Twilight's tormented night's sleep let her blanket soaking in sweat, frayed strands of her mane tossed upon around the pillow. She staggered herself out of bed, eying the small watch across from her. The green 11:02 AM screen told her that she didn't have much time to catch Ms. E. I. Xirt at the book signing, and she headed right downstairs. Wait a moment... since when has Spike worn a watch? She let out a tiny groan, halting in place.

I'll bet it has to be another to and from "lover's exchange" thing from Sweetie Belle. Oh, Spike, are you going to marry her or something? She stood at the edge of the library, looking upon the baby dragon as he curled up against a stack of pillows. He took my study spot. Oh, well. I have a lot of things to do today. She wipped up a quick breakfast, gulped it down, and walked to the bathroom.

She looked at herself in the mirror. It's fine, really. I'm through this. I'm not jealous of anyone. I'm not even that mad about those silly books, really. So what if I have some trouble sleeping or make some bad decisions? I'm not really affected. After all, I'm a smart, moral girl. That's just mindless chick lit. She grabbed the toothpaste, zoning out as she opened her mouth. She flashed back to the ending scenes of Younger Colts, Tighter Bondage.

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My soul hurt. I couldn't stand to even walk across the study. I took one fateful step, halting out of fear of crumbling like a stack of leaves at the start of autumn. Buckle Berry's eyes, those huge eyes that always seemed as sweet as wild strawberries, pointed straight at the fireplace. Of course, he can't look at me, I thought. The moment he does, he'll realize that love means more than just stupid gender lines. I know it!

"Buckle," I said as tenderly as I could. I wiggled my mane atop my head.

"I wish... you..." he moaned, trailing off into nothingness. He propped his huge sides against the door. He could easily break that door in half, with his tough farmer pony strength. He never would, of course. That gentle power made him the perfect protector, the pony that should be my defending knight and I his companion.

I forced myself to walk over. I took his hooves in mine, and I fell in love all over again for the umpteenth time. He took a deep breath as I rubbed. His skin, so muscular and so strong, sent tingles of bliss through my body. I leaned over closer. He didn't react, but I didn't care. He may have made himself into a statue, emotions held back, but I was like a pot boiling over.

"You're... like the best stallion anyone could every have," I said. I ran my hooves up his chest over to his chin. As I moved his head up, I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. I loved tasting him, that farmer's musk driving me crazy, but I felt the pitter-patter of his tears upon my head.

"I WISH YOU WERE A GIRL!" Buckle suddenly shouted.

I had no response. How could I?

"I'm sorry, Cherry, but that's life," he muttered. He stepped halfway out of the door. "Like I said, I'm going to be totally grounded for a whole three weeks. Dad made it clear." His sweet eyes narrowed, fear and shame burning inside them. "'There are no boys who fornicate with boys in our good, clean family. You'll never see those immoral trash again.' my Dad said."

I simply cried, knowing that our love was as fragile as a daffodil in a sea of rocks in the bottom of a quarry. Along had come the boot upon us.

"I... love you, Buckle Berry..."

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"Stupid Jack Bolt's dad! How dare he out Buckle Berry as a coltcuddler to his own father! Those prejudiced pieces of garbage!" Twilight snarled, squirting toothpaste all over the mirror and straight into her mane. She took a deep breath, emotions pooling in a big mess inside her mind. She panted for a moment.

Oh, I can't live like this. She whispered a cleaning spell before magically switching on the shower. I can't be so obsessed over imaginary characters. She leaned over, resting her head atop the sink. "They're not real. Jack Bolt, Cherry, and Buckle Berry. Not real. Not bucking real." She coughed. "They. Don't. Exist." The reflection of Twilight didn't seem to agree. She sighed, magically lifting over the books that she had hidden under the hamper once again.

"Boys kissing boys."

"I wish I knew how to quit you," Twilight said to the two hooves holding an apple on the book's cover. She closed her eyes, and she hugged the books just as she would Spike.

"I leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. I loved tasting him, that farmer's musk driving me crazy, but I felt the pitter-patter of his tears upon my head."

"It's because it's enchanted. It has to be." She dropped the books on the floor and stepped into the shower. She kept on thinking through things as the water poured all over her. "That makes no sense, though. Everypony that's read this besides me becomes fans. Fans. That's not the same thing. They don't become totally bucking obsessed with the book, to the point of almost losing their sanity."

Is my book the only one that's enchanted? That thought stuck in her mind like a fly in a massive web. I guess the only way I can find out is to borrow somepony else's book. She finished getting herself ready and headed outside, clutching her saddlebags. She pictured the milk of amorous clover inside, and she had a torrent of mixed emotions.

It's her fault-- Trixie, Rainbow Dash, whatever pony wrote the blasted things. I don't care if it's legal. I don't care if they didn't mean it. They've made me into a naughty girl, and I'm going to... to... Her anger evaporated as she passed besides Roseluck's new cart, gazing at the various displays on offer. The sunny skies ahead just seemed to make the flowers sparkle with pure happiness.

That's a really sweet one. She focused on a set of white roses with frizzy pink tissue paper around it. That's the kind of thing I'd want from my coltfriend. She took a gulp. If I had a coltfriend...

"Hiya, Twilight!" Roseluck called out, jumping behind her.

"Oh, hey," Twilight muttered, dazzled for a moment. She sat down, rubbing her mane with her hoof. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, gosh," the other mare replied, leaning up against her cart. "You spend way too much time cooped up with your books lately, you need some more sun."

"Sure," Twilight replied. She fantasied for a second about skipping through the nearby forest clearing with Buckle Berry, the shy farmer colt matching her personality perfectly. She dreamed about feeling the while roses placed into her hooves.

Roseluck put a hoof upon Twilight's shoulder, oblivious. Twilight snapped back to reality, putting on a smile. "What are you doing around this part of town, just curious?"

"I was going to a book si--" Twilight began, although she she stopped herself mid-sentence. She shouldn't know that I'm reading trashy chick-lit and not studying! "I mean, I was going to talk about these new books with, uh, Fluttershy." That was a lousy lie!

"Fluttershy is an avid reader?" Roseluck slid her head to the side. "Huh, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Do you ever read through stuff yourself, just for pleasure? Like literature written by mares for mares?" Twilight asked. She has to... I have to know. What if she's a 'bonder' to? Another fanmare?

"Oh, s-sure, but I u-usually stick to stuff like The Canterlot Times." Roseluck replied. Twilight watched intently as a single bead of sweat ran along Roseluck's cheek. "And sometimes, uh--" She shimmed back against the cart, her hooves moving behind her awkwardly. "I'll dip into popular non-fiction stuff like, uh, The Closing of the Equestrian Mind by Allergic Bloom. That one is pretty interesting-- about how the ponynet changes a pony's perception of knowledge retention."

"That's interesting." She almost sounds like she's rehearsed this conversation in her mind. That's the sort of thing that... I'd do. Why would a sociable, everypony-loves-me-always mare do that? Roseluck glanced up the sky nervously, hooves clopping against the ground. Twilight opened her mouth to say something else, but she stopped. She spotted out of the corner of her eye a little black slab of something sticking out of a crack in the cart. She slid down, eyes narrowing, and she saw two hooves holding a apple on the cover. She's a bonder? Roseluck?

"Oh, yes, I, uh," Roseluck stammered, stepping over to the side. She put on a forced smile. "Good to see you, Twilight." She pressed her side backwards and shoved her copy of Y.C.T.B. totally into the cart. "I'd hate to keep you from your meeting with, uh, Fluttershy." Twilight nodded, not sure what to think. "Goodbye!"

Twilight walked off towards Sugarcube Corner, glancing around at the various shops and finding herself lost in thought again. Wow, I wonder how many ponies I'll see at the book sign-- She smacked into a solid wall of something solid and fluffy, knocking herself down. Twilight groaned, rubbing her head to get rid of the stars she saw.

"Oh... I'm... so sorry about that..." said a familiar, soft voice from somewhere.

"Fluttershy, it's alright, I just need-- Holy Cheese and Crackers!"

Her eyes grew wide as sauces as she stared at the gigantic rabbit standing in front of her. Solid white fur stretched from his massive paws right up to his curly face and droopy face. The twelve foot tall thing had a somewhat annoyed expression on.

"Twilight, meet Angel Bunny's cousin 'Steve the Bunny'," Fluttershy murmured from behind Twilight, gesturing at her to shake his paw. Twilight glanced up, seeing Fluttershy's hoof and Steve's huge appendage. She took a gulp, and she reached out.

That thing could rip me in half in he wanted. "It's, uh, a pleasure."

"Steve and I are just about to head to the book signing," Fluttershy said, hovering right above Twilight's head, "You can come... with us... if you don't mind..."

"Signing?" Twilight repeated. Oh, goodness, don't tell me that Fluttershy is also-- She blinked. She saw Fluttershy land atop Steve's left shoulder. The rabbit made a little 'oof' noise as Fluttershy rubbed her wings against his ear, putting on a t-shirt. Twilight stared at the big white 'I'M A TEAM BUCKLE BERRY GIRL' shirt, and her face twitched.

"Oh, you'll come?" Fluttershy made a happy squeal. "That's so... incredibly wonderful..." She wiggled her flowing pink mane across her head.

"I guess, since I-- OH, HEY, WAIT!" Twilight squirmed as Steve's huge paws clutched her sides and picked her up like a rag doll. She felt her saddlebags pressing up against her side, giving her little pains. No! The vials in my bags can't break!

"Oh, I'm... we're arguing? I'm sorry."

"No, it's..." Twilight clenched her face, biting her lip. Am I really going through with my plan to squirt Celestia's perverted love juice on Ms E. I. Xirt? Really? After seeing how like half my friends are fanmares? "It's fine, just be delicate with me-- okay?" That was a stupid plan to begin with. It was hardly even a 'plan' in the first place. She made a very soft sigh as the rabbit placed her upon his right shoulder.

"Hey, Twilight!" Fluttershy called out. She flew over and picked the mare up in the air. She realized that she hadn't been held by one of her friends for a while, and she almost wanted to coo. I feel like I need to be prescribed a hug daily by Nurse Redheart or something. She saw a suddenly flash of grey, and Fluttershy plopped her back in place.

Twilight leaned over, seeing that Steve the Bunny had put on an almost matching 'I'M A TEAM BUCKLE BERRY GIRL' shirt. How... in Celestia's name did Fluttershy get at shirt that size? She scratched her head, thinking, as Steve stomped over towards Sugarcube Corner. She eyed a crowd in the distance, although the glare of the midday sun kept her from seeing too much.

"Sorry that the shirt says 'Buckle Berry girl' and not 'Buckle Berry boy'..." Fluttershy muttered to the gigantic rabbit.

He shrugged, letting out a resigned sigh.

"Hey, Fluttershy, can I see your copy of Young Colts, Tight Bondage?"

She nodded, holding up the book over Steve's ear. Twilight magically lifted it over. Okay, so... enchanted or not? She flipped over to a random page.

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My plot wiggled against the mirror. It was all I could take to just press it flat upon the glass, moaning as I gave Jack Bolt the best motivation in the world. Still, though, I knew that he'd pass over the edge if I did that.

At any rate, I saw pleasure shooting through his body. He smiled in the distance, winking. I turned around, smiling back. I couldn't see if he had excitement going between his legs, but I suspected it.

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Nothing? No reaction? Twilight magically blew into the book, expecting Trixie's blue mist to sparkle out. Nothing happened. She frowned. I need answers, and I need them fast!

"Oh, Twilight, we're here!"

Twilight passed the book back over to Fluttershy, eyes going down to the familiar front side of Sugarcube corner. Ponies, all girls with about two to three exceptions, crowded upon a tiny white stage and a solid gray table. Empty? She scanned across the mass, suddenly noticing something familiar.

To Be Continued...