Author's Note

[Foalcon] [F/F]
Characters: [filly Twilight] [Cadance]
By Flutterpony

Curiosity (Flutterpony)

The young filly Twilight Sparkle sat in her playroom, staring curiously across at one of her many tea party guests. This one, unlike the other guests, blinked back.

"Bit for your thoughts?" the pink pony princess prompted as she set down her teacup, recognizing Twilight's pensive expression for what it was.

"What's it like... to have wings?" Twilight asked, setting down her own small cup held in both hooves, still unable to levitate with her tiny horn.

Cadance was used to the filly's curiosity, but the foal's intelligence and hunger to learn never failed to make her smile. She spread one wing out and looked at it thoughtfully with a hoof to her chin. "I... That's a good question." She hadn't thought much before about how she'd describe it to somepony without wings. "It's a lot like having two extra legs, but with feathers and... on your back, I guess." Her grin widened when she looked back, and the little filly's expression became one of fascination and something else she couldn't place.

"Do you have to brush the feathers like your coat?" Twilight asked.

Cadance let out a light chuckle. "Not exactly. Usually, I preen them."

Twilight Sparkle's understanding lit, or so it seemed to Cadance who suspected she must have heard the word "preen" before. Forgetting her tea party, Twilight stood and took a few candid steps toward the foalsitter's open wing, who kept it wide for her inspection. "Can you... show me how?" When the young pink mare drew back slightly without an answer and began to look slightly nervous, Twilight persisted. "Please!" her eyes sparkled up and her small voice begged.

"I, well... It's usually a private thing, like, umm... like taking a bath," Cadance blushed lightly at the white lie, a very special part of bathtime, anyway, she thought.

Little Twilight looked coyly back at the older pony. "I'll... I'll let you play with my horn again if you teach me how to do it."

Cadance's wing retracted suddenly, her heart quickened at the memory of her one-time indiscretion, and her face turned bright red. "R-remember now, that's a secret, okay?" Cadance tried to play it off as their own little private joke, laughing nervously. She still dreaded what might happen if anypony found out exactly how much she loved her boyfriend's little sister.

"I won't tell anypony, not even Shining," Twilight promised seriously, and Cadance looked slightly relieved, but the filly continued her wide-eyed plea. "Pleeease!"

Cadance sighed. "Why would you want to learn how, anyway, Twilight? You're lucky. You don't have to worry about preening any wings."

Twilight pouted down at the ground. "I'm just a regular old unicorn, I'll never know unless you show me." The filly made an admirable attempt at looking hurt.

Cadance began to suspect something. "Did Shining tell you to ask me this?"

The filly's momentary shock answered partly for her. "No! I... I mean..." Cadance's stern gaze compelled the filly not to fib. "He only told me, when I asked him if he ever touched your wings, that you don't let him, 'cause that's for if you ever get married," Twilight blushed, unable to look away from her foalsitter's wings, "but... sucking my horn was the same, and you said that was alright." Twilight looked confused and fascinated and a little worried all at once.

Cadance swallowed, tempted. She really shouldn't... not again. "Y-you... promise not to tell anypony?" Behind the alicorn princess, her wings spread of their own accord with the rapid beating of her heart.