I slowly drifted back into the world of the living with a groan. My body was stiff, I was naked in bed, and it took my brain a few seconds to remember the reason why. As the memories of what had happened last night came trickling back, I groaned again before rolling over onto my stomach. It was too early to count me among the living. I’d deal with all of that in a few hours.

Snuggling into the sheets, I tried to go back to sleep. I was only lying there a few minutes when my body made it clear that it had to pee. Now.

With an annoyed grunt, I pushed myself into a seated position, causing the sheets to fall off of me. Cracking my eye open, I glanced around the room. The curtains to the balcony were open a crack, the morning sun streaming through, giving off enough light to see by. My shirt and pants were tossed haphazardly onto the couch, probably by Twilight’s magic last night. Speaking of which…

Twilight wasn’t in the room. Her spot in the bed was empty, a few feathers the only indication that she had been there. The bathroom door was open and there was no light coming from it, so she wasn’t in there. Looking at the door to the hall, I noticed that it appeared to be unlocked. Twilight had apparently already gotten up and left before I had woken up.

A frown touched my face and I huffed softly. I had been hoping that she would still be here so that we could have a talk about what had happened last night. I’d have to catch her later. Maybe after I found Celestia and got her to explain this ‘heat’ thing a little better. I might not understand it that well, but there was a huge difference between when Applejack was in heat, and when Twilight was. Mainly, Twilight appeared more rapey. And seemed to have a split personality.

Hopefully Celestia would be able to clear up any and all confusion. I had been serious when I told Twilight that I was willing to give this relationship a try, but if that’s how she was going to act, I was bailing now. While I hadn’t minded what happened last night, I wasn’t going to put up with that for an extended period of time.

My bladder twinged again, reminding me of why I wasn’t going back to sleep at the moment. Crawling to the edge of the mattress, I forced myself off of the comfortable bed. I started to shuffle towards the bathroom, but paused when I felt a weird sensation in my crotch. Confused, I glanced down and…

...oh, that’s just nasty. Grimacing, I looked away from the horrific aftermath. I can’t believe I slept like this. I’m definitely gonna need to take a shower. And the maids are probably going to have to burn the sheets… and the blankets… and the mattress.

Entering the bathroom, I proceeded to do my business, all while trying not to touch too much of the mess below. Once I was finished, I immediately turned on the shower and hopped in. As soon as the warm water washed over my body, I let out a shaky sigh and closed my eyes. I just stood there for a few minutes, enjoying the sensation, before actually beginning to wash. I left the mess below for last, focusing instead on the rest of my body. As I washed my hair, I pulled on it, studying its length. It was once again getting on the long side, and I made a mental note to talk to Rarity about a haircut.

It took me about twenty minutes to finish showering. Drying myself off, I stepped out of the bathroom and glanced around. Twilight hadn’t returned while I was in the shower, which meant she was still out and about, doing whatever. As I walked by the bed, I paused, before reaching down and picking up most of Twilight’s feathers. Straightening them up, I placed them down on the bedside table for later.

Now that I was up, showered, and awake, I figured I should probably go find something to eat before looking for Twilight. My stomach growled softly, agreeing with my decision. Picking up my clothes, I got dressed and exited the room.

Making sure the door was closed, I turned, only to blink in surprise when I saw a guard standing on the opposite side of the hall. She was watching me intently, her red eyes unblinking. Decked out in Night Guard armor, her horn was poking out of a hole in her helmet. She had a red eye as a cutie mark, bat-like wings protruding from the sides of it. I also saw two fangs peaking out from behind her lips. Her nostrils flared, and her pupils seemed to shrink before returning to normal.

We stared at one another for several seconds before I slowly raised an eyebrow.

“Are you heading to breakfast?” she asked, her voice surprisingly light. It had a kind of ring to it, almost like silver bells. “I am to escort you to the dining hall. Princess Celestia’s orders.”

My brow furrowed, and I tsked softly. I knew my way to the dining room; I didn’t need an escort.

Seeming to pick up on my annoyance, the guard shook her head. “I’m just to escort you to the dining hall, nothing more. A griffon dignitary arrived late last night to talk with Princess Luna, and we want to avoid unneeded complications. She’ll be gone after breakfast though, so I’ll be out of your mane by then.”

Hanging my head, I sighed heavily before motioning for her to lead.

As we walked, she kept a little ways ahead of me at all times, breathing through her mouth. I watched her curiously, unsure of what to think about this behavior. Every so often, she would glance back at me, double checking that I was still following.

It took us longer than usual to reach the dining room, as the guard kept taking me down side passages. At first, I was a little wary of this, but when we started to pass more and more guards, all of whom just nodded at my escort while giving me strange looks, I figured she was legit. Either that, or she was a damn good infiltrator.

She was silent until we reached the dining room. Turning, she inclined her head, motioning towards the door. Her face was flushed slightly, and she was still breathing through her mouth.

“This is where I leave you,” she said.

When I nodded my thanks, she turned and walked off down the hall without another word. I watched her go until she turned the corner, before pushing open the dining room doors and entering.

As the door swung shut behind me, I noticed there were already ponies sitting around the table. Celestia sat at the head of the table, her back to the door I had just entered. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were sitting on one side of the table, while Fluttershy and Rarity were sitting on the other. I assumed that they had come up with Twilight, and if that was indeed the case, then where was Pinkie?

Probably hiding, waiting to surprise the next person who sits down for breakfast, I mused to myself as I approached the table.

Applejack looked up as I neared, a smile crossing her face.

“Well, good mornin’, sugarcube,” she said as I sat down beside Fluttershy and picked up a piece of toast. “How are ya—” She froze, her eyes widening as her nostrils flared. Her cheeks instantly turned red, and she slapped her hooves over her muzzle, covering her nose.

The others reactions were similar in nature. A large blush exploded across Rainbow’s face, her wings flaring wide, nearly knocking Applejack over. Rarity spit out her drink, her face just as red. Fluttershy stiffened beside me, her wings flaring as well, and she looked like she was about to pass out. Even Celestia looked like someone had just slapped her, her eyes wide and a shocked look on her face.

I cocked an eyebrow as I munched on my toast.

“Geez, dude,” Rainbow gagged, holding her hooves over her nose. “So not cool. I realize you might still be mad about yesterday, but as far as payback goes, this is a low blow!”

“Well, at least we know why Twilight was so happy this morning,” Rarity muttered, fanning her face with a napkin. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled she’s happy, but this was uncalled for.”

I gave them all a confused look.

“Sugarcube,” Applejack said, her voice sounding nasally as she kept a hoof over her nostrils. “I’m happy for ya that ya had a good time last night, but next time, clean up afterwards, okay? Unless, ya one of them stallions that likes to show off.”

At my blank look, Rarity huffed. “Darling, when a mare and a stallion… uh, do the deed, as it were, the stallion usually smells of the mare afterwards. We can smell Twilight on you, and that’s putting it lightly. While some mares might find it flattering that a stallion is willing to walk around smelling like her, it tends to get other mares worked up. Especially during estrus.”

My eyes widened in sudden understanding, and my cheeks reddened as I realized what they were implying. They could smell that Twilight and I had had sex. Suddenly, the guard breathing out of her mouth made so much more sense. As well as the strange looks the other guards had been giving me.

Face burning, I sunk low into my chair, trying to hide my embarrassment.

“You really should shower afterwards, instead of parading around with her scent all over you,” Rarity said, giving me a strained smile, her cheeks flushed slightly. My head jerked up, and I stared at her over the edge of the table, a look of uneasiness slowly crossing my face.

This caused her smile to fade.

“You… you didn’t shower already, did you?” she asked, as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying. When I nodded, her ears splayed back, her eyes widening in shock. A look that was mirrored by the others.

“By the Maker,” Rarity breathed, her pupils the size of pinpricks. “If this is how strong it is after you took a shower…” She trailed off, a shiver running down her spine.

A strained look crossed Rainbow’s face, and it took me a few seconds to realize that she was trying not to laugh. Leaning sideways, she whispered into Applejack’s ear, “I told you she was pent up. Like, really pent up.” This caused the corners of Applejack’s lips to twitch upwards.

I watched them for several seconds before a shadow fell over me. I glanced up, only to blink in surprise when I saw Celestia looming above me, an ominous look on her face. However, she wasn’t looking at my face, but at my wrists. I chanced a glance down as well, but didn’t notice anything amiss.

“What happened last night?” she asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

In that moment, I was more scared than when Twilight had held me down last night. Celestia’s eyes held an inner fire that seemed to blaze like a thousand suns. I could feel my heart beginning to pound in my ears, my breath catching in my throat. With four simple words and a look, she was more intimidating than even the pack of manticores had been. I could now finally see why Twilight held this mare in such high regards.

Swallowing thickly, I signed, ~She was waiting in my room when I got back. We talked, discussing her feelings about me, then we went to bed and… well, yeah~ I motioned towards my body, indicating my scent. I didn’t want to get into details; she already knew what had happened just by the smell.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Did anything strange happen?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer before the dining room doors suddenly swung open, causing everyone to glance over at them. After a few seconds, Twilight entered, practically skipped through the door with a smile on her face. Her eyes locked onto me and the smile grew larger, her ears perking up like a dog’s.

“Good morning, Max,” she chirped as she pranced over. “Good morning, everypony,” she added as an after thought upon noticing the other inhabitants of the room. Her friends returned her greetings, their faces flushed. Celestia just leaned back, eyeing Twilight closely as she walked around the side of the table, heading for me.

I pulled out the chair next to me for her to sit down, but she surprised us all by ignoring it. Instead, she hopped into my lap, giving my cheek a quick kiss before snuggling down and making herself comfortable. Lighting up her horn, she grabbed a piece of toast, slathered some jam on it, then proceeded to eat it happily.

The others just watched with bemused looks, although Fluttershy had the hint of a smile on her face. Celestia observed her closely with a small frown.

Not paying them any attention, Twilight finished off her toast before reaching for a second piece.

~Comfortable?~ I asked, having to wrap my arms around like a hug in order to sign. This caused her to hum happily and snuggling into my embrace.

“Oh, yes. Very comfortable,” she said with a nod, munching contently on her breakfast. Rainbow Dash placed a hoof over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter again. Twilight gave her a confused look.

“What?” she asked, swallowing the food in her mouth. “What’s so funny?”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like a chair instead, darling?” Rarity asked, a small smirk on her face. Twilight immediately blushed and sunk lower into my lap, but she didn’t move. She muttered something under her breath, her ears splaying backwards.

“I’m sorry, dear, what was that?” Rarity asked, leaning in, her smirk growing.

“A chair isn’t as warm,” she said a little bit louder. I ‘snerked’ at that, and beside me Fluttershy giggled softly. Twilight pouted, glaring over her shoulder at me. I just gave her a smile before tightening my grip around her. I still want to talk with her about last night, but it could wait. Besides, she was surprisingly comfy.

“Well,” Celestia said suddenly, standing up from the table. “The day has come, and several royal duties require my attention, so I best be off. Twilight, would you mind accompanying me for a minute? I have something I must talk to you about.”

“Um… no thanks, I-I’m good,” she said nervously.

Celestia paused halfway to the door, and glanced over her shoulder at her.

“That wasn’t a request,” she said, pursing her lips. “Please, accompany me. It will only take a few minutes.”

Twilight looked back at me, a small frown crossing her face before she looked back at Celestia. “But… I already have plans that I need to get to. I don’t want to—” She yelped in surprise as she was suddenly lifted off of my lap by a golden aura. Celestia’s horn was glowing as she levitated Twilight over to her side.

“Come along, Twilight,” she said as she made her way to the door. “This won’t be a long talk.”

Twilight struggled for a second before falling limp in Celestia’s magic. Just before the doors closed behind them, she glanced back at me and shouted, “I’ll catch up with you later!”

Rarity stared at the closed doors, a bemused look on her face.

“That was unexpected,” she said slowly. “I’m not sure what just happened.”

“You’re telling me,” Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs. “I’m so confused… and Pinkie’s not even here at the moment!” She sulked for a few seconds before a sly grin crossed her face. Leaning across the table, she looked at me.

“Hey, can you help me settle a bet?” she asked. I blinked before shrugging my shoulders. Motioning towards the door with her head, Rainbow asked, “Is she a screamer?” Rarity, who had just taken a sip of her drink, did another spit-take. Fluttershy squeaked before hiding her face in her mane. Applejack’s ears perked up, and she watched me closely out of the corner of her eyes, waiting for the answer.

I shrugged again before making a writing motion with my hand. I had no means of communication with them at the moment, short of a game of charade.

There was a rustle beside me and I blinked in surprise as a piece of paper and a stick of charcoal was pushed in front of me. I glanced over at Fluttershy, who just gave me a shy smile.

“You, uh… you left your bags at the library,” she muttered, drawing a small circle on the table with her hoof. “I know you keep your writing supplies there… so, I, um... brought some along.”

Smiling, I picked up the charcoal stick and began to write. It took me a few seconds, but when I was down, I held up the paper from Rainbow to read.

+I will neither confirm nor deny that, and I hardly think it’s of any concern of yours+ Rainbow’s ears dropped.

“I-I’m sorry—” she began, but stopped when I quickly scratched out something else.

+However, I will say that it wasn’t my ears that were hurting when I woke up this morning+

A blush quickly crossed Rainbow’s face. Shaking her head, she sat back in her chair and huffed. “That means I owe Pinkie twenty-five bits,” she grumbled. Applejack coughed loudly and nudged her with a hoof. Rainbow sighed before pulling a small bag out of somewhere. She muttered under her breath before counting out the money and handing it to Applejack, who just smiled as she accepted the bits.

Chuckling at their antics, I tapped the charcoal stick absentmindedly against the table. I paused, glancing over at Rarity, before scratching out a new message. I slid it over to her, and she picked the paper up in her magic.

+I know that estrus is a time of increased hormones for females, but is it normal for them to become overly aggressive in capturing searching for a mate?+

“Not necessarily,” she replied, her brow furrowed. “Some mares tend to get more irritable sometimes. Cheerilee has to hire a substitute occasionally during estrus because she becomes too snippish with the foals, but I’ve never heard of a mare becoming too aggressive during their heat.

“Why?” she asked, giving me the paper back. “Does this have something to do with Twilight?”

I paused before answer. +Not really+

Rarity noticed my hesitation though, and her eyes narrowed. “Darling…”

I winced before adding a little more. +She may have gone a little crazy and held me down with her magic—+

“SHE DID WHAT?!” Rarity yanked the paper away with her magic, her eyes wide. I jumped, startled by her response. She reread the note again, her mouth opening and closing. The others gathered around, reading the note over her shoulder. Fluttershy gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hooves. Rainbow scowled, crossing her forelegs.

“And she got mad at me for being assertive,” she growled softly. Applejack nodded, but remained quiet.

Rarity glared down at the paper, her eyes narrowed. “After what we discussed on the train, how dare she…” She trailed off, scrunching up her face, before glancing back at me. “Are you telling me she held you down with her magic, and marked you? Darling, no matter how bad a mare’s heat is, no mare would ever rape a stallion!”

Reaching over, I grabbed the piece of paper out of her magic.

+She didn’t rape me!~ I scribbled down before showing it to them.

“Did ya agree to it?” Applejack asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Otherwise, that’s rape.”

I snorted, glaring at her. +You’re one to talk. Need I remind you of what happened in your breeding barns? I don’t remember agreeing to that, but you seemed rather adamant to get in my pants+

Applejack reeled back, her eyes widening, before lowering her gaze. She pulled her hat down over her eyes, a large blush on her face.

“Point taken,” she muttered.

+And let’s not forget Ms. “Want-To-Play” here+ I added, before pointing at Rainbow. She flinched, her ears pressing against the back of her head. +Mares might be able to control themselves around stallions, but it appears humans are fair game?+

“Well, that… I…” Rarity stammered, blinking. Her cheeks puffed out, and her face turned red. After a few seconds, she exhaled explosively, hanging her head. “Alright, I suppose you have a point. Yes, humans are used by the majority of mares to cool themselves down during heat, because not only can they not get the mare pregnant, but you don’t have to form an emotional bond with them. That shouldn’t apply to you, however, as you are not a typical Equestrian human. You have the ability to choose for yourself what happens, be it saying ‘no’ to overeager mares—” she gave Applejack and Rainbow a pointed look “—or say ‘yes’ to Twilight.

“However, you should still have a long talk with Twilight about holding you down with her magic,” she continued. “Not only could you not give consent verbally, you couldn’t tell her to stop if you were uncomfortable with anything.”

+I could have stopped her if I wanted to+

“I highly doubt that, darling,” Rarity snorted. “It’s almost impossible for non-unicorns to break free of a unicorn’s magical grasp.” When I just continued to smirk at her, her eyes narrowed. “Fine, you think you can get out of a magical hold? Here.” Her horn began to glow light blue, and a familiar tingle started to cover my body.

However, before she could pick me up, I reached out and grabbed her horn. Instantly, my hand went numb and the magic flowing around her horn ceased. She blinked in surprise, glancing up at her horn in confusion. Her brow furrowed, and she strained as she tried to force her horn to work. All she managed to do was create a couple of bright sparks.

After a few seconds, she stopped trying and pouted, her cheeks slightly flushed. “Fine, you were right. Now, please let go of my horn.”

“So, I see that you have finally talked to Max about your feelings for him,” Celestia said as she walked down the hall, her hoofguards ‘clicking’ softly against the marble floors. Beside her, Twilight trotted, her ears splayed back nervously. The Princess’s voice didn’t hold any negative emotions, but she still cringed inwardly as though she had done something wrong.

Swallowing thickly, Twilight replied. “Y-yes, yes I did. Although, I don’t think I had much choice after what happened in Ponyville.”

Celestia nodded, a small smile touching her lips.

“Judging by the scent on him this morning, I’d say things went well,” she said, giving Twilight a sideways glance. Her face went bright red, and her eyes widened in shock. She tucked her tail between her legs, silently wishing for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.

“I can’t believe he didn’t shower before heading down to breakfast,” she whimpered, mortified.

“Oh, he did,” Celestia replied, “but it appears you left a lasting impression on him last night.” Twilight stumbled, her entire face now red. “Oh, come now,” Celestia chided, laughing softly. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s perfectly natural, and actually very sweet. Although, you should probably get him to shower again. The smell was slightly overwhelming.”

Twilight nodded, flustered, and kept her gaze forward. This isn’t happening. I am not having this conversation with the Princess!

“Of course,” Celestia spoke up, snapping her out of her daze. “That’s not the reason I asked you to accompany me. I actually wanted to ask you a question.” She stopped walking, and turned to face Twilight. “ I notice something interesting about Max this morning, other than his scent that is, and I have to ask—” her gaze hardened, her smile disappearing “—why are there magical burns upon his wrists and neck?”

Twilight took a step back, her ears splaying back. “W-what?”

“There are very faint magical burns around his wrists and neck,” Celestia repeated. “They are caused by high concentrations of magic rubbing against the skin. Such as when magic is used to restrain an individual. Normally, they are hidden by fur and disappear within a few hours. However, in creatures with very low magic, such as humans, it’s more visible and tends to last longer.

“So, I’ll ask again. Why are there magical burns upon his skin?”

Lowering her head, Twilight swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry. She could feel bile slowly beginning to rise in her throat, and she fought to keep it down. There was no way to get out of this; one way or another, Celestia would find out. Best to bite the bit now, and get it over with. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be too mad.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before proceeding to tell Celestia all of what had happened last night. How she had waited in his room for him to return, their discussion and her tearful confession of her love, his acceptance and allowing her to sleep in the bed with him. She had to pause to work up enough courage to continue after that point, but she managed. Cheeks red with embarrassment and shame, she told the Princess how she had awoken in the middle of the night, and, becoming completely consumed by Max’s scent and her own feelings for him, had held him down and had her way with him.

Celestia was silent through Twilight’s whole tale, her face expressionless. That made it worse for Twilight. She wanted her to look angry or something. This neutral look was making her extremely nervous.

When Twilight had finally finished speaking, Celestia sighed and shook her head. “I am disappointed in you, Twilight.”

Twilight froze, her eyes widening. “W-what?”

“I would expect you to have better self-control,” Celestia said, her tone cool. “We are not mindless animals, rutting any stallion within reach. We evolved past that long ago. Even after her one-thousand year banishment, Luna was able to control herself around the guards during her delayed heat. Just because you were in heat, doesn’t give you the right to treat Max the way you did. Not only did you not stop to consider his own feelings on the matter, but you took all control he had of the situation out of his hands. He is unable to talk, Twilight. By pinning his arms, you essentially made it impossible for him to tell you what he was feeling. What if he had been in pain? What if he had wanted you to stop? How was he suppose to communicate with you?”

Tears slowly dripped down Twilight’s face as she stared up at Celestia, her mouth agape.

“But I couldn’t… he said…” She tried to formulate words, but was unable to do so.

“It doesn’t matter if he said it was okay after the fact,” Celestia sighed. “You shouldn’t have put him in that position to begin with. You’re better than that.”

“But, y-you’re the one who invited me here!” Twilight cried, pointing a hoof at her. “You told me that Max was in Canterlot, and I needed to come here to talk with him!”

“Talk with him, yes. Not rape him,” Celestia said. “I had thought that you would have been smart enough to sleep in a different room if you were having troubles controlling yourself. I had thought that he was being dramatic when he said you were acting crazed, but now I see that he might have been correct.”

“I was going to sleep in a different room, but he stopped me,” Twilight shouted, her voice cracking slightly. “He wanted me to sleep in the same bed as him! He wanted to be with me!”

Celestia cocked an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that you have enough power to hold him down while aroused, but not enough to remove yourself from his hold?”

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, only to close it again. Swallowing thickly, she lowered her head, ears splaying back.

“What you did is inexcusable,” Celestia sighed, shaking her head. Turning, she began to walk off down the hall again, leaving Twilight behind. “I can see now that it was a mistake to call you here. I’ll talk to Max about this later, but for now, it’s probably best that you return to Ponyville for the remainder of estrus. There will be—”

A surge of magic behind her caused Celestia to inhale sharply. Lighting up her horn, she managed to erect a barrier around herself seconds before a wave of magic slammed into her, rosy energy washing over her golden shield. She staggered backwards at the force of the blast; her barrier flickered but held. Her eyes widened in shock. That’s Twilight’s magic!

Whipping her head around, she shouted, “Twilight! What in the name of Harmony do you think you’re—” The words died on her lips as she stared at her former pupil, stunned.

Twilight was crouched low, her wings spread wide in a show of dominance. Her head was lowered, a snarl on her face as her horn glowed bright. However, it was her eyes that startled Celestia the most. The whites of her eyes were showing, her pupils mere pinpricks. She had a feral look on her face as she glared daggers at Celestia.

Taking a step back, Celestia unconsciously flared her wings as well.

“What are you doing?!” she asked, alarm clear in her voice.

Twilight snorted loudly, her nostrils flaring as she pawed at the floor with a hoof.

“I see what you’re trying to do,” she growled. “You thought you were being so clever, didn’t you, Princess. But I figured it out. You just want me gone so you can have Max to yourself!”

Celestia reeled back as if she had been slapped. “What? Why would you think that!?”

“I can see it now,” Twilight continued, ignoring her. “With me back in Ponyville, you would be able to fill his head with lies about how I abused him! You would be there for him, comfort him, and when the time was right you would take him for yourself!” She snorted loudly, taking a step forward. “You’re trying to take him from me!”

“I assure you, I am doing nothing of the sort! I’m trying to help you fix your relationship,” Celestia said hurriedly, raising a hoof in a protective manner. What is going on?

“Lies!” snarled Twilight, sparks flying from her horn. The ends of her mane and tail were beginning to smoke, and Celestia could feel the magical energy she was giving off.

“Twilight, please! I—”

“You will not take my mate from me!” Twilight shrieked suddenly, dashing forwards. She leapt through the air, teeth bared as she launched herself at the Princess. Celestia’s eyes widened, and, reacting on instinct, she pushed a large amount of magic down her horn. A magical bubble formed around Twilight, trapping her in mid-air. Struggling to escape, she kicked the bubble, but to no avail. She fired off several bursts of magic, only to have them be absorbed into the golden barriers.

Breathing heavily, Celestia stared up at her, keeping her suspended in the air. Twilight continued to struggle, growling as she fought to escape the magical prison.

“He is mine, Celestia,” she snarled, eyes narrowing. “He is mine! You will not take him from me, no matter what. I won’t allow it. I will burn Canterlot to the ground if I have to—”

Blocking out Twilight’s words, Celestia narrowed her eyes. To anypony watching, it would have looked like the Solar Princess was glaring at her former student. However, this was not the case. She was studying Twilight closely, trying to find reason for her sudden madness. She noted that her eyes, despite holding unbridled fury, were also glazed over. Her horn was sparking randomly, the precision and control the younger alicorn usually showed now missing.

Pushing more magic down her horn, Celestia reached tentatively towards the squirming form of Twilight, searching. As the magic slowly washed over her body, Celestia’s brow furrowed in confusion. Twilight’s magic was in a state of turmoil, spiking and twisting in large bursts of power. She could feel her anger, her frustration, and her desperation. Rage rolled off of her in fiery waves, as did fear. The sheer strength of these emotions was enough to cause Celestia discomfort. She didn’t know why Twilight was feeling like this, but she would get to the bottom of it.

Fighting back against the wall of anger, Celestia probed deeper into Twilight’s core. She paused, her eyes widening slightly as she stumbled upon something. It was something that she had never encountered before; a long, thin strand of foreign magic. It was faint, barely noticeable even with her skills, but nonetheless, still present. Latching onto it, Celestia slowly worked her way deeper, heading towards the source of this unknown magic.

There was some initial resistance, as if the magic was trying to force her back, but she pushed doggedly on. As she neared the center, she found her way blocked by a mental barrier that, upon her tentative examination, provide to be relatively strong.

Steeling herself, Celestia drove her magical probe deeper into Twilight’s core, straining against the arcane barrier for a few seconds before it finally buckled, and she burst through.

Celestia reeled back in horror, nearly losing control of her spells. Chaos magic raged within Twilight’s core like a hurricane, warping and corrupting her latent magic. It lashed out at her, causing her to flinch back.

Where did this come from!? Celestia thought as the chaos magic pulsed with dark aura. Discord is imprisoned. The only other creature in Equestria that has any chaos magic at the moment is… Her eyes widened as she put two and two together.

Her gaze hardened, her eyes narrowing. Drawing upon the massive reserve of magic within her sun, she pushed a large burst of magic down the connection. It slammed into the mass of chaos magic, wrapping around it and beginning to smother it. The chaotic mass fought back, struggling to win the upper hand. However, it wasn’t very big yet, and Celestia’s magic soon proved to be the stronger. With a finally burst of magic, she purged the chaos magic from Twilight’s system.

As Twilight’s magic slowly began to return to normal, Celestia withdrew her probe. Sighing heavily as the tension left her neck, she opened her eyes.

From within the magical bubble, Twilight was still glaring at her, shouting.

“—there will not be a force on Equus that will be able to… help… you.” She trailed off, her enraged expression slowly morphing to one of confusion, then shock, before coming to rest on pure horror. Her wings fall limp at her sides, her hooves dangling in the air. The sparks around her horn die down, her magic fading.

“I… oh, no,” she whimpers, her ears splaying back. “I didn’t… why did I… I… I attacked you… oh, Celestia, what have I done!?” Pupils shrinking, she opened her mouth, a shrill scream issuing forth.

Trotting forward slowly, Celestia eyed her sympathetically.

“How are you feeling, my faithful student?” she asked, putting emphasis on ‘faithful’.

Twilight just flinched at the word, lowering her head and whimpering fearfully.

“I’m so sorry,” she mewled. “I… I don’t know what came over me. I… I just… oh, Maker, there is no excuse for this. I’m a horrible pony.”

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Celestia murmured, lowering the bubble to the floor and releasing the trapped alicorn.

“Alright?” Twilight said, her voice becoming shrill as her breathing increased. “Alright!? How can this be alright? I attacked you! Oh, sweet Celestia. I attacked Celestia!”

“You were not thinking clearly, Twilight,” Celestia said, keeping her voice soft and warm. She could see that Twilight was close to having a panic attack, and she needed to keep her calm. “There was foreign magic within you, affecting your decisions.”

“F-foreign magic?” Twilight stuttered, glancing up at her through her bangs. She was still tense, looking ready to bolt at a moments notice.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, chaos magic.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply.

“But… but that’s impossible,” she yelped. “There was chaos magic in me? But, chaos magic comes from Discord, doesn’t it? And he’s currently imprisoned in stone in the castle’s garden. The only individual now how has any chaos magic in them is—” She froze, her pupils shrinking “—is Max.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said, nodding sagely. “It appears that your… mate, as you so aptly put it, has been leaking his latent chaos magic without realizing it. Once it was outside of his body, it probably looked for the nearest magical source and was promptly absorbed into you, which seems to be the reason for your aggressive behavior.”

“Wait,” Twilight said nervously, “are you saying that Max is corrupting everypony he comes in contact with?”

“I don’t believe so, no,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “The amount of chaos magic I found within you was not that much. I highly doubt that your friends have been affected as well. Their latent magic should be able to correct itself over time.”

“But then why am I affected?” Twilight asked, swallowing nervously.

“Seeing as Max spends the majority of his time around you, I have to assume that you have absorbed more than anypony else. It probably also got a huge burst last night due to your… questionable amorous activity last night. I’m fairly sure that no other ponies are currently in danger from the chaos magic.

“However, that being said, the fact that this is happening is still cause for concern.”

Twilight lowered her head, scuffing a hoof. “So, um… d-does that mean that last night...?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed, her lips pursed. “While the chaos magic may have been partially responsible for what happened, it still does not make it right. While I shall not force you to return to Ponyville, I still strongly recommend that you get your own room.” She emphasized each word with a stomp of her hoof. “If there is any chance of this happening again, you must prevent it. You are not off the hook either. I will still be having a word with Max about this, as I wish to get his side of the story as well,” she continued, her gaze becoming cold. “Should this sort of thing happen again, or should I find out from Max that you did not have his full consent, there will be consequences. Dire consequences.”

Twilight gulped and lowered her gaze, but nodded her head in understanding. Swallowing thickly, she peeked up at Celestia through the bangs of her mane. “W-what are we going to do about Max’s chaos magic? Even if it isn’t really that dangerous now, that may change later.”

Celestia’s cold gaze softened, and she gave her a small smile.

“You leave that to me.”

I walked down the hallway, munching happily on an apple I had pilfered from Applejack’s plate when she wasn’t looking. Breakfast had ended, and since Twilight hadn’t come back to the dining hall, I had decided to see if I could track her down.

Rounding a corner, I had to sidestep a pair of guards walking in the other direction. One of them, a mare, inhaled, her nostrils flaring. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, but she kept her face emotionless. I gave her an apologetic look as she passed. Maybe I should go shower again before looking for Twilight.

Diverting my original path, I start heading back to my room. A quick shower, then I would track down Twilight. Maybe she was back in the room already. That would make it so much easier, but I highly doubted it.

Climbing up the main staircase, I finished my apple before chucking it out a nearby window into the gardens. I figured if some animal didn’t find it, it could decompose naturally. Maybe even grow an apple tree. Whistling a happy little tune, I put my hands in my pockets and continued walking, a spring in my step.

It took me a while to reach the correct floor, what with the amount of stairs in this place. Seriously, I might have to talk to Celestia about putting in elevators. Of course, when you can fly, elevators seemed pretty useless, don’t they?

As I headed down the hall towards my room, I spied a pony walking in the opposite direction. She was a white pegasus, her blue mane cropped. Her tail was done up in a braid, the base of which was bound by a red ribbon. She had a no-nonsense look on her face, her yellow eyes glaring out at the world before her. Even though she was smaller than average in size, she had an air about her that reeked of authority.

Giving her a wide berth, I moved to the side of the hall to pass, only to have her block my path. She glared up at me, her eyes narrowing.

“You are Princess Twilight’s human, Max, correct?” she asked, her voice surprisingly gruff for a mare. I nodded my head, eyeing her curiously. “I can understand hoof-language, human,” she grunted.

Blinking at her sharpness, I raised my hands. ~Yes, I guess I am technically Twilight’s human, but only in name. Who are you?~

“I am Tempest Barrage, Captain of the Guard,” she said curtly, her tail flicking. Her nostrils flared suddenly, and she grimaced, her nose wrinkling in disgust. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like an insult, but I couldn’t make out the words.

Snorting, she shook her head before continuing, “I’ve been looking for you. There is a matter we must discuss that concerns several ponies that are currently under your command. First Lieutenant Avera Noctus of the Coming Dawn, Major Ebony Rose of the Battlemages, and Primrose, Captain of the Lunar Guard.”

~What about them?~ I asked, cocking an eyebrow. Did she want to ask how I liked them? Didn’t Luna do that during the Gala? Either way, my answered hadn’t changed. They may be goofballs, but they were my goofballs. Plus, I enjoyed drinking with Primrose and Avera.

Tempest’s expression remained hardened, her gaze cold.

“I am hereby relieving them of active duty until such time as they have been deemed fit to actually do their duty.” She didn’t raise her voice, but her words hit me like a brick wall. My eyes widened and I inhaled sharply.

~What?~ I signed, fumbling with the word.

Tempest’s face remained impassive, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. “They have proven that they are unable to complete the task originally assigned to them, so I am pulling them from Ponyville, removing them from your command, and relieving them of active duty until further notice.”

~You can’t do that!~ I signed, gaping at her.

“Are you telling me how to do my job?” she growled at me, ruffling her wings. “I think you’ll find I can. You see, when the Princesses aren’t present, I am in charge. I decide what happens with my guards, and those three are being pulled immediately.”

~For what reasons?~ I ask, glaring at her. ~They have done nothing wrong~

Tempest’s eyes widened at this, and her emotionless facade broke as she gave me an incredulous look.

“‘Done nothing wrong?’” she repeated, chuckling in disbelief. Reaching underneath her wing, she pulled out folded piece of paper. “Okay, you want to play this game, we’ll play this game, human.” She unfolded the paper, giving it a quick shake before glancing down at it. “Firstly,” she said, reading the words upon the paper, “they were unable to do their job properly the first day of their deployment. Within a few minutes of arriving in Ponyville, they failed to protect you from a civilian by the name of Lyra Heartstrings.” Her eyes flicked up to my face, and she tsked loudly. “I overlooked that little mess up because, and only because, it was the first day, and they were hopefully still adjusting to their new station.

“However,” she said, her yellow eyes returning to the paper, “the list doesn’t end there. There’s also the Gala, in which they left you unattended, unguarded, which resulted in an abduction attempt by Prince Blueblood that was stopped by another noble, Duchess Scratch. Mark that, a noble had to do their job for them. Disgraceful.

“Then, there was the incident with the infected human in Ponyville. Once again, they left you unattended, resulting in you getting bit by an human infected with the Black-Vine Virus. The only reason you are still alive is because of your heightened temperature. Had that not been the case, their carelessness would have cost you your life.

“There are also multiple counts of them putting you in dangerous or unnecessary situations. Allowing you to illegally enter a human show, and allowing you to enter the Everfree forest days after being attacked by an infected human, just to list a few.

“Plus, there is their general attitude towards their assignment,” she snorted. “Gambling, drinking, general laziness. This is not the type of behavior we drill into our guards.” She paused, glancing back down at the paper. She studied it for a few seconds before her eyes light up in mock surprise.

“Oh!” She glanced back up, her gaze becoming cold. “There is also the issue about them taking a bribe from a civilian,” she growled, venom dripping from her words. My heart sunk in my chest as I realized what she was talking about.

“Didn’t think I’d find out about that one, did you?” she huffed as my eyes widened. “Oh yes, I know all about that little fuck up. Accepting money from a civilian to do a task that put their charge, you, in direct danger? That was the final straw. They’re lucky they’re just getting relieved of duty and are not being court martialed for that little stunt. I could have them behind bars so fast that their heads would spin. There is going to be a disciplinary hearing, and I would be surprised if they get out of this without being discharged, let alone dropping a few ranks.” Folding the paper, she tucked it back under her wing.

I swallowed thickly, staring down at her in horror. Licking my lips, I signed. ~Is that all necessary? They were just following me around. Maybe we could—~

“This is non-negotiable,” Tempest growled, cutting me off. “I didn’t search all morning for you to tell you this just so you could try and weasel them out of their punishment. There is no apology, no second chance coming their way. They will be punished for this, and there is nothing you can do about it, Anomaly. They are my guards under my command. I will not allow them to disgrace their station any longer. They are being pulled from Ponyville, and new guards, one’s that I have approved, will be taking their place upon your return.”

~You can’t take my friends from me~

“They aren’t meant to be your friends,” Tempest barked. “They are meant to be your guards!”

~But—~

“That is final,” she snarled. “This conversation is over. You have seen the end of my patience!” With that, she turned around and, flicking her tail at me, stalked off down the hall.

I watched her go, my mouth hanging open and a stunned look on my face. My mind was trying to process what had just happened. I had just lost my guards, and from the sounds of it, they were in deep trouble as well.

I half considered going after her, but thought better of it. From the look on her face, there was going to be no arguing with her. And, as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. They were supposed to be my guards, not my friends. However, I still viewed them as friends, and it was my own stupidity that had just gotten my friends into trouble.

I blundered blindly into things without thinking them through, and, more often than naught, ended up injured. I went along with Rainbow and Rarity, I didn’t listen when Avera told me to run from the infected human, and I was the one who decided to go into the Everfree for Fluttershy, and now others were paying for my rash decisions.

I swallowed thickly, staring down the empty corridor. There had to be a way to get them out of this without getting in trouble. Maybe I could talk to Celestia about it and see if I couldn’t convince her to override Tempest’s decision.

But first, I had to find Twilight. I really needed a hug right now.

Continuing down the hall, I headed towards my room. I’d start there, and search through the castle. If that didn’t work, I’d just go interrupt Celestia’s Day Court. She wouldn’t mind, right? It would give her a break from all those stuck-up nobles.

As I opened the door to my room, the sound of shuffling reached my ears. Glancing up, I saw Twilight was inside the room. She had a pillow in her magic, and I dimly noted that it was the pillow I slept on last night.

Well, that was easy, I thought as I closed the door behind me.

As the door clicked shut, Twilight froze. She turned her head, her eyes widening in shock when she saw me. The pillow fell to the floor as her magic flickered and died.

“Um…” she began, not looking me in the eye. Her wings ruffled nervously at her side, her ear twitching. “Don’t mind me. I… I was just grabbing some… things before, uh… moving rooms.”

~Moving rooms?~ I asked.

“Princess Celestia thought it was best if we stayed in separate rooms for the remainder of my heat,” she muttered, scuffing a hoof against the floor.

~So, why are you taking my pillow?~ I asked, motioning towards it. A large blush spread across her face, and her ears folded against her head.

“Because it smells like you,” she squeaked.

I couldn’t help but snort at that, a weak smile appearing on my face. This just caused Twilight’s blush to deepen. Picking up the pillow, she hurried towards the door, talking quickly as she did so. “Well, I’m just going to go now… Hey!” She yelped in surprise as I scooped her up in my arms.

Struggling as I carried her over to the bed, she cried, “But, Princess Celestia said—”

I cut her off as I collapsed back on the bed, taking her with me. We ended up with her lying on my chest, my legs dangling off of the side of the mattress. It didn’t look like the maids had changed the sheets yet. I didn’t really care though. According to the others, I had to take another shower anyways.

As I just laid there, staring up at the canopy of the bed, Twilight shifted on my stomach. I glanced down and saw that she had rolled so that we were stomach to stomach. She looked up at me, chewing on her bottom lip.

“Um, I… about last night,” she murmured, her ears splaying back. “I… I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I...um, I’m sorry about… about everything.” She was having trouble talking, almost like she was choking on the words. Her eyes were beginning to water, and she looked miserable. “What I did was inexcusable, even for being in heat. Princess Celestia found that I had some chaos magic in me that she believes came from you, and it may have been affecting my actions, but I… I still have to know. Are you truly okay with what happened? Y-you can be honest, I won’t be mad. I… I just don’t want you to be scared of me.”

~Chaos magic?~ I asked, keeping my arms around her ~Really?~

“Yes,” Twilight murmured, nodding gently. “It appears to have been building up for a while, and she believes it’s there because we were hanging out so much. She managed to get rid of it, though, so I shouldn't… act like that anymore.”

~Are the others affected as well?~ I asked, worried. I didn’t want other ponies suffering because I was leaking bad magic.

Twilight shook her head. “No, the amount that is being absorbed is so low that their natural magic is removing it. It’s just because you and I are so close to each other most of the time.”

~That’s good~ I signed, breathing a sigh of relief. ~Though, we’ll have to see if we can do something about it~

“Celestia’s looking into it,” Twilight said softly, rubbing absentmindedly at my chest with a hoof. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

I gave her a warm smile before leaning forward and giving her a small peak on the lips. It was quick, but she still flinched back, her eyes widening in shock.

“B-but, how can you be so forgiving?” she asked. “I basically held you down and raped you!”

~Because it’s you~ I signed, still smiling. This just caused her ears to fold backwards.

“You keep saying that,” she muttered. “But what does it mean? If I was somepony else, it wouldn’t be okay? Why am I so special?”

With a sigh, I grabbed her chin gently in my hands, lifting it until we were eye to eye. I rubbed her cheek tenderly before answering.

~Because you’ve given me so much and asked for so little in return. You gave me a place to live, food to eat, a warm place to sleep. You fret when I’m hurt or sick. You go out of your way to help me~ She opened her mouth to speak, but I just continued signing. ~And it’s true that if it was someone else that did that to me, I wouldn’t forgive them as easily, if at all. What makes you special is that I know you, Twilight. You would never do anything to harm me intentionally~

“That still doesn’t excuse what I did,” she said, frowning. “Max, you don’t seem to understand. I raped you.”

~And I already told you, I don’t view it like that~ I signed, returning the frown. ~Yes, it was sudden. Yes, it was unexpected, but I don’t regret it. I don’t hate you for it~

“But—”

~In the end, it’s for me to decide~ I interrupted. ~You can keep beating yourself up over this, Twilight, but it won’t change a thing. I told you I was willing to give you a chance, and I’m still am. Sure, we’ve hit a slight snag, but as long as you don’t hold me down again without permission before hand, it’ll be fine

~As I told you before, Sparklebutt. You’re stuck with me~

Tears were now rolling down Twilight’s cheeks as she looked down at me as though she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Slowly, almost tentatively, like she was afraid I might disappear, she leaned down. She hesitated, her eyes flicking to mine, before she gently pressed her lips against mine. It was a chaste kiss, almost as if she was afraid to do anything else.

I returned the kiss, and she hummed softly. It was a weird sensation, honestly. Her lips had a thin layer of fur upon them, but it was extremely soft. I could feel it tickling my lips and face as we kissed. Also, with her muzzle, she had to angle her head slightly to avoid mashing our noses together.

After a few seconds, she pulled back, giving me a weak smile.

“I’m still going to make this up to you,” she said, rubbing her eyes with a back of a hoof.

My stomach took that moment to growl softly, causing both of us to glance at it.

“You’re already hungry again?” Twilight asked incredulously.

~Hey, don’t blame me~ I signed. ~After last night, I need more energy~ Twilight blushed again, but kept her smile.

“Well, how about I go find a different room while you take another shower,” she said. “Get my scent off of you—” her blush darkened until I thought she was going to pass out “—and then we’ll go find you some lunch, okay?” I nodded, and she jumped down off of me onto the floor. Snatching up the my pillow, she trotted towards the door.

I pushed myself off of the bed, and followed after her. She opened the door, but paused, glancing back at me in confusion.

“Um… there is a bathroom over there,” she said, pointing towards the bathroom. I nodded, but didn’t move. “Where are you going?”

~I’m following you~ I signed. ~You said that you were going to find a different room, right?~

“Yeah, for me,” she said. “This is your room. I’m finding a different one. Princess Celestia wants us to sleep in different rooms.”

I snorted, shaking my head. ~My room is your room~

“But, Princess Celestia—”

~Doesn’t have the right to decide what we do in this relationship~ I signed. I told you, Sparky, you’re stuck with me~

Twilight stared up at me, her mouth agape, bottom lip trembling. The pillow tumbled to the ground again as her magic ceased.

“I… I… I…” she stuttered, unsure of what to say. There was a brief moment of silence as we just stared at each other.

Then I fell backwards with a yelp as Twilight wrapped her legs around my chest and proceeded to crush the air from my lungs.

It was late in the evening when Celestia knocked on Luna’s bedroom door. She couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her face when the sound of muffled grumbles reached her ears. Luna might have been the Princess of the Night, but she wasn’t an evening person.

“Luna, are you up yet? You need to raise the moon in a few minutes.” She was met with another groan before the door swung open.

Luna stood in the doorway, her ethereal mane slightly disheveled. She blinked owlishly at her sister before smiling softly.

“Evening, Tia,” she hummed, stifling a yawn.

“Good evening, Lulu,” Celestia giggled, nuzzling her sister. “Did you sleep well?”

“Reasonably,” Luna said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She stepped out into the hall, closing her bedroom door behind her. The sisters walked off down the corridor, heading for the balcony to the gardens.

“Did anything happen when we were asleep?” Luna asked as they walked.

Celestia’s smile faded, but didn’t disappear entirely. “Some complications between Twilight and Max, but nothing that I can’t handle, sister.”

“Really?” Luna asked, perking up. “Pray tell, what kind of complications?”

“Nothing to trouble yourself about, Lulu,” Celestia answered. “I just need to talk with Max and get it sorted out.” She paused, frowning in thought. She hadn’t seen Max since breakfast. Of course, what with Day Court, she hadn’t had much time to look. According to the kitchen staff, he had visited the kitchen in the afternoon with Twilight, but no one had seen them since. She wasn’t that concerned though. With all the guards roaming the castle, she doubted that anything bad would happen.

Besides, she could just talk to him when she picked him up tomorrow for his appointment. Speaking of which…

“Luna,” Celestia said, glancing sideways at her sister. “Can I ask a favor of you?”

“Of course, sister,” Luna said, giving her a warm smile. “What is it you need?”

“If you could, make sure Max sleeps soundly tonight. He needs to be well rested.”

“But of course,” Luna said, blinking, “but, if we may, why must he be rested for tomorrow?”

“Because,” Celestia replied, her smile turning into a smirk, “he’s got an appointment with the Doctor.”

Stalactites rattled above in the cavern as the Archmage slammed the iron door in a rage, the resulting ‘boom’ echoing around the caves, magnifying the sound. Unicorns glanced up in confusion, only to return to what they were doing when they saw who it was.

Stalking forward, the Archmage snorted loudly, steam practically billowing from his nostrils. The vein in his head pulsed, and he could feel a massive headache coming on.

Upon seeing his expressions, several of the unicorns quickly got out of his way, skirting around to the edges of the cavern and watching from a safe distance. The Archmage was pissed, and even though they were hardened criminals, nopony wanted to get in the elder unicorn’s way.

Heading towards the far end of the cavern, and the massive steel doors embedded there, the Archmage growled loudly. “Of all the damnable things, of all the goddamn fucking things that could have happened, he had to show up here!” Snorting again, his horn flashed, and a nearby stalagmite exploded in a shower of rock. “He’s not supposed to be here. He’s suppose to be back in Ponyville! Why the fuck—” another flash and three more rock structures exploded “—is he here?!”

He ground to a halt, digging his forehoof into the rock beneath him. “The stupid bungler is going to screw everything up, and it’s going to be an accident, I swear! Not only that, he brought the fucking Elements of Harmony with him!” He growled, his tail lashing at the air. “They aren’t the real issue, though. If things go according to plan, the Elements of Harmony won’t matter, but that god damn human!”

The Archmage’s eyes flashed bright yellow, and the ceiling above exploded in shower of rock and dust. Unicorns scrambled to get out of the way as the cavern shook with the Archmage’s rage.

He ignored them all, continuing to seethe.

“Centuries of planning, years of preparations, months of careful planning, weeks of precise movements and this bastard is going to ruin everything,” he muttered under his breath. “I swear, this floater is the worst mistake I’ve ever made.”

Staring at the ground in front of him, the Archmage massaged his temples with a hoof. Slowly, his lifted his head, his gaze hardening.

“Dark Spice,” he growled, gritting his teeth. There was second pause before a unicorn materialized beside him, a black cowl hiding his face from view.

“Yes?” the unicorn hissed.

“Do you know Princess Sparkle’s human?” he asked, glaring at Dark Spice. When the stallion nodded,he continued, “I have a job for you, and I need two of your best members to do it.”

“What’s the job?” Dark Spice asked, tilting his head to the side.

“He has overstayed his welcome,” the Archmage huffed. “Kill him.”

Dark Spice nodded once before disappearing silently back into the gloom.

The Archmage stood there, massaging his temples. Slowly regaining his composure, he ran a hoof through his mane, straightening it. Taking a deep breath, he trotted forward, heading towards the large steel door at the end of the cavern.

As he approached, his horn lit up, and the sound of grinding gears reverberated through the cavern as the door began to swing open. When it had opened far enough, he slipped through the gape, the door closing behind him with a resounding ‘clang’. He was instantly plunged into darkness, and he was forced to light up his horn to be able to see.

The sickly yellow light from this horn illuminated his surroundings, and he found himself in a long, thin, metal corridor. Wires ran along the ceiling, twisting and turning around themselves as they jumped from glass fixtures that dotted the ceiling.

Taking a deep breath, the Archmage moved forward, trotting slowly down the hallway. His hooves clicked loudly against the metal floors, echoing around the small corridor. He passed by several steel doors, all of them buckled and unable to be opened.

Eventually, the corridor gave way to a large room. Metal desks were scattered everywhere, and a thick layer of dust covered everything. Bookshelves ran along the far wall, their contents aged to the point of crumbling. Several strange devices were smashed upon the ground, their wires and gears scattered everywhere. Broken glass littered the floor, most of it pulverized to dust. Above, several catwalks spanned the length of the room, leading to doors that led into darkness. A large, tattered piece of cloth dangled from the ceiling, the blue and red nearly completely faded to match the white.

From his spot at one of the desks, Darkflare glanced up as the Archmage entered. Rose and Pearl sat beside him, the trio watching as he crossed the room, not paying them any attention.

He headed towards one of the side entrances, the door of which was lying collapsed on the floor. Stepping over the discarded door, he moved into the adjacent room. Holding cells lined the walls, each one blocked off by security bars that looked rusted and old.

The sound of his hoofsteps echoed around the room as he moved towards the last cell. As he reached it, he pushed more magic down his horn, illuminating the inhabitant of the cell.

Melodic Wind was strewn out upon the ground, her body limp. Her coat was patchy and covered in a layer of grime and dust, her ribs clearly visible. Scabbed over cuts marred her flesh, some of them still oozing blood. One of her eyes was swollen shut, the skin around it bruised. Chains bound her ankles, shackling her to the far wall. Her large wings were now bare, stripped of her once gorgeous feathers. Dried blood caked the naked appendage, coating her fur and flesh.

As the Archmage stopped in front of her cell, she cracked open an eye, glancing blearily up at him. It took her a few seconds to register what she was seeing, but when she did, she sneered.

Staring at her with a blank expression, the Archmage slowly cocked his head to the side. His horn flashed once, and a ball of sickly green flames burst into life in front of him.

Melodic’s eye were instantly drawn to the flame, and she stared at it as though in a trance, her eye following it as it drifted back and forth through the air.

Crouching down, the Archmage glared at her, his eyes narrowing.

“Let’s go over this, one more time.”