"Are you not coming?" Princess Cadance asked Shining Armor. He blushed in embarrassment. She realized the sore subject of her double entendre. "I meant- accompanying me to Ponyville? Twilight's invitation was to both of us."

"I know- I know what you meant," he said. "I want to come- come with you- to Ponyville. But it's on the same day as my appointment for..."

He didn't elaborate. He didn't want to say it out loud. She didn't want him to either. Nopony wanted to talk about the elephant in the room.

Shining Armor hadn't cum in weeks. Which wasn't to say that they hadn't been trying. They had managed to have sex a few more times. And each time it sure felt like he was cumming. But she could only take him at his word for so long when there was clearly no evidence of it afterwards.

Cadance felt like there was something wrong with her, a failure of a wife that couldn't get her husband to climax. Shining felt like there was something wrong with him, a failure of a husband that couldn't cum for his wife. As much as he tried to reassure her that it wasn't anything to do with her, his words were sounding increasingly hollow, even to him.

"You should go, even without me. I'm sure you and Twilight will enjoy having some time together. I just can't miss this appointment," he said. "I want to get... this fixed as soon as possible."

"Yes," Cadance agreed. "That is more important. I'll write Twilight back and let her know that I'll be there and that you have a... prior engagement." Shining's ears drooped. "Hey, whatever this is, we'll get past it. Together. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Cadance sent her letter by post a day ahead of her departure so that it would arrive the same morning as her train from the Crystal Empire.

Twilight was excited to see that Cadance was able to come visit, but disappointed that Shining wouldn't be able to make it. It was just as well, Twilight reasoned. There wouldn't be any time for her to do anything with her brother that she wanted. This would be good, she decided. It was a chance for her to re-connect with Cadance, without Shining there to remind her of the guilt she felt. She was not proud of the fact that she was sleeping with the husband of her former foal-sitter and good friend.

And after all, three was a crowd.

Twilight and her Ponyville friends waited at the train station to see Fluttershy off for her expedition to see the Breezies. They waited at the platform after the train departed, as Cadance would be arriving on the next train. Train technology was not terribly new. It had been around since before the Crystal Empire vanished. But where the Friendship Express train was designed for practical utility, the Crystal Empire train was a reminder that one needn't sacrifice form for function.

The crystal locomotive looked just as aggressive as a train possibly could without having teeth painted on it. The jagged facets of its bow all but screamed to move and get out of the way, because this train was stopping for nopony. It pulled up to the station platform with a long screech of its brakes.

Princess Cadance disembarked and greeted Twilight Sparkle. The two princesses greeted each other as formally as two princesses would. After a pause, they laughed off the formal greeting.

"I'm teasing, Twilight. We're sisters-in-law. There's no need for us to be so formal," Cadance said as she began to walk with her along the platform. "Knowing you, you've made some plans."

"Boy, have I!" Twilight said. "For one day only, right here in Ponyville, the Starswirl the Bearded traveling museum! We can spend the whole day looking at artifacts."

Behind Twilight, Rainbow Dash grumbled and passed Applejack a pouch of bits.

"What was that about?" Twilight asked.

"You gals didn't do your ladybug dance, when she arrived," Applejack said.

"So I lost a bet," Rainbow Dash muttered. Twilight gave them a stern glare, but Cadance just laughed it off. The two of them walked to the Starswirl Exhibit. Once Twilight and Cadance were gone, the rest of them talked among themselves.

"So what now?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"We could always day-drink."

"It's Monday, darling," Rarity said. "I need to go open my boutique."

"And I need to head back to Sweet Apple Acres to resume my lifetime of manual labor."

"Don't you have to go to work for the Weather Patrol?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Nope! Last Thursday my boss told me that if I didn't show up on Friday, to not bother coming in on Monday," Rainbow explained. "And I was like, 'woohoo! Four-day weekend'!"

"Oh dear..."

"So what about you Pinkie? Are you throwing a party I can crash?" Dash asked.

"Actually no," Pinkie said. "There is no holiday today, and there are no birthdays anywhere in Equestria. It's like 11 months ago is a cursed day when nopony was having sex."

"Speaking of-"

"I'mma stop you right there Dash!" Applejack said.

"Since Fluttershy isn't here-"

"Dash, seriously! No."

"Do you guys think that she-"

"No."

"and Discord-"

"Stop."

"have ever-?"

"Dash, seriously! Shut up! Nopony wants to talk about Fluttershy's personal life, with or without... him!," Applejack yelled.

"Discord?"

"Yes! Now stop saying his name!" Rarity pleaded. History would show that this was the wrong thing to do, as everypony knew that Rainbow Dash was less a pony, and more a jackal in a clever disguise. As soon as one gave any indication that something she was saying or doing was of any measure of irritation, she would surely tug at that thread until the breaking point.

"Discord," Rainbow Dash said, for no reason at all.

"It's showtime," came a familiar voice from nowhere. A wild blue blur came hurtling from the wild blue yonder, doing its best impression of Rainbow Dash as it crashed into a nearby tree. The tree promptly burst into blue flames, leaving behind a charred skeleton of branches and-

"Discord!" everypony said in unison.

"Remember my name, you'll be moaning it later," Discord said.

"I think I just threw up a little in my mouth," Applejack said.

"Why are you blue?" Rarity asked.

"What do you have to be sad about?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You could just snap your claws and have anything you want instantly, like a cider, or two ciders!"

"I meant 'why is he physically blue in color'," Rarity said, remarking on his striking hue. Rainbow Dash squinted at the draconequus.

"I'm afraid I'm sick," Discord said. "Blue flu."

"Blue flu?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yes, and I'm in need of care. Where is Fluttershy?"

"On her trip to see the Breezies," Rarity said.

"Ah yes, I had forgotten that was today. Well, while she's gone, you ponies can take care of me. Isn't that what friends are for, taking care of each other?" Discord asked, gathering up all the ponies in a big group hug. "Let the healing begin."

"Do ya mind!?" Applejack said indignantly as she tried to squirm free.

"Sorry. One of the symptoms of Blue Flu is being extra cuddly," he said.

"Not it!" Rainbow Dash screamed, ejecting herself from his grasp and accelerating to mach 2 for the horizon.

"Don't worry Discord," Pinkie Pie assured him. "I'll give you my full, undivided att-" A red balloon floated by. "Ooh, shiny." She bounded off after it.

"Well I guess that just leaves you two to take care of me," he said to Rarity and Applejack. "And at such peril. Blue Flu is highly contagious!" Discord sneezed, making no attempt to shield it with his paw. Applejack and Rarity each turned a similar shade of blue.

"Oh no. I've gotten you sick too!" Discord said. "At the very least I can get you to bed before I seek aid from elsewhere." With a snap of his claws, they vanished, and reappeared in Rarity's bedroom. The two mares already in Rarity's queen-size bed.

"Mah own bed is fine for me," Applejack said.

"Oh no no!" Discord said. "You mustn't give the Blue Flu to the rest of your family! The two of you need to be quarantined together. It's a matter of public health!"

"No if you'll excuse me, I need to go to that crowded Starswirl exhibit and find Twilight." He snapped his claws and vanished.

Applejack rolled over towards Rarity and held her, feeling 'extra cuddly'.

"Symptom of the Blue Flu," she said as she wrapped her hooves around her midsection.

Rarity turned and cuddled her back, pressing her nose into the earth pony's apple-scented mane as she whispered.

"Yes... the Blue Flu."

At the Traveling Starswirl Museum, almost everypony was dressed up in Starswirl costumed. Twilight scoffed at the technical inaccuracies of the others. She might not have had the seamstress aptitude of Rarity. But she had an eye for details. And while it took her quite a long while, her own, hoof-stitched costume was by far the most accurate. It was not lost on Cadance, who noted as much when she saw it. But then only Cadance and Twilight had bore the tutelage of Princess Celestia's personal-protege Starswirl curriculum, and all of the inane details there-in.

"A whole day to celebrate Starswirl the Bearded! What could be better?" Twilight said with unnatural glee.

"Absolutely nothing," Cadance said diplomatically. Twilight was barely more than a year out of Celestia's school. All of the trivia around Starswirl were still fresh in the poor mare's mind, desperate for a conversational outlet. Shining Armor had bore the brunt of it from both of them. He had become an amateur expert on the subject by proxy. Cadance now did her best to recall what she could. "Is that the candlestick he used to light the way when he was exploring the caverns of Maretania?"

"It sure is!" Twilight said excitedly.

"Oh, I can't believe I'm getting to see it in real life!" Cadance said, trying to match her energy. It was hard to find awe in a thousand-year-old relic when the entire empire that she lived in was one. Still, the candle stick was an irreplaceable piece of history. Absolutely priceless.

The candlestick burst in a flash of light, leaving a blue Discord in its place. The two mares screamed in surprise.

"Discord, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry to say that I'm sick. Blue Flu. I fear I've already given it to poor Applejack and Rarity," he said, bracing himself for another sneeze.

Cadance cast a quick shield spell, blocking the incoming mist.

"Magic health bubble," she said.

"Good thinking," Twilight said.

"Indeed. How would you nurse me back to health if you were sick, too?" he asked, imagining the sisters-in-law being extra cuddly. But by Cadance's quick thinking, it was not to be. "You will be letting me stay at your place until I'm all better, won't you?" he asked Cadance.

"Stay? With me?" Twilight asked in shock, mistaking the target of his query. "Now is not really the best time. But I'm sure you already knew that." She motioned to Cadance with her. Cadance breathed a sigh of relief. She would have said the same thing, but for very different reasons.

"But isn't helping something that friends do for friends? Unless you're saying that you're not my friend."

"No. That is not what I'm saying."

"Oh, how elated I am to hear you say that. Shall the three of us head back to your place?"

"I guess we don't have much of a choice."

The Golden Oak Library wasn't very far. They managed to get him there without incident and tucked into Twilight's bed. With the task done, they were ready to leave him there and resume their day out.

"Oh, just before you go, just a little, small request," Discord said. Twilight huffed in frustration.

"It's going to be fine," Cadance assured her. "We'll just get him what he wants and be back to the exhibit in no time." She turned to Discord, "What was it that you needed?"

"A little glass of water please. A fresh-pressed hanky if I sneeze. Some tea with honey from the bees, whenever you can brew it. And while I get a little rest, a teeny tiny small request: Some codfish oil for my chest poured from a crystal cruet. My goodness, I'm a nincompoop, because I fear I've got the croup! I need a vat of pumpkin soup, and scarves made out of zinnias! Did I say zinnias, I meant silk, or something shiny of that ilk, and then I'll need some nice warm milk, and pastry from Abyssinia. And since my stomach's feeling crummy, why not give my aching tummy something soothing, something yummy, piled up with noodles! Add a slice of homemade rye, with stacks of Swiss way up high, served with sides of sweet mince pie. More basil; I need oodles! I'll be grateful for your charity until the bitter end, because I've heard that tenderness is what you lend an ailing friend. Tenderness, isn't that right, friend? So, who's ready for my big reprise?! I'd like that glass or water please. Some magic spell to cure disease! A firm gesundhoof when I sneeze. A fresh bouquet of roses! Some lozenges will soon appease my wheezing when I start to sneeze. A wig to keep me from the breeze, and blankets for my toeses! Take tweezers out of my valise and then massage my knobby knees! A bowl of peas, some extra cheese, a cuddle with a Pekinese, a singing harp who's named Loiuse, a goat on skis, a new trapeze, and more, and more, and more, and more of these! And just because I 'oughta: make sure I'm drinking in the right amount of fluids day and night. I wish I may, I wish I might, have just one little thing: Oh would you please finally bring me that tiny glass of water!"

"You just had to fucking ask him," Twilight said to Cadance. "Here's your water." She gave Discord a glass of water. He dropped it.

"Oops. Sorry."

"Alright, this is ridiculous. There must be some way to cure you. There must be a spell or a remedy."

"There is," Discord said. "On a hill, at the very edge of Equestria, there grows an exquisite, magic flower. Pick the flower as it drops its petals at sunset. Then you can make a magical, soothing elixir to cure the Blue Flu."

"Why didn't you get it yourself?" Twilight asked.

"I'm in no condition to travel."

"So, where exactly are Cadance and I headed?"

"It would be much easier if I took you there myself."

"I thought you were in no condition to travel," Cadance said.

"I'm not. We'll need to make some arrangements."

It turned out that 'arrangements' was a chariot for Discord, pulled by the two flying princesses, and a day's journey to the very edge of Equestria.

Shining Armor was on a journey of his own. A journey, not of sight or sound, but of mind, through a door unlocked with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas.

"Mr. Armor?" Dr. Dink asked. Shining shook his head and came back to reality, sitting on the couch in the psychologist's office.

"Sorry. I was miles away," he said.

"Well, I need you to focus on the task at hoof, if we are to have any hope in treating your neurosis."

"I know. I've just been under a lot of stress lately," he said.

"Because of the Empire getting ready to host the Equestria Games?" she asked.

"No. Shit, I actually forgot about that. Okay, now I'm worrying about that too."

"Well why don't we focus on something smaller, for now? Why don't you tell me how things have been since we last left off? As I recall you were having intimacy issues with your spouse after the traumatic events of the wedding."

"You could say that."

"And has there been any development on that front?"

"Yes. We've had sex."

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Well, yes and no. I had an erection just fine. But I don't know if it counts. She caught me in time for my morning wood."

"Baby steps, Mr. Armor. Even if you didn't get hard for her, you were still able to maintain it for intercourse?"

"Yes, but I didn't cum."

"Well one needn't orgasm for it to count for sex," she said. "Many mares will have numerous bouts of intercourse without orgasm."

"No, what I mean is... I didn't cum. I didn't ejaculate. It felt like I did. It felt great. But nothing came out."

Dr. Dink tapped her pencil to her chin.

"Hmm. That alone may be an actual medical issue for you physician. But given the context... I suspect there might still be an underlying psychosomatic cause for your symptoms. I'm sure it is doing you no favors for your guilt over the performance anxiety."

"Ya think!?"

"Tell me, Mr. Armor, do you you recall the last time you successfully ejaculated?"

Fucking Twilight on the day of her coronation.

"Yes."

"I would suggest trying to replicate the situation where you last ejaculated. And if the problem persists, then we can rule it out as an issue."

"I- I'd rather not."

"Oh? Oh! Oh, my apologies! Was the last time... with the Queen?"

"What? No! No it's... it's just..." he trailed off.

"Something you're ashamed of?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Armor, if I may; you need to let yourself be free of guilt when you masturbate. You may think of things that you would never actually do, things that you might otherwise abhor. But I assure you, there is no wrong way to fantasize. And I will remind you that nothing you tell me will ever leave this room."

"I wasn't- it wasn't masturbation..."

"But it wasn't intercourse with your wife?" she asked. He nodded meekly. "Ah. Well that is something, isn't it? Not the princess, not the queen, but some other pony? Am I to assume that it was a pony?" He nodded again. "And this is a source of guilt, yes?"

"Yes."

"Was this a one-time thing or more?"

"More."

"And... why is it, you think, that you can cum with this other pony, and not your wife?"

"I don't know."

"Is it somepony that you are emotionally detached from? A professional?"

"What? No, she's not a whorse."

"So it is somepony that you care about? Somepony that you love?"

"Yes."

"Well, that does complicate things, now doesn't it?"

"So what do I do?" Shining asked.

"That is up to you. I'm not advocating infidelity, but it seems like you have two choices. If you know for certain that your problem is entirely physical, then its a simple matter of seeing a physician to treat the symptom. But if there is even a chance that there is an underlying psychological factor due to the partner... well... I wouldn't want you to go through, what could be, something as serious as surgery for nothing."

"Dick surgery!?"

"Well, that general region, yes, possibly. That may solve the symptom. But the larger problem is this extra-marital relationship of yours and the stress that the guilt is causing you. And let's not dance around it; the unfairness to your spouse."

"So if I break things off with... her, and come clean with my wife, that'll solve everything?" he asked.

"This isn't some simple problem in a waiting-room-magazine advice column. These sort of interpersonal issues are seldom so cut-and-dried. I can't hazard to know the princess's temperament on such a matter. It may be the case that such a naked truth may not be in your collective best interests. Despite what we were all raised to believe, honesty is not always the best policy. While she may deserve to know the truth, to tell her only to assuage your own guilt is a bit self-serving. If you can commit to putting this sordid chapter of your life behind you without burdening her with the knowledge of it, and be a better pony for her, that may be the best thing you can do in this case. As much as I hate to make exceptions, you are in an exceptional position. You have a responsibility not only to your spouse, but also your subjects."

His shoulders slumped as the world weighed a little heavier on them.

"In short, Mr. Armor, I don't want to be responsible for a royal divorce. Make whatever choice you will. But the choice is yours, and yours alone. But for the sake of your mental health, for the sake of your wife, and, not to exaggerate, but for the sake of Equestria, I would strongly recommend that you at least break things off with this other mare, in no uncertain terms, and never see her again."

Shining sat there and thought about his sister. Everything about everything felt wrong. Like his whole world was upside down and had been shaken into a pile of cluttered bits. Twilight was at the center of it all. She wasn't the cause of it. But there she was, entangled in the middle of the mess. There was no hope of even starting to clean things up with her there. But the idea of removing her completely pained him as fiercely as anything else possibly could.

"Never see her again?" he asked. She nodded. "That is not going to be easy."

"Because you love her?"

To the ends of Equestria.

At the very edge of Equestria, there grew an exquisite, magic flower. It was plucked at sunset as it dropped its petals by two ponies that hoped to brew it into an elixir for Blue Flu. But the flower was guarded by a giant tatzelwurm. It lashed out at the ponies with it's long mouth tentacles. The ponies had heard enough horror stories from the mares of Ponyville during the Plunder Vine invasion to know what was coming next.

By might and magic they beat back the tunneling beast into its hole, and buried it beneath boulders. It bought them enough time to make good their escape and with something to show for it. They carried their prize, the giant flower, back down the hill to the waiting draconequus, who seemed to have miraculously made a full recovery in their absence.

"You. Were. FAKING!?" Twilight yelled.

"I was," Discord admitted. "But I had a very good reason."

"We're listening."

"I said to myself, 'Discord, your friend Twilight says that she's your pal.' But how was I to know if I was still friends with one of the most important ponies around? By seeing if you would go to the ends of Equestria for me. Which you did, literally. Congratulations, Twilight, you passed my friendship test!" Twilight glared at him. "Why the angry eyes? you love passing tests. It's not because my little visit put a damper on you little visit with Princess Cadance, is it? Made it so that there was no time for you to focus on your friendship?"

"You didn't put a damper on our visit at all," Cadance said.

"He didn't!?" Twilight asked.

"Spending the day at the Starswirl exhibit would have been more relaxing. But to be honest, relaxation is the last thing I need. Don't get me wrong. Life in the crystal empire is... wonderful. But it's become a little... predictable. I enjoy a little excitement now and then. Getting to face all these challenges today is just what I needed. And getting to face them with you just reminded me how lucky I am to have you as a friend. We may not see each other very often, but I know you'll always be there for me when I need you. Just like she was there for you, Discord."

"Yeah, she's a real sweetheart. We're all so lucky to have her in our lives," Discord grumbled.

As they returned home, Cadance nudged Twilight.

"Just as an aside, when you're dealing with those like Discord, it's best not to let on that they are actually bothering you. They thrive on the anguish of those they seek to torment. If you react in the opposite way, it kills them inside. That's how you beat them, Twilight. You kill them with kindness."

"That's crazy," Twilight said. Cadance shrugged.

"So is Discord. Sometimes you have to fight crazy with crazy," Cadance said.

"Yeah, but I just wish it didn't have to involve so many ponies I care about. Oh! That reminds me! We need to cure Rarity and Applejack of his fake illness when we get back to Ponyville!"

Rarity pulled herself closer to the earth pony in her bed, pressing her nose into Applejack's mane. "I wish I could quit you, darling."

Twilight and Cadance proceeded onward in silence for a long while. It had been some time since the sun had set, and the stars were staring to come out. Questions were gnawing at Twilight's mind, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get the answers she wanted tonight. But she could settle for some tangential information.

"How's Shining?" she asked. Cadance didn't let her discomfort of question show.

"Twi, I don't want to fall into this cliche," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Two girls getting together to talk. And all we talk about are guys. First Starswirl, then Discord, and now Shining."

"Oh."

"..."

"..."

"He's fine, by the way. He just wasn't feeling well for this trip. Just a little under the weather, is all. It's been a little stressful for him getting the empire ready to host the Equestria Games in a few weeks. You'll be there for that, right?"

"Of course!"

"Well, you'll get a chance to see him then."

"I'm looking forward to it!"

Shining Armor was not looking forward to it.

The Equestria Games, he was looking forward to, sure. He was even looking forward seeing his sister. He'd be lying if he said otherwise. But what was to come next, he was not looking forward to, breaking things off with her, permanently.

He had been naive to think he could have it both ways, to be able to have the two mares in his life. But something was going to give sooner or later. Somepony was going to get hurt. It had been him being hurt long enough. He would not let it be Cadance, too. She didn't deserve that. And as much as he didn't want to hurt Twilight, she was hardly blameless in her role in all this. The time had come for him to make the choice. And really, it wasn't a choice at all.

Leave it to the poets and writers to wax philosophic about war. You'd never hear the soldiers pondering about what was right and wrong while they were in the trenches. There was only the here, and now, doing their duty as they were commanded.

And make no mistake, Shining Armor was at war. A battle between virtue and vice. He was at once the battlefield, himself, and a soldier in it. And as a soldier, he hadn't the luxury the ponder the meaning of it all. There was only his immediate duty to carry out. There was a quiet comfort in it, keeping his head down and focusing on the task at hoof, and not worrying about tomorrow. In war, or peace, tomorrow was a guarantee for nopony.

On the morrow, the Equestria Games would be coming to the Crystal Empire. And with them, the royal contingent from Canterlot. His wife would see to the delegations and formalities. It suited her. That was her arena. Shining Armor was in his arena, down on the field of the Crystal Empire Stadium. Down in the trenches, there was only the now.

It was quiet now. The stadium was empty. The was a strange sense of dissonance being in a place that was silent when it was normally loud and busy. It was eerily spooky, like a ghost town.

Shining Armor inspected everything, making sure that it was ready for the big day. It was an excellent excuse to not be in the palace. The athletes for the games would be arriving tomorrow, along with the Canterlot Royalty. But a certain somepony had arrived earlier evening, to spend the night. He knew he would need to face her, sooner or later. Even if he didn't confront her about things, he would still have to see her in a professional context, if only out of courteous protocol.

He walked across the field to the entrance for the athletes' shower rooms. He walked inside, standing where he did the last time he had been in there. It was the day he had been training the Crystal Empire team, when the Games Inspector had come to visit. But that wasn't what he was thinking about. The only thing on his mind was what he had done the last time he had been in there; his sister.

Visions flashed before his eyes of him and his sister having sex in the very place where he now stood. He wanted so much to be disgusted by the memory, to be ashamed of it. And while he did feel guilty regarding Cadance, he could not deny that he did find pleasure in the memory. It was a strange and terrible fate that he should be a stallion with everything, and thus suffer for it. A price for everything, he lamented. He knew he needed to end things.

He ran his hoof along the inspirational banner above the lockers. The message read, You can do it!

"I hope so," he said in the darkness.

"Shining?"

He turned to the voice in the doorway behind him. It was Twilight. He wanted to ask her what she was doing there. He wanted to ask her how she found him. He had so many questions. But he never got the chance to ask any of them. She rushed over to him and wrapped her hooves around him. She kissed him as they embraced. He had been so terrified of this meeting, but she met it with such ease. He felt like a coward.

"I missed you so much!" she said as she pressed her face into his mane, taking in his scent. She brought her lips back to his, kissing him again. A small voice of reason protested in the back of Shining's mind. But it was drowned out by the thunder of his heartbeat in his ears. He should have been stronger, but he melted into her kiss. He wanted this just as much as she did. He felt weak.

"I've been thinking about you every day since last time," she said in a breathy whisper. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again. A lot. Can you tell?" She turned on her hoof and flagged her tail at him. Even in the dim moonlight streaming through the window, he could see her marehood glistening with her wetness. "Please, Shiny, don't make me wait any longer!"

His hooves trembled with nervous excitement as he felt his erection quickly growing stiff. He had rehearsed the things he was going to say to her. He had said it over and over in his mind a hundred times before. But now here she was, and he was lost. His practiced speeches gave way to emotional rationalizations. He had gotten away with this so far, he could make it work a little longer. He licked his lips as her erred closer, getting ready to mount this mare he loved. He glanced just beyond her, at the banner above the lockers.

You can do it!

Shining grit his teeth in a flash of anger. He was angry with his situation, with her for tempting him, but mostly, with himself for letting her so easily. He hated himself for being a slave to his lust. But he was stronger than that. He knew he was strong, because Cadance told him so. And that was who he was doing this for, he reminded himself.

"Twi, I- we can't!" he said. Twilight quickly turned back to face him.

"No, it's okay! Nopony knows we're out here. We won't be bothered!"

"No, I mean we can't keep doing this! We can't keep doing this to Cadance!"

"Cadance doesn't have to know."

"You can't keep doing this to me, Twi! You can go back to Ponyville, but I have to see Cadance every day. I have to live with the guilt of this. And it's eating me alive! I can't- it's been making me sick!"

"Sick?"

"I've been having trouble with... with getting hard and cumming," he said. "It's from all the stress and anxiety. I'm worried sick about what would happen if we got caught. And I can't live with the guilt of doing this anymore! It hurts too much!"

"Shiny I- I'm sorry! I didn't know it was that bad." She looked under him. "Though you don't seem to be having any trouble getting hard right now."

"It's when I'm with Cadance."

"Is it because you love me more than her?"

"The fuck? Why would you even say something like that!? This isn't funny!"

"Nopony's laughing, Shining. It's a serious question."

"I- " Shining stammered, flustered with the way this conversation was going. He dug in his heels and stuck to his guns. This needed to be like ripping off a bandage. It was going to hurt like hell, but it was ultimately for the best. "No! I don't. Okay?"

The words struck Twilight like a physical slap across her face, the stinging burn they left felt just as real. She knew she should have expected that response as a possibility, but nothing could have ever really prepared her to actually hear those words from her brother's lips, in his voice. She couldn't keep the tears from leaving her eyes.

Fuck. She was crying. But what did he expect? There was no way she was going to take this well. Even so, her tears were like emotional blackmail.

Shining's every weakness, thine name be Twilight.

"I love you both the same," he said after a moment, buying back his remark. He was disappointed with himself for not following through with breaking it off with her as cleanly as possible. But the words left his mouth before he could think it through.

"Really?"

"Yes, I love you both the same. And if it were legal, and socially acceptable, I'd have married you instead. But I couldn't, and I married Cadance. But that doesn't make her some kind of consolation prize. I married her because I loved her, just as much as I loved you. And I still do. And this hurts just as much for me as it does for you, but we need to stop! We are stopped. We are over! It's over!" he said with finality. Twilight's eyes glistened again. He turned his back on her. "No! Don't you start crying again! I won't look at it! You're not a little filly anymore. You are a grown-ass mare. A princess! Act like an adult, for fuck's sake!"

"I'm sorry," Twilight sniffled, wiping away her tears. "You're right... and I understand. I shouldn't have expected this to be able to last. I guess I always worried that any time we did it might be our last time, but... I didn't think that our last time would be a hurried quickie in the shower at my coronation."

"Yeah, well... too bad."

"I guess I just wish our very last time ever could be special," she said. "We could go back to my suite..."

"No way! With the games starting tomorrow, there's already extra security. Not to mention the fact that you're a princess now. There's no way I'd be able to sneak into your room without somepony noticing something."

"I guess you're right. This will have to do then."

"What? Here, now, fucking in the locker room showers like the Wonderbolts?"

"At least I would know that it's our last time," she said. Shining scoffed, ready to reject her outright. He had already put his hoof down. There was no way he was going to let her undo his hard work by persuading him with pouting eyes. He already had enough problems with his dick without letting it think for him, too.

Twilight's scent hung heavy in the air of the enclosed space of the locker room. Shining's dick slapped insistently against his belly, just as hard as it has ever been. She was right about one thing, he certainly had no problem getting it up for her. Which begged the question...

Dr. Dink's words echoed in his mind, "I would suggest trying to replicate the situation where you last ejaculated. And if the problem persists, then we can rule it out as an issue."

"Okay. Fine," Shining said. "One last time."

Twilight's eyes lit up. It was still bittersweet. But she would take what sweet she could. Shining motioned with his hoof for her to turn around. She did so and flagged her tail again as she raised her rump to present to him. Shining mounted her. He didn't even need to use his magic to guide him. He slipped into her marehood with the practiced ease of familiar lovers. It didn't hurt that he was as hard as an iron spear, and she was already dripping with arousal.

She hadn't seduced him this time, her strong scent or not. He was doing this on his terms. He was doing this to find out if he even could; if he could cum with her or not. If he couldn't, it meant that there was a serious problem with his dick. If he could, then it meant that there was a serious problem with him. Neither outcome boded well.

But in that moment, it didn't matter one way or the other. In that moment of passion between him and his sister, all his problems seemed so far away. It was just them, together. For that bright, happy moment, he felt truly free for the burdens of his life tying him down from joy. It was bliss.

Beneath him, Twilight was enjoying it as much as she could. But her worries were instead magnified. She didn't want to trick him into continuing to be with her. And she didn't want to keep making him worried sick about them. She had meant what she said about always fearing that any one time might be their last. And he seemed pretty adamant that this would be it. But she had been prepared for this.

That was why she made a quick detour to the palace alchemy lab, to mix up a fertility potion for herself. They had somehow missed the mark every other time together, but this time she wasn't taking any chances. She needed only this one last time with him to finally have his foal. Just the thought of it-

"Ngh!" Twilight moaned as she came. Her already wet pussy gushed with fresh wetness out from around his plunging cock. His movement start to lose its pace, and his legs shivered. She could tell he was getting close too. His shaft swelled thicker inside her. She felt his flare stretching her depths. He went to pull back one last time. Fearing the worst, she backed up against him, pinning him to the lockers behind them. It forced him as deep into her as he could go, with his broad flare pressed against the entrance her fertile womb.

He grunted from being pinned so, but then from his climax. They both recognized the familiar sensation of him twitching and throbbing deep inside her, pumping his seed with each pulse.

Shining couldn't keep the goofy grin from his face, enjoying the sweet release of orgasm. Likewise, Twilight's grin was a mile wide, both in her own physical satisfaction, but also in the knowledge of a mission accomplished. Even so, Twilight held herself there against him, ensuring that as much of him stayed inside her for as long as possible, even as her muscles began to ache and cramp. It was to the point that Shining was starting to lose circulation to his legs.

"Twi, c'mon. Let me go."

"Okay," she relented. She took comfort in that she had done the best that she could. And that would have to be enough. Still, she was not looking forward to see all of her hard work go spilling out of her in white rivulets running down her lavender legs when he pulled out, as it always did.

That is, almost always.

Shining sighed as he looked at her pussy, with nary even a drop of white from it.

"Well, at least I'm not crazy," he said.

"Wait! What happened!? What does that mean!? "

"It means that there not a problem with my brain. There's a problem with my dick. And it's not you."

"But I felt-"

"Yeah. Me too. And yet..." he motioned to her (relatively) clean backside. "I can't cum. But at least I know that it's not dependent on you. And that's one less problem. And you need to do the same for me, and be one less problem for me." He turned to walk out of the locker room.

"Shining!"

"I love you, Twilight. Truly, I do. I hope to see you at the Games tomorrow. But as my sister. Or not at all." He left and closed the door behind him without another word.

Twilight didn't return to her suite right away. She waited in the locker room for a long time, alone in the dark. The conviction in his voice had her fairly certain that this really was it for them. This would be the last time for her. A brief rut in a locker room like a groupie whorse. And she couldn't even get him to cum for her. It was just salt in the wound.

In a flask, in a trunk, in a zebra's hut in the Everfree Forest, the level of white liquid had increased a little more.