Deep down, Twilight had never known just how much she hated the doctor’s office. The sterile, bland coldness of such a dreary place that always seemed to be held in the depths of some dingy stone building was little more than something worthy of loathing. She hated every stinking inch of the place, from the top down and everything in between. She hated the waiting room, she hated the examination room, she hated the nurses, the ultrasound equipment that seemed to be there only to confirm the very thing she didn’t want to hear- but most of all, more than anything else in the world, she absolutely hated the doctor who was standing there and delivering the news in such calm, sympathetic tones that she knew all of her hatred was little more than a reaction to seeing the hope she had clung to finally be plucked out of her hands forever. She needed someone to blame, someone to scream and to rage at or else she might truly go mad.

Twilight wouldn’t dare blame Cadance. So she chose to hate everything else.

Cadance had said little since they had arrived at the office that morning, the time spent in between hospital and office a further extension of more dreadful silence, foolish hopes that were more akin to houses built upon sand. Mammograms and ultrasounds, testing and poking and prodding that meant more bad news, more ways for the future to be destroyed. But she was Cadance, ever calm and gentle; though this was her, the poison dart imbedded in her chest, she could find no way to not withstand the pressure- not when one so dear could barely withstand the barrage herself.

Twilight hated it. She was here as moral support, or had meant to be such. Instead she seemed to take every blow far worse than Cadance had, the façade of a wisdom beyond her years now blown apart and leaving her as inexperienced and immature as she really was. She was no adult, hardly more than a girl, if she were honest with herself. She wasn’t capable of taking this. But Cadance was taking it all in, the sole victim; she had to at least try and hold back the tears until they were so far away from here. Blame couldn’t be given, not to anyone- not even if she wanted to. As the doctor finished her initial report to the nerve-wracked couple, the pallid face was of no help to their already heady worries. Twilight wanted to deny it, to simply deem it as a falsehood and make it disappear. A turning of the tables- something impossible.

Cadance, the one hit with the staggering blow, tried to search for some measure to cope with the news. “It’s malignant,” she echoed. “It’s- it’s actually cancer.”

The doctor nodded unhappily. She had delivered this very same news to dozens –if not hundreds- of patients before, yet each one seemed to be like a weight across her shoulders. “The precise form of breast cancer is known as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma,” she said quietly. “It’s a common type that makes up the majority of breast cancer diagnoses.”

Common, Twilight told herself, trying to find something in this that she could salvage. Common means well-known. Well-known means it’s something that can be dealt with easily. She felt like she was fighting to save a sinking ship.

“IDC begins in cells surrounding the milk ducts,” the doctor continued, a tired-looking person whose nametag displayed Dr. Pinto, MD. “What’s happened is that the cells have broken through and invaded into the breast tissue, with a further risk that the cancerous cells can now travel through your lymph system- or your bloodstream.”

The miniscule hopes were dashed almost in an instant, Twillight’s heart finding new depths to sink to. She hated this, she hated everything about this. Why now, after all they’d endured? So great was her unhappiness that she couldn’t even hold back any longer, crying out, “But- but how could this happen?” She needed some reason, at least an explanation. Some way for this to have some semblance of sense within it.

Dr. Pinto didn’t appear at all surprised at the outburst of the younger woman, likely a witness to many moments of despair in more cases than she would ever wish to remember. “Miss Cadance… you’ve reported a history of breast cancer in your family before, correct?”

The beautiful woman was shaken as she forced herself to nod, to confirm the first potential cause behind her new ordeal. “My- my grandmother died from it,” she said softly. “And my aunt, she’s… she’s been a survivor for about ten years now.”

“And you are currently in your late thirties?”

“Yes…”

The tired doctor regarded them both, taking only the briefest note of the hands that bound the two women to one another before returning her fullest attentions back to the suffering. “Has there been any reason for elevated stress? Any unusual circumstances that would upset your body’s natural habits?”

Cadance looked over at her fiancé and knew there was far too much evidence for such a thing: Thanksgiving was one, the past few weeks another. Calm had almost been forgotten in its midst. “It’s been a really stressful few months.”

“But this- illnesses don’t just happen,” Twilight protested, knowing she was lying even to herself. “Things don’t just… why now?”

Pinto sighed. “The body can act strangely. The cancer itself is proof of it, cells dividing unexpectedly and spreading further into tissue. It’s the body turning upon itself and can happen at random. There are factors that increase risk: pregnancy in later years, a family history of cancers, changes in lifestyle, heightened stress levels… it’s all still random, even after.”

Cadance accepted the knowledge quickly enough, repugnant as it was. “So…” she tried to say, “how bad? I mean, am I- is it too late?”

“Your current state suggests a Type 2 cancer,” Dr. Pinto answered. “There’s no clear evidence of it having spread to more of your body, but- the potential is there. We’ll need to counter the growth before it can get any worse.”

“And that means..?” Twilight’s thorough knowledge of the world didn’t include all details medical, but the basics were enough to conjure plenty of horror stories.

“I’ve recommended you for a mastectomy,” Pinto said to Cadance. “Only the one. This mastectomy will require the full removal of the cancerous breast in an effort to fully remove the tumor, but does not require the removal of both breasts. After your mastectomy, we’ll have to take a look and make sure there’s no suggestion of any contamination in the rest of your body before clearing you. If it’s all clear, then it’s over- for the time being. If the cancer did indeed spread, then further treatments such as chemotherapy and therapy will be considered. Not everyone’s cancer is the same, and not every treatment is suitable for every person.”

Twilight felt like she was seeing a work of art be torn to shreds before her eyes. The tender breasts of Cadance upon she had long relished granting her physical affections, razed by a surgical knife; the silken hair that always seemed to shimmer in the warmth of light, burned away by radiation; a flowing body, beautiful to eye and hand, ravaged by endless treatments that were as torturous as the disease itself. A warm, ever-tender spirit turned to ashes in the midst of agony. Why, why, why, of all people, she grieved, did this have to happen to Cadance?

“Alright.” Cadance accepted her fate, the next trial that was set before her. “So, umm- when’s the surgery?”

“I have you scheduled for the 5th, fifteen days from now.” Pinto handed Cadance a sizeable mound of paperwork, leaflets and medical advice all stacked upon one another to add to the menacing disaster. “You won’t be able to eat or drink for twelve hours prior, so make sure to keep that in mind.”

“And- OK, so…the surgery will remove the cancerous breast,” Cadance assessed. “And that’ll be that.”

“That’ll be that.”

But even untrained eyes could see there was more to be said. “But that doesn’t guarantee anything,” the beautiful woman surmised.

“It does not,” Pinto confirmed. “The cancer can have already spread to other parts of the body via your bloodstream… the cancer can even return, since the cells have already displayed a propensity to unusual division.”

“So it can still kill me.”

“It can still kill you.” The death sentence was real now, spoken into the air and made tangible. Somehow the knowledge actually being pronounced had made it all the harder to bear.

Cadance was nodded again and again, small motions that spoke to recognition and internal struggle yet to be voiced. “It just might always be around the corner, is that it?” she asked in a frail attempt at levity.

“It can always return,” Pinto said, her face betraying the unhappiness that her calm tone would not. “If you haven’t prepared for any end-of-life scenarios, I would recommend you take these two weeks to do so. And it would not be in your best interest to wait.”

Cadance gave a weakened smile. “I guess I should’ve made a bucket list,” she murmured. “Well, if it’s gonna happen… so be it.”

Dr. Pinto took them both in, a wearied sort of sympathy there to look upon Cadance’s grieved acceptance as well as Twilight’s stark terror. “I’m very sorry for you both,” she said at last. “I recommend taking some time to let this sink in.”

So this was to be her judgement. This was how she would be repaid for her wicked deeds.

Cadance had called Crystal Prep and advised her Vice-Principal to assume full duties temporarily while she took time to prepare for the inevitable surgery- and whatever potential problems that could, if not would, arrive after. There hadn’t been much to say beyond the prognosis, and even less to say about the event itself.

Twilight stumbled past her place at the door and collapsed on the couch, shell-shocked as though one who bore witness to a wartime barrage. She’d tried to be so supporting, always there just in reach whenever Cadance had needed reassurance, always the continuous love that had given her strength to face the horrors of that doctor’s office. She might not even have known she’d done it, not even have any ability to recognize her cherished deed. But Cadance knew, and now the beautiful woman could only hate herself for it. Poor, sweet, wonderful Twilight, stricken and turned to grief by no fault of her own.

Cadance had no intention of letting the young woman try and hold any of the blame for any of this. She knew every ounce of it lay at her feet instead. Every wild moment she’d ever relished, every cruel word and callous deed she’d ever done now came to rise and taunt her when she lay at the feet of the reaper. The cold use of a naïve girl in love; the heartless tempting into wild debauchery- that night out at the lake… recent memories were horrid, and for good reason. But Cadance was not fool enough to think those were her only crimes. She knew she had done so much more.

And this cancer was to be what killed her. The punishment made perfect in response to such crimes. But only if it had hurt her alone, only Cadance left to deal with the fallout of it. Why, why, why, she thought to herself, does this have to hurt Twilight, too?

It was not a pleasant thought. Not one she wanted to endure in the least, but it would have to be done: she needed to convince Twilight to break off the engagement, to encourage the splendid young woman to go free and enjoy a better life away from the judgement- away from her. She knew it was what she needed to do if she actually loved Twilight, she needed to see this sweet spirit kept safe. One last act of decency in the faint hopes of countering all the wickedness she’d done. Cadance stared down at the despondent woman that sat there on the couch, head buried in her hands as she tried to find some way to understand it all. She couldn’t do it now, not another blow to the soul that would make things even worse. It had to be in a better time, a better place.

She found her body moving outside of her conscious thought, an instinctive bidding keeping herself afloat in the midst of a delirium. There was no manner of positive thinking that would help her outlast this, see some way from underneath this doom. Away from Twilight’s presence, from the sound of a loyal spirit put into despair… Cadance took the emptiness of the kitchen as a moment to breathe and instead found her lungs filled with the fetid weight of an unrelenting emotion. She could see the end ahead of her now, only just a short time away and coming swiftly closer. But to face it, to actually stand there and be held accountable for her crimes… it was not something she knew how to comprehend. Cadance knew she didn’t want to go.

That she was scared.

Before she could release any sort of cry, arms were flung about her from behind and she felt the deepening warmth of Twilight pressing against her in an embrace Cadance knew full well she did not deserve, a new stab of pain that made tears spring from her eyes. How could she have dealt so much hurt to someone so full of love for her, one who had adored her even when she’d been little more than a girl? What kind of monster was she? “Twilight…”

“Don’t say it!” Twilight snapped angrily, the thickened voice speaking to hot tears of her own. Her grip on Cadance tightened, every ounce of her pouring out and being willed to the darkened pit where her beloved’s spirit struggled in the mire. Twilight was not willing to relinquish her love, not even now at the end of all things.

But Cadance couldn’t let this last, her conscience would not allow it. Not another ounce of suffering would be dealt by her actions, not anymore. She had to do the deed before she lost her nerve, allowed weakness to really sink in and doom them both. "Twilight, I think we should-"

“I want to get married today.” Twilight’s words cut through before the painful deed could be done and instead dealt a blow far worse, the proclamation a bombshell more unexpectedly painful than she could have imagined. The very thing Cadance had wanted most to hear, the very hope she told herself she did not deserve in the slightest- out in the air before the counter-argument could hope to be made against it.

But she had to try and stop this. Slow the stone before it really did go downhill and out of control. “Twilight-!” Cadance tried to begin, her own words starting to slur as emotions threatened to overwhelm. “Look, we can't just act out or-”

“I want to get married- right now!” Twilight wheeled her desolate fiancé about and faced her, a brilliant fire burning wildly in those deep, beautiful eyes that so often made Cadance feel weak in the knees. This perfect, sweet, considerate woman was determined, emphatic- and deserving of a future much better than this. She had to be convinced of otherwise.

“Twilight, that's now how this works. We can't just walk down to a courthouse and get it done in a few minutes,” Cadance said, reigniting her argument in the hopes of curbing the spread of this virulent, wonderful, horrifying idea.

But Twilight knew Cadance better than the beautiful woman knew herself, already guessing as to where this would lead. “Why not? Don't you try to talk me out of this!” she said hotly.

Cadance tried not to be impatient, to let her tattered nerves give way to her frustrations nor her desire to promptly comply. “Twilight, I have cancer. Do you really understand what that means?” she asked. It was a cold question, one so condescending.

“I know what cancer is!” Twilight shot back, dark eyes beginning to turn splotchy with the hotness of her tears.

Cadance remained unconvinced. “But do you really? This isn't just something small, OK? This is real. Actually real,” she added for emphasis. “And the surgery they're gonna do? It will mutilate me, you have to understand that.”

“I don't care.” Twilight’s voice was flat, as hard as iron. Her gaze did not falter, her will did not weaken. Not an ounce of her spirit was to be shaken anything that could be said or done, and that thought terrified the woman who loved her.

“I'm guaranteed to lose the breast, alright?!” Cadance cried, the sudden burst of fearful emotion not a welcome surprise. “And that doesn't even guarantee I'll be OK afterwards! They may have to do more, and- have you ever seen chemo? What it looks like, up close? I will never look the same again no matter what, you need to know that.”

“I don't care!” Twilight screamed, her calm, lovely face turned red by the inferno of frantic feelings. She was fighting as though for her life, a swimmer struggling against the tide and threatening to drown, only to reach out and clutch Cadance in the hopes of being saved.

She wanted to save her. To take Twilight in her arms and never let go- but that was a promise unable to be made, for there was no guarantee it could be kept. “But, Twilight... Love, don't you get it? I care!” Cadance said, tears now positively flowing down her beautiful face, all her fears driving her seemingly logical arguments into short, choppy phrased.. “I can't just make you go through that! What if the surgery doesn't work? And what if chemo doesn't do anything? I'm just going to be a bald, sick, wrinkled person and I might not even live through it all. Am I supposed to just put you through all of that, up close and personal and make you just endure it until I'm dead and gone?”

“I don't care. I don't care now, and I will never care. Now please say you'll marry me right now or else I- I don't know!” Twilight said fiercely. “Just marry me. That’s all I want.”

She was so close, but she still had to try. “Even if-”

But Twilight would not back down, not surrender even an inch of ground against any foe, not even the words of the one she loved most. “No matter what! Even if you’re hairless and tired, sick and grey and feel like you can’t take another breath, I want to marry you! Just- Cadance-!” Twilight at last lost her strength of speech and had to instead attend to her tears, stemming the flow before she could again try to speak in a dismal, choked voice. “... Cadance, I love you. I am begging you to marry me- before it really is too late.”

Going once, going twice. “Twilight...”

“Yes or no. Please.” Twilight may as well have stamped her foot, so solid were her words. There was no way to avoid it now, no means by which to argue further. A simple yes or no.

And there Cadance stood, knowing she was on Death’s doorstep. She could see the specter that awaited her arrival, knowing that it was only a short distance away. But there between her and the end was this one woman, the person whom above all else she loved and valued- above anything else in the entirety of the world, and that woman was asking for her hand in marriage. “... Yes,” Cadance whispered at last, unable to look anywhere but into the now-hopeful, brilliant pools of light that were Twilight’s eyes. “Let’s check the courthouse and see their earliest opening. I... I love you. And of course I’ll marry you.”

They called the courthouse almost immediately after, no tasks of career or otherwise to distract them. They worked together hurriedly with their end of the paperwork, sending copies of records and ID’s and birth certificates to speed along the process. The date was set, witnesses were called. It was not to be a dream wedding, the one long awaited with all the finery and beauty and brilliance that had been dreamed of for so many collective years- but it would be the one that saw her marry Cadance at last, and that was all that mattered to Twilight now.

When their fated day came a week later, not even a world so deeply marred by grief could ignore the significance of the moment. Death hung about them in everything they did, all their actions and words tainted by the fetid reek that came with its approach- yet today, of all days, that powerful force that bound the world in its grasp could not hope to be overcome. In the face of years of hopes and dreams, longings thought lost or once held as a girl’s foolish daydream, the world shone so bright and clear that only life and love could be seen. Today would be their defiance, their last shook fist against the end of the world, for nothing could hope to stop them now.
They ignored the cold and chose to wear something beautiful. In honor of the fantasy that had been shattered, the fairytale future now lost, Twilight adorned herself in a knee-length dress the color of soft gold that perfectly accentuated the dark depths of her eyes. Twilight was not royal, nor had she ever been, but the one who loved her called her priceless, and all that she touched was made greater because of it.

Cadance’s long-held desire of a blissful, perfect wedding were gone, but the dream she had cherished since even her earliest days were not to be so easily vanquished. A true Princess, once lost in the depths of her own sickness, had been purified and wore a dress the color white in honor of it. To the one who loved her, there was not a flaw to be found, not even the smallest imperfection; Cadance was the meaning of radiance.

“Ready, Princess?” Twilight asked, waiting just outside the door to their room in an aura of calm expectation. She had waited long for this moment, yet could still wait a little more.

Cadance smiled as she gave a nod, her first smile in days that was not weakened by the shadow of death, for no shadow could hope to touch them now. “Ready, Love. Do you have the rings?”

The bands of promise were little more than simple bands of white rubber, a shoddy replacement for the glory that each believed should adorn such tender fingers. If there came a day when the true item could be claimed, they would finally be made right- but that was not here, not now, so they did not allow their thoughts to linger upon it. In a world that seemed all so very wrong, it could still be right for now.

Their drive together was silent, hands holding to one another tightly as they wound their way to the courthouse, no words left that needed to be said. They did not relinquish each other of their grasp until they arrived and departure forced it of them- only to be reunited under the cool sun as their last steps together brought about an end to their relationship. Something new was to be born out of finality today.

“There’s Sunset and Pinkie,” Cadance said, pointing to the hurried couple that were quite literally sprinting towards them from down the street, the hyper-energetic baker expectedly crashing into her friends before bursting into tears. It was a strange relief to receive such a fervent, yet perhaps comical, outburst of emotion, a source of tears that was not their own. The beautiful woman’s gentle comforting helped bring an end to the frizzed woman’s weeping and saw to the bloom of a smile instead.

“Th-thanks for letting us be here!” Pinkie hiccupped, eyes so blotchy that it was a surprise her wide smile allowed sight to be found through them at all. “I’m just- so happy- and so sad- I don’t know what’s stronger, but I’m so happy for you both!”

“We’re glad you didn’t wait,” Sunset whispered into Twilight’s ear as the two friends embraced. “I was afraid you’d try to wait, this is so much better.”

Twilight found herself lost in joy as the four friends enjoyed the company of one another in an excitement that was quickly growing frenetic- and then made all the worse as four became six with the arrival of Celestia and Luna, the requested friends more than happy to bear witness to a long-awaited union. They spoke of the many years of waiting and how delightful it was to see it finally be made right; assuring voices whispered tidings of comfort and hope to help strike away the shadows; confidence looked towards the day when that beautiful, perfect ceremony would be made real for all of them to celebrate in fullness- even if not quite yet, even if the end said otherwise. But for today, for right now, the most important moment had come at last.

“I guess we go in and get started,” Cadance said to the group of eager companions, and the ascendant couple led the way up the courthouse steps as their witnesses walked behind in a procession of solemn joy. Words were shared with staff inside and the party was led into the depths of the building that would see them shielded from any prying eyes. Away from the large, massive rooms that were meant to house dozens upon dozens and instead they found themselves entering the small, comfortable confines of an aged, homely courtroom that seemed almost tailor-made for the occasion. No cold, cruel colors of baleful light and dark here but rather a soft glow so perfectly suited for affirmation of love. And so they waited, and waited, Twilight and Cadance still bound by intertwined fingers until they heard the openings of a door from somewhere behind the bench. Their gaze turned to the judge’s chair and in its place now sat a small, wizened man with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Good afternoon,” the judge greeted them. “I am Judge Prudence, and I will be heading today’s proceedings. May the betrothed please step forward?”

Fiancés no more. Betrothed was their new title, one to hold onto for only a short time longer. Twilight and Cadance left their seats and came forward to their place before the respondent’s table.

“Please state your names,” came the order.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Cadance,” the beautiful woman breathed. This was all really happening, and she still could not believe it.

“Miss Cadance, Miss Twilight Sparkle,” Judge Prudence said, “your witnesses may now come forward.”

Pinkie, Sunset, and Celestia came forward to stand just behind the awaiting couple, Luna discreetly taking photos in the background to make permanent the memories of this day. “Do these witnesses who are gathered here today have any objections to the union of this couple?”

“No way!” Pinkie cried.

“No!” Sunset declared.

“None,” Celestia said firmly.

The judge let their words reach his wizened ears and he smile, the joyful gesture evident even from his place in his chair, a bright little excitement clearly evident in his miniature frame as he began the final acts of a cherished, happy duty. “Miss Cadance,” he said, “do you take Twilight Sparkle to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do,” she said, her words full of weight and a potent, powerful meaning- yet so easy to say aloud, so clear and sweet-sounding as they escaped her lips.

“Miss Twilight Sparkle, do you take Cadance to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do!” Twilight said, her eyes glistening as she was the first to begin weeping, her deeply buried dreams of marrying this most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth at last being realized. After so many ups and downs, failures and triumphs, struggled and limitless heartache, there was nothing else that either could say to the other, for all had been accomplished and seen and now all that was left-

“Then by the power vested in me,” Judge Prudence said cheerfully, his tiny voice somehow booming across the small courtroom, “I declare you to be wife… and wife. Congratulations.”

Twilight could not see anything as the moment came, knowing only the squeeze of Cadance’s hand in lieu of the tears that stole her vision. She heard the sobbing of Pinkie, the cheering and clapping of Celestia and Luna, and a small cry of joy that spoke of Sunset. As footsteps passed about her in the midst of her blur, she heard the discreet shuffling of paper and murmuring voices that spoke to one last action, the seal that would see it preserved forever. As there was a quick bout of scribbling beside her, she felt the circular form of a pen enter her dampened fingers, and Twilight brushed tears aside as she placed her name upon a thick piece of parchment paper, the words boldly emblazoned upon it:

This is to certify that I, Prudence Craft, an ordained judge by virtue of the license required by law did on this 1st day of March, unite in holy bonds of matrimonyCadance and Twilight Sparkle

Written proof that they truly had won in the end. And as Twilight turned away from its permanent, unfaltering words, she instead met the bright, shining eyes of Cadance and the two women reached out to hold one another in the beginnings of a brand new life as Twilight beheld her wife for the first time, those sweet, warm lips meeting her own with beloved tenderness in a soft, priceless, perfect kiss.

They celebrated. They rejoiced. Friends congratulated the new couple and saw them be well-fed in response, a hearty dinner after to commemorate the moment. It was all welcome, and gratefully received, but the gift Twilight had wanted most was the one she would cherish for the rest of her life and it now rested beside her. The young woman could find herself focusing on little else but Cadance, more than happy to find those lips again and unite them with hers in a kiss, over and over again.

Wife. This splendid creature was her wife. Twilight felt dizzied by the thought, delirious with happiness.

Their evening among friends was well-spent, good food and drink helping nurture spirits left ragged by the wrath that had come with winter. Comfort of one another gained strength and found little reason to focus on a frightening, uncertain future; the here and now beckoned for their attention with far better circumstances. Each touch and word they knew was real, tangible, and comfort for their souls. It was not what they had envisioned, but it was most definitely good.

It’s a shame it has to end, Twilight mused. This happiness, and with my friends… I wouldn’t mind if it lasted forever. A hand wrapped about her own and Twilight looked over to see Cadance gazing at her adoringly, a brightness like that of stars shining in her eyes as she beheld her bride; love was there to be seen, and a deepened longing for something far more intimate. Or maybe I would.

The night’s celebrations at last came to a close, each of them now returning home in their own state of happiness. Sunset and Pinkie, properly tipsy and overly handsy for ones in public, meandered outside to where a summoned ride awaited to carry them to safety. Luna and Celestia said their goodbyes and departed separately as working woman and working mom left. Twilight and Cadance took their time returning to their car and let themselves enjoy the ride home in peace, a quiet sort of happiness filling the void where conversation was not needed. The world outside in the darkened corners of a late winter’s evening was cold and lonely- the newlyweds could hardly be brought to feel it, encased in a unique warmth that was solely their own.

Their world became so very small when they arrived home, the soft light and locked doors insulating them from the many troubles that had tried to follow. There was no mention of fear, no thought given to death, no anxieties that could slither through and tighten its coils about their minds. Twilight gave none of her attentions to anything but Cadance, and Cadance to her. Laughter seemed so easily found on the tips of their tongues, gestures of affection freely given without hesitation.

Slowly, but surely, their world decreased in size and was unable to contain their nigh-limitless joy; the house was too much and not enough to withstand them, they leaving their comfortable spots on the couch and retreating upstairs where a better-suited world could be crafted, built large and small enough to hold them.

A break apart, hands no longer held together, arms unwrapped and detached from the warm body of their spouse. Twilight gave a great sigh and sat upon the foot of the bed as she kicked away socks and heels, letting that pleasant heaviness fall upon her body, a weariness that only came from time well spent. She had changed so much in only a few hours and she could hardly even tell.

A pause of motion grabbed her attentions; Cadance stood at the threshold of the bathroom and leaned against the wall, her low-lidded eyes admiring she now called wife. There was a distant sort of smile on her features, a simple sweetness of mind unable to be held down.

“What’re you thinking about?” Twilight asked gently.

Cadance’s smile brightened and she gave a soft, singular laugh. “You… really are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known,” she whispered.

Twilight blushed, knowing full well there was no comparison between her and Cadance. No matter how lovely Twilight became, there would never be a time in all their lives that she could compare to this vision of a woman, a goddess of love in human form. “Can I argue that?”

“No,” Cadance replied, hands moving to clothing as she began to escape from the confines of fabric. “Not tonight. Not ever.”

Twilight felt a change overcome her as she watched Cadance began to leave the dress behind, tossing it to the floor and letting her body begin to be revealed. The young woman had seen it so many times, yet even still the magnificent figure would ensnare all her senses; pure white lingerie that adorned smooth skin, those lovely breasts tucked behind lace and fabric; the sweet perfection of lusciousness that was Cadance had consumed Twilight from the very beginning, for so many years. They had been together as secret lovers, girlfriends, fiancés- and tonight would see them united as wives.

“Do you love me, Twilight?” Cadance asked her, taking position just before Twilight and cradling that keen face in her hands.

“Of course I do,” Twilight replied.

“Then forget everything tonight, Love,” Cadance whispered, leaning in and letting only a demure, solitary kiss bring their lips together. “Tonight… tonight you know nothing but me.”

Twilight could hardly have been roused to give even a moment’s thought to anything else but Cadance; her hands pulled away at golden garments and undressed her bride and the young woman was set aflush. It had been so many years since their first night together, with many nights together since- but now Twilight felt just as timid and safe as she had all those years ago, knowing that she would be safe in her wife’s arms. “Cadance…”

“I need you, Twilight,” Cadance whispered, crawling onto the bed and coming so close to her entranced spouse that little but those gleaming eyes could be seen. “And I’ve waited for so long.”

Years and years; from their very first meeting, from childhood to adulthood, Twilight had waited for this moment, never truly believing it would come. And now they knelt not even an inch apart, barely the hint of fabric separating body from body. “Thanks for waiting,” she whispered, at last closing the gap as lips found their match, arms wrapped about body, hearts sang as love met love with fullest vigor, the moon halting in the sky in honor of their union, granting them all the time in the world for their solitude together.

Each woman wondered how they could have ever been so lucky, each new kiss bringing forth a new bliss that only spurred their own romanticism. Twilight wondered how she could not have noticed such exquisite softness that was Cadance’s lips; Cadance marveled at how perfectly Twilight kissed her, the care given in each meeting. They knew not of how deeply love had changed them, transforming their passions into something far deeper, igniting a hunger they had yet to know. Twilight pressed all the deeper into the supple mouth of her bride, hands rising from their place about the woman’s waist and undoing the bra that held back beautiful breastflesh from joining the fray. Cadance caressed fine hair and let fingers run through it as though by instinct, a buzzing in her brain demanding that these kisses could not end. She craved this feeling, longed for it, and all without knowing it. To love her bride and to show it had never felt so perfect, and loath would she be for this timeless act to end.

Hands moved across fine skin and relieved them of clothing. Feminine forms united as lips and naked body were incensed by desire; the feel of hardened nipples brushing against her bare flesh was intoxicating. Cadance cooed happily as the tender sensation of Twilight’s body moving against hers in a slow, rubbing motion made each kiss all the more satisfying- and yet all the more stirring. She loved to kiss Twilight, loved to feel this simple act of love be brought and made real, and now it drove her mind into a brilliant storm. She desperately needed more, and somehow more could not possibly be enough. Cadance kissed her again, and took Twilight’s lower lip in between her own for a small, teasing nibble, the pull of flesh a signal to venture ever further, deeper. When the beautiful woman felt a wet press against her mouth, it brought a thrill of satisfaction.

Twilight was trying to be patient, tried to fulfill Cadance’s desire for a romantic night. This was for her, all the effort that could possibly be made so the most perfect bride in the world could see her dream wedding night become reality. The kisses she bestowed upon her were everything she knew her beloved wanted, and a little more- but Twilight’s fires of longing were burning bright and out of control, desperate for a rush to the climax. It was a relief when she felt the pull of Cadance upon her lips, a tease for her to dive deeper. When the young woman’s tongue slithered forth and took hold of its mate, she at last let herself melt into the action; saliva mingled and became thickened as the twin muscles danced, twirling about in Cadance’s mouth as bride felt the loving touch of bride. Her own moan of delight was kept muffled, swatted away by the slickened caress of her princess’ tongue and kept tucked within as hands still massaged body, lips remained united and concealing a dance swiftly losing control-

“Aaah…” Twilight could contain herself no more and pulled herself away, yet taking Cadance’s pink muscle as her captive treasure; she kissed it, sucked it as though it were candy, lavished upon it all the praise and adoration it adored until her bride could hardly contain her rising sounds of pleasure that came from every touch brought against it. She had come to love this action in their first night, and had loved it ever since. Twilight exulted in the feeling-

Her captive escaped and swiftly returned, this time pulling forth her own slickened tongue and finding it ensnared between Cadance’s lips, those beautiful eyes gleaming as the first suck was slow, and gloriously tender. Of course Twilight moaned, the sensation so perfect to her senses; each kiss, each moment of suckling upon it was heavenly. Cadance licked away and let the sapphic kiss be made sloppy, they breaking apart so as to marvel at the work that had been crafted: a gossamer band shone between them, shining in the light and turning them both flushed as they gloried in the work they had crafted together.

Twilight had reached her crescendo, unable to wait any longer. She devoured the strand and kissed back fiercely, the more intense motion sending them both toppling against the bedsheets. “I love you,” she breathed.

“Then don’t stop,” Cadance begged, eager to be claimed by her bride. “Take me.”

Such nakedness of flesh and spirit made Twilight marvel. She was to make love to this woman in the purest way imaginable; this was her wife, her bride forevermore, and she was to see her satisfied perfectly tonight. She began where she knew her passions to be their greatest, taking those tender breasts in her clutches and beginning to-

She hesitated and came to a halt; so caught up in her passions that she had forgotten, the hardness and slow disfigurement brought by sickness reminded Twilight of why this had all began. Fought off by feelings of greater happiness, the bubble that had protected them from thoughts of fear and death was punctured and leaking.

“Twilight..?” The cessation of action had roused Cadance’s concerns, the gentle-hearted woman sensing her beloved’s growing despair. The finite world had come back before them, the thought of something so beautiful now made fragile. The darkened shadows demanded attentions-

No. Twilight would not allow grief to consume her, to rob them both of a joyful moment. Another kiss, fierce enough to steal Cadance’s breath from her lungs, made stronger by the grinding of body as she returned to lavish her praises upon pure flesh; a kiss upon awaiting lips began the trail southwards, down along the cheek to the neck. Slow and gentle was each press as the young bride tended to her lover’s carnal desires, small strokes of the hand across pristine skin that preceded the touch of her lips to awaken the gooseflesh and arouse sensitivity. She moved slowly downwards, save for a single hand that found its way in between and began to tease; light touches of fingers both without and just barely within as a small gift. Twilight wanted to hear Cadance cry out before she had even begun, to feel her struggle right from the start. There was dampness, yes, a moistening of her fingers, but not enough to really begin. It needed to be a torturous wait, just long enough to make her beg for it.

“Twilight…” Cadance looked at her bride with desperation, gaze flickering between her lower lips and the starlit eyes of the woman she loved. She wanted more, desired it. A gentle play at the edges of her nerves was not enough to satisfy…

“Not yet,” Twilight hushed, her free hand stroking from Cadance’s cheek to the navel, a solitary finger running across the center of her folds to add to the measure. “Not yet.” She intensified, but only just- two fingers now, deeper and quicker. Not so much that any true satisfaction could be achieved, but enough to make the woman twitch. A sudden break from smoother actions and she plunged in deep, stroking into the depths with a great force- then just as quickly escaping.

“Twilight…”

“Not yet,” Twilight said, her own lips cementing the order and keeping Cadance’s tongue occupied, her fingers still below and adding one more to the mix, further presence and pressure forcing Cadance to tremble. This was the beginnings- a new dive deep, slow and heady as she did not hesitate to repeat the motion, but only once over before she continued with her teasing, her fingers making their way through Cadance’s now soaked folds as though they were pages of a book-

“Mmm! Aah, Twilight!” Cadance could take it no longer and forcibly released her imprisoned mouth from Twilight’s tender clutches, face fully flushed and each breath a struggle to contain. “If you don’t go down there and put your tongue to work, I swear!”

The younger woman grinned, her eyes like slits and she brought her fingers up for a slow, deliberate leaking, allowing Cadance to marvel at how she lapped away at the juices. “Feel free to scream,” she breathed- and in a motion of surprising speed, Twilight dove downwards and began a frenzied assault of amorous intent, plunging so deeply into Cadance’s sex that it was all her senses could hope to take in. If her bride made a sound, she did not hear it, so intent on her artistry that the dear newlywed allowed nothing to enter her consciousness. She lapped as one dying of thirst in the desert, a beautiful voraciousness of spirit and body as she took to every inch she could find: she nibbled only just, lapped wildly where teasing had once been and drank deeply. This woman, this splendid being was her prize, and she was to relish it with all her might. Tongue delved greedily and lovingly, eager to find herself satisfied with her lover’s satisfaction, unwilling to relent her desperate attacks until Cadance could do little more than cry out. Twilight ate with voraciousness- a sudden pull on the labia that would be unmistakable, the captive flesh released and immediately tended to with a kiss-

A motion awoke her from her explorations as Twilight felt Cadance gave a strong shudder that was only barely held in check, the first sign that the struggle to withstand her was failing-

Twilight gave no mercy and plunged all the deeper, licking and lapping away with all her might, no thought given to restraint in the slightest. She plunged deep and remained there, wanting no scent or taste to escape her notice until she had laid them all bare. Every part of Cadance was hers, and she wanted nothing more than to see all of her tended to. Tonight, this long-awaited night of nights, was to be the crescendo all their time together had been waiting for.

Even her focused mind could not hope to ignore the unrestrained cry that flew from Cadance’s lips, Twilight witness to a violent tremor of flesh before the coming cascade that was heralded by the rapturous peal from her bride. She took in the floodwaters and adored them, the feel and smell of them almost forgotten amidst their days of weary, fearful struggle. Glad as she was to receive the flow, to enjoy what she had almost forgotten in their absence, the glow that the young woman felt within was given light by the knowledge that the one she loved had been made happy. And I’m the one who helped her get there.

Knowing her fiercest work was done, Twilight’s intermingled work of mild pain and brilliant pleasure softened, rapid actions now smooth and slow as she began to clean her wife’s mess. It was not the cessation of motion and movement but rather a transformation from the unrestrained to the deliberate, Twilight’s thorough act of love meant to be of comfort rather than further excitement, a further display of the depths of her affection. As she felt Cadance’s body heave with the receding force of orgasm, her lips continued to find drenched skin and she tended to it, content that she had brought such a thing about-

“Twilight!” Before she had even come close to finishing, the attentive bride was torn away mid-swipe and found herself brought into a kiss of delicious fierceness, Cadance holding to her so tightly that her senses became overwhelmed. It was not an aggressive act but one born of an intense, desirous love. “Did I ever tell you that you feel wonderful?” Cadance whispered, the hint of laughter in her wearied voice.

“Once or twice,” Twilight whispered back, content in her place within her wife’s grasp. This was all she had ever really wanted, if she was given the moment to be honest. So utterly at peace in the embrace of the one she’d loved since she was young, that first love given chance to take root and blossom under the nurturing of maturity. There wasn’t a reason to hope for anything else.

“Mind if I return the favor?” the beautiful woman asked, her voice dripping with temptation.

It was an offer difficult to ignore. “Princess, you don’t have to-”

“Oh, but I want to,” Cadance said fiercely, suddenly overpowering her young bride and lying atop her. “I might even enjoy it. Let a girl have some fun.”

“Princess…”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Cadance added, slithering across Twilight’s naked form until she found the object of her desires, “you might like it, too.”

The first knead by delicate hands was the sign of Cadance’s beginning work. Twilight’s breasts were smaller, more petite, but to the beautiful woman who called her spouse, they were heavenly. A long-awaited return of favor for the many times Twilight had tended to her in such a manner so Cadance tended to her, one hand playing with titflesh while the other was held in the firm grasp of an affectionate tongue that lathered its wordless worships upon a nipple that hardened beneath the weight of such love.

The gasp that escaped Twilight’s lips was unbidden, instinctive, and desired by the awaiting ears of her wife, the melodious sound driving her to pursue it further. So much of their breastplay as a couple had been focused on her own larger mounds, Twilight more willing to spend time upon foreplay and teasing than she. One so eager for the final prize, yet now she found herself savoring the feel of these smaller jewels that so promptly reacted to her efforts. It was a rarity, perhaps even a first, and Cadance swore she would never let this delicacy be taken away from her again. She fell in love with Twilight again, this discovery of pleasure in the flesh spurring her to give further praise: she took nipple in teeth and teased them, her hand taking the other and placing sudden, momentary pinches- all of it making Twilight squeal.

“Mmm…” Cadance moved her lips away from the breast and gave a coy grin at the sound of preliminary success that had flowed into the air. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes,” Twilight said in a taut gasp, this new pleasure of physical sensation putting her senses on edge.

“Then allow me,” Cadance breathed, and her fingers plunged downwards and tended to their prize like a gardener diving into readied soil. The cry that came from her loving wife was a song of the deep night, perfect fingers plying their trade below as eyes gazed adoringly at the face of the woman she loved struggled to hold back both sound and expression. She knew what Twilight enjoyed, just where to be touched and stroked- tonight she would have whatever needs they knew met.

“Oooh-MMPH!” Twilight’s cries were cut short as she felt those perfect, plumped lips meet her own in a kiss as hands continued to grant their carnal worship, Cadance fully ensnaring all of her senses within this wondrous display of unrestrained affection. Lost in the haze of such a love, Twilight swooned and threw her arms about her wife in an embrace, fingers tracing through hair and across flesh as she did not hesitate to shudder and coo at every new jolt of ecstasy. She wanted Cadance to know how good it felt: that each kiss and stroking of tongue against her own was delightful, that the touch of her fingers was as the work of a maestro, that to simply be so close –so deeply enwrapped with this paradigm of perfection- was nothing more than the most heavenly dream. She cried out eagerly, struggled mightily, tightened her hold until she felt her senses falter and be overcome. The sound and struggle of Twilight climaxed, the matrimonial union bringing forth a moment that each would remember forever. Cadance relished the rocking heaves of the body as orgasm coursed through her bride, the weakened coos of Twilight finding her own tongue, the outpouring of juices against her own body, each one more tender and precious than the one before, slowing until they came to an end and she knew her love would need reprieve…

“I love you,” she whispered. Cadance released Twilight from her grasp and caressed her face with dirtied fingers, the two women collapsing beside one another on the bed as they tried to recover-

But what recovery was to be found? Twilight would not release Cadance from her embrace and held her lips fast against her own, the series of still-passionate kisses keeping them occupied and struggling for breath. They took in one another with all their wearied senses could endure, their romantic union still burning bright as hand weaved across stained flesh, through frazzled hair and across juices yet to be cleaned away. Their kisses remained fierce, the presses of mouth upon mouth still possessing the strength to steal away moans and murmurs of delight. Tongue danced with tongue again and again, each more than willing to continue lavishing their praises of the other as they held one another close.

Cadance sucked on Twilight’s tongue just as she had over so many years now, eager to still tend to its needs even if their flesh could not go any further. This was her bride, the love of her life, and she would not fade into the grasp of the grave without it being known in fullness. Twilight held Cadance all the more tightly in her arms as she let her lips and tongue be enjoyed, not wishing to be the one that broke the spell. She loved to ravish this woman, and to be ravished by her. It was a harmony she could not find elsewhere, not with anyone else on earth. This was her first love, the only love she had truly ever known…

And she just might lose her.

Cadance’s kisses came to a halt as she felt Twilight begin to shudder. It was not a response to her outpouring of love, but something else entirely. She retreated and stared at her bride only to see tears forming in those darkened eyes, the droplets beginning to fall thick and heavy as the foisted burden of reality again fell across her shoulders. The cavalcade of love now intermingled with fear and the grief that came was a horror to withstand, a weary spirit unable to withstand the weight in silence. “Twilight…”

“Am I going to lose you?” Twilight asked, the streams pouring down her face coming to add to the soaked stains upon the bedsheets. “Please, don’t- don’t say goodbye to me.”

It was another monument to all that she could lose. Cadance tended to her bride’s worries and held her in a softened, gentle hug as the two women allowed themselves to weep and share their fears together, the exhaustion they knew pushing their spirits to face the depths of their fear and despair as the long night came upon them, shielding them from the prying eyes of the world as they grieved.

The moment came faster than even their fears could have guessed. Twilight took the day off, and the one after, just in case there were complications. Cadance had received a number of well-wishes from friends, family, and staff of both schools. She would, at least, be in the minds of so many.

The hospital was clean, and cold. The plain colors did nothing to offer rest, the somber faces of medical staff of little comfort- and the sorrowful expressions on many others even worse. Here was the place where so many fates would be decided, and now their own story was to be added to the mix. The ups and downs, triumph and success, love and heartbreak, all of it leading to this moment.

They held hands when they sat. They held even still as Cadance was called into the operating room, separating for a brief moment as the elder bride was commanded to change. When she returned, Twilight could not even find the strength to smile at the beauty before her, her heart ravaged by the intense fear that now held its place on Cadance’s face like a mask.

“You’ll…” Twilight’s words died in her throat. She wanted to say things would be OK, that the world wasn’t really ending, but her uncertainty was so strong that it felt like a lie.

“No matter what comes next,” Cadance whispered, “I love you.”

“Love you, too.” One last locked gaze, one last smile… “One last kiss before you go?”

Their lips met one last time, the sweet gesture turned salty by the presence of tears. Emotions told them to give this long, lingering goodbye before it was too late- in case it really was too late. Twilight loved the feel of Cadance upon her, that gentle love that had shone so brilliantly even when she’d been young- a beauty impossible to ignore.

And then they separated, Cadance remaining within the operating room as Twilight gave a wave and departed to a chair in which she would wait for many hours, knowing there was nothing more she could ever say.

Author's Note

And so we wait.

Epilogue on the way, eventually. Trust.

Keep reading, I guess.