//------------------------------// // Flashlight by Bekdontraz // Story: Magic of Love: A Twidance Prompt Collab // by ArguingPizza //------------------------------// by Bekdontraz ~~~ Twilight was beside herself with joy. The whole of a thousand year old library stretched before her. Crystal shelves stacked with books only found in the Empire. She let out the girliest sounds to every pass her lips as she darted from shelf to shelf taking in the titles on the ancient tomes. Her hooves traced ancient griffin texts. Her coat tingling as she traced the old leather bindings. Her eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks as she spotted the familiar sigil on a book’s spine. She took it reverently in her magic and turned beaming at Cadence who stood silently by the entrance. “It’s one of Starswirl’s journals!” Twilight’s voice was filled with more awe than Cadence had heard in a long time. The pink princess watched as her love sat down gently opening the book. Her magic slowly turned the pages as she read the ancient writing of her idol. Cadence smiled and let her mind drift back to the past. ___ Cadence stretched and blushed faintly. “Thank you for letting me crash on your couch Ms Velvet.” The young alicorn smiled at the older unicorn mare. Twilight Velvet simply smiled and nodded “Well, my son was helping you study. I guess I can let you spend the night here. After all Princesses are trustworthy” The mare joked floating a blanket and pillow down for Cadence. “Ms Velvet, I have no designs on Shiney. He and I are just friends I assure you” Cadence said smiling and taking the pillow from Velvet. She turned laying out her bed for the night. “Sleep tight dear” Velvet said as she turned to leave the room. Cadence looked over her shoulder and smiled at her host “Goodnight Ms Velvet.” She turned back to her makeshift bed and smiled snuggling down into it to sleep. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow, only to wake a few hours later over the call of nature. She groaned vaguely wishing that Princesses didn’t potty as she trudged up the stairs and into the bathroom. It was as she was heading back to bed that she noticed a glow from under Twilight’s door. She was confused, she knew Twilight hadn’t been afraid of the dark for years. She glanced along the walls hoping to find a clock to see the time. Sadly it seemed that the Twilight household didn’t keep clocks in random places. Seeing no other option Cadence crept over and slowly peeked into Twilight’s room. She blushed finding the young mare in a most awkward position. Twilight was laying on her chest her rear in the air as she read. A flashlight hovering in the violet glow of her magic. Her eyes were tearing over the page as she read, riveted by the book under her. Cadence blushed and knocked gently on the door frame to get her attention. Twilight was unfazed. She knocked again a little louder. Again, Twilight was unmoved. Rolling her eyes Cadence slipped into the room and walked over to the bedside. She tilted her head watching the teenaged mare's rump wiggle as she read. Cadence blushed and reached out pushing against Twilight’s cutie mark. It had the desired effect, Twilight toppled onto her side her concentration broken. “huh? What?” She sputtered and blinked her eyes focusing on Cadence. Once she processed what was happening Twilight gasped and slammed the book closed. She moved trying to hide it from Cadence. “Is everything okay?” Cadence asked raising an eyebrow. It wasn’t like Twilight to hide things from her. “YES! Fine just going to bed!” Twilight said quickly trying, and failing, to discreetly push the book under her pillow. Cadence blushed recognizing the cover image. It had a pegasus mare in ancient armor holding a swooning unicorn in a rough spun cloak. Somehow Cadence doubted that both of them had been mares, much less that they were together. She smiled at Twilight. “Sorry, I saw your flashlight and wanted to make sure you were okay. I..I’ll leave you to The Mage's Ransom.” The effect of naming the book was swift. Twilight turned a bright red and looked down. “Please don’t tell anyone.” She said her ears low to her head. “I won’t, but I think your mom would be fine with it” “No she wouldn’t!” Twilight said stamping her hoof onto her bed. Her eyes wide with fear. “Of course she would! Your mother is one of the most loving ponies I know! Trust me love is kinda my job! She’d accept you no matter who you liked!” Cadence said. Twilight blinked in response. She tilted her head. “Wait, What?” She broke into a blushing grin “You...you thought? No Mom knows I’m gay. No, I mean..I..its not historically accurate. The armor they describe Commander Hurricane wearing is Equestrian in origin. Hurricane wore her old Pegasi Emperium armor until the day she died! Plus, the castle is all wrong. Clover, is anything but submissive, at least according to her journals..” Twilight went full steam into a comprehensive list of the historical inaccuracies. Cadence was surprised to find herself riveted by the young mare’s knowledge, and it was only after a while that she was able to bring herself to ask “Then why read it?” “Oh, umm…” Twilight blushed and clapped her hooves together nervously. “C….can I..Ummm…I need to get to bed.” Twilight said very deliberately not looking at Cadence. In hindsight, it couldn’t have been more obvious if Twilight had set up a neon sign above her bed. Cadence however had simply smiled and let the mare keep her secrets. It wouldn't be until years later that Cadence would learn that Twilight imagined the two of them in the books main roles. "Good night then Twilight. I’m always willing to listen if you want to talk” She said leaving the room slowly. “I know” Twilight had responded quietly. ___ Cadence was drawn back to the present by a soft kiss on her lips. Twilight smiled sitting back and looking at the taller mare. “Bit for your thoughts?” She said, Starswirl’s Journal set aside for now. “Just wondering if you still have that pink flashlight you used to read trashy romance novels with.” Cadence replied with a slight smirk. Twilight turned beat red in record time.