Just One Kiss

by Fylifa

Chapter 2

“This is a whole lot of effort for a joke.” Starlight was looking at the storybook. Now that the spell had lifted off it, the book appeared ordinary. Most of the stories in it were familiar tales in one form or another.

“I have a hypothesis about who made it, but I’m not worried. It just so happens that this is the day Celestia, Luna and Cadance are in Canterlot for their weekly meeting,” said Twilight with a hint of smugness.

Spike coughed. “You’re going to go kiss one of them? Do you want me to send a letter with that?”

“No, I’ll just teleport over and explain it to them. It’ll take fifteen minutes, tops.” Twilight peered at a smirking Starlight and frowned. “Bah, we would have solved this in less time if I let this hit you instead.” She pointed out. "I could have just given you a kiss."

Starlight broke into the laugh she was holding back. “I’m sorry! Would that even work? Wouldn’t you have to love the pony, too?”

Twilight flustered and further explained, “Listen, it’s a storybook for foals. If this spell is using that as a conditional, then it should be pretty simple. The type of love shouldn’t matter. They probably didn’t expect to hit an actual princess with the trap.”

Starlight and Spike shared a glance again.

Spike cleared his throat. “Twilight, are you worried?”

“What? Me worry? I’m not worried! I said it already. I’m not going to be turned a frog by a thousand year prank, ” said Twilight while preparing her teleport spell. “I’ll be back. Fifteen minutes!”

---

“A kiss from a princess? Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard of that conditional,” said Celestia with amusement in her voice.

“What an adorable spell! Who came up with it?” Cadance asked while giggling. “Is that story about one of us?”

They were in Celestia’s personal chambers. Twilight had apologized profusely for interrupting the princess’ weekly gathering, but as they were quick to point out, she was a princess too and always welcome to join them for these informal meetings.

“Erm, no, Cadance. It was from the Crystal Empire’s library so it must have been preserved for over a thousand years. The princess in it isn’t even named. I think it’s meant to be allegorical,” clarified Twilight.

Celestia shook her head and chuckled. “I never did understand why old wizards always set a kiss with a princess as ‘The Impossible Task’. It’s not like I ration them.”

“Perhaps you were less generous with your affections a thousand years ago,” Luna noted with an eyeroll.

Celestia rustled her wings at that before turning back to Twilight. “At least this is something that has a simple solution.” She leaned forward and kissed Twilight on the cheek, sweet and motherly.

Twilight smiled and waited a few moments before looking down. Her ears drooped when she saw the collar still whole and intact. “It didn’t work...”

Cadance snorted. “Of course it’s not going to work with a kiss like that! Auntie, you have to give her a true love kiss. True love is on the mouth.”

“Actually, I don’t think the story menti—” Twilight began.

“On. The. Mouth!” Cadance insisted.

Twilight winced and turned towards Celestia with a rising blush. “I’m sorry, princess, but could you…?”

“Certainly, Twilight. This isn’t that much of an imposition. You’ve always been a cute mare.”

That had Twilight fidgeting. She had never thought of her mentor in a romantic sense, but catching wind of the vanilla perfume as well as feeling her cheek stroked by the colorful streamer of mane invoked a feeling of lightheadedness. She found herself holding her breath when Celestia leaned in a second time.

Their lips met, and Twilight closed her eyes. Celestia gently nudged her and Twilight murmured into Celestia's mouth as she tipped her head for a better match. The feel of that muzzle covering hers, the tickle of Celestia’s breath. The general closeness shared. All of that was enough to have Twilight shiver in admitted pleasure.

It was over all too soon, and Twilight let out her held breath with a sigh. Celestia smiled at her and Twilight smiled back.

A peek downward, however, showed Twilight that she still wore the frog collar. “Wait. That didn’t work?!” she exclaimed before looking over to Cadance.

Cadance mulled it over. “Well, that was certainly love filled. Maybe the story wanted it to be passionate too?”

Celestia’s noble stoicism was ironclad though her ears betrayed a twitch. “Are you suggesting I do even more with Twilight?”

Cadance shook her head. “No, no, auntie! This one has to be me.”

“Passionate? Somehow I think you’re enjoying this,” observed Twilight.

Cadance grinned. “It’s just like when we were younger! You remember when we used to practice during sleepovers, don’t you?”

Twilight sat on her flanks and reached to touch hooves with Cadance. “Yes, but you got the colt-friend to use it on before me.”

Cadance smirked at that and tugged Twilight a little closer to land a nuzzle on her cheek. “I’ll give you the one that got me Shiny,” she warned.

Twilight tried to get herself ready. Cadance’s demeanor had shifted, her playful attitude becoming focused like that of a professional sizing up an opponent.

When Cadance moved close, Twilight’s reflex had her flinching back. Cadance had expected it and compensated with another pull of her hooves.

Even if Twilight was clumsy, Cadance was an expert and played the kiss just right to keep a level of even pressure. Eventually, Twilight relaxed and started to enjoy the pleasant softness.

Until she felt Cadance’s tongue probing her.

Twilight’s eyes flew open and she arched her brow in a question. Cadance waggled hers for a response. So it was going to be that kind of ‘practice’. Twilight rolled her eyes and opened her mouth as Cadance delved into outright Prenching.

Feeling the slow sensuality of Cadance’s tongue against hers left Twilight swaying. A moan threatened to leave her and Twilight's blush deepened as she realized she was getting a bit too into this! The thought had her checking Cadance’s horn, but it remained unlit. The only magic being used here was sheer skill.

The necessity of breath spared Twilight from any more of the romantic onslaught, and they finally broke contact. Cadance looked particularly happy with herself and flounced her mane. “There! You can take that silly collar off now.”

Twilight reached and tugged on it first with a hoof then with her horn magic, but the little frog on the brooch seemed to mock her with stubbornness. “Oh come on! What more does it want from me?”

Cadance frowned. “That… that was the best kiss I could do.” She looked at the collar with genuine worry.

Twilight started tugging at her neck. “I don’t want to be green and eating flies!”

“Relax, Twilight. We will find the answer,” Celestia said while putting a wing around Twilight’s shoulders to calm her. “From what I remember of the court a millennia ago, unicorn nobles did have certain preconceptions on what defined a Princess.”

They huddled together in quiet thought until Cadance clopped a hoof on the floor as an idea caught on. “Oh! They probably expect it to be a virgin princess."

After a moment, the three princesses looked to the fourth one.

“What?” said Luna to the three pairs of eyes suddenly on her.

“Sister, you haven’t had time to... build any relations since your return, have you?” Celestia asked gently.

Luna’s blush turned her cheeks a fierce purple. “You presume!” she sputtered, “I-I have been busy! I wholly intend to! Someday… somenight.”

“Auntie, it’s okay! You can help Twilight in a way we can’t. I’m sure she’d do the same for you if things were reversed,” Cadance said.

“Hey!” Twilight protested as she caught some of this crossfire implication.

Luna’s muzzle scrunched before she sighed. “Very well. Approach me, Twilight. I will banish this curse from you.”

Twilight went over and sat in front of Luna.

Luna started to aim her muzzle, but paused then looked over Twilight’s shoulder at the watchers. “This matter is between Twilight and I. Spare us some courtesy and avert your eyes.”

There were a few murmured replies as Cadance and Celestia turned their backs.

Luna leaned in once again and then stopped short again, her ears drooping as she looked wracked by indecision.

Twilight whispered quietly to Luna to try and soothe her obvious anxiety. “It doesn’t have to be Prenching.”

When Luna still looked panicked. Twilight finally just raised her face and kissed Luna, firm and full on the mouth.

Going from kissing Equestria’s most experienced mare to a novice was a stark difference. Luna instinctively flinched back like Twilight had done with Cadance, but Twilight was a quick enough learner to use Cadance’s method to keep close.

Twilight could feel sympathy for Luna and tried her best to keep it easy. When Luna saw that Twilight wasn’t going to tongue her, she started to relax and reached to stroke at Twilight’s shoulder with a forehoof.

When the kiss broke, Luna nuzzled her before catching herself and going stony faced again. “Ah. D-Did it work?”

Twilight looked down and sighed. “No, but that’s not your fault, Luna. It just seems to be determined not to work with anypony. Maybe I read the spell wrong?”

Cadance swatted her own forehead with a hoof as a new idea came to her. “A prince! We could use a guy instead!”

Twilight sharply turned her head towards Cadance. “I’m not kissing Blueblood. I think I’d rather eat flies!”

“Oh sister, I’m many things, but I’m not a sadist,” replied Cadance.

---

“Uhh… honey? You want to run that by me again?” Shining Armor asked as he sat in front of Twilight.

Shining Armor and Cadance traveled together whenever they could and like any parents had to work out the logistics of babysitting. Shining had been putting Flurry Heart to sleep in the guest bedroom while Cadance had her nighttime tea with the sisters. He had been at first happy to see Twilight, though after Cadance had explained the situation, he started to look uneasy.

“Need you to kiss Twilight, dear.” Cadance put her hooves over Shining’s back and pressed on him. Twilight thought that since their kiss in Celestia’s bedroom Cadance acted more Prench by the minute.

“Yeah, I got that part, but... on the mouth?” Shining looked conflicted, his willpower being tested by Cadance’s closeness.

“What’s the big deal? We all did it. Besides she’s your sister,” answered Cadance as she climbed nibbles on Shining’s neck. “This should be easy.”

“It’s because she’s my sister that this is NOT eas— wait you all have been kissing Twilight?” Shining asked, his eyes widening.

“Only because it’s an emergency!” Twilight desperately added, “It’s not for fun or anything like that.”

“I thought it was kinda fun,” quipped Cadance before she ducked her head behind Shining’s at Twilight’s glare.

Twilight turned back to Shining. “I’m really sorry to do this to you, but I need you to be my B.B.B.F.F. more than ever.”

“It’s okay, Twily. I’ve been a guard for princesses, you kind of have to expect anything. Even the creepy stuff.” Shining stumbled forward when Cadance goaded him with a push.

“It’s not creepy,” Twilight lied.

“Oh for love’s sake!” Cadance spoke up, startling them both with her sudden furious tone. “Ponies in Equestria hem and haw over showing their love for the stupidest of reasons. Twilight, you love Shining. Shining, you love Twilight. I don’t want Flurry Heart growing up visiting her auntie in an aquarium. Hurry up and kiss her already!”

Shining charged forward under such a whip crack from the wife. Twilight was thankful for Cadance’s last minute restraining squeeze to stop them from knocking their heads together.

At first, they were stiff with each other and Twilight had to fight to keep her muzzle from scrunching. Shining wasn't much better off, lips tense and inert. Feeling her brother on the other end be as uncomfortable as she was brought a funny camaraderie to the situation.

Twilight made a muffled giggle against his muzzle. He smiled along with her and eventually thawed.

Twilight thought back to her childhood, back to whenever she read a story involving some handsome hero. She had usually visualized them as Shining in his guard uniform as he was a natural role model. It’s not Shining, it’s the knight galloping to rescue a princess. You just happen to be the princess.

Shining for his part was not a bad kisser, perhaps owing to constant practice with Cadance. After kissing so many mares, kissing a stallion felt downright exotic to Twilight. The strong lips and jaw, the powerful neck and mouth control. Twilight’s body warmed, and her giggle turned into a soft murmur as she raised a hoof to pet at his chest. “Oh, Sir Hoof-a-Lot...”

The kiss broke, and Shining stared at her. “Who?”

“Uhh, Nopony! T-Thanks, big brother!” Twilight looked down and cursed at seeing the collar. “Oh bucking Tartarus, still?!”

Cadance hoofed at Twilight’s neck and grumped, “I’ll go wake up Flurry then. Maybe she can blast it off if her kiss doesn’t work. She probably will out of frustration anyway. She’s been teething.”

“No, Cadance. Just… no,” sighed Twilight as she slumped in place. She felt tired.

“We’re running out of royals! Not too many can be reached in just a couple of days.” Cadance counted off on her wingfeathers. “We might be able to get to Thorax, but the Yaks are much too far away, and it’ll take diplomacy to get the Saddle Arabians to kiss a mare and who knows where Chrysa—”

“NO!” Twilight interrupted. “I’m not going to traipse around Equestria kissing every pony and not-pony. I’ll just go back and work on this with magic. It’s my element, I’ll figure it out.”

---

Twilight squatted on a large lily-leaf and basked in the hot summer air. It was enough to make her thrum deep in her throat with pleasure.

Above her, a fly buzzed. Not just an ordinary fly, but a fat, juicy one. It looked delicious!

The fly perched on a tree branch of Twilight’s swamp home, rubbing its bug legs together. Her mouth watered at the sight and slowly she opened it, tongue cocking back. A ribbit of triumph came out of her. That bug would never see her coming!

Suddenly, Luna appeared in front of the tree. “Twilight! No!” The tongue en route to the fly was blocked by Luna’s shield.

The swamp rippled and changed to Twilight’s bedroom. Twilight gasped, realizing what she had almost done. “L-Luna?” Now a pony again, and she never felt so happy to be on four hooves.

“Worry not, I am here,” murmured Luna as she drew Twilight into a sheltering embrace.

Twilight shook for a time. “Just a dream. Just a dream. I’m dreaming. Not a frog. Not a frog yet.”

Luna hushed her and hugged all the harder until Twilight recovered from her runaway anxiety.

Twilight looked up to the dream princess. “T-Thank you. Eating that fly would have haunted me for sure.”

“ ‘Twas the least I could do for you. I am still sorry I could not break your curse.”

“Will you… stay a little longer? I’m afraid what I’ll dream about next without you around,” asked Twilight sheepishly, she still felt shaky.

Luna smiled and then looked at her sidelong. “I… had wished to ask.” She took a breath to clear her throat. “Perhaps we could spend the time kissing?” she added hastily, “For practice.”

Twilight noticed that Luna was much more relaxed in the dream than she was in waking life. Probably owed to not having herself judged on by Celestia and Cadance. The request still had Twilight laughing, and she supposed there were worse ways to spend the night.

It was Twilight’s turn to give Luna the helpful embrace, putting her hooves around their shoulders and lifting herself up to gently meet muzzles with Luna. “Sure, for practice.”

---

“Okay, sugacube, keep that pretty head of yours still. I wouldn't want to nick ya,” instructed Applejack as she maneuvered the tool in-between Twilight’s neck and collar. It looked like a pair of giant shears with long handles adapted for Earth Pony hooves.

When dawn came, Twilight had sprung out of bed ready for action. A question though on what action exactly. She had tried obeying the spell as written so now she looked for more physical solutions. It led her to Applejack’s farm.

Twilight kept herself still with her head tipped back. “And this one can cut through magic materials?”

“Ayup, this here’s a chain-breaker. Got it in Canterlot to help out with the magick’d chains we got for the harder stuff. I used it just the other day to cleave through an enchanted padlock. Just took a little muscle is all. Git yerself ready now. ”

Twilight sucked in a breath and closed her eyes.

Applejack grunted, and Twilight felt a twisting sensation as the collar was pulled up. Finally, there was a ‘sproing’ sound and a sudden release of the tension.

“Celly darn it!”

A peek downward showed Twilight that the collar hadn’t taken a scratch. The chain breaker, however, had broken at the handle. Twilight groaned, and her head fell back.

“Ya alright there, Twi?” asked Applejack. "I didn't nick ya did I?"

“Just resigning myself to the fact that I’ll be living in a pond soon,” sighed Twilight.

Applejack tossed the broken tool aside and put a hoof on Twilight’s chest to rub her encouragingly. “Don’t be silly. You’ll figure somethin’ out. Yah usually do. Just tell how I could help ya.”

“Could kiss me, maybe, for all the good anything else does,” mumbled Twilight.

Applejack hoofed her hat up and peered at Twilight. “Ya being serious? I ain’t a princess.”

Twilight let out a humorless laugh. “Sorry, I’m under stress and feeling down. I need to get back to finding a way to fix this. I’m sorry for wasting your time.” She tried to get up and floundered with forehooves and hindhooves when Applejack’s own hoof didn’t move from her chest.

“Didn’t say I was opposin’ the idea,” noted Applejack. “Maybe it might cheer you up at the very least.”

Twilight blinked and stared. Applejack looked back placidly, leaving it anypony’s guess to her feelings. Twilight wasn't even sure if it was a flirt.

After a brief internal debate on if she should teleport out from under that hoof, Twilight chuckled instead. If Applejack was going to play poker, Twilight would call that tease. “Fine, hit me with your best shot.”

Applejack’s hoof slid around her barrel and tugged her over. Despite being the bigger one as an alicorn, Twilight could appreciate the strength in that orange Earth pony body. “Just so ya know, it won’t be fancy. Just good, honest kissin’.”

“What would dishonest kissing even be li—” asked Twilight before her question got stifled by the mouth covering her own.

Twilight once again took stock of the details. With Applejack she had her own kind of hardiness even when kissing. Not quite as rugged as Shining was, but those lips were steady and sure.

Funny how it is almost like a hoof print. Every kiss is different, and every pony has their own way about it. Maybe I should write a book on— oh, Celestia, I’m starting to go off the deep end with this.

Applejack tipped her head, and their lips started to spread from the pressure. Twilight found her tongue drifting towards the gap between mouths. Though before she could cross it was met at the border by Applejack’s tongue. They touched then got in a brief pushing wrestle.

When they broke Applejack panted. “I ain’t putting up with any of that Prench nonsense!”

Twilight smacked her lips, tasting the lingering sweetness of apple cider. “That’s okay. We can try it again without.”

---

“Well since you’re still wearing the collar I take it you didn’t have much luck at Applejack’s, eh?” Starlight commented when Twilight returned to the castle’s magic lab.

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched briefly. “Erm, well... I learned something. Just nothing that can help me right now.” She sighed and settled into one of the chairs around the lab table. “What about you? Come up with anything?”

Starlight closed her eyes and lit her horn. In the air in front of her, a blue shimmering disk of energy formed and spun like a sawblade. She let it slice downward and cut through a stack of books. “Been working on a way to focus enough of a fine edge to cut through the weave.” She nudged the book stack with a hoof, and it split neatly in half.

“Ah!” Twilight cried, aghast at seeing five books ruined wholesale. She shook her head. “We’ve been over this, Starlight. The spell fed on both our magic when we were countering it. It’s probably stronger than us put together at this point.” She looked towards the split stack. “Besides, one wrong move and you’re just as likely to cut my head off as much as the collar."

“That’s still an option,” mused Starlight.

At Twilight’s glare, Starlight demonstrated another spell that mended the books and brought the split pages and covers whole. “A quick cut and then we put the ends together. Kinda drastic I know, but better an inch shorter than a frog forever.”

Twilight fought the urge to hunch her shoulders defensively at the suggestion and shook her head. “Starlight… sometimes you’re a bit too pragmatic.”

Starlight shrugged. “I guess I got nothing else for you then. Unless you wanted to try kissing me to see if that works.”

Twilight weighed the choices: A kiss versus getting her neck chopped. “I’ll take the less painful option.”

Starlight nodded and reformed the magical sawblade.

“I meant kissing you!” Twilight hastily clarified.

Starlight blinked, and the blade winked out. “Oh! Hah… sorry.”

Twilight approached and sat beside Starlight. After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned in and put a kiss to her student’s mouth.

Unlike Luna, Starlight didn’t flinch back, and unlike Cadance she didn’t charge forward either.

In fact, she didn’t react at all.

Twilight snorted, it was like kissing one of Rarity’s dress-dolls.

After the kiss had broken, Starlight looked at her and asked, “Problem?”

“Well… no… uh...” Twilight hedged before just flat out saying it, “You could move a little.”

“Like… backwards?” Starlight looked confused.

“No! Just…” Twilight huffed as she struggled to explain, “I thought you and Trixie would have by now…”

“She’s more of the Yell-Into-The-Pillow-Type,” Starlight admitted.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a few, measured breaths. Celestia, give me strength.

“If we don’t solve this, I’m not going to be around anymore to give you lessons in anything other than lily pads. So… it’s important that I can share with you with whatever knowledge I can give you. I’m kinda becoming an expert on this sort of thing,” explained Twilight before grumbling, "as much as I want to get it over with.”

Starlight tilted her head to the side. “You’re worried what my future colt and marefriends will say if I’m no good at kissing?” She started to grin and teased, “Which friendship lesson is that?”

“Yes! No! Wait… ugh.” Twilight rubbed her temples with her hooves as she collected her thoughts. “Before today I’d have been the first to tell you that kissing wasn’t something you needed to know, but now all at once, it’s the most important thing in Equestria for me in this situation. Better to be prepared in case someday you have to do what I did.”

Starlight chortled. “Okay, Teach. Lay it on me.”

“First you have to put your head like so and when you lean in it is important not to close your eyes too soon or else you might hit their eyeball, and that is hardly romantic. For your first, you’ll likely want to put your hooves on their shoulders because it can serve as a guide right as you move forward,” rambled Twilight as she went through a day’s worth of very scientific observation.

Starlight raised her hooves to stop Twilight’s forward press. “Wait, I think I’m going to need a scroll to start writing this down.”

“Uhh, girls?” Spike said as he walked into the sight of Twilight holding Starlight in her hooves and looming forward with her mouth nearly touching Starlight’s. “Sorry to interrupt but… umm… I guess it can wait.”

Twilight backpedaled from Starlight. “Spike! Hi! It’s… fine. What’s up?” She tried to hide her blush with a forced grin.

Spike looked between them and held out a scroll to her. “You got a reply on the message you sent to Celestia.”

Twilight levitated the scroll from Spike’s claws and read it. After a minute she sighed, “Right, that settles it.”

Starlight and Spike shared a glance. “Settles what?” They both said nearly at the same time.

“Who’s behind this prank. If Plan A and Plan B didn’t work, it’s time for Plan C: Going right to the source of all this trouble,” said Twilight with her mute anger scrunching up the scroll before she startled and smoothed it out again.

“I thought you said this spell was thousands of years old. Where are you going?” Starlight asked.

“Down the street,” replied Twilight, heading out the door with a resolute stomping canter.

Comments

[Hobbestc]

Discord?

[BlueMoonHarlot]

Cadance grinned. “It’s just like when we were younger! You remember when we used to practice during sleepovers, don’t you?”

UH

[Cerulean Blue]

The idea of Twlight hunting down Chrysalis, popping out of some bush in whatever secret lair she's in and kissing Chrissy before anypony realises what's going on is hilarious.