It had gotten a bit easier to manage the more time had come to pass by her. Cadance no longer enjoyed the absence that came with empty time, but she found ways to manage. Exercise, hobbies, more time spent at work (easier to accomplish now that she was principal of Crystal Prep), anything she could manage. She was happy. Relatively.

But the absence was terrible.

Her phone vibrated and she leaned over to grab it and check to see what had occurred- only to feel a sudden fall in her stomach. Twilight had messaged her again, confirming a meetup between the two that would come to pass that afternoon. Cadence wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to it when she most certainly knew better than to continue the agony.

Hey, just wanted to make sure we’re still on for this afternoon!

Cadance’s reply was simple: Of course we are!

She sighed and tossed the phone aside, wondering what on earth she was playing at. It was torment, willful torment, and she desperately tried to ignore the reason why she was willing to endure it. There were problems with all of it, right from its very origins and to now, but she had agreed nevertheless to make it continue. Wretched, really.

The café was more populated than she had expected for the afternoon. She sipped slowly at her coffee out of restlessness more than anything else, the piping hot drink still too warm to truly begin consuming. Her mind was aflutter, her heart pounding in her chest. If she made a mistake here, in public, it would be disastrous. She had to retain composure and act like a normal human being. What she wanted was terrible, reprehensible, but her efforts at trying to reign it in were not what one could call successful- her presence here was proof of that. If she could only hold on a little longer-

“Cadance!” A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and Cadance gave a gasp as the warm embrace caused a deep swoop in her. She turned around to see Twilight beaming up at her, a light and happiness in her face that had not been there during her years at Crystal Prep. She had grown so much since she’d left.

“Look at you!” she said delightedly, genuinely happy to see Twilight’s transformation. Her figure, no longer undersize but instead slender from proper health, with a flush to her cheeks. She had even grown taller, more full- more a woman than she’d ever been.

“It’s been months since we last met, it’s good to see you!” Twilight replied, breaking apart and holding Cadance by the hands, looking up at her old mentor with an unremittent happiness. “You look wonderful!”

“Oh hush, I look just as I always do, but you- you’ve changed so much! Tell me how it’s been at your new school, I want to hear everything!”

Cadance wisely guessed that Twilight could have continued for hours on end in the usual rambling excitement that had once been reserved for her best research or prize findings. Instead, she was talking of people; real people, flesh and blood souls who called her their friend without hesitation or hidden manipulative design. She had little doubts as to why Twilight had gone through such a transformation. All this newfound confidence and joy and hope for the future, born by Twilight’s own dreams and upheld by the encouragement of real, true friends. She smiled and felt a glow in her heart at the sight of it, more than happy to let the young woman continue for as long as she felt like. Cadance took in every smile, every glow in her eye, every happy sound she made, fully eager to simply drink in her ecstasy for as long as she could. To see her was more than enough, now if she could only reach in closer and-

No, NOT THAT. Cadance’s dulled senses were suddenly roused by the disturbance and she found herself distracted, lost from the present as she tried to quell her dangerous thoughts. This was not something she could take lightly, they had to be buried deep, deep down in order to be kept secure from-

“Cadance? Is everything alright?” Twilight’s happy expression had fallen, her smile now faltering. “Is something bothering you?”

She’d noticed. Cadance couldn’t let her pry. “No, I’m fine. Just tired from work, that’s all,” she said bracingly. “Running a school has been harder than even I had guessed it would be. Don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” she added. “I don’t need you coming back to Crystal Prep and doing my job even better than me yet, that’s for sure!”

Twilight giggled, a roll of her eyes showing she took little of it seriously. “I did have… well, some thoughts about teaching when I was done with college. But I’d love to have you as a mentor for that, when the time comes.”

“Of course! I’d be more than happy to,” Cadance replied. She took a sip of her coffee, letting the silence politely fill the emptiness as the ambience of the café fell between them. Just a moment, then a moment more, before it would become awkward.

“So you’ve told me all about your friends,” she said as she set down her cup. “How about anyone special? Any girlfriends or anything?” she hoped the use of the former wouldn’t be too obvious, though the other half of herself cursed internally for daring such a thing.

Twilight’s expression became extremely sheepish, her cheeks flushing red. “Well…”

Oh my. “Do tell,” Cadance practically purred.

“Well, during the summer,” Twilight said hesitantly, “we went out to a camp up north. I- I met a boy.”

Straight. Of course she’s straight, why wouldn’t she be? Much more common. “Oh, did you now?” Cadance said, hoping her voice was even in tone.

“He’s- nice,” Twilight said, her smile growing with every second. “It’s a bit odd to be part of, but I like him a lot.”

“I’m glad for you. Really,” Cadance said. “You’ve always been beautiful, but now- it’s hardly a surprise the boys can keep away from you.”

Twilight went deep red and could hardly stand to look at anything but her own coffee cup for a time- enough to allow Cadance a chance to break apart and shatter internally. Not that it was of any surprise, or any reason to be disappointed. It was what needed to happen, to keep her in check: Cadance knew better and shouldn’t have needed such a stark reminder to keep her out of trouble.

“Cadance?”

“Mhm?”

Twilight remained red. “I know it’s such a weird thing to ask… if I asked you for any relationship advice, would that be OK?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I just don’t want to be bothersome- or weird,” the younger woman said.

“You could hardly be either one,” Cadance said warmly, though internally she was screaming. “Ask for me whenever you need it, and I’ll answer every question you have.”

The meeting between the two went on for some time before at last Cadance had to return back to her work. However, as she made to rise from her seat, Cadance hesitated; the question had been burning in her mind throughout the entire conversation and suddenly found itself demanding to be given entrance.

“Twilight?”

“Yes, Cadance?” Twilight’s shining face looked so free, so youthful and innocent.

“Am I… old?”

Twilight looked at her as though she had just asked something confusing. “No, of course not! You look like a supermodel, I’d give anything to look like you!”

Cadance gave a grateful smile and a wave before departing from the café. Her composure remained throughout the entire drive back and every step she took through the hallway. When she reached her office, Cadance leaned back in her chair, gave a sigh, and suddenly found herself in tears. She would never say the reason why.

The nights had become terrible. Dream and memory and desire wormed their way into her brain and became mixed together, poking and prodding at Cadance’s heart until she felt a great sorrow and confusion at every waking, which only became more frequent as time continued its dreadful march. After one particularly intense dream that left Cadance soaked and gasping from delight- only to wake to an empty bed and an empty house, she decided to have it out with herself, rising from her stained-sheet bed and turning to the kitchen for a cup of strong coffee, pausing only to add a strong shot of Irish cream to the mix for good measure.

“You need to stop,” she told herself firmly, pacing back and forth with the scalding hot cup in hand. “This is out of line; every single, damnable inch of it and you know it!”

There was no answer. At least not yet. She scowled, hoping the howling wind outside would somehow come in and carry her thoughts away from her weary mind.

“She’s only a girl- not even a woman yet, not even an adult!” Cadance’s pacing became more intense, more rapid in its circulation. “Twilight’s still a teenager, and a high school student for crying out loud! How would this look for a principal –a principal- to be caught trying to- to- oh, just drop it, will you? She doesn’t even like girls, she’s got a boyfriend! If you just had the sense to stop trying to relive some childish dream and be normal for once than maybe you wouldn’t have this problem!”

Her hand trembled and coffee spilled out onto her fingers, burning in heat. She swore and cast it aside, promptly rushing over to the sink to cool her hand, only to find her tears mingling in with the flow of fresh water. She was a wreck, an absolute wreck.

“This has to stop. You need to move on,” she said lowly. “Settle down, get married, or just run off and never come back. Move to another country or something, I don’t care. But this has to stop. You want a fantasy, and it’s one that would get you arrested. It needs to end now. So drop it.”

She tried to move on with her day, but every moment after was still deeply tied to the tears of frustration that she had shed. It would be a hard thing to bury.

The hours turned into days. The days become months. Winter came and began to take hold, even as fall tried to ward off its power with dying throes. Cadance found herself more and more involved with preparing for winter break. Nights were long, and days were longer. The rumbles in her mind had more or less become quiet. It was what she had asked for, worked towards, even if parts of her subconscious felt morose as the absence of it came into view. She had no reason to be upset, if she was truthful.

She had done little to speak to Twilight after their last meeting. The younger girl had sent her a few scant messages every now and then, asking questions or simply being friendly, but that was as deep as their conversations had become. It was just time and occupation getting the best of them, Cadance believed. At least, for the time being.

The afternoon had come to its end when Cadance sat there before her computer even still, a dulled look growing in her eyes the more she worked. She would have to call it quits soon if she were to be lively enough to even drive home and do whatever she could find herself doing there. Any thought of exercise after work today was a laughable one. It wouldn’t be long now, and things would be relatively back to normal again-

A knock on her door, little more than a series of gentle raps on the glass. She saw the silhouette of a figure standing there through the stained glass. “Come in!”

Her heart, which had remained dormant, suddenly came alive as the sapphire-blue hair and violet eyes of Twilight came into view. “Twilight! Wh- what on earth are you doing here? I mean, it’s lovely to see you, but still…”

“I’m sorry! I can leave, if you’re busy-” Twilight reverted to her shy, apologetic self in an instant.

“No, of course not! Truthfully, you just did me a big favor. Now I can have an excuse to leave,” Cadance said, simply slamming her laptop shut and turning to the young woman, trying not to drink in her youthful beauty. “I hope my secretary didn’t give you any problems- or has she left already?”

“Well, she wasn’t there when I came in,” Twilight admitted. “I know it’s pretty late…”

“I guess it is,” Cadance said weakly. She knew not what to do, and Twilight seemed to be shuffling about as though uncertain herself.

“I hope this doesn’t come as a bother,” Twilight said, looking anywhere but at Cadance.

Cadance smiled, taking the young woman in a gentle embrace. “You’ll never be a bother to me. Now what’s the matter?”

“Well…” Twilight shuffled about, still unable to look at Cadance. “Today’s my birthday.”

“You’re eighteen?” Oh God help me.

“Yeah, I am,” Twilight said. “My Mom’s got a big party planned, and I think my friends have been helping out. It’s a big help, especially since Dad- well you know- whatever job he has now has him traveling, and Shiny is off somewhere.”

“I’m happy for you, Twilight. You’ve become such a beautiful young woman…”

“And my boyfriend will be coming over sometime tonight, too. And- and, well…”

Oh hell, she’s gonna ask me about pregnancy or sex or something.

“Umm… Cadance, I know it’ll seem silly, but- but we’ve never even kissed!” Twilight’s expression was a strange mixture of embarrassment and panic. “We’ve been together for months and we’ve just been taking it slow, and- and oh, I must sound so stupid!”

“Why would you sound stupid?” Cadance laughed, feeling somewhat relieved. “Plenty of people’s kiss at their wedding is their first kiss period. Maybe it’s not super common anymore, but- what’s got you so worried about that, Twilight?”

“Because I think he’s going to want to kiss me for my birthday!” Twilight said. “And I don’t know what to do, Cadance, I’ve never been kissed before and I’ve never kissed anyone before and I don’t want it to be a bad one for me or for him and I just keep thinking about it and I don’t want to tell my friends because it’s just so silly to think about and-”

“Twilight, Twilight, relax! Being worried about such a simple thing is sure to make it bad,” Cadance said gently, holding the young woman down into a nearby seat. “The more you worry about something… well, it’s like dying a thousand deaths before it even happens. Try not to think about it so much.”

“But how do you kiss? I just- I want it to be good.”

Cadance could hardly believe her ears, and she forced herself to not turn a fool. “Well, you just… do.” She saw Twilight’s expression and knew she would have to go a little further. “You have a moment, first, where you both know it’s going to happen. Then you just, sort of, lean into one another. Then, when the moment’s right, you just, close your eyes, and… kiss,” she said rather lamely. “You match your partner’s eagerness with your own, and just keep going till you know it’s time to stop. Whether it’s the time or place, or just the passion of the moment, you’ll know if you want to keep- keep going. From there. And so on.”

“Oh.” Twilight looked up at Cadance and then elsewhere, twiddling her thumbs as she sat there. Cadance desperately wished she would leave or else the moment might be too much to bear. “Cadance, I’m not- not very good at- with personal things- stuff like this.”

“It takes practice, more than anything,” Cadance replied. “And just being comfortable in your own skin.”

“… Cadance?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

Twilight’s cheeks were pale, but her eyes remained steady nevertheless. “Could- could you kiss me, please? So I know what it feels like?”

Fuck. “Twilight, I’m- you’re- it’s- maybe not a good idea-

“Please? Just a small one? I really like him, and I want to our first kiss together to be a good one. So please, just real quick, between friends? So I don’t make a fool of myself with my boyfriend?”

Cadance looked at Twilight longingly, drinking in every wondrous inch of her, from her slender legs to the skirt that fell just above the knee, a sweater that covered petite breasts moving up to a beautiful, heart-shaped face and awaiting eyes. Cadance’s longing was at a crescendo; to wait any longer would be tortuous. She would give- only a little.

“Al- alright,” she said hesitantly, motioning for Twilight to get to her feet. “Just- follow along with me, alright? And relax. You do need to do that.”

“OK, OK,” Twilight took in a breath and exhaled slowly, looking up at Cadance with nervous, eager eyes. “I’m ready.”

She knew she shouldn’t. Her desire was maddening, but she knew she shouldn’t. But Cadance leaned in anyway, letting her head rest gently against Twilight’s, feeling the young woman’s gaze still upon her. “Close your eyes, beautiful,” Cadance whispered, her breath pressing gently on Twilight’s skin. She breathed the young woman in, drinking in her flowery scent that made her think of a fresh garden. She felt Twilight tremble for only a moment. She knew she shouldn’t. So Cadance leaned in and pressed her lips against Twilight’s, feeling an exquisite softness and warmth that came forth like a daydream. The touch, the feel of them, was better than she had dared hoped. Twilight shuddered at the first touch; a tentative, fearful instinct that soon disappeared the longer the moment continued, the gentle softness of youthful lips against the strong, yet tender confidence of Cadance's embrace. Cadance relinquished for only a moment, regaining a deeper kiss as she felt Twilight’s lips yet again, the lip-locked embrace continuing with every gentle press, every breath they took. The two women were one and the same in that endless moment; Cadance felt rapturous joy, so unwilling to end the moment as the kiss only continued. She wanted more, so much more: to feel Twilight’s bare skin against her own, to lap at her and feel her in ways she had never been felt before. But she could only share a kiss; a sweet, gentle, wondrous kiss that felt like bliss and warmth and uncontrollable delight. They held one another, Twilight's arms immobile around Cadance's waist as the older woman cupped her hands upon the beautiful young woman's cheeks. There was no ascension, no sudden rise of passion between the two, only simple lips upon lips again and again and again in gentle, youthful display until at last Cadance broke apart from the young woman- yet returning to dip in one last time and leave a soft, gentle peck on Twilight’s lips, and she dared to wonder if she felt Twilight traveling along with her.

“Oh…” Twilight pulled back from her mentor a bit, looking up at her with a strange expression upon her face, one that Cadance could not quite read or understand. “So that’s it, then?”

“That’s it.” Cadance’s voice was weak, held tight in the grip of unrelenting desire. “Happy birthday, Twilight.”

Twilight gave an awkward sort of smile and departed, perhaps pausing at the door to look back and Cadance, and maybe even open her mouth- but she disappeared in an instant, leaving Cadance an exhausted, confused, and deeply aroused mess.

Author's Note

And so it begins.

Keep readin if you enjoy it.