Complicated Relations

Twilight Sparkle looked over the small guest bedroom. For the fifth time, she scanned the space to ensure that no belongings of hers remained. For the sixth time, she sorted through the contents of her saddlebags to make certain that every item that had made the journey from Ponyville with her would make the journey back. She had a checklist to help her.

Yes, she was definitely packed and ready to go. She moved to exit, and stole one more glance as she did so, her eyes falling on one particular piece of furniture.

The bed, immaculately made, and nominally hers during her week-long stay.

She had not lain in it even once.

She smiled. It had been seven days well-spent.

Well, technically, five-and-a-half. Wednesday and part of Friday she had been busy defending Equestria from unspeakable ancient evils, with some help from Cadance and Shining Armor. Typical assignments from Celestia; nothing to write home about.

“Got everything you need?” Cadance asked when Twilight entered the living room.

Her husband snorted. “Did you forget who you’re talking to? Twiley probably made a checklist and went through everything three times.”

The purple unicorn nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh, yeah...” She chuckled guiltily. “I mean, I have everything packed.”

Her brother approached. He wore a bittersweet smile. “It was great spending time with you, sis. We’re gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too,” she replied, mirroring his expression. They touched horns.

“We need to get together more often,” Cadance said as she joined the two siblings. “How about the next time Shining and I have a vacation, we stop by Ponyville? I’d love to meet your friends again.”

“I’d like that.” Twilight nodded enthusiastically. “The library’s always open for you.”

Cadance suddenly drew a hoof to her mouth and gasped. “I almost forgot!” She galloped off, leaving a confused unicorn looking to Shining Armor for an explanation. He just shrugged knowingly.

The princess quickly returned, smiling, and holding a little envelope. “This is for you.”

As the object passed from Cadance’s aura to Twilight’s, she could feel that a small, weighty item was contained within.

“A present?” the younger mare questioned.

“Not exactly,” her brother answered. “Just something you should have.”

A moment passed.

“Uh, you can open it now,” Shining added with a smile. He whispered to his wife, “Why did we even bother with the envelope?”

Twilight’s eyes widened when she retrieved the item, and widened further still when she grasped its significance.

“That’s why,” Cadance answered, grinning victoriously.

It was a key. Silver, gleaming, and perfectly-cut, it almost seemed fine enough to be a piece of jewellery, though it contained no superfluous gems or other ostentatious additions, remaining true to its utilitarian essence. On the bow were engraved three small, yet meticulously detailed images: Shining Armor’s cutie mark, Cadance’s cutie mark... and Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark.

“It’s...” the young mare was having a hard time forming words. “It’s...”

“The key to the house,” Shining finished casually. “We figured you should have one.”

Twilight doubted she would ever use it. In this area of Canterlot, hardly anyone ever locked their doors; a Royal Guardspony stood almost literally on every street corner, and the crime statistic was reported not as a ratio, but as an absolute total, countable with a single pony’s hooves. Even faced with a locked door, Twilight knew enough magic – ranging from simple unlocking spells, through known-location teleportation, up to and including material phasing – to make the very idea of a door lock a purely academic concept.

All told, the key she had been given had next to zero practical use.

Its meaning, however, was unmistakable.

She would never be a guest in this house. She required no invitation and no reason to be here. She belonged, unconditionally. This was her home as much as theirs, and she would always be a part of it. She would always be a part of their lives.

And she finally had the answer to her silent question from six days ago:

No. She didn’t need to knock. Not ever.

She threw herself at the larger mare, hugging tight. “Thank you!” She perceived moisture collecting under her eyelids, but the feel of Cadance against her was having a calming effect, and she was able to hold back from bursting into tears.

She was about to release the alicorn and turn her attention to Shining Armor, but quickly realised how silly she was being. They weren’t in public, after all.

She planted a deep, passionate kiss on Cadance’s lips. A kiss that was immediately and eagerly returned. Twilight didn’t want it to end; not knowing when she would be able to do this again. She felt closer to this pony than she ever had before. Her wonderful, loving, beautiful sister-in-law.

No, there was no need for the qualifier.

Her sister.

At last the two mares broke apart, both their faces flushed and light pants escaping their muzzles.

Shining Armor had been watching them with a grin. He waited patiently, seemingly unconcerned about being ignored. He couldn’t keep up the façade, though, and closed half the distance himself when his sibling moved in his direction.

Their mouths locked together, and the stallion tasted his wife on his sister’s tongue. It was a flavour he had grown to like very much.

Twilight tended to lose track of time in moments like these, and it had to be Cadance who snapped brother and sister out of their impromptu makeout session.

“Um, Twilight? Doesn’t your train leave in... like...?”

“Twelve minutes!” the purple unicorn suddenly gasped. “I have to go or I won’t make it!” She placed her gift back in its envelope and into one of her saddlebags, then made for the front door at speed. She stopped at the last moment.

The words weren’t necessary. Still, it would feel wrong to leave without saying them.

“Goodbye. I love you Shining. I love you, Cadance.”

“Love ya, Twiley,” the two replied together.

And then Twilight was running.

As it turned out, she did make it. The train ride back to Ponyville was uneventful, and the unicorn spent most of the time reading a book about multisynchronous spellcasting techniques. To her surprise, her mind didn’t wander; her studious focus having apparently been only sharpened and rejuvenated by her vacation. Only a few pages of the tome remained when the conductor announced their arrival.

“Welcome home, darling,” a smiling Rarity greeted her as soon as she stepped onto the Ponyville station platform.

“Hey Twi, good to have you back!” said Rainbow Dash.

“Thanks! It’s good to be back.” Twilight beamed. “You know, you guys didn’t have to come all this way to meet me...”

“Oh, it was no trouble at all!” the white unicorn insisted. “I have been working on rush orders nonstop for the last two days and I managed to get them all done just in time. A relaxing stroll was exactly what I needed. I invited Fluttershy here to join me, and we ran into Rainbow along the way.”

“Hello Twilight,” the butter-yellow pegasus added her greeting somewhat late, “I hope you enjoyed your stay in Canterlot.”

“I most definitely did,” the purple mare replied as the group of four began a leisurely walk toward Golden Oaks Library.

“And it shows,” her unicorn friend noted. “My dear Twilight, you look like a new mare. The way you carry yourself, your smile... You are positively radiant!”

Rainbow Dash snickered.

“And just what is so funny?”

The prismatic pegasus was staring at Twilight with half-lidded eyes and a grin a mile wide. “I know that look. You got laid.”

Fluttershy squeaked. Rarity gasped. “Rainbow Dash!” she admonished.

The target of Rainbow’s comment, however, grinned right back at her. “I did,” she stated proudly.

“Wahahaha! I knew it!” The cyan mare quickly looped in the air. “Way to go, Twi!” She gave her purple friend a high-hoof. “How many times?” she demanded to know.

Fluttershy had turned beet-red by this point.

Twilight answered with a soft frown. “Now, Rainbow Dash, that’s enough. Some things are private.”

“Quite,” Rarity agreed. “And we are in public. This is no place to discuss such matters. Not another word, Rainbow,” she said just as the pegasus was about to object.

The cyan pony grumbled under her breath. For a while, the four mares walked in silence.

“So, Twilight,” Rarity started up again, “I take it you had the opportunity to visit your... ahem... mystery friend? Hmm?”

Dash facehoofed at the blatant display of hypocrisy.

“I did,” Twilight calmly confirmed, “but I’m still not saying who it is. Sorry.”

“Oh, there’s no need to apologise. Everypony keeps a few secrets, I suppose. If it is truly that important to you, I shan’t pry. And neither will anypony else, right?” The white unicorn was looking rather ominously at Dash, who was determinedly refusing to grant her any sort of reply.

“Well, now we know that Twilight’s friend still lives in Canterlot,” said Fluttershy’s voice.

The poor pegasus cowered almost into nonexistence as she was assaulted by the shocked stares of her three companions. She squeaked out something unintelligible, but which was most likely a terrified apology.

“Uh, yeah,” the purple mare chuckled in an attempt to ease her friend out of her pit of terror. “I guess I let that part slip. Congratulations, Fluttershy. You just displayed excellent deductive reasoning. Come on, let’s go... Seriously... ponies are starting to stare.”

Rainbow facehoofed again. “Ugh, not helping, Twilight!”

After some more coaxing, the trio succeeded in getting the yellow pony moving again.

“Fluttershy’s right, though,” Dash risked poking at the topic again. “Kinda makes me wonder if visiting your brother was the real reason you decided to spend your vacation there.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, ignoring Rarity’s murderous stare.

“I can honestly say that it was, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight replied, calmly but firmly.

“Um...” the yellow pegasus tried, and failed, to rejoin the conversation.

“Oh, please, Fluttershy, say what’s on your mind!” Rarity implored. “I’m certain that whatever you have to say will be preferable to Rainbow’s crude commentary.”

“I... I was just thinking... it’s nice that Twilight was able to find time to spend with her brother and with this pony that she... um... likes.” The shy mare offered a small smile.

“I doubt it was a problem,” Rarity said. “Twilight has excellent organisational skills. I’m sure she was able to divide her time properly between the two.”

The purple unicorn smiled. “It was easier than you might think.”

“Ooooh, of course! Now I get it!” Rainbow announced. “All this time, Twilight's been doing her brother!"