Standing the Heat

"I'm sorry ladies, I guess it just isn't your night."

Richard let out a small chuckle as he swept up a large pile of different coloured chips with his hands. He began to add them to the different piles already set before him based on their colours when a pair of hooves slammed onto the table knocking all chips over.

"Dammit, Dick! Six hands! Six fricken hands! How can you win so many?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, glaring at him from across the table.

"I don't know, Dashie, I guess I'm just running hot tonight." said Richard as he began to sort the chips back into piles, a smile on his face. He really did enjoy antagonizing his friends during poker. Especially Rainbow Dash. Her hotheadedness, combined with the alcohol they regularly consumed during their games nights not only made her a sloppy player, but also led to her getting really angry whenever she lost, especially when she thought she had a winning hand.

"Running hot my ass!" declared Rainbow Dash. "You must be cheating to do that well. And you know I hate it when ‘you’ call me Dashie."

A loud snort filled the room at Rainbow's accusation, and all the heads in the room turned to face the orange pony sat directly to Richard's right. Currently half way through taking a rather large drink from a mug of cider, customary hat perched on her head, Applejack glared angrily at Rainbow Dash and after draining her mug she slammed it down onto the table, once again knocking the chips over.

"Dammit, Rainbow, calm your horses. Rick ain't cheating." said the cowpony.

"And how the hay would you know, AJ?" asked Rainbow Dash

"Because I've been watching him ya feather brain." replied Applejack

"Oh yeah?! Well I reckon you're in on it with him." said Rainbow Dash accusingly.

"I seriously think you need to calm down, Rainbow Dash, darling. You're starting to sound like a madmare, accusing everyone of cheating." said Rarity. The pristine white unicorn was sitting on directly to Richard's left and as she spoke, picked the cards up from the table in her telekinetic grip and proceeded to shuffle them for the next hand.

"Yeah, Dashie, you seriously need to calm down." said Richard with a large grin plastered across his face. "Besides, the only reason I'm winning is because Fluttershy isn't here. If she was, she'd be beating you instead. Where is she anyway?"

"Oh, she's busy with something." replied Pinkie Pie as she walked into the room balancing a large tray, laden with several new mugs of cider, precariously on her mane .

"Oh really?" asked Richard. "What with? I spoke to her the other day and she never mentioned having anything else planned."

The whole room suddenly went silent as each of the ponies shared a knowing look with each other. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Richard.

"Wait, what was that?" he asked.

"It's something private, sugar cube, and I'm not sure she'd want us telling anypony about it." said Applejack.

"Yes, Applejack's right, darling. Besides, it's nothing important anyway." said Rarity.

"Hmm..." said Pinkie. "I'm not sure she'd mind him knowing, after all, it's hardly a big secret. Besides, he'd find out sometime anyway."

"If Fluttershy wanted him to know she would have told him herself, Pinkie, I say we leave it up to her." said Rainbow Dash.

"What should Fluttershy tell me herself?" asked Richard as he scratched his chin, quite confused by the current situation.

Once again an eerie silence settled in the room as the 5 ponies looked at each other. When it looked like none of the ponies were willing to answer his question Richard pushed his chair back from the table, the legs scraping against the wooden floor, and pushed himself up.

"Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll ask her myself." He hastily pushed his mound of chips towards Twilight, who was sat next to their box, and turned to leave the room. "Cash me out, I'll pick up my winnings tomorrow."

He began to leave the room but soon found his route impeded as the door closed itself in front of him, the wood surrounded by a violet field of magic.

"You're not going anywhere," Twilight snorted. "Fluttershy won't want anyone disturbing her. Besides, we've got a game to finish. I want to win some of my money back."

Richard turned back to the group and leaned back against the door. He fixed Twilight with a look of disdain and gave a snort of his own.

"I'm not playing anything unless you tell me what's going on." he said. "Fluttershy is my friend too and, by the way, I'm not your prisoner to do with what you want, you can't keep me here against my will. I'm a free person, and if I want to see her, I will do so."

A faint groan escaped from Twilight's lips as she clutched her face in her hooves for a moment.

"Fine, I'll tell you why she isn't here. But, please don't mention it to her, she would be incredibly embarrassed and you know how skittish she can be." said Twilight, exasperatedly. "And after I tell you, we're going to play some more hands. You owe me a chance to win my money back."

Richard reluctantly moved away from the door and took his seat once more, his chips floating into piles before him as Twilight gave him his chips back.

"Okay, so spill the beans already." said Richard as he pulled his chair forward, bringing himself closer to the table.

"Alright," said Twilight. "The reason Fluttershy can't be with us tonight is she's too busy trying to cope with being in heat."

"Is that it?" said Richard. "I don't see why that's stopping her play poker."

"Is that it?!" squeaked Rainbow Dash. "You do realize what the heat is, right?!"

“That time you girls get really horny because it’s the short time you’re able to reproduce?” he shrugged. “Sure, I know what it is, but I hardly think that’s reason to miss a poker game.”

“It’s more than just ‘really horny’, darling.” said Rarity. “When a mare goes into heat, they experience an internal burning of desire the likes of which no stallion or ‘man’ could ever experience.” As Rarity spoke, her eyes glazed over, thought clearly swirling through her mind.

“Oh please.” said Richard as he let out a small chuckle. “You realize stallions are constantly horny, right? I think I have at least as much experience with being horny as you girls do.”

“Hah!” snorted Applejack. “Y’all don’t know what you’re talking about. What stallions experience is like being in the sun on a cool spring day. What mares go through is like standing in the middle of a blazing inferno. Stallions aint got nothing on mares.”

“Come off it, even if mares do experience a greater intensity, you still only experience it for one week each month. Imagine every day.” said Richard

“What a mare goes through in one week is worth a year of what a stallion goes through.” said Rainbow Dash.

“I seriously doubt that.” Richard laughed.

“Oh really?” asked Twilight menacingly, an evil glint in her eye as. “Are you prepared to put your money where your mouth is?”

“W-what do you mean, Twilight?” Richard stammered, not expecting the question.

“I mean, are you willing to make a bet based on your assumption that going through heat isn’t that bad?” said Twilight. “Or are you chicken?!”

“Hah! You sure are desperate to lose your bits to me. Alright, I’ll take your bet, so how much are we staking?”

“Oh, we’re not staking bits.” said Twilight offhandedly.

“What are we betting then?” asked Richard

“Well, how about we make this interesting, shall we?” said Twilight slowly, as she got up off her chair and stalked around the table towards Richard. “I’m so confident that I’ll easily beat you that if you win, you can name your terms after the fact.”

“Alright, a bit cocky, but I’m down with that. But what if you win?” asked Richard.

By now, Twilight had walked around the table and was standing right next to Richard. For a moment she didn’t respond, instead choosing to fix him with a piercing gaze.

“Twilight..?” asked Richard, one of his hands subconsciously tugging at his collar nervously.

Twilight responded to his question by leaning forward until her muzzle was barely an inch away from his lips. Her hot breath washing over his face and the smell of alcohol filled his nose sending shivers down his spine.

“If I win.” said Twilight, grinning evilly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I get to turn you into a mare, for a whole week.” Twilight punctuated her sentence by licking her lips, agonisingly slowly, the sight causing Richard to visibly gulp as small beads of sweat appeared on his face.

“So...” said Twilight. “Are you game?”

“Y-yes.” said Richard shakingly, his voice coming out as little more than a strangled groan.

“Good.” said Twilight. “Well, here is how we will do it. I’ll get things ready tonight, and tomorrow morning, shall we say at nine? we’ll meet at the doors to my palace to induce the heat and start the bet. You girls can come too.” she said as she turned to her friends. “And Pinkie can be the bet’s official, watch for cheating and make any rulings we might need. Does that sound fair to you?”

Richard opened his mouth to speak but all he could do was let out a muted whine, instead he settled for a nod of his head.

“Good.” chuckled Twilight. “Well, I suggest you go home and get some sleep. After all, you’ve got a big week ahead of you. And don’t worry.” Twilght picked up a single poker chip from his pile in her telekinetic grip. “I’ll bring your winnings along with me.”

The moment Twilight finished speaking, there was a blinding flash of light robbing Richard of his sight and filling his mouth with the tangy taste of ozone.

As the light began to fade, Richard found the warmth that previously surrounded him was replaced with a chilling cold and as his eyesight returned he noticed that no longer was he sitting in the beautiful and cozy dining room of Twilight’s crystal palace. Instead, he was standing outside looking directly at the palace’s main door, beyond which the sound of laughter could be faintly heard.

As the realization of what had just occurred sank in, Richard began to shiver and it wasn’t from the cold.

“I’ll show you, Twilight.” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll win that bet, just you wait and see.”

With purpose, Richard turned and strode swiftly off into the night. His home wasn’t far and Ponyville wasn’t a dangerous place. However, Twilight was probably right about one thing. He was exhausted and was probably going to need all the sleep he could get.