was up to. She found her surrounded by fish.

Oh Twilight, you are so beautiful. I just wish you weren't so...so...so you, I guess.

**********

They spent the rest of the morning in the water, admiring the scenery. Eventually, though, they both got hungry and decided to find a good place to eat. The beachside was littered with all kinds of little shacks and small restaurants. After a while, they found a nice little veggie burger shack. Twilight found them a table while Cadence ordered the food.

"So, Cadence, I’ve got to ask," Twilight began as Cadence sat down at the table, "what's up with you? You've been acting all weird. Like, you’re being overly affectionate or something. Not that I mind it or anything, I'm just a bit confused."

Cadence's eyes went wide in shock. This wasn't exactly how she wanted this to come up. "Oh, you know me, Twilight. Princess of Love and all. I think it's just because I miss my little Twi-Twi. I miss the foalsitting days when we had so much time together."

"Aw, well why didn't you just say so, Cadence," Twilight said with a smile. She was going to say more but their food showed up. Two deluxe veggie burgers and hay fries on the side.

"So, Twilight," Cadence said after she swallowed a mouthful of food, "any interesting love life stories?"

Twilight's cheeks went pink and she looked away bashfully. "There isn't much to tell. I've had a few ponies try to ask me out, but I haven't really found one I like yet."

"So ponies have tried to ask you out?" Cadence questioned. "Have they all been stallions?"

Twilight's cheeks went pinker. "Um...no, there were a few mares, too."

"Don't be so embarrassed, Twilight, mare-mare relationships are rather common nowadays," Cadence said. This comment made Twilight get all defensive.

"I'm not embarrassed about it; I was just a little shocked. I've never thought of myself as a fillyfooler," Twilight replied.

"Never say never, Twilight," Cadence giggled, "Love is love, after all. I ought to know."

"Are you saying you've been with mares, Cadence?" Twilight asked roughly.

Cadence's eyes shot open in slight horror. She had not worded her last sentence that well. Taken care not to look like she was panicking, Cadence played the whole thing off smoothly.

"Oh no, no, no, your brother is the only pony for me. I'm just implying I've seen mare-mare couples before. There’s nothing weird about it."

Twilight eyeballed Cadence. "Are you sure something isn't up?" she asked.

Cadence shook her head but Twilight didn't believe it.

I'm going to figure this out if it kills me, Twilight thought to herself.

**********

For fear that she would be exposed prematurely, Cadence dialed back on the affection and flank-staring. She did have a plan, though. Since being subtle wasn't working, Cadence decided to go for a more drastic and direct route. She would not be able to go about her plan until they got back to the resort. She needed to time it right so they were back around dinner time. She just hoped they would both still have some energy after the fun day at the bay.

"So, Twilight," Cadence said as they walked into the resort lobby, "how about for dinner, we eat in the room and watch some movies."

"That sounds like fun," Twilight responded. "I can go get the dinner if you want to go find a video store."

"Sounds like a plan. That Italian place down the road looked really good and I think they do take out," Cadence smiled. Twilight nodded and, since she already had her bit purse, flipped around to the exit. Once Cadence was sure Twilight was gone, she went straight for the gift shop. She had noticed a few days ago that they sold flowers and figured she'd need about a dozen roses. Cadence made her purchase, which caused a fair bit of staring from the employees and other tourists in the shop. She debated on a box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts but figured questions would start getting asked if she did so. Once she had what she needed, Cadence bolted straight for their room. Upon entry, she quickly shut the door and then all the blinds. Cadence took most of the roses and, with careful precision, pulled all the petals off the stems and scattered them throughout the room and on the bed.

If only I had some candles.

Cadence then remembered that there were a few aromatherapy candles in the bathroom. Cadence grabbed them and placed them strategically around the room.

Well then, I guess there is nothing left to do but wait for Twilight to get back. Guess I’d better position myself.

Cadence crawled up onto the bed and then took the last rose she had and put it in her mouth. She figured she wouldn't have to wait long. This was true, because not thirty seconds after Cadence was up on the bed, the door opened.

"I got stuffed tortellini with alfredo and grilled vegetables, Cadence. I hope...that's......"

As soon as Twilight turned, she saw Cadence lying across the bed, rose in her mouth, giving what Twilight could only call a "Come Here" face.

"Um...huh?" was all Twilight could get out. Twilight was so focused on what Cadence was doing that she lost magical control and dropped the food.

"Did...did I miss something?" Twilight stuttered in confusion.

"Well, you were so oblivious to all my other advances, I decided to get a bit more drastic," Cadence replied.

"What are you saying, Cadence?" Twilight asked. She sounded rather annoyed.

"Seriously, Twilight, how could you not get all this. I want you, Twilight Sparkle. I love you," Cadence said with a humph. At this point, steam was pouring out of Twilight's head. She could not even process the scene that was before her. Oddly though, her confusion soon turned into rage.

"How could you say you want me and that you love me? I thought you loved my brother. You know, that pony that you took vows with," Twilight growled.

"I do love your brother, Twilight; he is the only stallion for me. But I love you just as much," Cadence replied calmly. Twilight was on the verge of bursting.

"How could you say that you love Shining, yet you’re trying to cheat on him with his sister?" Twilight shouted, "If he heard what you were saying right now, he would be devastated!"

"Oh, I doubt that, since he already knows," Cadence replied nonchalantly. Twilight was confused again.

"Are you saying you divorced Shining, then? I hadn't heard about that."

Cadence face-hoofed. This wasn't really going anywhere. "No, Twilight, I'm not divorcing your brother, we are still happily married. I am saying that he does know about me wanting to be romantic with you on this vacation."

"I...wa...I don't...huh?" Twilight fumbled to find the right words to say. Cadence let out a sigh, got off the bed, and walked over to the angry but confused Twilight.

"I'm polyamorous, or sort of," Cadence explained.

"You...you are?" Twilight said in a quieter tone. "What do you mean sort of?"

"I enjoy having multiple love partners, but I don't ever marry them. As I said, your brother is the only pony for me as far as marriage goes. I've had different partners here and there over the years. Your brother only goes along with it all because he knows I'm the Princess of Love and knows that he could never satisfy me on his own," Cadence continued.

"But I don't get it still. You're married to my brother, a stallion, yet you want me, a mare?" Twilight questioned.

"Well, I'm also bi, Twilight, though you probably would have never guessed that. Most ponies don't. I love the roughness and shear force that stallions have to offer, but sometimes I enjoy the nice soft gentleness another mare can offer," Cadence told her. This was all so much for Twilight. She could barely process any of it.

"So let me get this straight in my head. You are polyamorous to an extent and are also bisexual," Twilight started, "and despite how much you claim to love my brother, you say you also love me."

Cadence nodded her head. "If you are uncomfortable with all this, Twilight, I totally understand. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get so drastic to make you realize my intent."

Twilight looked away from the older alicorn. Was all this really happening or was it a dream?

"So...Shining is okay with this. Not the polyamory ,‘cause you've already explained that. I mean you wanting to...you know...be with me, I guess?" she asked timidly.

"He wasn't at first. In fact, we had a huge argument about it. He said he was somewhat fine with the strangers, but not quite so when it came to you. It took a lot of convincing, but deep down he knows I love you just as much as him, Twilight," Cadence said. Twilight was truly lost for words. Every time she opened her mouth to say something, she would close it again. She didn't know if this was something she could handle. Cadence was, after all, her family. Twilight was about to finally speak but was unable to. That was because Cadence, out of frustration and a lack of patience, had her lips smashed on Twilight's. Twilight couldn't help but note how amazing the kiss felt. Slowly, her body began to melt and Twilight lost control of her muscles. Cadence felt this and wrapped a leg around Twilight’s back. After a period of time, the kiss broke and they stared into each other's eyes.

"I...that was..." Twilight whispered. Cadence pressed a hoof on her lip and kissed Twilight once more, though this one didn't last as long.

"Why don't we move on over to the bed, my little Twinkle," Cadence whispered. Twilight grabbed the outstretched hoof and was quickly pulled over to the rose petal-covered bed. Despite how much her brain was saying no, her emotions were completely in control. It was going to be an interesting night.

**********

Two hours later, the whole room was a mess, as were Twilight and Cadence. Currently, the two of them were lying together in bed cuddling. Twilight had her head resting on her sister-in-law’s neck and Cadence was holding Twilight close and rubbing her back.

"Remember that nopony can know about this, Twilight," Cadence said quietly, "It would be a social nightmare if word got out. Not even Auntie Celestia and Luna can know. It's just a secret between you, me, and your brother."

"I understand, Cadence," Twilight replied, "I wish this could last longer than just the vacation."

"I know, Twilight, I kind of wish it could too, but I made a promise to your brother," Cadence explained, "Let's just enjoy what time we have left."

Twilight let out a sigh but it was quickly silenced by a tender kiss from Cadence.

"I love you, Twilight Sparkle."

"I love you too, Cadence."

Author's Note

Thanks to my wonderful editors for putting up with my strange idea. Also big thanks to my fellow Twilight's Library Admin Elric of Melnipony and The Abyss for re-editing.

Don't forget to go and read the clop scene that goes along with this story, written by The Abyss, called A Kiss Was All It Took