Their bodies were entangled in a writhing mass of pleasure, and Twilight couldn’t help the happy moan that escaped her lips. Pleasure coursed through her body, clouding her mind and dulling her senses to everything but the heat within her core.

She moaned again, this time a little louder as the pressure within her grew. Wrapping her hooves around his neck, she pulled him down, locking lips. She hummed as her tongue explored his mouth, shivering at the feeling of his tongue on hers. He tasted sweet, and she instantly found herself enjoying the experience.

She groaned into his mouth, thrusting her hips in need. Another thrust, and she purred happily, enjoying the sudden full feeling he provided her. Her wings flared, and she broke the kiss with a loud ‘pop’, breathing heavily.

“So good,” she murmured, her tongue lolling from her mouth. She wiggled her hips, her eyes unfocused as she basked in the sensation.

As she laid there, in pure bliss, she felt him lean over her. Teeth scraped gently at her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Groaning again, she leaned into the sensation. She wanted more, she needed more, and the fire within her core demanded it.

“More,” she muttered, reaching up and pulling him down on top of her. Flexing her stiff wings, she managed to fold them around him, encasing him within a heated, feathery wall. Wrapping her legs around him, she made sure he couldn’t back out. “More…”

Twilight thrusted her hips again, pushing up against him as he pushed down upon her. Using her wings, she forced him deep within her, cooing in pleasure as he hit all the right places.

This was paradise, this was Elysium, and she didn’t want to leave. He was here with her, and that was all she needed.

He leaned down suddenly, surprising her as he started nibbling gently on her wing. Twilight let out a yelp, which quickly dissolved into a lust-filled moan as he worked his way down to the base of her wing. Her wings twitched once, and he continued his biting with renewed vigor.

It was so good, so perfect, that she wished it could stay like this forever.

“Please,” she moaned, nuzzling his cheek…

…don’t leave me.”

Twilight stirred, blinking sleep from her eyes in confusion. Her body was uncomfortably hot; warm waves of pleasure coursing through her, making her shiver even as her half-asleep mind tried to figure out what was going on. Her face was flushed, her heart beating an impressive tempo within her chest.

Lifting her head and glancing around, she realized that she was in her bedroom. Her sheets were twisted around her sweaty body, preventing her stiff wings from expanding to their full width. Sunlight streamed through the window, informing her that she had overslept.

Running a hoof through her disheveled mane, Twilight tried to clear her foggy mind. From underneath the covers, her tail twitched.

As she sat there, disoriented, a muffled clattering noise reached her ears, coming from the kitchen. It sounded like somepony was downstairs fixing breakfast. Perking up her ears, she listened closely. It was faint—barely audible beneath the sound of dishes—but she could just make out the sound of humming.

Twilight swallowed thickly, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. She shook her head once to clear it, before untangling herself from the sheets. Stifling a yawn, she pushed herself to the edge of the bed. She moaned as her nethers dragged across the bedspread, a burst of pleasure jolting up her spine. Her wings snapped open, and she couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through her body. The warmth within her chest grew.

Twilight froze in sudden realization, her half-asleep mind finally registering the data her body was sending her. She inhaled sharply, and was immediately assaulted by a particular, musky scent. Her ears splayed backwards as her eyes widened.

"Oh no,” she whispered in horror, her wings twitching by her sides. “I’m in heat…”

I, for the life of me, couldn’t figure out why the entire week was marked in red on the calendar. There was nothing written with it to explain if Twilight had anything planned, and she hadn’t mentioned any week-long plans with me.

Yet, there it was: the first week of the new month, and it was marked in red.

I stared at it for a few more seconds before shrugging, making a mental note to ask Twilight about it later. Hopefully it wasn’t a week-long reorganization of the library; I’d go crash with Fluttershy if that was the case. I was fond of Twilight, but there was no way in Hell I was going to spend all week moving books from shelf to shelf for her. The library was fine the way it was, no matter how much she wanted to reorganize.

Besides, she was usually the only one who knew where any of the books were for the first couple of days afterwards.

Nodding to myself, I turned and began to rummage around the different cabinets in the kitchen, looking for breakfast. We certainly had enough food; the whole place looked like Twilight had stocked it to the brim within the past couple of days. However, nothing really looked good to me at the moment. I eyed a couple of apples tentatively, before shaking my head and moving on.

Eventually, I settled on pancakes. An unoriginal default, but a good one, especially with the bag of chocolate chips I found in the pantry.

Humming happily to myself, I started mixing the ingredients together in a large bowl, working the lumps out of the mix to the best of my ability. A cook I was not, but I could at least make pancakes. And ramen. Being an ex-college student had its perks, even if I was slightly rusty.

I had just about finished making the batter when I heard a loud yelp and a crash emanate from upstairs. Glancing up at the ceiling, I cocked my head to the side, confused and slightly concerned. Spike was out, taking something or other to Rarity’s. I’m not sure what exactly, I was only half-listening when he had told me. The guards were all downstairs, and the basement door hadn’t opened yet, so that only left Twilight.

What is she… Another thud from upstairs interrupted my thought, and I frowned, my brow furrowing. That didn’t sound good. Placing the mixing bowl onto the counter, I wiped my hands on my shirt before exiting the kitchen.

The library was quiet, not yet open to the public (like anyone ever came here anyways). One of the windows was open, allowing a warm, gentle breeze to drift lazily inside. The distant sound of birdsong could be heard, along with the low murmur of ponies already in the marketplace. It was turning out to be a decent spring day.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I glanced upwards. Listening closely, I tried to make out any more noise coming from upstairs, but I couldn’t hear anything. I considered calling up to Twilight to see if she was alright, but I highly doubted that she would be able to hear my signing from all the way up in her bedroom.

Scratching at my beard, I ran through my options for a brief moment before, with a grunt, I began to make my way up the stairs.

~Twilight?~ I signed as I neared her bedroom. When I received no response, I paused just outside of the entryway. With no door, I had nothing to knock on. Cautiously, I poked my head into her room and glanced around, ready to retreat should I be prying into something private.

However, she was nowhere to be seen.

~Twilight?~ I asked again as I stepped into her room. Glancing around, I realized that I had never really seen Twilight’s room before. Sure, I had been in it a couple of times since coming to the library, but I had never really gotten a good chance to look around. Mostly out of respect, I had avoided being in her room without permission.

Like the library below, bookshelves were carved into the wooden walls, Twilight’s personal collection neatly displayed. Her bed appeared to be on something akin to a raised platform, a set of wooden stairs leading up to the elevated loft. Her bedsheets were disheveled, hanging haphazardly off of the edge of the mattress. A desk rested in the corner of the room, covered in scrolls and books. Sunlight streamed in through the window beside her bed, giving the room a homey look.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I glanced around. I could have sworn the thud had come from up here, but there was no Twilight. I didn’t hear her in the bathroom, so that was out. Where the hell is she?

~Twilight?~ I signed, inching further into the room. ~Twilight, you in here?~ Silence greeted me, and I hummed thoughtfully as I continued to look around.

That’s when the smell hit me.

It wasn’t overly unpleasant, musky yet sweet, with a hint of spice behind it that tickled my nostrils. Scrunching up my nose, I sniffed again, trying to identify the scent. It was… familiar, yet I couldn’t remember where exactly I had smelled it before.

Taking another, deeper sniff, I paused before signing, ~Twilight?~

Covering her mouth with a hoof to stifle her breathing, Twilight sunk deeper into her closet. From between the wooden slots of the closet door, she could see Max standing in her bedroom, a bemused look on his face.

No, no, no, no, she chanted mentally, dancing silently in place. She could feel her tail flick to the side and quickly bit her lip to keep herself under control. It was really hard, though, with the object of her affection standing just on the other side of the door. Just out of reach.

As she stood there, in the gloom of her closet, Twilight cursed her luck. She had tripped on her blankets in her hurry to get out of bed. This had then caused her to fall down the loft’s stairs, the noise obviously attracting Max.

She had panicked when she had heard him coming up the stairs and had made a beeline for the nearest cover: her open closet. She had barely made it inside in time, closing the door just as he had stuck his head into the room. Now, he was standing between her and her estrus medication, and she didn’t trust herself to get past Max to get it.

Please leave, she begged Max silently. Please leave, please leave, please leave. She needed to get to the medication before she lost her cool, but she couldn’t risk getting too close to Max, or else…

She shivered, her eyes widening as her face flushed dark red. No, don’t think those thoughts! she whimpered as her tail flicked again. Instinctively, her hind legs clenched together, and she groaned in despair.

Keep it together, Twilight, she thought, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. This was not good. If Max didn’t leave soon, she wouldn’t… she couldn’t…

She froze as Max suddenly took a deep breath through his nose, his expression turning confused. She could only stand there, mortified and slightly aroused, as she realized that Max was probably smelling her heated scent. Tears slowly began to slide down her cheeks as she felt herself wink.

Please, she whimpered, not like this. Not like this. Please, Max, leave!

~Twilight?~ he suddenly asked, glancing around the room. Twilight inhaled sharply as he looked towards the closet, only for her to sigh in relief when his gaze didn’t linger. Swallowing thickly, she tried to blink back her tears, but failed.

P-please… you need to… leave...

She could feel her mind growing fuzzy, the heat inside of her growing at an alarming rate. She bit into her lip harder, almost to the point of drawing blood.

You n-need to l… -l-lea…

Her legs grew weak, her body suddenly heavy. She swayed back and forth drunkenly, staring blankly out at Max.

You n-n-need to l-le… l-l-le…

Her nostrils flared, and her pupils constricted to mere pinpricks as his scent suddenly flooded her nose, drifting in through the cracks in the closet door.

“...need to l-love me…” she muttered under her breath, a large smile slowly spreading across her muzzle.

Scratching my chin, I continued to glance around the vacant room. My eyes landed on Twilight’s desk, and humming thoughtfully to myself, I slowly made my way over to it.

Shifting through the mass of books and papers, I glanced through the content curiously. There were a couple of letters, which I just pushed aside without reading, along with what looked like detailed reports about Winter Wrap Up.

One of the books, buried under a bunch of papers with diagrams drawn on them, caught my eye. Pushing the papers carefully aside, I pulled the book out from beneath the pile. I glanced at the cover of the book, which bore a weird arcane symbol and the golden letters ‘Advanced Transformations and Transmutations’.

Cocking my head to the side, I cracked the book open and idly flipped through the pages. I stopped on what looked like chapter one and read the chapter title. ‘The Law of Equivalent Exchange’?

I scrunched up my face before closing the book and placing it back on top of the desk. Deciding to leave the rest of Twilight’s things alone, I figured I’d continue my searching elsewhere.

I turned to leave, only to yelp in surprise when Twilight suddenly appeared in front of me, my blind spot hiding her presence until I turned. Placing a hand on my chest, I took a deep breath before chuckling weakly, my heart attempting to escape from my ribs. God damn it. I need to put a bell on her or something.

Lowering my hand, I smiled at her and started to sign ‘good morning’, but stopped when I caught sight of her face.

Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks, matting her fur. Her pupils were pinpricks, the whites of her eyes slightly red. Both ears were splayed back, the right one twitching occasionally, almost like an invisible fly was annoying her. In contrast, she had a large smile on her face, almost to the point of being creepy. Her tail swished back and forth behind her.

Taking a step back in surprise, I gave her a tentative smile.

~There you are~ I signed. ~I was wondering where you went~ I paused, eyeing her closely. ~Twilight, are you… alright?~

“Oh, yes,” she said, nodding her head. Her eye twitched, and her smile somehow grew larger.

~Are you sure?~ I asked, my brow furrowing. ~You’re kind of crying right now~ Twilight cocked her head to the side, more tears spilling from her eyes as she giggled.

“Of course I’m sure,” she laughed. “I’m fine, really. There’s nothing wrong. Everything’s alright.” Her voice lowered, and her eyelids fluttered slightly. “Everything’s alright,” she repeated, taking a step forward, “especially now that you’re here. With me.”

~I see~ I signed slowly, the first fingers of fear slowly creeping up on me as I took another step back. I didn’t like the way she was looking at me. It reminded me of a wolf looking at a piece of meat. Something in the back of my mind was telling me that I should probably be leaving as soon as possible.

But… it’s Twilight. She wouldn’t do anything to me… right?

“Have I ever told you how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me?” she said, continuing to walk forward. Or maybe not.

~I haven’t really done that much~ I replied, trying to keep the same distance between us as before. My heel bumped against the stairs to the loft, and, with nowhere left to go, I slowly started backing up the steps, Twilight following after me. Something was definitely wrong here, I just didn’t know what it was. Maybe she’s sick, I thought, noting her flushed face. A fever, perhaps? Or maybe it’s stress related. A potion?

“You’ve done more than you think,” Twilight replied, her eyelids lowering. “I’ve never really shown you how grateful I am, have I? Well,” she purred, wings flaring, “how about I give you a little… reward? You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Her voice almost became sultry and her tail raised.

My eyes widened and I inhaled sharply, the sweet scent once again flooding my nose, this time stronger than before. I stared at her in shock as my mind processed what she had just said. I remember hearing that exact same tone of voice before. It was the same tone that most mares used when they were trying to get me to follow them for… questionable activities. I’ve never heard Twilight use it before.

After hearing it come from her, though, I wasn’t sure if I was scared or excited.

She’s not serious, is she? I thought, staring down at the smiling alicorn. I was dimly aware of the fact that my mouth had become uncomfortably dry. She’s gotta be joking. I laughed, smiling weakly at her.

~Very funny, Twilight~ I signed. ~You got me~ She continued to slowly approach me, her hips now swaying back and forth seductively. I cursed as I felt my face flush. ~Who put you up to this? Rainbow? Pinkie?~

“Oh, nopony put me up to this,” Twilight laughed. “I just thought that I could give my human a treat he—undoubtedly—deserves.” I was now on top of the loft, Twilight slowly backing me towards her bed. She licked her lips, her gaze not wavering from mine.

~Twilight, you’re starting to scare me here~ I signed, the smile no longer on my face. This caused her to pause, her head tilting to the side as she eyed me curiously. Her tail swished back and forth as her hind legs slowly kneaded into the floor beneath her.

“‘Scared’?” she parrotted, her right ear flicking. A creepy, loving smile spread across her muzzle and she slipped closer to me. “There’s no reason to be scared. We’re going to have so much fun.”

Right, I thought as the back of my legs bumped against her bed. Reasoning with her is out, so… My eye flicked towards the bedroom’s entryway and the safety of the hall beyond it. If I could just get downstairs, to the basement, I could get the guards to help me figure out what was wrong with Twilight. It was only about a five-foot drop to the floor below the loft. I could make it relatively easily. I just had to get around Twilight, and her magic.

Easier said than done, I sighed.

Unfortunately, she seemed to guess what I was planning, because her wings flared wide, blocking my escape route.

“Ah, ah, ah,” she giggled, “I don’t think so.”

~Twilight~ I signed, swallowing nervously. ~I really don’t like this~

“But we haven’t even started yet,” she giggled again, her tail flicking back and forth with more energy.

~You’re making me uncomfortable here~ I signed, growling softly in the back of my throat. What the fuck has gotten into her? This is not like Twilight at all! Twilight would never act like this; she was always adamant about keeping sex-crazed mares away from me, she always made a big deal about giving me privacy when I had to change clothes, and she got uncomfortable around sex jokes (which Rainbow took huge advantage of whenever she could).

This wasn’t the same Twilight; she appeared to already be undressing me in her mind.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she smirked, gazing up at me with smoldering eyes that caused the heat in my cheeks to grow stronger. “You’ll feel real comfortable here in a second.”

Deciding to take a chance at freedom, I started inching along the bedside, heading for the lip of the loft. A few feet separated me from freedom. ~If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to have to decline your offer~

I froze as a rose-colored barrier sprang up in front of me, preventing my escape.

“There are only two ways you’re getting out of here,” Twilight said, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Receiving your reward… or jumping out the window.” I stared down at Twilight before glancing behind me at the aforementioned window.

I looked back and forth between the two a couple of times before, with a loud sigh, I made my decision.

You know, I thought as I laid on my back, gasping for air, I probably should’ve put more thought into this. High above me, Twilight stuck her head out of the broken window, a shocked look on her face. “Max!”

Her head disappeared from view, before I heard the distinct ‘clop’ of hooves quickly fading away. If I had to hazard a guess, she was sprinting for the stairs. At least she had forgotten she had wings; I really didn’t need to have her flying down after me right now.

Groaning loudly, I rolled over onto my stomach—being mindful of the glass shards beneath me—before pushing myself up. My back was sore from the fall. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that Twilight’s bedroom window was located three stories above the ground. However, due to an incredible stroke of luck, I had hit a thin branch on the way down, slowing my fall. I’d have a bruise on my back, but no broken bones. No cuts from the glass either, I think. There wasn’t any blood, at least. I’d have to check later.

As I stood up, brushing pieces of glass and dirt from my clothing, I glanced around. Ponies stopped dead in the street, staring at me with varying levels of shock plastered upon their faces. One mare in particular looked horrified, the flowers she had been holding in her mouth now down upon the ground along with her bottom jaw. I think her name was Lily, or something.

I glanced around at the crowd, a blank expression upon my face. It was quiet, nobody making any noise.

I adjusted my shirt, maintaining my blank look.

The ponies continued to stare.

A loud crash and a yelp came from within the library behind me, sounding like it came from the ground floor. The noise caused all of the ponies to jump.

Welp, time for me to get moving, I thought. Straightening up, I sniffed once before taking off down the street, heading for the marketplace. As I ran, ponies scattered in front of me, clearing a path. I heard the library door slam open behind me, and Twilight shouted something that I couldn’t make out.

I didn’t really care, though. Right now I had to get as far away from her as possible.

I raced through the marketplace, no real destination in mind as I ducked and dodged around ponies. Spotting a familiar stand, I changed directions and quickly made a beeline towards it.

Diving the last couple of feet, I rolled underneath the stand, much to the surprise of the pony manning it.

“What the—” Applejack yelped as I came to a stop at her hooves. She stared down at me, a blank look on her face as her mind tried to process what had happened. Her eyes widened as she recognized me, a red tinge touching her cheeks.

“M-Max, what are ya doin’ here?” she asked, taking a step back to give me more room. Unable to respond, seeing as I left my notebooks in the library, I just held a finger up to my lips, shushing her.

“But, sugarcube, ya really shouldn’t be out here this time of ye—” I reached forward, clamping a hand over her muzzle to silence her. Her eyes widened, the red in her cheeks growing darker.

I ignored her, instead slowly peeking out over the top of the stall and the apples displayed there. Ponies were looking over at us curiously, and several mares had their ears perked. Surprisingly, I noticed that there weren’t that many stallions out and about today. In fact, I only saw one: the old, grizzled window washer who was slowly working his way around town hall.

Taking a quick glance around, I sighed when I saw no sign of Twilight anywhere. Releasing Applejack’s muzzle, I stood up.

“Max, you should really get back tah the library,” she said as I dusted off my pants. “It’s probably not a good idea for ya tah be out around town today.” I shook my head, pointing in the direction of Fluttershy’s house. I was gonna go hunker down with her until I could come up with an actual plan.

Applejack shook her head, worry clear on her face. “No, sugarcube. Ya need tah head back to the library now. Trust me on this—”

“Max!” The faint sound of Twilight’s cry could be heard over the sound of the marketplace, causing Applejack to pause. I inhaled sharply, my eyes widening as I ducked down behind the stall again.

Applejack gave me a confused look, her head tilting to the side. “What are ya…” She trailed off, her eyes widening as a shocked look crossed her face. “Oh, buck. Ya don’t know—”

“Max!” The cry was closer this time, and without waiting for Applejack to finish, I was off like a rocket, speeding through the crowded marketplace as I headed towards Fluttershy’s.

My bare feet pounded against the dirt road as buildings flew past me. I was able to reach the edge of town without any complications. As the last of the buildings passed by, I left the road, trading hard dirt for soft grass. Running parallel to the road, I chanced a glance back to see if I was being followed. The only pony I saw was the local confectioner, Bon-Bon, giving me a curious look before ducking into her shop.

Returning my attention forward, I smiled happily to myself. I’m in the clear, baby! I would go to Fluttershy’s, get some paper and something to write with, explain the situation to her, and see if she could help me. At the least, she would be able to help me get word to Spike, and he could get a letter to Celestia. If something was wrong with Twilight, she’d be the pony to contact.

I could just barely make out Fluttershy’s house in the distance when I heard a low whistling sound coming from behind me. Acting on instinct, I dove to the side just as a rainbow streak flew by me.

Getting back on my feet, I glanced up as the rainbow blur did a quick u-turn and zipped back towards me. In a gust of wind, Rainbow came to a stop, hovering in front of me with a large smirk on her face. “Whoa there, big guy, where’s the fire?”

I grinned as I looked up at her, throwing my hands up in the air in silent greeting. Rainbow didn’t know hoof-language, and without my notebook I had little to no way of clearly communicating with her.

She was slightly out of breath, her face tinged a faint red, possibly from her workout. Her back hooves seemed to fidget slightly as she hovered in the air.

“So, why are you out here?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. “Shouldn’t you be, you know, back at the library with Twilight?” I shook my head, waving my hands in front of me quickly.

“No?” Rainbow asked, her ears perking up. “I would have thought, given what day it is… surely you and she would have...” She regarded me with a contemplative eye, her tail flicking back and forth lazily.

Searching for a way to get across to Rainbow that something was up, I pointed at Twilight’s cutie mark on my shirt before making a looping gesture beside my head. This caused Rainbow’s eyes to widen and her smirk to grow.

My smile faded as she slowly began to circle me.

“So,” she said, “you don’t want to play with Twilight, eh?” I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck pricking up at the tone she used. Oh please, not her too! I took a step back as Rainbow floated around in front of me again.

“Eh, can’t really blame ya,” she said with a shrug, her eyelids hooded. “An egghead like that, probably wouldn’t be able to keep up, ya know?” Rainbow’s cheeks were flushed now, her tail lashing at the air.

“Unlike an athlete like me,” she added with a grin. Licking her lips, her eyes narrowed, locking onto me. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.

“So, what do ya say?” she cooed softly. “Wanna play with me instead?”

~No, no, no~ I signed quickly—automatically—taking several steps back. My heart dropped into my stomach as her eyes lit up.

“I’ll take that as ‘yes, yes, yes’!” she cried happily, diving towards me with her hooves outstretched. I ducked underneath her, yelping as her tail brushed against the back of my head in passing.

~No, it means ‘no, no, no’~ I signed as she circled around. It didn’t matter, though. She couldn’t understand me. Avoiding her second pass, I turned and booked it back towards town, Rainbow in hot pursuit.

What the fuck is wrong with these ponies today?! I screamed mentally as I zigzagged to avoid Rainbow’s dive bombs. It was just like our regular wrestling matches, except this time if she caught me…

I put on an extra burst of speed, heading towards the cover of the buildings on the outskirts of Ponyville. Reaching the first house, I leapt over the white picket fence. Behind me, I heard Rainbow’s hooves clip the top of the wooden posts.

“Oh, I see,” she giggled. “You wanna play a little before we get to the main event!” No, I want to get the fuck away from you!

Hopping yard to yard was harder than I thought it would be. I had to avoid fountains, flower beds, toys left out by foals. Heck, I almost took out Cheerilee, who was working on what looked like a small garden. All the while, Rainbow Dash was practically breathing down my neck. I think I’d rather take Twilight over this!

Bursting through the hedge of the last house, I had to duck to avoid a cane thrown at me by the crotchety old stallion sitting on the porch.

“Get off my lawn, ya damn human!” he croaked at me as I raced by. I gave him the bird before diving into the hedge on the other side of the lawn. I heard him shout something at Rainbow, and she responded, but I didn’t hear what they said exactly.

As I emerged from the hedge, spitting leaves and twigs from my mouth, I took a sharp left, dashing towards the marketplace, again. Behind me, I heard Rainbow crash through the hedge. Chancing a quick glance behind me, I saw her sprawled out on the ground, her eyes rolling in her head.

Giving a silent cheer, I couldn’t help but smile as I sped away, heading into the market. The smile quickly vanished, however, at what I saw next.

Standing next to Applejack, talking to her with a desperate look on her face, was Twilight. Her mane was now disheveled horribly, and she looked close to having a mental breakdown.

...and she was now staring straight at me, frozen mid-sentence. Applejack glanced back over her shoulder in my direction, a strange look crossing her face when she saw me.

I stood there, frozen, staring at the pair, unsure of what to do.

After several seconds, Twilight’s brain seemed to start working again and a distressed look flashed across her face. “Max!” she cried out, dashing forward.

Oh fuck! Turning, I started to head back in the other direction, only to be reminded of why I was coming from that direction to begin with. Rainbow back on her hooves, racing towards me on the ground, a cocky grin on her muzzle. Oh shit!

Scrambling to regain my balance, I looked around desperately for an escape route. The pair was just about on top of me when I spied the Carousel Boutique on the other side of the marketplace. Instantly, my eye lit up as a plan suddenly sprung into my head. Ponyville was no longer safe, which meant there was only one place left to go.

...and I had been standing still a second too long.

Rainbow slammed into my side, wrapping her hooves around me as she tackled me to the ground. I grunted in pain, wincing as my sides dug into the rocky road.

“Gotcha!” Rainbow cheered happily, pushing herself up to stand above me…

...only to have Twilight slam into her a second later. The pair tumbled off of me, each yelping in surprise as their limbs got tangled together. Rainbow cried out as Twilight accidentally rolled on top of her wing, pinning it to the ground.

Taking advantage of my sudden freedom, I pushed myself up and, ignoring the stares we were getting, quickly dashed towards the Boutique.

“W-wait!” I heard Twilight shout behind me, but there was no way in Hell I was turning around. I needed to get out of town, and there was one quick way to do that.

Reaching the Boutique, I grabbed a hold of the door handle, practically knocking the door off its hinges as I forced it open. Rarity shrieked as I tumbled inside, the dress she had been working on fluttering to the floor as her spell died. Spike, likewise, jumped off of the couch he was resting on as I entered, gaping at me as I laid on the ground, gasping for breath.

“Darling!” Rarity cried out, her eyes wide. “What’s wrong? Why are you out of the—” I stopped listening to her as I pushed myself off of the floor. No time for that!

Scrambling forward, I grabbed a hold of Spike causing him to yelp as I lifted him into the air. I could hear Rarity shouting at me, but I didn’t care.

Holding up Spike, I turned to face the open door. Twilight had just stumbled into the building, a pained look on her face.

“Max, wait!” she cried, wincing as she reached out to me.

Sorry, Spike, I thought as I reached down and grabbed the dragon’s tail firmly in my hand. Steeling myself, I paused for the briefest of moments before, with a strong yank, I pulled down on Spike’s tail.

He cried out in pain, a cloud of green fire erupting from his mouth and washing over my body. The last thing I saw before the green fire consumed me was Twilight's tearful face staring at me in shock.

I felt Spike fall from my hands as the world plunged into blackness, an invisible force grabbing me and pulling me backwards. Intense pressure assaulted me from all sides as I was forced through the void.

After several seconds, the pressure released and a bright flash of green filled my vision as I was thrust back into the real world. I dropped through the air before latching instinctively onto the nearest object.

A fuzzy object.

A warm, breathing, fuzzy object.

Cracking open my eye, I stared at the wall of white fur for several seconds before glancing up into the bemused face of Celestia.

“What is it this time?” she asked—not unkindly—with a soft smile on her face. “I know for a fact that Luna’s asleep, so you can’t blame her this time.”

~Twilight—~ I began to sign, only to yelp as I started to fall backwards, as my arms were no longer wrapped around Celestia for support. Acting quickly, Celestia caught me in her magic before I hit the ground, standing me upright on the floor in front of her throne.

I gave her a grateful smile before starting over. ~I think something’s wrong with Twilight. She’s acting really weird and creepy~

“Really?” Celestia asked, quirking an eyebrow. “How exactly is she acting… ‘creepy’?”

~She’s acting like your nephew~ I signed. When Celestia just started at me blankly, I rolled my eyes and huffed. ~She’s trying to get into my pants~ I signed, motioning towards my hips.

Celestia’s eyes widened, her mouth opening in a small ‘o’, before she smiled and shook her head.

“It looks like you and I are going to need to have a chat,” she said before motioning to something behind me with her hoof. “If you wouldn’t mind waiting outside the doors, I’m currently in the middle of a meeting, but I shall be with you shortly.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I blinked in surprise when I saw there were two ponies standing behind me. One was a gray pegasus stallion, a military cap perched upon his head. The other was a pure white unicorn mare with startling red eyes, a bandana wrapped around her neck.

They were both giving me confused looks, the unicorn’s eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“Go on,” Celestia encouraged. “This shouldn’t take much longer, and then you and I can talk.”

Shrugging, I stepped down off of the throne’s dais. I gave the pair of ponies a curious look as I passed, one which the stallion returned. The unicorn just gave me a bored look as I passed before returning her attention back to Celestia.

Crossing the throne room, the two guards posted on either side of the doors eyed me as I approached. They pushed the doors open as I reached them, their expressions never changing. I slipped through and the doors closed shut behind me.

“Huh… wazza’?”

That was all the warning I got before a blue blur suddenly slammed into me, causing me to stagger backwards. My attacker latched onto my chest and began to enthusiastically… nuzzle my cheek? Yellow hair tickled my nose, followed by the faint scent of vanilla.

“Max!” the fuzzball currently attached to me shouted happily, causing me to pause. Wait… I know that voice. With some difficulty, I managed to pull the pony currently trying to crush my ribs off of me. Holding them out at arm’s length, I stared down into the familiar, smiling face of…

Sunny! A large smile spread across my face and I pulled her back into a hug, which she returned happily.

“What are you doing here?” she asked after I released her. “I would have thought you’d be back at the library with Twilight. Not that I’m not happy to see you, it’s been a while. I’ve been in the palace for a couple of days, though, and haven’t seen you yet! When did you get here?”

~I got here just now~ I signed. ~Weird things are going on in Ponyville. I came here to try and get them sorted out~

“‘Weird things’?” Sunny asked, cocking her head to the side. A look of worry crossed her face. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

~I don’t think so~ I replied, chewing on the inside of my cheek. ~At least, I hope not~

“Well, what’s wrong?”

~Twilight’s acting really weird. She’s being all clingy and tried to seduce me, which is unusual for her~

Sunny snorted loudly, a hoof flying to her muzzle as she tried and failed to hold in her laughter.

I gave her a confused look.

“Y-you… you don’t know what’s going on? What time of the year it is?” she giggled, eyes dancing with mirth. When I shook my head, her laughter grew. “Well, you’re in for a pleasant surprise!” I frowned, my brows furrowing as I glared at the laughing mare.

~What’s going on?~ I asked. She just shook her head, still laughing.

“It’s not my place to say,” she giggled. I huffed in annoyance.

~Well, what are you doing here?~

“I’m an informant for Celestia,” she said as she got her laughter under control. “She originally brought me on to help catch the rest of my old gang, but now I’m helping the Coming Dawn to try and catch Darkflare.”

I froze, my eyes widening as my entire body went rigid.

~What?~ I signed, my hands trembling slightly. Sunny blinked, her ears splaying backwards.

“I’m here to help the Coming Dawn catch Darkflare,” she repeated, this time with a little uncertainty.

~Didn’t you already catch him?~ I asked, swallowing thickly. ~He was caught after the pit, right?~

“He... escaped,” Sunny said, taking a step back. At the look on my face, she added, “You didn’t know? How could you not know?!”

I started to sign, but was interrupted as the throne room doors swung open. Celestia exited, accompanied by the two ponies from before. When she saw me, a soft smile touched her lips. “Now then, with that out of the way, I can—” Upon catching sight of my face, she paused, confused.

“Whatever is the matter?” she asked.

I glared at her for several seconds before signing one word: ~Darkflare~

Celestia recoiled as if I had slapped her, her eyes widening. The two ponies stiffened before glancing quickly over at Sunny.

“I thought he knew!” she defended quickly, ears splaying backwards. She took a step back as the stallion sighed and the mare shook her head. “Why wouldn’t he know?!”

“It would seem that we have more to talk about than I originally thought,” Celestia murmured softly. I nodded my head as I crossed my arms.

Glancing down at the pegasus stallion, Celestia nodded towards Sunny. “Sergeant, if you would be so kind?”

He nodded. “Right. Ms. Breeze, if you’d follow me, we’ll get out of their manes.” Sunny glanced up at me, chewing on her bottom lip. I looked down at her before, with a sigh, I gave her a weak smile and scratched behind her ear. She cooed, leaning into the feeling before backing off.

“I guess I’ll see you later,” she said before slowly slinking off behind the pegasus and the unicorn. She looked back at me one last time before following the pair around a corner and disappearing from view.

I glanced back at Celestia, only to blink in surprise when I found myself practically nose to nose with her. Backing up a step, I gave her a bemused look.

“Walk with me,” she said as she started to move down the corridor. I quickly fell in step beside her. “What do you want to talk about first?”

~Darkflare~ I signed. As much as I wanted to figure out what was going on with Twilight, this new development took priority. I already had a crazy alicorn on the loose after me; I didn’t need a psychotic, evil unicorn too. Best get the details before deciding on how to handle it.

“Very well,” Celestia said with a nod, her face blank. “I’m assuming you know who Darkflare is—” I snorted, rolling my eyes before using a finger to pull the skin beneath my right eye down, displaying the milk-white orb. “Quite,” she said, her tone unamused. “Well, as you were aware, after being capture in Ponyville, he was transported to Canterlot for holding. Unfortunately, he managed to escape, taking the rest of his gang, as well as some new recruits, with him.”

~When was this?~

“Remember the Gala?” I stopped abruptly. Celestia kept walking for several more feet until she noticed that I was no longer with her. Glancing over her shoulder, she gave me a confused look.

~It was that long ago?!~ I asked, staring at her in shock. ~Why didn’t you tell Twilight and me about this?~

“I didn’t wish to burden you with troubles that were not yours,” Celestia said with a shrug. “I doubled the guards around Ponyville just in case, but other than that, I decided to leave you to your life.”

~’Troubles that weren’t mine’?~ I snorted as I resumed walking. ~The fuck it isn’t my problem! That unicorn—~

“Has left you and Ponyville, for the most part, alone,” Celestia interrupted, her voice suddenly cold. I blinked, glancing over at her in surprise.

“Darkflare escaped during the Gala,” she continued. “He has been on the loose this whole time, yet he hasn’t—to the best of my knowledge—been anywhere near Ponyville, or you for that matter. It doesn’t appear that he’s at all concerned about you, so I fail to see why I should have informed you about the situation.”

~But—~

“What would you have done differently had you known the truth?” she asked. “Gone looking for him yourself?” I bite the inside of my cheek, grimacing slightly. She had a point, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

~I could’ve—~

“You want some proof that I am right?” she asked curtly. I nodded dumbly, prompting her to continue. “The other day we had a break in at our human research facility here in Canterlot. Fifty or so humans were taken, and one of our best researchers was killed in one of the cruelest displays of murder I have ever seen. All of this was done by Darkflare. Does that sound like it should concern you?” As she had been talking, I had slowly been inching away from her. This was the first time I have ever seen her this upset, and it was kinda disturbing. A small voice in my head was telling me to run before she started to go crazy too.

Before I could move, however, Celestia sighed and hung her head.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice returning to normal. “I should not have spoken to you like that. None of this is your fault.”

~It’s… it’s fine~ I signed, my hands trembling slightly. I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. ~I shouldn’t have tried to tell you how to run your country~

“You have a right to fear for your safety and well-being, though,” Celestia said as we both continued walking. “Never, ever be afraid to defend yourself. I know what I told you when we first truly met, but I think I’ll take that back. You have been living here for nearly a year, and have caused no trouble save for what has found you. You are a citizen of Equestria as much so as Twilight or any other pony. Should you find yourself under attack, should it be human, changeling, or pony, defend yourself to the best of your ability.”

~That was the plan~ I signed.

Celestia gave me a bemused look before smiling. “I’m sure that Twilight would appreciate that.”

~Yeah~ I signed, before pausing. ~Speaking of Twilight~

Celestia laughed, the melancholy overtone of the hall dissipating quickly. “Yes, let’s move on to happier topics, shall we?”

I cocked an eyebrow. ~Happier topics? Twilight acting weird is ‘happier topics’?~

“My dear human, Twilight is not acting weird,” Celestia said, glancing sideways at me. “She’s perfectly healthy, although I suspect that you caught her at a bad time, especially considering what time of year it is.”

~It’s spring, so what? What does that have to do with Twilight’s behavior?~ Celestia cocked her head to the side, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“You said you had ponies back on your old world, correct?” When I nodded, she continued, “Then, have you ever heard of the estrous cycle?”

My eyes widened and I stumbled, Celestia quickly moving to hold me up with her wing. As I regained my footing, I looked up at her, shocked.

~Are you saying that Twilight—~

“Is in heat? Yes,” Celestia laughed softly. “You see, in the spring time, when the weather starts to grow warm again, mares in Equestria tend to go into heat. It is during this time that they can conceive, should they so choose to. However, a side-effect of estrus is raging hormones, as well as increased libido and sensitivity.

“You’ve already seen it in action, if I remember correctly,” she said, glancing over at me. I gave her a confused look. “Applejack,” she informed. “When she took you on a, ah… tour of her human breeding barns.”

My face instantly heated up, and I glanced away. This just caused her to giggle.

~Wait~ I signed. ~That was during the fall, though~

“Mares that are out in the sun a lot, such as farmers and carpenters, tend to go into a secondary heat in the fall months. While not as bad as the spring heats, they can still be rather bothersome.”

~So, you’re saying that Twilight was acting the way she was, because her heat turns her into a sex-crazed mare?~

“Most certainly not,” Celestia snorted, shaking her head. “Despite how we appear to you, we are not simple animals driven by instinct. Mares in heat will not lift their tails for just any stallion on the street. Heat increases a mare’s hormones, as well as her senses. With those two things combined, the mare will find herself almost drawn to any pony—or human, in this case—that that mare holds near and dear to her heart.”

~What?~ I signed, completely and utterly confused. Celestia closed her eyes and sighed, the small smile still present on her face. When she opened her eyes again, she gave me a pointed look.

“The reason that Twilight was—as you so aptly put it—'trying to get into your pants', is because she loves you.”

...what? Twilight… loves me? I stood there, staring at Celestia, trying to process what she had just said. I was dimly aware that my mouth was agape.

~What?~ I signed, my brain refusing to work at the moment.

“She loves you,” Celestia repeated. “It is that reason she was acting the way she was with you. There is medication that a mare can take during her heat that helps suppress her hormones. I can only assume that you walked in on Twilight before she had a chance to take them. Seeing you and smelling your scent, combined with her feelings, probably pushed her over the edge, causing her to try and… show you her affection.”

~She… she loves me?~ I repeated, my mind still racing.

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded. “I think she has for quite some time now. Haven’t you noticed?” She gave me a curious look, cocking her head to the side.

~I… no, I didn’t~ I swallowed, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. ~I… isn’t… but, I’m a human. She’s a pony!~ I signed lamely, the obvious excuse causing me to wince internally.

“Your point?” Celestia asked, confused. “It’s not unusual for two different species to fall in love with each other. I’ve seen griffons and ponies, minotaurs and griffons, ponies and zebras. I’ve even had the pleasure of knowing a donkey who married a dragoness, both of whom lived happily within her cave in the north.”

~But…~ I paused, my mind quickly trying to find something, anything to say. ~But, she’s a princess! Doesn’t that mean—~ Celestia’s laughter cut me off, and I blinked owlishly at her.

“Both Luna and I have taken lovers who were not of noble birth,” she said. “Despite what the nobles believe, being a Princess does not mean that we can not marry outside of noble blood. Shining Armor was not a noble, yet Cadance still married him, and happily, I might add.”

I moved to sign something, but Celestia raised her hoof, stopping me.

“No more excuses,” she said, her voice kind. “I am not the one you must talk to about this. That would be Twilight. I just have one more thing to say before we part. A question, actually.” She paused, her magenta eyes boring into mine.

“If Twilight were a human, would you have this much trouble accepting her love?” My hands fell limply to my sides, and I stared up at her blankly, unsure of what to say. She gave a small nod, her face expressionless.

“I’ll let you think about that,” she murmured. She paused, giving me a thoughtful look before continuing. “Now, I do believe our discussion has come to an end. Normally, I’d send you back off to Ponyville, but given the circumstance, I think it would be better for all involved if you stayed here in the palace for the week. You can use the same guest room you stayed in last time.” I nodded weakly, still trying to wrap my mind around what I had just learned.

Before I could, however, my stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, causing both me and Celestia to glance down at it. In the confusion of the morning, I forgot to eat breakfast, and I was only now realizing how hungry I actually was.

Another growl from my stomach caused me to blush, and Celestia gave me an amused look.

“Hungry?” she asked. I smiled sheepishly at her, chuckling softly. “I see. Well, do you remember where the private dining room is?” When I nodded, she motioned with a wing. “Go get something to eat. Afterwards, you may retire to your room, or wander around a bit. Just don’t stray from the palace. Canterlot has the same heat week as Ponyville.”

I nodded again before turning and walking off down the hall, my mind still trying to restart itself.

Celestia watched Max walk slowly down the hallway in a stunned stupor, a blank look on her face. As he rounded the corner, she lit up her horn, a scroll and quill appearing in front of her in a flash of gold.

Staring at it for a few seconds, she scratched out a message before rolling the scroll up. Her horn glowed again and, in a burst of green flames, the scroll disappeared in a cloud of smoke. With that done, she turned, staring out of the nearby window at the city of Canterlot in the distance. Gazing out on the tall buildings, her eyes flicked up to the sun, which had reached its peak and was now slowly heading back towards the horizon.

A little eager, aren’t we? You’re heading down a little early today, she asked mentally, pushing her thoughts out towards the celestial body. It flared once, causing her to chuckle. Alright. I’m sure that Luna will appreciate that.

Celestia watched the sun for several more minutes, a small smile on her face. Slowly, though, the smile vanished, her face became emotionless. Giving her sun one last glance, Celestia turned and began to walk off down the hall.

“Monochrome.” Her voice was soft, yet firm, holding a level of authority that only Celestia could command. Several seconds passed before suddenly a light gray unicorn mare with white hair appeared beside her.

“You called, your majesty?” the mare said, bowing quickly before falling in step beside Celestia.

“Yes, I did,” Celestia said, not glancing down as she continued to walk down the hall. “I have a request that I must ask of you.” This caused Monochrome to hold her head up higher.

“Anything you need, your majesty,” she chirped. “I’ll be happy to do it!”

Celestia was silent for several seconds before continuing.

“I need you to follow the Archmage closely,” she said, her voice low. “Everything he does, I want you to report back to me. Who he meets, what he does, if he sends any letters, who he is contacting, if he has a cold, if he goes to the market to pick up apples. I want to know everything, and I want you to do it without being seen.”

The Battlemage paused, missing a step as she looked up at Celestia, her eyes wide.

“You want me to spy on the Archmage?” she asked in a whisper. Celestia glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Is that a problem?” A smile slowly spread across Monochrome’s muzzle.

“No, ma’am!” With that, she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving Celestia to walk the hall by herself. She trotted forward at a relaxed pace, and to any that saw her, she appeared calm and collected. Yet, her mind was not at rest, for there were several concerns that she still had. One of which had just been addressed. Another, however, had fallen straight into her lap.

Turning the corner of the hallway, she slowed before coming to a stop outside one of the private meeting room’s doors. She stared at it for a second before pushing it open and entering.

Stacker and Sunny glanced up from their positions, seated around a large, circular table. As Celestia closed the door tight behind her, Stacker spoke up. “How’d it go, ma’am?”

“The news of Darkflare, or Twilight?” she asked as she took a seat in the nearest chair. When Stacker just continued to look at her, she sighed. “About as well as I expected, although he calmed down fairly quickly. Although, that could be because I was rather short with him.”

“Um, h-how… how is he?” Sunny asked. Celestia glanced over at her, a tired smile on her face.

“Confused about how he feels about Twilight, and concerned about Darkflare,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you much time to catch up. Hopefully you’ll have time before he goes back to Ponyville.”

“Isn’t he leaving right now?” Stacker asked, cocking an eyebrow. Celestia just shook her head.

“No, he’s staying the week.”

“Why?” Stacker asked bluntly.

“Because I asked him to,” Celestia explained. “While it is true what I told him about mares not lifting their tails for any stallion on the street, there are quite a few that wouldn’t say no to some human fun to help relieve their discomfort.

“Besides, I sent a letter to Twilight,” she continued. “She’ll be coming to stay with him.”

“But, isn’t she in heat as well?” Sunny asked, cocking her head to the side. A sly smile slowly spread across Celestia's muzzle. “Oh...” Sunny said before her eyes widened. “Oh!”

“So, the Anomaly’s staying in Canterlot,” Stacker said, shaking his head. “And with Tempest in the mood she’s in right now, this should be interesting.”

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded, staring down at the table in front of her. Her eyes slowly narrowed, her muzzle scrunching up in thought.

“Speaking of the Anomaly,” she said slowly as she turned her head in Stacker’s direction. “I have a job for the both of you.”

As the train rumbled down the track, Twilight watched the landscape fly by in a blur, completely oblivious to what she was seeing. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her usually combed and properly groomed mane was a disheveled mess. The fur beneath her eyes was still damp. She felt ill: her throat was sore, she was nauseous, and felt as if a knife had been stabbed into her chest.

Within the train coach, her friends chatted quietly with each other, occasionally giving her a concerned look, but left her alone for the most part. They had been with her ever since Max used Spike’s fire to run away, and had been helping her through her nonstop panic attacks.

It was about an hour after Max's vanishing act when she had received the letter from Celestia, informing her that Max was in Canterlot, and asking her to come to the palace. Max’s guards had left almost immediately, acquiring a private chariot from a local provider. Twilight had asked her friends to come with her, and they had thankfully agreed. She didn’t want to be alone, but she didn’t want to talk with anypony either. There was only one individual that she wanted to be with right now, and she had succeeded in chasing him away.

She had tried to stop herself; she had been able to muscle through her heat before without the use of medication, especially when she had been cramming for exams. So, why was it that this time had to be different? Why did she have to act like a filly who just went into heat for the first time?

Her mind swirled in chaos as she tried to figure out the best way to address the situation, hundreds of thoughts and ideas flying around inside. How could she explain what had happened to Max without him hating her, or being disgusted with her? Oh… why did I have to wait so long in telling him how I feel?

Twilight groaned softly, closing her eyes and placing her forehead against the glass. The glass was cool against her heated flesh, but it didn’t help her mood. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the look on Max’s face before the dragonfire consumed him. There had been confusion, concern, and fear. He feared her. Twilight winced at that, feeling as though her heart had just been torn out of her chest.

Please, she begged. Please, don’t let him hate me. Don’t let him leave me. I… I couldn’t…

She swallowed thickly, bile rising in her throat at the very thought. She felt like crying again, but knew she wouldn’t. She didn’t have any more tears to cry anyways.

Sighing, she leaned back, pulling her head off of the window. Rubbing her nose with the back of her hoof, she was about to return to her thoughts when part of a nearby conversation caught her attention.

“—I realize that, darling. I’m only curious as to why you were chasing after Max as well.” Rarity said softly. Twilight’s ears perked up, swiveling around to listen in.

“He was out of the library and just wandering around,” Rainbow said, and Twilight saw her shrug out of the corner of her eye. “I figured ‘what the hay’ and decided to see if he was interested. That would’ve taken care of my heat, and he would’ve had some fun. That’s a win-win in my book. Besides, you know what they say about humans and sex. Just imagine that plus the feeling of being in heat! It would have been awesome!”

Twilight felt her eye twitch, her teeth grinding together as she fought down her temper.

“He isn’t your human,” she muttered.

At her words, the conversation stopped suddenly, and Twilight saw the others glance at her in the reflection of the window.

“What was that, darling?” Rarity asked, her ears perked. She had a concerned look on her face, and Twilight knew why. Ever since she had watched Max use dragonfire to run away, she had barely spoken to any of them.

Turning her head, she glared over her shoulder, staring straight at Rainbow, who blinked, ears splaying backwards at the hostility in her gaze.

“He isn’t your human,” Twilight repeated, this time loud enough for everypony to hear.

Rainbow just gave her a blank look, her head tilting slightly to the side. “What?”

“He isn’t your human,” Twilight said, turning to face the group. She glared at Rainbow, subconsciously fluffing her wings to make herself look bigger. “You had no right to do what you did.”

Rainbow balked at the tone in Twilight’s voice, before returning the glare with one of her own.

“Oh, and I suppose he’s yours?” she growled, eyes narrowing. “Last I checked, he wasn’t a pet, and was smart enough to make his own decisions.”

“So that gives you the right to try and rut him?” Twilight snarled.

“Hey, he was out and walking around town,” Rainbow countered, her wings flaring. “You know that the only stallions that are outside during heat season are those looking for a mate. I saw him and figured I’d give him a good time before some other mare got a hold of him!”

“What makes you think he was looking for a good time?” Twilight yelled, slipping down off of the bench and taking an aggressive step towards Rainbow. The others were casting nervous glances at the two mares. Fluttershy was hiding in her mane, trembling slightly as she tried to make herself as small as possible. Pinkie looked like someone told her she couldn’t throw them a party.

“Oh, please,” Rainbow scoffed, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “He wasn’t at the library with you. That should be evidence enough.”

“He didn’t even know it was heat week!” Twilight shouted.

“So?” Rainbow asked, cocking an eyebrow. “That just meant that he was in for a surprise.” Twilight’s eye twitched, and she snorted loudly.

“He’s not your human!” she snarled, her voice almost becoming feral.

“Possessive much?” Rainbow snarled back, pushing her muzzle into Twilight’s. “Why are you making such a big bucking deal out of this?!”

“Because…” Twilight started to yell, only to pause, her ears splaying backwards. All the strength left her legs, and she fell backwards onto her flank with a soft thump. She swallowed thickly before whispering, “...because I love him.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. “You what?”

Twilight could feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes again, and she tried to wipe them away with the back of her hoof.

“I love him,” she repeated, her voice trembling slightly. Rainbow fidgeted, glancing over at Rarity, as if asking for some form of help. Receiving none, she glanced back at Twilight and licked her lips.

“Then, uh… w-why haven’t you…” she stuttered. Twilight hung her head, tears slowly beginning to slide down her cheeks.

“Because, I just… I just can’t,” she whimpered. “Every time I try, I either freeze up, or something interrupts me. I’ve wanted to tell him for so long, but I just can’t.” More tears streamed down Twilight’s face as she began to cry in earnest.

Rainbow glanced over at the others, unsure of what to do.

“Sure you can, darling,” Rarity said softly, getting up from her seat and draping a leg over Twilight’s shoulder.

“No, I can’t,” Twilight choked out, her body trembling.

“Well, sure ya can,” Applejack spoke up. “After what happened this mornin’, Ah don’t think ya have much of a choice—”

“It’s not that simple!” Twilight cried suddenly, causing everypony to jump. She sniffed, trying in vain to wipe the tears from her face. “I don’t even know if he feels the same way,” she added.

“Sure he does,” Pinkie piped up, bouncing on her cushion. “I’m sure if you just asked him, he’d tell you the same!”

“He won’t, though,” Twilight insisted tearfully. “I know he won’t.”

“Why do you say that?” Rarity asked gently, rubbing at Twilight’s shoulders, trying to relax her.

“Because everything I’ve seen points to it!” Twilight cried. “Ever since he decided to stay in Equestria, he’s shown no interest in finding a mate or in starting any relationships. I’ve tried hinting at it, using different body signals, but he either doesn’t know what to look for, or doesn’t care. I’ve even offered to share the same bed as him so he wouldn’t have to sleep on the couch, and he just chucked me into the bed, then slept on the couch! He seems put off by pony anatomy, looking away whenever he catches sight of anything private, even if it wasn’t intentional.

“Plus,” she continued, slowly becoming hysterical. “He’s from a world where ponies are filthy, dirty, mindless animals! He probably can’t even see me in a romantic light because of that. Hay, he probably can’t even like ponies like that! He avoids Mrs. Cake like the plague, he doesn’t like the fact that mares are constantly trying to trick him into following them home, and there’s the way he reacted when you—” she pointed at Applejack, who blinked in surprise “—chased him through town last fall. He didn’t leave the couch fort he made for three days straight, and the only reason he finally did was because I stopped bringing him food!

“And that isn’t even counting everything I’ve done to him.” Twilight had stopped trying to fight the tears and was just letting them fall freely now. “I gave him his blind eye trying to save him during the human fight, I abandoned him at the Gala and let Blueblood get a hold of him, and I punished him for helping Fluttershy!”

“I think you’re making—” Rarity began, but was interrupted as Twilight continued her rambling.

“He even told his guards that he was not interested in any ponies!” she cried. “I barely had a chance with him, and then I go and let my heat get the best of me. Now, I’m not even sure he’ll give me a chance to explain.” With that, Twilight completely broke down. Flopping onto the floor, she buried her head in her hooves and cried. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, dampening the fur of her cheeks and dripping to the floor.

Rarity quickly pulled her into a hug, cooing softly as she tried to calm her distressed friend. Fluttershy quickly joined her, positioning herself on Twilight’s other side as she draped a wing over her back. Applejack and Rainbow exchanged glances, unsure of what to do, the latter rubbing the back of her head awkwardly.

Silence filled the train car, broken only by Twilight’s sobs.

It took nearly thirty minutes for her tears to slowly stop. Leaning against Rarity, seeking comfort, Twilight rubbed her reddened eyes with a hoof, small sniffles and whimpers still escaping her every now and then.

As Twilight tried to compose herself, Pinkie approached tentatively. Her mane, while not completely limp, did not hold its usual level of poofiness.

“You’re wrong, you know,” she said softly, a weak smile on her face.

“W-what?” Twilight croaked, her throat sore and dry.

“You’re wrong,” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “Max does care about you. He rarely, if ever, blames you for anything, even if it’s your fault. You may blame yourself for his eye, but I think he believes that in doing so, you saved his life. He goes out of his way to try and make you happy. He sneaks into Sugarcube Corner when Mrs. Cake’s on break in order to get you food whenever you are so wrapped up in a project that you forget to eat. He even got you gifts for Hearth's Warming Eve.

“And the big one,” Pinkie said, her smile growing, “is the fact that he stayed in Equestria. He had a chance to go home, but in the end he stayed. For what reason?”

Twilight blinked owlishly, her mouth opened slightly. “Because… because…”

“Give it a chance, Twilight,” Pinkie said, pulling her into a hug. “If you don't cook a flapjack, all you have is goopy, floury, watery batter. And then you don't get to cover it with butter or syrup, and it'll never be as tasty as it could be!” Silence fell over the coach as everypony (except for Twilight, who was returning the hug) stared at Pinkie in shock.

Leaning towards Applejack, Rainbow whispered, “Since when does Pinkie actually make sense?” Applejack just shook her head in response.

As Pinkie and Twilight withdrew from the hug, Rainbow stepped forward, her head lowered slightly.

“I guess I should apologize, Twi,” she said lamely, rubbing the back of her head. “I didn’t realize that you felt that strongly for the big guy. Had I known… well…” She motioned with her hoof, grimacing slightly.

“It’s okay, Rainbow,” Twilight sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the back of a hoof. “I shouldn’t have waited this long to tell him. It’s just made things awkward, and I may have already ruined my chances. However,” she said, lifting her head and straightening up, “seeing as I now have nothing left to lose, I guess it’s time to try.”

“It’ll work out, darling,” Rarity said with a smile. “These things always seem to.”

“Yeah…” Twilight said, sighing weakly. Turning, she gazed out the window at the fast approaching city that was Canterlot.

“I hope so,” she murmured, a small frown touching her lips.

I walked silently through the hallway, my feet making no noise as I traversed the corridors. The sun was starting to set beneath the horizon, elongating the shadows and casting the world in an orange tinge. I had just finished having dinner in Celestia’s private dining room. Neither herself nor Luna were there, but the server seemed to have been informed of me, as she had asked me what I would like to eat, and had waited for me to write down my order.

Belly full, I was now making my way to the guest room Twilight and I had stayed at during our last visit. For whatever reason, Celestia had wanted me to stay in the palace for a week. Something about it being “better for everypony involved” if I did, whatever that meant.

As I shuffled along, a pair of guards watched me from their position beside a large statue of Celestia, their expressions blank. There was a significant increase in guards compared to my previous visits to Canterlot. Almost everywhere you looked they were there, either patrolling the corridors or standing watch at their designated posts. Despite the fact that most of them never showed any emotion, they seemed slightly more… grim to me than usual.

They also appeared to be keeping an eye on me more than usual as well, or maybe I was just imagining things.

Rounding a corner, I nearly bumped into two Battlemages heading in the other direction. Their softly glowing armor clinked as they shifted to avoid me. As we passed each other, one of them—a tall mare with flame-orange hair—did a double-take, staring at me with wide eyes over her shoulder as the pair continued patrolling.

When she saw I was staring back at her, she whipped her head around. She continued to trot along, back straight and head held high as if nothing had happened. Her partner gave her a curious look, but didn’t say anything.

I continued to watch them curiously until they rounded the corner and disappeared from view. The instant they were out of sight, I heard the mare start to whisper to her partner, although I couldn’t make out what she was saying.

Sighing heavily, I turned and continued on my way, deciding that it wasn’t my concern. My brain was already bogged down with the all the information Celestia had given me earlier. Twilight’s in heat… and she’s in love with me.

I groaned softly, rubbing the bridge of my nose. How was I supposed to go about figuring this out? I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure of my own feelings for her. I hadn’t really put much thought into it, and now I wasn’t sure what to do.

In retrospect, I probably should have seen it coming. Twilight had been becoming rather clingy as of late. She took every opportunity to nuzzle my hands, or hug me goodbye if she had to leave the library for anything. I had assumed that those actions were just the signs that she considered me a good friend, but now I realized that they meant something else.

I had to admit, though, that she looked really cute when she was asking for a hug. The big eyes, the quivering lip. It was almost as cute as the time that she had tried to convince me to sleep in the same… bed… as her.

...oh. I groaned, closing my eyes in sudden realization. She wasn’t blushing because she was embarrassed, she was blushing because… oh, geez. I winced as I remember how I had picked her up and tossed her onto the bed in response. Fuck.

I stopped walking, rubbing at my temples as I tried to fight back a growing headache. The sound of metal clinking against metal drew my attention and I glanced to my left. A pair of guards stood a couple of yards away from me, positioned at the entrance to the Princesses’ private living quarters. As they watched me, one of them slowly cocked an eyebrow, but other than that remained emotionless.

Staring at them for a couple of seconds, I suddenly flipped them the bird before continuing on my way. They didn’t know what it meant, and it made me feel slightly better for some strange reason.

As I neared the guest room, I stifled a yawn. Gathering up all the thoughts currently buzzing around my head, I tried to stuff them into a mental box for later. I was getting rather tired, and sleep was sounding pretty good right now. I’d deal with the issue with Twilight tomorrow.

Reaching the guest room door, I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open.

The room was dimly lit by the fire currently cracking away in the fireplace. The balcony doors were open, the curtains billowing gently in the breeze.

I crossed the room carefully, as to not stub my toes on anything hidden in the gloom, making my way towards the bed, and the lamp located on the table next to it. I twisted the small knob on the side of the lamp, and with a tiny ‘poof’ the wick combusted into a small flame.

Standing up, I smiled softly as I watched the flickering flame. With a small groan, I stretched, cracking my back in the process. With that, I turned around, and promptly froze.

Sitting on the couch in the corner of the room, watching me with red-rimmed eyes, was Twilight. I had walked right past her in the gloom of the dark without even seeing her. Her eyes seemed to shimmer in the dim glow of the lamp, and she chewed on her bottom lip as she eyed me nervously.

In the light of the lamp and the fire, she looked a mess. Her mane was horribly disheveled, her eyes bloodshot. She had obviously been crying a lot recently, and that caused me to wince internally. The feathers on her wings were in disarray, several of them looking close to falling out. As she stared at me, she absentmindedly stroked her tail, which she had wrapped around her.

Upon seeing her, I instinctively took a step back, remembering what had happened the last time we were this close. Her eyes widened, and her ears splayed backwards as a hurt look crossed her face. She swallowed thickly, and I could just barely make out a low whimper escape her.

I stayed where I was, eyeing her wearily. She was unfortunately between me and the door, so I’d have to go over her to get out that way. The balcony was also a no go, seeing as I couldn’t fly.

Shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, I took a half-step back. ~Twilight~ I signed slowly, my eye locked on her in case she tried anything. The minute her horn began to glow, impeded or not, I was making a break for the door.

She shifted on the couch at her name, lowering her head and swallowing loudly as her body started to tremble. Licking her lips, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply through her nose. She held it in for several seconds before, with a sigh, she exhaled through her mouth.

Opening her eyes again, she looked up at me, a nervous yet determined look on her face. She paused for a second before saying five simple words.

“Max, we need to talk.”

Author's Notes:

End of Season 2 of Your Human and You