Chemistry Chapter 4: Private Eyes
by Fuzzyfurvert
Normally, Twilight wasn’t a big fan of ponies treating her differently now that she was a princess but tonight as those ponies bowed to her as she passed by, they gave her an idea. It was a horrible idea that she should feel ashamed just for having in her mind. Twilight knew she should stop. She should heed the wise counsel of Princess Celestia, but she knew already that she wasn’t going to. At least she wasn’t so far gone to realize that.
She had gone to the library after her meeting with the Princess. She was on edge and research calmed the nerves. Besides, she was curious about the feasibility of her perfectly awful idea. It nagged at her like a thorn in her hoof, worming its way deeper with each step she had taken toward her destination. Twilight knew she was supposed to let it go and just ask Cadance. She could do that. She was a princess herself now.
That was the problem.
Twilight licked her dry lips and stared at the open book on the table in front of her. She sat there calmly as she digested the words and their simple meaning that allowed her to be the monster she was contemplating becoming. Her actions - sadly, somehow - wouldn’t be illegal. There wasn’t precedence for what she was contemplating, but it was spelled out in black and white legal font in front of her.
The Equestrian Judicial Authority kept extensive records at their main building complex in Canterlot. Their library of books on law and cases held more work than she could have read in a standard pony lifetime. Perhaps, if she turned out to be immortal in her new alicornhood, she would one day invest the time to read it all. Right now however, Twilight only needed a tiny section of library’s treasure trove. Specifically, the books on laws concerning the Princess and her interaction with the Equestrian Judicial Authority and its rulings.
Looking at the absurdly small stack of tomes on the table made her feel a little silly to have already found the answer to her question. Twilight Sparkle was nothing if not methodical. She’d started at the beginning. The earliest collections of laws that had to deal with Celestia went back to the time just before the formation of the Authority, when Luna had still been a part of living memory, before moving into history as a legendary figure.
The old language was hard to make out in places but it made firm the most basic aspects of Celestia’s powers and influence in dealing with the then infant judicial system. The Princess’ word wasn’t law, but she had great say in what would build the moral framework of Equestrian law. Early on, her powers had been extended to Luna - in absentia - should the younger sister ever return.
That little tidbit led her to another idea and pushed her a little closer to the line that separated her from becoming...whatever a law abiding pony was when they weren’t good. Twilight made a mental note to consult a dictionary afterwards.
Twilight switched up her search and jumped to the far more recent law registries. Cadance’s ascension to alicornhood had changed the game almost thirty years ago. Her emplacement as a landed Princess changed things again. Twilight’s own ascension would have it’s effect on Equestrian law eventually. Twilight pushed the thought that the very actions she was taking at that moment might be the very first way she affected it.
The first book she had picked off the shelf that came from the right time period held the by-law she feared existed. When Cadance - at a very young age - had ascended, Celestia had the forethought to create a by-law that extended her judicial powers to all Princesses. Retroactively. It was a ‘just-in-case’ ruling. It was meant, in spirit, to allow the judicial system to continue to work as intended so long a princess was involved. It was meant to allow Luna or Cadance take Celestia’s place if need be.
There was no ‘need be’ in this case. No more need than her own clawing need to know what lay inside those manilla folders The spirit of the by-law would be violated if she proceeded. It simply meant, if Princess Twilight Sparkle wanted to, she could unseal any court documents she wanted to by dint of being a Princess.
Twilight’s hoof hovered over the folders and envelopes. She was a flick of the wrist away from going against the wishes of Princess Celestia. She felt ill to her stomach but that discomfort paled against the screaming thing in her head that had to know. She had to know but no pony should ever know about her actions. She was going to need to hide everything.
“Thank you, Dr. Open Heart.” Cadance smiled gratefully as a small orange pill bottle was levitated toward her.
“Now I know it’s only one dose, my dear, but it’s all I have on hoof. I can get you a full order tomorrow.”
“It’s no problem. I don’t think it will be an issue. I’ll send somepony to pick it up; I have to be in court all day tomorrow.”
Dr. Open Heart smiled like the kindly grandfather she had never known. “The Crystal Empress’ job is never done, hmmm?”
“Sadly, no.” Cadance rose from the comfortable familiarity of the plush fainting couch in the old therapist’s office. “I’ll see you next month. Same time, yes?”
Dr. Open Heart nodded affectionately. “Of course dear, but if you need me, you can always get a session whenever. You can also send a scroll if you want. My door is always open to you, Princess.”
“I know and I’m glad.” Cadance smiled and stepped over to the doctor and gave him a tight hug. “See you soon. I hope this new blend helps.” She indicated the pill bottle as she dropped it into her saddle bag.
“I believe it will. This new rash of flare-ups is worrisome.”
“I’m sure the tests will tell us something when they come back.” Cadance sighed and turned toward the door, her horn lighting up as she cast a quick disguise spell that Twilight had taught her long ago. Her horn hidden and color palette swapped, Cadance stepped out of Dr. Open Heart’s office and nodded a greeting to the secretary.
“Another visit next month, Miss Devotion?”
“Yes.” Cadance nodded again as the earth pony penciled her in, none the wiser to her true identity. She flicked her wing to wave goodbye as she cantered for the door and stepped out into the humid mid-day air. Vanhoover spilled out before her with the hustle and bustle of ponies going about their daily lives in the mist coming off the cobblestones after an early rainshower.
‘Etna Devotion’ trotted down the street toward the less busy end of the street where it met the river and tee’d off in opposite directions. The few ponies she passed paid her little attention thanks to her disguise’s unassuming mud brown on coffee brown pallet and wild, big hair style that was about as boring as could be. It changed her cutie mark to a heart drawn in the foam of a mocha latte, a boring special talent if there ever was one.
Sometimes, she went shopping or just sight-seeing in her ‘Devotion’ disguise, but today Cadance felt like getting home to the Crystal Palace. As she neared the river, the street began to slope gently down, and she started to pick up speed. Once she reached a full on gallop, Cadance flared her wings wide and let her pegasus magic form along her feather tips. A few swift flaps and she was airborne just as she ran out of pavement.
Vanhoover was a beautiful city, particularly from the air. Tall trees towered above most of the buildings which were set alongside wide avenues that tended to meander through the hills and over the slow moving rivers. It was the nearest Equestrian settlement of any note to the borders of her Crystal Empire. Long ago, in Sombra’s time, Vanhoover had been a part of the Empire. Tiny hints of the architecture and names from that time still survived, but even to her trained eye, it was hard to see.
Vanhoover was also where Dr. Open Heart, Cadance’s long time therapist and confidant had set up shop after she became the Queen Regent of the Empire. He had followed her all the way from Canterlot, but the biting cold in the Empire was too much for his old bones, so they compromised and kept her sessions as under the rug as they could. Her little disguise spell worked most of the time, but it meant she had to come alone. It was both a blessing and curse, since it helped keep her condition in the shadows from her ponies, but kept Shining from joining her.
Thankfully, the flight wasn’t very far, but it was always taxing, even with her horn tingling with a navigation spell. If the winds showed her favor, she could reach home within two hours. Not for the first time, Cadance cursed her poor flying endurance. She was going to need a lot more practice if she was going to have make any emergency trips.
Cadance kept her altitude low, skimming over the green canopy of sequoias until they began to give way to the shorter furs and scrub at the southern edge of her nation. Tiny log cabins dotted the landscape, most of them empty camping and hunting lodges that would house ponies or the occasional griffin in the coming harsh winters. They were rarely locked, so she’d found it useful to take a break at one on her route when making these long trips. She just needed to catch her breath for a few minutes before heading onward to the Empire’s capital.
Cadance smiled to herself as she lined up her approach to a house she’d used multiple times before. It was very beautiful in this area, with wide spaces between the immense trees that allowed for colorful underbrush to grow and bloom with late season blossoms. It was like landing inside a painting. Twilight would love it here. The cozy cabin offered as much silence as the clouds did and was twice as likely to keep a pony from getting wet in a storm. She could imagine Twilight gushing over the views and talking nonstop about the plants or the animals or whatever took her interest.
Cadance envied Twilight’s easy going genius. Her own memory wasn’t nearly so good, nor so quick. Plus, the mare was quite possibly the greatest magic caster to ever walk Equestria shy of Celestia herself. Cadance smirked as she touched down just outside the cabin, her heart racing and breath short. She was older than Twilight by more than a decade and the pony was still schooling her in the ways of spellcraft. She frequently found herself using more than a few spells Twilight had taught her years ago. The disguise spell - which she now dispelled - and a simple navigation spell that lead her unerringly back to the Crystal Castle were just a couple.
The cabin door opened without resistance to reveal an empty single room. A small faux fur covered cot sat in one corner while a few wide, polished tree stumps provided all the other furniture. It was far from the comforts of home, but for the moment it suited her needs perfectly. The images of Twilight forced their way through her imagination as Cadance settled onto the cot to rest her aching flight muscles. She could see her looking out the window, see her sitting at the table, see her by the fireplace, see her in the little kitchen nook. The look of wonder that never seemed to leave Twilight’s face was so familiar to her from their time as foal and foalsitter.
Cadance smiled lazily, content on letting her imagination and mind wander while her body recovered from the exertion of her flight. There was no pony for leagues in any direction. If the intrusive thoughts kept up, she was at least safe out here. The first yawn that hit her a moment later felt good as it filled her lungs with air. The second one felt even better.
Cadance shook her head. It was early yet, but she was expected back at a certain time. A nap now might feel good, but she really couldn’t afford it. She yawned again but this time that pleasant feeling had a piggyback rider. She felt the tingle shoot down her spine like lightning. Her imaginary images of Twilight twisted and suddenly, clear as day, the mare was there besides Cadance on the cot.
It’s just the two of us. What would it hurt to linger? I have hours until I need to be back and my wings ache so much and Twilight just looks so cute.
Cadance frowned and shook her head harder. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t right of her to think of Twilight that way. What would Shining think if he knew she’d started to fantasize about his little sister? She should take the new medicine now and get back in the air.
Her wings and back ached. They wanted her to rest more. Her nethers were burning already. They wanted attention. Her mind circled around and around, Twilight’s form above her, under her, all around her with welcoming eyes. The kind of look Shining gave her when he told her everything was going to be alright.
The medicine would make it go away. She had one dose.
But what if she took it now and had another relapse when she got home? There would be no medication and who knew how many ponies she might hurt if Shining wasn’t there? At least here, in the middle of nowhere, she could only hurt herself. Cadance had made due in the time before her medicine regiment started. She had a fix. Her wings might be weak but her wrists were strong.
But was she strong enough to stop herself?
Cadance shuddered as she reached for her saddlebags with a hoof. She had to be quick about it. The straps on her bags that held them to her barrel came undone and Cadance tossed them to the side. The crown and her vestments joined them in a rough pile a moment later. She rolled onto her back with a groan and let the cot and its furs support her completely. Her hoof glided over her belly as she spread her legs.
Cadance’s eyes fluttered closed as first contact was made. Behind her eyelids it was Twilight’s hoof that massaged and caressed her. “Don’t...don’t be slow, please Twi…”
Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. It always did.
Twilight tracked down a dictionary. It took some searching but she finally had what she was looking for. She had made a choice. She knew it was a bad choice, even if it was legal. She wasn’t a criminal, but now she knew she was a tortfeasor. She rolled the word over in her mind for a moment, happy that she had expanded her vocabulary.
Twilight then turned back to the open envelopes in front of her and lifted the first page titled Canterlot v Mi Amore Cadenza.
Her curiosity always got the better of her.