A Different Name
It was only a few months back that the highlight of Princess Twilight Sparkle's days would have been stargazing. With a few cushions, a good book and a pot of tea (or a thermos of hot cocoa, depending on the season), she passed the hours looking at the stars through her trusty telescope. It was more than once that Luna or Celestia found the youngest princess sleeping there, safely wrapped in a cocoon of her own magic to mark the safest place she knew.
But with the changing political situation, something that should usually not influence something as deeply private, stargazing had a few changes brought upon it.
Twilight was nervous. The book floating in her magic seemed unable to hold her attention. For the fifth time, she tried to parse the paragraph on invocations for hexagonal barrier reinforcement, something that should by all rights have her, quite literally, spellbound. And yet her eyes kept drifting to the side, to the other pile of cushions and, more importantly, its occupant.
Rarity Platinum Belle, French Princess and ambassador-in-training to Equestria, was probably the very definition of distracting. Even now, when calmly reading a book on political history from two centuries ago, her every little movement drew Twi's eye like political events attracted the royal sisters. Whether it was a tiny upward quirk of her lips (at what, Twilight could only guess) or her hoof distractedly bouncing her (glorious) mane curls like a cat with a toy, or the dignified yawn that stretched her entire body (Stars above, what a body it was) in one elegant rippling wave of lean, gymnastics-honed muscle.
Sometimes, she sighed. A tiny, barely audible noise that made Twilight's heart skip at the anticipation of Rarity's voice. Or giggled, in a manner so perfectly angelic and harmonic that it had no business coming from any mortal pony.
Yes, Twilight was head-over-heels in love. At night, she dreamed of grand gestures, heroic deeds to impress the princess (or queen, or goddess) of her heart, make her swoon at her knight in booky armor. Of Rarity confessing her everlasting love, asking for Twilight's hoof in marriage. Of time spent growing old together, watching Rarity as an elegant old mare handling a large herd of foals and grandfoals. And some nights, them doing things together that Twilight did not even dare to write down in her dream diary for fear of it catching fire.
It kept her, unfortunately, anxious.
Of course, Twilight was not so blind that she could not see Rarity held affection for her as well. Missing the hints Rarity was dropping would be akin to missing the ocean while drowning in it. Rarity constantly kept close to her, whether during dinner, while sitting and reading together (like now) or even while walking together through the palace gardens, excitedly chatting about fashion all the while. She LOVED hugging Twi, not in the exuberant manner some of Twi's other friends did, but in a slow, sensual fashion. Rarity would step in close, smirking all the while, before leaning in and rubbing her neck on Twilight, whispering something in her native language all the while. Sometimes, Twilight could just make out the hints of a pair of marvelously soft lips making contact with her neck, hinting, promising...
"Twilight, ma chère?"
Stars above, the accent. It had nearly killed her, the first time Rarity had whispered in her ear, her pronunciation caressing every syllable. Twilight had felt clumsy and awkward replying, like a unicorn foal learning mouth writing, only to see a letter from a world-class calligraphist...
She quickly cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah?"
"Could I ask you for a favor?" Rarity asked, barely hiding mirth in her voice. The way the last syllable was pronounced made Twilight shiver internally. She watched a perfect white hoof playfully batting at the end of glorious curls. "Could you pronounce my full name? I'd very much like to taste it on your tongue."
The heat shot up Twilight's head like an erupting volcano. She hastily averted her eyes, anywhere but at the innocent smile that Rarity was presenting now. She coughed, barely keeping herself from choking as the metaphorical lava flooded her body, and hundreds of tiny, heat-resistant butterflies began their dance in her stomach.
"R-rarity!"
"Oh my, it seems I misspoke. Pardon", Rarity continued as soon as the coughing fit subsided. "I meant that I would very much like to hear you pronounce it." She paused, her smile growing more innocent, somehow. "Twilight Sparkle."
Twilight hated her sometimes-overactive imagination. The way Rarity carefully pronounced every word together with the "slip-up" Rarity had made earlier gave birth to another thought. Imagine what else she can caress with her tongue...
Another furious blush threatened to overwhelm her, and again she choked on her answer. As she continued squirming, Rarity's expression changed from amusement to concern.
"Twilight! Are you unwell?" She scooted closer, wrapping her forelegs around Twilight's head to stabilize her. "Je suis désolée! Did I tease you too much?"
"Rarity," Twilight managed between coughs, "It's okay. I'm fine." She recoiled when Rarity craned her neck to look her straight in the eyes. A rather undignified whimper made its way past her lips.
Rarity retreated, not removing her hooves with a rather drawn out caress. She still looked a bit worried.
To reassure Rarity that she was not actually sick (just a klutz, and a dork, and totally unable of flirting), she cleared her throat and looked at her hooves.
"Rarity Bell" she said.
Immediately, Rarity tsked at her. "No, no, no. You are not taking this seriously, ma chère. It is not Bell, it is pronounced," she closed her eyes and took a deep, dramatic breath, "Rarity Belle."
Had she had her wits about in that moment, Twilight would have probably noticed the slightly-exaggerated accent. She knew, after all, on a logical level that Rarity could speak like a Canterlot native if she wanted to.
"Rarity Bell", Twilight tried, wincing when Rarity scowled.
"Rarity Belle." Rarity said slowly.
"Rarity Belle."
"Rarity Belle!" The scowl disappeared.
"Rarity Belle!"
"Rarity Belle!" A smile took the place of the scowl.
"Rarity Belle!" Twilight felt elated. Maybe she COULD make Rarity feel the same on hearing her name!
"Rarity... Sparkle!"
"Rarity... Spar..."
Shocked silence.
Twilight looked at Rarity. Gone was the gentle smile, the beautiful, wide sapphire-colored eyes. A deep, sensual smirk had taken its place, prowling beneath half-lidded eyes.
"Bon", Rarity murmured, and this new tone made Twi's body tingle like nothing ever had before. "That will be good preparation. Practice that name. You will need it soon."
Twilight could only stare in breathless anticipation as Rarity leaned closer. Gone was her fear, her worry. There was only Rarity, the heat radiating off her body, the tickle of glorious violet curls, the deep exhales on her body. The rhythmic tone of Rarity's breath made a surge of pure WANT run through her body, hundreds, thousands of times stronger than she had ever known.
And Rarity waited.
Even now, she prowled like a cat. Waiting for the prey to step into its ambush from which it would never escape.
Twilight had been caught months ago. And finally, she knew what she needed to do.
She closed her eyes. Craned her neck upwards, towards the source of the deep breathing noises that nearly drove her mad. Her lips made contact, the curve of Rarity's jaw. Awkwardly, Twilight kissed it. She did not have much practice with kissing, much less like this. But Rarity sighed in pleasure, and turned her muzzle to guide Twilight along, allowing her to move closer, little kisses on the way towards the ultimate goal. Twilight was too scared to do little more than little pecks, but Rarity did not seem to mind.
A hoof came up, finding its way to Twilight's cheek, caressing it. It rubbed little circles, moved further back, towards Twilight's mane, tangling inside. Rarity's head retreated, but her foreleg drew Twilight along, finally making contact where she had desired.
Twilight had kissed someone on the lips before. It was the clumsy experimentation of teenagers. Her and Moondancer had been awkward, but as scientists, they at least wanted to try.
She had not lost her awkwardness in those years. But as she tasted, felt Rarity's lips against hers, she could not care any less if she tried. Even if Rarity retreated now, declared her disgust at Twilight's lack of ability... She would never forget this.
It was all Twilight ever imagined, and then some. Rarity kissed lovingly, languidly and lavishly, every single taste enough to burn itself into Twilight's mind forever. She was kissed, they parted, if just for a breath, but before she could even speak, Rarity was there again. That intoxicating scent of Rarity's perfume, the taste (Stars above, the taste) of her kisses. She would lose her mind, and she would beg Rarity for more. To never again part with this mare she loved more than sun and stars.
The slight tingle on her lips caused her to part them, and soon a new world of feelings opened up to her. As her tongue met Rarity's and she felt the the tingling sensation on her tongue, so strange, so unfamiliar, and yet so exciting and invigorating, sending shudders through her body.
She started out just letting Rarity in control, but she soon grew bolder, as they parted and met again, lips and tongues uniting in a fervor. Twilight let her instincts take over, using Rarity's sighs and little moans as guidance for her own caresses.
And then it ended.
They parted, panting, a short little peck as their parting gift. Rarity did not immediately retreat, instead touching her (shivering) muzzle directly to Twilight's, until they were nose to nose.
"That was..." Rarity began, and Twilight saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks that shot another rush of lava through her veins. She watched helplessly as Rarity stood up, her usually perfect mane disheveled from their actions.
"There... goodness, I did not expect this to..."
Twilight just stared in awe at the usually so composed Rarity stumbling through her sentence like... well, Twilight usually. She wanted to get up, throw herself at Rarity and kiss her and do... things until the end of the week, but her legs informed her that they would not support any movement just yet.
"Rarity..."
Rarity managed a shaky grin, before clearing her throat, flipping her mane, and regaining all the composure a princess should have. “Well! I must be off to my lessons,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes at Twilight. “Will you be at the library tonight?”
Twilight nodded, thinking to herself that she’d be anywhere Rarity wanted her to be.
Rarity giggled, trotting off. “Bien. We’ll continue then, ma chère.”