Twilight shut the front door to her palace with a final wave of goodbye to her friends as they walked off into the night. The door shut with an audible click and after a quick flash of magic there was a scraping sound as the door was bolted shut. With the palace secure, Twilight turned away from the entrance and started walking towards the library, a visible bounce in her step. As she walked she couldn't help let out a small chuckle, it had been a fun and rather crazy night and only now were the events catching up to her.

Thinking over the event's of the night, she couldn't help but continue to laugh. Their poker nights were usually fun and often included some hilarious events to add to her ever growing case of 'party stories' , but tonight was something else entirely. She just couldn't believe Richard's boasting, usually he was so quiet and calculated, especially in the middle of a hand. But tonight? He seemed a lot more like Rainbow Dash, so self confident and sure of himself each time he played. Most likely because, for once, he was winning.

But the bet...

Twilight let out a sigh as she considered her actions. She had to admit, it was completely unlike her. Normally she wouldn't ever consider making such a bet, in fact the weekly poker session with Richard and the girls was the only gambling she ever partook of. And she only started participating to ensure she could watch over Richard when he first wanted to join her friends in gambling away what meager bits he earned as a 'handy man' around Ponyville. However, when she saw him that night, a smug grin annoyingly plastered across his face and a tremendous pile of chips (of which a not insignificant amount of which were hers) in front of him, something insider herself snapped and she felt the overwhelming need to get back at him. The mocking of their heat cycle had simply been the straw that broke the camel's back. So to speak.

As she walked down the crystal hallways towards the library, the sharp clatter of her hoofsteps echoing all around, she felt a non zero amount of regret at her actions. Still, the bet had been made and with Pinkie as the bet commissioner she could hardly back down. Not if she didn't want to pay the forfeit, and she was loath if she would let him win her bits and her pride as he made her do whatever he wanted.

No, the die had been cast and she would just have to deal with the outcome whatever it may be.

First though, she would have to learn a spell to induce the symptoms of heat in her soon to be incredibly hot and bothered friend.

After several more minutes of quiet walking, her mind constantly replaying the events of the night, she reached a pair of rather large and prismatic doors. Turning her focus to them, for a moment blanking out all other thoughts, she reached out with her magic causing her horn to glow with her customary violet aura, the same colour as the aura that also enveloped the doors as they slowly opened silently before her.

The sight of the library beyond brought a huge smile to her face, as it always did, and though it would never truly replace Golden Oaks the mere fact she was surrounded by parchment and vellum - her two oldest friends - still filled her with a sense of inner peace.

Stepping over the threshold she both shut and locked the doors behind her, after all she wouldn't want Spike to accidentally wonder in and see something too mature for his baby dragon eyes. That task accomplished, she immediately made her way over to the nearest bookshelf and began looking for any books that could provide any useful information for her heat induction needs.

Three hours later and with seriously heavy bags under her eyes, Twilight sat reading the 20th book of the night. The past nineteen books had proved fruitless in the quest of finding a spell to induce the symptoms of heat on another being. The best she had found was a spell to ensure that Richard didn't cheat and help her know if and when he lost the bet. But that wouldn't help if she couldn't find a way to put the heat in him in the first place.

Twilight let out a low groan of frustration which quickly turned into a startled scream as a brown blur of feathers landed on her desk in a whirl-storm which caused the pages of the book to rapidly turn.

"Who?" the feathered creature cooed.

"Oh." said Twilight, clutching a hoof to her chest right above her rapidly beating heart. "It's just you Owlicious, you scared me for a second."

"Who?" Owlicious asked.

"Oh this?" Twilight asked pointing to the pile of books. "I'm searching for a particular spell. With not much luck I'm afraid."

"Who?" Owlicious repeated.

"It's for a bet I made with Richard." Twilight groaned.

"Who?"

"Yeah." Twilight's ears flattened against her head. "It was rather stupid. Still, at least I'm not likely to lose."

"Who?" said Owlicious, his head turning slightly.

"Of course I'm sure I'll win. There's no way he can deal with the heat as easily as he claims."

"Who?" asked Owlicious again, causing Twilight to turn a shade of red which would put a beetroot to shame.

"Y-yeah, that's the b-bet." she stammered. "He has to try and endure a week being in heat without trying to succumb to it."

"Who?" asked Owlicious, his hoot somewhat more terse than before.

"I don't know what I was thinking, alright! It just sort of happened. One second I'm looking at his smug face and hearing him dismissing what us mares go through and the next I'm making this stupid bet."

"Who." said Owlicious angrily.

"No I can't back out of it, not now, not with Pinkie overseeing it all!" shouted Twilight, the force rustling many of Owlicious' feathers. "Besides, he agreed to the bet. I didn't force him."

"Who." said Owlicious, his hoot muffled by a wing which was covering his face.

"Look, I know you don't approve, but you could at least help me. I need to find a way to induce heat by sunrise or else my goose is cooked. Metaphorically speaking of course, unless Richard is particularly cruel with his demands."

"Who." Owlicious' hooted sharply causing Twilight to look down in shame, her cheeks tinged with rouge.

"Yes, Owlicious." she mumbled. "I know I'd deserve what I get. And really? You're sure we don't have a book with such a spell? How exactly would you know that?"

"Who." Owlicious cooed.

"Yes, I guess you're right. I doubt Princess Celestia would give me such a book as well." Twilight looked down at the floor dejected. "So what do I do now?"

"Who?" Owlicious asked.

"Zecora?" said Twilight questioningly. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask her." Twilight spared a quick glance at a nearby clock. "But it's two in the morning. Do you reckon she would help?"

"Who!" hooted Owlicious angrily.

"Eurgh!" Twilight groaned. "I know I don't have another choice, but what if she doesn't help me?"

"Who." said Owlicious pointing a wing a Twilight.

"Yes, I guess I would have to concede defeat. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Twilight offered Owlicious a small, timid smile. "Thanks Owlicious, you truly are a helpful assistant." Twilight pushed her chair back from the desk, giving the owl a quick, affectionate nuzzle as she rose to her hooves.

"I guess I should go pay Zecora a quick visit." said Twilight as she turned towards the library's doors before quickly pausing to face the owl once more. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to put out some food and water before I leave."

At her declaration, Owlicious leaped into the air, instantly taking flight and beginning to coo happily as she followed Twilight out of the library.

"Yeah, Owlicious, I love you too."

Twenty minutes later, after leaving behind a rather happy Owl, Twilight found herself standing in the chilly early morning and staring at the entrance to Everfree Forest. A sight that could still send shivers through her spine despite the fact she had made this journey many times over recent months in her frequent journeys to the Palace of the Two Sisters and Zecora's hut. Though she had to admit she usually made the trek during the day, when Celestia's sun was high in the sky and all the nocturnal terrors were all in their homes sleeping.

The more she looked at the gap in the trees and near pitch-black darkness that lay beyond, the more she felt she would rather rush home, leap into bed and bury herself under the covers. But that would mean losing the bet, and she could not let that happen. So Twilight did the only thing she could do, she swallowed her fear, illuminated her horn and stepped towards the gaping maw of the forest, trying desperately to keep Pinkie's advice to 'giggle at the ghosties' at the fore of her mind.

As Twilight trotted through the forest, each step a precisely calculated hoof placement as she attempted to avoid the various hazards of the forest floor, from tripping roots to the ever annoying Poison Joke, she began to appreciate just how beautiful the place could be at night. With moonlight filtering through the canopy above casting a silvery glow everywhere it landed, combined with the violet glow of Twilight's horn, the place looked like a dream.

A short while later Twilight found herself standing safely outside the hollowed out tree that Zecora called home. Unfortunately all was dark, the lights that usually radiated from the twin windows either side of the door snuffed out, suggesting that potion master was asleep. Twilight sighed, she had hoped that Zecora had still been up for some reason, now she would have to wake Zecora from her sleep and hope she was willing to help despite the intrusion.

Carefully and as quietly as possible, Twilight crept up to the door, it wouldn't do for some undue snap of a twig to wake Zecora and have herself be mistaken as some beast of the forest. Once she reached the door she raised her hoof to the wood, pausing briefly as the sounds of a gently snoozing zebra could be heard and she was filled with doubt.

'Should I do this?' Twilight thought to herself. 'I'm almost certain I could convince everyone else to just call the bet off if I say I couldn't find a spell. They would understand, right?' But even as the thoughts filled Twilight's mind, she knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself, not easily anyway. She'd made the bet and she'd been willing, if for a moment, to turn him into a mare for a week. As she considered this fact, she played the scene over in her head again. Richard sitting there, his smug grin.

'No, I have to do this, I can't let Richard beat me again. '

Swallowing her pride Twilight knocked on the door, her hoof striking the wood three times creating a noise that seemed to echo around the surrounding forest. Almost instantly the sounds of action could be heard from inside the hut, action being the mixed sounds of hoofsteps and muttered cursing. After a few moments of noise Twilight was almost blinded as the light poured out of the windows, illuminating the forest around the hut and seconds later the door swung open to reveal a rather angry Zecora, her large bamboo pole wielded in one hoof threateningly.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?!" shouted Zecora, her cry causing several nesting birds to take flight, as she struggled to focus her eyes the figure before her.

"Um, Zecora." Said Twilight timidly as she wilted under Zecora's gaze. "It's me, Twilight Sparkle."

Tension hung thick in the air for a few silent seconds as Zecora continued to stare menacingly at Twilight. Eventually however, her gaze softened and she set her pole down by the doorway as a smile graced her face.

"Ahh, Princess, please forgive me, but tired as I am I must have forgotten we had arranged a meeting." said Zecora as she used her now free hoof to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Actually, Zecora." Twilight coughed, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. "We didn't have a meeting planned."

"Then may I please ask, and do forgive any rudeness on my part, what the fuck you are doing waking me up at three o'clock in the morning?" asked Zecora grumpily.

"Well." said Twilight, the blush spreading to cover her entire face. "The thing is, I find myself with a bit of a problem. One which I think you might be able to help me with."

"Hmm." said Zecora with a mixture annoyance and thoughtfulness. "I suppose you should come in and tell me all about it and I'll see what I can do to help. But first, would you like some tea?" Zecora stepped aside to allow entrance to her visitor

"Oh, that would be lovely, thanks." said Twilight gratefully as she crossed the threshold into Zecora's hut. "I could really go for some right now."

"Another late night?" asked Zecora with a chuckle as she shut the door behind Twilight and trotted across the room to where a small, obviously well used kettle resided and set about preparing some tea.

"I'm afraid so." said Twilight as she helped herself to a seat on the floor next to the table which stood in the centre of the room. "I've been busy in the library trying to find a solution to the problem myself. Believe me, waking you up in the middle of the night wouldn't be my first choice."

"Hmm." hummed Zecora thoughtfully as she crossed the room and placed the kettle on a stand in the hut's single fireplace before setting about lighting a fire beneath it. "It must be something very important to trouble you so."

"Well, yes and no really." said Twilight quietly before a sudden realization hit her. "Wait, Zecora, are you feeling alright?"

"Indeed I am, Twilight. Apart from feeling rather tired I'm quite well. Why do you ask?" Zecora replied.

"Y-you're not rhyming like you usually do." said Twilight, nervously.

Zecora let out a long slow chuckle as she made her way over to the table and sat down opposite Twilight.

"Wait, what's so funny?" asked Twilight.

"Apart from you thinking that not talking in poetry means I might be ill?" said Zecora rhetorically.

"Well..." said Twilight as she nervously rubbed her forehooves together. "You've always spoken that way every time I see you, so I just assumed that was how you talked."

"You need not fear me Twilight, in fact I'm surprised it's taken this long for somepony to ask." laughed Zecora. "It's true I usually speak in calculated verse. However, doing so requires a lot of concentration, so it is a habit I sometimes fall out of when tired. Perhaps when I'm more awake I'll begin rhyming once more."

"Ahh." said Twilight. "Well that answers that then."

"Indeed." said Zecora, smiling gently.

"So, about my problem..." Twilight began to speak but was quickly interrupted by Zecora.

"Hush, Princess. First we drink some delicious tea and then we solve your problem."

As if on cue, the kettle above the fire began emitting a whistling sound.

"Ahh." Zecora sighed as she stood up and headed over to the fireplace. "It seems that time has come already."

Carefully, lifting the kettle from the fireplace she carried it over to the long surface which lined one of the walls of her hut and placed it down on a stand while she busied herself with a teapot. When she had finished preparing the tea, she placed the pot on a tray with two mugs and carried it over to the table.

"Tea is served." said Zecora as she poured for both Twilight and herself.

"This smells delicious, Zecora." said Twilight, picking her mug in her telekinetic grip and inhaling deeply. "Thank you very much."

Zecora nodded before quickly drinking her tea, Twilight following suite. Soon enough, both teas had been drunk and both ponies sat in silence, basking as the warmth spread throughout their bodies and the caffeine drove away their tiredness.

"So." said Zecora, the first to speak. "Tell me, what exactly is your problem?"

"Well, it's a little bit complicated I'm afraid. It all started earlier last night when I was playing poker with my friends. We were having a really nice time, laughing and joking, until one of my friends made comments about Fluttershy and how she was overreacting because she wasn't there due to trying to deal with the heat. Well anyway, they said some things, I said some things and we made a bet that he couldn't cope with being in heat for a whole week." said Twilight.

"I assume this friend of yours is a stallion?" asked Zecora.

"Of sorts, yes." answered Twilight. "But here's the problem, I can't find a single spell to induce the symptoms..."

"And you thought I might know of a potion that would be able to do it?" Zecora finished.

"Exactly," said Twilight. "Do you?"

Zecora hummed and stared at the dregs of her tea as she considered Twilight's question. For several minutes they both sat in silence, Twilight nervously drumming on the table with one of her hooves as she waited for an answer.

"I do indeed know of a brew, but it comes with costs attached to you. Unlike times of need in past, some payment I will ask at last." said Zecora, eventually breaking the silence.

"Of course," said Twilight. "I have more than enough bit's to pay for it."

"It's not that type of payment that I do seek." said Zecora. "You have a friend I'd like to meet."

"What do you mean?" asked Twilight, eyebrows raised.

"To this land I was sent I was sent to seek, of magic my kind had yet to meet. From a world afar I hear they're from, the furless one you call human. If a meeting you could arrange, the potion I'd consider paid." answered Zecora.

"Is that all?" Twilight asked. "It doesn't seem like much."

Zecora chuckled.

"Like I said, just before. I seek knowledge, nothing more."

"But I thought you traded potions for food and supplies?" said Twilight.

"Sometimes yes, that is true." Zecora nodded. "But right now I want nothing else from you."

"Well, I'm sure that could be arranged. Richard's nice." said Twilight. "Most of the time at least."

"Thank you, Twilight, mare I call friend. I'm glad on you I can depend." said Zecora with a chuckle. "Now if you can just bear with me, I shall check the recipe."

Zecora stood up from the table and and made her way over to a bookshelf that hung on one of the walls, upon which sat a whole host of books. Twilight had seen them all before in her various visits to Zecora and in fact owned many of them herself. However, the book that Zecora selected and began to read from was one that Twilight didn't recognize. It was a small leather bound tome, more akin to a diary than a published book and as Zecora returned to sit opposite her, Twilight noticed the book was filled with faded hand written scribbles that she found illegible. Most likely they were written in Zecora's native language.

"Ahh, here it is, that potion which you seek. To trigger estrus for a week." said Zecora flicking to a page which to Twilight looked no different than any of the others that Zecora had flicked past.

Twilight watched on as Zecora read the recipe, the zebra muttering under her breath as she recited the ingredients the potion required.

"I have all ingredients, save but one, required to concoct this serum. But the one I'm missing is quite nearby, an easy gather, that is no lie." said Zecora as she finished reading.

"What one are you missing?" asked Twilight.

"The last ingredient I do declare, is fresh dew caressed from a Mare." answered Zecora.

Almost instantly, Twilight's turned a deep shade of claret, and in that moment she was glad Zecora had waited until after tea to discuss the problem. Had they been drinking at that second, Twilight feared she would have drenched Zecora.

"You need what?"

"Are your ears failing you? I told you I need fresh Mare dew." said Zecora calmly.

"Mare dew?" asked Twilight. "A-are you sure we need that for the potion."

"Yes, of this I'm quite sure. We need this dew for our elixir." said Zecora.

Twilight gulped, she was getting redder by the second and small beads of sweat had begun to form on her forehead.

"Who of us..." Twilight started to ask before deciding to feign innocence on the subject. "I mean, where do get this 'Mare dew'?"

Twilight's eyes went wide as Zecora began to lick her lips.

"The delicious nectar is close at hoof. Twenty minutes away, that is the truth."

"W-wow." stuttered Twilight. "Twenty minutes? I've never lasted that long before."

Zecora looked at Twilight confused.

"How is it that you tire so quickly, a walk that short should be quite easy."

"Wait." Twilight coughed. "What do you mean walk?"

"The flower we seek lies a short walk from here, didn't I make my meaning clear?" said Zecora, still clearly confused.

"Flower? Wait, so you didn't mean..." Twilight trailed off into silence, leaving Zecora no wiser than before.

"The Mare flower, also know as Virgin Rose. Such a fragile thing, in darkness grows." said Zecora turning the page of her book and pointing a hoof at a large sketch of a flower. "From this flower, it's dew we need. What did you think I meant, indeed?"

Twilight looked down at the ground, averting Zecora's daze.

'How could I be so foolish? she thought to herself. 'Of course it was a flower, Zecora would never ask me to help with 'that'... '

After taking several deep breaths to regain her composure Twilight eventually looked back up at Zecora.

"Don't worry about it. I just misunderstood you for a second. Must be more tired than I thought."

Zecora shook her head as she let out a small laugh causing a sheepish grin to creep across Twilight's face. Luckily for Twilight, Zecora thought it wiser to not press any more on the subject. Instead, she stood up from the table and made her way out of the hut, holding the door open for Twilight to follow behind.

"Come, we must gather soon, while the flower is still in bloom. For soon the sun shall dawn a new day, and the Virgin Rose shall hide away."

Author's Note

Some relevant information for anyone interested

The Mare Flower, also known as the Virgin Rose is a flower which grows in the dark regions of Equestria. Considered to be a rather shy flower. It only grows in and among other plants and the flower closes during the day, and as such it can be incredibly hard to find unless searching at night.

Inside the flower, it produces a sweet nectar or 'dew' which many have said tastes like honey. The nectar also contains powerful properties one of which is the ability to trigger estrus if taken in the right amounts. If properly brewed, it can also allow a male to experience the symptoms of estrus or "being in heat"

Hope this clears up anything :) and hope you're enjoying the story.