Sunset Shimmer in Heat

by Yukito

Rating: mature
Tags: Fluttershy, Sex, Sunset Shimmer, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Lyra
Length: 5012

Sunset Shimmer is in heat. And unfortunately, her 'type' is some sort of taboo in this new world of hers.

Sunset Shimmer is in heat. She needs a mate, and she needs one now. Unfortunately, her 'type' is looked down on by others in this new world she now inhabits. Fortunately, there is this thing called the 'internet', where she can find ways to satisfy her needs without the risk of irreparable damage to her image.

Published 2014-07-08 16:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-08 16:40:01 UTC

Sunset Shimmer in Heat

Sunset Shimmer was in heat. Plain and simple. She had been for some time now, but she was unable to do anything about it. True, the new ‘fingers’ she had were a godsend, but they only worked for so long. There were plenty of males at the school she attended that she could seduce, but despite her best efforts, she just couldn’t find herself to become attracted to any of them. They simply weren’t her type.

She knew what she needed, and where she could find it. The only problem was that, in this world, sex with horses was looked down upon. The closest thing she could find was a horse-styled dildo, but even that had its limitations. It just wasn’t enough. Sunset needed something alive. She needed to feel her partner mounting her, pounding her as he panted and quivering as he filled her to the brim.

Three months was Sunset Shimmer’s limit. She had to find a solution to this problem, before it drove her insane. Thankfully, this new world had a powerful weapon hat did not exist in Equestria. A dangerous weapon, but a most effective one. The ‘internet’. All of the world’s collective information available to anybody armed with the right knowledge, and for a genius like Sunset Shimmer, attaining such knowledge was child’s play. Her patience and her efforts were rewarded when she had discovered an organisation residing in Canterlot. ‘Horse Lovers of Canterlot City’, a secret organisation that hides in the shadows and exists for one sole purpose. Their agenda was much the same as Sunset Shimmer’s, so she got into contact with them immediately.

“So you’re our new member, huh?” Lyra Heartstrings asked as she welcomed Sunset Shimmer into her home. “C’mon in! And take off that stupid hat and coat! We’re not here to judge you.”

Sunset Shimmer removed her trenchcoat, her fedora hat and her shades and followed Lyra into her living room. “Let’s just get to the chase: how does this work?”

“Eager, are we?” Lyra asked with a sly grin. “Don’t worry. We’ll head out as soon as I’ve introduced you to our group’s other member. Basically, there’s a small farm a couple of miles outside the city. The farmer’s an old friend of mine and will let us have some ‘alone time’ for a small fee. Oh, you brought the money, right?” Sunset Shimmer nodded and pulled out a small stack of notes from her jacket’s pocket. “Sweet! So glad you joined when you did! Having to split the price between just the two of us was starting to wear our wallets out.”

“So who’s this other member you’re talking about?” Sunset asked as they rounded a corner, entering the living room where a yellow girl with long, pink hair was sitting on a couch, drinking a small glass of water before very gently placing it down onto the centre table. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Fluttershy recognised the new voice and turned to Sunset Shimmer in surprise. “S-Sunset?”

Sunset’s eye twitched. This ‘Lyra’ went to a different school, so she was hoping that she could remain anonymous after she had joined this group. Sunset reflected that, in hindsight, she probably should have checked all of the members out, too. “I don’t know what you mean,” Sunset said as she sat down beside Fluttershy on the couch. “I never left my house tonight. I spent the whole night studying, as did you, right?”

Fluttershy looked confused for a second, before a sharp glare from Sunset Shimmer caused her to jump and nod her head quickly. “R-Right! I understand…”

“Now now, we’re all friends here,” Lyra said. “And we’re all here for one common purpose, right?”

“Didn’t peg you as the type to join a group like this,” Sunset said to Fluttershy. “You don’t strike me as the type with enough self-confidence to do such a thing.”

Fluttershy blushed heavily and fiddled with her skirt. “W-Well, I just… I’ve always loved animals, and I just wanted to… at least once…”

“Whatever. I don’t particularly care what you do in your spare time.” Sunset turned to Lyra. “Now that you’ve introduced me, can we get going already?”

“C’mon, we got plenty of time! I bought snacks so we can get to know each other,” Lyra said, holding up a tube of Pringles with a huge smile.

“I didn’t come here to make friends,” Sunset said bluntly as she rose to her feet. “And besides, we both have school tomorrow, so we need to get to bed early.”

Lyra sighed. “Alright, alright. I guess we can talk on the drive there.”

The drive through town was not exactly what Sunset Shimmer would call a pleasant experience. Before that day, Sunset had never been in anything faster than a bus, let alone with the roof down and travelling down a bumpy country road. Fluttershy looked over to her green friend with a look of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Not… quite…” Sunset closed her eyes and tried to fight back the vomit rising up her throat. “I’m still not used to these ‘automobiles’…”

“That’s right. They don’t have them in Equestria, do they?”

“So you really come from a world of talking ponies?” Lyra asked. “Man, that’s awesome! Parallel me must be livin’ the dream right about now!”

“Hey! Can’t you do something about the roof?” Sunset asked.

Lyra shook her head. “Don’t know how it works. This is my girlfriend’s car and I only use it for driving down to the farm.” Lyra giggled and looked into Sunset’s eyes through the centre mirror. “In fact, I don’t even have my licence yet! So if we pass a cop, just act cool, ‘kay?”

Sunset’s jaw hung open as she simply stared at the back of Lyra’s head in shock. “A-Are you serious?! You don’t have your licence?! When were you going to tell me that?!” Sunset felt her stomach churning as Lyra took a shark turn to the left and she leaned forward quickly.

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said as she patted Sunset’s back. “Lyra’s a really good driver, so the police aren’t likely to pull us over. They don’t usually patrol out here at this time, anyway.”

Sunset looked up at Fluttershy with shock and newfound respect. “You… You’re just full of surprises, huh?”

Fluttershy blushed and looked the other way. Meanwhile, Lyra’s face lit up as their goal became visible in the distance. “We’re here.”

Whilst Lyra took the money to the farmer who owned the land, Fluttershy and Sunset stayed by the car and waited. Fluttershy gave Sunset Shimmer a refreshing bottle of water to calm her down, and Sunset took in some of the fresh country air as she felt her stomach beginning to settle. “This smells like home.”

“Equestria smells like a farm?” Fluttershy asked.

Sunset shook her head. “No, but compared to the city, this is much closer. Maybe it’s because we have less pollution in our air than your kind does.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Fluttershy asked. “What we’re doing is legal in this state, but it’s still looked down upon. If someone found out-”

“Doesn’t seem to bother you,” Sunset said. “Besides… I have my needs, and I really can’t fight them anymore…”

“Alright guys! We’re good to go!” Lyra declared as she approached the group with a key swinging around her finger. She grasped the key in her hand and motioned for the two to follow her. “This way! We got one hour. Think that’ll be enough time?”

Fluttershy nodded timidly, whilst Sunset simply sighed. “It’ll have to do for now…”

Lyra chuckled as they approached the stable. “I think you and I are gonna get along great!” Lyra unlocked the stable doors and the three walked in. Sunset Shimmer quickly took out her mobile phone and pointed it around the room. “Uh, what’re you doing?”

“Just checking for cameras and ‘bugs’, as they’re called. This is the sort of thing one might use as blackmail material, you know? That’s why I had a detector added to my phone by an ‘associate’ of mine.”

“Y-You mean they might be watching us?” Fluttershy asked, shivering as she looked around the barn nervously.

“Don’t worry. The guy in charge’s my friend, remember?” Lyra said to Fluttershy.

“Just in case, I made sure to come prepared,” Sunset said. “… Well, it seems we’re in the clear.”

“Told you so,” Lyra said as she removed her top and reached her hands behind her back, fiddling with the hook of her bra. “Now c’mon, we’ve only got an hour! If you like, I could point you to a gentle stallion since it’s your first- Wait, I guess this isn’t exactly your ‘first time’, huh?”

Sunset Shimmer turned to Lyra and blushed as she watched a bra and a pair of trouser dropping to the floor. She noticed that Fluttershy hadn’t begun to undress, but then with that tank top, she figured that it probably wasn’t necessary for her.

“That’s fine,” Sunset said. “I’ve had experience scouting out suitable mates.” Sunset looked around the stable at all of the suitable candidates. Her eyes fell upon a brown-coated mare eating from a pile of hay to the side, with a bald spot on its flank in the shape of a six-pointed star. She approached that mare and greeted it by stroking a hand along its side, getting its attention immediately.

“A mare, huh? Gotta admit, I’ve never tried that before,” Lyra said. “So you were into mares in A-quest-area?”

“I wasn’t too picky with my mates. They only had to meet the bare standards.”

“You mean they had to be horses,” Lyra laughed.

“I mean they had to be adults,” Sunset corrected. “That, and not have a face that looks like they got stuck in a garbage compactor.”

“Harsh, but I get what you mean,” Lyra said. “So, mares and stallions, huh?”

Sunset’s blush brightened as she nodded her head and turned her attention back to the mare beside her. “I have to admit, I’ve missed the taste of another mare ever since I’ve been stuck here. That… and the thrill that comes from making them whinny as they cum.” Sunset’s face turned into a diabolical grin and a small trail of blood leaked from Lyra’s nose.

“If I didn’t already have a girlfriend, I would so ask you out.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway, as I have no interest in humans,” Sunset responded.

“In any case, maybe you should try a different mare. This one’s not too good with strangers…”

“Oh, I think I can manage,” Sunset said. “Back in Equestria I was a smooth talker.” Sunset leaned in and whispered into the mare’s ear. The mare simply stood there and listened to whatever the girl was saying, and when Sunset pulled back, the mare nodded her head and lifted her tail. “Yep. Looks like we’re going to get along juuuuust fine.”

“Aaaaaand I’m a soaking mess down there,” Lyra said as she stared in complete amazement.

“Is it because you used to be a pony yourself?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh my. To be in tune with animals to such a degree…”

“Ah, enough of that!” Lyra shouted as she grabbed Fluttershy’s wrist and ran over to the other end of the barn. “You have fun, Sunny! Shy and I are gonna get ‘acquainted’ with an old friend!”

“O-Oh, we are? Um, okay then…”

Sunset Shimmer narrowed her eyes as she watched the two leave. “Calling me by such a familiar name. Who does she think she is?” Sunset turned her attention to the mare beside her and sighed. “Well, thanks to her I have this chance, so I suppose I can let it slide… Now, are you ready to have an experience you’ll never forget?” The mare nodded, and Sunset Shimmer licked her lips as she positioned herself nicely behind the mare’s rear. “Good girl. I’ll go ahead and get started, then.”

Sunset started by placing her hand over the mare’s rear, stroking it for a few seconds to see how it felt compared to her past experiences. It seemed different from how she remembered it. Softer, perhaps? Perhaps her bare hand had something to do with that. Whatever the case, Sunset Shimmer glided her hand down towards her target, wasting no time in gently running her fingers along the mare’s slick entrance and slipping two of them inside. This was definitely a new feeling.

Prior to this moment, Sunset Shimmer had only inserted her fingers into one vaginal opening: her own. Hooves could only barely enter holes without risking damage. Horns worked well too, but she had only ever found one mare brave enough to try it. It was a pleasant experience, but in a different way to what she was feeling with this mare. The warm, wet hole felt great around Sunset’s fingers, and it only served to make the tingling between her legs even more noticeable.

For now, Sunset ignored her own pleading desire in favour of satisfying her mare’s. She removed the fingers to the tips, earning a whine from the mare before her, and then plunged them in, moaning at the sensations she felt as the mare’s wetness seeped all over her hand.

Looking up, Sunset could tell that the mare was enjoying herself. Even though these horses differed from the ponies of Equestria physically, at heart they were still the same, and she could feel the lusting desire from this mare from the moment she entered.

Sunset Shimmer took a moment to look at the mare from a different light. She imagined that the brown coat was in fact purple, that the mane and tail were both striped and styled neatly, and lastly, she imagined two big, glorious wings to either side of the mare and a long, pointed horn atop her head. Sunset Shimmer grinned as she removed her fingers and plunged three inside.

“You like that, girl?” Sunset asked as she leaned over the mare, stroking her long mane as she continued to thrust her fingers in-and-out. The mare’s panting increased and Sunset could feel the inner walls tightening around her finger. “You wanna cum, girl? Well not just yet.”

Sunset Shimmer pulled out her three fingers, earning a whinny of protest from her mare. A stern stare silenced the horse and she promptly dropped down to her knees, placing the glistening, winking entrance directly before her face. Wasting no time, Sunset Shimmer dug right in, lapping the mare’s juices with her tongue as she held the walls open with her hands.

Imagining the purple mare from before, Sunset Shimmer imagined what that pony would say to her at that point. “OH! M-Mistress, that feels so good!”

“You want to cum?”” Sunset would ask with a teasing grin, pulling herself back from the hole begging for attention. “Go on. Say it.”

“P-Please! Make me cum, Mistress!”

As Sunset’s fantasies continued to develop inside of her mind, her left hand decided to move of its own free will, lowering itself down Sunset’s body and lifting her skirt, pulling aside the pink, laced panties inside to grant access to her dripping mound. A few rubs here-and-there and Sunset Shimmer moaned into her mare, the vibrations stimulating her mate even further.

Sunset could feel the signs fast approaching and sped up her licking, digging her tongue deep into the mare’s entrance so that she could attack from the inside. That seemed to hit her over the edge as a torrent washed out onto Sunset Shimmer’s face, causing her to jerk her head back quickly and open her mouth wide to catch whatever she could. At around the same time, Sunset just happened to twist the small bead above her entrance. The combined stimulation was too much and Sunset found herself gasping as she herself released everything onto the stable floor, her hips buckling a couple of times as her orgasm continued for several seconds.

Falling onto her back after her legs had given out, Sunset Shimmer could do nothing more than stare blankly towards the ceiling as her chest heaved up-and-down, sweat dripping down her body as her lower entrance released two final squirts into the puddle behind the now-satisfied mare.

When her breathing was finally under control, Sunset Shimmer smiled and rose to her feet. “That was wonderful,” she said in a blissful tone, stroking the mare’s back as a sign of affection. Sunset couldn’t help but notice how sticky her hand was, and after that, she realised how sticky everything was. Her clothes and her were both caught in the sudden orgasmic attack that she had pushed the mare into. “Guess these will be going straight into the wash tonight,” she muttered as she removed her jacket and placed it to the side.

As satisfying as her little session with the mare was, Sunset Shimmer still wasn’t finished just yet. She had an hour booked in that stable, after all, and there was still one thing that she was craving: cock. Fingers and toys would only work so well. Even this mare’s tongue wouldn’t give her the pure, carnal pleasure that she was seeking. She needed long, hard, throbbing stallion cock, thrusting with such raw force that she loses all rational thinking.

After removing her boots, her skirt and her panties, Sunset Shimmer looked around for a suitable mate. It didn’t take long before eyes fell on the largest stallion in the barn. A shiny black coat, large blue eyes, and best of all, a very nice package dangling between his legs, already perfectly erect. Sunset Shimmer licked her lips. He was perfect.

“Why hello there,” Sunset said as she approached the stallion, whose ears quickly twitched as he turned his full attention to her. “You were watching us just now, weren’t you? You naughty boy.” The stallion made a low noise under his breath. Sunset grinned and cup his chin with her hand, raising his head just a little so that their eyes met. “That’s okay. I don’t mind. In fact, I’m glad you got so turned on by that. You see, I was looking for a stallion just like you to show me a good time. Strong, handsome, and full of virility.” The stallion shivered as Sunset Shimmer leaned in and whispered, “You want me to suck your dick?”

The stallion’s eyes widened and he quickly nodded. Sunset Shimmer chuckled as she planted a gentle kiss on the stallion’s muzzle. “Such an honest stallion. Just don’t cum too soon,” she sang as she circled the stallion, kneeling down at his side and admiring the glorious, bobbing meat hanging down below. It must have been the biggest she had ever seen! Sunset was sure that she was drooling, but she didn’t care. She grasped the meat with her hand and gave it an experimental stroke. Her stallion seemed to respond well to it, so she sped up.

A small amount of fluid trickled out of the tip. The musky, alluring scent was something that Sunset Shimmer had missed. She leaned forward and gave the tip of the shaft a kiss, causing it to jerk suddenly in her hand before she gave it a long, slow lick. Grasping the base of the shaft with both hands, Sunset took the head into her mouth, moaning as the wonderful taste assaulted her tongue. She began to pump with her hands as she bobbed her head gently back-and-forth, slowly to start off with, and then picking up speed as she felt the stallion above her starting to thrust his hips.

Sunset Shimmer circled her tongue around the head of the shaft and took it as deep as she could manage, her face turning bright red as the scent overwhelmed her senses and the tip of the head poked against the back of her throat. The stallions grunted above her and neighed and Sunset was able to deduce that he was close. She closed her eyes and picked up the pace, paying attention to the throbbing of the shaft so that she knew when he was about to ejaculate inside of her mouth.

Even with the signs clear as day, Sunset Shimmer was still caught off guard by the sheer force of the stallion’s powerful ejaculation. She stopped bobbing her head and pulled back so that just the tip was inside her mouth, swallowing what she could of the first three spurts. She knew from experience how much a stallion could let out in one go, and that trying to take it all was a risky gamble. Satisfied with what she managed to take, Sunset Shimmer pulled her head back and pointed the shaft down at her body quickly, allowing the stallion to release the rest of his load onto her bare legs and her waist.

Panting as she watched the last of the stallion’s ejaculate spurt out onto the floor, Sunset Shimmer felt herself filling with pride. Even after the long dry spell she had suffered since leaving Equestria, she still hadn’t lost her touch. The stallion certainly seemed to have enjoyed that, but that didn’t mean a thing to the girl. She still had need of his cock, once she was able to get it hard again.

“I knew I picked a good stallion when I chose you,” Sunset said as she stood up and approached the wall of the stable, opening the shutter windows and leaning against the edge. The stallion looked behind himself to face her as she reached a hand down to her dripping hole and stretched it open with her fingers, giving the stallion a seductive, inviting grin. “I certainly hope you didn’t think that was all I came here for.”

The stallion was quick to turn around and approach Sunset Shimmer, surprising her by placing his head in-between her legs and lapping away at the treat she was offering him. “Ah! M-My! Aren’t you a bold one?” she teased as she petted the stallion’s head, sighing pleasurably as she leaned her head back and enjoyed her partner’s ministrations. His tongue was long and very, very skilful, hitting all the right spots and occasionally reaching inside of her.

Moans filled the barn and Sunset’s legs began to shake as her breathing increased steadily. Her juices were leaking onto the stallion’s head and she could feel his lust returning in full force. She bobbed her head to the side to confirm her suspicions; his erection was back and demanding attention. And she was more than happy to cooperate.

“Alright, that’s enough now,” she said as she pushed the stallion’s head back, earning a confused whinny from the horse until she removed her top and her bra, tossing them carelessly to the side, and turned around to lean over the edge of the stable’s wall, presenting herself fully to the horny stallion behind her. “Well? What are you waiting for?” she asked, motioning with her finger for him to move forward and mount her already.

The stallion’s eyes became love hearts as he kicked his forelegs and whinnied joyfully, stepping forward and positioning himself over the girl, his forelegs beside her wrists and his long shaft between her thighs. Sunset Shimmer blushed as she felt his breath on her neck and looked back to see how he was doing. She bit her lip as he saw the stallion lining himself up, ready to plunge into her depths. “Best part is, I don’t even need to cast that pregnancy protection spell.”

The first thrust came, sending a jolt of pain through Sunset’s body as she felt herself being filled all in one go. Apparently, her new lover wasn’t one for playing around. She didn’t mind, though; she finally had what she had been craving for so long, and the pain quickly subsided as she felt him pulling back to just the tip. Another thrust forward and a muffled moan escaped Sunset’s lips as she bit into her finger and closed her eyes. This was the pleasure she had been missing, and it felt so great.

So great in fact that, thanks to the warm-up from the stallion’s earlier cunnilingus session, she couldn’t help but reach her peak after just a few strokes, her walls tightening and clenching the shaft still inside of her as she moaned loudly into the night sky. Behind her, she sprayed her orgasmic juices onto her mate’s shaft as he continued thrusting, letting out an annoyed and concerned whinny at the girl.

“D-Don’t worry,” she said, lowering her head below the stable’s low wall and tightening her grip to avoid falling limply to the floor. “K-Keep going! I can still… go on more!”

The stallion needed no further words of encouragement, though he hadn’t exactly slowed down to begin with. As Sunset’s moans and gasps filled the stable, the stallion continued to thrust wildly above her, hitting deep and hard and bringing the girl to a state of pure ecstasy. Her hips began to buck in tandem with her mate’s.

“Yes! YES! K-Keep going! D-Don’t you dare stop until I cum again!” she shouted, panting so hard that whatever reasonable part of her brain was still functioning was worried that she might pass out. The rest simply wanted her to keep going, to keep feeling the hard, throbbing shaft inside of her pounding the edge of her womb as she quickly drew closer to her third orgasm that night.

“HARRRRRDERRRRRR!” Sunset turned her head to the side after hearing a voice that wasn’t her own. In all the fun she was having, she had completely forgot that there were two others with her in that stable. Just a few stalls down, Lyra and Fluttershy were both enjoying their own experiences, the former fully naked, the latter only wearing her tank top, as both were down on their hands and knees facing each other with two large stallions thrusting into them from behind.

“S-So good! Keep going! Fill me up!” Lyra shouted, inching a hand closer to Fluttershy. The other moved her head forward and Lyra mirrored the action, bringing their lips closer together until they both joined together in a passionate, tongue-wrestling kiss.

Sunset Shimmer felt her face heating up even more than it already was and her lower hold tightening at the sight. She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of it, but she couldn’t understand why. All that thought vanished quickly though, as her partner whinnied to tell her that he was close. Sunset Shimmer was, too, so she decided to give him the final push that he needed. She felt his head flaring up inside of her and then the first stream of his hot seed poured into her. The feeling drove her wild as she arched her back.

“YES! Cum inside of me! Pour every last drop into my womb!”

Sunset’s hips continued to buck as stream after stream spurted into her, and it didn’t take long before she joined her mate in orgasmic bliss. The third orgasm of the night, and by far the most powerful, helped in no small part by the fact that he was still pumping semen deep into her inner walls, filling Sunset until she could hold no more and it had to leak out between her folds and his thick shaft.

When he was finished, the stallion pulled backwards and his cock retracted together, pulling out of Sunset completely and allowing even more of his sticky white seed to pour out of her. Sunset was a trembling mess by that point, having to put in a lot of effort to simply turn around and face her partner. “W-Well? A true gentlecolt w-would clean all that up,” she said between heavy breaths.

The stallion looked down to her glistening spot and nodded his head, moving forward to lick her clean. Sunset gasped and cooed pleasantly until he pulled back several seconds later, laying down onto the floor and yawning loudly.

“Tired already?” Sunset Shimmer pushed herself away from the edge of the stable and had to hold out her arms and walk steadily to keep her balance. After taking a few moments to make sure she wouldn’t fall over, Sunset walked past the stallion and stretched her arms. “Hey Lyra! How much longer we got left?”

Lyra, panting as she lay flat on her stomach in much the same state as Sunset Shimmer moments ago, with trails of white decorating her back and her bottom, rose her left arm slowly and looked dazedly at her watch. “Uhhhh… twentyyyyyy minutesssss…”

“Thirty minutes, huh?” Sunset Shimmer smiled as she looked around the barn, scouting out her next partner. “Perfect. I could go for one or two more rounds.”

The drive home was much more tolerable for Sunset Shimmer after she had spent a quick minute inspecting the car to figure out how to raise the roof. All three girls were practically glowing and glistening, the latter mostly due to the sweat they had worked up.

“Remember,” Sunset said as she looked into Lyra’s eyes through the centre mirror, “We’ve never met before.” Sunset turned her gaze to Fluttershy. “And we never saw each other this night.”

Fluttershy nodded her head timidly. “O-Okay. I understand.”

“So, how was it tonight?” Lyra asked Sunset Shimmer with a playful grin. “Enjoy yourself?”

Sunset smirked as she leaned back into her seat. “Actually, yes. It was a wonderful experience. Tell me, how often are these meetings?”

“Well, Shy and I don’t really have the money for another one so soon, so I guess the next one’ll be this time next month.”

Sunset Shimmer cupped her chin and hummed in thought. “I could probably afford to pay for a session all on my own, but then I’d be completely drained… Very well then. I’ll just have to wait a month for next time.” A grin crossed Sunset Shimmer’s face as she added, “Who knows? Maybe the wait will make it even better.”

Author's Note

noregrets

Yolo.