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Fearful, orange eyes followed the floating tweezers that clinked delicately as they shut. The filly winced as said tweezers pulled hair from her eyebrows in quick, rhythmic plucks.

“Pomegranate - O-ow! ...Watch it!”

“Oof, sorry Lancey! I’m almost done...just... stay... still.” The colt in front of the filly narrowed his eyes in concentration as he expertly got the stray hairs. “After this, we can do up your hair! Momma got me a new flat iron that works wonders on unicorn hair…” Pomegranate Love’s voice trailed off as he turned to hoof around in the make up bags that he brought. Lance Virtue watched him as she kept herself from sighing - she loathed makeup...and getting her hair done...and anything that had to do with over excessive grooming.

Which is why she asked her cousin to do her up.

He was more than happy to do this favor for her! The colt loved doing makeup and brushing manes. Lance had a lot of hair and he couldn’t wait to style it.

“Did anyone tell you have a hairstyle like your mom, Lancey?” The colt asked casually as he lifted a comb and brush from his bag. “You always had a lovely mane with such pretty colors, haha.”

Lance Virtue shifted her eyes to the side. “Yeah. Mom's the one who picks my hairstyles... She won’t let me change it and that is why I came to you.”

“..Oh?” Eyebrow now quirked, her cousin looked at her with his head tilted. “Why?”

“...I told you, Mom won’t let-”

“No, no! I meant...why do you want your hair to be done? I know you never disobey your mothers.” Pomegranate smiled. “...do I smell a secret?”

The filly snorted and crossed her arms, trying to wrack her brain for a retort. Her cousin always could figure her out and there was no way she could dissuade him. But she mumbled a quiet “...no” anyways, just for the sake of being contrary. The floating brush started to card through her hair gently as Pomegranate Love smiled, pink eyes twinkling. The filly winced again as the brush caught a small knot in her mane but she let him weed it out.

Uh oh. Here we go…

His voice was lilting as he rubbed his hooves together. “I know you have a crush, Lancey. Tell me pleeeeeeaaaase!” Cue puppy dog eyes.

Ugh.

Pomegranate Love, always to the point.

Lance looked into the fireplace as the fire within it crackled and flickered gently, as if it was encouraging her to open up. She...had feelings for somepony and hasn’t told anyone yet, but somehow her cousin figured it out without her even uttering a word about it...To be honest, Lance wanted somepony to know. She wanted somepony to gush with but she didn’t know who to tell. She wasn’t one to tell ponies what she was feeling, after all.

“...Okay, I’ll tell you. But keep your mouth closed, Pomegranate. Promise?”

He smiled wide and nodded quickly. “I promise!” The brush continued to smooth over her mane as Pomegranate Love sat up straight. “Now spill...who is it? Oh, I bet it’s Morning Harvest!”

“Nope.” - The blonde colt was handsome but he was her brother’s best friend, and out of her “league”. Plus he was much older.

“Nn...Okay, hmm...Is it somepony close to home?”

“Yes.”

“Mare or stallion?”

“...stallion.”

“Is he from the country or Ponyville?”

Before Lance could say anything, he looked at her face and knew his answer. “He’s from the country! It’s Johnny Gold, isn’t it?”

The blush that threatened to overtake her face finally was victorious. Ears pinned back, Lance winced. “W-Was it that obvious?” There was no use lying to him; he knew what the heart wanted even for the most hardened pony.

“Mmm...not really. You are kind of hard to read, Lancey. I just know he’s around a lot in Canterlot with his mothers and he’s not much older than you. He’s really cute, too.” Pomegranate Love smiled sweetly. “Lucky guess, I’m sure huh?”

“...Yeah.”

“I’m guessing you want me to do your mane and makeup for him? Lance Virtue...you are pretty the way you are - you know that, right?”

The filly shrugged her small shoulders. “I don’t want to look like Mom.” It was an honest answer, but one that surprised her cousin anyways. Pomegranate Love paused for a moment. Silence hung in the air as he continued to brush her mane, the shiny hair as soft as silk and vibrant. He had nothing to say, but instead opted to lean forward to give Lance a hug. He tightened his arms around her neck as he felt her stiffen, but he refused to let go. A few seconds later Pomegranate Love felt her warm cheek against his as Lance leaned into him.

---

Some cousin to cousin bonding! I mentioned that the two weren’t close but they do have a mutual respect for each other. If it was anypony else who pressed her to know what she felt, she probably would have decked em’. She couldn’t believe when she admitted to not wanting to be like her mom - the great Twilight Sparkle. And let to somepony touch her, let alone embrace her in a hug.

Lance was never a very social filly and never liked having crushes. She barely had any, to be honest. But she always liked Johnny Gold, even when they haven’t seen each other in a long while. Why she even liked him was unknown to her; she hated country music and he was an asshole when he was a teen. Something about him kept drawing her eyes back to him though. As an adult it is unknown if she still feels the same.

This is also a look at how Lance feels about her mom. They never bonded and it is a mystery why (at least from other ponies’ point of view, for Lance it was obvious).

Lance and Pomegranate are around ten here. I keep doing stuff when my characters are kids but I think the past is as important as the present (plus, I haven’t even decided on an overarching story yet hah). The brand on her chest was something that appeared when she was a wee toddler. Her mothers had no idea what it meant and if it’s in any of Twilight’s books, she hasn’t found it. Somepony might know, though…

YES, Lance had long hair she didn’t like getting brushed, so her letting her cousin do it for her is a rarity. She let him style it into this stupid, elaborate bun with curls cascading down her face that she wouldn’t admit that she actually loved. When she hits her teens she ditches the long mane for a shorter one once she starts getting more into sports and training with her uncle, Shining Armor.

Lance Virtue is the daughter of Tempest Shadow and Twilight Sparkle, Pomegranate Love is the son of Cadance and Shining Armor and Johnny Gold (mentioned) is the son of Fluttershy and Applejack: