Paths Less Travelled

by Botched Lobotomy

Chapter 4

{That is so cheating!}

{Look at it from my perspective: how embarrassing would it be if it turned out I chose wrong?}

{Shouldn’t you just have, like...I don’t know, taken a risk? Like everypony else does?}

{There’s enough you risk in love already! I just wanted to make sure I had the best chance. I’m pleased to say it worked!}

{Cheater.}

{And what do you think this spell is, hmm?}

{That’s...different.}

{Both of them are ways to force fate’s hoof. Get the love-train back on track.}

{I still think it’s not fair.}

{All’s fair in love and war. Besides, it isn’t cheating. I should know, I make the rules!}

{Who am I kissing right now, anyway?}

{Don’t you remember? Vinyl.}

{Whaaat? I was drunk. You don’t go kissing strangers in the cupboard sober.}

{Ah, so that’s where we are.}

{If I had to guess? At one of my friend Lyra’s parties. She always knew how to throw em weird.}

{I think I went to one of those, actually.}

{No way! You think we ever ended up at the same one?}

{Would you remember if we had?}

{Probably not. I guess we didn’t, then, if you don’t remember either.}

{I wouldn’t say that rules it out, exactly...}

{Princess!}

{What? You don’t go kissing strangers in the cupboard sober, after all.}

Light click. Draw back. As the stars fade from your eyesight, you trace your partner’s cheek with the very edge of your forehoof. Lover-gentle. Not a stranger, then. Soft glow upon soft fur, almost white in this bright light...

White fur.

Red eyes.

Blue mane.

{No way. You can’t...Princess Cadance?}

You don’t remember this at all.

Comments

[Bicyclette]

{That is so cheating!}

{Look at it from my perspective: how embarrassing would it be if it turned out I chose wrong?}

she does have a good point. her brand would be ruined! (also can't help but think this was a deliberate way to sneak in the other meaning of the word "cheating" to be picked up later)

{I wouldn’t say that rules it out, exactly...}

{Princess!}

{What? You don’t go kissing strangers in the cupboard sober, after all.}

ah, these inversions are so good! this imbalance between a public figure and a background pony is interesting. Vinyl only thinks that she knows about Cadance, but the real one has a lot more in common with her than either she or i would've thought

{No way. You can’t...Princess Cadance?}

You don’t remember this at all.

and dang, you know how to end these chapters