Chapters The warm summer evening was spent by Twilight Sparkle reading while sitting at one of the library’s tables. The heat was a relevant issue, as most ponies in Ponyville were drenched in sweat from the scorching sun. Fortunately there was the certainty of upcoming rainy days; she lamented the lack of a cloud making spell.
The small town had an equally small weather team, that worked diligently in order to provide the adequate climate for the population. Back in Canterlot, she had never really cast so much as the occasional curious glance towards the pegasi carrying the clouds around. The bustling Equestrian metropoli didn’t have a weather team, as much as it did have weather squadrons, assigned to several sectors, some of which were as big as Ponyville itself. The Princess sometimes oversaw their performance.
Twilight lifted her head from the heavy tome that was claiming her attention at that time and looked out of the window, where the light of the sun falling on the horizon was casting an orange glow that fell on the floor. She looked to one side and saw Spike perched atop of a ladder, organizing books on one of the top shelves. She couldn’t see his face, but she saw how slowly he was moving. Turning her head, she checked the hour in a near wall clock; it was well past five. She passed a hoof over her eyes and called out to Spike.
“Spike, let’s take a break and go out to drink something!”
“I’ll take you on that!” answered Spike, putting a book in his place before almost sliding down the ladder and rushing next to Twilight, beaming. She levitated her saddlebags from the next table, checking the money she had, and then loaded them on her back before Spike followed suit. The pair went out of the Library. Some ponies were walking around, but no one that the pair still knew well; a couple of them waved friendly towards them, though.
Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy: such were the names of the ponies that had caused Twilight and Spike recent relocation, and besides some of Applejack’s family, they didn’t know anypony else in Ponyville yet. They knew where to drink some delicious lemonade,and so Twilight headed over there at a brisk pace. After a couple of false turns, they finally made it to the small business, consistent of a group of tables scattered in the porch of a small one story house that doubled as the business.
Only one of the other tables was occupied by the mailmare, Derpy Hooves, who they already knew via the packages she had delivered -or tried to deliver- to the library, including many of Twilight and Spike’s smaller belongings. Fortunately, the tree which housed their new home was a pretty sturdy one, surviving both Rainbow Dash’s and Derpy’s crashes. The blonde pegasus had an eye affliction about which Twilight hadn’t asked yet, electing to wait some more. Derpy looked at them and smiled, waving happily before going back to sipping at her juice. They answered her greeting. The waiter of the establishment, a brown coated stallion with a mane of a darker shade, came towards them.
“Welcome to The Juice Bar, home of Ponyville’s more exotic frutal mixes. What would you like today?” asked the stallion in a very courteous but at the same time relaxed manner, smiling at them.
“I’d like strawberry with a hint of lemon, please,” asked Twilight, returning the smile.
“Got that. And you?” he turned to look at Spike.
“I’ll be fine with a old plain lemonade. Extra ice.”
“Very well. Your juices will be here shortly. Please make yourselves comfortable.” He trotted away, crossing the door. Behind Spike, Derpy finished her juice, left some bits on the table and trotted over to their table.
“Good evening!” chirped the pegasus, making Spike jump from his chair. He turned towards her with an annoyed look.
“Don’t do that!”
“I’m sorry! Spike’s your name, right? I only wanted to greet you, not scare you.”
Derpy smiled broadly. Spike grunted but nodded his head. “Yeah, whatever.”
“Hello, Derpy, having a good day today?” asked Twilight, returning her smile at her.
“Yes, I’m loving it today. I’d just wish the weather team hurried up with those clouds.” She looked towards the sky, or at least that’s what Twilight thought, with both her eyes pointing in different directions. “I hope for some rain soon; I don’t like carrying the letters around with those burning rays falling on me! Well, I gotta go home now, Dinky’s waiting. See you!” The pegasus then rapidly took flight, forcing Twilight and Spike to hold their table lest it flipped over.
“I still think ponies in this town are crazy. Well, not all, but quite a few...”
“Well, it’s not like you got around that much in Canterlot, did you, Twilight?”
The unicorn glared to her assistant just when the waiter arrived with their order, placing the glasses in front of them. “Enjoy yourselves, please.”
Twilight locked the straw between her lips and took a sip out of her juice, feeling the sweet flavor with a lingering touch of bitterness rousing her taste.
“Still, this is quite charming. The ponies are very likable, it is quite easy to get anywhere, and very quiet and calm. The rush of the court sometimes was unbearable.”
“Yeah, I know that. You yapped about it to me practically everyday,” answered Spike, enjoying his lemonade.
“Well, it was.” Twilight looked at her glass, seeing it half-full and she arched a brow, feeling a drop of sweat slipping across her forehead. “What doesn’t change is the unbearable heat, though. It’s the same overloaded sum--” she abruptly stopped mid-sentence, biting her lip. “---mer...,” concluded the unicorn, her eyes suddenly snapping open along with her mouth. The dragon sitting across her took notice.
“It’s something wrong, Twilight?”
She looked at him, and then shook her head, affecting a cough. “It’s nothing Spike, I just remembered something I’ll take care of later.”
“Anything you need?” asked Spike, finishing his lemonade in a shot. She shook her head, slurping the rest of her drink.
“It’s ok, Spike. Let’s go back to the library, you can rest now.”
Twilight paid, and the pair returned to their new home just as the sun was hiding behind the mountains, with Twilight’s mind working full gear during the walk and still when back into the tree.
Half an hour later she thumped her head against the table with a calendar laying in front of her. The sound caused Spike to pop out from the kitchen.
“It’s something wrong, Twilight?”
“Yeah...” She lifted her head and stood on her four legs, turning back to the dragon. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him.
“Hey, Spike, watch over the library, I’m going out for a while.”
“Huh, where are you going? Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Never mind that, just stay here, please. I’ll be back soon.”
Twilight trotted out of the library, leaving the baby dragon looking at it in confusion. She continued at the same pace, covering the distance between her home and one of her friend’s.
Carousel Boutique stood in front of her, covered by the darkness of night, only being recognizable by the lights that from both out and inside revealed its form, indicating its occupant was hard at work. Twilight approached the door and knocked firmly three times. After what was about two minutes of waiting, she heard hoofsteps coming and the door opening.
“I apologize for the delay, I... Oh, Twilight! How wonderful to see you here, darling! Please, come on, do not stay out in the icy night.”
Rarity beckoned her friend inside, invitation that Twilight eagerly accepted, entering her friend’s house. The white unicorn’s main floor was similar to that of the library, only featuring ponyquins, sewing machines and all kinds of cloth crafting instruments instead of bookshelves. The fashionista conducted herself with flair, maintaining a rhythm to her walk even though Twilight was the only other pony with her.
“Yes, that’d be lovely, Rarity,” answered Twilight, smiling. She followed the white unicorn at her signal, entering the kitchen, which was as properly organized, in stark contrast to the work room. Rarity set to prepare the infusion while Twilight sat at one stool next to a small table.
”What do I owe to this wonderful visit, Twilight?” asked Rarity without taking her eyes apart from the water on the stove. Twilight was caught off-track with the question, and she felt the warmth on her cheeks. She opened her mouth, but only a vague babbling came out.
“I’m sorry, dear, what was that?” Rarity turned to look briefly at Twilight, when her serene expression turned into an alarmed one. “Celestia, darling, you’re awfully red. Are you sick?” She waltzed over to Twilight’s side, pressing a hoof against her forehead and then letting out a relieved sigh. “You don’t seem to be affected with anything.” She turned back her attention to the already boiling water, turning the stove off and pouring the hot drinks, levitating two cups to the table. She sat in front of her recently acquired friend.
“What is it?”
Twilight looked into the cup, being able to see her reflection looking back at her with reddened cheeks. She slowly lifted her head, looking into the other unicorn’s deep blue eyes. She gulped.
“I... I’m new in Ponyville...”
“Yes, darling, I know.” Rarity looked at her friend with the concern written on her face. “It’s there something bothering you? Something that you don’t understand yet?”
“Well... heat is almost upon us,” said Twilight quickly, avoiding Rarity’s gaze. The white mare’s eyes gleamed and she grinned, affecting a lady like laugh.
“Oh, that is your concern darling? If I may ask, how it is managed in Canterlot?”
Twilight turned her head slowly to look at her friend again. “Well, in the castle there is generally a rule of being apart from the stallions when the estrus is coming, unless the mare desires to bear foal or has her own special somepony. During those days, contact between stallions and mares are preferably avoided. Of course there are supporting spells for those situations, but those tend to fail with amazing regularity.”
Rarity had listened to her intently. “I see.”
She sipped daintily from her cup, savouring the beverage, before looking at Twilight with a smirk on her face. “The time of estrus is Ponyville is quite similar to the last points you described. Unattached stallions generally look for their own business during those days. If a mare already has a partner, she will stay with that partner for the duration of her cycle; whether they want or not to have a foal is their choice. There is also a designated zone near Ponyville for mares that have no such pony, but desire to procreate. In that place, interested stallions may visit them in the corresponding dates and settle an agreement towards that end, including their decision over the foal. Generally there are no problems, though. Some other mares elect to isolate themselves, wary of any kind of association or simply lacking the desire of bearing foals. And finally, there are some mares who seek... alternatives... to relieve their heat.”
Twilight tilted her head to one side, looking at Rarity curiously. “What do you mean?”
“What I want to say, is that there are mares who think coming into heat doesn’t have to necessarily mean either having to be with an stallion, and most likely bear foal, or lock yourself into chastity. Not that there is anything wrong with that choice. Others, such as me, believe that we can enjoy the physical pleasures of these activities without any commitment, with other mares.”
Rarity threw a warm look towards Twilight, while the lavender unicorn felt herself heating up at Rarity’s words. Suddenly she was aware of the whole picture of Rarity’s body standing in front of her. Even though her cycle had not kicked in yet, she found herself sweeping her friend with the eyes, despite her uneasiness. Such an obvious checking up was not lost in her friend, who chuckled.
“Oh, darling, no one had looked at me like that in a long time. I must say I didn’t expect that of you, though I suppose it’s true the silent ones are the raunchier.”
“No, no, me...,” stammered Twilight, her grammar slipping alongside her fleeting mind. Rarity simply shook a hoof.
“Do calm down, darling. I was only teasing you. But yes, that is one way in which we regulate ourselves in here. I understand there is a set of preconceptions among certains sectors of the Canterlot population, even though I know it’s not an infrequent occurrence by any means. Well, here in Ponyville we skipped that completely and simply settled systems that do not hurt anypony. Why, from these “rolls in the hay” if you pardon the crude expression, several happy couples have arisen.”
Rarity spoke calmly and matter-of-factly, while Twilight could do naught but stare at her. She lifted a hoof and closed the lavender unicorn’s mouth gently, smiling at her.
“Maybe your tea would help a little bit?” suggested Rarity, looking at her. Twilight nodded, and took a sip from her cup, then another and another one until she finally put down her empty cup, letting out a large sigh.
“I don’t have any experience in this. I always used the neutralizing spells and avoided these kind of situations. I thought they were as bothersome and having friends, only a distraction I could do without. But now that you have mentioned it... Well, now I think about how much fun has been being with my new best friends and I can’t help wondering...”
She looked straight at Rarity’s eyes. “How it would feel.”
Rarity swatted her mane back with a hoof, looking at her friend with a warm smile.
“If you’d like to experiment, darling, I could help you.”
Twilight felt the blood rush to her cheeks once again, and was convinced that if it carried on like that, she would soon explode from the inside.
The path from the Carousel Boutique to the library was one Twilight Sparkle already knew well, being a short one she had already walked through a number of times.
However, as she made her way across the streets in the recently born night, her shaken mind caused her to veer off course. The color of her coat and the darkness of the night broken only by some lamps on the streets helped to hide the blush that colored her cheeks.
She lifted her head to see that her legs had somehow carried her near Ponyville’s schoolhouse, which stood bright, with moonlight falling down on it. Cursing, she turned to take the path leading back to her home, fortunately not a very difficult one. She pushed all thoughts off her mind and trotted quickly back to the tree that housed her.
“Finally! Where have you been! You first go out in a rush without explaining anything and then you take a couple hours to get back home. Guess it’s better than being cooped up inside all the time but you should tell me at least what you’re doing.”
“Sorry, Spike, I just had something to take care of and I went to ask Rarity.”
Spike’s face of annoyance turned into an angry one. “You went to see Rarity and you didn’t take me?!”
“Sorry, Spike,” repeated Twilight. “It was a talk for mares.” He looked hard at her before shrugging.
“Whatever. Dinner’s at the kitchen table. I’ll read some more before tucking in.”
“Thanks, Spike, good night.”
“Night, Twilight.”
The unicorn walked into the kitchen, finding on top of the table a plate covered by another one. She uncovered it, finding pasta with cheese sprinkled on top of it. Floating a fork, she rolled the pasta in it and began eating absent mindedly.
I should write to Princess Celestia
Twilight carried the quill, the ink and the parchment towards the table in which Spike still sat, reading. She sat across of him; the small dragon lifted up his head from his reading to look at her.
“Are you writing to Celestia? I can help you if you need.”
She shook her head. “It’s ok, Spike. I’ll handle this one myself, thanks.”
Spike shrugged and dived once again into the book. She unfurled the scroll with her magic and dipped the quill into the ink jar; several pieces of parchment ended up in the reject pile as she pondered how to better get her message across to her mentor.
Dear Princess Celestia
My newfound life in Ponyville has been developing nicely. Being a comparatively small village, ponies here are more close-knit to each other and it provides an atmosphere that Canterlot greatly lacks. As such, I haven’t had any real problems adapting to my new life, with the help of Spike and my newfound friends, who make sure that I fit right in.
There was, however, a detail that was hastily overlooked by me when moving and it just hit me earlier today. The estrus cycle will begin soon and I did not know how Ponyvillians dealt with it; in the castle it was a very easy issue to manage. So I decided to consult my friend Rarity and she gently explained to me the ways in which the heat is regulated here. Unsurprisingly, the methods are pretty much the same ones used in Canterlot, with the exception of one.
Apparently, mares who desire to relieve their heat but don’t want to risk the possibility of conception can seek other mares willing to engage in sexual activity with them; this has even give birth to successful couples. I must acknowledge I didn’t expect this, given the rarity (heh) of such behavior in Canterlot, at least with such openness.
I was totally surprised by this revelation, and even more shocked when Rarity offered to demonstrate me how it is carried off, and I must confess I’m intrigued by it. Before coming to Ponyville I had dismissed all the notions pertaining to interpony relationships as a nuisance, and heat was a very uncomfortable time. But now that I’ve discovered how friendship is such a warm and strong feeling that fills me, I can only muse curiously about how other types of relationship would feel.
Estrus is still a little longer than a week away, so I can use the remaining time to become informed about it. Rarity also said we were going to talk to several ponies in Ponyville about how they dealt with the cycle starting tomorrow.
Do you have any sort of advice for me, Princess? Now that I’ve put this down in writing, I realize how nervous I am about it. I also hope it does not upset you. If if does, please tell me. I would really like the opportunity to experiment this however; I promise to approach it in a careful manner.
I will be awaiting for your answer.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Finally satisfied, Twilight rolled the parchment, sealing it. She looked at Spike, still immersed on his reading, and at one of the windows. The darkness outside was now deep.
“Spike, it’s time for you to go to bed now.”
Spike put down his book, stretched his arms and yawned. “Yeah, I’m going there.”
Twilight floated the scroll towards him. “But first, please send this scroll to the Princess. She’ll read it tomorrow.”
“You’ve got it, Twi.” He took a deep breath and burned the letter away, picked up the book to shelve it and turned to go upstairs.
“Good night, Twilight.”
“Good night, Spike. Wash your teeth,” answered Twilight, walking over to the shelves. More mature titles were on the upper shelves, so she summoned the ladder. As she checked the titles, she picked books with her magic and began lowering them to the table, a slight blush on her cheeks.
“I think that should cover it.” She descended slowly and sat before the table, looking at the pile of books she had chosen.
She levitated a familiar one in front of her, a book she had used when her family and Celestia had deemed her ready to learn about reproduction. The Princess herself had pointed Twilight towards most of what the unicorn knew about sexuality, with no trace of dirtiness behind it. Celestia had been explicit but very proper about her lessons. She leafed through the book and then closed it again, her eyes gazing in front of her without really looking at anything. Shaking her head, she took the books with her to her bedroom, leaving them by her nightstand.
From outside a window, the Princess of night and dreams observed the dreams of a certain unicorn who was in deep slumber.
They are certainly tame compared to others we have seen since our return, but they are certainly interesting in relation to their subject. We wonder if our sister will be inclined to forgive certain indiscretions of ours...
Author's Note
Yes, I know. It's been more than a year since I updated this. I've been struggling with a deep writer's block, but I think I can safely say it's been overcome. Probably no one remembers this, but I will fulfill my duty to finish it, and my other stories.
If you still want to read this, thank you, and sorry for the quite lenghty delay.
Dreams are dreams
A reddish tint permeated the reading room of the library as Twilight read on. The books were stacked on her table as usual, in two rows. The smallest pile to her left contained the books she had already revised, and a bigger pile to her right had the ones she had not checked yet. She scanned the pages with her usual intensity, devouring each word
However, a remarkable fire burning inside her marked this reading session as different from any other she had ever done. As she skimmed the contents, the persistent thought of the lewdness of her reading lived on the back of her mind, but she kept on nonetheless. She closed one book and put it on the already-read pile, levitating one from the other pile to herself. She peered at the cover, which featured an attractive pegasus mare waving at a rough looking earth stallion from above.
“Flaming Wings of Freedom.” Twilight read the title aloud and turned the volume to read the blurb.
Pumpkin Pride is a normal, hard working Earth stallion. He’s contented with living the quiet, peaceful life of far-off Appleloosa. But when Spring Skies, a pegasus on vacation from Cloudsdale, passes through in her vacation, Pumpkin begins to question everything he has ever thought about life. He follows her, only to find the tangled webs that city life offers, in which Spring is deeply woven. He must then decide his future.
She put the book aside for a moment and picked up the next one; its title was “Blinding Stage Lights.” Turning the book around, she read the description.
She had obtained everything she had desired, or thought she had. Ivory Gleam loved acting. Ever since she was a filly, her family supported her, and she managed a spot in one of the most famous acting troupes of Equestria. That was when she met Star Walk, an ambitious young producer. Their torrid romance led to marriage. However, Star grew greedy and cynical as time passed, forgetting his love of the art and his love of her. A new member of the group, Rumbling Flash, captures Ivory’s attention. Will he catch her struggling love too?
Twilight sighed and put the book down, picking up the next one. She read her way through the summaries of some more issues.
“Cookie-cut romance novels. I know Rarity’s passion for this, but… Well, I don’t think it’s too much to lose for a night. Let’s get on it.”
A cold breeze blew through, despite the closed windows, and Twilight shivered. When she recovered, she looked around.
“What the hay? How’s that even possible? “
“Darling, if you deem those books inappropriate, we can always look at other input.”
Twilight gasped and looked at her side, where a gleaming Rarity beamed at her. “When did you get here, Rarity?”
The white unicorn caressed the other’s coat. “I just wanted to see how you were doing, and I found you reading these steamy books. I didn’t think you’d actually consider my offer, Twilight.”
Some seconds passed as Twilight looked at the books. “I’ve always considered books as my first go-to tool when researching a new topic. And even though I’d really prefer if there was a more proper approach to the subject, I’m willing to learn. I…”
The warmth that filled her stopped her speech and her face turned red, at which Rarity smile more warmly. “You look cute,” she said, causing Twilight to feel as if her face -and her whole body- was burning. She took some slow breaths in.
Rarity giggled softly, a sound that echoed on Twilight’s ears. The white unicorn reached over and bit her friend’s ear lightly, causing the hairs of Twilight’s coat to stand.She turned to look at her
“Let’s skip the ‘theory’, shall we, Twilight?”
Each looked into the eyes of the other, until Twilight broke the silence.
“Are you sure, Rarity?”
“I volunteered to help you, and I can see that you are a good pony. I have nothing against it.”
Biting on her lip, Twilight nodded slowly. “I’d like that, then.” She blushed again feeling the soft touch of Rarity’s lips on her cheek.
“I will treat you very well, Twilight. But not here. Come on…”
As if pulled by an invisible, unbelievably strong thread, Twilight followed Rarity up the stairs; while the white unicorn moved with a rhythmic cadence and a confident stride, Twilight noticed how she avoided making her steps too suggestive or revealing, her tail perfectly still behind her.
In contrast to the red hue below, the room was illuminated by a nightly dark blue, with the moonlight providing a contrast. The white beam entering through the window seemed to briefly blink, as she couldn’t think of a better term to describe it, but despite focusing her attention of it for some seconds, it didn’t happen again and she pushed it to the back of her mind, turning her attention to a Rarity that stood beside her bed, smiling at her. Once she made her way to her side, she felt the brush of Rarity’s lips against her own.
Her brain seemed to shut off as she could only register the sensation of their lips touching each other’s. After some seconds, she felt a slight push from Rarity, who looked at her straight in the eyes. Taking a deep breath in, she answered the kiss, getting lost in the taste of her friend’s mouth, and then felt the soft but strong tip of Rarity’s tongue pushing against her lips. She opened them instinctively, letting it into her own mouth. Sparks flew inside of her as their tongues wrapped around each other, beginning to play a furious game.
Rarity broke apart of her, and she could see a deep shine on those blue eyes; she was pushed into the bed by a surprisingly strong movement of her friend.
“Now, dear, let’s proceed to the next stage.”
Above the tree that housed the Library, and overseeing the whole land of Equestria, the moon shone with a crimson glow. In the midst of the satellite, a shadow appeared, condensing on itself and taking the shape of the princess of the Night. She jumped silently on a beam of light that descended in a straight path to the small town of Ponyville, near to the tree building. She made her way to it.
Princess Luna had been struck by the revelation that her old powers would take some time coming back. The purge of Nightmare Moon had taken a toll on her and debilitated her greatly. She had no problem coaxing the moon to move, but her dream control abilities had been greatly lessened, to the point of rendering her a mere observator on the dreams she chose to enter to.
She noticed the lights on in the second floor, the only lights interrupting a scarcely lighted dream, and flew towards the window they came from, and barely avoided gasping when she found two of her saviors down on the bed.
She recovered from the shock, but did not look away from the scene. “From what Celestia told me, these two had only just recently met. They have gotten to it pretty fast.”
She followed the act until its conclusion. Muttering to herself and shaking her head, she flew away.
Twilight Sparkle woke up abruptly. She rose and rubbed her eyes wearily.
“Rarity? What’s…”
She shook herself awake and looked next to her, to the empty side of her bed.
“But she was here… I… I was dreaming?” She sniffed the air when a particular odor reached her nose, wrinkling it. “What’s that smell? And why do I feel…”
She fell quiet and lifted the covers off herself, feeling the humidity between her legs; her eyes opened wide and she gasped. She covered her mouth when she felt Spike moving besides her bed.
“Aww.. What’s it, Twi? It’s not even two in the morning…”
She took a silent breath in. “It’s nothing, Spike. Just need to go to the restroom.”
“Sheesh, you don’t need to make all that noise for that.” He fell asleep again, almost instantly. She disentangled herself from the blankets, making a mental note to check on them later, and headed for the bath to wash herself. She looked at her flustered reflection in the mirror.
“I had a wet dream… with Rarity? What will I tell her? I got too carried away with this…”
She splashed some water in her face. “I’ve got to put an end to this.”
.
