Chapter 4: Boiling Point

Chapter 4: Boiling Point

Trixie’s mood had turned distinctly foul by the time she returned home that day. Pokey had finished up the spare paperwork for the day and had wisely decided to get out of his boss’ way when he saw the sour grimace on her face that would’ve been reducing furniture to charred ashes if only looks held the power to translate mood into heat rays. Once Pokey had beaten a hasty retreat from the Representative's residence, Trixie promptly stomped her way upstairs, into her bedroom, threw herself onto the bed, and proceeded to scream into her pillows with all of the pent up frustration, fear, and bitterness that’d built up in her over the course of the day.

All she wanted was to find a way to make Raindrops happy! It was utterly unacceptable in Trixie’s mind for her to have to leave her altogether wonderful and dedicated marefriend to suffer. It made Trixie feel that hard sting of failure that she’d spent a good chunk of her life fearing and trying to avoid. What kind of marefriend was she if she couldn’t do something as simple as satisfy her partner’s desires?

Yet those desires involved doing things Trixie had such a powerful aversion to that she’d always fundamentally avoided even thinking about... it.

Sex. It’s sex. If you keep avoiding even thinking about the word then how are you ever going to continue this relationship? Trixie thought heatedly, rolling over on the bed and glaring at the ceiling.

“Is there something wrong with me?” she asked aloud, then shook her head, “Of course not. If ponies can dislike certain foods, then I can dislike sex. It’s not wrong, its just how I am.”

Which would have been fine, but she’d made the choice to begin a relationship with another mare who Trixie had known did like sex. She’d been aware of Raindrops’ obsession with over the top romance novels, and not once had Raindrops ever shown a disinterest or aversion to sex, so Trixie had been deluding herself to think this roadblock hadn’t been coming. The writing hadn't just been on the wall, it'd been blazed on it with twelve foot high flaming letters!

It might have also been equally naive to believe that the problem could be solved by just throwing sex toys at Raindrops and hoping for the best. Raindrops’ words echoed back to Trixie.

“I want you...”

Trixie spread her forelegs out to her sides, sighing. It wasn’t even as if she disliked hearing those words from Raindrops. If anything there was a certain, warm pleasure to hearing her marefriend say how much she wanted Trixie. But that was purely a matter of ego mixed with simple affection. Trixie liked feeling needed. Appreciated. Loved. And Raindrops was a very affectionate pony once one got past the outer barriers.

With a huff she raised her head, face deadpan, as she grumbled at her crotch. “This is all your fault, you know. You and your stupid, icky biology! Why, out of all the ways nature decided to make ponies reproduce, did it decide the best way to do that was to stick a hole there, inches from where we got to the bathroom!? That’s terrible design work! Oh, but that’s not all, no. Nature then decided to make you stupid at certain times of the year, torturing us with crazy hormones that don’t even take our personal feelings into consideration! You are inconsiderate and poorly designed!” she shouted the accusation, pointing at her nethers with a vengeful hoof.

A voice cleared its throat from the doorway.

“Are you done yelling at your vagina, or should I come back later?”

Trixie nearly hit the ceiling, jumping so high, and bounced off her bed onto the floor, looking upside down at the bemused looking Cheerilee standing in her door.

“C-Cheerilee!? What are you doing in my house?”

“You left the door unlocked,” Cheerilee said, taking a few steps inside and offering Trixie a hoof, which she reluctantly took to let the schoolteacher pull her back upright. “I thought I’d come check on you. How’d things go with Raindrops?”

Trixie’s ears flattened, and she looked away, silent. Cheerilee sucked in a breath, “That swell, huh? Kind of figured, honeslty.”

“Grr, not exactly living up to your Element right now, Cheerilee,” Trixie muttered, sitting back down on her bed, and lowering her head, “I don’t want to be reminded that I’m doing such a poor job of being a marefriend.”

“That’s not what I meant at all,” said Cheerilee as she went up to the bed next to Trixie and also took a seat, “And right now while you might be able to use a laugh, I think you need somepony to talk to you straight a little more.”

“That so? And just what’s this straight talk you think I need?”

Cheerilee looked at her steadily, face both sympathetic, yet somehow hard as she took a deep breath and said, “Let me ask you, straight up; would you be willing to try having sex with Raindrops?”

Trixie immediately winced, all of her disgust at the thought of sex ramming through her. “I can’t just stop finding sex gross, Cheerilee. This isn’t like trying to make a foal eat their vegetables. This is as much a part of who am I as my cutie mark. It isn’t going away just because its making life difficult right now.”

“Here’s the thing, Trixie. I’m not asking you to change how you fell about sex. I’m asking if you can have sex with Raindrops despite how you feel about sex.”

“But... she doesn’t want me to do that.”

“Raindrops doesn’t know what she wants, other than to make you happy,” Cheerilee said, pointing at Trixie, “And the thing is, I can tell you feel the same way. You both want to make each other happy, but this one sticking point is tearing you both apart inside. So here’s what I’m thinking. Try, Trixie. You don’t have to change who you are, but one thing I’ll point out here is that no matter what you’ve thought about sex all your life, if you haven’t actually tried it then you’ll never really know for certain just what it might or might not feel like. And if anypony you’ve ever met is worth trying this for, if not Raindrops, then who?”

The words held a certain logic to them, yet that didn’t make them any easier to hear. Even if Trixie did decide to try sex with Raindrops she didn’t fully trust herself not to make it so awkward and awful for Raindrops that it'd seriously hurt the other mare’s feelings. As much as Trixie didn’t want to think about sex, she could only imagine how Raindrops might feel if Trixie gagged or got nauseous in the middle of the act. Raindrops had made it pretty clear part of what she wanted was for Trixie to want this as well, and Trixie didn’t think she could fake it. Not without being stupendously drunk, or using magic to mess with her head, both of which were options Trixie knew Raindrops would shoot down. If only there was some magic that might give Trixie a third option...

“Cheerilee, I understand what you’re telling me, but I don’t know if I can do that. I don’t think Raindrops would ever forgive me if we got, uh, into it and I upchucked on her. I don’t think I’d forgive myself for doing that to her.”

“Let me put this another way then,” Cheeirlee said, fixing Trixie with a serious, almost parental stare, “What other options do you have at this point?”

Trixie blanched, looking away, her thoughts about magical third options echoing in her head. “I know you girls think it won’t work, but blast it all I’m willing to still try magicking my way out of this! With the right spells-”

“Trixie, Raindrops would never want you using magic to change yourself.”

“I’m not going to do anything like that,” Trixie said, mind turning its squeaky gears in an ever faster maelstrom of ideas, “But if you’re asking me to consider experimenting with Raindrops, and she’s... open to the idea, then experiment is exactly what I’ll do.”

The idea that took shape in her head was a long shot, but perhaps the Princess would understand, if Trixie just explained things openly. Her face was already burning with embarrassment just thinking of the conversation to come, but as Cheerilee had just thoroughly pointed out; Trixie was out of options.

“I confess I’m surprised you came to see me personally when we have a very simple and convenient systems to convey letters to each other.” Princess Luna was inside her private study, warmth pouring from the hearth as she sat behind her desk, a pair of glasses that Trixie knew full and well the Princess didn’t need perched on her snout as she read a set of papers that Trixie suspected were incredibly boring tax documents.

Trixie had timed her arrival to Canterlot very specifically to meet with the Princess at just the hour before sunset, as she knew well that Luna was just getting to reviewing the night’s coming business but wouldn’t be so busy that taking a personal guest was out of the question. She also knew that addressing a letter to the Princess speaking of the need to discuss a ‘deeply personal issue’ would be just intriguing enough for Luna to be willing to set aside a few protocols to meet with Trixie in her private study.

She hadn’t told anypony besides Cheerilee where she was going that night, and she fully intended to be back in Ponyville before dawn. If all went according to plan, she’d have a surprise for Raindrops that morning that would hopefully lead to a solution to their mutual problem.

“I highly appreciate your willingness to meet with me, Princess.” Trixie said, dipping a polite bow, which caused Luna’s eyebrow to raise in quizzical bemusement.

“You wrote of a personal matter that required we talk face to face. I’ll admit I could only wonder as to what would trigger this.” Luna sniffed the air, “But I can take a guess.”

Trixie gulped, feeling the heat burn her face, and it wasn’t coming from the hearth. “O-oh?”

“You forget the senses of an alicorn are sharper than a normal pony’s by several magnitudes. I can smell Raindrops’ lingering scent on you, and judging by the scent she’s entered her heat cycle. So, let me make some logical deductions here, before you say a word. You’re having a panic attack due to your continued issues with the concept of sex and are seeking a magical solution from me, the one mare in all Equestria who’s magical knowledge likely contains several potential spells that might alleviate your issue. Am I close?”

“Painfully,” Trixie admitted with a soft snort and flick of her tail as she looked anxiously at Luna, “So the question is, will you? Help, that is?”

Luna was one of the few ponies Trixie had ever met who could completely hide her thoughts, leaving no clue as to what was happening behind her statue still expression or the seemingly infinite gleam of her eyes. In this case, however, Luna hid nothing, making it clear to Trixie what the alicorn was going to say before she gently floated her glasses off her snout, placed them on the desk in front of her, and looked Trixie directly in the eyes.

“No.”

Trixie was embarrassed by the petulant nature of it, but her emotions were boiling over as she stamped her hoof and said, “Why not!? I don’t have anypony else I can turn to with this! I’m still your apprentice, am I not? Teaching me magic is still technically part of that, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but it is entirely my own perogative to choose what to teach you and what not to, and in this case I am hesitant at best at the idea of teaching you magic that will allow you to bypass this issue, Trixie.” Luna took a deep breath, her expression softening into an understanding, if exasperated smile, “I’ve known for a long time that this was coming, and it's a problem I can’t solve for you, my dear, obstinate student. Your sexuality and how you relate it to those you love is something only you can decide.”

“I don’t have any sexuality! That’s what’s causing the problem!” Trixie nearly shouted, her breathing getting quick and irregular as her heart started to beat faster in something akin to the beginnings of panic. “I love Raindrops but I can’t make love to her without... without...”

“Without what?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Trixie lowered her head, muttering, “Without risking losing her. If I try to have...” she licked her lips and flinched, “sex with Raindrops, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it together. I don’t know what she’ll think of me if I literally gag while trying to, well, do anything to her. She’ll think I’m disgusted by her.”

“Which you are not, correct?”

“Of course not!” Trixie snapped, eyes flashing, voice passionately heated. “Raindrops is perfectly fine! She takes such good care of her body that it boggles my mind she didn’t find somepony before me! She’s literally got a smile I’d consider committing acts of sedition for!”

Luna’s eyebrow shot even higher but Trixie continued her tirade, as if the words couldn’t wait to stampede out.

“She’s braver than anypony I’ve ever known, has the guts to call me out on my horseapples and match me pound for pound in terms of stubbornness, and best of all she’s so unbelievably affectionate that just being around her can take the worst of days and make me feel better just by giving me a nuzzle! So let me make this crystal clear. I! Love! Raindrops! I love her to the point where I’m even considering ways to get sweaty and horizontal with her despite finding the very notion of sex gross enough to lock myself in my house every time I’ve ever gone into heat!”

Trixie, by now, had actually stomped up to Luna’s desk and reared up, slamming her forehooves onto the desk while staring Luna’ directly in the eyes, her own wide and nearly wild. She felt like a teakettle left too long on the stove, the steam not just whistling out, but screaming out along with the boiling water inside.

“So if there’s a bucking magical method to give my marefriend the unadulterated magnificent sex she deserves from a loving marefriend without me having a mental breakdown from it, I’m going to learn it even if I have to break into forbidden sections of the Canterlot vaults to find the spells! I’ll become a wanted criminal and toss aside any shot at nobility if it means I can give Rindrops just one night of actual happiness, and don’t you bucking doubt I will, Princess!”

“I think it might be a bit too late for the mental breakdown part,” said Luna after a moment of staring at Trixie, who in turn seemed to realize she’d just been yelling in the face of Equestria’s royal alicorn monarch, and wisely got off the desk and took a few hesitant steps back. Looking Trixie over for a few seconds more, if only perhaps to allow the mare to squirm a tad, Luna went on.

“However it is clear that your passionate about resolving this issue. One would think that passion might translate into a willingness to try the physical act one is so afraid of, but I can understand why you’d be fearful of disapointing Raindrops, if your love for her is so strong. Given what I know of Raindrops I’d point out any magical solution likely runs the same risk.”

“...I know,” Trixie said, voice now much more subdued after blowing her top a moment ago, “My other friends, Cheerilee especially, have already pointed all that out. I know Raindrops won’t approve of me using magic for this, especially if it's magic that alters my mind in some way. Which is why I was hoping you had spells that didn't involve that and could offer some other approach.”

“I wouldn’t teach you that kind of magic anyway. If I was going to teach you a spell for this, which I am not saying I will, but if I was it would have to be a lesser version of my clone spell.”

Luna’s words made Trixie’s eyes pop wide, shocked. “Your clones? I didn’t think anypony besides an alicorn could pull off a spell like that?”

“A true avatar requires alicorn magic, this is true,” said Luna, folding her hooves under her chin, “However there is a simpler version of the spell that could be performed by a unicorn. It would require a great pool of magic, perhaps beyond what you’re capable of. The clone would not possess more than a trickle of your own magic, and while you maintained the spell you yourself would be all but drained of magic as well. Furthermore the clone could only behave in accordance with your commands, lacking the independent thought and will that true avatars possess. She’d have your knowledge, but none of your personality. This is where the real trouble lies. Such a clone I doubt would be suited for the purposes of a passionate session of love making, as you desire for your marefriend. She’d obey commands like a golem would, completely devoid of passion.”

Luna sighed regretfully, “Even in your state of disgust for sex your passion would likely make your own personal attempt at making love to Raindrops much more pleasurable than anything the clone could achieve.”

Trixie swallowed, despite a dry mouth, and her mind worked furiously for an idea. With hesitance she said, “What if there was a way to connect my... my emotions to the clone. None of the physical sensation, but just my feelings and thoughts? Could I direct the clones actions that way, without feeling any of the physical stuff it’d feel?”

Luna’s silence stretched, making Trixie shift uncomfortably, until finally the alicorn said, “It is possible, but what you propose isn’t a simple thing. Modifying an already difficult spell in such a manner could easily tax you beyond your abilities. You’d run a dangerous risk of hurting yourself if you were not exceedingly careful.”

“I think I’ve already made it clear I’m willing to take risks for Raindrops,” Trixie said, then asked nervously, “Will you teach me? Tonight?”

If the silence from Luna before had been unbearably long, this one was truly glacial, to the point where Trixie was fairly certain she could feel her legs start to cramp up form standing still too long. Yet it was clear Luna was in deep thought on the matter, her blue eyes piercing straight into Trixie, measuring and calculating in ways only a being millennia old could manage.

“I shouldn’t,” Luna said, nearly making Trixie jump at the sudden voice, “I really shouldn’t. Every gut instinct I have tells me this is going to end in tears. But... you’ve long since stopped being the foal I took into my care. If I trust you enough to represent matters for an entire village of ponies, I can trust you to make your own choices about your sex life, whether for better or disaster.”

Luna rose from her sitting position on a large, dark blue velvet cushion, and strode around the desk, wings unfurling to their impressive length and reminding Trixie of just how large the alicorn was as she looked down at Trixie.

“Time is short, and this is no cantrip I’m teaching you, my student. Come, to the training room. This is going to be a long night and I have duties that I can only put off for so long.”

Trixie nodded and followed her mentor out of the alicorn’s personal chambers, and down the hallway towards the old stone training room where she’d learned many a spell under Luna’s strict instruction. There was a stitch of nostalgic feeling in the walk, following behind Luna, reminding Trixie of much younger and simpler days. A part of her wished her life had stayed that simple, with none of the troubles of today. Even facing the Tyrant Sun’s minions seemed easy compared to just finding a way to have a relationship work.

But find a way she would, no matter what it took. Tomorrow morning, Raindrops was going to be in for a surprise.

“Should we be worried? I feel like we should be worried.” said Lyra as she sat at an outdoor table at one of Ponyville’s cafes. Beside her Bon Bon leaned against her and nuzzled Lyra’s neck, their tails affectionately wrapped around each others.

“Don’t, honey. They’re big girls who can sort their own issues out. Well, Raindrops is anyway.”

“But its weird Trixie vanished last night, isn’t it?” Lyra asked, glancing across the table at Ditzy Doo, who was sipping on some coffee. Ditzy was still in her mailmare uniform, taking her scheduled thirty minute meal break during her morning rounds. She looked at Lyra and shrugged.

“She wasn’t home when I dropped off the mail this morning. If she was I would’ve heard the singing. She really likes showtunes this time of year.”

“If Cheerilee wasn’t teaching class I’d snap her up for some lock-picking escapades to search for clues,” Lyra muttered, to which Ditzy giggled.

“Why do we end up breaking into Trixie’s house more often than we end up protecting the country from Corona?”

“Well if she didn’t lock the door all the time we wouldn’t have to,” Lrya said, hooves crossed over her chest and nodding firmly.

“Whose locking whose door?”

Lyra and the others turned to see Trixie trotting by, the magician pausing just long enough to tip her hat towards the table with a smug smile. Trixie had dark circles under her eyes, but managed to look energetic despite clearly having not slept the previous night. Lyra looked at the other unicorn with worried eyes.

“Um, so, Trixie... where were you last night?” A thought struck her and her mood both brightened and tensed at the same time, “You didn’t spend the night with Raindrops did you!? It would be amazing if you did, but did you?”

Trixie coughed, “Ah, no, not with Raindrops. Yet rest assured my time was well spent and soon I will allevate my darling of the heat that plagues us both with the quenching touch of a loving embrace! Trixie has gained new prowess and will meet the challenges of her lover’s passionate fires with an oasis especially prepared for her!”

Lyra tilted her head and blinked, “Huh?”

Ditzy Doo looked hopeful, smiling as she fluttered her wings, “So does that mean you figured out a way to be with Raindrops?”

“Yes! Maybe. Most probably. No, it’ll work.” Trixie said with her degree of confidence seeming to dip down and up like a roller coaster. Lyra couldn’t help but notice that Trixie’s legs were trembling slightly, and it might not have all been from fatigue. There was a real tremor of fear in the mare’s eyes, that she was doing her best to cover up with as much energetic bravado as she could push out. That alone redoubled Lyra’s worries.

“What exactly are you planning?” Lyra asked in as casual a tone as she could muster.

Trixie licked her lips and looked around as if suspecting eavesdroppers. The cafe wasn’t particularly crowded, though Trixie was making enough of a scene that the few other ponies there were watching with varying degrees of interest. The Representative of Ponyville making a scene wasn’t exactly unusual and most of the town’s residents were used to Trixie’s ‘expressive’ behavior.

Still, Trixie leaned in to whisper to the table, “I am going to visit Raindrops.”

Ditzy Doo, Lyra, and Bon Bon all exchanged looks, then Lyra glanced back at Trixie. “Aaaaand?”

Trixie’s face gradually took on the general sheen of a blue tinged raspberry, and her voice went into an even quieter yet somehow more serious whisper, “Then we shall... do the thing.”

“The thing?”

“The sex thing. With the sex.”

That caught Lyra by surprise. “Really!? You’re gonna go for it then!?”

“Shhh!” Trixie hushed Lyra with a hoof planted squarely in the other mare’s mouth, “Not so loud! Look, I have a clever workaround that should be a solid compromise between what Raindrops wants and what I want. I just need to run it by her, see how she responds.”

“That’s all well and good,” said Bon Bon, “But isn’t Raindrops working today?”

Trixie gained a thousand mile long stare, then slammed her forehead to the table, “Merde. I forgot that yesterday was her only day off! Alright, alright, not a problem, I can just catch her after her shift. Yes, yes this will work nicely. She’ll be tired after a long day of work and be perfectly ready to be ambushed by my love! I need candles, roses, scented oils, and about two sticks of butter.”

Before Lyra could even respond to that Trixie wheeled about, pointing dramatically, “To the marketplace!”

The magician was off like a blueberry from a slingshot, gone well before any of her present friends could say much to question her. Lyra frowned profoundly, blowing out a sigh.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

It had been a long and fairly strenuous day of work for Raindrops. Normally one could claim some time off due to things like going into heat, but Raindrops usually had hers under control and hated losing work hours, so she rarely opted for time off. Besides, given how worked up she was some hard physical labor was a better way to burn off energy and keep her mind off of other things. If she stayed at home all she’d end up doing is thinking of Trixie and getting overly acquainted with the toys Trixie had bought for her.

Which had been sweet, if a bit goofy on Trixie’s part. Raindrops wasn’t really all that into sex toys. They just seemed too impersonal. No matter how realistic the materials the toys just weren’t a substitute for the warmth of a real pony. Still, out of respect for Trixie she’d at least tried them the previous night. Well, the ones she could figure out how to use. The toys were novel, but not what she truly desired. Just a hollow echo of the fantasies that burned through her if she let herself stop and think too much.

Raindrops would’ve happily worked some overtime just to have the benefit of the distraction, but Rainbow Dash had insisted Raindrops head home. Mostly because, willing to work or not, Raindrops’ heat was ‘distracting’ some of her co-workers. Raindrops thought that was horseapples given she could handle cloud-busting solo, but arguing with Rainbow Dash didn’t hold any appeal, so she’d just agreed to go home at the regular time.

Only when Raindrops got to her house she had a surprise waiting for her. Her mother met her at the door, with a letter in hoof.

“Miss Trixie brought this earlier today,” Shutter Bug said, eyes guarded as she gave Raindrops the letter. Raindrops’ nose was quickly hit with a whiff of strongly scented perfume coming from the letter envelope, and noticed it was sealed with red wax stamped with Trixie’s seal.

“Thanks mom. Uh, did she say anything?” Raindrops asked hesitantly.

“Only that the letter was for your eyes only...” her mother responded with an uncomfortable pause. After clearing her throat a bit Shutter Bug said, “Dear, do you want to talk about anything? I, well, I know we haven’t had much opportunity to really talk about these kind of adult things but I want you to know I’m here and willing to talk if you need it.”

Raindrops took a very deep breath, which tickled her nose with more of that perfume scent... jasmine, she realized. Swallowing, she said, “I appreciate it mom, but its kind of complicated between me and Trixie right now. I don’t think the usual talks will help much. At least with her also being a mare you don’t have to worry about ending up with a grandfoal this early.”

Her mother let out a short chuckle, “Yes, I suppose there’s no worries on that front, although even if you were dating a stallion I know you’re responsible enough to take precautions. It’s less the physical responsibilities and more the... emotional impact I’m worried about. Honey, Trixie is your first, well, everything. I just worry. That’s a mother’s job.”

Raindrops looked to the letter in her hoof, carefully opening the envelope. Inside was fine quality pink paper, folded up. Raindrops unfolded it to find it had a short message scrawled in Trixie’s sharp yet expansive flourish.

Evening, my place. I hope to see you there, amore.

The words, short and simple as they were, sent a hot fluttering through Raindrops, making her spine tingle. What was Trixie planning? Raindrops was as excited as she was nervous. Surely this could’t mean what she thought it meant? Trixie was probably just wanting to talk more. Which was fine, although Raindrops wasn’t sure what that might accomplish other than to emphasize the problem. But what if...?

“Raindrops, dear?” her mother asked, noticing Raindrops starring at the letter.

“Oh, um, sorry.” Raindrops glanced away for a moment, mind spinning, but she quickly returned her mother’s look with a hopeful one of her own. “I’ll try not to worry you so much, but I think me and Trixie will figure this out, somehow.”

Shutter Bug nodded at that, still looking worried, “What did Miss Trixie want?”

“She, uh, invited me over to her place tonight.” Raindrops said, feeling the warmth on her cheeks as she said it. Her mother took a second to absorb that, blinking, and also reddening a bit in the face.

“Oh, I see. Well, I imagine you’ll want to freshen up then. Should I fix an early dinner?”

“Nah, that’s alright. Knowing Trixie, she’ll have something in mind.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning up with a thorough shower (in which Raindrops took care of some personal relief, just to take the edge off her heat) and then deciding just what to wear. Many might not have associated her usually blunt and at times rough personality with a romantic, but Raindrops took even the small things seriously and if Trixie was inviting her over for a romantic evening, even if nothing happened, Raindrops wanted to look good for her marefriend.

This might be a mistake, some dark corner of her mind told her. Given the strength of her heat being alone with Trixie in any kind of romantic situation could easily be a recipe for disaster. What if Raindrops lost control of herself? Even if by accident the idea of committing any kind of forceful assault upon Trixie filled Raindrops with cold dread. But no, Raindrops wasn’t that far gone. This wasn’t one of Trixie’s heats after all. It might be tough, and Raindrops might get very amorous during the evening, whatever Trixie was planning, but Raindrops felt confident she could control herself and be a perfect gentlemare. She wouldn’t even bring up sex! Nope, she’d just enjoy the evening, and shove down any sexual urges with a mental and emotional bludgeon.

Her range of clothing choices were limited, largely because she almost never had any good occasions to wear such things. There was her Gala dress, but that was entirely too over the top, and not precisely suited to a comfortable one-on-one evening with Trixie. She did own a less complex dress which consisted of a fairly simple ocean blue blouse with white trimming and a similarly white skirt that was just short enough to be considered a tad risque, and considerably her only other formal wear was something that looked more like a suit than a dress, she went with the dress.

Doing her mane and tail was a rarity for her. She rarely went beyond a few quick brushes to keep them straight and free of tangles. That evening she went all out, brushing both mane and tail to silky smoothness. She didn’t do anything fancy with either, but when her mother saw her she insisted on giving Raindrops at least one braid along the right side of her head. A ‘traditional’ braid for a pegasus mare seeing a paramour, and something Shutter Bug seemed to take a sort of simple, calming pleasure in doing. Since it made her mother happy and seem to worry a bit less, she didn’t complain, and left just as the sun was starting to set.

Trixie hadn’t specified an hour, but evening usually meant these dusk hours, and Raindrops found herself stepping lightly as she made the trek to the Representative's Residence. Once she arrived she noticed the interior seemed dark, but there was a faint orange glow from beneath the door, and so Raindrops trotted up without discouragement.

Even as she raised a hoof to knock, the door swung open. She could see Trixie’s faint gleam of blue magical aura on the door handle, but Trixie herself wasn’t visible at the door. Curious, Raindrops went inside, and immediately felt a comfortable warmth bathing the inside of the Residence.

The orange glow came from a combination of several dozen candles of red wax burning softly at various points across the living room, and from a fire crackling high in the hearth. The table near the couch had a pair of place-mats set out with two plates, trays of food stacked between them. Raindrops felt her mouth water at the sight of several of her favorite foods, including the chocolate cherry-topped frosted cupcakes that were among her guilty pleasures. Trixie’s taste in food might be generously described as strange, but when it came to preparing food for Raindrops she’d apparently pulled out the stops and gone out of her way to make sure what was on the table was to Raindrops’ liking.

Taking a few steps into the darkened room, the door closed behind her and Raindrops heard Trixie’s voice from the entryway towards the kitchen.

“Welcome, my jasmine flower. I hope you’ll find what you see to your liking.”

Raindrops peered towards the kitchen, finding it a bit amusing that Trixie was keeping herself out of view. The other mare had taken on a sultry tone that would’ve fit well in a play for one of her romance novels, although it was in that faintly over-dramatic tone that Trixie hit upon when getting into a performance.

“The food looks delicious Trixie.” she said, smiling.

“Oh, I didn’t mean the food...”

Trixie appeared in the entryway to the kitchen. “I meant me.”

Raindrops’ mouth gaped, eyes wide and starring. Her heartbeat immediately began to hammer hotly in her chest and her breathing quickened. She wouldn’t have been surprised if she was drooling, just a bit.

Trixie wasn’t wearing anything complicated. In fact the stark simplicity of what the mare wore over her smooth azure fur was part of what made it trigger all the primitive places in Raindrops’ heat affected brain. Deep violet socks extended up Trixie’s hooves, turning to tight hugging lace at the top portion, accentuating the fine curves of muscles Trixie had recently toned through the regular workouts with Raindrops. Trixie was standing on her hind legs, leaning forward while stretching her forelegs up the side of the kitchen entryway, flexing her legs while curving her body in a gentle bow while looking at Raindrops sidelong with lidded eyes half hidden by falls of silver and periwinkle blue mane. Raindrops’ eyes devoured those curves, looking along the smooth, tight bend of Trixie’s back, which then curved upwards into a plush rump. A finer rear Raindrops had never seen, and the effect was only enhanced by the fact that Trixie was wearing lace trimmed, jet black panties that only made that plump plot appear even more enticing. Raindrops wanted desperately to take that silky dark pair of underwear off of Trixie slowly, with her teeth.

Before Raindrops was even aware of it she’d taken several steps forward, only to catch herself halfway to Trixie. She halted almost painfully fast, shaking herself, and actually stuttering with her words.

“Y-you look... amazing,” she said, feeling the one meager word completely failed to express just what Trixie’s appearance was doing to her. The heat was back in full force, a surging lava flow in her blood that scorched down her spine and nestled like a caldera of magma in her nether regions. Every instinct was now screaming like a crazed cave-pony to march over there, tackle Trixie off her hooves, and take her on the kitchen floor.

This was insane! Raindrops had expected a romantic dinner, yes, but this!? Trixie was pulling out all the stops, but for what purpose!? Could she really be intending to... to go all the way? Raindrops didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but if this had been any other mare in all of Equestria besides Trixie then Raindrops would have said this was definitely where the night was going.

With Trixie, however, Raindrops was as confused as she was aroused. And if this kept up, Trixie was going to need to mop her floors before the night was done.

Author's Note

The story yet lives! In truth the holiday was more or less a prodding reminder that this chapter has been sitting at near done for awhile now, with only a few sticking points I was having trouble figuring out. My eventual solution was to say "screw it, press onward even if it isn't perfect". Part of my hesitance with this story is the sensitive nature of the subject matter. I've never wanted to present either Raindrops or Trixie as being inherently wrong in what they want, and present the issue of two people who love each other but have very different needs in regards to sex as a complex and difficult problem. At the same time, this is Equestria, and it was only a matter of time before Trixie got magic involved in this. How will that turn out... well hopefully you won't have to wait another year to find out.

I actually don't have too much more of this story to go. One or two more chapters, plus epilogue, tops. However I will warn that the 'sex' tag is likely to be earned in the next chapter, as after thinking about matters at length I don't think I can do the story properly without getting explicit. So, you know, just a beforehand warning that the next chapter is likely to get beyond risque implications of naughty bits, and go 'full frontal', as it were. Fortunately I imagine I'll be awkward enough just writing it that I'll be able to capture the awkward nature of two first time lovers trying to figure out sex for the first time, especially with the Lunaverse Trixie being one of the participants.