Chapter Two - Matchmaker's Gambit
The first rays of morning light slowly crept their way into the lobby of the library. Everything within the room was treated to a serene bathing of tranquil sunlight, only to be interrupted by the frenetic pace of erratic shadows of a single unicorn and other small flying objects. Spike sat on the middle table, munching away on a large topaz as Twilight dashed from one end of the library to the other, gathering up writing materials and any appropriate book or research paper she could find.
Spike cleared his throat and set his topaz back on the plate. “So, remind me again why you’re going to Canterlot.”
The flying books halted their course and floated above the ground as Twilight turned her attention toward her assistant. Not again. “I told you, Spike. The Princess and I are going to be reviewing my studies into the magic of friendship.”
“Couldn’t you just do that over letter?” Spike asked, grabbing a book from the air and studying its cover with disdain.
Twilight snatched the book away. “No, this requires a personal visit,” she replied.
Spike crossed his forearms. “But, why do you have to go all the way there?”
Why are you being so nosey?! “B-Because Spike—” Twilight said, rapidly searching her brain for a reason. “—there are a lot of, private questions that I have that still need to be answered about friendship, questions that Princess Celestia would no doubt know the answers to.”
“Like...” Spike ventured.
Twilight turned her back on Spike, in part to pack more books into the saddlebag and partly to hide the beads of sweat now forming under her bangs. “L-like, how can friends effectively share one thing very close to both of them! O-or how friendship can evolve into something much more beautiful, much more interpersonal, akin to, to a... true love!”
Spike raised a skeptical eyebrow. “True love?”
“T-that last part is just a theory,” Twilight quickly stammered out.
“So, lemme get this straight," Spike said, inspecting the now over burdened saddlebags on the floor. "You’re going to Canterlot to talk to the Princess, about your friendship lessons... by yourself?”
Twilight swiftly levitated the bags above the little dragon's eyesight and gave him a stern look. “Spike, you should be more worried about how you’re going to organize Rarity’s novel collection.”
Spike looked back at the tower of novels still stacked on the table. He slumped over with a defeated sigh. “Don’t remind me.”
Twilight smiled at her assistant's compliance and set the saddlebags onto her barrel, causing her knees to buckle momentarily before righting herself again. “I’ll be back in a about a week, Spike. Make sure those novels are ready to be rented out by the time I get back.”
“Great, I’m stuck here sifting through sappy romance stories while you get to go on vacation,” Spike said with a grunt.
“Well, why don’t you give one of those stories a chance?" Twilight teased, nuzzling the dragon before turning for the door. "Who knows, you might just like it.”
“Yeah right,” Spike replied as he watched the purple unicorn shut the door behind her.
Spike turned back to the library, its once clean floors now littered with debris. He sighed, began collecting scattered reading material and picked up his unfinished topaz. Spike ascended up the stairway into Twilight's room, neatly placing each book that belonged there back into its rightful place.
With his hands free, Spike tossed the topaz into the air and opened his mouth wide to catch it. A few seconds passed before a soft thump dashed all hopes of a quick bite. He opened his eyes again only to see the half-eaten topaz dangling out of reach on the top shelf of the bookcase. Spike sighed at his failed attempt at the maneuver and slid a nearby chair into position as a stool.
He grabbed the bright yellow gem in his claws, but not before noticing the paperback novel beside it, the crude purple bookmark jutting out of the pages.
He grabbed the novel and observed the title. "Hearts in Bloom, huh?"
Spike sat in the chair, twirling the topaz between his fingers as he opened the book to it's first page. "Love is like a blooming flower, closed off until its just time, and even then only to the right pony..."
"...Oh, brother," he moaned, staring blankly at the ceiling. He shrugged. "Well, maybe it gets better as you go."
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The distinct sound of hooves on marble echoed beautifully across the white washed hallways of the palace interior, perfectly announcing the presence of the Royal Sisters as they continued their trek toward the main auditorium. Despite the fact that the wide windows clearly displayed the interior in broad daylight, the area was devoid of pony eyes, save for the few stationary guards and a lone grey unicorn mare diligently following the pair.
"Are you sure you are alright with this?" Celestia asked as she walked.
Luna rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Sister, even after a thousand years, I still know how to rule a country. The adjustments that must be made are... slight at best. And I am sure your skilled bureaucrats will ensure our nation is still run as smoothly as it always has."
Luna looked back towards the mare behind her, noting the readied scroll in her magical grip and the inkwell perched atop her croup, which perfectly mirrored the image on her flank below. The mare smiled and blushed, slightly bowing her head before rising it swiftly back to keep her glasses from falling off. "Thank you, your grace, but I am but a humble servant," she said.
Luna winked at her assistant, who bowed once more before leaving the two sisters. Luna turned her attention back to Celestia. "Besides, it is only for one week. I am sure the land will be fine."
"And you are comfortable with the rising of the sun?" Celestia asked, taking on a worried tone. "It's much more difficult to rise than the moon."
Luna gave a quick, haughty laugh, flaring her wings for emphasis. "All that practice would have been for naught if it were not applied!" she exclaimed, folding her wings back against her sides. "Besides, thou were once as young as I when thou oversaw the rise of both!"
Celestia frowned at her sister and gave a long sigh before perking up a smile. "Well, you do have a point..."
Luna grinned even wider over her victory and happily skipped further ahead toward the door. The two sisters slowed their pace as they approached the door, the two pegasi guards stationed there standing at attention. Celestia halted her march before the doorway, closing her eyes and releasing another sigh.
Luna placed a hoof onto Celestia's shoulder. "Worry not, my sister. Everything will be fine."
Celestia turned and smiled at Luna. "Alright, but if you need me, I will be here."
Luna gave yet another haughty laugh, but quickly toned it down to a snicker. "Perish the thought, my sister," she replied, waving a dismissive hoof in front of her. "You need only focus your full attention on your faithful student and leave the day to day workings of the nation to me."
The two guards quickly shot looks at each other, exchanging worrying glances. Luna caught the exchange, but merely rolled her eyes at the misbehaving soldiers. Celestia smiled and returned her attention to the door. She took in a breath, flared up her horn, and parted the large ornate doors, stepped into the room beyond.
The auditorium was spacious and grand, a glorified waiting room that fit well into the palace it was part of. Wide red carpets cascaded down two flights of violet tinted stairs, continuing onto marble tiled floors until a golden star split it's path three separate ways. It was here that a certain purple unicorn stood, with the heavy load of a pair of overstuffed saddlebags on her back. Celestia couldn't help but stifle a laugh at her student's obsessive need to over prepare.
Twilight caught sight of her mentor as she entered and, despite the burden, excitedly cantered up to her. "Princess Celestia!"
Celestia extended a wing, bringing her student in close for an embrace. "Twilight, my faithful student! How are you today?"
Twilight buried her muzzle into Celestia's coat, relishing in the familiar scent of vanilla and rose. She reluctantly ripped herself away and looked up toward her mentor with a smile. "I-I'm doing great! I can't wait to get started!" She reached into her bags with her telekinesis, pulling out various writing supplies. "I packed everything I need! Extra quills, parchment—"
A scroll of paper quickly unraveled itself and sped across Celestia's hooves, continuing on to catch onto Luna's legs. "S-sorry! Sorry!" Twilight quickly stammered.
Celestia chuckled at her student. "It's quite alright, Twilight," she said, flaring up her horn and catching the rogue parchment. She rolled it up in a golden glow and gently placed it back in its spot in Twilight's bag. "Even I have trouble with these magic scrolls sometimes. It's almost as if they were enchanted with a mind of their own!"
Luna eagerly watched on as the two ponies before her chuckled and laughed. Even as the laughter died down, she beheld them staring into each other's eyes, smiling. A single, solitary moment of connection. The one shred of evidence of a bond that could never be broken. A trance that could last an eternity.
"Twily!"
Twilight swiftly turned to face the familiar disturbance, only to receive a white foreleg around her neck and a hoof in her mane. Shining Armor continued his playful assault, digging his hoof into his sister's head. Cadance strolled in with her own playful smile, watching on as her husband and sister-in-law wrestled with each other.
"Oof! Shining!" Twilight protested, squirming out of his grasp as they laughed. Freed at last, she turned to the pink alicorn. "Oh, Cadance, what do you see in him?"
Cadance let out a giggle. "Well, he keeps the sun shining and the ladybugs awake!"
The two mares shared a chuckle at their in-joke as Shining Armor looked at the two of them quizzically. Shining rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Twilight. "So, what are you doing here, sis?"
Twilight patted down her messy mane. "Oh, you know, just some—" She halted her sentence, quickly churning her mind for the right words. "Uh, research... with the Princess."
"About your studies into friendship?" he asked.
"Yeah! Yeah, that," Twilight replied, quickly occupying her mind with mathematical equations to forestall the inevitable oncoming blush.
Shining Armor didn't seem to notice. "How long are you here for?"
"Oh, about a week or so," Twilight said, fixating her gaze on the intricate golden weave in the carpet below her.
"Great! Hey, maybe you could have lunch with Cadance and I sometime, make some time to catch up a little bit," he said excitedly.
Twilight's blush was fully active, painting her face red. "I-I'll see if—"
"Oh, she may not have the time to make, unfortunately." Luna interrupted with a half-hearted chuckle. "She will be quite busy with her studies and, well—" She motioned toward the saddlebags with her hoof. "—you know how she gets."
Shining Armor slapped his forehead with a hoof. "Oh, right! I forgot how diligent you can be when you're really working hard." He shrugged. "Oh well, maybe we'll see each other around, Twily."
"Y-yes! Of course!" Twilight quickly blurted out. She turned toward Celestia and shifted in place uneasily, her saddlebags nearly throwing her off balance. "So, um... shall we?"
Celestia snapped her attention back to her student. "Oh! Yes, of course."
Celestia turned toward the doorway to the left and motioned for Twilight to follow with her wing. Twilight hopped to her mentor's side. "Bye Cadance, bye Shining Armor, bye Luna!" she said quickly before following Celestia.
The mentor and her student trotted off side by side toward the study ward, Twilight adjusting her bag as she walked. The remaining trio of ponies smiled at them as they left before Cadance and Shining turned to make their leave.
"Cadance! Wait! A moment of your time please," Luna implored, halting the pink alicorn in her tracks.
The couple gave each other a confused look before Cadance motioned for Shining to go on without her. She turned back and trotted up to the night princess. "Yes, Luna?"
Luna eyed Shining Armor as he left, patiently waiting for him to round the corner into the nearby hallway before turning her attention back to Cadance. "Did you see it?"
Cadance raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "See what?"
"Oh, do not tell me you had not noticed," Luna replied in a sultry tone. "The twinkle in her eye, the quiver in her voice..."
"I'm not following." Cadance said plainly.
Luna let out a groan. "Love, Cadance! Twilight's love for Tia! It was all over her! Oh, she telegraphs it like an open book!"
"Well, of course. Celestia is her mentor after all," Cadance stated flatly.
"No, no. This is much different," Luna replied, rubbing her hooves together. "It is neither Storge nor Phileo, but Eros! Eros, Cadance!"
Cadance gave Luna a bemused look. "Huh?"
"Twilight is rather 'in love'," Luna explained.
Cadance looked back toward the doorway Twilight and Celestia had left through. Her confused stare only turned into a quizzical frown. "I don't know about that, Luna. She seemed to act pretty normal to me."
Luna huffed at her niece. "For an expert on love, you certainly are naive. Did you not see how nervous she was?"
Cadance didn't budge. "She has always been nervous around Celestia, especially when dealing with her studies. There is nothing unusual about that."
Luna gave Cadance a smirk and waved a hoof at her niece. "Thou simply is not looking hard enough." She circled around the pink alicorn and trotted towards the hallway where she had entered. Luna turned back to face her as she left and gave Cadance a wink. "Watch her closely next time. You will see."
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Watch closely...
Cadance halted the small trolley she was pushing and double checked its contents. On the tray was the Princess's afternoon tea, placed inside an ancient ornamental tea set, likely preserved by Celestia herself from a few centuries ago. To Cadance, it seemed a bit too lavish to elegantly emboss golden swirls into an otherwise plainly shaped teapot and simple teacups, but the otherwise simple set was pretty well made and thought out. A small, yet complete set for two, with its own sugar cube jar and honey bottle. Really, all one needed for tea.
Cadance pushed the cart ahead, letting her magic take hold of it once it had gotten up to speed. She rounded a corner and proceeded towards Celestia's room, stopping at the doorway and pressing her ear against the door. She heard the distinct soft, regal voice of the Princess, speaking in muffled tones. She took in a deep breath and brought up a hoof to the door.
Ok, Luna, Cadance thought. Let's see what this is all about...
Three swift knocks reverberated throughout the hallway. The disturbance was met with silence, until a soft voice from inside the room beckoned the intruder to enter. Cadance gingerly opened the door and took the tray of tea within her magical grasp.
Twilight and Celestia sat on cushions across from each other at a small table in the middle of the room, Twilight's saddlebag of writing supplies propped up against one of its legs. The table was literally covered with books, scrolls and Twilight's friendship reports. Cadance eyed the table, futilely searching for a place to put the tray.
"I brought you both some tea," said Cadance. "I hope you don't mind."
Celestia smiled at the welcome gift. "Thank you, Cadance."
"Uh, here! Lemme make some room for you," Twilight said, quickly calling upon her magic to sweep a number of books back into her bag.
Cadance gracefully floated the tray over to the table and set it down in the middle, levitating the cups into position for the two mares. "Studies going well?" she asked as she grabbed the teapot with her magic and poured the tea into each cup.
"Oh, yes! I've learned a lot so far!" Twilight replied excitedly, reaching for a green notebook. "In fact, I have a question for you..."
Cadance set the teapot down and turned toward Twilight. "Alright. Ask away!"
Twilight flipped open her notebook and scanned her way through the entries. She traced each one with her hoof before stopping near the end of the paper. "Ok, when did you first realize that you loved my brother and wanted to marry him?"
Cadance brought a hoof to her chin as she searched her mind. "Oh, well, where to begin? We knew each other for quite some time while I was growing up in Canterlot, him being the Royal Guard Captain and all," she began. "Over the years, we spent time together and grew close, really close. Then one day, out in the palace gardens, he, well, proposed to me. I was... surprised to say the least...
"I guess I realized that I wanted to be with him all along," Cadance said with a chuckle.
Twilight's face contorted into a frown as she flipped back and forth through her notepad before returning her attention to Cadance. "But, what was the very moment you realized it? How did you feel? How did you... know?"
"The exact moment?" Cadance asked. "Well, uh... hmmm." There was a long pause as she thought hard about her past. He was just... always there. Always by me. Always ready to defend me. Always there to comfort me. Always... "I don't really remember..."
Twilight's gaze dropped to the teacup in front of her, her ears following suit. "Oh..."
"Why? What are you both researching?" Cadance asked.
Twilight shifted in her seat, her eyes wandering around the room. "Well, my studies into friendship have hit a bit of a snag and I was hoping the Princess would be able to help me."
"So, what's the subject?" Cadance asked, more intently this time. "Friends? Family?"
Twilight began sinking her head lower, a warm flush crossing her cheeks. "Oh, well, it's a bit embarrassing but, uh, w-well, i-it's..."
"The concept of romance," Celestia chimed in. "As my faithful student puts it."
"Ah, I see!" Cadance replied excitedly. She turned back to Twilight, bounding like a school filly. "Well? Well? What have you learned so far??"
"Uh, let's see..." Twilight said, drinking in her friend's new found energy and delving into her notepad once again. "We went over, dating and courting, oh, oh! And now are moving on to analyzing the various steps toward implementing a regular scheduled relationship within acceptable bounds in regards to the stage of said relationship."
Cadance stared blankly at Twilight's triumphant smile for a moment. "Oh, really?" she asked hesitantly. "I-is that all?"
Twilight gave Cadance a short laugh. "Oh, no! I have tons of notes about it!" She levitated up a large blue binder and set it on top of the table, the resulting crash sending shock waves across its surface. "See?"
Cadance peered into the binder and was immediately assaulted by walls of text. ...the courting process, which, in accordance with established conventions enclosed between spring and autumn months during which time equines exhibit key tendencies indicating the prime occasion to enter said relationship in regards to leading towards more intimate subjects at the tail end of the estrous cycle to which...
Cadance rubbed her eyes with her hooves, desperately trying to rid her mind of the endless stream of bullet points and quickly changed the subject. "So, do you have your eye on—" She leaned in close to Twilight as she spoke. "—anypony special?"
Twilight's eyes shot wide open at hearing Cadance's question. She flashed quick glances between the two alicorns. Her cheeks grew red hot and nearly stumbled backwards. "M-me? N-no! No-no-no-no," she stammered out. "T-this is all just for research! Y-yes, research..."
Twilight averted her eyes away from the other mares and took a sip of her tea. Cadance stared wide eyed at her friend's sudden outburst, watching her mindlessly sip her extremely hot beverage. She snuck a glance at Celestia as well, who sat straight faced and motionless, staring into her own tea. Cadance eyed Celestia closely, the white alicorn resolute in her display of her regal porcelain mask.
"Oh..." Cadance said at last. "Well, if you want, Twilight, I could make myself available for questions later."
Twilight stared blankly at the far wall, tea cup still hovering in front of her, her eyes refusing to make contact. "Huh? Oh, right yes. I'll uhm, I'll consider it."
Cadance slowly nodded and stood up from the table. "I should get going," she said softly as she walked toward the doorway.
"Thank you again for the tea," a soft voice called out to Cadance. She turned back to see Celestia's soft smile, her regal visage gone. Cadance returned the sentiment with her own and walked out the room, shutting the large doors behind her.
Outside, Cadance furrowed her brow in thought. She took a step back and placed an ear once more to the door, yet all she heard again was silence. Cadance retreated from the door and quickly trotted down the hallway.
Inquisitive eyes watched on from a dark corner.
Hmmm...
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Flickering flames danced up the slowly wilting wick of a candle, projecting it's glow across the walls as it was moved into position on top of a stack of books. The dimly lit lab emanated too little light for any significant effort to work to be accomplished during the night, most likely due to it's unnecessarily high ceiling, but Cadance wasn't deterred in the slightest. Before her sat an array of tubes, pots, vials and bunsen burners, flanked on either side by stacks of textbooks. The entire display dominated the large oaken table, save only for the area directly in front of Cadance, where a single book was open and a variety of herbs and other odd objects lay haphazardly strewn about.
She reached out with her magic, grabbed yet another candlestick, lit the wick with a well placed spark from her horn and gently guided it to the large oaken table. She carefully placed the light source between her alchemy apparatus and the textbook, illuminating the page to acceptable levels, revealing it's story and the many additions written over top . She studied the text within, recounting the tragic tale of drunken love and a doomed kingdom, paying keen attention to the portrait of the lovers themselves and the footnote scribbled next to it. See reference MBV-08, pages 625-626...
Cadance turned her attention to the stack to her left and scanned the binders of each, following them down until she spotted the letters pop out from a single white spine. She smiled and gingerly removed the book, steadying the stack so as not to fall. She flipped its pages to the designated spot, skimming through the passage for what she was seeking.
" 'When the war... brings about the world's end... descends from the sky...'," Cadance's eyes wandered further down, sizing up the passage before a single line caught her attention. " 'Guides to bliss, her gift... everlasting'..."
Cadance leaned back, searching the pitch black ceiling for answers. Guides to bliss... a gift of... love? Love... Bliss... She crossed her forelegs, bringing a single hoof to her forehead. What could possibly capture the essence of...
Cadance gasped as an idea struck her. Aha! I got it!
Cadance closed her eyes, flaring her horn with cyan energy. She swayed her horn back and forth, channeling her magic into a levitating ball. As more magic was weaved into it, the formless ball began to take shape, a small heart. Cadance shut her eyes tighter, focusing her energy into the heart until it crystallized before her.
She opened her eyes, observing her work. Not quite the genuine article, but it should suffice. Now...
Satisfied with her final ingredient, Cadance levitated the collection of objects before her, carefully examining each before moving a large glass pot complete with heat source to the center of the table. The crystal clear water inside the pot churned ever so slightly from the small flame atop the bunsen burner.
Cadance hovered a small, dense cloud above the water, judging it's whiteness before plopping it into the pot. A tuft of cumulus...
Next, she poured in a vial of prismatic liquid, each color neatly separated into it's own unique stripe, radiating colorful light despite the dimness. A pure rainbow's glow...
Cadance lifted a wing and brought her muzzle between her dorsal guiding feathers, plucking off the longest one. An alicorn's feather...
Armed with her own feather, Cadance stirred the mixture vigorously, yet deliberately, taking great care not to spill a drop. Stir swift, not slow...
The mixture slowly began changing colors as the ingredients were combined, turning the resulting liquid a deep pink. Cadance hovered her last object, the small crystal heart, over the pot, taking one last minute glance at the reference book before she slowly lowered it into the liquid. The mixture reacted in kind, dissolving the heart as it descended and giving the mix a bright golden color. And a touch of love, as they both know...
Cadance smiled at the result of her efforts. She flicked off the burner, tipped the pot onto its side and gently poured its contents into a small glass vial. The potion sparkled with magical energy, popping and fizzing as it sat in its container.
Cadance retrieved the history textbook and read through her notes. "Now, if my calculations are correct, the effects should be..." She turned a page and continued. "...strengthened, while duration stays limited..." She flicked a bit of starry mane from her eyes and kept reading. "...yet dispelled by—"
"Boo!"
Cadance shrieked as she leapt backwards, wings flared and eyes wide. She frantically scanned the room searching for the intruder in the darkness. A certain mare of the night sat giggling on a rafter above. "Luna!? What? Where—"
"It was so interesting to watch thee work. T'would have been quite the shame had I interrupted," Luna cooed, descending from the ceiling and into the candle light.
"How long have you been up there?!" Cadance demanded.
"Long enough, dear Cadance," Luna stated with a smile. "Though, I still am left wondering about the name of thy potion."
Cadance took a deep breath and folded in her wings. "It doesn't have a name... yet. It's just a custom brew."
Luna snickered at her niece. "All works are iterative, Cadance. The key is to understand what came before."
Cadance trotted back to the desk and placed a hoof on the textbook. "Oh, I don't want to bore you with—"
"Nonsense!" Luna said, quickly sliding the book away and outside the pink alicorn's grasp.
"Hey!" Cadance cried.
Luna hovered the book in front of her and took in its contents, her muzzle forming into a wicked grin. "Delving into a bit of history, are we Cadance? A particular day on which love is spread and expressed? A tale of love and woe? A recipe to exploit?"
Cadance pawed at the floor, a blush forming around her cheeks. "I-It's not what it looks like..."
"Oh come now, dear niece. You need not hide your intentions from me," Luna cooed, returning her attention to the textbook and studying the index of notes that dominated the sides of each page. "I see you have studied this matter intensely." She turned her attention to the vial still crackling on the table. "What is it you have come up with?"
Cadance dropped her gaze to her potion and sighed. "It's only a prototype. I still need to test it..."
"Well, I have just the subjects for you!" Luna exclaimed, gleefully grabbing the vial with her magic and trotting towards the door.
"Wait!" Cadance yelled as she hopped in front of Luna in the doorway, barring her exit. "We don't know what this potion is capable of!"
Luna merely continued to smile. "You should give yourself more credit, Cadance." She lifted the textbook to her eyes and began reciting the notes within. " 'Reduction of toxicity by way of purified ingredients of significant quality, counteracting acidic components to shorten yet, intensify duration. Addition effects include: temporary amnesia, weakness following dissipation, slight headache...'" Luna lowered the book and realigned her sights on Cadance. "It seems to me thou has improved this mixture tremendously."
Cadance's gaze dropped to the floor. "I don't know..."
Luna gave her niece a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Worry not, my niece. If what is written is true, whatever effects thy potion has will dissipate in a short while or 'until sufficient rest is taken'."
With that, Luna gave Cadance one last smile and continued out the door, the love potion in tow. Cadance sat in the doorway, eyeing the textbook and all of its footnotes, running the calculations of the process again and again in her mind, desperately ensuring they were correct. She sighed.
I hope you're right...
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Atop the windswept ruins of a long forgotten tower, Twilight watched on as the white mare continued her dance. She sat with rapt attention atop the tower's battlement, following the dancer's body as she gracefully motioned in the wind, contorting her body to match the gusts of wind that carried her mane and accented her movements. The dancer spun, ever so swiftly, ending her twirl facing the purple unicorn. She smiled. Twilight smiled back.
"My, what a pleasant dream this is!"
Twilight turned to her left and beheld the Princess of the Night herself. "Luna!?"
Twilight knew a lot about the night. She was well versed in star patterns and the moon's effects on the world. She extensively studied the phenomenon of dreams and even the one who safeguards them. She was also aware of Luna's power to invade dreams. She even knew her presence was seen by most to be a benevolent blessing.
None of that knowledge helped Twilight keep her balance.
Before a word could be said in edgewise, Twilight teetered over the edge and lost her footing on the stone below her. She plummeted, screaming the whole way down as ground came closer and closer until finally—
"Ah!"
Twilight flicked on the candle on the nearby nightstand, slowly bathing the guest room with light. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the room and taking in its familiar features. She patted herself down, ensuring that she had indeed not been crushed into bits. She at last let out a sigh of relief.
"Boo."
"GAH!!" Twilight shrieked as she flopped off the bed, taking the majority of the covers with her.
Luna snorted out a laugh. "Oh, you are so cute when you are sleeping!"
Twilight popped her head from under the mound of blankets, slowly untangling herself from the mess. "P-princess Luna?! Wha-what are you doing here?"
Luna ceased her laughing, but only barely. "Little old me? I am here to aid you, dear Twilight."
Twilight sat upright on the bed and gave the princess a confused look. "With what?"
"Your education, of course," Luna said, smiling wide.
Luna lifted up her wing and grabbed hold of of a vial of amber liquid within her magical grasp. With great care, Luna hovered it over in front of Twilight's inquisitive gaze.
Twilight eyed the vial curiously. "What is it?"
"A potion," Luna stated, allowing Twilight to take hold of the bottle within her own magic. "A brew that unlocks the heart of desire and showers the recipient in blissful love." Luna drew her head in close to purple mare, a twinkle in her eye. "One simple drop is all it takes, no more, no less."
Luna withdrew her muzzle and stood proudly, anxiously awaiting a response. Twilight eyed the princess, then the vial. "Why are you giving this to me?" she asked.
"Oh, I am sure you can figure it out, Twilight," Luna responded with a smirk.
Twilight focused on the bottle, her brain churning its gears to find the reason. "You... want me to..." Twilight's eyes grew wide and she let out a gasp. "N-no! Oh no-no-no-no-no, no! Use a l-love potion on-on-on Celestia!? I can't do that! Are you crazy?!"
Twilight pushed the potion back at Luna, who was taken aback by the outburst. "Twilight, you need not fear, the potion bestows temporary amnesia and the effects only last for, at most, one night."
"One night is all it takes!" Twilight shouted. "And what if she remembers after she wakes up?! Think of what she'll do when she finds out that I... I...!" Twilight's hooves gave out from under her, her panic attack escalating. She collapsed onto the bed, taking a few short, but deep breaths. "I just... no, I-I can't."
Luna stood in silence for a moment, her face devolving into a frown as she thought of a response. Her smile soon returned, however, and knelt down close to the unicorn.
"Twilight," Luna whispered. "You have said yourself the concept of romance eludes your understanding, a mystery that baffles your mind. You try your hardest to know, to learn. You seek the answer in the only way you know how...
"But one cannot merely be told what love is, nor can it be truly explored with just words. What I am offering to you now is a chance to experience what you have been missing. A chance to love as you have always dreamed." She brought a hoof to Twilight's chin, raising her head up to meet her eyes. "Listen to your heart, Twilight. What does it tell you?"
Twilight averted her eyes, a sudden redness flooding her cheeks. "I... I just..."
"I understand," Luna said softly, standing up once more and trotting towards the doorway to the hall. She turned before she exited, setting the love potion on top of the nearby dresser and giving Twilight a quick wink. "Should you change your mind..."
At that, Luna left the dimly lit room, leaving the purple unicorn to mull over her words. Twilight stared at the potion, the hypnotic golden glow captivating her attention. She averted her eyes and traced the bed with her hoof. A chance to love...
Twilight shook her head vigorously. S-stop it! It's wrong and you know it! Just...! She snuck a peek at the golden liquid, once again being helplessly drawn in by its mystical allure, its tantalizing promise. Just forget all about it!
Twilight flared up her horn and grabbed the sheets that lied on the floor, flicking them into the air. The blankets snapped into a straight sheet before slowly drifting down onto the unicorn as she plopped herself down, her angry gaze fixated on the golden potion. She crossed her forelegs and furrowed her brow.
She didn't get much sleep that night.
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Chapter 2 is now out!
yay new chapter just as I was done with the previous. Thanks a load for that, was hoping for it :D
edit: leaving that potion there was kinda evil of Luna.
Rofl, great timing, will commence reading
Edit: ahahaha, poor Twilight, falling victim to mischievous Luna's plans. This is great so far! Keep up the good work :P
Commence read.
Read finished. What you have here now is a very interesting setup for the story. As if I needed to tell you that...
Please, continue.
I think we all know what Twilight is going to do with that potion. MUHAHAHHAHAAH!
Why is it that ponies seem constitutionally incapable of keeping their noses out of other ponies love lives?
1978242 Ah hah. Updated as soon as I finished the first chapter. Kudos to you, good sir.
LOL Poor Twilight! She's trying so hard to do right by Celestia, but now is horribly tortured with the possibilities, however magically induced and temporary they may be.
I worry that the use of an alicorn's feather will only make the love poison even stronger...
This can only end in greatness...
1978242 Sorry for multiple quotes. One thing that's been really bugging me (though it's somewhat minor) is your spelling of Twilight's brother's name. You spell it as 'Shinning Armor' when it should be 'Shining Armor'.
Again, it's nothing major but was still enough that I felt I should point it out.
That aside, I'm liking where the story is going so far!
Celestia's beard, it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Are you sure you don't intend to add a Tragedy tag to this?
Mischievous Luna is best Luna
DUN DUN DUN DDDDDDDDUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
1978466 I was thinking the exact same thing. Though this time you have an ALL POWERFUL or darned close god chasing after her object. So maybe more want it need cast over an object with a specified target to get enamored. Hmm I don't see it going as well as one might hope. Or if all does go well, Celestia will find Twilight''s notes through some accident or something
1978530
Gah! Spell checker strikes again!
1978583 I always knew Spell Checker was up to something nefarious....
Twilight, join the dark side... we have cookies
this is great
Lmfao I love this story. So can't wait for the next update
1978670 Not neccarily, hilarity will ensue but there is no guarantee of failure ensueing. Perhaps it will be one of those things that Celestia will look back on when visiting Twilight's memorial and laugh about. They might come to an understanding and be closer even if they don't pursue their interests after the soon to be hilarious results of the potion. They could even decide to try it out for a while before remaining friends as best as they can. Love is one tricky little nuance, failure isn't always failure with love, it can help one grow and learn if one doesn't let it dig to deep into ones soul.
update!!!!
gifsoup.com/view2/1316297/naked-gun-o.gif
luna be plotting.....luna be plotting serious mischief......luna be plotting serious mischief against twilight and celestia
oh god, that sounded like something out of dr seuss
this can only end hilariously
1978618
cookies?
screw you light side...i'm out, peace!!
1978732 that definetly sounds like a Twilgiht reaction. OHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODILOVEPOISONEDCELESTIAOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODOHGODSHE"SGONNABANISHSENDMETOMAGICKINDERGARTENEXILEME and all the hyperventilating Twilight does so well
oooh an excellently written installment, great work with the Twilight/Celestia interaction as well as Luna Cadence and Shining, they were all well written.
I especially enjoyed Cadence doing complicated magic research on the potion, that may well be my favorite scene for some reason, so overall I'll be looking forward to the next one.
1978733
Yes! Yes! YES! Just five more and we shall tip the scales to our favor milord...
Teeheehee...
> catch the rouge parchment
> rouge parchment
> rouge
I'm really liking the story so far, but I just had to point that out.
1978795 I was unaware the light side still existed, with all the bribing and willing converts to the dark.
Wonderful story, and i can't wait to find out what Twilight does with the potion. Maybe bring it up to Celestia and let her choose what happens.
data.whicdn.com/images/8781528/quagmire_giggity_giggity_goo_RE_Sweet_Victory_DBGT-s433x481-38244-580_large.jpg
Hmm, not sure I'm cool with whats going on now. This potion will make it so Celestia won't remember a thing that happens for a night so that Twilight can experience love. This is a roofy. While not as bad as date rape this still makes me really uncomfortable with the whole thing unless I'm misunderstanding something.
I have serious trouble believing Twilight would consider using this even a remotely good idea; she knows exactly how dangerous love potions are. How could she be dumb enough to think it's a good idea when she knows it wasn't so much pleasant for those involved as it was compulsive. I could see someone else dosing her/Celestia's drink, but her doing it would be an act of supreme idiocy regardless of how love-struck she is (and she doesn't seem THAT smitten).
1979079
Of course the light side still exists... as long as the Elements of Harmony are still alive and united, there is no chaotic force in the world that can break the peace and serenity of the world. I mean really, there's no way light will die.
1979341 I regret following that link, but i couldn't stop reading. Its like the ultimate Grimdark. Thanks for the link
Flunitrazepam: Odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in most alcoholic beverages, and is among one of the more potent date-rape drugs known to man...er...ponykind.
An evil act is an evil act, even if the victim doesn't remember it.
Just say NO to recreational potion use, Twilight!
As if the temporary or amnesiac nature of the potion make the betrayal of Celestia any less severe.
It was excusable when the CMC did it because they're children and they were unaware of the consequences. This? This is . . . horrific.
Weighing in with others here; I don't think you can use a potion that renders someone attracted to you and then gives them temporary amnesia in a non-dark fic, if only because of the unpleasantly vast number of times similar drugs in this world are utilised by rapists. The way the potion is described really makes it seem like a roofie and I know I'm going to be upset if that sort of effect is played for laughs.
Why do I get the feeling that'll be the "Morning After" scene?
Aha! A LOVELESS reference, I knew it!
1978745
that impersonation
it's SPOT ON!!!!!
what do, like, know her or something?
OR ARE YOU A SPY?
RUN TWILIGHT, PEOPLE BE SPYING ON YOU
Listen, I'm not a lawyer or a philosopher, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that one ought not date rape the benevolent immortal goddess and ruler of all ponykind. Maybe I'm just old fashioned...?
1979079 I think the "What would you do, princess?" would be an interesting solution to the problem, Maybe Celestia agrees, but only fakes her drinking of the potion, and acts as in love...
1978795
MUAHAHAHAH
the time for action fast approaches. soon, we shall storm this land, and it's citizens shall once again fear the wrath of true evil. the princesses do not stand a chance muahaha >:D
we shall assimilate equestrias guards into our midst, and enslave the citizens and force them to do our evil bidding
no-pony shall be spared...NO ONE!!!!!!
So a potion, that creates love, lasts around 24hrs and gives the subject amnesia.
Sounds like Cadence made an enhanced version of Roofies to me.
i liked it
That got kinda weird
I recognize I may be stepping on Twilestia shipper toes here. For the record, Twilestia was probably my first ship in this fandom. However... the implications of this drug... I can only shudder and name this concoction what it is: Cadance's Date Rape Cocktail. What else do you call it when you have created a drug that simulates being passionately in love for a limited time then leaves you with no memory? I would only be okay with this if Celestia was warned ahead of time. And there was a chaperone.
Ok i love the story and I know it will get better so I'm forcing myself to actually read it now... See what I'm actually doing is finding what you do differently
I myself would have made them fall in love by them selves, true feeling, friendship, attraction etc.
I don't like the idea of that potion if anything all you made was a roofie in a sense and if you know what they do you wouldn't have probably put that in
Hmm the story is very interesting, but that latest bit with what is basically a rape potion feels a bit nasty.
Nifty.
I'm not sure why anyone's surprised. Cadance is pretty much the Element of Date Rape. Her schtick is almost literally the fostering of non-consensual "love".