The Heart of Pleasure
By Haunter Rayne
Ch 41 – Pride and Guilt

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!” Far from the raised walls of Canterlot a lone stallion walked through the night as he cackled endlessly into the darkness. “I can’t believe it! One week! Only one freaking week!” Rayne swiped a hoof up through his mane to push it back behind his ear. “It seems like I have been here for so much longer than that and I also can’t believe time as gone by so fast!”

To say that he was overjoyed would have been an insult to the excitement coursing through his veins. Walking along the grassy field he stopped by a nearby tree to dance around it like a giddy madman. “And everything is going just grand haha. I feel like singing but maybe I’ll just dance! Maybe I’LL JUST SHOUT! HA HA HA!” He yelled out as he saw a few birds scurry from a bush a few yards away.

Thinking to himself now he hummed a random lullaby of joy, “And to think, I hadn’t planned to be where I am now for another month! Finding Tirek? I knew that would be easy. I already knew where he was. But I was going to lay some more foundations for myself in the town first before going to hunt him down. And mmmm he tasted just like lamb, it was marvelous.” He thought cheerfully as he ran his tongue over his teeth, remembering and savoring the memory.

But then skipping a nearby stone through the grass he laughed out, “But Sombra?! HA! I had thought I’d have to hunt things in the wild to gather power for MONTHS before traveling to the Crystal Empire and searching the frozen wastes for his horn. Man did things suddenly work out for my benefit and just in the nick of time! Now, neither of them will ever be able to threaten Equestria again! Not them, not the Storm- eh, his name isn't even important enough to be remembered, ha ha! Now that I have all of their powers I will singlehandedly hunt down and slaughter any who dares to threaten this land again! From the Crystal Empire to the Dragon Lands… I will make sure that Equestria never suffers another villain.”

Coming across the river that ran down from Canterlot Rayne stopped to look down at his own reflection. “Or at least that’s the plan. But I am getting ahead of myself. I still have some missing pieces from this equation. Sombra’s magic was just for my personal flare. Also, having the power of the Storm King’s grenades as well as this healing magic are just bonuses... even if I can’t properly control that last one. But now that I have Tirek’s magic there are two other powers left for me to combine it with. Although, even with Sombra’s power boost I still don’t trust that I am strong enough yet to chance the next step.”

Leaning down into the reflective surface Rayne drank deeply not having realized just how thirsty he was. “Mmmm, finding it won’t be hard. Maud already knows where it is. And she is mine, all mine. I’m sure she won’t hesitate to help me seeing as we are together.” Rayne looked at the edge of the Everfree Forest as he came upon its north end on the way down to Ponyville. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll pillage your dark depths soon enough.” He thought toward the treeline.

Continuing on, his thoughts raced from one thing to the next. “I’m actually looking forward to seeing Maud again. I wasn’t lying to her when I said she was getting under my skin. She’s beautiful, smart, capable… And she isn’t my only attachment now that I think about it. I suppose I’m going steady with her, Applejack, and Starlight now. Applejack had been a happy accident but I suppose I can understand how a country mare would only want to sleep with someone if they were getting a relationship out of it. Not that I mind. I could do a lot worse than to have a mare like AJ feeling committed to me. I’m sure that Zecora probably feels the same way." But now there was a pause from the stallion as his hooves ceased their walking toward town. "Errg, damn! Wait, who should I check on first though? Maud or Zecora?”

Now Rayne stood as if his hooves were frozen in place. Looking around he saw that the grassy fields were becoming scarce and the earth below his hooves was becoming more rocky. Ponyville was not quite in view yet but he figured he was about half way between Zecora’s Hut and Maud’s cave. “I really do want to go see Maud. Her touch and her scent would definitely be welcomed right now. But...”

Thinking back to how he had left Zecora, his thoughts were reminded to the state in which he had also left Applejack in. “Urgg! These proud stubborn mares! None of them asking for help when they need it!" Worry and guilt filled his heart as a dark fear crept into his mind. He sighed before turning away from his destination and then charged off heading straight into the woods. “I swear, she had better not have pulled that same crap on me twice!”

- About an Hour Later -

All was quiet when Rayne’s dark hooves had brought him to the small wooden cottage. Not a single thing had accosted him during his travels and now he looked ahead noticing that there were no lights coming from within the zebra’s hearth. “Hmm, it’s late so she is probably asleep… but something seems wrong.” Rayne whispered to himself. As he got closer he saw that there was something posted upon the door. After walking up he saw not one but two notes stuck with berry to hold it in place.

“Dear Zecora, I stopped by your hut for my usual lesson with you but you didn’t answer. I figured you had gone out somewhere but after waiting around for awhile I never saw you come back. I just was wanting to say that I hope all is well with you. Yours truly, Applebloom.” Then Rayne turned toward the second note and read, “Hello Zecora, it’s Applebloom again. I know that today isn’t when I’m supposed to visit but as your friend I just wanted to check on how you are doing. But today you didn’t answer your door either. Did you leave town on a trip? I wouldn’t ask you to travel all the way out on the farm, but would you do me a favor and let somepony in town know when you get back? Thanks.”

Rayne scowled at this and looked back to the ground outside seeing many little hoof prints as if a filly had paced back and forth several times. Sighing in annoyance, the growl that rolled from his lips was so fierce that he almost transformed into a panther just from pure frustration. "This doesn't bode well.” He said and then prodded Zecora’s door with a hoof finding it to be locked. “Hmph.” With a flash of his horn Rayne dispersed into shadow and wafted his way right passed the wooden doorframe. Now standing in the dark of her home, Rayne shined a light to look around inside.

Nothing seemed amiss. It didn’t appear as if there were a break in or that she had been robbed. Rayne carefully stepped through the hut making sure to not knock anything over. He first checked her bed but found it to be empty. Although after listening carefully it still sounded as if he could hear breathing coming from within. Scowling again he looked around as he tried to determine the source of the sound. But then his heart became discouraged as he finally found her laying asleep on the ground.

There in the same spot he had left her, on that makeshift fern bedding, lay the sleeping zebra curled up with a blanket over her. Immediately Rayne could see several left over bowls lying upon the ground from where she had been feeding herself but had not bothering with cleaning her dishes. “For everything that I know about Zecora, and the craziness of her assorted nicknacks… leaving things out of place would never fall under her character description.

Gently knocking the dirty bowls away from the mare, Rayne leaned forward and looked her over. She was breathing peacefully in her sleep and from the look on her face she did not seem sick. “Her temperature is normal and there doesn’t appear to be anything else wrong with her so why in the hell is she still laying here where… wait a minute.” Looking around Rayne suddenly shifted into his panther form and then he rolled his eyes as his senses were immediately assaulted by the scent of blood.

“Ugh, don’t tell me...” Being gentle to not wake her Rayne leaned down and lifted the back end of her blanket. Parting her thighs with his careful paws Rayne found a myriad of bruising and blood stains in her fur. “What?! But I’ve been gone for days! Oh you stupid mare. Why didn’t you tell me or go to the hospital if I had hurt you so badly?!” Rayne growled. But then his temper fled with a sigh as he whispered to her, “No, this was my fault. I don’t care if you asked for it. I did this… Alright well there’s only one thing to do now. Let’s go you...”

Zecora only mumbled a bit but did not wake as her unconscious body was hoisted up onto Rayne’s back. He looked around before leaving, not really knowing if she would have liked anything of hers brought with them. He did have the forethought to magically pull the notes off her front door and levitate them inside through her window. But then in a flash both he and Zecora disappeared as he teleported them away.

- Elsewhere that Same Night -

Water trickled down the underground stream as a lone mare breathed softly to herself. The walls glimmered with jewels as they radiated the bioluminescence of the cave. Sitting alone, Maud squatted to knee depth within the shallow bathing pool of her home. "Rayne... please come home..." She gasped as one of her hooves moved furiously through the water.

Closing her eyes she tilted her head back feeling the cool stream splash against her burning loins. The mare gasped as she rubbed herself, thrusting her hips at nothing and wishing her boyfriend were there to satisfy her needs. "Uuhhhh... please..." She gasped enjoying an intimate moment in the privacy of her home. Delicately turning the edge of her hoof in circles upon her clit she groaned as her desire trickled down mixing with the water just below between her spread thighs.

That was when she heard something coming from the entrance to her cave. Having worked around stone and echoes for most of her life she was acutely aware of the noises they could make. A small smile spread across Maud's lips as she clearly heard hoofsteps coming down the tunnel. Blushing a bit she decided to greet her lover with a passionate display. She thought about the possibility that it could be someone other than Rayne. It could be her sister or Starlight visiting as far as she was aware. But seeing the time on Rayne's clock, she knew they wouldn't impose on her at such a late hour.

Maud laid back onto the ground spreading her thighs open as wide apart as she could. She closed her eyes allowing her tail to drift off in the water and continued to rub herself knowing that she would be in full display to anyone walking down the step way from behind her. "Oohhh..." She moaned again, not being shy about her volume. She surprised herself feeling her insides clench excitedly at the thought of being looked at. She didn't want anyone but Rayne to see her like this but the idea still managed to make the situation all the more thrilling. "Rayne... I need you to come home..." She whimpered, hearing a set of hoofsteps stop just above her head. Her thighs clenched and hips jerked around her hoof as she squealed, bringing herself to a shuddering orgasm right in front of the unannounced individual behind her.

That is when she felt herself being touched. Two arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. Then a pair of lips tenderly assaulted her own without permission. She gasped as the stranger kissing her slid a hoof down between her legs and touched her sex, feeling how it burned and dripped with desire. "Hello my dear. I'm back with you now." She heard a familiar stallion's voice say and she instantly melted into his embrace. "I am so sorry for leaving you alone for so long. I've really missed you."

"I've missed you too Rayne." She told him, raising her other hoof to hold his face as she kissed him.

"So what's going on here? Is this for me? My welcome home present?" He teased and then smiled all the more when she nodded. Rayne reached down to lift Maud, setting her down just a few feet up from the waters edge. "Heh, you're a mess down here. How long have you been playing with yourself like this?" He wasn't really expecting an answer. He was just meaning to comment on how arousing she looked to his hungry eyes.

"About three days." She told him in her usual monotone voice. He looked up at her in surprise, honestly being unable to tell if she was serious or joking.

"Well I can feel how hot you are down here. It seems like you really need some relief." He stated and she did not hesitate to nod to him. Rayne didn't know if mares in Equestria went through a heat cycle like ponies from his world did but his gray coated girlfriend definitely appeared as if she were going through one now. Leaning forward Rayne moaned in delight as he ran his tongue down in between her folds. She gasped as his tongue felt like a fiery rod burning her everywhere that it touched.

Rayne looked up in surprise as she gave a very uncharacteristic whine for her. "No! Not that!" It sounded pleading and emotional. As soon as he glanced her way he saw her gaze already staring down upon him. "I am already as turned on as I can be. Please don't tease me. I need you and I need it right now."

"Well, damn. Then let me not disappoint." Rayne didn't know what else to say. He hadn't expected this to be what he found when he returned to her. He had hoped that sex would somehow be involved with her welcoming him home. Now as he climbed atop her he was finding out just how correct he would be. Having become erect from the moment he saw her laying alone and playing with herself, Rayne had no trouble in quickly giving Maud the penetration she was craving.

"Oohhh, yesssss! Please Rayne!" Gripping him tightly with her hooves she suddenly gave him a serious expression. "I want you to fuck me like Discord hadn't prevented you from getting mares pregnant."

His eyes just searched hers for a moment for any signs of hesitation. When he found none, he furiously pressed his lips upon hers, kissing her roughly as he used his hips to drive her spine back into the dirt below. "Rrrrrah! RRRrrraaaaHHH!" He grunted almost angrily, allowing the erotic wildness that his girlfriend was showing to overtake him. "I'm going to pound you Maud!" He shouted down to her in lust.

"Yes!" She screamed next to his ear as she ran her hooves across his back.

"I'm going to ram myself into you! And I'm going to fill you up inside! I'm not going to pull out, I'm going to give you every drop inside of you!" He growled into her ear. Not wanting to leave a third mare bruised from his passion he was careful to not over do it with her but still managed to give the harsh pounding that her body was craving.

"Yes! YES!" She screamed, not sounding like her usual reserved self at all. Her whole body burned as Rayne held her in his grasp and he could tell she had really been needing this. He was happy to oblige. Being able to once more hold her and take in the scent of her fur fueled Rayne with a euphoria to grunt in time with her from every thrust.

But Maud just held onto him, screaming and encouraging him to continue more and more. After another fifteen minutes of furious grunting and twisting Rayne held Maud as she was spammed beneath him. His balls clenched and soaked her insides with warmth until her belly felt like it was heavy from the amount of seed erupting her. She screamed and kicked feeling it spew out around her boyfriend's length as she was overfilled from the release that flooded from him.

The two didn't move for some time after that. Neither one wanting to let go or to stop from kissing the other after being apart for so long. Eventually though, after stroking his hoof across her face for the dozenth time, Rayne pulled back to speak to her softly. "I have really missed you. How did I get a mare so beautiful to fall for a mess like me?"

Rayne was pleasantly surprised as Maud actually laughed while he held her in his arms. "Well you know how to do that... for one. And two, you treat me like no pony has ever treated me before." Rayne adored the look in her eyes that she gave him. It made him feel sorry that he had to break the moment up, knowing he had already taken longer than he should have.

"Maud, as much as I would love for this moment to go on forever I need to ask if we can get up? Unfortunately, I have a friend... who is hurt. And I felt compelled to bring them here instead of taking them to the hospital."

Rayne was instantly sorry he hadn't choosen his words more carefully. Never before had he seen Maud look like she was angry at him but now he found out what that looked like as her eyes stretched wide and she reached down trying to remove him from where he was still penetrated inside her. "What?! Rayne, no!" She shouted almost fearfully whilst trying to close her legs and cover herself with her hooves. "Tell me you didn't just let somepony watch us while you made love to me! Tell me you wouldn't do that!"

Rayne literally felt his heart clench at the sight of having upset this mare that he adored. "No, no. Maud, it isn't like that." She looked to him unsure for a moment but she had at the very least stopped yelling. Or what had passed for yelling in her monotone style. "Maud, do you trust me?" Rayne asked while not having let go of her even when she had just tried to pull away from him.

Her response came faster than he had expected. "Rayne, technically I have only known you for a few days and in that time I have happily done things with you that I never would have seen myself doing without you. So as long as you don't give me a reason not to... I will be by your side forever." Rayne nodded and the two of them washed themselves clean in the water before heading back up to her living area.

A few minutes later Maud sat in carpeted area and watched as Rayne returned from just out of sight down the tunnel. From over his shoulder he carried a mare but she was surprised to see that it wasn't a pony at all. "Wait, is that Zecora?" She asked and Rayne nodded as Maud suddenly rushed over to help. "What happened to her?"

"Um...I did." Rayne admitted guilty as they gently lay her down upon a cushioned floor seat. Over the next several minutes Rayne explained his relationship with Zecora, that she was one of the other mares he had been sleeping with, and how she had requested for him to be sexually rough with her just before he left with the others to the Crystal Empire. He did exclude the part about him being able to transform though.

Throughout all of this Maud just sat there and patiently listened. Once he had finished she just blinked and then rose to her hooves. Rayne watched as she curiously stepped over to the sleeping zebra and inspected between her legs as best she could without actually touching her. Then after looking back up, all she seemed to say on the matter was, "Wow. I'm a little bit jelous." And then she sat back down beside him.

"Wait, that's it?" Rayne asked.

"Yes, that's it." She told him before leaning her head down over his shoulder. "She is welcome to stay here for as long as you'd like. I'm sorry that I yelled at you before. Thank you for explaining things to me."

"Oh, well sure. Actually, I was worried that you might be more upset about me bringing another mare here." Rayne didn't want to push his luck but he cared enough about Maud to want to know more about how she felt.

Giving a soft sigh just feeling happy to be breathing in Rayne's scent again she said, "No. You explained what happened and you told the truth. And you didn't do anything outside of what we agreed upon." Lifting her head from him she looked into his eyes and softly asked, "Did you bring her here to tell me that you don't want to see me anymore?" Rayne shook his head. "Then it's fine. I've never had much interaction with Zecora before. Maybe this will help make us closer friends."

"That would be nice. I'll admit, while I know you enjoy your privacy I do get worried about you getting lonely down here at times."

Now Maud blushed a bit. "You worry about me Rayne?"

"Of course I do! You're very special to me Maud." He told her before romantically resting his snout against hers.

She returned the gesture and then placed a hoof over his. "I worry about you too Rayne. I just want you to find your happiness. You told me who it is that you are really in love with and I understand why you can't just go out and find them. So until you do I just want to be able to be with you for as long as I can. And because I worry about you, I won't let any mare stand in the way of what you truly want. I'll look out for you if you need it. Okay Rayne?"

He was genuinely surprised by her forwardness but he smiled and hugged her tightly. "Thank you Maud. I appreciate that. But speaking of looking out for me, that brings me to the other reason why I brought Zecora here. I need a favor from you but I don't expect it's one that you'll say no to." She raised her ears curiously but waited for him to explain. "Given the nature of Zecora's injury I didn't want to embarrass her by taking her to the hospital."

"That makes sense." Maud nodded.

"So instead, I brought her here so that I could be the one to heal her... with magic."

Now the expression on the gray mare's face was one of solid surprise. "Can you do that?"

Rayne nodded. "I promise to explain more once Zecora wakes up... but for now I just want to explain that it's something that I haven't told anypony I can do. It isn't a power that I use lightly."

Maud seemed contemplative for a moment before saying, "Because then everypony would be flocking to you for help."

But Rayne shook his head. "It isn't just that. I have the power... but I don't understand the magic. I can't control it right. It makes me sick and I black out whenever I use it for anything bigger than a simple scratch. I didn't want to help Zecora in this way until I was somewhere safe... with somepony I trusted to look out for me."

Maud gave him an unsure look as she asked, "And... I am somepony like that to you?"

Rayne smiled and then kissed her, whispering just over her lips. "There is no other pony in all of Equestria that I trust more than I do you Maud." He felt her cheeks grow warm and she kissed him back. Then she nodded and watched as Rayne scooted over to kneel beside Zecora. "If she wakes up before I do, tell her I asked her to stay. I would like to talk with the both of you."

After nodding again Maud stood up and walked over beside him. She watched in amazement as his horn glowed and Zecora seemed to slowly heal right before her eyes. "That really is extraordinary Rayne. ...Rayne? Rayne?!" She asked but when he didn't answer she panicked seeing him smile at her before he collapsed as his head hit the dirt.

Author's Notes:

Well what can I say? This was a chapter of highs and lows. Rayne started of in jubilation when the chapter began. But it ended with the guilt in his heart leading him to be self sacrificing for one he cares about.

So you've gotten some teases about Rayne's master plan in the last couple chapters. He's contemplated about the progress he's made. Apparently Sombra wasn't even one of the more important elements to his goal. But for all the frustration of having to read over forty chapters with this mystery remaining unsolved, let me reassure you that the answer is finally coming... Stay tuned in for Chapter 42 - The Big Reveal to me posted on Monday!