Author's Note

Probably should have published this before the actual first chapter, eh?

Oh well.

Prologue

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“Mommy? What is the princess doing?”

“Hmm? Oh, ah... well, it looks like princess Twilight is, er... you know what? Let’s not bother her.”

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“Poor thing. Do you think she’s alright?”

“Ehh... probably? I think that’s just Twilight being Twilight.”

“She’s always kind of been a bit odd, hasn’t she?”

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“Twenty bits says she’s cracking under the whip.”

“What whip? It wasn’t that long ago she was coronated.”

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Equestria’s newest oddball princess couldn’t be bothered to respond, or indeed, even register the comments taking place, being far too busy in the rather involved process of turning her royal brains into mush.

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An enterprise which, admittedly, she didn’t pursue in the most efficient manner, opting instead for the rather crude and low-tech method of repeatedly bashing her face against a gnarled old stump that had been sitting in the park for as long as anypony could remember.

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But the icy grip of despair filled her little pony heart as she realized, with no small amount of dismay, the old stump steadily deformed and buckled under her assault, poised to give way long before the sweet embrace of death could claim her. Stupid alicorn durability...

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Even worse, the contents of that letter remained fresh in her mind, and for the very first time in her young life did Twilight Sparkle curse her prodigious memory and the blighted events that saw her become Equestria’s newest princess.

Dear Princess Twilight,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits today, for I am sorry to say, I must regretfully be the bearer of bad news. Your ascension to alicornhood, while a joyous and momentous occasion, will also bring a certain number of difficulties in your life.

We can get more into detail as to what these difficulties are as the years pass and your power develops, but the most immediate concern for you will soon come. It is an issue I’m sure you and your friends are all too familiar with. A period in time that takes place shortly after the Summer Sun Celebration, that shall leave you girls... yearning for a stallion’s warmth. I am speaking of course about estrus.

In ascending to alicornhood, your body underwent certain transformations, some of which you have undoubtedly been made aware of. Most notably are your wings, and though you are not yet privy to a pegasus’ full array of abilities, you will, in time, develop these gifts. You may have also noticed an improvement in your endurance, strength and constitution—blessings trademarked by the noble earth ponies.

These gifts come at a cost, however. To better accommodate and develop the traits of all three pony tribes, your body will undergo internal changes. The most immediate of these being an influx of hormones crucial to maintaining and developing your new abilities.

I believe you understand where I’m going with this?

This coming estrus cycle will be unlike any you’ve experienced before. Your body will be filled with up to four times the normal amount of estrogen, making an already trying time an even greater burden to bear, and although I’d much rather not cause you any undue distress, I also believe it is important you know exactly what it is you’ll be facing, that you may take the appropriate measures to address this problem.

Your body will feel as though on fire. The burning need for a stallion will escalate into what I can only describe as a gnawing, ravenous hunger, which will continuously claw at your brain and marehood, clamoring for relief. Your magnificent mind that you hold in such high regard will be consumed by the estrus cycle, devoting its faculties in slavish obedience to the singular goal of seeking out a stallion to breed. Your young body is unaccustomed to the deluge of hormones that will flood within, and, should things get bad enough—should you deny yourself the release you so desperately crave, you may well find that your body and mind act in a will of their own to achieve completion.

As I see it, there are three solutions available to you, should you choose to employ them.

You could go and seek out a stallion to help sate your urges. Be warned, however, that you will find release harder to achieve this time around and will likely need several... sessions to sate your needs. Naturally, you are guaranteed to bear a foal with this approach.

Secondly, there is a certain tonic you could drink. Making it is a rather involved process only achievable by master alchemists. I could have them brew you up a few doses, should you wish to pursue this route. It will quell the searing urges of estrus to a much more manageable level. That being said, the tonic itself is not perfect. It can be rather... temperamental. And while you will undoubtedly notice a marked improvement by drinking it, there is also a teeny, tiny, but not infinitesimal chance it will cause irreversible damage to your higher brain functions, effectively leaving you mentally invalid.

I would not recommend this approach.

Thirdly, you could branch out and seek non-pony partners to mate with. It’s how Luna and I beat back the worst of our first estrus as alicorns, after all. It just so happened to coincide with the Great Dragon Migration and... well, nevermind that. Still, I believe it’s the best option out of all three. I’m sure as the Princess of Friendship, you’ll have little difficulty in finding and befriending a willing partner.

Whatever decision you make, know you will have my full support. And knowing you, my dear student, you will be—as the young fillies say— ‘freaking the hay out’ by these revelations. Work on your breathing exercises, as Cadence taught you, and I’m sure you will find the answer soon enough. You may even find it to be much, much closer than you initially hoped.

Good luck and remember, safety first.

Your proud teacher,

Princess Celestia.

Why did she do it? Why did she read Celestia’s correspondence over and over to the point she could recite the contents by heart? It would do her no good. It would not change the events that would soon come. And it certainly...

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Did.

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Her mental state.

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No.

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Bucking.

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Favors!

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“Huh?” For the first time did Twilight notice a peculiar warmth on her forehead, nothing at all like the stinging bite she’d steadily cultivated for the last... how long had she been doing this again?

“Penny for your thoughts?”

She opened her eyes and saw a fleshy, five-fingered limb move out of sight, taking the strangely comforting warmth with it. With sullen resignation, Twilight turned to the source of the voice, her gaze travelling upwards to land on the peculiar shape of Equestria’s resident human. His visage shifted, as though unsure whether to regard the oddball alicorn’s antics with amusement or concern.

“Who for my what, now?” Perhaps she’d done a better brain busting job than she initially thought, as the words slurred out of her.

“Ah... nevermind. Just a saying from back home.”

Twilight blinked repeatedly as her eyes adjusted to the bright midday sun. She could now take in Anonymous’ form better. He looked down at her with a slight tilt of his head. In his free hand he gripped the stick of a glistening popsicle from which he promptly took a bite of. Twilight watched as he swallowed, her eyes following the movement of his throat as...

Her jaw went slack as she realized the human’s top half was completely stripped of clothes, bare for all to see. A pair of stretchy shorts protected his lower half, stopping just above the knees, while a pair of well-worn sneakers covered his feet. She’d never seen him with so few clothes before. His tanned skin shone with perspiration. She could see hints of muscle beneath the taut skin as he breathed, outlining a completely novel physique.

“So... everything okay?”

Twilight jerked. Her ears folded back as she bashfully looked Anonymous in the eye.

“Y-yes, yes!” She looked away. Her wings ruffled without her noticing. “Sorry, I’m just... I’m a bit of a mess right now, huh?”

Anonymous grinned. “That makes two of us.” He bit down on the popsicle again, savoring the fruity taste before swallowing. “Wish I’d checked the weather report before going out on a run. I’m dying for a shower,” he said, sighing. “By the way, you got a little, uh...” He motioned vaguely at her forehead.

Twilight raised a hoof to try and work out the little bits of bark that stuck to her mane, with underwhelming results.

“Let me help you with that.”

Before she could protest, Anonymous bit off the last of the popsicle and kneeled before her. Twilight froze as her nose was assaulted by a deluge of pheromones. He... he smelled... good! Her traitorous body inhaled, breathing in his natural musk, and a heat that had nothing to do with the harsh sun welled up in her cheeks.

Anonymous’ digits worked with deft precision, plucking the bits of bark from her mane. Twilight’s eye twitched as his nails unintentionally scratched her during his ministrations, sending shivers of pure bliss coursing down her body. Her breath came erratic in short, almost panicky bursts. Sweet Celestia, she could stay like this for hours!

“Done!”

“Huh?”

Anonymous rose back up to his full height, regarding the smaller mare with satisfaction. Twilight shook her head to ward off the haze that all but paralyzed her. Anonymous fidgeted as the silence stretched.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat. “What’s eating you?”

Twilight’s brow creased into a slight frown. “Excuse me?”

“Right, right. Idioms...” Anonymous muttered to himself. “You, uh, look out of sorts, princess. Is everything okay?”

“Just Twilight,” she said tiredly. “And you...” she peered at him past slightly narrowed eyes. “You... actually want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh.”

Now this was news to her. She and Anonymous didn’t start off on the best hoof—admittedly due in part(okay, mostly) to her, and the human made it a point to keep a healthy distance between them ever since. Especially after that debacle.

“Look,” Anonymous said, rubbing at the back of his head. “I know we didn’t make the best impression when we first met.” Twilight had the grace to look abashed. “And I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this for some time now, but...” He sighed and shook his head. “It's... y'know, time to face reality and all that. Way things are going I'll be sticking around for a very, very... very long time. And technically speaking, you are my princess now, so...” He kneeled before her and held out a fist. “What do you say we start over?”

“Anonymous,” Twilight said and, smiling, met his fist with her own hoof. “I’d like that very much.”

“Sweet,” he said with a smile of his own and sat down. “Gotta say, I’ve never been friends with a princess before.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? We’re friends now?”

He shrugged. “Well, you are the Princess of Friendship. I’d say it’s a package deal.”

Twilight couldn’t hold back a very un-princesslike snort. “Funny. But take it from me, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Anonymous nodded sagely. “That why you had ol’ Stumpy here getting all kinds of acquainted with your face?” He said, jerking his head to its tattered remains.

“Maybe,” Twilight muttered. “It’s... well... my first major test as an alicorn is coming up.”

“And it’s bad?”

Twilight grimaced. “Bad? I wish it were bad. Bad doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s not just bad, it’s... it’s... it’s unprecedented. It’s catastrophic. No. It’s downright apocalyptic!”

Anonymous nodded. “Super bad. Got it.”

Twilight’s eye twitched in a most horrendous fashion.

Anonymous coughed. “So... would you like some help?”

“That’s... I don’t... what?”

“Your test. Granted, I’m not sure what an alicorn test even means, or if I could even do anything. Still, would you like some help with it?”

Twilight looked away, her cheeks blazing. “Anonymous! That’s... that’s not what I...”

Her mind crashed down faster than Rainbow Dash at a cider tasting. She turned her head back to Anonymous with such speed she was pretty sure she gave herself whiplash, looking the human up and down, her eyes popping as the pieces finally fell in place.

“Oh! Ohhh...”

Anonymous regarded her with bemusement and was about to respond when something over her withers caught his eye.

"Dang it.” He stood up to his full height, peering at something in the distance. Twilight followed his line of sight to see a number of pegasus ponies pushing several darkening clouds together. “I gotta get to Applejack’s before they get those rain clouds up and going.” He looked back to her with a smile. “I’ll see you around, Twilight. Let’s hang out one of these days, eh?”

Without another word he began to jog, making a beeline for Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight’s eyes drifted down his retreating form. She gulped. Even the stretchy fabric of his shorts could not conceal the sizable bouncing mounds within.

With a shaky hoof, Twilight wiped the beads of sweat that had accumulated on her brow and started her own journey back to the library with a steady gallop. Her mind raced, teeming with possibilities and the outlines of a plan began to form.

It would be her masterpiece. Her magnum opus. But such an undertaking would be far beyond her abilities. She would need her friends’ help for this, for was she not a princess now? Indeed, her very future would decide the fate of many, making it of the utmost importance for her to come out of the looming estrus cycle with her full mental capabilities. It would not be a stretch to say that Ponyville, nay, the very future of Equestria itself hung in the balance!

So consumed with her incipient schemes, the Princess of Friendship failed to notice her marehood dripping with excitement, leaving a trail for any who cared to look as she raced back home to iron out and finalize the details of her plan. She would need to then gather her friends, that they may join her in what was sure to be the most important mission of their young lives.