Dinner had ended on a low note and Flurry found herself unable to finish her meal. She wandered around the castle with no particular destination in mind when she found herself back in the library.

She stared at the couch where it had all gone wrong. The maids had already cleaned the mess she had made earlier, and her face burned hot with the memory.

How could something so wrong feel so good?

She was jolted out of her thoughts by a stallion’s voice.

“I knew I would find you here…”

Flurry turned to face her father, blushing for reasons that she didn’t understand. “Oh, umm. Hi.”

Shining Armor smiled at her, which increased her embarrassment.

His voice was gentle. “We need to talk, sweetheart.”

Flurry nodded but covered her face with her mane. “I didn’t think that you would have had enough time to sort through your feelings… it’s only been a few hours.”

He shrugged. “One of the benefits of a lifetime of military service is the ability to sort through important things quickly. Issuing orders that you know is going to get somepony killed is hard to do. Getting over having a pretty mare cumming beside me because I rubbed her horn too much is a little easier to tackle… since it was my fault.”

Flurry winced. “I would like to avoid assigning blame and focus on the feelings that our actions have caused. Whether you want to believe this or not, neither of us is in trouble, but we both have feelings to work out and I’m going to need to help to understand mine.”

Shining nodded. “That is very mature of you to say. Why do you believe this happened?”

Flurry’s brows furrowed in thought. “It was mom’s idea for me to spend time with you and while the library is huge, this one section is kind of closed off, private and cozy, with limited air flow. If mom knew I was going into heat… our prolonged time together in a small space was bound to lead to something like this happening, even without her hints and endorsements. I feel like she tricked me into tempting you but I don’t understand why.”

Shining cocked his head to one side, analyzing her response. “It’s not fair to your mother to entirely blame her for my actions, though I can see the logic of your conclusion. How do you propose that we fix it?”

Flurry bit her lip. “Umm. We could spend some time apart until I’m no longer in heat to avoid anything weird happening… but I really don’t want to do that. I still want that second date. The only other thing I can think of is to stop listening to mom again. We have a great bond, and we both enjoy doing goofy nerd stuff… this didn’t get weird until I started to listen to mom’s advice. It feels like this is all her fault.”

Shining winced. “Your mom would be hurt to hear you say that, but she is the Princess of Love… not the Princess of Romance… and while a pony can claim that love has romance mixed in… the sad truth is that your mom’s powers typically allow two ponies that were fighting to seeing eye to eye in a way that eventually leads to sex. You don’t have to be in love to have sex but having a bond of any kind makes it more special. Do you have any questions I might can answer to help sort out your feelings?”

Flurry hesitated. “I want to know how this spiraled out of control so quickly. I mean, I remember that I kissed you at the end of the first date and that was entirely on me… but mom’s open suggestion for us to rut is the elephant in the room. Her permission alone doesn’t really explain you losing focus and rubbing my horn until I had a horngasm. If you aren’t attracted to me… I don’t see how you lost control, even with me in heat.”

Shining’s sigh echoed in the small room. “I’ve been thinking about that too and I only have one explanation and it doesn’t completely answer the question. And it’s kind of a long story so maybe we should go for a walk in the gardens… I doubt that either of us want to be in here long enough for your pheromones to start to affect me again…”

Flurry was more than happy to take a walk with her father and was even more relieved that he was already talking to her again. The way he had stormed out of dinner… she was afraid that it would be weeks before he spoke to her again.

The sun had already set and walking in the gardens in the pale moonlight was very romantic. Shining took her through the well traversed hedge maze to a particular spot that Flurry had always adored but didn’t know the history of it.

There was a bench in place to sit and rest and a plaque that said: ‘On this spot, a New Empire was forged. May love reign for the next 1,000 years.’

He patted the bench and sat down. “Sit beside me.”

She did as she was told and immediately cuddled up next to her dad. Even in summer, the night air was chilly in the Crystal Empire with the snow never melting in some places. Her heat made this a little awkward for her, but she refused to do anything differently than what she had done for the last 13 years. Shining adored the trust that she still held despite the recent mistakes made.

Once she was comfortable and settled, Shining started to speak. “As you probably learned in health class… most family members can resist the pheromones of other family members. Fathers and Mothers are generally immune to their daughters and sons… and brothers are generally immune to their sisters. It gets iffy with cousins and grandparents… the more distant the family member the less you instinctively resist biological mating urges.”

Flurry nodded into her father’s chest. “So why? What makes us different?”

Shining started to play with her mane again. “I blame the fact that you’re an Alicorn. I should be immune to the chemical reaction of your pheromones, and I probably would be if you were a unicorn… but as an Alicorn… you smell just like your mother and it’s driving me crazy. Rutting you would be easier than it should be and the only thing preventing me from losing myself completely to mating urges is forcing myself to remember that you are my daughter and not my wife. I lost my focus earlier because I got caught up in an old memory of your mother. Playing with your mane became playing with your horn all too easy. It’s a mistake that shouldn’t have happened, but I blame myself, not you.”

Flurry sat in silence, thinking about what her father had said before she asked another question.

“What memory got you so caught up that you forgot you were with me?”

Shining pointed at the plaque. “The memory that the plaque represents. You see, Flurry, me and your mother had an almost typical high school romance despite her being an Alicorn. She helped secure me a place in the Royal Guards. She believed in me. We courted for an acceptable amount of time and got married as soon as it was possible while following tradition and protocol. We had barely gotten back from our honeymoon while the Crystal Empire reappeared. Cadance knew what her birth right was, and I followed, knowing the danger. We fought King Sombra and tried to protect the Crystal Ponies, holding on until Princess Celestia could send the Elements of Harmony to aid us. By the time they arrived, I was no longer able to use my shield spells because of dark crystals embedded in my horn. I nearly died fighting Sombra… he had me beat and we both knew he had won. I think that he wanted to kill me, but he decided to let me live so I could suffer more… your mother never found out how close she came to losing me because I’ve never told her. The Elements of Harmony prevailed as they always do, and then they returned to Equestria. On the first free night we had after they left, me and your mother made love right here on this very spot. She was in heat, and we knew what we were doing. 17 years ago today, you were conceived right here, where this bench now rests. When I realized that you had started your heat, I should have created some space for us, but I never thought that as your father, your pheromones would affect me so much. The more I got lost in the memory of making you, the more I forgot that I was with you, and you had your horngasm from my misplaced attention.”

Flurry’s face was burning hot with embarrassment at the otherwise touching story. “It’s no wonder that the staff don’t seem to know the significance of the plaque. So… if I smell like mom and rutting me would be easy… and we have mom’s permission… why resist?”

Shining smiled down at her. “Because once we do… there is no going back. It’s not a decision that should be made lightly and it shouldn’t be made at all while you are in heat. If we go down that path… I want to know it’s because we love each other… because we chose to do it ourselves… not because your heat dictates that it should happen.”

Flurry pursed her lips. “I’m not sure I understand the difference.”

Shining hummed, trying to think of an example. “Picture this. We make love tonight, right here on this bench, on the exact spot where I made you. How does that sound?”

Flurry gasped, getting into the example. “Sounds hot.”

Shining nodded and continued. “And let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you would for sure get pregnant from our rutting because you are in heat. How does that sound?”

Flurry gulped, suddenly unsure of what the answer should be. “Sounds like poor planning on my part… but I could probably live with it. Mom probably wouldn’t care, or she would have never suggested that we rut in the first place.”

Shining smiled. “And let’s take the example a step further and say that you have a daughter… who in turn 17 years from today, will end up in this exact same spot being rutted by me or some other stallion of your choice, destined to get pregnant in the same way as you and your mother before you. How does that sound?”

Flurry shuddered. “That… I’m not okay with that. Maybe 17 years from now, after thinking about it for the entire 17 years, I might be okay with it. But it’s not something you can spring on me and expect me to consent and say yes to tonight.”

Shining nodded. “But that is what your mother did to me. She told us 5 weeks ago, in jest, for me to make you a mare. 8 days ago, she made it more ‘real’ by giving definite consent. She seemed shocked that I didn’t have sex with you, especially after you kissed me. I’d bet anything that your mother knows exactly what your pheromones are doing to me and my lack of normal resistance to them. You weren’t in heat 8 days ago during our first date. If you were… I might have followed you into your room after that kiss. It was pure chance that your heat started late. If we make love… I want it to be our choice, not some mating instinct. I’m not sure if I can explain it any better than that.”

Flurry pulled back to look her father in the eyes. “I understand now. You are struggling to understand your feelings for me beyond me being your daughter just like I am struggling to see you as anything other than my father. Mom’s consent to rut makes things worse because having permission doesn’t mean either of us are ready, if we are ever ready. You want to do the right thing, not just for society, but for us.”

Shining leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Flurry leaned in and kissed him back, locked in a battle of wills that took old play date activities to a never-before-seen levels.

They broke the kiss when they had to breathe. Shining spoke again. “I think your mother is wrong to try to force us into doing this because her motivation for it sucks.”

Flurry caught her breath and narrowed her eyes. “What is mom’s motivation?”

Shining winced. “She wants you to grow up. She wants you to be ready to be a princess that is ready to rule the Crystal Empire, whether during an emergency or for forever. What having sex has to do with that is something I don’t know… it’s got to be a Princess of Love perspective. I know that having sex simply made me hornier… maybe it’s different for a princess?”

Flurry snorted. “I don’t have to have sex with my daddy to love my daddy. And I’m sure I could already rule the Empire if I really had to. I already lead the Army half of the time. I’m an adult but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still have childish fun.”

Shining’s muzzle went red at the blunt statement but then smiled. “Your right.”

Flurry grinned. “So… what do you want to do?”

Shining booped her on the nose with a hoof. “Tag, your it.”

With a flash of magic, he teleported to another part of the maze. Flurry’s eyes had widened in shock at the old playful ‘play date’ like gesture but then grinned as she flew in pursuit. Tag was one of her favorite old games and nothing said ‘a return to innocence’ like a good old-fashioned game of tag.

“I’m gonna get you, Dad!”

* * *

The vestige of Cadance was staring out her bedroom window down at the castle garden watching the magical game of tag play out before her. Bringing a wine glass to her lips, she smiled.

“Well… sometimes a step back leads to two steps forward. Their bond will grow stronger, and they will rut eventually… I’m sure of it.”

She walked to the mirror in her room and stared into it. While she looked smug, her reflection was beating on the glass from the inside, trying to get out.

“Chrysalis! You won’t get away with this!”

Chrysalis grinned while sipping on her wine. “I already have. My dear Cady… you don’t seem to understand that you’ve already lost.”

Cadance seethed from within the mirror. “They will get me out eventually!”

Chrysalis chortled. “I think not. They don’t even know that you are here. Picture this… once a long time ago I captured you and replaced you. Your husband-to-be was under my spell and everyone close to you was either replaced by changelings or just assumed it was wedding jitters that had changed your personality. Only Twilight Sparkle seemed to see through me. I lost… but I learned. This time… your dear Auntie Celestia is retired, and Twilight Sparkle is busy in Canterlot. I can mimic you passably in letters and royal decrees… nopony has questioned me yet, but I can’t risk controlling your husband this time, lest anyone notice a change in his behavior, but it doesn’t matter. You are such a workaholic that your husband can’t tell the difference between me and you… which is quite sad for 17 years of marriage, if you ask me. I replaced you 3 weeks ago and nopony is the wiser. Once Shining shows his full love to Flurry… I’ll be so powerful that I’ll control the Crystal Empire, be able to conquer Equestria… and then kill that pretender… King Thorax.”

Cadance huffed. “My Shining Armor will never cheat on me! You are wasting your time!”

Chrysalis shook her head. “You poor dear. Your loyal husband has already given Flurry at least two very passionate kisses already and they both have your permission to rut. They are already considering it. I’ve tried to make it seem like I want Flurry to grow up faster and neither of them have really questioned it… Once they fuck… the love they produce will make me the most powerful changeling that has ever existed.”

Cadance pouted. “I don’t see how the entirely of Equestria isn’t looking for you.”

Chrysalis shrugged. “Your suggestion that Shining make Flurry a mare 5 weeks ago produced a magic surge large enough to free me. I simply replaced myself with a plain concrete statue of myself that nopony has managed to spot the difference yet… so much for loving art. Capturing you was just as easy the second time as it was the first time.”

Cadance looked intense. “But how do you think your going to get them to go all the way?”

Chrysalis grinned. “They already had a first date that went great. Shining is planning a second date but doesn’t have it nailed down yet. Although it’ll pain me to do so… all I have to do is have a headache for a few weeks… withholding sex… and your devoted husband will fall into his daughter’s hooves… or should I say her pussy. He really is an idiot, you know.”

Cadance looked away. “I always loved him… I didn’t want more than one foal but that doesn’t mean I didn’t love him…”

Chrysalis winced. “I won’t berate you for having a poor taste in stallions. Somepony’s like the meathead type. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t fuck his own daughter with his loving wife’s permission. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed at this outcome.”

Cadance looked back at Chrysalis, defiant. “I have faith… what else can I have?”

Chrysalis shrugged as she finished her wine. “If it goes my way, you’ll have a grandfoal and I’ll rule the entire continent… but I guess we will see…”

* * *

Author's Note

The story is progressing in way that I didn't originally plan, but that's okay. If you want to see something specific, post a comment. All comments are welcome.