An account of how Night Light and Twilight Velvet, parents of Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle, got together and fell in love (and how Princess Celestia helped).
I really like this story. Not only is it an interesting concept that's well written, it gives me an excuse to listen to James Bond music. Also, this story needs to end in the present day with Night Light and Shining Armor having a bragging contest. Guess who wins?
Well, I can say a bit more. I love seeing actual emotions between characters, and not just a "hormone-fueled rutting" as it were. Really eager to see this continued.
“That night, after we… argued,” she clarified with a blush. “Pommel and I went out anyway, and… we got carried away. Woke up with a horrible hangover and two hours late for work.”
"carried away", huh?
Also, this story is really hot. Are we, perhaps, going to see the making of Shining Armor?
2693562 Well, let's see shall we? You've got From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall to use as chapter titles, to name a few.
Or them all. I'm guessing that there will at least be a Goldeneye, as that is his eye colour.....
2693748 Fun fact: I briefly (but never seriously) considered a side story in which Luna got herself a designated stallion to service her heat cycles after she returned, which would have used the title "Moonraker." I do enjoy groan-worthy puns like that.
And yes, I would really like to use GoldenEye if for no other reason than it's my favorite Bond movie by far. But for the record, not ALL the chapter titles will necessarily be movie titles. Chapter 1 was an iconic line instead, after all.
Oh my goodness, yes! This chapter was completely and totally awesome in so many ways. You are doing a fantastic job at portraying these two, even though we know almost nothing about them in the show. The more romantic aspects are just a bonus, really. Loving it all! Also, I'm noticing a pattern here: The stallions of the Sparkle family seem to have a thing for screwing Princesses.
This took so long to update, I thought you had gave it up. Here's to hoping the next update comes soon!
2693779 Very true, it's not a Bond film if he doesn't say that! I don't know what my favourite one is. The latest Casino Royale was okay, Quatum of Solace sucked big greasy donkey balls, and Skyfall was better then I thought it would be. Think Sean Connery had some of the best lines as him though.
As for your other idea......maybe a bonus chapter instead? I'd read it. And then another one with Shining Armour and Cadence's wedding where Velvet catches him staring at Celestia's flanks....
There is no single word to describe the awesome and hot intensity this story provides us.
I like this. This is an understatement because I cannot find the words to describe my feels properly. This thing hits the feature box EVERY time it gets updated and here is why. We get a load of immense character depth, details authors would kill to wish they had used themselves and mega-frikkin hot sex to boot. I mean, Celestia being rutted AND we get the details of that? HSQ doesn't even begin to do it justice.
Fun fact: I briefly (but never seriously) considered a side story in which Luna got herself a designated stallion to service her heat cycles after she returned, which would have used the title "Moonraker." I do enjoy groan-worthy puns like that.
Dangit, Now I wanna do something like that with Luna and Shining Armor! I blame Progress for that, and now I am willing to try that out.
I was worried how Velvet might react... but as they continued to talk I felt like she might be kinda accepting and understanding of Celestia's situation. Especially since going into heat is something that every mare has to go through. I was also glad that the two of them finally sat down and talked about their feelings for each other... I'd say Celestia pushing Night Light to talk about things with his close friends is probably partially responsible.
It was nice though to see a chapter in a story during a heat cycle that's not just endless and mindless screwing, but it also has though, dialogue, and emotion in it as well. It's about the relationships and not the sex... thank Celestia. Keep up the excellent work please!
Hah, this story just keeps getting better and better! I love the good mixture of sexiness, cuddly romance, and silly hilarity you manage to juggle. Keep it up!
Fun fact: I briefly (but never seriously) considered a side story in which Luna got herself a designated stallion to service her heat cycles after she returned, which would have used the title "Moonraker." I do enjoy groan-worthy puns like that.
I did not groan at all, I might have laughed harder than when I read a Shakespearicles update. I would read that chapter do vary hard. 2693554 And that's the story of how Twilight was made. Though it would have to be a couple years later when Celestia wants to see what it is like with a married couple.
So my favorite romance fics are sweet, funny, and hot. I'm calling this one a hat trick.
I'm really thrilled by how this is turning out. Twilight and Night's conversation was touching, and hilarious as we got to see a bit of a voyeuristic side of Ms. Velvet. I'm sure there will be more complications, but I'm just glad them recognize that they like each other.
I absolutely love this fic, and I can't wait to see where it goes. Thanks for writing!
This story requires an epilogue which reveals the story has been Night Light and Twilight Velvet regaling Twi and Shiny with the true story of how they hooked up. Twi reacting to hearing her dad had railed Celestia like a steam train would be priceless.
Extra points if Shiny shamefully admits he's taken up the family duty.
Freaking adorable. The girls in my family assume that, just because I'm a guy, I hate romance. On the contrary, I am an absolute sucker for quality stuff like this. You're doing great.
2693599 I'd be focusing more on what it means for Shining Armor.
2693648 "Well, I created a shield so powerful it took an entire army of Changelings to destroy it" "I shagged the Princess of Equestria with a magically enlarged dick then shagged your mum in the same week" "..." "Beat that one"
2696884 She's saying that directly in reference to the question she's asking him: will he be her mate for this season? What she's saying in that sentence you quoted is "I would really like it if you said yes, and I would be sad if you said no, but I am not going to use my position of authority to force it on you anyway because I am not a heinous bitch."
She's just saying it in significantly fewer words.
Ha, I half-expected Velvet to magically fling him out of her house; you're a lucky guy Night Light. On a technical note, I really liked the two paragraphs where you described their kiss
...Y—eah, I'm not buying it. Velvet should've been a lot more pissed than she was shown to be in this chapter. At first I was going to criticize portraying her as such a weak person—crying and throwing herself into his forelegs after not seeing him for three days—after she's been previously established as being much stronger and more independent than that. Not to mention that he's probably the reason why they got carried away with drinking, since they must've still been angry at him for their respective fights.
Aside from all that, he's technically been a douchebag to Velvet by—as they both stated—not having said anything in all the years they've known each other, just leading her on, being married to his job to the detriment of his social life. Then he goes and bangs Celestia—which he didn't have to do, since it was a request and she asked him if he was okay with it—and that's all the chewing out he gets?
Velvet should've been furious! She should've kicked him out, maybe slapped the prick around a bit. And that's without going into the severe sense of inferiority that could easily crop up in such a situation. It's not objectively reasonable, but it would be a normal thought to have, "Now I have to compete with how a goddess performs?" Instead she shows admiration and awe?
I'm sorry, but Night Light's getting scarily close to becoming a Karma Houdini, getting away with all of this.
I was reading this story on my iPod while I was walking to my room. Big mistake. My brother( senior douchbag) decided to stretch a roll of seran wrap across my door and I like an idiot and being destracted by this lovely story, I walked right into it. I seriously felt like a dog that just got it's nose blown into. I flailed like a mad man when the seran wrap in engulfed my head, and my brother laughing his ass off. I'm going to get that bastard back. He is also a brony... So I have to ask... How can I get him back? (Preferably a way that scares the shit out of him)
2704790 The problem with your critique here is threefold:
A) You're putting far too much emphasis and value on the act of sex with regard to the facts so far. Remember that the established context here is that this is a society of sentient creatures that go through an estrus cycle, and single mares seeking out a temporary mate for the sake of relieving the instinctual urge is common and acceptable within their society. From that angle alone, Velvet should not 'be more pissed' at Night Light for having sex with Celestia, because - in a general sense - it's normal. And even if it wasn't, Velvet still wouldn't have room to be more pissed at him because at the time that that happened, Velvet has no claim on him; he's allowed to date and/or sleep with anypony he wants at that point. Which brings me to...
B) Night Light is not 'leading her on'. 'Leading her on' would be making her think he was interested when he really wasn't. Night Light clearly DOES have interest in her. He certainly avoided addressing the issue, yes, and he was absolutely somewhat in the wrong by effectively ignoring her for so long, and he admits as much himself. But to say he was 'leading her on' is a massive over-exaggeration. Velvet's smart enough (and mature enough) to recognize that Night Light is being sincere here, had no intention of hurting her, and had a......maybe not a GOOD reason, but an understandable one, at least, for putting her off for so long.
C) You are really, REALLY de-valuing Twilight Velvet's intelligence and sense of self-worth if you think she should be feeling some sort of inferiority complex and comparing herself to Princess Celestia over this. The Twilight Velvet I am writing is a very confident and strong-willed-to-the-point-of-stubbornness character. She knew what she wanted, and she believed unwaveringly that she would get it; it was just a matter of time. It doesn't make sense for a character like this to suddenly start getting upset and weepy and feeling inferior because Night Light happened to have sex with another mare, especially one that is in no way an actual romantic rival, a point which he explains very explicitly. And again, what Night Light did is still perfectly acceptable and sanctioned within their society as a normal thing to do, so there's really nothing for her to bat her eyes at about the general situation in the first place.
All that having been said though, I appreciate the readership and that you cared enough to write a big lengthy comment about it, even if I do think you're incorrect.
Fair points in all. However, the third one—about her being a "very confident and strong-willed-to-the-point-of-stubbornness character"—is exactly what I meant when I said that it was jarring to see her break down after missing him for three days. I guess you could argue that she was out of sorts due to not sleeping for so long and her defenses were down, but it did strike me as odd for the Velvet you'd created.
The other points have more to do with the whole "estrus makes mares want to rut anything that moves" thing, which I'm not so keen on in a sentient society. I have no problem with stories that use it, though. Guess I was just putting myself in Velvet's shoes and thinking of what I'd feel in a situation like that. And that's good, since it means that you've endeared me to your characters enough to make me care about them.
...Well, at least you've made me care about Velvet. I still think Night Light's a bit of an ass.
2706083 You kind of inadvertently hit the nail on the head here though; she hadn't seen Night Light since having a big fight with him, she was exhausted and stressed from working overtime to salvage her reputation in her boss' eyes who had wanted to outright FIRE her from her dream job......that's a lot of crap for one person to be dealing with. Suddenly seeing Night Light again after all that was definitely overwhelming, and I don't really think one moment of weakness there overwrites the fact that she's otherwise a strong and confident character.
And I can understand disliking estrus as a plot device, for sure, because you're right, a lot of times when it comes up in pony-fic it's a ridiculously strong force to the point of, yes, making the characters want to hump anything that moves. I hope, however, I've made it clear that this is not the case in my story. Night Light says it best: it's a driving force when present, but they're not bending over in the streets with their tails flagged. They can conduct themselves more or less normally. And both Celestia and Velvet stand as examples of ponies being perfectly capable of abstaining from picking up mates if they so choose, even if it is lonely and uncomfortable. So yeah, it's certainly PRESENT in my story, but it's not an all-consuming and mind-numbing source of out-of-character-ness.
Thanks for the intelligent discourse, and I hope you continue enjoying the fic.
2706928 It's nice to see another writer subscribing to the same general thought process I follow when it comes to estrus cycles for ponies! It happens once a year, it toys with your judgment and ability to focus and think straight, especially when a mare's scent hits a stallion or a mare spots a stallion that she really wants, but otherwise, their advanced ability to think with something more than their instincts outstrips the control that mating season used to have on their far less intelligent ancestors.
Estrus is there to encourage and promote procreation. They can resist these impulses because they're smart enough creatures to know the difference between right and wrong. Not to mention modern society forces them to stop and think about what they're about to do. 'This mare is so beautiful and kind and loving, but....I can't afford to raise a child, I don't have enough time for it! I would be a terrible Father that would rarely be around, I have to travel too much. Not to mention her family really doesn't seem to like me. No....no, no matter how much I might want her right now, we can't do this, we just can't.' Sure, some may be eager, and may try to sway someone's decisions, but that doesn't mean that they're incapable of saying no. It might be a bit different compared to how humans just seem to get horny and go for it because their bodies just want sex, where estrus cycles moreso urge the pony to procreate rather than just have sex for no reason, but that doesn't make it more potent and mind-controlling.
As for Velvet's moment of weakness in this chapter, I agree with the author, it's very reasonable to assume that she would be very worn down and feeling depressed and vulnerable after all that's happened to her recently. It's a lot to deal with, and combined with Night Light suddenly re-appearing after being gone for three days, her breaking down in front of a dear friend that she's deeply attracted to as well is entirely acceptable and reasonable. After all, she's never been presented as a perfectly strong-willed, unbreakable young mare with all the confidence in the world. She's only been presented to us as a mare that knows what she wants, and knows when to have fun and when to be more serious, though she seems to have taken a lesson from her recent experiences, which is likely to make her take her job much more seriously. Good for her!
I really can't wait to see what happens next, especially since Velvet knows that her stallion's likely going to go and bang Celestia a few more times before the mating season's over, even though they're both basically together now. Not to mention Pommel, oh jeebus I can't wait for Night Light to speak with Pommel about all this crazy stuff!
"Night Light struggled to reign in his body’s reactions" *bump against table*
I think it will be kinda strange for him to walk around in public with his dick out. Though I guess since they don't wear clothing it could be not uncommon to see.
Hey, here's an idea Night Light...
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/006/759/both.png
I couldn't find a ponified version.
2693554
There's probably at least 4-6 chapters still to go. Who knows what might happen in them?
(besides me)
Good. This is nothing but good, and I love it.
Awwww. That was so cute...even with the sex talk.
(This just makes me love Twilight Velvet all the more. Night Light too. A real gentleman.)
Though it would be awkward if T. Sparkle ever found out.
"Hey, I fucked your mentor. I hope that doesn't weird you out or anything."
yay, been waiting for this for a while now, yay for fluffy romance!
I really like this story. Not only is it an interesting concept that's well written, it gives me an excuse to listen to James Bond music. Also, this story needs to end in the present day with Night Light and Shining Armor having a bragging contest. Guess who wins?
Yes. That's all I can say.
Well, I can say a bit more. I love seeing actual emotions between characters, and not just a "hormone-fueled rutting" as it were. Really eager to see this continued.
"carried away", huh?
Also, this story is really hot. Are we, perhaps, going to see the making of Shining Armor?
2693554 All my yes goes to this.
2693562 Well, let's see shall we? You've got From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball,
Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall to use as chapter titles, to name a few.
Or them all. I'm guessing that there will at least be a Goldeneye, as that is his eye colour.....
2693748
Fun fact: I briefly (but never seriously) considered a side story in which Luna got herself a designated stallion to service her heat cycles after she returned, which would have used the title "Moonraker." I do enjoy groan-worthy puns like that.
And yes, I would really like to use GoldenEye if for no other reason than it's my favorite Bond movie by far. But for the record, not ALL the chapter titles will necessarily be movie titles. Chapter 1 was an iconic line instead, after all.
Oh my goodness, yes! This chapter was completely and totally awesome in so many ways. You are doing a fantastic job at portraying these two, even though we know almost nothing about them in the show. The more romantic aspects are just a bonus, really. Loving it all! Also, I'm noticing a pattern here: The stallions of the Sparkle family seem to have a thing for screwing Princesses.
This took so long to update, I thought you had gave it up. Here's to hoping the next update comes soon!
2693779 Very true, it's not a Bond film if he doesn't say that! I don't know what my favourite one is. The latest Casino Royale was okay, Quatum of Solace sucked big greasy donkey balls, and Skyfall was better then I thought it would be. Think Sean Connery had some of the best lines as him though.
As for your other idea......maybe a bonus chapter instead? I'd read it. And then another one with Shining Armour and Cadence's wedding where Velvet catches him staring at Celestia's flanks....
There's your 'A View To A Kill' chapter!!!
2693562
I was totally expecting Velvet to ask Night Light if she could watch during the next session~
There is no single word to describe the awesome and hot intensity this story provides us.
I like this. This is an understatement because I cannot find the words to describe my feels properly. This thing hits the feature box EVERY time it gets updated and here is why. We get a load of immense character depth, details authors would kill to wish they had used themselves and mega-frikkin hot sex to boot. I mean, Celestia being rutted AND we get the details of that? HSQ doesn't even begin to do it justice.
Dangit, Now I wanna do something like that with Luna and Shining Armor! I blame Progress for that, and now I am willing to try that out.
Twilight must never learn of this.
2693924
This hits the feature box?
Damn, that's news to me. Those three 'update' slots move so goddamn fast.
Thanks though, really glad you like it so much!
I was worried how Velvet might react... but as they continued to talk I felt like she might be kinda accepting and understanding of Celestia's situation. Especially since going into heat is something that every mare has to go through.
I was also glad that the two of them finally sat down and talked about their feelings for each other... I'd say Celestia pushing Night Light to talk about things with his close friends is probably partially responsible.
It was nice though to see a chapter in a story during a heat cycle that's not just endless and mindless screwing, but it also has though, dialogue, and emotion in it as well. It's about the relationships and not the sex... thank Celestia. Keep up the excellent work please!
Hah, this story just keeps getting better and better! I love the good mixture of sexiness, cuddly romance, and silly hilarity you manage to juggle. Keep it up!
2694044 First time I saw this story, I saw it in the top spot of the feature box. I do not lie about that stuff.
This chapter went by way too quickly.
I want to upvote this fic at least twenty times.
Night should be capitalized.
Capitalize "light" now.
2693779
I did not groan at all, I might have laughed harder than when I read a Shakespearicles update. I would read that chapter do vary hard.
2693554
And that's the story of how Twilight was made. Though it would have to be a couple years later when Celestia wants to see what it is like with a married couple.
I wonder if their date is going to get interrupted by round 2 of celestia's heat.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your night dear but I need the services of your date. Now, URGENTLY!"
2694278
Guh, I did that a million times while writing it, too. Thought I caught them all. Thanks for the notes, fixed now.
2694327
No problem. I'll look for more stuff the next chapters; I like seeing an author pay attention to the little things in their story.
So my favorite romance fics are sweet, funny, and hot. I'm calling this one a hat trick.
I'm really thrilled by how this is turning out. Twilight and Night's conversation was touching, and hilarious as we got to see a bit of a voyeuristic side of Ms. Velvet. I'm sure there will be more complications, but I'm just glad them recognize that they like each other.
I absolutely love this fic, and I can't wait to see where it goes. Thanks for writing!
2693896
... You just got the picture in my head that as soon as Twilight moved out Celestia would stop by the Light/Velvet household for customary threesomes.
2694965
You're welcome.
CarcinoGeneticist, don't disappoint!
This story requires an epilogue which reveals the story has been Night Light and Twilight Velvet regaling Twi and Shiny with the true story of how they hooked up. Twi reacting to hearing her dad had railed Celestia like a steam train would be priceless.
Extra points if Shiny shamefully admits he's taken up the family duty.
This is so much better then plain old raw clop.
Freaking adorable. The girls in my family assume that, just because I'm a guy, I hate romance. On the contrary, I am an absolute sucker for quality stuff like this. You're doing great.
2693599
I'd be focusing more on what it means for Shining Armor.
2696396
This.
Oh. My. Gawd.
Yes.
Yes.
ALL OF MY YES.
Moar Celestia plz.
2693648
"Well, I created a shield so powerful it took an entire army of Changelings to destroy it"
"I shagged the Princess of Equestria with a magically enlarged dick then shagged your mum in the same week"
"..."
"Beat that one"
2696884
She's saying that directly in reference to the question she's asking him: will he be her mate for this season? What she's saying in that sentence you quoted is "I would really like it if you said yes, and I would be sad if you said no, but I am not going to use my position of authority to force it on you anyway because I am not a heinous bitch."
She's just saying it in significantly fewer words.
Great Chapter!
2697360
i second the motion
lol imagine haveing to walk home with that boner
Just gonna point out i am writing this prior to reading, but OH MY GOD i have never seen so many James Bond references in MLP ... are you British?
Hot hot hot hot pockets
Ha, I half-expected Velvet to magically fling him out of her house; you're a lucky guy Night Light.
On a technical note, I really liked the two paragraphs where you described their kiss
I'm eagerly waiting for more
...Y—eah, I'm not buying it. Velvet should've been a lot more pissed than she was shown to be in this chapter. At first I was going to criticize portraying her as such a weak person—crying and throwing herself into his forelegs after not seeing him for three days—after she's been previously established as being much stronger and more independent than that. Not to mention that he's probably the reason why they got carried away with drinking, since they must've still been angry at him for their respective fights.
Aside from all that, he's technically been a douchebag to Velvet by—as they both stated—not having said anything in all the years they've known each other, just leading her on, being married to his job to the detriment of his social life. Then he goes and bangs Celestia—which he didn't have to do, since it was a request and she asked him if he was okay with it—and that's all the chewing out he gets?
Velvet should've been furious! She should've kicked him out, maybe slapped the prick around a bit. And that's without going into the severe sense of inferiority that could easily crop up in such a situation. It's not objectively reasonable, but it would be a normal thought to have, "Now I have to compete with how a goddess performs?" Instead she shows admiration and awe?
I'm sorry, but Night Light's getting scarily close to becoming a Karma Houdini, getting away with all of this.
I was reading this story on my iPod while I was walking to my room. Big mistake.
My brother( senior douchbag) decided to stretch a roll of seran wrap across my door and I like an idiot and being destracted by this lovely story, I walked right into it. I seriously felt like a dog that just got it's nose blown into.
I flailed like a mad man when the seran wrap in engulfed my head, and my brother laughing his ass off.
I'm going to get that bastard back.
He is also a brony... So I have to ask...
How can I get him back?
(Preferably a way that scares the shit out of him)
2704790
The problem with your critique here is threefold:
A) You're putting far too much emphasis and value on the act of sex with regard to the facts so far. Remember that the established context here is that this is a society of sentient creatures that go through an estrus cycle, and single mares seeking out a temporary mate for the sake of relieving the instinctual urge is common and acceptable within their society. From that angle alone, Velvet should not 'be more pissed' at Night Light for having sex with Celestia, because - in a general sense - it's normal. And even if it wasn't, Velvet still wouldn't have room to be more pissed at him because at the time that that happened, Velvet has no claim on him; he's allowed to date and/or sleep with anypony he wants at that point. Which brings me to...
B) Night Light is not 'leading her on'. 'Leading her on' would be making her think he was interested when he really wasn't. Night Light clearly DOES have interest in her. He certainly avoided addressing the issue, yes, and he was absolutely somewhat in the wrong by effectively ignoring her for so long, and he admits as much himself. But to say he was 'leading her on' is a massive over-exaggeration. Velvet's smart enough (and mature enough) to recognize that Night Light is being sincere here, had no intention of hurting her, and had a......maybe not a GOOD reason, but an understandable one, at least, for putting her off for so long.
C) You are really, REALLY de-valuing Twilight Velvet's intelligence and sense of self-worth if you think she should be feeling some sort of inferiority complex and comparing herself to Princess Celestia over this. The Twilight Velvet I am writing is a very confident and strong-willed-to-the-point-of-stubbornness character. She knew what she wanted, and she believed unwaveringly that she would get it; it was just a matter of time. It doesn't make sense for a character like this to suddenly start getting upset and weepy and feeling inferior because Night Light happened to have sex with another mare, especially one that is in no way an actual romantic rival, a point which he explains very explicitly. And again, what Night Light did is still perfectly acceptable and sanctioned within their society as a normal thing to do, so there's really nothing for her to bat her eyes at about the general situation in the first place.
All that having been said though, I appreciate the readership and that you cared enough to write a big lengthy comment about it, even if I do think you're incorrect.
--CG
2706014
Fair points in all. However, the third one—about her being a "very confident and strong-willed-to-the-point-of-stubbornness character"—is exactly what I meant when I said that it was jarring to see her break down after missing him for three days. I guess you could argue that she was out of sorts due to not sleeping for so long and her defenses were down, but it did strike me as odd for the Velvet you'd created.
The other points have more to do with the whole "estrus makes mares want to rut anything that moves" thing, which I'm not so keen on in a sentient society. I have no problem with stories that use it, though. Guess I was just putting myself in Velvet's shoes and thinking of what I'd feel in a situation like that. And that's good, since it means that you've endeared me to your characters enough to make me care about them.
...Well, at least you've made me care about Velvet. I still think Night Light's a bit of an ass.
I'll be looking forward to the next chapter
2706083
You kind of inadvertently hit the nail on the head here though; she hadn't seen Night Light since having a big fight with him, she was exhausted and stressed from working overtime to salvage her reputation in her boss' eyes who had wanted to outright FIRE her from her dream job......that's a lot of crap for one person to be dealing with. Suddenly seeing Night Light again after all that was definitely overwhelming, and I don't really think one moment of weakness there overwrites the fact that she's otherwise a strong and confident character.
And I can understand disliking estrus as a plot device, for sure, because you're right, a lot of times when it comes up in pony-fic it's a ridiculously strong force to the point of, yes, making the characters want to hump anything that moves. I hope, however, I've made it clear that this is not the case in my story. Night Light says it best: it's a driving force when present, but they're not bending over in the streets with their tails flagged. They can conduct themselves more or less normally. And both Celestia and Velvet stand as examples of ponies being perfectly capable of abstaining from picking up mates if they so choose, even if it is lonely and uncomfortable. So yeah, it's certainly PRESENT in my story, but it's not an all-consuming and mind-numbing source of out-of-character-ness.
Thanks for the intelligent discourse, and I hope you continue enjoying the fic.
--CG
2706928
It's nice to see another writer subscribing to the same general thought process I follow when it comes to estrus cycles for ponies! It happens once a year, it toys with your judgment and ability to focus and think straight, especially when a mare's scent hits a stallion or a mare spots a stallion that she really wants, but otherwise, their advanced ability to think with something more than their instincts outstrips the control that mating season used to have on their far less intelligent ancestors.
Estrus is there to encourage and promote procreation. They can resist these impulses because they're smart enough creatures to know the difference between right and wrong. Not to mention modern society forces them to stop and think about what they're about to do. 'This mare is so beautiful and kind and loving, but....I can't afford to raise a child, I don't have enough time for it! I would be a terrible Father that would rarely be around, I have to travel too much. Not to mention her family really doesn't seem to like me. No....no, no matter how much I might want her right now, we can't do this, we just can't.' Sure, some may be eager, and may try to sway someone's decisions, but that doesn't mean that they're incapable of saying no. It might be a bit different compared to how humans just seem to get horny and go for it because their bodies just want sex, where estrus cycles moreso urge the pony to procreate rather than just have sex for no reason, but that doesn't make it more potent and mind-controlling.
As for Velvet's moment of weakness in this chapter, I agree with the author, it's very reasonable to assume that she would be very worn down and feeling depressed and vulnerable after all that's happened to her recently. It's a lot to deal with, and combined with Night Light suddenly re-appearing after being gone for three days, her breaking down in front of a dear friend that she's deeply attracted to as well is entirely acceptable and reasonable. After all, she's never been presented as a perfectly strong-willed, unbreakable young mare with all the confidence in the world. She's only been presented to us as a mare that knows what she wants, and knows when to have fun and when to be more serious, though she seems to have taken a lesson from her recent experiences, which is likely to make her take her job much more seriously. Good for her!
I really can't wait to see what happens next, especially since Velvet knows that her stallion's likely going to go and bang Celestia a few more times before the mating season's over, even though they're both basically together now. Not to mention Pommel, oh jeebus I can't wait for Night Light to speak with Pommel about all this crazy stuff!
2711843 I agree and ditto this comment.
"Night Light struggled to reign in his body’s reactions"
*bump against table*
I think it will be kinda strange for him to walk around in public with his dick out. Though I guess since they don't wear clothing it could be not uncommon to see.
... Thunderballs?