by Cytotoxin
~~~
"Twilight. Talk to me. You can`t shut everypony out forever." - Cadance insisted sternly, as she leaned over the cluttered table and pushed away the inkwell, making Twilight`s quill miss it entirely - "This is getting silly."
Twilight grunted and put the quill into the holder, leaning back in her chair and rubbing hoof across her tired eyes. "Cadence. Dear. Is there anything I can say to persuade you not to inquire further into this? Because if not, then the only way this conversation is going to go is downhill." - she offered tiredly, and wrinkled her nose. blinking the tiredness out of her eyes quickly - "Gah. I do need a break, though."
Frowning, Cadence pulled up a chair and sat across the table, sweeping the papers on it aside. Maybe she shouldn`t have gone that far, she thought as she noticed Twilight wincing, but then again - it was symbolic gesture, a way to indicate she was intending to have a SERIOUS talk without any diversions. "Twilight. We`re all worried. I have heard from aunt Celestia that you take on gargantuan amounts of work, but I had no idea you were SO busy. I`ve been in Canterlot for two weeks already, and during that time we had a grand total of three hours spent together, two hours and fifty minutes of it at various public functions. I understand you might be nervous about your duties as a princess, but it`s just,,, not healthy to go at it like so." - she admonished sternly - "Come, I`ve arranged a spa for us, and I`m not taking no for an answer."
Twilight`s wince only deepened. "Spa?... I`m sorry, Cadence, but I`m just not ready for spa right now. How about some coffee and donuts, maybe?" - she proffered, her nose scrunching as she obviously thought of some excuse to present as a ramble picked up steam - "I mean, I`m indeed a bit tired. Need some pick-me-up to function, if you will. Should I happen to end up in spa right now, it`s only logical that I would fall asleep almost immediately, And that`s not really spending time with you rather then just relaxing. Which I can do just fine without you too, so there is no need to occupy your time to watch over me doing something I can easily do without you. Right?"
Cadence rolled her eyes. "Twilight Spark;e." - she said firmly - "You are still an awful liar." Lavender mare across the table flinched but said nothing else, her eyes directed down, as if one of the documents still on the table held something utterly fascinating. Or maybe simply because she didn`t have the gall to try fibbing straight to Cadance`s face, that is. "Look. I understand you`re nervous. I was nervous too. But you need to remember that ponies DO expect you to relax. Everypony makes mistakes when they`re tired and stressed, so princess has the most need in relaxation. Therefore, Twilight, it`s not just your right, but your honor-bound duty to come to spa right now." - she lectured with a smile.
Oddly, it didn`t have the expected effect. Twilight`s mood remained just as tremulous as it was. With, perhaps, a sliver of irritation thrown in. "Cadance. I assure you, I am well aware of a need in relaxation." - she proffered courtly - "In fact, you will find a calendar schedule on the wall behind you that is there specifically to plan such activities. And as you can plainly see, the spa day is Saturday, which.... is... today... Well, buck."
Grinning, Cadence hopped up from her chair and nodded towards the door eagerly, quipping - "Well then, shall we go? Come on, Twilight. Both me and your schedule are telling you it`s time to get pampered. Why are you still resisting?" Her eyes narrowed as she realized there was nothing different about Twilight`s attitude. She obviously still didn`t want to go, and it was now plainly obvious to Cadence that adherence to schedule or imaginary princessly duties had nothing to do with it. "Come on, Twilight, what`s the problem?" - she cajoled, snorting a little as irritation crept into her voice as well.
"...you are..." - came the reply as Twilight shuffled from behind the table with all the enthusiasm of a pony approaching gallows. Cadence whirled around in place. "...What was that?" - she inquired tensely, staring at other mare intensely - "I am the problem? Do elaborate, Twilight. I was not aware I am a problem for you."
Lavender mare facehoofed. "Can we pretend you never heard that?" - she inquired plaintively. A glare answered her plainly enough. "Guess not. I don`t really want to talk about it, but you`re going to bother me until I`ll crack, won`t you?" - she inquired. A quick nod confirmed her fears. "...Fine. You asked for it." - she muttered, and stamped her hoof on the carpet - "The problem I have with you, Cadence, goes back when I was.... little." She gave a little forlorn smile as she reminisced - "Remember the Hearts and Hooves day the year before I got into the school? What did I say to you back then?"
Cadence nibbled on her lip as she tried to recall. In all honesty, she couldn`t think of anything important enough... that is, until her memory suddenly pushed out a little scene she almost forgot about. Little Twilight hopping around her in that adorably exciting way, claiming that she`s going to ... marry Cadence one day? And what did Cadence replied... right. "Of course, little Twily. When you`ll become a princess, I`ll marry you."
Twilight`s lip crooked up into a half-smile as she chuckled. "You remembered, didn`t you?" - she proffered quietly - "Well, I became a princess. Apparently, others were not required to become princesses, though." Cadence swallowed thickly. Now it DID make sense. Twilight avoiding her, Twilight being in a mood around her, Twilight taking on a triple workload just to stay too busy to talk to her... She was right. This conversation REALLY went downhill. Cadence wondered idly just how tiresome climbing out would be.