"Gregory, we need to do something!"
Celestia was getting desperate. With the scare over her horn ring mishap over, the mare was feeling her heat again. It had returned with a vengeance, wild and hot and irresistible.
The human looked away from the boring game he was watching on the TV. "Your toys aren't helping?" he asked, as if offering a suggestion.
She groaned. "No! I told you so before. They are a stopgap measure at best. My body knows the difference between a toy and- the real thing."
The pony still blushed, even without actually saying it. She was imagining it clearly enough. She took a breath and went on: "Tonight. Soon! I'll want the- uh, the... latter!"
There was more bad news. She might as well lay it all out on the table and be done with it, Celestia thought. "Now there's no horn ring, so however well you tie me up, I'll just magic my way out."
Finally she was done and the pony was left breathing heavily and staring at Rawsthorne. It wasn't just exertion that was making her out of breath!
The human seemed to sense it too. "Well, any suggestions?" he asked very cautiously.
She didn't like the idea she'd come up with, but they were running out of options. "I'll get drunk."
"What?! How will that help?"
The mare went to him and sat on the thick carpet. She had to wriggle her rump a little to shift the folded towel to a more comfortable spot. She didn't even mind it at this point, because otherwise she would be leaking everywhere. It was yet another reminder of her problem. She froze, desperately trying to get a grip. Don't, she thought fervently, don't grind!
At least Rawsthorne accepted her head in his lap without comment, and he didn't need prompting to put his hands on her head and begin massaging her ears.
"I won't be able to use magic against you if I am drunk enough. And then I'll be sick, and I'll feel wretched and tired and I won't bother you."
He still seemed horrified. "That's barbaric!"
Barbaric was it? Maybe he'd prefer the other idea? "Alternatively, you could just - do the 'latter'. If that would make you feel better."
The human frowned, failing to understand her. "The latter? What do you mean?"
Celestia groaned a little and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Rut me! Put me in bed, get on behind me and just stick it in like a normal stallion!"
When she realized what she had said, Celestia 'eeped' and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at how red her owner was in the face. Probably not more than her, plus hers showed better on white fur!
Human faces were inherently pink. It didn't seem fair.
Her next words were very quiet. "Sorry. It's... bad. I can't stop thinking about it."
Rawsthorne coughed nervously. "Well, any other options?"
The pony forced herself to think. "Call Mrs. Turner back to bring the ring? If I don't try to change again it should still work."
She didn't like the idea in the slightest but before long she would be desperate. She blinked and looked at her owner to gauge his reaction. He wasn't a big fan either.
"Or call Heavy Hoof - he said we could do it with a condom, but you'll have to make him swear he won't give away my secret." She thought that last bit over again. "Or maybe just don't bother. With Glowbug and him, I might as well tell everypony and face the music. I'm nearly ready to do it, too!"
"That bad?" Rawsthorne asked sympathetically.
"Yes!"
The human looked back up at the TV. "Okay, let me think for a minute."
The pony just grunted. The scratches were helping a little. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. The lap under her chin was very warm and the monotonous voice from the TV was helping her relax.
"Celestia? Wake up!"
She didn't like the tone. The alicorn had been half-dreaming and smacked her lips a little. She couldn't remember what the dream was about, but it was making her hot and cold all over, both at the same time.
"Celestia!"
She jerked awake and opened her eyes. Rawsthorne was staring down at her. She was still in his lap and his pants were soaked. The mare hurriedly pulled her tongue back in.
"Eep!" She moved her head away. Yeah, she had definitely slobbered a little. More than a little. "How long was I out?!"
Rawsthorne stood up and gingerly pulled the cloth away from himself. "A minute, maybe two."
She sighed. "You j-just smelled so nice. I swear I didn't do it intentionally, Gregory!"
Her owner sighed and began the awkward, uncomfortable shuffle toward the bathroom. The mare followed him anxiously. "Please, you have to believe me! I just dozed off and my nose was right there, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
He paused and looked at her with concern. "Go down to the basement, you know where the liquor cabinet is?"
She nodded with her ears folded back in shame.
"Take whatever you need," the man said, but had to pause to think. "There should be all sorts. Denis keeps bringing it from his vacation in Europe. Take two bottles. No, wait. Make it three."
Celestia heaved a shuddering sigh and dragged herself away. She knew about the cabinet in the back of the laundry room. Why it was there, she couldn't guess. But Rawsthorne never drank and didn't seem to have guests often. Possibly it was just conveniently out of the way. She went downstairs and looked through the bottles. It seemed like no one had touched them in a long time.
The mare remembered the layer of dust which had been on the cabinet when she cleaned it a few weeks ago. She might even be the first person ever to take anything out of there! She picked the most beautiful bottles she could find. One was an elegant round affair with amber liquid. It read 'Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey'. It sounded exotic. And then there was the nice, green one - it gave her some trouble to read in the unfamiliar language:
"Di-able Vert. Absinthe?" She wondered how it was really pronounced.
Rawsthorne had said to take three. She picked a clear bottle with another strange name. She tried to say it anyway, just for the fun of it, and for the small distraction it offered.
"Bauer's Obstler? Schnapps? Forty percent."
She levitated the bottles from their shelves and closed the cabinet. Then she went to look for the human.
Maybe it would even be fun. She would have to do it on her own, though. The alicorn couldn't risk blabbing about who she really was and her lies about the slavery. She couldn't let him find out from drunk Celestia! Rawsthorne was back in the living room with fresh pants. He simply watched as she arrayed the bottles before him on the coffee table.
Then he looked up at her. "Interesting choices. Your favourites?"
The pony shook her head. "No, I don't know any of them, but I don't mind trying. It's been ages since I had a real drink, so I guess it won't take a whole lot."
It was just as well. She didn't want to use up too many of them. The bottles looked expensive. "I'll go to my room. Can you lock it from the outside? Oh, and..."
She concentrated for a moment. Several large towels floated from the laundry room upstairs to her bed. And the plastic bucket she had used for the mop whizzed past them. Hopefully she would remember to throw up in there, rather than on the floor or bed. Either way, she was getting used to cleaning up messes in her room.
The human watched it strangely. "You can drink here, I don't really mind. And I'll make sure you don't hurt yourself."
She wanted to. She really wanted to. Maybe she could get him to take a glass or two as well. Maybe it would loosen him up to consider the 'latter option', but she really didn't know what she would be like when drunk. The danger of spilling her secret was simply too great.
The alicorn sighed sadly. "I don't want you to see me like that. I will take care of it. It's just tonight, and then tomorrow I'll be able to control it again."
He was about to argue and Celestia knew she would give in if he did.
"Shut up!" She was dangerously near tears. "Not a word, Gregory! If you won't do what I need you to do, because 'it would be wrong'..."
Her wings made the air quotes almost without her thinking about it.
"...then this is the only thing I can do to obey your wishes! Yes, it will be wretched and I can't imagine how awful I'll feel in the morning!"
She took a shuddering breath and made her glare return. "But I will not have you watching as I do this! I will not have you see me drunk out of my mind and mad with the heat! You will do me the courtesy of not listening, either!"
The Princess was in court, that's what her voice carried, and it worked. The human lowered his eyes and nodded.
"I'm sorry," he said, at last.
"So am I. But after this, you owe me!" It didn't quite make sense, she knew. It was her body that was the problem, and her own mistake in not coming to Earth prepared. At the very least, she could have warned her owner in advance to get her a non-changeling horn ring in time, but she was suffering and she would make at least part of it Rawsthorne's fault!
"Well..." He was about to reach the same conclusion as her - that it was her own failures that had led to this.
"No! No excuses! I'll do this to spare your feelings, but I get my bath privileges back! I will have completed my punishment, okay?!"
Rawsthorne sighed and stood up. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry, Celestia."
It was a small victory, at least. "Well, fine. When this is all over, we'll talk!"
The emotions were slipping out of her control. She should get out of the room before she said something foolish and ruined everything! But this had been collecting in her gut for a while and it had to come out before she burst.
"If all you want is a house maid, that's fine. I can do that - I'll find what I need someplace else, but I'd like something more! You don't get to be this nice to me and not expect a mare to fall head over hooves! You can't be this kind and understanding without getting something back, okay?!" The tears were starting in earnest and she looked away. Her owner wasn't answering her, but he was looking and waiting for her to finish.
"I l-" It still wouldn't come out and the alicorn cursed herself for cowardice. "I like you, Greg. I really do."
Even now she blushed, even with this half-admission. How could the human be so thick?! Anyone with half a brain would understand what she wanted to say!
"You're emotional, I understand. Do what you have to today. I have some Tylenol in the medicine cabinet, I'll leave it out if you need it tomorrow."
She couldn't believe it. Even after practically throwing herself at the human, he was just - friendly and understanding.
What did it take?! Could it be that he didn't believe her? That it was all the heat talking? Was it? It was a big, stupid mess and the mare let her head drop.
"We'll talk tomorrow. I'm sorry."
Now there was his hand, gliding down her withers and back. He was careful to avoid the wings as he brought his hand back to pat her neck gently.
"I expect we will, Celestia. I expect we will."
She whimpered a little and ran for it. After a moment, the bottles floated after her. Now she really needed that drink. Maybe it would quell her mind.
Even before she had fully shut her door, the mare was sobbing quietly. She threw herself on the bed, hurriedly unstoppered the green bottle and lifted it up to her mouth.
It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted, but at the same time it was the most vile, disgusting, burning liquid she had ever swallowed. She heard the lock on her door click as Rawsthorne turned the key. The pony sighed and took another swig.
The blasted heat was ruining everything! It was making her stupid. It was driving her to do and say all these idiotic things! Yes there was something she felt for the human, but was it love? Respect? Kinship? Was he a friend, or a potential mate?
Did she even want anything to happen, truly? It was impossible to tell, not with the mixture of hormones rushing through her body. She put the green bottle down on her end table and opened the amber one.
"Gah!"
That burned even worse than the first one, but she persisted and gulped thirstily until it was a quarter gone. Please, let it work quickly! She wanted to stop thinking.
The toys were on her bed, waiting. Soon, the alcohol would cloud her mind and then she would probably reach for them. Anything, just to get the night over with!
She wanted to be herself again, not a slave to her... her marebits!
The first minute after waking up was fine, but then Celestia made the mistake of trying to move.
"Ughhhh."
It was barely a groan. She didn't even know how she had been able to sleep. Her head and forelegs were on the bed and the rest of her was hanging down to the floor. No wonder her back felt stiff.
And the smell. Gah! Yuck!
At least most of her sick ended up in the bucket. Even so, the mare couldn't stand it much longer. She stood up on wobbly legs and reached clumsily for her magic. It was slow and faltering, but she managed to open the window and toss the plastic abomination out. She would find it and wash it later. When her head stopped pounding like that.
It was overcast outside, but the mare was only dimly aware of that. If it rained, it might wash the bucket some. The alicorn froze as there was a knock on her door.
"Celestia? Are you alright?"
It was Rawsthorne! The pony glanced at her clock. Nearly eleven! He should have been at work. Not fair! Not again! He wasn't supposed to be around to see her like that again! The mare hurriedly climbed on her bed and desperately tried to blow the bad air out with her wings.
At least this time she had wings!
The door opened and the human stepped in.
"Eep!" She flushed somewhere between pink and red as they looked at each other. Why did the human keep finding her on the windowsill doing something silly?!
"How are you feeling?"
Celestia slowly lowered herself from the window and lay down on her bed. "Blergh!"
Again, the human didn't sit down beside her. Not on that bed! He still came forward, though. At least the pat or the scratch would be nice, the mare thought. Then she smelled water. Oh yes, Rawsthorne was carrying a glass. She hadn't been paying much attention, but now it reminded her just how thirsty she was.
"Here, take this. It should help," the human said. "I called the vet and it's okay for ponies."
Thoughtful, even if 'vet' stung a little. She opened her mouth and accepted the pill. Then she had to lift her head a little so her owner could give her water. She was grateful for that. The mare wasn't sure her magic was up to such a delicate task just yet. A glass was much smaller than a bucket.
"Thank you, Gregory."
There it was. He had seen her at her absolute worst. No doubt he was permanently turned off mares. Stupid body, and stupid heat and stupid alcohol and stupid... other fluids. The room was a mess. The towels hadn't helped. It just looked like she had fallen off the bed in the middle of her 'fun', so now it was in the carpet, too.
"I'll clean it all up, I swear! I just need a few minutes..." She remembered the time and looked at the human sharply. "You were supposed to be at work anyway!"
He shrugged. "Took a sick day. Thought you might need some help. It didn't sound pleasant last night."
And here came the blush again. "Sorry." She closed her eyes. The pounding in her head was making it hard to think and all her muscles were sore. Not to mention the taste in her mouth was absolutely foul.
"Please go away." Above all, she didn't want Rawsthorne to see her like that! When she had started to drink herself into a stupor, her one pleasant thought was that the human wouldn't be there to see the aftermath. She was supposed to have the house empty for at least a few more hours, so she could clean up her room, herself and maybe even do the laundry!
It was completely unfair! She couldn't choke back the sob. Why did he have to be so nice about it all? There it was! His hand in her mane already, patting comfortingly.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" the jerk asked, as if he didn't know. "It's not that bad, is it? Do you want me to get another pill?"
She shook her head. "It's..." Celestia couldn't get the words out around the lump in her throat.
Still the human didn't understand! The hand slid up to her head and pried open one of her ears, which she was holding pressed firmly against her skull. "Come on, anything you need. I want to help," Rawsthorne cooed as he fiddled with her ear.
That just made it worse. If he really wanted to help her, he could have said 'yes' last night. There would still be a mess, but it would be in his room, and it would be a beautiful mess!
The pony took a deep breath and opened her eye. It sought out Rawsthorne. "What I need is my dignity back."
He didn't know how to answer that, which gave Celestia a tiny victory. "Please get out of the room. I need a shower, and I need to clean this up. And - ugh! - I need to brush my teeth a couple of times. And then I'll go and make us lunch."
He didn't seem quite sure about that plan. "Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem-"
"No!" It was an effort, but Celestia lifted her head up. "You've seen enough! I'm not even embarrassed anymore, Greg! It's gone beyond that. I need this! Let me pull myself together on my own, okay?!"
She shook her head and dislodged the hand. "Once I'm presentable again I will seek you out."
Outside it started to rain. It felt appropriate and also it would make it easier to clean up after the bucket. Maybe if she went out, it would even wash some of her shame away.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Rawsthorne asked. "It's really no problem. I can make us sandwiches, or we can order something."
"Shut up!" It was perhaps more forceful than she had intended, but the mare felt brittle. A wrong touch or a bad memory and she would go to pieces again, and the human would never be allowed see any more of that! She would make sure, even if she had to blind him!
She pushed her owner away with a hoof, then resolutely slid out of the bed. She made her legs hold her steady and kept her glare on Rawsthorne.
"It's done! My heat is over!" That wasn't entirely true - she would be quite excitable for a few days, but the worst was behind her and Celestia felt she could control the rest of it. "You saw what it did to me. I'd rather you didn't, but there it is! If you want to do me favours, let me get on with my work and forget what happened! I don't need, nor want, your pity."
Had he returned her feelings, she would have gladly taken comfort from those hands and that lap, but he hadn't, so she wouldn't either. He hadn't, even after she had nearly presented her-
Celestia stopped the thought ruthlessly and went on around it. Even after that he didn't want her. Either he was a complete gentlecolt, or the human didn't feel even slightly attracted to someone of another species.
The former - she could work with that. As for the latter... Then she would serve out her role in his house with as much grace and dignity as she could muster, and then, once she was fed up with it, she would leave. As simple as that.
Leave without even telling Rawsthorne anything.
She just watched the human silently. She knew how she looked - frazzled, tangled mess of a mane, matted and sticky fur. Tail and rear practically encrusted with- best not to think about what. Her wings were in a disarray, her chin was covered in dried up sick and there was probably a wild, crazed look in her eyes.
It was the ugliest she had ever felt and still the human didn't avert his eyes. He didn't step away, or cover his nose from the stench. His lack of a reaction gave her an impossible hope.
It would all hinge on what the human said next, so she waited. Even with all her experience, there was no way to guess at what the man was thinking, but she made her face impassive - he wouldn't know either! Not anymore.
At long last, he reached out and picked a bit of something gross out of the fur on her cheek. "Maybe you don't want pity, but what you need is a bath. Go down and enjoy yourself. This-" he waved his arm around the destroyed room, "-can wait. And if the carpet is ruined, I'll have it replaced. Don't worry about it, Celestia."
She just kept her eyes on him. Okay, maybe it would all hinge on the next thing, then!
"Don't worry, you're still quite pretty under all that."
Her composure broke, but only for an instant. Enough for a single sob to escape her. She reached out her wings and hugged her owner.
"Tell me there's still a chance!"
If she had been impressed before, she was doubly so now. Not only did the human fail to show any revulsion at being nuzzled by all that dirt, he even put an arm around her neck!
"There's always been a chance, Celestia. Let's wait till your heat is completely over, then we'll see, okay?"
She nodded against his cheek.
"Now go get that bath. That's an order!"
She nodded again, but now the mare was smiling a little. "Yes, Master Rawsthorne."