"I'm sorry, Cadance," Shining Armor mumbled softly.
Dim moonlight shone through the curtains and cascaded across his wife's face, highlighting worried creases that killed Shining's confidence even further. "It's alright, Shiny," she consoled him. "Few stallions could ever keep up with me. I'm used to it."
Her consolation fell on deaf ears. Shining had heard it all before, and his confidence was all but gone. He turned to face the ceiling. "I'm sure somepony out there could, I just don't—"
"Shh," Cadance hushed him, pressing a hoof against his lips. "Just remember that I still love you anyway."
Shining turned back toward his wife and kissed her. It was a routine that he followed, an instinct more than a desire. It was still the same passionate kiss they always shared, and it wasn't that he didn't love her back, but... "I just wish I could do more for you," he lamented, ashamed of his flagging libido and poor bedroom performance. "Unfortunately, I can't force what isn't there."
"I know, honey. But it's alright; I'll just help myself tonight."
A year ago, he'd usually helped her with his own hooves or with his tongue. But she had never seemed satisfied. Her endurance was so much higher than his, and he tired long before she ever came. After many, many failed attempts, she'd had to admit to him that she preferred doing it herself. He felt the covers shift as her hooves moved to her nethers, softly stroking. He understood that she was trying to make him feel better by taking the responsibility off of him, but he only felt worse that she was having to help herself. And with him right there, it stung. He felt like he was less of a stallion for it.
Their mismatched libido was a constant source of tension between them. Cadance was very demanding of sex. If she was breathing, she wanted to fuck! On the other hoof, Shining barely was in the mood more than once in a week, and sometimes not even that often. And he'd grown resentful of Cadance's libido; resentful of the sex that they shared - or didn't share these days. Sure, he enjoyed the closeness of it—the emotional intimacy part was great. But more often than not, he wasn't even really aroused when he tried to make his wife happy physically, and then when they'd make love, his lack of genuine arousal left his little soldier so unfulfilled that he couldn't even finish the job - like a permanent case of whiskey dick. And she obviously wouldn't get off, either. And, even though she said everything was okay, he would still feel like less of a stallion for it.
Thus, over time, their sex had become less and less frequent. On the occasions that he was aroused, now he would usually just masturbate. It wasn't that he didn't want to have sex with his wife. At least, not philosophically. But when most of his encounters with his wife left them both unsatisfied, it was far simpler, faster, more satisfying, easier to clean up, and quite frankly, less emotionally draining, if he simply jerked himself off. And with a preference for masturbation instead of sex, over time—as he found that he could masturbate just a little bit tighter, just a little bit faster, just a little bit... better, sex with Cadance had quite simply become something that Shining Armor loathed doing. Yet he hated that he hated it so much.
Cadance moaned softly as she brought herself closer and closer to climax. He really wished she wouldn't do this right next to him; it only made him feel worse. Hearing her moan just made him want to jerk off, but if he jerked off next to her, it would only upset her for not having sex instead - even though she knew he wouldn't be happy with it.
Shining reached out with a hoof and stopped her. "Cadance, wait."
His wife pulled her hoof away from her snatch and curled an eyebrow. "Orgasm denial, now?" she said, teasingly. "Is that what you think will help?"
If only it was that easy. Shining shook his head, trying not to let her innocent barb eat at him. "No, I just... want to talk. About this whole 'marriage' thing. The two of us together in the bedroom isn't working."
She reacted as if he'd thrown ice water on her. She stared at him, her entire body tensed up. This time the worried lines furrowed her brow far more than before. "You want a divorce?"
He held a hoof to her lips. "I'm not asking for a divorce. You're amazing. Who would divorce you?" The tension left her body and she relaxed into the mattress. She curled up against him and pulled him into a hug, where he returned her embrace.
"Good," her sticky hoof waved the scent of her arousal right in front of his nose as she embraced him.
Shining finally steeled himself and said what was on his mind. Again. "I love you to death, Cadance. I really do. But ... I really think you need to find another stallion. Somepony who can help you in a way I can't."
Cadance pulled back and looked him in the eye. "You've suggested that several times before, but..."
But she doesn't think she can do it. This was far from the first time they'd had this conversation.
"I've had a lot of time to think about it—"
Of course you have. It’s not the first time he’d brought it up.
"—And I think I might be okay with it."
Suddenly, a glimmer of hope. Hope that maybe, if she wasn't constantly pressuring him, their sex life could be revived. Or at least not a source of tension between them.
Cadance twirled some of the strands of her mane with a hoof. "I've actually already been talking to a stallion. One who I think would be open to the idea, and who wouldn't be intimidated by my status." She interrupted his growing hopefulness, pressing her still-sticky hoof to his snout. "However!"
Shining was happy with what he'd heard so far, but braced himself for whatever came next. "However?"
"I won't do this alone," she admonished. "If I am going to seek satisfaction elsewhere, I want you to find it, too."
Seek satisfaction elsewhere? Shining barely had any sex drive as it was; why would he possibly need to find satisfaction somewhere else?
"Why would I need—"
She pressed her hoof into his nose even harder. "I know you don't think you need it. But Shining, you need to be honest with yourself."
"Honest with myself? How am I being dishonest with myself?"
"Shining, I'm the only mare you've ever slept with. And as much as I hate to say it, we aren't really sexually compatible."
"But we used to have great sex," Shining protested. "How is that incompatible?"
Cadance heaved a heavy sigh. "Shining, there's something I've been thinking about. Please just listen to everything I am going to say before you reply."
That sounded like a terrible idea. "Okay," he nodded.
"Thank you." She smiled at him. "Now, don't take this the wrong way, but what we used to have? It wasn't great sex."
That cut deep. Shining opened his mouth to voice his hurt, but then remembered what he'd just agreed to and closed his mouth again.
"It was just sex. It was great to you because you were a young, horny stallion who didn't know any better. And you still don't, because you need a chance to be with other mares and find out if there's somepony out there who's a better match for you. Any sex is nice when you literally don't have any other sex to compare it to!"
That stung. A lot. But Shining also knew she had a point—as much as he didn't want to admit it. He hadn't ever gone out to see what other options were out there before going out with Cadance. She was literally all he knew... and clearly what he knew, wasn't working. And he wasn't happy.
"I want you to find that great sex," Cadance finished. "Find a couple of other mares and figure out what it is you need to have that 'great sex'. That's all."
"That's all?"
Cadance nodded. "We need to agree on this. I'm not going to find satisfaction elsewhere unless you try, too."
Shining had no desire to find another mare, or any idea where to start. He hadn't dated in many years, and Cadance was the only mare he'd ever dated. "Where would I even look?" he asked.
"Wherever you feel like it," she replied. "But you need to do this for you, not for me. Besides, you can't tell me you never once lusted after another mare."
She was right. There was one mare that Shining had always lusted after, but there were a couple of issues there. Firstly, that she wasn't single. Secondly, she was his sister. Even still, if he could lust for her, that meant he could at least lust for somepony that wasn't Cadance. That had to mean something, right?
"Okay," he replied uncertainly.
"But let me be clear. I don't want to let this arrangement end our sex life," she added hastily. "Even if it means when I'm horny, I don't come to you first. Or if we don't have sex as often. I'll still love you just as much, and I'll want to be with my husband once in a while."
"Okay," he repeated.
For the next several moments, they each embraced each other as Shining became lost in his own thoughts and fantasies. He thought about her - his sister. And thinking about her, and the thought of doing 'things' with her had made him stiffen a little bit - a fact that Cadance was not oblivious to.
"Do you want to...?" she asked, hopefully. "Please?"
Shining smiled. Deep down, he knew he wanted just to be with Cadance. He wanted everything to be perfect.
Life is seldom so simple.
Three hours later, Shining laid there in bed, deep in his thoughts and weak in his flesh. The smell of sex permeated the room, and the bedding would definitely need to be changed in the morning — he was too exhausted to do it just then. It had been the most intense sex he'd had in many years, and Cadance certainly seemed thrilled with it. He was exhausted, but satisfied—the first time he'd had an orgasm from intercourse alone in many months.
But how it played out haunted him. The conversation they’d just had wouldn’t leave his mind the entire time they were having sex, and the only thing that had made him blow his load was fantasizing about somepony else underneath him: Twilight Sparkle. It wasn't something he should have done. It was wrong. And he couldn't help but wonder what Cadance would think if she knew he was thinking about his sister instead? What would Twilight think if she knew?
He knew there was no sense in dwelling on that now, so he shook his head and tried to refocus on making a plan.
Cadance wanted him to try and branch out a little bit. The next day would be his parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary, and he'd be spending the next two days alone in Canterlot. Cadance had some diplomatic business to attend to and would be unable to join them, and Flurry Heart would be with Sunburst for a few days. The Prince Consort of the Crystal Empire surely could find himself a mate to keep him company in Canterlot for two days, right?
He thought back to what his wife had told him—she wanted him to find another mare so he could know what great sex was. But he was convinced she was wrong—Cadance was the Princess of Love, there was no way another mare could match her. Cadance was the greatest sex there was or ever could be. He wasn't exactly champing at the bit about it, but he could find somepony in Canterlot and then tell her that he at least tried. Heck, he really didn't even have to go as far as sex; Cadance wasn't going to be in Canterlot to see it through, so he could just pretend he had, and then go home with Cadance none the wiser.
As the speaker at the podium droned on with anecdotes about his parents' teenage love life, Shining couldn't help but notice that the last time the Canterlot Courtyard was decorated so lavishly was his own sister's coronation celebration. And before that, his own wedding celebration. Which was ruined by changelings. The table in front of him contained a spread fit for... well, not exactly a prince, but it was certainly enough to make him wonder who was hoofing the bill for this celebration. Was it one of the princesses? And if so, which one? After all, he was directly related to most of them in one way or another.
He glanced to the side. The table had three other placements, reserved for his sister and her plus-one, and then the seat for Cadance, who wasn't there. His sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle, sat there next to him, idly tracing the rim of her wine glass with a hoof, and not seeming to give any attention to the speaker at the podium. She wore an elegant lilac ensemble that was somewhat reminiscent of her coronation dress—one of his favorites. There hadn't been much opportunity to chat with his sister before the ceremony, but he suddenly realized she was alone, which struck him as odd since she had recently been dating a stallion named Thunderlane. But her plus-one chair was empty, and it had been the whole night. At one point, Twilight noticed him staring, and gave him a weak, forced smile. He'd turned away awkwardly, instantly reminded of his activities the night before.
His gaze drifted away from his sister and caught their parents seated at the next table over. His mother, Twilight Velvet, was laughing raucously at some joke from the podium that Shining had been tuning out. She looked gorgeous, as usual, with a stunning pearl necklace and a black dress with purple lace that hugged her form and accentuated all of her curves. Her smile practically brightened the room as she laughed and brought her hoof to her face to try and stifle it. His father, Night Light, wore a simple suit with a red rose on his lapel—nothing fancy, but he looked pretty slick, apart from sitting ramrod straight and grinning sheepishly.
Shining himself was wearing his uniform from when he was Captain of the Royal Guard—it wasn't unusual for him to wear it when he was in Canterlot. Many ponies still knew and respected him as the Captain, even though he no longer held that position, and he had to admit that he kinda enjoyed the attention. Not that he was getting any right now, but this was a ceremony that wasn't about him.
Despite all the activity around him, he couldn't stop thinking about his situation. I need to talk to somepony about this, Shining thought to himself. He didn't think he could follow through with what Cadance wanted him to do. Who could he talk to? It would be quite awkward to have that conversation with his sister after the events of the previous night. And his own biases. He glanced at Twilight again, but she was staring at him.
He returned her original, forced, smile, then lifted his wine glass and took a sip of the red liquid. It was relatively weak on the alcohol, as wines went, but it tasted good. Before he knew it, he'd drained the glass, and Twilight's gaze had morphed into one of concern.
After the ceremony was over and the reception had finally died down to a dull murmur, Shining was slightly buzzed. He’d avoided Twilight for most of the evening; he was quite sure that she would be the worst pony to talk to about this, but he hadn't figured out which of his parents he should speak with. For Twilight's part, she didn't seem too keen on talking to Shining, either, since he hadn't seen her anywhere in over half an hour.
She probably went to see Celestia after the ceremony ended, Shining realized.
His father eventually wandered over to him and gestured for him to sit down at a secluded table. His mother was holding most of the attention of the few remaining stragglers who hadn't left the venue yet—a bunch of gossipy mares that he recognized as some of her old friends from years ago.
"How are things going, son?" Night Light said, slapping him on the back with a hoof.
Shining sighed and took a seat. "Okay, I guess," he mumbled.
Night Light's face fell. "Is everything alright, son? I noticed you and Twilight are alone tonight. You're not fighting with Cadance, are you?"
Was he implying... "Twilight got into a fight with Thunder?" Night Light's horn ignited and held Shining's lips closed.
"Shining, I raised you better than to talk about your sister's problems behind her back."
"Right," Shining nodded. "Cadance and I are not fighting, exactly. Things are a little strange right now, though." His father was one of the few ponies that Shining knew he could trust with absolutely anything. He looked his father in the eye. "Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure, you can!" Night Light responded, gesturing at the total absence of ponies in their immediate vicinity. "No one's gonna hear anyway."
"Do you ever have... libido issues?"
Night Light frowned. "What do you mean? Like, performance issues? I know it's a little emasculating, but there are spells for that."
"Not really," Shining explained. "More like, just not being in the mood in the first place. Cadance and I, we..." he trailed off. "Well, she's always wanting to... be intimate. And I guess I usually don't."
His father shook his head softly. "Unfortunately, I relate more to Cadance on that one. Vel— your mother's rarely in the mood. I'm good to go pretty much every night, but..."
Shining hung his head. "I understand. Sorry I bought it up."
"Look, if I was entirely honest, Shining, I couldn't even tell you the last time your mother and I had sex - usually only on special occasions, but I am hoping tonight will count!"
"D-dad!" Shining spluttered.
"But, I can assure you that there are no hard feelings between your mother and me," he said, grinning. "There's more to a relationship than sex. And I'm sure, as the Princess of Love, that Cadance knows that more than anypony."
Cadance always did insist that his performance problem was okay and that she still loved him. But it didn't stop him from feeling like he was failing at Relationships 301: Life After Marriage. Maybe he needed to be a bit more direct with his father if he wanted proper advice.
"Last night, I asked her to open up our relationship and find another stallion to bring to bed," Shining admitted. "So that she can get satisfaction elsewhere. She agreed, but she wants me to do the same."
Night Light shook his head and chuckled. "Your mother has given me the same permission, Shining. But I don't want anypony else, understand? Opening a relationship doesn't change the facts of your situation, and it's not a magical cure-all. I'd love to give you a bit more advice, because I can relate to Cadance's position, and maybe give you a bit more of her perspective on things, but..." he gestured at Twilight and Celestia, who had just entered the room and were heading straight toward them. "Maybe we should be somewhere a bit less dignified for that. Why don't you catch up with me later? Your mother and I are planning to return to the Crystal Empire with you tomorrow to get some time with Flurry Heart before we head off to Tropicana Zebrica, so if nothing else, we'll have time to talk privately on the train tomorrow morning, I'm sure."
Shining nodded, unsatisfied with the lack of resolution. He was supposed to figure something out before he left Canterlot. "Tomorrow morning, then."
His old bedroom was just as he left it, minus all the things he'd taken with him when he moved out, of course. But the bed was still there, with the same Power Ponies bedcovers he'd had on his bed since he was a teenager. The bookshelf and the desk were both organized neatly, definitely not the way he left it. The furniture paled in comparison to the stuff he had in the Crystal Empire now. His parents were firmly upper-middle class, so he knew in his head that they weren't cheap, but suddenly he wondered if being Prince Consort to Cadance was affecting his barometer of quality.
It was late. The family had been up playing board games for hours, interrupted only a brief recess for an amazing home-cooked meal from his mother. Shining was so tired he simply collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling, his eyelids closing slowly as he drifted off to sleep. Just as he was about to drift off, his brain suddenly demanded that all of his insecurities come flooding back. So he laid there trying to will the thoughts away. Sleep wouldn't come so easily again, and after a few minutes of that, his bladder was demanding attention.
He looked out into the hallway. A flickering light down the hall told him that the television was on, and a soft moaning from it told him why. Porn.
Vel— your mother's never in the mood. I'm good to go pretty much every night, but...
So that was how his dad handled it. And on his anniversary, no less. Shining shook his head and quietly made his way to the bathroom, hoping not to disturb his father's 'activities'. But as Shining stood in the bathroom doing his business, he realized his father was in the living room, probably masturbating. A great sense of shame at his own hidden masturbation sessions—often tucked away in a lavatory, hidden away from Cadance so she wouldn't be hurt that he wasn't having sex with her, surfaced. It was something he needed to talk to his father about, but the train? There was no possible way he could talk to his father about that on a train—ponies might overhear. Heck, Twilight or his mother could overhear!
It would be awkward, but he decided then and there that he would interrupt his father and have the talk now. He finished up on the toilet and carefully walked back to the living room. Upon arriving in the living room, he cleared his throat softly to announce his presence, and heard a sudden shuffling of a blanket on the couch. It would be a disaster if somepony else woke up and overheard this conversation, so he spoke in a low whisper.
"Hey,” Shining said softly. “Sorry to interrupt, especially when you're having to resort to this on your special night." Shining took the extended lack of reply as his cue to blunder ahead with what he wanted to say. "I wanted to talk to you before we got on the train tomorrow, about my problems with Cadance. It's not just a libido issue, exactly. I don't really want to have sex much, but I masturbate a lot, so I don't think it's just the libido thing. And I kinda feel like it's hurting her every time I do."
Silence followed for a few moments, and Shining started to wonder if he had made a mistake by addressing his father in the middle of his masturbation session—which he knew he should have expected. "I'm going to assume you aren't trying to talk to me," a voice clearly laden with choked tears finally came from the couch—and most definitely not his father's.
"Mom?!" Shining yelped, before suddenly clamping his hooves over his mouth to silence his own outburst. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid! "No," he whispered apologetically. "I wasn't. I'm sorry, mom, I... I thought you were Dad. I'll leave you alone now." He turned away, but paused as she sniffled. He turned back toward the couch. "Are... are you okay?"
"I don't know, Shiny. I don't know. I could really use somepony to talk to right now, though." A light gray hoof waved from over the couch. "Would you please come sit with me?"
Shining very hesitantly did as she requested, taking a seat at the end of the couch. His mother was still wearing her dress from earlier, though she’d taken the necklace off at some point. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes bloodshot, and her mane was completely disheveled. "Holy shit. Mom, what's wrong?"
"I'm a mess," she whispered. "I'm a terrible wife. Your father doesn't deserve me. It's our thirtieth wedding anniversary tonight and I'm useless. Even on a night like tonight, I can't bring myself to give him what he wants."
Shining could relate. He could relate so much. But this was his mother—she was second only to Twilight in 'ponies he didn't want to talk to about this'. And yet, during that moment, and with those words, he felt that maybe she would understand. It was certain that the last thing she needed was judgment. She needed a supportive ear.
"I can't perform for Cadance, either," Shining confessed. "Most nights I duck out to the bathroom, or maybe somewhere secluded in the gardens if I'm feeling adventurous, and then..." He shrugged, gesturing widely with his hooves.
Low audio played from the television, providing some relief from an otherwise total silence, but the content of the audio wasn't helping Shining focus—it was rather distracting. Under the circumstances, Shining felt that staring at the screen was probably the poorest choice he could make. On the other hoof, the overwhelming guilt he felt prevented him from meeting his mother's gaze, either. He stared at the coffee table, instead. The DVD case for the porn his mother was watching was there; less distracting, but still a minor distraction.
"And you masturbate," Velvet finished for him. Shining nodded with shame. "It doesn't make any sense, Shiny. I can't stand it. Why can't I do this for him?"
Tears began spilling down her cheeks and she began to sob. Shining turned and awkwardly pulled his mother into a hug. She didn't fight it as he lifted her up to hug her, and the blanket fell away onto the floor as she raised up to hug him back. With the blanket out of the way, Shining could feel that the gorgeous dress she'd had on earlier that day stopped just above her teats, leaving her nipples completely exposed and burying themselves into the fur around his groin. He desperately tried to ignore how hard they were.
"I don't understand why, either," he whispered next to her ear. "It seems we both have struggles with the bedroom, but..." He pushed her away slightly so he could speak to her face-to-face. "For me it's physical. I can't get an erection most of the time, but... you're a mare, mom. You don't have that issue."
Velvet smiled sadly, sinking back into couch. "Your father asks for so much from me." Her voice was empty. "He gets up super early for work, he rouses me, begging for sex before he goes. Or maybe a blowjob, a hoofjob, a hornjob. Almost every morning. I sometimes give him a quick one just to get him out of my mane, but he never returns the favor."
As those words left her mouth, Shining couldn't help but let his gaze drift down to where her nipples had touched him, and down below he noticed the wetness between his mother's legs. He suddenly remembered what she'd been doing just moments before he interrupted. He turned away from her as warmth filled his cheeks—and elsewhere.
"Oh my Luna, I'm sorry," she apologized, accompanied by the sound of her shifting into a different position—presumably one less compromising.
"No, mom. I should be the one apologizing," he replied sheepishly. "I'm the one who interrupted you while you were..." He stopped himself from acknowledging that out loud. "I'll just go back to my room." He stood up.
"Please don't."
Shining paused, halfway into his first step. "Why?"
"I haven't ever been able to talk to anypony about this," she begged. "Please, just let me talk about it. I need to get it off of my chest."
Awkward tension in the air hung like a choking miasma. Shining wanted to run away, but his mother had just asked him to stay. Suddenly he felt bad for wanting to leave without letting her put it all out on the table, so he didn't move. Instead, he focused on the television screen in front of him—some piece with two unicorn stallions spit-roasting a blue pegasus mare.
"Shining?" Her voice trembled on the verge of sobbing.
Was this really a conversation he was willing to have with his mother?
He sank back into the couch. "Alright."
"Thank you, Shiny," she said, smiling despite the tears forming in her eyes. She seemed incredibly vulnerable before him right now. "Deep down, I know I shouldn't blame myself," she continued, slowly. "But even when we do have sex, it's no good. He's on a hair-trigger, and as soon as he gets off, he rolls over and goes to sleep. I'm constantly left unsatisfied."
"That is extremely selfish of him," Shining replied consolingly. "I’m sorry that he does that to you. I may not be Cadance’s best lover, but I always tried to get Cadance off after we were done, until she asked me to stop trying."
Velvet gasped. "Why would she ask you to stop?"
"Because I usually got tired before she could finish. Eventually, she asked me to stop trying because she knew I felt bad every time I failed."
"Until you were tired...?” she replied, confused. “Just how long were you trying for?"
"With my hooves? A couple hours." A deeply unsettling realization hit Shining, cutting him to the core. "I... Maybe I must be bad at that, too."
Velvet smiled softly. "I sincerely doubt that, Shining. Maybe you're lacking in technique, but there's something to be said for endurance and persistence. Your father would never even try for more than a minute or two. A couple of hours sounds amazing to me."
The scene on the television that Shining had been distracting himself with shifted to the two stallions, who were now kissing and stroking each other while the mare recovered somewhere out of the scene, reminding him that his mother was the one who selected this particular video. Shining turned away - there was something extremely awkward about watching two stallions kiss passionately while beating each other off. He didn't have an issue with gay stallions, but he wasn't interested in seeing them do that.
Instead, he found himself looking upon his mother again, and an entire other awkward sight befell him. She was laying back against the corner of the couch. Her legs were parted slightly, though, unlike before, her tail covered her mare bits. Just below the gorgeous lace of her dress, her small nipples stood upright, glistening slightly with lubrication that had been slathered across herself from her earlier ministrations.
A small voice in the back of his mind told him that the mare in front of him needed more and that he could provide it. He could feel himself stiffening, but reminded himself that it was his mother, and he forced the thought away.
"I'm sorry," she replied, shifting again and her nipples disappeared from his sight. "I promise I am trying to cover myself, but this couch is just so darn comfy."
"No," he blurted. "I don't mind, Mom. You are quite pretty. It's just a little awkward." Had he just told his mother he didn't mind seeing her private bits? He turned back to the television with a blush, letting himself sink into the couch himself. The stallions were still going at it, and Shining really wished his mother had selected something else to watch. His erection began to wilt; a welcome consequence under the circumstances, as he suddenly realized that his mother wasn't the only one giving a show. Velvet wasn't looking, though, much to his relief.
"He doesn't tell me that I'm pretty, either,” she blurted out.
Shining turned to face his mother again in disbelief. "Nonsense, Mom. You're not just pretty, you're beautiful. Like, number three."
She shook her head. "Shiny, you don't need to try and flatter me."
"No, mom, I'm serious. You’re number three. There's only two mares in the whole world more beautiful than you."
"Oh, really?" she replied sarcastically. "Who is number two, then?" Shining was shocked at the intensity of her seeming upset.
"Cadance," Shining replied instantly.
Velvet’s eyes narrowed. "I expected you would rank her number one. So I guess number one is Princess Celestia, then?"
"Nope," Shining replied, matter-of-factly. It wasn't a bad guess, really. Celestia was still in his top ten, and most stallions thought she was the pinnacle of beauty.
"Then, who?"
"Twilight."
Velvet propped herself up on the couch and glared at him. "It's because I'm old, isn't it?" she accused.
"What? No!" Shining averted his gaze again.
"Don’t give me that crap, Shining. Twilight and I look almost exactly alike. That's not just me talking. Everypony else says so, too. And when she's my age, she's going to look exactly like me, only winged. So if the only difference is age, why is it that you rank us far enough apart that Cadance slips right between?"
"It's not about your age at all!" Shining blurted.
"So you're biased because of her coat color?"
"No, I love your grey, mom. It's very pretty."
"Well, what is it, then?"
Shining couldn't possibly tell her that he'd been lusting after his sister for his entire life, and that Twilight Sparkle held a special status of perfection in his own mind. But now she had him on the defensive.
"Look at me, Shining." He reluctantly turned his gaze back to his mother, intently looking her in the eye. "Either tell me what it is that Twilight has that I don't, or just admit that you're lying, and that it's my age."
Shining's eyes went up and down her form, desperately seeking a way out. A blemish, a mark, anything he could use even as a weak excuse, but there was nothing. She really was beautiful, especially in that smoking hot dress. As his eyes traveled, his gaze fell upon her teats again, and the wet, black pussy lips just beneath. And he lingered there just a bit too long.
"Oh, my stars," Velvet said, her eyes widening. "You've been ogling your sister's pussy? That's what it is?"
The jig was up. He's been caught red-hoofed. "... Ever since we were kids," he confessed, with old memories of overactive teenage hormones coming back. "We shared a room for so long, and right as I was growing up, too. She and I were wrestling once, and I got a face full of... well..." He suddenly became aware that his dick was rock hard.
"And you've been thinking about it every time you see her, ever since," Velvet responded flatly. Shining nodded softly, suddenly becoming conscious of the fact he was still staring at her groin. He looked up to meet her eyes, only to find her own gaze locked on his erection.
"And that's all it takes for her to be better than me..." Velvet mumbled. She stood up from the couch and disappeared from the living room for a few moments.
Shining sat there in silence, uncertain what the hell had just happened. Did he piss off his mother? Had he fucked up — yes, that ship had already sailed, but... This was all becoming a bit uncomfortable, and yet there was a strange thrill to it all. A sexual tension that he had to admit, despite all of the awkwardness, he was enjoying. With his mother.
He looked up at the television, where a new scene was playing. A mare taking two cocks like a champion—one in each hole. It wasn't the same mare as before; this one was a light grey coated mare with glistening black pussy lips and a platinum mane. She looked alarmingly like his mother—and if she didn't have wings, Shining could have been convinced that it was.
Velvet returned with a bottle of alcohol. "She's gorgeous too, isn't she?" Velvet said bitterly, waving the bottle at the television. She threw herself back down on the couch again. "I wish I was as pretty as she is."
"Nonsense, mom. I already told you, you're number three."
He tore his vision away from the porn on the screen to see Velvet drinking straight from the bottle. It was only then that Shining noticed the other bottle laying on the floor next to the couch.
"How much have you drank tonight already?"
She pulled the bottle away from her lips. "Not enough," she replied, passing the bottle over to him.
"No, thanks," Shining declined, setting the bottle back down out of her reach. He was a lightweight, and would rather not drink this late at night anyway.
Velvet already seemed to have forgotten about the bottle; instead, her gaze was transfixed on the screen. "I really wish I was her," she mumbled. "Those stallions are so good to her."
He looked back up just in time to see the mare's pussy gush all over the two stallions pounding into her. And they kept going, all three of them grunting and moaning in pleasure, pistoning in and out while her pussy juices continued to flow like a waterfall around them. Eventually, they let the mare down and she began eagerly sucking one of them off while the other began eating her out. He watched with rapt attention the entire time. The pegasus mare really did look a lot like his mother.
Shining watched in awe as the mare took the absolutely massive cock all the way to the base, deepthroating it like it was the easiest thing in the world, then paused and gushed again all over the face of the stallion beneath her. Shining's own erection pulsed with his heartbeat, the blood pressure straining against his own skin and reminding him that he'd been sitting here, rock hard on the couch. Right next to his mother. And he suddenly became aware that he was touching himself with a hoof subconsciously.
He surreptitiously peeked over at his mother, hoping she hadn't noticed. She was staring at the screen with a tired grin, her own hoof nestled between her legs and moving slightly. He remained transfixed on the sight in front of him as her magic began tweaking her own teats and she began to buck slightly against her hoof.
The realization struck him that he was watching his mother masturbate, with his own shaft in his hoof, but he couldn't tear his gaze away as Velvet got more and more into it. He looked up to meet her gaze and realized that she wasn't watching the television anymore - she was staring straight at his cock, where his hoof was still moving.
"Uh..." Shining wasn't sure how to reply, his hoof's motion ceasing. The stroking sensation continued anyway, confusing him. He looked down at the blue aura moving steadily up and down his dick. "Mom?!" he gasped. Her magic stopped.
"I'm sorry, Shiny. I'm just so pent up," she confessed, choking up. "I shouldn't have done that. I... I don't know what came over me."
His mother sat on the couch, her chin trembling. Shining wasn’t sure if she was about to cry, or perhaps flee. Things had just escalated beyond a line that shouldn’t have been crossed, and he knew that his mother was the last pony he should be thinking about doing these things with. His heart ached for her, and his loins weren't disagreeing with these actions, either. And Cadance didn't need to know who he hooked up with in Canterlot, right? She had told him to fuck another mare, though he was sure this wasn't what she had in mind.
“It's alright," he replied softly. “It’ll be okay.” He wasn’t sure which of them he was trying to convince. Instead, his own horn blazed to life and he tweaked one of her nipples. She jumped slightly and looked back to him, her eyes wide in shock. "It's okay, mom. If... if you wanna do this. I don't mind."
She didn't respond directly, instead mashing her hoof into her slit again far more forcefully than before. "I do, Shining. I know we shouldn't, but I really need this so bad." She scooted closer to him on the couch, not letting her frantic hoof away from her pussy as she got closer. "I... want to taste it."
Shining gazed down at his mother's desperate expression. He wanted to protect this mare. Anger flared up. Anger at the stallion who had made her like this—made her this way by forcing her to do things for him without returning any favors. He vowed to himself not to let her down the way his father had. "No, mom. I'm fine; let me help you." And with that, he lifted her with his magic.
"Shining, what are you...?" she gasped as she floated through the air, and then he laid her down spreadeagled before him.
He immediately went down on her, eliciting a sudden moan from her lips as his tongue touched her now madly winking clit. His hooves both came to rest upon her teats, stroking her breasts in circles and tweaking her nipples all while his tongue lashed madly against her folds. It was wrong — he knew it was wrong — but his mother didn't deserve a lifetime of disappointment, and he wasn't going to leave her hanging like this. She moaned and cried out unintelligibly, her entire body writhing about beneath him.
"S-Stop, Shining," she managed to moan breathlessly. Shining halted for just a moment, allowing her to talk. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna cum."
But that was the entire point. Immediately he resumed his assault on her flower, giving particular focus to the winking clit that kept coming out and begging for attention. Her nectar filled his senses, a light grape flavor that only made him want to keep lapping away and drinking it down until he'd had his fill. He rubbed her teats harder, running his tongue up and down her slit as he went, each time going lower and lower. And lower.
"Shining?" she warned. "You're getting—"
He knew what he was doing, and he wasn't going to be deterred. His tongue slipped below her vulva, brushing ever so slightly against her tail hole. There was no bitter flavor like he'd expected - her self-lubrication and stroking had left a tangible barrier of slick fluids there. He continued back up, and then back down again, letting his tongue trace her wrinkled hole.
"Oh stars, Shining, that feels--!” she squeaked. “On my~! Mmfffiuuuck...” Her entire body seized up as Shining continued to molest her tailhole with his tongue, mashing her clit with his hoof. She levitated a throw pillow over and held it over her own face. “I'm c—cumming!" she shrieked into the cushion. A deluge of marecum poured from her pussy, soaking his entire face and leaving a massive wet spot on the couch beneath him. Her entire body convulsed over and over. She gasped out words he couldn’t even comprehend, breathing heavily, until finally her hooves began pushing his head down and away from her nethers.
Shining pulled back and looked down at his work. If she had looked like a mess before, she looked like a disaster now. She was panting heavily, a satisfied smile on her face as she gazed back up at him. "I-I've never been touched there before," she gasped.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize. That was amazing, Shining. I had no idea how amazing that would be." She pushed herself into a sitting position and smiled warmly. "Thank you."
Shining sat back, satisfied with his work. His erection sprang forward calling attention to itself as he relaxed. He looked down at it and frowned.
"Sorry," he said, heat rushing to his cheeks. "I... we… shouldn’t have..."
"We shouldn't have done this," she agreed, nodding. Still, Velvet stared at his cock, and then looked up at him. Her horn lit up, throwing him on his side and rolling him onto his back. "But we've already done it, and we aren't done,” she purred, climbing up over him. She straddled him and rested her damp pussy lips against the tip of his shaft. “Now, you just lay back and let me return the favor."
Shining gasped as he felt his cock part his mother's own folds, returning one small part of him back to the very hallway that brought him into this world. His cock was gradually enveloped in something warm, wet, and inviting as she slowly pressed herself downward onto his shaft. And she was tight. Far tighter than Cadance could ever hope to be. Stars exploded in his vision as she continued to slide down around him, her vise-like pussy clamping down and spasming around his cock.
"Mom, you're... so tight."
She pressed a hoof to his lips. "Please, Shining, don't call me Mom right now. Call me by my name." Her hips came to rest with Shining's entire cock inside of her. "But go ahead. Tell me more."
Shining looked up into his mother's face. Her stunning blue eyes. Her frazzled platinum mane with those lavender streaks. "You're gorgeous, M— Velvet." She placed a hoof on his lips.
"Your father calls me Velvet. I want you to say my name, Shining!"
That name? Shining gulped nervously and parted his lips. "You're gorgeous, T-twilight."
"Oh, goddess, yes!" she whispered harshly, rocking her hips against his groin. "Say it again!"
"You're beautiful, Twilight."
"Yes!" She began to move earnestly, pulling herself up off of him and then lowering herself down again - consumed with lust and fervor. She wasted no time picking up speed. Shining had never felt a pussy so tight grinding down on him before as she drove down on him, plunging him in and out of herself. Even his masturbation sessions weren’t so crushingly tight around his cock.
"I love you, Twilight," Shining continued, completely consumed with a desire to unload his seed into this amazing mare. "Your pussy is the best."
“Eeeee…” The only sound that came from between Twilight's strangled moans now was unintelligible pleasure. Shining began bucking his hips upward into his mother, and his eyes sank closed, losing himself in the bliss of the moment.
This. This was the great sex he'd been missing. The sex Cadance had told him to go find. But why was it so much better than Cadance? Why didn't Cadance feel this amazing? With Cadance, it had been like dipping his dick into a warm bath and moving around—it felt good, but it didn't stimulate him very much. His mother's hole, on the other hand, was so tight it was like she would wrench his dick off, if given the opportunity.
"Oh goddess, Shining," Twilight moaned on top of him as their bodies slammed together in a perverse crescendo of lust. "I'm going to cum, Shining. Please cum for me. I need you to cum for me."
Shining pounded relentlessly upward against her thrusts, feeling himself rapidly approach his limit in her tight folds. "Twilight," he moaned. "Twilight, this is amazing." Her name continuously came to his lips as he pounded faster and faster, closer and closer to his peak. "You're amazing, Twilight!" Every time he said her name, he could feel Twilight's pussy spasm around him. "I want you to have my foals!" he gasped.
"Yes," she shouted. "Let me be a mother again!"
"Twilie!" Shining gasped out as he felt himself tipping over the edge, but barely holding on.
"Twilight!" his mother shouted, pressing down on him with her hooves, seemingly upset with him. He was too lost in bliss on the edge of his orgasm to care.
"I love you," he apologized, crushing her in a hug, teetering on the brink and continuing to thrust. "I love you, Twilie!” he forced her down all the way to the hilt of his cock, where the crown kissed against her cervix. “C-cumming!" He groaned. He was completely inside of her, and his dick kicked with his heartbeat as he held her there for a moment before throbbing and pulsing deep within Twilight's pussy as he came harder than he'd ever cum before.
"No! Twilight!" Twilight gasped, struggling against his crushing hug, but stuck flat against him. His cum dribbled out of her abused pussy, spilling around his cock and mixing with the copious fluids of her own emissions. "Oh stars, Shining, you moron,” she gasped. “I meant Twilight was there! In the hallway, watching!"
Wait, Twilight had seen them? Shining's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. He released Velvet immediately. "What do you mean, she was watching?! What did she see?"
"I... I don't know. From the hallway, she might not have seen you," Velvet replied, frantically trying to clean herself up with the discarded blanket. "Maybe I should go talk to her alone. I'll tell her that I'm sorry she saw me and your father making love on the couch."
"And what if she calls you out on it?" Shining argued. It would make things so much worse if they seemed to be hiding it.
"I don't know!" she hissed, knocking over the bottle of booze in her panicked state.
Shining snatched the bottle up to stop the spilling, and then took a breath and tried to calm himself with some breathing exercises he'd learned in the guard. A slow inhale. A slow exhale. He gestured to Velvet to breathe with him, which she did, and soon they were both calm.
“Are you okay, now?”
The corner of Velvet’s mouth twitched slightly. “I’m alright, yes. More than alright. We just... need to figure this out.”
“As far as I'm concerned, we don't even know how long she was there," Shining stated flatly. "So we need to find out how much she saw. What if she'd been watching the whole time?"
Velvet passed the blanket to Shining. “Here, clean yourself up,” she muttered. "And if she was there the whole time? That would be... really bad, I think."
"Exactly,” Shining said, trying to wipe up as much of the cum as he could. “We don't know what she knows. So maybe it's best if we just wait to see what happens." They could only make things worse by acting without information. Shining knew that, but it didn't feel right to do nothing.
"And what if she tells Cadance or Night Light?"
And that was exactly why doing nothing was the worst possible plan of action. Shining stalled for a moment. "I..."
"Shining, it would destroy your father if he knew." Velvet seemed to deflate entirely at the thought.
"... I... I know, mom, but..." Shining wasn't sure what to say.
"Alright, let's just go together," Velvet suggested, taking control of the situation from him. "We'll talk to Twilight. Maybe she'll be okay with it, maybe she won't, but she's a smart mare and probably knows exactly what she saw."
"So the plan is to... go talk to her and just own up to it?"
"Do you think there's a better option?"
"Not really."
With a plan of action agreed upon, Shining and Velvet trotted down the hall toward the stairs. Twilight would no doubt be up in her observatory on the roof; it was her favorite place to retreat to when she was stressing out at her parents' house.
The stairs leading up to the roof were rickety and creaked under Shining's weight as they ascended—an old sound that brought back memories about the times he and Twilight snuck up to the roof at night. He would often steal a glance under Twilight's tail whenever she peered into the telescope and couldn't catch him in the act.
The memories made the trek up the stairs a little melancholic. This time the context of his arrival would be completely different, but he grimaced as he realized he'd probably still have a lot of those thoughts, especially with what he'd just done. The old wooden door to the roof groaned softly as Shining pushed it open and stepped into the cool night air. As expected, Twilight was there. She was pretending not to be aware of their presence as she peered into the eyeglass of her telescope, and if Shining had been so inclined, peeking under her tail was out of the question because it wasn't even necessary—her tail was flagged and her parts were on open full display.
Shining pulled the lens cap off the end of the telescope with his magic and chuckled softly. "You know, it works better when light can get into it." Twilight gave up her charade with a muttered curse. She refused to meet his gaze, though, and snatched the lens cap out of Shining's magical field with a burst of her own magic.
"It's a good thing I had these prepared for tonight," Velvet announced, levitating a clean blanket off the laundry line and laid it out on the cold stone roof. "Admittedly, I had a different plan for them, but..." She took a second blanket down and wrapped herself in it before sitting down and gesturing for Shining and Twilight to do the same. "I think we need to sit down and talk," she said, matter-of-factly.
Twilight walked over to the spread fabric but did not sit down. "What's there to talk about?" she groused bitterly. "My brother is having intercourse with my mother behind my father's back. It seems pretty straightforward." Shining cringed at his sister's bluntness.
"And you seem awfully upset about that," Velvet observed, seemingly unfazed by Twilight's tone. "Are you concerned about your father?"
Twilight shook her head.
"Is it Cadance?" Shining asked, sitting down next to his mother.
"No," Twilight mumbled, finally sitting down across from Shining. "I'm just a little jealous."
"Jealous? Jealous of what?" Shining blurted.
Velvet frowned disapprovingly. "Please tell me you haven't been lusting after your brother."
"No!" Twilight instantaneously recoiled away from Shining, but then spread her hooves apologetically. "It's just that I haven't gotten any lately. Thunder's been distracted for the last few weeks, and..." A flash of anger crossed her face. "It’s not really your business.” She whirled on Shining. “Look, I already know about your 'permission slip' from Cadance, alright?! So I'm not going to go and tattle on you, but..."
Shining's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you knew?" he blurted.
"'Permission slip'?" Velvet asked aloud.
Twilight nodded meekly. "She told me that she wanted me to try and help you find another mare to... I won't use her exact words, but 'have sex with' is accurate enough. She was hoping that I would know somepony who might be single and willing to give you a chance."
"Oh," Velvet turned to Shining. "I suppose I should be glad you weren't just cheating on her like I was for your father?"
Shining shook his head. "I'm sorry, mom. We shouldn't have—"
"No," Velvet interrupted. "It wasn't your fault. I started it. And I was already cheating on him with the porn long before you entered the picture."
Shining frowned. "I guess..." He didn't really consider porn to be cheating, but it made him uneasy. He'd used porn many times back at the Crystal Empire - did Cadance think that way, too?
"So, you went along with Cadance's request?" Velvet asked, turning her attention to Twilight again.
Twilight nodded solemnly. "Cadance said that if it was just Shining going out and soliciting random mares that there were many mares who would jump at the chance, but for all the wrong reasons." She pointed a hoof at her brother. "He is a prince, after all. There are a lot of ponies who would stand to gain a lot and risk very little by sleeping with him. Which is something I myself tend to lose sight of when I date."
"Oh," Shining mumbled. He hadn't considered any of that, but it made a lot of sense - and it was just like Cadance to try and wrangle Twilight into helping him with his rather inattentive nature.
"Besides," his sister continued, turning to him. "Rarity's had a secret crush on you for years. I was going to ask her to come to Canterlot and try to hook the two of you up, but..." She trailed off, staring at the blanket with clenched teeth.
"Twilie?" Shining prodded.
Twilight screamed into the night air for a moment, and then brought herself back down to a normal conversational level. "Thunderlane told me he was breaking up with me this morning! He's been seeing some other mare and he's moving to the Crystal Empire! I got mad at him, and we had a big fight..." Shining hadn't ever seen Twilight so irate before, but soon her body language relaxed. "...So I sorta forgot I was supposed to be helping you today."
"And you were going to set me up with Rarity?" Shining repeated, confused. Rarity was certainly a gorgeous mare, but he had never thought about her in that way. Then again, he'd never met Rarity prior to his wedding day, so maybe he just never gave her a chance to be seen in that light.
Twilight Sparkle nodded. "And Cadance wanted me to report back how things went this weekend." She glared between Shining and their mother. "The two of you have made that rather difficult, though."
Velvet stomped her hoof against the roof. "You can't just tell her we—"
Twilight cut her mother off. "I know mom. And I don't intend to. But my silence on this issue is predicated on one condition." She gestured to Shining. "I'll tell her that you and Rarity hit it off, but you need to make it so I'm not lying to her. I expect you to schedule a date with Rarity."
"O-okay," Shining agreed hesitantly. What was the worst that could happen with a single date? He wasn't sure he wanted to test that limit... "But what about us?" He gestured between himself and his mother.
"You... just do whatever," Twilight said with a sigh. "I won't stop you."
It took Shining a moment to process what Twilight meant by 'stop'. "No, Twilie, I didn't mean that we were going to keep doing… stuff."
Velvet shot Shining a pleading look. "Can't we?"
Shining was taken aback by his mother's plight. "But... Mom... it's wrong, isn't it?"
"Is it ever wrong to bring a pony happiness?" Twilight asked softly. "Shining, the reason I'm not telling Dad about what you two were doing is... because I have never seen mom happier than when you two were together just now. And I'm not sure Pinkie Pie would ever forgive me if I ruined that."
Shining looked at his mother. "You were... happy? That we were doing that?"
Velvet smiled back warmly. "Yes, Shining. I really was."
“Oh…”
"I do have one final request," Twilight interjected. "Hopefully I'll never know if you do, and I sure as heck don't want to try and enforce it myself. But I swear to Luna, if I ever hear you moaning my name again while having intercourse with another pony, I will personally come to you in your sleep and end you."
"Her name is Twilight, too!" Shining argued defensively. “I’m allowed to say it.”
Twilight threw an accusational hoof at their mother. "Her name is not Twilie!"
Shining paused, blushing from ear to ear. "I called her Twilie?" he asked aloud. Had he really done that?
"You did," Velvet replied, laughing. “More than once.” The burning in his cheeks spread down his neck.
"How is that funny in any way?" Twilight asked, glaring at her mom.
"Because you got so flustered when he said it just now."
Shining looked over at Twilight, whose face was flushed like a rose under her normally purple coat.
"Okay, fine, it was really…” she paused. “It was cute, alright?!" Twilight finally confessed. "Let me be clear, I have no desire to join in, but... watching the two of you was still really, really hot, and now I'm kinda left hanging."
"Velvet?" a voice called from down below.
"Shit," Velvet cursed under her breath. "Your father's awake."
And with a flash of light that blinded Shining, he suddenly found himself back in his room, with Twilight next to him, and then with another flash, she was gone, too.
"I'm up on the roof, dear!" he heard his mother call from somewhere in the hallway.
His father's hoofsteps headed toward the roof, followed shortly by the creaking sound of the stairs as he ascended.
And then soon, the sounds of Velvet shrieking in bliss as his father grunted repeatedly washed down the stairs. Whatever happened tonight, it seemed to have benefited everypony involved. Except perhaps for Twilie.
Still, Shining was tired. He cast a spell to block out the noise, rolled onto his side, and drifted off to sleep - this time, successfully.
Shining stretched himself out on the bed, earning a small popping sensation in his spine that felt amazing. Satisfied with his stretch, he carefully rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb Cadance snoring gently next to him. Several minutes were spent going through his usual morning routine, including checking in on his daughter, who was still sleeping away in her room.
A piece of stationery caught his eye as he passed the writing desk Cadance often used in the nursery—a letterhead that matched his sister’s. Curiosity got the better of him, and he took a look. It started off with a greeting, and several paragraphs of catching up that Shining skimmed over, but he quickly found a section talking about himself.
And you'll be happy to know that Shining was successful in finding another mare. She would be absolutely scandalized if I wrote her name down, but you know her quite well, so I'm sure you'll be able to guess who it is. She's got a light grey coat, purple in her mane, and she's one of my best friends. They both seem incredibly happy with the arrangement, and I'm sure Shining will be taking extra trips to visit her again soon. Hopefully there's no unexpected foals. The last thing we need is another public scandal in the family.
Shining smiled inwardly. Twilight was such a brat sometimes. He set the letter down next to Cadance's half-written reply. He glanced at it, too.
Twilight,
I am so thankful to you for helping Shining out. I don't know how Rarity did it, but in the few days since he's been back, our sex life has improved considerably. I would not say it is great, yet, and it might not ever be, but at least I don't feel bitterness and resentment from him every time we're together now. I'm pretty sure he's thinking about Rarity while we're doing it, though, which is a little awkward. Still, the results are worth the minor awkwardness.
I’m terribly sorry to hear about Thunderlane. You should have told me about him sooner! If I'd known you were already seeing him, I would never have accepted his advances. I hope you can forgive me.
The unfinished note ended there. Shining was torn. On the one hoof, this seemed to suggest that Thunderlane had cheated on his sister with his wife. On the other hoof, if Thunderlane hadn't done that, he wouldn't have discovered the mind-blowing sex that could actually be had with his mother. It was a sacrifice that was worth it in his own mind, but what about Twilight's opinion?
He would have to find a way to make it up to her someday. But for now, he had a trip to Canterlot to plan.
Author's Note
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