//------------------------------//
// Dance - Honey Mead 
// Story: Dark Paradise: the TwiLuna Group Collab 
// by Habanc 
//------------------------------//


Written by: Honey Mead

*****


“Art thou certain?”

Twilight gulped a breath. Her coat was heavy with froth and her legs aching and tired. Still, she nodded. “Yes…”

Luna, however, wasn’t fooled. “Neigh, Twilight, you are exhausted. ‘Twouldn’t do—”

Glaring at her hooves, Twilight’s voice took on a strange mixture of pleading and demanding, “No. Please, I can do this!”

The tip of her wing, Luna forced their eyes to meet. “Neigh, I say again. Tis no shame—”

Again, Twilight cut her off. “No! This… this is important. I need to get this right and we don’t have time for breaks.”

Luna sighed, but nodded in acquiescence. Restarting the record player with her magic, the couple moved back into position to await the music.

A duet of piano and cello drifted out of the brass speaker, and they began to move. Stepping together, their necks crossed, barrels pressed together as they took their first steps together. Luna led, using the contact to guide the younger alicorn through the movements. In perfect synchronicity, their wings opened and reached forward, creating a canopy over their heads. After making a circuit around the floor, they finally broke apart, Twilight’s left wing never leaving contact with Luna’s right as she turned. Side-by-side, they took a slow trot halfway back. There, they reared up and spun together, forehooves pressed together, using the other for support.

The stance was awkward and Twilight’s already worn hindlegs quivered under the added weight. Still, she preserved.

Their pace picked up along with the music’s tempo. The movements became quick, stepping forward and backward in rapid succession.
It was when they broke contact that everything fell apart. Twilight spun away from Luna, making three complete turns before her right leg gave out. She yelped in pain and shock, too tired to teleport. Her eyes squeezed shut in anticipation of cracking her head on the hardwood floor.

A loud pop preceded the creak of wood protesting a sudden application of weight. Instead of an unforgiving floor, she was met by a squishy cushion of a cloud soft mattress. A ceiling of stars greeted her surprise opened eyes.

Tears welled up in her eyes, the first sob escaping her control just as Luna joined her on the bed. “I’m sorry!” she cried between her sobs and Luna’s emphatic sushing. “I just… I just wanted—”

Luna’s lips interrupted her. The kiss was soft but passionate and lasted until Twilight calmed.

Pulling away, Luna placed another peck on her nose. “Prithee, my love, fret thee not over this. My heart is already thine.”

“I know,” Twilight sighed in defeat. “I just… I don’t want to embarrass you.”

“Oh dearest Twilight”—Luna kissed her left eye—”I have witnessed thine dancing, and”—then her right—”‘twould be the greatest honor to be ‘embarrassed’ by it on our wedding day.”