Cuori Intrecciati

White covered the whole of Equestria, or so it seemed, glistening under the morning Sun. Were it not for the snow, one could be forgiven for thinking the day a warm one, the sky a happy shade of blue and nairy a cloud overhead. That state of affairs would not last. Already freezing, it would only get colder in the coming hours, bottoming out just in time for dinner. By sunset, well stocked clouds would be rolled in from Cloudsdale, blanketing everything in a controlled blizzard lasting until first light.

For those households that followed tradition, it was a time of hunkering down with family, sharing their warmth and waiting for nightfall to light the hearth. For others, well, wisps of smoke were already wafting from many a chimney.

Rarity didn’t judge as she trotted along the Ponyville streets, at least not for that. The importance of tradition need be weighed against one’s comfort after all. For instance, while red was the ‘traditional’ color for the season, Rarity prefered to wear her blue wool cloak as protection from the worst of the wind's bite with matching winter boots.

All around her, the signs of the season were apparent in more than just the chill and snow. Ponyville was covered from top to bottom in Hearth’s Warming decorations, every building sporting at the very least a wreath hung on the door. Almost all went further with lights strung from eaves and mock ups of the Heart’s Fire and fleeing Wendigoes. Sugarcube Corner might have been the most flamboyant, but there was no overcoming its normal facade enough to be noticeable.

It was from there that she had just departed, leaving Pinkie Pie and the Cakes to their machinations. In hindsight, arriving early to assist with the decorations had not been her most well thought out idea. As if Pinkie Pie was not bad enough, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were a force to be reckoned with. With three against one, her targeted style hadn’t stood a chance against their chaotic energy. Rather than fight against the blizzard of activity, Rarity shortly took her leave, deciding to spend the intervening time with Twilight to do… whatever it was Twilight was doing before the party.

She climbed up the tower in silence, only the steady clip-clop of her hooves echoing off the crystal walls. No pony had greeted her at the door, nor would she spot anyone until she found Twilight or Spike. Going against Rarity’s advice, Twilight had all but forced her staff to take off for the holidays. Which was another reason for her to drop by unannounced. Just to be sure.

Rarity knocked twice on her friend’s door before testing the latch. Truthfully, she only even did that out of courtesy. Twilight’s sleeping habits had only gotten worse since falling for Princess Luna. If she’d been awake, more than likely, it would have meant she’d yet to go to bed at all.

Inside, the only sign of life was Owlowiscious’ steady whistling from his perch in the corner. Still, Rarity made a quick inspection of the room to be certain Twilight hadn’t collapsed somewhere just out of sight.

She took particular interest in the bed—perfectly tucked—and the state of the floor—clean and uncluttered. Far better than it had been in the days and weeks following Luna’s party. That horrid collage was still there, however, mounted above the fireplace. The large cork-board was covered in pictures pulled from magazines and newspapers, all pinned-up with notes and connected by an expanding, convoluted web of strings.

To Rarity’s eye, it was complete chaos, the only unifying factor the picture at its heart. Torn from the cover of a magazine, it featured Princess Luna, Celestia, and Twilight from the party, all dressed up with their faces adorned by masks.

She sighed. Of all their friends, she understood Twilight’s state the best, but it was past time for her to move on. Having a crush was all well and good, her own shrine had seen many a photo take the place of honor. The difference being that she knew that pining after a lost cause was… well, a lost cause. It was time for that particular piece of obsession to be removed, preferably burned along with everything associated, especially the picture of herself, and only partly because it was not a particularly flattering photo.

Closing the door behind herself, she left the room as it was and started toward her next guess at Twilight’s whereabouts, her office, if only because it was on the way to her lab.

“Twilight,” Rarity called, knocking on the door with her hoof, “are you in there?”

“R-Rarity?”

She smiled, turning the latch and pushing her way inside. “Of course, darling. Who else would it be?”

Twilight’s study was exactly the right size for her purposes, with only enough open floor for a pony to walk around. Were it not for the pair of long windows on the back wall, Rarity would have thought it a repurposed broom closet. Bookshelves and file cabinets lined every wall with a modest desk facing the door and two seats set out for the rare guests she entertained here. Twilight was seated dutifully behind it, a few tall stacks of papers doing their best to cover it and hide her with their bulk.

Half a step inside, Rarity hesitated. As normal as it all looked, there was definitely something off about the room. Something was missing or added, possibly moved, and it threw the entire room out of balance.

“Rarity?” Twilight asked, peeking over the smallest stack.

She blinked and set aside her discomfort for the moment. It was probably something she'd seen but never noticed before, and if she spent any effort in figuring it out, it would only make herself feel silly. “Sorry, darling, I just had the oddest sense of deja vu.”

“As long as you aren’t using time magic,” Twilight replied, followed by a forced chuckle that only made the joke that much less funny.

Rather than leave Twilight floundering completely, Rarity hummed in a way that could have been taken as mild amusement. As she did, she studied her friend, taking note of her alert ears, over-wide smile, and altogether frozen expression. Then again, perhaps there was something amiss.

"Is everything alright?”

“Of course.” Twilight’s smile stretched a little more, having the exact opposite effect than she probably wanted. “Everything is wonderful! Was there something you needed?”

“Not as such, no. I found my assistance unnecessary at Sugarcube Corner and thought you might enjoy some quiet company and conversation before the party, where it will surely be all but impossible to find.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you! But as you can see, I’m pretty busy…” Twilight trailed off, swinging her quill in a wide arc over her desk.

Rarity recognized a dismissal when she heard one.

“Oh, how unfortunate.” She sighed dramatically. Her curiosity was not so easily tossed aside. A whiff of something had caught her attention, something that was not quite right, and either she’d sniff it out now or it would bother her all day until she did. “If it’s not too much bother, I’d just as soon not go back out into the cold before absolutely necessary.” Stepping to one of the seats, she settled down and selected a book from the shelves. “You do not mind, do you?”

Twilight’s desire to argue showed in the backward tilt of her ears and the dip in her smile. She didn’t though, unable to do so without saying something that would undoubtedly make Rarity even more curious. “No, of course not… I’ll just get back to work then?”

Rarity simply nodded, opening the book the first page.

“Right.” Twilight nodded and ducked back behind the pile.

So Rarity pretended to read while Twilight pretend to work. It was amusing really. Twilight didn’t stand a chance in this little game. Years of experience and practice gave Rarity the patience to out last most ponies in social standoffs, more so when her opponents tells were as blatant as Twilight’s. Any second and she would…

Twilight’s head popped back up. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable waiting in the library? I—”

“Nonsense, darling,” Rarity said, not even glancing up from her book. “I’m perfectly content and comfortable right here.”

Twilight made to respond, but failed to find the words and dropped behind her paperwork once more.

Hiding her smile behind the book, Rarity continued her faux reading and tried to identify what it was that Twilight was hiding. A gift seemed the most reasonable explanation. She sincerely hoped that it wasn’t clothing. Bless her heart, but Twilight’s fashion sense left much to be desired.

That didn’t explain the niggling itch that something was wrong. Her eyes drifted up and wandered the room aimlessly, hoping to stumble on the cause. Focusing too hard would only leave her mind running in circles. Just like creating a new design, the best method was to hold onto a simple thought and wait for everything to click into…

“Twilight,” she asked, her eyes locked on the space between the two windows, “what happened to your painting?”

Twilight’s head popped up and turned to follow Rarity’s gaze. “My what?”

“That beautiful watercolor of Ponyville.”

“Oh, that.” Twilight tried to laugh again. It came out even worse than the last time. “It’s in my bedroom, remember?”

Their eyes met, Rarity’s brow drawing down into the beginnings of a glare. “No, it is not.”

“Of course it…”

“No. That awful diagram we made is still there.” Rarity stood, putting the book aside and walked around the desk. Twilight matched her movements, backing away but failing to make the corner before Rarity spotted the saddlebags strapped to her flanks. “It seems a little premature to be wearing those, don’t you think?”

“You know me,” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle, “always prepared.”

Still staring her down, Rarity’s eyes moved up to Twilight’s glowing horn, then to the quill shaking in her magic. It was silly and inconsequential, yet it bothered her. Twilight had been holding that thing since the moment she stepped into the room. Even now, when she was cowering away, she held on to it like a foal with a teddy bear.

Rarity started to ask, but stopped. Instead, she took a step forward, reached up with her hoof and flicked Twilight’s horn.

Her aura winked out, and the feather fell, drifting slowly to the floor already forgotten. Both of them turned to the previously empty space between the windows. Rarity didn't understand what she was looking at right off. She had no experience with designs for anything other than fashion. The sheer scale of drawing helped, along with the notes about guards and patrol paths. Really though, the aerial photos were what drew it all together.

“Twilight?” It was all she could say. She could barely comprehend what she was looking at, much less form a coherent question.

“It’s not as bad as you think!”

“Then please enlighten me, because this looks pretty bad.”

“I just… need to get into Luna’s room, while she’s not there.”

Taking her eyes off what could only be a floorplan of the Royal Palace, she gave Twilight a worried look. “Do you even hear what you are saying?”

“No! It’s not like that!" Twilight's voice was shaking now, unsteady through doubt or excitement, Rarity couldn't tell. "I just… I don’t want to take anything or… I just want to look around. I mean, if she has a lover, she must have something of theirs in her room, right? A picture or a diary or a… a something, anything that proves they exist. That she’s not—”

Rarity shook her head. That was not good, not good at all. “Twilight, listen to yourself? You’re planning to sneak into the palace and break into Princess Luna’s room! I am all for intrigue in the name of romance, but this is beyond the pale. What if you get caught?”

“All I have to do is get past the guards, which I've done before. Once I make it to her room, I'll have plenty of time to look around.”

"How could you possibly know that?"

Twilight’s horn lit up once more, pulling a worn newspaper from the desk and holding it up for Rarity. She didn't need more than a quick scan of the headline to know Twilight's meaning. It was a three day old copy of the Canterlot Times. Rarity had already read the article in question, about how Princess Luna was to join her sister in her annual orphanage visit.

Pushing the paper away, Rarity’s tone turned harsh. “I cannot believe you’re even considering this. Must I spell out how wrong this all is? You're talking about pilfering somepony else’s private belongings. Whether you could get away with it or not is beside the point! Not only is it a distasteful invasion of privacy under any circumstance, what you're proposing is downright illegal!”

“I’m not going to pilfer anything! All I need are a few minutes to look around. I—” Twilight blinked, her brow drawing down. “And you’re hardly one to talk.”

“Excuse me?”

Twilight took a bold step forward, regaining the ground she’d lost moment’s before. “You just admitted to doing the same thing. Why is it fine when you invade my privacy but not when I do it?”

Rarity balked at the accusation. “The difference is that I did not go behind your back! Nor was I doing something that both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna explicitly asked you not to.”

“Rarity—”

“No, Twilight. We are not starting this all over again. We’ve gone through everything. You agreed to let it go! You promised. Whoever Luna is seeing, she’s left no clues and—”

“Exactly! That's it exactly! Don’t you see? There is nothing, not a single hint or rumor or… or anything.”

Rarity stumbled over Twilight’s shift from anger to pleading to excitement. “I… I don’t follow.”

"I think…” The energy dropped from Twilight’s voice, and she slumped, staring down at her hooves. “I think they’re lying.”

“What? That doesn't make any sense.”

“Oattam's razor. It’s the simplest explanation. Either—"

“No. Twilight, ponies lie to hide relationships, not… ” Rarity fumbled her words, unable to find the right way to describe the situation. Giving up, she realized that she needed to approach from a different angle. “Well, whether they are lying or hiding or… uhg. What I mean to say is that both Princesses care a great deal for you, and if they are willing to lie or hide something from you then they must have unimpeachable reasons to do so.”

“I… I guess,” Twilight said with a great deal of reluctance. “But—”

“No ‘buts’, darling. Either you trust them or you don’t.” Just as reluctantly, Twilight nodded, and Rarity nearly collapsed with relief. “Right. Now, do you agree that all of this,” she motioned to the wall, “is going a little far?”

It was a rhetorical question. That Twilight had even considered committing such a reprehensible act was beyond the pale no matter how she answered. Rarity's efforts had failed. All she could do now was stall for reinforcements, and there was only one pony she could think to call.

Princess Cadance's absence upto this point should have occurred to her earlier. Now that it had, she had a difficult time imagining Twilight’s sister-in-law not swooping down much as Princess Celestia had the moment she heard of Twilight's plight. The only conceivable explanation was that she hadn't been told at all. If that was the case, then it had to be at Twilight's discretion. Why that would be, Rarity couldn't guess, but it made her weary of breaching the subject with her.

She would need to find a way to contact her without Twilight, and there was only one pony—well, dragon—she could think of to assist her. First things first, however.

Twilight broke, her gaze collapsing along with her hind legs. Reaching into her saddlebags, she extracted a train ticket. "Yes," she said with a sigh, ripping it in half with her magic before depositing it into the trash. "I can't believe I even…" She shook her head before settling down and covering her muzzle with her hooves. "I just… I don’t even know anymore.”

Rarity rested a hoof on her shoulder, rubbing her back as she pondered what to do or say. When it finally occurred to her, she nearly slapped her own forehead. Instead, she put on a giddy smile and let her voice take a sing-songy turn. "I know just what you need."

Twilight glanced up, confused for only a second. "But it's a holiday, aren't they closed?"

"Well, yes. Strictly speaking, they are. But they have been known to make an exception or two for their favorite clients."

"I don't know."

"What you need more than anything is a relaxing distraction, and unless you have a better idea, I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer."

“The spa is not the solution to every problem.”

“That may be so, but I have yet to find one for which it did not help,” Rarity said perhaps a little too happily. Nudging her up, Twilight didn’t exactly move with enthusiasm, but neither did she resist. “Come along, darling. The sooner we get there, the longer we’ll have!”

Leading the way, Rarity waited until they were at the top of the stairs to gasp as though she’d just had a revelation. “Oh! What about Spikey-Wikey? Shouldn’t we let him know we are leaving?"

“I… don’t think he’ll notice.” Twilight blushed. “I kind of already told him we’d be arriving separately. He’s probably busy in the kitchen baking something for the party.”

“Wonderful!” Rarity threw a foreleg over Twilight’s shoulders, as they started down. “I promise, you aren’t going to regret this!”

—————————————

Twilight followed Rarity through the cold and snow, listening half-heartedly as she chattered all the while. That was unfair. She was only trying to help, to keep her distracted, mentally engaged in something other than Luna. For all the good it did. Yes, her own plan had been a poor one, and at least Rarity's wasn't counter productive. That didn't make it easy to ignore her own thoughts and emotions.

Without wanting to she'd gone straight back to the drawing board in her head, working up new schemes as Rarity's words passed through her ears unheeded. Each was subsequently tossed out. None of them were any better than the first. She’d made no progress before they reached their destination.

The house was small, a single story trimmed with festive lights and decorations. Snow painting the roof and yard a sparkling white, save for a shoveled path leading up to the door. It was small too, the yard, only large enough for a hedge along the front wall and a length or two where the lawn would be come spring.

Twilight paused there, at the short hoof path leading to the front door, as uncertain about proceeding as she’d been from the start. It was one thing to approach them at their spa, quite another to arrive unannounced to their private residence, and on a holiday no less.

Yes, she needed to relax. She could admit that, and getting some distance from everything would be good too. But the more she thought about it, the more she was certain that a long, hot bath would do the trick just fine.

Rarity shared none of her misgivings, all but dragging her up to the front door and knocking without the smallest hint of hesitation. An uncomfortable silence followed, with Rarity waiting patiently while Twilight’s tail would not stop twitching.

A slightly disheveled Lotus Blossom answered the door.

Though Twilight did not visit the spa as regularly as Rarity, she was no stranger to it nor the sisters. Her experience with them stopped there. She could not recall spotting either about town. As far as second impressions went, this was not quite a shock, but it was eye opening.

She could not honestly claim that she hadn't admired both of them from a distance. They were attractive after all, distinctly feminine and just verging on exotic. At the same time, they'd always kept a very professional air about themselves at the spa. She had, unfairly and unintentionally, not seen them as ponies so much as servants. Here though, away from her business, Lotus appeared more wild… if that was the right word for it.

The head band they’d never been without was missing, letting Lotus’ unrestrained pink mane fall to one side. She wore less makeup than normal, but rather than making her less attractive, it made her less formal, more approachable and at ease. In truth, she looked as though she'd just stepped out of the shower and barely had time to dry off. Her muzzle was even a bit matted, the not-quite-damp hairs clumping around her lips and chin.

A rapid string of lilting prench poured from Lotus’ lips as she fell into a bow, only to cut off with a sharp gasp. “Oh! Excuse. Excuse. I forget myself. Princess Sparkle, Lady Rarity, it is an honour to receive you at our humble home.”

“None of that, now,” Rarity said, motioning for her to rise. “We should be the ones apologizing to you. I hope that you do not mind us stopping by."

“Oh, no, no, no! We have said you are always welcome, no?" She gasped again, falling back a step and to the side. "But where are my manners? Please, come in, come in! It is such a chilly day, no?”

Rarity led the way once more, stamping her boots clear of snow before entering. “Thank you. It is rather nippy out.”

The front door opened straight into a carpeted living room that might have fit six ponies comfortably. A small two-sided fireplace separating the living from the kitchen warmed the whole house, a Hearth’s Warming Log, drilled and stuffed with nuts and spices, set aside and ready to be added to the flames come evening. Set above the mantel was a large family portrait of Aloe and Lotus with two more earth ponies that Twilight could only assume were their parents.

A modest collection of decorations trimmed the hearth along with a few small articles on the side tables. All-in-all the house was cozy, if a little more cramped than Twilight was used to.

Closing the door behind them, Lotus begged their pardon as she ducked her head around the hallway to the left and called out in her native tongue. Aloe’s reply came back annoyed from somewhere deeper in the house. When Lotus turned back to address them once more, her sky-blue cheeks had taken on a slightly darker hue.

“I do hate to impose on your hospitality, especially on a holiday,” Rarity cut in before Lotus could apologize again, “but Twilight here has had such a stressful few weeks that she cannot seem to relax at all. It would be such a tragedy if she were not able to enjoy tonight and tomorrow’s festivities. I simply had to bring her to the only ponies whom I could trust to get her to loosen up.”

"But of course. But of course. It would be our pleasure to assist Her Highness in any way we are able. Ah, will you be joining as well?”

“Oh, you know I would love to. Alas, I have far too much to do before this afternoon.”

Twilight’s eyes and ears snapped toward her friend. She'd assumed Rarity would stick by her side even if she didn’t treat herself. The awkwardness of the whole situation was bad enough already, and the idea of spending the next hour or so alone in the home of two relative strangers set Twilight’s back teeth on edge.

Before she could make her discomfort known, Aloe joined them. A perfect inversion of her sister as always, she mimicked Lotus’ surprise to a ‘T’, dropping into a hasty bow.

Lotus Blossom cut her off before she could sort out which language to speak, and the sisters fell into a rapid back and forth that neither Rarity nor Twilight could follow. Still, Twilight stared at them, curious as to what they were saying despite feeling like she was eavesdropping. The argument, if that’s what it was, ended quickly with both turning to face them once more. Although Aloe seemed a little miffed, her ears tilting back slightly, Lotus’ were perked up with an even brighter smile than before.

“If it pleases you, Your Highness, my sister will help you get situated.”

“I…” Twilight turned to Rarity in search of help, but all she received was a nod and a pleasant smile.

After giving her a friendly nuzzle, Rarity nudged her toward the masseuses. “Go on, darling. I’ll be along in a bit to pick you up.”

Twilight almost protested, but everything she thought to say sounded unfair to the twins. Before the silence could drag on, she stepped into a friendly nuzzle and said, "Okay. I'll see you later."

Like the living room, the hallway was trimmed with bits of holiday flair hanging from the walls. Most of the decoration came from the pictures, photos of the sisters with their family and friends. It reminded her of the stairs in her parents’ house, if the pictures had instead featured Shining and herself. The similarity eased her anxiety somewhat, though not enough to keep her tail from snapping against her hocks.

They passed two open doors, a small bathroom on the right and what appeared to be a room for storage on the left, filled with a mess of boxes. Aloe led her to the last two doors, opening the rightmost and motioning her to enter. Inside was an unsurprisingly small room, the paint bright but cool and easy on the eyes. Plants filled the corners and hung from the ceiling, filling the air with a soft melody of scents that she would never be able to pick apart. Cold tile replaced the warm carpet, but that only seemed right somehow. It was just like their spa but in miniature, lacking only in the larger accoutrements.

After setting the needle of a gramophone, the first, soft notes from a flute almost sighing from the horn, Aloe motioned to the massage table. "Please, make yourself comfortable. My sister will be attending to your needs dans une minute."

With an acknowledgement from Twilight, Aloe bowed and made her exit, closing the door behind her. Alone, Twilight glanced around the room again. She tried to convince herself that she was in the spa, that there was nothing different now than all those times before. It didn't work. Despite the overwhelming similarities, no amount of imagination could throw off the odd feeling of being alone in another pony's home, that niggling worry that something was not quite right. To be fair, the sensation was nothing new, tailing her every time she’d moved into a new house or stayed over at one of her friend's for the first time.

Twilight walked toward the massage table, intent on sitting or laying down until Lotus arrived. Only, when she got there, she circled left and started to pace.

She trusted the princesses. She did.

Princess Celestia hadn’t always been completely honest with her. During her years as a student, the princess had led her astray more than a few times in order to teach her some lesson or another, to force her to think in ways that she normally wouldn’t, and none of those lessons had made her think less of her. And Luna, she’d been the bearer of ‘Honesty’. For her to be lying, it must be important. Or she was just trying to be nice, but then why would Princess Celestia go along with it?

She growled.

No matter the reason, it shouldn’t bother her so much. It shouldn’t, but it did. She didn’t mind the idea of the Princesses having secrets, even secrets that they wouldn’t tell her. But to lie to her, and about something so not inconsequential? In the grand scheme of things, her knowing who Luna was seeing couldn’t matter in the slightest.

If they weren’t willing to trust her with something so small…

The soft click of a latch opening snapped Twilight from her thoughts, dragging her back to the present. All at once her tail, which had been limp between her legs, started swaying with nervous energy once more, ears alert and swiveling even as she turned toward the door.

Lotus smiled at her from the door. She looked different than she had only minutes before. Her bedraggled mane was freshly, if hastily, brushed, and her feature looked, not sharper, but clearer, brought into focus somehow. Her muzzle seemed longer, lips a shade brighter, and her blue eyes almost sparkled.

"Shall we begin?"

Twilight nodded, no more comfortable with the whole situation but lacking any apparent recourse. Finally mounting the table, she relaxed into the cushion, resting her chin on the special pillow and stretching her legs before and behind herself.

Lotus Blossom wasted no time in starting, systematically inspecting her with careful touches and pokes. Though the situation was a familiar one, Twilight could not make herself relax completely. Whether the thoughts still swimming in her head or her immediate surroundings were to blame, she could not tell. Either way, Lotus seemed to have no trouble picking up on it.

“Oh! Rarity was not exaggerating! You are quite tense, Princess. Knots from head to hoof.”

Twilight’s attempted chuckle sounded flat even to her own ears. “Yeah… it’s been a stressful month.”

“Oui, I am not surprised.” Lotus’ hooves disappeared from Twilight’s back, her voice fading somewhat as she turned and walked toward a supply counter, the soft clap of closing cabinets just audible under her voice and the music. “The holidays are always so stressful, no? The decorations, the pageantry, the shopping! Oh, I have such a hard time shopping for my sister, I couldn’t imagine finding something for a princess, too.”

"I wouldn't know, I never tried."

"No?” Lotus asked when she returned. With oil slicked hooves, she began the massage in earnest. The fragrant oils filled the air, slowly seeping into her coat and warming her skin. With each touch, Lotus’ hooves moved more easily over and through her fur. “Not even for their birthdays? I…” She stopped suddenly. “Oh, je suis désolé. I only assumed… Lady Rarity was so enthused to be attending, I…”

“It’s fine,” Twilight said, trying to reassure her. “We were both there. It’s just that Luna doesn’t care for presents.”

“Oh?” Lotus asked curiously, her hooves picking up where they’d left off.

Twilight shook her head. “She accepted them with a smile, of course, but she gave none a second glance. A few were all but scoffed at once the giver was out of sight.”

“Surely only because they were not so close as you. Aloe is terrible at picking out gifts, but that makes no difference when it is given out of love.”

Twilight’s eyes popped open, turning her head with a frown.

Lotus blushed, but kept her hooves moving, beginning to add more weight now that the oil had worked its way through Twilight’s coat. “I… we couldn’t help overhearing… The way you spoke of her. Très romantique. A true life ponytale!”

Sighing, Twilight slumped, letting her head fall and closing her eyes once more. “I wish.”

Lotus stopped again, her weight lifting from Twilight’s back. “Apologies. I did not mean to—”

"It's… it's alright," Twilight said, doing her best to pretend that it was the truth. It wasn't though. She'd done so well until seeing that article, and now this. No matter how hard she tried to avoid it, everything seemed to lead back to Luna. Luna had become the center of her world, and now that core was gone. Or, less dramatically, the wound was still fresh and the healing would simply take longer than she realized. "You couldn’t have known."

Lotus seemed to take the hint, letting the conversation fall away, and returned to her work in silence. The gramophone continued to spin, its soft music chosen specifically to engender calm. Only the soft grunts forced out by Lotus’ hooves joined those notes, leaving Twilight with nothing to focus on beyond her own thoughts.

She tried to control them, to push her mind to drift and wander, imagining herself laid out on a beach, a plush towel separating her from the hot, coarse sands. No hooves touched her back, only a cool breeze ruffling her coat, carrying the sharp scent of salt and surf. The warmth of the sun on her back complimented that of the sand on her stomach as the waves rolled in, breaking on the shore with their soft, irregular crashes.

It would not last though, no sooner solidifying than shattering, veering off to memories of Luna’s party. Groaning, both from the massage and annoyance at her own mind, Twilight opened her eyes to stare at the wall. When she spoke, it was not intentional, the words seeming to will themselves into being.

“It didn’t go well.”

“Oh? I’m sorry to hear that,” Lotus whispered. For a moment, Twilight thought that was the extent of Lotus’ response. A greater part of her was glad of it, thinking such would be the end of things. The rest of her was not so complacent, and silently rejoiced when Lotus hesitantly continued, “What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I… I made a fool of myself.”

“That is not so terrible. Many couples find their start when one makes a fool of themselves.”

Shaking her head, Twilight sighed. “Not for me.”

“Surely it was not so terrible. No doubt you will look back soon and—”

“Don’t,” Twilight said with enough force to squash that voice which wanted to talk. “Just don’t. I… It’s just not going to happen.”

“But—”

“She already—” Twilight cut herself off before she could say something she’d regret more than she already did. “She doesn’t want me, and that’s that. Please, I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Of course. I did not intend… My apologies.”

Unable to drift off, and unwilling to let her mind wander on its own again, Twilight turned her focus to the massage. With the oil permeating her coat, Lotus’ hooves slipped easily up and down her back. She switched readily between rolling and kneading, long strokes that started at the base of her spine pushing all the way to her shoulders, and shorter ones that compressed and stretched individual muscles.

Aloe popped in a few times, Twilight only noticing when the sisters spoke, whispering in their lilting tongue. Incomprehensible to her, they fell easily to the background, noises with no meaning, slight disturbances to the music that filled her ears. Her other senses were no less occupied, the oils and fragrant herbs flooding out every other scent and her eyes staring into the darkness behind their lids.

Lotus’ hooves were her primary focus. Careful and methodical, she took her time with Twilight's wings. lifting them one at a time to stroke the feathers and gain access to Twilight’s growing pectoral muscles. Those were perhaps the sorest of all, underused—and strained nearly every time that they were. She gave them only a cursory rub, however, instead stretching each limb to its fullest three times before resettling them.

It was after that, when Lotus returned to Twilight’s neck and shoulders, that Twilight let her eyes crack open. Leaning over her as she was, Lotus' entire chest was exposed to her, the nubs of her teats visible against her fine blue fur on her stomach.

Twilight's eyes snapped shut, a hot blush blooming on her cheeks. Whether she was embarrassed for having seen what she had or for Lotus having so carelessly shown it, she couldn't tell. Either way, embarrassed she was. She was probably mistaken, her eyes and mind playing a trick on her. Lotus was a professional after all and…

She slowly opened her eyes, not out of perversion, but the exact opposite, to prove to herself that… No, they were definitely erect, standing stiff and proud on Lotus' belly despite the warmth that permeated the house.

Twilight didn't close her eyes, even as her cheeks heated and the admonishment to do so flittered through her mind. They were so perky and contrasted so beautifully with her coat that Twilight just couldn't make herself look away.

There was a promise there, an unspoken offer of comfort and sensuality, of finally satisfied curiosities that had plagued her for years. Lotus’ hooves were already all over her, touching places that few ever had. None of which were inherently sexual, and yet, just like that, they were. Whether she was rubbing along her mane or kneading between her shoulders, it was all so wonderful.

Trying to derail those thoughts, to think of anything and everything else, proved useless. They would not be silenced. The more she fought it, the more possible answers were conjured, images and tastes and sensations buzzing just out of reach and experience. Lotus was already down by her thighs, caressing, no, massaging—as though connotations were so different—her hindlegs from hoof to cutie mark.

“Your Highness, would you like to roll onto your back?”

Nodding absently, Twilight started to rise. The first shift of her hindlegs brought her to a complete stop. Her eyes shot wide to find Lotus’ smiling at her.

Furiously blushing, Twilight settled back down as smoothly as she could. “N—no, that’s alright. I think I would prefer just the, uhm, normal massage, please.”

“But your flight muscles, they need tending too, no?”

“No. No. They're fine. Just… just don’t worry about them.”

Lotus did not look at all convinced, but nodded all the same. “Should I not massage them at all or…”

“No, you can.” Twilight closed her eyes again, trying to assume a relaxed posture and certain that she was failing. “I’m just more comfortable like this.”

“As you like.”

When Lotus’ hooves returned, it was to lift her wing once more. And still Twilight could not control the flow of her thoughts. It took all her attention not to flinch as Lotus massaged her chest. Every touch tingled at the unfamiliarity, hinting at the possibilities, at what some primal part of her was certain she could have if only she'd try.

It was galling. She’d gotten full body massages from Lotus and Aloe both, and not once had she had this problem. Lotus probably had to deal with plenty of randy ponies everyday, it wasn’t fair to think of her like that, to imagine the taste and feel of her teats or having her own…

Twilight bit her lip, unable to stop the shudder from running down her spine when Lotus' hooves ran along the edge of her hip, brushing so close to her teat. Nor could she stop her dock from flagging just a little to the side. Even if Lotus didn’t see it move, the scent would not go unnoticed. Her mind did nothing to help matters, imagining all the different ways Lotus could react, from stoically ignoring it all, to disgust, to curiously investigating…

Letting Twilight roll back to her stomach, Lotus’ hooves traced down from her shoulder until it joined the other just above her flank. She paused there, almost seeming to hesitate.

Panic gripped her. Lotus had noticed. She’d noticed and was going to stop. It was all going to end. Another fantasy struck down more completely than even her dreams of Luna. Neither of them would see her again after this. They would ask her, in no uncertain terms, to never come back.

“I am making you uncomfortable."

"No!" Twilight blurted out without bothering to think first. "It's fine. You're fine." She stopped dead as her own words turned on her, redoubling her blush.

“This is no good,” Lotus said, either not picking up on what she’d said or ignoring it. “We are making no progress.” She kneaded Twilight’s lower back. Her dock jumped in response, fanning cool air across her marehood and forcing more of her musk into the air. “There is, perhaps, something different we could try. A more… intimate session.”

Twilight’s thoughts all but evaporated, every errant string cut, leaving only that which stemmed from those two words. Some part of her refused to accept that she’d heard right. Lotus could not be offering what she was offering. She wasn’t a… She didn’t… Or did she? It was obvious, blatant even. There were no other explanations. Even if Lotus was a… a… that or just wanted to… copulate. It didn’t matter. Twilight couldn’t. That was not how she wanted—

Her train of thought faded out when one of Lotus' hooves slid down, brushing against her dock and down-around her rump, just barely skirting her privates. It was all she could do not to moan as she imagined it moving just a little closer, slipping just a little more to one side.

"You would prefer this, yes?"

She wanted to say no. There was no connection between them, no romance. It was lust and nothing more, her own base, primal desires.

Knowing that made no matter. Beyond even the growing warmth below her tail, there was an ache, a void in the pit of her stomach that she'd ignored until now. She needed this. Not the sex. The affection. An acknowledgement that she was coveted and desired. Somepony to be wholly and fully intimate with her. To let down her guard and just be.

“Yes,” she croaked in a hoarse whisper. Clearing her throat, she was about to try again when Lotus’ airy giggle caught her ear.

A hoof stroked her head, petting just behind her ear. “Shhh, Twilight,” Lotus whispered, stepping around the table to stand before her. The hoof slid down Twilight’s cheek to her chin, lifting it until their eyes met. “Relax. Here, now, there is nopony but us. Just close your eyes and relax.”

Twilight obeyed, letting out a heavy breath as her eyes slid closed. The moment Lotus’ muzzle touched her cheek, Twilight reciprocated, leaning into the nuzzle. Twisting, she buried her face in Lotus’ cheek, rubbing against her even as she pulled back.

The kiss came quietly, Lotus finding Twilight’s lips with her own. It was not hard or insistent, nor was it fleeting or fragile. Neither mare moaned or pressed, their tongues remaining placid, unmoving where they lay. It lasted seconds, but by the end Twilight’s shoulders had relaxed and her wings fell from her sides, finally setting aside the tension she’d carried so close to her chest she’d not known it was there.

As they parted, Twilight’s eyes opened to see Lotus smiling warmly. “Oui, that is much better.”

She didn’t linger, seeming at once to float and prance out of Twilight’s view, leaving her to stew amid sensuous thoughts and obscene imaginings. Lack of experience did little to impede her erotic predictions of the coming minutes. Rarity’s absence did not seem so much of an imposition as it had. This turn, she was certain, would not have come about had her friend stuck around. Were she even in the house, Twilight’s reticence would not have been put aside, no matter the strength of her desire.

Even expecting it, Lotus’ first touch, a caress of her cutie mark, made Twilight squeak. She blushed, her embarrassment deepening with the other mare’s giggling. Thank Celestia Lotus didn’t saying anything. Instead, she nuzzled the same spot and lightly kissed each star in turn. Her other hoof joined on the other side, both drawing expanding swirls on her flanks until they met on either side of her dock.

As nice as it was, Twilight's mind had already jumped five steps ahead, engorging her clit in preparation for what was only seconds away. It didn’t matter what she used, but the mere thought of Lotus' rough but slicked tongue sliding inside of her…

She tensed more with every pass of Lotus’ hooves, waiting for them to slide down, to tease her marehood, to part her lips and assault them with…

They moved up, driving along her spine. Twilight whined unabashedly at the cruel tease. Lotus only hummed in amusement, her weight still sliding up Twilight's back until she reached her shoulders.

Starting with a nuzzle just behind Twilight’s ears, Lotus carefully lowered herself to drape over Twilight’s back, sliding her forelegs under Twilight’s own almost like they were cuddling. For her part, Twilight forgot all about her complaint from mere seconds ago. She could feel Lotus’ heart beat against her withers, every inhalation pushing against her lower back as the exhalation blew across her ears making them twitch. Without bothering to consult her brain, her back arched, lifting her hips up and into Lotus’ crotch. Moisture soaked onto Twilight’s dock, dripping from Lotus’ own aroused genitals and making Twilight’s mouth go dry.

That was all before Lotus began moving. It started slow, sliding up and down against Twilight’s back as though massaging with her whole body. With each pass the pace increased a little, her grip around Twilight’s chest tightening and pulling her into each thrust. Not that it was necessary. Twilight needed no encouragement, quickly falling into rhythm, their hips slapping together.

Twilight gasped with every buck, an unintelligible squeak all but screaming for more as Lotus’ teeth clamped at the base of her neck. All thought and expectation fled, save for the anticipation of the next thrust. Her vagina gaped open, grasping for the penis that wasn’t there, aching and desperate to have something, anything touch it, to fill it, to finally give her release.

It never came. Muscles aching, breath ragged, and head spinning, just when she was sure to start faltering, Lotus drove forward one final time and held, grinding her hips against Twilights.In the calm that followed, she caught her breath, working moisture back into her mouth as she sought to grasp hold of her thoughts and feelings.

She’d managed a single syllable before Lotus began placing kisses down her mane. With each kiss, she shifted her weight back, inch by inch, never releasing the pressure from Twilight’s dock, sliding down further and further, her full length passing tantalizingly close to her nethers without ever touching them, only stopping when her chin rested beside Twilight’s tail. She nipped at her, pinching the sensitive skin just beside her dock. Twilight gasped again, her tail flagging even higher, pulling a blast of cool air against her engorged lips.

Her whole body tensed, hooves digging for purchase in the table in preparation. Any second and Lotus would move down, breath playing across her marehood only long enough to spur her anticipation before the first touch. Twilight’s imagination could barely conceive of what would come after: touching, licking, biting, sucking. All would feel wonderful, and…

Lotus moved away, hooves drawing down Twilight’s leg.

She wanted to scream, to demand satisfaction, to beg for it, but all she could do was whine pitifully, whimpering at the other mare’s cruelty. The ache between her legs burned worse than it ever had, making her squirm, and it took every bit of her self-control not to see to it herself.

A nose joined the hooves, nuzzling the back of her leg, gradually moving higher and higher, closer and closer. At her knee, all of Twilight’s complaints were gone, lost to the mire of her arousal and anticipation. She was so close, so very close and getting closer with every movement. Inches, mere inches separated Lotus’ hooves and muzzle from Twilight’s waiting, dripping, gaping core.

Lotus’ hoof slid up, brushing the very edge of her parted lips, making her twitch, suck in a sharp breath, and bit her lip. Hard as the nail was, it was perfectly smooth, like warmed porcelain sliding easily along her moist folds. It moved with slow, purposeful strokes, gently parting her and exposing her most private parts.

Twilight blushed even now, knowing that Lotus had to be staring at her, knowing just how wet she was, how much she wanted her, needed her touch. When Lotus leaned closer, her breaths only fueling the heat, she could see it in her mind’s eye. Her chest tightened, forehooves gripping the table, and teeth grit. She knew what was coming, a tongue or lips, both would be hot and wet and strong, and they would be the first to taste her.

Lotus lapped at her, drawing her tongue up and into Twilight’s vagina. She dove deep, reaching further than Twilight had ever managed with her own hoof. It wriggled and writhed inside her, and Twilight wriggled and writhed in turn, the rough texture rubbing against untouched depths. Twilight felt more than heard Lotus’ moan, lips vibrating against her labia.

In no time she was panting again, heart racing and wings squeezed against her sides. That was it. It was all over. She wasn’t even going to last a full minute, her vagina squeezing to pull Lotus' whole muzzle inside. In a matter of seconds she would lose control and…

A sharp, tugging pain sliced up her tail, snapping her back from the apex and yanking a cry of shock from her lips. She swung her head around. Lotus peeked over her rump, her light-blue lips smiling, licking her damp muzzle before dropping back. Her tongue returned before Twilight could say anything, slow and tender, almost as though she were grooming her before slipping inside once more.

She didn't protest. She couldn't as her head and eyes rolled back while Lotus’ picked up her pace, adding her hoof to rub her outer lips.

Riding Lotus’ tongue and hoof, hips rocking back and forth as best they could, Twilight rose higher and higher once more, no longer even attempting to hold back, panting and moaning, incoherent in her pleas. All her attention was taken by that tongue and the images of what it must look like from Lotus’ perspective, or even from just over the masseur's shoulder.

It was coming again, the tension building at her very core, a tidal wave ready to break upon the shore.

Another tug, another squeak, and she was off the ledge, kept from reaching the climax she so desperately needed. Snapping her head around again, she finally spotted the culprit, a light pink hoof tangled in the hairs of her tail, gripping a thick lock just below her dock. She started to say something, to ask what Lotus was doing, but the tongue was already back, tenderly licking and prodding and humming in delight, seeming to savour her pussy anew.

She could do nothing, driven up only to be slammed down again and again, coming closer and closer each time, but never allowed to reach the tipping point. It was torture. Sweet, intoxicating torture that left her a pathetic mewling, whining mess, willing but unable to do anything that would let her finish.

That lack of control made all the difference. Touching herself, it didn’t even compare. She’d tried to do similar things, holding off for as long as possible, to reach the crest and cling to it. Her willpower was not so strong, crumbling almost instantly and throwing herself over.

Time lost all meaning, nothing mattered beyond that next rise, reaching that peak again and finally, finally finding release.

She came.

Crying out in wordless exaltation, her whole body convulsed. She might have fallen off the table if not for the hooves gripping her flanks, holding her fast as Lotus fought to stay latched onto Twilight’s pussy, sucking and lapping up anything that came out faster than a single tongue should have been able.

The next thing Twilight knew, she was staring at the wall, her whole body limp, weak, panting as her heartbeat slowed, winding down.

A stupid smile spread across her lips, her eyes closing in exhausted bliss. “That… was wonderful.”

There was no reply besides a muffled moan and the sloppy wet sounds that were somehow familiar yet foreign to her ears. They sounded almost like when she…

If she'd had any blood to spare, her muzzle would have turned three shades pinker at the thought. She looked back, almost giddy at the opportunity to see Lotus in the middle of pleasuring herself and maybe to offer to help.

She was too late.

Even as she turned, Lotus was reaching climax, her moans gaining momentum, keeping pace with the movement of Aloe’s hoof between her legs. In the second before her sister came, Aloe brought their muzzles together, holding her tight against the wracking spasms. Lotus’ scream was muffled against her sister’s lips, both mare’s doing their best to keep the seal. As Lotus slowly regained control, giggly and jittery, she leaned more into the kiss, threading her hooves into Aloes’ mane.

With one hoof behind her sister’s head and the other supporting her back, Aloe twisted and pulled Lotus into a low dip, the latter giggling and humming in delight. Slowly, Aloe’s eyes opened, sliding from her sister up until they met Twilight’s.

Lotus cried out when Aloe’s grip failed, dropping her unceremoniously to the floor.

Twilight had watched it all, catatonic save for a twitch in her left eye. It was Lotus' surprised squeal that broke her from that state. She all but jumped, tumbling off the table and away from the twins.

Her head swam, light as a balloon yet almost too heavy to support. The thick musk of sex and sweat curdled the other fragrances, filling the room with a sickly odor that churned her stomach with every breath. Or maybe that was just her imagination. She stumbled to the side, her legs wobbling as they sought stability on unstable ground.

“Your Highness? Are you alright?”

“No—I mean, yes!” she nearly shouted, squeezing her eyes shut against the tilting world. “I’m… I’m fine.”

Peeking through squinted eyelids, she saw Lotus stand up, rubbing the back of her head and muttering. Only she also saw them embraced, lips locked and moaning in ecstasy. Lotus—or was that Aloe—took a single step around the table, freezing when Twilight's hoof shot up, imploring her stop.

“Stay back. I mean don’t—don't move. I… I need…”

Twilight teetered, almost falling over. She breathed through her mouth in the hopes that it would be better, but it only left her tongue tasting of that foul stench. It clung to her, burning her nose and eroding the back of her throat. Her head spun even more, the whole world seeming to roll from one side to the next.

Falling back to her rump, she grasped her head between both hooves as though that could calm the turbulence in her head.

She needed to sit down… she was sitting down. "I don’t… Home. I need to go home."

"Princess, please—”

The whiplash snap of teleportation did nothing to improve Twilight's state, nor did the short drop onto her mattress.

An all encompassing blackness consumed her.

Stars twinkled before her eyes as her vision faded back in.

Falling to her side, she curled around her stomach and head, moaning against the desire to be sick all over her bed.

Each breath acted to calm her, the clean, familiar smells of her room washing out that horrid odor. Her stomach relaxed, settling back where it belonged. Her head, too, slowly cleared, her blood pressure returning to its proper levels, stabilizing her sense of balance enough to stop the sickening sway.

She was home, in her bed. Which was good. Taking in her room helped, creating and marking off a mental checklist to ensure everything was in its proper place. And everything was, even the cork-board above her fireplace had not been moved. There had been a small worry that Rarity was going to do something while she was away. It was nice to know she’d been wrong.

Sighing, she laid back and closed her eyes… only to snap them right back open and gag.

All of the last ten minutes seemed a blur, incoherent images and sensations, save for the sight of Aloe and Lotus locked on each other's lips. The disconcerting image burned in her eyes. It was wrong. Siblings weren’t supposed to do things like that with each other.

Twilight shivered, getting off her bed and starting to pace. Try as she might, she couldn’t simply ignore what she’d seen. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, replaying it in her mind’s eye. Worse were the questions, questions she didn’t dare to think but floated at the edge of her mind, battering against her walls, looking for a way in. She wanted to ignore it, to pretend that she'd misinterpreted what she thought she saw. There was no confusing that. They'd been kissing and passionately, pleasuring and being pleasured…

Without wanting to, she imagined that it hadn’t been Aloe and Lotus, but instead Shining and herself… and threw up a little in her mouth.

After a quick gallop to her bathroom and a liberal application of her toothbrush and an entire bottle of mouthwash, she returned to her room and flopped down on her bed once more. She needed to focus on something else, anything else that wasn’t… she shivered again. Glancing at the clock beside her bed showed that there was still plenty of time before the party.

Yes, that seemed as good a plan as any. With stoic determination, she marched right back into the bathroom, set on prepping for the party and not thinking about… that anymore. She very nearly succeeded, too, only having to shake off the unwanted thoughts a few times as she washed, pretending that the soap and water could clean her mind as well as her coat. For a split second she even considered looking into memory spells, which worked wonders at distracting her with the moral and philosophical implications of erasing one's own memories.

Slightly damp, but feeling much, much better, Twilight stood in her room and consider her next move, letting her eyes drift about lazily. The party was a small one and didn't warrant a saddle or dress. Still, Rarity would probably wear something and appreciate Twilight's efforts if she did too.

Opening her wardrobe turned out to be a mistake. Front and center was the dress she'd worn at Luna's party, pressed and laundered and ready, should she ever be possessed to wear it again. Why she pulled it out, she didn't know, but she did. Holding it up in her magic, Twilight ran a hoof over the silk, recalling the single dance they'd shared, the way Luna swayed, pressed against her neck, listening to her heart. Only to have it end with Princess Celestia's arrival, taking Luna away from her just when things were starting to look up.

Not that it would have mattered.

She shoved the dress back in and threw the doors closed with a bit more force than necessary. Rarity wouldn't say anything so long as she came willingly.

With far too much time before the Cakes would be ready to entertain and nothing better to occupy her attention, Twilight climbed atop her bed and picked up a book. She made it through two pages before her mind wandered off the rails.

She'd already decided that she wouldn't do anything about them. She couldn't, not without telling somepony that she'd, well… and that was not going to happen. Better to just keep it all to herself. There would be questions, from Rarity mostly, and she hadn't a clue how she'd deal with that. Did Rarity know? No. She couldn't, and it was better that it remain that way… wasn't it?

Setting the book aside, she stared off at the fireplace, her eyes drifting up to the cork-board and the picture at its center. Princess Celestia would know what to do. She always did. All it would take was a well-crafted, vague worded letter, and she'd have a piece of sage advice that would make everything clear, likely leaving her feeling foalish for not thinking of it herself.

Off her bed again, she settled down closer to the fire and drew ink, quill, and paper from her desk. The first words were easy, greeting the Princess and some words leading up to asking her advice. Then she paused, considering just how to ask her Princess and mentor how to deal with…

Twilight shivered. Aloe and Lotus… How could they even… nothing about it made sense. They were sisters for Harmony's sake.

Her eyes drifted up as though the answers would be found etched in the mantle or found in the chaos of her quest for Luna’s nonexistent… sister?