//------------------------------// // Jubilant Winters Passes into Somber Springs. // Story: Equestrian Eeveelution. // by Symphonicdysonince //------------------------------// Winter passed, as all winters do, and I was once again used to clear the sky for Winter Wrap Up. I spent the rest of the first day of spring helping Rainbow with her various jobs, until we dug up Tank that evening. As the week passed by, I started worrying less about the eggs, and more for my hormones. We all agreed that the last thing we needed right now was more eggs. Remembering how things went last month, I braced myself for the strong urges and worked out a plan with Rainbow. Simply put, when I wake up and can barely think, she's to lock me in a kennel and never let me out without a leash. I am to remain in there for the two weeks or so for my heat to pass. I woke up one morning and zombied my way down to the kitchen. I glanced at the calendar we had put up in view of the table. Let's see, I opened the pantry to get at a bag of kibble, I'm pretty sure that, um, it took this long for my heat to hit last... Month. So I can expect to be kept away from... the boys... I finished pouring a small bowl and dragged it from the pantry.  I had finished crunching my way through the bowl when Rainbow finally made her way down from her bed. "Morning." She yawned. <> I waved back at her. I pushed my bowl over to the sink to be washed. <> "No, don' think so." She drifted around the kitchen to make her own breakfast. "Yer goin' to check up on th' eggs?" I stretched out my back with a satisfying series of cracks. <> I paused to let a yawn of my own out. <> I walked out the door and crouched at the edge of our cloud home. <> "'Kay, have fun." Rainbow called after me.  I hopped down the clouds and started to make my way to the Daycare. Once there, I took my time checking and turning the eggs, and, for once, I wasn't worrying over them. I couldn't figure out why, though. I was just turning to leave when I heard a slight hiss behind me. Fully turning, I saw Conner standing at the top of the ramp. "Uh..." He gave me a sheepish grin. "Good morning?" "Morning to you, too." I smiled at him. I don't think I ever noticed how silky his fur looks before... I walked up and leaned against the door frame. "And how's spring been treating you?" "Just fine!" He gave me a worried look. "So, uh, do you know when, um, mating season is?" "I've got it circled on the calendar at home." I admitted. "It's supposed to start today," Conner took a step back, "but I don't feel any different, so I think my timings off. So you're safe for now, cutie. Anyways, I'm off to the farm for a bit. Later!" I gave him a quick kiss as I sauntered past. I dropped into an Extreme Speed to get to the farm as quickly as I could. I slowed down once I was well into the orchard. I did my best to look down every row between the trees, but I did not see any of the tell tale flashes of color that would've marked any of the farm folk. Eventually, I had made my way into our Training Yard. I saw Triphyle standing off to one side, but the yard was otherwise clear. "Hey, ya big lug. Any clue as to where the others are?" ":Hello little one. Come to train?:" Triphyle rumbled his gibberish at me. He tilted his head with a sniff. ":Or are you looking to relieve your urges?:" "Yeah, I can't understand a word you're saying." I sauntered up to him and rubbed my side against one of his legs. "I expected as much." I took a sniff of my own. "Hmmm, you smell nice." ":You know that you won't get any eggs from me.:" I felt him rumble. ":Although, if I've judged your hutch as well as I think I have, that might be the point.:" He pushed me slightly away. ":Stop spreading your pheromones, please. I don't want Cy or Vincent to come in and smell them. On that thought...:" He thumped a foot into the earth and I could hear plants moving behind me. I turned a half lidded look at the now blocked entranceway, new growth grown over the hole in the hedges. "Good, then no one can interrupt us." I purred, pressing myself back up against Triphyle's leg. I wonder if what I've heard about turtles applies to Triphyle... I blinked, then shook my head rapidly. Ugh, where did that come from? I took another deep breath to calm myself, but only breathed in more of Triphyle's musk. ":So, are you here for safe mating?:" Triphyle cocked his head at me. And then it clicked. It really is mating season, isn't it? I groaned, stepping under Triphyle and pressing my back against the large tortoise. But then, why is this month's heat not such a strong driving force as last month's? ":Erm, is that a yes?:" I groaned as his rumbles pleasantly vibrated through me. ";Where's Eros when you need her?:" I rubbed my tail against Triphyle's underside. Is it because this isn't my first heat? Like, the first one is so overwhelming to ensure species survival, but the ones after are just strong suggestions? I moaned as I felt something poking my rear. Very strong suggestions? I let out another moan as the poking became more insistent. Oh, thoughts for later, Leo... ":Okay, um, your pheromones are very strong, so, erm, I'm just going to go at it and stop if you pull away, okay?:" I leaned down to brace myself. "Shut up and mount me!" [Lulu] I panted in the tub, calming myself before spraying the insides clean. Okay, so that works. I wonder for how long? "Hey, Rarity?" I heard Sweetie call out from the bottom of the stairs. "Have you seen Eros around here?" "I think I saw her upstairs, Sweetie. Why, is something wrong?" "I just haven't seen her for a little while, is all!" I hopped out of the tub as I heard Sweetie ascend the stairs. Reaching up, I unlocked the door and stepped out into the hallway just as Sweetie crested the stairs. <> I greeted the young mare. "Hey, Lulu. Is Eros in there?" <> I squeaked, fighting down my blush. I shook my head. <> "Darn." Sweetie sighed. "Do you mind helping me look for her?" I nodded, and started sniffing the air, ignoring my own, uh, "scent". I padded down the hall once I had picked up Eros's scent until it ended in the middle of the hall. Looking up, Sweetie and I saw the attic door. It took Sweetie a bit of work, but she managed to get it open with her magic. After pulling down the ladder, she climbed up into the darkness. I flowed up after her. Weaving my way through the haphazardly stacked piles of odds and ends, I followed Sweetie towards the farthest corner, and the faint sound of crying. I watched as Sweetie turned the last pile with a gasp and then rush out of sight. I was about to follow when Eros appeared in front of me with the tell tale crack of teleportation. I had just enough time to wonder why she didn't travel farther when she crashed into me. The next thing I know, I'm being suspended in the air. "Eros, wait! What's wrong?" Sweetie called out. Eros stood stock still, then slowly lowered me to the floor. "I just want to help..." "I know..." Eros's voice softly drifted across my mind. She sniffed as her mental power finally left me. "And that just makes this harder for me..." I settled my fur down while Sweetie slowly came back out around the crate. "What's wrong, Eros? You know you can talk to me." The little filly asked after sitting down a short distance from Eros. Eros sat down hard and tucked her knees to her chest. "... I hate thinking about it..." A thin red line appeared on her arm on the far side of Sweetie. "It hurts too much to think about..." My eyes widened as I saw another line appear beside the first. <> I gasped as what she was doing clicked for me. <> "I know that!" Eros glared at me, her ire quickly melting away as tears welled up in her eyes. 'I always know how everyone feels around me..." 'Then you know that we just want to help, right?" Sweetie looked between us with worry. <> I shifted to be a little further from her, <> We all sat there in silence as Eros struggled not to cry. Eventually, she 'spoke' up. "S-so, you remember what I was like back when you first summoned me, Sweetie?" Sweetie nodded. "That was because I was worried that my time had come... I was hatched on what I would later learn was a breeding farm. N-not all breeding farms are bad, they help endangered... summons from going extinct and help repopulate the wilds." Eros sniffed, her tears slowly starting to trickle down her cheek. "Mine wasn't one of those. Mine was run by some gang, who hatched, grew and rapidly evolved summons. While they did that, they would 'train' us for the various..." She glanced at the filly. "Uh, unique needs of their clients. And they weren't gentle with their methods..." The tears were flowing freely now. "The so-called 'trainers' that ran the farm I grew up in specialized with Kairikys, Rougelas and... and Sirnights. And for their more, uh..." Again, she looked at Sweetie. "Older clients with unique tastes in their... partners." Eros took a deep calming breath, and then her next thoughts were rushed out. "They would beat us, and whip us, and force us to act the way that they wanted us to, all so that we would, er, enrich the enjoyment of whichever client bought us. And if we didn't do what they wanted after all of that, they would withhold our food... They would forcefully evolve us and give us more in depth specialized 'training' when we showed our first heat... When you summoned me, I was only a month off." Eros finally broke down as her memories overwhelmed her. Sweetie quickly scooped her up and held her, letting Eros cry out on her shoulder. I lay down and laid my head on her feet. "I..." Sweetie swallowed and tried again. "I can't imagine that anypony could be so cruel..." "They weren't ponies..." Eros warbled. "Ponies like your kind don't exist where I'm from..." I whined. <> I flowed and curled around the pair. <> "It's not like you could've done anything, Lulu." Eros reached out and weakly patted my head. "You were a realm away..." Sweetie looked between us. "There aren't any ponies where you were summoned from? Then, what hurt you so?" "Humans." Eros spat the thought out. "Oh." Sweetie held Eros closer. No more words were said as we let Eros calm herself down in the warmth that our company gave. Rarity would find us sleeping on the attic floor that evening.