The Equestrian Prime

The Equestrian Prime

Chapter 2: Interrogation

Cianán Campbell exhaled softly, his eyes narrowing. "I disliked the idea of pulling any page out of Damian's book, but he knew how to intimidate. Must have been genetic, eh, Bruce?" he commented. He wasn't surprised that Bruce facepalmed.

"Be glad I have other things to deal with, or I'd come there and show you how intimidating I can be," Bruce deadpanned dryly.

"Yeah… I'd be more intimidated by Red here, Bruce. Sure, you can scare the shit out of criminals… but me? Not so much," Cianán said with a small smirk as he flicked a thumb at Starfire. He half turned as he heard Starfire chuckle, as did Victor.

"I swear, the only one that annoyed the hell out of him like that was Dick," Victor commented.

"And Dick's lucky I noticed Damian throwing that baton at his head and ricocheted it back with my kunai dart on its monofilament wire, otherwise, where he stood, had he fallen, he could have been injured fatally," Cianán said seriously. He had noticed the rubble scattered through Arkham that day.

He exhaled softly as his gaze shifted from Victor to the mercs. "I know you mercs may well have a code of honor. But if half of what my systems recorded was true, you intended to take advantage of traumatized teens in a very unpleasant way and knowingly deliver them to be murdered like their siblings. That tells me that you have as much honor and loyalty as a wet fart and less intelligence and cunning than a rat," he snarled with a hint of a growl.

"Don't forget the sealed envelope you pulled off one of them, Zhū." Artemis said, looking to his friend and using his codename again for the interrogation. Then Artemis scowled over at the mercs and said, his voice morphing to match that of his mentor unknowingly, saying, "Taking the children was a bad move. I would suggest coming clean of your own volition of who you were delivering the Cutie Mark Crusaders to, the one who obviously killed their sisters and the other Elements of Harmony. If you don't, I cannot guarantee your sanity after that."

Cianán nodded fractionally. Unknown to him, his irises flickered blood red.

"Can't tell you. It was an…" one merc started.

"If you say 'anonymous', I'm gonna start counting the three before I take my blaster and blow your junk off." Artemis said, his eyes briefly flashing red like a Decepticon as he took out his Ion Blaster and put the end of the barrel on the merc's package. "Because you and I both know that's a load of horseapples. Judging from what I got of a look of the seal on the envelope my friend took from you, there's only one pony with access to that kind of high-quality sealing wax, minus the Princesses. Prince Blueblood."

"More like Prince No Balls after I'm done with him," Cianán growled. His fist clenched as a silvery gray metal flowed from his pores, hardening into a gauntlet that looked like dark gray dragon scales with razor sharp claws tipping the fingers as crimson light trailed through them. "So either you escape with what tiny amount of dignity you have left by telling us what we already know… or you lose your stallionhoods in the most painful ways possible," he said dryly. What he had kept very carefully hidden was something he knew would cause Bruce and Victor to immediately label him as a threat as he had something very powerful and dangerous — the Omega Sanction. He made it a point to never use it, however.

"And trust me. I can either be friendly and willing to make sure you're given a fair trial," Artemis said, his eyes completely changing to blood red like a Decepticon as far as the light from his pupils. "Or I can be brutal and merciless, even deadly if you refuse to cooperate. The choice is yours."

"And trust me, you don't want us to pull a 'Sons of Anarchy' castration on ya, do ya? 'Cause I'm rather tempted at the moment. Of course, I am curious what would happen if I ripped your balls off slowly and painfully… see how long it takes you to talk," Cianán said with a faint smirk. He tilted his head as a trio of slightly curving blades protracted from the back of his armored wrist before extending a few inches as they began spinning with a low, buzzing hum. "Or I can pull a page out of another ally's book," he said ominously.

The mercs looked very nervous. A couple of them looked like they were tempted to talk, though half of the half dozen sneered, unfazed. One looked like he was about to wet himself. Another opened his mouth.

"You're nothing but cowardly guests like that 'Friendship' claiming bitch! She's nothing without her friends! Why, that hick bit-" the Merc snarled before a serrated kunai missed his face by millimeters, opening a shallow cut that bled freely. The startling part, however, was that 'Zhū' never even looked his way.

"Cowards? You know nothing about us, and that scares the shit out of you, bitch," Cianán said flatly, his irises burning blood red with hints of orange. "And you all but confessed to murder," his tone was icy cold as his hand was extended, a thin cable an eighth of an inch in diameter the only connection just beneath his wrist.

"And if you continue to defame the legacies of the Elements of Harmony…" Artemis said, pointing his Ion Blaster to the defaming merc's head and pulling the trigger, blowing the merc's brains out. "Yeah, either you escape with what tiny amount of dignity you have left, or that happens."

Cianán tilted his head as he twitched his wrist, the kunai retracting before it melded into his palm. "So who wants to talk? Of course, there's always the Pollock route," he deadpanned. "And I doubt the big guy has gotten rid of that itch in his trigger finger yet." he said slowly. "And if there's one thing I despise, it's defamation of heroes who risked their lives and especially of children." his tone was flat as the buzzsaw revved. "Rapists are one of my biggest triggers… child abusers are second. Guess what, ya shitheads? You're two for two. Better hope you don't lose the two downstairs," he barked.

"Or the big one upstairs." Artemis said, pointing his Ion Blaster at the smallest merc's head. "So choose your next words, and choose them very carefully."

"You don't frighten us," one merc started.

Artemis pulled the trigger on his Ion Blaster that was still pointed at the smallest merc's head.

"Anypony else of you shitheads wanna grow a pair?" Artemis said, now pointing his Ion Blaster at the biggest merc's head.

Cianán sneezed. "Sorry, I'm allergic to bullshit. I advise you swim for shore from the shit you're drowning in," he deadpanned. "Anyone else craving to do a bit of painting, or would you prefer not to become 'holy'?" he commented dryly before a resounding smack made him stumble.

Starfire winced as she shook her hand. "Geez, you come up with worse jokes than Barry and Oliver," she said dryly, shaking her head.

"At least I'm not like Garfield," Cianán said with a slight smirk. "Now, either you can admit the truth and survive with what little dignity you still possess. Or see how long you survive with the impatient one here," he deadpanned.

"Yeah, like you can…" one merc sneered before a red hot kunai blade neatly removed one lower orb, cauterizing the injury as the merc screamed in surprised pain and shock.

"Hmmm? You were saying?" Cianán's innocent deadpan was nonchalant as if he didn't realize that he'd taken one ball from the merc.

"If you don't want to lose your other testicle or you…" Artemis looked back at the biggest merc, Ion Blaster still pointed at his head, "your head, I suggest you talk."

"And I advise you quit crying like a bitch," Cianán sighed as he retracted the kunai as a heat haze engulfed it.

"It wasn't Blueblood, but another," one merc blurted. "But Blueblood is definitely involved."

"Give us the names douchebag! Or heads and testicles will go bye-bye." Artemis growled, posing to pull the trigger on his Ion Blaster.

"I-i can't! I don't know who it was! But I very much doubt it's just Blueblood and them," the merc said hastily.

Cianán's head tilted, glancing at the forearm bracer which was linked to the heart rate detector.

"Princesses, what does the lie-detector spell say?" Artemis growled. "Can it confirm what my systems say? That he's telling the truth?"

Twilight's eyes were narrowed dangerously. Her eyes dipped before she nodded fractionally.

Cianán tilted his head fractionally before the heart rate detectors went crazy. "Shit! They must have been hit by Dead Man's Switch spells," he barked as the mercs each began convulsing.

"TAKE COVER!" Artemis yelled, running to tackle the Princesses and Shining Armor to the ground.

Cianán slammed both palms to the floor before barriers of metal rose, shielding them. Detonations followed, dust raining down from the ceiling. The barriers receded after a few moments. "Damn, that stung," he muttered.

"DAMN IT! They were living bombs!" Artemis said, getting up from covering the Princesses and Shining Armor. "Blueblood and whoever his cohorts are must've planned this. The Elements weren't just killed, this was an assassination attempt. And I can only guess one reason why!"

"A power grab," Cianán said grimly, his irises glowing faintly with embers of the Omega Sanction. "If Blueblood is behind this, and regardless of what these shits claimed, I don't trust their word blindly, he's most likely aiming to take out all opposition and more than likely, try to spin it as if he's a 'grieving party aiming to take vengeance on whomever killed the Elements of Harmony and Princesses of Equestria' but call it a gut feeling… I doubt he's that good of an actor," he deadpanned dryly.

"From what I know of him, he is not." Artemis said, chuckling dryly. "He's such a dickless pussy it's a wonder he was born a stallion at all."

"He's so busy talking out of his ass, I'm surprised you'd be able to understand anything coming out of his mouth," Cianán commented.

Luna snorted, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. Twilight blinked as she cleared her throat, trying to keep her face blank. Koriand'r, however, was snickering.

"Hell, his dick and balls are so small," Artemis smiled, wanting to continue the 'Crazy Train' with all pun intended, "you'd need an electron microscope under an electron microscope just to find them that he basically has a pussy."

Luna snorted again, starting to take a sip of chocolate milk, only for it to shoot right into her older sister's face. Twilight looked startled before she snickered as Cadence struggled to keep from laughing. Shining Armor was biting his lower lip, trying not to laugh.

"I'm pretty sure his balls are so tiny, the nucleus of an atom is the size of a planet while a molecule is a Galaxy to his tiny dick," Cianán said flatly.

Luna's eyebrows shot upward as Tia coughed out a giggling snort. Koriand'r, however, was laughing her ass off, as was Cadence. Bruce cocked an eyebrow although someone else all but draped herself over Bruce's shoulder, laughing uproariously. Shining Armor facepalmed as he chuckled.

"You think so? I think he probably lost them so long ago," Artemis smiled, his eyes having gone back to their normal ocean-blue in the camaraderie, "that he's been trying to fish his dick and balls out of an infinite ocean of them."

"He'd have better luck at pulling his nonexistent cojónés out of a black hole," Cianán said with a straight face. "Though, Amare princeps, Amicitia princeps, Solaris princeps, Lunares princeps… do remind me to give Blueblood a good swift kick in his shrunken blueberries when I see him…. NFL style," he finished.

Twilight's eyes widened slightly. "You speak Old Ponish?" she said with surprise.

"In our home world, it's a language few really rely on… Latin," Cianán said with a cocked eyebrow.

"And it hasn't been spoken in nearly 2,000 years where we're from." Artemis said. "It's so old, and hasn't been used in so long, it's considered a dead language. People where me and Cianán are from only used it in academia, international communications, and science. But as far as everyday usage as a spoken language, it hasn't been used for nearly 2,000 years. And don't get me started on how long it's been since Sumerian was used. That language is older than recorded history as far as I know."

"The same could be said of that asshole Sin in Vegas… considering he lived in Ancient Sumeria as their lunar and fertility deity." Cianán said. "Ran across him after some disappearances. Turns out it was a very nasty demonkyn. In fact, ironically, the Hollywood version of vampirism was actually inspired specifically by one demonic race, the other a cursed race by a petty Greek asshole," he sighed.

"Well, either way, I think now we should get some rest before we track down Blue Balls and his accomplices." Artemis said, before he heard the sound of electricity crackling and smelled the stench of burning electronics. "Cianán... was any of the electronics in the facility damaged in the explosion?" When Cianán shook his head once, Artemis then felt something oozing down his back. When he reached his right hand behind him, he felt a weird, blue viscous liquid on his hand. Bringing his hand up to his face, he saw what it was. The new blood that flowed through his veins.

Energon.

"Scrap!" Artemis said, starting to feel woozy. "Must've been hit by a lucky piece of debris from the living time bombs. Any chance there was a CR Chamber installed? It's the only way to..." Artemis said before the glow in his eyes dimmed and he fell on his back, his body's stasis lock engaging to prevent further Energon loss and bodily damage.

Cianán let his gaze shift around the room before he spotted a rounded chamber inset into one of the walls. He inhaled slowly before exhaling, then repeated it twice more before his eyes snapped open, revealing his iridescent golden irises had become a deep amethyst. He half turned before he grabbed Artemis' arm, jerking him up and onto his back, ignoring the gasps from both Luna and Celestia as most Earth Ponies would have had difficulty doing what he just had. Surprisingly, what he was using had been taken from a comic book of all things. It had been called Zen Shūchū no Kokyū.

He grunted as he hefted the heavier Cybertronian into the chamber before he slapped the activation button before backing out. He staggered as he stepped out as, though he hadn't said it, he had felt every single impact of everything that had hit the wall that had protected them. He blinked as hands caught him before he looked up to see Princess Twilight.

"Looks like you're just as exhausted," she remarked wryly. "Though you hide it a bit better," she teased.

"Comes with years of practice, lass." Cianán said, smirking. "You know, I'm surprised you didn't recognize Artemis' voice, Amicitia princeps. He confided something to me and our partner, his best friend since kindergarten. Something that happened to him when he was 14 years old that involved a nightmare."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Apparently, the nightmare was caused by a certain Dark Unicorn King trying to kill him." Cianán said, his face looking grim as he was recounting the story. "And if that bastard had succeeded in killing Artemis in the nightmare, then his body in the waking world would've died. He was saved by someone who had kicked him out of the nightmare to save his life. Ring any bells, Amicitia princeps?"

Twilight just stood there, shocked realization on her face. She thought Artemis' voice sounded familiar, but couldn't remember. At least, until Cianán told her the story she knew about all too well, because she had been there.

"You're saying Aaron is… Artemis?" Twilight said, her voice breaking with emotion.

"Aye, lassie." Cianán nodded in response. "He never had a girlfriend, nor did he ever get married. Because when he found out who you were, you stole his heart. I thought he was mad, chasing a pipedream, but he said he would find a way to come to you. To see you. I guess the fates of the universe saw fit to bring him here anyway."

His gaze shifted to the chamber as he sat up cautiously. "Though I have to wonder why I'm abruptly exhausted, unless something else happened to me," he sighed. He glanced down at his cybernetic legs which bore more than a passing resemblance to a Cyber Lin Kuei.

Twilight helped him to his feet, before she blinked, noticing a blinking red light on his forearm before she touched the screen on the forearm bracer. She cocked her head, noticing what seemed to be a health bar or energy bar, though she couldn't guess what it was linked to.

"What was that blue liquid like blood?" she asked carefully.

Cianán cocked his head. "I'm not sure, honestly. I didn't know that Cybertronians could bleed, frankly," he commented before he paused, recalling a vague memory.

Twilight tilted her head. "What exactly do Cybertronians 'run' on?" she asked.

Cianán paused, thinking before he exhaled a breath in a hiss as he felt a sensation in his mind as if a curtain shifted as memories rushed through his mind.

*Flashback - Four months before…*

Cianán Campbell bared his teeth against the pain of the numerous second and third degree burns over his body. "Not… fucking… again," he hissed, looking at one leg which was mangled and twisted whilst the other was simply gone roughly an inch and a half below his hip. It didn't help that he was cut up by everything from splinters to glass to fractured rocks. In short, he was royally fucked up.

A brilliant golden white surge blinded him as he saw someone pausing. "A close friend of mine has chosen you to become one of his children, and though our technology is advanced, his is more advanced. He was able to infuse this with something that will heal and help you, make you stronger and faster. Over time, or so he said, your body may adjust to this, or it may not. Nobody knows," he heard a strong masculine voice comment. "And I'll be damned if Darkseid regains what you absorbed from him." The voice commented with a hint of vindictiveness. A blinding surge of light flared as his memory faded into static.

*Flashback end*

Cianán blinked several times, confused. He didn't realize that his right eye had been glowing, projecting the memory. He shook his head as he took a cautious breath.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion, unsure how he'd done that as she could tell that even he didn't realize what had happened.

"It's Energon." Cianán said, looking at the display on his forearm bracer, realizing what the energy bar was. And it was dangerously low.

"What's 'Energon'?" Twilight asked, confused.

"The answer to your earlier question, lass." Cianán replied. "It's what Cybertronians run on. Their lifeblood. That's what Artemis was leaking out of his back from that stray piece of debris from those living time bombs. Apparently my cybernetic legs run on the stuff as well. Which means..." Cianán went to sit down in the nearest chair. Once he did so, he pressed a few buttons on the on-screen display of the forearm bracer and, after he pressed one last button, his legs powered down. "I'll need to wait until Artemis is done in there in order to recharge my legs."

*Several hours later, Artemis' dreamscape…*

Artemis' face was contorting painfully, not from the work of the CR Chamber, but because he was having a really bad nightmare. If a certain Lunar Princess were to see what he was dreaming about, even she would have nightmares over what she would have witnessed.

Artemis, in his original human form, was running from something, or rather someone, that he thought he'd never have to deal with again. He was running like his own life depended on it. But no matter where he ran, those same menacing hazing purple and green eyes followed him.

"I may have been banished the first time, but I have always been a part of your life, Cybertronian." An evil voice spoke, sounding like it was coming from the eyes that were following him. "No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you belong… TO ME!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Artemis screamed as he was trapped, covering his face with his arms.

When the eyes almost closed in on him, a brilliant white light started shining from Artemis, causing the evil pair of eyes to close and scream in anger and fury. When Artemis opened his eyes, a bright white pulsing orb of light was between him and the evil set of eyes.

"You shall not harm my child, foul demon of darkness." The orb of light said, pulsing with light as it spoke. The evil set of eyes screamed in rage and fury. "Begone from my child's Spark forevermore, and never return!" The orb erupted, blinding the dreamscape in its light, while vaporizing the evil set of eyes, which screamed in pain.

Artemis slouched to his knees, sobbing. The orb of light had shrunk in size to about the size of his head and floated before him. Artemis looked at the orb of light.

"Be still, my child." The voice of the orb said, its voice calmer, almost fatherly to Artemis. "He will not bother you ever again."

"Primus?" Artemis asked, his tears still flowing, but calmer this time.

"It's okay to be afraid of the unknown." Primus said. "But you will not be alone, for you have friends, and a mare who loves you, that will help you through the times ahead. And now, Artemis Prime, awaken. Awaken and face your destiny!" Primus's light erupted through the dreamscape once more, blinding Artemis.

—

Artemis woke up, wondering where he was. He remembered blacking out. His stasis lock engaged because he was bleeding Energon from his back from a stray piece of debris from the living time bombs that were the mercs. But he sees he's in a CR Chamber. He guessed Cianán was able to get him in it before he bled out. He made a mental note to thank him later.

Artemis exited the CR Chamber, fully healed and repaired. He looked and saw that everyone else was gone, probably still in bed. But he noticed Cianán was asleep in a chair near one of the consoles of the facility. But when he looked next to the CR Chamber, he saw a most adorable sight to his Spark.

Twilight was also asleep in a chair situated next to the CR Chamber, as if she had been waiting for him to come out of it. Artemis smiled, as he recalled Primus's words.

"It's okay to be afraid of the unknown. But you will not be alone, for you have friends, and a mare who loves you, that will help you through the times ahead."

Artemis walked over to Twilight and took her hand lightly, giving her hand a kiss before placing it back on her lap.

Twilight squirmed as she started to wake up from the action. When she opened her eyes, she looked up and saw Artemis smiling down at her.

"Sleep well?" Artemis asked, still smiling.

Twilight opened her mouth before she was interrupted.

"Ugh… talk about a bastard of a headache," Cianán groaned, his iridescent golden irises holding the slightest hint of a bloody gleam. He snickered as Twilight jumped as Artemis' head turned.

"What was that for?" Twilight commented, barely holding back her voice from squeaking.

Cianán smirked. "The fun of making you jump, though it looks to me like I'm not the only one that had a shit dream, bub," he commented innocently, his gaze shifting to Artemis as the subtle mirth faded from his eyes.

"How did you…" Artemis started to say, surprised that Cianán knew of the nightmare he had while in the CR Chamber.

"There's a certain look one has when they have a nightmare." Cianán said grimly. "Trust me, I've been stuck with an Apokaliptian 'deity' trying to urge me to use what I absorbed from him to, in his words, 'become a godlike extension of myself' every fucking night. Though in truth, I have no desire to be 'godlike' in any way whatsoever. Probably something I picked up from Bruce. Hell, if I can keep it from him as long as I live and drag it into whatever void follows death, I'll be satisfied." Cianán said flatly. He saw Twilight's eyes widen fractionally at his words.

"Darkseid…" Artemis growled. "Primus knows we don't need him showing up here." Artemis looked back at Cianán and smiled, "Why don't you get some recharge for your legs. I may have been in stasis lock, but I was still aware. Just… give Twilight and I some privacy, will you?"

Cianán smirked slightly. "Funny thing is… that I have something that helps me hold back what I took from him," he commented wryly as his fingers dipped into his vest, pulling free a leather thong with a ring securely tied to it.

Cianán exhaled softly as he could feel the energy of the Ring filtering through his body. His head tilted, noticing Artemis staring at the Ring. Twilight's eyes widened as she shivered, feeling goosebumps rushing beneath her fur before she saw Cianán look her way before he blinked several times, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

Cianán blinked as he noticed Twilight's fur was decidedly fluffy almost as if she'd been tossed into a dryer without warning. He snorted, forcing back laughter. He shook his head as he stashed the Ring back under his vest by his heart.

"Surprised the hell out of the Guardians that, before Kyle's White Lantern Ring shattered… it duplicated itself." he commented wryly. "And I do try my best to live life to the fullest." he sighed, unaware that, for a fraction of a second, he was engulfed by a mingled pale blue and orange aura that faded even as he stood, carefully moving with slow steps.

"Here, I got ya, old friend." Artemis said, moving to Cianán's side after opening the CR Chamber back up. "It's only fair. Besides, I left you behind once. I don't plan on doing it a second time." Artemis helped Cianán to the CR chamber slowly before he finally latched him inside and hit the activator button. "Get some rest. You need it."

"Hopefully without Darkseid crying like a bitch in my head for once." Cianán said grimly. "I'd really prefer Luna not encounter him. As for Bookworm there and the others… they have enough scars without his ugly mug haunting them." He sighed as he saw the hatch lower.

Twilight tilted her head as the thick hatch locked into place. "Why do I get the feeling he made several references that went over my head?" she said wryly, trying to get her fur to lie back down unsuccessfully.

"Because he did." Artemis said, chuckling. "Trust me, when he does that, it's best not to question him, just like Pinkie." He then turned back to Twilight and smiled, saying, "Let's go walk and talk. I know you have some questions. Like I told Cianán, I may have been in stasis, but I was aware. I heard everything you two talked about. So… walk and talk?"

Twilight giggled a bit, amused. "As long as you don't trip over your tongue," she teased jokingly.

"Oh har-har." Artemis said sarcastically before he laughed.

Twilight smirked as she shrugged. "You don't spend years around Pinkie and not gain a odd sense of humor." She commented wryly as she sat down before she jumped in surprise as an air horn blasted abruptly.

"Even in death, Pinkie is still being herself." Artemis said, barely holding back his laughter.

Twilight tugged free the air horn, her eyebrows rising in mild surprise to see Pinkie's grinning visage on it. "Something tells me that she may well have been a secret partner in that joke and prank shop in town." She sighed wryly.

"From what I know of her, I wouldn't doubt it." Artemis said, still stifling his laughter at what happened. Artemis, after he got his laughter under control, had a faraway look in his eyes as he looked at his internal chronometer, seeing it was 5:30 in the morning. He then turns back to Twilight and smiles, saying, "Let's go to the balcony and watch the sunrise. We can talk more there."

Twilight shrugged a bit. "Okay, though I'm still trying to get my fur to lay down. Reminds me way too much of when I got the 'Rainblow Dry'." She sighed. "Or when Pinkie tricked me into eating those Pop Rocks with Static Surge soda… 'so fizzy it'll make your fur stand on end' happens to be their catchphrase. Though I later found out that the soda was quite literally 'statically charged'." She commented wryly.

"Well your fur standing up like this reminds me of somepony that only talks in raspberries." Artemis said. He looked down and away with a blush before he said in a slight whisper, "And honestly it's kinda… cute."

"Raspberries? How can someone talk in fruit?" Twilight said cluelessly, slightly confused.

"I'll give you a hint…" Artemis said, still blushing at how cute Twilight looked, despite her fur standing up. Though that did little to hide her impressive cleavage, of which Artemis had ashamedly taken a glance or two at after he woke up. Just because he was Cybertronian didn't mean he wasn't still human on the inside. "First name is Fluffle, nickname is Fluffy."

Twilight cocked her head in slight confusion. "I don't get it," she stated blankly. She really didn't. She didn't realize a lock of her mane fell in her face as she unconsciously crossed her arms, unknowingly emphasizing her fluffy bust.

"Flufflepuff! You look like Flufflepuff and it looks cute." Artemis blurted, blushing more red than a tomato and an apple having a baby when he noticed her unknowingly emphasizing her fluffy bust.

Twilight blinked before a small smirk crossed her face. "You think I'm gorgeous, you want to kiss me... You want to hug me... You want to love me... You want to hug me... You want to smooch me…" she purred teasingly.

"Homina homina homina…" was all Artemis said, unable to form a coherent sentence at Twilight's teasing.

Twilight smirked as she half turned, purposely trailing a finger down her side just to see his reaction. "Having a bit of a brain skip, honey?" she purred just to tease him a bit.

"Are you sure you wanna go this route?" Artemis said as he regained control of himself, walking up to her and taking her hand in his with a loving smile. "If this is intentional, I'm all for it. But it doesn't mean I'm not considerate of your feelings, especially with what happened to your friends. I may have wanted to ask you out for a long time, but are you sure?"

Twilight blinked before she blushed a bit. "Um… damn… I didn't realize I was… um," she started before she shivered, very aware of the urges surfacing due to that bi-annual problem. She took a careful breath. "You can likely smell it, can't you?" she mumbled.

"Like a skunk, but in a good way." Artemis said, a slight chuckle escaping his lips.

"Like a skunk?!? Really? I know I don't stink, as I do remember my deodorant," Twilight deadpanned.

"Nono, I meant… ah crap." Artemis said, rubbing his head awkwardly. "I meant that the pheromones from your… cycle, if that's what you meant… are permeating the air, but it's a pleasant smell, kind of like the lavender shampoo you must be using."

"Um… that's the fur wash," Twilight admitted shyly. "My… shampoo… smells different," she said slowly. Blueberries and lilacs, in fact, but she wasn't going to say that aloud. "At least it doesn't smell like that fart stuff," she muttered.

"Well… uh…" Artemis started, blushing so red it was like a tomato and an apple had a baby. "I know you've liked me for a long time, like I've been saving myself for you. So… it's your decision. I know how bad the heat can be for an alicorn. But I'm not a normal stallion, not by a long shot. I'll be there for you if you want, but only if you want to, Twilight." Artemis continued to blush deep scarlet.

"If you were blushing any brighter, you would double as a lighthouse light," she quipped. "As for my heat… I have some Moon Tea to hold that off, fortunately," she commented. "Though I do hope you're not like Barry Allen," she teased.

"Really?" Artemis said, his face deadpanned like a certain time-traveling cyborg.

"What? He calls himself 'the world's fastest man'. If you think about it, that doesn't say much. Fast on his feet, but faster off of them… I know as Roseluck complained about it… loudly," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, well, I aim to keep us both satisfied, Princess. Just make sure to put up soundproofing and privacy spells." Artemis smirked, taking Twilight's hand and guiding her down the hallway of her castle. "Which one is yours?"

"I'll believe that when we're still going come Sunset," Twilight quipped.

"Oh prepare to believe." Artemis smiled. "Which room is your room?"

"Ah… third on the right. Second is… um… a bath," she replied.

"Bedroom first." Artemis said, smirking, walking to her bedroom door and opening it, leading her inside before he closes the door and locks it. "Then if we still have any energy left, bathroom. I get the feeling that you have a bit of a kinky side."

Twilight's eyebrow rose before she smirked slightly. "Are you sure you don't?" she teased.

"Just shut up and let's do this." Artemis smirked before he grabbed Twilight and held her around her waist, smashing his lips against hers as Twilight used her magic to draw the curtains shut and put up a soundproofing field.