"I just think it's weird."

Princess Cadance rolled over on to a fresh patch of sun-warmed grass and looked down her side at Shining Armor, who was lurking in the shade of a tree. He was staring at a bunch of flowers at his hooves, that Cadance had dropped moments before.

She turned her gaze to a copse on the far side of the park. "What's weird about it?"

"Giving my parents flowers on their anniversary? What isn't weird?" Shining nudged the flowers with his hoof. "If it were any other day..."

"It's their twentieth. I thought it'd be a nice gesture." Cadance rolled over onto her back, spreading her legs briefly at Shining. He blushed and looked away.

"I guess," he said, lifting the flowers with his magic. "But it's still weird."

"Well then it's probably a good thing you won't have to watch," said Cadance. She rolled to her belly and stood up, then turned to retrieve the flowers from Shining Armor's magic before tucking them under her wing. "Which would be the only good thing about you going away."

"Cadie, I told you I can't get out of it this time. If I want a career in the guard then I have to go on these cadet camps." He nuzzled Cadance's cheek. "It'll be over before you know it. Now come on, I'll walk you back to my place but then I have to get going."

"Fine," Cadance sighed. "But you're spending every day after you get back with me, mister, and that's a promise."

Shining Armor rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway as the pair trotted down the path to the park entrance.

It was only a short distance back to his home, short enough that they probably spent more time cuddling and talking at the gate than they did walking, but eventually Shining had to depart. He kissed Cadance on her nose, and she watched him walking away until he had turned a corner at the far end of the street.

The gate squeaked as Cadance entered the garden. She paused briefly at the door, deciding whether to knock, but decided against it. Let it be a surprise. She had a key to the place anyway after so long sitting Twilight Sparkle – not to mention dating Shining Armor – and before long she was trotting the corridor of Twilight Velvet and Night Light's home.

The house was quiet. Strangely so. In only a few short strides she reached the living room door and paused, listening for any unusual sounds. She wasn't really due to look after Twilight until later that evening but there was always the possibility that Twilight's parents had decided to get an early start on their anniversary celebrations. Who knew what they'd be up to?

"Something salacious no doubt," she murmured, smiling at the thought. She cocked her ears, listening for any tell-tale sounds, but there was nothing. It was almost disappointing.

Cadance shrugged and moved on. The living room was empty. Maybe the kitchen? She was almost at the door when she heard a loud thump from the stairs. She turned at the sound.

"Hello?"

"Cadance?" It was Twilight Velvet. She sounded surprised, which was understandable. Hoofsteps thudded across the ceiling and a moment later she popped her head over the railing to smile down at Cadance. "It is you! What are you doing here so early, honey?"

"I just, uh, wanted to wish you and Night Light a happy anniversary," said Cadance. She held up the flowers and grinned. "See?"

"That's so sweet of you! Velvet leaned a little further forward, giving Cadance a view of her clothing. It was—

"Oh, uh, I-I can come back if you're busy," she said, trying to hide her blush at the sight of so much black vinyl in one place. "Sorry..."

Twilight Velvet blinked and looked back at herself. Then she laughed. "Oh honey, I should be sorry, I completely forgot I was wearing this!" She stepped out into Cadance's full view, moving down the stairs with a sensuous ease that Cadance had never seen before. "Night Light isn't home yet. I was going to surprise him, but I can change out of it if it would make you feel more comfortable."

"That's, um, I guess it's okay," Cadance mumbled. She found herself staring at Velvet's vinyl-clad butt and quickly averted her gaze. "I mean I guess I should come back later. I can leave the flowers—"

"Why?"

"Well..." Cadance rubbed the back of her neck. She could feel the first hints of a sweat under her coat. "It's not appropriate. I mean I—and you're wearing—" Cadance swallowed again. "Sorry."

Twilight Velvet smiled again. It was a warm smile, the sort of smile a mother should have, which just made things even more awkward when she raised her hoof to her chin and the skintight vinyl around her shoulders creaked beneath the strain.

"Oh honey, you don't need to be sorry," Twilight Velvet said. She touched Cadance's shoulder. "Though I'm a little surprised seeing you of all ponies acting like this."

Cadance frowned, awkwardness momentarily forgotten. "Surprised?"

"A pony so attuned to the magic of love being so awkward around anything remotely sexual?" Twilight Velvet nudged Cadance's shoulder. "Sure I'm surprised! You're a hop and a skip away from being some sort of sex goddess to most ponies, but you're staring at me like you never saw a mare that way before"

"I guess I just never saw you that way," said Cadance. She shuffled on her hooves. "Shouldn't I leave anyway? If you're waiting for Night Light—"

"He won't be home for a while yet. Come on." Twilight Velvet pressed against Cadance, turning her toward the kitchen. "Lets get those flowers in some water and then we can have some coffee. How does that sound?"

"Um..."

"Close enough," said Twilight Velvet as she brushed past Cadance. The vinyl suit accentuated each swing of her hips as she walked, slick shiny blackness contrasting sharply with the white and purple of Twilight Velvet's tail.

There was an oversized zipper dangling just underneath Velvet's dock, shaking back and forth between her buttocks with a gentle tinkling sound. The sight set Cadance's own behind itching in sympathy. She couldn't quite look away as she followed Twilight Velvet into the kitchen. Surely it'd be uncomfortable to sit on something like that?

It was only moments before Twilight had filled a kettle of water, which she set on the cooker to heat. Her magic was teasing the flowers from beneath Cadance's wing even while she still worked on preparing the coffee; they fell into a vase that had appeared almost from nowhere, and a moment later were sat square in the centre of the kitchen table while Twilight Velvet filled the vase from a small green watering can.

"They're very pretty."She smiled at Cadance and set the can aside. "Thank you for remembering."

Cadance gave a half shrug and an awkward smile, and kept her eyes fixed firmly on the flowers. "You've been so kind to me over the years. It was the least I could do."

"I'm sure Night Light and I will enjoy them together," Twilight replied, turning away. The kettle had just started to boil. "Flowers make a nice snack after a vigorous workout, don't you think?"

Cadance blushed. Now she couldn't even look at the flowers without images of that suit flashing around her head. She turned her gaze to the window and the little walled garden at the back of the house.

"Cream?"

"What? Oh..." Cadance shrugged again. "Please. I don't take it black."

"Pity," said Twilight Velvet. Cadance could almost hear the smirk.

A singing shimmer of magic flared at Cadance's side, followed by the thud of her coffee settling on the table. She waited a moment before taking the cup on her own magic and lifted it to her lips.

The spray of coffee across the room was really quite spectacular, glowing in the afternoon sun like a golden-brown rainbow. Grimacing at the bitterness clawing at her mouth, Cadance set her drink down on the table and turned to glare at Twilight Velvet.

"Oh I'm sorry, dear," Twilight said, holding up her cup. "I must have given you mine by mistake. Still, at least you're looking at me again."

Cadance watched as Twilight Velvet swapped their cups. The elder mare sat down opposite Cadance, pausing for just a moment with a curious expression on her face, before settling onto her seat with a sigh. Cadance felt another sympathetic itch between her legs. She shuffled about until it went away.

"If it's about this thing," Twilight continued, tugging at her suit, "I did say I could take it off if you were more comfortable. Of course, I'd need some help."

Cadance paused with her coffee halfway to her mouth. "What?"

"Getting out of the suit. It's very snug, easy to slip on, but an absolute nightmare to get out of again, especially once you've worked up a sweat." Velvet grinned and stretched out her forelegs until the vinyl suit creaked again and the light slid across her body like silk over polished marble. "In fact that's part of the fun. You should see the way Night Light tugs at it with his teeth."

Cadance put her coffee down. She wasn't having much success actually drinking it. "His teeth? Couldn't he just... why am I even asking?"

"Curiosity, dear. And yes, his teeth," Twilight Velvet said, pausing briefly to run her tongue between her own. "I'd have to untie him and take off the magic suppressor if he wanted to use anything else. He's quite nimble with his mouth."

"I... I..."

"What's the matter?" Twilight Velvet was frowning now. She leaned toward Cadance. "Is it my age? Can't a mature mare have a sex life?"

"No! No..." Cadance swallowed. She had to force herself to look Velvet in the face. "Sex I can understand. It's just..." she motioned in Twilight Velvet's general direction and tried not to blush again.

"Ah." Twilight Velvet sat back again. "Can't quite deal with the idea of the old mare having kinky sex, huh? I really am surprised, Cadance. I thought you'd be, well... more versed in this. Some couples can't be satisfied just making the six-legged screamer every night, especially in a relationship as long as mine. You have to—to experiment, you see?"

"I... guess?"

"I suppose that's the best I can hope for right now." Twilight Velvet tipped her head to one side and gave Cadance another of her motherly smiles, one that seemed ridiculously out of touch with her attire. Then she glanced at the clock and abruptly froze. "Oh, my goodness, the time has just run away with us hasn't it? You'd better drink up. I really don't want Night Light to get any silly ideas."

Cadance blushed again. She downed her coffee and stood up, not quite sure what to do with her hooves or which way to face. "I guess I'll see you this evening," she mumbled.

Twilight Velvet nodded as they moved toward the hallway. "Certainly. Twilight has been looking forward to it all week. It's nice to see her bonding with a pony so easily."

"I—I guess relationships are part of my magic," Cadance replied. She waited for Twilight Velvet to open the front door. The mare at least had the decency to step back into the shadow as she did so. "I'm sorry about how I acted."

"It's all right, honey. No harm done, you were just caught by surprise." Twilight Velvet leaned forward to nuzzle at Cadance's cheek. "Take care."

"Thank you, I will," Cadance said as the door swung closed.

"Oh and, before you go." Twilight Velvet paused with the door open just wide enough for her head to poke out. She sniffed discretely and winked at Cadance. "You might want to let the fresh air under your tail before you get anywhere too crowded. Somepony might get the wrong idea."

The door snapped shut before Cadance could form a reply. Frowning, she sniffed gently over her shoulder and then froze. The scent of her arousal was overwhelming as it was unexpected. How had she not noticed something so obvious? She turned to the garden gate, lifting her tail as discretely as possible, and cringed at chill of the air against her privates. Walking home was out of the question. After a last look back at Twilight's home, Cadance raised her wings and took to the air.

Author's Note

With thanks to CinnamonSwirltheBreaded and Alamais for ideas and editing assistance.