A week later, you stood outside the door to one of the inner chambers of the Canterlot palace, normally reserved for private gatherings. The lack of guards in the hallway unnerved you. Usually there would be a few guards on patrol tonight, but… nothing. The silence only served to further your unease until it was broken by the sound of the door opening as you entered.

You entered into a dimly lit room with cushions surrounding a low table in the center. Awash in pink, the room’s stained glass windows portrayed a horizon at dusk, where the trees and grass hugged against the great sun as it gave way to night. You took the time to admire the the work as you found your seat, and you were soon drumming your fingers on the table as you awaited your guests.

Aqua had been tight-lipped on your surprise. No amount of begging or persuading budged her from secrecy, not even the romantic gestures and nice little gifts you got for her in the days leading up to your meeting. When the day arrived, you showered, put on your freshly-pressed uniform, and after a kiss on the cheek from Aqua, now you were here… in a random meeting room, one of many in the castle.

You ended up stretching yourself over the empty tabletop as you groaned in boredom, reaching your arms over with a restrained grunt as you attempted to wrap your fingers around the opposite end of the table. Success was near, but your arms snapped back to your sides when you heard the sounds of hoofsteps nearing the door. In a heartbeat, you checked yourself over for anything out of place and folded your arms neatly across the table.

The door opened to reveal a pair of shining guards—literally so, as they seemed to glimmer with a magic you weren’t familiar with. They parted as they entered, bowing their heads as a pink alicorn stepped in, who immediately locked eyes with you and flashed a smile. The butterflies in your stomach danced in your gut as Princess Cadance, the Princess of Love, sat down across from you. She looked to her guards and nodded, and the two left, closing the door behind them.

“Hello, ‘chief’,” she began, giggling at your pet name in your unit. “I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can just call me Cadance. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The… honor is all mine… Cadance,” you said, almost saying ‘pleasure’ before you caught yourself. The word, in your activities, had a different connotation, and one that you assumed that Cadance knew all too well. Her warm countenance never faded, and her smile left you perturbed. You returned with a feeble smile of your own, more a stretching of your facial skin than a genuine expression.

“So, I’m sure you were informed of this meeting last week, is that correct?” she asked.

What courage you conjured only faltered as you ended up staring at the dreamy colors of her mane as you replied, “Yes… that’s correct.” You gulped away the uncomfortable sensation in your throat, and your mouth felt dry. “With all due respect, Your Highness, I… understand what you’re trying to do here, but I’m not sure that your husband would approve of this.”

“Huh?” Cadance’s smile disappeared, and she tilted her head in concern. “What do you mean? I’m not—oh. Oh!” Now it was her turn to look away, a small blush forming on her cheeks as she laughed. Not an awkward one, but one made in realization of a simple revelation. “Oh, you think the whole purpose of this meeting is to… well, quell my desires, right?”

“I… yeah. You mean it isn’t?”

“Of course not!” She paused, holding up a hoof as she struggled to cease her laughing. “Oh, I’m flattered that you’d think that way, this meeting is for a discussion, not for… that sort of business. Today’s business does relate to the act of intimate love, however, and I assure you, as the Princess of Love, I have been feeling quite a bit of love originating from your barracks in particular, chief.”

“You can, uh… you can sense that?”

“Uh, yeah—Princess of Love? Everything to do with love is in my domain, and from what my husband tells me, you’ve been involved in this affair for quite a while now, haven’t you?” She lowered her head and flashed you a mischievous grin. “Not that it’s a secret in the Guard, of course. I hear the other units are just dying for a piece of you.”

“Uh, yeah… no dying, please, thank you very much.”

“You joker, you,” she said. “Now, the only reason why this meeting hasn’t actually started yet, is because we’re still waiting on another guest. It’s a bit strange of her to be running late. She’s always been punctual to meetings.”

“And would this guest be the intended target for my act of recreational procreation?”

“No,” came the reply. “There will be no sex whatsoever during this meeting.” Her lips curled into that strange scrunch-pout expression that ponies were so fond of, and she snickered. “I never thought I would say something like that.”

“Well, I’m sure you never thought you’d meet an alien, either. Never mind the fact that the method that brought me here nearly killed me, but you get the point.” With the mood less imposing, you found yourself finally able to look at her in the eyes. Tales of her beauty when the mares spoke of her were the truth when it came to her. “You’re quite attractive for a mare,” you said.

“Thank you,” she said, bowing her head in gratitude. “And you’re not bad yourself, for a human. Were I unwed, I would take you in a ladylike fashion. But, of course, we’ve both already found our special someponies. Aside from your marefriend, the mares in your barracks hold you in high regard.”

You raised a brow at her. “I certainly hope that they mean that I’m a fantastic model of professionalism and not an incredible estrus-relieving lover who doesn’t have qualms about going at it all night compared to the average stallion.” You blinked, and then added, “Although that last part might be partly my fault. But those ladies can be relentless when they want something, and whenever we’re together, it just happens to be me. Not that I’m complaining, of course.”

“I understand. But it is important to cultivate a relationship beyond physical interaction, no matter how intimate it might be.” The doors opened with a clack again, and the newest arrival strode in and took her seat without a word. “Ah, Princess Luna. Thank you for joining us. Shall we begin?”

“Yes,” Luna replied. She regarded you with a cool eye, looking about your features with a blank expression as she sat down. “Hmm. While I understand that the mares may find your features appealing, I must admit that I do not share the same opinion.”

“Please, Princess,” Cadance said. “If the problems that you’re having are as bad as you say, then I’m sure that he’s the best choice we have. His performance with the mares in his barracks has been beyond exceptional, and with absolutely no repercussions. With him, the Night Guard may finally have the relief that they’ve been looking for.”

“The Night Guard?” you asked. Luna’s ears twitched in thought, and you turned to Cadance for an answer. “You mean Princess Luna’s Night Guard?” You knew little of them, despite it being, much like Luna herself to Celestia, the sister organization to the standard Royal Guard. Aqua or the other mares rarely mentioned them, if at all.

Cadance nodded. “Yes. The Night Guard are exclusively batponies, but beyond their appearance, are very much like pegasi. The problem is due to the Night Guard’s secrecy: Princess Luna has been reluctant to bring in external aid to help them deal with their estrus problems. We’ve used medicine, magic, even stallions, but they were all ineffective solutions at best. We think you might be the answer to that problem.”

“Not to mention the side effects that have arisen following the other solutions,” Luna said. “Malaise and other bodily issues, a returning lust that appears only mere minutes after coitus, and the inability of stallions that we’ve requested to deal with the problems. Our biological imperative to reproduce is simply too stubborn to curb, so we must appease the mares’ needs in the basest sense, and that is what you excel at.”

You blinked and then looked between them with a dry expression and a curled lip, eventually settling on Cadance. “Now it’s my turn to be in wonder at something I never thought I would say: that I am being called upon to serve society due to my ability to please the opposite sex. I’ll have you know that this could be construed as a bragging right amongst men, where I come from.”

“Then it is good to hear that there is no hesitation on your part,” Luna replied. She motioned with a hoof to a door on the far side of the room, one that hadn’t been there before. You chalked it up to magic. “Go forth and fulfill your duty. Within, you shall find the Captain of my Night Guard, Eclipse.”

Princess Luna left through the door you entered through, leaving you alone with Cadance. Figuring it was better to resolve this sooner rather than later, you stood up and made for the door, only hearing her encouraging words as you entered.

“Good luck, chief. I know you’re just the man to make her scream.”

The laugh you managed to catch in your throat, but you couldn’t stop smiling as you felt heat rising to your cheeks—as the Princess of Love, it wasn’t beyond her station to say something like that, but damn if it didn’t sound absolutely cheesy. As you reached the door, you looked over your shoulder to find she had left the room, catching the ends of her swirly tail as the door closed behind her.

Calming yourself, you placed a hand on the door handle. The butterflies inside you were kicking at your innards now, and you wished Aqua was here to lend you aid, if not to hear her calming voice. You steadied yourself and stepped through, only realizing too late that you’d strolled straight into a wall of blinding white light.

“I, uh… huh?” You looked behind to find the portal you entered through already closing, and you sighed in relief when you realized that you weren’t in mortal danger. You turned your attention to where you stood now, realizing that it was a bedroom.

The space was extravagant, the sort you always remembered seeing in those high-class vacation ads with pristine bungalows and luxurious hideaways in the mountains. The first thing you saw was the window: it had a spanning view of Canterlot castle, and from what you saw, the evidence indicated that you were within Princess Luna’s tower, where her Night Guard dwelled with her.

“Hey, handsome, over here,” you heard a husky voice call to you.

You turned away from the window and caught the sight of the rest of the room: lots of ornate furniture gilded with a steel as bright as the moon itself, walls painted in the deep night blue that Luna was so fond of… and a large bed in the middle of it all, where a pony laid, watching you with hungry golden eyes. Her deep purple mane and tail were adorned with streaks of lavender, and her coat was near black. If you didn’t know better—and if she had a horn—you might have mistaken her for Nightmare Moon, based upon Aqua’s description.

“And you must be Eclipse.”

“Mmm, dropping the formalities already?” she said, giggling as she bared you her fangs. Your nervous smile dropped when she smiled at you, dragging her tongue over them. “Well, ‘chief’, I already know all about you. Princess Luna said that you might be the solution to all of the problems we’ve been having… and I’m here to be the judge of that.”

Before you could voice your response, she was already off the bed, hovering in the air as she circled you. A low whistle played with your ears as she floated behind you, giving a lingering glance on your buttocks. “Hmm, not bad, not bad…” she said. “You’re no stallion… but I hear you’re better than one.”

“Yeah, I—” you began, until she was again before you and brought herself up to meet you at eye level. Her eyes were different compared to the regular pony, with thin slits for irises, her ears were fluffier and more pronounced, and her appearance was complete with the signature bat wings. You hoped that her fangs didn’t imply a diet that involved a particular kind of sustenance.

“Hmm…” she hummed to herself, wrapping her arms around you and taking in a deep breath of your scent. “Oh, that’s nice… you smell very nice. Kind of like honey.”

“...I get that a lot.” And it was true—the ponies found your scent pleasing, though you never spent any extra effort beyond being hygienic with your showers, some of which were taken with Aqua. “And you smell nice, too. Like flowers.”

“I was told I would be in the presence of somepony…” Her hoof circled around on your chest, and she looked to you with a mischievous smile. “...able-bodied, so I decided I should make myself presentable.” You gasped as her hoof rubbed against your crotch, smiling with glee when she stroked your bulge. “Oh, yes… very able-bodied.”

“I hope I don’t disappoint,” you said. Unbeknownst to her, you reached behind her and glided your fingers down the arch of her back, massaging the joints right where her wings joined to her body. She shivered, and dragged you by the cloth of your sleeve as she guided the two of you to the bed, tail swishing with anticipation. You blushed as you caught the sight of her pussy, and as you looked up, she gazed knowingly at you.

Your other hand was already at work unbuckling your belt, a deft routine you’d become familiar with when you were pounced upon in your return to the barracks; the other hand was normally already servicing a mare. By the time you reached the bed, your pants were already dropped, and you fumbled to pull your shoes and socks off as Eclipse landed gently on the bed.

“Oh… my…” Eclipse remained slack-jawed as she took in the sight of your dick. She crouched down low, raising her rear into the air as her tail flipped over, revealing her pussy in all of its glory, dripping with juices as her tail swished with impatience. “I’m all yours, chief. Show me what you can do with that—ah!”

You plunged yourself straight into her before she could finish, thrusting away as her surprise devolved into pleasure. Her hooves pushed deep into the blanket she sat atop of, and her moans fanned the flames of your lust. Hot to the touch, her coat melded to the grip of your hands, and you felt the horniest you’d been in a long time, though you were unsure whether magic was the cause of it.

“Oh - no - you - don’t,” Eclipse managed between gasps. With a hard flap of her wings, she lifted her rear up in the air as your dick exited her pussy with a slick squelch, and you got a faceful of her wonderful marehood as her legs locked around your neck. A twist and a grunt later, you were sprawled on the bed with her, and she wasted no time straddling you as her hooves went to work pulling off your coat at record speed as you unbuttoned it.

“Quite the forward one, aren’t you?” you said with a laugh. She sensually bit her lip as your coat came undone, and she wasted no time in pulling the rest of your clothes off.

“Only when I’m in the mood for a good rutting,” she purred in your ear, glued to your body as she inhaled another deep breath of your scent. You attempted to sit upright, only for a forceful hoof to knock you back down. “Oh, no, you don’t. When Princess Luna told me I’d get to have my own plaything for today, I didn’t realize it would be from somepony so willing, and by her name, I will not let this chance go to waste.”

Her assertiveness was intoxicating—never before had a mare been so taken with being the dominant one, and you found yourself willing to play along to her games. “I’m a plaything now, am I?” you whispered, blowing into her ear and closing in for a quick nibble when she moaned.

You sharply gasped as you felt a sharp prick on your shoulder, looking down to see Eclipse with half-lidded eyes grazing the tips of her fangs against your skin. She withdrew, pausing only to give a lick to the skin now tingly to your touch, and ascended up the length of your neck with kisses. “You’re my plaything, little pet. Now be a good boy, and fuck me hard.”

Her tail brushed against your leg, and she slid herself down on you while letting out a scream that pierced your skull. While the window wasn’t open, you hoped the room was soundproofed—Eclipse was already turning out to be quite the howler. “Oh, sweet Celestia, yes!” she said through gritted teeth. “Sweet, sweet satisfaction, after so long! You ready for this, chief? I am going to enjoy every moment of this, and every moment hereon if you pass my little test.”

You slapped her on the butt, reveling in the bounce of the cheeks as she began to work her thighs. “I can go through dozens of mares when they’re in heat, Eclipse. One cute batpony won’t be enough to break me.”

“I’m half-tempted to ask Princess Luna to keep you all to myself—and my girls,” she growled, biting her lip and stifling another moan as you laid back with arms behind your head. “Pull your weight, you stud—” With both hooves, she took you by the hands and put them to her face, letting them hold her head in their embrace until she trailed them slowly down the length of her body. “—and ravage me like the beast you are.”

She ended with your hands on her flanks, and you obliged by raising her with the gentlest of touches, only to drive her down with a force to elicit a sweet surprised squeak from her. You pumped into her with abandon, reveling in the sensation you had become familiar with, and the knowledge of bringing yet another mare into your fold. Mares of all pony types were pining for you, and you were always glad to oblige them.

Through the pants and slickening of your bodies with sweat, the most you could do with Eclipse was to simply pump in and out of her, so reluctant was she to switch to any other position. In fact, when you tried to, the only response you received from her was her wrangling you back into your position underneath her. She certainly was a mare who enjoyed being the top during sex.

“Mmm…. I’m… I’m coming!” she said, and you grunted your acknowledgement as you drew near. Sharing your release, you screamed into each other’s shoulders as you pumped her full of your seed, and both of you collapsed onto the bed with heaving breaths.

Every mare’s first time with you always ended up short and rough, and Eclipse was no different. Regardless of whether they were in heat, many mares were always ecstatic to be offered a willing sexual partner who had no qualms about further trysts—so the jitters were expelled first, and the intimacy came afterwards… normally with the aid of enhancers to keep up with their libido.

As it turned out, the enhancer for your later bout of fun with the rest of the Night Guard turned out to be a potion. Eclipse hung the dark blue bottle in front of your eyes, waggling it before she tossed it into your sticky lap. “Phew. You’ll need that for tomorrow night. You know, you’re a lot better than half the stallions I’ve been with, and I’ve been with a quite a bit.”

“A lot of mares tell me that,” you said, picking up the bottle and staring at your distorted reflection off of its curved polished surface. If it was anything like any of the past potions you’d had, it would taste like crap, but go down easy, with the effects kicking in shortly afterwards. You laughed at the thought of people paying out their noses for something like this back home, until a serious cough began to wrack your body.

“You… uh, you okay?” she asked as you sat upright, with you coughing as you pulled in air to your lungs. She scooted over, patting you on the back to help and leaned forward, eyeing your face to check for any visible conditions. “Was our… uh, sex a little too much? Should I call for help?”

“It’s…” You finished the terrible round with a dry hack, swallowing hard. Eclipse hopped off of the bed, trotting to a table on the other side of the nightstand and poured water from a silver pitcher into a cup just as resplendent. “It’s fine,” you said, snatching the cup from her hooves in the blink of an eye as she returned and downing it faster than you did the berry juice they had at the mess hall.

“You sure don’t… seem fine.”

“I’m fine.” Your reply was brusque. Eclipse shrunk away at your words, busying herself with inspection of the bottle as you stilled your nerves and breathing. “I’m… not sure what happened. I guess I’m just tired, always doing… well, heh, you know what I’m normally doing. I’m not sure how well the other mares would take to me coming down sick. They really like the time they spend with me.”

She sighed. “You’re the stallion every mare dreams of, chief. Except you’re not a stallion, but you’re something… way better, now that I’ve been with you. Congratulations, you’ve passed my test.” You shared a soft kiss with her before she darted for the door, swishing her tail aside and letting you catch the sight of cum dripping from her pussy. “Now, if you don’t mind, I think I need to take a shower.”

“We could take it together, if you want.”

“I’m sure we could, but that’s the extent of my intimacy for today. We’ll have plenty of time for that later,” she said, walking out the door backwards as she pointed to another door to your left. “That’s the bathroom for this suite, by the way. Clean yourself and await Princess Luna to discuss your… results. The guards outside can help you if you get lost.”

You nodded and gave a parting wave to her. “Of course, Captain. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“And you yours, chief. Try not to overwork yourself before we meet again. I know how much demand there is for you, and I don’t want to receive you already tuckered out. Keep an eye on your health, okay?” The door closed with a click, and you were left alone to contemplate your position in life.

Between taking care of the barracks and servicing the mares, it felt like the latter had become your occupation in the castle. The thought of being the dream stallion for many a mare was flattering, but you felt that your life was lacking in regards to excitement—of the non-sexual variety—and your persistent milking by the mares would eventually begin to take its toll on you. Perhaps it already had.

You looked at the nightstand next to the bed, staring long at the bottle sitting atop. Magic, potions, every conceivable flirt and seduction technique the mares could think of, and all the acts of amorous invitation left you desensitized to their effects. Many times you had been too busy to consider, but you wondered if it was the potions’ or the magic’s effects making you so taken with the mares, and not your genuine love for them.

And while every act left you and the mare satisfied, an unease always sat within you afterwards. A dull lingering sluggishness, as if your body had strained only a little more than it could handle, not from the exercise, as you’d grown accustomed to it early on, but it had always been ther—no, it hadn’t. In the beginning, when the majority of the time you spent was with Aqua, it was never like that. It was a wonder how you had gone so far without even thinking about a checkup on how these foreign substances were affecting you. You made a note to speak with Aqua about it later.

Flexing your toes, you hopped off of the bed in your birthday suit and made your way to the shower. Stretching your arms, you realized you were right—that strange fatigue was there. As per your relationship rules, any issue you had would always be discussed with Aqua. Communication was important like that.

You opened the doors to your unit’s barracks and were met with the low murmur of a few mares enjoying their off time. As you closed the door behind you, your legs partially gave way due to the fatigue that still plagued you, forcing you to lean on the door. You exhaled and pulled yourself back to your feet, as a few of the mares around you gave you concerned looks.

As you passed by Aqua’s bunk, she jumped out in front of you with glee on her face. “So, what’d you think? Pretty awesome, huh?”

“I think I’m more interested in how you got Princess Luna of all ponies to agree to this,” you said. Both Princess Luna and Princess Cadance, it would seem. Surely Aqua wasn’t rubbing shoulders with the Princesses of Equestria as her drinking buddies? You moved to continue walking towards your room, and Aqua followed.

“Well, it’s more like I agreed,” Aqua said. “Princess Luna was the one who approached me. I was a bit hesitant at first, but…” She sighed. “I don’t think it’s very fair to just keep you to ourselves, you know? The Night Guard is the Royal Guard’s sister organization. And, before you say anything, I know that you’re only assigned to our unit.”

“What a nice thing for you to do,” you said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, well. The rest of the Royal Guard are getting twitchy hooves seeing us hoard you. I should probably talk to Captain Armor about that.”

“Yeah, you do that.” You reached the door to your room and nudged it with a shoulder, collapsing on your bed within as Aqua closed the door and joined you, sprawled out on the bed. With a sluggish arm, you withdrew the potion from your pocket and left it on the nightstand, which Aqua gave a cursory glance before turning her attention to you.

“Are you okay? You seem… tired.” The way she looked at you with her hooves folded was almost too cute to bear.

“Tired seems like an understatement,” you replied. The fatigue seemed to ebb and flow, no doubt due to its magical nature. “Keeping up with you mares is almost a twenty-four seven job, Aqua. And now I’ve got the Night Guard to deal with, too.”

“Oh, relax. It’s not like we’re doing it every day, you know, and some of the mares have elected to stay on the meds rather than fuck you all the time.”

“So do you girls have a roster of who’s getting fucked and who isn’t? Such an honor, my dear little guard,” you said with a smirk.

“It’s a work in progress, but it’s also our little secret. Mares only.” She stuck her tongue out and flipped over so she was laying on top of your chest, and sighed. “You know, you’ve only been doing this for a few months, and I think you’ve probably made more of an impact on the Guard than Shining Armor making Captain.”

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere tonight, Aqua. Even my bones are aching.”

“Then maybe you should just sit back and relax,” she said as she took the belt of your pants in her hooves and started undoing them. “A little reward for weathering through your little surprise. I heard Captain Eclipse is a serious lay in bed.”

“I literally just finished having sex with her,” you said with a groan. “Like with every mare’s first time, it’s always quick and forward, but still tiring all the same. Are you seriously trying to get into my pants right now?”

“Are you suuuuure?” she said, running her hooves underneath your uniform to touch your bare chest. You sighed, and pulled her hooves out from rubbing themselves all over your naked body; the thought of dirty hooves entered your mind again, in the literal sense, unwashed and always touching the floor. “Come on, chief, I’ll even do all the work!”

You let out an exasperated sigh. Taking her smiling face into your hands, you pulled her into a hug and snuggled with her on the bed. Aqua looked up to you with a questioning expression, but pushed it no further as you felt your mind drift away, accompanied by her warmth. Eventually, you found it in you to speak.

“Say… I’ve been thinking: maybe we should go out one of these days,” you said.

“Really?” She gasped, and crawled up your chest to look down at you with those brilliant eyes of her. “I was thinking maybe we could go to a hotel with a great view of the Canterlot valley, or maybe you’re looking to get out of the city? I know of some great places we can fuc—”

Her sentence devolved into murmurs as you placed a hand on her mouth. “Aqua, no,” you said, cutting her off as she began to voice her complaint. “I’m not talking about finding someplace new to have sex in. I mean like an actual date. We rarely get out of the castle anymore these days, and I’ve never actually visited Canterlot… it’s a wonder how I haven’t gone mad with cabin fever.”

“Because you’re mad with pony fever instead, duh,” she said, reaching over with her wings and tickling you on the sides of your head. “It’s hard to be bored when you’ve got the choice of any mare you want, right?”

“Aqua, I’m just not in the mood for sex right now, okay?” you said, albeit a bit more huffily than you thought you would. Aqua frowned, rolling her eyes, but relented to your request. She calmed herself, returning to laying her head on your shoulder as you blankly ran your hand through her mane. “I think we should stop having sex for a while.”

“I—what?!” She shot upright, sitting on top of you as you threw her a surprised look. “I mean, I… uh, this is… surprising. Did something happen today when you were with Captain Eclipse?”

Silence filled the gap as you stared at her, and her concerned stare only grew more intense as the seconds ticked by. “Yes,” you finally said. “Something did happen. You know how too much of anything can become a burden, no matter how good it is? That’s what’s happening right now, between me and you, and all of the girls.”

“You’re… getting tired of us? Of me?” Aqua’s voice was filled with hurt.

You slapped a hand into your face and muttered a line of exhausted gibberish. “No, no, that’s not what I’m saying, Aqua. I love every one of you—and you the most—and I love all of your flanks, but all of this sex is taking its toll on my body. Eclipse… gave me a potion today.” You looked to the nightstand. “And it made me think about all the times I’ve had to use any sort of aid, enhancer, whatever, when I have sex with you all.

“You girls paint a terrible, terrible picture of what it’s like to be in heat without any effective method of controlling it. It’s like having your mind locked in a cage, with the key just out of reach, that sweet release. And I found that key, released you all, but I couldn’t just stop when you all needed me, to put you all back in that cage… and besides, you all loved it. And for a time, so did I, that I had spell after spell thrown on me, potion after potion, just to make sure you girls didn’t have to suffer through that.”

“And…” Her lips pursed and she let out a quiet ‘oh’ as she realized what you were getting at. “And you think all of that is doing something to you?”

You nodded, much to her distress.

“But that’s impossible. It’s protocol to always check for signs of magical overload before every use! Princess Luna even did one for you when you went through the portal to meet Captain Eclipse! If something was wrong, she would have stopped you from going through with the meeting entirely.”

You tilted your head to look down at Aqua, who was sitting on your stomach now, hoof scratching her cheek in thought. “And what are the signs of this magical overload, then? Because you girls never mentioned anything about it to me. Why is that?”

“It’s true that a lingering fatigue is a symptom of magical overload. We… we didn’t want to worry you.” Her ears flattened, and her lips went full scrunchy. “And we were a bit selfish. You’re… you’re the greatest thing that’s happened to us in a long time, and we didn’t want you to… stop.”

“What was that I said about flattery?” You grinned and messed up her mane with a hand, and hugged her again. “But, yes, I’m sure this magic is doing something to me. I don’t want to push it any more than I have to until I can get it checked out. Think any of the doctors here can help?”

“Well… yeah, the docs can help you.” Aqua bit her lip, eyes closed and brows furrowed in concentration. “There’s also… well, there’s Princess Twilight Sparkle. You might have heard of her before. None of the girls usually talk about her since she rarely shows up at the castle.”

“Yeah, the Princess of Magic.” If there was any pony in Equestria that could help you with your problem, it was certainly Princess Twilight Sparkle herself, the Element of Magic… and renowned bookworm. “Is she going to be okay with the fact that there’s been a single guy—who isn’t a stallion—fucking a sizeable portion of the guards here?”

Aqua guffawed—or it would have been one if she hadn’t snorted at the same time when you pushed the notion. “Chief, I’d say she’d be more interested in bringing more humans here. Our gender populations are skewed, and mares have some serious problems when estrus hits—you know both of those. She would understand that having as great a ‘problem solver’ such as yourself around would be a huge help for us.”

“And if she becomes interested?” You looked down at her with drawn lips, bemused at the thought of a princess becoming putty in your hands. The knowledge of the princesses’ personal lives, aside from Cadance, was unknown to you, so you were unsure if bedding a princess would be a great accomplishment. “Will I have to tend to her needs, too?”

“Assuming that your worry about magical overload is correct, then giving her a test run of you… might be in her interest,” Aqua said. Her voice was steady, but her eyebrows were angled downward from where you saw them, showing that she was none too pleased at adding a princess to the equation. “You sure you’re not just tired?”

“If I’m tired, then going to sleep would usually solve it. It doesn’t. Besides attending to my duties here in the barracks, you do realize that aside from having sex, eating, and tending to my hygiene, I’ve been sleeping, right? I’m pushing fourteen hours of sleep a day now… that’s not normal for a human.”

“Well, maybe you need some exercise, something that’s not sex. We can lay off on the magic, have you come out during PT with us,” Aqua said, batting her eyes at you. “Then every mare on the parade grounds can see your sexy flank at work.”

“I can get behind that,” you said, flashing a smile back her way. “Now, there’s something else I have to ask... do you use magic in the potions, too? Because I get the same weird feeling from the potions the same way I do with the magic.”

“Yes, we do, actually,” she replied. “We use a special flower to make the potions, which are dried, treated with a magical solution to increase potency, ground up, and then made into a potion.” She turned to stare at your crotch, undoubtedly caught up in the mental thought of undressing you, though you knew she wouldn’t admit it. “Those potions were made for stallions—you know, poor performance and all that. You, though… we’ve done it without any magic or potions before, and you can go at least a couple of times, easy.”

“So the magic and potions have a very good chance of causing this overload… guess I’ll be sending off a letter next week. What’s the fastest way to get a letter to her?” you asked.

“Well, that would be Princess Celestia, then,” came Aqua’s reply. “She and Twilight can send letters directly to each other using dragonfire, courtesy of Princess Twilight’s assistant, Spike. You should speak to her when you have the chance. She’s always willing to talk when she’s at lunch.”

“Great,” you said, clapping your hands as you nudged her to the side of the bed. The scowl you received from her made you laugh as you buried your face in the pillow. “That’s tomorrow then.” You gave a stretching yawn, then started poking at her flank with your feet. “Byeeee, Aquaaaa…”

“Oh, haha, chief. Fine, I’ll let you have your sleep, and I’ll let the other girls know to leave you alone for a while. In fact, let’s make it the next three days—no sex, just business, and let’s hope that’s enough to get your business sorted out.”

“You’re the best, Aqua.”

“I know I am,” she said smugly. You heard the sound of her hooves thump against the rug on the floor as she made her way to the door. “Sweet dreams, chief. See you in the morn—eek!” As Aqua screamed, all semblance of sleepiness went out the door and you whipped around to see her jump back as the door opened, revealing an armored Emberspark poking her head in.

“Ah, I see you’re back,” Ember said. She looked pointedly at Aqua. “And what might you be doing in the chief’s quarters?”

“Tending to his health,” was her meek reply. “Er, ma’am.”

Ember didn’t buy it. “Sure,” she said flatly, looking at your open shirt and unbuttoned pants before meeting your eyes. “Princess Luna wishes to speak with you immediately.”

The resulting sound from your mouth was akin to a beached whale. There were far too many annoyances today. “Okay, fine… Where was her office again?”

“You won’t have to go far. She’s waiting in the barracks for you—private conversation. That means that all guards must vacate the premises so the meeting can commence.” She remained silent, biding her time until Aqua remained seated, and then nodded her head towards the hall behind her. “That means the both of us.”

“Oh!” Aqua blushed as she followed the order, leaving the room with no further words.

“And please clean yourself up before presenting yourself to Princess Luna,” Ember said, the glow of her magic buttoning your shirt back up and zipping your pants as she closed the door. When the room was silent again, you pondered taking a nap. Nothing long, maybe just… five minutes. You felt so very tired.

But, princesses were princesses. Luna would discuss with you Eclipse’s decision, and you would be given the chance to inquire about magical overload. You got out of bed, already regretting the decision as you strode across and placed a hand on the doorknob. With the way you felt, you might end up using all three of your off days sleeping.

Princess Luna seemed taken aback as you entered the empty barracks, sitting at a small table with a steaming cup of tea before her. “I… take it that you found Captain Eclipse satisfactory?” she asked.

You took a seat—if it could be called that, as it was more akin to falling down than it was sitting—and let out a chuckle. “Well, it was more like the other way around. Everyone technically outranks me, and it’s not like I can really object, can I?” you said. A stonefaced Luna indicated that your humor was lost on her. “Eh, never mind. Think I’m good enough for the Night Guard, Princess?”

“Captain Eclipse believes you will suffice for their needs,” Luna replied, taking a dainty sip of tea before she continued. “And I believe she mentioned that you were ill when you parted. Will this affect your duties?”

You remained silent, letting Luna’s gaze upon you grow wary, and she eventually leaned forward, setting aside her cup and plate. “Should I call for a doctor?” she asked.

“That’d… probably be for the best,” you said. Your nervousness began to permeate your body, showing up in itchy fits, and you found yourself scratching your cheek as your body felt unnaturally hot. Stifling, like it was on fire, yet there was no perspiration. Luna pulled over a silver pitcher from the platter on the table, along with another cup, and poured you water.

“Drink,” she said, placing it before you. For a moment, you stared down at your reflection on the liquid’s surface and found a haggard man staring back at you. Mirrors were a habit for you every morning, and when you cleaned the bathrooms, but this was new. You weren’t sure if it was the ripples in the drink, but it seemed as if you’d gone through hell and back, and for the worse.

The water went down cold and smooth, and felt like the greatest drink you’d ever had, but the frigid temperature made you cough afterwards. “Sorry… I spoke about it with Aqua earlier,” you managed. “She said it was something called magical overload? Should I be worried?”

“At this current point in time, no,” Luna said. “Your symptoms are minor at worst, and despite the mystery of what it sounds like to you, there are simple and effective ways of treating it. The main problem with this magic lies in the kind of magic that persists in the body, and if my hunches are correct, then your particular case involves a hefty dose of lust and stamina-affecting magic.”

“And what does that mean for me, exactly?”

“Should your magical intake continue unhalted, your body will become altered by the magic as it conforms its vessel to the energies. You would, obviously, become sexually aggressive, and while there are many, many mares who would be taken with having a creature such as you around, I am sure you do not find the sentiment as pleasing.” She poured you another cup, holding out a hoof and bidding you to drink again. You obliged—your mind was reeling, and you felt light-headed, and Luna’s words seemed to echo in your skull.

“So… so how can I fix it? How… how do I make it go away?” you asked. The words sounded clear in your mind, but came out slurred. “It’s… it’s really bad. I was just fine this morning…”

“Your first expenditure shall be enough to keep you at an acceptable level of magic,” Luna said, procuring a small green bottle and placing it gently on the table. The color made you grimace—as if you needed something here that reminded you of throwing up. “This potion holds no magical qualities whatsoever. Normally, such a potion would be impossible to make due to the rarity of its ingredients, and of your ailment, but the crown does have access to a talented alchemist who knows her craft well. You will take this one now. Another shall be brought to you before curfew, which you will take before bed, and then you will report to Captain Eclipse tomorrow and perform as agreed upon.”

Before she had even finished her last word, you already drank the potion, gagging at its bitter taste before chasing it down with even more water. To the alchemist’s credit, the potion began to take effect immediately, and relief washed over your mind and body, and the sensation was as if you’d been stuck in a desert for days and fell right into water from a brisk mountain lake. You attempted to finish off the last drops of the potion, much to Luna’s amusement.

“Thank you,” you said. “I can’t believe something like that can actually happen, but… well—” You laughed, shaking your head. “—magic. Aqua seemed to imply that my condition is exceptional.”

“Yes. Even with proper detection spells, it appears that magic cannot be found when it bleeds out from your body, but instead gathers within and changes you. The rare cases where this has happened to ponies were usually in unicorns of notable talent, all scholars, where they took in a great amount of magic in a short span and were unable to expend it in a timely manner.”

“I was going to ask if Princess Twilight Sparkle would be interested in this, seeing…” You gestured to yourself and shrugged. “I’m one-of-a-kind, and I heard she’s pretty smart.”

“Her presence will not be required,” replied Luna. “While your idea of her reputation is correct, she is only a newly-appointed princess, and is still in the process of becoming accustomed to her royal duties. We have many bright minds here in Canterlot, and they are all more than willing to help, so rest assured that you will be in good hooves.”

“Thank you, Princess. I’ll be there at the tower tomorrow night.”

“Yes. Please arrive when the clock strikes twelve, when night has fallen. The Night Guard tend to be at their most active during that period, and I believe you may find it beneficial to mingle with them. Expelling magic from one’s body can be achieved through many methods… coitus being one of them, assuming that you have not already ingested any magic like the copious amounts that you took in while administering to this barracks’ heat.”

A stupid grin spread across you face. “So you’re saying that it’s good for me to have sex?”

Luna’s face registered no expression with your juvenile humor. “Yes.”

You nodded, rolling your eyes away as you cleared your throat. “I see. Thank you for your time, Princess. I very much appreciate what you did for me. How did you know to bring that potion, by the way?”

“There were a few here in your unit that know of magical overload, and brought the issue to my attention when you had gone so long without exhibiting any symptoms. I was merely prepared, but Eclipse’s report all but cemented their concerns.” When she stood, you joined her, and gave each other a bow before she left. “While it may seem that you helped the mares out in the beginning, chief, it now appears that they can help you just as much.” With that, the door closed behind her.

Only Lieutenant Emberspark returned, entering as Princess Luna left. She took her place next to you, sharing in your examination of the green bottle when she asked, “Is it bad?”

“It’s… well, I don’t know if it’s bad, really.” You twirled the object in your hands. “It could have gotten really bad, but Princess Luna thankfully had the foresight to bring me this potion to alleviate the symptoms a bit. Could I see your helmet, please?”

She looked at you confusedly, but levitated the helmet off and hovered it over to you. You rotated it so that the flat side of the helmet’s steel faced towards you, flawless and clean, and found your reflection again—back to what it originally was, the appearance of a youthful man. “Holy shit,” was all you could manage.

“What’s wrong?” Ember asked, placing the helmet back atop her head as you pushed it back to her.

“Earlier, my reflection was…” You gesticulated to your hair and all the features on your face. “...like someone really put me through the wringer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen myself that bad since I got shit-faced on a bar run back home years ago, and that was after several days of partying. The overload did as much wear in only a few hours, Ember… I really have to cut back on this magic stuff.”

“If you really don’t think you’re cut out for it, you don’t have to go tomorrow…”

“No, I think I’m going to take the chance.” You fought back a laugh and looked sideways at her, feeling a bit frisky. “You know, Princess Luna says that having sex without any magical enhancers is a good way of getting it out of my body.” Your hand reached around and rubbed the dock of her tail, eliciting a gasp from her that was followed by a harsh slap to the wrist. “Ow!”

“Aqua says you’re to have three days off a week now, no exception.” Ember frowned at you, like a drill sergeant visually tearing down a fresh recruit, and with every word, the space between your faces shrunk. The intensity of her tone surprised you, and you found yourself attempting to back away, but a hoof pinned your arm in place. “And that includes today. I don’t care what sort of excuse you have for it, but this is your health we’re talking about. None of us are willing to make light of this situation, chief, so the decision is final. You, to bed, now.”

“I can’t—”

“Do you need a cup of warm milk and a bedtime story, too?” she asked mockingly. Her tail, the object of your affection, snapped at you and whipped the cloth of your sleeve. The force was strong enough to produce a small cut in the fabric—scary. “I said to bed now, chief, so get your sorry flank moving!”

“Yes, ma’am,” you said, walking to your room as you heard the clinks of her hoofsteps behind you. As you entered, the door slammed shut behind you, and you heard the click of the lock. In panic, you checked your pockets, only to find nothing. “I… come on, really, Ember? Did you seriously just pickpocket me?”

“That’s ma’am to you,” she said, voice muffled through the wood. “And I said no chances, including any chance of you getting some action with a mare before tomorrow, which is why they’re all busy with physical training for the time being. Food will be brought to you at six tonight, but until then, you are confined to your room until morning. Get some sleep.”

Before you could complain, you heard her marching down the hall—loudly so—and out of earshot. You sighed, slumping into your bed as you stared at the plain white ceiling. Well, at least there was tomorrow night to look forward to...

Author's Notes:

Oh, hey, look at what I put up. Less than a year and a half this time! Hooray!

Now to take a much-needed year-long break! Writing pony sex is tough work!