The pony gave a ferocious growl of defiance, yet it was laced with an undertone of exasperation. Before the stallion stood his enemy, terrifyingly tall, taunting, and detestable in every way that mattered. In this arena, this bastion of tacticians, the pony had been combatting this dreadful foe for countless hours. He dared not look at the clock, lest this monster take advantage of his distraction and regenerate. The pony was certain this monster had such an ability, though he had no real proof. Hours upon hours hacking away at its many heinous limbs, taking a short reprieve to regain his breath, only to come back and find new limbs had grown in place of the old. It was like someone had taken the most dangerous and annoying aspect of a hydra and spread it across the entirety of this monster’s loathsome frame.

In all honesty, Shining Armor would rather be fighting a hydra than this abomination. One had been spotted near a populated area, so he’d been tasked with assembling a team to dispatch it. They’d found the beast, and the ensuing conflict was nothing if not exhilarating. Where this abomination seemed to sap his very will to live, fighting the hydra had left him feeling alive in a way that few experiences could match. His mind had been sharp, taking in all the details and moving his troops to the precise spots to yield maximum results. When the dust had settled, the hydra lay vanquished, his subordinates came away with only a few bruises, he got a shiny medal for his valor, and his girlfriend decided to do something extra special to show her appreciation. There was no way to describe that day as anything but glorious.

But here, now, standing before the hideous amalgamation of anti-life and hopelessness, there was truly nothing. He had no troops to command, for no others were qualified to handle such a foe. There were no prospects of a medal, for the ignorant masses had little comprehension of just how horrific this breed of monster could be. Although, if he got his story right, his girlfriend might just take pity on him, respect his exhaustion, and not go overboard tonight. Alas, the more he thought about it, the more the improbability of that last one served to deepen his sullenness.

There came a knock at the door, and Shining snapped to attention. He hadn’t realized he’d been nodding off. “Come in.”

“Lieutenant Armor,” said the mare, poking her head through the doorway. Although she didn’t see him, she knew he wasn’t the sort to bail on his responsibilities and leave an automated answering spell to cover his tracks. So instead, the mare resolved that she couldn’t see the Lieutenant because he was so thoroughly hidden behind the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

“Morning Glory,” he replied politely, hoping to keep the exhaustion out of his words. He hated causing others to worry. As an officer in the guard, he was responsible for being a pony that others could look up to when true problems arose, so he could ill afford to show weakness.

“It’s time. Your shift is up.”

Shining bit back a foalish urge to jump up and cheer. Such behavior was unbecoming of one aspiring for the position of Captain. Besides, the creak of his desk reminded him that his foe had not yet been vanquished. He sighed his despair into his hooves. “Is Silver Spectacles back from vacation yet?”

“Not until tomorrow, I’m afraid.”

Shining missed his assistant. She was afflicted with a rare breed of madness that made her view this kind of paperwork as fun and fulfilling. His sister suffered from a similar condition, but not to the extreme of Spectacles. He’d once made the mistake of asking what drove her to work with such passion. The way she’d described filing, collating, and all the other forms of ‘ing’ went beyond passionate, and into the realms of pure, unadulterated lust. He’d had terrifying nightmares that night. Incomplete attendance forms chased him down endless corridors and demanded he gave them blow jobs.

Regardless, the mare knew her stuff, which made her a valuable asset to his team. And given that her assistants weren’t up to snuff, Shining understood and accepted that the responsibility fell upon him to finish this work, even if it took him until morning. But before he could say as much, Morning Glory cleared her throat.

“It may interest you to know that Princess Cadence has invoked the royal privilege and ordered you to leave on time today.”

Shining blinked and found himself scanning the piles of paperwork. “Can she do that?”

“I believe she can,” Morning replied undoubtedly. “As I recall, she’s only evoked royal privilege twice this month, so this will be her last.”

Shining didn’t find the file verifying Morning’s words, but he was pretty sure she was right. The princesses didn’t always get their way, as most ponies thought. Each of them got an allowance of royal privilege points to use each month for matters of importance. For instance, a princess might use a royal privilege point to abscond from her duties in court for the day. However, they only got two points for that particular flavor of irresponsibility. Molestia was the only one who had royal privilege points for swiping sweets from the kitchen, in the hopes of curbing the bad habit. Likewise, each princess was portioned out three royal privilege points to get the members of the guard to do things outside of their standard duties. And, given that the month was almost over, Shining found himself nodding in quiet respect for Cadence’s restraint.

“Well, if it is the order of a princess, I suppose I don’t have a choice,” he said, trying not to sound too happy.

“Such is the burden we bear,” Morning replied in a convincing deadpan.

Shining nodded and left the dungeon that was his office and breathed the sweet scent of freedom. In gratitude to the pink alicorn for releasing him from his burden, Shining decided against going straight to their shared bed chambers. His spirit was still sapped, so it’s not like he’d have been able to give her the rutting she was most definitely craving. Instead, she would understand that he needed to take a breather to unwind and replenish himself to give her what she deserved.

To that end, Shining went to the armory to put away his armor. He took the time to polish off all the smudges, finding the task familiar and relaxing. Naked and free, he then trotted a little in place to loosen himself up. Despite being alone, he also gave his rump a suggestive wiggle. “You like that, don’t you,” he said over his shoulder to the empty room. “Yeah. You like seeing this ass at work.” He hiked his tail and spread his legs apart. His bouncing had little effect on his firm, muscular rump, but he knew that the ladies really got a kick out of watching his balls sway. Imagining himself being watched caused Shining’s cock to poke free of its sheathe. Although he was far from erect, enough of his penis had been exposed to the open-air to give onlookers a good idea of its size.

Then, just before he made his leave, the white stallion spotted an envelope on a bench. That definitely hadn’t been there before, but Shining wasn’t surprised. There were no markings on the envelope, but he knew it was for him. The fact that it hadn’t been there a second ago was proof enough of that. Further proof came when he opened the envelope and inhaled the sweet scent of a mare’s perfume. His legs trembling with want, Shining forced himself to read the letter. It was a crudely drawn map of the castle, the kind that an eight-year-old would turn their nose up at. Deciphering it was a little tricky, but the white stallion could eventually discern the sent message. He then set the paper aflame and dropped it in a trashcan.

Satisfied with himself and his purpose in life, Shining trotted down the corridors of the castle. He’d have liked to prance, but that would be taking things a step too far in public. At this time, it was pretty normal for the halls to be filled with so many ponies. Day Court would be getting out soon, so many petitioners were leaving early to beat the crowds. Most didn’t spare the stallion a second look, not recognizing him without his armor. He snickered at this, as did any other servants and guards near enough to witness it. However, not all petitioners had their heads so far up their own asses that they were effectively blind.

“Well, hello there, good sir.” The fancy unicorn with the fancy monocle had white fur, a blue mane cut short, a posh mustache, and wore a sharp jacket. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Fancy meeting you as well, Lord Fancy,” Shining replied with a polite bow. “And you as well, Lady Fleur.” He repeated the motion to the mare beside the stallion.

Fleur de Lis was as white as her husband, although her mane was long and curly pink. She was tall by unicorn standards, as well as skinny. In many ways, she was the spitting image of the old portraits of a younger Molestia, minus the cutie mark. This fluke of genetics had made her one of the most sought-after mares in Canterlot, with more than half the nobility seeking her hoof in marriage. She’d snubbed them all, however, preferring the rising star that was Fancy Pants. She’d often said that what first caught her eye about him was that, unlike other nobles, he could walk into a room, and it not be immediately apparent that he loved the smell of his own farts.

Shining knew this story well, having had many amicable conversations with the pair. “I trust you had a good day in court.”

“Alas, no,” Fancy bemoaned. “The candy lobby keeps insisting on their absurd cotton candy clouds that rain chocolate milk.”

“What’s the problem? I had one of those for my birthday when I was little, and it was great.”

“They’re perfectly fine in small doses,” Fancy allowed, “but the candy lobby wants to make them a standard feature of the weather rotation.”

Shining nodded, his expression serious and thoughtful. “Makes sense to me.” It took all of his might not to smirk when he saw Fancy blanch in horror. Fleur merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow, no doubt suspecting something. “We just have to find a compromise that benefits all. The candy lobby can send their clouds out in every direction, but only so long as they agree to compensate farmers for all the dead crops and animals that can’t consume chocolate.”

Fleur slapped a hoof over her muzzle to stifle her undignified giggle snorts. Fancy, meanwhile, hung his head low in solemn defeat. Then, with her other hoof, Fleur tried to comfort her husband. “Aww. Did the mean stallion twick you?” she teased babyishly.

“It’s not that,” Fancy argued glumly. “I’m disappointed that no pony thought to bring that up.”

Now it was Shining’s turn to stifle his giggles. Other petitioners walked by in their fanciest clothes, but he could distinguish the nobles by how they turned up their noses to the sight of what appeared to be one noble letting himself be harassed by his wife and a filthy commoner. Of course, this just added to Shining’s mirth.

“We all got so wrapped up in arguing the costs that we never considered the environmental impact. That would have killed the discussion then and there!” Fancy stomped his hoof to the floor for emphasis.

Fleur had finally regained enough composure to speak again. “Sounds to me like we ought to bring in more earth ponies to court. One of them would have surely picked up on a threat to the nation’s agriculture.”

“Insinuating that all earth ponies are farmers is terribly tribalist, love,” Fancy teased.

“Most. Not all,” Fleur countered defensively, resulting in the stallions laughing at her expense.

“Well then, strange pony whom I’ve never met who lacks any social standing worth considering,” Fancy said as another group of petitioners walked by. Careful not to be noticed, he watched each of their faces searching for any sign of recognition. There was none, so he continued after a disappointed chuckle. “What brings you out this early?” He checked up at a clock.

“Finally, break free of the love princess’ spell and plan on running away before she brings you back under her control?” Fleur added.

“Nope. I’m afraid she still has me as bewitched as ever,” he said in good humor. “She used a royal privilege point to let me off work early.”

“Early?” Knowing what this meant, Fancy found his head swiveling about in search of something. He then realized how foolish he looked and returned his attention to Shining, now with a lascivious grin. “So, what did you plan to do with your,” he cleared his throat, “free time?”

Shining shrugged, feigning ignorance. “Oh, I don’t know. I thought I’d just take a walk to stretch my legs a little. No real destination in mind.”

“Liar,” Fleur whispered. She leaned in close with a conspiratorial smirk. “So, who is it?” Shining remained stone-faced and said nothing, which infuriated the mare. “Don’t tell me you plan on keeping this to yourself,” she said breathlessly. Her features were flushed, and her legs were trembling, all signs of her imagination running wild. “As one of the most prestigious nobles in Canterlot, it is my right to know of juicy scandals before they take place.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Shining deadpanned with practiced ease. Not even the way Fleur’s eye twitched could break his mask of calm. “And I don’t see why you’d even care, to be honest.” Another group of nobles was passing, chatting amongst themselves even as their ears swiveled to face the trio. “I’m just a nopony stallion from nowhere. It’s not like I have a girlfriend or any sort of obligations to hinder me fucking whoever I want, whenever I want.”

Fancy nodded his respect for the stallion’s composure. He’d have probably broken under such pressure by now, but Shining was a cut above the rest. Unfortunately, he couldn’t say as much out loud, as that would be breaking the immersion, but he trusted that his friend already knew his feelings on the matter. Speaking of feelings, his wife looked like she might start breaking things if her need for gossip wasn’t sated. “Be that as it may,” Fancy began cordially. “You can’t deny that you are a strapping young stallion. I’d dare say you’re even studly. As such, might you placate my wife’s obsessive thirst with a drop or two?”

Shining touched his hoof to his chin, pretending to think it over as he drew out the moment. “Hmm, to be quite honest, I just don’t know what to tell you.” Fleur was turning a pink shade of rage. “I just thought I’d pay a visit to the archives.”

The white mare blinked as her fiery temper evaporated. “Th-the archives?”

“Yes. It’s hard to have a sister like mine and not catch some of her love of reading,” Shining said as if it were the simplest thing in the world, utterly devoid of any ulterior meaning. “I heard that the archives were being updated with some new material on monsters. If I hurry, perhaps I can ask one of the scroll keepers for help.”

The gears in Fleur’s mind were turning now. She had a location and occupation, which entailed a shortlist of names. The scroll keepers were essentially over-glorified librarians. They were the junior division of the arcane researchers, more or less acting as interns that did the grunt work for their seniors. To Fleur’s knowledge, most of them were boring to the point of making one want to gouge out their own eyes just to escape the monotony of it all. However, amongst the drab rabble were a few gems—shy, bookish types. The kind of humble innocents with little bedroom experience just waiting for some predatory dom to snatch them up. With this in mind, and knowing Shining’s true motivations, Fleur was able to narrow her list of suspects down to a single name.

“Well, I appreciate your time, nameless pony of no importance,” Fleur said as yet another group of nobles passed. And yet again, none recognized the naked stallion. This amused Fleur, but her attention was now subsumed by imaginings of what was to come. “I, uh, don’t suppose you need a guide to the archives?”

“Come on, darling.” Fancy pulled at his wife. “If he wanted our help, he would have asked us already.”

“Thank you, but I think I’m good,” Shining cordially replied. “Those book worms are a shy bunch, you know. I’d hate to spook them with a large group.”

Reluctantly, Fleur nodded, conceding the point. But she wasn’t done yet. “Then, perhaps we should pay a certain mare a visit? After all, she must be so lonely, not having a special somepony around to satisfy her carnal lusts.” Her tongue was now hanging from her lips like an excited dog.

Fancy smiled at Shining. “As you can tell, I married her for her mastery at subtlety.” They shared a laugh.

“I don’t see any harm in that. If a certain pony has her door open, then you might as well step on in.”

“I think we will.” And Fancy herded Fleur off down a branching corridor. Most nobles had visited the castle enough to be reasonably familiar with its layout. Still, Fleur and Fancy were among the privileged few who didn’t need any assistance to find the most important rooms of all.

Shining nodded respectfully. Although by the time they’d gone, his cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel smuggling nuts before he finally burst out laughing. This encounter wasn’t part of the plan, but he was grateful for it. Having a chat with those he trusted had a way of lifting the mood. Now he felt rejuvenated enough to do what was needed, and continued to the archives.

He greeted those who recognized him, feeling appreciated when they hiked their tails or made other lewd, inviting gestures his way. It was honestly tempting not to take them up on their offers. He was no Cadence, but he liked to think that he’d spent enough time around her to pick up a little of her love sense. They all craved him for the shapely ass that had once withstood a stone dagger, exceptional cock that left most ponies gaping afterward, powerful legs on par with an earth pony’s, or even his masterful kissing. As Fancy had said, he was a studly stallion, enabling him to have just about anypony he wanted, although probably not as much as they wanted him.

Alas, he knew he was not truly free to indulge to his heart’s content. A good thing, too, as such a life would grow dull all too quickly. Adding structure, rules, and even making a game out of it helped keep things interesting. It was, after all, in following the rules and picking up on the clues that Shining concluded the identity of his target. Entering the archives, he was fortuitous enough to immediately spy the pony in the middle of dropping a stack of books, papers, and other assorted research materials.

Wondering if somehow this had been arranged, Shining hurried over. “Need some help?”

“Uh, thanks,” said the stallion meekly as he pressed himself down to gather up everything. Shining helped, but his attention was on his target.

The stallion was bright orange with a vermillion mane and a small but respectable beard. There were also whitish spots along his muzzle and hooves, although the latter was covered by the star-speckled robes worn by most researchers. The poor stallion looked frazzled and smelled as though he hadn’t showered in some time. Usually, being single, academics rarely put much stock in personal hygiene whenever they weren’t trying to impress an investor or some other pony of importance. This stallion was the very picture of that stereotype, complete with the large spectacles covering his cyan eyes. Taking in all of this and more, Shining licked his lips.

“Sorry about that,” the stallion said distractedly, not even looking at who was helping him. “I can’t believe I let this happen.”

“Hey, it happens to the best of us. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caused a catastrophe with my paperwork just by sneezing.”

“You should really try Dr. Dew’s sturdification spell.”

Shining raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “I don’t think that’s a word.”

“It wasn’t, until Dr. Dew made it one. It was actually made specifically to address the problem you just described,” he explained while gathering up the last of his research materials. “It plays off the principles of the adhesion spell, making things fixed in place unless there’s a conscious will acting against it. It’s actually quite brilliant, being able to apply to multiple items with a single casting. And the spell matrix doesn’t completely dissolve the moment it’s touched. So you can stack papers as high as you want and only remove what you need without damaging the overall structural integrity.”

“Huh. Sounds like the perfect way to cheat at Jenga.”

The stallion chuckled. “That’s actually a pretty clever way of looking at it. But, hmm, you know, we tried submitting this spell to our superiors, but they rejected it because, well, I guess we didn’t explain it so well. So maybe calling it something like the ‘unbreakable Jenga’ spell would be a better pitch.”

“Hey, that’s pretty neat. Does this mean I can get credit for inventing a spell?”

The stallion laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, but no. Us scroll keepers almost never get credited for anything. Besides, you didn’t actually do anything for the spell. You just improved our sales pitch. But, if you want, I can take you out for pizza later.”

Shining stepped in close, his muzzle almost touching the other stallion’s. “Is that a date?”

“Wh-what?” the stallion stammered as he jumped back, seeming to notice Shining for the first time. He looked the larger, bulkier stallion over a few times and swallowed convulsively. “I, er, I wasn’t trying to proposition you or anything.”

Shining, with his most winningest smile, took a small and confident step forward. “And why not?”

“I… that is… um…”

Shining chuckled, loving how easily he had flustered his target. “My name is Shining, by the way. What’s yours?”

“I’m, uh, Sunburst?” he replied as though he wasn’t sure. “Also, sorry again for disturbing you.” He tried to move back to his reassembled stack of research, only for the larger stallion to block his path.

“You didn’t disturb me at all,” Shining assured. “If anything, it should be me apologizing for intruding on your work as I am.”

Sunburst felt his mouth go dry as he stared up at the great white stallion. He was so large that the orange unicorn couldn’t help but feel intimidated. His mind screamed at him to be wary of an imminent act of bullying, but that smile was something else. It promised safety and all-around good feelings that Sunburst was unaccustomed to from his peers. “I, well, don’t think you’re disturbing.” He averted his gaze to the floor.

“Really? Because from where I’m standing, I’m actively blocking you from what I assume to be some pretty important work.” He gestured to the stack of research materials. “Doesn’t that upset you?”

Sunburst bit his lips. “Well, maybe a little, but I don’t mind,” he added hurriedly. “You, um…”

“I… what?” Shining took another step forward into Sunburst’s personal space. He got in close, close enough that he was sure the smaller stallion could smell his breath. “You can tell me.”

Sunburst whimpered, unable to look up or give any coherent response.

Fearing that he might have gone too far, Shining assumed a more submissive posture. He lowered himself down, drooped his ears, and even tucked his tail between his legs to match Sunburst. “You okay, little guy?” His words were still every bit as confident and dripping with his clear intent.

Sunburst looked up a little. “Wait, I know you.”

“You do?” Shining didn’t expect this. His targets almost never recognized him this early in the game.

“Wait, no. Sorry. For a second, I thought you were Shining Armor, but you can’t be,” he dismissively laughed. “He’d never…”

“Notice a cute colt like you?” Shining finished lasciviously. “And what if I did?” He straightened up a little. “What if I, Lieutenant Shining Armor, noticed the shy bookworm skulking amidst the scrolls? What would you do?”

“I, um, don’t know,” Sunburst admitted guiltily. “I never, well…”

“You never…?”

“I’m, um, well, a v—” He trailed off, unable to finish the final, shameful word.

“I had a feeling,” Shining teased. “But what if I were to tell you I don’t mind?”

Sunburst looked up and stared at Shining as though he’d just said that Princess Molestia didn’t have the sexiest ass in all the land.

“It’s true,” Shining assured. “I was a little hesitant when a… friend suggested I take up virgin hunting, but it’s been a lot of fun. I get to meet all kinds of interesting ponies and share with them a very special moment.” He reached out slowly to not startle his prey, and stroked a hoof along his cheek. “I get to be the one that opens their eyes to just how great it is to be intimate with others instead of masturbating alone all the time.”

“That, um,” Sunburst stuttered while adjusting his glasses. “That seems counterproductive, to be honest.”

Shining was taken aback. Of all the things he expected to hear, this was somewhere near the bottom of the list. “Seriously?”

“Well, yes,” Sunburst said, adopting a more analytical tone that wasn’t nearly as shaky. “Clearly, you are an alpha specimen among stallions. Everything about you, from your cheekbones to the angle of your tailbone, check every box of objective standards of sexual attraction. With you as their first, does it not follow that all future couplings would be compared to the far superior first time with you, thus hampering all later enjoyment.”

Shining had to take a step back to process all of this. Besides wondering what his tailbone had to do with anything, he’d never encountered a pony who could throw him off his game just by throwing logic at him. This was unprecedented. Although, the more he thought about it, the more he reasoned that it wasn’t unexpected.

“Um, why are you grinning?” Sunburst asked with a touch of worry.

“I’m grinning because I’m excited,” Shining admitted, grinning like a mad pony as he stood back to his full, intimidating height. “She knew this would happen. That’s why she chose you.”

“She?”

“Yeah. She knew you wouldn’t just bend over and submit because I said a few nice words to you. But, oh, no, you’re actually posing a kind of challenge, a resistance I have to overcome.”

Sunburst swallowed and tried backing up. “Um, not to put any ideas in your head, but I doubt I could put up any substantial resistance against the likes of you.”

Smirking, Shining lit his horn and gave the orange stallion’s rump a playful pinch. He yelped and jumped forward, right into Shining’s waiting arms. “Sorry for the poor choice of words.” He set the stallion down to the floor, but didn’t loosen his grip as his well-groomed chest fur rubbed against Sunburst’s coarser coat. “I don’t want to take you by force. That’s not really my thing,” he explained while nuzzling the smaller stallion’s cheek. “I’m here to make you want to be hunted.”

A string of incoherent gibberish gushed from Sunburst’s lips. He was surrounded on all sides by thick, rippling muscles. The analytical part of his mind determined that the odors flooding his nostrils were the pheromones of an alpha male, compelling him to submit. Yet knowing the reasons did little to hamper his body’s reactions, taking comfort in the warmth and power of the larger stallions’ hold. He wanted to be held like this, to smell this stallion every day and night. Of course, it was all a trick of biology that affected his brain chemistry to make him want these things, but such thoughts lost relevance with each tick of the clock.

Shining grinned as he felt the stallion relax, but knew he wasn’t done just yet. “You know, most ponies don’t recognize me without the armor.”

“I… well, I have kind of a, well, knack for details.”

Shining chuckled and pressed his muzzle to Sunburst’s collar bone, speaking directly into his fur. “Have you been watching me?”

Sunburst’s voice hitched, raising several octaves when the collar of his robe came undone. The fabric fell around him, leaving his body completely exposed. Shining, the wicked fiend that he was, stroked a hoof down the smaller stallion’s back. He went low, almost too low, but stopped before reaching anything sensitive.

“Let me guess. You saw me in the halls at some point,” Shining whispered. “I was probably giving out orders when you heard my commanding voice and looked my way. You saw me, looked me over something fierce, and just couldn’t get me out of your head afterward. Am I right?”

“You’re, uh, not wrong.”

“Did you do things the night you saw me?” Shining teased. “Did you touch yourself while thinking about me?”

“Well…”

“Did the me in your imagination say things? I’m suddenly curious.”

Sunburst didn’t realize that his hooves were wrapped around Shining’s immense bulk until it was too late. His immediate reflex was to pull away and apologize, but this somehow felt right. Shining was much bigger than himself, preventing the orange stallion from fully wrapping around him. However, Sunburst was still able to map the alpha stallion’s frame with his touch. He reached down, but then the alpha cleared his throat before any butts could be touched. Sunburst felt Shining push them apart, just enough for them to look into one another’s eyes. Shining looked at him with such adoration.

“What did you imagine me saying to you?” Shining repeated.

Not missing the undertone of command, Sunburst knew he had to comply. As embarrassing as it was, he conjured up his lewdest of fantasies to the forefront of his mind. “Well, um, that is to say…” His further ramblings were stopped when Shining set a hoof on the smaller stallion’s muzzle.

“Like you mean it.”

Nodding his understanding, Sunburst watched as the white hoof fell downwards. It went lower and lower until it gestured at the mighty pillar of stallion meat towering between the alpha stallion’s legs. It twitched as though it realized it had been seen, and Sunburst found himself giggling like a filly. Opposite the tower was what could only be described as a stick in comparison. Sunburst was a nerd, which meant he’d already done the research to see how he compared to other stallions, and to call him below average would have been the height of praise. Shining had him outmatched in girth, length, and even aroma. It was intimidating, humiliating, and also a bit arousing to realize how insignificant he was, yet still somehow desirable for such an alpha.

“Well,” Shining coaxed impatiently.

Sunburst swallowed, delving deep into his imagination to channel his own mental image: braver, tougher, and confident enough to make a move. “Y-you’d say that you noticed me,” he blurted.

Shining chuckled, proud of the smaller stallion for taking this crucial step. “I noticed you noticing me,” he said back in a deep, husky voice. “I liked it.”

Sunburst swallowed and thought hard about his next words. “Y-you’re as big as an earth pony. Did you know that?”

“It’s come up once or twice. Why? Do you like earth ponies?”

“I like, um, s-strong ponies.”

“You mean ponies stronger than you, right?”

“Um.”

“You just want a pony tougher than you to push you down and hold you tight.” He tightened his grip. “You wish to feel safe in another pony’s arms, right?”

“That, um… yes.”

“Does it have to be a stallion, though?” Shining was genuinely curious.

Sunburst licked his dry lips. “I, uh, never really had a preference. I just liked the idea,” he averted his gaze in embarrassment, “of a pony strong enough to hold me.”

“That’s really sweet.” Shining smiled and nuzzled the smaller stallion. Then, gently he applied pressure, pushing the smaller stallion to the floor and onto his side. It was so cute how Sunburst looked briefly panicked at his body being so easily manipulated, but he offered no resistance. “I think I’d like holding you every now and then. Does that sound fun?”

“It sounds amazing,” Sunburst heard himself say before the words properly registered in his brain.

Shining adjusted his grip down the smaller stallion’s back, pulling him close until their pelvises touched. Naturally, this meant that their groins were pressed together, although Shining’s had largely eclipsed Sunburst’s. “And what if I were to say that you’ve got nothing to worry about?”

“W-worry?”

“That thing you said about no other pony comparing,” Shining reminded as his hoof migrated far enough south to squeeze the smaller stallion’s rump. It was soft, no doubt shaped by a less than healthy diet. “That sort of thing doesn’t happen with me.”

Sunburst gulped. He wanted to protest the absurdity of the larger stallion’s claim, but something in his smile made the underfed scholar wish to believe.

Shining chuckled, guessing where his prey’s mind was. “It’s part of Princess Cadence’s magic,” he explained. “She’s given me this kind of blessing to make sure that exact thing doesn’t happen. I can show anypony the best night of their lives, but it won’t diminish any future nights. It’s like low-key mind alteration helping ponies live in the moment instead of dwelling on ‘maybes,’ ‘what ifs,’ and all that other junk. Basically, I’m an acolyte to the goddess of love, here to spread her blessings to lonely virgins like you.” He leaned in close until their noses were practically touching. “Interested?”

Sunburst squeaked.

“Then I’m going to need you to say it. Say that you want me. Say that you want me to show you how strong I am, to pin you down and take you like you were my mare.”

Sunburst squeaked again. Shining had lowered his hips to start grinding their cocks together. His tower was so hot the way it overshadowed and smothered his. Before long, Sunburst found himself involuntarily humping against Shining’s meat. It wasn’t a logical act, as there was nothing he could realistically penetrate, but he still longed for the bigger stallion’s touch.

“Still waiting,” Shining reminded smugly, fighting to keep control and not take his prey right then and there. He glanced over to the side where he thought the best viewpoint would be for any prospective voyeurs. “Enjoying ourselves, I hope.”

***

“Oh, hell yes!” Cadence proclaimed. She was sitting on the floor in her office, leaning back with her groin thrust outward, but not alone. Fleur had nosed under the princess’ balls to get at her pussy, lapping at the moist lips and greedily drinking every drop that came her way. Above her, Fancy minded his wife’s horn as he bobbed his head down on Cadence’s mighty cock. All three were distracted, however, by the scrying spell on the wall opposite Cadence. It had been tracking Shining since he’d left his office, invisibly following and watching him from every angle until the present. But, of course, he knew he was being watched, too, and was happy to give his girlfriend a show. She loved him for that, but couldn’t wait for the fun to really start. And based on the way they were touching themselves, neither could her present lovers.

***

“Yes!” Sunburst finally cheered. “Take me. Ravage me. Make me yours. Just please, stop this—”

Shining silenced him with a hoof to the muzzle. “Keep it down,” he whispered. “We’re in a library.”

It was one of the most absurd and corny lines Sunburst had ever encountered. With such a rich and varied array of porn books, of course, ponies fucked in libraries all the time. Sure, they were told to keep quiet as part of librarians doing their duties, but rarely did that actually quiet any of them. And for Shining to suggest such a thing in the home of Princess Molestia, Sunburst had but one response. “I love you.”

Oblivious to his girlfriend cumming right then and there, Shining accepted the invitation and pressed his pre-lubed cock head against Sunburst’s entrance. He clenched anxiously. Virgins often did. So Shining planted a tender kiss on Sunburst’s lower jaw. The smaller stallion babbled in mesmerization as Shining sunk the first inch in. “Oh, well, that’s something.”

Sunburst snapped back to reality and regarded the dominant stallion with questioning eyes.

Shining wiggled his hips a little, only sinking in a few glorious centimeters. “I can tell you’ve played with your ass before,” he teased.

“Um, uh-huh,” Sunburst sheepishly admitted.

Smiling kindly, Shining sank in another inch, relishing the sounds his lover made as his hole was blissfully stretched. It never failed to warm his heart to see and hear the evidence of his good work. “Were you thinking of me when you did it?” He didn’t give the bottom bitch time to answer before suddenly jerking another inch forward. Sunburst yelped at first, but went back to a soothing coo as Shining resumed a more steady entry speed. “Come on, buddy. Don’t leave a bro hanging. Even if it wasn’t me, if it was some other pony you were picturing cramming their fat cock up your tight pucker, what did they say?” He emphasized slipping his medial ring into the pucker, causing both stallions to suffer mild spasms as bliss shot through their nerves.

Sunburst’s chest rose and fell with his labored breaths. Then, mercifully, Shining ceased his entry long enough for the orange stallion to regain his senses. On his back and surrounded on all sides by muscle poorly hidden behind beautiful white fur, Sunburst swooned as he stared up into Shining’s eyes. “Y-you said that I b-belonged to you.”

“But you do belong to me,” Shining beamed matter-of-factly and resumed pushing forward. Sunburst’s innards clenched and undulated all along his length as he sank further in. It was a possessive act, his inexperienced body devolving to instinct to claim that which filled it with such satisfaction. “Even if you get married and move far away, I’ll have always been your first. You’ll carry that with you wherever you go. And even if you were on the other side of the world, if I summoned you, you’d come to me in a heartbeat, because you belong to me.” Shining planted a playful peck on Sunburst’s lips, but pulled away before the smaller stallion could get the more passionate kiss he so craved.

Rotating his hips, feeling the way Shining’s length slid around his colon and making him so deliciously full, Sunburst whimpered. “E-even my wife?”

“Wife?” Shining asked, intrigued. Sometimes even Cadence didn’t know the specifics on why she sent him to one pony or another, only that it was necessary to appease her need to spread love. He glanced at where he guestimated the scrying spell was watching and hoped that Cadence had been lucid enough to pull out the notepad. “Who do you want to marry?” Shining whispered huskily. When no answer was forthcoming, he leaned down again, bypassed the other stallion’s lips, and gave the orange horn a sumptuous lick.

***

“See how he did that,” purred Cadence. “No pony licks horn like my Shiny.” Following her boast, she didn’t need to look down to know that her lovers were now thoroughly distracted by studying her boyfriend’s technique. It was only fitting that others envied and looked up to him as an example to model themselves after. There was no doubt in the pink princess’ heart that she’d snagged the single greatest stallion in all of Equestria. And given her field of expertise, she felt confident that this wasn’t just her bias talking.

***

“Come on, pwetty pwease,” Shining teased. He’d fully hilted inside of his orange lover. His hip rocking became more elaborate, his cock shifting inside the other stallion’s bowels without actually pulling out. “Tell me her name.”

“She’s nnngh! S-Starlight,” Sunburst confessed. Shining used his weight to hold him down, preventing the smaller stallion from properly moving with the rhythm. He was utterly at the white unicorn’s mercy, to please as he saw fit, and couldn’t be happier. “Starlight Glimmer. She’s, ugh, a futa.”

“Ha!” Shining cheered at uncovering the mystery. “No wonder you’ve got a thing for dick.” With glacial speed, he started pulling out. The friction of Sunburst’s spasming innards was exquisite along his length, though the way the little guy was trying to flail about, it seemed like he was getting a lot more out of this than Shining. That was fine, of course. So long as they were both happy, it wasn’t a competition. “You should go to her and tell her how much you like having cock rammed up this sweet ass of yours.” Shining stopped an inch after his medial ring reemerged into the open air, held his position a second, and then slammed forward with all his might.

Sunburst’s mind went utterly blank as his senses were overwhelmed. There were no scrolls, no deadlines, no smell of sweaty armor, no impressive musculature pressing him down, and not even any tender or teasing words. There was only the white-hot ecstasy of his ass being so roughly rammed. He was barely even aware of how his body was being rocked back and forth while the superior stallion had his way.

Shining, meanwhile, was giggling at the sight of Sunburst’s eyes literally being filled with white stars. It was a rare phenomenon that he sometimes brought out in ponies, when his fucking was so good that they suffered sensory overload. “Maybe you didn’t practice with your ass as much as I thought,” he pontificated, switching to a rhythm of thrusts alternating between rapid and shallow to slow and deep. “Most virgins don’t get like this unless they’re extra inexperienced.” Such teasing might have been taken as mean, but Shining was confident that his words fell on deaf ears. “You should come down and see Cadence some time. I’m sure she’d love to tap that ass of yours, or maybe have one of her acolytes do it for her, or,” he leaned in and whispered, “help you find this Glimmer of yours.”

That name brought Sunburst back down to earth, the stars fading from his vision. He had only a vague awareness of what had been said, the bulk of his attention still taken up by the vigorous pounding of his back door. “G-Glimmer?” Did he know a Glimmer? That name sounded familiar, filling him with longing and regret. Things should have happened that simply hadn’t, and not a day went by that he wished he could have done things differently. However, such negativity lasted merely a microsecond before being eclipsed by the ravaging of his ass. “F-fuck. Fuck me, Glimmer!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Shining grunted. “Glimmer’s gonna fuck you. She’s gonna take that cock of hers and shove it so far up your ass that she’ll be wearing you while she walks around. Hehe. Maybe we can strap you to her belly to make it literal.” He changed pace again, gyrating his hips and rotating his cock in and out. Against his belly, he felt Sunburst’s relatively minuscule member uselessly twitch and squirt. “She’ll be the stallion, and you’ll be her bitch of a mare.” His words made the puny prick pulse more. “After me, you’ll be all hers to do with as she pleases. You’ll worship at the altar of her cock, praying for its bounty, and if you’ve been good, she may even allow you to touch yourself as you please her.”

Sunburst moaned at the heavenly mental image. He wasn’t in the archives anymore. He was back in his old home, in his old living room where he and Starlight used to hang out. They were adults now, and it was she who had pinned him down while expertly punching away into his welcoming anus. Words of apology weren’t said, but more grunted out between thrusts. Finally, amends were made, and— “Cumming!”

Shining gave a toothy smirk. “Oh, thank Molestia. I thought I’d have to hold it in forever.” Feeling his own balls heavy and ready to unload, Shining picked up the pace. Hard and wet slaps echoed through the room as he hammered away. “Close. So close,” he hissed. “Gonna cum, fill that tight ass, and make you my bitch.”

“Yes!” cried Sunburst, still barely able to move in Shining’s powerful grasp. “Do it. Bitch me.”

“You got it.” Shining slammed forward one last time, holding the smaller stallion’s hips tight against his own, and felt the first eruptions of semen.

It started small and manageable enough, but soon swelled out until it felt like a fire hose within Sunburst’s rectum. “Aaah!” he cried, tongue hanging from the side of his mouth as his back attempted to arch. Hot syrupy warmth flooded Sunburst’s colon and swelled his belly by several inches. More and more kept coming, driving the former virgin to new heights of fullness he’d scarcely imagined. With all that he could, he held onto Shining in the hopes of riding out the superior stallion’s seminal surge. His own squirting barely registered on his own radar in terms of orgasmic bliss.

The pair stayed like that as Sunburst’s gluttonous anus squeezed and milked Shining’s cock for every drop of his precious seed. Finally, when the bigger stallion felt that he had nothing left to give, at least for the moment, he started to pull out. Sunburst moaned in incoherent protest, squeezing and fighting to hold onto what he craved, but to no avail. Shining’s spent cock was extricated and flopped lifelessly down between his legs, leaving Sunburst’s overstuffed rear gaping and swelling with jizz.

“Doing alright there, little bro? Can you hear me?”

“I loved… every moment of that.”

Shining smirked. “I could tell. You good to stand up, or-?”

“N-no, no. I can.” Despite his ecstasy, Sunburst was overcome with the sudden need to not look so pathetic to the stallion that had so thoroughly dominated him. Now free of the superior stallion’s weight, the lesser stallion struggled to climb back to his hooves. “After all the rocking I just did, it feels like I’m getting my sea legs,” he joked tiredly.

“Well, you’re swollen with semen, so you’re probably ready to set sail.”

Even though the joke was bad, Sunburst still found himself baying with mirth. Something about Shining radiated with happiness that Sunburst had neither the ability, nor the desire to resist. “Will you be my captain?”

Shining touched his hoof to his chin. “Everypony keeps saying I’m due to be the captain, so I wouldn’t mind taking you under my… well, just under me will do,” he giggled softly and kissed Sunburst full on the mouth. “Thanks for the good time, little bro.”

“I-I-I-I…” All the progress Sunburst had made was undone as his hooves lost traction and his rump slowly sunk back to the floor.

“With a vocabulary like that, I’m surprised they let you be a scroll keeper,” the big white unicorn playfully teased. “But seriously, as soon as you’re lucid, you ought to pay a visit to Princess Cadence.”

“P-the princess!? Wh-why? What did I do?” he stuttered in a sudden panic.

“Well, that’s kind of the deal. Cadence has an issue with ponies staying virgins for too long. And now that I’ve fucked the innocence out of ya, she’ll want you to submit to her matchmaking program.” At Sunburst’s ongoing confusion, Shining elaborated. “Her name was, uh, Starlight Glimmer, right?”

Sunburst blanched. “I, that is… well she…”

“You can tell Cadence about it,” Shining reassured. “Knowing her, she’s already hard at work tracking down this mare you’re pining for. Whatever might’ve happened in the past, my girlfriend won’t rest until she’s got the two of you in her office so she can watch you hump the night away.”

“I-I-I-I…”

“I think that’s about my cue. Still a couple of errands I probably ought to run, but my offer still holds,” Shining said over his shoulder even as he was departing. “You’re mine. So if ever you’re feeling lonely, just give me a call. I’ll try to squeeze you into my schedule.”

***

While watching the former virgin cutely stammer, Cadence’s eyes fixated on that perfect white ass swaggering its way out of the archives. Nearby, Fleur and Fancy were cleaning themselves up after her monster of a climax. Fortunately, her notes had been spared the sticky carnage. Now she had a name, which would be delegated to her subordinates to locate. Whoever this Starlight Glimmer was, wherever she might be, Cadence had sworn right then and there to find her, test her, and show her the magic of love… whether she liked it or not.

Author's Note

There’s an awful lot of Shining and Sunburst shipping out there. I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s because their positions might logically put them in proximity to one another, which is really all that shippers need these days. Whatever the case, I figured I’d give my own take. I think it turned out pretty well, and I had a lot of fun. I even threw in a little teaser for things to come.

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