Trying Love

I was overwhelmed with the comfort of familiarity when my hooves touched down on the balcony of my room in the castle and my wings folded to rest at my sides. I used my magic to unlock the glass doors and walked into my room, my reflection in the grand mirror showing me just how exhausted I looked while my saddlebags slid to the floor. After a moment of settling back into my room, my door opened with a soft click and my mother walked in, a hesitant smile on her face.

"How was your first day?" She asked as she walked in and took a seat at the small vanity against my wall.

"It was good," I said truthfully. All in all, I'd made a new friend in the country pony, my first real "peer" that I had really interacted with the way ponies normally do. I'll admit, I was a little flustered when I saw that I would be sharing my Sexual Education class with the blue-maned stallion I'd seen at lunch, along with his beautiful fillyfriend, who struck me as one of the ponies my mother had warned me about. Braeburn was also there, though, which was a source of comfort.

"Tell me about it." She urged gently, leaning forward to listen.

I recounted the events of my day, describing my encounter with Braeburn and his tormentors, and blushing a bit when I explained my talk with Twilight. "I'm sorry, I should have asked before I made the commitment," I said hurriedly after mentioning that I'd agreed to foal sit. "I just felt it was a great opportunity to-"

My mother's laughter interrupted my thought. "Don't worry, Cadence, I think it's a lovely idea. Twilight Sparkle is the filly? Yes, I've been looking into her for awhile now, meeting with her parents tonight should tie up a few loose ends."

Now, it was my turn to be interested in the topic of conversation. "What do you think will become of her?"

"I'm not sure yet," She said thoughtfully. "She shows more potential than any young filly I've seen in quite some time. I hope to take her on as my personal student, if she's able to pass the test."

"The dragon egg test?" I gaped.

"The very same."

"I could never manage that," I said, scoffing a bit. "That egg has gone unhatched since before I was born. Do you really think she'll be able to do it?"

My mother stood to leave, but gave me a lingering smile. "We shall see. I expect you should be leaving in an hour or so, so I'll leave you be. I have some work to tend to."

I nodded. "Thank you." Part of me was relieved that I hadn't been able to explain up to seeing the stallion that had caused my heart to flutter and my knees to go weak. I wasn't sure if I could lie, and I had no idea how my mother would feel about my having feelings for someone with nothing to base them on. Foolish, she would say.

After she left I ran a brush through my mane, now tangled from the activities of the day. If I brushed it right, the colors all mixed together beautifully, purples and pinks and yellows. It was unusual for a pony to have more than two colors, but like in everything else, I was special. Sometimes, it felt incredibly selfish to have the desire to be ordinary; so many ponies would die to have my regal lifestyle, with the Princess of Equestria as my mother. But honestly, this was all I had known. Everything else in the world had been hidden away from me like a precious gem. And now, finally, I got to unearth the truth beyond the castle's walls.

I emptied my school supplies from my saddlebags and filled it instead with different games I had enjoyed when I was a filly Twilight's age- cards, a puzzle cube, different word games. I also, on a whim, packed a small stuffed animal that I'd had since I was a foal. Something told me Twilight might appreciate it.

In what felt like no time at all, I took to the skies for the third time that day, Twilight's written directions held in front of my face in a firm magical hold as I navigated my way. Her instructions were clear and concise, something that impressed me, considering her youth, and I arrived five minutes before she'd asked me to.

Twilight lived in one of the older areas of Canterlot, where all the houses were custom built and the trees towered overhead. Her house was cozy and warm, with a neatly trimmed yard and a clean coat of white paint, nothing extravagent, and homey all the same. I scuffed my hooves on the pavement in front of her home, undecided on whether I should wait out the extra few minutes or knock on the door.

My decision was made for me when the door in question was thrown open, and a mare and stallion bustled out, still pulling on coats and arranging their saddlebags. The mare nearly plowed into me before she noticed me, and gave a breathless apology.

"Oh my, dear, I'm so sorry. You must be the foal sitter! Yes, Twilight told us about you, thank you so much for coming on such short noti- say, aren't you one of my students? Yes! Honey, this is the alicorn I mentioned to you. Cadence, isn't it?" Her words spilled out in a rush.

"Yes," I said, blushing. "And it's no trouble at all, really-"

"All of the emergency addresses are on the fridge, you know how to send mail with magic, don't you? Oh, what am I saying, of course you do. Shining is still here, he should be leaving to go on his date any minute now, though. Do you have any questions? You know, we're already late to see the princess, we should be going." The couple started trotting away, and she called over her shoulder, "My son, Shining Armor, can answer any questions you have!"

I gave a weak wave as I watched them leave, then tightened my bags, pushed my loose mane from my face, and walked up the path and through the door that was still ajar. I looked around, and noted that the interior of the home was just as cozy as the exterior. The floors were hard wood, and the color scheme was made up of beiges and browns. A fire crackled warmly in the fireplace against the far wall, and on the wooden floor I could hear hoofbeats coming near.

"Hello?" I called out nervously.

"Oh, hey, you must be the new foal-" The voice stopped short when the speaker came into view and our eyes met. My heart nearly stopped when I saw that it was the white stallion from school that I'd seen at lunch. My mouth went dry, and my tail began swishing from side to side, a nervous habit I'd tried to get rid of since I was a filly.

"The new foal sitter," I finished for him in a small voice, barely able to meet his gaze. "Yes."

"You're the new pony," He said, tilting his head curiously. "You're in my Sex Ed class, right?"

"Right." I gave a shy smile. "So, you're Shining Armor? Twilight's brother?"

"The one and only!" He gave me a grin, then stepped a little closer so that he wasn't shouting across the room. "Fluer will be here any minute. Sorry about today, by the way, she was so rude to you."

"Oh, that? It was nothing." I gave my best attempt at a nonchalant shrug. "Is, um...is Twilight here?"

"Oh, yeah. TWILIGHT!" He bellowed over his shoulder.

I heard lighter hoofbeats, and within moments Twilight was skidding into the room, now out of breath. She beamed when she saw me, running towards us.

"Cadence!" She squealed, eliciting a smile from me. She was a sweet filly, and why she had developed such an attachment to me so quickly was beyond me. I leaned down to nuzzle her.

"Hi, Twilight! I'm glad I could come, I brought lots of games for us to play." As I spoke, I was distinctly aware of Shining Armor watching the entire exchange.

"That sounds fun," She said. "But I was hoping we could practice some magic, if you don't mind. I was doing some research on Alicorns, and in Magical Maladies of the Malformed, it said-"

Shining Armor chuckled and put his hoof over his sister's mouth. "Whoa there, kiddo. Maybe games would be a good idea, take a break from studying for once."

"Shining Armor!" She pouted. "I'm in advanced magic now. Advanced! Do you know how much time that's going to take? If I want the princess to notice me, I have to at least pass advanced magic!"

"Oh, don't worry, the princess has noticed you." I assured her. "I'm staying in the castle, and she mentioned you just earlier today."

Twilight's mouth dropped open in a comical O. She breathed in a huge gulp of air, then shouted, "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" She proceeded to leap around in circles, spouting her excitement at her brother and me. "The princess noticed me! She talked about me! Can you believe it, Shining? Do you think that's a good sign? Oh my gosh the princess knows who I am!"

Shining and I exchanged a smile over the filly's shenanigans, but the moment was interrupted with a distinct knock on the door.

Shining went to answer it, and the mare I recognized to be his girlfriend by the name of Fleur walked in, flicking her mane to the side and scanning the room. When her eyes rested on me, she scowled in distaste.

"What is she doing here?" She asked, looking at Shining.

"Oh, she's Twilight's new foal sitter," He explained hurriedly. "She's in our Sex Ed class, remember?"

"I remember." She stared at me for a measure, then turned back to Shining, dismissing me entirely. I bowed my head, feeling thoroughly embarrassed, and I noticed Twilight standing sheepishly at my side. She didn't like Fleur either?

"Are you ready for our date, baby?" She purred, kissing him on the mouth. He pulled back a little, smiling.

"You know it." He glanced back at me. "You'll be okay watching her?"

"That's what I'm here for," I offered with a smile.

He nodded, then the two of them walked out of the room, slamming the door shut with a light pink flourish of magic. I sighed, a wealth of tension now gone from the room.

"She's not a very nice person," Twilight commented dejectedly.

"I don't know her well enough to really say," I said, trying to set a good example. "I'm sure she's not all bad, though. Shining Armor must like her, right?"

"I guess. I don't know why, though." She scrunched her snout, and I laughed at the adorableness of the gesture.

"Why don't we practice a little magic," I suggested, and her eyes lit up, "and then we can try some of my games. Sound fair enough?"

"Fine, but next time you come, we have to practice magic again, too. Okay?" She said as she started trotting out of the room, waving for me to follow. My heart swelled at the mention that she wanted me to come back. Having friends felt absolutely wonderful.

***

"Twilight, please...can we stop now?" My legs wobbled from the extensive magical exertion she'd insisted we both go through. She was ceaselessly amazed at the potency of my magic, oohing enviously as I changed the color of three of her family's dinner placemats. We'd been at it for nearly an hour and a half, and my head pounded from the effort.

"Alright, just let me try it one more time." She stepped in front of the white sewn placemat and squeezed her eyes in concentration, using her purple aura to give the material a tinge of pink for a few seconds before she gave up, panting.

"How do you make the spell so that the color change stays?" She asked, rubbing her forehead with her hoof.

"I'll tell you next time I come over if you agree to take a break," I bargained.

She considered, and conceded. "Fine. You said you had some games?"

"I do!" I said, grinning. I led her back into the living room from the filly's room, where we'd been working, and rummaged through my saddlebags with my hooves, giving my magic a break.

"Let's see...I've got puzzles, cards, a stuffed animal..."

"I like puzzles!" She practically sang. Of course she did.

"You know, Twilight, I have a little bit of a headache. Why don't we just play a nice game of hide and seek?" I offered with a tempting smile. "Have you ever played that before?"

She shook her head.

"Well, I'll teach you how to play." I leaned down to her level and explained the game. She nodded, listening carefully, and if I wasn't mistaken, her hoof twitched as though she wanted to be taking notes. This pony was something.

"I'll be it first," I concluded after my explanation. "I'll count to twenty. Ready?"

She nodded, and I covered my eyes and began my counting. "One, two, three..." Once I reached twenty, I uncovered my eyes and cried, "Ready or not, here I come!"

After three or four minutes of careful searching, I came to find that Twilight's cleverness also translated into her hide and seek strategies. No matter where I looked, I simply couldn't find the mischievous filly. Under beds, in dresser drawers, behind bags of grain in the pantry; everywhere I looked was unfruitful. She was better at this than I was, and she'd never even played! I couldn't help but smile.

A few more minutes in, I began to panic that I wouldn't be able to find her at all, and her family would return to find me empty hooved and looking for their youngest filly. I decided to surrender.

"Okay, Twilight, you win!" I called out, walking from room to room. "Come on out now, I couldn't find you!"

I waited for a few moments of tense silence before finally, her small voice floated towards me from her bedroom. "How do I know this isn't a trick!?"

I laughed, trotting towards the sound. "It's not. I just don't want to spend the rest of our time looking for you when my job is to be watching you!"

"I don't know..." She said skeptically, and I finally found her. She was perched delicately on TOP of her tall dresser, wedged between it and the ceiling. I hadn't even thought to look up, considering that she couldn't fly. It was definitely a good spot. "I think we should establish a secret code, just between us. In case you're ever an imposter." She grinned, the smile splitting her face. I laughed with her, the idea evidence that even this booksmart little filly had a wild imagination.

"Where'd you get that idea?" I teased.

"I read about it in the book I checked out about foal sitting this afternoon," She replied. "I wanted to know just what to expect, and it has all kinds of ideas on how to be better friends!"

I let out a good natured sigh. Of course she'd read it in a book. "Alright, what should our secret code be?"

She nimbly hopped down from her place atop the dresser and looked at me with her wide, violet eyes. "I didn't really have any ideas. What do you think?"

I searched my mind, and a rhyme that my mother had taught me when I was even younger than Twilight filled my memory. It was during a lesson about her sunlight, and how it affected all of the seasons, but most importantly, Spring. Of course, it was mostly just to add a bit of fun to the learning process, but wasn't that just the perfect type of rhyme for Twilight? I gave her a triumphant smile. "I know just the thing. Here's how it goes- Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" As I recited the words, I danced along with them, and she applauded with glee.

"I love it! Will you teach me?"

After only a few times going over it, Twilight and I were bouncing around her house, shouting about sunshine and ladybugs and waving our rumps around in the air willy nilly.

"CLAP YOUR HOOVES AND DO A LITTLE SHAKE!" We nearly screamed for the tenth time, enthusiastically shaking our flanks until we collapsed onto the floor, dissolving into laughter.

We both jumped in surprise when someone cleared their voice from the doorway. I twisted to see that Shining Armor was standing there, and judging by the expression on his face, he'd seen all of our antics. I groaned inwardly, now very much embarrassed. I'd just swung my bottom around right in front of his face. I would never forgive myself.

He smiled when our gazes met, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I see that you two are having fun."

"You're home early," I blurted, glancing at the clock. "You said you'd be back an hour from now."

He nodded. "Fleur and I had a little disagreement and decided to come home early. It's okay, though, it happens a lot. I had quite a bit of fun while we were there."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said, still blushing too hard to really retain much of what the white stallion was saying.

"It's entirely fine." His tone suggested otherwise as he stepped in further, closing the door behind him with his back hoof. Twilight walked over and nuzzled his chest in greeting and comfort, and I stepped towards my things.

"I guess you won't be needing me any longer today?" I asked, desperate to get out of the house, lest he decide to comment on what he'd seen as he walked in.

"You don't have to stay, but you don't have to go. I was planning on making dinner for Twilight and I. You're welcome to stay, I know you're new around here and you could probably use some company."

"Yes, please stay, Cadence!" Twilight urged.

"She's really taken a liking to you." Shining smiled again, and this time, it looked genuine.

Shining Armor was inviting me to have dinner with him and his sister? Well, who was I to deny him that? Euphoria and lingering embarrassment fought over what I should do, and euphoria quickly won out.

"Sure, I'd love to stay for dinner." I left my things on the ground where they were and walked back over, towards my new friends.