“Good morning!” Double Time called as she pushed open the door. It was a bit past ten on Sunday morning, and as usual, Double Time was filthy. She was sticky, she was damp, and the chitin along her neck was covered in smeared lipstick. “How are you doing?”
“Good.” Light Step was sitting up in bed and reading a book on street art. “I found some really cool things you can do with chalk. I want to try them the next time I’m incognito.”
“Good times.” Double Time replied amicably, grabbing her bathroom kit from under her bed. “Well, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Sure.” Light agreed, but when Double Time trotted out, Light didn’t go back to her book. She bit her lip and stared at the door to their dorm room, willing it to open with her mind. Minutes passed that way. When she heard hoofbeats outside the door, she quickly flicked ahead a few pages so a keen observer would think she’d been reading.
Double Time pushed back, wrapped in a fluffy towel. The hot shower always made her carapace pale. She wasn’t quite snow-white, but her reformed “rainbow bug” look temporarily washed out every time she took a shower. It happened every time, only to go back to normal after a few minutes. She didn’t mind.
“So,” Light asked as Double Time dropped off her bathroom kit. “Did you have fun last night?”
Double Time paused mid-step, and turned to look at Light head on. “That’s the first time you’ve ever asked.”
Light shrugged. “I’m trying to be less of a bitch.”
“I noticed.” Double Time paused, then went back to what she was doing. She tossed off her hot towel and buzzed her wings to help them dry. “In a good way. It’s working for you.”
“Thanks. Getting to spend time out in the city is helping.” Light shut her book and turned to sit across on the bed, facing her roommate head on. “But, seriously. Did you?”
“Fun isn’t quite the right word. But, I enjoyed myself.” The beating of her wings was already restoring her colors, blues and greens springing back into prominence over her shell.
“Meet uh… anypony new?” Light cleared her throat.
“Okay, seriously.” Double Time paused the buzzing of her wings. “I want to go paint. Short version, please.”
“I’m just, ah.” Light drew in a breath. “What’s the appeal, exactly? Of getting screwed by twenty strangers every week? I didn’t think changeling drones even… you know.”
“Had a sex drive?” Double Time checked, waiting for Light’s nod. “We don’t. We’re all neutered. Only the queen actually gets laid.”
That made Light grimace, and Double Time smiled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bring up family history. But, no. I can’t enjoy sex the way you can. I don’t have the parts for it. But back in the old days, when we had to steal love to survive, lust was like… cinnamon. It’s not sustaining or nutritious, and if you try to eat a full serving of it you can actually get very sick. But some changelings liked a little of it to add flavor.”
“Including you?”
“Including me. And while I don’t need to drain love to survive, I miss that taste in my diet.” She turned to gather up her painting supplies, tossing them into her saddlebags. With a flash of green light, she transformed into a unicorn mare. “And they’re not strangers. I feed on love; the lust is incidental. It only works if the ponies I’m with feel genuine affection for me. The relationships I’m in are quite shallow, and mostly predicated on physical attraction, but my partners do really want me to be happy. That’s enough to get a taste.”
“It doesn’t bother you that it’s…” Light gestured. “Superficial romance?”
“If a group of ponies invited you to the movies once in awhile, but you otherwise didn’t know them that well, would you feel bad you had a superficial cinematic relationship?” She tossed on her saddlebags, tightening them around her barrel. “I get that sex is a big deal for mammals, so I’m not trying to be disrespectful. But to me, it’s just not that special. It’s a way of getting spicy food.”
Light didn’t answer right away, and Double Time shook her head. “Anyway. I really want to go paint, so, catch up later?”
“Yeah.” Light said. She bit her lip hard. Then she asked, “When we meet up later. After, I mean. Do you uh… you want to go to the movies?”
Light Step shivered like she was freezing. Her legs shook, her tail twitched, and clamping her jaw together was the only thing that kept her teeth from chattering. No amount of effort would keep her gaze in one place -- her eyes darted around the room.
“You really don’t look like you’re having fun,” Double Time said. “I think this was a bad idea.”
“I’m fine.”
“Shaking uncontrollably at the thought of sex is not normal.”
“No. No. I’m fine.” Her tone turned pleading. “Please.” Light Step reached up to put a hoof on Double Time’s shoulder. With effort, she reduced its shaking to a slight tremble. “Could you be, um… a little taller?”
And so, Double Time became a little taller. She was in the form of a pegasus stallion, and quite the looker too. Bright eyes, a winning smile, strong shoulders, and a large frame all combined to make him a classic heartthrob. His mane was perfectly tousled, beautiful in a way that made it seem like he put in no effort at all. Nopony would have thought it strange to hear he was an actor or a model.
“Um.” Light Step stepped up to Double Time, checking their relative height. Her nose brushed Double Time’s, and another involuntary shudder passed through her. “That’s good.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “And could your coat be a little darker please?” And so Double Time’s coat darkened.
Light Step nodded, drawing in a breath through clenched teeth. “And, uh. Down there. Between your legs.” She pointed, just in case her implication wasn’t clear. “Could you…”
“I can do whatever you want,” Double Time said, his tone gentle. “But that’s already above average. I know it looks small out here, but trust me, it’ll feel a lot bigger once it’s inside you. Don’t overdo it your first time.”
“Okay,” Light whispered. “You’re the, um, expert.” Her eyes went to the floor. “I think that’s it then.”
A long silence hung between them. Finally Light asked, “How do we start?”
Double Time tilted up her chin with a wing. Their eyes met, and Light’s breath froze in her throat. A blush rose in her cheeks, and when she was nearly flush red, Double Time leaned in. Their lips met so gently that at first, Light barely even felt it. Double Time’s hot breath was real, but his lips were just a tingling at the edge of her senses.
Then he pulled her against him, and they met in a slow, passionate embrace.
For the next hour, they didn’t say a single word. Double kissed her, held her, and urged her on with his touch. She did not so much yield to his affection as surrender. When a suitable time had passed, and he’d caressed her in a sufficiently romantic manner, she rose to the common position, spread her legs, and lifted her tail.
He obliged her. She wasn’t vocal. Other than a few gasps for breath—and a sharp squeak at the end—she barely made a sound.
When it was over, she cried.
“Shhh. I’m here.” Double Time said, the first words they’d exchanged since they started. They curled up on Light’s bed together, and she tucked herself into Double’s larger body. He hugged her tight as they lay together, occasionally making soft affirmations or soothing noises.
Then, two sharp knocks reverberated off the window. “Knock knock!” Twilight called. The Princess Twilight Sparkle, that is. She was hovering outside. “Thought I’d stop…”
Double Time and Light Step turned to look out the window and saw Twilight hovering there. At the same moment, Twilight realized precisely what it was she was seeing. She froze mid word. “Uh.”
Light Step couldn’t find words either. She didn’t need to. An incoherent scream of rage conveyed her meaning perfectly well, and a moment later, she added a thrown lamp for emphasis. It shattered her window on her way out, and Twilight only narrowly dodged the projectile and the resulting cloud of broken glass.
“Well, I can see this is a bad time,” Twilight quickly averted her eyes. “I’ll uh… I’ll come back later.” Twilight fled before anypony could say more, twisting around the building and out of sight.
“Get out!” Light screamed at the open air, seemingly unaware that Twilight was already gone. She shook like a leaf on the wind, struggling to hold back tears. She stayed that way until Double Time wrapped her up in a hug once again, and told her it would be okay.
Double Time and Light Step went out to greet Twilight together. Double Time was still in his pegasus form.
“Light!” They found Twilight a block away from the building, somewhere with a good view of her statue. “I am so sorry. I was just trying to stop by and say hello. I honestly didn’t think—”
“It’s fine.” Light waved her off. Her voice was clipped, but she’d done a good job rubbing the tear-streaks off her face. “What did you see?”
“Just… you two. Lying together in bed.” Twilight cleared her throat and looked up into the sky. Her words came quickly, belted out in rapid bursts. “I mean, I don’t even know if anything happened. Not that anything would be wrong if it did happen! You’re your own mare and you make your own choices. But maybe you two are just good friends who needed to take a nap, and, that’s fine too. I mean, I have no evidence to contradict that very reasonable theory.”
“Us, lying in bed? You didn’t see or hear anything else?” Twilight’s expression was all the answer Light was likely to get, but it told her enough. “Right. Well.” She looked over at Double Time. “This is, uh… Ocean Rhythm. He’s my coltfriend.”
“A pleasure to meet you, your highness.” Double Time waved.
“Oh. Your coltfriend.” Twilight smiled stiffly and waved back. “It’s lovely to meet you, uh. Too. Yes.”
“Can you give my sister and I some time to talk?” Light asked Double. When Double gave her a questioning look, she added, “I’ll be fine. Really.”
Then she kissed him on the muzzle. He left.
“I’m really sorry,” Twilight repeated once he was gone. “I was only trying to be friendly and stop in to say hello. I didn’t think—”
“It’s fine. Really. It’s fine.” Light looked around the campus. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and the quad was full of students enjoying the weather. The statue of Twilight was home to a number of pigeons, and as Light watched, one of them pooped on the statue’s head.
“Why don’t we find somewhere to sit down?” Light suggested, and they did. There was a bench not far away.
“So…” Twilight drew out the word. “That’s your coltfriend, huh? He’s um…”
“Caring.”
“Yes!” Twilight latched on, her words speeding up. “Caring. Very empathetic and caring. You can really see that when you look at him.” She gestured off the way they’d come. “You know. From a distance.”
Light frowned, and her brow furrowed. She turned to stare at Twilight. “You think my coltfriend is hot?”
“Well,” Twilight scoffed and looked off into the distance. “Not that that matters. But, he does seem physically attractive. Yes.”
“I guess he is. I don’t really think of him that way.” Light shook her head. “But what do you care? You’ve never abused your title to get a date with a model?”
“I have never-!” Twilight’s wings fluffed out. She was the very picture of indignance. “I mean, I would never do that. That’s a very… low and petty abuse of a sacred office.”
Light blinked twice. Her frown tightened. Then, suddenly, her ears shot up: “Oh my gosh. Are you a virgin?”
Twilight’s wings parted from her body and her voice rose. “That’s none of your business.”
“Oh my gosh.” Light laughed, more incredulous than amused. “You’re nine years older than me. What have you been doing?”
“Saving the world. Studying.” Twilight crossed her forehooves. “And it’s not a rush. I still look like I’m sixteen. It’s not like I’m getting any older.”
Light’s laughter stopped.
“Oh. Oh, no. Light.” Twilight lifted a hoof towards Light’s shoulder. When she saw her sister’s expression, sharp and hard, she lowered the hoof without contact. “I didn’t… mean it that way. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“You’re saying that a lot today.” Light forced herself to take a deep breath, letting it out between her teeth. “But you’re right, I guess. I don’t think of him that way, because, you know. He’s a friend first. But he is pretty easy on the eyes, isn’t he?”
Birds tweeted. Neither of them spoke. Finally Light asked: “Why are you here?”
“I heard there was an incident with you and one of your teachers last semester.” Twilight cleared her throat, squared her shoulders, and lifted her head. It was a more formal posture. Her tone, while still polite, ceased to be apologetic. “Something about you saying Cadence would pull funding for the school if you didn’t pass a class.”
“No. I implied Cadence would pull funding for the school if they expelled me for disorderly behavior.”
Twilight frowned. “You think that’s better?”
“I didn’t say it was better or worse.” Light kept her tone level. “But I don’t need to cheat to get good grades. I earned every A+ fair and square. I went off on a professor in the middle of class for being a racist ass, he threatened to expel me, so I threatened him back.”
“That’s still wildly unacceptable behavior! You can’t use my and Cadence’s names that way.” Twilight drew a deep breath. “I could ask them to expel you over this.”
“You could.”
“I could also tell mom.” Twilight snorted. “She could cut you off. Force you to get a job.”
Light shook out her mane, and when she spoke, she spoke firmly. “You could do either of those things, yes. You could also vaporize me or banish me to the moon. But right now all I see you doing is sitting here and talking. Punish me however you want. I can’t stop you. But I’m not going to apologize.”
Twilight didn’t know how to react to that. Her attempts to look away from Light drew her gaze to the statue of herself in the middle of the quad. Another bird was pooping on her head.
“They also tell me you’re a very talented student,” Twilight said. “And a talented wizard too. I’ve heard you can teleport, duplicate images, transmute substances, or control thousands of objects at once.”
“Kind of. My natural talent is art, not magic, so it’s a bit niche.” She tapped her hooves together to count. “I can teleport small items, particularly art supplies, but I can’t teleport myself. I can duplicate images, but not arbitrary objects. And ‘transmuting substances’ mostly means turning paint into water or gas so I can undo a mistake.”
“That’s still more than most unicorns will ever learn.”
“I know! It’s amazing, isn’t it? I assumed I was adopted.” Light held her hoof over her heart. “But it seems, against all odds, I actually am your sister.”
“Yeah. That’s true. That’s true, you are.” Twilight tapped the bench. “I was pretty anti-social and hard to get along with at your age.”
“Maybe you needed to get laid more.”
“I don’t understand, Light!” Twilight snapped. Her head rose to look her sister in the eye.
“You understand fine. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have apologized so profusely earlier.”
“I understand why you’re angry with me. I understand why you’re bitter. I even understand why you don’t want to see me. You have every right not to like me. I get that. I get all that.” Twilight waved a hoof. “But you don’t dislike me. Do you? You hate me. You actually hate me.”
Light froze.
“That,” Twilight said, “that’s what I don’t get. That’s what I don’t understand.”
“Fine. Fine.” Light’s tail lashed. Her hooves shook as she climbed off the bench. “You don’t have to understand it. Okay? Maybe it’s not yours to understand! I didn’t ask Cadence to name the new school center after me. She’s the one who thought it was funny. So I don’t need her help, and I don’t need your help, and I don’t need you to understand. Maybe I just need you to get out of my life.”
“Light—”
“You want to know why I hate you?” Light’s breath came quickly. Her throat tightened, and she struggled not to hyperventilate. “I just do, okay? I just do. So why don’t you leave me alone!?”
Then, Light ran away.
Twilight didn’t chase her.
“Double,” Light said. She was trying not to cry again. “Can you help me, please? I want to go into town tonight. Incognito.”
Double Time was back in her natural form. “I don’t know, Light.”
“Please? I need…” Light sniffled. “I need you to do this one thing. Please.” Her tone turned pleading. “I’ll never ask you for anything again. I just need to get away from this.”
“No. No.” Double Time shook her head. “I don’t mind casting spells for you. But I’m worried about you. In any shape, I’m not sure this is a good time for you to be alone.” She sighed. “I’ll do it, but you have to let me go with you.”
“Having a changeling with me will kind of blow my cover.”
“Oh, wow. If only one of us was a master of disguise.” Double Time was enveloped in green light, and when the spell cleared, a fluffy grey unicorn mare was left standing in her place. Her cutie mark was a fire and a cloud of ashes. “See? We can be buddies. Burner and Smoke.”
“Heh.” Even as her voice cracked, Light smiled. “Are we street artists or a comedy duo?”
“You are pretty funny.” Double Time’s horn glowed, and in a flash, Light was transformed into her alter-ego. “Come on. Let’s go get some chalk.”
“And a few cans of spray paint too,” Light said. “I want to show you something.”
By the summer, devotees of the street-art scene already understood that Burner was not friendly to the royal family. He’d depicted Shining as a painted whore, Cadence as a cruel prankster, and his depiction of Celestia was practically blasphemy. Some ponies wondered if Burner had suffered some injustice at the hooves of an alicorn. His dislike of them seemed more than a young street artist trying to be edgy.
But in the summer, a new Burner piece appeared that broke the trend. It was classy. Sweet. Ponies said it was practically respectful.
It depicted the Princess Twilight Sparkle, looking at the handsome stallion on a nearby advertising billboard. It made an innocent creature of her, with the faint blush in her cheeks, the spread of her hooves, the way her eyes focused and her jaw hung a quarter-inch open. It showed embarrassment and fascination, puppy love and young lust, and the curiosity of a creature who was just discovering what sex and sexuality meant to them.
It also covered the entire south face of the ball-bearing factory, a surface large enough it could be seen clearly half a mile away.
The ponies of Canterlot loved it. Within a month, they were calling Twilight their virgin princess.